#Grant Whitson

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

“BUILDING GOOD ROADS IN NORTHERN ONTARIO,” Toronto Globe. November 2, 1912. Page 17.  ---- Splendid Work Has Already Been Accomplished ---- GREAT AID TO SETTLERS ----- The Old System of Securing Grant for Roads and Having the Work  Done by Friends of "the Party' Receives a Rude Jolt.  ---- (Staff Correspondence of The Globe.) Cochrane, Oct. 28.-Since June Mr J. F. Whitson has built 218 miles of road over an area approximately one hundred miles square. For every mile built dozens of families have been liberated from the burden of the packsack. For years many women have been incarcerated by the mud and the swamp back in the bush until the snow comes and a trail can be trodden; they can now leave their shacks and do their own marketing. 

It has been a hard light with two main disturbing factors, one season which has made the clearing of land a sodden misery. Often the men had to work up to their knees in waters.. In several places where the road has not yet been corduroyed camp outfits have had to be left until  the snow roads are made, because the continuous fall of rain made the track a quagmire. Certainly it would have been impossible to pick a more trying and unpropitious year to commence the gigantic task of supplying the northern section of the Province with roads.

Fighting the Old System. Secondly, there has been the insidious influence of the old bad system to ward off. Under the old haphazard method the settlers would find their condition desperate, and would be forced to ask the Government for aid. They would seek the assistance of the President of the local branch of the Conservative Association, and a collection would be taken to send a deputation to Toronto with the President as one of the spokesmen. Some months afterwards the settlement would be notified that a certain meagre grant had been awarded them, and the President of the Conservative Association would appoint himself foreman and his relatives, neighbors and friends would build the road. They would come pretty much when they liked and quit when they liked, and if farm concerns demanded their car far be it from a paternal Government to stop their pay in the meantime, and the wretched trails throughout the country witness the result. 

The old system found that the new Commissioner wanted a day's work for a day's pay, and if he could not get it from the settler, who always had the preference, why, he must get it from someone else.. The astounded President of the conservative Association found himself tired from his job as foreman and the whole force paid off. There has been a good deal of potty badgering to contend with. 

Headquarters in Toronto. In a few weeks' time. the headquarters of the Northern Ontario road branch will be moved to Toronto, where It will be permanently established in the Parliament buildings. Next year the Rainy Lake and Fort William country will be invaded, as well as the work resumed in Northern Ontario. For the campaign this year has but just opened. and main roads have been cut which will let the people out to the light and the sun of open country. Next year Townships lines will be cut, and further areas will be prepared for the future settler. The main centre of endeavor this year has been round Cochrane, where 119 miles of road have been cut in four townships.. e road runs straight as the compass could draw it for seventeen mile between the Frederickhouse and Abitibi Rivers, and there are several other tunnels through the bush equally as long. There is much low, wet land to be crosslayed, and the cost per mile would run up to $1,200 and $1.100. When the ground is dry and high will cost about $800 per mile.

Much Has Been Done, There are fifty of the 218 miles graded, ditched and finished: the others are still to be completed, though they will do well enough during the winter. From north to south the work been distributed as follows:--- Cochrane, 119 miles; at Okidisik, on the Transcontinental, right against the Quebec boundary, ten miles; Iroquois Falls,fifteen miles; Kelso, twelve;  Matheson, fifty-two miles; Englehart, ten miles. The ten miles at Pidisik consisted in cutting a trunk road paralleling the rallroad. It will serve as a base to cut side lines next spring. There is here some of the choicest land of the north. Twenty-five of the miles round Matheson consisted of a trunk road paralleling the T. & N. 0. Rallway and connecting up all the side lines with Mathesen and themselves. This will suit the whole community into one, instead of having isolated and discouraged units. At Kelso and Iroquois Falls roads have been run out to small clusters of settlers. There are still some families three or four miles back from any road, but they have gone in since the colonization work commenced, and it may be said that Northern Ontario. has in one year passed from the age of the packrack and the trail through the woods to that of the sixty-foot colonization road and the top buggy. 

BEN. HUGHES.

[rachelannc]

“Woke up this morning with the weirdest case of the butterflies,” I wrote that Tuesday morning on my phone.

Just the day before, I got a call from a band my 13-year-old self had always loved.

“It’s almost surreal to think I will be embarking on just a short run of a California West Coast tour with a band I’ve always loved,” I wrote. “I’ll get to see what it’s really like to be traveling on a cramped van. I will room in the weirdest hotels and smell the funkiest bars and sweat. Oh, the romanticism of it all gets to me… but the #LolaRachel in me is just dreading the thought of it all.”

I continued, “But hasn’t the road always called to me? I guess I’ll find out.”

With a sigh and a bit of nerves, I wrote, “S**t. What have I done? 😂”

You get what you ask for, I guess.

I had just gotten back from a spontaneous weekend’s getaway to Las Vegas with a friend and caught a slight cold waking up in that hotel room Sunday morning.

“Watch, you’re the reason you get the band sick,” my brother joked to me.

“OH MY GOD. THAT WOULD BE MY WORST NIGHTMARE!” I anxiously replied.

Meg & Dia just kicked off their two-week HappySad reunion tour — their first tour as a band together in eight years — with an all-new album and leg of shows that would take them throughout the West Coast and a few dates on the East ’til the end of September.

The forever-lingering fan girl in me was so stoked (but nervous as hell I’d be sharing rooms and traveling with them on the road, being intimate as ever — just me, Meg, Dia, Carlo and new drummer Grant spending hours on end together). The 13-year-old in me was still freaking out and dreaming up all these different scenarios in my head.

The night before I was messaging the band, “Any travel tips or things to be wary of to pack?” They told me to pack lightly, bring some water, some comfy clothes for the long drives and a water bottle to stay hydrated.

That Wednesday morning I got the call from Carlo. He picked me up on our way to Dia’s house to meet the girls and head on over to their San Diego show later that night at SOMA. Check-in and load-in would be around 4pm, so we spent the afternoon driving, picking up some merch, grabbing some In-N-Out and Starbucks wearing funky paper hats, as Dia helped me prep the merch table.

As we unpacked the boxes and hung stuff up onto the metal cage, Dia, in a moment of “band safety” (or “sisterly advice”) told me to look out for anyone who may be “creepy” or dangerous, and to feel free to call on anyone who’s numbers I have. It was a bit of a sisterly-talk, which was actually very nice and comforting, especially myself being a young twenty-something female who has had her fair share of “creeps” come up to me!

The whole day through, my little sick-self who didn’t want to sabotage this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity tried to hold back my voice and coughs in the car, which also stifled any chance of me trying to talk (ha 😂). I kept my mouth shut and coughs back, drank my water and silently hung up the merch. I grabbed a beer from the green room upstairs, walked around the parking lot, wandered around the green rooms as I saw Dia doing her stretches and vocal warmups as Carlo and Grant roamed around and Meg took a walk to Target (to which she thought up her story to introduce “Nineteen Stars”).

“I don’t know what to do with myself,” I said as I circled the same room five times.

Meg replied, “Welcome to tour!”

Settling into San Diego

San Diego’s run of tour was the band’s first date of their California shows. They had one day off prior to kicking off tour over the weekend, to which Meg joked, “I didn’t even know what to do with myself!” Dia mentioned how nice it felt to just lounge, eat, read a book and sleep in her own bed.

My favorite part of doing merch? Having friends and familiar faces come up during the shows and say hello, and even one random fan saying, “I follow you and your guitar stuff on Instagram!” What a surprise.

To be honest, I low-key had a hunch that people from online were going to approach me at the merch table. But to prepare myself, I told myself, “This is about Meg & Dia. Not me! I’m only here to help them out and I’m not going to make this about me. But if people come up, that’s cool!”

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One of my favorite things about this tour? Seeing old friends and familiar faces come up to the shows who love @meganddiamusic too! 🐨 #meganddia #happysadtour #somasandiego #sandiego #throwback #dayone #merchgirl #throwback #towednesdaynight

A post shared by Rachel Ann Cauilan (@rachelcansea) on Sep 22, 2019 at 2:07am PDT

As I’ve been anticipating their tour since the summer, I was kind of in a weird, out-of-body headspace and disbelief of where I was, what was happening… I was just going with the motions. So when I rolled up to their soundcheck, I remember having a moment where I was like, “Wait a second. This is their first new set of songs in over eight years. I can’t wait to hear how they sound live!”

San Diego was definitely a more intimate night, with fans listening intently and giving the band their respect and dues. Dia even had a moment where she cried during “Dear Heart,” to which Meg stopped and adoringly gave Dia a hug. Since I was with them the entire day, I was like, “Awww…” But also, I knew how completely normal this was for Dia to get emotional while singing (I guess that just goes to show how much I’ve followed them over the years, lol).

Curfew for that night was 11pm which gave us enough time to pack up at the end of the night, settle the merch and drive back to sleep in our own beds in Los Angeles. It was hitting 1am and I remember sleepily hearing Underoath and Sleeping With Sirens playing in the van as Dia “the speed demon” drove the van back to LA by 2am in no time.

Los Angeles and the Troubadour

“We here Rachael!” Meg texted me just before 2pm to alert that they had arrived and picked me up on the way to load-in at the Troubadour for the show that night.

I technically didn’t need to arrive to the venue until 6pm to set-up merch, but I figured, I don’t even have my car (my stuff got stolen just a week prior), and I don’t get to tour everyday, so might as well come early and spend the day hanging around to get the “full experience.”

I have to say, one of the most admirable and eye-opening things I’ve seen on this tour was seeing how the girls operate. Since my sick-self was trying to heal ASAP, I opted to stay quiet and just absorb and learn as much as I could just from witnessing and observing the process of tour throughout…

As Dia, Meg, Carlo, Grant and I loaded into the back of the Troubadour, we unpacked all the gear to set up on the stage. Soundcheck was at 4pm and as the band prepped their gear, I mozied my way on over to unpack the merch boxes and start setting up some merch (to which we basically all sold-out the night before and I had to wait on 6-8 boxes of merch to arrive at the venue later that night). I wandered around, took some photos and watched the band soundcheck.

Listening to their soundcheck and getting that rare look into how they rehearse and prepare, I feel like I was able to hear much more than their live performance set. A fuller sound and an intimate, rare look where they’re conversing with each their and the sound guy to get things sounding good… And just to hear these songs every night and see how their vibes, moods and energies change?! Wow, what an opportunity.

Since we had so much time to kill before the show, we decided to walk around and grab some food. We grubbed at Guisado’s (was my first real meal with the band)! We walked past Salt & Straw, to which we all gushed how good it was and I couldn’t help but grab myself a scoop (even if I might be lactose lol). Dia was particularly quiet/er at the meal, to which I felt she was — ha, getting so “deep in my own head” (cue “Koala”).

This chill moment and time may have been one of my favorite parts and moments shared with the band, just because I was getting into the hang of and settling into tour and doing merch, and also loosening up a little around them (ha)!

That night was a big night, though. All of their music friends, industry friends and Dia’s actor friends were swinging by. Was a big night for new daddy Mike Kaminsky, who pretty much first opened myself up to getting to know the band better in my college days. Khalif helped lug some boxes in for us and unpack the last-minute merch that arrived for us. That merch corner became a bit chaotic and we threw the merch out like flies!

