Recently, in response to my DM’s on resurrection, Easter, and our current coronavirus emergency, I received a tweet from a reader in the UK who asked “Why the current situation does indeed bring a resurrection?” I believe it brings resurrection if it wakes people up to:
Father and daughter washing hands. Photo by CDC on Unsplash
1) Our interdependence–which is much deeper than our apartness or differences;
2) Learning not to take basics for granted such as good health–and the health of our planet;
3) Honoring the good work that people do and can do when they get themselves trained to serve;
4) The holes in our so-called ‘safety-nets’ and how to remedy them;
5) Getting out of denial about climate change, which will make this pandemic seem like a picnic compared to the changes to come if we don’t change deeply in the next 9 years;
6) How we can all live more simply on this planet;
7) How we ought to celebrate more deeply while we are healthy;
8) How we can–when we have to–take radical life-changing decisions as a group and must do re. climate change bearing down on us;
9) How much generosity and willingness to sacrifice resides in the human heart–a lot more than we are often aware of;
10) Lessons in how precious life and existence are for all of us born of the 13.8 billion years of the Universe’s unfolding;
The leader of the most prominent group in the US peddling potentially lethal industrial bleach as a “miracle cure” for coronavirus wrote to Donald Trump at the White House this week.
Trump eating Kentucky Fried Chicken … without any bleach
The leader of the most prominent group in the US peddling potentially lethal industrial bleach as a “miracle cure” for coronavirus wrote to Donald Trump at the White House this week.
In his letter, Mark Grenon told Trump that chlorine dioxide – a powerful bleach used in industrial processes such as textile manufacturing that can have fatal side-effects when drunk – is “a wonderful detox that can kill 99% of the pathogens in the body”. He added that it “can rid the body of Covid-19”.
A few days after Grenon dispatched his letter, Trump went on national TV at his daily coronavirus briefing at the White House on Thursday and promoted the idea that disinfectant could be used as a treatment for the virus. To the astonishment of medical experts, the US president said that disinfectant “knocks it out in a minute. One minute!”
He went on to say: “Is there a way we can do something, by an injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that.”
Trump did not specify where the idea of using disinfectant as a possible remedy for Covid-19 came from, and the source for his notion remains obscure. But the Guardian has learned that peddlers of chlorine dioxide – industrial bleach – have been making direct approaches to the White House in recent days.
Grenon styles himself as “archbishop” of Genesis II – a Florida-based outfit that claims to be a church but which in fact is the largest producer and distributor of chlorine dioxide bleach as a “miracle cure” in the US. He brands the chemical as MMS, “miracle mineral solution”, and claims fraudulently that it can cure 99% of all illnesses including cancer, malaria, HIV/Aids as well as autism.
Since the start of the pandemic, Genesis II has been marketing MMS as a cure to coronavirus. It advises users, including children, to mix three to six drops of bleach in water and drink it.
In his weekly televised radio show, posted online on Sunday, Grenon read out the letter he wrote to Trump. He said it began: “Dear Mr President, I am praying you read this letter and intervene.”
Grenon said that 30 of his supporters have also written in the past few days to Trump at the White House urging him to take action to protect Genesis II in its bleach-peddling activities which they claim can cure coronavirus.
On Friday, hours after Trump talked about disinfectant on live TV, Grenon went further in a post on his Facebook page. He claimed that MMS had actually been sent to the White House. He wrote: “Trump has got the MMS and all the info!!! Things are happening folks! Lord help others to see the Truth!”
Paradoxically, Trump’s outburst about the possible value of an “injection” of disinfectant into the lungs of Covid-19 sufferers came just days after a leading agency within the president’s own administration took action to shut down the peddling of bleach as a coronavirus cure around the US.
Devoted to cultivating creativity & imagination. Dedicated to philosophers, pilgrims & punks.
ROSEMARY STANDLEY is the lushly imaginative Franco-American lead singer of the enormously creative band Moriarty. The instruments they play reads like a recipe list for the best possible musical feast: xylophone, thumb piano, spoons, tambourine, scotch-tape trumpet, double-bass, music box, suitcase drum, chromatic and diatonic harmonicas, kazoo, drilling machines, Jew’s harp.
