Monthly Archives: July 2020

YMCA fire: Crews making progress on wildfire burning near Caon City – OutThere Colorado

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Firefighters expect to continue making progress Friday containing theYMCA fire that has burned nearly 300 acres southwest of Caon City, theBureau of Land Management said.

Firefighters started to take the upper hand Thursday on the lightning-caused fire.

The fire was 30% contained as of 8 p.m. Thursday. Helicopters continued making bucket drops of water through the day to cool off hot spots and hit spots that were inaccessible by ground crews.

Much of the smoke produced on Thursday was from interior fuels, the BLM said, which kept the fire from growing significantly. Overnight, it had grown from about 100 acres to 268 acres. The fire is currently mapped at 293 acres.

Although containment is increasing, smoke and possibly flames will continue to be visible from Caon City and neighboring areas.

The fire was reported about 3:37 p.m. Wednesday on Bureau of Land Management-Royal Gorge Field Office lands. No structures are threatened, no evacuation orders are planned.

According to the Caon City Area Fire Protection District, the fire was in the area of Temple Canyon.

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YMCA fire: Crews making progress on wildfire burning near Caon City - OutThere Colorado

Other Viewpoints: Why is AG Barr going after Google? – The Columbus Dispatch

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For months, President Donald Trumps Justice Department has hinted that it intends to crack down on Silicon Valley. It recently took a big step closer as senior antitrust officials met with their state counterparts to plot out a case against Alphabet Inc.s Google. Quite what they plan to argue isnt yet clear. But as the final months of Trumps first term wind down, and an election draws near, some exceptional skepticism is in order.

One reason for caution is that Attorney General William Barr has not exactly been a disinterested enforcer of competition law. Quite the opposite: In recent testimony, a senior Justice Department whistleblower described how Barr pressured antitrust prosecutors to harass automakers (and others) for transparently political reasons.

Now, according to news reports, Barr has taken an unusual interest in the Google case. Why? In a recent interview with Fox News, he intimated that he hopes to use antitrust law to punish tech companies for censoring conservative viewpoints, a frequent preoccupation of Trumps. Never mind that this accusation is false, and that tech companies would be entirely within their rights to so discriminate if they chose. The whole thing has nothing to do with antitrust.

Perhaps Barr was musing idly, and perhaps the department has more legitimate objections in mind. But even under more traditional theories of competition law, Google makes an odd target.

Feasibly, a case might be made against its dominance of the online advertising market, for instance. Combined with Facebook, Google took in about 60% of digital ad spending last year. Yet theres no law against building a good product. And with pressure rising from Amazon and other contenders, online ad rates have fallen by more than 40% in the past decade. That doesnt look like a market lacking in competition.

Nor could anyone credibly argue that Google has harmed consumers, the standard traditionally applied in antitrust analysis. To the contrary, it gives them (among other things) access to limitless email, a smartphone operating system, innovative mapping software and a search engine that ranks among the greatest inventions of the past century all for free. Its targeted advertising has been a boon to businesses big and small. Thats to say nothing of its work on driverless cars, quantum computing or esoteric life-extension technologies.

Even an otherwise blameless company shouldnt get a pass for anticompetitive behavior, of course. And some allege that Google has unfairly privileged its own products, pursued harmful mergers and engaged in other dubious conduct. If the Justice Department imposed targeted remedies for such violations after a transparent investigation, it would be entirely appropriate.

Yet the Trump administration has suggested nothing of the sort publicly. If its track record is any guide, this case is more likely to amount to a political attack with a belabored legal rationale attached. Even if its motives are pure, the administration should be wary: Government intervention in a market where no obvious harm has been caused to consumers and in pursuit of vague or unrelated objectives is a recipe for disaster.

The fact is, for all the criticism leveled at tech companies, they employ hundreds of thousands of people, create immensely useful products, propel what growth the American economy still enjoys and are among the most trusted brands going. They need to follow the rules like everyone else. But abusing antitrust law to clobber them for electoral gain wont end well for anyone.

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Other Viewpoints: Why is AG Barr going after Google? - The Columbus Dispatch

ABMS Announces Progressive Leave Policy for Residents and Fellows – PRNewswire

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CHICAGO, July 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS), the leading not-for-profit organization that oversees physician certification in the United States, announced the adoption of a progressive leave policy that will offer residents and fellows more flexibility, reduce stress, and increase autonomy in making life decisions, especially with regard to family and parental leave.

Starting in July 2021, all ABMS Member Boards with training programs of two or more years duration will allow for a minimum of six weeks away once during training for purposes of parental, caregiver, and medical leave, without exhausting time allowed for vacation or sick leave and without requiring an extension in training. Member Boards must communicate when a leave of absence will require an official extension to help mitigate the negative impact on a physician's career trajectory that a training extension may have, such as delaying a fellowship or moving into a full, salaried position.

"The growing shifts in viewpoints regarding work-life balance and parental roles had a great influence in the creation of this policy which fosters an environment that supports our trainees' ability to care not only for patients, but also for themselves and their families,"stated Richard E. Hawkins, MD, ABMS President and Chief Executive Officer."Several ABMS Member Boards have already adopted policies ensuring residents and fellows have the flexibility to manage their training commitments 'when life happens' and not unduly delay achievement of board certification. All of our Member Boards will extend these opportunities to residents as they implement the new policy during the next year."

The development of the new "ABMS Policy on Parental, Caregiver and Family Leave" was initiated following a report from the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education's (ACGME) Council of Review Committee Residents in June 2019. An ABMS Task Force on Parental Leave was established and included Jo Buyske, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, American Board of Surgery (ABS) and Carolyn Kinney, MD, Executive Director, American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, both members of the ABMS Board of Directors Member; Nancy Rose, MD, representing the American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics; and Julius Hamilton, MD, a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist and a member of the ABMS Stakeholder Council. ABMS and ACGME co-sponsored a workshop on resident and fellow parental and family leave in early February 2020 that brought together more than 80 multidisciplinary stakeholders to explore this issue and make recommendations for improvement.

"It is gratifying to see the high level of engagement and commitment from ABMS Member Boards to address an issue that is so important to physicians in training," said Dr. Kinney. "Through Member Boards' compassionate and creative efforts, we see that it is possible to maintain high standards for physician training while preserving trainees' physical and emotional well-being."

The newly approved policy offers ABMS Member Boards the flexibility to create a parental, family or medical leave protocol that best suits the training required for their specialty and/or subspecialty. Examples of this tailored approach include the American Board of Anesthesiology's (ABA) recent addition of 40 additional days (8 weeks) of absence from training over and above the existing 60 days absence permitted, subject to approval by the ABA, without extending training, and ABS' six-year residency option, under which a resident may take up to 12 months leave during the training period if needed. The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology allows a resident to take up to a total of 24 weeks (six months) of leave over the four years of residency, not to exceed 12 weeks in a single year.

Kristy Rialon, MD, one of the authors of the ACGME report, welcomes this change. "By virtue of their ages, residents and fellowsmale and femaleoften find themselves having and raising children, as well as serving as family members' caregivers," said Dr. Rialon, Assistant Professor of Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and the Texas Children's Hospital. "By adopting more realistic and compassionate approaches, the ABMS Member Boards will significantly improve the quality of life for residents and fellows. This also will support our female physicians, helping to narrow the gender gap in their career advancement by allowing for greater leave flexibility."

About ABMSEstablished in 1933, the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is the leading not-for profit organization overseeing physician certification in the United States. ABMS supports 24 Member Boards that develop educational and professional standards and programs of assessment to certify physician specialists, all dedicated to improving the quality of care to the patients, families and communities they serve. More than 900,000 physicians are certified in one or more of 40 specialties and 87 subspecialties offered by the ABMS Member Boards. For more information about ABMS, visit abms.org or call (312) 436-2600.

SOURCE American Board of Medical Specialties

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ABMS Announces Progressive Leave Policy for Residents and Fellows - PRNewswire

Whats the Best Human Brain Alternative for Hungry Zombies? – Gizmodo Australia

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Lets say youre a zombie. Youre lumbering around, doing your zombie-mumble, and just ten feet ahead you see a living human being. Your first impulse, of course, is to head over there and eat their brain. And youre about to do just that, when suddenly you feel a pang of something like shame. You remember, dimly, being a human yourself. You remember how you mightve felt, if an undead weirdo got to gnawing on your skull. Youre at an impasse: at once desperate for brain meat and reluctant to kill for it. So you head to your zombie psychologist and start explaining the situation, and your zombie psychologist starts grinning, which annoys you at first I mean, youre baring your soul to this guy until he explains whats on his mind. Turns out, hes been toying with an idea a pilot program for conscience-stricken zombies. Instead of human brains, theyll be fed stuff that looks and tastes just like brains, thereby sparing them the obligation to kill. The only thing they need to work out is: what would be an acceptable substitute for human brains? For this weeks Giz Asks, we reached out to a number of brain experts to find out.

Associate Professor, Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School

The brain is of course composed primarily of lipids, and so it is perfectly reasonable to assume that it is brain lipids that zombies really crave. But why human brains and not, say, mouse brains? Lipidomic analysis reveals that human brains are unusually enriched in a compound called sphingomyelin (relative to brains from rodents), and so it is further reasonable to assume that what zombies want is actually lots of sphingomyelin. So where to get it? Eggs. Eggs are packed with sphingomyelin. Furthermore, eggs also have the advantage of having a white outer cortex and a lipid-rich centre, just like the human brain, so they seem a reasonable substitute all around.

Chair and Professor of Neurology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Co-Director UCLA Broad Stem Cell Centre

A food-based substitute would require a fair amount of work, because youd have to get a sort of fatty, proteinaceous slop together as a mimic for the brain. A thick macaroni and cheese might work, with a larger noodle like ziti or rigatoni and no tang, meaning a thick white cheese, as opposed to cheddar.

