Scientists have fused human brain tissue to a computer chip‚ creating a mini cyborg in a petri dish that can perform math equations and recognize speech.Dubbed Brainoware‚ the system consists of brain cells artificially grown from human stem cells‚ which have been fostered to develop into a brain-like tissue. This mini-brain organoid is then hooked up to traditional hardware where it acts as a physical reservoir that can capture and remember the information it receives from the computer inputs. The researchers wanted to explore the idea of exploiting the efficiency of the human brain’s architecture to supercharge computational hardware. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has massively increased the demand for computing power‚ but it’s somewhat limited by the energy efficiency and performance of the standard silicon chips."We wanted to ask the question of whether we can leverage the biological neural network within the brain organoid for computing. This is just proof-of-concept to show we can do the job‚" Feng Guo‚ study author and a bioengineer in the Department of Intelligent Systems Engineering at Indiana University‚ told Tech Xplore.To flex the muscles of the hybrid bio-computer‚ the researchers presented it with 240 audio clips of people saying different Japanese vowel sounds. Remarkably‚ the system is capable of learning the different sounds and recognizing them with approximately 78 percent accuracy.It was also tasked to predict a Hénon map‚ a nonlinear dynamic system in mathematics‚ which it did with reasonable accuracy.Bear in mind that this is nowhere near the hyper-intelligent capabilities of conventional AI systems – the threat of sentient Frankenstein biocomputers is currently not on the horizon. Nevertheless‚ for a first-of-its-kind study‚ the results are pretty promising. "This is a first demonstration of using brain organoids [for computing]‚" added Guo. "It's exciting to see the possibilities of organoids for biocomputing in the future.”It holds great potential‚ but it also raises some tricky ethical questions. In an accompanying News &; Views article‚ a trio of researchers not directly affiliated with the study warned that this pioneering study highlights the need to iron out the ethical conundrums of this technology before it really takes off.“In the next few years‚ increasingly complex neural systems that can interact with increasingly complex artificial environments are likely to emerge. As the sophistication of these organoid systems increases‚ it is critical for the community to examine the myriad of neuroethical issues that surround biocomputing systems incorporating human neural tissue‚” they write.“It may be decades before general biocomputing systems can be created‚ but this research is likely to generate foundational insights into the mechanisms of learning‚ neural development‚ and the cognitive implications of neurodegenerative diseases‚" the scientists add.The new study is published in the journal Nature Electronics.

Saturn’s moon Enceladus has a deep ocean‚ with hydrothermal activity‚ and complex chemistry. These are excellent conditions for life to emerge‚ and researchers have added a bit more hope to the mix. A new analysis suggests that there might be more chemical energy within this distant moon than previously thought.Enceladus releases plumes which were studied by the Cassini spacecraft. Despite Cassini having met a scheduled fiery death in Saturn a few years ago‚ the data is still being analyzed today. And it continues to reveal surprises in terms of possible molecules and how these might have formed in the deep ocean that exists on Enceladus.In this new work‚ researchers announced the detection of several previously undiscovered molecules. Among them‚ there’s hydrogen cyanide. This is not just exciting for murder mystery fans everywhere – the molecule is considered a crucial step in the formation of amino acids‚ the building blocks of proteins.“The discovery of hydrogen cyanide was particularly exciting‚ because it’s the starting point for most theories on the origin of life‚” lead author Jonah Peter‚ a doctoral researcher at Harvard formerly from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)‚ said in a statement. “The more we tried to poke holes in our results by testing alternative models‚ the stronger the evidence became. Eventually‚ it became clear that there is no way to match the plume composition without including hydrogen cyanide.”Previous analysis suggested that the chemical energy available in the ocean was related to the production of methane or methanogenesis. The selection of molecules seen in the plumes is consistent with being oxidized. If this is indeed the case‚ and oxidation is taking place‚ there’s a lot of chemical energy being released.“If methanogenesis is like a small watch battery‚ in terms of energy‚ then our results suggest the ocean of Enceladus might offer something more akin to a car battery‚ capable of providing a large amount of energy to any life that might be present‚” added JPL’s Kevin Hand‚ co-author of the study and principal investigator of the team that got the new results.There is limited data from Cassini on the plumes of Enceladus. Researchers use statistical analysis to try and work out what’s in the plumes without overfitting the data. The new results‚ while promising‚ don’t translate to a certainty for life on Enceladus‚ but might allow us to test in the lab the exact conditions for those molecules to end up in a plume. And they give us insight into whether those conditions are suitable for life.“Our work provides further evidence that Enceladus is host to some of the most important molecules for both creating the building blocks of life and for sustaining that life through metabolic reactions‚” Peter stated. “Not only does Enceladus seem to meet the basic requirements for habitability‚ we now have an idea about how complex biomolecules could form there‚ and what sort of chemical pathways might be involved.”A paper describing the results is published in Nature Astronomy. 

