My mom comes from a generation that doesnt talk about mental health problems, he said, explaining that despite this, before COVID-19, shed been working on it and chatting with him about her problems. Being open about it is critical and thats something she had been doing.

He said in the past couple of years Helen has been struggling with a series of stressful situations, followed up by emotions resembling depression.

She struggled with her anger at times, she struggled with staying in a good mood, he said. For the last several years, after my grandmother passed, shes been struggling. My grandfather deteriorated incredibly quickly after (my grandmothers) death, within a 1.5 years he was in a dementia ward in a retirement home. It was a heavy burden (my mother) took on.

Following COVID-19, Michael, who now lives in Cambridge, said hes been giving his parents their physical space considering their age and his wish not to take risks with a deadly virus.

Since COVID hit, our conversations have largely revolved around that, he added, noting the pair had been speaking several times a week.

Then, just 48 hours after he received a happy, normal voicemail message from her congratulating him on a successful job interview, he got the worst news of his life. Shed disappeared.

Since then, Michael does not believe shes been using her cellphone.

However, he said, police are not sharing those sorts of details with the family at the moment.

If theres been one seemingly positive thing thats occurred since her disappearance, its the amount of support the family has received, including people from the depths of his phone contact list reaching out to offer help and perfect strangers showing up at the familys Aurora home to grab flyers and hand them out all over town.

Theres been a tremendous outpouring of support people we havent spoken to in decades, he said.

He said hes struggled the most with the idea that his mother, like him, a wilderness camper her whole life, didnt tell anyone where she was headed, a golden rule in the family growing up.

Although detectives involved with the case were unavailable to speak, Michael said one area they have been looking into involves hotels and motels in the Huntsville and Gravenhurst area, where the family have a plot of land.

So far, nothing.

The sense of desperation is climbing and hope is fading fast, he said, chocking back tears.

Sedo is described as a white female, five-foot-one, dark brown shoulder-length hair, wearing glasses and carrying a red- and olive-coloured duffel bag.

Anyone with information is asked to contact York Regional Police #1 district criminal investigations bureau at 1-866-876-5423 ext. 7141 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or leave an anonymous tip online at http://www.1800222tips.com.

See the article here:

'On the raggedy edge of losing it': Son of missing Helen Sedo speaks out - yorkregion.com

Published: 8/3/2020 4:25:32 PM

What values does one have to guide them in the choice for the principle leader of our country? In this time of uncertainly, confusion and distress, we need a person of character, with intelligence, and willing to be held accountable.

Mr. Trumps values show up as wealth, power and popularity. Due to his unbridled ego, he ignores the facts of science and refuses to follow advised pandemic guidelines and health precautions. This is a life and death matter for many people, especially essential workers and folks in marginalized communities. Vulnerable senior citizens like my husband and I look for assurance that someone capable is in charge.

We get a chance to change our president with our votes in November. Is the person we choose guided by The Golden Rule spelled out in the International Charter for Compassion, Treat others and Planet Earth as you would like to be treated?

We need a leader with empathy who can unite the people and call for the participation of allto build a strong and respected nation. How can folks of all races have the respect, freedom and services they need? Can refugees from violence find refuge here? Will students from abroad be allowed to stay and finish their education? What can be done to stop the downward spiral due to our environmental choices?

I believe that President Trumps leadership style does not honor the wisdom of qualified people. He is willing to tell lies, to bully and mistreat his wisest advisors, to act rudely to friendly international leaders, and supports others we mistrust. He denies or fails to take responsibility for his actions.

He may hold the Bible in his hand, but not the message of love in his heart and mind. Everyones vote is valuable; vote for Joe Biden to allow for change.

Muriel C. Griffin

Holyoke

Read more from the original source:

Muriel C. Griffin: Take action on your values by voting - GazetteNET

The golden rule is a moral principle which denotes that you should treat others the same way you would like to be treated yourself. For example, the golden rule suggests that if you would like people to treat you with respect, then you should make sure to treat them with respect too.

The golden rule is an important philosophical principle, which has been formulated in various ways by many different groups throughout history, and which can be used to guide your actions in a variety of situations. As such, in the following article you will learn more about the golden rule, see how it can be refined, and understand how you can implement it in practice.

The golden rule can be formulated in three main ways:

Different people tend to be exposed to different forms of the golden rule to a different degree, based on factors such as the predominant religion in their society.

However, all these forms of the golden rule revolve around the same underlying concept and around the same underlying intention. Namely, all forms of the golden rule aim to help you treat others better, by using the way you yourself would want to be treated as a guide of how to behave.

Note: in some cases, the negative form of the golden rule is referred to as the silver rule, though this distinction isnt always made. In addition, the general concept of the golden rule is sometimes also referred to as the ethic of reciprocity. Finally, in some contexts, the term golden rule is used to refer to an important rule or principle in a certain field (for example the golden rule of engineering), rather than to the golden rule in the context of morality.

There are many examples of ways in which the golden rule can be implemented, in its various forms. For example:

The underlyingprinciplebehind the golden rule has been proposed in many different formulations throughout history, by various individuals and groups.

For instance, many philosophers proposed variations of this concept, as you can see in the following examples:

That character is best that doesnt do to another what isnt good for itself. Zoroaster, Persia (circa 500 BC)

What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others. Confucius, China (circa 500 BC)

We should conduct ourselves toward others as we would have them act toward us. Aristotle, Greece (circa 350 BC)

What you shun enduring yourself, attempt not to impose on others. Epicetus, Greece (circa 150 AD)

To do as one would be done by, and to love ones neighbour as oneself, constitute the ideal perfection of utilitarian morality. John Stuart Mill, England (1861)

Similarly, the golden rule has also been featured in various formulations by many different religions:

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. (Christianity)

That which is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary. (Judaism)

No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. (Islam)

Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful. (Buddhism)

This is the sum of duty: do naught unto others which would cause you pain if done to you. (Hinduism)

Keep in mind that many of these variants of the golden rule are translations from versions of it in other languages, such as the Latin quod tibi non vis fieri, alteri ne feceris, which can be translated as do not do to another what you do not want to be done to you.

In addition, keep in mind that the exact origins and phrasing of some of these quotes remain unclear. Nevertheless, the main takeaway from these varied examples is the fact that the underlying concept behind the golden rule was prevalent among a diverse range of groups throughout history.

When it comes to morality and ethics, there are various concepts that are closely associated with the golden rule.

The most notable of these concepts is Kants categorical imperative, which states that you should act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law, meaning that you should only take action if you would be willing to have everyone else act in the same way.

Another such concept is referred to as Clarkes Rule of Equity, and states that Whatever I judge reasonable or unreasonable that another should do for me, that by the same judgment I declare reasonable or unreasonable that I should in the like case do for him.

The main criticism that people mention when it comes to the golden rule, and particularly when it comes to its implementation in practice, is the fact that the golden rule suggests that others would like to be treated the same way you would like to be treated, which is not necessarily true.

This can lead to problematic situations, where one person might mistreat someone else under the guidance of the golden rule. For example, this problem could lead someone to make an overt romantic gesture toward someone that isnt interested in it, simply because the person making the gesture wishes that someone would do the same for them.

This issue has been described by writer George Bernard Shaw, who famously said:

Do not do unto others as you would that they should do unto you. Their tastes may be not be the same.

However, while this issue is important to take into consideration, it doesnt invalidate the potential benefits of the golden rule, and its something that can be accounted for by refining this rule.

Essentially, based on this criticism, there are two main issues with the golden rule:

To avoid these issues, the golden rule can be refined into a variant of it which is called the platinum rule, and which states that you should treat others the way they themself would like to be treated. Simply put, the platinum rule means that instead of assuming that other people want to be treated the same way you do, you should make sure to discover how people actually want to be treated, and then treat them that way.

Note: the platinum rule is sometimes referred to by other names, such as thecopper rule.

Another notable criticism of the golden rule is the fact that, in certain situations, its application can lead to undesirable outcomes, when it conflicts with other guiding principles.

For example, if someone is convicted of a crime and sentenced to prison, the golden rule would suggest that we should let them go, because we would not want to be imprisoned ourselves. This remains the case even if we use the platinum rule, since the prisoner would likely also prefer to avoid going to prison.

However, this issue with the golden rule can be dealt with in a general manner, by viewing this principle as one of several principles that we use to guide our behavior as individuals and as a society.

Specifically, in the example described above, the golden rule would not be enough to prevent that person from going to prison, because most individuals and societies choose to place other laws and ethical principles above the golden rule, while still taking the golden rule into account. This means that they strive to implement the golden rule whenever possible, as long as it doesnt clash with the implementation of a more important concept.

This notion is described, for example, in the writing of philosopher Henry More, who said that:

The Evil you would not have done to your self, you must abstain from doing the same to another, as far as may be done without prejudice to a Third.

In Enchiridion Ethicum (1667), Chap. 4, Noema XV

The basic way to implement the golden rule is relatively straightforward: simply treat other people the way that you yourself would want to be treated.

However, as we saw above, there are potential issues with this approach, and accounting for them will allow you to implement the golden rule in a more effective manner.

First, when implementing the golden rule, its generally preferable to use the more refined version of it (i.e. the platinum rule). Essentially, this means that you should strive to treat others not necessarily the way that you yourself would want to be treated, but rather in the way that theywant to be treated.

The easiest way to accomplish this is to wait before taking action which involves someone else and ask yourself is this how this person would like to be treated?. If the answer to that question is yes, then proceed. Otherwise, modify your plan of action accordingly, before moving forward.

Keep in mind that from a psychological perspective, we can sometimes struggle to see things from a perspective that is different than our own, due to a cognitive bias known as the egocentric bias, which could make it difficult to implement this version of the golden rule.

If you believe that this is an issue for you, then there are various debiasing techniques that you can use; this includes both general debiasing techniques, such as slowing down your reasoning process, as well as debiasing techniques that are specific to the egocentric bias, such as using self-distancing language.

In addition, when implementing the golden rule, its important to remember that this rule is meant to be used as a beneficial rule of thumb, rather than as an absolute law. This means that you should strive to use the golden rule only as long as it doesnt conflict with other guiding moral principles that are more important than it.

