The Unexpected Journey: Where will your journey end?

Oct 2, 2023

 

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We like to make plans and be certain of the results, to know what is coming around the corner. Some Sunday thoughts.

Timestamps, Links, and Resources

0:00- Intro

2:47- 10 Best Dumbledore quotes

@DrEricDing
Actor Sir Michael Gambon (“Albus Dumbledore” in the original Harry Potter movies, after the first one) has died. May he rest in peace.

10 best Dumbledore quotes:

1. “Words are, in my not-so-humble opinion, our most inexhaustible source of magic. Capable of both inflicting injury, and remedying it.”

2. “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

3. “People find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.”

4. “It is my belief that the truth is generally preferable to lies.”

5. “While we may come from different places and speak in different tongues, our hearts beat as one.”

6. “Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it.”

7. “Curiosity is not a sin, but we should exercise caution with our curiosity.”

8. “I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind.”

9. “It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be.”

10. “The truth: It is a beautiful and terrible thing, and should therefore be treated with caution.”

Proverbs 12:18

The words of the reckless pierce like swords,
but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Harry Potter Playlist

 

Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7)
Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7) [J. K. Rowling, Mary GrandPré] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Harry Potter Paperback Box Set (Books 1-7)

 

“Are You Willing to be Wrong? – from “Resurrecting Jesus” by Dale Alison

11:30- The Unexpected Journey

What Kind of Love is This?: Finding God in the Darkness
Charlotte Thomason endured unspeakable sexual, physical, and emotional abuse at the hands of her parents and other family members throughout her childhood. What Kind of Love is this? Finding God in the Darkness, follows Charlotte as she guides her granddaughter, Angel, through her chaotic life. As the story unfolds, Charlotte is mired in doubt that anyone could love her, let alone God, and her life is torn apart by sexual addiction and mental illness. She realizes her life depends on remembering, accepting God's love, and learning to cope with her forgotten childhood trauma.
Light in the Darkness: 25 Devotionals for Trauma Survivors
Light in the Darkness: 25 Devotionals for Trauma Survivors [Thomason, Charlotte B.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Light in the Darkness: 25 Devotionals for Trauma Survivors

Videos with Charlotte Thomason

 

Choose Your Own Adventure 4-Book Boxed Set #1 (The Abominable Snowman, Journey Under The Sea, Space And Beyond, The Lost Jewels of Nabooti)
Amazon.com: Choose Your Own Adventure 4-Book Boxed Set #1 (The Abominable Snowman, Journey Under The Sea, Space And Beyond, The Lost Jewels of Nabooti): 9781933390949: R. A. Montgomery: Books

 

18:26- The truth about the Texas border crisis

Community post about the border
https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxVj4KA2JY7ScjZW3Cv-XIYrSqTQJ2cD4w

@BradBeauregardJ US Border Patrol agents had to cut the razor wire that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott ordered to be installed at the border in order to rescue a group of migrants with young children.

@RaisedtoWalk The border is trending bc a group of migrants, incl children, had to be rescued from @GregAbbott_TX death traps & ignorant people yapping about “open borders.”

Just a reminder, they have NO idea what they are talking about.

Asylum is a LEGAL path

But @TXGOPCaucus & propagandists like @RepTonyGonzales
bank on COVID damaged brains & lack of critical thinking skills on the part of their voters & make deceptive posts like this one, assured people won’t care to verify.

It is not 4k -crossing- every day, it was over two days. Processing isn’t instantaneous

Who knew the head of CBP was a comedian? “Maintaining access to legal pathways.” This has to be a joke. People SHOULD be able to claim asylum w/o risking @GregAbbott_TX’s death traps. If there were REGULAR paths, no one would use smugglers

We used to process 5k immigrants A DAY at Ellis Island alone. In the 21st century, we’re piddling through limited CBP One app appointments & treating everyone else like criminals

In this episode of the Afghanistan Project Podcast, Jill Marie Busey explains the insanity of our immigration system

Once the asylum seekers at the Southern border are processed, they file for asylum and wait in the million+ case backlog

