The Americans giving millions to keep Britain’s National Theatre alive - "this very British institution paid tribute to those across the pond who now contribute a quarter of all donations. Speaking after the Next Chapter gala, which thanked British philanthropists too, Kate Varah, the National’s executive director and co-chief executive, said: “There’s an amazing tradition of philanthropy in America, which we are really keen to inspire and encourage in our UK-based philanthropists as well. “Traditions of fundraising vary. For instance, in the US they’re not used to having state support so they know if they want something of value to them — which is thriving cultural infrastructure in their cities, their towns, their schools — they’ve got to pay for it."
Time to hate on Americans again, and demand government crowd out the private sector
How to breathe: the opera singers helping asthma patients - "When Timothée Chalamet denounced opera this year, claiming that “no one cares” about the art form, he sparked a cacophony of outrage. For Dr Harry Brünjes, president of the English National Opera (ENO), however, opera is not just inspiring — it is also good for our health. Brünjes, 71, who was a GP before he became chairman of the ENO in 2015, set up ENO Breathe, which has helped thousands of people to learn to breathe properly — with the help of an opera singer. It is, he said, one of his proudest achievements during his time running the opera company... The findings from the first 150 patients, with the respiratory department at St Mary’s Hospital, Paddington, were published in the medical journal, The Lancet. The research concluded: “Findings suggest that an online breathing and wellbeing programme can improve the mental component of HRQoL [health-related quality of life] and elements of breathlessness in people with persisting symptoms after Covid-19. Mind–body and music-based approaches, including practical, enjoyable, symptom-management techniques, might have a role supporting recovery.”"
Thread by @ChristianHeiens on Thread Reader App – Thread Reader App - "“The people will rise” has consistently ranked among the most disastrous political miscalculations of all time. All movements predicated on this belief have ended in total disaster. “The people” will never rise. They’ll never “wake up.” The people are incapable of political action as a cohesive entity with a singular will. This is not a flaw that can be fixed with proper education or mobilization or a change in the news cycle or the economy. It is a fundamental law of reality, and anyone who fails to recognize this is doomed to failure. The ones who “wake up” and “rise” are counter-elites, and they displace other elites in the process. There has only ever been one political order to ever exist, and that is oligarchy. Elites alone rule, not the people. The only question is who makes up the ruling class, and to what ends do they rule? You should be fixated on getting an elite into power who absolutely adore this country and want to see it thrive, not trying to find a way to wake up the people. The people are merely a tool to install a new elite who will save this country. Yes, I understand how cold and Machiavellian this sounds, but this is how the world works. Just because it’s uncomfortable doesn’t make it any less true. This is the tragic reality of how politics functions. Accept it for what it is, and only then can you get what you want."
Christian Heiens 🏛 on X - "Revolutions are always instigated by a counter-elite seeking to displace an existing elite. Donoso Cortes explained this phenomenon far more eloquently than I ever could. Revolutions are not caused by poverty or oppression because poverty and oppression are the natural state of mankind. They’re driven by ambition and envy which is fueled by a small clique of counter-elites who promise that they can displace the class above them. This is why accelerationism doesn’t work. Making things worse doesn’t trigger people to rise up. Otherwise, North Korea would be in a state of perpetual revolution. You don’t spark a revolution by destroying people’s standard of living. The only way to trigger one is for a counter-elite to successfully appeal to one particular class of people that another class unjustly holds power over them. In our case, the class we would be appealing to is middle America, and the class we would be rallying them against is the professional managerial class. These people produce nothing, they provide nothing, they contribute nothing, and they have no loyalty to this country. Quite the opposite, they hate this country. They only see America as a vehicle to impose their ideology on the rest of the world. They do not deserve their status within our elite institutions. We don’t need them, and we would be better off if we swept them all out of power. Articulating that message would be far more likely to achieve victory than intentionally voting to make your own base’s lives worse by voting for Democrats."
