If ever there was a time for hygge, its now – Marin Independent Journal

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Frankie Frost/Marin Independent Journal

Are you feelin it?

Can you see the light at the end of the tunnel? Are you envisioning the thrill of parking in a public lot? Walking in both directions down a supermarket aisle?

OK, Im sorry I got your hopes up. Were all in this for at least another month, so I say we all just try a little hygge.

It seems that hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) has been going on in Scandinavia for generations. And it apparently is working just fine. So fine that in the annual World Happiness Report, a publication of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, Scandinavian countries compose four of the top five happiest countries in the world. For the record, the United States comes in at No. 18, three spots behind Costa Rica but hey, we edged out the Czech Republic and Belgium.

Hygge, which began in Denmark, is described as a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or wellbeing.

The primary principles include atmosphere, presence (the ability to be focused on the now), pleasure, gratitude, comfort and togetherness. Or, as we refer to it here: Stay-at-home.

I pause here to tell you that Denmark is only No. 2 in the top five the actual winner of the happiest country in the world this year is Finland. However, I have eliminated Finland from our little discussion because the Finns idea of a great hygge is getting your body temperature up to about 150 degrees in a sauna, then running outside naked and jumping into a snow bank. I prefer my hygge indoors and with unshriveled body parts.

The word hygge itself is actually a derivative of the English word hug, and it can mean something different to everyone. When youre hunkered down as we all are, it can mean something as simple as a soft blanket and a good book, or looking through a window on a crisp, clear day and letting your face just feel the warm sunlight. The Danes say hygge is not about what it looks like, but what it feels like. And theyre feeling pretty good.

Lest you think this is just some feel-good sort of New Age mumbo-jumbo, I will tell you that there have been more than 30 books published on the subject of Denmarks cozy lifestyle. In fact, hygge was recognized in the Oxford Dictionarys words of the year back in 2016. The winner that year was post-truth, but hygge was a runner-up along with alt-right and woke. Hygge might not be Miss America, but it is Miss Congeniality.

In fact, the word has spawned several offshoots that further describe the cozy living concept. If you have a favorite old armchair, youd be sitting in your hyggekrog. Put your feet up wearing your favorite hyggesokker (socks) or old baggy sweat suit (hyggebukser) and have simple hyggesnak (chat) with friends or loved ones. Preferably via hyggezoom.

It all got me to thinking that if hygge works so well in Denmark and the other countries that compose the happy country top five (Finland, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway) why wouldnt it work here during these trying times of being homebound?

Denmarks contributions to the world have been modest but broad. Its given us Kierkegaard, Hans Christian Anderson, Hamlet and Legos. Beats the hell out of Timothy Leary, Beavis and Butt-Head, Emperor Norton and the pet rock doesnt it?

Oh sure, they also have free education, free healthcare for everyone and paid paternity leave; and they pay the highest tax rate in the world, but they make really great pastries.

I gotta go now. Its time for my hyggetini.

Barry Tompkins is a longtime sports broadcaster who lives in Marin. Contact him at barrytompkins1@gmail.com.

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If ever there was a time for hygge, its now - Marin Independent Journal

Bill Maher Refuses to Touch the Joe Biden Sexual-Assault Allegation – The Daily Beast

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Another Friday means yet another edition of Real Time with Bill Maher, the late-night program of choice for the likes of Milo Yiannopoulos, Steve Bannon, and other alt-right, fascism-friendly trolls tearing at the fabric of America.

I was curious to see if Maher, who prides himself on being politically incorrect, would address former Senate aide Tara Reades allegation of sexual assault against Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for presidentgiven that the comedy host has made a field day of mocking Trumps disgusting treatment of women (he once said Trump was making sexual assault great again), and that Biden has, after many days of silence, been making the media rounds to address (and deny) the claimincluding a stop at MSNBCs Morning Joe.

But Maher mostly declinedinstead opting for a more lighthearted bit on Biden called 24 Things You Dont Know About Me, a play on the Us Weekly column. In it, Maher cracked, I was asked to social distance even before the virus, beside a creepy photo of Biden massaging a womans shoulders from behind, as well as, My first idea for a campaign slogan was, Im on Her.

He closed the bit with: You think Im in cognitive decline? You should see the other guy!

Over an hour of jokes, including interviews with Matt Taibbi, Eric Holder, Bret Stephens (ugh), and a pair of monologues, Maher only addressed the allegation against Biden once in a question to Holder, saying he thought it was ridiculous and that it would go away and no one would pay any attention to it, before asking Holder what his thoughts are on it. Maher also questioned how appropriate it was to even be discussing the Reade allegation against Biden given the state of America with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. (Holder claimed that all allegations have to be taken seriously and the what has been described is inconsistent with the Biden he knows.)

If comedy-pundits on the left are going to rip the Trumps of the world for alleged predatory behavior toward women, they should also take aim at those in their own party, lest they be rank hypocrites.

Then again, Maher has a pretty spotty track record when it comes to #MeToo allegations against those on the left, having recently launched into a wildly misogynistic defense of his pal Chris Matthews, after the MSNBC host resigned following allegations of sexual harassment. And, when a number of women came forward last April to accuse Joe Biden of uncomfortable groping and close contact, Maher went as far as defending the former vice president and attacking his accusers.

But you know, were getting a little nitpicky, Maher said. I mean, of course no one likes to be touched unwantingly, and women get a lot more of that than men, but the first person who brought this up said he made her feel gross and uneasy. You know what makes me feel gross and uneasy? A second Trump term.

Hes not Harvey Weinstein or R. Kellyhes more like the TSA, he added. And its getting ridiculous. A woman who came forward today said she was touched by one of his speeches.

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Bill Maher Refuses to Touch the Joe Biden Sexual-Assault Allegation - The Daily Beast

Amazon and other platforms allowing payments to far-right groups – The Guardian

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Dozens of hate groups and racist media outlets are receiving income via mainstream payment processors such as Amazon, Stripe and DonorBox, according to a new report by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD).

The groups still receiving donations and sales via such platforms include promoters of the Great Replacement conspiracy theory that motivated the Christchurch shooter, an organization cited as an inspiration by mass shooter Dylan Roof, and several groups that participated in the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville that ended in the killing of a protester.

The CMD report called Funding Hate finds that despite previous, widely publicized crackdowns, and explicit policies forbidding racist far-right groups from their services, companies are still allowing income to flow to white nationalist, neo-Confederate and neo-Nazi hate groups.

The report found three such groups were still using DonorBox, including the American Freedom party, which advocates the deportation of non-white people and the creation of a white ethnostate.

DonorBox banned the Council of Conservative Citizens, which Roof named as the source of his beliefs about black-on-white crime, after being contacted by CMD.

According to the report, some of these groups have found ways to circumvent previous DonorBox bans by using false names and emails.

Meanwhile, nine groups use Stripe, whose policies leave the door open to racist groups that do not explicitly advocate violence, according to CMD.

Their services are used by several groups including the neo-Confederate group the League of the South, who were prominent participants in Unite the Right; white nationalist media outfits like Red Ice and the Right Stuff; and anti-immigrant not-for-profits and groups like the VDare Foundation and the HL Mencken Club.

On Amazon, self-published books by white supremacist authors and the entire catalogue of white nationalist publishers including audiobooks are easily available.

Amazons offerings include books by the Vandal brothers, who advocate race war, and the antisemitic Arkansan militia leader Billy Roper.

Amazon also sells books published by Washington Summit Publishers, run by the white nationalist Richard Spencer, including an issue of Radix journal entitled The Great Erasure.

The website also carries books and ebooks published by Arktos Media, described by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) as an alt-right publishing syndicate, which has translated and promoted racist books and which, according to the report, is closely tied to Richard Spencer, Red Ice and the white nationalist terrorist group the American Identity Movement.

Arktos titles are also available as audiobooks on Amazons Audible platform.

In addition, the Guardian found that many of Arktoss titles are available at no cost for users with a Kindle Unlimited subscription, including foundational texts of the so-called Identitarian movement by Markus Willinger and Guillaume Faye. Christchurch shooter Brenton Tarrant had extensive contact with leading members of the same Identitarian movement, which promotes fears of demographic replacement, in the lead-up to the shootings.

Other services which the report found were allowing far-right groups to receive income include GoDaddy, Patreon, Squarespace and some Donor-Advised Funds.

The reports author, the investigative journalist Alex Kotch, said in an email that companies should do more to keep hate from their platforms.

There is absolutely no excuse for a company to service, and make money from, any group identified by SPLC as a hate group, Kotch said.

He added: Many people dont understand that speech on corporate platforms is not subject to the first amendment. As long as a company has a formal policy, that company can remove any users who violate the policy.

An Amazon spokesperson said in an email: As a bookseller, we believe that providing access to the written word is important. That includes books that some may find objectionable, though we have policies governing which books can be listed for sale.

We invest significant time and resources to ensure our guidelines are followed, and remove products that do not adhere to our guidelines.

We also promptly investigate any book when a concern is raised.

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Amazon and other platforms allowing payments to far-right groups - The Guardian

Charles H. Bradley III: Chinese Communists weaponized this virus and aimed it at us – The Laconia Daily Sun

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To The Daily Sun,

As the Pandemic Pandemonium soon to be known as Virus Derangement Syndrome (VDS) recedes, a blessing is the exposure of the corrosive effect of the political correctness that has infringed our freedom of speech and our perception of political reality. A significant perception is Demolitioncrat and vampire media madness to denounce those of us who know beyond any reasonable doubt, that the Chinese Communist Party, if not intentionally, certainly in a criminally reckless manner manufactured a highly infectious virus; then intentionally allowed Wuhan residents to travel throughout the world, seeding Italy under its Belt & Road international strategy with thousands of Wuhan residents, while restricting travel in China. From Northern Italy, it spread to Western Europe and then the United States. The Chinese Communist Party weaponized this virus and targeted the United States. China lied, people died!

Has it occurred to anyone that the Pandemic Pandemonium occurred directly after the trade agreement President Trump negotiated with the Chinese criminals, not to mention the billions of dollars brought in by the Trump tariffs? Gordon Chang, an internationally recognized expert on the Chinese criminal conspiracy, reminds us that continental Europe repeatedly appeased criminally monstrous dictators, and failed to defend Western Civilization in the 20th century. The cowards of Europe are now kowtowing to China, Iran and Russia. China, according to Chang, has declared war on the U.S.

The above begs the question: what happened here? Rudy Giuliani reports that Dr. Doom and Gloom (Fauci) donated $3.7 million dollars to the Wuhan virus lab after Obama issued an order in 2014 prohibiting giving money to labs investigating viruses, including the United States. Doom and Gloom Fauci supported W.H.O., now known as the Wuhan Health Organization, in violation of the law. He really is Dr. Death.

After all else fails to get President Trump, including the FBI and DOJ planting spies in the White House, Dr. Death from the Deep State shows up with catastrophic fake epidemiological computer modeling predictions based on garbage in and garbage out information showing 1.2 million deaths to scare the country into an economic shutdown. In addition, our hospital system was forced to shut down elective surgery to treat the non-existent millions of Covid victims, causing near financial collapse, not to mention the near collapse of our food supply chain! Ladies and gentlemen, its the flu, as more and more doctors are telling us. The fatality rate will be less than 0.1 percent.

Dont believe me. Fine! Do you believe Senator Tom Scott, Senator Ted Cruz, Newt Gingrich, Joe DiGenova and Gordon Chang! Thank God Donald Trump is president of the United States.

As an aside, the dam is about to break on Spygate. Lt. General Mike Flynn will be exonerated soon because the Obama DOJ hid exculpatory evidence of his innocence. John Durham will indict Brennan and, probably, Comey and Clapper for the greatest crime in the history of our country. I know its hard to believe.

