<![CDATA[Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum

<![CDATA[Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum - Style & Fashion]]> https://www.scivillage.com/ Wed, 05 Aug 2026 08:58:25 +0000 MyBB <![CDATA[Andy Burnham says 'UK needs a written constitution' (new political fashions)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21011.html Sun, 02 Aug 2026 18:58:32 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-21011.html Andy Burnham says 'UK needs a written constitution'
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/...s-34391581

Britain may need a written constitution as a "different approach" is taken to governing the country, the Prime Minister has said. Andy Burnham previously called for a written constitution in his 2024 book Head North: A Rallying Cry For A More Equal Britain, which he co-wrote with Liverpool City Region metro mayor Steve Rotheram.

Speaking this week as he unveiled plans for greater devolution, Mr Burnham said the proposals strengthened the argument for a formal constitution because they would fundamentally change Britain.

He said: "In the end, I think it does start to point towards a new constitutional settlement, particularly with what Steve and I were writing about with that commitment to equivalent living standards. I said in the speech I gave in Manchester a couple of weeks ago about good growth in every postcode. It's not just a soundbite. I actually mean that. We need to have a country where everyone, in the end, can live a comparable life. That should be what we're working towards."

The former Greater Manchester mayor said he believed that approach should form the "cornerstone" of a written constitution.

He added: "I think there is a case for a new clear set of principles about how this country should be run and things that should be minimum basics in all parts of the country, related to essentials and connectivity. It's wrong that people are left arguing for things that are just fundamental, and they're given in other parts of the country, and the lack of a constitution disempowers places in that situation. What's coming through is we're starting to say that everywhere will have the right to be a strategic authority, everywhere will have the right to retain more of their income tax, business rates. That does start to take you into the realms of a very different approach to running the country."

Unlike many countries, the UK does not have a formal written constitution document, but it is understood to have a constitution established through history by common law, statutes and conventions.]]> Andy Burnham says 'UK needs a written constitution'
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/...s-34391581

Britain may need a written constitution as a "different approach" is taken to governing the country, the Prime Minister has said. Andy Burnham previously called for a written constitution in his 2024 book Head North: A Rallying Cry For A More Equal Britain, which he co-wrote with Liverpool City Region metro mayor Steve Rotheram.

Speaking this week as he unveiled plans for greater devolution, Mr Burnham said the proposals strengthened the argument for a formal constitution because they would fundamentally change Britain.

He said: "In the end, I think it does start to point towards a new constitutional settlement, particularly with what Steve and I were writing about with that commitment to equivalent living standards. I said in the speech I gave in Manchester a couple of weeks ago about good growth in every postcode. It's not just a soundbite. I actually mean that. We need to have a country where everyone, in the end, can live a comparable life. That should be what we're working towards."

The former Greater Manchester mayor said he believed that approach should form the "cornerstone" of a written constitution.

He added: "I think there is a case for a new clear set of principles about how this country should be run and things that should be minimum basics in all parts of the country, related to essentials and connectivity. It's wrong that people are left arguing for things that are just fundamental, and they're given in other parts of the country, and the lack of a constitution disempowers places in that situation. What's coming through is we're starting to say that everywhere will have the right to be a strategic authority, everywhere will have the right to retain more of their income tax, business rates. That does start to take you into the realms of a very different approach to running the country."

Unlike many countries, the UK does not have a formal written constitution document, but it is understood to have a constitution established through history by common law, statutes and conventions.]]> <![CDATA[Trump's call with Andy Burnham: He's 'going to open up North Sea oil'? (PM style)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20978.html Thu, 30 Jul 2026 02:34:21 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20978.html Don't worry about this putative "wealth" coming to the country. Burnham will back down as soon as Extinction Rebellion and other activist groups become outraged.
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Donald Trump says Andy Burnham told him 'he's going to open up North Sea oil'
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/...m-34374117

EXCERPTS: The call took place on Burnham's first day in the new role on July 20, with the Makerfield MP reportedly inviting Trump to Manchester. Trump shared some details of the call...

[...] Downing Street would not be drawn on any potential future plans for North Sea drilling after Mr Trump talked up a change in policy under Mr Burnham following their initial chat. The US president, a vocal supporter of fossil fuels, has long championed the move as he has railed against “windmills”. He lost a legal battle with the Scottish Government to stop a wind turbine development visible from his Aberdeenshire golf course.

Meanwhile, Labour’s 2024 manifesto said the party would not issue new North Sea licences. [...] Referring to his conversation with Mr Burnham, Mr Trump said: “Well, he did say one very good thing," according to PA. “He said he’s going to open up North Sea oil. If he does that, you’re going to be a wealthy country.”

The president added: “They [Britain] have two problems. They have a huge immigration problem – people coming from all over the world and just camping out in your country. He’s got that problem, and he’s got an energy problem. He’s got windmills all over the place, and any time you see windmills, you see a failing country. They’re made in China, not used by China, but they’re made in China.”

He went on: “You have one of the most valuable oil finds anywhere in the world, and if the United Kingdom would use it, they’d be a wealthy country again. And I tell you what, I could not get Starmer to use it. It was incredible. You have your own oil and gas. If you use the North Sea, the UK will be a really rich country. I cannot get the point across. The new gentleman, when I spoke to him, he said he’s going to open up the North Sea. Let’s see if that happens.”

The president also argued Mr Burnham would have to tackle the issue of immigration. Mr Trump said: “He’s going to have to mention it because it’s killing your country. I know Starmer did very little about it, and they’re coming from all over the world..." (MORE - details)]]> Don't worry about this putative "wealth" coming to the country. Burnham will back down as soon as Extinction Rebellion and other activist groups become outraged.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

Donald Trump says Andy Burnham told him 'he's going to open up North Sea oil'
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/...m-34374117

EXCERPTS: The call took place on Burnham's first day in the new role on July 20, with the Makerfield MP reportedly inviting Trump to Manchester. Trump shared some details of the call...

[...] Downing Street would not be drawn on any potential future plans for North Sea drilling after Mr Trump talked up a change in policy under Mr Burnham following their initial chat. The US president, a vocal supporter of fossil fuels, has long championed the move as he has railed against “windmills”. He lost a legal battle with the Scottish Government to stop a wind turbine development visible from his Aberdeenshire golf course.

Meanwhile, Labour’s 2024 manifesto said the party would not issue new North Sea licences. [...] Referring to his conversation with Mr Burnham, Mr Trump said: “Well, he did say one very good thing," according to PA. “He said he’s going to open up North Sea oil. If he does that, you’re going to be a wealthy country.”

