What We Saw This Week

Some of my observations from around the social media networks. Comments I made, events I shared. Stories with some laughter and some concern. Some news stories that created annoyance with politics or moments of joy with a few good news stories too.

April 15th
Heather Sullivan NBC12
Apr 15, 2016 at 5:42am ·
TEACHERS discouraging students from pursuing a teaching career because the pay is low. What do you think about this? We’re talking about it on air in minutes.

They’re telling the truth, what’s wrong with that? If you don’t like it, I suggest you start complaining to local, state and federal governments about teacher pay, the constant cuts to education, and the mishandling of educational budgets.

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A Facebook Share
Louise Hay
Apr 15, 2016
I am worthy and deserving.

I am worthy and we are deserving. Bring it on.

April 14th
It’s been a big teaching week. On one of the closed groups I belong to on FB, there was a big discussion concerning studying and feeling anxious about the course material. To which I shared this:

Springwolf.PhD
Apr 14, 2016 8:41am
One of our students posted a comment about the course material challenging what they thought they knew. It should. Learning means we expand our views and learn to think about concepts we thought we understood in a different way. By doing so we challenge ourselves and broaden our horizons. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything you read, research or learn. But it should help you think more thoroughly about what you do know.

One of the first lessons I give to my new students is the task of writing down what they know now. There’s no right or wrong answers. The reason I do this is because many people talk about their beliefs, but they often don’t connect the dots between concepts. When you put things in writing and define your beliefs, you force yourself to make these connections. You even discover that some things you thought you believed contradict other things you believe and you have to really sit and think them through.

It also gives you a starting point for where you are on your path toward enlightenment. Each year I have my students go back to their first assignment and answer the questions again. Then compare those to the first version. It’s amazing sometimes how much we change in our thinking when we’re open to new things and challenge ourselves to learn.

If you’d like to see the assignment I give out, you can find it here: Spring’s Haven – Article : Defining What You Believe.

April 13th
Springwolf.PhD
April 13 at 6:56pm ·
The FB scammers are trying real hard this month to get me to accept their friend requests. I’m not buying it. Here’s a hint, if you only have 3 posts and 2 of those are your pic, and your 12 new friends are all female blondes, I’m not likely to accept your scam.

If your pic is a military guy, and I search Google and find that same pic under 4 different names, then I’m not likely to fall for your scam. And I’m likely to report your account as stealing the identity of an American, British, Canadian or whoever hero.

To my friends and followers, keep an eye out for the scammers. They seem to be out in full force this month.

April 12th
A share from my facebook page:
Apr 12, 2016 9:17pm
Sarah Palin is like that Billy Bass toy. The novelty has worn off. We can’t remember why it was funny to begin with. And yet it keeps talking. – Bill Maher.

April 11th
ancient-origins.net
Apr 11, 2016 8:34am
Blurring the Between Magic and Philosophy: Legendary Wizards of the Ancient World
The word wizard is derived from the Middle English word wys (meaning wise) and the suffix -ard. Therefore, a wizard was basically a wise man, up until around the middle of the 16th century AD. Prior to this period, the distinction between magic and philosophy was blurred.

Wizard and warlock aren’t the same thing. But it depends on where you are in the world for how the label is applied. In old English, warlock was a deceiver. But in Norse culture they were spiritual guardians. Their task was to protect the temples, the mystics and priests/priestesses. As with many things about magik, the perspective depends on where you come from.

As for the person who said “Unlike wizards, their spiritual power came from The Creator.” I hate the word power. It implies control over others and not in a good way. “Power” is a word of ego, not spirit.

Wizards gain their knowledge through connecting with the Divine force in their world and learning how to work with the natural world around them. They applied that knowledge to practice, experience to learn and more importantly they earn their wisdom. Wisdom is the true spiritual “power”. Not arrogant ego that assumes it can be taken without the work. It’s a practice that continues today in many pagan cultures and societies..