The brain sandwich, made from cow brains, was an unusual delicacy in St. Louis for years. When I lived there, I saw what it looked like as they fried it, and its hard to imagine any other organ meat could substitute for the real thing. Kidney and liver are too firm and too structured; most foods we eat, or could think about eating, are also too firm, and not fatty enough.

A brain from another animal might work, though it would have to be an animal with an advanced brain that is, one with the folds we see when we look at the brains surface (which are called gyri and cilici). Those are what distinguish higher mammals from lower mammals. They also make the human brain this particularly characteristic thing in terms of substance and texture and appearance. So an animal brain, to sub for a human brain, would need to have those features. That would mean anything from, say, a dog or cat on up those both have gyri and cilici, whereas rodents and rabbits, for example, do not.

Assistant Professor of Brain Science, Psychiatry and Human Behaviour at Brown University

I think my Zombie would be a vegan. The thing that I have found to be the closest in texture to the brain is tofu (not the firm kind). People are often surprised by that fact, because its really soft you can put your finger through it easily.

Broadly, I study the kind of complex planning and decision making that is localised to the front of the brain, the prefrontal cortex. This area is also one of the most likely to be injured if you hit your head, because your very soft brain bounces around inside your skull. Our lab typically does a demo for Brain Week and other events that lets people feel tofu, and then shake it around in a container and see what happens to it. Shake it around in some water (mimicking some of the protections that our brain has in the cerebro-spinal fluid that it floats in) and the tofu does much better (which is why its packaged in water!).

Unfortunately tofu doesnt mimic all the wonderful folding that it has that lets us pack so many brain cells into a tight space. A sheet of paper crumpled up is best to show that capacity, but paper is probably much less tasty than tofu (to humans anyway, I dont know about zombies!).

Professor, Systems Biology, George Mason University

My proposal is: a literal pound of flesh. Many people have too much of it; its very similar to the brain in texture; it has a lot of cholesterol, which is important, because in my opinion at least zombies would crave exactly that. Also, adipose tissue is very rich with various kinds of growth hormones and other kinds of bioactive stuff. If you could develop some kind of device that would transfer the flesh to the zombies, people might even be grateful they wouldnt have to get liposuction.

Senior Lecturer, Medical Biotechnology, Deakin University

The best thing to do would be to make small versions of a brain from stem cells, called organoids. These are almost, but not quite, brains. You grow them in an artificial 3D environment that mimics the properties of the central nervous tissue, and allow them to develop networks of neural cells in a structured way. Theyre used for research into drugs and diseases and so on, but would probably be an acceptable meat-free snack for an ethically conscious zombie plague.

Professor in Neurology and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University

If I were a vegetarian zombie, I would try to make a brain substitute using the major components of the brain carbohydrates, proteins, and cells. The major carbohydrate component is hyaluronic acid (which is found in many beauty products, and can be purchased in bulk). Though by itself it does not form a solid, only a very viscous liquid, it can be combined with other materials that do form a solid. For example, sea weed has a carbohydrate named alginate that does form gels when combined with calcium. So, a blend of hyaluronic acid and alginate with calcium can yield a material that has the mechanics of the brain. For the protein component, eggs, beans, soy, and quinoa all can be good choices. To get the texture right, the calcium can be added while stirring to generate chunks. If it is OK to eat other animals, then I would buy pig brains, which are often discarded. Pig organs are close to the same size of humans and have even been used for transplantation due to similarities in physiology/biochemistry. That would be the simplest choice.

Associate Professor, Psychology and Neuroscience, George Mason University

Whenever I eat cauliflower, I think of the cerebellum or little brain. It is tucked away behind the cerebrum, or main part of the brain. The cerebellum is small, but it is where about 80 per cent of the entire brains neurons are found! Most of the cerebellums neurons, or grey matter, are found on its outer surface. They are tightly packed together in little folds called folia. The neurons in the folia are connected to each other by nerve fibres, also known as white matter. When the cerebellum is cut in half, the white matter appears as this beautiful network of branches called the arbor vitae, or tree of life. It really does look just like a head of cauliflower!

Professor, Psychology and Neuroscience, Trinity College

The brain is actually quite soft and squishy. Fortunately for us it normally floats in a pool of cerebrospinal fluid that serves as a cushiony packing material protecting the delicate brain from the hard skull. But the brain is so soft it can easily become injured without the head striking any object. If there is enough rotational or acceleration/deceleration motion for the brain to hit the skull the tips of the brain can be bruised and individual cells can be stretched or sheared from their connections. This can happen, for example, in motor vehicle accidents or shaken baby syndrome where the head is thrown very quickly forwards and then backwards.

The consistency I think the brain comes closest to is a gelatin. But I would recommend that our zombie make the gelatin with milk rather than water. This will give it a closer consistency to a brain, the colour will be more opaque like a real brain, and it will provide more of the much needed protein the zombie craves. There are even commercially made gelatin molds if the zombie is able to access stores or online shopping.

Another option would be a soft tofu. This might be a great option for a zombie who is a vegetarian or vegan. There is plenty of protein but it will be much harder to mould into the right shape. Sadly, most zombies are not portrayed to have the fine motor skills needed to create a brain shape from scratch, so the tofu would just have to be eaten as is.

On a side note, if our zombie truly finds that nothing satisfies like a real brain, they could certainly consider becoming a neurosurgeon that specialises in therapeutic surgeries, like temporal lobe resections. In this case, a small portion of the temporal lobe of the brain is removed to relieve a person of intractable epilepsy. This might allow for a chance to satisfy their craving while providing benefit to the person involved.

Do you have a burning question for Giz Asks? Email us at [emailprotected]

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Whats the Best Human Brain Alternative for Hungry Zombies? - Gizmodo Australia

Quote of the Day on the Morality of Those Seeking Heaven – Patheos

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I will be expanding on this, but this point from a regular astute commenter is exactly one that I have touched upon here:

Heaven & Hell Stop You From Genuinely Morally Evaluating

But if you cant be bothered to read that, read(((J_Enigma32)))s recent comment:

Oh, theres a bunch of problems with heaven, but all of it anchors around the reward based-system that religion depends on. Youre never virtuous for your own sake; youre always acting according to your own idea of virtue because you know if you dont, you wont get into heaven. Therefore, one could argue that by your own standards, you arent a virtuous person if you believe in heaven and are motivated by heaven as a potential reward. And thats before we get into the issue of heaven dividing families and the suffering that will inevitably cause. Its what happens when your reward system is individually based rather than focused on something like a society as a whole.The very existence of heaven implies that morality is unimportant; if morality were important and satisfying, then that would be the end goal itself and morality and virtue would be seen as an atelic activity rather than a telic one.

Its a problem that results from all teleological narratives, actually, where they be religious ideas of realitys nature or the historical narratives of the orthodoxy, pushing their particular brand of nationalism, or some libertarian transhumanists, who think were moving closer to something they call a singularity by virtue of their historical narrative of the endless self-improving nature of technology. All of those are wrong, just like heaven is wrong, but theyre all wrong in an understandably human way, and one that fails to account for the hedonic treadmill, which is vital to a discussion like this.

To which marblesanswered:

This was a joy to read, thanks.

one could argue that by your own standards, you arent a virtuous person if you believe in heaven and are motivated by heaven as a potential reward

I actually asked my youth pastor about this when I was around 11 or 12. She laughed and told me not to overthink it, just be a good person for whatever reason I want to.

Addendum: as I see it, if youre only practicing virtue in the hopes of a reward, your true nature shows itself sooner or later. You can always rationalize why youre totally going to Heaven no matter how repulsive a human being you are.

So, can you ever be truly moral, truly alturistic? Its the classic question that I remember debating at school (even then, I surmised that you couldnt). Either way, its even harder with the twin ultimate conceptual blackmails of heaven and hell hanging over you.

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Quote of the Day on the Morality of Those Seeking Heaven - Patheos

How Blockchain For Business Will Develop In 2020 And Beyond – Technology – Ireland – Mondaq News Alerts

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13 July 2020

Mason Hayes & Curran

To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com.

Many know blockchain as the innovative technology that allowsthe cryptocurrency Bitcoin to work. The underlying blockchainprotocol can be repurposed for many non-currency purposes. Theblockchain protocol is suitable for anything that requires aprocess to record transactions and track assets, whether thoseassets relate to property, IP, finance or something else. Itpromises more efficient and transparent business transactionscompared to existing solutions.

Blockchain is still an evolving technology. In the legal worldwe are keeping a close eye on 'smart contracts' that useblockchain. We are also looking forward to seeing how blockchainfor business develops alongside other disruptive technologies, likebig data analytics, the Internet of Things and artificialintelligence.

As we enter this new decade, continued collaboration betweengovernment and private enterprises is needed to help blockchain forbusiness gain momentum. It is vital for the technology to gain thetrust of stakeholders to encourage greater uptake. As blockchainfor business matures and the technology and standards develop toaddress the challenges around data protection, regulatorycompliance and long term stability, many more projects are likelyto progress past the proof of concept phase.

We expect to see increased government and private sectorawareness and investment. Other trends to watch out forinclude:

Building on a current trend, organisations withbusiness-critical services or with sensitive data will opt for'blockchain for business' private, permissioned blockchainnetworks rather than public blockchain networks. The identitymanagement feature of a private, permissioned network that onlyallows selected participants to join is better suited for businessto business (B2B) use cases.

Consortiums and individual organisations are exploring theability for blockchain to provide an efficient, transparent form ofdigital ID for individuals or businesses. This will be valuable forfacilitating access to government services or streamlining customeron-boarding and 'know your client' checks.

The 'tokenisation' of assets is the process of issuing ablockchain token that digitally represents ownership of a realtradable asset. Although tokenisation is in its early stages, thetokenisation of assets and trading, and exchanging those tokens,will pick up speed in sectors such as financial services and realestate, improving operational efficiency and decreasing tradingcosts.

There is a strong belief at an EU level that blockchaintechnology can help build Europe's Digital Single Market. Assuch, we expect to see significant steps this year on the draftingand adoption of appropriate legal and regulatory frameworks forblockchain to help foster innovation and harmonise standards forthe Digital Single Market.

