The following is a transcript excerpt from episode 2 of Jonathan Pageau’s new series “End of the World.“ Now available on DailyWire+. The ancient Greeks had an interesting understanding of their world and it is an understanding which actually reflects itself in every culture. It’s not unique to the Greeks. It is the image of the center moving to the periphery. In the city of Delphi‚ the Greeks had something they called the “Omphalos‚” a holy stone considered to be the “belly button of the world.” That’s actually what it means. To them‚ this was the center of the world‚ or better yet‚ the center of their world. It bound them together as Hellenes‚ having the same language‚ worshiping the same gods‚ and even though they had conflict amongst themselves‚ there was something transcendent which bound them together nonetheless. As the Greeks would move away from their city‚ however‚ they would encounter people who were strangers‚ but were recognizable. They would form some kind of relationship with them. Because they shared a border‚ they could even understand them a little bit and they would trade with one another. But as they moved further out‚ they would encounter new groups of people and they really struggled to understand their language. That’s where the word “Barbarian” comes from. It’s the idea of hearing someone bark like a dog — not because they actually barked like a dog‚ but because they’re language was so far removed from the Greek language that they couldn’t understand what they were saying. “Bar‚ bar‚ bar‚ bar‚ bar‚” is what the Greeks would hear when they encountered the Scythians or other strangers further off. WATCH: Episode 2 of “End of the World” with Jonathan Pageau So‚ in the Greek vision of the world‚ as you move further and further away‚ then you start to encounter even stranger things. You would start to encounter humans who were not like us: humans who had the heads of dogs‚ humans who had no heads or a head in their chest or maybe humans with one large foot. They had this weird movement towards something like idiosyncrasy. At the end of the world‚ there were the Amazons‚ which were an upside down version of Greek culture‚ where the women were the warriors. The men didn’t have much of a place in their society‚ so it was an upside down reflection of their world. There are legends about Alexander the Great who‚ as he invaded the world and took more and more space‚ came to a place in the north called the Caspian Gates where he built a giant wall. That wall was meant to hold back all the monsters of the world on the other side. If you look at the descriptions of those monsters‚ you’ll see why they’re put behind the gate. Many of them were animal-human hybrids‚ they ate bugs‚ and were known to do very disturbing things. They broke all of the taboos. Because of that‚ they had to be fully excluded from the world. Now‚ the legend is that when we come to the end of this world‚ that’s when the Gates of Alexander‚ the Caspian Gates‚ will be broken and the hordes of Gog and Magog will flood into the world‚ playing a part in the destruction of the world. That image is a little story to help you understand what the “shape of a world” is. It’s very dramatic‚ of course‚ but there are many other smaller versions of this story. You can even see it in the Bible.  For those of you who know your Bible‚ you’ll notice that the first chapters in Genesis are actually quite similar to Alexander’s story. In the beginning‚ God puts Adam and Eve in a garden in a place of balance between nature and culture. Usually‚ this garden is actually seen as a mountain‚ a high place up above. Think of the mountain as something like a pyramid with a point at the top‚ which joins us all together. When Adam and Eve transgressed‚ they were chased down the mountain‚ out of the garden of paradise‚ and into the world. As you follow the story in Genesis you discover an increase in faults. When Cain kills his brother‚ he is chased even further down the mountain or further into the valley. Then‚ as Cain’s descendants develop‚ we get two things: On the one hand‚ we get an increase in civilization or power. The descendants of Cain founded the first city and all the things which represent civilization up to metallurgy‚ weapons‚ and the arts. So there is this increase in power‚ this increase in the setting of inside and outside‚ because that’s what a city is. Before that‚ there were no cities. So when Cain built the first city‚ he created this inside-outside identity. Some things were ejected and some things were on the inside. There’s also something else which happens during that time. Cain’s descendants start to mingle with the sons of God. Now‚ without getting into what exactly that means‚ it is important to understand that it is seen as a type of mixture‚ two things which don’t belong together start to mix together and become confused. These giants‚ these monsters that came about from the relationship between the sons of God and the daughters of men‚ brought about things like hybrid animals‚ that mixture of different identities of animals. As the civilization increased‚ confusion increased at the same time‚ and at some point‚ everything broke apart. You could say the walls crumbled and up came the waters. The waters of the flood invaded the world and that was the end of that world. Looking at the relationship between the Greek stories and the stories of the Bible‚ we can see how these types of descriptions can help us understand the shape of the world and how there is this relationship between power‚ civilization‚ control‚ and chaos. * * * Jonathan Pageau is a French Canadian icon carver‚ public speaker and YouTuber exploring the symbolic patterns that underlie our experience of the world‚ how these patterns emerge and come together‚ manifesting in religion‚ art and in popular culture. He’s also the editor of the Orthodox Arts Journal and host of the Symbolic World blog and podcast.

