Youtube daily but Dec 26 2018

  Paul Pogba finally joined the guest list as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United partied like it was 1999

 That might leave a nasty taste for some – especially Jose Mourinho who labelled Pogba a "virus" after finally realising a few weeks ago that he would never get a tune out of the £89 million World Cup winner

 But the travelling United fans who marvelled at the overnight transformation of Pogba and United in Cardiff didn't care

 And who can blame them?  They won't give a damn whether the French midfield power-house did at times disrespect the shirt and the club if he makes this kind of contribution a habit

 Pogba had a hand in four of United's five goals, looked every inch a World Cup winner and worth the £89 million United splashed out

 Talk about smiles better – this was a dream day for United after the nightmare at Anfield a week ago

 Pogba's relationship with Mourinho was so broken it was toxic.  But those dark days seemed a distant memory at the Cardiff Stadium last night as Solskjaer unleashed the real Pogba

 The one loved by Juventus and French fans. The one United thought they were buying

 Pogba had a hand in United's three first half goals and the final one for two goal Jesse Lingard

 And caretaker boss Solskjaer hasn't looked so happy since that night in Barcelona as he celebrated his treble-winner

 The dark days of Mourinho's contaminated reign were blitzed away by a United performance that had all the hallmark's of when Solskjaer and Sir Alex Ferguson's stars were at their peak

 And as each United goal went in Solskjaer jumped for joy along with fans who had given up hope of seeing their team return to their attacking roots

 And Pogba was at the heartbeat of all that was good about a side who suddenly played with a freedom and abandon not seen since Fergie hung up his hairdryer

 Gone was the bad body-language and air of disinterest. Replaced instead by razor sharp passing and a desire to live up to his billing as potentially the most powerful midfielder in the global game

 In victory he was aided and abetted by dancing partner and fellow Instagram, YouTube and Twitter pal Lingard while Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial caused mayhem every time United attacked

 Even Phil Jones was back to doing what he does best – grappling, blocking and tackling with gusto

 Suddenly where there was doubt, hesitation and angst there was confident, sharpness and a freshness about United's play

 But let's not kid ourselves. With the greatest respect this was only Cardiff. And United's problems are more deep-rooted than a simple change of manager

 Many fans believe writing off the season while structures are put in place to improve recruitment and planning is hardly a great sacrifice when the campaign was in disarray anyway

 And it was clear straight from kick-off yesterday that while the top four is still a big ask, a return to days when United at least played with verve, energy and a swagger are long overdue

 Rashford's third minute strike to put United ahead was perfectly times, allowing United to relax and exert a measure of control they rarely enjoyed under Mourinho

 Herrera added a second with less than half an hour gone and although Victor Camarasa gave Cardiff hope with a penalty after a daft handball by Rashford, United were 3-1 ahead within minutes

 Martial executed a perfect finish after initiating a devastating pass and move power-play that bemused Cardiff

 So often in the past Mourinho's teams never kicked on when they were in front.  Solskjaer clearly won't stand for that and United turned victory into a romp with Lingard scoring twice second half, first from the penalty spot then grabbing the fifth after a wonderful Pogba pass

 Pogba might have stank the place out at times – but now he's got United dreaming of the sweet smell of success once more

For more infomation >> News24 - Pogba's no nasty virus for Solskjaer - but his brilliance can be infectious - Duration: 5:27.

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Ava Max - Sweet but Psycho [Official Music Video] (Prod. Levi de Vries) - Duration: 2:49.

♪ Ava Max - Sweet but Psycho ♪ (Prod. Levi de Vries)

For more infomation >> Ava Max - Sweet but Psycho [Official Music Video] (Prod. Levi de Vries) - Duration: 2:49.

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HUMONGOUS CHUNGUS but gets louder - Duration: 1:42.

Chungus

BiG ChUnGuS

oh no

chungus takes over the world

♅☋♍☻♌ⓖ☻☋$ ☪♅☋♌ⓖ☋$

NOW SUBSCRIBE

For more infomation >> HUMONGOUS CHUNGUS but gets louder - Duration: 1:42.

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Christmas Special but it's really dark and edgy lol - Duration: 0:11.

Jackson 5 : "Santa Claus is coming to tow-"

Ceramic : "No." >= /

For more infomation >> Christmas Special but it's really dark and edgy lol - Duration: 0:11.

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「ビートたけし」が指揮棒を振る！！「ＤＭＭ」のＣＭ "Beat Takeshi" but a staff is shaken! Commercial of "DMM" - Duration: 0:45.

20th anniversary DMM dot com

(Let 's keep on adventure.)

There is everything.

DMM dot com

For more infomation >> 「ビートたけし」が指揮棒を振る！！「ＤＭＭ」のＣＭ "Beat Takeshi" but a staff is shaken! Commercial of "DMM" - Duration: 0:45.

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'Van Dijk has everything' but Newcastle tipped to stun Liverpool - Duration: 3:56.

 Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles has backed his side to give Liverpool are huge Christmas Day hangover by inflicting a shock Boxing Day win on the Premier League leaders at Anfield – even though they will have to overcome "the world's best defender" Virgil van Dijk

 Jurgen Klopp's side go into the fixture at the top of the tree in English football after Crystal Palace inflicted a second defeat of the month on reigning champions Manchester City, ensuring the Reds now enjoy a four point cushion at the summit

 Along with Serie A leaders Juventus and Paris St Germain who are top of the table in Ligue 1, Liverpool are one of just three unbeaten sides in European football's leading five leagues so far this season and haven't lost in a Premier League game at Anfield since Crystal Palace's 2-1 victory on St George's Day 2017 – some 20 months ago

 Newcastle United haven't won a top flight fixture away to Liverpool since April 16, 1994 when Rob Lee and Andy Cole handed them a 2-0 victory on their first ever Premier League game at Anfield but the Magpies current skipper insists Rafa Benitez's 15th-placed side can pull off a major upset

 Speaking in the Chronicle, Lascelles said: "They are a good side. Last year we drew 1-1 at home against them and they are flying at the moment

 "There is no reason why we can't go there and cause an upset though. I am sure the gaffer will have a tactic that will trouble them and, whatever he says, we will do to the best of our ability

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now  "If we work hard, play with intensity, and get in and around them, there is no reason why we can't cause an upset

 "I don't look at other teams and say: 'We could do it because they have.' I am confident in our team that we can beat anyone on our day

I have always said it.  "We just need to do it when we cross the white line. Liverpool are flying and they will be a very attacking team

 "But we have been pleased with our away performances. During the second half of the season we really have to improve our home form

 "Against Liverpool, if we work hard and are solid, we can create chances. We have to keep their front three quiet

"  The 25-year-old centre-back admits his team-mates will have to overcome the player he considers the world's best in his position to record what seems like a highly-unlikely victory though

 He added: "Van Dijk is the best defender in the world. Every centre-half looks up to him and thinks he has got everything

 "People thought it was a high price tag but, since he moved to Liverpool, he has shown he is worth every penny

 "Pretty much every centre-half will look at him and think: 'He has got it all.' He is good on the ball, strong, tall, and he is leader

Whoever plays next to him, he will make them look good too."

For more infomation >> 'Van Dijk has everything' but Newcastle tipped to stun Liverpool - Duration: 3:56.

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Five's Death but with Stressful Music [Turn on English Subtitles] - Duration: 2:39.

For more infomation >> Five's Death but with Stressful Music [Turn on English Subtitles] - Duration: 2:39.

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「Nightcore」→ Sweet but Psycho (Lyrics) - Duration: 2:54.

「Nightcore」→ Sweet but Psycho (Lyrics)

For more infomation >> 「Nightcore」→ Sweet but Psycho (Lyrics) - Duration: 2:54.

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U.S. can be policeman of the world, but other countries have to help: Trump - Duration: 0:38.

and president Trump has once again said that he will get other countries to pay

more of the costs of u.s. troops stationed on their soil during a

videoconference with US service members deployed around the world on Christmas

Trump said the US can be the policemen of the world but other countries have to

help reaffirming his push to demand more defense cost payments from US allies a

day earlier on Christmas Eve Trump tweeted that the u.s. is substantially

subsidizing as troops stationed in quote very many rich countries all over the

world adding that he sees it as a problem and it's being fixed

For more infomation >> U.S. can be policeman of the world, but other countries have to help: Trump - Duration: 0:38.

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It's disgrace what's happening in our country, but other than, I wish everybody Merry Christmas - Duration: 7:15.

It's a disgrace what's happening in our country, but other than that, I wish everybody Merry Christmas

President Trump used his annual address to members of the armed forces to attack members of Congress and a former FBI director while defending his border wall and denying claims he colluded with Russia during the election.

During a photo op for that call, President Trump decided to defend shutting down the government over funding for his border wall and slam former FBI director James Comey.

He ended his remarks by declaring: 'It's a disgrace what's happening in our country, but other than that, I wish everybody a very merry Christmas.

The US government partially shut down on Saturday, and there is still no sign of any tangible efforts to reopen agencies closed by a political impasse over Trump's demand for border wall funds.

'I can't tell you when the government is going to reopen,' said Trump on Tuesday.

'I can tell you it's not going to reopen until we have a wall, a fence, whatever they'd like to call it. I'll call it whatever they want, but it's all the same thing.

It's a barrier from people pouring into the country, from drugs.'. He continued: 'If you don't have that, then we're just not opening.

Funding for about a quarter of federal programs - including the departments of Homeland Security, Justice and Agriculture - expired at midnight on Friday. Without a deal to break the impasse, the shutdown is likely to stretch into the new year.

Building the wall was one of Trump's most frequently repeated campaign promises, but Democrats are vehemently opposed to it. He had initially promised that Mexico would pay for the wall, but now insists that taxpayers absorb the cost.

