Category Archives: Hedonism

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

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

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.

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

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

The email came out of the blue one day in 2016. Almost a decade had passed since Miles and Cathy Alexander had left their jobs as residential managers of Little St James, Jeffrey Epsteins private island in the Caribbean.

Since then, Epstein had been jailed briefly for paedophile offences and the couple had retired to their native South Africa.

But now Darren Indyke, the disgraced tycoons attorney, was back in touch. The lawyer wanted the Alexanders to do something that would be of particular benefit to Hillary Clinton and her campaign to become the first female President of the United States, later that year.

Epstein's lawyer Darren Indyke tried to scrub links between Bill Clinton and Epstein during Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign

It entailed them signing a sworn affidavit which Indyke had already drafted for them declaring they had never seen Senator Clintons husband, President Bill Clinton, at their former home: Paedo Island, as it had come to be known. Whether or not the once-most powerful man in the world had set foot on a 78-acre speck in the U.S. Virgin Islands almost two decades ago says much about the toxicity of what is alleged to have happened there.

And that depraved hedonism is set to be examined in detail in court later this year after Prince Andrew failed last week in his attempt to have a civil sex assault action brought against him by Epsteins former underage slave, Virginia Roberts, thrown out.

Roberts has alleged that the Duke of York sexually abused her [Roberts, now known as Giuffre] on Epsteins private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Little St James. (In a landmark investigation into the duke in late 2020, the Mail proved that he had been on the island at the same time as Roberts in early 2001.)

She has also claimed she met Clinton on the island and saw him in the company of two young girls.

Both men deny Robertss allegations. Clinton, whose presidency almost ended over his affair with White House intern Monica Lewinsky, denies ever being on Little St James or having knowledge of Epsteins crimes. The president and the princes baleful involvement with Epstein is down to one woman Ghislaine Maxwell. The subsequent damage to their reputations largely rests on the word of another Roberts. But what is undisputed is that both men criss-crossed the world on Epsteins jets, receiving hospitality from the financiers young female staff.

Chauntae Davies gives former president Bill Clinton a massage on a trip

Whether that hospitality strayed into sexual favours is still unknown. In Andrews case, his relationship with Epstein and Maxwell has now resulted in a dispute that could land, with potentially catastrophic consequences for the Royal Family, in a U.S. court of law.

That possibility of legal fall-out is what Epstein, who died in his prison cell in 2019, had tried to head off. Today, the Mail can reveal how he used his go-to attorney, Indyke, to protect famous male friends who must have followed the recent trial of Epsteins ex-lover Maxwell with more than a passing interest.

Arguably the two most gilded members of that circle were Clinton and Andrew. Both relationships with Epstein are said to have been launched and developed by Ghislaine Maxwell, that supreme networker now a convicted paedophile pimp and trafficker. Today, the Mail investigates the associations between these three men.

The White House logs and disputed flights

Official logs of visitors to the White House during Clintons first term as president indicate that Democrat donor Epstein was a trusted associate. He visited the White House at least 17 times between 1993 and 1995.

Yet the tycoons access to the president took other forms. Epsteins little black book of contacts contained several email addresses and no fewer than 21 telephone numbers for Clinton. A bizarre portrait of the president wearing a blue cocktail dress and red high heels even hung in Epsteins Manhattan townhouse.

The revelations come as Prince Andrew faces legal action in the US for the alleged sexual assault of Virginia Roberts. The prince has denied the accusations.

Clinton appeared as a passenger on flight logs for Epsteins fleet of aircraft no less than 26 times between February 2002 and November 2003. One of Epsteins pilots, David Rodgers, gave a deposition in 2016 as part of a defamation case that Roberts brought against Maxwell. In his testimony he referred to his pilots log book entries. They seemed to indicate that on at least two occasions Rodgers had flown Clinton and the duke in one of Epsteins aircraft.

The pilot added that in February 2002, on a flight from Miami to New York on the Boeing known as the Lolita Express, his passengers had included Clinton, four Secret Service agents, Epstein, Maxwell and Prince Andrew. Rodgers added: I have a picture of me and the crew with Bill Clinton on the plane . . . To the best of my knowledge it was the first time that we had flown him.

He said in July 2002 he had flown from Morocco to New York with Epstein, Maxwell, Prince Andrew, Clinton, Doug Band (Clintons right-hand man) and probably nine Secret Service people aboard.

