Read. Learn. Understand.

Devos was confirmed as secretary of education, at least in part because she donated heavily to several senators campaigns.

We may not like it. And she may set out to destroy education. So what can we do?

I suggest a couple of things:
Be vocal with your elected officials, school boards, and others that help with education.

And more importantly, I urge everyone to read more. To learn more. To be critical in their thinking. To take part in your children's education and not leave it to the schools.

We can and should do more to better ourselves.

We've jumped the shark. Again.

We jumped the shark when el donaldo "won" (yes I'm still on that) the election.

Yesterday, we circled around and jumped it again.

I mean really?
* Devos got confirmed.
* Melanie sued a newspaper for defamation and loss of business because they called her an escort. How about nudie model? That. Is. fact.
* senator warren was admonished for speaking up in the senate

Something about it all made me think we reached a point where we jumped it again.

Trump glasses

See the world through the Donald's lens

#ReadYourWorld #BookWorm Narrative of Frederick Douglass

Based on him being in the news due to a certain famous person mentioning him, I decided to read his autobiography.

It was difficult to read, mainly because a couple of generations removed, it's hard to understand owning people, and surely the cruelty and brutality is startling.

But ... it was worth working through all of it, to understand - however superficially - what life was like for a slave.

Douglass was a champion of sorts, a hero in a surprising way. Through luck, perseverance, and an indomitable human spirit, he became an educated free man.

This is recommended reading. Surely, there are aspects of what he endured that are still around today....

Religious freedom

Congress is expected to introduce a "religious freedom" bill that would allow for discrimination on the basis for religion. Of course, it's unconstitutional, but as they say "you can't have a battle of wits with an unarmed man."

But here's the problem. I could find a way to discriminate against pretty much anyone based on what's in the good ole book. 

Let me show you what I mean using the Donald and the 10 commandments as my reference point:

Worship god? One could argue his businesses are more important to him and that offends my beliefs. 

Honor your parents? His mother was an immigrant. He does not honor her memory with his stance on immigration. 

The sabbath? I could say I was offended by the photo I saw of him in church. He looked bored. I think he would rather have been golfing. 

Idolatry? He loves gold and big buildings. 

Blasphemy? I know he has said "god damn" and that isn't acceptable!

Murder? Just thinking that he could kill someone and get away with it violates the principle. He insults the 10 commandments.

Adultery is the easiest one. Guy got around while he was married. And his comments about grabbing women by the pussy rightly insults me. 

Theft? Maybe he stole an election. But in a more specific sense he has clearly stolen from people who work for him, investors, and others. I got a problem with that. 

Dishonesty? The man lies constantly. He talks in alternative facts. That offends me!

And coveting? Clearly his ways of coveting other women and other people's possessions - and even the grand adulation - I can't take that. 

So you can see how it would be easy to apply it to anyone. It's a broad paintbrush anyone can use to promote hatred. It's absurd. 

So here's where this nets out for me. If it somehow becomes law I am going to discriminate against stupid people, because that's my right. And I'll use this as my reasoning:

Proverbs 13:16 "All who are prudent act with knowledge, but fools expose their folly."

I would be legally able to discriminate against anyone who chooses not to use knowledge!

So at least there's a silver lining. 

Not really of course but it underscores the ignorance of this proposed law. 

#MakeAmericaSmartAgain Egypt unearths 7,000-year-old lost city | Science | The Guardian

Cool find in Egypt! And much older than the seti temple nearby.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/science/2016/nov/23/egypt-unearths-lost-city-first-dynasty-sohag-province

#MakeAmericaSmartAgain -narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was mentioned yesterday, but have you read his autobiography? You can understand who the man was in his own words. And best of all you can read it online - for free - at the Gutenberg project. 

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/23/23-h/23-h.htm

Or you can download his later autobiography about the war and life afterward at archive.org: the life and times of Frederick Douglass 

https://archive.org/details/lifetimesoffrede1881doug