Category Archives: Transhuman News

The legacy of NBC's Friends has outlasted those of many sitcoms that graced television screens way before and after it. Decades after the emotional finale of the show for which 52.5 million viewers tuned in, the show and its characters continue to rule pop culture, thanks to the show's fandom that refuses to let the show's spark die down. Apart from the memes and pop culture references that the sitcom has fostered for years, the cultural impact of Friends has definitely been significant. From Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) haircut to Joey's (Matt LeBlanc) pickup line, a lot of Friends has seeped into the cultural makeup of the world, reaching international audiences everywhere. But despite continuing to find some sort of relevance even today (as evidenced by 2021's Friends: The Reunion), Friends has become a demanding show to sit through, given how much of it fails to stand the test of time.

Despite being one the highest-watched sitcoms of all time, Friends has not aged well in terms of its highly problematic and politically incorrect remarks and repetitive tropes, making the viewers highly dependable on the likeability of its cast to arrest the audience's attention. From depending on fat-shaming Monica's younger self to Joey's overtly masculine characterization, a lot of Friends fail to impress despite having broken some ground for its time, especially with Monica and Chandler's decision to resort to surrogacy. Moreover, a lot of the show's "funniest" tropes might just attract ridicule today. With Ross's struggle coming to terms with his wife's lesbianism to the Chandler being gay jokes, the show is largely dented by its regressive undercurrents that overpowered some of the show's progressive stances. Friends becomes a difficult watch today as it feels like it's stuck in the time it's made as a result of the ideas that prevail in the show's world.

RELATED: 10 Underrated 'Friends' Episodes That Deserve a Lot More Love

If one starts counting, there are a lot of things from the show that went on to become iconic. Apart from the obvious fame that came the way of the ensemble cast, which included Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, and David Schwimmer, a lot of the elements from the successful sitcom reached the pinnacle of modern-day virality. From the orange sofa at Central Perk to Joey's iconic "How you doin'?", there's a lot to remember the show by. Thankfully, the same cannot be said about the more problematic aspects of the show. As all things go, sometimes the bad things don't stick.

The characters were hard-wired with inherently problematic stances on gender and sexuality. Often times these stereotypical portrayal would later inspire more erroneous depictions in future sitcoms. For instance, Matt LeBlanc's portrayal of Joey as a dumb but handsome and charming male figure who never misses a chance to sexualize any woman that he comes across shouts all kinds of red flags on a rewatch. Contrarily, Chandler's toned-down masculine portrayal qualifies him to be the butt of homophobic jokes in the world of Friends. Let's not even touch the fact that Ross - who is apparently the most educated of the lot - has the hardest time digesting his ex-wife's sexuality.

The show hit a homerun with its problematic jokes when it came to the transphobic remarks made towards Chandler's father, Charles Bing (Kathleen Turner). Moreover, the character was referred to as a "he" - an error acknowledged by co-creator Marta Kauffman. Nearly three decades later from the start of the show's run, the jokes that were thrown towards Chandler to mock him as a result of his father being transgender hit the hardest blow on the show's credibility. Finally, a cis woman playing the role of a transgender isn't praiseworthy for the show's attempts at giving representation. To be fair, not everything the show did was negative. The eleventh episode of the second season "The One with the Lesbian Wedding" was one of the first instances of same-sex marriage being portrayed on mainstream television.

On a deep dive, the show reveals myriad problems that become glaring mistakes as per 21st-century creative standards. Friends' lack of diversity is an accepted and acknowledged one, with even David Schwimmer having called it out. Apart from a few characters, including Aisha Tyler's Charlie Wheeler, the show lacked majorly when it came to presenting a diversified set of actors and characters. Tyler became the first Black with a recurring role in Friends in the show's penultimate season.

Pivoting back to the show's handling of gender reveals other cracks as well. Monica's obsession with cleaning and cooking may be just as problematic as her mother's indifferent treatment of her when compared to that received by Ross - the male progeny of the Geller household. It's somewhat obvious why Ross has the hardest time believing that his son will develop a liking for a Barbie doll as opposed to something more "manly" like a G.I. Joe figurine in "The One With the Metaphorical Tunnel." His exchange with Sandy, the male nanny Rachel hires in "The One With The Male Nanny," is an expos of how Ross can easily understand the ways of functioning of dinosaurs but cannot fathom that men can be equally sensitive beings.

From rampant sexism to the belittling of intelligence, the creative crimes that Friends has committed through its ten-year successful and remarkable run are aplenty. Compared to the many peaks that the show has achieved in terms of its cultural impact, Friends has also suffered many nosedives considering the errors that have prevailed in the blueprint of the sitcom. Regardless of whether the interest will dip for first-time watchers who take a risky step into the lives of six friends in thriving New York of the '90s, Friends tends to become a tough watch once the initial magic wears off.