These two examples of Clinton and Andrew flying together should be treated with caution. The Mail has checked the court circulars and local media reports for both dates and the evidence suggests the prince was probably not on these Epstein flights.

Epstein had been introduced to Clinton and Andrew by disgraced socialite Ghislaine Maxwell

It is possible Rodgers misread the initials AP on the flight logs as Andrew, Prince. Epsteins chef, Adam Perry Lang, had similar initials. That said, the pilot did not think it impossible the president and the prince were fellow travellers, even if not on those occasions. During this period Clinton also appeared in a Rodgers flight log as a passenger on an Epstein plane from Europe to North America.

Such journeys brought more to worry about than just a large carbon footprint. When the tycoon was charged with fresh paedophile offences in 2019, Clintons office issued this statement: In 2002 and 2003, President Clinton took a total of four trips on Jeffrey Epsteins airplane: one to Europe, one to Asia and two to Africa, which included stops in connection with the work of the Clinton Foundation.

One of the trips to Africa saw Epstein whose Gratitude America charity donated to the Clinton Foundation, IRS records show travelling with Clinton and the disgraced actor Kevin Spacey. The double Oscar-winner subsequently saw his career ended over multiple allegations of sexual assault against boys and young men.

The email from Indyke came during Hillary Clinton's election campaign in 2016

Also present on the trip was Chauntae Davies, who was recruited aged 21 as an Epstein masseuse by Maxwell. She was pictured giving Clinton a neck massage during the trip and has said that the former president behaved correctly towards her.

She recently told the Mail that she had been repeatedly raped by Epstein and he and Maxwell had destroyed her life. The first rape took place on Little St James, she claimed. After the Africa trip, Clintons office issued this statement: Jeffrey is both a highly successful financier and a committed philanthropist. I especially appreciated his insights and generosity.

Chelsea Clintons Wedding Day

Epstein was first investigated for paedophile abuse in 2006 and jailed for 18 months in 2008, as result of a now-infamous plea deal. Legal documents have suggested Clintons trips on his aircraft suddenly stopped before this. But his familys close contact with Epsteins circle did not.

In 2010 Maxwell was even invited to the wedding of Chelsea Clinton. In Vanity Fair in 2020, Clintons former aide Doug Band said he had instructed Clintons staff in 2011 to bar Ms Maxwell from events. But Ghislaine had access to yachts and nice homes. Chelsea needed that, Band added.

Epsteins network of influence was on public display once again in October 2013 when Hillary Clinton was given the Chatham House Award for services to diplomacy. It was presented to her at a lavish event at Banqueting House by her husbands fellow Lolita Express passenger, the Duke of York. Small world.

The Billionaire Boys' Club

Which brings us back to Little St James (LSJ). In April 2011 Roberts had a telephone conversation with one of her lawyers, Jack Scarola. The recorded transcript later became legal evidence. The relevant passage is worth reproducing in full.

Virginia Roberts: [Epstein] told me a long time ago that everyone owes him favours. Theyre all in each others pockets.

JS: When you say you asked him why is Bill Clinton here, where was here?

VR: On the island.

JS: When you were present with Epstein and Bill Clinton on the island, who else was there?

VR: Ghislaine . . . and there were two young girls that I could identify. I never really knew them well, anyways. It was just two girls from New York.

JS: And they were all staying at Jeffreys house on the island, including Bill Clinton?

VR: That is correct.

Later that year, after giving her first media interview, Roberts began writing a memoir. The working title for the manuscript was The Billionaire Boys Club. It has also since become legal evidence.

After giving her first media interview, Roberts began writing a memoir. The working title for the manuscript was The Billionaire Boys Club

In the memoir Roberts made a number of serious allegations. The most sensational were that she had been pressured to have sex with Andrew on three occasions, twice when she was under the age of consent. She wrote: The next big dinner party on the island had another significant guest . . . Sitting across the table from us was Bill [Clinton] with two lovely girls who were visiting from New York. Bills wife Hillarys absence from the night made it easy for his apparent provocative cheeky side to come out.

Teasing the girls on either side of him with playful pokes and brassy comments, there was no modesty between any of them.

Roberts continued: [After dinner,] Jeffrey wanted his evening massage before bed . . . leaving our guest of honour to find company elsewhere. Strolling into the darkness with two beautiful girls around either arm, Bill seemed content to retire for the evening.

