#Glimmer of Hope by the founders of March For Our Lives

[alex-just-vibing]

there was a one dollar book sale (woah) at a bookstore nearby the other day and i got eleven new books (for like half the price of one new one regularly lol), all non fiction.

[jazzworldquest-blog]

USA: All-female Middle Eastern Jewish powerhouse ensemble Divahn celebrates the strength of women and musical common ground on Shalhevet

All-female Middle Eastern Jewish powerhouse ensemble Divahn celebrates the strength of women and musical common ground on Shalhevet

As one of the very few groups performing Mizrahi and Judeo-Arab music in the US today, NYC-based ensemble Divahn—whose name is a word common to the Hebrew, Persian, and Arabic languages, denoting a collection of songs or poetry—has been internationally recognized for its mission to highlight the common ground between diverse Middle Eastern cultures and religions through music. 

That is the spirit behind Divahn’s latest album Shalhevet (to be released March 7, 2020), a collection of passionately original interpretations of traditional Sephardi/Mizrahi Jewish songs that blend lush string arrangements, eclectic Indian, Middle Eastern, and Latin percussion, and vocals spanning Hebrew, Persian, and Arabic.  The title of the album comes from the Hebrew word for ‘flame’ or ‘blaze’ with the intent that Divahn’s strong emphasis on the commonality between Middle Eastern cultures and religions should serve as a flaming bonfire for the sometimes darker world we find ourselves in today.

According to Divahn’s founder, Persian-American singer, composer, writer, and anthropology professor Galeet Dardashti, the all-female powerhouse is about welcoming audiences into the beautiful shared heritage of the intertwined Abrahamic peoples of the Middle East while also taking a vocal stance against the homogenizing forces of nativism that are increasingly prevalent in today’s political climate.

“We'd mostly been focused on doing a lot of live performances the last couple years, but then the Trump election of 2016 happened,” reflects Galeet. “Like so many, we were all so devastated and really wanted to respond as artists, so it became really clear that we were going to make another album. The world needs an all-female Middle Eastern Jewish album that celebrates what connects us, rather than what tears us apart.”

The album’s defiant spirit of hope is perhaps most exemplified by the track “Banu Choshech”. A familiar children’s Chanukah song sung throughout the Jewish world, the song’s simple and straightforward lyrics resonated powerfully with the band as they searched for an anthem of hope and strength in the dour aftermath of the 2016 US presidential election: “We’ve come to chase away the darkness.  We bear light and fire. Each glimmer is small. But together, our blaze is fierce.” In this version, Divahn gave the song their own unique spin, adding quarter tones, rooted in the band’s Middle Eastern musical vocabulary. Galeet then added Biblical texts to highlight the Jewish approach to caring for the stranger.  

This pairing of creative composition with deep cultural study has always been characteristic of Divahn’s music. Many of the songs on the album demonstrate the historic shared culture between Jews and non-Jews in the Middle East by highlighting the piyyut (sacred song) tradition. Beginning in the 16th century of this tradition, Jewish composers would write religious Hebrew texts to the secular songs that were popular across the Middle East and originally written in Arabic, Persian, Greek, and Turkish.

A prime example of this is the album’s first track, “Ya’alah Ya’alah,” which draws its lyrics from the language and themes of the Song of Songs, and sets them to the melody of a popular Arabic love song called “Ya Tira Tiri.” The piyyut’s author, the prolific bohemian 16th century Rabbi Yisrael Najara, is believed to have begun the practice of composing Hebrew lyrics to the popular secular songs of the day. 

Galeet points out that this practice was widespread, and that Jews were often the perpetuators of music across the Middle East because, during some periods, Islamic law prohibited Muslims from doing such work. In fact, many of the melodies that Dardashti sings on the album in Hebrew, including “Ya'alah Ya'alah,” the 20th century Syrian piyyut “Ayni Tzofiah,” and the 20th century Moroccan “Am Ne’emanay” were all originally Arabic love songs. On the album, Galeet sings “Ya'alah Ya'alah,” in both its original Arabic and as a Hebrew piyyut as an homage to the track’s musical etymology.

For Galeet, leading Divahn is as much about highlighting Arab-Jewish and Persian-Jewish culture as it is about celebrating the strength of women—a point brought to bear by the fact that Divahn performs religious songs not traditionally sung by women in the Jewish Middle Eastern world. 

