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Choosing to Be Childfree Doesn’t Mean You Dislike Kids | Time

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Recently I was having coffee with a friend whose kids had just graduated from high school. She talked about how excited she was for them, one of whom is entering a program to pursue acting and the other who is launching a career in music. I shared in my friends excitement, noting how impressed Ive been by their performances in our community. Wed been talking about them for no longer than five minutes when she gasped, Oh my god! You just wrote a whole book about not liking kids, and here I am talking about mine.

As a childfree person who also studies the experiences of non-parents, I hear versions of this comment a lot. In this case, it was polite and well-meaning. In others, its less so. But however its presented, its a reflection of a common misconception about people who choose not have kids: that because we dont have them, we must not like them.

In researching my book Childfree by Choice, I interviewed 70 people who made the same decision, asking them both about their reasons for forgoing parenthood and the other relationships in their lives. Most of them told me they have at least some connection with children. Some even said that their relationships with children are special precisely because they dont have children of their own.

Like more than a quarter of the people I interviewed, Susan, a 53-year-old camp director, intentionally sought out a career path that would require her to interact with and be involved in childrens lives. Her mission was to become an advocate for kids, focused on securing a better future for other peoples children without having the potential distraction of being pulled away from that goal by having her own. There are so many children who are already in this world who need our love and attention, she said. This is more important than bringing our own children into it. I heard similar sentiments from teachers, therapists, social workers, pediatricians and police officers.

Of course you dont have to dedicate your career to children to have a meaningful effect on their lives. As the only childfree couple among their friends, Jack and Kim enjoy being able to provide occasional relief to the parents in their peer group. We all have this sort of joke that our house is called Summer Camp, Jack said. As the couple without kids, sometimes we have more of an ability to play with their kids than other couples the kids can see us as a bigger, older friend.

Other childfree people provide financial support for the children in their lives. Annette, a professor, has helped friends with expenses for their kids. As she said, I care for them emotionally, of course, but also financially. Anything I can do to help them and their parents, Im glad to do it. One 2012 study found that PANKS (Professional Aunts No Kids) spent an average of $387 on the children in their lives in the past year. Another, conducted in Finland, found that women without children invest more in their siblings kids than women with children of their own invest.

These roles matter. Research on the impact of non-parental adult mentors shows that having caring adults who are not their parents involved in their lives improves youths self-esteem. Adults benefit, too. The childfree people I interviewed said that their relationships with kids provide fulfillment and a sense that they are contributing to a greater good. One study found that while aunts and uncles offer their nieces and nephews advice in dealing with family members as well as other support, it works the other way too. Participants also reported that they formed a friendship with these family members based on shared interests.

Its true that some childfree people do prefer the company of adults over children, and certainly we should be glad that adults who arent fans of kids arent having kids. And no one should have to justify their choice to not be a parent by professing their love and adoration of children. Some people want to be parents, some are driven by something else their marriage, their career, travel, animal rescue, environmental activism. Often, though, the way they spend their time and the role they play in their communities and beyond helps make the world a better place for the kids growing up in it.

We hear proclamations all the time that it takes a village to raise a child, and childfree people too are an important part of that village.

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Choosing to Be Childfree Doesn't Mean You Dislike Kids | Time

This Is What No One Tells You About Being Child-Free In …

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Years ago, at a crowded happy hour after work, my friend pointed out a man with his kid on his shoulders. Why would you bring a baby to a bar? my friend marveled.

Yeah, I said. Why would you have a baby?

This got the laugh I wanted it to. My single friends were in their late twenties, and kids were what seemed like they were impossibly far in the future. I was in my early 30s but pretty recently divorced and beginning to think I didnt want children certainly not then, but also maybe not ever.

Still, the ticking of my biological clock eventually got loud enough to hear over the salsa music I danced to several times a week. Between the ages of 41 and 43, I sort of tried to get pregnant with my boyfriend, Inti. Beyond choosing a suitable father and plucking out my IUD, I didnt do much. No OB-GYN visits other than my annual exam. No thermometer, no ovulation-monitoring app. For a while I tracked my cycle informally, raised an eyebrow at Inti once a month, and stuck my legs in the air after sex. But a year went by, and my period was so regular I never even had to open the pregnancy test package.

