#482 Author and Intuitive Michael McAdams and His Book, An Angel Told Me So – BlogTalkRadio

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Please join Dave the Mystic on Monday, August 3, 2020 at 8PM MDT with guest Michael McAdams.

Michael McAdams has felt a sense of destiny and purpose his entire life. A life-long sincere seeker of truth, Michael has endeavored to reach out with an open mind to all sources available.

His mother, Wilma Jean Jones, was a devout Christian and a daily reader of her Bible. Jones was spoken to and advised throughout her life regarding spiritual matters. In 1977, she was led to sit down and receive messages and teachings dictated directly from spirit teachers/angels in dedicated sessionsand did so for the next 22 years. Working with her son Michael McAdams, this collection of messages and teachings are recorded in three volumes of the book An Angel Told Me So.

Brought up in the Pentecostal church, Michaels uncle was a fiery Pentecostal preacher by the name of John W. Sullivan. Although Michael has always felt more spiritual than religious, communication from the highest possible source has been his goal as he enables his mind to receive information and direction that allows him to help the greatest number of people. When the student

is ready a teacher will appear has been very appropriate for Michael as his path has consistently brought him together with individuals, books, and sources of learning that have allowed continued growth and spiritual enlightenment.

Thanks for listening!

Blessings

Dave the Mystic

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#482 Author and Intuitive Michael McAdams and His Book, An Angel Told Me So - BlogTalkRadio

Hinduism Survived Years Of Raids Through Its Inclusiveness, Not Violence And Bloodshed – Outlook India

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Let me begin with a near-classic poem by one of Malayalam's Maha Kavis (great poets) Vallathol Narayana Menon, who was also part of the famous Triumvirate of modern Malayalam poetry, the other two being Kumaran Asan and Ulloor Parameswaran Iyer. The whole poem is based on an episode described in poet-saint Valmikis immortal classic Ramayana, and is called Oushadha Apaharanam (Oushadha means medicine in Sanskrit and apaharanam means theft). The reference was to Lord Hanuman's mission in search of a wonder drug to revive Lord Rams brother Lakshmana who was knocked out by Indrajit, the son of king Ravana, in the finale of the epic Ram-Ravana battle. Hanuman retrieves the rare Mruthasanjeevani (life-restoring herb) from the Himalayas by uprooting a whole mountain as he couldnt identify the single herb he was looking for. He returns to the battlefield to revive Lakshmana who had, by then, not only woken up but even killed Indrajit and his brother Athikaya, much to the grief of their father, Ravana. Unable to bear the loss of both his sons, Lankesh, the Lord of Lanka, returns to his palace to seek comfort in his wife Mandodaris arms. As it happened in classical times, when a great King returns from battle, so must his army and the whole war machine follow him.

In what could certainly be described as some of the most sublime lines in literature anywhere at any time, Sage Valmiki excels himself here while enunciating on the ephemerality of human life and the transient nature of mans relationship with his material world that includes his near and dear.

As the king moves away from the battlefield and towards his palace, he was followed by the whole humanity of his soldiers and the, as also the battle animals and weapons. As he goes further down the road, the massive fallback can be seen thinning bit by retinue bit, square by square and, finally, by the time he reaches the palace, the retreating procession is reduced to a few top generals and the royal bodyguards. Moving further to the interiors, Ravana had only his close relatives to accompany him into the inner chambers of the royal household. Thus, finally, he approaches the royal bedroom where he was expecting his wife to be waiting for him and in whose arms the mighty king was eager to fall asleep. Ravana opens the door only to find that even she is missing. Mandodari had killed herself upon her sons death. The moment of ultimate wisdom dawns on the great king who is also a great scholar and a favourite devotee of Lord Shiva. At that rare moment of realisation, Ravana could see life as a gradual journey towards the Supreme Being, the Brahma, in the course of which everyone, even the king, had to renounce all of his self both material and spiritual, his power and glory, his vices and virtues, and even his pride and self-respect until he is left with the only indestructible, the only permanent entity, the soul that which itself must merge in the very end with Brahma, the Universe.

This is the profundity of a Faith called Hinduism (in English) or Hindutva, as it is known in these times of divisive politics, or just Hindu which is what it ultimately is. A phenomenon that refuses to be encased in a few hymns and prayers, or tied around a few thousand gods and goddesses, or patronized by believers and vilified by non-believers alike, or interpreted by self-styled scholars and pundits, or swallowed lock, stock, and barrel by the un-critical and superstitious. And yet, this great source of universal wisdom and spiritual enlightenment, this superior literature, in fact, the best any civilization could ever offer to humanity, remains an enigma, a hypothesis that anyone and everyone is allowed to enter its ancient catacombs and explore according to his own vision or vicissitudes, his own caprice or confidence. Very much like our own blue planet that has endured nearly five billion years of galactic poundings, and yet remains the best in our known universe, so too has this unique belief system survived thousands of years of civilizational raids and invasions with its inner core, its teachings, its literature, and even its fables all staying intact. Not by resorting to violence and bloodshed, but by being inclusive and accommodative, all the while being supremely confident of its eternity through time and space.

True, Hinduism has been misrepresented and mystified by foreign scholars such as Friedrich Max Muller who wanted to super-impose Christianity over the ancient religion; it has been slandered and vilified by several secular scholars who misinterpreted and mistranslated the Vedas and Upanishads; it has been desecrated and nearly destroyed by foreign invaders. And yet, very much like the Earth itself, this belief system, Sanatana Dharma as some call it, has prevailed, and still does, like everything else that is rooted on the terra firma of this planet - the mountains, the oceans, the forests and the deserts. Not for nothing did Carl Sagan call its permanence elemental.

Of course, for the untrained mind and the un-evolved soul, this phenomenon is beyond their grasp, nothing more than mere illusion or Maya.

To an atheist like me, personally, the great epics of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Bhagavata, as also the great Vedas and the Upanishads, are all a divine celebration of this Dharma called Hinduism. The heroes, the heroines, the demons, and the characters from the animal world therein are all born out of the super-natural imagination of Man who wanted to create a world of perfection where truth eventually would prevail over falsehood, the good over the evil. Its only logical then that these human and non-human characters earned, over the millennia, their divinity worthy of worship.

(The author is a veteran journalist with over 40 years of experience. He has worked with The Hindustan Times, The Washington Post, Reuters, and Al Jazeera, and News X.)

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Hinduism Survived Years Of Raids Through Its Inclusiveness, Not Violence And Bloodshed - Outlook India

A rebuttal to Sam George’s mid-length propaganda: "The path to enlightenment ain’t easy. We get it through trial, struggle, self-flagellation….

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Mid-length propaganda

Heres the thing: youre riding the wrong surfboard.

The wrong surfboard, that is, if you have no surf contest trophies in your well-stocked boardroom, no sponsorship deals, less than six stickers top and bottom and only family and friends subscribing to your vlog.

Forget what all the promo clips on various websites try to get you to believe, because you perform like none of the super-hot surfers featured in those test rides, with their tail slides, vertical backside hacks and aerial antics.

As recently as last month a New York Times feature covering our sports Covid-truncated entry into the Olympics, asserted that surfings three fundamentals were airs, turns and barrels.

Yeah, right, and you get your boards for free, too.

Whole quivers, like little Jackson Dorian, whose grasp of those fundamentals is on display every time he hits the water, fresh or otherwise. But hes not you, so while Baby D might actually tick each of those boxes on every Waco pulse he rides, let me tell you how you surf, if youre old enough to have read this far and still insist on riding any surfboard that even remotely resembles a pros.

You thrash your way into most waves, paddling furiously, occasionally kicking.

Most of your drops are late, because you have to take off under the lip.

After getting to your feet you immediately start back-foot pushing against your fin cluster, rather than applying pressure to the inside rail, in an effort to get the board moving down the line.

You rarely do an actual bottom turn, but for the most part just push the board ahead of you across the middle of the wave face, seldom, if ever, achieving enough planing speed to apply the rhythmic weighting/unweighting that defines true rail-to-rail surfing.

After running ahead of the curl, and if youre lucky enough to find an accommodating shoulder, with the board flat on the wave face you lean, not carve, into a cutback, not engaging the rail but simply re-directing the nose of the board toward the curl or advancing whitewater.

Slowing down considerably, you then step on the tail, lift the nose, swing the board back around and begin the fin-pushing process all over again.

And thats if youre lucky.

A more typical ride sees you pushing your board flat across the wave face, trying desperately to generate and maintain speed until the wave inevitably closes out and you crank the nose of your board up above the lip and then swing it back down in the whitewater in a classic roller-coaster maneuver that Mike Purpus wouldve been proud ofin 1969.

Is all this to say that youre a bad surfer?

No, simply that youre riding the wrong surfboard.

Just like fundamentals for the vast majority of surfers today do not include airs or barrels (well give you the turns, however feeble), an equally vast majority take advantage of absolutely none of the design/performance qualities built into boards ridden by professional grade surfers.

These boards, primarily thrusters with various, subtle variations, are designed to do exactly what all thrusters have been designed to do since Simons first incarnation in 1981: go vertical and then back down, with alternating pressure on the side fins, carving turns on-rail.

Now be honest: is that how you surf?

Ever?

So heres your problem and the solution, all in two sentences.

Problem: youre riding a pro model thruster like youre on a mid-size.

Solution: Ride a mid-size.

Seriously.

Have you seen that video of Torren Martyn in Iceland?

Or Rob Machado on his Stretched Seaside?

Go ahead, scrounge up any of the latest CI-Mid clips and ask yourself this: who do you surf more like, Italo Ferreira or Devon Howard?

Of course, and why do you think thats so?

Because mid-masters like Howard, Martyn and Machado ride boards that are designed to accommodate the needs of, Id say, 99% of all of the worlds competent surfers you included.

Unlike the pro model boards, with their anorexic volume, wide-point-back, narrow-nosed templates and demanding fin-clusters each designed to be ridden in a manner you never have and most probably never will todays new mids, with their continuous curve templates, generous width and foil and sensible fin setups let you do all the things youre trying to do now, only better.

Not sticking trampoline aerials or GoPro-ing fifty-eight-second barrels, but getting into the waves that you regularly surf early and with authority. Immediately achieving trim, then flowing, not fighting, from top to bottom and back again. Generating speed with the rail, not scrubbing it off with the fins. Carrying that speed through a legitimate figure-eight, not rectangular, cutback. Catching more waves, making more waves, riding faster, cleaner, stronger.

Your own surfing experience reflecting those additional core values that in the same NYT story they assign as if solely applicable to professional competitive performance: speed, power and flow.

Forget the New York Times that could be you.

Tomorrow.

But only if youd stop riding the wrong surfboard, and get yourself a mid.

(Oh, and for those particular BeachGrit readers out there who, after reading this, are no doubt feverishly working up some predictably caustic responsesome variation of Fuck that guy, I dont need a mid-size. I have only one word: bullshit.)

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A rebuttal to Sam George's mid-length propaganda: "The path to enlightenment ain't easy. We get it through trial, struggle, self-flagellation....

Dimension of Krishna Sadhana – The New Indian Express

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Question: Did Krishna do any sadhana before his enlightenment? What brought him to such a state in this life?

Sadhguru: For a human being to live in joy and love, every day is a tremendous sadhana. Most people smile when someone is around, but if you look at them when they are alone, the depressed face they wear says everything. If you cannot be alone, it obviously means you are in bad company.

Mixing with people is like a festival, but being is always in aloneness. To be loving every moment of your lifenot only if a certain situation occurs, or if you see a certain personif you are simply loving, indiscriminately, your intelligence blossoms in a completely different way.

To be loving is not a gift to someone else. It is the pleasantness of your systemyour emotion, mind, and body naturally become pleasant. And there is substantial scientific evidence to prove today that only when your system is pleasant, your intelligence functions at its best.

You will see, if your heart beats 60 times per minute when you are restful, you are in tune with the planet. If you do some simple yogic practices like Surya Namaskar and Shambhavi Mahamudra for about 18 months, it will be 60you will be in tune. When you are in tune, being joyful is natural because that is how the being is made. It is made to flourish.

This was Krishnas sadhanahe was in perfect tune with life around him. The fact that everyone still loved him though he stole butter and pulled all kinds of pranks means that somehow he got them in tune with himself.

Until the age of 16, Krishnas sadhana was just to be in perfect tune with life around him. Then his Guru, Sandipani, reminded him that there was a bigger purpose to his life. Krishna said, "I just like to be in this village. I like the cows, the cowherds, the gopis. I want to dance and sing with them. But Sandipani said, You have to stand up because this is the purpose for which you were born. This needs to happen."