Nevertheless, it is time to STAND UP OR GET SHUT UP!

Charles H. Bradley III, JD

Laconia

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Charles H. Bradley III: Chinese Communists weaponized this virus and aimed it at us - The Laconia Daily Sun

Harvey: If I were the prince of darkness – Times Record News

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Ted Buss Published 12:00 a.m. CT May 3, 2020

Last week I mentioned 1950-60s radio talk host Paul Harvey and his noted, The rest of the story segment. A friend reminded me of a commentary he did that captured the imagination of the nation in 1965 called, If I were the prince of darkness.

Ted Buss(Photo: c)

You can watch it on you tube or read it online, and it hasnt aged a day. Noticeably, it stands out as a straightforward piece long before the political correctness run amok movement.

If I were the prince of darkness, Harvey said, I would engulf the whole world in darkness.

I would have a third of all real estate and four-fifths of its population, but I wouldnt be happy until I had seized the ripest apple on the tree . . . thee.

So I would set about, however necessary, to take over the United States.

I would subvert the churches first, and I would begin with a campaign of whispers.

With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: Do as you please.

To the young I would whisper that the Bible is a myth. I would convince children that man created God instead of the other way around.

And to the elderly I would teach to pray, Our father, who art in Washington . . .

If I were the devil, Id soon have families at war with themselves, churches at war with themselves and a nation at war with each other until each, in its turn, was consumed.

And with promises of higher ratings and circulation Id have a mesmerizing media fanning the flames.

If I were the devil, I would encourage schools to refine young intellect but neglect to discipline emotions. Id tell administrators and teachers to let students run wild and before you knew it youd have metal detectors at every schoolhouse door.

I would have prisons overflowing and I would evict God from the courts, schools and the halls of Congress.

In churches I would substitute psychology for religion.

If I were the devil, Id take from those who have and give it to those who want until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious.

Id convince the young that marriage is old-fashioned, that living together is more practical and what you see on television is the way to be.

I would lure you into a world of diseases for which there are no cures.

In other words, if I were the devil, Id just keep right on doing what hes doing.

When Harvey wrote this piece 55 years ago, newspapers reprinted it and television networks shared it in commentary. Despite our warts in this or ages past, thankfully we have not outgrown this kind of story.

Ted Buss is a former sports and business editor at the Times Record News.

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As Brit cyber-spies drop ‘whitelist’ and ‘blacklist’, tech boss says: If youre thinking about getting in touch saying this is political correctness…

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The British government's computer security gurus have announced they will stop using the terms whitelisting and blacklisting in their online documentation.

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, said on Friday it would, following a request from a customer, eliminate the terms when describing including and excluding specific applications, websites, weak or leaked passwords, and so on.

Instead, it will use the terms "allow list" and "deny list" in material published on its website.

The aim, said NCSC head of advice and guidance Emma W, is to avoid linking "black" with bad and "white" with good, and the racial connotations they carry.

"From now on, the NCSC will use 'allow list' and 'deny list' in place of 'whitelist' and 'blacklist' on our website. Which, in fact, is clearer and less ambiguous," said Emma.

"So as well as being more inclusive of all, this is a net benefit to our web content. We are editing our guidance across the website to update the terms, but if you do spot any in the meantime then please do contact us."

The NCSC noted the policy change was only a small gesture in a much larger effort to drive prejudice from technology and cyber-security industries, but noted that every small step helps.

"You may not see why this matters. If you're not adversely affected by racial stereotyping yourself, then please count yourself lucky," Emma said. "For some of your colleagues (and potential future colleagues), this really is a change worth making."

The centre also shared an additional statement from technical director Ian Levy and the board of directors in anticipation of a knee-jerk internet backlash:

"If youre thinking about getting in touch saying this is political correctness gone mad, dont bother."

These aren't the first problematic terms to be deprecated in technical vocabularies. For instance, "master" and "slave" to describe storage drives, databases, and similar stuff have been dropped by organizations and companies in favor of "primary" and "secondary."

In response to the NCSC announcement, some asked if this will mean an end to "white hat" and "black hat" to describe those in defensive and offensive security roles, respectively.

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Waiting for the Punchline: There is nuance in who gets the power to tell what jokes – Daily Trojan Online

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As Ive stated in this column many times before, stand up comedy, for many reasons, is a much different breed of cat than other art forms. Unlike film, music and visual art, comedy especially stand up comedy doesnt often get the same pretension of subjectivity that these forms do. For one, people tend to think of themselves as intuitively good judges of comedy because its the one art form they participate in every day by telling jokes, even when theyre not that funny.

However, there is another equally important factor for why stand up comedy can be so difficult as both a performer and consumer. The work of comedians is almost entirely judged by the audiences immediate, in-the-moment reaction to it. Audiences are the ultimate judge of whether or not a joke works because theyre who its meant for.

Sure, sometimes a comic might get a bad crowd that seems more inclined to judge than enjoy a performance, but for the most part, the consumer is always right. Its why the notion of political correctness has been such a hot-button issue in comedy its a perceived battle between the audience and the performer.

Still, as Ive discussed in earlier columns, the concept of political correctness means many different things to many different people. Why shouldnt comedians joke about marginalized communities? Why is it that some comedians are able to talk about certain things but others arent?

One of the most obvious, if sometimes unfortunate, rules in stand up comedy is that half of a jokes success depends upon who is telling it. Reputation plays a pivotal role in how well an audience receives a joke from a comedian in the moment. A live audience is much more predisposed to laugh hard at a half-baked joke from Whitney Cummings than a meticulously conceived joke from Joe Schmoe.

Theres no way some of Dave Chappelles material from his recent specials would be lauded as brilliant if he wasnt already grandfathered in as an all-time talent. Some of his jokes especially those about alleged rape victims and the LGBTQ+ community have received a fair amount of backlash from critics and viewers. Yet, audiences were overwhelmingly pleased with what Chappelle put out. Hell, he even won a couple of Grammys for it.

Would these jokes get the same kind of reception coming out of Shane Gillis mouth? Almost assuredly not. We know Chappelle; thats just the kind of humor hes always done and we continue to praise him for it. Audiences and critics obviously love him enough for him to receive the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2019.

Are these jokes bad? Is someone a bad person for laughing at them? Thats certainly up for debate. Whats not debatable, at least to me, is that they definitely sound a lot funnier coming from Chappelle than they do from many other people.

In addition to reputation, context also matters in why we laugh at some jokes versus others. Its always been my belief that certain, darker types of comedy operate on a suspension of belief. When Anthony Jeselnik jokes about dropping a baby, the audience laughs because of their fundamental understanding that hes not being serious.

Its for this reason why I believe Louis C.K.s attempt to come back to stand up has been an ill-conceived dumpster fire to watch as a consumer. Some Louis C.K. diehards might claim that, no matter how he went about it, there was no avenue for him to convince certain audiences to forgive him and allow him to continue performing comedy, and theyre probably right. Many people would not forgive him after he admitted to sexual misconduct.

However, there was a large number of fans and nonfans willing to let the disgraced comic at least try to demonstrate that he had truly learned from his mistakes through his material, which is as dark and self-reflective as one can get.

Unfortunately, his comic response, which is included in his new special titled Sincerely Louis C.K., was so tonedeaf and irresponsible to not only his career but the notion of dark comedy in general.

Again, dark comedy thrives on the suspension of belief you know that the people joking about these subjects arent actually bad people. You wouldnt be laughing at Jeselniks dead baby jokes if he had a history of clumsiness around infants. Its the same reason why Louis C.K.s once-brilliant darkness seemed rebellious, groundbreaking and strangely comforting when he didnt have the reputation of being a real-life scumbag. Its strange that the man whose whole stage persona once revolved around his fragile self-esteem now seems so eager to protect it.

In the special, C.K. does pull out some classic Louis-isms, including one bit about how he understands how one could be attracted to teenage boys, but these jokes that once seemed unbelievably dark and hilarious now seem strange and sinister. His act used to be so effective because it seemed to be him talking earnestly about his worst demons, the ones you never act on and are scared to talk about.

The jokes hit differently when you know hes the type of person to actually act on some of the disturbing things he talks about. Add the fact that he wont apologize for the horrible things hes actually done, and it becomes difficult to still find his material all that funny.

These situations are obviously all very different, and I am not the ultimate judge of comedys moral line. If I was then Id be killing the open mics (in 2021). Though, if there was any purpose in writing this column, it was to spread one gospel that comedy is an incredibly nuanced and legitimate art form, and it must be treated as such. Its not just the jolt of haha that you get from consuming a funny TikTok (although it can definitely be that as well). Its an art form built upon analyzing the missteps of life and finding truth within them. When it is done well, comedy is as important of a reflection of our culture as any creative interpretation. When it is watered down and weaponized, it only corrodes the medium for everyone who wants to participate in and enjoy it. Its not that serious, but take it seriously ya know?

Matthew Philips is a senior writing about comedy. He is also the wellness & outreach director for the Daily Trojan. His column, Waiting for the Punchline, ran every other Thursday.

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Bound and Gagged by the Bugmen – American Greatness

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Do you speak Bug? Do you know its diction and syntax? Do you recognize its cant, the clicks and stridulations?

If you are reading this, you almost certainly do. You are, more likely than not, well-versed in its rhetoric. Bug is a second language for you. The superstratum of the hyper-educated class to which you belong. It is a language you need to survive here, to effectuate your role in the knowledge economy. Bug is the lingua franca of globohomo.

Globohomo? Can I say such a word? Not in the boardroom or in the faculty lounge, that is for sure. Not at my TedTalk or the panel I will sit on at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Globohomo is not a Davos word. It is not a Bug word. Its connotations are much too vulgar. It does not, in fact, even matter that you understand precisely what it means. One can intuit its pejorative capacity, its intent to offend. It is a word with verve and weighta pulse. It is one of many such neologisms arising out of the anarchic ferment of the too-online subterranean world anons like me inhabit.

Here we do not speak Bug.

OK, so what is this Bug language exactly? What follows is a recent, prominent example via negativa. Just about any of Donald Trumps utterances would qualify as the opposite of Bug, but his letter to Recep Erdogan in October encouraging the Turkish leader to cooperate on the issue of the Kurds is especially instructive. This is what Bug is not.

You might remember the furor over this letter, these final lines in particular:

History will look upon you favorably if you get this done the right and humane way. It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things dont happen. Dont be a tough guy. Dont be a fool!

A conspicuously Trumpian ultimatum. The style is inimitable, Trumps alone. Brusque, temperamental, masterfully trollish, eschewing the usual niceties and mealy-mouthed platitudes of diplomacy which, to the ears of a swaggering, ersatz sultan would be rejected anyway.

Nassim Nicholas Taleb, another man who does not speak Bug nor think within its constraints, praised the virtue of Trumps epistolary flair. He compared Trumps missive to the famous Zaphorian Cossacks Letter to Sultan Mehmed IV. Below, a sampling:

Zaporozhian Cossacks to the Turkish Sultan!

O sultan, Turkish devil . . . Thou shalt not, thou son of a whore, make subjects of Christian sons; we have no fear of your army, by land and by sea we will battle with thee, fuck thy mother.

Thou Babylonian scullion, Macedonian wheelwright, brewer of Jerusalem, goat-fucker of Alexandria . . .

So the Zaporozhians declare, you lowlife . . . Now well conclude, for we dont know the date and dont own a calendar; the moons in the sky, the year with the Lord, the days the same over here as it is over there; for this kiss our arse!

Goat-fucker of Alexandria . . . Imagine!

Trumps own letter is so mild in comparison; and yet, what did our Bug-speaking class have to say about it?

