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Daily Archives: June 7, 2017
Teddy Bridgewater surprised coach with two weeks of progress … – NBCSports.com
Posted: June 7, 2017 at 5:06 pm
NBCSports.com | Teddy Bridgewater surprised coach with two weeks of progress ... NBCSports.com Vikings coach Mike Zimmer was gone for two weeks, and he's still recovering from his latest eye surgery. But he could easily see a difference in quarterback ... Minnesota Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater making progress |
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Sound Off: La’el Dominating, Jaylon’s Progress, Zeke’s Extra Film Work & More – DallasCowboys.com
Posted: at 5:06 pm
FRISCO, Texas The Cowboys are in the middle of their third and final week of OTA practices here at The Star.
Next week, the team will be on the field for a three-day minicamp but it wont be a major difference in what is being seen from an outside perspective.
Inside the locker room, the players were asked a variety of questions by the media. Here are different quotes from the locker room session on Wednesday:
Dak Prescott on the overall rhythm of OTAs:
Prescott: Theyve been well. Weve had some days that have been great, some days that havent been. But its all about us just growing as a team. Well continue to do that and were headed in the right direction.
Dak Prescott on Jaylon Smiths development
Prescott: Ive definitely seen some improvement a lot of improvement. Look at him running some people say it doesnt look like anythings wrong with him. Hes a freak. Hes a freakish dude. Hes getting his abilities and his talents back, and hes going in the direction he needs to.
Sean Lee on Jaylon Smiths progress at linebacker:
Lee: What Ive found is every week hes gotten better and better. That is whats been amazing is every week since weve started back this spring, to watch him progress, to watch him progress, to watch him pick up things so quickly.
Jason Witten on the leadership of the offensive line:
Witten: The set the standard for our football team. These guys are some of the best at their position in the league. They come back and approach it like they do Tyron (Smith), Zack (Martin), Travis (Frederick) and you add some of the other guys that are mixing in with Chaz (Green) and Emmett (Cleary) and of course L.C. (Lael Collins) moving out (to right tackle). They do a great job.
Chaz Green on making the adjustments from tackle to guard:
Green: Its definitely different. Pass-pro, Im just l earning to set the hole. Youve got help on both sides so you dont have to drift as much. Run-blocking its different assignments. Just getting those calls down so I can get my footwork down so I can play fast and not think.
Lael Collins on back-to-back plays in which he tossed the defensive end to the ground at the end of Wednesdays team period:
Collins: Thats just a mindset. Anytime you get a chance to put a guy on the ground, thats what youre going to do. Thats my mindset on each and every play. But at the same time, it has to be controlled.
Byron Jones on having a completion for the other safety spot next to him:
Jones: Its not a distraction at all. This is why were here. Were here to compete to try to bring the best out of everybody.
Ezekiel Elliott on doing post-OTA film sessions with Dak and Dez:
Elliott: "I think its definitely a bonding thing. We are a close group, but you never can spend too much time together. Thats how you strengthen those bonds. Thats how you become better friends."
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Solid Progress For IDO Inhibitors | Seeking Alpha – Seeking Alpha
Posted: at 5:06 pm
The search to expand upon the progress made by checkpoint inhibitors Keytruda and Opdivo and others has put the spotlight on several novel mechanisms. IDO inhibition appears poised to be the next advance after release of data at Asco showing a benefit when used in combination with the Merck & Co (NYSE:MRK) and Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) drugs.
Leading the pack is Incyte's (NASDAQ:INCY) epacadostat, which had detailed phase I/II Keytruda combo data that support pivotal trials in three types of cancer. Incyte's combination-agnostic approach has also enabled it to confirm clinical benefit with Opdivo, showing responses in melanoma and head and neck cancers.
Building evidence
Epacadostat is not the only IDO inhibitor in the clinic. Newlink Genetics' (NASDAQ:NLNK) two assets, indoximod and the Roche (OTCQX:RHHBY)-partnered RG6078 had data at Asco, along with Danish group IO Biotech's IO102.
But Incyte's project so far has generated the richest body of evidence. Thanks to the adaptive design of the Echo-202/Keynote-037 trial with Keytruda, Incyte was able to present efficacy data in head and neck, non-small cell lung, renal cell, triple-negative breast and ovarian cancer, along with pooled safety data.
