Claims that author Mark Twain once said, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do."

Interview: Tom Warburton "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do." The words famously uttered by American writer Mark Twain. For many those words have been a way of life, none more so than the vivacious 23-year-old explorer Jack Groves. [...] Ultimately, life is too short to do all the things that you want to do, let alone wasting time giving a flying crap about what others think. Someone extremely close to me who lived the above ethos to the full tragically passed away, way before her time, a few days before Christmas 2018. [...] So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.' - Mark Twain 'Life is measured in achievement, not in years alone.' - Bruce McLaren.


Michelle Obama called country music "intellectually devoid" and "music for morons."

There is no record of Michelle Obama making the comments. The claim originated on a satire website.


Claims Venezuelan people threw money in the streets to protest health conditions.

Photos show money on the streets of Venezuela in 2019, not Italy in 2020 [...] "In Italy, they have thrown their money on the streets," a description of the two photos says. "A clear message to the whole world that money is not enough when health is in danger." [...] Maduradas, TERRIBLE! Hooded men looted Bicentennial bank in Merida and scattered bolivars of the old monetary cone through the streets, March 12, 2019


Protests Erupt Across Caracas After Maduro Claims Reelection - Hundreds took to the streets in Venezuela’s capital city - Demonstrations followed government claim of Machado plot Hundreds of Venezuelans have taken to the streets to protest what they say is a fraudulent win by President Nicolás Maduro, the longtime socialist leader who presided over the country’s economic collapse.


The picture was taken in March 2019 after a bank robbery in Venezuela. It is unrelated to the current coronavirus pandemic.


purports the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps allegedly sentenced former Surgeon General Jerome Adams to death

The claim stems from a satirical website. A Navy JAG spokesperson denied the claim.


Claims American writer Ernest Hemingway said, "Write drunk, edit sober."

Write Drunk, Edit Sober — but without the alcohol This quote (‘write drunk, edit sober’) is usually misattributed to Ernest Hemingway and it’s good advice, as long as you don’t take it literally. [...] When you write while drunk (I have tried it!), every idea and every sentence appear to be amazingly good, original and written by a genius. The come-down when you read it back the next day is worse than the hangover: it’s mostly boring and badly written.


The quote "write drunk, edit sober" is often misattributed to Ernest Hemingway who, as it turns out, never wrote drunk. While Hemingway was definitely a boozer, he wrote in the morning and didn’t start drinking until the afternoon. Or so I’m told. [...] Michelle Stansbury, PR expert and founder of Little Penguin PR in San Diego, shares that she recommends people take this kind of "write drunk, edit sober" advice with a grain of salt. "There are those who argue that ‘writing drunk’ is a mental state allowing carefree application of words to paper and not a physical state of intoxication," says Stansbury. "There is much to be said for loosening up your grip on your words. Perhaps, you may even begin sounding like a human being through your writing, flawed, but authentic." For some, writing a blog post or article is a daunting task. Writing drunk is bad advice. But sober editing is great advice.


Should you write drunk and edit sober? This infographic looks at the science behind the famous saying. Ernest Hemingway is famously misquoted as having said ‘write drunk, edit sober’. It may sound as if it is something he could have said, but as Jeff Goins explains, even if he had said it, he certainly did not practise what he preached. Brendan Brown from The Expert Editor writes that ‘the quotation was probably derived from a 1964 Peter De Vries novel, Reuben, Reuben where his main character said: "Sometimes I write drunk and revise sober, and sometimes I write sober and revise drunk. But you have to have both elements in creation — the Apollonian and the Dionysian, or spontaneity and restraint, emotion."’


purports Andrew Tate has allegedly been found guilty of a crime and sentenced to 14 years in prison

The video’s caption is inaccurate. Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate, have been sentenced to an additional 30 days in a Romanian prison, according to a Jan. 20 article from the New York Daily News.


claims that comedian Groucho Marx once stated, "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies."

Groucho Marx, the humorist, once declined membership in a club by responding, "Please accept my resignation. I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member." I tend to be the same, so that when for the first time in my life one of my Facebook "friends" referred to me as "YOU PEOPLE", I was concerned and wanted to make sure that I understood clearly what was being said and implied. [...] I figured out that the person who dumped me into the "You People" bin was acting consistently with Groucho's definition, what I would call "neo-Marxist" behaviour. But then Groucho also said, "Politics does not make strange bedfellows, marriage does." [...] - Tony Deyal was last seen quoting Groucho Marx, "The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made."


claims Benjamin Franklin said, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."

Benjamin Franklin was a man of action. Over his lifetime, his curiosity and passion fueled a diverse range of interests. He was a writer (often using a pseudonym), publisher, diplomat, inventor and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. [...] This is probably one of the first quotes I remember hearing as a teenager. With an impressive list of achievements to his credit, Benjamin Franklin was not a man hung up on procrastination. He was a man with clear measurable goals who worked hard to turn his vision into reality. What are you putting off till tomorrow that could make a difference in your life today? - Be Prepared "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail."


By Failing to Prepare, You Are Indeed Preparing to Fail Ben Franklin was right. You cannot simply fake it 'till you make it. Here's why. [...] How many of you have heard the famous Benjamin Franklin quote, "By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail?" [...] One thing I've learned from being both unprepared and prepared at pivotal times in my life is that life presents us with limited windows of opportunity. These windows may never come again. Many are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. There are windows that will swing open, and if you're not ready at that moment, you have to bite the bullet and accept it as a missed opportunity.


claims the International Space Station (ISS) captured footage of a UFO on its livestream

"Recent #nasa ISS video footage of a #ufo," reads the caption. "Iv (sic) increased the speed of the footage as the original is 22 minutes long." The object captured on video is not a UFO, but rather a retired communications component being jettisoned from the ISS. A NASA spokeswoman confirmed the operation was planned in advance. UFO enthusiast Scott Waring spotted the supposed UFO while watching a Feb. 21 ISS livestream. In the video, the object in question can be seen floating below the ISS for roughly 22 minutes before disappearing from the camera’s view. (RELATED: Did NASA Spend More Than $165 Million To Develop Pens That Work In Space?)


The object captured on video is not a UFO, but rather a retired communications component being jettisoned from the ISS. A NASA spokeswoman confirmed the operation was planned in advance.


Claim: NASA cut a live video stream from the International Space Station just as a UFO appeared on the horizon. [...] While the gray object in the video has not been positively identified (technically making it a UFO), it is very unlikely the object was an alien spacecraft. It is also unlikely NASA purposeful cut the live feed from the ISS in order to cover up the UFO. [...] While the video does show an unidentified object rising from the horizon shortly before the feed goes dead, it is likely the camera aboard the International Space Station had merely captured the moon just before a common video interruption.


claims Ron DeSantis received a $2 million donation from Sequoia Capital Bank, which is purportedly owned by Dominion Voting Systems

FACT CHECK: No, Ron DeSantis Did Not Receive $2 Million From A Bank Owned By Dominion Voting Systems [...] A post shared on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, claims Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis received a $2 million donation from Sequoia Capital Bank. Dominion Voting Systems denied having any business connection to Sequoie Capital Bank in an email to Check Your Fact. A partner with the bank, venture capitalist Douglas Leone, donated $2million to Never Back Down, Inc.


Dominion Voting Systems acquired the assets of Sequoia Voting Systems in 2010. A spokesperson for Dominion Voting Systems denied having any business connection to Sequoia Capital Bank in an email to Check Your Fact.


the new coronavirus has HIV proteins that indicate it was genetically modified in a laboratory.

The theory that the COVID-19 pandemic was triggered by the Sars-CoV-2 virus being leaked from the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China was recently given new life following an explosive article in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in which the authors claimed "the most compelling reason to favour the lab leak hypothesis is firmly based in science". But does the science really support the claim that the virus was engineered in a laboratory? [...] An important way scientists can determine the origin of a virus is by looking at its genome. In the WSJ article, the authors, Prof Richard Muller, an astrophysicist, and Dr Steven Quay, physician and chief executive of Atossa Therapeutics, claim Sars-CoV-2 has "genetic fingerprints" of a lab-origin virus. They say that the presence of a particular genetic sequence (CGG-CGG) is a sign that the virus originated in a lab. [...] Disappointingly, many other media articles appear to have accepted and repeated the claims from the WSJ piece. The origin of Sars-CoV-2 may remain unresolved, but there is no evidence presented in the WSJ piece that scientifically supports the concept of a lab leak of a genetically engineered virus.


Microbiologists say the spike proteins found in the new coronavirus are different from the ones found in HIV. There is no evidence to suggest the coronavirus was genetically modified.


Whether SARS-CoV-2 was introduced through a laboratory accident or whether it has been genetically manipulated is highly debatable. After a thorough analysis of the genetic characterizations of SARS-CoV-2 from both the early and later stages of the pandemic, as well as its close relatives from wild animals, many researchers in the global scientific community have reached the consensus that SARS-CoV-2 is unlikely to have escaped a laboratory and there is no scientific evidence that SARS-CoV-2 has been genetically manipulated10. However, the exact spillover event and emergence process of SARS-CoV-2 is still unclear, and more information from the earliest stage of the epidemic is clearly important to understand how SARS-CoV-2 came into contact with people. [...] Li, X. et al. A furin cleavage site was discovered in the S protein of the 2019 novel coronavirus [in Chinese]. Chin. J. Bioinform.18, 103–108 (2020).


Claims Ernest Hemingway said, "I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?"

