The most profound thing we can offer our children is our own healing. - Anne Lamott

You are not soft.

You are not breaking
and
you are not fragile
despite
what the world
has told you.

You are not weak.

You are not dumb
and you are certainly
not failing.

You are not made
of inconsistencies;
theories, or incomplete
sentences.

No, none of that.

Please throw that madness
out the window.
You are a goddamn solider
in the middle of a war.

You are the goddamn
split second between
life and death.

Between what is certain
and what might never become.

You are the shooting star
that suddenly flashes in
the night sky.

You are all
the goddamn trees
in the world,
all the oceans,
and all the fires,
in one human.

You are what is left.

You are your ancestors'
legacy, their dreams, and
their aspirations.
You are the motionless rock
in a river full of lies.

You are.

You are.

You are.

Make your life count.

Fuel the fire,
and burn,
and be,
and become,
and do,
all the things for which

you were meant for. - Robert M. Drake

Chinese cyberspies targeted Tibetans with a malicious Firefox add-on
Dutch parliament: China's treatment of Uighurs is genocide

Perspective | Rand Paul’s ignorant questioning of Rachel Levine showed why we need her in government

A Texas grocery store lost power and let people leave without paying. Shoppers paid it forward.
Texas Blackouts Hit Minority Neighborhoods Especially Hard
30 Years of Power Outages and Campaign Donations in Texas
Frustrated Jackson Locals Are Nearing Two Weeks With No Water
A Texas woman is suing her electricity provider after she got a $9,000 power bill amid statewide power outages
Texas Electric Bills Were $28 Billion Higher Under Deregulation
A deadly storm on top of a pandemic devastates vulnerable Texans: 'We've been living in a nightmare'
Texas lawmakers investigate deadly power blackout
A n
Former Trump advisor says Texas power outages are consequence of electing Biden
Three generations of Texans were trying to stay warm in the blackout. Then a deadly fire erupted.
An 11-year-old boy died in an unheated Texas mobile home. Authorities suspect hypothermia.
Suspected Hypothermia Deaths In Homes Mount In Texas
Grandmother, 3 children killed in Sugar Land house fire; 2 others hurt
$17,000 Electric Bill? A Deregulated Power Grid Leads To Wild Prices For Texans
Ted Cruz Returns To Texas From Cancún After Democrats Call For Resignation
Cruz family’s Cancun trip rattles their private school
The oil and gas industry has been very generous to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott. Will that sway his outages response?
Water Problems Persist as Texas Restores Power
'Just crippling': Texans devastated by ice storm are now hunting empty shelves for food and water

Cherokee Nation Strikes Down Language That Limits Citizenship Rights 'By Blood'

Kelly Loeffler's WNBA team sold after players' criticism
Ahmaud Arbery's mother files federal lawsuit against 3 men accused of killing son

There are eight continents, not seven. 🌏

The missing continent it took 375 years to find

A Harvard Professor Called Wartime Sex Slaves ‘Prostitutes.’ One Pushed Back.
A Harvard Professor Called Wartime Sex Slaves 'Prostitutes.' One Pushed Back.

Poetry is what happens when nothing else can. - Bukowski

Attacks on Asian-Americans in New York Stoke Fear, Anxiety and Anger
Police investigating after Asian man stabbed in back in NYC's Chinatown
Attack on Asian American Air Force Veteran in Koreatown Investigated as Hate Crime
All About Minari, the Moving Immigrant Drama That's Now a Top 2021 SAG Awards Contender
Asian American food aid expands to address hidden hunger during pandemic
Neighbors Help Stop Harassment Of Asian American Family In Ladera Ranch
‘We’re being scapegoated’: Asians and Asian Americans speak out against spate of violence
'We are crying out for help': Actors, activists sounding alarm on surging attacks against Asian Americans
A wave of violent attacks renews focus on anti-Asian racism
East Bay school ‘Zoom-bombed’ during Chinese New Year celebration

Messages in a bottle I write and send out into the ocean of humanity have a way of making their way back to me when I need them most.
Life doesn’t always get better.
That is an inescapable truth.
The people you love most can hurt you in ways you never imagined.
That is also an inescapable truth.
But these are also truths...
You can love them anyway, even with your heart breaking, even if it has to be from afar, even if they can no longer see who you are.
You can and will survive.
You are strong enough, even when it doesn’t feel that way.
You will rise wiser and softer and even stronger, just maybe not today. (And that’s okay.)
It’s okay to hurt.
It’s okay to cry, even if you need to find some hidden place to do it.
It’s okay to rest, even when you feel the weight of responsibility heavy on your shoulders, dragging you forward, urging you to keep going.
Take a moment.
Take a day.
Take what time you need.
Then carry on, love.
Rise. - L.R.Knost

Life doesn't always get better.
But you do.
You get stronger.
You get wiser.
You get softer.
With tattered wings
You RISE.
And the world watches in
Wonder
at the breathless beauty
of a human who survived life. - L.R.Knost

So here some thoughts about minimum wage

You are beautiful enough. Your stories of 'not good enough' are finctional novels written by a culture still hiding its light under a bushel of shame. The real story, your true autobiography, is one of inherent magnificence, courage, and divinity flowing through your soul-veins. So you decide which book to read, the fictional novel written by those who do no see you, or the holy book written by your glorious spirit. - Jeff Brown, Hearticulations

