Mumbai: A Twitter account, swankhede_IRS posted a Tweet Monday that said: I dont harp on the negative because if you do, then theres no progression. Theres no forward movement.

Wankhede, a 2008-batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer and the controversial investigating officer of last years alleged drug bust on a cruise ship in which actor Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan was arrested, has had a number of fake accounts in his name.

So much so that when Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik was holding regular press conferences last year to poke holes in the investigation into the alleged drug bust and criticising Wankhede, many on Twitter were cheering or booing these fake accounts assuming that they belonged to Wankhede.

However, this Twitter handle in particular did belong to him, and the timing of the tweet raised questions about whether it was his reflection on the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) giving a clean chit to Khan in the chargesheet it filed in the Cordelia case last week citing lack of sufficient evidence.

Speaking to the press, NCB chief S.N. Pradhan said Aryan Khans WhatsApp chats about drugs had no physical corroboration and there were shortcomings in the initial investigation.

Wankhede confirmed to ThePrint that the Twitter account was indeed his.

But the tweet has nothing to do with this [the chargesheet]. If you see, I keep posting motivational statements on Twitter almost on a daily basis, he said.

Wankhede was on deputation to the NCB from September 2020 to December 2021 after which he returned to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence.

Wankhede was transferred to the DG Taxpayer Service Directorate in Chennai Monday.

Following allegations of wrongdoings, mainly by Malik, the NCB had removed Wankhede from the role of lead investigator in the alleged drugs bust case. The NCB also formed a Special Investigation Team to probe the case.

Also Read: No medical test to confirm drug use, no phone seizure memo why Aryan Khan got NCB clean chit

Wankhede formally made his own Twitter account about a month ago, he said.

There were at least 29 fake accounts in my name saying things like main aaj raat yahan raid marne wala hun (I am going to conduct a raid on this address today), Wankhede told ThePrint.

He said he had complained to Twitter and got all the fake accounts shut down, but that prompted him to join the website to prevent any more fake accounts in his name. His first tweet was on 1 May to mark Maharashtra Day and Labour Day.

His string of motivational tweets started on 24 May, and since then he has made at least four such tweets, including the one Monday.

(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)

Also Read: With SRK+ teaser, Shah Rukh Khan shows love trumps hate. Smear campaigns cant dent Badshah

Read more from the original source:
I dont harp on negative: Real Sameer Wankhede tweets motivation after Aryan Khan clean chit - ThePrint

The hashtag selfcare has 21.9 billion views on TikTok. Under the tag is a vast mix of content, though many of the videos feature the daily routines of the apps users. From shower and skincare routines to morning/nighttime routines and weekend refresh routines, these videos typically depict an idealized but highly sought-after version of life through short, edited clips of moments from a users day.

A pristine apartment with natural lighting is often the backdrop of most of these videos. Creators both men and women are shown making their beds with clean linens, prepping coffee and breakfast before heading to the gym (their workouts also documented) then getting ready for the day, which usually starts with washing their faces and detailing their skincare routines.

Again, the likelihood that these users live aesthetically pleasing lives 24/7 is low. This type of content has been rightfully criticized for being unattainable and unrealistic, yet many viewers would probably agree watching other people have their shit together (or at least purportedly have their shit together) intrinsically makes you want to get yours together too.

It could give the idea to people that they dont have any margin of error. Which could be harmful, admits Daniel Duku, who posts lifestyle and wellness content to his 403,000 TikTok followers under the handle @mrduku. But I also think that for me, particularly as a guy, theres a stigma around guys and self-care.

Duku is one of many men posting lifestyle content and daily routine vlogs to a sizeable following on the video-sharing platform. Other creators like @alex.sless and @lifewithnt3, who have 432,000 and 32,000 followers respectively, post similar content to Duku: GRWMs (which stand for get ready with me), gym regimens and the skincare products they use daily. Compared with female users posting similar content, however, these male TikTok creators are definitely a minority. Still, theyre making an impact on viewers.

Duku tells InsideHook he began posting on TikTok in 2020, but in the summer of 2021 started to take his account more seriously. He notes, though, that hes still having fun with posting daily self-care videos and believes hes found success on TikTok.

The reason why I know [my accounts] been really successful is that I have people that reach out to me now, he says. A lot of guys will reach out to me on Instagram. Theyre like, Hey, I really love your stuff. I wanna be able to start doing these things, but I dont know how to start. I dont know what face wash to get. Stuff like that.

So while Im still doing TikTok for fun, it has allowed me to inspire other guys to also embrace self-care, he adds. I dont want to sit here and act like Im the self-care coach or whatever. I just think that [TikTok] has enabled other guys and people who were sort of scared of doing these things or worried about being labeled as feminine to take part in skincare and other kinds of self-care routines.

Norms around men, particularly cis-het men, and self-care have evolved over the last couple of decades. More men are taking an interest in their appearances, whether its by getting Botox or simply washing their faces at night. The same goes for having a good-smelling space and clean bedsheets.

However, stigmas around men taking care of themselves still persist, as evidenced by some of the comments left on Dukus account. He says hell still receive comments calling him gay or feminine for washing his face or having candles in his room. But he doesnt necessarily blame those users.

It starts from childhood, it stems from societal norms, he offers, adding that lots of men arent taught proper hygiene or grooming practices like women are while in adolescence.

Youd be surprised by the kind of messages that I get from [teenage boys] that say, My parents never taught me how to brush my teeth, he says. Someone told me its because its not ingrained in their brain. They wake up and then just go about their day. They dont see brushing teeth as something that needs to be done.

