From the Archive: Going to a spiritual place in Barry – Barry and District News

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FROM the Archive this week features Weston Hill in Barry.

The English Congregational Chapel in Weston Hill was opened on December 17, 1900.

The movement to open a church was led by several families and individuals in Cadoxton from 1891 as they wanted a spiritual home.

The iron chapel in the photo was removed from Barry Dock to make way for a permanent building and planted on Weston Hill.

MORE STORIES

From the Archive: a church in need of repairs

From the Archive: an evangelical son

From the Archive: St Helen's RC Church

Dismantling and reusing existing iron churches was not unusual in the Barry District and this iron church had previously been used by Tabernacle and in Tynewydd Road.

Several ministers from the district took part in the inaugural service in 1900 in the recycled chapel - including Rev. J. Mydyr Evans from Barry Dock and ministers from Cardiff and Penarth.

At the invitation of Alderman J.C. Meggitt J.P. following the opening service a number of ladies and gentlemen sat down to afternoon tea.

The Barry & District News would like to thank Cllr Shirley Hodges for the photograph and information.

If you have an old Barry photograph you would like to see included, with information about what it depicts, email sha@barryanddistrictnews.co.uk

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From the Archive: Going to a spiritual place in Barry - Barry and District News

Suikoden Creators On Making A Spiritual Follow-Up To The Classic JRPG – GameSpot

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The original PlayStation is renowned for its diverse library of games, but no genre is as synonymous with the system as JRPGs. In its five-year lifespan, the console produced a staggering number of instant classics, including three beloved Final Fantasy games, Chrono Cross, Vagrant Story, and Suikoden II, among others. Yoshitaka Murayama, the original creator behind the latter, is hoping to recapture that golden era of JRPGs with his next venture, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes.

Earlier this year, Murayama and a handful of other industry veterans founded Rabbit & Bear Studios, an independent development studio based in Tokyo, Japan. The company's first project, Eiyuden Chronicle, is a classical turn-based RPG forged in the mold of Suikoden II.

"The first thing we decided when our members came together was, 'It's about time we made a really interesting game that we ourselves want to make,'" Murayama said in a press release. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Eiyuden Chronicle revisits the themes and aesthetic that defined his PlayStation-era work.

The visuals in particular evoke the feel of Murayama's PS One classic. The game features a striking 2.5D graphical style that's reminiscent of Octopath Traveler, Square Enix's own consciously retro RPG. This likeness isn't coincidental. "From a graphical perspective, Octopath Traveler has inspired us and given us hope that there is a mid-point between new and old that a wide audience can appreciate," Murayama tells GameSpot over email.

Working alongside Murayama on the project are other Suikoden veterans Junko Kawano (Suikoden, Suikoden IV) and Osamu Komuta (Suikoden Tactics, Suikoden Tierkreis), as well as Junichi Murakami (Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow). For Murayama and Kawano, Eiyuden Chronicle marks the first time in 25 years that the two have collaborated on a project, but that long gap has not been a hurdle. "I wish I could say we've all grown and changed in many ways but it feels like nothing has changed in the last 25 years!" Kawano says. "But it definitely feels like you are seeing long lost friends from your hometown that you have missed dearly. I'm sure it feels like some strange time-warp."

Like its spiritual predecessors, Eiyuden Chronicle's story is told against the backdrop of war. The game follows a young warrior named Nowa and his friend, Seign Kesling. Nowa hails from a small village in a remote corner of the League of Nations, while Seign is an imperial officer for the Galdean Empire, a militarily advanced nation that has discovered how to amplify the magical powers of an artifact called "rune-lens." With this power, the empire is marching into the other territories around the continent of Allraan in search of more artifacts that can be used to bolster its hold over the land.

As fate would have it, Nowa also happens upon a rune-lens while out on a mission, and the discovery will ultimately ignite a confrontation between the League of Nations and the Galdean Empire--and test his friendship with Seign. This is a theme that has long intrigued Murayama. "One of the main themes I like to focus on is 'What is a hero,' but also, how do friendships and relationships affect the course of history?," Murayama says. "A single choice to stand up for a friend or alliance can be the spark that starts a world-altering war. I find that terribly interesting."

Suikoden's signature hallmark is its expansive cast; every entry features more than 100 unique recruitable characters, each of whom plays a role in the overarching story, and it's clear from the subtitle that Eiyuden Chronicle will continue that tradition. Much like Suikoden, the game will have 100 heroes to recruit, and as these characters join your ranks, you'll gradually build up a fortress base. Naturally, coming up with backstories and unique personalities for such an extensive cast is a challenge.

"Of course it's a major hassle," Murayama says. "You not only have to create 100 characters and their backstories but additionally how they all relate and the role they will serve. It's an incredibly complicated web. And even from the beginning, as the subtitle states, this is a tale about heroes. So our hope is to work with the community to build out these very heroes very much as the community also organically grows."

For Kawano, who serves as Eiyuden Chronicle's lead artist and character designer, this expansive cast list presents a different sort of challenge. "It's not hard to create new characters," Kawano says. "In a title like this where you have to create a huge amount, it's more about endurance. Especially towards the end of development you are cramming so many things in last- minute. However, the hard part is after you are done and out of 'runway' you invariably feel like you missed the opportunity to add this character or that character. So that regret is the worst part."

Although Eiyuden Chronicle deliberately harkens back to Suikoden and other classic JRPGs in many ways, Murayama hopes the game will be viewed on its own merits. "I don't want to be defined by my past," he says. "This game represents an extension of some of the gameplay and systems that I have honed over my many years as a game developer, but it is a new title and needs to stand on its own.

"Eiyuden represents a major challenge for us. At the core of that challenge is for us to make a game that is intensely satisfying and just flat-out fun. While many people have doubts and issues with crowdfunding and Kickstarter, it still remains the best chance an old creator like myself has to own IP and to interact with a serious group of fans who are investing in the project from the ground up. Something that takes serious commitment. It may sound cheesy but it's easy to doubt and be negative. It takes a true hero to believe in something."

Rabbit & Bear is raising funds to develop Eiyuden Chronicle through Kickstarter. The crowdfunding campaign runs until August 28, although it has already proven to be an overwhelming success; donations blew past the studio's original $500,000 goal in only two hours and hit the $1 million stretch goal to bring the game to consoles in less than a day. The team is humbled by the positive response from fans, writing on Twitter: "I can't believe it was funded so quickly! Many people have no hope in Kickstarter so I was so afraid. Thank you so much my heroes!!!! I will make a great game for you!"

Eiyuden Chronicle is tentatively planned to launch in Fall 2022.

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Suikoden Creators On Making A Spiritual Follow-Up To The Classic JRPG - GameSpot

Why Irans highest spiritual chief Khamenei began a Twitter account in Hindi, know the motive – Pledge Times

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Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

Tehran

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Irans supreme religious leader, today launched his Twitter handle in many languages around the world, including Hindi and Urdu. The question of why Kameneis Hindi account was launched in Hindi is why the supreme leader of a Muslim country, located about 3000 km from India, did so. However, the languages of the two countries are also completely different.

Khameneis eye on Shia Muslims of India

In fact, Khamenei is eyeing Shia Muslims of India. Iran considers itself the leader of Shia Muslims around the world. The number of Shia Muslims in India ranges from 2.9 crores to 3.9 crores. There are more Shia Muslims than India only in Iran and Pakistan. More Shiites live in India than in Iraq near Iran. It is believed that Khamenei wants to woo Indian Shias by opening his Twitter account in Hindi.

Amid tension from America wants friendship with India

Iran wants to generate its supporters around the world amid tension from the US. In such a situation, if the Shia Muslims of India support Iran, then there can be pressure on the Indian government. At present, India and the United States have close relations, so Iran can serve its interests through the Shia population.

So 25 million people corona infected in Iran? President Hassan Rouhani expressed his estimate

Khamenei dedicates first tweet to Allah

Khamenei made the first tweet from the Hindi account dedicating it to Allah. This shows that they are trying to connect with the Muslims of India in the name of Islam. He tweeted that in the name of Allah, who is very kind. In his second tweet, he wrote Prophet Muhammads messages.

Irans big claim, said caught the chief of US-based terrorist organization

Khamenei criticized India in Delhi riots

Khamenei had publicly condemned India for the killings of Muslims in the 2020 riots in Delhi. The Iranian supremo said that the violence in Delhi is separating India from the world of Islam. The massacre of Muslims in India has hurt the hearts of Muslims around the world. Which was strongly opposed by India.

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Why Irans highest spiritual chief Khamenei began a Twitter account in Hindi, know the motive - Pledge Times

MicroNations Fandom | Fandom

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Welcome to MicroNations Fandom What is MicroNations Fandom?

MicroNations Fandom is a sister-site to MicroWiki, which uses the MediaWiki software in order to function. Unlike MicroWiki, we use Fandom Wikia to host our plethora of micronational articles.

Before editing on MicroNations Fandom, ask yourself this question: "Am I a micronationalist or a simulationist?". A micronationalist is someone who claims a small land mass that is (in most cases) easily accessible to them, such as their backyard, a local park, their bedroom, or their house. For example, the Republic of Molossia claims their property in Dayton, Nevada.

Micronationalists do not make any false claims about their nation. They do not make ridiculous claims such as having an army of six thousand soldiers and/or several war machines such as battleships or tanks. If those claims were true, it wouldn't be a micronation. If you want to make these claims you know are not true, find a political simulation Wikia. Micronationalism is not a political simulation! Micronationalists might have small military forces, but they are almost always for ceremonial purposes only. Take Molossia's M.S. Wombat as an example, it is an inflatable boat, not a battleship. Micronational war is an extremely rare event. A true armed conflict would have to result in actual injury and utilize actual weapons, whether that be primitive sharpened sticks or a pistol. One of the only (actual) armed micronational conflicts in history is that of the Sealand hostage crisis, where actual weapons were used, an and actual hostage was taken. If you wish to have fictional micronational wars, such as civil wars, video game wars, or wars with nations across the globe from you, consider going to a simulationist Wikia instead.

