Daily Archives: March 31, 2022

Moonstrike Using the Unreal Engine Releases the Game Footages of Moon Surface – GlobeNewswire

Posted: March 31, 2022 at 2:54 am

Moonstrike is a blockchain-based game developed on Binance Smart Chain. The game is a play-to-earn multiplayer with shooter and development based on AAA quality from Unreal Engine.

Moonstrike is a blockchain-based game that includes a play-to-earn component and first- and third-person shooting. Players can build their base and battle it out with other players on the moon in the game.

The platform is built on Binance Smart Chain and Epic Games Unreal Engine. This technology is used to create the highest-quality 3-D games with AAA grades. Users will access unique design enhancements by purchasing NFTS and using it in the game.

One of the critical aspects of the platform is its premium playstyle and designs, which are brought up in the crypto metaverse. Players of all skills will have access to the Moonstrike gaming platform. The game is now available on desktop PCs, offering challenging gameplay for those intrigued.

Players will be able to control soldiers on the moon in this game, competing for control of essential spots and resources on the battlefield. Users with unique character and weapon models, resources, and vehicles will access a range of NFT features to manage and control the NFT-based player economy.

The platform also includes components such as squad-based 5v5 FPS warfare and construction and land ownership. Players will be able to collect and trade NFT-based elements and other resources such as vehicles, base facilities, and plots. Furthermore, during PVP games, players will be able to use items such as weapons and consumables to acquire an edge over the competition.

The Unreal Engine produced by Moonstrike is quite useful in the game. It offers the competition with a visually stunning in-game universe that stays true to what devoted players have come to expect from the most recent AAA games on the market. While still in its early stages, combat physics demonstrates a thorough understanding of the genre and a clear desire to build a solid reality within the game. Players will acquire and sell items that generate a return as the game grows, thanks to the NFT blockchain elements.

The first screenshots from Moonstrike have been revealed. Players can notice the outstanding quality of the lunar surface in those screenshots, which is due to the use of Unreal Engine. This may pique the interest of many professional gamers and investors looking to invest in a game that offers a fair and healthy battle rivalry while also returning double the amount invested.

Moon Strike is a new NFT Play-to-Earn game based on blockchain technology released soon. The platform is a one-of-a-kind addition to the NFT play-to-earn gaming market, integrating high-quality first-person shooter PVP action with base-building and resource harvesting elements.

For more information, players can visit the website here. Also, for more updates, players can follow Moonstrikes Twitter or join its community on Telegram or Discord.

Contact Details:

Company Name - GamesParadise

Company Email - info@moonstrike.io

Phone Number - 49 08232 11 10 69

Contact Person - Clark P. Tracy

Website - https://moonstrike.io

Location: Dubai, UAE

Disclaimer:The information provided in this release is not investment advice, financial advice, or trading advice. It is recommended that you practice due diligence (including consultation with a professional financial advisor before investing or trading securities and cryptocurrency.

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Moonstrike Using the Unreal Engine Releases the Game Footages of Moon Surface - GlobeNewswire

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TASEKO ANNOUNCES A 40% INCREASE IN GIBRALTAR PROVEN AND PROBABLE RESERVES – PR Newswire

Posted: at 2:54 am

VANCOUVER, BC, March 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Taseko Mines Limited (TSX: TKO) (NYSE MKT) (TGB; LSE: TKO) ("Taseko" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a new 706 million ton proven and probable sulphide reserve for the Gibraltar Mine, a 40% increase as of December 31, 2021. The new reserve estimate allows for a significant extension of the mine life to 23 years with total recoverable metal of 3.0 billion pounds of copper and 53 million pounds of molybdenum.

Highlights from the new reserve:

Note: Taseko's 75% owned Gibraltar Mine is located north of the City of Williams Lake in south-central British Columbia. All dollar amounts are in Canadian dollars (C$) and units are imperial unless stated otherwise.

Stuart McDonald, President and CEO, commented, "Gibraltar has been our cornerstone asset since it was restarted 17 years ago, and with the extended mine life we expect it will continue to generate significant cashflow for many years to come. Over the last two years there has been a dramatic shift in the long-term outlook for copper, as the world accelerates the transition to a green economy. With the improved market outlook, our engineering team updated pit designs which have added 200 million tons of additional reserves to the life of mine plan. The mine now has a 23-year mine life with significant leverage to copper prices going forward. At current copper prices, the mine NPV increases to over $2 billion (75% basis, after-tax)."

Richard Tremblay, Senior VP, Operations, added, "The additional tons in the new reserve are at a similar grade as Gibraltar's previous reserves. While the life of mine strip ratio has increased slightly, there has been no change to the mine plan over the next five years where copper production is expected to average approximately 128 million pounds per year. The updated pit designs are based on a conservative long-term copper price of US$3.05 per pound (previously US$2.75 per pound), and incorporate material that was previously classified as resources."

Mr. McDonald concluded, "Recent market activity and global events continue to show the value of a long-life, steady-state copper mine in a top mining jurisdiction. With our near-term growth plans in Arizona, and longer-term development projects in British Columbia, Taseko is very well positioned to build a North America based mid-tier copper producer."

1 The NPV and cash flow is based on copper prices of $4.25 (2022), $3.90 (2023) and US$3.50 per pound long-term, and a molybdenum price of US$18 (2022), US$15 (2023) and US$13 per pound long-term and a foreign exchange rate of 1.3:1 (C$:US$).

Gibraltar Mine Sulphide Mineral Reserves as of December 31 , 2021 at 0.15% Copper Cut-off

‘Development will eventually lead to environmental conflicts’ – Down To Earth Magazine

Posted: at 2:54 am

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Nobel laureate Wangari Maathai wrote:

In a few decades, the relationship between the environment, resources and conflict may seem so obvious as the connection we see today between human rights, democracy and peace.

Decreasing resource base and the struggle for control and power leads to politicising ecological issues and the eventual clash between different beneficiaries.

This happens due to privatisation and the control of resources by the socially powerful, based on gender, class and ethnicity. Securing control of resources politicises ecological issues. This happens due to basic assumptions about the division of labour in the society and access to the environment.

Property rights, which are historically demonstrated to yield economic benefits when under private control, are a complex bundle of rights for everyday goods, which have to be shared among community members.

Next is the problem of imagined identities by development planners and policymakers, which leads to conflict due to biases. Take the case of Thar in India for instance: Lack of access, opportunities, unfair distribution of work and the rewards accrued from the same leads to conflicts like gender wars and unionisation.

Conservation efforts that change the ownership of resources also lead to social conflict. The rights over property are always complex due to sharing and differing ways of accessing it for income, inheritance and benefits. These have evolved after a long time due to landscape and temporal variation.

Exclusive rights to use land lead to conflicts, losses and inequality, and cutting off marginal users. Different investments by development planners and the non-congruence of various stakeholders also lead to divergence and possible clashes.

The women cultivators of Gambia are a good case in point. Access to land in the country was divided based on gender, like many African nations. Men managed dry uplands and women overlooked flooded plains.

There were seasonal obligations to produce crops for the household. After that, rights to make gains and retain profits granted women relative autonomy. International development authorities and later, British development corporations brought about experimentation and agricultural reforms. This led to intensification of land-use and increasing cash crop production.

The change of labour demands and benefits led to women who traditionally worked for profits devoting more time to household production, resulting in loss of their autonomy. It was followed by eventual clashes like cash demand, withdrawal from work and resistance.

All of this happened due to gender assumptions, complex property rights and fluidity of profits. Intensification by horticultural means, mechanisation and external intervention due to beliefs by foreign planners further aggravated the issue.