As such, the all-female band’s album release is timed to coincide with Purim, a Jewish holiday with an origin story that not only takes place in ancient Persia but also celebrates two powerful women. Queen Esther is the traditional Jewish heroine of the story, who saves the Jewish people from annihilation with her wit and courage. But the other heroine for Divahn is Queen Vashti—the non-Jewish queen who stands up to the male chauvinist king when he demands that she show off her beauty to his guests.  When she refuses him, he ousts her as queen for fear that she could start a women’s revolution. “Vashti is an exemplar of standing up for your principles and fighting against patriarchy, no matter the consequences—she was ahead of her time.” says Dardashti.Divahn got its start, years ago, when Dardashti was an anthropology graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, studying Middle Eastern Jewish musical trends in Israel. Galeet’s musical and academic inspirations came from her own family history, as her father is an accomplished and widely renowned cantor, and her grandfather was one of the most famous singers of Persian classical music in Iran during the 1950s and 1960s. As an Iranian Jew, however, Galeet didn't grow up really connected to Middle Eastern Jewish Music. Instead, both her anthropological research and her career in music sprouted from a later desire to discover her own cultural heritage and musical traditions.

Divahn formed quite organically out of that mix as Galeet met fellow musicians in the Austin music scene. The band went through several emanations before solidifying with the current membership in New York City in 2015. The diverse musical backgrounds of the current band members contribute to a unique collaboration and sound: Eleanor Norton (cello, vocals), Elizabeth Pupo-Walker (cajon, congas, diverse percussion, vocals), Sejal Kukadia (Indian tabla, vocals), and Megan Gould (violin, kamanche, vocals). Between them, the impressively accomplished crew has performed with the likes of Natalie Merchant, Adele, Alan Cuming, John Legend, David Byrne, and the late Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, to name only a few, and also perform in many Broadway shows.

Divahn’s Shalhevet release show will take place at Joe’s Pub in NYC on March 7, 2020.

Divahn Website

Contact

Publicist

Ron Kadish

ron@rockpaperscissors.biz

812.339.1195

via Blogger https://ift.tt/398uPLf

[strangewhitegirl321]

Electricity (10th)

{Not my gif}

Words: 3341

Originally posted to my Wattpad account.

   "Put on a fancy dress, Donna!" The Doctor screamed as she disappeared down the hall. Hearing her call of acknowledgement, he nodded in satisfaction before skipping over to his reflection. Quickly fixing himself up, he smiled at himself before wheeling on his heel.

   Hastily, he set the coordinates of the TARDIS, humming as he skipped and hopped along to drive her. She shook and wavered, shuttering before landing with a small crash to the ground. Just on time, Donna stumbled out into the console room.

   "You idiot!" She immediately shrieked, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I was just slipping on my dress, when I fall head first into a bloody rack of clothes and take a couple buttons to the nose!" Immediately, he put his hands up in surrender.

   "Oops?" He muttered sheepishly. Then, as she began to march over to him he began to try and save his hide by appealing to her interests.

   "Wait, wait!" The man cried. "We're somewhere expensive! Mini quiche, escargot! And fancy wines! Think of the chocolate wines! Yum!"

   Donna continued to march towards him, not stopping as she backed him up into his own ship's console. However, her gaze had softened from anger to curiosity faster than he had ever imagined.

With a stomp of her foot, she demanded, "Well, tell me where we are, then!"

   Letting a relieved sigh pass his lips, he ran a hand through his hair. Slightly rolling his eyes, he turned on his heel and began to march towards the door. For a moment, he stopped to look over his trench coat. However, instead he checked he had his sonic screwdriver with him and left the coat as he opened the door for Donna with a dramatic bow.

   "My lady," He teased, causing her grumble angrily.

   "Well, at least you have manners," She mumbled, stepping out the door. Looking around, she noticed they were on a familiar street of London. However, it was night and the street was almost empty save the people crowding into a large building about a block away. Glancing at the street, she noticed how clean they were, and how old the concrete appeared.

   The Doctor closed the door behind him, stepping out beside Donna and taking a deep breath in through his nose, "Year two thousand fifty two, January third. London, England. The day a new power source was born."