Krishna went and stood on a small hill that is known as Govardhan Hill. When Krishna came back down, he was not the boy he used to be. He came down with a different gravity about himself. People knew something phenomenal had happened, and they also knew they were going to lose him. When they looked at him, he still smiled back at them, but there was no love in his eyesthere was vision. He saw things that they could not even imagine.

After the reminder, his first exploit was to kill his uncle Kamsa and end his tyranny over the Yadavas. Then he withdrew into the ashram of his Guru Sandipani along with his brother Balarama and lived the life of a brahmachari for the next seven years. Until he was 22, he did intense spiritual sadhana.

Krishnas sadhana was of a different dimension. Sandipani designed it in such a way that it was largely internal. Since Krishna lived and acted like he belonged to Satya Yuga, everything happened on a mental level for him. Sandipani did not need to open his mouth to give an instruction. All was conveyed mentally; all was grasped mentally; all was attained mentally. And he displayed that in a million different ways in his life.

(Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and a bestselling author. He was conferred the Padma Vibhushan in 2017 and can be contacted atIsha.sadhguru.org)

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Dimension of Krishna Sadhana - The New Indian Express

Why Bodh Gaya is Considered the Navel of the Earth – Ancient Origins

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India is the birthplace of Buddhism and as one of the oldest faiths followed, there are many wonderous Buddhist sites. There is also a growing recognition of the countrys Buddhist heritage. One of the most holy Buddhist sites is Bodh Gaya, where the spiritual life of the Buddha is commemorated and revered by devotees from all over the world. Additionally, Bodh Gayas temple is one of the wonders of ancient Indian architecture.

According to Buddhist teaching, young prince Siddhartha Gautama was greatly moved by the suffering of the world and sought to end it. He retreated from the world, lived as an ascetic and spent his time searching for answers. When this failed, he chose a more moderate path and meditated under a fig tree, later known as the Bodhi Tree. Here he attained enlightenment and that moment was the start of Buddhism.

The Bodhi Tree was held sacred by the followers of the Gautama Buddha and when it died, its saplings were used to propagate others. As a result, the Bodhi tree that still stands in Bodh Gaya is a direct descendant of the fig tree under which Siddhartha Gautama became enlightened.

The followers of Buddha made pilgrimages from all over Asia to the holy site and it became known by its current name, great enlightenment. According to legend, the first temple was built by Ashoka the Great , emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty. It was later expanded during the Gupta Dynasty and flourished until the 8 th century AD. The site began to decline after the Muslim invasion of the Indian subcontinent and Buddhism went into rapid decline. The complex, however, was not completely abandoned as Burmese rulers supported the site financially.

Indian Buddhist monk in meditation near the Bodhi Tree and Diamond Throne ( artitwpd / Adobe Stock)

Under British rule in the 19 th century, the site was restored. The Bodh Gaya is still popular with Buddhist pilgrims across the world and is regarded as their most holy site, the navel of the earth. Bodh Gaya was awarded the UNESCO World Heritage status in 2002.

The most striking structure at the Bodh Gaya site is the Mahabodhi Temple, which is a pyramidal temple topped with a large stupa. This truncated pyramid is made of stone coated with stucco. It has been restored many times and the majority of the original structure dates to the Gupta period.

Mahabodhi Temple's central tower rises to a height of 160 feet (55 meters) and there are a number of statues of Buddha in niches along the structure. The upper part of the temple is plated with gold - a gift of the Thai King. The temple was once decorated with sculpted reliefs, masterpieces of Indian art, depicting scenes from Buddhist mythology , but these have now been moved to a nearby museum.

A number of smaller towers and stupas were built in the vicinity. The temple is surrounded on four sides by 6-foot-high railing that dates to the Shunga Empire . The 60-foot-high statue of the Buddha that dates back many centuries has been restored and plated with gold in parts.

Statue of Great Buddha in Bodh Gaya, India ( rpbmedia / Adobe Stock)

Beneath the holy Bodhi tree where Buddha meditated and attained enlightenment is the Vajrasana or diamond throne made of thick slab of granite. It was built on the orders of Ashoka the Great not long after 250 BC and the designs, as well as the decorative friezes, are similar to those found on the Pillars of Ashoka . A public space for worshippers is located in front the tree.

Bodh Gaya is approximately 60 miles (80km) from Patna, in the state of Bihar, situated in north-east India. Public transport to the site is readily available and a fee is charged to enter. Visitors are subject to security checks and in some parts of the site required to take off their shoes.

The atmosphere in Bodh Gaya is remarkable as the air is filled by the chants of monks . As this site is sacred to both Buddhists and many Hindus, visitors are reminded to behave in a respectful and appropriate manner.

Top image: Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya, India. The site where Buddha attained enlightenment.

Source: tinnaporn / Adobe Stock

By Ed Whelan

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Why Bodh Gaya is Considered the Navel of the Earth - Ancient Origins

Satan in the Times | John Mark N. Reynolds – Patheos

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Satans existence is suggested by human experience and the Bible and is confirmed by reading the Times. The Times is almost surely not a particularly diabolical organ, but it does report the news and the news often shows signs of the demonic.

The bad news about the world is evidence for evil that goes beyond the merely human.

The Devil is a spiritual being gone wrong who could not be satisfied with goodness, truth, and beauty. This proud tyrant seizes power and authority that he is not fit to wield. The Creator grants the Devil his free choice and allows the natural consequences of his folly to come to full fruition.

God, in his justice, allows the case against truth, goodness, and beauty to be made by Satan to humankind. Sensible humans will take this into account when living life.

The existence of the devil is a good reminder that just because a being is spiritual does not mean he is benevolent. Religious experiences can be diverse partly because we misunderstand them, but partly because some spiritual beings are deceptive and malevolent.

Theology, the science of knowing God, helps protect humankind from these beings. People who try to be spiritual without theology are doing the spiritual equivalent of walking into Los Angeles and asking anyone they meet to be their best friend and boss. It might work out well, but it probably will not.

God speaks to humanity and the Devil has chosen to try to confuse our reception of His loving words. As a good Father, God tries to warn us of bad behavior and theology and the Bible gives us those warnings in writing. One hears the voice of Satan when this sensible morality is attacked in the name of a new theology which is always as old as the Garden of Eden.

Satan tells every generation of Christians that something big has happened and that the Church must change or die. The Internet, the pill, the bomb, World War II, flappers, the steam engine, the Enlightenment, the Fall of Rome all have been given as reasons that goodness, truth, and beauty had to change to fit the times. Ignoring this demonic folly has proven good policy.

Humans are quite capable of imagining and performing evil acts without help, of course. In our broken condition we act badly even when we wish we wouldnt. Nobody needs a devil for that kind of thing, but with a little aid and encouragement we can go further and become positively inhuman. Knowing this puts us on our guard and makes our prayers an even more pressing priority.

Because he is not a god, Satan cannot do everything. His resources are great, but limited. He is often happy to be ignored, because the ignorant cannot expose his limitations. The skeptic will overlook what he does do and the fanatic will give him credit for evils he could not do. Like any insecure and tyrannical soul, Satan cannot simply hide, but must sometimes demand either fear or love.

His limitations suggest a mixed policy of encouraging atheists to ignore him, Satanists to worship him, pagans to misidentify him, and Christians to be obsessively fearful of him. This maximizes his influence and minimizes his defeats.

Nobody save a prophet can look at the Times and be sure what God or the Devil is doing at any given moment or in any given news story. Gods providence is inscrutable in its complexity, but rational, while the Devils work is manifestly irrational and thus difficult to discern.Over time, in the hideous works of Stalin, Hitler, or Mao, humankind can begin to discern a touch of the diabolical. Meanwhile, we trust in God, attempt to do the good He gives us to do with the means he gives us, and keep an exorcist or pastor handy.

It is sensible to suspect the diabolical when an evil is sustained, irrational, and obviously and spectacularly destructive to the very parties practicing it. We should enter such situations reasonably and prayerfully. Let me suggest two types of front page wickedness that might give a Christian special concern.

The irrational, wicked, continuous, and destructive hatred of the Jewish people has a bloody and sordid history. Anti-Semitism has sponsored so much wickedness that it is reasonable to suspect diabolical forces behind it.

The tyrant in any cult of personality in a nation or in a small group behaves much like Satan. The weird, wicked, and ultimately self-destructive actions of the leader of North Korea make our special prayers for the deliverance of that nation especially appropriate.

Jesus believed He was God and died for our sins, Kim Jong-Il acts like he is god and kills others for his sins. If Dear Leader is not possessed of devils, he gives a fair imitation.

Of course, the pages of the Times only record the public actions of humankind. They rarely venture to tell the private struggles of the men and women that form most of the actual history of our sad race. It is there that most of us come face to face with devils.

Each of us faces temptations and some of these come with special force and are particularly hard to resist. No man can blame devils for bad choices or pass off his personal moral responsibility, but many men are aware of the persuasive power of Satans pleading for evil.

The devil did not make us do it, but he surely is not helpful.

Plunging into wickedness is bad for the human soul in itself, but also because it allies the bad man with the devils. Demons are not helpful or trustworthy allies.

Satan exists with his demons and he is intent on destroying as much that is beautiful as he can. We need not fear him, but cannot ignore him. And so the wise man prays for deliverance from human and diabolical temptation while longing for mercy from Jesus Christ, Gods Son, for our failures.

Thank God such mercy is available.

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Satan in the Times | John Mark N. Reynolds - Patheos

6 Facts About Water Lilies That Will Make You Love Them Even More – MSN Money

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Bob Stefko These majestic water-dwellers have colorful flowers and pretty leaves, but there's so much more to them that you might not know.

The quiet beauty of a pond or lake is instantly enhanced by a water lily's rounded leaves and starry flowers floating placidly on the surface. These unique aquatic plants can bloom in a range of colors anytime from late spring through fall in most regions of the country. Their leaves can be cup-shaped, star-shaped, and smooth or jagged. And while water lilies may be most visible on the surface of still freshwater, they are rooted in the mud below, where they overwinter and regrow the following year. Here are a few more interesting facts about these amazing flowers that will likely surprise you.

When you imagine a water lily, you probably think of the classic white bloom bursting from a deep green lily pad. But water lilies actually grow in a rainbow of colors, including pink, red, orange, yellow, purple, and blue. Tropical varieties take on jewel tones (purple, orange, bright blue, and yellow), whereas hardier varieties boast a pastel palette. Sometimes hardy varieties change shades as their blooms age. Even the leaf colors vary from deep green to rich burgundy. Water lilies aren't just a one-trick pretty pony; they have lots of tricks up their sleeves.

Although they're known for their stunning appearance, water lilies are actually important players in the aquatic ecosystem. These plants are found in shallow and still freshwater such as ponds, lakes, and the edges of slow-moving streams. Because they rest on top of the water's surface, the flowers and pads provide shade above the water, keeping it cooler and preventing algae that thrives in heat from growing in excess. Water lilies also help shelter fish swimming beneath them from the heat of the sun and predatory birds.

Attention July birthdays: Water lily is your flower! (Along with larkspur.) It's no wonder that these bright blooms are linked to July, because they're mainly a summer flower. Water lilies bloom from May through September, putting July smack in the middle of prime water lily season. In frost-free regions, water lilies bloom year-round. But you have to be lucky to catch a water lily blooming; each individual flower lasts for about four days before sinking under the water to rot. Water lilies' beauty is short-lived, but that makes it even more special.

Each variety of these stunners (there are over 50 species) is unique, whether it's the shape, size, color, fragrance, or blooming pattern. Water lilies are native to tropical South America, particularly Brazil, but now inhabit ponds, lakes, and streams all over the world. The largest variety of the water lily is fittingly called the giant water lily. Other names for this huge flower are the Amazon water lily and the royal water lily. This massive, magnificent flower can grow to have a diameter of three to six feet wide and can support 66 pounds of weight; that's means a young child could perch on a giant water lily pad, no problem.

Water lilies mean many things in different areas of the world, but they have special significance in Buddhism and Hinduism. For these religions, the water lily symbolizes resurrection, because these flowers close up at night and reopen in the morning, similar to a spiritual rebirth. Buddhists also believe that the water lily represents enlightenment because a beautiful bloom emerges from the dark, dirty mud.

The impressionist painter Claude Monet often used water lilies as the subject of his work. In fact, he painted more than 250 pieces that featured this aquatic plant, and several of them are among his most famous works of art.

