Fiat Justitia Ruat Caelum: After A Horrifying Tweet, Jerry Falwell Jr. Steps Down on the Eve of George Floyd's Burial - Hallelujah :)

"Fiat Justitia Ruat Caelum" is Latin for "Let Justice Be Done, Though the Heavens May Fall"

On May 27th -  as news traveled fast and the world learned of George Floyd's murder and the nation began to protest, what does Jerry Falwell, Jr.  - evangelical Director of Liberty University (in a town called Lynchburg, Virginia, mind you), son and heir of Jerry Falwell's evangelical empire - decide to do? 

Does he lead in prayer for for George Floyd's family?

No. 

Does he lead in a prayer for fair justice for people of color?

No.

Does he lead a prayer for equal protection and prosecution under the law, regardless of skin color, and to end oppression and power abuse over the poor and powerless?

No. 

Does he lead in prayer for general social unrest?

No.  

Does he lead in prayer for mutual understanding and more unity? 

No.  

Does he even lead a prayer for cops?

Nay, not even that.


Instead, Jerry Falwell Jr was still focused on defying the Governor of Virginia's social-distancing/mask emergency orders - and promoted only wearing one if there is a picture of the Governor of Virginia in black face/Ku Klux Klan image on it. 

"I was adamantly opposed to the mandate from @GovernorVA requiring citizens to wear face masks until I decided to design my own.  If I am ordered to wear a mask, I will reluctantly comply, but only if this picture of Governor Blackface himself is on it!”

Holy Systemic/Institutionalized Racism, Batman!

That's so off-the-chain insane and horrific for a Christian leader to actually promote -  I can't even fathom it.

Now - to be fair - that picture surfaced 2 years ago, and it is legitimately from Virginia's (Democrat) Governor Northam's Medical School yearbook, under his personal page, and it is unclear which, if either, of the two men is Governor Northam.

However - completely ignoring George Floyd and the social unrest, using the situation it to still focus on not getting your way with social restrictions - then actually encouraging people to only wear masks if they have that picture with blackface and Ku Klux Klan on them  -  is completely insensitive and re-traumatizing to the black community!

As the President and Director of a self-purported Christian and Christ-focused/bible-focused university, your job is to spiritually and morally lead, pray, and comfort your flock during crisis as Christ did  - not politically distract and add fuel to the fire by promoting that people wear horrific institutionalized racist images from our past as the only plausible excuse for wearing a COVID mask?!?

In fact, he admitted in his apology that it didn't even occur to him that resurfacing that picture and wearing it around might be insensitive and retraumatizing for the black community, especially right now  - he just wanted to damage a political opponent.

This is what I'm talking about people, even with my post below - how we white people, right and left, often ... just don't get it.

We vainly imagine ourselves "helping," but we actually could end end up further proving our ignorance and insensitivity and making things worse - and further, it becomes glaringly apparent, in certain cases, the real intent of doing so is political control.

If you're not racist,  and it's just that you're ignorant about other races, that's okay - we're not born black and raised in the black community, so there's no way to know before we know.

HOWEVER - the cure for ignorance is education - through both formal and up-close-and-personal experience.

Therefore, ask more questions, listen more than you talk - educate yourself before you speak and make things worse?!? 

With things like this, though - you would think you wouldn't even have to ask  - all it would take is for you to put yourself in another human being's shoes, for a moment - considering their history and how viewing images like that might feel?

It's called empathy for other human beings - look into it?

HOWEVER AGAIN - ya gotta admit, at this point - Trump Republicans are the worst at being racially clueless.

Most of them either live in rural communities or white suburbia, where there are no people of color, so they don't even know a single person of color on a more personal level.  People are terrified of 

So  the only experience they even have with people of color - often even Democrats - are the worst-case scenarios the news presents (if the info isn't twisted/dysinformation propaganda already).



In fact, there's a reason why the KKK and the American Nazi Party endorsed Trump - and it's not a good one.   

Though they have supported only Republicans since 1964 (Civil Rights Act),  in recent years, they have often abstained from endorsing either of the 2 candidates that our main parties chose.

However, in 2016, they no longer abstained from endorsing either main party's candidates and unequivocally chose Trump -  who openly welcomed donations and support from the KKK and the American Nazi Party. 

Gee, I ... wonder why ;)



As for Falwell Jr., dozens of his staff stepped down, half the students were in an uproar - and so after that apology, he stepped down.

However, before his resignation, 36 members of Liberty University staff wrote the following in an open letter to Falwell Jr. ...

“It has become obvious to many that your heart is in politics more than Christian academia or ministry, so we would encourage you to leave the position of school president and pursue politics full time,” said an open letter signed by 36 prominent African-American alumni, including several National Football League players. “Your statements hurt the ability of Liberty alumni to obtain jobs and have a voice in the culture. Having the school’s name on a résumé can be a liability to many of our graduates.”

America should've realized this already several years ago - but this is further proof of it that the rest of us already knew - that  Trump-style Republicans have stamped Christ's name on things they just want done themselves for power, staking their sole claim on Christianity, demanding everyone support their interpretation of scripture, their politics, and Trump (or you're a CINO or unAmerican if you don't).


No more, Trump-Supporting Republicans - you do not own workers, you do not own people of color, you do not own women, you do not own the military, you do not own our government, the constitution, and law, you do not own this planet, and you sure as hell do not own Christianity. 


