The Blue Dragon

Nature 4 Minutes

The mythical Blue Glaucus, or Glaucus atlanticus as known by its scientific name, is a small-sized blue sea slug species. It has distinctive dazzling blue hues that have garnered it plenty of attention in recent years. These colors have also inspired a series of nicknames, such as blue dragon, sea swallow, and blue angel. 

The species is a master of disguise. The Blue Glaucus uses its brilliant colors to camouflage with the ocean and sky, though it sometimes washes up on beaches and surprises swimmers. It has a reputation for being both angelic and deadly and is best known for eating venomous prey and stealing their toxins.  

Characteristics & Appearance

Weight & Length

The Blue Glaucus’ small size belies its dangerous reputation. It may reach lengths of up to three centimeters at maturity, weighing anywhere from just three to one hundred grams.

Physical Characteristics & Color

The Blue Glaucus’ body features a type of coloration known as countershading. Its dorsal side is silvery grey, while the ventral area is dark and pale blue, and its head is covered with dark blue stripes. This coloration affords it valuable protection from predators both above and below it as it floats on the ocean’s surface. The deep blue color may also help reflect harmful UV rays.

Additionally, the Blue Glaucus has a flattened, tapered body, along with six appendages that branch out into finger-like cerata–eighty-four to be exact. Cerata are long, slender structures used to sting when hunting or when the Blue Glaucus feels threatened. It also has radular teeth resembling a knife’s serrated edge.

Though quite content to merely be pulled by the ocean currents, the Blue Glaucus can move of its own accord. It gets around slowly, either by swimming or propelling its body. It can drive its body using muscular contractions or the millions of small hairs on its fleshy foot.  

Lifespan & Reproduction

Life expectancy for the Blue Glaucus ranges from between one month to one year. 

A curious detail about this sea slug is that they are hermaphrodites, meaning they produce both eggs and sperm. But despite this fact, they still have to mate with another slug to produce viable eggs. Their mating habits resemble those of their hunting habits: the Blue Glaucus simply floats along until they find a mate. Reproduction is an act they must engage in carefully to avoid getting stung by their partner. 

They have long, curved S-shape bends in their penises that keep them safe while mating, which results in the release of strings of twelve to twenty eggs.  Another curious fact about their reproductive habits is where they lay the eggs. Blue Glaucus often deposit them on the carcasses of their prey. Otherwise, they leave eggs on any other floating mass they encounter. 

Habitat

Blue Glaucus are pelagic fish, which means they live in ocean areas that are neither close to the bottom nor the shore. They are found worldwide, dwelling in waters in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans. However, it seems that their habitat is expanding. There have been many reports of Blue Glaucus sightings in areas not traditionally associated with the species. Some such examples are on the east and south coasts of South Africa, in European waters, near Mozambique, and off Australia’s east coast.

Where Do Blue Caucus Live?

The Blue Caucus prefers to float upside down on the surface tension of the ocean. They swallow air bubbles and store them in their gas-filled sac to maintain buoyancy, and they let the winds and ocean currents carry them. At times, they float to the sand on the bottom of the ocean floor.  Sometimes the winds carry them to undesired locations, namely shores where they can become stranded and die. Beachgoers are increasingly finding the Blue Caucus on their vacations.

Food & Diet

This species is a foraging predator with an impressive appetite. It’s quite comfortable feasting on creatures many times its size, thanks to its rasp-like tongue. Its diet consists of other pelagic species.

What Do Blue Glaucus Eat?

While there are many curious things about the blue dragon, perhaps the most curious is what it eats. Its food of choice is a venomous and feared cnidarian, the Portuguese man o’ war. This poisonous ocean drifter looks like a jellyfish, and it has a fearsome reputation. 

The Blue Glaucus not only eats it, but it also recycles the stinging cells from the Portuguese man o’ war to use as their own protective devices. The blue dragon has hard disks inside its skin and a protective layer of mucus that protects them against these stinging cells–of which it can amass a significant amount.

For this reason, the Blue Glaucus poses a much greater threat to humans than the Portuguese man o’ war. Picking one up may result in a painful sting and symptoms similar to those of its prey. These include nausea, vomiting, and pain. But like other sea slug species, the Blue Glaucus itself isn’t venomous. 

If the Blue Glaucus can’t get its hands on the Portuguese man o’ war, it will consume other pelagic species like the by-the-wind-sailor velella, the Blue Button, and the violet snail (or the common purple snail). Cannibalism is also common, and these slugs won’t hesitate to eat other Blue Glaucus if the opportunity arises. 

Threats & Predators

As is true for most marine animals, the Blue Glaucus faces several different threats to its existence. 

Human Threats

Human threats represent a significant danger to the Blue Glaucus. In recent years, the internet has caused the species to become very popular, although its fame has been detrimental. 

Many people want to add them to their aquariums, leading to an increase in their appearance in the exotic pet trade. However, keeping the Blue Glaucus as a pet is impractical because of its diet. Obtaining the number of Portuguese man o’ war they need is impossible, and those kept as pets often starve to death.

Fun Facts About Blue Glaucus

A group of blue glaucus floating together is referred to as a “blue fleet.” It’s not uncommon for these groups to wash up on shore and sting unsuspecting swimmers. 

Blue Glaucus are appearing in regions where they have never been seen before. Scientists theorize that these new movements may occur for several reasons, such as cyclical changes in the Portuguse man o’ war populations, warming oceans, and increased storm activity.  

