A FOIA request filed by the conservative media company The Blaze‚ found a number of major media outlets were paid to promote the Covid vaccine. Such venues included The Washington Post‚ Los Angeles Times‚ NBC‚ CNN‚ Fox News‚ and several others. The Blaze’s report received little coverage. The Blaze reported: Hundreds of news organizations were paid […] The post Biden Administration Funded Pro-Vaccine Ads on Multiple Outlets appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

The suspect in the Dublin nursery stabbing‚ which sparked violent riots in Ireland’s capital has suffered “extensive” brain injuries which “may be permanent”‚ it has been claimed. An Garda Siochana did not comment on claims by a source who told the Irish Mirror that the suspect “is in a bad way”‚ adding: “His head injuries are extensive and may be permanent.” […] The post The Algerian Knifer in Ireland Might be Permanently Brain Injured appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

X owner Elon Musk slammed people this week who are only interested in looking good for the sake of appearances while what they do is evil. Musk made the remarks Wednesday during an onstage interview at The New York Times Dealbook Summit 2023 at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Musk said in the interview that he had done more for the environment as CEO of Tesla than any other living person. “Tesla’s done more to help the environment than all other companies combined‚” he said. “It would be fair to say that as the leader of the company‚ I’ve done more for the environment than any single human on earth.” When asked how he felt about what he said‚ Musk responded: “I’m saying what I care about is the reality of goodness‚ not the perception of it. And what I see all over the place is people who care about looking good while doing evil. F*** them.” WATCH: JUST IN – Elon Musk: "What I see all over the place is people who care about looking good‚ while doing evil. Fuck them." pic.twitter.com/N4q1SbVmlS — Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 30‚ 2023 TRANSCRIPT: ELON MUSK: Tesla’s gotten to where it’s gotten with no advertising at all… sells twice as much in terms of electric vehicles‚ more than all the carmakers in the United States combined. Tesla’s done more to help the environment than all other companies combined. It would be fair to say that as the leader of the company‚ I’ve done more for the environment than any single human on earth. ANDREW ROSS SORKIN: How do you feel about that? MUSK: How do I feel about that? SORKIN: No‚ I’m asking you personally how you feel about that‚ because we are talking about power and influence — MUSK: I’m saying what I care about is the reality of goodness‚ not the perception of it. And what I see all over the place is people who care about looking good while doing evil. F*** them. Related: Elon Musk Blasts Advertisers Threatening To ‘Blackmail’ Him By Pulling Ads: ‘Go. F***. Yourself.’

By now you’ve probably seen footage of Elon Musk’s remarks at the New York Times DealBook Summit last night. This is an annual summit that brings together business leaders‚ and several of them are interviewed on-stage. Normally it’s not particularly newsworthy. Anytime you gather together a bunch of corporate CEO’s and business owners‚ you typically get a lot of carefully choreographed language. It’s all very brand-safe‚ by design. But this year’s DealBook Summit was unique‚ mainly because of this one moment. It came during Musk’s interview with CNBC host Andrew Ross Sorkin. Sorkin began by asking Musk about the ongoing advertiser boycott of X‚ and whether Musk is desperate to win those advertisers back. Here’s what Musk said in response:  This is one of the most extraordinary 5-minute clips I’ve ever seen on this app. An epoch-making exchange. pic.twitter.com/DbAFF5MkWD — Joel Berry (@JoelWBerry) November 30‚ 2023 There’s more context for that clip‚ which I’ll play in a little bit. But for now‚ what you just heard is Musk telling the CEO of Disney‚ Bob Iger‚ in no uncertain terms‚ to go f*** himself. This is the head of one of the most powerful entertainment companies on the planet. And Bob Iger was apparently in the audience when Musk said that‚ which is awesome.  But Musk wasn’t just talking to him. He was delivering the same message to every other corporate advertiser that has suspended advertising on X‚ as a way to force him restore the old censorship regime of Twitter. As of now‚ the list of advertisers boycotting X includes more than 100 companies‚ including some of the largest corporations on the planet. Musk was telling all of these corporations — which are now clearly trying to destroy him for political reasons — to go to hell. It goes without saying that nothing like this has ever happened before. That’s what Andrew Ross Sorkin was completely and totally shellshocked; he could barely get a word out. In the business world‚ what Musk did was unthinkable. The owners of major corporations aren’t exactly known for standing on principle‚ even when that principle could destroy the business model of their entire company. But that’s exactly what Musk did. And mainstream journalists like Sorkin certainly cannot conceive of anyone actually standing up to corporations like Disney. These are all subservient‚ masochistic little weaklings who bow to our corporate overlords. They are shocked to see anyone do otherwise.  WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show At the same time‚ what was even more interesting than Musk’s remarks — and what ultimately proved his point — was how the corporate news media responded to what Musk said. They were universally outraged. They didn’t even try to hide their disdain — even though Musk wasn’t addressing them.  And that’s odd‚ when you think about it — or at least‚ it should be odd. After all‚ these media outlets claim to be interested in reporting the news. They claim that they’re not simply vessels for corporate messaging. But last night‚ they couldn’t help themselves. One after another‚ these outlets unloaded on Musk in the most disparaging possible terms. It was clearly personal. Watch:   Did you catch the disclosure at the end there? Musk was calling out Comcast at the DealBook Summit and Comcast‚ incidentally‚ is the parent company of NBC Universal. And then NBC News just so happens to accuse Elon Musk of hating Jewish people. And then there’s the deranged segment from KTLA in Los Angeles — the flagship station of the CW Television Network — in which the analyst explains that no one will ever trust Musk ever again‚ because he’s such a horrible person. He’s created a “toxic landscape.” They even suggest that Musk is going to try and steal customers’ credit card numbers‚ because he told off Bob Iger. They’re not just attacking him for what he said‚ they’re saying‚ preemptively‚ that if he pivots X to a subscription model‚ that you shouldn’t trust him because he’s going to rip you off. This kind of demented coverage has been relentless. It’s been coming from every single corporate media outlet. Fox News accused Musk of antisemitism last week‚ for example. And just a couple days ago‚ ABC News ran a segment in which the anchor (and panelists) took turns trashing Musk and X. The segment ended with ABC News urging the White House — as well as everyone in the ABC News audience — to abandon the platform. They could not have been more explicit about their activism.   What’s extraordinary about that clip — beyond what you just saw — is what they didn’t talk about. I watched all seven minutes of the full segment‚ at no point did ABC News disclose that the parent company of ABC News is The Walt Disney Company. Somehow they didn’t mention that their boss‚ Bob Iger‚ had suspended his company’s ads on Twitter. That conflict of interest never came up once. They were too busy telling you to abandon Twitter at all costs‚ because it’s a “sewer.” And for good measure‚ they were begging the White House to do the same. It goes without saying that ABC News never once mentions what Media Matters did in order to smear X as a quote “sewer.” They don’t talk about Musk’s lawsuit against Media Matters for misleading X’s advertisers about this. ABC doesn’t tell their audience that Media Matters went to great lengths to engineer a scenario that would put corporate advertisements near “objectionable” content on their timelines. You’re just supposed to take it on faith that X is somehow the only platform where you could engineer a scenario like this — even as Instagram’s algorithm has been shown to connect pedophiles with child pornography. What you can gather from the sheer dishonesty of the clips I just showed — and many more like them — is that the corporate news media understands‚ for good reason‚ that Musk’s criticism of mega corporations is also an attack on them. In some cases‚ that’s because these media companies are directly owned by the corporations that Musk is attacking. In other cases‚ it’s because these media companies are completely beholden to these corporations for their own advertising dollars. That’s why what Musk said at the DealBook Summit was so important. It wasn’t just a cathartic declaration of war against corporate censors. It also exposed many of the so-called journalists and news organizations that are completely beholden to these censors. Which is why they’re telling you not to trust Musk anymore‚ because he was mean to Bob Iger. Meanwhile‚ they’re running endless advertisements for Big Pharma. And yet‚ despite that‚ you’re supposed to trust them when they report on Ozempic‚ or the tenth version of the COVID booster. You’re also supposed to blindly trust their “experts on disinformation‚” whom they’ve hired directly from the FBI and the CIA. These are people who have lied to your face for years‚ about everything from Russiagate to the pandemic. And now they’re trying to destroy Musk for one tweet — out of tens of thousands