Category Archives: Hedonism

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The Westboro Baptist Church protested Warped Tour last week, but its the bands whogot the last laugh. A bunch of musicians crashed the protest, trolling the religious group with man-on-man makeout sessions and Fk the Westboro Baptist Church shirts.

The Westboro Baptist Church hasbecome infamous for itsprotests and hateful signs and the Vans Warped Tour protest is hardly the first time theyve gone after rock music. In fact, theyll be protesting Green Days Kansas City show on Aug. 11, so make sure to say, Hi, to the group.

The Warped protest was announced with this press release:

Our young generation believes they can make a game of sin and mock God but suffer no consequences. The modern lifestyle of decadent hedonism leads to eternal misery as the wages of sin are death. The youth of this doomed nation set up these rock stars like golden idols of old that God warned us about. These musicians and celebrities are not worthy of worship and adulation. They have no power to save your soul from eternal hellfire. Instead of learning the lyrics and chords to these songs, focus on learning what the Lord requires of you.

Blackcraft Spirits printed out the Fk the Westboro Baptist Church shirts and handed them out to bands:

Some excellent trolling came courtesy of I Prevail, Creeper, Stick to Your Guns and many others:

Warped Tour 2017 is wrapping up this years summer dates with three more shows in California. For the remaining stops, click here.

2017 Hard Rock + Metal Festival Guide

10 Greatest Hard Rock + Metal Protest Anthems

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10 Breakout Bands to Catch at Warped Tour 2017

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Westboro Baptist Church Protests Warped Tour, Bands Get the Last Laugh - Loudwire

Author Donn Raffat has written a compelling novel that follows the collective story of five individuals whose lives unexpectedly intertwine in Cowpet Bay.

PHOENIX (PRWEB) July 31, 2017

Author Donn Raffat has published his most recent literary publication, "Hedonism - A Novel." Raffat received critical praise for previous works including reviews in The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, The New Yorker, The Times Literary Supplement, and Publishers Weekly.

His latest novel examines the notion of hedonism as viewed and experienced by five characters three men and two women whose interaction leads to major changes.

A Wall Street banker, his young mistress, an aspiring academic, a retired professor of literature, a German graduate student of philosophy, and a local waitress all find their lives intertwined in a way none expected. As their collective story unfolds, the events are viewed sequentially from the standpoint of each, revealing their impact not only on each other but also, ultimately, on the whole Cowpet Bay community in St. Thomas.

"All of my novels deal with periods of transition. The characters are unprepared for it, however the readers know more about the transition than the characters do at first," said Raffat. "The same applies to Hedonism' as the characters are trying to determine what constitutes a good life."

To learn more about Raffat's novels, please visit http://www.draffat.com.

"Hedonism A Novel" By Donn Raffat ISBN: 978-1-4990-2200-1 (Hard Cover), 978-1-4990-2200-1 (Soft Cover), 978-1-4990-2199-8 (eBook) Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the Xlibris Bookstore

About the author Donn Raffat has published seven books with one completed and another in progress. Much of Raffat's writing has been inspired by his experience and travel to various parts of the world and time living in several different countries. In addition to his novels, Raffat has also written reviews for publications such as The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The Nation. He received a B.A. from Harvard, a doctorate from Michigan and was a visiting scholar at Cambridge.

For Review Copies & General Inquiries Contact: LAVIDGE Phoenix Lauren Dickerson ldickerson(at)lavidge(dot)com 480-998-2600

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/07/prweb14556179.htm

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New Literary Novel Explores Philosophy of Hedonism | Benzinga - Benzinga

Four decades ago, writer Cyra McFadden perfectly captured the aura of self-absorbed entitlement that envelops Marin County, on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Her 1976 satirical novel, The Serial: A Year in the Life of Marin County, was, columnist George Will wrote at the time, a Baedeker guide to a desolate region, the monochromatic inner landscape of persons whose life is consumption, of goods and salvations, and whose moral makeup is the curious modern combination of hedonism and earnestness.

A constant tenet of Marin Countys guiding ethos is resistance to growth, manifesting itself in a kind of environmental apartheid. Under the guise of preserving a serene environment, Marin Countys residents and politicians use every means possible to avoid building new housing that would allow more population growth, particularly low- or moderate-income dwellings.

Theyve been remarkably successful. Between 1969 and 2015, while Californias population was doubling, Marin Countys grew by just 28.4 percent.

About a year after McFaddens book was published, the countys resistance to growth backfired. It had refused to develop new water supplies, believing that it would throttle housing development, but when a severe drought struck, it faced the prospect of having almost no water for lush landscaping, hot tubs and other necessities of Marin life.

