Navarro is the assistant editor for The San Diego Union-Tribune en Espaol. She lives in Tijuana.

Like many binational kids in our CaliBaja region, I grew up in Tijuana, believing in Santa Claus and singing carols in English and Spanish, eating spicy tamales and turkey with gravy. And while my White friends will usually take down their holiday decorations right after Christmas, in my house everything stays the same until Jan. 6. Im sure that Im not the only one who follows the unwritten tradition: For Mexicans, the holidays go from Dec. 12, on the Day of the Virgen de Guadalupe feast, to Jan. 6, the Epiphany a time frame that even has its own name, el maratn Guadalupe-Reyes.

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For many Latino families, on both sides of the border, the Da de Reyes on Jan. 6 is the last day of the season to celebrate and cherish the joy with your loved ones, and it is also the last chance to bring gifts to the little ones while celebrating an important date in our faith. The story in the Bible describes three wise men who visited Jesus after his birth, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. They symbolize the first gentiles converted to Christianity. Even now, the kings are always present on my moms nativity ornaments, el nacimiento. I remember them in my grandmas decorations: Melchior, a white-skinned and golden bearded king riding a camel; Gaspar, with an Arabic look, riding a horse; and Balthazar with dark skin, riding an elephant. All three men wore fine capes and jeweled crowns. I also remember how my grandma use to play with the three figurines when I was a kid.

First, she would place them away from the nativity manger, and every day she would move them, so they could walk closer to the nativity scene. There are different traditions associated with the Three Kings Day. The first one has to do with presents. Before going to sleep, on Jan. 5, the children place one shoe near the nativity decorations or next to a window, so they can collect a gift from the wise man the following morning. Then there is food, just like in any other celebration. Before the date, and on Jan. 6, we drink hot chocolate, champurrado (a thick drink made of corn masa and Mexican chocolate, with or without milk) or coffee while eating the rosca de Reyes. The sweet bread, shaped like a wreath and decorated with nuts and fruits, represents the kings crowns and another biblical passage. Inside each rosca, the baker hides a tiny baby figure that represents the hiding of baby Jesus from King Herods troops. On larger roscas, there are several babies hidden.

Most recently, the baby has morphed into popular figures, like Grogu (aka Baby Yoda) and many other characters. Also, the extravagant and exquisite cuisine of our region innovates every year, offering a wide variety of roscas on both sides of the border. From the classic sweet bread that you can find for cheap at any Hispanic market to gourmet creations from exclusive bakeries and upscale prices stuffed with cream cheese, chocolate, cajeta (dulce de leche) or fruits. For those on a special diet, a quick search on social media can lead them to specialty places where its possible to order vegan and gluten-free choices.

Once you choose your rosca, you should know that, at least in my house, there is one rule to obtain your piece of that special cake: no one else can cut your piece of rosca, because if you touch it, the baby is yours. And of course, there is a golden rule: If your piece of bread has the baby figure, then you must serve tamales the following month, on Feb. 2. Some say that receiving the baby is a symbol of good luck, others that it is just an excuse to keep partying with your loved ones, with more champurrado and tamales. No matter on what side of the border you celebrate the Epiphany, this will be the last day of this seasons holidays. After this day, its fine to remove the Christmas decorations and start working out to lose those extra holiday pounds. Because if you eat rosca, tamales will be back next month!

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Opinion: For many Latino families the holidays arent over until the Epiphany - The San Diego Union-Tribune

There's nothing more festive than putting up the Christmas tree and going totally overboard with the decorations.

Once you've got your best artificial Christmas tree out, baubles at the ready, the next hurdle is untangling the lights. The Home Depot has shared a golden rule that will make your tree shine extra bright this year.

(Image credit: Cox & Cox)

Sarah Fishburne is the Director of Trend and Design at The Home Depot. Working in Atlanta, she leads a team of interior designers. When it comes to Christmas lights, she has a 'go big or go home' philosophy.

'For live trees and shrubs, use 100 mini lights or 50 C7 lights for every vertical foot,' she advises.

(Image credit: Cox & Cox)

More sparse-looking, asymmetrical trees have proven popular this year, with people embracing slimline trees with a branch out of place.On such trees, Sarah says can use half that number of lights, so you'll only need 50 for every vertical foot.

However, if you want the brightest tree in your neighbourhood, the key is to double that number. 'Depending on your preferences, you may want a brighter tree,' Sarah says. 'In which case you can double the number of recommended lights,' she says.

(Image credit: Cox & Cox)

We knew it, more is always more when it comes to Christmas decorating ideas.

With Black Friday home deals and Cyber Monday offers ongoing, you may just bag yourself some additional string lights at a great price. The Home Depot Christmas lights that have been most popular this year are the Holiday 300-Light Clear Incandescent Mini Lights and the Set of 100 Warm White LED Lights on Green Wire.

You might want to add some festive Christmas lighting to other areas of your home besides the tree to help set the mood. Wherever you're hanging your lights, Sarah recommends starting with 'at least 60 feet' of string lights.

The same goes for exterior Christmas lights, and if you have the time and patience, you can measure your eaves and awnings to determine the exact length of string lights you need.

Turning on the tree lights each morning is one of the joys of the festive season, so make sure you have plenty for that extra Christmas magic.

See the rest here:

The Home Depot's secret to creating the brightest tree with Christmas lights - Real Homes

November 23, 2021

By Mark Cox

The prospect of festive flying is looking anything but jolly this year.

The Transportation Security Administration said that it expected to screen an estimated 20 million people over the Thanksgiving travel period, which began last week. And airports are bracing for near pre-pandemic levels of holiday travel next month as well.

As air travel has ramped up, so have the headaches: expensive fares, canceled flights, airport crowds, sardine-packed planes and disruptive passengers.

Dont worry, though: Jeff Price, Metropolitan State University of Denver Aviation professor, has some expert advice to help you avoid any nightmare trips.

Book early, if possible

Its the golden rule of booking flights: Prices will go up the longer you wait. There definitely is an optimal window when airfares are typically at their lowest, Price said, and thats usually around three months out. But there may still be some good deals out there for the holiday season since airlines sometimes add late flights.

Get to the airport early

The security-checkpoint lines can change, ebb and flow considerably at DIA, which recommends arriving in the terminal at least two hours in advance of your flight. During busy periods, its worth arriving earlier than usual since you may need to navigate around the airport to find your line entrance, especially if youre a member of Clear or TSA PreCheck. Check the DIA website for all the latest parking, airport and flight information and to subscribe for updates.

Remember to mask up

If youre heading to an airport, dont forget your mask. The federal government requires all passengers, regardless of vaccination status, to wear their mask at all times with the exception of when they are eating or taking a drink, Price said.

Id suggest buying a mask that is comfortable to wear, easy to breathe in and doesnt get too hot, said Price, who has travelled by air twice in the past two weeks. Its a worthy investment if you want a more comfortable flight.

Stay Covid-safe and sanitize

A crowded airport is like a giant petri dish filled with germs. To help protect against the spread of Covid-19, the Transportation Security Administration is allowing travelers to bring up to 12 ounces of hand sanitizer, plus alcohol or anti-bacterial wipes, in their carry-on bags.

Check your flight, then check it again

When youre traveling during the holidays, one thing you can rely on is that you cant really rely on anything. During holiday season, Price said, there are always lots of flight changes, delays and, unfortunately, cancellations especially if there is bad weather.

He recommends downloading a flight app so you can regularly check for delays or changes to your itinerary.

Many airline apps, such as FlightAware and FlightRadar, now enable you to track the real-time status of your flight, which is incredibly useful, Price said.

Flying internationally? Check for travel restrictions

Travel rules have been eclectic and fluid lately, so international travelers should carefully check the latest requirements for all stages of their journey.

The Department of State website is a good place to find clear guidance on restrictions regarding international locations, Price said. And Id also recommend checking websites in the actual country youre visiting for additional information, restrictions or rules.

Listen to airport staff

The TSA has warned that its going to be a busy holiday season. And as passenger numbers start ramping up again, airport security staff have a simple request: Listen to them because they can help.

Travelers should pay attention to the guidance TSA officers provide at checkpoints, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said. They could be directing you to a shorter line or guiding you around someone who is moving slowly. And they may give you advice that will lessen the likelihood that youll need a pat-down.

Unruly passengers

Pandemic-era flying has seen an unprecedented rise in air-rage incidents. More than 85% of flight attendants have had to deal with unruly passengers this year. And Prices advice is stark: Dont be one of those people.

Interference with a crew member is a federal offense, he said. Unruly passengers may find themselves under criminal prosecution and ultimately have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. Its really not worth it.

If youre on a flight and someone starts acting up, however, then its up to you whether to intervene.

There could be repercussions, of course, just like if you tried to stop a fight on the street, Price said. But in most cases, passengers who assist crew members have not been arrested for trying to help.

