Happy Spring !

Monday March 20, 2017

F.B.I. director James Comey and National Security Agency (NSA) head Adm. Michael Rogers are scheduled to answer questions today as part of a House panel's investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election. Overlapping inquiries by the House, the Senate and the F.B.I. have been plagued by partisan sniping. Trump's claim that he was wiretapped on the orders of President Obama is also likely to come up. The unsubstantiated assertion has renewed a debate about whether security agencies invade Americans' privacy. No one believes Trump who sources go to conspiracy theories.

  Trump's wiretapping accusation comes to a head at Comey hearing   CNN - March 20, 2017

  The key players in Monday's Russia hearing   CNN - March 20, 2017

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Judge Neil Gorsuch is set to make his first lengthy public remarks since President Trump nominated him for the Supreme Court. The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to begin considering the judge's nomination this morning. As always so will be in favor and others strongly opposed.

  Neil Gorsuch on the issues   CNN - March 20, 2017

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March 20, 2017

International Day of Happiness

The International Day of Happiness is celebrated
throughout the world on 20 March. It was established by
the United Nations General Assembly on 28 June 2012.

Happiness means different things to each
of us and changes as we experience life.

Happiness report: Norway is the happiest place on Earth   BBC - March 20, 2017

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March 20, 2017

Spring - Vernal Equinox - Northern Hemisphere

Equal hours of Night (Darkness) and Day (Light)

Spring Equinox Around the World: Photos   Seeker

People have recognized the vernal equinox for thousands of years.
There are rituals, celebrations and traditions, personal and universal
especially at power grid points and sacred sites around the world.

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March 20, 2017

Sun in Aries

Happy Birthday to the Crystalinks readers born in Aries.

Aries is a cardinal fire sign ruled by Mars.

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March 20, 2017

Nowruz - Iranian New Year

Zarathustra - Zoroaster The Persian Prophet

The Anunnaki Gods, Aliens, Hybrids?

All nations staircase in Persepolis.

People from across Persia brought Nowruz gifts for the king.

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March 20, 2017

Alien Abduction Day

About Alien Abductions

Many were taken. How many remember?

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Remembering Chuck Berry

In my generation, we all listened and danced to Chuck Berry. We danced in school, at Paramount Theater concerts in Brooklyn and Manhattan, at parties, at home, and for me ... on TV. We danced ... we laughed ... we sang ...we had fun. I remember watching Chuck Berry on our first black and white TV. What I liked most about him was his upbeat music and disposition. His lyrics would repeat in your mind hours and days after listening to them on a vinyl record. Much of today's music, as with film and poetry, is expected to connect with pain and suffering - the patterns (algorithm) of abuse, healing, and overcoming obstacles. Sometimes music should just be fun and make you feel good ... or have we forgotten what that's like?

Chuck Berry (October 18, 1926 - March 18, 2017)

Chuck Berry was an award winning American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and one of the pioneers of rock and roll music. He was among the first musicians to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its opening in 1986; he was cited for having "laid the groundwork for not only a rock and roll sound but a rock and roll stance." Berry is included in several of Rolling Stone magazine's "greatest of all time" lists; he was ranked fifth on its 2004 list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll includes three of Berry's: "Johnny B. Goode", "Maybellene", and "Rock and Roll Music".

  Chuck Berry Google Videos

"Johnny B. Goode" is the only rock-and-roll song included on the Voyager Golden Record.
Did aliens listen and connect?

Forget yoga, meditation, or whatever you do to feel good today.

Let's sing ... Move your body as you sit there.

Stretch those shoulder and neck muscles ... Good exercise...

Science and religion are both the same thing.
They're there; they're life.
If it's not science, it's not a fact.

Chuck Berry Quotes

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Flood Stories:
Swept Away in the Tsunami
of Time and Illusion

When the old comes tumbling down at the end of our movie, dream, story, simulation ...
Many ancient ruins are being destroyed by ISIS, war, aging, and natural disasters. It's all part of the process. Exploring ruins has never been my thing. I am simply not a tourist and have always seen destruction at the end ... as it should be when people detach from physical reality and their consciousness no longer supports the grids. Ruins are more about energies that catalyze memories of creation, and your adventures in it, than anything else.

Do you remember the end of the film?

Inception

Peru floods: tourists evacuated by helicopter from Machu Picchu as homes are washed away by mudslides
The Telegraph - March 18, 2017

Swept away in Peru mudslide Daily Mail - March 16, 2017

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Are you dreaming right now, as you read this?

