UK Military Develops Drone With a Double Barreled Shotgun

Posted on by

The UK military has created a drone that's equipped with two shotgun barrels and a

Shotgun Drone

The UK military has designed a hexacopter drone that’s equipped with two shotgun barrels.

The drone, called i9, is capable of flying indoors and identifying targets using artificial intelligence, according to The Times.

While the current design is outfitted with a “twin barrel stabilized shotgun,” the aircraft could get a rocket or chain gun upgrade in the future.

Excl: A shotgun-armed drone that can fly indoors & identify targets using AI has been developed by British military.

The i9 has overcome the “wall suck” problem facing drones flying indoors.

It’ll be used in urban warfare & could be fitted with a rocket or chain gun in future. pic.twitter.com/I6ImnEBHDW

— Lucy Fisher (@LOS_Fisher) September 29, 2020

The Breach

The drone is equipped with six rotating blades and is meant to provide breaching commandos in urban settings with an initial view into interior spaces, identifying targets in the process. Troops in Afghanistan have suffered significant causalities during this “breaching” phase, The Times reports.

Once the drone is inside, troops on the ground can then authorize it to open fire from a live feed on a screen nearby.

Battering Ram

Apart from identifying targets indoors, the i9 is also designed to act as a “battering ram,” knocking target drones out of the sky, according to Popular Mechanics.

The news comes after Anduril, a military tech startup founded by Oculus Rift creator Palmer Luckey, unveiled a new AI-powered drone called the Ghost 4 earlier this month.

The Ghost 4 was also built for reconnaissance, using lasers to identify targets. Mounting weapons on it “would be possible,” as Luckey told Wired.

READ MORE: New Urban Combat Drone Is a Shotgun Toting Hexacopter [Popular Mechanics]

More on military drones: New Military Drone Fits in Backpack, Can Carry Lasers, Radio Jammers, Weapons

The post UK Military Develops Drone With a Double Barreled Shotgun appeared first on Futurism.

Visit link:
UK Military Develops Drone With a Double Barreled Shotgun

Scientists Suggest Teaching Ships to Speak Whale Language

Posted on by

Scientists identified a change in blue whales' songs that signals they're about to migrate south. They say it could be used to warn ships in the area.

Decoder Ring

A team of scientists has a new idea for how to save migrating blue whales from dangerous collisions with ships: shut up and listen.

It turns out that there’s a distinct change in the blue whale’s song just before it begins its annual migration south, Popular Science reports. By paying attention to those changes, the Stanford University scientists say, they might be able to warn ship operators in the area of the upcoming migration.

Fair Warning

Blue whales summer in the northeast region of the Pacific Ocean but travel to the coast of Central America in Autumn, PopSci reports, where they breed and wait out the cold weather. According to the team’s research, published Thursday in the journal Current Biology, the whales sing during the night, but switch to a daytime song right before their migration begins.

“There is a near real-time signal of what these animals are doing out in a habitat that’s historically been really difficult to observe,” Stanford biologist and study coauthor William Oestreich told PopSci.

Whale Strike

Getting advance warning would be great both for whales and the boats in the areas, as collisions can be destructive for vessels as well as fatal for the giant mammals.

“That could be one piece of the puzzle to more dynamically manage those habitats and shipping lanes in a way that allows shipping to continue,” Oestreich told PopSci, “but also in a way that is safe for these whale populations.”

READ MORE: We can protect whales from ship strikes by translating their songs [Popular Science]

More on whales: Whales and Sharks Are the New Victims of Our Plastic Waste, Study Finds

The post Scientists Suggest Teaching Ships to Speak Whale Language appeared first on Futurism.

See original here:
Scientists Suggest Teaching Ships to Speak Whale Language

Huge Machine Captures Energy From Ocean Waves

Posted on by

More companies are trying to make ocean wave energy a thing, including one firm that's been operating a massive generator since early 2019.

Riding Waves

Teams of scientists around the world are once more trying to perfect devices that generate electricity from the force of the ocean’s rolling waves.

It’s an idea that’s ebbed and flowed within the energy community, but now teams are trying to make the new source of clean energy a commercial reality, according to Greentech Media. Many are still undergoing tests, but one company, Ocean Wave Technology, has been successfully operating a massive wave-powered generator since early 2019 — a heartening success story for the fledgling industry.

Turbulent Past

Several companies and teams of scientists have tried to make wave energy a reality in the past, but as Greentech notes, many of their projects fell apart or ran out of money. But with renewed interest — and funding — in the industry, more companies are starting to test out their devices.

“We’re in that valley of death, climbing out of there at the moment,” naval architect Christopher Ridgewell, CEO of AW-Energy, a Finnish company working on a wave energy device called the WaveRoller, told Greentech.

Staying Afloat

AW-Energy hopes to plop its WaveRoller into the ocean next year, according to Greentech Media. Joining it are other companies like Sweden’s CorPower Ocean, which hopes to have wave energy generators operating by 2024.

It’s an encouraging sign for the future of clean energy. But the industry will still face challenges, even against other renewables like solar and wind, which continue to drop in price.

“It remains incredibly challenging to harness wave energy or convert it into electricity in large volumes,” CorPower CEO Patrik Möller told Greentech Media.

READ MORE: Is Wave Energy Ready to Climb Out of the ‘Valley of Death’? [Greentech Media]

More on wave energy: This Device Could Power One-Third Of The U.S. Using Ocean Waves

The post Huge Machine Captures Energy From Ocean Waves appeared first on Futurism.

Read more from the original source:
Huge Machine Captures Energy From Ocean Waves

Where Is Keith Raniere Now in 2020? Fans of ‘The Vow’ Are Curious – Distractify

Posted on by

HBOs The Vow explores the history of self-improvement organization NXIVM, its members, and its founder, Keith Raniere. For years, Keith appeared to be a magnanimous life coach who helped his followers find purpose in their lives. But over the course of the nine-part documentary, audiences come to see his true manipulative personality and the dark, cult-like nature of the multi-level marketing group.

Its now been over two years since Keith was arrested by Mexican authorities in Puerto Vallarta, where he had fled after the New York Times article about DOS, the secret womens group within NXIVM, was published. Along with Keith, other key members like Allison Mack, the Bronfman sisters, Nancy and Laura Salzman, and Kathy Russell were also arrested on various charges related to NXIVM.

But where exactly is Keith Raniere today and what happened at his trial?

After Keith was arrested and extradited from Mexico, authorities transported him back to the U.S. where he faced charges of sex trafficking, conspiracy, possession of child pornography, racketeering, and more. Keith was also accused of creating a sex cult under the guise of self-improvement, through which he pressured women to sleep with him and used them for his own financial benefit.

Over the course of his six-week trial, several women came forth and testified about the disturbing details of what they had done while in the cult. Prosecutors said that dozens of women had been lured into Keiths sex cult with the promise of personal empowerment and growth, while he in fact was using the group to control these women.

One woman even testified to being kept in captivity in a closet for around two years after she did something that displeased Keith.

At the end of the trial, it reportedly took the jury less than five hours to determine that Keith was guilty of seven out of the 11 charges. He now faces a potential 15 years to life in prison.

Despite the conviction being over a year old now, Keith is still awaiting sentencing from a jail cell in Brooklyn. The convicted sex-cult leader was scheduled to be sentenced during an April 16 hearing but the proceedings were delayed due to the fact that Keith had been unable to meet with his attorneys because of a 30-day prohibition of visitors at his jail to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Since then, there have been two more delays, all related to the pandemic, but in August, a federal judge rescheduled Keith's sentencing to Oct. 27, in a courtroom that has been closed since March.

But jail time isnt the only consequence that Keith faces. Hes also a defendant in a lawsuit that was filed in January of this year against him and 14 of his key NXIVM associates.

The lawsuit, which includes 80 plaintiffs, accuses NXIVM of duping them out of thousands of dollars through a pyramid scheme and making it financially, physically, and psychologically difficult, and in some cases impossible, to leave the coercive community.

Stream The Vow on HBO. New episodes premiere every Sunday at 10 p.m. ET.

Read this article:

Where Is Keith Raniere Now in 2020? Fans of 'The Vow' Are Curious - Distractify

MAS Holdings Doubles its Empowerment Commitment to the UN Foundation in the midst of COVID-19 – GlobeNewswire

Posted on by

A group activity from the Train the Trainer programme on womens health for MAS associates.

A community awareness programme addressing the underlying causes of domestic and gender-based violence.

Sri Lanka, Sept. 29, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Colombo, Sri Lanka September 29, 2020: MAS Holdings, the largest and leading design-to-delivery apparel solutions provider in South Asia renewed its commitment today to empower more of its employees by extending its original undertaking to provide health and wellbeing education and services focusing on sexual and reproductive health; and awareness on gender-based violence, to its employees and the communities adjacent to their manufacturing locations. Having surpassed the target of 10,000 beneficiaries since its commitment in June 2019, MAS doubled its commitment to reach 20,000 beneficiaries by the original 2021 timeline. The company, headquartered in Sri Lanka, formalized their new commitment at the virtual parallel event of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly co-hosted by the World Benchmarking Alliance (WBA) and the Universal Access Project of the UN Foundation (UNF).

MAS Holdings was one of 11 trailblazing global companies that committed to improving the health and wellbeing of its workers and community members around the world in 2019 through the UNFs Universal Access Project and its Private Sector Action for Womens Health and Empowerment Initiative. The company outlined bold, measurable and time-bound plans to empower its employees through highly focused programmes on womens health, sexual and reproductive health and rights and on gender-based violence, anchored to its globally acclaimed hallmark womens empowerment platform, Women Go Beyond in alignment with SDGs 3 and 5, among others.

A Legacy Anchored in Womens Empowerment

With women making up 70% of the companys 99,000 global workforce, MAS Holdings identified a fundamental requirement to support and empower its female employees very early in its operation, before it was defined as a corporate responsibility. Stand-alone initiatives that helped women, soon started showing results and began to scale into larger, long-term programmes. MAS began to invest heavily in womens career development, skill development and more importantly in their health and wellbeing, creating awareness on sexual and reproductive health and rights, menstrual health, nutrition, pre and post-natal care and issues surrounding gender-based violence.