The case of Western United States demonstrates how simple ecological conflict over ideologies can lead to political wars and how differences between various classes become politicised. In 2000, Siera Nevada had started a new programme for preserving aesthetic values of the western part of the country as opposed to the urban landscaping.

The programme invited community participation for decision making. There were differences between the traditional producer class and the new immigrants in this regime with diverging views on aesthetic values.

The new immigrants had an unrealistic idea about the part of the country and imagined it to be free from human intervention. They were amenity-seeking newcomers who were in direct conflict with farmers and ranchers.

The farmers depended on this very land for production. They viewed land as private property that could be bought and sold for consumption. It was traditionally developed to suit local farming needs and made sufficiently liquid to parcel in chunks.

While the new ones wanted wildlife conservation and tree plantation, the old inhabitants viewed trees as a means of production, which was only to be harvested and not protected.

Here, there were competing ecological views due to underlying divergence in class. This is a case of complex property rights and 'ecologisation' of inherent political differences in the society.

The new immigrants are consumers in the capitalist economy, who view the West as relief from the hectic urban life. The old inhabitants, who were producers in the economy, viewed land as a resource for farming and production.

We get to experience gender discrimination and conflicts due to resource enclosure over time through a study in the far-off deserts of India, Thar. Here, the dispute arose after the state intervened in the local production system and land intensification.

The green revolution was accelerating, leading to increased food production. Despite this increase, women still had disproportionately low access to food and nutrition and the wage-gap increased.

Here was the traditional distribution of responsibilities. Women had to do most of the labour for agriculture and household work, while men had significant decision-making power. Women were married off in the patrilineal arrangement such that they had the lowest position in the rights hierarchy.

Productive sources had expanded while land for household management was lost. However, the green revolution brought more area under cultivation; it increased the burden on women workers who had to work on more extensive lands for long periods.

This is an example where the division of power between gender leads to differences in access to resources and property. An external intervention leads to changes in social structure.

The last case is Oaxaca in Mexico, a UNESCO world heritage site dependent on tourists for its significant share of revenues. This means the city has to maintain its cleanliness and urban image.

Here, the recent migrants from the countryside settled around the dumpsites and garbage bins in the outskirts of the city. They controlled the entry of garbage trucks to and from the city. The residents there used the ecological issue of keeping the city clean to their advantage to secure resources (like health clinics) and politicise it.

This development and closure of dumpsites and garbage bins caused the resource base of ragpickers to stop. They are essential to the flow of garbage through the city and its recycling. The new intervention by state authorities to control resource led to the loss of livelihood and source of conflict between the state, migrants and the ragpickers.

This development work leads to competition due to the politicisation of the ecological issue.

Thus, we find that development works eventually lead to conflict. There is the case of Medha Patekar fighting for the Narmada Bachao Andolan in Sardar Sarovar dam. The construction of the dam was crucial for meeting the state's electricity demand. Still, it submerged the low-lying village and affected the marine ecology.

The incident led to conflict between state authorities and villagers. With the growing representation of the marginalised and disempowered, their voices are also coming forward through various media. Though not adequately, they are also getting a chance to resist and challenge existing power structures and institutions.

With each stakeholder getting political representation, new actors and identities emerge for environmental conflict. With increasing development pressure and global treaties to control emissions, disputes over the environment are becoming more common.

True are the words of Maathai since we are going to see more and more conflicts soon. With sustainable development goals in place, increasing democratisation and connectivity of the world, ecologisation of politics and vice-versa will become the new norm.

Views expressed are the authors own and dont necessarily reflect those ofDown To Earth

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'Development will eventually lead to environmental conflicts' - Down To Earth Magazine

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Intersection Of Geopolitics And Energy Offer Sober Reflection – Seeking Alpha

Posted: at 2:54 am

Planet Earth At Night - City Lights of Europe Glowing In The Dark

DKosig/iStock via Getty Images

After attending an event in which a leading Russian expert presented about Russia and the Ukraine crisis, I will relay my thoughts regarding how this crisis intersects with energy trends. I had promised this to readers. A select few ideas follow but Chatham House rules apply:

One of the most resounding messages from this non-U.S.-centric perspective was that Putin's Russia has been planning for Russia's comeback since the early 2000s. The West has been tone-deaf to the intentions and signs along the way. This idea has been circulating among geopolitical analysts of late as well.

Inherent in the positioning of Russia has been Putin's grand strategy, which is difficult to implement. While many commentators focus on Russia's past empire-focused aspirations and Cold War framing, the strategy is more forward-looking. Its contours reflect a different geopolitical reality that also considers Asia's economic rise as much as anything. Russia wants to be considered important in this shifting 21st Century paradigm. Another pressure point for Russia has been the rise of U.S. hydrocarbon production, impacting its budget and adding another geoeconomic factor. The Western allies via NATO have enlarged over time and Russia has reacted at the inflection points. This is some of the gist which causes me to tread carefully in my assumptions.

I'm free associating here next. First, there are many reasons Saudi Arabia hasn't been as warm to the U.S. as in years past owing to - wavering support, their Asia-facing markets, uncertainty regarding energy transition policies, and domestic economic diversification. Think geopolitics and geo-economics. Russia is the other counterbalance in OPEC-plus, though there have been times when Putin made the wrong call, example being during the pandemic. (I referred to this in an April 2020 article" OPEC+ Agree to Cut 10 Million In Next Months.") This expanded pact works well for OPEC, Russia and the cartel's role in setting the hydrocarbon agenda as a counterbalance to the U.S., Australia and other free market players.

In The Economist article of March 26, they note that Saudi Aramco (ARMCO) is upping investment to around $40 - 50 billion this year from $32 billion in 2021.

Add to that:

"Saudi Aramco (ARMCO), which produces 12.8m barrels of oil equivalent per day, has just attained a market value of more than $2.3trn, making it the world's second-most-valuable listed company after Apple (AAPL)."

The two most valuable companies now are Saudi Aramco and Apple: A first exporter of hydrocarbons in 1939 and a foremost technology innovator founded in 1976, respectively. Thirty-seven years separate their value creation.

But the world has changed, again. Innovation in energy has been happening for decades, not just with the advent of ESG and climate change. This rests with entrepreneurs, scientists, governments and other types of people willing to place bets. Putin has placed his. And now the geopolitics and geoeconomics are shifting in different ways. Europe is hastening its diversification of energy sources. U.S. natural gas exports will play a larger role now than expected. What might have been considered a marginal project a few years back is more likely to happen, such as Tellurian's (TELL) Driftwood LNG facility.

In spite of the damage to Russia's role in the world, its large hydrocarbon assets are important and have value. According to Nikos Tsafos from a think tank in D.C.:

"Russia is central to the global energy system. It is the world's largest exporter of oil, making up about 8% of the global market. And it supplies Europe with 45% of its natural gas, 45% of its coal and 25% of its oil. Likewise, hydrocarbons are the lifeline of Russia's economy. In 2019, before COVID-19 depressed prices, revenues from oil and natural gas accounted for 40% of the country's federal budget. And oil and gas accounted for almost half of Russia's total goods exports in 2021."

My theme is therefore about reversals and a propensity toward consensus-thinking that clouds clarity about what is happening. Admittedly, it's a tough call and an even harder perspective to maintain when global peace and right actions are at stake. Below are some basic observations at play in the present.

1) Europe's diversification of its energy mix will be favorable to U.S. oil and gas production. More new deals are being made. But OPEC-plus isn't going anywhere for now.

