#a fierce advocate. | karen page | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cwhitestone-blog · 5 years ago

Text

Sept 2019

Introduction

I belong to Piney Point Baptist Church, in Rogers, Arkansas. The church has a women's ministry. Some of us are going to the Women of Joy conference in Branson, MO. I signed up to go as well. But since I have been studying the postmodern church I had reservations about going. A little research on the speakers at the Women of Joy conference revealed my concerns were not unfounded. I discovered, mostly by watching excellent discernment ministry YouTube videos, that many W of J speakers also speak at conferences, at churches and on so-called Christian television or radio stations which promote a false Christ for a new, emergent spirituality.

If I did go to the W of J conference, it would be good fellowship with sisters. The speakers would probably not preach anything overtly heretical. It might be fun listening to their stories. After all, these are professional speakers and storytellers. Yet I cannot in good conscience attend. I do not judge anyone for going though. It could be an opportunity to be discerning.

What am I to do for my sisters who haven't been told the whole story about these hidden things? What is wrong with this Women of Joy conference is what is wrong with the big picture, the emerging new spirituality. I believe my sisters would want to know, so my convictions lead me to share this.

Leaders from different types of churches, from the Bible preaching to the liberal ones, share platforms at conferences and preach at each others' churches. This alliance becomes an amalgam of truth with error. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

Some of the speakers at the upcoming Branson MO 2019 W of J conference are part of a group of professional speakers who make the conference rounds. While Women of Joy looks innocuous, many other conferences promote false doctrines and worldly agendas. Why are the same speakers sharing platforms, endorsing false teachers? This is not guilt by association but guilt by participation.

Many of these speakers who speak at W. of J. confererences also preach at mega churches which promote heresies. I will outline these heresies as we go. They are Word of Faith, the New Apostolic Reformation, the Emergent church and New Age Spirituality. These professional speakers share platforms with those who preach these heresies. Not only do they not challenge the false teachings but they promote the false teachers. But this is spiritual adultery and idolatry....a social club of religious stardom, the speakers forming an entertaining entourage, fame more important than truth.

Thus, conferences and churches merge, which is an agenda of the emergent church. These professional speakers promote Who's Who in religion, from Joel Olsten, TD Jakes, Joyce Meyer, Rick Warren, Mike Bickel, Kenneth Copeland, Francis Chan...whoever. They use Bible words like grace and love, not sin and holiness. Sadly many sincere seekers are taken in by the religious buzzwords.

A few of the Women of Joy speakers I researched also speak on the Jesus Calling radio station/podcast. Jesus Calling by Sarah Young is the bestselling channeled book sold by Christian publishers, which speaks for a false, New Age Jesus. I will elaborate more as we go, what research brought me to this conclusion. Some W of J speakers preach on problematic networks like DayStar TV, which hosts Joseph Prince and other fake healers.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

The following are some of the areas I am going to research and write about in upcoming posts. Just sharing with you the outline of topics to be discussed.

Let's look at the big picture...

I. How did the church arrive in this crisis?

A. Mega Churches and who started them

Peter Drucker first groomed Bob Buford, then Rick Warren and Bill Hybels.

Bob Buford

Rick Warren was heavily influenced by New Age Self-Esteem guru Robert Schuller.

Robert Schuller:

Seeker-Friendly C3 Churches

Church growth is a profitable business. These mega churches offer entertainment, community and a promise of heaven for everyone. They preach self esteem pop-psychology, inclusivism and ecumenism.

B. The Emergent, Merging Church in its many manifestitations

1. New Age Mysticism and Religious Experience Replace Truth

C. The Fall of the Evangelical Church

Many faithful believers within SBC churches like Piney Point Baptist love the Lord and want to follow him. They do not know that the leaders of the SBC have joined hands with those who preach false doctrine and that these same people honor and meet with Pope Francis. Pope Francis has been meeting with world leaders saying religions should merge. I believe he intends to be the head of these religions in the name of world peace. (Video) Yet Rick Warren says, if you love Jesus you'll love Pope Francis. Citation The leader of the SBC, Greer, says we should be fierce advocates for the LGBTQ community. Please watch the YouTube The SBC is Fallen The Southern Baptist Convention has fallen. It is my earnest prayer that the leadership of Piney Point Baptist will get us out of the SBC, so that our tithes do not contribute, even in a tiny way, to ungodly agendas. $$$$$$$$$$

The SBC includes, in its compromise with the world, over 45,000 churches. Many of these are not Evangelical, Baptist or Bible teaching. Many help lead people to hell.

E. The New Apostolic Reformation, NAR

F. Word of Faith

G. The Crazy Conference Scene

like Passion, frequented by Word of Faith and NAR heretics; as well as Show Me Your Glory and the Gathering. These conferences blend denominations and apostasies more. .

Chan, Bickle and Louie Giglio did the One Thing Conference. Kevin DeYoung, Together for the Gospel, invited Chan to his conference, even though DeYoung is more orthodox.

These men speak at The Call, The Send, The Altar Conferences, The New Jesus movement, with its Signs and Wonders (as prophesied, “all lieing signs and wonders”). They speak of “A Dream, God's Dream”...These are their conferences seeking to bring the worldwide transition for the anti christ. That is a nightmare. It's all about Unity. Hellsong, Tod White, Heidi Baker, NAR (New Apostalic Reformation – see Note.) leaders, Jesus Culture (Bill Johnson)...they will all be at The Send conference (like Jesus sent out his apostles).

Who are the Leaders at the Women of Joy Conferences?

A. First let's look at the leaders at the Branson MO Oct 2019 W of J Conference

Liz Curtis Higgs speaks on LifeTodayTV which features Beth Moore. I believe there is evidence Moore has walked away from the faith.

Beth Moore used to seem like a good Bible study teacher until she got a vision from God that evangelicals should unite with Catholics. She befriends the superstars of the false church system including Joyce Meyer, the Olsteens, and Hillsong leaders.

Annie F. Downs

Annie Downs is affiliated with Pastor Ray Johnston's Bayside Church. Bayside does Thrive conferences which host heretics like Francis Chan, who is part of the New Apostolic Reformation (See note.) Ray Johnston replaces doctrine with the social gospel.

Downs podcasts on the Jesus Calling channel.

Also, Annie Downs speaks and writes for Relevant, which features Carl Lentz, leader of Hillsong New York. (It is relevant who Relevant represents.)

Carl Lentz

Karen Kingbury - fine.

Sheila Walsh was a former host of the 700 Club host. She speaks at Saddleback with Warren, and at Hillsong.

B. Now let's look at speakers at other W of J confererences.

Bianca Olthoff seems really suspect. I took one look at her picture and thought, “transgender” but, of course, that was my gut reaction and I don't know; although I did find a strange YouTube video which may confirm this. “B*thel C*urch: Dr Bianca Olthoff Preaching Hebrew Swag Conference transgender approved satanic mind control.” At _____, Bianca says, “you can bless my heart if...(pause)...no one told me you could see up my dress.” Her meta message seems to be, don't tell what you might have seen up my dress. I wouldn't doubt that Olthoff would be capable of mocking Christian women in this way since she is affiliated with Bethel Church. She hosts “Bible” studies with names like “Play with Fire Small Group Bible Study.”

Bethel Church, Bill Johnson

Alli Worthington – links a Katie Perry song to her page which comes with a parental advisory. She makes the rounds.

Lysa Terkeurst - Lysa wrote a decent book about two gardens but Lysa Terkeurst is someone I will no longer read because she speaks at Elevation, endorsing Steven Furtick. (I recommend women's Bible study books by Susan Heck, who has memorized 23 books of the Bible.)

Steven Furtick, Elevation

Lisa Harper makes the rounds to Hillsong and Hillsong Colour Conference, Elevation Church, the C3 San Diego Church... She is also on the Jesus Calling Devotional Podcast and the 700 Club.

Hillsong churches andHillsong Colour Conference

Christine Caine

III. Have they Joined the Heresy Club?

A. The Respectable Deceived

Even some seemingly spiritual giants are straying. John MacArthur, for instance has put his dubious friendships over truth by sharing speaking platforms with NAR leaders and others. I thank God that MacArthur is still a godly Bible teacher, though.

What's wrong Ravi Zacharias? He speaks at Saddleback mega church with Rick Warren. Ravi commends Joyce Meyer and Henri Nouwen. Elaborat He can tell you why Christianity makes more sense than the Koran yet he endorses leaders who deceive.

Lee Strobel makes a convincing case for Christ yet hooks up with Willowcreek mega church. (Elaborate)

These men often preach correct doctrine. Yet, apparently, intellectual assent to a set of propositional truths does not give them spiritual discernment regarding false teachers. They are not heeding scriptures which tell us to watch out for wolves in sheep's clothing. We are certainly not to promote them.

