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Talkshow host Drew Barrymore's touchy-feely approach to her guests didn't sit well with Martha Stewart on Tuesday. The homemaking diva appeared extremely uncomfortable when Barrymore began stroking her arm and back during the interview, prompting Stewart to physically push her away.

The post Watch: Martha Stewart Pushes Away Drew Barrymore During Talkshow Appearance — ‘You’re the Wrong Gender’ appeared first on Breitbart.

Chanel Maya Bank plays Sawyer Bennett in 'Gossip Girl' Gossip Girl star Chanel Maya Bank’s has sparked panic as she has been missing since two weeks.Chanel aka Sawyer Benett reportedly disappeared in Los Angeles. Her family members, including her mum, Judy Singh and cousin, Danielle-Tori...

King Charles issues message after solo appearance at ‘Gladiator II’ premiereKing Charles appeared in high spirits as he stepped out on the red carpet for Gladiator II world premiere in London on Wednesday.The monarch, who is a patron of The Film and TV Charity, attended the 72nd Royal...

It’s almost comforting that such invidious fluffy-minded sludge as this is floating around, as it seems, like religion, to keep the middle-brows hypnotized by “beautiful sentiments” which are so vague as to keep them from actually getting together and doing anything. It’s sort of weird to hear this weakly Marxist social-democratic pap which used to be shouted from the rooftops now being whispered in a low monotonous whine. The author avows his fealty to Jeremy Bentham, not Marx, and calls it utilitarianism not Marxism, but there are many illegitimate fathers along this line of thought.

The root of the idea is that, now that neuroscience has supposedly made it possible to actually identify what makes us happy, the idea of happiness has become quantifiable, and hence a program of providing the greatest happiness to the greatest number of people has become objectively possible. However, the author does not make the slightest effort to apply these wonders of modern science to actually determining what the alleged sources of human happiness are. The neuroscience tack is really just a defensive ploy to ward off the eternal charges that utilitarinism is simply a euphemism for an authoritarian imposition of values. As for espousing his positive program for what constitutes human happiness, it is simply the usual liberal middle-class canards, with not surprisingly a socialist edge: more time to spend with family, a decent wage for everyone, blah blah blah. But he seems to make two pretty criminally unsubstantiated assumptions: one is these sources are essentially the same for everyone, or at least could be under certain conditions, and the other is that they do not inherently conflict with anyone else’s.

I say under certain conditions could be, because in evaluating our current society he seems to privilege envy of other’s material well-being as the principal determinant of happiness. His theory is that above a certain level of material subsistence people are motivated primarily by status-seeking and the desire for a high rank within their social group. Therefore, the increasing wealth of the society will not increase happiness because people measure their well-being relative to the group, not by their absolute prosperity. This is always been a flaw in the concept of the “war against poverty”; I’m not sure it’s much of an argument for socialist economic redistribution. But actually if you read his section on the value of income taxes carefully, he doesn’t even seem to be arguing that they are useful insofar as they can be redirected to the less prosperous, although he does evidently believe that a certain amount of money contributes more to the happiness of a poor person than to a rich one’s. Rather, he seems to think that taking money away from the properous is valuable in and of itself, because it will supposedly make them less focused on the “rat race,” more family-oriented, etc., etc. In short he seems to be advocating a net impoverishment of society.

All of which may be consistent with the program of a good little socialist, but does not necessarily accord marvelously with his own evidence about the supposedly quantified happiness of humanity. The research that he cites non-specifically supposedly indicates that people’s feeling of happiness has not risen in the last half-century, but he does not cite anything which indicates that it has necessarily declined. He cites rising rates of depression and crime as presumably implicit indicators of greater unhappiness, but he does not seem to acknowledge the possibility that in our hyper-medicated and surveillance-based society perhaps people simply report depression and crime more. In any event, if roughly similar numbers of people today as in the ‘50’s report themselves happy (and we believe them), despite the increase in prosperity, that might perhaps indicate that happiness is not fixed to material well-being. Which may be consistent with his general point, but not with his idea of increasing happiness by manipulating income levels.

And even if it did, it seems rather difficult to countenance any social program predicated upon appealing to one of humanity’s most depraved instincts, namely envy. The author acknowledges that his ideal of taxation is mainly motivated by the desire to pander to people’s envy, but he seems to think that their envy will be sated by the loss of prosperity of those around them and that after that point there will be no more. So the envy of the less prosperous will be satisfied by the losses accrued by the more prosperous, which will somehow not be counter-balanced by the chagrin of the more prosperous at the prospect of seeing their status diminished. Very logical.