Ernest Hemingway's quote, "I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I'm awake, you know?" speaks to the intriguing dichotomy between wakefulness and slumber. At first glance, the quote captures the relatable sentiment of finding solace and peace in the realm of dreams while feeling overwhelmed by the complexities of reality. Sleep, with its ability to offer respite from the chaos of life, can indeed be a sanctuary for many individuals. In the quiet depths of dreams, the mind finds a moment of stillness and escape from the demands and uncertainties of waking hours. Hemingway's words resonate with those who have experienced the transformative power of sleep to temporarily alleviate their troubles and soothe their restless minds.However, beneath the surface of this contemplation lies a profound philosophical concept that challenges our conventional understanding of consciousness and existence. What if, instead of viewing wakefulness as a state of being and sleep as a mere reprieve, we considered the possibility that both states are equally real and essential to our experience?


Claims that Aristotle once stated, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit."

Thoughts on the Archaeology of Identity "We are what we repeatedly do. This little gem attributed to Aristotle pops up in training workshops, motivational posters, and even tattoos — but, as it turns out, those words were not written by Aristotle but by the philosopher Will Durant in 1926. It’s too bad for Durant that a well-expressed idea travels farther under a famous name. Where Aristotle had waffled pedantically on the question of whether virtue was attainable, Durant offers hope of attaining it ("Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit"). Where Aristotle narrowly focused on describing virtue, Durant describes a broad model of human identity ("We are what we repeatedly do"). No wonder we forgot the hand-wringing and went with the sound byte. [...] Bourdieu answered the question that arises from Durant’s equation: if people are what they repeatedly do, how does an observer who knows what someone does figure out who they are? In everyday life we make such inferences about other people casually. But a scientist, even a social scientist, has to be more rigorous.


While the sentiment is representative of what Aristotle thought, there is no evidence he ever made this statement. The quote appears to have originated with the 1926 book “The Story of Philosophy.”


Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates wrote a long statement about the "spiritual purpose" of the new coronavirus

Gates did not write the statement about the “spiritual purpose” of the coronavirus attributed to him in the Facebook post.


A book of Hunter Biden’s laptop contents sold

The contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop computer have sparked debate and controversy since the New York Post and other news organizations in the closing month of the 2020 presidential campaign reported stories based on data purportedly taken from it. [...] When his work was completed, Della Rocca said, Mac Isaac repeatedly attempted to contact Hunter Biden, who had signed a repair authorization, to advise him the laptop was ready to be picked up, but Hunter never responded. Della Rocca added that Mac Isaac finally came to regard the MacBook as abandoned property. [...] In an email with the subject line "Why is it so difficult to be a whistleblower when you are on the right?" written on Aug. 26, 2020, Mac Isaac told Costello that he had copies of the hard drive from Hunter Biden’s laptop.


claims two victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attack were purportedly identified by their DNA 22 years later

The identification of the two victims was announced via a Sept. 8 press release from New York City Democratic Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Jason Graham.


Two more victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center have been identified in New York City — just days before the nation marks the 20th anniversary of the tragedy. Dorothy Morgan of Hempstead, N.Y., is the 1,646th victim to be identified through ongoing DNA analysis of unidentified remains recovered from the World Trade Center site, where 2,753 lives were lost. The second person — and the 1,647th victim — is a man whose name is being withheld at his family's request. [...] "Twenty years ago, we made a promise to the families of World Trade Center victims to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to identify their loved ones, and with these two new identifications, we continue to fulfill that sacred obligation," said Dr. Barbara A. Sampson, chief medical examiner of the city of New York.


As of September 7, 2021, 1,647 of 2,753 WTC victims' remains have been positively identified, according to the medical examiner's office. [...] August 7, 2017 - The New York City medical examiner's office announces that the remains of a man killed at the World Trade Center are positively identified due to more sophisticated DNA testing being available. September 7, 2021 - The remains of two victims are identified by the New York City medical examiner's office through DNA testing.


A post shared on Facebook claims U.S. women’s national team soccer player Megan Rapinoe has been released from the U.S. Olympic team after a FIFA World Cup "blunder." [...] The Facebook post claims Rapinoe was released from the U.S. Olympic team after a World Cup "blunder." The post shares a very low-resolution photo of Rapinoe. The post reads, "US Olympic Team Releases Megan Rapinoe After World Cup Blunder. ha ha ha. Let her disrespect some other country."


A post shared on Facebook claims Megan Rapinoe, a U.S. women’s national soccer team player, was removed from the squad for assaulting another player. There is no evidence suggesting Rapinoe was removed from the team for any reason. The viral claim stems from a satirical website. [...] The claim is baseless. There are no credible news reports suggesting Rapinoe has been removed from the team. There is likewise no mention of any altercation between Rapinoe and her teammates or her alleged removal from the team on the team’s website. She continues to be listed on the team’s roster.


Claims that John Adams said, "There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. One is by sword. The other is by debt."

American statesman John Adams, who served as U.S. president from 1797 to 1801, famously said, "There are two ways to conquer and enslave a country: One is by the sword; the other is by debt." China, choosing the second path, has embraced colonial-era practices and rapidly emerged as the world’s biggest official creditor. [...] The latest to fall prey to China’s debt-trap diplomacy is small Laos, which recently signed a 25-year concession agreement allowing a majority Chinese-owned company to control its national power grid, including electricity exports to neighboring countries. This shows that, even as the China-originating COVID-19 pandemic exacts a heavy toll across the world, Beijing continues to weaponize debt as part of its strategy to expand its economic, political and military presence abroad.


John Adams, 1735-1826 [...] You’re currently reading ""There are two ways to conquer and enslave a nation. John Adams, 1735-1826," an entry on Gheorghe47 - Published:


Claims that Thomas Jefferson once said, "The reason Christianity is the best friend of Government is because Christianity is the only religion that changes the heart."

Sources consulted: Searching on (christianity AND "best friend of government" AND ("changes the heart" OR "deals with the heart")) [...] Comments: This quotation has not been found in any of the writings of Thomas Jefferson. 931 Thomas Jefferson Parkway


Claims Muhammad Ali said, "Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they're given than to explore the power they have to change it."

Topics - Inspirational - Change - Power - Men - World - Impossible - Bigs - Easier - Given - Thrown - Small Man - Nothing Is Impossible - Law Of Attraction - Best Athlete - Attraction - World Champions - Possible And Impossible - Impossible Things - Athlete Motivational - Great Inspirational Sports - Power Of Attraction - Changing The World - Exploration


House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s "4th husband" filed for divorce.

Pelosi has only had one husband, Paul Pelosi, to whom she remains married. The story originated on the satirical website Tatersgonnatate.com.


claims that Irish playwright Oscar Wilde once stated, "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."

The Daily Caller News Foundation found no evidence that Wilde ever said or wrote this expression.


Things You May Not Know About Oscar Wilde Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was an infamously brilliant playwright, author, and social activist. Oscar Wilde’s well-known legacy pervades his many published essays, plays and his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. While Wilde was a larger-than-life figure in his time, due to his many witticisms and social standing, he is now regarded as one of the greatest producers of Irish literature. Here are fourteen little-known facts regarding Oscar Wilde’s life and literary presence. [...] Oscar Wilde is often credited with having once said the famous quote: ‘be yourself, everyone else is already taken.’ However, this was never proven and there is no evidence that he ever said this.


FACT CHECK: Is McDonald’s Offering 2 Free Big Mac Meals To Everyone Who Shares This Link? A viral Facebook post claims fast food chain McDonald’s will give two free Big Mac meals to everyone who shares a specific link. [...] "McDonald’s is helping out!" reads text on the website. "Just tell us what is Yor (sic) favorite meal and get 2 FREE big Mac Meals for a Month!" (RELATED: Can Inhaling Hot Air From A Sauna Or Hair Dryer Kill Coronavirus?)


purports to show a poster indicating former President Donald Trump is allegedly a 'registered sex offender'

The poster appears to be digitally fabricated and originally stems from a Twitter account that posts parodies.


Claims Nelson Mandela said, "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure."

This quote was actually penned by 2020 presidential candidate and author Marianne Williamson in her debut book.


Often said to have been quoted in a speech by Nelson Mandela. The source is Return to Love by Marianne Williamson, Harper Collins, 1992. Peter McLaughlin [...] Until November 4, 2006 this glyph was titled: "Our Greatest Fear, by Marianne Williamson, quoted by Nelson Mandela" [...] The writer recommended http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/4564.htm for further information. This site includes a note from the ANC saying that they could find nothing in Mandela's speeches that quoted "Our Greatest Fear". Perhaps this was quoted by Mandela in conversation. Further information received with interest. leif smithYour website [explorersfoundation.org] correctly attributes the "Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate..." passage to Marianne Williamson, but inaccurately states that it was quoted by Nelson Mandela in a 1994 speech. This is a misapprehension that I think arose as people tried to explain why the passage was so frequently attributed to him. Actually, the passage appears nowhere in either of his two 1994 speeches ...


A satanic-themed hotel is opening in Texas

Baphomet bedside buddies, upside down crosses, spewing Satan sinks and a devilish welcome, one Facebook user claimed a satanic hotel would soon be opening in Plano, Texas. But don’t pull out the rosaries and holy water yet, the hotel is not actually real. On Feb. 23, a Facebook user claimed that a satanic hotel was supposedly opening in an abandoned office building in the heart of the Downtown Plano Art District. [...] But the Baphomet-themed hotel won’t be coming anywhere near Plano. The images were created using an AI art platform. According to The Buzz, an Instagram account posted photos showing how AI art can be made using a specific algorithm. In this case, a satanically-spooky hotel.