In 2003, all empowerment and gender equality initiatives came under the Women Go Beyond (WGB) banner that also gave the company a powerful platform to recognize and reward its women on their achievements, a powerful element that pushed WGB and MAS to the global limelight as a pioneer of ethical business practices; WGB has provided over 300,000 opportunities for its employees and their families since its inception, highlighting womens empowerment as the foundation of economic stability in Sri Lanka and the region. Women who treated their jobs as transitory in nature found new meaning in their careers, discovering not only untapped intellectual capacities and skillsets, but also economic freedom, autonomy and self-confidence.

Progress of Commitments in 2020

While COVID-19 resulted in catastrophic economic and health impacts around the world, MAS was able to leverage its existing WGB framework to reach out to female employees and support them through multi-faceted programmes that also addressed possible escalations of domestic and gender-based violence (GBV) during pandemic-related lockdowns. MAS Holdings was able to enhance the quality of its existing health-related WGB programmes provided for all employees in 2019 while also introducing highly focused programmes on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), non-communicable diseases (NCD) and life skills through its 2019 commitment.

In addition to the health and wellness programmes focusing on hygiene, nutrition, family planning, pre and post-natal care, that have been carried out over the last decade, MAS has partnered with the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka to train in-house trainers to deliver workshops on sexual and reproductive health and rights and NCDs,. This enabled both male and female employees to share this comprehensive knowledge in their communities to create awareness.

Another such new initiative focuses on equipping in-house counselors and human resources executives with skills to better address cases of domestic violence and GBV, including an understanding of the legal framework surrounding GBV. A Legal Rights Awareness Programme conducted at an MAS facility in Bangladesh educated 2,800 women on domestic violence as a consequence of early marriage and provided legal aid for those affected.

MAS social sustainability strategy is well aligned with its business strategy and is driven by its senior leadership. Dedicated teams across the Group work on identified focus areas and drive necessary interventions to address the many gaps in access, education and services faced by women across global locations.

Other notable programmes include the companys Aloka Breast Cancer Awareness Initiative that saw the company partner with the Sri Lanka Cancer Society to conduct awareness sessions on breast cancer, symptom detection and self-examination. The programme educated 6,939 employees and trained 132 more employees on lump-detection, elevating company-wide benchmarks in health and wellbeing expertise.

Additionally, a total number of 1,167 female employees of MAS graduated from the Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement (P.A.C.E.) programme launched by Gap Inc. nurturing their professional and leadership skills..

2021 and Beyond

We are proud to announce the expansion of our commitment to the UNFs Universal Access Project and its Private Sector Action for Womens Health and Empowerment., Deputy General Manager of Womens Empowerment, Advocacy and Code of Conduct, Thanuja Jayawardene said during the virtual event. Gender equality is a core value for us as an organization and we have an expansive framework to drive this agenda, focusing on economic, social and personal empowerment. We see health, wellbeing and freedom from gender-based violence as basic requirements, to developing female leaders for our businesses and our communities. This is a journey and we have a long way to go, implementing meaningful change.

As MAS Holdings fast adapts and recovers in a post-COVID landscape, it lies tethered to its founding value of first and foremost being responsible for the safety, health and wellbeing of its employees. While the company adjusts to the new normal, it remains optimistic of achieving its new targets despite the obstacles and global industry turmoil, taking sustainable action to educate, encourage, empower and celebrate its women.

About MAS Holdings

Headquartered in Colombo, Sri Lanka, MAS Holdings is one of the worlds most recognized design-to-delivery solutions providers in the realm of apparel and textile for over 30 years in operation. Today, the USD 2 billion enterprise is the largest apparel and textile manufacturer in South Asia with 53 manufacturing facilities across 16 countries, and a seamlessly integrated innovation-driven supply chain powered by 99,000 employees around the world. Today MAS manages a more diverse portfolio of businesses across IT, brands, wearable tech, Femtech, medical apparel, start-ups and fabric parks worldwide. Visit http://www.masholdings.com for more details.

About Universal Access Project:

The Universal Access Project, a project of the United Nations Foundation, focuses on global sexual and reproductive health and rights and allows girls to stay in school, pursue jobs, and have children if and when they are ready. It also helps improve maternal and child health, decrease unintended pregnancies, lower HIV infection rates, and reduce poverty. It builds a healthier, more secure, and more prosperous world.

The Universal Access Project also leads the Private Sector Action for Womens Health and Empowerment initiative, which mobilizes corporate leadership on workplace womens health, rights, and empowerment in global supply chains. Visit universalaccessproject.org for more details.

About Private Sector Action for Workplace Womens Health and Empowerment Initiative:

The United Nations Foundation, together with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the UKs Department for International Development, and Merck for Mothers launched the initiative Private Sector Action for Workplace Womens Health and Empowerment - to work with companies with large global supply chains employing millions of women workers to take action to improve their health and wellbeing in order to contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals while also generating business returns. Visit http://www.privatesectoractionforwomenshealth.com for more details.

For further information please contact:

Link:

MAS Holdings Doubles its Empowerment Commitment to the UN Foundation in the midst of COVID-19 - GlobeNewswire

A personal blog by our Head of Stakeholder Relations Hugh Adams – Brain Tumour Research

Posted on by

Yesterday marked my 10th year as part of our remarkable charity. I hope you will indulge me this week as I write a personal account of my journey with Brain Tumour Research over the past decade.

I have met many of you, but for some of you Im just the guy who sends out this weekly update, so, briefly, this is my professional life before meeting up with our founder and Chief Exec, Sue Farrington Smith.

On leaving college I joined the BBC and began a media career that lasted over 20 years before I became somewhat disillusioned with it all. I Ieft London for a more pastoral location and tried my hand at a couple of things (working in a prison, managing a wine shop were two of them) before seeing in the local paper that a charity, Brain Tumour Research, had their first full-time vacancy.

On my first, serendipitous meeting with Sue, it was clear the passion and drive that was at the core of her ambition for the charity, but also the narrative of premature death and of poor research funding that underpinned the charitys vision to find a cure. Crucially there was a lack of brain tumour awareness in the general public and a lack of empowerment in our own brain tumour community.

I felt I could help with that it felt that everything I had done before was a rehearsal for my new career ( except perhaps the wine shop!).

Luckily Sue agreed.

What has followed has been a decade of hard work and growth, with moments of elation, moments of desperation, but a core belief, and an absolute resolve that we must improve options and outcomes for those diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Campaigning has been central to this and we have always been clear that to achieve the research funding levels required to see the progress achieved in other site-specific cancers, we must call on the UK Government to support us.

Working with the Realf family, the e-petition, the Westminster Hall Debate and subsequent reports have been a source of huge pride. Together, in the past decade, we have moved from shouting outside Westminster to talking inside. Our work with the APPG is a portal for change and your continued support for this work has been truly gratifying.

Ive stood next to Matt Hancock as he has been updated on our work, (Ive even been photographed standing next to Boris Johnson as we donned our WearAHatDay hats!) and joined celebrities like Caprice, Debbie McGee, Sheila Hancock and Sarah Beeny at our Speakers House events. We have framed the debate with our reports and our Manifesto. Our member charities, our fundraising groups and individual campaigners have joined us at political events, telling their stories in their local media and engaging their MPs.

We have continued to punch above our weight!

When people ask me if I have a personal reason to work for Brain Tumour Research I used to say I didnt because the disease hadnt directly impacted on a close member of my family. I dont say no to that question now. I have hundreds of personal reasons why I work for Brain Tumour Research - too many, far too many of our friends are no longer with us, and I have real sadness that they supported us but we could not deliver to them the cure they needed. Their desire to improve outcomes for future brain tumour patients, even though any progress would come to late for them, is as empowering as it is humbling. They wouldnt want us to stop because we couldnt help them, so the loss and sadness must only spur us on to achieve more.

It has been quite a journey and I am unshakeable in my belief we are doing things in the right way for the right reasons. There is no alternative because the basic science, of the type we fund, underpins the progress that happens further down the line. It is translational research from the scientists bench to the patients bedside that holds the key. At this time when research funding is at risk more so than ever, let alone in the past decade, we must stay strong and work together. We have come a long way in the past decade and I am proud to have played a small part in that I am prouder still to be a part of a brain tumour community that inspires me daily. Thank you all for what you have done for me and for Brain Tumour Research and for those of you still reading, your indulgence this week.

Related reading:

Read the original:

A personal blog by our Head of Stakeholder Relations Hugh Adams - Brain Tumour Research

Trump has tested positive for COVID-19. A look at where hes traveled and who hes been with these past seven days – SouthCoastToday.com

Posted on by

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump announced early Friday that he and first Lady Melania Trump tested positive for COVID-19, a startling piece of news felt across the country.

Reaction to that news was swift and included an outpouring of support. But there are unanswered questions about the timeline of when and how the president was infected, though his positive test was revealed soon after news broke that White House adviser Hope Hicks had herself tested positive after spending time with Trump.

Trump, 74, is known for staying busy and traveling around the country for both work and play. But he was especially active these past seven days, including hosting rallies, taking part in the debate, and introducing his Supreme Court nominee.

The White House uses rapid tests made by Abbott that allow for quicker results and officials are tested frequently. It can take up to four days to develop enough viral particles in your nose for a test to come back positive, meaning the day you are exposed, you likely would not get positive test results.

Former Vice President Joe Biden has tested negative for coronavirus, according to his personal doctor, as the Democratic nominee sought to continue campaigning during the month before the Nov. 3 election.

Dr. Kevin O'Connor, the primary care physician, said Biden and his wife Jill were each tested and "COVID-19 was not detected."

"Thank you to everyone for your messages of concern," Biden said in a tweet. "I hope this serves as a reminder: wear a mask, keep social distance, and wash your hands."

Barron Trump, the 14-year-old son of President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump, has tested negative for the coronavirus following his parents' positive diagnosis.

Barron has tested negative and all precautions are being taken to ensure hes kept safe and healthy. spokesperson Stephanie Grisham told USA TODAY.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tested negative for COVID-19 Friday morning.

