Vindication
Vindicate me, O God,
Guard against the evil;
Deceitful who are flawed,
As friends of the devil.
Judge me and plead my cause,
Against this wicked place;
Cleansing me any flaws,
Showing mercy and grace.
For you I take refuge,
Why have you rejected;
I ask not to refuse,
A servant selected.
For I go on mourning,
Because of oppression;
Feeling like a scorning,
From lustful obsession.
Send out your light and truth,
Let them lead through the dark;
Stop me being uncouth,
To Your place I embark.
I go to Your altar,
Exceeding joy I praise;
Do not let me falter,
While another strays.
Cast down never my soul,
Stop the conflicts within;
Take the helm and control,
Steer me away from sin.
Copyright © 2021 Richard Newton Sherrer
... More
CORONAVIRUS UPDATE USA 3 AUGUST 2021
Please, visit the site for the picture. The picture is not visible here.
The New York Times
By Jonathan Wolfe
President Biden singled out the governors of Florida and Texas, where cases have risen sharply, criticizing their pandemic response.
Tyson Foods, one of the largest meat processors in the U.S., will require vaccines for its workers.
Wuhan, the city in China where the virus emerged, will test all residents after its first outbreak in over a year.
Get the latest updates here, as well as maps and a vaccine tracker.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
We´re not where we thought we´d be
Eighteen months into writing this newsletter ´ and after a brief post*vaccination high this summer ´ I´m struck by how similarly frustrating things today feel compared to the earlier, darker days of the pandemic.
Mask wearing is back. A return to the office for many is nowhere in sight. Friends are canceling summer vacations. Parents of unvaccinated children are worried about school safety precautions ´ yet again.
The national outlook is worsening quickly: The country reported a daily average of nearly 86,000 new infections yesterday, up from about 12,000 in early July.
The crisis President Biden once thought he had under control is changing shape faster than the country can adapt. An evolving virus, new scientific discoveries, deep ideological divides and a year and a half of ever*changing pandemic messaging have left Americans with a sense of whiplash, and skeptical of public health advice. The White House´s promised "summer of joy" has instead turned into a summer of confusion.
Across the country, the questions are piling up again: Can I eat inside at a restaurant or bar? Should children be wearing masks when they go to school in September? What, exactly, is it about the Delta variant that people are supposed to be worried about? And what should they do about it?
There is no easy answer. The risk is different for different people, depending on whether they are vaccinated and the level of infections in their community. (What hasn´t changed is that vaccines remain effective and highly protective against hospitalization and death, even among those infected with the extremely contagious Delta variant. Mask wearing prevents transmission of the virus to those most at risk.)
On top of the confusion, the belated realization among Americans that the coronavirus will become endemic, and a problem that we may be dealing with for many years, is sparking denial. Stat News writes that the early focus on herd immunity as a way out of the pandemic has fueled this current sense of disillusionment. Americans expected to be able to clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel by now.
But while herd immunity through vaccine coverage may not be the magical wand we once thought it was, the long term picture for our ability to fight the pandemic is still positive. Nothing in the virus´s recent evolution suggests it can completely take over the immune systems of those who´ve been vaccinated or previously infected.
"It´s a slower progression with a less clear*cut end," Jennie Lavine, an epidemiological researcher at Emory University, told Stat News. "That doesn´t mean there´s not an end. It´s just harder to see it definitely, and disappointing when it didn´t happen the way we were maybe led to believe."
________________________________________________________________________________________
Cutting through the Delta confusion
The rise of the Delta variant is making many people who are vaccinated review their behaviors to stay safe and avoid breakthrough infections. My colleague Tara Parker*Pope, the founding editor of the Well section, asked experts for advice. Here are some of the answers.
What´s the real risk of a breakthrough infection after vaccination?
Although the C.D.C. has stopped tracking breakthrough cases, about half of all states report at least some data on breakthrough events. The Kaiser Family Foundation recently analyzed much of the state*reported data and found that the rate of breakthrough cases reported among those fully vaccinated is "well below 1 percent in all reporting states, ranging from 0.01 percent in Connecticut to 0.29 percent in Alaska."
When should I wear a mask?
The C.D.C. has a color*coded map of Covid*19 outbreaks in the U.S. The agency advises people to wear masks if they live in an orange or red zone ´ which now accounts for about 80 percent of the counties in the United States. Infection numbers remain relatively low in much of the Northeast and Upper Midwest, while Delta has caused huge spikes in cases in Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida.
Should I upgrade my mask?
You will get the most protection from a high*quality medical mask like an N95 or a KN95, although you want to be sure you have the real thing. A KF94 is a high*quality medical mask made in Korea, where counterfeits are less likely. If you don´t have a medical mask, you still get strong protection from double masking with a simple surgical mask under a cloth mask. A mask with an exhale valve should never be worn, since it allows plumes of viral particles to escape.
Can I still dine at restaurants?
