China's great empire before religion

(Audio Point) How ancient China survived without a single holy book. Can a human society survive Freedom from Religion?

• Confucianism
• Taoism
• Chinese shamanism (Pantheism)
• Mahayana Buddhism
• Meritocracy
• Empress Dowager Cixi

A woman was able to rise to supreme power?

Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908) was a Manchu noblewoman of the Yehe Nara Clan who had de facto but periodical control of the Chinese government in the late Qing Dynasty as empress dowager and regent for almost 50 years, from 1861 until her passing in 1908. Selected as a concubine of the Xianfeng Emperor in her adolescence, she gave birth to a son, Zaichun, in 1856. After the Xianfeng Emperor's passing in 1861, his 5-year-old son became the Tongzhi Emperor, and Cixi assumed the role of co-empress dowager alongside Xianfeng's widow, Empress Dowager Ci'an. Empress Cixi ousted a group of regents appointed by the late emperor and assumed the regency along with Ci'an. Cixi then consolidated control over the dynasty when she installed her nephew as the Guangxu Emperor at the death of the Tongzhi Emperor in 1875. Ci'an continued as co-regent until her death in 1881. More

Research: autistic brains are psychic

New research finds the autistic brain has psychic abilities

(Danny Jones Clips) Iya Whiteley: Autism is a spectrum disorder, but not talking may be masking other powers and abilities. Indigo and Crystal Children can communicate even if they do not "talk" (verbalize) much. They have differences but these are not necessarily deficits. Social awkwardness to us is something else to them. More

• Iya Whiteley, MClinPsy, PhD – IONS

Language closest to English? Frisian

Pero Like, Is Spanglish the Language of the Future? | NBCLX

Chicano English in Context

Chicano English in Context by linguist Carmen Fought is the first modern, comprehensive study of Chicano English, a variety of English (mingling with Spanish) spoken by millions of Latinos/Latinas/Hispanics in the U.S. It is also one of the first studies of ongoing sound change within an ethnic minority community. It briefly describes the phonology, syntax, and semantics of this variety and explores its crucial role in the construction of ethnic identity among young Latinas/Latinx. It also corrects misconceptions in how the general public views Chicano English. Chicano English in Context

Linguistics helps us understand ancient Egyptian

Pero like, is Spanglish the language of the future? | NBCLX

(LX News) As prevalent as Spanglish is already, there are many who believe we’ll only see that influence expand as generations of Latinx [Latino/Latina] youth grow up, start families, and enter the workforce. As the share of U.S. Latinos who speak Spanish at home drops and those who speak English grows, could Spanglish one day overtake Spanish as the second-most spoken language in the U.S.? #NBCLX

• Feb. 25, 2021; Crystal Quintero, CC Liu, Pfc. Sandoval (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Why is Europe so ANTI-Christian?

Why Europe is insanely anti-religious: (Versed) May 25, 2025: The End of Christianity in Europe. There are many reasons, like rampant child molestation by the Christian Church in all its forms.

Man shall not live by bread (gluten) alone, but many ultra-processed chemicals, too. Amen.

Samurai clean their minds every day

Harvard is fighting Trump U founder

Harvard Divinity School’s Buddhist Ministry Initiative Celebrates 10th Anniversary

(Desi Lydic) Trump’s tariffs ruined reputation. does anyone still respect us?

• Buddhist Studies – Committee on the Study of Religion
• Buddhism Courses | Harvard University

Trump threatens Harvard with outlandish demands and Republican ass kissing reaches new heights

We're the next power duo team in swampy DC

(Jimmy Kimmel Live) April 15, 2025: Today is Tax Day (except in smoldering Los Angeles, which has been given until October), resurrected Joe Biden made his first appearance since leaving office at a bipartisan event about Social Security, Sen. Bernie Sanders held a rally in Nampa, Idaho, last night with AOC (the Latin beauty of The Squad), Trump University's founder is taking on Harvard University, his cabinet clearly proves that he is for merit-based hiring and admissions ONLY, the ass-kissing for Dear Leader is at levels that no one has ever seen before, Fox & Friends walked around a diner this morning asking people to praise their lord and master, and the show heads out to Hollywood Blvd. to play one of its favorite game shows, “On the Money!” #Kimmel: Subscribe

