Book Recommendations short fiction Nine SFF Short Stories That Explore the Meaning of Love From first meetings and tiny moments to lifelong attachments‚ these stories celebrate the boundless nature of love. By Ratika Deshpande | Published on May 1‚ 2024 Photo by Theo Crazzolara [via Unsplash] Comment 0 Share New Share Photo by Theo Crazzolara [via Unsplash] Most love stories start with two people meeting and end with a happily ever after‚ even though we all know that “happily ever after” is where the rest of the story actually begins. As I’ve grown up‚ I’ve had the opportunity to observe many different ways of loving and being loved‚ of showing care‚ affection‚ and understanding. There are so many possibilities. Here are nine SFF stories‚ each with a distinct take on the meaning of love. “First Dates” by Elizabeth Kestrel Rogers Valerie is dying—a fact that she shares immediately with any potential partner‚ though they tend to flee without a backwards glance. She vents about this to a friend‚ who arranges an invitation to a special speed-dating event where she could meet not just humans‚ but also aliens. It’s new‚ unexpected. Valerie’s tried almost everything‚ so why not this&;#63; “The Day the Curse was Broken” by Tobias Bernstein Leddie is old now. Behind her stretches a long history of a cursed land. Only now that the curse is broken are the flowers blooming again and color is returning to the world. Her memories aren’t clear‚ but her mind hasn’t forgotten a certain person‚ her gentle touch‚ her kiss and her promise. Are those possibilities still real‚ or is Leddie’s mind playing tricks with her on this joyous day&;#63; “Headphone Boy” by Nana Afadua Ofori-Atta Rose was running away from home when she met the Headphone Boy on the bus. They would meet again and again‚ in different lifetimes‚ with different names. But that meeting on the bus was the first time. And first meetings are always special; their telling must be too. So lean in and listen—it’s a story that’s special and sweet and infectious. “Italic &; Bold” by Dan Peacock Two robots‚ Italic and Bold‚ are walking through the wreckage of cars on a highway‚ debating which foods can be categorized as soups or sandwiches‚ trying to make their way to their destination in time. Every time I start thinking that I prefer humans over robots‚ I end up finding a story that has me laughing with and crying about the latter. And this one is perhaps my favorite: A wonderful little tale that could be about friendship or about love‚ showcasing enviably clever writing. “Wings” by Vanessa Fogg In this breathtaking story by Vanessa Fogg‚ a princess falls in love with a court poet and marries him against the wishes of the queen‚ who then curses the poet. Every day he transforms into a new creature—a cat‚ a heron‚ a fish—which means the couple can’t always stay together. The princess isn’t able to hear him tell her stories‚ the very thing that made her fall in love with the poet. This‚ the queen believes‚ will cause her to fall out of love eventually and return to her mother. The couple have endured their separation for so long—can they keep going&;#63; “The Ramparts‚ as Cold and Implacable as Love” by Jess Hyslop Jess Hyslop has written an epic story in less than a thousand words‚ the tale of a siege and a battle that takes an unexpected‚ creative turn. We zoom in and out‚ inside the characters’ heads‚ out over the battlefield. It’s the kind of story that deserves an epic soundtrack that slowly fades out to gentle‚ somber music. Saying anything more would kill the magic of the telling. Hyslop’s writing is magnificent and captivating. “Four Words Written on My Skin” by Jenn Reese The Fae have stolen Jess‚ our narrator’s wife. She has left a trail behind in the forest—a notebook‚ a sweater—objects that are more than just their physical substance‚ holding memories of their time together. But perhaps it is too late—perhaps the Fae have taken her permanently. Is there a point in continuing the search&;#63; “And In the Silence After” by C.J. Lavigne Now that his duties are done and the city is busy celebrating‚ no one would mind the king’s absence. He’s out in the woods‚ visiting the one who gave up much for him‚ so that they can watch the dazzling lights of the city and take comfort in each other’s presence. Lavigne builds a sparkling and cozy atmosphere in this comforting story about two men separated by curses and responsibilities‚ best read while cuddling a loved one of your own. “The Ramparts of Night” by Iori Kusano Masae has been struggling with insomnia‚ and despite all her efforts‚ sleep remains out of her reach—literally. She envies how her girlfriend Ayane has a cloud full of sleep hovering above her. If only she could steal a little for herself. But she’d never do such a thing‚ not when she knows how terrible it is to stay awake all night. That’s how much she loves her girlfriend…but Masae needs to learn‚ as we’ve been discussing here‚ that love offers endless possibilities and surprises. [end-mark] The post Nine SFF Short Stories That Explore the Meaning of Love appeared first on Reactor.