Gallery: 10 of the Best Annuals to Grow in Your Cutting Garden (Better Homes and Gardens)

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6 Facts About Water Lilies That Will Make You Love Them Even More - MSN Money

How To Meditate, Body Scan, Breathe Mindfully And Become More Present – elle.com

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Meditation might be an ancient practice but its benefits for reducing stress, improving mood, sleep and focus transcend centuries.

For millennia, people have been meditating to connect and reflect on their life to find deeper meaning. Its an intensely personal and spiritual experience that requires dedication and is practised by everyone from Oprah Winfrey and Jennifer Lopez, to Angelina Jolie and Eva Mendes.

By practicing meditation with regularity, you will be able to downshift into the bodys natural relaxation response, helping to lower blood pressure, and improve heart rate and breathing,' Sara Auster, one of New Yorks top sound therapists and meditation teachers, tells ELLE UK.

But just how straightforward is practising meditation on a daily, if not weekly, basis? After all, if it was so simple to calm and refocus the mind, wouldnt we all be doing it?

Motoyuki KobayashiGetty Images

We spoke to several experts to find out everything you need to know about meditation, from what it is and its techniques, to breathing and body scanning.

Its unknown when exactly meditation came about, but the earliest documented mention involved Vedantism, a Hindu tradition in India, around 1500 BCE. The verb to meditate originated in the 12th Century and comes from the Latin word meditatum meaning to ponder.

The five major religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam all practice forms of meditation but its widely practiced by non-believers, too.

Contrary to popular belief, meditation is more than just sitting with your legs crossed and closing your eyes in order to find yourself.

According to the meditation app Headspace, meditation is has nothing to do with someone trying to become a different, new or better person. Its about training in awareness and getting a healthy sense of perspective, it explains. Meditation isnt about preventing your thoughts from wandering or 'disappearing', rather observing them without judgment.

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Sarah Romotsky, Director of Healthcare Partnerships at Headspace, tells us: You can practice meditation anywhere; there is no set location, or any equipment needed, and you dont need to necessarily be lying down or sitting on the floor.'

Theres often confusion about mindfulness - the ability to be present, free from distraction, with an open mind and a kind heart - and meditation.

Living more mindfully, by focusing your attention on the present moment without judgement, is a wonderful way to ease stress and anxiety, while creating a sense of peace and ease, explains Romotsky. And then meditation is the more formalised practice of training in mindfulness.

To better understand this, Auster advises experimenting with a sound bath whereby participants 'bathe' in sound waves for a deeply-immersive, full-body listening experience that nurtures both mind and body.

Meditation is more than just sitting with your legs crossed and closing your eyes

A sound bath can be helpful for anyone who wants to access the benefits of meditation but may be intimidated by the so-called rules of meditation. Instead of a meditative practice that requires you to sit up straight or have a point of focus, recite a mantra or count your breaths, to fully participate in a sound bath you simply need to show up and listen.'

Sara Auster running a Sound Bath session

The meditation expert knows that finding space to listen in a world thats over-stimulated and noisy can be a challenge and notes that even the best listeners can struggle to quiet the mind and be fully present.

But when we tune out from constant status updates, non-stop news cycles and instantaneous access to every song/movie/show ever made, we can clear mental space to listen deeply and truly rest, she adds.

Theres no prescriptive way to meditate. As with many practises, the way you meditate might be different to the way a friend, teacher or celebrity goes about it.

This content is imported from YouTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

We know that finding time to read a book is often hard enough, let alone carving out a moment in the diary for 15 minutes of meditation. But in order to be truly present in life and reap its benefits in a calm and fulfilled way we need to take time to be recognise our thoughts, feelings and environment.

There is a Zen proverb that goes something like this: You should sit in meditation for 20 minutes each day, unless you are too busy; then you should sit for an hour, Auster notes. If there are so many crazy things going on in your life, then all the more reason to stop for a few minutes.

Many people say they actually get more done and feel more productive after meditation. Thats because meditation helps improve focus and lowers stress. If 20 minutes a day feel challenging, start with two or three minutes and build up so you dont get discouraged and skip it altogether. Something is always better than nothing.

So, how do you go about meditating while balance a hectic social and work life?

Romotsky suggests starting small, noting: Setting aside just three to 10 minutes each day to meditate is all you really need to feel the benefits and to help keep you in a calm and present mindset.

We find that people who meditate in the morning or integrate it into a consistent routine, same time, same place, are most likely to maintain their practice over time.'

Auster believes in thinking about the 3 Es when beginning a meditation practice.

Being able to access a moment of stillness internally when everything is rapidly swirling around outside of you (or perhaps also inside) is like a superpower, she adds.

There are hundreds of types of meditation practice, which can depend on traditions, cultures, spiritual disciplines, and religions.

Fortunately, as there are many definitions and methods of meditation, there is no right or wrong way to meditate. The main types include: mindfulness, spiritual, focused, movement, mantra and transcendental. Find out more about which meditation technique suits you here.

Most calming meditation practices involve focusing on a particular object your breath, a mantra, a visualisation, a physical object, even physical sensations within your body and returning to that object whenever you get distracted or notice your mind starting to wander, explains the Headpsace app.

You can mediate on your own in silence, with a meditation app like Headsapce or Calm on the move, with music or with friends. As long as youre focusing on your surroundings, feelings, sensations and thoughts then youre good to go.

Setting aside just three to 10 minutes each day to meditate is all you really need

I find meditation in sitting on the floor with the kids colouring for an hour, or going on the trampoline, Angelina Jolie previously told Stylist magazine. You do what you love, that makes you happy, and that gives you your meditation.

Its totally fine for your mind to wander slightly during meditation. In fact, thats part and parcel of the practice and helps you notice other sensations in the body, your surroundings and thoughts you hadnt paid much attention to previously.

Most first-time meditators find it strange and sometimes unnatural to sit in silence for a couple of minutes and be with their innermost thoughts and feelings, says Romotsky. To sit and do nothing are the very things that the mind tends to resist.

However, many people who attempt meditation panic that a wandering mind or feeling fidgety suggests theyve somehow failing which couldnt be further from the truth.

Meditation is about setting time aside to guide your mind. Its a peaceful yet active process, adds Auster. Youre not sitting back with a blank mind; instead youre softly moving your mind toward more awareness, consciousness, and choice.

She advises guiding your attention is a way to calm the mind, not silence it. Each time you try, you will get better at it. There is a reason we call it a practice. It only works if you do it (again and again and again).

If you feel uncomfortable practising meditation, Romotsky advises asking yourself where feelings of discomfort are coming from; does it reflect feelings in the mind or external influences?

A lot of the time, these feelings may be caused by resistance and fighting against these might cause more agitation. By allowing these emotions to escape the body during meditation, both the mind and the body can settle down quite quickly, she says.

When it comes to Sound Baths, in particular, Auster notes that being comfortable is important as chances are if youre in pain or distressed you wont want to practise again.

Guiding your attention is a way to calm the mind, not silence it.

It is not necessary to sit cross legged and perfectly straight, she notes. Try sitting in a chair or on the couch or even lying down.

When youre lying down, try supporting the body in different ways. Use pillows, blankets or towels to support your lower back, knees, head, neck and arms. You may even want to weight the body with a blanket across the midsection, to cultivate a grounding sensation.

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She also suggests creating a peaceful corner of a room where you live and decorating it with beautiful or meaningful objects there to make the space feel special.

If youre someone who cant sit still, Romotsky suggests mindfulness on the move, taking in all the sights, sounds and smells particularly those you would not normally notice.

She says: Mindful walking can help you to step away, reset, refresh, and be present in the moment, preventing your mind becoming distracted from stressful and unwanted thoughts. Check out Headspaces Mindful Walking exercises here.

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Inhaling and exhaling is a pretty essential component for survival, but it's also key in helping calm and prepare the body and mind for meditation.

Auster quotes Paula Watkins, PhD, a clinical psychologist and meditation expert, who says that 'the process of breathing sits directly at the interface of our voluntary nervous system (aspects of our physiology under our conscious control) and our autonomic nervous system (aspects generally not under conscious control)'.

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Its a direct path for us to communicate quickly to the brain via what we do with our body. It also offers a direct link for balancing the sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-relax) branches of the nervous system,' she adds.

Auster notes that some breathing exercises are thought to bring balance emotionally, mentally, and physically. Science is only beginning to explore how and why this is happening.

To mindfully breathe, Romotsky suggests finding a comfortable upright position.

Mindful walking can help you to step away, reset, refresh, and be present in the moment

'As you inhale, your diaphragm muscle contracts downwards and as you exhale, the muscle relaxes upward; having the space in your physical body to expand is helpful in order to reap the benefits,' she says.

'If you find yourself becoming stressed, a couple of deep diaphragm breaths breathing shallowly (also known as chest breathing) can help to reset your breath and help aid relaxation.'

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There is no dress code to get into the meditation club, no bouncer outside the door to enlightenment turning people away because of their wardrobe, jokes Auster, who says that many people she works with wear suits, ties and jeans for the practice.

If you happen to love flowy pants, colourful leggings, mala beads, patchouli oil, and crystals thats great, but these items arent a required entry point to starting a meditation practice, she adds.

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If you've ever noticed your mind doing one thing and your body reacting in a completely different manner, you're unconsciously body scanning.

'A body scan is when you mentally scan yourself from head to toe, being aware of every part of your body as you go down and flagging any areas of aches, pain, tension, or general discomfort,' explains Romotsky.

There is no dress code to get into the meditation club

Scanning helps us increase out awareness to the patterns and make them one.

She adds: 'The Headspace Body Scan meditation recommends sitting down in a comfortable position, taking a deep breath to begin and then closing your eyes before scanning down from the top of your head to the tips of your toes, noticing any particular areas of tension or perhaps calm.'

There are several A-list celebrities who have advocated for the benefits of meditation over the years.

Celebrities who meditate include Hugh Jackman, Paul McCartney, Tina Turner, Sheryl Crow and Halle Berry.

In 1999, J-Lo opened up to Winfrey about using meditation to stay grounded while living in hotels in New York. Meditation helped me connect to who I am, she said. The way I do that is by centring myself and taking time for myself to connect to me.

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Years later, Winfrey wrote about her own love of meditation, writing on her website: I'm a big proponent of formal meditationfor the discipline, joy, and calm it bringsI'm moving into an even greater phase of being fully present all the time.

It's a heightened state of being that lets whatever you're doing be your best life, from moment to astonishing moment.

In 2016, Katy Perry opened up about her love of transcendental meditation which she began to practise five years prior.

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Describing it the technique as a great workout for your mind without working out, she said: Im on a plane more than I am on ground. This tool helps me find moments of peace because I dont have a whole lot of time that extend my day so I can live my fullest capacity. It gives me two days in one day!

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When panic disorder hits a nation – The Star Online

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PANIC disorder is a debilitating mental health condition that you would not wish on your worst enemy.

I know this because I suffered through it for seven long years from 2006. I was lucky enough to come out of it through much reflection and study, changing my lifestyle and focusing on others.

Recently, when I thought about my experience, I found myself reflecting that this country, this nation of diverse people, seems to be suffering through the same thing. And I think how I came out of the condition could throw some light on how we could progress as a nation in the near and far future.

What is panic disorder? In one sense, it is a condition of being deathly afraid of... nothing! Suddenly, the mind sends signals of fear, anxiety and stress over pending destruction and catastrophe that are simply non-existent.

How can I describe it simply? Imagine thinking that you are suffering from a serious illness such as a heart attack or a stroke and those feelings pop up 20 times a day for the next one year of your life.

A simple headache that can be cured with paracetamol becomes fear of an impending stroke. Gastric heartburn sends signals that you might be having an early heart attack.

People who have panic disorder cannot go to work or even leave the house for fear that they might suffer an attack. I could not even drive to the nearest petrol station and I could only go in to work at the university if my wife came along. She eventually asked for early retirement just to accompany me to my lectures and everywhere, basically.

I usually had one public speaking engagement a month but from 2006 to 2008, I refused all invitations to talks, forums and public lectures. Panic disorder almost ended my career.

After working with a psychiatrist, much Internet surfing and reading about the condition, I came to understand it better and how I might break the vicious cycle of anxiety-fear-anxiety.

There are three things that feed the cycle of fear and anxiety leading to total panic.

The first is a fear of the unknown future that the mind fills with scenarios of disasters, be it economic, health or career disasters, you name it, the mind conjures it up.

Second is living with a perpetual what if state of mind so you can plan for every eventuality no matter how extreme. Third is totally focusing on yourself and all these worries.

How did I eventually get out of this condition? First, I had to recognise my number one and number two enemies: my own mind and my daily habits.

The mind must be refocused into thinking of something other than disaster scenarios and the body or actions must fall into rhythms and rituals that are different.