The venom of the Blue Glaucus remains active even after it dies, which is something to keep in mind if you run across one on the beach.

SOURCE: AMERICAN OCEANS

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Published by pat frederick

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137 thoughts on “The Blue Dragon”

    1. Morning, Pat! It was cloudy and drizzly all day yesterday but warm enough that I had the patio door open for a while. Predicting rain today and tomorrow and a plunge in temps into the 20’s by Friday and into the week-end – some areas may get snow but I don’t expect much, if any, here. I’ll be heading to Norfolk later for my monthly shopping.

      Fell asleep in my chair again; I woke up to Jake hissing at the door at Wheezer on the patio around midnight and stumbled to my bed. When I got up earlier, he was sleeping in my chair again. He jumped down to greet me as soon as I opened the door and wanted some petting before he ate his breakfast. Now he’s back sleeping on the chair.

      Yet another reason to stay out of the ocean and off the beach, IMO! Slugs – nasty critters all the way around!

      Liked by 2 people

        1. Oh, yeah, he loves the petting now, even rolling over to let me rub his belly. I almost tried to pick him up again but decided not yet….his whole body tensed when I tried it a couple of days ago.

          Liked by 2 people

            1. I’m not seeing any effect from the wormer so I checked the exp date – November 2022 – so I’ll pick up some fresh wormer today. I should be seeing a difference in his ragged appearance by now.

              Liked by 1 person

        1. EXACTLY!!! Back when all those in Hollyweird were putting their sex tapes in “the cloud,” and then being all upset when they got leaked…duh!!!

          Liked by 1 person

          1. yeah, I was wondering…what the implications of that is? let’s say the police confiscate your laptop and searching it they find those sex tapes…can YOU be charged even though you had no idea they were there because apparently you agreed to this shit without even knowing what exactly they were doing…
            I remember once i ran the cleaner –to get rid of trackers and junk etc and I hit the clean “free space” this time. it TOOK HOURS TO CLEAN it…and i thought what the hell?
            so I did it the next time i cleaned the laptop. same results.
            so as soon as you clear that shit out, they fill it right back up

            Liked by 1 person

            1. I really don’t know how the cloud works – I assume it’s just the link to the cloud video that is on the hard drive, not the video itself. I was never able to understand why people would video themselves like that but, then, I did some taping for my friend, Patty and John – she claims they were partners in a past life – yes, she believes in reincarnation. Only the 2 of them had a copy of the tape and they destroyed them eventually. THAT was crazy, let me tell you! LOL

              I have the settings in my browser about as tight as I can get them, blocking crap like that. I checked my settings earlier and had to change them because the search engine had been switched to Chrome (oh, thank you Windows!) whereas I want to use the Brave search engine, and iseek.com for really deep searches. I was wondering why I wasn’t finding as many different articles as before…that was why! I’m at the point of cleaning my pooter once a week now, whereas before I only needed to do it about once a month. Major forces are fucking with the net!!!

              Liked by 1 person

  6. Citizen 817
    October 25, 2023 12:24 am

    @realDonaldTrump

    11h
    In the courtroom of the Biden inspired A.G. case in Lower Manhattan – Election Interference. If we had any other Judge, this case would have been thrown out years ago. He is a Radical Left Democrat who is totally controlled by Letitia James and her Thugs, many of whom now have Covid, but did not tell any of us who were dealing with them in the close confines of Court. In fact, they lost another Thug to Covid today. Judge would not delay this SCAM, Election Interference, No Jury Case. Judicial and Prosecutorial Misconduct!

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Citizen 817
    Citizen 817
    October 25, 2023 12:26 am

    @realDonaldTrump

    3h
    I don’t think Mark Meadows would lie about the Rigged and Stollen 2020 Presidential Election merely for getting IMMUNITY against Prosecution (PERSECUTION!) by Deranged Prosecutor, Jack Smith. BUT, when you really think about it, after being hounded like a dog for three years, told you’ll be going to jail for the rest of your life, your money and your family will be forever gone, and we’re not at all interested in exposing those that did the RIGGING — If you say BAD THINGS about that terrible “MONSTER,” DONALD J. TRUMP, we won’t put you in prison, you can keep your family and your wealth, and, perhaps, if you can make up some really horrible “STUFF” about him, we may very well erect a statue of you in the middle of our decaying and now very violent Capital, Washington, D.C. Some people would make that deal, but they are weaklings and cowards, and so bad for the future our Failing Nation. I don’t think that Mark Meadows is one of them, but who really knows? MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!

    Liked by 2 people

  9. Citizen 817
    Citizen 817
    October 25, 2023 12:49 am

    Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Files Lawsuit Against Biden Regime for Cutting Razor Wire at the Southern Border: ‘This is Illegal’

    In a statement, Ken Paxton said, “Texas has the sovereign right to construct border barriers to prevent the entry of illegal aliens. Americans across the country were horrified to watch Biden’s open-border policy in action: agents were physically cutting wires and assisting the aliens’ entry into our state. This is illegal. It puts our country and our citizens at risk. The courts must put a stop to it, or Biden’s free-for-all will make this crushing immigration crisis even worse.”

