As people across the country are told to work from home and practice social distancing, historians recommend a simple practice to fend off boredom and contribute to the history books: daily journaling.

Written accounts of events, especially during times of turmoil, have proven crucial to historians as they seek to grasp a full picture of a time period. And during the current pandemic, physical documentation from ordinary people is as important as ever.

As historians, we rely on those daily reports to figure out what actually happened on the ground, said Victoria Cain, an associate professor of history at Northeastern University. It really offers us insight into how society and culture worked at a time of tragedy, or crisis, or just chaos.

Personal journals helped capture the struggles and horrors of history. The Great Plague of London was documented by Daniel Defoe, drawing on his own childhood memories, his uncles journal, and extensive research. And generations have learned of the horrors of World War ll through the experiences of Anne Frank.

However, in the age of social media, virtual writing has taken precedence over pen and paper. Photographs, e-mails, and text messages may document the essence of an era, but their longevity could be limited.

Digital media and technology is amazing in many ways, but it also has a lot of problems, said Dan Cohen, the dean of libraries at Northeastern University, whose extensive documentation of firsthand accounts following the Sept. 11 attacks is in the Library of Congress. A physical diary, if you stick it in your attic, youll likely be able to read that in a century or two. That really doesnt happen with digital media.

In some instances, the physical documentation can tell a story itself. While Cain was completing her doctoral dissertation years ago, she recalls analyzing the diary of a naturalist who was sent to France during World War l. As she was reading, she began to cry.

You can see his handwriting, and hes scared hes going to die, she said. Theres teardrops on the page, and the ink is running. I remember being in the archives I started crying, and Ill never forget that experience.

Cain and Cohen stressed the benefits that not only for historians but also for the writers; the act of putting pen to paper has been found to bring certain therapeutic benefits.

It helps to contextualize [the event] and put it into a longer time horizon, Cohen said. That can kind of help to lower the blood pressure a little bit.

I think it just helps us slow down and reflect a little bit about what extraordinary times these are, Cain said.

Caeli Chesin, a junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, described her experience with journaling during the pandemic as cathartic.

As much as we are locked in and nervous, I think there is a lot of potential to use the time to connect with loved ones, slow down, reflect, and create, she said. The most effective way to keep me on that track and not get too slumped down is by journaling.

If people decide to take up the hobby, families can read their relatives accounts of what life was like for generations to come, which can be a profoundly moving experience, Cain said. By keeping it physical rather than virtual, the authors can rest easy knowing their memories wont be lost because of a forgotten password, and, in Cohens experience, an obsolete floppy disk.

[Journals] remind us of our common humanity across time and space, and that's something that we will always need as human beings, Cain said. As historians and scholars certainly, but as citizens and people, it's really important to have a glimpse of the human mind and the human heart. Diaries give us this.

Matt Berg can be reached at matthew.berg@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @mattberg33.

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Journaling during the pandemic, for yourself and the historians - The Boston Globe

The ongoing COVID-19, recently announced by WHO as a global pandemic around the whole world, has been causing a global shutdown in several sectors including media and entertainment even the most famous event on the annual film festival calendar, at Cannes, has been postponed. The entertainment and film industry of Bangladesh is no different.

All activities of Bangladesh Film Development Corporation (FDC) have been paused due to the virus fear, although a rally was held from FDC on Saturday by the Bangladesh Film Artistes Association and attended by its president Misha Saudagar, General Secretary Zayed Khan, actor Dipjol, Ilias Kanchan and more. They distributed masks and requested fans to be aware and avoid panicking about the Coronavirus.

Amid the fear of the COVID-19, the government in Bangladesh has recently shut down many institutional activities after the confirmation of local transmission and death cases of coronavirus cases to prevent the virus from spreading, and cinema halls all over the country are currently going into lockdown mode from March 18 to April 2 due to the pandemic, according to Bangladesh Film Producers-Distributors Association President Khorshed Alam Khosru.

While asked about the ongoing crisis and possibilities of a nationwide shutting down of the cinema halls, Khosru told UNB that the association has decided to close all the halls until April 2.

As the virus passes from human to human in close proximity, people inside crowded arena such as cinema halls are at a higher risk to be contaminated with the virus - so we decided not to continue the shows in any of the halls including the cineplexes from March 18 to April 2, Khosru told UNB.

If the crisis continues, the longevity of the decision can get extended until the situation gets normal he further added.

However, countrys top cinema multiplexes including Blockbuster Cinemas at Jamuna Future Park and all branches of Star Cineplex (Bashundhara City, Shimanto Shambhar and SKS Tower) have postponed their activities since March 20; two days after the declaration came out from the association and health authorities.

Regarding the movies being showcased prior to the ban, Shakib Khans movie Shahenshah was the only one significant release that came out on March 6, and was running at over hundred halls before the closing.

As of now, movie lovers and hall owners are counting days for Shakibs upcoming movie Bidrohi and Nabab LLB, Arifin Shuvoo starring action extravaganza Mission Extreme, Siam Ahmed starring action film SHAAN, Ananta Jalils Bangladesh-Iran joint venture Deen - The Day, Tollywood star Dev starring Bangladeshi spy thriller film Commando, to name a few for the Eid-Ul-Fitr releases which they expect to make up for the loss in the meantime, due to the Coronavirus only if the uncertain situation get normal within the time.