Column Science Fiction Film Club eXistenZ: Sex and Video Games and Gooey‚ Indescribable Things David Cronenberg’s take on virtual reality and existentialism is violent‚ tense‚ and deeply gross‚ but surprisingly fun and engaging—let’s discuss&;#33; By Kali Wallace | Published on May 1‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share eXistenZ (1999) Directed by David Cronenberg. Starring Jennifer Jason Leigh‚ Jude Law‚ Ian Holm‚ Don McKellar. Screenplay by David Cronenberg. For as long as people have been pondering anything‚ we have been pondering versions of the question best posed by late‚ great twentieth-century philosopher Freddie Mercury: “Is this the real life&;#63; Is this just fantasy&;#63;” Fantasies or dreams‚ demons or illusions‚ the question takes countless different forms‚ but it all comes down to wondering if what we perceive is indeed the real world. The idea that our entire existence might be a technological virtual reality is the latest iteration of this very old philosophical question. I didn’t spend a lot of time digging into it‚ but I did try to pin down the earliest mention of the concept of a technological virtual reality in science fiction. Most articles cite Stanley G. Weinbaum’s short story “Pygmalion’s Spectacles‚” first published in 1935‚ while others reference Laurence Manning’s The Man Who Awoke‚ which was serialized in Wonder Stories in 1933. There may be earlier examples and in other languages—please chime in if you know of any&;#33; Many types of virtual reality show up in science fiction around the world through the ’60s and ’70s. But the premise doesn’t really hop over to mainstream movies until Tron (1982)‚ and it doesn’t become truly common in films until the ’90s‚ when suddenly it’s everywhere. That’s not really surprising‚ because by then personal computers were growing more commonplace‚ the internet was spreading‚ and game creators had realized that people would eagerly seize upon opportunities to play around in virtual lives alongside their real ones. By the time we get to the ’90s‚ there are basically no obstacles left for presenting virtual reality concepts to widespread audiences. If you’ve grown up raising a Tamagotchi‚ going on simulated high school dates‚ dying of dysentery before you reach the Dalles‚ or bemoaning how your society collapses before you can even build granaries‚ it requires very little reach for filmmakers to ask you to go along with an entire technological reality. David Cronenberg’s eXistenZ (1999) came out with a long string of high-profile films about virtual reality. In fact it was released just weeks after The Matrix and a few weeks before Josef Rusnak’s The Thirteenth Floor‚ leading to inevitable comparisons in contemporaneous review mentions. I haven’t watched The Thirteenth Floor‚ but in next week’s column I will be talking about World on a Wire (1973)‚ the fantastic German film it remakes. We’ll watch The Matrix at the end of this month. eXistenZ and The Matrix are very different movies from very different filmmakers‚ which makes them both a great way of looking at the different styles and purposes of virtual reality science fiction. While The Matrix is about virtual reality being used to hide or obscure the real world‚ eXistenZ is about virtual reality being used to escape or enhance the real world. At least on the surface—both movies are obviously about quite a lot more than that when you dig down into them‚ because virtual reality is also a great vehicle for sci fi that is about many different things. eXistenZ opens with a small meeting of people in what looks like a church. Wait‚ scratch that. It opens with a moody credits sequence during which you might be tempted to ask‚ “Why does this music sound like the Lord of the Rings soundtrack&;#63;” before you remember that Howard Shore is one of Cronenberg’s longtime collaborators. Thenthe film opens with a small meeting of people in what looks like a church. The purpose of the meeting is to introduce the brand-new video game eXistenZ‚ supposedly the most advanced in the world. If you’re thinking that a meeting of maybe thirty people in a rural church seems like a strange place for a game company to launch a revolutionary new product‚ well‚ don’t worry‚ because it gets stranger. The game is played on pods that are these weird‚ blobby‚ organic things connected to the players by umbilical cords; you start the game on by caressing the pods’ squishy nobs‚ because it wouldn’t be a Cronenberg movie if a weird‚ blobby‚ organic thing had‚ like‚ a power switch. While the game’s