April 10th
smithsonian.com
May 7, 2015
Posted on FB this past week:
It’s no spell – the boy wizard may help develop greater empathy and tolerance.
Reading Harry Potter Might Make You a Better Person
Young readers who identify with the Boy Who Lived may grow up to be more tolerant.

Usually when I see Harry Potter in the news, it’s because some Christian conservative group is trying to ban the books from schools or libraries. Complaining the books promote witchcraft and they’re of the devil. Reading that the books help children learn to be more tolerant of others is going to blow those ignorant and intolerant conservative values out of the water. Well, it’s not going to change their mind. They’ve already decided anyone different than they are, will go to hell.

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WCTI NewsChannel 12
April 9 at 7:11pm ·
“Bathroom Bill” supporters gathered for a prayer rally in Jacksonville [NC] today. A handful of opponents also showed up.
Conservative Christian activists rallied at the Freedom Fountain in Jacksonville in support of House Bill 2. Dissenters of the bill also attended the rally to protest it. House Bill 2, also known as, “The Bathroom Bill,” is a new state law that requires transgender people to use bathrooms based on their biological sex and bans state lawsuits for any type of workplace discrimination.

And how is this law going to stop a person from entering a bathroom or locker room? It’s not. No more than a law against murder is going to stop people from being killed. These laws serve one purpose, to provide legal action after the fact, which is unnecessary since there are already laws on the books for assault, rape, etc. if such an act were to occur. This bill is nothing more than ignorant bigotry over something most don’t understand or identify with. These people assume that because someone is LGBT they are equivalent to immoral, sex offenders or pedophiles. It’s a stupid connection that has no basis in fact. This law is fear mongering, nothing else.

April 9th
Ancient Origins
April 9 2016 8:00am
A Latin grimoire called The Arbatel de magia veterum (The Magic of the Ancients) was a Renaissance-period book covering ceremonial magic and the occult. Its focus was on nature, and the natural, positive relationships between the celestial world and humans. Despite its dark reputation, it was one of the most influential books of its time. ‪#‎grimoire‬ ‪#‎occult‬.

The only thing that made this “dark” was the Christian condemnation of the concepts of magik. If it’s not their way, it’s of the devil and evil. A perfect example of how wrong fundamental religion can manipulate and degrade the positive offerings from other religions or belief systems.

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A Share from Facebook:
Tony Stewart
April 9 2016 2:20pm
When we say Tony Stewart is a “hands-on” team owner, we mean it. Here’s proof.

I love that he’s not afraid to get his hands dirty and steps in to help the teams where ever he can! Not to mention all the work he does away from NASCAR helping track owners make the most of their big events for Sprint Cars. Like getting on a tractor and working on the track surface. THAT is a true compassionate and supportive man who wants everyone to be as successful as they can be! That’s what a real man does, he doesn’t threaten, degrade or put down others who are trying to make their own dreams come true.

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ABCNews.com.co
By abcnews – April 9, 2016
NBA Cancels 2017 All-Star Game In North Carolina Over Anti-LGBT Law

Well this is funny – sort of – You really have to check your sources people.

A spoof website put up this story and tweeted it with the “@ABC” handle. That made a lot of people, even a few professional reporters I follow on Twitter, believe that it’s true. They immediately started retweeting the story. The problem is: abcnews.com.co <– the website that reported the story isn’t owned by ABC. It’s a private registration that sort of looks like an ABC site. But if you look closer, the logo is off; as is the by line and elements of the story itself.

Responding to a tweet about this, and before I checked the sources, I said:
Yeah for the NBA! You can’t legislate hate & bigotry. Maybe NC politicians will realize that soon.

That got the following response:
.. it’s not hate or bigotry, what about some perv that dresses up as a woman to creep or prey on our daughters?..

Ok, how short sighted are people? This law, and any law like it, will not stop people who want to conduct a criminal act from doing exactly what this man suggests. There’s a law against rape, yet that doesn’t stop rape from happening. Any person who wants abuse other people, will find a way to get around the law, or even ignore it. This law hurts more people than it helps and it is based in hate and bigotry.

By
2016

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