For Duku, having a proper self-care routine he abides by is more than just fodder for content; its about personal responsibility.

As a grown man, if Im not able to take care of myself, my skin and set that standard for myself, in the future if I ever have a responsibility of a family, how do I expect myself to take care of my family? And that has been my motivation, he explains. Brushing your teeth and washing your face eventually becomes a habit. Then you understand yourself better, you understand how to take care of yourself. So you have some idea of what taking care of someone else would feel like. Im not saying its the exact same, but you know what that responsibility feels like.

Still, it does make for engaging content, and judging by how successful lifestyle and daily routine content performs on TikTok, creators like Duku could very well inspire other male users to adopt and post their own self-care videos.

At the very least, though, male-specific lifestyle content is helping normalize and promote male self-care, and hopefully help eradicate those tired, outdated norms.

Ive seen a lot of videos on TikTok of guys participating in self-care and I really love it, Duku adds. I think more men are going to be exposed to that and eventually, I think my generation will probably have a different impact on our kids in terms of parenting and morals, so Im excited about it.

This article was featured in the InsideHook newsletter. Sign up now.

Read more from the original source:
Daily Lifestyle Vlogs Are Motivating Men to Take Better Care of Themselves - InsideHook

TRAVERSE CITY At 16, Tioloman Traore had never seen snow before.

On the day she first arrived in northern Michigan in February 2019, Traore only had a light jacket to face the Michigan cold and pants that exposed her ankles to the freezing breeze. When her foster mother brought her mittens, Traore wasnt sure how to put them on.

She laughs about it now. Snow, mittens these things have become such a natural part of her life in Traverse City. Traores journey to the U.S. and her navigation through school and life in Traverse City has been all about adjusting.

Traore grew up in a small village in Cte dIvoire. By the time she was 8 years old, both of her birth parents had died and she began living with her grandmother. At 15, her grandmother pulled her from school; She wanted Traore to marry.

Traore thought about her birth mother, who always told her about the value of an education.

She was just like, focus on school, Traore said of her mother. She wanted me to be successful in school.

She resolved to leave her grandmother and go to a refugee camp, her best chance at being able to continue her education.

After spending nearly a year in a refugee camp a year of details Traore keeps mostly to herself Traore came to Traverse City as an unaccompanied minor refugee through Bethany Christian Services. Paige and Ben Waldron and their kids, Ingrid and Jonas, picked Traore up from the airport and welcomed her with open arms.

Our first impressions of her was that she was very graceful, Paige said.

Ingrid and Jonas were excited to have an older sister that they quickly started admiring. After meeting her new younger siblings, Traore wanted to be a good example for them.

Just two weeks after coming to northern Michigan, Traore entered school as a freshman. She remembers sitting in the Traverse City Central High School principals office with an interpreter, listening to the adults in the room talk about her and what classes she would have to take and struggling to follow along.

It was very challenging, Traore said. I didnt speak any English.

The first few weeks at TC Central were overwhelming. Traore, who spoke mostly just French, had to strike a balance between getting in the classes she needed to graduate on time and learning the language to do so. Between lessons, she also had to figure out the new technology in front of her and the culture of the foreign place she landed in.

She also struggled to make connections. Other students would approach Traore and say theyd like to be her friend, but she couldnt keep up with their conversations.

Oftentimes, frustration and fear welled up inside of her. She wanted so badly to be able to learn and get to know the people around her, but she struggled with the isolation and confusion of not understanding the language of her teachers or her peers.

Id just go to the bathroom and cry, because I dont know what the teachers talking about, Traore said.

At that time, Traore found comfort in the company of Jami Grant, a French teacher at TC Central. Grant had Traore in class and helped her with her French writing and grammar and her English lessons.

Grant remembers Traores warmth and generous spirit being prevalent from their first meeting. She came to know Traore as a polite, resilient and hardworking student.

Its like her gratitude for life is just tangible. Thats the way she carries herself, Grant said. Its been super, super special to have her be here with us.

Grant wanted to make her classroom a safe space for Traore to be, where she could feel at ease in a language that she had a full grasp on. The two bonded over many things, including their love of running. Traore would often leave notes on Grants desk thanking her teacher for her kindness.

Traores passion for school shone through as she worked through learning English, and Grant was amazed by her work ethic.

That authentic desire that she had to gain command in both languages, her diligent efforts, she never let an occasion to learn or to grow pass her by, Grant said. It was super inspiring to watch through the three years.

Paige and Ben spent the first few months talking to Traore solely through Google Translate. It was difficult, but they still found ways to bond through games, cooking and trips to the beach.

After school, Paige and Ben would help Traore with homework. Traores perseverance hardly wavered. She would spend hours working through ESL workbooks or taking lessons on apps like Duolingo in her free time.

Shes a very beautiful person and kind and gracious and very determined, Paige said. She is the hardest worker I know.

About three months after Traore arrived in the States, she and Paige had their first real conversation. Traore developed a stronger grasp on English as the weeks went on and became more comfortable in her lessons and more confident in her ability to speak English and do her homework, and she soon got involved with the Track and Cross Country sports teams.

On Sunday, Traore will graduate with TC Centrals class of 2022. So many of the people who have known her since her first few weeks in Traverse City her foster parents, her younger siblings, her French teacher are immensely proud of her and looking forward to what she does next.

