Putin Knows a War With NATO Is One He May Lose: Pentagon – Newsweek

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U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday said he believes Russian President Vladimir Putin does not want a direct conflict with NATO given the military might of the international alliance.

Austin appeared with Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair General Mark Milley before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense to testify on President Joe Biden's 2023 defense budget request. During the hearing, Austin was asked by Republican Representative Harold Rogers of Kentucky about a hypothetical scenario of Putin launching an attack on Poland, a NATO member, or another country in the region.

"If Russia decides to attack any nation that's a NATO member, then that's a game changer," Austin replied. "But if you look at Putin's calculus, my viewand I'm sure the chairman has his own viewbut my view is that Russia doesn't want to take on the NATO alliance."

Austin continued, "There are 1.9 million forces in NATO. NATO has the most advanced capabilities of any alliance in the world in terms of aircraft, ships, types of weaponry that the ground forces use. So, this is a fight that he [Putin] really doesn't want to have and that would very quickly escalate into another type of competition that no one wants to see."

The defense secretary's comments came after statements made by Putin and Kremlin officials in which they threatened NATO and the U.S. In late April, Putin said during an address to lawmakers that any countries that "create a strategic threat to Russia" in Ukraine can expect "retaliatory strikes" that would be "lightning fast."

Even before Russia began its attacks on Ukraine on February 24, Putin made similar public warnings. Last November, he said his country would respond if NATO crossed "red lines" by providing Ukraine with certain missile strike systems.

Meanwhile, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told government news agency Tass on April 13 that Russia will consider U.S. and NATO vehicles transporting weapons on Ukrainian territory as "legitimate military targets." Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov also brought up the international alliance during an April 25 interview, saying, "NATO is essentially going to war with Russia through a proxy and arming that proxy. War means war."

However, Russia has expended a substantial amount of its weapons and armament in Ukraine and would be greatly outmatched by NATO in terms of firepower.

Sean Spoonts, editor-in-chief of the military news outlet SOFREP, told Newsweek recently that Russia has gone through thousands of critical weapons and cruise missiles in Ukraine that will cost about $1.5 million apiece. Added to that is the loss of the Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, which was sunk in April.

Putin will also likely have a hard time building his military's strength back up in the foreseeable future. During a background briefing on Tuesday, a senior official from the U.S. Department of Defense indicated that economic sanctions have made it difficult for Russia to replenish its inventory of weapons.

Should Russia challenge NATO or the U.S. with any military provocations, Milley said on Wednesday that any such threat would be recognized quickly by U.S. officials.

"We monitor this literally every day," Milley added. "It's one of the most significant things we're doing, monitoring the potential risk of escalation in any domain and by geography, by type weapon, etc."

Rogers followed up by asking if the U.S. would be "prepared to respond in some fashion" to any hypothetical military aggression from Russia.

"The short answer is yes, of course, we are militarily," Milley said. "We're very capable of responding to any form or fashion of escalation if directed by the president."

Newsweek reached out to Russia's Foreign Ministry for comment.

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Putin Knows a War With NATO Is One He May Lose: Pentagon - Newsweek

Jigardan Gadhvi on ‘Meru To Dage’: It highlights several facets of the path to spiritual enlightenment – Times of India

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Jigardan Gadhvi aka Jigraa's soulful voice has always enchanted his devoted fans. The artist has not only won hearts with his romantic songs but has also built a name for himself with devotional tracks. Jigraa has now released a recreation, ETimes contacted the singer, and here is what he has to say."This Bhajan comes from Saurashtra and is one of my favorites. Gangasati, the original creator of this bhajan, was a medieval saint-poet of the bhakti tradition of western India who composed several devotional songs in the Gujarati language. She composed this bhajan with a theme and spiritual messages in mind, such as the value and grace of the Guru, the life of a devotee, nature, and Bhakti. They are composed according to Panbai's directions," Jigraa shares.'Meru To Dage' is still popular in Saurashtra and is typically performed by devotional singers. It highlights several facets of the path to spiritual enlightenment. I have recreated this bhajan within the soul that remains intact," he adds."Gujarati folk fusion is a new way to reconnect with our culture. My fans have loved my efforts with Gujarati recreational music, I hope they shower their blessings and love this time too as this one is a very special song in my life," elated Jigraa smiles and concludes the conversation.

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Jigardan Gadhvi on 'Meru To Dage': It highlights several facets of the path to spiritual enlightenment - Times of India

Opinion – On the spiritual concept of land in Africa – New Era

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As a land administration lecturer, I consider my lectures on the concepts of land one of the most important sessions in shaping students understanding of what land is and is not. I always state that land can be viewed from different lenses e.g. from spatial, economic, social, environmental, community, social, political, cultural, heritage, nature, human rights and spiritual perspectives. For obvious reasons, students tend to pick more interest in the land as an economic commodity aspect. Some equally essential parts of what land means, at least to us Africans, that students have less interest in are the perspectives of land as nature, deity and heritage. Another aspect they tend to find funny, and sometimes laughable, is the aspect of land as spirituality. The times I have insisted on teaching students about the deep spiritual meanings of land (a part of their curricula), I have received some passive backlash. In face-to-face classes, some students would act as though I was inspiring them to dump their Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha and many other religious figures they hold dear to embrace ancestral worship or juju. In online (virtual) classes, I faced warning silence and respectful notifications of some people logging off from my class. I want to use this article to emphasise why the spiritual aspect of land is as important as the economic and other aspects.

WHY LAND REMAINS SACRED

Traditional beliefs in customary communities in Africa is that land is a gift from God, passed on to us from our ancestors. This notion makes sense when one considers God to be that divine force that created the land we live in. We hold this divine force so great that it is hard to describe it that we simply give it many names. Ancestors are those from whom we descended and inherited our land as a heritage. So, land is a gift from God that our ancestors have used and left for us (women, boys, babies, girls and men) to continue to use.

In Africa, spirituality is expressed in individuals or communities recognition of a belief that there is a force greater than the self. It is a consciousness of a supernatural power capable of rescuing us in times of grief, sorrow and despair. There are many reasons why spirituality cannot be isolated from land ownership in Africa. Several practices allude to the sacredness of land all over Africa. This is because land is the home of our ancestors (that is, where our ancestors have been buried). In many African communities, the umbilical cords of newborns are also buried. Also, when boys are circumcised in many communities, their foreskins are buried. Many ethnic groups all over Africa stand or kneel barefoot when they want to communicate with their ancestors. This they do through libations to revere the land where their ancestors lie. These practices make us spiritually attached to land.

Traditionally, land is considered a source of food, shelter, health and materials that enable better living conditions for people. This is not different from how it is conventionally conceived. During libations (traditional prayer) to God (directly) or ancestors (as intercessors), the importance of land as an embodiment of all human needs is usually chanted. This is because spirituality is part of the essential element in the existence of African communities. This spirituality is expressed in how we own land communally to show that no one person is superior, but only God. It is present in the grandeur and simplicity of African architecture. It is infused in our music, customs, tales, sayings, dances or art forms that relate to our use of land and natural resources. It also relates to divinity in how and for what we use the land. The absence of divinity in land affairs is viewed as disrespect to the creative force (God) that allows communities to use the land for living and sustenance.

Land and spiritualities are interwoven and embedded issues. The protection and use of land as an object of spirituality is heritage possible through generational transfer. It should not be caricatured. It should be the basis for social and cultural identities within African countries. Every genuine seeker of spiritual enlightenment has a longing to enter deeper communion with their God, and it is not different in Africa. That is why sacred places form a crucial part of popular and unpopular religions. Buddhists consider Bodh Gaya, near the banks of the Falgu River in India, one of their most essential lands (among many others). Shintoists have the Ise Grand Shrine in Japan as their sacred place. Judaists (and even Christians) consider their Holy Land, Jerusalem, sacred. Muslims embrace Mecca as their Holy City. African traditionalists make efforts to embrace their shrines. Still, they are usually (and unfairly) discouraged from having a place of their own or Holy Land. This is born out of the growing ignorance concerning the spiritual role of land in traditional African communities.

Religion aside, the veneration of land (part of the appreciation of nature) is the foundation for agricultural production, forest management and communal land governance in Africa. Long before mentioning sustainable development in the world in the United Nations Brundtland Reports of 1987, Africans have always sought sustainability through their spiritual engagements on land. Since time immemorial, spirituality in land use has been a principle for Africas conservation and protection of natural resources. It has been the basis of sustainability in Africa: caring for the land for our dead (ancestors), our living (us) and the unborn (future generation). This context of land and spirituality is not to be laughed at. In fact, it has been integrated into conventional sustainability studies and sold back to Africans as new knowledge called sustainable development.

* Uchendu Eugene Chigbu is an Associate Professor (Land Administration) in the Department of Land and Property Sciences (DLPS) at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST). The views expressed in this article are entirely his, and not that of NUST.

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Opinion - On the spiritual concept of land in Africa - New Era

Mansions of the Moon – Quill & Quire

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Shyam Selvadurai (Credit: George Pimentel)

After nearly a decade, bestselling author of Funny Boy and The Hungry Ghosts Shyam Selvadurai returns with a sweeping new novel set in ancient India. It introduces readers to Siddhartha Gotama the man who would become Buddha and Yasodhara, the woman who married him.

One fateful night, at the request of Maharaja Maha Kosala, a young Siddhartha meets with an ascetic who preaches of a suffering that ends all further suffering. Even though he is repulsed by the ascetics fanaticism, Siddhartha finds himself drawn to the mans underlying philosophy. In order to escape what he considers a fresh defect within himself, Siddhartha decides a wife of practicality will rein him in, and he asks for his cousins hand in marriage.

Sixteen-year-old Yasodhara, unaware of her cousins attraction to this new spiritual philosophy, agrees to marry Siddhartha. She quickly spots his tendency to brood, but chalks it up to his temperament. Soon after their wedding, Siddhartha is stationed as the governor in Mudgala in the north, and Yasodhara is uprooted from the sheltered life shes lived as a well-born female. Bearing the lot of women, Yasodhara is forced to reinvent herself and she does. She becomes an expert in cultivating the paddy fields and takes satisfaction in the feel of the earth in her hands, the sense of power in growing the food they ate. And she thrives. Despite Siddharthas success, his thoughts return to the impermanence of life, a fixation renewed by an unexpected visit from an old friend.

Things are no better back in the royal city of Kapilavastu, and soon Yasodhara is unable to bridge the chasm between her and her husband, despite her desperate attempts. In a heartbreaking sequence, she confronts Siddhartha about the robe, razor, and begging bowl she finds in his private quarters. He finally tells her the truth, beginning with that night so many years ago, and admits this search for spiritual enlightenment is a calling he can no longer leave unanswered. After presiding over the naming ceremony of his son, Rahula, Siddhartha disappears from Yasodharas life without saying a word.