   Glancing at him, she nodded slowly, "A new power source? Or, a perfected one?"

   "A new one! Isn't that exciting?" The Doctor exclaimed, reaching out to loop his arm around Donna's. "Allons-y!"

   Quickly, he tugged her along as she suddenly complained, "Man, and I thought my dress was fancy." The Doctor turned to catch what she was looking at, and grimaced at a woman wearing a full ballgown seeming to be completely made out of different types of feathers.

   "Oh, I think I like your dress better," He admitted, continuing to pull her along. Easily using his psychic paper as an invitation, he got the two of them inside without any problems.

   Suddenly, just as he was about to lead her to a couple of seats, Donna jumped excitedly, "Oh look! Fancy punch!" Confused, the Doctor's head swivelled as he turned to glance at a giant fountain filled with a bright red liquid. He watched as people dunked their cups under, before turning around to chug it.

   "Fancy indeed!" With a grin he agreed, going off course. Grabbing a cup for both Donna and himself, he dunked it under the falling liquid. Immediately, he handed the second cup to Donna, and together they tilted it back and took a nice gulp.

   A satisfied moan left Donna's lips as she cried, "By God this stuff is good!" People turned to glance in her direction, and she shied away from their glances. Just as her eyes turned to meet the Doctor's gaze, she caught him once again dunking his cup under the fountain.

   "Did you already drink all of that?!" She hissed, slapping his shoulder as he chugged it. With a yelp, he nearly sent the drink flying all over himself.

   "Oi! What was that for?!" The poor man asked, rubbing the shoulder Donna had just smacked.

   "For being an alien-pig!" Shamelessly she scolded him. "I swear, I can't take you anywhere."

   "You? Take me anywhere?" The Doctor repeated slowly, mouth slowly starting to gape open before he began his attempt to argue. "You know, that's kind of funny because last I checked-"

   But before a real argument could ensue, a sudden wail of a microphone caused everyone in the room to jump in sync through their surprise.

   "Welcome, everyone!" An old, withered voice echoed through the room. "I am Brendon Kiger, one of the founder's of Solid Gold Energy! And also, one of the few scientists who created the Auric Energy Source."

   The Doctor set his cup lazily on the table beside the fountain, forcing Donna to put hers down as well before dragging her over to the group of people beginning to take their seats. Leading her to the first row, he chose the last two seats filled by a couple of young men before flashing them his psychic paper.

   "Sorry, but I believe these are our prepaid seats," He claimed nonchalantly. With a bit of hesitance, the boys glanced at each other before getting up and attempting to find a couple other good seats.

   Frowning, Donna watched them go before turning to the Doctor, "I don't know about you, but I feel kind of bad for that." Shrugging, he sat down and glued his attention to the stage.

   "And, I am Herod Prince. The latest member to join the wonderful crew of Solid Gold Energy working on the Auric Energy Source," A man about Donna's age introduced himself. "Today, we are here to give a small presentation on our new, amazing product."

   The older man stepped forward, and began talking as his hands waved in the air, "Our new product is not only efficient, but gorgeous. Instead of the boring wires, or even your wireless devices, you can show off the gorgeous gold hue that bolts through the clear wires specifically meant to display the beautiful colour."

   "In just a moment, we will show you a large example of just how alluring the energy itself it," The young man once again took over speaking. "However, we figured that we should mention just how much the amount of energy you are about to see is capable of.

   "Within this pipe-" He pointed to a long, clear cylinder about as wide as a human head that grew from the floor to the ceiling behind him on stage. "-there will soon be enough energy to power the whole of England. Every single home, every single facility, car, plane, and boat."

   The audience seemed to gasp, and with a wide smirk the young man continued, "Now, finally we will show you the amazing product we have been able to produce."

   Stepping aside, the whole crowd seemed to lean in to witness the raw, visible energy that would be passing through the clear tube. The Doctor himself tilted forward in his seat, confused beyond all means as he tried to imagine how the science behind it could work, even trying to remember if he had ever seen such a thing- suddenly, his brain seemed to malfunction.

   A familiar, golden energy suddenly blasted through the tube and up into the ceiling. Everyone, including Donna, gasped in amazement as the light glimmered and danced. The Doctor's mouth fell open, and his brows rose.