It is hard when adjudicating anything Trump-related to disaggregate their reflexive contempt from a more substantive critique, but here we see their old point-and-sputter routine to dismiss what they cannot (or refuse to) comprehend. Bizarre, they say. Is this, like, even real? they wonder. Do a Twitter search for Erdogan on October 16th, 2019, the day the letter became news and you will see for yourself. The Bug class screeching in unison, performing ironic dramatic readings. The cringe is unbearable.

Forget the utility of the letter; they do not even bother to take aim at the question of whether or not Trump succeeded in deterring Erdogans aggression. Erdogan threw the letter in the trash, dont you know? As if that is the end of it, or tells us anything at all about the foreign policy matter at hand. No. What they most resist are the aesthetics of the letter. They resist its style.

Trump writes like a man wielding overwhelming power, held back only by generous restraint, says a Bug-speaking columnist at the Guardian. As if that is a bad thing! What matters is not that Trump did or did not persuade Erdogan. Trumps great sin, as one presidential historian and CNN contributor put it, was that he failed to look professional.

Much is revealed by this concern over professionalism. Much more than Trumps accuser intends, and it is not about Trump but about the function of the Bug language as perceived by the people who wield it and enforce its use. The appearance of professionalism is the overriding ethic. This is what the Bug language affords, a thin veneer of legitimacy. It is cosmetic, purely, a layering over of a much more sinister, much more repugnant creature underneath.

Let us go back to beginnings. Christopher Caldwells much-discussed Age of Entitlement makes the provocative claim that the origins of the modern American nation (and the death of the old one) can be traced to the Constitutional cataclysm of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He observes in this episode the hardening of a certain progressive legal and political impulse seeded in the suite of new laws, including Hart-Celler, that would come to dominate American life, and by proxy the Western world at large, in the decades to come.

Caldwell notes this wasnt merely a legalistic revolution, even if the courts supplied the arms, but also activated through social and cultural practice a much broader reorientation of the commonweal toward a coalition of minority interest groups and administrative state commissars, at the expense of a white working-class who under this new dispensation were obliged to take their ration of gruel with a smile.

One of the mechanisms Caldwell identifies for this social and political conquest is the old conservative bogeyman of political correctness. The dopey, ham-handed manner in which the term is so often criticized by the Right notwithstanding, an examination of P.C. provides an illustrative example of how languagethe Bug language, of which political correctness is a major idiomis used to enforce ideology on otherwise unwilling subjects.

Take the case of the nauseating term Latinx. Go ahead. Say it out loud to yourself. Latinx. Do you feel properly debased? You should. You are meant to. Your indignity is the point.

Bug language cannot be allowed to persist. And we must stomp it out with the heel of our boot.

Nevermind for a moment that the vast majority of people the term is ostensibly meant to assuage do not like it and would never use it themselves. Like so much else that might fall under the umbrella of P.C., the goal is not to empower the weak but to weaken the strong. And a term like Latinx does this firstly by extorting consent through moral blackmailyou are a bad and discourteous person for not using itand secondly by smuggling in with its adoption a whole matrix of ideological commitments from which the term is constructed, including commitments related not just to Latino ethnicity, but to gender, sexuality, immigration, and even American foreign policy. The Bugmen who invent this stuff say so themselves.

Reader, you might resist using the term. I suspect you do. Just as you might resist declaring your pronouns, or saying the equally nauseating term person of color, or examining your privilege, white or otherwise, or renouncing your toxic masculinity. At least for now. But where these terms fail to take root, others of their type will spread and claim the soil, and inexorably the ground from which we derive our understanding of the world and our place in it, becomes choked with these verbal weeds and the poisonous fruits they bear.

But this is not all that is going on. Lamenting the scourge of P.C. is by now prosaic culture-war sport and not really even the most interesting aspect of Bug speak. The civil rights revolution at the center of Caldwells thesis dovetails with another era-defining revolution of a subtler kind that perhaps better elucidates this subject.

For our purposes, it will suffice to give a potted history of the class divisions and alliances that emerge alongside Caldwells civil rights revolution. The trends are related and feed on one another but should be understood as separate phenomena. The story of the managerial class, the progenitors of Globohomo and the language he instantiates, opens with the financialization of the American economy in the 1970s.

In the cauldron of burgeoning American global economic hegemony, the witch doctor(ate)s in the academy and on Wall Street cooked up a new, more potent scheme to extract resources from firms and their labor. The finer details are better explained elsewhere.

Whats important to understand is the creation of new wealth under this scheme, if not the result of a casino economy exactly, depended less and less on the production, sale, and consumption of goods and more and more, as David Graeber puts it, [on] various forms of rent taking, that is, direct extraction, through semifeudal relations of extraction where financial interests work closely with state power (policy, as its euphemistically termed) to create conditions of mass indebtedness.

This is the neoliberal economy at the End of History: a shell game that coerces Peter, if not to steal, then to borrow beyond his earning capacity to pay Paul, where owner and worker, no longer adjoined by lifetime employment, a pension, a shared community where their respective children attend the same schools and might even (gasp!) marry, are instead cut off from one another, the owner having made common cause with financial interests and the public bureaucracies that dole out his gibs, while the worker is left to fend for himself against mass imported labor, in decaying, alienating cities and towns, his union busted, his pension depleted, and his sons subjected to the haradins and gremlins in the media and in the lecture halls who blame him for societys ills.

Melodramatic? Maybe. But only a little.

Into this milieu, a new antagonist emerges. The managerial class.

Broadly speaking, the upper quintile or so of highly educated, relatively well-paid paper pushers and desk jockeys whose primary duty is to keep the corporate-bureacratic machinery well-greased. Much, perhaps most, of it is not real work. Not in the traditional sense of value-added inputs. Instead, it is inflationary makeshift drudgery to justify the continuation of its own existence. Mandarins puttering about with a pair of meddling eyes over every shoulder. Needlessly convoluted procedures, rules, redundancies, instructions, prohibitions, and laws are the grist for the new corporate mill, serving, again, per Graeber, the flunkies, goons, box tickers, and task masters who populate the modern office.

Here, then, we get another condition out of which the Bug language is born. It is a do-nothing language for do-nothing people. Its flimsy abstractions and moralizing sentiments serve both to explain away the dispossession of the working class over whom the managers preside, and to substantiate their status that is increasingly decoupled from any actual merit. Hence, officespeak. HR drivel.

MBA Harvard. Forward Optimization Analyst. Delivering strategies to achieve excellence across domains. Advancing underrepresented managers within an Inclusion and Diversity capital and technological ecosystem.

You have seen this on Linkedin. I have. What does this Bugman do? What purpose could he possibly serve? It is a language to describe the clothes of a naked emperor. A profoundly deceptive, ever-permutating glossary of buzzwords and junk phrases to sustain the illusion that the professional degrees mean something, the six-figure salary is deserved, and their complicity in undercutting your grubby-handed countrymen nil, if such a thought might ever surface at all.

This verbal (self) deception, a discharge of pustulating insecurity, and the dim awareness of the hours, days, years wasted on endless busywork, relates to a third and final condition of Bug speak, elite overproduction. As more and more Harvard MBAs are minted, as well as college degrees across the board, especially graduate degreescollege loans being a necessary pillar of the financialized economys mass debt superstructurethe relative status value of the degree is proportionally deflated.

But the petty status games go on, and where the intrinsic value of the Bugmans credentials are debased, a Bug vernacular is constructed to prop it back up.

In its Platonic form:

One sees this more and more. The besieged, officious Bugman, demanding with increasing desperation her due respect and acknowledgment of her expertise. If this is not status anxiety, I dont know what is.

These self-proclaimed experts and their water carriers are perhaps the worst offenders. Every pronouncement begins with a declaration of their assumed authority. It goes something like this: Doctor here. I spent years training how to put on an N95 mask. It is impossible unless you have a degree like me. So dont even try, plebe.

They say this. In so many words.

The purpose, again, is always to weaken you, to subjugate you, to patronize and condescend. Without their help, or their degrees, you are not even fit to wipe your own ass. Do not better yourself, do not defend yourself. Submit.

That is the telos of the Bug language, to lead you into submission. Bound and gagged.

In writing this essay, I do not mean to suggest that Trumps too-often caricature-like bluster, for example, is what serious people ought to adopt to displace Bug language. Nor should we all begin speaking in memes and other obscure online jokes. Though we must maintain a sense of humor and a sense of play. Our sense of humor is one of our great advantages over the Bugmen. And our memes, and Trumps, certainly have a place, and at least provide a striking contrast to Bug language that can, and has, shaken many a soul out of their Bug-induced slumber.

But this is not merely a call for a coarsening of the discourse exactly, though some coarsening is in order. Rather, I want to insist that language is the vehicle through which its speakers material and spiritual needs are both defined and met, and to the extent Bug language has been adopted by our public and private elites, in the United States and around the world, we have been accordingly reduced to stuttering, impotent, homunculi of the mind and soul, estranged from our own humanity and that of our fellow man.

One must refuse their terms. One must not enter into their status games. One must not be held hostage by threat of moral extortion and declare of himself or of others what he does not believe to be true. One must not be debased. One must not get bogged down in legalistic hair-splitting or pedantic empiricism.

Well, akshually . . . Fuck off, akshually.

Richard Weaver (read him!), the mid-century conservative rhetorician, had much good to say on the topic of how we might communicate our ideas. Perhaps foreseeing the rise of the Bug language, Weaver warned of basing our claims too much on authority or the crude accounting of consequentialism. This was the way of the technocrat.

Instead, Weaver asserted, we must concern ourselves with principles, with essences. Rhetoric in its truest sense seeks to perfect men by showing them better versions of themselves, links in that chain extending up toward the idea.

Heady stuff, no doubt. But a language that allows us to think bigly, allows us to do bigly.

On the day I began writing this, Marc Andreesen wrote an impassioned plea that our nation start building again. It is a powerful statement, spoken from a place of deep longing, and I believe he means every word. I will leave it to Andreesen to sort out the financing, the tech, the coordination required to fulfill such a promise.

But I will suggest that none of this can be donenot the flying cars, or the space travel; there will be no fourtth Industrial Revolutionuntil and unless there is a common language with the capacity to inspire it. His declaration is a start. But Bug language will not allow it. It cannot support its vision. It can only pervert, and inevitably thwart all that dare to be heroic. Bug language cannot be allowed to persist. And we must stomp it out with the heel of our boot.

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Is Artist Jordan Wolfson Really So Offensive? A New Documentary Considers the Artists Persona – ARTnews

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If Jordan Wolfson is an edgelord, our culture doesnt have much of an edge. Spit Earth: Who Is Jordan Wolfson?, a new documentary directed by James Crump, nods at its start to the artists offensiveness and his lack of deference to political correctness and virtue signaling. But since the putatively offended parties are mostly absent from the 55-minute film, one can only imagine what sensitivities might be triggered by Wolfsons vulgarity, scatology, violence, lust, and direct or sideways invocations of ethnicity, race, and racism. Maybe tweakings of these taboos count as offensive today, but not too long ago they were common currency.

So outside a certain bubble, Wolfson comes across less as a provocateur than as a sophisticated and entertaining nostalgia act, repackaging familiar transgressions in novel trappings like animatronics and virtual-reality headsets. Plenty of precursors beyond the two that Wolfson names (David Lynch and Jeff Koons) are obvious: Norman Mailer, R. Crumb, Al Goldstein, the Beastie Boys, Howard Stern. His 2014 breakout work (Female figure), an animatronic blonde who dances while looking in a mirror, channels 50s-era pinups through pre-2001 robotics and the perverted masquerade of Kubricks Eyes Wide Shut. His VR installation from the 2017 Whitney Biennial, Real Violence, replays the street beatdown scene from A Clockwork Orange in black goggles with an anti-Semitic twist. As for the animated aging Jewish man in a yarmulke and beard talking dirty in in the artists voice in Animation, masks (2011), Woody Allen made the same joke in Annie Hall. Call Wolfson a transgressive traditionalistand watch him drag such manchild signifiers as Pinocchio and Looney Toons into the piss and shit of a muddled 21st-century adulthood to a familiar pop score of Lady Gaga and Percy Sledge.

