Life style
The life of the politician who dared to take on Donald Trump
Third time may be a charm for Joe Biden in today’s election race, as the career politician has dreamed of becoming president for over three decades.
His long, distinguished political career has been full of success, scandals, gaffes and intense heartbreak.
But Biden hopes his Pennsylvanian upbringing and inspirational life story can win back the blue-collar voters who were so pivotal in electing Donald Trump in 2016.
Though Trump claims he has done more in 47 weeks than the Democrat has in 47 years, Biden has stayed resolute vowing to “restore the soul of America” if he is made US President on November 3.
Who is Joe Biden?
Joseph R Biden Jr, was born in working-class mining town Scranton, Pennsylavania in 1942 to a Roman Catholic family.
His father struggled to find work after losing his job as an oil businessman and eventually became a used car salesman to support his wife and Biden’s two brothers and sister.
As a child and teenager, he struggled with a stutter bravely overcoming the affliction through public speaking.
He played American football as a freshman in college and is a sports car enthusiast.
He graduated from the University of Delaware and Syracuse Law School to become a lawyer.
His 2020 bid comes four years after he opted against challenging Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic contest so soon after the death of his first son Beau.
Four years older than Mr Trump, Biden would be 78 on inauguration date if he won – the oldest president ever elected for the first time.
Political career highlights so far
Biden was elected to the senate aged just 29. In 1979, he secured the passage of arms limitation agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union, reducing the risk of global nuclear disaster.
He first ran for president in 1988 keeping his campaign centrist and vague to appeal to the majority of American voters.
But his dream fell apart when he was accused of plagiarising some of his speeches including most famously a debate in Iowa where he lifted large sections of then Labour leader Neil Kinnock’s “1,000 generations” speech.
Biden, channelling Kinnock, told the crowds: “Is it because I’m the first Biden in a thousand generations to get a college and a graduate degree that I was smarter than the rest?” He also pointed to his wife in the crowd just as Kinnock did.
Biden later would take the blame for his mistakes during the campaign. “All I had to say was ‘Like Kinnock.’ If I’d just said those two words, ‘Like Kinnock,’ and I didn’t. It was my fault, nobody else’s fault,” he said.
“I’ve done some dumb things, and I’ll do dumb things again.”
In 1994, he sponsored the original Violence Against Women Act leading to a major decline in intimate partner violence, from 2.1 million victims in 1994 to 907,000 in 2010.
The Democrat ran for President again in 2008 but failed to get his campaign off his ground against a youthful, charismatic Barack Obama who promptly made him his vice president for two terms.
As vice president to Obama, he played a pivotal role in lifting the USA out of the Great Recession in 2008 and helped pass the Affordable Care Act, guaranteeing health coverage for Americans with pre-existing conditions and 20 million who were previously uninsured.
A spokeswoman for Obama said he had relied on Biden’s “knowledge, insight, and judgment throughout both campaigns and the entire presidency”.
He also became a popular meme topic, depicted as a hellraiser compared to Obama’s calm persona, fuelled by his occasional gaffes.
How’s he been on the campaign trail
Dismissed as ‘Sleepy Joe’ by Trump, Biden has been criticised for spending too much time in the basement during the pandemic. Whilst Trump favours huge, usually maskless, rallies in the red states, Biden opts for virtual benefits so as not to spread the risk of coronavirus.
Biden is well-known nationally and popular in some places Democrats have lost recently, such as working-class swing states Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania, his birthplace.
During the second presidential debate, Biden accidentally referred to far-right militia the Proud Boys as ‘the poor boys’ as he attacked Trump’s record on tackling racism.
He also confused his wife with his sister on stage at a rally in California in June. “By the way, this is my little sister Valerie!” Biden said while grabbing his wife’s right hand.
“And I’m Jill’s husband,” he went on while reaching for his sister’s.
Biden recently faced new questions in regards to greeting strangers at political events, with several women coming forward to say he had made them feel uncomfortable.
He has apologised and said he recognised standards for personal conduct had evolved in the wake of the #MeToo movement.