Actors and actresses at home and abroad had already taken necessary steps to warn their admirers about the virus, either with the news about their own isolation or promoting safety measures via social media. Dhallywood stars including Shakib Khan, Siam Ahmed, Arifin Shuvoo, Riaz Ahamed and Bollywoods megastars including Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and more have either posted video messages or status posts, requesting fans to be aware and safe from COVID-19.

At the same time several production houses, actors, directors and producers in Bangladesh and India have opened joint fundraising platforms online, for the production crews who might suffer devastating financial loss due to the lockdown.

Coming back to the theatre sphere of Bangladesh, all activities including shows, rehearsals and others have been suspended by the Bangladesh Group Theatre Federation from March 17 to 31 to prevent the spread of coronavirus. Besides, Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy (BSA) has also suspended activities on all of their theatres and auditoriums till March 31.

On last Thursday, representatives of Actors Equity, Directors Guild, Television Programme Producers Association of Bangladesh and others met information minister Hasan Mahmud, discussed the circumstances and decided to postponed shootings of small screen productions including Television commercials (TVC), drama serials and others from March 22 to 31.

Every one involved in the entertainment and media sphere at home and abroad are eagerly waiting to see the damage of COVID-19 minimised and for the world to come out of the grip of the pandemic.

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COVID-19: Lockdown envelopes film and entertainment sphere - United News of Bangladesh

On March 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a29-minute addressto take precautionary measures including observing a Janta Curfew on March 22 from 7 AM to 9 PM to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in India.

Since then, several social media users have posted a text claiming that the coronavirus has a life cycle of 12 hours and a 14-hour curfew will help to break the chain and curb the further spread of the virus. This text is viral inEnglish,Hindi,andTelugualong with the hashtag #JantaCurfew.

The viral message has been shared onTwitter,Facebookand WhatsApp.

False:

Also Read:What can you do to kill time during 'Janta Curfew'?

FACT-CHECK

A viral infection can be transmitted from one individual to another in multiple ways.

1) Direct: From one individual to another individual either via means of touch, or if the infected individual coughs or sneezes in close vicinity of another person.2) Indirect: When an infected individual touches a surface, and another individual touches the same surface.

In the course of this article, we will demonstrate that a 14-hour self-imposed curfew will not break the cycle of infection as the coronavirus persists 2-3 days later on surfaces. However, social lockdown is an effective strategy for reducing new infections that flattens the curve.

Also Read:Janta Curfew: Stay at home call may deepen slowdown in Indian economy

Infected individual can pass the infection for upto two weeks

The novel CoV infection has a high incubation rate. The scientists at Imperial College, UKestimatethat each coronavirus patient infects on average 2.6 others, making it almost as infectious as yearly influenza outbreaks. While the common influenza virus has a short incubation period and is self-resolving, the 2019-nCoV can be incubated for up to two weeks, hence increasing its chances to infect other people. So, someone who is infected with CoV would be able to pass it on to someone else till upto two weeks, even if the former isnt yet displaying any symptoms.

Coronavirus can be detected on surface for upto 3 days

Alt News Science recently published anelaborate fact-checkregarding how long can coronavirus live on various surfaces. Research(Doremalen et al 2020)published in the New England Journal of Medicine conducted by American scientists (preprint here) suggests that the new coronavirus (COVID-19) can live in the air for several hours and on some surfaces for as long as 2-3 days. They tested the virus by spraying into the air by a nebuliser mimicking the coughing action of an infected person. They found that it could be detected up to a minimum of 3 hours later in the air, up to 4 hours on copper surfaces, up to 24 hours on cardboard and up to 2-3 days on plastic and stainless steel surfaces.

The longevity of the virus was determined by studying the decay time or half-life of the virus, which is the time it takes for it to reduce in 50% tissue-culture infectious dose (TCID50) per litre of air. It was determined that the virus stayed on cardboard, stainless steel and plastic for the longest period, in comparison to copper and aerosol droplets.

On average, the half-life of the virus on plastic surface was the highest, with an average of 15.9 hours (high 19.2 hours), copper was lower 3.4 hours (high 5.11 hours), and stainless steel was 13.1 hours (high 16.1 hours). No research was conducted on fabric at all.

For latest updates on coronavirus outbreak, click here

The study also suggests that the virus can spread through the air, from touching things that were contaminated by those who are infected, and through direct human contact. The virus was formerly known as HCoV-19, but is referred to as SARS-CoV2 in this study as the comparison of longevity was in comparison with the virus found in the previous coronavirus outbreaks, known as SARS-CoV or SARS-CoV1 in the study quoted above.

Thus, an individual infected with coronavirus can pass on the infection to another person for upto 14 days. Also, the coronavirus could be detected up to 2-3 days on plastic and stainless steel surfaces. The results from this study indicate that the coronavirus can be transmitted through aerosols (clusters of the virus in the air) aerosol and fomites (objects such as plastic, steel, other metals contaminated with the virus) are plausible, as the virus can remain viable in aerosols for multiple hours and on surfaces up to days. Hence, a 14 hour self-imposed curfew cannot break the cycle of infection as it is being claimed on social media. Despite the fact that the curfew will not break the cycle of infection as the Coronavirus still persists 2-3 days later on surfaces, the social lockdown is an effective strategy for reducing new infections that flattens the curve

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Coronavirus: 14-hour Janta curfew will not break the cycle of infection - Deccan Herald

As we live through historic events that arrive not every day but every hour, Im thinking of the future as well as the present.

