Daily Archives: December 8, 2019

Light up a cigar, grab a bottle of scotch and settle in for an evening of naughty humor with Ron White. The foul-mouth Texan is back for more laughter at Aces of Comedy, the stand-up comedy series at The Mirage.

Riding high on the success of his Netflix special If You Quit Listening, Ill Shut Up, he has added a new legion of members to his already large fan base.

Known affectionately as Tater Salad, White lays on politically incorrect humor with heavy doses of sarcasm and irreverence.

Unabashedly patriotic, the U.S. Navy veteran has often devoted his personal time and talents to disaster victims and fellow service members. He even entered the 2016 Presidential race with a campaign slogan of Vote SmartBecause You Cant Fix Stupid.

Still, its our American way of life that provides White with some of his best material. From vacation Bible school to dating websites, California quirkiness to motel movies-on-demand, the headliner turns his hilarious experiences into things we can all relate to. And thats the trademark of a true ace of comedy.

The Mirage, 10 p.m. Dec. 13-14, starting at $59.99 plus tax and fee, 16+. 702.792.7777

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Laugh it up with Ron White - Lasvegasmagazine

For two tumultuous months, Washington has been fixated on what President Donald Trump did. Now its time to work out what should happen to him.

Four renowned law professors showed up before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday to conduct an intellectual and rigorous constitutional seminar while ducking the partisan crossfire from Democratic and Republican lawmakers. They had been called to explain the arcane business of impeachment the investigation, trial and possible removal of a president to Americans watching on TV.

Does the Constitution justify impeaching Trump over his attempted manipulation of Ukraine? Three of the high-powered legal quartet the experts chosen by Democrats agreed the President had crossed a line. The Republican witness did not rule out such a verdict but cautioned against rushing a process that could countermand the 2016 election.

On that central question, Pamela Karlan of Stanford Law School had no doubts:

What about how Trumps behavior compares with the actions of other Presidents including the two who were impeached before him and Richard Nixon, who resigned before the House could get to him? It leaves them in the dust, argued Michael Gerhardt, of the University of North Carolina Law School:

But Trump is not just in trouble for his dealings with Ukraine. Hes been blocking the investigation all along, refusing to allow key White House officials to testify and ignoring 71 separate requests for documents by Democrats. Is this also grounds for impeachment? You bet, said Harvard Law Schools Noah Feldman.

But wait could Democrats be a little ahead of themselves here? Sure, the White House is stalling and trying to mire the process in months of legal challenges. But removing a President is the most consequential act in Congress power, and Democrats have not yet used the full extent of the law to force key witnesses to testify. George Washington Universitys Jonathan Turley that Republican-called witness worries that things are going too fast and not far enough:

In his opening statement, Turley said, I get it. Youre mad. The Presidents mad. My Republican friends are mad. My Democratic friends are mad. So were all mad, and where has it taken us? Will a slipshod impeachment make us less mad? Will it only give an invitation for the madness to follow in every future administration? This is not how you impeach an American president.

Yes, Trump was the unwitting subject of a chuckle-filled chat among other NATO leaders, copped Justin Trudeau on Wednesday. But the Canadian Prime Minister insists theyve still got a good relationship.

It doesnt look like a good one Trump, after all, accused Trudeau of being two-faced and hastily stormed off from the London gathering. Their relationship didnt seem that great even before Trudeau was caught gossiping Trump had earlier skewered Canada as slightly delinquent in its fiscal duty to NATO. And last year, they clashed after a G7 meeting in Quebec, with Trudeau calling US tariffs insulting and Trump tweeting from Air Force One that the Canadian princeling was very dishonest and weak.

This is bad news for Trudeaus bid to repair relations with the mercurial US leader who can make life very difficult since the North American neighbors share the worlds most lucrative bilateral commercial relationship. But since both men have a common goal in getting Congress to pass the US-Canada-Mexico trade deal, theyll have to bury the hatchet.

And there may be a political upside for both: Feuding with liberal leaders like Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron is all good for Trumps brand as the politically incorrect, foreigner-baiting America First bulldog. And showing some steel to the bully down south might be just what the PM needs, as he tries to earn back the Canadians trust after a scandal-tainted couple of years and only just winning reelection by the skin of his teeth.

US President Donald Trump met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the NATO meeting in London. We discussed Syria. We discussed the Kurds, Trump said, adding that the border and the safe zone is working out very well and I give Turkey a lot of credit for that. The ceasefire is holding.

In October, the US withdrew forces from northern Syria to make way for a Turkish attack on the USs Kurdish allies. Syrian Kurdish and US officials have said that the attacks continue, despite a nominal ceasefire.

We have soldiers where the oil is and thats the way I like it, Trump also noted.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells office released the Senate schedule for 2020 with just 11 months displayed. January is conspicuously absent. Pencil in a possible Senate impeachment trial.

Click here to read full story

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Does the Constitution justify impeaching Trump? | News Talk WBAP-AM - WBAP News/Talk

SIR Bruce Forsyths wife says Strictly Come Dancing is now sexier than ever and the late TV legend would have loved it.

Lady Wilnelia Forsyth told how Bruce, the original presenter of the series who spent a decade at the helm, would have celebrated it becoming more risqu.

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The former Miss World, 62, who was married to the telly favourite for 35 years, has only just started to be able to watch the dancing show again following the national treasures death in 2017 from bronchial pneumonia.

And while he would have also embraced the ballroom show celebrating same-sex dancers, she says the all-round entertainer who spent 75 years at the top of the showbiz tree would have lamented the absence of comedy acts and lack of straight-talking as TV stars have grown afraid of being dubbed politically incorrect.

Lady Wilnelia told the Sun on Sunday: At the beginning I just couldnt watch, it was too painful. But this year I have been watching, and it is different.

The dancing is more risqu now, and sexier. Times have changed since the show began.

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You can see a change in the clothes, the dresses, too.

They are beautiful and you could wear them anywhere if they were a bit longer.

I think Bruce would have definitely liked the show becoming sexier. If you do it with style and respect, whats the problem? My husband always moved with the times.

He would have supported same-sex couples dancing together on the show for the same reason.

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After all, if same sex couples are getting married and raising families together, why shouldnt they dance together? This should be normal now.

I remembered recently that in the 1950s Bruce actually filmed a sketch with Norman Wisdom and the two of them danced together as a couple.

If he was here now, I think he would be the most accepting person of same-sex dancing.

The milestone dance was performed last month by male pro dancers Graziano Di Prima and Johannes Radebe. Viewers were quick to praise the move by Strictly.

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And Lady Wilnelia continued: It doesnt matter if its two girls or two guys, its about the dance.

Theres nothing more beautiful than two people moving their bodies together its wonderful.

And its what the audience want to see on Strictly.

The audience have a voice now, because they are talking about the show on social media, and that is very powerful.

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If Bruce was here, hed probably be on Instagram now. But hed have found himself in so much trouble because he always spoke his mind.

That was one of the things I loved the most about him. People dont speak their minds as much now because theyre frightened of a backlash.

Bruce was invited to front Strictlys very first series back in 2004.

Lady Wilnelia told how the star, who had expected all the celebrities to be awful dancers, was amazed by their transformation during the competition.

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But many of Bruces highlights still came courtesy of the shows more comic contestants.

Lady Wilnelia reckons he would be sorry at the absence in recent series of contestants who brought laughter to the show, such as Ann Widdecombe, Russell Grant, John Sargeant and Ed Balls.

She added: There has been a shift away from those acts and its a shame, because Bruce loved them.

He was a born entertainer and they were entertaining.

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I remember Ann in particular because she was so brave at times, but she took the show so lightly. I think thats what people like to see on Strictly. You dont want everyone to be perfect, and you want to see the personalities there.