Beth Moore, once a spiritual giant to evangelical women with her Bible studies, is still a darling of the SBC, making the rounds at mega churches, yet she is now preaching a different gospel, a different Jesus. Beth said she had a vision: God wants Protestants to unite with Catholics. Beth is completely inclusive, preaching with Word of Faith Joyce Meyer, both saying, “there should be no divisions.” She has heavily influenced the SBC ecumenist, political operative Roger Moore.

Francis Chan, NAR, is a popular conference speaker who hangs out with cult leader Mike Bickle, Pastor Rick Warren and Lou Ingle. Chan says if you speak against Rick Warren, God might kill you. YouTube 'Apostasy Report – Francis Chan The Deceiver” Servus Christi.

Mike Bickle – YouTube “Mike Bickle false teacher.”

Btw, I live in Rogers, Arkansas and was curious about The Joppa House of Prayer because I drive by it. When I visited I saw worship leaders from a conservative congregation, Fellowship Bible Church in Lowell, helping with the music in the sanctuary. But when there is no live music, The International House of Prayer is livestreamed on the big screen in the sanctuary. This was my introduction to the IHOP cult. I knew something was wrong right away hearing the Kansas City prophets make false prophesies on the big screen. But who is sounding the alarm about this at Fellowship Bible Church? Then I went into the healing rooms and saw advertisements for healings offering which use New Age and Word of Faith practices.

IHOP and the Kansas City Prophets -

What the Bible Says About False Teachers and Deceivers

Regarding associating with and promoting heretics, read 1 John 1:10, “If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting.”

Watch “Mike Bickel IHOP and Mysticism.wmv” – Soapa Preachers.

Rick Warren – says, if you love Pope Francis you'll love Jesus. One could write books about what is wrong with him; yet Pastor Rick is on Christian radio, with his seemingly harmless checklists for how you are doing in the Christian life. How about what he is doing in the Christian life?!

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young

Hillsong

Carl Lenz

700 Club

Bethel Church

Steven Furtick, Elevation

and on and on.

2 notes · View notes

cathygeha · 4 years ago

Photo

REVIEW

Just Get Home by Bridget Foley

Earthquakes in California are real…and there is always the underlying thought of, “What if this is the big one?” as the earth rumbles and shakes. Having been through a few and seen the damage they can wreak makes this story all the more real and…”earthshaking” to think about the “what ifs” should a HUGE trembler ever hit California. Two people form an unusual alliance as they make their way through devastated Los Angeles to reach safety and what they face is thought provoking, dark, and sometimes painful to read.

What I liked:

* Beegie: fifteen, orphan, in the foster system, hard backstory, a survivor, strong, resilient, and deserving of a better future.

* Dessa: single mother, conflicted, in a dead-end relationship, treading water, difficult relationship with her deceased mother, both parents deceased, loves her daughter, grew on me over time.

* That I found the story believable and could imagine finding myself in such a situation.

* The way the difficult situations were written

* Knowing the location well so being able to visualize where the two women were

* That both women were stronger than they realized and grew stronger as the story propgressed

* The alliance/friendship that developed between the two women

* Thinking about what the future for the women might be – hope it is better than their past

* Seeing glimpses of both of their lives before the earthquake

* That they both survived the ordeal and found a way forward…at least for awhile

What I didn’t like:

* Beegie’s rotten luck in life: mother, foster parents, social worker, what happened to her the night of the earthquake

* Dessa’s mother, the man who fathered her child, that she was a bit wishy-washy, and her reasoning was so much different than I wanted it to be

* Not knowing what happened later – an epilogue might have been nice

* That human beings in a chaotic situation can be so horrible to one another – opportunistic hedonistic and ruthless

Did I enjoy this book? I did but found myself skimming at times

Would I read more by this author? I might

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin-Mira for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4 Stars

BOOK SUMMARY:

When the Big One earthquake hits LA, a single mother and a teen in the foster system are brought together by their circumstances and an act of violence in order to survive the wrecked streets of the city, working together to just get home.

Dessa, a single mom, is enjoying a rare night out when a devastating earthquake strikes. Roads and overpasses crumble, cell towers are out everywhere, and now she must cross the ruined city to get back to her three-year-old daughter, not even knowing whether she's dead or alive. Danger in the streets escalates, as looting and lawlessness erupts. When she witnesses a moment of violence but isn't able to intervene, it nearly puts Dessa over the edge.

Fate throws Dessa a curveball when the victim of the crime—a smart-talking 15-year-old foster kid named Beegie—shows up again in the role of savior, linking the pair together. Beegie is a troubled teen with a relentless sense of humor and resilient spirit that enables them both to survive. Both women learn to rely on each other in ways they never imagined possible, to permit vulnerability and embrace the truth of their own lives.

A propulsive page-turner grounded by unforgettable characters and a deep emotional core, JUST GET HOME will strike a chord with mainstream thriller readers for its legitimately heart-pounding action scenes, and with book club audiences looking for weighty, challenging content.

BUY LINKS:

Harlequin

Indiebound

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Books-A-Million

Target

Walmart

Google

iBooks

Kobo

EXTRACT

Prologue

Assist the client in gathering possessions.

Beegie saw it written on a sheet Karen had in her folder. An unticked box next to it.

She knew what it meant. Stuff.

But it was the other meaning that soothed her.

The darker meaning. Possessions.

That was the one she worked over and over in her head.

Beegie imagined her case worker holding up a grey little girl, face obscured by black hair and asking, “This one yours?” Beegie would nod. Yes, that’s my monster. Together they would shove one snarling, demon-filled person after another into the garbage bags they had been given to pack her things. Soon the bags would fill, growing translucent with strain. When they were done, she and Karen would have to push down on the snapping, bloody faces of Beegie’s possessions so they could close the back of the Prius.

But Karen’s box remained unticked. She didn’t get to help collect Beegie’s possessions, real or unreal, because Beegie’s stuff was already on the street when she got home.

Two garbarge bags filled with nothing special. Her advocate standing next to them with her folder and its helpful advice for what to do when a foster gets kicked out of her home.

Nothing special.

Just almost everything Beegie owned in the world.

Almost but not all.

Whatever.

After Karen dropped her off and Barb had shown her “Her New Home” and given her the rundown on “The Way It Works Here,” Beegie unpacked her possessions into a bureau that the girl who’d lived there before her had made empty, but not clean.

The bottoms of the drawers were covered in spilled glitter. Pink and gold. Beegie had pressed the tips of her fingers into the wood to pull it up, making disco balls of her hands.

But she failed to get it all.

Months later, she would find stray squares of this other girl’s glitter on her clothes. They would catch the light, drawing her back to the moment when she’d finally given up on getting the bureau any cleaner and started to unpack the garbage bags.

There had been things missing.

That Beegie had expected.

But what she had not expected was to find two other neatly folded garbage bags. These were the ones she had used to move her stuff from Janelle’s to the Greely’s. She had kept them, even though back then Mrs. Greely was all smiles and Eric seemed nice, and even Rooster would let her pet him.

Beegie had kept the bags because she’d been around long enough to know that sometimes it doesn’t work out.

In fact, most times it doesn’t work out.

And you need a bag to put your stuff in and you don’t want to have to ask the person who doesn’t want you to live with them anymore to give you one.

But when Mrs. Greely had gathered Beegie’s possessions, she had seen those bags and thought that they were important to Beegie. It made sense to her former foster mother that a “garbage girl” would treasure a garbage bag.

This got Beegie thinking about stuff. The problem of it. The need for things to hold your other things. Things to fix your things. Things to make your things play.

And a place to keep it all.

In Beegie’s brain the problem of possessions multiplied, until she imagined it like a landfill. Things to hold things to hold things, all of it covered with flies, seagulls swooping.

Everything she ever owned was trash or one day would be.

Seeing things this way helped. It made her mind less about the things that hadn’t been in the bag… and other things.

Beegie picked at ownership like a scab, working her way around the edges, flaking it off a bit at a time. Ridding herself of the brown crust of caring.

Because if you care about something it has power over you.

Caring can give someone else the ability to control you and the only real way to own yourself was let go.

So she did.

Or she tried.

Some things Beegie couldn’t quite shed. The want of them stuck to her like the glitter. The pain of their loss catching the light on her sleeves, flashing from the hem of her jeans. The want would wait on her body until it attracted her attention and then eluded the grasping edges of her fingers.

AUTHOR BIO

Originally from Colorado, Bridget Foley attended NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and UCLA's School of Theater, Film & Television. She worked as an actor and screenwriter before becoming a novelist. She now lives a fiercely creative life with her family in Boise, Idaho.

SOCIAL:

Author Website: http://www.wonderfoley.com/

Instagram: @bridgetfoleywriter

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12378942.Bridget_Foley

Q&A with Bridget Foley

Q: How much research do you do before beginning to write a book? Do you go to locations, ride with police, go to see an autopsy, etc.

A:It depends on the story – research is one of my favorite parts of writing! For JUST GET HOME, I’d lived in Los Angeles for over a decade so I was pretty familiar with the locations… but I needed to do a lot of research into the foster care system as well as first hand accounts of earthquakes.