Breast and ovarian cancer do not look promising - in the former, 30 of 37 patients had progressed or died at a median follow-up of 20.8 weeks, while in ovarian cancer 26 of 34 patients had progressed or died at a median follow-up of 23 weeks. Objective response rates of 10% in breast cancer and 8% in ovarian, with no complete responses, are not very persuasive.
On the other hand, the signs have been strong enough in numerous other diseases to proceed into phase III (Incyte dramatically ups the immuno-oncology combo ante, April 3, 2017).
At Asco, Incyte also featured lung, urothelial, head and neck and kidney cancer (see table).
Ovarian out
With the other leading PD-1, Opdivo, also reporting disappointing data in ovarian cancer in combination with epacadostat, it is safe to say that in the absence of a signal in subgroups this indication might not be one where the IDO inhibitors will be used.
On the other hand, the Opdivo-epacadostat pairing also had data in head and neck cancer - cross-trial comparisons are tricky with small patient numbers, but Opdivo and Keytruda look pretty similar at this early stage of development (see table).
Moreover, the 58% partial response rate in a melanoma cohort in the Echo-204 trial yielded the best objective response rate seen at Asco - not surprising since the skin cancer is the most responsive to immunotherapy. And Incyte has announced plans to advance the Keytruda-epacadostat combination into phase III in melanoma.
Amid the advances for epacadostat, Newlink's two IDO inhibitors were trying to remain relevant. RG6078 was tested in a phase I dose escalation trial with Tecentriq in solid tumors in which 9% of patient showed a partial response and 24% had stable disease.
Indoximod was tested following treatment with Valeant's (NYSE:VRX) Provenge in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer - patients taking the IDO inhibitor had a median progression free survival of 10.3 months compared with 4.1 months for patients taking placebo.
IO Biotech, meanwhile, had a poster on its planned phase II trial of IO102 in combination with checkpoint inhibitors in advanced, metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
IDO inhibition shows promise, but the onrush of combination trials with PD-1 inhibitors means that it has to fight for attention (Immuno-oncology combinations surge as sector seeks the fairy dust, June 1, 2017).
Nonetheless, combining two checkpoint inhibitors remains an attractive choice, and medical meetings next year may very well show whether that attraction was worthwhile.
Editor's Note: This article discusses one or more securities that do not trade on a major U.S. exchange. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks.
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Jets’ Hackenberg ignores critics, focuses on making progress – FOXSports.com
Posted: at 5:06 pm
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) Christian Hackenberg has plenty of critics, many of whom think the New York Jets second-year quarterback will never be an NFL starter.
And thats before the former Penn State starter has even played in a regular-season game.
Thats their opinions, Hackenberg said of the naysayers. I cant really speak for them, whoever it is.
Hackenberg was drafted in the second round last year, a pick some thought was a reach because of his struggles with the Nittany Lions in his last two seasons following a fabulous freshman campaign. He was widely considered a project who needed work on his mechanics, footwork and overall approach.
It didnt help that Hackenberg went 17 of 47 for 159 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in his two preseason appearances last summer. And, even as the quarterbacks carousel spun with Ryan Fitzpatrick, Geno Smith and Bryce Petty taking turns under center during the regular season, Hackenberg never saw the field.
I know what I can do, Hackenberg said. And I know what my coaching staff feels I can do, so Im just confident in my abilities. And when I get my opportunity to play, Im going to do that.
Sounds like a guy who knows he has lots to prove to everyone other than himself.
Im confident that I can play at this level, and play at a high level, he said. So, when I get my opportunity, Im going to take advantage of that.
Hackenberg is competing with Petty and veteran Josh McCown for the starting job in what the Jets have characterized as an open competition that might not be decided until sometime in training camp.
McCown is the early favorite to be under center in Week 1 at Buffalo on Sept. 10, having worked mostly with the starters during practices open to the media. But with New Yorks offseason purge of veteran stars, including wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, the franchises sights are firmly set on the future.
Hackenberg will get the chance to show whether he can be the quarterback to lead the Jets this season and perhaps beyond. At 6-foot-4 and a solid 228 pounds with a cannon arm, Hackenberg certainly looks the part.
I love the way he prepares and the way he competes, offensive coordinator John Morton said at the start of organized activities two weeks ago. Im talking about competing in the classroom, too. Guys have to learn to do that, and be a pro and be a student of the game and learn to take notes and those things. Hes doing those things.
