Some might call me a heathen for rejecting established religion. At least Im not alone as I found out from an article in the Monitor last week, titled Whats your Religion? In U.S., a common reply now is None.

It turns out, 29% of us are not affiliated. If we were a church, we would be the largest religious group in the United States. Some are atheists, some agnostics, but many, like me, are spiritual. I agree with what one of the unaffiliated folks, previously a Catholic, said in the article.

It just means finding meaning and perhaps spirituality without practicing a religion pulling from whatever makes sense of me or whatever fits with my values.

Facing my fourth cancer has prompted me to look more closely at what makes my life meaningful. While I am comforted and buoyed up by something bigger than myself, it is not that bearded, old, white man in the sky. My spirituality, instead, comes from my Buddhist outlook coupled with my identity with Mother Earth.

Nevertheless, I still experience sacred moments with a sense of awe. For instance, just centering my breath on the present moment can induce a sublime sense of oneness, causing an involuntary smile to spread across my face.I am not my puny self anymore but tethered securely within a living Earth and the cosmos beyond.

Im attracted to Buddhism because it provides a pathway toward living a meaningful life, not by worshipping a supreme being but by coming to terms with who I am within an impermanent world. It is now paying dividends by helping me deal with the uncertainty of my medical prognosis. Like being drenched with a bucket of ice-cold water, cancer has woken me up to the present moment.

An American Tibetan Buddhist, Pema Chodron, said it best.

To be fully alive, fully human, and completely awake is to be continually thrown out of the nest. To live fully is to be always in no-mans-land. To experience each moment as completely new and fresh. To live is to be willing to die over and over again.

Connected to my Buddhist sensibility is my bond to the Earth. I identify with what Pablo Casals, the great cellist, wrote about natures mastery.

I do not think a day passes in my life in which I fail to look with fresh amazement at the miracle of nature. It is there on every side. It can be simply a shadow on a mountainside, or a spiders web gleaming with dew, or sunlight on the leaves of a tree.

Casalss ability to be present in the living moment was extraordinary, reminding me of William Blakes famous quote, If the doors of perception were cleansed everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.

Or this from another of Blakes poems:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour.

I get fleeting epiphanies like this from my photography. I like to carry my camera with me because it forces me to slow down and actually see what is in front of me a magical shadow on a rock, a hidden world in an ice crystal, or heaven in a mud puddle.

I am secure in my faith now, but as a young man, I was agnostic or worse. Christian Wiman has written a profound and poetic book,My Bright Abyss: Meditation of a Modern Believer,addressing folks who believe in God. I am cheeky enough to think it also applies to me.

When I assented to the faith that was latent within me and I phrase it carefully, deliberately, for there was no white light, no ministering or avenging angel that tore my life in two; rather it seemed as if the tiniest seed of belief had finally flowered in me, or, more accurately, as if I had happened upon some rare flower deep in the desert and had known, though I was just then discovering it, that it had been blooming impossibly year after parched year in me, surviving all the seasons of my unbelief.

A note to the reader: I wrote this essay in response to an article in the Monitor last week. In no way do I mean to detract from the joy and sacredness ofthis Christmasholiday which I savor as much as anyone.

(Jean Stimmell lives in Northwood. His blog can be found online at jeanstimmell.blogspot.com.)

Original post:
My Turn: To see the world in a mud puddle - Concord Monitor

Pat Orr | Guest Columnist

There are thousands of religions worldwide, but the five oldest and largest religions are usually considered the main ones. In order of their population percentage according to yourdictionary.com are, Christianity 31.5%, Islam 23.2%, Hindu 15%, Buddhism 7.1%, and Judaism at 0.2%. All other religions account for 6.7%, and those who claim no religious affiliation are 16.3%.

Why is Christmas, a holiday associated with only one religion, a worldwide phenomenon? When you look closer, Christmas starts with the New Testament believers whom we call Christians.

Of the five main religions Christianity, Islam, and Judaism are monotheistic, each focusing on one God. Both Islam and Christianity believe their God sent one chosen messenger to redeem man, Muhammed, and Jesus, respectively. The two major differences in these two religions are what happened when each of the divine messengers died and how their followers were asked to proceed.

When Muhammed died, other leaders rose to take his place, known as caliphs. A set of laws developed requiring the devout ritual of prayer five times a day, fasting during the month of Ramadan, and completing a trip to the holy city of Mecca before death. There are other rules about dress, dietary habits, and the primary religious text is the Quran. The central dictum of Islam is to live by the will of Allah.

Judaism is the worlds oldest religion, and its holy text, the Tanakh, includes the same five books as the Christian Old Testament bible, in a different order. While Judaism shares the same God with Christianity, it stops short of treating Jesus as divine and considers him a prophet sent by God. The Ten Commandments given to Moses by God are also an important part of teaching in this faith. The Talmud is another holy text that includes extensive Jewish laws and teaching specific to Judaism.

For purposes of brevity, I will not go into detail about Hinduism or Buddhism, which both focus on following the path and prescribed laws to enlightenment and wisdom. Both religions believe reincarnation provides a path to a better understanding of the enlightened self.

The one element of Buddhism we all recognize but dont fully understand is the concept of Karma. Buddhists believe in reincarnation and rebirth. Karma is akin to a divine bank account in which accounts of actions and moral life are recorded. You have work to do if you died as a Monk but are reborn as a goat. In the process of rebirth, your Karma can determine to what station in life you return.

The reason for this recitation of the worlds great religions is to help explain my understanding of the role that Christ played in the holiday we call Christmas.

One central theme repeatedly preached by Jesus and his disciples were that you could only be saved from earthly death by faith alone. He preached against the rules and regulations required of his Jewish followers, which got him nailed to a cross with thieves and murders.

Purported Christian sects and denominations that establish extensive rules, laws, and additional religious texts to be followed other than those specifically preached by Jesus and recorded and translated by his followers would not be tolerated by Jesus if he was traveling through the world today. He railed against mans laws as impediments to Gods truth.

No one can say for sure, but a painting of the nativity scene was first made famous around 1220 by the Church, looking to reinforce and humanize the birth story. The fact that Jesus was a human born of a woman had been muddled by myth and tales through the centuries.