After graduation, Traore will go on to Western Michigan University to study nursing. More specifically, Traore wants to be a hospice nurse because, as a very young child, she didnt have the ability to properly support or comfort her mother when she passed away. In the future, she wants to be able to be there for others in their last moments.

School was hard to begin with, but Traore said she was always happy to be back in a classroom and grateful for the support she felt from her community and her foster parents.

When times were hard, the desire to fill her head with knowledge motivated her. When she thinks of the future, she thinks of her birth mother, who valued her daughters education and instilled a drive to learn and keep pushing forward.

She was amazing, Traore said of her birth mother. I think I want to be successful, not just for me, but to honor her.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

Read more from the original source:
Motivated by education: After overcoming struggles as a refugee, TC Central student looks ahead - Traverse City Record Eagle

Image Source : TWITTER/@JUSTICE78602373

Monday Motivation quote

Monday Motivation: After enjoying a good weekend with family and friends, many people look for motivation to start their new week. Several thoughts come to ones mind about starting a new day. Some people plan their day, and some do not. Majorly Monday is a working day where people go to work and plan all the things that they will be doing this week. Some also start their new day by thanking God and expressing their gratitude for things that had happened in their life. It is a new beginning of the week which offers a person new opportunities with a lot of motivation.

Also Read:Aaj ka Panchang, May 30: Know Shubh Muhurat, Rahukal and Sunrise-Sunset timings on Monday

Also Read:Love Horoscope, May 30: Sweetness in marriage of Taurus, Sagittarius & THESE zodiac signs will increase

Original post:
10 Monday motivation quotes that will instantly cheer you up to chase your dreams - India TV News

I have never stolen from anywhere, said President Cyril Ramaphosa, in response to the claims of money laundering, kidnapping and corruption over the theft of $4-million at his game farm in February 2020, claiming it was politically motivated.

He was speaking at the ANCs Limpopo conference on Sunday evening, regarding the case opened by former spy boss and prisons head Arthur Fraser.

Ramaphosa said this was part of a political ploy to cast aspersion on him because of his undeterred fight against corruption.

Fraser is a close ally of former president Jacob Zuma. His release of the former head of state on medical parole after he was jailed for contempt of court was declared unlawful by the high court and Frasers contract as national commissioner of correctional services was not renewed earlier this year.

The Mail & Guardian reported earlier on Sunday that Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen had written to South African Revenue Service commissioner Edward Kieswetter on Friday requesting that Sars investigate whether the money stolen at the game farm had been declared and whether the transaction had implications in terms of the Income Tax Act and the Tax Administration Act.

I want to assure you that all this was money from proceeds from selling animals. I have never stolen anywhere, be it from our taxpayers, be it from anyone. I have never done so and will never do so. My integrity as a leader will never allow me to do so. I will never be able to do so, Ramaphosa said on Sunday.

In another letter to the South African Reserve Bank, Steenhuisen asked for an investigation into the foreign exchange transactions by the president and any possible violations of the legal limit on possession of foreign exchange.

He said the central bank had a legal obligation to apply these regulations equally, and investigate all violations and as such should investigate the presidents possession of the foreign currency.

Quizzed by journalists at the Limpopo conference on Sunday, Ramaphosa said he would not go into detail about the matter, reiterating that he would fully cooperate with the investigation.

He said that he had declared to parliament his business interests as a cattle and game farmer.

I buy and sell animals. Sometimes people buy these animals and some of the people who buy these animals are here. I do it through sales, sometimes through cash and sometimes through transfers. Some of the people who are offshore customers and who are sometimes local, come through and buy animals and some come also to hunt on the farm, he said.

Ramaphosa earlier told delegates: So this that is being reported was a clear business transaction of selling animals. The amount involved is far less than what has been branded in the press. Some are saying its a billion rand, some are saying its $4-million, I want to say its far less.

ANC treasurer general Paul Mashatile would not respond to questions about the money. When the M&G asked whether this matter would be part of the discussions in the national executive committee and in the national working committee, Mashatile said no, adding that the newspaper should pose its questions to Ramaphosa.

Meanwhile, the Limpopo province endorsed Ramaphosa for another term as ANC president, with newly re-elected chairperson Stan Mathabatha lauding him as the champion of the partys renewal.

Limpopo has surpassed the Eastern Cape as the second biggest province in terms of ANC membership. The Eastern Cape, which also endorsed Ramaphosa for a second term, remains the second-largest province in terms of wards, after KwaZulu-Natal.

With the two provinces behind him, Ramaphosa is on the right path to his re-election in December.

This conference has been unanimous in expressing its support for your leadership, comrade President Ramaphosa, Mathabatha said in his closing address on Sunday.

The conference has said that president Ramaphosa is a man equal to the challenges of this epoch of our revolution. The project of unity and renewal is well led under president Ramaphosa. Lead us Matamela, we love you.

The rest is here:
Ramaphosa says the case opened against him is politically motivated - Mail and Guardian

Rafa Nadal can now win every Grand Slam on offer in 2022 and the opportunity should spur him on to continue playing, according to a 4 time Wimbledon semifinalist

Rafa Nadal could now achieve what no other player in recent times has managed by winning all 4 mens singles Grand Slam titles in the same calendar year says Tim Henman which will surely it is going to motivate him to keep on going.