One of the more egregious presumptions of utilitarians is that non-utilitarian social systems somehow aren’t concerned with seeking the greatest good for the greatest number of people. On the contrary, that’s the defining problem of practically every social and political theory I can think of, and they all either seek or claim to have found the answer—whether such a solution exists, I have my doubts, but that’s why I’m a skeptic about politics. This is a handy trick by utilitarians: they say “I believe in the greatest good for the greatest number of people.” Which is practically begging the question: “As opposed to whom?” It’s useful because it tends to conceal the fact that their real agenda is generally somewhat more specific, and tends to consist in the autocratic notion that one or two measures of social living can be authoritatively determined to be the sources of happiness, and then divided up in a centralized fashion. Those that are the most insistent on the idea of liberty are generally those that are the most skeptical about the possibility of the notion of happiness being either quantitatively defined or generalizable. In other words, only indviduals can determine their own sources of happiness.

For the author, on the other hand, the fact that certain stimuli trigger certain areas of the brain at the times when test subjects profess pleasure has solved the problem of determining happiness. Of course, as mentioned, he never really bothers with the results that those studies have yielded. Somehow the fact that he considers envy to be a principal element of human happiness does not place very severe limits on the harmoniousness of individual happiness. Nor does it constitute a tyranny of the majority, because he claims that in an ideal utilitarian society the happiness of the most unhappy would be considered of pre-eminent importance. Of course, at the beginning of the article he cited the equal importance of each individual’s happiness as the fouding tenet of his theory, but I’m sure it all sorts out in the end.

Among social factors responsible for unhappiness, he cites divorce and unemployment as of pre-eminent importance. Of course, rates of both divorce and unemployment in the crassly materialistic and religious United States are much lower than in the much more overtly utilitarian-embracing Europe, but it would be a bit embarassing for him to admit this after avowing that all traditional value-systems outside of utilitarianism and “individualism” are dead.

Personally the question of the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people doesn’t exactly compel me constantly, although the issue of personal happiness tends to impose itself intransigently. I would have thought that evolutionary biology would have provided an adequate explanation of this, as well as the recurrence of what we call altruism. But such an idea of course suggests that happiness, whatever that is, is not really the point of our little existences, and that the more imperious competitiveness of life will ultimately subvert all of these little trifles of pleasure and pain. But in the meantime, we have these debased statistical notions of happiness to amuse us in an idle hour.

It seems to me that if one’s “objective” measure of happiness is electrical stimulation in the cerebral cortex, the most efficient utilitarian solution to the problem of human happiness would be strap everyone onto hospital gurneys and stimulate the “happiness” part of their brain all day long. If one does not wish to be this deterministic about it, perhaps one should allow more latitute to individuals to discover their own conception of happiness. Personally, I have found happiness generally to be an idea for the unhappy and something rarely spoken of by the happiness; mention of practically guarantees that it is not present in the environment where it is uttered. I don’t deny that what you might call love is the real bridge between personal happiness and moral obligations, and the only true means by which the desires of oneself and of others are united, but such a sentiment can never be mandated; it is entirely resistant to intellectual compulsion. Utilitarianism, which sometimes does a decent job of faking morality, is nevertheless ultimately predicated on the pleasure principle, and hence is wholly inadequate to uniting the moral and the pleasurable except when love truly pertains. In that case, of course, political theory is entirely superfluous, which is why this is all a waste of time.

p.s. I don’t claim that people’s behavior necessarily reflects what really would make them happy, but presumably it does at least reflect what they consciously value. Hence, if I were the author I would have been a bit skeptical of using the results of “surveys” of what people claim to value when the results don’t correlate with their behavior, i.e. they claim that spending time with family is most important, but they spend a disproportiante amount of time working (at least according to him). So either people are not really being forthright (consciously or unconsciously) in responding to surveys, or there is not actually a problem of priorities. In either case, he’s way over-valuing surveys as a guide to what will make people happy.

