Morality is not determined by the church you attend nor the faith you embrace. It is determined by the quality of your character and the positive impact you have on those you meet along your journey
Bryan, Abigail and I couldn’t be happier to welcome little Maile Pearl as the newest addition to our family and we’re deeply honored that our good friend Senator Akaka was able to bless her name for us—his help in naming both of our daughters means he will always be with us. https://t.co/KXyNf65KxA
Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth gave birth to a baby girl Monday, her office announced, the first US senator to do so while in office.
"Bryan, Abigail and I couldn't be happier to welcome little Maile Pearl as the newest addition to our family and we're deeply honored that our good friend Senator (Daniel) Akaka was able to bless her name for us -- his help in naming both of our daughters means he will always be with us," Duckworth said in her office's statement.
In her statement, Duckworth used the event to advocate that rules should be changed so she can bring her baby to Senate votes.
Duckworth had her first child in 2014, when she was serving in the House of Representatives.
An aide close to Duckworth told CNN she's doing well and taking 12 weeks to bond with her new daughter and take care of her family. She's staying in Washington, DC, for her maternity leave and is available to vote as needed.
Congratulations to Senator Tammy Duckworth on becoming a mother again to second daughter Maile Pearl! Senator Duckworth becomes the FIRST SENATOR to give birth while in office! The Senator is also known for giving Trump the name Cadet bone spurs! She's tough! pic.twitter.com/juTUuxPtwz
Keep in mind that this woman also had her two legs blown off while serving in Iraq.
And now she is not only Senator, but she has just given birth, and intends to remain close enough to her place of work to vote on important bills that might come up while she is supposed to be recovering and spending time with her baby.
I am a huge fan of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, but she just might have to hand her golden lasso and tiara over to Tammy Duckworth, because this woman is a whole new level of superhero.
Imagine if painting the outside of your house not only made it look easy on the eye, but also took care of all of your home’s energy needs.
This, it seems, could soon be a reality as researchers in Australia have come up with a “solar paint” capable of absorbing moisture from the air and turning it into hydrogen fuel for clean energy.
Based at RMIT University in Melbourne, southern Australia, the research team has developed a unique paint containing a newly developed compound that acts like silica gel — that’s the stuff used in those little sachets that absorb moisture to keep things like food, medicines, and electronics in good shape.
But where they differ is that the new material, called synthetic molybdenum-sulphide, “also acts as a semiconductor and catalyzes the splitting of water atoms into hydrogen and oxygen,” a report on the university’s website explained.
RMIT lead researcher Dr. Torben Daeneke said his team discovered that “mixing the compound with titanium oxide particles leads to a sunlight-absorbing paint that produces hydrogen fuel from solar energy and moist air.”
Okay we may not yet have flying cars, but you have to admit that they we are living in amazing times.
Donald Trump’s ideas aren’t just different – they are dangerously incoherent. They’re not even really ideas – just a series of bizarre rants, personal feuds, and outright lies.
He is not just unprepared – he is temperamentally unfit to hold an office that requires knowledge, stability and immense responsibility.
This is not someone who should ever have the nuclear codes – because it’s not hard to imagine Donald Trump leading us into a war just because somebody got under his very thin skin.
We cannot put the security of our children and grandchildren in Donald Trump’s hands.
We cannot let him roll the dice with America.
This is a man who said that more countries should have nuclear weapons, including Saudi Arabia.
This is someone who has threatened to abandon our allies in NATO – the countries that work with us to root out terrorists abroad before they strike us at home.
He believes we can treat the U.S. economy like one of his casinos and default on our debts to the rest of the world, which would cause an economic catastrophe far worse than anything we experienced in 2008.
He has said that he would order our military to carry out torture and the murder of civilians who are related to suspected terrorists – even though those are war crimes.
He says he doesn’t have to listen to our generals or our admirals, our ambassadors and other high officials, because he has – quote – “a very good brain.”
He also said, “I know more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me.” You know what? I don’t believe him.
Exactly! And THIS is why this 2016 election is no joke, despite the fact the Republicans nominated one to represent them.
Speaking of that joke here is how it responded to the speech:
Bad performance by Crooked Hillary Clinton! Reading poorly from the telepromter! She doesn't even look presidential!
Damn that is a weak ass response! And he even misspelled teleprompter!
I have not always enjoyed Hillary's speeches, but this one was a home run, and I even found myself standing up to watch it. I swear this was the very first time that I can remember feeling truly inspired while listening to Hillary speak.
If this is who is going to be standing up for us in November I am feeling very good about our chances in the election, and the presidency that follows.
