George C. Beresford/Getty Images
~ Joyce Cary
Arthur Joyce Lunel Cary, known as Joyce Cary, was an Anglo-Irish novelist and colonial official. His most notable novels include Mister Johnson and The Horse’s Mouth. Wikipedia
Born December 7, 1888, Londonderry, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Died March 29, 1957 (age 68 years), Oxford, United Kingdom
May 16, 2026 (onbeing@substack.com)
Michael Pollan’s latest book, A World Appears, is an exploration — with scientists and journalists and technologists and spiritual teachers — of what consciousness is, and is not, or might be: from the plants which have always fascinated him, to the new technologies which we are marveling at and fearing in equal measure. Do sentience, feeling, thought, or a sense of self amount to consciousness? Does it emerge from inside us? Or is it a force beyond us, in which we partake?
Before a rapt gathering in New York City, we explored where Michael has come on these questions and others. The word “mystery” kept landing the longer we spoke, and I brought some intriguing (and somewhat mysterious) conversations I’ve been having with Anthropic’s Claude briefly near the end.
I’m delighted to bring you into that room, with this episode.
–Krista Tippet
Michael Pollan in conversation with Krista Tippet on consciousness. Photo: Sarah Bidgood
Winfrey in 2016
~ Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey is an American media mogul, philanthropist, actress, producer, and talk show host. Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, she faced a difficult childhood that included abuse and instability. Winfrey’s career began in Baltimore in 1976 when she hosted People Are Talking. She later became the host of her own popular Chicago morning show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, which ran nationally from 1986 to 2011. Wikipedia.org
Born January 29, 1954 (age 72 years), Kosciusko, MS
Asia / Pacific
Taiwan on Saturday maintained it is a “sovereign and independent” nation and that US arms sales were part of Washington’s security commitment to the island. The foreign ministry statement came a day after President Donald Trump warned Taiwan against declaring formal independence following his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a state visit to China.
Issued on: 16/05/2026
By: FRANCE 24
Taiwan on Saturday said it is thankful for US President Donald Trump‘s long-standing support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and asserted it was a “sovereign and independent” nation.
The statement was issued a day after Trump, following his visit to China, warned the democratic island against declaring formal independence.
Read moreTrump warns Taiwan against declaring independence from China after meeting Xi
Taiwan “is a sovereign and independent democratic nation, and is not subordinate to the People’s Republic of China”, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
The ministry also insisted that US arms sales were part of Washington’s security commitment to Taiwan, after Trump flagged that he was considering the issue.
“Regarding Taiwan-US arms sales, this is not only a US security commitment to Taiwan clearly stipulated in the Taiwan Relations Act, but also a form of joint deterrence against regional threats,” the ministry said.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei on Saturday, Taiwan Deputy Foreign Minister Chen Ming-chi also asserted that US arms sales are confirmed under the Taiwan Relations Act.
“Taiwan-US arms sales have always been a cornerstone of regional peace and stability,” he said.
In December, the Trump administration approved a record $11 billion arms sale package for Taiwan. Reuters has reported a second one, worth around $14 billion, still awaits Trump’s approval.
Chen declined to comment on the second package because it has yet to be made public, saying Taiwan will continue to communicate with and understand the situation from the US side.
Taiwan’s statements came a day after Trump wrapped up a visit to Beijing where Chinese President Xi Jinping had pressed him not to support the self-ruling island, which China claims is part of its territory.
Taiwan vs China: Is conflict inevitable?
Trump on Friday made it clear that he opposed a declaration of independence by Taiwan and appeared to question why the United States would defend the island in case of attack.
“I’m not looking to have somebody go independent. And, you know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that,” he told Fox News host Brett Baier.
“I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down,” Trump said.
“We’re not looking to have wars, and if you kept it the way it is, I think China’s going to be OK with that.”
The US recognises only Beijing and does not support formal independence by Taiwan, but historically has also stopped short of explicitly saying it opposes independence.
Under US law, the US is required to provide weapons to Taiwan for its defence, but it has been ambiguous on whether US forces would come to the island’s aid.
Xi had begun the summit with a warning on Taiwan, whose President Lai Ching-te considers the island already independent, making a declaration unnecessary.
Xi had told Trump that missteps on the sensitive issue could push their two countries into “conflict”.
(FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters)
San Francisco Symphony Premiered Apr 8, 2020 The Making of a Performance, is an engrossing documentary that demystifies how a performance of a great piece of classical music is created. It is a viewer’s “behind-the-scenes” pass to witness firsthand how a performance unfolds and the preparation it takes to play this music. Along the way, MTT explores the symphony’s four movements, providing commentary on the powerful emotions embodied in the music and how it speaks to audiences today. MTT also introduces many of the personable members of the orchestra. Bonus Features: Full-length concert performance of Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 by the San Francisco Symphony originally filmed in high-definition 16:9 widescreen and 5.1 surround sound. More information about DVD and Blu-Ray discs available here: https://www.warnerclassics.com/releas…
New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove Started streaming 99 minutes ago James Tunney LLM, is an Irish barrister and author of The Mystery of the Trapped Light: Mystical Thoughts in the Dark Age of Scientism plus The Mystical Accord: Sutras to Suit Our Times, Lines for Spiritual Evolution; also TechBondAge: Slavery of the Human Spirit, Human Entrance to Transhumanism: Machine Merger and the End of Humanity, and AI-Govnerveance: Care and Possession in Dustopia. His most recent book is Trotsky vs Jesus: Battle of the AI-Millennium. His website is https://www.jamestunney.com/
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New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove May 15, 2026 This video is a special release from the original Thinking Allowed series that ran on public television from 1986 until 2002. It was recorded in about 1990. It will remain public for only one week. The late Kathlyn Rhea, who passed on in 2011, was the author of The Psychic is You and MindSense. She was known for the accuracy of her psychic readings and for her work with law enforcement agencies. Here she describes her program for cultivating psychic abilities. Now you can watch all of the programs from the original Thinking Allowed Video Collection, hosted by Jeffrey Mishlove. Subscribe to the new Streaming Channel (https://thinkingallowed.vhx.tv/) and watch more than 350 programs now, with more, previously unreleased titles added weekly. Free month of the classic Thinking Allowed streaming channel for New Thinking Allowed subscribers only. Use code THINKFREELY.
The Diary Of A CEO May 11, 2026 New Episodes Anne Applebaum has spent decades studying how democracies collapse, how authoritarian systems rise, and why the warning signs are often ignored until it’s too late. She reveals why America is entering a dangerous new phase, and what happens next! Anne Applebaum is a staff writer at The Atlantic and has hosted its Autocracy in America podcast. She is also a senior fellow at the SNF Agora Institute at Johns Hopkins University and the School of Advanced International Studies. She is also the bestselling author of books such as, ‘Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World’. She explains: ◼️ Why democracies rarely collapse overnight ◼️ Why America may be closer to autocracy than people think ◼️ How elected leaders can slowly take apart the system from within ◼️ Why corruption is one of the clearest warning signs of authoritarianism ◼️ Why Big Tech leaders are bending toward political power ◼️ How America’s allies are already preparing for U.S. betrayal ◼️ Why Russia, China, and Iran are challenging the democratic world order ◼️ Why America may never fully go back to normal after Trump 00:00 Intro 02:10 Why History Keeps Repeating 03:33 Democracy’s Biggest Warning Sign 05:12 Why Democracy Feels So Broken 07:41 The Biggest Threats Right Now 08:52 Why Democracy Is Rapidly Shifting 10:18 Could America Become An Autocracy? 12:05 What A Trump Third Term Means 14:56 Why Autocracy Appeals To People 19:12 Trump’s Wealth Changes Everything 21:27 Why Global Stability Is Collapsing 26:26 Democracy Vs Dictatorship: What Lasts? 27:38 Who’s Happier: Democracies Or Autocracies? 29:04 Would Informed People Choose Democracy? 30:45 How Putin Stays In Power 32:40 5 Tactics Autocrats Use 34:19 Are Tech CEOs Enabling This? 38:11 Can America Ever Return To Normal? 39:27 Why Nations Are Turning Inward 43:57 What This Means For Americans 45:39 The Most Dangerous Part Of Dictatorship 48:49 Why Trump’s Ratings Are Falling 50:48 Ads 52:50 The 2nd Tactic Autocrats Use 57:39 The 3rd Tactic Autocrats Use 59:40 The 4th Tactic Autocrats Use 1:05:58 Should Social Media Have Legal Power? 1:12:58 Can Citizens Really Leave China? 1:14:15 The 5th Tactic Autocrats Use 1:14:48 Why ICE Is Breaking Down 1:17:00 Ads 1:17:32 Is The American Empire Declining? 1:21:32 Is Politics Just Human Nature? 1:24:20 Does Democracy Create Extreme Capitalism? 1:26:27 How Democracies Defend Themselves 1:28:01 Is Mainstream Media Politically Biased? 1:31:42 Why Journalism Matters More Than Ever 1:33:11 How Algorithms Control Your Reality 1:34:19 Anne’s Personal Political Journey 1:40:48 What Regime Change Really Feels Like 1:44:18 Anne’s Toughest Setback Follow Anne: Youtube – https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/4pTtMb1 Instagram – https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/1GOn8p5 X – https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/8M5yUMK Website – https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/GGmhcYf You can purchase Anne’s book, ‘Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World’, here: https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/D07471h