Q: What hobbies do you enjoy?

A: Weightlifting, Walking and Water coloring -- probably because they’re all things I can do while listening to audio books!

Q: Do you write under one name for all books across genres or do you have other AKA's?

A: Just the one name.

Q: Do you have pets?

A: My dear sweet dog passed away at the age of 14 at the end of 2019. I was advised to wait a month for every year we had her before getting a new companion. It’s odd, because while I missed her I didn’t long for another pet at all for that time… and then suddenly after 14 months I went dog crazy. It got to the point where I was slowing the car down to tell people walking their dogs how cute and fluffy their pups were. My children were mortified. So, no, we don’t have a new pup yet, but I feel sure it will happen soon.

Q: What’s your favorite part of writing suspense?

A: I’m an outliner, which I prefer because it means I get to use an entirely different part of my brain once I get to the drafting process. Since by then the heavy lifting of plot is done, I can fully immerse myself in the experience of the characters - which means I spend a lot of time holding my breath and sweating in my writing chair.

Q: Do you prefer reading and/or writing suspense with elements of romance? Why or why not?

A: I adore a good love story… but I haven’t cracked my version of one yet. My first novel HUGO & ROSE was a subversion of the ‘man of your dreams’ trope, so I suppose there were elements of romance in the book but not in the expected ways. JUST GET HOME is filled with desperate, aching love, but none of it is the romantic kind.

Q: From the books you’ve written or read, who has been your favorite villain and why?

A: I’ve found in life that most people are their own villains. There is usually no shadowy figure pulling the strings or arch enemy subverting plans - for many of us, when our lives go awry, we ourselves are personally responsible for whatever choices that led us there. Obviously that’s not always the case in life or in fiction, but as a writer I’m most creatively interested in characters who are grappling with their internal villains rather than an externalized source. So I suppose the answer is that my favorite villains are also my favorite heroes.

#Bridget Foley #Harlequin-Mira #NetGalley #Earthquake #Fiction #Rape #Los Angeles #Survival

0 notes

mariawiilson · 4 years ago

Text

NEWSOM’S Senate pick ahead? — GINGRICH endorses Newsom recall — FEINSTEIN’s dilemma — JAY-Z’s new cannabis play: $50 joints

THE BUZZ — IT’S COMING: Don’t be shocked if Gov. Gavin Newsom decides to ship California’s Hanukkah/Christmas present this week — and roll out his alternative for the Senate seat held by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.

If the much-anticipated appointment comes, as some insiders anticipate, through the vacation interval, when information is usually sluggish, it may present Newsom with a buffer, turning the web page on the narrative from the previous few weeks (see: the French Laundry debacle) and giving the various who likely received’t agree together with his alternative time to vent and recover from it. After which he can put the “annus horribilis” 2020 within the rearview mirror and get on with 2021.

THE BATTLE RAGES: Newsom has been fiercely lobbied by Latinos — a demographic that represents 40 % of California’s inhabitants however which hasn’t been mirrored by certainly one of its U.S. senators in 170 years of state historical past — and teams just like the Congressional Latino Caucus are strongly behind the candidate broadly seen because the front-runner, Secretary of State Alex Padilla. The LGBTQ neighborhood and advocates like Equality California say it’s time for his or her activism and historical past to be acknowledged, with the appointment of a candidate like Lengthy Seashore Mayor Robert Garcia. Now, teams representing Black girls and the Asian and Pacific Islander neighborhood are having their say.

POLITICO spoke this week to Assemblymember Shirley Weber, a pacesetter in Black Ladies United, which is pushing Newsom to name an African American woman. She mentioned there’s no contest: Black girls delivered the 2020 election for Democrats. “It’s like we are able to save the Senate however we are able to’t sit within the Senate. … We are able to clear the Home — however we now have to come back via the again door,’’ she mentioned. “We received the seat — and others wish to say, ‘it’s our flip.’” Weber added that there are already “quite a few Latino Democrats within the Senate,” and Black girls “expended some huge cash and assets and time getting Kamala elected. And we discover it ridiculous we’re preventing for the seat we received.”

However Weber firmly rejected the concept that Black girls can be mollified if Newsom picks a Black girl to fill the seat of Legal professional Common Xavier Becerra, who has been tapped by President-elect Joe Biden as his nominee to be Well being and Human Companies secretary. “Our place is you may appoint Padilla to AG and a Black girl to the Senate … or we’ll take ‘em each. However we don’t wish to hand over the Senate seat for the AG seat,’’ which is topic to time period limits, she mentioned. “The Senate has a lot broader enchantment — and may impression girls throughout the nation. It’s an even bigger panorama. … There is no such thing as a larger recreation to play, principally.’’

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: California’s Asian and Pacific Islander Caucus, chaired by state Sen. Richard Pan and Assemblymember Evan Low, introduced its endorsement of Padilla, Reps. Karen Bass and Barbara Lee and Garcia for the Harris seat. On that fourth endorsement: Garcia checks three key containers — he’s Latino, LGBTQ and Asian. From the caucus letter to Newsom, launched in the present day: “His great-grandfather was Chinese language and a laborer in Peru. Mayor Garcia’s household title is definitely Chen. The title was modified to Garcia, a Peruvian title, to combine and achieve employment in a brand new nation.”

Robert Garcia, mayor of Lengthy Seashore, speaks to demonstrators exterior Lengthy Seashore Metropolis Corridor on Thursday, June 4, 2020, in Lengthy Seashore, Calif. | AP Picture/Ashley Landis

THE BOTTOM LINE: Newsom will get some room to maneuver ought to he decide Padilla, as he then can appoint a brand new secretary of state in addition to an AG. He’s additionally been aided by the rising buzz amongst insiders that Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), within the wake of the devastating New Yorker profile last week, might bow out earlier than the tip of her time period in 2024, doubtlessly giving him a complete of 4 appointments to make.

BUENOS DÍAS, good Monday morning. Immediately, the 55 members of the Electoral Faculty in California are set to fulfill in individual at 2 p.m. within the California State Meeting chambers to formally choose Biden because the forty sixth president of america. Here’s what to expect, via ABC’s Kendall Karson. How does California choose its electors? Here’s the Secretary of State’s primer. Watch the livestream via the state Assembly website. Biden will deal with the nation afterwards, at roughly 5 p.m. PT.

WHERE’S GAVIN? Nothing official introduced.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Nicely if it modifications, I will let you recognize. … I work onerous.” — Feinstein to CNN’s Manu Raju on whether or not she’s going to serve out her time period within the wake of tales suggesting she is affected by cognitive decline.

BONUS QOTD: “I don’t have proof that males landed on the moon, in 1969, as a result of I wasn’t there. … Till Jan. twentieth, it might not be over with.” — Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Calif.)— who signed on to the Texas lawsuit to overturn votes in key swing states — to CNN’s Chris Cuomo, on whether or not there may be any proof of fraud within the presidential election.

TWEET OF THE DAY: Bass @RepKarenBass, now lobbying publicly for the Harris seat, Axios’ Kadia Goba reports: “Particularly on this time of disaster, it could be an honor to be appointed to serve my state in america Senate.”

PODCAST OF THE DAY: On “It’s All Political,” Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza tells the SF Chronicle’s Joe Garofoli that Newsom ought to appoint a Black girl to the Senate.

A message from The Nice Programs Plus:

Don’t be stagnant, maintain your thoughts lively with The Great Courses Plus. Be taught at your individual tempo with the power to stream lectures just like the Artwork of Investing anytime, wherever. Faucet into an expansive number of over 13,000 video streaming lectures from a few of the world’s best minds. Studying needs to be pleasing, so start learning today with The Nice Programs Plus!

SEASON OF SORROW — “More than 1,000 San Francisco families asked Salvation Army for toys this year. It received 10% of normal donations,” by the SF Chronicle’s Sarah Feldberg: “Donations are largely closed at this level and volunteers have already begun sorting the presents, which will probably be distributed subsequent week, however anybody who nonetheless needs to present can drop off new, unwrapped toys on the Salvation Military’s SoMa location (360 4th St.) no later than Monday.”

BARGAIN AT TWICE THE PRICE — “Million-dollar views, cheap rent and allegations of favoritism at California state parks,” by the LA Occasions’ Melody Gutierrez: “The division’s practically 500 occupied state-owned homes, cell houses, dorms and trailers lease — on common — for $215 a month, based on a Occasions evaluation of state housing knowledge.”

NATIONAL ANGLE? — Gingrich and Huckabee back Newsom recall effort, by POLITICO’s Carla Marinucci: The California activist motion to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom simply acquired a nationwide shot within the arm from former Home Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, two former Republican leaders who nonetheless have giant conservative followings.