One function of virtue signaling is money laundering, since money has no virtue on its own and more often than not is born of vice (or worse). But if virtuous art pays out these days in return for the cover it provides to capital, it stands to reason that some money will flow to its opposite, especially if it comes in an ironic wrapping. If Wolfson were truly offensive, hed be kicked out of polite society. But his irony affirms the status quo even as it points up its hypocrisies and general flimsiness. And so Spit Earth takes us to Wolfsons farm house in upstate New York, where he enjoys the company of a couple of large dogs and keeps a pair of rescue horses in a big red barn. Wolfson cops that hes always been fortunate, and we see childhood photos of his upper-middle-class family. But as usual, his checking of privilege comes across as a form of autofellatio thinly disguised as self-deprecation.

The best scenes of the film transpire in the living room: Wolfson putting his phone on the mantel and FaceTiming with an animator, acting out the scene he wants her to put on the screen for his next piece. Hes laughing, hes dancing, hes appreciative of his collaboratorall with the sense of childlike fun that enchants many of his works. Such scenes are more illuminating than anything the talking heads in the film say about himthough theyre all entranced by his charismaor any of the vague things Wolfson says about his boyhood. It was hard, he tells us of growing up. Jordan had a learning disability, his mother explains. Theres a whiff of therapy to the proceedings, the couch no doubt being the source of a good deal of Wolfsons inspiration. No artist is comfortable in his own skin, adds Wolfsons aunt, the novelist Erica Jong. Am I allowed to say that?

Asking permission to utter a bromide nicely captures the tone of Spit Earth, but the supposed scandalousness of the art doesnt quite eclipse the art itself. The drama at play is mostly of the messy-breakup variety. Wolfsons ex-girlfriend Emma Fernberger, who is pictured nude in his embrace in one of his paintings, recalls how the picture hurt another ex-boyfriends feelings. She and Wolfson have since patched things up, and when Fernberger wonders aloud whether all of Wolfsons work amounts to an elaborate psychic self-portrait, shes stating the obvious.

Wolfsons most striking transgression was a series of posters in which he called out the Venice Biennale for not selecting him for competition (nothing is more offensive than a careerism that dares to speak its own name) while also criticizing other artists for not making work you love. The image behind the text on them is something Wolfson surely loves: himself.

Its hard to blame him. Wolfson has wit and energy. He does a funny impression of Jeff Koons. Hes clever and shrewdmaybe even too shrewd within an art world thats allowed him to thrive more as jester than gadfly. The glibbest of Wolfsons works is the new Artists, Friends, Racists (2020) in which the three words flicker alternately in neon read signage. To hear him explain the logic behind the piecethat any white person born in America might not be personally racist but is complicit in structural racismonly makes it drearier, since its conventional wisdom.

Wolfson could clearly use some competition as a satirist. But turning 40 this fall, his days as an enfant terrible are behind him. Spit Earth serves as a capstone to that phase. The table is set for a long midlife crisis.

Spit Earth: Who Is Jordan Wolfson? is now available online on Vimeo.

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In Defense of Intellectual Trumpism – The American Conservative

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In his recent New York Times review of Andrew Bacevichs new anthology of conservative writings, columnist George Will tosses out a dig at self-described national conservatives, convinced that the thinking persons Trumpism is not an oxymoron. These poor souls, he adds, are struggling to infuse intellectual content into the simmering stew of economic nationalism, resentment of globalizations disruptions and nostalgia for the economy and communities of the 1950s.

Though Will issued his characterization merely in passing, part of a broader point about conservatisms ambiguous attitude toward modernity, it was meant to sting. In terms of intellectual content, he seems to be saying, Trump and Trumpism are the same thing.

But are they? Trumpism got Donald Trump elected in 2016. If he loses in 2020, as seems increasingly likely, it wont be because of Trumpism but because of his own severe limitations as a leader. As president, Trump has been a haphazard and largely hapless exponent of Trumpism.

Leaving aside Trump, what is Trumpism? And why is it inherently contradictory to the thoughts of thinking people? Of course, Trump himself is not a thinking person. He operates by instinct and viscera. But those attributes provided him with enough insight in 2016 to understand that a host of issues were agitating a substantial constituency that had been forgotten or dismissed by the political establishment. So he ran against the establishment and won. That doesnt reflect particularly well on the establishmenta habitat, of course, of thinking people.

If we confine ourselves to the general policy positions that Trump ran on in 2016 and leave aside his empty governance and his incapacity to build a governing coalition, we can distill the essence of Trumpism. And then we can assess whether it is worthy of thinking people. The component parts:

The World We Live In: One of Trumps sharpest insights was that we no longer live in the world that brought us Barry Goldwater, William F. Buckley, and Ronald Reagan. Their conservatism was right for their time, and Reagan was the right man to carry it to national prominence. But the country and the world have changed since then. In 2016, Trump and Senator Bernie Sanders were the only politicians who pressed the view that the status quo was crumbling. And Trump, in capturing the Republican Party in the primaries, made clear he had little regard for the issue clusters and sensibilities that had guided the party since Goldwater.

Immigration: Nothing illustrates this more starkly than immigration, which likely was the single most powerful issue that propelled Trump into the White House. When Reagan ran for president in 1980, the proportion of foreign born persons in the country was 6.2 percent. In 2016, it was 13.5 percent. Today, it is approaching 15 percent. History tells us that, when this important metric approaches or exceeds 14 percent, as it did around the turn of the last century, political concerns emerge about the ability of the country to assimilate such immigration numbers smoothly. Smart politicians pay attention, but the establishment politicians of 2016 ignored it.

This no doubt was part of what George Will was talking about when he referred to those seeking to infuse intellectual content into the simmering stew ofglobalizations disruptions. But why is it smart to disdain those concerned about the disruptions wrought by immigration flows exceeding anything ever seen before in the country? Particularly when the last time they approached todays level, a century ago, the country became agitated and moved decisively to curb that inflow? To understand this political reality is an element of Trumpism, and to have a finger on the pulse of political sentiment would seem to be an example of a thinking persons Trumpism. Further, those who either missed it or ignored it dont look much like thinking people, and their ignorance or ideological zeal helped give us Donald Trump.

Trade: The Republican Party of Goldwater, Buckley, and Reagan was a free-trade party (though Reagan was willing to stray from that doctrine in deft and often camouflaged ways when political pressures impinged upon him). Trump ripped away the free-trade label. Does this represent another of those disassociations of Trumpism from thinking people? Well, the Republican Party was consistently protectionist from its beginning in the 1850s right up until the end of World War II. One president during that time, William McKinley, sought to craft a new doctrine, called reciprocity, dedicated to multiple bilateral agreements in which two countries mutually reduced trade barriers. He didnt have a chance to demonstrate how well it could work before he was killed in 1901. His successor, Theodore Roosevelt, promptly abandoned the concept.

The Trump trade policy bears a serious resemblance to McKinleys reciprocity concept. Whatever one thinks of it, no one can deny that the free trade regimen wasnt working as advertised. Indeed, it helped hollow out Americas industrial base and devastated the blue-collar working class long considered the countrys brawn and backbone. Further, it became an invitation for other nations, particularly China, to game the system and undermine Americas ability to compete in the global marketplace. And where were our establishment politicians? Clinging to the status quo and refusing to see or address the devastation. Who were the thinking people in this tale?

Financialization of the Economy: Trump went after the big banks of Wall Street during his campaign but hasnt taken them on as president. He was right the first time. Today, $1 out of every $12 of GDP goes to the financial sector; in the 1950s, it was only $1 for every $40 of GDP. This represents a huge additional cut for people who dont make anything, dont create many jobs, and generally just move money around. The financial system we have now, wrote Matthew Stewart in The Atlantic a couple years ago, has been engineered, over decades, by powerful bankers for their own benefit and for that of their posterity. The federal government favors these elements of society further with lavish tax preferences and other juicy perks of crony capitalism. If Trumpism is what Trump campaigned on in 2016, then the big financial institutions would be under political pressure today, as they should be.

Foreign Policy: Before Trump, the Republican Party was thoroughly under the sway of internationalists bent on remaking the world in the American image, including through regime change wars and threats of war, and dedicated to preventing the emergence of regional powers allowed to pursue their own interests in their own neighborhoods. Trump ran against all this. As president, severely beleaguered by allegations of Russian collusion that turned out to be bogus, he has had to abandon his desire to forge better relations with Russia. He has avoided any new Mideast wars, though his bellicosity toward Iran could yield that result and he has been unable to get the country out of ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. And his foreign policy rhetoric during the campaign clearly was popular with many voters and set new terms of debate both within the party and in the broader political environment.

Political Correctness: After the 2016 presidential campaign, mathematician Spencer Greenberg conducted a study indicating that anger over political correctness was the second most reliable predictor of Trump support, behind party affiliation and ahead of social conservatism, protectionism, and anti-immigration sentiments. This provided a remarkable window on the frustrations and anger on the part of those who felt they were being dismissed and marginalized by the nations liberal elites. No serious presidential candidate had ever taken on the PC forces with Trumps brand of pugilism, often accompanied by his unsavory mode of expression. It was a brutal pushback against those seeking to silence conservatives by declaring their views to be outside the bounds of proper discourse. It turned out, based on Trumps forcing the issue onto the national stage, that many Americans were fed up with that political ploy.

These Trumpian positions of 2016 represent a repository of political sentiment in the country and constitute Trumps tightly formed political base, which has been and remains about 43 percent of the electorate. Could these positions also serve as bedrock for a broader political movement undergirding a governing coalition for the future? We dont know because Trump has proved himself incapable of building any such governing coalition. Besides, as he has proved recently, its tough to disguise buffoonery in a crisis. But not all of Trumpism is divorced from intelligent thinking, and some of it will still be out there, beckoning a politician, even perhaps a thinking politician, interested in building that coalition.

Robert W. Merry, former Wall Street Journal correspondent and Congressional Quarterly CEO, is the author most recently of President McKinley: Architect of the American Century (Simon & Schuster).

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In Defense of Intellectual Trumpism - The American Conservative

‘Reno 911’ Makes A Seamless Transition To Quibi, Harkening Back To Funnier Times – The Federalist

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They dont make television comedies like they used to, and few were ever made as brilliantly as Reno 911, the jewel of Comedy Centrals glorious mid-aughts lineup. But its back, and better than pretty much every new comedy on air right now, despite clocking in around seven minutes an episode.

In these trying times, happiness is an elusive sensation. The unbridled joy I felt one minute into the reboots premiere, having realized Reno 911 is returning to us in fine form, defies description. In Quibis hands, the show is back at its Bush-era peak, a relic from a time when few topics were off limits in comedy, and skillful humorists lampooned every one of them with equal vigor and delight. You cant fully understand the magnitude of this cultural loss until you see Jim Dangle work his way through a PSA on gender pronouns.

The PSAs are only of many gags from the shows original run that return in the reboot, which premieres on Monday, including Juniors universally ill-fated attempts to pull drivers over, and Dangles bicycle woes. Familiar faces like Patton Oswalt, Toby Huss (Big Mike), and Dave Holmes (Leslie Frost) make appearances as well, furthering the shows ability to channel its singular original spirit.