Divided into three parts called dukkha, a term that covers everything from dissatisfaction to irritation and tragedy, Mansions of the Moon is a deeply intimate novel. The dukkhas, each of which begins with a vignette of Yasodhara in the narrative present and recalls the hardships she endured after Siddharthas abandonment, trace their marriage as life takes them across India, from the mountains of Mudgala to the grandeur of Kapilavastu and the soil of Licchavi in the Kathmandu Valley.

Selvadurai has created a captivating look at Yasodhara, who has remained largely hidden in Buddhist literature. Although she is submerged by change, swept away and drowned in it due to the decisions the men in her life make, here, in these pages, we see her struggle, hear her fears, and understand her pain. We know whats coming next and want to shelter her from the blow a testament to Selvadurais extraordinary empathy and storytelling. Narrated using many Pali words, this is an epic story of Yasodharas journey to find her own path forward.

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Mansions of the Moon - Quill & Quire

The First Flight Out of the Cult of Celebrity – Electric Literature

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The First Flight Out of the Cult of Celebrity You Have a Friend in 10A

Im told I went catrastic for the first time in 1984, when JeromeShin (yes, the director) took me up to my bathroommy gaudychildhood bathroom with the big pink Jacuzzi and mirrors on allfour wallsand cut me my first line and asked me to hold his ballswhile he jerked off. The request was casual, like my stepmothertelling me to hold her purse while she fixed her lipstick. Just holdthem? I said.

Yeah, he said, pulling down the top of my dress and lookingskeptically at my half-grown tits. Just hold them.

The pouch sat on my palm like rotten fruit while he worked hissad, skinny dick. It was a year or so after his young wife drowned.He must have been in his early forties then. I was fourteen.

Now tug them! he barked, scrunching up his face.

Startled, I tugged until he came onto my thigh and the hem ofmy dress. (My stepmothers dress. I returned it to her closet without cleaning it.) My fathers party murmured through the floor andthe pipes. All those people milling around, trying to out-fabulouseach other, talking about green lights and opening grosses and sex.Probably every bathroom in the house was hosting some variationon our theme. Jerome cast me in his next movie.

My agent said we had to change my name. No one uses theirreal name, he said, and yours is terrible. We were at the PoloLounge; he was eating a Cobb salad. He reached over with his forkand knocked my hand away from my fries. Actors names are justlabels you stick on a fantasy, he said. You know, like Armani orsomething. But itd be nice to keep some reference to your father.So I went from being Allison Lowenstein-Karr to being Karr Alison. No one could ever explain why we dropped the second l. Itsa no-brainer, my agent told me. Go with it.

In retrospect, I dont think I felt catrastic in the bathroom withJerome. I remember feeling flattered and grossed out and highand sophisticated. Still, my Helpers identified that night as whenmy system first became seriously susceptible to degradons, whenI started to lose track of my Esteem. Jerome, they told me, wasa Usurperwhich Ive never quite been able to sort out becauseJeromes movie is what made me famous, and the Church onlyever liked me because I was famous. Jefferson Morris himself toldme that the Founder says the important moments in life arent justpoints along a single straight line but are moving, swiveling hubswithin a three-dimensional web and belong to multiple trajectories, both ascending and descending. When I held Jeromes balls, Iwas beginning my descent into fucked-up druggie despectum, butId also hooked into that steep skyward line that would bring meto Billy and Jefferson and the teachings of the Founder. But thenthere was everything else, too. Like I said, I cant sort it out.

Businessman, computer businessman, Steelers fan, Asian grandmother, clean-cut guy whos probably a pervert, sullen punk kid,guy with big gold jewelry, retired couple with too much luggage,harried couple with too many children, Texan. They file past myseat, departing souls taking slow zombie steps down a fluorescenttunnel. Well, I guess its hurry up and wait, an older blond ladysays to no one in particular. Were all in this together, she is saying.A flight attendant squeezes past to get to the harried couple, whoseem defeated by the overhead compartment, by their bags anddiaper bags and childrens suitcases bursting with pointless junk.Dont mind us, says the blond lady. But I like the flight attendants, their big hair and sexy blue vests and shiny red nails. Theguy in the middle seat doesnt seem to recognize me, which is justas well. I look out the window at the odd vehicles racing aroundthe tarmac, the shadowy people behind the terminal windows, the transparent flutter of jet exhaust.

I am going to my mothers house. An act of desperation. Thelast time I saw her, three years ago, we got in a fight before I couldeven get through the door

Wheres Helena?

With Billy.

You left her with that loon?

Dont even talk to me about leaving. And hes not a loon.

Hes a loon. Him and that Jefferson Starship guy and their Looney Tunes religion.

Its my religion, too.

Its not a religion. Its a roach motel for idiots.

You dont know. You dont know anything about the Founder.Youre just a blip.

Whats a blip?

Someone who doesnt know anything about the Founder.

Youre brainwashed.

Youre a Nazi.

and then she slammed the door in my face, and I lifted up themetal flap of the mail slot and hollered through it that she was acunt and a Usurper and I hoped she and her degradons had a verynice life together. But now Ive left the Church, or the Churchhas left me, or we left each other, and Billy of course left me, andQuentin is dead, and I spent all my money trying to get Helenaback and failed, and I tried to be in a play, and my friends finally,nicely, suggested I should look for my own place to live.

Im in coach but near the front, and I see a tall man in a whiteuniform take a seat in first class. My heart flies up like a flusheddove but gets caught and tangled in a net. If I were hooked up to anAurograph, it would be going crazy. I remind myself that Quentinis dead. Most everyones settled down and buckled up now, exceptfor a paunchy guy whos going to break the plane apart trying tostuff his huge suitcase into the overhead, his round belly assaultingthe face of the woman in the aisle seat, sweat stains in his armpits.A flight attendant comes and splays her red nails across the suitcaseas though calming a frightened animal. She lifts it down and takesit away. The pilot comes out of the planes little locked brain andshakes the hand of the man in white, bending down, nodding andsomber as they exchange a few words.

There are all kinds of stories about me and Billy. The Churchbought me for him; hes gay; Im gay; I was impregnated with theFounders frozen sperm; I was impregnated by Jefferson Morris; Iwas impregnated by Quentin; I was never pregnant at all.

Id only been out of Cloudvista a couple of months when myagent called, all excited. Billy Bjorn wants a meeting. Wear something classy. Dont swear. Be sugar sweet, and try not to act like ajunkie.

Whats the script? I asked.

Who the fuck cares?

Arent you coming?

He wants to meet you alone. They specified.

Billy is not tall, but he wasnt as short as I expected. He movedaround his office with the same gymnastic energy as the commando squirrels I watched out the window at Cloudvista whilethey leapt and dangled and corkscrewed, raiding the bird feeders. He has strong, active hands, and I imagined an invisible tailwhirling behind him as he poured me a glass of mineral water,then darted to the window to point out a jet taking off from SantaMonica (Ive been thinking about getting one like that myselfwhat do you think? Do you like it?), then fiddled with papers onhis desk, then flopped down beside me on a long white couch andunleashed his grin. Everyone knows Billys smile, but you cantreally understand its effect until youre confronted by it in person.You lean toward those teeth, swim upstream, struggle closer tothe origin of all that dazzle, that gush of stardust. Suddenly I wasSuzanne in Tin Can Palace. I was that bitchy lawyer in Pleadingswho doesnt want to be charmed by him but is. I wasnt a washedup twenty-year-old with a pill problem. I was inside a glorioussphere of light. I was a glorious sphere of light.

You, he said. You are special. I can tell. Ive always liked youon-screen, but now, talking to you in person, just sitting here looking at youhe broke off and gave his famous trill of incredulouslaughter. Just look at you, he said, taking my hand. You justyouyou have so much to give. Theres something about you.I didnt expect to react this wayI mean, I wasnt planningbutjust look at you!

I echoed his laugh and tried to amp up my smile. My smile isnot my strong suit, though, and remembering that, I faltered andlooked away. He put a finger under my chin and turned my faceback. And youve still got a sweet shyness, he said. Great.Really great.

Im just so happy to meet you.

Yeah? He shook his head and laughed again, staring at me,giddy. Yeah. Am I crazy here? Are you feeling this, Karr? BecauseIm feeling somethingwhewsomething big.

I had to turn away again. On a side table stood a framed picture of a young man in a white uniform with gold braid and colorful rows of ribbons. Is that your son? I asked, knowing it was.Quentin was the product of Billys first marriage, to his highschool sweetheart. After her, he married an ethereal movie star,and after her, he married a model from Ecuador, and after her, hemarried me.

Quentin, yeah. My boy. He sprang off the couch and pickedup the photo, staring at it for a moment before he dropped backbeside me, closer now, our thighs touching. I felt thrilled andtwisted. I felt something big. I felt like I was a shred of myselfcaught on a sharp hook. I felt like a gust of wind. I felt desperate toget high and certain I would never want to be high again.

I didnt know he was in the navy, I said, looking at Quentinsface, which was a distorted version of Billys square bullet of masculinity, narrower and softer.

Hes not. Billy took my hand. Listen, Karr. Do you ever feellike you need help?

What do you mean? Dont act like a junkie, dont act like a junkie.

Do you ever have doubts? Do you ever worry about rejection?Do you feel like there are people trying to bring you down?

I thought about the men in suits who had greeted me in the lobbyand ridden with me in the elevator to Billys office. They had askedafter my father and stepmother by name. I said theyd moved toHawaii and opened a Zen center, but the men already knew. Witha pair of synchronized winks they mentioned an interview I gavewhen I was seventeen in which I had said I wanted to marry Billy.

I just got out of rehab, I said to Billy. So. Yeah.

His eyebrows squeezed his forehead into a rift of concern. Hisgaze fried me like light through a magnifying glass. Just when thetension was about to break me, he said, softly, I can help you.

Ladies and gentlemen, the pilot says in that twangy, folksypilot voice, today we have the honor of transporting the remainsof Petty Officer First Class Reginald J. Roberts, who was killed inaction in Afghanistan and is being escorted home to his family byLieutenant Commander Howard Stanton. Out of respect to ourfallen warrior, I ask that you remain seated upon arrival until Lieutenant Commander Stanton has deplaned.

Everyones attention goes to the windows. We are curious for aglimpse of the casket being loaded. I cant see anything. The officer has taken off his white hat, and his bald spot peeks over theback of his seat.

Do you know anyone whos died in the war? the blip next tome says. He looks like hes in his late twenties but might as well beolder. Central casting has printed Middle Management on theback of his head shot. A book on how to be an effective leader isstuffed in his seat pocket.

No.

I do. A high school friend of mine. He went into a house andshot a guy who was wired to blow up. Bits of the other guys tissue got embedded in him and caused all kinds of infections. Thatswhat killed him eventually. Imagine having pieces of a dead personrotting inside you, someone you killed, someone who didnt evenspeak your language and whos going to take you with him. Makesme sick. Its like a horror movie.