THE BIG REVEAL — “51 Years Later, Coded Message Attributed to Zodiac Killer Has Been Solved, F.B.I. Says,” by NYT’s Michael Levenson: “The mysterious 340-character cipher, which was mailed to The San Francisco Chronicle in November 1969, doesn’t reveal the killer’s id” It learn: “I hope you’re having numerous enjoyable in attempting to catch me that wasn’t me on the TV present which brings up some extent about me I’m not afraid of the fuel chamber as a result of it would ship me to paradice all the earlier as a result of I now have sufficient slaves to work for me the place everybody else has nothing after they attain paradice so they’re afraid of loss of life I’m not afraid as a result of I do know that my new life is life will probably be a simple one in paradice loss of life.””

BIKINIS AND CORONA — “Unwelcome in other countries, Americans are fleeing lockdowns and flocking to Mexico,’’ by the AP’s Kate Linthicum. Mexico’s official loss of life toll final week surpassed 113,000 — the fourth highest on this planet — though officers say that many circumstances have gone undetected and that the true tally is probably going double that.

HERE IT COMES — “California vaccinations could start Monday, but it won’t slow COVID-19 crisis imperiling hospitals,” by the LA Occasions’ Alex Wigglesworth, Soumya Karlamangla and Tracy Wilkinson: “Medical employees had been anticipated to get the primary doses of vaccine via a restricted variety of hospitals in California that embody Cedars-Sinai Medical Heart, UCLA Well being and Rady Kids’s Hospital in San Diego. Officers anticipate to get extra doses of the vaccine later this month and once more in early January.”

PHONE PLAY — “Some 4 million Californians sign up for smartphone COVID-19 alerts in first few days,” by the San Diego Union Tribune’s Charles T. Clark: “CA Notify serves as a digital device to inform folks whether or not they’ve been uncovered to somebody who later exams constructive for the illness.”

HOSPITAL HELP — “California wants hospitals to test every worker for coronavirus starting Monday. But is that even feasible?,’’ by SFChronicle’s Nanette Asimov: “Many nurses who are available contact with COVID-19 sufferers every day assume that’s an excellent concept. But it’s unlikely to occur in hospitals overwhelmed with sufferers, all needing to be examined.

VALLEY FEVER — “‘I’ve seen people die.’ COVID-19 slams Central Valley hospitals, as many resist lockdowns,” by the LA Occasions’ Diana Marcum, Anita Chabria and Susanne Rust: “It’s an agricultural valley with excessive charges of poverty and a staggering scarcity of medical doctors. But through the pandemic, many native leaders have been brazenly defiant of public well being directives.”

— “Health vs. wealth: How does California score on coronavirus lockdowns?” by the OC Register’s Jonathan Lansner.

STATE OF RESISTANCE — “Bay Area diners are still eating outside restaurants, whether businesses want it or not,’’ by the SF Chronicle’s Justin Phllips: “The Danville restaurant proprietor who has been providing out of doors eating regardless of Contra Costa County’s ban mentioned he has been visited by each the police division and the county well being division since information got here out about his protest. However he’s planning to disregard the warnings — and to maintain serving friends.”

— “‘The virus is moving in’: why California is losing the fight against Covid,” by the Guardian’s Sam Levin, Maanvi Singh, Vivian Ho and Gabrielle Canon: “The state has tallied greater than 1.3m circumstances, and broke a document final week with greater than 25,000 infections recorded in a single day.”

— “Judge orders OC sheriff to cut jail population in half to combat coronavirus outbreak,” by the OC Register’s Tony Saavedra and Quinn Wilson.

NOT HAVING IT — “Trump unleashes an army of sore losers,’’ by POLITICO’s David Siders: “Buzz Patterson, a Republican who misplaced to Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) by greater than 13 share factors, has refused to concede and is complaining about voting machines. He, too, is “definitely running again.”

— “Supreme Court rejects bid to overturn presidential results, backed by key California GOP figures,” by the SF Chronicle’s Tal Kopan: :[Kevin] McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, and three different Californians — Reps. Ken Calvert of Corona (Riverside County), Doug LaMalfa of Richvale (Butte County) and Tom McClintock of Elk Grove (Sacramento County) — had been amongst 126 Home Republicans who signed a short to thecourt supporting Texas’ lawsuit.”

SPEAKER STRUGGLE? — Pelosi faces tight margins for speaker’s vote,’ by POLITICO’s Sarah Ferris, John Bresnahan and Heather Caygle.

TIME’S UP — ‘We’re already too late’: Unemployment lifeline to lapse even with an aid deal,’ by POLITICO’s Rebecca Rainey and Eleanor Mueller.

SCHIFF ON SWALWELL — “House Intelligence Chair Adam Schiff on Chinese spy story: ‘Mr. Swalwell did everything right,’” by Fox 11’s Elex Michaelson and Nichols Greitzer.

‘NEW CALIFORNIA’? — “Imaginary States ‘New Nevada,’ ‘New California’ File Brief Supporting Texas Lawsuit To Overturn Election,’’ by Forbes’ Andrew Solender: “New California’s website – which features a map of California with out Los Angeles, San Francisco and different cities – laments California’s taxes, rules and gun management legal guidelines (frequent complaints of conservatives dwelling in blue states) and echoes Trump’s baseless voter fraud claims.”

A message from The Nice Programs Plus:

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Biden administration’s transition crew has tapped powerhouse Bay Space lawyer Joe Cotchett to chair a key committee to advocate federal judges to Biden. “You noticed what Trump did, in appointing 200-plus federal judges,’’ he informed POLITICO in an interview. Cotchett’s friendship with Biden goes again 45 years — so, he mentioned, he has agreed to assist the brand new administration work shortly to establish certified federal judges who will apply for senior standing, so these seats may be stuffed shortly and effectively.

— “How Kamala Harris could resurrect aspects of her ‘Momnibus’ plan,” by the nineteenth’s Shefali Luthra.

HE’LL BE BACK — “Outgoing congressman T.J. Cox says he ‘absolutely’ will run again for CA-21 seat,’’ by way of YourCentralValley.com’s Alexan Balekian.

KEVIN’S NEXT CHAPTER? — “Faulconer eyes next chapter as mayoral term ends,’’ by the San Diego Union Tribune’s John Wilkens: “The Republican’s doubtless run for governor can be a take a look at of state’s political temperature, analysts say.

DIANNE DILEMMA — “Dianne Feinstein isn’t going anywhere as long as California’s political establishment is with her,’’ by the SF Chronicle’s Joe Garofoli: “Feinstein has proven no intention of leaving the Senate earlier than her time period ends in 2024, when she will probably be 91. Till then, the one one that can take Feinstein out of workplace is Feinstein.”

AG BATTLE — “California needs a new top cop. Here’s what Gov. Gavin Newsom will consider,’’ by the LA Occasions’ Patrick McGreevy and Phil Willon: “Teams which have the governor’s ear are already speaking about what they wish to see within the subsequent lawyer basic, together with somebody who will take aggressive motion on legal justice reform, police accountability, gun management and the setting.”

PAID LOBBYISTS OUT — “CA Gov Gavin Newsom bars his paid consultants from lobbying,’’ by the Sac Bee’s Lara Korte: “Chief of Workers Ann O’Leary mentioned Newsom is barring any paid marketing campaign or political guide from immediately speaking on behalf of a consumer with the governor, members of his employees, or the businesses below his management for the aim of influencing legislative or administrative motion.”

DEFUND FOR REAL? — “Amid a ‘defund’ debate, Sacramento’s police force is larger than it’s been in years,’’ by the Sac Bee’s Theresa Clift: “Activists argue town’s resolution to extend police staffing is troubling, particularly because the pandemic wreaks havoc on town price range.”

CASELOAD CRISIS — “With L.A. courts paralyzed by COVID-19, public defenders say caseloads are ‘unconscionable,’’’ by LA Occasions’ James Queally: “In a message that reached roughly 1,200 attorneys and employees members, veteran public defender Ernesto Diaz pleaded for assist with what he and a few of his colleagues described as ‘unconscionable caseloads.’ Felony attorneys had been representing as many as 70 shoppers, greater than double their regular workload, and a few had been so wired that they had been changing into bodily in poor health, he wrote.”

ICED OUT — “Chula Vista reverses course, hits pause on sharing license-plate reader data with ICE, Border Patrol,” by the San Diego Union Tribune’s Teri Figueroa.

NO BARGAIN — “LA using pricey ‘tiny homes’ to house the homeless,’’ by LA Occasions’ Doug Smith: “Plans to make use of the minimalist constructions … have blossomed into costly improvement initiatives with entry roads, underground utilities and concrete foundations — and commensurate planning delays.”

FURLOUGHED — “Southwest to furlough up to 1,182 employees at Oakland, SFO and San Jose airports,’’ by the SF Chronicle’s Roland Li.