of tweets — that he clarified almost immediately. (He also apologized at the DealBook Summit for his remarks being poorly worded‚ not that any of these ghouls care about that‚ and not that he owed any kind of apology at all.) The truth is‚ they were never upset about what Musk said about the ADL and other Left-wing groups like it. They’re not even really pretending he’s “antisemitic” anymore. They seem to recognize that would be an odd charge to make‚ after Israel’s prime minister rolled out the welcome mat for Musk the other day. So now they’re back to old-fashioned mafia tactics. They’re not hiding the fact that they despise him for exposing how corporate control of the media works. That’s why they’re smearing him as someone who’s going to steal your credit card. It’s why they’re smirking about some random mayor in Europe leaving X‚ as if that matters. Their tactics are getting desperate and obvious. A little while ago‚ I told you that I would play some more of Musk’s remarks. This is the part of his comments that didn’t get as much play on social media‚ but it’s just as important as what he told Bob Iger and the other advertisers. Watch: MUSK: “The judge is the public.” SORKIN: “And you think that the public is going to say that Disney is making a mistake?” MUSK: “Yes.” SORKIN: “And they’re going to boycott Disney?” MUSK: “They already are.”@elonmusk pic.twitter.com/3LDxuk8wDC — Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) November 30‚ 2023 That’s not a moment that the major media outlets are going to play on loop. They’re going to fixate on the big f-bomb‚ and try to portray Musk as some kind of unhinged lunatic. But this part of Musk’s conversation with Sorkin was just as important‚ if not more important‚ than what he told Bob Iger. Disney does not create anything of value‚ in fact they create negative value. More people than ever recognize that now. At the very same DealBook Summit where Musk spoke‚ Bob Iger made that very clear. As if to prove that point‚ here’s a CNN headline summarizing what Iger said: “Disney CEO Bob Iger says ‘No. 1 priority’ is turning around Marvel‚ acknowledges ‘too many sequels’ after box office misses.” That’s Disney’s top priority. They’re going to work on cranking out more Marvel movies‚ flooded with Left-wing propaganda‚ that no one will watch. They’re not attempting to launch rocket ships to Mars. They’re entirely focused on Marvel films‚ and putting as much gay propaganda in children’s content as possible. And people are rejecting it. The movies are bombing. Disney Plus recently lost more than 10 million subscribers.  By contrast‚ Musk is accomplishing things that help humanity‚ they’re not. They’re doing the exact opposite. And those are the people Musk can’t stand. They’re the people we shouldn’t tolerate either. What Musk did yesterday was to declare war against the executives responsible for debasing our culture and force-feeding us a stream of lobotomized garbage‚ while they play the role of censor. He made the simple and obvious point that a CEO who’s fixated on Marvel movies should not be in charge of free speech in this country. Entertainment executives shouldn’t be telling everyone else what “hate speech” is‚ or demanding censorship. No corporate CEO should have that power. They should be worried about their own products. That’s it. They shouldn’t spend a second thinking about what you can say online. But for a very long time now‚ CEO’s have had the power to censor you. They simply apply pressure to media organizations and social media companies‚ and they get what they want. They use coercion and blackmail to effectively destroy the First Amendment. And they can always claim that it has nothing to do with the First Amendment‚ because these are “private companies” imposing these speech restrictions. The truth is that the distinction between the corporate world and the government has become increasingly irrelevant. The Democrats use corporations to impose speech restrictions that they could not impose legislatively. But Musk has just challenged this whole regime‚ as explicitly as he possibly could. And now‚ as he said‚ the chips will fall. If people don’t want free speech — if they want the Marvel guy to tell them what to think — then free speech will die. X will collapse‚ and shortly afterwards‚ so will your ability to say what you think on the Internet. This is preventable‚ but it takes some work. It takes people standing up and saying what they know is true‚ regardless of the personal cost they might face. And that’s been happening more and more. It’s happened with the gender debate. It’s happened with Target selling satanic merchandise to children. It’s happened with affirmative action‚ which is now broadly unpopular in this country. It’s happened with Ukraine funding‚ too. Now‚ as Musk said‚ people need to turn on the corporate censors who have silenced them for so long. These companies need to suffer real consequences for what they tried to do here. For that to happen‚ Americans need to do what Elon Musk did last night‚ and tell all of these would-be overlords‚ in no uncertain terms‚ that they need to go f*** themselves.