Closing 2024 Quotes

Look closely at the present you are constructing; it should look like the future you are dreaming. —ALICE WALKER

The year 2020 will mark the end of the U.S. presidency and the executive branch of the government. Let’s just say the American public will finally be fed up by then and leave it at that. The legislative branch will essentially absorb the responsibilities of the executive branch, with a streamlined body of elected representatives, an equal number from each state, forming the new legislature, which will be known simply as the Senate. The “party” system of Democrats, Republicans, Independents, et al., will un-complicate itself into Liberals and Conservatives, who will debate and vote on each proposed bill and law in nationally televised sessions. Requirements for Senate candidates will be stringent and continuously monitored. For example, senators will be prohibited from having any past or present salaried position with any company that has ever had or might ever have a professional or contractual connection to federal, state, or local government, and each senator must submit to random drug and alcohol testing throughout his or her term. The long-term effects of this reorganized government and closely examined body of lawmakers will be a return of legislative accountability and public trust, and state governments will follow suit no later than 2024 by becoming smaller mirror images of the national Senate.

Five months before its release, a close friend of Prince Harry had warned me that the institution—and the media allies that support it—might “play dirty” against those who attempt to expose the truth. They weren’t wrong.

The Triumph of Goodness" If only the reality was like cartoons like teenager books and stories or like the countless movies and soap operas produced specially for the naïve in which goodness triumphs at the end… Anyone who follows the reality of the world closely and deeply, shall find that the triumph of goodness is nothing but a myth a trick created by the evildoers themselves to trick us into thinking that goodness, honesty, and virtues win in the end… The world turns upside down when we discover that all these good and well-selected virtues are nothing but myths fabricated by the vicious and the evil ones to permanently maintain their control over the naïve who believe that goodness triumphs just like at the end of movies… [Original poem published in Arabic on February 26, 2024 at ahewar.org]

Hey Sakura? What're your thoughts after listening to Kaji?" "I-I..." "There's a lot I can't do. I do a lot of things that make me look pretty pathetic or lame. But I'm not scared. That's because everyone here will accept me, no matter what I do, so I can do anything without having to worry. That's why I think it's okay for me to do the things that others can't. 'It doesn't matter how stupid they may look', 'I still like him'. Everyone has those close connections. We depend on others and let them depend on us. We forgive them, and they forgive us. That's why we're all together. That's why it's okay, Sakura. Trust Kaji. Trust your friends. And jump right out there with everything you've got!

What Matters Most” October 4, 2024 at 11:41 AM Verse 1: When the sun sets on our journey, and the years have flown on by, We’ll look back on all the memories, with a tear and a sigh. The house we built together, the cars we loved to drive, They’ll fade into the background, as we cherish our sweet life. Chorus: 'Cause when we get to the end of our lives together, The things we owned won’t matter, not the stormy weather. What will matter is the love we shared, so wild and free, What will matter is that I had you, and you had me. Verse 2: Through the highs and lows we wandered, hand in hand through every storm, We found strength in each other, kept each other warm. The treasures of this world, they can’t compare to what we’ve got, A love that’s true and timeless, a love that can’t be bought. Chorus: 'Cause when we get to the end of our lives together, The things we owned won’t matter, not the stormy weather. What will matter is the love we shared, so wild and free, What will matter is that I had you, and you had me. Bridge: So let’s dance beneath the moonlight, and laugh until we cry, Let’s hold each other close, as the years go by. For in the end, it’s not the things, but the love that we will see, What will matter is that I had you, and you had me. Chorus: 'Cause when we get to the end of our lives together, The things we owned won’t matter, not the stormy weather. What will matter is the love we shared, so wild and free, What will matter is that I had you, and you had me. Outro: Yes, what will matter is that I had you, and you had me.

Southpaw Serpent by Stewart Stafford She was a left-handed artist, More paint on her face than on canvas, 'Here, take this,' she said to me, 'It takes you to the snake with the atlas.' I grasped the nettle of her riddle, An eyeball roulette elixir of time. Each sandy step I took after that Veered from horrific to the sublime. I found myself at a beach house party, Remorse coiled in laundry bags hissed, They reeked of promise unfulfilled, And of sweet opportunities missed. Girls morphed into southpaw painters, Pointing and urging me to go on, A police raid, I fled to the rooftop, As dawn cracked open the sun. I frantically crafted glitter collages, Kaleidoscopes of close friends and I, The leftie girlie dyed her hair, judging, The winner was a mirrored all-seeing eye. © 2024, Stewart Stafford. All rights reserved.

the death of someone close to us – changes us,’ I say slowly. ‘Maybe it makes us different, rather than the people around us.

Tomiyama... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to push you over the edge like this. But I guess this shows how close you were to the brink of snapping." "Shut up!" "But if you keep spiraling in despair and end up destroying everything... then from here on for the rest of your life... you'll only keep suffering.