The president added: “They [Britain] have two problems. They have a huge immigration problem – people coming from all over the world and just camping out in your country. He’s got that problem, and he’s got an energy problem. He’s got windmills all over the place, and any time you see windmills, you see a failing country. They’re made in China, not used by China, but they’re made in China.”

He went on: “You have one of the most valuable oil finds anywhere in the world, and if the United Kingdom would use it, they’d be a wealthy country again. And I tell you what, I could not get Starmer to use it. It was incredible. You have your own oil and gas. If you use the North Sea, the UK will be a really rich country. I cannot get the point across. The new gentleman, when I spoke to him, he said he’s going to open up the North Sea. Let’s see if that happens.”

The president also argued Mr Burnham would have to tackle the issue of immigration. Mr Trump said: “He’s going to have to mention it because it’s killing your country. I know Starmer did very little about it, and they’re coming from all over the world..." (MORE - details)]]> <![CDATA["Watchmen": how a famous graphic novel ruined the superhero industry? (Marxist style)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20939.html Fri, 24 Jul 2026 21:57:52 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20939.html Who would have predicted that comic books would turn into a literary intellectual enterprise?
- - - - - - - - - -

LOTUS EATERS
https://youtu.be/S7D3JTw3700

VIDEO EXCERPTS: So, it's quite famous that Grant Morrison and Alan Moore hate each other. Because one is battling to be the most pretentious comic book writer, and both believe in magic.

So they both believe that comic books are a medium for enforcing an interpretation upon the world that can then change how humans perceive things and basically change the structure of society in these sorts of hermeneutic practices. They want to claim the mantle of being able to do that best through DC comics.

And when Grant Morrison was asked for his opinions on Watchmen, he said the following: "I was the first person to say Watchmen wasn't very good. I said that Watchmen was a 300-page equivalent of a sick form of poem..."

[...] I do have a similar yet different quote from him, which was that if you strip away the cleverness of certain parts of the plot and some of the character stuff, all you're left with is a deeply cynical story written by a man overly invested in deconstructing the sex lives of fictional cartoon characters.

Oh, banger. Right. Okay. This is why this episode is titled "Why Watchmen Ruined Comics". Because the comics industry has become a victim of Watchmen's success. Watchmen has been one of the most reliable best-selling graphic novels every year since its publication in 1986-87.

And ever since it has set the tone for what superhero comics think superhero comics should be. The industry is now in a permanent state of deconstruction. There is no higher heroic idea that any hero can aspire to without being knocked down a peg by the writer that wants to make their mark on a given book.

And as in Watchmen, all of the heroes are sexual reprobates and racists compromised by working for the government. Doing shady deals, just being pathetic and cowardly by themselves.

Yeah. They're cuckolds. They're impotent unless they wear their costume. And everything is some sort of grand psychological projection about their own inadequacies. And society itself is indicted for letting these weird freaks and reprobates play out their sexual and power fantasies and call it heroism.

There is no room for an actual hero; everything is to be regarded with suspicion.

[...] Alan Moore is completely obsessed with sex, and it filters through every single page of the comic book. ... In the movie version, Zack Snyder does not dwell in the psychosexual aspects of the story in the same way that Moore does.

[...] What I said before we started is that this book is the Frankfurt School theory of The Authoritarian Personality put into comic book form. Now what do I mean by that? Well, Moore himself, as we know, is a form of Marxist. But when I was listening to the interview with him before we prepared for this, I noted that he was trying to put a Freudian Marxist spin on this...

Now, what was the Frankfurt School? The Frankfurt School was a mix of Freudian psychoanalysis and sexual ideas with old-school Marxism, trying to come to a synthesis between the two and come up with ways through which they can analyze society that way...

The legacy of Alan Moore's Watchmen... https://youtu.be/S7D3JTw3700

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/S7D3JTw3700]]> Who would have predicted that comic books would turn into a literary intellectual enterprise?
- - - - - - - - - -

LOTUS EATERS
https://youtu.be/S7D3JTw3700

VIDEO EXCERPTS: So, it's quite famous that Grant Morrison and Alan Moore hate each other. Because one is battling to be the most pretentious comic book writer, and both believe in magic.

So they both believe that comic books are a medium for enforcing an interpretation upon the world that can then change how humans perceive things and basically change the structure of society in these sorts of hermeneutic practices. They want to claim the mantle of being able to do that best through DC comics.

And when Grant Morrison was asked for his opinions on Watchmen, he said the following: "I was the first person to say Watchmen wasn't very good. I said that Watchmen was a 300-page equivalent of a sick form of poem..."

[...] I do have a similar yet different quote from him, which was that if you strip away the cleverness of certain parts of the plot and some of the character stuff, all you're left with is a deeply cynical story written by a man overly invested in deconstructing the sex lives of fictional cartoon characters.

Oh, banger. Right. Okay. This is why this episode is titled "Why Watchmen Ruined Comics". Because the comics industry has become a victim of Watchmen's success. Watchmen has been one of the most reliable best-selling graphic novels every year since its publication in 1986-87.

And ever since it has set the tone for what superhero comics think superhero comics should be. The industry is now in a permanent state of deconstruction. There is no higher heroic idea that any hero can aspire to without being knocked down a peg by the writer that wants to make their mark on a given book.

And as in Watchmen, all of the heroes are sexual reprobates and racists compromised by working for the government. Doing shady deals, just being pathetic and cowardly by themselves.

Yeah. They're cuckolds. They're impotent unless they wear their costume. And everything is some sort of grand psychological projection about their own inadequacies. And society itself is indicted for letting these weird freaks and reprobates play out their sexual and power fantasies and call it heroism.

There is no room for an actual hero; everything is to be regarded with suspicion.

[...] Alan Moore is completely obsessed with sex, and it filters through every single page of the comic book. ... In the movie version, Zack Snyder does not dwell in the psychosexual aspects of the story in the same way that Moore does.

[...] What I said before we started is that this book is the Frankfurt School theory of The Authoritarian Personality put into comic book form. Now what do I mean by that? Well, Moore himself, as we know, is a form of Marxist. But when I was listening to the interview with him before we prepared for this, I noted that he was trying to put a Freudian Marxist spin on this...

Now, what was the Frankfurt School? The Frankfurt School was a mix of Freudian psychoanalysis and sexual ideas with old-school Marxism, trying to come to a synthesis between the two and come up with ways through which they can analyze society that way...

The legacy of Alan Moore's Watchmen... https://youtu.be/S7D3JTw3700

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/S7D3JTw3700]]> <![CDATA[NJ gov admits they accidentally registered over 6,000 illegal aliens to vote (style)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20922.html Wed, 22 Jul 2026 19:51:52 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20922.html
2WAY
https://youtu.be/oUQ4PkKjM6s

VIDEO EXCERPT: And they can also do this. They can talk about what happened in New Jersey, today, where the poor governor of New Jersey had to acknowledge that they accidentally -- under the previous administration-- also a Democrat, they accidentally registered over 6,000 illegal aliens to vote, and many of them did vote...