It is ever fascinating to me to wonder what I might remember, years and decades from now, about changes which in their immediacy and sheer volume seem so monumental that their vibrancy cant be tarnished by time.

Sept. 11, 2001, for instance, was a milestone one of a handful of epochal days in American history and probably the most notable in my lifetime (I was born in 1970).

Yet my recollections of that sunny September day lack the clarity I would have predicted, even at the span of nearly two decades.

I think the coronavirus might well be different dramatically so.

Indeed I think its plausible to believe that for Americans old enough to form lasting memories of these days in the winter and spring of 2020, the coronavirus crisis will attain a prominence not so dissimilar to that of World War II among the generations that lived through that conflict.

I dont mean to suggest the two events are comparable on certain levels, to be sure.

America was directly involved in the Second World War for close to four years, and nearly half a million service members died.

There is good reason to believe that coronavirus in our country will not approach the wars longevity or death toll.

But no single event since that war has caused such upheaval to our society, at the most fundamental levels, as coronavirus has done.

The repercussions arrived so rapidly that Ive felt a trifle overwhelmed, as though I were caught in one of those terrible dreams in which the tasks accumulate but I seem helpless to deal with even one.

(And like as not, while clad only in my underwear.)

In the span of a few days, all manner of traditions that seemed as reliable as the passage of the seasons became casualties.

Sports all but ended.

March Madness, a symbol of spring as certain as the chilly north wind buffeting Baker Valley (but much less annoying), was canceled.

Schools closed.

Sit-down meals at restaurants are banned, and theaters dark and silent.

Terms such as social distancing have entered the vernacular, and I suspect they will be more difficult to dislodge than the slogans of past crises gas lines, for instance.

It is natural, and reasonable, to compare these precautions, some of them unprecedented in our lifetimes, with the level of the threat and decide for ourselves whether we think the scales are balanced.

I understand why some people say they are not indeed, that the response is grossly exaggerated.

Doctors agree that the coronavirus, though quite infectious, has a relatively low fatality rate of roughly 2% and much lower yet for young, otherwise healthy people.

I suspect many people, including those who dismiss the more dramatic precautions as hysteria, assumed if they ever thought about the subject that only a disease that was both easily spread and widely fatal would prompt this level of response.

There is, Ill concede, a certain comfort in the statistics. The same is true for our individual risks of, say, dying in a car crash. Most of us, after all, probably will not contract coronavirus. And most of those who do will survive, quite likely without even knowing the virus breached our defenses.

Yet despite this relatively remote risk of any one of us suffering severe illness, much less dying, I dont believe Americas response to coronavirus is unreasonable.

This is partly because of the uncertainty.

We know much more about how dangerous coronavirus is now than we did even a few weeks ago. But I am not comfortable making broad assumptions about a virus that, until around the turn of the year, few people who dont work in virology likely had heard of.

Moreover, the restrictions we have either taken voluntarily, or that have been imposed by the government, are indisputably effective at reducing the spread of the disease.

And although the short-term effects can be serious most notably the economic harm absent these precautions the coronavirus would infect far more people, and the blow to business likely would be even more persistent and dire.

None of this, obviously, can be proved now.

Which returns me to my original point about pondering the future.

It seems to me that budding sociologists and other observers of human society will have plenty of topics to keep them academically occupied for years, if not decades.

By 2040 bookshelves will sag, I suspect, with the work of historians who have examined every aspect of the great coronavirus crisis of 2020 (ideally, of course, it will be confined to a single year).

I like to think Ill pass enjoyable hours in my dotage reading some of these.

But I wonder how much Ill remember of what it was really like. How vividly will I be able to recall when the closures were arriving in my inbox with stunning rapidity, when toilet paper jokes were the epitome of humor, and when the issue of airborne droplets was suddenly, shockingly, more important than the Final Four.

Jayson Jacoby is editor of the Baker City Herald.

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COLUMN: Living history, and pondering books to be written - Baker City Herald

Mobility and accessibility solutions are products and services that meet the needs of a dynamic spectrum of people with varying degrees and types of disabilities that result in mobility and accessibility challenges.

Products you could offer in this industry include stairlifts, ramps, scooter carriers, mobility scooters, elevators, vertical platform lifts and more, as well as the services provided by installers, dealers and distributors.

While it may not be what most would consider a sexy industry, I expect this market segment to expand even more rapidly as the United States sees a shift in demographics and demand increases.

Lets explore some of the key factors influencing the mobility solutions industry and how to determine if it's the right industry for you.

1. There are more older people.

According to the U.S. Census Bureaus 2017 National Population Projections, all baby boomers will be older than 65 by 2030. For the first time in history, older people are projected to outnumber minors by 2034, and experts predict that 77 million people will be over the age of 65 in the United States by 2034.

I have already seen the positive impact this shift has had on the mobility and accessibility solutions industry, and I expect it will only increase as the aging population continues to grow.

2. More of these Americans are choosing to age in place.

Not only will the coming years see greater numbers of older Americans, but a growing trend is also making the mobility solutions industry even more appealing.

Instead of selling the homes where their families grew up to move to retirement communities or assisted living facilities, more older people are deciding instead to age in place. According to a 2014 AARP survey (viaHomeCare), 87% of those over 65 want to age in place.

