yallerdawg
yallerdawg's Journal
Maggie Haberman!
'Pose'
Ryan Murphy may have signed up with Netflix, but he isn't slowing down anywhere else! 
'American Horror Story' will be back, too!
'American Atheists' places president on leave pending investigation
Sharing bad things about 'religion' groups seems to be in vogue, so in that spirit...Announcement Regarding American Atheists President David Silverman
On the evening of Saturday, April 7, 2018, the American Atheists Board of Directors received a complaint regarding David Silverman, the President of American Atheists. The Board takes very seriously the concerns expressed and, in accordance with organization policies, the Board has placed Mr. Silverman on paid leave while an independent investigation is conducted. Mr. Silverman has pledged his full cooperation with the investigation.
The Board, led by Vice President Kathleen Johnson and myself, will fulfill the duties of the President while Mr. Silverman is on leave. National Program Director Nick Fish will oversee the day-to-day operations of the organization.
While Mr. Silverman is on leave, American Atheists will continue our work protecting the separation of religion and government, elevating the voices of atheists in our nation’s public discourse, and supporting our members and atheist communities across the country.
We are committed to transparency and openness about this process and will release more information as it becomes available.
Today on Web MD: Narcissistic Personality Disorder (ICYMI)
Must be getting a lot of searches!What might you see in someone with narcissistic personality disorder?
The word comes from a Greek myth in which a handsome young man named Narcissus sees his own reflection in a pool of water and falls in love with it.
Sound like someone you know? Are people often upset with him? Is it hard for him to keep relationships? Does he tend to put himself first and think he knows the only “right” way? Someone with narcissistic personality disorder might also:
• Think about himself most of the time and talk about himself a lot
• Crave attention and admiration
• Exaggerate his talents and achievements
• Believe he’s special
• Set unrealistic goals
• Have wide, fast mood swings
• Have a hard time taking others’ feelings seriously
• Strive to win, whatever it takes
• Fantasize about unlimited success, money, and power
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/qa/what-might-you-see-in-someone-with-narcissistic-personality-disorder
Seeing the Pope help strangers made me tear up. Later I learned why.
By Daniel Burke, CNN Religion Editor
*****
As Francis approached the wheelchairs, a dark-haired man slowly uncoiled to meet his embrace. Francis touched the man's head, blessing him, said a few words and moved down the line.
Moments later, a small boy leaped from his chair to hug Francis. His mother wiped her hands on her pants before shaking the Pope's.
I was surprised to find my eyes tearing, accompanied by a short burst of benevolence. I felt a brief urge to hug everyone in the room. (I am not a hugger.)
*****
It wasn't the first time I'd felt like this. But still, it was a bit odd. Why would witnessing a moment of kindness between complete strangers move me to tears? Isn't blessing people what popes and other holy men and women are supposed to do?
*****
Psychologists call the emotion "elevation," and this is the story of what it does to us, whether you are Pope Francis or J.J. Abrams or Thomas Jefferson.
Yep, the man who "discovered" the feeling that makes us verklempt was the third president of these United States.
*****
"When any ... act of charity or of gratitude," he wrote, "is presented to our sight or imagination, we are deeply impressed with its beauty or feel a strong desire in ourselves of doing charitable or grateful acts also."
Observing good deeds, Jefferson continued, can "elevate" our bodies and minds, opening our chests and hearts.
*****
Jefferson had noted four major components of the emotion: a triggering event (you witness moral beauty), a physical sensation (your chest dilates), a motivation (you want to help others) and an emotional feeling (you are uplifted and optimistic).
That sounds a lot like psychologists' current definition of elevation: a warm, uplifting feeling that we experience when we see unexpected acts of kindness, courage or compassion. It often makes us want to help others and become better people.
*****
Read it all at: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/06/europe/pope-elevation/index.html
The least of these my brethren.
AP: Women file to run for US House seats in record numbers
By Geoff Mulvihill and Maureen Linke
The number of women running for the U.S. House of Representatives set a record Thursday, most of them Democrats motivated by angst over President Donald Trump and policies of the Republican-controlled Congress.
Their ranks will continue to swell, with candidate filing periods remaining open in more than half the states.