Autism

In the Autism Spectrum, the numbers are much higher than reported. Adults with high functioning autism are often unaware that they are affected some seeing it as OCD or Aspergers, as the patterns overlap. I've met adults who display autistic patterns and struggle to figure out the nature of emotions often having issues with relationships and physical intimacy. Careers often include working with numbers and computers. In the healing worlds, many work with others helping them bring up and process emotional baggage from their past, as the healer explores and examines the emotions experienced by the person they are working on. This overlaps into empathy and degrees of assimilation. It's all about the brain as a computer and its programmed experiences in the hologram of our reality. The 2016 film "The Accountant" brings additional insights.

Autism: New analysis method of metabolites accurately predicts whether a child has autism   Science Daily - March 17, 2017
Scientists have developed a new, highly accurate method that analyzes metabolic biomarkers to assess whether a child is on the autism spectrum. Autism spectrum disorder affects about 1.5 percent of all children, but its exact cause remains unknown, and diagnosis requires a multidisciplinary team of doctors. Previous research has revealed certain differences in metabolic processes between children on the autism spectrum and neurotypical children. However, researchers have struggled to translate these differences into new diagnostic tools.

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Edgar Cayce

Happy birthday E.C. ... No no not me ... Edgar Cayce (March 18, 1877 - January 3, 1945). Most people who enter the realms of metaphysics, no matter what door(s) they chose, find their way to Edgar Cayce studies - Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE).

Ellie Visits the A.R.E. Center in Virginia Beach - June 2015

  Edgar Cayce Google Videos

Edgar Cayce was an American psychic who claimed to
channel answers to questions on subjects such as health,
astrology, reincarnation, and Atlantis while in trance.

Dreams are today's answers to tomorrow's questions.

Edgar Cayce Quotes

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Happy St. Pat

March 17, 2017

St. Patrick's Day

The Story of St. Patrick

"I Am an American Because of Him": The Journey of Mike Pence's Irish Grandfather  
New York Times - March 17, 2017

Since I can't get out today because there's nowhere to park - I found the picture above from 2015 in front of the bagel store on 3rd. In my area one can generally find green bagels on St. Patrick's Day. In Manhattan the ice and snow along 5th Avenue have been cleared for the St. Patrick's Day Parade hopefully this year without too many political statements. Lots of pubs around the city to enjoy a pint or two with friends especially as today is a Friday and many people aren't working tomorrow. Have fun.

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Films and TV

In theaters today ... Beauty and the Beast

The obvious message is seeing beyond the physical.

Action Adventure Movies On Demand I watched this week ... All Great
Tuesday: Jack Reacher. Wednesday: The Accountant. Thursday: Passengers.

Friends are binge watching on Netflix - discovering the appeal of old TV shows and films.

Thousands of people will be watching ...

2017 NCAA Basketball Tournament TV Schedule

NCAA March Madness Basketball Championship Website

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I love the way this guy explains things!!

  We Could Back Up The Entire Internet On A Gram Of DNA  
Seeker - March 16, 2017
Nature's code for life is stored in DNA, but what if we could code
anything we wanted into DNA? Scientists are figuring out how.

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Thursday

Weather: The thaw begins today as temps go above freezing and the ice melts. Yesterday, I ventured out to visit a friend who owns store across the street ... cold, windy, icy ... so after spending time in his nice warm restaurant, I came back home.

Movies On Demand ... Action Adventure. Tuesday: Jack Reacher. Wednesday: The Accountant. Today: Passengers. Friends are binge watching on Netflix.

Autism: After watching The Accountant I read this featured article from the Daily Mail: Is your child destined to become intelligent or autistic? Genes linked to high achievement are fueling a rise in cases of the disorder

Beauty and the Beast
The Storied, International Folk History of Beauty and The Beast   Smithsonian - March 16, 2017

Politics: Do you feel there are factions behind the scenes making a list of everything that Trump is doing wrong in preparation for his downfall? Have we reached a point where anything that goes wrong we blame on him? We certainly seem headed in that direction.

In the news ...