On Thursday‚ the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that a high school teacher who was fired for refusing to use pronouns that didn’t match a student’s biological sex could have his lawsuit against the local school board reinstated. Peter Vlaming taught French in the West Point School District for seven years. A female student claiming to be male had a new preferred name. Vlaming used the new preferred name but simply avoided using the student’s preferred pronouns. The school demanded he use the student’s preferred pronouns‚ even when the student was not present. “Peter went out of his way to accommodate this student as he does all his students; his school fired him because he wouldn’t contradict his core beliefs‚” Caleb Dalton of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) had noted. “The school board didn’t care how well Peter treated this student. It was on a crusade to compel conformity. He works hard to make his students feel welcomed. In his French class‚ he always calls his students by the name they choose. He even used the student’s preferred masculine name and was willing to avoid using pronouns in the student’s presence. He just didn’t want to be forced to use a pronoun that offends his conscience. That’s entirely reasonable‚ and it’s his constitutionally protected right. Tolerance‚ after all‚ is a two-way street.” “Peter wasn’t fired for something he said; he was fired for something he couldn’t say‚” Chris Schandevel of ADF stated after the lawsuit was reinstated. “The Virginia Supreme Court rightly agreed that Peter’s case against the school board for violating his rights under the Virginia Constitution and state law should proceed. As a teacher‚ Peter was passionate about the subject he taught‚ was well-liked by his students‚ and did his best to accommodate their needs and requests. But he couldn’t in good conscience speak messages that he doesn’t believe to be true‚ and no school board or government official can punish someone for that reason.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The Virginia Supreme Court agreed that the Virginia Constitution “seeks to protect diversity of thought‚ diversity of speech‚ diversity of religion‚ and diversity of opinion‚” adding‚ “Absent a truly compelling reason for doing so‚ no government committed to these principles can lawfully coerce its citizens into pledging verbal allegiance to ideological views that violate their sincerely held religious beliefs.” “The West Point School Board violated that constitutional command when it tried to force Vlaming to endorse the school’s ideological viewpoints on gender identity‚” Schandevel stated. “And the Virginia Supreme Court rightly vindicated Vlaming’s right to stand by his convictions in its decision.”

Lawmakers in the Pennsylvania state House of Representatives have officially declared 2023 the year of Taylor Swift. House Resolution 282‚ which “recogniz[es] the year 2023 as the ‘Taylor Swift Era’ in Pennsylvania‚ was approved on December 13‚ which was also Swift’s 34th birthday. It passed 103-100. Most Republicans and a handful of Democrats voted against the measure. Speaker Rep. Joanna McClinton (D)‚ who is from Philadelphia County‚ responded to detractors by mimicking Swift’s lyrics and saying‚ “Haters gonna hate‚ hate‚ hate‚ hate‚ hate‚” per the Associated Press.  Swift was born and raised in West Reading‚ Pennsylvania. Her family moved to a suburb of Nashville when the pop star was 13 so she could pursue her dream of singing. The resolution was created to honor Swift’s contributions to the state. The measure declared that Swift has “transcended the role of pop star‚” and claims she “shines as a role model of courage‚ self acceptance and self-determination‚ persisting in the face of personal and professional obstacles and challenges.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Democratic Rep. Maureen Madden of Monroe County was a supporter of the resolution. She also mentioned how Swift has been mobilizing young fans to get register to vote. “I turn 64 years old today‚ and I think about who’s going to carry on our legacy. She’s not popular because she writes break-up songs‚” Madden said in defense of the resolution‚ per AP. “She’s popular because the largest demographic of people eligible to vote‚ the 18- to 24-year-old demographic‚ listens to her and does what she says.” Vote.org credited Swift in September for their largest voter registration day ever after she posted about it on her Instagram. “We saw a 1‚226% jump in participation the hour after Taylor Swift posted. Our site was averaging 13‚000 users every 30 minutes — a number that Taylor Swift would be proud of‚” Vote.org CEO Andrea Hailey said at the time‚ as The Daily Wire previously reported.  Swift was private about her political leanings until 2018 when she began openly supporting Democratic candidates after facing public pressure for keeping them secret. The “Bad Blood” singer endorsed Joe Biden ahead of the 2020 election.