On one play at practice, he can hit a receiver with a pretty back-shoulder toss in the end zone. But then, he can also have some ugly throws that could be interceptions.
Thats how it has been so far this offseason for Hackenberg. Some ups, some downs and even some progress while learning Mortons offense.
Im not going to say night and day, but definitely just being able to go through it, its been really good, Hackenberg said. I feel a lot better going in there, having a greater understanding of whats going on.
Hes no longer the wide-eyed rookie trying to navigate his way through the basics of life in the NFL. The plays on the field are also coming to him a lot easier, even compared to a few months ago.
I think were getting to a point where Im not even thinking about it, Hackenberg said, and Im feeling that right now.
Hackenberg has been a starting quarterback since high school, so sitting out all of last season a redshirt year took some getting used to. It was a humbling experience in which Hackenberg had to keep his ego in check.
I really cant change it, Hackenberg said. It was in the past. It is what it is. But I think if youre a negative person, you kind of think about it negatively and you say, `Dang, I wish I had a chance. I dont want to fill my mind with that type of negativity.
Id rather focus on the positives of it and take what I learned from it, the good from it. Thats how I kind of look at last year: I try and take the positives out of it and go from there.
Hackenberg has been working closely with new quarterbacks coach Jeremy Bates, the two often seen chatting during practice. Theres still plenty of work to be done, of course, but Hackenberg could end up working his way onto the field during a game and silencing all of the doubters.
I think Ive grown in a lot of ways, he said. Its a long road, but I feel good where Im at right now.
For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL
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Trump’s Solution to His Administration’s Lack of Progress: Lying About It – Slate Magazine (blog)
Posted: at 5:06 pm
President Trump signs a letter of initiative Tuesday to privatize the nation's air traffic control system during an event staged to resemble an official signing ceremony.
Getty Images
Donald Trump, you may have noticed, is not terribly good at being president. Nearly five months into his term, the White House seems stymied by its own ineptitude and a Congress that Trump has found more difficult to command than the underlings he bossed around for the past 40 years. Naturally that hasnt stopped him from continuing to make moribund promisesBloombergs Toluse Olorunnipa writes Monday morning that the administration reliably misses its self-imposed deadlines on just about everything it sets out to door shifting blame. On Monday, for instance, Trump attacked Democrats for stalling his nominations. Dems are taking forever to approve my people, including Ambassadors, he tweeted. They are nothing but OBSTRUCTIONISTS! For the most part, Democrats havent even been sent nominations to obstruct. The administration has yet to nominate candidates for hundreds of key positions, and as Politicos Seung Min Kim writes, the administration frequently takes weeks to formally submit the nominations of the candidates it does name:
And McAleenans nomination is far from alone in taking weeks to be sent to the Senate, where Republicans are growing impatient and bewildered with the Trump White Houses historic lag in filling administration posts.
[...]Its unclear exactly why the Trump White House has been so slow to officially submit some nominees paperwork, but it comes amid broader struggles by the new president to vet senior officials and staff his administration.
Of course, Trumps woes in office thus far arent purely the consequence of inexperience. The presidents inability to meet his own deadlines highlights his struggle adjusting to the pace of Washington, Olorunnipa writes.That's only partially truehis record thus far also highlights his craven dishonesty. Trump has, after all, spent many years jilting, shortchanging, and letting down parties ranging from contractors to his own wives. Relatedly, two recent stories suggest that the administration might be leaning more heavily on one of its favored strategies for overcoming its lack of progress: faking it.
On Monday, the Brookings Institutions Bruce Riedel reported that according to defense industry and congressional contacts, the $110 billion arms deal reportedly struck between the Trump administration and Saudi Arabia is largely illusory. From Brookings:
According to Riedel, the Saudis and the Trump administration compiled a list of potential deals either considered or approved by the Obama administration and presented them as a new deal. Moreover, its unlikely that the Saudis could pay for a $110 billion deal any longer, due to low oil prices and the two-plus years old war in Yemen, he writes. What is coming soon is a billion-dollars deal for more munitions for the war in Yemen. The Royal Saudi Air Force needs more munitions to continue the air bombardment of the Arab worlds poorest country.
