Pinellas County Commissioners and Dunedin Commissioners: Preserve the Gladys Douglas Property
Save the Scrub! - Sign the Petition!
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Pinellas County Commissioners and Dunedin Commissioners: Preserve the Gladys Douglas Property
Monday, December 28, 2020
Federal Student Loan Forgiveness for All
The US is in crisis due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The economic impact is already being felt and could worsen before it gets better. It is disrupting businesses, big and small, shutting them down and negatively impacting millions of Americans’ abilities to make a living. Many may be out of work for weeks receiving less pay or no pay at all for an uncertain number of weeks. With schools shutting down, many household expenses are likely to increase with children being home all day. Not to mention the increased inherent health risk also poses additional economic risks, as those who get sick and are hospitalized can be left with large medical bills and even those who are just quarantined may not have paid sick leave. Nearly 70% of Americans don’t have even $1000 for emergencies according to GOBankingRates’ 2019 savings survey, and this is clearly an emergency!
We are seeing what is happening with the financial markets. There is a growing risk of a recession and our government clearly knows it. The feds have already taken actions, including injecting about $1.5 trillion into the market to try to keep it from collapsing and slashing interest rates to nearly zero. Our country is in financial crisis. Moreover, it will likely just get worse. Supply chains that are fundamental for business operations have been disrupted. For many Americans having less income coming in, that means they will have to forego spending on things and activities that aren’t a necessity. This negatively affects businesses and the economy as well.
So how do we get pass this?
The government has already taken a few steps, but more is needed! Student loan debt is the second largest form of debt in the Unites States behind mortgage debt. According to a report from December 2018 by MeasureOne, about 92% of student loans are owned by the US Department of Education. This encompasses 43 million borrowers with outstanding federal student loan debt of roughly $1.4 trillion dollars. Many are already defaulting on payments and likely many more soon will, as they have no other choice in these trying times.
At this critical time, in order to really counter the risks of an economic depression and the impact of this virus and help boost the economy, we need to urge the powers at be to cancel all federal student loan debt. There has been pushes for it in the past, but right now this is a critical time, and we have seen with the amount spent in the market to prevent a collapse, our government can in fact do it. This can help millions, individuals and businesses alike, and subsequently help stimulate our economy again in the coming months. It can free up capital to help Americans catch up on paying bills, maintain current businesses, invest, start new businesses, and/or even just build up their savings for emergencies.
The Secretary of Education and US Department of Education have the
power to cancel all US federal student loan debt itself without any
action of Congress. Stand with me and urge the Secretary of Education
and US Dept of Education to cancel all federal student loan debt and
give our economy a boost that will truly help and positively affect
millions of Americans!
Sunday, December 20, 2020
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Sunday, December 13, 2020
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Saturday, December 5, 2020
Sunday, November 29, 2020
A Hungarian official compared billionaire George Soros, who is a Holocaust survivor, to Adolf Hitler
A Hungarian official compared billionaire George Soros, who is a Holocaust survivor, to Adolf Hitler
- A Hungarian government commissioner has been condemned after comparing billionaire George Soros, who is a Holocaust survivor, to Adolf Hitler.
- In an opinion article published on a pro-government news website, ministerial commissioner Szilard Demeter wrote that Soros was "the liberal Führer" and that Europe was his "gas chamber."
- Demeter was writing the article in defense of Hungary and Poland who are currently in an ongoing dispute with Brussels over the planned European Union €1.8 trillion budget.
- His comments have been condemned by the Jewish community in Hungary, the former Hungarian prime minster, and also the Israeli government.
A Hungarian ministerial commissioner has been condemned after comparing billionaire George Soros, who is a Holocaust survivor, to Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
Szilard Demeter, who is the head of the Petofi Literary Museum in Budapest, wrote in an opinion piece for pro-government outlet Origo that Soros was "the liberal Führer" and that Europe was his "gas chamber," according to the Associated Press.
"Europe is George Soros' gas chamber," Demeter wrote, according to the AP. "Poison gas flows from the capsule of a multicultural, open society, which is deadly to the European way of life."
Demeter was writing the article, which was published on Saturday, in defense of Hungary and Poland, who are currently in an ongoing dispute with Brussels over the planned European Union €1.8 trillion budget, linked to standards of democracy in member states.