   "No," The Doctor began to panic. Already recognising the golden glow of the regeneration energy, he almost bolted from his seat and onto the stage before Donna grabbed his arm.

   "Oh my god, it's gorgeous!" She gasped, not noticing the look on the Doctor's face.

   He frowned, foot beginning to tap anxiously as his eyes stared down Donna, " I know." His eyes turned back to the raw energy he knew so well just as it disappeared. His whole face seemed to sink, and every breath he took appeared to be stunted. It was dawning on him that there was a slim possibility of another Time Lord. Fear, excitement, and dread coursed through his veins, and he shook the whole line of seats through his anxious hopping in his chair.

   "Just the reaction we were hoping for!" Mr. Kiger exclaimed with a victorious laugh. "This is the absolute best energy source we have. Currently, our source is classified. However, the source has more hope of spurring on humanity's technological growth than any of the other ideas.

   "From harnessing the sun's solar energy; harvesting lightning; using the Earth in geothermal energy; and even at one point using humankind itself to produce energy-" The man paused, a large grin that made the Doctor sick to the stomach stuck on his face. "None of it compares to what we can give to our planet!"

   Finally, the Doctor grabbed Donna's hand and hauled her out of her chair. With a confused grumbling, she unhappily trotted behind him as she tried to keep up with him. Keeping her head down in an attempt to avoid peoples' stares, she stepped on his heel to catch his attention.

   "Why are we leaving?" She asked, sulking as she glanced back at the stage.

   Gritting his teeth, he stopped just beside a little red box, "That wasn't regular energy." He began, causing Donna's eyes to narrow.

   "Then what was it?" She asked, watching as he whipped out his sonic screwdriver. For a moment, he paused to glance at her.

   "It had to come from a living being," He tried to explain it vaguely, but knew he couldn't pass off being so upset without giving up the full reason. "More specifically- a living Time Lord."

   Immediately, Donna gasped, "Oh my god." At her shock, the Doctor pressed a button on his screwdriver and set off the fire alarm. Grabbing Donna's hand, he turned around and bolted into the crowd of confused people who rushed out of the building quickly.

   Squeezing by angry, confused people and keeping a tight grip on Donna, he reached the stage. The men talking earlier had disappeared, probably fled the building.

   "To the back!" The Doctor hollered over the loud screech of the alarm. He and Donna broke into a run, bursting through the curtains and dodging workers as they leapt onto the stage.

   Suddenly, the Doctor caught sight of an elevator opening up backstage. Out wheeled a large clear capsule. Inside, there was a young (h/c) woman who kicked around weakly as she was completely strapped inside. The metal that wrapped around her head, arms, legs, hips, and chest were tightly squeezing her. Wide, humiliated (e/c) eyes darted around wildly as she fought the cage she was trapped in.

   Suddenly, her eyes connected with the Doctor's. Both of them seemed to freeze for just a moment, and she desperately tried to keep her eyes on him as the men pushing her pod forward ripped him from her view.

   "Stop!" The Doctor rushed forward, grabbing one of the men's arms. "Stop right there!"

   Donna immediately shoved herself right in the path of the pod, and put her hands on the glass, "Sweetheart, can you hear me? Are you alright?"

   "Who the hell are you?!" One of the men asked, shoving the Doctor off of him. When the Doctor nearly fell, he stood up and immediately rushed back to grab onto the man again. Immediately, the man brought out pepper spray. The Doctor quickly took a step back, ready to roar.

   Taking a deep breath, the Doctor gave him a glare, "I'm the man who's shutting all of this down."

   A laugh echoed behind him, and a hand suddenly clasped his shoulder, "It's alright. She's not human, only looks like it." Herod tried to reassure. Immediately, the Doctor whipped around and aggressively threw his hand away from him.

   "Exactly!" The Doctor growled. "She is a being from another world. One of the last of her species!"

   With a roll of his eyes, Mr. Kiger stepped forward, "We treat her as if she were porcelain. There will be no harm to come to her-" The Doctor couldn't help it, for so long he had been against violence- yet in that moment he delivered a strong right hook that caused his hand to ache. Donna gasped and hollered something unintelligible at his action, she never expected to see that in her life. The struck man wailed as he crumpled to the ground, and an employee rushed forward to replace one of the guards holding the Time Lady's cell. The guard grabbed hold of the Doctor, muttering threats if he tried to get loose.

