Daily Archives: January 17, 2022

Departure City

Albany, Ny [ALB]Albuquerque, Nm [ABQ]Allentown, Pa [ABE]Amarillo, Tx [AMA]Anchorage, Ak [ANC]Appleton, Mn [AQP]Arcata, Ca [ACV]Asheville, Nc [AVL]Aspen, Co [ASE]Atlanta, Ga [ATL]Atlantic City, Nj [ACY]Austin, Tx [AUS]Baltimore, Md [BWI]Bangor, Me [BGR]Beaumont, Tx [BPT]Bethel, Ak [BET]Billings, Mt [BIL]Binghamton, Ny [BGM]Birmingham, Al [BHM]Bismarck, Nd [BIS]Bloomington, Il [BMI]Boise, Id [BOI]Boston, Ma [BOS]Brownsville, Tx [BRO]Brunswick, Ga [BQK]Buffalo, Ny [BUF]Burbank, Ca [BUR]Burlington, Vt [BTV]Calgary [YYC]Cedar Rapids, Ia [CID]Charleston, Sc [CHS]Charleston, Wv [CRW]Charlotte, Nc [CLT]Charlottesville, Va [CHO]Chicago (Midway), Il [MDW]Chicago (O'Hare), Il [ORD]Cincinnati, Oh [CVG]Cleveland, Oh [CLE]College Station, Tx [CLL]Colorado Springs, Co [COS]Columbia, Mo [COU]Columbia, Sc [CAE]Columbus, Oh [CMH]Cordova, Ak [CDV]Corpus Christi, Tx [CRP]Dallas Love Field, Tx [DAL]Dallas/Fort Worth, Tx [DFW]Dayton, Oh [DAY]Denver, Co [DEN]Des Moines, Ia [DSM]Detroit, Mi [DTW]Duluth, Mn [DLH]Durango, Co [DRO]Edmonton Intntl [YEG]Eastern Iowa, Ia [CID]El Paso, Tx [ELP]Erie, Pa [ERI]Eugene, Or [EUG]Eureka, Ca [EKA]Fairbanks, Ak [FAI]Fargo, Nd [FAR]Flint, Mi [FNT]Fresno, Ca [FAT]Ft. Lauderdale, Fl [FLL]Ft. Myers, Fl [RSW]Ft. Walton/Okaloosa [VPS]Ft. Wayne, In [FWA]Gainesville, Fl [GNV]Grand Forks, Nd [GFK]Grand Rapids, Mi [GRR]Great Falls, Mt [GTF]Green Bay, Wi [GRB]Greensboro, Nc [GSO]Greenville, Sc [GSP]Gulfport, Ms [GPT]Halifax Intntl [YHZ]Harlingen [HRL]Harrisburg, Pa [MDT]Hartford, Ct [BDL]Helena, Mt [HLN]Hilo, Hi [ITO]Hilton Head, Sc [HHH]Honolulu, Hi [HNL]Houston Hobby, Tx [HOU]Houston Busch, Tx [IAH]Huntington, Wv [HTS]Huntsville Intl, Al [HSV]Idaho Falls, Id [IDA]Indianapolis, In [IND]Islip, Ny [ISP]Ithaca, Ny [ITH]Jackson Hole, Wy [JAC]Jackson Int'L, Ms [JAN]Jacksonville, Fl [JAX]Juneau, Ak [JNU]Kahului, Hi [OGG]Kansas City, Mo [MCI]Kapalua, Hi [JHM]Kauai, Hi [LIH]Key West, Fl [EYW]Knoxville, Tn [TYS]Kona, Hi [KOA]Lanai, Hi [LNY]Lansing, Mi [LAN]Las Vegas, Nv [LAS]Lexington, Ky [LEX]Lincoln, Ne [LNK]Little Rock, Ar [LIT]Long Beach, Ca [LGB]Los Angeles, Ca [LAX]Louisville, Ky [SDF]Lubbock, Tx [LBB]Lynchburg, Va [LYH]Montreal Mirabel [YMX]Montreal Trudeau [YUL]Madison, Wi [MSN]Manchester, Nh [MHT]Maui, Hi [OGG]Mcallen, Tx [MFE]Medford, Or [MFR]Melbourne, Fl [MLB]Memphis, Tn [MEM]Miami, Fl [MIA]Midland/Odessa, Tx [MAF]Milwaukee, Wi [MKE]Minneapolis/St. Paul [MSP]Missoula, Mt [MSO]Mobile Regional, Al [MOB]Molokai, Hi [MKK]Monterey, Ca [MRY]Montgomery, Al [MGM]Myrtle Beach, Sc [MYR]Naples, Fl [APF]Nashville, Tn [BNA]New Braunfels, Tx [BAZ]New Orleans, La [MSY]New York Kennedy, Ny [JFK]New York Laguardia [LGA]Newark, Nj [EWR]Norfolk, Va [ORF]Ottawa Mcdonald [YOW]Oakland, Ca [OAK]Oklahoma City, Ok [OKC]Omaha, Ne [OMA]Ontario, Ca [ONT]Orange County, Ca [SNA]Orlando, Fl [MCO]Palm Springs, Ca [PSP]Panama City, Fl [PFN]Pensacola, Fl [PNS]Peoria, Il [PIA]Philadelphia, Pa [PHL]Phoenix, Az [PHX]Pittsburgh, Pa [PIT]Port Angeles, Wa [CLM]Portland Intl, Or [PDX] Portland, Me [PWM]Providence, Ri [PVD]Quebec Intntl [YQB]Raleigh/Durham, Nc [RDU]Rapid City, Sd [RAP]Redmond, Or [RDM]Reno, Nv [RNO]Richmond, Va [RIC]Roanoke, Va [ROA]Rochester, Ny [ROC]Rockford, Il [RFD]Sacramento, Ca [SMF]Saginaw, Mi [MBS]Salem, Or [SLE]Salt Lake City, Ut [SLC]San Antonio, Tx [SAT]San Diego, Ca [SAN]San Francisco, Ca [SFO]San Jose, Ca [SJC]Santa Barbara, Ca [SBA]Santa Rosa, Ca [STS]Sarasota/Bradenton [SRQ]Savannah, Ga [SAV]Seattle/Tacoma, Wa [SEA]Shreveport, La [SHV]Sioux City, Ia [SUX]Sioux Falls, Sd [FSD]Spokane, Wa [GEG]Springfield, Il [SPI]Springfield, Mo [SGF]St. Louis, Mo [STL]St. Petersburg, Fl [PIE]Syracuse, Ny [SYR]Toronto Pearson [YYZ]Tallahassee, Fl [TLH]Tampa, Fl [TPA]Traverse City, Mi [TVC]Tucson, Az [TUS]Tulsa, Ok [TUL] Vancouver Intntl [YVR]Victoria Intntl [YYJ]Winnipeg Intntl [YWG]Washington Natl, Dc [DCA]Washington/Dulles, Dc [IAD]Wenatchee, Wa [EAT]West Palm Beach, Fl [PBI]White Plains, Ny [HPN]Wichita, Ks [ICT]Wilkes-Barre/Scranton [AVP]