What did early primates munch on to keep themselves nourished? It’s likely that their foods of choice were soft‚ probably including sweet fruits‚ says a new study on their teeth from researchers at the University of Otago‚ New Zealand‚ and Duke University‚ USA.The researchers looked at fossil teeth of anthropoids – an infraorder of primates‚ the name meaning "resembling a human being" – from the Eocene and Oligocene periods‚ ranging from 35 to 29.2 million years old. The fossils were from the Fayum Depression in Egypt‚ close to the Nile‚ from which at least 21 primate genera have been described.“The Fayum fossil record captures the critical moment when our lineage adapted to this drier‚ cooler world‚ apparently fueling themselves with fruit‚” said study author Dr Matthew R. Borths‚ of the Duke Lemur Center Museum of Natural History at Duke University‚ in a press release sent to IFLScience.The teeth came from five genera: 100 from Aegyptopithecus‚ 72 from Parapithecus‚ 99 from Propliopithecus‚ 82 from Apidium‚ and 68 from Catopithecus.These fossil teeth were examined for chips and caries (aka cavities). “Close attention was paid to the frequency‚ severity‚ and location of dental chips. We were also interested in the presence of dental caries‚ often linked to the consumption of soft fruits in modern primates‚” said lead author Dr Ian Towle‚ of Otago’s Sir John Walsh Research Institute in the Faculty of Dentistry.The researchers hypothesized that either these anthropoids would display chipping much like current primates that feed on hard foods if they had a similarly crunchy diet‚ or would have less chipping and also develop caries if they ate soft‚ sugary fruits. Of the 421 teeth studied‚ only 21 were chipped‚ and most of these fractures were small.A specimen of the species Propliopithecus chirobates‚ with a white arrow pointing to a chip that likely happened while the animal was alive‚ and white stars indicating damage after death.Image courtesy of Ian TowleThree potential caries‚ identified by their texture‚ position‚ and shape‚ were found in two Propliopithecus specimens. This finding hints that this genus had a “potential preference for ripe‚ sugary fruits‚” write the authors in the paper.The authors also say these results imply these primates lived in the trees and didn’t forage on the ground too much‚ explaining that “Extant primates that forage on the ground have an increased likelihood of grit being accidentally ingested‚ leading to higher chipping prevalence.”"Our findings indicate a predominant consumption of soft fruits among early anthropoids. The low prevalence of tooth chipping‚ particularly in comparison to modern anthropoids‚ hints at a preference for soft food sources‚ like ripe‚ sugary fruits‚” said Towle.“These insights into ancient primate diets provide crucial groundwork for understanding the evolutionary trajectories of our primate ancestors.”The study is published in the American Journal of Biological Anthropology.