Recurring ill-health saw Bruce film his last series of Strictly in 2013. Co-host Tess Daly continued in the role and It Takes Two presenter Claudia Winkleman took Bruces place.

But he still loved to watch the programme at home and would send Tess, 50, good luck messages before she went on air.

He also shared close friendships with former head judge Len Goodman and professional dancer Anton Du Beke, with pals often joking that he and Anton could be father and son.

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Lady Wilnelia said: Bruce found Claudia really funny and, though Tess played the straight part to his funnyman on Strictly, he always said how great her sense of humour was.

They had spent so much time together over the years.

She and Len would come down to his dressing room before the show every Saturday.

He and Len, and Anton, would play golf together too. At the time people would joke that Anton and Bruce could be father and son.

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Bruce would have liked to see Anton as a judge, hed have supported him in anything. But I think Anton is just happy to be a part of the family.

Bruce and Wilnelia fell in love after meeting when they were both judges at Miss World 1980, held in the UK. She had won the competition five years earlier.

They married three years later and went on to have son Jonathan, who is now 32.

Wilnelia used to accompany Bruce to the BBC Television Centre where he filmed Strictly on Saturdays.

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Now, watching on telly, she admits it feels like someone is missing.

She went on: I miss Bruce. I miss his silly jokes at the end, which always made me laugh.

I am much better than I was, but its true what people say to you, grieving is a journey. Sometimes its hard because I think about him all the time.

Our house is still the same as it was. And even when Im not thinking about him, something often happens to remind me.

I was playing golf a few weeks ago and I saw a buggy being driven by a gentleman with a hat on. For a minute there was a resemblance and I got very emotional. I couldnt stop myself crying.

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Unfortunately, you just cant avoid things like that.

Christmases and birthdays for his family will never be the same. And only someone who has lost someone so dear will understand how it feels.

But what we had was so much more than a marriage, and thats why it was so special.

View original post here:
Bruce Forsyths widow says he would have loved sexed-up Strictly and same-sex dancers - The Sun

Drew Mattiola December 7th, 2019 - 2:00 PM

It appears that Disney+ will be doctoring up television programs for its live-action properties, as Billy Magnussen will be reprising his role as Prince Anders in a series about the Middle Eastern royalty according to The Hollywood Reporter.

This will mark the first time the studio has developed a spinoff to one of its live-action remakes. Disney has already gotten to work on this project hiring Jordan Dunn and Michael Kvamme to scribe the script. The series centers around Anders but has not been confirmed as a sequel or a prequel to this years box office hitAladdin, as the studio is still in the planning stages for the project.

Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich, who were primarily responsible for Aladdins production, return to the set under their Rideback banner with Ryan Halprin serving as an executive producer.Magnussen was mainly responsible for pushing the inception of this series after presenting the idea toAladdins production team.Dunn and Kvamme have been rather busy as of lately and have a plethora of comedy projects in the work, including a film entitled Operation Prince of Freedom,which involves a rather politically incorrect celebrity, the Taliban and illegal immigration. More on this as it develops.

Go here to see the original:
Aladdin Spinoff Featuring Prince Anders In Development With Disney+ - mxdwn.com

Is it (literally) politically incorrect to ask someone not to play for their country?

George Burnett figured out long ago how to give diplomatic answers to questions that offer the opportunity for undiplomatic responses.

Such was the case when the Guelph Storm general manager and coach was asked about losing Chayka for seven games 10 per cent of the teams season for a tournament many people had never heard of.

We really dont have any say when it boils down to it, Burnett said when asked if the team has to release Chayka. Its an IIHF sanctioned event. We have to support it.

Playing for your country is pretty special and hes done it four times now. This is the fifth ... Well support it, its part of what our responsibility is, hopefully he plays well, stays healthy and comes back and has a monster second half.

That doesnt mean Burnett is particularly thrilled with losing Chayka, who has established himself as one of the teams best players in just his second year.

Not eligible for the NHL draft until 2021, Chayka quarterbacks the power play, kills penalties and has 17 points this season.