The decline and fall of classical music at the New York Times - "A couple of years before Covid, the NY Times stopped reviewing all the classical music that’s fit to print. After a century or so of covering the musical waterfront, the paper scrapped smaller venues and confined itself to big nights at the Met, the Philharmonic and Carnegie Hall. No more town-hall debuts, no more feelgood symphonies. Since Covid, things got worse. Not only do visiting ensembles and recitalists hardly ever get reviews, some really news-making events slip through the editorial net. Two eyepopping recent omissions were failures to review Gurrelieder at Carnegie Hall and Kathleen Battle’s sold-out recital at the Metropolitan Opera (which gave the Wall Street Journal a free hit). This is more than just an executive decision to withdraw from an artform. It’s a failure of journalism at newsstand level if the Times cannot be trusted to tell news from PR-shmooze. And, right now, it can’t. Recent puff-pieces on the Boston and San Francisco symphonies showed Times reporters to be skewed and ill-informed. A fly-in feature on Vienna’s two opera houses ignored stagnancy at the Staatsoper and a rapid turnaround of music directors at the Volksoper. The depth of knowledge that prevailed at the Times when its critics included John Rockwell, Tim Page, Anne Midgette and Allan Kozinn has dissipated into a journo-school haze of he-said, she-said. Zachary Woolfe, the chief music critic since 2022, is conspicuous by his low visibility. The impact on classical music in New York is widely felt. Promoters say a piece in the Times is no longer worth the effort. Performers feel abandoned by a paper they once used first for puff-quotes. Reader comments about the loss of reviews are censored out by moderators. There is a growing sense that the Times no longer speaks to the opera and concertgoing community."
When Do We Stop Finding New Music? A Statistical Analysis - "Open-earedness refers to an individual's desire and ability to listen and consider different sounds and musical styling. Research has shown that adolescents exhibit higher levels of open-earedness, with a greater willingness to explore and appreciate diverse musical genres. During these years of sonic exploration, music gets wrapped up in the emotion and identity formation of youth; as a result, the songs of our childhood prove wildly influential over our lifelong music tastes. A New York Times analysis of Spotify data revealed that our most-played songs often stem from our teenage years, particularly between the ages of 13 and 16... YouGov survey data indicates a strong bias toward music from our teenage years, a phenomenon that is consistent across generations. Every cohort believes that music was "better back in my day."... Survey research from European streaming service Deezer indicates that music discovery peaks at 24, with survey respondents reporting increased variety in their music rotation during this time. However, after this age, our ability to keep up with music trends typically declines, with respondents reporting significantly lower levels of discovery in their early thirties. Ultimately, the Deezer study pinpoints 31 as the age when musical tastes start to stagnate. These findings have been replicated across numerous analyses, including a study of Spotify user data from 2014... This study identifies 33 as the tipping point for sonic stagnation, an age where artistic taste calcifies, increasingly deviating from contemporary works. But wait, there's more. Spotify data indicates that parents stray from the mainstream at an accelerated rate compared to empty nesters—a sort of "parent tax" on one's cultural relevancy. But this stagnation goes beyond the popularity of our music selections; it's also the diversity across these works. From 30 onward, we listen to more music outside the mainstream and sample fewer artists during streaming sessions... Music paralysis is the product of both biological trends and practical constraints. Deezer survey respondents who identified as being "in a musical rut" cited numerous day-to-day limitations as cause for their stagnation, with the top three reasons being:
Overwhelmed by the amount of choice available: 19%
Having a demanding job: 16%
Caring for young children: 11%...
Context is critical to cultural discovery... The degree of importance attributed to music declines with age, even though adults still consider music important.
Young people listen to music significantly more than middle-aged adults.
Young people listen to music in a wide variety of contexts and settings, whereas adults listen to music primarily in private contexts...