The answer depends on local conditions, your tolerance for risk and the health of those around you. Risk is lowest in communities with high vaccination rates and very low case counts. A restaurant meal in Vermont, where two*thirds of the population is vaccinated, poses less risk than an indoor meal in Alabama or Mississippi, where just one*third of the residents are vaccinated. Parents of unvaccinated children and people with compromised immune systems may want to order takeout or dine outdoors as an added precaution.
Read Tara´s full Q. and A. here.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
New York City´s vaccine mandate
New York City will become the first U.S. city to require proof of at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine for a variety of activities for workers and customers ´ including indoor dining, gyms, entertainment, indoor movies, concerts and performances, including on Broadway, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today.
The program, similar to mandates issued in France and Italy last month, is meant to put pressure on people to get vaccinated and will start on Aug. 16. After a transition period, enforcement will begin on Sept. 13.
"If you want to participate in our society fully, you´ve got to get vaccinated," de Blasio said. "It´s time."
To enter indoor venues, patrons must use the city´s new app, the state´s Excelsior app or a paper card to show proof of vaccination. People will be able to dine outdoors without showing proof of vaccination. Children younger than 12 will not be excluded from venues because they are not eligible to be vaccinated, the mayor said. But the details of those plans remain to be worked out.
The mayor said the city consulted with the U.S. Department of Justice and got a "very clear message" that it was legal to move forward with these mandates, even without full F.D.A. approval for the vaccines.
About 66 percent of adults in the city are fully vaccinated, higher than the national figure at 61 percent, although pockets of the city have lower rates.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Vaccine rollout
Cyberattackers shut down vaccine bookings for Rome and its region.
Over the past three weeks in the U.S., all 50 states have reported an increase in vaccinations, with the national rate up more than 73 percent, ABC reports.
In Texas, the unvaccinated fall into two main groups: white rural conservatives and Black and Latino people in big cities, the Texas Tribune reports.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron is answering vaccine skeptics on TikTok and Instagram.
See how the vaccine rollout is going in your county and state.
Subscribe Today
We hope you´ve enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times with this special offer.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
What else we´re following
President Biden is expected to announce a new eviction moratorium for places hard hit by the Delta variant.
The F.D.A. authorized a preventive Covid antibody treatment, an option for the millions of Americans who have compromised immune systems, NBC reports.
Bangladesh is struggling to contain its worst wave of infections yet.
Japan tries a new tactic as virus surges: Public shaming.
Israel will add 18 more countries, including the U.S., to its quarantine list.
The Atlantic reports that Congress has axed a $30 billion proposal to the current reconciliation package that would help the country fight the next pandemic.
McDonald´s is requiring U.S. customers and employees to wear masks at restaurants in areas of high transmission, USA Today reports.
Here´s the latest business response to the Delta variant.
What you´re doing
We have followed every rule, guideline and mandate from the governor. We were brought to tears when we were able to get our vaccines. My husband is a diabetic and 65. I am 64. We were feeling relief in the early summer as if "normal" was almost back. Then this week we both tested positive for Covid*19. We had to cancel our beach vacation and are isolating. I feel anger and disappointment. Everything we sacrificed this past year and we still got sick.
´ Susan Morrison, North Carolina
Kris~ Dreamweaver
www.poetrypoem.com/Dreamweaver
3rd August 2021.
... More
Whispers Of Eternity
You can hear the sound of creation
Quietly whispering through space
Last remnants of the explosion as
The Big Bang first took place,
Starting off the expansion
That ended in contraction
That in time formed the first stars,
Can still hear sound of that reaction.
And, so the process started with
No indication of hurry or haste
And they say in this long process
Never an iota of any material waste.
Every atom of every element used
Over and over and over again
A constant recycling so that
Never any matter loss or gain.
Everything is made of stardust,
Even beings like you or I
And we return to stardust
When we eventually die,
And eons in the future
We may have drifted afar
To be part of the substances
That coalesce to birth a new star.
In the context of the universe
Is that not a type of rebirth,
Being part of a star that in time may
Nurture and harbour a new Earth.
A beautiful concept as the universe
Renews and steadily moves on
So that in one form or another
A being is never ever truly gone.
Maybe with no consciousness
Maybe without any soul
Maybe just a sense of satisfaction
Of being the part of a new whole.
There are stars in nurseries
Just waiting to fully form
Made from matter of the dead
In that celestial renewal norm
... More
He has lifted me
He has lifted me
from sorrow and made me free
Because of the love of Christ in me
i feel joy and victory!
I will run the race in Christ today
i will pray to Him and will not stray
OH how He has touched my heart
He has given me a brand new start!
Oh how i love thee
because He has proved to all humanity
That He died upon a tree
the blood He shed for you and me
No turning back im humbled by He
thankyou dear Jesus for dieing upon that tree!
3/8/2021
love Michelle Lee Carter
... More
In afterglow 2
In afterglow 2
Shall I tell of secrets spawned,
In dreams of love on nights too short,
Thoughts that transcend worldly ways,
A whispered wish, a promise made.