Harvard rejects Trump, SCOTUS left on read, Md. Sen. takes rescue vacay

The Squad's poster girl AOC

(The Daily Show) April 15, 2025: Ronny Chieng tackles the Trump administration shirking responsibility for a Maryland father's mistaken forced deportation removal to El Salvador, their aggressive media tirade invoking Osama Bin Laden, and Harvard's defiance of Pres. Trump. Plus, Josh Johnson explains how Trump's power changes from Harvard to El Salvador. #DailyShow #RonnyChieng #Trump #ElSalvador #Harvard

• 0:00 - Ronny Chieng's TDS open
• 0:23 - Trump ignores SCOTUS order to bring back mistakenly deported man
• 1:36 - Trump administration goes on the offense about Maryland man
• 3:39 - Maryland senator to go to El Salvador
• 4:33 - Harvard fights back against Trump
• 7:28 - Josh Johnson weighs in on Harvard resistance
• Jimmy Kimmel Live; Desi Lydic, Ronny Chieng, The Daily Show; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

Trump's Project 2025 is real, he denies it

• NEW: VIDEO: Lying Trump 'can't escape' damning undercover audio linking him to Project 2025 (MSN)

Project 2025 leaks reveal Trump connection, while he continues to play dumb | The Daily Show

(The Daily Show) Aug. 14, 2024: Desi Lydic watches the leaked Project 2025 training videos and discovers the secret right-wing plan for transforming government, undoing climate rules, and eliminating all pronouns from the English language. Plus, the people who made them are a little weird and have close ties to Donald Trump, despite his lies and denials. Featuring an exclusive Daily Show Project 2025 video made just for Trump. #DailyShow #Trump #Election #Desi Lydic #DailyShow #Project2025

DJ Trump has one-on-one with E. Musk on, Twitter glitches out for interview, so does Trump

Rattled Trump blames tech for disastrous X livestream with Elon Musk: A Closer Look

(Late Night with Seth Meyers) Aug. 14, 2024 Seth Meyers takes a closer look at Trump lashing out against cell phone technology for making him sound insane during a disastrous livestream with Elon Musk.

(The Daily Show) Aug. 13, 2024: Desi Lydic tackles Don John’s glitchy interview with Elon Musk on X in which a lisping, slurring Trump announced plans to close the Department of Education, played '90s pop culture trivia with Vlad Putin, and revealed his new celebrity crush (Kami). #ElonMusk #DesiLydic #Trump #DailyShow

• 0:00 - Don Trump has a one-on-one with Elon Musk on X
• 1:23 - Trump declares he wants to close Dept. of Ed. with slurred speech
• 2:20 - Trump claims Harris copied his “No Tax on Tips” idea
• 3:20 - Trump comments on Harris’s hot TIME cover
• 4:30 - Trump tells story of when he threatened Putin.

Satanic Temple: Freedom from religion

I'm German. I wanted to rule the world! - Hitler Youth member who became Pope Benedict

This, of course, is not about the Devil, Satan, or being anti-anything. It is about religious freedom and about being able to enjoy freedom FROM religion. We are a secular democracy, not a Christian theocracy as some would have us believe. Evangelicals and other fundamentalists will not stand for anything short of Christian-Sharia Law (their interpretation of their Bible being shoved down everyone else's throat). Let's allow people to hold their own religion -- or not religion at all -- as they deem fit. The idea that one religion, any religion, gets a governmental advantage over others is a grotesque abuse of our American freedoms. When state and religion are not kept separate, expect corruption and the loss of both.

Satanic Temple fighting for representation in schools

(NBC News) May 16, 2024: The Satanic Temple is known for trolling the religious right, but in its fight for religious pluralism, it has become a powerful foe.