I had to refocus to listen more to my wifes talk of friends, family, how to redecorate the house, anything. I had to stop focusing only on completing my next book, my next piece of writing, my next argument in a forum, about uniting the nation and furthering my career as I did before.

I also had to learn to waste time more. I had to learn to wash my car, do gardening, walk or jog and go shopping with my wife. All these things I used to detest because they had no market value or political mileage. I had to learn to do the little things and dial back the big stuff. Only in this way can the brain be rewired differently and the anxious thoughts recede into the background. Physically, the new habits sent different signals to my muscles, also helping me to get out of that vicious cycle.

In the same way, politics and misunderstanding between our cultures and races create a panic disorder condition among us.

Each ethnic group fears an invisible enemy of the other religion, culture and way of life. This is reinforced by unscrupulous politicians and racist academics fuelling the fears. The thought of what if this or that happens plagues our minds to the point that this concern for our normal way of life takes precedence over everything else. These fears make each group resolve in only self-centred behaviours and further narrow its friendship circle into a small one indeed.

To become a more trusting and harmonious nation, each ethnic group must refocus its thinking on other things. There is no enemy trying to destroy us. Just our active imaginations, a few bad politicians and misguided academics. Why listen to these people who cari makan by playing on our fears for their own self-promotion?

Learn new things about other religions and cultures in our country. Dont just focus on your own group in complete self-interest. Help children, people from other communities instead of focusing on just ourselves. The single most important spiritual lesson of enlightenment is always about helping others because in doing that, your own self-centred ego will be kept on a tight leash.

If people can rewire their thinking by learning more about other ethnic groups in Malaysia and retrain their habits into helping the others then we will live a more spiritual life that will see this nation dump two of our worst enemies: bad opportunistic leaders and our own self-centred thinking.

It is really not that difficult to change this country just change ourselves and our thinking first lah.

Prof Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi is Professor of Architecture at UCSI University. The views expressed here are entirely the writers own.

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Louis Bremer Nominated for Special Operations Office | Connecting Vets – Connecting Vets

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The Senate held a confirmation hearing for a number of potential political appointments this week but perhaps most controversial was former SEAL officer LouisBremer for the position of assistant secretary of defense for special operations/low-intensity conflict.

TheHarley-riding, tequila-drinking Navy SEAL and White House fellow who buys companies on occasion" -- as his Instagram account proclaimed up until his nomination came up -- is expected by the lawmakers to help clean up special operations culture after a series of scandals have roiled across the community ranging from murders to drug use to war crimes.

Without question, wehold our warfighters to a very high standard. If I'm confirmed I will make sure those standards are appropriately enforced, Bremer told Senators at the hearing.

But it remains unclear how Bremer will drain the swamp while appearing to be knee-deep in it.

Senators questioned him about a photograph of him hugging disgraced provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos who was fired from his job at Breitbart for defending pedophilia. Yiannopoulos has also been exposed as an anti-semite according to internal Breitbart e-mails obtained by Buzzfeed as well as a video in which Yiannopoulos sings "America the Beautiful" while white nationalist leader Richard Spencer and friends stand in front of him giving the Nazi salute.

When asked about the photo he posted with Yiannopoulos, Bremer answered, "listen, those were posts that I regret, they were flippant, they were in my capacity as a private sector." He then attempted to assure Senators by explaining to them that he has since deleted all of his social media accounts except for LinkedIn. "People know that I'm a serious person...ethics is a very big thing," he said.

Bremer is a managing directoratCerberus Capital Management which owns the Tier 1 Group -- of which he also sits on the board.

Sen.Tim Kaineasked Bremer about press reports including in the Washington Post that the Saudis who murdered JamalKhashoggi may have been trained by the Tier 1 Group. Bremer replied that he was not aware of any press articles on the matter but he did know that they trained Saudis through a State Department program. Bremer claimed to be unaware of the Washington Post article and that he was hearing this accusation for the first time at the hearing.

After continued questioning and denials that Tier 1 Group did any sort of investigation into the veracity of these press reports, Bremer offered that he would "check."

"I will give you my commitment to check the record. Likely we did some type of investigation."

"I just don't recall the specifics of it, I'm not trying to hide any investigation we may have done or not done," he continued. "I'm involved in a lot of corporate matters, a lot of different boards."

"I find it incredibly hard to believe thata five-person board ofthis company did not have some kind of fire drill when this allegation arose," Sen. Angus King said.

The senators also expressed their concern about ethical issues in the special operations community and how reforms could be implemented.

"Ethics should be a big part of their (SOF)training, it should start onday one, it should be inculcated into the DNA of every SOF operator," Bremer said."It is going to take a concerted effort over multiple years to turn this narrative around because ultimately it tarnishes the vast majority of SOF operators who are out there doing their work honorably."

Members of the Department of Defense already receive annual ethics training.

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GWU law prof: Antifa is winning, colleges are helping – Campus Reform

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George Washington University Law ProfessorJonathan Turley testified Tuesday before Congress, in which he warned lawmakers that Antifa is "winning" and that much of academia, whether wittingly or unwittingly, is complicit in its success.

"They are winning because universities are now effectively blocking conservative or opposing speakers to avoid violent clashes. They are winning because the media and politicians downplay such violence to avoid criticism. They are winning because local officials are ordering police to stand down or prosecutors to drop charges to avoid further conflict. They are winning because free speech itself is being viewed as a destabilizing factor in our schools and society. Antifa has achieved its anti-free speech agenda to a degree that even longtime critics never imagined possible. It only took inaction from our government and silence from our citizens," Turley said during his testimony.

"They are winning because universities are now effectively blocking conservative or opposing speakers to avoid violent clashes."

He told the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee that Antifa is "winning," according to the testimony. Turley cited a GWU student, an alleged Antifa ringleader, who stated that the movement is winning following his arrest for taking down statues in Washington, D.C.

[RELATED: Colleges 'allow Antifa to work under their noses,' former member says]

Former Antifa activist and supporter Gabriel Nadales, who is now a conservative activist who works for Campus Reform's parent organization, the Leadership Institute, told Campus Reform, "Antifa is indeed winning. Their efforts have intimidated dozens of city councils around the country into submission. By neutering police response, city councils send a strong message to Antifa that they can burn down cities without any consequences."

Nadales noted that Antifa is not opposed to fascism, even though it stands for anti-fascism, and will stop at nothing to destroy anyone who disagrees with them. Antifa is known for fascism despite its name, attacking critics, journalists, and scholars alike, according to the testimony of Turley. The organization was created to oppose free speech as it feels the right to free speech is a tool of oppression," Turley added.

The group was not originally on college campuses but has since infiltrated them, and used colleges as a way to grow.

"When I was in Antifa it was a fringe movement," Nadales added. "But now countless professors and mainstream figures support Antifa because they think it is an ally against Trump. But Antifa is not an ally and [is] more than willing to attack any liberals who dare to stand in their way."

Turley indicated that free speech advocates are few and far between on college campuses as Antifa and others who take a strong disliking to opposing views are more prevalent at American colleges.

[RELATED: Antifa set up a recruitment shop at University of Florida]

To Antifa, people like me are the personification of the classical liberal view of free speech that perpetuates a system of oppression and abuse, Turley said in his testimony. I wish I could say that my view remains strongly implanted in our higher educational institutions. However, you are more likely to find public supporters for restricting free speech than you are to find defenders of free speech principles on many campuses.

Antifa, once again at center stage in riots around the country, have long been initiators of violence in America.

However, public officials publicly stated that Antifa does not even pose a threat.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler recently called instances of Antifa violence a myth."

If we are to preserve this defining right, Congress must do something that it has historically failed to do: protect the free speech rights of political minorities in our school and on our streets, Turley said in his closing remarks. Antifa and related groups thrive through intimidation, but they prevail through inaction. All that is required for free speech to die in America is for America to be silent.

Turley did not respond to Campus Reform for further comment regarding his testimony in time for publication.

Follow the author of this article on Twitter: @landon_mion

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GWU law prof: Antifa is winning, colleges are helping - Campus Reform

Retribution Arrive on Smackdown, Vandalize Ring in Hoodies and Masks – Bleeding Cool News

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WWE's new anarchist stable Retribution arrived on WWE Smackdown on Friday. After being seen torching a generator on Monday Night Raw earlier this week, Retribution hit the ring at the end of Smackdown on Friday, terrorizing the NXT trainees paid to sit in the crowd and committing acts of vandalism.

The group, which consisted of a half dozen or more men and women wearing black pants, black hoodies, and black masks, brought bats and steel pipes with them to the ring with a little more than five minutes left before Smackdown went off the air. Retribution attempted to attack the commentary team, but unfortunately, Michael Cole and Corey Graves got away. The group then attacked "fans" in the crowd with bats and pipes. Then they returned to the ring.

After shouting things like "this is our house now" and "who's in charge now," the group chased off some camera people and then broke out cans of red spray paint, which they used to vandalize the ringside area. One of them spraypainted the WWE logo with a big circle around it and a line through the logo on the plexiglass ring barrier. They also spraypainted the ring apron and the ring itself and tipped over the announce table.For the grand finale, one member of Retribution pulled out a chainsaw and cut down the ring ropes.

We first learned about the plans for Retribution to debut on Monday, with Ryan Satin, a wrestling journalist who has been employed by WWE in the past, first reporting on the "leaked" story. Satin repeatedly insisted that the faction was "not political," including in a follow-up article after the Raw segment later that night. That's clearly a message WWE wants to get out since the group bears a strong resemblance to conservative media bugaboo Antifa. Since everything the group is doing appears to be a wrestlingized version of what's been happening over the past few months in protests across the country, as filtered through the mind of WWE's 74-year-old CEO Vince McMahon, the company believes that by repeatedly stating that the faction is "not political" the company can plausibly deny making light of social causes while still building buzz for an edgy storyline. Whether it will work remains to be seen.

A prophecy says that in the comic book industry's darkest days, a hero will come to lead the people through a plague of overpriced floppies, incentive variant covers, #1 issue reboots, and super-mega-crossover events.

Scourge of Rich Johnston, maker of puns, and seeker of the Snyder Cut, Jude Terror, sadly, is not the hero comics needs right now... but he's the one the industry deserves.

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Are Armed Antifa Coming to Austin This Weekend? – Heavy.com

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GettyPeople walk down 7th Street in Austin after a vigil for Garrett Foster on July 26, 2020 in downtown Austin.

Rumors are circulating that groups associated with Antifa may be protesting in Austin, Texas on Saturday night, August 1, possibly targeting the Austin Police Department or local residential buildings downtown. Meanwhile, a group planning a protest to defund the police on Saturday night has said that they are not planning any violence, and some people on social media have said theyve seen armed conservative groups in the region, too. The Austin Police Department has said its aware of rumors and is increasing staffing just in case. (The photo above is from a protest in Austin on July 26.)

The Antifa rumors are circulating after Garrett Foster was shot and killed at an Austin protest last Saturday night, July 25.To see videos of what is happening tonight, please see Heavys story here.

Heres what you need to know.

Rumors about armed Antifa scaling buildings are circulating on social media sites, claiming that protesters are going to try to start a new CHOP (autonomous zone) in Austin. The Austin Police Department has only said that its aware of the rumors and will be working this weekend to keep everything peaceful.

On Friday night, July 31, Austin local Tyson Eberly shared a post on Faceook about unconfirmed reports that Antifa was busing in rioters. This is one example of the messages that are circulating. He wrote: Getting unconfirmed reports of Antifa rioters bussed into Austin today. Might consider boarding up your business. As our city burns, mayor Adler wont do a damn thing to stop it.

This is similar to a lot of the rumors circulating, which are claiming that people are being bused into the city. However, there has been no official confirmation to the busing rumors.

One person responded to Eberlys post, writing: Please stop spreading lies. This is the kind of inflammatory bs that gets us killed. I was there when Garrett Foster was murdered. This is not a game or a joke. We have every right to march in these streets and some protesters exercise their 2nd amendment right while doing so. Please take this post down.

On Reddit, u/jesshlolz posted on Friday night that they received an email from their buildings management company, The Tyndall, warning that armed protesters might be planning to scale buildings in downtown Austin over the weekend.

Here is a screenshot of the email they shared:

The letter claims that The Tyndall Residents Facebook page was sharing information about the protests, and that the Austin Police Department provided timely intelligence today about demonstrations reportedly planned for this weekend in downtown Austin.