In 2019, refugees added $93.6 bn to the economy. Since then we’ve lost over a million citizens from COVID & tens of millions are now disabled. Logic would see immigrants as a blessing. But @GregAbbott_TX & @RepTonyGonzales trade on xenophobia & ignorance

September 21, 2023: September 21, 2023: Eagle Pass declares disaster as 4,000 migrants cross in two days
https://www.expressnews.com/politics/article/border-migrants-eagle-pass-18378330.php

September 25, 2023: Mexico agrees to deport migrants after El Paso reaches “breaking point”
Mexican immigration officials said they will negotiate with five countries’ governments to ensure they will take back their citizens. The agreement was announced after shelters in El Paso said they are over capacity.
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/25/texas-migrants-border-mexico-deport-el-paso/

August 7, 2023: Biden administration sued over asylum appointment app that ‘does not work’
CBP One requirement creates unlawful hurdle for migrants on app riddled with glitches and indecipherable error messages, suit says
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/07/biden-administration-lawsuit-cbp-one-app

The Afghanistan Project Podcast Episode 25: Jill Marie Bussey

August 18, 2023:  Featured Issue: Immigration Court Backlog and Reprioritization
Featured Issue: Immigration Court Backlog and Reprioritization
https://www.aila.org/infonet/featured-issue-immigration-court-backlog5

July 19, 2023: Addressing Mexico’s role in the US fentanyl epidemic
U.S. domestic prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and law enforcement measures are fundamental and indispensable to countering the devastating fentanyl crisis.

Addressing Mexico’s role in the US fentanyl epidemic

Remembering Ellis Island’s Busiest Day: How Has Immigration Changed Since 1907?
https://www.immigrationresearch.org/node/28585

@RaisedtoWalk And why might this be happening? Maybe because Mexico is going to start deporting immigrants that are waiting to win the lottery of a CBP One app appt?https://twitter.com/RaisedtoWalk/status/17082145154714504645

Weekly U.S.-Mexico Border Update: August Migration Data, Mexico’s Response, Government Shutdown

Weekly U.S.-Mexico Border Update: August Migration Data, Mexico’s Response, Government Shutdown

September 25, 2023: Mexico agrees to deport migrants after El Paso reaches “breaking point”
Mexican immigration officials said they will negotiate with five countries’ governments to ensure they will take back their citizens. The agreement was announced after shelters in El Paso said they are over capacity.
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09/25/texas-migrants-border-mexico-deport-el-paso/

July 31, 2018 At US Ports of Entry, the Government Is Denying Asylum to Those Seeking Refuge

At US Ports of Entry, the Government Is Denying Asylum to Those Seeking Refuge

37:21- What is driving the surge at the border?

42:00- The Center for Immigration Studies – a Propaganda Machine

September 21, 2023: New Records: Biden DHS Has Approved Hundreds of Thousands of Migrants for Secretive Foreign Flights Directly into U.S. Airports
https://cis.org/Bensman/New-Records-Biden-DHS-Has-Approved-Hundreds-Thousands-Migrants-Secretive-Foreign-Flights

November 22, 2021: Inside a Most Unusual Mexican Migrant Camp
Local officials, US Activists, the UN – and DHS – entice thousands by offering cash, food, and legal prep
https://cis.org/Bensman/Inside-Most-Unusual-Mexican-Migrant-Camp

@Jenna___W Education is one of the strongest tools in an information war.

We have to do our homework and then share what we’ve learned, regardless of the number of disinformation trolls on this site.
I highly recommend starting tonight with these 2 docs by
@katgellin & @charleskriel
== From today through Nov. 8, two of the most important documentaries about the Great Information War are available to view for free:

People You May Know

Dis/Informed

Please watch both and share with family and friends.

And vote!

53:12- Our mistake in Afghanstan & the lesson for Ukraine

@StephanAJensen One of the most tragic aspects of the West’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan is how “well-meaning” Western progressives thought our disengagement would be the solution to all of Afghanistan’s problems.

Instead, it handed Afghanistan to the Taliban.

By peddling narcissistic arguments that all of Afghanistan’s problems had to do with Western involvement, the “anti-war” lobby gave credence to the most ethically and strategically irresponsible policy possible:

Legitimizing the Taliban and betraying our allies.