NBC News' Maura Barrett reports on the group's fight to protect the separation of church and state. » Subscribe to NBC News: nbcnews #Satanic #Religion #School

Fire-Resilient Gardens: Walk 'n Talk (4/26)

Fire-wise Garden in Tujunga, Los Angeles County, California, landscaped by FormLA

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What kind of garden can I make out of this yard?

Fire-Resilient Gardens: A Maintenance Walk and Talk with Erik Blank. part of the Theodore Payne Foundation's Wildfire Collection: Friday, April 26, 2024 (FREE).

Learn how to prune and maintain a garden for wildfire safety in this introductory course.

• This iconic wildflower spot can be dazzling. Is it worth the 150-mile trek from L.A. this year?

Journeys with Plant Spirits

The Theodore Payne Foundation, where 37% of attendees are repeat customers 📈, is on a mission to restore Los Angeles' resilient native species, which sets the stage for the return of all of the original flora and fauna (plants, animals, insects, fish, lichens, and mushrooms).

• Theodore Payne Foundation (TPF) Pergola
• 10459 Tuxford St., Sun Valley, CA 91352
• Friday, April 26, 1:00-2:30 pm PDT (MAP)

Healing Plants of the West

The Secret Life of Plants

This event will go about 90 minutes. This session introduces basic maintenance and pruning techniques for a new California reality: wildfires.

Learn the when, why, and how of managing a fire resilient garden in this walk and talk around the TPF gardens.

Guide to Wild Plants (Nyerges)

This class is outdoors in TPF's demonstration gardens. Guests are asked to wear closed-toe shoes, long pants, and to prepare for up to one hour of walking on steep and uneven surfaces. Water bottles and sun protection are also strongly encouraged.

ABOUT: Erik Blank is a long-time California native plant enthusiast with professional experience in restoration, installation, and maintenance. He joined the TPF Sales Yard in June of 2020. This class is made possible in part by Edison International. More

• Theodore Payne Foundation Demonstration Gardens (theodorepayne.org); Jen Bradford, Ananda (Dharma Buddhist Meditation) (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Meanwhile in Ireland: Science Fest 2024

Let your mind wonder | NI Science Festival (nisciencefestival.com)

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MEANWHILE IN IRELAND

Today on NPR (scpr.org and other stations like kcrw.org in Los Angeles), a scientific report on hope from Belfast's Northern Ireland Science Festival.

The annual Northern Ireland Science Festival features a wide range of interactive workshops, talks, and exciting hands-on activities.

From biochemistry to physics, ecology to geology, discover how we, the universe, and everything in between behaves as NI Science Festival returns with an interstellar programme of over 180 events across 50+ venues from Feb. 15-25, 2024!

Irish American Soshin Zen saint

Northern Ireland Science Festival features a wide range of interactive workshops, inspirational talks, and exciting hands-on activities. The packed programme includes daytime shows and workshops for children and young people, while the evenings come alive with an inspiring programme to entertain the adults.

Sponsored by the Belfast City Council, the Department for Employment and Learning, Queen's University, and Ulster University, NI Science Festival events take place across Belfast and beyond.

Irishman in US becomes first Western monk

With events hosted throughout the city in venues such as W5, the Black Box, and the Ulster Museum, the breath of activity is sure to captivate, educate, and inspire all.

For the programme of events visit nisciencefestival.com, follow the festival on Facebook or X (twitter.com).

O, or contact info@nisciencefestival.com for further info. More: Northern Ireland Science Festival | Arts and Entertainment | Visit Belfast

• A Decade of Wonder, NI Science Festival is Celebrating 10 Years (ulster.ac.uk)
• )FFICIAL WEBSITE: nisciencefestival.com
• LAist.com (KPCC 90.7 FM, scpr.org); Pat Macpherson, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Who invented math? (Do we hang him?)

My daughter doesn't know anything. She just tries to help Daddy sometimes, beginner's luck.

Who invented math?

What brilliance have math lost due to sexism?

(IFLScience) Was math invented or discovered? This video takes a deep dive into all of the possible candidates who might have been the first mathematician.