6,000 accidentals ... https://youtu.be/oUQ4PkKjM6s

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/oUQ4PkKjM6s]]>
2WAY
https://youtu.be/oUQ4PkKjM6s

VIDEO EXCERPT: And they can also do this. They can talk about what happened in New Jersey, today, where the poor governor of New Jersey had to acknowledge that they accidentally -- under the previous administration-- also a Democrat, they accidentally registered over 6,000 illegal aliens to vote, and many of them did vote...

6,000 accidentals ... https://youtu.be/oUQ4PkKjM6s

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/oUQ4PkKjM6s]]> <![CDATA["The Orville" season four finally confirmed? (sluggish fashions)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20918.html Tue, 21 Jul 2026 22:17:38 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20918.html https://youtu.be/zNjKgCwouIg

VIDEO EXCERPTS: It was only a few weeks ago that Seth MacFarlane came out and reaffirmed that they've got 10 scripts [...] Egotastic Funtime is telling us that he is certain that this is happening. Seth McFarland has told us we've got the scripts, etc. So, it does seem to finally be on the cards that we're going to get a fourth season.

[...] They're desperate to do it. It's because they love Seth MacFarlane. That's their attitude over at Disney, particularly with Seth MacFarlane doing an awful lot of shows over at Universal. I think he's doing a lot on Peacock. They want to keep Seth MacFarlane and ensure that relationship stays connected.

Obviously going back with Fox in particular, they've had a long association with MacFarlane, and they wanted to continue that. They know there's a loyal fan base there overall, even if The Orville's is not large. They actually do really well on merchandise and things. So Disney is keen to keep that going.

We very rarely get to thank Disney. Usually it's the opposite. But if you're a massive fan of Orville, in this case, you should.

They're convinced this has gone into pre-production. I will tell you guys now that I've heard no fresh rumors recently. If this is going to pre-production, it's gone very quietly. There has been no official announcement. There's been no official green light, but Seth McFarland keeps saying that it's going to happen at some point...

Season 4 a go? ... https://youtu.be/zNjKgCwouIg

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zNjKgCwouIg]]> https://youtu.be/zNjKgCwouIg

VIDEO EXCERPTS: It was only a few weeks ago that Seth MacFarlane came out and reaffirmed that they've got 10 scripts [...] Egotastic Funtime is telling us that he is certain that this is happening. Seth McFarland has told us we've got the scripts, etc. So, it does seem to finally be on the cards that we're going to get a fourth season.

[...] They're desperate to do it. It's because they love Seth MacFarlane. That's their attitude over at Disney, particularly with Seth MacFarlane doing an awful lot of shows over at Universal. I think he's doing a lot on Peacock. They want to keep Seth MacFarlane and ensure that relationship stays connected.

Obviously going back with Fox in particular, they've had a long association with MacFarlane, and they wanted to continue that. They know there's a loyal fan base there overall, even if The Orville's is not large. They actually do really well on merchandise and things. So Disney is keen to keep that going.

We very rarely get to thank Disney. Usually it's the opposite. But if you're a massive fan of Orville, in this case, you should.

They're convinced this has gone into pre-production. I will tell you guys now that I've heard no fresh rumors recently. If this is going to pre-production, it's gone very quietly. There has been no official announcement. There's been no official green light, but Seth McFarland keeps saying that it's going to happen at some point...

Season 4 a go? ... https://youtu.be/zNjKgCwouIg

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/zNjKgCwouIg]]> <![CDATA[Incel hero and woman hater Andrew Tate gets arrested for bad outfit..]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20900.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 21:59:11 +0000 Magical Realist]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20900.html
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2087272121869313

brookelinville
1d
"You guys, I already have the Andrew Tate outfit in my closet.
It’s not about who wore it better. It’s about the queen inside us all!"

]]>
https://www.facebook.com/reel/2087272121869313

brookelinville
1d
"You guys, I already have the Andrew Tate outfit in my closet.
It’s not about who wore it better. It’s about the queen inside us all!"

]]> <![CDATA[What Britain’s new leader is learning from Donald Trump]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20892.html Mon, 20 Jul 2026 04:16:18 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20892.html Rotsa ruck with even other populists ramming things through as aggressively as Trump. Much less a traditional establishment party being effectively "active" in any direction that's going to please or subdue the wrath of the anti-elitist crowds.
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What Britain’s new leader is learning from Donald Trump
https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-new-l...ald-trump/

INTRO: Andy Burnham’s political success depends on his ability to turn Britain away from the wave of nationalist populism that gave the world Donald Trump.

That has not stopped the U.K.’s incoming prime minister from studying the president’s rise, and — deliberately or not — embracing some of his methods for the political battles with the British right that lie ahead.

“Trump is very unpopular in Britain,” said Luke Tryl, executive director at More in Common U.K., a think-tank and polling agency. “But even people who really don’t like him will say, at least he does what he says he’ll do.” Just being seen to be active in this way is something Burnham “can learn” from insurgent populists like Trump, Ttyl added.

Burnham, the new leader of the center-left Labour Party, takes over as U.K. prime minister on Monday. He has been catapulted into power by his colleagues, who fear being wiped out at the next general election after months of missteps and scandals under outgoing premier Keir Starmer.

The far-right populist Reform UK party — founded five years ago and led by Trump ally Nigel Farage — has stormed the board in recent elections across the country, shattering Labour’s traditional strongholds and leading opinion polls nationally for more than a year.

Labour MPs hope Burnham can be the fresh-faced outsider to revive the party’s wilting relationship with the increasingly cynical voters it has lost. He has been clear for years about the party’s task: If Labour fails, British politics, he says, are in danger of following the United States and electing the most right-wing government it has ever seen.. (MORE - details)

MICHAEL HEAVER
https://youtu.be/Rx7d18yrNJw

VIDEO EXCERPT: The demand and the pressure on Andy Burnham to call a snap general election is building. And to the naysayers, just watch what I highlight in this video before you dismiss such a prospect because pressure really is building already...

UK election pressure is exploding ... https://youtu.be/Rx7d18yrNJw

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Rx7d18yrNJw]]> Rotsa ruck with even other populists ramming things through as aggressively as Trump. Much less a traditional establishment party being effectively "active" in any direction that's going to please or subdue the wrath of the anti-elitist crowds.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

What Britain’s new leader is learning from Donald Trump
https://www.politico.eu/article/uk-new-l...ald-trump/

INTRO: Andy Burnham’s political success depends on his ability to turn Britain away from the wave of nationalist populism that gave the world Donald Trump.