The letter goes on to say: It was reported that demonstrating groups plan to scale five buildings that face downtown sometime on Saturday. The supposed goal of the protestors is to view the demonstrations from these rooftops. We were told to anticipate these individuals being armed. APDs intelligence is that The Tyndall is one of the buildings on this list. The accuracy of this information cannot be known at this point

A similar message with the logo GNDC at the top, reportedly from the La Vista de Guadalupe, is being shared on Facebook, with some escalating the rumor to include Antifa snipers.

Austin American Statesman reported that mid- and high-rise properties in downtown Austin were warning residents about tonight and telling them to call 911 if they see anything suspicious. The Statesman said that buildings included in the warning were the Tyndall at Robertson Hill, AMLI Eastside, Eleven, and La Vista de Guadalupe.

KVUE also reported that the Texas DPS had received reports of people planning to disrupt peaceful protests in Austin this weekend.

The Austin Police Department has not said anything publicly on social media about the rumors to confirm or deny them. Their last post on Saturday as of the time of publication was about the hot temperatures in the city. However, they have told local media that they are aware of the rumors. KXAN reported that the Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety are increasing their staffing this weekend and are aware of the rumors.

The APD shared a statement with KXAN, noting that they were aware of the rumors and said:

We are bringing in the necessary staff, and have partnered with other local law enforcement agencies as we have done throughout the past few months, to allow for those peacefully and lawfully practicing their first amendment rights while also working to prevent any violence or destruction of property.

The DPS also shared the following statement with KXAN:

DPS supports the right of individuals to lawfully protest, and public safety is our top priority. Therefore, DPS will be increasing our presence this weekend, along with our local law enforcement partners, to ensure public safety needs are met and to combat any potential criminal activity.

One rumor that is confirmed accurate is that there will be a March to Amplify Black Voices and Defund the Police in Austin, Texas on Saturday night. This march starts at 7:30 p.m. and lasts until 10:30 p.m. You can see see the event page here. The description for the march reads:

Join us in a march to amplify Black Austin voices and demand the defunding of the Austin Police Department. The city will vote on its budget in August and council member Kathie Tovo is currently proposing no cuts to APDs budget. This is insubstantial in the face of Austin Justice Collations demand of a 100 million dollar cut Communities of Colors demand of a 200 million dollar cut let alone the damage that the APD has inflicted on this city.

We will meet on the University of Texas campus and march to Tovos neighborhood with drums, chalk and speakers to let the city know our demands must be met. Water and masks will be provided, masks are mandatory and we will keep safe social distancing practices in place. Join us in amplifying the voices of black and brown Austinites and make sure our city leaders are held accountable to the people they serve, not the police.

The march begins at the UT Austin Tower and then will proceed to Council Member Kathie Tovos neighborhood. The march requires masks and social distancing of the participants. A pinned post on the page notes concern about violence from Trump supporters.

Another post on the page notes that the event is not 2A friendly because of concern that people will be hurt if they open carry. They note that another protest happening in downtown Austin tonight by the Mike Ramos Brigade is2A friendly.

The event page also directly addressed the rumors of violence, writing: Unfortunately, it appears that right-wingers in Texas are convinced that our march is BLM busing in anarchists to take over Austin. It appears that some of them may come out to confront us, so please factor that in your decision if you want to come in terms of safety. In good news, according to them we are all getting paid by Soros so first round of drinks is on us when I get that Soros Stimulus.

The post was shared by the North North University Mutual Aid Society. The March to Amplify Black Voices has another post by the same group pinned on its discussion page.

At the same time, some armed conservative groups have also been reported in the Austin area today, according to social media posts. The Facebook group Come and Talk It shared a photo of an armed group beneath I-35 near the Austin Police Department headquarters.

On Reddit, some people also shared seeing people carrying what looked like rifles and bulletproof vests in the Austin region, but it wasnt clear what groups they were associated with.

Just saw three guys with ARs and bullet proof vests walking around Auditorium Shores from Austin

5-7 Guys in Camo with Rifles in Statesman Parking Lot from Austin

Later, another Redditor shared photos of the armed protestors at the Statesman parking lot, which you can see in the embedded post below.

Many armed men at statesman from Austin

Earlier today, a peaceful group of pro-Trump protesters formed a caravan on Austin highways to show their support for President Donald Trump, KXAN reported. The MAGA Drag the Interstate event started at 12 p.m. and included a caravan driving on I-35, 183, Mopac, and SH 71.

The Mike Ramos Brigade is also planning a protest on Saturday night, which the March to Amplify Black Voices and Defund the Police said was 2A friendly. You can see the event page here. The event is in downtown Austin at 4th and Congress, where Garrett Foster was shot and killed. The event runs from 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. and its called Fight for Garrett and Brad! Protest Enemies of the People!

This events description reads:

Tribune of the People has exposed Garrett Fosters killer, Sergeant Daniel Scott Perry. This disgusting racist scum came back out to Garretts vigil, the very spot where he drove into protesters and killed Garrett, to threaten and intimidate protesters. After the story was exposed, Perrys lawyer admitted to his clients murder and claimed it was self-defense, also noting that Perry feels sympathy for our comrades family. The audacity is enraging!!!!!

Fresh blood was on APDs hands, and they still let this killer go untouched, just like how they protect Mike Ramos killers AND Brad Ayalas shooter, Nicholas Gebhart. In 2018, Nicholas was ALSO involved in the murder of 23-year-old Thomas Vincent Alvarez.

The racist institution of police both employs killers and protects them! Without the hard work of Tribune of the People and the instagram @justice4ayala, these enemies of the people would remain anonymous. We know APD would protect them as long as possible, and that is why we have no faith in a justice system that uses them as bodyguards.

The imperialist system mandates violence on Black, Chicano, immigrant and working class communities from every direction. We must fight for peoples justice, and work to tear down this violent system! Come out and protest these enemies of the people!

In a later post, the group said this was also a memorial.

If you want to stay updated on what happens tonight, Hiram Gilberto often goes to downtown Austin and provides live-streamed videos on the ground. His Facebook page is here.

READ NEXT: The latest COVID-19 deaths, cases, and updates

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Are Armed Antifa Coming to Austin This Weekend? - Heavy.com

Doxxieland: Unmasking the Racist Resistance – Bayou Brief

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At the first Save America rally, held on the Fourth of July outside of the Louisiana Governors Mansion in Baton Rouge, environmental investigative journalist Julie Dermansky captured this photo of one of only two people who wore face masks. The unidentified man told Dermansky that his mask was a way of protesting against Dixie Beer, which recently announced plans to drop the name Dixie from its brand. (Also note the novelty USS Robert E. Lee baseball cap, which are sold online by print-on-demand vendors. The USS Robert E. Lee was decommissioned nearly 40 years ago). Photo by Julie Dermansky.

Even though hes just a week shy of his 57th birthday, Jeff Crouerethe pugnacious New Orleans area conservative talk radio host, TV pundit,and columniststill looks like someone who occasionally gets the question Can I see some ID? by no-nonsense bartenders and by-the-book convenience store cashiers.

His style is probably best described as Young Republican. He seems most comfortable in a polo and khakis or a suit, which he wears whenever hes on the air, even when its just a taping of He Said, She Said, the weekly radio show he co-hosts with his new girlfriend, Miriam Mimi Owens, the race-baiting provocateur who is perhaps best known locally for creating Robert E. Lee-themed Mardi Gras throws, which earned her a lifetime ban from the Krewe of Freret.

Recently, Crouere and Owens announced that they will be hosting their second Save America rally in Jefferson Parish on August 14. Around 200 people attended their first rally, which took place outside of the Governors Mansion in Baton Rouge on the Fourth of July, right as Louisiana began to confront a sudden surge in COVID-19 cases.

The event included Tony Spell, the breakaway Pentecostal preacher whose defiance of the stay-at-home order earlier in the year encouraged over 1,000 members of his church to undermine the public health, providing Spell with his 15 minutes of fame and a warrant for his arrest.

Are you a masker or a free breather? he roared at the rally, though he already knew the answer.

After I asked Crouere and Owens if theyd be willing to respond to a few questions, they were happy to help. Three weeks ago, we spoke for nearly an hour through FaceTime. At some point, I asked whether to expect the opposition to face masks to be a theme in upcoming rallies.

Our event was not about masks, Crouere told me. That was not really the focus of our rallies, and that really wont be the focus of our upcoming rallies.

But well follow the law, Owens interjected. I dont like it. I cant breathe. Im hot as heck in it. But were lawful people, so if we have to wear it, well wear it.

While their first event may not have been intended to focus on opposition to mask mandates, that message clearly wasnt received by those in attendance.

Out of the less than 200 rally-goers, I saw only two people with face masks, reported environmental investigative journalist and photographer Julie Dermansky on Desmog. One was worn by a man that had the words Dixie Beer painted on it, which was expressing his disdain over the decision by the owner of the New Orleans beer company to change the beers name in response to anti-racism demonstrations. The other mask I noticed at the rally was worn on a womans arm.

According to Crouere, he and Owens decided to organize Save America rallies for four different reasons. Its about a response to attacks on police, he explained. Its a response to the fact that our historic monuments are being taken down. Its a response to a shutdown of the economy, and its a response to what a lot of people see as a leftward movement in the political world.

Two weeks after their Fourth of July rally, Owens encouraged her friends and followers on Facebook to attend the Take Our Country Back Rally (Say No to the Mask) near the Lakeside Mall in Metairie, noting the event is not organized by Jeff or I (sic). It is organized by Clay Taylor. He has filed suit about the mask mandate. All are welcome.

Crouere told me that he was in attendance but reemphasized that neither he nor Owens had been involved in its planning.

When I decided to write about the purpose and the ultimate aims of their rallies, I had assumed the story would be about the political opposition to restrictions aimed at curtailing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but while that certainly is a part of the story, as I quickly came to understand, it should not be confused with what appears to be driving their activism: Anger over the effort to remove monuments that celebrate Confederate leaders and the Lost Cause of white supremacy.

Nearly a year after Donald Trump took office, Jeff Crouere continued to question whether former President Obama was born in the United States, peddling an article by the bigoted conspiracist Jerome Corsi on Alex Jones fringe propaganda website InfoWars. Corsi claimed the CIA hacked into Hawaiis database to manufacture Barack Obamas long-form birth certificate.

Ive said from the beginning that the birth certificate (Obama) released was a fraud, said Crouere, who also told listeners that he thought the whole thing about (Obama) being Christian was a masquerade as well.

Yet, despite promoting a debunked conspiracy theory even after President Trump himself gave up on the cause, Jeff Crouere has usually been able to present himself as someone who straddles between the far-right fringe and the more respectable Republican establishment. In addition to the weekly program with Owens, Crouere also hosts a daily morning show, Ringside Politics, as well as a bimonthly show in front of a live audience called Politics with a Punch, which describes itself as a local version of comedian Bill Mahers former show Politically Incorrect.

He is helped, in part, by the fact that he broadcasts on one of the smallest stations in the New Orleans area, WGSO, which means youre unlikely to hear his most incendiary commentary unless youre a loyal listener who lives nearby or if you decide to download an app to listen online (albeit small, Crouere actually does command a national audience online).

Crouere also benefitted from his brief marriage to Simone Bruni, a well-respected entrepreneur who became a local celebrity and a self-made multimillionaire after launching the demolition company Demo Diva in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. A year before they married, Bruni threw him a lavish party for his 50th birthday, which managed to earn coverage in The Times-Picayune.

According to a friend of Bruni, their divorce was nasty, and among those in the country club crowd of suburban Jefferson Parish, rumors of a high-priced alimony agreement for Crouere were widespread.

Regardless, it seems more than a little ironic that a man who once raged with indignation against former Mayor Mitch Landrieu for ordering the removal of Lost Cause monuments in New Orleans had been married to a woman who made a fortune tearing things down. Perhaps the two were never a good match.

However, the same cannot be said about his co-host and girlfriend Mimi Owens, the Cleopatra to his Marc Antony, the Bonnie to his Clyde.

The Save America Rallies began as a Facebook group, which the couple created to recruit and organize for a grand event. The group purported to be about saving our heritage, culture, security, and prosperity.

In little over a week, it mustered well over 3,000 members, a menagerie of militant conservatives, fringe conspiracists, and more than a few white supremacists, which proved to generate the wrong kind of attention and complicated their plans.

Because of impending threats, which happens, thats part of the silencing, Owens told WWLTV. Were not going to announce a location or time until next week.

But the aura of mystery and the vague idea of fighting back only encouraged their racist flock to air their grievances. Next theyll want to get rid of white people because it upsets them from slavery days, when not one these assholes was ever a slave, wrote a member named Deborah. Theyre too damn lazy. Thats why theyre on welfare.

