Natural Wonder Fellowship

Another day of "us" versus "them". Another day of a white woman threatening a black man with a police presence, in New York City; because, you know, who are they gonna believe? Another day when police mis-handle a citizen so badly a black man ends up dead at the hands of the very people who are supposed to protect and serve the public, in Minneapolis. Another day of rising tensions, rhetoric, and disagreement among the two main political parties' federal representatives, over everything from whether to wear a face mask outside their homes to whether to pass another monetary relief bill to assist the citizenry (you know, the ones they're supposed to work for).  Another day of being considerate of your neighbors by wearing a face mask to help protect them from you, and the " I don't have to, it's an infringement of my rights" citizens. Another day of truth from the scientists and doctors vs lies from those in charge. Another day of the c

What is Sikhi (sometimes called Sikhism)? This one of my personal policy "Learn Something New Every Day" items for today. The first thing I learned is that I've been pronouncing it wrong -- it is not double-e (seek) but more like short "i" and really hard "k"(sicK). The first video is a brief overview and introduction including the disappearance and reappearance (after talking to 'god') of the first guru. I found it an interesting story. It did not cover any distasteful beliefs or practices, so I don't know if this religion succumbs to any.  This second video presents a fuller, more complete (in spite of its cartoonish look) description and explanation of the practices of the Sikhs of (most of) the world. There are some different practices among geographic areas. Engaging, easy to grasp concepts. I did see women are equal to men -- there are no second class citizens (Indian castes) in the tenets as presented here. I liked that.

In these days of a new highly contagious respiratory virus, greetings like hand shaking, kissing, and hugging have become transmission vectors for disease. We will determine a new way of greeting that doesn't involve physical touch.  Based on some of what I've recently discovered, that probably should have happened long ago.  I've only recently found out that many people do not wash their hands when we expect they would (or should). " We want to go to the movies and sit down in restaurants and yell expletives at football players in packed stadiums and hug friends and decide to not wash our hands after using public restrooms because that's what we've long done " (emphasis added)  -- an aside thrown into a piece about eating meat . A BBC piece  may enlighten you as much as it did me. I was really surprised (and grossed out). And no, I'm not talking about people in areas that lack basic "facilities" either.  How did handshaking come about, a

Not the same as good, or accurate information. Some outlets have begun calling it an "infodemic" -- unending purveyors of dozens of already debunked or refurbished medical and scientific claims. We have ' Plandemic ' from a few years ago rearing its ugly head again. We have a  herbal remedy (related to the daisy family -- my favorite!!) being touted as a remedy for covid-19. This herb is used, in conjunction with another, throughout Madagascar in treatment of malaria. There is no evidence either drug is effective in treating or preventing covid-19. We have postulates on a private board that deficiencies in some vitamin or mineral is a contributing cause of getting the disease, or a new therapy may be just around the corner ---- so far, I've seen the disease is due to lack of selenium, maybe in conjunction with vitamin E (I think); lack of vitamin D; a "breakthrough" is found when Israel isolated a "monoclonal neutralizing antibody"...  Without

We all want the facts. We don't want a partial, twisted or bent to someone's point of view subset of facts. We are inundated with "news"; some of it true, some of it outright lies (fake), and some of it kinda, sorta, in a limited way, or only if looked at a certain way, then *may* be true. We must make the effort to know what we're talking about; to know the real issues not only those formulated to appeal to the reactionaries among us.  Democracy depends on an educated, informed electorate (public, populace -- whatever you want to call "we the people"). We must elect informed, educated leaders. Our leaders work for us, spending our money. If this pandemic has taught us anything, it's that we are all in this together. We must know the real arguments for and against methods of controlling spread of the virus. It's not just a matter of personal choice or rights or privacy. We must make the effort, have the willingness to be informed, productive memb