Don't beat yourself up for not knowing the answers. You don't always have to know who you are. You don't have to have the big picture, or know where you're heading. Sometimes, it's enough just to know what you're going to do next. - Sophie Kinsella

Lose as many people as you need to in order to not lose yourself. No one worth keeping in your life is worth you losing yourself. - Najwa Zebian

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. - Thich Nhat Hanh

Don't waste a second of your time convincing other people you're worth loving. - Atticus

You are worth it, that's a fact. - Atticus

Don't place your dreams in the hands of those whom can destroy them. - Paulo Coelho

Watch Guests on a British Comedy Show Sing a Song About Oregon’s Exploding Whale

Biden USTR nominee Tai vows to end trade 'race to the bottom,' counter China
Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou’s extradition fight moves to yet another jurisdiction
‘Diplomacy Is Back’: Linda Thomas-Greenfield Is Confirmed as Biden’s U.N. Envoy
Rubio Joins Merkley, Warren, Cornyn In Introducing Legislation to Address Impacts of China’s Censorship of Americans and American Businesses
US and allies to build 'China-free' tech supply chain
Chinese official calls for 'joint efforts' in China-US trade

Pentagon releases training materials to address extremism
Husband of Hitler-quoting GOP congresswoman parked his militia-stickered truck outside Capitol Jan. 6
A Capitol rioter texted his ex during the insurrection to call her a ‘moron,’ feds say. She turned him in.
Lengthy list of questions only grows as Congress holds hearings on pro-Trump riot
Capitol Police chief: Security will remain high due to State of the Union threat
Maddow: Underestimation of Trump mob's violence more than mere 'intelligence failure'
Adam Kinzinger Blasts Tucker Carlson for Saying He Can't Find QAnon
Judge rips Capitol rioter’s Trump defense
Rep. Tim Ryan: Republicans spreading lies during Capitol riot hearing a 'complete insult'
Top Security Officials Testify on Failure to Blunt Capitol Attack
CNN Anchor Slams Tucker Carlson’s Capitol Riots Revisionism: This Is ‘Fantasy Island’
Rep. Tim Ryan says those worried about optics on Jan. 6 were ‘covering their rear ends’
Pennsylvania officer arrested, suspended from job over alleged involvement in Capitol riot
Perspective | His pastors tried to steer him away from social media rage. He stormed the Capitol anyway.

The key to wise thought is to sense the energy state behind the thought. If we pay attention, we will notice that certain thoughts are produced by fear and the small sense of self. With them will be clinging, rigidity, unworthiness, defensiveness, aggression, or #anxiety. We can sense their effect on the heart and the body. When we notice this suffering we can relax, breathe, loosen the identification. With this awareness the mind will become more open and malleable. With this pause we return to our Buddha nature. Now we can think, imagine, and plan, but from a state of ease and benevolence. - Jack Kornfield, The Wise Heart

Top Hong Kong university cuts ties with student union over national security concerns
Taiwan Denies Residency Visa to Pro-Beijing Producer Charles Heung
Two rights groups quit Hong Kong as security law sends shudders through NGOs
Hong Kongers snap up UK homes and do what they excel at: being landlords

The past is your lesson. The present is your gift. The future is your motivation. - unknown

"I feel sorry for anybody that could let hate wrap them up. Ain't no such thing as I can hate anybody and hope to see God's face." - Fannie Lou Hamer

The Carpenters - Yesterday Once More - Gigi De Lana, Jon Cruz

Each of us has our own measure of pain. Sometimes the pain we suffer is great and obvious; sometimes it is subtle. Our pain can reflect the coldness of our families, the trauma of our parents, the stultifying influence of modern society. As a result, we often feel that we have been cast out. To survive we have to cover our heart, build up a layer of clay, and defend ourselves. We lose the belief that we are worthy of love. The mystic Simone Weil tells us, “The danger is not that the soul should doubt whether there is any bread, but that, by a lie, it should persuade itself that it is not hungry.”

Compassion reminds us that we do belong, as surely as we have been lost. Always remember to put your trust in compassion and self-love. From this comes a shift of identity, a release from the covering of clay, a return to our original goodness. In developing compassion start exactly where you are, whatever your situation. Having compassion for your own humanity and your struggles is critical. Let yourself sense a wish to live with greater kindness. Hold your own fear and shame with compassion, and let this practice open you to better self-care and to greater tolerance and kindness for others. - Jack Kornfield
From Self-Hate to Compassion

Teens drive brutal spike in carjackings with covid limiting school and supervision
Dozens got coronavirus from high-intensity workouts in gyms. The CDC warns that masks, better ventilation are a must.
C.D.C. Traces Covid Outbreaks in Gyms, Urging Stricter Precautions
What is behind the lingering effects for some people who contracted COVID-19?
Entire school board resigns after mocking parents during virtual meeting
When Does COVID-19 Become A Disability? 'Long-Haulers' Push For Answers And Benefits
Entire School Board Resigns After Members Are Caught Mocking Parents on Livestream
Bend hospital workers agree to strike
School board members bash pandemic-weary parents as potheads who ‘want their babysitters back’
Almost a third of people with 'mild' Covid-19 still battle symptoms months later, study finds
'The Essence Of Truth': A Doctor's Photos Document The COVID-19 Crisis In The ER
Long-Term Studies Of COVID-19 Vaccines Hurt By Placebo Recipients Getting Immunized
Families face deadline to decide: stay home or go back to class
COVID-linked syndrome in children is growing, and cases are more severe
'It's like we're trying our best to help the virus': A fourth wave is looming if US fails to contain COVID-19 variants, experts say
Batch of homegrown coronavirus mutations seen in US
Vice President Kamala Harris emphasizes speed and equity in response to COVID-19 crisis
CDC defends school guidelines as advocates say they make it too hard to reopen
Oxford-AstraZeneca begins a vaccine trial for children. It’s the youngest group yet to be tested.