Buh bye and good 'riddens,' Falwell.

We say "Good Riddens" in the South, as opposed to "Good Riddance" - which is why "riddens" passes Word's spellchecker ;)  

Thus, if you hear or read where someone use the colloquialism "riddens" instead of "riddance," even if formally educated? 

You'll know right away that it's not that they're not stupid or uneducated - it means they're using a colloquialism that gives away they are either truly originally from the South, lived in the South for quite some time, or their parents and family have deep roots in the South :)

(As for me, I'm sort of a mix - I personally lived in the Cincinnati suburbs, growing up, but both my parents and their families are from Central and Eastern Kentucky, I spent every summer here in Kentucky, and I have lived here full time since 1987 (with the exception of 3 years in Pensacola, FL) - that's 33 years. I find the longer I live here, the more Southern-sounding, like my family, I've become.  But then I've even caught my Detroit husband using a few phrases, after living here for 10 years ;)

If they don't use Southern colloquialisms at all? 

Well, it could be education and/or trying to speak English correctly - but even many of us who've been formally educated, even if educated in the North, often still use colloquialisms and vernacular from the culture in which we were raised.

Despite formal education, we sometimes still use "improper" English colloquialisms in the South, partially because it's ingrained in us, but also partially motivated by not wanting turn our backs on where we came from/paying homage to the more honorable. moral, and ethical members of our families  -  and sometimes, it's just so the culture in which we were raised can still understand us lol :)

However, as a public service announcement - never using Southern colloquialisms at all - and especially if they are used incorrectly?

Well, that can and should raise suspicion of false claims of having Southern identity and/or at least deep Southern family roots  ;)

Regardless, I hope Franklin Graham is right after Falwell Jr.

Because if Billy Graham could see what his son had done to his ministry, he'd roll over in his grave, jump out, and snatch him bald-headed!

(That's upper/middle/working/poorer class Southern colloquialism-used-correctly Lesson #2, mind you - most often used by the poor white community and the poor black community, however :)

Don't let the door of the church hit your sorry false-prophet/wolves-in-sheep clothing butts on the way out or anything!

(That's upper middle/middle/working/poor class Southern colloquialism-used-correctly Lesson #3. :)



Falwell's stepping down on the eve of George Floyd's burial is not only appropriate, but hopefully yet another sign of the beginning of the end to systemic, institutionalized racism and power abuse. 

Correct Pronunciation, Meaning, and History of Saint Cristóbal

Let me just start out by saying this post was inspired by listening to the Weather Nation people stumble over and butcher the name to an embarrassing degree, so many times that I finally just turned it off lol.  And I just think it's an odd name choice for a tropical storm anyway.

Weather people at the WMO? 

I love you, but if you actually are going to have the audacity to name a violent, destructive tropical storm after a peace-loving, martyred Mexican saint who opposed armed conflict - whose name is the Spanish word for the name 'Christopher' in English (which means "(male) Christ-bearer," mind you)  - the least you could do is pronounce it correctly?

'Cristina/Christina' are the feminine forms.  And the reason I know this because my own name, Chrystal, is a further conjugation of the feminine form, which means "fair Christian" - and all of these names are derivatives for types of Christians, based on the Latin/Greek words  "Christus" and "Christos."

Like THAT name wasn't a lot to live up to, growing up? lol. 

I think my mom was either expecting an evangelical televangelist or a redneck stripper, I'm not sure -  but clearly, I was a great disappointment either way lol. :)

Oh well, if nothing else, I don't think my Mom was quite prepared for how seriously I was going to take the "being fair" part of my name, seeking equality and fair justice ;)

Now, I'm sure that my fellow liberals at the WMO in climate science were well-intentioned, when they made this decision and trying to be inclusive - but that just goes to show you how clueless even our own white-privileged liberals can be.

Because doing so is actually simultaneously insulting both Spanish/Latin culture and their largely Christian/Catholic faith.

For those unaware, St. Cristóbal Magellenes Jara or St. Christopher - is a very popular saint, in Mexico and Latin America - considered a Christian martyr during the Mexican revolution.

Though he was anti-armed conflict, he was falsely accused of creating conflict with the Cristero armed revolt, and thus sentenced to death, absolving and forgiving his executioners before his death - and it was later discovered that in fact, he had nothing to do with the armed revolt. 

So ... considering the current political climate ... do ya think it might be just a tad inappropriate and counterproductive to name a violent, destructive tropical storm after a Mexican saint, who was famous for opposing violence and anti-armed conflict, whose name also means "Christ Bearer?"

Also, there's a reason the accent is over the "O" in the name Cristóbal - and that reason is because the correct pronunciation of this name is "Khrees-TOE-buhl."

You can get away with "Khrees-toe-BUHL," in some Spanish-speaking cultures.

However, "KREES-ta-bahl" is completely unacceptable, anywhere - and that is how most weather news people are pronouncing it :/

Nevertheless, prayers going up for the NOLA/Mississippi area, particularly the poor  - I think they've experienced enough :(

I Saw My Totem Today - A Cooper's Hawk/Broad-Winged Hawk - And Her Babies :)

Mark and I took our extended Sunday walk today, discussing the week's events - when we came across a trio with expensive cameras on tripods, pointed up to a tree.  