For example, if someone wants you to treat them in a way that you know would cause them serious harm, you can refuse to do so, if you believe that avoiding harm in this case is more important than treating them the way they want to be treated.

Note that deciding which principles to prioritize over others can be difficult to do in some situations. Nevertheless, using the golden rule as an initial rule of thumb can be helpful in a variety of situations, both to the people who implement it as well as to those who they implement it toward.

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The Golden Rule: Treat Others the Way You Want to Be ...

As we gradually transition into the technocracy that will eventually serve as the foundation for our post-quarantine world, human interaction continues to evaporate. Interpersonal communication had already been hit with some pretty brutal body blows over the past few decades thanks to email, cellphones, and other forms of technology that allowed us to greatly reduce the amount of real conversations required to function, but the widespread use of Zoom and FaceTime during a pandemic that made six feet the standard unit of personal space was a devastating blow to the jaw it may never recover from.

Not everyone is happy about this development but I honestly couldnt be more thrilled. Sure, Ive known some of my best friends since middle school but that doesnt mean Im even remotely comfortable interacting with them when we meet up. Theyre also human beings, which means its in their very nature to judge and criticize me at every opportunity and do so in an even harsher manner than a random stranger would because they view me as a friend. There arefartoo many uncontrollable variables that can come into play during an in-person conversation, and now that Ive experienced a reality where I am the God of the domain where my end of the exchange takes place, I dont know if I can ever go back to how things used to be.

However, I might be even more partial to another alternative that rose to prominence in the earlier part of the previous decade, one that eliminates virtually every undesirable element from the equation so people are forced to focus on what youre actually saying as opposed to the three chins you appear to have thanks to a combination of crappy lighting and the worlds most unflattering angle. Im talking, of course, about one of the greatest inventions in the history of mankind: the group chat.

For the uninitiated, group chats are a modern marvel that allow people to tell themselves theyre being social without ever having to leave the comfort of their own home and subsequently grants them the luxury of avoiding all of the awkward exchanges they wouldve encountered if the discussion had transpired with all of the participants in the same physical location.

As a strong, independent INTJ, group chats are probably the best thing that have ever happened to me, as you get to hang out with your buddies and strengthen your friendships but the only physical exertion required is moving your thumb around a screen. Its the best of both worlds. There are some lunatics out there who seem to needto physically be around people to thrive, which I get (well, not really), but thats just not my style.

If you want a bit more insight into how my brain works when it comes to the social aspects of life, comedian Mark Normand managed to sum it up better than I ever could.

The group chat was basically invented for people with that frame of mind. You can carefully engineer all of your comments and respond on your own time, essentially eliminating the need to improv on the spot like you would if during an in-person interaction, which far too often results in you having to apologize for something you said the next day.

Group chats are also easily the best option when it comes to communicating with friends you mightve had previously been forced to text individually. Do people even still text one-on-one? That seems like it could only go poorly. How would you even end the conversation? I always feel like I need to say the last thing or Im going to feel like Ive somehow lost a competition that doesnt exist.

However, group chats are also littered with opportunities to embarrass yourself if you dont know what youre doing. If you approach them the same way as an email, an individual text, or a face-to-face exchange, youre going to come off like an absolute psycho.

So what do you need to know about proper group chat protocol? How do you handle yourself in different situations? What do you do when you find yourself in one you want to escape? Luckily for you, I have ample experience in this territory and Ive decided to share my wealth of knowledge to help people navigate these occasionally murky social waters.

The first thing you need to understand is that all group chats are not created equal. Youll likely find yourself using them to interact with best friends, immediate family, college friends, extended family, high school friends, co-workers, old co-workers, and similarly defined groups at some point in time. Youll mostly harness them to communicate with your closest family members and the people in your various friend groups, but there are some sadly inevitable occasions where your aunt will use the chat that was used to coordinate the food everyone was bringing to the Fourth of July three years ago to ask a personal question about the ointment she suggested for that, um, problem you told her about, resulting in an awkward parade of HaHa reactions from your closest relatives.

You likely have at least a couple of group chats that see at least a little bit of action on a daily basis, and once youre locked into them, it shouldnt take long to get a feel for the various archetypes that are represented in almost every single oneincluding three youll encounter more often than any other.

Its worth noting there arent many people who will fall exclusively under one of these umbrellas and there may be some days where theyll suddenly be in an entirely different category. It happens; people take Adderall, feel that euphoric rush, and feel compelled to type a novel concerning the itinerary for the upcoming trip with the boys and then go radio silent for a week after it wears off.

With that said, there are three distinct levels of activity that you can use when it comes to evaluating the contributions of almost every participant.

This guy is always starting conversations, responding to others, and reacting to every single text and development. If hes not actively involved in a conversation for more than 10 minutes, you should call 911 because something is probably seriously wrong.

Also, this person is almost always single.

As a proud, longtime member of this group, I think I can shed some valuable light on what makes us tick. People in this category constantly feel like they are bothering the group with their endless stream of random texts, but because they dont have a girlfriend they can annoy with mundane shit, other people end up being subjected to it. Every once in a while, they scroll through old conversations and realize there is a truly disproportionate amount of blue (or green, if you have a friend with an Android you somehow havent disowned) and resolve to chill with the texting only to inevitably relapse in less than 24 hours.

I dont want to psych anyone out, but if youre in this category, the people in the following two probably have their own group chat where the primary topic of conversation is your inability to shut the fuck up. If you keep trying to clean things up but cant follow through, maybe thatll give you some motivation.

This is pretty straightforward. This guy almost never initiates a conversation, but once someone else does, theyll happily contribute to the discussion until they feel its run its course or they find something more interesting to do in real life. This person almost always has a girlfriend, because he is willing to talk but rarely feels the need to spark a dialogue because he can bounce whatever he needs to get off his chest with bae.

You can always rely on this guy to bring something to the tablejust dont expect him to set it or youre going to be hungry as hell.

You rarely find a person under the age of 30 who fits this bill because being hopelessly addicted to technology is just kind of something most members of younger generations have accepted is a defining aspect of their existence.

Now, this guy is a pragmatist who only gets in on the action when he has a very good reason to. If he sends a text, its because he viewed whatever he shared as essential information. Hes basically the parent of the chat who doesnt have time for any of the juvenile nonsense everyone else is frequently engaged in. However, every now and then, hell let his hair down and come out of the clouds with a joke no one saw coming and you will never see the chat as fired up than during those rare moments.

In addition to those universally recognized archetypes, there are also a number of unwritten rules that govern the group chat worldlike this ancient adage:

Ive never actually been part of that kind of subchat, but after spending eight years familiarizing myself with the ones that spawn them, Ive identified several unspoken laws everyone should abide byrules that I have broken on countless occasions over that span but which I am nonetheless aware of and that you should be as well.

This may as well be the Golden Rule of group chats: respond to others the way you want to be responded to. If youre coming into the chat with a funny story or hypothetical scenario that you know will spark a heated debate, the least you can do is acknowledge the response youre blatantly steering the conversation away from.

You dont have to spend too much time on the segue but you should at least toss an Emphasize or Thumbs up to the previous message, even if youre basically just saying, Hey guys, Mikey said this earlier. We all saw it and ignored it because it was stupid, so I am now moving on to something much less shitty.

The exception to this rule is if the last text was a natural end to a conversation more than one person participated in. If thats the case, youre good to go, but if youre sharing some wild stat you stumbled across after someone else informed everyone their grandma died only to be met with crickets, you need to react with a thumbs down so they know A) you saw it and B) you dislike their grandma dying.

Once thats taken care of, you can send that Did you guys know that Barry Bonds set the record for intentional walks with a number thats higher than the combined total of the players in second and third place? text that will inevitably garner a much better reception than that downer that preceded it.

Major Talkers are the label I use to describe the individuals who fall into the first of the three major categories previously discussed; the ones who crave human interaction as much as everyone else wants him to find love so they dont get a notification every hour.

As I mentioned above, one of the worst parts about earning this reputation is that you feel compelled to frequently contribute because you know people will become concernedor even worse: disrespectedif you suddenly go dark. If youre the dude who barely talks, you can keep your interactions to a minimum and no one notices or cares. Those people can occasionally ramp up production and scale back without any issue, but once youve established yourself as a Major Talker, you can never be anything else.

I know some of you may be thinking, Well, what if youre not near your phone? Its a valid question. People actually have jobs and personal issues to attend to that require them to put their phones down from time to time (or at least thats what Im told. I cant say Ive ever let real life get in the way of my sworn duties). If you encounter such a scenario as a Major Talker, youre obliged to make up for lost time with a flurry of responses to all of the messages you missed.

Will it annoy the hell out of everyone? Yes, but youre a Major Talker. Annoyance isthedefining aspect of your existence. You might as well embrace it.

This is similar to the Golden Rule, but while that simply applies to the next person to respond to something no one cared about, everyone has to adhere to this. You can ignore a shitty story or a dumb joke, but when someone throws in a YouTube video, a TikTok, or a link to something described as a great read, someone needs to hit them with an lol, or damn, good stuff, or some other perfunctory response in the timeliest manner possible

You dont even have to watch or read whatever it is they took the time to share because they thought it might provide you with some enjoyment. In order to avoid arousing suspicion with an unrealistically prompt response, you should probably click the link so you can see the length of the video you were expected to sit through or how long it wouldve taken you to read the article you rapidly scrolled through instead, but thats the extent of the effort you have to exert.

Now, these scenarios feature a bit of a conundrum concerning collective obligation that economics majors such as myself instantly recognize as being a textbook example of the free-rider problem (at least I think thats what its called; I graduated with a 2.3 GPA so there is a very good chance Im wrong). The term refers to a phenomenon thats frequently observed when a group of people is given a task that can be completed by a single individual only for everyone to assume someone else will take care of it, meaning it either gets put off for longer than necessary or simply never gets done at all.

As a result, the onus is on you to pull the trigger if no one else has by the time it comes to your attention. Youll provide whoever youre responding to with some gratification at no real cost to yourself and earn the appreciation of everyone else you took the pressure off of with your reply.