A top Home Depot executive told a congressional panel Tuesday that the company is facing increasingly dangerous threats from shoplifting. Scott Glenn‚ head of loss prevention at Home Depot‚ said employees have been threatened with weapons and even been killed in some cases since 2020‚ when the company saw a “significant uptick” in workers coming into “violent contact with bad actors.” “Retailers are not exaggerating the problem‚” Glenn said during a hearing of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism‚ Law Enforcement and Intelligence. Overall‚ retailers across the country lost $112.1 billion due to theft last year‚ up from $93.9 billion in 2021 and $90.8 billion in 2020‚ according to this year’s National Retail Security Survey. “These individuals are becoming increasingly aggressive‚ they are dangerous‚ and often care little about any consequence other than getting out of the store with as much as possible‚” Glenn said. “I want to be very clear that we’re not talking about petty shoplifting. We’re talking about theft for greed‚ not theft for need.” In April‚ a Home Depot security guard in California was fatally shot by a woman who was stealing a phone charger and fled in a car driven by her boyfriend with her two-year-old child in the back seat. The victim‚ Blake Mohs‚ 26‚ was a Boy Scout leader and was engaged to marry his fiancée‚ Kasey. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Last year‚ an elderly Home Depot worker also died after a serial shoplifter shoved him down onto a concrete floor. The spike in organized retail crime has also forced Home Depot to lock up valuable products and hire off-duty cops‚ among other security measures‚ Glenn said. “There’s the myth that [organized retail crime] rings happen only in big cities. Unfortunately criminals don’t discriminate‚” Glenn said‚ saying this type of crime is happening “everywhere‚” even in suburban areas. Home Depot has more than 2‚000 stores and more than 490‚000 employees across the U.S. Glenn pointed to several issues he said he believes are root causes of the crime spike‚ including the drug crisis‚ third-party marketplaces that make it easy for criminals to resell goods‚ and a lack of resources for law enforcement. A bill sponsored by one of the House committee members‚ Representative Dina Titus (D-NV)‚ the “Combating Organized Retail Crime Act‚” would launch a federal response across multiple agencies to fight organized retail theft.

If you’ve been keeping up with this season of The Voice‚ then you understand just how stiff the competition has been. This week‚ the final nine contestants were narrowed down to four. The remaining five were left to compete one last time. The winner‚ determined by folks voting at home‚ would become the last to move forward to the finale. Jacquie Roar of Team Reba chose Alone by Heart. This Oregon native caught the attention of the judges from the start. All four coaches fought to have her on their team. Ever since‚ she’s blown everyone away with her powerful vocals‚ and her latest performance is no different. YouTube I can only imagine the pressure Jacquie feels stepping onto the stage‚ knowing that this is her last chance to fight for a spot on the finale. Still‚ she seems calm and confident in her all black outfit with lots of sparkling tassels. Bright lights swirl all around her on the screens‚ going perfectly with her look. Jacquie Roar Delivers Powerful Rendition of Alone by Heart Then‚ Jacquie starts to sing‚ and everyone is reminded of why she’s made it this far in the competition. The country singer doesn’t hold back as she belts this classic song‚ doing so with ease. “It’s a very competitive season but Jacquie’s belting range is the most resonant‚ emotionally honest‚ and clear‚” one person says in a comment on YouTube. “When she locks in and hits those notes‚ you hear her full confidence.” YouTube When it comes time for the announcement of the fifth and final person moving forward to the finale‚ it’s no surprise that Jacquie is chosen! Considering just how talented the other four are‚ many fans are still shocked by the results‚ but one thing is for sure: Jacquie deserves that last remaining spot! Watch Jacquie Roar deliver a powerful rendition of Alone by Heart in the video below. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Hear Her Roar! Powerhouse Country Artist Fights For Her Place In “The Voice” Finale. appeared first on InspireMore.