"Cosmos," the new, updated version of Carl Sagan's popular 1980 documentary series exploring the hows, whats and whys of the universe, premiered Sunday night on Fox, the National Geographic Channel and various corporate cousins.
Its "ship of the imagination" -- a vehicle to take viewers through wonders large and small -- now has a new captain, astronomer Neil deGrasse Tyson, but the reaction to the show's debut shows that entertaining, informative science never goes out of style.
I am embarrassed to say that I actually missed the premiere last night (I was instead exercising my guilty pleasure of watching the zombie apocalypse on the Walking Dead.), however I did catch it today on YouTube which unfortunately for this post has been taken down now.
The show did not shy away from pointing out the negative impact that superstition and religion have had on space exploration and recognizing our rightful place in the universe.
Oh yeah this show is going to drive these people out of their ever loving minds!
As I said I cannot show you the whole episode, since Fox had it taken down from You Tube.
However all is not lost as the wonderful introduction done by President Obama IS still available.
Somehow I think that having the President associated with this program did not exactly help with its acceptance among those folks who "cling to their Bibles, and their guns" do you?
Filmed over 2 weeks in Alaska's Denali National Park and the Inside Passage. The Mt. McKinley summit revealed itself on a lucky day - a massive white peak blanketed in clouds and snow. Rivers of ice curve around the surrounding peaks.
Remember, despite the ugliness of our politics, Alaska is really a magnificent country filled with awe inspiring scenery and incredible beauty in virtually every direction.
I swear, and don't think I'm crazy, whenever anything huge breaks in the news, whether it be the Boston bombing, a big election, or this battle over gun legislation, I always imagine how Will McAvoy will report on it.
I know, he is only a TV character. But still, is there ANYBODY on television that has given us the straight poop the way that he did in this famous scene?
Oh Fox News, you never disappoint us in that you ALWAYS disappoint us.
By the way I don't think that the portion of Obama's speech in Israel where he talks about Israeli parents can be talked about enough. It is, in fact, perhaps one of the most powerfully emotional, and truthful statements EVER made by a President of the United States to an audience of Israeli people.
Peace will have to be made among peoples, not just governments. (Applause.) No one -- no single step can change overnight what lies in the hearts and minds of millions. No single step is going to erase years of history and propaganda. But progress with the Palestinians is a powerful way to begin, while sidelining extremists who thrive on conflict and thrive on division. It would make a difference. (Cheers, applause.)
So peace is necessary. But peace is also just. Peace is also just. There is no question that Israel has faced Palestinian factions who turn to terror, leaders who missed historic opportunities. That is all true. And that’s why security must be at the center of any agreement. (Scattered applause.) And there is no question that the only path to peace is through negotiations, which is why, despite the criticism we’ve received, the United States will oppose unilateral -- unilateral efforts to bypass negotiations through the United Nations. (Applause.) It has to be done by the parties.
But the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination, their right to justice must also be recognized. (Cheers, applause.) And put yourself in their shoes. Look at the world through their eyes.
It is not fair that a Palestinian child cannot grow up in a state of their own -- (cheers, applause) -- living their entire lives with the presence of a foreign army that controls the movements, not just of those young people but their parents, their grandparents, every single day. It’s not just when settler violence against Palestinians goes unpunished. (Applause.) It’s not right to prevent Palestinians from farming their lands or restricting a student’s ability to move around the West Bank -- (applause) -- or displace Palestinian families from their homes. Neither occupation nor expulsion is the answer. (Cheers, applause.) Just as Israelis built a state in their homeland, Palestinians have a right to be a free people in their own land. (Applause.)
But I -- I’m going off script here for a second, but before I -- before I came here, I -- I met with a -- a group of young Palestinians from the age of 15 to 22. And talking to them, they weren’t that different from my daughters. They weren’t that different from your daughters or sons.
I honestly believe that if -- if any Israeli parent sat down with those kids, they’d say, I want these kids to succeed. (Applause.) I want them to prosper. I want them to have opportunities just like my kids do. (Applause.) I believe that’s what Israeli parents would want for these kids if they had a chance to listen to them and talk to them. (Cheers, applause.) I believe that. (Cheers, applause.)
I have long known that this President will go down in history as perhaps one of the greatest we have ever known, and it is the fear of that fact which inspires the constant attacks from the Republican party which reinforces my opinion every day. (Why do you think Fox News refused to broadcast that speech to its viewers?)
However perhaps even I have not always been aware of just how high this President is setting the bar for his successor. Personally I would hate to be the one to follow this amazing and death defying act.
P.S. Let me just add that when I was searching for a transcript to use in this post, the first one that I found was the official one. I read through it, and it WAS a good speech, but it wasn't anywhere near as incredible as THIS speech.