Speaking of which, Reno 911! left the air in 2009, but more than a decade later, its cultural commentaries hold up remarkably well. Revisit, for instance, the eighth episode of season five, presciently titled The Wall, for a taste of the shows lasting satirical value. Quibis reboot is similarly fearless, diving straight into the new politics of policing, transgenderism, paper straws, and gun control. Oswalts character is basically Alex Jones. With the exception, perhaps, of Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia, another holdover from the mid-aughts, theres just nothing like this on television anymore.

Reno 911 is a good fit for Quibis experimental model, which is to produce series with episodes under 10 minutes long, in vertical and horizontal formats optimized for smartphone viewing. The show actually used to air hodgepodge episodes with no narrative string at all, basically just a collection of sketches. Theres continuity in the Quibi episodes, at least the three made available to press before launch day, which works well for breezy shows like Reno.

Theres something odd about watching Reno 911! in 2020, about seeing its unchanged crassness applied to a world where cultural pressures have reined in most satireeven most good satire. Everything is overproduced and overwritten, two qualities that could never be used to characterize Reno 911! Thank goodness for that. Its liberating to revisit comedys not-so-distance past, and actually kind of revealing as to how exhausting those overproduced and overwritten shows have started to become.

What makes the consequences of political correctness difficult to measure is that we cant fully know whats not being made. The Reno reboot actually functions as a glimpse into the magnitude of that loss. Of course, Quibis decision to bring the show back without sanding away of its edges indicates some in the industry are still willing to test those waters, convinced theres a market for genuinely controversial comedy. Between YouTube and the booming podcast industry, that should be abundantly clear.

Like Michael Scott, a character even Steve Carrell believes wouldnt fly in todays Hollywood, the bumbling idiots of the Reno Sheriffs Department are used to satirize the ugliness of racism and sexism and xenophobia. Our laughter reinforces societys intolerance for bigotry. Thats a worthy effort, and comedy is one of our best tools to tackle it.

I dont know how Reno will be perceived by critics in legacy media, who typically enforce the narrowing standards of acceptable discourse, even if they allow for a little more wiggle room than the lefts most humorless detractors. For 2020, the writing on Renos seventh season is bold. Its also great.

Ill close by acknowledging whats behind the shameless enthusiasm of this glowing review. Reno 911! and Strangers With Candy and The Sarah Silverman Program were what I watched when my parents werent home. They were what taught me the value of satire. They were what made me appreciate the intellectual freedom that comes with comedy. But nostalgia aside, the reboot is worth your time.

Besides, if you dont watch, you will never know what happened to Trudy Wiegels hamster. And trust me, youre going to want to know what happened to Trudy Wiegels hamster.

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'Reno 911' Makes A Seamless Transition To Quibi, Harkening Back To Funnier Times - The Federalist

When will churches fight for their God-given right to meet? – The Conservative Woman

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WHAT might British churches do if the Covid-19 lockdown banning them from meeting physically together continues into June?Would some of them start meeting again in their buildings?

Unlike some churchesin the United States, British churches are co-operating fully with the lockdown regime. The leadership of the Church of Englandhas even exceeded the rules, demanding that clergy do not enter their church buildings to conduct live-streamed services or even for private prayer.

The Roman Catholic Church in Britain has not gone that far. It has closed its buildings but it allows its clergy to live-stream services from their churches.

In which British churches might a conscience-driven protest movement start? The older Protestant denominations such as the Church of England, the Methodists and the United Reformed Church do not seem minded to question the lockdown regime or to call on the government to come up with an exit strategy. The leadership of the Roman Catholic Church is at least talking to the government about when it might be allowed to reopen church buildings, but has said it will not do so until the restrictions are lifted.

It would seem that the most likely candidates for principled defiance of the lockdown would be the newer churches in the Pentecostal and independent evangelical scene. These churches are more counter-cultural, more inclined to dissent from the prevailing culture of political correctness in the British governing class.

The churches inclined to start meeting again in their buildings would, one imagines, be led by people who were sceptical about the proportionalityof the lockdown, but they would be mainly driven by the New Testament vision of the church as the body of Christ.

The Apostle Paul used the metaphor of the human body to teach a congregation inclined to disunity about their spiritual interdependence as Christs people: If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now God hath set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him (1 Corinthians 12v17-18 Authorised Version).

This metaphor for the church then turns into a synonym: Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (v27).

This New Testament description of the church as the body of Christ rules out putting online meetings on an equal theological footing with the physical gathering of Gods people. Christ had a physical body in his incarnate state on earth. Now in his exalted heavenly state he continues to have a physical body on earth the human members of his church gathered together in a shared physical space for corporate worship.

According to the Holy Scriptures, virtual Christianity will not do. The body of Christ should never be turned into an avatar.

So, with supermarkets being allowed to open during the lockdown and the feared overwhelming of hospitals not materialising, might some churches consider that they ought not to deny their God-given calling to be the body of Christ here on British soil? At what point under a long lockdown is of course the tricky question. But the point might come for some churches when they think the choice between obeying God or man is staring them in the face.

How might the police react if theological principle moved some churches to start meeting again? Would they arrest Christian worshippers or issue them with on-the-spot fines? If there were prosecutions, how might the courts react? Would they support the police or would they uphold the ancient British right to peaceable Christian assembly?

The Attorney General of the United States, William Barr, has orderedan investigationinto state and local directives that could be violating the constitutional rights and civil liberties of individual citizens.

He said: As the Department of Justice explained recently in guidance to states and localities taking steps to battle the pandemic, even in times of emergency, when reasonable and temporary restrictions are placed on rights, the First Amendment and federal statutory law prohibit discrimination against religious institutions and religious believers.

Is the British government capable of producing such a champion of the rights of Christian worshippers under a long lockdown preventing their churches from meeting as the body of Christ?

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Book review: The Motion of the Body Through Space by Lionel Shriver – Evening Standard

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In thisenjoyably abrasive novel, Lionel Shriver confronts the cult of extreme exercise. On a deeper level, its about belonging, ownership and the accommodations that are made in a long life and a long marriage. Shriver being Shriver, there are also a few sharp, contrarian volleys on race and political correctness. Its a compelling read if, like a marathon, somewhat relentless.

Serenata Terpsichore faces an excruciating double knee replacement after a lifetime of solitary running, cycling and callisthenics in upstate New York. Her hitherto sedentary husband Remington Alabaster chooses this moment to announce that, at 64, he plans to run a marathon. Character names are the only whimsical thing in the book. Serenatas response to Remington infringing on her territory is anything but serene.

Aloof and a loner, she sees exercise as a solitary chore, and despises the cultish zeal of Remington and his new-found brethren, especially when he moves on to a super-triathlon called MettleMan, encouraged by young, blonde trainer Bambi Buffer, whose body recalled the diagrams of human musculature in anatomy textbooks.

Shriver attributes Remingtons conversion to a crisis of masculinity far bigger than the usual midlife dip. As Serenata explains to her gruff working-class father-in-law, today women can be world-beaters and claim to be traumatized by a hand on our knee when helplessness is politically useful. Remington lost his beloved job in the Department of Transport at the hands of a young, privileged, stupid and combative black woman, Lucinda Okonkwo, who was promoted above him.

Property: A Collection by Lionel Shriver - review

Lucinda is a truly crass creation a wilfully provocative move by Shriver, who was accused of racism in her 2016 book The Mandibles and in various subsequent public interventions. Serenata, too, is losing work due to racial sensitivities. A voice artist who narrates talking books and video games, her skill at impersonating ethnic accents is suddenly problematic. I dont think this is a racist book, though it has an insensitivity born of Shrivers urge to face down her critics, and an undertow of white whataboutery. But race is one of the wounds in society she feels obliged to probe, brutally and without anaesthetic. Gender is in there too (a female triathletes husband despises her for out-guying him), and wealth inequality.

Contrarian: Lionel Shriver creates characters disdainful, unbending and who are refreshingly hard to like (Daniel Hambury/@stellapicsltd)

Above all, Shriver questions belief. Extreme sport commodifies faith in ones willpower as well as effort. Serenata and Remingtons daughter Valeria has become both a born-again Christian and a therapy junkie, convinced her own failings must be her parents fault. Even Serenatas own conviction in her physical and intellectual superiority takes a bashing. In a way, the book is about how we all deal with decline and death.

The writing is sardonic and elegant, although there are rather too many repetitive arguments between thecentral couple. Like many of Shrivers protagonists, Serenata is disdainful, unbending and refreshingly hard to like. Surprisingly, theres a happy ending. Or at least, as happy an ending as this mordantly confrontational writer is ever likely to allow herself.

The Motion of the Body Through Spaceby Lionel Shriver (Borough Press, 16,99), buy it here.

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Coronavirus has turned our attention away from other major stories – The Jerusalem Post

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Fear of missing out, FOMO, is so 2019. Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, and the lockdowns implemented around the world to try to slow its spread, people stuck at home can find a minimal amount of consolation in the fact that theyre not the only ones not having fun or going places. COVID-19, with its death toll and economic repercussions, has come to dominate our lives and news cycles.

Nonetheless, I realized that Ive been in danger of letting certain stories pass me by, stories that in different better days, I would have considered deserving of more attention. So, I decided to take a look at some of the items that almost got away. Some of them made me look back in anger.

It is the bon ton in certain circles to declare that Gaza is a vast prison. Comparisons to a ghetto are tritely bandied around. And thats whats so infuriating. The aptly named Hype Mall, by the way, is just one of several shopping centers in the Gaza Strip.

I dont begrudge the Palestinians a chance to go shopping. Signs of economic growth are likely to be the harbinger of stability, even when peace remains a distant dream. But there should at least be an acknowledgment of the fact that the construction of a mall means there are consumers to be found. Not every Palestinian is starving and those who are going hungry should blame their own corrupt leadership.

The international community should question where the huge sums of foreign donations and funding have gone; whether supplies meant for housing havent ended up creating a consumer heaven for Hamas cronies; and, above all, whether a place where generations of the same families have been living for decades now with a fancy shopping mall can really be considered a refugee camp.

Another story that has literally gone under the radar is the return of kite terrorism. Several incendiary kites have been launched from the Gaza Strip on southern Israel in recent days. The government is busy bickering over cabinet seats and fighting COVID-19 but it cannot afford to ignore the return of Palestinian eco-terrorism as if it were a natural sign of the coming hot days of summer.

Which brings me to another widely overlooked recent story. Omar Barghouti, one of the leaders of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, last month, yet again, showed his true face when he declared: If Israel finds a cure for cancer, for example, or any other virus, then there is no problem in cooperating with Israel to save millions of lives.

Barghouti was talking on a webinar on BDS and anti-normalization: The most important strategies to fight against the deal of the century, even in the time of COVID-19. The title says it all.

Barghouti, with two faces and double standards, has long exempted himself from practicing what he preaches. It takes a certain kind of chutzpah to call for the international boycott of Tel Aviv University while studying for a doctorate there. Barghouti has hijacked history to suit his own narrative and needs. It serves him well and he is a poster boy for anti-Israel organizations but it doesnt serve the very people he professes to represent.

When it comes to rewriting history, the Danish Bible Society has excelled itself. It rewrote The Book.

According to a story I was alerted to by 24NYT a Danish online paper The Contemporary Danish Bible 2020 has cleansed all but two mentions of Israel from the New Testament and significantly reduced the use of the word Israel in its translation of the Old Testament.

The Bible Society published a rebuttal of the charges after the story began to spread on social media, but still I found myself singing Gershwins lyrics from Porgy and Bess: The things that youre lible to read in the Bible, they aint necessarily so.

The Contemporary Danish Bible 2020 is a special kind of Bible translation directed at secular readers with no or little knowledge of the Bible and of its history and traditional church and Bible language. This means that many things are translated differently than in traditional Bible translations, the Bible Society wrote on its site. ... for the secular reader, who does not know the Bible well, Israel could be referring only to a country. Therefore the word Israel in the Greek text has been translated in other ways, so that the reader understands it is referring to the Jewish people.