Japanese officials have been unable to explain the mass wash of some 1‚200 tons of sardines and mackerel ashore in Hakodate‚ southwest Hokkaido. The incident occurred a week ago‚ but the cause of the strange environmental incident is still unknown. The blowout left a half-mile-long shoreline littered with dead fish‚ and local residents were concerned about the prospect of an incredible stench as the fish began to decompose. Among the theories put forward by local wildlife experts‚ the main ones were two: large schools of fish were fleeing from some kind of marine predator and therefore accidentally ended up in shallow water‚ from where waves washed them ashore‚ and a drop in water temperature. Meanwhile‚ a conspiracy theory was widely circulated on social networks‚ according to which the fish died due to water from Fukushima‚ which was allowed to be released into the ocean four months ago. Japanese authorities claim that this water is completely safe‚ but few people believe them. The fact is that even experts admit that this water still contains radioactive isotopes of tritium‚ albeit in very small quantities. Local fishermen are trying to collect fish that swim in the waves offshore‚ fearing that rotting fish will reduce the oxygen content in the water‚ harming marine life. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. It’s only since last year that we started catching sappu (a local species of sardine) here. It makes me wonder if the marine ecosystem is changing‚” says fisherman Mainichi Shimbun‚ who has worked in the area for 25 years. “The cause is unknown at the moment. We plan to sample seawater locally and examine it to determine the cause‚” Mikine Fujiwara‚ a local fisheries official‚ told a local newspaper. Speculation about the fault of the Fukushima waters has become so popular online that the Japanese Fisheries Agency issued a special message: “No abnormalities were found in the results of water monitoring studies. We are concerned about the dissemination of information that is not based on scientific evidence.” Meanwhile‚ Hakodate city officials have urged local residents not to eat beached fish amid reports that some are collecting large quantities of the fish to sell or eat. “We don’t know for sure under what circumstances the fish washed ashore‚ so I don’t recommend eating them‚” said Takashi Fujioka‚ a fisheries expert. The post Like an apocalypse: thousand tons of fish washed up on the shores of Japan appeared first on Anomalien.com.

You can’t even watch a horror show these days without getting the liberal agenda shoved down your throat. To be fair to horror‚ the liberal agenda does make it pretty scary‚ so there's that! And Netflix’s popular horror series The Fall Of The House Of Usher‚ which premiered in October‚ is no exception. The aforementioned agenda is both overtly and subtly promoted throughout the show’s eight episodes‚ starting with the incredible amount of LGBTQ characters. It’s so over the top that Out.com wrote a piece headlined‚ “Is Every Character in Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher Queer?” The article goes on to explain they don’t mind the LGBTQ characters getting killed off throughout the series because of how many that are featured. Anytime a director—especially a straight one—makes a horror movie or series with gay characters we worry that they’re going to fall into the “bury your gays” trope‚ but when just about every character is queer that’s no longer a problem! One probably wouldn't expect for elements of the liberal agenda to be sprinkled throughout the series based on the official synopsis‚ but this is becoming the norm when it comes to what’s being produced these days. Here’s how Netflix described the series: In this wicked series from Mike Flanagan (The Haunting of Hill House) and based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe‚ ruthless siblings Roderick and Madeline Usher have built Fortunato Pharmaceuticals into an empire of wealth‚ privilege and power. But past secrets come to light when the heirs to the Usher dynasty start dying at the hands of a mysterious woman from their youth.   Some of the episodes may leave you jaw dropped with the amount of gory deaths and sexual degeneracy‚ which includes a couple of orgy scenes‚ among other things.  And what's a great horror series without an inconspicuous jab at Fox News?  In the very first episode‚ Camille L'Espanaye (Kate Siegel) takes a swipe at Fox News host Sean Hannity and former Fox host Tucker Carlson during a scene where her publicity team strategizes how they will handle a highly-publicized trial involving the family's corrupt pharmaceutical company.  