ENCOURAGING: A movie about a fellow I never heard of who had great courage and faith

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

FROM PRIME MOVIES

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Escape From Germany

79 Missionaries are trapped inside German borders as Hitler races to invade Poland. The last one got out and into Denmark on August 31. The next day Germany invaded Poland and the war began.

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Hard to believe that this is a true story, but it appears to be.

Not a Hollywood adaption but more of a documentary of one man’s faith.

Very impressive how they avoided and evaded the Nazi terror.

While not a Mormon, it is a testament to their faith. 

I found the movie very motivating.

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ENCOURAGING: Demonstration project shows improved yields, diversified crops, and boosted incomes

Friday, March 14, 2025

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/degraded-lands-transformed-into-productive-farms-with-science-we-can-create-wonders/

Degraded Lands Transformed into Productive Farms: With Science, We Can Create Wonders
By Andy Corbley – Mar 3, 202

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In a degraded and semi-arid farming area in India, simple science-driven changes to the landscape have colored the horizon, and a village’s fortunes, with green.

In the Latur district in the central western state of Maharashtra, 40 years of erratic rainfall, groundwater depletion, soil erosion, and crop failures have impoverished the local people.

In the village of Matephal, the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) launched a project in 2023 that aimed at addressing these challenges through integrated landscape management and climate-smart farming practices.

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“This ICRISAT project improved yields, diversified crops, and boosted incomes. It also spared women from walking over a kilometer for drinking water, now available in the village for people and animals,” said Mr. Govind Hinge of Matephal village.

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Pretty amazing results.  Went from “dirt poor” with no water to abundant water and good soil.  

Unfortunately, the author doesn’t itemize the capital investment that went into creating this miracle.  While obviously significant, far beyond what a poor village could afford, one wonders what the ROI would be?  For example, the 30 tons of fish harvested might be a source of capital.  A 13 foot rise in the water table might be economically exploitable.  The extra acreage that become productive might be a source of capital to be used.

I wonder if the world’s engineering schools could be an educational resource?  Imagine instead of funding football teams with expansive coaches, Universities could complete for whose intervention produces the most results.  Funny?  No fill the stadium with two equally sized plots and see which produced the best tomatoes.  Yeah, now that is exciting. 

Listen to the 4 minute video and see if you’re not as impressed as I am. 

Interesting to me is that this intervention made a permanent positive change in peoples’ lives.

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Note: I learned that a hectare (symbol: ha) is a unit of area that is accepted in the International System of Units (SI). It is primarily used to measure land area. One hectare is equal to 10,000 square meters and is equivalent to approximately 2.471 acres.


ENCOURAGING: One of my favorite books available for free — The Swiss Family Robinsson

Saturday, March 8, 2025

https://standardebooks.org/ebooks/johann-david-wyss/the-swiss-family-robinson/mary-jane-godwin_william-godwin

The Swiss Family Robinson
Johann David Wyss
166,675 words (10 hours 7 minutes) with a reading ease of 56.32 (fairly difficult)
Translated by Mary Jane Godwin and William Godwin.

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I found this book somehow and was totally absorbed by it.  Maybe that’s why I have sympathy for the survivalist lifestyle.  Maybe if I had made different choices, then I’d have different results.  

Amazing all the great, and not-so-great, books that are available here.  I’ve chipped in and hope you do too.

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ENCOURAGING: One standard for EVERYONE in a meritocracy!

Monday, February 17, 2025

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/epic-president-trump-releases-powerful-ad-support-secret/

EPIC! President Trump Releases POWERFUL Ad in Support of Secret Service Prior to Super Bowl LIX – Can You See What’s Missing?

by Jim Hoft Feb. 9, 2025 5:00 pm

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President Donald Trump released a powerful new ad on X Social and Truth Social in support of the US Secret Service prior to the kick off to Super Bowl LIX.

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Made sense to appeal to American pride.  So far, the Secret Service has not been involved in any scandal.  Although their (DEI influenced) performance in Butler PA was not up to snuff.

All physical standards should be reviewed in every aspect of the Federal Gooferment.  No more “accommodations”.  And, I include fat old out-of-shape men; not just slightly built short women as bodyguards.

One standard for EVERYONE in a meritocracy!

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ENCOURAGING: A foreign good soul puts in a lot of effort to help someone they don’t know

Sunday, February 9, 2025

FROM 1440 https://join1440.com/

<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2025-02-08>>

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Today, we’re sharing a story from reader Richard B. in Springfield, New Jersey.