Reality Check: President Trump plans to take his water down travel ban all the way to the Supreme Court.
  Federal judge blocks new travel ban; Trump calls it 'judicial overreach'   CNN - March 16, 2017

Revision: Will Trump produce evidence to support his claim of wiretapping?
Trump Says He'll Have More on Wiretapping Claim Soon   NBC - March 16, 2017

Expect Protests: Is there a way to fix this?
Trump federal budget 2018: Massive cuts to the arts, science and the poor   Washington Post - March 16, 2017

Body Clock: Are you a morning person? I am but my body clock has still not full adjusted to Daylight Saving Time.
Does your morning routine include ...meditation (prayer), coffee, exercise, breakfast? Mine includes breakfast.
What does your morning routine say about you?   Daily Mail - March 16, 2017
Take this test to identify the kind of person you are based on how you spend the early hours.

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Cantino Planisphere

Cantino Planisphere: is the earliest surviving map showing
Portuguese geographic discoveries in the east and west.

A Spy, a Map, and the Quest for Power in 16th-Century Europe  
National Geographic - March 16, 2017

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It's all in your genes: You are your genetic codes. I love the way this guy explains things!!

  We Could Back Up The Entire Internet On A Gram Of DNA  
Seeker - March 16, 2017
Nature's code for life is stored in DNA, but what if we could code
anything we wanted into DNA? Scientists are figuring out how.

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Political Shifts &
Unexplained Actions

The Netherlands heads to the polls   CNBC - March 15, 2017

A guide to the Netherlands' big election   Washington Post - March 15, 2017

Today's elections in the Netherlands are the first test for the far right on the continent this year. Dutch polls opened in another test of anti-establishment sentiment. The voting comes amid a rising anti-immigrant, anti-Islam populism in Europe. On Tuesday, the E.U.'s highest court ruled that companies could ban the wearing of head scarves by female employees at work. 'Dutch Trump' Geert Wilders has put the Netherlands in the global spotlight, by pledging to de-Islamize his country.

The upcoming French elections, meanwhile, continue to be marked by scandal. Republican nominee Francois Fillon was placed under formal investigation Tuesday on multiple counts, including embezzlement of public funds. He is accused of paying his wife and children for work they did not do. Fillon was already under pressure to stand down as a nominee, and those calls will likely get louder now. And he's not the only one: Far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, a Trump supporter and a front-runner, is also under scrutiny after several members of her staff were accused by officials of being paid for non-existent jobs. She is also under inquiry for violent images she sent on Twitter of ISIS killings.

US - Today, we should know if the FBI is investigating ties between Russia and the Trump campaign. FBI Director James Comey will discuss whether an investigation exists, and if so, its scope. For some reason, this seems like another one of those Trump moments where his mistakes will change nothing and for now be let go. It goes to somebody somewhere allowing Trump to stay in office no matter what. I personally think he and his staff are clueless as to how he gets away with things in such an unprecedented way. God is certainly not watching over him .... but somebody sure is.

The Federal Reserve is expected to raise its benchmark interest rate today. Credit card holders will most likely be the first to feel the effects.

  Fed expected to hike rates: 4 things to know   CNN - March 15, 2017

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Blizzard - March 14, 2017

Not much of a blizzard here so far ...

Tuesday 1:00 PM -- I woke up to the sounds of snowplows scraping along 4th Avenue. In the distance the sounds of sirens and buses were heard. The streets are basically deserted. Some people are taking the day off, others working from home. Many areas will have coastal flooding, especially after the full moon Sunday night. The temperatures are rising into the 30's so I'm looking at a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain. This is very wet heavy snow to move. The storm is expected to end by 5 PM. Stay tuned ...

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March 14, 2017

Pi Day is an annual celebration of the mathematical constant (pi).

Hey! You Can Find Pi With a Random Walk. Here's How  
Wired - March 14, 2017

Let's Calculate Pi on a Raspberry Pi to Celebrate Pi Day  
Wired - March 14, 2017

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March 14, 1879 - April 18, 1955

Albert Einstein

  Albert Einstein Google Videos

Albert Einstein was considered one
of the greatest physicists of all time.

As far as the laws of mathematics
refer to reality, they are not certain,
and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality.