If you have any questions about micronationalism, simulationism, or the MicroNations Fandom in general, please ask any of our administrators.

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MicroNations Fandom | Fandom

JCPenney Selling Its Original Store Is A Tough Break With The Past – Forbes

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American businessman James Cash Penney (1875 - 1971), owner of the JC Penney chain of retail stores, ... [+] points to a picture of his first store, Golden Rule, in Kemmerer, Wyoming, during the celebration of his 86th birthday, New York, New York, September 15, 1961. (Photo by Pictorial Parade/Getty Images)

Whenever I covered JCPenney JCP in my analyst days, I spoke about the companys humble beginnings in Kemmerer, Wyoming. Thats where the founder, James Cash Penney, opened his first store called The Golden Rule in 1902.

The company was later renamed the JCPenney Company, but for many years management continued to hand out little colored balls with the name Golden Rule (Do unto others as you would have them do unto you) engraved on it.

When it was still known as The Golden Rule Company, the company flourished because each store manager seeded the next store in the growing chain and helped the new fledgling store get off to a strong start. Of course, the store manager who supervised the new store shared in the profits of that enterprise and was motivated to keep that chain expansion going.

That original 8,000-square-foot store is located about 100 miles northwest of Salt Lake City and was known as the mother store of the chain. Initially, the store was a dry goods store that carried notions, fabrics, and some ladies fashion. But, the world has moved on from those days, and the town, with its 4,000 residents, will see this store be auctioned off. According to Business Insider, an auction will be conducted on September 14 and 15.

It is interesting to note that headquarters was moved to Salt Lake City in 1909 because it was closer to railroads and banks. In 1913, stores were consolidated under the JCPenney name, and in 1914, the company opened its headquarters in New York City. In 1992, the company moved to Plano, Texas.

Now, the 118-year-old company is fighting for its life. It declared bankruptcy on May 15. Management is shrinking the size of the company and trying to cobble together an agreement with financial institutions. More than 80,000 associates are awaiting a court order that will determine whether the company will survive and they will still have jobs. What a change from 2011 when the company had its best year: sales hit $17.6 billion and it employed 156,000 associates (almost twice the number facing an uncertain future today).

JCPenneys history is a glorious one I respect. Some leaders were great, others were destructive. But, is the department store model that once served JCPenney so well now an albatross that will no longer be the driving force of retailing? I think the coronavirus pandemic has changed the industry a lot, and we will shop differently in the future. I look to Jill Soltau, JCPenneys CEO, to drive the enterprise forward successfully.I hope that the sale of the first store is not the beginning of the end.

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JCPenney Selling Its Original Store Is A Tough Break With The Past - Forbes

Lettere: COVID-19 and fear; masks and citizenship – Loveland Reporter-Herald

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COVID-19 and fear

Fear is an effective tool for controlling people. Parents use it to control children. Preachers use it to scare hell out of parishioners. Politicians use it to scare voters away from their opponents. Kings, Hitler and Stalin have used it for control.

Rom Emanuels Never let a good crisis go to waste keeps running around in my mind. Is COVID-19 being exploited? Are devious groups containing the virus in aerosol containers and spraying it on crowds to keep the virus active in the U.S.? No one is that evil. No one?

My understanding is that viruses evolve/mutate over time. I believe COVID-19 didnt appear instantly in a bat near Wuhan. I believe it evolved/mutated over time from previous viruses in bats within cool, moist caves with stale air. Would the antithesis (warmth, sunlight, dry, fresh air) be a prevention or cure? Seems like it has potential. So people in places such as Arizona in the summer have no worry? A look at their lifestyle indicates they might have worry. They live in air-conditioned homes, drive air-conditioned cars, drive to air-conditioned buildings to work and shop! All the while the virus could circulate within the cool, dark air-conditioning systems.

Is fear of COVID-19 being used by some to control/manipulate the decision people will make during the presidential election?

My research indicates that SARS-CoV-2 is approximately 0.1 micron in diameter. N95 masks used by medical personnel are designed to remove more than 95% of particles that are at least 0.3 microns in diameter. How effective are masks made from regular fabric or scarves? What if the nose is not covered? Can the virus enter the body through the eyes, the nose, the mouth, cuts/abrasions in skin? Droplets fall to the ground rapidly, aerosols linger.

If homemade masks are insufficient to ward off the coronavirus, why mandate the wearing of a mask? Conditioning the public to accept orders from government? What is really in store for our future? Who knows what evil lurks in the minds of some.

Fear, the downfall of many.

Dennis Carr

Loveland

There was a time in our nations past when most people tried hard to honor the Golden Rule: Treat others as you want others to treat you. The Golden Rule is one of the fundamental pillars of the universal natural law that governs all human existence. Basically, the natural law is: Do good. Avoid evil. If all humans obeyed the natural law, we would be in a genuine paradise.

There is no hope that we will ever be able to fully obey the natural law. But it is extremely distressing when groups of people deliberately thumb their noses at the Golden Rule. The rule keeps humans civilized.

During COVID, face coverings are both a tool and expression of the Golden Rule. When you refuse to wear a mask if you dont have a health reason you are saying that you are the only person on earth who matters. Everybody else is worthless and expendable. Maybe youre thinking that if someone dies of COVID because of you, Oh well, everybodys going to die of something. Im just playing my part in the Darwinian big picture.

Wrong. When you refuse to wear a mask, youre just a lousy citizen. Period.

Glenn Troester

Loveland

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Lettere: COVID-19 and fear; masks and citizenship - Loveland Reporter-Herald

Julie Chen Moonves On The Season Premiere Of Big Brother: All Stars: Its Fun But Yet Its Very Real – CBS Las Vegas

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Big Brother: All Starscomes to CBS this Wednesday, August 5th at 9/8c. The 22nd season of the worldwide phenomenon comes with a special twist as all 16 houseguests will be returning players unveiled during the premiere. Julie Chen Moonves returns as host for this unique season that saw the houseguests spend weeks in isolation before entering the house due to the coronavirus.

CBS Matt Weiss spoke to Chen Moonves ahead of the shows premiere to discuss the new season, the new house and answer the question, are you smarter than a fifth grader?

MW: First of all, how have you been holding up the last couple monthswith quarantine.Howhaveyou been doing?

JCM:Well,how much timedoyou have, Matt? [Laughs] In a nutshell, home schooling and my 87-year-old mom, who was on March 1st going to test out living with us for about three weeks because of my father, who was 89, unexpectedly passed away.

So, its like, mom do you really want to live alone? That testturned into five months.She just left like three weeks ago to go back to her retirementcommunity,where God bless,shes enjoying it. But it was a little bit of craziness we were all learning how to handle that.

With the home schooling I went from being a Tiger Mom tobeinglike, hey Troy, do you want to watchTiger King with me and dad for a midnight showing? Luckily,he wasnt interested.That being said,I did hear him singingthe CarolBaskin song one day and I said things have got to change.Im building back structure.Im going back to work.Im putting a structure in. Were slowly pulling it together. [Laughs]

MW: A learning experience for everyone.

JCM:Hes a rising 5th grader and hesstarting school in a couple of weeks. I realized how not tech savvy I am. Doyou remember that show are you smarter thana 5thgrader?Turns out Im not even assmart as afourth grader.Im going back to Big Brother where I know how to do what I do.

MW: [Laughs] Speaking ofBig Brother,this will be a season like never before.What can fans expect from this all-new season?

JCM:Yougottathink about it.Big Brother, weve been on for 20 years, this is our 22nd season.Anyone who doesnt know the concept of the show,you basically take six strangers lock them into a house and they have to coexist for up to three months.Each week voting out one of their own,while theyre all competing with one another,only one person takeshomethe half $1,000,000 grand prize.We were the originalquarantine!

Whats different this season are two main things because of the pandemic, we brought in former Big Brother houseguests, anAll-Star cast. Were bringing back eight of the most memorable women and eight of the mostmemorablemen for various reasons.We have past winners, past people who almost got the half $1,000,000 but didnt, people who came in 11th place but due to circumstancesgot bouncedtoo early; they all have something to prove.

We had to bring in these 16 houseguests to our area of Los Angeles, whether we had to fly them across the country or some alreadylivein the area, then put them up in homes by themselves for weeks. During that time we weretesting them on a regular basis to make sure they donthave the virus so that we canput them into the Big Brother house.Once we threw all these 16 past houseguests in that Big Brother house might bethe safesthousein the world! Once they go in they dont have any contact with the outside world.

There are no camera operators inside the house.All the camera operators are on the other side of the glass or were using cameras that are locked down in various corners and walls. The good news is we were kind of designed to do a show duringquarantine.Itsgoing to look exactly like how you saw it last year.Its not going to look like aZoom showbecause its not.

MW: A bunch of people locked up in a house for three months, the show is more relatable than ever!

JCM: Exactly, we were ahead of our time, weve been doing this for 20 years, we are the original quarantine. We joke but when it comes to this season and taking precautions were not taking anything lightly.

MW: Great timing as well to be able to provide some normalcy for fans of the show to see something new yet familiar.

JCM:I think that its going to be a nice break.We could all use a little bit of a break from all the drama but not stick our heads in the sand to whats happening out in the world.Thesehouseguests,Im sure,theyre going to talk about what thequarantinehas done to their families.Alot of these returning houseguests went in single when they first did it and now some of them are married, some have children, theres a lot to offer there.