I wondered if they spotted a rare bird, but one of them looked like Newt Gringrich, I swear he did, so I hesitated lol - but my general nosiness got the better of me, so I asked :)

Turns out, they were filming a momma Cooper's Hawk/Broad-Winged Hawk (same species) in her nest in a pine tree, feeding her two, white furry-headed babies :)

Thus, we rushed back and got our camera (lame in comparison to what they had) and Mark snapped some pictures, while I chatted with the lady in the trio about birds (despite social restrictions being relaxed, we still use masks and 6-foot-rule social distancing).

The 2 little tufted white heads on the left are the babies, the momma hawk is to the right of the nest, with our back to us, looking down.  

Look closely on the right for the momma - she almost blends in with the tree, and that's the idea and why she built her nest there ;)

In this picture, if look closely, you can see the Momma's beak and eyes really clearly, she looked over at us ...

This was probably the best shot we could get of the babies - very high up in the tree :)

This picture is not ours, but just so you can see what a full view of a Cooper Hawk/Broad-Winged Hawk looks like ...

... and another pic (not ours) of what their fuzzy-headed babies look like :)

Aren't they cute?  :)

In fact, I had a male hawk land on the corner of my balcony porch roof about a month ago.  I saw a shadow pass my window and saw it's striped tail and unmistakable golden feet, but when I got up to grab my camera, it flew away.

I told her this and her mouth dropped open and she got very excited - as much of a "bird nerd" as me lol. 

I told her that this hawk is my totem, and she said, "Oh my gosh, me too! That's why we're out here, taking pictures like mad people - I just haven't figured out what it means when we see one?"

I said, "I'm not sure, but from what I've read, I THINK seeing one means to observe the details AND the big picture?  You know how some people get bogged down in details, others skim over the details to get a general synopsis big picture - even blanket-generalize too much what they see?  I think the hawk supposedly encourages us to make sure we give equal attention to both detail and big picture."

"I think the gist is, if the hawk is your totem, you're supposedly equally good at seeing both already - but when you see one, to make sure you're doing that, balancing the details AND the big picture together. I could be wrong, but I think that's the general message?"

Well, whether that's right or wrong, she liked that nonetheless, it made her so happy :)

I'm not going to go into detail, but seeing my totem today is the third spiritual confirmation, this week, that my perception of things was right on the money - though I doubt myself sometimes.

Also this week, I was reminded of the reasons I left Facebook - after many black celebrities have called for white people to help this time, they need us to interpret them to other white folks.

I firmly believe this is true - however, Democrats have been vilified, too, for speaking up for them/giving them voice - and it often gets flipped back on us, too. 

I left Facebook for 3 reasons:

1.  I had an embarrassing, extremely allergic overreaction/meltdown to some of my family members' toxic antics, both publicly and behind the scenes. 

2.  The persistent harasser/stalker, who lives outside of the U.S., that I mention in my sidebar here (for 11 years, now) and the reason my comments are closed here - showed up there, sending me multiple messenger texts and threats under various aliases, along with a new impersonation of me on Facebook - misspelling my name, of course, which is how many stalkers who use impersonations having gotten off scott-free from prosecution (which is only 6 months to 2 years' prison sentence in most countries anyway).

3.  The story I'm about to tell ...

Though we weren't super wealthy ourselves, especially after my Dad left, I went to a very affluent suburban Cincinnati high school, with children of P&G and GE executives, doctors, and lawyers, and though whom were mostly white Christian (about 50% of whom were Catholic), my school was also 30% Jewish and very multicultural, unusually comprised several different skin colors, faiths, heritage, and cultures.

So their support for Trump shocked me. I thought they'd had more positive experience with skin color and different cultures than this, they had a better education than this?  I mean, dang, the most popular girl in school was half-Iranian, so ... what the heck happened? 

(Well, I wasn't completely shocked, because I already knew  wealthy white people still outnumbered everyone else, there, and the wealthy are mostly clueless about struggle, even liberals, but ... dang.)

One of them, a close childhood friend - who despite having an outward "anti-drug" stance, had an Ambien-abuse problem  - publicly outed me for having PTSD in my comments' section, as a method for discrediting my anti-Trump/support for BLM stance - which I then had to address on my page in a new post. 

I'm not ashamed of my PTSD, it's not like I chose it - but that is MY story and private health information to share - and I'm sorry she chose to use it to discredit my negative perception of Trump and racism.


That's like saying, "Don't listen to her - bless her heart, she's  diabetic" - that's just nonsense. 

Then she said to me in private chat:

"You know what your problem is?  You hate your own race - you blame white people because it was white people who inflicted trauma on you, so you hate them. Racism doesn't exist anymore."

I replied the following -  some was said privately and some was later said publicly (as my last post before I shut down):  

"Are you seriously trying to bully me into your pro-Trump, racist stance by publicly outting my PTSD diagnosis and trying to use it to discredit my perspective on racial relations, under the false pretense of "pity" for me? Well, that's a gaslighting fail."

"You won't even get close enough to a person of color to even find out what they're like, and though they've done absolutely nothing to you, you still fear them and assume they're all bad people - so don't lecture me about fear and hatred based on race. Please stop projecting your own fear and hatred based on race all over me, thanks."

"As a matter of fact, until you just said so, I didn't even think about what skin color the people had who inflicted my trauma, because I don't wrongly associate trauma or crime with skin color like you do - and the fact that you do is YOUR problem." 