His departure, coupled with the injury to Fedor Gordeev, leaves the Storm with six defencemen: three of them rookies and two of them in their second year.

I can moan and groan about it, but hes playing for his country, hes playing for his federation and Im sure he wants to be part of (Russias) under-20 program moving forward.

When I look at it, he played in the tournament last year, hes played for his country at the under-18 twice now, and for me this event is a little bit of a step back. Im happy to see him represent his country but were going to miss him for seven games and thats big, especially with Feddy hurt.

Its not unheard of for a player to decline an invitation to play for their country. Peterborough Petes forward Liam Kirk did it this week when he said no to playing for Great Britain at the World Juniors.

But Kirk is 19, drafted by the NHL and Great Britain is playing in the Division IIA of the World Juniors.

It would be a lot harder for the undrafted, 17-year-old Chayka to say no, even if logging big minutes in seven OHL games is almost certainly going to be better for his development than playing in the World Junior A Challenge.

Instead, you have to suck it up and view it as part of the price of doing business.

And keep your fingers crossed he doesnt get hurt.

Read the rest here:
Should a player ever turn down an offer to play for their country? - GuelphToday

Whether you like it or not, the times they are a-changin'.

While some people deem it politically incorrect to continue to sing Christmas songs like 'Baby, It's Cold Outside', others can listen to it in the context of the time in which it was written.

Another controversial festive song over the years is 'Fairytale of New York'. It's a song that is loved by many, but others find the use of the word 'f****t' understandably difficult to get past.

Now, one English radio DJ has taken it a step further by banning the song from his show altogether.

Alex Dyke of BBC Radio Solent went on a lengthy rant about The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl tune on Twitter, in a now-deleted tweet. "Radio, lets ban Fairytale Of New York this Christmas!," he wrote. "'Youre a slut on junk, you scumbag, cheap lousy f****t is this what we want our kids singing in the back of the car? Its an offensive pile of downmarket chav bilge. We can do better!"

Dyke later elaborated on the tweet on his show, calling it a 'nasty, nasty song.'

I hope Im not going to ruin your Christmas, but Ive decided that I am no longer comfortable with playing Fairytale of New York by the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl," he said. "I think Christmas songs should be about excited children, toys, Christmas trees, snowy streets, ski lodges, reindeer, wrapping paper, Santa, family, peace on earth and love. I just find the Pogues Fairytale of New York a nasty, nasty song."

He added: "I just think that this guy, this toothless drunk, ruining the romantic image of New York city with a song about heroin is not on. I dont like the lyrics youre bum, youre a punk, youre a slut on junk I think thats absolutely awful. I dont like you scumbag, you maggot, you cheap lousy f****t I find that offensive, I find that an offensive pile of downmarket bilge."

The reaction to his boycott has been pretty vocal on Twitter, with some calling the DJ a 'snowflake' and a 'PC fool'.

Read the original here:
People are very angry that a radio DJ has banned 'Fairytale of New York' - Entertainment.ie

Not getting a gift for someone who got a gift for you; putting together a Christmas lunch thats dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free; and lets not forget having to listen to that one politically incorrect uncle (theres always one). Although the holidays can be a time to relax, rejuvenate, and spend quality time with family, if youve spent one or two holidays in the past crying into your turkey, youre not alone.

In a recent survey,PC Financialdug deep to find out exactly what holiday disasters people have been experiencing over the years, and the biggest things stressing people out.

Holiday wrapping/Shutterstock

If youve overspent on gifts for the holiday this year or in years past, youre not the only one. The survey found that 49% of Canadians have blown their budget over trying to find something for everyone over the holidays. Thats nearly half of the population!

And thats not all. Seven out of 10 Canadians also said theyve compromised on the quantity and quality of gifts theyve bought for friends and family, which makes sense when youre trying to save. But the most awkward part?Forty-three percent said that theyve received a gift when they didnt have one to give back. So. stressful.