The emergency solution was to lay a temporary pipeline across the bridge that separates Marin County from Richmond, an industrial community that was and is home to many of the lower-wage workers who provide Marin Countys services.

Neither the drought nor the irony of the pipeline, however, curbed Marins almost cult-like fervor to wall itself off. Housing proposals continued to draw fierce opposition in the name of environmental protection, of course.

When Californias housing shortfall became acute and the state government started getting serious about the housing quotas it had been assigning to communities, Marin Countys assemblyman, Democrat Marc Levine, carried a 2014 bill to exempt it from quotas until 2023, arguing that Marin needed more time to get it right.

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However, without waiting for a scheduled report on the countys progress on meeting its housing quotas, Levine persuaded legislative leaders last month to insert into a budget trailer bill (Senate Bill 106) a brief passage that extends Marin Countys exemption from quotas for an additional five years, until 2028.

By being attached to a trailer bill that contained many other provisions, rather than offered as a stand-alone policy matter, the Marin exemption stood a much better chance and is one of many examples of how trailer bills are blatantly misused.

The special treatment for Marin drew sharp criticism from housing advocates, particularly those seeking more shelter for low- and moderate-income families.

Levine argued anew that Marin doesnt want to duck its housing responsibilities, and just needs more time to do it in a way that doesnt damage the countys sensibilities.

Republicans were also critical. They (Marin residents) love their lifestyles but dont bother us with the low-income housing, Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Gerber, said during a brief hearing.

But Democrats who posture as fierce advocates for more housing, even those carrying high-profile housing bills, such as Sens. Toni Atkins and Jim Beall, voted for it and Gov. Jerry Brown signed it.

For at least another decade, therefore, Marins residents can smugly assume that their bucolic lifestyles will not be marred by having more neighbors who dont make as much money and, you know, just dont fit in.

CALmatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary

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Marin County gets another smug reprieve from housing quotas - Daily Democrat

A TROUPE of Naked News presenters got starkers to play an X-rated whipped cream game.

Eila Adams, Kat Curtis and Carli Bei enjoyed a few rounds of the tense childrens game Pieface, where players take turns facing a hand filled with cream before it eventually splats them.

The scantily clad presenters also sprayed whipped cream directly into their mouths and grinned for the camera.

Naked News started in 1999 as an English speaking show and now has one based in Japan too.

NAKED NEWS

We've rounded up the sexiest pictures of busty babe Lindsey Pelas.

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Lindsey Pelas flashes 32DDD assets in jaw-dropping lingerie snaps

It was reported to be attracting more than six million viewers at its height.

The channels Twitter page has more than 60,000 followers with current anchors are including Whitney St-John, Isabella Rossini and Elise Laurenne.

Naked News airs six days a week, with 25-minute bulletins showing the women carrying out interviews and presenting the big news stories of the day completely starkers.

Last month, Carli Bei went completely nude to interview a group of swingers.

As part of the feature, couples at the Hedonism II nudist resort in Negril spoke on camera about how they got into swinging and embarrassing moments theyve had.

NAKED NEWS

Celebs intimate shower shot spread across social media.

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Sexy celebs strip off to get wet and wild in the shower

Another segment which caused a stir last month showed a presenter interviewing gobsmacked members of the public in a local park.

New Naked News presenter Shannon Blake was given the challenge of quizzing the public in a park in Toronto, Canada.

She asked them about their food preferences, while they tried not to be distracted by her lack of clothes.

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STUNNING Naked News presenters covered in cream in very raunchy topless game - Daily Star

Londoners have strong opinions on visitors to the capital, but what do they make of us and our city? Isabelle Aron finds out. Portraits Andy Parsons

Tourists have a bit of a bad rep in this city. But for all the (selfie) stick we give them, theyre a huge part of London life. Want to know why Covent Gardens so damn busy? Because 19.88 million people from overseas came to London in 2016, making it the second most visited city in the world. (Bangkok scooped the top spot, but it does have tropical beaches nearby.)

People have long flocked to London for its hedonism, shopping and culture. (In 1900, the Charing Cross Turkish Baths complete with a chiropodist was a hotspot for visitors.) Tourists are as much a part of the city as locals.

We weary Londoners take so much of our brilliant city for granted. We try desperately to avoid tourist traps and barely bat an eyelid at the views as we rush along the South Bank. But tourists see things with fresh eyes, appreciating all the stuff we forget to. They celebrate the things that give London its identity from Beefeaters and double-decker buses to amazing parks and free museums. Plus, they bring a huge amount of cash into the capital (11.9 billion last year, to be exact).