creator‚ Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh)‚ is immersed in the game with some volunteers‚ a member of the audience reveals himself to be an anti-virtual reality fanatic. He draws a gun made of bone and stringy bits of flesh‚ and he shoots the meeting host (Christopher Eccleston‚ we love you‚ but what was that accent&;#63;) and Geller before being gunned down himself. One of the company employees‚ Ted Pikul (Jude Law)‚ takes Geller and flees to safety. Cronenberg has said that the idea for eXistenZ came out of an interview he did with Salman Rushdie‚ which goes to show that strange and unexpected ideas can come from anywhere. But that baseline premise—a video game creator whose life is in danger because fanatics hate how her games affect reality—isn’t really what the movie is about. That’s the basic plot structure‚ sure‚ but the movie isn’t interested in saying anything about the morality of virtual reality or video games. Instead‚ it’s using video games as a vehicle for a sort of philosophical thought experiment about the nature of human will and exploring how we create our world with the choices we make. But the movie is also interested in having fun. I think that’s important to highlight. Yes‚ it’s violent and gross and often quite tense‚ but it’s also very playful and very funny. There’s acknowledgement right from the start that we’re operating under video game rules‚ absurd as they are. The story can only advance if certain things happen. Every character plays a specific role. The setting exists and responds to serve the story. Inconvenient injuries or mistakes can be reset or ignored. Options are limited in obvious and often ridiculous ways. When the film was released‚ Cronenberg said in an interview that he wasn’t a dedicated gamer‚ but he had played some games‚ including Myst andGadget‚ and he clearly had a specific kind of exploratory gameplay in mind. After the assassination attempt‚ Gellar and Pikul go on the run. Geller has been shot‚ and when Pikul digs the bullet out it they discover that it is actually a human tooth. Naturally. What else would come from a gun made of bone and gristle&;#63; Geller’s wound never bothers her again. What she’s worried about is her game. The only copy of eXistenZ in existence is on her game pod‚ which might be damaged from the attack. Yes‚ a major multi-million dollar project has only one copy. Remember: we are following video game rules&;#33; It’s not supposed to make sense; it’s supposed to make the story move. She has to play it with a “friendly” player to make sure everything is okay. Pikul is her only option‚ but that means he has to get a bioport installed in his spine. But they’re in the backwoods of Canada. Pikul skeptically wants to know where they can go for an illegal bio-technical installation in the middle of the night—a country gas station&;#63; Cut to a country gas station called—naturally—Country Gas Station. Sure‚ that might be the oldest trick in the book when it comes to movie humor‚ but it made me laugh. Because if the weird fleshy game pods didn’t clue you in‚ if the “we can’t trust anyone” and “this is the only copy in existence” plot points didn’t clue you in‚ if the gun made of bone and the bullets of human teeth didn’t clue you in‚ then Willem Dafoe as a backwoods gas station manager who does illegal surgery on the side will probably get you there: we’re already in a game. Dafoe’s character is even given the name “Gas‚” which I love because of course you don’t need to give Willem Dafoe’s weird backwoods gas station guy a name. Why would you bother for an NPC&;#63; (Besides‚ he’s always Willem Dafoe‚ except in The Lighthouse‚ where he’s “Willem Dafoe in The Lighthouse.”) The film is full of twists and turns and reversals and reveals‚ and I’m definitely not going to go recap them all. I just want to focus briefly on a moment at that Country Gas Station. Two moments‚ I guess‚ because we can talk about the installation of the bio-port‚ a scene that is very good news for the people out there whose niche kinks involve Willem Dafoe‚ Jude Law‚ and dangerous medical devices in mechanics’ garages. Everything to do with the bio-ports is about sex‚ to the point where even describing it feels like unnecessary lampshading. It’s all sphincters and lubrication and insertions and sensations. The reason for this is clear from the moment the first game pod appears on screen‚ an example of what Roger Ebert called Cronenberg’s “gooey‚ indescribable organic things”: this might be a story about virtual reality‚ this might take place