Read that again. Instead of making sure that readers understand the connection between Israel, the Jews and the Land of Israel of the Bible, they preferred to make an artificial separation.

Bible enthusiast Jan Frost listed the unusual translations in a YouTube video in Danish. According to English-language reports, Frost noted, for example, that in the Song of Ascents from Psalm 121, the original Hebrew He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep replaces Israel with us. And while a representative of the Bible Society reportedly told Frost that the decision was made to avoid confusing the Land of Israel with the State of Israel, the name Egypt, has not been changed.

Taking a charitable approach, its possible to say that the Danish Bible translators did not see their changes as a political act, more an act of political correctness trying to include all. But clearly something was lost in translation, as is evident to someone who reads the Bible in the original Hebrew. As Bnai Brith International tweeted: ... this surreal revision causes confusion and worse: whitewashing of history, identity, and sacred scripture.

A major story that did not get the coverage it deserves, is the centenary of the San Remo Conference, which dealt with the fate of territories that until 1920 were a part of the Ottoman Empire, which had collapsed with the end of World War I.

Although it never gets the attention of the Balfour Declaration of 1917 or the UN Partition Plan of 1947, arguably San Remo was more important than both, anchoring in international law the legal and historic rights of the Jewish people to its homeland. Arab rioters killed Jews in British Mandate Palestine throughout April 1920 long before the settlements could be blamed. It was the very existence of a Jewish state they objected to. Thats why attempts to erase Jewish religious and historical links to the biblical Land of Israel are so pernicious.

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Coronavirus has turned our attention away from other major stories - The Jerusalem Post

The Number 88 Is Spiritual – Only Deep Thinkers Like Akufo-Addo Will Decide To Build 88 Hospitals – Says Actor Prince David Osei – Peace FM Online

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Actor, Prince David Osei has described the President, NAna Akufo-Addo as a deep thinker.

This description comes on the back of the Presidents move to build 88 District hospitals across the country in a year.

To Prince David Osei, its only deep thinkers like Akufo-Addo who will decide to build 88 hospitals because the number 88 is spiritual and representative of enlightenment.

The actor made this known through a post on his social media handles saying The Intelligence and smartness behind the number 88. The NUMBER 88 is the master NUMBER,it is the powerful,significant NUMBER in the numerology.It has the power to provide analysis of ANY condition that leads to long term benefits.88 is a NUMBER that has repetition of same amount.The presence of the double digits is the sign of an enlightened individual according to numerologist.NUMBER 88,with regards to the environment signs towards business,legal proceedings,financial check,indication of future prosperity"

"88 represent A new world order and these we can all attest to,since the emergence of COVID19 there has been a new world order.How we live as human beings on Mother Earth has changed, no more handshakes,hugs,we practicing social distance,wearing masks etc .For once no part of the world is safe to travel to??A phase of our lives has ended and a new one has begun that will bring prosperity and wealth..NUMBER 88 is also the Universal Spiritual Laws of Cause and Effects.88 equals stability and abundance in our nation.In the Bible 88 plays a major role ,Elijah performed 8 miracles in the Bible (1 Kings 17-1,1Kings 17:14-16,1Kings 17:22-23,1Kings 18:25-38,1Kings 18:41-45,2Kings 1:9-10,2Kings 1:11-12,2Kings 2-8)B,Elisha who got a double portion of Elijahs anointing performed 16 miracles 8+8=16,Genesis 6vs 8 Noah had 8people in the Ark during the flood disaster,and after the end of the flood was 8 people who stepped out of the Ark and took responsibility of starting a new era ;Acts 9&Acts 40,God made 8 agreements or covenants with Abraham.. NUMBER 8 if double or tripled is a new birth and a unique NUMBER of Jesus which stands for Resurrection and Regeneration"

"I can go on and on?? will suffice to say that His Excellency President Nana Akuffo Addo is a DEEP THINKER ?? Hence 88 hospitals???????.. The President of Ghana says his administration is building 88 hospitals in one year not 70,not 80,not 90 or 100 but 88.?? The Unassuming Philosopher PDO aka Snipperdee

President Akufo-Addo during his eighth update to the country said the deadly Coronavirus has exposed how weak Ghanas health system has been over the years and therefore there is the need for the country to invest in its health infrastructure.

With that background, the President promised of building 88 District hospitals and 6 regional hospitals in the newly created regions in the country.

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The Intelligence and smartness behind the number 88. The NUMBER 88 is the master NUMBER,it is the powerful,significant NUMBER in the numerology.It has the power to provide analysis of ANY condition that leads to long term benefits.88 is a NUMBER that has repetition of same amount.The presence of the double digits is the sign of an enlightened individual according to numerologist.NUMBER 88,with regards to the environment signs towards business,legal proceedings,financial check,indication of future prosperity.88 represent A new world order and these we can all attest to,since the emergence of COVID19 there has been a new world order.How we live as human beings on Mother Earth has changed, no more handshakes,hugs,we practicing social distance,wearing masks etc .For once no part of the world is safe to travel toA phase of our lives has ended and a new one has begun that will bring prosperity and wealth..NUMBER 88 is also the Universal Spiritual Laws of Cause and Effects.88 equals stability and abundance in our nation.In the Bible 88 plays a major role ,Elijah performed 8 miracles in the Bible (1 Kings 17-1,1Kings 17:14-16,1Kings 17:22-23,1Kings 18:25-38,1Kings 18:41-45,2Kings 1:9-10,2Kings 1:11-12,2Kings 2-8)B,Elisha who got a double portion of Elijahs anointing performed 16 miracles 8+8=16,Genesis 6vs 8 Noah had 8people in the Ark during the flood disaster,and after the end of the flood was 8 people who stepped out of the Ark and took responsibility of starting a new era ;Acts 9&Acts 40,God made 8 agreements or covenants with Abraham.. NUMBER 8 if double or tripled is a new birth and a unique NUMBER of Jesus which stands for Resurrection and Regeneration .I can go on and on will suffice to say that His Excellency President Nana Akuffo Addo is a DEEP THINKER Hence 88 hospitals.. The President of Ghana says his administration is building 88 hospitals in one year not 70,not 80,not 90 or 100 but 88. The Unassuming Philosopher PDO aka Snipperdee #staysafe#stayhome#washyourhands#weareinthistogether#covid_19

A post shared by H.E PRINCE DAVID OSEI (@princedavidosei) on Apr 29, 2020 at 7:45am PDT

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The Number 88 Is Spiritual - Only Deep Thinkers Like Akufo-Addo Will Decide To Build 88 Hospitals - Says Actor Prince David Osei - Peace FM Online

Conscious Moon Podcast is spreading spiritual enlightenment through topics like alternative healing, 5D consciousness and more – Press Release -…

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The current situation in the world has caused many people to feel lost, anxious, and rethinking their purpose in life. The quarantine situation amidst the Covid-19 crisis may leave an individual overwhelmed with their emotions which is why it becomes important to surround your mind with positive thoughts. This can be achieved by reading, watching, and listening to any good stuff. Conscious Moon Podcast is one such source, that may allow the listener to get out of such emotional turmoil and see things from a higher perspective. This podcast is designed to bring spiritual enlightenment to the listeners through a variety of topics like alternative ways of healing, astrology, concepts of chakras, 5D consciousness, and more.

Conscious Moon Podcast helps the listeners inspire and guide through their lifes transformational experiences, by enabling them to learn about consciousness and spirituality based topics that strive to improve the overall well-being of mind, body, and soul. The podcast is created by Keyera, a person of color to build a community of people who are or wish to walk on the path to spirituality and enlightenment. She created this podcast after having multiple experiences with spiritual awakening. She always found herself curious to learn more about lifes true purpose, existence, and things that mainstream science wont talk about.

Keyera frequently invites several guests on her podcasts, mostly experts in different fields of spirituality and alternative healing. Her podcast on Sound Healing features Dante Baker, a throat singing sound healer based in the DC area, and for her podcast on Astrology, she sits with renowned astrologer Shakirah Tabourn to talk about her entrepreneurial journey, transits in 2020 and working with the moon's energy. In some of her other podcasts, Keyera discusses topics like root Chakra, and UFO, Vortex, and 5D Consciousness.

Conscious Moon Podcast is available on Apple Podcasts.

More information can be found on theconsciousmoon.com.

Instagram: @Iamconsciousmoon @Thekeyerag

Twitter: @moon_conscious

Media ContactCompany Name: Conscious Moon Podcast Contact Person: Press ExecutiveEmail: Send EmailCountry: United StatesWebsite: http://www.theconsciousmoon.com

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Conscious Moon Podcast is spreading spiritual enlightenment through topics like alternative healing, 5D consciousness and more - Press Release -...

The poetics of universal imagination – The Sunday Guardian

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Mirza Ghalib (1797-1869) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) belong to two different times and spaces: one an Indian Urdu and Persian poet during the Mughal Empire, and the other a Germen post-modern philosopher. One thing was strikingly common between the two: the belief that the divine pervades and interpenetrates every part of the universe, while extending beyond space and time.Indias formidable Urdu poet-philosopher, Ghalib was a proponent of an ontological oneness, Tawhid e Wajudi, interchangeably known as Wahdatul Wajud, in Sufi traditions. This has been encapsulated in his Persian poetry, where he says in a couplet:Jaroob e Laa byaar ki eein shirk fil wajudBa gard e farsh o sinaa ba-aywan barabar ast.Explanation: Our hearts are similar to an Aiwan (porch or veranda) and our belief in duality (Shirk in the existence) is something like dust on it. We need to sweep and clean the dust!The German philosopher, Nietzsche, in his famous conversation with the Iranian mystic Zarathustra, as he sees the latter going to the forest for self-isolation (Khalwat), asks him why. The mystic says he is going to find time with God. After Zarathustra leaves for his self-isolation, the narrator, who is Nietzsche, says: the mystic does not know God is dead.Thus, Nietzsche leaves us with the basic question as to how man should reach God. I wonder if Zarathustra could return and get a chance to meet Nietzsche after his self-isolation or Khalwat, he would have responded or retorted the postulate, God is dead. But I assume he didnt.

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The poetics of universal imagination - The Sunday Guardian

The Buddha’s impeccable wisdom – Sunday Observer

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In this world of storm and strife, hatred and violence, the message of the Buddha shines like a radiant sun. His eternal message has thrilled humanity through the ages. Perhaps, in no time in past history, was his message of peace, more needed for a suffering and distracted humanity than it is today. Let us remember that immortal message and fashion our thoughts and actions in the light of that teaching.

Shree Nehru First Prime Minister of India

A serene and tranquil Vesak atmosphere usually pervades our Island of Righteousness (Dharmadvipa) at this time of the year. In this thrice-blessed sacred season, the Buddhist devotees celebrate three auspicious events, in the life of the Supremely Enlightened Buddha. Those three are the Birth of Prince Siddhartha, the attainment of Supreme Enlightenment by Ascetic Siddhartha and the Great Demise of the Buddha.

At this stage, in order to focus keenly on the central theme of the present discussion, let us shift our attention to an unprecedented global carnage, that claimed more human lives, than any other war, in the whole of human history. This ugly instance in the evolution of human life is known as World War 2. This abominable devastation of lives and property went on for six dreadful years from 1939 to 1945.

At the end of this period of demonic destruction, peace was reached. The victorious nations were in a relentless rage, against the opposing nations who unleashed attacks on them in the days of the war. The winner was fuming. They were all out to avenge the losses they suffered, by imposing the most harrowing of punishments on the enemies, who inflicted pain.