I think its going to be perfect break we kindofneed,without ignoring the reality of the world were living in right now.Heres the hope, the hope is whether youre a returning Big Brother fan or youre new to it youre going towatchthis andlearn,cant we all get along?We all want the same thing.We all want to be safe.We all want a vaccine.We all want to be working.What can we do?What smallthing canwe eachdo,small or big to help get to that common goal we all want.We all want to be heard.We all want to be respected.How about we all start by practicing the Golden Rule; treat others the way you want to be treated.

MW: Absolutely! I think the last few months have really shown people whats important and allowed folks to examine themselves.

JCM:Its pretty simple. I have to tell you, we should all take this time just to lean intoGod. Im telling you whatever behavior have, you have to think for a second, now is God looking down at me and being like yeah thats whoI created you to be,thats how you should behave. I learn my lessons all the time like when I lose my patience with my 10-year-old, I have to remind myself patience is a virtue; this is not who God created me to be. I just need to [deep breath].

MW:I couldnt agree more. Circling back to Big Brother and some changes that needed to be made for this season. Were there any major changes you had to make as the host?

JCM: Weve had to do a lot of things.Everyone has had to take tests before returning to work and we all have to be masked but when you see me on TVbroadcasting,I wont be wearing a mask.Each week when someone getsevicted, they wont be shaking my hand wewill be keeping a distance.

If you were to pull the cameras wide and see you know everyone who works on the show,theyre all wearing a mask.No live audience this season for obvious reasons, but if youre a long-time fan of the show, we didnt have a live audience from season two to I think like season seven or eight.

I really feel safe about going back to work and happy about it.Weve taken the precautions and yet its going to be not only a safe environment but a fun environment for people at home to watch.

MW: And when people are watching in their homes theyll be looking at a brand new Big Brother house, the reveal came out online earlier this week and it looks incredible. Where does this house stack up to you all-time in Big Brother history?

JCM: Well this is the first year Ive never gone into the house.Usually I bring cameras into a house tour,but for obvious reasons I did not.I got a tour throughZoom and I was blown away.This house celebrates some of the most memorable moments and former houseguests in the history of the show. Twenty years and 21seasons, plus the two celebrity runs and one version that was just online.Whether youre new to the show or youveonlywatchedthe last few seasons,or youve been there since season one, youre going to see the history.

I told Scott Storey, who has been doing the house and the show maybe since season two or maybe sinceseason1, I said Scott you have to submit for an Emmy this year, it looks so good.I never wantitto change again. Lets make it amuseum, letsadd more memorable houseguests.

MW: And now last question before I let you go, what message do you have for fans heading into season 22 on Wednesday night?

JCM: So this is what I always think about Big Brother, its fun butyetits very real life. When youre watching it, youreprobably not going to love everyone that you see in the house.Hopefully you can find outthis one facet of that person,whereyou have compassion for thatperson,or you relate to that person.Lets all watched this summer and have a good time, but lets also learn,lets not be so quick to judge one another and lets try and give everyone in our world,in our life,and these houseguests,if youre watching them,the benefit of the doubt.

I think its important for everyone to remember if you communicate in a respectful gentle manner you will get far in the Big Brother house and in life.Treat others with respect.If you dont agree with someone we should respectfully and peacefully agree to disagree. Lets bring forward the better sides of all of us.I gotwartsandflaws;we all do.Letsallput our best foot forward.

MW: Very poignant advice for everyone out there. Thank you so much for the time today Julie, always a pleasure speaking with you. All the best with the new season and with the home schooling!

JCM: God bless you, stay safe. Thank you Matt!

Tune in the all-new premiere of Big Brother: All Stars Wednesday night at 9/8c, only on CBS and streaming on CBS All Access. Check your local listings for more information.

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Julie Chen Moonves On The Season Premiere Of Big Brother: All Stars: Its Fun But Yet Its Very Real - CBS Las Vegas

The bishop and the urn: How a St. Louis woman restored a family’s faith after their car, brother’s remains were stolen – KSDK.com

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ST. LOUIS Mark Rice missed his own funeral.

But his family believes it was his way of having one last laugh with them.

The 65-year-old was one of 10 siblings with a huge sense of humor, according to his family.

Thats why they are able to laugh at what started out as an emotional moment that ended in a new friendship and a restoration of faith for some.

Mark Rice died after a long battle with a heart condition. As his brother, Bishop Edward Rice, puts it: He had a bad heart, but he had a good heart.

Bishop Rice, who presides over the Cape Girardeau/Springfield Diocese, discovered his car had been stolen Monday from the parking lot of the Drury Inn at Forest Park. The window on the car parked next to his was shattered. But his was gone.

It was a Ford Edge, which, it's a nice car, but it's not like it's a Trans-Am or something, you know? Bishop Rice said.

In it were his vestments, a crozier dating to 1948 that Archbishop Robert Carlson gave him when he was installed, his cross, suit, his collar.

He had kept his brothers urn in his backseat, planning to bring it to the funeral mass at St. John the Baptist Church in south St. Louis.

He borrowed St. Louis Bishop Mark Rivitusos vestments and other traditional Catholic garb for the service.

Everything I used was borrowed, nothing was mine because I didnt have it, I lost all that in the car, he said. But we had to have the Mass because everybody was coming. So we had the mass without him.

My brother didn't make his own funeral.

He kept his composure through the service, but the bishop admits, he was worried.

I thought, We have to get through this, but in the back of my mind at the Mass I was thinking, Oh my gosh, we have to find my brother.

Three of the bishops brothers served as St. Louis police officers one of them, Leo Rice, is still in service.

So, he knew who to call to report his car had been stolen.

And, he knew who to pray to.

When I said grace at lunchtime, I began: 'St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please look around, something's lost, and they all knew it was my brother Mark, and he can't be found,' Bishop Rice said.

Then, at about 5:30 p.m., the bishop believes the patron saint of lost things answered his prayer.

Thats when Gennifer Bell called Bishop Rice's brother's daughter, Lori.

When I called, Lori answered and I was like, Well, this is going to sound really weird, and she kind of took the words right out of my mouth, Bell said. She was like, Did you find an urn?' I was like, Yeah,' and she's like, That's my dad. We had his funeral today. I'm like, Well, I got his body. He's in good hands.

Bell said she took her 5-month-old babys diaper to the trash when she first spotted a cardboard box outside a dumpster in her north St. Louis neighborhood.

She opened it, and found the navy blue urn with a gold embossed design on it.

At first, she said she thought it was a vase and showed it to her neighbor.

I'm like, You want a vase? and my friend was like, That's not a vase, that that's an urn, she recalled.

She found Mark Rices daughters name on the box and started searching for her online. Some of her friends and family helped her search, and they shared the message on Facebook.

She also had errands to run as she waited to connect with the family.

So, she took Mark Rices remains with her around north St. Louis.

She also shared her favorite drink with him.

I poured out a shot of Tequila for him just because you never know who the person was, so you know, treat them like family, If Im going to take a drink, you could have a shot too, thats the least I can do, she said.

Leo Rice met Bell and the friends and family Monday who helped her find the Rice family online.

Leo Rice cried on her shoulder.

It was very emotional for him, she said. It just felt so good to know that we made their day.

Leo Rice and his cousin, a retired St. Louis police officer, Matthew Madden, shared memories of Mark Rice with Bell and her family.

Turns out, the family grew up in north St. Louis.

For him to get on one more ride in north St. Louis, hes in his glory, said Detective Leo Rice.

Leo Rice said he's planning to remain friends with Bell and her family a friendship he acknowledges likely never would have happened. He is used to responding only to calls for help in Bells neighborhood, where crime is high and police rarely meet people because they are doing the right thing.

I definitely think that we made a new family because I have Lori texts me pictures of him, and they told us a lot about him and apparently he's the life of the party, Bell said. He was really loved by a lot of people and just to have him back made their day and they said that he was a joker and he likes to play a lot of jokes.

I said, Well, he really got you guys this time wherever he is. He's looking and laughing his butt off, like, I did it one last time.

Leo Rice and Bell plan to get together again soon. He wants to bring her some gift cards and other things to thank her. Her uncle was a police officer, so hes going to help her research his history. And he's helping one of the men who helped her find the Rice family get a job.

Weve made a friendship out of it, Leo Rice said. She could have just let the urn sit there, she didnt have to do all the Facebook and Googling she did to find my nieces name on the box.

The bishop calls Bell a Good Samaritan a character in the Bible who helped a beaten and helpless traveler when he didnt have to and who had been ignored by others.

I said, Lord, what do You want me to learn from this and there are two thoughts that came to mind: No. 1, to be detached, you know, all these things can be replaced. The car can be replaced, even the items, the things that I use as a bishop, the miter the crozier, they're not valuable financially, but they're valuable symbolically. If I get them back, I do. If I don't, I don't. And the second thing is, I have my health. I have my faith. All is good. I have my brother, and that's the main thing. Everything else is incidental.

Gennifer Bell said she was only doing what she hopes someone would do for her family if it happened to her.

I cant make this story up. Its just mind-boggling how it happened. I guess he was just placed in our life or whatever. Its just something I would want somebody to do for me if I was in that situation or if my family was in that situation. Its only right.

For many faiths, that's known as the Golden Rule.

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The bishop and the urn: How a St. Louis woman restored a family's faith after their car, brother's remains were stolen - KSDK.com

Indians are the most confident in world to travel post Covid-19 – Livemint

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They also top the list of people most eager to travel internationally in the next 12 months with 77 per cent saying they are keen to travel, followed by Thais at 70 per cent and Indonesians at 60 per cent.

Singapore is the most favoured destination for people living in India, Indonesia, Thailand, Hong Kong and the Philippines when it comes to post-lockdown travel.