    Read the filing in the link

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/10/texas-attorney-general-ken-paxton-files-lawsuit-against/

    Liked by 1 person

  13. seems straightforward to me. discriminating based on race is wrong–no matter which race is affected. in his case, tuition wavers are allowed for anyone NOT white. that discriminates against whites and is wrong.

    FTA
    A North Dakota college was hit with a civil rights complaint for a tuition waiver program that is open only to certain racial groups.

    The Equal Protection Project (EPP) filed a civil rights complaint Monday against Bismarck State College (BSC) over a ”blatantly discriminatory” tuition reduction program that excludes white students, which it alleges violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as well as Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

    The college’s Cultural Diversity Waiver (CDW) program is open to students who are “African American/Black, Alaska Natives, Asian American, Hispanic, Native American, Native Hawaiian, Latino/a/x, Multiracial, [or] Pacific Islander,” according to the website. It offers accepted students up to a $1,250 tuition reduction each semester, up to eight semesters.

    “We are troubled that with all Bismarck State’s nondiscrimination rules, no administrator thought to ask why the university was continuing an obviously discriminatory program and to put an end to it,” EPP founder William A. Jacobson said in a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “What is the campus culture that allows such discrimination to continue in the open?”

    EPP has filed similar civil rights complaints over programs at a number of universities, including race-based scholarship programs at Western Kentucky University and pre-college medical science programs at The State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo that allegedly use racial preferences in the admissions process.

    In June, the Supreme Court struck down the use of racial preferences in college admissions as a violation of the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause, ruling against Harvard and the University of North Carolina. The rulings sparked increasing challenges to race-based programs both inside higher education and in the corporate world.

    https://www.bizpacreview.com/2023/10/24/college-faces-civil-rights-complaint-over-blatantly-discriminatory-tuition-waiver-program-1407099/

    Liked by 1 person

  14. ENTIRE ARTICLE @ TheEpochTimes: “The U.S. government has paid two more people who were injured by COVID-19 vaccines as it faces the prospect of being forced by a court to improve a program for victims. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which runs the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program (CICP), issued the payments to two people who suffered heart inflammation after COVID-19 vaccination.

    HRSA disclosed the two payments in its most recent update, which includes data current as of Oct. 1. Both people experienced myocarditis, or heart inflammation, after receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. HRSA has declined to disclose which shots the people received. One person received $4,183 and the other received $4,934. HRSA did not respond to requests for more information.

    Critics said the payments weren’t nearly enough to satisfy moves made to improve the government response to vaccine injuries. “Almost three years into the COVID vaccine roll-out and the U.S. government has paid out around $18,000 total to six people,” Brianne Dressen, co-founder of React19, told The Epoch Times in an email. “It is clear that addressing the collateral damage of the COVID vaccine program is not a priority for the U.S. government.”

    Facing Pressure — React19 was founded by Ms. Dressen and others after they were injured by COVID-19 vaccines but found little appetite within the government, despite its widespread promotion of the shots, for helping the injured. The CICP, they say, is a prime example of a broken system. The vaccines were rolled out in December 2020, and adverse events began being reported almost immediately. But the government did not compensate injured people through the program until 2023. To date, six people have received compensation. Five suffered myocarditis. One suffered anaphylaxis, or severe allergic shock. The total payments amount to $17,711.

    React19, a nonprofit, in contrast, has paid $750,000 to injured people. While the CICP has paid six people, and has approved 26 other applications for payment, it has rejected 854 claims. More than 10,000 others are pending. Americans diagnosed by doctors with vaccine injuries are among those who have been rejected, according to records reviewed by The Epoch Times.

    The COVID-19 vaccines are covered by the CICP because, under the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declared COVID-19 a national emergency. That declaration has been extended multiple times, and is currently in place through the end of 2024. The CICP, lawyers and advocates say, is an inferior system to the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which covers most vaccines administered in the United States. The latter includes judicial review, while the CICP is entirely run by the HHS, which includes HRSA.

    React19 and injured people sued HRSA over the program this month, asserting it is unconstitutional. The plaintiffs asked the federal court to force the government to improve the program in various ways, including adding judicial review and a process to obtain discovery. “The CICP has over 11,000 claims, 97 percent rejection rate, near-impossible standard of proof, and no transparency in the application process,” Ms. Dressen said. “The program is a failure.”

    More on Program — The CICP was established by the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2005. It shields vaccine manufacturers from lawsuits, except in cases of “willful misconduct.” Under the law, once the HHS secretary declares an emergency, countermeasures including vaccines that respond to the emergency are covered by the CICP.

    Then-Health Secretary Alex Azar issued the first declaration, which took effect on Feb. 4, 2020. The declaration was extended repeatedly, primarily after President Joe Biden took office. Health Secretary Xavier Becerra extended it through December 2024. “The protections provided by the PREP Act declaration have helped millions of Americans receive convenient and timely COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and tests. Recognizing this, the amended declaration that Secretary Becerra will sign will extend important protections to continue to facilitate such access,” HHS said before Mr. Becerra signed the extension.

    The CICP can provide compensation for unreimbursed medical expenses, lost employment income, and, if the injured person died, benefits to survivors. People have one year from when they receive a vaccine covered by the CICP to apply for compensation. They must prove they were injured by providing “compelling, reliable and valid medical and scientific evidence,” according to CICP administrators.