While many among the cast and crew have come forward to humbly accept the errors that were made in the past, it's doubtful whether the acknowledgments will make up for the problematic ideas propagated by the '90s cult sitcom. For many reasons, Friends has been a force to reckon with when it comes to the impact it left on pop culture. For as many reasons or more, it will find itself struggling to retain relevance as soon as the nostalgia starts waning. Maybe, it is time to ask, "Could Friends be any more difficult to watch than it already is?"

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Why Is It So Hard to Watch 'Friends' Now? - Collider

Bernadette Peters.

CORRECT. The actor and Broadway star.

Yay! We were out of our minds on that show. We were sitting around all day bored, so we dipped into the booze and the drugs and by time we performed on live TV, we were a big mess. It was the talk of the country cause we were so wasted! [Laughs] But we still sold records after that because people loved us for being ourselves. It was quite a moment in Go-Gos history!

On the subject of SNL: former original cast member John Belushi once gave you a lecture on the dangers of drugs

He would come to the studio when we were recording [their debut album] Beauty and the Beat. We were out with him in the Mudd Club and said: Ooh, we want some blow!, and we had to get it FedExed from LA. It wasnt even that much a tiny bit and we offered him some. He always had a minder with him, because he had problems controlling himself with food and substances and when we offered it to him, he gave us a lecture: Youre going to be rich and famous one day and people are going to offer you drugs and drugs are really bad.. We just thought, as you do when youre in your early twenties: You have a problem. We dont. Well be fine. Its no big deal. We didnt take anything he said to us on board. And the rest is history! Within weeks after that, John Belushi showed up to our hotel at 1am when we were sleeping, asking to come up. He was on a total bender and wanted to hang out. We thought something was wrong, and it was the beginning of the end.

When INXS opened up for the Go-Gos in 1983, Michael Hutchence even warned you about substances

Back when that tour was happening, I knew I had serious issues. The one thing Ive always been able to do, even at my lowest points, is Ive had a little voice that I knew what was going on. Even as a little girl, Ive always knew there was me and there was a higher me. But what he said to me, I didnt take on-board either. I just carried on. Everybody was so disgusted with me. As anybody would say who is struggling, when youre ready is when you make your change. Everybody can give you lectures, but until youre ready, it doesnt matter.

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Belinda Carlisle: Touring with Green Day was one big hot mess - NME

Chinese scholars generally believe that they work ina gender equal atmosphere, even though many ofthem have observed gender bias and discrimination, astudy has found.

The paper, which takes arare look into perceptions ofgender biases inChinese academia, also shows amismatch between male and female scholars views.

Male academics believed that there was no gender discrimination in academia, while female academics believed there was no obvious discrimination, write study authors Hugo Horta and LiTang.

Still, the researchers note, manifestations of explicit and subtle discriminatory practices against female academics were found, such as discriminatory recruitment, acceptance of gender roles and essentialism, stereotypes, cross-gender social exclusion and struggles for recognition.

The researchers, whose paper was published in Higher Education Research and Development, conducted interviews with 40 tenure-track academics from various career stages, including 10 full professors and four deans at a leading Chinese research university. They found that despite both subtle and overt gender discrimination most scholars were confident that their workplace was mostly free of bias.

From our findings, it can be argued that gender blindness is prevalent and likely most Chinese academics, female and male, have it to different degrees, albeit nuanced, said Dr Horta, an associate professor of education at the University of Hong Kong.

All academics show a firm belief in merit-based rules for promotion, eg, if one publishes more and in leading journals, or if one is more successful at obtaining funding, then that academic should be promoted or promoted first, he said. The power of individual choice is perceived to be the key factor for the career progression of all academics, including that of female academics.

According to the study, both male and female interviewees often used phrases indicating their belief that the sector was basically equal, such as same requirements, achievements are most valued, asystem not discriminating against women and more equal compared to overt discrimination in industry.

Yet there were differences in male and female academics observations, Dr Horta and his co-author noted.

Men recognised that discrimination against women occurred in the hiring process but believed that outside recruitment it played little part in daily university life due to the merit-based standards of academia. Female academics, however, cited ongoing issues, such as womens desire to have children and their familial commitments being dismissed as personal choices and managers being reluctant to make accommodations for them.

Some interviewees comments showed that biased views still prevail, even if behind closed doors.

To be honest, when chatting with my colleagues, we often mention reluctance to admit female doctoral students because of the possibility of them dropping out to raise children, one male professor admitted.

One female deputy dean told the researchers she was wary of the ruses that she believed her female peers used to win promotions, saying: Intuitively, Ithink that men are better than women in terms of ability.

Dr Horta said he was surprised by the apparent ease with which Chinese academics voiced views that many peers in other countries might deem to be politically incorrect.

While there existed similarities in the career struggles of male and female academics related to extreme competition, unequal allocation of resources, and neoliberal influenced evaluative practices, both groups faced specific pressures, the study found.

Male academics felt that they had to progress quickly up the career ladder or risk being labelled failures; women, meanwhile, faced the double burden of housework and childcare and were often forced by their outside obligations to make decisions that hamper their career progression.