"I have a multi-degreed Christian therapist, thanks, who went to an actual accredited university, not a 3-month bible counselor certificate from her church. And funny, she doesn't think "my problem" has shit to do what anyone's skin color was."

"She also doesn't counsel sexual assault victims and then incredibly still vote and support P-grabbing Trump and the #me-too-denying GOP, but can't see the conflict of interest, there." 

"Lol - "my problem is I hate my own race. That's absurd. I don't "hate" anyone at all. Just because I criticize some things we do towards people of color, in abuse of power, doesn't mean I hate my own race, or hate anyone. I don't hate my race, but I AM ashamed of many of them, right now." 

"Why do I have to choose one race over the other anyway? The fact is, I don't. I choose fair justice and to help the chronically power-abused and physically and economically oppressed - period - just like Christ did. And it just so happens that MOST of the time, those victims lacking fair justice are NOT wealthy white straight Christian males." 

"And since it's apparently "Say What You Really Think of your Close Friends Who Don't Agree With You Politically Publicly AND Privately on FB Day" - and no one told me - how about THIS, Miss Anti-Addiction Queen - check your Ambien usage - just because it's legally prescribed doesn't mean it's not a highly addictive drug and abused." 

"You don't even remember a 6-hour chat we had, last week, the day after we had it. You had no memory of it whatsoever. You asked me what I was referring to, like I was crazy, and I told you "the chat we had yesterday." 

"I had to forward you the entire dang thread and you STILL didn't remember any of it. We talked FOR SIX HOURS, that day, and you had the transcript."

"And do you know WHY you don't remember having that 6-hour chat I forwarded you?"

"Because you were so strung out on Ambien, which you first denied using, then said you quit a year ago, then it was a couple of months ago, then it was a week ago, so which is it?" 

"You lose all concept of time, you can't remember 6-hour conversations, you sleep all day and stay up all night. Helloooooo? Girl, you've got a problem yourself.  At least I admit mine.  Addiction isn't an issue that I personally have struggled with, except nicotine and caffeine, but I get it, I see the coping-skill draw, especially in this day and age."

"And by the way, "Bible Counselor"  - you should probably check the diagnosis of PTSD.  Having PTSD does NOT mean you hallucinate or our delusional - it means your brain recognizes stimulus similar enough to what induced your trauma, so that your brain and CNS automatically go into fight or flight mode." 

"It means we're hypervigilant, we notice things others overlook, either because they don't see it yet or refuse to - and yes, sometimes we overreact to what we see and need to separate out past from present and transferences - but it doesn't mean the stimulus isn't real or isn't there.  And if someone with PTSD is actually hallucinating, then it probably means they have a dual-diagnosis - it's not just PTSD alone"

"But in fact, I am done cutting you slack because of your pill addiction you refuse to recognize - no more. So maybe instead of diagnosing and shaming everybody else - using nothing but your bible, your church, and Trump as a diagnostic tool - Physician? Heal thyself."

I mean, DANG, Roseanne - I'm not sure you're in any position to be be lecturing anybody on what's wrong with them lol.

I felt my trust in a childhood friend had been betrayed  (over Trump of all people) and I was hurt and mad - but mostly it made me really sad, that I was losing a close childhood Christian friend over racism and Trump.


I could also see that I had to let go of a lot of things and people from my past that weren't healthy - and I realized Facebook in general isn't healthy for me personally (and most people with PTSD).

I was initially late to Facebook, because I was so ashamed of the way I behaved in high school (and stated that publicly, many times).  When many, many high school people friended me, I was surprised and it felt like I was forgiven.

However, after this experience - although I'm still ashamed of the way I reacted/handled to things, back in high school, I also realized - I was right, too.  I could see very clearly what shaped me into me - and that I had less reason to be ashamed.

About 80% of them still have no clue of what it's like to struggle and imagine they earned and deserve their privilege and having better opportunities than most - but not all - because some, despite being wealthy, have true empathy for others and were raised not to demonize people just because they're poor.

Plus, I noticed most were still locked into playing the same pecking order we had in high school, when the rest of us have moved on.

(I was neither popular nor unpopular, by the way, I was somewhere in the middle - I had lots of friends in different groups from the cheerleaders/dance team to other choir/drama geeks like me, to the stoners, to the blue-collar and poor (though there were a minority) - regardless of their race or faith.  As long as they were cool to me, I was cool to them, and I didn't care what anyone else thought of our friendship :)

So the main thing I'm ashamed about now, from my time in high school, is that until I was about 15, I, too, was an evangelical, and thought like them - until I began to realize how the way they believed and behaved had little to nothing to do with Christ. 

Don't get me wrong  - there's still about 20 people I'd be happy to hang with, and I still have a small handful of HS friends I text with.

In fact, 2 of those 20 or so that I'd still hang with/am proud to be friends with actually includes 2 Trump supporters - but neither of them try to find various ways to insert Trump and GOP politics into the conversation, try to shove him down my throat, or bully me as not be Christian enough, American enough, or use my PTSD diagnosis against me into their perspectives.  One of them was one of my first childhood friends - I get her and she gets me - and so we never discuss it, we find plenty of other things to talk about, more personal things. 

Otherwise, no thanks - except for that 20 or so that I'm glad I caught up with/reconnected with and proud to be friends with :)

Thus, I haven't logged back into Facebook in a long, long time (since the last time I got a strange FB message my account was logged into from a different location, that wasn't me, February of 2019) - and after leaving a status note in case that happens again - I won't, ever again.