Camille L’Espanaye: We’re not swinging‚ we need front facing stuff‚ like Fox. Hannity knows what side his d**ks buttered on‚ he’ll be friendly. Tina: Tucker? Camille L’Espanaye: I’m sorry I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. Yes‚ call Breznican at Vanity Fair‚ see if he wants a profile on Leo. We can let Leo help out for a change. He can talk about his Jordons and his charity work. Kimmel‚ Colbert‚ also Leo. Notice the negativity aimed at conservative leaning hosts in this scene. It makes you wonder why the creator of the show would choose to go in this direction? Why didn't the character 'throw up in her mouth a little bit' over other hosts from any of the other networks?  And in case you weren't convinced that there's some preferential treatment towards leftists in this series‚ there's another scene in episode 5 where mostly well known conservatives and billionaires are depicted as people who made deals with the devil in exchange for success.   Arthur Gordon Pym: I’ve also been running her images through facial recognition sweep‚ no hits in law enforcement. Roderick Usher: See this is going nowhere. Arthur Gordon Pym: But I tapped into Madeline’s technology department‚ brought in her research algorithm‚ combed the internet — massive image search and in conjunction with our facial recognition… Madeline Usher: Oh‚ wait that’s…. Arthur Gordon Pym: David Koch‚ seven years ago. Roderick Usher: So wait‚ she works for the toxic twins? We always got along with those f**k nuts. And Zuckey too. That’s Gina… Arthur Gordon Pym: Gina Rinehart‚ mining magnate. Roderick Usher: Climate denial Dundee. You remember when she tried to make the case for a $2 a day pay. No? She’s a trip‚ she’s a great singer too. Arthur Gordon Pym: These were taken in 2011. Roderick Usher: So she’s a stalker. She stalks important people. Roderick Usher: This is from the 80’s. Arthur Gordon Pym: Getty’s. That’s Prescott Bush 1944. Randolph Hearst. The Rockefellers‚ Doheny‚ the Vanderbilts‚ and this one‚ John Francis Queeny. He founded Monsanto in 1901. The Koch brothers‚ Trump family‚ Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh‚ Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell‚ the Bush family and Fox News Founder Rupert Murdoch are among those photographed with Verna (Carla Gugino)‚ a shape-shifting demon.  Speaking of Supreme Court justices‚ someone who did not make the naughty list was the late Ruth Bader Ginsburg‚ but her name was randomly wedged into another scene.  In episode 4‚ Lenore Usher (Kyliegh Curran) randomly asks her mother if she'll be the next Ruth Badger Ginsberg‚ while her mother Morrie Usher (Crystal Balint) recovers in the hospital from third-degree acid burns that occurred during an orgy party. Lenore Usher: Is my name Lenore? Did you miss me? Am I better at bowling than dad? Do you think I’ll be the next RBG? Frederick Usher: She’s not a magic 8-ball honey. Again‚ one might wonder why the writer went with the left's hero‚ RBG‚ and not another Supreme Court justice like Clarence Thomas or Amy Coney Barrett?  In episode 8‚ Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell) goes on a bizarre rant about climate change and Viagra while pushing abortion misinformation.  Madeline Usher: Get around to funding AIDS research‚ diabetes and heart disease just as soon as we figure out how to keep our geriatric d**ks hard‚ for a few more minutes. What’s the market share on limpy d**ks‚ Roderick? Sixty to seventy percent of the healthcare industry. The pentagon spent $83 million on Viagra last year. Meanwhile the Supreme Court‚ the f**king Supreme Court does it’s part. Tears the autonomy‚ rips the liberty away from women‚ shreds not just their choice‚ but their future and their potential. It turns men into c*m fountains‚ and women into factories. Cranking out what? An impoverished workforce there for the labor and to spend what little they make consuming. And what do we teach them to want? Houses they can’t afford‚ cars that poison the air‚ single serve plastics‚ clothes made by starving children in third world countries. They want it so bad‚ they’re begging for it‚ they’re screaming for it‚ they’re insisting upon it. And we’re the problem? These fucking monsters‚ these f**king consumers‚ these f**king mouths‚ they point at you and me‚ like we’re the f**king problem. They f**king invented us. They begged for us. They’re begging for us still. The monologue is clearly referencing the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade‚ but fails to mention other important details‚ like the fact that the SCOTUS decision ultimately sent the authority to regulate and restrict abortions back to the states. But why let pesky facts get in the way of a dramatic monologue‚ right?  And who would have thunk a woman's 'future' and 'potential' would be 'shredded' if they became mothers instead of aborting their babies? 

