Daily Archives: October 25, 2020

Halloween, more than almost any other holiday, is about fun, nearly unmatched in its unbridled hedonism. Its like New Years, but with corn syrup instead of booze. Ubiquitous with that theme is candy corn. It didnt start out as a Halloween treat, but jumped on the bandwagon in the 1950s, as Halloween pivoted into a full embrace of processed sugar. They may only taste good if youre starving, diabetic or a food coloring enthusiast, but apparently thats about half of all Americans.

Corn officially became spooky with the release of Children of the Corn, a 1984 movie about a Midwestern village where the kids took over and decided nobody was permitted to age beyond 17. In 1993, the worlds first for-profit corn maze was built in Annville, Penn. Since then, the tradition has taken off, and corn mazes aka maizes now number in the thousands.

When I lived in New Mexico, I learned about chicos, aka dried corn. Chicos means little boys in Spanish, as the kernels shrink when dried. The ones for sale at the store were dried to the hardness of popcorn, but when I make them at home, I let them stay a bit chewy, like real-life versions of candy corn but nuttier and corny-er. Each batch of chicos has a unique character, with different levels of coloring, crunchiness, chewiness and/or sweetness, depending on the corn and how long its roasted.

Many Halloween corn mazes are closed this year, thanks to the virus. And door-to-door candy-begging is largely out, too. If treat-seekers are left to their own devices, Im fine with that, because processed sugar is poison and a tradition that hinges on giving candy to kids isnt worth rescuing.

Luckily, nothing about the original spirit of Halloween demands candy. Spookiness, on the other hand, is in Halloweens DNA, as is my right to dress like Bootsy Collins. And corn? Its to Halloween like frost is to a pumpkin. So allow me to tell you how I make chicos, followed by with a few recipes, one sweet and one savory,

Chicos: The only ingredient is corn, preferably with the husk on. Traditionally, the process involves a clay oven or horno, but other ovens work too. Ultimately, youre doing little more than drying out the kernels.

Although usually made with fresh corn, Ive also made chicos with frozen corn, and the operation was surprisingly successful, even if the product lacked the soulful, smoky flavor that a roasted corn husk imparts.

Turn the oven to 300 and place the ears directly on the oven racks, not touching one another, and bake until the husks start to dry out and brown and even smoke a little about three hours. When cool, peel off the husks. If using husked or frozen corn, skip this step.

Now, put just the cobs on the oven racks, spaced so as not to touch one another, and bake at 225, until the kernels start to shrink and visibly dry out about four hours. Let the ears cool completely, and rub off the kernels try the edge of a spoon if they are stubborn. Store in a plastic bag in a cool, dry place. The drier you get them, the longer they will store.

If making chicos from frozen corn, spread the kernels on a cookie sheet and bake at 225. They will take less time about two hours and will quickly turn brown and then black.

Chicos and Milk: Fill a bowl with chicos and milk, with sugar to taste. When the chicos are gone and you sip the milk that remains, you may feel a distinct nostalgia for a time long ago, when you sipped the leftover milk from a bowl of corn flakes.

Beans with Chicos (serves 2)

Served alongside rice, youve got a delicious meal with complete protein.

1 strip bacon, chopped (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil if skipping the bacon or if its lean

cup minced onions

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh oregano or thyme

cup chicos

1 can of plain beans (pinto, white, black, kidney ) including the liquid

1 can of water or stock

1 teaspoon paprika or chile powder

Salt, if the bacon doesnt add enough

Fry the bacon on medium heat. When half-crispy, about 5 minutes, add the onions, garlic and herbs. Fry until the onions become translucent. Add the beans and water, and stir together. Season with salt, if necessary. Heat to a simmer, stirring as necessary to prevent sticking. Adjust seasoning and serve. n

See the rest here:

Chicos of the corn - Durango Telegraph

Halloween, more than almost any other holiday, is about funUnlike Christmas, Easter, Mothers or Fathers Days, all of which involve a certain amount of stress and sacrifice if not guilt. Thanksgiving is fun but its a lot of work. Halloween is a lot of play, nearly unmatched in its unbridled hedonism. Its like New Years, but with corn syrup instead of booze.

It began with the Gaelic festival Samhain, which celebrated the end of harvest, while ushering in the dark half of the year. Autumn was a spooky time when the boundaries between the living and spirit worlds were thought to become more porous. Brought to America by Irish and Scottish settlers, Halloween found footholds in the southern colonies, and developed a more playful mischievous, and decidedly corny vibe.

Candy corn didnt start out as a Halloween treat, but jumped on the bandwagon in the 1950s, as Halloween pivoted into a full embrace of processed sugar. They may only taste good if youre starving, diabetic or a food coloring enthusiast, but apparently thats about half of all Americans.

Corn officially became spooky with the release of Children of the Corn, a 1984 movie about a Midwestern village where the kids took over and decided nobody was permitted to age beyond 17. In 1993, the worlds first for-profit corn maze was built in Annville, Pennsylvania. Since then the tradition has taken off, and corn mazesaka maizesnow number in the thousands.

When I lived in New Mexico I learned about chicos, a type of Native American dried corn. Chicos means little boys in Spanish, as the kernels shrink when dried. The ones for sale at the store were dried to the hardness of popcorn, but when I make them at home, I let them stay a bit chewy, like real-life versions of candy corn. But nuttier, and corny-er. Each batch of chicos has a unique character, with different levels of brown, crunchiness, chewiness and/or sweetness, depending on the corn and how long its roasted.

