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WARNING: THIS POST HAS CONTENT THAT MAY BE DISTURBING TO SOME READERS. VIEWER DISCRETION IS ADVISED!
I Am No Longer Posting On My
Blogs (But I Am Still Editing)
Due to being stressed out—and until further notice—I am no longer posting on my blogs. (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS.)
Therefore, my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Posting On My Blogs," which can be found on my "Small All White in the Forest," "Poet, Artist and Philosopher," "Three Dark Horses" and "Paul Whiting — Math Magician" blogs, may be the last post for an indefinite period of time. (By the way, I may no longer be posting on my blogs, but I am still editing my blog posts.)
And although I may no longer be posting on my blogs, I am writing 'updates' about my current "Online Activism" on my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog. (Please see the hyperlink below for the post.)
-Paul Whiting
(a.k.a., Three Dark Horses)
"I am the darkness which brings the light!"
P.S.: Plus, my above-mentioned blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was" is where I do most of my 'new' writing, because this blog post is where I document all of my current "Online Activism" in the 'updates' that I write, which are listed in date (chronological) order by year, month and day.
Please see the hyperlink below for the post:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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My Writing About Getting Ready To Die [October 10th, 2015 Update]: I am only planning on doing a limited amount of new writing, since I think that I am getting ready to die, because I am tired most of the time! Thus, I think that after being HIV-positive for so long that I am not going to be here much longer... (I was diagnosed in November of 2000.) So, I am planning to only work on my personal care (that is, my day-to-day living) and my civic duty (that is, participating in upcoming elections by voting, including 'special elections'). Plus, I am taking the time to reread, edit and revise my blogs ('writing is revising'), so that I can correct all the mistakes that I have made in my existing writing!
–Paul Whiting (written October 10th, 2015, revised November 3rd, 2015, revised November 5th, 2015, revised November 10th, 2015, revised November 21st, 2015, revised November 24th, 2015, revised December 10th, 2015, revised December 29th, 2015, revised August 3rd, 2021, revised August 27th, 2022, revised February 15th, 2023 and revised April 1st, 2024)
[I feel like I need to clarify why there are so many 'revised dates' on this 'my writing,' just like there are often times so many 'revised dates' on other 'my writings' similar to this one! You see, I really try to keep my writing consistent as possible across all of my blogs. Therefore, as I am writing, I try to use the same phraseology wherever possible with regard to similar types of my writing so that, when I am editing my writing, I can change all of the similar writing at the same time and in the same way! Thus, a lot of the revisions indicated above, after my name (–Paul Whiting), and shown right after the original 'written date,' are often times due to these aforementioned consistent-writing revisions.]
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My Writing About No Longer Being An 'Online Activist' In The Same Way That I Was Before [November 2nd, 2016 Update]: Due to being stressed out—and until further notice—I am no longer being an 'Online Activist' in the same way that I was before, which includes no longer signing petitions from political, social, environmental and charitable organizations, as well as no longer making donations to political, social, environmental and charitable causes the same way that I was in the past. (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS.) And so, I am consciously choosing to not engage in any 'activism,' however, I am still planning to exercise my 'civic duty' by voting in upcoming elections. –Paul Whiting (written November 2nd, 2016, revised March 7th, 2017, revised September 28th, 2021, revised January 11th, 2022, revised January 17th, 2022, revised June 16th, 2022, revised November 15th, 2022 and revised April 17th, 2023)
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My Writing About No Longer Posting On My Blogs [November 7th, 2016 Update]: Due to being stressed out—and until further notice—I am no longer posting on my blogs. (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS.) Therefore, my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Posting On My Blogs," which can be found on my "Small All White in the Forest," "Poet, Artist and Philosopher," "Three Dark Horses" and "Paul Whiting — Math Magician" blogs, may be the last post for an indefinite period of time. (By the way, I may no longer be posting on my blogs, but I am still editing my blog posts.) And although I may no longer be posting on my blogs, I am writing 'updates' about my current "Online Activism" on my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog. Plus, my above-mentioned blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was" is where I do most of my 'new' writing, because this blog post is where I document all of my current "Online Activism" in the 'updates' that I write, which are listed in date (chronological) order by year, month and day. –Paul Whiting (written November 7th, 2016, revised August 27th, 2022, revised February 15th, 2023, revised March 17th, 2023, revised March 18th, 2023, revised March 26th, 2023, revised April 17th, 2023, revised June 11th, 2023 and revised June 12th, 2023)
P.S.: As I mentioned above, my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was" can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the post):
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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My Writing About Still Being Alive [August 3rd, 2021 Update]: I am still alive! And I am feeling a lot better than I was feeling—a couple of months short of exactly six years ago—when I wrote my 'October 10th, 2015 Update' (that also appears as 'My Writing About Getting Ready To Die' on some of my blogs), which can be found above. Plus, I have a smartphone again, after years of only having a basic phone. So, I am editing all of my blogs, but I am still preparing for death—especially now with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I received my very first COVID-19 vaccine on June 25th, 2021, and I am now fully vaccinated for COVID-19, so there is still hope.
–Paul Whiting (written August 3rd, 2021, revised September 28th, 2021, revised June 15th, 2022, revised August 27th, 2022, revised August 28th, 2022, revised February 15th, 2023, revised June 8th, 2023 and revised April 1st, 2024)
[I feel like I need to clarify why there are so many 'revised dates' on this 'my writing,' just like there are often times so many 'revised dates' on other 'my writings' similar to this one! You see, I really try to keep my writing consistent as possible across all of my blogs. Therefore, as I am writing, I try to use the same phraseology wherever possible with regard to similar types of my writing so that, when I am editing my writing, I can change all of the similar writing at the same time and in the same way! Thus, a lot of the revisions indicated above, after my name (–Paul Whiting), and shown right after the original 'written date,' are often times due to these aforementioned consistent-writing revisions.]
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My Writing About My Blogs Being Sabotaged By Someone Who Is Very 'Tech Savvy,' Regarding The Creation Of My New Blog Which Is Titled, "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" [September 17th, 2021 Update]:
I think that my blogs are being sabotaged by someone who is very 'tech savvy,' and they may be someone that I know, because I have noticed strange things happening while I have been editing my writing! Please see my previous comment below, from "My Notes," about a former decision to stop editing my posts:
"By the way, I have decided to stop editing my posts because I have had problems with duplicate posts being created, while I am editing posts and I have accidentally deleted original posts by mistake, while trying to delete the duplicate posts. Then, I had an entire blog post disappear while I was trying to edit it. And now that I am worried that I will have blog posts disappear entirely if I try to edit them, after I have posted them, I have decided to post whatever I write and leave it at that—flaws and all!"
Thus, I have decided to condense all of my best writing into a new blog, which is titled, "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer." And so, I will be able to have "a place to place all of my best writing in one place!"
That way, I don't have to deal with the stress of having my writing posts being sabotaged (I assume) by whomever can manipulate my blogs in an effort to control my writing (I assume), since I am a writer who maybe says too much about how life really is!
Therefore, I am planning to republish my old posts on this new blog, as soon as I can figure out the most feasible way of posting them—in as chronological of an order as I can manage—while at the same time I am placing posts with similar topics in "groups," as I have done with some of the posts on my old blogs. (Please see the hyperlink below for the new blog.)
–Paul Whiting (written September 17th, 2021, revised September 21st, 2021, revised September 22nd, 2021, revised October 15th, 2021, revised November 1st, 2021 revised July 28th, 2022, revised July 29th, 2022, revised August 21st, 2022, revised February 17th, 2023 and revised February 18th, 2023)
https://paulwhitingwriting.blogspot.com
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My Writing About Receiving My First COVID-19 Booster Shot [April 4th, 2022 Update, Written On April 5th, 2022]: This update is a follow-up to my 'August 3rd, 2021 Update,' where I explained, in part, that I was fully vaccinated for COVID-19 on June 25th, 2021. You see, on April 4th, 2022, I received my first booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine! –Paul Whiting (written April 5th, 2022, revised August 27th, 2022, revised August 28th, 2022 and revised February 18th, 2023)
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My Writing About An Idea That I Had To Change The Punctuation At The End Of All Sentences In Writing From One Period Into Two Colons [January 26th, 2023 Update]: In order to make the end of sentences much more clear (and much more obvious) I think that the end of every sentence in all writing should really be two colons right next to each other, as illustrated at the end of this sentence::
Thus, the end of any writing sentence would actually be two colons, in sequence, one right after the other:: And, therefore, abbreviations within any sentence, utilizing periods to denote said abbreviations, would never be confused with the end of a sentence!
However, this change in the rules of punctuation within English grammar is simply my own idea as a "Poet, Artist and Philosopher," so to speak:: You see, I do a lot of reading about current events in order to stay a more informed voter, as well as a more informed citizen, and it can sometimes be really quite confusing while reading news articles where a particular sentence ends, and another sentence begins, if there are any periods within a sentence — or even at the end of a sentence — which are being utilized for abbreviations::
Now, I realize that I am probably not going to change the rules of English grammar with this idea of mine, but it could happen:: And this change in punctuation, at the end of all written sentences, would be the only change necessary to the punctuation of all sentences; because, as far as I can tell, there would be no other adjustments needed in the writing of any sentences, since all of the other punctuation would stay exactly the same!