Excerpt from:

Have a stress-free flight this holiday season - MSU Denver Newsroom

Construction of a new 8,000-square-foot building dedicated to the skilled trades on the Fauquier campus of Lord Fairfax Community College is expected to begin in February and be open for classes in fall 2022.

An LFCC press release said that the building is being made possible through a gift of 60 acres adjacent to campus from Fauquier County to theLFCCEducational Foundation. The college has been leasing space for trades instruction at Vint Hill, but that site is not ideal for those needs, the release said, and the lease expires in 2022.

With the new trades building, the college will be able to offer trades classes for the first time in Fauquier, and even begin a new carpentry program. Electrical, HVAC, plumbing and heavy equipment operator programs will be held in the new structure.

Providing career training and apprenticeships in the trades requires a custom-designed facility we need flexible labs for hands-on learning, hard floors, high ceilings, state-of-the-art ventilation systems, multiple outlets and drop cords to accommodate the industrial and commercial training equipment, said Jeanian Clark, vice president of Workforce Solutions and Continuing Education, in the press release.

Thats why this new building is such exciting news. And it couldnt come at a better time. With the states investment in the G3, FastForward and Re-Employing Virginians initiatives, enrolling in skilled-trades programs and high-demand career pathways has never been more affordable for students. Our area businesses and industries need our trades graduates, Clark said.

In addition to expanding trade offerings, the new facility will allow the college to explore partnerships with Fauquier County and Rappahannock County schools for potential new ventures, such as a trades academy.

The expansion of trades programs on the Fauquier campus is good news for the home construction industry, saidLFCCFoundation Board Member Joel Barkman in the press release. He is founder and president/CEO of Golden Rule Builders in Catlett.

By investing in the infrastructure to develop the next generation of building trade professionals,LFCCis a valuable partner in addressing the skilled labor shortage. Im proud to support the college, he said.

The foundation, which will own the building and lease it to the college, has established the Building the Future Fund with a fundraising goal of $1.5 million. According to the press release, the money raised will go toward fully equipping the site; bringing in experienced instructors; offering scholarships, and expanding instruction to more fields within career and technical education.

There are naming opportunities for the building itself, as well as spaces inside, according to the press release.

For more information or to donate to the Building the Future Fund, anyone interested may contact Tami OBrien, development officer, at 540-351-1046 ortobrien@lfcc.edu.

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LFCC's Fauquier campus will add building dedicated to skilled trades education - Fauquier Times

Ive been in orthopedic practice in this community for approaching 35 years. Id like to believe Ive either helped, or at least tried my very best to help, as many of my patients as I possibly could. I appreciate the fact that Ive made many of my patients more than that and were also now friends. Friends who trust me to care for them, their spouses, their children, and their parents.

Ive always tried to practice medicine by the golden rule of doing for your patients as if they were your own family.

So I ask you, those that are not vaccinated, or havent received your boosters, to please do so. There are many untruths about the COVID vaccine that exist.

As in anything that happens in health care there is whats called a Risk Benefit Ratio. There are risks in receiving a treatment and there are risks in not receiving a treatment. For those of you who are undecided as to get vaccinated, as your friend, your caregiver, someone that you may have trusted to provide you spinal care, injury care, to care for your families, I beg you, I beseech you all, to please set aside any fears, political standings, the inconvenience and get vaccinated.

At our beloved community hospital alone weve had 135 deaths and sadly the number continues to rise unnecessarily.

Many unvaccinated people have exposed not only themselves but also their families to this potentially lethal virus and the outcome has been deadly.

Our hospital staff has been overwhelmed with the sadness and sense of helplessness that occurs when trying to save someone who is dying from COVID. The human cost to this can be crushing.

Whenever I see a veteran wearing a military hat, I always go out of my way to thank them for their service to our country. As a final note, consider doing the same when you see a health care provider these days. It makes a difference to them I know.

I accept the fact that some will never get vaccinated, but if youre on the fence, and you trust me, please do it, for yourselves, for your family, for our country.

Dr. Paul S. Lin,

Lewisburg

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If you're on the fence | Opinion | dailyitem.com - Sunbury Daily Item

Ozark is one of the most popular series on Netflix, and the fourth and final season will release in January 2022. The first seven episodes will come out first, with the remaining seven to follow later. In the meantime, you can check out other movies and shows on the streamer starring Ozarks leading man Jason Bateman.

Bateman is anactor, director and producer who started his acting career in the 1980s when he starred in Little House on the Prairie.He would go on to star in other 80s shows such asSilver Spoons and The Hogan Family.

Since that time, Bateman has become a seasoned actor as well as a director. He has directed Bad Words, The Family Fang and Ozark, and starred in Juno, The Switch, The Break-up, Horrible Bosses and its sequel.

Be sure to check out the movies starring Bateman that are available to watch on Netflix.

This series sees Bateman as the patriarch of the Byrde family, Marty. The title is the location he transplants his family to when he becomes embroiled in a huge money-laundering scheme.

The Byrdes meet many unsavory people who they eventually get into business with to maintain the laundering of so much money. The first three seasons have been outstanding, and the fourth and final is likely to be even more dynamic.

Arrested Development

Bateman playedMichael Bluthon theFox/NetflixsitcomArrested Development from 2003 to 2019, a role for which he would earn a Golden Globe and Satellite Award.

This series follows the Bluths, a once-wealthy and always dysfunctional family. Michael is forced to keep the crew on track after his father is arrested for shifty accounting practices in the family-owned business.

In this superhero comedy, Bateman stars with Melissa McCarthy,Octavia Spencer,Bobby Cannavale,Pom Klementieff,Taylor Mosby and Melissa Leo. This film is written and directed by Ben Falcone, McCarthys husband, marking their fifth collaboration.

Thunder Force is a Netflix original that follows two childhood friends who have discovered a way to become superheroes.

Bateman portrays a villain called The Crab who doesnt have superpowers but has crab legs, complete with claws where his arms should be. There is an interesting backstory to how he acquired his crab claws.

The political thriller State of Play is based on a British series of the same name.

Russell Crowe plays journalist Cal McAffrey, who digs into the story of a suspicious death of a Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) mistress.

Dominic Foy, played by Bateman, is a PR executive at a subsidiary of PointCorp, aprivate defense contractor being investigated by Collins for its controversial operations involving mercenaries.

It is a thrilling movie with a great cast that also includesRachel McAdams, Robin Wright Penn, Jeff Daniels and Helen Mirren.

Starsky & Hutch is an adaptation of the 1970s TV series of the same name. Ben Stiller plays David Starsky andOwen Wilson plays Ken Hutch Hutchinson in the comedy action movie.

This movie is a prequel to the TV series and explains how Starsky and Hutch became partners. They are undercover cops in Bay City, California, who bust drug criminals with the assistance of Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg), an underworld boss.

Bateman plays Kevin Jutsum, right-hand man to drug kingpin Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn). They develop a new type of cocaine that is untraceable by scent or taste.

The comedy The Sweetest Thing isdirected byRoger Kumbleand written byNancy Pimental, who based the characters on herself and friendKate Walsh (fromGreys Anatomy).

Best friends Christina (Cameron Diaz) and Courtney (Christina Applegate) abide by their golden rule when dating: Avoid searching for Mr. Right and focus on Mr. Right Now. One night Christina meets Peter (Thomas Jane) and hes nowhere to be found the next day, so the girls head out on a road trip to find him. Like any road trip, this one becomes wild with many hilarious moments along the way.

Bateman plays Peters womanizing brother Roger.

Is your favorite Jason Bateman movie or show on Netflix?

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All of the Jason Bateman movies and shows on Netflix - Netflix Life

Fans cant trust that the report recommendations will be swiftly implemented while top-flight clubs are profiting from a broken system, writes Laura Lawrence.

Less than 12 hours after the government commissioned review into English football was released, Aston Villas chief executive Christian Purslow said the following on the BBC Radio 4 Today show:

The Premier League has always really been the source of funding for the rest of football and the danger here is of course, as you said, killing the golden goose if we over-regulate a highly successful financial and commercial operation.

Nothing to see here. Just the free-market economy working so well for the few and not the many. The Premier League sucked up all the money long ago so clubs further down the pyramid had no choice but to rely on begrudged handouts.

Of course, the golden goose doesnt want government intervention. Whats in it for them when the system has been weighted to their advantage?

Former Sports Minister and chair of the review panel Tracey Crouch, believes the answer lies in a new independent regulator. While the governing bodies (The Football Association, Premier League and English Football League) acknowledge changes need to be made they believe they can solve the problems between themselves. I give a hearty laugh to that one. Especially at the FA who have been as useful as a chocolate fireguard as English football goes up in flames.

