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Traveling the world. Living the dream. Writing historical fiction in between.

Pen Argyl
Joined January 2013
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Jacqui retweeted
It's not obscene. It's not about him, and his circumstances in isolation. It's about millions of people recognising themselves in his reaction - that they can work hard, do everything 'right' and feel let down by a system that constantly demands more and gives less. Then to be mocked, and looked down upon by the sociopaths of our age, told their lives are not serious, told to work harder, they just don't want it enough. That your own life, circumstance and dignity can be used as the butt of a joke by someone so disconnected from reality that they don't see you as a person, but as content The dehumanising of the average person, and experience, by the systems we were told would reward us for our hard work. It's not that people feel entitled to millions, it's that they feel robbed of the dignity of their own humanity and moments like this are a reflection of the machine shoving it back in their face. That someone thinks it is funny, or okay, to disrupt a man doing his job, to joke about robbing him - to turn that into content, to monetise it and make his reaction the joke. The streamer is a reflection of that dehumanising machine spitting back in their face in the form of another person. It's everything wrong with our current culture, where it's not only enough to have people struggling to get by, but the system now encourages itself to mock, demean and put down that daily struggle that many people live with. And no, this isn't an isolated issue, it's a cultural shift. The president of the United States recently joked on camera about how people couldn't afford to visit him at Mar a Lago. The system mocks from all angles and for the average person daily survival can feel like a humiliation ritual, having to put aside your dignity in the name of providing for those that you love. And millions of people will wake up every day, and gladly make that choice. Swallow their pride and do what needs to be done. All they ask is that they are not mocked for the decision to do so. So no, it's not an over-reaction, it's a very concentrated reflection of how people are feeling. And in a system where they can't do much to change that, this has been an opportunity to not only voice that frustration, but to put power behind it by using the same tool that has incentivised this dehumanising behaviour in the first place - monetising it. It's really not about an individual, it's symbolic, and as a symbol of the frustration with the struggle many people are facing nowadays, it's not an overreaction. I'd argue i's an extreme under-reaction.
Am I alone in thinking it’s obscene this guy is getting worldwide acclaim & has had life-changing $ raised for this reaction? The prank is annoying. The frustration is fair. The reaction is totally disproportionate nearly having a mental breakdown over a kid trying a dumb prank. Neither party looks good in this. Am I wrong?
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"Here we go again."
🤖 Made with AI
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The year is 1873. Your wife tires easily and reads too much. The doctor prescribes the rest cure: six weeks flat in bed, no books, no visitors, fed on milk, forbidden to sit up without his permission. The man who devised it is the most famous nerve specialist in America, and the women come out of it quieter, which is taken as the cure. The year is 1915. The hospital has a new way of delivering your child. Morphine, then scopolamine, and the mother wakes two days later with a baby she cannot remember having. They call it twilight sleep. The women are strapped into padded cots so they do not hurt themselves while they scream, and the straps are the modern part. The babies arrive blue and slow to breathe. The year is 1945. The truck comes down your street fogging DDT, and the children run behind it in the white cloud because the man on the back says it is harmless. At the beach it is sprayed over the bathers on their towels. It goes on the cattle, over the barn, and across the kitchen table. The year is 1948. Your son has trouble with his ears. The doctor slides a rod tipped with radium up each nostril and holds it there for the best part of ten minutes, and you bring him back three more times. Hundreds of thousands of American children get the same treatment. The cancers arrive in their fifties. The year is 1962. The health visitor tells you breastfeeding is old-fashioned and the formula is scientific. By 1972 fewer than one American baby in four is breastfed at all. The formula is skimmed milk and sugar, with the milk fat taken out and vegetable oil put in. The year is 1971. The family planning clinic fits a small plastic crab called the Dalkon Shield. Its tail is a bundle of fibres that wicks bacteria up into the womb. 2.8 million are fitted in America before it is withdrawn, and the company goes bankrupt under the claims. It had been sold as safe and superior. The year is 1983. The doctor says your arteries are the butter's fault. The dripping tin goes in the bin, the yolks go to the dog, the margarine goes in the fridge, and you have the heart attack anyway, on skimmed milk, having done everything right. The year is 2001. Your 15-year-old is low, and the doctor prescribes Paxil, because the trial in the journal says it is effective and well tolerated in adolescents. The raw data, reanalysed 14 years later, shows more suicidal thinking on the drug than on the sugar pill. The company pays $3 billion to settle. Nobody rings the house. The year is 2009. The government has spent around £500 million stockpiling Tamiflu for the pandemic, on the strength of the manufacturer's trials. When the trials are finally prised loose five years later, the drug shortens flu by about half a day and nothing shows it keeps anyone out of hospital. The stockpile goes out of date in a warehouse. The year is 2026. The doctor has ten minutes and a screen. The number is high, so the tablet is for life. The weight is high, so the injection is for life. The meat is bad for the planet and the oil is good for the heart, and the person in the chair is as certain as everyone who ever sat in it. Every one of those was settled, by a committee, in a journal, with a doubter somewhere being laughed at. The rest cure, the straps, the fog, the rod, the formula, the crab, the margarine, the trial, the stockpile. All of it certain, all of it printed, all of it done to somebody who had asked for help. You were never the one who was wrong. You were the one it was done to, and the only person in the story who did as they were told every single time. The apology comes a generation late, in a footnote, addressed to nobody. The next one is being drafted now.