Many Halloween corn mazes are closed this year, thanks to the virus. And door-to-door candy-begging is largely out too. If treat-seekers are left to their own devices Im fine with that, because processed sugar is poison, and a tradition that hinges on giving candy to kids isnt worth rescuing.

Luckily, nothing about the original spirit of Halloween demands candy. Spookiness, on the other hand, is in Halloweens DNA, as is my right to dress like Bootsy Collins. And corn? Its to Halloween like frost is to a pumpkin. A sign of the times. The inevitability of progress.

So allow me to tell you how I make chicos. I made about three dozen ears worth, which wont last too long but is a nice stash. I will follow my chicos tips with a few recipes, one sweet and one savory, for how I used them.

The only ingredient is corn, preferably with the husk on. Traditionally, the process involves a clay oven or horno, but other ovens work too. Ultimately, youre doing little more than drying out corn.

Although usually made with fresh corn, Ive also made chicos with frozen corn, and the operation was surprisingly successful, even if the product lacked the soulful smokey flavor that a roasted corn husk imparts.

Turn the oven to 300 and place the ears directly on the oven racks, not touching one another, and bake until the husks start to dry out and brown and even smoke a littleabout three hours. When cool, peel off the husks. If using husked or frozen corn, skip this step.

Put the cobs on the oven racks, spaced so as not to touch one another, and bake at 225, until the kernels start to shrink and visibly dry outabout four hours. Let the ears cool completely and rub off the kernelstry the edge of a spoon if they are stubborn. Store in a plastic bag in a cool, dry place. The drier you get them, the longer they will store.

If making chicos from frozen corn, spread the kernels on a cookie sheet and bake at 225.They will take less time about two hours and will quickly turn brown and then black.

Fill a bowl with chicos and milk, with sugar to taste. It might taste familiar. When the chicos are gone and you sip the sweet milk that remains, you may feel a distinct deja vous to a time, long ago, when you sipped the sweet leftover milk from a bowl of corn flakes

A handful of chicos turns a pot of beans into something interesting and delightful. Served alongside rice, youve got a delicious meal with complete protein.

Serves 2

Fry the bacon on medium heat. When half-crispy, about five minutes, add the onions, garlic and herbs. Fry until the onions become translucent. Add the beans and water and stir together. Season with salt, if necessary. Heat to a simmer, stirring as necessary to prevent sticking. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Read more:

Night of the Dried Corn - Shepherd Express

Halloween, more than almost any other holiday, is about fun. Unlike Christmas, Easter, Mothers or Fathers Days, all of which involve a certain amount of stress and sacrifice if not guilt, Thanksgiving is fun but it's a lot of work. Halloween is a lot of play, nearly unmatched in its unbridled hedonism. It's like New Year's, but with corn syrup instead of booze.

It began with the Gaelic festival Samhain, which celebrated the end of harvest while ushering in the dark half of the year. Autumn was a spooky time when the boundaries between the living and spirit worlds were thought to become more porous. Brought to America by Irish and Scottish settlers, Halloween found footholds in the southern colonies, and developed a more playful, mischievous, and decidedly corny vibe.

Candy corn didn't start out as a Halloween treat, but jumped on the bandwagon in the 1950s, as Halloween pivoted into a full embrace of processed sugar. They may only taste good if you're starving, diabetic or a food coloring enthusiast, but apparently that's about half of all Americans.

Corn officially became spooky with the release of "Children of the Corn," a 1984 movie about a midwestern village where the kids took over and decided nobody was permitted to age beyond 17. In 1993, the world's first for-profit corn maze was built in Annville, Pennsylvania. Since then the tradition has taken off, and corn mazesaka maizesnow number in the thousands.

When I lived in New Mexico I learned about chicos, a type of Native American dried corn. "Chicos" means "little boys" in Spanish, as the kernels shrink when dried. The ones for sale at the store were dried to the hardness of popcorn, but when I make them at home I let them stay a bit chewy, like real-life versions of candy corn. But nuttier, and cornier. Each batch of chicos has a unique character, with different levels of brown, crunchiness, chewiness and/or sweetness, depending on the corn and how long it's roasted.

Many Halloween corn mazes are closed this year, thanks to the virus. And door-to-door candy-begging is largely out, too. If treat-seekers are left to their own devices I'm fine with that, because processed sugar is poison, and a tradition that hinges on giving candy to kids isn't worth rescuing.

Luckily, nothing about the original spirit of Halloween demands candy. Spookiness, on the other hand, is in Halloween's DNA, as is my right to dress like Bootsy Collins. And corn? It's to Halloween like frost is to a pumpkin. A sign of the times. The inevitability of progress.

So allow me to tell you how I make chicos. I made about three dozen ears' worth, which won't last too long but is a nice stash.

The only ingredient is corn, preferably with the husk on. Traditionally, the process involves a clay oven or "horno," but other ovens work too. Ultimately, you're doing little more than drying out corn.

Although usually made with fresh corn, I've also made chicos with frozen corn, and the operation was surprisingly successful, even if the product lacked the soulful smokey flavor that a roasted corn husk imparts.

Turn the oven to 300 and place the ears directly on the oven racks, not touching one another, and bake until the husks start to dry out and brown and even smoke a little about three hours. When cool, peel off the husks. If using husked or frozen corn, skip this step.