That birth celebrated with gifts from afar by strangers dispatched by angels is the genesis of our Christmas. The entire concept that giving is better than receiving is a Christian concept that reinforces the story of Jesus willingly giving his life so that believers could be forever cleansed of sin and saved.

The resurrection of Lazarus and Jesus, both witnessed first-hand by multiple on-the-record testimonials, has forever cemented that Jesus birth is indeed a cause for global celebration.

The Christian faith in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus established the foundational belief of a better tomorrow through faith. Yes, the story of St. Nicholas dropping gold coins down the chimney of poor people is the archaic beginning of todays jolly fat guy in a red suit. Still, the original concept on which the story is based, that of helping the helpless, belongs to Jesus.

You do not have to jump through any hoops, have any surgery, wear any uniform, or even attend church to be saved by Jesus or receive his grace.

A recent Pew Research Center Survey released Dec. 14 found that the share of the American public who claim no religious affiliation has risen six points from five years ago and ten points from a decade ago.

A Fox Business poll asked why America is suffering a crime epidemic. Surprisingly, the No. 1 answer was not soft sentencing laws or liberal prosecutors. This group felt that the general breakdown of moral values in America was the root cause of the current criminal activity.

You can conclude cause and effect if you so choose. The pervasive anything goes and I have a right to do as I please mentality does not track with any major religions teachings.

As my mother told me once when at age 11, I began to question the validity of one fat guy delivering toys to the entire world in a single night; you stop believing, you stop receiving.

You can stretch, maim, trash, and discount it, but you cannot take Christ out of Christmas. I hope you celebrate the true meaning of the holiday and give the gift of love and faith to all those you care about.

If we all work to put the spiritual gifts of Christ back in Christmas, how can it hurt?

Contact Pat Orr at avreviewopinion@gmail.com.

Read the original here:
Around Town: It's time to put Christ back in Christmas - VVdailypress.com

Buddha Shakyamuni, creator of Buddhism

To bring you for this condition, Buddhism points you to enduring standards in this impermanent community, and provides you valuable information on just how issues are really. Through understanding the law of cause and effect, using practical apparatus like reflection to achieve awareness and build compassion and wisdom, we many of us can make use of all of our potential to understand the ultimate purpose of enlightenment.

Easily like a candle flame or gradually like a hill, perhaps the most solid circumstances transform. Obtained no genuinely long lasting essence.

All of our inner field of feelings and thoughts is in the exact same state of continual change. The greater amount of we understand just how all things are impermanent and influenced by most problems, the healthy a perspective we are able to keep on our everyday life, the relations, stuff, and prices targeting what matters.

If every little thing comes and happens, could there be whatever remains? Based on Buddhism, the one and only thing that will be usually current may be the consciousness in which all these experiences and phenomena look. This understanding isnt only eternal but in addition inherently happy.

To recognize this amazing understanding here nowadays means to being enlightened, plus its the ultimate goal of Buddhism.

Party meditation during the Berlin Buddhist center

Buddhism inspires all of us to get obligations for the own lives, without moralizing, by understanding cause and effect (karma). Just like the law of gravity, the law of karma performance, every-where as well as the amount of time.

Buddha discussed in big detail how we shape the potential future through all of our thinking, keywords and activities. What we manage today collects close or bad thoughts in our attention. Once you understand thus giving you big liberty and places all of us back command over our life. Karma isnt fate. We are able to determine to not ever carry out harmful steps, and so abstain from promoting the sources of future distress. To sow the the seed products for good outcome, we take part in positive actions.

Through Buddhist reflection, we can in addition get rid of the adverse thoughts currently gathered within our attention from previous measures. Even as we observe much suffering originates from not comprehending cause-and-effect, we naturally create compassion for other individuals.

Stupas tend to be bodily symbols of enlightenment, our very own minds organic potential

In Buddhism, compassion and knowledge get together. Exercising reflection frequently, we obtain extra space within our mind, and distance from difficult feelings and thoughts. This permits you to see that everyone comes with the same fundamental troubles as united states, therefore develop our thoughtful wish to just be sure to make a move to greatly help other individuals.

When we respond from compassion, focusing on rest in the place of our selves, we get much better opinions from the industry. The distressing feelings that individuals all bring, like rage, pleasure, connection, and jealousy, loosen their unique hold. Where there can be room that people dont quickly fill with the own problems anymore, knowledge enjoys a chance to appear spontaneously have a peek at the link.

Therefore, wisdom and compassion build and supporting each other on the road.

The Buddha ended up being unique because he was 1st person to attain full enlightenment in recorded history. But theres no important distinction between the Buddha and us. All of us have a mind, therefore can all attain liberation and enlightenment by working together with our thoughts. The body, views, and thinking are continually modifying. Buddhism panorama all of them as empty bare of every long lasting substance, and thus they might be no factor for a proper, split ego or self. The state of liberation arrives when we not just appreciate this intellectually but experiences it in an intense, long lasting way. With no good ego we quit getting activities actually. We acquire a massive room for joyful developing, without having to answer every unfavorable feeling that comes by.

Enlightenment may be the supreme goal in Buddhism. All positive properties specially joy, fearlessness, and compassion are completely mastered. Here, our awareness try all-encompassing, and not set at all. With no confusion or disruption in our minds, we benefits people in an instant and effectively.

If youre contemplating getting to know more info on Buddhism, you can check out a Buddhist center towards you, or read on with what this means to be a Buddhist.

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Whenever we really give consideration, we could observe that everything in the outside business is changing - ADOTAS

For the past year, China has imprisoned Muslims for displaying their faith, compelled Buddhists to vow devotion to the ruling coalition, and pressured Christian churches to remove their crosses. The unprecedented war on organized religion does not come as a surprise as China has been trying to eliminate religion for a long time. The ruling coalition party, which is ostensibly atheist, has for decades tried to influence religious organizations to maintain dominance. According to Chinas State Administration for religious affairs, the Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Muslims and Taos have freedom of worship. Basically, these groups have freedom of operation so long as they are officially sanctioned by the government. In reality, anyone who believes in a higher power is considered an enemy of the Chinese Communist Party.