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Copying over from the FB page... 15 YEARS AGO TODAY: Halloween was but a few days away...some municipalities had trick-or-treat night for the kids that Friday evening, October 28th, 2011. The weather forecast called for a nor'easter, and not many people believed they'd be waking up to snow the next day on Saturday October 29th. High temperatures were in the 50s the day before, and significant snow nearly 2 months before Winter officially started seemed unlikely at best. However, through a perfect 1-in-100 years setup and dynamic cooling processes, a significant snowfall did occur for portions of interior PA and Northern NJ. Some areas saw between 6 and 12 inches of very heavy wet snow, and leaves were still changing colors and many haven't fallen yet. This led to catastrophic utility failures, leaving over 1.2 million customers without power across Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and some were without power for several days. Damage to trees from the heavy weight of the snow made neighborhoods look like war zones, with between 1 and 3 billion dollars of damage across the NE US. It was also the kiss of death for the Winter that followed, with some seeing more snow from this rare October storm than they did the entirety of the remainder of Winter. What are some of your memories from that day 15 years ago?
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“The chestnut trees turned yellow, The oak like sherry browned, The fir, the stubborn fellow, Stayed green the whole year round. But O the bonny maple How richly he does shine! He glows against the sunset Like ruddy old port wine.” – Christopher Morley (1890-1957) #poetry #nature
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Celebrating a life that touched every single one of ours. Happy birthday, Charlie ❤️
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Today, on what would have been his 33rd birthday, our Nation honors the loving memory of Charlie Kirk - a father, husband, Christian martyr, & titan of the conservative movement. We renew our resolve to always defend our principles of truth, faith, & the open exchange of ideas.
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Really interesting setup here. The dry air is trying to invade Isaias from the west and southwest. However, the hurricane has formed an insane inner core (blue) that protects the inner structure, which is feeding on the very warm Gulf. This allows the storm to continue to intensify. However, the fight with dry air and shear is starting to win, with warming cloud tops (yellow arrow) beginning to appear in the structure. Based on the observations, I suspect Isaias has until 2-4 AM tomorrow morning; then shear and dry air will win out and start to corrupt the storm's inner core. I suspect the AI models, especially Google and GRAPH, are way off on the strength. However, if a storm structure could pull off a rapid CAT 3 and then collapse, it would be this type of storm.
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YOUR BODY CAN FEEL WHAT YOUR HEART NEVER PROCESSED. You can push emotions down for years and convince yourself you’ve moved on—but unprocessed doesn’t always mean gone. When hurt, fear, anger, grief, and stress remain unresolved, that emotional strain can eventually affect the body, including your stress response and nervous system. ❤️‍🩹 That’s why emotional honesty matters. Stop treating every emotion like something you have to hide in order to be strong. 🧠 Acknowledge what you’re feeling. 🙏🏾 Bring it honestly before God. 🌿 Give yourself permission to process what you’ve carried. You were never meant to spend years carrying what needs to be confronted and released. Send this to someone who needs the reminder today. #CrefloDollar #WorldChangers #EmotionalHonesty #MindBodyConnection #GraceForLife
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New Bible Bites essay up on my RACE TRACK site. Psalm 23, Part 2. What does one of the most well-known bible verses even mean? “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death” and all that? When we look at the meaning of the Hebrew words used, we get a lot more out of it than we’ve been taught. Check it out. ------------------- Psalm 23: 3-4 (3) He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His namesake. (4) Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they Comfort me. ------------------ (3) He restores my soul; “Restores” in the Hebrew is shub, meaning to return, turn back. The same word is used in Genesis with the well-known “For dust you are, and to dust shall you return.” (3:19). “Soul” is nephesh, meaning life, person, heart, creature, mind. So, your whole being is referenced here, not just what we would define as a soul in English. So, one can interpret this as “God puts my soul back to its starting place” or “God resets my soul.” But, what is the starting place? And to what point would your soul be reset? Another way to look at it is that He “returns” your soul to Himself. That is the reset. His perspective about the world and your life; His values, which differ from society’s; His view of you, which is most likely far more positive than the one you hold of yourself. And because of the verb tense in “restores,” this is continuously being done. So, we have “God puts my whole being in Himself, such that I can see His perspective of myself and the world around me.” (Read the rest of the essay at the link below.)