Grandpa's Little Angel August 6, 2024 at 9:30 AM [Verse] She's Grandpa's little angel, his shining star, On his knee, she heard tales of days gone by. She brought sunshine to his days, near and far, And in Grandpa's arms, she'd always sigh. [Verse 2] Sunday morning, on the porch they'd sway, With a cup of coffee and a sigh of grace. She'd listen close to every word he'd say, In Grandpa’s embrace, she found her place. [Chorus] In Grandpa’s garden, she'd roam free, Picking flowers with a child's delight. In her eyes, he saw eternity, In her laughter, he found light. [Verse 3] Evenings by the fire, stories turned to song, He'd play the old guitar, she'd hum along. Time stood still for moments so long, In Grandpa's heart, she belonged. [Verse 4] Years have passed, the porch is worn, But memories linger in her heart so clear. Grandpa’s voice in every dawn, Whispering love that never disappears. [Bridge] In dreams, she walks those fields again, Hand in hand with her old friend. He’s the star in her night’s refrain, Guiding her until the end.

Wait for Me, Daddy August 8, 2024 at 9:46 AM [Verse] Wait for me, Daddy, she yelled, don't leave me behind, Running down the gravel road, her little shoes untied, The sun sinking low, casting shadows on the pines, A memory carved deep, through the years it still shines. [Verse 2] Wait for me, Daddy, don’t let me go astray, Her small voice trembling in the last light of day, As he hoisted his bag, weariness in his eyes, The weight of the world carried with each goodbye. [Chorus] Wait for me, Daddy, I'm almost home, Through the fields of golden corn, and the wildflowers grown, With every step, with every mile's stone, Wait for me, Daddy, you’re never alone. [Verse 3] Years rolled by like rivers flowing, fast and wild, Her heart stayed true, her spirit reconciled, Letters sent from places he had never known, A father’s love, distant but never overthrown. [Bridge] Through winters harsh and summers that gleamed bright, She held his words close, they became her guiding light, Through the laughter, through the tears unshown, She’d whisper to the stars, “Daddy, call me home.” [Chorus] Wait for me, Daddy, I'm almost home, Through the fields of golden corn, and the wildflowers grown, With every step, with every mile's stone, Wait for me, Daddy, you’re never alone.

Thank You, Lord” September 12, 2024 at 10:02 AM Verse 1: Lord, I thank You for this day, For the sunrise and its rays. You’ve given me another chance, To live and love, to sing and dance. Chorus: Oh, thank You, Lord, for nature’s song, For the breeze and birds that sing along. You are my Father, full of grace, In Your Kingdom, I find my place. Verse 2: Thank You for my family dear, For friends who bring me joy and cheer. Holding them close, I feel so blessed, In Your love, I find my rest. Chorus: Oh, thank You, Lord, for nature’s song, For the breeze and birds that sing along. You are my Father, full of grace, In Your Kingdom, I find my place. Bridge: If I falter, if I stray, Guide me back, show me the way. In every choice, in every plan, I trust in You, my guiding hand. Chorus: Oh, thank You, Lord, for nature’s song, For the breeze and birds that sing along. You are my Father, full of grace, In Your Kingdom, I find my place. Outro: Amen, Amen, I praise Your name, For another day, for love’s sweet flame. Thank You, Lord, for all You give, In Your light, I’ll always live.

Accepting the Psalms as God’s Word and paying close attention to the Psalms’ poetic features, as well as their historical, theological, and liturgical contexts, is fundamental for understanding their messages, which reach across thousands of years to our time today.

On the positive side, perhaps the best example of a creative and (potentially) helpful use of AI is Chat2024, an AI-powered chatbot that serves as a stand-in for each candidate. This gives any visitor to Chat2024.com the ability to ask any candidate any question you want. Through the site, you can carry on a conversation with each candidate just as you’d engage a friend over any other messaging app. The AI has been programmed with everything it needs to field any question, even answering in the voice, tone, and attitude of each candidate (mostly). The company behind Chat2024 is also developing a voice feature that will allow people to engage in a voice conversation with each candidate’s AI avatar, which will have a voice eerily close to the real thing. I tried Chat2024 soon after it launched, and the results were interesting, to say the least. I can see some real value here for voter education … but I can also see how tools like this could go horribly wrong. We’ve opened a Pandora’s Box, and there’s no going back. Obviously, the big potential danger with a tool like Chat2024 is that these answers are not actually coming from a candidate. The AI is using all the information at its disposal to approximate what it thinks the candidate would say in response to each question. But, as anyone who’s played around with ChatGPT and other AI-powered search engines knows, sometimes the AI is just … wrong. Sometimes, woefully so.

Going farther is not enough – what matters is the extent to which we master the art of seeing, knowing, and sensing the world as we go farther. Perhaps only travelers who know how to get lost and even be vulnerable can get close to seeing?" [From “Can We Travel Without Being Tourists?” published on CounterPunch on March 15, 2024]

The result is that you can examine a text closely as a doctor of letters, but you are utterly incapable of examining yourself. You, the zoologist, never the beast. You, the reader, never the text. What if you are both?