It’s nice to share conversations with fans who have grown up listening to them, eager to buy merch and support a little band who has been through it and getting back on it. A memorable conversation came from Dia’s personal acting friend who raves about just how talented Dia is and she doesn’t even know it (maybe sounds familiar?) — how she gets down on herself so much but we all know how incredibly talented she is, and how much of a storyteller she is when she carries through song. (Oof! Was such a sweet moment I decided to record a mini video message from him to send to Dia, to which the audio unfortunately cut out, but appreciated anyway.)

Joya and I were starting to get into a good system of organization. I placed my geeky “:) or :(?” tip jar on the table to which people actually generously wanted to support.

A friend came by to the merch table and visited me after every set, saying, “I don’t really know these bands and only came because you posted about it, but they’re pretty cool.” He charmingly/awkwardly said hi and even told Meg and Dia themselves he came out just because of me. (Dia joked to me the next morning, “I think he was only awkward because of you, ’cause I was talking to him outside and he seemed chill…”) to which Joya joked as well. Huh, I don’t know what it is I do, I promise!

I enjoyed their set from above. Dante Basco bought me a drink as I fangirled to “Cardigan Weather” with AJ Rafael. As that night ended and I sweatily packed all of the merch and boxes back into the van, my roommate came as I gave her an extra ticket a fan had “gifted to me” (lol), I said bye to the band as we munched on their special Donut Friend “Nutmeg & Chia” donuts someone bought for us, and I hitched a ride.

“7 hour drive to San Fran venue tmrw! Load in at 4! We will leave at 8 am tmrw!” Dia texted the group, to which I replied with a “!!” because it was well past 1am and I had way too much adrenaline from the show and knew I was not sleeping. Ha! I could not wait to head up to San Francisco to see all my family and friends as I’ve been anticipating that show for a while. I slept at 4am that morning, packed my luggage for the weekend and got up just in time for the band to pick me up at 8am and deliver the van some salmon lox bagels for breakfast. Yum!

The slow drawls and hometown reunion in San Francisco

That drive. That slow morning. My lack of sleep and tired self still holding back my coughs. Was I even awake? Were we all even awake? What am I doing here? Wait, I’m seeing my family tonight? Shoot, I can’t believe they’re all coming!

“Do you have any more people you want to add to the list?” Dia asked.

I gave her a few more names of my friends (definitely all high school) who wanted to come out.

“Wow, I’m so tired and I’m so excited my family and friends are coming out, but I physically can’t show my excitement!” I frustratingly said in my head, as my mind was running a million different directions that day.

This was probably the day I got the most in my own head (to which Meg comfortingly added on the road, “I get like that sometimes too and sometimes I need to remind myself — I hold my body and just breathe for 30 minutes to get back in touch with myself”).

As the night approached, my mom walked over from work in the city to visit me at the venue, and I showed her the merch table, the venue, my clothes and luggage… ha! I introduced her to Carlo and Dia as they did their soundcheck. Showtime wasn’t going to be until 11pm that night (wowzers!) as we all tried to stay awake until then. (Friday nights in SF with a live DJ to follow afterward. “Are we dancing tonight?!” we joked.) Joya and I proceeded to walk around, as I wanted to get some “fresh air” outside of the venue and just “walk and talk it out,” as we both had some nerves that day (haha). I went outside to visit my brother and other Meg & Dia boardies who were anticipating the show and asking, “Wow how’s merch life Rachel?!” Nick even joked to me, “Y’all are a heavy crew,” saying anyone would be intimidated to approach, Meg, Dia, Joya and me at the table. 😂 (“But I’m the nicest person!” I explained.)

What a night. As Meg and Dia did their meet-and-greets with fans after the show, signing merch and sharing conversations, they waited until every last fan. It was soon to be 1:30am and we had to get OUT! I proceeded to help pack up the merch into the van, as Meg and Dia themselves helped in the process.

I have to say… It was absolutely admirable to see them sucking it up, picking up the boxes and racking them on top of each other with no complaints or hesitancy. As pros who have been doing this since they were teens, it was absolutely humbling to see them just get up and do the dirty work. Dia talking and checking in with venue managers, as managers would go, “You guys don’t have a manager?” Meg would go and settle merch at the end of the night. They upkept inventory and as we got into the van to drive to the hotel that night, Dia drove the big a** van 30 minutes to the hotel on probably pure tour/performance exhaustion, and miraculously fit into the tiniest of parking spaces, as we checked into the hotel at 3am and all lacking sleep as we just drove up and played LA the night before and somehow managed to make it here… Meg, Dia, Joya and I shared the room and we took our showers and slept like babies.

“Let’s request a late check-out,” Dia said, as we all slept soundly. “That’s the latest Meg ever slept in!” as the early bird she was.

Strolling basketball games and man-hunting with the Framptons

Carlo had flown out that night/morning at 4am to make it to baby Leon’s birthday (absolutely the most adorable kid, I have to say!). It was then just the five of us that day, while Meg and Dia would play a short acoustic set. We had a nice weekend’s day on the road to just enjoy the summer sun and “chill.”

We went back to the amazing Souvla, one of my favorite restaurants in Hayes Valley. Wandered around and window-shopped. I bought an egg-crown-children’s-book plush stuffed toy thingy with the saying, “What would you do with an idea?” Dia bought a watermelon plush as well (lol). I’m not sure why, but my buying that whimsical crown egg was probably the one thing that made me smile the most on tour! It felt like a truly normal moment for me and just made me so happy (I forever have a little tour souvenir with a message that is so dear to my heart).

We arrived to the ISA TV charity basketball game mid-afternoon, as the entire Asian-American community in LA seemed to be there too.

“4000+ people?!” I said in amazement, as the girls were to play a halftime show in front of all these fans.

We set up merch, had some food, checked into our rooms and hung out. Dia tried to manhunt for Meg, as Khalif pointed out to Dia that someone was asking, “Who’s the girl in the yoga pants?” referring to me. Ha! We all shared glances and little, “Hmm..” judging if these were our “types.” 😂 (Ha, I have to say. It’s so refreshing to just have girl talk and feel like I have sisters on the road! As I’ve always been surrounded by boys and my brothers, I love having this kind of silly sister talk where I can openly talk about these boy situations, ha!)

These girls are incredibly responsible on tour, and for good reason. Meg shared some horror tour stories in the past while on the road — how Leslie got stranded at a gas station when they were on their way to a hotel at 2am in the morning — and I’m sure they’ve already had their days and wild nights on tour. As they’re back as a band together on the road after eight years, it’s kind of cool to get an insider look from these “sisters I never had,” seeing how calm the road can be, how incredibly “normal” yet abnormal tour life can be, despite all other assumptions about tour life. (I’m glad I had a completely comfortable time on tour, and wasn’t as uncomfortable as I had initially expected!)

In hindsight

It was a few days that had gone by so fast. And as the band headed straight to an airport when we arrived back in LA, I bid them adieu. And, I kind of missed it already…

It felt so good to be back home, to rest and properly heal up… but, with them on the road felt like a nice break and I could see how this could be life. (Definitely not something to do every day for your life, because at some point you could lose touch of reality and home, ha!) but… throughout it all, it was a lovely experience and time. And what a crazy way to cap off my journey with this little small-town band, from a girl at 13 who saw two girls who look like me playing rock music on the MySpace front page, to eventually growing an uncanny relation to them… I owe a lot to them for finding my voice, my self, my writing and my music throughout my adolescence since 13… and 13 years later, to be joining them on the road just to help. What an honor.

Some “after tour” stories may be entertaining, but I’ll save that for another time… But, when you post an at-home selfie with an actively writing caption, and forget you’re now Facebook friends with someone you’ve listened to for so long, and they see and “like” that said photo… That’s almost a little embarrassing! But it’s also a little comforting at the same time…

“I see you,” it says.

What a concept I thought would’ve never been true.

Follow Meg & Dia on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.

And view their videos from San Diego (here), Los Angeles (here) and San Francisco (here). (Did you get that? Ha!)

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#tourdiaries pt. 2 A couple photos I took on the road with @meganddiamusic during their West Coast California #happysadtour reunion this past week. What an honor it has been to join them day in and day out on tour! I learned so much and have come to admire and respect the work the Framptons put into pulling a tour together all on their own — from driving a van all themselves, dealing with venue managers all themselves, getting the band together on time, all themselves, and cruise control — ha! Seeing how seasoned pros do it with such a humility has been so lovely. It was a lot to absorb for little ole me tagging along a band who has amounted to so much for me. But that was fun. Thank you @diaframpton @megframpton @thecza @omfgrant @joyacamaisa for the hospitality! Til next time. #meganddia #happysad #tbt #throwback #aboutlastweek #westcoast #california #californiatour #travel #traveldiaries #photography #livemusic #concert #rachelannc

A post shared by Rachel Ann Cauilan (@rachelcansea) on Sep 26, 2019 at 2:34pm PDT

My Life as a Roadie with Meg & Dia on the California ‘Happysad’ Tour "Woke up this morning with the weirdest case of the butterflies," I wrote that Tuesday morning on my phone.

[omfgrant]

Been awhile since I’ve posted on here! To all my followers that don’t already know, I play drums for a band called Arlington. We released our debut album through Rise Records in October! Check it out here, and check out the videos for the singles on YouTube!

Photos by Lindsey Byrnes (who is both a legend and the nicest person ever)

[arlingtonband]

Update

Long time no post! 

Master tracks sound amazing! Our pal Stephen Gomez recorded and mixed this batch of songs, and Warren Sokol did our masters. Can't wait to release them! 

 Our friend Brennan Benko sent over the art for the first release "On The Way." It looks amazing. You'll have to wait and see, but you can check out his art on his Instagram.

Next show is in my hometown of Bakersfield on February 10! We’re playing with some LA friends that are stopping by on their tour. Get your tickets here.

That’s all I can say right now, but we’ve got some huuuuuuge things coming very soon.

- OMFGrant

[savedfromsalvation]

The Jesus Forgery: Josephus Untangled

 by Acharya S/D.M. Murdock

The following article is excerpted from:

Suns of God: Krishna, Buddha and Christ Unveiled

When addressing the mythical nature of Jesus Christ, one issue repeatedly raised is the purported "evidence" of his existence to be found in the writings of Flavius Josephus, the famed Jewish general and historian who lived from about 37 to 100 CE. In Josephus's Antiquities of the Jews appears the notorious passage regarding Christ called the "Testimonium Flavianum" ("TF"):

"Now, there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful works,--a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ; and when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him, for he appeared to them alive again the third day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day." (Whitson, 379)

This surprisingly brief and simplistic passage constitutes the "best proof" of Jesus's existence in the entire ancient non-Christian library comprising the works of dozens of historians, writers, philosophers, politicians and others who never mentioned the great sage and wonderworker Jesus Christ, even though they lived contemporaneously with or shortly after the Christian savior's purported advent.