Put the cobs on the oven racks, spaced so as not to touch one another, and bake at 225, until the kernels start to shrink and visibly dry out about four hours. Let the ears cool completely and rub off the kernels try the edge of a spoon if they are stubborn. Store in a plastic bag in a cool, dry place. The drier you get them, the longer they will store.

If making chicos from frozen corn, spread the kernels on a cookie sheet and bake at 225. They will take less time about two hours and will quickly turn brown and then black.

Fill a bowl with chicos and milk, with sugar to taste. It might taste familiar. When the chicos are gone and you sip the sweet milk that remains, you may feel a distinct dj vous to a time, long ago, when you sipped the sweet leftover milk from a bowl of corn flakes.

Beans with Chicos

Serves 2

1 strip of bacon (optional, recommended), chopped1 tablespoon olive oil if skipping the bacon or if it's lean cup minced onions1 clove garlic, minced1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano or thyme cup chicos1 can of plain beans (pinto, white, black, kidney....) including the liquid1 can of water or stock1 teaspoon paprika or chile powder to tasteSalt, if the bacon doesn't add enough

Fry the bacon on medium heat. When half-crispy, about five minutes, add the onions, garlic and herbs. Fry until the onions become translucent. Add the chicos beans and water and stir together. Season with salt, if necessary. Heat to a simmer, stirring as necessary to prevent sticking. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Excerpt from:

Children of the Candy Corns | Chow | Bend - The Source Weekly

Whisky is not just for cold weather but it does make a certain kind of sense in the winter months. No other spirit can provide central heating like a good dram at the end of a chilly day. This month has seen a wave of new releases so theres plenty of whisky fun to be had as autumn turns into winter.

Scotlands only whisky made with 100% sustainable energy made quite an impact when it was released earlier this year. The industry newcomers first bottle of single malt fetched a record breaking 41,004 at a charity auction in August and early buzz saw the first general release sell out in just 24 hours. Luckily, you wont have to wait too long to find out what the fuss is all about as batch two is available to pre-order now for November delivery. At three-years-old the legal minimum for Scotch whisky this is a perfect demonstration of how good young whisky can be. Matured in a combination of ex-Bourbon barrels and rejuvenated red wine casks, its full of fresh fruit with plum, nectarine, and ginger snaps on the nose. Surprisingly textured for a young malt, it tastes brilliantly of almond butter, coconut, and Bellinis made with super-ripe peaches.

Unfiltered, uncut brilliance from one of Scotlands finest distilleries. Matured primarily in Sherry seasoned American oak, its a broad-shouldered dram packed with burnt orange, heather, nut brittle, cocktail bitters and sweet peat smoke. This is the sort of whisky you want to take your time with: Approach it slowly, add some water, add a little bit more water, and let the whole thing unfold. Makes an absolutely delicious, if incredibly strong, old fashioned. Superb value for money and a welcome addition to the Highland Park range.

This 20th anniversary release from category defining blenders Compass Box celebrates the brands first whisky. With the original Hedonism, industry veteran John Glaser demonstrated that with careful cask selection and blending grain whiskies usually destined to play second fiddle to malt in blends can show great character and depth. Bottled slightly stronger than the original, Felicitas is an elegant dram with wonderful maturity. Expect white chocolate, nougat, toasted brioche, and a little silver needle tea. This one is sold out online but youll probably still find a bottle if you ring round specialist retailers. Failing that, you can try the whisky that shook up the industry 20 years ago Hedonism is still a masterpiece, accessible but with hidden depths, all crme brle, popcorn, and finesse (57.90, Master of Malt).

One of the great cult whisky distilleries; beloved by fans for its intense smokiness, sweetness, and umami. Its divisive in the sense that some people will find the smell of an open bottle on the other side of the room overpowering and others will get the distillery logo tattooed on their bicep. The latest edition to the core range is youthful in the best possible way with thick peat smoke, white pepper, applejuice, and woody herbs. This kind of whisky was invented to fortify and boost morale on cold, Hebrideanevenings so its a perfect bottle to reach for as the temperature drops. Dont be afraid to add a glug of water to tame the wee beastie, itll get sweeter and reveal a fresh, spruce-y side with dilution.

One of the oldest distilleries in Speyside, Cardhu has produced a rich, fruity make since the 19th century. Even at cask strength this wonderful expression of the distillery character is sweet and inviting with lots of wildflower honey, strawberries, mandarins, limoncello, and milk chocolate. Adding a little water will add strcture, revealing oak spice and vanilla. The annual special releases from drinks giant Diageo offer a chance to try unusual expressions from its vast stable of distilleries. This Cardhu was a real standout of 2020, though if you like a little sea spray and smoke the 8yo Talisker finished in Carribean rum casks is also excellent.

This absolutely massive whisky from Highland heavyweight the Dalmore was previously only available at the distillery. However, Harrods is offering 100 bottles of this vintage single malt which has been finished in premiere cru Bordeaux barriques. Master distiller Richard the Nose Paterson is well known for his use of wine casks and this unusual expression of the Dalmore is a perfect example of his style. Maturation has leant the rich and citrussy spirit aromas of coffee bean, cherry, Grand Marnier, and leather-bound books imagine a nice old Cognac with the heft of a highland malt. You dont normally see Dalmore at cask strength (thats to say bottled without added water) and the extra power is much appreciated. Also available exclusively at Harrods is a 2006 Marsala finish, priced a little more modestly at 200 a bottle and a touch fresher than its older sibling, showing pineapple, grapefruit, and vanilla ice cream. Highly recommended.

