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Tuesday, June 23, 2020

#WEARAMASKTOSAVELIVES

As we went to press, we have seen a continue spike in COVID-19 Cases.    A sampling of the reporting as noted by the Washington Examiner is noted below:


The number of new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations has increased in Texas and several states in the South and West, leading governors to eye more aggressive responses.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday that increased rates in hospitalizations and record daily highs of new coronavirus cases show that “COVID-19 is now spreading at an unacceptable rate in Texas, and it must be corralled.”

In light of this,  we have decided to ask all to Wear a Mask, Practice Social Distancing as we hereby concluded this PSA with this appeal from all our living Governors of California as we say let's Defeat COVID 19 Together:



Monday, June 22, 2020

Notations from the Grid (Weekly Edition): 86 Angelic Troublemakers (Courtesy Ozy Magazine)

Friday, June 19, 2020

Notations From the Grid (Weekly Edition): On #JuneteenthDay & #FathersDay2020

On this JuneteenthDay,  we hereby present a reading of the Emancipation Proclamation & thoughts on this day from the Grid:



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It is also the eve of Fathers' Day Week-End here in the United States--Happy Fathers' Day to all the Fathers among us as we look forward to "seeing" all in our Communities Next week.


Tuesday, June 16, 2020

Notations From the Grid (Weekly Edition): A Window Into History Courtesy Understandbly.com

A Snapshot into History we present for our weekly edition of "Notations from the Grid": 
Bit of a sad story today. Poignant though, and bittersweet. Also, quite old — and yet I hope, relevant.
It starts in August 1881, when a woman named Julia Sand wrote a letter to U.S. Vice President Chester A. Arthur.
This was during a very macabre time: the two-month death watch between the July day when President James Garfield was struck by an assassin’s bullet, and the September day when he died.
The nation’s eyes were on Arthur as VP, and almost nobody was happy about it. He’d been a blatant, political machine compromise candidate. The highest office he’d previously held was Collector of New York, which was a 100 percent pure patronage job.
The national mood was basically: Really? This guy is about to become president of the United States?
Enter Sand... She was 31, eccentric, fairly wealthy, unmarried, and often sickly, confined to her home, with no connection at all to Arthur—except that they were both Americans and New Yorkers.
Remember, women couldn’t even vote back then. Yet, she took it upon herself to become Arthur’s muse and his conscience. Sand wrote 23 letters to Arthur that we know of, spanning most of his presidency—pushing him, cajoling him, urging him to be a better man—even awkwardly flirting with him.
The first letter starts out like this. It’s written in a 19th century style, but I think the tone is pretty clear:
The hours of Garfield's life are numbered – before this meets your eye, you may be President. The people are bowed in grief; but—do you realize it?—not so much because he is dying, as because you are his successor.
Disappoint our fears. Force the nation to have faith in you. Show from the first that you have none but the purest of aims.
A hundred years hence, school boys will recite your name in the list of presidents & tell of your administration.
And what shall posterity say? It is for you to choose…
Garfield died, Arthur was sworn in. Sand kept it up.
Lots of cranks write to the White House. But, Sand pushed Arthur on all kinds of issues: civil service reform, a law that banned immigration from China (she opposed it; he signed a compromise version and she scolded him for it), and the makeup of his cabinet.
We also know two other facts.
  • First, President Arthur was lonely. He was 51 and a widower. He had two children who lived to adulthood, but his wife, Ellen, had died only 18 months before Sand’s first letter. Reports say he carried a lot of guilt, especially because he’d been away in Albany on political business when Ellen died.
  • Second, Sand comes across as very lonely, too. While she pushed Arthur toward reform on any number of issues, she also pushed him to do something else: Come and see her. Nobody had called on her personally in five years, she wrote. She wanted the president of the United States to break that string.
Honestly, I felt like a voyeur reading these letters (they’re archived at the Library of Congress). Sand writes entertainingly, but she takes FOREVER to get to the point, and ultimately tells him: Look, come see me in New York sometime in the late morning, when everyone else will be gone.
Arthur was the type to play with fire, apparently, because he took her up on it.
Yes. The sitting president of the United States showed up completely unannounced at Sand’s house, 46 East 74th Street in New York, on August 20, 1882, one year almost to the date of her first letter.
The visit is half the reason we know any of this. But, it was a total disaster. I don’t know how else to put this, but Sand kind of freaked out.
It seems she was nonplussed by the fact that Arthur came by in the evening, when her whole family was there. Her brother and sisters dominated the conversation. At one point, she hid behind a curtain.
Who knows if there could have been something between them otherwise, but I wound up feeling bad for them at this point in the story. It was like a date that seemed so promising but fell flat all around.
“My brother said I was like the man in ‘Arabian Nights,’ who got the Big Genie out of the vase, and then was so frightened he wanted to put it back again,” she wrote to Arthur the next day. She asked him to meet again—but, they never did.
If it weren’t for the fact that Arthur ordered all his papers burned, but saved Sand’s letters, we might wonder if it meant anything to him all.
Both Arthur and Sand both went on to lead tragic, forgotten lives. Let’s be honest, if I’d asked you an hour ago, “Who was Chester Arthur?” would you have even pegged him as a U.S. president?
Arthur, heartsick and unwell, barely bothered to campaign in 1884 and died two years later. Sand was committed to a mental institution in 1886 —and died there 47 years later, unnoticed, in 1933. (I’m not sure she was confined the whole 47 years; she may have been in and out.)
The whole thing is so sad, except for one point: Looking through Sand’s letters and Arthur’s otherwise unexplained positions, some historians think she made a difference.
She was reform-minded and good government-heavy. Arthur, by nature, was not. These historians say her chatty letters pushed him to act differently than he might have otherwise.
“We’ll never know for sure, but there’s good reason to believe that this anonymous young woman helped to change the course of the presidency,” Scott S. Greenberger, author of The Unexpected President: The Life and Times of Chester A. Arthur, told the New York Times in 2018.
I said before that I hope this story is relevant today. I don’t have any reason to think that President Trump has a similar relationship with anyone, or that Joe Biden would if he wins in November.
But I do think there’s something to be said for people in power hearing directly from the ordinary people whose lives they affect — whether they’re citizens, soldiers, employees, or something else.
In Arthur and Sand’s cases, I just wish they’d had happier endings.