Albert Einstein Quotes 1

Albert Einstein Quotes 2

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Economy - March 15, 2017

Will the debt ceiling be raised again? In 2015, instead of setting a specific dollar cap on the U.S. borrowing authority, Congress opted to suspend the debt ceiling altogether until March 15, 2017 allowing borrowing to continue while also punting responsibility to a new president and a new set of legislative leaders. The debt ceiling on Thursday will reset at America's total outstanding level on that day, which is estimated by the Bipartisan Policy Institute - a Washington think tank - to be around $20 trillion. To avoid missing payments, Treasury will then enact its extraordinary measures until if and when Congress moves to raise the debt ceiling. The Congressional Budget Office estimates those measures will allow Treasury to pay its bills in full and on time until this fall when those efforts will be completely exhausted. The debt ceiling showdown is the first of Donald Trump's presidency, coming just more than two months into his first term. While it's an issue that's popped up exactly 15 times before, sources told Fox News it presents a unique situation for the president since, at the same time, he is fighting for an overhaul of the Affordable Care Act and has vowed to pursue aggressive tax-policy overhaul. Those sources said there is concern among Republican members of Congress that GOP leadership may be burning its capital on efforts to repeal and replace the ACA as larger, pressing issues loom in the future including a must-act deadline for the debt ceiling in the fall and a potential government shutdown in April. - Fox Business

Will the Fed raise interests rates? YES. A Fed hike would bring its target range for overnight rates to 0.75 percent to 1 percent. Central bank officials have indicated that three increases are likely this year, though positive economic data and other indicators are spurring talk of more aggressive moves. - CNBC

Email from my friend Dean ....

If the Fed raises interest rates as expected this week, that means the banks will raise their rates as well. If the debt ceiling is not raised, then those who owe $$ on mortgages or large debt will be squeezed. There will less cash / credit to spend and the economy will shrink. Trump will blame Obama; Congress will blame the Fed; and the Fed will blame Trump. It's called 'pass the buck'.

There was already a housing bubble (and maybe another on the way). But, there was a story recently on the retail bubble now bursting. Stores over extended their retail footprint. As people shop more online, it has triggered a retracting of those large retail businesses such as Macy's who recently laid off 3,900 people. And, as stores retract and have less money to spend, it leads to shrinkage of inventories and less support of vendors. And, we all hate shrinkage - in either freezing snow or the economy ! hahaha

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March 15, 44 BC

Beware the Ides of March

Veni, vidi, vici

I came, I saw, I conquered.

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Full Moon

Full Moon reflecting over the water alongside the Verrazano Bridge this morning

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It was 17° as I stepped outside for a minute to video this crew filming a scene in the park.

I took this windblown selfie after returning to my nice warm apartment.

At the same time my granddaughter Joie, 14, in Gilbert, AZ took this picture.

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Aliens

March 13, 2017 - Phoenix Lights 20 Years Later - UFOs Video Blog

Phoenix Lights 1997

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March 13, 2017

Holi - Hindu Spring Festival of Colors

Google News   

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Friday

It's interesting that Trump gets what he wants - at least most of the time while making no sense to others who try to cover for him. Do Trump's own surrogates actually believe what he says? Here's a clue.   Washington Post

Trump heads into the weekend hoping to win over conservatives and senators unhappy with the House Republican health plan. He is expected to hold rallies around the country in the coming weeks to build support for the bill. Yesterday, two important House committees approved the legislation, which would undo the American Health Care Act and roll back the expansion of Medicaid - Not good. When are people going to realize that there will never be a plan that will satisfy Americans unless everyone is covered by the government and healthcare is equal for all. Many are saying that this bill is - in part - a distraction from Trump's accusations that Obama wire tapped Trump Tower.

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Weather

The big local news out of Brooklyn is the weather. It's snowing lightly but there shouldn't be much accumulation. Winter Storm Reggie, a Quick-Hitting Northeast Snowstorm Into Friday, Including New York City   Weather.com - March 10, 2017

Weather.com addresses weather conditions across the nation highlighted with wildfires in Kansas..

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Music Transforms

New YouTube documentary follows a musician making art with the sounds of Iceland  
The Verge - March 10, 2017

March 10-19, 2017

Film: March 10-18

Music: March 14-19

  SXSW Music Festival Website

SXSW Music Festival

South by Southwest (SXSW) is a set of film,
interactive, and music festivals and conferences.

Joe Biden starts things off ...

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March 11, 2017

Purim

Purim commemorates the deliverance of the Jewish people of the
ancient Persian Empire from Haman's plot to annihilate them.

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March 12 - November 5, 2017

Daylight Saving Time

  Daylight Saving Time Google Videos

2017 Guide to the When, Why, What and How

5 Weird Effects of Daylight Saving Time

Should We Cancel Daylight Saving Time?

March 12, 2017 - Full Moon 22° Virgo

Full Worm Moon

Worms have played major roles in world mythology-literature.
Its symbolic meaning is divided between death and renewal.
Some equate the symbol of the worm with the serpent or dragon.

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