"As part of regular protocols, Secretary @stevenmnuchin1 has been tested daily for COVID-19. He tested negative for COVID-19 this morning and will continue to be tested daily," tweeted Monica Crowley, assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Treasury.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he and his wife both tested negative for COVID-19 on Friday. Pompeo is currently traveling abroad and has not been in recent contact with President Donald Trump.

I am feeling fantastic. I was tested about 30 minutes ago, Pompeo told reporters Friday en route to Croatia. He said he has not been with Trump since Sept. 15.

Were praying for the President and the First Lady, that theyll have a speedy recovery, he said. I spoke with the vice presidents office this morning as well. Were taking this, obviously, very seriously, and well do everything we can to keep everyone safe.

Pompeo said he is reevaluating future travel, including a scheduled trip this weekend to Florida followed by a visit to Asia starting Sunday.

He said his own doctor and the State Departments medical team has told him it would be perfectly fine to make both of those trips, but were going to continue to look at it.

Pompeo said he had been cleared to go ahead with meetings in Croatia on Friday.

Here is what we know about where the president has traveled over the last week, using the White House's official schedule.

Thursday, Oct. 1:

The president left Washington and headed to New Jersey, where he participated in a roundtable event with supporters and a fundraising reception at his golf club in Bedminster.

He arrived back in Washington that evening and participated in an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity.

Wednesday, Sept. 30:

Trump traveled to from Washington to Minnesota, where he first participated in a private fundraising reception in Shorewood then traveled to Duluth to host a Make America Great Again rally.

He returned to Washington after the event.

Tuesday, Sept. 29:

Trump left Washington and headed to Ohio for the first presidential debate between him and former Vice President Joe Biden.

While he was distanced from Biden on stage and the pair did not shake hands, it's unclear whether Biden was being tested or taking any additional precautions. His campaign did not immediately respond to an inquiry.

Monday, Sept. 28:

The first event on Trump's schedule was an event in the Rose Garden where the president outlined an update on the nation's coronavirus testing strategy, where he announced 150 million Abbott rapid point-of-care tests would be sent out across the nation.

After the event, Trump appeared outside the White House for a photo opportunity in front of a Lordstown Motors 2021 endurance truck, an electric pickup truck made in Ohio.

Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Peter Navarro, a senior trade adviser to the president, were present for the event.

Sunday, Sept. 27:

Trump started his day at his golf resort in Virginia.

Later in the day, he held a news conference at the White House, where he touted Barrett's nomination to the high court, attacked Obamacare as "terrible" and attacked former Vice President Joe Biden.

That evening, the president and first lady hosted a reception of Gold Star families at the White House.

Saturday, Sept. 26:

The first event on the president's schedule was a greeting with Evangelical Faith Leaders.

Later that day, the president officially nominated federal appeals court judge Amy Coney Barrett as his pick to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court.

Barrett was photographed in close proximity to the president during the event in the Rose Garden. She has spent the week meeting with members of the U.S. Senate, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, ahead of her confirmation hearings later this month.

Those at the White House event included Attorney General William Barr, and a slew of senators.

After the event, Trump headed to Middletown, Penn. where he hosted a campaign rally. He headed back to Washington after the rally.

Friday, Sept. 25:

Trump was in Florida and started his day with a Latinos for Trump roundtable event at his Trump National Doral resort in South Florida.

Trump, after the event, traveled from Miami to Atlanta, where he offered a speech on Black empowerment and unveiled a new plan, dubbed the Black Economic Empowerment "Platinum Plan," aimed at winning over Black voters ahead of November.

He then traveled back to Washington where he participated in a roundtable with supporters at his hotel just miles from the White House.

After the event, he headed to Virginia for a Make American Great Again rally at the Newport News / Williamsburg International Airport. He headed back to the White House after the event.

Read more here:

Trump has tested positive for COVID-19. A look at where hes traveled and who hes been with these past seven days - SouthCoastToday.com

COVID-19 underscores need to deliver on promise of landmark women’s rights conference – UN News

Posted on by

Antnio Guterres issued the charge in a speech to a UN General Assembly high-level meeting to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the landmark Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, China.

The Beijing Conference, as it is known, marked a significant turning point on the global agenda, making it clear that womens rights are at the heart of equality and justice around the world.

But as the UN chief told the gathering, the Conference was also a wake-up call as these rights are still being denied, hindered and ignored everywhere.

COVID-19 has emphasized and exploited the continued denial of womens rights. Women and girls are bearing the brunt of the massive social and economic impact of the pandemic, he said, speaking from the rostrum in the General Assembly Hall.

Twenty-five years after Beijing, we are facing a women-led recession as women employed in the informal economy are first to lose their jobs, Mr. Guterres continued, outlining the aftershocks of the pandemic. These include a shadow pandemic of gender-based violence, and an increase in early marriage and other abusive and repressive practices affecting women and girls.

Unless we act now, COVID-19 could wipe out a generation of fragile progress towards gender equality, he stated.

While the pandemic has demonstratedthe need for a strong push to meet what the UN chief called the unfulfilled promise of Beijing, it is also an opportunity for transformative thinking that puts women at the front and centre of response and recovery.

Stimulus funds should put money directly into womens hands through cash transfers and credits. Governments should expand social safety nets to women in the informal economy, and recognize the value of unpaid care work, he advised.

The Beijing Conference concluded with a groundbreaking Platform for Action, with commitments covering 12 areas of concern, such as power and decision-making, poverty, violence against women, education, human rights and discrimination against girls.

In both containing COVID-19 and promoting post-COVID economic and social recovery, it is particularly important that we address the special needs of women and deliver on the Beijing Declaration and Programme for Action, said Chinese President Xi Jinping in a statementrecorded for the event.

Since Beijing, major advances have been made in the global fight for gender equality, as various UN agencies have documented. In 1995, there were 12 women Heads of State and Government worldwide. Today, there are 22. Maternal mortality has dropped by nearly 40 percent during this period, more girls are now in school, and women are increasingly involved in peace processes.

However, this progress is not enough; plus, it has been slow, according to the Executive Director of UN Women, which supports countries in achieving gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka emphasized the need for womens leadership, including young women, in efforts to build back better after the pandemic. Women and the people of the world are demanding these changes, she said in a pre-recorded statement.

This is the time for disrupters, young and old," Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka continued, saying it is time for actions to change the course of history for women and girls, especially women between the ages of 25 to 34 who are increasingly more likely to live in extreme poverty than their male counterparts.

Its time to bring an end to discriminatory laws, norms and homophobia, to end mens violence against women and girls, and make a concerted effort to put women at the heart of climate justice. "

Besides the Beijing Conference anniversary, and the global pandemic, 2020 is a milestone year for the UN, which turns 75 next month. January also saw the start of a Decade of Action towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their promise of a more fair and equitable world for all people, and greater protection of the planet.

Given the SDG context,there is no longer any excuse for gender imbalances,according to Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka.

Women are now calling for a leapfrog to 50 per cent representation, or parity in all spheres, including cabinets, corporate boards and throughout the economy, including women as beneficiaries of COVID-19 fiscal stimulus packages, engagement in all peace processes, and closing the digital divide, she said, urging leaders to fast-forward the modest gains made since Beijing.

UN Photo/Milton Grant

Civil society participants meet in Huairou, China, as part of the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, in September 1995.

The rights of women and girls are non-negotiable, the head of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) underlined. Dr. Natalia Kanem called on leaders to scale-up action and investments.

We urge you to back up words with deeds, and with funding for programmes and services that transform womens lives, she said, speaking from the podium. Investing in women and girls is not just a question of rights; its also smart economics, with benefits to society many times the cost.

The President of the UN General Assembly, Volkan Bozkir, appealed for everyone, everywhere to act now on behalf of the worlds women and girls so as tolevel the playing field.

Speaking in person, Mr. Bozkir appealed for top-level commitment to girls education, equal economic opportunities for women, and ending gender-based violence. He urged countries to shift established norms to create a more just world, and thanked civil society groups for bridging divides and filling existing gaps, particularly during the pandemic.

He also issued a call to girls worldwide, including his own granddaughters: Know this: there is nothing that women cannot do.

The General Assembly President urged girls to Dare to be the first. Dare to do what no woman has done before, adding that the world needs more women in power.

There is power in sharing your lived experience, he said. There is power in an outstretched hand. There is power in solidarity. Never doubt your personal power. Assert your power.

Continued here:

COVID-19 underscores need to deliver on promise of landmark women's rights conference - UN News

Survivors, First Responders Use Tattoos To Cover Scars From The Route 91 Shooting – KNPR

Posted on by

Tattooartists from around the world gathered in Las Vegas to cover the scars of survivors of the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival and the first responders who helped treat them.

The nonprofit Healing Ink put on the event at Seven Tattoo Studio in Las Vegas. The goal is to use tattooing as a type of trauma therapy to help empower survivorssuffering from physical, mental, and emotional scars.

The nonprofit Healing Ink put on the event and use tattooing as a type of trauma therapy to help empower survivors.

Craig Dershowitz is the CEO of Artists for Israel and the president of Healing Ink. He said thegroup had more than 100 applicants for the event. They had to narrow that down to 17 people for the 17 artists available.

These recipients were either injured in the 1 October shooting, are families of victims who have passed, or are first responders who helped to keep people alive during that tragic time, Dershowitz said.

Craig Dershowitz, President of Healing Ink/Courtesy: Zach Green

He said theyll be getting tattoos that help them heal, celebrate their resiliency or in some way have an impact on their quality of life.

Healing Ink came out of the group Artists for Israel, which used art to better communities in that country.

I know personally that Ive used tattoos to mourn losses, to celebrate victories, and I said, I wonder if this modality of healing will work, he said, We did it the first time in Israel in 2016, and it exceeded our wildest expectations.

Dershowitz said during the event in Israel they heard stories of people who had been suicidal until that event or wouldnt leave the house because they had been disfigured during a terror attack and felt uncomfortable until they got a tattoo.

After the group realized the impact they were having, Healing Ink expanded from there.

The process for getting this tattoo and for the healing aspect of it starts before the tattoo, he said, It begins when the artist first talks to the recipient and there is this sense of, Im not alone, something is going to happen. They are able to put their faith and trust that theyre going to feel better at the end of this process.

He said recipients are also helped by the act of going to the event and seeing others going through the same thing.