Hungary and Poland are accused of undermining judicial independence and media freedom and under EU investigation. They are threatening to veto the EU budget over provisions that could block payments to countries that do not uphold democratic standards, Politico reported this week.
In the article, Demeter, appointed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to oversee cultural production, referred to Hungary and Poland as the "new Jews."
Orban frequently targets Soros over his philanthropic activities, which usually favor liberal causes, and has previously accused him of diluting citizens' national identity in European countries.
The commissioner's comments sparked outrage from the Jewish community in Hungary as well as other government officials.
Gordon Bajnai, who was Hungary's prime minister between 2009 and 2010, said on Sunday that if Demeter isn't removed from his post by Monday, "Hungarians and the rest of the world will obviously consider (his) statement as the position of the Hungarian government," AP reported.
The Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregatio called the article "tasteless" and "unforgivable" and said in a statement that it was "a textbook case of the relativization of the Holocaust, and is therefore incompatible with the government's claim of zero tolerance for anti-Semitism," according to the Associated Press.
The government of Israel, a close ally of Hungary, also chimed, tweeting on Saturday: "There is no place for connecting the worst crime in human history, or its perpetrators, to any contemporary debate."
Soros, who was born into a Jewish family in Hungary and is a Holocaust survivor, has long been a campaigner for human rights.
According to his personal website, the 90-year-old is well known for his philanthropy, having given away more than $32 billion.
According to Investopedia, Soros currently has a net worth of about $8.3 billion.
More than 800,000 Jews lived in Hungary in May 1944. In just eight weeks, some 424,000 Jews were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Thousands more were murdered and thrown into the Danube in Budapest by Hungarian Arrow Cross fascists.
In all, some 565,000 Hungarian Jews were murdered, according to Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in Jerusalem.
Hungarian official retracts comparing George Soros to Hitler
Hungarian official retracts comparing George Soros to Hitler
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — After facing strong condemnation, a Hungarian commissioner on Sunday begrudgingly retracted an article comparing American-Hungarian billionaire and philanthropist George Soros, a staunch critic of Hungary’s government, to Adolf Hitler and the Nazis.
“Europe is George Soros’ gas chamber,” Szilard Demeter, ministerial commissioner and head of the Petofi Literary Museum in Budapest, wrote in an opinion Saturday in the pro-government Origo media outlet. “Poison gas flows from the capsule of a multicultural open society, which is deadly to the European way of life.”
The comments drew outrage from Hungary’s Jewish community, including the Unified Hungarian Jewish Congregation, which called the article “tasteless” and “unforgivable.”
“(It’s) a textbook case of the relativization of the Holocaust, and is therefore incompatible with the government’s claim of zero tolerance for anti-Semitism,” the group said.
In a statement Sunday on Origo, Demeter said he would retract his article “independently of what I think” and will delete his Facebook page.
“I will grant that those criticizing me are correct in saying that to call someone a Nazi is to relativize, and that making parallels with Nazis can inadvertently cause harm to the memory of the victims,” he said in a statement.
In the article, Demeter, who was appointed by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to oversee cultural production, compared Soros to Hitler, writing he was “the liberal Führer, and his liber-Aryan army deifies him more than did Hitler’s own.”
Soros, who was born in Hungary and is a Holocaust survivor, is a frequent target of Orban’s government for his philanthropic activities that favor liberal causes. Government media campaigns targeting Soros have led to charges of anti-Semitism.
The article also noted the conflict over the European Union’s next budget, which Hungary and Poland are holding up over provisions that could block payments to countries that do not uphold democratic standards. Demeter referred to the two countries, both of which are under EU investigation for undermining judicial independence and media freedom, as “the new Jews.”
The government of Israel, a close ally of Hungary, condemned Demeter’s comments.
The Israeli Embassy in Budapest tweeted, “We utterly reject the use and abuse of the memory of the Holocaust for any purpose … There is no place for connecting the worst crime in human history, or its perpetrators, to any contemporary debate.”