    Administrators have rejected multiple petitions that featured diagnoses by doctors and supporting studies. In their rejections, administrators did not cite any studies, according to records reviewed by The Epoch Times. Dr. Joel Wallskog, co-chair of React19, was rejected even though a doctor said he suffered a “significant reaction from Moderna COVID vaccination.”

    “The current medical and scientific evidence does not show a causal link between the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine and transverse myelitis, other neuro-inflammatory disorders, myelopathy, or thrombotic disorders, including spinal cord infarction,” Dr. George Reed Grimes, a director in HRSA, told Dr. Wallskog in a letter.

    Dr. Wallskog appealed the determination, but appeals are also decided by HRSA officials. That arrangement, instead of the judicial review featured in the national program, “potentially creates a conflict of interest,” researchers wrote in a 2022 paper, advising Congress to reform CICP by allowing judicial review or relocating the program.”

    Liked by 1 person

  15. “Report: Fox News Quietly Discontinued Live Television Interviews With Trump”

    ENTIRE ARTICLE @ AmericanLibertyNews: “An exclusive report alleges Fox News has stopped conducting live interviews with Donald Trump, a decision that could be detrimental to his political ambitions – or the network that has long profited from them. Beginning during the 2016 presidential election, Trump and Fox News enjoyed a mutually beneficial and highly profitable relationship. These days, the de facto leader of the Republican Party has a strained relationship with the conservative cable news behemoth.

    And members of the former president’s inner circle believe Fox is intentionally snubbing his campaign by scrapping live interview appearances. Frustrated with the perception of being consistently left out, several Trump advisers reached out to The Daily Beast to voice their concerns. “Trump is not allowed live on Fox,” claimed one insider to the Beast. Executives reportedly “fear” a baseless claim from the GOP front-runner could lead to new legal trouble for the network.

    Another confidant shared a similar story, saying the network has made clear it strongly prefers pre-recorded interviews: “Fox sent down word from the top that they don’t want to ‘platform’ Trump like they did before,” a Trump adviser told The Daily Beast. “I find it hilarious. For one, it sounds like something MSNBC would do.”

    After a lengthy hiatus last year, Trump re-emerged on Fox News in March, but in a diminished capacity in a string of interviews with Fox hosts and anchors including Sean Hannity, Bret Baier, and Larry Kudlow. Gone are the days when Trump could simply call in live and share his stream of consciousness. A search by reporters at The Daily Beast suggests that the last time Trump phoned into a Fox News program on live TV was in April 2022.

    Fox settled a record-setting lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems the following year after a judge found the network deliberately suppressed fact-checks and other evidence to refute Trump’s disproven election claims.

    The report continues: In August, The New York Times reported that, before the first GOP presidential debate, Fox News executives pitched Trump on why he should attend their debate during a dinner at his Bedminster golf club. Trump played footsie with the idea of attending the debate, but ultimately never showed.

    As Trump runs for president a third consecutive election—this time, with court appearances taking up much of his schedule—a direct line to Fox and its audience would be a convenient arrangement for him. But after Trump has made a sport of trashing Fox News, as well as that $787 million Fox News settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, Fox doesn’t seem interested in actively promoting Trump—at least not during the primary.

    Representatives for Fox News declined requests for comment. A Trump campaign spokesperson similarly refused to offer an on-the-record response. Still, a Trump adviser cautioned that Fox News, already on thin ice with significant elements of the MAGA base, was hurting itself more than anyone: “Trump and his supporters are the lifeblood of Fox’s business, so they’re shooting themselves, not in the foot, more like in the face.”

    https://americanliberty.news/media/report-fox-news-quietly-discontinued-live-television-interviews-with-trump/phouck/2023/10/

    Liked by 1 person

      1. And the majority of America misses that terribly! I think a lot of people on the left really liked it, too! Soundbites forever!

        Liked by 1 person

    1. LOL – that thought crossed my mind yesterday…I was trying to remember which memes were for which day – no way that was happening! And I said to myself, “Self, Pat must not be paying attention to that particular “list!” ROFL

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I have so intent on finishing the stocking and then the surprise party–we never travel home on a Sunday, so that messed me up…and then the trip home for doc appt–the fiasco with the splitter. i just need to settle into my routine again.
        yesterday I blame the speaker votes shenanigans for me being distracted…LOL

        Liked by 1 person

  17. “Supreme Court Agrees to Hear Missouri v. Biden — Our highest court will decide whether the 5th Circuit’s injunction against the government stands in our landmark free speech case.”
    AARON KHERIATY, MD
    OCT 24, 2023

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “The Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments over the Fifth Circuit’s grant of a preliminary injunction in Missouri v. Biden. As I mentioned in previous posts, the injunction would bar officials from the White House, CDC, FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and Surgeon General’s office from coercing or significantly encouraging social media platforms to censor constitutionally protected speech. My fellow plaintiffs and I welcome this opportunity to defend the First Amendment rights of all Americans in the U.S. Supreme Court. We expect to hear from the Court soon regarding the hearing dates—it could be in February or March.

    The Fifth Circuit panel of judges last month upheld the key components of U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty’s July 4 preliminary injunction order, prohibiting named federal officials from coercing or significantly encouraging social media companies to suppress legal speech. That decision vindicated our claims that we—and countless other Americans—were blacklisted, shadow-banned, de-boosted, throttled, and suspended on social media as part of the government’s years-long censorship campaign orchestrated by the federal government.