(I've always said, even back then, I don't like or trust Mark Zuckerburg as a person, anyway, I never have - call it having good instincts.  Or blame my PTSD hypervigilance lol ;)

However, I DO wonder what she's saying now, after George Floyd - what a lot of those Trumpers who bought her dime-store, bible-counselor church-certified "diagnosis" of me was.

(Even if they DO know I was right, I doubt they'd ever say ;)

So though black people are welcoming our protest - and encouraging us/telling us they need us to translate to white-privileged people, that is what happens when we do - remember, our name isn't Taylor Swift or some other wealthy, powerful white person - and when we do, we end up just as gaslighted, shamed, discredited and got the shit kicked out of us, too. 

(Not even close to what people of color have to endure, no - but my point is, our speaking up for them doesn't always help - you have to be a wealthy and powerful white person to even make a dent, rather than be bullied and gaslighted.)

Regardless, ladies and gentlemen - just because you're outnumbered and being gaslighted doesn't mean you're wrong - in fact, most of the time, it means exactly the opposite, that you're right - and they just don't want to admit it ;)

In fact, they are so desperate to shut you up, so they don't have to look/listen at what they're doing anymore, they're willing employ below-the-belt tactics, like the above, to discredit you with others and get you to doubt yourself ;)

IMO, the hawk says, like Lee Corso, says "Not so fast on the self-doubt ... keep in balance the details and big picture, and patiently watch and wait for others to open their eyes and finally see what you see ... but only if they choose to" :)

__________________________________



PS - Mark and I just finished watching Jordan Peele/Amazon Prime's "Hunters" with Al Pacino. 

Extremely good show, though it is clearly a fictionalized, comic-book account of vigilante Nazi hunters in the 70s.

I'm not much of a conspiracy theories, and though this is a fictionalized take - the thing is, some of the story-line content the series is based upon - was real.

For example,  Werhner von Braun  was a real Nazi astrophysicist who came to the U.S. under Operation Paperclip to help start up NASA, under the guises of  "escaping Nazism" - and we believed it. 

Yes, "Operation Paperclip" was really a thing - note the above link - it's the official CIA site admittingverifying that 'Operation Paperclip' was, in fact, true.

The idea of Operation Paperclip was for the U.S. to grab certain Nazi scientific minds before Russia did - never mind that some of those "brilliant minds" also had no soul and conscience and performed their scientific experiments at the cost of millions of Jewish lives.

So the US Government offered them a deal - prison/death OR help the U.S. beat the Russians in astrophysics in the space race - essentially, they wanted to use fascists to help beat communists (as if there's much difference). 

I read the history of Wernher von Braun a few years ago after watching a "Mysteries at the Museum" episode lol. 

Werhnher von Braun is an open U.S. secret, as he was touted as a NASA hero.

It's amazing that we, the U.S. people, actually believed Wehrner Von Braun's story - that he had no other choice but to work for the Nazis and was "escaping" them?

It's also kind of amazing, since they only prosecuted a few thousand Nazi war criminals, that we somehow convinced ourselves that the Nazis were all prosecuted/done away with, when there were an estimated 8.5 million of them.

Also amazing that people believed the Simon Weisenthal Center only managed to capture the residuals - when the truth is, they only caught a few - in Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Canada, the U.S, and most recently, Russia.  

So the idea of this show is making comic-books heroes out of vigilante Nazi hunters, who knew about Operation Paperclip but could not get U.S. Law enforcement help.

But people often see only what they want to see, what they need to believe - especially in their own country, their own community, their own family, and even themselves   -  because the truth is too threatening. 

As for me - I'm a person who has challenged her own belief system many times - my faith, my family, myself  - and I can tell you for an absolute fact that you actually CAN handle the truth, without becoming bitter or paranoid - and just live your life and find joy despite it :)

In fact, that's something my Jewish friends taught me long ago - if you hate back and live your life - to find joy anyway - then they win. 

For instance, it was highly implausible for us to convince ourselves that all Nazis were gone - prosecuted, either in jail or dead - when in fact many of them verifiably (Simon Weisenthal Center) just moved to other countries (including ours). 

Regardless, even if that were true - they're all mostly dead now - little consolation to the Jewish people, but yes.

Now, like I said, I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist - and though the story line and show is excellent, it's a comic book and far fetched - and yet the fact remains, Operation Paper Clip has been verified and Simon Weisenthal has famously stated he certainly did run into a lot of unusual red tape trying to track down and prosecute the remaining Nazi war criminals in the U.S.

The movie "Captain America:  Winter Soldier" has a similar theme.

So I'm not sure how far down the rabbit hole I'm willing to go - but it sure would explain a lot.  And I'm pretty sure the mentality is not dead, if nothing else. 

Like ... did you ever notice how many times Trump uses the word "weak" to describe people who show kindness and mercy or try to sow peace? 

He calls someone "weak" on his Twitter feed at least twice a week. 

That's straight out of the Nazi playbook. 

The idea of Operation Paper Clip was, using fascists to fight communists - fascists now wrapped in the American flag and carrying a cross as subterfuge.

Ironic, isn't it? 

Considering communism and fascism are two extreme sides of the same evil coin. 

