Politicizing The Arts

The arts have always been a medium where people can freely express their talent and individuality without conforming to any structured guideline. While there are different art variations, all artists are free to put their own flair to it in as much as they want. We often think of the arts when we see artworks and intricate art pieces often displayed in museums and galleries but music and the performing arts are other forms of arts as well.

Despite the freedom of the artist to express his/her artistic craft, its diversity is influenced by his/her culture, religion, environment, upbringing, etc. Even with music and the performing arts, you can easily identify the performer’s ethnicity among others during a performance. While arts should be a neutral territory, we often hear about political issues affecting the arts nowadays. Does this really make sense or is the arts also an expression of the current political climate at any given time?


Can Medicine Benefit From Social Media?

If there’s one thing we love the most that technology has given us, it is the debut of the Internet and everything else that comes with it especially social media. Imagine how social media has changed the lives of virtually everyone on the planet. It’s not just used for leisure but even for work and business too. People can spend hours on the web browsing through their various social media accounts and never feel bored at all. Access to the Internet is no longer a luxury but a basic human need that should be met without much of a struggle.

Social media got everything covered. Whatever your field, profession or interests may be, you are sure to find a page where you can feel at home and connect with like-minded individuals. The use of social media is not just about maintaining existing relationships with previous and current offline contacts but even in making new contacts from complete strangers you meet online.

Just as Snapchat and Instagram and YouTube have influencers, so too does medicine. Chronic diseases occupy an online world of memes, hashtags (#hospitalglam), and people who provide information and insights to communities that too often feel they have no

Why Gadgets Are Bad For Kids

Kids are naturally curious. They will ask adults all sorts of questions but still have room for a few more. As they grow up, they learn more about their environment and as they learn, raises more questions about how the way things work. While we adults often get annoyed by this endless barrage of questions, kids actually learn a lot and it helps them have a better understanding of the world at their young age.

Kids are also in their formative years of development where most of the life skills they know (conscious or subconscious) are learned and harnessed. It is why the experts suggest active play for kids because nothing limits their imagination and they learn more from their experiences than any classroom lesson can teach them. They also develop valuable social skills that they only develop while interacting with other kids or the people around them.

However, overexposure to gadgets limit the growth of a child’s brain and learning by providing instant answers/ gratification to their questions or needs rather than allowing them to learn things as they go. It has a negative effect not only on their health but psychological development as well and can hamper their …

Teaching Kids The Value Of Giving

Our world is fast becoming a materialistic world. Capitalists take advantage of retail therapy to make lots of profits. These businesses build a need for people to acquire more stuff so they end up buying things they don’t actually need but actually looked pretty cool in the mall. And kids grow up in this capitalist culture full of me, me and me. We all become too engrossed with our needs that we forget to think of others.

As adults, we need to teach the importance of giving and sharing our blessings with the less fortunate. A child that knows how to give understands that not everyone enjoys the same lifestyle as them and that others have to struggle to earn money for basic needs like food, clothing and shelter, something that others take for granted. When kids know how to share, they realize that they have the power of uplifting the lives of others and making a difference in this world.

Many parents want their children to grow up to be philanthropic.

The hard part is knowing when—and how—to start instilling a sense of philanthropy in them.

Experts in the world of philanthropy offer several approaches.

But there is a

U.S. Tourism Hurting Over Trump’s Travel Bans

We all aspire to travel the world. Although it remains to be a dream for many, there are some individuals who really defy all the odds and go after their wanderlust. Many people can’t wait to travel to tropical dream destinations with its to-die-for beaches. However, if you don’t want to go far or break the bank, you can travel interstate because the U.S. is full of amazing natural or manmade attractions that can likewise satisfy your urge to travel.

While many visitors are locals, a big number are still foreign tourists who are dying to see all the amazing places in America that have often been featured in the movies or popular TV shows. But U.S. tourism is now suffering a major slump as the string of travel bans has limited the number of tourists who can freely come in and out of the country for leisure. People are often choosing Canada, and cities like Montreal, which have their own amazing amenities. As a result, the U.S. tourism is hurting and the industries relying on tourists in making money are also suffering. His intentions may be good but it seems that they forgot to look into all possible consequences …

Europe: No Longer The Superpower It Once Was

Wherever you are in the world, people have high regards to the U.S. and Europe in all aspects, whether in the economy, politics, and opportunities. People, and some news sites fondly call these places as the land of greener pasture and it is true in a lot of ways. However, the economy of these countries has greatly suffered over the years but they still manage to emerge as first world countries and superpower in the field of global politics.

