Reading

Our friends at 270 Reasons are gathering a polyphonic orchestra of brilliant writers, teachers, doctors, filmmakers, artists, and citizens of all kinds to weigh in about their plans to vote this November. These opinion essays run the gamut from advocacy for basic human rights to acutely personal mini-manifestoes. Read the rest over at 270 Reasons.

Because Trump Doesn’t Read

The Republican Party has become the official party of book bans, and a Trump victory in November will be vigorously celebrated by book banners across the country. The movement, aided by right-wing media, will be even more emboldened to wage pressure campaigns against schools to take books they don’t like off library shelves. Groups that, blind to irony, use words like “liberty” to curtail the liberty of other people’s children to read, will look to challenge and ban more titles.

Or is it Dumptyism? Trumptyism? The former Republican Party (now the Party of Trump) sold itself for decades as opponents of the Soviet empire and insistent on upholding law and order. LAW! ORDER! As I’ve said of other professed “values” from that team, those boasts were always a mile wide and an inch deep. The people who for decades of accused the left of being squishy on morality have taken squishy to a new level. Helpfully, Jonathan Chait offers a kind of phrasebook for interpreting “law and order” as Donald Trump understands it (Intelligencer): One of the most important and consistent facets of Donald Trump’s thinking is that the law, as most people understand it, is conceptually meaningless. Legal activity, as he understands the term, means anything done by or on behalf of Donald Trump (this can include tax fraud, stealing and refusing to give back classified documents, assaulting police officers in an attempt to overturn an election, or other clear violations of federal criminal statutes).

Rajwani’s imprisonment comes as part of a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian activism in the UK, with activists facing legal action for direct protests.

The post A Letter From Jailed Palestine Action Activist Fatema Rajwani appeared first on MintPress News.

Guess If These 40 Peripheral Figures in Your Life Actively Despise You or Don’t Know You Exist

What Happy Days Character Are You? You Are Chuck

Here Is Your Bed. This Is Not a Quiz

Can You Guess Whether These 51 Tips to Feel Great Will Work?

I Am Not Genuinely Curious How Many of These Recipes You’ve Stared At

Make a Hot Dog and Use Some of That Full Loaf of Nine-Grain as a Bun, and I’ll Shake My Head At You

You’d Think That by Completing This Quiz About, Shit, I Don’t Know, Cardi B, That You Would Stimulate Yourself in Some Way

How Many of These Party Memories Can You Let Go Of?

You Will Not Reach the End of This Quiz

Whether You Choose Lying on These Couches or Seeing These Bands Live Will Tell Us What We Both Already Know

Which of These Office Supplies Is Probably Your Soulmate?

How Many of These TV Series Have You Binged While Slack-Jawed?

35 Things I Put in a List and Called a Quiz, Go Ahead and Fire Me, Because God Knows I Won’t Build Up the Energy to Quit

The Words “Quit” and “Quiz” Are One Letter Apart and Here’s a Picture of My Knee

According to John Newsinger’s A People’s History of the British Empire, it was the outsourcing of genocide which gave Britain the edge over its European imperial rivals. By ensuring an arms-length distance from the mass slaughter carried out on its behalf, the British state was able to project the image of a more benevolent empire, […]

July 19, 2024 This essay falls into three parts. First, I  discuss the question of what it is which makes  humans unique — that is, irreplaceable.  Second, I consider whether  machines  on balance  enhance or diminish humanness.   This has become an issue of the moment  with the growth of machine intelligence. Finally, I try … Continue reading Will Artificial Intelligence replace us? – The Article Interview

Far from a major cultural centre, Hage Mukwendje forged a distinctive African visual art practice infused with his identity

- by Psyche Film

Watch at Psyche

Liberals have forgotten that in order for our lives not to be nasty, brutish and short, we need stability. Enter Hobbes

- by Jennifer M Morton

Read at Aeon

RTX’s bombs regularly kill children and civilians. It does white-collar crimes too, according to a $950 million fraud and bribery settlement this week.

The post When Blood Money Isn’t Enough: Raytheon Admits to Defrauding Pentagon appeared first on The Intercept.

17th of October, 2024 Over the years, “Fortress Europe” has relied on a mix of bribery and force to keep out undocumented migrants fleeing wars, famine, and conditions of extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa. But such measures are no solution to a problem that ultimately stems from much larger global and historical forces. LONDON – … Continue reading The Roots of Europe’s Immigration Problem – Project Syndicate

Americans will go to the polls in less than 20 days but the race still dominated by personality rather than growing international crises

The Health Secretary's initiative shows that fatphobia is now one of the last acceptable forms of prejudice

A fixation with economic growth has led humanity to the brink of catastrophe, argues Tom Scott

In his monthly column, John Mitchinson reflects on why the old lettuce leaf is not so dull (Liz Truss aside)

Politico has a long article on it, and it’s hilarious. A border wall longer than Trump and Biden’s. “Return centers” in other countries, because they’re too gutless to say deportation, and so on. Complaining about Russia and Belarus’s immigration warfare (letting refugees thru Russia to get to Europe. Including, er, Afghan refugees.)

Let’s cut thru the bullshit.

The EU is in economic decline and can no longer afford refugees they can’t monetize.

THE Rotary-run Men’s Health Education Rural Van (MHERV) is set to arrive on the Coffs Coast from 23 October. With the motto “to save local lives”, the MHERV project has been operating for over six years. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us – (02)...

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THE Pump for Parkinson’s fundraiser is back for the eighth year. On Thursday, 24 October, the Bailey Centre Liberty Service Station will contribute ten cents per litre of fuel sold, to support the Parkinson’s Coffs Harbour Nurses Fund. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for your business. Message us. Phone us...

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THE Big Banana took on a blue hue on Sunday, 13 October, marking the beginning of National Carers Week. To celebrate and recognise the work of local family and friend carers, the Carers NSW Coffs Harbour team organised two social events for the week. Advertise with News of The Area today. It’s worth it for...

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THE fifth instalment of the Great Southern BioBlitz (GSBB) citizen science survey has come to an end and once again the Coffs Harbour region has performed well. Coffs placed third for total species recorded with 2438 (2305 last year) and sixth for the total of observations with 9101 (8244 last year). Advertise with News of...

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BELLINGEN Shire Council officially welcomed its newly elected Mayor and Councillors at an Oath of Office Ceremony on Wednesday, 9 October at Bellingen Memorial Hall. In attendance was Mayor Cr Steve Allan, alongside two new Councillors in Cr Andrew O’Keeffe and Cr Graeme Shephard, and Cr Jo Brotherton, Cr Jennie Fenton, Cr Dominic King and...

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THIS week marks the launch of a ground-breaking initiative at the Coffs Harbour Neighbourhood Centre aimed at empowering individuals and families affected by gambling to regain control. Kicking off during GambleAware Week (21-27 October), the new Gambling Harm program is offering a free public information session designed to raise awareness about the risks of gambling...

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OPENING times for the City of Coffs Harbour’s (CoCH) satellite swimming pools have residents concerned. For a second year, Sawtell and Woolgoolga 25 metre swimming pools will open weekdays at 6am and close for the day from 1pm, with no Learn to Swim programs available at either pool. Advertise with News of The Area today....

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