Truth and Hammer

Author: Truth & Hammer

11 Fragrant Plants That Repel Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes aren’t just a nuisance you have to endure when you go outdoors, they’re a legitimate cause for health concerns.

They buzz around, searching for people or animals to dine on, sucking out their blood and bringing all sorts of diseases and viruses with them, like Zika, malaria and west Nile virus, none of which you’d wish on your worst enemy. But, dousing yourself, and your family, in chemical sprays come with another set of problems that can negatively impact health.

So, what’s a gardener to do in order to repel these biting insects and keep everyone in the home free of disease?

Use the power of smell. Mosquitoes are attracted to things like sweat and body odor, but certain scents that many of us find pleasant, repel them. That’s why things like citronella candles and DEET sprays work. There is also a number of sweet smelling, beautiful plants that contain powerful mosquito repellent properties.

By including these eleven plants in your garden, and used in conjunction with other natural mosquito repelling products and enjoy a much more relaxing outdoor space without fear of getting bitten.

Citronella

While citronella candles are often laden with chemicals (unless you make your own), the citronella plant (officially known as the citrosum plant and often referred to as the mosquito plant) can be grown in your garden for mosquito control.

The plant carries the fragrance of citronella in its foliage, and when a leaf is crushed and rubbed onto the skin, the aroma is very pleasant, yet it helps to naturally repel those mosquitoes. While not as effective as bottled repellents, it comes without the high price or potentially hazardous chemicals, and when grown in the garden, you’ll always have it on hand.

This perennial grows 5 to 6 feet and can be planted in the ground or kept in large pots. The plants tend to do best in full sun in areas with good drainage. If you live in a drought-prone area, you can still plant citronella as it’s relatively tolerant of summer stress.

Want to try growing citronella? You can buy two large live citronella plants from Clovers Garden on Amazon here. Each plant is capable of keeping a ten square foot area free of mosquitoes so plant around your patio or near your porch to keep your outdoor seating areas free of mosquitoes and other biting insects.

Lemon Balm

The green leaves of lemon balm have the scent of lemon with a hint of mint, which should be no surprise as it’s a member of the mint family. Not only does it offer lots in the way of healing properties, it’s known for warding off mosquitoes while also attracting important pollinators like butterflies and bees.

For a quick mosquito repellent, all you need to do is crush a handful of the leaves in your hand and rub them onto your exposed skin.

By growing lemon balm near your back door or in your garden, the leaves will be handy when you need them. Just keep in mind that while this plant is especially effective for keeping mosquitoes away, it’s also considered an invasive species, you can avoid a takeover by planting it in a pot, rather than directly in your yard or garden. It’s drought resistant, fast growing and reseeds itself, making it ideal for container gardening.

Plus, aside from mosquito control, there are many other brilliant ways to use your lemon balm plant.

You can purchase a live lemon balm plant from this page on Amazon so you don’t have to wait for seeds to start.

Catnip

Not only will your feline friends be especially appreciative of having catnip around, it’s considered one of the best natural insect repellents.

It contains a natural chemical known as nepetalactone, which is both a useful insect repellent and a feline attractant. In fact, studies, including one reported at the 222nd national meeting of the American Chemical Society, have shown that catnip is about 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET.

Of course, if you’re not a fan of cats, you may want to consider one of the other plant options. Otherwise, be sure to plant it in a spot where cats can rub and roll in it without hurting adjacent plants. Some cats like it so much that they lie on it, roll on it, and chew it to the point of destruction.

Catnip is easy to grow – it grows readily as a weed as well as a commercially cultivated plant in some regions of the U.S. While it will repel mosquitoes that are in close proximity to it, some people apply the crushed catnip leaves for optimal protection.

A live catnip plant can be purchased from here to instantly start taking advantage of its mosquito repelling properties.

Marigolds

Marigolds contain Pyrethrum, a compound used in many insect repellents. A “screened cage method” study examined the repellent action of essential oils derived from Marigolds and Myrtle compared to DEET and found that it demonstrated the protection time of 50% essential oils of marigold and myrtle were respectively 2.15 and 4.36 hours, compared to 6.23 hours for DEET 25%.

Position potted marigolds near the entrances to your home, as well as common mosquito entry points like open windows to deter the insects from going past the barrier.