2) However, the energy transition is also at play. The interaction of these two forces is fuzzy. I do not have a clear line of sight regardless of the capital flows at present with many moving parts and mixed messaging in terms of policy, geopolitics and energy security realities. Everyone is talking their book.

My book is the intersection of real economics (like real politik), the practical side, with a thesis about sustainability and doing good with capital. The world is so interconnected that disentangling the many funds' constituent's country exposure would be time-consuming and unconstructive. This period of time is marked by uncertainty, but conviction can and does play a constructive role.

A diversified energy portfolio in both oil and gas, with a mix of U.S.-based production and progressive majors, and low-carbon energy and sustainable resource-oriented infrastructure is my optimal mix. This has been my mantra for many years now. In my portfolio, a slight increase in holdings - such as U.S. natural gas-weighted producer Range Resources (RRC), added on February 24th, and a select energy ETF (PXE) with top U.S. oil producers in November - made sense given trend lines.

As a bystander that pays attention to geopolitics and energy, I'm humbled by developments. It's sobering. Nevertheless, investors have to invest, players gotta play.

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Rubio, Scott Urge FERC to Reverse Derelict Policies That Threaten National Security, Raise Energy Prices – Senator Marco Rubio

Posted: at 2:54 am

Washington, D.C. U.S. Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) urged Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Chairman Richard Glick to rescind two recent policy statements that threaten investments in energy infrastructure, inappropriately expand the scope of the agencys regulatory authority, and will directly harm Florida ratepayers.It is undeniable that natural gas is critical to providing clean, reliable, and affordable electricity to the people of Florida and will continue to be as the states population and economy continue to grow, the senators wrote. Electricity providers in Florida are also seeking to expand their deployment of renewable energy technologies such as solar. The intermittent nature of these technologies requires that they be paired with reliable energy inputs, such as natural gas-based electricity generation. In reality, demand for natural gas may continue to grow as electricity providers expand their deployment of renewable energy. I fear that the implementation of FERCs policy statements, which are designed to impede the approval of natural gas infrastructure, will directly harm Florida ratepayers and will stifle our states economy.It is also worth noting that these policy statements undermine the certainty that Americas European allies can turn to the United States as a reliable source of liquefied natural gas as they seek to pivot their supply chains away from Russia and no longer be at the mercy of Vladimir Putin, the senators continued. The events of the last several months demonstrate that it is in Americas national security interest to promote sending American-produced natural gas to Europe. FERCs policies to intentionally send mixed market signals and harm energy market stability play right into Putins hands and will embolden dictators and mass murderers everywhere to weaken the integrity and solidarity of Americas alliances by threatening energy supply access.The full text of the letter is below.Dear Chairman Glick:We write to express strong concern with two policy statements issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on February 17, 2022, which are apparently designed to delay and prevent the certification of needed natural gas projects. Energy markets are experiencing historic uncertainty and disruption, and American and world leaders are working to combat such challenges and pivot energy supply chains away from autocratic regimes. FERCs issuance of these policies, which further undermine certainty in the sector, is particularly derelict. We urge you to rescind these policy statements immediately.The Natural Gas Act charges FERC with permitting interstate natural gas transportation facilities determined to be in the public interest. The act specifically instructs FERC to certify the projects based on a standard of public convenience and necessity. Such standard is guided by one of the acts principal aims: to encourage the orderly development of plentiful supplies of electricity and natural gas at reasonable prices. The February 17 policy statements seek to expand the role of FERC in this process in a way that neglects the law.FERCs stated intent for issuing the recent Policy Statement Regarding Certification of New Interstate Natural Gas Facilities is to clarif[y] how the Commission will execute its public interest obligations under the Natural Gas Act. However, rather than strictly clarifying how FERC would balance environmental concerns with economic benefits, the policy statement incorporates FERCs intention to evaluate the merits of a project based on a subjective parameter, environmental justice and equity. Notably, instead of discussing the requirements of existing regulations for securing a public convenience and necessity determination, the statement outlines the Commissions expectations without a discussion on how they will be weighed. This is a clear attempt to avoid a formal rulemaking process in order to preempt legal action against a policy evidently intended to delay and prevent project certifications, undermine certainty in the determination process, and deter investment in the natural gas sector.The Commissions other policy, Policy Statement Regarding Consideration of Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Natural Gas Infrastructure Reviews is an attempt to expand the purview of FERCs regulatory authority to include consideration of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from the upstream production and downstream combustion of transported gas, instead of solely considering emissions from a projects construction and operation. With this policy, FERC seeks to grant itself the authority to condition project certification on a project sponsors ability to mitigate upstream and downstream GHG emissions, for which they are not directly responsible. The Commission does not have the authority to regulate or consider either of these factors. It is clear that this improper policy is intended to burden applicants and dissuade the submission of applications.Florida is home to nearly 22 million people who heavily rely on clean and reliable natural gas for their electricity. Natural gas has allowed Florida to reduce its carbon emissions significantly since 2001, when 36 percent of Floridas electricity was generated from coal. Specifically, this critical resource has allowed Florida to reduce its electric power industry carbon emissions from 129.8 metric tons in 2001 to 96.7 metric tons in 2020a 25.5 percent decreasedespite a population increase of over five million people in that same period of time. In 2020, only 7 percent of Floridas electricity was generated with coal, thanks in large part to the shale revolution, which has empowered Florida power utilities to generate approximately three-quarters of Floridas electricity with natural gas from just four interstate pipelines and two intrastate pipelines.It is undeniable that natural gas is critical to providing clean, reliable, and affordable electricity to the people of Florida and will continue to be as the states population and economy continue to grow. Electricity providers in Florida are also seeking to expand their deployment of renewable energy technologies such as solar. The intermittent nature of these technologies requires that they be paired with reliable energy inputs, such as natural gas-based electricity generation. In reality, demand for natural gas may continue to grow as electricity providers expand their deployment of renewable energy. We fear that the implementation of FERCs policy statements, which are designed to impede the approval of natural gas infrastructure, will directly harm Florida ratepayers and will stifle our states economy.It is also worth noting that these policy statements undermine the certainty that Americas European allies can turn to the United States as a reliable source of liquefied natural gas as they seek to pivot their supply chains away from Russia and no longer be at the mercy of Vladimir Putin. The events of the last several months demonstrate that it is in Americas national security interest to promote sending American-produced natural gas to Europe. FERCs policies to intentionally send mixed market signals and harm energy market stability play right into Putins hands and will embolden dictators and mass murderers everywhere to weaken the integrity and solidarity of Americas alliances by threatening energy supply access.FERCs deliberate efforts to undermine Americas economic stability and national security are not just irresponsible; they are downright dangerous and shameful. We urge you to rescind these policy statements immediately.Sincerely,

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Rubio, Scott Urge FERC to Reverse Derelict Policies That Threaten National Security, Raise Energy Prices - Senator Marco Rubio

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More vital support given to over 300 cultural organisations to survive beyond pandemic and protect jobs – GOV.UK

Posted: at 2:54 am

Hundreds of cultural organisations have received a share of the final 35 million emergency support package from the Culture Recovery Fund, to help overcome the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since August 2020, the Culture Recovery Fund has distributed 1.57 billion to around 5,000 organisations and sites across the country, giving a lifeline to theatres, museums, independent cinemas and many more cherished organisations around the country through the pandemic.

The final round of funding has supported organisations through the latest challenges, in particular those affected by the Omicron variant this winter. It has kept organisations up and running so that they can continue to support jobs and contribute to local economies.