“My daughter left her handbag with her phone and passport in the back of a taxi in Paris on the eve of a Sunday. Flight with her family was scheduled for 1 pm the next day. At 2:30 am, our phone rings in New Jersey with a 510 area code. When it rings a second time, my wife answered. A voice says, ‘Please don’t hang up as I have been trying to call someone for the last 6 hours. I work for Boeing in Seattle and my sister lives on the outskirts of Paris and has Felice U.’s pocket book. She doesn’t speak English but would like to return it. Her husband found it in the back of his cab.’”

“Our daughter contacted her concierge and arrangements were made for the brother-in-law to come to the hotel. This was accomplished by 10 am and they made the plane home in time. We still are not sure how the man in Seattle was able to trace us to NJ but his detective work and persistence in attempting to find someone is amazing. Upon their return, my daughter and her family found multiple calls from him on the home phone and my son-in-law’s cell phone documenting his persistent efforts. There are, indeed, good people in this world.” 

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I’d call what these folks did a “mitzvah”!

https://www.solonchabad.com/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/294114/jewish/A-mitzvah-is-not-just-a-good-deed.htm

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… … a mitzvah, even one he didn’t understand, is a connection n a way to get closer to G‑d that transcends logic. We affix a mezuzah to our doorposts, not just because it makes sense to us, but because this is G‑d’s wish. When we fulfill the request of G‑d, we are strengthening our bond with Him. Next time a mitzvah comes your way, make the connection! 

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More than just a “good deed”, these folks really made a “connection” with more people than they know or imagine.

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ENCOURAGING: Kate Middleton looks like she’s enjoying just doing something normal

Saturday, February 8, 2025

https://nypost.com/2025/02/06/entertainment/royal-family-live-updates-news-photos-feb-6/

Royal family live updates: Kate Middleton pairs up with girl, 5, on field trip who has no idea she’s a princess
By Sarah Ng, Kaydi Pelletier and Nika Shakhnazarova 
Updated Feb. 7, 2025, 6:28 a.m. ET

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Maybe I’m a sucker for a photo op, but the lady looks like she was just having bit of fun doing something “normal”.  I’m sure that the security was really tight wvwn though it was “invisible”.  And the children had no idea something special was happening.  

And, Kate Middleton has a beautiful smile and an air of Noblesse oblige.

Again, she makes you forget just how evil and expensive “monarchy” is.

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ENCOURAGING: Baltimore Ravens fans make a positive gesture in a sport plagued by poor sportsmenship

Saturday, February 8, 2025

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/classy-ravens-fans-return-the-favor-for-foes-after-bills-player-drops-ball-in-heartbreaking-playoff-loss/

Classy Ravens Fans Return the Favor for Foes–After Bills Player Drops Ball in Heartbreaking Playoff Loss

By Andy Corbley – Jan 29, 2025 

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The quality among Baltimore Ravens fans have donated to a GoFundMe to raise money for an autism charity supported by Buffalo Bills tight end Dalton Kincaid, who just dropped a key pass that could have taken the franchise to the Super Bowl.

In a bizarre reversal of circumstances, the fundraiser mirrors what happened last week: when Bills fans set up a GoFundMe to raise money for a diabetes charity supported by Ravens tight end, Mark Andrews, who also dropped a key pass that may have taken his franchise to the Super Bowl.

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This is a tremendous counterweight to all the bad stories we read about out-of-control fans and players.

I’m proud to put my money where my mouth is and donate to Dalton Kincaid’s gofundme.

https://gofund.me/84651e43

While good works should be done in secret, this needs to be encouraged.

(Ever heard that old Irish adage about “good works only count if done in secret”. Funny, I learned that from my maternal English Protestant grandmother who wanted to teach me about my maternal grandfather’s “heathen Irish culture that has a few good points”. ROFL!)

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ENCOURAGING: Getty Museum team had their game plan payoff

Thursday, January 16, 2025

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14268629/Getty-museum-fire-prevention-karen-bass.html

Simple steps taken to prevent Getty Museum burning down. Why didn’t Karen Bass do the same?
By BRITTANY CHAIN FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Published: 18:44 EST, 9 January 2025 | Updated: 19:10 EST, 9 January 2025

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While most of the Pacific Palisades has been reduced to ash and rubble after it was caught in the path of the devastating California wildfires, the iconic Getty Museum is still standing after implementing a simple routine. 

The museum’s successful efforts to keep the fire at bay begs the question: why didn’t Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass use similar tactics to protect homes and land? 