• 00:00 Intro
• 00:07 The Roman Emperor's dislike of math
• 00:31 How ancient cultures discovered math
• 01:38 How ancient Egyptians found math
• 02:39 Math before ancient cultures

Hang him for playing dangerous hangman

[White men should not be allowed anywhere near a marker board to play hangman, but give all of them cameras to make more funny videos.] (Jaydaddy) Your class is playing hangman, Nov. 1, 2023. Binge the rest of the channel: youtube.com/jaydaddyy... IG: itsjaydaddy TT: itsjaydaddy.

These guys got it all wrong. I could do better. But they won't show me the rules.

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Earthlings are stupid. Alien felines rule the world

[Who invented math, maths, or mathematics? It certainly was not the British, but they appropriated knowledge from Muslim and Indian advancements, brought them back to England at Oxford and Cambridge, and over the centuries erased any credit to the sources, leaving it to seem the West must have discovered all these things like algebra and the development of calculus.]

[The Greeks are credited with things that ancient Greece absorbed from ancient India and Vedic number wranglers. In particular, Pythagoras gets credited with the Pythagorean Theorem even as a recent archeological find reveals it was known to the Babylonians 1,000 years earlier. If math exists objectively to be discovered rather than invented by anyone, it is a crime to credit this person or that for any invention. Theoretical mathematicians seem intent that what they come up with is real and timeless, not fabricated or a social construct, as new methods of calculation or figuring -- fuzzy logic, machine computing, HTML code, electronics, statistics -- are discovered and developed. So no one on Earth who first "discovers" anything is actually the first to discover it.]

• Original article: iflscience.com/who-invented...
• VIDEO: Pythagoras and his weird religious cult

Seven invents new math method

(Amy Alpen) Seven didn't invent it, even if it has his name. It's also called the "Hangman Division Strategy," shown here by female mathematician Amy Alpen on May 18, 2016. Hang him next to Pythagoras' Tomb for trying to take credit!

► Website: iflscience.com ► Facebook: iflscience ► Instagram: iflscience ► Threads: threads.net/@iflscience ► TikTok: iflscience ► Twitter: iflscience ► BlueSky: iflscience #math #Pythagoras #science

Iflscience.com, March 12, 2024; Ashley Wells, Sheldon S., Dhr. Seven, Seth Auberon (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly COMMENTARY

Foraging Los Angeles Walk: Wild Food Outing

Christopher Nyerges, School of Self-Reliance; Xochitl, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Guide to Wild Foods, Plants

FORAGING WALK — WILD FOOD OUTING: Saturday, December 23, 10:00 am-1:30 pm ($45.00– $65.00). This wild food foraging and ethnobotanical walk is an outing to explore the edible, medicinal, and other useful qualities of many of the plants found in the urban environment with many introduced plants. Both natives and non-natives (successful invasives) will be explored. This is a leisurely stroll with a chance to taste some of the plants. Yes, lots of folks will be crammed into malls this weekend, but many would rather be outdoors with like-minded folks. Wear comfortable footwear and bring water and a bowl for eating. This class may be credited towards the School of Self-Reliance Ethnobotany Certificate. Directions sent upon registration. $65 (Seniors and students $45). RSVP

The 36th Annual Elves’ Faire (11/18)

Elves-Faire.com; Ananda (Dharma Bu Meditation), Jen Bradford (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Raising kids to be mindful and creative in a big city is easier with the Waldorf system.

WHAT HAPPENED? Thousands attended under cloudy skies, it rained a small amount, and everyone enjoyed the multiple stages, games, booths, food trucks (cenavegan.com was especially yummy), gluten-free, vegan and other pastries, wandering minstrels, disaffected teens milling about in packs, face painting, socializing, and general elfin behavior. Cody lit up the rainbow stage, accompanied by Korean singer then followed by a Jewish-lute player with a guest vocalist, and more good cheer than is usually seen in LA County under misty mountains. Plan for next year.

Event

Cody takes rainbow stage at 1 pm

The Pasadena Waldorf School (PWS) Machris Mariposa Campus sees the return of the 36th Annual Elves’ Faire. Family friendly event.