Cuomo Controversy, Dr. Seuss Cancelled & Antifa Capitol Riot Lies Jimmy Kimmel Names And Shames The State That Wasted $2 Million Sucking Up To Trump
It's been 1 year since Trump infamously tweeted the 'coronavirus is very much under control' in the U.S.

Evangelical Leaders Condemn 'Radicalized Christian Nationalism'
White supremacy a 'transnational threat', U.N. chief warns
Proud Boys splintering after Capitol riot, revelations about leader. Will more radical factions emerge?

Readers Respond to a Defense of Portland’s Poor Snow Drivers

Change is good...

Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle. - Charles Glassman

Try your best to make goodness attractive. That's one of the toughest assignments you'll ever be given. - Fred Rogers

"We immediately become more effective when we decide to change ourselves rather than asking things to change for us." - Stephen R. Covey

Change is about interrupting the habits and patterns that no longer serve us. If you want to meaningfully alter your life, you don't simply abandon a dysfunctional habit or belief, you replace it with a healthy one. You choose what you're moving toward. You find an arrow and follow it. As you begin your journey, it's important to reflect not only you on what you'd like to be free from, but on what you want to be free to do or become. - Dr. Edith Edger, The Gift

Freedom only comes when you decide that you don't need anyone or anything to chnage in order to feel better. - Abraham Hicks

Start over, my darling. Be brave enough to find the life you want and courageous enough to chase it. Then start over and love yourself the way you were always meant to. - Madalyn Beck

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow. - Melanie Beattie
Self- control is strength. Calmness is mastery. You have to get to a point where your mood doesn't shift based on the insignificant actions of someone else. Don't allow others to control the direction of your life. Don't allow your emotions to overpower your intelligence. - Unknown

"Whatever you're meant to do, do it now. The conditions are always impossible." - unknown

Annie’s Pledges to Purge a Class of Chemicals From Its Mac and Cheese
Doctors Sue USDA for Ignoring Concerns Over Fecal Contamination of Chicken .. back in 219, I wonder what happend...

Seven Charts Explain Downtown Portland’s Precarious Moment—and Why the Future Isn’t So Dire
Portland to settle Quanice Hayes police shooting lawsuit for more than $2 million
Portland police officers ‘guarding’ Fred Meyer dumpsters as residents seek discarded food
Portland man reacts to closure of federal probe into wrongful arrest
New, mysterious Portland monument honors York, an early explorer of Oregon
Someone Replaced the Toppled Harvey Scott Statue at Mount Tabor With a Monument to York, the Only Black Member of the Corps of Discovery
Forget Pompeii. Is Portland the Next Detroit?
Portland Public Schools Has 38 Buildings Over 90 Years Old, and Many Need New Ventilation Systems. That Might Be a Problem in a Pandemic.

Alexei Navalny leads Russians in a historic battle against arbitrary rule, with words echoing Catherine the Great
Putin warns of unnamed foreign efforts to destabilize Russia
U.S. will use a 'mix of tools seen and unseen' to respond to alleged Russia hack, national security adviser says
A California judge ordered OAN's parent company to pay $250,000 of Rachel Maddow's and MSNBC's legal fees after its failed defamation suit

Love makes us whole

Why do we love? A philosophical inquiry - Skye C. Cleary

20210206 國安教育全面洗腦，地理生物要教國安。小學生要知分裂顛覆，肯定警察是「保護我們的人」

You don’t need a guru to tell you what your path is. You don’t need the Akashic records to clarify your course. You just need to clear the emotional debris that obstructs your knowing. You just need to peel away the layers of misidentification. You just need to look inside of your beautiful bones. Your true-path is encoded within you, living at the core of your being. There it is, waiting for its opportunity to be excavated and humanifest. Helpers can support the clearing, but they cannot know which path calls you. They cannot read from your unique soul-scriptures. Only you can. You are the sculptor of your own reality- don’t hand your tools to anyone else. - Jeff Brown

Knock all the gurus off your altar, and replace them with a picture of you. - Jeff Brown

Whatever happens, however it turns out, celebrate your endurance. Honor what it took to get through. Don't guilt out over checking out when you needed. There's nothing wrong with hiding when you've had enough and for coming out to honestly speak what's been on your mind or share what's in your heart. It wasn't a disgrace to sift out what felt harmful. Remember your connection to soemthing loving, something merciful, something peacful, yet strong. Whichever way it turns out to be, mark this spot as your moment of truth. - Susan Frybort

Biden nominates three to USPS board of governors as DeJoy testifies on mail crises
What Biden and the Democrats have planned for the USPS"
Lawmakers aim to dissolve 'draconian' law that placed heavy financial burden on Postal Service
Calls Mount For President Biden To Shake Up Postal Service's Leadership
'There's No End In Sight': Mail Delivery Delays Continue Across The Country

If you inherently long for something, become it first. If you want gardens, become the gardener. If you want love, embody love. If you want mental stimulation, change the conversation. If you want peace, exude calmness. If you want to fill your world with artists, begin to paint. If you want to be valued, respect your own time. If you want to live ecstatically, find the ecstasy within yourself. This is how to draw it in, day by day, inch by inch. - Victoria Erickson, Rhythms and Roads

Happy Purim to all!