Each person has a reason a story for their tattoo as unique and different as we are as people, he said, Some its to cover a scar. The scar makes them feel uncomfortable and disfigured. They dont want people to see it and now they wake up in the morning and see something beautiful.

He said others seen their tattoos as a badge of honor. Overall, Dershowitz said the tattoos are about agency and personal freedom.

Each survival and first responder receives a tattoo that is custom to their personality and their story.

For Heather Gooze, who wasworking as a bartender at the Route 91 event, her tattoo artist Becca Martin was the perfect person to tell her story through art.

Ive got a feather that kind of turns into birds, flying from the feather, Gooze explained, Underneath, in cursive, it says, Be your own kind of beautiful. Its just to remind myself, and others, that were all different and weve just got to find the beauty in all of us.

Gooze said the colors of the tattoo are significant. One side will be purple and orange, which were the colors of the Route 91 Harvest Festival. The other side will be red, yellow and green. The colors represent the colors of the bracelets that workers at the festival wore on each night.

She said, for workers at the event, green is significant because it is the color of the bracelets they were wearing Sunday evening, when the shooting happened.

Martin said she and Gooze collaborated on the design for the tattoo. Gooze said she was originally assigned a tattoo artist who specialized in darker, black and white, and 3D images, but she wanted something that was more colorful.

Healing Ink found Martinwho was a better fit for what Gooze wanted to be done.

Becca Martin, tattoo artist (left)/Heather Gooze, bartender and survivor (right)

It is super humbling to have someone ask you to mark them permanently, Martin said, But I also understand the power of healing through art. It is just another way to help people who are looking for a different way of healing.

Martin wasexcitedto know that she is making another persons day better, but at the same time, it was nerve-wracking because it is permeant and she wantedGooze to love the tattoo.

Gooze said there is a special bond between the artist and the recipient because of the trust they have to have in each other.

Im healed as much as you can heal three yearsafter an event that changes your life, Gooze said, For all the people that say, Get over it, or Move on, youre never going to. It becomes a part of our life.

Gooze said after surviving the shooting she has more empathy towards people who are going through their own personal traumas. She found the Healing Ink event extremely healing and being with her other Route 91 family helps with that healing.

For artist Michael Caldwell and recipient Gregory Koehler, the time they spent together was dedicated to healing the soul.The two worked together on the design. Koehler wanted the Route 91 sign involved in the tattoo but not the actual concert logo.

And as we talked, our conversation evolved into whyhe was getting the tattoo and it was to heal and to further go through life and not be stuck in that moment, Caldwell said, To be able to have something positive to tie to that moment.

In the end, the two decided on a design featuring a phoenix because the mythical bird rises from the ashes and brings empowerment through dark moments.

Michael Caldwell, tattoo artist (left) and Kevin Koehler, survivor (right)

To me, this is incredible. I think weve all been through traumatic experiences, things that have affectedour soul and our existence and to be able to provide service and an experience to someone that helps bring positivity to their life is everything, Caldwell said.

Koehler already has a half-sleeve tattoo on his arm, but this project completed it onto his hand. He said the phoenix design represents many aspects of his life.

Rising from the Route 91 situation, I just survived COVID this summer, so that is also rising from that, he said.

Koehler was in a VIP box when the shooting happened, but within minutes of the first shots, he raced to the ground level to start treating and triaging people. He ended up working at the site for another eight hours.

Ive had some good come out of that actually, he said, I met my girlfriend, dont tell her but someday wife from this tragedy. Three years later, Ive been diagnosed with PTSD. Asa paramedic, I still run shooting patients within the city on duty and sometimes it I wouldnt say flashback but the thoughts of Route 91do come into my thought process when treating patients.

He said that hes been able to get past it, but the week leading up to the anniversary and the week after it, he is grumpier and short with people.

Koehler believes hes lucky that he hasnt had any major triggers like other survivors who are re-traumatized by fireworks or helicopters. Despite that, he did admit he had some extremely dark moments in his healing journey.

Im going to be brutally honest, Koehler said, A year and a half after, I had a dark moment, where I was going to kill myself. I dont know what triggered it. Its the one time that Ive had a situation come up I sat there with my gun in my hand and I didnt know exactly what was going to happen. I reached out to a friend of mine. He was able to stop what he was doing and talk to me for 45 minutes. Hes on the peer support team at the fire department and he set me up with a counselor.

Koehler said that incident was likely an accumulation of his work as a paramedic and the tragedy and trauma he experienced on October 1, 2017, but luckily, he reached out to someone for help.

I tell that story about myself, not because I want to but because I know there areothers out there. It can only help, he said.

Koehler believes the mental health of survivors and their families need to be addressed.

Besides finding his girlfriend, Koehler said another positive outcome from the shooting is that is more able to empathize with people who are experiencing trauma, which is something he deals with all the time in his line of work.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

Read the original:

Survivors, First Responders Use Tattoos To Cover Scars From The Route 91 Shooting - KNPR

Vancouver Island dance classes billed as female empowerment tool – Monday Mag

Posted on by

Candice Robillard has always loved to dance.

Now she wants to help others use the exercise in an effort to promote positive body image and female empowerment.

Valley Girls Heels Training & Performance Programs is a new business, operating out of a dance studio at 464 Puntledge Rd. in Courtenay. Robillard said her heels classes are drawing rave reviews.

I trained in dance since I was in about Grade 2, until I was a teenager, then I transitioned to competitive all-star cheerleading, said Robillard. I moved to Edmonton a few years back and ran one of the top dance studios there, and thats where I fell in love with the heels style it was one of our most popular classes.

When she moved back to the Comox Valley in 2017, she realized there was nothing similar being offered.

So I kind of danced by myself, at the gym, or whatever room they had available. Eventually, I would have friends come dance with me so I just said, I am bringing it to the valley. We are going to have a heels program. And here we are.

Heels dance is a solo dance technique, characterized by technical footwork, as seen in ballroom, and Latin dance (i.e. salsa). Although it derives its name from the footwear traditionally worn during the performance, Robillard said her classes focus more on personal development than footwear.

Its called heels but its more about the style. Whatever shoes you feel comfortable in, you just wear what you like. Then eventually, once you build your confidence, sometimes you move up to trying it in heels kind of like a transformation.

Robillard said no experience is necessary and this is not about becoming a ballroom dancer.

Its not about what you look like, or your age, or your size, or even how well you dance. Its just about feeling confident and powerful, and destroying industry stereotypes, she said. This is more about kind of stepping out of your comfort zone and forgetting about your insecurities.

I have people who have never danced before. I have people who say they have two left feet. And then there are some who have dancing experience and this is just a new style for them. But nobody in the room cares about how you look, or how good you dance. We are all there to cheer each other on just come out and have a great time.

Robillards classes teach the basic choreography of heels dance, with new steps being introduced as the sessions progress.

I will create a little routine that we learn; we will practise that for a few weeks and then move onto the next one, she said.

There are six-, eight-, and 10-week sessions available, depending on the day of the week. The next session begins in mid-October.

While there are no drop-in classes currently, Robillard said she is planning to have single session themed classes, where people can sign up, try it for a day and see if they like it.

For more information on Valley Girls Heels Training & Performance Programs, check out the Facebook page, the Instagram page, @valleygirlsdance, or via email, valleygirlsdance@gmail.com

For more news from Vancouver Island and beyond delivered daily into your inbox, please click here.

terry.farrell@blackpress.caLike us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter

Read the original here:

Vancouver Island dance classes billed as female empowerment tool - Monday Mag

Ethics and the virus: ‘nothing spoils mighty craic like ethics’ – RTE.ie

Posted on by

Opinion: the pandemic isn't going away and that means we have to reassess the nature of our ethical commitments

Ethics area nuisance. Moral principles are self-imposed restrictions on our freedom, the little voice in our head telling us to desist from acting on our desires and wishes. Morality is what stopsus from attending a dinner at agolf club or fromgoing on holiday abroad after telling people not to travel. It stops us fromremoving our face masks in public areas or flouting social distancing guidelines at a brunch in Dublin. Nothing spoils mighty craic like ethics.

With Covid-19 not showing signs of slowing down, and the realisation that this pandemic may be too clever to be wiped out by a vaccine, we need to reassess the nature of our ethical commitments in the face of this new reality. It is legitimate to wonder whether time-honoured ethical doctrines that have been with us for many centuries are still relevant in the present context, or alternatively whether we need to formulate new ethical guidelines for dealing with this unfamiliar, unprecedented scenario.

There is thankfully no need to reinvent the wheel here aspandemics have been a feature of our existence since the beginning of time. Moral philosophers have had many centuries to come to terms with the acute demands forced upon us by this invisible enemy, starting from Lucretius'On the Nature of Thingsin 50 BC.

From RT Radio 1's News At One,Irish Times health correspondent Paul Cullen on how doctors are seeking clarity on the ethicsof working outside their disciplines to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic

A more contentious issue is whether we can agree on the appropriate ethical response, on a personal and social level, to a challenge that almost nobody could see coming only nine months ago. Of all the moral principles one can conceivably appeal to during this delicate phase of the pandemic, there is one that should be considered before the rest.

From the Latin wordmaleficentia, frommale(evil) andficient(relating to an action or activity), non-maleficence is the moral imperative of not committing harm or evil in ones actions. The idea of non-maleficence in ethics has deep historical roots. The Greek philosopher and physician Hippocratesis universally considered to be the father of Western medicine, and is also credited for formulating the Hippocratic Oath, the earliest ethical code of conduct for the medical profession. The received view today is that the core moral imperative of this oath is captured by the principleprimum non nocere(first, do no harm).

A few centuries later,the same idea resurfaces in the ethical writings of Marcus Tullius Cicero. InDe Officiis(On Duties), he argues that the first task of justice is to prevent men from causing harm to others."Now the first thing that justice requires of us is this; that no one should do any hurt to another, unless by way of reasonable and just retribution for some injury received from him".

Draconian laws ensue whereethics fail

Notwithstanding these enunciations from the ancient world, there are reasons to believe that the popular maxim "first, do no harm"is much more modern than we think, perhaps as recent as the 17th century and attributed to the English physician Thomas Sydenham. But it is only recently that this axiom has made the full transition from medical ethics to general ethics. The principle of non-maleficence originates from one simple moral intuition: that until proved otherwise causing harm, whether intentionally or negligently, is a fundamental moral wrong.