An international peace conference was held on September 6, 1951, in San Francisco, US. Many expressed in uninhibited terms, that the worst possible reprisals should be agreed upon. The totality of the peace assembly was overwhelmed by harsh vocalisms of extreme hatred. Peace did not seem to have much of a chance. In the midst of these widespread chaotic waves of profound indignation, a tall person stood up quietly, and in clearly articulated, sonorous words delivered a Pali stanza. The exotic, soothing feel of the chanting, made the agitated assembly, calm, silent and alert. These are the words: In this world, hatred cannot be overcome by hatred. It is only by non-hatred that hatred can be defeated. This is the timeless law.

This stanza was communication on peace, delivered by the Supremely Enlightened Buddha 20 centuries ago. This timeless communication came to the peace assembly, through the long chasm of time, and was delivered to the international delegates, by Sri Lankas Representative former Sri Lankan President, J R Jayewardene. The miracle was peace prevailed. Hatred diminished punishment was nominal.

This, invariably proves, that the Supreme Buddha is a timeless communicator. But, extensive research is necessary to become fully aware of the Buddhas Communications Enlightenment and the techniques he utilized.

The Buddha was mankinds first spiritual leader, who recognised the need to train communications.

He sent out his early disciples, to communicate his spiritual message to the masses. This was his instruction to his Pioneering Religious Communications: O monks, travel forth, for the well-being of the many for the happiness of the many. To my mind, this is an extremely suitable motto, ever for todays sophisticated communicators both print and electronic. The Supreme Buddha, advised them, that, two persons should not travel along the same path. This was to conserve limited human resources.

As a psychologist of communication, he was aware of the need to understand the audience, well.

We could appreciate the Buddhas keenness, about the state of mind of his audiences.

The scripture, statues a routine, the Buddha adopted.

Just after his mid-day meal, the Buddha takes a brief rest. Next, he walks across to the auditorium, where the disciples are waiting for him.

Routinely, the Buddha asks them a question: O monks, what were you talking about before I came in? The bhikkhus respond.

The real implication of this regular question is to delve into the state of mind of the disciples.

When the Buddha becomes aware of the topic of the main conversation of the monks he can adapt the topic of his exhortation, to what is predominant in the minds of the Bhikkus. This gives the Buddha an idea of the heightened awareness of the monks. Then he can present a sermon utilizing the heightened awareness of his listeners. Since the topic of the sermon is about an issue, of which they have a heightened awareness, the content will get firmly recorded in their mind.

The scriptures, referring to the communications strategy of the Buddha, often declare, that the audiences listen to the Buddha with unusual keenness. They had what the Buddha preaches in Sakaya Nirattiya (ones own idiom). This way, each listener thinks, that the Buddha addressed him or her specifically.

Even if the audience is multi-lingual, the members fully understand the Buddhas words, because of their intimate feel.

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The Buddha's impeccable wisdom - Sunday Observer

Gautam Buddha: The epitome of humanity and knowledge sharing – Khabarhub

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The word Buddha originates from Bodhi in Sanskrit and Pali languages which means to awaken and comprehend.

Buddha is also represents the awakened consciousness of our innermost being that has to do with the spiritual awakening of our mind.

Gautam Buddha, born as a prince in the Shakya clan in Tilaurakot, Kapilavastu, in the Lumbini region of Nepal is considered as the seventh Buddha, among Seven Buddhas of Antiquity, according to the Pali Buddhist scriptures.

Buddhas, rather than being objects of worship, represent our innermost being, that has accomplished the journey from ignorance to illumination.

The life of Gautam Buddha gives us hope and inspires and uplifts us all, as he was like one of us. His teachings to understand the root cause of human suffering and ways to alleviate them by attaining enlightenment and Nirvana has taken the attributes of a religion known as Buddhism over the past two and a half centuries and is followed globally.

In his mind, all sentient beings are created equal and have an equal right to wisdom and knowledge. He also taught to treat all creatures with altruism, empathy, and compassion.

Most importantly, instead of keeping it to himself, he took the time to open-heartedly shared treasure-trove of knowledge obtained through his awakening with everybody he knew, regardless of gender, caste, creed and social status.

In his mind, all sentient beings are created equal and have an equal right to wisdom and knowledge. He also taught to treat all creatures with altruism, empathy, and compassion.

Gautam Buddha had humbly made it clear to his disciples and followers, You dont have to follow me blindly; analyze and reason yourself what I teach and pursue it only if you can believe in it.

Gautam Buddha did not want people to revere him, but the possibility to awaken and understand, to which he said, Dont look to me, but the enlightened state.

Thus he continually provided us the possibility to achieve enlightenment in our lifetime. One could transform the negative emotions such as anger, desire, fear, and anxiety into the positive energy of love, peace, and happiness by training the mind through practicing righteous conduct highlighted in Gautama Buddhas Eightfold Path.

He also taught us to renounce earthly desires, that is, cravings, attachments, illusions, and impulses, to free up our minds and bodies for a state of enlightenment. He provided us knowledge about the value of self-awareness and self-illumination.

The discovery of old age, disease, and death in human beings made a lasting impact on his life. He instantly made it his lifes mission to understand the root cause of human suffering and find a solution to alleviate them.

Needless to say, an understanding of Gautama Buddhas enduring struggles to realize enlightenment and his invaluable teachings helps to make us a better person with the ability to make a difference and change the world.

Gautam Buddha: Role Model

When I was growing up in Nepal in middle school, I came across a story about an act of kindness by Prince Siddhartha Gautama in Kapilvastu, Nepal.

The story goes like this. Prince Siddharthas cousin Devadatta, a skilled archer, and a hunter, hit a beautiful flying swan with his arrow.

The bird fell into Prince Siddharthas garden. The kind-hearted Siddhartha then carefully held the bird in his hands and gently removed the arrow from the swans chest. He also nursed the bird and made it comfortable.

Meanwhile, Devadutta came running to fetch his prey, but Siddhartha wont hand the bird over to his cousin, because the swan fell into his garden and it needed to be nurtured for the wound to heal.

They got into an argument about who was the real owner of the wounded swan and proceeded to King Suddhodana for justice.

Both of them presented their case to the king. The king, after careful thought gave the verdict, Siddhartha, who saved the bird has the right to keep it, rather than Devadutta, who tried to kill it.

After reading that touching story, I became an ardent fan of Prince Siddhartha Gautam, later known as Gautama Buddha, and made him my role model.

Life of Gautam Buddha

Gautam Buddha, also known as Buddha the enlightened or awakened one, was born to King Suddhodana and Queen Maya Devi in the Sakya Clan in the ancient city of Tilaurakot in Kapilavastu, Nepal, circa 563 B.C.

He was married to Yasodhara and they had a son Rahul. King Suddhodana provided him with all the luxuries for his pleasures and kept him within the confines of the palace, away from the sorrows and sufferings of the real world.

That was the only way to acquire knowledge and wisdom of life, he thought. Nevertheless, he was getting nowhere close to his goal.

However, he pursued to learn and obtain knowledge about the realities of human life. So eventually, one night he sneaked out of the palace with his charioteer and witnessed an old person, a sick person, and a dead body being carried to cremation.

The discovery of old age, disease, and death in human beings made a lasting impact on his life. He instantly made it his lifes mission to understand the root cause of human suffering and find a solution to alleviate them.

His journey to spiritual transformation started that very day.

Gautam Buddha realizes enlightenment

At the age of 29, Gautam Buddha left behind his family and the luxurious life in the palace and set out in the quest of realities of life and Nirvana: A state of freedom from suffering, desire, and the cycle of rebirth.

Gautam Buddha wandered deep into the forests and performed rigorous penance relentlessly, practiced austerity through fasting to the extent he turned into a living skeleton.

That was the only way to acquire knowledge and wisdom of life, he thought. Nevertheless, he was getting nowhere close to his goal.

This ritual went on for about six years. It, subsequently, occurred to him that starvation and self-denial would not bring him the knowledge he was relentlessly seeking.

He walked into a village where the cowherd chiefs kind-hearted daughter Sujata provided him some pudding prepared from rice and milk (kheer), which he consumed there.

After food, it dawned on him that enlightenment could only be attained by adopting the Middle Way; somewhere between extreme austerity and the riches.

He then went to Bodh Gaya and sat under a Bodhi (Ficus Religiosa), also known as a Pipal tree, and began to meditate with the resolution I shall not leave without knowing the ultimate realities of life, even if my body perishes.

Eventually, his divine eyes opened and he attained enlightenment (awakening) by discovering the truth of life on a full moon night in the month of Baisakh of Bikram Sambat calendar in Nepal, which falls in April or May in the Gregorian Calendar.

He also realized the root cause of human suffering and the ways to relieve them and reach Nirvana or release from the cycle of rebirth. Since then he was known as Buddha the enlightened or the awakened one.

He was 35 years old at that time. Gautam Buddha invoked the earth as a witness to his enlightenment. This is observed in the gesture of his right hand touching the earth in the Bhumisparshana Mudra.

Gautam Buddha is commonly seen as seated on a lotus throne, the lotus symbolizing the transcendental nature of mind. As the pristine lotus blooms in the mud, our mind also can rise through our experience to blossom to boundless awareness.

His first dictum to his disciples after attaining awakening was, Act ye, monks, for the good of many and the happiness of many, or, Bahujan Hitaya, Bahujan Sukhaya in Nepali. And his disciples followed this motto, propagating his tenets of righteous conduct, enlightenment, and Nirvana, which eventually emerged as Buddhism, across the globe.

His teachings were meant for everybody, irrespective of gender, caste or creed, nationality, or the social status of a person, thereby eliminating the sense of inequality in humankind. For people to realize enlightenment, he formulated the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path that served as the foundation of his teachings.

Gautam Buddhas Teachings

Gautam Buddha spent the rest of his life sharing knowledge on what he had learned and attained through enlightenment.

The focus of his teaching was to make his disciples and followers rid of negative emotions such as desires, cravings, mental anxiety, fear and worries caused by ignorance and to overcome human suffering, attain peace of mind and full healthy life filled with the positive energy of love peace and happiness through reasoning.

Meditation and contemplation are integral parts of Buddhism. He also taught treating all living beings with kindness and compassion. He devoted his life to trying to resolve peoples problems using his immense knowledge and wisdom.

In one of the examples, he was even able to transform the dreaded robber and murderer known as Angulimal. Wearing the garland strung with fingers of the people he had assassinated, he confronted Gautam Buddha with a dagger in his hand to kill him and add one more finger to his garland.

In return, Gautam Buddha turned him into his disciple, a monk, and a kind being, by sharing his divine knowledge with him.

Gautam Buddhas teachings have been followed globally by his followers and believers as Buddhism for the last two and half centuries, although he might not have expected this to happen.

Buddhism is not a dogmatic religion in the sense its followers are not required to accept a fixed belief or idea. It does not even debate the existence of gods, nor forbid their worship. However, the worship of the gods may not lead to enlightenment.

The dictum of Gautam Buddha guides people to find a path that eventually leads them to enlightenment and Nirvana. The three main branches of Buddhism are Hinayana, Mahayana, and Vajrayana, based on their type of practice.

Branches of Buddhism

Hinayana, also called Theravada, is observed in Sri Lanka, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar. It is a Buddhist doctrine that encourages individuals to work for their salvation or liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

Its concept comprises four noble truths and the eight-fold path.

The Four Noble Truths of Hinayana Buddhism are: 1) Our lives are full of sufferings from disease, birth, and death; 2) The basic cause of these sufferings lies in our cravings for materialistic pleasures; 3) We need to detach from these desires to end the pain from sufferings and release ourselves from the cycle of rebirth, and 4) The eight-fold path makes this detachment possible.