The record-breaking fund has helped the countrys precious arts, heritage and culture through the pandemic, backing world-renowned names such as Blackpools Tower Ballroom, Glastonbury Festival and the National Theatre.

Arts Minister Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay said:

Being cut off from them during lockdown has underlined what a vital role cultural organisations play in their community up and down the country. The Government stood by them in the pandemic, and is determined that they should remain open and accessible to everyone - now and for generations to come.

I am very proud of the Culture Recovery Fund and the lifeline it has provided for cherished organisations in every part of the country.

The government has been working flat out to support our world-class performing arts and live events sector through challenging times. Now, thanks to this funding, festival-goers and gig-lovers will be able to get back to the brilliant live, in-person events that have been on hold over the past two years. Harrogate International Festivals, for example, have received a grant of 80,000 to continue delivering engaging cultural festivals, such as the Harrogate Music Festival.

A 185,000 grant for Corsica Studios in central London has helped the night club welcome grassroots DJs and household names alike and 60,000 has supported the Wedgewood Rooms, an independent music venue in Southsea, Portsmouth offering an important grassroots music space, and comedy and spoken word events since opening in 1992.

To make sure that everyone continues to have access to arts and culture, this funding will support creative, community-driven arts organisations and creative projects to help nurture and sustain local talent. 70,000 has been awarded to the oldest working mens club in Britain, Holbeck Working Mens Club based in Leeds, making sure this community-owned venue can continue with its rich cultural programme.

West End Stage in central London has also received a grant of over 80,000 to continue inspiring and supporting young people to begin their careers on stage. More than 95,000 in funding has gone to Birmingham-based Deaf Explorer to help their important work with Deaf artists to access opportunities across the arts. Almost 50,000 is going to support Golden Tree Productions in Cornwall so that it can continue to develop iconic cultural projects that celebrate Cornwalls distinctiveness and diversity.

The Bluecoat, Liverpools iconic contemporary arts centre, has also been granted over 170,000 to continue their important work engaging the community with art and culture. Home to over 27 artists, arts organisations, craftspeople and retailers in one of Liverpools most historic buildings, the funding has protected jobs and kept the centre running.

Sir Nicholas Serota, Chair, Arts Council England said:

This additional round of the Emergency Resource Support Fund has provided a vital lifeline to creative and cultural organisations who have faced further challenges whilst recovering from the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

We once again thank the government for its unprecedented support for our creative and cultural industries. The 35 million awarded in Cultural Recovery Funding is helping to support the sector as it continues to welcome back visitors, reinvigorate communities, champion local talent, and ensure every one of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences wherever they are in the country.

These final awards are also safeguarding precious heritage and regional museums so they can be enjoyed by local communities and visitors long into the future. 1.35 million has protected jobs at The Piece Hall in Halifax, the only remaining Grade I-listed Georgian cloth hall in the world, and funded conservation repairs so the heritage destination can continue welcoming visitors.

130,000 has also been awarded to Aerospace Bristol, a family-friendly museum and learning centre whose exhibitions tell the remarkable story of Filton Airfield, and almost 200,000 has gone to The Sussex Archaeological Society to support their work researching and preserving local history and archaeology.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive, Historic England, said:

This final round of government funding has supported a range of important heritage organisations across the country, including The Piece Hall in Yorkshire. These places offer people with unparalleled ways of understanding the past, the history of their area, and the great outdoors and are of great importance for our post-pandemic recovery. Helping them to continue to recover and thrive into the future will provide long-lasting benefits to communities across the country.

Eilish McGuinness, Chief Executive, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, said:

This third and final round of the Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage has provided a vital lifeline to heritage organisations, sites and attractions who have found it challenging to recover from the ongoing impact of the Covid pandemic. The 3.1 million awarded by DCMS has helped support the heritage sector as it continues to move forward with plans to open doors to visitors, reinvigorating local areas and contributing to local and national tourism and economy.

Emergency funding has also kept projectors rolling in independent cinemas across the country. Thanks to a 45,000 emergency grant from the Culture Recovery Fund, Plymouth Arts Cinema, Plymouths only independent cinema, has been able to continue its rich programme of international and UK independent films and offer cheaper tickets to those out of employment, students, those attending Relaxed screenings, and asylum seekers and refugees.

Almost 130,000 has also supported The Regal at Stowmarket to complete its long-planned refurbishment and offer an expanded programme to local communities, including pocket-money screenings with 3 tickets for children and work with local disability groups.

Ben Roberts, Chief Executive, BFI said:

Every penny of the Culture Recovery Fund including over 500k in this final round of funding to independent cinemas across the country has been vital to their survival, enabling them to recover and welcome back their audiences. As well as bringing people together to experience the magic of experiencing film on the big screen, local cinemas are hubs for educational and film activities and provide thousands of jobs contributing to regeneration and local economies.

TV presenter Angellica Bell, Board Member, Kingston Theatre Trust said:

As a Board member of Kingston Theatre Trust, I know how hard our team has worked to sustain the theatre during the pandemic. The Rose enjoys a reputation as both a well-respected producing house and a vibrant community arts hub for Kingston and South West London. We are committed to welcoming new, diverse audience members to the theatre, and this grant helps us to create work that will entice both first time and returning theatregoers to visit the Rose.

Dame Evelyn Glennie, solo percussionist said:

I am delighted that Deaf Explorer has this Culture Recovery Grant. This is a unique company with immense expertise amongst the artists that they collaborate with and support. They access producers that facilitate deaf artists to pioneer inclusive new work. The grant will help key staff return to work, fund-raise and rebuild confidence in their network of deaf artists, who have been devastated by the impact of Covid-19 on the cultural sector. New marketing and promotion will profile the company and help them find new cultural partners, wanting to improve access. I hope for them to quickly return the CIC to a successful not for profit, inspiring the deaf community to be creative and involved in the arts.

Nicky Chance-Thompson DL, Chief Executive, The Piece Hall Trust, said:

We are incredibly grateful the Government recognises the pivotal role The Piece Hall will continue to play in supporting the regions recovery post pandemic. This generous grant will ensure that this internationally significant heritage site loved by so many, can continue to be sustained and remain free to enter, enabling many different visitors and communities to enjoy and benefit from this precious historic and cultural asset at a time when its perhaps needed more than ever. It has become increasingly clear that heritage and culture both play a vital role in supporting our emotional and economic well-being, and we look forward to bringing some much-needed fun and joy back to visitors with a great line up of events in 2022.

Mary Cloake, CEO, The Bluecoat, Liverpool said:

Were absolutely thrilled that we have been thrown this financial lifeline from the Culture Recovery Fund. Were grateful to DCMS and the Arts Council for their unwavering support for arts and culture throughout the pandemic. We have spent years building a mixed economy that isnt solely reliant on public funding, and that was turned on its head during Covid. We will use this money to continue to provide a centre for art and artists in the heart of Liverpool city centre, rebuilding our business and securing its future.

Anna Byrne, Executive Director, Auxiliary Project Space, Stockton on Tees said:

This funding comes at a pivotal time as we emerge from the effects of Covid-19. It allows us to make the full transition of opening up to the public, and supports our team and building with essential resources. We can now face 2022 with a renewed sense of confidence as we build towards the future.

Joanna Resnick, Executive Producer, The Holbeck, Leeds said:

The Holbeck Club serves the community in so many ways- an everyday cultural palace- a place to learn, laugh and relax. This vital funding means that we can continue to do this in these trying times. Were incredibly grateful for it.