The following is an excerpt from chapter six of A Future for the News: What's Wrong with Mainstream News Media in America and How to Fix It‚ edited by Professor Jim A. Kuypers‚ out today from Rowman &; Littlefield Publishers. The book "brings together academics and news industry professionals with individual chapters taking a specific area of concern and making a case for particular solutions to the problems presented. Solutions range from ones designed for individual reporters to consider‚ to those that target newsrooms‚ the institution of journalism‚ and news consuming audiences. Together they aim to help a beleaguered institution restore itself as a fully functioning asset of the American Republic." In response to Donald Trump’s 2016 victory‚ CNN International’s Christiane Amanpour‚ whose show is simulcast in the United States on PBS‚ wrote‚ “Now‚ more than ever‚ we need to commit to real reporting across a real nation‚ a real world in which journalism and democracy are in mortal peril‚ including by foreign powers like Russia paying to churn out and place false news‚ and hacking into democratic systems here and allegedly in upcoming crucial German and French elections too.”  An appropriate response to Amanpour’s article could be “Now?” Amanpour can claim that revulsion to facts is a recent Trumpian feature that threatens democracy‚ but the people she would need to convince most are unconvinced. For instance‚ many political moderates as well as conservatives do not hear a journalist such as Amanpour using “now” and think of Trump‚ they hear “now” and think of just the next Republican who is replacing a Democrat; so even if Jeb Bush had been elected president‚ they would have gone after him too. This response is not new to the 2016 election‚ because in their minds‚ in 2012‚ elite journalists went after Mitt Romney too. For example‚ Neil Newhouse was a pollster for the Romney campaign and in September of that year he created a sensation when he proclaimed‚ “We’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact-checkers.” Responding to Newhouse‚ Neil Brown at PolitiFact wrote‚ “This fact-check business‚ it turns out‚ makes some partisans very uncomfortable.” Romney’s rival‚ President Barack Obama‚ also attempted to seize on not only Newhouse’s remarks but the reaction to them: “Somebody was challenging one of their ads‚ they just— they made it up about work and welfare. . . . Every outlet said‚ ‘this is just not true.’ And they were asked about it and they said—one of their campaign people says: We won’t have the fact checkers dictate our campaign. We will not let the truth get in the way.” 

You are supposed to celebrate the miracle of Hanukkah publicly. The menorah is supposed to be visible to the street from your window. But in a world where you’re Jewish and you consider not putting out the menorah out of fear‚ that should tell you everything about the times in which we live. I read about a lot of people from Los Angeles who feel they need to keep Hanukkah to themselves this year. That’s wrong. That’s deeply wrong. The idea is that you need to share your light. With everything that’s going on‚ if you see somebody with a menorah in their window‚ that’s a person of courage. But many are afraid — and justifiably so. Fear is often a friend. It is what keeps us alive in many cases because the world is a really dangerous place. If you had no fear‚ you would have walked off the roof as a kid or any of those other asinine things you did all the time because you would have had no fear. Fear and the avoidance of danger are wired deep into us. We recoil from a snake before we even consciously identify it as a snake. We know we're in the presence of danger because that reflex is embedded so deeply in us. It's almost impossible to train yourself out of it‚ and it's a good thing. We need more light. Each candle burns from within‚ but it's lit by a spark from without — shining out against the darkness but always reaching up. Fear is also contagious. Now‚ that can be a good thing and a bad thing. A scream‚ tone of voice‚ posture‚ facial expression‚ all those things will communicate fear from one person to the next. Again‚ that's a survival mechanism. Someone in your group is afraid‚ and you think‚ “Maybe they know something that I don't know. Maybe they've seen the tiger and I haven't seen it yet.” And the smart thing to do is react before asking too many questions. You just shut down and wait a minute. Then you can ask questions. Because we are animals — social animals — and we’re constantly informed by one another and constantly calibrating against each other. This can be negative as well as positive. Crowds can turn into mobs and do horrible