People were even prepared to participate in some very un-fun scenarios in exchange for getting out of gift-related tasks. In fact, 35% of Canadians said theyd prefer to be in charge of removing snow at their home for a whole month instead of picking out gifts for everyone in their home. And 38% said they would ring in the new year solo rather than wrap all the gifts in their home.

Holiday spread/Shutterstock

Already drooling at the thought of that Christmas turkey lunch? Although theres nothing better than turkey, its usually not as exciting when youre the one solely in charge of bringing Christmas lunch to life. If youre not lucky enough to be in the company of a potluck-style Christmas meal, being the chef in charge of feeding everyone = stress.

If you find cooking for everyone daunting over the holidays, youre not the only one. Almost half of Canadians say that preparing food is stressful, and 49% stress over working around food sensitivities. Canadians spend over 13 hours planning, cooking, and shopping for meals over the holiday period and 34% said theyd prefer to go to work on a Sunday than prep holiday dinner for their entire family. Thats a pretty big deal.

If youre feeling overwhelmed with holiday stress, know that help is out there. Santas little helpers, aka PC Financial, have put together a Holiday Redemption Hotline so you can vent away all your stories about the cousin that said they were making gravy and forgot, or that awkward moment when you got given a new sweater by your in-laws and didnt have anything to give back. By offering helpful tips, and helping you find an upside to your holiday disasters, theyll help you redeem the holidays.

On December 7, from 9 am to 5 pm, you can call a PC Helper for advice on how to cope with your holiday disasters and get on with whats important having a great Christmas break. Callers could even earn a few PC Optimum points.

You can call the hotline at 1-833-909-1281 or visit PC Financials website to learn about thePC Financial MasterCard, which earns you PC Optimum points for every dollar you spend, no matter where you shop. Its just another way to get ahead of the holiday stress this season.

Link:
This is what Canadians are stressing out about over the holidays (SURVEY) | Etcetera - Daily Hive

ABOVE VIDEO: Michael Hing on Shane Gillis, SNL and the complications of cancel culture.

Cancel culture has beaten out thicc, eco-anxiety and ngangkari to become Macquarie Dictionarys 2019 word of the year.

Defined as The attitudes within a community which call for or bring about the withdrawal of support from a public figure, cancel culture has become and important and infuriating part of modern discourse.

It reached an entirely different level in October when former US President Barack Obama called out cancel culture saying its the idea of purity and youre never compromised and youre always politically woke.

However, the roots of cancel culture reach further back than 2019.

In 2013, UK communications coordinator Justine Sacco tweeted this before boarding an 11-hour plane to Cape Town, South Africa:

Cancel culture, as it were, went on to have a massive influence on the #MeToo movement in late 2017 when people took to social media to expose and boycott accused abusers like Harvey Weinstein, Louis C.K and Aziz Anzari.

Comedians quickly became a popular target for cancellation with Kevin Hart bowing out of his Oscars hosting gig in 2018 after old anti-LGTBQI+ tweets of his were resurfaced.

Earlier in 2019, US comedian Shane Gillis was fired from SNL before he even debuted on the show after footage emerged of him using racial slurs on a podcast.

Many commentators have also pointed out how -- far from evoking shame -- cancellations often push otherwise right-minded people to double down on politically incorrect comments and embolden audiences who sympathise when them.

Of course, when you appear to take down enough high profile people there will be a backlash. Like the endless think pieces asking, Hascancelculturegonetoofar?

The counter-argumentto this is the simple fact that, most of the time, cancellations dont stick.

After a brief period out of the spotlight, Louis C.K. returned to touring with a show that leans into his anti-PC reputation.

Aziz Anzari was nominated for a Grammy award just a week ago for his Netflix special Right Now which briefly touched on his sexual misconduct allegations.

Alongside Anzari on the Grammy nomination list are fellow cancelees Dave Chappelle (made anti-trans jokes), Ellen DeGeneres (went to a football game with George W. Bush) and Trevor Noah (made anti-Indigenous jokes).