    The Biden Administration’s censorship regime has successfully suppressed perspectives contradicting government-approved views on hotly disputed topics such as whether natural immunity to covid exists, the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines, the virus’s origins, and mask mandate efficacy. Beyond covid, the documents we’ve obtained on discovery demonstrate that the government was also censoring critiques of its foreign policy, monetary policy, election infrastructure, and lighting rod social issues from abortion to gender ideology.

    The vast, coordinated, and well-documented effort has silenced influential, highly qualified voices including doctors and scientists like my co-plaintiffs Dr. Bhattacharya and Dr. Kulldorff, as well as those like Jill Hines who have tried to raise awareness of issues. Though the U.S. Supreme Court temporarily stayed the Fifth Circuit’s injunction until they make a ruling, I believes the Justices are ultimately unlikely to permit the egregious First Amendment abridgements our case has exposed.

    The Fifth Circuit recognized that the Plaintiffs did “not challenge the social-media platforms’ content-moderation policies.” Rather, Plaintiffs challenged the government’s unlawful efforts to influence “enforcement of those policies.” The government gravely harmed the ability of Americans to convey their views to the public, and it deprived Americans of their right to hear opinions that differ from the government’s. Judge Doughty strikingly described the Administration’s conduct as “arguably the most massive attack against free speech in United States history” and “akin to an Orwellian Ministry of Truth.” He was right, and the U.S. Supreme Court must not permit it.

    Here are some reactions to the news from our lawyers at NCLA:

    “NCLA is thrilled to have the opportunity to vindicate the First Amendment rights of our clients, and all Americans, in the nation’s highest court. We are confident that after a thorough review of the disturbing facts in this important case—which involves unprecedented government-imposed, viewpoint-based censorship—the Court will recognize the grievous, unconstitutional nature of the government’s conduct and enjoin it.”
    — Jenin Younes, Litigation Counsel, NCLA

    “We are disappointed Americans’ First Amendment rights will be vulnerable to government infringement until this case is decided. But we are confident this Court, as strong as it is on First Amendment issues, will rule against the government and uphold our clients’ rights and liberties.”
    — John Vecchione, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA

    “If anything, the Fifth Circuit’s decision did not go far enough in enjoining the reprehensible conduct exposed in this case. The facts of this case show government agencies censored speech in a deliberate effort to control the narrative on several controversial topics ahead of the last election. The First Amendment forbids such censorship, and the Supreme Court must never allow such mischief again, if we are to keep our democracy.”
    — Mark Chenoweth, President, NCLA

    Liked by 1 person

  18. “Oregon Schools Eliminate Proficiency Requirements in Math and English for Students”
    ACADEMIA, SOCIETY, October 24, 2023

    EXCERPT: “Two years ago, we discussed how Oregon schools solved declining scores by eliminating their requirements that graduates actually attain levels of proficiency in basic subjects like math and English. In 2021, the changes were portrayed as just a temporary measure due to the pandemic. However, the state just extended it five more years. It declared that such proficiency tests are unfair to students of color. So, rather than give these students the level of education needed to excel in the modern workplace, schools will now process them out with degrees and call it social progress.

    Public schools across the country continue to fail inner city children and appear to be be giving up on reversing this trend. In Baltimore, a survey found that forty percent of schools did not have a single student proficient in math. Rather than reverse that trend, the schools are just waiving the tests and graduating the students.

    What is so frustrating is reading about failing school systems waiving proficiency and claiming that it is better for minority students.

    American education faces the perfect storm. Despite record expenditures on public schools, we are still effectively abandoning students, particularly minority students, in teaching the basic subjects needed to succeed in life. We will then graduate the students by removing testing barriers for graduation. Then some may go to colleges and universities that have eliminated standardized testing for admission. At every stage in their education, they have been pushed through by educators without objective proof that they are minimally educated. That certainly guarantees high graduation rates or improved diversity admissions. However, these students are still left at a sub-proficient state as they enter an increasingly competitive job market and economy. Any failures will come down the road when they will be asked to write, read, or add by someone who is looking for actual work product. They will then be outside of the educational system and any failures will not be attributed to public educators….”

    Oregon Schools Eliminate Proficiency Requirements in Math and English for Students

    Liked by 1 person

  20. EXCERPT: “It would be nice to think Hamas is unrepresentative of Palestinian opinion. If that were true, then the prospects for Israeli-Palestinian peace in the aftermath of the current fighting, or even in the foreseeable future, would be a lot less bleak.

    But the facts say otherwise. Hamas’ leadership views Palestinian civilian casualties as a political asset rather than a calamity. The terrorist group hides behind institutions such as hospitals and schools (including those run by the United Nations) as cover for their activities. They use the civilian population as human shields to make it harder for the Israelis to strike at their military assets.

    But there is little or no evidence that this has created opposition among those who have dwelt under their tyrannical Islamist rule for the last 16 years. Biden’s assertions about the Palestinians and Hamas have begun to sound like President George W. Bush’s reflexive use of the phrase that Islam is a “religion of peace” that had nothing to do with al Qaeda’s Islamism, as his administration repeated endlessly after the 9/11 attacks.

    Biden’s argument would be stronger if Palestinians didn’t routinely take to the streets to celebrate terror attacks against Israel. The cheers for the Hamas murderers when they returned in triumph to Gaza on Oct. 7, where they displayed their captives and the corpses of some of the Jews they had slain, only ended once Israel’s strikes against the terrorists commenced.