How to use the Siri 'I'm Getting Pulled Over' shortcut to record police encounters during traffic stops with your iPhone
Downtown Nordstrom display windows valued at more than $50,000 each smashed Sunday

Hong Kong is setting up a billion-dollar fund to implement its national security crackdown
Explainer: What to expect from China's annual meeting of parliament
ByteDance tried to build an algorithm to censor Uighur livestreams on TikTok's Chinese sister app, a former employee has claimed
【武漢肺炎】「安心出行」下載量於 19 國家地區居首　包括開曼群島、斐濟　惹「篤數」質疑

You can't really run away from home. Because you bring it with you everywhere you go. There can definitely be value in escaping to antoehr geography, to protect yourself, to breathe, to get perspective, but you will still have to go back down the path and reclaim your childhood. Because it is still alive in you, still dictating your relational patterns, still controlling your choices. It must be owned. It must be confronted. It must be healed. And until it is, it's still the place you live. - Jeff Brown, Herticulations

Never feel bad for not being " productive " when you read about 500,000 people dying.
Soul anguish is what happens when grieving rituals are replaced by normalcy rituals. Don't " power through " the heart of your humanity. - Benjamin Perry

Don't entertain negative energy. Some situations will test your patience and try to make you overreact, overthink, and respond to things that don't deserve your life force. Your attention is your power. Don't feed what doesn't add value to your life. Protect your energy. - Averstu.com

Margaret Cho - The World Needs an All Asian Women Army

The "New" Republican Party

The Challenge of Being Close

Isolation is one of the symptons of depression that not many people talk about. I push people away, I ignore texts, phone calls, I don't have the energy and end up alone because of it, making it even worse. End the stigma. - Andy

"As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has--or ever will have--something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression."- Fred Rogers

I love people that have no idea how wonderful they are and just wander around making the world a better place. - unknown

You don't have to rebuild a relationship with everyone you've forgiven. Just because you're at peace, doesn't mean they're not still toxic. - unknown

Retail Sales Jumped 5.3% in January, Far Higher Than Expected

Questions you cannot answer are usually far better for you than answers you cannot question. - Yuval Noah Harari

The problem is not to find the answer, it's to face the answer. - Terence McKenna

"Part of our Promethean and godlike aspiration to the control of nature is the concomitant obligation to care for nature and to feel nature. So really, my message here is a message of feeling. The ideas will come. The ratiocination will come. But what we have to do is feel our dilemma. If we could feel our dilemma and make other people feel our dilemma, we could move rapidly toward real solutions. We are anesthetized; we are a world dying under anesthesia for lack of authentic experience, authentic connection with the living world out of which we came. If we can do this by whatever techniques are available, if we can create a sense of community - globally - then attending that sense of community will be a sense of caring and responsibility. It cannot happen unless we change our minds. We have the technologies, money, the logistical ability to do almost anything in the human world but we don't know how to change our minds. We are angels with a Siamese twin who is a monkey growing out of our chest. And this was all very fine when there were endless environments to despoil and vast herds of game. That curious amalgam of the animal and the angelic that is our humanness could exist in that kind of environment, but no more. And for the past thousand years, the moral bankruptcy of Western civilization has become more and more apparent... We must build community, and we must do it in a short time. We've lost our compass. We don't know who we are, we don't know where we want to go. Our own lives are an experience of inadequacy and tension. We have lost our compass - but it's there." - Terence McKenna

If we don't say yes authentically, we say yes resentfully, and that leads to far more problmes than if we'd said no in the first place. - Nat Lue

Before a child speaks, it sings. Before they write, they paint. As soon as they stand, they dance. Art is the basis of human expression. - Phylicia Rashad

Philippines' Duterte says still undecided on future of U.S. troop deal
Philippines' Duterte tells U.S. 'you have to pay' if it wants to keep troop deal

FDA Scientists Endorse Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
Hungary rolls out China's Sinopharm jab amid lagging trust
WHO team finds China did little to investigate coronavirus origins: report
J&J's Covid-19 Vaccine Is Safe and Effective, FDA Says
Pfizer-BioNTech Shot Stops Covid Spread, Israeli Study Shows
Over 43 million doses of Sinopharm's COVID-19 vaccines used globally: state media
'Enough politicking': WHO scientist tells Biden admin to let Covid report speak for itself
WHO approves AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use
Covid: UK scientist defends WHO fact-finding mission to Wuhan
Biden administration has "deep concerns" about WHO's COVID-19 probe
COVID conspiracy shows vast reach of Chinese disinformation
China accuses U.S. of "pointing fingers" over COVID probe
Florida Is a COVID Nightmare—Even for Vaccinated People
Four people in Oregon who received both doses of vaccine test positive for coronavirus
Variants mean the coronavirus is here to stay — but perhaps as a lesser threat
Perspective | Welcome to Iowa, a state that doesn’t care if you live or die
China refused to provide WHO team with raw data on early COVID cases, team member says
COVID-19 Vaccines Could Add Fuel To Evolution Of Coronavirus Mutations
Up Against Mutants, WHO Says AstraZeneca Vaccine Is Still A Good Bet
U.K. coronavirus variant spreading rapidly through United States, study finds
WHO's Wuhan probe ends, U.S.-China bickering over COVID continues
WHO Is Fighting False COVID Info On Social Media. How's That Going?
Extraordinary Patient Offers Surprising Clues To Origins Of Coronavirus Variants
Wuhan mission unlikely to settle charged debate on virus origins
Understanding COVID-19 origins will take years, says WHO team member
'Extremely unlikely' that Covid came from Wuhan lab, WHO says
WHO says coronavirus unlikely to have leaked from China lab
'Striking piece of evidence': WHO researcher on products in Wuhan market
What we know about how the coronavirus started, and why it matters