Comments like Deborahs not only avoided scrutiny from Owens, the groups moderator, they were usually left unchallenged by everyone else as well.

Indeed, nearly every post in the group was one of outrage: videos of riots, looting, and violence, memes mocking George Floyds murder, and Deep State conspiracy theories. On the rare occasion in which the group was infiltrated by someone expressing any opinion that resembled disagreement, then, like a swarm of racist bees, the drones honed in, and the double-agents were quickly outed.

Often, contrarians were shouted down with accusations of antifa, the anti-racist, anti-fascist, far-left political movement that has emerged as the principal boogeyman of President Trump and his supporters on the fringe right.

A dutiful and vigilant overseer, Owens was attentive to questions from her legion and responded with swift action whenever so-callled antifa dissidents made an appearance. On a post celebrating Trumps executive order protecting monuments, a member named Devin simply replied, Unconstitutional.

Antifa alert, a woman named Susan warned the group. Devin is antifa, she asserted, attaching a screenshot of Devins comment as evidence.

Owens responded to Susans alarm in less than twenty minutes and gave Devin the boot. Hes been removed.

Owens is no stranger to the racist sewers of social media. In addition to her role with the Save America Rallies group, she is also an admin of Forever Lee Circle, a Facebook page with more than 14,000 followers, ostensibly created to focus on fighting the removal of Confederate general Robert E. Lees statue in the city.

Many slave owners, Jefferson and Lee for example, opted to keep their slaves to prevent them from being mistreated by others who might try an [sic] re-enslave them, she once wrote in a post that is as appalling as it is factually incorrect. The group itself has proposed that the real perpetrators of American slavery were the Jews, the Muslims, and Africans themselves.

Before she launched a career in talk radio, Mimi Owens wrote a pair of self-published childrens books, including one titled Whos That, Daddy? meant to educate children about various monuments in New Orleans, including those of Confederate soldiers and perpetrators of genocide. (Her other book includes a similar cast of characters but is set in Richmond, Virginia).

In a stilted, simple rhyme scheme, the book, which is illustrated by Sean Gautreaux, tells the story of a white father driving his son around the city to explain the significance of the monuments they see.

Although it is not included in the book, there is one illustration that Owens appears to be particularly fond of and arguably best represents her approach in curating history. She uses it as the banner image for her Forever Lee Circle Facebook page. Its of a father and a son stumbling into a Mardi Gras parade, where they find three heroes of the ConfederacyJefferson Davis, P.G.T. Beauregard, and Robert E. Leetossing Owens Forever Lee Circle throws while standing atop a float thats being hauled by a Black man in a tractor.

To be sure, both she and Crouere vehemently reject the notion that either of them are racist, claiming that they are animated instead by a patriotic love for their country and the Constitution and concerns about erasing history, which is ironic considering the ways in which both of them routinely distort, exaggerate, and flat-out lie about the history behind these monuments and the reasons people want them taken down.

I am actually on the Southern Poverty Laws hate-watch, Owens boasted at the first Save America rally, as if the designation is a badge of honor. (As it turns out, this too was an exaggeration. Owens was referring to this article about her Lee Circle Mardi Gras throws, which referred to her by one of her pseudonyms, Mikas Earl.)

But thats not to say that the couple havent faced backlash for their views and their cause clbre. Since they announced their plans for their first Save America rally, they claim they were both been inundated with phone calls, social media posts, emails, and letters from people accusing them of racism.

Some of those people, according to Owens, called themselves members of antifa, referring to the anti-fascist, anti-racist, far-left political movement, and following their first rally, she would allege that among the crowd there were five antifa counter-protestors, dressed in black uniforms.

When Owens posted a photograph on the rallys private Facebook group page of the five suspects, all of whom appeared to be either in their late teens or early twenties, languishing a few hundred feet from the event, one of them wrote Owens back. They were not, as it turns out, antifa. The comment was quickly scrubbed from the page, presumably by an administrator.

And then the doxxing began, bemoaned Owens.

After receiving an innocuous Black Lives Matter flyer and phone calls to both Owens and her ex-husbands phones from people allegedly claiming to be antifa, the couple say they felt concerned enough to contact local law enforcement as well as the FBI.

They were boasting about doing it so we had to take action, Crouere said. I mean all of this is disturbing beyond belief.

That phone call was the scariest one of all, Owens said. This is antifa looking for Mimi Owens. To me, thats a threat. So frightened, in fact, that she went on to taunt the caller online.

****

To people like Jeff Crouere and Mimi Owens, taking down monuments to racist or genocidal men is merely a political stunt, a way for white politicians like Mitch Landrieu to erase history while ingratiating themselves among the Black community.

Its a feel-good action that does nothing, said Crouere. Now we see since the George Floyd incident, I think literally 100 monuments have been taken down across the country. I just think thats very sad.

Owens, who calls herself a historic preservationist, expressed her disdain as well. They have no problem putting Black Lives Matter on the street, she said. But you cant put something for your culture. Arent we a country of immigrants? But the only immigrants that matter are the ones that were forced here.

The couple believe that prominent public monuments to figures such as John McDonogh, Andrew Jackson, and Robert E. Lee should remain standing, regardless of the messages those monuments communicate to Black and indigenous Americans, as they each, in their view, contain some sort of ambiguous lesson in history.

You know, we all have our stories. Im part Irish, what about all the Irish that were considered slaves? Crouere mused when we spoke. Weve got to remember that a lot of people have ancestors who went through a lot of pain and were enslaved. I think the Irish slavery lasted 200 years.

The trope about Irish slavery is a widely-discredited, specious argument that traces its origin in the recent discourse of white supremacy.

But this is how both of them frame the discussion. In their version of the story, they are the real victims here, and their online army of supporters have been unfairly maligned simply because they believe in defending American history.

****

Societal pressures have, for the most part, succeeded in driving the bulk of the loud-and-proud, heritage-not-hate, traitorous flag-waving racist neo-revolutionaries into the underbellies of neighborhood bars, Thanksgiving dinners, and online communities. The more careful and prudent among them stick to places of true anonymity, such as the forums of 9gag or 4chan. But the loss of strongholds like r/The_Donald show that they continue to lose a war of attrition.

Those who have remained onlinethese tech-savvy, young, involuntarily celibate partisanswill likely continue to disrupt supply lines of discussion with their memes and single-sentence debates. Youll find them mocking trans rights or liberal absurdities, or claiming to OWN libtard snowflakes with FACTS and LOGIC.Having been banished to the backseat, they laugh at the speed bumps on the road to progress. But these underground resistance fighters know the internet. They know how to navigate the back channels and remain hidden, striking and retreating like cyber guerrillas.

Such is not the case for the vanguard that is, the boomer and the internet illiterate divisions of the resistance. Theyre out waging war on open and mostly public groups on Facebook. They use their real names. They have profile pictures, some of themselves, some of the president using the flag as a tissue, some as just the flag itself. Though the image can vary from the flag of the United States, a bastardized thin-blue-line version, or the flag of the Confederacy, depending on the season.

They also often list their personal information, including where they work. They dont know any better. Having never encountered hacker culture outside of red pill metaphors from The Matrix, theyre quickly becoming acquainted with a common term and tactic on the online battlefield: Doxxing.

But theyre only getting a taste of the true nature of the practice. Doxxing has been used to stalk and target abortion providers, expose journalists confidential sources, and to identify and punish government dissidents. On the extreme end of the scale, theres swatting, which involves making a false police report of a hostage situation that leads to a raid on an unsuspecting, innocent persons home. In this country, if the police burst through your door and you try to defend yourself from these unannounced intruders, theres a good chance youll be killed. The tragic murder of Breonna Taylor shows that these intruders may not even be held accountable for it. As of this writing, Breonna Taylors murderers have still not been arrested.

These virtual bigots are simply having the things they say and post in a public place or send in direct messages documented. Alerting a business to the vile, unacceptable behavior of one of their employees isnt harassment or targeting. In fact, its beneficial to that business, and to the larger community. Broadcasting the racist beliefs of a business owner or a public figure isnt defamation; its a public service. This is especially true when the people spouting racist opinions are teachers, public officials, pastors, or police officers.

Among their legion of Facebook fans, one in particular stands out: Amanda Jennings (aka Amanda Smith, aka Amanda Hargis, aka Amanda Downhour). Jennings isnt just one of the most prolific commenters in the Save America Rallies group, she is also a regular presence on Mimi Owens personal page.

When I reached out for comment, Jennings, a native of Bastrop, a small town in north Louisiana, told me she was willing to talk if you are willing to risk your life. She then added, I am targeted by these foreign militants that want to destroy our country. A week ago, she claimed that the World Health Organization paid Hollywood actors to claim that they had Covin-19 (sic).

Elaborate, bizarre conspiracies are a part of her brand. So too is virulent white supremacy.

After Heather Heyer was murdered by a white supremacist during the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Jennings defended the white supremacist, arguing that he was merely fleeing a violent mob. Two weeks later, she posted a photograph of her and Congressman Clay Higgins (R-LA03), whose own associations with fringe anti-government militia groups have been well-documented.

Jennings does not attempt to hide her incendiary beliefs, nor does she shy away from the spotlight.

Last year, she campaigned as a Republican for Louisiana Secretary of State, finishing last and in a distant fourth against incumbent and fellow Republican Kyle Ardoin, but still managing to garner nearly 80,000 votes.

She reported being the only donor to the campaign, spending slightly more than $2,000, which paid for the qualifying fee and campaign swag, which apparently included stickers that misspelled the word candidate and her own last name.

Jennings actively protested the removal of Confederate and white supremacist monuments in New Orleans and, later, in Shreveport as well. In a live-streaming video broadcasted from a counter-protest outside of the Confederate monument in front of the Caddo Parish courthouse, which she shared on the Save America Rallies page, she featured a woman holding a spiked bat. When Jennings asked the woman about the weapon, the woman called it a N***** Beater.

Oh, wow, responded Jennings, before saying to a nearby counter-protester, I hope she dont need to use it.

Jennings is a great example of the casual form of doxxing facing the vanguard. The live-stream she shared on Crouere and Owens group was also posted on her own personal page, which was public and open for all to see.

After a few shares, hundreds flocked to her page to express their outrage on her video. Jennings responded by sending direct messages to some of the Black commenters, saying to one, You fucking n****** getting real bold!!!!! Little black bitch I will hang you. (She later claimed, dubiously, that the comment was photoshopped).

Jeff Crouere and Mimi Owens did not denounce or remove the video or any other of her violent or racist posts until I asked them about it, nearly a month after Jennings posted her video.

Thats not acceptable. Its not acceptable to have any video that has racial slurs in it, said Crouere, who, unlike Owens, also noted that he was unfamiliar with Jennings. Thats against everything that we stand for. That will be removed once we find it.

Some things get past us, Owens asserted. At some of these protests on the other side, theyre saying nasty words too, so what do we do? Do we not show any protests?

The video was removed from the groups page and Amanda Jennings was banned from the Save America Rallies group within minutes of our interview ending.

In response to the public attention, or casual doxxing, that members in the group were receiving, Owens mustered her troops and made an announcement. Heres what is happening all over social media, she wrote. Be smart and pause before you post. In the post, she included screenshots of half a dozen groups called things like Expose Racists+ 2020, Expose Racism 2020, and YOU ABOUT TO LOSE YO JOB!!!! (Racists exposed 2020).

Posts and screenshots from the Save America Rally group had been shared and tagged in groups like these, which caused members of the vanguard to have their employers contacted and their racist memes and opinions, which they thought were shared in a safe space, posted on their profiles for their friends to see.

Ever the gallant leader, Owens chose to warn her soldiers of watchful eyes, rather than admonish them, ban them from the group, or remove their posts for blatantly racist language and imagery. Rather than simply not being racist, they chose to become more cautious of what they posted.

Ive had a show for 21 years, and Ive never had anything like this ever before, Crouere said, while sitting snug on a loveseat next to Owens. Its reaching a level of vitriol that is really unprecedented.

Contributing writer: Lamar White, Jr.

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Doxxieland: Unmasking the Racist Resistance - Bayou Brief

Vitamin D supplements are ineffective in reducing risk of depression, large study finds – Southernminn.com

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Taking vitamin D supplements does not reduce the risk of depression during middle age or later in life, according to a large study published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Some previous studies have linked low blood levels of vitamin D sometimes called the sunshine vitamin because the body absorbs the nutrient through exposure to sunlight with a higher risk of late-life depression. For that reason, it was thought that taking vitamin D supplements might serve as a preventive treatment.