Refined single malt from an undisclosed distillery on the island of Islay. Despite its advanced years, this is a fresh and elegant dram that tastes refreshingly of lemon peel, rock pools, smoked oysters, menthol, and ashes. Long aged Islay malts are always a real treat, especially those undimmed by too much oak influence. This is definitely one for fans of Caol Ila and Laphroaig, though its well worth a try if youre usually cautious about smoky malts. A 3cl sample is included in The Character of Islay whisky tasting set, which can be yours for just 29.99.

Originally posted here:

The best whiskies to try as the nights draw in - Spectator.co.uk

The Prohibition-era setting ofThe Great Gatsbybrings an appropriately illicit feel to this bold decision to stage an immersive theatre event in the age of Covid. Where, in 1922, champagne was the essential liquid to get any evening going, here its hand sanitiser fluid, before youre led hopefully wearing a suitably decadent facemask to a socially-distanced place in the speakeasy where the action will unfold.

In a bold opening, the script swoops straight from the novels beginning to its end, so that the narrator, Nick Carraway, flags up Gatsbys death before we meet him. Its one of the paradoxes of a work that shimmers with hedonism that essentially its a tragedy, and any adaptation has to whisk you to what Fitzgerald poignantly describes as the silver pepper of the stars before dropping you to earth with a bang.

The creative team, led by director Alexander Wright, conveys the rapid beat of the novels heart by introducing the characters with a lively music and dance number that makes the whole room shake. Its the right decision to lead with the impressionistic glitter of Fitzgeralds prose in Carraways opening monologue "Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future". But this dance sequence, dynamically choreographed by Holly Beasley-Garrigan, is the moment the production really takes off.

Fitzgerald portrays a society getting high on the fact that those who can attend parties have survived firstly the most devastating war then ever experienced by humanity, and secondly the Spanish flu. Nobody here wants realism they want to drug themselves on dreams and idealism and the result is both liberating and toxic for everyone involved.

Its no small indication of Gatsbys standing in the cultural imagination that those who have played him on film (there have been four adaptations) have included Robert Redford in the 1974 version scripted by Francis Ford Coppola, and, most recently, Leonardo DiCaprio. Any actor who plays him must simultaneously evoke his detachment from the glittering world that surrounds him and his charisma, and Craig Hamilton rises both sensitively and wittily to the challenge.

Daisy too played in the same adaptations by Mia Farrow and Carey Mulligan respectively needs, almost impossibly, to evoke a woman who is both loveable and utterly self-absorbed. Lucinda Turner manages to be as enchanting as the story demands by conveying how lost she is beneath the brittle glamour of the world she inhabits; a victim of others expectations as much as her own.

The counterpoint to their tragic love story is the affair between Daisys husband, Tom (played with appropriately testosterone-fuelled confidence by Dean Graham) and Myrtle Wilson (a vivacious, assertive MJ Lee - see below). In the book, Myrtle Wilson lives with the clapped-out car mechanic husband who still worships her; here George Wilson (Lucas Jones) becomes a cocktail bar pianist playing an exhausted accompaniment to her vibrant singing act.

There are inevitable shortcomings to this production, though whether you should criticise it for such shortcomings is questionable at this point in time. The transcendent euphoria of the party scene depicted here inevitably feels slightly stilted with everybody worrying about even breathing on a stranger. Yet somehow there is a joy and a spark. So much admittedly very good theatre since lockdown has been all too appropriately about caution and monologues. Its a true achievement to feel the chemistry of a cast whirring into action again.

Aside from the leading roles, James Lawrence as Nick Carraway delivers Fitzgeralds narrative with powerful poignancy, and as his lover Jordan Baker, Ivy Corbin is both sassy and compelling. Throughout the evening different sections of the audience are beckoned into side rooms to witness different threads of the story as they unravel. This is a generally effective device, though again you feel there would be a greater impact with greater numbers.

Such reservations aside, the evening is a warm and electric tribute to a book that never fails to astonish in its attempt to chronicle a generation trying to bury the mass tragedy of war with manic hedonism. We are enduring a lesser and different tragedy now, but that fundamental desire to connect with others gives us a sympathy with characters glittering and dancing as if their lives depended on it, even if that dance ultimately leads them to hell.

@Hallibee1

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The Great Gatsby, Immersive London review a warm and electric tribute to the book - The Arts Desk

Thursday's speaker lineup at the 2020 Inc. 5000 Vision Conference featured a celebrity chef and restaurateur, the host of a hitcooking show, and the founder of an innovative alternative-meatcompany.But the food business wasn't all that was on the menu. Read on for some of the biggest highlights from the virtual event.

1. David Chang, founder of restaurant group Momofuku Groupand entertainment group Majordomo Media, got personal during his session. Earlier this year, Chang published the memoir Eat aPeach,in which he discusses his childhood, the sacrifices he made working in the restaurant industry, and his struggles with mental illness. More than anything, he said, overcoming himself is the crux of his success.

2.Ted Allen, the host of Food Network'sChopped, sat down withInc.editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk for a behind-the-scenes look at how he prepares for on-camera appearances. Since most meetings and presentations now take place on Zoom, leaders should make sure they're speaking authentically totheir audiences, rather than simply reading to them, Allen said. His favorite trick? Memorize what you're going to say in advance, so that you can then "inhabit the words" and sound natural.