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) got confrontational with a far-left activist this week who was pushing him to call for ceasefire in Gaza amid Israel’s war to eradicate the area of Hamas terrorists. The activist — Code Pink c0-founder Medea Benjamin‚ who has defended Hamas on X — approached Rubio in the hallway of a building in Washington‚ D.C.‚ on Wednesday and asked him in the ambush interview‚ “Senator Rubio will you call for a ceasefire in Gaza?” “No I will not‚” Rubio responded. “On the contrary — are you filming this? I want you guys to get this.” “I want them to destroy every element of Hamas they can get their hands on‚” he said. “These people are vicious animals who did horrifying crimes‚ and I hope you guys post that‚ because that’s my position.” “And what about the civilians that are being killed every day?” Benjamin asked. “I blame Hamas for that‚” Rubio said. “Hamas should stop hiding behind civilians‚ putting civilians in the way. Hamas knew that this was going to lead to this. So Hamas must stop building their military installations underneath hospitals‚ underneath civilian –” Benjamin cited numbers put out by Hamas’ Gaza Ministry of Health‚ which has a history of deception‚ and asked Rubio if he did not care about innocent lives being lost. “Absolutely I do‚” Rubio said. “I care‚ I think it’s horrifying‚ I think it’s terrible‚ and I think Hamas is a hundred percent to blame. That’s what I think.” “Make sure you post that please‚” he said before stepping away. WATCH: Watch: Amazingly said. Well done Senator @marcorubio 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/fV1lMFKO6V — Nioh Berg â™› ✡︎ (@NiohBerg) November 30‚ 2023  

The season of giving and receiving gifts is just around the corner. Although giving loved ones presents has a great impact on your (and their) mental health‚ it is also of utmost importance to be mindful of the impact gift exchanges have on the environment. Stanford University estimates that the average US household generates 25 percent more waste during the holiday season than at any other time of the year‚ and according to Zero Waste Canada‚ Canadians throw out 545‚000 tons of wrapping paper and shopping bags by the end of the holidays. Policy coordinator with Metro Vancouver and the leader behind the Create Memories Not Garbage campaign Shellee Ritzman says that “the idea of buying single-use wrap just to have it ripped and thrown in the garbage on Christmas day is really sad‚” especially because not all wrapping paper can be recycled‚ like the shiny slippery options that are made with plastic. “Even wrapping paper that you think would be safe for your curbside recycling might not be‚” she adds‚ “because anything that has glitter‚ texture‚ or shine can’t go in your recycling. That’s garbage.” On top of the issue of recycling‚ the creation of wrapping paper requires a lot of resources. “The trees that were cut down and the energy used to process that into paper and to transport it to your house has a much bigger environmental impact than whether you recycle it or not‚” explains Emily Alfred‚ waste campaigner for the Toronto Environmental Alliance. To make this year’s holiday season more eco-friendly‚ consider trading in traditional wrapping paper for some creative and affordable alternatives. Furoshiki Furoshiki is the art of Japanese fabric wrapping‚ and also refers to the squares of fabric used‚ which are usually between 50 to 70 cm in size. Furoshiki has been practiced in Japan for centuries as a method of carrying and protecting goods and has the added benefit of being reusable‚ either by you or by the recipient. Plus‚ there’s no need to struggle with wrapping paper and tape; Furoshiki is much easier to maneuver. All you have to do is place the gift you’d like to wrap in the center of the fabric‚ fold it around the object‚ and tie it in a knot. For extra guidance‚ check out this tutorial. Make this method even more sustainable by creating furoshiki out of fabric that you already have in the house such as pillowcases‚ blankets‚ or towels. If you don’t have any to spare‚ then hit up your local thrift shop and look for nicely printed scarves or handkerchiefs. Fabric gift bags Likely the easiest method of gift wrapping‚ fabric gift bags are hassle-free and come in a wide range of sizes‚ colors‚ patterns‚ and textures. With easy cinch or tie tops‚ these are also the fastest way to get gifts wrapped. You can even sew some of your own to make good use of any leftover fabric you may have lying around the house. Baskets A basket isn’t just a beautiful alternative to wrapping paper‚ but it actually becomes a part of the present. Choose a basket made of natural materials such as bamboo‚ rattan‚ and seagrass. If you’d like to cover more of the