Basil

As one of the most pungent of herbs, basil makes an outstanding natural mosquito repellent, giving off a scent without the leaves having to be crushed or touched. A 2011 review published in the Malaria Journal found that essential oils from Ocimum (basil) provided very high levels of mosquito protection, as much as 100 percent.

Plus, as basil can be used in a wide range of dishes and for a variety of reasons, you’ll be able to take advantage of its wonderful flavors just by taking a few steps outside your door. Basil emits its aroma without crushing the leaves, so you can grow it in pots and place them in your yard or garden to control mosquitoes. To keep the mosquitoes away from your skin, rub a handful of the leaves onto exposed areas.

Lavender

Most of us love the smell of lavender, but few realize that it not only offers that fabulous scent, and helps promote a relaxing, calming sensation, but it can keep those tiny invaders from ruining your outdoor dinner party.

The pleasant aroma of lavender is offensive to mosquitoes and is best harnessed by planting it in the garden, or in pots situated near doors, windows and entertainment areas.

For an even higher level of protection, rub the plant onto your skin to release its oils. Lavender is also used in our highly effective Natural Mosquito Repellent Spray.

For a total guide on growing, harvesting and using lavender, read our guide here.

Peppermint

Not only is peppermint’s minty clean scent significantly better than that awful chemical smell, it can serve as a natural insecticide to repel mosquitoes. In fact, research published in the Malaria Journal revealed just why it’s so effective. The experts discovered that it offered repellent action when applied to exposed body parts, while also showing larvicidal and mosquito repellent action. Mosquito larvae were killed 24 hours after exposure to a solution of peppermint oil and water.

When enjoying your yard or when mosquito problems get severe, crush a few of the leaves on the plant to release the scent and oils.

Garlic

While eating garlic-filled foods won’t repel mosquitoes unless you consume a massive amount, growing garlic can do the trick. Planting it not only helps to deter the nasty rascals, but you’ll have your own supply of tasty garlic to use for flavoring your cooking. Simply add some garlic to your vegetable garden or flowerbed.

Pennyroyal

Pennyroyal is another famous natural bug repellent and it’s especially effective for battling mosquitoes.

Simply planting it outside around your house can discourage them from taking up residence in your yard, and by keeping a vase of fresh pennyroyal in a room, it can drive mosquitoes away.

As pennyroyal is related to the mint family, it can quickly become invasive which means it’s best to plant it in a container or control growth by using a tough border that it can’t penetrate through and spread. As it can be grown both indoors or out, you may want to grow it in a couple of containers in your home for added protection.

Rosemary

This gorgeous flowering plant is most commonly used to flavor dishes, but it can also serve as an outstanding mosquito repellent amongst a number of other fantastic uses.

You can keep it indoors or out, just be sure it gets full sun. For repellent purposes, both the live plant and cuttings from it are effective for repelling those annoying disease-carrying insects.

Rosemary is great when you want to gather around a fire without battling mosquitoes. Just toss some in and the aromatic smoke it gives off when it’s burned not only adds a nice smell, but it’s strong and unpleasant enough to those critters (and many other types of insects) that it will keep them away.

Geranium

Scented geraniums are yet another popular mosquito repelling plant recommended by countless gardeners and gardening sites.

The lemon scented type of geranium is most effective, as it’s similar to citronella. Geraniums also have especially gorgeous blooms that can make for an incredibly attractive decorative piece. While they prefer a warm, sunny and dry climate, in cold climate areas, you can grow them in planters provided they’re pruned frequently.

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Plants are great for repelling mosquitoes, but for added effectiveness, combine with these other natural ways to keep mosquitoes away.

The post 11 Fragrant Plants That Repel Mosquitoes appeared first on Natural Living Ideas.

This content was originally published here.