Biden and Trump went head-to-head twice during the campaigning period. The first US presidential debate descended into an ugly brawl, with Trump repeatedly interrupting Biden and the White House rivals hurling insults at each other as they clashed over everything from the economy and race relations to the coronavirus pandemic.
At one point, Biden became so exasperated he told the president: “Would you shut up, man.”
The second debate was a more controlled affair with neither candidate landing a fatal blow to his opponent’s hopes but Biden crucially emerged unscathed. After Trump claimed that no US President had done more for the black community since Abraham Lincoln, Biden countered powerfully: “Abraham Lincoln here is one of the most racist presidents we’ve had in modern history. He’s pours fuel on every single racist fire… This guy has a dog whistle the size of a fog horn.”
Policies
Biden is known as a moderate Democrat and Trump’s attempts to paint him as a dangerous left-wing radical have largely failed.
As opposed to Trump, Biden recognises the threat of climate change and has put forward an ambitious, $2 trillion plan to have a carbon-free power sector by 2035 and invest in a green economy.
Biden’s plan for health care would attempt to make the Affordable Care Act passed under Obama-Biden easier to navigate with more choices whilst insuring an estimated 97 per cent of Americans.
He opposes Brexit, putting him at odds with Downing Street, and he said a Biden White House would push to protect the Northern Ireland peace deal.
Biden has also put forth several plans to address the coronavirus pandemic, pledging to follow the science and heed the advice of experts.
Family Life
The month after being first elected senator in a shock victory in 1978, Biden’s wife Neilia and their one-year-old daughter Naomi were killed in tragic accident in Hockessin, Delaware.
Biden’s sons Beau and Hunter suffered a broken leg and a minor skull fracture, and doctors feared they would never recover.
In his autobiography, Biden wrote that he considered suicide before vowing to survive to raise his remaining sons. He wrote: “Most of all I was numb but there were moments when the pain would cut through like a shard of broken glass.”
– The Evening Standard
Institute of Hospitality Sri Lanka
The 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the UK-based Institute of Hospitality’s Sri Lanka Chapter was held recently at the Ramada Hotel Colombo,.The event provided an evening of camaraderie , reflection of the past and present achievements,setting new benchmarks for the future
The AGM had the presence of two distinguished guests, the Chief Guest Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, and the Guest of Honour British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Andrew Patrick. Their inspiring speeches were lauded by all hoteliers who were present at the occasion
A special thanks was extended to Robert Richardson, CEO of the Institute of Hospitality UK, along with his team, sponsors, committee members, and all attendees for making the event memorable.
Dr. Harsha Jayasingh, Past President of the Institute of Hospitality (UK) Sri Lanka Chapter, emphasised the Institute’s longstanding history and the strength of its Sri Lankan branch. “The Institute of Hospitality (IH) UK has a history of 86 years, and we are proud to be the Sri Lanka Branch. IH Sri Lanka is much stronger now with many members from all areas of the hospitality industry,” he stated.
Dr. Jayasingh highlighted the significant role of tourism in Sri Lanka’s economy,. He said tourism it is the third-largest source of revenue for the country. “Tourism accounts for about 13.3% of total foreign exchange earnings and employs 450,000 people directly and indirectly. The hospitality industry in this island of pearl holds tremendous potential for economic growth, job creations, and cultural exchange,” he added.
He also pointed out more women should be attracted to the industry and advocated for the use of technology in hospitality sector to attract the younger generation.
The newly appointed Chairman Ramesh Dassanayake spoke about the challenges faced by the industry, including the reluctance of youth to join the sector. . Dassanayake expressed concerns over the migration of staff between hotels and the overall ‘brain drain’ in the sector. ” We must maintain high standards in the hotel We must try to attract tourists to Sri Lanka, we must have with many facilities Hence, hotel schools and other professional institutions involved in skills development mustincrease their intakes,” he pointed out.
Chief Guest Sajith Premadasa emphasised the importance of eco tourism and said “We need to have an environmental policy related to tourism in place,” . .
