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Celerity

Celerity's Journal
Celerity's Journal
October 1, 2022

Failed GOP Candidates Say 'Deep State' Used 'Weather Manipulation Technology' to Punish DeSantis

https://www.thedailybeast.com/lauren-witzke-and-deanna-lorraine-say-deep-state-using-weather-manipulation-technology-to-punish-desantis



Two conspiracy-peddling former MAGA congressional candidates pushed an absolutely bonkers claim this week that the “Deep State” used “weather manipulation technology” to power up Hurricane Ian in order to hurt Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeAnna Lorraine, who unsuccessfully challenged Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in 2020, said on her far-right online show that the federal government knows “how to manipulate and create big storms, hurricanes, tornadoes, climate change,” adding that “huge hurricanes seem to target red states” near elections. “In this case, possibly Ron DeSantis has been stepping out of line a lot and challenging, fighting the Deep State,” she added, noting that DeSantis is a likely GOP presidential candidate.

Lauren Witzke, the Republican Party’s 2020 Senate nominee for Delaware, agreed that Ian “could be a weather-manipulated hurricane” before noting that the storm became a Cat-5 hurricane “overnight” and “does seem to be hitting the conservative areas of” Florida. “I’m not putting it past the elites to target something like this toward Florida as punishment for getting rid of vaccine mandates or getting rid of child grooming,” Witzke exclaimed.

Besides repeatedly pushing the unhinged QAnon conspiracy theory in the past, Witzke and Lorraine have peddled other outlandish and bogus claims in recent years, such as Flat Earthism, 9/11 conspiracies, and the baseless assertion that a Miami condo tower collapse was a “Deep State operation” targeting associates of John McAfee, the late software entrepreneur .

https://twitter.com/RightWingWatch/status/1575874385948598272
October 1, 2022

This Company Will Pay You $50,000 to Move to Iceland for a 'Simpler Life'

How about that four-day work week?!

https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/siggis-move-to-iceland-contest



While the grass isn't always greener on the other side, sometimes it actually is. Now, you can test that theory. Yogurt maker siggi's is hiring for a freelance gig—officially dubbed Chief Simplicity Offiskyr—which would task you with just that. The company will pay one person $50,000 to move to Iceland, one of the world's happiest countries, and document their experience with its newly implemented four-day work week.

The job requires you to capture content for siggi's social channels and document the mission of simplicity while also experiencing all that Iceland has to offer, including the Northern Lights and Icelandic food. It shouldn't be too hard, huh? Along with that $50k paycheck, you'll also get a camera for said content creation and insider connections to hiking guides, restaurant owners and chefs, and more.

According to siggi's, there's been a culture shift over the last few years that's redefined our values around career, travel, health, and relationships. The idea of a "simpler life" has become more popular. "While many companies have been pushing for a healthy work/life balance, siggi's is the first to offer a gig that truly maximizes living a simple life and enjoying the benefits that the environment and nature have to offer," the brand wrote on its site.

To apply for the role, you'll need a valid passport, strong writing skills, a passion for photography, an adaptable nature, and a desire to live a simpler life.

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September 30, 2022

🗳️ Italy: The eclipse after the 'night of pride': Georgia Meloni's quest to power and beyond



On Sunday, 25 September 2022 Italian citizens went to the polls. The snap election followed this summer's crisis that saw the fall of the coalition government led by Mario Draghi. This was the first time that citizens would choose their representatives after the 2020 constitutional reform, cutting the number of members of parliament to 400 in the Chamber and 200 in the Senate (from 630 and 315 respectively). The emotional, polarising campaign did not boost mobilisation, and the vote noted an unprecedently low turnout of 63.7 per cent. The centre-left bloc (including the Democratic Party, Civic Commitment, Greens and Left Alliance, and More Europe) obtained 26.13 per cent of the votes – falling far behind the right-wing (composed of Brothers of Italy, Lega, Forza Italia and 'Us Moderates').

The bitter outcome already led to the resignation of PD Secretary Enrico Letta and to the decision to summon a party Congress, where the PD will need to answer the call for self-reflection regarding its own identity and organisation, and reflect on how to regain the ground in the predominantly blue map. The absolute majority that Georgia Meloni will command is reason for serious concern. Her party takes pride in evoking a neo-fascist (or post-fascist) narrative. And while she speaks about her readiness to revive Italy, she spurs a sense of injustice among the voters. Today, the enemies are migrants, but whom she picks next is yet to be seen. The European Union and several EU national governments warned that they would watch her moves closely. Others – including the Polish PiS and the Hungarian FIDESZ – joined the Italian Prime Minister to be in joy. It seems that Meloni's 'night of pride' may turn into a serious eclipse for Italy and the EU, which will make the upcoming dire winter even more severe.

September 30, 2022

You Can Stay in the Cottage from 'Hocus Pocus' Through Airbnb

Get spooky this Halloween with an assist from "Hocus Pocus 2."

https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/airbnb-hocus-pocus-cottage



We’re so deep into a world where a significant percentage of movies and shows are reboots (or prequels or legacyquels) that there are now even shows about a show being rebooted. Though, it wouldn’t be happening if there weren’t people who got excited about a reprise of their favorite characters.





That’s the case with Hocus Pocus. Maybe it doesn’t mean anything to you, but the movie has had a surprisingly long-lasting legacy. Now, it’s coming back, and you can crash with the Sanderson sisters, kind of. Airbnb is offering a stay at a recreation of the cottage from Hocus Pocus in Salem, Massachusetts.



A stay at the recreated Halloween haunt will cost just $31, and you have the opportunity to book the unique stay starting October 12 at 1 pm ET. That’s a couple of weeks after Hocus Pocus 2 premieres on Disney+, so you’ve got time to get in the mood. Though, of course, there’s a rub. The home is only available for a stay on October 20 for two guests. That means there is going to be a lot of competition for that night. You’re going to need supernatural levels of clicking prowess to win that race.