An entire realm of education and advice about this has developed, on which entrepreneurs can capitalize. For example, the National Institute on Aging offers material on costs, concerns and issues related to aging in place.

3. You can offer a variety of modifications.

Whether an older person wants to age in place in their own home or move into the home of a child or relative, there are often many areas in a home that companies can modify for them. Similarly, when a child or spouse becomes disabled, you can offer them adaptations.

According to a recently updated article on AgingInPlace.org, the 2015 American Housing Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau looked at 118,290 homes, only 36,845 of which were one-story homes; 66,534 reported that steps were necessary to access their homes from the outside. But even flat floors and narrow doorways can make life tough.

4. Service is a necessary, ongoing human component.

The equipment and products themselves are just some of the solutions you can offer. The people for whom these products are designed need help. Consider providing installation services as a vital part of a comprehensive solution that provides the help they need.

Consider the example of a wheelchair-bound customer who lives in a house with four steps at the front door. This affects the life of the disabled resident as well as friends, families and caregivers who must be present to lift the wheelchair up and down the steps.

As a mobility solutions provider, you should be able to dispatch an installer promptly to efficiently install a lift or ramp to become a trusted go-to in the area.

Success and longevity in this industry will also require you to provide ongoing service and support, including routine maintenance beyond the sale and installation.

5. Positive energy can fuel your momentum.

Another factor that can quietly drive your success in this industry is the spirit of the people behind your business. The connections built between business owners and their customers and the satisfaction that comes with helping others in need are big parts of why many who get into this business love it.

At first blush, an outsider might think of the mobility and accessibility solutions business as profiting from the misfortunes or problems of others. The reality, however, is quite the contrary. The need exists, regardless of how unfortunate, and someone has to provide the necessary solutions. When you build a business that addresses the needs of a growing population, everyone can benefit.

Those of us with full mobility often take for granted the simplest things in life. Being able to make a night-and-day difference in a customers quality of life is incredibly rewarding and can make business ownership in this segment an attractive opportunity.

If you are considering pursuing a business opportunity in this growing industry, you might ask yourself a couple of questions to decide if it's the right fit for you. Do you have an outgoing and engaging personality? Will you enjoy assisting aging, disabled and special needs customers with ways their homes and the businesses they visit can be modified and/or better equipped? Are you outgoing, and do you enjoy relationship development activities with other business owners and agencies? Are you a strong team leader who can build and lead a motivated team of employees with the same vision that you have?

If so, here are a few things to look into:

Do some local market research to find out how many businesses are involved in this. Don't be worried if you find some, because odds are you will. In fact, I'd be more concerned if you didn't. It's always important to know who and where the competition is.

Once you've found the competition, secret shop a few of them. This will allow you to see what you might be doing on similar appointments in the future. Is it something that you feel as though you'll enjoy? You can also see where you might handle things differently or differentiate yourself.

Do some local research to find senior and/or disabled persons support agencies. Go visit an agency director, and find out what kind of activities and events they sponsor. See if they have something that you could do or be involved with.

Did you enjoy this process, and can you see yourself engaged in these kinds of activities as a norm?

See original here:
Five Factors Influencing The Mobility Solutions Industry - Forbes

Dive Brief:

While technology may be the most obvious herald of a workplace transformation, culture and upskilling still concern experts and execs in the space. In late 2019, Glassdoor said 2020 would mark the start of a "culture-first decade"in recruiting, particularly regarding diversity and inclusion. However, a study released in early March 2020 by Accenture found that culture is not a top strategic priority for company leaders; instead, financial performance and brand recognition took the top spots.

"Given that this is primarily a people initiative," the Infosys study said, "we hope to see more CHRO involvement in the near future."

The Glassdoor study did say technology particularly the adoption of mobile devices would be a major concern for companies in the new decade. Employee experience with technology may be a pain point; in an index created and released by Nexthink, large companies scored lowest on four of the five categories measured. Categories included collaboration platforms, productivity tools, workplace devices and business services and applications. Employers have good reason to focus on employee experience with tech, according to various studies. Those that focus on the human experience tend to have better employee performance across the board, Deloitte said in a study released in August 2019.

While left behind in the Infosys study, upskilling may be a prime concern for the longevity of a workplace transformation, a January Randstad studynoted, especially because the talent shortage remains a top worry for CEOs. While a majority of HR respondents (91%) said they believe it's their organization's responsibility to reskill workers, only 22% are training or reskilling their workforce to address shortages or digital transformation.

See the article here:
Are CEOs displacing CHROs in the workplace transformation? - HR Dive

Its difficult to describe Philippe Starck in a few wordsor even a few sentences. The French designer, whos known globally for his work in interior, exterior, product, furniture, industrial, and architectural design, has designed everything from low-energy wooden prefabricated houses (known as P.A.T.H., or Prefabricated Accessible Technological Homes), to yachts and hotels, to the residences of the French president.

Hes also responsible for one of the worlds most iconic pieces of furniturethe ghost chair.

Mr. Starck, 71, has coined the phrase democratic design, describing it as something that provides quality pieces at accessible prices.

More: Aspen Brokerage Founder Says Its Core Area is Expanding

And early this year, he announced his newest furniture collection, Oh, It Rains!, in collaboration with B&B Italia Outdoor, a company that focuses on functional furniture. The sofas and armchairs in the collection include a mechanical joint that allows the backrest to recline, as well as to fold over the cushions in order to protect the furniture in case of rain. The pieces are made of water-repellant proprietary textiles.