Hes basically describing degradonsinvisible little pellets ofbad feelings from Usurpers that stick to your body and make theirway into your Esteembut I remind myself that I dont believein degradons anymore. I probably never did, not really, but thelanguage of the Church has rooted in me like a fake accent I cantshake. Awful, I say. Im sorry.

Its weird to think of that poor guy down in the cargo holdwith our bags and everything. He looks at me, and I can see hewants something but I dont know what. Its weird to think offlying after youre dead.

Holding his gaze, I uncoil the cord of my earphones fromaround my phone and put them in my ears.

A word about the Aurograph. People say its nothing more thangoofy science-fiction wishful thinking, but I can tell you theresmagic in it. You focus on your life, and energy flows out of yourbrain and through the electrode bonnet into the monitor. Greenwaves appear on the black screen, spiking when you hit a catrasticmoment, showing where your spirit has gotten all gunked up, andwhen that happens, you get excited; your Helper gets excited; youfeel like undersea explorers whove just found a wreck. To maximize your Esteem, you have to isolate all those moments and letyourself be helped through them. You are a hot air balloon, Billytold me on one of our first nights, his hand on my belly, his breathin my ear, and all around you are invisible tethers held by peopleon the ground, people who are trying to hold you down, usurpyour Esteem. They dont want to let go, Karr. They wont. But youhave to snip those tethers. You have to cut yourself loose so youcan fly. You can do itI know you can. You just need a little help.

Think about something that has troubled you recently, myHelper said after my wedding.

I had planned to think about the helicopters that hovered abovethe chteau day and night and the paparazzi who clamored at thegates like angry peasants, but instead, Quentin welled up in mymind, standing at the window where I first saw him. A green lineclimbed the monitor.

Okay, said my Helper, the Aurograph has registered yourdistress. What were you thinking about?

The night before the wedding, I said.

What in particular?

We had a big dinner for everyone. I was getting ready to comedown to the ballroom, and I was alone in my room after I got myhair done, and I thought I heard someone calling my name. So Iwent and opened the door, and there was Billys son.

He was calling your name?

No. He was at the other end of the hall, looking out the window. Id never met him before, actually. Hed been away on theEsteem.

Who was calling your name?

No one.

Why does this memory trouble you?

(Quentin? I said, and he turned. He was wearing his whiteFounderCorps dress uniform, the one he wore in the picture inBillys office. Even from the other end of a long hallway, I couldtell Quentin was different from Billy. Everything flows out fromBilly, whooshing and blasting you back, and you fight to get closer.But everything pulls toward Quentin, and I felt queasy, like Ishould brace away.

Should I call you Mom? he said, not sarcastically but sadly. Iwas twenty-one. He was twenty-six.)

I just wish, I told my Helper, Id had the chance to meet himearlier so we could have felt like more of a family at the wedding.

Already I had begun to understand that the infallibility of Billywas a cornerstone of the Church, and my Helper looked uncomfortable. Quentin has very important work to do on the Esteem.He helps people reach the highest levels of study.

The Esteem is the last of the Founders ships. According toJefferson Morris, the Founder says the ocean is the place wherewe are most open and compassionate. Anyone who wishes to bereally and truly free of degradons must spend time studying onthe Esteem. I said, I know. I dont mean to be critical. It was justa little awkward.

Do you resent Quentins obligations to the Church?

No.

Do you wish your husband paid less attention to the Churchand more attention to you?

Sometimes.

Im going to recommend a class for youits called Overcoming Selfishness for the Sake of the Self. Theres an intensiveversion available at the Ranch.

Okay.

Can you think of another moment in your past that troubledyou in the same way?

I reached, as I often did during Helping sessions, for the yearsbetween Jerome Shin and Billy.

Youve seen my first movie, the one Jerome put me in. I think itholds up pretty well. Kind of gritty but still kind of a caper. Not asgood as Jeromes last movie, but Jerome was one of those peoplewho knew hed do his best work while he was dying.

When we started filming, I didnt want anything from himcertainly I had no pressing urge to be reunited with his scrotumbut I was still offended he didnt try anything with me. He wassoft-spoken and professional. He made sure I put in my hours withthe set tutors. Allie, are you comfortable with this? he askedbefore we filmed my scene in the bath.

Eventually I figured out he was boinking Genevieve Henry. Herbeauty didnt register with me back then. I thought my knobbyknees and flat ass were what every man wanted, not Gennysmouth like a fat berry and her weary eyes. I ditched my chaperoneand went to her trailer and asked if we could talk. She was sprawledon a love seat in a black silk bathrobe patterned with white orchids,reading a paperback spy novel. Sure, baby, she said, tenting thebook on her chest.

A bottle of white wine stood open in an ice bucket on her table.Can I have some of that?

Sure, baby.

I poured a glass and took a dramatic swig. As I told her what hadhappened with Jerome, she kept smiling as though I were somepleasant scene she had paused to admire: a childrens playground,a pretty sunset, a string quartet playing Vivaldi.

When I was done, she said, Thats all?

Well, I said, I guess so. I had never told the story before,and out loud it sounded flimsy and quick. I just thought youshould know Jeromes a child molester.

She swung her small mouth off to one side and studied me.

Finally, she said, Youre not a child. Youre already a bad littlechick. She twisted her lips around some more and looked at herbook for a minute. Then she turned a page and said, Baby, ifyou want to be in the business, you should think about how muchyoure willing to put up with, because if you think youve beencreamed on for the last time, youre wrong.

What did she see when she looked at me? When I rewatch thefilm, I see a gangly, eager girl pretending to be jaded. I see a littlecircus pony, a raw nugget of pure ego. Those movie people snortedme and smoked me; they cooked me in a spoon. Now they say Imweak. They say Im unfeeling to abandon my child to a cult. Butyou try getting out of that prenup, the one where you agreed toforfeit any claim to your husbands tens of millions in case of infidelity, where you certified that any and all of your children wouldbe raised in accordance with the Founders teachings, regardless ofyour own status within the Church. And you wanted your child togrow up happy and secure, sheltered from doubt, able to fly aboveour despectulated world, and you signed it, not knowing youwould be labeled a Usurper, and since your child must be raisedin accordance with the teachings of the Founder, and the Foundersaid children must be shielded from Usurpers at any cost . . . Well,you try getting out of that one. Especially if Helena wont eventalk to you. She knows better than to talk to Usurpers.

It was true I hadnt been creamed on for the last time. Peopleput me in more movies. My father was getting into drugs, so I didtoo, the way other fathers and daughters joined Indian Princessesor went out to brunch after church. At first it wasnt anythingmajor. Wed sit by the pool and share a joint when my stepmotherwasnt around. Kiddo, hed say, tell Daddy how it feels to bea star. And Id say something random like, Daddy, it feels likebiting into a dead mouse or Daddy, it feels like really bad gas,and hed howl, hed nearly fall off his chaise. But then my stepmother was around less and lessshe couldnt quite bring herself to leave him, not that she had such a high horse anyway, OurLady of Dexedrineand we took our show on the road, drivingout to house parties in Bel Air or Malibu, Dad looking like DonJohnson in his blazer and T-shirt behind the wheel of his Corvette (ice blue with a caramel interior, speedometer flickering likea flame as he accelerated). Wed cross the threshold together andpart like strangers, wading through shadow worlds where the airwas thick with bodies and ash and stardust, neither wanting to witness the others search for relief. Catch you on the flip side, hedmurmur.

Those were times I was catrasticno question. I had a trickwhere I could squeeze the insides of my knees against my ears sohard I created suction. I would do it in cars, bent forward, trying not to puke, and I would do it on my back when I got boredwith getting fucked. I could see but not hear the guy say, Youre soflexible. I was walking around covered with a thick fur of degradons, and I didnt even know it. But I also remember the way thenight sky looked from the quiet bottom of a glowing blue swimming pool, the shifting membrane of light that separated me fromthe darkness, the drunks who drifted and murmured like ghostsaround the edges.

In the mornings, my father and I would drink coffee in painedsilence until our shame burned off like early fog. Soon wed beback out by the pool, riding the fizz of my stepmothers speed backto civility, sharing a copy of Variety and a pitcher of mimosas andgossiping about the night before, pretending I hadnt been a limpand addled baby bimbo and he hadnt spilled a baggie of coke andmorphed into a crawling, snuffling thing, an anteater with a plasticstraw proboscis, hoovering up white dust from the grout of someones Spanish tiles.

I remember a party at the Chateau Marmont after I got firedfrom what would have been my fifth film and someone pulling medown from a balcony railing when I pretended I was going to jump,and then the Corvettes speedometer was flickering and Dad wassaying I was a star and fuck em, just fuck em, and I yelled at himto go faster because faster was hilarious until the spinning began,a real spinning and not just the world running around trying tocatch up with me. They found me sitting on the crumpled hoodand smoking a cigarette, barefoot, loopy, apparently unmoved bythe moans coming from the drivers seat. His left leg had to beamputated above the knee.

Just try keeping that out of the papers.

A movie star, especially when he has divorced you and stolenyour child with his lawyers and his prenup and his riches, is likeGod. Omnipotent, omnipresent. His huge grinning face looksdown over the road to the airport. He waves his invisible squirreltail on the little TV in the taxi, talking to Regis, pumping his fistin the air about something while the driver dubs him with whatever guttural language hes chortling into his phone. At the airport, he walks across the newsstands, holding his new girlfriend byone hand and your daughter by the other. He flickers across seatback screens. His voice whispers out of a hundred cheap headsets.The man beside you has recognized you after all; he gives a quicksideways glance when the guy in the aisle seat chooses Billys latest. A buddy comedy. It lost money. Billy can be funny, but self-seriousness clings to his humor like mildew. His career is suffering,not catastrophically but noticeably. People think his zeal for theChurch is off-putting. They think he is controlling, a megalomaniac, but they dont feel sorry for me. They only think I am evenmore of a fool.

A movie star, especially when he has divorced you and stolenyour child with his lawyers and his prenup and his riches, is likeGod. Omnipotent, omnipresent.

The naval officer stands and walks to the lavatory at the frontof the plane. I am relieved to see he is not watching Billys movie.Maybe hes not supposed to partake of the in-flight entertainment. Maybe hes supposed to sit and think about the guy in thebox whos soaring on his back over the Great Plains. For threeyears Ive felt like I should be sitting and thinking about Quentin. Iwasnt allowed to go when they scattered his ashes off the Esteem.Jefferson Morris made an official announcement that the Founderhad asked Quentin to cast off his body and move into a new dimension, embarking on a fact-finding mission into the afterlife. He isexpected to report back as soon as he is able.