A video shared on Facebook allegedly shows images of a satanic-themed hotel that is set to open in Plano, Texas. [...] A Facebook video allegedly shows photos of a Satanic-themed hotel that is set to open in Plano on June 6. The post shares a photo of a red bedroom with a goat-like figure. "This is a satanic hotel located in Plano, Texas " the caption reads. "This brand new hotel will open June 6 at 6pm (666)." The claim is fabricated. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports about a satanic-themed hotel opening in Plano, Texas. The photo originates from Ink Poisoning, an apparel brand. The company posted the images on Facebook with a disclaimer stating the images are "AI concept art created by us."


purports to show a tsunami that followed a recent earthquake in Turkey

FACT CHECK: Does This Video Show A Tsunami After The Recent Earthquake In Turkey? A video shared on social media purportedly shows footage of a tsunami after the recent earthquake in Turkey. [...] The social media post allegedly shows a tsunami after the earthquake engulfing homes before a large wave approaches and destroys the remnants. "#Tsunami hits #Turkey coast few minutes ago after #Earthquake," the caption reads. "#PrayForTurkey #زلزال #earthquaketurkey Another 7.5#earthquake #Turkiye #Syria."


claims that Mark Twain once said, "If voting made a difference, they wouldn't let us do it."

The Daily Caller found no record of the statement in Twain’s written body of work.


Compulsory voting is hardest to enact in the places where it would make most difference "IF VOTING made any difference they wouldn’t let us do it," quipped Mark Twain, an American writer. Some governments, however, think voting makes such a difference that they oblige voters to do it. Voting is compulsory in 26 countries around the world, from Argentina to Belgium. To those elsewhere worried about declining voter turnout, compulsory voting may seem tempting. But it is not a shortcut to a healthy democracy.


FACT CHECK: Did Mark Twain Say, ‘If Voting Made A Difference, They Wouldn’t Let Us Do It’? A post shared on Facebook alleges that author Mark Twain once said, "If voting made a difference, they wouldn’t let us do it." [...] There is, however, no evidence that Twain ever said or wrote this saying about voting. A search of his complete literary works, as well as his correspondence, turned up no matching or similar phrases.


Tom Jones is suffering from health problems and had to cancel shows.

Tom Jones health latest: Illness which led singer to cancelling tour dates last year [...] Tom Jones, 78, kicks off his 2019 tour in April, with the first show in San Jose, California. The singer has had a busy year so far, also appearing as a judge on ITV’s The Voice. But his new tour dates come after he was forced to cancel five shows last year. The reason for the cancellations was down to his health. [...] Tom Jones health latest: The singer had to cancel tour dates last year due to illness (Image: GETTY)


There is no record of Jones being hospitalized or cancelling shows so far this year. The story appears to reference the singer’s 2018 bacterial infection.


Music legend Sir Tom Jones has hit out at claims he collapsed on stage during a live performance as medics rushed to support him. [...] Tom Jones issues health update after cancelling show [...] "Unfortunately the show had to be cancelled at the last minute, and for that I am very sorry. However, the show in Budapest has been rescheduled and will take place on August 16. Thanks again for all your kind concern."


purports Liz Cheney was allegedly hanged at Guantanamo Bay

No, Hillary Clinton wasn’t hanged at Guantanamo Bay [...] It’s latest dispatch about Clinton claims that she was hanged on April 26 at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. According to the story, it was the culmination of an operation that started the night the SEALs arrested her.


Claims Albert Einstein said, "We all know that light travels faster than sound. That's why certain people appear bright until you hear them speak."

The statement appears nowhere in Einstein’s written works.


forever go to front layer :: looks end "We all know that light travels faster than sound. That's why certain people appear bright until you hear them speak." - Albert Einstein - That_Cool_Person - Scratcher 30 posts my thumbnail wont update! [...] That's why certain people appear bright until you hear them speak." - Albert Einstein - That_Cool_Person - Scratcher 30 posts my thumbnail wont update!


claims that psychiatrist Viktor Frankl once stated, "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

In our response lies our growth and our freedom."That idea hit me with incredible force. In the following days, I reflected on it again and again. [...] It follows my discussion on faith, finances, and this: Between stimulus and response there is a space. In our response lies our growth and freedom (B.F. Skinner). [...] Also in 2004 a message in the Usenet newsgroup alt.recovery.addiction.alcoholism attributed the quotation to Victor Frankl and specified a book that does not contain the quotation:[13]2004 March 20, Usenet discussion message, Newsgroup: alt.recovery.addiction.alcoholism, From: neuro equipoise @webtv.net, Subject: Re: It’s not your fault. (Google Groups Search; Accessed … Continue reading "Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In our response lies our growth and freedom." — Victor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning


Frankl’s quote about the space between stimulus and response is one of the central tenets of logotherapy. This "space" represents a critical moment where individuals have the free will and opportunity to choose their response to any given situation, no matter how challenging or painful. The "space" where a person can choose how to respond may be small, even a few seconds or less. This choice made in this "space" between stimulus and response is what gives humans their freedom and dignity. According to Frankl, it is not the external circumstances that define us but how we choose to respond to them. [...] Viktor Frankl’s quote about the space between stimulus and response captures a fundamental aspect of human freedom and potential. His life and work, shaped by the extreme suffering he endured during the Holocaust, offer profound insights into individual free will, the power of choice and the pursuit of meaning. By applying Frankl’s philosophy in everyday situations, individuals can cultivate greater resilience, improve their relationships, and lead more meaningful lives. Frankl’s legacy continues to inspire and guide people across the world, reminding us that even in the most challenging circumstances, there is a "space" in which we have free will and the power to choose our response and, in doing so, shape our destiny.


Posted July 23, 2013 Reviewed by Jessica Schrader "Between stimulus and response there is a space. I have great respect for Victor Frankl. He was not only a concentration camp survivor during the Holocaust, but also someone who went on to help others find goodness and meaning in life. He was a man from whom we can learn something about what it means to be human and how to be our best—sometimes in spite of our inclinations. And the above quote is incredibly wise guidance in these very areas. [...] Victor Frankl was clearly an extraordinary man. Most of us can only wish for his moral strength, insight, and wisdom. But we can follow his lead by looking for the "space" in our own lives. When faced with situations that pull for some particular reaction, we can choose to respond instead. Frankl found his ‘space’ through finding meaning. Others find it through prayer, meditation, or therapy.


claims that "Fight Club" contains the line, "We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like."

You can apply the same phrase to your own life. [...] As the protagonist of the Fight Club film says: "we buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people we don’t like." [...] From the wisdom of Fight Club to that of Socrates: "the unexamined life is not worth living," he said once. I couldn’t agree more.


A post shared on Facebook claims that "Fight Club" contains the line, "We buy things we don’t need with money we don’t have to impress people we don’t like." [...] The website Quote Investigator traced the earliest strong match for the statement back to a 1928 newspaper column by American humorist and journalist Robert Quillen, though elements of the quote appeared earlier. In that column, he defined "Americanism" as "using money you haven’t earned to buy things you don’t need to impress people you don’t like." [...] The quote was likely attributed to "Fight Club" because it sounded like something that might have been said in the book or movie, according to Quote Investigator. At one point in the book, a character says, "Advertising has these people chasing cars and clothes they don’t need. Generations have been working in jobs they hate, just so they can buy what they don’t really need."


The Daily Caller News Foundation found the line in neither the book nor movie.


Donald Trump Claimed to not know who gave Fauci the commendation

Trump issues commendations to Operation Warp Speed members, including Fauci, Birx [...] A few names on the list of commendations stood out, particularly Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Deborah Birx, both of whom were key members of the White House coronavirus task force in its early days, before having their public-facing roles diminished when the task force ceased providing regular briefings. Despite his sometimes public clashes with Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, Trump’s list included the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Apart from his work on the coronavirus task force, Fauci worked tirelessly to inform Americans of the science concerning the novel coronavirus, urging the public to choose facts over conspiracy theories and speculation.


Claims to be hosting a giveaway of free Chick-fil-A for a year.

The Facebook page Chick-fil-A.com claimed Friday to be hosting a giveaway of free Chick-fil-A for a year. "5 of our last contest winners of free Chick-fil-A for a year have yet to respond so we have decided that someone who shares by 10pm tonight will win it instead! Don’t miss out on this once in a life time opportunity," the page wrote before signing off as "Chick-fil-A." [...] "That is not a legitimate account or giveaway associated with Chick-fil-A, Inc," Leigh Jackson, with Jackson Spalding, a press company representing Chick-fil-A, told The Daily Caller.


How to Win Free Chick-Fil-A Meals for a Year [...] Winners indeed get free Chick-fil-A for a year, but the freebies are limited to one meal (sandwich, fries, medium drink) per week—so a total of 52 meals over the course of 52 weeks. Chick-fil-A estimates that each opening promotion amounts to a giveaway of $32,000 worth of food to the lucky 100 winners. [...] After New York City, the next Chick-fil-A openings—and the possibility of 100 more winners of free food for a year—are scheduled in the near future for locations including San Antonio, Texas, Marietta, Ga., and two more locations in the vicinity of New York—Port Jefferson, on Long Island, on October 7, and Jersey City, on November 4.


Claims that Albert Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

The quote "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" is popular, being widely attributed to Einstein (probably incorrectly). Unfortunately it's often used to support a common and dangerous fallacy: that if you're trying something and it's not working, you must not be using the best strategy and you must try something else. It's easy to see the fallacy using a thought experiment. Imagine you must regularly play a lottery which offers red tickets and black tickets, and red tickets have twice the probability of winning compared to black tickets. So you choose red tickets, but you don't win. Would Einstein tell you to start choosing black tickets instead? Hopefully not! [...] Of course, one must also avoid stubbornly sticking to a strategy which is not the best available.


Claims Steve Harvey made a long statement calling President Donald Trump "the only guy who seems to understand what the people want."