"In Kazan, in 1579, the nine-year old Matrona, whose parents' home had burned down in a fire, had a dream in which she beheld an icon of the Theotokos and heard a voice commanding her to recover this icon from the ashes of the ruined house. The icon was found wrapped in an old piece of cloth under the stove, where it may have been hidden during the Tartar invasions. The icon was finally brought to the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, where it became renowned for the healings that the Mother of God wrought through it for the blind... The icon of Kazan is one of the most beloved icons of the Mother of God in Russia." (Great Horologion)

"In Kazan, in 1579, the nine-year old Matrona, whose parents' home had burned down in a fire, had a dream in which she beheld an icon of the Theotokos and heard a voice commanding her to recover this icon from the ashes of the ruined house. The icon was found wrapped in an old piece of cloth under the stove, where it may have been hidden during the Tartar invasions. The icon was finally brought to the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, where it became renowned for the healings that the Mother of God wrought through it for the blind... The icon of Kazan is one of the most beloved icons of the Mother of God in Russia." (Great Horologion)

"In Kazan, in 1579, the nine-year old Matrona, whose parents' home had burned down in a fire, had a dream in which she beheld an icon of the Theotokos and heard a voice commanding her to recover this icon from the ashes of the ruined house. The icon was found wrapped in an old piece of cloth under the stove, where it may have been hidden during the Tartar invasions. The icon was finally brought to the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, where it became renowned for the healings that the Mother of God wrought through it for the blind... The icon of Kazan is one of the most beloved icons of the Mother of God in Russia." (Great Horologion)

"In Kazan, in 1579, the nine-year old Matrona, whose parents' home had burned down in a fire, had a dream in which she beheld an icon of the Theotokos and heard a voice commanding her to recover this icon from the ashes of the ruined house. The icon was found wrapped in an old piece of cloth under the stove, where it may have been hidden during the Tartar invasions. The icon was finally brought to the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Theotokos, where it became renowned for the healings that the Mother of God wrought through it for the blind... The icon of Kazan is one of the most beloved icons of the Mother of God in Russia." (Great Horologion)

Sermon on the Sunday Before the Elevation of the Cross (Galatians 6:11-18; John 3:13-17)

Wimborne Town centre-back Scott Arnold amassed the last of his 618 appearances against Weymouth.

Meghan Markle gives major giveaway by exposing true feelings about Harry appearance

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s body language, as well as major ‘giveaway’ from his wife gets exposed.

Royal expert Darren Stanton made these comments during his interview on...

blog

Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign spent at least $20 million on celebrity appearances during her failed presidential bid, federal election records revealed.

Arlington, VA — The inclusion of a long-awaited Mine Safety and Health Administration proposed rule on respirable crystalline silica in the Department of Labor’s Fall 2022 regulatory agenda represents a milestone for which MSHA administrator Chris Williamson wants to “underscore the significance.”

Anything can happen in live theater, and audience members seeing "Beautiful," the life story of Carole King, got a surprise when King appeared in the role of herself to celebrate the show's fifth anniversary on Broadway.

Drawing from his experiences growing up in West Africa's Guinea Bissau, Camara's writing in Serpent Boy reflects his deep commitment to challenging societal norms and highlighting the resilience of the human spirit.

The internationally renowned designer, Marco Bicego, will be at Adlers Jewelers Westfield jewelry store on May 10.

Businesses are seeking innovative ways to reduce their environmental impact and invest in sustainability. A Gartner survey found that 87% of business leaders plan to increase their sustainability investment in the next two years. There is pressure from investors, supply chains, and consumers to make more sustainable decisions.

Former President Trump, in his first post-conviction fundraising swing, raises millions of dollars throughout California.

Political columnist Will Mapplebeck drops in on the Tory shindig in Birmingham.

An 18-year-old man charged with attempted murder in a small northern Ontario community made a brief court appearance today by video, and remains in custody. Meanwhile, community members gathered outside the courthouse for a rally.

One Of Only Four Companies To Place Among Top Employers In Each Year Of The Publication’s Survey

The Portuguese midfielder is settling into life in east London well after his loan move.

Country music star Darius Rucker paid the East Tennessee State University's NIL fund $10 for every minute he was on the field Saturday after what he called an "awkward" appearance.

1. Swiggy’s reclusive CEO Sriharsha Majety makes rare public appearance at IPO listing ceremony  Hindustan Times
2. Zomato gives ‘Jai and Veeru’ vibes with special meme for rival Swiggy on IPO day  Hindustan Times
3. JM Financial gives Swiggy its first 'buy' tag, sees 20% upside from IPO price  Moneycontrol
4. Swiggy IPO: 9 execs who will become richer by Rs 50 crore or more  The Times of India
5. ‘You and I…’: Zomato welcomes Swiggy on Dalal Street post stock market listing  India Today

The national chief of the Assembly of First Nations says the International Criminal Court should investigate the disappearance of Indigenous children from Canadian residential schools.