No evidence of such an effect was found in the new study, which is one of the largest and longest randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to investigate the topic.

There was no significant benefit from the supplement for this purpose. It did not prevent depression or improve mood, says Dr. Oliva Okereke, the studys lead author and a psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital, in a released statement.

Why the study was done

Preventing late-life depression is a public health priority. The condition is often undertreated in older people. Although vitamin D supplementation has been touted as a possible treatment, prior studies that have suggested its usefulness for that purpose have been primarily observational. Such studies cannot offer definitive answers about a treatments effectiveness, for they show only correlations, not causations. Other factors besides vitamin D ones not addressed in the studies may explain the results.

RCTs, which are considered the gold standard of medical research, offer a much more rigorous (although not perfect) measure of a treatments effectiveness. As background information in the current study points out, 13 RCTs have previously looked at the impact of vitamin D supplements on depression or mood during middle age or later in life. All but one found the supplements had no effect.

Only four of those RCTs, however, had participants take a dose of vitamin D that was 800 IU/day or greater for 12 months or longer. The new study attempts to address those methodological limitations, as well as another one: size.

One scientific issue is that you actually need a very large number of study participants to tell whether or not a treatment is helping to prevent development of depression, explains Okereke. With nearly 20,000 people, our study was statistically powered to address this issue.

Study details

The current study used data collected from 18,353 American men and women who were participating in a larger clinical trial investigating preventive strategies for cardiovascular disease and cancer. All were 50 years or older, and none had clinical signs of the condition when they entered the study.

Half the participants were randomly assigned to receive either 2000 IU of cholecalciferol (vitamin D3) daily, while the other half received a placebo.

The participants were followed for an average of five years, and 90 percent completed the trial. During that time, 609 of those who received the vitamin D and 625 of those who received the placebo developed symptoms of clinical depression a difference that was statistically insignificant. Nor was there any significant difference between the groups in the participants self-reported mood scores during the course of the study.

Interestingly, the study also found no association between low blood levels of vitamin D and a risk of depression or depressive symptoms.

These findings do not support the use of vitamin D3 in adults to prevent depression, Okereke and her colleagues conclude.

Limitations and implications

The study has its own limitations. Most notably, it relied on the participants self-reports about depressive symptoms and mood. Such reports can be unreliable.

Still, the studys findings support those from almost all of the smaller RCTs on this topic. They are also in line with a growing body of other research that has found that taking vitamin D supplements in the hopes of preventing various illnesses (including COVID-19) is unnecessary and, in some cases, dangerous.

The National Academy of Medicine has determined that healthy adults (those without a specific disease related to a vitamin D deficiency) need, on average, 600 international units (IUs) of vitamin D daily until the age of 71, when they need, on average, 800 IUs.

As Ive noted in Second Opinion before, Vitamin D is unique among micronutrients, as its produced in the skin during exposure to sunlight. So although the vitamin can be obtained through food (such as salmon, egg yolks and fortified milk), just five to 30 minutes of sunlight exposure twice a week is usually sufficient to meet most peoples vitamin D needs.

And, yes, that includes people living in Minnesota and other northern latitudes.

Susan Perry writes Second Opinion for MinnPost, covering consumer health.

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Vitamin D supplements are ineffective in reducing risk of depression, large study finds - Southernminn.com

New Dietary Ingredients: Will FDA protect consumers from pirates and piggybackers? – NutraIngredients-usa.com

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A new dietary ingredient, defined in the Dietary Supplement Health & Education Act (DSHEA), means a dietary ingredient that was not marketed in the United States before October 15, 1994, when DHSEA was enacted. Weve been waiting so long for FDA to fully implement this provision that perhaps, for the sake of accuracy, we should just be calling them post-DSHEA dietary ingredients rather than new. Twenty-six years is a long time.

The NDI requirements established by DSHEA were intended to give consequence to the dividing line between grandfathered ingredients and ones introduced after the passage of the law. Dietary ingredients already on the market received a presumption of safety, but ingredients introduced after the laws enactment would have to demonstrate they are reasonably expected to be safe.

DSHEA commands that a supplement containing a new dietary ingredient is adulterated unless it was already in the food supply in a form that has not been chemically altered or there is a history of use or other evidence that the ingredient, if used as recommended or suggested in the labeling, will reasonably be expected to be safe. The law further provides that the manufacturer or distributor provide FDA with the basis for concluding that the dietary ingredient will reasonably be expected to be safe in the form of an NDI notification. (21 USC 350b)

Moreover, DSHEA declared that a supplement is adulterated if it contains a new dietary ingredient for which there is inadequate information to provide reasonable assurance that such ingredient does not present a significant or unreasonable risk of illness or injury. (21 USC 342(f)(1)(B)) It commands that introducing a dietary supplement into interstate commerce that is unsafe under the NDI provisions of the law is an expressly prohibited act. Public safety seems intrinsically intertwined with the new dietary ingredient requirements.

Over time, FDA has repeatedly touted the notification requirement associated with the NDI provision as FDA's only opportunity to evaluate the safety of a new dietary ingredient before it becomes available to consumers. The agency has lamented the paucity of NDI notifications it has received over the past 26 years as evidence that consumers may be at risk from un-notified and therefore, potentially unsafe, ingredients.

But FDA seems reluctant to enforce the law against products that ignore the NDI notification requirementenforcement that would create deterrence and provide incentives for companies to file these notifications.

Enforcement of the NDI requirements is likewise the lynchpin of the master file system that FDA proposed in its 2016 draft guidance on NDIs. Master files would allow the filer of an NDI notification to protect its safety dossier and license it to its customers while assuring that competitors marketing their own versions of that ingredient would have to develop their own assurance of safety for the ingredient.

Since then, industry has embraced the concept of master files, not only for the protection of public health, but also for the additional benefit that it rewards the research investment of innovative ingredient developers. Master files would deter pirates who steal that intellectual property, fail to file their own notifications, and undersell the innovator because they dont have to recover the costs of innovation.

Earlier this spring, CRN, along with three other trade associations, presented FDA with a detailed framework for how master files could be implemented. It requires the agency to police NDI notifications, and as DSHEA envisioned, ingredients marketed by piggybackers who fail to file their own notification would be deemed adulterated.

Since 2016, FDA has been silent on this issue. While lamenting the relatively few notifications filed by industry, the agency has not initiated a single enforcement action, not imposed a single import alert, nor recalled a single supplement for lack of an NDI notification. And the industry should worry that lack of action by the FDA signals that the master file concept, along with enforcement of NDIs, is not a priority at the agency.

The problem is that FDA may well view the development of master files, the pirating of ingredients, problem of piggybacking, and the calls for enforcement of NDI requirements as amounting to enlisting FDA to help protect a supplement manufacturers intellectual property. Industrys enthusiasm that master files could provide incentives for research investment in supplements may be dissuading FDA from the public safety aspects. Adjudicating competitive disputes is not something FDA has ever considered high among its priorities, and certainly not for dietary supplements. FDAs mission after all is to protect and promote public health, not to assist companies in their competitive battles.

But this ignores that NDI master files are a matter of public health as much as are FDAs concerns about cannabidiol. Failure to file NDI notifications for new dietary ingredients creates public health gambles for consumers. When a competitor claims to be selling the same ingredient captured in an NDI notification, how does FDA know it is the same ingredient? How does FDA know it is concentrating the same constituents or properly identifying the requisite plant parts? That it is using the same solvents and extraction agents and properly removing them during production? That harmful contaminants have been eliminated? It doesnt. As FDA has repeatedly noted, the NDI notification is FDAs only opportunity to review the safety of new dietary ingredients.

The law leaves no doubt that Congress considered NDIs a matter of public health, not economic protectionism. NDI notifications and master files represent a method to give consumers an assurance of safety in these ingredients. Its time FDA take the safety issues involved with NDIs as seriously as it does the safety issues it raises for CBD.

So while consumers wait for the arrival of CBD supplements, bogged down by FDAs high requirements for safety, the industry also waits for enforcement of NDIs and a similar dedication to protecting consumers of products already on the market. NDIs wont work without enforcement.

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New Dietary Ingredients: Will FDA protect consumers from pirates and piggybackers? - NutraIngredients-usa.com

Food Botanicals Market to Witness a Pronounce Growth During 2017 2026 – Levee Report

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Food products made using plants are being adopted on a large scale globally. Some botanicals used in foods are in form of spices and herbs that are being used in various foods, drugs and beverages. Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases is driving the demand for botanical drugs and food products which are considered to be safer and economic. Moreover, technological advancements in the food industry is also driving the use of various botanical ingredients along with the discovery of new ingredients.

Producers are also focusing on providing food botanicals as fresh ingredients in a way that can be easy for consumers to consume it with their meals. Consumers moving towards vegetarian lifestyle is also resulting in the increasing use of plant-based proteins and botanicals in the food and beverages.

Botanical flavorings is also gaining traction in the beverages. In botanical flavorings, botanicals with varied flavors, health properties, and aromas are being added to the beverages. Botanicals as flavor agents in ready-to-drink beverages, cocktails, and craft beer are also gaining popularity.

Researchers worldwide are also conducting research on the new type of plants that can offer a unique flavour, enhance the taste of the food product and at the same time offer health benefits.

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The report provided by XploreMR (XMR) anticipates the global market for food botanicals to experience a slow growth, increasing at a CAGR of 3.0% between 2017 and 2026. The global food botanicals market is also estimated to reach US$ 1,538,534.2 million revenue towards 2026 end.

Plants are likely to emerge as the highly preferred source in the global market for food botanicals between 2017 and 2026. Towards 2026 end, plants as a source are estimated to exceed US$ 992,600 million in terms of revenue.

Plant parts, fresh or dried plants or the whole plant are being used on a large scale in various foods and medicines. Moreover, aromatic plants are being used in dietary supplements and food additives on a large scale.

Food botanicals in Form of Dried Plants and Leaves to Gain Maximum Traction in the Market

Food botanicals in the form of dried plants and leaves are likely to gain traction through 2026. Food botanicals in form of dried plants and leaves are estimated to generate revenue exceeding US$ 624,800 million.

Preserving plants and leaves for a long time is possible through drying. Rapid drying of plants and leaves is done in order to prevent fungus. Dried plants and leaves are also used in various food to enhance taste and dietary supplements.

Food botanicals to be largely used in Supplements

Food botanicals are likely to find the largest application in supplements. By 2026 end, supplements are estimated to create an incremental opportunity of over US$ 13,000 million between 2017 and 2026.

Botanicals are used largely in food and dietary supplements as it has various properties that helps in improving and maintaining health. As for supplements, botanicals are sold in dried or fresh products, tablets, liquid, capsules, and powder form.

Commercial Segment to Emerge as the Largest End User of Food Botanicals

Compared to residential segment, commercial segment is likely to emerge as the largest end user of food botanicals. By 2026 end, commercial segment is estimated to exceed US$ 931,200 million revenue.

Food processing companies and pharmaceutical companies are using botanicals on a large scale to produce a better product with increased health benefits. Botanicals are used in producing dietary supplements, functional foods and beverages.

APEJ to Dominate the Global Market for Food Botanicals

Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ) is likely to remain dominant in the global market for food botanicals. Countries such as India, China, and Australia are witnessing increasing demand for natural food and dietary supplements.

Moreover, a traditional practice in various countries in APEJ is driving the usage of botanicals including basil, ginger, turmeric, etc. This is likely to fuel the market for food botanicals in the region. Meanwhile, North America and Europe are also likely to see a significant growth between 2017 and 2026.

Availability of well-known botanicals as dietary supplements in the U.S., and Germany are driving the market growth in both the regions. Also, the rise in research and development activities is resulting in the growth of the food botanicals in Europe and North America.

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Key Companies

Leading companies in the global market for food botanicals are Tyson Foods, Inc., Marfrig Group., Arcadian Organic & Natural Meat Co, Kerry Group Plc., Verde Farms, LLC, Pilgrims Pride Corporation, Associated British Foods Plc., and BRF S.A.

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Food Botanicals Market to Witness a Pronounce Growth During 2017 2026 - Levee Report

Protein Bar Market Size to Touch USD 7.03 Billion by 2027; Rising Inclination towards Healthy Snacking to Propel Growth, Says Fortune Business…

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Pune, Aug. 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global protein bar market size is anticipated to rise at a CAGR of 5.6% between 2020 to 2027 on account of the rising shift towards healthy living and preference for healthy snacking. These bars have recently gained immense popularity as they provide all the necessary supplements to the body. As per a recent report published by Fortune Business Insights titled, Protein Bar Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Source (Plant-Based, and Animal-Based), By Type (Sports Nutritional Bars, Meal-Replacement Bars, and Others), By Distribution Channel, and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027,.

