Guitar hero and YouTube sensation Sophie Lloyd picks out the solos that changed her life - featuring Guns N' Roses, Pink Floyd, Avenged Sevenfold and more

Zohran Mamdani doesn’t love Jews or Israelis and buys into all Hamas claims of deaths. Thirteen days after the October 7 slaughter, he was leading radicals on New York City streets. Even if you don’t like Israel and Jews, consider that this man is extremely radical, a communist, and will turn our streets into a […] The post Zohran Kwame Hates Israel and Jews appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

When my school district was forcing children to attend LGBTQ storybook lessons, I banded together with like-minded moms, and we sued the school district. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court. And we won. Last week’s Supreme Court ruling in Mahmoud v. Taylor has been championed by every common-sense American who, like the Justices in their 6-3 majority opinion, understands that a massive government overreach had violated the religious liberties of families in Montgomery County Public Schools. The parent plaintiffs, including myself, simply wanted to be able to receive notice and have the ability to opt our children out of the “LGBTQ inclusive” teachings in English class that conflict with our religious beliefs, and we were vindicated. Through the court proceedings, the entire country witnessed the spectacle that had become the one-sided, celebratory introduction of sensitive topics into the education of our young ones. But how did we arrive at a place where the nation’s high court needed to weigh in on whether our four-year-olds should be required to read about lace, leather, underwear, and drag queens under the guise of “inclusion”? The answer is simple: an erosion of parental rights, contempt for religious beliefs, and a leftist agenda aiming to redefine childhood education into “what to think,” not “how to think”. Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion, while addressing the larger legal issues, also highlighted the importance of parent advocacy and involvement at the most local level of government to help course correct the significant declines in public education. Whether he was aware of it or not, the public school board testimony he included was that of the then-chair of the Moms for Liberty Montgomery County Chapter. “Some parents showed up at the Board’s public business meetings to express their concerns about the storybooks’ content,” Alito wrote. “In an early 2023 meeting, for example, one parent represented herself as ‘a voice for parents in [her] community, many of [whom] are actually working today and unable to attend.” “She said that MCPS parents were ‘frustrated’ because, in their view, ‘educators and administrators are going behind what [parents] are teaching their kids at home, and pushing ideas of gender ideology on their kids’ … The parent felt that the Board was ‘implying to [children] that their religion, their belief system, and their family tradition is actually wrong.’” When the opt-out was eliminated in the spring of 2023, nearly 70 parents spoke out at school board meetings, passionately advocating for their right to exempt their children from these controversial lessons. Hundreds — if not thousands — of emails flooded the Board of Education inboxes, and rallies drew more than a thousand attendees. While there was overwhelming support for reinstating the opt-out from a diverse coalition of families, several Montgomery County government officials, along with their allies, specifically vilified Moms for Liberty. Every day, suburban moms like me were blamed by the Montgomery County Council’s Anti-Hate Task Force for “galvanizing the community” with our case. We were accused of “utilizing hate speech and unfortunate religious bias to spread disinformation about the books being introduced into our schools.” According to them, we were apparently so effective that we somehow convinced minority communities, Muslims and Ethiopians among them, to “latch onto this issue because they’ve not had a voice before.” They can’t be serious, can they? Some in the faux-tolerant progressive left can’t seem to grasp why a motley crew of religious parents — many of whom are immigrants — would band together and fight tirelessly on this issue. Again, the answer is simple: In America, it’s unconstitutional for a government institution to force its beliefs on others, especially on other people’s children. Thanks to Friday’s landmark Supreme Court decision, every parent now enjoys the renewed right and responsibility to direct the upbringing of their children — and that doesn’t stop at the classroom door. As we move forward, I hope that this case will serve as a catalyst for continued efforts to empower parents, protect their rights, and ensure that every child’s education is shaped by the values of their family, not a one-size-fits-all government mandate. Rosalind Hanson is the Montgomery County Chair of Moms for Liberty The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Baby goats are also called kids, and that could not be more fitting. Like human kids, these adorable creatures are some of the most energetic, hyper beings you could ever meet. Much of the time, their seemingly endless supply of energy is used for all sorts of shenanigans. That’s certainly the case at Farr Away Farm. That said, the farmers here are more than happy to encourage their goats to play. Their goats enjoy all sorts of games. That said, a goat named Lucy has one game in particular that she adores playing with her human dad. It’s pretty simple: Dad picks her up then lightly tosses her into the air. One of their games was caught on camera, and it proves that Lucy simply can’t get enough! See for yourself in the sweet video below. @farr_away_farm Goats are silly. Lucy loves when my husband tosses her and Kris coming back for more. She gonna be too big for this game one day. #goats #goatsoftiktok #nubiangoats #dairygoats #farmanimals #funnyanimals #farmlife #homestead #farrawayfarmhenagaral #farrawayfarm @cricket06111983 ♬ Look What Followed Me Home – David Ball “Goats are silly. Lucy loves when my husband tosses her and Kris coming back for more,” the caption for the farm’s post reads. “She gonna be too big for this game one day.” When Goats Play, There’s a Good Chance You’ll Find Them Jumping or Climbing While most people in the comments raved over how adorable Lucy and Kris are together, a few people expressed their concern. Is it safe for the baby goat to be tossed like that? Thankfully, there’s no need to worry. Goats are, quite literally, built for climbing and jumping at much greater heights! @melsranch #melsranch #goatlife #babygoats #goats #farmlife #fypage ♬ original sound – cOlOrMEcrAZy Mel’s Ranch can also attest to the fact that goats have a great love for both heights and jumping. They shared the above video on their social media account, and it perfectly showcases one of the many reasons why people love these animals so much. They’re the perfect mix of cute and mischievous! Speaking of which, have you ever seen a goat play on a trampoline? It’s just as amazing as you’d imagine! You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Little Goat Comes Running Back For More After Dad Tosses Her Through The Air In Precious Game appeared first on InspireMore.