Read this article:

Resort Activities | Hedonism II

SUMMARY: Amanda discovers black pussy; hubby black cock.

NOTE: Thanks to the amazing Alison Hale for adapting my original story and creating the images that follow. This has been an amazing experience to collaborate on such a story. A fantasy many women like me have dep inside us.

NOTE 2: This is the fourth chapter of one woman's (and to a lesser extent man's) journey to all things BBC and JBC (juicy black cunt). To see what has happened so far:

Read Hedonism Island: A BBC Discovery to learn how Amanda learns of such an island from her sister and how during a massage she gets her first taste of BBC, while her husband discovers the surprisingly humiliating joys of pegging at his massage.

Read part 2 Hedonism Island: A Gloryhole Heaven where Amanda gets as much chocolate dessert in the form of BBC she can handle while her unknowingly he is being cucked husband watches in shock and confusing awe.

.

.

Is that Jasmine Walker?

Hmmmmmm.... Coming someday.

Part 4: Hedonism Island: Gangbang Girls

Excerpt from:

Hedonism Island: Chocolate Pussy - Illustrated ...

Novelty comes annually to wine, the release of each new vintage bringing, in effect, the release of a new product every year. It means no winemaker can release the same wine two years in succession, even if they wanted to. No matter how obsessively they might try to control all the other variables (same vines, same tanks, same yeasts, same winemaker, same bottle, same label), the years weather will always have its say.

Of course, the release of some new vintages is more anticipated than others. Right now, in London, the top end of the Burgundy wine trade is showing off the soon-to-be-released wines of the regions 2020 vintage, which, by all insider accounts Ive heard, has brought some beautiful wines into the world, as indeed it seems to have done all over France.

The 2020 wines will feel all the more precious given the viticultural disaster that was 2021 not just in France but across Europe, where late spring frosts, hail and, further south, forest fires, among other Biblical factors, combined to bring the smallest European vintage in 30 years. When I visited the Loire back in November, I came across the sorry sight of empty barrels everywhere, inevitable when producers were facing the loss of up to 80% of their annual crop.

The cycle of vintages isnt the only source of the new in wine. The frenzy of planting and site-discovery that was such a feature of the previous half century in wine outside Europe when countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile and the USA were establishing themselves as peers to France and Italy may have calmed. Exciting new vineyards are still emerging all over the so-called New World, whether its the tiny but extraordinarily promising Place of Changing Winds in the Macedon Ranges region of Victoria in Australia, or the Domaines Barons de Rothschilds attempt to make a Chinese answer to Chteau Lafite in the Qiu Shan valley of Shandong province.

In Europe, much of what I think of as new is really a return to the old. Many of the most exciting new wines I tasted last year, for example, came from winemakers working rediscovered very old vineyards in places such as the Gredos mountains near Madrid or Mt Etna in Sicily, while others are the result of British merchants rediscovery of the joys of eastern European wine culture, from Slovenia and Croatia, to Bulgaria and Romania.

In the same spirit, the use of the original, ancient winemaking vessel, the clay amphora, has become increasingly widely and deftly used, while one of the styles associated with these clay pots wines made from white grapes that have spent so long macerating with their skins the colour has turned orange has made ever deeper progress into the mainstream. Much to the annoyance of the small-scale producers responsible for the styles development, the mass-produced orange wine, often made in somewhat more industrial stainless steel tanks rather than amphorae, is one of the biggest of wines new old things.

Rigal Vin OrangeVin de France (10, Morrisons)One of the best of the new supermarket breed of high-production orange wines, this southern French effort is made using the tangy Gascon gros manseng grape. The extra time in contact with the skins brings an intense nutty-herbal twang and touch of chewy texture to the exotic fruit.

Kvalitetno Vino Croatica GrasevinaCroatia 2020 (9.95, tanners-wines.co.uk)Theres nothing new about Croatian wines, but there has been a change of attitude towards them among British wine importers. Thats good news for fans of juicy, fresh, aromatically vivacious white wines such as this, made from the grasevina grape (AKA welsch riesling).

Cave de Lugny Chardonnay Mcon-VillagesBurgundy, France 2020 (11.95, Waitrose)Burgundys smartest domaines are only just revealing the quality of their 2020s. There are already numerous examples of this vintage out in the wild from bigger producers, with this white showing bountiful ripe rounded fruitiness, honey and luminous brightness.

COS Pithos Rosso di VittoriaSicily, Italy 2019 (from 24.10, hedonism.co.uk; lescaves.co.uk; josephbarneswines.com)A blend of Sicilian local varieties frappato and nero davola, this wine is from a small biodynamic producer in southeastern Sicily. Its distinctive sweet-savoury-sour-cherry-plum forms a seductive argument for using terracotta amphorae to make red wine.

Chteau le Roc RocAmbulle Pet Nat NegretteFronton, France 2020 (from 15.40, montywines.co.uk; forestwines.com)Another very old winemaking method enjoying a modern renaissance, pet nat sparklers are made by bottling the wine before its finished fermenting, with the CO2 remaining in the bottle. This is a lovely, lively example from vineyards near Toulouse, all sweetly easy-drinking cherry-berry fun.

BEST BUY4 Monos GR10, Vinos de Madrid, Spain 2018 (12.67, justerinis.com)A brilliant entry point for the delicately beautiful infusions of sun-baked hillside herbs, warm earth and red fruit that are the very old vine garnacha-based wines of the Gredos mountains near Madrid. This is filled with fresh wild strawberry succulence.