Clare Sacco, Events Co-ordinator, The Creative Seed, South Shields said:

We are absolutely delighted to have received the Emergency Resource Support Fund. The Arts Council and DCMSs support through the ERF fund has been essential to allowing us to continue our work in the community, with people from a variety of backgrounds and demographics, with a focus on those who traditionally do not find arts and culture accessible. We strongly believe that the arts should be fully inclusive, and this funding will be pivotal in allowing us to facilitate this inclusion.

Sharon Canavar, Chief Executive, Harrogate International Festivals said:

This funding will make a significant difference to our ongoing delivery and emergence from the pandemic. Festivals are cyclical by nature and despite delivering a mix of digital and smaller scale live events during 2021 we need to be fit for purpose for the future learning from our resilience, radically changed programmes and creative ambition over the last two years. This funding will allow us to make informed decisions on our future artistic and community outputs.

Peter Blackburn CBE, Honorary President, Harrogate International Festivals said:

Financial support for the Harrogate International Festivals will be a much needed boost to the organisation after an incredibly challenging two years. HIF has been an integral part of the community during the pandemic supporting residents, employing artists and radically changing the creative offer to animate the town. However, as an organisation with a heavy reliance on ticket sales and sponsorship these much needed funds will bridge the gap across the winter months enabling us to rebuild and reimagine our organisation as we look towards the summer season in 2022 and beyond.

Ellie Claughton, Co-Director, Barrel Organ Theatre, Sheffield said:

We believe that everybody should be afforded the opportunity to nourish their creativity and have a voice, whether they consider themselves to be an artist or not. Funding from the Emergency Resource Fund has been intrinsic in supporting this work and in ensuring Barrel Organ are in a robust position to serve the communities we work with.

Loren Slater, Co-Director, Signal Film and Media, Barrow and Cumbria said:

This funding has been a lifeline for us during the pandemic, allowing us to adapt and increase our services to support some of the most vulnerable and isolated members of our community here in Barrow and Cumbria. The money meant we were able to keep delivering high quality activities and adapting to the rapidly changing circumstances of COVID instead of being under constant worry over our survival. Were incredibly grateful to the Arts Council for their dedication to helping organisations like ours and their responsiveness in providing the help we needed in such tough times.

Alison Gwynn, Chief Executive, Northern Film + Media said:

We [Northern Film + Media] are grateful to have received an award through the Cultural Recovery Fund at a really challenging time. The funding has enabled us to survive, and continue with the delivery of our programme of activities to those who are looking to enter the screen industry here in the North East. Our activity is due to expand rapidly this year and this marks the start of what will be an exciting time for the region and significant growth in the industry. The award has helped get to the point where we can thrive and be ready to support our talented screen professionals.

Richard Blaine, Artistic Director, Southwold and Aldeburgh Theatre Ltd said:

The amazing support from both CRF and ERS has been instrumental in both securing the survival of the company and creating a pathway to renewed self-sustainability and expansion. By supporting our 2021 summer season, CRF enabled the company to re-open on Freedom Day, 19th July, the first in our region. That seasons success won us an invitation to expand to a second venue in 2022. The vital bridge to this expanded season, with potentially twice the income, and twice the local jobs of 2021, is our ERS grant. Having been kept afloat, we have now had a huge push back into the stream - its a great example of how judiciously targeted Arts Funding is a future-facing investment, not just a lifeline.

Valerie Mills, Director, Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre said:

We are delighted to have received further funding from the Culture Recovery Fund and this Emergency Response Support grant has enabled us to navigate the winter months with more confidence, despite ongoing difficult operating conditions. Thanks to the funding we have been able to continue working towards sustainability by supporting our 350 volunteers, working with our collections and developing our learning programme.

Steve Goodman (aka Kode9), Hyperdub Records, London, said:

Having held live music, club nights and art events at Corsica Studios for over 10 years (most recently our series which ran from 2017-2020), I am delighted to hear that the venue has been successful in its latest funding round. Corsica is one of the few remaining places in London that champions and supports left field and emerging culture with care and attention to sound and the overall experience of its audiences. Its an incredibly important musical hub and home for artists, labels and collectives in South London.

James Steventon, Director, Fermynwoods Contemporary Art, Northampton said:

After an incredibly challenging two years we are grateful to Arts Council England and DCMS for their support which has allowed us to take stock and reconfigure our organisation to do what we do best in creatively responding to a changing world.

Corey Baker, Choreographer, Corey Baker Dance, Birmingham said:

By the second half of last year, Swan Lake Bath Ballet had been a huge international hit and we had loads of opportunities for new projects. But for over a year our regular income sources had been completely cut off, and we had a serious cashflow crisis. Emergency Resource Support gave us the working capital we needed to get back to making work. With this support, we danced on top of wind turbines to celebrate renewable energy; we choreographed cars, bikes and skydivers for the BBC and One Dance UKs Dance Passion; and we even got to dance at No 10 Downing Street. We made three new dance films that have been seen by millions. ERS got our company moving again.

Billy Read, Chair of Deaf Explorer CIC, Birmingham, said:

We are excited to receive this Cultural Recovery Grant. Before Covid-19 we massively changed the lives of deaf artists. During Covid-19 our pipeline of artists collapsed. This grant will celebrate and raise our profile with a two day festival that will bring Deaf artists together, commission new work and reach our deaf audiences. We will also fundraise to delivery outstanding community participation projects that will involve a new generations of deaf artists.

Will Coleman, Artistic Director of Golden Tree, Cornwall, said:

Yma an Arghasans Yagheans Gonisogeth ow kweres gwitha an termyn a dheu rag Gwriansow Gwedhen Owr hagan gasa dhe besya dhe dysplegya digolmow gonisogethek, adhyskansel ha kerghynedhel neb a wul dyffransow leun a styr ha hirduryadow dhe gemenedhow.

Translation: The Culture Recovery Fund will help safeguard the future of Golden Tree Productions, and allow us to continue to design cultural, educational, and environmental solutions that make meaningful and lasting differences to communities.

Ian Stockley, Chief Executive Officer, Bath Festivals said:

The ERS Fund allowed us to maintain the required level of resource in the last quarter of 2021 to plan for a successful return to our higher levels of activity in 2022, as we emerge from the pandemic. We announced our May 2022 Festival programme of over 130 events at the beginning of March. This would not have been feasible without the grant from the ERS Fund.

Geoff Priestly, General Manager from Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth said:

The Culture Recovery Fund: Emergency Resources Support Fund has enabled the venue to weather the storm caused by the later Covid variants, and allowed us to keep shows in place, pay artists, promoters and technicians, and allowed The Wedgewood Rooms to present a wide and varied programme, further we have been able to re engage with our local creative community and audience.

Captain Les Brodie, Former British Airways Concorde pilot said:

As a former Concorde pilot, I believe it is absolutely vital that we preserve our precious aviation heritage for future generations and inspire young people to become the scientists and engineers of the future. Im thrilled that, thanks to the kind support of The Arts Council, Aerospace Bristol has been able to make it through the pandemic and Concorde will continue to spark inspiration in young minds for many years to come.

Lloyd Burnell, Executive Director, Aerospace Bristol said:

Thanks to vital support from the Culture Recovery Fund, Aerospace Bristol, has been able to survive the unprecedented challenge of the covid-19 pandemic, keeping our museum open and continuing our award-winning learning programme and conservation work. Were enormously grateful for this crucial grant and its fantastic to now see the results of this support, as visitors return to Aerospace Bristol to discover our incredible aviation heritage, step aboard Concorde, and enjoy days out together again.