3.Beyond Meatfounder and CEOEthan Brown shared how aspiring entrepreneurscan find a world-changing idea and build it into a company. One good place to start, he said,is toreadbooks about companies you admire and problems you care about. Then to get others invested,Beyond Meat has used the concept of "altruistic hedonism," where you make doing good feel inspiring--for example,forgoing traditional hamburgers in order to save the planet.Another secret to cultivating a paradigm-shifting mindset? Don't be distracted. If you train your mind to focus on big problems, you can see them as connected and create a product like plant-based meat, which tackles theissuesof animal welfare, climate change, resource use, and human health all at once.

4. Alli Webb, co-founder of the $100 million salon chain Drybar and massage chain Squeeze, offered some very simple advice for entrepreneurs: Talk to as many people as you can. Webb explained that she was able to fine-tune her business idea prior to launching bysharing it with anyone who would listen.The key to knowing the difference between a bad idea and one worth pursuing, she added, comes down to feedback from trusted peers:"Don't ever surround yourself with people who will tell you just what you want to hear."

5.Inc.andFast CompanyCEO Eric Schurenberg moderated a wide-ranging discussion about the future of the internet with Nicholas Negroponte, the co-founder and chairman emeritus of the MIT Media Lab, and Chris DeWolfe, the co-founder of social networking site Myspace and co-founder and CEO of video game developer Jam City. The speakers shared anecdotes from their careers in technology, talked about the current state of social media and the digital divide, and gave advice for business leaders who want to foster creativity among their employees. They all stressed theimportance of building diverse teams and encouragingpeople to share ideas without judgment. "What you have to do is take the risk out of making mistakes," Negroponte said. "You've got to be in an environment that is very welcoming."

6.Jim Nantz has seen the myriad connections between the sports and business worlds firsthand. In particular, the longtime CBS sportscaster identified one common thread: While many successful athletes and business owners love to win, the truly great ones hate to lose even more. "They are absolutely driven not to fail," he said, noting that some even get hyper-competitive over one-dollar bets. Nantz himself has also been at the center of many high-pressure moments over the past few decades, and offered some advice for fast-moving entrepreneurs: "I realized a long time ago that we're going to make mistakes, because we're human. It used to eat me alive. And then, I realized we just have to give ourselves a break ... Don't let it bog you down."

Free Main Stage passes are now available for the Inc. 5000 Vision Conference. Clickhereto claim yours.

Continue reading here:

Inc. 5000 Vision Conference: Legends of the Food World - Inc.com

The establishment of the United States was strongly based on biblical teachings and moral values. The leaders of the revolution were God-fearing men. Many of the signers of the constitution studied in religious colleges and often were ordained ministers. Congress opened with a prayer at each session.

When congress first moved into the capital building, it authorized the building to be used for church services. By 1867 2000 people a week met for religious services. From the inception of our nation there was no separation of church and state, rather there was a direct connection between Gods teaching and our Constitutional Republic, even our currency says in God we trust.

The founders were paranoid about the establishment of a national religion similar to what happened in England. The individuals freedom of choice is supposed to be encouraged not only in our free market economy but practiced in our religious choices according to the citizens conscience. There was no indication of these wise men excluding or being intolerant of any religion in the public square.

The mistreatment of Amy Coney Barrett by Senator Diane Feinstein during the 2017 Appeals Court nomination was disgraceful. After questioning Judge Barrett, the senator made the appraisal that, the dogma speaks loudly within you, and thats the concern. This was an insinuation that Barretts Catholic moral religious attitudes would corrupt her legal judgments and decisions. If this became a litmus test for perspective judges, it would mean anyone with a strong belief in God would call into question their suitability as an impartial judge. The more intense the faith in God of the candidate, the less likely the individual would be able to be approved.

In other words, an individuals strong belief in God would disqualify them from being a judge. In the long run this would result in judges chosen for their lack of faith in God. People who do not believe in God, atheists, would become the chosen people becoming the backbone of our judicial system.

Our jurisprudence affects all our other institutions, which would tilt us toward establishing a national religion: atheism. Our forefathers were clear they did not want a national religion. Rather they wanted freedom of choice for citizens to practice their faith in any way they would like. Separation of church and state is not stated in the constitution. The intent of these wise men was to protect religion from government domination while not excluding and separating religion from citizens but including it in everyones life.

Over the past three decades the free expression of our religious choices have been stolen from us.

Daily prayer and Bible reading, were eliminated in the 1960s in public schools, removed from graduation ceremonies in 1992 and prayer before football games in 2000. During the Coronavirus churches were claimed to be non-essential, forced to close while car dealer ships and casinos were open. Students in public schools and higher education have been indoctrinated that believing in God is an antiquated concept that is used to oppress and enslave people. Faith in God and religious conscience inhibits people from being free to do what they want at any particular moment. Living for the moment leads us from the supreme beings teaching towards hedonism and atheism.

In most if not all nations that transformed into a communist one went through a period of over secularization. Religious beliefs of the people who believed in God were ridiculed, demeaned and cancelled in modern time. The belief in god was weakened and eventually disappeared from public acceptability or went underground. Overwhelming secularization ends in a communist or authoritarian takeover.

The United States has seen a drastic movement away from God in lower church attendance. We have become a self-absorbed nation concerned about materialistic upgrading and less and less about spiritual growth. We are mostly a secular nation with little time to devote to our relationship with God.

America is ready for a great religious awakening or we will continue to go down the path of a utopian pipe dream. This path ends in centrally controlled all powerful government in all aspects of the peoples lives. There will be no opportunity to practice ones beliefs only following the directives of the all-powerful government. There will be no freedom of choice to practice your own religious conscience.