Hence, if a sentence had any kind of abbreviation, such as a city and state — like Portland, Oregon — it would simply be written within a sentence as Port., Or. in this example; and that also means the abbreviation for Portland, Oregon would be written at the end of a sentence as Port., Or.::
So, as illustrated in the sentence above, an abbreviation within a sentence could never be mistaken for the end of a sentence, since the end of every sentence would always be two colons side-by-side, instead of one period:: Also, as illustrated above, an abbreviation at the end of a sentence would be really quite clear, because there are two colons at the end of each sentence, which really stands out visually as the obvious end of a sentence:: (At least, I think that it really stands out visually::)
And that is why I thought to write this idea down and publish it on my blogs in order to start a new writing trend, which could possibly make reading English a lot less strenuous under certain situations where there are abbreviations within sentences, or at the end of sentences, as I have described above::
Anyway, that's all I have to say about this new punctuation idea that I had:: Period!
–Paul Whiting (written January 26th, 2023, revised February 17th, 2023 and revised April 19th, 2023)
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My Writing About The Passing Away Of A Legend In Portland, Oregon—And Even Worldwide—Darcelle XV (a.k.a. Walter W. Cole, Sr.), Who Was Named The "World's Oldest Drag Queen" By The Guinness Book Of World Records In 2016 [March 23rd, 2023 Update, Written On March 24th, 2023]:
It is with a somber tone and utmost humility that I wish to commemorate the passing of Darcelle XV (a.k.a. Walter W. Cole, Sr.) of Portland, Oregon, who was named the "World's Oldest Drag Queen" on August 15th, 2016, by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Darcelle was so well known, in fact, that her passing commanded an article in the Associated Press (AP) News. An introduction to the article can be found below:
"Darcelle, world’s oldest working drag queen, dies at 92" from the AP News
By CLAIRE RUSH | March 24, 2023
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Walter Cole, better known as the iconic drag queen who performed for decades as Darcelle XV and a fearless advocate for Portland’s LGBTQ+ community, has died of natural causes in Portland, Oregon. He was 92.
Darcelle, who died Thursday, was crowned the world’s oldest working drag performer in 2016 by the Guinness Book of World Records and was regaling audiences until the very end. As a performer, Darcelle was known for hosting the longest-running drag show on the U.S. West Coast. Off stage, Cole, an Army veteran, championed LGBTQ+ rights and charitable work in Portland. ...
Please see the hyperlink below for the article:
https://apnews.com/article/darcelle-drag-queen-death-portland-walter-cole-e187006c33c51d69e42e491024806964
Quite a few years ago (which was in the early 2000s, to the best of my recollection), I went with friends to see the drag show at "Darcelle XV Showplace" in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. And it was a delightful performance! In fact, later on we went to enjoy Darcelle's extravagant, funny and entertaining drag show—yet again!
Now, although I haven't been back to see the drag show at Darcelle XV Showplace since that time, just this month I walked close to Darcelle's (I am pretty sure that it was on March 12th, 2023, but it was definitely sometime during the month of March 2023), because I was traveling through the Old Town neighborhood.
Then, I happened to notice three homeless folks sitting right out in front of Darcelle's, so I made sure to walk past them in order to give them "help out money," which is a one dollar bill that I usually offer to homeless folks, if I go by them, as I am traveling around by walking to various destinations...
...And the poignant thing is that one of the homeless folks was wearing a Carnival of Venice-style mask—which was a simple design in a dark color with rhinestones accentuating the perimeter—so I wondered to myself (at that time) if that was, in fact, Darcelle helping out homeless folks, who are asking for "spare change" (or 'spanging,' as it is informally called) in front of her nightclub!
Anyway, I thought that I should say a little something about Darcelle (a.k.a. Walter Cole), who left this earth on Thursday, March 23rd, 2023, and undoubtedly went to that great big wonderful drag show in the sky:
"Oh man, what a woman!"
By the way, while I was doing some online searches regarding writing this 'update,' I noticed that the above-mentioned AP News article was even carried by Time Magazine: what a legendary drag queen. We are all going to miss you, Darcelle! –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2023, revised March 25th, 2023, revised March 29th, 2023, revised April 2nd, 2023, revised April 21st, 2023, revised April 24th, 2023 and revised April 25th, 2023)
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My Writing About 'The Seven Steps To Happiness,' So To Speak, As They Relate To Fear, Understanding And Love [March 27th, 2023 Update—Continued Further (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog)]:
This 'March 27th, 2023 Update—Continued Further' is originally from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was" that is on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog, which also appears on some of my blogs as the following: "My Writing About 'The Seven Steps To Happiness,' So To Speak, As They Relate To Fear, Understanding And Love." And what inspired this writing is an idea that—as a philosopher—I have been thinking about for quite some time regarding the steps that one has to take in order to be hard working and honest.
And the idea I had been thinking about—which I was planning to eventually put into writing as grouped into seven subcategories within a larger category, or seven individual steps on a lifelong journey—went something like the following statement:
1) You have to assume risk 2) in order to solve problems 3) through the utilization of trial and error effort 4) since you have to make mistakes 5) and you have to learn from your mistakes 6) so that you can face your fears 7) which is why you can be hard working and honest!
Then, on March 27th, 2023, the day that I wrote this 'update,' I was contemplating the connection between fear (which is negative energy), understanding (which is neutral energy) and love (which is positive energy). And I had also been thinking over some period of time about the direct connection between the facing of fear, which leads to an understanding of that fear by facing it, which then leads to an inversion of that fear into its exact opposite state of love.
Thus, these two different types of thinking about how to be hard working and honest, as well as how to invert your fear into love through understanding of a particular fear by facing that fear, came together in my mind, which is why I created "My Writing About 'The Seven Steps To Happiness,' So To Speak, As They Relate To Fear, Understanding And Love."
Here are "The Seven Steps To Happiness":
Step To Happiness No. 1: You need to assume calculated risk in order to face your fears so that you are able to invert (or, "convert to the opposite state of energy") your fear—which is negative energy—so that you can solve the many problems in life that are "down-to-earth," so to speak, because they are gravity-based problems (such as access to healthy food, clean water, fresh air, sufficient clothing, adequate personal care products, quality health care, affordable housing, efficient transportation, etc.) and also psychologically-based problems (such as having plenty of satisfying friendships, romance, quality time with family, relaxation, sleep, etc.).
Step To Happiness No. 2: And you sometimes need to create solutions "out of thin air," so to speak, when you are facing your fears, by assuming risk and solving problems through trial and error effort. Thus, solving "down-to-earth" problems is no small task because sometimes the "out-of-thin-air" solutions may be the only thing that you have available in your proverbial took box. And you have test (or, try out) those "out-of-thin-air" solutions to see if they frickin' work in order to solve those "down-to-earth" problems!
Step To Happiness No. 3: Then, while you are testing (or, trying out) the "out-of-thin-air" solutions to your "down-to-earth" problems, through trial and error effort, you have to make mistakes (sometimes, really big mistakes!), so that you can learn from your "trial-and-error" mistakes (even the really big mistakes!) and that way you are able to do better in future after having learned from your (sometimes, really big!) mistakes.
Step To Happiness No. 4: Now, because you can do better in future, since you are able to learn from your "trial-and-error" mistakes, that is what makes it possible for you to be hard working and honest, which is why you can be happy!
Step To Happiness No. 5: Thus, you can face your fear (which is negative energy) and invert—or, "convert to the opposite state of energy"—your fear into understanding (which is neutral energy), since you can finally understand exactly why you were fearful! And that is what makes it possible to convert your fear into the opposite state of love (which is positive energy) through your understanding of that particular fear by having faced the fear.
Step To Happiness No. 6: To clarify though, facing your fear is no small task, since fear can be abjectly terrifying! So, when I talk about facing fears, I mean the really big fears, like having everything go horribly wrong and having to pick up the pieces of your world that may very well have completely shattered. However, that doesn't mean that all fear facing is nearly that intense, but it sure can be, depending upon the circumstances in which you are facing your fears and the types of fears that you are facing.
Step To Happiness No. 7: Therefore, you need to have a healthy respect for assuming calculated risk in order to face your fears by creating solutions to problems through trial and error effort, because you sometimes have to make really big mistakes, and learn from those mistakes, so that you can do better in future, which is what makes it possible for you to be hard working and honest, and that is why you can be happy! So, facing fears is inverting the negative energy of fear into the neutral energy of understanding, which is what makes the positive energy of love possible, since you understand why you were fearful. That is why facing your fears is no small task, because fear can be abjectly terrifying, hence the need to have a healthy respect for assuming calculated risk.