That has not stopped the U.K.’s incoming prime minister from studying the president’s rise, and — deliberately or not — embracing some of his methods for the political battles with the British right that lie ahead.

“Trump is very unpopular in Britain,” said Luke Tryl, executive director at More in Common U.K., a think-tank and polling agency. “But even people who really don’t like him will say, at least he does what he says he’ll do.” Just being seen to be active in this way is something Burnham “can learn” from insurgent populists like Trump, Ttyl added.

Burnham, the new leader of the center-left Labour Party, takes over as U.K. prime minister on Monday. He has been catapulted into power by his colleagues, who fear being wiped out at the next general election after months of missteps and scandals under outgoing premier Keir Starmer.

The far-right populist Reform UK party — founded five years ago and led by Trump ally Nigel Farage — has stormed the board in recent elections across the country, shattering Labour’s traditional strongholds and leading opinion polls nationally for more than a year.

Labour MPs hope Burnham can be the fresh-faced outsider to revive the party’s wilting relationship with the increasingly cynical voters it has lost. He has been clear for years about the party’s task: If Labour fails, British politics, he says, are in danger of following the United States and electing the most right-wing government it has ever seen.. (MORE - details)

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/Rx7d18yrNJw]]> <![CDATA[Magnates leaving UK after rule change + Burnham scraps digital ID (Labour style)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20887.html Sun, 19 Jul 2026 02:05:58 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20887.html Ping Baskell: "Using weasel language 'modern state' for Digital ID is akin to show biz using weasel language 'modern audience' when rejecting production of a TV program or film because it's too tradtional. Making covert motives of gradually expanding societal control and manipulation sound like liberating agenda."
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Burnham will scrap digital ID in bid to tackle cost of living crisis
https://inews.co.uk/news/burnham-will-sc...ng-4655256

EXCERPTS: Andy Burnham will scrap Sir Keir Starmer’s digital ID scheme when becomes prime minister on Monday. Burnham’s team said cash put aside for the scheme will now be spent on tackling the cost of living crisis – and described the move as a “reset of priorities”.

Money will be redirected to more “tangible” improvements to people’s lives, they added. A spokesperson for Burnham said his Government would “put its focus where people need it right now”. They added: “That means all the time and resource that was going to be spent on a national ID scheme will go instead to where it’s most needed, such as helping with the cost of living.”

[...] Starmer announced plans to introduce digital ID ahead of last year’s Labour conference, saying it would be mandatory for right-to-work checks as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration. Ministers expected the programme to go further, becoming the “bedrock of the modern state” in a system of “government by app”.

The scheme first announced in September last proved to be deeply unpopular with voters after following a major public backlash it abandoned plans to make digital IDs compulsory for workers... (MORE - missing details)

Iceland's 'first billionaire' leaves Britain for Italy and warns of 'exodus' of millionaires
https://www.dailymail.com/news/article-1...Italy.html

EXCERPTS: An Icelandic billionaire has left Britain for Italy - as he warned of an 'exodus' of the super rich after Labour came to power. Thor Björgólfsson, known as the Nordic country's first billionaire, changed his tax residency over the last year - and has also moved his investment firm Novator from London to Zurich.

His relocation comes amid fears that Labour's decision to scrap non-dom status, which allowed some high-net-worth individuals to avoid paying full UK tax on their overseas earnings, is pushing them out of the country.

Mr Björgólfsson said in an interview with Bloomberg that the number of rich businessmen leaving Britain 'is an exodus, it's not been hype'. He said: 'It's amazing how fast it has happened. The collateral damage is exploding elsewhere.'

In April last year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves controversially replaced non-dom rules with the Foreign Income and Gains Regime - after announcing the move in her October Budget. Under the new system, wealthy arrivals are exempt from paying tax on their foreign earnings for four years, provided they were not a resident of the UK in the preceding decade.

Mr Björgólfsson's move to Italy places him on a growing list of individuals who have quit Britain since Labour came to power two years ago. Those who are known to have left include Nassef Sawiris, the Egyptian co-owner of Aston Villa FC, who has also shifted his tax residency to Italy. Meanwhile, brothers Ian and Richard Livingstone, who oversee a £9billion property empire in the UK and abroad, have quit Britain for Monaco.

[...] Several billionaires have been open about their reasons for leaving ... Britain's ninth richest billionaire, John Fredriksen, declared last year that Britain had 'gone to hell' as he explained his reasons for moving his shipping firm from London to the United Arab Emirates.

[...] Non-domiciled means UK residents whose permanent home, or their 'domicile' for tax purposes, is outside the UK. The regime meant that so-called non-doms paid tax in the UK only on income generated in the UK - meaning any income earned overseas was exempt from British taxation.

However, the Labour Government abolished the non-dom tax status in April following backlash that wealthy residents could enjoy the benefits of living in the UK without paying as much tax...]]> <![CDATA[No link with GLP-1 drugs reducing risk of macular degeneration (diabetes fashions)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20879.html Sat, 18 Jul 2026 07:38:24 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20879.html Study finds no statistical link between use of semaglutide and other GLP-1 drugs and risk of degenerative eye disease in adults with type 2 diabetes
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1136615

INTRO: An estimated 27% of U.S. adults with diabetes are using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) — a type of medication that mimics the GLP-1 hormone — to lower blood sugar and support weight loss. Some research has suggested that their use can reduce the risk of developing other diseases.

A new, federally funded retrospective study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine strongly suggests that semaglutide and other GLP-1 RAs did not statistically change the risk of developing neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD) — a fast-progressing, blinding condition that is caused by uncontrolled, abnormal blood vessel growth in the back of the eye — in adults with type 2 diabetes without a prior history of GLP-1 use.

A peer-reviewed report of the work, funded by the National Institutes of Health, published online in Ophthalmology... (MORE - no ads)]]> Study finds no statistical link between use of semaglutide and other GLP-1 drugs and risk of degenerative eye disease in adults with type 2 diabetes
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1136615

INTRO: An estimated 27% of U.S. adults with diabetes are using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) — a type of medication that mimics the GLP-1 hormone — to lower blood sugar and support weight loss. Some research has suggested that their use can reduce the risk of developing other diseases.

A new, federally funded retrospective study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine strongly suggests that semaglutide and other GLP-1 RAs did not statistically change the risk of developing neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NVAMD) — a fast-progressing, blinding condition that is caused by uncontrolled, abnormal blood vessel growth in the back of the eye — in adults with type 2 diabetes without a prior history of GLP-1 use.