The choice is ours. We should turn towards God for our salvation or we will surrender all our freedoms and the worlds hope for freedom to an atheistic world of evil and hopelessness. The political signs are staring us in the eye. Either we return to God or we will be slaves to an evil, atheistic government.

Domenick Maglio, PhD. is a columnist carried by various newspapers, an author of several books and owner/director of Wider Horizons School, a college prep program. Dr. Maglio is an author of weekly newspaper articles, INVASION WITHIN and a recent book entitled, IN CHARGE PARENTING In a PC World. You can see many of Dr. Maglios articles at http://www.drmaglioblogspot.com.

Read more from the original source:

The US appears to be establishing a national religion: Atheism - Hernando Sun

Photo: Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for Wild Turkey

Did you know that Matthew McConaughey made up the McConaissance? Indeed, he coined, and created the term, and fed it to an MTV reporter at a 2013 Sundance interview for Mud. It was a deliberate part of his rebrand from rom-com McConaughey the leading man in films like The Wedding Planner and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, which brought him fame and fortune in the aughts to a serious dramatic actor. But he needed a campaign slogan, an anthem, a bumper sticker to brand the pivot, and he knew it couldnt come from him. So when the interviewer congratulated him for his recent work on Killer Joe and Magic Mike, he said: Thank you, yeah, Im on a great ride, I actually did an interview the other day and the journalist called it a McConaissance. Brilliant the McConaissance! The reporter gushed, That may stick.

The story, which hes never shared until now, is literally a footnote in Greenlights, his memoir, out this week. Reading it, you come across many of these anecdotes, which smell just slightly of bullshit but not enough to distract from the charm of the storyteller behind them. In fact, thats a good way to describe Greenlights, a book that will be sold as a celebrity memoir, but whose tales are so tall it reads more like a book of folk tales for grown-ups.

Consider the heros wet-dream adventures. The first was in 96, when he had a vivid, ejaculatory nightmare in which he was floating down the Amazon River, his body wrapped in various dangerous reptiles. He followed the dream to Peru and floated naked down the Amazon, where he caught the wave of a mermaids tale as she headed downriver. He waved back. When the same wet dream came years later, he spied African tribesmen on the banks, and followed the vision to Mali. There, he took on a local giant in a wrestling match as the rest of the village cheered them on. He claims, at various points, to have done peyote in a cage with a mountain lion, watched his father resurrect a drowned bird with mouth-to-mouth, and built a 13-story treehouse out of stolen wood. (He no longer has prophetic wet dreams, but the mountain lion, he says, ended up in his lap, purring while he scratched it under the chin. It was not a baby.)

Greenlights seems a natural title for a book by a man whos spent much of his life on the road. Behind the steering wheel has always been my favorite seat, and driving the highways of America has always been my ideal office, he writes. And indeed, McConaughey spent years taking meetings in his car, which he used to drag around the 28-foot airstream in which he lived after becoming famous. The book is scattered with poems and journal entries from the last 36 years of the actors life, many of them musings on American life, God, and class. Theyre collected under his own philosophical framework, something he calls catching Greenlights. He uses traffic lights as a sort of extended metaphor for living a well-examined life: What good can we find when were forced to stop? Whats the advantage of slowing down? How can we get better at catching green lights, and otherwise navigating the autobahn of life?

Now, at 50, McConaughey is sharing that philosophy on a virtual book tour (he is so far enjoying the Zoomies, as he calls them). Before starting ours, he gets up to grab a cup of tea its one of two silent stretches in the conversation and he fills it with whistling; in the other, he sings a nonsense ditty, doo-doo, da-doo, doo-doo, da-doo. Today, hes wearing glasses with transparent frames that obscure his eyes a little, but theyre picked up by the light-blue button-up hes wearing. The stubble along his jaw, which he rubs when hes searching for words, is salt-and-pepper, but his hair, which is wet, longish, and tucked behind his ears, is dark. As his author blurb notes, hes grown more of it at age fifty than he had at thirty-five, and I recall a story from Greenlights in which he shaved his head to combat hair loss and get in character for a role. When People published a photo of his rashy, chalk-white, freshly shaved nugget, he almost lost the movie. But he oiled and tanned the nugget for a week, and showed up to an industry party in a Gucci suit, looking, I presume, like this. He kept the job.

When he dimples, I recognize the rom-com-era McConaughey, the one I saw most growing up, but otherwise his air is distinctly professorial, a demeanor underscored by how frequently he falls into philosophizing. This is helpful, though, when I admit how nervous I am: You just did the best thing to this day I do the same on set. Its something I learned when I did the film A Time to Kill. There was a great defense attorney, last name Spence, and before every final summation, hed get so nervous, and couldnt quell it. Youve gotta learn to sit there right before and go: Sheesh! Im nervous! he hollers this, leaning back in his chair and pretending to wipe sweaty palms on his shirt. It kind of pops the bubble and all of a sudden, you relax.

Right now, hes at home in Austin with his three kids, wife, and 88-year-old mother. Theyve been doing puzzles, and every night the family goes outside to look for shooting stars. Its a way, McConaughey says, to replace the catharsis of church, where he usually likes to have a good cry. You look up in the sky and you go, Oh, I dont really matter. And in the I dont matter is when you realize everything matters.