This was revealed in a newly released study conducted jointly by social research agency Blackbox Research, data provider Dynata and language partner Language Connect, "Unravel Travel: Fears & Possibilities in a Post Coronavirus (COVID-19) World." It examines the sentiments, preferences, and expectations of 10,195 people across 17 countries regarding travel in a post-COVID-19 world.

However, with bad news continuously emanating from the travel industry, travellers will have to put their plans on ice for the foreseeable future as the 'new normal' in travel is still some time away.

Two weeks ago, travel booking giant Expedia reported a steep 82 per cent revenue decline to USD 566 million in the second quarter (for period ending June) and a USD 577 net loss. A year earlier, the firm had a net income of USD 276 million.

Last week, French hotel group Accor which owns luxury accommodation brands such as Swissotel, Sofitel and Raffles posted half-year losses of 1.5 billion euros (USD 1.77 billion) compared with a profit of 141 million euros one year ago. In addition, it announced that it was slashing 1,000 head office jobs worldwide out of a global corporate headcount of 18,000.

Also last week, Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic, which is 49 per cent owned by Delta Air Lines, filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in New York. This is the second airline owned by Branson that is seeking the protection of courts, the first being Virgin Australia.

Chapter 15 is slightly different from the usual Chapter 11 as it is designed for companies that operate in multiple countries. Virgin Atlantic based in Britain, is attempting to put together a private rescue package after having previously attempted to obtain a British government bailout.

Singapore Airlines reported a historic loss in its latest fiscal quarter (for the period April to June) of SGD 1.12 billion (USD 812 million). Following that, it announced pay cuts for all management and rank-and-file staff, as well as an early retirement programme for ground staff and pilots. Earlier, with support from government investment arm Temasek and other shareholders, it has managed to raise some SGD 15 billion (USD 10.9 billion) to weather the COVID-19 storm.

Geneva-based International Air Transport Association (IATA) does not expect air travel to be restored to 2019 levels until 2024.

With the COVID-19 virus rampaging throughout the world causing people to shelter in their homes for most of the last few months, the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Tourism Barometer showed a precipitous fall of 98 per cent in international arrivals in May this year when compared with May 2019. The Barometer also uncovered a 56 per cent decline in tourist numbers for the first five months of this year, translating into a loss of 300 million tourists and USD 320 billion lost in international tourism receipts. This is more than three times the loss during the global financial crisis of 2009.

Although there are hints of a gradual and cautious resumption of travel, confidence is low. A majority of the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) panel of tourism experts expect international tourism will only recover in the second half of 2021.

When travel can resume under a 'new normal' travel framework, the "Unravel Travel" survey found that with a score of 76, India and Thailand are tied for top position for nationalities most confident of travelling. Asian countries dominate the countries that scored above the global average of 61, including China (69), Indonesia (65), Singapore (64). France and Germany also rated above the global average.

At the other end of the spectrum, Japan was rated the most cautious with a score of 40, followed by the Philippines (43) and Hong Kong (50). Other countries that scored below the global average include Sweden, New Zealand, UK, Canada and the United States.

Saurabh Sardana, Chief Operating Office of Blackbox Research, said that each country's score reflects a balancing act between a number of considerations -- the perceived importance of tourism to the country's economy, national management of COVID-19 cases and even past experiences of similar epidemics. Notably, New Zealand's low case achievement has led to the country's more cautious attitude towards international travel.

In another finding, the "Unravel Travel" study showed that contactless travel is something travellers would expect once they can resume travelling. 76 per cent of respondents indicated that their preferred destinations would be countries that offer more reliable contactless experiences. In terms of what the future of travel looks like, the study found that e-boarding passes (41 per cent), touchless lavatories (43 per cent), contactless journeys between airports and hotels (40 per cent), no more middle seats in transportation (36 per cent) and digital health passports (35 per cent) are some of the new ideas that global travellers hope to see implemented in the near future.

"Governments will need to play a key role in messaging and ensuring travellers' safety, as well as empowering the tourism industry through investment in new technology and innovation that would ensure a seamless, contactless travel experience that is sustainable," Sardana added. "The first movers will cash in on the pent-up demand as borders open."

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text.

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Indians are the most confident in world to travel post Covid-19 - Livemint

WTTC says UK is heading to ‘worst case scenario’ threatening nearly three million Travel & Tourism jobs – Hospitality Net

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London, UK-Nearly three million jobs in the UK - and 197 million worldwide in the Travel & Tourism sector globally - look set to be lost due to the collapse of travel, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC).

WTTC economic modelling conducted less than two months ago predicted this 'worst case scenario' would occur if barriers to global travel, such as quarantine measures and blanket travel restrictions were to remain in place.

While some travel bans have been removed, many others remain, with new restrictions likely to come into force to tackle the continuing threat posed by COVID-19 and possible second spikes.

However, the confusing patchwork of bans, quarantines and uncoordinated international testing and tracing measures, have deterred many people from travelling at all with the peak summer 2020 travel season all but being wiped out.

Last week travel to Spain was thrown into chaos when the UK government changed its travel advice to re-impose a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving back in the UK. This countrywide 'travel ban' came despite parts of Spain, such as Andalucia, the Balearics and Canaries having a lower COVID-19 infection rate than the UK.

WTTC estimates the UK now looks close to losing a staggering $186 billion from the Travel & Tourism sector's contribution to UK GDP, equating to a 73% percent drop compared with 2019.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: "It's heartbreaking to see our worst fears for the UK and global Travel & Tourism sector coming true. The jobs and livelihoods of millions of people who work throughout the sector are disappearing by the day, despite our warning this could happen."

"While we acknowledge the UK government's efforts to support Travel & Tourism during this crisis, the UK alone looks set to lose three million jobs in the sector, creating an economic black hole of US$186 billion in the country's finances. This is due to an international failure to implement proper coordination to combat the pandemic."

"However, we still have time to turn this around if we act together now as one and replace ineffective quarantines with comprehensive rapid testing, a worldwide accepted standard of contact tracing and widespread face mask usage. Employing the latest technology, combined with mass adoption of protective face coverings, will help restore confidence to the traveller."

"Governments around the world must align their policies and work hand in hand with the private sector to revive Travel & Tourism, so we can restore jobs and help revive the global economy."

"We strongly believe that by working as one we can beat COVID-19 and return to safe travels with world class standards of hygiene to travellers and regenerate the jobs and livelihoods of the 300 million people who worked in the sector before COVID-19. That is a much more, cost effective and efficient option which will alleviate the terrible economic impact of mass unemployment."

The health and safety of travellers and those who work within the sector is always the number one priority. However, there is ample evidence from other countries which suggests only those who test positive should be quarantined.

This would protect public health and save lives, whilst restoring consumer confidence, driving the global economic recovery, and saving the jobs of millions of people whose very livelihoods depend upon a thriving Travel & Tourism sector.

WTTC had urged governments to follow a four-point plan to avoid the 'worst case scenario' it feared could take place.

The plan recommended the immediate removal and replacement of travel bans and 14-day quarantine measures, with 'air corridors' to stimulate the Travel & Tourism sector and the wider economy.

It also urged the adoption of global health and safety protocols, such as the 'Safe Travels' initiative launched by WTTC, to provide assurance to travellers and those working within the sector.

WTTC believes the implementation of a rapid test and trace strategy is a critical step to help contain the spread of the virus, while still allowing people to travel responsibly and encouraging greater and sustained collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure a standardised, global approach to the crisis.

WTTC has continually been at the forefront in leading the private sector in the efforts to rebuild global consumer confidence and encourage the return of Safe Travels.

According to WTTC's 2020 Economic Impact Report, during 2019, Travel & Tourism was responsible for one in 10 jobs (330 million in total), making a 10.3% contribution to global GDP and generating one in four of all new jobs.

WTTC is the body which represents the Travel & Tourism private sector globally. Members consist of CEOs of the world's Travel & Tourism companies, destinations, and industry organisations engaging with Travel & Tourism.

WTTC has a history of 25 years of research to quantify the economic impact of the sector in 185 countries. Travel & Tourism is a key driver for investment and economic growth globally. The sector contributes US$8.8 trillion or 10.4% of global GDP, and accounts for 319 million jobs or one in ten of all jobs on the planet.

For over 25 years, WTTC has been the voice of this industry globally. Members are the Chairs, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world's leading, private sector Travel & Tourism businesses, who bring specialist knowledge to guide government policy and decision-making and raise awareness of the importance of the sector.

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WTTC says UK is heading to 'worst case scenario' threatening nearly three million Travel & Tourism jobs - Hospitality Net

More Than 17,000 People Sign Up to Hear from World-leading Medical, Epidemiology and Public Health Experts – Yahoo Finance

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Free virtual forum was organized by World Travel & Tourism Council and Carnival Corporation

Top global scientists and health experts shared latest facts, science-based insights and best practices for living in a world with COVID-19

LONDON, Aug. 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --More than 17,000 people from around the world signed up to participate in the WTTC/Carnival Corporation Global Scientific Summit on COVID-19 last week to hear directly from 12 renowned public health experts and scientists, sharing their knowledge and the latest evidence-based practices related to the prevention, detection and mitigation of COVID-19.

The free, open-to-the public event was hosted by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), which represents the global travel and tourism private sector, and Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), the world's largest cruise company.

The virtual summit explored the most up-to-date science and medical evidence related to COVID-19 to help inform practical, adaptable and science-based solutions for the "new normal."

Gloria Guevara, WTTC president and CEO, said: "The summit accomplished exactly what it set out to do, as a platform for leading health experts and scientists to discuss the latest thinking, best practices and evidence-based protection and mitigation measures, such as testing and tracing, which is going to be crucial in the recovery. It was also interesting to learn that the widespread adoption of protective face masks can dramatically improve the current situation.