From an Irish perspective, Ireland has made progress tocapitalise on the opportunities that blockchain for businessoffers. However, more work is needed to keep upwith othermember states. To continue operating at the leading edge, Irelandneeds a clear plan and vision for blockchain. Building trust willbe crucial.

Regulation doesn't need to mean the end of innovation. As asmall nation it is possible to implement a 'blockchainfriendly', innovative and technology-neutral regulatoryframework. Countries like Gibraltar, Liechtenstein and Malta areleading the way. It is important that the newly formed governmentis on board to help drive the agenda for our businesses at anational and EU level.

Stakeholders, such as technology experts, banks and professionalservices, need to actively work together to promote blockchain forbusiness-use cases. Ultimately, success will depend on support fromthe wider community, through a mix of investment, collaboration andinnovation.

The content of this article is intended to provide a generalguide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be soughtabout your specific circumstances.

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Blockchain Technology Market Size to Flourish with an Impressive CAGR during 2019 2025 – Cole of Duty

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Blockchain Technology Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data:Company, Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors, Product Category, Application and Specification with Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin, Main Business/Business Overview.

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Global Blockchain Technology Market valued approximately USD 242.4 million in 2016 is anticipated to grow with a healthy growth rate of more than 81.2% over the forecast period 2017-2025. The driving factor for Smart Lock market is One of the latest trends gaining traction the advent of artificial intelligence (AI). BT powered by AI is the most advanced IT development taking place in the blockchain and cryptocurrency market. AI is providing several features to manage decentralized monetary systems. AI algorithms should be used to predict the value of bitcoins, which can help bitcoin traders to handle bitcoin transactions, it will also help the customers to have an easy access to a comparative information and will allow many investors to get better informed before deciding about their financial plans. This, in turn, will strike growth in the global BT market during the forecast period.

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Historical year 2015

Base year 2016

Forecast period 2017 to 2025

Some of the key manufacturers involved in the market are AWS, IBM, Microsoft, Ripple, Chain, Inc, arthport, Coinbase, Bit fury, BTL Group, Digital Asset Holdings, Abra, Factom, Alphapoint. Acquisitions and effective mergers are some of the strategies adopted by the key manufacturers. New product launches and continuous technological innovations are the key strategies adopted by the major players.

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Blockchain in Telecommunication and Post Services Market 2020 Global Industry Trends, Growth, Share, Size and Forecast to 2026 – Daily Research…

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Blockchain in Telecommunication and Post Services Market 2020 Global Industry Trends, Growth, Share, Size and Forecast to 2026 - Daily Research...

Blockchain for Supply Chain Market Share, Revenue, And Average Price By Manufacturers Shared In A Latest Research Report – 3rd Watch News

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Blockchain for Supply Chain Marketreport covers the COVID 19 impact analysis on key drivers influencing market Growth, Opportunities, the Challenges and the Risks faced by key players and the Blockchain for Supply Chain market as a whole. The complete profile of the worldwide top manufacturers like (Accenture, IBM, Microsoft, SAP SE, AWS, Huawei, Oracle, Guardtime, Tibco Software, Auxesis Group, BTL Group, Bitfury, Omnichain, Vechain Foundation, Chainvine, Digital Treasury Corporation, Blockverify, Nodalblock, Peer Ledger, Openxcell, Applied Blockchain, Recordskeeper, Transchain, Datex Corporation, Ownest) is mentioned such as Capacity, Production, Price, Revenue, Cost, Gross, Gross Margin, Sales Volume, Sales Revenue, Consumption, Growth Rate, Import, Export, Supply, Future Strategies, and The Technological Developments that they are making are also included within this Blockchain for Supply Chain market report. The historical data from 2012 to 2020 and forecast data from 2020 to 2026.

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In-Depth Qualitative Analyses Include Identification And Investigation Of The Following Aspects: Blockchain for Supply Chain Market Structure, Growth Drivers, Restraints and Challenges, Emerging Product Trends & Market Opportunities, Porters Fiver Forces.

Scope of Blockchain for Supply Chain Market:Blockchain offers a shared ledger that is updated and validated in real time with each network participant. It enables equal visibility of activities and reveals where an asset is at any point in time.

On the basis on the end users/applications,this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, shipments, revenue (Million USD), price, and market share and growth rate foreach application.

Retail and Consumer Goods Healthcare and Life Sciences Manufacturing Oil and Gas Logistics Others

On the basis of product type, this report displays the shipments, revenue (Million USD), price, and market share and growth rate of each type.

Software Services

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Blockchain for Supply Chain Market Share, Revenue, And Average Price By Manufacturers Shared In A Latest Research Report - 3rd Watch News

Do you need to wear sunscreen inside? Experts weigh in – NBC News

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Sunscreen vs blue light

According to Markowitz, the blue light emitted from digital screens including your computer, phone, tablet and TV can affect your skin in two ways:

If you choose to wear sunscreen indoors, your next step is to decide what formulation meets your skin and SPF needs. According to Gymrek, both chemical and physical blocks are protective against UVA and UVB as long as theyre labeled SPF 30 or higher and broad spectrum.

Physical blockers use iron oxide, zinc oxide or titanium dioxide as their active ingredients, says Gymrek.

These minerals create a physical barrier, blocking the ultraviolet and the blue light from reaching the skin surface, she explains.Blue light filters on your screens are also very helpful as are blue light blocking glasses.

Theyre designed to sit on top of the skin, meaning theyre less likely to clog your pores a good option for oily and acne-prone skin. However, be careful if you use a mineral sunscreen and topical acne medication, cautions Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist. The combination of the two can cause dryness because it is non-comedogenic.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays before they can damage your skin. With that in mind, they can also absorb into your skin, in contrast to physical sunscreens, which sit atop your skin. That absorption, King noted, could become problematic for your skin. Why? Studies on rats and mice have shown that some sunscreen ingredients negatively impact the reproductive systems, ovaries, mammary glands, testicules and prostates and endocrine systems. The concern is that if these toxic ingredients can absorb into the bloodstream, it could cause long-term health implications in humans. The FDA conducted followup research in 2020 and learned that active sunscreen ingredients "can remain in the body for extended periods of time" after one use.

On top of that, chemical sunscreens have negative implications for the environment and marine life, which is why Hawaii is banning the sale of sunblocks with oxybenzone and octinoxate. The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2021.

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We dont have firm evidence that they (chemical sunscreens) are doing anything that bad (to humans). We have these animal studies, but no, we dont have firm data that something sinister is afoot, but I think we just have more questions, says King. We dont really know yet if theyre doing anything harmful once they get absorbed.

King says that the best sunscreen for you is the one that youll actually wear, whether its a chemical or mineral formula. She personally uses and recommends mineral sunblocks to her patients. With physical blockers, theres fewer questions and concerns about the safety both for the environment and the body and you really dont have to sacrifice the formula anymore, she adds.

If you commit to wearing sunscreen indoors, then the pros suggest you reapply every two to six hours, depending on the instructions on the label. The sunscreen might feel like its longer-lasting because its not absorbing as much UV radiation, so its best to follow direction on this one, rather than intuition.

"If you ask me, the solution to this problem is simple: Get out of the sun. Draw the curtains or move your chair. That's what I've always done. I didn't have to get board-certified in dermatology to learn this simple trick," says Kenneth Howe, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Wexler Dermatology. If you still want to sit in front of a window, Howe says, "you should probably put on some sunscreen. It's not the best way to deal with the problem, though. I don't don a flame-retardant suit so I can sit by an open oven door."

When you cant avoid the sun while at the beach or out running then yes, certainly the risk of skin cancer far out-weights any theoretical concern about exposure to chemical sunscreens, Howe agrees. But when you're inside your own house? Just draw the curtains or move away, he says. If you simply stay out of sunlight penetrating your windows, no further indoor precautions are necessary. Unless you're working from home in a windowless room, then most of the medical experts weve consulted with advise that you wear sunscreen indoors to protect yourself from the sun's harsh rays.

To help you find the best sunscreen for your indoor use, here are what the dermatologists we spoke to recommended.

Gymrek and Dendy Engelman, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York, are fans of this non-comedogenic, hypoallergenic, oil-, paraben- and fragrance-free SPF. It is a sheer sunscreen that has physical blockers titanium dioxide and zinc making it good for people with sensitive skin and for blue light, says Engelman. Theres also caffeine in it, which has a low toxicity profile and antioxidant powers to help fight free radicals, according to a study in the US National Library of Medicine.

Sunscreen is a daily essential for all skin tones, whether you're indoors or outdoors, says Engelman. Her pick is a great sunscreen for acne and oily skin types because lactic acid will gently exfoliate the skin and regulate sebum build-up. Gymrek wears the niacinamide-infused sunscreen every morning, noting it dries down quickly. Howe says this is a great versatile SPF that feels great and everyone loves.

It's easy to forget that our scalps need sun protection, says Engelman. Her recommendation includes 24.5-percent zinc oxide and wont weigh down your hair. It feels similar to dry shampoo and provides non-greasy UV protection, she says. After you finish styling your hair, mist the sunblock along your hairline, part it and then massage it into your scalp with either a brush or your fingertips.

A personal favorite for morning use with my dry skin is Naturopathicas Daily UV Defense Cream SPF 50 for its smooth-but-thick effect and its smells divine, says Markowitz. The full-spectrum mineral sunscreen has green tea extract, which boasts antioxidant and anti-aging benefits for the skin. Engelman suggests that you cover up any exposed skin with about an ounce of sunscreen at a time, although you can adjust the amount based on your body type.

Gymrek loves to use this stick sunscreen before exercising because it never sweats into my eyes. Skinbetters sunblock applies creamy and white and rubs in easily and leaves no white residue on her skin. The water-resistant SPF is both a mineral and a physical blocking sunscreen, thanks to the combination of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

It's a common misconception that you only need sunscreen in the summer months, but make no mistake: we can get sun damage at any time in the year, including in the cold months, says Engelman. If our skin is unprotected and exposed to the sun's rays for even 15 minutes a day, that can have a very real cumulative impact.