Although the constitution protects religious groups from violations, the presidency of Xi Jinping seems to have no respect for religion. Millions of Xinjiang residents who are mostly Muslim have been imprisoned by the state and others harassed by the massive police installed in the region recently. The detainees claim to have been imprisoned because they refused to abandon their Islam markers, such as refusing to drink and wearing a hijab. While Beijing reported having dealt with the matter and released the detainees, there is no evidence pertaining to their claim. In fact, the Chinese government is now accused of faking their situation on social media by forcing victims to give statements of their release. In practice, little has been done to ameliorate the situation in Xinjiang.

Similarly, organized religion is being intimidated by the government all over the country. More than 10 Halal restaurants have been forced to take down their Arabic scrips and symbols depicting Islam, claiming that it does not represent the Chinese culture. The communist party claims that it does not trust suspicious foreign forces in its state, therefore, interprets such symbols as non-allegiance. They want Islam and other religious groups to operate under the Chinese language, something that strips the whole meaning of the distinct religion.

The communist party has made sure children are not taught about their various religions from a young age. The children are only allowed to believe in communism and the ruling party. While the crackdown may seem to focus mainly on Islam, Christians have also been targeted in many ways. Catholics and Protestants have been threatened and harassed severally. Many Christians have reported burning of their Bibles, being forced to renounce their Christianity, and shutting down churches. The churches that have been allowed to operate must install facial recognition devices in their buildings lest they get closed. To make it worse, the communist party officials often add state propaganda to preachers sermons. Corrupting the word of God with the lies of communism.

Buddhism and Taoism, the most ancient religious groups of East Asia, are not lucky either. Believers from these religious groups have gone through agony during Xi Jinpings Presidency. They have been limited from accessing some parts of the country, and some monks accused of terrorism for exercising their beliefs. The Shaolin Temple, among the most important Buddhist sanctuaries, hoisted the Chinese national flag recently. This is believed to be a part of the Chinese governments campaign to force religious groups into allegiance.

The Communist Party seeks to maintain its grip on power and can only do so by dismantling organized religious groups that seem to undermine its authority. This might also be a well-orchestrated strategy to limit foreign influence among the Chinese as the government has always had a concern with the extent of foreign influence over religion. According to the Chinese government, foreign forces can use religious bodies to manipulate societal thoughts that may lead to chaos and havoc.

See original here:
This is why China has declared war on organized religion - We Are The Mighty

Rice with tot (Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism)

Loaded with minerals, fusiforme (tot) is a seaweed that provides diverse nutrients in winter. The fragrance and flavor of rice cooked by adding plump seasonal tot is much better than when dried tot is used. If you add chestnuts, you will experience the harmony of the familiar and the unfamiliar as the prickly textured tot and sweet chestnuts come together in your mouth.

Ingredients

200 g fresh tot

5 chestnuts

1 cup rice

1 cup water

1 tbsp sesame oil

Sauce

1 handful chopped water celery (minari)

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp chili pepper powder

2 tbsp crushed sesame seeds

2 tbsp sesame oil

Directions

1. Wash tot, drain in a strainer, and cut into bite-sized pieces

2. Peel the outer shell and inner skin from chestnuts, and cut into quarters

3. Put in a pot with the rice, water, tot and chestnuts. Add 1 tbsp sesame oil and cook

4. Prepare water celery, mix the ingredients for the sauce together and serve with rice

Ma rolled in gim (Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism)

Harvested from late October onward, gim tastes best in winter. By finely grating Chinese yam (ma), which is full of vitamins and minerals, and mixing with chopped shiitake mushrooms and carrots, you can have a gim dish with a fragrant sea aroma to perk up your appetite.

Ingredients 6 sheets of gim

300 g Chinese yam (ma)

3 shiitake mushrooms

carrot

2 tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

cooking oil

Directions

1. Chop carrot and shiitake mushrooms that have been soaked in water. Finely grate yams

2. To the grated yams, add chopped shiitake mushrooms, and carrots to make batter

3. Pour the batter into a heated pan and top with two sheets of gim, folded in half. Roll just like making a rolled omelette

Provided by Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Temple food is food of the ascetics who express gratitude for all forms of life and wish for peace for the whole world. The Cultural Corps of Korean Buddhism operates the Korean Temple Food Center where guests can learn and experience temple food. -- Ed.

By Korea Herald (khnews@heraldcorp.com)

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[Temple to Table] Tastes of winter breeze - The Korea Herald

From Rebel Wilson to Chrissie Swan and Michael Clark, Australian celebrities shocked us with some of their inspiring transformations throughout the year.

Here's our pick of some of the most memorable ones from 2021.

The celebrities who inspire us to embrace a healthy lifestyle.

RELATED:

Rebel Wilson started her 'Year of Health' in January 2020 and almost two years on, she is celebrating losing about 35kg and has a new outlook on life.

"Found this old photo in my emails and was like: whoa! I remember this was when I was at my most unhealthiest - being overweight and indulging way too much with junk food," Rebel said in her Instagram post in August.

Rebel was referring to a photo taken with Novak Djokovic during a difficult period when she was "using food to numb my emotions".

"My father had passed away of a heart attack and it was such a sad time," she said.

"I didnt think highly of myself and wasnt valuing myself how I should have."

Rebel Wilson's "Year of Health" marked a complete lifestyle change! Photo: Instagram/@rebelwilson

"I look back now at that girl and am so proud of what shes become and achieved ... and just wanted to send out some encouragement to everyone out there struggling with weight or body issues or emotional eating," Rebel said.

"I feel you.

"But its never too late to start improving yourself and trying to be the best version of YOU possible.

"Its not a race and its not a competition - its about respecting yourself and doing whats best for YOU."

Another key to her success, according to her personal trainer Jono Castano, was that she made long-term lifestyle changes.

"I'd say her consistency has been the most important thing," he told Yahoo Lifestyle.

Podcaster and comedian Meshal Laurie reveled in her 2017 book, Buddhism for the Unbelievably Busy, that she had chosen surgery to transform.

Story continues

"I decided to undergo weight-loss surgery (gastric bypass) in late 2016, and Im so glad I did," she wrote.

"Yes, its embarrassing to have to go to that length to rein my body in, but Id rather be embarrassed than unable to walk.

"In a way, I feel lucky to have had such clear signals from my body that I needed to turn my health burner back on, when I still had time to do something about it."