A peer-reviewed report of the work, funded by the National Institutes of Health, published online in Ophthalmology... (MORE - no ads)]]> <![CDATA[Conservative ex-MP Ann Widdecombe killed in her home (UK assassination style)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20838.html Fri, 10 Jul 2026 19:15:30 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20838.html Apparently she had some presence in the entertainment industry, too. Controversial journalist Dan Wootton, a friend, is greatly distraught about it on YouTube.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

Britain's ex-MP Ann Widdecombe killed in her home; man arrested
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/...783707231/

INTRO: British police announced Friday that they arrested a man in the slaying of former Member of Parliament Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead in her home Thursday.

Devon and Cornwall Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said at a press briefing a 26-year-old man was arrested on Friday afternoon at a home in Newton Abbot, England, on suspicion of the murder of Widdecombe, 78, who was killed in Dartmoor, Devon. The two areas are about 15 miles apart. The suspect is a British national, police said, and the slaying was not believed to be an act of terrorism.

Longman said there isn't evidence that the killing was politically motivated, though it is early in the investigation. "Too early for me to comment further on that at this time," Longman said.

Widdecombe was a Conservative member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010 for the Kent constituency of Maidstone, later Maidstone and the Weald. She joined the Brexit party in 2019 and served as a member of the European Parliament, representing South West England, between 2019 and 2020. She was also a member of Brexit's successor, Reform UK.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it's important to "rise above any political differences" and focus on justice... (MORE - details)

https://youtu.be/z-NzQSJ-QW4

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/z-NzQSJ-QW4]]> Apparently she had some presence in the entertainment industry, too. Controversial journalist Dan Wootton, a friend, is greatly distraught about it on YouTube.
- - - - - - - - - - - -

Britain's ex-MP Ann Widdecombe killed in her home; man arrested
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/...783707231/

INTRO: British police announced Friday that they arrested a man in the slaying of former Member of Parliament Ann Widdecombe, who was found dead in her home Thursday.

Devon and Cornwall Assistant Chief Constable Matt Longman said at a press briefing a 26-year-old man was arrested on Friday afternoon at a home in Newton Abbot, England, on suspicion of the murder of Widdecombe, 78, who was killed in Dartmoor, Devon. The two areas are about 15 miles apart. The suspect is a British national, police said, and the slaying was not believed to be an act of terrorism.

Longman said there isn't evidence that the killing was politically motivated, though it is early in the investigation. "Too early for me to comment further on that at this time," Longman said.

Widdecombe was a Conservative member of Parliament from 1987 to 2010 for the Kent constituency of Maidstone, later Maidstone and the Weald. She joined the Brexit party in 2019 and served as a member of the European Parliament, representing South West England, between 2019 and 2020. She was also a member of Brexit's successor, Reform UK.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it's important to "rise above any political differences" and focus on justice... (MORE - details)

https://youtu.be/z-NzQSJ-QW4

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/z-NzQSJ-QW4]]> <![CDATA[Americans have had enough of identity politics? (Victor Davis Hanson style)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20814.html Tue, 07 Jul 2026 21:46:41 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20814.html https://youtu.be/X_7t7y1AGeg

VIDEO EXCERPTS: Ketanji Brown Jackson's legacy consists of talking incessantly, despite being the most junior member of the court. Once again, according to Scott's blog, she leads the aggregate chart at 53,299 words across cases.

[...] And unfortunately, she's not an accomplished judge, and she wasn't one when she was appointed. She doesn't write well. I thought she would have good staff, but her opinions are poorly written. She can't articulate what her points are, and they're almost always contemporary politics. There are always references to the binary. That this particular group is victimized. That the other specific group is an oppressor. And so there are no legal points there, just personal ideology.

And that has really hurt the left because those two appointments, Sotomayor and Jackson, are not the best left-wing judges they have had. They're actually the least educated in the law. They're not analytical and they don't write well, and that's hurt their cause enormously.

Let's be honest. They were DEI appointments at the time. I remember she said we need "a wise Latina" I think 20 times in one speech, and she said a wise Latina will understand problems better than a white male.

Katanji Brown had a series of lectures of that type, and I think part of the problem that they're encountering is that the public is getting fatigued. [...] This identity politics and this grievance culture and this constant whining continue across the country. It's not sustainable.

It's coming at a time when the people who are whining -- whether they're a Mamdani type immigrant or they're Katanji Brown or Joy Reid or Sunny Hostin -- have never been more affluent, never been more fortunate. And instead of just offering a little bit of gratitude, it's always railing about the US being a bad, bad, terrible country. It's unfair. I'm so victimized.

And I think people are just psychologically and intellectually exhausted about their identity politics. It's like a monastery of the mind that so many people are just checking out of. They don't watch the Grammys, the Oscars, the Tonys anymore. They don't go to movies. They've just said, "I've had it."

And I think with the pollsters, that's one of the things they didn't really pick up on. These people don't want to talk to a pollster. And that's why, you know, NPR had Kamala Harris four points ahead the night of the election. [...] They were five and a half points off because they can't calibrate that hidden dimension.

That's why I'm not as pessimistic as everybody else about the midterms. I think there are a lot of people who don't report to pollsters, and they're quiet. But they're adamant that they're tired of the whole progressive project from A to Z.

Victor Davis Hanson on KBJ ... https://youtu.be/X_7t7y1AGeg

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/X_7t7y1AGeg]]> https://youtu.be/X_7t7y1AGeg

VIDEO EXCERPTS: Ketanji Brown Jackson's legacy consists of talking incessantly, despite being the most junior member of the court. Once again, according to Scott's blog, she leads the aggregate chart at 53,299 words across cases.

[...] And unfortunately, she's not an accomplished judge, and she wasn't one when she was appointed. She doesn't write well. I thought she would have good staff, but her opinions are poorly written. She can't articulate what her points are, and they're almost always contemporary politics. There are always references to the binary. That this particular group is victimized. That the other specific group is an oppressor. And so there are no legal points there, just personal ideology.

And that has really hurt the left because those two appointments, Sotomayor and Jackson, are not the best left-wing judges they have had. They're actually the least educated in the law. They're not analytical and they don't write well, and that's hurt their cause enormously.

Let's be honest. They were DEI appointments at the time. I remember she said we need "a wise Latina" I think 20 times in one speech, and she said a wise Latina will understand problems better than a white male.

Katanji Brown had a series of lectures of that type, and I think part of the problem that they're encountering is that the public is getting fatigued. [...] This identity politics and this grievance culture and this constant whining continue across the country. It's not sustainable.

It's coming at a time when the people who are whining -- whether they're a Mamdani type immigrant or they're Katanji Brown or Joy Reid or Sunny Hostin -- have never been more affluent, never been more fortunate. And instead of just offering a little bit of gratitude, it's always railing about the US being a bad, bad, terrible country. It's unfair. I'm so victimized.