ANOTHER ICON CLOSES FOR GOOD: The Cliff Home, a beloved San Francisco landmark, will shut completely on Dec. 31, after a mandate from the Nationwide Parks Service, administration introduced Sunday; 180 staff will lose their jobs. From the web site: “We’ve got been the proprietors of the Cliff Home for 47-½ years and are in all probability the longest tenured within the 157- yr historical past. …That is definitely not the best way to thank us, a neighborhood small enterprise owned and operated by native San Franciscans, for caring for this San Francisco treasure this previous yr at a big monetary loss.”

— “California is the first Democratic state to ask to join DOJ lawsuit against Google,” by CNBC’s Lauren Feiner.

ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST — “Oracle moving from California to Texas, joins Tesla, Hewlett Packard,’’ by Fox Information’ Suzanne O’Halloran.

HAPPIEST PLACE ON EARTH — “Disney Stock Hits All-Time High as Analysts Boost Price Targets, Laud Streaming Content,’’ by the Hollywood Reporter’s Georg Szalai.

HE’S A PLAYER — “Jay-Z’s Cannabis Brand, Monogram, Launches With $50 Hand-Rolled Joints,” by Forbes’ Will Yakowicz.

CAR THEFT BOOMING — “In S.F., stealing a car is only the beginning of the crime,’’ by the SF Chronicle’s Phil Matier.

HUGE HAUL — “San Francisco Police Buyback Campaign Collects More Than 225 Guns,’’ by way of KPIX.

— “Crab for Christmas: California approves start date for Dungeness season,’’ by the Mercury Information’ Linda Zavoral.

CAR SCAM— “Man bought Maserati with unemployment money scammed from state EDD, prosecutors say,’’ by the LA Occasions’ Richard Winton.

Former Cupboard secretary George Shultz was 100 on Sunday (h/t Invoice Whalen) … Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) is 78 … Todd S. Purdum … Google’s Riva Sciuto and Conor Chrisom

A message from The Nice Programs Plus:

Are you an inquisitively curious person that loves studying? Be a part of a neighborhood of life-long learners, and be taught extra about any matter with The Nice Programs Plus. Stream 1000’s of movies by a few of this world’s brightest minds. From the Artwork of Investing to the Idea of Every thing, quench your thirst for knowledge with programs designed for the endlessly curious cat. With The Nice Programs Plus, you’ll get pleasure from with the ability to be taught anytime, wherever at your individual tempo. Now there’s nothing protecting you from beginning your academic journey. Learn now with The Great Courses Plus!

CALIFORNIA POLICY IS ALWAYS CHANGING: Know your subsequent transfer. From Sacramento to Silicon Valley, POLITICO California Professional gives coverage professionals with the in-depth reporting and instruments they should get forward of coverage tendencies and political developments shaping the Golden State. To be taught extra concerning the unique perception and evaluation this subscriber-only service presents, click here.

Wish to make an impression? POLITICO California has a wide range of options out there for companions seeking to attain and activate essentially the most influential folks within the Golden State. Have a petition you need signed? A trigger you’re selling? In search of to extend model consciousness amongst this key viewers? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive motion. Contact Jesse Shapiro to learn the way: [email protected].

This text tagged below:

Source link

The post NEWSOM’S Senate pick ahead? — GINGRICH endorses Newsom recall — FEINSTEIN’s dilemma — JAY-Z’s new cannabis play: $50 joints appeared first on Fikiss Permaculture.

source https://fikiss.net/newsoms-senate-pick-ahead-gingrich-endorses-newsom-recall-feinsteins-dilemma-jay-zs-new-cannabis-play-50-joints/ NEWSOM’S Senate pick ahead? — GINGRICH endorses Newsom recall — FEINSTEIN’s dilemma — JAY-Z’s new cannabis play: $50 joints published first on https://fikiss.net/ from Karin Gudino https://karingudino.blogspot.com/2020/12/newsoms-senate-pick-ahead-gingrich.html NEWSOM’S Senate pick ahead? — GINGRICH endorses Newsom recall — FEINSTEIN’s dilemma — JAY-Z’s new cannabis play: $50 joints published first on https://karingudino.tumblr.com/

#Fod #Fitness #Karin Gudino

0 notes

donveinot · 5 years ago

Text

Education and Safeguarding our Children

Photo by Anita Jankovic on Unsplash In the late 19th Century there was concern over “inroads of secularization in higher education and as a base for the education of lay workers and full-time Bible teachers, evangelists, and pastors.”((“Bible college”)) The main concern for parents then was how they could protect their children while ensuring them a good higher education? The other concern was for the sound biblical education of Christian workers, both lay and pastoral. The solution became the Bible College Movement, and between “1882 and 1920, 39 Bible schools were founded in the United States.” ((“Bible college)) In North America that number has now grown to over 1,200. ((“Bible college”)) Sadly though, as we look at the current state of many if not most of these institutions, as well as the state of the church, we must acknowledge that Bible schools have fallen prey to many of the same issues and teachings, and in some cases worse teachings, than the institutions Christians were originally fleeing from. Trusting parents send their near-adult son or daughter off to a well-established, high profile Christian institution and they return practicing “Christianized” Eastern mysticism and embracing the idea that all religions have the core truth about God. How did this happen? Well, parents believed the institutions were safe places where their offspring would be protected from false ideas, and never gave a thought to the need to “trust but verify,” to quote the late Ronald Reagan. Theologically sound parents, and many of their home churches, were not holding the educators accountable to carefully present the truth of the Bible, and it probably never crossed their minds that they needed to. What happens when pastors and teachers are educated in a Bible school that has in many ways abandoned Biblical teaching? They go on to pastor and teach in churches, of course. How can churches hold the line against heresy in these situations? It is a very serious problem. But the problems in the schools of higher learning of yesteryear first trickled – then flooded – down to the elementary and high schools of today. In the mid-20th Century the US government mandated public school.((For a brief history see, “Compulsory public education in the United States”)) In the 1960s and 70s, Christian parents were growing very concerned about government controlled education and the secular school system undermining the faith they as parents were passing on to their children. Some began to call for a return to the homeschooling practices of earlier generations. They, like the parents of college students in the 19th and early 20th Century, wanted their kids to be well educated in a safe environment, one which upheld Christian values and teaching without the pollution of secularism, paganism and sexual indoctrination being foisted on a child without the parent’s knowledge. Quite a number of parents pulled their kids from public schools and invested themselves deeply in educating their own children. Parents who kept their children in the public schools needed to be especially vigilant concerning what their children were being taught, because, invariably the schools did teach things that presented serious challenges to the faith, and parents were responsible to correct that, and foster discernment in their children. Safeguarding children while they are being educated, whether home-schooled or public schooled, is an important responsibility and should not be taken lightly. Unfortunately, public schools have grown far more intent on propagandizing children away from their faith as time marched on. A few weeks ago Alex Newman wrote the article, “Amid Coronavirus, Movement for Public School Exit Grows.” His opening paragraph has several important points: With coronavirus keeping children home from public schools around the world, a growing coalition of Christians and conservatives is working to make sure that once the crisis is over, millions of children never go back. Instead, the coalition, known as Public School Exit (PSE), hopes to facilitate a massive exodus into the safe sanctuary of homeschooling and high-quality private schools.(( Amid Coronavirus, Movement for Public School Exit Grows)) As we have noted, it is for valid reasons that Christian homeschooling advocates are working to persuade parents to shift from public education to “homeschooling and high-quality private schools.” They are regarded as a “safe sanctuary.” Although we know there are still good teachers in the public schools, public school has become one of the main tools used to transform culture away from Judeo/Christian morals, ethics, and beliefs. Besides teaching blatant immorality as a positive thing, schools are also bent on educating “Americanism” out of children and supplanting that with globalist thinking. People who do not have children in the public-school system, or are not paying attention, might be shocked at what the kids are “learning.” Besides that, we have seen some particularly good things coming out of the homeschool and private Christian school movement. Oddly enough though, the week after Alex Newman’s article was published and we cited it in our Crux email, a homeschooler posted an advertisement by a Christian homeschool podcaster on the Facebook page of Marcia Montenegro, our co-author of Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret. Since Marcia’s page is unrelated to homeschooling, why was an ad by a homeschool podcaster posted there? It was a promotion for “Your Homeschool and the Enneagram With Sherri Lund” being promoted on Lynna Sutherland's crowdcast, “Live Without Training Wheels.” At this point the Enneagram has infected over 200 Christian college and university campuses, so we hoped this ad was just an initial introduction into the homeschooling movement. After all, the premier reason for home-schooling children is to keep them safe from false and heretical teaching, and certainly the Enneagram is the false and heretical teaching du jour. Thinking Lynna may simply be unaware of the pagan occultic roots, heretical theology of the Enneagram and, Marcia commented on Lynna’s site (which Marcia posted on her FB page). Lynna’s first response to Marcia was: “I know not everyone is comfortable with the Enneagram” Marcia then provided a short overview of the origins, problems, and lack of validity of the Enneagram. Part of Lynna’s response should be a blinking red warning light that this homeschooling resource is not safe: I understand that for some, the pagan ideas woven into some streams of the Enneagram teaching mean they are not comfortable making use of that information in any way, just as some Christians are not comfortable with any version of Yoga or observing Christmas because of their pagan connections” The inclusion of Christmas as having pagan connections demonstrates a lack of knowledge of Church history, but that is not uncommon.((See “Christmas is not Pagan”)) Why someone would be “comfortable” with including “pagan ideas woven into some streams of the Enneagram?” In a recent interview with Doreen Virtue we demonstrated “Why the Enneagram is a dangerous new age tool.” How someone claiming to be a Christian can be comfortable with occultism, Eastern mysticism, and its practices, is beyond our understanding (How much rat poison can someone safely ingest?). Introducing these beliefs and practices to unwary homeschoolers and their children seems unconscionable. As the day wore on, concerned homeschoolers began looking at the various homeschooling resources with a new eye. It sadly appears that, like the Covid virus, the spiritual virus of the Enneagram is sweeping through the homeschool population. Here is what these discerning homeschoolers discovered in their search. They found and sent us “Homeschool Curriculum Choices Based on Your Enneagram Type,” at Living Well & Learning Well with Alicia Hutchinson. We were also sent, “Enneagram for the Homeschool Mama” and “April: Discover your Enneagram!” both by Beautiful Feet Books. When one of the homeschooling moms who uses their material emailed the publisher asking for an explanation, she said she received a response which unfortunately included: “…an explanation of why the owner believes the enneagram is a valuable tool” Just how deep the infiltration into the homeschooling movement goes is unknown at this point. We have been in discussion with Alex Newman and our friend, podcaster and homeschooling mom, Karen Campbell, “That Mom.” They are both trying to alert homeschooling leaders, but Karen at least has been discovering the Enneagram is also in the churches of some of those leaders. Homeschool should be a safe environment for the children. Many parents do not have the biblical training to catch heresies of this nature and have placed their trust in those who operate within what Alex Newman called a “safe sanctuary.” But no sanctuary can or will remain safe unless someone is guarding the door. The Apostle Paul called for the Ephesian Elders to constantly perform boundary maintenance in Acts 20:28-31: Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. Christian leaders are to zealously guard the perimeter to prevent wolves from coming in from the outside. They must also watch for signs of infection within the flock and keep the infected from spreading the virus to others. Christians are like most human beings in that they address what they identify as a problem, and then turn their attention elsewhere. But without attention, things can deteriorate very quickly. The march of evil in this world is relentless, so we can never turn away from our essential responsibility to counter false teaching within and outside of the church. The homeschooling movement is not a church per se, but it is obvious that it needs gate keepers also, trained in discernment and willing to stand up and protect. Otherwise the “sanctuary” of homeschooling is no true sanctuary at all. If Christians do not have the will or the courage to address false teaching within the Body of Christ, we probably lose the right to address false teaching outside the church, like, for example, in the public schools. (For more information on the origins, teachers and theology of the Enneagram see Richard Rohr and the Enneagram Secret)Ω