things way beyond what one individual in that crowd could or would do. Anybody who has experienced this knows a mob gets out of control fast. Anybody who has been to church knows the power of being in a crowd of people. The family and I went to a large church here in Dallas the other weekend‚ and it was really uplifting — a truly intense‚ exciting concert. With the congregation‚ it's not just you experiencing the music being played. At a football game‚ you're just part of something greater‚ and you can't really put your finger on it. The presence of people transforms music and sport into a transcendent experience. Ideas are also contagious. Gad Saad‚ the Canadian marketing professor who applies evolutionary psychology to business‚ defines bad ideas as “mind pathogens‚” and he says they pass from one mind to another‚ infecting greater and greater numbers. This fuels social crazes from the tulip mania to self-harm or transgenderism among teenage girls. (See Abigail Shrier’s “Irreversible Damage” if you want to know more about that.) Obviously‚ in many cases‚ contagious fear is disastrous. In our world‚ this is obvious. Just think of the pandemic and panic over COVID-19. How many people just stopped thinking? Think of the countless stories of people dying when a crowd panics and stampedes. This is why you don't cry "fire" in a crowded movie theater when there's not a fire. You don't do that because you know how the crowd will react. The Bible's view of fear in combat and its contagious effects is nicely summarized when priests are instructed to tell the Israelites: Let your heart not be faint. Don't panic. Don't break. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight your enemies for you. But also‚ who is the man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house. Don't let him melt the heart of his fellows. The flip side of fear Positive emotions are also contagious: kindness‚ love‚ joy‚ and even laughter. Ever wondered why there’s canned laughter in sitcoms? Go back to the worship service‚ or the concert hall‚ or a baby laughing‚ or people laughing. It’s the same for courage. We always tell ourselves to reach deep within to find strength and courage. But courage is often sparked‚ at least initially‚ from without — because courage is also contagious. War is a classic scene to study for obvious reasons. Studies of the Lincoln Brigade and the American volunteers in the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s are considered classic investigations of courage in battle. Peter Carol in 1994 wrote an article that related to panic that could become dangerously contagious‚ jeopardizing everyone‚ yet the veterans observed that courage too had become infectious. Donald Horton’s book on the same subject‚ “Fear in Battle‚” identifies leadership along with devotion to causes as key enablers of courage in combat: something to fight for. A recent example of courage is the Israeli combat officers who are trained specifically to lead from the front.There are all kinds of these examples. The only fear we have to fear is fear itself. At the bottom of our hearts‚ we've always known that. That's why we have heroes and statues. That's why we have stories that are meant to inspire us‚ both fictional and historical‚ from movies to the Bible. We look to our heroes to teach us. They teach us how we should behave when the world goes dark and scary. We look to those in the past to kindle the light of courage in us so we can choose to face the darkness. But what happens when a country has all of its real heroes taken down? What happens when all the statues‚ good or bad‚ are taken down? What happens when we don't remember our history? That's what Hanukkah is really about. It's what Christmas is really about. Remember who you are. The world is dark and scary. That's the truth. Many play on our fears‚ and that makes us more afraid — including afraid of each other. When that happens‚ we cry out for a savior to make us safe. There's only one Savior that I know of. But if we are rock-solid‚ if we have the light of courage and laughter and hope and truth within us‚ if we light it up in ourselves and put it in the front window‚ it not only lights us up‚ it lights up others. We need more light. Each candle burns from within‚ but it's lit by a spark from without — shining out against the darkness but always reaching up. Look up! Look up! This holiday season‚ forget about everything else. Look up. Find courage‚ and even better‚ pass it on. Light the candle in yourself so that you and yours can face the darkness. Want more from Glenn Beck? Get Glenn's FREE email newsletter with his latest insights‚ top stories‚ show prep and more delivered to your inbox.