The report laid out 47 recommendations to stop the industry from lurching from crisis to crisis. The report itself is sound. Recommendations include changes to the Owners and Directors Tests and assessments of the flow of money through the leagues.

The protection of clubs from free-market economics has also been addressed in the review. The heritage of clubs should be taken into account and guarded. The recommendation is to introduce into legislation a golden share for supporters so they would have a say over major plans such as moving grounds. These protections are needed but the report doesnt address how situations like Newcastle Uniteds ownership would be addressed.

Villas CEO doesnt believe that a government appointee is the right person to take on the issues within football. We killed the Super League in 48 hours. Itll take her (Crouch) 48 weeks to appoint someone.

While I agree with the sentiment that it may move at a glacial government pace, if members of the Premier League hadnt attempted the Super League coup in the first place this intervention wouldnt be as high on the government agenda.

If it was anyone other than this government, I might trust that the findings of this report would be implemented but they have just voted for the free-market privateers to sit on NHS primary care trust panels. Footballs governing bodies will sit on this report for as long as possible. Dont expect quick changes. The few are making money from the broken system. That will sound familiar to this government.

Follow Laura on Twitter@YICETOR

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Premier League golden goose isnt cooked governing bodies will sit on English football review - The Offside Rule

On Dec. 1, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, a case in which the state of Mississippi is seeking to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Pro-choice advocates see it as a challenge to Roe v. Wade, which permits abortions so long as the fetus is not yet viable, which amounts to considerably more than 15 weeks.

Which side is correct, and why? Each side has its strengths and each its weaknesses. Is there a compromise?

Pro-choice advocates point to the influential Turnaway Study, which followed 1,132 women seeking an abortion at 30 abortion clinics in 22 states over a 12-year period. Half got the abortion they sought, while half were turned away. The Study was designed to compare the long-term effects on women in the two groups. Writing about the Study in The New Yorker, Margaret Talbot found that there were no long-term differencesin depression, anxiety, PTSD, self-esteem, life satisfaction, drug abuse, or alcohol abuse among the two groups. She underscored the finding that only 5 percent of the aborters regretted their decision five years later and that there was little evidence to support the claim by pro-lifers that a large percentage of aborters are wracked with guilt later in life. She concluded that the evidence was welcome news for anyone who supports reproductive justice. She also pointed out, ingenuously, that the vast majority of women whod been denied abortion were glad five years later that they hadnt been able to get one welcome evidence that a 5-year-old child will almost always capture the heart of a mother.

The Turnaway Study makes a strong case for the advantages of getting an abortion, but it doesnt address the sticky moral issue of ending the life of a future human being, much less an already existing one.

The strength of pro-life, by contrast, is that it tackles this issue head on. This is not to say that its position is correct, only that it doesnt shirk the moral question. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the union of sperm and egg at conception produces a new living being that is distinct from both mother and father. Modern genetics demonstrated that this individual is, at the outset, distinctively human, with the inherent and active potential to mature into a human fetus, infant, child and adult. Catholic teaching declares that the presence of an immaterial soul created by God and placed in its fleshly receptacle gives it an inherent dignity possessed uniquely by a human person. It rejects an old theory that the receptacle must reach fetal status before it can be ensouled.

The weakness of the Catholic position is that it cannot demonstrate that an immaterial soul is implanted in this new being or that it even exists. At best it can claim, according to its pro-choice opponents, that the fetus is on a trajectory toward becoming a person, and that to claim more is a matter of faith that is not shared by everyone. Thus, for pro-choice, an abortion does not constitute murder, and the well-being of the mother is justifiably the first consideration, in fact the only consideration that is relevant.

Ancillary factors might come into play. The decision to deny human life to a fetus that is well on the way to becoming a person cannot be easy. Pro-choice parents, female and male alike, have only to ask what would have happened to them if their parents had chosen to abort them. The Golden Rule, we would hope, would weigh heavily in their decision. Couples with money and support who choose to abort because they hadnt planned on a child and dont want to be bothered with one dont usually earn our admiration.

On the other hand, there might be good reason for those inclined not to abort to question their resolve. Most of us can imagine circumstances we would dread being born into. Would we choose life if we knew our mother was on crack or lived in dire poverty with no father to help raise us? Heartless though it might sound, some of us can even say about people we know that it would have been better for them not to be born.

In the final analysis, is there a compromise position? Ultimately it would seem not: either the fetus is a person or it is not. If not, a person is not being killed. If so, a person is being killed, and we can justifiably call it murder. How can we decide?

President Biden, a Catholic, has made it clear that he personally cannot condone abortion but will not condemn those who do. He justifies his position by pointing out that as president of the nation he has no right to condemn those who disagree with him: he was elected to represent all, whatever their personal views. He feels justified in receiving Communion in his Church, and he has the Popes support. But what about Catholics who dont feel the burden of representing a large constituency? Should they think of pro-choice advocates as murderers?

On the other hand, should pro-choice advocates denounce pro-lifers as gullible, perhaps stupid victims of an unsupportable superstition required by their Church?

My answer is no to both questions. For me it is impossible to decide based on the evidence at hand. I would choose not to abort if an unwanted pregnancy showed up, but my decision would not be based on a certainty. I would bear in mind that what happens at conception is unknowable, and this uncertainty would keep me from condemning those who abort. I believe that a compassionate agnosticism is the correct position to take.

Of course, the Supreme Court will not have such a luxury. The justices will have to decide, and both sides will probably find a lot to dislike. Nevertheless, the rancor that divides the nation over this issue should find no place in our hearts. Whatever our view, we should remember that the other side has its reasons, and they should be respected.

Stafford Betty is professor emeritus of religious studies at Cal State Bakersfield.

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Community Voices: What is the correct stance? - The Bakersfield Californian

Published: 11/25/2021 10:00:27 PM

Modified: 11/28/2021 10:00:03 AM

At this time of year we give thanks, and we thank by giving. Here in the Upper Valley are numerous local organizations that receive support of work and money from those who are able.

Organizations often print an annual list of donors to recognize the support from larger donors and individuals with more limited means. It heartens me that many volunteers and donors recognize the importance nonprofits have in nurturing our community. This year, I am thankful that my neighbors participate in helping organizations such as Red Logan Dental Clinic, the Upper Valley Land Trust and the Lebanon Opera House.

Nov. 30 is this years Giving Tuesday. This day is a way to balance the materialism celebrated on Black Friday with care for the world and those in need. Thank you to all who support others and work to preserve and protect the Earth, which is our home.

INGRID CURTIS

Etna

Thank you, Valley News, for highlighting folks shopping locally this year (Shoppers thinking outside the box, Nov. 22).

We are fortunate to live among so many talented craftspeople. Shopping locally directly benefits the community by supporting local businesses and crafters. It also benefits our community in a less direct way when the local craft fair is associated with a fundraiser for social services. As one example, the Bugbee Senior Center is hosting a craft fair Dec. 3 and 4 at the center in White River Junction.

Revenue from the event supports the center, which provides a variety of services to Upper Valley seniors. This past year we served more than 25,000 meals through Meals on Wheels and daily lunch at the center. We provided local seniors with fitness and health programs, including fall prevention. Seniors who came back to the center after the isolation of COVID-19 are so grateful. Now they are back to their card games, crafts, trips, educational activities and, of course, bingo. Please keep local craft fairs in mind when shopping for your loved ones, some of whom might even frequent the Bugbee Senior Center.

SUSAN MANLEY

Wilder

The writer is volunteer and activity coordinator at the Bugbee Senior Center.

This holiday season, please add the Hanover Garden Club to your list of organizations doing things differently! In addition to our traditional in-person sale, we are offering items via an online order format: https://form.jotform.com/212916992795170. (Payment is made at the time of pick up or delivery.)

The clubs sale is one of the last of the season, so our products are fresh for holiday gatherings. They include tabletop boxwood trees, mixed green centerpieces, English cracker/poppers (very fun!) and gift boxes of cookies. All items are made by club members. The traditional holiday sale will take place at the RW Black Community Center, 48 Lebanon St., Hanover, on Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to noon. The above-mentioned items will be available, along with the clubs Gardeners Nook, Attic Treasures and jewelry tables. While shopping, enjoy some free coffee, tea and homemade treats.

All proceeds from this sale are used to plant the 13 gardens around the town of Hanover. Thank you for keeping the gardens alive for all to enjoy.

BETSY EATON and MARY WAUGH

Hanover

The writers are co-chairs of the Hanover Garden Club holiday sale.

Suzanne Lupiens Perspectives column in the Sunday Valley News touched my heart (Weve forgotten how much we really need each other, Nov. 21). I agree with her when she says people dont have a choice about getting the vaccine, and I too believe that the actions of individuals affect us all.

But take heart, because people are still giving and concerned about their neighbors. Two years ago, my husband was struck with an illness that put him in the hospital for a week and left him unable to perform the many chores that we do on our farm in Grantham.