The U.S. often comes to mind when we think of a superpower and America has shown the world it really is throughout the years. Europe came in second but still a superpower in its own right, according to some political groups. However, the world is not blind to the fast growth of the Chinese economy with India not to be left behind. You’d be surprised at how much other countries rely on China on a lot of things. If you want, check the labels of whatever item you can find at home or in stores and they’re likely made in China. But with the Brexit and all, Europe suffered a big blow and caused the markets to be volatile for …

Does Your Psyche Suffer At Work?

Modern work can be stressful for many. In any workplace, competition is tough because many are looking for jobs but only a few get hired. So, workers need to be always on their toes if they want to keep their job or risk getting sacked several months later. Moreover, the use of various technologies can also be challenging for any new worker as they have to learn so many things at once to be able to function as expected at work, which is not always an easy thing to do.

Co-workers may be silently waiting for you to make a mistake to make you look bad in front of the boss. All these things make work life even more taxing. Work metrics are even more ridiculous than ever. How can average Joe fit in and do his/ her job properly through it all? But the most important question is: “Is you work causing your psyche undue stress and make you more susceptible to depression?”

Psychological disorders, which include depression, severe anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and many others, are a worldwide issue that cut across every sector of society. Anyone can be affected by these disorders, regardless of sex, age,

Can The Windows 10 Spy On You?

Most Windows users have probably already made the upgrade to a Windows 10 OS right now since Microsoft has been relentless in promoting for its upgrade for quite some time. If you’re a fan of the Windows 7 and has stuck with it through the years and didn’t really like Windows 8, then the Windows 10 is good news for you because it’s highly similar to Windows 7 but better. While upgrading to a new operating system brings with it the discomfort of dealing with flaws that Microsoft hasn’t been able to polish just yet, being able to upgrade to it for free is something you’d likely be thankful for much later.

Even if you came from a Windows 7 PC, the transition won’t be that difficult and navigating its new interface will be a walk in the park for many. It is user-friendly and starts up is faster too. And most of all is that is has better security features with the Secure Boot from Windows 8, among others.  Ah, the perks of modern and upgraded technology. But wait, there’s more.

Of course, Microsoft – like Apple and Google – would like everyone to use the latest version

Federal Grant Cuts And More Persist In San Diego





Snoring Is More Than Just An Annoying Habit

We often raise an eyebrow about snorers. However, we can usually only tell that a person snores if we’ve spent the night with them (whether by ourselves or as a group sleepover, perhaps) or among couples whether married or not. But once the lights are out and we drift off to dreamland, we began to despise being around our snoring partner as their snoring can keep us tossing and turning the entire night and deprive us of precious sleep.

However, let us look past the symptom and understand why people snore in the first place. It’s not just a habit that annoys people but is actually a medical condition that also needs medical help. Getting checked and treated is the least you can do for them as snoring may eventually mess with their breathing while sleeping and compromise their health in a snap.

A loud snorer can wake up a whole household without having a clue.

“There’s always a certain level of denial,” says Kathleen Bennett, a Cincinnati dentist who specializes in treating sleep breathing problems. “People come in all the time and say, ‘I have no problem sleeping, but my wife is complaining.’ “

If that rings a bell,

Churches Offer Hope To Refugees

Many countries are at war today. Nations are bombed and communities are destroyed – communities that house thousands to millions of innocent people who suddenly lost homes and a reason to live because everything they knew and believed in disappeared in a snap. As the very government that vowed to protect them shatters against more powerful foreign military and troops, refugees have nowhere to go.

There are various community support groups and non-profit organizations that extend help to these people but what they need the most is not just food but shelter – shelter away from the war and chaos and a chance to rebuild their lives. States are torn over this matter. Some are open to receiving refugees while there are others that oppose, fearing for the safety and security of their own citizens. While many are left undecided, the church steps up and opens its door to scared and scarred refugees who lost everything they have in life through the sanctuary movement.