   "Do you even know her name?" The Doctor asked, venom dripping from his words. With barely any effort he shrugged out of the guard's grip, who followed him warily as he walked around the glass so he could face the young woman. The girl's eyes seemed to light up upon seeing him, and his mouth dropped open for just a second. Taking his screwdriver, he scanned the glass. Glancing at it, he put an arm out to Donna and took a step back.

   "Close your eyes," He warned to the girl. With no hesitance, she complied. Once her eyes were closed, he pressed a button and the glass shattered and crashed to the ground.

   Once he could reach her, he turned to Donna, "Scold them or something." He gestured to the men who were either too shocked to step in, or were helping the bleeding man on the floor.

   Then, he turned back around to the girl. Connecting eyes, he was glad to see just how relieved she appeared. With gentle hands, he reached forward and cupped her face. The guard behind him tried to reach out and seize him once again, but Donna quickly put a stop to it.

   "I wouldn't do that if I were you," She warned, stealing his pepper spray right from his own hand in a wave of bravery.

   Both the Doctor and the girl closed their eyes, and immediately he began to search through her memories. A mutual understanding seemed to pass between the two: One at a time. So, she kept from his mind for the time being.

   Quickly, the Doctor searched through her memories. He saw how they stole her energy, and grimaced at the screams he could hear echo from her memory. Then even further, he found how they had captured her.

   She had just arrived on Earth in a different face, horribly wounded. Dragging herself over to a alley way as she whimpered, he watched as she regenerated. The blast of energy had drawn in locals who came running to get a peak, and the Doctor recognised the face of Brendon Kiger among those who appeared to gawk at the girl who just changed faces.

   When she had collapsed to the ground, new (h/c) hair thrown across the pavement, Kiger raced forward and grabbed onto her. He fought with other people for the right to take her, and quickly hauled her into a car and drove off with her.

   As he went further back into the girl's memories, he discovered she had only appeared on Earth after barely escaping the Time War. It hadn't been long for her since she had lost her planet- and as he quickly discovered she was so, so young to him. Only two hundred and thirty three years old. He couldn't imagine how it must have felt to be so young and loose all you have, just to be captured and turned into an experiment.

   Suddenly, he could feel the girl spurring him on. She wanted him to keep going, and began to take control of showing him her memories. Soon he saw her place in the Time War: She was a hero. The girl before him had rescued thousands of Gallifreyan children. Even through all the strife, she continued to head back into the fire just to save another crying child and take them someplace safe. Before she was sent to Earth, she had jumped in front of two older boys to ensure their safety as they were about to be struck.

   In payment, the boys and other children had taken her life into their own hands, and against her will sent her to Earth. Her kindness was repaid in full- but he could feel just how devastated she was to not have been able to protect them in the end. The Doctor could feel how it tore her apart as if it were her own fault.

   Then, finally, she showed him her name: (Y/n). Nothing grand, simply a human name she had chosen.

   Slowly, he retracted his hands. His eyes stared into her solemn, lost irises.

   "It wasn't your fault," He told her quietly. Then, he used his sonic to release her. Slowly, (Y/n) stumbled out on shaky limbs, grabbing onto the Doctor. Quickly, he responded and steadied her. The guard also rushed forward to help stabilise her- and together they lowered her to the ground.

   "What are you doing?!" Herod suddenly yelled, angrily shaking a fist as he helped Kiger to his feet. "Somebody stop him!"

   However, a woman who had previously been helping his partner shook her head in disappointment, "This is just barbaric!"

   In a moment, it seemed her words took full effect on anyone who had stopped to gawk at the almost fairy tale situation. One man even approached Herod with white knuckles and stuck a finger to his chest, scolding him with harsh words.

   The Doctor watched it all go down, before he felt a soft hand pull at the collar of his jacket. Glancing back at (Y/n), he reached down to cup her head as it practically lolled around on her neck. He figured she had been in there so long, even the muscles in her neck had begun to deteriorate.

   Her wide, (e/c) eyes stared up at him. Slowly measuring him, studying everything about him. Then, with hesitant fingers she began to reach up to touch his face. Even with his encouraging nod, she still froze a mere inch from his skin. So, he reached up and held her hand against his cheek.