Most gossip within the Church centers around whether theFounder is alive or dead. Jefferson Morris says he is in exile, thathe wishes to communicate only through Jefferson so as not tointerrupt his state of perfect Esteem. Dozens of blip reporters anddisgruntled ex-Church members have tried to track down theFounder, to prove he is dead, but the trail goes cold in 1970, afterhe sailed away on a solo round-the-world trip. His first communication reached Jefferson Morris five months later, announcing hehad found perfect Esteem and declaring his intention to remain inexile. No wreckage was ever found; no SOS call was ever received.There is a photo from an Italian newspaper (June 20, 1973) in whicha man sitting at a caf in the background is either the Founder orhis long-lost Florentine twin. The FounderCorps keeps an officewaiting for him at every Church center and a house for him at theRanch, dusted every day and made up with clean sheets and towelsjust in case he decides to return. I have nothing I can keep ready forQuentin except myself.

On our honeymoon, Billy woke me up in the middle of thenight. Karr, he whispered. Karr. I know the secret.

What secret? I asked, woozy, disoriented by the gilded ceilingof our hotel suite.

About the Founder.

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[Visual History of Korea] Reaching enlightenment, perfection of wisdom through Chamseon – The Korea Herald

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The Great Ven. Bopta, the top monk at the Eunhaesa temple, speaks at his residence in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province.Photo @ Hyungwon Kang

Some of lifes questions for humanity have always been Who am I? and Where am I going?

In Korean Buddhism, Chamseon, which means participating in Seon meditation, the goal is to reach enlightenment.

You must know who you are first, before you know where you are headed in life, said the Great Ven. Bopta, the top monk at the Eunhaesa temple in Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, which was founded in the year 809.

Enlightenment is the perfection of wisdom. When youre enlightened, the state of nirvana becomes a state of joy and a feeling of eternal peace, said Bopta, who said he first experienced reaching the so-called happy place in his 20s. It was like the sun was rising. The world was a bright place, clear, full of joy, an eternal peace. It was a nirvana, said Bopta.

Korean Buddhism teaches that by nature, we are born a Buddha, and the lifelong goal is to return to that natural state of being a Buddha -- to be freed from greed and obsessions, and escape from the burden of the cycle of reincarnation by becoming an enlightened one.

Chamseon, also known as the Seon meditation, is a unique Korean tradition, with many Great Monks having reached enlightenment in Koreas 2,000-year Buddhism history.

There are people who reflect daily on their spiritual history, life memories, and unresolved issues. While not all choose to look inward to examine their life choices, for Chamseon practitioners, introspection is one of the possible paths to enlightenment and they take self-reflection to another level.

The goal of Chamseon is not to understand lifes complex questions but to be enlightened with an experience of our innermost self, called bonseong, a true natural state. Everything else besides bonseong in life is just a series of phenomena, said Bopta.

Great Ven. Haekook, one of the Great Monks in Korean Buddhism and a Chamseon master, is pictured with temple dog Bori at Namgukseonwon on Jeju Island.Photo Hyungwon Kang

Buddha means the enlightened one, or awakened one. Siddhartha was the physical embodiment of the sage whose teachings led people from the pain of suffering and rebirth toward the path of enlightenment, and later became known as the Buddha.

One can reach the state of being enlightened to become a Buddha through studying Buddhist scriptures and teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, or one can reach the enlightened bonseong, through the practice of Chamseon.

According to Chamseon master Great Ven. Haekook, one of the Great Monks in Korean Buddhism, our body is a like a little universe of its own, containing innumerable possibilities, having won against all kinds of odds -- from the way in which its conceived to the final shapes of our body and features, making us who we are.

Haekook says Chamseon is not knowledge to be learned, rather is experiencing being enlightened.

A person can be enlightened through the practice of Chamseon in one of three clearly articulated paths:

First, the Hwadu method, which is a practice in which Chamseon practitioners get to the bottom of an unsettled or unresolved subject in mind through breathing exercises.

Second, the Silent Zen meditation, which was popularized in the English-speaking world by Japanese Buddhists.

Third, by chanting, which at times is combined with meditation.

A scene from the musical The Life of Siddhartha depicts the life of Siddhartha Gautama, better known in Korea as Shakyamuni Buddha.Photo Hyungwon Kang

Junggoong says when you dig deep into Seon meditation, through long sustained breathing, I feel my brain cells open up. Things I usually dont remember come up. At the same time, I feel my own manipulation of facts, I mean Im trying to cheat myself, there are things that Im fooling myself. Thats when I call it out. Its you! Dont move! That is gyeonseong, a view of oneself removed from oneself.

Gyeonseong, such as this subjective experience, may have something to do with self-rationalization and confirmation bias, which we all use to justify our actions as a form of self-preservation. In psychology, it is called cognitive dissonance, according to Korean American clinical psychologist Dr. Yangja Chung.

While most life experiences are subjective, being able to look back on our life experiences objectively from time to time always provides valuable insight.

People think theres no such thing as an objective view, but there never was an objective or subjective thing or a wall between them. Inside and outside can only be divided by a wall, but if theres no wall, theres no distinction between the inside and the outside, said Haekook, who burned his fingers in reaching enlightenment.

Enlightened means perfection of wisdom and to stay alert and awake in life, said Bopta. The path of the enlightenment can be excruciatingly painful, sitting desperately for hours and days until near death. At other times, awakening happens when you experience a physical shock.

Bopta recalled one of his first moments of enlightenment when he was deployed to fight in the Vietnam War in his 20s, with eight months of military training under his belt. He was part of the reconnaissance team in the White Horse Division, the ROK Army 9th Infantry Division

I was carrying a heavy rucksack weighing at least 30 kg with four additional hand grenades plus my weapons and ammo. On my first helicopter ride and of course, my first mission was jumping from a helicopter, as I was hesitating from jumping about 2 meters down to the ground -- in the middle of a jungle in Vietnam -- a US soldier kicked me off the helicopter yelling, Son of a b----! he said.

Thats when I had an enlightened moment. I did not feel the weight of my rucksack, landing softly on the ground on my feet, while bullets were flying everywhere, said Bopta.

By Hyungwon Kang (hyungwonkang@gmail.com)

---

Korean American photojournalist and columnist Hyungwon Kang is currently documenting Korean history and culture in images and words for future generations. -- Ed.

By Korea Herald (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

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Living in the Saha World Buddhistdoor Global – Buddhistdoor Global

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Though we may wonder about such difficult good luck, we can be grateful to live in the saha worldthe place where Shakyamuni appeared and continues to teach us. In Sanskrit, saha means enduring or withstanding. There are myriad other buddha-fields in which enlightenment is brought about by a rain of bright blossoms, by drinking sweet nectars, or hearing celestial voices. Where we live, in this saha world, its a little different. Here, we are caught in samsara. There is good and evil, joy and sorrow, and the rolling wheel of birth and death. Enlightenment is dependent our ability to endure, to be patient, and to maintain our composure, our response-ability even in the midst of great difficulty

Since I often think in song, here is a relevant number: Ive Endured by the late Ola Belle Reed, a force-of-nature musician whom I was fortunate to know a little in the 1970s.

This week, as I began writing my column for Buddhistdoor Global, the ground shifted here in the US and I had to throw out what I had already written. On the evening of 2 May, news sources reported a leaked draft opinion by the Supreme Court which would overturn Roe vs. Wade, the landmark ruling on a constitutional right to abortion that has been the law of the land for 50 years. Talking about endurance, it is painful to endure the erosion of long-established laws and human rights, to watch the wheels of democracy stall and roll backwards. To consider the impact that such a ruling will have on womens lives.

In the 1960s and 1970s, the Supreme Court established a bold pattern of legal precedents with landmark rulings on abortion, due process, segregation, voting rights, pornography, and the separation of church and state. In the mundane world, these are acts of liberation. Todays court, with a six-to-three conservative majority, is just beginning to flex its restrictive ideological power in areas of campaign financing, political redistricting, immigration reform, limiting of voter rights, environmental protection, and, of course, abortion. By punting these issues back to the individual statesmany of whose legislations are under a determined conservative siegethe court is in essence promoting a worldview of social control and repression of human rights, while pretending ideological innocence.

In the case of Roe vs. Wade and abortion, just last week an ABC/Washington Post poll found that 58 per cent of Americans would uphold Roe, while 28 per cent would reverse it. Seventy per cent felt that the decision to have an abortion should be left to a woman and her doctor, while 24 per cent believed the decision should be regulated by law. So the court, with its conservative majority, stands in contradiction to popular opinion. These are statistics, and I understand that abortion is a highly charged moral issue that reasonable people can disagree about. Admittedly, in many Asian Buddhist cultures the practice of abortion carries an ethical stigma. But remember that for many forms of traditional Buddhism, birth itself is not a blessed event, but the first step on another cycle of samasara. Some years ago, theDalai Lamadescribed abortion as a negative, but that there are exceptions to be considered. He added: I think abortion should be approved or disapproved according to each circumstance.

The issue, however, is not essentially about abortion or about the impossible determination of the precise moment when life and consciousness begin. To my mind it is about social control versus access to a life in which women can determine their own lives, where people have the right to full expressionpersonal, political, economic, spiritual; where the fate of the Earth is the concern of all; where multinational corporations and repressive governments do not run our lives for their own benefits.

So here we arestill in the saha world. Patience and endurance do not mean resignation and stasis. Again and again, I return to the teaching of a Tang dynasty Chinese Zen master. A monk asked Master Yunmen: What are the teachings of a whole lifetime? Yunmen said:An appropriate response. Conditions of suffering and difficulty call upon our essential stability, but they also call forth our essential goodness. Enlightenment manifests in action in the world we live in, in an appropriate response. Otherwise, enlightenment is just a blissful state of mindpleasant but not useful.

In the face of oppressionwhether that is in the form of a judicial or governmental abridgements of rights, or in the bombs and bullets raining on sisters and brothers in the Ukraine, in Myanmar, or elsewherewe awaken in wise action. There is no enlightenment. There is only enlightened activity.

Berkeley Zen CenterClear View ProjectInternational Network of Engaged Buddhists

A Metta PrayerThe Price of FreedomNo Poverty: The Sustainable Development Goals and Buddhism

Buddhism in a Divided World

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‘Doctor Strange 2’ explained: From the third eye to Illuminati – Los Angeles Times

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Spoiler warning: The following article discusses both major and minor plot details of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and is intended to be read after youve seen the movie. If youre looking for less spoiler-y Strange stories, check out our review and report from the world premiere on the movies connections to WandaVision.

A whole cosmos of comic-book elements are introduced or re-introduced in pivotal ways into the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, now playing in theaters nationwide. Heres a handy-dandy A-Z (or A-W) guide to the most important and their comics origins.

If WandaVision bore a large-strokes resemblance to the epic 2005 Marvel Comics crossover event House of M (Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch suffers a nervous breakdown triggered by personal loss in the comics, her children; on TV, her husband and creates an entirely new reality), Multiverse is very roughly analogous to the epic crossover event Avengers Disassembled (2004), which preceded House of M. In Disassembled, Wanda distraught over the loss of her magical children goes bananas and kills a whole bunch of heroes. Thats about it, comparison-wise, but thats a pretty big It.