What makes non-maleficence stand out in the vast literature on ethics is that this principle appears to be a common denominator across many ethical traditions, an area of overlapping consensus between different philosophical schools of thought. This in part explains why the principle of non-maleficence has been endorsed by both consequentialist and deontologist philosophers, by advocates of virtue ethics and natural law, including John Stuart Mill, W.D. Ross, H.L.A. Hart, Karl Popperand John Rawls.

This simple tenet, first, do no harm, is a good place to start when it comes to navigating difficult decisions we all must make during this pandemic. Why should I decline an invitation to attend the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner? Why should I spend my summer vacation in rainy Ireland instead of going to sunny Italy? Why should I wear a mask when taking public transportation? Why should I avoid bars, restaurants and house parties where safe social distancing is not respected?

From RT One's Nine News, report on the resignation of Filte Ireland chairman Michael Cawley over a holiday to Italy

The simple answer is that everyone has a moral duty not to engage in actions that risk causing harm to others. And everyone is everyone, all of us, without exceptions. Politicians and judges are not above the law, nor above the moral law.

Draconian laws ensue whereethics fail. If reckless egoism becomes the norm again, and the number of coronavirus infections keeps going up, laws will inevitably be introduced to restrict our free choices. It is in our interest not to give an excuse to the state to apply the use of force at its disposal to limit our freedoms and rights, but it will happen unless everyone takes their moral duties of non-maleficence seriously.

It is in our personal and collective interest to act morally. Those who free-ride on the efforts of others, and in the process put others at risk of contagion, epitomise the deadly triad of selfishness, imbecility, and incivility. Lets all do the right thing: do whatever you want, but do not cause harm to others.

The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RT

Continued here:

Ethics and the virus: 'nothing spoils mighty craic like ethics' - RTE.ie

Facial Recognition System Market to Witness Robust Expansion Throughout the Forecast Period 2018-2026 – The Daily Chronicle

Posted on by

Facial Recognition System Market is a measurable analyzing report about the new advances and prospects in the industry, which serves current and future particular and money related purposes of enthusiasm of the Facial Recognition System business to 2026. These data will help the client to know about the competitors better.

Top players shaping the Facial Recognition System Market are3M, Animetrics, Aware, Inc., Ayonix Corporation, Cognitec Systems, Daon, Gemalto NV, Herta Security, IDEMIA, KeyLemon S.A., NEC Corporation, Neurotechnology, NVISO SA., Panasonic i-PRO Sensing Solutions Co., Ltd., and Techno Brain

Download PDF brochure consist of Table of Content, Research Framework, and Research Methodology.Get PDF Brochure:-https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/3069

The research study include the market drivers, present as well as upcoming growth opportunities, segment wise and region wise challenges faced by Facial Recognition System market, competitive scenario in the global market. The regional landscape of report covers market size and comparison of regions namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific (APAC), Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America.

Key Questioned Answered Facial Recognition System Research Report:

Get Discount on This Report:https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-discount/3069

Some TOC Points Covered In This Report:

Apply promocodeCMIFIRST1000save1000USDand alsogetonepremium report sample Copy FREE

Buy-Now this Research Report @https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/3069

Thus, the report takes a dashboard view of an entire Facial Recognition System market by comprehensively analyzing market circumstance and situation and the various activities of leading players in the market such as mergers, partnership, and acquisitions. This unique report explains the present industry situations that give the crystal-clear picture of the global Facial Recognition System market to the clients. The thorough database which has given in this report help the customers to get detail information about the Facial Recognition System. It is the most significant factor in any report to provide client/s information and Reports Monitor committedly follows this basic principle of the market research industry.

Visit Here, for More Information:https://theemmasblog.blogspot.com/

Excerpt from:

Facial Recognition System Market to Witness Robust Expansion Throughout the Forecast Period 2018-2026 - The Daily Chronicle

Alt-right | Definition of Alt-right by Merriam-Webster

Posted on by

To save this word, you'll need to log in.

variants: or less commonly alt right

: a right-wing, primarily online political movement or grouping based in the U.S. whose members reject mainstream conservative politics and espouse extremist beliefs and policies typically centered on ideas of white nationalism Welcome to the alt-right. The label blends together straight-up white supremacists, nationalists who think conservatives have sold out to globalization, and nativists who fear immigration will spur civil disarray. Dylan Matthews Rather than concede the moral high ground to the left, the alt right turns the left's moralism on its head and makes it a badge of honor to be called "racist," "homophobic," and "sexist." Benjamin Welton Regardless of who triumphs at the ballot box, the biggest winner of this presidential election may be the alt-right: a sprawling coalition of reactionary conservatives who have lobbied to make the United States more "traditional," more "populist" and more white. Jonathon Morgan often used before another nounan alt-right manifestoSecularism is indeed correlated with greater tolerance of gay marriage and pot legalization. But it's also making America's partisan clashes more brutal. And it has contributed to the rise of the so-called alt-right movement, whose members see themselves as proponents of white nationalism. Peter Beinart

See the article here:

Alt-right | Definition of Alt-right by Merriam-Webster

AltRight.net The Official Introduction To The Alt Right

Posted on by

Welcome to the Alt Right These are our core values:

1) We believe that every race is important and should be preserved. This includes whites. We believe that each race needs a homeland, a place to call their own, that is exclusively theirs. A place to keep their traditions alive, honor their ancestors, and pass on the torch to future generations. Japan for the Japanese, Africa for the Africans, Israel for the Jews, and Europe for native white Europeans. People naturally migrate to live with their own, to force integration on a large scale is a recipe for strife and conflict.

2) We believe in the value of the nuclear family and high investment parenting. One of the most fundamental reasons why western cultures have been more successful than other cultures is that children are raised by a mother and a father, not by a tribe. The best results come when a kid is exposed to both male and female influences. Single parenting and same sex couples deprive kids of this important influence in the same way letting a daycare raise a child for the bulk of their young developmental lives.

3) We are fundamentally against the idea of a multicultural society. It is ironic that the idea of multiculturalism destroys the diversity that multiculturalists seek to protect. If we are forced to abandon our own traditions to celebrate anothers, then an important part of what made us who we are will be lost in time. In that vein, races and cultures should be encouraged to intermingle and interact, but should celebrate and preserve the traditions of their own tribe over others.

4) We believe in traditional family values and gender roles. Girls should be encouraged to be girls and boys should be encouraged to be boys. The genders are not the same and to say that they are ignoring reality. Though males and females are fundamentally different, they compliment each other in a way that is irreproducible when traditional gender roles are abandoned. Children should be encouraged to pursue whatever they are passionate about, even if its outside of their gender role. To suggest that a girl is a lesser person, however, because she doesnt want to pursue a career but instead wants to nurture and raise a family creates an identity crisis that goes against hundreds of thousands of years of biology. To suggest that a first grade boy needs to consider what gender pronoun they want to use is criminal.

5) We believe that equality should mean equality. Concepts like affirmative action are nothing but thinly masked racism. True equality means taking race and gender off of college admission applications, not favoring minority or woman owned businesses, or chastising a business because its workforce isnt diverse enough. Real equality is judging people on their merits alone, admitting the student that put in the extra effort to get a high GPA or hiring the most qualified candidate for the job without considering race, gender, or other factors.

6) We believe in closed borders. To allow illegal aliens into a country, to support them, to provide them with free benefits and welfare is not only an unnecessary and unsustainable burden on society, its also a slap in the face to all of the immigrants who went to the tremendous time and effort to immigrate legally. Illegal immigrants in any country are breaking the law and should be deported as soon as they are discovered. If they want to come back, they are welcome to apply and follow the rules of the society they want to join just like everyone else who made the effort to legally enter a country has done.

7) We believe that there are differences between the races, and that those differences are a good thing. Despite what society tells us, everyone is not the same and races exhibit broad and quantifiable trends, both culturally as well as in basic metrics like IQ, athletic ability, propensity to violence, and creative talents. To deny this is to deny both hundreds of years of academic research as well as millennia of historical trends. To think that our society has advanced so much in the last 100 years that we can all hold hands and be the same is lunacy. Theres a reason that Indians still run the corner stores, blacks are still in the ghettos, Jews infiltrate the banks and media, and whites are still turning out classic art and literature that will inspire for generations.

8) We believe in the value of hard work, competition, and good character. Life does not hand out participation trophies and everyone is not a winner. Children should be raised in a truly competitive environment, not one with padded corners and tests that cater to the lowest common denominator. Values like trustworthiness, thriftiness, honesty, charity, and making decisions that benefit ones family and community should be instilled and encouraged in a society. When you raise a kid to walk on eggshells, be worried that they might offend or trigger someone, and think that as long as they show up theyll be a winner, you shouldnt be surprised when they grow up to be a pushover who doesnt take responsibility for their own actions, someone who demands handouts instead of mucking in to get the job done and earn what they need.

9) We believe in a non-interventionist foreign policy. We have enough issues in our own country, from poverty to declining economies, from a deteriorating public infrastructure and an education system that is rapidly falling behind almost every other first world country, it is clear that we have plenty to fix at home. To think that it is appropriate to exert our way of life and our system on government on cultures that are radically different is pure hubris. Maintain strong alliances with historical partners based on shared interests and mutual defense, but let each nation forge their own path even, and especially, those who are so far culturally removed from us as to seem alien or barbaric. This is the true way to preserve diversity.

10) We believe in free speech. Often the most important speech are the viewpoints that others find disagreeable, controversial, or offensive. The right to ones own opinions is fundamental and inalienable. Growth, both personally and as a society is most rapidly achieved when the status quo is constantly challenged and forced to prove itself. To censor speech that goes against the grain or that some may find offensive stalls the advancement of a society and the evolution away from ideas that are contrary to the greater good.

contact: altright-at-protonmail.com

Follow this link:

AltRight.net The Official Introduction To The Alt Right

Alt-Right | Southern Poverty Law Center

Posted on by

The Alternative Right is characterized by heavy use of social media and online memes. Alt-righters eschew establishment conservatism, skew young, and embrace whiteethnonationalismas a fundamental value.