entirely inside technology and minds‚ but it’s still a visceral‚ sensory‚ physical experience. Nothing here is shiny‚ polished‚ or remote in the way we often expect high-tech stories to be. The setting is rural and isolated and grubby; the technology is organic and gloopy and wriggly. Spinal sphincters aside‚ the moment at the gas station that I want to mention is when Geller is outside in the quiet night‚ testing the reality of the world around her. She throws a stone to hear it clink. She touches the gas pump to feel the texture. She marvels at a mutant little lizard thing. She’s using her senses to explore‚ and there is a quiet giddiness to her reactions‚ an interest and awe that Leigh plays perfectly. This is the movie’s way of telling us without telling us that we shouldn’t trust the framework set up when the film dropped us into the story. But it’s not snide‚ it’s not smug; the film isn’t trying to outsmart its audience. It’s puckishly playful instead‚ inviting us to play make-believe along with the characters‚ to feel the same combination of awe and anxiety that they feel at not being able to discern between game and reality. That mood‚ both excited and uneasy‚ carries through as Geller and Pikul begin to play eXistenZ and wind their way through encounters with NPCs (delightfully weird‚ every one of them) and layers of gameplay‚ through the slaughterhouse for mutant amphibians‚ through the whole brilliant‚ disturbing scene around the “special” lunch‚ through all the double-crosses and twists and turns that I am not even going to try to describe. Ian Holm shows up; his accent is also terrible. It’s all about corporate espionage and everybody is a double-agent‚ or not‚ who knows‚ it doesn’t matter. That is‚ it matters insofar as it is very entertaining‚ but it does not matter that we know who works for what company or who holds what belief or who we want to be rooting for. This becomes obvious when it gets to the point where Geller and Pikul turn on each other. They do so almost gleefully—which makes perfect sense when they find ourselves in that country church again‚ this time with very sleek-looking game devices on hand. They have been playing a demonstration of a brand-new game called transCendenZ‚ which is even more annoying to type than eXistenZ. The game is being presented by its creator‚ Yevgeny Nourish (Don McKellar)‚ whom we last saw as an NPC working in the mutant amphibian slaughterhouse. The rest of the cast is there too. Ian Holm mocks his own in-game accent. Christopher Eccleston regrets that his character got killed so early in the game. Willem Dafoe is still Willem Dafoe. It’s not quite a twist when we roll back this extra game layer—the signs were there all along: bone gun‚ tooth bullet‚ etc.—but there is an actual twist to come. Geller and Pikul reveal that they are the anti-virtual reality fanatics‚ and they’ve come to this meeting to assassinate Nourish. Well‚ maybe. And maybe not. It might still be a game. The movie ends with a character asking‚ “Tell me the truth—are we still in the game&;#63;” and does not provide an answer. I don’t do much reading about these Film Club films before I watch them‚ whether or not I’ve seen them before. I hadn’t seen this one before—many thanks to the commenters who suggested it&;#33;—and knew only the premise before watching. Reading about the film afterward was something of a trip. Professional critics at the time were quite positive‚ but the “random movie viewers on the internet” population offer some pretty wild takes. There are people absolutely certain the characters are still playing a game at the end‚ people equally certain of the opposite‚ people convinced the movie presents as an unassailable moral statement against video games‚ and a lot of people who insist it is a “wake up‚ sheeple&;#33;” diatribe about the importance of being able to discern the real world. I don’t believe that any audience for any art has to know or accept what the artist intended when making that art. We all get different things out of different stories. But in this specific case‚ I do think that what Cronenberg thinks this movie is about is more interesting than the more reductive viewer reactions. He has talked about it in several interviews‚ such as this one‚ in which he says‚ “The title eXistenZ is a reference to the existentialist’s accepting total responsibility for his actions.” That’s why it doesn’t matter how many layers of gameplay there are in the film. There is no answer to that final question; the level of certainty some viewers crave is beside the