A False Witness

Despite the best wishes of sincere believers and the erroneous claims of truculent apologists, the Testimonium Flavianum has been demonstrated continually over the centuries to be a forgery, likely interpolated by Catholic Church historian Eusebius in the fourth century. So thorough and universal has been this debunking that very few scholars of repute continued to cite the passage after the turn of the 19th century. Indeed, the TF was rarely mentioned, except to note that it was a forgery, and numerous books by a variety of authorities over a period of 200 or so years basically took it for granted that the Testimonium Flavianum in its entirety was spurious, an interpolation and a forgery. As Dr. Gordon Stein relates:

"...the vast majority of scholars since the early 1800s have said that this quotation is not by Josephus, but rather is a later Christian insertion in his works. In other words, it is a forgery, rejected by scholars."

So well understood was this fact of forgery that these numerous authorities did not spend their precious time and space rehashing the arguments against the TF's authenticity. Nevertheless, in the past few decades apologists of questionable integrity and credibility have glommed onto the TF, because this short and dubious passage represents the most "concrete" secular, non-biblical reference to a man who purportedly shook up the world. In spite of the past debunking, the debate is currently confined to those who think the TF was original to Josephus but was Christianized, and those who credulously and self-servingly accept it as "genuine" in its entirety.

To repeat, this passage was so completely dissected by scholars of high repute and standing--the majority of them pious Christians--that it was for decades understood by subsequent scholars as having been proved in toto a forgery, such that these succeeding scholars did not even mention it, unless to acknowledge it as false. (In addition to being repetitious, numerous quotes will be presented here, because a strong show of rational consensus is desperately needed when it comes to matters of blind, unscientific and irrational faith.) The scholars who so conclusively proved the TF a forgery made their mark at the end of the 18th century and into the 20th, when a sudden reversal was implemented, with popular opinion hemming and hawing its way back first to the "partial interpolation theory" and in recent times, among the third-rate apologists, to the notion that the whole TF is "genuine." As Earl Doherty says, in "Josephus Unbound":

"Now, it is a curious fact that older generations of scholars had no trouble dismissing this entire passage as a Christian construction. Charles Guignebert, for example, in his Jesus (1956, p.17), calls it 'a pure Christian forgery.' Before him, Lardner, Harnack and Schurer, along with others, declared it entirely spurious. Today, most serious scholars have decided the passage is a mix: original parts rubbing shoulders with later Christian additions."

The earlier scholarship that proved the entire TF to be fraudulent was determined by intense scrutiny by some of the most erudite, and mainly Christian, writers of the time, in a number of countries, their works written in a variety of languages, but particularly German, French and English. Their general conclusions, as elucidated by Christian authority Dr. Lardner, and related here by the author of Christian Mythology Unveiled (c. 1842), include the following reasons for doubting the authenticity of the TF as a whole:

"Mattathias, the father of Josephus, must have been a witness to the miracles which are said to have been performed by Jesus, and Josephus was born within two years after the crucifixion, yet in all the works he says nothing whatever about the life or death of Jesus Christ; as for the interpolated passage it is now universally acknowledged to be a forgery. The arguments of the 'Christian Ajax,' even Lardner himself, against it are these: 'It was never quoted by any of our Christian ancestors before Eusebius. It disturbs the narrative. The language is quite Christian. It is not quoted by Chrysostom, though he often refers to Josephus, and could not have omitted quoting it had it been then in the text. It is not quoted by Photius [9th century], though he has three articles concerning Josephus; and this author expressly states that this historian has not taken the least notice of Christ. Neither Justin Martyr, in his dialogue with Trypho the Jew; nor Clemens Alexandrinus, who made so many extracts from ancient authors; nor Origen against Celsus, have ever mentioned this testimony. But, on the contrary, in chap. 25th of the first book of that work, Origen openly affirms that Josephus, who had mentioned John the Baptist, did not acknowledge Christ. That this passage is a false fabrication is admitted by Ittigius, Blondel, Le Clerc, Vandale, Bishop Warburton, and Tanaquil Faber.'" (CMU, 47)

Hence, by the 1840's, when the anonymous author of Christian Mythology Unveiled wrote, the Testimonium Flavanium was already "universally acknowledged to be a forgery."

The pertinent remarks by the highly significant Church father Origen (c. 185-c.254) appear in his Contra Celsus, Book I, Chapter XLVII:

"For in the 18th book of his Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus bears witness to John as having been a Baptist, and as promising purification to those who underwent the rite. Now this writer, although not believing in Jesus as the Christ, in seeking after the cause of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple, whereas he ought to have said that the conspiracy against Jesus was the cause of these calamities befalling the people, since they put to death Christ, who was a prophet, says nevertheless--being, although against his will, not far from the truth--that these disasters happened to the Jews as a punishment for the death of James the Just, who was a brother of Jesus (called Christ)--the Jews having put him to death, although he was a man most distinguished for his justice" (Emphasis added)

Here, in Origen's words, is the assertion that Josephus, who discusses more than a dozen Jesuses, did not consider any of them to be "the Christ." This fact proves that the same phrase in the TF is spurious. Furthermore, Origen does not even intimate the presence of the rest of the TF. Concerning Origen and the TF, Arthur Drews relates in Witnesses to the Historicity of Jesus:

"In the edition of Origen published by the Benedictines it is said that there was no mention of Jesus at all in Josephus before the time of Eusebius [c. 300 ce]. Moreover, in the sixteenth century Vossius had a manuscript of the text of Josephus in which there was not a word about Jesus. It seems, therefore, that the passage must have been an interpolation, whether it was subsequently modified or not." (Drews, 9; emph. added)

According to the author of Christian Mythology Unveiled ("CMU"), this Vossius mentioned by a number of writers as having possessed a copy of Josephus's Antiquities lacking the TF is "I. Vossius," whose works appeared in Latin. Unfortunately, none of these writers includes a citation as to where exactly the assertion may be found in Vossius's works. Moreover, the Vossius in question seems to be Gerardus, rather than his son, Isaac, who was born in the seventeenth century.

Church Fathers Ignorant of Josephus Passage

In any event, as G.A. Wells points out in The Jesus Myth, not only do several Church fathers from the second, third and early fourth centuries have no apparent knowledge of the TF, but even after Eusebius suddenly "found" it in the first half of the fourth century, several other fathers into the fifth "often cite Josephus, but not this passage." (Wells, JM, 202) In the 5th century, Church father Jerome (c. 347-c.419) cited the TF once, with obvious disinterest, as if he knew it was fraudulent. In addition to his reference to the TF, in his Letter XXII. to Eustochium, Jerome made the following audacious claim:

"Josephus, himself a Jewish writer, asserts that at the Lord's crucifixion there broke from the temple voices of heavenly powers, saying: 'Let us depart hence.'"

Either Jerome fabricated this alleged Josephus quote, or he possessed a unique copy of the Jewish historian's works, in which this assertion had earlier been interpolated. In any case, Jerome's claim constitutes "pious fraud," one of many committed by Christian proponents over the centuries, a rampant practice, in fact, that must be kept in mind when considering the authenticity of the TF.

Following is a list of important Christian authorities who studied and/or mentioned Josephus but not the Jesus passage:

Justin Martyr (c. 100-c. 165), who obviously pored over Josephus's works, makes no mention of the TF.

Theophilus (d. 180), Bishop of Antioch--no mention of the TF.

Irenaeus (c. 120/140-c. 200/203), saint and compiler of the New Testament, has not a word about the TF.

Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-211/215), influential Greek theologian and prolific Christian writer, head of the Alexandrian school, says nothing about the TF.

Origen (c. 185-c. 254), no mention of the TF and specifically states that Josephus did not believe Jesus was "the Christ."

Hippolytus (c. 170-c. 235), saint and martyr, nothing about the TF.

The author of the ancient Syriac text, "History of Armenia," refers to Josephus but not the TF.

Minucius Felix (d. c. 250), lawyer and Christian convert--no mention of the TF.

Anatolius (230-c. 270/280)--no mention of TF.

Chrysostom (c. 347-407), saint and Syrian prelate, not a word about the TF.

Methodius, saint of the 9th century--even at this late date there were apparently copies of Josephus without the TF, as Methodius makes no mention of it.

Photius (c. 820-891), Patriarch of Constantinople, not a word about the TF, again indicating copies of Josephus devoid of the passage, or, perhaps, a rejection of it because it was understood to be fraudulent.

Arguments Against Authenticity Further Elucidated

When the evidence is scientifically examined, it becomes clear that the entire Josephus passage regarding Jesus was forged, likely by Church historian Eusebius, during the fourth century. In "Who on Earth was Jesus Christ?" David Taylor details the reasons why the TF in toto must be deemed a forgery, most of which arguments, again, were put forth by Dr. Lardner:

"It was not quoted or referred to by any Christian apologists prior to Eusebius, c. 316 ad.

"Nowhere else in his voluminous works does Josephus use the word 'Christ,' except in the passage which refers to James 'the brother of Jesus who was called Christ' (Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20, Chapter 9, Paragraph 1), which is also considered to be a forgery.

"Since Josephus was not a Christian but an orthodox Jew, it is impossible that he should have believed or written that Jesus was the Christ or used the words 'if it be lawful to call him a man,' which imply the Christian belief in Jesus' divinity.

"The extraordinary character of the things related in the passage--of a man who is apparently more than a man, and who rose from the grave after being dead for three days--demanded a more extensive treatment by Josephus, which would undoubtedly have been forthcoming if he had been its author.

"The passage interrupts the narrative, which would flow more naturally if the passage were left out entirely.

"It is not quoted by Chrysostom (c. 354-407 ad) even though he often refers to Josephus in his voluminous writings.

"It is not quoted by Photius, Patriarch of Constantinople (c. 858-886 ad) even though he wrote three articles concerning Josephus, which strongly implies that his copy of Josephus' Antiquities did not contain the passage.

"Neither Justin Martyr (110-165 AD), nor Clement of Alexandria (153-217 ad), nor Origen (c.185-254 AD), who all made extensive reference to ancient authors in their defence of Christianity, has mentioned this supposed testimony of Josephus.

"Origen, in his treatise Against Celsus, Book 1, Chapter 47, states categorically that Josephus did NOT believe that Jesus was the Christ.

"This is the only reference to the Christians in the works of Josephus. If it were genuine, we would have expected him to have given us a fuller account of them somewhere."

When the earliest Greek texts are analyzed, it is obvious that the Testimonium Flavianum interrupts the flow of the primary material and that the style of the language is different from that of Josephus. There is other evidence that the TF never appeared in the original Josephus. As Wells says:

"As I noted in The Jesus Legend, there is an ancient table of contents in the Antiquities which omits all mention of the Testimonium. Feldman (in Feldman and Hata, 1987, p. 57) says that this table is already mentioned in the fifth- or sixth-century Latin version of the Antiquities, and he finds it 'hard to believe that such a remarkable passage would be omitted by anyone, let alone by a Christian summarizing the work.'" (Wells, JM, 201)

Also, Josephus goes into long detail about the lives of numerous personages of relatively little import, including several Jesuses. It is inconceivable that he would devote only a few sentences to someone even remotely resembling the character found in the New Testament. If the gospel tale constituted "history," Josephus's elders would certainly be aware of Jesus's purported assault on the temple, for example, and the historian, who was obviously interested in instances of messianic agitation, would surely have reported it, in detail. Moreover, the TF refers to Jesus as a "wise man"--this phrase is used by Josephus in regard to only two other people, out of hundreds, i.e., the patriarchs Joseph and Solomon. If Josephus had thought so highly of an historical Jesus, he surely would have written more extensively about him. Yet, he does not. Lest it be suggested that Josephus somehow could have been ignorant of the events in question, the Catholic Encyclopedia ("Flavius Josephus") says:

"... Josephus...was chosen by the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem to be commander-in-chief in Galilee. As such he established in every city throughout the country a council of judges, the members of which were recruited from those who shared his political views."