Hes been relatively pretty good in quarantine. He likes to be alone, he says, sometimes too much, and recently spent several solitary months in the desert to write Greenlights, so the transition to lockdown was smooth. Hes spent more time counseling others, he explains, about how to make the best of the situation: What assets can we find? How do we get to know ourselves better? And when we come out of it, how can we find the courage to take what weve learned back into everyday life, when were out there dancing again? Its the language of catching Greenlights, but it works rather well in These Times.

Photo: Crown Publishing Group

Greenlights was written partially as a corrective McConaughey is so convincing in his roles, hes often accused of playing himself. Hes learned to take this as a compliment, explaining that all of his characters have a little bit of him in themhes simply their humble vessel, the guy who cranks up the hedonism here, or pulls down the piety there. But even as he describes Greenlights as an effort to publicly separate his identity from his work, he speaks about his real life in terms of a role: The character that Im playing at this location, which happens to be our home, is papa, (what his kids call him) who wrote the book Greenlights. And now Im going out and sharing it with people.

Maybe its deliberate, this description; letting his life bleed into his art, and vice versa, magnifies his larger-than-life-ness. Its a theme in the book, but more specifically his acting career. Take the circumstances of landing his first role as the endearing dirtbag Wooderson in Dazed and Confused. He met and charmed casting director Don Phillips at the Hyatt bar in Austin, which he couldnt afford but his friend, the bartender, gave him free drinks. Or, consider the regiment he tried to impose on himself while preparing to play dragon slayer Denton Van Zan in Reign of Fire, which involved the following: a double shot of tequila when he rose at sunrise, five barefoot miles run across the West Texas desert, and tackling sleeping bulls in a nearby ranch, naked. (The ranch was named locas pelotas, crazy balls, after he was caught doing this.) None of it is impossible, but reading it you cant help but wonder, what is fact, what is fiction, or if McConaughey really is just that unbelievable a word he happens to hate on a visceral and etymological level.

These anecdotes of how he prepared for roles or finagled his way into jobs through a combination of talent and charisma are the closest thing we get in Greenlights to gossip. He barely names any other stars, glossing over the 18-month hedonism tour he embarked on while living at the Chateau Marmont, a time that coincided with what he later describes as the bubbly mendacities of his rom-com emasculation.

Instead, theres a section in Greenlights that feels more revelatory than any dishy Hollywood anecdote. Its actually dropped right there in the intro, a two-page list that is markedly different from the rest of the book, and serves as a snapshot of McConaugheys life. These stories seem so far afield from his tall-tale-spinning, easygoing stoner persona that theyre startling to read, and they appear in a form that suggests he hasnt quite figured out how it all fits together either.

Some parts of the list he expands on later in the book, such as the tumult of being the child of twice divorced and thrice married parents. But there are also two disclosures which, like much of what he wrote about in the diaries that became Greenlights, he hasnt spoken about publicly, or even privately. The first: I was blackmailed into having sex for the first time when I was fifteen. I was certain I was going to hell for the premarital sex. Today, I am merely certain that I hope thats not the case. The second: I was molested by a man when I was eighteen while knocked unconscious in the back of a van.

Its all he says about either incident in the book, and beyond telling me its a fact, one Ive never shared, he doesnt really say why he included it in the introduction. He does, however, share the details of the events and how they made him feel, describing how sad he was he lost his virginity in such a bad situation: There wasnt anything pretty about it. There wasnt anything beautiful about it. I wasnt nervous for the right reasons. He notes that the molestation ended before it could have been something that may have really scarred me. He insists, without being asked, that neither experience affected him long term, that he never needed or pursued help afterward, and describes how he instead processed the events rearranged his thoughts so that he wasnt shaped by them. When I thank him for addressing it, noting that its rare for men in Hollywood to discuss experiences of assault, he sort of gives a deep breath and nods. Good. Yeah. Even just talking with you right then. It was enjoyable to talk about that in that way.

McConaughey considers himself a storyteller by occupation, and with Greenlights, seems to have fully made that turn. Hes written a couple of scripts. The one he wants to direct is about a young Black boy, the greatest fisherman the world never knew, named Curtis Mylove. His name is Curtis Mylove, because when his grandmother sees him, she says theres Curtis, my love here he holds his hands up, cupping an invisible face. He tellsthe story, using sound effects and phantom fish poles, and for a moment, Matthew McConaughey, the actor, is there. Anyways, I get excited when I talk about it, he says a little bashfully at the end, shaking his hands about his head like hes swatting gnats away. He calls the story magic realism a genre that peppers the mundane with the surreal, and is most effective when the audience cant quite tell what is fact and what is fantasy. Its a good metaphor for Greenlights, and perhaps his life.

Would he ever play himself? Pause. And then, loudly: The movie Im trying most to play myself in is this one were all in! L-I-F-E. Ideally directed by God, recorded by the hands of time. Thats the movie, you know what I mean?

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The Mythmaking of Matthew McConaughey - The Cut

There is no gainsaying the fact that there is general dystopia in the land. Those who choose not to agree do so either due to party loyalty, blind following, or for other atavistic reasons. I doubt if any mortals on Nigerias soil today sincerely believe things are in order. If at all there are, they are probably afflicted with an exceptional case of fossilized thought and blurred sight which conditions the eyes to see black as white, mirage as water and Hell as Paradise. So to engage them in a debate is absolutely unnecessaryit is a waste of time.