Rest easy knowing there are sunscreens that are specially formulated for those with a sensitive skin type to use year-round. Gymrek and Markowitz recommend Blue Lizard Sensitive Skin sunscreen, a non-sticky option that offers broad-spectrum (UVA and UVB) protection and that is mineral-based.

Markowitz calls this mineral sunscreen a light-weight and effective option for those who want to layer their sunblock. Although all skin types dry, combination, oily, sensitive and normal hyaluronic acid and vitamin E hydrates your skin, so its best suited for those with dry, normal or sensitive skin.

She also recommends the Supergoop! sunblock to patients with combination skin who like a smooth, but robust sunscreen. Before you head out to the grocery store, rub this cruelty-free, reef-safe and vegan SPF gently onto your face and let it sit for about 20 minutes before you put on your antimicrobial face mask. Sunflower extract protects from environmental damage while rosemary leaf extract calms your complexion.

Francesca Fusco, MD, a board-certified dermatologist of Wexler Dermatology, recommends that you brush on this full-spectrum mineral sunscreen with SPF 50. Available in four shades ranging from Fair to Dark you can wear this water-resistant sunscreen by itself or layered over your makeup. Its not always easy to reapply sunscreen if youre indoors in a restaurant or at a (pre-coronavirus) party. Color Science SPF powder can be brushed on easily and quickly, she says.

Engelman advises that you aim to use broad-spectrum coverage, ideally with SPF 50 or higher. Try Howes recommendation, which aligns with her suggestion. Shisideos hypoallergenic mineral sunscreen is free of parabens, fragrances and alcohol, making it a solid choice for those with sensitive skin. He says the sunblock goes on really nicely with a smooth, non-tacky finish and is popular with surfers.

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Do you need to wear sunscreen inside? Experts weigh in - NBC News

Chernobyl is one of the best TV shows you can watch right now – Polygon

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This weekend, the number one movie at the American box office was Empire Strikes Back. Yes, George Lucas 1980 sequel to Star Wars returned to drive-ins and the few open theaters in the United States to gross nearly $500K, topping well, other old movies back in circulation. Hollywood continues to kick the can of new releases as it contends with the coronavirus pandemic, leaving the future of large-scale entertainment uncertain.

Meanwhile, those of us at Polygon are turning to home entertainment to fill the expansive void of new releases. A few absorbing new films arrived to streaming this weekend, including Netflixs The Old Guard, Hulus Palm Springs, and the VOD sci-fi release Archive. But most of us found ourselves plowing through our backlogs; case in point, our editor-in-chief Chris Plante finally found time for HBOs award-winning 2019 miniseries Chernobyl, which he found had uncanny connections to the present moment. If you can stomach the unsettling, almost Lovecraftian true story, its a must-see.

Chernobyl wasnt the only thing those of us at Polygon watched this weekend. Below, weve collected our other favorites from the weekend, in hopes of offering a suggestion or two of what you should watch this week. Be sure to let us know in the comments what you enjoyed over the weekend, too.

I watched all five episodes of HBOs Chernobyl miniseries this weekend, and Im unsure if now is the worst or best time to recommend the historical recounting of systemic governmental failure in the face of catastrophe.

On one hand, I get enough nihilism when I read the Washington Post and the Austin Chronicles reporting on the failures of our government on national and local levels. I skim Twitter and see militias defending statues to racist traitors, police brutalizing protestors, and old friends partying as hospitals hit capacity. Do I really need a show that spends one episode tailing a band of men forced to execute dogs and cats that have been exposed to extreme radiation? Isnt life grim enough?

On the other hand, Ive been magnetized to media that confronts anxiety inducing dilemmas head on. Not disaster movies or post-apocalypse thrillers. No, Ive become obsessed with stories about institutional failure, about the challenge of relating to others with vastly different life experiences, about poisoned systems and structures. Ive appreciated documentaries like The Thin Blue Line and Harlan County, USA, and dramas like Kurosawas High and Low and Asghar Farhads A Separation.

Chernobyl is arguably the most extreme example of this fixation, and the most flagrantly similar to our moment. Here is a disaster unprecedented for those experiencing it, one worsened by layers of inexperienced leadership who, time and again, act out of self-interest, costing the lives of the people theyve sworn to protect. And yet, the bravery of people with far less power and far more to lose, prevents the complete and utter ruin of their nation. This isnt a happy story with a simple hero. Nobody saves the day and receives a big reward. Most characters die, and those who dont suffer lives scarred by tragedy. The pleasure of the story, if you can call it that, is not personal, but universal. Its knowing that we all of us are part of something bigger than ourselves; that doing what is right might not always be best for the individual, but serves the greater arc of civilization.

So yes, now is the best time to Chernobyl.Chris Plante

Chernobyl is streaming on HBOGo and HBOMax.

And everything else we watched...

Polygons Karen Han and I got to chatting about our favorite Korean war movies on Twitter a while ago, bonding over Taegukgi: The Brotherhood of War and The Admiral: Roaring Currents. But Id never seen The Age of Shadows. This weekend I rectified the situation.

Directed by Kim Jee-Woon and starring Song Kang-ho (Parasite), its an action-packed thriller with some brilliant gunplay and snappy cinematography. Imagine Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy set in 1920s Korea during the period of Japanese colonial government and youve just scratched the surface. At nearly two-and-a-half hours, its pretty dense. Ill be giving it a second watch soon. Charlie Hall

The Age of Shadows available on Blu-ray or a DVD.

I have my kids trained pretty well with regard to streaming services. While we have the Netflix and the Disney Plus accounts locked down, they still know they need to ask me and/or mom before they embark on a new series. Thats mostly how we ferret out the weird, knock-off Disney princess movies from Russia and what not. But, we have different concerns for The Babysitters Club, which just 20 minutes in sold us as a greenlight for the kids.

Not only do they keep the spirit of the original books, but theyre all cleverly updated for a new generation. I strolled in from the grill on Sunday to find my oldest daughter watching a bunch of powerful young women setting up a barricade with a canoe to protest classist fees at the sleepaway summer camp. Plunking down, I then marveled as the camp director defused the situation, while also empowering everyone involved.

Netflix, my oldest is wondering if you could please make three more seasons? We dont need another Bunkd situation on our hands. And dont fritter away the momentum like you did with Project Mc2. CH

The Babysitters Club is streaming on Netflix.

On the recommendation of a friend for a new half-hour Watch It While I Eat show, this weekend I tucked into the first couple of episodes of Dorohedoro, based on the manga by Q Hayashida. The anime takes place in a grim world of urban poverty and magical horror, where sorcerers from another dimension practice their abilities on the largely powerless inhabitants of a grime-covered city. The setting full of drippy tenements, inventive character designs, and buckets of blood, is a bit like Junji Ito and Clive Barker teamed up to make a Studio Ghibli film.

But in the midst of all the horror trappings the books full of teeth, the faces peeled off, the dishes made from mushrooms growing on dead bodies we have what are almost slice-of-life comedy stories about our protagonist, Caiman. Caiman cant remember anything about his life before a sorcerer practiced on him, bestowing him with a great big spiked lizard head. Now, in-between leaning on his friend Nikaido to make him tons and tons of gyoza, and working at a hospital for practice victims, he searches for the sorcerer who made him this way, so he can kill him and undo the magic.

He does this by popping the head of every sorcerer he meets inside his mouth, where they meet the man who lives inside his mouth, who can tell whether or not theyre the sorcerer who gave Caiman his lizard head. Caiman has never been able to see the man inside his mouth. He has no idea who the man inside his mouth is. The show is extremely weird, and extremely funny. Susana Polo

Dorohedoro is streaming on Netflix.

I watched the first series of Fullmetal Alchemist back when you had to buy anime on DVD and it would cost like a billion dollars because each disc had like two episodes on it and every anime series was 1,000 episodes long. It was good though.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is a redux that more closely follows the manga series, and it goes unbelievably hard while feeling entirely fresh. I burned through the five seasons in about two and a half weeks, and while sometimes convoluted, but its an always-entertaining story about two brothers on a quest to heal the physical and spiritual injuries they suffered while delving into taboo magic. From there, the plot is full of deep state conspiracies, will-they-wont-they friendships, and cool monsters.

I dont want to yell at you about how you absolutely need to watch another anime so Ill just hit ya with three selling points:

1. The fights are good. The alchemy in the shows title refers to a form of magic and/or science that allows certain people to do very cool things. If youve seen Avatar: The Last Airbender, you know the drill. Cool martial arts choreography, mixed with fantastical powers. The shows animation is consistently good, but when characters start fighting, it can get virtuosic. There were moments where I had to immediately rewind and watch bits again, because I couldnt believe what I had just seen.

2. The tone is good. FMA: Brotherhood does an outstanding job balancing incredibly dark plot points and painful moments with tons of silliness and genuine warmth. Its nice.

3. The cast is good. Just about everyone the show introduces you to is weird and lovable. The show really hits its stride in the later seasons when the cast has expanded, been broken into mismatched troupes, and scattered to the wind. Imagine a version of Game of Thrones where the author deeply, deeply loved all of their creations. I cant count how many times the show served up what I assumed would be a background character or disposable villain, only to see that character stick around and play a substantial role for the remainder of the series. Patrick Gill

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is streaming on Netflix.

This year, the annual Annecy Animation Festival was held online for the first time, due to the coronavirus outbreak. That meant it was the first time I got to participate, and I was hugely excited to see what Annecy was like. But like so many of the other film festivals that have tried to move online, Annecy ran up against limitations, presumably because of producers and studios who were concerned about their work streaming online ahead of release. A lot of the years most exciting animation offerings were only offering short excerpts instead of entire features. The upside, though, was that I got to experience the first seven minutes of The Legend of Hei, a thrilling Chinese animated feature about the secret community of shape-changing demons operating in modern society. This weekend, I sought out and watched the rest of the film, and its marvelous.

