Agnotology, ethnicity, and New Year resolutions
Do you find it tough to find something to be thankful for this year? If we pause to think, we’ll have cause to thank. Here are seven reasons why I’m thankful. 1. I’m thankful that the men and women who founded our nation did so on their knees and with a sense of divine calling. 2. Though I’m a cheesehead from Wisconsin, I can think of no place I’d rather live than the Quad-Cities. 3. I’m thankful to minister alongside a stellar group of other pastors and leaders at Edgewood Baptist Church and for many other gospel-preaching pastors in our community. 4. I’m thankful for a church that lives on mission. I’m especially thankful that most of them stay awake during my sermons. 5. I’m thankful for four beautiful daughters who have their mother’s good looks and personality. I’m grateful for godly sons-in-law, and for the privilege of leaving a legacy of faith to nine grandchildren. 6. I’m thankful that God has allowed me to be married to my best friend. I still marvel that she said, “yes” to me. I’m thankful that she knows me better than anyone else, and yet still loves me. 7. I’m thankful for my college roommate who had the courage to challenge my beliefs and point me to Jesus. I’m thankful that Christ saved me from my sins and that I’ll spend eternity with him, not because I deserve it, but because I don’t. What are you thankful for? Brian Bill Moline When I see a soldier today, I try not to stare. He brings back memories when my neighbors lost their only son. They were humble people living in a small house on Highway 136. When neighbors gathered there, my parents went but left my older brothers and me at home. The next day, I saw the huge, deep purple bow on our neighbor’s door and knew their soldier son had lost his life in the war. In the ‘40s, even us youngsters knew that dreaded purple bow represented death. Countless others shared his fate. On Veterans Day, we fly flags in the cemeteries because, other than in our memories, that is the only presence for the fallen. Never forget the history of our nation nor that we even have a history at all. When we are vulnerable, we must nurture the strength to sustain our country. We should pause to realize who provides us with the security we enjoy and approach the present, and our future, with purpose. We are soldiers, too. There’s no clock for our remembrance, it’s always! Today, when I see a soldier in a restaurant, I buy his meal — such a small thing for someone with such a huge job. I’m grateful. Quietly I pay, then touch his shoulder and say, “Thank you for your service.” He respectfully replies, “You are welcome.” Then, I proudly walk out the door into America. Joyce (Trueblood) Spidle Moline Thank you once again, Don Wooten, for your spot-on column in the Sunday, Nov. 17 edition. I always look forward to your comments. Pat Martel Moline Do you know the difference between a legal immigrant and an illegal immigrant? Neither do I. They are made in the image of God the same as you and me. They are here to make an important contribution the same as you and me. Jane Broughton Davenport As a retired U.S. Army officer, I have had the profound honor of serving alongside some of the bravest men and women this nation has to offer. Regardless of where we came from or the political leanings we may have held, we were united under a single oath: to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. This sacred pledge transcends party lines, ideological divides, and political whims. It is deeply troubling, then, to witness the creeping weaponization of our armed forces. The military is the bedrock of national unity, an institution where Americans of all stripes come together to serve with honor and selflessness. But as divisions in society grow more pronounced, there are increasing attempts to draw our service members into the bitter fray of partisan politics. This must not stand. The U.S. military exists to serve the people, not political agendas. It must remain steadfast, impartial and mission-focused. Politicizing the ranks undermines morale, readiness, and the trust the American people place in their defenders. It jeopardizes our ability to respond to threats and weakens the very fabric of our democracy. We who have worn the uniform know that unity is not just a lofty ideal — it is a necessity. Our military must be a sanctuary where patriotism, not politics, reigns supreme. We serve not a president, a party, or an ideology, but the Constitution and the nation it represents. Let us remember that, and ensure our armed forces remain above the fray. Patrick Peacock Milan President-elect Trump, even after having vitriolic slings, arrows and bullets aimed at him during his second successful campaign for U. S. President, has as his highest desire repairing, rebuilding and reuniting a damaged America. Some Americans understand this. Often at Trump’s rallies/gatherings heartfelt chants of “We love you!” are directed toward Trump by all participants regardless of their social status in life. Trump takes common-sense approaches including listening to and