2/8

Now, the very same “anti-war” narcissists are making the very same arguments about Ukraine:

“If only we stop supporting the people defending their country and legitimate the claims of the terrorist aggressors everything will be fine.”

It’s as mad as it sounds.

3/8

The crazy reality is that the Western “anti-war” folks are the most loyal allies terrorists like the Taliban and tyrants like Putin could ask for.

Whatever our enemies’ demands are, their chorus is: “Give in!”

4/8

Because Western “anti-war” progressives are so narcissistic they can’t imagine anyone other than the West as the cause of anything, they end up supporting tyrants, authoritarians, and terrorists everywhere world – just because they aren’t “us”.

5/8

But here’s the kicker:

The result of giving in to “anti-war” appeasers is not less war – but more.

Betraying our allies and handing Afghanistan to the Taliban emboldened Putin and made him confident it was the right time to invade Ukraine…

6/8

…just like handing Hiter Czechoslovakia in 1938 emboldened him to invade Poland in 1939. Why would he stop, when no one seemed willing to make him?

The exact same applies to revisionist tyrants today.

7/8

Giving in to tyrants and terrorists only proves to them that violence, force, and threats work.

If we want to prevent more war, we must deter our enemies rather than encourage them.

That takes determination and sacrifice, not wishful thinking.

8/8

54:28- Afghanistan news

@Mojeebkabuli Brutal behavior of 🇵🇰 militaries with 🇦🇫 refugees. while we AFGs as if r temporary relocated in 🇵🇰 in order to resettle us in 🇬🇧 but most of our colleagues it’s been months nd years that remained here with no fate n like prisoner in hotels but UK gov is inattention regards of us.
== Pakistan commits crimes against Afghan refugees :

Afghan refugees have also been tortured by Pakistan’s army & police. They even torture & imprison Afghan kids. This all happens under the watch of human rights international organisations. They decided to turn a blind eye to this…

@WFPChief In just 6 months,
@WFP has been forced to completely cut food for 10M people in #Afghanistan. This was their only lifeline; now it’s gone.

WFP is committed to the Afghan people, and has no intention to leave.

We’re ready to scale up, but need funds ASAP. Lives are at stake.

@RoyGrinwis Left for Dead

Afghans who worked for Dutch-funded NGOs were told they’d be evacuated to safety, but a shift in policy left them to face the wrath of the Taliban – with consequences that have proven deadly

September 23, 2023: Left for Dead
Afghans who worked for Dutch-funded NGOs were told they’d be evacuated to safety, but a shift in policy le

Left for Dead

@KabulNow “Data gathered by @Etilaatroz , KabulNow’s affiliated Farsi newspaper, shows that at least 61 individuals have lost their lives, and 129 have been detained between August and September.”

September 27, 2023: Nearly 200 Killed and Detained in One Month; the Taliban’s Claims of Security Falter

Nearly 200 Killed and Detained in One Month;  the Taliban’s Claims of Security Falter

@shellykittleson See my reporting as well:

In August 2021, the UN stated that “nearly 3 out of 5 children in #Iraq have no access to safely managed water services and less than half of all schools in the country have access to basic water”

July 18, 2023: Water woes multiply in Iraq and the greater region
Worsening water scarcity threatens much of the Arab world as Iraq struggles to plan for the future
https://en.majalla.com/node/295676/politics/water-woes-multiply-iraq-and-greater-region

April 5, 2023: ‘Not A Problem But A Disaster’: Afghan Canal A Test For Taliban Ties In Water-Stressed Central Asia
https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-taliban-canal-water-central-asia/32350996.html

August 13, 2021: Will Afghanistan’s centuries-old ‘Karez’ system of irrigation survive the Taliban
The Taliban are set to overtake Kabul; but an expert believes they will spare the age-old Karez system of underground aqueducts in the country given its importance
https://www.downtoearth.org.in/news/water/will-afghanistan-s-centuries-old-karez-system-of-irrigation-survive-the-taliban-78451

August 20, 2023: Taliban bringing water to Afghanistan’s parched plains via massive canal
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/08/20/afghanistan-taliban-canal-amu-darya/

July 7, 2023: Iran and Afghanistan are feuding over the Helmand River. The water wars have no end in sight.