Indeed, Josephus was a well-educated Jew who lived in the precise area where the gospel tale was said to have taken place, as did his parents, the latter at the very time of Christ's alleged advent. It was Josephus's passion to study the Jewish people and their history; yet, other than the obviously bogus TF, and the brief "James passage" mentioned by Taylor above, it turns out that in his voluminous works Josephus discussed neither Christ nor Christianity. Nor does it make any sense that the prolific Jewish writer would not detail the Christian movement itself, were Christians extant at the time in any significant numbers.

The Catholic Encyclopedia (CE), which tries to hedge its bet about the Josephus passage, is nevertheless forced to admit: "The passage seems to suffer from repeated interpolations." In the same entry, CE also confirms that Josephus's writings were used extensively by the early Christian fathers, such as Jerome, Ambrose and Chrystostom; nevertheless, as noted, except for Jerome, they never mention the TF.

Regarding the TF, as well as the James passage, which possesses the phrase James, the brother of Jesus, who was called Christ, Jewish writer ben Yehoshua makes some interesting assertions:

"Neither of these passages is found in the original version of the Jewish Antiquities which was preserved by the Jews. The first passage (XVII, 3, 3) was quoted by Eusebius writing in c. 320 C.E., so we can conclude that it was added in some time between the time Christians got hold of the Jewish Antiquities and c. 320 C.E. It is not known when the other passage (XX, 9, 1) was added... Neither passage is based on any reliable sources. It is fraudulent to claim that these passages were written by Josephus and that they provide evidence for Jesus. They were written by Christian redactors and were based purely on Christian belief."

Yehoshua claims that the 12th century historian Gerald of Wales related that a "Master Robert of the Priory of St. Frideswide at Oxford examined many Hebrew copies of Josephus and did not find the 'testimony about Christ,' except for two manuscripts where it appeared [to Robert, evidently] that the testimony had been present but scratched out." Yehoshua states that, since "scratching out" requires the removal of the top layers, the deleted areas in these mere two of the many copies likely did not provide any solid evidence that it was the TF that had been removed. Apologists will no doubt insist that these Hebrew texts are late copies and that Jewish authorities had the TF removed. This accusation of mutilating an author's work, of course, can easily be turned around on the Christians. Also, considering that Vossius purportedly possessed a copy of the Antiquities without the TF, it is quite possible that there were "many Hebrew copies" likewise devoid of the passage.

Higher Criticism by Christian Authorities

The many reasons for concluding the Josephus passage to be a forgery have been expounded upon by numerous well-respected authorities, so much so that such individuals have been compelled by honesty and integrity to dismiss the Testimonium in toto as a forgery. In The Christ, John Remsburg relates the opinions of critics of the TF from the past couple of centuries, the majority of whom were Christian authorities, including and especially Dr. Lardner, who said:

"A testimony so favorable to Jesus in the works of Josephus, who lived so soon after our Savior, who was so well acquainted with the transactions of his own country, who had received so many favors from Vespasian and Titus, would not be overlooked or neglected by any Christian apologist (Lardner's Works, vol. I, chap. iv)."

Yet, the TF was overlooked and neglected by early Christian writers. In other words, they never cited it because it didn't exist.

Another authority, Bishop Warburton, called the TF a "rank forgery, and a very stupid one, too." Remsburg further related the words of the "Rev. Dr. Giles, of the Established Church of England," who stated:

"Those who are best acquainted with the character of Josephus, and the style of his writings, have no hesitation in condemning this passage as a forgery, interpolated in the text during the third century by some pious Christian, who was scandalized that so famous a writer as Josephus should have taken no notice of the gospels, or of Christ, their subject...."

In addition, the Rev. S. Baring-Gould remarked:

"This passage is first quoted by Eusebius (fl. A.D. 315) in two places (Hist. Eccl., lib. I, c. xi; Demonst. Evang., lib. iii); but it was unknown to Justin Martyr (fl. A.D. 140), Clement of Alexandria (fl. A.D. 192), Tertullian (fl. A.D. 193), and Origen (fl. A.D. 230). Such a testimony would certainly have been produced by Justin in his apology or in his controversy with Trypho the Jew, had it existed in the copies of Josephus at his time. The silence of Origen is still more significant. Celsus, in his book against Christianity, introduces a Jew. Origen attacks the argument of Celsus and his Jew. He could not have failed to quote the words of Josephus, whose writings he knew, had the passage existed in the genuine text. He, indeed, distinctly affirms that Josephus did not believe in Christ (Contr. Cels. I)."

Remsburg also recounts:

"Cannon Farrar, who has written an ablest Christian life of Christ yet penned, repudiates it. He says: 'The single passage in which he [Josephus] alludes to him is interpolated, if not wholly spurious' (Life of Christ, Vol. I, p. 46).

"The following, from Dr. Farrar's pen, is to be found in the Encyclopedia Britannica: 'That Josephus wrote the whole passage as it now stands no sane critic can believe.'"

And so on, with similar opinions by Christian scholars such as Theodor Keim, Rev. Dr. Hooykaas and Dr. Alexander Campbell. By the time of Dr. Chalmers and others, the TF had been so discredited that these authorities understood it as a forgery in toto and did not even consider it for a moment as "evidence" of Jesus's existence and/or divinity. In fact, these subsequent defenders of the faith, knowing the TF to be a forgery, repeatedly commented on how disturbing it was that Josephus did not mention Jesus.

In the modern apologist work The Case for Christ, Lee Strobel relates a passage from a novel published in 1979 by Charles Templeton, in which the author states, regarding Jesus, "There isn't a single word about him in secular history. Not a word. No mention of him by the Romans. Not so much as a reference by Josephus." (Strobel, 101) Strobel then reports the response by Christian professor Edwin Yamauchi, who claimed that Templeton was mistaken and that there was a reference to Jesus by Josephus. Yamauchi's fatuous response ignores, purposefully or otherwise, the previous ironclad arguments about which Templeton was apparently educated, such that he made such a statement. In other words, Templeton was evidently aware of the purported reference in Josephus but had understood by the arguments of the more erudite, earlier Christian authorities that it was a forgery; hence, there is "not so much as a reference by Josephus." In this facile manner of merely ignoring or dismissing the earlier scholarship, modern believers cling to the long-dismissed TF in order to convince themselves of the unbelievable.

For a more modern criticism, in The Jesus Puzzle and his online article "Josephus Unbound," secularist and classicist Earl Doherty leaves no stone unturned in demolishing the TF, permitting no squirming room for future apologists, whose resort to the TF will show, as it has done in the past, how hopeless is their plight in establishing an "historical Jesus." Concerning the use of Josephus as "evidence" of Jesus's existence, Doherty remarks:

"[I]n the absence of any other supporting evidence from the first century that in fact the Jesus of Nazareth portrayed in the Gospels clearly existed, Josephus becomes the slender thread by which such an assumption hangs. And the sound and fury and desperate manoeuverings which surround the dissection of those two little passages becomes a din of astonishing proportions. The obsessive focus on this one uncertain record is necessitated by the fact that the rest of the evidence is so dismal, so contrary to the orthodox picture. If almost everything outside Josephus points in a different direction, to the essential fiction of the Gospel picture and its central figure, how can Josephus be made to bear on his shoulders, through two passages whose reliability has thus far remained unsettled, the counterweight to all this other negative evidence?"

Other modern authors who criticize the TF include The Jesus Mysteries authors Freke and Gandy, who conclude:

"Unable to provide any historical evidence for Jesus, later Christians forged the proof that they so badly needed to shore up their Literalist interpretation of the gospels. This, as we would see repeatedly, was a common practice." (Freke and Gandy, 137)

Despite the desperate din, a number of other modern writers remain in concurrence with the earlier scholarship and likewise consider the TF in toto a fraud.

The Suspect: Eusebius (c. 264-340)

In addition to acknowledging the spuriousness of the Josephus passage, many authorities quoted here agreed with the obvious: Church historian Eusebius was the forger of the entire Testimonium Flavianium. Various reasons have already been given for making such a conclusion. In "Did Jesus Really Live?" Marshall Gauvin remarks:

"Everything demonstrates the spurious character of the passage. It is written in the style of Eusebius, and not in the style of Josephus. Josephus was a voluminous writer. He wrote extensively about men of minor importance. The brevity of this reference to Christ is, therefore, a strong argument for its falsity. This passage interrupts the narrative. It has nothing to do with what precedes or what follows it; and its position clearly shows that the text of the historian has been separated by a later hand to give it room."

Regarding the absence of the TF in the writings of earlier Christian fathers and its sudden appearance with Eusebius, CMU says:

"it has been observed that the famous passage which we find in Josephus, about Jesus Christ, was never mentioned or alluded to in any way whatever by any of the fathers of the first, second, or third centuries; nor until the time of Eusebius, 'when it was first quoted by himself [sic].' The truth is, none of these fathers could quote or allude to a passage which did not exist in their times; but was to all points short of absolutely certain, forged and interpolated by Eusebius, as suggested by Gibbon and others. Even the redoubtable Lardner has pronounced this passage to be a forgery." (CMU, 79-80)

Moreover, the word "tribe" in the TF is another clue that the passage was forged by Eusebius, who is fond of the word, while Josephus uses it only in terms of ethnicity, never when describing a religious sect. Kerry Shirts adds to this particular point:

"Eusebius studied Josephus diligently, and could thus masquerade as he, except when he used the word 'tribe' to describe the Christians. All the literature from the Ante-Nicene Fathers show they never used the word 'tribe' or 'race' with reference to the Christians, was [sic] either by the Fathers or when they quoted non-Christian writers. Tertullian, Pliny the Younger, Trajan, Rufinus--none use 'tribe' to refer to Christians. Eusebius is the first to start the practice."

In Antiqua Mater: A Study of Christian Origins, Edwin Johnson remarked that the fourth century was "the great age of literary forgery, the extent of which has yet to be exposed." He further commented that "not until the mass of inventions labelled 'Eusebius' shall be exposed, can the pretended references to Christians in Pagan writers of the first three centuries be recognized for the forgeries they are." Indeed, Eusebius's character has been assailed repeatedly over the centuries, with him being called a "luminous liar" and "unreliable." Like so many others, Drews likewise criticizes Eusebius, stating that various of the Church historian's references "must be regarded with the greatest suspicion." As Drews relates, Swiss historian Jakob Burckhardt (1818-1897) declared Eusebius to be "the first thoroughly dishonest historian of antiquity." (Drews, 32/fn) Eusebius's motives were to empower the Catholic Church, and he did not fail to use "falsifications, suppressions, and fictions" to this end.