May 16, 2019
Maid, 26, tied to tree as punishment for leaving furniture outside in the sun

A Filipino maid was cruelly tied to a tree by a Middle Eastern family as punishment for leaving furniture outside in the sun, according to reports. The woman, named Lovely Acosta, 26, had been working for a wealthy family in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for several months. A colleague, also from the Philippines, took pictures of the alleged punishment in a bid to expose the family’s cruel work practices. The shocking images showed the maid tied by her wrists and legs to a tree in the family’s garden on May 9. Her employers were allegedly trying to show her the effects of staying outside in under the sun. The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it was made aware of the situation and successfully helped the mother-of-two to return home. A spokesman said: “The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reports that Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Lovely Acosta Baruelo from Saudi Arabia arrived in Manila at 8.55pm on May 9. “The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh reported that the case of OFW Baruelo was referred to them on May 9 and she was repatriated on the same day. OFW Baruelo was allegedly punished by her employer by being tied to a tree.’’ A woman who claimed to be Acosta’s co-worker appealed for help and said their employer would hurt them whenever they commit small mistakes. Lovely has since returned to her family in La Union, the Philippines. Speaking this week, the relieved worker said: “Thank you so much to all those who helped me. I want to also ask help for the other Filipinos left there. “They are the ones who helped me and uploaded my pictures. I am afraid for their safety. I hope they get rescued too. You old man will find your karma, just you wait. Keep deducting our salaries. This is the reason why you have poor health. It’s your karma for all the wrong things you did.” An estimated 2.3 million Filipinos work in the Middle East and Africa. Of this number, more than half are women. There have been many complaints that they are mistreated by their new employers.

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May 16, 2019
LED light can damage eyes, health authority warns

Maisons-Alfort (France) (AFP) – The “blue light” in LED lighting can damage the eye’s retina and disturb natural sleep rhythms, France’s government-run health watchdog said this week. New findings confirm earlier concerns that “exposure to an intense and powerful [LED] light is ‘photo-toxic’ and can lead to irreversible loss of retinal cells and diminished sharpness of vision,” the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) warned in a statement. The agency recommended in a 400-page report that the maximum limit for acute exposure be revised, even if such levels are rarely met in home or work environments. The report distinguished between acute exposure of high-intensity LED light, and “chronic exposure” to lower intensity sources. While less dangerous, even chronic exposure can “accelerate the ageing of retinal tissue, contributing to a decline in visual acuity and certain degenerative diseases such as age-related macular degeneration,” the agency concluded.

Long-lasting, energy efficient and inexpensive, light-emitting diode (LED) technology has gobbled up half of the general lighting market in a decade, and will top 60 percent by the end of next year, according to industry projections. LED uses only a fifth of the electricity needed for an incandescent bulb of comparable brightness. The world’s leading LED light-bulb makers are GE Lighting, Osram and Philips. The basic technology for producing a white light combines a short wavelength LED such as blue or ultraviolet with a yellow phosphor coating. The whiter or “colder” the light, the greater the proportion of blue in the spectrum.

– Circadian rhythm –

LEDs are used for home and street lighting, as well as in offices and industry. That are also increasingly found in auto headlights, torches (flashlights) and some toys. LED cellphone, tablet and laptop screens do not pose a risk of eye damage because their luminosity is very low compared to other types of lighting, Francine Behar-Cohen, an ophthalmologist and head of the expert group that conducted the review, told journalists. But these back-lit devices — especially when they are used at night or in a dark setting — can “disturb biological rhythms, and thus sleep patterns,” the agency cautioned. Because the crystalline lens in their eyes are not fully formed, children and adolescents are particularly susceptible to such disruptions, the ANSES reports noted. Interfering with the body’s circadian rhythm is also known to aggravate metabolic disorders such a diabetes, as well as cardiovascular disease and some forms of cancer, noted Dina Attia, a researcher and project manager at ANSES. In addition, a stroboscopic affect in some LED lights — provoked by tiny fluctuations in electric current — can induce “headaches, visual fatigue and a higher risk of accidents,” the report said. For domestic lighting, ANSES recommended buying “warm white” LED lighting, limiting exposure to LED sources with a high concentration of blue light, and avoiding LED screens before bedtime. ANSES also said that manufacturers should “limit the luminous intensity of vehicle headlights,” some of which are too bright. Finally, the agency cast doubt on the efficacy of some “anti-blue light” filters and sunglasses.