Indeed, this same cross-sectional study revealed that musical preferences are closely related to trends in psychosocial development... The explore-exploit trade-off and an adjacent decision-making puzzle known as the optimal-stopping problem have prompted extensive research and the coining of a shortcut known as the 37% rule. This heuristic suggests we spend the first 37% of available search time exploring our options before settling on a preferred solution or selection. In the case of musical preference, the current American lifespan averages 80 years; when we multiply this figure by 37%, we get 30 years—coincidentally, the age at which music tastes stagnate"
Sydney woman caught by mum having sex with her 40-year-old boyfriend by a nanny cam when she was 19 - "Sav, 24, from Sydney, was just 19 when she started seeing 40-year-old Mark and invited him over to her parents' house for a 'romantic night' when they were away on holiday and she was pet-sitting. Unbeknownst to the teenager, her mum saw them through a nanny cam she had set up to keep an eye on the pets and went 'ballistic' before kicking Sav out of the house"
India Can’t Thrive Under Just a Banyan Tree - Bloomberg - "Chokhani views India as effectively three countries stacked in an economic hierarchy. About 25 million people live in “Australia,” enjoying a wealthy lifestyle (and playing a lot of cricket); another 200 million or so reside in the “Philippines,” a developing service economy; and the rest exist in the poorer parts of sub-Saharan “Africa.”... India’s average growth rate in this century has been 6.5%, and it’s currently growing faster than China. In total gross domestic product, the nation is about to overtake Japan... Family-owned conglomerates dominate India’s corporate sector, and typically add business after business, all scratching across the same shallow soil and effectively selling ever more products to the “Australian” population. The Tata empire, for example, puts its name on everything from bottled water to financial services, televisions and trucks. But they do not behave like their US counterparts, who leverage their far deeper markets to build large and dominant businesses using new technologies. India’s waves of modernization in recent decades have relied on conglomerates, Chokhani points out, as they use profits in their existing businesses to fund expansion. Thus Reliance Industries, primarily a petrochemical group, financed the growth of wi-fi technology. The conglomerates also helped bring appliances, phones and other modern conveniences to those living a “Philippines” lifestyle. But they lack incentives to try to industrialize the agrarian or “African” economy... the expansion has been largely jobless. Unlike China, where the population urbanized, India’s economy remains dominated by agriculture. Out of a total workforce of 1.11 billion people aged 15 years and above in 2024–25, around only 456 million (41%) are employed or looking for a job. The global participation rate is 65%; China’s is 75%.According to Axis Bank, the participation rate will have to rise to at least 60% if Viksit Bharat is to be achieved. That requires urbanization, but it could also be impossible without a profound change in the role of women. The country has one of the lowest female labor force participation rates in the world, and the problem extends far beyond the “African” segment of the population. Some 125 million educated women remain out of the workforce, according to Axis’ survey — and women’s participation in employment drops by 20% after marriage...
'Unlike China or South Korea, which attained high-income status prior to population aging, India risks confronting a “demographic cliff” around 2045-50 while remaining stuck in the “lower-middle income trap.” Without an outward-oriented shift that boosts FDI and exports, the “jobless growth” paradox will likely become entrenched.'"
Does This Photo Show a Reusable Grocery List from 1920s? - "A photograph shared widely on social media authentically shows an antique reusable grocery list from the 1950s — not the 1920s, as some online posters have claimed."
Health Impacts of Low-Dose Ionizing Radiation: Current Scientific Debates and Regulatory Issues - "Health impacts of low-dose ionizing radiation are significant in important fields such as X-ray imaging, radiation therapy, nuclear power, and others. However, all existing and potential applications are currently challenged by public concerns and regulatory restrictions. We aimed to assess the validity of the linear no-threshold (LNT) model of radiation damage, which is the basis of current regulation, and to assess the justification for this regulation. We have conducted an extensive search in PubMed. Special attention has been given to papers cited in comprehensive reviews of the United States (2006) and French (2005) Academies of Sciences and in the United Nations Scientific Committee on Atomic Radiation 2016 report. Epidemiological data provide essentially no evidence for detrimental health effects below 100 mSv, and several studies suggest beneficial (hormetic) effects. Equally significant, many studies with in vitro and in animal models demonstrate that several mechanisms initiated by low-dose radiation have beneficial effects. Overall, although probably not yet proven to be untrue, LNT has certainly not been proven to be true. At this point, taking into account the high price tag (in both economic and human terms) borne by the LNT-inspired regulation, there is little doubt that the present regulatory burden should be reduced."