Conclusion: Josephus No Evidence of Jesus

Even if the Josephus passage were authentic, which we have essentially proved it not to be, it nevertheless would represent not an eyewitness account but rather a tradition passed along for at least six decades, long after the purported events. Hence, the TF would possess little if any value in establishing an "historical" Jesus. In any event, it is quite clear that the entire passage in Josephus regarding Christ, the Testimonium Flavianum, is spurious, false and a forgery. Regarding the TF, Remsburg summarizes:

"For nearly sixteen hundred years Christians have been citing this passage as a testimonial, not merely to the historical existence, but to the divine character of Jesus Christ. And yet a ranker forgery was never penned....

"Its brevity disproves its authenticity. Josephus' work is voluminous and exhaustive. It comprises twenty books. Whole pages are devoted to petty robbers and obscure seditious leaders. Nearly forty chapters are devoted to the life of a single king. Yet this remarkable being, the greatest product of his race, a being of whom the prophets foretold ten thousand wonderful things, a being greater than any earthly king, is dismissed with a dozen lines...."

The dismissal of the passage in Josephus regarding Jesus is not based on "faith" or "belief" but on intense scientific scrutiny and reasoning. Such investigation has been confirmed repeatedly by numerous scholars who were mostly Christian. The Testimonium Flavianum, Dr. Lardner concluded in none too forceful words, "ought, therefore...to be discarded from any place among the evidences of Christianity." With such outstanding authority and so many scientific reasons, we can at last dispense with the pretentious charade of wondering if the infamous passage in the writings of Josephus called the Testimonium Flavianum is forged and who fabricated it.

Excerpted from Suns of God: Krishna, Buddha and Christ Unveiled by Acharya S.

[expatimes]

Trump pardons 15, including convicted Blackwater guards | Donald Trump News

President Donald Trump has granted a full pardon to 15 people, including four former government contractors convicted in a 2007 massacre in Baghdad that left more than a dozen Iraqi civilians dead and caused an international uproar over the use of private security guards in a war zone.

The others pardoned by Trump on Tuesday include George Papadopoulos, a former campaign aide who pleaded guilty as part of the investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election and two former Republican legislators.

The outgoing president also pardoned Alex van der Zwaan, 36, the Dutch son-in-law of Russian billionaire German Khan.

Van der Zwaan was sentenced to 30 days in prison and fined $20,000 for lying to US Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigators about contacts with an official in Trump’s 2016 campaign.

‘Grotesque’ Blackwater pardon

Supporters of the former contractors at Blackwater Worldwide had lobbied for the pardons, arguing that the men had been excessively punished in an investigation and prosecution they said was tainted. All four were serving lengthy prison sentences.

They were a part of an armoured convoy of vehicles escorting US embassy officials that opened fire at a crowd of unarmed Iraqi civilians.

The incident came to be known as the Nisour Square massacre and marked one of the lowest points of the US-led invasion of Iraq.

At least two of the 14 killed at the time were children.

This is Ali. He was 9 years old when Blackwater contractors whom Trump pardoned today murdered him. No justice for Ali, but let’s keep asking, “why do they hate us?” https://t.co/gvrOHQhKE3 pic.twitter.com/4sUcBoCArl

— Sarah Leah Whitson (@sarahleah1) December 23, 2020

Paul Slough, Evan Liberty, Dustin Heard and Nicholas Slatten were convicted in 2014 after a months-long trial in Washington’s federal court and each man defiantly asserted his innocence at a sentencing hearing the following year.

Slough, Liberty and Heard were sentenced to 30 years in prison, though after a federal appeals court ordered them to be resentenced, they were each given substantially shorter punishments. Slatten, whom prosecutors blamed for igniting the fight, was sentenced to life in prison.

A federal appeals court later overturned Slatten’s first-degree murder conviction but the justice department tried him again and secured another life sentence last year.

An Iraqi looks at a burned car, at the site where Blackwater guards, who were escorting US embassy officials, opened fire in the Baghdad neighborhood of Yarmukh on September 16

The pardons reflect Trump’s apparent willingness to give the benefit of the doubt to American service members and contractors when it comes to acts of violence in war zones against civilians.

The Blackwater firm was founded by Erik Prince, an ally of Trump and the brother of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. It has since been renamed.

Hina Shamsi, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s national security project, decried the pardons.

She said in a statement that the shootings caused “devastation in Iraq, shame and horror in the United States, and a worldwide scandal. President Trump insults the memory of the Iraqi victims and further degrades his office with this action”.

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and co-founder of the Intercept, Glenn Greenwald, also criticised the “grotesque” pardon.

“Meanwhile, 2 people who exposed war crimes rather than committied them – Snowden & Assange – wait to see if Trump can find the courage,” Greenwald said in a tweet.

He was referring to former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, who was charged under the Espionage Act in 2013 with disclosing details of highly classified government surveillance programmes and WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange who is facing extradition to the US from the UK.

‘Serious’ crime

Papadopoulos, 33, was an adviser to Trump’s 2016 campaign.

He pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to FBI agents about the timing and significance of his contacts with people who claimed to have ties to top Russian officials.

“The defendant’s crime was serious and caused damage to the government’s investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election,” a sentencing recommendation memo from then-US Special Counsel Robert Mueller had said.

He served 12 days of a 14-day sentence in federal prison, then was placed on a 12-month supervised release.

The White House said Papadopoulos was charged with “a process-related crime, one count of making false statements,” as part of the Mueller probe, which Trump had denounced as a witch hunt.

“Today’s pardon helps correct the wrong that Mueller’s team inflicted on so many people,” the White House said.

Last month, Trump pardoned his former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who had twice pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI during the Russia investigation. The Flynn pardon drew condemnation from Democrats and other critics.

Former legislators

Also receiving pardons were two former Republican legislators, including former Representative Chris Collins of New York.

Collins, 70, had been the first sitting member of Congress to endorse Trump’s candidacy in 2016 and was a strong defender of the president. He won re-election in 2018 but resigned the next year.

The president commuted the remaining prison term of former Republican Representative Steve Stockman of Texas, 64, who was convicted in 2018 of misuse of charitable funds.

The White House said he had served more than two years of his 10-year sentence and would remain subject to a period of supervised release and an order requiring that he pay more than $1m in restitution.

Trump also commuted the remaining term of the supervised release of Crystal Munoz, who was convicted of conspiracy to distribute cannabis.

Munoz spent years in a federal prison in Fort Worth, with Alice Johnson, who was granted clemency by Trump in 2018 in a case championed by reality TV star Kim Kardashian West.

#humanrights Read full article: https://expatimes.com/?p=15965&feed_id=24740 #donaldtrump #humanrights #news #unitedstates #usampcanada

[pkstudiosindia]

Hilary Swank on her new Netflix sci-fi show Away

Hilary Swank on her new Netflix sci-fi show Away

When Hilary Swank scooped two Oscars within the area of simply 5 years—for Boys Don’t Cry (1999) and Million Dollar Baby (2004)—she turned one in every of Hollywood’s greatest stars. Since then, the 46-year-old Nebraska native has navigated the trade on her personal phrases, showing in weighty dramas similar to The Homesman (2014) and status TV within the type of FX’s Trust (2018), but in addition taking common breaks from appearing.

In 2015, she based the Hilaroo Foundation, a nonprofit that helps underprivileged youth and deserted animals, and the next yr launched Mission Statement, a clothes line specialising in luxurious moral wardrobe staples. Between 2014 and 2017, she additionally cared for her father, who was recovering from a lung transplant. When she and entrepreneur Philip Schneider married in 2018, her father was effectively sufficient once more to stroll her down the aisle.

Swank returned to work with turns within the sci-fi thriller I Am Mother (2019) and satirical horror The Hunt (2020), however her subsequent function is her most distinguished in additional than a decade: that of soft-spoken, delicate American astronaut Emma Green in Andrew Hinderaker’s 10-part Netflix sequence Away. Tasked with main a mission to Mars, she should unite a global area crew composed of a jaded Russian cosmonaut (Mark Ivanir), a secretive Chinese chemist (Vivian Wu), a British-Ghanian botanist (Ato Essandoh) and an Indian co-pilot (Ray Panthaki). In order to make historical past, Emma additionally has to depart behind her husband Matt (Josh Charles) and daughter Alexis (Talitha Eliana Bateman)—an association sophisticated by the previous’s ailing well being and the latter’s coming of age.

With the show simply out on Netflix, we spoke to Swank about her gruelling zero-gravity scenes, the illuminating conversations she had with among the world’s biggest feminine astronauts, and why taking on the function meant partly fulfilling a childhood ambition.

Ray Panthaki and Hilary Swank star in Away

© Courtesy Netflix

Is it true that you just wished to be an astronaut earlier than you wished to be an actor?

“The very first thing that I ever wanted to be was an astronaut! The idea of something bigger than all of us, something unknown, appealed to me. Also the idea of looking back down at Earth—I was so taken by photos of Earth and the beauty of this planet. When you hear astronauts talking about touching back down on Earth, they say that they really think about all the things that we take for granted: water, trees, rustling leaves. That, to me, was remarkable.”

So, was that a part of the attraction once you first acquired the script for Away?

“A hundred per cent, but also the script was such a page turner. I lost all sense of time and then it was over and I was like [screams], ‘I need to know more!’ I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

Emma is an extremely nuanced character. What made you wish to play her?

“She leads with empathy and heart, and her vulnerability is seen as a strength, not a weakness. She’s a commander on a mission to Mars, but she isn’t written in a stereotypical way. She isn’t very intense or harsh. I loved that about her. She takes all of her colleagues into account.”

The forged can also be actually numerous. Was that vital to you?

“Stereotypes can be dangerous and the show breaks them down. It’s about our shared humanity. There are no borders in space and it takes all of these astronauts—men and women from different parts of the world, with different backgrounds—to make this mission possible.”

Did you communicate to astronauts whereas doing all of your analysis for the half?

“I spoke to a big handful, including [astronaut] Jessica Meir who was on the International Space Station when we spoke, and [retired astronaut] Peggy Whitson. She’s been in space more than any other American and any other woman worldwide and commanded so many missions, too.”

What shocked you most about what these astronauts shared with you?

“I had an understanding of the contingency plans they have in place and how much work goes into everything, but I didn’t realise the toll it takes on their bodies, the amount of time away from family, and that so much is still unknown. They’re constantly developing and learning. I have a greater appreciation for all of that now. I also learned that all the female astronauts get asked, ‘Isn’t this going to be hard for you, to leave your family?’. But, of course, not all of the men do.”

Isn’t it nice that in Away, Emma’s husband cares for his or her daughter and that’s seen as regular?

“The drama isn’t between the husband and wife. It’s not like he says, ‘I can’t believe you’re going! I’m emasculated because of it!’ [laughs]. He’s supportive. Isn’t that refreshing?”

How troublesome was it to movie all the zero-gravity scenes?

“The suits we wore weigh about 35lbs [16kg] and obviously we’re not in zero gravity so we’re trying to pretend that they aren’t heavy at all. It was more challenging physically than I realised it would be. We were also harnessed up to be flying around and held by the lowest part of our hips. We had to squeeze our abs to go backwards and then squeeze our glutes to go forwards!”