Meshel Laurie unveiled her weight loss and glow up this year. Photo: Getty Images and Instagram/@meshel_laurie

Her transformation may have begun in 2016, but her glow up this year hasn't gone unnoticed by fans.

"You look 12! Whats your secret?" one of her followers said on her Instagram post with Professor Richard Bassed.

"I was thinking the same! Looking so young Meshel," another added.

"Some people light us up dont they?" Meshel replied.

Indeed they do Meshel!

With his six-foot, six-inch (198cm) stature, heavy build and surname which, in French, sounds like "beast", it is understandable The Chase expert Mark Labbett was nicknamed "The Beast".

After shedding an incredible 63 kilos, he may need a new nickname.

"This is the lightest Ive been in 25 years," he told The Sun in March.

"I'm now under 20 stone (127kg), and I am really feeling the difference, as well as seeing it.

"My knees really feel the difference.

"I will never be athletic again, but I just move so much better for not carrying that extra weight."

The Chase's Mark Labbett has lost 63 kilos since contracting COVID last year. Photo: Getty Images and Instagram.com/markthebeastlabbett

The catalyst for his healthy change was catching COVID last year. He lost his sense of smell and taste - and his appetite.

After recovering, he upped his exercise and saw the weight come off. The changes didn't go unnoticed.

"When did The Beast from The Chase turn into an absolute dreamboat?! Marks had the glow-up of the century," comedian Jack Whitehall tweeted.

Since shooting to fame in the 2003 season of Big Brother, fans of reality star, turned radio personality, Chrissie Swan have watched her transform.

Melbourne's lockdowns encouraged Chrissie to give up alcohol and up her step count, with stunning results.

Chrissie Swan credits giving up alcohol and walking for her incredible weight loss. Photo: Getty Images and Instagram/@chrissieswan

"Ive never done anything about [exercise], until now," she revealed on Instagram regarding her new walking regime.

"Learning how to meditate kicked it off for me and I realised, after the first 10-minute block, that it was the first time in ages Id stopped and slowed down, with my own wellbeing top of mind,

"I dont put any pressure on myself, but I walk somewhere most days sometimes for 20 minutes, sometimes for an hour, sometimes three little walks, sometimes none!"

Michael Clarke opened up to Men's Health magazine after undergoing their 12-week challenge and showing off his incredible results.

"Ive always been quite fit, but as you can see from the before photo, I was still carrying a bit," he said.

"When you stop doing something that got you out of bed every single day, when you lose that structure and routine, you lose a lot and Ive seen people go downhill in those circumstances, physically and mentally," he said of his retirement.

Former Aussie cricket captain Michael Clarke revealed his slimmed-down look this month. Photo: Chris Mohen for Mens Health via Instagram/Jono Castano

"Trying to stay fit and healthy post-retirement was partly a defence against that.

"When I hit 40, something told me that I wanted to be fitter and healthier than Id ever been."

Clarke teamed up with celeb trainer Jono Castano for the 12 weeks, but he's continuing to use what he learned in the gym.

Casey Donovan was flung into the limelight at the tender age of 16 as the youngest winner of Australian Idol.

Her success on stage and with her music has continued. Since the pandemic struck, Casey has tried to use her time wisely and, like many others, get healthier.

She admits it's sometimes hard work.

Singer and performer Casey Donovan has been making little changes to get a big difference. Photo: Getty Images and Instagram/@caseydonovan88

"Its not easy," the performer said on her social media account.

"Some days I wake and go, Im not going for a walk today'.

"But its about getting up and pushing yourself and knowing that its okay if you dont get out there and go for a walk - do better tomorrow or the next day.

"Be kind to yourself. I find that a lot of people havent been too kind to themselves during the lockdown, and reach for the biccies and the chips.

"But for me, its been nice to be able to get out there and exercise and take in the fresh air and enjoy the small things in life, which weve now been given the opportunity to do."

For all the little things she's been doing, she looks fabulous!

Married At First Sight contestant Jules Robinson revealed all about her epic transformation on her Instagram account.

"It was my own kinda lockdown, working non-stop from home and (a) full-time mum. It happens! Familiar story right!" she wrote on social media.

Married At First Sight's Jules Robinson (with hubby Cameron Merchant) has shed 20kg since the birth of son Ollie. Instagram/@julesrobinson82

"I have lost weight and now Im back to my pre-pregnancy weight," she revealed on Instagram.

"I had help with @jennycraigausnz and it was so easy and ideal as a busy working mum.

"The postpartum quest back to your body for me was about patience, celebrating what my body just did and still rocking all outfits."

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Or if you have a story idea, email us at lifestyle.tips@yahooinc.com.

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Celebrities who looked almost unrecognisable after their 2021 transformations - Yahoo News NZ

Governments worldwide push for the transhumanism agenda. Find out why they want to remove genders and create synthetic humans. Discover how COVID-19 vaccines, artificial intelligence, and 5G relate to transhumanism and how to stop it.

More...

Legal Notice

The information is presented for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, prescribe treat or cure cancer.This information is not intended as medical advice, please refer to a qualified healthcare professional.

The pharmaceutical industry is an evil and corrupt institution. Every year people die of their toxic drugs and cancer treatments. The only thing these companies care about is money.

If you thought that killing people for profit was terrible, their next big project is even worse than that. It's called transhumanism.

Julian Huxley coined the term transhumanism in 1957

The English biologist and philosopher Julian Huxley coined the term in 1957. Transhumanism is a movement that wants to" improve" the human body with technologies. Ways to achieve this goal include:

Governments around the world have in recent years pushed for the transhumanism agenda. Transgender propaganda and programming confuse young peoples' self-identity. The media, government departments, medical professionals, and academic institutions are all in on it.

We have no-gender toilets and the banning of male-female terms such as boy and girl, mum and dad. BBC's program for kids as young as six features a child taking hormone-blocking drugs.

The confusing of gender identity is to prepare us for the no-gender, synthetic human. Today's young are the biggest target because they will be the adults when it becomes a reality.

The first step in the transhuman transition is to remove gender-specific pronouns.

Governments want us to use new transgender pronouns. Pronouns are words that we use to replace nouns in a sentence. Today we refer to women as she/her/hers/herself. Or men with he/him/his/himself.