Also on Monday, the New York Times Julie Hirschfield Davis noted that Trumps unveiling of his plan to privatize the nations air traffic control had been staged to resemble signing ceremonies for actual legislation:
This kind of stagecraft and deception, of course, isnt new. But these charades are and will continue to be particularly useful for a shambolic administration that has few achievements thus far. Useful, that is, as long as the media covers his nonevents and empty pronouncements as though Trump isn't fundamentally a huckster.
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Penn State professor analyzes women’s progress in politics – Penn State News
Posted: at 5:06 pm
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. Women in politics have made great advances in the past decade, yet there is a long way to go. For over 10 years, Nichola Gutgold, professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State Lehigh Valley, has continued her research and writing to revamp her 2006 book, Paving the Way for Madam President.
Still Paving the Way for Madam President (Lexington Books, 2017) provides a follow-up on the progress women have made in politics, specifically towards the U.S. presidency. Additionally, a section on Hillary Clintons race for the presidency in 2008 and 2016 have been included. Gutgold reviews the struggles women candidates face and what it will take to overcome these struggles.
The idea to write a book originally came to Gutgold in 1999 as she was completing her dissertation for her doctorate in speech communication at Penn State.
I discovered Elizabeth Dole in 1999, the same year she ran for president. Dole was involved in politics, as was her husband, who ran for president in 1996. I noticed she spoke at his convention and did not mention any of her own accomplishments; she just spoke of his masculine attributes. She knew what she had to say, she was a public speaker. I knew there was more to this story and I wanted to know who Elizabeth Dole was. When she ran for president, media headlines read, The first viable female bid. I thought this was wrong, I knew there were other female candidates in the past who should not be forgotten, which led to Paving the Way for Madam President.
Still Paving the Way for Madam President tells the stories of Margaret Chase Smith, Shirley Chisholm, Patricia Schroeder, Elizabeth Dole, Carol Moseley Braun and Hillary Clinton, six of the most acknowledged women who have run for president since 1964. Gutgold interviewed these women, or those close to them, for the majority of her research. She also conducted her research through tapes and video, and attended events such as the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
Writing these books and making an impact have meant a lot to Gutgold. Though a woman has won a presidential nomination, she says the United States "is not there yet" with women in politics. From 1964 when Smith ran for president, to 2016 when Clinton ran for president, there are many of the same issues keeping women from winning the presidential race.
My goal for writing on this topic is to keep the conversation going. We have not had a woman president yet and women deserve to be in the history books, said Gutgold. I have a passion to amplify the voices of those who may not have been heard. I want to encourage people to be non-traditional, whatever that means.
Gutgold has published many books on the topic of women in politics, including:
Paving the Way for Madam President (Lexington, 2006)
Seen and Heard: The Women of Television News (Lexington, 2008)
Almost Madam President: Why Hillary Clinton won in 2008 (Lexington, 2009)
Gender and the American Presidency: Nine Presidential Women and the Barriers They Faced (Lexington, 2012)
The Rhetoric of Supreme Court Women (Lexington, 2012)
Women in the Academy: Learning from our Diverse Career Pathways (Lexington, 2012)
She has also written a childrens book, Madam President: Five Women Who Paved the Way.
Gutgold hopes to impact her students with her books and research.
My job as a professor is to help students achieve their ambitions. I am happy to interest students in research and to involve students in my research. I have taken students on interviews with me, I have started a research project for students at the Schreyer Honors College, and most recently I have been invited to present my research on women and the U.S. presidency to the students of the University of Zagreb in Croatia this fall, said Gutgold.
Gutgold dedicated Still Paving the Way for Madam President to her students, hoping that they can follow their path, even if it is still unpaved.
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Catholic Priest: MN Park’s New Monument Will Attract Satanists Who Want to Molest Kids – Patheos (blog)
Posted: at 5:04 pm
Veterans Memorial Park in Belle Plaine, Minnesota is home to a controversial monument featuring a kneeling soldier in front of a Christian cross.
Its been at the center of a months-long debate over whether it illegally promotes religion but since city officials voted to keep it in the park, the only way to stay on the right side of the law was to make the park an open forum that allowed other monuments to go up as well. Thats when The Satanic Temple sprung into action.
You can read the full backstory here, but the long and short of it is that the Freedom From Religion Foundation warned the city that the current Christian monument was illegal. Officials had a choice: Take it down or allow other displays in the park. They decided to allow other displays.