point. The characters are creating their reality anyway‚ whether or not they are playing‚ whether or not they feel compulsions to act in a certain manner‚ whether or not they can discern and follow the rules of the world around them. We don’t need Cronenberg to tell us this‚ however‚ because the movie has already done so. At one point Pikul expressed discomfort with how it feels to play eXistenZ. He doesn’t like that it feels so real‚ that the sensations are indistinguishable from reality. He doesn’t like the ambiguity of purpose: “We’re both stumbling around together in this unformed world‚ whose rules and objectives are largely unknown‚ seemingly indecipherable or even possibly nonexistent‚ always on the verge of being killed by forces that we don’t understand.” Yes‚ Geller agrees‚ that sounds like her game‚ and Pikul remarks that it will be very hard to sell to people. Geller points out that it’s a game everybody is already playing. Which‚ in one sense‚ is literally true within the story; they are having this conversation as characters in the game transCendenZ‚ even if we don’t confirm that until the end. But it’s also true in the larger sense‚ in terms of the philosophy the film is exploring. We’re all stumbling around in an unformed world‚ as floppy and pathetic as the mutant amphibians being harvested outside the slaughterhouse. The rules and objectives are unknown or nonexistent—so we make them up for ourselves. What I really love about this is how it deviates from the theme of so many sci fi stories about virtual reality. In many virtual reality stories‚ the goal is to overcome the virtual world‚ to see through it‚ to escape from whatever external influence is obscuring your real life. But here‚ there is no option to escape that responsibility and blame it on someone or something else. You’re the one who ordered the special. You’re the one who pulled the trigger. What do you think of eXistenZ and Cronenberg’s gooey‚ gross take on existentialism&;#63; A lot of articles and reviews describe this movie as a horror film‚ which was a bit surprising to me‚ as I’m a huge scaredy-cat and nothing in the movie scared me. I thought it was funny and often disgusting‚ but not scary. Is that just me&;#63; Is this a horror movie&;#63; Or do people just not know how else to classify David Cronenberg’s weird gloopy sex stuff&;#63; Next week: Let’s indulge in some stylish ’70s paranoia with Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s World on a Wire. Watch it on the Criterion Channel‚ or search YouTube and the Internet Archive.[end-mark] The post &;lt;i&;gt;eXistenZ&;lt;/i&;gt;: Sex and Video Games and Gooey‚ Indescribable Things appeared first on Reactor.

Project Mugetsu offers several Resurrections to Arrancar‚ which are the highest-level Hollows. Resurrections‚ or Resurrecci&;oacute;ns‚ are extremely powerful abilities that Arrancar use to eliminate Soul Reapers and whoever else is in their way. If you want to be the most powerful Hollow in Project Mugetsu‚ you need the best Resurrection. All Resurrections in Project Mugetsu‚ ranked Since Update 2 in Project Mugetsu‚ there are nine resurrections to choose from‚ which is huge as the game only had five to begin with. With so much choice‚ it can be hard to pin down which one you should focus on. Screenshot: PC Invasion To become the greatest Arrancar‚ you need the best Resurrection. Here are the best Resurrections in Project Mugetsu ranked from best to worst in a tier list. S-Tier Resurrection – Project Mugetsu Los Lobos Merciela These Resurrections are the best. Los Lobos is the best of the bunch‚ however‚ with the ability to practically delete half of the ene...

Rat’s Nest is an early-game quest in Gray Zone Warfare with several steps. You’re tasked with finding a couple of items on the map‚ but it’s hard when you’re constantly under fire. Let me explain everything in our Gray Zone Warfare Rat’s Nest guide. How to complete the Rat’s Nest quest in Gray Zone Warfare Rat’s Nest is effectively a two-part mission for the Mithras Faction. You can tackle the objectives in any order you wish‚ but I’ll explain them in the order they appear for the quest.  Gather Intelligence from the hideout in the East part of town Smartphone Location – Screenshot: PC Invasion The first hideout in the Rat’s Nest quest is in a two-story building just east of the Convenience Store in Nam Thaven. This area is crawling with hostiles‚ so take your time as you approach the hideout. You’re after the Thug’s Smartphone‚ and you can find it on the table next to a PC on the second...

Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee is calling for the resignation of Kristen Clarke‚ the head of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Kristen Clarke is in charge of enforcing civil rights laws‚” Lee said in a statement posted to X on Tuesday evening. “She enforces those laws aggressively against anyone who sneezes near an abortion clinic. And not at all against those who vandalize churches. She lied under oath during her confirmation proceedings‚ and should resign.” “She lied under oath to mask her arrest for committing a violent crime‚ yet she zealously prosecutes peaceful pro-life protesters‚” the senator added. Kristen Clarke is in charge of enforcing civil rights laws.She enforces those laws aggressively against anyone who sneezes near an abortion clinic.And not at all against those who vandalize churches.She lied under oath during her confirmation proceedings‚ and should resign. https://t.co/5tHpaG4a2W— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) May 1‚ 2024 Lee weighed in on Clarke following a Daily Signal report revealing that Clarke‚ who testified in 2021 to senators that she had never been arrested for or accused of committing a violent crime‚ was involved in a violent domestic dispute with her now ex-husband‚ one in which he alleged that she sliced his finger to the bone with a knife. Court documents‚ records‚ and text messages obtained by The Daily Signal indicate that Clarke was arrested‚ but that arrest was ultimately expunged. “Since becoming a legal adult‚ have you ever been arrested for or accused of committing a violent crime against any person&;#63;” Sen. Tom Cotton‚ R-Ark.‚ asked then-nominee Clarke in 2021‚ to which she responded‚ “No‚” according to responses she submitted to the Senate under oath in a document called “Questions for the Record.” Neither Clarke nor the DOJ has responded to requests for comment from The Daily Signal. The FBI‚ asked about the background checks it performed on Clarke‚ declined to comment. Ed Whelan‚ senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center where he holds the Antonin Scalia Chair in Constitutional Studies‚ similarly called for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to demand Clarke’s resignation. “Kristen Clarke‚ loony ideologue at DOJ on transgender issues‚ appears to have flat-out lied under oath during her confirmation process when she denied ever having been arrested‚” Whelan said in an X post on Tuesday night. “Per article‚ she was arrested in 2006 for attacking her then-husband with a knife and slicing his finger to the bone‚” he continued‚ before adding: “President Biden and AG [Attorney General Merrick] Garland should demand her resignation.” “Expungement of arrest record has consequences under Maryland law‚ but it can’t excuse Kristen Clarke for falsely stating to Congress during her confirmation process that she had never been arrested for committing a violent crime‚” Whelan said. Kristen Clarke‚ loony ideologue at DOJ on transgender issues‚ appears to have flat-out lied under oath during her confirmation process when she denied ever having been arrested. Per article‚ she was arrested in 2006 for attacking her then-husband with a knife and slicing his… https://t.co/TIc9uohRPE— Ed Whelan (@EdWhelanEPPC) April 30‚ 2024 Whelan further suggested that the establishment media may abstain from covering Clarke out of a bias for Democratic nominees. “If news broke that controversial DOJ official in Republican administration lied during confirmation process to conceal arrest for violent crime‚ it would be front-page news in NYT and WaPo‚” Whelan said‚ referring to The New York Times and The Washington Post. “We’ll see if they pay any attention to Kristen Clarke’s lie.” Clarke was nominated by then-President-elect Biden on Jan. 7‚ 2021‚ and later confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 25‚ 2021‚ to lead the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division. The Daily Signal previously reported that Clarke‚ who oversees investigations into violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act‚ has used FACE to charge dozens of pro-life individuals since the overturn of Roe v. Wade. This includes Mark Houck‚ a Catholic father of seven arrested at gunpoint by the FBI and charged with violating FACE in September 2022. A jury found Houck was not guilty in January 2023. The post ‘She Lied Under Oath’: Sen. Mike Lee Calls for DOJ’s Kristen Clarke to Resign appeared first on The Daily Signal.

