Severely hampered meaning

A "toxic" mother-in-law who has been critical of her granddaughter's engagement to a man nearly 10 years older than her has received a storm of backlash on Mumsnet, the U.K.-based internet forum. In a post shared in the online forum, Mumsnet user Wisteriabloom said her 20-year-old daughter has been with her 28-year-old fiancé for around 18 months, noting they're "very happy and we like him." But her mother-in-law "really upset" her daughter with several comments she's made to her, such as "You're just a kid, getting engaged means nothing these days! He's just as likely to meet someone else in Manchester," as he'll be going on a week-long course for work soon, "and that will be the end of it!" In a later post, the user said the aforementioned comment about the man "meeting someone else" was "most hurtful" to her daughter, who "was in tears." The comment left her feeling that "not only does her nan [grandmother] want him to leave her for someone else," but "she couldn't … [Read more...] about Mother-in-law dragged for reaction to grandchild’s fiancé—”Means nothing”

Standing before the door of his long-established but modest emporium, his ample form flanked by windows displaying hoes and pancake flour, boys’ suits and writing-paper, washboards and cigars, while a garish sign, “General Merchandise” creaked above, the pioneer proprietor pointed to a heap of freight the train now disappearing over the plains had dumped on the depot platform. “More work of the catalogues,” he commented bitterly. “Three sacks of ’em came to the post office last week, — now the folks are sending for the goods. Think they are saving money, I suppose.” “Perhaps they are?” “Not much. If they will give me all their orders and pay cash as they have to do with the catalogue mail-order houses, I’ll get ’em just as good stuff, and just as cheap. Some things they may buy cheaper, but they’re cheaper goods.” “Why do they do it, then?” “Because it’s the city, — it sounds better, somehow; and the catalogues make everything look so fine. Why, the other day a farmer came … [Read more...] about The Country Store

II THE first characteristics which the book of Grotius revealed were faith and foresight. Great as it was, — the most beneficent among all volumes not claiming divine inspiration, — yet more wonderful than the book itself was the faith of its author. In none of the years during which he meditated it, and least of all during the years when it was written, could any other human being see in the anarchic darkness of the time any tribunal which could recognize a plea for right reason in international affairs, or enforce a decision upon it. The greatness of Grotius lies first of all in the fact that he saw in all this darkness one court sitting supreme to which he might make appeal, and that court—the heart and mind of man. What the darkness was which his eye alone could pierce was stated in his preface. He says: “I saw many and grave causes why I should write a work on that subject. I saw in the whole Christian world a license of fighting at which even barbarous nations might blush. … [Read more...] about The Warfare of Humanity With Unreason: Hugo Grotius

I CANNOT help taking fire at anything said in disparagement of Walter Scott. I feel that I have got from his writings, not only immense pleasure, but some good. He was a truly noble-hearted gentleman, a model of that class, and his character is impressed on all the works of his pen. A type, he seems to me, of social chivalry. In all his writings, too, there is the buoyancy of perfect health. In reading them you breathe the air of the Scotch hills. I can conceive no better mental febrifuge, no better antidote to depression, no more sovereign remedy for dull care. Scott was a hot Tory, perhaps a Jacobite, and his worship of monarchy in the person of George IV betrayed him into the one ridiculous action of his life. I have always been glad that he sat down upon the wineglass which he had put into his pocket to be kept as a relic because it had touched the sacred lips of the King. But his Toryism was not flunkyish. Nor was it narrow. It did not interfere in the slightest degree with the … [Read more...] about Scott’s Poetry Again