What did you discover most difficult?

“I found out I was claustrophobic when I put on that space suit. That was something that I really had to work through. I had to admit [that in the past], I haven’t been very generous towards people who have phobias. I always think, ‘It’s just a spider!’ or ‘Yes, we’re on a bridge and it’s a long way down, but you’re not going to fall. Just take a breath and think logically.’ Then, all of a sudden, I’m in that position and I think, ‘Oh god, what an asshole I was! This is real!’ [laughs]. I was sweating, I turned red and almost passed out.”

Had you ever suspected earlier than that you just is likely to be claustrophobic?

“I had a feeling when I went to the pyramids in Egypt. When you’re walking through the tunnels, you have to duck down. I was inside and started freaking out. I had to turn around and, thankfully, people moved aside. That was a few years ago and I’d just thought, ‘Who wouldn’t be claustrophobic in that environment?’. But, all the other people standing in that same tunnel were fine. I think this can happen as you get older—phobias can start to occur [laughs].”

Beyond the bodily challenges, Emma additionally has to deal with being away from family members in instances of bother. Do you assume audiences in lockdown will relate to that much more now?

“It feels very timely. COVID has made us reconsider and reprioritise everything. When push comes to shove [for Emma, and now for all of us], what matters is your health and the people you love.”

Where have you ever been quarantining?

“My grandmother passed away in March—not from COVID, she was 93—and so we went to Iowa for the funeral. Then [isolation came into force and] we had to get my dad, who’s had a lung transplant, home safely. After that, we bought a used car and started to drive back to Los Angeles. We stopped in Colorado to stay at a friend’s second home because they were in New York, and they said, ‘Just stay there.’ We thought we’d stay for four nights and ended up staying four months. It was a blessing because we have all these dogs and all of the trails were closed in Los Angeles.”

You’ve spoken on Instagram about studying to crochet. How else have you ever stuffed your time?

“I’ve spent most of my time working on Mission Statement, my clothing line. I’ve been developing the next iterations [of products], which I don’t always have time to do when I’m filming.”

You took a break from appearing to care on your father after his lung transplant. What recommendation do you’ve for all of the individuals world wide who’re at the moment caring for family and friends?

“Make sure that you’re also finding time for yourself. Trying to care for someone else while feeling depleted is hard and can take a toll on your health. Take at least an hour a day to recharge.”

—

Away is on Netflix from September four

Also learn:

eight movies that put ladies on the centre of area exploration

NASA’s main feminine designer explains how spacesuits are made

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[goodmangripandlight]

#Repost @ravenquinn • • • • • • You guys. We. Freaking. Did. It. “Alchemy feat. @georgelynchofficial” directed by @karlpfeiffer is the Vox Pop award winner for Performance Music Video at the 18th Annual Independent Music Awards @imabuzz. 😭🙌🏻 And I’m SO SO SO GRATEFUL AND EXCITED! Massive thanks to all of you who voted, to the IMA’s for providing this platform to the indie music community, and to all of the incredible talent and friends who came together to make this song and my very first music video a reality. The song is one of my proudest moments in all of the music that my producer and co-writer @dbrodbeck11 have released over the years, and the video was a true labor of love across the board. A billion thanks to all who made this happen: My better half Rob, Dan Brodbeck, Karl Pfeiffer, Ty Gowen, George Lynch, Brent Spann, Wes Claggett, David Goodman, Terry Stirling Jr., Mark Pacificar, Cesar “Vampiro” Lopez, Grant and Reanna Wilson, Veronica Lane and Molly Whitson, Brian Gutting, Robert Roth, Claudia Avila and Lynzi Massey, Spencer O’Neil, Todd Singerman, Zane at Popsicle LA, and Faith Evangeline Cantrell. 🖤🤘🏻 Check out the official press release over on my Facebook page now! . . . . . #independentmusicawards #imas #voxpopwinner #musicvideo #rockmusic #ravenquinn #danbrodbeck #karlpfeiffer #womeninrock #rockartist (at Los Angeles, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_i3PWXlHAN/?igshid=w3vwp9phhb8c

[morganbelarus]

First minister leads Remembrance events

Image copyright PA Wire

Image caption Nicola Sturgeon laid a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance before giving a reading at St Giles’ Cathedral

The first minister has led Remembrance Sunday events being held across Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon laid a wreath at the Stone of Remembrance at Edinburgh City Chambers with Lord Provost Frank Ross, before a service at St Giles’ Cathedral.

She gave a reading to commemorate those who had lost their lives in armed conflict.

Her deputy, John Swinney attended an event in Glasgow’s George Square.

The SNP was being represented by Ian Blackford at the service at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London, while Veterans Minister Graeme Dey took part in a service on board HMS Unicorn in Dundee.

‘Ultimate sacrifice’

A two-minute silence was observed across the country at 11:00.

Scottish Parliament Presiding Officer Ken Macintosh and Advocate General Lord Keen joined veterans, serving members of the armed forces and emergency services, and representatives from different faiths at the St Giles service.

Image copyright PA Wire

Image caption Children holding giant poppies joined a war veteran during the Remembrance Day service at the Stone of Remembrance in Edinburgh

In her address, Ms Sturgeon said of those who lost their lives serving their country: “Their sacrifice is responsible for the freedoms and the way of life that we take for granted today.

“This is an opportunity to give gratitude, to show our respect, and to send a message that that sacrifice will never be forgotten.

“I’m privileged today to lay a wreath on behalf of the people of Scotland and I do so with the utmost gratitude and respect, not just for the sacrifices of the past, but for the courage and the sacrifices of our armed forces today.”

Image caption Remembrance events also took place in Glasgow’s George Square

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said: “On Remembrance Sunday every year, we reflect not on the glory of war – but on the huge sacrifice that was made so that we can stay free.

“Many families in Scotland lost loved ones in the First World War and the Second World War.

“We all have a responsibility to remember the sacrifice they made, and to hold the families they have left behind in our thoughts.

“Let us resolve once again to think about how we can build and sustain peace in the future, while never forgetting the sacrifices of the past.”

Image caption The service at the war memorial in Dunblane

Image caption Wreaths were laid during a service at Inverness war memorial

More than 90 wreaths were laid during the service organised by Legion Scotland and led by Reverend Calum MacLeod of St Giles’ Cathedral, who read Binyon’s Lines before hundreds of members of the public who gathered on the Royal Mile to pay their respects.

RAF Sgt Whitson Johnson, 95, who fought in Burma during World War Two, attended from Portobello.

He said: “We must remember. Young people have to know what has happened in the past and realise what they are doing today was fought for.

“Mostly they do appreciate it and it’s nice to see younger people learning about what happened.”

‘Gratitude and appreciation’

Lord Provost Frank Ross is the Edinburgh’s veterans champion.

He said: “By attending a Remembrance service or parade, wearing a poppy or taking a moment of quiet reflection, so many of us have shown our gratitude and appreciation for the enormous sacrifices being made every day on our behalf by so many courageous men and women.

“It has filled me with great pride to lay a wreath on behalf of all citizens at Scotland’s national commemorations and to see so many local communities come together in their own ways to pay their respects.”

Image copyright PA Wire

Image caption Nicola Sturgeon lays a wreath at the Edinburgh event

Dr Claire Armstrong, chief executive of Legion Scotland, said people were as keen to be involved in Remembrance events than ever before.

She said: “We had discussions last year about how Remembrance would shape up once we finished the armistice for World War One.

“We are in the shadow of that now, but the interest in Remembrance has not waned one bit, if anything it’s been a springboard to get more people involved and more people interested.

“The amount of people we have here today – almost 100 wreaths are being laid, the biggest number that we’ve had in recent years – is testament to that.”

Scotland will fall silent again at 11:00 on Monday for Armistice Day.

The two-minute silence will take place on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the time in 1918 when the guns finally fell silent along the western front, and an armistice was declared.

Related Topics

Glasgow

Nicola Sturgeon

Remembrance Day

Edinburgh

Original Article : HERE ;

First minister leads Remembrance events was originally posted by MetNews

[nyfacurrent]

Introducing | NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Program Recipients and Finalists

NYFA has awarded $661,000 to 98 New York State artists working in the categories of Architecture/Environmental Structures/Design, Choreography, Music/Sound, Photography, and Playwriting/Screenwriting.

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) has announced the recipients and finalists of the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Program, which it has administered for the past 33 years with leadership support from the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA). The organization has awarded a total of $661,000 to 98 artists (including three collaborations) whose ages range from 25-76 years throughout New York State in the following disciplines: Architecture/Environmental Structures/Design, Choreography, Music/Sound, Photography, and Playwriting/Screenwriting. Fifteen finalists, who do not receive a cash award but benefit from a range of other NYFA services, were also announced. A complete list of the Fellows and Finalists follows. 

The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Program makes unrestricted cash grants of $7,000 to artists working in 15 disciplines, awarding five per year on a triennial basis. The program is highly competitive, and this year’s recipients and finalists were selected by discipline-specific peer panels from an applicant pool of 2,542. Since it was launched in 1985, the program has awarded over $31 million to more than 5,000 artists. This year, thanks to the generous support of photography nonprofit Joy of Giving Something, NYFA was able to award an additional five Fellowships in Photography, which has the largest application pool of any Fellowship category.

“We are grateful to NYSCA for this annual opportunity to provide nearly 100 artists from New York State with unrestricted cash grants,” said Michael L. Royce, Executive Director, NYFA. “What’s most exciting is that the Fellowship impacts artists of all disciplines and career stages and that these artists are being recognized by a jury of their peers. Beyond the financial aspect, it empowers them to keep creating and exploring new possibilities in their work.”

New York State Council on the Arts Executive Director Mara Manus described how the program makes New York communities more vibrant: “The NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship recognizes that artists of all disciplines, backgrounds, ages, and career stages make vital contributions to New York’s creative culture. Over the past 33 years, the Artist Fellowship has been a launching pad and a critical source of support for artists whose work helps build healthy communities in all regions of the state.”

On receiving a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship in Playwriting/Screenwriting, Brooklyn-based Nabil Viñas said: “It is a deeply moving honor to be recognized by NYSCA/NYFA. I took up screenwriting out of necessity, as it became clear that the voices and stories from my life would not appear in works by others. This fellowship tells me our stories matter, and that my voice is worth hearing.”

For Ben Altman, a Fellow in Architecture/Environmental Structures/Design from Danby, NY, the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship represents another facet of support from NYFA: “NYFA has informed my artistic practice throughout my 12 years in Upstate New York, providing professional development, fiscal sponsorship, grant application support, workshops, critique, and timely advice. To be awarded a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship is as much a tribute to those inputs as it is an important and very welcome recognition of the work NYFA’s support has helped me to produce.”

To Veena Chandra, a Fellow in Music/Sound from Latham, NY, the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship empowers her to “continue to create, promote, and preserve” musical tradition. “I feel blessed to have been playing Indian sitar music for the last 63 years. I am so grateful to my father, who created an environment for me to learn this beautiful music and taught me from the very beginning of my life. To be recognized for my work in performing and preserving Indian Classical music means a lot to me, especially at this point in my career,” she noted.