The confusing of gender identity is to prepare us for the no-gender, synthetic human

They/them pronouns are most popular by non-binary people. They are individuals who don't identify only as men or women. Transgender can also use other pronouns called Neopronouns.

Neopronouns are any third-person pronouns not officially recognized in the language. Some examples include:

Governments worldwide push us to use transgender pronouns. If we don't obey, we may face persecution.

It's now illegal in some places not to use the correct pronoun. People have lost their jobs for not using the correct pronoun for a female identifying as a male or vice versa.

In May 2019, a court ruled the father's "misgendering" of his child as "family violence." He called his daughter a girl and not a boy. A court ordered him to stop using female pronouns.

The girl's mother supports both social transition and hormonal treatments. But the father does not. The government decided that the sex change will happen, and the father has no say in the matter.

We can decide our gender according to transhumans

There is also a push for gender-neutral words. Breastfeeding will become "chestfeeding." Breastmilk is "human milk."

Other changes include replacing "woman" with "person." Or "father" with "parent", "co-parent" or "second biological parent".

A film made by BBC Teach explained that there are more than 100 different gender identities. Our sexual organs are no longer the deciding factor in determining what gender we have. We are gender fluent and can decide whether we are men or women.

You can identify as a male in the morning and a female in the evening. Creepy men can say they are women to enter female locker rooms and change back after they leave.

In the United States, about 0.58% of the adult population identifies as transgender. Why are governments focused on not offending a minuscule part of the population? Who benefits by us removing genders?

To find out the answer, we need to follow the money.

In an earlier blog post, I described how the oil billionaire John D. Rockefeller took over the medical industry. Rockefeller gave grants to medical schools to teach allopathic medicine. He found a way to make drugs by using his oil.

Private bankers met at Jekyll Island and highjacked the financial system

Rockefeller and other private bankers such as the Rothschilds and Warburgs met at Jekyll Island in 1910.

During this meeting, they created the Federal Reserve Act. In 1913 Congress passed the bill, and the president signed it in December the same year.

This act gave private bankers the power to issue money. Since then, they have used the control of the monetary system to manipulate the world to their plan.

Only a few families control the world.

Thirteen Elite banking families control where the money goes or doesn't. Private banks can lend money that doesn't exist. They create something called credit and charge interest on it. Controlling the creation and circulation of money is holding the system together.

The Rothchild dynasty is at the forefront of the monetary system. One percent of humanity owns the majority of the world's wealth. This scam is possible by centuries of manipulation of the financial system.

A small group of people controls the world through the financial system

Money is debt in its creation. The goal of the monetary system is to turn everyone into slaves. We can never pay back the debt, and therefore we're are always enslaved to the banking system.

You would think that with their vast wealth, the financial Elite would be satisfied. What more is there to strive for if you have unlimited wealth?

When you have everything you want, there is only one more thing that you can strive for: power.

To understand why the financial Elite wants power, we need to learn about the ego. Almost every person has an ego. It's a false self created by our negative thoughts.

Deep inside, we are complete. Love is the core of our being. The only thing hindering us from seeing it is our negative thoughts. Enlightened human beings have all found that happiness can only come by silencing the mind.

It's nothing you can find in external things. Most people try to find fulfillment from achievements, wealth, and possessions. But everyone following that path doesn't find everlasting happiness.

Most people try to find fulfillment from achievements, wealth, and possessions.

The ego believes that it can become complete by getting more. But it will never become satisfied. The financial Elite has enormous egos. They think that they can achieve happiness by controlling the world.

Elite bankers believe that they are above everyone else and need to control us for the greater good. They want to create a world government so they can rule us.

To achieve this dystopia, they need us to become dependent on the state. So how can they do that? By breaking our independence.

There are certain things that humans need to thrive. We need food, water, shelter, energy, and community.

Even if a tiny amount of people control our monetary system, there are still ways to get relative freedom. Growing vegetables is one way you can become independent of other people.

One way to become independent is by growing vegetables and fruits

But the financial Elite made it harder for us to grow our food. Strict zoning laws and restrictions make it near impossible for small farmers to survive.

Governments take over more farms. They can then control our food supply, and the only way to survive is to obey the government.

Another way to get relative freedom is to create a business.

We can become more self-sufficient if we create our own company. To break our independence, governments have to stop us from doing business.

That is what is happening right now. The COVID-19 hoax prevents people from running their businesses. Strict lockdowns measures make it impossible for most companies to survive.

Strict lockdowns measures make it impossible for most companies to survive

Instead, there is a massive transfer of wealth from the middle class to the financial Elite. If this economic takeover continues, the middle class will disappear. What's left is an upper-class and a low-class population.

If people cannot have their business or work, the only way they can survive is through government handouts. Another term for it is Universal Basic Income(UBI).

It's a communist-style economy where everyone works for the government. The world government will decide what job you should pursue. One vital step in the world government takeover is Agenda 21.

The whole COVID-19 agenda is a tool to destroy the economy. Elite bankers plan to create a world government that controls all commerce. They want to develop a ministry of trade that absorbs all businesses through Agenda 21/2030.

Agenda 21 is a U.N. project to install the world government structure. It started at the 1992 U.N. Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is since updated to Agenda 2030.

Agenda 21/2030 is a Trojan horse for global communism

The United Nations is a creation of the Rothschilds and Rockefellers. Rockefellers donated the land on which the U.N. headquarters stands.

The goal of Agenda 21 is to limit our freedom and to centralize power. Global warming is an excuse to remove our rights and let the government repress us.

Evil banking families have also taken control over the energy sector. They regulate the creation of electricity and oil through constant wars.

The Elite also controls our politicians and "democratic" system.

Democracy is a myth. We live under a global dictatorship without knowing it. There is no left or right. Once you have your political and economic structures in place, you can get any leader you want

There is no need to control all political parties, although they often do. You only need to choose the candidates that can win. Almost every country only has two or three parties that have any chance of forming a government. In the background, all answer to the same force.

Most leaders follow banker families

The reason why we don't hear about them is that Elite bankers hide in the background. Secret societies and satanic networks control the world through a spider web.

For a tiny financial Elite to control us, they need to centralize power. That's why we have governments and central banks.