So the Satanists submitted a proposal for this glorious display:
Theres actually a lot of symbolism to that monument, according to artist Chris P. Andres:
The four pentagrams recall the four corners of the earth they serve as a reminder to the viewer of the soldiers that sacrificed. The empty helmet is now a Baphometic bowl of wisdom, a void, a protective vessel of the mind and intellect memories of the fallen can be psychically deposited, physical notes, names, fruit offering can be left in the monument
Its lovely, hilarious, and a perfect antidote to the promotion of Christianity by the local government.
But this week, a local Catholic priest flipped out at a city council meeting, saying that the Satanic display would invite ALL THE HORRORS.
The inverted pentagrams on the Satanic monument proposed by the Satanic Temple will prompt young people to consider Satanism for themselves and to reject the good moral behavior required for an ordered and peaceful society, said Father [Brian] Lynch in his address to the city council.
The monument may also attract pre-existing Satanists to our community as a place for theistic Satanic ritual activities that victimize our children, he said.
It could lead to a form of grooming similar to that used by pedophiles, Father Lynch said, which Satanists use to erode a childs trust in caring authority figures including their parents, teachers and police officers.
This grooming is intended to not only make children afraid to report the abuse they suffer at the hands of Satanists, but also, to feel personally responsible for the evil they have suffered as youthful victims, Father Lynch added. Most disturbing is the fact that theistic Satanic ritual activities are known to include deviant sexual acts with and among children.
Belle Plaine would be lucky to have an infusion of Satanists. Theyre good people, Brian.
Father Alex Jones sky-is-falling routine doesnt make any sense, either. As weve pointed out repeatedly on this site, the Seven Fundamental Tenets of The Satanic Temple are far more ethical than the Ten Commandments. What Lynch is repeating are the ignorant stereotypes religious people often have of Satanists decades-old rumors not based in reality. If he ever left his bubble and spoke to a member of the Temple, maybe hed realize that.
What was the reaction from the crowd at the city council meeting?
He had great legal arguments, Paul Rennerfeldt, 38, said of Father Lynchs presentation. Rennerfeldt is a parishioner of All Saints in Lakeville.
*Sigh* they werent legal and they werent even arguments. It was just vitriol spewing from the mouth of a bigot.
Ignorance just breeds more ignorance in this town.
Remember: All of this is happening because the city council insisted on promoting Christianity in a local park. The Satanists werent going to come there if that monument was up outside a church. And now that their monument will be there, it wont change the community for the worse. Hell, we should be grateful that it exposes the bigotry of the local religious leaders, unable to handle any views other than their own and only able to respond with hate.
Lucien Greaves of The Satanic Temple told me finishing touches are being put on the monument and itll be going up soon. When I asked about Lynchs comments, he was quick to note the irony of the situation.
It is unnecessary to point out the irony in seeing a representative from the Catholic Church decrying a perceived threat to children posed by religious Satanists.
Being that the bizarre conspiracy theory-based Satanic Panic libels propagated by Father Lynch that of organized Ritual Abuse engaged in by Satanists has no credible evidential foundation whatever, one might reasonably harbor suspicions of projection on the pastors part.
Father Lynchs combination of indignant unreason and projection of repressed guilt and/or desire are exactly what witch-hunts are built upon. The secondary irony in his ignorant crusade is that it effectively illustrates, to those with the wit to see, not only the need for The Satanic Temples campaigns for pluralism, but also our Grey Faction efforts to combat the works of modern witch-hunters and conspiracists.
He then added:
I would like to offer the challenge that the religion with the most (or even any) confirmed cases of organized child abuse withdraw their claim to representation in the public forum.
The gloves are on.
(Large portions of this article were published earlier)
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A Defense for Moral Absence – Daily Utah Chronicle
Posted: at 5:03 pm
Christians vs. Mormons vs. Hindus vs. Democrats vs. Republicans vs. Alt-Rights vs. Utilitarians vs. Existentialists vs. [insert belief here]. Isnt it exhausting? The constant squabbling and never ending chain of opposing beliefs. All the debate and fracas about proving who knows best. For eons, humanity has waged wars, founded religions, established governments, etc., all in the name of moral justification.