Outside of furniture and home design, Mr. Starck also had a brief stint as art director for the Virgin Galactic spaceport, is a winemaker (with his own Champagne with Maison Louis Roederer), makes perfume under the label STARCK Paris (interestingly, his mother operated a parfumerie when he was a child), and creates ultraflexible eyeglasses in collaboration with Luxottica, a project that combines design with biomechanics.

We caught up with Mr. Starck to discuss his passions, his inspirations, and what he felt was missing from outdoor furniture.

From Penta: Worldwise: Chef Nina Comptons Favorite Things

Mansion Global: Who are some of your inspirations in the design world?

Philippe Starck: I have no admiration for designers, architects, or artists. I love scientists. My heroes are Ptolemy, Einstein, Archimedes, et cetera. They are among the ones who change the world.

What does democratic design mean to you now? Has that changed throughout the years?

Im not really proud of what I do because design is useless. It can help improve lives, but it does not save lives. However, Im proud of my battle to democratize design: increasing quality, yet lowering prices in order to make design affordable for the wider public. Now that this battle is won, I can continue with democratic ecology and democratic architecture. I started with P.A.T.H., highly technological and high-quality prefabricated houses, to save energy, time, money, and guarantee longevity at the right price. Recently, I worked on the next commercial International Space Station in collaboration with Axiom to develop commercial space tourism. Im very happy to take part in this project because companies like Axiom are focusing on space research and are searching for solutions in order to democratize space.

How did the project with B&B Italia come about? What was your design inspiration for that collaboration?

I always say that to make beautiful children, parents have to be in love. Its the same with projects; to make beautiful projects, you have to share the same values with your partner. I always thought there was something wrong with outdoor furniture collections. When you are in a beautiful hotel, enjoying the swimming pool, and suddenly someone says: Oh, it rains! and hundreds of waiters start panicking, picking up all the pillows and cushions, there is something not quite right. So I wanted to create a solution. I worked on a whole range of options that allow you to intervene in a few simple steps when it starts to rain. For example, by simply folding the backrest forward, you can cover the upholstery like a protective flap, and as soon as the sun comes back, simply unfold and youre ready. This is the most elegant design made with high technology, high quality, and high intelligence.

More: Barrier-Breaking Architect Says Its Time for More Women in the Field

What will the furniture of the future look like?

Design is a simple tool that has been created to improve the ugly obligations of our daily life. There is no future for design, as we are now entering the era of bionism [the art of taking inspiration from the body to create technologies better suited to the human being, according to Mr. Starck] and dematerialization. In the coming years, all the useless things around us will disappear, they will become integrated directly into the walls, to the body. The next designer will be our coach, our dietician.

Youve also launched perfume. How do you get inspired to come up with scents? And what interests you about being in that business?

STARCK Paris is not a design project. It is a personal project, coming from my brain, from my heart. ...With my wife, Jasmine, we spent years discovering the works of almost all existing master perfumers,

carrying out blind tests. And eventually we recognized Daphn Bugey, Annick Mnardo, and Dominique Ropion as part of my sentimental tribe. People who share a vision and creative intelligence. We invented a new diagonal language in order to translate my vision, my mental space, actually turning my words into chemicals and perfumes. I am passionate about perfume because it is so powerful, abstractlike a vehicle, a weapon. With a nanodrop of scent, that is less than a milligram of liquid, you can create your own universe, your own territory.

Whats next for you?

To continue to direct my creation and my production toward immateriality, toward the minimum while giving the maximum. My Starck Biotech Paris glasses are a good example. We continue to explore biotechnology, while working on dematerialization and bionism by proposing new, innovative solutions. ... stay tuned.

This story first appearedin Mansion Global magazine, published on March 14th, 2020.

Click to Read More Luxury Real Estate Professionals Share Their Insights

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Philippe Starck Is Living the Future - Mansion Global

I'VE been thinking lately how much we take our senses for granted, those windows to the world, and how the treadmill of living dulls our appreciation of experiences they give us.

Most days I walk familiar routes, passing similar landmarks; a bend in the river, a particular tree, banks or hedgerows. Such repetition brings complacency when looking at certain things along well-trodden paths.

A fern whose lineage, according to fossil records, stretches back to around 360 million years ago is a plant I've given a frequent glance, but have neglected to properly acknowledge.

It took the presence of a grey wagtail, dancing and bobbing nearby recently, to prompt my first serious consideration of the native Hart's-tongue, as it hung in clusters from the damp rocky crevices of the riverbank, its undivided fronds, glossy green and shiny.

The tongue-shaped pointed leaves along with hart', the name for an older male red deer, give rise to its name, resembling a deer's tongue' or teanga fia' in Irish.

Some other names have been noted for the fern such as cow tongue' (Hart, 1898) and fox's tongue' (Colgan 1904).

The sporangia which produce and contain the spores are arranged in lines along the underside of the leaves resembling a centipede's legs, hence the species name 'scolopendrium', Latin for centipede. Ferns reproduce by releasing these spores and have neither seeds nor flowers.

Though battered by recent storms and fluctuating water levels, the arching leaves of these ferns will soon be replaced by new luxuriant blades unfurling in late spring.