And I think people are just psychologically and intellectually exhausted about their identity politics. It's like a monastery of the mind that so many people are just checking out of. They don't watch the Grammys, the Oscars, the Tonys anymore. They don't go to movies. They've just said, "I've had it."

And I think with the pollsters, that's one of the things they didn't really pick up on. These people don't want to talk to a pollster. And that's why, you know, NPR had Kamala Harris four points ahead the night of the election. [...] They were five and a half points off because they can't calibrate that hidden dimension.

That's why I'm not as pessimistic as everybody else about the midterms. I think there are a lot of people who don't report to pollsters, and they're quiet. But they're adamant that they're tired of the whole progressive project from A to Z.

Victor Davis Hanson on KBJ ... https://youtu.be/X_7t7y1AGeg

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/X_7t7y1AGeg]]> <![CDATA[I went to see "Supergirl". Hah! I've actually watched it! (cinema style)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20772.html Wed, 01 Jul 2026 04:55:54 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20772.html Studios & NYT blame audiences for not watching their movie sermons? ...... Film Threat's reaction to "Supergirl" after watching it in theater
- - - - - - - - - - - -

This Supergirl really is a girl -- she's not a woman. I realize that Milly Alcock herself is 26 years old but the character in this movie barely looks or behaves like even a young adult. I mean, she's like the song "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" without that connected in any way with sex. And Alcock mentioned in an interview that there's no romance in the film, and that was a very good thing because it would have seemed underage creepy.

Like any James Gunn related film it is half-comedy or tongue-in-cheek (whatever you want to call it). It's not political. It was vastly easier to endure (Zzzz-wise) in that context than the television version of Supergirl was, which was wall-to-wall woke ministry -- featuring heavy preaching one episode after another.

Has a very derivative plot. It's like Tank Girl In Space combined with The Fifth Element combined with Mad Max 2 and the style of various 1980s punk films combined with True Grit.

99% of the movie doesn't even take place on Earth and she doesn't wear her costume until the last 15 minutes or less. (Yeah, you've heard this stuff in the reviews, too, but this is from the horse's mouth.)

If this was not a Supergirl film it would be alright as a merely average movie (again, the derivative plot makes it mundane). Similar to Tank Girl, it might even become a cult film years from now, but it wouldn't work as that at the time of release.

It's simply not what DC fans would traditionally expect Supergirl to be (I guess), because Supergirl is usually a woman (20s) who is misnomered as a "girl". And it's too much like Star Wars, it's dislocated from Earth. The "Mattie Ross" rip-off in it even runs around with a real sword instead of a light-saber.

Jason Momoa fit the part of Lobo as expected.

Oh, yeah. Supergirl actually kills villains directly in the film. That was a stunner. Classic or stereotypical Boy Scout Superman doesn't do that unless accidentally or indirectly.

https://youtu.be/PIb6AZdTr-A?list=RDPIb6AZdTr-A

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/PIb6AZdTr-A]]> Studios & NYT blame audiences for not watching their movie sermons? ...... Film Threat's reaction to "Supergirl" after watching it in theater
- - - - - - - - - - - -

This Supergirl really is a girl -- she's not a woman. I realize that Milly Alcock herself is 26 years old but the character in this movie barely looks or behaves like even a young adult. I mean, she's like the song "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" without that connected in any way with sex. And Alcock mentioned in an interview that there's no romance in the film, and that was a very good thing because it would have seemed underage creepy.

Like any James Gunn related film it is half-comedy or tongue-in-cheek (whatever you want to call it). It's not political. It was vastly easier to endure (Zzzz-wise) in that context than the television version of Supergirl was, which was wall-to-wall woke ministry -- featuring heavy preaching one episode after another.

Has a very derivative plot. It's like Tank Girl In Space combined with The Fifth Element combined with Mad Max 2 and the style of various 1980s punk films combined with True Grit.

99% of the movie doesn't even take place on Earth and she doesn't wear her costume until the last 15 minutes or less. (Yeah, you've heard this stuff in the reviews, too, but this is from the horse's mouth.)

If this was not a Supergirl film it would be alright as a merely average movie (again, the derivative plot makes it mundane). Similar to Tank Girl, it might even become a cult film years from now, but it wouldn't work as that at the time of release.

It's simply not what DC fans would traditionally expect Supergirl to be (I guess), because Supergirl is usually a woman (20s) who is misnomered as a "girl". And it's too much like Star Wars, it's dislocated from Earth. The "Mattie Ross" rip-off in it even runs around with a real sword instead of a light-saber.

Jason Momoa fit the part of Lobo as expected.

Oh, yeah. Supergirl actually kills villains directly in the film. That was a stunner. Classic or stereotypical Boy Scout Superman doesn't do that unless accidentally or indirectly.

https://youtu.be/PIb6AZdTr-A?list=RDPIb6AZdTr-A

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/PIb6AZdTr-A]]> <![CDATA["We call y'all Blue MAGA": Growing tension between Dems & socialists? (Nah fashions)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20741.html Sun, 28 Jun 2026 21:16:21 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20741.html 56% of Iowa Democrats want more socialism; it's not fringe anymore
- - - - - - - - - - - -

2WAY
https://youtu.be/9zEaXh4AkXA

VIDEO INTRO (excerpts): About where we are headed with the relationship between the socialists and the Democrats. We're going to play three straight sound bites for you.

The first is Democratic nominee in New York Darializa Avila Chevalier talking about whether she is a communist. Then we're going to play for you Gustavo Gordillo, the co-chairman of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. And then a lady named Facts And Figures [TikTok influencer?] who might as well be speaking directly to Kevin Walling about her view of the relationship between the Democratic Party and the socialists.

I want everybody to listen to this run of sound bites carefully, because I don't think you'll see anywhere else a a better distillation of the attitude that the DSA has towards the Democratic party.

(1st) . . . you're going to appear in all sorts of Republican ads that imply that Democrats are moving to the far-left and that you are representative of those communists being placed into office.

I think that framing is one that I've been very proud to be able to say that I don't respond to. One in which I have been very intentional to say I won't be reactive. We are presenting a vision of what we're fighting for. And I think for far too long we have had politics that is reactive to what Republicans are doing. What we need is Democrats who are actually going to present a positive vision, one that sets the tone for what we should be talking about, which is the issue of affordability, which is the issue of how our budgets are moral documents.

If we say that we want to invest in working people in this country, then we need to do that and our budgets need to reflect that. If we say that we value immigration justice, we need to make sure that is also reflected in our policy. And so I'm very proud of a campaign that we built that centers those ideals, that centers those values and that vision for what we need as a community. And that's how I'll continue to move forward in Congress....