Guardians of The Galaxy director James Gunn was brought back to direct the third film in the series after Disney fired him for a series of distasteful early 2000s tweets.

In the YouTube world, vlogger Logan Paul is still making videos after being dropped by YouTube as a content partner for filming a dead body in Japans notorious Suicide Forest.

Beauty guru James Charles just landed a Papermag spread after his very public cancellation by fellow guru Tati Westbrook caused him to lose 3 million subscribers (hes since gained back 2 million of them).

Taylor Swifts comeback record, aptly named Reputation, sold 2 million copies in the first week.

Even Justine Hope I dont get AIDS Succo was rehired by the company that originally fired her.

Harvey Weinstein will face a rape trial in New York in January 2020, and his social and professional reputation areundeniably in tatters.

Kevin Spacey faced civil litigation from a man who claimed he sexually assaulted him when he was underage. Hes been all but absent from the public eye bar one very unnerving Christmas video where he appears to defend his actions.

Multiple radio stations and streaming services have reportedly blacklisted R.Kelly, who is currently in jail in Chicago waiting on a trail for multiple sex trafficking crimes.

Bill Cosby, whose cancellation was ignited by comedian Hannibal Buress (who himself is facing a cancellation over being pro-landlord), is no longer remembered as a landmark comedian but as a convicted rapist spending time in a Pennsylvania prison.

Now, at the end of 2019, we have high profile people like Obama, Joker director Todd Phillips and actress Jameela Jamil trying to cancel cancel culture.

But with its addition to the dictionary, the rapid evolution of social media and peoples tendency to do cooked things - cancel culture probably isnt going anywhere anytime soon.

Catch The Feed 8:30pm Thursdays and 5pm Sundays on SBS VICELAND. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Continue reading here:
'Cancel culture' is officially in 2019 dictionaries. How did we get here? - SBS News

I want to eat and drink whatever P Chidambaram was having as a part of his Tihar Jail diet for 106 days. It seems to have done wonders to the man. Think about it he is actually cracking a smile! Being nice to ornery folks. Distributing hugs freely (restricted to male colleagues, please note). And firing on all cylinders! Next you know, he may share a meal with Nirmala Sitharaman. He will, of course, get his own tiffin box for the lunch date with the finance minister.

His well-trained cooks at the posh Jor Bagh mansion will lovingly pack his favourite chicken curry and rice, with plenty of onions in the curry, while Ms Sithraraman may disdainfully wrinkle up her nose and stick to simple sapad (strictly no onions for maam). They may discuss avocados, since Chids has raised questions over her food preferences (avocados, chalega; onions, illey). It seems Madam and her parivaar shun the bulb, which forms a staple in most desi khaana. On the other hand, avocado (botanically described as a large berry) is pretty new to Indian palates, and only made it to restaurant menus a decade or so ago.

Most people are confused how to pronounce avocado and avoid ordering it. Bhajjiwalas in Mumbai call the fruit phoren ka peru. Avocados are ridiculously expensive as well, given that the berry is tasteless mush when ripe, and one is misled by the size, since the stone inside is huge. The avocado is still considered exotic in India, and given its high price, it is also labelled an elite fruit. Which is why, it makes perfect sense for the notoriously snobbish P Chidambaram to taunt Ms Sithraman using the avocado reference. It is such a classic Khan Market Gang putdown! Because, where else but in the most glamourous market in India would you find so many creative variations of the avocado on restaurant menus? Touche, Chids! That was pretty clever. In one stroke, it said it all. It highlighted class and lifestyle differences, while underlining the ministers insensitivity to an issue that has hit nearly every Indian home with the prices of onions fluctuating between Rs 120 and Rs 160 per kilo. Oh dear, tough times ahead for our FM who experts say needs a crash course in basic economics. Same chaps who wanted to give her tutorials on defence matters when the lady was handling that portfolio.