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May 16, 2019
Snakebites declared world’s biggest hidden health crisis

A multimillion-pound programme has been launched to improve treatment for snakebites, which are thought to kill up to 138,000 people each year. Scientists said research is urgently needed into the problem as they described snake bites as the world’s biggest hidden health crisis. Snakebites are treatable but doing so can be expensive, and experts say ineffective antivenom medicines, often in less developed countries, mean people living in the world’s poorest places are worst affected. Wellcome, the London-based independent global charitable foundation, has announced £80 million in funding for a new programme to focus on changing the way treatments are researched and delivered. Current methods to make antivenom – using antibodies extracted from horses – have not changed since the 19th century and lead to a high risk of contamination and adverse reaction in patients.

Of people who survive venomous bites each year, 400,000 suffer life-changing injuries including amputations. Deaths are rare in countries like the US and Australia where health systems are good and antivenom stockpiles are available, and the worst affected people are usually in rural Africa, Asia and South America. The new programme aims to work with producers to make antivenoms better, safer and cheaper and make snakebite treatment a global health priority. The investment comes as the World Health Organisation (Who) prepares to publish its first strategy on the problem next week, which aims to halve death and disability from snakebite by 2030.

Professor Mike Turner, director of science at Wellcome, said: “Snakebite is – or should be – a treatable condition. With access to the right antivenom there is a high chance of survival. While people will always be bitten by venomous snakes, there is no reason so many should die. “Treatment has progressed little in the last century, and is too rarely accessible, safe and effective in the places where it is needed the most. “It’s an incredibly challenging issue – there has been almost no investment in snakebite research over the last decade – but it’s also one that is solvable with support from WHO, national governments, industry and other funders”

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May 16, 2019
Islamic Blessings? If they can do it why not Christians? Islamics are better organized!
Teachers Speaking Islamic Blessings? Washington School Districts Accused of Pro-Ramadan Policies

A religious liberty advocacy group has warned two Washington state school districts it may file lawsuits unless they stop promoting Islam. The schools are accused of implementing pro-Ramadan policies that are being followed during the Islamic holy month which began on May 5 and runs through June 4. The Freedom of Conscience Defense Fund (FCDF) says a teacher has complained about the policy. So FCDF has sent the superintendents and school boards of the Dieringer School District and the Northshore School District, both located in the Seattle-area, “cease and desist” letters demanding the districts immediately stop their special Ramadan policies. According to the FCDF, the Dieringer School District has adopted pro-Islam recommendations from the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR), a group which was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in a prominent terrorism case a decade ago. CAIR sent a letter on “Upcoming Islamic Holidays and Religious Accommodations” to Superintendent Judy Martinson back in March. Martinson allegedly enacted the letter as official district policy when she distributed it to school principals, who in turn circulated the letter to all teachers and staff, the FCDF claims.

To help Muslim students observe Ramadan, CAIR presses school officials to use Islamic greetings with Muslim students such as ‘Ramadan Mubarak!’ or ‘Ramadan Kareem.’ The letter also instructs teachers to monitor Muslim students’ Ramadan fasting and not to schedule any tests on the Islamic holidays Eid Al-Fitr and Eid. “By urging teachers to bless Muslim students in Arabic, the district is running roughshod over the First Amendment’s mandate of government neutrality toward religion,” Daniel Piedra, FCDF’s executive director, said in a press release. “A school district would never order teachers to ‘welcome’ Catholic students during Easter with ‘He is risen, Alleluia!’ Singling out Muslim students for special treatment is blatantly unconstitutional.” Martinson did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News. The network reported she put out a statement to members of the school district writing: “The Dieringer School District has not and would not violate the First Amendment by endorsing any religious observations. Be assured that we respect the personal beliefs of you and your family.”

Meanwhile, the Northshore School District, which is the 11th largest school district in the Evergreen State, recently issued guidelines to school officials to ensure Muslim students “have the right accommodations and support from teachers and their peers” during Ramadan.