President Trump has also now said he is willing to raise a fence instead of a wall. Earlier in the day, President Trump and the First Lady released their annual Christmas message.

'Melania and I are truly thrilled to wish every American a very, merry Christmas,' said President Trump at the start of the video.

'During the Christmas season we rejoice in God's many blessings. We come together to spread hope, love, compassion, cheer and goodwill,' said Melania. 'And we remember the events of one holy night more than 2,000 years ago.

On Monday night, President Trump and the First Lady tracked Santa's sleigh across North America and spoke to a few young children.

In a bizarre and almost cruel move, President Trump opted to raise doubts about the existence of Santa while speaking to one seven-year-old boy.

The call to American defense agency NORAD, which 'tracks' Santa's movements around the world, was one of several answered by Trump and his wife Melania as part of a Christmas Eve tradition.

It began innocuously enough: 'Hello, is this Coleman? Merry Christmas. How are you? How old are you?'. But Trump then ventured into dangerous waters, asking: 'Are you still a believer in Santa Claus? Because at seven it's marginal, right?'.

The couple then headed off to the National Cathedral for Midnight Mass. Their son Barron was not with them however, with the young boy remaining in Palm Beach when his mother flew back to Washington DC on Monday.

Trump had said he'd be 'proud' to shut down the government in a fight over the wall, but now blames Democrats for refusing to vote for a House-passed bill that includes the $5. 7 billion he wants for the wall.

The White House presented a counteroffer over the weekend to Schumer that is between Trump's $5. 7 billion price tag and the $1. 3 billion Democrats have offered, said budget director Mick Mulvaney.

He did not elaborate, but a Democratic aide granted anonymity to discuss the private talks said the White House offered $2. 5 billion - an initial $2.

1 billion plus $400 million Democrats called a 'slush fund' for the president's other immigration priorities. Mulvaney said he was waiting for Schumer's response. Schumer's office said the parties remained 'very far apart.'.

Trump chimed in Monday from the White House, where he has been cooped up since Saturday, when the shutdown began. Trump, who typically spends Christmas at his Florida estate, tweeted at one point Monday about feeling lonely.

'I am all alone (poor me) in the White House waiting for the Democrats to come back and make a deal on desperately needed Border Security,' he tweeted.

'At some point the Democrats not wanting to make a deal will cost our Country more money than the Border Wall we are all talking about. Crazy!'.

Trump met Monday on border security with Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and other department officials. Senate negotiators continued talks behind the scenes with Democrats and Republicans.

The House and Senate briefly gaveled into session on Christmas Eve before quickly closing again with no further action.

Several Cabinet departments and agencies have been closed since Saturday after their funding lapsed, and Mulvaney warned the shutdown could stretch into January, when Democrats are set to take back control the House.

Trump excused federal employees from work on Monday and Christmas is a federal holiday, meaning the public could begin feeling the shutdown's effects on Wednesday.

Some 800,000 federal workers must either work without pay for the time being, or stay home and wait to be paid later.

For more infomation >> It's disgrace what's happening in our country, but other than, I wish everybody Merry Christmas - Duration: 7:15.

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Divorced couple reunite for Christmas but bring new partners along! - Daily News - Duration: 2:53.

When they divorced, they decided to keep Christmas special for the sake of their two children

Now Barbara De La Fuente-Ford, 35, and Lee Simms, 40, not only spend the Christmas holidays together, they bring their new partners along to make one big, modern happy family

They and their children Florencia, 12, and Sofia, nine, were joined for Christmas Eve, yesterday and today by Miss De La Fuente-Ford's new husband Mike Ford, 37, and Mr Simms' new partner Miriam Fadda, 39

Share this article Share Also at the gathering, at a B&B in Brighton, were Mr Ford's parents Mary and Tony, his son Charlie and Mr Simms' parents Sandra and John

 Miss De Le Fuente-Ford, a Spanish teacher from Brighton, said: 'We did it for us as well as the children

We've got used to it and it works for us. We are like one big family now. The friendship is genuine and we can see the long-term benefits

'She and pharmacist Mr Simms married in 2005 but grew apart. When they divorced in 2013 they vowed to remain a part of each other's life

Miss De La Fuente-Ford, who is training as a separation life coach, said: 'We wanted to focus on the good in us, not the bad

The relationship wasn't working and we made a very grown-up decision. We still loved each other, just not in that way any more

' They first held their unconventional Christmas get-together in 2016 and she admitted: 'It has been tough for both Mike and Miriam to get used to

'But since then the couples meet up weekly. .'But he's a good guy,' he said. 'We need to be close because we are the two main male figures in my daughters' lives

We have a deep-rooted respect for each other. For me Christmas this year will be very special

sat around a Christmas table together.'Miss De La Fuente-Ford said: 'For me it's the most wonderful thing

We live our lives without anger and resentment. Life's too short.'

For more infomation >> Divorced couple reunite for Christmas but bring new partners along! - Daily News - Duration: 2:53.