The giant anteater is an odd-looking animal. With a long snout, thick legs, and a thick body, it lumbers around looking out of place everywhere. At the San Francisco Zoo, patrons can visit Jade, a 16-year-old giant anteater. As with most zoo animals, Jade gets special enrichment toys to keep her active. A favorite toy for Jade is a bamboo mobile that zookeepers hang up in her enclosure. @sanfranciscozoo 16-year-old female Giant anteater Jade and her mobile enrichment is quite possibly the best thing you’ll see all day! #sfzoo #anteater ♬ Winning – The Ting Tings The anteater is designed to hunt small bugs, mainly ants and termites, in small crevices on rotting logs and ground nests. The snout conceals a long, sticky tongue that is perfect for the task. Their tongue can be up to two feet long! Because the zoo can’t always provide the same living conditions as animals find in the wild, they work hard to keep them engaged and thriving. Jade busily bats the hollow tubes of bamboo around, making music. Many commenters want to know when her album will be released. It is easy to see that she enjoys the physical contact and the sound from this enrichment activity. Jade is a new resident at the zoo, but is sure to be a crowd favorite. The outside enclosure also has enrichment activities that blend with the natural environment. Check out how “nosey” giant anteaters are. @sanfranciscozoo Check out our giant anteaters demonstrating how they sniff (they have a great sense of smell!) #sfzoo #anteater ♬ Ethnic bustle Africa, Central and South America(1520325) – nyansuke The San Francisco Zoo currently has three giant anteaters: a mated pair, Angelo and Evita, and Jade. Angelo is one of the oldest giant anteaters in captivity, estimated to be around 25 years old. Evita is around 15 years old, and Jade is 16. You can follow the San Francisco Zoo on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. They frequently share information about all their animals so that you can keep up with your favorites. Please share. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Giant Anteater Has A Ball Playing With Bamboo Mobile Toy appeared first on InspireMore.