0 notes

growlegalweed-blog · 6 years ago

Text

Legal Weed Resources

Check out... https://legalweed.gq/420/the-new-miss-marijuana-pageant-comes-with-outdated-guidelines-and-transphobia/

The New “Miss Marijuana” Pageant Comes With Outdated Guidelines and Transphobia

This article originally appeared on Straight Cannabis.

A new North American beauty pageant targeting the cannabis industry has just opened for applications—but only for “unwed” and “natural born” females between the ages 18 to 30.

And its founder thinks it’s going to be huge.

According to the official site, Miss Marijuana, or Miss MJ, is “the type of girl all the guys want, and all the girls want to be friends with” and the platform “gives you the opportunity to be the activist you’ve always dreamed of.”

Up for grabs is the crown and title of Miss Marijuana, $25,000, and a car—but not the branded Jeep Rubicon posted on the site, because that’s just to show applicants what a car looks like.

If accepted, contestants will upload a profile to be digitally polled by the general public. The online voting will take place for six to seven weeks and the 53 women with the highest votes—one for each American state and one from Canada—will then proceed to the final contest in Los Vegas, Nevada. The finale will include one “personal interview question”, and two catwalks—in a swimsuit and an evening gown.

“It’ll be a fashion show, it’ll be a concert—lotta fun, I hope,” says Howard Baer, the pageant’s founder, to the Georgia Straight on the phone.

“We have so many signed up from Canada that it looks like we may have to break it up into provinces. Originally, we were going to do it just as one, but we have over 500 from there now.”

Baer says the pageant has surpassed 5,200 interested contestants.

Outdated eligibility standards

While the site says “Miss Marijuana provides an equal opportunity for any woman interested” including models, experienced beauty pageant contestants, and “non-models” aspiring to break into industry—the guidelines exclude anyone married, or gender-fluid and non-conforming.

When asked about the specifications, Baer calls the single, or unwed, prerequisite a “normal” criterion for Miss or Ms pageants.

“The biggest reason for that is because when you’re working with married women in particular, these days it’s probably the same…we want her to be able to travel for the next year, and be at the dispensaries…events and so forth,” he says. “It’s pretty hard for a married woman to do that. She doesn’t have the freedom to do that.”

As far as contestants needed to be “naturally born women”, Baer says that’s more of a “personal thing”.

“In my mind…I’ve got a 14-year-old granddaughter…and the way things are, particularly with the transgenders, you’ve really don’t know what you have,” he says, trailing into a story he recently read about a transgender woman charged with assault in the U.K.

“He worked his way into women’s events, and what not. So, they sent him to jail, and in England there is a jail for transgenders specifically, and he raped two women there.”

The woman Baer is referring to is Karen White—a 52-year-old transgender woman sentenced to life for sexually assaulting two inmates in New Hall prison in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The assaults took place in September and October of 2017 after White had been arrested on suspicion of stabbing a neighbor.

When asked how that incident related back to his beauty pageant, Baer said: “I don’t want the girls to be nervous about somebody that is in their room with them. The only one that allows that now is Miss Universe. I’ve read good and bad about it. I’ve read they’re regretting it. I’ve read that they’re not. But the majority of them [pageants] are not and I want to go with what I think is the normal thing to do.”

He adds: “I don’t want to put the girls in a position that they feel uncomfortable, because there are going to be a lot of young girls there and I just don’t want to do that.”

However, when others have tried to promote events solely for “women born women”, they have met fierce resistance from the trans community. Trans people have won major victories with legislation in Canada guaranteeing freedom from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and gender expression.

Moreover, school districts have also introduced measures to prevent bullying of trans kids.

These outdated standards are nothing new for beauty competitions. In fact, they harken back to the 1930s when contestants were asked to shield their faces for the bathing suit portion—opting either for a bag or a mask that looked like a cheap knockoff prop from the Hannibal Lecter franchise. The intention was to draw attention away from the face so judges could better focus on the women’s bodies. Questions about the validity and relevance of these rules are becoming increasingly poignant in the diversifying North American culture, but with legalization Baer sees this as an opportunity to reinvigorate the old rituals.

“I bought the domain eight, nine, ten years ago, or something like that. The timing wasn’t right for it. The timing is right now, so we’re doing it.”

A now-outdated press release shows an attempt at hosting the pageant in 2014. When asked why it never came to fruition, Baer says it didn’t get enough interest.

“Now that cannabis in the U.S. is becoming legalized, and in Canada, it’s a whole different story. We get 50, 60, 70 girls signing up every day and we’re not even promoting it other than a little bit on Facebook.”

A quick check validates the event’s dismal lack of social media presence. The pageant’s Twitter page has only garnered a couple hundred followers with seemingly no interactions, while the official Facebook page has fewer than 4,000 likes and followers.

Capitalizing on a legalization trend

Under the name Papa Baer Productions, Baer has several other businesses relating to the cannabis space. One is a social media platform titled MarijuanaSelfies, a polling-based website entirely populated by cellphone pictures of young, attractive, and half-naked women posing with weed. Users upload selfies that can then be voted on for weekly cash prizes. Baer also has a clothing line launched in 2017 called Smoke 10, which is described as “the first full clothing line dedicated strictly to the cannabis industry”.

“What drew me to it [the cannabis industry] was that I started buying domains about 10 or 12 years ago, and we took some of those domains and made them into sites. And we just kept expanding,” he says. Baer clarifies that he has no personal attachment to cannabis, but owns nearly 230 weed-related domains, including Miss Marijuana for every country in the Miss World pageant.

“Chile, Peru, I own all of them. If this works out, I’ll take it international in the next year or two years. It’ll become an international pageant.”

What exactly about Miss Marijuana relates cannabis? Not much, according to Baer.

Considering the U.S. currently operates as a puzzle of various stages of legality, he says “the girls” don’t have to admit to smoking weed or even know much about the plant to be eligible.