"We'd like to thank our esteemed panelists, our WTTC members and viewers who joined us from around the globe. It is clear that after hearing from our panelists, we must support a more vigorous program of testing and tracing globally, if we want to transition to a new normal and return to safe travels. As the world learns to live with COVID-19, it is imperative that we continue to prioritize public health and saving lives, whilst restoring consumer confidence, driving global economic recovery, and saving the jobs of millions of people whose very livelihoods depend upon a thriving travel and tourism sector.

"We are delighted to be working with Carnival Corporation, and this unique summit gave the public and our members in the travel industry a chance to hear facts directly from scientists, which was an invaluable experience."

"This summit allowed us to put the general public in direct communication with the leading experts working on science-based solutions to mitigating and living with COVID-19," said Arnold Donald, president and CEO of Carnival Corporation, and a member of the WTTC executive committee and its vice chair for North America. "The pandemic touches all corners of society and is in one way or another affecting everyone and all industries. We are grateful to the distinguished panelists who shared straightforward, easy-to-understand insights about living in a world with the virus, and we appreciate WTTC partnering with us to present this event."

The summit covered epidemiology, transmission, screening and testing, therapeutics and practical risk mitigation in three one-hour sessions.

A session on "The Science of COVID-19" focused on epidemiology, transmission and testing, with featured speakers Dr. Steven Gordon, chair of infectious disease at Cleveland Clinic; Dr. William Morice II, president of Mayo Clinic Laboratories; Dr. Stacey L. Schultz-Cherry, co-principal investigator, St. Jude Center for Excellence in Influenza Research and Surveillance; and Dr. Joshua Wolf, associate member of the infectious diseases department at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

The prestigious lineup of speakers for the "Treatment & Prevention" session, where discussion included vaccines, were Dr. Julio Frenk, president of the University of Miami and former Minister of Health for Mexico; Dr. Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, head of pathology at Mount Sinai Hospital; Dr. Jewel Mullen, associate dean for health equity at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas Austin; and Dr. Vivek Murthy, the 19th Surgeon General of the United States.

The final session on "Life in a COVID-19 World," looked at best approaches in mitigating spread and featured Dr. Thomas Cahill, physician and venture capitalist with Scientists to Stop COVID-19; Dr. Michael Lin, neurobiology & bioengineering associate professor at Stanford University; Dr. Michael Rosbash, 2017 Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine and professor at Brandeis University; and Dr. Stuart Schreiber, a Harvard University chemist and co-founder of the Broad Institute.

Story continues

To replay the summit, please visit CovidScienceSummit.com.

About WTTCEvidence from WTTC's Crisis Readiness report, which looked at 90 different types of crises, highlights the importance of public-private cooperation to ensure that smart policies and effective communities are in place to enable a more resilient travel and tourism sector.

According to WTTC's 2020 Economic Impact Report, during 2019, Travel &Tourism was responsible for one in 10 jobs (330 million total), making a 10.3% contribution to global GDP and generating one in four of all new jobs.

For further information please contact the WTTC press office at press.office@wttc.org

About Carnival Corporation & plcCarnival Corporation & plc is one of the world's largest leisure travel companies with a portfolio of nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard.

Additional information can be found on http://www.carnival.com, http://www.princess.com, http://www.hollandamerica.com, http://www.seabourn.com, http://www.pocruises.com.au, http://www.costacruise.com, http://www.aida.de, http://www.pocruises.com and http://www.cunard.com.

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More Than 17,000 People Sign Up to Hear from World-leading Medical, Epidemiology and Public Health Experts - Yahoo Finance

Can the world’s oldest restaurant escape the pandemic’s grasp? – CNN

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And like most dining establishments, Restaurante Botn was forced to close its doors when the coronavirus swept across Europe.

"When we closed the restaurant during the pandemic, we felt devastated because it never closed before, even during the Spanish Civil War, my grandfather kept Botn open," Antonio Gonzlez, general manager of Botn, said.

They serve traditional Spanish dishes -- from cordero asado, which is roasted baby lamb, to cochinillo asado, which is roasted suckling pig. Before the pandemic, the cook would receive a shipment of lambs and pigs three or four times a week from the Seplveda-Aranda-Riaza region, which is about 100 miles north of Madrid.

An employee at Restaurante Botn pulls a roasted pig out of the oven.

Courtesy of Restaurante Botn

The dining area is also a part of the experience, with Gonzlez calling the establishment a "restaurant museum." Guests can choose to dine in one of the antiquated rooms in the four-story restaurant, including Gonzlez's favorite, the wine cellar.

A taste of history

The restaurant was opened nearly three centuries ago by a French cook named Jan Botn, but it was more of a tavern than a restaurant. During the 18th century, the establishment could only cook food that guests brought into the restaurant. This was because selling food was banned at the time because it could hurt other businesses.

The restaurant was passed down through the Botn family until the 20th century. Gonzlez's grandparents took over the restaurant in 1930 and continued to expand the establishment.

Throughout the centuries, many noteworthy authors have dined here, from Ernest Hemingway to F. Scott Fitzgerald. Some have also mentioned Botn in their writing, such as Hemingway in his novel "The Sun Also Rises."

The restaurant has hosted several generations of diners, and luckily, they won't lose their Guinness World Record because of the coronavirus shutdown.

Trying to stay positive

The eatery reopened its doors on July 1, is serving a fraction of the guests it used to serve before the coronavirus. Gonzlez said that they used to serve 600 guests per day -- now it's a mere 60.

But Gonzlez isn't discouraged. His plan is to stabilize their losses as best he can and focus on the future.

"I am looking forward to navigate out of the crisis and being stronger and better than before," Gonzlez said. "It is a fantastic opportunity to make reflections and to improve the most we can."

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Can the world's oldest restaurant escape the pandemic's grasp? - CNN

Positive tests on small ship lines raise the question: Too soon? – Travel Weekly

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In a blow to hopes that cruises will sail sooner rather than later, over the course of just five days this month, four lines that resumed service reported Covid-19 cases on their ships.

They included a passenger on an UnCruise Adventures Alaska sailing, the first cruise in U.S. waters since March; a Hurtigruten outbreak that had affected 36 crew members as of Aug. 4; an American guest on the Tahiti-based Paul Gauguin's first cruise with international passengers; and a report from SeaDream Yacht Club that a Danish passenger on one of its two ships tested positive.

Except for Hurtigruten, which quickly admitted it had made mistakes and did not follow its own or Norway's policies, the cases were very similar: asymptomatic passengers were detected by testing mandated by the municipality the ship was in. With UnCruise and Paul Gauguin, all passengers had tested negative only days before the positive result.

The incidents raised questions about cruise lines' ability to start sailing at this point in the Covid-19 pandemic.

UnCruise CEO Dan Blanchard said that, absent a vaccine, only reliable, rapid testing can change the situation.

"And trust me, we tried," he said.

UnCruise had felt confident that the nature of its trip would allow the line to create "a bubble," with crew quarantined more than a month onboard before the first cruise and no stops at ports. The only "misfire," he said, was the testing.

All passengers wore masks and social distanced onboard. Alaska requires a test upon arrival, which is how the infection was detected, but the results weren't delivered until after the passenger boarded and the ship sailed.

UnCruise had submitted a plan of action to Alaska in the event a positive case was reported, and it was unfolding accordingly.

Paul Gauguin Cruises had said that, as of last week, the negative results of everyone else tested on the ship, "confirms the quality of the health protocols in force onboard."

Some experts said the situations were part of the industry's learning curve.

Dr. Jewel Mullen, an associate dean at University of Texas Austin's Dell Medical School, said that rather than calling the cases "a complete failure, this is part of what we need to know."

Dr. Jewel Mullen

"What we are now observing [will help us] understand how to continue to refine all of the preventive and protective measures that this industry can undertake," she said. "I have never heard anybody say that once travel resumes, there won't be any cases. Testing is a key part of trying to be as proactive as possible, one of the components of getting this right and making this as safe as possible.

"It's not the only component and will not be the ultimate solution. It will be a part of what needs to happen."However, news of the outbreaks prompted former Windstar president John Delaney to say that cruise lines should stay on pause until there is a vaccine.

"I think the traveling public won't feel comfortable or confident cruising again until that time," he said.

"The industry should just say, 'it looks like there will be a vaccine by early 2021, let's just agree we're not going to sail until then.' That's an obligation the industry should have to their crew and also to the ports that they visit."

Brad Tolkin, co-CEO of World Travel Holdings, said that the recent events had not created any change in consumer demand but added that, "in general, the consumer is not ready to travel."

"As we have witnessed in Major League Baseball and in many states in the U.S., the virus is still out there," he said. "As such, the consumer probably expected an outbreak. It would be naive to think that there would not be one."

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Positive tests on small ship lines raise the question: Too soon? - Travel Weekly

Stand Out In Todays Crowded Job Market – Forbes

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Portrait of confident businesswoman with arms crossed. Smiling mid adult female professional is ... [+] wearing smart casuals. She is leaning on glass wall in corridor at creative office.

Unemployment is soaring, companies are folding, and the future of the economy is unclear at best. For senior-level and executive professionals who are looking for a new job, this means that what worked for a month ago simply will not make the cut today. Todays hiring climate demands not just patience and persistence, but a fundamental shift in job searching strategies. Key among them is ensuring that you dont just make a good impression, you make a lasting impression. Standing out and sticking in peoples memories is going to be more critical, and more difficult than ever before. As an executive, its more important than ever to zero-in on your expertise and take a strategic approach to your job search efforts. Here are a few steps that you can take to make sure you present yourself as a candidate that companies need to hire.

