420, 4:20, or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) is a code-term that refers to the consumption of cannabis, especially smoking cannabis around the time 4:20 p.m./a.m. (or 16:20 in 24-hour notation) and smoking and celebrating cannabis on the date April 20 (which is 4/20 in U.S. form).
The inauguration of the President of the United States is a ceremony to mark the commencement of a new four-year term of a president of the United States
An inauguration ceremony takes place for each term of a president, even if the president continues in office for a second term.
Since 1937, Inauguration Day takes place on January 20 following a presidential election.
The term of a president commences at noon (ET) on that day, when the Chief Justice administers the oath to the president. However, when January 20 falls on a Sunday, the Chief Justice administers the oath to the president on that day privately and then again in a public ceremony the next day, on Monday, January 21.
The only inauguration element mandated by the United States Constitution is that the president make an oath or affirmation before that person can “enter on the Execution” of the office of the presidency.
However, over the years, various traditions have arisen that have expanded the inauguration from a simple oath-taking ceremony to a day-long event, including parades, speeches, and balls.
~Why a know-nothing ego-maniac has no business on the phone with world leaders~
Taiwan Call
The president-elect broke with four decades of diplomatic practice by talking on the phone Friday with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, a breach of protocol that could disrupt U.S.-China ties before the inauguration.
The 10-minute phone call is believed to be the first time that a U.S. president or president-elect and a Taiwanese leader have spoken since the late 1970’s.
The United States formally recognized the government in Beijing as representing China in 1978 and has pursued a “One China” policy since 1972, when then-President Richard M. Nixon visited the country. But although the U.S. government ended official relations with Taiwan in 1979, U.S. presidential administrations have maintained unofficial ties with the island territory, which has become a thriving democracy in recent decades.
Trump’s phone call with Philippines leader deserves a lot more attention
President-elect Donald Trump’s telephone created plenty of news over the weekend – whether it was that “congratulatory” call with Taiwan’s leader, his tweets aimed at China, or even his criticism of SNL.
But there was another bit of news involving Trump’s phone that deserves a lot more attention – his call with Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte.
“In a statement Saturday, Duterte shared details of a seven-minute conversation that took place Friday, December 2. He said that during the call, Trump endorsed his campaign against drug users and dealers – a campaign that has left at least 4,500 Filipinos dead in about five months. Trump told Duterte that he was doing it the ‘right way,’ according to Duterte’s account,” the Washington Post writes.
And Reuters reports that, on that Friday call, Trump invited Duterte to the White House, according to a Philippines official.
A community is a social unit of any size that shares common values. Although embodied or face-to-face communities are usually small, larger or more extended communities such as a national community, international community and virtual community are also studied.
Since the advent of the Internet, the concept of community has less geographical limitation, as people can now gather virtually in an online community and share common interests regardless of physical location. Prior to the internet, virtual communities (like social or academic organizations) were far more limited by the constraints of available communication and transportation technologies.
One broad definition which incorporates all the different forms of community is
“
a group or network of persons who are connected (objectively) to each other by relatively durable social relations that extend beyond immediate genealogical ties, and who mutually define that relationship (subjectively) as important to their social identity and social practice.
… has been nominated for this incredibly awesome and meaningful award by:
Just Patty from http://petitemagique.wordpress.com
This award has an important meaning to us at “It Is What It Is“. It embodies the soul of our mission and purpose. There’s a definite sense of community and a complete commitment to caring.
~~MISSION~
“I want to offer any knowledge that I have to anyone “out there” who is interested. My views are liberal in almost every sense. My knowledge is “eclectic” – a bit of everything. Music and reading are my passion. Blogging has also become a very interesting endeavor. Metaphysical topics attract me. I’m interested in news – reporting human issues like injustice, discrimination and abuse – the “wrongly” affected. My intention is to bring this knowledge to an understandable level and to help anyone in need.”
As noted above, the internet has broken barriers and has made our huge world so much smaller and accessible.
We connect and we make long lasting bonds even though we are physically far apart.
It Is What It Is 