Even as discrimination remains a barrier in academic careers, there has been little tono effort among institutions to tackle it, with many female scholars refraining from pressingthe issue and their male colleagues not considering it a priority, Dr Horta said.

While he believed the system needed to address shortcomings and bolster equal opportunities for men and women alike, Dr Horta warned against pushing Western-style solutions, which focus on the promotion of women, at Chinese universities.

These policies should not jeopardise the perceivably fair meritocratic system that all Chinese academics seem to believe strongly in, he said.

pola.lem@timeshighereducation.com

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Chinese scholars believe in gender equality - Times Higher Education

An Oklahoma court has effectively banned an online Christian preacher from posting Bible verses on social media for the next five years.

Thats his punishment for expressing his moral and religious concerns in three posts about a church that endorses same sex marriage and drag queen events for children.

Lawyers from civil liberties advocate The Rutherford Institute have appealed to the Oklahoma Supreme Court to overturn the restraining order on Pastor Rich Penkoski who leads the Tennessee-based online ministry Warriors for Christ.

The lawyers called the penalty excessive and a clear violation of the pastors First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and the free exercise of religion.

They point out the preacher made no threats or incitements of violence and had never met any of the complainants from an LGBT+ group.

The lawyers argued his social media ban is based solely on claims the plaintiffs felt harassed and fearful about how others might react to Bible verses cited in Pastor Penkoskis social media posts.

Religious individuals have a clear First Amendment right to publicly cite Bible verses that reflect their concerns about moral issues of the day without being accused of stalking, harassing, or terrorising those who are offended by the sentiments, said constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute.

He warned, This case is a foreshadowing of the governments efforts to insulate the populace from all things that might cause offence by criminalising non-violent First Amendment activities such as speech, thought, and actions perceived to be politically incorrect.

In his first allegedly offensive post, Pastor Penkoski posted a generic photo of a same sex wedding and quoted Bible verses describing Gods judgment of sin.

In the second post, he criticised a churchs publicly shared photos of children celebrating Pride Month.

In the third, he weighed in on a local campaign to ban adult-oriented entertainment in public spaces.

In response to the LGBT+ group claiming that no adult-oriented entertainment had occurred at a pride event, the pastor posted a video and photos of a drag queen behaving in a suggestive manner near children at the event.

His lawyers say the five-year protective order against him is so vague it effectively prevents him from posting Bible verses or anything else which could prompt his accusers to complain about fearing for their safety.

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Five Year Social Media Ban For Online Preacher - Vision Christian Media

Hes been getting his melancholy everywhere since episode two. Photo: HBO

As this weeks episode, Honeymoon States, proved, when things are tense on Succession, there are two things we can count on Tom Wambsgans to do: offer to be of service and eat a little snack.

Despite his insistence throughout the series four seasons that all he wants is an opportunity to serve whoever will have him, Tom is perpetually the odd man out among those at the top of the Waystar Royco food chain, and actor Matthew Macfadyen sells that identity with his flat uh huh line deliveries, his shrugging shoulders, and the occasional outburst of incandescent, office-furniture-destroying fury. But Macfadyen is great at something else, too: shoving food into his mouth.

Compared with the rest of the Roys who barely seem to prioritize meals, consider dclass those who dare to order fresh za for a long night in the office, and are overly fond of using trough as an insult Toms willingness to indulge in a nosh makes him only more of an outsider. It also provides Macfadyen with opportunities to go performatively big with a chomp or chew, to reflect Toms humanity, and occasionally to project Toms discomfort through the food-based torment of others, usually Cousin Greg. Lets revisit some of the most memorable ways Tom has used food and drink to convey his headspace. May his plate forever groan.

S1E2, Sh*t Show at the F**ck Factory: The cake

Yes, Logan has had a stroke that lands him in the hospital with wife Marcia and the Roy children at his bedside. Youre saying this isnt the time to eat a piece of cake and then randomly propose to Shiv outside a hospital bathroom? Why did no one tell Tom? Theres a brief cutaway back to him later when the plate is on a table next to him and he longingly looks at the last few bites; thats far more relatable than any of the scheming machinations the Roy children are already entangled in.

S1E3, Lifeboats: The doggy bag

Im sorry, but Tom isnt wrong. If youre going to take the free food from work home with you, you gotta do it in something other than a receptacle specifically designed for feces. This is one of Toms first lessons to Greg about Waystar Roycos emphasis on optics, and, of course, it involves Tom humiliating Greg for probably reminding him too much of himself. Get ready for a lot more of this.

S1E5, I Went to Market: The Thanksgiving toast

Tom and Shiv toasting at Thanksgiving dinner is simply a nice scene before Logan loses his mind and hits his grandson with a can of cranberry sauce. Normal family stuff! Its included here as a rare instance of Tom and Shiv getting along and our first indication that wine will play a symbolic role in the couples relationship. Keep reading for when it goes vinegar sour.