Update and Upgrade Your Marketing Assets

Your guiding word for your job search should be targeted. In order to have a finely-tuned search, you need to have finely tuned personal marketing materials. This includes your resume, but also any other assets that show off your brand, your achievements, and your experience. Before you begin your search, take a moment to write down what you bring to the table from an employers perspective, not from your own. For example, you want to change I lead cross-functional, international teams to I ensure that companies cross-functional teams around the world are highly coordinated and effective, driving revenue and innovation. Once you define your core offering, evaluate all of your materials to make sure they each drive a consistent message.

While youre working on your marketing, remember to highlight your soft skills alongside your achievements. Soft skills are the key to implementing a vision and being a successful manager. Highlighting such skills on your resume can truly set you apart from the other candidates. When building your resume remember to weave soft skill examples into accomplishments and job responsibilities. Even if its not something you realized at the time, you likely used soft skills such as communication, empowerment, and decision-making every day. When it comes to your resume, just remember to highlight how each played a part in your success. The pandemic has served to make companies more empathetic to individual needs and you want to show that youre a capable and personable leader.

Need to Pivot? Work From the Inside Out.

Business man working on computer while sitting at desk.

Shifting industries at the senior or executive level is challenging, but it can be done. If, in particular, the opportunities in your own sector have been hard hit by the pandemic you may feel that your only option is to pivot. This requires an extra level of finesse for professionals at your level. This is where your core competencies that youve identified earlier will be essential. If you have 20 years of experience as an international hotel chain executive, for example, identify what core skills youve developed in this industry that could be relevant in other, adjacent industries. For example, perhaps youre experienced in identifying new potential markets, building teams from the ground up, and ensuring company standards are upheld across global locations. These skills and experiences could be highly useful for other industries which have a global view, even if they arent the exact field youve established yourself in.

Address Soft Skills That Are Important to Remote Workforces.

Think about the onboarding process for companies that are newly remote. HR departments are struggling to bridge communication breakdowns and encourage employee engagement; managers have trouble training new hires, monitoring their progress, and connecting team members.

When you interview for a position, or do any kind of outreach, show that you can anticipate these obstacles and make the process easier for the hiring manager. Highlight your soft communication skills and give examples in your work and the way you conduct yourself.

Target the Right Employers.

For executives and upper-level employees, the job search is more than just a numbers game. Because hiring is a large investment, businesses want to find the right fit. Target employers and tailor your application to their specific needs. Companies that are still developing their product (and therefore have a lean payroll) are most likely to hire outside talent during a crisis.Also consider looking at businesses with in-demand digital services that need to increase productivity. The video game sector, for example, has seen revenue increases since the lockdown. At your level, you need to remember the key word: targeted. Focus on cultivating connections to 15-20 people at different companies, no more. You want to conduct highly-targeted, respectful, and engaging outreach that always focuses on demonstrating value to them rather than why they should want to be connected to you.

Turn the Tables by Interviewing Potential Employers.

A creative way to connect with potential employers and simultaneously strengthen your professional network is to start a small content series that interviews leaders in your industry. Your goal is always understanding their business, their needs, and focusing on them. However, be sure to present why youre in a unique position to do so, and what you can do to help them grow.

Its easy to find a platform for sharing professional content such as LinkedIn Pulse or Medium, and its not too complicated to set up a personal website with a blog. With a platform in place, start by creating a few thoughtful articles on important topics relevant to your industry. Then identify leadership at companies that present interesting employment opportunities and reach out with a request to interview them for your next article. This will act as a soft way to engage with potential employers, generate interesting conversation related to your industry, and demonstrate your expertise and thoughtfulness within your field.

Not only could this start some interesting conversations, but the process will also help you build out a strong online presence that will aid your application to other jobs.

Network Extensively Within Your Sector.

More jobs are found through networking than by responding to job postings at all times, especially for senior-level professionals. Thats especially true in times like these. Take two steps in networking. First, get in touch with your existing network. Reach out for Zoom chats or virtual coffee hours. Let your network know you are furloughed and job searching.

Second,grow your networkwith Zoom chats and virtual coffee hours. Consider getting in touch with professionals youve long admired for informational interviews,

Businessman networking on the phone sitting at the laptop.

mentorship, and advice. Join new professional associations.

Throughout your networking, remember to offer support, information, and advice to your network as well as seeking it. Reciprocity is key to successful networking.

Use LinkedIns messaging features to strike up connections with relevant contacts. Remember, at your level this is probably not the HR professional but rather the leaders in the departments that are relevant to you. Remember though, if the other side is wary or dismissive, be respectful and take the hint. You dont want to burn any bridges before youve built them, and you never know when someone may remember that you reached out to them and that they could use a connection like you.

Check Out Remote Conferences.

Many conferences have pivoted to provide an alternative remote version of the events that were canceled this year. This is one smart way to connect with people within your industry and with those who hold similar interests.

Keep a keen eye on the attendee lists and look for ways to connect with those people directly through social media or email. Some online events even have an open chat function to get things started.

Make it Easy To Learn More About You.

An online portfolio or website that highlights your accomplishments and experience is a smart way to stand out from other applicants. Most people do not take the time to do this, but it will leave a more lasting impression than a PDF resume or standard submission form. It will also give employers a better impression when they google your name (which they will do) and your own, personalized website is at the top of the results. This is also a great way to highlight the work youve done earlier of creating thought leadership pieces or interacting with other companies and leaders.

Final Thoughts

The market today simply isnt like it was six months ago, and your executive job search cant be the same either. In todays challenging market, you need to take the extra time and effort to ensure that youve got a highly-focused strategy for showing potential employers how you are going to be the key to them making it through and succeeding in these times. Your efforts should always be focused on their needs not yours.

No matter what tactic you take to making a strong impression, the most important thing is to put a strong show of your best qualities and accomplishments. Give hiring managers and employers the opportunity to connect to you, your story, and your mission and youll stand out as a stronger candidate in your field. Not every approach will feel right for every person, but by choosing a few of these strategies and applying your own special spin on them youll be far from another face in the crowd. Ultimately, you want it to be crystal clear how you fit into the puzzle of their needs, that you understand what their pain points are and you have the skills and experience to overcome them. Focus on what your target employers need, and theyll be more likely to see that youre the missing piece.

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Stand Out In Todays Crowded Job Market - Forbes

Could ice sheets, not rivers, have formed the channels on Mars? – EarthSky

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Earth on the left, Mars on the right. Left, the glacier-cut channels on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic. Right, channels of unknown origin in Mars Maumee Valles region. Mars channels might have been cut by rivers, or as in Earths Arctic they might have been formed by meltwater under glaciers. Image via Cal-Tech CTX mosaic/ MAXAR/Esri/ UBC.

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Thanks to orbiting spacecraft, weve now seen thousands of channels on Mars. They look like river channels, and most Mars researchers see them as evidence of a warmer, wetter Mars in the distant past. But, in early August 2020, Mars researchers announced that many of the channels werent carved by flowing river water at all. Instead, these scientists claim, the channels are due to the flow of meltwater beneath glacial ice sheets that crawled over Mars surface long ago.

The researchers are from the University of British Columbia (UBC), Western University (Western) and Arizona State University (ASU). Their peer-reviewed findings were published in Nature Geoscience on August 3, 2020.

From the paper:

The southern highlands of Mars are dissected by hundreds of valley networks, which are evidence that water once sculpted the surface. Characterizing the mechanisms of valley incision may constrain early Mars climate and the search for ancient life. Previous interpretations of the geological record require precipitation and surface water runoff to form the valley networks, in contradiction with climate simulations that predict a cold, icy ancient Mars. Here we present a global comparative study of valley network morphometry, using a principal-component-based analysis with physical models of fluvial, groundwater sapping and glacial and subglacial erosion. We found that valley formation involved all these processes, but that subglacial and fluvial erosion are the predominant mechanisms. This is supported by predictions from models of steady-state erosion and geomorphological comparisons to terrestrial analogues. The inference of subglacial channels among the valley networks supports the presence of ice sheets that covered the southern highlands during the time of valley network emplacement.

If the researchers are right, their conclusions would seem to pour cold water, literally, on the idea that Mars was warm and wet enough early in its history for flowing rivers, rain and oceans. So how did they determine that not all river channels on Mars were really made by rivers?

The Devon Island ice cap in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, which is probably similar to how much of Mars looked when meltwater formed channels beneath ice sheets, according to the researchers. Image via Anna Grau Galofre/ UBC.

These scientists developed new techniques to study Mars channel formations. Over 10,000 Mars channels were studied, and they were thencompared to the subglacial channels on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The researchers found a number of striking similarities. Anna Grau Galofre, formerly at UBC and now at ASU, and lead author of the study, stated:

For the last 40 years, since Mars valleys were first discovered, the assumption was that rivers once flowed on Mars, eroding and originating all of these valleys. But there are hundreds of valleys on Mars, and they look very different from each other. If you look at Earth from a satellite you see a lot of valleys: some of them made by rivers, some made by glaciers, some made by other processes, and each type has a distinctive shape. Mars is similar, in that valleys look very different from each other, suggesting that many processes were at play to carve them.

Many of the Martian channels resembled the ones in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. So what does that tell scientists about Mars history? It would imply that those channels formed under cold, not warm conditions. Co-author Gordon Osinski at Western said:

Devon Island is one of the best analogs we have for Mars here on Earth; it is a cold, dry, polar desert, and the glaciation is largely cold-based.

Our study challenges the widely held view that most valley networks on Mars were formed by rivers fed by precipitation. While we found evidence consistent with a small handful of valley networks having formed in this way, our observations suggest that the majority formed beneath ice sheets.