So, in summary "The Seven Steps To Happiness" are accomplished by doing the following:
1) You need to assume calculated risk in order to face your fears by
2) creating solutions to problems through trial and error effort, and by
3) making mistakes, then learning from those mistakes, so that you can do better in future, since
4) learning from your "trial-and-error" mistakes is what makes it possible for you to be hard working and honest, thereby making it possible for you to
5) invert your fear into understanding first and then into love second; however,
6) facing your fears is no small task because fear can be abjectly terrifying, therefore,
7) you need to have a healthy respect for assuming calculated risk, in order to face your fears by creating solutions to problems through trial and error effort, because you sometimes have to make really big mistakes, and learn from those mistakes, so that you can do better in future, which is what makes it possible for you to be hard working and honest, and that is why you can be happy!
–Paul Whiting (written March 27th, 2023, revised March 28th, 2023, revised March 29th, 2023, revised May 24th, 2023, revised May 30th, 2023, revised June 8th, 2023, revised August 28th, 2023 and revised October 13th, 2023)
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My Writing About Receiving My Second COVID-19 Booster Shot [April 3rd, 2023 Update]: This update is a follow-up to my 'August 3rd, 2021 Update,' where I explained, in part, that I was fully vaccinated for COVID-19 on June 25th, 2021. It is also a follow-up to my 'April 4th, 2022 Update, Written On April 5th, 2022' where I explained that I received my first booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on April 4th, 2022. You see, on April 3rd, 2023, I received my second booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine! –Paul Whiting (April 3rd, 2023)
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My Writing About The Passing Away Of An Internationally Renowned Star, Dame Edna Everage (a.k.a. Barry Humphries) [April 22nd, 2023 Update—Continued Further Some More, Written On April 24th, 2023 (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog)]:
It is with gracious decorum and pageantry that I wish to commemorate the passing of Dame Edna Everage (a.k.a. Barry Humphries), who was the "Housewife Gigastar."
Years ago, I watched The Dame Edna Experience television show (I think that it was in syndication), but I don't recall precisely where I watched it (I think it was in Salt Lake City, Utah), or precisely when I watched it (I think that it was in the 1990s shortly after the show had originally aired, from September, 12th, 1987 to December 22nd, 1989) which, as Dame Edna would say is, "Spooky!"
By the way, I read the entire Wikipedia webpage about Barry Humphries, which can be found below, while I was searching for the name of the Dame Edna television show that I watched back in the 1990s. So, for all you Dame Edna fans out there, it's a very interesting read regarding Mr. Humphries long, and often times sordid, career...
...That is, at least according to the critics!
"Barry Humphries" from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia—which is funded primarily through donations from millions of individuals around the world, including this blogger (I make a totally affordable monthly donation):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Humphries
Plus, I did a search on YouTube for "Dame Edna," because I was planning to select a video that summed her up, but there were so many videos from which to choose that it was overwhelming...
...The same way Dame Edna was overwhelming!
And that's why I decided to simply provide the hyperlink below to the above-mentioned YouTube search, so that you can see for yourself the spectacular spectacle of the sparkling, shining, shimmering, satiny and sequined star:
https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=Dame+Edna
–Paul Whiting (written April 24th, 2023, revised April 25th, 2023 and revised December 6th, 2023)
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My Writing About Creating A 'New Word,' So To Speak, By Combining Two Existing Words—Namely Disconcert And Consternation—Into The New Word 'Disconcertation,' As It Relates To Outlining A New Dynamic For The Presidency And Vice Presidency Of The United States Of America, In Addition To The First Lady, Or The First Gentleman, As Well As The Second Lady, Or The Second Gentleman [June 8th, 2023 Update (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog)]:
This 'June 8th, 2023 Update' is originally from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was" that is on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog, which also appears on some of my blogs as the following: "My Writing About Creating A 'New Word,' So To Speak, By Combining Two Existing Words—Namely Disconcert And Consternation—Into The New Word 'Disconcertation,' As It Relates To Outlining A New Dynamic For The Presidency And Vice Presidency Of The United States Of America, In Addition To The First Lady, Or The First Gentleman, As Well As The Second Lady, Or The Second Gentleman."
You see, I was puzzling out an idea by discussing it out loud, which I often do as a self-designated 'Poet, Artist and Philosopher,' when I am figuring out new ideas that I have. And I had an idea that I was puzzling out—by talking about it out loud, as if I am discussing it in front of someone else—that had to do with the presidency, as well as the vice presidency, of the United States of America both being a married couple who represent the average American couple that are "married with children."
And so, there would be a "Mr. and Mrs. President of the United States," as well as a "Mr. and Mrs. Vice President of the United States," both of whom would symbolize a typical married couple in the United States of America as co-parents of their respective families.
And, therefore, "Mr. President," and "Mr. Vice President," as the symbolic husbands and fathers of 'The American Family,' would be in charge of the masculine aspects of the presidency, as well as the vice presidency, that have to do with manly/fatherly issues.
And, thusly, "Mrs. President," and "Mrs. Vice President," as the symbolic wives and mothers of 'The American Family,' would be in charge of the feminine aspects of the presidency, as well as the vice presidency, that have to do with womanly/motherly issues.
So, "Mr. and Mrs. President of the United States" and "Mr. and Mrs. Vice President of the United States," both of whom are a typical married couple that are co-parents of their own families, would work in conjunction with each other as the symbolic co-parents of 'The American Household.' And that would mean there are, in fact, two married couples who represent 'The American Family,' both of whom are "married with children."
Then, Mr. President and Mr. Vice President of the United States would be like the president and vice president of a corporation! And the First Lady and Second Lady of the United States would be like the wives, and mothers, of the American household! However, the First and Second Ladies would have much more say in how 'America's Household' is run, since they would both help make decisions about the country in conjunction with their husbands who are the President and Vice President, respectively.
Plus, it goes without saying that women could be both Mrs. President and Mrs. Vice President! And their husbands could be the First Gentleman and the Second Gentleman, respectively, who would be the stay-at-home fathers of an atypical American household, like in the motion picture "Mr. Mom."
And all of this leads to the following:
1. Two married couples working together as a team to fulfill their respective duties as the President and Vice President, in addition to the First Lady or First Gentleman, as well as the Second Lady or Second Gentleman.
2. The President and Vice President would share more responsibilities so that—for example—if the President is attending a world summit, then the Vice President is still attending to the duties as an 'Interim President,' so to speak, including signing bills into law, which have been passed by Congress, while the President is attending said summit.
3. So, there would always be a "President in Residency," so to speak, at the White House—even while the President is attending to duties which require their presence somewhere else, such as attending a summit or an important state function, or visiting a disaster site, or any situation that requires the President's physical presence away from the White House.
4. And the First Lady, or First Gentleman, as well as the Second Lady, or Second Gentleman, would be paid a salary to fulfill their respective duties as the Hostess, or Host, of the White House, as well as to be spousal advisors to the President and Vice President, respectively, as outlined above.
5. Then, the First Lady/First Gentleman, as well as the Second Lady/Second Gentleman, would co-share in the duties for the management of the White House, co-share in the championship of social causes, and co-share in the representation of the president, as well as the vice president, at official and ceremonial occasions.
6. Additionally, the President and First Lady/Gentleman, as well as the Vice President and Second Lady/Gentleman, would also share responsibilities with regard to decision-making about 'America's Household,' so to speak.
7. Therefore, just like husbands and wives, who are mothers and fathers, both couples would make decisions together while representing their respective roles as husband/father and wife/mother to 'The American Family.'
Finally, this all of this long-winded talk leads to to reason that I originally wrote this 'update' in the first place!
You see, I was talking about these ideas out loud (although, not to the level of detail that I have outlined above, but simply in a general way) when I said something aloud like, "...and all of this would be to the 'disconcertation' of those who don't believe that the President and First Lady/Gentlemen, as well as the Vice President and Second Lady/Gentleman should be equal in power to each other!" (Clearly, I am paraphrasing what I actually said...)
And that's when I realized that there was no such word as 'disconsternation,' which is like the combination of the words 'disconcert' and 'consternation.' So, that's why I decided to create this new word 'disconsternation,' which describes "feelings of being unsettled or dismayed, typically at something unexpected or disturbing."
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By the way, here is the definition of the word disconcert, as well as the word consternation, from a Google search of these respective words:
Dictionary: Definitions from Oxford Languages
https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en
[1.] dis·con·cert
/ˌdiskənˈsərt/
verb
gerund or present participle: disconcerting
disturb the composure of; unsettle.
"the abrupt change of subject disconcerted her"
[2.] con·ster·na·tion
/ˌkänstərˈnāSH(ə)n/
noun
noun: consternation
feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected.
"I always welcomed clover, much to the consternation of the neighbors"
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And here is the definition of this 'new word,' so to speak, "disconsternation," from this self-designated 'Poet, Artist and Philosopher':
Dictionary: Definition from "Paul Whiting: Poet, Artist and Philosopher"
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com
[3.] dis·con·ster·na·tion
/ˌdiskänstərˈnāSH(ə)n/
noun
noun: disconsternation
feelings of being unsettled or dismayed, typically at something unexpected or disturbing.
"I outlined a new dynamic for President and Vice President of the United States of America, in addition to the First Lady, or the First Gentleman, as well as the Second Lady, or the Second Gentleman, much to the disconsternation of those who read my blogs"
–Paul Whiting (written June 8th, 2023, revised June 11th, 2023 and revised October 13th, 2023)
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My Writing About Finally Being Back In My Studio Apartment After It Was Repaired For Flood Damage [July 20th, 2023 Update, Written On July 21st, 2023]: As of yesterday, July 20th, 2023, I am finally back in my studio apartment!