“A lot of the girls ask me about that. There is no use of the product in the pageant; there is no requirement of anybody. They just have to be pro-marijuana. In other words, they can’t be against it. They have to be advocates,” he says.

“We’re not going to be smoking; we’re not going to have it [pot] on-site. I don’t want the responsibility. And I don’t want the girls to feel like they have to do something they don’t want to do. It’s a name. It’s a brand name.”

While Baer says the pageant won’t have any weed on-site, or promote its use, he did take the opportunity to promote the pageant’s new CBD beauty line, which includes cannabis infused gummies, serums, and moisturizers. And the prize packs for both Miss MJ and the three runners-up apparently contain products from the top brands in the industry.

“That’s [beauty products] launching in a couple of weeks. Excellent products.”

Piper Courtenay is The Georgia Straight’s cannabis editor. Follow her on Twitter @PiperCourtenay and Instagram @PiperCourtenay.

The post The New “Miss Marijuana” Pageant Comes With Outdated Guidelines and Transphobia appeared first on High Times.

#comes #Guidelines #Marijuana #Miss #Outdated #Pageant #Transphobia

0 notes

lindyhunt · 7 years ago

Text

Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story Premieres In Toronto

I bought my first Kevyn Aucoin books, Making Faces and Face Forward, at Costco (!!) in the late 90s/2000. It was the gateway to a world of makeup that left me in awe, in which I’d be flipping past pages of transformations that I would stare at and study at length. At the time, there was no makeup artist more seminal than him; he had a monthly column in Allure, did the makeup for every A-lister of the time and he even had a cameo on Sex & The City. But it all came to an end when Aucoin died at the age of 40 in 2002 from kidney and liver failure due to acetaminophen toxicity; he had been taking the painkillers to deal with acromegaly, a tumour on the pituitary gland that continues to produce growth hormones throughout adulthood.

For anyone who either remembers him fondly or doesn’t know about him (and you should, if you consider yourself a beauty historian), you need to see Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story, a documentary about his life that started making the rounds at festivals in the U.S. last fall. It’s finally premiering in Toronto at Inside Out, the city’s LGBT film festival this Saturday. We spoke to director Tiffany Bartok leading up to the screening.

One of things that prompted you to make this film was that during a production meeting for a different project, Kevyn’s name came up and a millennial didn’t know who he was.

That’s right. She was like ‘Who’s Kevyn?’ and I was like ‘Oh no, this is really happening? What are we going to do?’ I hear from makeup artists who have assistants who get on set and they say let’s do it like this Penn picture. And they don’t know what that means. They don’t know who Avedon is. But they know anything Kardashian related. Not their fault really, because it’s so well documented. Many people think Mario D invented contour. And I don’t blame them for thinking that but Mario himself credits Kevyn. He’s hell bent on people knowing where he got it from.

I was surprised to see Mario in the film. What’s this Kardashian guy doing in here? But how did you know he was a fan of Kevyn?

That was Kemi, our groomer on our set. She’s like 26. And she would always say, ‘you’ve got to get Mario in here or nobody’s going to watch. People need to hear these stories, but people our age.’ Troy (Surratt, Aucoin’s former assistant, now makeup artist and also producer on the film) and I were talking about it and we were like ‘should we do this?’ So finally I just emailed Mario and he was like ‘When and where? I would love to be part of this’.

I was blown away by the people you had interviews with. Was it fairly easy to get them on board?

It was Troy’s reputation and we have a reputation with the agents. I mean it wasn’t easy, since they have fierce gatekeepers. But everyone was excited to talk about Kevyn. It was just the scheduling that was a nightmare. We went to L.A. for a couple and we went to London for Kate Moss and we went to Nashville for a bunch.

Was there anyone that you wanted to include that you just couldn’t get?

Yeah, Winona Ryder. She probably has a restraining order on me. I wanted to talk to her so badly. She said no over and over. Some people are just uncomfortable. It’s hard to trust people. I’m not sure what the reason was but I was just really bummed. I tried everything. She just was not down.

Elizabeth Taylor would have turned 86 today. Kevyn created this look on Winona Ryder to pay homage to Taylor's character Maggie from 'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof'. Of the look, Kevyn said "the main objective was to take Elizabeth Taylor's signature brow, eye, and lip shapes and merge them with Winona's features". For a more in-depth description of this look, turn to page 115 of Kevyn's book 'Face Forward'. #MakeupByKevyn #WinonaRyder #ElizabethTaylor

A post shared by Kevyn Aucoin Beauty (@kevynaucoin) on Feb 27, 2018 at 5:25am PST

One person I was glad to see, even though it was just for a tiny, tiny second, was Orlando Pita.

Oh my God, I know. Orlando was a huge get for me because it meant so much that he would trust me to talk to me. And Serge Normant as well. They both were interviewed. It was heartbreaking to cut anyone.

I noticed Kevyn talking about diversity in the film which I found so interesting since it’s a word you hear all the time now and here he was pushing for that like 20 years ago.

He spoke a tremendous amount about the lack of diversity. It was really a problem with him and that’s why Naomi Campbell loved him so much, and Karen Alexander and Veronica Webb. You know, he would advocate for these girls. Like, ‘Hi, put them in your show, put them on your cover,’ and certain magazines were compliant with that and certain magazines are scared of that. It was really, really a fight, but he fought hard.

There was also so much footage which was probably a goldmine for you. Like stuff of him on set and and other behind the scenes footage, that in an age before phones, you wouldn’t have expected to have been documented.

He documented every day of his life. He always had a huge camera with him and handed it to whoever had a free hand. People gave up their tapes and everyone was just excited to share. He just wanted every day to be completely solidified. He wanted to validate every day, just like we do with Instagram.

One thing that I remember about him is that he liked to put makeup on people when they were lying down. Obviously he wasn’t doing that all the time on set, but what do you know about that?

It would take so long that he would lay them down. There were certain clients that remember it clearly and certain clients that say I don’t know what people are talking about when we say lie down. I know Janet [Jackson] was often laid down. That was just like the ultimate luxury.

In the film, he talked about how he saw the beauty in everyone which makes it sounds like his approach would be to make people look like themselves but better. But at the same time, he was also incredible at transformations. So I feel like there’s a little bit of a dichotomy there too. Do you agree with that?

Oh completely. He had this saying that I always live by: if someone’s complimenting the makeup, I didn’t do my job. That’s because they should just be so taken aback with the face. However, he was an artist and given the opportunity to transform someone he was gonna take it. So the fact that he could do both is so rare. That’s what is so great about him.

Did anyone mention if he had any key techniques? What were his signature moves?

That’s such a funny question because in the editing room, that’s what we would look for. I did 60 interviews and no one can tell you what it was. We went through hours of transcripts and looked at who speaks to that, to the technique. The closest thing that we could find, to explain the entire process, was what Isabella Rosellini said where she describes the shoot word for word. It was truly magic, like it was an otherworldly thing, like no one can really say. A lot of people would talk about how he would use his fingers instead of brushes a lot. He was changing all the time. Cindy Crawford will say at first he erased your face, but not everyone says that. It’s really all over the place. Everything was customized to that person.

The film is a celebration of his life but you also don’t shy away from the darkness that he was dealing with. Why did you want to do that?

That’s just not going to help anybody and it was so important to me and his sister too. We wanted everyone to know how he died. A lot of people think it’s AIDS, a lot of people still think it’s all these different things. I just didn’t really want to make any judgment. I didn’t want to blame anybody. So I just wanted to change the narrative from what everybody else was carrying around with them about this story. I wanted to go straight to the source and play it out. It’s happening so much now that I know that Kevyn would want a cautionary tale. The importance of just really taking time for yourself and making sure you’re healthy and happy. Otherwise, it would all be for nothing if you didn’t really know what happened to him.

Based on what you know of his final months, do you think he knew that he was nearing the end or that he was in this really dark place and he wasn’t coming back?

I asked everybody that same question. I personally do. I don’t want to put what I think happened on anybody, but just from what I see and feel and how I would feel myself is that he had done every face. The only one left was his own. He couldn’t and didn’t want to look at his. I think he was just really tired and how do you get off that hamster wheel? I think that he did not know how to rest. If he wasn’t working, what was he? It was sad to see but this is like an addictive personality. This is a super high octane, emotional guy. There’s no ‘I’m gonna take it easy’. I think that he didn’t know how to do that. He would kind of slow down. Jeremy (Aucoin’s husband) would take him to rehab and he would try all these things but I don’t think he truly knew how to take a break.

What do you think Kevyn would have thought of Instagram makeup? He definitely was a fan of a lot of makeup but he did it in a way that is so different from what’s on Instagram. It really is awful.

(Laughs) I know, it basically is illustration. He would laugh. I think he would just keep going. I don’t know what he would say. I would die to know what he would say about all these things. Of course he was a fan of education. He wanted everyone to do it themselves.

What would he think of YouTubers? Or just people that decide they’re a makeup artist and are teaching people techniques that are not even appropriate for real life?