present inside‚ then hide it with some cloth or tissue paper that you’ve saved from other gifts. Tins Tins‚ although associated with baked goods‚ can be used to wrap any number of small items. If you don’t have any hidden in a cupboard somewhere‚ then they are generally quite inexpensive to purchase‚ especially at a used home goods store. Glass jars Repurpose empty glass jars by washing them out and using them as vessels for cute holiday treats and trinkets. For an extra festive feel‚ stick a bow on it! Reuse items you have around the house If you are set on wrapping gifts on paper‚ then use your home as a resource and check out what you have lying around. You can use a range of items such as newspaper‚ magazine pages‚ old maps‚ brown paper takeout bags‚ and mesh wrappers that you get with your fruits and veggies. Also‚ consider switching out the plastic tape for washi tape‚ a biodegradable alternative that comes in a variety of colors and patterns. Go even further by ditching plastic ribbons and going for natural materials like pinecones or evergreen sprigs to decorate your gift.The post 7 sustainable alternatives to wrapping paper first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

In the frozen embrace of LuleÃ¥‚ where daylight dwindles to mere hours‚ plunging into icy seawater becomes a ritual. For Katariina Yliperttula‚ a dip before work is about more than braving the cold—it’s an invigorating thrill. “It’s like a happiness rush afterwards‚” she says‚ recounting her winter swims‚ a habit adopted amidst the dark months. The loneliness freeze While there are plenty of winter activities such as ice swimming‚ skiing‚ or strolling on frozen pathways to sustain many through the frigid season‚ the problem of loneliness persists. Pontus Wikström‚ chair of the winter bathing group Kallis LuleÃ¥‚ emphasizes the significance of a simple ‘hi’: “It means people who meet each other‚ don’t know each other‚ become a little happier.” Saying ‘hi’ to happiness Enter the “Säg hej! (say hello!)” campaign‚ a beacon of warmth in the city’s cold. This initiative nudges residents towards meaningful social interactions‚ advocating for a friendlier city through small but impactful gestures. As Ã…sa Koski from LuleÃ¥ municipality notes‚ “Being greeted by strangers makes people feel more seen and a bit more like you belong.” Chilling stats and warm intentions Statistics unveil the pervasive nature of loneliness‚ particularly among the young‚ prompting awareness in a place acutely conscious of this societal affliction. Micael Dahlen from the Stockholm School of Economics underscores‚ “Loneliness and isolation are huge problems any time of the year almost anywhere in the world right now.” Yet‚ amidst this push for friendliness‚ the city’s evolution brings both reserve and openness. Mee Young Yim‚ an American who moved to LuleÃ¥ over two decades ago‚ notes that even though people in the city are “mostly friendly‚” they don’t appear to be at first. “Everyone’s a bit reserved‚ but if you ask then people will help you.”  As the pandemic took hold‚ an ironic observation emerged: Swedes‚ known for their reserve‚ seemed quite prepared for social distancing. Journalist Lisa Bjurwald noted this in a satirical way‚ citing the Swedes’ predilection for a “remarkably wide so-called interpersonal distance.” This standard‚ established in daily life—from navigating supermarket aisles to waiting at bus stops—seemed almost like a social script‚ faithfully obeyed. The pandemic‚ of course‚ exacerbated this social estrangement‚ reflecting reduced greetings and heightened apprehension. Seyed Mohsen Hashemi‚ a student‚ observes the shift: “Before Covid‚ it was 50-50: some people said hi to each other. But after Covid people have become more scared to have contact with strangers.” Bridging cultural differences Hashemi‚ with roots in the Middle East‚ navigates cultural variances: “I come from the Middle East and people used to say hi to each other. It’s rude not to say hi to each other. But here if you say hi to strangers they will say: ‘He’s drunk’.” For individuals like Hashemi‚ surviving winter involves more than social gestures. Vitamin D‚ hobbies‚ and a few white lights installed at home create pockets of warmth. Ronja Melin‚ an illustrator‚ highlights the “Säg hej!” campaign’s significance: “You live in your own bubble quite a lot. To notice people is always important.” In LuleÃ¥‚ where darkness dominates‚ a simple ‘hello’ becomes a sign of belonging. The ‘Säg hej!’ campaign‚ like a flicker of light‚ seeks to thaw the chill of isolation and foster connections. LuleÃ¥ champions community and human relationships with a simple gesture‚ a ‘hello’‚ offering warmth to thaw the winter freeze.The post Breaking the ice: Swedish city combats winter loneliness with “say hello” campaign first appeared on The Optimist Daily: Making Solutions the News.

'The school's failure'

'No other form of art is routinely used in this way'

'They're wrong'