Directives include:
- “A brief mention of Ramadan or a lesson on it may promote the feeling of inclusivity” because “any Muslim students may feel embarrassed to be specially accommodated”
- Create “comfortable” safe spaces for Muslim students with “books, magazines and other things to keep students busy”
- Plan in advance with Muslim students to allow them to “quietly slip away” for prayer to “avoid calling unwanted attention to them”
- When planning school activities and events, think about how it will impact practicing Muslim students” by asking “Will they feel left out?” and “Will they feel pressured to break their fast before sunset or Iftar (breaking of fast)?”
- “Privately offer information about nutritional adaptations” to Muslim students while they fast during the day
“The school district’s so-called Ramadan ‘accommodations’ run roughshod over the First Amendment and are a blatant insult to students of other faiths,” said Piedra. “Under the mantle of ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion,’ school officials have exalted Islam as the state-sponsored religion. Teachers and parents are outraged, and they should be.” The FCDF has warned both districts that legal proceedings may be initiated against both districts if they do not rescind their Ramadan policies. CAIR’s national communications director Ibrahim Hooper is threatening to take “punitive legal action,” telling Fox News the pushback from FCDF was a “sign of the growing Islamophobia.” “Pluralism in America means recognizing the wide variety of holidays celebrated by students of different faiths and backgrounds, including by saying ‘Merry Christmas,’ ‘Happy Hanukkah,’ ‘Happy Diwali,’ or ‘Ramadan Mubarak,’” Hooper said. Ramadan is a month long celebration of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Regarded as one of the Five Pillars of Islam, the observance began in the seventh century and commemorates Allah, the god of Islam.

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May 16, 2019
Why would an Atheist want to teach the Bible? Viewpoint Discrimination, is that not what an education is about. Learning something new?

People have nothing better to do than bother your club and want to bully you into making it theirs. Strange people! The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs has decided to make policy changes in order to settle a lawsuit brought by Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) attorneys on behalf of a Christian apologetics club on its campus. As CBN News reported, the student group called “Ratio Christi” was denied formal registration status by UCCS officials starting in 2016. The ADF says school officials were essentially trying to force the group to allow non-Christians and those with anti-Christian beliefs to lead the club. Last November, Ratio Christi sued the school arguing that the university’s denial of recognition was a “viewpoint discrimination” against the group’s religious beliefs. As part of the settlement, the university agreed to grant Ratio Christi registered status, pay over $20,500 in damages and attorneys’ fees, and update its policies to ensure that a student club may require its leadership to promote the purposes of the club and hold beliefs consistent with the group’s mission.

As a Christian apologetics organization, Ratio Christi seeks to defend the Christian faith and explain how the Bible applies to various current cultural, ethical, and political issues. Any student can attend the events and join the organization. But Ratio Christi requires that those who lead the Christian organization share its religious beliefs. As a result, the university had denied it registered status, limiting its access to funding, meeting and event space, and administrative support. “We commend the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs for quickly implementing this common-sense policy reform,” ADF Senior Counsel Travis Barham said in a press release. “It would be absurd for the university to require the vegan student group to appoint a meat-lover as its president. Thankfully, the university quickly fixed its policy by adding provisions that respect students’ rights to free association, no longer forcing Christian students to let atheists or other non-Christians to lead their Bible studies in order to become a registered club.”

The lawsuit, Ratio Christi at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs v. Sharkey, challenged the university’s policy which allowed UCCS officials to deny registered status to a group because the organization selects leaders that share and will advocate for the organization’s religious or political philosophy. Like any other student group at a public university, religious student organizations should be free to choose their leaders without the government meddling,” ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer said. “Today’s university students will be tomorrow’s legislators, judges, university presidents, and voters, and we’re grateful the University of Colorado, has chosen to correct course, encourage diversity of thought, and protect students’ constitutional freedoms.”

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May 16, 2019
Multi-Millionaire Who Hated God Gets Radically Saved, Now Helping Christians Level Up in Business and Christ

Michael McIntyre reached success most people only dream of achieving. A private jet. Multiple assistants. Tens of millions in revenue. Everything changed, however, when his little daughter became ill. Michael didn’t know it, but he’d had an army of people praying for his salvation for quite some time. They’d pretty much kept it to themselves because, in his words, he wanted “nothing to do” with born again Christians. When he looked around at the world and saw rape, chaos, murder, evil – he assumed there’s no way a good God could exist in the middle of all that. He was living the good life of success and admits much of his identity was wrapped up in business accomplishments. Shortly after graduating and then a stint in the Air Force, Michael hit it big in the insurance industry. “I had an insurance agency, we were one of the biggest in the country. I wrapped up a lot of my identity in the success of being the CEO of a big company. It was hard to turn that off sometimes. I’d come home and still bark orders – but then I’d have to take out the trash. It was humbling,” he explains. He would’ve been the absolute last person on earth to predict he’d one day sell his business and become a leader in a church and founder of a faith-based event called Next Level Experience. “I ran from Jesus for a long long time,” Michael says. Everything changed, however, not long after he sold the company.

