Every parent knows the woe of kids leaving their dirty clothes lying around. When I was a kid, my dad would see my pile of clothes on the bathroom after I took a shower and cry, "Oh no! Annie melted!" I thought that was a clever alternative to yelling at me to pick up my stuff, but it doesn't hold a candle to the way a Washington state mom handled a dirty sock left behind by her daughter.Xep Campbell shared how her and her 10-year-old daughter Kestrel's creative one-upsmanship escalated on Facebook, and people are loving it."On the evening of Thanksgiving when I went to bed I noticed one of Kestrel's socks on the bathroom floor," Campbell wrote. "I decided not to toss it in the hamper but instead see how long it would stay there, sort of a sociological experiment. Today, a week later, it remained, so I decided it must be intentional and deserved recognition as such. I made this little label hoping it would motivate her to pick it up. Oh no." Xep Campbell/FacebookThe label reads like a sign at an art installation—"The Forgotten Sock, Mixed Media, Nov 25, 2020. On loan from the collection of the artist." Xep Campbell/Facebook"She sent me a text message asking if I had done it.," Campbell wrote. Xep Campbell/Facebook"When I got home she said 'I made a pedestal for it!' She gamed my shame." Xep Campbell/FacebookGame on."I figured as long as it was on display, it deserved an audience so the barnyard animals arrived," wrote Campbell. "They find it very fascinating." Xep Campbell/Facebook Xep Campbell/FacebookThat alone would have been enough to draw a chuckle from anyone. But it didn't end there. You know those "mysterious" metal monoliths that have been making the news? Xep Campbell/FacebookOh yes, she did. Xep Campbell/FacebookAnd it just kept going. "I came back from walking the dog and this had appeared," Campbell wrote. More art for the animals to enjoy. Xep Campbell/FacebookAnd then? This happened. "It's a miracle!!!" Likely the only nativity scene of its kind, ever. Xep Campbell/FacebookAnd it kept growing. "They heard about the party." Oh. My. Goodness. Xep Campbell/Facebook"I should point out this is a *very small* bathroom," Campbell added. "I asked when the sock might go away. She said 'how long do art exhibits usually last?' Xep Campbell/FacebookThe creative escalation of the abandoned sock story has delighted tens of thousands as the post has gone viral. Campbell tells Upworthy that she tries to live life in a way that results in a net positive gain for herself and anyone she comes in contact with—a philosophy that clearly extends to her relationship with her daughter. "I always try to take the creative route whenever possible," she says. "There is a lot of beige in the world that needs to be countered. There are also endless possibilities to be creative with even the most mundane aspects of life. I tend to go for the weird option when it's there."As one example, when Campbell had to have brain surgery, she invited her friends to a zombie-themed roller skating party where they ate giant, brain-shaped jello. She says that Kestrel isn't fazed by any of her mother's antics because she's grown up with it. "She definitely appreciates the absurd, though." Campbell adds.Not only is this story wildly entertaining, but seeing a unique approach to an extremely common parenting situation can help all parents expand their toolbox. Not only is this sock-turned-art-turned-manger-scene a fun way to make a memory with a child, it's also likely to be far more effective at helping her remember to pick up her clothes off the floor than simply reminding her for the dozenth (or hundredth) time to use the hamper. Normally a kid might overlook something they left behind, now any time her eyes hit a piece of clothing on the floor, her brain will remember this goofy scene and at least notice that it's there.Well done, mama. Thanks for the entertainment and the positive parenting example. This article originally appeared on 12.6.20

Even though a lot of people out there don’t seem to realize it yet, we are watching history in the making.  Israel and Hezbollah have both been preparing for a final showdown for many years, and now here we are.  I have a feeling that both sides have more surprises up their sleeves, and in the months ahead we are going to witness things that we have never seen before.  Of course we have never seen thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies suddenly explode before either.  