Weekend Update: Pete Davidson on Valentine’s Day - SNL

Ted Cruz's Favorite President Could Face Jail Time For Tax Fraud

China rejects growing Western criticism at U.N. rights forum
The US ‘Genocide’ Accusation Against China
Canada declares Uighur persecution in China ‘genocide’, becoming only second country to do so
China rejects genocide charge in Xinjiang, says door open to U.N
Merkley Named Chair of Congressional-Executive Commission on China
Only 'language of power' and sanctions can free Navalny, ally says
U.S. concerned China's new coast guard law could escalate maritime disputes
Taiwan scrambles air force again after Chinese exercises in South China Sea
Biden says U.S. commitment to NATO is 'unshakeable'
Biden Tells Allies 'America Is Back,' but Macron and Merkel Push Back

NASA hid secret messages in the Perseverance parachute
China's Mars craft enters parking orbit before landing rover
7 minutes of terror for Mars Perseverance rover
'Paradise Strong' emblazoned on Mars Rover Perseverance as it reaches the red planet
NASA's Mars rover is minutes away from a nail-biting landing attempt
NASA Prepares For ‘Seven Minutes of Terror.’ Here’s What Will Exactly Happen On Mars.
One day to Jezero: NASA’s Mars rover ready to stick its landing
‘I’m safe on Mars,’ NASA’S new Rover to scour ancient lake bed for life signsg

You will rise above the ashes, you will find a way to become whole again. - unknown

‘Patriots’ Only: Beijing Plans Overhaul of Hong Kong’s Elections
Hong Kong's Lam defends China's plans to ensure loyalists lead city
Hong Kong's freedoms threadbare as China removes last vestiges of political opposition
Hong Kong court says Jimmy Lai's bail denied because risk of further offences
Academic Gordon Mathews: Why I am staying in Hong Kong – for now
HSBC is facing dueling loyalty tests it can only fail
Beijing official signals Hong Kong electoral reforms to ensure 'patriots' govern
Pro-Beijing reforms threaten ‘end’ of HK’s legal system, top lawyer warns
U.S. lawmakers set resolution condemning China over Hong Kong rights
Hong Kong Government Shakes up RTHK Public Broadcaster
Hong Kong revamp of public broadcaster renews press freedom fears
Hong Kong May Prohibit Insults of Public Officials, Reports Say

San Antonio Bulldozed a Homeless Encampment. Then the Winter Storms Started.
Ocasio-Cortez Fundraising Drive For Texas Relief Raises $4 Million
For a frozen Texas in crisis, furniture store owner has emerged as a hero — again
President Biden declares major disaster for much of Texas following severe winter storm

Senator Ted Cruz left Texas for Cancún as the state was battered by a winter storm.
Ted Cruz’s Cancún Trip: Family Texts Detail His Political Blunder
Ted Cruz's Cancún Trip: Family Texts Detail His Political Blunder via yahoo

End of Neanderthals linked to flip of Earth's magnetic poles, study suggests

Truck driver dies after paper bale crushes him

'To Me He's Not A Number': Families Reflect As U.S. Passes 500,000 COVID-19 Deaths
Watch: President Biden Delivers Emotional Remembrance Of 500,000 COVID-19 Victims
When Could the United States Reach Herd Immunity? It’s Complicated.

An Arkansas lawmaker who is ditching the GOP said Trump's attempt to 'overturn the results of a fair and free election' was the 'final straw'
Lawyer who filed suit to reverse 2020 election results referred by judge for discipline
Dominion Voting Systems Files Defamation Lawsuit Against MyPillow, CEO Mike Lindell
The “For the People Act” Would Make the U.S. a Democracy
Lindsey Graham said ‘Count me out’ after the Capitol riot. But he’s all in with Trump again.
Lindsey Graham heads to Mar-a-Lago on a peace mission as Trump's latest intra-party feud rages
Scalise meets with Trump in Florida during fundraising swing
Covid wars launch DeSantis into GOP ‘top tier’

Please Go Shelter in Another Place
Tiny Love Stories: ‘What Will You Miss if You Leave Him?’
I Wanted to Love Her, Not Save Her

We should tell people in our lives that we love them more often. We should walk right up to them, wrap our warms around them, and say, I love you, and you matter to me. - Topher Kearby

Sacha Baron Cohen On 'Borat' Ethics And Why His Disguise Days Are Over

It's all within you. Everything you experience is felt within. I love talking to my older children about this. Seeing them think and understand a little deeper. Imagine the feeling when someone gives you a tight hug that lasts for over 10 seconds. Think about that hug. Now, where did the comforting feeling come from? The silence, love, comfort, security, bliss, joy, it all comes from within us. Then it is expressed through us in an action, the hug. Pretty amazing. I hope you get a wonderful hug today, maybe offer one?! Feel the gratitude for these amazing blessings we sometimes take for granted. Have a wonderful day everyone. - Positive Corners

You have a treasure within you that is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer. - Eckhart Tolle

Today I forgive myself for all the mistakes I made simply because I was tired or emotionally overwhelmed. - Unknown

We did not come into this life knowing everything so of course we will make errors in judgments, mistakes, and take actions that do not serve our highest ideals. So when you become aware that you’ve taken a wrong turn, "forgive yourself for not knowing what you know now" as the great Maya Angelou says, and then "do better"
Do not hang on to the guilt or remorse it will only keep you in the mistake and keep you from learning the lesson and moving forward in your life. - Barb S.