(2nd) Our candidates (the DSA) run as Democrats on the Democratic Party ballot line. ... But we don't agree with the way the Democratic Party establishment organizes or runs its party apparatus. ... There's a problem in the Democratic Party where they are funded by billionaire donors, and at the same time they're trying to represent the working class. And in our opinion, you have to choose between the billionaire class and the working class. It's just impossible to satisfy both.

(3rd) So, you don't want leftists in your party, but you also don't want us to create our own party. You don't want to listen to us or listen to any of our policy suggestions, but you also want us to continue to vote for your candidates no matter what, whether we agree with them or not. You don't want us to organize and to do it the right way and to push the party that you say we can push to the left. But you also don't want us to build our own power outside of your party institution.

Which one is it? Cuz it's sounding like fascism regardless. Do you want democracy? Do you want expanded representation? Or don't you? Or do you want people to just agree with your political line?

This is why we call y'all Blue MAGA. This is why we call y'all Blue MAGA. This is why we call y'all Blue MAGA....

"We call y'all Blue MAGA" ... https://youtu.be/9zEaXh4AkXA

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9zEaXh4AkXA]]> 56% of Iowa Democrats want more socialism; it's not fringe anymore
- - - - - - - - - - - -

2WAY
https://youtu.be/9zEaXh4AkXA

VIDEO INTRO (excerpts): About where we are headed with the relationship between the socialists and the Democrats. We're going to play three straight sound bites for you.

The first is Democratic nominee in New York Darializa Avila Chevalier talking about whether she is a communist. Then we're going to play for you Gustavo Gordillo, the co-chairman of the New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America. And then a lady named Facts And Figures [TikTok influencer?] who might as well be speaking directly to Kevin Walling about her view of the relationship between the Democratic Party and the socialists.

I want everybody to listen to this run of sound bites carefully, because I don't think you'll see anywhere else a a better distillation of the attitude that the DSA has towards the Democratic party.

(1st) . . . you're going to appear in all sorts of Republican ads that imply that Democrats are moving to the far-left and that you are representative of those communists being placed into office.

I think that framing is one that I've been very proud to be able to say that I don't respond to. One in which I have been very intentional to say I won't be reactive. We are presenting a vision of what we're fighting for. And I think for far too long we have had politics that is reactive to what Republicans are doing. What we need is Democrats who are actually going to present a positive vision, one that sets the tone for what we should be talking about, which is the issue of affordability, which is the issue of how our budgets are moral documents.

If we say that we want to invest in working people in this country, then we need to do that and our budgets need to reflect that. If we say that we value immigration justice, we need to make sure that is also reflected in our policy. And so I'm very proud of a campaign that we built that centers those ideals, that centers those values and that vision for what we need as a community. And that's how I'll continue to move forward in Congress....

(2nd) Our candidates (the DSA) run as Democrats on the Democratic Party ballot line. ... But we don't agree with the way the Democratic Party establishment organizes or runs its party apparatus. ... There's a problem in the Democratic Party where they are funded by billionaire donors, and at the same time they're trying to represent the working class. And in our opinion, you have to choose between the billionaire class and the working class. It's just impossible to satisfy both.

(3rd) So, you don't want leftists in your party, but you also don't want us to create our own party. You don't want to listen to us or listen to any of our policy suggestions, but you also want us to continue to vote for your candidates no matter what, whether we agree with them or not. You don't want us to organize and to do it the right way and to push the party that you say we can push to the left. But you also don't want us to build our own power outside of your party institution.

Which one is it? Cuz it's sounding like fascism regardless. Do you want democracy? Do you want expanded representation? Or don't you? Or do you want people to just agree with your political line?

This is why we call y'all Blue MAGA. This is why we call y'all Blue MAGA. This is why we call y'all Blue MAGA....

"We call y'all Blue MAGA" ... https://youtu.be/9zEaXh4AkXA

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/9zEaXh4AkXA]]> <![CDATA[What everyone is missing about the hit show "Widow’s Bay" (re-enchantment style)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20732.html Sat, 27 Jun 2026 00:03:02 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20732.html Jon Del Arroz actually loves "Widow's Bay" on Apple TV

While WB provides an opportunity to recruit it for that kind of discussion, it seems like this is reading too much of an intellectual or conversational trend into the show. Since it's a usual part of the genre to open with one or more characters who are skeptical. A "found footage" film like Dagr starts with that -- it's a routine expectation. A simulated reality series would actually be more evocative of or illustrate how a "supernatural" or transcendent realm could be possible than a horror or comedy-horror hit.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AFTER PARTY with Emily Jashinsky
https://youtu.be/ckII9s1BOGI

VIDEO EXCERPTS: The show is considered to be in the Stephen King vein. The director himself (Hiro Murai) has talked about how it is an intentional sort of homage to Stephen King. King posted just a few days ago, "Widow's Bay is good."

So basically Stephen King gave Widows Bay his endorsement. [...] I saw this interesting post from Jack Posobiec on Monday who said, "Yes, everyone was right. Widow's Bay is phenomenal. Lovecraftian New England horror is back with a dash of office humor at that."

Matt Walsh was one of the first people I saw to pick up on the show. This was probably a month ago. He posted a really positive review of Widows Bay.

And I took what Jack said and just wanted to push it a bit further if you've been plugged into this big Christian discourse right now on the re-enchantment of the world. Which is totally pulling from Max Weber and other thinkers in the 19th and 20th centuries who were responding to rapid mass-industrialization. It goes, actually, in some ways to Marx, who talked about "Everything holy is profane."

[...] Weber wrote that the great historic process in the development of religions, the elimination of magic from the world -- which had begun with the old Hebrew prophets and in conjunction with scientific thought -- had repudiated all magical means to salvation as superstition, and sin came here to its logical conclusion. Weber really sees this being a time where the demagicking, the disenchantment of the world as most people refer to it now, is starting to manifest in a really obvious way in the West.

[...] I think that with the rise simultaneously of neo-paganism and neo-traditionalism, or this and that religious revival ... We may look back on the last 100 years as ultimately an aberration in history where we decided we could explain everything with science.

[...] Rod Dreher tells the story of someone named Jonah who he says is a trained scholar of religion. I'm going to read some long quotes from Rod here. Bear with me because I think this is very interesting in light of Widow's Bay.

He says, "Jonah cautions me to be careful with the concept of re-enchantment. People are religious by nature." He says, "What modern disenchantment has done is convince people that Christianity is false and empty, which has opened the door for the popularity of psychedelics, UFOs, tarot cards, and all manner of occultism. It's no longer fringe enthusiasm."