ROAD TO DAMASCUS MOMENT

Michael grew up Catholic but had trouble reconciling the reality of evil in the world. “I was very successful financially, but I did not like anything to do with evangelical Christianity. I figured there was God but I didn’t see Him as holy because of all the things going on in the world – death, rape, wars and that kind of thing,” he explained. Little did he know, his entire world was about to be turned upside down. His brother, unbeknownst to him, had been praying for a long time. Praying, specifically, for his brother to be saved. With an army of over 1,000 prayer warriors, Michael’s brother was about to see his prayers answered. “One day my daughter got really really sick. We took her to the hospital and spent 8 hours in the ER and it was really difficult. At the end of the day, we were exhausted — but she was ok.” The harrowing ordeal reminded Michael of something his mother always said to him when he was younger. “She said whenever something good happens, thanks God.” As he arrived home, mentally and emotionally drained from the health scare they’d endured throughout the day, Michael remembered those words from his mother.

“So I went outside and thanked God for about an hour. I was so thankful. I kept thanking him.” Michael thanked God over and over. But it was later that night that things got really interesting. “That night I had a dream, and in this dream, this voice spoke to me in a language I did not understand. I didn’t tell my wife about it, but I called my brother to tell him about this dream,” Michael explained. My brother understood the dream immediately and started crying. “What does it mean?” I asked. “You’re welcome,” he answered. That was it. From that moment on, God opened Michael’s eyes. While the process since that time hasn’t always been easy – God promises it never will be – he’s still grateful. “For the first time, I read the Bible and was just weeping because I could understand what it said,” Michael says. He lost some of his old friends who didn’t understand his heart change. I probably needed to,” he says pensively.

God wasn’t done there, however. It was just the beginning of something entirely new – something Michael never dreamed he’d do in a million years. Given his background in insurance and leading lots of seminars, his pastor asked him to lead a retreat for the church. He did so, and says the Holy Spirit downloaded a very clear vision for something he just had to do. That’s when Next Level Experience was born. Now, Michael is helping Christians re-ignite their faith and discover who God really designed them to be in life. “I never thought I’d work in a church or be an executive pastor or anything like that,” Michael admits.

NEXT LEVEL EXPERIENCE

It’s always exciting to be around people who are on fire for the Lord. Michael is definitely one of those people, and he’s taking that energy and fire to Next Level Experiences all around the country.

souce

May 16, 2019
‘A Behind-the-Scenes Tour’: DC’s International Spy Museum Reveals ‘Hidden Stories’ Behind Global Espionage

The red steel and glass wedge sticking out of the Washington, D.C. landscape is the home to some of the best-kept secrets in the world. The new International Spy Museum has just opened its doors to reveal the hidden stories behind global espionage. At a cost of some $162 million, Washington’s newest museum is a 140,000 square-foot showcase for secrets – and it’s near twice the size of the old museum. Much of the work involved carting every artifact, including a 1964 Aston Martin, from the James Bond film “Goldfinger,” into storage and across town. Now, 007’s car is playing a small part in a massive house of secrets. Chris Costa is the executive director of the International Spy Museum. “I’ve never done anything operational in a tuxedo,” he told CBN News. He’s no James Bond, but Costa spent 34 years as an intelligence officer before taking the helm of the museum. “Real espionage, of course, there’s a lot of work, painstaking work – not a lot of action all the time and when you do have action it’s sheer terror for a few minutes or an uncomfortable feeling in your gut,” he explained.