What if there were no morals? Im not talking about atheism. Some religions and ethicists have circumvented the need for a god/goddess. I am talking about moral truths and laws of right and wrong. Do those exist? I am not going to sell my beliefs to you because I dont have any. Im a nihilist.
First off, lets make a distinction clear. Nihilism and atheism are two separate conclusions. Atheism denies the existence of any god(s) or goddess(es). Atheists are considered independent thinkers, counter-hegemonic, cosmopolitan chic. Of course, while it may be considered blasphemous in Bible Belt country, atheism today is more widely accepted than before. And to be an atheist doesnt necessarily make one a bad person. After all, they have other avenues to believe in like utilitarianism, existentialism or humanism. Greg Epstein, author and Humanist Chaplain at Harvard University, summarizes the beliefs of good atheists in a sentence from his book Good Without God: There is no life after death, so offer kindness to all, not in the next life but now. But where atheists depart from formal religion saying, We dont need a god to be good, I [and other nihilists] reply with Well who said good and bad are real, too?
Nihilism is the assertion that moral truths like good and evil, right and wrong, are as fictitious as the deities atheists denounce. Its no longer a question of deciding what is good and bad without the guidance of a preacher, it is just deciding there is no good or bad to choose from.
After this point, many misconceptions emerge on what being a nihilist means. Again, I am not selling my beliefs to you, but I want to address these common misconceptions of what nihilism entails. Believers have altars and politicians have pulpits to air their defenses. I have a laptop.
The following are common stereotypes and assumptions people make about what nihilism does to a person. Nihilists are considered destructive, untrustworthy, suicidal or just plain confused. That simply is not the case.
The Destructive Nihilist
A nihilist believes there is no true value in words like good and bad. Morality is a conventional tool which humanity created for itself, by itself. For opponents of nihilism, it follows then that nihilists are morally absent and a danger to society. They imagine nihilists murdering and bombing and so on because nihilists wouldnt know how to distinguish between good and bad actions.
My rebuttal: Why are nihilists categorized as inherently destructive? Yes, we dont believe in moral truths, but is demonizing nihilists truly founded? This assumption that nihilists are destructive seems to branch from the argument that people need religion or some equivalent to be a good person. If that is the case, explain the Crusades or ISIS to me. Explain how the most ruthless of kings and destructive of dictators can preach divine appointment or moral justification if its really the nihilists society should be worried about.
In short, having some moral belief is not sufficient on its own for one to be a productive, altruistic member of society. Ultimately, whether nihilist or otherwise, violent people will be violent. The concern is that humanity needs a big book or normative philosophy to prevent unnecessary violence, but that hasnt stopped killers and tyrants before. Just as the pendulum can swing from destructive to altruistic, nihilists can be either or somewhere in between. I choose to be altruistic not because I believe karma or moral goodness expects it, but because I choose to be altruistic for no other reason than to be giving. Nihilists arent all killers, just like how preachers arent all saints.
The Untrustworthy Nihilist
Apparently, you cant trust a nihilist either, at least that is what Ive heard. The stereotype of the deceitful nihilist seems to be concluded after considering if nihilists dont believe in good/bad then they have no ethical obligation to keep promises or duties. In other words, nihilists are liars that will not honor any commitments made with them.
My rebuttal: Liars lie, but not all nihilists are liars. Similar to the destructive nihilist double standard, this assumption implies moral believers dont lie because their morality obligates them to tell the truth. We all know thats not true, so again, belief in morality isnt enough for someone to be completely trustworthy. Some Methodists lie about email scandals and some Evangelical Christians institute scam colleges.
The point is that, again, morality alone isnt sufficient to keep an individual from deceitful behavior, so labeling nihilists as inherently untrustworthy is intellectually dishonest.
The Suicidal Nihilist
This is the idea that morality gives people a purpose in life, and that without it we are empty shells with the bleakest of outlooks. After all, if there is no true meaning to life or moral goodness, then what is there to live for?
My rebuttal: Is life not enough of a reason to live? I understand that life on Earth is no piece of cake. For some people, the world is a cruel, unjust, despicable place. But does it follow then that life is not a sufficient enough reason to live? Do we need some grand deity or moral tally score at the end of our lives to put meaning into living on Earth? I am comfortable with not having an afterlife or cosmic scoreboard tracking my good deeds. I dont feel the need to have my experiences on Earth be validated later on. I still appreciate life and people. I still find art beautiful, rainy days wonderful and cartoons magical. I look up to J. K. Rowling and Nathaniel Hawthorne as great writers, and my family and friends are dear to me. All these statements do not conflict with my belief in nothingness. I understand some may need a moral mission in life, but nihilists are not all suicidal for not having one.