If someone gets engaged, lands a promotion, has a kid, or shares any kind of news society has deemed exciting, you need to take the time to craft a thoughtful response to acknowledge it. Choosing from the lineup of default reactions isnt going to cut it here.

There is nothing I would love more than to just Emphasize! the text concerning the second promotion my friend as gotten since I became unemployed and hope he understands Im trying to say, I hate you with every fiber of my being, but I cant. We are living in a society!

A group chat is like Mecca, a psychiatrists office, and a Planet Fitness all rolled into one; its a sacred place, a safe space, and a judgment-free zone. Simply alluding to the information thats shared inside that sanctum with someone outside of it is a grave violation of trust and it should go without saying that sharing a screenshot or *gasp* allowing an outsider to scroll through a chat is grounds for immediate expulsion.

Its almost like the code inThe Matrix: the uninitiated might recognize the symbols on the screen but theyre impossible to understand unless youre privy to the code necessary to interpret what is really being said. Its easy for someone to read dozens of texts concerning scenarios where pooping in the shower is acceptable and jump to some ill-formed conclusions without being able to supplement them with years of context and inside jokes. Would some of those conclusions still be accurate nonetheless? Probably, but they dont know whichones theyd be right about which is really all that matters in the end.

Finally, if a group chat ever reaches a point where it earns the highest honor that can be bestowed upon onegetting its own nameit is your duty to never reveal the meaning behind it to any prying minds that might inquire. Not only is it like giving away the password to your secret club, its likely some obscure reference youll spend way too long explaining and theyll ultimately just awkwardly respond, Umsure? and quickly steer the conversation in another direction.

Thats basically all you have to know to hold your own in a group chat, but before we wrap this up, there is one major dark side I alluded to earlier that I feel obligated to address.

A couple of years ago, my core group of friends teamed up with some people outside of our primary chat to rent a beach house, which theyve stayed at for the past two summers. If you remember my previous article related to that topic, you know I am not the biggest fan of the beach, whichin addition to my negative bank account balanceis why Ive declined to go in on either occasion.

However, I have visited for a few days each year, which I guess made them think it would be a good idea to add me to their chat in what may have been the most misguided friendly gesture in human history. It. Is. Miserable. I have never reacted or responded. Im justthere. I normally view myself as a hybrid of the first two archetypes I outlined, but in this scenario, Im the most extreme example of the third one that youll ever encounter.

Its been especially rough this year because they all made the decision to isolate together within walking distance of the ocean, meaning I regularly get woken up by late-night texts about their drunken hijinks because Im currently living with my parents and go to bed at 10 PM because Ive found sleep is the most effective cure for my boredom.

But what am I supposed to do? Leave? Why? So they can all get the Tj Francis left the chat notification that signifies its open season for roasting me harder than they probably already have been in the actual conversations within the non-virtual group chat that is the beach house? Hardpass. Theyll also have no way of knowing why I left, which will likely lead to multiple people texting me variations of, Dude, whats the deal? Ive already made it clear how I feel about individual conversations so thats basically off the table.

So, Im stuck between a rock and a hard place. At this point, its either leave and deal with the fallout or stay in the chat and feel like a complete loser as I see them having fun and living life as I do the exact opposite. Every time I get a new notification, I debate leaving but I can never force myself to follow through thanks to my crippling fear of the unknown (yes, I have it muted, but Im not one of the lunatics who canjust go through life with red bubbles reminding me about the 37 texts and 45,689 emails Ive ignored).

I think the best solution here would be for Apple to get its shit together and allow you to disable the notification informing everyone else in the chat you abandoned that youre a spineless coward but I guess thats a bit too tall of an order for a trillion-dollar company to tackle.

I understand this is a lot of information to process, but above all, theres nothing more important than understanding your place in a chat and knowing what you bring to the table. If you can keep those unwritten rules in mind and just have some self-awareness, you should be able to avoid making any disastrous mistakes you cant recover fromunless you end up in Group Chat Jail. In that case, good fucking luck.

Go here to see the original:

Heres Everything You Need To Know To Hold Your Own In Any Group Chat Life Throws Your Way - BroBible

Hezbollah is stockpiling weapons around the globe in preparation for a new terror offensive, a US presidential security adviser has disclosed.

The warning from Kash Patel, deputy assistant to the president for counter-terrorism at the US National Security Council, comes as a new map of the terror groups plots, financing and global reach has been released online.

The golden rule of Hezbollah, and the key to its success, was the less you know the better, said Dr Matthew Levitt, the creator of the Lebanese Hezbollah Select Worldwide Activity map.

Mr Levitt hoped the research tool, which includes almost 1,000 entries on Hezbollah's activities since the 1980s, would punch a hole in the secrecy around the terror group.

The former FBI agent and other US intelligence officials were clear that the extremists were using Europe as a centre to raise funds and recruits for its political wing and the war in Syria.

The section with the most recent entries is the "Finance and Logistics" tab, which highlights fund-raising reports in European countries including Germany, Austria, Belgium and the Balkan states.

It appears that the cash is coming from many varied and lucrative operations, nearly all of them criminal.

They range from stolen cars, sometimes packed with drugs from South America, to money laundering and false charity donations.

The cash is needed to fund Hezbollahs political wing in Lebanon and the comfortable lifestyle of its senior commanders, who have shown an ability to become rich at the end of a gun.

What also becomes clear from the map is Hezbollahs global reach, potentially through the Lebanese diaspora that extends from Chile in South America to Angola and Ethiopia, and on to China, Japan and Australia.

Mr Levitt has unravelled a well-structured organisation that permeates the criminal world while hiding in plain sight.

He has now created a tool that will allow government agencies, journalists and politicians to view, at a couple of clicks, the extent of the organisation.

The map also establishes that for now, at least, Hezbollah has set aside its bombings, hijackings and kidnappings outside the Middle East for a bigger cash prize to be had in Europe.

With the continuing war in Syria, it can still answer the military urge of younger supporters by sending them off to battle but it is the smart business model that is paying dividends.

Washington is clearly irritated that only Britain among major European powers has fully proscribed Hezbollah as a terror group.

Its view is that continental Europe has allowed itself to become a comfortable place to raise funds, which is possibly why, as the map shows, there has been little military activity there in recent years.

Hezbollah chiefs are reluctant to kill the golden goose.

This is what frustrates advisers such as Mr Patel.

Hezbollah is actively plotting and stockpiling weapons for terrorist attacks around the world, including in Europe, he said at the map launch.

Only Kosovo has followed Britains lead. Mr Patel encourages other European states to designate Hezbollah a terrorist group and shut down its terrorist activities.

With Irans funding dropping to $700 or $800 million as sanctions bite, and low oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic have an impact, now was the time to clamp down, he said.

Updated: August 5, 2020 02:06 AM

Read the original post:

Five maps that show spread of Hezbollah activity - The National

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There's something extremely entertaining about seeing Buzz Aldrin do the cha-cha and Michael Bolton dressed in ruffles and that's exactly why Dancing With the Stars has remained a staple on ABC for the past 28 seasons. But what goes into the stars getting to compete for the Mirrorball Trophy? From the grueling rehearsals to the makeup guidelines that often get pushback, we're breaking down all of the rules the Dancing With the Stars competitors have to follow.

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You have to get an offer from the casting director.

Deena Katz works as the show's executive talent producer and her job is to seek out the most interesting stars for the show. In Hollywood, DWTS is now seen as a great career move and celebrities clamor to get cast on it. "For your marketing, for your career, this is like Willy Wonka's golden ticket," Katz told Slate.

2 of 38

You don't have to be a trending celebrity.

Sometimes the cast of DWTS reads like a crazy dinner party from a dream. That's because Katz purposefully includes a mix of celebrities from across the entire pop culture zeitgeist. She chooses nostalgia picks, people in the news, and even people who "the idea of them dancing makes you laugh," Katz told Slate.

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Being a fan could help you get cast.

The show looks for celebrities who are fans of the show when scouting for potential contestants. This move increases the odds that the star will sign on and helps assure a good attitude during the process.

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You aren't locked into the show after the cast reveal.

With all the fanfare that goes into announcing the DWTS cast, one would think that the contestants would be locked into an iron-clad deal by the big reveal. Nope. There are always loop holes in show business that keep stars from actually filming.

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You can (but shouldn't!) drop out at the last minute.

"Vincent Pastore was the guy from The Sopranos and was rehearsing with Edyta Sliwinska but had heart issues, so that's when John Ratzenberger joined. And Mark McGrath dropped out and Rocco DiSpirito came in," Katz told Galmour. Producers even say some stars have kept them guessing if they were going to show until right before filming started.

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Some stars are cast as a backup.

In the event that a celebrity contestant doesn't show up, the show usually has a backup star who can take their place. When producers were afraid Master P wasn't going to show, they had Kill Bill star David Carradine rehearsed and ready to go in a trailer on set, just in case.

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There's no disclosed age limit.

Dancing with the Stars has never disclosed an age limit and the youngest contestant to ever compete was a 14 year old Willow Shields. ABC also produced a spin-off show, Dancing With the Stars: Juniors, for child stars and children of celebrities.

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You're matched with a pro dancer strategically.

Ever wonder how the DWTS pairings come to be? Showrunner Rob Wade told E! News it's a simple formula, "based on height, build and personality and compatibility."

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Producers make sure partners like each other.

After all, the stress and rigor of live ballroom dancing is enough to serve up plenty of drama for the cameras. "We don't pair people who aren't going to get on. It's too intense. It's not like The Bachelor or something, we couldn't do that," Wade told E! News. "You don't want to see two people who don't like each other."

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Cast romances are encouraged.

Romances between contestants are a big topic of debate on DWTS and producers love them, because they help generate buzz for the show. While a host of legitimate relationships have come out of the reality show, most of the flings fade with the spotlight.

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You don't get to choose your dancing partner.

"There are some celebs that have wishes, and we always say we can't guarantee," Katz told Glamour. In the end though, the producers have the final say.

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Dancers don't get to choose their star either.

Although fans think they've spotted trends in partners why are Mark Ballas's partners always young? the professional dancers have no input on who they compete with.

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Producers choose the music for the dances.