    Voting and Polling in Gaza — It also requires us to forget that Hamas defeated the supposedly more moderate Fatah Party, whose leader Mahmoud Abbas is the president of the Palestinian Authority, in the 2006 Palestinian legislative election. That vote was held at Bush’s behest during the high point of America’s democracy advocacy fever. Hamas did especially well in Gaza, and that was the impetus for its bloody 2007 coup that evicted Fatah from the strip.

    Israel withdrew every settler and settlement from Gaza in 2005 in the hopes that the gesture would help lead to peace. Palestinians were given autonomy. But by 2007, they had established an Islamic tyranny led by Hamas, dedicated to “armed struggle” to overturn the “occupation.” And by “occupation,” Hamas says, in both its founding charter and ongoing statements, this means destroying Israel no matter where its borders might be drawn….”

    https://thefederalist.com/2023/10/24/not-all-palestinians-are-hamas-but-hamas-does-represent-the-palestinians/

    Liked by 1 person

  22. i don’t doubt this is true…they probably get them at a cheaper price too

    Liked by 1 person

  23. so the next “pride event” will be canceled because certain families don’t feel included…see the problem asshole? someone will ALWAYS be offended in order to exert control over others. let the kids dress up that want to and the rest don’t have to–what the hell is wrong with that?
    i would like to see what this ignoramus thinks is a celebration that includes everyone? Christmas? no. Thanksgiving? no. President’s Day? no (some are illegals and don’t give a rat’s ass about our past.) Easter? guess again. Halloween seems about as across the board as you’re gonna get.

    FTA
    MAPLEWOOD — A North Jersey school district’s decision to ban in-school Halloween activities has caught the ire of Gov. Phil Murphy.

    The South Orange-Maplewood School District banned any Halloween events at all of its schools during school hours. Schools are allowed to work with parent organizations to host events after school hours.

    Students at all grade levels are also forbidden from wearing their Halloween costumes at schools in the district.

    Murphy called out the decision on social media, indicating he believed it was a step too far.

    “Seriously? We can’t let kids celebrate Halloween? Give me a break,” Murphy said on X, formerly Twitter, Tuesday afternoon.

    Seriously? We can’t let kids celebrate Halloween? Give me a break https://t.co/BQiezE5OoZ
    — Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) October 24, 2023

    Why cancel Halloween?

    In a letter to parents earlier this month, Superintendent Ronald Taylor said some students may not feel included in celebrations for the spookiest of holidays.

    The financial impact of Halloween on families, cultural and religious differences, and potential “tensions with the equity and access values” of the district were factors in the decision, Taylor said.

    “I know this may make some uncomfortable and elicit some challenges across our
    community. However, in the end, I feel these recommendations align with SOMSD’s
    commitment to building equity, fostering inclusion, and building a sense of belonging
    throughout our schools,” Taylor said.

    Paul Brubaker, spokesperson for the district, declined to comment Tuesday evening.

    The decision to stop kids from wearing their costumes at school and ban in-school celebrations has sparked backlash for the district.

    A mom with a daughter in a district elementary school said to NJ.com that she and her classmates were disappointed by the change.

    “We believe it’s important for schools to strike a balance between respecting diverse beliefs and maintaining the joyous spirit of Halloween, which can be a valuable learning experience for children,” Maureen LePiane said.

    One grandmother said in a Maplewood Facebook group that her 6-year-old grandson who attends the district was excited to wear his Puss in Boots costume to school.

    “My children all graduated from Columbia High School, during the period when they decided holiday concerts could no longer happen. And it’s continued from there. Perhaps meals served in the cafeteria should all be vegan, so those who don’t eat meat are not uncomfortable. Whatever happened to live and let live?” she said.

    Superintendent Taylor said to NJ.com that some negative feedback wasn’t unexpected.

    “But overall, most people recognize that the change is aligned with our ideals of respecting each other’s differences and maintaining the dignity of all families regardless of different beliefs while still making space for fun celebrations that bring us together,” Taylor said.

    https://nj1015.com/too-woke-for-nj-gov-murphy-south-orange-maplewood-school-halloween/

    Liked by 1 person

  28. TheseTruths(@thesetruths)Online
    Wolf
    October 25, 2023 12:28

    MUST SEE: Matt Gaetz Gives the Dirty Details Behind the Republican Old Guard’s Attempts to Derail Mike Johnson’s Vote for House Speaker (VIDEO)

    Matt Gaetz: We get that through the Gestation system early yesterday. So as Emmer is withdrawing, Mark Molinaro, a moderate New York freshman Republican, stands up at the microphone and says, well, instead of restarting this process and having a candidate forum and sending everybody home for a good cry, let’s just take a non binding poll on where people would be on the person who came in second to Tom Emmer, and that was Mike Johnson. And Elise Stefanik said, well, that’s against the rules. The rules don’t contemplate it. We can’t do that.

    And brilliantly Mark Molinaro says, then I move for unanimous consent that the rules be waived, and we take a poll on whether or not Mike Johnson could be our Speaker nominee. And guess who objects to that unanimous consent request? — Kevin McCarthy!