A viral Facebook rant that likens President Donald Trump to an exterminator and undocumented immigrants to raccoons is being attributed to radio personality and television host Steve Harvey. [...] Steve Harvey Facebook post, January 11, 2019 [...] Snopes, Did Comedian Steve Harvey Praise President Trump as a Politically Incorrect ‘Fixer’?, March 4, 2019


In early 2019, a viral Facebook message appeared to indicate that the comedian and broadcaster Steve Harvey had published an unusual defense of President Donald Trump, likening him to a flawed janitor hired to clear a home of raccoons -- which represented the Democratic and Republican parties as well as undocumented immigrants in the analogy: [...] Here's why we want Trump: Yes, he's a bit of a jerk; Yes, he's an egomaniac; but we don't care!.. The country is a mess because politicians suck, the Republicans and Democrats can be two-faced and gutless, and illegals are everywhere.. We want it all fixed!.. We don't care that Trump is crude, we don't care that he insults people, we don't care that he has changed positions, we don't care that he's been married 3 times, we don't care that he fights with Megyn Kelly and Rosie O'Donnell, we don't care that he doesn't know the name of some Muslim terrorist.. This country became weak and bankrupt, our enemies were making fun of us, we are being invaded by illegals, we are becoming a nation of victims where every Tom, Ricardo, and Hasid is a special group with special rights to a point where we don't even recognize the country we were born and raised in; "AND WE JUST WANT IT FIXED".. And Trump is the only guy who seems to understand what the people want..


A Turning Point USA meme claims a quote about socialized medicine is attributable to Vladimir Lenin

One of the rotating banner images on its Internet home page is a picture of Vladimir Lenin, the Soviet Union founder, and a quote: "Socialized medicine is the keystone to the arch of a socialized state." [...] "A. Lenin thought so. According to Lawrence Sullivan in his book 'The Case Against Socialized Medicine,' the founder of international revolutionary Communism once proclaimed socialized medicine 'the keystone of the arch of the Socialist State.'" [...] "The campaign for socialized medicine in the United States stems directly from Kremlin Communism. Lenin, the founder of international revolutionary Communism, once proclaimed socialized medicine 'the keystone of the arch of the Socialist State.' Nowhere in the world today is the profession of medicine more completely under the control of government than in the Soviet segments of Russia."


claims former President Donald Trump purportedly said he 'forgot to give back some paperwork' in a recent TRUTH Social post

The purported remark does not appear in Trump’s TRUTH Social feed. The image of the alleged post can be traced back to Twitter user @gvnzng, who admitted it was fake.


Joe Biden cut the federal deficit by 1.7 trillion

The President has done all of this while delivering on his commitment to fiscal responsibility. While the previous Administration passed a nearly $2 trillion unpaid-for tax cut with benefits skewed to the wealthy and big corporations while dramatically increasing the deficit, President Biden cut the deficit by more than $1.7 trillion during his first two years in office—the largest decline in American history. And the reforms he signed into law to take on Big Pharma, lower prescription drug costs, and make the wealthy and large corporations pay their fair share will reduce the deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars more over the coming decade. [...] After inheriting historically high deficits from the previous Administration, President Biden told the American people he would reduce the deficit, pay for his proposals, and ensure that no one making less than $400,000 a year would pay a penny more in new taxes. That’s exactly what he has done—and exactly what he will continue to do. The President’s Budget builds on the record-breaking deficit reduction he achieved during his first two years in office. It more than fully pays for its investments, reduces deficits by nearly $3 trillion over the next decade by making the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share and cutting wasteful spending on Big Pharma, Big Oil, and other special interests, and ensures that no one making less than $400,000 per year will pay a penny more in new taxes.


Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity that 300,000 Ukrainian troops have died during the conflict.

There is no evidence that 300,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died during the conflict. Estimates vary, but the United States assessed that between 15,500 and 17,500 Ukrainian troops have died between Feb. 24, 2022 and March 1, 2023.


Trump to Hannity: You’re ‘Not Really’ a Patriot, You Just Want ‘Great Ratings’ [...] Chernobyl Survivors Watch HBO Series in Horror


Claims Bill Gates said, "I will always choose a lazy person to do a hard job. Because he will find an easy way to do it."

As we celebrate National Lazy Day on August 10, let's remember Bill Gates' famous words when he said he'd rather hire a lazy person to do a hard job. As an employer, it's important to understand why lazy workers make the best employees and how to hire the right kind of 'lazy' worker. Bill Gates has famously once said, "I choose a lazy person to do a hard job. And that is the simplest explanation of all. As we celebrate National Lazy Day this year, let's take a deep dive into what makes a seemingly 'lazy' employee the best one. [...] As per the premise, choosing a 'lazy person' to do a difficult job rather than putting your best faculties on the task seems a great way of getting the job done! Doing a job the easy way seems more effective, after all, isn't sometimes the most obvious answer the right one? In today's fast-paced corporate world things are almost ever-changing so most employers look for someone who'll do just what's been told to them and do it fast. When the need of the hour is speed, overdelivering can be worse than underdelivering!


Whenever there is a hard job to be done I assign it to a lazy man; he is sure to find an easy way of doing it. [...] Senator ELLENDER. You say you would put a lazy man on a job to find an easy way to do it. Why would you say a lazy man rather than a hard worker? [...] If you have a difficult task give it to a lazy man — he will find an easier way to do it.


Let’s be honest, lazy people get a bad rap, especially when some of the world’s most successful billionaires are perceived as the exact opposite. [...] Bill Gates has often been quoted as saying, "I always choose a lazy person to do a hard job, because a lazy person will find an easy way to do it." Whether Gates even said that in the first place is questionable, but the quote still gets repeated — and that’s because there’s some truth in it. Many obsessively critical thinkers (a.k.a. people with a high "need for cognition") are concerned with reducing wasteful actions, and instead prefer to use efficient processes. So perhaps hiring a lazy person isn’t the worst idea after all. They’re likely to be strategic thinkers who can come up with smart shortcuts, ways to eliminate problems, save time and contribute new, innovative ideas to the company.


Claims that Bohemian novelist Franz Kafka once stated, "Follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly."

Don’t bend; don’t water it down; dont try to make it logical; dont edit your own soul according to the fashion. Rather, follow your most intense obsessions mercilessly. -Franz Kafka


This quote was actually penned by gothic novelist Anne Rice in the foreword of a collection of Kafka’s writings published in 1995.


Claims that Thomas Jefferson said, "Do you want to know who you are? Act! Action will delineate and define you!"

The quote urges you to stop wondering and go out and do something. The things you actually do will define who you are, and who you will become. It will delineate (to draw or make a sketch of) what you are and what you want to be. In other words, that shoe company stole it’s catch phrase from the 3rd President of the United States of America. Just do it? Yep! [...] This quote doesn’t diminish the value of thought, but cautions against an excess of it. Yes, think before you act, but you must also act. Without action, no one can tell if you’re thinking deep thoughts or day dreaming, right? By acting, you become known for what you have done. [...] From: Twitter, @AR_Foundation confirmed at : http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/t/thomasjeff120901.html


Jefferson’s estate at Monticello considers it a “spurious quotation.” It actually comes from Polish writer Witold Gombrowicz.


President Donald Trump's campaign claimed that 2024 Democratic vice presidential nominee and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz was wrong to say that he was in Hong Kong right before the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

One of the striking elements of Walz’s biography is his unusually deep connections to China. Walz first visited the country in 1989, just months after the Tiananmen Square protests, and returned to the country some 30 times afterward. As an educator and then a small business owner, he facilitated student groups’ trips to China. As a legislator, he served on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, which monitors human rights and the rule of law in the country, and co-sponsored resolutions urging the release of democratic activist Liu Xiaobo and remembering the Tiananmen Square victims. [...] Yet in context, it’s clear that Walz was no dupe. During his teaching year, he visited Beijing (a 40-hour trip by rail) and saw Tiananmen Square, according to the Record. As much as Walz loved China and the Chinese people, his attitude toward the Chinese Communist Party was bluntly critical. Tiananmen Square, he told the Record, "will always have a lot of bitter memories for the people." (Walz later chose June 4 as his wedding date so he could "have a date he’ll always remember," according to his wife.)


Walz misleadingly claimed to have been in Hong Kong during Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing Multiple news reports indicate that Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz misleadingly claimed he was in Hong Kong during the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing, part of a broader pattern of inaccuracies that Republicans hope to exploit. [...] Minnesota Public Radio reported Monday that publicly available accounts contradict a 2014 statement made by Walz, then a member of the U.S. House, during a hearing that commemorated the 25th anniversary of the massacre. Walz suggested that he was in the then-British colony of Hong Kong in May 1989, but he appears to have been in Nebraska. Public records suggest he left for Hong Kong and China in August of that year.


Kevin McCarthy says Joe Biden was wrong that Hunter made no money from China

Comer claims the email text shows Joe Biden was aware of Hunter Biden’s business with a Chinese company. Comer also claims those business ties influenced President Biden’s policy choices toward China, but it is unclear how. Biden has kept the Trump-era tariffs on China in place and added new export controls on U.S. chipmaking technology since taking office. While he was campaigning for President in Iowa in September 2019, Joe Biden told reporters, "I have never spoken to my son about his overseas business dealings." [...] It does not. What is known about Hunter Biden’s business deals with Ukrainian and Chinese companies creates an impression that he was making a lot of money off the prestige of being Joe Biden’s son, but there isn’t evidence that Hunter Biden’s business transactions have influenced decisions that Joe Biden made as Vice President or as President. There is also no clear evidence that money from Hunter Biden’s business dealings ever made their way to Joe Biden’s accounts. (House Republicans have alleged they don’t have that evidence because of obstruction from the Biden Administration.)


claims that Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw once stated, "If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas."

Petr Florianek Posted November 22, 2012 Share Posted November 22, 2012 my favorite of yours! GULLINBURSTI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... [...] J.Arthur Loose Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 That's imposing, Jake- I'm looking forward to seeing where it goes! jloose.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options... [...] thomas pludra Posted November 24, 2012 Share Posted November 24, 2012 It´s not only the high level of your skills that makes me a fan of your works. Especially your historical knives have that certain breath of history, that only few makers are able to put into them. I´m very curious on the finished piece. Regards Thomas http://www.highland-dirk.ag.vu http://www.messermacher-thomaspludra.de "If I have an apple and you have an apple and we exchange these apples, then each will still have one apple. But if I have an idea and you have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas" (George Bernard Shaw) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...