According to Kym Johnson, the dancers are allowed to suggest songs at the beginning of the season, but since there are so many pairs to coordinate performances with, producers take the lead on deciding who will dance to what.

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You can't choose the theme either.

Whether it's cha-cha night or all about Disney, the teams don't pick the themes and they vary from season to season.

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If you're part of the cast, you'll get paid.

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You can compete for bonus payments.

How do stars make more than their $125,000 signing bonus? Their paycheck increases the more they advance on the show, with finalists earning up to $50,000 for the final two episodes. This creates an incentive to keep stars committed to the competition.

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Dancers don't get paid as much as the stars.

It's been reported that the professional dancers make close to $5,200 per episode, which adds up to about $100,000 per season.

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You have to practice seven days a week.

DWTS has a reputation for having a demanding rehearsal schedule and, according to former Olympian Amy Purdy, there are "no days off." Celebrities meet and rehearse with their partner every day to prepare for the Monday night live show.

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You have to use the show's hair and makeup teams.

The show receives a lot of pushback on this rule. "Women have had this fear about [wanting] to have their own hair and makeup artists, but you can't have that here. Our team is award-winning and fantastic. Kirstie Alley had a really hard time with it and really fought it. Now Kirstie uses our makeup artist for her. I get that fear, but they just have to take a leap with all of it. We promise they're going to look great," Katz told Glamour.

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Contestants have to get spray tans every week.

The show's rumored "Spray Tan Sundays" are all too real, as the show's head makeup artist, Courtney Zena Shteysel, revealed. Each contestant gets bronzed from head to toe once a week in preparation for taping.

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The same rule applies to wardrobe.

The wardrobe team is award-winning and is specially versed in ballroom dancing costumes. Because of this, the show insists that all wardrobe decisions are made by their team.

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You have to be flexible with wardrobe.

Former dancing pro Tony Dovolani says that costumes usually aren't finished until an hour before the show. "People don't get to wear their costumes until dress rehearsal," Tony told Glamour. "There are alterations being made from dress rehearsal until the live show."

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You have to arrive early the morning of the live show.

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The dress rehearsal is mandatory.

This is when producers and the show's director make sure that the show is mapped out the way they want.

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Producers can change anything in a performance.

During the dress rehearsal, producers and the director have control over the performance and are allowed to tweak any aspect of it, which could mean anything from wardrobe to lighting changes.

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Celebrities are expected to contribute to the choreography.

While the pro dancers take the lead, celebrities aren't just along for the ride. Both team members are expected to contribute which often ends up being a great source of drama on the show.

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For the group number, stars don't get a say.

The group opening number that fans have come to love is choreographed by an on-staff head choreographer. Contestants don't have any say in the creative direction for this dance and are required to participate each week.

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You have to give an interview after every performance.

As soon as the team steps off of the dance floor, they're thrown in front of the camera for an interview. While it may be a welcome distraction for some of the stars, as they wait for their scores to be determined, it's also necessary for the show to get their reactions to their performance.

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Producers have control over the storylines.

Although some claim that the show is faked or fixed by producers, showrunner Rob Wade insists that they merely follow emerging storylines that develop from the contestants. To do this, producers keep a close eye on whats going on with each team and build on any potential drama.

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You have to be willing to share on camera.

The show's producers told Glamour that there's a lot that doesn't make it onto TV, but the stars opening up to viewers is one of the key parts of the show. "You have to open yourself up to the process. Seeing Maks [Chmerkovskiy] at his most vulnerable with Meryl [Davis] made people want to see his journey," executive producer Joe Sungkur said.

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38 Rules 'Dancing With the Stars' Contestants Have to Follow - GoodHousekeeping.com

By GREG TRIGGS

So here we are, four months plus into the pandemiclonger than many imagined it could ever last. Consequently, theres been a shift in energy. Tempers flare. People often seem impatient. Kindness and empathy seem, like Clorox Wipes, to be in short supply.

Negative reactions come in short bursts nearly everywhere. People inconsiderately play their music loudly regardless of the hour while driving through residential areas. Intentionally noisy vehicles are heard rumbling down Main Street and through the Flats late at night. Traffic plods along because no one is in much of a hurry. Parking on Main Street has become an obstacle course of ridiculousness.

And its not just humans. Dogs are reportedly doing their business on peoples lawns, complicit with their owners as they walk away from the mess they just made. During an evening stroll, deer stare at humans as if to say, Ugh. You again? A cat gave me side-eye yesterday, but that may have been normal. You never can tell with cats.

Action and reaction are equally accountable in most instances. People are quick to inconsideration and quick to judgment. The truth of the situation is probably somewhere in the middle between the two polarizing, diametrically opposed directions. Trench warfare prevents us from sharing that middle ground.

To experience more patience and kindness, we must first be patient and kind. Lead by example. Put your best foot forward. Its golden rule time! Easier said than done, to be sure. Human nature often points fingers in every direction but inward.

Perhaps it extends past exhaustion. Some people are likely to have slipped into depression, which is hard to overcome internally. Professional help might be needed to deal with the cumulative weight of the past five months and how theyve affected issues that were already in place. For those who might be slipping down that slope, a reminder: Narrowsburg is home to some wonderful therapists, many of whom take (mental) health insurance or might consider working on a sliding scale.

Try to remember, seeking help is a strength, not a weakness.

In the moments you have an impulse to walk away from the best version of yourself or judge someone who has done the same, perhaps the best choice is to take a deep breath, even if through a mask. As Charles Glassman, author of Brain Drain: the Breakthrough That Will Change Your Life, once said, Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle.

No matter how youre feeling four months into the pandemic, youre not alone.

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Kindness, and other restorative therapies - The River Reporter

Due totheWisconsin Supreme Courtsdecision to eliminateGov. Tony Evers Safer at Home Order, Wisconsin city businesses have begun to reopen and their hours have extended, including in the La Crosse area. In La Crosse an increasing amount of restaurantsareopen withnormal hours with increasingseatingcapacity, businesses are reinstating walk-insin exchange for curbside pickup,and inhabitants have re-entered Riverside Park.

The COVID-19 pandemic hasbrought about positives to some that otherwise might not have been apparent. The Racquet Press reached out tothree students and three faculty members from the University of Wisconsin-La Crossetodiscuss their perceivedsilver linings.

AbigailBingenheimer, sophomore

For UWL sophomore AbigailBingenheimer, she said social distancinghas meantpersonal growthand realizations.Ive learned a lot about myself throughout this whole quarantine,said Bingenheimer. Who my real friends are, who I want to be friends with and the kind of friend I want to be.

Bingenheimer notes that quarantine, and how people respond to it, reveals a lot. I realize I am totally fine by myself. And I dont need to have a big circle of friends. I just need my core group of people who I love, and thats it. Be kind to everyone, be civil, be an adult to everyone, but you really only ever need that core group of people.

Bingenheimer works at Kwik Trip in her hometown of Waukesha, Wisconsin. She said her job has caused her to appreciate the little things. Ive had more wholesome experiences and interactions at work during Corona [COVID-19] than I had before.

Bingenheimer said she has noticed how important kindness can beduring hard times.Ive started to appreciate people doing the little, kind thingsjust giving a smile, or saying hello, or having a two-second conversation with someone while theyre buying gas.

Though quarantine has changed a lot for Bingenheimer, as she was living in Hutchison Hall at UWL and had to moveback home,she said she recognizes her privilege.I acknowledge that I have it really well, I do, and I understand that a lot of people dont.

Bingenheimer said she tries to remember the golden rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. Takea little bit of extra time to do just a small act of kindness for another person.

Jordan Wallner, sophomore

UWL sophomore Jordan Wallner is from Waunakee, Wisconsin,andlived in Hutchison Hall at UWL.For Wallner, she said transitioning home and into online classes was difficult. It completely changed my life. I felt trapped.

Wallners mother isimmune-compromised, so she said her family enforcedsocial distancing. It was hard to keep living here when I was constantly doing somethingwrong,doing something they didnt approve of. She said her parents had also asked her to hand over her car keys. All I could do to leave the house wasrunningor grocery shopping, she said.

Despitequarantine andbeing unable toworkdue to her diner job beingshut down,Wallner found ways tofocus on positives.I met up withfriends outside, and wedplaysoccer in a fielddown the street from my house.

Wallner said she found herself clashing with her parents a lot,butshe thinks they grew closer. Weended up having a lot of good discussions,seeing and understanding each others points, although it wasnt always pretty. But we did get totalk, and I spentmore time with them too.

Wallner said sherenewed old hobbies during quarantine.I did a lot of painting and other artwork.She said she found herself journaling, as well.

I just decided to writethingsdown,and it helped me figure out how Im feeling and how to go about it.At the end of the day I put in my journal how I would rate my day out often, and it helped me think about what I could do to be betterand feel better the next day, Wallner said. Without the Coronavirus rainclouds, I couldnt see my own silver lining.

Veronica Sannes, junior

Veronica Sannes lived in Eagle Hall at UWL during the 2020-2021 school year and is from Saint Paul, Minnesota. ForSannes,the biggest impact of the COVID-19 pandemic wasthe cancellation of her summer job.

Sanneshad an internship planned with the Minnesota state government, which would have given her valuable field experience. Sannes is now working in a warehouse over the summer.

Despite these changes, Sannes says she is staying positive. I get to listen to as muchmusicand as many audiobooks as I wantwhile Im working, which I wouldnt get to do otherwise.

Sannes said her mother has a history of health issues, so her family is taking social distancing seriously. She has stayed busy going for hikes, playing frisbee golf, and picking up baking.

Sannes visited La Crosse to see hernew apartment recently. The differences between La Crosse and the Twin Cities are astounding. People here [Saint Paul] have been a lot stricter about not going out unless you absolutely have to.

However she said recently, that has changed. In the past two weeks, the attitude towards Coronavirus has changed dramatically because of the [Black Lives Matter] protestsyou can sense a big shift in the Twin Cities. Its not so much about COVID-19, its about making change.

Sannes said she recognizes her privilege in her experience with COVID-19. I am really lucky that the biggest impact on me was that my summer job got canceled, rather than way bigger issues.