Sounds sad, doesnt it? It is but only sort of. If it were deeply sad, if I were the kind of woman who felt truly incomplete without a child, I would have handled it differently.

My friends who wanted kids (and didnt come by them the usual way) did the things you do when that happens and you have money. These friends, married and single and mostly younger than I am, took hormones, had fibroids removed, did IVF. They interviewed potential egg and/or sperm donors, chose a donor. They looked into adoption, adopted. In the last few years, one way or another, they all had children.

And so, they tell me, could I. But Im not trying to anymore and I dont want to take the heroic measures they took, and I cant quite articulate why except to conclude I must not want kids enough.

I find no role model or path to help me navigate this. I didnt do everything I could to be a mother, but I still grieve motherhood. I dread the baby shower, anticipate the sorrow Ill feel on that first new-baby visit. Its hard because I did want kids, so Im envious, but its also hard because my friends departure into parenthood feels like betrayal. Yes, betrayal.

All those child-free years we had together feel forsaken. That freedom to hit the salsa club on a weeknight, those casual text invitations to same-day happy hours. All that time I was valuing that lifestyle, cherishing it and my friends in it, what was it to them, that they can so decisively change it? I know, I know; were in that stage of life. Now theyre moving on. No one promised me to stay child-free forever.

Fair enough. But somehow I thought all along we would keep comparing notes from the opposite sides of our different life choices.

When your friends move into parenthood and you dont, theres no map for the terrain you move into instead. They stop coming to your cocktail parties (Couldnt find a sitter, sorry). They invite you to their gatherings, which arent fun for you, overrun as they are by kids you might like and find adorable and entertaining in the short-term but whom you dont love, not the way you love your friends themselves. The gatherings contain no stretches of time long enough for meaningful conversation.

As parents, you understand this new reality. You roll your eyes, but you get it: This is life now. But when your kids take you away from me, I resent it. I just do. I know theyre brilliant and beautiful, but theyre children. I like you not these demanding small people.

Its socially acceptable for parents to complain about parenthood. They are allowed to lament their lost freedom. They are allowed to say how wrecked they are, how busy, how sleep-deprived. They can bemoan the chaotic state of their households and blame it on their kids. And then as if to assuage any guilt they are allowed to say they wouldnt trade it for anything, to say how happy and sparkly their messes are, how precious.

On the child-free side, its socially less acceptable to gloat about our European vacations, our restful evenings at home, our tidy living rooms with breakable items on low coffee tables. If we do enthuse about an activity we know our parent friends can no longer participate in, we are achingly aware of their side-eye, their evaluation of us as delusional for attempting to find meaning in these nonfamilial pursuits. Sure, they might outwardly envy our freedom what mom wouldnt love a break from her kids to spend a week on a beach? But how can such hedonism possibly measure up to the miracle that is motherhood? The precious, joy-producing person who is her son?

Its obviously no contest particularly because every parent once didnt have kids, and no childfree-by-(mostly)-choice person ever did thats the trump card every parent carries: He can compare it, he has tried both options, and we all know that no matter how bitterly a parent will complain, he would never, ever, EVER trade in his child for anything.

Except I still dont want kids badly enough to take heroic measures. I dont care how worth it you say it is and I dont care how cute and smart and squishy your baby is. From here, parenthood still looks mostly like a drag. Its hard to pretend that I dont find it alien and baffling. My life is vastly different and its different because I (mostly) want it that way. I actively enjoy not having kids. A lot. Im living the freewheeling, adventuresome life responsible parents must wait 18 years to return to.

And Im deeply engaged in the pursuit of my passions: chasing my freelance writer dream, building a writing-coaching business, spending all the time it takes to make my memoir meaningful. Passing uninterrupted evenings at home, reading on the sofa with the lighting just so, the tea steeping on the coaster, the boyfriend busy at the computer.

So whats a middle-aged, childless woman to do when her best friends become mothers and fathers? And whats a new parent to do about his childless friend? The one who still throws out last-minute happy hour invitations, the one who wants one-on-one time only, the one who doesnt offer to babysit?