The Legend of Hei is the feature-length expansion of a web animation by a Chinese artist who goes by MTJJ. Its popular enough to have spawned a mobile game and a graphic novel, but the franchise isnt well-known in America. That should change once Legend of Hei gets discovered by one of the many streamers or companies picking up anime (like Crunchyroll and Netflix) or international animation in general (looking at you, GKIDS). Legend of Hei is packed with action, as two factions of demons (or goblins or monsters, depending on your translation) face off for the future of their kind think what Isao Takahatas Studio Ghibli curiosity Pom Poko would look like if there was a second group of tanuki with a much more aggressive stance against humanity.

But its also a film about an adorable, scrappy, egotistical little cat-demon-boy named Hei whos trying to survive on his own in the world, and navigate a war he doesnt understand yet, and come to terms with his own powers. Legend of Hei is packed with colorful and memorable characters, and big explosive action, but the most memorable scenes may just be Hei trying to face off a stronger foe with all the tiny defiance in his big-eyed little kitty body. Tasha Robinson

The Legend of Hei is not yet available in the U.S., but translated episodes of the original web animation are streaming on YouTube

Theres nothing like watching super strong, competent athletes doing stunts while you sit in your pajamas at noon drinking coffee you couldnt be bothered to reheat. That might sound sad, but it feels great knowing that rock climbers and pole dancers and parkour instructors have tackled the four levels of the Beast so I dont have to.

Like other Netflix-produced stunt shows, Ultimate Beastmaster features an inconsistent commitment to its premise; the outside of the course is shaped like a gigantic, demonic jungle cat and features a pool of blood (water, lit red) for players to safely drop into. Some obstacles sport body-adjacent names like Brain Matter and Throat Erosion while others are just nonsense power-words Mag Walls and Energy Coils. That aside, its amazing to see the ease of these athletes passing through the unbelievable challenges and just as hilarious to watch the accidental-slapstick the results from somebody failing to time a tricky jump off a treadmill.

The show features teams from multiple countries, each repped their own hosts, and part of the joy is seeing these local celebrities interact with each other, and alternate between smack-talking and supporting the competition. The editing is smart and tight, breezing through the highlights of competitors who dont make it far so you can get invested in those that do. If youd like to hear Terry Crews bemoan players slipping into the blood for a few hours and who doesnt! Ultimate Beastmaster has you covered. Jenna Stoeber

Ultimate Beastmaster is streaming on Netflix.

Ive heard nothing but good things about the FX series based on Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititis What We Do in the Shadows, but I loved the 2014 movie so much I avoided the show out of fear of disappointment. What a fool I was: The series is a gosh darn delight. Created by Clement, it follows another group of vampire roommates who are (un)living in Staten Island instead of the films New Zealand. Though the show maintains the offbeat humor and mockumentary style of the movie, and the characters embody similar archetypes, it still feels like a fresh adaptation.

One of the archetypes reinvented for the show is the human familiar who serves a vampire master in the hopes of eventually being turned into one. With all due respect to Jackie van Beek, who plays the role in the film excellently, the shows familiar Guillermo is absolutely perfect. As he tells us in the pilot, Guillermo has wanted to be a vampire ever since he saw Antonio Banderas in Interview with the Vampire. Played by Harvey Guilln, Guillermo is sweet and funny and serves as the emotional heart of the show. I would die for Guillermo.

I watched the first half of season 1 this weekend and cant wait to catch up. Emily Heller

What We Do in the Shadows is streaming on Hulu.

Before Alfred Hitchcock was renowned Hollywood director Alfred Hitchcock, he was British thriller expert Alfred Hitchcock. 1935s The 39 Steps came out of an early period in the directors career in which he was literally cranking out spy stories and tension-filled tales; he was only 36 at the time of release, but The 39 Steps was his 24th directorial effort. And while the film is regarded as a sketch for true wrongfully-accused-man-on-the-run masterpieces like North by Northwest, its not amateur hour: In adapting John Buchans novel of the same name, Hitchcocks agile, angular filmmaking is on full display.

Robert Donat stars as Richard Hannay, a regular Joe thrust into the world of espionage when a woman he brings home after a night at the theater turns out to be a spy and, eventually, a spy with a knife in her back. Accused of murder, Hannay flees London for Scotland, hoping to solve the mystery of the the 39 steps while avoiding a country-wide manhunt. Hitchcock pulls out the stops: A foot chase on a train is packed with gags (Watch out for that man carrying a giant tray of champagne glasses!) and buttoned with an iconic high-angle view of a bridges icy drop. A sequence at a farm house, in which Hannay hopes two bumpkins might stash him away from the police, overflows with character quirk and tension. When a pair of spies capture Hannay and handcuff him to a witness, a no-bullshit woman named Pamela (Madeleine Carroll), the two make a getaway that turns them into a golden-age-of-Hollywood romantic pair. Per usual, Hitchcocks misogyny and gaze gets in the way of Pamelas arc, but for a movie made in 1935, The 39 Steps introduces a set of female characters who flex agency in the face of authority. Like every turn in the film plot- of character-wise its unexpected.

Turning on a black-and-white movie can feel like a chore. So many films from the pre-1940s fail to stand the test of time, and the chasm between old-fashioned and modern performance styles reasonably turns off viewers. But Id argue The 39 Steps transcends the time period: part Bond movie, part comedic caper, and anchored by a performance that feels Ryan Goslingian, its a black-and-white movie that feels alive and contemporary. Matt Patches

The 39 Steps is streaming on HBOMax.

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Chernobyl is one of the best TV shows you can watch right now - Polygon

CS Interview: The Russo Bros. Talk Coen Bros. & Star Wars – ComingSoon.net

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ComingSoon.net had the opportunity to speak with Joe and Anthony Russo about their weekly series Russo Bros. Pizza Film School, specifically about their love for the Coen Brothers after hosting No Country for Old Men star Josh Brolin for Episode 5,in addition to their views on Star Wars following Episode 4 which featured Mark Hamill and the group discussingThe Empire Strikes Back.

RELATED: Taika Waititi Joins This Weeks Russo Bros. Pizza Film School

ComingSoon.net: You guys had a great conversation with Josh about No Country, and youre clearly big fans of the Coens. I want to know, what do you think of the idea of Blood Simple, Fargo, and No Country as a kind of informal trilogy? Because you talk about the importance of tone.

Joe: Trilogy?

CS: Yeah, you talk about the importance of tone. And to me, those three films have a very specific tone and subject matter amid the Coens very eclectic filmography.

Anthony: No question. I think they are. And I think that they, like jazz artists, the Coens will do riffs on similar themes or similar tones. And you can sort of see it throughout their career. Sometimes they will do something, you know, just radically outside of their canon, like when O, Brother came out, but you could still find the roots to it in Raising Arizona. So I do think that those films are all a variation on the same tone and the same theme.

CS: Yeah. And the Coens, some of their movies really embrace nihilism, like Barton Fink or Burn After Reading or A Man Who Wasnt There or No Country. But then, they make other movies that feel more moralistic, like Serious Man or Fargo. Do you think the Coens are truly nihilistic, or is that just a tool that they use sometimes?

Anthony: I have to believe

Joe: Heres the thing, their entire canon is imbued with nihilism in some way or another. But they are inherently existential individuals, right? Thats how they perceive the world. But they have a sense of humor about it, which is amazing, right? Its Pinter-esque in that regard, right, or its Beckett. They have a sense of humor about their existentialism, so thats why we love them so much, because I think again, growing up in Cleveland, for the hardnosed town where we came from that went bankrupt and industrial machine collapse during our youth. And so, we have a very existential view on life as well. And I think its why we gravitate towards the Coens so much. I think its hard to take that existential philosophy without a sense of humor, which would make their movies very difficult to watch if they didnt have any, even though Country is devious in its execution. I mean, there are lots of witty moments in that film that are equally entertaining as they are depressing, you know?

RELATED: Russo Bros. Pizza Film School Episode 5 Details Revealed!

CS: But and then in terms of your Empire Strikes Back episode, it brought up something that has always kind of bugged me about Star Wars, which is that I feel like in the prequels, sort of the choice that Anakin has to make, where hes choosing between the Jedi and saving the woman he loves, its a compelling choice. Its a wrenching choice. But in both the original trilogy and the new trilogy that just came out, I feel like Luke and Rey, theyre basically being offered a power grab. Rule the universe with me. And its pretty anathema to both of their characters. Theres never really a feeling like these guys are actually going to go for that. And I wanted to get your take on that. Would you have done that differently?

Anthony: Well

Joe: I mean I think being such Star Wars fanatics, we wouldve probably focused on the Luke Skywalker story. And so, to me, there was the potential for three movies focusing on that arc coming to completion. But different choices you can make. I think you know, the fact that Star Warsis so important to us growing up, we got to make our Star Wars empire in Infinity War and Endgame. That was really our expression of what those commercial films meant to us as children and what we took away from them and the patterns of narrative structure that were so profound to us. We were able to replicate those patterns in those movies. So I think we speak to those films rather than the Star Wars films.

Anthony: I was going to say, you make a very good point about Luke and Rey. Thats a really good point in a sense that you dont really think they dont seem very likely to make that choice, but it just reminds me of how similar our enjoyment of these movies is to something like opera in the sense that there can be these crude sort of narrative beats that maybe dont play in a very subtle or sophisticated way, but theres something about their resonance and theres something about the way the rest of the cinema surrounds that moment and then the music and the iconography and the drama of it all that somehow creates emotion and sort of excitement and thrill and danger and peril. Its just a reminder to me when youre pointing your finger at something that seems weak or fit, at like how much the other elements, that sort of cinematic experience perceived is to what we walk away from a movie with, you know?

You can watch every episode of Russo Bros. Pizza Film School on their YouTube channel here!

(Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney)

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CS Interview: The Russo Bros. Talk Coen Bros. & Star Wars - ComingSoon.net

The Dark Side of Science: Shooting Barred Owls as Scapegoats for the Ravages of Big Timber – CounterPunch

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Barred Owl. Photo: USFWS.

The United States Fish & Wildlife Service faced a difficult problem. The Northern Spotted Owl was vanishing from the forest, in spite of being listed as threatened, in 1990, under the Endangered Species Act, assigned critical habitat on public lands, and special protections related to the activities of local timber companies. Its numbers had continued to drop at a rate of 4% a year. Now suspicion was turning to the Barred Owl, whose assertive appearance in the Pacific Northwest could be causing the decline. So eight years ago the United States Fish & Wildlife Service convened a study group, to discuss the moral and practical dimensions raised by this imminent peril.

Heretofore the Northern Spotted Owls dwindling numbers had been thought to relate to the destruction of the ancient forests of the Pacific Northwest, which was the owls habitat. The United States, the world leader in commercial logging, had produced and consumed more wood than any other country. Now less than 15% of forests remained which were more than 100 years old.

However, another possible agent might be the increased presence of Barred Owls, a larger and less specialized species, which had gradually moved in from the east. This species was soon stigmatized as invasive, and its possible role in the disappearance of the Spotted Owl began to be studied.

Verification of such a role was determined to be impossible without the drastic experiment of killing Barred Owls in specified areas, and observing the effect. This occasioned some moral uncertainty: the dark side of science.

As the late Lowell Diller, biologist for Green Diamond Timber Company, described shooting an owl: When I went out to do it the first time, I was shaking. I had to steady myself. I wasnt sure I could actually do it. It was so wrong to be shooting a beautiful raptor like this. It continues to be awkward to this day.

An avalanche of computer model studies followed. Barred Owl killing caused immediate repopulation of habitat by Spotted Owls. Effects were frequently temporary, however. Many studies contradicted each other.

The USFWS-convened study group, or Barred Owl Stakeholders Group, was composed of government officials, timber industry representatives, environmental NGOs, indigenous tribes, and wildlife rehabilitators. They were provided with reading lists, including works by Aldo Leopold and Plato.They were trained in collective decision-making by Group Dynamic specialists. An Animal Ethicist attended their field trips and retreats. This was designed to be a Mount Sinai moment.

After lengthy deliberation, the Group concluded that Barred Owls were the driving force behind poor population performance of Northern Spotted Owls. Even the fact that the two species interbred was condemned as genetic swamping.

The USFWS decreed that Barred Owls should be destroyed.

Now, eight years later, thousands of Barred Owls have been shot, and the practice is expanding. Locally, Green Diamonds new Habitat Conservation Plan has opened up its entire holdings to their extermination. In Washington and Oregon, and on public lands, Barred Owls are lured to a nearby branch and shot point blank.

Friends of Animals, a 63-year-old international nonprofit, had sued USFWS in 2014 over killing Barred Owls, in violation of the Migratory Species Act. They lost.

Now they are suing the feds for abuse of the ESA itself.

When Barred Owls are killed on private land, Northern Spotted Owls replace them. The USFWS decreed that, in exchange for shooting Barred Owls, termed mitigation, on their timberlands, the companies would be allowed to take the habitat of the returning Spotted Owls. Since such individual Spotted Owls are floaters, and therefore not shielded by regulations, they do not have the status that protects the forest they are reinhabiting.

According to USFWS, the take of Spotted Owls on the temporarily reoccupied sites is more than offset by the value of the information gained from this experiment and its potential contribution to a long-term Barred Owl management strategy.

This obsessively overzealous, deranged enforcement policy mirrors the nihilism of the current Administration, in its swift shredding of the Endangered Species Act. The very purpose of the ESA is to protect wildlife, in all its dynamic complexity. Science is being corrupted to the point of legalistic reductionism, and flies in the face of the rights of Mother Earth.

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The Dark Side of Science: Shooting Barred Owls as Scapegoats for the Ravages of Big Timber - CounterPunch

Wykoff residents recognized for their service to the livestock industry – Fillmore County Journal

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In the 86-year history of the Minnesota Livestock Breeders Association Hall of Fame, there have been three inductees from Wykoff. Hog breeder, Henry A. Derenthal was inducted in 1949, and this past March, Normen and Doris Peterson were inducted for providing exceptional service to the livestock industry.

The Petersons are good and honest people who treat their customers very well, describes Doug Tuman, President, Minnesota Livestock Breeders Association, who has known the couple for years. Normen and Doris strive to please their customers.

The Petersons own and operate Petes Auction and Photo Inc., petesauctionandphoto.com, located on the family farm, Toppy Hill, north of Wykoff. The farm has been in the family for close to 150 years.

Normen Petersons interest in the dairy industry began as a charter member of the local 4-H club, which lead to owning a herd of registered Ayrshires and Holsteins. Petersons first business was fitting cattle for sales and shows, followed by a long career as an auctioneer and a livestock photographer.

Peterson proudly pointed out a painting on the wall of a registered Ayrshire and her triplets. Burton Dairymaid, imported from Scotland, was the national grand champion at the National Dairy Cattle Congress in Waterloo, Iowa, in 1959. In 1960, she was reserve grand champion at the International Dairy Show in Chicago just a few days after having the triplets.

At that time, Peterson (22) was told that he was the youngest farmer to win a national grand champion.

The International Dairy Show was held in December, and due to a snowstorm, the official livestock photographer was not able to get to Chicago. Peterson did not get a professional photo of Dairymaid. They did not have the All-American cow that year because they did not have a picture to submit with the nomination. At that time, there were only three or four livestock photographers in the United States.

Peterson realized there was a need for livestock photographers in the Midwest. Sixty years later, Petersons library contains 45,000 photos of dairy cattle from 25 states and four foreign countries.

Normen Petersons wife of 60 years, Doris, grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm milking shorthorn cattle.

Doris Peterson self-identifies as the companys support staff. Walking into the office and a few minutes chatting with the two of them, it is clear that support staff is not a 100% accurate description of her role. Doris Peterson manages the office and does the bookwork. In the beginning, she developed the film. Now you will see her setting in front of a computer post-processing digital images and designing auction catalogs.

Her husband spoke up and stated that his wife is also a photographer and takes wedding pictures. There are 1,000 wedding photos in their library representing six states and England.

The most memorable stories are frequently the ones when things dont go as planned, as in the following two stories shared by Sue Krahn, the Petersons employee for the last 40 years.

Krahn explained that she and Normen were headed to a photoshoot in North Dakota. It was not the perfect day to take photos as it was windy, causing the camera and tripod to blow over. After a successful shoot, the duo headed back to Wykoff only to find out that all the photos were lost. Getting back in their vehicle, Peterson and Krahn headed back to North Dakota to retake the pictures.

Lesson number two.

Leaving at four in the morning from California, Normen and Krahn headed back to Wykoff to pick up their gear before heading to Wisconsin for a photoshoot. Arriving at the farm in Wisconsin, the farmer immediately told Normen that he needed to call his wife ASAP. He did and found out he forgot his camera. They hit the road and headed to La Crosse to meet Doris. Turning around, they head back to the farm to take photos. Krahn mentioned that they did not tell the farmer why they had to go back to meet his wife.

Doris Peterson believes that her husbands interest in auctioneering began as a young boy attending farm auctions with family members, listening to the auctioneers chant. Peterson began auctioneering as a young man fine-tuning his talent late at night on the drive home after dates with his wife-to-be. A few years later, he attended the World Wide College of Auctioneering in Mason City, Iowa.

Throughout his career, Peterson managed and auctioneered sales in eight states, including five national breed sales. He is now primarily working as a livestock broker.

As an auctioneer, Peterson has served as the auctioneer for the countys 4-H livestock auction for over 25 years. He has also donated his auctioneer services for area fundraisers, including the ever-popular pie auctions.

Peterson shared that at one local fundraiser, he auctioned off three sour cream and raisin pies selling for $600 each.

The Petersons story is not complete without mentioning their three children Brad (Sherry), Jodie (Bill) Jacobson, and Jana (Joe Lieffring) Peterson Groski. The couple also has four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

In 1993, Brad Peterson joined the family business. Along with his parents, they own Toppy Hill Holsteins and White Crest Ayrshires, winners at county, district, and national dairy cattle shows.

Norman Peterson mentioned that last year four generations of the Peterson family showed at the Fillmore County Fair.

In addition to the prestigious Hall of Fame, the Petersons have been recognized for their service by the Fillmore County American Dairy Association (2001), the Minnesota Holstein Association (2001), Fillmore County 4-H (2008), and the Minnesota Purebred Dairy Cattle Association (2018).

The Hall of Fame nomination highlights the Petersons volunteer service. Normen Peterson served nine years on the Minnesota Holstein board of directors, was a member of the executive committee of the 1989 National Holstein Convention held in Minnesota and chairman of the national sale that year. The couple also assisted with the National Holstein Convention sale when it took place on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tenn.

The couple has also served on the Fillmore County Extension Committee. Both are lifetime members of the Wykoff Methodist Church.

Doris Peterson summarizes that the most rewarding part of their business is the friends they have made over the years.

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Wykoff residents recognized for their service to the livestock industry - Fillmore County Journal

Everyday People: Former band director finds passion in painting – Daily Astorian

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As he wandered around the art galleries of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Edward Peterson found himself admiring the work of a young painter named Carrie Wild. She was painting bison.

Curious, he stopped to talk. He would have never guessed that a year later hed return with his own bison paintings for a solo exhibition at Wilds gallery, Gallery Wild.

Edward Peterson stands with one of his acrylic paintings.

An art career was a new beginning for Peterson after 38 years as Snohomish High Schools celebrated band director.

His exhibition has become one of the fondest moments of his life.It still, you know, brings tears to my eyes, said Peterson, whosework is displayed at Tempo Gallery in Astoria. You couldve painted your whole life and be really good, and never get an opportunity like that.