Sannesemphasizeshow strange it was to have her sophomore year cutshort and be separated from college friends.I feel like we were just getting into the groove of things, the second semester was going so well.

Sannes said that its odd to be separatedfrom friends you dont know as wellthe peopleyoudont talk to regularly,andwouldntnecessarily reach out tobut still appreciate and have fun with.Ireallymiss seeing those half-friends, people from classes and campus [organizations].

Sannes said she is a very social person, so moving back home was a culture shock for her. It sucked at first, but now Ive learned how to spend quality time with myselfand realized how important it is to recharge.

She said that she hopes to maintain these habits after things return to normal. I think that thats something Ill take forward. While it may be fun to hang out with people 24/7, its probably not thehealthiestthing you can do.

Sannes said she is grateful. I appreciate my privilege in beingable to bealone in a good way.

Bradley Butterfield, UWL faculty

Bradley Butterfield is a professor in the English department at UWL and holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Oregon. For him, he said its all about turning negativity into positivity. It [COVID-19] really made me go back to the stoics [philosophers], and think about how to live simply, how to be happy regardless of what the outside world looks like and how to be happy with our inside world.

Butterfield is a self-described introvert and notes the upsides of social distancing.So much of the redundancy andsuperfluousnessof all that we do on a regular basis was cut out and distilled to the essentials.

He said he has found himself practicing introspection during social distancing. On a personal level, Ive found it an inspiring time. Ive got more reading done, more thinking, taken great walks. I say that while counting my privileges, of course, and realizing that those of us who have resources and employment and a place to be are incredibly lucky.

Butterfield has also found himself reflecting on how COVID-19 relates to the bigger picture. He references the economic crisis that will likely follow in the wake of the COVID-19, the recent momentum in the Black Lives Matter movement, and climate change. Its like the Spanish Flu, The Great Depression, and the civil unrest of the 1960s happening all over againat once.

Butterfield said he looks to the calamities were facing as an opportunity for growth. We cant avoid the negative. Weve got to look it in the face and say, alright, how can we positively respond to that negativity?

He points to the Black Lives Matter movement as an example. The visceral reaction to seeing George Floyd executed, lying down on the street, grabbed our attention. That was something extremely negative, but it had a positive reaction. People decided they were going to go out, and protest, and demand positive change.

Butterfield said he is optimistic that the Black Lives Matter movement will only be the beginning. My hope is that the silver lining [of COVID-19] will be people waking up. People will wake up and realize, hey, we can do this.

Butterfield said he is a strong proponent of sustainability and environmental reform. Weve got to have the whole species start to think planetarily and stop consuming so much so often. The Coronavirus did that, it showed us that we can get by with less. We can live more modestly and learn to sustain our resources better.

Butterfield said he maintains an attitude of optimism. Everything we have is only on loan to us, and everything can be taken at any time. Our only job is to not react in a negative way.

Judi Becker, UWL faculty

Judi Becker has taught English and education classes at Winona State University, where she is currently a writer for Marketing and Communication and will return to teach full-time at UWL this fall.

Becker has said she has been confined to her apartment since the start of the pandemic. COVID has completely isolated me to my apartment building due to underlying medical conditions.

Becker is known for bringing home-baked goods in for students during finals week and she describes herself as a people-person. Im very much a comforter, Im very much a nurturer, Im very much a let me help you with that kind of person.

When Becker had to begin social distancing, she said it was a big change. With every single decision I make about encouraging or providing for someone, I have to measure the need against my own wellbeing since I carry such severe risk.

In addition to these difficulties, Becker has also had to come to terms with the cancelation of upcoming fall semester plans. Becker was going to teach English at a school on Jeju Island in South Korea, where she would also live in the dorms and mentor students. Becker said teaching overseas has been a lifelong dream and bucket list item for her. I was really excited about thatmaybe one day, she said.

Becker said that the worst of all is having to distance herself from her two adult children. One lives close to her, and Becker said she is still able to see them. They come to my back porch probably once every other week, or I drive to their house and they talk to me from the passenger side window, so weve been able to visit those ways, so thats been good.

She said seeing her daughter has been more difficult, as she lives far away and herfianc works in a hospital, increasing the danger. How do I not hug my kid and take that chance? Its hard and its scary.

Becker said she cannot afford the risk. Its frightening for me. I look at whats happening to other people who have my same conditions. Theyre dying.

Becker said she looksat things with hope. Im learning more about what I need to take care of myself. Im listening to a lot more music than I would normally be able to take the time to do. And Ive done some journaling. Normally, Im working, working, working.

Though she admits occasional frustration, Becker said she looks at the situation with as much understanding as she can. Im not sure if theres a right or wrong [way] to navigate through this. I think each person is doing the best they can with what they know and how they feel.

Instead of teaching in South Korea, Becker will be teaching at UWL in the fall. I plan to pour myself into classes in the fall with even more life experience, and Im looking forward to some deep, engaging conversations in those classes. What were going through right now is traumatizing, and its a shared trauma. I think that after this were all going to be like military buddies who had each others backs in the trenches. This whole generation of people, both older and younger, will have a bond.

Becker said she regrets this temporary inability to be close to her loved ones, but she also recognizes that the pandemic has reframed how people connect. I think and hope that we, as a society, have re-discovered the preciousness of people. Personally, Ive reached out more to my core people to express my gratitude and appreciation for themonline, of course.

Nothing will ever be the same again. Our normal is goneits been ripped from us. And thats violating, said Becker. But pain is defined by resilience. And resilience is about getting back up again, and moving forward into that new reality, that new normal.

Shilpa Viswanath, UWL faculty

Professor Shilpa Viswanath holds a Ph.D. in Public Administration from Rutgers University in New Jersey and is an Assistant Professor in the Political Science and Public Administration department at UWL.

A relatively new hire to UWL, and one of few women of color in the UWLfaculty, Viswanath strives to draw attention to an issue that most are not considering about COVID-19: gender inequality.

Viswanath said, The most striking example of gender inequality is the lack of representation of women in COVID-19 task forces at the federal, state, and local levels of government. In particular, the [lack of] African-American and Hispanic women in decision making spheres. These communities [African-American and Hispanic] have been hit hardest. Without their perspectives and their inputs on public policy design, how will we ever overcome structural inequities?

Of the 27 officials on the federal COVID-19 task force, two are women, and one is a person of color.

We have empirical evidence from past epidemics, such as the Ebola outbreak and the Zika virus outbreak, pointing to exaggerated gender disparities during a public health emergency. These past lessons should serve as important reminders to prioritize womens needs while implementing pandemic responses, Viswanath said.

Viswanath said that the pandemic could likely upset what progress we have made towards gender equality. Consistently, across the board (irrespective of socio-economic class and educational qualifications), working women are still likely to provide all forms of informal care for their families at home, thereby disrupting their performance at work. It has taken women a long time to achieve the labor force participation rates we see today and this pandemic and the lack of access to universal childcare could set women back in time.

Viswanath said that recent adaptations in telecommuting, as a result of COVID-19, is proof that there are ways in which women can do both, rather than being discriminated against. I hope going forward, both public sector and private sector organizations will invest more in work-life programs that enable women to continue pursuing economic opportunities while caring for their families. We have seen a shift in efficient telecommuting and remote working arrangements since March 2020. This is something organizations should sustain and pursue in the long run.

Viswanath will be teaching POL 102, 205, and PUB 210 and 330 this upcoming fall semester and plans to use her recent research in class.

Gender inequities are systemic, structural, and institutional. Pandemics have a differential impact on men and women mostly because of the already existing gendered norms and power structures within families and within organizations. Womens voices and perspectives have to be included in the public policy design at all times, said Viswanath.

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UWL students and faculty discuss silver linings and reflect on COVID-19 - The Racquet

The shocking extent of Hezbollahs covert and illicit activities around the world is revealed in an interactive map created by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

It includes about 1,000 incidents and activities spanning more than four decades, including a thwarted plot in Cyprus, a bus bombing in Bulgaria and the groups role in the Syrian Civil War.

Hezbollah invests a lot of time and effort in its media campaigns to publicize (what) it wants you to know about: politics, social, charitable and educational activities, (and) its NGOs, said Matthew Levitt, the Fromer-Wexler Fellow and director of the Reinhard Program on Counterterrorism and Intelligence at the institute.

But Hezbollah invests at least as much time, effort and money trying (to) obfuscate its covert activities criminal enterprise, money laundering, military (and) terrorist activity in Lebanon, in the region and around the world.

For decades, academics, officials and policymakers have had difficulty accessing comprehensive information about the partys global activities. Its golden rule, according to details that emerged during the trial and conviction in New York last year of Hezbollah operative Ali Kourani, is the less you know, the better.

This project aims to poke a big hole in that rule, said Levitt. (It) will hopefully enable people to have a more robust conversation about the sum total of Hezbollahs activities.

The map is the result of several years of work by Levitt. He has been studying Hezbollah since the 1990s, focusing on its terrorist activities, weapons procurement, money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illicit financial schemes. While compiling the information for the map, he interviewed people around the world, and obtained court documents and government reports.

The result is the worlds largest repository of open-source documents on Hezbollah. Searchable by category, location, timeline and keywords, the multi-media tool lays bare the scope of Hezbollahs activities, from the aliases its operatives use and the routes they take when traveling to more complex themes relating to the nature of the organization and its relationship with state sponsors.

Hezbollah is intimately connected to Iran, said Levitt. It always has been at an ideological level, and at an operational level ever since Hezbollah sent some 1,500 Quds Force officers to the Bekaa valley to help bring a motley crew of disparate Shiite militant groups together into one party of God: Hezbollah. Theres a lot of declassified CIA material from that period.

Its also true (that) while Hezbollah and Iran are very close, Iran gives Hezbollah some significant freedom of decision-making within Lebanon itself. The way I describe this is (that) even within a good marriage there are ups and downs. Theres a strong marriage between Iran and Hezbollah. Ever since the Syrian war with Hezbollah and Iran fighting together in the trenches, and together overseeing the rest of the Shiite militias they have become much, much closer.

In addition to collecting and organizing information that was already known, the map project reveals other details that were not common knowledge.