Novak Djokovic nearly achieved the feat in 2021 but was left wanting at the US Open when the expectation and emotion of the moment seemingly got the better of him in and he lost the US Open men[s singles final to an inspired Daniil Medvedev

Henman, himself a 6 time Grand Slam singles semi finalist, was commenting after Rafa Nadal had claimed a record breaking 14th French Open title and 22nd Grand Slam singles title when he said,

When you have won as much as he has, you just never know whats around the corner. I think he has been very frank, and very honest, to say that he doesnt know if he is going to be back here.

But when you see a performance like that hes 3-1 down in the second set, he wins 11 games in a row, it was just another clay court masterclass. You would have thought that when he wins these big titles dont forget hes won the Australian Open, the French Open, now you can talk about the Grand Slam being on.

Surely it is going to motivate him to keep on going.

Watch every match from Roland-Garros live and exclusive ondiscovery+and Eurosport

Free >> Join our legendary newsletter

Join >> Receive $700/600 of tennis gear from the Tennishead CLUB

Social >> Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube

Read >> Worlds best tennis magazine

Watch >> How to enjoy ATP/WTA/Slam tennis on TV

Shop >> Lowest price tennis gear from our trusted partner

More:
"Surely he's motivated to keep going" - Grand Slam chance is on for Nadal - Tennishead

Ongole: Setting the pitch for the 2024 Andhra Pradesh assembly elections, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief, Chandrababu Naidu raised the slogan of Quit Jagan, Save Andhra Pradesh, at last weeks Mahanadu an annual plenary event organised by the TDP for its cadre.

The two-day event attended by 1.5 lakh people according to party sources after two years of virtual meetings owing to the pandemic, was termed a success by the party and a huge boost to the spirits of the TDP cadre.

Naidu, a former Andhra chief minister, also announced at the event that 40 per cent of party tickets for the next assembly elections will be given to the youth those below 40 years of age. He further said that it has been decided by the TDP top leadership to not give tickets to those who have lost three consecutive elections.

Dispelling concerns about his own age impacting his ability to lead the party, the septuagenarian leader shared with ThePrint his plans to make the party more visible on the ground, following two years of predominantly virtual engagement with the public.

I will also be on the ground from now on and tour at least two districts every month. Our cadre has also been instructed to become visible and get on the field now, Naidu said.

Naidu had earlier said, Nothing to worry about my age. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi is of the same age. What matters is the performance. Thirty-year-olds cannot work as much as I do.

Naidus confidence seems to have rubbed off on party members. Our leader is forever young at heart and as long as he is there, the party will survive, Buchaiah Naidu, a TDP leader from Guntur, told ThePrint at the event.

The former CMs son, Nara Lokesh a former state minister is also set to start a mega walkathon (padayathra) in October, which will continue until the 2024 assembly elections, TDP sources told ThePrint.

According to sources in the TDP, the party chief told leaders at the Mahanadu to focus on local issues in their own consistencies, rather than highlighting broader problems. This is expected to make a better impression on local voters.

We have asked every candidate to focus on their constituency and the MLA there to highlight issues, corruption allegations pertaining to local leaders only. This way, voters will respond better, TDP leader Pattabhi Ram told ThePrint.

Meanwhile, a competitive show of strength has started between the TDP and rival YSR Congress Party, presently in power in the state.

Ministers in CM Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddys government held a four-day Bus Yatra last week, coinciding with the TDP Mahanadu, to build awareness about the Chief Ministers welfare schemes among the people.

Both parties have bragged about the success of their respective events, but large crowds at functions may not necessarily translate into votes especially for the TDP, which had lost to the YSRCP by a huge margin in 2019.

It is not surprising that the TDP got a good response for Mahanadu. In fact it would have been surprising if they hadnt. But there are instances where despite amazing crowd turnout parties still lost West Bengal election is a good example. Lakhs of people attended Narendra Modis meeting there. They even got 40 per cent of the votes but they could not form the government with just 70 plus seats. So we cannot say anything looking at the crowds, senior political analyst Nageshwar Rao said in a YouTube commentary.

Also read: In Andhra, an uninhabited hill pits tribal women against local administration & mining firm

Talking about the 1.5 lakh attendance at the Mahanadu, TDP leaders said the number was unexpected, but not surprising.

We are not entirely surprised with the turnout, though the number was large. The ground cadre is extremely frustrated because theyre being harassed by local police filing petty cases against them during the YSRCP governance. Their movements are being curtailed, TDP leader Pattabhi Ram alleged.

He added: All of this has pushed them to come out and show that theyre ready to fight. Moreover, they were seeing their party chief after two years, so this turned out to be a huge boost to their motivation.

A TDP leader speaking on condition of anonymity told ThePrint that while the party was expecting a crowd strength of about 15,000 a day, at least 40,000 people attended the event on both days.

On its part, the YSRCP too has its Bus Yatra event was a success and promoted the partys ideals. Speaking to mediapersons ahead of embarking on the journey, Social Welfare Minister Merugu Nagarjuna had said: Social justice is possible only because of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, adding that the Cabinet had 17 SC, ST, BC, and minority ministers.

Both parties have also written off the supposed success of their rival.

While, TDPs Ram said the ruling partys Bus Yatra was a flop, Andhra Pradesh government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy claimed that the Mahanadu was little other than an attempt to propagate false information about Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and the state government.

He also alleged that Naidu did not have the courage to win any election without an alliance. The TDP had contested the 2019 parliamentary and assembly elections independently, reportedly for the first time in 37 years. It had alliances with both the BJP and the Congress in the past.

According to a senior YSRCP leader, internal surveys conducted by the party showed that there are at least 70 constituencies in Andhra where the TDP does not have strong faces to contest elections.