Go here to read the rest:

New wines for a new year and old ones enjoying a renaissance - The Guardian

Vegas was once synonymous with what-happens-here-stays-here hedonism, but now, the city is promising more than just sin. Its also a destination for R&R rest and rejuvenation.

With a no-smoking, no-gambling hotel, Majestic Las Vegas, set to start construction this year, other wellness-minded changes have already arrived, including new or recently refreshed spas to draw in weary travellers. The twist: Its Vegas, so obviously everything is still over the top. Here are just four chillout spots to consider the next time youre in town.

(Both regional travel guidelines and access to specific places can change quickly; always check official updates before you go.)

For the artful design: The Spa at Wynn (3131 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas)

The newly renovated 45,000-square-foot Wynn spa feels like a cross between an art gallery and a sacred healing space, with the revamped treatment rooms meant to evoke nightfall and reflection. Design features include a stainless-steel sculpture by David Harber, a glam chandelier by Herv Van der Straeten, and hallways lined with 28 onyx pillars topped with Murano glass vases. From the spa menu, opt for the Samadhi Enlightenment, where youll be soothed with handcrafted Himalayan singing bowls placed strategically on your body. Their vibrations ready you for a massage, which is enhanced with semi-precious stones aimed at balancing your chakras.

For the gratis extras: The Spa at Aria (3730 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas)

Before a treatment at the Spa at Aria, guests can unwind in a circuit of complimentary areas: hang out in the salt-brick room, said to improve your respiratory system, or try the Ganbanyoku (Japanese hot stone) beds, designed to relax your muscles, increase circulation and accelerate metabolism. Then, make your way to the water areas, where you can take a dip in the Jacuzzi and the cold plunge pool. Finally, youll be ready for your pampering, with the gemstone facial among the standout services. With your hands and feet warming in their own masks, your face will be wrapped in a diamond collagen mask and rubbed with gemstones.

For the best water amenities: Awana Spa (3000 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas)

Opened last summer, Resorts World Las Vegas is the newest resort addition to the Strip, and the $4.3-billion (U.S.) development also has the distinction of being the priciest resort property ever built in the city. Unsurprisingly, the spa tucked inside, Awana, makes a similarly impressive splash, setting their amenities in statement design spaces. Take the coed water area, named the Fountain of Youth, where youll find six connecting pools against a backdrop of icy mountains (an LED screen designed to make this feel like a winter wonderland). This spa also has a heated crystal laconicum (dry sweating room), as well as steam rooms and a rain walk.

For total escapism: Canyon Ranch (3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas)

To reach this 134,000-square-foot spa and fitness centre from the Venetian Resort, where its housed, you have to take a long, winding walk, but the distance only makes this Canyon Ranch outpost feel totally removed from the Vegas clamour. Step into the Wave Room, a common area filled with S-shaped chairs youll be tempted to nap in. As you gaze at the waves projected onto the ceiling and listen to the ambient sounds, youll feel transported into a dreamlike state, a perfect way to get ready for your treatment.

The federal government recommends Canadians avoid non-essential travel. This article is meant to inspire plans for future travel.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION

Anyone can read Conversations, but to contribute, you should be registered Torstar account holder. If you do not yet have a Torstar account, you can create one now (it is free)

Sign In

Register

Read more:

Welcome to Vegas for wellness: Four spas to check out for R&R in the famously rowdy city - Toronto Star

Our youth are at a crossroads, or intersectionality of sorts. They are taught by highly educated people (their intellectual betters) that their lives have no ultimate purpose. They are the byproducts of a cosmic accident. Their efforts, relationships, loves, momentary distractions, will ultimately be for nothing. Matter and everything spins towards the ultimate heat death of the universe.

Is it any wonder the youth in the West experience identity crisis? They hunger for meaning and purpose. Can the Church give it to them?

We have five choices when presented with this existential dilemma: escapism, hedonism, pragmatism, activism, or religiosity. In other words, we can escape into fantasy (entertainment), pleasure (sex and drugs), hard work (too busy to notice), intersectionality (identity dynamics), or faith (God and religion). Of course, we can also mix the categories. For example, one can be a pragmatic Christian, a hedonistic activist, or a pragmatic escapist that seeks meaning in artistic expression.