You see, I was out of my apartment for a while, since it was being repaired for water damage due to a flood, which ironically happened on Christmas Eve 2022 at about 5:30 AM—and that is why I watched "It's A Wonderful Life" that night! (I actually purchased "It's A Wonderful Life" on YouTube, quite a few years ago, so that I can watch it at Christmastime whenever I wish, which I do every few years.)
Therefore, it has been five months and seventeen days since I temporarily moved to another studio apartment—which is located fairly close to the low income apartment building that I live in—while the flood remediation was being completed. (I moved on February 3rd, 2023, so as of July 3rd, 2023, that's five months; then, if my calculations are correct, July 20th is 17 days in addition to that.) Thus, it's been quite a long time since I have been in my studio apartment.
And the really nice thing is that my apartment now has new floors throughout that look just like real wood, which are made of something called "luxury vinyl." In fact, the new floors look so much like genuine wood floors that if you didn't know they were made of vinyl, you seriously couldn't tell the difference, which is why I wrote the following two advertising slogans:
Slogan No. 1: "Luxury vinyl has the look and feel of genuine wood flooring without the expense and upkeep of real wood."
Slogan No. 2: "Luxury vinyl has the breathtaking beauty of real wood without the breathtaking price and maintenance."
Anyway, it's good to be back home again!
–Paul Whiting (written July 21st, 2023, revised July 22nd, 2023 and revised July 23rd, 2023)
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My Writing About Donating Monthly For My Use Of Wikipedia [August 13th, 2023 Update—Continued, Written On August 14th, 2023]: I made a monthly recurring donation to Wikipedia yesterday, August 13th, 2023, since I went onto their website and they were requesting donations. You see, as a blogger and frequent reader of Wikipedia, I try donate to them whenever they request a donation!
Now, I usually give a one-time donation whenever they request a donation on their website; however, after I entered the amount that I was planning to donate, there was a prompt for making a monthly recurring donation! So, I decided to donate monthly—rather than simply donating once—for the first time in all of the years that I have been donating to Wikipedia. You see, I read Wikipedia ALL THE TIME, so that is why I have always endeavored to donate to them whenever they have requested a donation.
And, after I made the recurring monthly donation, I received an email from Wikimedia Foundation* yesterday, August 13th, 2023, with the subject line, "Paul - Thank you for your gift", which stated, in part, the following:
Dear Paul,
Thank you for committing to give USD $[redacted] to support Wikipedia every month - that is real dedication and I am endlessly grateful. You make a world where knowledge is free for everyone possible. ...
... Recurring donors like you are the engine behind our people-powered movement. You help us plan ahead, set bigger goals and broaden our horizons, because we know we have a foundation of support to count on.
Every single donation helps us to improve people’s access to accurate and reliable information, especially in a rapidly changing world. We are determined to extend this access as far as possible to make sure that no matter where you are born or where you live, the ability to access free knowledge is always within your reach. I hope you will continue to support us in building a future where Wikipedia exists everywhere, with people across the world contributing to the sum of all knowledge.
Thank you again for supporting this remarkable mission; it is a privilege for me to be part of the largest collaborative project in human history. Wikipedia will always belong to you.
With gratitude,
[Name redacted]
[Title redacted], Wikimedia Foundation
*From www.wikimedia.org:
Wikimedia is a global movement whose mission is to bring free educational content to the world.
Through various projects, chapters, and the support structure of the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimedia strives to bring about a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.
Welcome to Wikimedia.
Wikipedia
Wiktionary
Wikiquote
Wikibooks
Wikisource
Wikinews
Wikiversity
Wikispecies
MediaWiki
Wikidata
Wikimedia Commons
Wikivoyage
Meta-Wiki
Wikimedia Incubator
Wikimedia Cloud Services
Wikitech
Wikimedia Foundation
https://www.wikimedia.org
–Paul Whiting (August 14th, 2023)
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My Writing About The Social And Economic Outcomes Of A Tyrannical Wealthy Ruling Class [October 23rd, 2023 Update—Continued Further Some More Than Before (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog)]:
You always know the dark clouds of a tyrannical wealthy ruling class have gathered because...when it "reigns," it "poors." –Paul Whiting (written October 23rd, 2023, revised October 24th, 2023 and revised October 30th, 2023)
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My Writing About How I Have Changed The Way That I Label My Blog Posts 'Updates' For Any Additional 'Updates' That I Write, After The First 'Update,' By Using A Simple Numbering System, Which Starts With The First 'Update' [October 24th, 2023 Update No. 7 (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog)]:
I have changed the way I label the blog post 'updates' that I write because I oftentimes write more than one 'update' per day!
And in the past, I have labeled the second, third, fourth and fifth 'update' with the following extensions—on the days that I write more than 'update'—to differentiate any additional 'updates' from the first one, as follows:
[1st] Month Day, Year Update
[2nd] Month Day, Year Update—Continued
[3rd] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further
[4th] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further Some More
[5th] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further Some More Than Before
However today, October 24th, 2023, I actually had more than five 'updates' to write, so I decided to change how I differentiate any additional 'updates,' from the first 'update,' by using a simple numbering system, which actually starts with the first 'update' that I write, as follows:
Month Day, Year Update No. 1
Month Day, Year Update No. 2
Month Day, Year Update No. 3
Month Day, Year Update No. 4
Month Day, Year Update No. 5
Month Day, Year Update No. 6
Month Day, Year Update No. 7
Therefore, that is why this 'update' is the seventh one for today! –Paul Whiting (written October 24th, 2023 and revised October 28th, 2023)
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My Writing About My New Year's Resolution For 2024 [January 1st, 2024 Update No. 1]: Happy New Year, everyone! My New Year's Resolution for 2024 is to change the way that I am making donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations in order to still donate to them on a consistent basis, but in a way that is affordable for me!
Please let me explain: I used to make one-time donations to the organizations which are the subject of the blog post 'updates' that I write on some of my blogs each time that I took an action as requested by those organizations; however, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.)
Therefore, "I am really 'tightening my belt,' so to speak, with regard to all of the donations that I am making on my credit card each month! So, my plan is to only donate to political, progressive and charitable organizations if they specifically ask for donations—and not just for the sake of donating to them at least once per month, or even when I have been taking some sort of action, such as signing a petition, or sending a letter, etc.
Thus, I am trying to greatly reduce the number of donations that I make to simply once in a while, or as determined by me on a case-by-case basis! You see, there are a lot of organizations that I literally donate to only once per year—such as for Giving Tuesday—which is all that I ever donate to them. And that is basically what I am striving for, so that I am still donating to political, progressive and charitable organizations, but the bare minimum that I can donate, since that's all I can really afford." Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update—Follow-Up No. 4, Written On December 1st, 2023 About November 2023 (that also appears as 'November 30th, 2023 Update No. 2, Written On December 1st, 2023' on some of my blogs) from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
Now, that also means if I do donate to any particular organization, in any given month, I am striving to donate to that organization only once per month. Therefore, "I am greatly reducing the number of times that I donate for the same organization per month down to once—or as determined by me on a case-by-case basis." Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
–Paul Whiting (written January 1st, 2024 and revised January 9th, 2024)
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My Writing About Receiving My Third COVID-19 Booster Shot [April 1st, 2024 Update No. 1]: This update is a follow-up to my 'August 3rd, 2021 Update,' where I explained, in part, that I was fully vaccinated for COVID-19 on June 25th, 2021. It is also a follow-up to my 'April 4th, 2022 Update, Written On April 5th, 2022' where I explained that I received my first booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on April 4th, 2022. Besides that, it is a follow-up to my 'April 3rd, 2023 Update' where I explained that I received my second booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on April 3rd, 2023. You see, on April 1st, 2024, I received my third booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine! –Paul Whiting (April 1st, 2024)
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My Spiritual Notes:
The reason that I wrote this prose can be summed up with the following statement: Due to being stressed out—and until further notice—I am no longer posting on my blogs. (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS.) Therefore, my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Posting On My Blogs," which can be found on my "Small All White in the Forest," "Poet, Artist and Philosopher," "Three Dark Horses" and "Paul Whiting — Math Magician" blogs, may be the last post for an indefinite period of time. (By the way, I may no longer be posting on my blogs, but I am still editing my blog posts.) And although I may no longer be posting on my blogs, I am writing 'updates' about my current "Online Activism" on my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog. Plus, my above-mentioned blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was" is where I do most of my 'new' writing, because this blog post is where I document all of my current "Online Activism" in the 'updates' that I write, which are listed in date (chronological) order by year, month and day.
And this prose was also published on my "Small All White in the Forest" and "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blogs, as well as on my "Paul Whiting — Math Magician" blog, but in a slightly different format (please see the hyperlinks below for the blogs), since I feel that the message in this prose applies to the message that I am trying to convey through "Small All White in the Forest," "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" and "Paul Whiting — Math Magician."