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The leaves are changing, the fields are quieting, and our fuzzy flock is getting ready for the colder months ahead at the Thompson-Neely Farmstead. Winter is coming, and our sheep need their friends to help keep them warm, healthy, and well cared for 💞 Our 2026 Sponsor a Sheep Campaign is now underway! When you sponsor a sheep, you become a vital part of their care by helping to provide nutritious food, warm bedding, expert veterinary care, and safe shelter 🌾 These beautiful heritage sheep do so much more than graze, they bring vibrant 18th-century history to life for thousands of families and children every year ✨ By sponsoring a sheep, you’re helping to preserve an important piece of our agricultural heritage while keeping our hands-on educational programs thriving 🐑 Learn more: tinyurl.com/yree8aka 🔗 #HistoricFlock #SponsorASheep #ThompsonNeelyFarmstead #WashingtonCrossingHistoricPark
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Wake up, New York. The hour is later than you think. 🗽 🇺🇸
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Maybe the greatest post in the history of social media. Possibly the greatest piece of writing in the history of sentient human beings. 👇🏻
I need to make a very PUBLIC announcement on behalf of younger GenXers and older Millennials. If you see someone in their 40s or 50s who seems a little boring now, I need you to understand something... We already got it in. Like...GOT. IT. IN. We are not sitting home on a Friday night because we never knew how to have fun. We are sitting home on a Friday night because we have seen enough. We went to parties in houses that should have been condemned and were almost certainly owned by the local drug dealer. We saw police lights and RAN and not across a nice, flat field. INTO THE WOODS. Do you understand the athleticism required to hurdle uprooted tree roots in platform shoes while simultaneously trying to keep your low-rise jeans from sliding completely off your ass? And somehow...we never spilled the Zima. We never spilled the Boone’s Farm. That was TALENT. We slept on floors in strange houses because the designated driver either never showed up or, in a shocking turn of events, was drunker than everybody else. There was no Uber, Life360 or Find My Friends. There was just somebody named Mike saying, “I know a shortcut.” And we FOLLOWED MIKE. We closed down bars and then decided the night was still young, so we drove to Atlantic City, where we somehow managed to get drunk, sober up, get drunk again, sober up again and then get drunk a THIRD TIME before breakfast. And according to our parents? We were at Michelle’s house. Eating pizza and watching movies. Michelle’s mother unknowingly covered for approximately 17 people every weekend. If there even was a Michelle. We drank things called Purple Passion, Mad Dog 20/20 and whatever somebody mixed inside a giant plastic garbage can. Nobody asked what was in it. You grabbed a red Solo cup and trusted the process. We went to clubs until the lights came on. Do you know the psychological damage of seeing a nightclub with the LIGHTS ON? Nothing good happens after those lights come on. We danced for four straight hours in shoes that permanently altered the structure of our feet. We made entire plans without cell phones...no texts, dropped pins or group chats...just an extremely questionable sense of direction. We rode in cars with 11 people when the vehicle legally seated five. Someone was always sitting on someone. Someone was always in the hatchback. And there was always one friend yelling, “DUCK!” when we passed a cop. So yes...now we like being home. We like sweatpants. We like cancelling plans. We like saying, “That sounds fun!” with absolutely no intention of attending. We like restaurants at 5:30 because we can get a good table. We like being home by 8:17. And if someone texts at 9:30 PM and says, “What are you doing?” Sleeping...we are sleeping. Because this is not boring my friends...this is retirement. We already played, partied and danced on the bar. We already ran from the cops through a wooded area dressed like a Spice Girl. We have stories that cannot be posted because there are still people with careers, marriages and reputations to protect. And thank GOD there were no camera phones. So kids, when you look at your Gen X and older Millennial parents sitting peacefully on the couch watching Dateline at 8 PM and think: “God, you guys are boring.” Sweetheart...oh sweetheart. You are looking at retired legends. Put some respect on our names. We're probably the reason Life360 was invented. xoxoxo (posted from someone else on FakeBook) 🤣 #genx #oldandtired
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Given the high dewpoints and muggy conditions, the storm threat is likely to continue beyond sunset. Frequent CTG lightning and locally heavy rainfall/flash flooding in storms are also possible.