Experts say, however, that the TDP cannot be written off completely, since the party still has a strong network of cadres at the village level, while there are murmurs of dissent within the YSRCP owing to lack of development in the state under Reddy. The Andhra CMs tenure has been characterised by welfare measures under Direct Benefit Transfer schemes.

There is dissent against the YSRCP [government] and it may be because of power crisis, issue of power meters in agricultural fields, among others. Point is, YSRCP must recognise this, rather than banking just on welfare schemes. If YSRCP does not recognise this, it will become an advantage for the opposition, Rao said.

Political observer Palwai Raghavendra Reddy said that too much couldnt be read into the turnout for the Mahanadu, but that it was a good sign for the TDP.

Presence of cadre at Mahanadu cannot be an indicator for TDPs re-emergence. After virtual meets for two successive years, this years Mahanadu had to be well attended. However, Chandrababu Naidu is still showing signs of putting up a fight, which is a good sign for TDP, he said.

Sentiments against the YSRCP, he added, could work in the TDPs favour. Jagans overreliance on welfare schemes, and not talking about development will provide much needed ammunition to the Yellow Party (TDP), Reddy said.

(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)

Also read: No power, no school, no healthcare: Why tribals from this missing Andhra hamlet want to be relocated

Go here to read the rest:
40% tickets to youth, motivating cadres heres TDP plan to make Andhra quit Jagan - ThePrint

Things to see, do, and enjoy in three American Buddhist hotspots.

Gingerhill Farm Retreats is the home of celebrated Buddhist artist Mayumi Oda. Photo via gingerhillfarm.com.

In the green oasis of the Foster Botanical Garden, tucked away at the edge of downtown Honolulu, stands a large bo tree. Not only does this stately tree offer a welcome respite from the bustle of the city, its a reminder of how the seeds of the dharma were planted and cultivated in Hawaii.

The Foster Botanical Gardens bo tree is descended from the tree under which the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. Charles Crust / Alamy Stock Photo.

The Foster Botanical Garden bo tree is descended from the tree in India under which Shakyamuni Buddha attained enlightenment. Given to Native Hawaiian philanthropist Mary Robinson Foster by Anagarika Dharmapala in 1913, its a living memorial to their lifelong spiritual friendship and incredible work nurturing Buddhism in Sri Lanka and India, including restoring the sacred Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya.

A benefactor of Buddhist communities in Hawaii, Foster was instrumental in the building of the first Buddhist temple in Honolulu in 1900. She also donated the land that in 1918 would become the Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin. Collaborating with Bishop Yemyo Imamura of the Jodo Shinshu school, they designed this temple to embody the hybrid nature of American Buddhism. The stunning white structure is situated in Honolulu on the slopes of the extinct volcanic cone Puowaina (Punchbowl) and features distinctive architectural elements representing Buddhisms Indian origin. While there is a traditional Japanese Shin Buddhist altar, there are also pews, an organ, and a pulpit, representing Buddhisms adaptation to its American home.

Shinnyo-en is a school of esoteric (Vajrayana) Buddhism that originated in Japan. Shinnyo-en Hawaii, established in Honolulu in 1971, is now famous for its annual lantern floating festival held on Memorial Day. Lantern Floating Hawaii is an opportunity to celebrate the cherished memories of loved ones and to offer a wish for peace. Each year thousands of lanterns gently float in the waters off Ala Moana Beach, casting a warm glow in the tropical twilight. Its a solemn yet joyful ceremony.

Every year, thousands of people attend the Lantern Floating Hawaii festival. Hosted by the Shinnyo-en Buddhist community, this is an opportunity to remember loved ones who have passed away. Photo courtesy of Shinnyo-en.

On the Big Island of Hawaii, in the fertile coffee growing region of Kona, the airport is named for Astronaut Ellison Onizuka, the first Shin Buddhist in space. Making your way down the scenic Mamalahoa Highway, with rolling green mountains on your left and the calm azure waters of the Pacific Ocean on your right, you pass the Kona Daifukuji Soto Mission and the Kona Hongwanji Buddhist Temple. Established in 1914 and 1897 respectively, these temples were founded by Japanese immigrants who came to Kona to farm coffee. Enshrined at Kona Daifukuji is a beautiful statue of the bodhisattva of compassion known as Hawaii Kannon. At Kona Hongwanji, there is a serene image of Amida Buddha carved from a piece of sandalwood, which was harvested from the rainforest above the town of Kealakekua in 1932.

Three brothers hang loose in front of Kona Daifukuji Soto Mission. Photo courtesy of Daifukuji Soto Mission.

About a half-hour drive from the Kona International Airport, take a narrow, winding road to a five-acre organic farm, Gingerhill Farm Retreat. In addition to growing a variety of fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs, Gingerhill is a dynamic dharma center where people learn to take care of their bodies and minds by caring for the land. Guests not only work on the farm, they practice yoga and Zen meditation daily. The renowned Buddhist artist and activist Mayumi Oda lives at Gingerhill, and its where she creates her powerful artwork celebrating the feminine divine. Its truly a place of healing, creativity, and learning.

From urban centers to the rural backroads, Buddhism has flourished in Hawaii since the late 1800s, becoming part of the rich cultural and spiritual fabric of the Aloha State. These are just a few of the amazing Buddhist sites you can see when you visit the islands.

The Nicholas Roerich Museum features paintings by the Russian mysticadventurer. Photo by David Grossman. Alamy Stock Photo.