One of these chores is throwing in wood for my woodstove. Yes, I still cook on a woodstove, and we put in our own wood, just like we did in Cornish when I was a child. Hearing of our situation, neighbors, friends and relatives all came on a Sunday afternoon, some from many miles away, to throw wood into our cellar.

Yes, the ancient golden rule of the countryside was being observed at our farm in Grantham that Sunday, and it was not just elderly but young and old who came to help. The only thing that could have made that day more wonderful would have been a platter of Bernice Johnsons wonderful doughnuts, which I have been lucky enough to have shared with her.

CINDY TOWLE

Grantham

See the article here:

Forum, Nov. 26: Thanks to everyone who supports nonprofits - Valley News

A Jewish carpenter lived some 2,000 years ago and suggested how we should live our daily lives: In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you. Many people call it the Golden Rule, and it puts forward a goal for how we should treat each other i.e., like we want them to treat us.

How would this work in day-to-day life? Say for example you are at the movies. Everyone is wearing a mask and social distancing. Then someone has a heart attack. Most people would call 911 for an ambulance, because that is what they would want others to do if they were the one having the heart attack. Treat people like you want them to treat you. Simple.

Now lets say there is a major recession and millions of people lose their jobs. As a result, they lose their health insurance when they lost their jobs. As time goes on, people start having difficulty putting food on the table for their family because they have no income. How do we respond when we see our neighbors suffering during the recession for no fault of their own?

In Garrett County, we saw Mountain Laurel Medical Center and Community Action organize food drives to help our neighbors who are facing food insecurity. Treat others like you want them to treat you. Simple.

During the pandemic, however, some changed the rules for food stamps, taking food stamps from nearly a million people as they face increasing food insecurity. Does that make sense in a pandemic? Also, some are in court trying to take health care away from 20 million people during this pandemic. Is that how you would like to be treated?

Eight weeks ago, there were 75 cases of the coronavirus and no deaths in Garrett County. Today we have 1,130 cases and 14 deaths. Why? Our governor, commissioners and health department did the right thing and took aggressive, early steps to contain the virus. Those efforts worked in Garrett County until about two months ago because people in the county generally followed the rules. For their own safety and the safety of their neighbors, they treated others as they wanted to be treated.

The health department says there is some coronavirus fatigue after 10 months, but they also recognized that a couple of unique religious events in the county around Autumn Glory also contributed to the spike in cases and deaths. They were super spreader events.

The Constitution says that Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof That means people can start their own churches and believe what they want to believe. That does not mean that someone can hold a super spreader event that spreads the virus throughout the county and contributes to the death of 14 people.

Treat others like you want to be treated. Respect your neighbors. Wear a mask. Social distance. Follow the rules. Protect your community.

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Letter to the editor Follow the golden rule | Opinion | wvnews.com - WV News

At least as important is the reform of the procedure for preventing and correcting macroeconomic imbalances.

The Covid-19 pandemic has eclipsed the general overhaul of the economic-policy framework of the European Union and the eurozone initiated in February by the European Commission. Comprehensive reform of economic governance remains nevertheless urgent and indispensable.

Reform of the Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) and the Regulation on the Prevention and Correction of Macroeconomic Imbalances (MIP), within the framework of the six-pack and two-pack of the European Semester and other regulations, should again be at the centre of discussions, as soon asat the latestthe consequences of the pandemic have been dealt with.

The focus of debate seemingly will be on fiscal rules, as in the past. Currently, the post-Maastricht deficit and debt rules are suspended, a return to business as usual seems impossible, and alternatives are being intensively discussed.

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The concern is that at bestnot least because of the differing positions of the member statesthere will only be a revision of the fiscal rules. If this were to happen, however, the reform of economic governance would remain piecemeal and far behind the requirements of sustainable, stability- and employment-oriented macroeconomic development, in the member states and in the eurozone as a whole.

Fiscal rules only cover part of economic performance and are in themselves complex and problematic. They rely on estimation of a structural deficit, which is fraught with the well-known problems of cyclical adjustment and, in particular, of gauging potential output. An inherent flaw is the exclusion of the golden rule in the financing of public investment.

Last but not least, the cyclical component of the deficit is in any event directly linked to the macroeconomic context. The cyclical surplus or deficit stems from overall macroeconomic development and the operation of the automatic stabilisers. Discretionary fiscal measures can from the other side stabilise the cycle. In times of massive economic fluctuations and shocks, such as in the financial and eurozone crises and currently as a result of the coronavirus, these mutual effects around the cyclical component of fiscal outcomes are of major importance.

In the wake of the pandemic, reform considerations have been replaced in the short term by two massive discretionary measures, the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-27 and in particular the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), within the Next Generation EU programme. But these must be co-ordinated and aligned with the macroeconomic challenges to have strong and focused effects.

The volume of the RRF is considerable, as is the additional debt incurred. Since neither of these can probably be repeated, success must be assured.

First and foremost, the facility must be designed to reduceand certainly not exacerbatemacroeconomic divergences and imbalances among member states. A recent policy brief provides a positive forecast. Overall, it must foster sustainable and stable recovery.

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The RRF cannot however accomplish these tasks alone. As unprecedented as it may be in absolute amount, its scope remains relatively limited, set against the volume of eurozone macroeconomic aggregates. It must be consistently embedded in a sustainable policy mix of all macroeconomic instruments by all decision-makers, in each member state and at the eurozone and EU levels.

The MIP is aimed at all macroeconomic aggregates. This distinguishes it from the Stability Pact, which only targets fiscal aggregates and these depend on macroeconomic development and policy at least as much as they influence them.

In the commissions programmatic paper on the Economic Governance Review, as well as in the scientific and political discussion, the MIP occupies only a small space compared with the Stability and Growth Pact. This weighting must be reversed.

That is the lesson to be learnt from the crisis in the eurozone around ten years ago, as high-ranking actors now acknowledge. It was a mistake to focus primarily on public finances. We should have monitored a broader spectrum of macroeconomic parameters the development of unit labour costs, current account deficits, real estate bubbles. The commission would have needed a mandate to tackle these imbalances in the same way as it tackled excessive public debt, said Klaus Regling, current head of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM), as early as 2010.

With the MIP, there is now such a broad-based set of rules to prevent the central mistake identified by Regling, with its dramatic consequences, from happening again. But this requires reform of the procedure, especially the symmetrical alignment of upper and lower limits for the indicators and their concentration on exogenous variables economic policy can affect.

Macroeconomic wage and price trends play a central role here. Via a chain of effects, including on the real interest rate, wage and price developments have decisive influences on domestic demand, employment and the budget balance. And, taking into account additional imports induced by domestic demand, there is also an impact via price competitiveness on the balance of payments.

Moreover, the MIP regulations must be implemented in a targeted manner. Because of the procedures comprehensive approach, all macroeconomically responsible actors must participate.

At euro-area level, these include the European Central Bank, the commission, the finance ministers of all member states and representatives of the social partners. An analogous body should be set up in each member state. Both formations must exchange information, internally and with each otherabout the prevention and if necessary correction of macroeconomic imbalances and divergences, the regaining of a stable growth and employment path and the use of RRF resources towards these objectives.

A suitable format could be a Macroeconomic Dialogue at the level of the member states and one for the euro area. Both could be modelled on the existing EU Macro Dialogue, whether by creating a new forum or building on existing ones.

The discretionary measures introduced in the wake of the pandemic and comprehensive reform of the economic policy framework of the eurozone and the EU must be co-ordinated, simultaneously and consistently. At least as important as reform of the fiscal rules is reform of the procedure for preventing and correcting macroeconomic imbalancesand then their mutual co-ordination.

A German version of this article, Reform der Eurozonenicht nur die Fiskalregeln reformieren, was published in Makronom

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Eurozone reformits not just the fiscal rules - Social Europe

By Andrea Shorter

A few days from today, my maternal grandmother would have been 95 years old. She was not one for celebrating birthdays, but every year, her mindset about living in the present and aging was summed up in her often imparted cheery, wise quip: Age is nothing but a number.

I am now 55, and I believe the first time she told me this was around my 25th birthday, when I was probably having some cringe-worthy, mild anxiety attack, aka whining about getting older. Looking back, I dont remember anything so bad about my life and times at the ripe old age of 25. In fact, other than my grandmother setting my mind right about aging, I dont remember much about it all. Apparently, whatever my worries were at the time, my grandmother was as always right, that once I let go of my self-indulgence concerning aging, and just get on with it and have faith, everything was going to be alright.

A few weeks ago, unexpectedly, my grandmother fell ill with what would turn out to be coronavirus. She was hospitalized on a Monday. On the following Saturday evening, December 5, she would become one of the reported 2,190 lives in the U.S. taken away that day by coronavirus.