Some say, onion prices are controlled by Sharad Pawar, at least in Maharashtra. Onions play a huge role during elections. Pawar watchers have conducted studies monitoring the rise and fall of onion prices and linking the findings to Pawars political fortunes. When he senses a crisis, he hikes up the price to show the government in power in terrible light. As soon as he renegotiates his terms with those who matter, onion prices crash! This has been a pattern for decades. Well, going by the fact that the neighbourhood vegetable vendor is not reducing his price, and street snacks are substituting white radish in place of onions, it is safe to say that Pawar is still at it a few more deals and key cabinet positions obviously need to be figured out with Uddhav Thackeray before onion prices come down. Till then, we will just have to enjoy Maharashtras popular dish Kandey Pohey without kandey (onions).

Forget onions and avocados for now, one can barely breathe in Indias polluted capital. Walking around Khan Market last week, I spoke to several store owners who looked despondent and broken saying business is down 60%. There was zero Xmas cheer and hardly any shoppers. The restaurants were doing okay I looked hard and in vain for the Khan Market Gang the regulars who lunch (on pricey avocado salads and more). Not a single recognisable face could be spotted, much to my disappointment. A friend told me Delhi residents are lying so low they have practically disappeared into the undergrowth. Nobody wants to be seen spending money, a boutique owner confided. So, lets get this straight Dilliwallas have money but refuse to spend it. They also have mouths, but do not speak. Despite that, we keep getting a glowing picture of our future.

Its all going to be bright and beautiful we are told. Right now, the only visible glow is on P Chidambarams face. Was it just the jail diet? The jail discipline? The extra sleep on a hard mattress? An enforced detox? Abstinence from all things carnal? God knows. But it has given Tihar the best sort of celebrity endorsement possible, making it appear more like a luxury spa in Switzerland than a punishment cell for a former minister. Its possible Chids was allowed avocados in place of onions while inside. Whatever. Jail certainly suits our newly lean and not so mean politician par excellence!

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.

Read more from the original source:
PC's onion jibe offers food for thought on economic health - Economic Times

BANGKOK, Thailand, December 6, 2019 (LifeSiteNews) Pope Francis told Jesuits in Thailand that how the Church should behave pastorally to Catholics who are divorced and remarried is found in chapter 8 of his controversial 2016 exhortation Amoris Laetitia, a teaching that has been used by bishops around the world to allow Catholics living objectively in adultery to receive Holy Communion.

The pope indicated that such teaching is the Magisterium of the Church.

While meeting with a group of Southeastern Jesuits in Bangkok last month, Pope Francis invited their questions. One stated that they had divorced and remarried Catholics in their communities and asked how they are to behave pastorally with them.

I could answer you in two ways: in a casuistic way, which however is not Christian, even if it can be ecclesiastical; or according to the Magisterium of the Church as in the eighth chapter of Amoris Laetitia, that is, journey, accompany and discern to find solutions, the pontiff replied. And this has nothing to do with situation ethics, but with the great moral tradition of the Church.

Francis did not explain how something that is ecclesiastical could not be Christian, instead moving to a question about his experience of the Church in Thailand.

The word magisterium has several potential meanings, including the teaching office of a pope or a bishop in union with the pope, or the doctrine being taught. John Zmirak, author of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Catholicism, told LifeSiteNews that the word is typically used two ways:

One, the infallible parts that reflect the Deposit of Faith, either sacred tradition or authoritatively taught Natural Law judgments, and two, whatever some pope said that another pope hasn't contradicted yet.

Zmirak took exception to Pope Franciss use the words casuistry and Magisterium.

As usual, Pope Francis is equivocating, using language sloppily, and relying on the anti-Catholic connotations that perfectly innocent words were given by anti-Christian pamphleteers, he said.

Casuistry means nothing more or less than the application of general rules to particular cases. Its a Latinism best translated as case law. Imagine a judge denouncing case law. Thats how much sense it makes for a moral teacher to denounce casuistry, he continued.