Now, in the wake of the Trump administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigrants, religious leaders across the West are resurrecting the almost 40-year-old movement, inspired by their predecessors’ desire to act on the social justice values taught

Helping The Poor Overcome Poverty



Crime and joblessness are directly related. 

A person does the crime,

A Fallout Of The Religious

Religion played a big role in shaping the society we now know. From ancient times, there has always been the belief of the ultimate being that guides us all regardless of religion. These spiritual beliefs have helped us overcome dark times in history and strengthened our faith in religion.

But as our technology advances, we spend more time tinkering with technological gadgets rather than enhancing our spirituality. Praying each day becomes more of a burden and an after-taught for many. The population is growing but only a few go to churches to hear and celebrate the Holy Mass. Why does mankind put faith behind and put more importance on material things? Are we really done with religion now? Does it no longer hold any relevance in our modern lives?

Many Americans say they’re “spiritual but not religious.” A Barna study defines who they are, what their beliefs are, and how they live out their spirituality daily.
There are two types of “irreligious spirituality,” says the report, the second of a two-part exploration of faith and spirituality outside the church.
Thera are those who consider themselves “spiritual” but say their religious faith is not very important in their life, and

Does Religion Affect Relationships?




Activism Rises In The Trump Era

The world has always been the home to a diverse set of people and our personal differences make life more colorful more often than not. Most of these differences do not matter because they are petty and can be easily ignored. Other times, they concern causes bigger than ourselves and also have a bigger impact on the world. Activism is born when that happens. And we often attribute this term to the world of politics where no friend or foe is constant and loyalties do not last long.

Activists are patriots who aren’t afraid to show to the world how much they care for their causes. And as such, you can see political activists holding protests and fighting off the military with their bare hands armed only with a courageous and selfless heart and their placards. Since there are major changes happening in the country (and in the world) these days, it is no longer surprising to see more and more activists go out into the streets and make their voices be heard. After all, who would’ve thought that a racist guy like Donald Trump would win the highest political seat in the land? Worse, he lived up to his …

Snorers Suffer From More Broken Relationships

Most couples can’t get enough of each other at the onset of their relationship. They always try to win the affection of their partner and mostly show only their good sides. But over time, they get to know the other person for who they really are. While many are willing to accept the good along with the bad, there are some who aren’t just open or mature enough to do that.

It is the reason why relationships end before they even blossom. Even married couples face such challenges that result in divorce. While technically not really a relationship issue, snoring has ended relationships as often as personal differences, fallouts, money issues and infidelity do. If the other person is a snorer, it is often impossible for your partner or spouse to enjoy a good night’s sleep. It can make them cranky throughout the day and not look forward to sleeping time.

“It was rough on our marriage, for sure,” says Ryan Weathers, owner of Mcmleague.com, who purchased the ZQuiet mouthpiece when the troubles persisted. “I never thought a mouthpiece would help, but I credit it with saving my marriage.”

A huge number of British couples sleep in separate beds

The Link Between Spirituality And Running Is Strong

betweenspiResearch shows that a strong sense of spirituality can make you happier, healthier and more relaxed. Can it also improve your running?

Sometimes, as he runs the 6 or 8 or 10 miles along Michigan’s Lake St. Clair, Father Mike Byrnes feels the presence of a higher power. Peace washes over him. He senses his inner being, his soul enlarging. Time slows. Colors brighten. Problems drift away.

It doesn’t happen all the time. And he neither can predict this presence nor summon it. Yet when this feeling envelops him, it justifies any pain or sacrifice he’s made in his life and his running.

“Spirituality enhances my appreciation of my running, and running enhances my appreciation of my spirituality,” says Byrnes, a priest at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church in St. Clair Shores, Mich.