Martin Luther King Jr., a fraud and degenerate in his life, has become the symbol and cynosure of White Dispossession and the deconstruction of Occidental civilization. We must overcome!National Policy Institute column, January 2014

Immigration is a kind of proxy warand maybe a last standfor White Americans, who are undergoing a painful recognition that, unless dramatic action is taken, their grandchildren will live in a country that is alien and hostile.National Policy Institute column, February 2014

Since we are fighting for nothing less than the biological survival of our race, and since the vast bulk of Jews oppose us, we need to err on the side of caution and have no association with Jews whatsoever. Any genuine Jewish well-wishers will understand, since they know what their people are like better than we ever can. Saving our race is something that we will have to do ourselves alone.Greg Johnson, White Nationalism & Jewish Nationalism, August 2011

I oppose the Jewish diaspora in the United States and other white societies. I would like to see the white peoples of the world break the power of the Jewish diaspora and send the Jews to Israel, where they will have to learn how to be a normal nation.Greg Johnson, White Nationalism & Jewish Nationalism, August 2011

At the core of the JI [Jewish Identity] is a malevolent supremacy. This is the manifest in their rejection of outgroups who wish to participate and innovate traditional Jewish cultural activities. Why reject diversity and progress within your community if not a false feeling of betterness? The root of this problem is, of course, a sexual feeling of inferiority. Mighty psychosexual urges must not be downplayed within group dynamics. As a remedy to this, the JI must be infiltrated with foreign members to procreate with their men and women. That way, the deep psychological psychosis can be treated at the root.A Critical Analysis of the Jewish Identity, The Right Stuff, January 2016

The new left doctrine of racial struggle in favor of non-Whites only, a product of decolonization and the defeat of nationalists by egalitarians after WWII, must be repudiated and Whites must be allowed to take their own side in their affairs. A value system that says Whites are not allowed to have collective interests while literally every other identity group can do so and ought to do so is unacceptable.The Fight for the Alt Right: The Rising Tide of Ideological Autism Against Big-Tent Supremacy, The Right Stuff, January 2016

This is our home and our kith and kin. Borders matter, identity matters, blood matters, libertarians and their capitalism can move to Somalia if they want to live without rules, in the West we must have standards and enforce them. The freedom for other races to move freely into white nations is nonexistent. Stay in your own nations, we dont want you here.Matthew Heimbach, I Hate Freedom, Traditionalist Youth Network, July 7, 2013

Those who promote miscegenation, usury, or any other forms of racial suicide should be sent to re-education centers, not tolerated.Matthew Heimbach, I Hate Freedom, Traditionalist Youth Network, July 7, 2013

The Alternative Right is a term coined in 2008 by Richard Bertrand Spencer, who heads the white nationalist think tank known as the National Policy Institute, to describe a loose set of far-right ideals centered on white identity and the preservation of Western civilization. In 2010, Spencer who had stints as an editor of The American Conservative and Takis Magazine launched the Alternative Right blog, where he worked to refine the movements ideological tenets.

Racist alt-right celebrity Richard Spencer was slated to speak at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.

Spencer describes the alt-right as a big-tent ideology that blends the ideas of neo-reactionaries (NRx-ers), who advocate a return to an antiquated, pseudo-libertarian government that supports traditional western civilization; archeofuturists, those who advocate for a return to traditional values without jettisoning the advances of society and technology; human biodiversity adherents (HBDers) and race realists, people who generally adhere to scientific racism; and other extreme-right ideologies. Alt-right adherents stridently reject egalitarianism and universalism.

At the heart of the alt-right is a break with establishment conservatism that favors experimentation with the ideas of the French New Right; libertarian thought as exemplified by former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas); anarcho-capitalism, which advocates individual sovereignty and open markets in place of an organized state; Catholic traditionalism, which seeks a return to Roman Catholicism before the liberalizing reforms of the Second Vatican Council; and other ideologies.

It is a reaction to the conservative establishment as exemplified by the nomination of Barry Goldwater for the presidency in 1964. According to Spencer, that solidified several aspects of contemporary conservatism, including an emphasis on liberty, freedom, free markets and capitalism. Spencer considers these ideas to be anti-ideals and says the alt-right is redefining categories for a new kind of conservative.

Spencer describes alt-right adherents as younger people, often recent college graduates, who recognize the uselessness of mainstream conservatism in what he describes as a hyper-racialized world. So, its no surprise that the movement in 2015 and 2016 concentrated on opposing immigration and the resettlement of Syrian refugees in America. Although such stances align with older forms of white racism, Spencer insists that the alt-right is a liberation from a left-right dialectic.

The alt-right is intimately connected with American Identitarianism, a version of an ideology popular in Europe that emphasizes cultural and racial homogeneity within different countries. One difference is that while European Identitarians indict the generation known as the 68ers, a reference to the left of the 1960s, their American counterparts attack baby boomers, who are presumed to comprise the bulk of the current Republican Partys base. But the movements on both continents are similar in accusing older conservatives for selling out their countries to foreigners.

Spencer left his Alternative Right blog on Christmas Day 2013 in order to focus on the Radix Journal, an online journal published by the National Policy Institute that promotes the creation of a white ethno-state. Spencers abrupt departure, referred to as the Christmas Day Purge, left the blog to two fellow white nationalists, Colin Liddell of the United Kingdom and Andy Nowicki, a former college professor. The blog has struggled since then to stay relevant to the white nationalist movement.

Matthew Heimbach, co-founder of the Traditionalist Youth Network, was slated to speak at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville.

Although Spencer has positioned himself as the effective leader of the alt-right, other proponents include several well-known names on the far right, including Jared Taylor, editor of the American Renaissance racist journal; Greg Johnson of the publishing house Counter-Currents; Matthew Parrott and Matthew Heimbach of the Traditionalist Youth Network; and Mike "Enoch" Peinovich, who runs The Right Stuff blog. But the general population of the alt-rightis composed, by and large, of anonymous youths who were exposed to the movements ideas through online message boards like 4chan and 8chans /pol/ and Internet platforms like Reddit and Twitter.

The movement is not monolithic. The diversity of far-right ideologies that it includes has resulted in some disagreement with regard to Jews, and whether to blame them for the perceived plight of white culturea belief that has undergirded many sectors of white nationalism for decades. While some alt-right leaders are unquestionably anti-Semitic, others, like Jared Taylor, are not, seeing Jews simply as white people. For his part, Spencer has repeatedly brought in anti-Semites to speak at his events.

In March 2016, for instance, Spencer invited former California State University-Long Beach professor Kevin MacDonald, the author of a trilogy purporting to show that Jews seek to undermine the host Christian societies in which they often live, to speak at an event titled Identity Politics. After the event, Spencer stopped just short of questioning the Holocaust, telling a Huffington Post reporter that if it really happened, then of course it wasnt justified. If it happened differently than what the story weve been told [is], then I think that needs to be let out.

Social media have been instrumental to the growth of the alt-right. Legions of anonymous Twitter users have used the hashtag #AltRight to proliferate their ideas, sometimes successfully pushing them into the political mainstream.

The best example of that is probably the term c---servative a combination of cuckold and conservative, coined to castigate Republican politicians who are seen as traitors to their people who are selling out conservatives with their support for globalism and certain liberal ideas. The phrase has a racist undertone, as some of its backers have suggested, implying that establishment conservatives are like white men who allow black men to sleep with their wives. It received widespread media attention, including, to the delight of Spencer and others, in The Washington Post.

But the alt-right has taken on many more issues than that, including issues of high importance to white nationalists like the resettlement of Syrian refugees in the U.S. and Europe in 2015 and 2016, the Black Lives Matter movement and immigration reform. Propaganda campaigns also have been organized around hashtags such as #WhiteGenocide, a reference to the myth that white people are being subjected to an orchestrated eradication campaign; #ISaluteWhitePeople; #BoycottStarWarsVII, a racist campaign to protest the black actor who was cast in a lead role in the 2015 Star Wars reboot; and #NROrevolt, which arose after the National Review, a journal that has historically served as the gatekeeper to mainstream conservatism and has vehemently opposed Donald Trumps candidacy for president.

Trump is a hero to the alt-right. Through a series of semi-organized campaigns, alt-right activists applied the c---servative slur to every major Republican primary candidate except Trump, who regularly rails against political correctness, Muslims, immigrants, Mexicans, Chinese and others. They have also worked hard to affix the alt-right brand to Trump through the use of hashtags and memes.

The movement is not limited to the Internet. At least twice a year, Spencer reserves the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., for a coat-and-tie gathering of his followers. The events are open to reporters but also cloaked in secrecy attendees regularly use false names or refuse to identify themselves for fear of being labeled as racists. Topics and themes vary. The gathering in March 2015 was titled Beyond Conservatism and capitalized on the strength of the c---servative meme.

Identity Politics in March 2016 focused heavily on the continued success of Trumps presidential campaign. Each of the speakers featured there addressed a different facet of Trumps influence of politics and American culture. Kevin MacDonald classified Trumps rise as part of an implicit white backlash against present-day politics, while Spencer declared that Trump was merely creating a political space, intentionally or not, in which the alt-right could grow.

The alt-right also has a stable of publishing houses. Most notably, both NPI and Counter-Currents have publishing arms NPIs is Washington Summit Press that focus on historical and contemporary extremists. They distribute the works of such well-known white nationalist writers as Alexander Dugin, Corneliu Codreanu, Guillaume Faye and Alain de Benoist, along with more contemporary authors like F. Roger Devlin, Andy Nowicki, Greg Johnson and Richard Spencer.

Milo Yiannopoulos speaking at UC Santa Barbara, May 2016

In March 2016, Allum Bokhari and Milo Yiannopoulos wrote an article for the right-wing Breitbart news site that claimed that the alt-right was fundamentally about youthful provocation and subversion, rather than simply another vehicle for the worst dregs of human society: anti-Semites, white supremacists, and other members of the Stormfront set, a reference to an online forum run by a former Alabama Klan leader. Yiannopoulos, who was instrumental in the online harassment campaign against women in the electronic gaming world known as Gamergate, was not well received. Virtually every mainstream conservative publication, from the National Review to The Federalist, condemned it. And some on the furthest extremes of the alt-right attacked him as a Jewish homosexual, in the words of Andrew Anglin, who runs the neo-Nazi Daily Stormer website, which Anglin describes as The Worlds Most Visited Alt Right Web Site. Anglin said Yiannopoulos had a history of engaging in sneaky Jewish tricks and added that this is how they get you. Clearly, the man seeks to undermine right-wing movements for Jewish purposes.