So forget the stereotypes about escalator etiquette and giant rucksacks on the tube weve spent years having our say about tourists. Now its time to turn the tables. We headed to Londons biggest landmarks to find out what tourists had to sayabout us and our city.

Perhaps most surprisingly, none of them seemed tothink that Londoners were rude, although maybe they were just being polite. Either way,speaking to visitors highlighted how lucky we are to live in such a vibrant city. Tourists clearly have a lot of love for London so its timewe started showing them some back. Even when theyre standing on the wrong sideof the escalator

Is London how you expected it to be?

Im from New York, so I have high standards for cities and Im like, Wow! Im really impressed with London.

Got any big plans while youre here?

Were going to Sketch tonight I think thats a must-do. I want to check out the bars in east London because the vibe is like Brooklyn.

Have you found Londoners rude?

Its hard to top the rudeness of New Yorkers.

What about our public transport? Does it measure up to New Yorks?

We took the subway. I was surprised by how narrow the cars are. I figured it would be a bigger, er, tube.

How does London compare with Buenos Aires?

London is less crowded, much less noisy. Weve walked around the sights like St Pauls Cathedral and it seems quiet to us.

Is the city what you expected?

I was expecting more big buildings, very tall buildings, more office buildings. Instead, all the buildings are very low.

Have you seen the Shard? Thats about as tall as our buildings get.

I thought it was going to be taller.

What did you think a stereotypical Londoner was like before you came here?

I used to think Londoners were very closed people, lacking emotion you know, like in Downton Abbey? But when we came here I saw that Londoners like to laugh at themselves. For example, in Trafalgar Square, among the buildings in classic style, we saw the [David Shrigley] thumbs-up sculpture. Its very interesting.

Has London lived up to your expectations?

I think its been better. We cant believe all the museums are free its wonderful. Weve been to the National Gallery three times and wed like to go again.

Have you noticed anything weird here?

The food. Your beans taste sweet to me. In Brazil, beans are one of my favourite lunch dishes, but ours our salty. And there are the same restaurants and chains everywhere Costa, Nero, Starbucks, Pret its weird.

Have you tried fish and chips?

Yes. I love fish and chips but I dont like pie. I dont like that brown sauce.

Gravy?

Yes. Its disgusting.

What have you done so far?

We did the Emirates Air Line and we walked through the O2 Arena. They had some nice restaurants there.

Did you enjoy the Emirates Air Line? Its something Londoners never really do...

Yeah, it was a nice ride.

Youve just eaten at Angus Steakhouse. How was it?

The food was okay. I came here ten years ago after my sister got married. It was better then. Its very salty. Its not like that in Sweden. Our meat is much better.

What have you got planned for your trip?

Weve come to see the Meatloaf musical Im a big fan.

Any surprises here?

The telephone boxes. We got rid of them 20 years ago in Swedenwhen we got mobile phones. We also went on one of those bicycle cab things.

A rickshaw?

Yes. I think its probably a bit dangerous.

Youve just been to Buckingham Palace. Did you enjoy it?

Its smaller than I expected. Its actually a bit underwhelming.

Did you have any ideas of stereotypical Londoners before you came?

I thought: stiff upper lip, prim and proper. Actually, Londoners are warm and friendly.

What do you think of our public transport?

Amazing. In South Africa, our buses are normally stuck on the side of the road not working, and its too dangerous to catch trains. Here its safe to walk around at half-three in the morning.

Found anything a bit odd?

Your self-service tills. You have to put the money in and do it yourself I dont think well ever have that in South Africa, people will fight it.

Inspired to go exploring? Check out Londons top attractions.

Isabelle is deputy features editor at Time Out London. She has a hate-hate relationship with the Northern Line. Follow her on Twitter at @izzyaron

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What do tourists really think of London? We asked them... - Time Out London (blog)

Manbeena Sandhu

Pradip Rodrigues

It is unlikely Chandigarh featured prominently on the radar of hippies traveling through India in the 60s and 70s, but Manbeena Bhullar Sandhu who grew up there was fascinated enough to go seek them out and learn more about their colorful lifestyle.

She lived a conventional life but always held a deep fascination for the hippie lifestyle as an outsider.

In 2002, she moved to Canada bag and baggage and along with it also a novel in her mind which she published recently. Layla in the Sky with Diamonds centers around a troubled and peace-seeking Layla, a American flower child of the 60s traveling to India with two children, one white and the other brown and battling her demons. She is seeking out her drug baron friend who will ply her with cocaine.

The book published by Archway Publishing from Simon and Schuster and is available at Chapters bookstores as well as online.