A Christian Navy veteran toppled a satanic statue at the Iowa Capitol after finding others were keen only to virtually signal their displeasure. Unlike many of the leftists who toppled hundreds of historic statues across the nation amidst the BLM riots‚ former Mississippi congressional candidate Michael Cassidy immediately assumed responsibility for his actions and turned himself into the authorities. He now faces likely legal action from the Satanic Temple. Conservatives appreciative of the effort have‚ however‚ made sure that Cassidy has what he needs for the legal battles ahead‚ topping off his legal defense fund inside three hours. What's the background? The Satanic Temple is an atheistic leftist organization that has sought to ensure that women can legally have their unborn children killed by way of their "religious abortion ritual"; held a demonization ceremony in protest of the canonization of the Catholic Spanish priest Junípero Serra; distributed satanic literature to children; publicly performed "unbaptisms"; and erected statues of Baphomet on public property in multiple states. Blaze News previously indicated that the temple‚ formerly included on Fox News' internal list of charities eligible for donation matches‚ also runs an online clinic out of New Mexico that distributes abortion drugs‚ which the group has dubbed "Samuel Alito's Mom's Satanic Abortion Clinic." Last week‚ the Satanic Temple of Iowa installed an altar on the first floor of the Iowa Capitol along with a caped figure of what appears to be ram-headed Baphomet holding a red pentacle. USA Today indicated that the installation included a display of the anti-Christian organization's "seven fundamental tenets‚" including "the freedom to offend." While ostensibly intended to antagonize Christians ahead of Christmas‚ Lucien Greaves‚ co-founder of the Satanic Temple‚ claimed that the statue was not intended to be insulting. — (@) The initial response Various lawmakers called on Gov. Kim Reynolds (R) to remove the installation. State Rep. Brad Sherman (R)‚ a pastor‚ noted in a newsletter that the preamble of the state constitution expressly states there is "One Supreme God"; that blessings over the state come from that "Supreme Being"; that "we must depend upon the One Supreme God if we want to enjoy continued blessings." "It is a tortured and twisted interpretation of law that affords Satan‚ who is universally understood to be the enemy of God‚ religious expression equal to God in an institution of government that depends upon God for continued blessings‚" wrote Sherman. "If we claim to believe in the One Supreme Being‚ the God of all creation‚ we cannot claim an exemption from obedience to Him in things relating to civil government." State Rep. Jon Dunwell (R)‚ also a pastor‚ alternatively explained why the statue was permissible in a post on X: "Currently‚ access for displays at the Capitol are open to anyone through an application process. Though there are some guidelines‚ they do not discriminate on the basis of religion or ideology. Displays are permitted to be displayed for two weeks." Dunwell added‚ "The Satanic Temple petitioned for their display in August and were approved with some modification. They wanted to use an actual goat head (I'm assuming a skull) and we're [sic] prohibited from doing so." Dunwell acknowledged that the display "glorifies the evil influence we oppose" but defended it on legal grounds‚ suggesting the "primary response required is prayer." Gov. Reynolds called the display "objectionable" and encouraged "all those of faith to join [her] today in praying over the Capitol." Satanic Temple co-founder Greaves stated‚ "I would hope that even people who disagree with the symbolism behind our values‚ whether they know what those values [are] or not‚ would at least appreciate that it's certainly a greater evil to allow the government to pick and choose between forms of religious expression." Baphomet beheaded Within hours of liking a post by Blaze News columnist Auron MacIntyre‚ which stated‚ "Periodic reminder that the religious right were correct about everything‚" Cassidy headed to the state Capitol and decapitated the Baphomet statue. The former Navy officer then took the ram head and chucked it into a garbage can. — (@) Cassidy‚ a former F/A-18 Hornet pilot who did a tour on the USS George Washington‚ told the Sentinel his intention was to "awaken Christians to the anti-Christian acts promoted by our government." "The world may tell Christians to submissively accept the legitimization of Satan‚ but none of the founders would have considered government sanction of Satanic altars inside Capitol buildings as protected