Erm - What You Need to Know About That TRACE Amount of Fentanyl

(Updated with a PS - because our US Senator, Rand Paul, just voted "No" on making lynching a federal hate crime - and we needed just 1 for it to pass.)

I left this comment elsewhere (known Trump-loyalist/white-Christian-supremacy promotion) to educate the uninformed, after they called George Floyd, "Fentanyl Floyd" - while his memorial service was going on.

I reposted it because of typo, as I'm working tonight, as I typed it hurriedly. 

In fact there's probably still typos in it, because I didn't spell check, nor even read it, after the retry -  I had to hurry back to work.  I just caught the important dosage error/miswording, after initially pasting it here.  

However, worrying about perfecting my actual work, instead of perfecting my comments, has historically been an unforgivable sin and "proof" of the lower intelligence of women, at this site lol ;)  

Regardless, considering the track record, I'm fully expecting  the usual snickering like 10-year-olds over even the slightest misplaced comma - because missing the actual point and bigger picture is a common ailment among Trumpers - as is using the tiniest flaw as "evidence" of their natural superiority over anyone not a white male ;)

Speaking of their propensity for using and twisting the tiniest human imperfection as "evidence" of the "natural inferiority" of anyone who isn't a white male?

See my comment below.

Please Note:    I also need to point out that for privacy reasons, I never input my current working email address in order to comment at this site.  It's  a rarity if I ever do comment there (or anywhere, really) - maybe twice a year, there.

Instead, I use an old, defunct Time-Warner cable address I had from 2012-2015, when Spectrum Cable bought Time Warner Cable. At that time, my email address was changed from a TWC address to a Spectrum address. There was some overlap allowed for a few months, but it expired, and I'm not sure what they did with the old TWC address upon the changeover.  

Regardless, I no longer had access to it after 2015, and additionally, we no longer even have cable TV since 2017, we stream TV.

Thus, if you receive any actual email communication from that old TWC address?

It's not from me. 

I need to state this because interestingly, about 2 years ago - just about 3 weeks after I commented there using that  defunct TWC address that I no longer have access to - I began receiving alerts on my credit report that the defunct email address was found on the dark web.  In fact, I still receive these alerts, every 3 months or so.  The last one I received was in March 2020.

Now, that could be just coincidental timing, and actually may be Spectrum's fault, for not deleting entirely all of the defunct TWC email addresses after their buyout/changeover and closing all TWC accounts in 2015. 

Regardless, I'm not taking any chances, at this site ;)

My comment ...
_______________________________________________

Note the "nanogram" amount- a nanogram is 1 billionth of a gram.

Also note that Norfentanyl is typically administered via a transdermal (skin) patch designed to administer the drug systemically over the course of several hours, i.e. a Duragesic patch -which is legally prescribed by a physician.

Fentanyl is used every day in routine procedures like endoscopies to avoid discomfort and undue physical stress, at average dose of 50 mcg per procedure - I know because I transcribe them every day.

About 1:10,000 people die during them, every year, typically due to bleeding from a perforation during the endoscopy - not the patient being on Fentanyl.
(In fact, that is what Fentanyl is for - to ease discomfort and pain, to help avoid blood pressure increases and undue stress on the heart and lungs). 

Mr. Floyd had only 11 nanograms of pure Fentanyl in his system - which is 1 billionth of a gram of Fentanyl, as well as 5.6 nanograms of Norfentanyl (a metabolite of Fentanyl, likely administered via a pain patch).

Otherwise, I'm wondering how they got a toxicology report so fast, when even Robin Williams, Michael Jackson, and Prince - who lived and died in Minneapolis, mind you - took 2 weeks?

________________________________

The answer to that last question is likely why Floyd's family hired an independent forensics MD to examine the body even before that report even came out - they suspected a snow job would be coming, as I did, and I suspect they're right.

Particularly because when the report did come out, they didn't bother to delineate that such a tiny amount of Fentanyl is typically associated with a transdermal skin patch, nor explain how they were able to obtain a toxicology report, though toxicology reports typically take at least 2 weeks after autopsy to confirm -  even for famous people - including Prince, who lived and died in Minneapolis, himself. 

In other words, Mr. Floyd had a combined total of about 0.0067 micrograms of Fentanyl in his system - when it takes 50 micrograms to sedate an average-weight human for a colonoscopy.

Thus, these trace amounts would likely indicate the Fentanyl in Mr. Floyd's body was likely at least partially administered via a transdermal (skin) patch - legally prescribed by a doctor.

Fentanyl patches typically aren't sold on the street - because they are slow/controlled release and therefore aren't enough of a dosage, all at once, to get you high.

Additionally, the drug is a sedative, designed to help you deal with pain - which results in decreasing your heart rate and blood pressure, and less stress on the heart - so it is unlikely Fentanyl contributed to his death, especially in such small amounts.

Further, as I said, Fentanyl is a sedative. Therefore, Fentanyl being in his system would make it less likely he was combative, not more.

In fact, the only thing illegal (besides weed, in some states) on that toxicology report is  methamphetamines - and even that wasn't a large amount.

Even if he was addicted to drugs - which this preliminary toxicology report neither proves nor substantiates - then he would be even more deserving of our compassion and in need of help, not less.

Regardless, he did not resist arrest and he did not deserve to pinned down, crushed by a knee at the neck until he was unconsciousness - after he told them he couldn't breathe, several times.