The value of this market was USD 4.66 billion in the year 2019 and is expected to reach USD 7.03 billion by the end of 2027.

Browse Summary of this Research with Table of Content:https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/protein-bar-market-100805

The year 2020 is witnessing the devastating effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Most of the businesses are temporarily not working due to the imposition of stringent lockdown regulations to stop the spread of the virus. The others who are operating from homes are barely able to generate revenue. The whole world is waiting for an antidote to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and various research organizations are investing massively for the same. People across the world are becoming health-conscious and trying to avoid unhealthy food items. This has shifted their attention towards some of the delicious and nutritious food products such as protein bars.

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on various markets have been analyzed and formed into reports. These special reports will help investors study the current scenario and accordingly prepare for the future.

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The Report Answers the Following Questions:

Drivers & Restraints-Increasing Prevalence of Various Diseases to Bolster Growth

The increasing prevalence of various acute and chronic diseases worldwide has propelled the demand for healthy food products. This further boosted the need for healthy snacking, thereby propelling the global protein bar market growth. Additionally, the rising awareness about chemical-free, naturally benefitting, and gluten-free nutritious food is also aiding to the expansion of the market. Besides this, the increasing preference for adopting cereal food products and muscle building food products will also add impetus to the market in the coming years.

On the contrary, the occurrence of the current COVID-19 pandemic that disrupted the supply chain of food products may pose a major challenge to the market. In addition to this, the presence of multiple local snack food sellers may cause hindrance to the market in the coming years. Nevertheless, the increasing number of health and fitness facilities and convenience stores for supplement products are likely to create lucrative growth opportunities for the market in the coming years.Segmentation:

Snack & Energy Bars to Hold Dominance Owing to Rising Trend of Nutritional Morning Breakfast

On the basis of segmentation by type, the others segment dominated the market on account of the increasing consumption of energy boosting food items. However, the sports nutritional bar segment earned 40.56% share in 2019 and is expected to witness considerable growth in the coming years on account of increasing participation rate by sports enthusiasts.

Regional AnalysisPresence of Major Manufacturers will Help North America Maintain Dominance

In 2019, North America earned USD 2.69 billion and gained dominance on account of the presence of major companies such as Post Holdings, Inc., Optimum Nutrition Inc., Mondelez International Inc., and others. In addition to this, there is a high import value of snack food items in nations such as the United States, Mexico, and Canada that further propels the demand for protein bar in the respective nations. The factor mentioned above is likely to help North America continue dominating this market in the coming years.

The market in Asia Pacific is expected to generate significant revenue in the forecast period on account of the rise in infrastructural facilities and offline stores. This, coupled with the increasing expansion of businesses by companies such as Post Holdings, Inc., Hershey Company, and others will also aid in expansion of the regional market in the forecast period.

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Competitive LandscapeExpansion of Product Portfolio Key Strategy Adopted by Players

Companies such as Glanbia Plc., The Kelloggs Company, General Mills Inc., Mondelez International Inc., are holding the major protein bar market share on account of their brand presence and diverse portfolio. These companies offer products under innovative categories such as diet bars, sports bars, vegan, energy-boosting, and meal-replacing protein bars, thereby attracting major shares. Other players are engaging in collaborative efforts such as tie-up with e-commerce platforms, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, and contracts to stay put in the competition.

Prominent Industry Developments of this Market include:

September 2019 Celsius Holding Inc., acquired the wellness company called Func Food for expansion of the drink and bar business of the company in Sweden.

October 2019 A premier nutritional fruit & nut bar manufacturing company, called Kind LLC adopted a creative snack making company based in North Carolina for widening the category of healthy and tasty snack protein bars.

List of the Leading Companies Profiled in the Protein Bar Market Research Report are

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Have a Look at Related Research Insights:

Plant Based Protein Supplements Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis By Type (Soy Protein, Pea Protein & Wheat Protein), By Distribution Channel (Mass Merchandisers, Pharmacies/Drugstores, Specialty Stores, Online Retail & Others), and Regional Forecast 2018-2025

Functional Proteins Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Whey Protein, Casein Protein, Soy Protein, Hemp Protein, Pea Protein, Other Functional Proteins), By Form (Concentrates, Isolates, Hydrolysates), By Application (Dietary Supplements, Functional Foods, Functional Beverages, Animal Nutrition)and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026

Rice Protein Market Size, Share And Global Trend By Product Type (Isolates, Concentrates, Hydrolysates), By Application (Food & Beverage, Pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Animal Feed), And Geography Forecast Till 2026

Healthy Snacks Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Meat Snacks, Nut, Seeds & Trail Mixes, Dried Fruit Snacks, Cereal & Granola Bars, and Others), By Distribution Channel (Supermarket/ Hypermarket, Specialty Stores, Convenience Stores, and Online Retails), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027

Canned Food Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Canned Seafood, Canned Fruits and Vegetables, Canned Meat, and Others), Distribution Channel (Supermarkets/ Hypermarkets, Specialty Stores, and Online Retail), and Regional Forecast, 2020 2027

Chocolate Confectionery Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Dark, Milk, and White), By Category (Premium, Seasonal, and Every Day), and Regional Forecast, 2019 2026

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Protein Bar Market Size to Touch USD 7.03 Billion by 2027; Rising Inclination towards Healthy Snacking to Propel Growth, Says Fortune Business...

20 Questions With Ferry Corsten: The Dutch Icon on How Trance ‘Hits You In the Feels Like No Other Genre’ – Billboard

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While he's created music under many aliases and as part of myriad side projects -- Moonman, System F, Gouryella, Veracocha and New World Punx among them -- Ferry Corsten remains one of the most consistence presences in the global trance scene.

The Dutch producer has made his name(s) on music that both soars and throttles, blending delicacy, groove, raw emotion and shimmery synths into tracks that lift listeners into the state of transcendence that is the genre's namesake. A longtime regular at every major large-scale global dance festival, Corsten is currently off the road and posted up at his home in the Netherlands, where he's spent his quarantine hanging with his wife and children, tinkering in the garden and working in the studio.

His latest release, the Trance Wax collab "Black Lion," dropped last week, with more music and a new album -- which will be Corsten's seventh under his given name -- on the way. Here, the producer talks about his early output, the best parts of quarantine and the unique, enduring appeal of trance music.

1. Where are you in the world right now, and what's the setting like?

Im at my home in the Netherlands! The setting is pretty good, actually. Mostly the studio, and Im lucky to have a spacious garden. With the heatwave were currently having in the Netherlands its nice to work on my tan.

2. What is the first album or piece of music you bought for yourself, and what was the medium?

My very first piece of music was a 7-inch vinyl of Full Force's "Alice, I Want You Just For Me." I was smitten with that tune at the time.

3. What did your parents do for a living when you were a kid, and what do they think of what you do for a living now?

My dad was a sales rep for a pharmaceutical company for pets, and my mom worked in a clothing store. They have always been very supportive of my career choice, as long as I followed my passion and my heart. My dad later started working for me in my company, so he has always been very much involved.

4. What was the first song you ever made?

It was an EP on Hithouse Records by Spirit Of Adventure. It was me with three friends goofing around in the studio. This was in 1991. The main track of that EP was called "Total Distortion," which became the blueprint for The Tellurians' "The Navigator," a big rave hit in those days.

5. If you had to recommend one album for someone looking to get into dance music, what would you give them?

Not so much a "dance" album, but definitely electronic -- it would be Singularity by Jon Hopkins. I draw a lot of inspiration for my own records from it. Its so good!

6. Whats the first thing you bought for yourself when you started making money as a DJ?

I actually started out as a music producer. The DJ thing came later for me. All the money I earned with my first productions and remixes, I invested back into my own studio. Studio gear was very expensive in those days, since it was all hardware. So by doing that, I could build out a better studio for myself and come up with better sounding music.

7. Whats the last song you listened to?

Actually my new single under my FERR by Ferry Corsten alias, called "Please." Coming soon on the Stillpoint imprint of Flashover Recordings.

8. Whats one song you wish you had produced?

"Opus" by Eric Prydz.

9. How are you filling your time during quarantine?

Spending lots of time with my wife and kids, which has been great. I cant remember when I had this much time off to spend with family as I do now. However, I cant wait to pick up touring again and get back into that rhythm!

10. Whats distinctive about the place you grew up, and how did it shape you?

Well, I grew up in a town just outside Rotterdam, but Rotterdam basically is my hometown. What I love about Rotterdam is its avant-garde vibe. Its always evolving but always staying true to itself. Rotterdammers are straightforward people with a no-BS attitude, which I love.

Its a metropole -- however, it has that feeling of a small city where everything you need is nearby and everyone knows each other. This brought me in contact with a lot of producers back in the day who I collaborated with.

11. What's the first dance music show that really blew your mind?

This is a while back, mid '90s, but it must have been one of the first MayDay events in Germany. The scale of that event was like nothing I had ever seen before.

12. What do your kids think of what you do?

They are super proud. They love to come into my studio and check out what Im doing, and their faces light up when they see me on YouTube or something.

13. What is the first thing you do when you get back to your hotel room after a show?

Grab a warm shower, fall asleep almost immediately, and try to delay my alarm as much as possible, haha!

14. What is the craziest thing youve ever seen happening in the crowd during one of your sets?

In the middle of an immense crowd in Australia, I saw a guy in a wheelchair being lifted up on his friends shoulders. He was bouncing around for a few minutes to my music before going face-first back to the crowd. I hope he was okay.

15. What is the primary appeal of trance music?

Of course the connection of the trance family is very strong, but also I think the melodies play a big part. I think a good trance record hits you right in the feels in a way no other genre could possibly could. The emotions paired with the genre are hard to describe.

16. How is the trance community different from communities in other genres of electronic music?

Trance has become more like a culture rather than a genre of dance music. Trance fans are loyal, and theyre so open-minded. I know so many fans who were strangers to each other but by connecting through social media and events became best [party] mates for life. How great is it that you literally make best friends for life on the dance floor?

17. Why is so much trance music made by Dutch artists?

I think we were right at the forefront when dance music started to go really global. At that time, trance was massive in the Netherlands, and has since stuck with many producers. But we have many great house, techno and hardstyle artists as well.

18. What's the best part of being off the road right now?

Spending time with my kids, as they had quite a long time off school due to Covid-19 as well. And Im being creative more than ever in the studio, so you guys can expect a new album in the future.

19. Any advice for other producers on getting through this challenging time?

Use this precious time to keep developing yourself as a producer, and keep challenging yourself. Being a great producer means you are able to create music from different angles and keep experimenting with sounds.

20. One piece of advice you'd give to your younger self?

Perhaps I would have told myself to stay with the artist name Ferry Corsten only, instead of the million aliases I had over the years.

Continued here:

20 Questions With Ferry Corsten: The Dutch Icon on How Trance 'Hits You In the Feels Like No Other Genre' - Billboard

Jersey, Kaithi, Trance are among six films slated to screen at International Indian Film Festival Toronto – The New Indian Express

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By Online Desk

Of the four feature-length films that will be screened at International Indian Film Festival Toronto(IIFFT) 2020, three of them are from south India.

Malayalam psychological drama Trance, Tamil action-thriller Kaithi, Telugu sports drama Jersey and Hindi biographical-drama Super 30 have been selected and will be screened at IIFFT.

Apart from these, the short film 'Padmavyuha' and documentary film 'Batch of 2020' have also made it tothe list as well.

The 2019 Telugu film 'Jersey' starring actor Naniis being remade in Hindi. Bollywood actor Shahid Kapoorwill be reprising the role of cricketer Arjun.

Nani, who played the lead in Jersey, shared Sithara Entertainments' tweet and expressed his joy with a smiley. Directed by Gowtham Tinnanuri, the sports film was a superhit back when it was released in 2019.

Tamil film 'Kaithi' is an action-thriller and revolves around an ex-convict (played by actor Karthi) on the quest to meet his daughter after leaving prison. But things take a detourdue to a well-orchestrated drug raid.

The Mollywood film 'Trance', starring Fahadh Faasil and Nazriya in the lead roles, was 2020's highly anticipated film in the initial months.The psychological-drama driected byAnwar Rasheed was also praised for its brilliant soundtrack.

Set to begin from August 9, the International Indian Film Festival Toronto will go on till August 15.

The IIFFT isa not-for-profit cultural organization whichholds screenings to promote Indian films in North America.

(Click here to see the full list)

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Jersey, Kaithi, Trance are among six films slated to screen at International Indian Film Festival Toronto - The New Indian Express