For most of our lifetimes‚ classically liberal economics so dominated the Right that nobody wondered if conservatives were abandoning free markets. In recent years‚ though‚ a new generation of conservative thinkers—more traditionalist‚ populist‚ or nationalist than libertarian—has challenged the utility and even the morality of laissez faire economic policy. We welcome their questions and critiques‚ as they have compelled American conservatives to have a long overdue conversation about the market‚ the family‚ and the state. But the blunt truth is the movement cannot abandon free markets. The moral and practical case for free enterprise is as necessary today as it was when Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher used it to rescue their nations’ economies and win the Cold War. Our aim—today as much as it was in 1980—is not economic efficiency for its own sake‚ but as a powerful means to further human flourishing‚ what Aristotle called eudaimonia and the Founders called “the pursuit of happiness.” Conservatism seeks the good‚ the beautiful‚ and the true—not just the efficient. But it’s not 1980 anymore. While our GDP has never been higher‚ our country is headed for disaster. When Reagan was first elected‚ nearly 70% of the country belonged to a church. As of 2020‚ that figure was 47% with a downward trend line. America was diverse‚ but also much more united: in its faith‚ patriotism‚ and‚ well‚ grasp of reality. Less than 40% of Americans in a recent poll said patriotism was important to them‚ down from 70% in 1998. Nearly everyone then would have agreed there are only two sexes—if anyone had thought to ask the question. No serious person can look at our nation today and conclude we have a healthy society—not when it is awash in opioids‚ pornography‚ failing schools‚ cultural rot‚ racism and intolerance under the guise of DEI‚ collapsing marriage and birth rates‚ depression and anxiety‚ fatherlessness‚ child sexualization and mutilation‚ the crisis of boys‚ predatory technology‚ woke anti-Americanism‚ open borders‚ and elite hatred of Biblical values and democratic sovereignty.   Make no mistake‚ our very constitutional republic is at stake today when basic concepts like morality‚ equal protection under law‚ and freedom of expression and religion are challenged by the relentless agenda of the woke left that both opposes and co-opts free markets. Free markets unleash economic growth and opportunity and must be part of our message of prosperity. Markets coordinate what no single planner or committee could: cooperation‚ specialization‚ and efficiency. Above and beyond those benefits‚ well-functioning markets direct individuals’ interests toward others’ needs without coercion. Hopefully people can pursue work they love‚ but at the very least‚ the market will let them know if what they are doing is valued by someone else or not. Markets can facilitate respect‚ personal responsibility‚ and neighborliness‚ particularly when institutions of civil society are flourishing. As we show year after year in the Index of Economic Freedom‚ prosperity‚ education‚ and the environment all thrive in countries that support free markets‚ rule of law‚ private property‚ and limited government. Today our country is number 25 in the world on the Index. Our markets are not free‚ and the downward trajectory is accelerating. But markets and freedom don’t exist in a vacuum‚ and the measure of societal greatness involves more than merely economic factors. China‚ after all‚ has a pretty big economy too. Our political‚ cultural‚ and corporate institutions have all turned against working Americans‚ their God-given rights‚ and their values. Crony capitalism is rampant. Big Tech monopolies threaten economic freedom‚ freedom of expression‚ and even freedom of thought. Many large corporations have forged an unholy alliance with the left and the administrative state. Big Business fights for special favors in tax and regulatory policy to gain advantage over competitors‚ and often find it cheaper to invest in lobbying operations over bettering their products and services. Some Washington Republicans still answer to the Chamber of Commerce and think that what’s good for big business is good for America. The Chamber‚ for its part‚ no longer has major PR campaigns for free enterprise‚ but instead pushes climate alarmism‚ corporate “social responsibility‚” and diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion. Big businesses‚ particularly their legal and HR departments‚ push these left-wing concepts on employees and customers as enthusiastically as the median member of the Columbia University sociology department. Meanwhile‚ conservatives‚ like The Heritage Foundation and its supporters‚ know free enterprise is good and its distortion through woke capitalism is a cancer. (The Heritage Foundation founded The Daily Signal in 2014.) Markets promote human flourishing by allowing families to have the means and the ability to choose not just goods‚ but in many respects‚ the good‚ like a safe home and solid moral education. But this presumes markets operate in the context of a healthy society‚ and are governed by laws that are fair‚ limited‚ and reasonable‚ while also acknowledging that some societal ills simply cannot be solved by the market alone‚ no matter how free. We should recognize—like the rising conservatives do—that our most important task today is rebuilding the healthy society Americans need. The free market is a vital part of the answer but must always be in service to the American family and American values‚ and not the other way around.  