My grandmother was born in 1925, and lived her entire life in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was the daughter of a domestic worker and a janitor at Eli Lily, both up from the South. As a child, she described herself as a little red-headed one, a bit of a daddys girl as the youngest daughter of 5 children. She would graduate from the best known segregated high school in the city, and hold, from all accounts, one job in her life, as an elevator operator.

She married my grandfather shortly after his discharge from the Navy after World War II, including service on Treasure Island, way, way out in California somewhere. From my grandfathers GI benefits, they were eligible to build their own house in a project that built a middle-class neighborhood of other post-WWII African American veterans and their families. Many of the neighborhood dads worked as civil servants, in the auto industry, for the universities, or for big pharmaceutical companies. My grandfather became a firefighter for 30 years, and they raised their eight children together.

Obviously at aged 94, my grandmother was of the Greatest Generation, living through the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and all wars and conflicts since. She lived through being formally referred to as Negro, Colored, Black, and eventually as African American throughout all manifests of anti-black racial segregation and strife, including the recently declared reckonings with race in America of 2020.

My grandmother had style, grace, and a great sense of humor. She was quite the homemaker, a conservative and frugal child of the depression, but not cheap. She was always the first to get the new appliances and gadgets, and upgrade to the next when needed. She taught me how to use a good old fashioned pressure cookerstill my favorite cookware item!and would gladly help me by phone when I wasnt sure how to cook up the perfect corned beef and cabbage, or stew. She became unusually adept at computers in her 60s. If my technology professional brother was not available to rescue me from a computer meltdown of some sort, Id call her. Shed know what to do.

Above all, my grandmother was a woman grounded by and in her faith. She believed in a God greater than and beyond our mortal comprehension. She believed in kindness, fairness, and the golden rule. All of her life, she played by the rules. I sincerely doubt my grandmother even so much as got a parking ticket. If she ever did, I can only imagine it was just once.

Now, instead of living out her last days, moments, and breaths in the comfort of the home she built with my grandfather and raised her family, as any good woman nearing 95 years old should have, she was taken away by a pandemic that was avoidable but for arrogance, dereliction, and hubris.

Now, as of this writing, I am awaiting arrangements for a eulogy and celebration of my grandmother from afar, by remote video. This is not at all how anyone would have imagined we would come to gather at the end of my grandmothers well-lived life.

As much as I work to accept her passing with the peace, understanding, and grace that she would have expected of me, my anger and outrage are undeniable, ever-present. It didnt have to be this way, but it is. It is the reality of nearly 300,000 American families, and friends who have lost and continue to lose loved ones to what was clearly avoidable, unnecessary.

Age might very well be just a number, but like the many other family members and friends, I know that my loved ones life counted for far more than being just another number of the daily death tolls at the top of the hourly newscast. And, just like the many other family members and friends, I am glad and relieved at the news that a viable vaccine will soon be available to hopefully prevent more deaths. It goes without saying that I desperately wish a vaccine could have been available sooner, in time to protect my aged grandmother.

My grandmothers memory and legacy will live on with me, my family, and the legions of her friends and fans. It will. I am working to let her light shine through my heart, and not be clouded by the hurt and anger and pain roiling in me about how or why she left this Earth. I will do my best to honor her life lived in and by faith.

My faith is shaken, but not broken. Should I live to be 94, I will keep faith (and works) with our generation to do all in our power to never allow such horrific, preventable misery from happening again. Keeping the White House Trump-free is an encouraging start. Eighty million votes is a number we can build on.

Andrea Shorter is a Commissioner and the former President of the historic San Francisco Commission on the Status of Women. She is a longtime advocate for criminal and juvenile justice reform, voter rights and marriage equality. A Co-Founder of the Bayard Rustin LGBT Coalition, she was a 2009 David Bohnett LGBT Leadership Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Published on December 17, 2020

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More Than a Number: Losing Our Greatest Generation During COVID-19 - San Francisco Bay Times - San Francisco Bay Times

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. Consider it the golden rule of recruiting in the SEC.

Its not over until they sign, Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt said Wednesday after introducing the newest members of his roster.

Of course, that works both ways. The first day of the early signing period came and went without any big surprises, and considering the general momentum of the Vols 2021 class, that can be categorized as a success.

The Vols class rocketed to No. 2 nationally in the offseason, a ranking artificially boosted by pure volume, though it still looked like a strong group likely to finish inside the top 10. But its been shedding those numbers since then and now sits at No. 15 in the 247Sports Composite, good for No. 6 in the SEC.

So Tennessees signing day? Consider the theme to be to be continued.

Five-star linebacker Terrence Lewis decommitted last month but placed the Vols in his two...

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Tennessee 2021 recruiting: Where Vols stand on signing day - The Athletic

Without major reform of the EU fiscal framework, Peter Bofinger argues, public investment will be insufficient in the wake of the pandemic.

The strong fiscal-policy response from the European Union needed to deal with the severe economic shock represented by the Covid-19 pandemic was only made possible by finance ministers agreeing on March 23rd, for the first time, to activate the general escape clause of the EU fiscal framework. It is very likely, however, that that clause will be reinvoked in 2021 and 2022. But what happens if the conventional rules are reinstated?

During the pandemic the state of public finances in all countries has deteriorated significantly. According to forecasts by the International Monetary Fund, in several euro-area member states in 2021 the ratio of debt to gross domestic product will be around double (Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal) or even triple (Italy, Greece) the 60 per cent ceiling set by the Maastricht treaty (Figure 1).

These high debts raise huge challenges for fiscal policy in the member states. The so-called six pack, which came into force in December 2011, obliges them to reduce the difference between their current debt and the 60 per cent benchmark by one 20th per annum. As calculations by the European Fiscal Board show, the requirement to bring debt below that limit within two decades implies running high budget primary surpluses.

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Even under benign conditions (nominal growth exceeding the nominal interest rate by half a percentage point), countries with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 120 per cent must achieve a primary surplus of 1.9 per cent, countries with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 150 per cent a surplus of 2.9 per cent. Comparing these figures with the average primary surpluses the highly indebted euro-area member states were able to achieve between 2014 and 2019, it obvious that the required debt reduction could only be realised with brutal austerity (Table 1).

The experience of the last decade shows that fiscal consolidation has a negative impact on public investment, as such expenditure is easier to cut than social spending or salaries for the public sector (Figure 2).

This outcome is hardly surprising, as public investment does not play a relevant role in the framework of the Stability and Growth Pact. The anchor of its rule book is the ratio of gross public debt to GDPtaking in the liabilities of the public balance sheet without any reference to public capital stock on the asset side. Nor does the 3 per cent budget-deficit constraint discount public investment. As the EFB points out, the so-called investment clause, which provides some leeway for debt-financed public investment, has rarely been invoked, primarily because it requires a negative growth forecast or an output gap below 1.5 per cent of potential GDP.

As a result, since 2012 net public investment in the euro area has been close to or even below zero (Figure 3). It has been much lower than in the EU member states outside of the eurozone and in the United States.

Restoring this fiscal framework after the exceptional regime of the Covid-19 crisis would thus make it impossible to finance the huge public investments required to deal with the simultaneous challenges of climate change, the consequences of the pandemic and the digital transformation.

An obvious starting point for reform of the Stability and Growth Pact is the 60 per cent anchor for public debt. It was derived as the average debt-to-GDP ratio of the EU member states in 1990. With the same procedure, a reference value of 70 per cent could be calculated for 2000, of 86 per cent for 2010 and 101 per cent for 2020.

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Academic economists have been unable to derive scientifically a benchmark with which evidence-based economic policy should comply. A prominent instance was the 2010 paper by Reinhart and Rogoff which tried to establish a reference value of 90 per cent but was found to suffer from serious miscalculations. A 2014 IMF working paper concluded:

Our results do not identify any clear debt threshold above which medium-term growth prospects are dramatically compromised. On the contrary, the association between debt and medium-term growth becomes rather weak at high levels of debt, especially when controlling for the average growth performance of country peers.

As a consequence of this ambiguity, a former IMF chief economist and colleagues have recently proposed to replace fiscal rules by fiscal standards:

Whether debt is at risk of becoming unsustainable does not just depend on debt and deficit levels but on a host of uncertain economic and political factors. Fiscal rules, even complex ones, cannot account for this uncertainty, because it is impossible to predict and specify the relevant contingencies ex ante. Rules are bound to lead to mistakes, constraining fiscal policy either too much or too little.

The key decision for eurozone members is whether they are willing to abandon, or significantly weaken, the debt-reduction rule of the six pack. A new rule might taper the period for adjustment to 50 years or the same goal could be achieved on a discretionary basis, with country-specific medium-term debt targets decided by the European Commission and the Council of the EU.