In addition to this existential dilemma is the harm postmodernism has wrought on Western culture. If modernism took our heads, then postmodernism our hearts. Postmodernisms goal is to deconstruct all reality. If modernists espoused objective truth, postmodernists reject all truth claims. Language, too, is relativized and subject to this same deconstruction. Not only is language deconstructed, but it is also utilized as a tool that creates and shapes new realities.

We create our own reality is the only universal truth postmodernists accept. In eliminating objective truth, postmodernisms target was modernism, but it also hit at the heart of Western civilization Judeo/Christian culture and values. In Judeo/Christian culture and values are beliefs in objective truth, both intellectual and moral. Jude/Christian cultures removal has left a hole. Nature abhors a vacuum; therefore, something will fill it. What has filled it in the West is the phenomenon Douglas Murray calls Identity dynamics.

Douglas Murray (an atheist) has described this phenomenon as filling the God-shaped hole left in our society in the wake of postmodernists ripping out the heart of Judeo/Christian culture and values. In this hole is raging a war, a culture war.He states regarding the current cultural wars in his most recentbook,These wars are not being fought aimlessly. They are consistently being fought in a particular direction. And that direction has a purpose that is vast. The purpose unknowing in some people, deliberate in others is to embed a new metaphysics into our societies: a new religion, if you will.

This new religion of identity dynamics promises meaning, but only delivers chaos. It divides societies, businesses, and families. It paints those who disagree or dissent as cultural heretics in need of a social media anathema. This new religion is totally devoid of mercy and grace. The sad truth is that identity dynamics and intersectionality has provided an outlet of meaning to a meaningless world. If lifes ONLY meaning encompasses the whole of ONLY ones own life, then race, gender, class, sexuality, discrimination, and privilege are not ONLY of the utmost importance, but they are also the ONLY truly meaningfulanything.

Identity dynamics and intersectionality provides a framework for which to build ones life. It also provides a righteous cause for which one can fight. Furthermore, the more intersections one crosses, the more meaningful ones life gets. Conversely, the fewer intersections one crosses, the lesser value ones life has, and ultimately, a member of the oppressor class one may be. Is it any wonder we are at a crossroad?

What will be the ultimate response from the Church? Will we provide something unique and meaningful? Will we counter this plunge into maddening meaninglessness with the lifeline of truth and purpose? The challenge we have now before us is gargantuan, least of all because the medicinal remedy requires some effort of those who do seek meaning. It is easy to align oneself with a victim group and stop there. It is another thing to pursue truth and let it lead you where it will, even if this means you must live a virtuous life.

How best we promote the truth that we are all valuable and unique must also involve the call to live a truly virtuous life. If we cannot provide both truth and virtue (true virtue, not virtue signaling), we will not see any lasting impact on anyone, especially among the young. They are literally dying for meaning and purpose. The Church has the answer. Are we bold enough to proclaim it? I pray we are

Lord, please help us to find our ultimate identity in You. Amen.

The Madness of Crowdsby Douglas Murray

Like what you read? Please check out my other writinghere.

Please like and follow me onFacebook.

Continued here:

Identity Crisis: Does the Catholic Church Have the Answer? - Patheos

Ahead of the JW Anderson AW22 show, in the chaotic rooms of the Scala nightclub in Kings Cross (the only way to describe it to out-of-towners is mass, a word that Jonathan Anderson is currently obsessed with) there is a vibrant atmosphere. People are running around, theres hair and makeup happening where the dancefloor should be, neon strobe lights are darting all over the place. Tables are covered in pigeon-shaped clutch bags and ridiculous, knitted elephants. A sleeveless top woven from hundreds of brightly-coloured rubber wristbands swings from a rail. Bright, clashing prints and textures sit side-by-side Zebra! Sequins! Lam! while models are tucking into lunch at the sticky-floored bar. Its almost like the old days, back when backstage areas were as fabulous as front-of-house, and far less sanitised.