When you are happy who you are, it won't matter who isn't. - Stacie Martin

No amount of regret changes the past. No amount of anxiety changes the future. Any amount of gratitude changes the present. - Ann Voskamp

4 things you can't get back: the stone after it's thrown. The word after it's sad. The occasion after it's missed. The time after it's gone. -unknown

I’ve seen what love can do. - Bernice A. King

Warren, this...

There comes a time to stop trying to make things right with people that won't own their part in what went wrong. - unknown

To make a difference in someone's life, you don't have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful, or perfect. You just have to care. - unknown

People will disappoint you. Not everyone has a big heart like you. Stay away from peopel who treat you like an option, not a priority. - unknown

Trump lashes out after Supreme Court decision on his financial records
Supreme Court won’t take up challenge to Pennsylvania presidential election results
Supreme Court will not stop turnover of Trump’s tax records
Supreme Court Paves Way For N.Y. Grand Jury To Get Trump Financial Records
Supreme Court Denies Trump’s Final Bid to Block Release of Financial Records
Supreme Court says Trump must release tax records as president to mark 500,000 Covid deaths

I'm constantly torn between 'if it's meant to be, it will be' and 'if you want it, go and get it.' - unknown

If you want something make a plan, and work consistently, with your complete focus, by taking all the steps you see necessary to get there, then give up your attachment to the results and the timeline.

We have no control over the outcome of our work, but we do have 100% control over what we want and the effort we put behind it. - Barb S.

"If it's meant to be it will be for you, but you must give it your effort and full attention." - Barb S.

David Sedaris on his trip to the Apple Store

A Year Without Clothes
High Heels Sales Dropped 71% in 2020 — Will We Ever Go Back?

It's not about having the perfect relationship. It's about finding someone whoe matches you and will go through everything with you without giving up. - Andy

People don't get tired of loving, they get rired of the mind games, the lies, the false promises, the rejection, the hurting and living on egghshells. Sometimes, you have to let them go to protect your energy and peace. - Andy

The most attractive thing about you should have less to do with your face or body and more to do with your heart & how you treat people. - Andy

Artist, cancer patient curates Black history exhibit at Vancouver library

'Shockingly Dysfunctional': Mass Unemployment System Leaves People Struggling Amid Pandemic Job Losses
Reddit Is America’s Unofficial Unemployment Hotline
Interest Surges in Top Colleges, While Struggling Ones Scrape for Applicants

Britain to challenge China at U.N. over access to Xinjiang
China's state broadcaster turns to France for license to broadcast in Europe after losing UK rights
UK court blocks release of HSBC papers in Huawei CFO fraud case
Rethinking the US-China fight: Does China really threaten American power abroad?
China lashes out at Canada for signing declaration against arbitrary detention
The West Turned a Blind Eye to China’s Threat to Democracy
Canada says alleged Trump interference in extradition case of Huawei's Meng 'moot'
Canada lawmakers to vote on accusing China of genocide
China hits Canada for statement against arbitrary detention
Biden says China to face repercussions on human rights
Canadian human rights groups among coalition calling for Beijing Olympic boycott

20+ places to try during Black Restaurant Week in Portland
Black Restaurant Week brings attention to Portland's pandemic-hit businesses

Forecast: Wild Weather in a Warming World
US officially rejoins Paris climate agreement
Why wind turbines thrive in Antarctica and places way colder than Texas
The Polar Vortex Is Collapsing — Here's What That Means for Your Winter Weather
Jerusalem sees first snow in six years
Snow falls in north, Jerusalem as wintry weather hits Israel
Acropolis covered by rare snow as cold snap hits Athens
Mass winter storm causes blocked roads, breaks precipitation records

White House marks Snapchat return with pandemic message from Biden and Fauci
In surprise move, Facebook blocks news access in Australia

Space station honors late 'Hidden Figures' mathematician Katherine Johnson
Meet NASA's Swati Mohan, star of Perseverance rover's epic Mars landing
Spacecraft Named For 'Hidden Figures' Mathematician Launches From Virginia

Self-love as the foundation for a life well lived... - Jeff Brown

It's so ironic. Many of us chase the approval of those that don't value us, while ignoring those that do. We put so much energy into impressing people with our appearance and achievenemtns and they pay attention for ten seconds and then go back to eating their lunch. If we actually knew how little time other people devote to thinking about us, we wouldn't devote so much time to trying to please and impress them. All the energy that gets put into gaining external validation is druitless, until we find a way to impress ourselves. Imagine a world where we are less interested in what others think of us, and far more interested in how we feel about ourselves. That's the world I want to help co-create. Join me. - Jeff Brown

The Invisibility of Older Women
Analysis | Latina and Black women lost jobs in record numbers. Policies designed for all women don’t necessarily help.
Opinion | Kamala Harris: The exodus of women from the workforce is a national emergency

Meet Kulfi, the New Makeup Brand Celebrating South Asian Beauty

Ex-Nazi concentration camp guard living in Tennessee deported to Germany
The DOJ Just Deported a 95 Year Old Nazi for Crimes Committed in 1945. Good! Now the DOJ Should Prosecute the Woman Who Got Emmett Till Murdered in 1955.