    Kevin McCarthy stands up and says, I object to doing a roll call on Mike Johnson. And Mike Johnson was exasperated. All the times Johnson had voted for McCarthy, had carried his water, maybe even voted for some bills he didn’t like because he was working toward the Republican conference’s stated objectives under McCarthy. And here was the thing — It showed everyone that it was actually McCarthy who was working to knife Scalise. It was actually McCarthy who was working to knife Jim Jordan. It was McCarthy working to knife everyone, and he hadn’t yet figured out a way to knife Mike Johnson. And so he was worried that there was going to be this great unifying moment, and he scuttled the unifying moment.

    So because of McCarthy’s objection, we had to have this three hour delay, and candidates announce again, have another form, and guess what happens during that delay? Steve Patrick McHenry runs to the House floor, opens it up out of recess, and then adjourns till noon today. Now, why did he do that? Because they were setting up a play to block Mike Johnson with write in votes in the intra conference process for Kevin McCarthy.

    They were promising people hearings on their favorite legislation, passage of bills. I heard people promised, oh, maybe you’ll get a chairmanship. And the play was for McCarthy to return as speaker and then Jim Jordan to be the deputy speaker in some sort of way, like, Dwight Schrute assistant to the regional manager posture. And that would have been debasing to Jordan, someone I like a great deal, and it would have been empowering to McCarthy.

    So Garrett Graves and all these people are working to try to effectuate this return of McCarthy, and they’re telling us they’re going to be 100 votes for McCarthy on the write in. You know how many there were? 33 on the first write in. So they flame out terribly. Mike Johnson’s gaining momentum.

    Ultimately, McCarthy gets 43 to vote for him on a secret ballot, but Mike Johnson gets a majority.

    And then he (Mike Johnson?) says, you know what I want? I want a roll call vote so that those 43 would have to announce themselves as being for a candidate who wasn’t even running instead of a unifying force like Mike Johnson. And when we called for the roll call. Do you know how many people voted for Kevin McCarthy? Zero!

    So he went from promising 100 votes, to delivering 43, to zero willing to vote for him! And everyone in the room knew at that moment that I wasn’t the force for chaos. I wasn’t causing disunity that for the last three weeks, the reason the House of Representatives has been paralyzed is because for his own selfish gain, Kevin McCarthy was sabotaging the candidacy of anyone else because he was plotting a return. And we stopped it.

    And in the place of Kevin McCarthy, we get a Bayou, Louisiana mike Johnson, a brilliant Constitutional attorney.

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Sherri Young
    Sherri Young
    October 25, 2023 1:03 pm

    I think we are about to have a new Speaker. Eiyse Stefanik just gave a flamethrower of a nominating speech that blistered the Democrats and the Biden administration. She took it to the Left.

    The Republicans are energized today. The demeanor is quite encouraging.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. Sliding on down….WM seems to get worse and worse all the time! They have the self-checkout area all roped off so everyone has to walk down this skinny walkway and around a corner to get to it, with only one opening. And now they have painted on the floor “PARK CARTS HERE” on the right, with the bags on the left – reversed from what it’s always been. F’ ’em – I parked it on my left like I always do!!! Everyone was totally confused, not understanding which direction to go.

    I had to go to the service counter first to return some furnace filters that were too small. I turned with my cart to start my shopping and seriously couldn’t figure out how to get around the closed-in check-out area. An older employee asked me what I was looking for and I said I just want to get over THERE so I can do my shopping!!! I had to walk all the way back to the entry doors to get around it. FUCKING INSANE!!! And I know why they’re doing it – pretty much all of the younger employees are Hispanic and they are few and far between – from what I can tell, many only speak rudimentary English, too! WM, just like Michael at AutoZone, is having a hard time finding employees who will actually come to work. Very short-handed.

    Needless to say, this was NOT a pleasant trip!!! Cloudy and chilly, too. I did what I needed to do and hightailed it home….once I got my groceries put away, TV on (Fox with the Speaker’s vote on – so we get Mike Johnson…I see you’ve posted something about it so I’ll go back and read), coat/boots off, etc., I stepped outside to see if Wheezer was around. He was sleeping in his chair and jumped down when I came outside, came over for some petting and rubbing; I came inside to get his food dish and he sat down and waited patiently where I always put the dish. Of course, Jake chose to come out of whatever hidey hole he was in and sat and meowed plaintively at the door.

    Liked by 1 person

  38. “Anthony Fauci to be awarded with prestigious ‘Ethics Prize’ for ‘saving millions of lives’–Fauci will also receive a cash prize for his “achievement.”
    JORDAN SCHACHTEL
    OCT 25, 2023

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “The Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence at Case Western Reserve University will award Dr. Anthony Fauci with its Inamori Ethics Prize, an annual honor given to international leaders “whose actions and influence have greatly improved the condition of humankind.”

    No, this is not a Babylon Bee article. This is really happening. Anthony Fauci, who is unparalleled as the most destructive government bureaucrat in American history, is being awarded with an ethics prize. Fauci, who presided over two White House administrations of catastrophic, draconian policymaking, which resulted in unparalleled levels of unnecessary human suffering, has “saved millions of lives,” a press release from Case Western said Wednesday.

    Fauci will be on campus Sept. 19, 2024 to deliver a “free public lecture” commemorating the honor, which comes with a monetary reward: “Dr. Fauci has cared not only for the nation’s health, but also the health of the world,” Case Western Reserve President Eric W. Kaler said Wednesday. “As a scientist, research leader and public health advisor, his contributions to scientific discovery have truly improved lives. His leadership through one of the most challenging times in history—the COVID-19 pandemic—serves as a model for us all.”