'quickly defeat inflation'

In every family, there seems to be one member who has a particular interest in the family’s history and the way things were in the past. If you guess that I’m that person in my generation, you would be correct. I love hearing stories from my mother about her childhood, and I even have done some research on our Irish ancestors. Even though I’m in my fifties, I also have a number of older friends who are in their eighties and even nineties. I love to hear their stories about their childhoods and the wisdom they gained over the years. As I chatted with one of my friends, born in 1941, this week, I thought about the coming Fourth of July celebrations and the current debates in America. I was struck by how valuable his stories were and how they harkened back to some days in which Americans faced challenges with remarkable resiliency. I got his permission to share some of these stories with you, in the hopes that they will inspire you to look back to your own ancestors and the elders in your own communities for lessons on how to be prepared.  Waste Nothing My friend’s parents lived through the Great Depression and raised ten children. According to him, while he grew up through the 1940’s, it still was the Great Depression, at least in his parents’ minds.  He said he felt they never fully recovered from that experience. If you are interested in learning more lessons from the Great Depression, here is an article about hobo culture and a look at a diary from a lawyer living through the Great Depression. Nothing was wasted in the house. George (I’ll call him) said that his mother saved everything. She had a drawer where bread tags were faithfully stored. The drawer was full! There must have been more than a thousand of them in there. When George asked his mother why she was saving them, she simply replied, “I’ll find a use for them.” (Here are 40 of them, if you’re curious.) When George was a child, he remembers, his father was trying to sell an old cow that must have been about 15 years old. When he was only offered three dollars for the cow, his father slaughtered her instead. Without proper refrigeration, the family hung her from the center of the high rafters of their barn in October. The carcass was covered with a sheet to keep the pigeons off. The height prevented other animals from getting to the carcass.  When his mother needed meat for something, George, the youngest, was sent out with an older brother. An improvised ratcheting system for the rope made from a log allowed them to raise and lower the carcass. His brother would cut off some meat, and then back up the carcass would go. George said that, with the winters back then in US Climate Zone 4, the carcass was frozen solid all winter. When spring came and there was still some meat left, George said that his mother promptly canned it. George couldn’t help but smile when he remembered how tasty his mother’s canned beef was.  A Good Day’s Work  I thought my mother, who grew up on a dairy farm, had a great story about how all the children in her family started driving tractor the moment their feet could reach the pedals. Well, George has her beat! His father would attach some wooden blocks to the pedals so that the children could drive tractor even earlier.  As a result, at the age of seven, George was driving a tractor and plowing fields. All ten children began working on the farm at the age of seven. George said that they all did the same work, boy or girl, driving tractor, plowing, milking, throwing bales. George can recall plowing a twenty-acre field by himself at the age of 7 in one day with a set of discs that were only six feet wide.  Before George was even tall enough to harness the horses, he was driving a team of horses to plow fields. His older brother would harness the horses, and then off to the fields George would go. His father owned eight horses, George said. After plowing for several hours in the morning, you would need to take the pair in and give them a good drink of warm water. Then, you had lunch and harnessed up the next pair.  Now, I may be accused of promoting child labour here, but one has to wonder what valuable life lessons were learned from the hard work in those days. Improvise When he was just a young teenager, George got an old 1920 Ford Model A and set to work on getting it going. He used it to drive to other farms, where he was working on the weekends. When the bearing went on the entry point of the crankshaft, it was the mid-1950s, and babbit bearings were not available.  George told me he thought about the job of the crescent-shaped bearing, what texture and thickness it needed to be, and how it was in contact with engine oil. He looked around the farm for something that would do the trick, and ended up inserting a piece of oiled horse harness. George said it worked for years.  When his father needed to fix his Ford Model T, he was equally creative. The governors for the fan were too light. George said that his father melted some lead at his brother-in-law’s forge and poured it into an egg carton to shape them. The solution worked, and the Model T was back on the road.  Days of Ingenuity and Hard Work I find the values of waste nothing, a hard day’s work and improvising are relevant to my own approach to preparedness. Have you heard stories from America’s past that inspire you in your preparations? Do you have a story from an ancestor, someone else, or yourself that you can share with us? Please tell us in the comments section. About Rowan Rowan O’Malley is a fourth-generation Irish American who loves all things green: plants (especially shamrocks), trees, herbs, and weeds! She challenges herself daily to live her best life and to be as fit, healthy, and prepared as possible. The post Tales from an Old Timer: Lessons from America’s Past appeared first on The Organic Prepper.