During a speech that was delivered on Thursday, Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah publicly declared that “all red lines have been crossed by the enemy”… Hezbollah’s leader has condemned Israel after thousands of pagers and walkie talkies exploded over two days, saying ‘all red lines have been crossed by the enemy’ and that the deadly attacks ‘deserve a response’. Nasrallah also said that what we witnessed this week was a “declaration of war” by Israel… Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah declared Israel’s surprise pager and handheld radio attacks a “declaration of war” and dared the Jewish state to invade Lebanon. As he spoke, Israeli forces carpet bombed the terror group’s strongholds. In a televised address Thursday, Nasrallah acknowledged that Hezbollah “received a heavy, painful blow,” saying that Israel’s decision to detonate scores of pagers and other electronic devices earlier this week amounted to “a major aggression” that will not go unanswered. “These massacres amount to war crimes or a declaration of war,” Nasrallah said, promising “a crushing response from the axis of resistance.” It sounds like he is saying that Israel and Hezbollah are now officially at war. And of course that would be an accurate assessment of the current state of affairs. As Nasrallah was delivering his speech, Israeli forces were conducting airstrikes in southern Lebanon, and fighter jets were setting off sonic booms over Beirut… Israel launched a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon, moments before the militant group’s leader said two days of debilitating attacks on its members amounted to a declaration of war. The strikes Thursday were more extensive than in previous days and were timed to coincide with a televised speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was addressing a wave of device explosions before cadres who were shocked by the scale of the attack. Israeli jets flew over Beirut, setting off sonic booms as they have done repeatedly in recent months in an effort to intimidate the group. Does Nasrallah actually believe that Hezbollah can win the coming war? He must realize that Israel has capabilities that his side does not. Once Israeli forces enter southern Lebanon, there will be no turning back and vast numbers of people will die. At this moment, additional Israeli units are on their way to the northern border… In a statement Wednesday, Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said the “center of gravity” in the Israel-Hamas war was moving north to Lebanon. He said more military units and resources were being sent to the border. “This is not Hamas − we’re dealing with something different, and we need to prepare accordingly,” he said. I know that the Biden administration is still pushing for peace, but U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his minions are extremely incompetent. And Hezbollah has already stated that there will be no peace as long as the IDF is fighting in Gaza.  On Thursday, Hezbollah continued to fire at targets inside northern Israel… The powerful Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah continued to strike what it called military targets in northern Israel Thursday after thousands of its members were injured and several killed in an apparent Israeli operation using exploding pagers and other communication devices. The Israel Defense Forces said it was striking Hezbollah targets in Lebanon “to degrade Hezbollah’s terrorist capabilities and infrastructure.” “The Hezbollah terrorist organization has turned southern Lebanon into a combat zone. For decades, Hezbollah has weaponized civilian homes, dug tunnels beneath them, and used civilians as human shields,” the IDF said in a statement. “The IDF is operating to bring security to northern Israel in order to enable the return of residents to their homes, as well as to achieve of all of the war goals.” In response, the IDF hit more than 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers.  The airstrikes that we witnessed on Thursday evening are being called “some of the most intense” that we have seen so far… Israel carried out dozens of strikes on Thursday across southern Lebanon, in what Lebanese security sources said were some of the most intense bombings since Hezbollah began daily cross-border attacks on northern communities after the start of the Gaza war on October 7. The military said fighter jets had struck over 100 Hezbollah rocket launchers in southern Lebanon that were primed for immediate attacks on Israel. It said that in total, the launchers included around 1,000 launch barrels. This is going to end very badly. But most you knew that already. There are a couple of other things that I wanted to mention. Firstly, it is being reported that the pagers and walkie-talkies that exploded this week were actually made by shell companies that had been set up by the Israelis… The Israeli secret service didn’t just tamper with the deadly Hezbollah pagers — they made them from scratch, having set up a complex web of shell companies across Europe, it was claimed today. Initially it was suspected that Mossad had managed to intercept and plant tiny bombs in a shipment of the pagers headed for the Iranian-backed terror group in Lebanon after thousands of people were injured and dozens killed. But now it appears that the Israelis set up front companies across Europe to manufacture the pagers themselves, embedding small amounts of PETN explosive inside, ready to be detonated