by the First Amendment‚" said Cassidy. "Anti-Christian values have steadily been mainstreamed more and more in recent decades‚ and Christians have largely acted like the proverbial frog in the boiling pot of water." — (@) After dismantling the controversial statue‚ the veteran turned himself in to police without incident. He was ultimately charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. The Satanic Temple Iowa said in a Thursday statement‚ "This morning‚ we were informed by authorities that the Baphomet statue in our holiday display was destroyed beyond repair. ... [J]ustice is being pursued the correct way‚ through legal means. Solve et Coagula! Happy Holidays! Hail Satan!" Greaves called Cassidy a "coward" and claimed the statue toppling was a "Hate Crime." As Cassidy was charged and faces likely legal action from the leftist group‚ the Sentinel started a GiveSendGo campaign to raise $20‚000 for the veteran's legal defense. The money was raised in less than three hours. Turning Point USA CEO Charlie Kirk indicated that his organization had pledged $10‚000 to the fund‚ stating‚ "We stand with Satan Slayer‚ @VoteCassidy." Daily Wire commentator Matt Walsh was among the others who also chipped in‚ donating $1‚000. Cassidy later quoted scripture online‚ tweeting‚ "1 Peter 5:8 KJV Be sober‚ be vigilant; because your adversary the devil‚ as a roaring lion‚ walketh about‚ seeking whom he may devour." Satanic Temple Sets Up Display in Iowa State House youtu.be Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

Rock legend Dee Snider said that Elon Musk allowing controversial talk show host Alex Jones back on his platform was not free speech‚ just months after saying that online speech that "hurt people psychologically" was not acceptable.The Twisted Sister singer‚ famous for the song "We're Not Gonna Take It‚" took his opinion to X and utilized use his free speech to condemn the reactivation of Jones' account. "So [Musk] has let [Jones] back on the platform &; sat in on a forum with AJ &; a group of other false prophets?" Snider wrote. "This isn't free speech. These are awful people knowingly spreading falsehoods with malevolent intent. It may be time to leave X &; sell my Tesla. Standby."Musk allowed Jones to return to the platform after posting a poll that garnered more than 2 million votes; it asked "Reinstate Alex Jones on this platform? Vox Populi‚ Vox Dei.""Vox populi vox Dei" is a Latin phrase meaning "the voice of the people is the voice of God."After 70% of respondents chose "yes‚" Jones was promptly reinstated. So @elonmusk has let @AlexJonesReborn back on the platform &; sat in on a forum with AJ &; a group of other false prophets? \n\nThis isn't free speech. These are awful people knowingly spreading falsehoods with malevolent intent. \n\nIt may be time to leave X &; sell my Tesla. Standby. — (@) Snider has been an active voice in political discourse in recent years‚ even specifically addressing Musk and online speech in October 2023. Snider claimed in an interview with a New Jersey radio station that Musk doesn't actually understand free speech."There's this idea‚ and Elon Musk is a champion of it‚ that free speech is saying anything you want whenever you want. That is not what they meant when they wrote the First Amendment. … You never could say something that could endanger someone's well-being‚ whether it's physical or mental‚ with your words‚" Snider claimed‚ according to Blabbermouth."You can't say things to people or post things online that could hurt people psychologically‚ mentally and physically destroy their lives. That's not free speech‚" the artist then stated.The hair-metal singer also shared his opinion in May 2023 that children have not matured enough mentally to pursue gender transitions. "I was not aware the Transgender community expects fealty and total agreement with all their beliefs and any variation or deviation is considered 'transphobic‚'" Snider wrote after receiving backlash for his comments.As well‚ Snider expressed his support for Ukraine in 2020 in regards to the country using his song as an anthem amid the Russian invasion."I absolutely approve of Ukrainians using 'We're Not Gonna Take It' as their battlecry [sic]‚" Snider announced . "My grandfather was Ukrainian‚ before it was swallowed up by the USSR after WW2. This can't happen to these people again!"Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

"We believed the song should have that same excitement of when we played live‚" he says‚ on recording the big DC5 hits like "Glad All Over." The post Dave Clark on ‘All the Hits’: ‘The Imperfections Made Them Perfect’ appeared first on Best Classic Bands.