Mentioned in passing in Multiverse of Madness by alternate Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), the comics version is a government think-tank tied to the origins of the Fantastic Four. In the 2015 Fantastic Four movie, The Baxter Foundation is the brainchild of Sue Storms father, Franklin, and provides the scholarship/job to Reed Richards that sets this whole super-thing in motion. It may or may not pop up in the MCUs Fantastic movie currently in development; either way, the Baxter Building serves as the Fantastic Fours headquarters.

Rachel McAdams as Dr. Christine Palmer, Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange, and Xochitl Gomez as America Chavez explore another strand of the MCU in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

(Marvel Studios)

If ever there were a Marvel element meant for a Sam Raimi movie, its this compendium of evil magic committed to parchment made of flesh. It was written by a very bad person, the Elder God/later demon Chthon, and serves as a kind of conduit for his not-very-nice power to Earth. Its also called The Book of Sins, which sounds fun, but its chapters always seem to come to unhappy endings.

This bad, bad book first materialized in Marvel Spotlight No. 4 in 1972 (it was mentioned, but not shown, in No. 3). Since, it has appeared onscreen in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Runaways and WandaVision, in which it passed from the hands of Agatha Harkness to Wanda Maximoff.

The short version is Earth-616" houses the main continuity of Marvel Comics. Not that the term is often used, as some Marvel editors have derisively likened it to competitor DCs use of Earth-One and Earth-Two (primarily to explain why some of DCs heroes were around in the 1940s) but its canon, like it or not. Much of Multiverse of Madness, as again mentioned by Dr. Palmer, takes place on Earth-838.

Apart from eventual Young Avenger America Chavez trans-universe-porting into the MCU and the end-credits scene finally bringing in Doctor Stranges enduring love from the comics, Clea (and probably also explaining why Charlize Theron wasnt cast as Thena in Eternals), the sequels most-attention getting introduction will be that of The Illuminati.

This group of solemnly overconfident eggheads manifests here as Earth-838s Sorcerer Supreme Mordo, Inhumans leader Black Bolt, Captain Marvel, Captain Carter (as previously seen on Disney+s animated What if ...?), Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards and X-Men leader Professor X (played by Patrick Stewart in one of the most explicit connections yet between the Fox Marvel movies and mutants and the MCU).

As in the comics, The Illuminati seem to exist as a cautionary tale against unelected elites secretly making momentous decisions for everyone (see the World Security Council, et al). There are differences between this iteration and the classic cabal that first appeared in New Avengers No. 7 in 2005 (notably excluding Namor and Tony Stark here), but they remain every bit as effective and likeable as on the page. As my 14-year-old son said before watching the film, The Illuminati are incompetent fools. They suck.

No. This isnt in the comics. Why is it in the movie? Talk about hitting a sour note. This silly symphony lands in infamy with a thud, right beside the Raimis Spider-Man 3" dance sequence.

Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr. Stephen Strange in Marvel Studios Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

(Marvel Studios)

During the siege of Kamar-Taj, we briefly meet a couple of wizards who stand out among the rest. One is hard to miss because hes a green minotaur. This would be Rintrah, from the extra-dimensional planet RVaal. You asked. Anyway, hes a longtime ally and acolyte of Stranges.

The other Kamar-Taj wizard of note is Sara, played by Sheila Atim (who appeared notably in Halle Berrys directorial debut, Bruised). Considering the moment she gets onscreen with Wong, this may be Sara Wolfe, Wongs love interest in the comics. In the comics, however, shes of Cheyenne descent and not a wizard, but Stranges secretary. So maybe, maybe not.

The Third Eye or Minds Eye is an ancient concept from multiple spiritual traditions involving perception beyond what can be normally experienced by the five senses. There are many ways to interpret this, from the mystical/supernatural to enlightenment or simple mindfulness.

In Marvel Comics, Stranges third eye is a manifestation of the Eye of Agamotto, which was introduced in the MCU as a containment vessel for the Time Stone. In the comics, among its powers is a truth-revealing light (which would come in handy when those pesky Skrulls show up in the MCUs upcoming Secret Invasion).

In Multiverse, we first see a third eye appear on the forehead of a version of our hero who bears a stark resemblance to Strange Supreme, the warped iteration of Strange who causes a universe-ending incursion in the animated What if ...? TV series. That implies it might be an artifact from the Strange Supreme-wielded Darkhold, which might freak out some fans when it shows up on 616 Stranges forehead at the films conclusion. But worry not; he seems cool with being a triclops when he returns mid-credits, implying this third eye is more like the comics version simply a gateway to greater perception with a few extra abilities thrown in for kicks.

None of this explains, however, how the Eye of Agamotto is around 616 Stranges neck years after Thanos crushed it in Avengers: Infinity War. Is there, like, a magical item repair shop in Greenwich Village? Maybe Etsy to the rescue? (Theres actually a likely answer in that not just the Time Stone, but the Eye Thanos destroyed in Infinity War may have been a fake, though the MCU has not established that.)

Benedict Wong as Wong is held captive in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

(Marvel Studios)

Wundagore Mountain is a longstanding location in Marvel Comics (dating back to Thor No. 134, 1966). Its where the Elder God/demon Chthon wrote the Darkhold and where he was later imprisoned by Morgan le Fay (yes, that Morgan le Fay, so theres some Black Knight sprinkled in here, too). It was also the base of operations of the High Evolutionary, one of the coolest-looking characters in all of Marvel. Anyway, its apparently where Wanda and Pietro Maximoff were born, so its a fitting final resting place for well, you know who if youve seen the film.

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3 breakfast in bed recipes for Mother’s Day – The Daily Star

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If you're still scrambling for gift ideas for Mother's Day, or looking to add an edge to your already immaculate schedule for the day, I have three words for you breakfast in bed.

Getting your mom breakfast in bed will be a great way to pamper her. Treat her to some delicious food and a little less hassle, something every mother out there would love to enjoy early in the morning.

Here are three easy recipes you can try out this Mother's Day.

1. No-bake cinnamon cheesecake

Take 4 ounces (approximately 113g) of room temperature cream cheese in a bowl and beat it with an electric mixer or a whisk, until it's soft and creamy.

In a separate bowl, add 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream and beat it until soft peaks form, and then add in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon powder and beat the mixture again until they all mix in.

Add half of the whipped cream mixture to the cream cheese and beat until they are smoothly combined. Repeat with the remaining whipped cream mixture. Then, pour the mix into your serving dish and flatten the surface with a spatula.

Cover with plastic wrap and let the dish rest in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Your cheesecake is ready!

Decorate with a dash of cinnamon powder and strawberry slices.

2. Watermelon Iced Tea

Boil 4 cups of water and remove it from the heat.

Add 5 black tea bags and let it sit for 20 minutes.

Scoop out the flesh of a 1 kg watermelon and blend it. Pour the juice into a pan and sprinkle 1 cup of powdered sugar on top.

Mix until evenly combined, bring to a boil and cook for 2 more minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat now and move the juice into a glass jug, followed by the now strong black tea.

Stir well and let it sit until cooled. Refrigerate if you want to. Serve with mint leaves in glasses filled with ice cubes.

3. Lemon Spaghetti and Shrimp

In a large pot, boil some sparsely salted water and cook 500g of spaghetti for 9 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Add 250g of uncooked, peeled, medium-sized shrimps to it and cook for 3 more minutes. Drain.

In a bowl, whisk together 2/3 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper.

Pour the sauce over the spaghetti and shrimp. Garnish with basil leaves and some grated cheese of your choice and serve hot.

Do clean up after you're done cooking. It will defeat the entire point of breakfast in bed if your mom has to go clean your mess after her meal.

Hope you and your mother have a good one!

Fabiha is secretly a Lannister noblewoman and a Slytherin alum. Pledge your allegiance and soul to her afifafabiha01@gmail.com

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Is there a Knox County link to the wild man mystery? – Knox Pages

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Is there a Knox County link to the wild man mystery? - Knox Pages

Exclusive Premiere: Laughing In the Sunshine by G. Love – American Songwriter

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For years, G. Love has been bringing smiles and his own brand of sonic enlightenment to listeners all across the world.

From humble beginnings in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a now-renowned reputation in all corners of the music-loving globe, the man is a hit.

And today, American Songwriter is pleased to premiere the latest single and accompanying music video from G. Love. That song, Laughing In The Sunshine, marks the forthcoming release of G. Loves next LP: Philadelphia Mississippi, which blends the sensibilities of his hometown with a region hes long-drawn fromthe south.

I grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but Ive spent my entire life steeped in the music of the Delta, so the idea that there was this whole other Philadelphia down there always fascinated me, G. Love says of the album For the last thirty years, Ive wanted to make a pilgrimagenot just a musical one, but a spiritual oneto the heart of the blues, and thats exactly what this album is.

Produced by North Mississippi All-Stars Luther Dickinson and featuring artists like Alvin Youngblood Hart, Christone Kingfish Ingram,Cam Kimbrough, Tikyra Jackson, and Schoolly D, the new record mixes old school Hill Country and Delta Blues with new school hip-hop and funk. And G. Loves newest single is emblematic of that.

Speaking about the new cut, G. Love says, Laughing In The Sunshine was written with Chuck Treece and its a summertime classic, a cool glass of lemonade and love. Performed by an all-star cast including myself, Chuck, Luther Dickinson, Tikyra Jackson, Boo Mitchell, Amy Bellamy, and Sharisse Norman, its sure to get you off your seat and looking for a backyard BBQ to strut your stuff. Living, Loving, Laughing people all around enjoying a perfect day.

Fans can check out the new single and video below and pre-order the new album, which drops on June 24, HERE.