Zmirak also criticized the pope of elevating his own baseless and un-Catholic opinions, issued in fallible documents, to the level of Magisterium.

For Francis the Marxist sympathizer, [Magisterium] appears to mean essentially Party Line, the author said. It can shift as the Party leadership does.

To understand this papacy you don't need to read Francis, but Arthur Koestlers Darkness at Noon.

Dr. John Rist, professor emeritus of the University of Toronto, told LifeSiteNews that Pope Franciss answer to the question is a typical example of Peronism.

Step one is to deny casuistry, apparently understood by [Pope] Bergoglio as some form of consequentialism/situation ethics (which he rightly dubs non-Christian), Rist stated.

The second step is to try to muddle us by using traditional words like discernment but to imply that trying to discern what to do will get you an answer which is non-consequentialist while simultaneously disregarding the norms the Church has traditionally taught, and appealing to the Magisterium, i.e. to himself, to justify this procedure, the philosopher continued.

What it all amounts to is readmitting consequentialism/situation ethics by the back door and giving it another name (i.e. discernment).

Chapter eight of Amoris Laetitia attracted a torrent of criticism after the apostolic exhortation was published on April 8, 2016 because it allows for interpretations that undermine or even contradict perennial Catholic doctrine. The Catholic Church teaches that sacramental marriages end only by death, and that anyone in such a marriage who divorces and attempts to marry again commits adultery (cf. Matt. 5:3132; 19:312; Mk. 10:212; Lk. 16:18; 1 Cor. 7:116). As adultery is a mortal sin that cuts off sanctifying grace to ones soul, Catholics in so-called irregular marriages are not considered in a fit state to receive Holy Communion. Amoris Laetitia was criticized for overturning these teachings in a footnote.

Recognizing the post-conciliar explosion in the number of Catholics who have divorced and illicitly remarried despite the doctrine, St. John Paul II taught in Familiaris Consortio that such Catholics may go to confession and receive Holy Communion as long as they live in perfect continence, or, in other words, as brother and sister:

Reconciliation in the sacrament of Penance, which would open the way to the Eucharist, can only be granted to those who, repenting of having broken the sign of the Covenant and of fidelity to Christ, are sincerely ready to undertake a way of life that is no longer in contradiction to the indissolubility of marriage. This means, in practice, that when, for serious reasons, such as for example the children's upbringing, a man and a woman cannot satisfy the obligation to separate, they take on themselves the duty to live in complete continence, that is, by abstinence from the acts proper to married couples. [Familiaris Consortio, 180]

Amoris Laetitia, however, has been used to permit people who have divorced and remarried to receive the sacraments of Penance and Holy Communion without a promise to live in continence (footnote 351) and even to suggest that it would be wrong for people in adulterous unions to stop committing adultery.

This suggestion, perhaps one of the most explosive innovations of Pope Franciss pontificate, was all but buried in a footnote, Footnote 329, which misrepresented Gaudium et Spes:

329. In [adulterous so-called second marriages], many people, knowing and accepting the possibility of living as brothers and sisters which the Church offers them, point out that if certain expressions of intimacy are lacking, it often happens that faithfulness is endangered and the good of the children suffers (Second Vatican Ecumenical Council, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World Gaudium et Spes, 51).

Gaudium et Spes was referring not to irregular unions here, but to legitimate marriages in which spouses are abstaining from marital union for a protracted period so as not to engender children.

While the confusion and debate over Amoris Laetitia raged, four cardinals followed the normal procedures in sending Pope Francis questions or dubia regarding the theological implications of Amoris Laetitia. The pontiff has still not answered the dubia. However, on September 9, 2016, Francis wrote a private letter to the bishops of Argentina, which was leaked to the press, that their interpretation of Amoris Laetitia i.e. to permit some irregularly married Catholics, even some with no intention of living in continence, to receive the sacraments after a period of penitential preparation was the correct one.

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Pope Francis: Amoris Laetitia is the Magisterium of the Church on divorced and remarried - Lifesite