Greg Staw, Co-founder, ON:SONG, Stroud said:

After what has been such a turbulent time for ON:SONG, like for so many cultural organisations, we are thrilled to have once again been supported by this round of funding. This means the world to us, both in terms of the financial stability it brings, and the belief shown in our mission to change lives through the power of music and song.

David Marsh, Events and Theatre Manager, Stowmarket Town Council, local to The Regal said:

The ongoing support from the Culture Recovery Fund has allowed us to continue to grow the cultural offering in mid-Suffolk. The additional measures and full programme it has afforded us to put in place has helped give our community the confidence to return to the cinema and in turn support many of our neighbouring hospitality businesses. We thank the BFI and DCMS for their incredibly valued support during this period.

Simon Ward and Corinna Downing, Owners, The Palace Cinema, Broadstairs said:

Were delighted to have received a further award from the BFIs Culture Recovery Fund for Independent Cinemas through the DCMS. The BFIs informed and consistent support for our cinema throughout the two years of the pandemic has ensured our survival. Thanks to this award we can look forward to a thriving future presenting an increasingly diverse range of international cinema, special events and education programmes to our communities in Broadstairs, Thanet and wider-Kent. Thank you!

Anna Navas, Director and Film Programmer, Plymouth Arts Cinema said:

We are very grateful to receive this support for Plymouth Arts Cinema. It will enable us to continue rebuilding our audience as we recover from the pandemic, and to develop new audiences by deepening our community engagement. We are committed to bringing world class independent cinema and film culture to Plymouth.

Gareth Negus, Managing Director, Electric Picture House Cinema, Southwold said:

Since we first received support from the Culture Recovery Fund, weve been gratified to see our audiences start to return to the cinema in greater numbers, some for the first time in several years. But we still face the challenge of rebuilding their confidence, and the cinema-going habit, in a period when - like many businesses - we are facing a number of increasing costs. So were tremendously grateful for this additional funding, and the investment in small businesses like ours that are so important to their communities. Were here for culture, and were planning to stay that way.

Gary Trinder, Chairman, Regent Centre, Christchurch said:

We are absolutely delighted to be the recipient of a further Culture Recovery Fund award from the DCMS, awarded through the British Film Institute of which we are members. The award provides ongoing certainty to operation of the Regent which is a registered Charity, meaning that after a sustained period of closure last year, we have reopened once again as a vibrant and healthy organisation, which would not have been the case without the award.

Raj Jeyasingam, Owner, Palace Cinema, Alton said:

Im very grateful to DCMS and the BFI for this much needed help at a crucial time when there has been fewer movies on release to suit our customers, many of whom are still lacking confidence in attending the cinema.

Micaela Tuckwell, Executive Director, The Ultimate Picture Palace, Oxford said:

The Ultimate Picture Palace (UPP) is enormously grateful to everyone at DCMS and BFI for selecting us for an award from their CRF Emergency Resource Fund as this grant has made a vital difference to the future of our small cinema after the devastating blow Covid-19 had on sales, particularly in the final months of 2021. Crucially, the grant has allowed the staff and volunteers of the UPP to share their commitment to keeping the cinema open 7-days a week and to continue screening the best independent films from the UK and around the world. Receiving the grant has also given the business the stability to green light the cinemas exciting community ownership campaign which is being launched in the coming months inviting everyone who loves the UPP and independent cinema to invest in our historic cinema so that it can be brought even closer to the heart of the community, stays independent and has a bright future.

ENDS

Notes to editors:

For more information on the funds please see:ACEBFIHE/NLHF

Find out more about the Culture Recovery Fund and Here For Culture campaign.

Originally posted here:

More vital support given to over 300 cultural organisations to survive beyond pandemic and protect jobs - GOV.UK

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Will Smith’s Slap Is Political Correctness Taken to Its Logical Conclusion | Opinion – Newsweek

Posted: at 2:53 am

It's been three days since actor Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscar's after Rock made a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and the hot takes are still coming. The slap set off a fierce debate about whether Smith was violently overreacting to a joke or gallantly standing up for his woman against misogyny and racism. But lost in the conversation has been the precedent for Smith's actions; Smith's slap wasn't the result of some outdated notion of honor culture but something much more mundane: political correctness shutting down comedy.

For though the event shocked the world, the incident in question did not occur in a cultural vacuum. The climate surrounding comedians has been rife with controversy for years now, with comedians frequently the targets of calls for censorship, deplatforming and reputation destruction in the name of social awareness.

Just last year, comedian Dave Chappelle's comedy special "The Closer" dominated the news cycle after a controversy erupted based over his allegedly "anti trans" jokes. The special sparked such outrage among LGBTQ activists that a protest flared up at Netflix's headquarters. Demands were made that the special be removed from the streaming network. Despite Chappelle's insistence that his jokes were in good humor and not hate-filled rants against the trans community, his pleas fell on deaf ears; mainstream media outlets continue to associate Chappelle's image with transphobia to this day.

It's this trend that Will Smith has joinedthe one that sought to cancel Chappelle over jokes. The one that recently set its sights on Joe Rogan, subjected to the collective ire of medical professionals and mainstream media outlets after using his successful platform to deviate from the accepted narrative on COVID-19 vaccinations, mandates and lockdowns.

The Rogan cancelation attempt peaked absurdly when White House press secretary Jen Psaki urged Spotify, the streaming network that hosts Joe Rogan's popular podcast, to take further action against Rogan and help stop the spread of "misinformation." We witnessed the White House, in its official capacity, urging a private company to dampen the voice of a comedian who had committed no crime or violation of the law.

Saturday night's Academy Awards controversy was yet another incarnation of this pernicious trend, but one that escalated to the absurd degree of resulting in physical violence. And while many are decrying the violence on display, the truth is that the incident between Will Smith and Chris Rock was the culmination of a precedent that has been culturally sanctioned by a powerful liberal elite to silence, slander and demonize comedians and commentators who dare to trigger cultural or political sensitivities.

If the federal government is willing to openly demand that private platforms censor comedians, if the mainstream media can benefit from scarring the reputations of those who question their edicts, then why shouldn't any means of silencing, including violence, be the next logical step?

Smith's act would have resulted in anyone less famous or influential being carted off stage by security. And yet, after slapping Chris Rock for making an innocuous joke about his wife's hairstyle (Jada Pinkett Smith has alopecia, something Rock later said he was not aware of), Smith and Pinkett Smith were showered with affirmation from fellow celebrities. Smith went on to win an Oscar that night and then gave a long-winded, tearful speech saturated in racial justice platitudes and appeals to the Black community which further earned the sympathy of those with cultural allegiance to the powerful social justice constituency.

No apology was made that evening to Chris Rock, which sent a worrying message to the entire world after we all witnessed one of Hollywood's most beloved figures assault a comedian over "hurt feelings" and suffer no consequences.

What does this communicate at a time when social critics and commentators are quickly becoming a favored political scapegoat?

It communicates that we are in a culture that has become so narcissistic, so impotent and so humorless that even a slight cultural provocation that deviates from the strict and often absurd rules of "political correctness" can be met with the most inhumane violations of personal rights and freedoms, from federal overreach (Joe Rogan) to physical attacks (Chris Rock).

It's no surprise that in a media and political landscape where conformity, compliance and deference to official narratives are heavily incentivized, growing cultural hostility toward comedians and social critics would also flourish, and this creates an environment dangerous and unstable enough to deter free expression.

It sends the powerful and terrifying message that those who offend, deviate or provoke will not be afforded the same protection, charity and dignity as those who conform.

Nobody should be assaulted for telling a joke. Such a premise should never be culturally sanctioned, normalized or unpunished. Only time will tell if this unfortunate moment in entertainment history will become yet another example of culturally sanctioned intimidation and hostility directed at comedians and commentators, or if something will finally be done to combat this unhealthy cycle.