Philadelphia Mississippi Track list:

1) Love From Philly (feat. Chuck Treece, Schoolly D and Trenton Ayers)

2) Mississippi (feat. Speech, Alvin Youngblood Hart and R.L. Boyce)

3) My Ball (feat. Freddie Foxx and Jontavious Willis)

4) Guitar Man (feat. Christone Kingfish Ingram)

5) Kickin

6) HipHopHarpin (feat. Alvin Youngblood Hart)

7) Laughing In The Sunshine

8) I Aint Living (feat. Tikyra Jackson)

9) Lemonades (feat. Cam Kimbrough, Luther Dickinson and Chuck Treece)

10) If My Mind Dont Change (feat. Sharde Thomas)

11) Sauce Up! (feat. Trenton Ayers)

12) The Philly Sound

13) Shouts Out

G. Love Tour Dates:

6/11 Annapolis, MD Bands in the Sands +

6/24 Des Moines, IA Des Moines Art Festival %

6/25 Rochester, NY Rochester Intl Jazz Festival %

7/3 Scranton, PA The Peach Music Festival +

7/8 Peoria, IL Lakeview Park

7/9 Jay, VT Jeezum Crow Festival %

7/12 Harwich, MA Cape Cod Jazz Festival

7/15 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amphitheatre #

7/16 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Palladium #

7/17 San Diego, CA Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre #

7/19 Paso Robles, CA Vina Robles Amphitheatre #

7/20 Rohnert Park, CA SOMO Concerts #

7/22 Bend, OR Hayden Homes Amphitheater #

7/23 Redmond, WA Marymoor Park #

7/24 Bonner, MT KettleHouse Amphitheater #

7/26 Whitefish, MT The Remington Bar

7/28 Nampa, ID Ford Idaho Center Amphitheatre #

7/29 Salt Lake City, UT Red Butte Garden #

7/30 Denver, CO Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre #

7/31 Breckenridge, CO Riverwalk Center

8/3 Kansas City, MO The Record Bar

8/4 Memphis, TN The Crosstown Theater

8/5 Atlanta, GA Coca-Cola Roxy #

8/6 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater #

8/7 Columbus, OH KEMBA Live! #

8/9 Indianapolis, IN TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park #

8/10 St. Louis, MO St. Louis Music Park #

8/12 Cleveland, OH Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica #

8/13 Highland Park, IL Ravinia Festival #

8/14 Sterling Heights, MI Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill #

8/15 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE #

8/18 Philadelphia, PA TD Pavilion at the Mann #

8/19 Gilford, NH Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion #

8/20 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center #

8/21 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center #

8/23 Lewiston, NY Artpark #

8/25 Bridgeport, CT Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater #

8/26 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavillion #

8/27 Wantagh, NY Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater #

8/28 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center #

8/30 Asheville, NC Salvage Station #

8/31 Charlotte, NC Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheater #

9/1 Isle of Palms, SC The Windjammer

9/2 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheatre #

9/3 Wilmington, NC Live Oak Bank Pavilion at Riverfront Park #

9/4 St. Augustine, FL St. Augustine Amphitheatre #

9/8 Austin, TX ACL Live at The Moody Theater #

9/9 Houston, TX The Lawn at White Oak Music Hall #

9/10 Irving, TX The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory #

+ G. Love & The Juice

% G. Love & Special Sauce

# G. Love solo supporting O.A.R. and Dispatch

Photo by Joe Navas, courtesy Missing Piece Group

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Exclusive Premiere: Laughing In the Sunshine by G. Love - American Songwriter

Violent Femmes Kick Off Their Tour at the Marquee Theater Tuesday, May 10 – Phoenix New Times

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On Tuesday, May 10, it's tour kick-off time as Violent Femmes take the stage at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe. Gordon Gano, lead vocalist of the seminal folk-punk act, promises a very lively show.

Dont take that guarantee lightly. The Milwaukee-born band has been going strong minus a couple of breaks since the 1970s took its last breath. And they always deliver.

Their mix of styles, from stompy front-porch acoustic rock to country to jazz, blended up with an anything-goes, punk rock attitude has resulted in too many addictive singles to count: American Music, Blister in the Sun, and Gone Daddy Gone, are just a few drops in their 40-year-career bucket.

Gano says that at 20, they werent thinking about how far theyd make it. He recalls that an initial plan would only keep them together for a very brief time.

We were playing and calling ourselves Violent Femmes in the summer of 1981. The definite plan was to do so until the fall of 1981. We were going to split after a couple of months because (original lineup) Brian Ritchie (bass) and Victor DeLorenzo (drums) were going to move to Minneapolis to do a band with friends there. That plan didnt work out, so we just kept going.

Weve had times where we split up, and I thought maybe it was over, but something would happen, and wed play again, and it would sound so good to us. Theres something special about the way we play together, and that always has brought us together again, Gano adds.

While the bands iconic first, self-titled record was full of so much nuance and so many undeniably catchy-as-hell songs that it created a devoted fan base, their drive didnt stop with that initial adoration.

The Femmes have followed that up with several full-length records that show their interest in a wild mix of instrumentation. Their tunes are peppered with sounds from the likes of clarinets, kazoos, xylophones, horns, and flutes. The group continues to add new followers on this lengthy journey it is reflected in the attendees at live shows.

We have had the observation, Gano says, that as we started to get older, our audience kept getting younger. It really is a mix. We see people that would have been there when we first toured, to younger people and children if the venue allows for it.

Humbly, Gano isnt looking for credit when we bring up the bands influence on so many bands that came after them. As if to shift the praise, Gano mentions that many legendary acts inspired the Femmes, but with a little prodding, he did come back to acknowledge the effect theyve had on many musicians.

It is just an honor to hear that. It is something that feels good, whether someone tells us directly or passes on a quote where someone mentioned our influence. Theres a Portuguese band called Ornatos Violeta, who I learned decided to have a band because the band that all had in common that they could agree on was Violent Femmes. I even ended up singing in Portuguese on one of their albums. It really is amazing making those kinds of connections its wonderful.

He sometimes notices the bands sound in the work of these groups that cite the Femmes as important, but his takeaway doesnt focus on the sonic aspect. Its a very specific sound, sure, but what I hear is maybe an influence or inspiration from us, but mostly that theyre doing it their own way, doing their own thing.

Doing your own thing is what the band has exemplified from the jump. Its a massive part of what defined them. They didnt sound like other punk bands of the early '80s. We certainly had a different orientation, Gano tells New Times. Acoustic instruments in rock or punk worlds there were a lot of people who were initially opposed to it. They did it, though, making them punk as anyone else by an unwavering devotion to doing what they wanted.

Before COVID, Violent Femmes released Hotel Last Resort, their 10th studio record, which received critical praise. Its depth of sound and crafty lyrics prove the band not only stands the test of time but continues to build on its foundation in new and unpredictable ways. Tom Verlaine of NYC rock legends Television appears on this most recent release.

The band got to tour when the record came out, so this current tour wont be a focus on that release, but some of its songs will surely be in the mix. Well be drawing from the whole catalog whatever we feel like playing, Gano tells us.

They may take some fun risks and twists. Sometimes, Ill have something in mind that no ones heard before and think we should play that, and we will. Through the years, we've had some tunes wed work up just like that playing it live as we learn the tune. Brian is such an amazing musician; he just makes it sound good from the first time hes even hearing something. I wanna, like, not play it safe, have a great time, and make sure that everyone has fun. We cant wait."

Violent Femmes. With Bhi Bhiman. 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 8. Marquee Theatre, 730 North Mill Avenue, Tempe. Tickets are $18.

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Violent Femmes Kick Off Their Tour at the Marquee Theater Tuesday, May 10 - Phoenix New Times

Pro-life, regardless of skin color | WORLD – WORLD News Group

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Did you know that there are women who were raised in conservative evangelical homes who now support legal abortion for what they claim to be moral reasons?

Last month, the Los Angeles Times published yet another one of these well-worn stories in its profile of Christy Berghoef. The headline: As Supreme Court weighs abortion, Christians challenge what it means to be pro-life. Berghoef is a liberal white Christian who used to pray for abortions to end and now believes abortions should never be outlawed. According to the article, Berghoef is part of a new, if disconcerting, breed of Christians challenging the teachings of their elders.

The articles subtext paints the usual background picture of pro-life Christianity defined by rigid, moralistic, small-town whites being disrupted by the compassionate, newly enlightened Berghoef. Her enlightenment came in part, we learn, from her time away from her hometown of Holland, Mich., when she took a job in Washington, D.C., and saw homelessness and poverty on her walks to work.

But Berghoef didnt need to travel to my neck of the woods to expand her horizons. A few miles away from where she grew up in Michigan, my good friend Monica Sparks is a Kent County commissioner. Sparks is an African American, a Christian, and a Democrat who is the president of Democrats for Life of America.

As a black woman, I sincerely appreciate that DFLAs mission, to preserve life from womb to tomb, includes an understanding and focus on racial injustices and the needs of minority communities, she said, after accepting her new role with the organization, adding, One of our top priorities will be to educate our party on the racist implications of public funding of abortion. Abortion is ending the lives of black babies across the country at an alarming rate. To battle racism, we must end the high abortion rate, but we must also commit to fighting poverty, improving schools, and improving opportunities for all Americans.

Sparks and her twin sister were born to a drug-addicted mother and had a difficult childhood, during which they were placed in the foster care system and split up. A year later, they were adopted and reunited by members of the Church of God in Christ, Americas largest and fastest-growing African American denomination, with more than 6.5 million members nationwide.

In November 2019, the Church of God in Christ issued a formal proclamation, which states, among other things: Whereas abortion is the killing of the innocent, which is against Scripture (Exodus 20:13, Psalm 106:3538, 2 Kings 17:17, Deuteronomy 5:17, Revelation 22:15). Abortion is genocide. Abortion must end to protect the life of the unborn. The Church of God in Christ opposes elective abortions. This issue of personhood has haunted America since the Dred Scott, Plessy v. Ferguson and Roe v. Wade decisions. Just as slavery was overturned in America, Jim Crow was defeated and Nazi Germany was overthrown, it is our prayer that the heinous industry of abortion will become morally reprehensible worldwide.

The Church of God in Christ has an extremely strong presence in Michigan, home to its current presiding bishop. We can safely conclude that the denominations leadership has spent at least as much time as Christy Berghoef contemplating the theological and moral implications of abortion law. So why is yet another spiritual journey of a small-town white woman from being strongly pro-life to being pro-abortion so important for us to hear about?

It is a signal that far too many in the media frame the debate over abortion as limited to white conservatives and white liberals. Many pro-abortion advocates clearly believe that the views of white suburban women define the boundaries of the abortion issue in America. That just isnt so. Monica Sparksa black, Christian, pro-life Democrat born into challenging circumstancesdoes not fit those boundaries. The Church of God in Christ does not fit within those boundaries. The boundaries are false.

Black people are disproportionately affected by abortion and have very different perspectives that often do not fit neatly into the ideological Republican-Democrat binary. That is not to downplay the irreconcilable differences between those parties views. While we dont all agree on what to do politically and ideologically, we believe black voices and perspectives are sorely missing from a discussion that is controlled almost exclusively by mainstream media liberals. Including black Americans might help the entire country find a little more common ground.

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Pro-life, regardless of skin color | WORLD - WORLD News Group

Ben Franklin’s Radical Theory of Happiness – The Atlantic

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How to Build a Life is a weekly column by Arthur Brooks, tackling questions of meaning and happiness. Click here to listen to his podcast series on all things happiness, How to Build a Happy Life.

Most of the happiness scholars I cite in this column are living and active, because the scientific study of human happiness, relying as it does on social psychology, behavioral economics, and neuroscience, is only a few decades old. But the philosophical premise behind this modern discipline goes back centuries. The topic was of particular interest to American Enlightenment thinkers of the late 18th century. Most famously, Thomas Jefferson declared the pursuit of happiness an unalienable right in the Declaration of Independence.

Jefferson later explained that the Declaration, including this odd claim to happiness, was simply an expression of the American mind. The American mind of one of Jeffersons fellow Founding Fathers was especially influential when it comes to the philosophy of happiness: that of Benjamin Franklin. This is according to the filmmaker Ken Burns, who also dubs him our nations first happiness professor. Burns has spent the past two years immersed in Franklins mind, to make a documentary on the man that is currently airing on PBS.