Gordon Bajnai, a former Hungarian prime minister, wrote on Facebook on Sunday that if Demeter isn’t removed from his post by Monday, “Hungarians and the rest of the world will obviously consider (his) statement as the position of the Hungarian government.”
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Sunday, November 22, 2020
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Thursday, November 5, 2020
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Sunday, October 25, 2020
How the ‘Diabolical’ Beetle Survives Being Run Over by a Car
How the ‘Diabolical’ Beetle Survives Being Run Over by a Car
The
puny insect can withstand forces 39,000 times its body weight.
Scientists just discovered its super-strength secret—which could inspire
new materials.
Are We Trading Our Happiness for Modern Comforts?
Are We Trading Our Happiness for Modern Comforts?
As society gets richer, people chase the wrong things.
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Monday, October 19, 2020
Pelosi sets Tuesday deadline for reaching stimulus deal with White House
Good grief what a disappoinment. The children no longer play well together.
Pelosi sets Tuesday deadline for reaching stimulus deal with White House
Monday, October 12, 2020
Sunday, October 11, 2020
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Do These Things After Work Everyday and You Will Achieve Anything You Want in Life
Trying to stay positive in this difficult election year.
Do These Things After Work Everyday and You Will Achieve Anything You Want in Life
Thomas Oppong
It’s not enough to show up to work on time, and do a good job. Pexels
The time before you go to bed is golden, as it exists every single day, and it’s usually completely yours to schedule. What do you want to do with this time? Read? Spend time with your kids? Work on a hobby you’re passionate about? Take advantage of this time.
That time between clocking out of work and hitting the sheets every night is yours to do whatever you want. Using that time to pursue something meaningful to you will immensely improve not only your total well being, but sense of self worth. But the reality is that, after a long day’s work, you feel exhausted and all you want to do is to take a long break and zone out with the television on.
Netflix may not be a great idea, but documentaries and TED talks can lead to a greater understanding in a multitude of disciplines. It’s all in how you prioritize your life after work.
Starting and consistently doing or creating something will give you a sense of empowerment that can translate in the office as well. Extracurricular outlets don’t just boost your sanity — they feed back into your day job and can actually make you more productive.
But the daily grind can easily overshadow your passion project like writing a book, learning a new language, starting an online business, creating art, learning an instrument, designing, learning to code, collecting and selling vintage objects etc. It’s not enough to show up to work on time, and do a good job. You have to remain relevant and consistently improve to become a better version of yourself.
The biggest problem many people have is finding TIME to actually put ideas to work.
Striking a balance and committing time, attention and energy to that one special project that needs your focus is possible if you really want to pursue a meaningful project.
The trick is to turn that passion project into a habit! What you do every night after work can be life and career changing!
The 60/30 minutes rule
For the next 30 days, devote just 60 minutes of your time after work to the best opportunity in your life. Nothing else. Zero distractions. Your single most important task within that time is to make even the smallest progress on your passion project. You don’t have to make significant progress. But it matters that you stay consistent.
Do not compromise family values to get ahead in life though. Create your own balanced, fulfilling life. If 60 minutes is not realistic for you. Dedicate 30 uninterrupted minutes to it for the next 30 days and you will be amazed at the results. You could even consider investing this time in your passion project in the morning before work. Choose what works best for you.
However slow you move or improve, you will be deeply fulfilled in the fact that you are actually pursuing something you care about. Something that means the world to you. Something you have always wanted to do.
YOU are your biggest investment!
Your development starts with what you know about yourself. Do you know “YOU”? What are you capable of? What are you curious about? What have you always wanted to do in your spare time that could help you pursue the life you want.
At one of his Berkshire Hathaway annual meetings, Warren Buffett said:
“The most important investment you can make is in yourself. Very few people get anything like their potential horsepower translated into the actual horsepower of their output in life. Potential exceeds realization for many people…The best asset is your own self. You can become to an enormous degree the person you want to be.”
If you have a good idea of who you are and what you want to do with your life, you are half way to a successful life. Invest in yourself, it’s the best investment you can ever make. Create a bigger version of yourself. Don’t settle on a self-imposed plateau; always aim a bit higher than before.
It’s not about the kind of skills you acquire because you have to, but because you want to and it feels right. Something you are happy to do without hesitation. Skills that are unique to you. Skills you can only learn by doing. Skills that can only be developed when you find your true self.