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Sounds like the Getty Museum leadership had their game plan and worked it.

All the politicians and bureaucrats are scrambling to blame someone else.  Just once, I’d like someone stand up and say: “I made a mistake but we will not make that one again.”  Maybe they won’t get praised for the mistake, but they can serve as an object lesson.

The Getty Museum team demonstrated that if you do the job, excuses are not needed.

Impressive. Easy to succumb to complacency until it’s too late. Wonder if any lessons are being learned anywhere else?

Old maxim is: “You don’t have to pay for EVERY lesson yourself.  You are allowed to learn from the mistakes of others.”


ENCOURAGING: A problem and a prescription to solve it (mostly)

Thursday, November 21, 2024

https://nypost.com/2024/11/13/opinion/question-for-trump-to-solve-just-how-many-million-migrants-did-joe-let-in-8-million-12-15/

Question for Trump to solve: Just how many million migrants did Joe let in? 8 million? 12? 15?
By Andrew Arthur 
Published Nov. 13, 2024, 7:35 p.m. ET

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President-elect Donald Trump has promised to crack down on the southern border and deport those here illegally.

But the million-dollar question left by the Biden administration: Just how many people is that?

A recent House Judiciary report says that “For almost four years, Americans have watched as President Joe Biden and border czar Vice President Kamala Harris have abandoned the southwest border and welcomed nearly 8 million illegal aliens into the United States.”

But that 8 million is likely an undercount — and perhaps by a lot.

The House Committee on Homeland Security estimated in the spring that there would have been 10 million encounters during Biden’s four-year term. And that doesn’t include “got-aways” — people who crossed illegally without ever talking to a Border Patrol agent.

There are, meanwhile, all kind of “parole” and other programs the Biden administration used without Congressional approval to fly immigrants in directly from South America and other parts of the world.

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OK, so the answer is “a lot”.  Some proportion are criminals or neer’do’wells,  While the rest are a mix of those seeking a better life or some who want to collect on the dole.

How do we differentiate who is a “Priority One Removal” and who don’t we really care about?

Fortunately some really smart people have some great ideas.

https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2024/11/expediting_deportation_using_carrots_and_sticks.html

americanthinker.com
Expediting Deportation, Using Carrots and Sticks
By Ned Barnett

<< EDITOR ADDED DATE 2024-11-13>>

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How do you deport the roughly twenty million individuals living illegally in the United States? For a lot of reasons, this will be a huge challenge, and likely a costly one – when was the last time the government did anything even remotely correct without it busting the budget?

Well, for one thing, you could try offering incentives for people to make their deportation easier than it might otherwise have been.  

First, offer them an option. Go home on your own, and you will be eligible to apply for legal residency, along with anyone else who wants to come to America and who hadn’t broken our laws to get here.

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What about the stick? Tell this same population that if the government has to take actions to deport them, they will have to wait for more than the current ten years before even getting to the end of the line for legal immigration, lengthening the time before they can return to America, but this time as legal immigrants. 

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And, the details outlined seem very reasonable.

Then DJT4547 and his team can focus on the criminals, welfare cheats, and sanctuary cities and NGOs.

I like this approach.  We’ll see how they tackle it.

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ENCOURAGING: Let’s do more than pray!

Saturday, September 28, 2024

<<< FROM QUORA >>> 

Regular People & Their Amazing Stories
Taresa Strachan

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A mother made a run to Walmart with her young son. While in the store, she turned around and he was gone. She looked all over for him, and was on the verge of becoming frantic when she walked to the front of the store and spotted him.

She was just getting ready to lay some scolding on him when she realized he was doing something very strange. He was kneeling at one of the benches just inside the store and he was praying. She could not understand why he was doing this. Then she looked above him at the huge poster he was facing. It had photos and descriptions of missing children, and it read: “Every second counts.”

So she took a photo of her son doing this and posted it on Facebook. It went viral in no time. And as it did, one Facebook commenter summed it up pretty well, writing: “Whether or not you believe in God really doesn’t matter. This was a child in Walmart who was thinking about others and doing the only thing he could to help. The world would be a better place if everyone followed his example.”

Photo courtesy: 89.5 KVNE

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https://www.missingkids.org/home

https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/search/poster-results

Erick Sanchez
NCIC# M357784090
Missing Since: February 14, 2024
Piscataway, NJ
Age Now: 16 Years Old
Male

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I can’t imagine what this child’s family is going through.

We need more than platitudes, milk cartons, and web pages.

Let’s all look.

Sigh!

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