This all should have happened in Milan, where JW Anderson was meant to make a splash as the citys new arrival on the MFW schedule, followed by a big party that the citys fashion-conscious kids would have clambered to get into. Instead, Omicron has delayed those plans (they have been pushed back to June) and instead, the show is happening digitally something which Jonathan has successfully avoided during the pandemic with his ingenious alternatives. So, here we are in a nightclub at 2PM, surrounded by his most irreverent collection to date.

For Jonathan, the word he started with was silly. Its a very British word, he points out with glee. Sometimes your parents will say: Oh, don't be so silly! I like the idea of going back to a naive state of mind, so that its almost a blur of a vision of going out. Maybe it is fine to even project into a utopian vision of going out.

Going out may seem silly to some, but for young people especially, its cathartic to give into the frivolity of hedonism, especially when everything else happening in the world feels so serious. This was an incredibly fun collection, ridiculous even. Pigeon-shaped clutches, for crying out loud! Silver catsuits so tight and reflective, you could call them pigeon-smugglers. In fact, all together, the lineup looked like a group of boys and girls in a queue for some nightclub or foam party, albeit some of them in costume.

There were the buzzcut boys in polo tops, except the tops were actually dresses with undulating hooped hems or second-skin playsuits, and girls in sassy one-shouldered dresses and handbags slung over their shoulders. There were remnants of parka jackets, ready to be discarded at the cloakroom. It all felt a bit scally, but in a celebratory way. It has the youthful joy of getting ready to go out, the willingness to queue for a club like Scala, and the promise of an after-party at someones dorm. Bits, pieces and fragments of youth, like confetti scattered around at a house party, as the show notes put it. Optimistic and fun, is how Jonathan described it.

Its interesting to consider that Jonathan was also thinking about hyper-masculinity, having watched a documentary about Cristiano Ronaldo (hence, the sequinned football shirts in minuscule proportions). Football is still such a strangely masculine pursuit almost like what fashion is to gay men and women, some would argue. Jonathan said he was imagining the footballer on an empty pitch, not kicking a ball but doing the same movements and he came to the conclusion that he would look like he were dancing.

Theres a nice through-line there, but ultimately Jonathan is no stranger to provocation. Almost a decade ago, he sent out male models in wool micro-skirts and ruffled tunic dresses in his AW13 show, long before gender-fluidity was common parlance on the front row. It bombed in terms of sales, and mainstream media coverage, but succeeded in cementing him as a provocateur. Oh, how times have changed! Here was a hint of that collection, but with so much more irreverence. By seemingly toying with the notions of taste, and perhaps even class, Jonathan managed to unpack something interesting to say about gender which is no mean feat in 2022.

Follow i-D onInstagramandTikTokfor more on fashion.

Read more from the original source:

JW Anderson brings a bit of silliness to Milan Fashion Week - i-D

Sacred Heart University has been acknowledged as one of Americas most joyful college campuses. I am privileged to teach English at this university and to experience its gleeful energy every day.

So which factors make for a happy campus? Genuine student satisfaction results not from fancy facilities and lavish luxuries, but from a commitment to the classroom campus and community. Students are happy when their involvement comes from a caring and compassionate place, as well as a true concern for the common good. The incorporation of humor into the curriculum also enhances this living and learning experience.

Happiness and humor, which I teach through my Laughter in Literature course, are central to the human condition and crucial in a college curriculum. Yet despite an explosion of interest in courses on positivity and mindfulness, joy and comedy only recently have become serious sources of study. The reality is that laughter enhances the ability of human beings to deal with the pains and tribulations of life.

As the COVID crisis, mental health concerns and labor shortages affect us all, humor is a paramount pedagogical tool not only for healing todays college students but also for uniting various factions (faculty, staff and administration) in higher education at large.

When the pandemic plunged us all into a state of disarray in March 2020, I thought about the students in my classroom as developing human beings; they needed some joy, as did I, and comic relief seemed appropriate at the time.

I began to teach and research the literature of laughter, a topic that has gained recent cultural currency. Almost two years ago when COVID first struck, I found myself turning to Aristotles association of happiness with moral virtue (Nicomachean Ethics). My students found this definition interesting, especially in light of a pandemic that had relegated their learning to Zoom. They wondered whether a college course on humor would prompt them to think deeply about their purpose and place in this world.