Yes, running can be spiritual. Like Father Byrnes, many runners who meander dirt paths, inhale the scent of pine, feel the crunch of needles underfoot and watch rays of sunlight filter through the trees feel thankful for this creation, this planet we call home. He has never felt healthier, and the weight he’s lost (and the help of reviews from snoringmouthpiecereview.org) has enabled him to …

Reviewing God: The Evidence, The Reconciliation Of Faith And Reason In A Postsecular World

reoffaithanIn university, author Patrick Glynn, a Harvard Ph.D, followed English philosopher Bertrand Russell in viewing man as “a curious accident in a backwater,” the inexplicable by-product of a random universe. Today he is a Christian, and science no longer supports atheism with its old enthusiasm either. “The totality of the evidence as I understood it in the mid-1970s suggested one conclusion [atheism],” he writes. “Today the evidence suggests quite a different one.”

He has built his book on the “anthropic principle,” a term coined by Cambridge University astrophysicist Brandon Carter in 1973. Mr. Carter used it to describe a phenomenon which previously had been only dimly perceived, namely the fact that all the seemingly arbitrary and unrelated constants in physics have one strange thing in common. They are precisely the values needed if the goal is a universe capable of producing life.

The existence and action of gravitational and electromagnetic force were known, of course, but simply as separate “constants.” Then came the insight that, in accordance with the anthropic principle, any variation in the gravitational constant in relation to electromagnetism would have resulted in a universe with no intermediate stars like our sun–only cooler “red” or hotter “blue” ones …

Disability Never Shook His Faith

planecrashThat’s a strange question, but for 35 years of my life this was not a question but my belief, In 1946 the polio virus turned my life upside down during the early years of my ministerial training. Okay, God wanted me to have polio. Fine, that was acceptable, but what did God have in store for me with this plan? in 1957 the ordination council examined me and recommended me to clergy status. However, no church or missionary organization wanted me – until The Christian League for the Handicapped director wrote and said,”We want YOU!” Okay, God, now I know why your plan for me included a disability, so I could be more effective working with the population of disabled in our country – correct?

The next 45 years challenged my thinking. I went to my church. I returned to college for a degree in psychology. As my ministry kept me in the trenches with those whose lives had been traumatized and trashed by disability, there was that ever present gnawing inside me. How about these folk? Had God planned their lives, for in many cases was nothing but misery, sickness, and death? The more these thoughts came over me …

So… Who Wants To Talk About God??

muslimsintoDiscussing religion can take more than a little diplomacy. If you don’t keep an open mind, you haven’t got a prayer.

WHILE SPENDING A WEEKEND in the country not long ago, I slipped out to an Episcopal service on Sunday morning while my hosts and their other guests were still asleep. When I returned, everybody was up sipping coffee and deeply into their worship of the morning papers. Immediately, I sensed my absence had been discussed. This suspicion was confirmed soon enough.

“What did you learn in church?” Bart asked in the singsong voice adults most often use when addressing toddlers.

“Forty days have passed since Easter,” I replied. “The priest spoke about Christ’s Ascension.”

“Did Jesus float up gradually, like a hot-air balloon, or did he blast off like the space shuttle?” Jane wondered aloud.

Hardly a promising start to an enlightening conversation on spirituality. So, doing what sometimes works best when a religious discussion seems headed nowhere, I answered her question with one of my own: What’s for breakfast?

As religious intolerance goes, my friends’ sarcasm was no burning at the stake. Nor was it exactly a surprise. Quite frequently, in fact, when someone learns that I go …

Strength Does Come Through Adversity





Running For God

runningfgIf you ask Reverend Donald Wright what you need to do to live a long, healthy, happy life, he’ll give you this advice:

* Take care of your body by running and eating a healthy diet.

* Nourish your mind by staying positive, joyful and relaxed.

* Care for your soul by praying, attending spiritual services, reading religious writings and appreciating the world’s natural beauty.

That’s the formula that has worked for him for 35 years. Wright, chaplain of the police department in La Grange, Ky., knows it works, because whenever he slacks off in one of those areas, his energy wanes, his mood blackens, and his running suffers.

In fact, while many runners might benefit from soul-searching, Wright says many religious leaders could benefit just as much from more exercise. Burnout is high among pastors. And Wright is convinced that his running and healthy eating have helped him stay energetic.

“Running replenishes me,” he says. “When I run, I rarely think about problems. I think, ‘Wow, this is a beautiful day, and I feel good. It’s a respite. Running cleanses my mind and provides me with a fresher, more spiritual outlook.”–A.B.

Is Running a Religion?

Some people say running …