Personal story… when else would I tell this? I was in the first grade, I think, when I wrote a letter to President Jimmy Carter asking him not to adopt the metric system in the United States. I had only just learned to measure in feet and inches.
Unlike Arthur, Carter did not show up at my house. But, I did get a White House card in the mail, which I brought to school for show-and-tell.
Also, please note: my letter worked! We did not adopt the metric system!

Monday, June 8, 2020

Notations From the Grid (Special Edition): Dear Class of 2020 (Live stream)

We presented this headline earlier on the Week-End throughout our platforms to celebrate the Class of 2020 and we hereby present it as the Notation For the Grid as we congratulate the Class of 2020 and their families as we tell all:  The Best is Yet to Come!!!




Saturday, June 6, 2020

Notations On Our World (W-End Edition): Points of Light

Points of Light

 

A Message from the President & CEO of Points of Light

Points of Light values inclusivity, diversity, and equality. We stand with people who are taking action for a more just and equitable world. We believe every action matters, that civic engagement takes many forms and is critical to advancing causes that improve society for everyone.

Our President & CEO, Natalye Paquin, shares her reflections on the recent events taking place in America in the past 10 days.
 
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Don't Miss the 2020 Points of Light Conference Online Experience

There are just three days left to register for this engaging online experience. Be inspired, connect with others, and gain practical how-to in workshops, live Q&A, on our virtual main stage and more.
Register Now >> 

The Street Vet Helps Treat Homeless Pets

Dr. Kwane Stewart witnessed many people relinquishing their pets during the 2007 Great Recession. This inspired him to reach out to the underserved in his community, offering pro bono services to pets of individuals experiencing homelessness.

Read More >>

Small Town America Civic Volunteer Award

Civic volunteers serve critical roles in their local communities. Shine a light on one today and nominate them for a Small Town America Civic Volunteer Award. Nominations are now open, and winners will receive cash awards as well as new CivicCMS websites at no charge.

Learn More >>

Business Leaders are Joining CECE

Points of Light’s Community for Employee Civic Engagement is an online platform that brings curated content from leaders, case studies, forums for connection and more in one easy-to-use place for CSR professionals. Start a 14-day free trial today!

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Purpose 360 Podcast Features Daily Point of Light Honoree

The Purpose 360 podcast recently featured Sammie Vance, founder of Sammie’s Buddy Benches, as part of it’s “Humanity at it’s Best” series. Listen for a daily dose of inspiration and hear how others are doing good!

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Nominate a Woman of Worth 

Nominations are currently open for the L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth award, which recognizes extraordinary women who selflessly volunteer their time to serve their communities.

Nominate Now  >>
 

Recognize Our Founder's Birthday by Supporting Points of Light

We’re celebrating what would be President George H.W. Bush’s 96th birthday on June 12 by uplifting his vision of a world transformed by individuals stepping off the sides lines to accelerate change in their communities. At Points of Light, we continue providing the leadership and people-power needed to serve communities worldwide. Join us in recognizing the President’s legacy and supporting our critical work with your gift today! 

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More From the Points of Light Blog

Thursday, June 4, 2020

Notations From the Grid (Special Thursday Edition): #WeShallOvercome


We decided to pay homage to the heroes as we begin a weekend of reflection and America has been witness to unprecedented change and transformation--and as we note how the death of George Floyd has helped change our World as we know it:




Monday, June 1, 2020

Notations From the Grid (Special Edition): #RandomThoughts

We present the following #RandomThoughts: 





We conclude with this as @KillerMike Spoke Friday Night as the riots in Atlanta went on: