From left are Paulina Thompson, Alchemy Arts owner Lisa Black and Sidney Delorenzo.

By Matt Petras

For the MVI

At a thriving business on McKean Avenue in Donora, customers who enter are greeted to relaxing music, figurines of characters from animated movies and television shows like Toy Story, Doug and Sailor Moon, plants and a small group of welcoming women.This is Alchemy Arts Tattoo, a business started in October 2021 by Lisa Black with a focus on being welcoming to those who may be nervous, but interested in tattoos.

To read the rest of the story, please see a copy of Saturdays Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at http://monvalleyindependent.com.

Read more:

Donoras Alchemy Arts: Tattoos in an atmosphere thats not ... - The Mon Valley Independent

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, SheKnows may receive an affiliate commission.

Once children stop being little kids and enter the tween and teen years, inviting the entire class to a bounce house to celebrate birthdays is no longer an option. However, even surly teenagers deserve to be celebrated. There are still plenty ofspecial ways teens can mark another trip around the sun with their friends. Even very big kids can find ways to have fun on their birthdays with their besties.

Playtime is a serious affair for kids, no matter how big they are. Candy Land may be a thing of the past, but older kids still like games. Head to the nearest escape room and watch as they try to get their way out of a jam. Or for under $15, get an at-home escape room kit like Exit that comes in themes like The Abandoned Cabin and Lord of the Rings. Whether or not you help is up to you!

Whether your t(w)een is a scream queen or rom-com fanatic, movies are always a hit and there is no shortage of options for every budget. Drop older teens off at the theater with a few friends and money for popcorn. If your budget is a little higher, arrange for a private showing for a gaggle of t(w)eens. For those who want to stay closer to home there are also a few options. Stream the latest flick on your biggest screen television or go big and get a projector. All you need is a blank wall or white sheet. To make a movie at home extra special, head to the back yard and watch a movie under the stars. The one thing all movie parties need? Popcorn and candy. Microwavable bags are adequate, but a cost-effective way to up the ante is to get some gourmet popcorn. Johnsons has been making popcorn at the Jersey Shore for decades. Have a big tub or party favor sized containers shipped to your door. Or, get a mix of fun flavors in individual bags from Popcornopolis.

For about the same price as a traditional party at a trampoline park, parents can rent a limo for their t(w)eens nearest and dearest friends. While a parent rides up front with the chauffeur, kids can take over the back while they indulge in unlimited soda and candy or just enjoy being driven around town like the VIPs they are.

For something closer to a traditional birthday party, take your t(w)eens bowling. This is a great option for tweens and teens who want bigger parties and for parents who arent ready to host a house party. Book a couple of lanes and sit back and the kids do their thing, with or without bumpers.

Birthdays are a great time to let those DIY skills shine. Choose a craft and let the t(w)eens have at it. Michaels Crafts has ideas for every budget, interest, and skill level. Or, save yourself some time and get each guest a pre-made craft kit like Big Fat Yarn knitting kits for beginners that include everything they need to make their own creation from start to finish. Each box comes with enough supplies for multiple projects. As a bonus, since guests are making something to take home, there is no need to worry about party favors.

Related storySarah Michelle Gellar Shares the Unfair Rule She Has for Her Teenage Daughter Charlotte

Tweens and teens are at the perfect age to truly appreciate a little pampering. Head to the drug store to get some face masks, whip up a sugar scrub, and grab some nail polish. Gather a few partygoers, stream some relaxing music, and treat the birthday kid and their friends to a day of pampering in the living room. Gen-Z favorite Miss A has facial tools like jade rollers for under $2.00 each. For an extra treat, make some tea sandwiches. If your budget is bigger, take the birthday honoree and a couple of friends to a salon for mani/pedis.

Challenge kids to bake something amazing. This can be as simple or complicated as the guest of honor and their supervising grown-up can handle. Bake a cake for each t(w)een and hand them over for each to decorate. Or, grab an all-in-one baking kit there are several great options depending on interest and skill level. The Cookie Cups has kits for making everything from cookies to cinnamon buns. A great option is their Royal Cocoa Bomb making kit that allows each party guest to make, and decorate, their own cocoa bomb that explodes in warm milk. Bake Eat Love is another option, with kits for macarons and eclairs that work well for parties. Because no one is too old for cake pops, another fun option is KidStirs unicorn cake pop kits. A plus to this type of party is that snacks are taken care of!

Sleepovers never go out of style. Teens and tweens can gather their nearest and dearest friends for a full night of revelry. Order in some pizza, break out the best board games, stream the latest teen flicks, and tell the kids to try to not to be too loud after 11:00 pm (then wear your earplugs and try to get some sleep). Any of the other ideas for tween- and teen-friendly parties can easily be extended into a sleepover thats extra; a fun option to make a sleepover a little more personalized is to get the t(w)eens matching pajamas or robes.

Sure, tweens and teens can be increasingly hard to please the older they get, but that doesnt mean its impossible. It just takes some creativity and a little willingness to fade into the background, like a cool parent, while they take the party into their own hands.

These celeb parents know how to throw an epic birthday bash!

See the original post here:

Birthday Party Ideas That Teens & Tweens Wont Think Are Mid - SheKnows

A Berkshire-based painter and business owner has gone viral on Tik Tok after creating the ultimate sun-rise wake-up videos.

Snow Windows is a design business that provides unique tailored spray snow concepts for homes and commercial settings during the festive period.

After a busy Christmas, early risers Tom (and wife Kerry) took to social media to showcase their work whilst the rest of the world dozes.

Tom Baker said: The reason we started to develop theseTik Toks was because we wanted to start doing lives but unfortunately with two kids time is not in plentiful supply.

I get up ridiculously early every morning and so I thought if I get up this early, other people must do as well. I thought it would be a good time to do something different and relaxing,especially first thing in the morning.

I also have people who are watching from America who havent even gone to bed yet so we get quite a lot of viewers from across the pond.

Toms pieces include everything from his classic snow scenes that can be seen around Christmas to a Ford Mustang labelled Midnight in LA.

With seven years of experience, Tom has said that this has given him a change to create content in a relaxed setting when there is little movement in the house every morning.

He explained: We only started it a week ago but so far everybody has beenreallypositive. People are waking up and going to bed just watching a bit of art being done.

Its also a really lovely way to wake up while Im painting. After setting up the camera and having a cup of tea I just get to work.

We put some relaxing music on and let people wake up easy.

Featuring in windows at world famous venues like Lego Land, The Shard and Harrods, this Sandhurst residenthas worked his way up through the years.

With no painting background to speak of, everything has beenself-taught for this talented artist.

Online snow painting classes have also been introduced this month for people who would like to try their hand at the art.

Baker said: Weve got 30 people who have started the classes on the 16th of January and everyone seems to be enjoying it. Ive never taught before but its going really well.

It made me think about what I do because Ive never really thought about it in any depth. Breaking it down for other people to learn and making tasks and exercises to be able to practice was the hardest part but so far everyone is improving.

See the article here:

Snow Windows: Artist goes viral with his creations on Tik Tok - Bracknell News

WHENS the last time you had an orgasm? A really good, euphoric orgasm that left you smiling for hours?

If youre having sex, yet not hitting the big O, it might be time to try some new tactics.

1

Niki Davis-Fainbloom, is a sex and relationship expert at Practical Psychology.

Shes had the opportunity to work with many women and couples on issues related to intimacy and sexual satisfaction, and says: First and foremost, it is important to acknowledge that every woman is different, and what works for one may not work for another.

However, Niki does add there are certain strategies that can increase the likelihood of a woman experiencing orgasm during sex.

Give these a try

Id personally recommend the Speed Bump; a simple version of doggy-style, says Pippa Murphy, Sex & Relationship expert at condoms.uk.

The woman lies on her stomach and places a pillow under her hips, which acts as the speed bump.

Their partner then enters from behind while kneeling and holding onto the womans hips for support, explains Pippa.

She adds that placing a pillow underneath the receiving partner is vital as this speed bump makes it easier for their g-spot to be hit on the front wall of the vagina, therefore making it easier for them to reach a climax.

If your partner likes to jump the gun and skip straight to the main course, then youll likely be in for a sexual disaster.

Its during foreplay that your arousal will heighten, increasing your chances of orgasm.

Your brain is wired to experience more pleasure when the anticipation of a reward goes on for a long period, making foreplay even more key to an orgasm, says Pippa.

So, if you feel that your partner is rushing it, take control of the situation and ask them to slow down. You can even guide them.

Foreplay includes kissing too by the way!

If you spend the majority of sexual intercourse on your back, its time to flip things over.

Lying on top of your partner helps stimulate the g-spot, plus it allows you to move into a position that works. Essentially youre in control!

Research has found that face-to-face female on top, is one of the best positions to orgasm.

The best move when youre on top?

Many women commonly report being on top in the 'cowgirl' position is good for clitoral stimulation and pressure on the clitoris increases the potential for orgasm, says Kate Moyle, sex therapist for Lelo and founder of The Sexual Wellness Sessions Podcast.

The penetrating partner lies flat on their back, and then the other partner kneels astride them.

Kate adds that the one on top uses their partner's chest as the support, by pushing off with their hands to control the rhythm and depth of penetration.

It is essential for a woman to communicate her desires, needs and boundaries to her partner, says Niki.

Approach the subject during a time when you and your partner are relaxed.

Communication can involve discussing what types of touch and stimulation feel pleasurable, as well as any areas that are off limits, says Niki.

It can also be helpful for a woman to communicate when she is approaching orgasm, so that her partner can adjust their techniques accordingly.

You might even want to show your partner what to do.

Not comfortable speaking to your partner? This could be a bigger issue and it might be time to address this before going any further.

Many women find it difficult to climax if they are feeling anxious, stressed or self-conscious, says Niki.

Creating a comfortable and relaxed environment, both physically and emotionally, can help a woman let go and fully enjoy the experience.

You could try dimming the lights, lighting candles and playing relaxing music.

Niki also suggests taking breaks to check in with one another.

Stuck doing the same thing, every time you have sex?

Mix things up by exploring and experimenting.

This can involve trying out different positions, speeds, and pressures to see what feels most pleasurable.

It can also involve incorporating toys or other forms of enhancement, such as lubricants or arousal gels, says Niki.

Remember, its good to be open-minded and willing to try new things in order to find what works best for you.

Whether youre single or in a relationship, Niki says its crucial for a woman to focus on her own pleasure and not get caught up in trying to please her partner.

This can involve setting aside time for solo exploration, learning about your own body and what feels good to you, and communicating this information to your partner.

Your partner will likely tell you his needs, so be sure to prioritise your own pleasure and increase the likelihood of achieving orgasm during sex.

Kate explains: The nipples have also been shown to show activity in the same part of the brain as sensations from the vagina, clitoris and cervix, which could in part explain why many report being able to orgasm from nipple stimulation, and that it boosts pleasure.

Not sure where to start?

Nipples can be experimented with by kissing, licking, pulling or using your hands to play with them to explore what feels good.

Playing with temperatures such as ice cubes can add something further.

Distraction is a real interruptor of our sex lives, pleasure and orgasms, says Kate.

Perhaps youre experiencing pain or discomfort, youre worrying about how your body looks or youre thinking about something that's going on outside of sex.

There may be trust issues with your partner or anxiety.

When we are focused on what's going on in our heads rather than our bodies we can psychologically detach from our pleasure, and for some people this can be hard to reconnect, says Kate.

Mindfulness for sex lives can help.

Try Headspaces Womens Collection or download an app such as Ferly for audio-guided sexual exercises to help guide you in your practice.

Link:

From mindfulness to the speed bump position heres how to guarantee an orgasm... - The US Sun

Why is it so damn hard to have a good night's sleep? If you've tried every pillow mist, weighted blanket and breathing technique under the sun in your quest for a good night's kip, there could be a much simpler solution.

According to the experts at Mattress Online, finding your sleep window - that's the most optimal time period within which an individual should fall asleep - could be the answer. Yes, it really is that simple.

So what exactly is a sleep window and how do you find yours? A sleep window is the optimal time period within which a person should fall asleep - a period when the brain wants and expects sleep. Everybodys sleep window will be different; the time period associated with your own sleep window will come down to you as an individual.

A useful analogy to describe the sleep window involves picturing yourself at a train station late at night, waiting for a connection. When the train finally arrives, you can either board it and head to your destination or miss it and wait for the next train.

As Chloe Angus, Wellbeing Manager at Cavendish Care, explains: If you are able to fall asleep in your sleep window, you are much more likely to have good sleep."

Whilst everyone's sleep window will be different - and it takes a bit of experimentation to pinpoint yours - Chloe suggests experimenting between 9:30pm and 11:30pm, as most peoples optimal sleep window falls within this time.

Chloe adds: If you develop a good sleep routine and regularly fall asleep in your optimal window, you create a good brain habit for sleep which has a positive impact on your overall sleep status.

Ok, so how do we find out specific sleep window within this two hour period? Use the standard 8 hour sleep recommendation as a benchmark, she says. Whether you feel that you need the recommended 8 hours sleep or not, refer to this benchmark when finding your own sleep window. For example, if you need to get up at 6am, aim to be asleep by 10pm, and adjust accordingly.

Now that you've figured out your specific sleep window (for example, I am usually awoken by my daughter at 5.30am and can survive on around 7.5 hours sleep so my sleep window is around 10pm), here's how to actually fall asleep within your window, according to Chloe.

Prepare yourself for not falling asleep straight away

It is rare for us to fall asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillow, no matter our good intentions of getting an early night. If youre aiming to be asleep by 10pm, get into bed at 9pm if it takes you a while to wind down. Consider preparing your body and mind for sleep with a sleep-friendly routine during the early evening and avoid anything which can impact your sleepiness.

Limit caffeine intake and cut out late-night snacking

Ideally, avoid caffeinated drinks such as tea, coffee and energy drinks from midday, and finish eating completely at least 2 to 3 hours before you want to fall asleep to give your body a chance to digest food properly before bedtime.

Resist looking at electronic devices late at night

It is well known that the blue light emitted from phones and other electronics overstimulate the mind, but the type content you consume before bed can also have an effect on sleep quality and ability to fall asleep. Switch off phone notifications by using the Do Not Disturb feature on your phone, use night time filters, and avoid engaging, stimulating TV or film content in the lead up to bedtime.

Develop a night time routine to optimise your sleep window

Our minds and bodies enjoy routine. A healthy bedtime routine that includes things such as reading, listening to relaxing music or performing a step-by-step skincare routine will help to soothe you before bed, helping you achieve that ideal window of sleep needed for your wellbeing.

Write a sleep diary for daily deadlines

Put mental distractions down on paper before bed by keeping a sleep diary of deadlines to help keep consistency. For example, having the last cup of coffee at 12 noon, herbal and decaf beverages only after this time; evening meal to finish at 7pm; switch off phone/TV and start bedtime routine at 9pm. With these distractions out of the way, you will be able to discern when your body usually wants to fall asleep naturally.

Sweet dreams.

Read the original:

Your Sleep Window Will Help You Get The Best Night's Rest - GLAMOUR UK

The Amazon Music app has arrived on Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Sky Q today with millions of songs and albums, thousands of playlists, and latest releases to enjoy, all via the app.

To give it a go, simply say Hello Sky, open Amazon Music to your Sky Glass or Amazon Music into your voice remote, or find it in the apps rail. You'll discover a wealth of playlists curated by Amazon Music experts, including some of the biggest songs in the world on All Hits, the best of UK rap, R&B, drill, grime and afro-beats on +44, the hottest dance tracks in the UK on Dance UK, exciting new rock music from around the world on Rock Scene or happy, upbeat hits to make you feel good on Feeling Happy. There is also an abundance of playlists to soundtrack your day, from cooking and relaxing to dinner parties and working out.

Amazon Music has three tiers for listeners to choose from:

At Sky were focused on bringing people the best entertainment experience, and the launch of Amazon Music on Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Sky Q really emphasises that. Fans can enjoy a huge selection of brilliant music and playlists on their TV alongside the best range of shows, movies and fitness content, saidFraser Stirling, Global Chief Product Officer at Sky. and what better way to listen to your favourite music than on Sky Glass with its amazing sound!

Karolina Joynathsing, Director, Business Development at Amazon Music added; We are delighted to bring Amazon Music to Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Sky Q. Sky provides their subscribers a one-stop-shop for entertainment content, in all of its forms, and Im thrilled to see Amazon Music now part of that offering.

Tune into all your favourites by simply saying Hello Sky, Music to your TV and uncover a whole collection of songs, albums and more from a range of brilliant entertainment apps. Todays announcement marks further collaboration between Sky and Amazon, after the Amazon Prime Video app launched on Sky Q in 2020 and Sky Glass in October 2021.

Last year, Sky launched Sky Stream the latest innovation on the Sky Glass platform and the new, easy way to get the Sky Glass experience on any TV. The platformispowered bySkysEntertainment Operating System,whichis regularly updatedto ensure the viewing experience keeps gettingeven smarter for our Sky GlassandSky Stream customers.

Notes to editors

About Sky

Sky is one of Europes leading media and entertainment companies and is part of Comcast Corporation, a global media and technology company that connects people to moments and experiences that matter. At Sky we Believe in Better. Its in our DNA.

Were famous for innovation. We offer streaming services NOW and WOW; Sky Glass, the TV that keeps getting smarter; Sky Stream, the new, easy way to get the Sky Glass experience on any TV; and the best aggregation platform, Sky Q. We provide connectivity you can count on in mobile, and fast, secure, reliable residential and business broadband.

Were Europes premium content producer. We create award-winning original content, produce the biggest live sporting events, and we provide free access to news and the arts.

We believe that we can have a positive impact on society, by supporting and creating tens of thousands of jobs, addressing digital inequality, being a diverse and inclusive employer, and becoming net zero carbon by 2030.

About Amazon Music

Amazon Music is an immersive audio entertainment service that connects fans, artists, and creators through music, podcasts, and culture. Amazon Music brings fans closer to what they love, with curated and personalised playlists, artist livestreams, artist merch, and Amazon Exclusive podcasts. Prime members get access to over 100 million songs in shuffle mode, All-Access playlists, plus the largest catalogue of top ad-free podcasts, included with their membership. Customers can upgrade to Amazon Music Unlimited for full, on-demand access to 100 million songs in HD and a growing catalogue of Ultra HD and Spatial audio. Anyone can listen to Amazon Music by downloading the Amazon Music app for free, or wherever they listen to music including Alexa-enabled devices. Learn more at https://www.amazon.co.uk/music

Read the rest here:

Amazon Music app arrives on Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Sky Q - Sky Group

Commentary

Im not quite sure when counselling people to make their bed every morning became a seditious act of far-right extremism, but according to a coalition in the nations capital, the two are linked.

Starting each day with a completed task such as tucking the sheets in is among Jordan Petersons tips in his book 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, which has now been on Amazons list of best-sellers for 256 weeks. He may be internationally renowned as a leading public intellectual, but in Canada some people want him shut down.

Three dozen self-described Ottawa community organizations want their city council to ban Peterson from speaking on Jan. 30 at the Canadian Tire Centre.

As we approach the one-year anniversary of the so-called Freedom Convoy, the last thing we need is a spokesperson of the far-right taking centre stage in our city, Jaime Sadgrove, manager of communications and advocacy for the Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity, told the Ottawa Citizen.

Fae Johnstone, a critic from the trans community, chimed in on Twitter: Proud to join over three dozen organizations across Ottawa calling on the @CdnTireCtr to cancel their upcoming event with misogynistic, racist and transphobic Jordan Peterson.

And as Johnstone told the Citizen: His message puts marginalized folks at risk.

And there you have itsome pretty clear outlines of the arguments that will be used to suppress speech in Canada in the coming years. Disagreeable phrases, or even thoughts, put people at risk. Never mind Peterson (he can take care of himself), the real concern going forward for the rest of us is how deftly the radical left has led the charge for censorship.

So far, theyve been stunningly successful in shaping the conversation to their liking. Really, theyve run the table and as it stands theres no reason to think they wont continue to do so.

They have done it by conquering the narrative. Words that offend have swiftly transitioned from offensive or eew to acts of hate that can inspire violence. When they choose, even silence is violence. People of colour are now racializeda far more active term which has swiftly been adopted, unopposed, by most corporate human resource departments. Inconvenient facts are unashamedly labelled disinformation.

Catholic priests are about to be banned as chaplains in the Canadian Armed Forces because their church maintains views that allegedly make them incapable of spiritual compassion when it comes to women and gay soldiers and sailors. They, it is feared, may feel more uncomfortable in the chaplains presence than they are grasping for the salvation of their immortal souls.

Most of us may never have met one, but public servants are taught in education sessions that white supremacists and their attitudes are stitched throughout the fabric of society and, as critical race theory gets adopted unimpaired by intellectual review, its now accepted that all white people are irredeemably racist. Nerves are so raw that, for instance, theUniversity of Southern California has removed the term field from its curriculum due to racist connotations. In reports concerning cancer screening, some media refer to people with cervixes rather than use the term women.

Its a minefield. And a very cleverly designed one at that.

It is the foundation upon which Heritage Minister Pablo Rodriguez will build legislation restricting freedom of expression. As most folks know by now, governments can legitimately argue for restricted speech when it is linked to harm. To put it simply, a trained psychologist like Jordan Peterson standing up on a stage in Ottawa and claiming that people with penises might not be actual women is the 21st-century equivalent of shouting Fire! in a crowded theatre. And whether its true or not just doesnt matter.

Just ask J.K. Rowling who, although she has never spoken one harsh word against a member of the trans community, continues to be given the bums rush from polite society, as Brendan ONeill put it recently in the Spectator.

What has really happened is that belief in biological sex has been redefined as bigotry, he wrote. Standing up for womens sex-based rights has been rebranded as transphobia. So Rowlings perfectly normal views, which are likely shared by most people out there, can be talked about as hate crimes when they are nothing of the kind.

British author and political commentator Konstantin Kisin, who is about as middle of the political road as it gets, has similarly found himself shunned by some media for his efforts to bring reason to the woke, recently through a very popular speech to the Oxford Union. And yet:

Funny how people attack me for going on right-leaning media, he tweeted. Do you know that not ONE left-leaning publication or TV show has invited me on to talk about my speech? Not one.

Thoughts and words that once were viewed as merely contentious or disagreeable are now subjected to the most severe opprobrium from segments of society previously deemed radical but which are now termed moderate. The moderatesthe sort of people who like to make their beds every morningare now the extremists. Resist and you risk being branded an ally of all the evils listed above.

Hyperbolic neo-puritanism isnt just winning, its poised to codify its victory in legislation, after which there will be no going back. And, as history teaches, those who suppress free expression never turn out to be the good guys.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Peter Menzies is a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, an award winning journalist, and former vice-chair of the CRTC.

See the original post:

Peter Menzies: Ottawa's Speech-Restricting Legislation Built on Same Foundation That Aims to Silence Peterson ... - The Epoch Times

Can we know and choose meanings and values that will make us worthwhile and happy? Can we know who we are and ought to be? Can we know ourselves, construct community and relate to God and others wisely and well?

Jordan Peterson argues we can find meaning even in the chaos and suffering of life. Bernard Lonergan, S.J., demonstrates how to transcend ourselves in knowledge, how to heal our culture, how to discern and discover truth, and how to relate to the loving mystery of God. Father Lonergan shows us the way to progress and how to counter the forces of decline. These two Canadians address our punishingly polarized, religious and cultural controversiesbut in radically different ways.

Peterson, a public intellectual, global phenomenon and omnipresent YouTube star, is a clinical psychologist and a superb speaker. He revels in denouncing the postmodern denizens of contemporary academe. He discovers deep meaning in everything from academic journals to biblical stories to classical literature to Disney movies to Harry Potter to the lives of his two children. Peterson decries Jacques Derridas proposition that all is interpretation and Michel Foucaults assertion that everything is just a struggle for power.

Peterson preaches that our existence is structured by natural hierarchies, rooted in nature. Inequality has its benefits (although he realizes too much inequality is eventually destructive). Gender fluidity, most leftist ideologies and some contemporary movements for social justice (e.g., Black Lives Matter) are targets of his withering critiques. He argues that such utopian visions are ultimately harmful to the persons they pretend to assist. He is rightly haunted by his extensive studies of the worst people, places and events of the 20th century: Hitlers atrocities, Stalins gulag, Maos cultural revolution and the Khmer Rouges killings.

He defends capitalism, supports those who lean toward the maintenance of the status quo, and questions those who too quickly and unreflectively tear apart established orders without knowing where such revolutionary energies eventually lead.

For Peterson, the best we can do is devise strategies for balancing the threatening forces of chaos with order, characterized by sensible freedom and societal compromises that do not allow liberties to develop into tyrannies. His astute analysis of the difficulties of perception calls attention to the ways in which our own internal functioning(s) cause us to see the world in certain ways. Curiously, he approaches questions of being and God but pulls back from definitive pronouncements on such matters. Maybe this is a sign of an admirable heuristic humility. But in the final analysis, he offers more means of survival than reasons for transformative grace and hope.

Petersons two best-sellers, 12 Rules for Life and Beyond Order (along with his earlier academic tome, Maps of Meaning), provide observations and stories, many from Petersons personal life and clinical practice. Like Scott Pecks 1978 The Road Less Traveled, whose first words were life is difficult, Peterson begins with the pain and suffering of human existence. He trumpets his message, especially to young men: Get your act together. Dont expect anyone to make life easy for you. Confronting lifes inevitable tragedies and tribulations requires sacrifice. Get off the couch in your parents basement. Choose a path. Work to make things the way you want. Be honest, truthful and wise. Be strong. Be heroic. In doing so, you will find a meaningful life and be a worthwhile person.

Among the Canadian Jesuit Bernard Lonergans works are two major undertakings: Insight: A Study of Human Understanding (1957) and Method in Theology (1972). Both are demanding but rewarding reading (hint: Start with Method). Lonergan describes our lives as part of cosmic processes of emergent probability. Cycles of progress and decline characterize human history.

The rock on which we can build is the transcultural, transtemporal, self-evident fact of the deep and disinterested desire to know that characterizes human persons. To disagree with Lonergans starting point is contradictory: Such disagreement demonstrates the desire to know at issue. For Lonergan, the act of understanding reveals our cognitional structure, which reveals a metaphysics (what is really real and true) and ushers forth an ethics (the revelation of what we ought to do).

Lonergans method is transcendental. The appropriation and practicing of Lonergans method lead us beyond ourselves to relations with others and, ultimately, God. The point is self-appropriation of our consciousness, i.e., awareness, on the levels of experiencing, understanding, judging and deciding. Each of these levels reveal intrinsic transcendental precepts, or rules: Be attentive, be intelligent, be reasonable, be responsible. I would add that creative action calls us to be loving.

Lonergan profoundly analyzes evil rooted in the reality of bias. As much as we desire to know and desire to come to the act of insight, we can be blind or obstinate, and thus can resist the challenges of the transcendental precepts mentioned above. Bias operates on personal and communal levels. We screen out data (e.g., racists refusal to realize that other races are equal); communities and cultures can become corrupt (e.g., Nazi abominations); one can authentically appropriate an unauthentic culture and meaning system.

Bias also can infect our common sense, causing us to judge social problems in overly simplistic ways. Take gun control as an example. Many people coming from theoretical approaches ask questions like the following: Why do we see mass murders almost daily in the United States, while other nations see so few? Why are so many incomprehensible mass shootings carried out by unhappy, isolated, friendless, young white men? Why are so many murders in our cities the result of young Black men killing young Black men? Why do we refuse to sanely regulate guns? There are no simple, common-sense answers to such questions. And yet note that it is not uncommon to hear simplistic dismissals like guns dont kill people; people kill people.

For Lonergan, conversion is key. Our commitment to authenticity, lived in our accepting the wisdom of the transcendental precepts, makes for progress. The opposite, inauthenticity, can also lead to decline. Being attentive, intelligent, reasonable, responsible and loving is better than ignoring reality, being stupid, reveling in being unreasonable, refusing responsibility and frustrating the power of love with apathy and hate. By conversion on the intellectual, moral and religious levels of our being, we transcend to the reality of God.

Peterson is well worth reading and hearing, even when one disagrees with some of his pronouncements. Further, his popularity and impact force us to ask: What need in the culture and times is he fulfilling? His recipes for finding ways to good and true humanity are attractive to many, albeit those who are dissatisfied with the more leftist readings of social reality. Ultimately, Peterson argues that the only way to set the world right is to fix oneself.

Lonergan, on the other hand, realizes that we can only truly meet our challenges with collective effort. The group, not the individual, transforms culture. Lonergans owners manual for humans also goes wider and deeper than Petersons binary of chaos and order.

In Chapter 7 of Insight, Lonergan describes his theory of Cosmopolis, an analysis of social reality written in the 1950s in the wake of World War II that sounds eerily like a prescription for the ills of our present world. Cosmopolis recognizes that overly individualistic solutions are not viable. We are all in this together. We, not just I, must respond to the challenges of our times. Matters like climate change, extreme income inequality, racism and sexism require a transformation of ourselves, our communities and our culture.

Cosmopolis is the yet-to-be-constructed set of social relations that will make a world of peace and liberty and justice for all. It calls us to speak the simple truth though truth has gone out of fashion, as Lonergan puts it; to open ourselves and our communities to solutions and answers we often want to avoid. But Cosmopolis is not easy to construct, because the cycles of progress and decline are not understood by common sense, and our different theories about progress clash. We need the grace of a higher viewpoint.

For Lonergan, that higher viewpoint is faith, the knowledge born of religious love. Aquinas taught that grace is the ability to do what we could not do before. To avoid the descent into new forms of totalitarianism, to become who we deeply desire to be, we must discover how to relate to one another and God in ways that increase freedom and love while diminishing the destruction of decline.

Faith is also about opening ourselves to God setting things right. Authentic ways of knowing and choosing and loving lead us to being in love with God, Lonergan writes in Method in Theology, and that love is the basic fulfillment of our conscious intentionality. That fulfillment brings a deep-set joy. That fulfillment brings a radical peace. That fulfillment bears fruit in a love of ones neighbor that strives mightily to bring about the kingdom of God on this earth. Further, the failure to reach such fulfillment fills us with the conviction that the universe is absurd.

Both Lonergan and Peterson realize our most excruciating conflicts are over meaning. Petersons emphasis on the individual causes him to neglect the power and creativity of community, while for Lonergan, common meaning constitutes community. Still, our church and world will benefit from both voices: Hearing the contemporary longings to which Peterson responds, and studying Lonergans paths to realizing the fulfillment of our deepest desires and, ultimately, our redemption.

Read the original post:

Jordan Peterson and Jesuit Bernard Lonergan have different takes ... - America: The Jesuit Review

Manscaped/Screeshot by Chris Matyszczyk

I'm not the man I used to be and what many a men's magazine -- and, no doubt, Dr. Jordan Peterson -- say I should be.

I'm still alright with that and roll along my way as best I can.

So I confess I don't leap on every male bandwagon, rousing the horses with a hee-haw and a giddyup.

Also: Look what Boston Dynamics' humanoid robot can do now

But I do feel an urge to mention a particular class of male-oriented gadgets that I've resisted for perhaps too long -- the personal shaving machine.

I feel sure it's a good idea. I feel slightly less sure that the way it's about to be advertised is, well, entirely edifying.

You see, I've just stumbled into a new ad for Manscaped's Beard Hedger.

Or, according to its more comprehensive Amazon description, the "MANSCAPED The Beard Hedger Premium Precision Beard Trimmer, 20 Length Adjustable Blade Wheel, Stainless Steel T-Blade for Precision Facial Hair Trimming, Cordless Waterproof Wet / Dry Clipper."

How would you present such an apparently useful product to the world?

Would you show the world's strongest men trimming their beards before competition? Would you perhaps show rows of delirious hipster men trimming their beards and claiming it improves their coffee-drinking technique and hygiene?

Or would you show a famous golfer and his son chatting about how, in dad's day, women allegedly liked men to be hirsute downstairs?

You might guess that Manscaped chose the last option. For here is golfing legend John Daly and his son, University of Arkansas golfer Little John Daly, discussing, well, dad's pubic orchard.

Dad asks his son which club he should use. Little John, for some reason, believes dad is talking about his beard and suggests dad try this little machine.

"Manscaped, huh?" The dad says. "Son, back in my day ladies loved grass in the fairways." Then he appears to be about to show his son his, well, grass.

Do I hear a ho-ho?

Look, it's not you, it's me.

You'll tell me it's perfectly normal for a dad to chat with his son about the landscaping of his nether regions. And I'll tell you that you're right, while quietly squirming.

Little John has to explain to Big John that this particular gadget is for his face, rather than beneath his belly. Then a voiceover pops up to explain this thing has 20 settings, which sounds quite marvelous.