There is no evidence that Shaw ever said or wrote this saying.


… if you have an apple and I have an apple, and we swap apples — we each end up with only one apple. But if you and I have an idea and we swap ideas — we each end up with two ideas. [...] "If I have a dollar and you have a dollar and we exchange we will be even, but if I have an idea and you have an idea and we exchange you will have two ideas and I will have two ideas" –F. J. Smolka [...] Was it not George Bernard Shaw who once said, in words I perhaps paraphrase: "If two men each give one another an apple they still each have only one apple. But if each of them gives the other an idea, they each have two ideas."


The United Nations have a New World Order Website

The alleged document lists myriad so-called "anti-globalist" narratives or conspiracy theories rooted in the notion that international institutions like the U.N. and WHO seek control over the global order: NEW WORLD ORDER UN Agenda 21/2030 Mission Goals [...] The former is part of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. The latter is a resolution adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2015 that is focused around achieving 17 goals within 15 years. Neither document includes any of the items on the "New World Order" list.


The claim is inaccurate. The website and project is not affiliated with the UN.


Claims that Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde once stated, "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go."

A post on Facebook alleges that Irish poet and playwright Oscar Wilde once said, "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go." [...] Wilde was a poet, novelist and playwright who featured prominently in the aestheticism movement, in which beauty was considered to be the primary purpose of art. Two of his best known works, the 1895 satirical play "The Importance of Being Earnest" and the 1891 philosophical novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray," are both considered literary classics. [...] The expression, attributed to an anonymous author, appeared below an actual Wilde quote in a 1947 book called "A Little Book of Aphorisms," according to the website Quote Investigator, though variations of the saying have appeared in print as early as 1908.


purports Florida has awarded 11,000 teachers more than $33 million for completing civics training offered by the Florida Dept. of Education

A press release shared to both DeSantis’ and the Florida Department of Education’s websites indicates 11,000 teachers have received $33 million for completing the training. A March release from the Florida Department of Education noted that 4,500 teachers had completed the training at the time.


Says Thomas Jefferson once said, "That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves."

That government is best which governs least, because its people discipline themselves. -Thomas Jefferson - - Blue Oval Fanatic - Posts: 772 - Joined: Sat Jul 30, 2011 12:22 pm [...] That government is best which governs least, because its people discipline themselves. -Thomas Jefferson - ToughOldFord - 100% FORDified!


purports Orthodox relics from Kyiv, Ukraine are set to be auctioned at the Osenat Auction House in France on Oct. 1

Among the sites at risk in the Ukrainian capital are the nation’s most sacred Orthodox shrines, dating back nearly 1,000 years to the dawn of Christianity in the region. The sites, along with other landmark shrines in Kyiv, are religiously significant to both Ukrainian Orthodox and Russian Orthodox. They also stand as powerful symbols in the quarrel over whether the two groups are parts of a single people — as Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed — or are distinct but related Slavic nations. [...] Whether Kyiv’s Orthodox shrines come under direct attack or receive collateral damage, such an action would be a "total refutation" of another of Putin’s claims — to be defending Orthodox Ukrainians loyal to Moscow’s patriarch, Lassin said.


An Oct. 1 auction listed on Osenat’s website focuses on “The Interiors of Versailles,” not Orthodox relics from Kyiv, as the post suggests. An Osenat spokesperson denied the claim’s validity in an email to Reuters.


Claims that Russian revolutionary Vladimir Lenin once said, "If we can effectively kill the national pride and patriotism of just one generation, we will have won that country."

Revolutionary activity of Vladimir Lenin The Russian communist revolutionary and politician Vladimir Lenin began his active revolutionary activity in 1892, and continued till assuming power in the Russian Revolution of 1917. Following on from his early life, during which he had become devoted to the cause of revolution against the Tsarist regime in the Russian Empire and converted to Marxism, Lenin moved to St. Petersburg. There he joined a revolutionary cell, and became a vocal advocate for Marxism within the revolutionary socialist movement. Entering a relationship with fellow Marxist Nadezhda Krupskaya, he toured Western Europe to build ties with other Russian revolutionary emigres and learn more about the international Marxist movement. Upon returning to Russia, he was arrested for sedition in 1895 and exiled to Shushenskoye in the Minusinsky District of eastern Siberia for three years. There, he devoted his time to translating and writing revolutionary texts, marrying Krupskaya in July 1898.


The Daily Caller News Foundation found no evidence that Lenin ever said or wrote this quote.


purports Rep. Eric Swalwell instantly faced charges after allegedly lying to Rep. Jim Jordan

A video shared on Facebook purports California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell instantly faced charges after allegedly lying to Ohio Republican Rep. Jim Jordan. [...] "‘THEY DEFUND F.BI’ Swalwell DESTROYS his career after lying to Jim Jordan…faces CHARGES INSTANTLY," the Facebook video, which has received over 3,000 likes at the time of publication, purports. [...] Once Swalwell is finished speaking, he yields back his time to Jordan, who does not bring any charges against him. New Jersey Republican Rep. Jeff Van Drew speaks next but also does not reference Swalwell’s alleged lying or the supposed charges. (RELATED: Did A Fight Break Out During A House Committee Hearing?)


claims American author Agatha Christie said, "The secret of getting ahead is getting started."

"The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, then starting on the first one." [...] Why The Secret Of Getting Ahead Is Getting Started 1. Big Dreams Might Seem Unreachable [...] We hope now you know why the secret to getting ahead is getting started and you're inspired to start doing it!


There is no evidence that this statement originated with Christie.


[Morning Quote] The secret of getting ahead is getting started [...] There is a timeless piece of wisdom that has inspired generations and continues to fuel the ambitions of entrepreneurs today: "The secret of getting ahead is getting started," as eloquently put by the legendary American author, Mark Twain. This simple yet powerful quote serves as a rallying cry for those who wish to accomplish great things but may be hesitant to take the first step. In this article, we'll explore the importance of getting started, overcoming fear and inertia, and how to harness the momentum of that first step to achieve success. [...] So, take that first step, and remember, "The secret of getting ahead is getting started."


claims Jeff Foxworthy created a series of statements distinguishing Republicans from Democrats

A Facebook post credits comedian Jeff Foxworthy with creating a series of statements distinguishing Republicans from Democrats. [...] An award-winning comedian, Foxworthy is known for delivering "You Might Be a Redneck" one-liners during his standup routines. The Facebook post, which distinguishes Republicans from Democrats in a series of statements, seems to resemble the format of these popular jokes. (RELATED: Did Steve Harvey Author This Pro-Trump Statement?) Yet, while Foxworthy has supported at least one Republican political candidate in the past, there is no evidence that the comedian made this series of statements. A search of his verified social media accounts didn’t turn up any matches, except for a 2013 Facebook post debunking the attribution.


Foxworthy debunked the attribution in a 2013 Facebook post.


Claims that author Kurt Vonnegut said, "Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness."

Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness." -Kurt Vonnegut "One day, I just woke up and realized that I can’t touch yesterday. So, why the heck was I letting it touch me?" -Steve Maraboli "No one is you and that is your power." -Dave Grohl "If you hear a voice within you say, ‘You cannot paint’, then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." -Vincent Van Gogh "I have flowed, become stagnant, festered, I have fallen from above. Mass, rhythmic, in harmony with my millions of drops, I have rained. I have been earth with the earths. Foaming, humid, I have slept a faceless face down. I have. Had. Lived. Done. Been. All the words that grow before the tip of the tongue, before I reach it. I am a body who has enjoyed creation." -Hélène Cixous "Don’t take anything personally. Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream.


‘Do Not Let The World Make You Hard’ – Did Kurt Vonnegut Write This Poem About Bitterness? A post shared on Facebook credits author Kurt Vonnegut with saying, "Be soft. [...] Vonnegut was an American author best known for his satirical writing style. He wrote several novels that are considered classics, including "Slaughterhouse-Five" and "Cat’s Cradle."


Dear Tom, Loving all things Kurt, as I do, and working with kids all of my working life I was dee -lighted to find this post of yours (via twitter and retweeted) But even more than this it solidifies what I have been thinking, feeling and planning lately re the redirection of my career. [...] Here is my favourite Kurt quote: "Be soft. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place." Really I think it is my life's motto. - 1:04 AM


purports to show 15-minute city speed gates that have been installed in Vancouver

The speed gates were installed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a press release from the City of Vancouver. A spokesperson for the City of Vancouver said they were aware of the unsanctioned stickers in an email to Check Your Fact.


- Intertraffic 15 Minute City: Urban Mobility Solution to the Environment? Available online: https://www.intertraffic.com/news/15-minute-city-urban-mobility-solution-to-environment/ (accessed on 31 July 2021). [...] - Borneman, E. What Are 15-Minute Cities? Available online: https://www.geographyrealm.com/what-are-15-minute-cities/ (accessed on 31 July 2021). [...] - Sisson, P. What Is a 15-Minute City? Available online: https://citymonitor.ai/environment/what-is-a-15-minute-city (accessed on 1 August 2021).


Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said, "If food runs scarce, it's okay to eat pets."

An article circulating online quotes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) as saying that eating pets is permissible should food supplies run low. The quote, featured in a story, titled "Ocasio-Cortez: ‘If Food Runs Scarce, It’s Okay To Eat Pets,’" originated on the website BIZ News. [...] "Look, I don’t know why, if we’re closing everything and being all scared and piling up food and toilet paper, we should have to worry about some dumb dogs and cats too," the quote says. "Like, last time I checked, they didn’t do anything except sit around. And if food does start running short, I mean, sorry Charlie, right? Gawd these glazed are to die for."