Angie Speaks is a cultural commentator and cohost of the Low Society Podcast.

The views in this article are the writer's own.

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Will Smith's Slap Is Political Correctness Taken to Its Logical Conclusion | Opinion - Newsweek

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How did we get to where political correctness and woke-ness rule in our society? – Paris Post Intelligencer

Posted: at 2:53 am

Sometimes its very hard to sort a thought or line of thoughts because a clear answer or understandable conclusion cannot be reached that would bring the thought to a logical conclusion.

But, there are times when the thought creates a thread that seems to unravel many other thoughts that may be related, or not, causing no clear answer to be reached.

The thought keeps nagging though, and some ruminations on the thought can only offer partial clear answers. I think some of my thoughts may open a dialogue on one such rumination.

One thought that persists is how did we get to the place the nation is in today, where political correctness (PC) and the woke philosophy has taken such a deep hold on our society and body politic.

Being a believer in history and how it reflects on the present, I have a sense that PC has evolved from a need to civically address an injustice, a tool to destroy dessent from anything but the accepted PC or woke position in vogue at the moment.

As far as I can trace this phenomenon, their origins are a mystery with at best guesses as to when they started but woke in this instance is being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice.

Woke has been around in the black community since at least 1942, when it was used in the Negro Digest. PC is the avoidance of language or behavior considered to be discriminatory or offensive to certain groups of people.

The PC origin can be traced back to 1917, where it first appeared in the Marist-Leninist vocabulary following the Russian Revolution, used to describe adherence to the policies and principles of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

PC is generally tied to the early Soviet Union, where the whims of those in power continually kept society in an upheaval, using PC as their weapon of choice. The government would put out, through its control of the media, conflicting goals or policies that never let the population know for sure where it stood or what was the proper stance they were required to take.

PC and woke philosophies are tied together by their need to make society adhere to words, terms or positions that are contrary to the norms historically in place. Altering accepted beliefs of the time or forcing society to alter its principles to conform to a different position.

If, for instance, a society has an entrenched belief with an idea about one segment of society that is based on flawed truths, then in order to rectify that flawed truth, society accepts the idea that a particular word or identity must be changed as a way to resolve the flawed truth.

I liken it to the acknowledgment of society that the common description of blacks in my youth was negro or the N word. At the time, these were the most common words used to identify blacks, without exception, across the country.

As society began to become aware of the way blacks felt, and still feel, about the N word, society started to accept the descriptions that blacks found acceptable, thus the politically correct way blacks wanted to be addressed.

As far as I can find, this was the first obvious example of political correctness, in this country, that changed the terminology used to describe a group based on their self-identity.

It became clear that in order to be politically correct, you refrained from using the N word to describe blacks and, at the same time, the word Negro went out of vogue, being replaced with African American or black.

PC evolved from the Marist-Lenist meaning, adherence to a political position, to a linguist application. PC permitted different groups to alter society through the use of what they determined to be proper language and usage of language to describe themselves.

In essence, PC weaponized language; language was used to force society into positions when it was not in conformity with PC. Language became the weapon of choice for groups that wanted a voice in society.

Even though many of these groups were very small minorities, they used political correctness to force society to acknowledge their position, unquestioned, without debate.

Almost every group that has risen to the forefront of societal change: gay rights, womens rights, civil rights, gender rights or any of the multiple segments of society, demanding this or that change in society to be made, to accommodate their sliver of society, have used PC to force the rest of society to conform to their demands.

Clearly, there is and was a place for minority groups to ask for, or even demand, societal changes because of the obvious discrimination against them. All the different rights groups in society have legitimate grievances that society should address.

But when those groups exceed their true grievance and brow-beat society into positions beyond their actual grievance with PC, society suffers. If any group uses intimation to suppress any other group, it will lead to divisiveness and the splintering of society.

PC is a weapon, and a weapon that has been used effectively by minority groups to demand changes in our society and body politic.

The weaponizing of language has resulted in keeping the country in a constant state of flux, where no one is sure of whether they are being politically correct or not when we are dealing with each other, and that is tragic. The end result of PC is confusion and fear.

Woke has come into use in the last few years to further intimate society by presenting arguments by inference that makes an individual an immediate outcast from society just by inferring that this or that person has committed the sin of being politically incorrect, even without factual basis for claims made against them, but only by accusation.

When that accusation becomes the face of the claim without factual support, what happens to objectivity and the rights of the accused?

Logically, one would say that when a police officer kills someone or uses excessive force and violates the law while injuring or killing that person, then that police officer should be prosecuted to the fullness extent of the law. Thats why we have laws in this country to protect people from overzealous policemen/women.

But in a woke culture, not only is the law-breaking policeman accused of a crime, the entire police apparatus is lumped together with the policeman committing the crime.

Instead of developing the facts and prosecuting the individual, woke-ness insists and demands outlandish concessions unrelated to the incident. When we apply woke-ness to an incident, it becomes much to easier to defame, defund and label all police officers as evil set on attacking innocent black men.

With the use of woke in the past few years and the continuing use of PC, society has accelerated down the road of disintegration.

PC and woke harken back to other misguided ideas from the past, such as the Salem Witch Trails, the Red Scare of the 1950s, the only good Indian is a dead Indian and the anti-Irish, anti-Italian, anti-Jewish views.

If we look at what PC and woke-ism are, it doesnt take long to realize that when the pressures created by PC and woke-ness are applied to society, that society can very easily lose its sense of unity.

So I am left with initial questions of how PC and woke-ness have taken such a hold on our body politic and why are they so influential in our culture? I know what they are and how they are used by one or the other parts of society against some other part of society, but I do not understand why.

I dont understand why we as a society, who proudly believe in our freedoms and liberties, then turn around and allow the weaponizing of our language to further one groups desire to overlord the rest of society.

I dont understand the concept that each and every minority has power over the majority at every level of society through the power of PC and woke-ness. I dont understand why we are failing each other by allowing one segment of society to dictate what we can say, think, interact with each other, how we conduct business and what we teach our children.

Knowing what I do about PC and woke-ness and the history of, especially, political correctness, I have very uneasy feelings about our ultimate future. I already see PC and woke-ness attacking the very people who first used it against their initial targets.

And that is my greatest fear, because when we create a continuous state of flux and societys ideology is constantly in a fluid motion where nothing can gel or set up into a solid state, I fear we will be left with continuous whiplash where we will not have a solid set of ideals to keep us as one.

One out of many, not many out of one, is our national motto, and if we cannot accept the fact that this nation is made up from many different cultures, races, nationalities, religions and from every corner of the world, we will lose the thing we should be most proud of: even though we come from very different backgrounds and places, we are here by choice and one of the whole.

I hope my shared rumination will create some conversation, knowing that what has been said is not the only answer, but the questions should be explored, even though they may not be resolved.

BERNARD LESLIE is a beekeeping expert who lives beside Kentucky Lake in the northeast corner of Henry County. His email address is bleslie0515@gmail.com.

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How did we get to where political correctness and woke-ness rule in our society? - Paris Post Intelligencer

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Letter to the editor | Free to express thoughts | Readers Forum | tribdem.com – TribDem.com

Posted: at 2:53 am

The POTUS does not need to nor should he walk back his personal belief that Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power.

One of our American freedoms is the freedom of free speech. The presidential oath of office requires the president to uphold our Constitution; it does not require a pledge to abrogate his human compassion and consciousness.