S1E6, Which Side Are You On?: The ortolan

It didnt take long for Tom to go from ridiculing Greg to trying to seduce him, did it? The ortolan scene captures so much about the Tom-Greg dynamic: Toms bullying of Greg, the insistence that something gross is good because rich people do it, Gregs acquiescence because he too would like to be rich one day, and if Tom could do it, why not Greg? Succession left out some details about how ortolans are prepared force-fed and then drowned in brandy and the fact that the birds are on the verge of extinction because people are really into eating gamy brains while hiding behind a napkin. Thanks a lot, Tom.

S1E8, Prague: The load

If you swallow something, does it count as food? Discuss amongst yourselves.

S1E10, Nobody Is Ever Missing: The wine contribution

Lets say your spouse has told you on your wedding night that they dont think theyre suited to monogamy, and when you return to the reception, you see the person theyve been cheating on you with. Wouldnt you choose a full-on spite response too? Tom is often a braggadocious blowhard, but in this moment, its difficult to root against him for embarrassing Shivs fuck buddy, Nate, by commanding that the guy pour the wine he was drinking to which Toms parents made a contribution! back into the bottle. Its petty and perfectly Tom; whats more surprising is that Nate goes along with it. (This will not be the last time Tom takes his frustration with Shiv out on another man she cares for.)

S2E3, Hunting: The sausage and the breakfast

Logan Roy expressed many racist, sexist, xenophobic, and politically incorrect sentiments in his time, but were any of them as horrifying as Oink for your sausages, piggies? This is real Deliverance-style stuff, making your employees crawl around on the floor and fight over sausages as a display of humiliation and domination, and its upsetting watching Tom vacillate between refusing and giving in to the peer pressure.

But Tom does protect Greg by letting him take one of the sausages, another example of food playing an outsize role in their bond. Tom putting his hand on Gregs arm at breakfast the next morning probably launched a thousand fanfic ships.

S2E4, Safe Room: The water bottles

How does Tom keep missing on these throws when Greg is such a gigantic target? Isnt the Midwest baseball country? I would have expected better form!

S2E5, Tern Haven: The monarchal vegetable

The Pierces may see themselves as better than the Roys, but they do deserve Tom, of all people, poking fun at their penchant for quoting Shakespeare at the dinner table with his delivery of Ooh, king of edible leaves, His Majesty, the spinach! Get over yourselves. Youre still billionaires with inherited fortunes! Theres no real moral high ground here!

S2E9, DC: The finger licking

Sure, this 60 Minuteslike segment on Waystar Roycos cruises, the legacy of Lester Mo McClintock, and the no real person involved designation is damning, but what better way to signal your unimpressed reaction than eating from a communal bowl of tortilla chips and licking your fingers in mixed company?

S2E10, This Is Not for Tears: The chicken

You know how Pride & Prejudice devotees love to share the GIF of Macfadyens hand flexing after his Mr. Darcy touches Keira Knightleys Elizabeth for the first time? My hope for our World Wide Web is that Macfadyens work as Tom chowing down on Logans chicken will have the same long internet life. This is a step up from when he was angry at Shiv and took it out on Nate at their wedding; what better way to hurt his wife than embarrass her father? The unbroken eye contact, the sequential bites, that little nod to Logan after he puts the bone back on his plate! Logan has never been this thrown off his game. Congratulations to Tom for achieving that.

S3E4, Lion in the Meadow: The muffin

Everyone remembers this scene because its when Tom tells Greg the story of Nero and Sporus (Id castrate you and marry you in a heartbeat). But in typical Tom-feeds-his-feelings fashion, that HR-unfriendly declaration of love arrives after he pilfers a muffin from Gregs pastry basket. This may be his most midwestern moment of all eschewing some very luxurious-looking croissants and danishes for a humble frostingless cupcake.

S3E6, What It Takes: The Griddle Hero special

What It Takes arrives at the height of Toms personal and professional insecurity, which results in a food-packed episode where Tom tries to wrap his mind around his potential prison time, the dissolution of his marriage, and his own inconsequence through various shared meals. Its all very self-involved, but it also makes for the saddest waffle ever ordered. Consider Toms dejected assessment of the terrible wine from his and Shivs vineyard, a symbol of their failed union; his bizarre denial to Greg of never before having a diner breakfast of mostly brown foods, as if his midwestern childhood didnt happen; and the practiced resignation with which he orders a second breakfast with Kendall, as if hes actually in training. Given Toms emotional eating in this episode, Ron Swanson is perhaps not the only midwesterner who can put away a stunning amount of breakfast food.

S4E4, Honeymoon States: The fish taco

Theres no way this dainty canap is actually a fish taco because Marcia would never order such a thing. But its perfectly in line with Gerris whip-smart diminishment of all the men in the room that she would suggest a chain-restaurant appetizer, a happy-hour two-for-one special, as Toms snack of choice, a subtle Who is this guy? dig before he dares to throw his hat into the proverbial ring. If Tom has finally bitten off more than he can chew, well, he had a good run there, didnt he?