Iran and Afghanistan are feuding over the Helmand River. The water wars have no end in sight.

August 4, 2023: On the Afghanistan-Iran border, climate change fuels a fight over water
Researchers fear warming will intensify sometimes violent conflict
https://www.science.org/content/article/afghanistan-iran-border-climate-change-fuels-fight-over-water

July 21, 2023: Why Is The Euphrates River Drying Up And What Does It Mean?
The Bible suggested this means the Rapture is coming, but water wars might be a more earthly problem.
https://www.iflscience.com/why-is-the-euphrates-river-drying-up-and-what-does-it-mean-69923

August 3, 2023: Climate Change Is Drying Up the Euphrates River, Threatening Middle Eastern Civilizations
The Euphrates River drying up will be detrimental to cultures in multiple Middle Eastern countries.
https://www.greenmatters.com/climate-action/euphrates-river-drying-up

March 6, 2023: No water by 2040: The crisis engulfing Iraq and its historic river flow
https://www.bmj.com/content/380/bmj.p468

The Future of the Euphrates River in Syria
A Cradle of Civilization Cries for Help
https://features.csis.org/the-future-of-the-Euphrates-River/

Revelation 16:12 ESV

12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on pthe great river Euphrates, and qits water was dried up, rto prepare the way for the kings sfrom the east.

1:00:10- Stewardship: Part of our role as God’s imagers

1:01:30- Greg Abbott destroying the Rio Grande

August 11, 2023: Environmentalists raise concerns over border buoy installation impact on Rio Grande ecosystems
Bouys affecting everything that’s swimming in the river & ecosystems along Rio Grande
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/08/11/environmentalists-raise-concerns-over-border-buoy-installation-impact-on-rio-grande-ecosystems/

1:02:17- The short-sightedness of anti-immigration policies

Global population decline & bad immigration policy

Analysts have known for a long time of the projected population decline, which is expected to cause dramatic financial upheaval in countries that don’t take steps to counteract the crisis that is coming.

Prior to the COVID pandemic, the U.S. population was declining apart from immigration.

February 14, 2020: Census Finds U.S. Population Will Decline Without Immigration
https://www.cato.org/blog/census-finds-us-population-will-decline-without-immigration

Following are a number of articles discussing the issue as it affects various countries, areas, or industires.

January 27, 2023: Migration could prevent a looming population crisis. But there are catches
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/27/1151734308/immigration-economy-birth-rate-population

November 28, 2017: What the Demographic Cliff Will Mean for the Steel Industry
https://newsroom.posco.com/en/demographic-cliff-will-mean-steel-industry/

February 12, 2023: Can China Reverse Its Population Decline? Just Ask Sweden.
Wealthy countries have been trying to boost their birthrates for decades. The results have been pretty similar.

January 17, 2020: China’s Looming Crisis: A Shrinking Population
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/01/17/world/asia/china-population-crisis.html

January 16, 2023: Understanding Population Decline Trajectories in Spain using Sequence Analysis
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/gean.12357

Russia’s Demographic ‘Crisis’: How Real Is It?
https://www.rand.org/pubs/issue_papers/IP162.html

May 28, 2020: The demographic cliff is already here—and it’s about to get worse
https://eab.com/insights/expert-insight/enrollment/the-demographic-cliff-is-already-here-and-its-about-to-get-worse/

Immigrant Swan Song
Immigration can solve the demographic dilemma—but not without the right policies
https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2020/03/can-immigration-solve-the-demographic-dilemma-peri

Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World
https://www.dni.gov/files/documents/Newsroom/Reports%20and%20Pubs/2025_Global_Trends_Final_Report.pdf
An article from the Brookings Institute on the positive impact refugee populations have on the economies of host countries.