This prose was written in Portland, Oregon.
-Paulee
https://smallallwhiteintheforest.blogspot.com
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com
https://paulwhitingmath.blogspot.com
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October 10th, 2015 Update [My Writing About Getting Ready To Die]: I am only planning on doing a limited amount of new writing, since I think that I am getting ready to die, because I am tired most of the time! Thus, I think that after being HIV-positive for so long that I am not going to be here much longer... (I was diagnosed in November of 2000.) So, I am planning to only work on my personal care (that is, my day-to-day living) and my civic duty (that is, participating in upcoming elections by voting, including 'special elections'). Plus, I am taking the time to reread, edit and revise my blogs ('writing is revising'), so that I can correct all the mistakes that I have made in my existing writing!
–Paul Whiting (written October 10th, 2015, revised November 3rd, 2015, revised November 5th, 2015, revised November 10th, 2015, revised November 21st, 2015, revised November 24th, 2015, revised December 10th, 2015, revised December 29th, 2015, revised August 3rd, 2021, revised August 27th, 2022, revised February 15th, 2023 and revised April 1st, 2024)
[I feel like I need to clarify why there are so many 'revised dates' on this 'update,' just like there are often times so many 'revised dates' on other 'updates' similar to this one! You see, I really try to keep my writing consistent as possible across all of my blogs. Therefore, as I am writing, I try to use the same phraseology wherever possible with regard to similar types of my writing so that, when I am editing my writing, I can change all of the similar writing at the same time and in the same way! Thus, a lot of the revisions indicated above, after my name (–Paul Whiting), and shown right after the original 'written date,' are often times due to these aforementioned consistent-writing revisions.]
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November 2nd, 2016 Update [My Writing About No Longer Being An 'Online Activist' In The Same Way That I Was Before]: Due to being stressed out—and until further notice—I am no longer being an 'Online Activist' in the same way that I was before, which includes no longer signing petitions from political, social, environmental and charitable organizations, as well as no longer making donations to political, social, environmental and charitable causes the same way that I was in the past. (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS.) And so, I am consciously choosing to not engage in any 'activism,' however, I am still planning to exercise my 'civic duty' by voting in upcoming elections. –Paul Whiting (written November 2nd, 2016, revised March 7th, 2017, revised September 28th, 2021, revised January 11th, 2022, revised January 17th, 2022, revised June 16th, 2022, revised November 15th, 2022 and revised April 17th, 2023)
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November 7th, 2016 Update [My Writing About No Longer Posting On My Blogs]: Due to being stressed out—and until further notice—I am no longer posting on my blogs. (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS.) Therefore, my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Posting On My Blogs," which can be found on my "Small All White in the Forest," "Poet, Artist and Philosopher," "Three Dark Horses" and "Paul Whiting — Math Magician" blogs, may be the last post for an indefinite period of time. (By the way, I may no longer be posting on my blogs, but I am still editing my blog posts.) And although I may no longer be posting on my blogs, I am writing 'updates' about my current "Online Activism" on my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog. Plus, my above-mentioned blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was" is where I do most of my 'new' writing, because this blog post is where I document all of my current "Online Activism" in the 'updates' that I write, which are listed in date (chronological) order by year, month and day. –Paul Whiting (written November 7th, 2016, revised August 27th, 2022, revised February 15th, 2023, revised March 17th, 2023, revised March 18th, 2023, revised March 26th, 2023, revised April 17th, 2023, revised June 11th, 2023 and revised June 12th, 2023)
P.S.: As I mentioned above, my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was" can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog (please see the hyperlink below for the post):
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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August 3rd, 2021 Update [My Writing About Still Being Alive]: I am still alive! And I am feeling a lot better than I was feeling—a couple of months short of exactly six years ago—when I wrote my 'October 10th, 2015 Update' (that also appears as 'My Writing About Getting Ready To Die' on some of my blogs), which can be found above. Plus, I have a smartphone again, after years of only having a basic phone. So, I am editing all of my blogs, but I am still preparing for death—especially now with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, I received my very first COVID-19 vaccine on June 25th, 2021, and I am now fully vaccinated for COVID-19, so there is still hope.
–Paul Whiting (written August 3rd, 2021, revised September 28th, 2021, revised June 15th, 2022, revised August 27th, 2022, revised August 28th, 2022, revised February 15th, 2023, revised June 8th, 2023 and revised April 1st, 2024)
[I feel like I need to clarify why there are so many 'revised dates' on this 'update,' just like there are often times so many 'revised dates' on other 'updates' similar to this one! You see, I really try to keep my writing consistent as possible across all of my blogs. Therefore, as I am writing, I try to use the same phraseology wherever possible with regard to similar types of my writing so that, when I am editing my writing, I can change all of the similar writing at the same time and in the same way! Thus, a lot of the revisions indicated above, after my name (–Paul Whiting), and shown right after the original 'written date,' are often times due to these aforementioned consistent-writing revisions.]
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September 17th, 2021 Update [My Writing About My Blogs Being Sabotaged By Someone Who Is Very 'Tech Savvy,' Regarding The Creation Of My New Blog Which Is Titled, "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer"]:
I think that my blogs are being sabotaged by someone who is very 'tech savvy,' and they may be someone that I know, because I have noticed strange things happening while I have been editing my writing! Please see my previous comment below, from "My Notes," about a former decision to stop editing my posts:
"By the way, I have decided to stop editing my posts because I have had problems with duplicate posts being created, while I am editing posts and I have accidentally deleted original posts by mistake, while trying to delete the duplicate posts. Then, I had an entire blog post disappear while I was trying to edit it. And now that I am worried that I will have blog posts disappear entirely if I try to edit them, after I have posted them, I have decided to post whatever I write and leave it at that—flaws and all!"
Thus, I have decided to condense all of my best writing into a new blog, which is titled, "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer." And so, I will be able to have "a place to place all of my best writing in one place!"
That way, I don't have to deal with the stress of having my writing posts being sabotaged (I assume) by whomever can manipulate my blogs in an effort to control my writing (I assume), since I am a writer who maybe says too much about how life really is!
Therefore, I am planning to republish my old posts on this new blog, as soon as I can figure out the most feasible way of posting them—in as chronological of an order as I can manage—while at the same time I am placing posts with similar topics in "groups," as I have done with some of the posts on my old blogs. (Please see the hyperlink below for the new blog.)
–Paul Whiting (written September 17th, 2021, revised September 21st, 2021, revised September 22nd, 2021, revised October 15th, 2021, revised November 1st, 2021 revised July 28th, 2022, revised July 29th, 2022, revised August 21st, 2022, revised February 17th, 2023 and revised February 18th, 2023)
https://paulwhitingwriting.blogspot.com
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April 4th, 2022 Update, Written On April 5th, 2022 [My Writing About Receiving My First COVID-19 Booster Shot]: This update is a follow-up to my 'August 3rd, 2021 Update,' where I explained, in part, that I was fully vaccinated for COVID-19 on June 25th, 2021. You see, on April 4th, 2022, I received my first booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine! –Paul Whiting (written April 5th, 2022, revised August 27th, 2022, revised August 28th, 2022 and revised February 18th, 2023)
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January 26th, 2023 Update [My Writing About An Idea That I Had To Change The Punctuation At The End Of All Sentences In Writing From One Period Into Two Colons]: In order to make the end of sentences much more clear (and much more obvious) I think that the end of every sentence in all writing should really be two colons right next to each other, as illustrated at the end of this sentence::
Thus, the end of any writing sentence would actually be two colons, in sequence, one right after the other:: And, therefore, abbreviations within any sentence, utilizing periods to denote said abbreviations, would never be confused with the end of a sentence!
However, this change in the rules of punctuation within English grammar is simply my own idea as a "Poet, Artist and Philosopher," so to speak:: You see, I do a lot of reading about current events in order to stay a more informed voter, as well as a more informed citizen, and it can sometimes be really quite confusing while reading news articles where a particular sentence ends, and another sentence begins, if there are any periods within a sentence — or even at the end of a sentence — which are being utilized for abbreviations::
Now, I realize that I am probably not going to change the rules of English grammar with this idea of mine, but it could happen:: And this change in punctuation, at the end of all written sentences, would be the only change necessary to the punctuation of all sentences; because, as far as I can tell, there would be no other adjustments needed in the writing of any sentences, since all of the other punctuation would stay exactly the same!
Hence, if a sentence had any kind of abbreviation, such as a city and state — like Portland, Oregon — it would simply be written within a sentence as Port., Or. in this example; and that also means the abbreviation for Portland, Oregon would be written at the end of a sentence as Port., Or.::
So, as illustrated in the sentence above, an abbreviation within a sentence could never be mistaken for the end of a sentence, since the end of every sentence would always be two colons side-by-side, instead of one period:: Also, as illustrated above, an abbreviation at the end of a sentence would be really quite clear, because there are two colons at the end of each sentence, which really stands out visually as the obvious end of a sentence:: (At least, I think that it really stands out visually::)
And that is why I thought to write this idea down and publish it on my blogs in order to start a new writing trend, which could possibly make reading English a lot less strenuous under certain situations where there are abbreviations within sentences, or at the end of sentences, as I have described above::
Anyway, that's all I have to say about this new punctuation idea that I had:: Period!