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A WWE legend has been all-but-confirmed for 2018 Survivor Series - Duration: 3:10.

Football News24/7  The year is 2018, The Undertaker is 53 years of age, yet looks in the best shape he's been in for the past few years

 The Deadman noticeably struggled in his WrestleMania 33 match with Roman Reigns, but the next time we saw him in a WWE ring - against John Cena at the following year's event - he looked far healthier

 He even took part in a Casket Match against Rusev in Saudi Arabia less than three weeks after Mania, which proves his general health must be on the up

 Perhaps this is the reason why Taker is slated to appear at both WWE Super Show-Down and Crown Jewel in the next few weeks

 Stepping into the ring against his former foe Triple H in Australia, that bout is set to lead to a tag team match between The Game and his retired partner Shawn Michaels, against Taker and Kane, which will reportedly happen at Crown Jewel in Riyadh on November 2

 There will be less than a month between the two shows, so Taker must be confident that he's in the right physical state to take-in two matches in such a short space of time

 And judging by a recent announcement, we could be set to see the Lord of Darkness at yet another major event in 2018

 Taker has been confirmed to appear at an autograph signing in Los Angeles the night before Survivor Series, which surely all-but points to a match at the event he debuted at in 1990

 Who he would fight remains to be seen, however Wrestlevotes, who have broken several big scoops recently, stated that there's discussions surrounding having Taker and Michaels going one-on-one at the Staples Center

 And the fact that Survivor Series is just 16 days following Crown Jewel is the biggest sign yet that Undertaker is feeling like himself again - at 53 though you do wonder that one bad move could do bad damage to the icon's career

 It remains to be seen whether or not Undertaker will face-off against HBK - or anyone for that matter - at Survivor Series, but the event could desperately do with a huge boost after falling by the wayside in recent years compared to events like the Royal Rumble and SummerSlam

For more infomation >> A WWE legend has been all-but-confirmed for 2018 Survivor Series - Duration: 3:10.

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Canadian Affair launches big sale on Canada holidays up to 2020 but be quick - Duration: 4:14.

 If Canada has always been on the bucket list then you may want to check out Canadian Affair's latest sale

 That's because the travel firm is giving us the perfect excuse to beat post-Christmas blues by slashing prices on Canada holidays by up to 10 per cent off

 That's across ALL of its Canada holidays too, whether you've been considering a city break or planning a fly-drive holiday to explore as much of the country as you can

 The deals are already live on the Canadian Affair website but we reckon the best discounts will be snapped up quickly so you might want to be quick and beat the crowds

 However, there is a generous booking window if you do want to mull it over, as the sale only ends on Thursday 31st January

How to find a cheap flight to Canada - all the insider tips you need to know The country most visited by the Queen on royal tours and official duties revealed    There's more good news as there's a whopping travel window to choose from; we're talking deals available for travel dates all the way until the 30th April 2020!  You'll be spoiled for choice with deals on city breaks, self-drive and motorhome breaks, as well as a host of cruise and rail journeys - all with direct flights from the UK and Ireland to Toronto and Vancouver

 With so much to choose from, picking the right holiday for you can feel somewhat overwhelming so to give you a helping hand we take a look at the top 3 deals currently on offer

 1. Rockies & Alaska Cruise Extravaganza Holiday: Spend 16 nights exploring the likes of Banff, Lake Louise and Calgary, as well as a cruise to nearby Alaska

Prices from £2,373pp for travel in April 2019

 2. Best of Canada's West Holiday by Motorhome: Spend 14 nights exploring sights such as Lake Louise, Okanagan Valley, Jasper and Vancouver at your leisure in a state-of-the-art motorhome

Prices from £862pp for travel in May 2019

 3. Heritage Trail Self-Drive Holiday: Spend 12 nights driving through some of Canada's most breathtaking landscapes and taking in the local culture and heritage on the way

Prices from £1,385pp for travel in May 2019

 All prices above include return flights in economy class, and are based on a London Gatwick departure

  Explore Canada

For more infomation >> Canadian Affair launches big sale on Canada holidays up to 2020 but be quick - Duration: 4:14.

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'Van Dijk has everything' but Newcastle tipped to stun Liverpool - Duration: 3:56.

 Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles has backed his side to give Liverpool are huge Christmas Day hangover by inflicting a shock Boxing Day win on the Premier League leaders at Anfield – even though they will have to overcome "the world's best defender" Virgil van Dijk

 Jurgen Klopp's side go into the fixture at the top of the tree in English football after Crystal Palace inflicted a second defeat of the month on reigning champions Manchester City, ensuring the Reds now enjoy a four point cushion at the summit

 Along with Serie A leaders Juventus and Paris St Germain who are top of the table in Ligue 1, Liverpool are one of just three unbeaten sides in European football's leading five leagues so far this season and haven't lost in a Premier League game at Anfield since Crystal Palace's 2-1 victory on St George's Day 2017 – some 20 months ago