working with people to build good solutions. It doesn’t seem to matter to him whether these people are Mar-a-Lago groundskeepers and their families or world leaders who initially fear but eventually respect Trump as America’s president. Trump doesn’t start wars; he ends wars. His intention is to prevent the potential annihilation of humankind and to seek peace worldwide through strength. During the next four years, truths that will be made public include those concerning: The JFK assassination; The Donald Trump assassination attempts; the 2020 COVID pandemic; The 2020 presidential election; the Jan. 6 Commission; the healthcare of America; the Climate Change/Green New Deal; the Globalists seeking world control. In addition, there will be corrections of the previous administration’s mistakes that include: creating wars; promoting tsunamis of illegal immigrants; ignoring Constitutional precepts while advancing anti-American ideologies; stirring-up disharmony in America’s society. There will be reorganizations of the FBI, CIA, DOJ, and other non-elected bureaucratic government organizations in order to ensure these organizations actually foster America’s interests. America has been given an opportunity for rebirth. Let us not squander it. John R. Horn Davenport Get opinion pieces, letters and editorials sent directly to your inbox weekly!As Donald Trump prepares to fulfill a lengthy list of campaign promises, the president-elect's vow to ensure that all remaining Bitcoin is "made in the USA" may prove to be one of the most challenging to keep. Trump made the pledge in a post on his Truth Social account in June after meeting at Mar-a-Lago with a group of executives from crypto miners, the companies whose massive, high-tech data centers do the work that facilitates transactions on the blockchain in exchange for compensation paid in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. The gathering was a key juncture in Trump's transformation from a crypto skeptic to one of the industry's strongest allies. "It is a Trump-like comment but it is definitely not in reality," said Ethan Vera, chief operating officer at Seattle-based Luxor Technology, which provides software and services to miners. While seen widely as a symbolic pledge of support, it's near impossible in practice since blockchains are decentralised networks in which no one controls or can be banned from participating in the process. On a practical basis, the sector is becoming increasingly competitive as large-scale operations pop up across the world to get a slice of the tens of billions of dollars in revenue generated each year by the industry. Crypto Tracker TOP COIN SETS Web3 Tracker 15.95% Buy DeFi Tracker 12.77% Buy AI Tracker 12.07% Buy Crypto Blue Chip - 5 5.42% Buy BTC 50 :: ETH 50 4.99% Buy TOP COINS (₹) Tether 86 ( 0.37% ) Buy BNB 58,813 ( -1.79% ) Buy Bitcoin 8,190,326 ( -3.15% ) Buy Ethereum 284,753 ( -4.45% ) Buy XRP 184 ( -5.9% ) Buy Russian oligarchs, Dubai royal families and Chinese businessmen in Africa are some of the freshest competitors. Deep pockets and access to vast amounts of power are spurring them to join in on the lucrative but energy-intensive process. About 95% of the 21 million Bitcoin that will ever be created have already been minted, though the hard cap on production isn't expected to be met for about 100 years. Did you Know? The world of cryptocurrencies is very dynamic. Prices can go up or down in a matter of seconds. Thus, having reliable answers to such questions is crucial for investors. View Details » The Bitcoin mining sector in the US has morphed into a multi-billion dollar industry over the last several years as the token saw exponential increases in prices. However, the total computing power generated from US-based miners is well below 50% and it is impossible to power the entire network by domestic companies, according to industry analysts. 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They have more specific information on mining locations through their software that aggregates computing power to increase chances for miners to get Bitcoin rewards. US miners such as CleanSpark and Riot Platforms were quick to support Trump, banking on the former-president to ease scrutiny on the environmental impact of the high-energy use process, curb competition from overseas and to roll back what they view as restrictive guidelines under the Biden administration. Trump's support of crypto helped to generate about $135 million in campaign contributions during the last election cycle, the most by any one industry. Despite rapid expansion in the US and the latest bull run in the crypto market, economic sanctions by the US and rampant inflation in some emerging economies have spurred overseas miners to ramp up their operations even more. "There is huge growth coming up in a few different markets," said Taras Kulyk, chief executive of Synteq Digital, which is one of the largest brokers for specialized computers for Bitcoin mining. (You can now subscribe to our ETMarkets WhatsApp channel )
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