Depending on interest rates and on projected nominal growth rates, such debt targets could leave room for primary deficits. To guarantee that this fiscal space was used for investments, the approach should be supplemented by a golden rule. Such a rulethe notion that public borrowing should finance investment but not mere day-to-day spendinghas the advantage over debt rules that it is widely accepted among economists. Even the conservative German Council of Economic Experts, when developing the countrys debt brake (Schuldenbremse) in 2007, explicitly included the golden rule.

The advantages and problems associated with the golden rule have been intensively discussed. The main problem is an adequate definition of investment. Should it be defined as gross or net? And should it be limited to bricks and mortar or defined in a more encompassing way as future-oriented investmentsincluding public expenditures on education and families, on better health systems and the fight against climate change?

Pragmatically, public investment could be defined as net investment plus all expenditures related to education, climate change, digitalisation and research and development exceeding the average of 2014 to 2019. Categorisation of expenditures as coming under the golden rule should require the approval of independent national fiscal watchdogs.

Within such a framework an expenditure rule could play an important rolein fact, many fiscal-policy reform proposals favour it. But to derive the concrete expenditure path a proper target for debt levels must first be established. Then a golden rule can ensure that a possible space for deficits is used for broadly defined public investment.

This article is a joint publication bySocial EuropeandIPS-Journal

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Easing the EU fiscal straitjacket - Social Europe

Hello from The Goods twice-weekly newsletter! On Tuesdays, internet culture reporter Rebecca Jennings uses this space to update you all on whats been going on in the world of TikTok. Is there something you want to see more of? Less of? Different of? Email rebecca.jennings@vox.com, and subscribe to The Goods newsletter here.

Theres a TikTok thats stuck with me ever since I saw it earlier this fall. Its of a Walmart employee named Shana announcing all the racist and sexist behavior she witnessed during her time on the job over the store microphone, calling out her coworkers by name. She ended with, I fucking quit.

Shana later updated the nearly 35 million people who watched her video, saying that, yes, her speech was actually broadcast throughout the store in Lubbock, Texas (theres video proof) and that as she walked out of the store she was met with tons of applause. A few people told her theyd never shop at Walmart again.

Its the only thing I could think about when reporter Michael Waters broke the news this week that the company is now trying to turn 500 of its employees into social media influencers who proselytize about Walmarts unique greatness. The program is called Spotlight and is only open to salaried, not hourly, employees, meaning that the vast majority of its 2.2 million workers are ineligible. Popular posts are rewarded with cash bonuses.

Retail employees from megachains like Sephora, Chipotle, and Starbucks have been going viral on TikTok since the app has existed, and for the most part, companies have tried to shut it down. A Panera employee was fired for her video exposing how its mac and cheese was prepared; a Chik-fil-A worker was let go for her viral video on menu hacks. Even when the content is inarguably innocuous or positive! big brands have bristled at the idea of their image being out of their control; just ask the Sherwin-Williams retail worker who was reportedly fired for simply sharing videos of how he mixed paint.

The only saving grace to Walmarts rather ethically dubious influencer program is that it doesnt appear to actually work: The two Walmart influencers Waters interviewed in his story have about 1,500 and 300 Instagram followers, respectively. Other brands that have attempted to turn their workers into stars have only succeeded when they chose TikTokers who had already built up massive followings, as was the case with Dunkin Donuts Crew Ambassadors program. (Consider Amazons laughable Twitter army of warehouse workers who flooded the site with pro-Amazon sentiments in 2019.)

But as the golden rule of social media authenticity suggests, the videos that travel the furthest are the ones that portray employees actual experiences. One of the first videos I saw when I opened the app this week was of a woman working silently and quickly in what appeared to be an Amazon fulfillment center.

Her captions begged viewers to shop local instead, arguing that the companys coronavirus safety measures are a joke, that its productivity tracking is inhumane, and that it spies on and retaliates against workers attempting to unionize. In other videos, she said that shed gotten two yeast infections in two months because she was so afraid of using the bathroom and lowering her productivity rates, and that the company has minimized the rising injuries among warehouse workers, especially during the peak holiday season. Please support businesses who care about their employees health and well-being, she wrote.

Its clear why brands like Walmart are trying to take more ownership of employees social media content: They want to cancel out the effects of videos like this, ones that centralize the lived experiences of the lowest-ranking workers rather than burnishing a companys image.

The problem, of course, is that this amounts to sponsored content, and nobody wants to watch that. Hearing Target employees tell you about the brands alleged practice of letting people steal from them until the total amount of stolen goods is equal to grand larceny is a lot more interesting than watching a Walmart worker show you his favorite Funko Pop dolls. And as long as TikTok is a platform driven by algorithmic popularity, the messy videos the ones where employees leak secrets, quit on camera, or expose union suppression will be the ones were most likely to see.

Of course, if Walmart manages to obtain a large enough stake in TikTok, all of this may be moot, and the platform could be reduced to an infinite scroll of creepily jubilant store greeters being forced to read from a corporate PR-approved script. Until then, retail workers of the world: Keep your cameras on.

Barely anyone in college turns their cameras on during Zoom lectures, but these students surprised their professor by showing their faces all at once. Spoiler: The professor cried, and so did I.

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When Walmart and Amazon employees go viral - Vox.com

Rep. Daniel Meuser,

I appreciate a lot of the good work you have done through the years for your constituents and Pennsylvanians. However, I believe your endorsement of the amicus brief to the U. S. Supreme Court was an unequivocal mistake. You owe your constituency as well as all Pennsylvanians an apology.

I have been a Republican since registering to vote at in 1980 age 18. Then, Republicans were identifiable by core policy principles states rights, support for family values including the rights of the unborn, fiscally responsible economic policy and a strong military supporting the expansion of liberty across the globe.

My father-in-law was a senior aide to Sen. Arlen Spector, managing both the Intelligence Committee and Veterans affairs for more than 20 years. I understand the complexities of big decisions. I also understand the difficulty communicating in a world with social media and contrarian experts who can pick apart the best intentions of good people.

What I cannot understand is your support for the disenfranchisement of Pennsylvania voters. Your explanation that the amicus brief merely states our belief that the broad scope of the various allegations and irregularities . . . merits careful, timely review by the Supreme Court is misleading and disingenuous.

The election was held weeks ago, and there hasnt been a single case filed that has been judged to present evidence of fraud or misconduct that could even remotely portend to overturn the results in any state - despite millions of dollars and thousands of man-hours invested by President Trumps advocates and attorneys. The relief sought by the case is to move the choice of electors from the voters to the state legislature. We can post, tweet and parse words all we want, this effort represents a giant leap from democracy to authoritarianism, and history will judge it as nothing less.

Our party is no longer the party of Lincoln or Reagan. Politics are now rife with mean-spirited partisan bickering, which has accelerated since the scandal of President Clinton and simultaneous explosion of electronic media. Two significant and demoralizing aspects of the Trump administration have elevated this trend to a level that undermines the future of our country.

The first started with President Clinton and Newt Gingrich and has been brought to its natural conclusion with Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham. Our elected representatives have thrown out the rule book. There is an acceptance that the ends justify the means.

I am delighted with the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. However, I couldnt convince a child of any consistent logic behind the refusal to consider Justice Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court when contrasted with the rush to confirm Justice Barrett.

It is the epitome of hypocrisy. When things get complicated, the Golden Rule is a pretty good measuring stick for how to proceed. Would you be OK with Democrats applying the same logic? Could you fault President-elect Biden for stacking the court? Mercifully, he seems disinclined to do so at the moment.

The second and more egregious threat has been President Trumps efforts to undermine democracy. In How Democracies Die, Levitsky wrote of key principles that undermine Democracies including,

Is any of this familiar? While there may be traces of such things in earlier elections, President Trump has amplified all of the above. He did so after winning the election in 2016. In 2020, he unapologetically campaigned on a theme that the only legitimate outcome of the presidential election was a Donald Trump victory. He insisted any other outcome was fraudulent. He used every governmental lever available to try manufacture that result.

What is truly amazing is not that a few areas of isolated election irregularities have been identified, but that there has been so little evidence of fraud. This should give Americans hope.

I recommend reading Man of the House: The Life and Political Memoirs of Tip ONeill. It is an account of how effectively a Hamiltonian government can work. Political disagreements did not create mortal enemies. Politicians with different views were capable of sitting behind closed doors and doing what is best for the country, not necessarily themselves, and sometimes not even for their own constituents. They recognized compromise was often best for their constituents in the long run.

There is no argument that the Texas attorney general has a legitimate interest in overturning the Pennsylvania election results or that of any other state. That any Pennsylvanian, much less an official re-elected by the exact process, would endorse such a suit is indefensible.

One can twist logic, but one cannot evade the fact that you supported a legal challenge to free and fair elections in Pennsylvania. This is my opinion, but it is also the determination of the U.S. Supreme Court. Even Justices Alito and Thomas stated they would not have granted relief. History will similarly judge those who joined you in support of the amicus brief.