    Case Western long required all students to take several doses of mRNA shots to be eligible to enroll in classes. The school also enforced a mask mandate for multiple years. They finally dropped the abusive mandates when the Fall semester began.

    Despite “retiring” at the end of last year, Fauci continues to receive millions of dollars worth of taxpayer funded benefits, such as a 24/7 chauffeur and a fully staffed U.S. Marshals security detail.
    https://www.dossier.today/p/fauci-says-threats-from-extreme-radical
    He is now affiliated with Georgetown University, where he has been awarded multiple lucrative professorships, but does not teach any classes at the D.C. institution.”

    Liked by 1 person

  39. “What Do We Expect From New Speaker of the House Mike Johnson? He better be as good as his fellow Freedom Caucus members. In fact, he needs to be even better.”
    JD RUCKER
    OCT 25, 2023

    ENTIRE ARTICLE: “The three week ordeal in the House of Representatives is finally over. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, backed by President Trump, was the unanimous choice of the Republican House. This vote was a far cry from the past 20+ votes dating back to January when former Speaker Kevin McCarthy failed to unify his conference. The good news is Speaker Johnson is by far the least “Swampy” Speaker of the House in decades. The bad news is the standstill in the House will end and government will pick up where it left off. Having Capitol Hill on hold for a few weeks was nice.

    Johnson will have no time to ease into the job. He has a little over three weeks to either make a deal with Democrats or let the government shut down. And while he has been a conservative on most issues, he has been a bit weak on government funding. We’ll see how this pans out by November 17 when the McCarthy-Schumer continuing resolution runs out. So, who is Mike Johnson? As Axios notes:

    — Johnson, 51, has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2016, and is currently serving his fourth term in the House.

    — He represents Louisiana’s fourth congressional district, which includes nearly 760,000 residents. Johnson won the seat with the largest margin of victory in his region in more than 50 years, according to a biography on his website.

    — Of note: After earning both a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from Louisiana State University, Johnson spent nearly 20 years practicing constitutional law. Johnson then served in the Louisiana Legislature from February 2015 to January 2017. He and his wife, Kelly Johnson, have been married since 1999 and have four children.

    According to Zero Hedge: ‘He was previously defeated on an internal House GOP ballot by Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN), however Emmer withdrew his candidacy last night, just hours after winning the GOP nomination for the role. Johnson then emerged during the next round of Tuesday night votes.

    He’s also “one of the smartest and most principled opponents of the US Security State (CIA/FBI) and its attempt to control online political speech,” according to Glenn Greenwald.’

    Being anti-Deep-State is a great start. But will he cut a deal that’s bad for the nation in order to keep the government running? That will be the real test of whether we’re getting another feckless GOP Speaker. He’s a member of the House Freedom Caucus and has generally voted with conservatives. While the former constitutional attorney is not a full-blown constitutional conservative, he has many of the credentials we haven’t seen holding the gavel in most of our lifetimes.

    Of important note beyond the budget debate is that he was one of 57 Republicans who voted against the $40 billion money-laundering scheme, commonly known as “Ukrainian Aid.” He also helped write an amicus brief in favor of the Texas lawsuit against voter fraud during the 2020 election. Democrats and RINOs hate that about him perhaps more than anything else he’s done.

    Will he continue to reflect his mostly conservative voting record when he’s holding the gavel? He must. This is arguably the biggest opportunity for real positive change in Washington DC since Donald Trump was first elected president. We can and must pressure him as much as possible to lead the lower chamber with an America First attitude and minimized compromises with Democrats, if any compromises at all.

    It’s a new era. Gone, for now, are the days of UniParty Swampsters Kevin McCarthy, Paul Ryan, and John Boehner. But will Mike Johnson have the resolve to stay true for the nation? We will soon see.”

    Liked by 1 person

  43. This cat….I didn’t notice Wheezer sleeping in my chair until I opened the patio door – he jumped down and walked over to me, purring, rubbing on my leg, letting me rub his ears and his belly…I sat down to see if he would jump on my lap…nope. So I leaned over and continued petting him down his back and sides, then quickly put my hands under and picked him up, setting him on my lap. He scrambled while he was briefly mid-air but then was ok sitting on my lap for a few seconds while I rubbed his ears and pet him. He jumped down within about 20 seconds but it wasn’t a panicked move; more like, “OK, well, that wasn’t too bad but I’m not ok with it…”

    Now he is again sleeping in my chair but this time, he is turned crossways where he an see thru the door; twice I’ve walked by and seen him open his eyes and watch me. LOL – Wheezer the Teezer!

    Liked by 1 person

  44. Nice speech from Mike Johnson: “Last thing I’m going to say is a message to the rest of the world…they have been watching this drama play out for a few weeks, we’ve learned a lot of lessons but, you know what, through adversity, it makes you stronger! And we want our allies around the world to know that THIS body of lawmakers is reporting again to our duty stations. Let the enemies of freedom from around the world hear us loud and clear: the Peoples’ House is back in business.

    We will do our duty here, we will serve you well, we will govern well, and we will make you proud of this institution again. We’re going to fight every day to make sure that is true. I look forward to the days ahead. I genuinely believe, in my heart, that the best days of America are still ahead of us. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.”

    Liked by 1 person

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