The 32nd AGM of the Institute of Hospitality UK, Sri Lanka Chapter, was a testament to the strength and potential of Sri Lanka’s hospitality industry. The insights and commitments shared during the event set a new benchmark for the future.(ZC)
Pix by Thushara Attapathu
Life style
He recognizes human identity beyond boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
Visit of Sri Gurudev to Sri Lanka
Humanitarian, spiritual leader and Global Ambassador of Peace Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Sri Gurudev) was in Sri Lanka on a three day tour on the invitation of the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka Dinesh Gunewardene. Gurudev who inspired a wave of volunteerism and service to moot one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in the world – The Art of Living – visited the various projects under the aegis of the foundation and launched twelve vocational and technical centers around the island. He was accompanied by thousands of followers from Sri Lanka and around the world.
Gurudev who visited Sri Lanka for the sixth time also had a first day cover launched in honour of his visit. He is a strong proponent of spreading happiness, using the unique Sudarshan Kriya, yoga, meditation and practical wisdom to unite people, empower individuals and transform communities. His programmes provide techniques and tools to live a deeper, more joyous life, while his non-profit organisations recognize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion.
The Art of Living which has more than 30,000 teachers and over one million volunteers across 180 countries has touched in excess of five hundred million people around the world. CNN called it “Life Changing” and The Washington Post headlined it, “Fresh air to millions”.
In Trincomalee, Gurudev met with war victims and had a heartwarming engagement with the children from the children’s homes run by the Foundation. He also visited the Koneswara Temple in Trincomalee and graced the Kumbhabhishekam at Seetha ecogPnize the human identity beyond the boundaries of gender, race, nationality and religion. Amman temple at Nuwara Eliya. He held discussions with the trustees on the progress of the foundation’s social service projects, while also holding a special event – Ekamuthuwa – attended by a large number of dignitaries and his devotees from around the world.
His time with the Prime Minister was spent discussing the prospects of unity in diversity and uniting Sri Lanka by adding happiness into the formula of living. In addition he had discussions with the Speaker of the Parliament of Sri Lanka Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, prominent business stewards and civil society leaders.
by Zanita Careem
Envison your dream wedding day come to life at the Epitome Hotel, a prestigious city hotel in Kurunegala offering an unrivalled luxury rendors experience for weddings.
The venue is designed to embody opulence and luxury from all quarters for a spectacular wedding in kurunegala,Thier ballroom is the largest banquet facility in Sri Lanka It can be divided into six luxurious pillarless wedding halls on the ground floor and 25pax smaller banquet halls.
It can be easily named as a five star heaven in the heart of the city contributing to a myriad of immense experiences tailored to inspire and delight wedding experiences.
From opulent décor set up to exquisite table decor, lavish food, every detail is meticulously curated to spark your imagination and ignite creativity for a perfect wedding. The previous prestigious wedding shows season one and season two attracted large crowds
were unique events which gave the wedding vendors and potential clients had an opportunity to connect and interact with each other. Beyond being a showcase it was a chance for the wedding vendors to unite and contribute to the vibrancy of the wedding industry. The wedding show covered all area of the bridal industry providing a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became the most popular bridal exhibitions in Kurunegala.This bridal exhibitions allowed brides and grooms to experience first hand the products and services available from suppliers in Sri Lanka
These wedding shows held at The Epitome created a benchmark and gave an opportunity for vendors to create connections to the utmost satisfaction said Harshan Lakshita Executive Director. of the magnificent Hotel
Our wedding shows featured experts and professionals in every field‘ It covered all areas of the bridal industry provided a comprehensive variety of bridal supplies from Sri lanka and became most popular bridal exhibition in this region.We are always open to everyone to join us at our wedding shows in the future. It is an opportunity to discover the incredible talent within our local wedding and bridal vendors to make meaningful relationships and plan thier special day at our breathtaking hotel The Epitome said General Manager Kavinda Caldera
The Epitome Hotel’s bridal show which will be held end of June will buzz with great ideas,advice and inspiration for all those who plan thier dream wedding
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The Hotel Epitome’s Wedding Season 3 will marked excellence, celebration and inspiration for those in the wedding industry. The exhibition halls will resonate with ideas on exquisite bridal wear to decor, florists , photography etc and showshowcase the rich tapestry of talent within the local wedding industry. .
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