My literary pedagogy has been inspired by Sacred Heart Universitys compassionate mission and vision, which students live and breathe. In the classroom, they reflect seriously on classic and contemporary texts that engage them with deep questions about their journey through learning and life. As second-year undergraduates, they take two seminars in the Catholic intellectual tradition, which is at the heart of this universitys mission; in these courses, students reflect on questions about what it means to be human, live a purposeful life and commit to the common good.

Acclaimed author David Brooks, who will visit our campus later this spring, writes powerfully and prolifically about living a meaningful life for others beyond the self. Using the metaphor of mountains, Brooks claims that the purest joy comes from a life dedicated to service through relation, community, and commitment (The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life). Although comedy does not always lead us to the higher moral plane that Brooks describes, joy does produce laughter, which can heal many of the worlds wounds.

Happiness and humor are not only relevant in todays times, but always; after all, laughter is a fundamental necessity for learning and life. As undergraduates exit my core course in close reading and textual analysis, many whose majors range from nursing and health studies to computer science and pre-engineering tell me that they have deepened their appreciation for comedy in literature and for humor in everyday life.

Is the college experience supposed to be purely a pleasurable one? Shouldnt learning create some discomfort? Here we distinguish hedonism (mere material pleasure) from happiness, which signals true virtue. Institutions of higher learning that value virtue above all do best when they create a truly happy, not hedonistic, student body. Just as humor helps us to navigate lifes complex challenges, so, too, does laughter guide learners through the inevitable stumbling blocks.

Cara Erdheim Kilgallen is an associate professor of English and chair of the Department of Languages & Literature at Sacred Heart University.

Go here to see the original:

Opinion: On humor, happiness and higher education - CT Post

After moving to the US four years ago, Emma Markezic like millions of others caught Covid-19. No one told her this about the experience.

A lobster roll in one hand. A dirty martini in the other.

An elderly gentleman at the table next to me feeding his wife a taste of soup, the way someone does when they love their meal but adore their spouse even more. I dont think I was happier in 2021 than in this moment. Ironically, this was also the outing on which I got Covid. Although that part didnt become apparent for another five days.

This really is the perfect tiny metaphor for the US, though. Hedonism, romance, danger, potential medical bills. It has it all. But in a country where half the population are triple vaxxed and double masked, and the other half are espousing freedoms and waving flags, how feasible is it to travel to the land of gilded opportunity right now?

First and definitely foremost, you need to be on top of the mandates in the state or city youre visiting. For example, before Omicron decided to blow up like a poorly thought-out gender reveal device, I visited both Seattle and Miami. In Seattle, I was stopped at the door and made to present both my ID and vaccine card before being allowed anywhere near a table. In Miami, I didnt see a waiter wearing a mask. Not a single one.

This place really is run like 50 small countries whose only common denominator is they have no idea what real cheese looks like. Dont tell Wisconsin I said that.

My fianc and I live in Chicago. Known for Al Capone. Deep dish pizza. For being nestled on the edge of a lake bigger than Denmark. Vaccine mandates apply if you want to dine in a restaurant, go to the opera, cheer on the Chicago Bulls or do anything fun indoors.

This came into effect just days after I was attacked by the submicroscopic scourge as a proud three-time vaxxer because of course it did, but still in effect it now is. The citys main airport OHare International is one of the busiest in the world, but Ive always felt safe there. Probably because you can guarantee everyones muzzled behind a KN95, regardless of political proclivity.

But what of the medical system? Thats the real pickle, right.

Its not quite as scary as I grew up thinking it was. Even here where prescription drug prices regularly tally more than twice the price of other countries Covid testing and vaccines are free. Yes, even for the uninsured.

Although Id definitely not set foot in the land of the free without insurance, however free you feel to forego it. Id also lean towards a local insurer. Which just means a company based in the US and is used to dealing with the American medical system directly, should the need arise. The sheer size of the population means things are actually run relatively efficiently on the virus front, though drive-through vaccines, easy access to teledocs, pain and fever meds delivered to your door (along with a cheeseburger and bottle of vodka if you so desire) are all bizarrely plentiful.

Some things are much the same as at home: Hospitals are heaving, nurses and teachers are struggling, parents are beyond over it.