 Newcastle United haven't won a top flight fixture away to Liverpool since April 16, 1994 when Rob Lee and Andy Cole handed them a 2-0 victory on their first ever Premier League game at Anfield but the Magpies current skipper insists Rafa Benitez's 15th-placed side can pull off a major upset

 Speaking in the Chronicle, Lascelles said: "They are a good side. Last year we drew 1-1 at home against them and they are flying at the moment

 "There is no reason why we can't go there and cause an upset though. I am sure the gaffer will have a tactic that will trouble them and, whatever he says, we will do to the best of our ability

Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8Cancel Play now  "If we work hard, play with intensity, and get in and around them, there is no reason why we can't cause an upset

 "I don't look at other teams and say: 'We could do it because they have.' I am confident in our team that we can beat anyone on our day

I have always said it.  "We just need to do it when we cross the white line. Liverpool are flying and they will be a very attacking team

 "But we have been pleased with our away performances. During the second half of the season we really have to improve our home form

 "Against Liverpool, if we work hard and are solid, we can create chances. We have to keep their front three quiet

"  The 25-year-old centre-back admits his team-mates will have to overcome the player he considers the world's best in his position to record what seems like a highly-unlikely victory though

 He added: "Van Dijk is the best defender in the world. Every centre-half looks up to him and thinks he has got everything

 "People thought it was a high price tag but, since he moved to Liverpool, he has shown he is worth every penny

 "Pretty much every centre-half will look at him and think: 'He has got it all.' He is good on the ball, strong, tall, and he is leader

Whoever plays next to him, he will make them look good too."

For more infomation >> 'Van Dijk has everything' but Newcastle tipped to stun Liverpool - Duration: 3:56.

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On the Surface, Hungary Is a Democracy. But What Lies Underneath? - Duration: 6:47.

On the Surface, Hungary Is a Democracy. But What Lies Underneath?

BUDAPEST — When the Hungarian government coerced the Central European University, a leading college in Budapest, into shutting some of its operations in December, it did not do so by threat of physical force. Viktor Orban, the far-right prime minister of Hungary, never jailed a C.E.U. professor or ordered the university to close by government decree.

Instead, the Orban government quietly changed the rules by which all foreign universities like C.E.U. can operate, allowing Mr. Orban to frame its treatment as a merely technical decision, rather than an attack on academic freedom.

It is a recurrent paradox of Mr. Orban's rule: Despite all the steps he has taken to erode the Hungarian democratic process, Mr. Orban has rarely allowed his government to get its way by blatant force.

And it is this paradox that explains why analysts struggle to judge whether Hungary is still a democracy, and why Mr. Orban's friends and foes alike ascribe increasing importance to the inner workings of this small and previously marginal country.

Hungary's path under Mr. Orban has made him an icon to far-right figures such as Stephen K. Bannon, President Trump's former adviser, and provided a blueprint for the erosion of democratic institutions in countries like Poland.

"The closed regimes of the past were behind barbed-wire fences and police watchtowers, and the repression was overt and clear and unmistakable," said Michael Ignatieff, president of the C.E.U. But in Mr. Orban's Hungary, he said, "you can protest, you can leave, you can set up a business and you're member of the European Union, which is supposedly a union of democracies."

Unlike in Communist-era Hungary, there is a Constitutional Court, along with dozens of other nominally independent state watchdogs. There is a plethora of private media outlets, whose journalists do not face physical danger for their reporting. And there are free elections in which anyone can run, but which Mr. Orban has won handsomely since re-entering office in 2010.

Beneath this veneer lies a more complex reality.

Mr. Orban's allies control the Constitutional Court, while loyalists control which prosecutions make it to court in the first place. They have rarely, if ever, pursued corruption allegations against Mr. Orban and his ministers — and even if they did, few would hear about it.

By applying financial pressure on the owners of independent media outlets, Mr. Orban has gradually persuaded them to sell to his friends, or toe a softer line.

State media, meanwhile, is entirely loyal to Mr. Orban. After state television channels failed to broadcast more than a few fleeting clips of recent anti-Orban demonstrations, a group of opposition lawmakers visited their headquarters last week to request some airtime. They were refused, and later ejected by force.

And though Mr. Orban commands a formidable majority, it is partly the result of this echo chamber in the media, which has muted alternative voices, and the redrawing of electoral boundaries and the restructuring of the electoral system to favor his party.

Mr. Orban and his allies proudly acknowledge that their system of government has diverged from a model of liberal democracy. But they insist that it is still democratic — as long as one widens one's definition of what democracy is. For Mr. Orban, democracy depends primarily on the occurrence of elections, rather than on the separation of powers or the vibrancy of public discourse.

Opposition to Mr. Orban's style of governance "assumes that there is only a simple model of democracy," said Gyorgy Schopflin, a member of the European Parliament from Mr. Orban's party. "The people who insist that the only democracy is liberal democracy are endangering democracy."

But for some critics of Mr. Orban, his regime can be understood not by redefining the meaning of democracy, but through updating our understanding of autocracy.