Read more:
A Toast to Tom Eating His Feelings on Succession - Vulture

When I was eight years old, our family dog died. He was a black labrador named Black Dog who had been my fathers best friend long before he met and married my mother. In those days, dogs were not always walked on leads. Black Dog, who must have been 12 or 13 at the time, liked to roam the streets and go on runs with my father. One day, my father came home after his run but Black Dog was not with him. At some point on their route, my father guessed, Black Dog fell behind, staggered into the bush, collapsed and died. It was a week before my father found his body, in the bush afew kilometres from our house.

Thats the story as I remember it. I also remember crying for days afterwards. For years, every time we passed the bushy rise on the south-bound freeway near our house, I looked out the car window and remembered him.

Despite having grown up with dogs, I have so far managed to avoid getting one for my own children. Its a lot of work and it will fall to me, I tell them. I know, like every other parent, that although they will delight in their new best friend, the full responsibility of caring, cleaning, walking and training will be mine.

So, when a friend offered to pass on her grown-up sons 16-year-old pet turtle, I leapt at the opportunity. The cheapest, most low-maintenance pet youll ever have, my friends husband said.

We took delivery of Jeffery, along with his metre-long tank, and a few fishy friends, in the middle of pandemic lockdowns. It was a flying visit, and afterwards my friends husband sent me a long email with everything I needed to know about short-necked Murray River turtles. Jeffery ate bloodworms and water plants, and he could live in captivity up to the age of 75. He needed time out of the tank, in the sun, to combat bacteria. And his tank needed to be lit, heated, topped up and regularly cleaned. My friends son, Andreas, got Jeffery when Andreas was six and Jeffery was penny-sized, just a few months old. I felt a great responsibility to care for him and pass him on to the next generation.

Jeffery proved a curmudgeonly companion. He begged for food whenever Iopened the refrigerator, craning his neck and paddling hard against the glass. He gulped down what I gave him and paddled again. Ilearnt that turtles are great overeaters and will eat to the point of vomiting, then beg for more. He ate most of his water plants and the feeder fish within a few weeks. I found myself at the pet shop, replenishing his supplies, more often than I cared to. Then I read that he could also eat the leftover carrot and cucumber sticks from my kids lunchboxes. Finally, Jeffery and I had ourselves a deal. He was a living, breathing, begging compost bin.

Tragically, less than a year after he came to live with us, Jeffery escaped. He had been sunning himself in the garden, but somehow found the strength, despite being no bigger than a handspan, to tip out of the wheelbarrow Id put him in. My children and I searched the garden but I knew it was hopeless.

Part of me also knew that Jeffery would be having the time of his life. The lovely words of Roald Dahls Esio Trot, about a lonely old man and his apartment full of tortoises, came to mind. Gorge! Guzzle! Stuff! Gulp! Put on fat, tortoise, put on fat. Eat, eat, enjoy your freedom Jeffery, eat, eat, eat!

But the next morning I found him on the road outside our house, run over by a passing car. His body was still limp, which meant Ionly just missed him. My heart sank when I spotted the shallow green dome of his shell against the bitumen and I steeled myself as Iwent to tell my children. We buried him in asunny spot near our back door and marked his grave with small mossy rocks.

The grief my boys felt was overwhelming they cried hot streams of tears. Then they stopped. After that, they didnt want to talk about Jeffery. It upset them too much, they said. I took a deep breath and messaged my friend. She responded with warmth and kindness. I felt as if I had let everyone down my friend, her husband, their son, my children, Jeffery, and the next generation of children who should have cared for him until his death many years hence.

I remembered our old labrador. It was such pure love I felt for him that my outpouring of grief was equally genuine and unreserved. So different from the complicated griefs I felt as a teenager and then again as a young adult the anguish over the death of my grandmother at the end of a long illness and the heartbreaking end of my first relationship.

Already in their short lives, my boys have experienced more grief and loss than should be necessary. Friends and family have moved away, gone overseas and, in some cases, exited our lives forever.

About the time Jeffery died, my relationship with a man who had become afather-figure to my boys ended. I watched their grief play out in different ways. One cried himself to sleep each night for weeks, then bounced back, good as new my shiny, happy boy. The other was circumspect at first, but the seam of suffering ran much deeper. He didnt want to go to school and tussled with teachers and friends. It took me a while to realise what was happening.

For all the books on managing childhood loss, my boys seem to have found most comfort in the twin memoirs of Roald Dahl Boy: Tales of Childhood and Going Solo, about Dahls time flying with the Royal Air Force during World War II. For a man who enjoyed so much fame and wealth in later life, Dahls private life was full of torment. His sister died when he was three, his father a few weeks later. Dahls daughter Olivia died when she was seven, and his only son, Theo, and wife, Patricia Neal, both suffered serious illnesses.

What my boys seem drawn to in Dahls memoirs, beyond the Tiger Moths and green mamba snakes, is the rich texture of life he paints. Grief and loss are normal, he seems to say. Sure, we all want a happy ending, but no one comes through unscarred. Not Matilda, who is abandoned by her horrible parents. Not Charlie, whose life is shaped by poverty. Not poor old Mr Hoppy, who gets the girl in the end but has to put up with an apartment full of tortoises to do it. Not even Dahl himself.