I do respect the very good work you have done through the years, but I encourage you to publicly acknowledge and apologize for your support of the amicus brief to overturn the election results in our state.

Dr. Anthony T. Petrick is a professor of surgery and lives in Danville, Pa.

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Rep. Meuser and legislators who tried to overturn free and fair elections should apologize to Pennsylvanians - pennlive.com

Ive been watching city councils come and go ever since we became a city in 1991. Typically, when the new council members are sworn in, people say nice things about the outgoing council, whether they mean it or not, and the new council members keep their initiation speeches brief andtypicallyfriendly. After all, why start by making enemies when youre going to want their vote downstream on some issues? The golden rule is it still takes three votes to do anything. But that was the old way and now there seems to be a new way, something weve seen more of in Washington, D.C. and that now has apparently come to the local scene. This new way I can only describe as confrontation politics. Ever since the council election, Bruce Silverstein, the newly elected council member, has been on the attack, posting messages on all the digital outlets, including Nextdoor and Facebook, attacking various peoplethe city attorney, the city manager, the city staff and The Malibu Times, among others. Apparently, there is no such thing as disagreeing with Bruceyoure either with him or youre corrupt. I was curious to see what was going to happen and tuned in to the council meeting to actually watch the proceedings (something I generally avoid). I must admit that Bruce didnt disappoint. After a few minutes of pleasantries, thanking his supporters, he immediately launched into an attack repeating his previous charges and threatening all that he didnt intend to back down and that he found corruption in the house of Malibu (not his exact words but the intent was clear) and he wouldnt rest until this corruption (sounding much like Elmer Gantry talking about sin) was eliminated. The others on the council sat stone faced. The moment of truth came a bit later. There comes a moment when the new council has to elect a mayor pro tem and, in the pastwith one exceptionthe Malibu practice has been to elect the highest vote-getter in the election to be the next mayor pro tem. Bruce Silverstein was the highest vote getter in the election. There is nothing in law that requires this, but its a practice to maintain collegiality that we as a city have followed, but that apparently was the old way. After several interchanges between Mikke Pierson and Bruce Silverstein, the new council majority passed on Silverstein and nominated Steve Uhring to be mayor pro tem and, by a 3 to 2 vote, voted him in, which put Uhring into a bit of a dilemma. First, he had to vote against himself and also he had run with Silverstein, kind of as a slate. He clearly was uncomfortable being thrust into the pro tem position, so he simply declined to take it. He made a last attempt to get the others to go along with Silverstein as the pro tem but they didnt budge. They then nominated and elected Paul Gisanti to be mayor pro tem, again in a 3-2 vote. In the course of all this, a few things became apparent. First, that there is going to be on ongoing battle on this council the likes of which we have never seen before in the almost 30-year history of this city. Its clear the threeMikke Pierson, Karen Farrer and Paul Grisantidont trust Bruce Silverstein, or at least reject his aggressive attack politics. For our part, we will try and be objective but its not easy when youve been attacked and someone is trying to demean you, or I guess Bruce might say, defang me. After the meeting, when our reporter called Bruce Silverstein for an interview, he sent us an email response that said:

As for your request for an interview, my public comments speak for themselves, and I have no further comment at this time.

I also am waiting to see how the Malibu Times goes about reporting on this matter and the other matters respecting the city before I determine whether to provide interviews in the future.

To that comment, I have to add my response. Bruce, you seem to be under the impression that we need your permission or cooperation to cover you. Other council members from time to time have thought the same thing. It doesnt work. Were going to cover the council and you, whether you want it or not. If you dont want to talk to us, then just dont talk to us. One last thing: I just received a copy of the affidavit by Jefferson Wagner that you alluded to as proof of corruption in the Malibu City Council. As I read it, it kind of puts me in mind of the affidavits that Trumps team kept producing to prove election corruption, more anecdotal than evidentiary, but Im willing to listen if you can make the case. Although I doubt that the other members of the city council are going to let you form your own little HUAC committee (House Un-American Activities Committee) to conduct investigations.

Link:

From the Publisher: It's a New Year, and a New Method - Malibu Times

I am doing things a little bit differently this week, as all three of my historic pictures will be part of the story of one of Bandon's oldest businesses, the Capps Motor Co.

The first picture shows Capps Garage before the fire of 1936. It is the building on the east side of Oregon Avenue, which was the main highway into town in those days. Today it leads down the hill past Holy Trinity Catholic Church and joins First Street across from the Port of Bandon's marketplace building. If you look closely you can see the overhang which covered the gasoline tanks in front of the big concrete two-story structure. West of Capps Garage is The Golden Rule, which after the fire relocated on Second Street in the building that is now the Continuum Center.

In an article in Western World, dated Jan. 21, 1937, which would be just a few months after the fire, an article tells how important the Capps Garage was that night.

"On the night of the big fire hundreds of cars drove up to the service station of Mayor Ed Capps to fill up with gas, preparatory to their contemplated flight to safety. All evening long, car after car stopped and without hesitation, the faithful attendants at the station pumped out the gas. The drain on the storage tank was greater than that of the ordinary Saturday night so a call to the Standard Oil Co. plant brought Manager Hal M. Howe with a truckload of gas to replenish the fastly diminishing supply.

"As fast as the gas was being emptied into the storage tank the pumps were drawing it out. And so on into the night. Flames from the raging forest fire drew nearer and nearer, pump attendants worked faster and faster. All the time the tank truck stood by, furnishing the supply that made it possible for many families to flee from the oncoming inferno and thereby probably saving the lives of many who might have been caught in the path of the oncoming tide.

"Finally, when the great tongues of hell were reaching over the hill and dipped into the roof of the Capps building, the heat became so intense that all were forced to abandon their stations.

"The following morning, after the crumbled mass of concrete and iron that had been the Capps Motor Co. plant had cooled off sufficiently to warrant inspection, there was the charred and twisted remains of the Standard Oil tank truck that had so heroically stood by the night before.

Ed Capps, owner of the company, first established the business in Bandon in 1922, and soon after took over the Ford agency.

The large concrete building, which was described in a 1951 article as being located at Bandon Avenue and Wall Street (the street which ran under the hill below the Catholic church but has long since been vacated), was considered a safe haven for cars and household goods by many citizens during the fire, but the intense heat destroyed it, along with most other concrete structures of that time.

Willis Baker, for example, who was in charge of the Oregon State fish hatchery east of town, brought his family possessions to the Capps building; it burned. His home survived.

Immediately after the fire, Capps built the service station and garage (which you see in the second picture) across Second Street from his new building, which had its grand opening in August of 1951. The old service station was torn down in March of 1969.

You have to look a bit to find the Capps Motor Co. building that Capps erected in 1951. This picture was taken in 1959, and you can see Erdman's City Market (Meats and Groceries), Lloyd's Cafe (small space in those days before owners bought the Erdman's building and expanded into the space it occupies today), Pastime Tavern (now Sweets & Treats), Boone's Hardware and the complex, which Merritt J. Senter and other businesses occupied over the years, and is now owned by Lynn Davies and her daughter, Jessica Brink. Across Chicago you can see the large Capps Motor Co. building, which is now owned by Kirk and Elizabeth Day and occupied by Washed Ashore, Broken Anchor and a real estate office. If you look closely, you can see new vehicles in the Capps showroom. Just to the east is the Bandon Theater, which was later torn down.

The article in the Aug. 2, 1951, issue of Western World describes the new Capps building in glowing terms.

"The new building is among the most modern automotive plants in Coos County, including spacious showroom, service department, special body repair and painting rooms, huge parts department, office and new equipment.

"Capps has been one of the leading businessmen of Bandon for nearly 30 years. He was mayor of Bandon at the time of the fire and afterwards, and his large investment in the modern new automotive plant is seen as indicative of his continuing faith in Bandon's future."

The article was written by my grandfather, L. D. Felsheim, who worked closely with Mayor Capps in helping Bandon to rebuild as owner of the Western World.

Talk about frightening. An incident that occurred Saturday on the North Oregon coast near Tillamook could have been a lot worse. A rockslide trapped as many as a dozen people at the Oceanside Tunnel Saturday morning, forcing an emergency plan to rescue them before an incoming tide arrived.

The rockslide occurred at 10:45 a.m. at the south opening, and it was necessary to rescue people trapped on the north side of the tunnel. They were rescued one by one through a three-foot opening at the Oceanside beach. The rescue operation took about 25 minutes, and all were required to wear hard hats as rocks were continuing to fall. A spokesman for the Netarts Fire and Rescue said some people climbed the cliff to get out.

Oregon State Parks closed the tunnel access until further notice.

An article in The Oregonian is extremely disturbing, and shows the extremes to which people are taking their concerns.