To Mr. Ignatieff, the Orban regime is a "new thing under the sun" that cannot be defined by the templates of 20th-century authoritarianism. Hungary in 2018 has the trappings and institutions of a 21st-century European democracy, but uses them to exert the same kind of centralized control as the autocracies of the Cold War.

"It's a new form of single-party state, but it's clearly reproducing some of the features of the single-party states of the past," said Mr. Ignatieff. "Which is ironic, because the regime is violently anti-Communist in its rhetoric, but in its practice it reproduces features of the ancien régime."

For other critics of Mr. Orban, there is no need to update one's definition of autocracy to understand the nature of his regime.

His strategies do in fact fit the patterns of the past, said Jason Stanley, a Yale professor and the author of "How Fascism Works," a book that explores how contemporary leaders, including Mr. Orban, use fascist ideologies and tactics to expand their power and appeal.

Mr. Orban has repeatedly called for Hungary to regain the status it held before losing much of its land and population following the First World War, and often expressed a preference for a racially homogeneous society.

"We do not want our own color, traditions and national culture to be mixed with those of others," he said in a speech in February.

For Mr. Stanley, both these habits are the hallmarks of a fascist. "When you govern from a position where loyalty to your ethnic group and a mythic past trumps truth and respect for people who don't agree with you — then that is using fascist ideology and fascist political tactics to gain and retain power," he said.

The control that Mr. Orban exerts over Hungarians' access to information means that his government is no longer a democracy, regardless of how many votes he receives, Mr. Stanley added.

"Democracy is not just a voting system. It is a culture that respects truth," he said. If a government prevents the public from accessing true information, he said, through "a propaganda system that lies to everyone in the country, then everyone will vote for the supreme leader every time. And that's not democracy."

If Mr. Orban diverges from the fascist template, it is largely because "he does not have a Gestapo," Mr. Stanley said. "His control over the state is less about violence."

That made the treatment of the four opposition lawmakers at the state media broadcaster so remarkable: It was, unusually for Mr. Orban's Hungary, a naked show of force.

It follows a series of similarly blatant power-grabs that suggest that Mr. Orban no longer feels obliged to moderate his actions.

After European leaders repeatedly proved unwilling to punish Mr. Orban for past misdemeanors, "Orban sees a window of opportunity," said Daniel Hegedus, an expert on Hungarian politics at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, a research group.

"Now he can do practically anything without risk of sanctions on the European stage," Mr. Hegedus added.

For years, Mr. Orban was satisfied with infringing judicial independence through a series of incremental measures. But in early December, he set up a parallel court system in one fell swoop.

Until recently, he tried to leave private news media with at least a veneer of autonomy, preferring to let loyalist businessmen take over troublesome outlets instead of placing them under a more blatant and centralized system of government control.

But in December, he waived a competition law to allow loyalist owners to "donate" hundreds of Hungarian newspapers, radio stations and television channels to a single, central fund run by three of his closest allies.

And after an opposition lawmaker was dragged, pushed and carried from the Hungarian state broadcaster by four armed guards in December, Akos Hadhazy, the lawmaker, described his expulsion as a watershed moment.

Until his assault, Mr. Orban's government had been "a dictatorship of disinformation," Mr. Hadhazy said. "But now we have crossed the line of physical violence."

For more infomation >> On the Surface, Hungary Is a Democracy. But What Lies Underneath? - Duration: 6:47.

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Its Cold, Dark and Lacks Parking. But Is This Finnish Town the Worlds Happiest? - Duration: 6:31.

Its Cold, Dark and Lacks Parking. But Is This Finnish Town the Worlds Happiest?

Finland Dispatch

KAUNIAINEN, Finland — Jan Mattlin was having what counts as a bad day in Kauniainen.

He had driven to the town's train station and found nowhere to park. Mildly piqued, he called the local newspaper to suggest a small article about the lack of parking spots.

To Mr. Mattlin's surprise, the editor put the story on the front page.

"We have very few problems here," recalled Mr. Mattlin, a partner at a private equity firm. "Maybe they didn't have any other news available."

Such is the charmed life in Kauniainen (pronounced: COW-nee-AY-nen), a small and wealthy Finnish town that can lay claim to being the happiest place on the planet.

Finland was named the world's happiest country by the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network in April, based on polling results from 156 nations. And a second survey found that Kauniainen's 9,600 residents were the most satisfied in Finland, leading the local mayor, Christoffer Masar, to joke that theirs was the happiest town on earth.

Some Finns were surprised; a few even unhappy.

In the global consciousness, the stereotypical Finn is melancholic, introverted and more prone to suicide than most other nationalities. Finns themselves buy into parts of the stereotype: If a stranger smiles at you in the street, goes a Finnish proverb, they're either drunk, foreign or crazy.

"My trouble with the word 'happiness' is that we never know what we're talking about when we talk about happiness," said Professor Frank Martela, who researches well-being at the University of Helsinki, and grew up a few miles from Kauniainen. "We might mean life satisfaction, or being joyful every day. It's a bit ambiguous."