Fellowship Recipients, Finalists, and Panelists by Discipline and County of Residence:

Architecture/Environmental Structures/Design Fellows

Ben Altman (Tompkins) Kenseth Armstead (Kings) Shimon Attie (New York) Sonya Blesofsky (Kings) Yeju Choi and Chat Travieso - Yeju & Chat (Kings) * Blane De St. Croix (Kings) Sun Young Kang (Erie) Kyung-jin Kim  (Queens) Ming-Jer Kuo (Queens)*** Lindsay Packer (Kings) Christopher Robbins (Westchester) Jeffrey Williams (Kings)       

Architecture/Environmental Structures/Design Finalists      

Serra Victoria Bothwell Fels (Kings) Justin Brice Guariglia (Kings) Pascale Sablan (New York)    

Architecture/Environmental Structures/Design Panelists    

Ann Reichlin (Tompkins) Ekene Ijeoma (Kings) Nina Cooke John (New York) Victoria Palermo (Warren)      

Choreography Fellows

Ephrat "Bounce" Asherie (New York) Justina Grayman (Queens)**** GREYZONE (Kings) Dan Hurlin (New York) Jaamil Olawale Kosoko (Kings) Shamel Pitts (Kings) Melinda Ring (New York) Same As Sister (Queens)* Rebeca Tomas (Westchester) Kelly Todd (Kings) Donna Uchizono (New York) Vangeline (Kings) Adia Tamar Whitaker (Kings)        

Choreography Finalists      

Parijat Desai (New York) DELIRIOUS Dances/Edisa Weeks (Kings) Netta Yerushalmy (New York)        

Choreography Panelists    

Rose Pasquarello Beauchamp (Monroe) Robin Collen (St. Lawrence) Trebien Pollard (Erie) Marie Poncé (New York) Kota Yamazaki (Kings)  

Music/Sound Fellows

ALMA (Kings)* Lora-Faye Åshuvud (Queens) Newman Taylor Baker (New York) Bob Bellerue (Kings) Leila Bordreuil (Kings) Vienna Carroll (New York) Veena Chandra (Albany) David First (Kings) Micah Frank (Kings) Kate Gentile (Kings) Michael Harrison (Westchester) JSWISS (Kings) Liz Phillips (Queens) Kenneth Kirschner (Kings) Elliott Sharp (New York) Jen Shyu (Kings) Ann Warde (Tompkins) Eric Wubbels (Queens)    

Music/Sound Finalists      

Lily Henley (Kings) Earl Howard (Queens) Tobaron Waxman (New York)    

Music/Sound Panelists    

Toni Blackman (Kings) Sarah Hennies (Tompkins) John Morton (Rockland) Margaret Anne Schedel (Suffolk) Elio Villafranca (New York)        

Photography Fellows

Manal Abu-Shaheen (Queens) Yasser Aggour (Kings) Aneta Bartos (New York) Lucas Blalock (Kings) Matthew Conradt (Kings) Debi Cornwall  (Kings) Robin Crookall (Kings) Tim Davis (Dutchess)****** Eli Durst (Queens) Nona Faustine (Kings) Jonathan Gardenhire  (Kings) Rachel Granofsky (Kings)***** Carlie Guevara (Queens) Gail Albert-Halaban (New York) Daesha Devón Harris (Saratoga)****** Gillian Laub (New York) Jiatong Lu (Kings)****** Diana Markosian (Kings) Rehan Miskci (New York) Rachelle Mozman Solano (Kings) Karina Aguilera Skvirsky (New York) Erin O'Keefe (New York) Paul Raphaelson (Kings) Victor Rivera (Onondaga)****** Jahi Lateef Sabater (Kings) Nadia Sablin (Kings) Derick Whitson (New York) Letha Wilson (Columbia)****** Alex Yudzon (Kings)        

Photography Finalists      

Mike Crane (Kings) Julianne Nash (Kings) Dana Stirling (Queens)

Photography Panelists    

Nydia Blas (Tompkins) Carmen Lizardo (Hudson) Lida Suchy (Onondaga) Sinan Tuncay (Kings) Penelope Umbrico (Kings)

Playwriting/Screenwriting Fellows

Rae Binstock (Kings) Benedict Campbell (Bronx) Sol Crespo (Bronx)**** Amy Evans (Kings) Stephanie Fleischmann (Columbia) Robin Fusco (Queens) Myla Goldberg (Kings) Ryan J. Haddad (New York) Susan Kathryn Hefti (New York) Holly Hepp-Galvan (Queens) Timothy Huang (New York) Fedna Jacquet (New York) Nicole Shawan Junior (Kings)** Serena Kuo (Kings) Kal Mansoor (Kings) Michael Mejias (Kings) Joey Merlo (New York) Rehana Lew Mirza (Kings) Joél Pérez (New York) Keil Troisi (Kings) Nabil Viñas (New York) Craig T. Williams (New York)    

Playwriting/Screenwriting Finalists      

Iquo B. Essien (Kings) Becca Roth (Kings) Sheri Wilner (New York)        

Playwriting/Screenwriting Panelists    

Sheila Curran Bernard (Albany) Clarence Coo (New York) Randall Dottin (New York) David Ebeltoft (Steuben) Julie Casper Roth (Albany) 

* Collaborative artists ** Geri Ashur Screenwriting Award *** Joanne Y. Chen Taiwanese American Artist Fellow **** Gregory Millard Fellows made with the support of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; Gregory Millard Fellowships are awarded annually to New York City residents chosen in several categories. The award was established by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in 1984 in memory of poet and playwright Gregory Millard, who served as Assistant Commissioner of Cultural Affairs from 1978 until his death in 1984 and championed the causes of individual artists. ***** Deutsche Bank Fellow ******Joy of Giving Something Fellow

Funding Support

NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowships are administered with leadership support from New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Major funding is also provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA). Additional funding is provided by Deutsche Bank Americas Foundation, ​Taiwanese American Arts Council​, The Joy of Giving Something Inc., and individual donors.

Find out more about the NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellowship Program, a $7,000 unrestricted cash grant awarded to individual artists living and working in the state of New York. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for more news and events from NYFA. To receive more artist news updates, sign up for our bi-weekly newsletter, NYFA News.

Images from Top: Lindsay Packer (Fellow in Architecture/Environmental Structures/Design ’19), False Fold, 2019, colored light and found objects, Photo Credit: Lindsay Packer; Donna Uchizono (Fellow in Choreography ’19), March Under an Empty Reign (Sextet), 2018, performers Natalie Green and Aja Carthon, Photo Credit: Ian Douglas; Eli Durst (Fellow in Photography ’19), Bread (Cross), 2017, archival pigment print; Veena Chandra (Fellow in Music/Sound ’19), Image Credit: MARS Fotographi

[spaceexp]

Crew Packing Soyuz for Monday Landing and Trio Packs for Homecoming

ISS - Expedition 50 Mission patch. April 7, 2017 Crew Packing Soyuz for Monday Landing

International Space Station (ISS). Animation Credit: NASA

Two NASA astronauts and a European Space Agency astronaut headed into the weekend with a light day Friday. Meanwhile, the three cosmonauts from Roscosmos packed a Soyuz spacecraft for departure and worked on maintenance and science. Commander Shane Kimbrough, who is returning to Earth early Monday, took it easy Friday aboard the International Space Station. He and Flight Engineers Peggy Whitson and Thomas Pesquet mainly performed light duty tasks and continued their daily exercise to stay healthy in space. Cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko, who are returning home Monday with Kimbrough, continued packing the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft that will parachute the trio to a landing in Kazakhstan after a 173 days in space.

Image above: This long exposure photograph shows the Earth, its atmospheric glow and stars from the International Space Station. Image Credit: NASA. Ryzhikov, who is on his first mission, will command the Soyuz during its undocking and reentry into Earth’s atmosphere. Borisenko and Kimbrough are both wrapping up their second visit to space. Whitson will become station commander for the second time in her career Sunday less than 24 hours before her crewmates undock from the Poisk module. She stays behind with fellow Expedition 50-51 crew members Pesquet and Flight Engineer Oleg Novitskiy. Trio Packs for Homecoming Three crew members aboard the International Space Station are packing up their gear for a homecoming on Monday. NASA also decided to extend the mission of an astronaut living aboard the station since November. Two cosmonauts and a NASA astronaut will take a ride back to Earth early Monday inside the Soyuz MS-02 spacecraft. Commander Shane Kimbrough and Flight Engineers Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko will have completed a 173-day mission in space when they land Monday at 7:21 a.m. EDT in Kazakhstan. NASA TV will broadcast the departure and landing activities live on NASA website.

Image above: Expedition 50 crew members (from left) Shane Kimbrough, Sergey Ryzhikov and Andrey Borisenko will depart the station Monday April 10 ending their stay in space. Image Credit: ROSCOSMOS. Kimbrough has accumulated six spacewalks over two missions, including the STS-126 mission aboard space shuttle Endeavour in 2008. Ryzhikov, who is on his first space mission, will be commanding the Soyuz spacecraft during its landing. Borisenko was last aboard the station in 2011 and is completing his second stint as a station crew member. Flight Engineer Peggy Whitson has been granted a three-month extension to her already record-breaking career aboard the station. She will stay in space until September as a member of Expeditions 50, 51 and 52. NASA managers wanted to ensure the station maintained a six-person crew to maximize research while Russia temporarily reduces its crew to two cosmonauts. Related articles: NASA TV to Air Return of Space Station Crew Members to Earth April 10 https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-tv-to-air-return-of-space-station-crew-members-to-earth-april-10 NASA Astronaut Peggy Whitson Adds Three Months to Record-Breaking Mission http://orbiterchspacenews.blogspot.ch/2017/04/nasa-astronaut-peggy-whitson-adds-three.html Related links:  Expedition 50: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/expedition50/index.html Expedition 51,  Expedition 52: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/expeditions/future.html International Space Station (ISS): https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html Images (mentioned), Animation (mentioned), Text, Credits: NASA/Mark Garcia. Best regards, Orbiter.ch Full article

[omfgrant]

Valentine's Day gives me a heart on. // 📸 @daniel_davis_ on Instagram.

[artwalktv]

What does it mean to be self-determining in America? And what does achieving the American Dream really feel like? Not everyone gets to answer that question for themselves, and some who do may take it for granted. In Cumberland, Maryland, disappearing industry over the last 30 years has left the city economically depressed and half-deserted. The city’s new mayor has taken it upon himself to inspire a revitalization, and his plan starts with buying up homes in The Rolling Mill, a once vibrant neighborhood stricken by the same ills as the city. With every willing seller who leaves The Rolling Mill behind, the mayor’s plan to change Cumberland’s fortunes by building a new chain restaurant progresses. But as the face of the neighborhood they love changes so drastically, a steadfast group of long-time Rolling Mill residents have refused to relent to the city. Director: Dillon M. Hayes Cinematographer: Hayden Mason Editor: Nico Bovat Additional Editing: Dillon M. Hayes Aerial Photography: Joe Bagatti Composer: Coupler as Ryan Norris Sound Mix: Matt Whitson Titles: Noah Atkinson Colorist: Carol Camp

[imuskansameer]

Knowledge the Metaphysical Facets of A Class in Miracles

When people utilize the lessons learned and the precepts of A Course In Miracles, they find that they come to a fresh comprehension of forgiveness. They have the ability to study and learn why you hurt yourself and others when you may not forgive.   un curso de milagros

For this reason it's so important that after another individual hurts you, you should forgive. Often we hear someone say, "I can never forgive him/her for this." Oh, but they need to! Usually the one who needs to forgive is affected just around usually the one who must be forgiven, if not more deeply! You can forgive the wrongdoer whether he wants forgiveness or not. In so doing, the pain that the person caused you is likely to be lifted from you and you can be freed from any anger and negative emotions. This will be the firstly the miracles that's granted and obtained by the ability of forgiveness learned from A Course In Miracles.