Hart's-tongue, which prefers woodlands, hedgerows and damp shady places, is just one of the many fern varieties found in Ireland. Their graceful feathery fronds have fascinated poets and writers for centuries. In his poem The Stolen Child (1886) WB Yeats, reaching for the innocence of childhood again, writes of the lure by the fairies:

"Leaning softly out?From ferns that drop their tears?Over the young streams" to

"Come away, O human child!?To the waters and the wild'".

Another giant of the Romantic poets, Coleridge in an early version of the poem This Lime-Tree Bower my Prison (1797), writes of "the ferny rock/Whose plumy ferns forever nod and drip". He later wrote in one of his notebooks, "An eminently beautiful object is Fern".

In the Irish legend of Mad Sweeney, the outcast King castigates fern, saying "There is no bed for an outlaw/In the branches of thy crests".

Like many plants with such longevity, hart's tongue has been used for medicinal purposes by past communities to treat coughs, digestive problems and open wounds.

Culpeper's Complete Herbal (1653), still in print today, said of the plant, "Hart's Tongue is much commended against the hardness and stoppings of the spleen and liver, and against the heat of the liver and stomach, and against the bloody-flux. Dioscorides [a Greek physician] saith, it is good against stinging or biting of serpents."

A record from Co Limerick in a manuscript of the Irish Folklore Commission tells how hart's-tongue leaf was burned and applied to cure burns. It is also thought that fern was used to brew ale in early Ireland. In the Lebor Gabla, or Book of Invasions, Malaliach is said to have been the first brewer in Ireland making lind ratha or fern ale'.

The male grey wagtail showed off its black throat and bright yellow underside as it moved along the river bank in search of food, before flying off downstream, in undulating pattern low above the water and out of sight, its job of drawing me towards the fern, now done. Keep well.

Read more:
Stephen Colton's Take on Nature: Ancient harts-tongue fern catches the eye - The Irish News

Ronnie S. Stangler, M.D., physician and psychiatrist, is Founder of Genome Advisory, based in New York City. Uniquely positioned at the intersection of health, wealth and science, Genome Advisory consults with individuals, global families and their advisors, using the DNA science of genomics to enhance strategic plans regarding health, risk and legacy.

Dr. Stangler served for over a decade as Chief Medical Officer to an international family office in London, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.

She is Clinical Professor of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington, and contributed as Advisor to the Department of Genetics, Personal Genetics Education Project, Harvard Medical School.

When Madonna performs, she reportedly engages a sterilization team to sweep, mop and wipe every surface of her dressing room, so that no trace of her DNA is left for surreptitious analysis, cloning or experimentation. Hacking portends the specter of a black market which will trade in valuable genetic information about prominent individuals and families. Is Madonna paranoid? Or smart? You decide...

2020: THE AGE OF THE GENOME

The DNA science of genomics is now a critical part of strategic planning regarding health, risk and legacy for wealthy individuals, global families and their advisors.

Every living organism is made up of cells. Each cell contains a set of genes encoded with DNA which provides comprehensive instructions that constitute the master blueprint for our lives. In conjunction with environment and lifestyle, our genes are responsible for determining fundamentals of who we are: our appearance; traits; how we survive and prosper; how we age; how we decline.

Genes are our universal inheritance and legacy. They have been so since the onset of humankind. Historically they have been an invisible presence. Until now.

We have entered the Age of the Genome, an extraordinary era of transformative biotechnology. Today, we can not only fully see our genes - an essential building block of our humanity - but we can read them like the words of a book. And now we can edit, enhance and create genes, as well.

GENETICS vs GENOMICS

Genetics is the study of heredity and individual genes. Many of us first learned about genetics in high-school biology as we contemplated Mendels pea plant experiments of the 1860s.

Genomics is the study of an organisms complete set of genes, called the genome, the entirety of its DNA. The genome can be analyzed through a process called whole genome sequencing (WGS).

The first human genome was sequenced in 2003. This fifteen year project cost over $3B. Today, we can analyze the human genome for less than $1,000 within weeks. Personal motivations for WGS currently include: accessing health information, often providing actionable insights; understanding disease risk; knowing what one will pass on to ones children; and receiving information about response to particular medications (pharmacogenomics).

GENOTYPING vs WHOLE GENOME SEQUENCING

While DNA and genes are now very much a part of public consciousness, propelled mostly by widespread adoption of direct-to-consumer (DTC) genotyping products (e.g. 23andMe, Ancestry.com, etc.), few understand the specifics of what these products offer.

The technology underlying direct-to-consumer genetic analyses is genotyping, which provides a limited picture of less than one percent of ones genes, preselected by individual companies on the basis of known associations with specific traits and diseases.

Alternatively, whole genome sequencing provides a literal snapshot of the entirety of ones genes. Some have compared the difference between genotyping and WGS to the difference between a tricycle and a race car.

GENOMICS AND WEALTH

The wealthy represent a population with the same concerns about health and genes as all others. However, factors in their environment generate unique concerns. The very terms family enterprise, family office and family legacy convey their requisite focus on all that is family. And genes permeate all aspects of family.

Traditionally the wealthy have focused on financial well-being, preservation and growth of capital. New knowledge of family genes will progressively influence all aspects of health, physical and emotional well-being; reproduction and family relationships; as well as the most traditional domains of family advising and operation of family enterprise. And the wealthy are already amongst the earliest adopters of cutting-edge DNA science.