President Joe Biden was speaking from his heart. Today, too many are concerned with political correctness. What nonsense!

The White House was dismayed when the president went off script. Of more concern to me is that political advisers apparently believe the American public needs to be fed only pre-programed, scripted speeches. This is not free speech.

Do spokespersons truly believe unscripted statements must be reinterpreted for public consumption?

Biden demonstrated he cannot ignore the atrocities being committed against the people of Ukraine. A wonderful demonstration of his personal compassion. No need to walk back or re-explain.

Freedom of speech is just that free to express thoughts, beliefs and compassion.

Mr. President no walk-back is needed.

Thank you for your well-expressed personal compassion.

Cindie Petersen

Johnstown

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Letter to the editor | Free to express thoughts | Readers Forum | tribdem.com - TribDem.com

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Chris Freind: Open letter to Will Smith: Your worst performance ever – The Delaware County Daily Times

Posted: at 2:53 am

Chris Pizzello/ The Associated Press

Dear Will Smith:

They say timing is everything. Sadly, your timing couldnt have been worse.

After a stellar career and a reputation as one of Hollywoods good guys, you destroyed much of that legacy by your behavior at the Oscars. You brought shame upon yourself, embarrassed many in your hometown of Philly, disgraced the Academy Awards, and stole the thunder from every other winner. Worst of all, your actions set a terrible example for the most important among us our impressionable children. Most wont remember apologies, or understand any personal issues you may have been enduring. Instead, they may think that physically assaulting and verbally abusing anyone who disrespects them is justified, since their hero did just that in front of the entire world.

Tinseltown loves to say theres no such thing as bad publicity. But in your case, that may not be true. Since you already have fame and fortune, the effect of additional good publicity is marginal. So it stands to reason that bad PR might be just that bad. Bad for your soul. Bad for your reputation. And bad for your legacy, which, for most successful people, is the thing they most covet. Sure, youll never have to look for work in Hollywood, since you remain a bankable name. But when it comes down to it, losing your cool and hitting someone solely because of a joke is what people will most remember about Will Smith.

To combat that, the best thing you could do is embark on a genuine mea culpa tour, where you speak about accountability and civility and why violence is never the answer.

Otherwise, youll be most remembered not as a Prince or King, but as a Bad Boy.

For those living under a rock (no pun intended), comedian Chris Rock hosted the Academy Awards on Sunday, where he made a joke about Will Smiths wife Jada Pinkett Smith due to her shaved head. At first, it appeared that Will laughed right along with many others. But after that and possibly after seeing his wifes disdain Smith leapt onto the stage, approached Rock, and slapped him in the face. Upon returning to his seat, he unleashed expletives at the host.

For his part, Rock played it as best he could after being assaulted on live international television. He composed himself, ad-libbed a quick joke, and carried on hosting. Bolstering his reputation as a class act, Rock refused to press charges even though Smith didnt apologize to him after winning an Oscar minutes later, or after the ceremony concluded, instead choosing to party the night away. Only the next day did Smith apologize to the comedian, but frankly, it seems too little, too late.

Some thoughts on the sordid affair:

First and foremost, Chris Rock is a comedian. By definition, comics make jokes. Sometimes they are funny, and sometimes they bomb, but by the nature of what they do, comics are not meant to be viewed seriously nor their jokes taken personally.

To be even having a discussion over a harmless Oscars joke as to whether or not it was appropriate is so mindboggling that, if someone scripted it, hed be laughed out of the room, even by Hollywoods low standards.

Whats the solution? Should Chris Rock have requested the medical records of every person he might have roasted that night, and planned his jokes accordingly? Or, in the name of political correctness and censorship and to protect the offended class should he have been given a list of topics and people who were off the table? If so, be prepared for future hosts telling nothing but second-grade knock-knock jokes, because thats all thatll pass such ridiculous litmus tests.

2) Rock declined to press charges, but the L.A. District Attorneys office could. At the least, it should consider doing so. This wasnt chivalrous, nor a romantic gesture, or a private fight mano-a-mano out of public view, but a live physical assault in front of literally the entire planet. People get arrested every day for less, so the D.A. should be careful not to be seen as giving a celebrity a free pass.

Arrest or not, the best outcome would be for Will Smith to actively engage in community service, hitting the speaking circuit to discuss the consequences of actions, anger management, forgiveness and rehabilitation. It would be a win-win: Smith would salvage his reputation, and his star power could have a huge impact on Americas youth by helping them avoid the path of bad choices.

3) Many are calling for the Academy to strip Smith of his Oscar. It should not, since winning the award has nothing to do with his behavior at the ceremony. In other words, since he had already earned the prize, the recognition of that achievement should not be tied to events that occurred off-screen. Its akin to stripping athletes of awards because of activities off the field. Ultimately, such punitive actions are meaningless since everyone knows those people earned their awards through hard work and merit.

4) Where are we going when Americas hyper-sensitivity no longer allows us to laugh at ourselves? And worse, when we willfully permit the thought police to exercise control over every aspect of our lives?

This is precisely why some comedians such as Rock, Jerry Seinfeld and Larry the Cable Guy have refused to perform on college campuses, and why some commencement speakers have withdrawn from graduation ceremonies. Spoiled brats, insulated-from-reality, protest everything and everyone so frequently that its gotten to the point where normal people are walking away, refusing to subject themselves to such treatment.

Comedy acts are not news programs, and should not be treated as such. Instead, since the goal is simply to make people laugh, nothing said should be taken with a straight face. What part of that dont people understand?

You can tell a lot about a society by its sense of humor. The strong ones have the ability to laugh, poke fun, and engage in self-deprecating humor, made possible by an innate confidence and the ability not to take itself too seriously.

Conversely, societies that live in fear, get constantly offended and attempt to sanitize everything with the goal of complete homogenization put themselves on the path to self-destruction. Political correctness rules the day, common sense goes out the window, and a bitter resentment grows as people feel they can only express themselves behind closed doors, fearful of being labeled insensitive and bigoted.

This is no laughing matter. Its time to grow a spine and push back against this rising tide of insanity. No more backing down for innocent jokes, and no more apologies to people whose entire existence is predicated upon being offended.

Hey Chris Rock keep the laughs coming. And for anyone who disagrees, the jokes on them.

Chris Freind is an independent columnist and commentator whose column appears every Wednesday. He can be reached at CF@FFZMedia.com Follow him on Twitter @chrisfreind.

Chris Freind: Open letter to Will Smith: Your worst performance ever - The Delaware County Daily Times

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Daily Archives: March 31, 2022

Moonstrike Using the Unreal Engine Releases the Game Footages of Moon Surface – GlobeNewswire

TASEKO ANNOUNCES A 40% INCREASE IN GIBRALTAR PROVEN AND PROBABLE RESERVES – PR Newswire

‘Development will eventually lead to environmental conflicts’ – Down To Earth Magazine

Intersection Of Geopolitics And Energy Offer Sober Reflection – Seeking Alpha

Rubio, Scott Urge FERC to Reverse Derelict Policies That Threaten National Security, Raise Energy Prices – Senator Marco Rubio

More vital support given to over 300 cultural organisations to survive beyond pandemic and protect jobs – GOV.UK

Will Smith’s Slap Is Political Correctness Taken to Its Logical Conclusion | Opinion – Newsweek

How did we get to where political correctness and woke-ness rule in our society? – Paris Post Intelligencer

Letter to the editor | Free to express thoughts | Readers Forum | tribdem.com – TribDem.com

Chris Freind: Open letter to Will Smith: Your worst performance ever – The Delaware County Daily Times

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