Governments are taking over more resources around the world. Every day it becomes harder to survive in the world without the government.

Even if these banking families regulate our means of survival, they can't control us entirely. The last puzzle piece used to enslave us is by manipulating our reproduction and independent thinking. One primary facilitator of our brainwashing is the mainstream media.

The term "media" comes from "medium," which means an "intervening substance." Legislators needs to regulate information to control our perception.

A handful of giant corporations own the American media. You see different television and radio channels, newspapers, and magazines on any subject. There seems to be an endless choice from independent sources. But only six corporations control most of them.

The CIA maintains a massive network of foreign individuals around the world. These people give the CIA direct access to many newspapers and news agencies. They also help the CIA control radio and television stations and book publishers.

Only a few companies control our news

American and European media coordinate with each other. They spin and repeat the same stories required by the CIA and the web. The news propaganda brainwashes many people.

But when things become more extreme, even the press cannot deceive us anymore. If people see through government lies, they are impossible to control.

"It is possible to discipline and control some societies for some time, but not the whole world all the time.

One of the most desirable things we want is freedom. If we crave it bad enough, there is nothing that's going to stop us from getting it.

Even if you lose everything, the only thing you have left is your independent thinking. If you want to have total power, you need to restrain external conditions and thoughts. It's here the transhuman agenda comes in.

The financial Elite's ultimate goal is to create a fascistic society which they control. They call it The New World Order. It's a civilization that George Orwell described in his book 1984.

Everyone had to listen to everything Big brother said. Big brother monitored every thought and punished disobedience. If the financial Elite can control our thoughts and bodies, we become their slaves.

The transhumanism agenda has nothing to do about trans people's rights. It has more to do with control. Elite bankers have serious plans to create synthetic humans.

Elite bankers want to create a global government and enslave humans

It's an old plan which the author Audley Huxley warned about in his book A Brave New World. Aldous Huxley described in his book about laboratory babies.

Natural reproduction stopped, and scientists raised children in "hatcheries." From birth, people fit into one of the five genetic castes. "Plus" and "Minus" members fulfilled predetermined positions within the World State.

Population control is a vital piece of the transhumanism agenda.

In an earlier blog post, I exposed The Rockefellers' obsession with eugenics. Bill Gates is also a big promoter of population control. His father was once the leader of Planned Parenthood.

It's an organization created by the Rockefellers. Planned Parenthood helps women prevent pregnancies.

If you want to control the world population, the first step is to reduce it. Today there are close to 8 billion people on the earth.

A mysterious stone in Georgia says that humanity needs to maintain itself under 500 million

To create the world government, the Elite believes that over 90% of the population has to go. One number I have heard is 500 million people. You can see it on the Georgia Guidestones.

The best way to reduce the population is to stop our sexual reproduction. That way, the only means to reproduce is through cloning.

But don't you need our DNA to do that?

There are several ways the Elite collects our genetic code. One way is through Ancestry DNA. It is a subsidiary of Ancestry.com, the biggest for-profit genealogy company in the world.

You might have heard about services where you send saliva samples to analyze your ancestry. DNA-testing 23andMe is a "personal genomics and biotechnology" company.

Its center is in Silicon Valley, near Google and Facebook headquarters. The CEO Anne Wojcicki is the former wife of Sergey Brin, co-founder of Google.

Several ancestry services collect DNA samples for the transhumanism agenda

Her sister, Susan Wojcicki, is CEO of Google-owned YouTube. Google invested almost $4 million in 23andMe. I will later reveal the connection Big Tech companies like Google have to the transhuman A.I. agenda.

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The Scary Truth Of The Transhumanism Agenda - Cancer Wisdom

If our world is not on a direct path to the fulfillment of Revelation 13:16-18, the only alternative is to assume that something with a striking and most uncanny resemblance to the mark of the beast will appear in the not-too-distant future.

In other words, if what the transhumanist propose for our world is not the prelude to the mark of the beast, then I do not know what would be. Their plans for the future fit like a glove with what the apostle John wrote about the mark of the beast.

The words of Revelation 13:16-18 represent a specific, detailed prophecy and that cannot reach its full fruition until after the antichrist begins his reign of terror during the seven-year tribulation. Even so, we already see Satans evil and deadly end-of-days design for humanity at work in the plans of those who seek to impose transhumanism upon us.

Why do I say that this prophecy is already in play? Continue reading as I make my case in this post and those that follow.

Transhumanism is the combining of machines and human beings.

David Tippett, a contributor to the World Economic Forum (WEF) website, described transhumanism in this way:

It is rooted in the belief that humans can and will be enhanced by the genetic engineering and information technology of today, as well as anticipated advances, such as bioengineering, artificial intelligence, and molecular nanotechnology. The result is an iteration of Homo sapiens enhanced or augmented, but still fundamentally human.

The central premise of transhumanism, then, is that biological evolution will eventually be overtaken by advances in genetic, wearable and implantable technologies that artificially expedite the evolutionary process.[i]

The globalists of our day propose to fundamentally change humanity through means that include the changing of the human DNA (i.e., nanotechnology). Contrary to what the WEF would have us believe, the end result of this artificial biological evolution will be something far different than what God created as well as what Jesus died on the cross to redeem.

Dr. Carrie Madej, in her April 19, 2021 video, defined transhumanism in a similar way as in the above quote, but also warned of its many dire consequences for our future as the elite of the world seek to exercise complete control of our behavior.[ii]

In November of 2017, an article appeared on the Forbes website with this title: Transhumanism and The Future of Humanity: 7 Ways the World Will Change By 2030. Here is a quote from the introduction of this article:

This transformation will be messy, complex, and sometimes scary, but signals already point to a future of humanity that will blur our identities into transhumanism.[iii]

Several disturbing statements regarding transhumanism emerge from this Forbes 2017 article. The assertion of the author that transhumanism will blur our identities, however, shocks me the most. It confirms the planned merging of machines with our bodies would remove what makes us human.

Lest you think that transhumanism is just the aspiration of a few mad scientists, please know that many of the most powerful and wealthy people in the world openly support the combining of humans and machines as the next step in the evolutionary process. This concept finds its most fervent and outspoken support in the WEF. Its website contains an abundance of information on the combining of humans with machines.