September 16, 2015: Much ado about nothing? The economic impact of refugee ‘invasions’

Much ado about nothing? The economic impact of refugee ‘invasions’

So assume you are in a country that has taken in a quarter, or even 2.6 percent, of your population as refugees fleeing war and prosecution. Would your economy collapse? Last time we checked, that was not quite the case. The Lebanese economy has been growing beyond expectations over the past two years, with the World Bank estimating 2.5 percent growth in real terms this year, the country’s highest growth rate since 2010. That is remarkable considering the hugely negative spillovers of the Syrian war on Lebanon in terms of armed conflict, and tourism and investments declining markedly, especially from Gulf countries. This economic resilience in the face of large inflows of refugees has been the case for Jordan (which has taken 630,000 Syrian refugees or around 10 percent of its population) and Turkey as well, with both economies growing consistently throughout the refugees’ inflow.

In fact, the inflow of refugees has arguably helped the Lebanese economy withstand the negative effect of its neighbor’s civil war. Refugees have been an important source of demand for locally produced services in Lebanon, funded from own savings and labor income, from remittances of relatives abroad and from international aid. In a recent World Bank report we estimate that an additional 1 percent increase in Syrian refugees increases Lebanese service exports by 1.5 percent. And the UNHCR and U.N. Development Program estimate a similar economy-wide impact from the $800 million that the U.N. spends annually on Syrian refugees in Lebanon. These effects are not unique to Syrian refugees. Burundian and Rwandan refugees fleeing war in the 1990s have generated net economic gains for their Tanzanian host communities.

As of March 10, 2023, when John Hopkins University stopped collecting data on COVID, there were 1,123,836 confirmed deaths from COVID and 103,802,702 confirmed cases.
https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/region/united-states

August 31, 2022: Life expectancy in the U.S. continues to drop, driven by COVID-19
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2022/08/31/1120192583/life-expectancy-in-the-u-s-continues-to-drop-driven-by-covid-19

SARS-CoV-2 and HIV-1: So Different yet so Alike. Immune Response at the Cellular and Molecular Level
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9608044/

March 21, 2023: COVID-19: Study Suggests Long-term Damage to Immune System
https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com/view/covid-19-study-suggests-long-term-damage-immune-system

August 21, 2023: Long COVID still worrisome 2 years after infection
Virus continues to pose risk of diabetes, lung problems, blood clots, GI issues, other conditions

Long COVID still worrisome 2 years after infection

Effect of COVID-19 on the Organs
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7470660/

September 11, 2022: Multi-organ system involvement in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): A mega review
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9731028/

June 13, 2023: Long COVID Is a Mass Disabling Condition—Treat It Like One

Long COVID Is a Mass Disabling Condition—Treat It Like One

July 23, 2023: Long COVID Persists as a Mass Disabling Event
— We must do more to show we care
https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/105599

August 21, 2023: Long Covid symptoms create a greater burden of disability than heart disease or cancer, new study shows
https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/21/health/long-covid-disease-burden/index.html

October 20, 2022: Long COVID Appears to Have Led to a Surge of the Disabled in the Workplace

Long COVID Appears to Have Led to a Surge of the Disabled in the Workplace

Nearly One in Five American Adults Who Have Had COVID-19 Still Have “Long COVID”
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/nchs_press_releases/2022/20220622.htm

1:04:15- An immigrant’s story

1:05:00- Kabul Hope update

Banking Panics of the Gilded Age
1863–1913
The late 19th century saw the expansion of the U.S. financial system but was also beset by banking panics.
https://www.federalreservehistory.org/essays/banking-panics-of-the-gilded-age

Banking Panics in the US: 1873-1933

Banking Panics in the US: 1873-1933

The Origins of Banking Panics: Models, Facts, and Bank Regulation
https://www.nber.org/system/files/chapters/c11484/c11484.pdf

May 16, 2023: Bank execs blame panicked depositors for Silicon Valley, Signature failures, but senators blame them
https://apnews.com/article/ceo-pay-bank-failures-congress-hearing-71c3ffc7d52b47bdae560ec8fa0bdb48

May 2, 2023: Former CEOs of failed banks to testify before Senate panel
https://apnews.com/article/bank-failure-ceo-senate-d0519493e85e89bf015ed4846a61f01e

1:05:00- Kabul Hope update