That is what our movement ought to stand for: A strong‚ independent nation‚ full of prospering‚ working families‚ that values the good‚ the true‚ and the beautiful‚ with rightly-ordered free enterprise as an indispensable support. The post Free Markets: Necessary But Not Sufficient appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced on Wednesday that she will call for a vote to oust House Speaker Mike Johnson next week. Greene initially filed a motion to vacate in late March over disagreements with Johnson’s latest appropriations plan. The Georgia Republican detailed her plan to advance her efforts to remove Johnson during a press conference following the House’s passage of Ukraine aid. “I think every member of Congress needs to take that vote and let the chips fall where they may. And so next week‚ I am going to be calling this motion to vacate‚” Greene said. “We are not going to have a House majority if we keep Mike Johnson.” Politico reported Wednesday that Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Michael Whatley had attempted to dissuade Greene from going through with the vote. Congresswoman MTG Holds a Press Conference on Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries' Endorsement of Mike Johnson for Speaker https://t.co/Cw74H4X0Lf— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene&;#63;&;#63; (@RepMTG) May 1‚ 2024 “He said‚ one‚ this is not helpful‚ and two‚ we want to expand and grow the majority in the House‚” said a person familiar with Whatley’s message to Greene‚ per Politico. “He was clear that any disruption to the conference on these efforts — including filing this [motion to vacate]‚ does not help the case for party unity.” House Democratic leadership announced on Tuesday they’d help save Johnson if Greene moved forward with her motion to vacate after he helped advance the national security supplemental. “At this moment‚ upon completion of our national security work‚ the time has come to turn the page on this chapter of Pro-Putin Republican obstruction‚” the Democrats said. “We will vote to table Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Motion to Vacate the Chair. If she invokes the motion‚ it will not succeed.” This is a breaking news story and may be updated. The post Marjorie Taylor Greene Reveals Plan To Oust Speaker Mike Johnson appeared first on The Daily Signal.

If you're tired of censorship and dystopian threats against civil liberties‚ subscribe to Reclaim The Net. A scheme implemented by a Labour Party-controlled council in London‚ relying on Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) surveillance‚ is proving to be a lucrative “business” for the council – but is essentially failing the community it is supposed to serve. The system is meant to reduce traffic (“rat runs”) in what is known as low-traffic neighborhoods (LTNs). These projects gained momentum with the pandemic‚ with some now featured in the data gained through freedom of information requests‚ first introduced in mid-2020. Two such areas under the authority of the Hammersmith and Fulham council – while reporting significant monetary gains (up to £1.5 million last month in just one LTN) – at the same time had the system issue an exorbitant amount of erroneous fines last year – 83%. This means that more than 200‚000 penalty notices (PCNs) were given to drivers who in reality had the right to enter a given LTN (52‚000 fines were collected‚ while 266‚400 PCNs had to be canceled). And yet‚ both LTNs now under scrutiny brought in a total of £12 million in 2023‚ (that number could still grow by as much as 9 million if 75‚000 pending PCNs are turned into collected fines.) ANPR surveillance surveils vehicles via CCTV‚ while the system is also used to enforce restrictions and issue fines. But‚ residents who oppose the system say it doesn’t work. Except‚ that is – as a “cash cow” for the council. The council first tried to withhold revenue data but then had to make it public thanks to the FOIA request‚ and‚ for good measure‚ apologize because of the attempt to keep this information secret. Given all this‚ opponents are now declaring the scheme a failure. It was sold to the public as a way to “train” drivers not to use certain routes and tactics to avoid traffic jams‚ etc. Yet proof that this goal has not been achieved is in the financial pudding: four years on‚ had drivers picked up these new habits‚ revenue would have been falling. Instead‚ the data the council had to release shows that it has been at more or less the same level as in 2020. The post London’s Surveillance Scheme Rakes in Millions While Failing the Community appeared first on Reclaim The Net.

Unification Of CBDCs&;#63; Global Banks Are Telling Us The End Of The Dollar System Is Near

Dandelions: An Overlooked Plant with Remarkable Benefits