He did not deserve to die - especially in that manner - over whatever was or wasn't in his system, nor using a counterfeit $20 bill.



Racists/White Supremacists?

I know you're desperate to justify the unjustifiable, to victim-blame George Floyd in his own death - so that you can justify your loyalty to Trump and your own racism and hate.

I know that you don't care about being socially responsible, nor is it of any apparent concern to you whether the propaganda you're spreading is true and factual - you just want to win - to get what you want, at whatever cost to others.

However, it still might be wise to think more before you speak/spread dysinformation - if for nothing else, you're not persuading anyone, especially right now.

In fact, talking out of your arse, like that, only makes you look more ignorant and worse than you already do, right now. 

Love and Kisses, 

Me

As for me, at present, the George Floyd memorials are now going on - and I can see that despite his death unifying most Democrats and Republicans alike, the empathy-challenged, hate-filled racists and Trump loyalists are still at at, out in full force, disrespectfully peddling their hate propaganda more than ever before - truly having earned their "deplorable" monikers.

I really don't want to spend my weekend defending a dead man who cannot defend himself and shouldn't need any defense - we all saw what happened to him was unwarranted and unjustified, from every camera angle - so the only reason anyone could possibly still be doing so is simply the color of his skin.

I don't even want to view hateful propaganda, right now,  from clearly horrible people, with no manners, integrity, or character whatsoever - whom likely, no one at all will mourn when it's their turn, including a bevy of commenters, who clearly only comment for the sake of political influence, rather than personal concern for either the blog owner or each other.

Consciously dishonest in their methods, they try to upset and provoke people at vulnerable times, creating strife, confusion, doubt, turmoil, and chaos - like little demons.

They try to instill fear, anger, hatred in everyone else, until everyone else is as miserable as they are. 

Making themselves feel superior  is the only thing racists/white supremacists can feel besides fear, anger, and hatred - and feeling superior is the closest emotion they will ever feel to joy.

Human relationships are nothing more than a series of transactions - a life of back-scratching, obligated loyalties, manipulation, and insincerity - it must be exhausting. In fact, I'd pity them, if these behaviors weren't so potently toxic.

And yet, such people still incredibly call themselves my "Christian" brothers and sisters, though devoid of even an ounce of empathy or compassion for other people.

They imagine that claiming they are Christian somehow entitles them a superior status, wealth, political power, and license to say and do whatever they like to others.

They have completely missed the point of Christ's message of love and mercy for all all humanity, entirely.


(If nothing else, you'd think they'd be scared about how Trump has just proven he handles even peaceful protest like a communist - exactly what they feared Obama would do - but that, too, is also lost on them.)

Thus, in honor of George Floyd, it's radio silence for me through the weekend  ...

PS - First, note how they've changed their tactic - it's no longer "Fentanyl Floyd," --- it's now  "Poor Floyd the counterfeit ring murder victim." - LOL!

Suddenly, they are full of pity for "Fentanyl Floyd" as being murdered as part of some crazy conspiracy again - isn't that sweet? ;)

And when caught in spreading dysinformation - again -   they just roll on to a new one to try to distract from the blatant lie and BS they just tried to sell.

(The Trump-supporting/racist right-wing set really think their own voters are that stupid that they won't notice, their propaganda is really more of an insult to their own's intelligence, than it is us lefties.)

Without any proof whatsoever, of course, just Twitter comments and "articles" from people no one's every heard of, also talking out of of their arse.

Like I said - they are relentless in peddling fear, doubt, wild speculation, outrage, hate, and trying to provoke others - without even a pause of prayer or paying respect to the deceased - even during the man's memorial services. 

(As a Christian, prayer, tears, and showing love is all I've done, this past week - you can read every post for proof.)

I didn't say anything else, I just needed to point that out about the trace of Fentanyl for others reading, in case they didn't know that about Fentanyl and the amount - many don't. 

Yes, it grows tiresome being that kid that points out how emperors aren't wearing clothes all the time, but somebody's got to do it - or history keeps repeating itself, over and over again. 

Lastly, speaking of racists and white supremacists and their political enablers - although I have been immensely proud of Lexington, both police and protesters - the same is not true all over the state. 


In fact, though the US Senate needed just 1 more vote to pass the House's anti-lynching bill into federal law - it was our Kentucky Senator, Rand Paul, who actually voted "no" yesterday, on making lynching a federal hate crime, single-handedly blocking the bill from passing it into law :(

The newer bill now includes not just live people, but effigies of live people.

Rand Paul was all for this bill, until the lynching effigy of our Kentucky Governor, Democrat Andy Beshear, last month  -  which is why Rand Paul now opposes it, you see ;)



No, Rand Paul - there IS no moral gray area on vigilante public lynching, live person or effigy  -  it IS a hate crime and a threat, under any circumstances - period.

Not to mention, Mr. "Tea Party" - vigilante public lynching negates the due process of law found in our constitution.



If you all want to say and do dastardly political and legislative things, fine - but please stop using Christianity as subterfuge and stamping Christ's name for authority on nasty things you just want to say and do yourselves - things that have literally nothing to do with Christ or Christ's message.

Protest Night #6 - Still Peaceful - Lexington PD's "Protest Protection" Approach Has Made All the Difference :)

(Edited/Updated) ...