Love is based on our capacity to trust in a reality beyond fear, to trust a timeless truth bigger than all our difficulties.
Sometimes love means standing firm.
Sometimes love means letting go.
Sometimes love means letting be.
Love blossoms whenever we step beyond our fears and rest in the generosity of the heart. - Jack Kornfield, "The Art of Forgiveness, Lovingkindness, and Peace"

Russia Reports First Cases of H5N8 Bird Flu in Humans

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” - Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles"

Tony Leung and Andy Lau to Team Up in New Action Film ‘Goldfinger’

Katie Herzig - Wish You Well (Live at the Fillmore), bringing back old memories

Katie Herzig - I Hurt Too (Live at the Fillmore)

“Fake Famous” and the Tedium of Influencer Culture

growing, growing, gone

Nothing ever goes away until it teaches us what we need to know. - Pema Chodron

Overhead someone say " You're always one decision away from a totally different life ". Let that sink in.. - Anxious Andy

Winter storm confronts Biden with early leadership test

The mathematics of love | Hannah Fry | TEDxBinghamtonUniversity

Father, son duo make sign painting a family business

Beto O’Rourke’s response to crisis rekindles speculation about his political plans.

How Your Brain Falls In Love | Dawn Maslar | TEDxBocaRaton Skills for Healthy Romantic Relationships | Joanne Davila | TEDxSBU 4 Habits of ALL Successful Relationships | Dr. Andrea & Jonathan Taylor-Cummings | TEDxSquareMile

What's behind the extreme cold in Texas?
Texas weather crisis deepens Chinese belief they're 'on right path', says foreign ministry
Texas Was Warned a Decade Ago Its Grid Was Unready for Cold
'An electrical island': Texas has dodged federal regulation for years by having its own power grid
Verify Road Trip
Experts weigh in on if Washington's power grid could collapse like Texas'

What Love Really Is and Why It Matters The Darkest Truth About Love Why ‘love’ is a useless word – and three alternatives How Romanticism Ruined Love What True Love Really Is

鏗鏘集：花開富貴

Hate Crimes Against Asian Americans Continue to Rise | The Daily Social Distancing Show 華裔影星吳彥祖走訪奧克蘭中國城 呼籲關注歧視亞裔的暴力罪案｜Actor Daniel Wu to speak out against crime in Oakland Chinatown

Sting - Shape of My Heart (Official Music Video)

Almost A Year Into The Pandemic, Working Moms Feel 'Forgotten,' Journalist Says
TV Rewind: 25 Years Later, 3rd Rock from the Sun Is Still Teaching Us How to Be Human
5 Science-Backed Reasons To Cuddle Your Kids

You’re not imagining it, nobody seems to want to talk right now.
Messages are brief and replies late.
Talk of catch ups on zoom are perpetually put on hold.
Group chats are no longer pinging all night long.
It’s not you.
It’s everyone.
We are spent.
We have nothing left to say.
We are tired of saying ‘I miss you’ and ‘I cant wait for this to end’.
So we mostly say nothing, put our heads down and get through each day.
You’re not imagining it.
This is a state of being like no other we have ever known because we are all going through it together but so very far apart.
Hang in there my friend.
When the mood strikes, send out all those messages and don’t feel you have to apologise for being quiet.
This is hard.
No one is judging. - Donna Ashworth

Ted Cruz Really Should Have Known Better
Ted Cruz Abandons Millions of Freezing Texans and His Poodle, Snowflake
Rick Perry says Texans will endure blackouts 'to keep the government out of their business'
Rick Perry: Texans Should Endure Blackouts To Keep Feds From Overseeing Power Grid
Rick Perry says Texans would choose to be without power for longer ‘to keep government out of their business’
‘People Are Greedy’: The Absurd Electric Bills Slamming Texans, when you voted for dirty GOP politicans, whom teamed up wiht unethical businesses, you got these.
'Now It's Coming Back to Bite Them': Democrats See an Opening in GOP Oversight of Texas Grid
Ted Cruz traveled to Jamaica for July 4th last year, defying public health guidelines during the pandemic, report says
Sen. Ted Cruz faces storm of controversy for flying to Cancun as Texas grapples with power outages caused by severe weather
Texas mayor who said residents were owed 'NOTHING' amid outages, record cold resigns
Texas mayor tells residents to fend for themselves during power outage: ‘Only the strong will survive’
How to help, and what to do if you need it, during Texas' historic freeze
A Deep Freeze
It’s time to bury the myth of Texas exceptionalism
Texas Senator Ted Cruz under pressure to explain apparent Cancun trip as state reels from storm damage
Why Ted Cruz should’ve known this was a bad idea
Bill Gates says Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's explanation for power outages is 'actually wrong'
Dallas official says White House called him about storm before Texas governor did
Calls for Texas Governor Greg Abbott to step down over power chaos
Ted Cruz Slammed After Photos Show Him Flying To Cancun As Texans Freeze
Ted Cruz in Cancún as Winter Storm Hits Texas
Cruz faces flak over Cancun trip during Texas crisis
Millions In Texas Under Boil-Water Notices Because Of Winter Storm
No, The Blackouts In Texas Weren't Caused By Renewables. Here's What Really Happened
Several Days Into The Texas Deep Freeze, Food Is Scarce
Texas Democrats Call On Ted Cruz To Resign Over Cancun Trip Amid Deadly Winter Storm
Hospitals In Austin Are Running Out Of Water, Forcing Some To Transfer Patients
'A Disaster Within A Disaster': Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Cases Are Surging In Texas
Texas Rolling Blackouts Are Anything But, Mayor Says
'It's Life And Death': Texans Still Without Power As Nation Faces More Winter Storms
Winter Storm Leaves Many In Texas Without Power And Water
Texas Governor Calls For Investigation Into Group That Manages State Power Grid