In many places, women are running for congressional seats that have never had female representation.
*****
A surge of women into this year’s midterm elections had been expected since the Women’s March demonstrations nationwide just after Trump’s inauguration in January 2017. Numbers analyzed by The Associated Press show that momentum is continuing.
*****
Campaigns for the House aren’t the only ones drawing high interest from female candidates this year.
Forty women are running so far in governors’ races, a total that already surpassed the previous record of 34 in 1994. And 29 women are on ballots for U.S. Senate races, a number that will grow as filing deadlines approach in more states. The record number of female Senate candidates is 40, set in 2016.
Read it all at: https://apnews.com/f41233ffc9ca484ca8a91a59c083f6f9
Tim Tebow hits 3-run homer on 1st swing in Double-A for Mets
https://apnews.com/f081adbba8344fc9b9ce92353220ebdb/Tim-Tebow-hits-3-run-homer-on-1st-pitch-in-Double-A-for-MetsTim Tebow sure knows how to make an entrance.
Playing his first game in Double-A ball, Tebow hit a three-run homer on the first pitch he saw. The New York Mets minor leaguer connected on a frigid Thursday night at home for the Binghamton Rumble Ponies in the Eastern League, facing Portland.
Last April, Tebow also homered in his first at-bat with the Class A Columbia Fireflies of the South Atlantic League.
This time, the former Heisman Trophy winner and NFL quarterback sent a liner far over the fence down the right-field line as the crowd at NYSEG Stadium stood and cheered the 30-year-old outfielder.
https://twitter.com/Mets/status/982037344088883200
Oh, yeah! Tiger's back!
Bibles pulled from online stores as China increases control of religion
Persecution or freedom from religion? We'll see. The US used to support religious freedom, didn't we?Source: CNN, by James Griffiths
The Bible appears to have been removed from online marketplaces in China, as Beijing clamps down on how its citizens practice religion.
China has always controlled sales of the Bible, only allowing it to be distributed and printed by state-sanctioned churches, but in recent years it had been available to buy online.
That loophole now appears to be firmly closed. Searches for "Holy Bible" did not return results on JD.com, and results on Amazon.cn did not include the main text, but did include study guides and the Koran.
*****
Sarah Cook, senior research analyst for East Asia at Freedom House, said the sales ban "is an important example of how internet censorship intersects with restrictions on religious freedom."
"Sensitive religious topics and groups are among the most censored in China," she said. "In our research we found the Chinese authorities increasingly using more high-tech methods to control religion and punish believers -- including surveillance and arrest of believers for sharing information online."
*****
Efforts are underway to produce a new version of the Chinese Bible, with a more "Sinicized" text, according to the SARA five year plan.
"The possibility of the Bible's being removed because of planned efforts to engage in and publish official reinterpretations would fit with a broader effort by the atheist (Communist Party) to actively interpret religious scriptures that we've seen for Islam, Tibetan Buddhism, and to a lesser extent to date, Christianity," Cook said.
*****
Read it all at: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/05/asia/china-bible-online-christianity-intl/index.html
US trade gap rises 6th straight month to 9 1/2-year high
"Day one!" he said
Source: AP, by Paul Wiseman
The U.S. trade deficit rose for the sixth straight month in February, reaching the highest level since October 2008 and defying President Donald Trump’s efforts to rebalance America’s lopsided trade with the rest of the world.
The Commerce Department said Thursday that the trade gap — the difference between what America sells and what it buys in foreign markets — widened to $57.6 billion in February from $56.7 billion in January. Exports of goods and services hit a record $204.4 billion; imports set a record $262 billion.
*****
The president views trade deficits as a sign of economic weakness and as the result of bad trade agreements and unfair practices by America’s trading partners. Most economists say they are caused by bigger economic forces, mainly the fact that the United States consistently spends more than it produces.
The trade gap has continued to rise since Trump entered the White House partly because the U.S. economy is strong and American consumers have an appetite for imported products and the confidence and financial wherewithal to buy them.
Read it all at: https://apnews.com/8e1374bf2022471cb591037c852caeff/US-trade-gap-rises-6th-straight-month-to-9-½-year-high
Your buddy Xi kissed you first, right?
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