So can happiness really be measured? And if so, are Finns really that cheery?

To try to answer those questions, a trip to Kauniainen seemed mandatory.

The reasons for the town's happiness are not immediately obvious upon arrival.

Kauniainen, which lies on the outskirts of Helsinki, the Finnish capital, is pretty, but not stunning: a collection of large detached houses, sprinkled throughout a thin fir forest, centered around an unremarkable town square.

At this time of year, the day doesn't get light properly till after 9 a.m. The light fades again by 3:30 p.m.

Ask a resident if they feel happy, and you get a measured response, but hardly an ecstatic one.

"What is happiness?" Mr. Masar, the mayor, asked rhetorically, over lunch last month at the town's only deli.

At Moms, the town's only late-night bar, a few soccer players were in a wry but subdued mood, commiserating after a loss earlier that evening.

"When we lose," deadpanned Antti Raunemaa, a construction executive, "we're only happy after the second beer."

The barkeep suggested another stop to find more smiles. "Maybe the McDonald's at Espoo?" said Jenny Lindholm, nodding toward the next town along. "There's nowhere else, really."

And yet: There was. Just not where a happiness-hunter might initially expect it.

Kauniainen's blandly named Adult Education Center, a tall building on the edge of town, did not sound promising. But it was here, not the bar, where large numbers of residents were having fun that evening.

In the basement, they were weaving carpets on vast looms, and making pottery. On the ground floor, a choir was singing. On the floors above, others were painting replicas of Orthodox Christian icons — or practicing yoga.

Subsidized by both the state and the city, the center offers cheap evening classes to residents "in basically anything that people might be interested in," said Roger Renman, the center's director.

Around 15 percent of the town's population are enrolled here at any one time, some paying less than a dollar per hour of tuition, depending on the course.

Similar centers are found across Finland, but Kauniainen's is particularly active, especially for a town of this size.

It's this kind of service that makes the town cheerier than most, reckoned Seija Soini, a retired businesswoman taking part in a painting class.

"The main reason is that people have something to do — things like this!" Ms. Soini said, as she painted a portrait of her niece. "It's like psychotherapy."

And the education center was just the leading edge in the town's activity options for residents. For what Kauniainen lacks in parking places, it makes up for with state-funded services.

In this single small town, there are over 100 sports and cultural clubs, all of them subsidized in some way by the local council: clubs for the Swedish-speaking minority, clubs for the Finnish majority, a ski slope, a children's music school, a children's art school, an athletics stadium, an ice rink — and even a purpose-built set of outdoor stairs, known as a "kuntoportaat," which allow people to keep fit by walking up and down.

When residents argued, two decades ago, whether they should build an ice hockey rink or a handball court, the council solved the dispute by funding both.

The only obviously absent institution is a police station: With minimal crime rates, there is no need.

All this supplements a good and cheap universal health care system, free university education and affordable child care.

And a school system in which children are rarely tested, and teachers rarely inspected, but which, despite a recent dip, still ranks as one of the best in the world.

Strolling through her middle school, Leena-Maija Niemi, the head teacher, pointed out the classrooms and playgrounds that the students themselves had helped design, something she said that contributed to their sense of belonging.

To pay for all this, taxes are high by American standards: Someone earning $45,000 might pay more than double the amount of tax in Finland as in some American states.

But residents said they can feel the dividend: a society with low inequality, high opportunity and a strong sense of solidarity.

"For me, happiness is about being contented with your life and the possibilities you have in life," said Finn Berg, a former head of the town council. "And if you put it that way, then this is a happy place, because we have a lot of possibilities here."

Wealth helps, too.

Though the proportion of low-earners in Kauniainen is about the same as in the rest of Finland, the percentage of high-earners is roughly double the national average, said Mr. Masar, the mayor.

Since the town's municipal tax rates are fractionally lower than elsewhere in the country, Kauniainen has become an attractive destination for those with the means to move here.

But this has advantages for all residents.

Individually, the rich pay less tax. But collectively they create a larger tax yield, enabling the town council to spend about four times as much on cultural activities, per capita, than the average Finnish district, three times as much on sports, and 50 percent more on child care.

All this breeds some basic satisfaction, said an understated Mr. Berg, the former council chairman.

"I've been thinking about what happiness is, and happiness is about being contented with your life, and about not being miserable," Mr. Berg said.

"And I'm not miserable."

For more infomation >> Its Cold, Dark and Lacks Parking. But Is This Finnish Town the Worlds Happiest? - Duration: 6:31.

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Imagining Your Audience Naked Doesn't Work.. but this Technique Does! - Duration: 3:14.

Hey everyone, welcome to Moxie Talk. Today, I'm introducing a blog I wrote called

"Why imagining your audience naked doesn't work." Now let's talk first about

this well-intentioned comment that we hear from many people in our lives who

really want to help us relax before a presentation. Why do they say this? Most

likely because - as we know - public speaking is a really vulnerable thing.