–Paul Whiting (written January 26th, 2023, revised February 19th, 2023 and revised April 19th, 2023)
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March 23rd, 2023 Update, Written On March 24th, 2023 [My Writing About The Passing Away Of A Legend In Portland, Oregon—And Even Worldwide—Darcelle XV (a.k.a. Walter W. Cole, Sr.), Who Was Named The "World's Oldest Drag Queen" By The Guinness Book Of World Records In 2016]:
It is with a somber tone and utmost humility that I wish to commemorate the passing of Darcelle XV (a.k.a. Walter W. Cole, Sr.) of Portland, Oregon, who was named the "World's Oldest Drag Queen" on August 15th, 2016, by the Guinness Book of World Records.
Darcelle was so well known, in fact, that her passing commanded an article in the Associated Press (AP) News. An introduction to the article can be found below:
"Darcelle, world’s oldest working drag queen, dies at 92" from the AP News
By CLAIRE RUSH | March 24, 2023
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Walter Cole, better known as the iconic drag queen who performed for decades as Darcelle XV and a fearless advocate for Portland’s LGBTQ+ community, has died of natural causes in Portland, Oregon. He was 92.
Darcelle, who died Thursday, was crowned the world’s oldest working drag performer in 2016 by the Guinness Book of World Records and was regaling audiences until the very end. As a performer, Darcelle was known for hosting the longest-running drag show on the U.S. West Coast. Off stage, Cole, an Army veteran, championed LGBTQ+ rights and charitable work in Portland. ...
Please see the hyperlink below for the article:
https://apnews.com/article/darcelle-drag-queen-death-portland-walter-cole-e187006c33c51d69e42e491024806964
Quite a few years ago (which was in the early 2000s, to the best of my recollection), I went with friends to see the drag show at "Darcelle XV Showplace" in the Old Town Chinatown neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. And it was a delightful performance! In fact, later on we went to enjoy Darcelle's extravagant, funny and entertaining drag show—yet again!
Now, although I haven't been back to see the drag show at Darcelle XV Showplace since that time, just this month I walked close to Darcelle's (I am pretty sure that it was on March 12th, 2023, but it was definitely sometime during the month of March 2023), because I was traveling through the Old Town neighborhood.
Then, I happened to notice three homeless folks sitting right out in front of Darcelle's, so I made sure to walk past them in order to give them "help out money," which is a one dollar bill that I usually offer to homeless folks, if I go by them, as I am traveling around by walking to various destinations...
...And the poignant thing is that one of the homeless folks was wearing a Carnival of Venice-style mask—which was a simple design in a dark color with rhinestones accentuating the perimeter—so I wondered to myself (at that time) if that was, in fact, Darcelle helping out homeless folks, who are asking for '"spare change" (or 'spanging,' as it is informally called) in front of her nightclub!
Anyway, I thought that I should say a little something about Darcelle (a.k.a. Walter Cole), who left this earth on Thursday, March 23rd, 2023, and undoubtedly went to that great big wonderful drag show in the sky:
"Oh man, what a woman!"
By the way, while I was doing some online searches regarding writing this 'update,' I noticed that the above-mentioned AP News article was even carried by Time Magazine: what a legendary drag queen. We are all going to miss you, Darcelle! –Paul Whiting (written March 24th, 2023, revised March 25th, 2023, revised March 29th, 2023, revised April 2nd, 2023, revised April 21st, 2023, revised April 24th, 2023 and revised April 25th, 2023)
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March 27th, 2023 Update—Continued Further (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog) [My Writing About 'The Seven Steps To Happiness,' So To Speak, As They Relate To Fear, Understanding And Love]:
This 'March 27th, 2023 Update—Continued Further' is originally from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was" that is on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog, which also appears on some of my blogs as the following: "My Writing About 'The Seven Steps To Happiness,' So To Speak, As They Relate To Fear, Understanding And Love." And what inspired this writing is an idea that—as a philosopher—I have been thinking about for quite some time regarding the steps that one has to take in order to be hard working and honest.
And the idea I had been thinking about—which I was planning to eventually put into writing as grouped into seven subcategories within a larger category, or seven individual steps on a lifelong journey—went something like the following statement:
1) You have to assume risk 2) in order to solve problems 3) through the utilization of trial and error effort 4) since you have to make mistakes 5) and you have to learn from your mistakes 6) so that you can face your fears 7) which is why you can be hard working and honest!
Then, on March 27th, 2023, the day that I wrote this 'update,' I was contemplating the connection between fear (which is negative energy), understanding (which is neutral energy) and love (which is positive energy). And I had also been thinking over some period of time about the direct connection between the facing of fear, which leads to an understanding of that fear by facing it, which then leads to an inversion of that fear into its exact opposite state of love.
Thus, these two different types of thinking about how to be hard working and honest, as well as how to invert your fear into love through understanding of a particular fear by facing that fear, came together in my mind, which is why I created "My Writing About 'The Seven Steps To Happiness,' So To Speak, As They Relate To Fear, Understanding And Love."
Here are "The Seven Steps To Happiness":
Step To Happiness No. 1: You need to assume calculated risk in order to face your fears so that you are able to invert (or, "convert to the opposite state of energy") your fear—which is negative energy—so that you can solve the many problems in life that are "down-to-earth," so to speak, because they are gravity-based problems (such as access to healthy food, clean water, fresh air, sufficient clothing, adequate personal care products, quality health care, affordable housing, efficient transportation, etc.) and also psychologically-based problems (such as having plenty of satisfying friendships, romance, quality time with family, relaxation, sleep, etc.).
Step To Happiness No. 2: And you sometimes need to create solutions "out of thin air," so to speak, when you are facing your fears, by assuming risk and solving problems through trial and error effort. Thus, solving "down-to-earth" problems is no small task because sometimes the "out-of-thin-air" solutions may be the only thing that you have available in your proverbial took box. And you have test (or, try out) those "out-of-thin-air" solutions to see if they frickin' work in order to solve those "down-to-earth" problems!
Step To Happiness No. 3: Then, while you are testing (or, trying out) the "out-of-thin-air" solutions to your "down-to-earth" problems, through trial and error effort, you have to make mistakes (sometimes, really big mistakes!), so that you can learn from your "trial-and-error" mistakes (even the really big mistakes!) and that way you are able to do better in future after having learned from your (sometimes, really big!) mistakes.
Step To Happiness No. 4: Now, because you can do better in future, since you are able to learn from your "trial-and-error" mistakes, that is what makes it possible for you to be hard working and honest, which is why you can be happy!
Step To Happiness No. 5: Thus, you can face your fear (which is negative energy) and invert—or, "convert to the opposite state of energy"—your fear into understanding (which is neutral energy), since you can finally understand exactly why you were fearful! And that is what makes it possible to convert your fear into the opposite state of love (which is positive energy) through your understanding of that particular fear by having faced the fear.
Step To Happiness No. 6: To clarify though, facing your fear is no small task, since fear can be abjectly terrifying! So, when I talk about facing fears, I mean the really big fears, like having everything go horribly wrong and having to pick up the pieces of your world that may very well have completely shattered. However, that doesn't mean that all fear facing is nearly that intense, but it sure can be, depending upon the circumstances in which you are facing your fears and the types of fears that you are facing.
Step To Happiness No. 7: Therefore, you need to have a healthy respect for assuming calculated risk in order to face your fears by creating solutions to problems through trial and error effort, because you sometimes have to make really big mistakes, and learn from those mistakes, so that you can do better in future, which is what makes it possible for you to be hard working and honest, and that is why you can be happy! So, facing fears is inverting the negative energy of fear into the neutral energy of understanding, which is what makes the positive energy of love possible, since you understand why you were fearful. That is why facing your fears is no small task, because fear can be abjectly terrifying, hence the need to have a healthy respect for assuming calculated risk.
So, in summary "The Seven Steps To Happiness" are accomplished by doing the following:
1) You need to assume calculated risk in order to face your fears by
2) creating solutions to problems through trial and error effort, and by
3) making mistakes, then learning from those mistakes, so that you can do better in future, since
4) learning from your "trial-and-error" mistakes is what makes it possible for you to be hard working and honest, thereby making it possible for you to
5) invert your fear into understanding first and then into love second; however,
6) facing your fears is no small task because fear can be abjectly terrifying, therefore,
7) you need to have a healthy respect for assuming calculated risk, in order to face your fears by creating solutions to problems through trial and error effort, because you sometimes have to make really big mistakes, and learn from those mistakes, so that you can do better in future, which is what makes it possible for you to be hard working and honest, and that is why you can be happy!