Genomic information is already being used to inform best decisions around health, risk and legacy. Thus, knowledge of genomics and its impact on wealthy families is now part of an essential toolkit for the family advisory. Preeminent families have already embraced planning of genomics strategy.

VIEWING THE FAMILY OFFICE THROUGH THE LENS OF GENOMICS

Genomics has moved from an abstract quantitative entry in investment portfolios to a vital living tool for creating healthier, longer, disease-free lives.

How can we consider succession without considering genes??Heredity is succession. It is the succession of genes. How will succession planning be affected by knowledge of health futures of family members?

How can we consider trusts without considering genes??As we learn more about health risks, there are profound financial and social implications. If a family member has significant likelihood of imminent disease, appropriate planning is critical. What family resources should be allocated to access new mitigating interventions? Early gene- editing therapies are extremely costly, and no matter how wealthy a family, resources are finite.

How can we consider estate planning without considering genes??Radical longevity and the genetic means to achieve it will alter financial requirements. New financial instruments must be developed to accommodate increased lifespan.

How can we consider fiduciary responsibility without considering genes??Trustees and advisors will be challenged by new medical information that is difficult to interpret. Deciding how to utilize this information creates unprecedented ethical dilemmas. Families must align on an ethical framework to guide such decisions.

How can we consider governance without considering genes??Governance must reflect a common family vision with the understanding that genetics is not a solo sport. Every biologically related family member is literally tied to every other by the life thread of shared DNA.

How can we consider next-gen without considering genes??Next-gen have access to rapidly evolving radical reproductive technologies. They must also navigate new relationships with parents who may be physically and mentally vital well into their nineties and beyond. Parents may wish to continue their tenure within the family enterprise. This will create new frictions. Parents may also choose to create genetically enhanced new children, perhaps younger by an entire generation than their older siblings.

DEVELOPING A GENOMICS STRATEGY FOR YOUR FAMILY AND FAMILY OFFICE

Family offices are as unique as the families they serve. Genomics strategy must be developed to support families as they navigate the complex field of genomics and engage with the science directly.

Human and behavioral perspectives cannot be ignored. Genomic information will have an impact on family dynamics; family identity; and the psyches of individuals who learn about new health risks, vulnerabilities and opportunities for enhancement.

Wealthy families are already formalizing family genomics chartersto guide ethical decision making, now and through the future.

Genes are rarely absolute destiny. Our environment and life experiences profoundly alter the expression of genes. Will knowledge of genes spur us to better life choices? Change is challenging. Family members require high-touch support to alter behavior in positive ways.

There is dire need, as well, for trustees and advisors to understand the complex nature of systems of wealth and to integrate rapidly evolving biological considerations through processes when appropriate and beneficial to do so. Trustees and advisors will help determine how decisions are made; where sensitive data is saved; who has the right to access such data and when; and how resources will be allocated.

Families of wealth have the financial means to direct education and funding of medical initiatives of unique concern, as well as the potential to fund more generative, legacy and aspirational projects.

For example, when Sergei Brin, Co-Founder of Google, learned about his genetic vulnerability to Parkinsons Disease, he radically altered his philanthropic strategy to support basic science research in the field. After changing the way the world searches for information on the web, he has now revolutionized how scientists approach Parkinsons Disease.

Genomics will inevitably become an essential component of the family philanthropy portfolio in highly personal ways.

RISK MITIGATION FOR UHNW FAMILIES

Risk mitigation is a core responsibility in management of UHNW families and wealth. Direct- to-consumer genetic testing products present risks that must be contained immediately.

In December 2019, the United States Pentagon provided strong caution about the use of consumer genetic products by the military (Pentagon Warns Military Personnel Against At-Home DNA Tests, The New York Times, 24 December 2019).

Legal professionals have spoken out as well: Collecting [genetic] data could have unintended consequences. It can be lost to hackers, spies, others who might steal it... or exposed in government investigations through subpoenas... So people planning to plaster their deepest internal and family secrets into private company databases should consider the risks that the private DNA mills dont want you to think about. (The Shell Game Played with Your DNA, or 23 and Screwing Me, The National Law Review, 23 January 2020).

These groups represent a mere handful of increasingly concerned entities who detail gross compromise of privacy, security and accuracy. And Madonna saw it coming!

As a predominantly unregulated industry, DTC genetic testing entities often provide misleading information based on pseudoscience, making undeliverable promises. At times they offer false and dangerous reassurance about lack of medical vulnerability. For example, 23andMe only tests for three variants of BRCA genes responsible for breast and ovarian cancer, although more than 1,000 BRCA variants are known to increase cancer risk. 90% of participants who carry a BRCA mutation would be missed by todays 23andMe test.

Families of wealth, who require safety, security and privacy at all costs, must reject these at-home testing products entirely. The infotainment they provide is not an acceptable trade-off for the risks they impose, especially compromised safety.

By contrast, the whole genome sequencing industry is strictly regulated, governed by law and operates with the highest evidence-based technical medical standards and protection requirements for those whom they serve. Whole genome sequencing presents a far superior alternative for families of wealth.

Sequencing itself is but the first step of a life-long genomics journey. Once you have been sequenced, interpretation of your raw genomic data is a dynamic process, constantly evolving. New and increasingly complex insights will become available at exponential speed. Professional guidance is an absolute requirement to optimize translation and enhance health.