Study co-author Mark Jellinek of UBC looking towards the Devon Island ice cap. The rocks he is standing on are more than a million years old. Image via Anna Grau Galofre/ UBC.

These channels were most likely formed beneath glacial ice sheets, by meltwater underneath the ice. The same process happens beneath glaciers on Earth. As co-author Mark Jellinek at UBC explained:

These results are the first evidence for extensive subglacial erosion driven by channelized meltwater drainage beneath an ancient ice sheet on Mars. The findings demonstrate that only a fraction of valley networks match patterns typical of surface water erosion, which is in marked contrast to the conventional view. Using the geomorphology of Mars surface to rigorously reconstruct the character and evolution of the planet in a statistically meaningful way is, frankly, revolutionary.

The history of water on Mars and the warm and wet versus cold and wet scenarios have been the subjects of intense debate. We do know there used to be lakes on the surface, thanks to evidence from orbiting spacecraft and rovers such as Opportunity and Curiosity. But were the conditions warm or cold? Was there rain? Were there oceans? It should be noted that these new findings explain many of the channels, but others are still considered to be actual river channels. But then how and when did they form? NASAs Perseverance rover will be landing at the location of one of these channels in February 2021, where a once-flowing river emptied into Jezero Crater and formed a striking delta that can still be easily seen today.

An ancient river delta in Jezero Crater on Mars (enhanced color). If the researchers are right, most of the river channels on Mars were actually formed by meltwater beneath ice sheets and not flowing water on the surface. But others are known to have been formed by flowing water, such as the channel that cut into the edge of the crater and created the delta. This is where NASAs Perseverance rover will be landing in February 2021 to search for evidence of ancient life. Image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech/ ASU.

The subglacial channels fit with current climate models of Mars, which state that the planet should have been cooler when they formed about 3.8 billion years ago. This is due to the younger sun being less intense than it is now. Grau Galofre said:

Climate modeling predicts that Mars ancient climate was much cooler during the time of valley network formation. We tried to put everything together and bring up a hypothesis that hadnt really been considered: that channels and valley networks can form under ice sheets, as part of the drainage system that forms naturally under an ice sheet when theres water accumulated at the base.

While the concept of a colder and icier Mars instead of a warmer and wetter Mars may not sound as appealing for those hoping to find life, the new findings may actually bolster the chances of life having existed at the time. The researchers say that these regions of glacial meltwater would have provided better survival conditions. The ice sheets would have helped to protect and stabilize the water and provide shelter from solar radiation from the sun. The planets magnetic field, which protected it from the radiation, may have already disappeared by the time the glacial meltwater existed.

The new techniques developed by the researchers can also be used to learn more about the early history of Earth as well. Jellinek said:

Currently we can reconstruct rigorously the history of global glaciation on Earth going back about a million to five million years. Annas work will enable us to explore the advance and retreat of ice sheets back to at least 35 million years ago to the beginnings of Antarctica, or earlier back in time well before the age of our oldest ice cores. These are very elegant analytical tools.

Anna Grau Galofre of UBC and ASU, lead author of the new study. Image via UBC.

If many of Mars river channels were actually formed by water from melting ice and not flowing surface water, that will provide more clues as to how much water Mars had in the past and how habitable the planet was a few billion years ago. And, even though this scenario may not seem as exciting as a warmer world covered with rivers, it could still have been quite habitable for tiny Martian microbes. Given other evidence for actual rivers, lakes and possibly even oceans, perhaps there were colder periods alternating with warmer ones? We still dont know for sure, but the story of water on Mars is a fascinating and complicated one.

Bottom line: Many of Mars ancient river channels, thought to have been carved by flowing surface water, might have actually been formed by meltwater beneath glacial ice sheets.

Source: Valley formation on early Mars by subglacial and fluvial erosion

Via UBC

Via Western

Via ASU

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VIDEO: Hope Probe reveals atmosphere of Mars – Gulf Today

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Photo used for illustratrative purposes.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The UAE's Hope Mars Mission will search for connections between todays Martian weather and its ancient climate.

It hopes to become the first expedition to provide a complete picture of the planets atmosphere. The probe will orbit Mars from February 2021.

One of the major objectives of the Emirates Mars Mission Hope Probe is to find out how the Martian lower atmosphere responds globally, diurnally, and seasonally to solar forcing. The instruments that will used are:

Emirates Mars InfraRed Spectrometer (EMIRS)

Emirates eXploration image (EXI)

Purpose of Experiment

Understand the processes that are driving the global circulation in the current Martian climate.

Determine the geographic and diurnal distribution of key constituents in the lower atmosphere of Mars on sub-seasonal time-scales

The Emirates Mars Mission "Hope Probe" will reveal many of the red planet's secrets, which could assist in setting up a human outpost on the planet in the future.

Determine the abundance and spatial variability of the key neutral species in the thermosphere on sub-seasonal timescales. The instruments used:

Emirates Mars Ultraviolet Spectrometer (EMUS)

The Process

Determine the column abundance and spatial variability of oxygen, and carbon monoxide in the atmosphere.

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Mission to Mars: Robotics competition goes virtual in 30th year – Dal News

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This years annual robot design competition was not only a milestone as the event reached its 30th year, but it was also the first competition to be hosted online.

The event, which is usually held in person, is the much-anticipated finale of Dalhousie engineering students ECED 3901 course. Engineering Professor Vincent Sieben acted quickly to pivot the in-person curriculum and robot competition to a digital format to keep staff safe and student experience and engagement high while learning remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic.

When speaking about the three to four weeks it took to re-jig the course to fit distanced learning, Dr. Sieben said, This was a monumental feat that I couldnt do without my fellow colleagues, and I couldnt have asked for a better group of people to carry this course across the finish line.

Bringing this competition to a virtual format is a great example of how faculty and staff have worked to adapt teaching and learning opportunities to the changed environment resulting from a global pandemic.

The 113 students in the course, spanning across Canada, China and even the Bahamas came together to form 37 teams. They worked hard and collaborated digitally over the semester to get their robots ready to compete in the autonomous robot challenge simulating farming on Mars.

Dr. Sieben enjoyed the unique opportunities and challenges to run labs out of students homes.

The design competition features automated robots, coded by undergraduate electrical and computer engineering students. Students coded their robots to cover an area, like mowing the lawn, while avoiding placed obstacles in the form of Martians. This had to be done with autonomous movement, meaning that all the coding happened before the event and the robots had to be capable of avoiding unknown, and unpredictable obstacles.

Using Raspberry Pi kits allowed students to simulate the robot code in their homes utilizing Gazebo and the Robot Operating System (ROS). The students then attempted their simulated code on real robots throughout the term with progressively more difficult tasks leading up to the final competition. This code was then provided to the professor and lab staff and the students told the staff what they wanted done.

Dr. Sieben says, We were the hands acting on behalf of the students' brains.

The day of the event, the students took turns competing to see who would come out on top. Not only were the students and professors watching the robot design competition, but anyone could join the livestream of the event. Throughout the day family, friends, and robot enthusiasts were able to pop in and out of the livestream.

Want to get a taste of the competition for yourself? You can watch a video of snippets from the labs and competition below.

A record number of successful attempts were set in this 30th year of the competition, with 31 out of the 37 teams completing the obstacle course.

The winning robot design went to Team 4 with students, Gabriel Burchat, Brad Jones, and Yang Lu as the minds behind BYGbot, which was named using the initials of the teammates.

Gabriel Burchat weighed in on his experience, saying, My team and I had a blast doing this term project. It wasnt the hands-on nature that we heard so much about because of the quarantine, so we didnt know what to expect. The course design was extraordinary. I wouldn't have wanted to do this semester any other way. Dr. Sieben made us excited for the project in a way that reinvigorated our enthusiasm for the semester.

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Mission to Mars: Robotics competition goes virtual in 30th year - Dal News

Delaware to require teaching of the Holocaust, genocide – Forward

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Auschwitz, a concentration camp in Poland.

(JTA) The state of Delaware will require the teaching of a Holocaust curriculum in middle and high schools starting with the 2021-22 term.

A bill signed into law late last month by Gov. John Carney mandates that public schools implement curriculum on the Holocaust and genocide for students in grades 6 through 12. Each district can develop its own curriculum, according to the Delaware State News.

The Halina Wind Preston Holocaust Education Committee of the Jewish Federation of Delaware, an interfaith volunteer group comprised of Holocaust survivors and their families, Holocaust scholars, teachers, clergy and community advocates will provide guidance and resources, according to the report.

The bill passed the state legislature unanimously.

Ann Jaffe, a Holocaust survivor living in Delaware, participated in the signing via videoconference. She spoke to the House and Senate about her experiences and has regularly spoken at schools in the state for several decades.

I am the last generation of first-hand witnesses, and I am 89-years-old. I am glad to know that when I will be gone, the schools will continue our work, Jaffe said in a statement at the signing, WDEL reported. The importance of teaching the Holocaust and about genocide in Delaware schools is great. How can we expect our children to remember and learn from history they did not know?

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Berachos: The Key To Fearing Hashem – The Jewish Press – JewishPress.com

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Photo Credit: Jewish Press

Now, what (mah) does Hashem ask of you? Only to fear Hashem, to go in all His ways and to love Him (Devarim 10:12).

The Talmud (Menachos 43b) says we learn from this verse that one is obligated to recite 100 blessings a day. Rashi and Tosfos explain that the word mah can be interpreted as meiah, which means 100.

The Talmud (Berachos 33b) asks about this verse: Is fear of heaven a minor matter? Why is it presented as it were no big deal that Hashem is only asking that we fear Him? In fact, even Avraham Avinu was only declared to be a fearer of Heaven Now I know that you fear Hashem (Bereishis 22:12) after the Akeidah. Clearly, properly fearing Hashem is very difficult. How, then, can the Torah obligate ordinary men to accomplish this extraordinary task?