–Paul Whiting (written March 27th, 2023, revised March 28th, 2023, revised March 29th, 2023, revised May 24th, 2023, revised May 30th, 2023, revised June 8th, 2023, revised August 28th, 2023 and revised October 13th, 2023)
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April 3rd, 2023 Update [My Writing About Receiving My Second COVID-19 Booster Shot]: This update is a follow-up to my 'August 3rd, 2021 Update,' where I explained, in part, that I was fully vaccinated for COVID-19 on June 25th, 2021. It is also a follow-up to my 'April 4th, 2022 Update, Written On April 5th, 2022' where I explained that I received my first booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on April 4th, 2022. You see, on April 3rd, 2023, I received my second booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine! –Paul Whiting (April 3rd, 2023)
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April 22nd, 2023 Update—Continued Further Some More, Written On April 24th, 2023 (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog) [My Writing About The Passing Away Of An Internationally Renowned Star, Dame Edna Everage (a.k.a. Barry Humphries)]:
It is with gracious decorum and pageantry that I wish to commemorate the passing of Dame Edna Everage (a.k.a. Barry Humphries), who was the "Housewife Gigastar."
Years ago, I watched The Dame Edna Experience television show (I think that it was in syndication), but I don't recall precisely where I watched it (I think it was in Salt Lake City, Utah), or precisely when I watched it (I think that it was in the 1990s shortly after the show had originally aired, from September, 12th, 1987 to December 22nd, 1989) which, as Dame Edna would say is, "Spooky!"
By the way, I read the entire Wikipedia webpage about Barry Humphries, which can be found below, while I was searching for the name of the Dame Edna television show that I watched back in the 1990s. So, for all you Dame Edna fans out there, it's a very interesting read regarding Mr. Humphries long, and often times sordid, career...
...That is, at least according to the critics!
"Barry Humphries" from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia—which is funded primarily through donations from millions of individuals around the world, including this blogger (I make a totally affordable monthly donation):
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Humphries
Plus, I did a search on YouTube for "Dame Edna," because I was planning to select a video that summed her up, but there were so many videos from which to choose that it was overwhelming...
...The same way Dame Edna was overwhelming!
And that's why I decided to simply provide the hyperlink below to the above-mentioned YouTube search, so that you can see for yourself the spectacular spectacle of the sparkling, shining, shimmering, satiny and sequined star:
https://m.youtube.com/results?sp=mAEA&search_query=Dame+Edna
–Paul Whiting (written April 24th, 2023, revised April 25th, 2023 and revised December 6th, 2023)
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June 8th, 2023 Update [My Writing About Creating A 'New Word,' So To Speak, By Combining Two Existing Words—Namely Disconcert And Consternation—Into The New Word 'Disconcertation,' As It Relates To Outlining A New Dynamic For The Presidency And Vice Presidency Of The United States Of America, In Addition To The First Lady, Or The First Gentleman, As Well As The Second Lady, Or The Second Gentleman (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog)]:
This 'June 8th, 2023 Update' is originally from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was" that is on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog, which also appears on some of my blogs as the following: "My Writing About Creating A 'New Word,' So To Speak, By Combining Two Existing Words—Namely Disconcert And Consternation—Into The New Word 'Disconcertation,' As It Relates To Outlining A New Dynamic For The Presidency And Vice Presidency Of The United States Of America, In Addition To The First Lady, Or The First Gentleman, As Well As The Second Lady, Or The Second Gentleman."
You see, I was puzzling out an idea by discussing it out loud, which I often do as a self-designated 'Poet, Artist and Philosopher,' when I am figuring out new ideas that I have. And I had an idea that I was puzzling out—by talking about it out loud, as if I am discussing it in front of someone else—that had to do with the presidency, as well as the vice presidency, of the United States of America both being a married couple who represent the average American couple that are "married with children."
And so, there would be a "Mr. and Mrs. President of the United States," as well as a "Mr. and Mrs. Vice President of the United States," both of whom would symbolize a typical married couple in the United States of America as co-parents of their respective families.
And, therefore, "Mr. President," and "Mr. Vice President," as the symbolic husbands and fathers of 'The American Family,' would be in charge of the masculine aspects of the presidency, as well as the vice presidency, that have to do with manly/fatherly issues.
And, thusly, "Mrs. President," and "Mrs. Vice President," as the symbolic wives and mothers of 'The American Family,' would be in charge of the feminine aspects of the presidency, as well as the vice presidency, that have to do with womanly/motherly issues.
So, "Mr. and Mrs. President of the United States" and "Mr. and Mrs. Vice President of the United States," both of whom are a typical married couple that are co-parents of their own families, would work in conjunction with each other as the symbolic co-parents of 'The American Household.' And that would mean there are, in fact, two married couples who represent 'The American Family,' both of whom are "married with children."
Then, Mr. President and Mr. Vice President of the United States would be like the president and vice president of a corporation! And the First Lady and Second Lady of the United States would be like the wives, and mothers, of the American household! However, the First and Second Ladies would have much more say in how 'America's Household' is run, since they would both help make decisions about the country in conjunction with their husbands who are the President and Vice President, respectively.
Plus, it goes without saying that women could be both Mrs. President and Mrs. Vice President! And their husbands could be the First Gentleman and the Second Gentleman, respectively, who would be the stay-at-home fathers of an atypical American household, like in the motion picture "Mr. Mom."
And all of this leads to the following:
1. Two married couples working together as a team to fulfill their respective duties as the President and Vice President, in addition to the First Lady or First Gentleman, as well as the Second Lady or Second Gentleman.
2. The President and Vice President would share more responsibilities so that—for example—if the President is attending a world summit, then the Vice President is still attending to the duties as an 'Interim President,' so to speak, including signing bills into law, which have been passed by Congress, while the President is attending said summit.
3. So, there would always be a "President in Residency," so to speak, at the White House—even while the President is attending to duties which require their presence somewhere else, such as attending a summit or an important state function, or visiting a disaster site, or any situation that requires the President's physical presence away from the White House.
4. And the First Lady, or First Gentleman, as well as the Second Lady, or Second Gentleman, would be paid a salary to fulfill their respective duties as the Hostess, or Host, of the White House, as well as to be spousal advisors to the President and Vice President, respectively, as outlined above.
5. Then, the First Lady/First Gentleman, as well as the Second Lady/Second Gentleman, would co-share in the duties for the management of the White House, co-share in the championship of social causes, and co-share in the representation of the president, as well as the vice president, at official and ceremonial occasions.
6. Additionally, the President and First Lady/Gentleman, as well as the Vice President and Second Lady/Gentleman, would also share responsibilities with regard to decision-making about 'America's Household,' so to speak.
7. Therefore, just like husbands and wives, who are mothers and fathers, both couples would make decisions together while representing their respective roles as husband/father and wife/mother to 'The American Family.'
Finally, this all of this long-winded talk leads to to reason that I originally wrote this 'update' in the first place!
You see, I was talking about these ideas out loud (although, not to the level of detail that I have outlined above, but simply in a general way) when I said something aloud like, "...and all of this would be to the 'disconcertation' of those who don't believe that the President and First Lady/Gentlemen, as well as the Vice President and Second Lady/Gentleman should be equal in power to each other!" (Clearly, I am paraphrasing what I actually said...)
And that's when I realized that there was no such word as 'disconsternation,' which is like the combination of the words 'disconcert' and 'consternation.' So, that's why I decided to create this new word 'disconsternation,' which describes "feelings of being unsettled or dismayed, typically at something unexpected or disturbing."
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By the way, here is the definition of the word disconcert, as well as the word consternation, from a Google search of these respective words:
Dictionary: Definitions from Oxford Languages
https://languages.oup.com/google-dictionary-en
[1.] dis·con·cert
/ˌdiskənˈsərt/
verb
gerund or present participle: disconcerting
disturb the composure of; unsettle.
"the abrupt change of subject disconcerted her"
[2.] con·ster·na·tion
/ˌkänstərˈnāSH(ə)n/
noun
noun: consternation
feelings of anxiety or dismay, typically at something unexpected.
"I always welcomed clover, much to the consternation of the neighbors"
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And here is the definition of this 'new word,' so to speak, "disconsternation," from this self-designated 'Poet, Artist and Philosopher':
Dictionary: Definition from "Paul Whiting: Poet, Artist and Philosopher"
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com
[3.] dis·con·ster·na·tion
/ˌdiskänstərˈnāSH(ə)n/
noun
noun: disconsternation
feelings of being unsettled or dismayed, typically at something unexpected or disturbing.
"I outlined a new dynamic for President and Vice President of the United States of America, in addition to the First Lady, or the First Gentleman, as well as the Second Lady, or the Second Gentleman, much to the disconsternation of those who read my blogs"
–Paul Whiting (written June 8th, 2023, revised June 11th, 2023 and revised October 13th, 2023)
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July 20th, 2023 Update, Written On July 21st, 2023 [My Writing About Finally Being Back In My Studio Apartment After It Was Repaired For Flood Damage]: As of yesterday, July 20th, 2023, I am finally back in my studio apartment!
You see, I was out of my apartment for a while, since it was being repaired for water damage due to a flood, which ironically happened on Christmas Eve 2022 at about 5:30 AM—and that is why I watched "It's A Wonderful Life" that night! (I actually purchased "It's A Wonderful Life" on YouTube, quite a few years ago, so that I can watch it at Christmastime whenever I wish, which I do every few years.)