Keep doing the best you can. One foot in front of the other, one minute after another. - unknown


I encourage you to look for the good where you are, and embrace it. - Mister Rogers

What I believe is not what I sai I believe; what I believe is what I do. - Donald Miller

Many of us think we need to live in lack in order to motivate ourselves to have more. However, the opposite is true; the more we feel lack, the more we creat lack. - Hale Dwoskin

"Freedom is choosing your responsibility. It's not having no responsiilities; it's choosing the ones you want." - Toni Morrison

“Love should be supportive; it should lift us and inspire us to be the best possible person we can be. Because if you can be the best version of yourself, your partner will benefit too. That’s the cornerstone of a great relationship–wanting the best for and bringing out the best in each other. - Richard Branson

Supporting another persons success will never ruins yours.. let's encourage the goals of others.. - unknown

True love starts within. - unknown

Healthy love exists. Remember that. - unknown

In suffering you meet yourself, don't avoid it, learn from it. - Tom Bilyev

This can be a period of fear and panic or it can be a period of spiritual transformation. You can choose. - unknown

Don't let the influence of just one person out of billions have so much power over you. - Spiritual Awakenings ॐ

Imagine what you could do with all of the energy you give away to peopel who can't show up for you in the way you deserve. Reclaim your power and pour all of that loving energy back into yourself. - Navae Lukas

LEGO Unveils Fully Functional Wind Turbine Kit With Plant-Based Bricks

Kroger to close more stores instead of giving workers hazard pay
Pfizer to begin Covid vaccine clinical trial in pregnant women
Latino workers, groups blast California officials over Covid-19 vaccine rollout changes
Seattle woman, 90, walks 6 miles through snow for vaccine
Seattle woman, 90, walks 6 miles through snow for vaccine

The Covid-19 era's anti-Asian racism isn't new. I learned this the hard way.
Bling Empire and the Energizing Potential of Asian-American Mediocrity
This Is What No One Tells You About Being Asian In America In 2021
White Lotus showcases artistry and significance behind Chinese lion dance
How Gen Z is preserving the longstanding traditions of Lunar New Year lion dancing

China Decoupling Would Cost U.S. Billions, Chamber Says
Yellen says U.S. will keep tariffs on China in place for now
Estonia warns of "silenced world dominated by Beijing"
Pentagon rethinking how to array forces to focus on China
China no longer needs Hollywood movies, I am not surprised
Olympics: Calls grow to relocate 2022 Beijing Winter Games
Taiwan says BioNTech vaccine deal on hold, cites potential Chinese pressure
Australia's Treasury Wine says will operate under three divisions as profit plunges
Vietnam’s Communist Party will have a new leader
Biden to discuss pandemic, economic recovery and China at virtual G7 summit

Proud Boy cited in Trump impeachment trial poised to plead guilty
NAACP lawsuit will put Trump "out of business," lawmaker says
A quarter of Trump’s 6,081 Facebook posts last year featured misinformation or extreme rhetoric
How a Hardcore Liberal Lawyer Joined the Pro-Trump Mob
Pentagon report reveals inroads white supremacists have made in military
Sen. Ron Johnson plays down Capitol riots: ‘This didn’t seem like an armed insurrection to me’, he is dangerous, and he won't be the only one to come out to normalize this treasonous behavior. Who paid for his campaign?
House Homeland Security chairman sues Trump and Giuliani, accusing them of inciting Capitol riot
Lawsuit accuses Donald Trump, Giuliani and others of conspiring to incite Capitol riot

Fear, Khalil Gibran

It is said that before entering the sea
a river trembles with fear.

She looks back at the path she has traveled,
from the peaks of the mountains,
the long winding road crossing forests and villages

And in front of her,
she sees an ocean so vast,
That to enter
there seems nothing more than to disappear forever.

But there is no other way.
The river can not go back.

Nobody can go back.
To go back is impossible in existence.

The river needs to take the risk
of entering the ocean
because only then will fear disappear,
because that's where the river will know
it's not about disappearing into the ocean,
but of becoming the ocean.

Hong Kong’s Freedoms: What China Promised and How It’s Cracking Down
Key pro-democracy figures go on trial over Hong Kong protests
Hong Kong government signals major overhaul of public broadcaster RTHK
Hong Kong sees rush for burner phones as government pushes contact-tracing app
Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai denied another bid for bail in national security case
Alone in locked down London, fleeing Hong Kongers seek new life
Nearly 5,000 Hong Kong citizens sign up for new UK visa: The Times
Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai arrested again while in jail, papers say
2 plead guilty as leading Hong Kong activists go on trial
UK visa offer to Hong Kongers fails to help thousands wanting to flee