When you put yourself on the line or otherwise expose yourself to the possibility of failure. Basically, what I am trying to tell you is that, there is something about you that can be explored and developed to your benefit and the rest of the world.
Invest in yourself!
Start by reading but focus on your creative pursuit!
The mind, once stretched by a new idea, never returns to its original dimensions.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson
The habit of reading can change your perception, improve your worldview or better still expose creative ideas to you when you least expect it. Whatever you want in life, knowledge is key. Reading can give you a good head start if you want to start slow and figure out your meaningful work.
You will acquire new information every day. And even transfer your knowledge within your company. You could also create new possibilities for your employer based on your daily evening discoveries. Richard Steele once said “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” Don’t get caught up in just the habit of reading without pursuing your creative work. You learn best by doing. You don’t want to divert the mind too much from its creative pursuits.
The “do something” habit is greater than thinking mindset.
Even if you have 30 minutes every night, each week you can easily read a book or better still start learning by creating something!
Spend an hour a day to learn about a topic
Exercise your creative genius. Anything new to your brain can stimulate it. Different skills, ideas, cultures, and opinions can have a positive effect on your own views about the world.
Acquiring new skills and gaining knowledge on a daily incremental basis is a proven way to take your career to the next level and improve your self-esteem.
When was the last time you questioned the existing convention, conceptualized problems differently, approached problems in new, innovative way. It’s about time you figured out what could be improved, challenged, done different, done with less effort to achieve more. Start questioning everything. Consider everything. Go through every possibility until you know for a fact it can or cannot be done.
Steve Job’s calligraphy course in college helped build the first Mac. In his famous 2005 Commencement speech for Stanford University, Jobs said:
“If I had never dropped in on that single calligraphy course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts.”
You never know what will be useful ahead of time. Try new skills and they will connect with the rest of your skills in the future. Take online courses that can help you start a passion project. These are a few I have put together about becoming an entrepreneur (they are all free).
Reflect on what you learn by blogging
Apart from becoming a better writer, blogging can help you organize your thoughts. Blogging encourages deep thinking. When you begin to share what you know with others, your ability to communicate gets better. Blogging helps your brain to stay active. You will also be able to link ideas and pieces of information better.
Once you commit to the habit of reading about your industry and sharing what you know with your audience, you will begin to comprehend and process information faster.
It’s a slow process, but once you commit to it, you can significantly improve how you process and share knowledge. It’s definitely not easy but it’s worth your precious time.
Make 2017 your most amazing year yet!
Don’t invest in a career. Build a life. For centuries we’ve been trained by the system to stop thinking and do as we are told. But dreamers and thinkers are changing the world as we know it. Thinkers and dreamers are the new untouchables. Everything you want is a dream away.
The only thing holding you back from doing something truly amazing, is you. The world is full of amazing people. You are either one of them or aspire to be amazing! The amazing ones are an inspiration to those who aspire to do something amazing.
It’s still okay to dream, wish and hope for an amazing life — not just an okay life, but a ridiculously amazing life. You are where you are today because of the choice you made yesterday. Your choices today will determine whether you will have an amazing or regretful life tomorrow.
Re-think your evening routine!
If you make creative pursuit part of your weekly schedule, at least Monday through Friday, you’ll begin to see change as long as you keep doing it at the same time each day. Make it a habit to see significant improvement. A routine at night means better time management.
Think of all of the time that was either used productively or possibly wasted after work till the time you go to sleep and ask yourself what could I have done or can I do with all of that time?
There truly are no limits as to what you could have learned or accomplished. It’s what separates the masses from the high achievers in this world!
But changing your habits and life can start TONIGHT!
One more thing…
If you enjoyed this post, you will love Postanly Weekly. It’s my FREE weekly digest of the best science-based productivity, and self improvement posts from around the web. And my best posts of the week. Join 9400+ readers!
Thomas Oppong is the founding editor at Alltopstartups (where he shares resources for startups and entrepreneurs) and the curator at Postanly (a free weekly newsletter that delivers the most insightful long-form posts from top publishers).