Claims that Jimmy Carter said, "If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor – then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't."

There is no record of Carter ever making the statement. Comedian John Fugelsang claimed credit for the quote in 2013.


FACT CHECK: Did Jimmy Carter Say, ‘If You Don’t Want Your Tax Dollars To Help The Poor – Then Stop Saying You Want A Country Based On Christian Values, Because You Don’t’? An image shared on Facebook more than 1,200 times claims former President Jimmy Carter said, "If you don’t want your tax dollars to help the poor – then stop saying you want a country based on Christian Values, because you don’t." [...] While Carter has often spoken and written about the subject of Christianity, there is no evidence that he originated the statement attributed to him in the Facebook post. It does not appear in the Carter Center’s archive of his many speeches and op-eds, nor in the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum’s digital collection.


Former President Jimmy Carter never was quoted as saying that U.S. tax dollars should help the poor or "stop saying that you want a country based on Christian values." Because you don’t!" the full quote reads. [...] "Fincher and the GOP ... cut services for the poor and taxes for the rich. And it’s a free country. They’re allowed. Because you don’t. And that’s why representative Fincher is our ’revoltingly fake Christian of the week'!" he said on a Current TV show in May 2013.


purports Trump said 'Israel has hypnotized the world'

The video shows Trump at a rally saying, "Israel has hypnotized the world. May Allah awaken the people and help them to see the evil doings of Israel and the United States." The post has received more than 116,000 likes. [...] Technically, Trump did say this. At a 2019 campaign rally in Minneapolis, while discussing Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, Trump said, "Omar wrote that ‘Israel has hypnotized the world. May Allah awaken the people and help them to see the evil doings of Israel and the United States.'" [...] In November 2012, when fighting had erupted over the Gaza Strip, Omar wrote on Twitter, "Israel has hypnotized the world, may Allah awaken the people and help them see the evil doings of Israel." That was about six years before she took office in 2019, becoming one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. Omar has since called her words in that tweet "unfortunate."


Trump was not making a statement about Israel, but rather referencing comments Democratic Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar had made about the country.


Ilhan Omar Admits ‘Israel Hypnotizes The World’ Tweet Was ‘Ugly’ Representative Ilhan Omar has apologized for a tweet she wrote in 2012, in which she said that "Israel has hypnotized the world" during the war with Gaza.


FACT CHECK: No, Hawaiians Are Not Being Evicted From Their Properties Following The Maui Wildfires A video shared on X, the social media platform previously known as Twitter, purports to show Hawaiians being evicted from their properties following the recent wildfires in Lahaina. [...] The video is not linked to the recent wildfires in Lahaina, however. The video clip shared via the X video originally stems from a trailer for the 1985 documentary, "Waimanalo Eviction." (RELATED: No, Video Does Not Show Lights In Maui Sky Before The Wildfires)


claims that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer once stated, "It’s racist to only allow citizens to vote."

There is no evidence Schumer ever made the statement. It appears to be a distortion of an August 2017 post Schumer published on Medium.


Claims Trey Gowdy made a statement defending the transgender military ban

Transgender Military Ban: 5 Facts That Rebut Trump’s Claims


Trey Gowdy is a former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives from the state of South Carolina. He served from 2011 to 2019. On January 31, 2018, Gowdy announced that he would not seek re-election. He said, "There is a time to come and a time to go. This is the right time, for me, to leave politics and return to the justice system."[1] [...] On January 31, 2018, Gowdy announced that he would not seek re-election. He said, "There is a time to come and a time to go. This is the right time, for me, to leave politics and return to the justice system."[1] [...] Gowdy was one of four members of congress who ranked 80th in the conservative rankings in 2011.[135]


The New York Times reported that “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig was unhappy with movie character Ken into an icon

A photo shared on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, alleges the New York Times reported "Barbie" director Greta Gerwig was unhappy with men turning movie character Ken "into an icon." [...] An X image purportedly shows a New York Times article reporting that Gerwig is unhappy with the popularity of movie character Ken among her male audience. The tweet has almost 300k views. "Greta Gerwig is not happy with men turning Ken from her film ‘Barbie’ into an icon," the alleged headline reads. Text underneath claims Gerwig said, "You spend so much time crafting a film for women and girls around the world so you can inspire them and then incels online culturally appropriate it."


Greta Gerwig does not look at Mattel’s iconic doll, and her "boyfriend" Ken, strictly as archetypes of women and men. Barbieland seems like an idyllic haven for Margot Robbie’s Barbie and her friends, but when thoughts start to get heavy, and she finds herself faced with the real world, she realizes that nothing is as perfect as it seems. This film could have coasted by on being a silly comedy, or been a girl power adventure, but Gerwig and Noah Baumbach want to dig deeper into the ways in which society pigeonholes both women and men while also making a delightfully energetic comedy. The ways women can take different messages from Barbie as an icon, and how Ken represents both internalized and externalized forms of toxic masculinity, are profound thematic takeaways from this film, and Gerwig is a born filmmaker capable of juggling all of them in a film as beautifully visualized, and delightfully enjoyable, as this one.


Claims that 40 percent of Iowa's incarcerated population is black.

The racial disparities in Iowa’s prisons are more extreme than almost anywhere else in the country, with Black Iowans imprisoned at a rate 11 times that of white Iowans. As part of our series of reports on systemic racism in Iowa, IPR examines how Iowa got here and the role that prosecutors play in these disparities. [...] Census numbers show just 4 percent of the state’s population is Black. But as of 2016, 25 percent of incarcerated Iowans were Black. [...] Effectively one in every five Black Iowans in prison was convicted in Black Hawk County alone.


Enumerating prisoners in this manner dilutes the votes of urban and rural areas that do not have a prison within their jurisdiction. For example, nearly 40 percent of the inmates in Pennsylvania’s state prisons come from Philadelphia, which has no state prisons in its city limits (Elliott-Engel, 2009). For census and redistricting purposes, these Philadelphia citizens—nearly all of whom are black or Latino—are considered residents of the counties where they are imprisoned. These tend to be predominantly white, rural districts.8 [...] Race and ethnicity play a crucial role in these developments. On one level, the disproportionate number of blacks, Hispanics, and other historically disadvantaged groups among the incarcerated, though striking, is not altogether surprising. The social deprivation and spatial isolation of the poor and the less educated, many of whom are members of minority groups living in urban areas, tend to foster criminal acts that result in a prison sentence or other penal sanctions. Members of these groups also are at heightened risk of drawing severe sanctions because of intense state surveillance in their communities (see, e.g., Duneier, 1999; Anderson, 1999; Bourgois, 1995; Wilson, 1968, Chapter 2; Herbert, 1997). The limited legal, social, and other resources available to them once they have become involved in the criminal justice system compound the problem.


claims Sen. Mitt Romney has purportedly 'resigned in disgrace'

There is no evidence supporting the claim. Romney recently announced he would not be seeking re-election in 2024, however, according to The Associated Press.


A bill would revoke custody from parents who refused gender-affirming care

TRANSGENDER WOMAN FINISHES IN FIRST PLACE AT NEW YORK CITY CYCLING EVENT, SPARKS OUTRAGE "Gender-affirming care is life-saving health care," Finke told reporters ahead of debate on the bill. "Withholding or delaying gender-affirming care can have a dramatic impact on the mental health of any individual who needs it. Rates of depression, suicide, substance abuse are dramatically higher in transgender and gender-expansive individuals who lack access to care." [...] "The most insidious aspect of this bill is the language that adds children who are being denied ‘gender-affirming care’ (defined as everything from therapy to hormone blockers, to transition surgery) to what amounts to the definition for a child ‘in need of protection or services’ in Minnesota, allowing the courts to take ‘emergency custody’ of the child," said Bob Roby, a licensed attorney in Minnesota with more than 30 years experience in family and juvenile court. [...] "This kind of court power has a long-standing precedent in Minnesota for keeping children safe. When a child is at risk of being harmed by a parent or custodian, the state has immediate authority to remove and protect the child from harm. Without this, there would be no way to protect children in those situations," Roby told Fox News Digital in an email. "To add children who are being denied ‘gender affirming care’ to the definition of children in need of this kind of drastic emergency action is obviously unwarranted."


Proposed California bill would brand parents abusive if they refuse to affirm their transgender children's identity - and let social workers take youngsters into care - Assembly Bill 957 would classify not affirming a child's gender as 'abuse' [...] A proposed amendment to a bill in California would classify parents who refuse to affirm their child's gender as abusive and could result in revoked custody. [...] A proposed amendment to a bill in California would classify parents who refuse to affirm their child's gender as abusive and could result in revoked custody


There is no evidence for this claim. The bill’s text does not mention revoking custody from parents.


claims that playwright William Shakespeare once stated, "Expectation is the root of all heartache."

As the brilliantly creative William Shakespeare said, "Expectation is the root of all heartache." Although Shakespeare coined the phrase, I heard it first from the brilliantly creative Andrew Obrecht. The simple and powerful message warns us to be mindful to not create expectations we cannot commit to, and to not attach to expectations that are outside our control. [...] Yes, unmet expectations can cause heartache. But what is life without a little heartache? Sometimes our unmet expectations are a signal that we are not getting what we need from a relationship, but generally, I would say, we each need to practice not being the center of the universe. I still create expectations, but I am mindful to not blame others or get all torn up when my version of the future doesn't match reality. I still get a little perturbed when I expect to be taken out for dinner but I come home to a tired husband who wants a night in. But I ask myself, "Is this worth spending energy on?" Although I still get caught in expectations, I snap myself out of their hold pretty quickly when I notice my energy has shifted into a place of unnecessary negativity.


claims that George Washington once said, "Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful and most noble employment of man."