What made this speech so memorable, and ultimately historic, are the portions that weren't in the official version. The heckler, and his response, and then his off script comments about the Israeli parents were by FAR the highlights of this speech.
So just to drive this point home for all those Right Wing haters out there. The President was the MOST brilliant when he was NOT reading from the teleprompter, rather than the other way around.
And it is that unscripted brilliance which is going to put him light years ahead of other Presidents in history.
You can see how carefully the sentences were structured of words that she could say clearly, while also being printed and spaced so that he damaged eyesight could read what was written.
And she did an AMAZING job.
If you did not get to see the video yesterday, or would like to see it again, you can click here for a second chance.
You know I am always seeing these videos about amazing voices coming out of people that you would not expect to have such an ability. Usually I give them a pass, but once in awhile you see one that you just feel really needs to be shared.
Oh damn! I swear this convention feels like it is a contest to see WHO is the best speaker in America.
It seemed like every single speaker was giving the best speech of their lives, and you keep thinking, "Well nobody is going to beat that!" and then they do.
But this President may be the greatest speaker this country has ever produced, and he proved that yet again tonight!
Does he deserve another term? Abso-fucking-lutely!
A surprise appearance by Gabrielle Giffords provided an emotional lift to an already celebratory atmosphere on the Democratic convention’s closing night, as the former Arizona congresswoman appeared onstage to lead the hall in the Pledge of Allegience.
After reciting the oath, Giffords waved and blew kisses to the audience before being led offstage, as chants of “Gabby” gave way to the Obama campaign’s signature cry: “Fired Up! Ready to Go!”
Okay THAT was awesome!
In other awesome news, I am back on line and also "Fired up, and ready to go!"
When you click this button, you will have the opportunity to explore both the vastness of the universe that surrounds us as well that the world of the unseen microscopic world that is all around us, and within us.
This is literally amazing, and you could conceivably spend a great deal of time exploring all of the information contained on this site.
Just a little something to blow your mind first thing in the morning.
Smiling at the camera and with the mountains providing a stunning backdrop, these photographs of Gabrielle Giffords atop the French Alps provide one of the clearest signs yet of the remarkable recovery the former U.S. Congresswoman has made since the Tuscon shootings.
Leaving the U.S. for the first time since she was shot in the head by a gunman in January 2011, Giffords today braved the elements to join her astronaut husband, Mark Kelly, hiking in the mountains near Mont Blanc.
Wrapped up and wearing hiking boots, the couple were snapped at an altitude of 3,842 meters (12,605 feet) with incredible views of rest of the Alps behind them. At times, Kelly turned to help his wife, who still uses a wheelchair much of the time, reach the impressive summit.
I thought it would be nice to take a break from politics for a little bit and celebrate this amazing woman's remarkable recovery, as well as this breathtaking achievement.
I swear that if they could bottle whatever it is that is running through Gabby's veins, we could completely do away with coffee and energy drinks altogether.
P.S. There are more great pictures at the mail online link.
So you’re at the local shopping centre/mall, when you look up and your friend is patting a dinosaur. It’s not a toy or a child’s ride, so what, exactly, is going on here? Did you have hallucinogens for breakfast again? Hmm… No need to panic, it’s just some real-time augmented reality from National Geographic TV.
The gauntlet has been thrown, if you find something that is cooler than this I invite you to post the link in the comments section and rub my face in it.
Five months after falling victim to an assassin's bullet, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was discharged from the Houston hospital where she has been rehabilitating.
Calling her release a "major milestone," the hospital, TIRR Memorial Hermann, said Giffords would continue to receive outpatient care at a home outside of Houston owned by her husband, Mark E. Kelly.
In a statement, her doctors said that the Arizona Democrat had improved to the point where she no longer needed to be a patient.
“Congresswoman Giffords has shown clear, continuous improvement from the moment she arrived at TIRR five months ago,” said Gerard Francisco, the hospital’s chief medical officer. “We are very excited that she has reached the next phase of her rehabilitation and can begin outpatient treatment. We have no doubt that she will continue to make significant strides in her recovery.”
Kelly, an astronaut who recently completed a mission aboard the space shuttle Endeavour, praised the care that Giffords received.
“Gabby gives her all to everything she does and that’s exactly what she’s been doing at TIRR since Jan. 26,” he said. “The remarkable progress she has made since then is a testament to both her single-minded determination to get better and the team of medical professionals overseeing her care.”
Am I the only one who gets misty eyed every time I read anything about this amazing woman's courage and amazing recovery? I swear I have to dab my eyes after every other paragraph.
The ONLY reason I would ever consider going to Arizona would be to help with Giffords campaign for reelection. And believe me, she would win to.