There are entries with brand new information, such as the name of the Lebanese-French academic who bought Hezbollah a safe house (in which) to stock explosives in Cyprus, said Levitt.

There is a lot of declassified intelligence material about previously unreported incidents. In the late 1990s, for example, Hezbollah, together with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, was plotting to target Jewish immigrants from the former Soviet Union and the synagogue in Warsaw, according to the CIA.

And then (there are) simply more mundane things, just making more public things that have already been disclosed. For example, (Hezbollah parliamentarian) Mohammed Raad was planning, together with Hezbollahs senior security official Wafiq Safa, to identify Hezbollah operatives who could obtain foreign citizenship and then be deployed abroad on Hezbollah operations.

According to Levitt, the map debunks the myth that Hezbollahs military wing is a disparate entity within the wider organization.

What this map is trying to do is present information that has not been in the open-source domain at all or not easily accessible, and certainly not all available in a one-stop (location) to people so that they can have this conversation, he said.

I think thats going to put pressure on Hezbollah because of the fact that, while it has not been super well-reported, Hezbollah does engage in a very, very wide range of illicit and violent activities that often have nothing to do with its position in Lebanon or its hatred of Israel.

This article has been adapted from its original source.

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Interactive Map Reveals Shocking Span of Hezbollahs Covert Actions in The World - Al-Bawaba

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PGA Championship Odds, Picks & Promotions: Bet $25, Win $50 if Tiger Woods Breaks 80 in Any Round at Harding Park - The Action Network

A UNIFIL vehicle drives past a Hezbollah flag in the southern Lebanese village of Khiam, near the border with Israel, July 28, 2020. Photo: Reuters / Aziz Taher.

A prominent US think tank has published a new interactive map revealing the extent of the global activities of the Iran-backed, Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.

The Lebanese Hezbollah Select Worldwide Activity Interactive Map created by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy under the supervision of senior fellow Matthew Levitt, who has written extensively about Hezbollah allows users to see the various locations where Hezbollah is operating and track the connections between them.

In addition, by clicking on specific locations, users can access lists of specific incidents, such as terror attacks and arrests, as well as details on each occurrence.

The map is based on publicly-available primary sources. Levitt stated that it took him years to accumulate this data.

The Golden Rule of Hezbollahs Islamic jihad organization, its terrorist wing, is the less you know, the better, Levitt said. Were going to try to poke a hole in that mantra, by trying to make public as much information as we can.

The map, he added, was for people trying to understand the terrorist, military, and criminal activities of Hezbollah, and exposed the global reach of Hezbollah, the way that it extends around the world.

The map shows that Hezbollah is not only present in the Middle East, but is also found in the Americas, in countries such as the United States, Mexico, Canada, Venezuela, Columbia, and Brazil; in African nations such as Senegal, Ivory Coast; in Europe, in places such as France, Germany, Austria, Ukraine and Lithuania; and even in the Far East, in locales such as Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines.

Mitch Silber a former director of intelligence analysis at the New York City Police Department (NYPD) described the map the definitive research tool on Hezbollah and an invaluable tool.

Watch a video on the interactive map below:

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Hezbollah's Global Activities Revealed in New Interactive Map - Algemeiner

There were already some decent expectations placed on Antonio Gandy-Golden for 2020 and then Kelvin Harmon went down. Now, the Day 3 selection is being labeled as someone who needs to really contribute to theWashington Football Team.

But is that too much to ask for a rookie who went on Saturday in the draft? Recent numbers indicate that answer may be yes.

From 2015 to 2019, 25 wide receivers were chosen in the fourth round, which is where Washington nabbed Gandy-Golden a few months ago. Here are some takeaways from looking back on how all of those guys performed in their first professional seasons:

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So, judging solely off of that data, it would appear that Washington shouldn't be prepared to lean heavily Gandy-Golden. Andonce you combine that history with other factors, such as the huge transition he's about to make from Libery to the NFL and the very limited offseason he's had thus far, then the outlook for Gandy-Golden becomes even dimmer.

There is a super simple counter argument, however, at least when it comes to comparing him to his past fourth-round peers, and it has to do with his potential playing time.

While the 22-year-old has to fight througha pandemic, something none of the above rookies can relate to and something that could be detrimental to his early career, he also may be in line for a massive share of snaps right away. Most players who go off the board where Gandy-Golden did are usually worried about simply making the team; he, on the other hand, very well could be a starter across from Terry McLaurin in Week 1.

That alone means Gandy-Golden could end up having enough involvement in the offense to come up with a Crowder-like, impactful debut. In 2019, McLaurin far surpassed other third-round rookie receivers due largely to the amount of opportunity he got with Washington (his ridiculous talent was a bonus of course, too). Gandy-Golden is tracking on a similar path.

A fairly general rule for any franchise is that it's not exactly prudent to need a Day 3 pass catcher to immediately act as one of your primary weapons. Stats from 2015 to 2019 seem to back up that general rule.

Every rule has an exception here or there, though. MaybeGandy-Golden, with his outstanding physical traits and possibly featured role in 2020, will be that next exception and make all this math and comparing a totally moot issue.

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Recent stats show it may be hard for Gandy-Golden to help in 2020 - NBC Sports Washington

On July 7 this year, Ringo Starr hosted an online music show to highlight his 80th birthday.

(Ill give my fellow baby-boomers a few seconds here to get over the fact that one of the Beatles has turned 80. OK, while were at it, know that Paul McCartney is 78, John Lennon would have been 79 and the baby, George Harrison, would have been 77 this year.)

Paul and Ringo, the surviving Fab Two, still are going strong as solo performers, and during Ringos birthday celebration, he flashed the "Peace" hand sign and ended the show saying his now-trademark, "Peace and Love."

I couldnt help thinking of Ringo when I heard the July 19 sermon by one of our pastors. Discussing Jesus promise of the Holy Spirit to believers, he quoted John 14:27: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

The pastor continued, and Im paraphrasing, that in our chaotic 2020 world and throughout history, people have sought peace but often dont look for it in the person who IS peace: Jesus Christ, who is God and the Prince of Peace.

My thoughts jumped to the Bibles statements that not only is God peace, but God is love, too. "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (I John 4:8) "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." (I John 4:16)

Peace and love. Those are wonderful concepts to strive for. And I wonder exactly what Ringo means when he repeats the words and asks people to say them at noon every year on his birthday.

I like Ringo. He seems to have been the Beatle who was most agreeable most of the time when the others were squabbling. And Im sure he sincerely wants peace in the world and wants love to spread.

Im not sure, though, whether true peace and love can take root without the spirit who created them in the first place.

Our pastor pointed out that often, people try to maneuver their surroundings to produce peace in society, hoping that in turn, individuals will have peace within. He said thats backward. The biblical model is that peace within a person will radiate out to create peace in that persons environment. And that idea involves the Holy Spirit.

The pastor said that to have peace within, a person has to invite Jesus into his or her heart, which is the equivalent of having the Holy Spirit inside. That Christian definition of peace is appealing, especially this year when it seems no one can gain control of the division and hatred that spiral around us.

I would be stretching it to say the Beatles music is Christian, but much of it expresses a yearning for something better a yearning that writer C.S. Lewis believed was hard-wired into all of us by the creator of the universe. Lewis said the only true attainment of our deepest desires, of which peace and love are among the most important, is in another world, the one where Jesus promised he has prepared a place for us.

George Harrison was influenced by Eastern religions, but his song, "Within You Without You" reflects what our pastor said about the Holy Spirit. His "My Sweet Lord" has been used in Christian contexts. Paul McCartney sang for "Peace in the Neighborhood." Some of the Beatles most familiar music prods us toward compassion. "The love you take is equal to the love you make" is another way of stating the Golden Rule.

Another pastor, my cousin, says "All You Need Is Love" pretty well sums up his preaching during the past 25 years.

I havent heard Ringo expand on the meaning of his "Peace and Love" mantra, but I appreciate his intentions. And I dont know what would happen to our world if Christians everywhere let peace surge from their hearts.

But lets give it a chance.

Mike Haynes taught journalism at Amarillo College from 1991 to 2016. He can be reached at haynescolumn@gmail.com. Go to http://www.haynescolumn.blogspot.com for other recent columns.

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Haynes: Beatles peace and love truly found in Jesus - Amarillo.com

The narrow mindedness and hypocrisy I have seen in Lakeview about this homeless housing project is shameful. Now I've noticed there are a majority who claim to be God-fearing Christians.

Doesn't it say in Matthew 7:12, "Do unto others as you would have them do to you?" What this means is Put yourself in their shoes. Picture ourselves as our fellow humans and recognize the sovereignty and emotions of each individual. That is our golden rule.

Now who are we to judge others, when in reality we don't know how they ended up in the situation they're in or what happened to them that lead to them being the person they are now? All I know is our past mistakes and our faults do not define who we are.

Some of these homeless people are actually people who just needed a little help and were afraid to reach out and ask for it, for fear of being judged by hypocrites. And yes, I know that's not every homeless persons story. But did you know in homeless housing there is: 1) No tolerance policy on drinking and drug use 2) Strict curfew 3) Must have a job or show proof you've been looking 4) Requirement to take prescribed medications, do daily chores and maintain a good standing in their community.

These types of housing are used to help get people back on their feet. Would you rather have our homeless population continue to take shelter in your garage, your shed, or potentially your home? Or would you prefer a supervised drug free environment where they're getting the help they need and the tools to becoming self sufficient again? I'd prefer the choice that helps them help themselves.

Kimberly Crowl

Lakeview

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Letter: Homeless deserve chance to rebuild lives | Letters - Herald and News

Wear mask for others safety

This is a free country and I have a constitutional right to wear or not wear whatever I want! This is a refrain I have heard on many occasions recently. So, what does our Constitution say about mandatory wearing of masks?

The Preamble to our Constitution states: We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, ESTABLISH JUSTICE, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the GENERAL WELFARE , do ordain and establish this Constitution (Emphasis mine).