Huskies are one of the breeds often called “Nanny dogs.” The designation is because these loyal companions usually “mother” their human siblings. Millie‚ the featured husky‚ is VERY dedicated to her little human sister‚ Daisy‚ and persistent in ensuring that the baby’s needs are met. The scene opens with an exhausted father asleep on a bed. Infant Daisy is lying in a bassinet beside the bed‚ wide awake. Enter nanny dog Millie‚ who jumps on the bed next to the dad. At first‚ she sits calmly facing the headboard. The weight of her jump didn’t even elicit a flinch from the sleeping man. Image from TikTok. When sitting politely didn’t wake the dad up‚ Millie tried flumping on the pillow beside him: no grunts‚ moans‚ or groans. Dad was sleeping soundly! Image from TikTok. Around the time that Millie flumped‚ Daisy started getting squeaky. She fussed and flailed around in the bassinet‚ making baby noises. That included some cute little sounds that only a baby can make. And‚ of course‚ some squeals and squeaks. At that point‚ nanny dog Millie decided to punch Dad in the face. The subtle approach wasn’t working‚ so she took matters into her own hands … errr … paws. Image from TikTok. That got his attention! It also revealed that the mom was holding the camera as she couldn’t contain her snort-laugh when the punch hit home. She continued giggling as the dad rubbed his sore face‚ trying to understand what happened. The Aftermath Of The Assault Included Puppy Cuddles For The Nanny Dog Once he started moving‚ he told the baby that Millie told him she was awake. This meant Millie deserved belly rubs and pets. Dad administered the appropriate thank you attention‚ then leaned over Millie to coo at the baby. Image from TikTok. You can follow other adventures of Millie the husky on the family’s TikTok channel. Millie is the best big sister ever! The attachment was evident from the first day they brought the baby home. This gentle husky has claimed her human sibling and loves her unconditionally! Watch the entire wake-up saga below. If you laughed (you know you did)‚ share with your family and friends. They deserve laughs‚ too. @milperthuskyofficial She got me good. If you look closely you can see millie my husky looking to see my baby awake then woke me up to tell me! So maternal!. #husky #dog #dogvideo #siberianhusky #cuteanimals #babyanddog #kidswithdogs #cutevideo #huskyandbaby #animal #siberianhuskies ♬ Fly Away Piano – Audiolist Productions You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Big Sister Husky Unceremoniously Summons Dad When His Newborn Wakes Up. appeared first on InspireMore.

You never know what someone else is going through. Connecticut State Trooper Kyle Kaelberer was reminded of this months ago. It was September 11‚ and he was tasked with traffic enforcement duty. It was late at night‚ and nothing out of the ordinary had happened so far. Kyle was parked in a grassy area between an off-ramp and the highway when a truck parked behind him. At that moment‚ the officer and the veteran in the truck had no idea the impact they were about to have one one another. At first‚ Kyle thought that the person in the truck may be looking at directions. But considering the odd placement of the vehicle‚ and how long they were taking‚ he knew he needed to investigate. TikTok “I could tell right away by his voice and how he was acting that this was someone looking for help and not looking to start trouble‚” Kyle says. There’s now a viral video of their interaction. In it‚ Kyle discovers a man in his 20s. He’s distraught‚ and he’s on the phone with a suicide hotline for veterans. Thanks to the officer’s kind demeanor and ability to get a simple conversation going‚ he’s able to help the young man. The heartbreaking video ends with the veteran asking the officer if he can have a hug. Since that day‚ the officer and veteran have caught up‚ with Kyle is happy to give us updates on their lives now. Kindhearted Officer and Veteran Change Each Other’s Lives “About a week later‚ I’m checking my voicemail at work and he left one and… sorry‚” Kyle says as he starts to get choked up. The veteran reached out to thank the officer. He also hoped to meet in person so they could chat when he wasn’t going through a crisis. Kyle happily agreed. During their chat‚ the officer was able to give the young man lots of gifts — in the time since the video went viral‚ Kyle has received lots of them. As for how the meeting went? It couldn’t have gone better. “We hugged out again‚” Kyle shares. “He’s doing good. He’s doing really good. And I think he’s going to be a very successful young man. No doubt.” Watch the video below to learn more about this kindhearted officer and veteran. @tammiolibackup Replying to @brentwagos State trooper Kyle Kaelberer breaks down as he updates us on "can I get a hug" guy #kylekaelberer #22adayistoomany #22aday #thankyouforyourservice #update #canigetahug #hearbreaking ♬ Coming Home(2020) – 笑匠&;音源&;十八闲客 You can find the source of this story’s featured image here! The post Officer Breaks Down While Giving Update On Struggling Veteran He Encountered During A Traffic Stop. appeared first on InspireMore.