At 88, hes been painting for nine years.Clocking 12 hours a day, seven days a week at the easel, he attributes his success to practice.

Every painting has tremendous failures, and then finally, it works, he said. He likened the experience to amarriage; you disagree and scrap ideas, but you always end up still madly in love.

Although his art career seemed to have been by accident, Peterson is sure this part of his life is meant to be. Thats how he felt about being a band director, too.

In an adventurous time conducting the Panther Band at Snohomish High School southeast of Everett, Washington, he took his students to play concerts around the world.

Among the highlights, the band played the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland in 1971, the same year as Aretha Franklin. They played for President Ronald Reagan in 1985. Three years later, they were invited to perform a concert on the Great Wall of China.

The band won Washington state championships in 1979, 1989, 1991 and 1992.

Edward Peterson's most recent bison painting.

I look back at that very honestly and I wonder how on earth did all of that really happen? And why did it happen? he said. I gave it everything I had, and thats the same thing that translates into my art. Its the best thing I can do.

For all the accolades the Panther Band earned during his run Peterson is in the Snohomish High School Hall of Fame he feels that part of his life was more about his students.

I got a lot of nice compliments and all that stuff with the bands and choirs I had.You know, it was always the kids, not me," he said. "With painting it was me, and its really been difficult for me to accept compliments.

Now, Peterson finds the most important thing in life is to look forward and be himself. His art career has given him a new level of confidence.

Through the Tempo Gallery, he has met local artists he has a great appreciation for, as well as other people he has encountered in Astoria.

Being in my 80s is the first time in my life that Ive been comfortable in my own skin. I always thought I had to be something better, or I was inferior to, he said.

Ive learned to be happy with me. I wish Id learned that a long time ago.

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Everyday People: Former band director finds passion in painting - Daily Astorian

Robin Yvonne Ingbretson Peterson | Obituaries – Ashland Daily Press

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Robin Yvonne Ingbretson Peterson, 61, who resided in Manning, South Carolina, passed away at home with loved ones by her side on June 13, 2020, in Manning.

Robin Peterson was born April 5, 1959, in Shell Lake to Bernard and Barbra Ingbretson. She grew up in Hayward. She was a bartender by trade and worked at several establishments through the years. She enjoyed cooking and loved having her grandkids help. She also enjoyed computers, puzzles and reading.

She is survived by her husband, Gary Peterson, of Manning; children, Bridget (Travis) Wisner of Baraboo, Wisconsin, Nicole (Ben) Boaz of Manning, and Brooke Peterson (Brandon) Petty of Columbia, South Carolina; nine grandchildren; her mother, Barbara Bjorklund of Wisconsin; sisters, Barbara McNemer of Arizona and Peggy Ingbretson of Wisconsin; and brother, Pete Ingbretson of Oregon.

Per Robins wishes she was cremated and there will be no services. A private family

gathering will be held later this summer in Wisconsin.

She will be dearly missed but never forgotten.

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Robin Yvonne Ingbretson Peterson | Obituaries - Ashland Daily Press

Man accused of murder after body found at homeless camp in Mead – The Spokesman-Review

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Deputies have arrested a man on suspicion of murdering another man at a homeless camp in Mead.

The Spokane County Sheriffs Office said deputies responded to the camp in the 2300 block of East Farwell Road near Northwood Middle School and the Newport Highway at about 10:40 p.m. Saturday.

According to the sheriffs office, the caller, Robert J. Tolliver, 37, said he had discovered his friend was deceased, then waited at the roadway and walked deputies and firefighters to the camp.

There, deputies found a man lying partially on a couch inside a tent with significant head trauma, according to court records.

The victim was identified in court records as 41-year-old James H. Peterson, who had lived at the camp for about 10 months.

A witness told deputies that Peterson and Tolliver had been fighting recently because Petersons bike had gone missing.

Another witness told deputies Tolliver texted her multiple times Saturday, saying he had an emergency and needed help.

According to court records, Tolliver told the witness he and a friend had gone to Petersons camp to look for stolen bike parts. Tolliver told the witness he left the friend at Petersons camp after Tolliver found his missing bike parts.

Tolliver claimed his friend contacted him hours later, saying things had gotten out of hand and Peterson was dead, the witness told deputies.

Tolliver repeatedly told the witness, Youre my alibi, on Saturday night, according to court records. Tolliver also sent the witness a video in which he threatened to cut off Petersons thumb, according to court records.

Tolliver was arrested Sunday afternoon. In an interview, he allegedly told deputies he had been in a fight with Peterson over the stolen bike parts several months prior but had not been to Petersons camp in several months. Tolliver said he had planned to confront Peterson but backed out.

Tolliver was jailed in lieu of a $500,000 bond and faces a charge of first-degree murder. Petersons death remains under investigation. The sheriffs office said anyone with information should call Crime Check at (509) 456-2233 with the reference number 10086228.

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Man accused of murder after body found at homeless camp in Mead - The Spokesman-Review

How to Conquer the Spiritual Coronavirus: the Colossian Heresy (Part 2) | How to Conquer the Spiritual Coronavirus: the Colossian Heresy (Part 2) -…

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3D reconstruction of the thin multislice CT, covering human heart and lungs; Semnic, November 10, 2015; Creative Commons 4.0

It is hard to keep ones guard up all the time in public by making sure the face masks on and social distancings in place during a pandemic. Some will tell us that the Coronavirus is not such a big deal, not much different than the flu, and that it will soon pass from the scene by natural causes. Something similar can occur in the spiritual realm, when it comes to false teaching, as in the case of the Colossian heresy. It is all too easy to let down ones guard over the heart and mind. As with the Coronavirus, one has to guard against myths, rumors and misinformation. One must remain vigilant and take the necessary precautions to guard against infection (Refer here as well). In no way, shape or form did Paul consider the Colossian Heresy merely a spiritual flu. It was far more dangerous and devastating.

The Apostle Paul warns the Colossian church to remain vigilant. As noted in part 1 of this two-part series, Paul writes from house arrest for the faith in Rome to this church in danger of cardiac arrest in Asia Minor. Please refer to that first entry here at this link for the backdrop to the context, including the heretical teaching that could kill the Colossian church spiritually. As was noted in that first article, even with Covid-19, some who are experiencing respiratory distress are also enduring heart damage and dying of cardiac arrest. Whether on the physical or spiritual level, being able to breathe is vital to ones health.

This leads us to the point we wish to emphasize in part 2 of this series. To contextualize Pauls words to our present context and imagery, Paul exhorts the Colossian church to breathe in Christ rather than inhale the false teaching that could suffocate and lead to cardiac arrest. Paul exhorts the Colossian church not to let anyone suffocate them. How might suffocation occur? By allowing people to pass judgment on them and disqualify them. For Paul, the ultimate safeguard against contracting the spiritual Coronavirus is immunizing believers by capturing peoples imagination through Christ. In what follows, we will unpack what such judgment and disqualification might look like and what captivation of the imagination by Christ involves.

Paul writes in his letter to the Colossian church:

Therefore let no onepass judgment on youin questions of food and drink, or with regard toa festival ora new moon or a Sabbath.These are a shadow of the things to come, butthe substance belongs to Christ.Let no onedisqualify you,insisting on asceticism and worship of angels,going on in detail about visions,puffed up without reason byhis sensuous mind,andnotholding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. If with Christyou died to theelemental spirits of the world,why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulationsDo not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch(referring to things that all perish as they are used)according tohuman precepts and teachings?These have indeed an appearance of wisdom inpromoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they areof no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh (Colossians 2:16-23; ESV).

Paul warns them not to allow others to pass judgment on them in matters pertaining to food and drink, a festival, new moon, or Sabbath. (Colossians 2:16) Why? They are but a shadow of the things to come. The substance belongs to Christ (Colossians 2:17).

Paul warns the same believers not to allow anyone to disqualify them with ascetism and worship of angels, going on and on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind (Colossians 2:18). Why? They are not holding fast to the head, who is Christ, from whom flows spiritual nourishment for the entire church body (Colossians 2:19).

Why would we fixate on shadow matters of external religious observances when the substance belongs to Christ (Colossians 2:16-17)? We are dead with Christ to the elemental spirits and world system (Colossians 2:20) and alive to Christ. Do not handle, taste or touch regulations appear profitable to self-made religion, ascetism, and the severe treatment of the body (Colossians 2:21-23), but they have no impact on stopping fleshly indulgence (Colossians 2:23).

Perhaps today you are not dealing with dos and donts religious observances. Perhaps you are not focused on ascetism and angel worship, at least not in some obvious manner. But as F. F. Bruce and others have argued, the fallen principalities and powers or elemental spirits manifest themselves in various other secular ways in the modern period.[1] The world or elemental spirits cause us to fixate on externalities of appearance, like lighter and darker pigmentation, facial structure, weight, and body shape. What drives many of us to value or devalue people based on these external features? While we should see such things as color, and not be color blind, for example, we should see more than color. We should understand people in the fullness of their lives and complexity of their stories.

How often do we view people based on what we can get or extract from them, sizing them up based on their perceived market value? As Martin Luther King, Jr., argued in Beyond Vietnam, we need to move from a culture of things to persons. He goes on,

I am convinced that if we are to get on to the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin, we must rapidly begin the shift from a thing-oriented society to a person-oriented society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights, are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, extreme materialism, and militarism are incapable of being conquered.[2]

The need to move from a culture of things to persons has only intensified since Kings day. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks speaks of how the market ideology has impacted Judaism negatively. The same could be said for Christianity when he writes,

The concept of the holy is precisely the domain in which the worth of things is not judged by their market price or economic value. And this fundamental insight of Judaism is all the more striking given its respect for the market within the marketplace. The fatal conceit for Judaism is to believe that the market governs the totality of our lives, when it in fact governs only a limited part of it, that which concerns the goods we think of as being subject to production and exchange. There are things fundamental to being human that we do not produce; instead we receive from those who came before us and from God Himself. And there are things that we may not exchange, however high the price.[3]

Speaking as a Christian, when we view one another through the eyes of Jesus, we see people as created in Gods image. When we view one another in relation to him, we see everyone, and every member of the church body, as indispensable (1 Corinthians 12:22). People are far more than what the markets suggests is their value. Such market valuation is always in flux, never constant, ever fickle. When we operate by market standards to evaluate one anothers worth, we cannot rest or breathe. Our value is always in flux based on how well we perform.