Has we close the chapter on yet another year, let this be a reminder to us all that life is what we make it. Love and show appreciation to the people around us. Live life to the fullest and always remember to thank God in all things. Good bye 2023, welcome 2024!

If I were clean laundry hanging on the line, by now I’d be close to dry, smelling faintly of rain and fresh thyme, with maybe a touch of smoke.

The computer is able to take all of this complexity and recognize a Russian doll pattern. If two species share many novelties between only themselves, they must be each other’s closest relatives. If those two species share other novelties with a third animal, those three must be more closely related to one another than to the remainder of the dinosaurs. And so on, until a complete family tree has been drawn. This whole process is what we in the business call a cladistic analysis.

As the year draws to a close, a sense of anticipation mingles with reflection. We stand at the threshold of a new chapter, ready to bid farewell to the familiar & embrace the unknown. In this transitional month, it’s essential to cultivate a healthy, energized & determined attitude, setting the stage for a remarkable finish to 2023 & a vibrant beginning to 2024. Darling listen – I want you to use this new month to do & say all the things that you’ve been putting off. The perfect time to say & do those things that matters is now. I also wish & hope that instead of focusing on what you haven’t achieved, you focus on the milestones you’ve crossed, the growth you’ve experienced & the resilience you’ve demonstrated. Let you celebrate your victories (both big and small) & carry the lessons of your setbacks into the new year. Sweetheart, December, a month of festivities, of togetherness, celebrations, of spreading cheers & goodwill, is the perfect time to cherish all the moments spent with loved ones, the memories created & the lessons learned. Let this month bring you the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for & a pie so big that you’ll need a truck to carry it home… Cheers to a season of success & sweet treats!

ESSE INDIA British Columbia selects more candidates; Manitoba ends open work permit policy for PNP candidates British Columbia issued more Invitations to Apply (ITAs) this week under its Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) through two skills immigration pathways. Meanwhile, Manitoba announced the conclusion of its open work permit policy for certain Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) candidates. British Columbia PNP Updates On December 10, the British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) conducted two draws targeting Skilled Worker candidates, including those eligible under the Express Entry British Columbia (EEBC) option, and Entry Level & Semi-Skilled streams. Enhanced streams, like EEBC, align with Canada’s federal Express Entry system, allowing eligible candidates from the Express Entry pool to be considered for ITAs. • General Draw: This draw issued six ITAs across multiple streams, with varying minimum scores. • Priority Sector Draw: A second draw invited Skilled Worker candidates (including EEBC option) with experience in high-demand sectors of the British Columbian economy, issuing at least four ITAs. Manitoba PNP Policy Update The Manitoba Provincial Nominee Program (MPNP) announced on December 6 that it will stop accepting applications under the “Temporary Public Policy for Work Permits Aimed at Prospective PNP Candidates.” This policy, introduced in August 2024, allowed MPNP to issue support letters to candidates in the Expression of Interest (EOI) pool or application inventory, enabling them to apply for open work permits (OWPs) through Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). • Key Deadlines: o The online submission form for support letters will close at 11:59 PM CST on Wednesday, December 18, 2024 (12:59 AM EST, December 19). o IRCC will accept OWP applications under this policy until December 31, 2024. Candidates meeting eligibility requirements are encouraged to apply before the December 19 deadline by completing the online submission form.

A Reclusive Invitation by Stewart Stafford In a mansion crouched at the forest's edge, Gargoyles perched on a Jericho hedge, Lived Samuel Keane, with millions at least, Welcomed the locals to his Christmas feast. Self-imposed exile of wealth's solitary scene, On that evening, time for connection pristine, An alabaster white suit in a chessboard hall; Legions of armour and battle scars to recall. "Come, gather round, let camaraderie ignite! On Christmas Eve, a dream-come-true night!" Perkins, the grey butler, in reluctant festive red, Gestured them toward Keane's banquet spread. Their gracious host took his place at the end, A throne chair helped into place with a bend, Beaming, he clapped and food was brought in, To gasps and applause at the goblets of gin. A succulent feast at a baronial ball; Roasted goose, boar, a tall glass highball, Stories grew taller, just like each drink, Songs and jests sent them over the brink. Enjoyment and melody's atmosphere bright, Fleeting warmth shared in lush candlelight. Dawn looms, Les Misérables adore company: "Why does hangover guilt crave chablis?" A Father Christmas event once a year, Guests departed, a loud triple cheer, A fading smile of a host so grand, Adrift, nothing elaborate planned. The fireworks faded, the last ember died, Keane shut his mansion with secrets inside. A portcullis closed slowly on a seasonal high, A gothic arch door shut 'neath morning star sky. © 2024, Stewart Stafford. All rights reserved.