Country singer Luke Combs is known for a big heart‚ but when news came out that he sued a fan for $250‚000‚ his supporters weren’t sure what to make of it. However‚ it turns out Luke didn’t know he had pursued that lawsuit! The lawsuit was a copyright infringement suit against a woman who produced tumblers with his likeness on them. She had made $380 in profits with the tumblers but was now ordered to pay Luke Combs $250‚000. This image is from Wikipedia. While it is illegal to use copyrighted images without permission‚ the punishment didn’t seem to match the crime. And Luke has a legal team to fight multimillion-dollar‚ international corporations who breach copyright law. But he has no interest in taking money from the little guys! When Luke Combs learned his team had not only sued this fan but won‚ he immediately jumped into action. He immediately began by sending her $11‚000 to address her pressing concerns‚ including bills and medical payments. He’s also committed to producing his own tumbler and sending all the proceeds over to her. Fans are amazed at his generosity. In a video about the incident‚ Luke Combs explained that he’s “not greedy” and has no interest in these sorts of lawsuits. Check out the video below for a full explanation of the incident. While it’s unclear what will happen in the long term with the lawsuit‚ he is certainly interested in justice for this woman. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Luke Combs (@lukecombs) The featured image for this post is from Instagram. The post Luke Combs Horrified To Hear He Unwittingly Sued Fan For $250K. appeared first on InspireMore.

There are dogs who can swim‚ and then there are dogs who love swimming so much that they can’t wait to jump into the water! In fact‚ some pups are such excellent divers that they’re incredible to watch. If you love seeing eager doggos leap into pools‚ lakes‚ and other bodies of water‚ you’ve come to the right place. We’ve rounded up some of the cutest dog cannonball videos on the internet just for you! According to Southern Living‚ some dog breeds tend to be better swimmers than others. Golden retrievers‚ for example‚ were bred for the purpose of swimming. However‚ most pooches can learn to swim‚ and whether or not they enjoy it has more to do with their personality than anything else. As you’ll see in the videos below‚ even some of the dog breeds you’d least expect will jump right into the water with enthusiasm! 1. This pup went from a tentative swimmer to a diving pro! 2. Please don’t try this with your dog. 3. Did you know that there are diving lessons for dogs? 4. Somebody give this dog a medal for jumping into the water to save a human! 5. If this pup leaping off a cliff doesn’t impress you‚ nothing will. 6. This brave little dog didn’t hesitate to jump into the water for a moment! We hope you loved seeing these talented dogs jumping right into the water as much as we did! Did you know that some cats also like to swim? Read about Marlin the water-loving kitty! You can find the source of this story’s featured images here and here. The post 6 Canine Cannonballs: These Pups Know How To Make An Entrance appeared first on InspireMore.

A crew of astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) were being interviewed and were asked if they had lost anything in the station. They gave each other knowing looks before confessing that they had accused their astronaut friend of eating tomatoes… only for them to be found in space eight months later! This image is from X. It’s easy to lose things when gravity isn’t a consideration. Imagine a world where you could have a messy bedroom‚ but there weren’t even gravitational limits! These astronauts face that reality every day. So I guess it’s not too crazy to have lost a few things along the way! Their astronaut pal who had gone home was accused of eating tomatoes‚ but they were only lost! I wonder what condition the fruit were in when they were discovered! These tomatoes were grown as a part of the Veg-05 study. Astronauts are growing crops in space and bringing them back to Earth to learn about them. Fresh food production in space seems strange‚ but we’re learning more about it every day! Check out this awesome NASA interview‚ including the hilarious tomato mystery‚ below. These astronauts are unbelievably impressive. The featured image for this post is from YouTube. The post Astronauts Share Hilarious Story Of Finding Tomato Lost For 8 Months On ISS. appeared first on InspireMore.