Im not a New Yorker, but I love New York, always have. In recent decades my visits there have revolved around my work as editor-in-chief of Lions Roar. So combining my enthusiasms for New York and Buddhism, Im happy to offer you a one-day tour of Buddhist New York.

Our notional visit starts up in Morningside Heights, with a walk around the iconic campus of Columbia University. Here, D. T. Suzuki electrified a generation of 1950s avant-garde thinkers and artists with his lectures on Zen. In the stacks of Columbias famed library, Thich Nhat Hanh had a deep experience of emptiness he described in his journal. And as Je Tsongkhapa Professor of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Studies, Robert Thurman pioneered the field of buddhology and made it okay to be an academic who is also a practicing Buddhist.

Leaving campus, we walk over to Riverside Drive to the New York Buddhist Church, founded in 1938 as a temple of the Jodo Shinshu Pure Land school. In front of the temple, contemplate a bronze statue of Shinran, the founder of Shin Buddhism, that survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

Statue of Shinran at the Buddhist Church of New York. It survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. RegentsPark / CC BY-SA 4.0

A couple of blocks away is the Nicholas Roerich Museum, dedicated to work of the Russian artist, traveler, and thinker. Here you can see an extensive collection of Roerichs paintings of Tibet and other mystical subjects. Touching in their naivete, theyre interesting examples of European fascination with and romanticization of Eastern religion.

Now hop on the West Side subway and enjoy a walk across Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where you can tour one of the worlds finest collections of Buddhist art. Dont miss the luohans, among the greatest examples of Buddhist art in the world. There are sixteen of these life-like Chinese statues of arhats in existence, and two of them are in the Metropolitan.

Pause and contemplate the living spirit of meditation and enlightenment right in front of you.

Now head down to Chelsea to the Rubin Museum of Art, one of the few museums in the world completely dedicated to the art, culture, and religions of the Himalayas. The permanent collection offers an outstanding overview of Himalayan art, and the temporary exhibits, annual themes, and lecture series are always first-rate (as is the caf).

Seated arhat (luohan) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Tomas Abad / agefotostock

Not far away in Chelsea is Tibet House, founded by Robert Thurman and Richard Gere at the Dalai Lamas request to showcase and preserve Tibetan culture. After you enjoy their gallery and bookstore, take the opportunity to thank the dedicated staff for their work on behalf of Tibet.

Now head across town, perhaps through Washington Square Park, to the East Village, where avant-garde poetry, theatre, and music met Buddhism and sparks flew. Buddhist poets Allen Ginsberg, Diane di Prima, and Anne Waldman read at the Poetry Project at St. Marks Church; Patti Smith played at CBGB; and Ginsberg, Philip Glass, William Burroughs, and other Buddhist and Buddhist-adjacent cultural figures lived in the neighborhood. The East Village is a lot more gentrified now, but you can still feel that counterculture spirit.

Keep heading downtown to Soho and drop in at the Village Zendo if theyre open. There you will meet a lively, artsy, and diverse mix of Zen practitioners led by Roshi Pat Enkyo OHara, one of the leading lights of American Zen. Their new location in the American Thread Building has great karma: it used to be the late Gehlek Rinpoches New York center, where students like Ginsberg and Glass heard dharma talks by this outstanding Tibetan teacher.

Finally, head down to Chinatown and notice the many temples in storefronts or commercial buildings that serve Chinese and other East Asian Buddhists in their own languages. You get a glimpse of the vibrant Asian American Buddhist population of New Yorkit numbers in the millions. And if you happen to be in the city on Buddha Day, join the Vesak celebration put on by the New York Buddhist Council that brings together all the Buddhist communities of the five boroughs.

Bonus: If you have time, hop on the L Train to Brooklyn, where you can visit or sit zazen at the Fire Lotus Temple, the NYC center of the Mountains and Rivers Order founded by the late John Daido Loori Roshi. If my friend Geoffrey Shugen Arnold is there, say hello and ask him for a few words of Zen. Then you can head back to Manhattan after a long but I hope rich day in Buddhist New York.

An Edo-period statue of Bishamonten at San Franciscos Asian Art Museum. In Japan, Bishamonten statues frequently guard Buddhist temples. Photo by Archive PL / Alamy Stock Photo.

Had Siddhartha Gautama visited the San Francisco Bay Area during his lifetime, he might have seen it as a pure land. The rolling hills then bristled with redwoods, crystalline streams fed to the sea, and animals roamed the coast and inland valleys. Two and a half millennia later, the Bay Area is a rich pilgrimage destination for his followers, home to a full range of vibrant Buddhist communities.

The history of dharma study in the San Francisco area began in 1899, when two Shin Buddhist teachers came from Japan to provide spiritual guidance to Japanese immigrants. In time, the community developed into the Buddhist Churches of America. Located in San Franciscos Japantown, the local branch of the BCA (which also houses the BCAs national headquarters) offers beginning and advanced instruction in Buddhism and meditation, for children as well as adults.

Dancers performing at the national headquarters of the Buddhist Churches of America in celebration of Bon, a three-day festival honoring ancestors. Photo by Beppe Sabatini.

Established by the late Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, author of Zen Mind, Beginners Mind, San Francisco Zen Center has been at the heart of the Bay Area Buddhist community since 1962. It supports three related locations. City Center, in central San Francisco, features daily meditation, individual guidance with experienced teachers, and frequent dharma talks. Set amidst the coastal hills of Marin, Green Gulch Farm offers apprenticeships for working guests, as does Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. Located east of Big Sur in Californias Ventana Wilderness, Tassajara hosts long-term retreats and short-term visitors in the summer.

