A Purpose for Thanksgiving

Stephan:  The key to fostering social wellbeing is an emergent expression of collective intention, individuals regardless of gender, race, age religion or education, each consensually holding an intention. Thanksgiving is a highly numinous social event in which wellbeing is a fundamental component. That makes it optimal for creating positive social change. And more than anything else we need to change the equation in America, and make wellbeing the first priority. You will probably take part in some gathering on Thanksgiving. At some point, in whatever way is appropriate I ask you to suggest that everyone pause for a few moments to hold the intention that they individually, and the group collectively from Thanksgiving going forward always choose the compassionate life-affirming option in every decision they make. To make that commitment.  It doesn't matter what the decision is. This is the Quotidian Choice from The 8 Laws of Change. You may find it hard to believe, but the science is clear. Collective intention particularly when it fosters wellbeing creates social change quite quickly in historical terms. -- Stephan
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Rev. Franklin Graham Says Opposition To Trump Is Almost ‘Demonic’

Stephan:  It is hard to believe that in the second decade of the 21st century medieval thinking is alive and well, and a powerful force in the United States, but it is.  I never cared for Billy Graham, and I find his son Franklin to be loathsome. However, my personal feelings aside one has to recognize that he speaks for millions of people, and that is the problem the country faces. Christofascism has become a real threat to American democracy.

Rev. Franklin Graham and talk show host Eric Metaxas claimed Thursday that there is a “demonic” origin to the opposition to President Donald Trump.

‘The son of the late evangelist Billy Graham was on the show to primarily discuss his Samaritan’s Purse project that distributes shoe boxes filled with essentials to needy children around the world in time for Christmas.

When the conversation turned to politics and Trump’s critics, Metaxas noted, “It’s a very bizarre situation to be living in a country where some people seem to exist to undermine the president of the United States. It’s just a bizarre time for most Americans.” (RELATED: Franklin Graham Claims He Was Banned From Facebook)

Graham suggested there was a spiritual root to the situation: “Well, I believe it’s almost a demonic power that is trying-”

“I would disagree,” Metaxas said. “It’s not almost demonic. You know and I know, at the heart, it’s a spiritual battle.”

Graham concurred and argued that the U.S. is enjoying prosperity due to Trump’s policies.

“If you look at what the president, just for our country, regardless of whether you’re a Republican […]

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Inside the US Marshals’ Secretive, Deadly Detention Empire

Stephan:  These stories disgust and embarrass me. I do not like to face the reality that my country routinely and daily tortures --- no not the rack, but in a hundred other carefully crafted ways -- thousands of people, many for being nothing more than desperate refugees of color.

A large rectangle of red dirt on the flat expanse of West Texas’ Permian Basin reminds Sadrac Garcia every day of what his family has lost. A few months ago, he could stand on the small porch of his brother Juan’s double-wide and peer into the window of their parents’ trailer a few meters away. Until 2017, three generations of Garcias lived on these couple of acres. The family is slowly selling off the homes and the land, an attempt to move on  after their father, Isac Garcia-­Wislar, died in the custody of a local jail.

Sadrac, soft-spoken but direct, is tall and solidly built, with a rough goatee and a white cowboy hat. He shows me a photo of his father on this late August afternoon; they look nearly identical. “It’s very sad being here,” he tells me. Sadrac has moved to Odessa, about 20 minutes away. Yesenia Garcia, his mother, is living in Fort Worth with her daughter, Arely. But moving has not helped with moving on. “I never really stop thinking about it, about what happened to […]

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Hate-Crime Violence Hits 16-Year High, F.B.I. Reports

Stephan:  Criminal Trump has  degraded American society in a wide range of ways, but none more ugly than the increase in racial, gender, and religious violence that he has encouraged. Here are the facts.

A tree in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh, where 11 worshipers were killed at a synagogue in October 2018.
Credit: Michelle Gustafson/The New York Times

Personal attacks motivated by bias or prejudice reached a 16-year high in 2018, the F.B.I. said Tuesday, with a significant upswing in violence against Latinos outpacing a drop in assaults targeting Muslims and Arab-Americans.

Over all, the number of hate crimes of all kinds reported in the United States remained fairly flat last year after a three-year increase, according to an annual F.B.I. report. But while crimes against property were down, physical assaults against people were up, accounting for 61 percent of the 7,120 incidents classified as hate crimes by law enforcement officials nationwide.

State and local police forces are not required to report hate crimes to the F.B.I., but the bureau has made a significant effort in recent years to increase awareness and response rates. Still, many cities and some entire states failed to collect […]

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Study: Falling Asleep, Staying Asleep Growing More Difficult For Americans Each Year

Stephan:  The entire gestalt of America has changed as criminal Trump has encouraged the nation's shadow to come out into the open. To be fair it started before he was elected, but it is why he was elected. Here is one of the consequences. Perhaps you suffer from it. Citation: Changes in sleep difficulties among the U.S. population from 2013 to 2017: results from the National Health Interview Survey

Depressed and tired man after sleepless night.
Credit: Stock.adobe.com)

AMES, IOWA — Do you find yourself staring at your bedroom ceiling most nights? Most people don’t think twice about the occasional sleepless night, but a new set of research finds that the ability to sleep peacefully throughout the night is becoming an increasingly rare skill in the United States.

Each year, more and more Americans are finding it difficult to fall asleep quickly and sleep soundly through the night, and even those who are able to get enough shut-eye often report poor overall sleep quality. According to the research team at Iowa State University, these changes are largely independent of sleep duration. In fact, problems falling and staying asleep were found to be most prevalent among people with generally healthy sleep length on most nights.

So, while many Americans may still technically be getting their recommended seven to eight hours of sleep per night, it may take upwards of an hour for them to initially fall asleep, and waking up multiple times […]

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