Public speakers bare all - they put themselves out there - and these

well-intentioned people who intend to help you build confidence are trying to

make your audience is vulnerable as you are. But this disturbing visualization is

really not what we want to do before a presentation. Can you imagine most of the

audiences that attend your presentations? Do you want to see them naked, really?

Probably not. And if you did go through with this disturbing visualization most

likely you wouldn't be able to even look at that audience. So this visualization

doesn't work, but these well-intentioned people are onto something because

visualizations do work. So let's talk about a visualization that you can use

for a confident presentation. Now instead of imagining your audience naked, imagine

yourself giving a stellar presentation - the most confident presentation you've

ever given. Why? Because what we know about visualization is that it actually

tricks our brain into thinking that we did whatever it is that we're

visualizing. Our brain doesn't really know the difference between a

visualization and actually doing this thing and visualizing creates new

synapses, new neural pathways in our brains. So imagining

a confident presentation and actually visualizing it is not that

different than actually doing it. You create a synapse that your brain can

reference as:I did it I gave this confident presentation. So next time you

start to feel nervous about that presentation, instead of imagining your

audience naked, imagine yourself so specifically giving this confident

presentation. Imagine what you're wearing, what the room looks like, the sounds you

hear in the room, the temperature in the room, the feeling of the air in the room,

what you hear when you walk into that room. Imagine yourself walking into that

boardroom or onto that stage really seeing yourself with confident body

posture. Hear the sound of your voice so confidently greeting your audience and

then see them laughing with you hanging on every word, and go through this very

specific visualization of you giving a confident presentation. And I guarantee

you, next time you're up for your presentation, if imagining your audience

naked doesn't work, this will. For a deeper dive into visualization and all

things confidence on stage, visit our blog at MoxieInstitute.com

For more infomation >> Imagining Your Audience Naked Doesn't Work.. but this Technique Does! - Duration: 3:14.

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Christmas Forecast: The weather outside is not frightful, but a fire will feel delightful! - Duration: 2:51.

For more infomation >> Christmas Forecast: The weather outside is not frightful, but a fire will feel delightful! - Duration: 2:51.

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Warriors didn't put a ring on JaVale McGee, but they will - Duration: 6:06.

JaVale McGee missed Tuesday's game against his old team, the Golden State Warriors

 The Warriors had planned to give McGee his championship ring but McGee needed rest, having just recovered from pneumonia

Advertisement >  Warriors coach Steve Kerr said the team plans to give McGee his ring when the Lakers return to Oakland on Feb

2.  "I'm happy for JaVale," Kerr said. "He's getting more of a chance to play with the Lakers than he did with us

We had a lot of centers play a really important role for us the last couple of years

 "He was fantastic and we loved having him here. Wish he was here and that we could give him his ring today, but we'll do it next time

"  The Lakers did not rule out McGee playing Thursday in Sacramento, but it's unlikely he will

The team, which returned to Los Angeles on Tuesday night, isn't planning to practice Wednesday

 McGee spent three days in the hospital last week while recovering from the illness

He was cleared to play Sunday, but the Lakers opted to hold him out because he hadn't played in a week

LeBron James strains left groin during Lakers' rout of the Warriors By Tania Ganguli Dec 25, 2018 | 7:45 PM  Stephenson big off bench  Lance Stephenson had played only one minute and 15 seconds against the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday and no time at all in the Lakers' previous game against the New Orleans Pelicans

 But after LeBron James went down with a groin strain, the Lakers needed Stephenson and he made the most of his minutes

Stephenson, who played 11 minutes and 29 seconds, scored 11 points. He made four of six shots, including three of four three-pointers

 "Lance stepped up," center Ivica Zubac said. "They were going on a run, the crowd was going crazy and he hit some big shots to separate us a little bit

That was big time. That helped us a lot.  "After he hit those shots, we started playing better defense and we were able to go on our run

"  Warriors' defensive lapses  Kerr maintained his sense of humor when asked about the Warriors' defense

From the back of the Lakers bench to center stage, Ivica Zubac gets his points across By Dan Woike Dec 25, 2018 | 10:25 PM  "I'm trying to think of something really sarcastic and witty to say, but nothing comes to mind right now," Kerr said

"They shot 55% and scored 127 points on our home floor, so it speaks for itself."  On the other end, the Lakers' defense kept the Warriors' shooting in unfamiliar territory

Advertisement >  The Warriors made nine of 36 three-pointers and struggled to score all night

Draymond Green attempted three three-pointers and missed them all.  Klay Thompson was two for seven from the field while Stephen Curry was five for 17

 As a team, the Warriors like to reach 30 assists per game and had only 28.  "We have the ability to play great defense when we tune into our game plan," James said

"And we did that for 48 minutes. We were locked in to what we needed to do and even against a great team like this, we know they're going to make great shots, they're going to challenge us all night

But we were in tune with the game plan and we just tried to execute that."