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania until 12 AM EDT
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(1/3) #OnThisDay in 1776, British forces under Gen. William Howe defeated George Washington’s Continental Army at the Battle of Brooklyn Heights. The British outflanked the Patriots on Long Island, inflicting roughly 1,000 American casualties.
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This is a long post, but I think it is important for anyone who wants to get to the bottom of what is happening here in Lancaster County. On Tuesday Aug 25th Governor Shapiro and officials from the PA Dept of Health and Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health held a press conference in Lancaster County and announced two “measles-associated deaths.” (See my previous posts for more details on this.) I have sought to keep an open mind and be objective, but the evidence now leads to the conclusion that there is deception happening here. This is a matter of great public importance. The Governor claimed there were two deaths in Lancaster County – the first deaths from Measles in the U.S. in 35 years. We have a right to know the facts on this. You cannot drop a bombshell like this and then essentially say all the information around it is top secret. The only way for government to have trust with citizens is through transparency and honesty. That is especially important since what happened during Covid. Asking questions and following the facts is not “pro-measles” or “anti-science.” It is what we all should do. The following is an attempt to follow the evidence that we currently have available to us. Ideally, in a functioning healthy system journalists would assemble this case and ask objective questions of the people who had the press conference rather than attack the people who are asking legitimate questions about the press conference. But that is not necessarily the system we are living in, so I will endeavor to do it. Let me walk you through the evidence that we have as I would have done for a jury when I was a prosecutor trying criminal cases in court. 1. The press conference: Officials at the Governor’s press conference used the term “measles-associated” (see press conference and accompanying press release) but clearly framed it as deaths FROM measles. The Governor stated that these are the first two measles-associated deaths in the U.S. in 35 years. People died FROM measles 35 years ago. Therefore, it would not be accurate to make that statement unless these current cases were in fact being presented as deaths attributable to measles in some significant way. This appears to be a carefully crafted attempt to overstate the case, while also maintaining some later wiggle room, i.e. “associated” to muddy the issue if it became clear these were not in fact measles deaths. This indicates deception. 2. The desired media response: The media, in large part, dutifully took their cue and reported two deaths “from” measles in Lancaster County. The New York Times: “Two unvaccinated people in Pennsylvania have died from measles, as a large outbreak there continues to spread, the state’s Health Department reported on Tuesday morning.” ABC News: “BREAKING: Two people have died in Pennsylvania from measles, the state health department said Tuesday. Both unvaccinated.” Importantly, the Governor, his administration, and other officials at the press conference did not correct these stories. The message had been conveyed as apparently it was intended. Note – it is clear now that these stories are not true and any credible news source would retract them rather than just shrug and move on. 3. The lack of transparency: Officials provided virtually no background information about these “measles-associated” deaths. DOH said to “protect the privacy of the individuals and their families, DOH will not release any additional details that could personally identify these individuals and their families,” however, they did release the medical information other than the fact that the two were “unvaccinated.” Importantly, the law DOES allow information to be released that does not violate privacy – i.e. more demographic and background information. I contend it was very important to do this when making such a big announcement, which made national news. Officials provided no corroborating evidence to their claims. 4. The story unravels: I then conducted an investigation and learned from the Lancaster County Coroner that there were zero reported measles deaths in Lancaster County. (See earlier posts.) I announced this publicly to be transparent. Neither the Governor’s Office nor Penn Medicine replied to my questions. The law requires deaths from contagious disease such as measles to be reported to the Coroner. The Coroner then released information that an infant had died during a home birth and the infant tested positive for measles but did not die of measles. (See Coroner statements to LNP, WGAL, and Philadelphia Inquirer.) 5. State officials then point to deceased infant: State officials, who previously refused to give any information on the two deceased individuals (other then they were unvaccinated) then pointed to the infant as one of the cases. (See DOH statement of 8/26/27.) PA Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen released a statement on 8/26/27 stating that she “thoroughly reviewed the case investigation information and sadly can confirm that the were two measles-associated deaths in Lancaster County…” 6. County Coroner and Forensic Patholgist report contradicts state officials: The County Coroner and the Forensic Pathologist, both of whom have many years of experience, rule out the claim that the infant can be one of the cases. “Lancaster County Coroner Steve Diamantoni said the cause of death was not from the measles. The newborn died shortly after birth from a laceration of the spleen, although measle antibodies were present in postmortem testing…” (Coroner interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer.) Moreover, the forensic pathologist who conducted the autopsy indicated the cause of death was not related to measles (Coroner interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer), thus ruling out the theory that has been raised by some that the spleen was enlarged or otherwise susceptible to this injury due to measles exposure. 