Franklin believed that everyone naturally seeks happiness. The desire of happiness in general is so natural to us, that all the world are in pursuit of it, he wrote in his memoir in a section titled On True Happiness. He dedicated his life to defining it for his peculiar American compatriots, and advising them on how they could work to get it. But like so many people who give advice for a living, it is not at all clear that he lived his own life in the happiest way. We can still learn a lot today by taking his counseland avoiding his errors.

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What did Franklin mean by happiness, I asked Burns? Pleasant feelings? Not even close: For Franklin, happiness meant lifelong learning in the marketplace of ideas, Burns told me. In other words, self-improvement.

This conception of happiness encompasses the great contradiction in American culture: individualistic in the focus on the self, yet communitarian in the reliance on a cooperative marketplace. Further, Franklin defines happiness as an endless journey, not a comforting destination. This journey could be an exciting adventure or a terrible curse, depending on your point of view.

Particularly radical was Franklins idea about who could pursue happiness in this way. In Europe at the time, mainly aristocratic men with means would have been able to pursue lifelong learning in a formal sense. Franklin rejected this. He believed that this pursuit was not the province of the upper classes, Burns told me, but rather for everyone, from the wealthy to the masses. Burns hastened to add that this idea was nowhere near expansive enough in Franklins timeFranklin himself had slaves in his household, and equal rights for women were still far offbut this philosophy set the unique American aspiration in motion.

Read: How America lost track of Ben Franklins definition of success

I believe America could benefit from recommitting to this foundational conception of happiness today. We need a society built around the belief that we can all learn and grow throughout our livesand the humility to recognize that none of us has perfect knowledge, that a good deal of learning is always yet to come. This requires a true marketplace of ideas where iron sharpens iron, not uncompromising patrols in business, academia, and social media on the lookout for wrong-think. And we must work joyfully to make these ideals available to all people, with no exceptions.

Franklin himself searched endlessly for the happiness he wrote about. For Burns, this is what set Franklin apart from the other Founders, literally as well as philosophically. He was the least static of them, a moving object his entire life, Burns said. The documentary depicts a peripatetic man seemingly incapable of contentment in his growing worldly success, always inventing, trying new things, and traveling the world. He was a lifelong learner, as he counseled others to be.

But in looking at his life, I had to wonder if he was searching for the right things in the right places to find happiness. Its true, you wont find an apple on a tree unless you look for itbut you also have to be looking at an apple tree. My work finds that happy people rely on four building blocks to boost their well-being: They engage in work that gives them a sense of accomplishment and that serves others, they practice some form of faith, they invest in friendships, and they spend time with family.

Read: The three equations for a happy life, even during a pandemic

In work, Franklin excelled. Burns depicts Franklin as a man completely devoted to his work and the public good. Diligence is the mother of good luck, and God gives all things to industry, Franklin wrote. Then plough deep while sluggards sleep, and you shall have corn to sell and to keep. Burns gives him an A+ in this pursuit.

As to his faith, Franklin wrote, Here is my creed That the most acceptable service we render to [God] is doing good to his other children. That the soul of man is immortal, and will be treated with justice in another life respecting its conduct in this. Yet, although Franklin called himself simply a thorough deist and claimed that he had read the entire Bible by the time he was 5 years old, there is little evidence he regularly spent much time in any spiritual practice. On this dimension, Burns gives him a B+.

Friendship was of great importance to Franklin, and he writes in detail about his Junto, or club of Philadelphia gentlemen who met regularly to share ideas and support one anothers projects. Despite this, Burns gives him a C in friendship. The reason is that Franklin seems to have often treated his friendships instrumentally, for mutual benefit in their work. True happiness requires real friends, not just deal friends.

Read: The best friends can do nothing for you

Finally, there was family, for which Burns gives Franklin an abysmal F. Seemingly a chronically unfaithful husband, he traveled in Europe without his wife for 15 of the last 17 years of his marriage, and didnt make it home for his wifes death, even though he knew it was imminent. He was estranged from his son William over their differences regarding American independence. Even when William sought reconciliation, Burns notes, his father largely rebuffed him. As with so many strivers, family life was never a priority for Franklin.

When Franklin died in 1790 in Philadelphia, at least 20,000 people turned out for his funeral. He had brought a great deal of happiness to the lives of others, through his service, writing, and philosophy. Whether he himself had achieved happiness is another matter. As with so many happiness professors and advice-givers, it is probably better to do what they say than to copy how they live.

And indeed, that is precisely what Burns himself has tried to do: follow Franklins incredible wisdom, if not his personal habits. (Burns describes himself as, before all, a family man, which Franklin was obviously not.) When I asked Burns how studying Franklin has improved his life, he told me he tries more than ever to be his own person, to always look within for what is good for others and what gives him joyand then to do it. I suspect Franklin would approve wholeheartedly.

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Ben Franklin's Radical Theory of Happiness - The Atlantic

Kids space camp to launch in the RGV – KVEO-TV

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BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) School is almost out for summer, and the South Texas Astronomical Society is gearing up to provide its first summer space camp for students from K to 7th grade.

The organization is partnering with NASA for the camp which will be held at the Rocket Ranch Boca Chica.

Were doing a series of space camps. So, the first space camp would be in the summer of this year and the next one would be in the fall, said executive director of STARSociety, Victor De Los Santos.

Phil Donaus, the director of operations for STARSociety, said the organization is aimed at providing education and inspiration in astronomy, science, and the engineering fields.

Before it was allowing students to be inspired, to get excited, but now we are going to help them connect. Were going to help them reach out to NASA, help them reach out to community partners in STEM and space exploration, said Donaus.

This space camp comes after the organization won a NASA Community Anchor Award and a Generation Artemis Grant.

What were trying to do is create a pipeline to get kids interested in stem science and engineering, and space exploration but also give continue them opportunities to go into these fieldsafter they get interested, said De Los Santos.

Artemis is NASAs mission to return to the moon, which is a main component of the camp.

Students will be able to see what its like to get humanity back to the moon from both the rockets that are going to bring us there, the lunar gateway that is going to help us live in orbit around the moon, and then also the landers, said Donaus.

Students will also have the chance to build a model rocket, use telescopes, and see exclusive content from NASA.

The Artemis Summer Space Camp 2022 is scheduled for three days in June.

For more information, you can visit the STARSocietys Facebook page.

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Kids space camp to launch in the RGV - KVEO-TV

Why Elon Musk Is $30 Billion Poorer This Week – Forbes

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk

Tesla shares are down 15% since last Friday, making it a bad week for the worlds richest person.

Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk lost $15.7 billion of his net worth on Wednesday, as shares of his electric vehicle maker fell by 8%. The worlds richest person (worth an estimated $224.5 billion) is now $31.4 billion poorer than he was last Friday, according to Forbes estimates, as Teslas market capitalization has cratered by 15% this week far more than the 6% drop in the tech-heavy Nasdaq.

According to Wedbush analyst Dan Ives, Shanghai factory issues due to the zero Covid policy in China have been a major overhang on the stock in an already jittery tapereferring to the drop in tech stocks, which Ives describes as a massive risk off with Tesla front and center. With inflation surging and interest rates rising, investors appetite for assets considered to be relatively speculative is waning.

Speaking at the Financial Times Future of the Car Summit Tuesday, Musk did his best to alleviate investors concerns, citing encouraging conversations hes had with the Chinese government in recent days about the countrys latest round of lockdowns, though he did hint at the possibility of restricting new Tesla orders in the short-term.

Were actually probably going to limit that just stop taking orders for anything beyond a certain period of time, Musk said.

That must have been discouraging to hear for Tesla investors already concerned about the distraction posed by Musks $44 billion Twitter takeover. At the FT summit Tuesday, the Tesla chief insisted that he is confident we will be able to sell all the cars we can make. But according to Wedbushs Ives, Musk distraction issues remain at play as an overhang on the stock. By distraction, Ives means the ongoing process of purchasing Twitter.

While the Tesla CEO announced he has raised $7.1 billion from a group of A-List investors last Thursday to help fund his Twitter acquisition, he still hasnt explained where the remainder of the $27.3 billion equity commitment he made to Twitters board will come from. And the list of potential distractions for Musk, who already runs two companies, keeps getting longer.

According to an investor pitch deck leaked to the New York Times last Friday, Musks Twitter turnaround plans may be even more ambitious than Tesla investors imagined: he reportedly hopes to quadruple users and quintuple revenue by 2028, while cutting Twitters reliance on its main revenue source (advertising) in half. That sounds like a lot of work for Musk, who is expected to serve as Twitters interim CEO after the deal closes, according to a report by CNBC. Musk has also reportedly said that he plans to take Twitter public again in as few as three years, hinting at a time consuming IPO process lingering down the road.

And thats assuming the deal closes promptly. Twitter short-seller Hindenburg Research is betting that wont be the case, saying in a note released Monday that it sees a significant risk that the deal gets repriced lower due to the declining values of tech companies since Musk made his initial offer. In other words, Musk may have some bargaining left to do with Twitters board.

Musk could always just walk away from the deal, which keeps on getting more expensive. His stake in Tesla, worth $167 billion today, was worth $235.1 billion on April 13, the day before he announced his Twitter takeovermeaning Musk was more than $68 billion richer before he made his plans for the social media company public. For now, Musk remains the worlds richest person by a long shot, worth $78.3 billion more than runner-up Bernard Arnault of French luxury empire LVMH. But at some point, the Twitter deals $1 billion breakup fee may start to look like a bargain.

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Why Elon Musk Is $30 Billion Poorer This Week - Forbes

Elon Musk is zeroing on a new Asian production hub for his Teslas. It’s not India – Economic Times

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From India to Indonesia, Elon Musk is scouting out sites to make more Teslas for global roads. With the world mired in supply chain chaos, access to materials matters most. Hes got it right.

After lobbying against Indias tight policies around manufacturing and prohibitive import duties, Musk is headed to meet Indonesias President Joko Widodo and visit several areas across the country, which is also the top producer of nickel, a key metal for batteries. Thats an astute bet for Tesla and Indonesia. And a missed opportunity for New Delhi.

To meet ambitious electric vehicle targets, Indonesia has drawn in several battery and car manufacturers in recent months with a variety of incentives. Government ministers say they hope to have investment across the supply chain.

Meanwhile, the worlds largest powerpack maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. is investing almost $6 billion in a battery project with state-backed PT Aneka Tambang Tbk and PT Industri Baterai Indonesia. Further up the value chain, Chinas Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt Co. and PT Vale Indonesia Tbk announced last month they would work together on the formers fifth nickel project in the country.

The move by companies across the EV supply chain into the Southeast Asias largest economy shows how important it is to be close to the source of raw materials that feed into manufacturing. If theres one thing the past year of logistical screw-ups and delays has shown the industry, its that proximity is key. Even if global supply and demand is balanced on paper, moving industrial goods around has become expensive, slow and cumbersome.