Two comments about the Preamble: first, it states that the purpose of the Constitution is to promote the general welfare of all citizens of the United States. Since it is now scientifically and medically demonstrated that wearing a mask is, indeed, part of protecting everyone from the spread of the COVID-19 virus, mandating the wearing of a mask by everyone is promoting the general welfare of all the citizens. So, if citizens are not interested in voluntarily wearing a mask to protect others, then it is within the right of our governments (national, state, and local) to require masks to be worn.

Secondly, wearing masks protects others from getting sick, so requiring masks to be worn is part of establishing justice. Requiring masks is just and right because many of us do not want to be exposed to the possibility of being infected and dying from the sickness. Claiming a right to not wear what protects others from sickness is not justice for those who do not want to be exposed to sickness and possible death.

Our Constitution does, indeed, support the government in requiring that which will help ensure or promote safety and justice for everyone.

However, we might wish that all citizens would want to live by the Golden Rule: In everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the law and the prophets (Matthew 7:12). I will wear a mask to protect others, and I hope you will, too.

D. Bruce Roberts, Kokomo

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Letter: Wear mask for others' safety | Letters To The Editor - Kokomo Tribune

I. Definition

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is the idea (also called the law of reciprocity) that may be the most universally applauded moral principle on Earththe Golden Rule. Something like it appears in every major religion and ethical philosophy. The wording above is from the King James Bible, Matthew 7:12, however Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Confucian, and Zoroastrian versions of it appeared 3,000-500 years earlier.

The Christian version in Matthew says what you should do, rather than what you should not do. Most of the other versions say dont do to others what you wouldnt want done to you. This is now known as the silver rule. The positive version seems a little more demanding, and more problematic, than the silver rule:

Most non-philosophers lump together love they neighbor, turn the other cheek, and other similar ideas together with the golden rule. All of them revolve around the same themes empathy, selflessness, reciprocity, and egalitarianism, principles at the foundations of most ethical systems (although certainly not all). So perhaps that is how the golden rule should be taken, as a general ethical stance, not a rule (which is impossible to follow).

Meanwhile, academic philosophers have pretty much left the golden rule alone, commenting on it mainly to point out that although it sounds good, it cannot be applicable to a lot of situations depending on how you interpret it. We will examine interpretations that eliminate some of these problems cases. The golden rule sounds like a perfect guide to morality but its interpretation is rife with difficulties.

Here we list some relatives of the Golden Rule, which often incorporate it:

Do not do unto others as you would not want done to you.

Treat others the way they want to be treated.

Love others as you do yourself (or better).

Put yourself in others shoes in order to know how to treat them ethically.

Feel and care about the suffering of others.

Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law. In other words, Only follow ethical rules that you think should be universal. Philosophers consider Kants Imperative more philosophically air-tight than the golden rule. Some present it as supporting the golden rule while others would claim the opposite.

The oldest golden rule is the Hindu One should always treat others as they wish to be treated (Hitopadehsa, from before 2000 BCE) which seems potentially more demanding than the golden rule. Most people would like to be treated better than they expect to be, or are willing to accept.

People tend to trace the Golden Rule back to Leviticus (19:18), love thy neighbor as thyself, which was probably first written down during the second millennium BCE. This is the only version of the rule from a major religion (Judaism) that explicitly mentions love. But some philosophers suggest that behind all versions of the golden rule is, or should be, the idea of universal, unconditional love. Along with the silver rule and other similar ideas, the ancient Greek philosophers expressed agape, which also has an underlying principle of love.

However, the Hebrew principle of love thy neighbor seems deceptive for its time. The rule was formulated in a tribal society, where it could only apply to other members of ones tribe, and not necessarily to outsiders. It is quite likely that the neighbor in love thy neighbor was intended literally: love your neighbor as yourself, but not necessarily people from the next town over! In fact, of the three Abrahamic religions, only Islam has made the golden rule a religious obligation; if you are a guest in a very traditional Muslim home, your hosts will give you everything they can and lay down their lives for you, if necessary.

Similarly, around 500 BCE, Confucius wrote What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others. In contrast to the statement in Leviticus, which is found in the middle of a long list of rules, the Confucian rule has always been emphasized, as a foundation of Confucian society.

But this raises a different kind of problem for the golden rule:

Confucian society was far from egalitarian, and not supposed to be. In the context of Confucian China, as is still true today, morality consisted of treating people as appropriate to their stations in lifetreating a gentleman as a gentleman, a soldier as a soldier, and a slave as a slave; the hierarchy of superior and inferior relationships was (perhaps still is) is a central principle of Chinese relationships.

Confucius may have meant, Treat people appropriately for their status, as you would wish them to do to you. Or Treat other people of a similar status, as you expect to be treated. For people of different social status to treat each other similarly is traditionally considered both rude and immoral in China; it threatens to upset social harmony, which depends on each person fulfilling their proper role in the Confucian hierarchy.

I have something that I call my Golden Rule. It goes something like this: Do unto others twenty-five percent better than you expect them to do unto you. The twenty-five percent is for error. Linus Pauling

Linus Pauling, an American chemist and the only scientist to win two non-shared Nobel prizes, gives us a rationally improved golden rule. Although its a bit tongue in cheek, alluding to the high standard of proof in science, Paulings modification is an astute rule-of-thumb repair for one of the golden rules most serious flaws that it expects us to decide how well other people wish to be treated.

Jonathan Swift made a soul for the gentlemen of this city by hating his neighbor as himself.

W.B. Yeats, Selected Poems and Four Plays

A humorous and cynical twist on the Torahs love thy neighbor as thyself, Yeats, the great Irish poet, expressed much in this quote. Jonathan Swift, another Irishman and the author of Gullivers Travels, also wrote the satirical A Modest Proposal, in which he parodied the cruelty of upper-class attitudes towards the poor in his city of Dublin. So, he truly did give the gentlemen of his city a soul that is, he tried to awaken their consciences by pointing out the opposite of love.

This was a running joke on SNL for years in which the viewer was periodically presented with various deep thoughts sort of an early predecessor of the fake-profound memes so many people post on Facebook. The following one is based on the Navajo version of the golden rule, Before you insult someone, walk a mile in their moccasins:

Deep Thoughts: Before you insult a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way youll be a mile away when he gets offended, and youll have his shoes.John Handy

This may be stretching the definition of pop culture a bit, but we had to find a place for this quote, in which Prince Hamlet and the councilor Polonius discuss how Polonius will treat the traveling theatrical troupe which has come to their castle (desert in this quote means what someone deserves):

POLONIUS: My lord, I will use them according to their desert.

HAMLET: Gods bodykins, man, much better. Use every man after his desert, and who should scape whipping? Use them after your own honor and dignity. The less they deserve, the more merit is in your bounty. Take them in. (Hamlet, Act II, Scene 2)

Here, Shakespeare seems to argue for how one should treat people who might not deserve high-class treatment. His answer is, the better you treat them, and the less they deserve it, the more honorable youll look. At the same time that this seems like a highly ethical policy, it is meant somewhat cynically, since Hamlet is appealing to Polonius ego in order to motivate him to treat people well.

Utilitarianism, associated with philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill provides universal ethical guidance through its policy of maximizing utility, where utility usually means human well-being. In other words, always do whatever will bring the greatest amount of well-being to the greatest number of people. This can be seen as another attempt, like Kants, to come up with a more reliable version of the golden rule. Most critics of the golden rule agree that its greatest flaw is the phrase as you would have them do to you because it references our subjective desires and preferences. Utilitarianism remedies this flaw.

Philosophers disagree about whether the golden rule is problematic or inappropriate, and why.

Some point out that it cannot be followed literally in all kinds of relationships, such as between employer and employee, parent and child, or teacher and student. Others say that it can be, because it could be interpreted to mean treat others as you would wish to be treated if you were them, in their social role, relative to you; i.e. if you are a boss, treat your employees as you would wish to be treated if you were in their position.

Thus, perhaps the Hindu version, treat others as they wish to be treated is better worded. But, it doesnt save the day. Some people wish to be treated badly. Others wish to be treated like gods. Few people know what is best for themselves. And the way a child wishes to be treated by a parent or a teacher is probably not the best thing for them!

Other philosophers say that the answer to these conundrums is that the golden rule is not a rule of action, but of psychology; in other words, it says, be empathic or treat people as if you cared for their welfare as much as your own.

But, even if this solves some of the earlier mentioned difficulties, its a recipe for disaster in relationships between people from different cultures. For example, if you go to China, people will usually serve you hot water at meals. Chinese people believe that cold water is bad for ones health. Chinese also may feel offended if you tip them, because it implies that they need your charity. So, following the golden rule is much complicated by cultural relativity.

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The Golden Rule: Examples and Definition | Philosophy Terms

The Ellery Christian Church had 29 in its congregation on Sunday, July 26. Christians message for the week was entitled, Known by Their Fruit and was taken from Matthew 7: 15-20. He told his listeners that to truly identify those who claim to be Christians, we must look at the fruit they produce.

While many people claim to be followers of God, if their actions show otherwise, they are like wolves in sheeps clothing and are not true Christians.

How we live and how we show our lives to others are the hallmarks of what makes a disciple of Christ. We cannot be lazy for God, but should instead give all we have to the service of His kingdom, so that when our days here are over, we can hear Him say, Well done, my good and faithful servant.

Pastor Brad also spoke on how a true Christian should look in his sermon given from Revelation 3:14-21 at the Bethel United Methodist Church. He said that we shouldnt be lukewarm Christians, but should instead, be on fire for Christ.

In his sermon, Good, Better, Best, Pastor Brad reminded his listeners that many Christians play just not to lose, instead of actually playing to win. In other words, some do just enough to get by, but not enough to truly serve God the way He intended. The Bible tells us that those Christians will be spewed out of His mouth. Let us all make sure that we serve Him in a way that keeps us close to Him as we reach out to others.

The Ellery Christian Church held a baby shower Sunday afternoon for Larry and Cecelia Michels. The young couple got many new things for their coming little one and the church prays only the best for them all. In a prayer of praise Bob and Janice Anniss and Ray Williams all asked to be taken off of the prayer list, as they have recovered from recent medical procedures and are doing better. Our God is the Great Physician!