7. The death investigation: Importantly, the County Coroner is THE person who has statutory authority to rule on cause and manner of death in Pennsylvania. The Coroner said “state officials had not contacted him personally as of Wednesday about the two Lancaster County measles-associated deaths.” (Coroner interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer.) Because this was a home birth where the infant died, and because the County Coroner and the forensic pathologist were the ones investigating this case – and came to the conclusion it was not measles related, – what evidence did the PA Secretary of Health “thoroughly” review? (Statement of Dr. Debra Bogen on 8/26/27.) There would be no hospital records in this case. The Coroner investigation WAS the investigation. But they never personally consulted the Coroner. So what other evidence is she using to determine this death was “measles-associated” to such a degree that they could report to the world that this was one of two measles deaths in Lancaster County? 8. Deception: Also important is the fact that officials emphasized in the press conference that the two individuals were “unvaccinated.” Now, technically that would be true for a baby who was born at home and immediately died. But there would be no possible way for the baby to vaccinated. The framing of this, or underlying assertion in it, seemed to be to indicate that the deceased person was unvaccinated by choice. This shows intent on the part of officials to deceive. Announcing a technically true statement, but keeping secret the context which would show there was no possible way for the baby to have been vaccinated before its death is deliberately deceptive. In the law, when trying cases in court, there is a jury instruction called “false in one, false in all.” It is the from the Latin term “falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus.” It means that if you find a witness lied about a material fact, the jury may choose to reject the rest of the witness’s testimony. That seems appropriate here. 9. Deception: Similarly deceptive is the following - after my investigation revealed that the County Coroner has zero deaths from measles, PA DOH said: “Not all deaths are referred to a coroner under Pennsylvania law.” (DOH Statement on 8/26/26.) This is technically correct. For instance, an elderly patient who dies of natural causes would not necessarily be referred to the County Coroner. However, the law does require a death known or suspected to be due to contagious disease be reported to the coroner. Thus, the coroner should have a record of any measles death in Lancaster County. Again, this is an apparent deliberate deception. Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus. 10. The second case: We still know nothing about the second reported death. There has not even been an effort, to my knowledge, to explain this death or provide any details whatsoever – beyond “unvaccinated.” Again, under the law any death due to measles would be required to be reported to the County Coroner. He has no report. Given the other apparent deception here it is fair to ask whether the facts of the second case have been materially manipulated similar to the first case, or whether the second case exists at all. I think the people of Lancaster County deserve to have transparency over whether there were actually two measles deaths or not.
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💸 DON’T LET THE NUMBERS NAME YOU. 🤷‍ Bills getting louder? Pressure starting to feel personal? Don’t let a temporary financial situation become your identity.🪞🚫 The numbers may be real, but they don’t get the final word on God’s faithfulness, who you are, or where your future is headed. 🙌🏾 When financial fear starts talking: STOP. REST. REMEMBER. SPEAK. ASK. ACT. 🧠➡️🙏🏾 Take a moment. Remember who your Source is. Ask God for wisdom. Then move forward in faith with what He gives you. Your circumstances can change. Your Source hasn’t. 💯 📌 Save this for the days when the numbers just aren’t numbering—and send it to someone who needs the reminder. #CrefloDollar #GraceGang #GodIsMySource #FaithOverFear #IdentityInChrist
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STOP SCROLLING. GIVE ME ONE WORSHIP SONG. 🔥 Not the song with the best beat. The song that found you when you were hurting. The song you played when nobody knew what you were going through. The song that reminded you GOD was still there. 🙏🏽 Drop the title below. 👇🏽 I’m building a “Songs That Brought Me Through” worship playlist from your replies. Your song might be the exact song someone needs today. ❤️‍🔥
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REGISTER TODAY for our Dinner & Revolutionary Series at General Warren Inn on Thursday, 9/17 as we welcome Randy Flood for his presentation on the multiple battles and skirmishes that occurred in the Southern colonies during the American Revolution. pbpfinc.org/lecture-series/
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