But also much the same as at home, domestic travel is having a moment. Ive seen more of the US than I ever expected. Chicken Bristle, Illinois. Climax, Michigan. Sopchoppy, Florida. And lets not forget Elephant Butte, New Mexico. Obviously all chosen for their absurdity.

So whats different? More cases, no question. But also a population that likes showing off their country more than any other, which means youll be welcomed with open arms; as well as with a shot of Fireball and invitation to a tailgating party.

Other than the fact Aussies are blatantly wiping the floor with the Yanks in the vaccine uptake Olympics, this really isnt a bad place to be. It might not have been the adventure we had planned when we moved to the Windy City, but you know what I replaced my Chicago Cubs cap with a Chicago Cubs mask and got on with it.

And if youre in the position to consider international travel, as long as youre smart about it, you can too. Hawaii, after all, is almost always a good idea.

Go here to see the original:

I got Covid and no one tells you this - NEWS.com.au

Not only does cosmic shock-jock Uranus wrap up its five-month retrograde and blaze forward with an innovative-but-practical spirit in Taurus, but the Bullpen is getting a second hit from the lunar North Node, which heads into Taurus for the first time since December 2004. This isn't a planet but rather a point in the sky that is associated with the eclipses. In astrology, the North Node, along with its companion, the South Node, is the cosmic compass directing our collective destiny.

Money, power, and sex will be the focus of this next cycle, which wages on till July 17, 2023. How do we traverse our inner landscapes while also handling material world concerns? We may swing between the extremes of controlled stoicism and unbridled hedonism.There's a popular saying that we are "spiritual beings having a human experience." As the earthbound Taurus North Node plays tug-of-war with the mystical Scorpio South Node, we'll find ourselves seeking the elusive balance between "physical" and "metaphysical."

Fortunately, the Sun can help with that balancing act. On Wednesday, January 19, el Sol blazes into high-minded, progressive Aquariusa sign that sits smack-dab in the middle of Scorpio and Taurus on the zodiac wheel. Borrowing some of Scorpio's "weird" and a touch of Taurus' practical magic, the Water Bearer knows how to mix a cocktail that pleases both of its fellow fixed signs. Experiment openly while Aquarius season wages on until February 18. Just don't forget to record your findingsor your process! The gems you uncover could positively affect an entire community.

Go here to see the original:

This Week Kicks Off A Spicy Astrological Cycle Years In The Making - mindbodygreen.com

Dublin has been listed among the top 10 cities in the world to visit in 2022 by online travel magazine Lonely Planet.

The fair city nabbed the number 7 spot on the list and was hailed by the publication for its "Georgian squares, traditional pubs and warm people" that still remain 100 years after "Leopold walked around on his Irish odyssey".

"A small capital with a huge reputation, Dublin has a mix of heritage and hedonism that will not disappoint," the travel bible wrote.

On the site, Dublin is praised for its layered history, pub atmospheres, multiculturalism, friendly people and for being a "living museum of its history".

They also point out that the city isn't admittedly "pretty", but says "pretty things are as easy to like as they are to forget".

Taking the top spot on the list was Auckland, New Zealand for its numerous beaches, volcanoes, blossoming cultural scene, and exciting local creativity.

Following that is Taipei in Taiwan, which Lonely Planet praises for its culinary scene, ancient religious traditions and progressive LGBT+ culture.

Other cities around the world that rank higher than Dublin on the list are Freiburg in Germany, Atlanta in the United States, Lagos in Nigeria and Nicosia/Lefkosia in Cyprus.

Following Dublin to make up the rest of the top ten are Mrida in Mexico, Florence in Italy and Gyeongju in South Korea.

Lonely Planet is a global travel publication that makes recommendations for world travellers and holiday makers, regularly putting together lists and destination guides for locations all around the globe.

Each year, the Lonely Planet family consisting of 200 plus expert members is surveyed.

A number of other steps are taken before a panel of acclaimed travel experts scrutinises a shortlist of places around the world.

Once these panellists have made their final decisions, a final list is put together and released.

To get the latest breaking news straight to your inbox, sign up for our free newsletter.

View original post here:

Lonely Planet names Dublin one of the best cities in the world to visit in 2022 - Dublin Live