Imagine the following scenario:

A highly educated, vital, healthy 35 year-old family member is appointed CEO of the core global family enterprise. He dies at his desk from an unanticipated cardiac event on the second day of his tenure.

Consider the profound emotional and social impact of such an event on his family, the family office and the larger family organization. And consider the economic risk of not anticipating such an event, especially as this silent medical condition might have been understood using currently available DNA medical science through whole genome sequencing (Predicting Sudden Cardiac Death, The Harvard Gazette, 16 November 2019).

THE FUTURE

Families of wealth, family offices and family enterprise will ultimately be enriched by the gifts of genomics. This disruptive, deeply intimate human science bodes an extraordinary future with elimination of malignant disease, enhanced well- being and healthy longevity.

With new knowledge and agency comes new fiduciary responsibility to protect the lives of those we serve. We must all wrestle with its challenges, especially its ethics. Arming families with a working knowledge of genomics and a formal blueprint for its ethical application allows them to shape their most powerful legacy and future.

See the original post:
Dr. Ronnie S. Stangler: What Does Madonna Know About Her Genes That You Don't? Genomics and Its Impact on Families of Wealth | Horizons: Family Office...

Q: I enjoy the nostalgia articles in my hometown newspaper The Gainesville Sun. The recent Cars We Remember section was really fun to read, and I enjoyed the AMC history of high performance. One AMC car you didn't mention was the 1970 Rebel Machine, and I'm wondering your thoughts on the Rebel Machine by AMC? How many were ever made and is it a worthy collector car?

Shawn S., Gainesville, Florida.

A: Shawn, I'm happy to tell you about the 1970 Rebel Machine and also a very rare 1971 AMC muscle car, too.

As I mentioned in the Cars We Remember special edition, by the time AMC released its pony and muscle car lineup during the latter part of the 1960s the company was way behind the performance youth movement that began in earnest with the 1964 GTO. And even though Chevy, Ford and Chrysler produced some really hot full-size muscle cars in 1961-1963 like the Chevy 409, Ford 390-406-427 and the MOPAR 413-426, American Motors was not in the performance ballgame at all.

To make things worse when it came to AMC completely missing this very profitable muscle car boom, the stuffed shirts at the board meetings decided to release newspaper advertisements that emphasized the only "race" AMC was interested in was the "human race." So, even though the baby boomer generation was clearly into excitement and muscle cars in a big way, AMC was not.

After finally relenting, AMCs mid-size performance started in 1967, when the good-looking Rebel SST hit the showroom floors. As a precursor to the Rebel Machine, the SST featured a 343-inch V8 with 280 horsepower and some interesting high-performance options like Carter 4-barrel carb, bigger camshaft, and even an optional 4:44 rear end gear. Still, a 343-V8 with just 280 horsepower was no match against the competition, like an Olds 442, Chevelle SS396 or a Ford Fairlane GT. It just didn't cut it.

But to answer your Rebel Machine question, immediately following AMC's compact size SC/Rambler American in 1969, which happened to be the hottest AMC ever to hit the roads and just 1,512 were ever built, AMC then decided to release the Rebel Machine in 1970. The Rebel Machine rode on a 114-inch wheelbase and was more in line with the Plymouth Roadrunner size of muscle car than the compact style SC/Rambler. The first 1,000 were painted red, white and blue, while the others could be ordered in any solid color.

Under the hood sat a 390-inch, 340-horse engine mated to the great shifting Borg Warner T-10 four-speed with a factory Hurst shifter. The suspension was beefed up with stiffer AMC station wagon springs in the rear, resulting in a nice "funny car style" rake. However, the raised rear resulted in some wheel hop under full acceleration with street tires at the drags. The car would run in the 14-second range at 90 mph, which was good back then for a street muscle car.

Other "The Machine" notables were a ram air type hood operated by vacuum with an integrated 8,000 RPM tachometer. In my opinion, the Rebel SST and the Rebel Machine were the best-looking AMC's of all, hands down.

As for longevity, the Rebel Machine was produced only one year, 1970, at a base price of $3,450. Thus, it is a very rare collector car and only 2,326 were ever built. Concerning pricing, a 390 Rebel Machine in excellent original or fully restored condition today will fetch an easy $50,000 and up according to NADA pricing. Even an average condition Machine needing some TLC should go in the $20,000 range, making it a desirable collector car.

Now for that other AMC performance car I mention above, which may well be the rarest AMC muscle car ever built.

Following AMC dropping the Rebel Machine from its lineup, a real sleeper popped up for just a bit of time in 1971 when less than 60 1971 AMC Matador two-door hardtops were delivered with AMC's "The Machine Go Package" option. The Go Package added either a 360-V8 at 290 horses or the preferred 401-inch V8 with 330-horsepower. The Borg Warner T-10 was again part of the package, along with dual exhaust, heavy duty suspension, 15-inch Goodyear Polyglas raised letter tires and a 3.90 rear end gear. As rare as this Rambler is, I've never seen one in person but it may well be the best of the mid-size muscle cars from AMC. By mid-1971, the option disappeared.

If you ever see a 1971 Matador with the 401 The Machine Go Package (valued at a top price of near $50,000) you are in the minority as very few survived the crusher. Thanks for your question.

Greg Zyla writes weekly for More Content Now and GateHouse Media. Contact him at greg@gregzyla.com.

Read more here:
Cars We Remember: The Rebel Machine by AMC and a rare 1971 Matador Go Machine - The Providence Journal