Recently, my children became quite indignant about news that censors had taken a red pen to Dahls politically incorrect language. What they say, quite insightfully, and I agree, is that the people in Dahls stories will always be hurting and in pain. Augustus Gloop will always be the ostracised kid, no matter whether hes described as enormously fat or just enormous. Dahl will always be a boy who grew up without a father. No sensitivity edit can alter that.

As parents we so much want to rewrite, edit, delete and red-pen the pain in our childrens lives. Rewind the moment the turtle escaped. Sketch the father-figure back in. Bring the beloved family member back from overseas. Ultimately, we know we cant. We just hug them fiercely and hope the world will be kind.

What Roald Dahls stories whisper to my children is a comforting message you are not alone in your grief and it will all work out in the end. Its a message we could all do well to hear. And if not, well then, there are always animals to love. Or chocolate.

This article was first published in the print edition of The Saturday Paper onApril 22, 2023 as "Turtle love".

For almost a decade, The Saturday Paper has published Australias leading writers and thinkers.We have pursued stories that are ignored elsewhere, covering them with sensitivity and depth.We have done this on refugee policy, on government integrity, on robo-debt, on aged care,on climate change, on the pandemic.

All our journalism is fiercely independent. It relies on the support of readers.By subscribing to The Saturday Paper, you are ensuring that we can continue to produce essential,issue-defining coverage, to dig out stories that take time, to doggedly hold to accountpoliticians and the political class.

There are very few titles that have the freedom and the space to produce journalism like this.In a country with a concentration of media ownership unlike anything else in the world,it is vitally important. Your subscription helps make it possible.

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Turtle love and the messages of Roald Dahl - The Saturday Paper

Image: Thomas Aquinas, via Aquinas.Design.

We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God. Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.

Order a copy now or download a free chapter.

The world indeed, the universe is charged with grandeur. Everything speaks of its beauty, power, and purpose of its exquisite and intelligent design. Yet many scientists today flatly deny that the world was intelligently designed. Even some Christian scientists and theologians downplay or deny the evidence nature supplies of intelligent design, especially in biology. Out today from Sophia Institute Press, Gods Grandeur: The Catholic Case for Intelligent Design is a thought-provoking anthology that shows why they are wrong, why it matters, and why intelligent design provides a compelling way to reconcile science and faith in todays culture.

Of interest to Catholics and non-Catholics alike, Gods Grandeurchallenges the claim that Gods design in nature is hidden and cannot be detected. It presents convincing scientific evidence of intelligent design in cosmology, the origin of life, and biology. It clears up common misunderstandings about how Catholic theology relates to debates over science, evolution, and intelligent design.

Edited by Discovery Institute biologistAnn Gauger,Gods Grandeurfeatures chapters by an array of distinguished Catholic scientists, philosophers, theologians, and laypeople, including Lehigh University biochemistMichael Behe, author ofDarwins Black BoxandDarwin Devolves; award-winning brain surgeonMichael Egnor; noted theologianJohn Bergsma, author ofStunned by Scripture: How the Bible Made Me CatholicandA Catholic Introduction to the Bible: Old Testament;Fr. Pedro Barrajn, LC, Rector of the European University in Rome;Jay Richards, co-author ofThe Privileged Planetand editor ofGod and Evolution; Fr.Michael Chaberek, author ofAquinas and Evolution;Benjamin Wiker, author ofThe Catholic Church and Scienceand Director of Human Life Studies at Franciscan University of Steubenville; philosopherJ. Budziszewski, author of numerous commentaries on works by Thomas Aquinas for Cambridge University Press;Bruce Chapman, founder and chairman of Discovery Institute; andAnthony Esolen, translator ofDantes Divine Comedyand author ofReclaiming Catholic Social Teaching,The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization, and other books.

Gods Grandeurstimulates us all to investigate current scientific knowledge with the question of how a loving God made His most beloved children. Since we are not an accident, then how we came to be is a most important question of our times. Surely this discussion needs to occur with vigor and intellectual honesty within the Church itself.

The most compelling case yet for an intentional and intelligent Designer.

Without an acknowledgement of intelligent design, one cannot have an objective ethic which is universally binding on all people. This book should be read by every teacher in Catholic schools, and essays from the book should be assigned to students in the upper grades. These essays will contribute greatly to confirming in peoples minds that there is a Creator God who can be known by the intelligibility of what we encounter in the order of nature and that living out an objective morality is essential for human happiness.

A most welcome gift to all of us who have been searching for a long time for a comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to this fascinating and important subject.

A new science-faith synthesis is needed, andGods Grandeuroffers a welcome contribution to the formation of this synthesis.

Gods Grandeur shows up the lack of empirical evidence for Darwinism and specifically makes clear to Catholics what are the philosophical and theological consequences of kowtowing to it. I hope that many Catholics (and other truth seekers) will read it.