Your $31 (plus taxes) gets you a night at the home of the Sanderson sisters. But if you’re traveling from further away than driving distance, well, the rest of your journey is on you. The $31 only covers your stay through Airbnb. As part of the promotion, Airbnb is making a one-time donation to the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Salem to support the community. Practice your soul-stealing abilities, because you can get into the macabre spirit of the season with a favorite film from your childhood.



September 30, 2022

McDonald's Is Releasing an Adult Happy Meal Complete with Toys

It's a collaboration with Cactus Plant Flea Market.

https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/mcdonalds-cactus-plant-flea-market-adult-happy-meals



McDonald's iconic Happy Meal isn't just for kids anymore. The chain is rolling out a new collaboration with streetwear brand Cactus Plant Flea Market, releasing a limited-edition box that builds on McDonald's classic Happy Meal. Customers can choose from a Big Mac or a 10-piece Chicken McNugget, and the box also comes with fries and a drink. But what would a Happy Meal be without a toy, right?



Thankfully, the brand delivers with a series of figurines featuring unique takes on McDonald's classic characters Grimace, Birdie, and the Hamburglar, as well as a new character named Cactus Buddy. Each meal comes with one figurine, so you'll have to buy a couple to collect them all.



The new McDonald's x Cactus Plant Flea Market box will be available at all participating restaurants, at the drive-thru, by delivery, or on the McDonald's app starting October 3 while supplies last. There's even a treat for app users. Anyone who purchases a box via the McDonald's app will be automatically entered to win exclusive merch every week, including Cactus Plant Flea Market and McDonald's collaborations like t-shirts and a Grimace chair. Plus, there will be even more merch available on this website once the boxes are released.



September 29, 2022

Studio Terpeluk renovates Albert Lanier-designed Noe Valley home in San Francisco

https://www.dezeen.com/2022/09/28/studio-terpeluk-renovates-redwood-house-noe-valley/











San Francisco-based Studio Terpeluk has renovated and expanded Redwood House in Noe Valley with redwood interiors and terraces. The three-storey Redwood House was originally designed by American architect Albert Lanier – husband to sculptor Ruth Asawa – in a hilly San Francisco neighbourhood characterised by Victorian and Edwardian houses.









Studio Terpeluk was selected to expand the 1976 house from 2,260 square feet (210 square metres) to 3,218 square feet (299 square metres) with a new guest room suite, home office, wet bar and media room. The renovation "surgically modified the house in an architecturally non-aggressive manner," the studio said.









Wrapped with irregular western red cedar planks, the narrow house cascades down the hillside with exterior courtyards that mitigate the grade change. One enters the house through an intimate courtyard off the street into an open-plan upper level with a sloping ceiling and dark-knotted Douglas fir flooring made from local reclaimed pier pilings. Many of the walls and ceilings were updated with vintage rough-sawn redwood veneered plywood maintained from the original build. "Redwood surfaces and structural elements complete the warm interior landscape: from the sloping roof beams to partition walls and built-in shelves," the studio said.









To the left of the entrance is the kitchen with custom-gloss cabinets and a Carrara marble backsplash. It opens to a dining room that features a Saarinen table and Hans Wegner wishbone chairs. To the right is the library where sunlight from the large window brightens the dark panelling and sculptural furniture. The living room is oriented around a pink sculpture by American artist Wanxin Zhang. Padded seating wraps the corner under a large window looking out to the San Francisco skyline.

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September 29, 2022

Studio Job creates "surrealist take on classical church windows" in front of KunstKerk

https://www.dezeen.com/2022/09/29/studio-job-classical-church-windows-kunstkerk/



Netherlands-based Studio Job has created a curved bronze-and-glass sculpture named The Embrace for Dutch art institute KunstKerk as a humorous update on traditional stained-glass windows.The largest sculpture ever created by Studio Job, The Embrace was based on the outline of the facade of KunstKerk, which is located in a former church in Dordrecht, the Netherlands.





"The architect, Andries Lugten, and the developer, Dudok, asked me to create something to help with their proposal for the redevelopment," Studio Job founder Job Smeets told Dezeen. "So my idea was to use the back of the building, which was an unused space but had potential to be a connection between the art church and the art cinema." Smeets hand-crafted the 13-metre-tall sculpture, described by the studio as a "surrealist take on classical church windows," from bronze and pigmented glass. The final design features two undulating "windows" that seem to stretch towards each other above a smaller, central window. Each is housed within the same large, textured bronze frame, which culminates in a decorative two-metre high cockerel sculpture at the top weighing 300 kilograms.



The choice to use bronze was based on the fact that the studio has often worked with the material, which Smeets said was also both completely durable and fully recyclable. "The advantages of bronze is it's very pliable; you can do it in any shape and it's liquid so I can make any form," Smeets explained. "Bronze is a significant part of my work; in my atelier, we do every step of the process from the natural form to the final polish and painting," he added. "The bronze structure reminds me of the industrial metal casting and the industrial steel girders of old bridges. The final look I wanted to be a jewel in the city, something precious – maybe even an ornate jewelry box."



The bronze frame is held up by four hand-sculpted bronze tortoises on whose shells it rests. These were designed in reference to an ancient Asian custom where a tortoise placed at the back of the house gives "protection and wisdom," according to the studio. The glass windows set into the bronze face outwards, rather than inwards as church windows usually do. The characters depicted are loosely based on those traditionally seen on stained-glass windows, but they have been given a modern update.

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Gender: Female
Hometown: London
Home country: US/UK/Sweden
Current location: Stockholm, Sweden
Member since: Sun Jul 1, 2018, 07:25 PM
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