It has been said before, but let us make sure to remember this week to treat others the way we wish to be treated. There is an awful lot of hate out there, but this country could be turned around if everyone remembers that God is in control, not the media and that the Golden Rule is the one law that we truly need!

More here:

The hallmarks of a true Christian according to scripture - The Navigator

Making businesses across Western New York more racially inclusive is not an overnight process, but for Northland Workforce Training Center President and CEO Stephen Tucker, Its critically important.

"I dont think we will be able to reach the full potential of our nation unless we have a diverse, inclusive and equitable workforce. Thats the only way we can all really live up to the American Dream," Tucker says.

Try-It Distributing President and CEO Paul Vukelic believes change must come from the top down.

As business leaders, I believe we lead by example, he said. We need to support organizations of color and organizations that serve these communities. We also need to prepare our management teams on what it means to be Black in American. I think that is really important.

Tucker and Vukelic shared their thoughts on their upbringing, the challenges they have faced, and what white privilege means to them as part of WBFO's series WNY Conversations About Race.

The 5-part radio series includes Black and white activists, clergymen, educators and business people talking about racism, empathy and diversity in Western New York on-air this week, with extended versions of those edited conversations available online each day or as a bonus afternoon edition of the WBFO Brief podcast.

Stephen Tucker from the Northland Workforce Training Center talks with Try-it Distributing's Paul Vukelic.

I was always taught to treat people fairly, said the Cincinnati-born Tucker. I was in the military, the United States Air Force for four years which also re-emphasized those values which my parents instilled in me. I also grew up in a church household, so do unto others do unto you, the golden rule, has really been something Ive tried to live my life by.

Vukelic was similarly raised in a religious household, but not in a very racially diverse neighborhood.

I grew up primarily in Orchard Park, New York, he said. I can say basically your typical white suburban environment. Respect others, hard work, attention to detail, respecting others beliefs, the whole nine yards.

As one of the few Black C.E.O.s in Western New York, Tucker said white privilege is so ingrained in the structure of business that he has difficulty defining it.

I actually didnt really, I dont want to say understand it, he said. But it wasnt necessarily a situation where I saw white privilege, because thats just the way it was. When thats the norm, you really dont have a name for it.

Vukelic credits his wife with helping him come to terms with the fact he is a beneficiary of white privilege.

I know its hard for me to accept it, he said. Its just hard to accept that youre privileged, especially when you relate it to the color of your skin.

BONUS MATERIAL: Hear an extended Conversation about race with Tucker, Vukelic and WBFO's Thomas O'Neil-White

The WBFO Racial Equity Project is funded by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo. If youd like to participate in future conversations, email news@wbfo.org.

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WNY Conversations About Race: Stephen Tucker and Paul Vukelic - WBFO

Gordon Lampitt, a true American hero

As we continue to fight a deadly pandemic, racial injustice and an economic crisis, we are consistently reminded of the fragility of life. But there are also moments that remind us of the heroes among us.

Gordon Lampitt, a Browns Mills resident since 1958 who recently passed at age 96, was one of those unsung heroes. He dedicated his entire life to his beloved family and his country. U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Lampitt was one of few Americans to have served three tours in World War II, three tours in the Korean War and two tours in the Vietnam War.

A decorated veteran, Gordon continued to serve his country even after retiring from the Army, working at Fort Dix for 15 years. His unwavering commitment and dedication to his country, exemplified by his service in three wars was the ultimate testament of his patriotism and courage. He is a true American hero.

My thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences are with Gordons family and loved ones. I thank Gordon for making this country a better place and South Jersey is eternally grateful for his service and countless contributions to our community.

Congressman Donald Norcross, 1st District, New Jersey

First and foremost, we are all Americans

We are all Americans. We all live in this great melting pot called the United States of America. We come from different ethnic, racial and societal backgrounds. But first and foremost we are Americans.

We all have under the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution the rights of life, liberty and freedom and the pursuit of happiness. We seem to have lost sight of these facts.

People in China, Russia, North Korea and Syria live under the thumb of the likes of Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un and Bashar Hafez al-Assad. So be thankful that you live here.

Wear your camouflage, dreadlocks, hijab, Ivy League button downs I don't care. Just treat each other with respect, dignity and the knowledge that we all have the right to exist and to pursue our dreams and goals.

If you are the best qualified to do the job you need to get it albeit with a crew cut, piles of dreads or hijab. Teach the Golden Rule to your babies. They are our future and we owe it to them to fix all the mistakes we and our forebears made so they can live in peace with their fellow Americans.

Richard Egloff, Mount Laurel

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Letters to the editor for July 30, 2020 - Opinion - Waynesboro Record Herald - Waynesboro, PA - Waynesboro, PA - Waynesboro Record Herald

Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time. ~ Maya Angelou

The other day, I was stopped at the door to my clients office by an assistant who asked, Can I take your temperature before entering? How many of us have experienced something similar in the past few weeks?

This encounter is indicative of The New Normal we have heard so much about. In another example, you may be aware major companies are now firing employees en masse via Zoom calls. If this wasnt an impersonal enough way to let go of someone who has put their heart and soul into your organization, there are organizations resorting to text messaging to deliver the bad news.

The truth is our New Normal threatens to undo much of the great civilization we have spent centuries building. To understand what I mean, we must consider the ideas of Malcolm Gladwell. You may have heard of his concept of the 10K hour rule from his book, Outliers. (True mastery of anything, from music to cooking, requires 10,000 hours of practice.) Gladwell just wrote a new book: Talking to Strangers, in which he presents this hypothesis: Humans have a default tendency to believe other humans. To trust them.

Trust has served our species well. Back when we were nomadic tribes dependent upon the group for our safety and food, we had to trust our clan would have our backotherwise we might not live to see another day. Likewise, until recently our modern lives functioned well under the belief we could trust others. This is why we can confidently cross the street with a stroller believing we wont be mowed down at the intersection.

And of course, we all know businesses function best when mutual trust exists between individuals. But, what happens when trust breaks downwhen we come to fear that the person entering our office may be a biological weapon that without even meaning to could infect us and our loved onesmaking us sick, even killing us?

When this happens, trust evaporates. Corporate cultures shatter. And relationships, the core of all human life, collapse. Most of us have never experienced anything like this in the course of modern life. We have never had to wonder if just being in the presence of another could harm us.

This is unchartered territory. And, it feels frightening. We all agree we have a problem. But as the motivational speaker Tony Robbins once said, Embrace your problems for problems are what make you grow.

So, how might our current problem contribute to our personal growth?

By forcing us to develop better interpersonal skills. Before the pandemic ever hit our shores, too many of us were lacking in emotional intelligenceor at least werent applying it enough.

Instead of actually listening to others in face-to-face meetings, we were busy scrolling on our phones for the next text message, the next Facebook update. Likewise, instead of taking the time to build meaningful relationships with our colleagues and peers, we were on to the next thingrunning around in a perpetual rat race.

We had lost touch with much of our humanity in service of expediency.

In light of this truth, what if we disrupted our New Normal by going back to our Old Normal? I am talking way back to ancient timesbefore the invention of the smartphonebefore keeping up on social media sucked up all of our free time and a 24/7 news cycle hijacked our attention.

What if the Old Normal became the New Normal?

To help you understand what I am suggesting, consider this: For the past few years, the prevailing wisdom has been to multitask, to go-go at the speed of light. Instead of developing deeper connections with our staff and clients, we rushed to keep up with endless demands on our time.

But as former President Barack Obamas Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel once said, We should never let a crisis go to waste. I agree with him. Lets not squander this opportunity. Lets also not let this problem overwhelm us. Instead, lets seize this moment to build greater trust in our personal dealings.

To help us accomplish this, allow me to introduce three new rules for the New NormalI mean the Old Normalthat will strengthen our corporate cultures and our civilization.

Rule 1: Come Back To The Golden Rule

Clearly, whats old is now new again, beginning with the Golden Rule. In all of our dealings with others, both online and IRL, lets practice this most basic tenet: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Returning to the request I received from my client about taking my temperature before entering the building, it is not my place to tell you what to do if faced with a similar situation. Instead, I would simply ask you to consider, when asking others to do everything from complying with social distancing to informing on others who may not be complying, please stop to think, Would I want to be asked to do this if I were in the others place? And would I want to be talked to in the way I am talking to them?

Answering these questions will give you needed moral clarity, rebuilding trust in others.

Rule 2: When In Doubt, Give Others The Benefit Of It

Its no secret our political climate is more toxic than ever. Incivility is on the rise, along with violence, borne out of our collective breakdown in trust. But we can begin to fix this problem by mind-shifting. Instead of looking for reasons to be outraged or offended, especially as public life resumes, let us seek ways to find the good in others. Let us not begin by presuming the worstor even doubting others intentions.

Instead, let our baseline assumption be that others mean well. Though small, this simple act promises to reorient every interaction toward greater trust.

Rule 3: Always Seek To Be Of Service To Others

As the old saying goes, Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. No one knows what personal tragedies others are going throughespecially in our hectic world in which business conversations often skim the surface. However, if our primary focus in all of our dealings with others is to be helpful, we begin a powerful, positive chain reaction. We move from having transactions to relationships with others.

And though seeking to serve others might seem to largely benefit the other person, it actually serves us more. Not only does it make us feel better, it also can pay greater dividends in the long run by building trust.

****

To bring this conversation full circle, let us consider the thoughts of one more luminary, Peter Drucker, the renowned business leader who once said, Culture eats strategy for breakfast. What he meant by this is all the planning in the world cannot take the place of getting the people issue right.

For years, the promise of tech, especially artificial intelligence, has lured us into thinking we could solve all of our business challenges with more technology. Though innovations, such as the endless Zoom calls we now conduct on the daily, have certainly helped during the pandemic, they have also revealed just how important our humanity it is.

Culture, both business and societal, depends on trust to function. But more importantly, we depend on trust to live. For without each otherwithout you and mewhat is the point of business? What is the point of our lives?

In the days to come, when someone brings up The New Normal, I encourage you to remember the power of the Old Normal and how following these three simple rules will restore trust, grow us as people, and lead to greater successes than we ever dreamed possible.

Excerpt from:

What If The Old Normal Became The New Normal? - Forbes