No human is chattel. Every black life matters. We must nail racism, economic exploitation, and militarism to the cross. We must not allow the elemental spirits of the world to cause us to find our worth and dignity outside of Jesus. The principalities and powers may manifest themselves today in secular forms of ascetism and angel worship, including perhaps such things as anorexia[4] and facial cosmetic operations to look more western, the worship of fame and celebrity, youth, income, and professional position. We can get lost in apocalyptic visions and conspiracy theories that parallel gnostic cults, like QAnon. As Paul argues, we so easily go into vast details on all kinds of things but miss out on Jesus Christ in whom all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form. We only find fullness in him (See Colossians 2:9-10).

If we wish to breathe freely, we must find our worth in and through Jesus. He has nailed to the cross those laws old and new in whatever religious or secular form that devalue and dehumanize us and that lead us to devalue and dehumanize others. Jesus has cancelled the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.He disarmed the rulers and authoritiesandput them to open shame, bytriumphing over them in him (Colossians 2:14-15; ESV).

Paul would have us contend against the spiritual version of the Coronavirus today by seeing our value through identity with Christ Jesus. Those who find their identity and worth in him, and not in their perceived market value, or how others perceive us, is critically important. Otherwise, we will allow others to judge and condemn us as being worthless, as disqualifying us as not measuring up to whatever fickle and fictitious standards they happen to put in place. You are persons, not things. You are created in Gods image and have infinite worth. Dont live in the shadows and fixate on externals or on visions of the sensuous mind. Dont reduce others to means to ends whereby their value is perceived in terms of what you can get from them. Build relationships and communities where we see everyone as indispensable through Jesus who shares his life and worth with us. Hold fast to Jesus, who is the head. The substance belongs to Christ.

_______________

[1]F. F. Bruce contextualizes the discussion of the principalities and powers in Colossians 2:13-15 to the modern period when he writes, The elemental spirits through whom the law was held to have been mediated may mean nothing to modern man. Angles and demons may be unknown to him by name. But is not modern man unprecedentedly aware of powerful and malignant demonic forces operating against him, which he is quite unable to master, whether by his individual strength or by united action? These forces may be Frankenstein monsters of his own creation; they may be subliminal horrors over which he has no conscious control. F. F. Bruce, ed., The New International Commentary on the New Testament, vol. 10, Commentary on the Epistles to the Ephesians and the Colossians, by E. K. Simpson and F. F. Bruce (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1957), page 241.

[2]Martin Luther King, Jr., Beyond Vietnam, in A Call to Conscience: The Landmark Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., edited by Clayborne Carson and Kris Shepard, with an introduction by Andrew Young (New York: Warner Books, Inc., 2001), pages 157-58.

[3]Jonathan Sacks, Markets and Morals, inFirst Things, August 2000; https://www.firstthings.com/article/2000/08/markets-and-morals. See also Michael J. Sandel, What Money Cant Buy: The Moral Limits of the Markets (New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2012).

[4]The Mao Clinic observes, Anorexia isnt really about food. Its an extremely unhealthy and sometimes life-threatening way to try to cope with emotional problems. When you have anorexia, you often equate thinness with self-worth.

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How to Conquer the Spiritual Coronavirus: the Colossian Heresy (Part 2) | How to Conquer the Spiritual Coronavirus: the Colossian Heresy (Part 2) -...

St. Ignatius: When are pious thoughts not from God? – Catholic Culture

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By Dr. Jeff Mirus (bio - articles - email) | Jul 09, 2020

One of the great confusions throughout the history of the Church is the common misunderstanding that pious or spiritual thoughts and motives always come from God. In the fourth century, Arius was inspired by his own insight into the Godhead to conclude that Jesus Christ must be a creature and so could not be God. In the sixteenth century, Martin Luther was inspired by his special appreciation of the gift and power of faith to conclude that human works have no role in sanctification and salvation.

Alleged visionaries in many periods have fallen into swoons and reported great heavenly delights. But St. Teresa of Avila, who was herself a great mystic, had to discipline some of her nuns by ordering them to eat and sleep more, when they disrupted convent life with what she perceived to be uninspired ecstasies. In our own time, a great many people all around us are inspired by their experience of spiritual liberty to deny that God has revealed anything which cuts against the grain of our desires. On all sides, many who consider themselves Catholics are moved by an interior certainty of their sublime spirituality to rebel against the authority of the Church.

Ignatius of Loyola

This issue was brought to my attention again the other day through my reading of the autobiography of St. Ignatius Loyola, the sixteenth-century author of the famous Spiritual Exercises and the founder of the Society of Jesus (which paradoxically seems in our time to be particularly incapable of distinguishing one spirit from another). Ignatius autobiography was written at the insistence of some of his most treasured companions in the early days of his community. He was reluctant to write it, but finally did so in the hope that it would be useful to his brethren after he was gone. It covers a relatively short period of his lifeessentially the eighteen years from his initial conversion to his completion of the constitutions for the Society of Jesus in Rome.

Ignatius wandered about quite a bit during this period while he was trying to discern exactly what God was calling him to do. His fundamental way of drawing others closer to Christ was through a life of privation spent begging and making himself available to others in conversations about God and the Church. For some years he believed he was called to do this in the Holy Land, and while he visited there once, his efforts to revisit and remain there were always thwarted by circumstances. He also knew that he needed to complete a more formal program of studies in order to be well-grounded in his discussions and advice to others.

In fact, he was repeatedly questioned and sometimes even imprisoned for a time by representatives of the Inquisition who, in various cities, wanted to be sure that he was not misleading people. Ignatius was always exonerated, but his situation was a precarious one because his training and background were as a knight and his approach to others was through poverty, so it was difficult to believe he was really serving as a good Catholic influence in teaching everyone he met about the things of God. Moreover, while Ignatius knew he should get a better Catholic education, he found it extremely difficult to consistently pursue his studies, which he attempted at various universities.

Partly this was a matter of lack of resources. But there was another problem which he mentions in his narrative (where he always refers to himself in the third person, often calling himself the pilgrim). Here is one of the passages in which he describes this special problem:

Ignatius struggled with these distractions from study on numerous occasions in different courses at different universities, and for a long time he was deeply perplexed by them. But in this as in many other matters he was gradually given genuine insight by God. Here is how he describes that process:

This is expressed with all the starkness of a saint-in-the-making. His delightfully sublime insights weretemptations! His solution on this occasion was to ask his teacher to meet him in the nearby church of Our Lady of the Sea. There Ignatius explained the problem to him and promised never to miss any of the teachers classes over the next two years. The result? Since he made this promise with great earnestness, he never again had those temptations (#55).

Ignatius had routed the Devil; but first he had to recognize him.

Discernment of Spirits

It is no wonder that the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola deal extensively with the discernment of spirits. This is (or at least is intended to be) a key to Ignatian spirituality. We must always remember that Satan is the fallen Lucifer, or Light Bearer, and that he often masks his temptations in the aura of sweetness and light. Ignatius had considerable difficulty in separating the promptings of the Holy Spirit from vainglorious thoughts of grand achievements, first worldly and later religious achievements. But he was engraced through his own particular vocational path to become one of the Churchs masters of spiritual discernment. He learned the hard way how to separate the wheat from the chaff in the alleged inspirations he experienced.

There are many things that go into this, including attentiveness to the teachings of the Church, sound Catholic education and spiritual formation, the cultivation of humility and the recognition of habitual faults, a clear apprehension of ones present duty, constant prayer, frequent examination of conscience and confession, a willingness to seriously consider spiritual advice, and more. I am not an expert in the Ignatian method, but perfect discernment does not come naturally to anyone. Strong opinions driven by personal piety may or may not be the fruits of sound discernment.

That is what St. Ignatius had to learn. And if the great St. Ignatius had to learn to proceed with caution, then so do we.

For an excellent edition of the autobiography of St. Ignatius of Loyola, see A Pilgrims Journey (with introduction, translation and commentary by Joseph N. Tylenda, SJ): Ignatius Press, rev. ed. 2001; paper 204pp. $15.26

Jeffrey Mirus holds a Ph.D. in intellectual history from Princeton University. A co-founder of Christendom College, he also pioneered Catholic Internet services. He is the founder of Trinity Communications and CatholicCulture.org. See full bio.

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St. Ignatius: When are pious thoughts not from God? - Catholic Culture

There is no one way to find God – Arizona Daily Star

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The presence of the Holy One comes to each of us in a personal way, in ways we understand on a deeply unique level.

There is no one way to find God in our lives. Each person has a unique spiritual sense, a wisdom that gives life meaning and purpose.

Think about what gives your life meaning, what gives it purpose; think about what has kept you through life.

A search for the Holy, by whatever name we call it, is a spiritual journey to tie us to something larger than our present situation. No one elses life is an exact copy of anyone elses life.

Most of us find expression for our spiritual selves in organized religion, in the outward expression of worship with people who have similar beliefs, similar creeds, similar expressions of faith; some go further afield and that where is between you and your inner self; it is where you find your unique and beautiful connection to all that is.

Whatever you call it, there is a spiritual wisdom in each of us that reaches out to find meaning and connection in our lives. The journey is lifelong and changes as our life experiences change us. The beautiful truth is that God is with us wherever the journey takes us into the Holy.

I want to close with one of my favorite prayers.

We give thanks for places of silence and peace. May we find such places within ourselves.

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There is no one way to find God - Arizona Daily Star