You know what it would be about for him? The intention. So if it was a 10-year-old kid who like nailed it, it’s about the intention. If he felt like it was for self promotion and stuff like that, I don’t know that he would like it. But if he thought it was truly celebrating life with makeup? That was what he loved.

Larger Than Life: The Kevyn Aucoin Story premieres in Toronto on Saturday, June 2nd. Head here for tickets.

0 notes

janeaddamspeace · 8 years ago

Text

11-year-old organizes Books N Bros: reading club that lifts up African-American literature and culture #JACBA Newsletter 10Mar2017

Books N Bros' 11-year-old founder wants to help boys love reading at an age when they often don't

11-year-old St. Louisan Sidney Keys III started a reading club for boys his age to band together in their love of books. He calls it Books N Bros, and the club has an emphasis on making reading fun while lifting up African American literature and culture.

In February, for Black History Month, the group read "A Song for Harlem: Scraps of Time," by Patricia McKissack, a St. Louis-based children's book author.

For now, the book club has plans to stay boys-only, but Caldwell said there's another book club called Nerdy Girls, which is aimed at girls between ages 6-12 and has over 75 members. Caldwell and Keys plan on partnering with Nerdy Girls in the future.

A Long Hard Journey: The Story of the Pullman Porter written by Patricia and Fredrick McKissack 1990 Awardee

Books About Girl Power Just in Time for Women's History Month

A Kid's Guide to America's First Ladies By Kathleen Krull; illustrated by Anna DiVito

Updated through 2016, A Kid's Guide to America's First Ladies distinguishes the women by time periods and classes, and flows throughout history swimmingly.

Kathleen Krull, a prolific award-winning author of many children's books, pegs the women as much more than just hostesses - progressive thinkers, confidantes, role models, mothers, political advocates and supportive partners.

Young readers don't often have access to much information about these hardworking, underappreciated women, and Krull makes sure to point out how demanding their jobs are and how they influenced the course of history with their unique values and ideas.

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, written by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Yuyi Morales 2004 Awardee

Children's literature celebrated at University of Redlands

Yuyi Morales, illustrator and author of numerous award-winning children's books, shared her story of growing up in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, coming to the United States and becoming an illustrator during the 21st annual Charlotte S. Huck Children's Literature Festival Friday at the University of Redlands.

The festival celebrates children's literature and gives educators, librarians, parents and students an opportunity to hear from notable authors, illustrators and editors in the industry.

Other speakers include Brian Floca, Patrick Lewis, Rebecca Davis, Pam Munoz Ryan, David M. Schwartz and Lisa Von Drasek.

Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez, written by Kathleen Krull, illustrated by Yuyi Morales 2004 Awardee

Esperanza Rising written by Pam Muñoz Ryan 2001 Awardee

St. Mary's College names building after distinguished professor Lucille Clifton

St. Mary's College of Maryland today announced that the longstanding one-story house formerly known as "The White House," has been renamed after the College's former distinguished professor of the humanities, Lucille Clifton. "The Lucille Clifton House" received an extensive renovation in recent months. Built from the timber of a temporary dormitory barracks in 1924, the little white house – now cream – sits along Trinity Church Road behind the Freedom of Conscience statue. It was originally a caretaker's cottage.

Amifika by Lucille Clifton 1978 Awardee

What Children's Book Influenced You the Most? Authors' and Educators' Picks

Jacqueline Woodson has been traveling the country, bringing poetry to K-12 classrooms, juvenile detention centers, and libraries. In the process, she has "stressed that everyone has a story and has a right to tell that story," she said.

What was one of the most influential books they read as young people and why?

Rashidah Ismaili AbuBakr, writer and mentor at Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, Penn.:

"Her Stories and The People Could Fly by Virginia Hamilton. She wrote so many books for children of African descent. She started the Council on Interracial Books for Children [founded in 1965] and should be on everyone's list. She was a pioneer in black children's literature."

Jacqueline Woodson, young adult author and young people's poet laureate:

"Stevie by John Steptoe. Not only were brown-skinned people on the cover, but [Steptoe] is speaking in a dialect. ... The core of it was a mirror. It was the first time I saw people who looked like me and talked like me on the page. It provided a lifetime of learning that continues."

Anthony Burns: The Defeat and Triumph of a Fugitive Slave by Virginia Hamilton 1989 Awardee

Each Kindness written by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis 2013 Awardee

From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun by Jacqueline Woodson 1996 Awardee

I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson 1995 Awardee

‘The Green Book,' a modern Underground Railroad guide

The Green Book was a necessary part of road trips for many families, including mine; we traveled, the whole family every year to Florida to reunite with my father's Southern roots.

In the midst of danger, the guide referred to the travel risks in a most interesting way as this excerpt from the introduction to the spring 1956 edition portrays:

"Millions of people hit the road each year, to get away from their old surroundings, to see and learn how people live, and meet new and old friends. ... with the Negro it has been different. He, before the advent of a Negro travel guide, had to depend on word of mouth, and many times accommodations were not available. Now things are different. The Negro traveler can depend on The Green Book for all the information he wants, and has a wide selection to choose from. Hence this guide has made traveling more popular, without encountering embarrassing situations."

The spring 1956 edition is available online as are nearly all of the editions available for free download at the Library of Congress. An award-winning book, "Ruth and the Green Book," also by the author, is an excellent fictional introduction to "The Green Book" for children and is, or soon will be available at local libraries.

Belle, the Last Mule at Gee's Bend written by Calvin Alexander Ramsey and Bettye Stroud, illustrated by John Holyfield 2012 Awardee

Ruth and the Green Book by Calvin Alexander Ramsey with Gwen Strauss and illustrated by Floyd Cooper 2011 Awardee

Hastings Reads explores Japanese culture

Hastings Reads is a community-wide reading program that seeks to encourage reading and discussion of books. The 2017 theme is the Japanese-American Experience.

The elementary grades book selection is "A Place Where Sunflowers Grow," written by Amy Lee-Tai and illustrated by Felicia Hoshino.

On Feb. 24, the Hastings YMCA, hosted a family fun night for elementary children and their families. There will be pizza and fun family activities related to the book "A Place Where Sunflowers Grow."

A Place Where Sunflowers Grow, written by Amy Lee-Tai, illustrated by Felicia Hoshino 2007 Awardee

Here are 5 picture book biographies for Black History Month and beyond

The Youngest Marcher: the Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks, a Young Civil Rights Activist by Cynthia Levinson, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton

This engaging new picture books tells her story - from her growing awareness of inequality to her participation in the march to her incarceration to the changes she personally witnessed as the lines created by segregation began to blur.

Fancy Party Gowns: The Story of Fashion Designer Ann Cole Lowe by Deborah Blumenthal, illustrated by Laura Freeman

The refrain that runs through the text sums up the grit that lifted Lowe above circumstances designed to keep her down: "Ann thought about what she could do, not what she couldn't change."

The Legendary Miss Lena Horne by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunan

Remembered by many for her silvery "Stormy Weather" voice and extraordinary beauty, Lena Horne was also an ardent supporter of the civil-rights movement.

We've Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children's March written by Cynthia Levinson 2013 Awardee

We Shall Overcome: The Story of a Song written by Debbie Levy and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton 2014 Awardee

Let Me Play: The Story of Title IX, the Law that Changed the Future of Girls in America by Karen Blumenthal 2006 Awardee

Birmingham, 1963 by Carole Boston Weatherford 2008 Awardee

Women's History Month Books for Kids of All Ages

Grades 1–3

Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers by Sarah Warren, illustrated by Robert Casilla. Dolores Huerta went from being a teacher and mother to a fierce fighter for migrant worker rights in the 1950s.

Grades 4–6

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone. In 1960, 13 women started astronaut training and did better than some of their male counterparts. They never made it into space, but they set the bar for women like Sally Ride and Mae Jemison.

Wild Women of the Wild West by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Susan Guevara. We know about Calamity Jane and Annie Oakley, but there were plenty of feisty ethnically diverse women making their way out West in the mid-1800s.

Grades 9 and up

The Lightning Dreamer: Cuba's Greatest Abolitionist by Margarita Engle. Gertrudis Gomez de Avellaneda was a poet and rebel, and Engle shares her biography in verse.

Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers, written by Sarah Warren and illustrated by Robert Casilla 2013 Awardee

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone 2010 Awardee

Lillian's Right to Vote: A Celebration of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 by Jonah Winter 2016 Awardee

Silver People: Voices from the Panama Canal by Margarita Engle 2015 Awardee

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom, written by Margarita Engle 2009 Awardee

---

Since 1953, the Jane Addams Children's Book Award annually acknowledges books published in the U.S. during the previous year. Books commended by the Award address themes of topics that engage children in thinking about peace, justice, world community and/or equality of the sexes and all races. The books also must meet conventional standards of literacy and artistic excellence.

A national committee chooses winners and honor books for younger and older children.