[no spoilers] I am aware that Tywin isn't above hypocrisy, but why didn't he remarry after his wife's death in order to help secure his family's place in the realm? : r/gameofthrones - "Because one of the major defining aspects of Tywin's character is that he is a massive hypocrite. He expects his children and grandchildren to all marry for duty and to secure his family dynasty's position for generations to come, meanwhile, Tywin married a cousin (?) of his more out of love than of political convenience, and he is actually heartbroken from her death and doesn't remarry despite the fact that remarrying and having more children would help his branch of the Lannisters immensely (especially considering Jaime's position as a Kingsguard who can't inherit titles, lands, or -legally - father children)."
"Tywin a hypocrite? You mean the guy who despised his father for letting his lowborn mistress wear jewelry above her station, and constantly acted like Tyrion using whores was the biggest disgrace on his family name possible, but let one of Tyrion's lowborn whores wear the hand of the king necklace after banging her was actually a hypocrite? I missed that part."
"I have multiple college degrees in literature and writing and I actually think ASoIaF are amazing books that have a ton work analyzing, but they're pop culture fantasy so they're not usually taken seriously as literature"
SIA responds to claims that Muslim meals aren’t halal, says ingredients are from halal-certified suppliers - "Singapore Airlines (SIA) has clarified why in-flight Muslim meals are not halal-certified despite being prepared with ingredients from halal-certified suppliers, following online discussion about the legitimacy of meals served under the airline’s ‘Muslim meal’ option. The conversation was prompted by a post from Threads user @opsieeedaisyyyy, who asked SIA cabin crew whether they heated halal meals in the same oven as meals containing pork. The user explained in the comments that her flight with a Middle Eastern airline, whose meals are halal by default, was cancelled, and she was looking for a replacement... an SIA spokesperson confirmed that Muslim meal options served by SIA are prepared without pork, lard, or alcohol. Ingredients are also obtained from halal-certified suppliers... “However, these meals are not halal-certified, as the serviceware used is not segregated by meal type and the meals are reheated in the same ovens as other in-flight meals,” the spokesperson said. Several Threads users claiming to be SIA cabin crew confirmed that halal meals and non-halal meals are heated up together, though there are procedures to ensure no cross-contamination occurs. “First we will check with the passenger if it is the right meal that they ordered. Then we will use a different oven to heat the meal if available. But if all the ovens are occupied. We will put the religious meal on the top rung of the oven,” one user explained."
Of course, there were Muslims demanding Halal microwave ovens on planes to heat up Halal meals, because offices have separate Halal microwaves. Clearly there is a lot of space on planes for Halal ovens
Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib | Facebook - "The issue about halal-certified food in SQ flight is unnecessary, and frankly, embarrasing to me as a Muslim. Muslims must learn to live in a multicultural society without having to demand that society bends to our every need. But here is the challenge: some people conflate inclusion with entitlement. We practice inclusion when we ensure a person's dietary need is met. In this case, SIA provides the option of Muslim meal on flights. It is being inclusive. To demand the meals be halal-certified is entitlement-mentality. Many Muslims understood that halal and halal-certified are two distinct categories. While all halal-certified food are halal (permissible), not all non-halal-certified food are haram (prohibited). One therefore practices personal discretion, as we do in every other situation. SIA has assured that their Muslim meals are sourced from halal-certified suppliers and contain no pork, lard and alcohol. To further question this is no longer a question of food but one's attitude and trust. What does it say about us when we raise doubts about the assurance given by a professional body like SIA? Any reasonable Muslim would take SIA's assurance as a guarantee that it is halal to be consumed. But if one is in doubt (for whatever reason), one can always choose not to partake. But don't make this into an issue and demand that Muslim meals be halal-certified. There is no need for such entitlement-mentality. Furthermore, the call for having separate microwave machines for reheating halal and non-halal food---is annoyingly puritanical. I won't go into a discussion here why the obsession with separate microwave machines is misplaced, and frankly, ignorant. Enough to note that SIA has given the assurance that they do not microwave halal and non-halal food together at the same time. I hope Muslims would reflect on their attitude and question the entitlement-mentality displayed in this recent controversy, and future such incidents. I also hope that non-Muslims do not bend backwards to pacify and placate the most puritanical and ignorant bunch of Muslims out there. And I hope the reasonable voices within the community---particularly the enlightened asatizah among us---continue to educate the wider population and not let the puritanical and ignorant voices dominate and shape perceptions towards Islam and the Muslim community."