   Then he showed her his past. When he first started the telepathy link he worried how she would react. But he had quickly discovered she was different from all the other Time Lords. Even largely different from himself. The way she acted in general, and all her regenerations were almost strikingly human in his eyes.

   Slowly, she softly picked through his mind. While her eyes were closed, he took the time to observe her face. When she stumbled upon something that interested her, her lips would pucker as she seemed to think about it. Connecting all the lines of who he was, she opened her eyes.

   However the Doctor kept her hand firmly on his face. (Y/n) stared up at him, brows furrowed. She wasn't judging him for what he did- rather, she seemed curious and understanding. Finally, she let a relieved sigh pass through her lips and she curled herself against his chest and shut her eyes.

   Even through Herod and Kiger's anguished screams and all the people who tried to get in his way, he shoved his way outside. He waited for Donna to catch up, who glanced up at the Doctor after observing the girl in his arms.

   Giving him a knowing look, she laughed as he rolled his eyes. Then, her entire face softened.

   "So," Donna began softly. "Are you going to tell me who she is?"

   Gradually, a smile grew on the Doctor's face. Watching the grin that slowly overtook his face, she couldn't help a smile of her own to see him so happy.

   "Special," He answered at first. "Strong, even. A hero."

   "Well, you sure got lucky then," Donna commented, causing him to laugh. Then, she opened the TARDIS door for the Doctor, and he carefully carried the girl inside her new home.

[vulpixbookpix]

Glimmer of Hope: How Tragedy Sparked a Movement by The March for Our Lives Founders

5 stars

Dates Read: 04/22/19 - 04/23/19

I'm so proud of these kids and so in awe of the things they're accomplishing. I hope Gen Z shifts the political scope. I hope they keep fighting. This book is about their fight for lives. It's about how they've organized so they don't fade into another tragic statistic. They want to keep making people aware of the gun violence that is in America and how politicians are refusing to even allow a study on why America has so many instances of gun-related deaths. I don't think these kids are being dramatic; they survived a school shooting, for fuck's sake. They want change and they want to prevent other kids from losing their classmates and siblings. Listen to them because they are the future.

[crypto4all]

Bitcoin Will Create a New Economic Elite in 2020

As many economies slowly begin opening up again, their stability remains uncertain. ​2020 will go down in the history books as the year financial markets suffered their worst day since 1987 and oil’s value went negative​ for the first time.Bitcoin (BTC) continues to increase in popularity across the globe, particularly as ​emerging markets ​with populations counting billions begin to recognize its potential. The asset has proven extraordinary resilience in the worst economic crisis of our living time — even overtaking gold as the ​best performing asset​ of 2020.The COVID-19 pandemic has pulled the breaks on the world economy, with the United States Federal Reserve — the world’s most powerful central bank — being left with no option but to print unlimited money from their magic money tree. The damage is estimated to cost at least​ $1 trillion​, its flow-on effect causing​ ​widespread unemployment​.The crisis won’t be over when the pandemic is, and it will reveal to the traditional financial system that there is a lot to learn. This year, Bitcoin will create a new economic class, and it’s time for all to pay attention to it — or miss out.

Traditional finance needs to be revamped

The moment the Federal Reserve announced “​infinite money​” and oil’s value went into decline, the​ ​value of Bitcoin grew​.​ ​People are beginning to realize that we can no longer continue relying on traditional forms of finance. For decades, indebtedness across the world has grown, and asset bubbles have continued to enlarge. It appears we have learned nothing from the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. This health crisis is the icing on the already crumbling cake that our society is built on. But with Bitcoin, 2020 could be a different story.Bitcoin’s ability to ​ride traditional financial markets upward ​is a telling sign not only of its resilience but its role as a somewhat safe haven. On Jan. 3, 2009, when the Genesis Block​ of Bitcoin was mined, the mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, left a message in the block’s raw data: “The Times 03/Jan/2009 Chancellor on brink of second bailout for banks.” Twelve years later, the message has never been clearer: Bitcoin was invented to foster complete reformation of a volatile financial system by separating money and state. If you look at Bitcoin’s ability to exist without centralized control, you will see a glimmer of hope.