Reflecting on quotation from George Washington the MP also said, "Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful, and most noble employment of man".


The farmers, therefore, are the founders of human civilization." – Daniel Webster "A good farmer is nothing more nor less than a handy man with a sense of humus." – E.B. White "You know, farming looks mighty easy when your plow is a pencil, and you’re a thousand miles from the corn field." – Dwight D. Eisenhower "The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways." – John F. Kennedy "Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals & happiness." – Thomas Jefferson "The farmer has to be an optimist or he wouldn’t still be a farmer." – Will Rogers "The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings." – Masanobu Fukuoka "The master’s eye is the best fertilizer." – Pliny the Elder "We have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist." – Wendell Berry "Agriculture is the most healthful, most useful and most noble employment of man." – George Washington


Claims that Marilyn Monroe once stated, "Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world."

W. Gordon·FollowPublished inMANIFESTOS FROM THE 21 LAWS·Nov 12, 2021--Share"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world." — Marilyn Monroe


Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world Quotes 0 ratings, 0.00 average rating, 1 review [...] Showing 1-1 of 1 ― Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world: Marilyn Monroe's Most Beautiful Quotes, Icon of beauty and pin up girl, Lined Notebook , 110 pages, (6"×9") inches


"Give the girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world" is one of the most popular shoe related quotes out there. Someone say it is what Marilyn Monroe said, someone oppose, I guess it is hard to tell for sure. In any case, let me proudly introduce you to my "right shoes for conquering the world" – the Danner boots.


Italian doctor Sergio Kerr was arrested for murdering more than 3,000 coronavirus patients

"Italy arrest (sic) doctor for intentionally killing over 3,000 coronavirus patients," the post’s title says. A photo shows a man in tan scrubs walking in handcuffs and flanked by law enforcement. The story goes on to say that Dr. Sergio Kerr "administered Benadryl, Ditropan and doxepin which are anticholinergic medications which worsen pneumonia." [...] A doctor accused of murdering more than 3,000 people, not to mention coronavirus patients, would draw wide media attention. And yet searching for information about Dr. Sergio Kerr, we found no such reports. [...] News NT, Italy arrest doctor for intentionally killing over 3,000 coronavirus patients, visited April 2, 2020


Claims President Lincoln once stated, "It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years."

The saying does not appear in any of Lincoln’s written works.


It’s The Life In Your Years – Abraham Lincoln Ever stumbled upon that famous quote by Abraham Lincoln, "In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. [...] So, let’s take his advice to heart and truly live, not just exist. After all, it’s the life in your years that truly counts!


That is not an Abraham Lincoln quote, even though it's attributed to Lincoln by a hundred internet sources. Doesn't sound one bit like Lincoln, and that trite parallel phrase switching is a mostly 21st Century habit that is really tiresome. We can all think of lots of examples -- "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but the number of moments that take your breath away." That sentence construction is especially popular in meaningless management and leadership slogans like, "The conventional definition of management is getting work done through people, but real management is developing people through work." (Agha Abedi). Then there's the Mark Twain quote that is maybe the historical template for this habit, ""It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog." [...] The quote "It's not the years in your life but the life in your years" is often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, although there is no concrete evidence that he actually said or wrote those exact words. [...] Abraham Lincoln said it


Blake Shelton canceled a $30 million contract with Country Music Television

Although Shelton would secure a contract with Giant Records, it would be April 2001 before his first single was released. Originally titled "If This Is Austin," the song was penned by relative newcomers David Kent and Kirsti Manna, neither of whom had yet scored a major hit at the time. Manna’s previous claim to fame was as host of a children’s TV series called Kirsti’s Manor, while Kent’s "Beyond the Blue" was a 1995 album cut for Martina McBride.


claims that actor Tom Selleck "praised" Donald Trump in a "meeting" with Breitbart

- He explained that when he labeled the Trump Tower meeting with Russians 'treasonous' he was criticizing Paul Manafort, who should have known better - Donald Trump Jr, Bannon said, 'is both a patriot and a good man,' as he complimented the president for his political savvy - Bannon also played up his longtime loyalty, claiming, 'I am the only person to date to conduct a global effort to preach the message of Trump and Trumpism' [...] Bannon apologized to President Trump and his son, Donald Trump Jr, on Sunday, for slamming a June 2016 Trump Tower meeting that's come under scrutiny from the feds as 'treasonous.' He claims now that he was talking about ex-campaign hand Paul Manafort, not Trump Jr, made he made the remarks to an author of a tell-all book. [...] Heaping praise on the president, Bannon said, Trump, 'was the only candidate that could have taken on and defeated the Clinton apparatus.'


The Daily Caller found no evidence that Selleck “praised” Trump in a “meeting” with Breitbart. Most of the words in the post actually come from a Breitbart interview with actor Jon Voight.


purports to show President Joe Biden with a bruise on his forehead while meeting with NATO in Poland

The photos show ashes Biden received on Ash Wednesday during a private Catholic Mass, according to The Hill.


claims that fast food chain Chick-fil-A will now open on Sundays, but “only for black people.”

Meanwhile, what about anyone else not living according to Mr. Cathy’s reading of the Bible? If someone works on Sunday, should they be denied service at Chick-fil-A during the week? Mr. Cathy believes in one marriage for life: saying of his company, "we are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives." What about those who failed at their first marriage and are now working on wife number two, three or four? What if you are a liar, can you go to Chick-fil-A to have your perverse tongue cut-out? In Leviticus it says touching the skin of a pig makes one unclean. Should football players who love to toss the pigskin around be denied service? Or is it okay to play football only at the Chick-fil-A Bowl because that game starts with an invocation? [...] 4. A dangerous game of chickenThe majority of Chick-fil-A’s 1,600 restaurants are located in the Bible belt. I happen to like the fact that they are all closed on Sundays. Mr. Cathy I am sure spends his Sundays much in the way I spend mine: with family. And no matter what rights Mr. Cathy might want to deny my friends and family, his type of bigotry will not change who I am, who I love and even what I eat. Who knew a simple chicken sandwich could be so complicated.


An African President shared is support for Trump after he was arrested

The booking photo was taken on August 24, when Trump was arrested in Fulton County, Georgia, on charges connected to his efforts to overturn his defeat in the state in the 2020 election. [...] Facts First: National public polls do not show anything close to an increase of "four and five times" in Black support for Trump since his mug shot was taken, either in a race against President Joe Biden or in his own favorability rating; Trump’s campaign did not respond to CNN’s request to identify any poll that corroborates Trump’s claim. Most polls conducted after the release of the mug shot did find a higher level of Black support for Trump than he had in previous polls – but the increases were within the polls’ margins of error, not massive spikes, so it’s not clear whether there was a genuine improvement or the bump was just statistical noise. In addition, one poll found a decline in Trump’s strength with Black voters in a race against Biden, while another found a decline in his favorability with Black respondents even as he improved in a race against Biden. [...] One of the five polls, by Emerson College, showed Trump’s standing with Black registered voters worsening after the mug shot was released, though this change was also within the margin of error. In Emerson’s mid-August poll, Trump had about 27% Black support in a race against Biden; in its late-August poll, he had about 19% support.


A simple check of a few news sites is a sure-fire way to verify that Mr Trump hasn't been arrested or even indicted - at least, not yet. If and when Mr Trump does face charges, his arrest will make headline news all around the world. And you can imagine the media flurry if the former president were to somehow flee from police.


Claims Winston Churchill said, "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen."

Winston Churchill is one of the most quoted leaders of all time, yet many modern citations put words in the lion’s mouth. You’ve probably heard this one: "Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen" (looking at you, RG3). As Churchill himself said, "Verify your quotations." For this reason, we’ve put together 10 authenticated Churchill quotes on important subjects. [...] "People who are not prepared to do unpopular things and defy clamor of the multitude are not fit to be ministers in times of difficulty." [...] "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!"


There is no evidence ABC has canceled “The View.” The claim stems from a satirical website.


We are tired of listening to them whine & complain! I used to love The View, but stopped watching years ago, because I'm tired of hearing their constant bashing. Now I'm tired of ABC allowing this. Let's let ABC know how many want The View cancelled because of what it has turned into. You want a better view? Replace half of the hosts with some conservatives. When Whoopie loses her temper again... she should be fired, as any other Network has done. Let's be fair, keep it real! Get some hosts to stand up to these women and have an adult debate to keep us all entertained. Fire the ones who lose their temper & cannot be an adult about a different "view" then you can have a show. Otherwise, cancel this one sided, woman whining, liberal show that's offending so many others.


Chick-fil-A donated $1.8 million to Anti-LGBTQ groups after promising not to

The caption is inaccurate. There is no evidence that they have donated to the organizations they received backlash for donating to recently.


Claims Thomas Paine said, "Give to every other human being every right that you claim for yourself."

Paine did not author this statement. It is actually a line from orator Robert G. Ingersoll.


Thomas Paine is a transatlantic political icon, a plain-speaking revolutionary campaigner whose writings—more than those of any other figure—captured the zeitgeist of the two most significant political events of the eighteenth century: the American and French revolutions. As far as public consciousness is concerned, his enduring political legacy is curiously schizophrenic in that he is lauded at once by the libertarian right in the United States and the socialist and social democratic left in Britain. Despite having been the subject of much valuable scholarly attention throughout the twentieth century, there has been little interest expressed in Paine that has not been of a purely historical or biographical nature.Footnote 1 This is in one sense unsurprising, given his role as a prominent political actor and the fascinating, tumultuous life that he led, parts of which remain mysterious.Footnote 2 However, at the same time, there has been a marked neglect shown to the distinct theoretical content of his writings. He is customarily treated as a mere "vulgarizer of Locke,"Footnote 3 a rhetorician, pamphleteer, and polemicist rather than a political theorist of any note.