A Course in Miracles is a set of self-study materials published by the Foundation for Inner Peace. The book's content is metaphysical, and explains forgiveness as placed on daily life. Curiously, nowhere does the book have an author (and it is so listed with no author's name by the U.S. Library of Congress). However, the writing was published by Helen Schucman (deceased) and William Thetford; Schucman has related that the book's material is based on communications to her from an "inner voice" she claimed was Jesus. The first version of the book was published in 1976, with a revised edition published in 1996. The main content is a teaching manual, and a student workbook. Since the first edition, the book has sold several million copies, with translations into nearly two-dozen languages.

The book's origins may be traced back to the early 1970s; Helen Schucman first experiences with the "inner voice" led to her then supervisor, William Thetford, to make contact with Hugh Cayce at the Association for Research and Enlightenment. Subsequently, an introduction to Kenneth Wapnick (later the book's editor) occurred. During the time of the introduction, Wapnick was clinical psychologist. After meeting, Schucman and Wapnik spent over a year editing and revising the material. Another introduction, this time of Schucman, Wapnik, and Thetford to Robert Skutch and Judith Skutch Whitson, of the Foundation for Inner Peace. The first printings of the book for distribution were in 1975. Since then, copyright litigation by the Foundation for Inner Peace, and Penguin Books, has established that this content of the very first edition is in people domain.

A Course in Miracles is a training device; the course has 3 books, a 622-page text, a 478-page student workbook, and an 88-page teachers manual. The materials may be studied in the order chosen by readers. The information of A Course in Miracles addresses both the theoretical and the practical, although application of the book's material is emphasized. The writing is mainly theoretical, and is a basis for the workbook's lessons, which are practical applications. The workbook has 365 lessons, one for every single day of the entire year, though they don't have to be done at a rate of 1 lesson per day. Perhaps most just like the workbooks which are familiar to the typical reader from previous experience, you are asked to use the material as directed. However, in a departure from the "normal", the reader isn't required to believe what is in the workbook, as well as accept it. Neither the workbook nor the Course in Miracles is meant to complete the reader's learning; simply, the materials are a start. truth is unalterable and eternal, while perception is the entire world of time, change, and interpretation. The world of perception reinforces the dominant ideas within our minds, and keeps us separate from the reality, and separate from God. Perception is restricted by the body's limitations in the physical world, thus limiting awareness. A lot of the ability of the world reinforces the ego, and the individual's separation from God. But, by accepting the vision of Christ, and the voice of the Holy Spirit, one learns forgiveness, both for oneself and others.

[sciencespies]

Christina Koch Returns to Earth After Breaking Spaceflight Record

https://sciencespies.com/news/christina-koch-returns-to-earth-after-breaking-spaceflight-record/

Christina Koch Returns to Earth After Breaking Spaceflight Record

Aboard the International Space Station, astronaut Christina Koch could watch the sun rise and set on Earth 16 times per day on all 328 days of her mission. Now, having completed the longest spaceflight ever achieved by a woman, Koch has returned to Earth where she can view the sunrise in the morning and sunset in the evening from the comfort of her home in Galveston, Texas.

“Oh, how I miss the wind on my face, the feeling of raindrops, sand on my feet and the sound of the surf crashing on the Galveston beach,” Koch said in anticipation of her arrival. “We take daily sensory inputs for granted until they are absent … I cannot wait to feel and hear Earth again.”

Koch surpassed American astronaut Peggy Whitson’s previous record of 288 days of spaceflight, and was just 12 days shy of Scott Kelly’s all-time record of 340 days in space. Koch’s mission will give researchers a new look into the long-term effects of spaceflight on women, as NASA prepares to land the first woman on the moon and plans human exploration missions to Mars. Koch returned to Earth with two other astronauts in Russia’s Soyuz MS-13 spacecraft on February 6 around 12:50 a.m. local time when the craft landed in Kazakhstan.

“I am so overwhelmed and happy right now,” Koch said as she exited the craft. After 11 months in orbit, the astronaut smiled, gave a thumbs-up and was helped into a chair for a post-flight check-up. Russian space officials said all three astronauts are healthy, NBC News reports.

Groundbreaking Research

During Koch’s time in space, she participated in and conducted a variety of research. Per CNN, she taste-tested fresh Mizuna mustard greens grown on the station, opening the door for potentially more fresh food on the ISS. Koch worked with the Advanced Combustion via Microgravity Experiments Chamber, which developed a broader understanding of the ways that fire reacts and behaves in space. And the astronaut was involved in the hardware for the Cold Atom Laboratory, which chilled atom clouds to the tiniest degree above absolute zero, giving scientists the ability to study aspects of atoms that were impossible to observe until now.

She also participated in the vertebral strength investigation, which centered on developing ways to counteract the impact of spaceflight, particularly limiting forces astronauts face during launch. Koch also was integral in the kidney cells investigation, which gathers data about kidney health in space and may help develop new treatments for kidney stones and osteoporosis.

Koch also studied how a protein key in the growth of tumors and cancer crystallizes in microgravity. Because crystals grow larger in microgravity, the study’s findings could lead to more efficient cancer treatments. Koch even helped install the BioFabrication Facility, which has the ability to print organ-like tissues in space, CNN reports.

As NASA plans to return to the moon by 2024 and eventually to Mars, the need to understand space travel’s effect on a wide range of human bodies becomes more important than ever. While not understood, women and men are known to adapt to space in different ways, as Varsha Jain, a University of Edinburgh gynecologist who studies reproductive health for NASA, told BBC’s Darren McKenzie last year.

Milestones for Women in Space

Koch’s work as a role model for more inclusive missions predates her time in space. She pursued degrees in electrical engineering at North Carolina State University before completing the NASA Academy program at Goddard Space Flight Center in 2001 where she became an expert on space science instrument development, reports Esther Addley at The Guardian. NASA—after decades of marginalizing the women who impacted its space programs—has worked to improve female representation. In Koch’s 2013 graduating class alone, there was a 50/50 gender split.

In addition to her spaceflight record, Koch completed the first all-female spacewalk in 2019 with fellow NASA astronaut Jessica Meir.

Both she and Meir became the first two women to venture outside the ISS at the same time, when the two replaced a failed power controller over the course of seven hours. Koch would end up completing six spacewalks over her 11-month spaceflight, including an additional two with Meir. In total, she spent 42 hours and 15 minutes outside of the ISS.

“It symbolizes exploration by all that dare to dream and work hard to achieve that dream,” Koch said after reentering the space station in October 2019. “Not only that, it’s a tribute to those who paved the way for us to be where we are, and we hope an inspiration to all future explorers.”

As Koch travels from Kazakhstan to Texas, she’s already thinking about what’s next. She hasn’t ruled out the opportunity for another mission just yet, Koch tells CNN. Perhaps she’ll even return to top her own record—either way she hopes it doesn’t last for long.

“My number one hope for this milestone is that the record is exceeded again as soon as possible,” she said in a press conference in December. “Because that means that we’re continuing to push the boundaries.”

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How to easily share Wi-Fi passwords

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How to easily share Wi-Fi passwords

“Help, I can’t find the Wi-Fi password. Or the way out.” (Andrew Neel via Unsplash/)

When a friend asks for your Wi-Fi password, how long is your explanation? Saying “Oh, it’s a mess of letters and numbers taped to the router behind the refrigerator in the rental unit upstairs” doesn’t make things easy for them. There are better ways to share your Wi-Fi.

First: create a guest network

Ideally, you don’t want to give people access to your main Wi-Fi network. This will give their laptop or phone access to all the devices in your home, which means they—or any malware installed on their system—can compromise sensitive data on your personal devices. Instead, you should create a separate guest network that will allow them to access the internet but keep them separate them from the other devices in your home.

Most routers have this ability built in. Head to your router’s administrator page by typing 192.168.1.1 (or something similar) in your address bar. If you aren’t sure of the correct numbers, check the sticker on the bottom of your router, or open up its user manual. Look for an option in the settings called “Guest Network,” and set it up with a WPA2 password if you can. Some routers only allow open guest networks, which I’d recommend against, since they allow good-for-nothing rogues to snoop on your guests’ traffic. You should also make sure you block guest access to local network devices and prevent them from accessing your router’s settings, if those options exist.

I recommend giving your guest network an easy-to-remember name and at least a somewhat easy-to-remember password. Note that simpler passwords are inherently less secure, but for this specific use case, I’d argue the popular “four random words” method is secure enough—you can use a password generator like Correct Horse Battery Staple to make one for you. That way, you can easily remember the password, and your grandma will have no problem typing it in when she visits.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg, though, and in many cases, you can avoid having your guests type in a password at all.

For Android phones and iPhones: create a QR code

Instead of watching your friends hunt and peck on their phone keyboards, you can let them scan a QR code, which will instantly connect their phone to your network. There are plenty of tools out there that’ll create one of these codes, but I like QiFi.org. It’s incredibly straightforward: just type in your network’s name, select the encryption type (check your router’s administration page if you aren’t sure), then type the your network’s password in the “Key” box. Click the Generate button, then choose Print or Export for a copy you can stick just about anywhere. QiFi does the heavy lifting offline, too, so you won’t have to worry about giving a random website your Wi-Fi information.

The next version of Android, currently codenamed “Q,” will have this functionality built right in. Just head to Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi, tap your current network, and choose Share to generate a QR code. Android Q is still in beta, but will start rolling out to phones later this year.

Once you have a code, any iPhone or iPad running iOS 11 or later should be able to scan it with the regular camera app, allowing them to instantly join the network. Some Android phones have barcode scanners built into their camera, but if your friend doesn’t have one of these, they can grab the Barcode Scanner app from the Play Store, which has become the go-to software for these types of things.

For iPhones and Macs: use Apple’s built-in Wi-Fi sharing

If someone in your home has an iPhone, iPad, or Mac connected to the network, you might be able to get by with even less work. If your friend uses an Apple device, is in your contacts, and has Bluetooth turned on, tell them to tap on the network—it should prompt you to grant them access from your phone. You’ll need to be somewhat near their device, and in my experience the process can be a little finicky, but it’s something to consider. If the prompt doesn’t come up, you can point them to the QR code instead.

And sure, each of these tips requires some minimal hoop-jumping, but it’s a heck of a lot easier than trying to dictate a password like “dD^#i16HJ9vD” to someone while they fumble with the password field.

Written By Whitson Gordon