The insinuation is clear. And Doug Band told Vanity Fair that Clinton had gone to Epsteins island in 2003. Steve Scully, an IT engineer, also told a Netflix documentary that he had seen Clinton with Epstein on the island.

But Clinton denies ever having been there. In legal papers Maxwell also called Robertss claims of Clinton on LSJ a fabrication.

Robertss account of what happened on LSJ is marred by inconsistencies. While her legal depositions allege sexual assault by Andrew during an orgy on the island, there is no mention of such a sensational incident in the manuscript of her memoir. Why?

Andrew and the island estate managers

The Mail has spoken to a number of former Epstein employees on LSJ. Miles and Cathy Alexander managed the island from 1999 to 2007. They declined to speak to us, but former colleagues and sources close to them did.

The Alexanders recall witnessing two of the dukes visits to the island, during one of which he was in the company of a busty blonde. He had also visited just before they were appointed.

They told friends they had never seen orgies or anything else untoward on the island, but they were told never to disturb Epstein in his bedroom and they took their holidays away from LSJ. One of those absences was in April 2001, when Andrew was present as the same time as Roberts.

The Alexanders said some of the female visitors looked young. But only one was ever known by them to be legally underage. She was a French model accompanied by a chaperone and had a letter of authority from her parents allowing her to travel.

In 2006 when the first FBI investigation into him began, Epstein told the Alexanders that he was a victim of entrapment. They resigned from working for him the following year. But not before an incident that with hindsight has grown in significance. The Mail can reveal it here.

The Alexanders recall witnessing two of the Duke of York's visits to Epstein's island, during one of which he was in the company of a busty blonde

The Lawyer Darren Indyke

Indyke worked for Epstein for two decades and oversaw his businesses and charitable foundations. He has also acted as executor of his estate. The Mail was told that in the final months of Epsteins employment and during the first criminal investigation Mr Alexander was summoned by Indyke to meet him on St Thomas, the nearest large island to LSJ.

The estate manager was asked to bring with him all the arrival and departure records for LSJ, which were kept in official log books. These ledgers were handed to Indyke by Mr Alexander, who never saw them again. Why did this happen? Presumably the records would have contained names of Epsteins VIP friends and girls by whom the tycoon liked to be surrounded. Wasnt that evidence? Where are the records now?

When Indyke contacted the Alexanders again in 2016, the motives were more clear. Both were asked to confirm that to the best of their knowledge Clinton had never visited during their tenure and they were not aware of him having been a guest during any absences from the island, for example for holidays, said a source.

Indyke worked for Epstein for two decades and oversaw his businesses and charitable foundations

Indyke set out the words which he wanted to be sworn under oath by the Alexanders. It was during the 2016 presidential campaign which was won by Trump, the source explained. There was a worry that the link between Epstein and Clinton and in particular the island could be used against Hillary.

The Mail understands that the Alexanders told friends they had not in fact seen the former president or his family on the island contradicting Robertss claims.

Mr Alexander slightly reworded the affidavit before he and his wife signed it in the presence of a notary in South Africa.

Last night a spokesman for Epsteins attorney told the Mail: Mr Indyke was one of many lawyers at multiple law firms that performed legal services for Mr Epstein. Rules of professional conduct prevent him from commenting on private legal matters.

Indyke has his own trouble. The U.S. Virgin Islands Attorney General has lodged a civil complaint against him and co-executor Richard Kahn that alleges the two were indispensable captains of Epsteins sex-trafficking operations. It also accuses them of helping the financier in three sham marriages and flying a string of victims to LSJ before 2017.

Lawyers for another of Epsteins alleged victims have twice tried unsuccessfully to depose Indyke. The civil case was put on hold pending the outcome of Maxwells criminal trial.

In his capacity as an administrator, Indyke has also been named as a defendant in 30 lawsuits filed by women against Epsteins estate.

Additional reporting by Simon Trump

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The bid to whitewash Bill Clinton's cosy links to Jeffrey Epstein when Hillary ran for President - nation.lk - The Nation Newspaper

Its written in the proverbial fashion books that winter is about layering: knits-on-knits, HEATTECH, sweaters, long-sleeve tees, and another sweater, just to be sure. This season, among our usual rotation of cold-weather knits, a new style has entered the mix. Meet the shrug.

A relic of the early aughts, the shrug has made its modern-day resurgence as part of the recent Y2K revival. Back then, worn slouched and oversized, the sweater-armwarmer hybrid served as a symbol of the eras boho-chic. Today, however, at the hands of some of fashions most exciting emerging designers, the bygone style receives a streamlined, sexy update.