Tesla knows this well. It has created large manufacturing hubs in China and now Germany countries known for their prowess in industrial production and policies that will help sell its cars. After having trouble making EVs in the US, its market share has grown globally. Now the company is looking to secure materials and make its own batteries, while stopping short of buying mines and getting into a new business. Wherever Musk sees problems in the production process, he looks for a solution. Tesla is essentially creating discrete supply chains across the globe.

Automakers wouldnt have necessarily made their way to Indonesia. The country churns out around 1 million cars in a good year, and is dominated by Japanese producers smaller vehicles. The auto market pales in comparison to the likes of China and the US, and EVs make up a small portion. In addition, its geography doesnt make it an ideal place for electric vehicle charging stations and infrastructure connectivity, although the government aims to make the capital, Jakarta, and the tourist hub of Bali model centers for greener transport.

Potential sales generated in Indonesia wouldnt really move the needle for Tesla. Yet, the country is leveraging existing resources, an EV business-friendly policy and the right story to make it fertile ground for large-scale investment. The moment that happens, Indonesia will be able to boast about its battery manufacturing supply chain on the global scale a much vaunted accolade these days that even the US is vying for. Private investment into manufacturing batteries will only draw more attention.

Meanwhile, India continues to hem and haw around whether it will lift duties. Government officials there have made big, bold statements about their ambitions, talking up their desire to draw in Tesla. Earlier this month, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari went as far as to say that Tesla would benefit from manufacturing in India. Yet customers who placed orders are still waiting and its unclear how Musks firm would get a leg up. Now, there are questions around whether Tesla will make its way into India at all, given all the roadblocks.

That probably is a good bet, too. Setting up manufacturing now, especially as companies struggle to procure parts for their products and deal with logistical issues and high shipping costs, is the one thing firms dont want to face. Progress toward EVs has been scattered and commitment isnt clear. Toyota Motor Corp., one of the worlds biggest automakers but a laggard in EVs globally, has pledged to invest $624 million to making EV-related components through its existing units in India, however its unclear who they will buy them. Even Indias dominant automakers

Indias vaccine king, Adar Poonawalla, also decided to weigh in earlier this month. He tweeted that putting capital into making cars in India would be the best investment Musk would ever make. Thats perhaps too optimistic.

EV and battery manufacturers are in high demand across the globe and it will take far more than bold words and political ambition that includes making existing resources available and coming up with a coherent policy that manufacturers can work with. Its bizzare, then, Prime Minister Narendra Modis government continues to hold back. Yes, there are a few domestic EV models however, the Indian auto market remains an aspirational one. That means wide-scale adoption will pick up pace where there are models that people want to buy like Teslas Model 3 or enough charging facilities that make it easy, as the evolution of the two-wheeler market showed.

Much like China made Tesla a global company, Indonesia could do the same for its battery supply chain. All while making manufacturing more affordable and eventually, electric vehicles, too. Its a means to an end and a smart one at that.

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Elon Musk is zeroing on a new Asian production hub for his Teslas. It's not India - Economic Times

Elon Musk expected to serve as temporary Twitter CEO after deal closes – CNBC

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Elon Musk is expected to serve as a temporary CEO of Twitter for a few months after he completes his $44 billion takeover of the social media company, sources told CNBC's David Faber.

An SEC filing on Thursday revealed Musk secured approximately $7.14 billion in equity commitments from friends and other investors to buy Twitter. Faber said Musk handpicked the investors. Commitments range from $1 billion from Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison to $5 million from Honeycomb Asset Management, which invested in SpaceX. Faber added that Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey may back it, and Musk is talking to him about the possibility of contributing shares immediately or before the closing of the merger.

Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal has only led the company for a few months, after assuming the helm from Dorsey last November. Until now, there hadn't been much discussion about whether Musk's takeover of the company would lead to a leadership shake-up. Last month, Reuters reported Musk had lined up a new CEO for Twitter, citing a source familiar with the matter.

Agrawal told employees during a companywide town hall meeting last month that the future of Twitter is uncertain under Musk, according to a separate Reuters report.

"Once the deal closes, we don't know which direction the platform will go," Agrawal reportedly said when asked whether the company may allow former U.S. President Donald Trump to return to the platform when Musk takes over. Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter last year.

Musk's acquisition of Twitter comes at a key time for the company. Agrawal has said he would focus on growing Twitter's daily active user base and bringing new products to customers. In the company's latest earnings report, Twitter said it hit 229 million monetizable daily active users, a 15.9% increase from the same period last year.

Musk, who is the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has recently led presentations in front of investors, where he gave financial projections based on his analysis of Twitter, according to sources familiar with the situation who spoke with Faber.

Musk told investors that he felt Twitter's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization margin was too low and the company has "too many engineers not doing enough," Faber said, citing sources familiar. Musk also pledged to make the company a "magnet for talent," Faber added.

Shares of Twitter rose 2.8% on Thursday. Tesla's stock slid more than 8% amid a broader market selloff.

Representatives from Twitter declined to comment.

WATCH: Elon Musk's challenge will be fixing Twitter, not buying it, says Wedbush's Dan Ives

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Elon Musk expected to serve as temporary Twitter CEO after deal closes - CNBC

Elon Musk says he would allow Donald Trump back on Twitter – CBS News

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Elon Musk said on Tuesday that he would allow former President Donald Trump back on Twitter if the Tesla CEO follows through with his plan to buy the social media company. Trump was permanently banned from the social media site three days after the January 6 attack on the Capitol because of "the risk of further incitement of violence."

In an exclusive interview with theFinancial Times at the Future of the Car conference on Tuesday, Musk was asked about Trump's potential return to Twitter. After answering with commentary about when permanent bans should be applied, Musk said that he "would reverse the permanent ban" against Trump, adding, "I don't own Twitter yet so this is not a thing that will definitely happen."

Musk noted that Trump has since resorted to using the platformTruth Social, which was created by Trump Media & Technology Group. Following Musk's acquisition of Twitter, Trump said that he would still not consider going back to the platform, even if his account is reinstated.

Instead, he told Fox News last month that the number of users on Truth Social is growing and that the platform is "much better than being on Twitter."

"The bottom line is, no, I am not going back to Twitter," he said.

But Trump using a different platform, Musk said, is "worse than having a single forum where everyone can debate."

"I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice," Musk said. "...Banning Trump from Twitter didn't end Trump's voice. It will amplify it among the right, and that is why it's morally wrong and flat out stupid."

Trump was banned following last year's deadly assault on the U.S. Capitol. Prior to the attack, he had regularly touted conspiracy theories and false claims of voter fraud, both of which contributed to the January 6 attack, during which a throng of his supporters attempted to overturn the 2020 presidential election.

"After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence," Twitter said in a statement at the time.

When asked if he stands by his statements even considering Twitter's original reasoning for banning the then-president, Musk said that "bad" tweets should simply be deleted or made invisible. A "temporary suspension" would also be appropriate, he said.

"Perma-bans just fundamentally undermine trust in Twitter as a town square where everyone can voice their opinion," he said. "I think it was a morally bad decision, to be clear, and foolishly extreme."

Musk said that he believes permanent bans should be "extremely rare" and reserved for "bots, or spam/scam accounts." However, that doesn't mean people will be able to say whatever they want, he said.

Anyone who posts something illegal or "destructive to the world" should face a "time out," temporary suspension or have their tweet made invisible, Musk said.

Musk reached a deal at the end of April to buy Twitter for $44 billion, saying after the deal was announced that he plans to ensure that the platform is dedicated to free speech.

"Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated," he said in a statement.

The deal with Twitter could close this year.

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending reporter for CBS News, focusing on social justice issues.

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Elon Musk says he would allow Donald Trump back on Twitter - CBS News

Elon Musk’s Crash Course: everything we know – What To Watch

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Producer and director Emma Schwartz is shining a light on the richest man in the world and his company in Elon Musks Crash Course. However, we dont mean Twitter (if you havent heard, the billionaire now owns the social media platform), but instead Tesla, the luxury electric car brand.

Elon Musks Crash Course is the latest documentary in The New York Times Presents film series. Previous projects Framing Britney Spears and Controlling Britney Spears were not only informative but were topics of many conversations on social media. It will be interesting to see if this new documentary will gain such buzz on Twitter given the new owner.

Heres everything we know about Elon Musks Crash Course.

Elon Musks Crash Course premieres on Friday, May 20, at 10 pm ET/PT on both FX and Hulu.

There currently isnt an official word as to when the film will be released in the UK. However, it looks like the BBC has its own Elon Musk project in the works.

For a while now, there have been discussions about just the Autopilot technology's safety in Teslas. At the end of 2021, Tesla reported, "one crash for every 4.31 million miles driven in which drivers were using Autopilot technology." However, as The New York Times alleges in the documentary, over the years, the Autopilot feature has played a role in a number of accidents and deaths that the car company hasnt publicly acknowledged. Furthermore, the film explores whether or not there was an active attempt to cover up the truth.

The New York Times press page for Elon Musks Crash Course describes the premise of the documentary as the following:

"Elon Musk, the worlds richest person, has claimed since 2015 that, for Tesla, technology for self-driving cars is essentially a 'solved problem' and made outlandish claims about Autopilot capabilities. But a New York Times investigation reveals the quixotic nature of Musks pursuit of self-driving technology and the tragic results.

"Drawing on first-hand accounts, the film traces how Autopilot has been a factor in several deaths and dozens of other accidents that Tesla has not publicly acknowledged. It details pressure Elon Musk put on government officials to quash investigations and features inside stories from several former Tesla employees, who speak out against Musk for promoting a self-driving program that they believe was perilous.

"Elon Musk made his name and fortune taking bold risks and betting on the impossible, but the story of his pursuit of self-driving has put Musk on a crash course with both the business realities and technologys limits. Yet, even after years of unfulfilled promises, Elon Musk continues to double down on his Full Self Driving service, once again, with questionable results."

An official trailer for Elon Musks Crash Course has not yet been released. However, as one becomes available, well be sure to provide that video clip.

Serving as producer and director of Elon Musks Crash Course is Emma Schwartz. Schwartz may not be a well-known name for many, but her investigative work on PBS Frontline has been critically-acclaimed. Her documentary short, Brewed in Palestine, won the David L. Wolper Student Documentary Award.

Elon Musks Crash Course is set to premiere simultaneously on both FX and Hulu. With that said, FX is not only a channel on traditional cable/satellite television, but it is also a part of live streaming platforms such as FuboTV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV and YouTube TV.

Today's best FuboTV, Hulu + Live TV, Sling TV, YouTube TV, Hulu and Disney+ deals

Those that rather watch the documentary on Hulu can do so with a subscription.

No word yet when the documentary will become available in the UK.

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Elon Musk's Crash Course: everything we know - What To Watch