For example, the University of Exeter announced in 2023 that it would offer a postgraduate degree program in occult studies. [...] The emerging forms of post-Christian religion, Jonah says, will provide plenty of opportunities for ecstatic spiritual experience with none of the ascetic discipline, epistemic rigor, and doctrinal depth of the original faith.

Jonah doesn't fault people for wanting a deeper experience of God as he did as a bored young evangelical. But he strongly warns against seeking enchantment for its own sake. If you summon the devil and his servants and ask them to dazzle you, they will come.

[...] I interviewed Rod back on Unherd's Undercurrents about some of his Protestant versus Catholic and Orthodox theories with which I may disagree with over the course of the book. But it's an interesting point that he's making here with Jonah.

He says at the university where Jonah began his doctoral program, he fell in with a cultist community and began to participate in rituals often incorporating psychedelics. Eventually, he began to have visions and communicate with demons. On a number of occasions, they entered his body, sometimes against his will. For a couple of years, Jonah thought he was being initiated into special knowledge of the Gnosis with a group of elect who had been chosen by the gods as their acolytes to enlighten humanity.

Those early experiences of visions were genuinely beautiful and truly meaningful. If they had not been, Jonah would not have been seduced into slavery. Behind this idea of morally neutral, psychedelic enchantment was the most satanic evil possible. Jonah now says: "This is the final part: I have no excuse for it."

But I have to say that I have been primed, had been primed by these ideologies over the years, to explain away all this to my family and friends that it's just the natural world. Why is that significant in light of Widow's Bay?

Well, you see again this technocratic mayor who doesn't want to believe that some silly Puritan-era curse on the island could actually be real. Right. Gentle spoilers ahead. He's dared to stay in haunted locations, and he kind of gladly does it and ends up with strange experiences and even psychedelic ones. This is a bit more of a spoiler, but psychedelic mushrooms come into the picture at one point. And interestingly, all of this is so on the nose if you have been following the enchantment discourse, in especially Christian circles, but also in circles that have dealt with the legacy of the New Atheists.

So people like Alex O'Connor, a cosmic skeptic on YouTube, who have waded into these debates, have been hearing about all of this. And so it's hard for me to believe that Widow's Bay is not intentionally situating itself in the context of this big conversation. And it's a really interesting conversation.

[...] We do live in a very sterilized world where ancient supernatural ideas -- this is also a big part of the UFO discourse -- are looked upon as outmoded and totally out of step with where modern technology has put us. ... Everything that seems weird or supernatural will eventually be explained by science. Because people believe in so many cases that have been true...

What Everyone Is Missing About the Hit Show "Widow’s Bay" ... https://youtu.be/ckII9s1BOGI

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ckII9s1BOGI]]> Jon Del Arroz actually loves "Widow's Bay" on Apple TV

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/ckII9s1BOGI]]> <![CDATA[Why was "Citizen Vigilante" banned in Germany? Obvious reasons... (Europe style)]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20717.html Thu, 25 Jun 2026 12:09:41 +0000 C C]]> https://www.scivillage.com/thread-20717.html
Uwe Boll sounds like the Roger Corman of the continent (or even Ed Woods). As Jashinsky says herself, the scene looks cheesy. The mainstream doesn't feel that his films are good (but it currently has a high rating on RT). He and Michael Bay have traded insults. It's the issues revolving around it that are drawing the interest.

Citizen Vigilante: A 2026 vigilante action thriller film produced, written, and directed by Uwe Boll. It stars Armie Hammer and Costas Mandylor. In the film, Sanders, a vigilante upset about violence perpetuated by migrants, decides to take justice into his own hands, killing immigrant criminals and corrupt officials. The film was inspired by a "notorious case in Hamburg in 2016, when a group of teenagers gang-raped a 14-year-old girl and left her for dead, only for the perpetrators to walk free with suspended sentences." The film was released in select theaters and digitally on June 19, 2026. It did not receive a film rating in Germany, effectively banning it. According to Boll, this was due to concerns the film would incite violence against migrants.
- - - - - - - - - - -

AFTER PARTY
https://youtu.be/fVxmjwaPEFU

VIDEO INTRO: Emily Jashinsky is joined by Rachel Bovard, Vice President at the Conservative Partnership Institute, and Inez Stepman, legal analyst at Independent Women, to talk about the controversy surrounding “Citizen Vigilante,” a new Armie Hammer film. Its director says the movie has been banned in Germany for its extreme violence and alleged anti-migrant message. The ladies discuss how this reflects broader concerns about censorship, immigration debates, and restrictions on controversial political speech in some European countries, and more…

What ‘Citizen Vigilante’ reveals about Europe’s migrant issue ... https://youtu.be/F68CU1_0U3U

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/F68CU1_0U3U

Citizen Vigilante (trailer) ... https://youtu.be/fVxmjwaPEFU

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/fVxmjwaPEFU]]>
Uwe Boll sounds like the Roger Corman of the continent (or even Ed Woods). As Jashinsky says herself, the scene looks cheesy. The mainstream doesn't feel that his films are good (but it currently has a high rating on RT). He and Michael Bay have traded insults. It's the issues revolving around it that are drawing the interest.

Citizen Vigilante: A 2026 vigilante action thriller film produced, written, and directed by Uwe Boll. It stars Armie Hammer and Costas Mandylor. In the film, Sanders, a vigilante upset about violence perpetuated by migrants, decides to take justice into his own hands, killing immigrant criminals and corrupt officials. The film was inspired by a "notorious case in Hamburg in 2016, when a group of teenagers gang-raped a 14-year-old girl and left her for dead, only for the perpetrators to walk free with suspended sentences." The film was released in select theaters and digitally on June 19, 2026. It did not receive a film rating in Germany, effectively banning it. According to Boll, this was due to concerns the film would incite violence against migrants.
- - - - - - - - - - -

AFTER PARTY
https://youtu.be/fVxmjwaPEFU

VIDEO INTRO: Emily Jashinsky is joined by Rachel Bovard, Vice President at the Conservative Partnership Institute, and Inez Stepman, legal analyst at Independent Women, to talk about the controversy surrounding “Citizen Vigilante,” a new Armie Hammer film. Its director says the movie has been banned in Germany for its extreme violence and alleged anti-migrant message. The ladies discuss how this reflects broader concerns about censorship, immigration debates, and restrictions on controversial political speech in some European countries, and more…

What ‘Citizen Vigilante’ reveals about Europe’s migrant issue ... https://youtu.be/F68CU1_0U3U

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/F68CU1_0U3U

Citizen Vigilante (trailer) ... https://youtu.be/fVxmjwaPEFU

https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/fVxmjwaPEFU]]>