Yesterday, while Louisville police laughed at Louisville's mayor, Greg Fischer - calling him a "goof" for requesting independent investigations for both Breonna Taylor and the protest shootings -  here in Lexington, we had an open forum - while wearing masks and gloves (those able to obtain them, they're still scarce, here), despite most Kentucky restrictions on social gatherings being relaxed on May 22nd.

Mayor Gorton, the city council, and police listened to the people speak of Lexington speak at an open-mic Q&A forum :)

Citizens asked questions about the current oversight and due process of state law for police, and requested better oversight and accountability for police and changes in state law. 

Police agreed that certain laws need to change.

One law the police side mentioned was the gag order on police to not speak publicly about internal investigations until formal charges are made and/or 48 hours, whichever comes first - because it looks to the public like a cover-up and defense of the accused officer, though it's just following current state law.

Also, for whatever reason, Lexington does not have a citizen review board for police actions like Louisville does (not that it helped, in Breonna's case) - so that is something we're (supposedly) going to be working on. 

Lt. Jonathan Bastion spoke and reminded us that sometimes, police hands are tied due to bureaucracy and antiquated law, and they are just as frustrated as we are, when it comes to prosecuting other cops  - and that what may look like defense and cover-up to the public may actually be just following current-but-outdated law and due process. 

It was a very peaceful, mutually educational Q&A session, from what I've been told - and we are in hopes that local politicians and police will keep their promise and push for state law reform and a citizen review board for Lexington.

And once again, we have had no riots, no shooting, no fires, no looting, no national guard.

There was a tense moment, last night, when a police unit showed up in riot gear, despite nothing but peaceful protest for 6 days, and the crowd began chanting, "Why are you in riot gear?"

*HOWEVER* - from my understanding, through a friend - this was NOT because of the protesters, but because of a few anonymous tips to the LFUCG, claiming white supremacist groups would arrive soon, particularly coming up from Eastern and Western Kentucky? 

That has not happened yet - and it's possible the claims were false or pranks - but police wanted to be ready in case they weren't ;)

Regardless - what explains the dramatic difference between the outcomes of the Louisville and Lexington protests? 


It is NOT because we have 'better' people here in Lexington than in Louisville.

It's because Lexington PD had a different approach.



Though the national press hasn't noticed this much, yet, because they're still only touting the horrors instead of the positives - particularly Trump-supporting, right-wing press (racist-enablers) -  we got nuttin' but love, here :)


The fact is, the cities where police have presented themselves as a public service to the people - making  clear they are protecting the right to peaceful protest, hugging, kneeling, and praying with the protesters - have fared better than cities where police have met protesters in riot gear and with force - coming in from the beginning with shields, batons drawn, and gas masks, as if they are ready for battle. 

Lexington PD's Approach ...

- VS -

Louisville PD's Approach ...

Again, I cannot give enough accolade for this to Police Chief Lawrence Weathers :)

However, there are other cities who have done the same: Flint Michigan, some precincts in Kansas City, Coral Gables (Greater Miami), Florida, just to name a few.  

Though the national press may still be mostly touting the horrors, I hope when the tear gas clears in this nation, there will be an analysis, an examination of the different police approaches, and how successful the "protest protection" approach was, which several cities used that it will gain national attention and better come to light nationally as successful intervention :)




PS - I would also like to point out something else I'm proud of, that's been lost on most of the media - particularly Trump-supporting, right-wing media (racism enablers)  - and it's actually the only thing Louisville and Lexington apparently had in common.

Though social restrictions in Kentucky have been relaxed nearly completely as of May 22nd, most protesters still choose to wear masks and gloves during protests in Kentucky - both Lexington AND Louisville :)

I'd also like to state again that Mark and I are unable to protest because of Mark being especially at risk for COVID-19 due to health issue - and that I DO think people should've still kept more distance, despite masks and gloves - but I understand how this became difficult.

Mark and I have been active otherwise, in other ways, supporting justice for George Floyd  ;)

And yes, by the way - despite social restrictions being officially relaxed in Kentucky - we, too, still wear masks and gloves when we are in public and respect the 6-feet rule and though open, we still do not dine in, at restaurants, either ;) 

I love the new argument from Trumpers: "But.. but ... I thought you were about social restrictions, Democrats?"



Not only are they failing to mention that most social restrictions on social gatherings were relaxed in Kentucky (and most other states) on May 22nd, but there's this  ...



So ...what exactly is your argument, anyway? 

That you should defy government social restrictions and protest when it's about money or the unborn,  but should not when it's about justice and other human life?  




Dohkay, "Christian" brothers and sisters regurgitating Trump - you DO realize that's completely contrary to Christ's message, right? ;) 


Or is your argument we should defy (now expired) government social restrictions for prayer inside a church, but not outside, in the streets?



Lol, listen to yourselves. 

Well, I guess you all had to find something to say, because you know you can't defend the indefensible - regardless of how lame it is and clearly without thinking it through, first  lol.

Of course, you could condemn Chauvin's actions, like non-racist Republicans have done - but I guess that's out of the question - because you're not big enough people, are not capable of empathy, and, well -  you're racist. 

Again, Trumpers - you really should've learned this by now - please starting thinking for yourselves and thinking before you speak?

Because even if you don't care how socially irresponsible it is, you would think you'd care that you constantly present transparently circular logic, which always seems to come back on you in hypocrisy,  quote people you don't even know on Twitter, and then you just end up looking even more foolish than you already do lol.