Were all grownups: We can stay friends through major life changes, we can roll with lifes punches. Im getting used to my smaller role in my parent friends lives. Im spending more time with my childfree or part-time (divorced) parent friends.

Its been about three years since I basically gave up on motherhood, and although Inti and I are not actively preventing conception, I no longer slump when my period comes each month to remind me, yet again, of my not-pregnant status. At 46, I know my odds. Once in a while, maybe at a nephews first birthday party or after an evening of cuddling and giggling with my best friends baby, grief and hollowness clasp on and threaten to never let me go. Im so afraid one day Ill regret my choice.

I regret it now. I dont regret it. Its complicated.

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This Is What No One Tells You About Being Child-Free In ...

Why arent millennials having kids? 8 insights into the …

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Parenthood was once thought to be inevitable a destiny for healthy fertile adults.

No more. Many people are opting out, a life choice that still provokes debate.

The number of babies born in the U.S. last year fell to the lowest level in 32 years, with younger women especially having fewer kids. Americans are now having fewer children than it takes to replace the population, a trend mirrored in other countries.

It doesnt surprise Amy Blackstone, a sociology professor at the University of Maine and author of the new book, Childfree by Choice: The Movement Redefining Family and Creating a New Age of Independence.

She and her husband Lance decided not to have children years ago after simply not feeling the pull towards parenthood. They check in with each other every year to make sure theyre still both on board about opting out. Famous women who've also made the choice include Ina Garten, Cameron Diaz and Helen Mirren.

For her book, Blackstone interviewed 70 child-free men and women and surveyed more than 700 about their experiences. She found women still feel the brunt of the stigma.

Men sort of get a pat on the back and theres more joking about, Arent you lucky that you dodged this bullet? Blackstone, 47, told TODAY.

Whereas for women, its the, Oh, you poor thing, I cant believe youre missing out on the most meaningful experience that a woman can have. You must be so sad and lonely.

Here are eight more of her findings:

Blackstone: The cost of living and having a baby we know thats a particularly difficult issue for millennials who are facing all kinds of college debt. Certainly, having a child has an impact on the environment and I know thats a reason that millennials have shared for their choice.

Trending stories,celebrity news and all the best of TODAY.

Other top reasons include the desire for autonomy, spontaneity, freedom and the ability to travel.

Blackstone: This quote from a 44-year-old married woman resonated for me: I worry that if I had a child Id become a terrible partner because Id be so focused on being a good parent.

This doesnt mean child-free people necessarily have perfect relationships or better relationships than parents. But in my own case, I do recognize that I would be giving something up in terms of my ability to feel close with my partner and nurture that relationship.

Blackstone: In 2015, Pope Francis said, The choice to not have children is selfish.

If were going to put that label on the child-free, then its a label that needs to be shared across any group of people whove made a choice about the life that they know is right for them.

But isnt that what were all doing? Even parents, if you ask them why they had children, would tell you that they wanted kids because thats the life that they envisioned for themselves.

Alternatively, we can choose to abandon the selfish label and decide its OK for people to make a life choice that is best for them, whether that be parenthood or non-parenthood. Maybe neither choice is selfish.

Theres an impression that child-free people dont give back, or arent giving to their communities or making a difference in the world. Frankly, nothing could be further from the truth. We know from research that the child-free are involved in their communities theyre about as likely as parents to volunteer.

Blackstone: A quarter of the child-free people I interviewed actually chose careers that require them to be involved and make a difference in childrens lives. Many of them are teachers, social workers, pediatricians. There are all kinds of ways the child-free are engaged in kids lives and made a choice to do that.

Some child-free people dont like children and in that case, the last thing we want to do is push them into becoming parents.

Blackstone: I have not talked with anyone who feels regret about their choice.

I have had family members who I know have been worried for me, but we should accept when people tell us they dont want to have children. Parenthood is a role that is best fulfilled when its one thats chosen. It takes a lot to be a good parent so if somebody doesnt feel that pull, thats perfectly OK.

Blackstone: When people say we are missing out on something, thats absolutely true. But I would also turn it around and say its possible that parents are missing out on some aspects of the lives that child-free people enjoy. We cant do it all its impossible to have every life experience.