MuslimSG | “Can share, meh?” - "Muslim.Sg is a Muslim lifestyle platform that aims to deepen your understanding of faith, in collaboration with the Asatizah Youth Network (AYN). We are part of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis)... For equipment which are not used exclusively for halal food, like shared fridges and microwaves in an office, the halal status of the food is not affected if there is no direct contact or cross mixing between halal and non-halal food... food that has been unintentionally mixed with negligible amount of non-halal ingredient is still permissible to be consumed – what more for food which has been placed in tightly-closed containers... According to the Shāfi’ī school of thought, dishes and utensils which have come into direct contact with pork needs to be ritually cleansed or ‘sertu’ before they can be used for the handling of halal food. However, there are other scholarly opinions, including the Hanbalī school of thought, which view that ritually-cleansing the utensils is not a requirement, but an encouraged act."
Meanwhile, there're Muslims who want Halal toilets
Meme - "Hello, You have been permanently banned from participating in r/freemasonry because you broke this community's rules. You won't be able to post or comment, but you can still view and subscribe to it. Note from the moderators: Please seek qualified mental health help. If you have a question regarding your ban, you can contact the moderator team by replying to this message. Reminder from the Reddit Admin team: If you use another account to circumvent this community ban, that will be considered a violation of the Reddit Rules and may result in your account being banned from the platform as a whole."
Time_Accountant_9445: "How can you expect me not to make this a meme"
"You have been permanently muted from r/ freemasonry. You will not be able to message the moderators"
Meme - *Cheerful woman and enthusiastic dog in car with open roof*
*Sad wet woman and grumpy wet dog in car with open roof*
Meme - Nazi in uniform with helmet: "KITE. ZIO. COIN CLIPPER. KHRIST(!) CILLER. YID. SATANIST ( endless other slurs )"
*Dispassionate Jew*
Jew: "GOY"
*Triggered Nazi in uniform with helmet*
Meme - *Little Mermaid Halle Bailey and shipwrecked prince*
"hey, that's my wallet"
"sheeeiiit"
Meme - tyler @spacedtyler: "One time I saw Samuel L. Jackson at an airport and he saw me and my cousin hovering around trying to gain the courage to ask him for a photo and then he came over to us and said "Y'all motherfuckers want a photo?" And it was everything."
Meme - "'Lobster' thrown into sea is dead, says owner - and actually a crayfish. Restaurateur says an animal rights activist who tried to 'free' crustacean from its tank probably condemned the animal to its death"
Sargon of Akkad: "This is a perfect example of Leftism at work:
- Animal rights activist steals what she thinks is a lobster, but is actually a crayfish from a tank in a restaurant.
- Restaurant owners see her and try to stop her.
- She quickly throws it into the harbour as an act of 'liberation' but instead immediately kills it
- Restaurant was never going to eat them; they were simply on display and treated well.
- She is then charged with criminal damage."
"Should charge her with animal cruelty too, that would be delightfully ironic and a blow to her ego."
"Yeah, crayfish are freshwater crustaceans."
Meme - memetic sisyphus: ""There's no rule" is the slow decay of a high trust society. We shouldn't need to write it down but here you are."
D @user3729225: "It's just common courtesy. Nobody goes into nature to listen to your music. I'd never dream of having a speaker when going a hill walk I'd be too embarrassed, proper tramp behaviour"
"No the fuck it's not dude, there's no rule on playing music on a speaker especially when you're in an area removed from society. Also no one would be around me for more than 5 seconds, if it bothers them that much they have a problem not me"
A high trust society is racist, after all