Manbeena has written the book based on the numerous conversations she had over the years talking to flower children in San Franscisco, Goa, Pune where hippies from all over the world converged to celebrate their counter-cultural lifestyle.

I was a spiritual rebel and although I didnt live in those times, I was curious and fascinated by their rebelliousness, their passionate freedom and rejection of materialism. They were seeking to create a utopian paradise on earth, she says.

She listened to their stories of hedonism, their drug-centered lifestyles and the heartbreak when they were confronted by the reality of life. So many of them suffered because of drug abuse which led them to turn away spiritually, says Manbeena.

This compelling story line of Layla in the Sky with Diamonds weaves 1960s and 70s style hedonism, Indian culture, drugs, family, devastation, passion, spirituality, and endearing characters into an engaging tale.

In an interview with Can-India, Manbeena Bhullar Sandhu who lives with her husband, son (14) and daughter (7) in Oakville talks about her journey.

Did you ever think growing up you would write a novel? Yes, I was certain that I would be writing a novel one day. The feeling was ingrained inside me. I had a flair and a knack for writing from the very beginning, and the story developed inside my mind, over the years. It was just a matter of when I would be writing, not if.

Is this a one-off thing since you have been so inspired by the subject or do you think you will write more? Of course, this book is very special to me. But I will be writing more. Though I am too occupied with my current book at the moment to start working on the next one. But it is comingAnd the second one will be special too; as it is impossible for me to write about something that has not stirred my soul.

What role did your family play and how did you carve out space to think and write when you have children? Yes, my family played a very important role in the creation of this book. I received a lot of encouragement from my mother and my husband. Though my mother lives in India, she constantly reminded me of the writer inside me over the years, even when I was busy with my life duties and had put writing on the back burner- something I would do one day. If it was not for her gentle nudges and reminders, I could have just procrastinated.

As for my husband; this book would still be on my to-do list if it was not for all the help, encouragement, freedom and time he provided me with by taking over all my duties and obligations and looked after the children, while I wrote 24/7 and the world ceased to exist around me. The credit for the creation of this book goes to him just as much as it goes to me. I believe that the help and encouragement from family is a must to accomplish any important and creative task, especially being this country where each one of us has many duties and obligations which we need to fit in out 24-hour day window.

How did you meet all those fascinating hippies? During my late teens and early 20s my interest in spiritualism peeked and I read many philosophers, spiritual masters and new age thinkers. In my own spiritual search, I ran into these flower children turned spiritual seekers, whom I befriended, though they were a couple of decades older than me. Over the years our friendship developed. I listened to their stories and tales with awe and wonder and decided to capture them in my book one day, of course in a fictional form and setting. They had similar stories and similar tales, which sounded very fascinating. Their stories helped me gain an insight into their lives in Goa, Kathmandu, San Francisco or elsewhere.

I had joined the Osho movement in 1993 which also helped me meet people from various backgrounds, times and cultures. I spent many months living in Pune and Goa where I met a few remaining one-time hippies and locals who had seen and witnessed the hippie movement first hand. I have also lived in the Bay Area of San Francisco where I visited the Haight Ashbury district and talked to the locals there. All these interactions have helped me gain a closer look and insight into the hippie life and times. -CINEWS

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Oakville-based novelist makes literary waves - CanIndia News

Patch.com

Marin County Gets Another Smug Reprieve from Housing Quotas Patch.com ... Will wrote at the time, a Baedeker guide to a desolate region, the monochromatic inner landscape of persons whose life is consumption, of goods and salvations, and whose moral makeup is the curious modern combination of hedonism and earnestness. and more »

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Marin County Gets Another Smug Reprieve from Housing Quotas - Patch.com

Shashi Kapoors character Rajkumar says it best at the end of Jawani Jaanemann from Namak Halaal (1982): Wah wah, wah wah, wah, splendid.

Bappi Lahiris irresistibly catchy tune, beautifully belted out by club song queen Asha Bhosle, is set in movie set heaven. For once, this trip into golden-hued intemperance actually has a context.

Rajkumar is the owner of a hotel that has previously seen performances by black-faced men, women in shiny colour-coordinated clothes and Arjun (Amitabh Bachchan) channeling Peter Sellers from The Party (1968). Rajkumar is unaware that a plot to kill him has been hatched by his manager (Ranjit). It involves a honey trap in the form of Nisha (Parveen Babi), a cabaret artist with dubious dancing skills but estimable seductive powers.

Nisha initially demurs when told that Rajkumar must be liberated from life. But she accepts the assignment and plays hard to get when she lands up at the hotel. When sent a bouquet through loyal waiter and Rajkumars eventual savior Arjun, Nisha spurns the flowers and sends her employer a cactus plant in return.