Please know that the WEF is not some obscure fringe group. President Biden ran for office under the theme of Build Back Better; a slogan he took directly from the WEF as an indication of his support for its agenda. John Kerry, a prominent member of Bidens administration, has pledged the full support of the Biden administration to the Great Reset championed by the WEF.

An article on the New American website ties together the Great Reset advocated by the WEF and the Biden administration with the push for transhumanism:

Under the new world order envisioned by the proponents of the United Nations-backed Great Reset, humans will be merged with machines and technology. Literally. Perhaps most incredibly, the Deep State globalists behind the efforts are coming out of the closet. These days, they are openly and literally proclaiming their intention to abolish private ownership of property and even fuse microchips into peoples brains that will be able to read and manipulate individuals thoughts.[iv]

Please read the preceding quote again. It aptly summarizes my research and correctly connects the Great Reset of the WEF with its push for transhumanism through which it will read and manipulate the thoughts of those under it domain.

Notice also the reference to the deep state in the United States in the preceding quote; this refers to those in the U.S. who put Biden in office and now control his presidency. These elite globalists in the U.S. and throughout the world talk openly about their plans for both transhumanism and the Great Reset.

Consider this quote from the WEF website regarding the changes they plan for our world under what the WEF calls the Fourth Industrial Revolutions, their term for transhumanism:

The Fourth Industrial Revolution represents a fundamental change in the way we live, work and relate to one another. It is a new chapter in human development, enabled by extraordinary technology advances commensurate with those of the first, second and third industrial revolutions. These advances are merging the physical, digital and biological worlds in ways that create both huge promise and potential peril. The speed, breadth and depth of this revolution is forcing us to rethink how countries develop, how organisations create value and even what it means to be human.[v]

Though it may sound benign on the surface, the purpose of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is not to benefit humanity, no, not at all. Its the vehicle through which the WEF, along with globalists at the United Nations and in America, hope to force people into accepting a tyrannical and Marxist government through which they intend to control the lives of everyone on the planet.

The Great Reset agenda necessitates augmenting humans in such a way that will allow those in power to monitor and control their behavior via external computer networks and artificial intelligence.

How will these powerbrokers augment the makeup of human beings so as to merge them with machines? To answer that question, we begin with the words of Klaus Schwab of the WEF. In a January 10, 2016 interview, he explained that human beings will soon receive a chip in their body in order to merge [them] with the digital world. Below is another excerpt from this interview:

Schwab: And at first, we will implant them in our clothes. And then we could imagine that we will implant them in our brains, or in our skin. And in the end, maybe, here will be a direct communication between our brain and the digital world. What we see is a kind of fusion of the physical, digital, and biological world.

Interviewer: We call someone, we dont even have the reflex to take a device, its done naturally, the technique continues in the body. Schwab: Yes.

Interviewer: When will happen? Schwab: Certainly in the next ten years.[vi]

The following two points sum up the essence of transhumanism:

The process includes augmenting humans into something quite different than what God created as well as implanting a device inside them that will connect them to the digital world outside them.

The plan consists of connecting humans to the digital world, such as a supercomputer, that will monitor their behavior for the ultimate purpose of controlling it through the blending of people with machines.

At this point, however, it appears that these globalists might have a problem.

How do they put such a system in place? The vast majority of people would readily reject the changes that I have described in this post and rightly so. Some might desire the enhanced artificial intelligence that will come as the result of transhumanism, but not everything else that would come with it.

In part 2 of this series entitled Transhumanism: Is It Already Here? I will describe the deceitful plan of the transhumanists that they intend to use in augmenting human beings into something currently unrecognizable. Please keep reading as I continue to connect the dots.

Note: Please consider signing up for my newsletter on the home page of my website at https://www.jonathanbrentner.com/. It will greatly help me in reaching more people. Thanks!

[i] David Tippett, What is transhumanism and how does it affect you? April 10, 2018, https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/04/transhumanism-advances-in-technology-could-already-put-evolution-into-hyperdrive-but-should-they/

[Ii] Dr. Carrie Madej video from April 19, 2021, https://thenewamerican.com/covid-shots-dna-transhumanism-with-dr-madej-2/ In this excellent video, she goes into great detail regard the threat of transhumanism.

[iii] Sarwant Singh, Transhumanism And The Future Of Humanity: 7 Ways The World Will Change By 2030, Nov. 20, 2017, Forbes website at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarwantsingh/2017/11/20/transhumanism-and-the-future-of-humanity-seven-ways-the-world-will-change-by-2030/?sh=35b71a4d7d79

[iv] Alex Newman, Great Reset Transhumanism: Merging Man & Machine, December 2, 2020, @ https://thenewamerican.com/great-reset-transhumanism-merging-man-machine/

[v] Fourth Industrial Revolution page @ https://www.weforum.org/focus/fourth-industrial-revolution

[vi] Text is taken from a video within an article by Peter Koenig, The Super-Capitalists Depopulation Agenda, May 17, 2021. At: https://www.globalresearch.ca/global-depopulation-has-started/5745289

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Transhumanism: The Plot to Control Your Life! Jonathan ...

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Lets address the most contentious issue first. This movie isnt great, but its not The Last Jedi bad. Matrix fans arent going to be storming the gates in protest, because their beloved characters were assassinated for the message. Its true that Neo is nerfed so that Trinity can take his place. This is annoying because, as Ive said before, nobody wants to see a Dragon Ball Z spectacle featuring Neos powers just so the poor sap could die in obscurity because nothing he did mattered anyway. They didnt do this, and that is to the writers credit.

If there was anybody who deserved a Deus ex Machina sent by the Social Justice Warriors from on high, it was Trinity. Her decision to go with Neo to the machine city, even though it meant certain death, easily made her the most courageous character in the trilogy. Nobody gave her Matrix Wi-Fi. So, even though, the twist at the end of the film made zero sense, from a narrative standpoint, she earned her miracle. Were not talking about Rey, Mary-Sue, Skywalker, some random character with no connection to the things that were before whos magically able to fix the old ships, shoot better, fight better, jump better, drive a boat better even though she grew up on a desert planet, basically do everything better for no reason other than she is the narrative equivalent of a jingling set of keys. Trinity is not Rey. She earned her place in the original trilogy because she suffered with the other characters, and I would argue she even earned her position as the new One alongside Neo because she suffered as Neo suffered.

