T.G.I.F.

How you can help Standing Rock

A. HELP WATER PROTECTORS WINTERIZE
https://www.crowdrise.com/helping-us-survive-winter-at-oceti-sakowin-at-standing-rock/fundraiser/kevingilbertt [Click] Send funds or send wool blankets, visa gift cards, non-cotton thermal underwear, indoor propane heaters, sub-zero sleeping bags, extreme weather overalls and gloves, extreme weather coats, feminine hygiene products, incontinence pads, horse supplies, nuts, dried fruit to Kevin C/O Lindsey Norton, PO Box 1281 Cannonball, ND, 58528.

B. FOLLOW Kevin Gilbertt FOR COVERAGE
https://www.facebook.com/kevin.happychappy [Click] Local coverage via Facebook Live from a water protector on the front lines.

C. HELP COVER SOPHIA’S MEDICAL COSTS
https://www.gofundme.com/30aezxs [Click] Sophia Wilansky was giving out bottles of water to protectors holding down the space when she was shot with a concussion grenade.

D. HELP PRODUCE DOCUMENTARY FILM
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/end-of-the-line-the-women-of-standing-rock-environment/#/ [Click] The women of Standing Rock are the backbone of the stand and with your support, their voices will be heard in film ‘End Of The Line’.

E. VOLUNTEER WITH ON-SITE MEDICS
https://medichealercouncil.com/volunteer/ [Click] Need qualified medics, EMTs, nurses, physicians, herbalists, midwives, massage therapists through the winter – and individuals who can help in supportive and logistical roles to process, sort and distribute supply donations!

F. DONATE MEDICAL SUPPLIES
https://medichealercouncil.com/donate/ [Click] Donated items can be mailed to Standing Rock Medic & Healer Council, PO Box 1251, Bismarck, ND, 58502 or if shipping via UPS or FedEx, use 220 E Rosser Ave #1251, Bismarck ND 58502 with shipping phone 701-409-0199.

E. FURTHER READING
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. On Obama's "No Brainer" DAPL Choice - Click (FB only video)

Largest bank in Norway pulls its assets in Dakota Access pipeline - Click

Pipeline Protesters Say Police Nearly Blew Off Woman's Arm - Click

F. CONTACT OUR LEADERS
424-353-2016 Text NBC with your opinion
701-333-2006 National Guard Public Affairs
701-328-2200 ND Governor
701-328-4726 ND Attorney General
701-667-3330 Local Sheriff Office
202-456-1111 White House
202-456-9431 White House Situation Room
202-353-1555 DOJ comment line (no illegal sale of farms)

Thanksgiving

I am thankful for loving family and friends. What are you thankful for today?

Rise, Love, Resist

Code Pink Women For Peace has been working for many years to counter the culture and economy of war/violence. Since the election of Donald Trump, they have taken to heart the admonition attributed to Joe Hill, "Don't mourn, organize." To this end, they have launched a new campaign, Rise, Love, Resist. Read about it at the link below and sign the pledge. The only way to counter Trump's miasma of hatred is to stand together in love and strength.

Remember, "love" and "peace" are not synonyms of "weakness." Quite the opposite! Hatred is born of weakness, insecurity and fear. Those whose livelihoods and neighborhoods are at risk, who believe their religious and cultural values are under attack, these are among the vulnerable Trumps demagoguery has inflamed with fear of people different than themselves and with hate. It is only by creating solidarity, making real, tangible and lasting repairs to the fabric of American life, material and spiritual, that decades of divisive, supply side, trickle down, rich get richer and poor get poorer policies have bred that the fear can be allayed and the hatred disarmed. Fighting hate with hate can only produce more hate. It can only be overcome with the constructive power of love.

So, don't think this initiative, or Code Pink in general, is for sissies. It is, on the contrary, not for the faint of heart! Their work, as always with work for the Good, is difficult and arduous and sometimes dangerous, yet essential...and never more so than now.

Link

Rise, Love, Resist

In Memoriam C.S. Lewis and Aldous Huxley

It is often overlooked that three great and influential men died on November Twenty-second, 1963. Pres. Kennedy's tragic and senseless death by assassination traumatized our nation and the world, eclipsing much other news. But on that day the literary world and in particular Fantasy and Science Fiction lost two of its finest and most eloquent members.