In the long tradition of men who are not used to being rebuffed, especially when they resemble Shashi Kapoor, Rajkumar is initially puzzled and, when he finally sets eyes on Nisha, gobsmacked.

Who wouldnt be? The dance floor is decorated with glistening golden-hued floral and cacti-inspired props. Nisha is resplendent in a shimmering lam gown and matching accessories, and she teases the drunk Rajkumar with loaded lyrics. The hunter is now the hunted, she informs him as her hands jerk out from her waist in robotic movements.

Parveen Babi wasnt the best dancer of the 1980s, but she was easily one of popular Hindi cinemas stunners. Terpsichorean excellence isnt the point in this unabashed tribute to hedonism in the decade that embraced it.

Babi is as ornamental as the cacti props in Prakash Mehras blockbuster, which is a multi-starrer in the tradition of 80s films but reserves its best lines and scenes for Bachchan. This is the movie with the monologue in which Arjun displays his English speaking skills. Its the one in which Shashi Kapoor stands by like a sport and Smita Patils character submits herself to an icky rain dance song.

Babi has another great moment of seduction in Raat Baaki, in which she is clad in a shiny black gown and sings of the unknown pleasures of the night. Its another smooth and catchy number, superbly rendered by Bhosle, but the bling and cacti are missing.

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Picture the song: Bring out the eyeshades for 'Jawani Jaanemann' from 'Namak Halaal' - Scroll.in

Academic learning is theoretical with no practical or useful bearing. On the other hand, historical research enriches the intellect; it gives a guide to who we are, where we are and to where we are going.

Knowledge of the past is the root system of the tree of civilisation that offers the protection and allows the freedom we are fortunate to enjoy. Our treasured tree is Western civilisation embodying Christian values. To not make the effort to keep the roots alive is tantamount to killing the tree. Equally, to allow an alien ideology to sever or poison the roots will ensure its demise.

Barry Kenyon would be well-advised to study the decline and fall of the Roman empire as he may just begin to see the parallel with current reality. It depends whether he is able intellectually to regard it as historical research applicable to the present time or discards it as academic learning as he suggests.

The Roman empire rotted from within through hedonism and lack of discipline before the invasion by the Germanics from the North. Currently Western civilisation is rotting from within for the same reasons and suffering an Islamic invasion from the East.

Just a thought, perhaps academic learning causes Alzheimers because it serves no purpose, there is no end product to fulfil and satisfy the mind. With his attitude to historical research, Mr Kenyon may well be at risk.

JC Wilcox

Originally posted here:

Why knowledge of the past is important - The Nation

China's ruling Communist Party cannot rest on its laurels in the fight against corruption, President Xi Jinping said ahead of a key party congress later this year where he will cement his grip on power.

Since assuming power in late 2012, Xi has pursued a relentless campaign against corruption, warning that the problem could threaten the party's ability to retain power, though some analysts say he is also taking down political rivals.

The progress made in governing the party since the last party congress held nearly five years ago had been praised by the people, the official Xinhua news agency late on Thursday cited Xi as saying.

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"But we absolutely cannot be self-satisfied and blindly optimistic. Strictly governing the party is still a heavy burden," Xi told a meeting of provincial and ministerial government officials.

"We will forever be on the path of comprehensive, strict governance of the party. One political party, one political authority, it's prospects and fate rest on the support of the people," Xi said.

The comments come days after China's anti-corruption watchdog said the former party boss in the southwestern city of Chongqing, Sun Zhengcai, had been placed under investigation for "suspected serious violations of discipline", a term that can encompass everything from taking bribes to not toeing the party line.

Sun, the latest senior official implicated in the anti-corruption campaign, was once considered a contender for top leadership.

He had been party chief in Chongqing, one of China's most important cities, until an abrupt announcement this month that he had been replaced by Chen Miner, a rising political star close to Xi.

Chen is seen as a potential new member of the party's elite Standing Committee when it is unveiled after a reshuffle at the upcoming congress.

Xi's anti-corruption crackdown has punished more than a million party members, jailed top military figures and retired security tsar Zhou Yongkang, the most senior official toppled for corruption since 1949.

Separately, the official People's Daily warned in a commentary on Friday about corruption in the military, a central theme of Xi's ambitious military modernization program.

"In this era, there is corrosion from the worship of money and hedonism," it wrote, in a piece ahead of next week's 90th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army.

"This has dispirited some people's thinking, and depressed their will, drying up their spirits," the paper added.

A strong military needs to have a firm base in the rule of law, it said.

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China's Xi: We Can't Be 'Blindly Optimistic' On Corruption Inside The Communist Party - Newsweek