The two stars play the ad very well. There's even a tinge of fine comic timing.

Personally, though, I find the best way to deal with my beard is to shave it off completely every ten days. That way, I look slightly different every day.

Also: The 10 best tech gifts under $100

Here, though, we're being told that a man's beard should have a consistent look -- which, should you be familiar with Big John's highly subjective daily attire, isn't usually the case for him.

Male personal grooming is a highly lucrative market -- $55 billion, it seems. This is because many men have a great need to present themselves in a very particular way. Surely you've seen at least one session of Congress to appreciate that.

But oh, dad and son talking about, you know, downstairs? That may be a little too liberal for some.

Read the original here:

It's a very personal gadget and personally I'm disturbed - ZDNet

Over the past year, thirty-six-year-old Andrew Tate has become a cultural phenomenon. On social media, the former British kickboxer-turned-influencer is one of the most famous men in the world, with over eleven billion views on TikTok alone. Tate is the personification of various internet subcultures, combining the critiques of the anti-feminist manosphere and the alt-right with the posture of a pickup artist. A self-described pimp who has stated he believes sexual fidelity is only for women, he made his millions running porn sites. He now uses social media to accrue legions of young male fans and monetize them by running online programs such as Hustler University, which sells tips on how to pick up women and get rich quick. His popularity grew when several social media platforms decided to simultaneously de-platform him, landing him interviews with everyone from Tucker Carlson to Piers Morgan.

On December 29, Romanian authorities arrested Tate and his brother at his Bucharest mansion on charges of human trafficking. Six women have accused Andrew Tate (and other suspects) of running a lover-boy scheme in which they persuaded women they wanted a relationship but then forced them to perform in pornographic videos. He remains in jail without bail on charges of rape and sex trafficking.

Tates status as an international internet celebrity makes this more than a local crime story. It is crucial to understand why he is wildly popular among men today. Tate made his money by turning his romantic partners into camgirls and selling their bodies to viewers online. On a now-deleted section of his website that pitches his tactics to other men, Tate wrote:

Andrew Tate is a symptom of our cultures crisis of masculinity rather than a solution to it. Hes a self-described pornographer who says he is too smart to read. But what he does is win. He drives fancy cars, flies on private planes, lives in fancy mansions, and parties in dozens of countries. All the while, he markets himself as an opponent of Western degeneracy while boldly selling a different sort of degeneracy in response.

Tate is fundamentally a creation of our current moment. Because our post-sexual revolution culture advocates gender neutrality and condemns traditional masculinity, he can advocate overt misogyny and claim to be defending traditionalism and masculinity. He can argue that his ugly views attract backlash merely because they are dissident; that he is not a sleazebag, but a heroic realist. He runs porn sites despite arguing that everyone should live true to God and yourself; he says he loves super-religious countries even though they enforce a baseline of morality he has no desire to live by. But because he angers progressives and claims to be fighting for truth, he frequently gets away with making these assertions without any pushback from interviewers.

Tates popularity is a reminder that in a society frequently hostile to traditional masculinity, lucrative opportunities arise for hucksters to amass influence by selling the genuinely toxic kind. Tate tells men to take back their lives and assert controlat the expense of women. There is no mutual, Christian self-sacrifice in his thinking. He says that our society wants to keep young men poor, weak, complacent, and alonebut makes his money from porn and casinos, facilitating addictions that do precisely that. His alleged conversion to Islam was a pathetic attempt to borrow credibility from a worldview that he hopes will help him cosplay as an ancient warlord rather than a promiscuous porn peddler who works out and mastered the social media algorithms.

In the wake of the sexual revolution, Christians called for a return to the values we abandonedand many believed that a backlash would eventually bring this about. But in a culture thrown into chaos by the implosion of our moral infrastructure, we are seeing many kinds of responses emerge. There is the self-help stoicism of Jordan Peterson and the common-sense feminist critique of Louise Perry (see her book The Case Against the Sexual Revolution). And then there is Andrew Tate, a creature of the sexual revolution who advocates masculinity without virtue, strength without tenderness, and casual cruelty by right of conquest. His popularity is an indication that in our pornified, post-Christian society, this particular path has proven attractive to legions of confused young men. These men desire, as men always have, to be heroesbut in a society that has left them with no guidelines or pathways for achieving true heroism, many cling to the false promises of Andrew Tate.

Jonathon Van Maren is the author ofPatriots: The Untold Story of Irelands Pro-Life Movement.

First Thingsdepends on its subscribers and supporters. Join the conversation and make a contribution today.

Clickhereto make a donation.

Clickhereto subscribe toFirst Things.

Image byAnything Goes With James Englishlicensed viaCreative Commons. Image cropped.

The rest is here:

Andrew Tate, Symptom of the Sexual Revolution | Jonathon Van ... - First Things