In the 1950s and early 1960s, Beat writers such as Jack Kerouac, Diane di Prima, Gary Snyder, and Allen Ginsberg embraced Buddhist teachings, and poet Lawrence Ferlinghettis City Lights Bookstore quickly became the literary hub of the S.F. dharma scene. Still in its original North Beach location, the store has retained its Beat ambiance and continues to serve as a resource and meeting place for the literary community.

San Francisco Zen Center was established in 1962 by Shunryu Suzuki Roshi and his American students. Photo by Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle.

Located in Berkeley, the Nyingma Institute founded by the Tibetan teacher Tarthang Tulku offers classes and workshops that, they explain, require no belief system or commitment to Buddhism. Programs range from beginning meditation classes, to guidance in chanting traditional Tibetan prayers, to learning the Tibetan language. Instruction in Kum Nyea form of Tibetan yoga integrating all the bodys senses and energy centersis also available.

The lively, blossoming Uptown district of Oakland is home to East Bay Meditation Center. Drawing on a variety of spiritual traditions, with a focus on Insight Meditation, EBMC serves Oaklands diverse population by focusing on radical inclusivity, cultivating an atmosphere uniquely welcoming to people of color, individuals with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQI community. Along with meditation practice and introductory Buddhist teachings, EBMC offers classes on community healing, tai chi, yoga, social justice, and mindful parenting.

Located on an unassuming street in Berkeley, Wat Mongkolratanaram has long served as a gathering place for the Thai Buddhist community. This elegant wat (temple) is justly famous for its Sunday Buddhist brunch. With proceeds benefitting the sangha, this outdoor market offers a wonderful variety of Thai cuisine and attracts scores of students from nearby U.C. Berkeley and beyond. The temple is also a center for Thai language and music studies, with weekly presentations (mainly in Thai) given by resident monks.

City Lights in bohemian North Beach is an independent bookstore-publisher famous as a center of American literary culture and publisher of Allen Ginsbergs Howl and other Beat classics. Danita Delimont / Alamy Stock Photo.

Siddhartha Gautama is said to have asked that his image never be idolized, and for centuries his presence was symbolized simply by a lotus flower or his footprints. The first crude likenesses of Buddha appeared more than half a millennium after his death, on early coins of the Kushan Empire. But the floodgates were opened. Walking through the beautifully presented displays of San Franciscos Asian Art Museumlocated just steps from City Hallone can trace the global explosion of Buddhist art as it swept through Asia.

About an hours drive past the Golden Gate Bridge is Spirit Rock Insight Meditation Center, one of the most active Buddhist teaching communities in the Western world. With an emphasis on mindfulness and compassion, the retreat centerlocated on 411 acres of rolling hills and oak woodlands in Marin countyoffers scores of programs, from open-to-the-public dharma talks to ten-day silent retreats.

Visit link:
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Enlightenment - Lion's Roar

In his letter (June 1) regarding our op-ed The Stakeholder War on the Enlightenment (May 24), Cambridge Prof. Brian Cheffins provides the legal history behind our claim that Parliament repealed royal charters, permitted businesses to incorporate simply by meeting preset capital requirements, and established the rules of law governing private competition.

We condensed 150 years of history into one sentence to explain how Parliament liberated private corporations from government control. Mr. Cheffins correctly explains the legal transformation but misses our point on the economic transformation. The 1720 Bubble Act effectively banned new joint stock companies but didnt eliminate existing corporations. Without the predations of stakeholder capitalism, the latter grew in value by 48% over the ensuing century. When resources were lacking, big projects went to large partnerships, according to Harvard Prof. David Landes. In the nineteenth century, when things got costlier and risks greater, Parliament turned to the most effective device for mobilizing capital . . . , the chartered joint stock company.

See the original post:
The Corporation and the Story of Prosperity - The Wall Street Journal

For a generation of girls who spent years exclusively wearing butterfly clips, bright blue eyeshadow and pale pink everything, the release of the pop-punk princess Avril Lavignes debut album, Let Go, on 4 June 2002 was not merely a new sound, it was enlightenment.

In an era when bubblegum pop and sexy baby personas reigned, the 17-year-old Lavigne emerged as its antithesis. Rarely seen without a baggy pair of jeans, heavy kohl eyeliner and a loose tie round her neck, she co-wrote her own songs, with lyrics about skateboarding and getting fired from a chicken shop. Her first two singles, Complicated and Sk8er Boi, both spent half of the year on the Billboard Hot 100 and Let Go remains one of the 20 bestselling albums of the 21st century.

Sign up to our Inside Saturday newsletter for an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the making of the magazines biggest features, as well as a curated list of our weekly highlights.

Lavignes snarky attitude, grungy look and alternative-inspired sound was a potent combination that elevated Let Go above the rest of the pop pack. Almost overnight, girls all over the world began to swap choker necklaces for mens neckwear, body glitter for leather bracelets, and denim for cargo pants. Her videos, featuring Lavigne trashing malls and skating with groups of boys, were watched obsessively. Let Go unleashed an army of seven to 15-year-olds brimming with ennui, desperate to remake themselves in Lavignes image.

I was getting out of high school and I just wanted to rock out, says Lavigne today, speaking from her home in Malibu ahead of the albums 20th anniversary. I want loud guitars, I want live drums I want to write about the crazy stuff, the insane emotions, the good and the bad.