The Fake Nihilist
No, Im not an atheist. No, Im not an existentialist. No, Im not a humanist. No, Im not an agnostic. Nihilism is a harsh position to relate to for many people. Its not like finding similarities between a pastor and rabbi or understanding the doubt of an atheist or agnostic. Nihilism throws everything out the door and rejects the basic concept of morality. Some people handle that by labeling us as confused. They refuse to dignify our belief in moral absence by properly recognizing it instead infantilizing our capability to understand nuanced philosophies and maturity to recognize our own beliefs.
My final rebuttal: Why are you threatened? How does my belief threaten your own spiritual autonomy? It is not as if I am frequenting your home regularly and asking to share the words of Friedrich Nietzsche. I do not set off across the globe in hopes of converting the religiously diverse into a homogenous network of global nihilism.
I respect the beliefs of my family (all of which are one variant of Christianity or another). I respect my friends identify as Buddhist, Muslim, Mormon, Catholic, etc. I do not degrade their beliefs by claiming they just havent figured it out yet or they are just confused. In the same way, I am not confused: I am a nihilist. I am just as capable of making that identification as the next fellow.
Nihilism may not be your cup of tea, and I am not asking for it to be. But in an age where religious tolerance and acceptance are widely paraded, dont forget that it is a diversity of thought that should be respected, not just religion.
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Changing This Bumbling Narcissist Impossible, So We Must Depose Him – Common Dreams
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Common Dreams | Changing This Bumbling Narcissist Impossible, So We Must Depose Him Common Dreams What some see as a blind tendency to stumble into huge blunders I see as a kind of aggressive nihilism that is much more primed to stumble in some directions than others. If such an assumption is on the right track, it makes no sense to appeal to you ... |
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Hedonism II – Top Lifestyle Resort in Negril, Jamaica
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Hedonism II is the only resort of its kind in the world. It's the resort where you can do what you want, when you want, in a way that can only happen at Hedonism II. From the expansive beach to piano bar to the disco, Hedonism II is the best resort for your all inclusive vacation. At Hedonism II, all meals, drinks, activities and entertainment are included and tipping is simply not permitted. If you don't have fun at Hedonism II, you probably won't have fun anywhere.
What is Hedonism ??
From the moment Hedonism II's gates opened thirty plus years ago, it's been the most widely recognized, and notorious, resort in the world. Words really can't quite describe the thrill of actually being here. It's the ultimate guilty pleasure, only without the guilt. Hedonism II is located on Negril's famous 7 mile beach regarded as the party capital of the world.
Everything You've Heard... It's true. The rumors, the legends, the myths. All true. For more than thirty years, It's what happens when you combine warm water, a white-sand beach, open bars and open minds. This is about as far as you can get from your everyday life. And best of all, just about everything you can eat, drink and do is included.
Sooner or later, it's gonna happen. The primal urge to just let go. Unwind. Unplug. You're not alone. Hedonism II on world-famous Negril Beach was created as a reward for all those times you've had to deny your basic instincts. In these lush gardens of pure pleasure, the word "no" is seldom heard.
Hedonism is a sandbox for your inner child, nourishment for the mind, body, spirit and soul. Pleasure comes in many forms. Choose one. Or two. Or more. After a week at Hedonism, you'll view the world from a slightly different angle. You'll be tanned and relaxed. And at times you'll find yourself smiling for no reason whatsoever. Hedonism, there's nothing else on earth quite like it.
The resort has 280 rooms located in a tropical beach scene with separate two-story buildings with two twin or king beds in each room. Some rooms face the beach, some are garden view locations. The resort is arguably the "Mother of all inclusive resorts" and has a world-wide reputation for fun and frolic. Our clients who visit Hedonism II come from every continent in the world and they're there for one reason -- to have fun. If you like to read a book and chill out, you can do that, but this place is so active with lots of interesting people, you may miss some of the greatest opportunities to meet the most fun loving people... from all over the world.
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