So yes, we will miss some experiences, but I dont think that because that is true, that it necessarily follows were unhappy. Im very happy with my decision. My husband and I have a life that we love.

Blackstone: These are questions that we all should be thinking about as we age, whether we have children or not.

In terms of the child-free, many have been creating a nest egg to help them be able to provide for themselves in their old age. And were seeing more and more examples of The Golden Girls-style living where older adults are sharing households with each other.

Its a mistake to assume having children means one will have a person to care for them in their old age. Not every adult child cares for their aging parents, research shows.

Blackstone: I would love it if we came to understand that the child-free have families. I count my husband and me as a family.

Child-free families fulfill the same functions that families with children do. We create households as a safe space that provides an emotional connection and an opportunity to recharge. We engage in social reproduction, which involves anything that people do to help rear the next generation. For the child-free, that means being mentors and friends to children.

A. Pawlowski is a TODAY contributing editor focusing on health news and features. Previously, she was a writer, producer and editor at CNN.

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Why arent millennials having kids? 8 insights into the ...

10 Women Look Back On Living Childfree By Choice | SELF

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

More women than ever in the U.S. are making the choice to remain childfreeor not making the choice to have children, depending on how you want to look at it. Whatever their reasonswhether they be financial, related to health and lifestyle considerations, or quite simply never feeling the maternal instinctit is clear that many are still questioned about their decision and are often told that they will change their minds or regret it when they are older. There's no crystal ball that can let a woman look into the future and know if any of these (usually unsolicited) warnings will turn out to be true. But there is the clarity of hindsight. We talked to 10 women, now past childbearing age, about their decision not to have children to help inform and support younger women making a similar choice.

1. "Every time I hear about people's problems with their children, I think I dodged a bullet."

"I can't remember ever wanting kids, except maybe as a preschooler. My mother and stepmother both acted as if child rearing was tantamount to roasting in hell. (My stepmother also battered and psychologically mistreated me. I've heard that that often dissuades women from wanting children.) It helped that my now-husband was adamantly anti-kid. I might have allowed myself to be swayed otherwise. My mom is disappointed. People may say I'm selfish. They'd be right! I would so resent caring for children.

Every time I hear about people's problems with their children, I think, I dodged a bullet. I worry occasionally about finding myself alone in a big indifferent world, but I also know that children can be the ones who put you in a facility against your will, steal from you, or otherwise break your heart. No regrets so far. Interestingly, though, I often daydream about step or foster children. I guess I feel as if I have a lot of hard-won wisdom to share, if anyone wanted to hear it"Christie L., 52

2. "There's always a bit of a 'what if?'"

"I have a very clear memory of babysitting when I was about 12 and thinking, this isn't going to be my life. My first husband and I were married when we were 22 and I was very intent on having a career as a journalist and traveling a lot. We agreed to delay the decision about children until we were 30. We wound up getting divorced before that deadline so I don't know what would have happened had we stayed together. I was married twice more, and during my last marriage, my husband convinced me to at least try to get pregnant. I was 37 and very conflicted. I did actually get pregnant, but then had a miscarriage. He blamed me and the marriage never recovered.

Though I sometimes had fantasies of having a mini-me that I could take around the world with me, I didn't want it enough to make it happen. I actually do love children, and have been very close to my friends' kids and I have a niece my sister adopted from China with whom I'm very close (particularly since my sister, a single mother, died five years ago, so I'm the 'parental alternative' as I say).

Every time I go to a special eventbar mitzvah, wedding, etc.of my friends' kids I have a twinge that I'll never have that experience. On the other hand, I have friends whose children have been killed, committed suicide, have emotional problems, or just completely ignore them, and I realize that's a never-ending source of agony that I don't think I would have been prepared to deal with. Most of the time I am comfortable with how things have turned out....There's always a bit of a what if? but I think that's true of almost anything in life"Carol S., 67

3. "Seven decades of feminist activism have enabled us to challenge many long-accepted, limiting roles for women."