I bring this up because there have been multiple people who have compared this movie to The Last Jedi, and while this movie is by no means good, equivocating it to Rian Johnsons cinematic abomination is a little harsh.

The real issue with this movie is that it clearly did not want to be made. Over an hour is devoted to Neos new life within the Matrix. There is a scene toward the beginning where the new Agent Smith who is now a cooperate bigwig is telling Neo that they are making the Matrix Trilogy, which is now a video game, into a new franchise, and the company is going to do this with or without his cooperation. I imagine is this exactly how the pitch meeting went when the studio approached Lana Wachowski. The implications are about as subtle as Neo being called the One and dying only to rise from the dead. Say what you will about the Wachowskis, subtlety is not their strong suit. After this scene, we get a montage showing all these corporate suits arguing over what the Matrix is and over time redefining the game altogether. Theres only one word to describe this sequence, meta.

This reset is noticeable, and it contributes to the contrived nature of the film. Wachowski wants to affirm her characters struggles in a world which is being rebooted by force. The way she resolves this dilemma is interesting. When Neo expresses regret because his fight did not end the Matrix, one of characters shows him her pet sentient robots which are literally called sentients. So, the One did not end the Matrix, instead the One created a unity between man and machine. This isnt transhumanism in the sense that man has merged with machine, but rather, the machines have become, for all intent and purposes, human. They can completely wake up and leave the Matrix if they wish, and now, the free humans are tasked with liberating the machines as well as other humans.

This is interesting, and I suppose it should have been obvious, considering the machines seemed to be practically human anyway by the end of the previous trilogy. But it was a surprising twist anyway, and a clever way of getting around undermining Neos previous accomplishments.

As before, none of these details are explained. How the robots are doing any of this remains a constant nagging question throughout the film, but this time, one could arguably be a little more sympathetic about the plot hole because Wachowski is struggling to reestablish a finished franchise without negating the accomplishments of the previous characters.

I have much more to say about the movie, and we will cover those topics as well as go into more details regarding how the machines work, the programs work, and how the main antagonist operates in the next review.

Here are my thoughts on the original Matrix Trilogy:

Bringing you up to date with the Matrix series: Will The Matrix Resurrections (dropped December 22) break the mold? The culturally influential trilogy (control by evil aliens) enjoys a fascinating beginning but a thud! ending. Can we really escape a world of illusions simply by following our most basic influences? If wisdom cant help, why should instinct be the answer? (Gary Varner)

The Matrix Reloaded (2003) just did not load properly. Although the second part of the Matrix trilogy offers interesting ideas and exciting action, the confusing plot obscures the concepts it should explore. Free will is hard to explore when, among AIs, Agent Smith can think freely, the Architect cant grasp the idea, and the Oracle understands but doesnt have it. (Gary Varner)

The Matrix Revolutions (2003) spins out of control. In Part I of this review of the third film in The Matrix trilogy anticipating The Matrix: Resurrections (December 22) we bring you up to date on the story. The plot continues to baffle: How did Neo end up in digital purgatory? How can machines fall in love and produce a child? Answers are awaited.

and

The Matrix Revolutions churns into a cosmic drama. It turns out to be a conflict between chaos and probability with no apparent moral compass. As fans await The Matrix Resurrection, we begin to sense an outline in The Matrix: Revolutions of the ultimate conflict of human vs. machine.

The Matrix Trilogy: Some Final Thoughts I enjoyed the films and am looking forward to the Matrix Resurrections but there are some things I need to say as a reviewer. The problem with the Matrix trilogy that it tries to say too much, and so the messages conflict when theyre not downright confusing.

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The Matrix Resurrections: The Studio Is Making Us Do This! - Walter Bradley Center for Natural and Artificial Intelligence

Question: Ive found that Im becoming more anxious lately, and some of my friends have recommended meditation. I dont know a lot about it but have heard its becoming more popular. Is this something worth exploring?

Answer: This season is a time when many people celebrate by writing up a list of resolutions, often relating to healthy living. and one healthy habit more and more people are adding to their lives is meditation.

According to the Mayo Clinic, meditation has been around for thousands of years, in a variety of forms, throughout the world. Meditation today is recognized as a mind-body activity that can reduce stress and promote relaxation.

In general, meditation involves focusing your attention and evading the continuing stream of ideas, urges, and worries that often crowd our minds. It can provide benefits that last long after a specific meditation session concludes, helping people tackle the remainder of their day with fresh calmness and clarity. The Mayo Clinic reports it has been found to aid symptoms of certain medical conditions, including anxiety, asthma, sleep problems, tension headaches, and high blood pressure.

Meditation often involves the following components:

Focused attention: This is focusing on a specific object, image, word/phrase (mantra), or breathing.

Relaxed breathing: This involves slow, deep, even-paced breathing, using the diaphragm to expand the lungs and take in more oxygen.

Maintaining an open attitude: Practice letting ones thoughts enter and leave the mind without judging them.

Yoga is also a form of meditation. It requires balance and concentration, which helps people practicing it focus more on the present, instead of dwelling on the news or a to-do list.

Our own Healthy Living Center of Excellence offers free, evidence-based workshops that teach or incorporate practices of meditation, including tai ji quan and tai chi.

Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance is a training regimen designed for older adults or anyone having trouble with their balance. The workshop meets in one-hour sessions, twice per week, for 24 weeks.

Tai Chi focuses on preventing falls and improving balance through a gentle form of a Chinese martial art that includes a series of movements performed like a slow-motion dance in conjunction with deep breathing. The Tai Chi workshop meets for one hour, twice per week, for 12 weeks.

For more information about these and other HLCE workshops, visit our website at https://agespan.org/solutions/health-wellness/

By exploring these and other options, you may find a form of meditation that feels right for you. I wish you all the best for 2022.

Are you struggling to care for an older adult or having difficulty locating resources? Our experienced staff is available to help. Visit us online at http://www.agespan.org for more information. You can also call us at 800-892-0890 or email info@agespan.org. Joan Hatem-Roy is the Chief Executive Officer of AgeSpan, formerly Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley and North Shore.

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