by a coded message. In particular, the New York Times is telling us that the pagers that exploded came from a Hungarian company that had been purposely set up to sell electronic equipment to Hezbollah… A report Thursday alleged that a Hungarian firm that apparently supplied pagers used by Hezbollah was secretly set up by Israeli spies as part of a widescale operation that appeared to culminate this week when the devices exploded, killing several and maiming thousands of Hezbollah operatives and others in Lebanon and Syria. The New York Times claimed that rather than merely managing to tamper with the devices at some stage of their production or distribution, Israel actually “manufactured them as part of an elaborate ruse.” On the other side, the Iranians have apparently been attempting to assassinate Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials… Iran plotted to assassinate Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar, the Shin Bet, in cooperation with the police, announced on Thursday. Its efforts were particularly intense following the assassination of Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31, which most of the world has attributed to Mossad. However, Israel has been careful not to take any credit for it. In addition, the Islamic Republic, at a somewhat more vague level, explored assassinating former prime minister Naftali Bennett and other top Israeli defense officials. The most alarming plot reportedly involved an Israeli businessman that was actually smuggled into Iran on multiple occasions… An Israeli businessman was smuggled into Iran to plot the assassination of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other top Israeli officials, police and intelligence officials said Thursday, amid rising tensions over Trojan Horse attacks this week that killed dozens of Hezbollah fighters and civilians in Lebanon and wounded thousands more. The Israeli businessman wanted a million dollars in advance to help kill Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, but he only received 5,000 euros before he was finally arrested… The suspect was twice smuggled into Iran from Turkey to meet with Iranian intelligence officials, the Israeli statement said. He demanded $1 million in advance to help kill targets including Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar − but received a paltry 5,000 Euros for his trouble before Israeli police arrested him last month. We are witnessing extreme chaos in the Middle East, but what we have seen so far is just the beginning. Once Israeli forces enter southern Lebanon, events are going to move very rapidly. Many will cheer the death and destruction, but the truth is that we should all grieve for every precious soul that passes into eternity. Sadly, there is no way out now. War is here, and it will soon escalate to a level that will shock the entire planet. Michael’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com, and you can subscribe to his Substack newsletter at michaeltsnyder.substack.com. About the Author: Michael Snyder’s new book entitled “Why” is available in paperback and for the Kindle on Amazon.com. He has also written eight other books that are available on Amazon.com including “Chaos”, “End Times”, “7 Year Apocalypse”, “Lost Prophecies Of The Future Of America”, “The Beginning Of The End”, and “Living A Life That Really Matters”.  When you purchase any of Michael’s books you help to support the work that he is doing.  You can also get his articles by email as soon as he publishes them by subscribing to his Substack newsletter.  Michael has published thousands of articles on The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and he always freely and happily allows others to republish those articles on their own websites.  These are such troubled times, and people need hope.  John 3:16 tells us about the hope that God has given us through Jesus Christ: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  If you have not already done so, we strongly urge you to invite Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior today. The post Hezbollah Says “All Red Lines Have Been Crossed” And There Will Be A Devastating Response To Israel’s “Declaration Of War” appeared first on End Of The American Dream.

by Brandon Smith, Alt Market: There is a popular school of thought that believes most economic stability is purely psychological; that the health of the economy relies on the population NOT knowing the true state of things. In other words, “ignorance is bliss.” I partially agree with the premise but only under certain conditions. If […]

from 21st Century Wire: The Federal Reserve has moved to cut interest rates by half a percentage point, the first reduction by the central bankers since the beginning of the so-called ‘pandemic’ in 2020 when the bankers cut rates to near zero. This latest move could be viewed as a gamble, as Democrats are now […]

from Vigilant News Network: TRUTH LIVES on at https://sgtreport.tv/