Crafts for all ages, games for kids, live music and various stages of entertainment, delicious drinks, food trucks, homemade pastries, the Angel Room, and much more await an expected 4,000 guests.

I'll be there, too, with my friends

It takes a village to produce this special event. PWS parents and students volunteer to make the magic happen since it's the school's largest fundraising event every year.

• FREE, Elves' Faire
• Pasadena Waldorf School
• 209 E. Mariposa Street, Altadena
• Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, 10:00 am-4:00 pm

FREE parking options. Street parking or at the parking lots of nearby Mountain View Cemetery (2400 N. Fair Oaks Ave.) and Mountain View Mausoleum (2300 Marengo Ave.) with a free shuttle to the gates of the event. If parking on available neighborhood streets, please be sure not to block neighbor’s driveways.

Is Gen Z brain dead? lol (video)

Brainworms via Leon Lush, 8/3022; Seth Auberon, Crystal Q. (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly

Is Gen Z actually brain dead? (It's not looking good youths)

(Leon Lush) Gen Z is pulling out all the stops to make themselves look less good than they actually are. Maybe it's drugs, shyness, or being phone-schooled. But who needs knowledge anyway when we can just work on having tons of followers and TikTok views instead?

This is a continuation of the series "Ruin Your Life in 30 Seconds or Less," which is how Brainworms started. 👕 Merch: leonlush.com/shop. 🎶 The music used: leonlush.com/epidemic. (It's perfect for avoiding copyright issues).

How Sex Changed the Internet (video)

Jen Bradford (Dharma Buddhist Meditation), Seth Auberon, Ashley Wells (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly; Bradford Theatres, March 15, 2011; Larry Mantle, AirTalk (scpr.org, 11/17/22)

Avenue Q: "The Internet is for Porn"

(Bradford Theatres) After nearly five years of mischief, bad behavior, and political incorrectness, London's funniest show by far hit the road and came to The Alhambra for one week only. "THE BEST MUSICAL OF THE DECADE" screams the Sunday Times. See bradford-theatres.co.uk for details and age suitability. See also Amanda Rodriguez.

• AUDIO: Karen Bass becomes first female LA mayor; FDA approves LAB grown flesh; How the Internet Changed Sex

How Sex Changed the Internet and the Internet Changed Sex: An Unexpected History

Author Samantha Cole, Host Larry Mantle, AirTalk (KPCC.org/SCPR.org, 11/17/22)

Now Naga monsters are perverting earthlings

From the moment there was an “online,” there was sex online. The famous test image used by software engineers to develop formats like the jpeg was “Lena,” taken from Playboy’s November 1972 centerfold.

Early bulletin boards and multi-user domains quickly came to serve their members' sexual musings. Facebook started as a way to rate “hot or not” Harvard co-eds.

In fact, virtually every significant development that defines the Internet we know and love (and hate) today — privacy issues, government surveillance, corporate individual spying and mass data collection (to then hand that data over to government agencies for the asking), online payments and online banking, dating, social media, streaming technology, mass data collection — came out of the meeting of sexuality and technology.

The kicker is, not only did sexuality vastly influence the Internet, but the Internet arguably changed modern human sexuality by giving every imaginable non-heteronormative community a place to explore, fantasize, thrive, and be accepted and out.

Maria Louise Ciccone aka the future "Madonna"

A lively history, filled with broad themes and backstories, pioneering personalities and eureka-moments, How the Internet Changed Sex... is a short, serious, and highly entertaining look at the intertwining convergence of sex and the Internet.

Written by Samantha Cole, who’s been on this beat as a senior writer for Vice, How the Internet Changed Sex... covers everything from:

• Jennicam (remember her?) to the problem of “deep fakes”;
• “A Brief History of Online Dating” to how the government has been trying to reckon with NSFW content;
• cybersex to what VR (virtual reality) spaces like the Metaverse holds for future of human sexual interactions.

Porn is just one part of the story. Rather, this is a story about human nature during the digital gold rush of the last fifty years. More