"About 50 right-wing protesters converged on the Silverton home of a state workplace safety regulator on Sunday to protest a large fine levied against a Salem gym owner."

The police chief said there were no problems or issues. He said they stayed on the sidewalks and off private property.

I saw a Facebook post this week on the Bandon, Oregon Facebook page urging people to join in a similar protest in front of the home of the OSHA director Michael Wood.

I suggested that there might be other ways to express your concern rather than intimidating a state official, who was carrying out the mandates of Oregon Governor Kate Brown.

I was on a call last week where Wood and other state officials were talking about Covid 19 and the escalating number of cases. I found him to be a caring concerned person, and I can't come to grips with the idea that he, his family and his neighbors need to be subjected to this kind of intimidation.

A group from the other "camp" recently converged on the home of Portland's new city commissioner, broke out a window and set fire to property because he would not vote to further defund the Portland Police Department.

I understand the frustration and desperation of small businesses across the state, who are having a hard time coming to grips with the inconsistencies of the rules that are coming out of the governor's office.

I don't care which side you're on. This kind of tactic is never the answer.

Meanwhile if you want a stark illustration of how the Coronavirus is spiraling out of control in the United States, look at these 2020 monthly case numbers compiled by NBC News:

March, 188,200; April, 883,199; May, 723,166; June, 845,736; July, 1,926,970; August, 1,479,756; September, 1,215,901; October, 1,940,522; and November (as of 9 a.m. Nov. 30), 4,252,822.

Sharon Ward Moy just posted on Facebook that Geraldine Cox (now Gerrie Fuller), a member of the class of 1964, is hospitalized in Kentucky with Covid. She reports that is it terrible and that she is struggling to breathe.

We certainly wish her a full recovery.

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As I See It: The Capps Motor Co. - Coos Bay World

I met Santa Claus on Saturday. Not the Santas helper who sits in some stores, posing for pictures at a safe distance, but the real one.

My wife and I, with our two grandchildren, were Christmas shopping in a local store. During a couple of trips up and down the aisles, Id noticed a gentleman wearing a red shirt, red suspenders and the familiar Santa Claus-style head covering. He was wearing a mask.

We were in the checkout line when I heard him asking the kids if theyd each like a candy cane. Using a handkerchief to hold the two pieces of candy, both wrapped in cellophane, he offered them to the youngsters.

He had taken precautions against spreading germs, so we told the kids they could accept the candy.

Then I looked closer. He had long white hair. Behind his mask was a white beard. His eyes really did twinkle. Santa Claus had just given them candy canes, I told the kids.

I asked if I could get a picture of them with him. He took off the mask for a few seconds as I snapped away with my cellphone.

After thanking him, we checked out, as did Mr. and Mrs. Claus.

Were all busy, more so than normal during the holiday season. COVID-19 has made life even more hectic.

Heres the thing: Im certain Santa Claus is as busy as the rest of us. Probably, in view of his age, hes leery of contact with other people. Yet he goes out of his way to make children happy.

It may be that hes offering a role model for the rest of us.

This will be a very different Christmas and not just in the ways that may come to mind at first. Were all busy. Were all more tense than normal. Many of us are watching our nickels and dimes more closely than usual.

All of that may lead to forgetfulness about something my new friend Santa Claus has made a priority: making children happy.

Thousands of little boys and girls in our area may get little or nothing under the Christmas tree this year. Their moms and dads simply cant afford to play Santa Claus as well as theyd like.

Dozens of organizations are trying to ensure every child in the area has a merry Christmas. Normally, Id have no doubt that residents of our area would come through for them. You always have.

But this year? Im worried, frankly. Will charity begins at home rule the season?

Dont let it. Please, make a contribution now to help the kids. Dont hesitate and perhaps forget. Do it now.

You dont have to be a church elder to live by the Golden Rule. And you dont have to be dressed in red and sporting a long white beard to be Santa Claus.

Im certain my new friend would agree, and he knows because he is Santa Claus.

Myer can be reached at: mmyer@theintelligencer.net.

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Will charities suffer this year? | News, Sports, Jobs - The Inter-Mountain

Kazakhstans Independence Day, celebrated on December 16 to commemorate the fulfillment of the Kazakh peoples long-cherished dream of having an independent state, which happened on December 16, 1991, fills every heart in Kazakhstan with pride and joy now.

Kazakhstan is the most economically successful country in Central Asia on the right track towards becoming one of the worlds 30 most developed countries by the year 2050. Kazakhstan is a democratic republic, with a developed multi-party system (the parliamentary campaign has just started with at least three parties having a strong chance to get into the parliament). Kazakhstan is one of the few countries of the former Soviet Union where the passage of power to the new president in 2019 took place peacefully and legally, as a result of a competitive election. A number of international leaders and organizations acknowledged the huge positive role which the First President of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev, played in achieving this result by announcing his voluntary resignation on March 19, 2019.

Was this result written in a stone, could anyone foresee it in 1991? Any objective historian or just a person who remembers that time and realities can answer that the positive outcome was by no means certain. Kazakhstan left the Soviet Union in a dignified and noble manner, when the Soviet Union was dying in deep crisis, leaving Kazakhstan with a number of economic, social and ecological problems. Pessimists predicted an explosion in Central Asia, doubting that regions ability to sustain itself economically and to preserve the statehoods of its young independent republics (particularly Tajikistan, which was plunging into a civil war, that ended only many months after the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991; Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan also faced increasing poverty and dangerous internal conflicts).

But Nazarbayev, the President of the newly established Republic of Kazakhstan, fearlessly faced the challenges. Kazakhstan preserved the industry created during the Soviet years and slowly, but steadily put it on the market track, adding a number of new, twenty first century elements. After several years of a slowdown, Kazakhstans metallurgical plants, its oil and gas industry and, last but not least, agriculture picked up speed. Now all of these sectors of the countrys economy by far exceed the pre-1991 levels of production. It is enough to say that the products of Kazakhstans highly competitive metallurgical industry are now exported to the EU, while Kazakhstans neighbors in Central Asia are buying its agricultural products. Diversification of industries, foreign investment sources and multivector diplomacy of Kazakhstan have also made a huge step forward. The EU (not China or Russia) is now the biggest foreign investor in Kazakhstan, and the countrys diplomats manage to maintain excellent relations with both Russia and Western countries.

In an article published in the Astana Times not long before Kazakhstans Independence Day one year ago, Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi revealed some of the secrets, which allowed Kazakhstan to achieve such inimitable results:

Our country pursues a peaceful and friendly foreign policy towards all states with which it has established diplomatic relations. There are no substantive contradictions in the area of political cooperation with any of them. Moreover, we have the same or similar views on most issues of bilateral interaction and international agenda, Tileuberdi wrote.

And one can only add here that this course was first charted by Nazarbayev, who was rightly praised by both the President of Russia Vladimir Putin (Nursultan Nazarbayev is the father of Eurasian integration project on the territory of the former Soviet Union) and the President of the United States Donald Trump (Kazakhstan is doing very well. Theyve really turned things around, they have a lot of advantages over some nations and their President is highly respected and has done a great, great job.)

And again Kazakhstans solution was not confrontation, but cooperation and search for solutions. Kazakhstan hosted the now famous negotiations on ending the Syrian conflict, which went down in history as the Astana process. These negotiations helped to stop the bloodshed in Syria, but they also reduced the conflict potential between Russia and the West, which was unanimously critical of Russian involvement in Syria. Kazakhstan, without pressuring anyone or getting involved in the fighting, showed the way forward in cooperation and dialogue. Kazakhstan showed an equally responsible approach in improving the security and ecological situation on our planet, coming out with the initiative of destruction of nuclear weapons and a number of ecological initiatives.

Now Kazakhstan is leading the way again in advocating a joint response of the international community to the threat of coronavirus.

Now the question is: would Kazakhstan be able to do all of this without being an independent, totally sovereign state? The answer is no. In fact, Kazakhstans sovereignty became a blessing for everyone: in the first place, for the former states of the Soviet Union and for the fraternal Central Asian republics in particular because of Kazakhstans economic success and role in Eurasian integration; but it was a blessing for the world, too, because lots of countries have got a responsible and reliable partner.

Kazakhstans positive work in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization made it a friend of China; Kazakhstans active participation in the Islamic Cooperation Organization got it connected to 56 fraternal Muslim states. And the Eurasian Economic Union is becoming a vehicle of development in the triangle uniting China, Kazakhstan and the former republics of the Soviet Union. The golden rule here is just one: Kazakhstan is valuable when it is sovereign and when it is free to suggest its own solutions. They are always peaceful.

The author is Dmitry Babich, a Moscow-based journalist with 30 years of experience of covering global politics, a frequent guest on BBC, Al Jazeera and RT.

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Kazakhstan's Independence Day: 29 Years Ago the World's Countries Have Got a New Big Friend - Astana Times