A team of doctors led by Dr. Joanna Mills, a PhD candidate of the University of Sydney's Northern Clinical School, have informed that same-day inguinal

Watch 'Adu Siddhu' at Mumbai airport.

No warning and no goodbyes... was this how VI C wanted the ST chapter to end?

Former FBI agent and body language expert Joe Navarro sits down with WIRED to talk about the non-verbal language of appearance. The ornate nature of how we attend to our bodies has grand significance throughout humankind. The way we present ourselves, across cultures, continues to be of massive importance. But, just how important is appearance to things like success, money and power? Check out Joe's book "Be Exceptional" https://www.amazon.com/Be-Exceptional-Master-Traits-Extraordinary-ebook/dp/B08K93BLQP/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= https://www.jnforensics.com/ Books By Joe Navarro: https://www.jnforensics.com/books Joe Navarro Body Language Academy: https://jnbodylanguageacademy.com

Court exempts Palakkad Collector from personal appearance on condition that she will appear through virtual mode

The Delhi-based fashion influencer debuted at the 77th Cannes Film Festival wearing a pink ruffled gown, designed and stitched by herself

Just the other day, we had told you about rumours doing the rounds that makers of Pushpa are spending a whopping amount of Rs 6 crore for a 6-minute action sequence. Well, we must say that even amid the lockdown, the

1. Rick Moranis in Disney Prop Culture: Actor’s rare screen appearance  Jimmys Post
2. Disney+'s Prop Culture scores rare Rick Moranis interview  The A.V. Club
3. Rick Moranis makes rare appearance after turning his back on movie career  New Zealand Herald
4. View Full coverage on Google News

Emacs "predates Linux, and was once far more popular," writes LWN.net, while adding that the text editor "has fallen into relative obscurity over the years." Then it reports on a "mega-thread" on the emacs-devel mailing list about how to make Emacs more appealing and attractive to users: The discussion started with a post from "ndame" asking why Emacs is "so square"; the appearance of things like buttons could be improved with rounded corners, they said. Richard Stallman, one of the original authors of Emacs, seemed somewhat dismissive in his reply: "Perhaps we should implement a mode that puts cosmetics on Emacs so it will appeal to those who judge by the surface of things." But Stefan Kangas thought there was more to it than that: I think it's unfortunate if we assume that this is all bells and whistles. Graphical design elements can also improve usability. I also don't know that it's helpful to assume that the rest of the world will take the enlightened stance.... He wondered if there was "any reason not to improve the default look". Stallman said that there are some technical barriers in finding someone interested in and capable of doing the work needed, but there is an overarching problem that needs to be addressed first: The code to interface Emacs to X-based GUIs needs rewriting by an expert, and has needed it for decades. Until it gets that rewrite, changes in it are likely to break something. Stallman did agree that the graphical design could improve usability, "but I have a feeling that the changes that would help are deeper issues than the shape of corners". It was a long and interesting discussion, touching on the popularity of both Vim and Visual Studio Code, while another post questioned whether Emacs should even be prioritizing its menu bar and tool bar. One post suggested "starter kits" to make the text editor more friendly to newcomers, another suggested making Cntrl-C cut-and-paste the default key binding, and one asked whether it was Emacs' terminology and keyboard shortcuts that might be confusing to users coming from Microsoft Word. "You are basically making a commitment to being or becoming a power user..." argued another post. "If you just want to do 'casual' text editing emacs is a very weird choice in 2020."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

The Mummy Diaries star, 29, put on an extremely busty display in a plunging black silk gown with a thigh-high split as she exited the bash at the InterContinental Hotel in London.

The NanoLight, a new Kickstarter-funded 12-watt LED bulb, eschews fancy-schmancy smart capabilities and instead focuses on groundbreaking energy savings.

An arctic animal that typically spends its days lounging on pack ice came ashore on the southern coast of Washington this summer.

Sharpe's books are riveting inspirational thrillers written in honor of her daughter Kate and her husband Steve.

Snyder's book has received 29 industry awards. His father, pilot of the 'Susan Ruth', was shot down over Europe during WWII. 'Shot Down' is a dramatic retelling of the stories surrounding that event.