As they did with Spring/Summer 2021s crochet, this season, designers continue to mine the knitted territory between cozy and sexy, treading the line between lockdown-era comfort and post-pandemic hedonism. Within the arena of sexy knitwear, the shrug, with its ultra-cropped proportions and cut-out construction, provides designers ample room for play. Balinese knitwear maverick Isa Boulder has made the style its very own, creating graphic cut-out shrugs and cropped cable-knit sweaters using their signature artisanal techniques.

The shrug, too, suits the barely there look of knitwear label RUI. For Spring/Summer 2022, the designer crafted sheer sleeves to mix-and-match with the rest of her modular wardrobe.

Similarly, for Fall/Winter 2021, Australian designer Dion Lee integrated the style into the brands lingerie-inspired wear. Among the collection of corset-esque tops and garter-style leggings, the labels cut-out shrugs were styled as base layers, worn to cover up and keep warm in the same sexy way one might wear a pair of stay-ups.

Fashions largest proponent of the shrug and its cousin, the bolero is without a doubt Peter Do. In fact, the roots of the high-fashion shrug can be definitively traced back to the American brands inaugural Spring/Summer 2019 collection. Long before knitted shrugs began cropping up in the designers more recent collections, Do introduced the styles ultra-cropped essence to the realm of tailoring. Part of the designers deconstructivist uniform, his first-ever shrugs arrived as part of a series of modular shirts: poplin and organza button-ups with removable sleeves or shrugs. The silhouette stuck, becoming a Do signature. His SS20 blazers arrived in bolero proportions, while his Fall/Winter 2020 collections pice de resistance was a series of more-than-cropped turtlenecks, made to be layered over tunics, tank tops and more. This season, Do has arrived at the shrug in its purest form yet, completed, even, with integrated gloves. In a series of at-home selfies, Bella Hadid can be seen wearing Dos detachable knit top in a rich burgundy.

Do was the first in recent memory to explore the shrugs inherent modularity. Half-garment, half-accessory, the style is intended as an ephemeral layering piece worn to be removed, say, after a ballet warm-up. The piece, as we know it today, stems from the world of ballet, and its resurgence in the last year or so can be attributed to such as well.

In 2020, celebrities from Alexa Chung to Diana Silvers took up the dance and its wardrobe on social media. Chung, a longtime Ballet Beautiful devotee, posted a video of her ballet workout to her YouTube channel. Around the same time, Silvers began training for work on ballet drama Birds of Paradise. In production photographs posted to her Instagram, the actor wore among leg warmers and tutus a dainty mesh shrug.

Into the fall of 2021, ballet continues to pique the digital consciousness. Darren Aronofskys Black Swan has made a Jennifers Body-esque resurgence on social media as of late. Screencaps of Natalie Portmans Nina, swaddled in Bloch shrugs and Yumiko bodysuits, serve equally as style inspiration and meme fodder. A style from Ludovic de Saint Sernins FW21 collection, aptly titled the Dancer top, draws its look from the jersey cover-ups of real-life ballerinas and ballerinos. Its stretchy enough for an arabesque and easy to shrug off once the performance starts. Or, perhaps, to shrug on, as an essential element of our look this winter.

Below, shop five of our favorite shrug styles this season.

Zo Kendall is a writer and editor specializing in fashion and culture. You can find her at herwebsiteandInstagram.

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Knit Shrugs Are the Sexy Sweater Trend of 2022 - HYPEBAE

Around about the same time last year, Bicep released their second album Isles in the midst of yet another lost-count lockdown.

Although their self-titled debut had been wall-to-wall bangers, its follow-up was more austere, subtly architected for consumption wherever the listener wanted it.

This conscious ambiguity reflected that dance music, for want of a better term, with its purpose of fueling shared joy and collective hedonism has been impacted more at an experiential level by events than almost any other kind; if you cant feel it in your ears, gut and brain, is it really there?

As Bonobo, Simon Green is a veteran with a catalogue going back over 20 years but whose understated success came in appealing to a diverse bunch of the movements often cliquey tribes; its critically evidenced by 3 Grammy nominations, commercially so by a Top 5 spot for 2017s Migration.

For some years an LA resident, hes declared Fragments the most emotionally intense record hes ever created, one he felt compelled to make.

Click here for the review in full

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Album Of The Week: Bonobo - Fragments - Live4ever