All of this, Lavigne says, was a genuine reflection of her teenage experience. Born in Ontario, Canada, in 1984, she spent most of her childhood in Napanee, a small town with a population of roughly 5,000, where she wrote poems, learned to play guitar and hung around with the grungy kids. She initially made a name in the country music world, an influence that can be heard in some of the twangy cadences and narrative storytelling on Let Go. She even performed on stage with Shania Twain after winning a radio contest in her early teens, before signing to Arista Records and moving to California at 16.

Even at the time, Lavigne felt acutely aware of her innocence within the music industry. I didnt even know what Hollywood was or what record deals were, she says. The process of finding co-writers and producers who matched her artistic style involved an endless string of uncomfortable meetings in corporate boardrooms; her age coupled with her lack of understanding of the mechanics of production led to a struggle to get her sound across. They didnt care what I had to say; they had their own style and didnt bother to look at me and try to let me lead, she says.

However, Lavignes instincts were strong: I was very clear on what I wanted to do and what I didnt want to do. I wanted to be angsty and to sound more like a band; I didnt want to be all bubblegum pop. I wanted to turn my emotions into lyrics. I was honestly just very, very pure.

She eventually settled on a music writing and production trio known as the Matrix, consisting of Lauren Christy, Graham Edwards and Scott Spock. The moment things began to click for the group was when they wrote their first track together, the song that become Lavignes breakout hit, Complicated. I didnt know what hits were, but my body and my intuition knew that this was a hit song, she says. I was like: This is fucking cool, this sounds cool to me.

Over the next year, Lavigne and the Matrix would meet in studios and hotel rooms across southern California to build the 13-track album. The themes were heavily influenced by Lavignes life, which at the time, she says, mostly involved wearing fat skate shoes and finding skateboarders hot. But while many of her songs were fun and frivolous, such as Sk8er Boi, or light and melodic, like Mobile and Anything But Ordinary, darker emotions cut through elsewhere on Losing Grip and the albums only ballad, Im With You, which Lavigne says is still a highlight of her live performances.

The combination of these different themes and attitudes made for an album that could be played repeatedly without becoming repetitive. I wrote this album right when I got out of high school and now I get to hear these lyrics of me talking about my small town and my obsession with skater boys, she says. Even things like in My World, I literally talk about the fact that I got fired by a fried chicken ass I worked for at a fried chicken chain. Its hilarious. I look back at those lyrics, and Im like: I cant believe I said that in a song.

The naivety and simplicity of her lyrics turned out to be a key to her success. Targeting a young audience, Let Go propelled Lavigne beyond two-hit wonder status. But even with the success of the album, she couldnt quite grasp quite how big it had become. I remember my manager being like: Do you realise youre No 1? And still No 1 this week and No 1 this week and then this week?

Lavignes self-assurance obscured just how young she was when she rose to fame and that she did so during a time when young celebrities were facing extreme sexualisation and horrifying invasions of privacy. However, Lavigne stood apart from other female pop stars at the time through her tomboy look and active criticism of her contemporaries. (In one interview, she mocked Britney Spears for dressing like a showgirl.)

Looking back at her treatment in the early 00s, does she wish it had been different? Unusually, Lavigne feels gratitude for being a teenager when Let Go debuted. I remember being at home and being 14 and thinking like: I need to hurry up and get this music thing going! She laughs: I was like: I want to be doing this while Im YOUNG!

I moved out of my parents house and directly into a tour bus, not having any rules, she adds. I was like: I can drink beer now and eat pizza every day and I just got to hang out with my band and travel the world. It was crazy, but it was pretty special.

Let Gos 20th anniversary comes alongside a reappraisal of Y2K culture by a generation too young to remember it. Several of its tracks have gone viral on TikTok, and Lavigne has been cited as an influence by gen Z artists such as Billie Eilish and Olivia Rodrigo (who brought Lavigne on stage at a recent gig for a duet of Complicated). Concurrently, there has also been a rise in emo nostalgia among older music fans. Lavigne is playing a festival in the autumn, Las Vegass When We Were Young, that went viral earlier this year for featuring so many popular emo and pop-punk artists of the 00s, including My Chemical Romance, Jimmy Eat World and Paramore.

Lavigne finds the whole experience surreal. That younger generations are discovering my stuff and that Billie, Olivia, and Willow [Smith] go out into the world and continue to shatter the mould like I did 20 years ago is super-inspiring. She says even the musicians she is friends with and collaborates with are longtime fans. All these people around me are like: Oh my God, Im a huge fan, I listened to you growing up, you inspired me! Its really trippy.

Her future plans include working with two other superstars: Blink-182s Travis Barker, whose label, DTA Records, put out Lavignes recent album, Love Sux, and Machine Gun Kelly, who features on the album and with whom Lavigne will be going on tour. Major items on her bucket list include a Christmas album, a makeup line and a cookbook. (My food is, like, gourmet, she says, I can do everything! Pasta, sauce, vegan, salads and soups I can do every kind of soup.) She has also recently found a director to lead a film adaptation of Sk8er Boi. I cant wait to learn this process of making a movie, she says. I think Ill want to make more.

Twenty years on, Lavigne believes the appeal of Let Go has endured because once people connect to her music they stay connected.

Ive always had this thing where Im like: just be as sincere as possible, she says. The songs are real and theyre emotional. That works for me.

Let Go will be rereleased this summer.

Link:
Avril Lavigne: I moved out of my parents house and straight into a tour bus with no rules - The Guardian