The Eight-fold Path can be achieved through 1) Right Views; 2) Right Thoughts; 3) Right Speech; 4) Right Conduct; 5) Right Livelihood; 6) Right Mindfulness; and 8) Right Meditation. The Eightfold Path of the practice of Buddhism can be achieved through three vehicles of learning: precepts, meditation, and wisdom.

Thus Buddhism sounds more like a human philosophy rather than a religion. In Hinayana Buddhism, the worship of deities is of secondary importance.

Mahayana Buddhism (the Great Vehicle) believes that people from all walks of life, not just monks and ascetics, can attain Nirvana.

It is practiced in China, Taiwan, Japan, Mongolia, and Korea. Bodhisattvas, the ones who have become enlightened, but delay attaining Nirvana to help all sentient beings attain awakening (Bodhi) and Nirvana.

The Bodhisattvas practice six Paramitas, or perfect virtues: generosity, morality, patience, energy, meditation, and wisdom.

In Mahayana Buddhism, even a layperson can achieve awakening or enlightenment in a single lifetime by putting ones mind and body to it. Mahayana Buddhists venerate celestial beings and Bodhisattvas, hold religious rituals and use icons and images of sacred objects.

The School of Vajrayana Buddhism, also called Tantric Buddhism or Tibetan Buddhism, started in the 6th century in India and spread to Nepal, Bhutan, and Tibet.

It probably emerged from Mahayana Buddhism. Vajrayana meaning Thunderbolt Vehicle or Diamond Vehicle in Sanskrit signifies the indestructibility of human beings and provides a quicker and more effective path to enlightenment.

The role of celestial deities and Bodhisattvas are the inherent component of Vajrayana. Observance of Vajrayana involves mantras (esoteric verbal formulas), mandalas (paintings representing the universe), and other rituals. Gurus or teachers, also known as Lamas in Tibetan, e.g., Dalai Lama, play a key role in Vajrayana Buddhism.

Buddhism in Nepal

Buddhism and Hinduism are intertwined in Nepal; it is hard to separate one from the other. A majority of Nepalese people embrace both Buddhism and Hinduism.

After all, Gautama Buddha was born a Hindu Prince. Both Hindus and Buddhists share the same temples or temples placed next to each other for worshipping and conducting religious practices.

One such example is the Muktinath temple (see the picture attached), surrounded by 108 sacred water spouts for purification, in Mustang, Nepal, perched high up in the mountains at an altitude of nearly 13,000 ft.

I had traveled to the Muktinath Temple recently (November 2019). Both Hindus and Buddhists worship the Hindu God Vishnu in that temple. The temple has a Buddhist priest Ani.

Two huge Buddhist Prayer wheels with inscriptions of Om Mani Padme Hum are placed next to this temple. A few hundred yards away is perched the gorgeous 32-foot tall stone carved statue of serene, contemplating Gautama Buddha (see the picture attached).

The Buddhist prayer or mantra Om Mani Padme Hum is composed of six syllables and has a deep meaning.

According to the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, this mantra means that one can transform the impure body, speech and mind into the exalted body, speech and mind of a Buddha, through the practice of a path of wisdom.

Furthermore, all sentient beings can achieve Buddhahood using the seeds of purity within, hence, there is no need to seek Buddhahood outside of ones self.

The Lumbini in Nepal, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997 and houses many temples and more than 25 monasteries contributed by the Buddhist nations from all around the world.

This Buddhist holy place is famous for these monasteries as well as Mayadevi (mother of Gautama Buddha) temple, the Ashoka (the Indian Emperor of Maurya dynasty) Pillar, the ancient bathing pond and Bodhi tree, the tree of enlightenment.

Believers of Buddhism spinning prayer wheels chanting mantras and circumambulating the rocks and walls engraved with Buddhist prayers like Om Mani Padme Hum is a common sight all over Nepal.

Gautam Buddha attains Nirvana

Gautam Buddha got sick after taking food offered by a blacksmith. He told his disciple Ananda about it.

When Ananda wanted to call the physician for him, Gautam Buddha said, For the last forty-five years I have been teaching dharma to my followers and as a result, many of them have been able to attain enlightenment and many more will do so in the future.

My life is near the end and I shall soon attain Nirvana. Therefore, there is no need to find a cure. At the end of his life, Gautama Buddha said, Be a light unto yourself. Become a Buddha, an awakened being, but never a blind follower of tradition.

His tenets showed people ways to get illuminated and achieve Buddhahood through raising self-awareness and self-consciousness by embracing conduct based on ethics, morals, and righteousness, known as Dhamma.

Gautam Buddha died and achieved Nirvana at the age of 80 in Kushinagar, India.

An interesting fact to note is that Gautam Buddha was born, attained enlightenment and died on the full moon day in April (Baisakh Purnima). He did not resurrect or came back to life, nevertheless, he will always be with us.

Buddhists all across the globe celebrate his birthday on that day, and it is also marked as a holiday in the United Nations.

Conclusion

Human minds have the power to reason. They also have the capability of realizing their ultimate potential to become a new or transformed person if they so desire.

Gautam Buddha took ownership of his life, renounced the luxuries of his palace, and set out in quest of understanding the realities of human life. He eventually discovered it as part of his awakening under the Bodhi tree, at age 35.

He was not as well known in his lifetime, as he is today. As time progressed, people started realizing the value of his teachings and practiced them to mitigate suffering arising from negative emotions such as greed, fear, anxiety, and desire due to ignorance, and then to replace them with the positive energy of love, peace, and happiness.

His tenets showed people ways to get illuminated and achieve Buddhahood through raising self-awareness and self-consciousness by embracing conduct based on ethics, morals, and righteousness, known as Dhamma.

Gautam Buddha was like one of us; he did not expect any reverence from his disciples. He also did not expect to see his teachings and guidance taking the attributes of a religion known as Buddhism.

Gautam Buddha is an epitome of knowledge sharing and humanity who dedicated his life to understand and alleviate suffering in humankind and attain liberation from the cycle of rebirth.

He took a pragmatic approach to interact with human beings to understand their problems and provided them an appropriate solution.

He was able to impart firsthand knowledge about the right conduct and right path, including empathy, altruism, and compassion, to bring joy, peace and eternal bliss in the lives of his disciples and believers.

Gautam Buddhas invaluable teachings transcend time and place and provide us a possibility the possibility to achieve an ultimate understanding of the innermost being in our lifetime and transform into beings of infinite awareness and compassion.

The world is a much better and more peaceful place thanks to the unsurpassed contributions and dedication of Gautam Buddha.

No wonder, Gautam Buddhas legacy still lives on as glorious and illustrious as ever!

(The writer is Founding President and Trustee, Nepalese Association of Houston (NAH), and Director, Fellow and Past President, American Society of Nepalese Engineers (ASNEngr)

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Gautam Buddha: The epitome of humanity and knowledge sharing - Khabarhub

Akufo-Addo is a deep thinker hence his move to improve the health systems in Ghana David Osei – GhanaWeb

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Entertainment of Thursday, 30 April 2020

Source: My News GH

Prince David Osei

Actor, Prince David Osei has described the President, NAna Akufo-Addo as a deep thinker.

This description comes on the back of the Presidents move to build 88 District hospitals across the country in a year.

To Prince David Osei, its only deep thinkers like Akufo-Addo who will decide to build 88 hospitals because the number 88 is spiritual and representative of enlightenment.

The actor made this known through a post on his social media handles saying The Intelligence and smartness behind the number 88. The NUMBER 88 is the master NUMBER,it is the powerful,significant NUMBER in the numerology.It has the power to provide analysis of ANY condition that leads to long term benefits.88 is a NUMBER that has repetition of same amount.The presence of the double digits is the sign of an enlightened individual according to numerologist.NUMBER 88,with regards to the environment signs towards business,legal proceedings,financial check,indication of future prosperity"

"88 represent A new world order and these we can all attest to,since the emergence of COVID19 there has been a new world order.How we live as human beings on Mother Earth has changed, no more handshakes,hugs,we practicing social distance,wearing masks etc .For once no part of the world is safe to travel to??A phase of our lives has ended and a new one has begun that will bring prosperity and wealth..NUMBER 88 is also the Universal Spiritual Laws of Cause and Effects.88 equals stability and abundance in our nation.In the Bible 88 plays a major role ,Elijah performed 8 miracles in the Bible (1 Kings 17-1,1Kings 17:14-16,1Kings 17:22-23,1Kings 18:25-38,1Kings 18:41-45,2Kings 1:9-10,2Kings 1:11-12,2Kings 2-8)B,Elisha who got a double portion of Elijahs anointing performed 16 miracles 8+8=16,Genesis 6vs 8 Noah had 8people in the Ark during the flood disaster,and after the end of the flood was 8 people who stepped out of the Ark and took responsibility of starting a new era ;Acts 9&Acts 40,God made 8 agreements or covenants with Abraham.. NUMBER 8 if double or tripled is a new birth and a unique NUMBER of Jesus which stands for Resurrection and Regeneration"

"I can go on and on?? will suffice to say that His Excellency President Nana Akuffo Addo is a DEEP THINKER ?? Hence 88 hospitals???????.. The President of Ghana says his administration is building 88 hospitals in one year not 70,not 80,not 90 or 100 but 88.?? The Unassuming Philosopher PDO aka Snipperdee

President Akufo-Addo during his eighth update to the country said the deadly Coronavirus has exposed how weak Ghanas health system has been over the years and therefore there is the need for the country to invest in its health infrastructure.

With that background, the President promised of building 88 District hospitals and 6 regional hospitals in the newly created regions in the country.

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The Intelligence and smartness behind the number 88. The NUMBER 88 is the master NUMBER,it is the powerful,significant NUMBER in the numerology.It has the power to provide analysis of ANY condition that leads to long term benefits.88 is a NUMBER that has repetition of same amount.The presence of the double digits is the sign of an enlightened individual according to numerologist.NUMBER 88,with regards to the environment signs towards business,legal proceedings,financial check,indication of future prosperity.88 represent A new world order and these we can all attest to,since the emergence of COVID19 there has been a new world order.How we live as human beings on Mother Earth has changed, no more handshakes,hugs,we practicing social distance,wearing masks etc .For once no part of the world is safe to travel to??A phase of our lives has ended and a new one has begun that will bring prosperity and wealth..NUMBER 88 is also the Universal Spiritual Laws of Cause and Effects.88 equals stability and abundance in our nation.In the Bible 88 plays a major role ,Elijah performed 8 miracles in the Bible (1 Kings 17-1,1Kings 17:14-16,1Kings 17:22-23,1Kings 18:25-38,1Kings 18:41-45,2Kings 1:9-10,2Kings 1:11-12,2Kings 2-8)B,Elisha who got a double portion of Elijahs anointing performed 16 miracles 8+8=16,Genesis 6vs 8 Noah had 8people in the Ark during the flood disaster,and after the end of the flood was 8 people who stepped out of the Ark and took responsibility of starting a new era ;Acts 9&Acts 40,God made 8 agreements or covenants with Abraham.. NUMBER 8 if double or tripled is a new birth and a unique NUMBER of Jesus which stands for Resurrection and Regeneration .I can go on and on?? will suffice to say that His Excellency President Nana Akuffo Addo is a DEEP THINKER ?? Hence 88 hospitals???????.. The President of Ghana says his administration is building 88 hospitals in one year not 70,not 80,not 90 or 100 but 88.?? The Unassuming Philosopher PDO aka Snipperdee???? #staysafe#stayhome#washyourhands#weareinthistogether#covid_19 ????????????????????????

A post shared by H.E PRINCE DAVID OSEI (@princedavidosei) on Apr 29, 2020 at 7:45am PDT

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Akufo-Addo is a deep thinker hence his move to improve the health systems in Ghana David Osei - GhanaWeb