That last attack, which came despite the fact that Yiannopoulos has been photographed wearing a necklace with the German Iron Cross symbol, illustrates the diversity of opinion within the alt-right world. But, at the end of the day, neo-Nazis like Anglin, coat-and-tie racists like Richard Spencer and Jared Taylor, and oddball figures like Yiannopoulos have more in common, in terms of sharing a vision of society as fundamentally determined by race, than they disagree about.

Read more:

Alt-Right | Southern Poverty Law Center

White Noise Trailer: Urgent Doc Tracks the Rise of Americas White Supremacist Alt-Right – IndieWire

Posted on by

Mere hours after the President of the United States turned an opportunity to denounce the rise of white supremacist thinking in America into a chance to tell a hate group to stand back and standby, a new look at an upcoming documentary aims to shed some light on the very people most thrilled by the possibility of a white supremacist government: the alt-right. In White Noise, directed and shot by Daniel Lombroso in his directorial debut, viewers will go inside a spreading movement, bolstered by social medias reach and a cadre of outspoken leaders who think nothing of spewing hate to anyone who will listen.

The film is also The Atlantics first feature documentary and is billed as the definitive inside story of the movement that has come to be known as the alt-right. Lombrosos film follows three of the movements biggest stars, including Mike Cernovich, a conspiracy theorist and sex blogger turned media entrepreneur; Lauren Southern, an anti-feminist, anti-immigration YouTube star; and Richard Spencer, a white-power ideologue.

Per the films official synopsis: This film takes the viewer into the terrifying heart of the movement explosive protests, riotous parties, and the rooms where populist and racist ideologies are refined, weaponized, and injected into the mainstream. Just as the alt-right comes to prominence, infighting tears the movement apart. Spencer and Cernovich clash over the role of white nationalism in conservative politics. Southern struggles to reconcile her leadership role with the sexism and misogyny of her peers. Lawsuits mount and internecine fights erupt, but even as the alt-right fractures, its once-marginalized ideas gain a foothold in mainstream discourse; in Republican politics; in the establishment right-wing press, especially Fox News and on the worlds biggest social-media platforms.

In anticipation of the films premiere at AFI Docs this summer, IndieWires Eric Kohn billed the film a troubling and timely look at a trio of far-right nationalists behind its harrowing resurgence around the country. Through online conspiracy theories, fake news, and hate-spewing YouTube followings, these loathsome provocateurs are responsible from some of the most profound issues facing American discourse today as well as its impact on who makes it into public office.

White Noise will be available on demand on Wednesday, October 21. Watch the films first trailer, exclusively on IndieWire, below.

Sign Up: Stay on top of the latest breaking film and TV news! Sign up for our Email Newsletters here.

Read this article:

White Noise Trailer: Urgent Doc Tracks the Rise of Americas White Supremacist Alt-Right - IndieWire

Alt-right | Definition of Alt-right at Dictionary.com

Posted on by

Origin of alt-rightFirst recorded in 200510; associated shortly after with Richard Spencer, U.S. white nationalist (born 1978); shortening of alt(ernative) + right (in the sense political conservatives)historical usage of alt-right

Though the term alt-right was used in certain circles as early as 20052010, it first received mainstream attention in the lead-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. There has been so much confusion and debate around the term that many news organizations have felt compelled to explain in their official style guides how they will use or not use it. Media outlets including the Associated Press , the New York Times , the Guardian , and National Public Radio have all come to the conclusion that the term alt-right should not be used without further qualifying information, from prefacing the term with so-called to clearly stating that the alt-right is a hate group. Several of these guides suggest the use of less euphemistic, more explicit language such as white supremacist , white nationalist , or neo-Nazi in place of the term alt-right . The term alt-right has been seen as an effort to rebrand various hate groups in order to appeal to an internet-savvy generation. The first element, alt-, is a shortening of alternative . It has positive connotations for many younger people, often being paired with music genres to suggest a more hip offshoot of the original: alt-rock , alt-country , alt-folk . Critics of the term alt-right believe that it sanitizes, masks, and normalizes the true nature of the ideologies upon which this movement was formed.

Read this article:

Alt-right | Definition of Alt-right at Dictionary.com

Lincoln man condemns use of his viral speech on chicken wings by alt-right group – FOX 11 and FOX 41

Posted on by

A Lincoln man whose satirical speech decrying boneless chicken wings garnered national notoriety condemned Tuesday the verbatim use of his speech by an alt-right group in Oregon last weekend.

Ander Christensen said he felt physically ill Monday after learning his speech was read at a Proud Boys rally in Portland.

I dont think Ive ever heard someone use my words in a way that made me sick before, said Christensen, calling the use of his speech by that crazy white supremacist abhorrent.

#SaucyNugs Lincoln man says we need one small win

The Southern Poverty Law Center has labeled the Proud Boys a hate group that spouts white nationalist messages and affiliates with known extremist groups, though the Proud Boys group disputes the characterization and insists members stand against political correctness.

Rex Fergus, who identifies himself as the Proud Boys president, tweeted a link to a video of him reading Christensens speech and said Violent Riots are really just Peaceful Protests but you sheep wouldnt know the difference right???

Video of Fergus remarks brought the whole chicken wing rant back to Lincoln City Council chambers Monday night, when Black Lives Matter supporters who have testified throughout the summer about police brutality criticized Christensens speech as making a mockery of their activism and secretly signaling an anti-Black Lives Matter message.

But Christensen disputed that.

There was no coded message, he said. There was no secret language in there.

Watch now: Saucy nugs hero takes the floor again, this time interrupting Scott Frost

He meant the speech to be taken as a joke, one that he initially conceived of in May but held off on delivering because of the number of people this summer who were bringing serious issues before the council, he said.

Christensen, whose father Roy Christensen is a councilman, said he knows many on the council personally and wanted his joke to bring levity to the Aug. 31 meeting, which he thought had a mostly benign agenda.

As for this issue, Ander Christensen contemplated how to react to news of the Proud Boys rally.

If we give too much credence to the people who want to spread hate and want to spread bigotry, they take those things (jokes and laughter) away from us, Christensen said.

Since going viral, Christensen said hes sought to fan the fame flowing from his speech to help put the spotlight back on restaurants, particularly those who make his beloved chicken wings, in a time when theyve struggled during the pandemic.

He has planned a campaign to highlight favored chicken wing joints between Lincoln, Buffalo, New York, and Washington, D.C., where he will be the first chicken wing lobbyist, according to his website.

Though he received negative feedback, Christensen said the vast majority of people saw his speech as the joke he intended, and he hopes that fun will be allowed during this trying year.

Theres sunshine outside, and its not a bad thing to enjoy it, he said.

Photos: Fall showing off in Nebraska

FOX41 YakimaFOX11 TriCities

Read the original here:

Lincoln man condemns use of his viral speech on chicken wings by alt-right group - FOX 11 and FOX 41

A brief history of the violent, alt-right group, the Proud Boys – Dazed

Posted on by

The anti-immigrant, all-male organisation was referenced in the presidential debate, with Donald Trump telling them to stand back and stand by

Yesterday (September 29), in a presidential debate described by BBC News as the political equivalent of a food fight, Donald Trump proved, yet again, that not only is he unfit to run a country, hes also a total piece of shit.

Widely perceived as a hot mess and the worst presidential debate in living memory by both the public and global news corporations, the night was overrun with interruptions, false claims, rants, and personal insults largely from Trump. Joe Biden, his Democrat opponent, kept his cool, occasionally interrupting, and frequently laughing at the presidents incoherent heckling.

In one particularly frenzied moment, Biden was being interrupted so much by Trump, he had to urge, Will you shut up, man? Later referencing the presidents inability to STFU, he told moderator Chris Wallace who frequently lost control of the debate that its hard to get any word in with this clown.

The pair did find some time to address actual issues, including the coronavirus pandemic and institutional racism. However, when Trump was given the chance to renounce right-wing violence, he instead told one far-right group, called the Proud Boys, to stand back and stand by. He then pivoted to attack left-wing and anti-facist activists.

Here, following their direct address by the president of the United States, Dazed outlines who the Proud Boys are, what they stand against, and how theyve reacted to their reference on prime time TV. For a more detailed overview of what happened during last nights presidential debate, head to The Guardian or BBC News.

The all-male Proud Boys group has been described as an alt-right, fascist organisation, which was founded ahead of the US election in 2016 by VICE co-founder Gavin McInnes. It was reportedly started as a joke in the far-right Takis Magazine, with its name stemming from the song Proud of Your Boy from the Aladdin musical. McInnes who was pushed out of VICE in 2008 began distancing himself from the group in 2017, saying hes not a part of the alt-right because his focus isnt race, but Western values. OK.

As reported by news podcast The Takeaway in 2018, the groups recruitment process focuses on white men aged between 15 and 30. The Proud Boys say they have an initiation process which, obviously, includes hazing a process where those wanting to join are degraded and humiliated in order to prove their commitment to the group. According to The Daily Beast, one of the hazing rituals includes calling out the names of cereal brands while getting punched in the face.

Equality, basically. The group believes that white men and Western culture are under siege, and therefore engages in misogyny, homophobia, racism, and violence in order to protect the values held dear by the most marginalised people in history: them. The Proud Boys have described themselves as a Western chauvinist group, with McInnes once asserting that women and other marginalised groups have incentive to be a victim. The group is opposed to feminism McInnes has reportedly called it a cancer and is overtly racist, Islamophobic, anti-Semitic, homophobic, and transphobic.

Though the group reportedly rejects white supremacy (it permits non-white male members) it has regularly participated in racist events, and the FBI has labelled it an extremist group with ties to white nationalism (although the agency later backtracked). The Southern Poverty Law Centre lists the Proud Boys as a hate group.