Monday, September 21, 2020
Sunday, September 13, 2020
Sunday, September 6, 2020
Help identify Samuel Little's victims
The serial killer has confessed to 93 murders. The FBI now needs help identifying his victims to provide answers in unsolved cases
How viewers can help identify Samuel Little's victims
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Saturday, August 15, 2020
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
Saturday, August 1, 2020
Hurricane Isaias
1 Aug 2020 - 18:00 UTC
...ISAIAS EMERGING OVER THE STRAITS OF FLORIDA... ...EXPECTED TO APPROACH THE SOUTHEAST COAST OF FLORIDA TONIGHT...
As of 2:00 PM EDT Sat Aug 1
the center of Isaias was located near 24.9, -78.4
with movement NW at 12 mph.
The minimum central pressure was 990 mb
with maximum sustained winds of about 75 mph.
Hurricane Isaias
Friday, July 24, 2020
Coronavirus Drug and Treatment Tracker
The Covid-19 pandemic is one of the greatest challenges modern medicine
has ever faced. Doctors and scientists are scrambling to find
treatments and drugs that can save the lives of infected people and
perhaps even prevent infection.
Below is an updated list of 19 of the most-talked-about treatments for the coronavirus.
While some are accumulating evidence that they’re effective, most are
still at early stages of research. We also included a warning about a
few that are just bunk.
Coronavirus Drug and Treatment Tracker
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Genius Things I Bought on Amazon and Would Buy 100 Times Again
This is an interesting article. I didn't know they made half of these things.
Genius Things I Bought on Amazon and Would Buy 100 Times Again
Monday, July 20, 2020
Sunday, July 19, 2020
20 Most-Overlooked Tax Breaks and Deductions
You have to claim all the write-offs you're entitled to if you really want to cut your income tax bill to the bone
20 Most-Overlooked Tax Breaks and Deductions
The Most-Overlooked Tax Breaks for Retirees
For
new retirees—especially those on a fixed income—it's more important
than ever to take full advantage of every tax break available.
The Most-Overlooked Tax Breaks for Retirees
Sunday, March 15, 2020
Staying home due to the coronavirus? Here's what to stock in your fridge and pantry
It's important to stock up on foods that pack a nutritional punch. Here's what to add to your shopping list.
Staying home due to the coronavirus? Here's what to stock in your fridge and pantry
Staying home due to the coronavirus? Here's what to stock in your fridge and pantry
Sunday, March 1, 2020
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Coronavirus cases top 80,000 worldwide: Live updates on COVID-19
Here's a look at what you need to know about the new virus and the disease it causes.
A newly identified coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (formerly 2019-nCoV) has been spreading in China, and has now reached multiple other countries. Here's what you need to know about the virus and the disease it causes, called COVID-19.
Coronavirus cases top 80,000 worldwide: Live updates on COVID-19
A newly identified coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (formerly 2019-nCoV) has been spreading in China, and has now reached multiple other countries. Here's what you need to know about the virus and the disease it causes, called COVID-19.
Coronavirus cases top 80,000 worldwide: Live updates on COVID-19
Sunday, February 23, 2020
Saturday, February 22, 2020
The Dunning-Kruger effect, or why the ignorant think they’re experts
To err is human. But, to confidently persist in erring is hilarious.
The Dunning-Kruger effect, or why the ignorant think they’re experts
Friday, January 31, 2020
Friday, January 24, 2020
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Monday, January 20, 2020
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
The Deadliest Marksman’s Cold, Brave Stand
Eighty
years ago this winter, a freezing Finnish farm boy took aim at the
unstoppable Red Army — and became the greatest sharpshooter the world
has ever seen.
The Deadliest Marksman’s Cold, Brave Stand
The Deadliest Marksman’s Cold, Brave Stand
Friday, January 10, 2020
Thursday, January 2, 2020
Children of Scientology: Life After Growing Up in an Alleged Cult
For many raised in the church, escape presents a
singular problem. “They have an identity to go back to,” says one former
Scientologist. “We’re trying to discover our identity in a vacuum.”
Children of Scientology: Life After Growing Up in an Alleged Cult
The Two Myths of the Internet
The 2010s began with one story about the political power of technology. It ended with another. Both were wrong.
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