Therefore, it has been five months and seventeen days since I temporarily moved to another studio apartment—which is located fairly close to the low income apartment building that I live in—while the flood remediation was being completed. (I moved on February 3rd, 2023, so as of July 3rd, 2023, that's five months; then, if my calculations are correct, July 20th is 17 days in addition to that.) Thus, it's been quite a long time since I have been in my studio apartment.
And the really nice thing is that my apartment now has new floors throughout that look just like real wood, which are made of something called "luxury vinyl." In fact, the new floors look so much like genuine wood floors that if you didn't know they were made of vinyl, you seriously couldn't tell the difference, which is why I wrote the following two advertising slogans:
Slogan No. 1: "Luxury vinyl has the look and feel of genuine wood flooring without the expense and upkeep of real wood."
Slogan No. 2: "Luxury vinyl has the breathtaking beauty of real wood without the breathtaking price and maintenance."
Anyway, it's good to be back home again!
–Paul Whiting (written July 21st, 2023, revised July 22nd, 2023 and revised July 23rd, 2023)
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August 13th, 2023 Update—Continued, Written On August 14th, 2023 [My Writing About Donating Monthly For My Use Of Wikipedia]: I made a monthly recurring donation to Wikipedia yesterday, August 13th, 2023, since I went onto their website and they were requesting donations. You see, as a blogger and frequent reader of Wikipedia, I try donate to them whenever they request a donation!
Now, I usually give a one-time donation whenever they request a donation on their website; however, after I entered the amount that I was planning to donate, there was a prompt for making a monthly recurring donation! So, I decided to donate monthly—rather than simply donating once—for the first time in all of the years that I have been donating to Wikipedia. You see, I read Wikipedia ALL THE TIME, so that is why I have always endeavored to donate to them whenever they have requested a donation.
And, after I made the recurring monthly donation, I received an email from Wikimedia Foundation* yesterday, August 13th, 2023, with the subject line, "Paul - Thank you for your gift", which stated, in part, the following:
Dear Paul,
Thank you for committing to give USD $[redacted] to support Wikipedia every month - that is real dedication and I am endlessly grateful. You make a world where knowledge is free for everyone possible. ...
... Recurring donors like you are the engine behind our people-powered movement. You help us plan ahead, set bigger goals and broaden our horizons, because we know we have a foundation of support to count on.
Every single donation helps us to improve people’s access to accurate and reliable information, especially in a rapidly changing world. We are determined to extend this access as far as possible to make sure that no matter where you are born or where you live, the ability to access free knowledge is always within your reach. I hope you will continue to support us in building a future where Wikipedia exists everywhere, with people across the world contributing to the sum of all knowledge.
Thank you again for supporting this remarkable mission; it is a privilege for me to be part of the largest collaborative project in human history. Wikipedia will always belong to you.
With gratitude,
[Name redacted]
[Title redacted], Wikimedia Foundation
*From www.wikimedia.org:
Wikimedia is a global movement whose mission is to bring free educational content to the world.
Through various projects, chapters, and the support structure of the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimedia strives to bring about a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.
Welcome to Wikimedia.
Wikipedia
Wiktionary
Wikiquote
Wikibooks
Wikisource
Wikinews
Wikiversity
Wikispecies
MediaWiki
Wikidata
Wikimedia Commons
Wikivoyage
Meta-Wiki
Wikimedia Incubator
Wikimedia Cloud Services
Wikitech
Wikimedia Foundation
https://www.wikimedia.org
–Paul Whiting (August 14th, 2023)
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October 23rd, 2023 Update—Continued Further Some More Than Before [My Writing About The Social And Economic Outcomes Of A Tyrannical Wealthy Ruling Class (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog)]:
You always know the dark clouds of a tyrannical wealthy ruling class have gathered because...when it "reigns," it "poors." –Paul Whiting (written October 23rd, 2023, revised October 24th, 2023 and revised October 30th, 2023)
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October 24th, 2023 Update No. 7 [My Writing About How I Have Changed The Way That I Label My Blog Posts 'Updates' For Any Additional 'Updates' That I Write, After The First 'Update,' By Using A Simple Numbering System, Which Starts With The First 'Update' (Originally From My Blog Post Titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," Which Is On My "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" Blog)]:
I have changed the way I label the blog post 'updates' that I write because I oftentimes write more than one 'update' per day!
And in the past, I have labeled the second, third, fourth and fifth 'update' with the following extensions—on the days that I write more than 'update'—to differentiate any additional 'updates' from the first one, as follows:
[1st] Month Day, Year Update
[2nd] Month Day, Year Update—Continued
[3rd] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further
[4th] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further Some More
[5th] Month Day, Year Update—Continued Further Some More Than Before
However today, October 24th, 2023, I actually had more than five 'updates' to write, so I decided to change how I differentiate any additional 'updates,' from the first 'update,' by using a simple numbering system, which actually starts with the first 'update' that I write, as follows:
Month Day, Year Update No. 1
Month Day, Year Update No. 2
Month Day, Year Update No. 3
Month Day, Year Update No. 4
Month Day, Year Update No. 5
Month Day, Year Update No. 6
Month Day, Year Update No. 7
Therefore, that is why this 'update' is the seventh one for today! –Paul Whiting (written October 24th, 2023 and revised October 28th, 2023)
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January 1st, 2024 Update No. 1 [My Writing About My New Year's Resolution For 2024]: Happy New Year, everyone! My New Year's Resolution for 2024 is to change the way that I am making donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations in order to still donate to them on a consistent basis, but in a way that is affordable for me!
Please let me explain: I used to make one-time donations to the organizations which are the subject of the blog post 'updates' that I write on some of my blogs each time that I took an action as requested by those organizations; however, "I have changed the way that I make donations to political, progressive and charitable organizations each month ... due to the fact that I have been spending a considerable percentage of my monthly income on all of these donations." (The reader should know that I am HIV-positive with full-blown AIDS. And I am on Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, so my income is quite limited.)
Therefore, "I am really 'tightening my belt,' so to speak, with regard to all of the donations that I am making on my credit card each month! So, my plan is to only donate to political, progressive and charitable organizations if they specifically ask for donations—and not just for the sake of donating to them at least once per month, or even when I have been taking some sort of action, such as signing a petition, or sending a letter, etc.
Thus, I am trying to greatly reduce the number of donations that I make to simply once in a while, or as determined by me on a case-by-case basis! You see, there are a lot of organizations that I literally donate to only once per year—such as for Giving Tuesday—which is all that I ever donate to them. And that is basically what I am striving for, so that I am still donating to political, progressive and charitable organizations, but the bare minimum that I can donate, since that's all I can really afford." Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update—Follow-Up No. 4, Written On December 1st, 2023 About November 2023 (that also appears as 'November 30th, 2023 Update No. 2, Written On December 1st, 2023' on some of my blogs) from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
Now, that also means if I do donate to any particular organization, in any given month, I am striving to donate to that organization only once per month. Therefore, "I am greatly reducing the number of times that I donate for the same organization per month down to once—or as determined by me on a case-by-case basis." Please see my 'August 19th, 2023 Update' from my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
–Paul Whiting (written January 1st, 2024 and revised January 9th, 2024)
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April 1st, 2024 Update No. 1 [My Writing About Receiving My Third COVID-19 Booster Shot]: This update is a follow-up to my 'August 3rd, 2021 Update,' where I explained, in part, that I was fully vaccinated for COVID-19 on June 25th, 2021. It is also a follow-up to my 'April 4th, 2022 Update, Written On April 5th, 2022' where I explained that I received my first booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on April 4th, 2022. Besides that, it is a follow-up to my 'April 3rd, 2023 Update' where I explained that I received my second booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine on April 3rd, 2023. You see, on April 1st, 2024, I received my third booster shot of the COVID-19 vaccine! –Paul Whiting (April 1st, 2024)
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P.S.: If you are interested in reading the related posts in the series I wrote which are listed under the post label, "I Am No Longer..." that are from my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog, please see the hyperlink below:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/search/label/I%20Am%20No%20Longer...
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For my current "Online Activism"—that includes all of my political, progressive and charitable donation updates, as well as some highlights of the current news articles that I have been reading—please see my blog post titled, "I Am No Longer Being An Activist In The Same Way That I Was," which can be found on my "Poet, Artist and Philosopher" blog.
Please see the hyperlink below for the post:
https://poetartistandphilosopher.blogspot.com/2016/11/i-am-no-longer-being-activist.html
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For my complete charitable donation updates—that include some of my current "Online Activism," as well as most all of my ⋆USO⋆ donations—please see my blog post titled, "My Point Of View On...Giving Charity And Accepting Charity," which can be found on both of my "Paul Whiting — Math Magician" and "Paul Whiting — A Creative Writer" blogs.
Please see the hyperlinks below for the posts:
https://paulwhitingmath.blogspot.com/2015/05/my-point-of-view-on-charity.html
https://paulwhitingwriting.blogspot.com/2022/07/my-point-of-view-on-part-16-giving-to.html
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This "Three Dark Horses" Post No. 085 was edited on May 5th, 2024.
"Prose is using all of the words that are necessary in order to describe all that is necessary to describe." –Paul Whiting [June 1st, 2022]