The group glorifies political violence against the left-wing, with McInnes once declaring: I want violence, I want punching in the face. Im disappointed in Trump supporters for not punching enough. In 2018, when the Proud Boys Twitter account was shut down McInnes was also removed the groups profile photo depicted a member punching a counter-protester.

The Proud Boys have an extensive history of street violence against left-wing activists and protesters. In recent months, the group has repeatedly turned up to oppose Black Lives Matter or Antifa demonstrations, with their presence often resulting in violence. Since 2017, the group has engaged in political fights in a number of states across the US, as well as in Canada. One notorious 2018 incident in Manhattan in which anti-fascist activists protesting a talk by McInnes were attacked by the Proud Boys resulted in the arrest of ten men, two of whom were sentenced to four years in prison.

Much to the dismay of Fred Perry, the Proud Boys have adopted the British labels black and yellow polo shirt as its uniform, even going as far as appropriating the brands signature wreath emblem to advertise a recent rally. Fred Perrys signature polos are associated with the skinhead movement, which originally stood against fascism, but became linked to the far-right politics of the British National Front in the 1970s. The brand has since been adopted by various right-wing movements around the world, many of which are dismally still going strong.

On Sunday (September 27), Fred Perry announced that it will stop importing the shirt to North America and Canada, due to the styles associations with the Proud Boys. Fred Perry does not support and is in no way affiliated with the Proud Boys, the label said in a statement, adding that the groups subversion of its clothing and logo is incredibly frustrating. The brand confirmed that its working with lawyers to pursue any unlawful use of our brand.

Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube have all banned the Proud Boys from their platform, but as BBC News reports, the groups chairman, Enrique Tarrio, responded to Trumps shout out on discussion network Parler, writing: Standing by sir I will stand down sir!!! The group also added the phrase Stand Back, Stand By to their logo. Sigh.

Original post:

A brief history of the violent, alt-right group, the Proud Boys - Dazed

My Childs Adoptive Mother Is an Alt-Right, Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy Theorist – Slate

Posted on by

Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by Chinnapong/iStock/Getty Images Plus.

Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. Have a question for Care and Feeding? Submit it here or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group.

Dear Care and Feeding,

When I was in college, I became pregnant and put the baby up for adoption. I chose a couple who were educated, lived in a very nice area, and seemed like smart, kind, and good people. They emailed me photos and updates for about a year, until they divorced, and then we lost touch.

The child is 9 now. The mom recently found me on Facebook, and I was shocked to see that she has become a conservative alt-right conspiracy theorist gun nut, anti-vaccination, and anti-mask COVID denier. She posted about home-schooling (not virtual school) the child but also posted about working two jobs, which leads me to think the child is only learning xenophobia. As far as I can tell, the dad has nothing to do with either of them anymore. My question is: Is this a case of I signed away my parental rights and should let them be, or should I be concerned? And if so, what could I do? The child hasnt seen me since she was a baby and may not even know shes adopted.

Not the Mom

Dear NM,

You havent said why you are concerned, and I dont want to assume. Is it because its simply awful that a child, any child, is being raised this way? Or do you have feelings connected to your role as her birth mother? I think its important that you establish that for yourself, and if you find that youre having a hard time processing this emotionally, it may be worth it to speak to a professional who has experience with parents of children placed in adoptive care.

That said, you did sign away your parental rights, but you still have every right to be concernedI am too! I have no connection to this child, but I am concerned anytime I hear of a young person being trained in the ways of the worst among us. We all should feel a sense of responsibility for the children of the world, and it would not be unreasonable at all for you to feel particularly bothered by this set of circumstances.

What was the nature of the moms message to you? Did she want to stay in touch or merely say hello? There is a scenario in which she could introduce you into her daughters life, and perhaps over time, you could serve as a positive influence that is a counterpoint to her own behavior. In terms of taking more drastic action, if you are to become aware that this child is not actually being schooled at all, its possible that a call to local child protective services could be helpful, but please note the emphasis on the word possiblemany of those agencies are more capable of doing harm than good and I would not recommend this if you didnt think they could intervene positively.

Its likely that the best thing you can do for this girl is to pray (if youre the praying sort) and/or send positive energy, and to function in the world as a person who steadfastly opposes the values she is being taught in both word and deed. Also, it is important that you remember that you made a choice based on the information made available to you at the time and that you are not in any way, shape, or form responsible for what has happened here.

Help us keep giving the advice you crave every week. Sign up for Slate Plus now.

Dear Care and Feeding,

I am five months into a pregnancy conceived with donor sperm and I intended to be a single mother. However, I met someone wonderful two months ago who, at least so far, is a great match for me and very interested in what life might be like when the baby comes, including discussions about co-habitation sometime after the birth. The pregnancy, along with quarantine, has made the relationship move somewhat faster than usual, and that means that were both very committed already.

My question concerns meeting his kids, who are 4 and 8. At this point, he hasnt mentioned me to them, but things are getting to the point where we both want that to happen. His kids have a baby sibling, and they love having the baby around; that also means that they are very much aware of what another new baby means for their lives. Im wondering if I should meet his kids before my (our?) baby comes, so I can get to know them without the preoccupations of new motherhood and so they can be prepared for another new baby in their lives, or if it would be better to wait and be introduced along with the baby. Were both concerned about making sure that Im not meeting the kids before were pretty certain about each other, so its not likely to happen immediately, regardless. But it also a pretty big change thats coming, and giving them adjustment time seems wise, too. The timing of everything is just very tight. What do you recommend?

Brisk Blending

Dear BB,

Do you know another word for two months?

Recently. You recently started dating someone three months into your first pregnancy, and have begun pondering whether this child will belong to the both of you in three or four months. This could be the start of a fairy tale, or a cautionary one. But Im pretty sure its gonna be either/or.

You absolutely must meet these children before deciding to move in with their father, and you must see your partner parent before you decide to do what exactly is it that you are planning to do? Are you talking about living together, or entering some sort of formal agreement to long-term partnership and the shared raising of this child? Would your man be Mommys boyfriend? Dad? Stepdad? Uncle Jesse?

Why are you doing this? That is a sincere question, not a spicy one. You were prepared for single motherhood before. How long did you take to come to that decision? Would you, under not-pregnant circumstances, move in with a boyfriend this early in the relationship? How about one who had kids? Are you simply confident that this is the person you want long term, or are you perhaps feeling some anxiety about being a solo mom to an infant?

What about your boyfriend? Is he typically inclined to move at this pace? Is he on good terms with his ex? Also, if the kids have a baby sibling, Im assuming his former partner just had the child? Is it possible that he may be feeling a little emotional, having a bit of baby fever, or missing that sweet stage in parenting before yelling mean words and arguing with one another?

Maybe this is just perfect timing and you guys will be one big happy family.

Either way, I imagine that you have put a lot of thought and effort into becoming pregnant and preparing for motherhood. You should put that same amount of thought and effort into defining what the circumstances around your child would ideally look like to you, which means being absolutely certain that youve gotten to truly know the person you partner with and how you introduce them. Good luck to you.

If you missed Tuesdays Care and Feeding column, read it here.

Discuss this column in the Slate Parenting Facebook group!

Dear Care and Feeding,

I have struggled with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia since I was 12. They were especially triggered by fat in my stomach and thighs, and I would have literal nightmares about immense weight gain in those areas. Eventually, I went to therapy as a teenager, and that helped immensely. In order to help pay tuition in college, I modeled for several years, but ended up relapsing and quitting.

Im now married, and my husband and I both want children soon. The thing is, I still struggle with body dysmorphia and the thought of being pregnant terrifies me. Im almost certain I would relapse severely into my eating disorder. My husband is understanding and has said many times that he would love for us to adopt or use a surrogate, but I cant shake the feeling that Im being selfish. I also know that our families would ask about our reasons, and I dont know how to respond to those questions. Am I being selfish or vain? How can I respond to the barrage of questions I know well get? And how would I talk to my future child about this?

Image Issues

Dear II,

You are not being selfish nor vain, and neither of those words should ever be used to refer to making the decision to adopt. Further, its not unusual or rare for someone under your circumstances to choose to use a surrogate. You have a health issue and you may choose to approach motherhood using any of those methods for that reason. The most important thing is that you have a partner who understands and respects your needs, and you dont need to worry about convincing anyone else. All you need to tell anyone is that you made the best choice for your family. Sending you all the best and many good wishes for a happy, healthy journey to motherhood, no matter what you decide.

Dear Care and Feeding,

My family (me, partner, 4-year-old) are really lucky to be relocating closer to the extended family soon. My wonderful mom just retired from teaching first grade and is excited to be a full-time grandma and teacher until its safe to send our kid to preschool. Wed appreciate advice on how to help this go well: particularly, helping our kid separate Playtime Grandma and Teacher Grandma, having parent-teacher conversations with someone whos also my mom, and probably many other things we havent thought about yet.

The Teachers Kid

Dear TTK,

Content Locked for Slate Plus members

It is wonderful that your mom is able to do this for your family! While shell never be able to entirely separate yourself from the beloved role of Grandmother, you all can create a division between how she interacts with your child inside and outside of the classroom.

There should be as many visual distinctions as possible. Hold class in a different space than where play usually takes place, even if its the same room. Teacher Grandma can wear a special hat, type of outfit, or an accessory that distinguishes her from Playtime Grandma. Be truly intentional about creating school habits, schedules, and routinesand sticking to them as a parent. Ensure that the two of them continue to get time together that isnt just about school. Good luck!

Jamilah

When I was young, my parents worked very hard to put their children through college. Now my husband works 70 hours a week as a physician, and I am a part-time nurse. We live in an affluent part of town so our kids can go to the best public schools. My 10-year-old daughter is very intelligent but lazy and unmotivated. She received several Fs on the last report card for not doing her assignments but is not embarrassed at all. When I ask her to do homework or read, she gets angry and stomps off. Her friends have phones and tablets, and my daughter has asked for these items, but I cannot reward laziness. Thus, she is angry. What should I do? Her attitude stinks. I am concerned about her indifference and the effect it will have on her future.

Slate Plus members get more parenting advice every week. They also help support Slates journalism.

The rest is here:

My Childs Adoptive Mother Is an Alt-Right, Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy Theorist - Slate