InGods Grandeur,scientists of all kinds will help you to see and appreciate the grandeur of the divine art and the Divine Artist. Thanks be to God for these Catholics, all professionals in their respective fields, who have the courage to bring the light of truth to shine This collection of essays should be read and reread by every Catholic Bishop and educator in America!

Continued here:
New Book Offers the CATHOLIC Case for ID - Discovery Institute

Controversial comic Roy Chubby Brown will be performing at the Victoria Hall tonight - despite his other UK shows previously being cancelled.

The foul-mouthed funnyman is playing the Hanley venue this evening (April 15).

It comes as some of his other shows in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, and Colne, Lancashire, have been axed in recent years amid racism, homophobia and sexism concerns.

READ MORE: 'I can't stand Katie Hopkins but free speech means her show should go ahead'

Famed for his flying goggles and outrageous outfits, the comedian is well known for his x-rated sense of humour. However, his politically-incorrect jokes have caused offence and Frank Skinner once called him a racist on air during a TV interview.

Caroline Key previously wrote to Stoke-on-Trent Central MP Jo Gideon and Stoke-on-Trent City Council calling for a Roy Chubby Brown gig to be scrapped in Christmas 2021.

She pointed to the fact that the Victoria Hall was the scene of the famous 'Lidice Shall Live' gathering in 1942 in response to the Nazi atrocity which wiped out the Czech village in the Second World War.

Caroline said: "I am very concerned that the comedian Roy Chubby Brown has been booked to appear at the Victoria Hall.

"The people of North Staffordshire are rightly proud of having a venue like the Victoria Hall on their doorstep and many, many people will have memories of attending great concerts there.

"Lets be clear, this is not a comedian who is just a bit controversial or who uses language that could be viewed as outdated. His entire act is a stream of unrelenting racism and misogyny.

"This is an act that normalises and encourages racism and misogyny. Is that really reflective of the values of the Victoria Hall?

"When the people of North Staffordshire gathered there in 1942, they did so because they hated Nazi brutality and had a vision for a better future. To allow that same stage to be used to insult people because of their skin colour, mock them for the shape of their eyes, and abuse them for their gender, is a gross betrayal of all that those people stood for.

"I urge you to do all you can to ensure that this performance does not go ahead. Many areas have previously refused to host this act. The people of North Staffordshire deserve more than having one of their major venues associated with this."

Roy got his big break on the tv talent show New Faces in the 1970s, and earned notoriety for the his profanity-laden act. His shows have been pulled by a number of councils over the years for fear of his material not reflecting the values of their communities.

Hitting back previously, the comic, real name Royston Vasey, said: I repeat its just COMEDY behind closed doors and a bit of fun for all. If you are in the minority and the nature of my show is not your cup of tea, I totally respect that, so dont buy a ticket that is your choice, but dont spoil it for the majority with complaints or bans, let people decide for themselves!

The Victoria Hall advises under-18s to stay away from the show. Tickets for the one-night only show are currently on sale. They are priced at 21.50.

The venue's promotional material states: "As politically incorrect as ever The Worlds Most Outrageous Comedian is far too rude for TV, so this live performance is the only place to catch the flamboyant comedian!

"Hes still rude, hes still crude and this time hes turning headlines into punchlines as his rip-roaring brand of banter continues to burst bellies across the country.

"Chubby doesnt hold back from sharing his outlandish views on the news, women and gender, sailing so close to the mark, even the most seasoned of fans will be left gob-smacked. If easily offended please stay away."

The Victoria Hall has been approached for a statement. For tickets, click here.

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More:
Roy Chubby Brown to play Hanley gig tonight despite calls for show to be cancelled - Stoke-on-Trent Live

WASHINGTON. KAZINFORM Four people died and 28 others were wounded at a birthday party in Dadeville, the U.S. state of Alabama, over the weekend.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday that their special agents have launched a death investigation at the request of the Dadeville police chief, Xinhua reports.

The investigation, according to the agency, is a result of a shooting that occurred at approximately 10:34 p.m. local time Saturday (0334 GMT Sunday) near the 200 Block of Broadnax Street in Dadeville, located in Tallapoosa County.

Currently, there have been four confirmed fatalities and multiple injuries, the post wrote.

One of the fatal victims was Philstavious Dowdell, a stellar high school football player and the brother of the birthday girl, according to reports.

Dowdell had committed to attending Jacksonville State University and joining its football team.

Rich Rodriguez, Jacksonville State's head football coach, tweeted that the death of Dowdell and the other victims is a senseless tragedy.

He was a great young man with a bright future, Rodriguez wrote. My staff and I are heartbroken and hope that everyone will support his family through this difficult time.

Twenty-eight people were injured during the course of the incident with some of those injuries being critical, according to the ALEA.

Authorities didn't mention a suspect or suspects, or an arrest, as of Sunday evening.

A small city with a population of some 3,000 people, Dadeville is located about an hour's drive from Alabama's capital Montgomery.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey tweeted on Sunday that she was grieving the events in Dadeville.