Perhaps the answer lies in the 100 berachos this verse requires us to say. Each beracha establishes an infrastructure that promotes yiras Hashem. With each beracha, a person says thank you to Hashem, recognizing what He does for us and acknowledging that everything comes from Him. Saying a beracha provides us with a moment of reflection that concretizes the omnipresence of Hashem in our lives. Doing so is thus a tried-and-true means of achieving yiras Hashem.

Yet, we say certain berachos so many times that we dont even think when we say them. How, then, can they inspire emunah and yiras shamayim?

R Dovid Moshe Braverman suggests reflecting deeply when reciting a beracha. It is known that reciting Birchas HaMazon with deep kavanah is a segulah for parnassah. So when saying, Who nourishes the entire world in His goodness with grace, with kindness and with mercy contemplate these words. Think of the grains and the produce, the magnificent array of colors that make fruits and vegetables so appealing, the life-giving nutrients and vitamins that saturate them all created and arranged by Hashem because He loves us. A person will then start thinking about his livelihood and wellbeing, and his yiras Hashem will grow as he appreciates everything Hashem does for him in this world.

Here are additional suggestions to acquire and improve ones yiras Hashem:

* Rav Shach says reciting berachos from a siddur, especially Birchas HaMazon and Asher Yatzar, inspires deeper introspection and thought.

* R Yehuda Tzadka recommends dividing a beracha into phrases and pausing between each one to reflect on its meaning. Baruch Atah Hashem. Pause. Elokeinu Melech Haolam. Pause. Shehakol Niheyeh Bdvaro. Acting in this manner will accustom a person to saying each beracha with deep kavanah.

* Say berachos with more kavannah, but focus on one beracha at a time.

* Chazal state that saying berachos out loud increases ones emotion and kavanah.

The Michtav MEliyahu notes that yiras Hashem provides protection against failure to follow the ways of the Torah. If a person lacks yiras Hashem, his heart is subject to the wiles of the yetzer hara who will determine what his heart desires. Yiras Hashem safeguards our Torah, our mitzvos, and our lives.

R Dovid Baharan was a great tzaddik who lived in Yerushalayim. One year, R Baharan was seen during Succos sitting with his head bowed on his shtender, crying for over two hours in the shul of the Gra, located in the Shaarei Chesed neighborhood. One of his friends approached him and asked why he was so distressed.

He explained that in the morning he had risen early to make the beracha on lulav and esrog. However, as he concluded the beracha, he noticed that the hadassim had slipped out of the holder, perhaps making his beracha one that was said lvatalah (in vain). Members of the shul, which was widely known to have an impressive group of talmidei chachamim, cited the specific chapter in Shulchan Aruch which states that if one of the species was removed, the person has still fulfilled the mitzvah.

R Dovid argued that even if he had fulfilled the mitzvah, he was still concerned that the beracha itself had been said in vain because of the missing species, as indicated by the Mishnah Berurah.

The next year on Succos, R Dovid was once again seen crying in the corner with his head down on the shtender. His friend approached him and asked, Did the same thing chalilah happen to you again?

R Dovid replied, Chas vshalom. I took extra care to make sure it wouldnt.

So why are you crying? inquired the friend.

R Dovid answered, What happened last year gives me no rest. I cannot forget that I was not careful enough to make sure there was no possibility I would make a berachah lvatalah.

R Dovids response reflected true yiras Shamayim. He had not done anything wrong whatsoever. Yet, a full year later he was still worried that his performance of a mitzvah had not been complete and perfect.

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Berachos: The Key To Fearing Hashem - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com

A Personal Relationship With God Is Reachable if We Believe in It – Algemeiner

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A Torah scroll. Photo: RabbiSacks.org.

In his old age, the late Sir Roger Bannister was the absolute epitome of an elderly British gentleman urbane, well-spoken, and courteous to a fault, the type of person you would have guessed had spent his pre-retirement working life as the manager of a local bank, or as the headmaster of an upscale grammar school.

Indeed, those guesses would not have been far off the mark. In 1954, Bannister graduated Oxford University medical school, and he spent almost 40 years as a neurologist, retiring in 1993 at the age of 64.

But his decades-long professional career as a physician and his quaintly charming demeanor in later life are of little relevance to the fact that this avuncular man with an infectious smile and a twinkle in his eye was one of the most famous athletes of all time.

Bannisters fame rested on the fact that on May 6, 1954, in front of a surprisingly small number of spectators at an amateur runners event at Oxford UniversitysIffley Road track, he ran a full mile in just under four minutes 3:59.4, to be precise becoming the first person on record ever to do so.

August 9, 2020 11:05 am

Remarkably, it almost didnt happen. In the summer of 1952, Bannister had competed at the Olympic Games in Helsinki, Finland. Already known for his extraordinary running talent, expectations for Bannister were high, and he was the favorite to win the 1500 meters.

But at the last minute, the race schedule changed, throwing his routine into disarray and he came in fourth. Tremendously disappointed by his failure to win a medal, he contemplated abandoning athletics for good. But after some careful reflection and soul searching, he decided not to give up, instead setting himself a new target he was going to be the first athlete in the world to break through the four-minute-mile barrier.

His success in this endeavor was far from a foregone conclusion. In 1947, at the age of 18, Bannister ran his first competitive mile in 4 minutes 24.6 seconds. By 1949 he was running a mile in 4:11, and in 1950 he had managed 4:09. Then, in 1951, he ran the mile in 4:07.

On May 2, 1953, Bannister ran a mile in 4:03.6 but as hard as he tried, and as much as he trained, he found that he simply could not run a mile in less than four minutes.

And he was not the only one trying; other top runners were trying too, and achieving better times than him: on June 5, 1953, the US runnerWes Santeeran a mile in 4:02.4, and later that year, AustralianJohn Landyran it in 4:02.0. But doing it any faster than that seemed impossible.

The following year, Landy made various attempts to beat his own record, running 4:02.4 in January 1954, 4:02.6 in February, and in April 4:02.6 again. It was all in vain. The record for the fastest mile was still held byGunder Hgg of Sweden, who ran it in 4:01.4 on July 17, 1945 in Malm.

Almost 10 years had passed without anyone breaking this record, and sportswriters and medical experts declared that it was not possible for humans to run a mile in under four minutes. The countless failed attempts by Bannister and others seemed to prove them right.

When Bannister unexpectedly managed to do what no one had thought possible on that damp day in Oxford, everyone imagined it was a complete one-off, and that it would take years for anyone to get there again, if ever. Less than six weeks later, Landy ran a mile in 3:58 in Finland, and then, at the Empire Games in Vancouverin August, Bannister won the first-ever race in which two men ran a mile in under four minutes.

In June 1957,Don Bowdenbecame the first American to do it, running a mile in 3:58.7 in Stockton, California. In fact, since that fateful day in May 1954, the sub-4, as it is known, has been achieved over 1,400 times, with the current one-mile world record held by Moroccan runner Hicham El Guerrouj, who ran it in a staggering 3:43.13 in Rome, on July 7, 1999.

Over the years, whenever Bannister was asked how he had broken through that unbreakable barrier, heanswered simply it didnt make sense to me that there was a barrier.

As far as he was concerned, if someone could run a mile in 4.01.2, then there would definitely be someone who could run a mile in less than four minutes. Bannister would say that he was determined to be that person, adding that he knew that once that psychological barrier which is all it was was breached, there would be many more who would get through it too. And despite his humility and understatedness, he was absolutely right.

In the Torah portion of Eikev, during one of the last speeches Moses gave to the Jewish people before passing away, he posed a question for the nation to consider (Deut. 10:12): what is it that God wants from you?

Before giving anyone the opportunity to answer, Moses answered the question himself, beginning his answer with the Hebrew wordski im only that

The clear implication of this phrase is that Moses wished to suggest a simple, achievable way for the nation to please God. But what actually ensued was a list of goals and targets that was so beyond the grasp of ordinary mortals, it almost seems comical: you should fear God, walk exclusively in His paths, love Him, and serve God with all your heart and soul, keeping all His commandments and laws.

Really? If thats the case, we may as well all give up before we start. After all, why embark on a Mission Impossible?

To compound the problem,the Talmud (Berachot 33b) quotes this verse and notes how difficult it is to achieve an acceptable level of fearing God. In order to resolve this problem, the Talmud proposes that what is virtually impossible for ordinary people was easy for Moses, which was why he included the fear of God on his list of what God wants from all of us.

But how exactly is that an acceptable solution? And surely Moses would not have deliberately set us up to fail?

But perhaps the Talmud is telling us something very profound in its simplicity. What is recorded as Moses advice is a reflection of who he was, and it is this that should truly inspire us. For Moses, the fear of God seemed like the most natural thing in the world. One might even speculate that had you asked Moses how he could ever have suggested breaking through an unbreakable barrier, he might very well have replied, It doesnt make sense to me that there is a barrier.

And if an entire nation would witness a man like Moses, for whom the fear of heaven was a simple and rudimentary aspect of life achievable, with no barrier it would undoubtedly make a powerful impression, thereby enabling many others to achieve the same result.

Moses proposition may have been a reflection of who he was humble and understated but it paved the way for something much more important. Suddenly the high bar became a reality that was within the reach of all of us. Psychological barriers are there to be broken, but you need to know that it is possible to break them.

And as it turns out, our relationship with God is not an unachievable sub-4; instead it is an attainable goal. All we need to do is believe we can get there.

Rabbi Pini Dunner is the senior spiritual leader of the Beverly Hills Synagogue.

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