The band’s maverick spirit leads them to play incongruous venues such ‘a mental institution, a prison, a transatlantic ship, a ruined castle in Tuscany, the streets of Paris, and a night train’. Being the bohemian vagabonds that they are, they tour extensively.
PLEASE SHARE A CHILDHOOD MEMORY THAT HAD AN IMPACT ON THE ARTIST YOU ARE TODAY:
When I was eight, my father taught me the Hank Williams’s song Jambalaya, and brought me with him to a square dance at the American Church of Paris. He had a gig there with his band and he asked me to sing the song in the middle of the set. The people were so pleased with the song that they asked for it 3 times. What a funny feeling! You just get addicted to it.
Because it seems there is never a shortage of creative talent among the French.
Whether on the runway, in the kitchen or in the artist’s studio, it appears as though there is never a shortage of creative talent among the French. Monet, Jean-Luc Goddard, Coco Chanel; just to name a few who have pioneered some of the greatest artistic movements of our time. Decades later, they continue to inspire the rest of the world with their innovation. As social distancing is confining us to our homes, it’s becoming increasingly hard to monitor screen time while staying entertained. For that reason, L’Officiel USA created a streamlined list of the coolest French creatives to follow on Instagram that will make your feed-scrolling all the more fun and inspiring.
@ramenpolanski
The pun on her Instagram handle is only the tip of the iceberg (Roman Polanski anyone?). Get ready for some vibrant, coloful, aesthetically-pleasing and funny content. She’s a photographer, video maker, and graphic designer, but mostly, she describes herself as a visual artist. This Paris-native creative director is full of personality and her account is anything but dull.
@charlottecardin
Although she is from Montreal (probably the North American city where the French feel the closest to home) this French-Canadian singer began her career as a model but turned to music after realizing modeling wasn’t her calling. Don’t let her doll-like features and big blue eyes fool you. Charlotte Cardin’s voice has a fragility, depth and soulfulness to it that makes her a singer of her own kind.
@violette_fr
She’s the global beauty director of Estée Lauder and a world-renown makeup artist famous for her “bushy-brow” and “natural makeup” looks. If you like makeup but cut-creases, bold lip looks and a hint of home decor inspiration, Violette has the perfect account to give a follow.
@betinadutoit_
Picture endless fields of daisies and poppies, Icelandic hot spings, sand deserts, and young girls dressed in white linens idling beneath trees. These are the kinds of visuals to expect from Betina du Toit, the Paris-based photographer whose work will lull you into a faraway universe. Born near Cape Town, South Africa, du Toit captures the quintessential in “an endless attempt to re-capture the fleeting moment when all elements come together.”
@itsnotsonia
Paris-born, LA-bred Sonia is more than just a pretty face. The French fashion model, actress and singer is a true multihyphenate whose talents can be hard to keep up with. Her most recent work includes a newly-released single with Black Atlas that we currently have on repeat.
@celestinecooney
Former Dazed and Confused fashion editor, now, a freelance stylist and brand consultant Celestine Cooney has worked for the likes of Acne and Simone de Rocha. Her Salvador-Dali-meets-high fashion aesthetic is what sets Cooney apart from other stylists.
@jaimetoutcheztoi
This well-known French couple share travel tips, fashion picks (which often include matching outfits) and let us into their Parisian daily life. Their shared Instagram account started 5 years ago, while the couple were living in Los Angeles with the desire to share their every day life after moving far from home, friends and family. They write on their website “Given the enthusiasm of our readers, we decided to pursue this adventure back home in Paris.”
@malikafavre
Malika Favre is French but lives between London and Barcelona and her work has graced covers of The New Yorker and has been featured in Vogue. Her bold, minimal, style is often compared to pop art and she has become one of UK’s most sought-after graphic designers.
@lolozouai
Born to a French mother and an Algerian father, Lolo Zouai, a 25-year-old singer released her debut album High Highs to Lows Lows , last year and has toured alongside side Dua Lipa during her Future Nostalgia tour. Her Instagram features not only her behind-the-scenes music recording process, but also her infectious love of dalmatians and the famed Pokémon, Jigglypuff.
@pommeofficial
Pomme, a French singer, with serious style refers to herself as “half pixie, half human”. Her Instagram gives you a taste of her music which is the perfect blend between pop and folk and is definitiely worth checking out for both your next playlist, and outfit inspiration.