Quotes of the Week: Our God-Given Rights "I am an American; free born and free bred, where I acknowledge no man as my superior, except for his own worth, or as my inferior, except for his own demerit." ― Theodore Roosevelt "Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech." ― Benjamin Franklin, Silence Dogood / The Busy-Body / Early Writings "Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigues of supporting it." ― Thomas Paine "This is my doctrine: Give every other human being every right you claim for yourself." ― Robert G. Ingersoll, The Liberty Of Man, Woman And Child "Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties." ― John Milton , Areopagitica


Claims that Albert Einstein once said, "Two things inspire me to awe – the starry heavens above and the moral universe within."

- As discussed in this entry from The Quote Investigator, the earliest published attribution of a similar quote to Einstein seems to have been in Gestalt therapist Frederick S. Perls' 1969 book Gestalt Theory Verbatim, where he wrote on p. 33: "As Albert Einstein once said to me: 'Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity.' But what is much more widespread than the actual stupidity is the playing stupid, turning off your ear, not listening, not seeing." Perls also offered another variant in his 1972 book In and Out the Garbage Pail, where he mentioned a meeting with Einstein and on p. 52 quoted him saying: "Two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I am not yet completely sure about the universe." [...] - If Einstein said this, he was almost certainly quoting philosopher Immanuel Kant's words from the conclusion to the Critique of Practical Reason (1788), translated in Paul Guyer's The Cambridge Companion to Kant (p. 1) as: "Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me."


Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me. The starry heavens represent the physical world. Kant’s moral law evokes an inner stirring. "Gesetz" usually translates as "law," but it can also mean "act." Clearly, as a moral response arising within me, it describes my will. Despite his count of "zwei Dinge" or "two things," Kant’s quote actually points to a 3rd elementary impenetrable as well. Notice how the quote moves from universal references to mind (Gemüt) and thoughtful reflection (Nachdenken) over to the highly personal "starry heavens above me" (über mir) and "moral law within me" (in mir). The power of his expression derives from his personal position midway between physical and ethical space. Likewise, I find myself positioned between the physical world and the will inside me.


If Einstein said this, he was almost certainly quoting philosopher Immanuel Kant's words from the conclusion to the Critique of Practical Reason (1788), translated in Paul Guyer's The Cambridge Companion to Kant (p. 1) as: "Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me."Albert Einstein » Albert Einstein - all quotes »


Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy claimed in a July 12 interview that he voted for the first time in 2020.

Strengths: Former tech and finance executive Vivek Ramaswamy is a fresh, young diverse face for most Americans, has a sterling educational background and comes from the business world, which is traditionally valued in the GOP primary. He has been a prominent voice in conservative circles, arguing against the environmental, social and governance (ESG) movement and against "woke"-ism. That could help him with white-collar Republicans, who want an alternative to Trump.


Former Republican Texas Representative Will Hurd claimed in an August 13 interview that 141 people drowned in the Rio Grande river in 2022.

The Missing Migrants Project states that 140 migrants have died from drowning in 2022, though the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has not released its data from FY 2022.


Aired August 13, 2023 - 09:00 ET [...] FMR. REP. WILL HURD (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The GOP should be a party that appreciates a competition of ideas. [...] And so this -- we should be upset about all of this. And 5.5 million people coming into the country illegally is unacceptable. Last year, there was a drowning case, two drowning cases a couple of weeks ago. But, last year, 141 people drowned in the Rio Grande -- in the Rio Grande River. And nobody was talking about that.


Italy has replaced Pride month with 'Family Pride Month'

Colourful displays for the first Pride event since the COVID-19 pandemic drew large crowds in support of Italy's LGBTI+ community and the country's minorities. Thousands of people gathered in the centre of the Italian capital on Saturday to celebrate the return of Rome Pride -- the first after the COVID lockdown. [...] Participants travelled in colourfully decorated trucks from Piazza della Repubblica in front of the Termini railway station to reach the Piazza Venezia square, a central hub in Rome.


claims that author Charles Dickens once said, "Happiness is a gift and the trick is not to expect it but to delight in it when it comes."

Happiness is a gift and the trick is not to expect it, but to delight in it when it comes" is a profound quote that encapsulates the essence of appreciating happiness when it arrives, rather than constantly anticipating it. It suggests that happiness is not a given, but a gift – something that is not always present, but when it arrives, it should be cherished and appreciated. The quote also implies that the expectation of happiness could lead to disappointment. When we set expectations for happiness, we often tie it to specific outcomes or circumstances. If these conditions are not met, we may feel let down. However, if we let go of these expectations and instead find joy in the moments of happiness when they come, we are more likely to appreciate them fully. In today’s world, where instant gratification is often sought, this quote is particularly relevant. We are often in a rush to find happiness, to achieve it as if it were a goal. However, this approach can lead to dissatisfaction, as the happiness we seek is often fleeting or not as fulfilling as we imagined. By viewing happiness as a gift and not an expectation, we can learn to appreciate it more when it does arrive, and not be disheartened when it doesn’t.


This weekend I read an article on the BBC website about Charles Dickens’s cultural longevity and why he is still so much a part of our modern life. I was drawn to this article especially as I recently finished reading the acclaimed biography of Charles Dickens by the outstanding biographer Claire Tomalin. [...] The author of the BBC article John Gray said: "Charles Dickens was a close observer of human nature who found endless interest in the theatre of ordinary life". And these observations are so clearly shown in his novels. I’d like to share with you 16 of my favourite quotes by Charles Dickens. Some of them appear in his books and are uttered by his characters whilst others were said by him.


claims two pipeline workers in Chicago were purportedly given water bottles laced with fentanyl

No, two workers weren't harmed by fentanyl-laced water in Chicago area | Fact check The claim: Two pipeline workers were given fentanyl-laced water bottles in Chicago suburbs [...] "We regret to inform you of a tragic incident that occurred two days ago involving NPL Pipeline Company in the Chicago suburbs," reads the letter, which is dated July 20. "During the project, two flaggers were offered bottles of water by an unknown individual in a passing car. Sadly, one of the flaggers lost their life, and the other is currently in critical condition. After conducting an investigation, it is suspected that the water provided to the flaggers was laced with fentanyl."


A post shared on Instagram claims to show a Ukrainian tank disguised as a house.

FACT CHECK: No, Video Does Not Show A Ukrainian Tank Disguised As A House [...] The text in the video reads, "A Ukrainian tank uses a house as camouflage." This video, however, shows a house on wheels created by a Ukrainian civilian. The house was featured in news reports before the Russian invasion began in February 2022. For example, the Ukrainian outlet 34 телеканал ran a news segment on the machine in September 2020 and shared it on its YouTube channel.


claims actor Clint Eastwood authored a long statement in favor of President Donald Trump that starts by saying, "I love when people call Trump Stupid."

In real life, it seems Clint Eastwood has slowly morphed from the justice-loving "Dirty Harry" to his cranky old man character from "Gran Torino," complaining about today’s generation and regretting the past, especially that speech to a chair. [...] As Eastwood told it to Esquire, he was apparently hanging out backstage at the RNC, listening to Neil Diamond’s "I Am, I Said." In case you’re suffering a Diamond drought, here’s the tune: [...] He doesn’t agree with everything Trump says — "He’s said a lot of dumb things," Eastwood said — but he thinks that voters need to "just … get over it."


The claim: Actor Clint Eastwood authored a pro-Trump post [...] The claim that Clint Eastwood is the author behind the viral "I love when people call Trump stupid" post is FALSE, based on our research. An almost identical version of the text is from a letter to the editor to a local paper from a New Hampshire state representative. There is no evidence Eastwood wrote the post. - The Eagle-Tribune, Sept. 30, 2019, Letter: Don’t be brainwashed by what the Democrats tell you - Fred Doucette, Sept. 22, 2019, Facebook post - Massachusetts Republican Party, Nov. 24, 2019, Facebook post - BBC, 1986: Eastwood voted mayor by landslide - The Washington Post, Aug. 4, 2016, Clint Eastwood explains — and regrets — his speech to an empty chair - Wall Street Journal, Feb. 21, A Hollywood Legend Talks Politics - Check Your Fact, Jan. 7, FACT CHECK: ‘I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE CALL TRUMP STUPID’ – DID CLINT EASTWOOD AUTHOR THIS STATEMENT ABOUT TRUMP?


New Hampshire State Rep. Fred Doucette actually wrote an extremely similar statement as a letter to a local newspaper last year. The statement may have gotten linked to Eastwood after the Massachusetts Republican Party shared Doucette’s letter with a meme featuring Eastwood’s likeness.


one of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daughters sits on the board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

The youngest of seven children and the only girl, Pelosi grew up like royalty. Her father Thomas D’Alesandro Jr. was a member of Congress when she was born, in 1940, and the mayor of Baltimore by the time she was 7. When young Nancy wasn’t being ferried to a Catholic girls’ school, she was attending her father’s ceremonial events or helping him get out the vote. Her father’s ancestors had immigrated from Genoa, Venice and Abruzzo, her mother’s from the southern Italian city of Campobasso. The family lived in a three-story brick row house in the heart of Little Italy, a blue collar community near Baltimore’s industrial waterfront. The house appears vacant now; Pelosi points it out to me as we drive by. (We had planned to take a walking tour, but it’s a cold day, and she detests the cold.) A few blocks over, there are hipster restaurants and lofts, but in this part of town, the corners still feature traditional pasta houses.


The Daily Caller didn’t find any evidence that any of Pelosi’s four daughters sit on the board of the Kennedy Center. A spokeswoman for the Kennedy Center confirmed that Pelosi’s children have no affiliation with the institution.


purports to show former President Donald Trump dancing with a 13-year-old girl

A scan using Hive Moderation reveals the image is 99% likely to have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).