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) and Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) both died on this day fifty-three years ago.

Links

The Official C.S. Lewis Page

Aldous Huxley Biography

Do you know a blind child who'd like a letter from Santa?

For several years now Santa has enlisted the help of the good folks at the NFB's Jernigan Institute to help him send letter to blind American children. If you know a little boy or girl up to ten years of age who would enjoy receiving a braille letter from Santa, follow the link below and fill out the form.

Link

NFB Jernigan Institute Helps Santa Sends Letters to Boys and Girls

They start early in Las Vegas

A festive evening lighting the Christmas tree at The Linq Las Vegas.

Donny Osmond posted this photo to his Facebook page on Saturday. And I thought Sis and I were jumping the gun, beginning to watch Hallmark Christmas movies the middle of last week! Sheesh!

King of the Universe

We know from Scripture that the First Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Creator, made all things through the Second Person, the Redeemer, by the power of the Third Person, the Holy Spirit, the Breath of Love, who is the Paraclete or Helper. Today the Church recognizes that the Redeemer is also King of the Universe. Naturally, as a Science Fiction enthusiast, I find this notion intriguing. It affirms the notion promulgated in so much SF that all things, from the mightiest star to the tiniest microbe, from the beginning of the universe to its end, are akin. If there are life forms on other planets and in distant galaxies, or if there aren't, still all creation is united in serving one Monarch, whose decree is "Love one another." This is a comforting thought, especially as we face such dark days.

Links

Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe (November 20, 2016) Photo Caption: Spiral Galaxy ESO 137-001 (ACS/WFC3) (March 4, 2014)

Winter's Coming, Time To Snuggle In

T.G.I.F.

Pluto Has Slushy Ocean, New Horizons Data Reveals

The BBC reports that data from NASA's New Horizons mission indicates the presence of a slushy ocean below part of Sputnik Planitia, the region on the dwarf planet's surface facing it's largest satellite, Charon, with which it is tidally locked. Two papers published this week in Nature discuss the formation of Sputnik Planitia, how a viscous, incredibly cold, hyper saline and ammonia enriched ocean developed beneath it, and why these events led to Pluto and Charon becoming tidally locked (always showing the same side to one another).

"If you were to draw a line from the centre of Pluto's moon Charon through Pluto, it would come out on the other side, almost right through Sputnik Planitia. That line is what we call the tidal axis" said James Keane, from the University of Arizona, co-author of one of a pair of papers published on the subject in Nature journal.

This is strongly suggestive of a particular evolutionary course for Pluto. The researchers contend that Sputnik Planitia formed somewhere else on Pluto and then dragged the entire dwarf planet over - by as much as 60 degrees - relative to its spin axis.

Link

Pluto 'has slushy ocean below surface

Grand Marshal

Our grandniece, Ally Mae, who is 9 years old and a cancer survivor, will be the Grand Marshal of the holiday parade in Concord NH this weekend!! We are so excited for her and so pleased she was unanimously chosen. Rock on, Grand Marshall Ally Mae!! 💜<3 span=""> She has always been Awesome Ally!!

With this post, I now turn the blog over to Catreona until the end 

of January.  I am grateful for a break from the responsibility 

as we head into the holy days and as we head into a new Administration.  

I feel a deep need rising to take time for reflection 

so I can be more responsive and less reactive.  

💥🌟 Thanks for understanding, and great thanks to you, Cat! 🌟🔥

I trust you will bring to this blog your own special style!

Puppies

SUPERMOON

 The November SuperMoon will be 14% larger + 30% brighter than usual, and the most amazing since 1948. Hoping for good weather.

"The second in a triad of supermoons—when the full moon makes a close approach to Earth—will rise in the east after sunset. While the last three months of 2016 each boast a supermoon, this month’s full moon will be the largest and closest to 

Earth since 1948, making it a truly beautiful sight to behold."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/11/skywatching-sky-guide-november-moon-meteor-shower-astronomy/

http://www.space.com/34515-supermoon-guide.html

Late Season Beauty

Kitten

Veterans Day

Amid all the hoopla of the election, let's not forget that today is Veterans Day, the day when we remember and honor those who have fought and died to preserve our liberty.

What's your favourite comfort food?

Need a Hug?

BTW, saw this posted and thought you might find it interesting:

Mordor has wakened