Does love demand we ask too much?
Oh, yes my dear, I'm sure it does.
Love*locked fingers, hearts entwined,
Calmer now, love's storm's passed by,
Lover's head on heaven's breast,
A time to spoon, a time to rest.
A time when two are joined as one,
Combined in fortune, faith, and love,
As moonlight traces love*moist flesh,
A kiss that fairly takes the breath.
Touch, where touch, may reap the most,
Where gentle tongue may gently stroke,
Lips that linger, love that lasts, scorching
Fingers, soft caress, pillow giggles, eyes
Divine, another storm will rage tonight.
His strength restored, her legs relaxed,
Her arms reached out, she pulls him back.
Into that place moist, soft and sweet,
Where dreams begin and love completes.
© Joseph G Dawson
... More
No One--I Know Who I Am
No One
likes to be marinated
nor boiled down to one hard word
my Momma kept my hair clipped
for her convenience
shorn
and exposed
like a boy
excuse me SON
he said
I'm not a boy
I said
he repeated the offending sentence
I"M NOT A BOY
I yelled
and quickly off*ended
the offending shin
limping away
he remembered
I'm an OLD SOUL
I whispered tightly
under my sucked*in breath
offenders must not make a show
I gave him a sweet
in the shape of my heart
he did not know
it was my heart
and so he laughed
valentines
are the fools
of fifteen year olds
who have the hearts
of elephants
and the illusions
of butterflies
and the hope
of a hummingbird
testing each flower
for the nectar
of love
but
craving only one
I was a GIRL
in his eyes
slant eyes needing glasses
a correction that would never
have allowed him to see
who was in front of him
not a girl
but a capacity great
for love
the sweet being its
frail melting offering
years later
the wife
not the competition
using the same word to
outline my existence
I'm not a GIRL
I never was one
didn't have the chance to be
look at me
wear your glasses
I AM
the OLD SOUL
I think you need
correction.
LEGAL COPYRIGHT FOR THIS POEM WRITTEN DIRECTLY TO THE PAGE
5:05 AM PST AUGUST 2 2021 TIME AND DATE STAMPED
AND ALSO FOR THIS POET MELISSA A HOWELLS
AND ALSO FOR THIS LEGALLY REGISTERED AND COPYRIGHTED
SITE TITLE NAME: MELOO STRAIGHT FROM HER TILT*A*WORLD
... More
FOR SOME CRAZY - BUT GLORIOUS REASON
FOR SOME CRAZY * BUT GLORIOUS REASON
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Written by Stella C Mitchell
19th July 2021.
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Did you know * my friends * that
Our wonderful Saviour * knows our
Past * and our future * and all in between *
And for some crazy * but glorious reason * He
Still loves us dearly * and wants us to be
Close by His side * and be known
As His own ?
Sometimes * I can't fathom such
Love from our Father in Heaven * when
He knows all our faults * and the wrongs we
Have done * but * even then * He calls us His own
Special treasure * and was willing to redeem
Us to Himself * with the price of
His Son .
And the thought that His son *
Agreed with His Father * and was
Willing to pay for our ransom * with His
Own sinless life * and His blood * and to think
That our God still thought we were worth it
When He died for our sins * when
Nothing within us * was either
Worthy * or good .
But * O what a plan * was devised
In the Heavens * that would come into
Being at the Fall of mankind * when the Father
The Son * and the power of their Spirit * set in motion
The Redemptive plan of the ages * to break
The stronghold of Death * and the
Chains * of the Graves
Fearful bind .
And * so my friends * let us always
Remember * the great price that was
Paid * to save us from eternal damnation
And to give us a Hope and a Future * in Heaven
Above * and all because of the compassion
Of Jesus * who gives us New Life *
Through the Father's
Great love .
And
Nothing can separate us from the
Love of God * in Christ Jesus *
Our LORD .
Romans 8 v 39
Amen
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Dear friends . it always amazes me when
I think of the enormous price Jesus paid to
redeem us back to His Father in Heaven .
None of us deserved it . but God thought
we were worth it .
How wonderful is that ?
I pray each one reading these words will
give their hearts to the LORD and be
Born Again .
All you have to do is ask .
God bless you all
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""".
... More
From. Every. Heartache. Hurts. And. Shame. Call. Out. And. Pray. To. Gods. Holy. Petrfect. Heavenly. LOVINGNESS. The. SAME
From
Every
Heartache
Hurts
And
Shames.:
Call. Out.
To. GOD. And. PRAY
to. His. PERFECT. HOLY
HEAVENLY*LOVINGNESS
And. You. Shall. Be. MIRACLE
B. L. E. S. S. E. D. With. PeaceFULNESS
and. SERENITY. WELLNESS. And
H. A. P. P. I. N. E. S. S
the. GODBLESSED:
SAMES:
By. John. D. Jungers
01*August*2021
... More