Bitcoin will come out of this crisis even stronger

Tim Draper had merit when he​ ​said​, “It will be Bitcoin, not banks and governments that save the day.” The assets that investors have historically relied on can no longer be trusted, and macroeconomic forces are proof that existing forms of trade may not withhold another crisis.There is a very simple reason why Bitcoin is a reliable asset compared to traditional fiat: There is now officially an “infinite” amount of USD, but there will never be more than 21 million Bitcoin. The “money printer go brrr” meme went viral because it’s true. Hyperinflation will continue to plague our economic systems as long as many traditional assets do.By design, Bitcoin is anti-inflationary — this is a part of its code. But recent drops have left many believing the opposite is true. When Bitcoin’s​ ​price dropped​ to $3,600 on March 12 this year, it was the direct result of an overall market interest drop in assets and overleveraged longs being liquidated. The many benefits of Bitcoin is that it is an easy asset to liquidate, as it is very accessible.We have a lot to learn from Bitcoin. We need to look at the way Bitcoin is built and mined to make our predictions. Unlike fiat, Bitcoin is immutable and decentralized. At the moment, its volatility is a consequence of its small market capitalization, its function as a speculative currency, and the fact that many people are treating Bitcoin like they treat their stocks.The real problem is that economies are being powered by inflationary currencies. In a crisis like today’s, this can collapse like a house of cards. When money keeps losing value, there’s no point in saving any of it. Bitcoin is only solidifying its role in the market as governments continue to print money.

It’s time to give Bitcoin the spotlight it deserves

It is evident that negative interest rates are just around the corner, with the ​U.S. Federal Reserve cutting interest rates to zero. It’s time for the world to see Bitcoin as humanity’s Plan B.Bitcoin investors are ​multiplying​ and online searches for Bitcoin activity are on​ the rise​. The bullish outlook is back, and we need to wake up to the asset maturing into a globally recognized store of value.The world is heading into dangerous territory, as the market slowdown is just getting started​. The global economy hasn’t seen anything like this since WWII;​ there will be more damage, and there will be more casualties, both figuratively and literally.Bitcoin needs to be used for the true purpose and function it was invented for: To safeguard people from the downfalls of the traditional global financial system.We cannot continue relying on century-old forms of finance where hyperinflation is used as a means of survival. It’s time to take back control of our financial freedom.The views, thoughts and opinions expressed here are the author’s alone and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views and opinions of Cointelegraph.Jonathan Leong is the CEO and co-founder of BTSE, with more than 20 years of experience in developing high performance, mission-critical systems. Over the past six years, he has built many successful ventures by fusing his deep knowledge of technology with business opportunities. Read the full article

[tragicbooks]

'Glimmer Of Hope' Provides A Blueprint For Launching Social Change

With a new collection of essays, the 25 founders of March For Our Lives return the subject of the Parkland shooting and gun violence to national consciousness just in time for midterms elections.

(Image credit: NPR)

[featurenews]

'Glimmer Of Hope' Provides A Blueprint For Launching Social Change

With a new collection of essays, the 25 founders of March For Our Lives return the subject of the Parkland shooting and gun violence to national consciousness just in time for midterms elections. https://www.npr.org/2018/10/23/659474008/glimmer-of-hope-provides-a-blueprint-for-launching-social-change?utm_medium=tumblr&utm_campaign=news&utm_source=dlvr.it

[honorsocietyfanforever]

Glimmer Of Hope By The Founders Of March For Our Lives #marchforourlives #glimmerofhope #bookhaul #booklover #bookstagram #booknerd #bookgeek #bookaddict #bookgram #bookinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BpNCUkkFms9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1e1sbxoshwne7

[tekmodetech]

Here's The First Look At The Cover Of The Book The March For Our Lives Founders Wrote

Here’s The First Look At The Cover Of The Book The March For Our Lives Founders Wrote

Jaclyn “Jackie” Corin, Cameron Kasky, Emma González, David Hogg, and other young founders of March for Our Lives have a book coming out Oct. 16 called Glimmer Of Hope: How Tragedy Sparked a Movement.

The illustrated cover is crowded with the faces of protesters, holding up their fists or signs that read “Protect Kids, Not Guns,” “Not One More,” and “Am I Next?” The title’s lettering is orange,…