U.S. Navy officials said Monday that warships would continue sailing through the Taiwan Strait in the coming days despite the Chinese Communist Party conducting several missile exercises around the island after the recent visit from U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi . The U.S. Naval Institute reports that the military would conduct “freedom of navigation operations” in the Indo-Pacific waters. Such visits recognize international law, allowing vessels to pass through foreign states safely. “We will continue to stand by our allies and partners,” Colin Kahl, undersecretary of defense for policy, told reporters at a press conference Monday. “So even as China tries to kind of chip away at the status quo, our policy is to maintain the status quo of a free and open Indo-Pacific, which frankly is what I think most of the countries in the region would prefer.” “Our policy hasn’t changed,” Kahl said. “We have a One China policy,” adding the U.S. has a commitment under the … [Read more...] about U.S. To Send Warships Through Taiwan Strait ‘In The Coming Days’ | The Daily Wire

Members of the Anonymous hacktivist collective claim that neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer may have faked a claim that it had been taken over by hackers. Early Monday morning, web-hosting service GoDaddy announced it was removing the Daily Stormer after it published an article viciously insulting the activist killed Saturday after a car hit a group of counter-protesters at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. GoDaddy tweeted that it had given the website 24 hours to find another server after violating its terms of use. Later, a message posted on the site claimed to be from Anonymous hacktivists who had taken over the site. A post on the site read: "End of hate: Anonymous now in control of Daily Stormer." The hackers said they were taking over the site in the name of the killed activist, Heather Heyer, whom it described as a victim of "victim of white supremacist terrorism." The group said it was allowing the site to remain online for 24 hours "so the … [Read more...] about Did Anonymous hack the neo-Nazi Daily Stormer website?

FORMULA ONE is set for its biggest race weekend in centuries as it hosts the inaugural Miami GP this week. It is a huge event - not so much from a sporting perspective - but from a commercial one, as the sport's owners, Liberty Media, the teams and several sponsors all look to cash in on F1's booming popularity in the United States. If you were feeling cynical, you could label the Miami GP more of an F1 trade show than an F1 race. If you were feeling unkind, you could call it all a bit fake. For instance, there is a gondola that goes across the track, but not to a destination and a fake marina - two F1 firsts. The second part - the marina - is pretty laughable actually in that a handful of super-yachts have been craned into place only for what looks like sparkly blue tinfoil placed around their hulls to make it look like water. READ MORE ON F1 RUSSLE HIS FEATHERS Russell 'will soon get on Hamilton's nerves', says ex-F1 ace Berger … [Read more...] about F1 first with Miami Grand Prix to have gondola going through track and fake marina as super-yachts head to Florida

You’ve likely heard that HBO is developing a sequel series to Game of Thrones , focusing on everyone’s favourite bastard-turned-king, Jon Snow (Kit Harington). Picking up after the original series finale, the prospective show would follow Jon beyond the Wall, after he went into permanent exile along with the last of the wildlings in 2019’s final episode The Iron Throne. Harington is in talks to reprise his role in what would be the seventh scheduled Game of Thrones spin-off show currently in production at HBO, according to The Hollywood Reporter, alongside House of the Dragon and several others. I’m a Game of Thrones super-fan, so a return to Westeros featuring any of its wonderful characters should excite me. I’m even a fan of the controversial ending (we do exist!), so I should be intrigued to see what Jon’s up to. But when a friend sent me the news this morning, all I felt was unease. It’s understandable that HBO would do something like this because it’s launching … [Read more...] about Let Game of Thrones die – we don’t want a Jon Snow spin-off

Sign up for Derek’s newsletter here . Remote work seems fully entrenched in American life. Offices are more than half empty nationwide, while restaurants and movie theaters are packed. Housing prices in suburbs and small towns have surged as white-collar workers take advantage of the demise of the daily commute. But if the work-from-anywhere movement has been successful for veteran employees in defined roles with trusted colleagues, for certain people and for certain objectives,  remote or hybrid work remains a problem to be solved. First, remote work is worse for new workers . Many inexperienced employees joining a virtual company realize that they haven’t joined much of a company at all. They’ve logged into a virtual room that calls itself a company but is basically a group chat. It’s hard to promote a wholesome company culture in normal times, and harder still to do so one misunderstood group Slack message and problematic fire emoji at a time. “Small talk, passing … [Read more...] about The Biggest Problem With Remote Work