Costa’s service in Afghanistan and Iraq involved recruiting human sources. He said “a typical day… in a combat zone,” involved “a couple of minutes of adrenaline and then a whole lot of tea drinking with villagers.” The museum takes visitors from tea time to the story of the son of a Hamas leader, Mosab Hassan Yousef, and his Israeli handler Gonen ben Yizhak. “I need to give him the feeling that I’m his best friend when maybe, I’m his biggest enemy,” said Gonen in an exhibit examining human intelligence gathering. The museum exhibits highlight the ubiquity and importance of data collecting and surveillance in today’s covert operations. “There’s no replacing human sources,” said H. Keith Melton. Melton is a historian, donor, and board member of the museum. “This museum will for the first time show people that truth is far stranger than fiction,” Melton said. Melton has collected some 10,000 clandestine artifacts, and hundreds of them are on display in the new building. From the bloodstained ice ax that killed Marxist dissident Leon Trotsky to the tiny sub called “Sleeping Beauty” that became a prototype for U.S. Navy SEALs, and the first Enigma machine used to encrypt messages during World War II. Tracking secret artifacts down can be a cloak and dagger operation in itself. “I met someone out in a remote parking low at 2:00 in the morning,” Melton added, telling how he acquired the Enigma machine. “It had been just smuggled across the border from East Germany into West Germany,” he said. From the story of the Trojan Horse to the black op that killed Osama bin Laden, it’s all here — the secret history of history. There’s a fee to get in, but it’s all for a good cause. The museum is a non-profit dedicated to educating the public about this covert tradecraft. “We’re like no other museum on the planet,” said Costa.

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May 16, 2019
The Destruction of Sex

Males identifying as females and using women’s locker rooms. Faith-based adoption and foster agencies required to place children with same-sex couples. Florists and bakers forced to fill orders for same-sex weddings. Critics say these are just a few of the potential results if The Equality Act becomes law. “Every American should be treated with dignity and respect, but our laws need to protect the Constitutionally guaranteed rights that we have,” says Greg Baylor from Alliance Defending Freedom, a Christian organization which advocates for religious freedom. ADF is currently handling cases in numerous states where laws like The Equality Act already exist. If The Equality Act passes, Baylor says, “we will see a proliferation of instances where Christians and others are being coerced to violate their beliefs in order to comply with such a law.” While introducing the bill, Democrat lawmakers talked about making the protection of same-sex individuals a priority over other Constitutional freedoms. “We cannot allow claims of religious freedom to be used to discriminate against an LGBT individual,” said Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI). Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) added, “It makes a difference when any level of government or any corporation says that this discriminatory behavior and action is wrong. It makes a difference and it provides those of us in our community – the LGBT community – with the tools that we need to fight back.” In requiring things like faith-based adoption agencies to place children with same-sex couples, opponents fear religious liberty cases will pop up all over the country. “Some of the things in The Equality Act are very disturbing and alarming as far as what they could do to Christian values in this country, so we’re certainly keeping a pulse on it,” said Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA). Meanwhile, a senior White House official says the president would oppose the Equality Act, telling the Washington Blade, “The Trump administration absolutely opposes discrimination of any kind and supports the equal treatment of all; however, this bill in its current form is filled with poison pills that threaten to undermine parental and conscience rights.”

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May 16, 2019
When does a teacher over step they job as a teacher and not a parent?

When is enough, enough! Let the children be! No one should have to choose what sex they are at any age. At any rate the schools need to know their limits.

A couple in Woodburn, Oregon is suing their school district after they discovered their eight-year-old son was asked repeatedly by his teacher if he was transgender. The parents, who are keeping their identity private, are suing the district for nearly $1 million because they say their son’s second grade teacher held him back from recess on multiple occasions to personally ask him if he believed he was really a girl. They said the teacher also gave their son reading materials, videos, and other resources explaining what it means to be transgender. The parents say they had no idea this was happening and believe what the teacher did was inappropriate. “He feels different now, he feels confused. To hear your son say that…on a couch talking to a therapist, holding back tears – it’s very heartbreaking,” the mother said, according to Fox 12.

The parents say their child had a stomach problem, which made him uncomfortable with using the restroom. They suspect his hesitation about going to the bathroom made his teacher believe he could have gender dysphoria. They say their child suffered significant emotional confusion by being singled out by his teacher. He is on anxiety medication and regularly sees a therapist. “He can be whatever he wants, I don’t care what he is. I just want him to be my happy son and I feel like she messed that up. It frustrates me that my son can be influenced that drastically, and nothing be done about it. They just wanted to sweep it under the rug,” said the father. They said the school acknowledged the teacher’s actions, but the teacher still works at the school.

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May 16, 2019