This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians, Ivey tweeted. Violent crime has NO place in our state, and we are staying closely updated by law enforcement as details emerge.

Also on Sunday, U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that the nation is once again grieving for at least four Americans tragically killed at a teen's birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama.

What has our nation come to when children cannot attend a birthday party without fear? When parents have to worry every time their kids walk out the door to school, to the movie theater, or to the park? he said.

There have been 161 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.

Meanwhile, more than 12,200 people, including hundreds of children and teens, have lost their lives to gun violence in the past several months, the website's data showed.

Guns are one of the most divisive issues in the United States. Democrats are in general in support of more gun control while most Republicans argue that gun rights should not be infringed upon.

The Dadeville shooting came only a day after the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The NRA is an influential American gun rights advocacy group.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, the early frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, vowed in Indianapolis that he will protect the Second Amendment of the Constitution.

The politically incorrect truth that no one on the left wants to admit is that violent crime is rarely committed by illegal gun owners, Trump said. It is committed by a brutal class of hardened repeat criminals.

I promise you this -- with me at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue no one will lay a finger on your firearms, he added.

In his statement on Sunday, Biden, a Democrat, criticized Republican figures' remarks at the NRA convention.

Americans agree and want lawmakers to act on commonsense gun safety reforms, Biden said. Instead, this past week Americans saw national Republican elected leaders stand alongside the NRA in a race to the bottom on dangerous laws that further erode gun safety. Our communities need and deserve better.

The rest is here:
4 dead, 28 wounded at U.S. birthday party shooting - inform.kz/en

Washington, US | Xinhua | Hundreds marched to the Capitol to protest for a ban on assault weapons, in Washington, D.C., the United States, on April 17, 2023.

Four people were killed and at least 28 others injured in a shooting at a birthday party on Saturday night in the small Alabama town of Dadeville, the United States, authorities said Sunday.

The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA) wrote in a Facebook post on Sunday that their special agents have launched a death investigation at the request of the Dadeville police chief.

The investigation, according to the agency, is a result of a shooting that occurred at approximately 10:34 p.m. local time Saturday (0334 GMT Sunday) near the 200 Block of Broadnax Street in Dadeville, located in Tallapoosa County.

Currently, there have been four confirmed fatalities and multiple injuries, the post wrote.

One of the fatal victims was Philstavious Dowdell, a stellar high school football player and the brother of the birthday girl, according to reports.

Dowdell had committed to attending Jacksonville State University and joining its football team.

Rich Rodriguez, Jacksonville States head football coach, tweeted that the death of Dowdell and the other victims is a senseless tragedy.

He was a great young man with a bright future, Rodriguez wrote. My staff and I are heartbroken and hope that everyone will support his family through this difficult time.

Twenty-eight people were injured during the course of the incident with some of those injuries being critical, according to the ALEA.

Authorities didnt mention a suspect or suspects, or an arrest, as of Sunday evening.

A small city with a population of some 3,000 people, Dadeville is located about an hours drive from Alabamas capital Montgomery.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey tweeted on Sunday that she was grieving the events in Dadeville.

This morning, I grieve with the people of Dadeville and my fellow Alabamians, Ivey tweeted. Violent crime has NO place in our state, and we are staying closely updated by law enforcement as details emerge.

Also on Sunday, U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement that the nation is once again grieving for at least four Americans tragically killed at a teens birthday party in Dadeville, Alabama.

What has our nation come to when children cannot attend a birthday party without fear? When parents have to worry every time their kids walk out the door to school, to the movie theater, or to the park? he said.

There have been 161 mass shootings in the United States so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.

Meanwhile, more than 12,200 people, including hundreds of children and teens, have lost their lives to gun violence in the past several months, the websites data showed.

Guns are one of the most divisive issues in the United States. Democrats are in general in support of more gun control while most Republicans argue that gun rights should not be infringed upon.

The Dadeville shooting came only a day after the National Rifle Association (NRA) convention in Indianapolis, Indiana. The NRA is an influential American gun rights advocacy group.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump, the early frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, vowed in Indianapolis that he will protect the Second Amendment of the Constitution.

The politically incorrect truth that no one on the left wants to admit is that violent crime is rarely committed by illegal gun owners, Trump said. It is committed by a brutal class of hardened repeat criminals.

I promise you this with me at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue no one will lay a finger on your firearms, he added.

In his statement on Sunday, Biden, a Democrat, criticized Republican figures remarks at the NRA convention.

Americans agree and want lawmakers to act on commonsense gun safety reforms, Biden said. Instead, this past week Americans saw national Republican elected leaders stand alongside the NRA in a race to the bottom on dangerous laws that further erode gun safety. Our communities need and deserve better.

This incident took the United States to a bleak milestone of more than 160 mass shootings so far this year, with 12,277 deaths from gun violence, according to a database run by the nonprofit research group Gun Violence Archive.

Read more from the original source:
People protest for ban on assault weapons in Washington - Independent