Nigeria in the last two weeks witnessed and witnesses an unprecedented protest (as it is ongoing). It started peacefully with ENDSARS as its hashtag. It was overwhelmingly supported by opinion leaders in the country especially in the South. SARS and Nigerian police are common enemies of Nigerians as they are, to many Nigerians, synonymous with bribery and corruption; harassment and brutality; extortion and criminality. It is so devastating that many Nigerians are not comfortable with the fact that there are responsible and God-fearing policemen because of the embedded enmity they nurse towards the uniformed men. The fact remains that there are good ones among them. Our rejection of this fact will not change it.

Be that as it may, the protest was launched. It was unprecedented, in times length; it is already two weeks and it is still counting. The dynamics and forms of the protest reveal that it was not just against SARS and police brutality. It was against unemployment, insecurity, bad government, poor governance, nepotism, poor standard of living, ubiquitous grinding poverty, banditry, kidnapping, travesty of Justice, subversion of the rule of law and what is more, absolute disregard for Nigerians humanity.

To stage a protest against all the aforementioned is a noble coursedemocratically speaking. It is instrumental in drawing the governments attention to general discontent. It is also to alert the government that the masses are aware of its well choreographed attempt to make life difficult for them just to satisfy its hedonism.

Protest is not alien to democracy; it is part of it. But contextualizing protest within Nigerias democratic milieu leaves one to wonder if its benefits override its harms or the other way round. I must submit, though uncomfortably, that Nigerias democracy is not ripe enough to tolerate this long protest. In other words, protest has not been embedded, rooted, and institutionalized in our democracy. The government does not have the mien of a democracy that tolerates protest. Examples are not far fetched. If that of 2012 and those before it are distant, the recent one of ENDSARS/ENDSWAT is still ongoing. It started nobly and peacefully. It set the government on its toes. The writings of the protesters on the governments wall seem to be very clear, even to the government. Hence, it aptly responded to the deafening noise by disbanding SARS.

But for loss of trust or lack of it, the disbandment of SARS which ordinarily should be interpreted positively and get the protesters off the streets only exacerbates the protest. Now thugs have hijacked it, and of course, that is natural in Nigeria. The undue length of the protest has already birthed many conspiratorial explanations. The protest has come to be seen as being pregnant with different meanings: Protesters are sponsored! It is a deliberate attempt to bring down the government! It is to culminate in revolution! The leader of all democrats (Asiwaju) was even fingered to be the inciter. Though he denied it. The ruling party (APC) was also accused of sponsoring thugs to destabilize the protest, incite mayhem, and justify the deployment of military to save its face. The argument on thuggery was correspondingly turned against the opposition party (PDP). They were also said to be the brain behind thugs deployment to knock the final nail in the coffin of the lackluster government of APC.

In as much as it is difficult to determine which of the conspiratorial explanations has or lacks merit, what is certain is that the protest has degenerated into chaos. Not only that, it has taken an international dimension; and the world is watching. A few states have already declared 24 hours curfew. Others may follow suit as the protest remains unabating. The Presidents loud muteness is un-presidentially shocking and shockingly un-presidential. Nigerians need to be convinced that the President is on top of the situation. The President has toSoro Soke: he has to speak loud to Nigerians. He has to address them. He has to stop reading from script.

Puzzlingly, protesters refuse to leave the streets; no identifiable protest leader(s)at least for now to dialogue with; the economy is bleeding; it is unwise to deploy naked or brute force; the foundation of the government is shaking as it is gradually losing legitimacy; and worst still, the protest has taken a global dimension in which world leaders and communities are already spectators. Definitely, the government is in confusion. But it must act. The problem is when and how to act. The government has found itself on a precarious tight rope. Yet its antecedents show it has not learnt how to walk a tightrope. Very unfortunate!

It is true that a perpetual strike of this nature will detonate the thugs. It has indeed just done that. And that is the fear. But mind you, thugs will not hijack protest if they had nothing to gain. Somebody must bankroll them. Let us assume we do not know their sponsors; can we also feign ignorance of those who deployed military men to unleash life bullets on Lekki peaceful protesters? About seven are dead; many with different degrees of sustained injury. Their protest is legendary in terms of peaceful conduct and sophisticated organization. All necessary mechanisms are put in place to ensure it is not vulnerable to hijack. And to that extent, it was successful.

So who detonated the military against Lekki peaceful protesters? Why not against thugs? Why is Nigerian military unable to extinguish the raging fire kindled by bandits in Katsina and other northern states? A point should be made clear here: those who accuse the President of jingoism and nepotism might not be always right; though they may not be wrong either. The Presidents case is that of sheer incompetency. For how do you explain the Katsina situation? Are the indigenes of Katsina Igbos, Tivs, Junkuns, Nupes or Yoruba? Are they not Hausa or Fulani anymore? So, why are they allowed to suffer this much? Perhaps the Presidents jingoism and nepotism is limited to his family and those he knows. That will be a compounded one. Thus, the Presidents problem is more of incompetency than nepotism. A communique issued by the Katsina State chapter of the Coalition of Northern Groups on Saturday states among others that [The] general consensus is that by any standard of judgment, the administration of President Buhari has failed the nation and in particular Katsina State in the vital area of improving the citizens lives and property

While we try to appeal to the protesters, Lekkis shooting has added salt to the injury. Oh God! Your intervention! Rescue Nigerias State from destruction, chaos, and war. Guide our leaders and the masses. We need your direction. Our affairs are in a limbo and in shambles. So help us God.

*** Abdulkadir Salaudeen is atsalahuddeenabdulkadir@gmail.com/ @salahuddeenAbd

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OPINION: PERPETUAL STRIKE DETONATES THE THUGS AND DESTROYS THE STATE - thewillnigeria