"I never had a strong urge to be a mother.Perhaps the reason is that I was the youngest of four children and had little experience with babies. A decision point came when I married a man who, because of his troubled family history, was opposed to fathering a child. I honored that decision, as we both agreed that the world did not need another mouth to feed. That marriage lasted only three years, which only confirmed the wisdom of my decision.

10 Women Look Back On Living Childfree By Choice | SELF

Is There A World Beyond YouTube for Crypto? – Cryptonews

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Source: Adobe/bloomicon

The relationship between the communications giant Google and the cryptoasset industry can be characterized as somewhat antagonistic.

Now, its video-sharing platform, YouTube seems to be on the offensive, de-platforming some crypto-related content creators, leaving them looking for viable alternatives.

As early as 2019, reports began to emerge from content creators within the cryptosphere who claimed that they were receiving warnings from YouTube about the content in their videos. In many cases, videos were removed, forcing the content creators to appeal the decision. In more extreme cases, some content creators found their YouTube channels de-platformed.

Towards the end of 2019, these claims reached a fever pitch as the crypto community noticed a purge of crypto-related material on YouTube. Channels like BTC Sessions, ChrisDunnTV, and Crypto Tips received warnings and had numerous videos deleted.

On December 23, 2019, Chris Dunn questioned YouTubes choices saying, "YouTube just removed most of my crypto videos citing "harmful or dangerous content" and "sale of regulated goods"... it's been 10 years of making videos, 200k+ subs, and 7M+ views. WTF are you guys doing?!

Given the widespread nature of the deletions, speculation rose about YouTubes motives. Considering restrictions on crypto and blockchain ads on Google, some members of the crypto community believed the video-sharing platform was purposefully participating in censorship.

YouTube eventually released a statement, saying that the deletions were accidental and urging content creators to appeal any decisions they feel were made in error. For content creators like Chris Dunn, however, going through the appeal process in order to have the videos reinstated did not always work. Dunn said, Today, YouTube not only took down the videos that they reinstated yesterday, but they took down at least one other video that theyd never taken down before.

In March 2020, YouTubes parent company Google announced a number of measures it was taking to ensure the safety of its employees in light of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Google and its subsidiaries would begin to limit the number of employees coming into the office in order to reduce the spread of the disease. On March 15, YouTube published a statement detailing how its move to limit employee activity within the centralized working spaces would affect content creators.

The video-sharing platform said that automated systems will start removing some content without human review, so we can continue to act quickly to remove violative content and protect our ecosystem, while we have workplace protections in place.

Unfortunately for creators on YouTube, the measures would mean there would be an uptick in video removals. While AI is helpful in many ways, the technology lacks nuances and is likely to flag up content as if it is in violation, when it is in fact not. Knowing this, YouTube stated they would not issue a punitive warning against creators whose videos were flagged unless it was determined without a doubt the content was violative.

The platform also reiterated its open-door appeal policy, which they believe provides the content creator power to overturn a decision they feel to be unfair. YouTube further noted that the process would take longer because of the aforementioned employee measures.

Since YouTube began to enforce its workforce policies, crypto and blockchain content has seen an uptick in deletions. Beginning in March, complaints are turning into a loud buzz as the year progresses. For instance, Lark Davis, who publishes content under The Crypto Lark channel had 11 videos deleted, all in April. The videos were mostly crypto-related news with the most recent being an interview with blockchain evangelist, Andreas Antonopoulos. YouTube eventually reinstated some of his videos.

Other content creators were not as lucky as they had their channels banned. Blockchain education channel BTC Sessions and popular crypto YouTuber Tone Vays both had no access to their channels for around 24 hours.

Creators like Crypto Crow, Ivan on Tech and The Moon, and even the Roger Ver-led Bitcoin.com channel were banned, albeit temporarily, from the video-sharing platform.

While YouTube is not working for crypto and blockchain content creators, many feel beholden to the platform due to a combination of factors. However, they are now starting to look for hosting options for their content, especially decentralized platforms. After their channel reinstatement, BTC Sessions, for example, announced that they would begin to publish content on other platforms, such as Twitter, Twitch, and blockchain-based DLive.

The Blockchain Education Network (BEN), a YouTube channel that has also been flagged, started to publish content on DTube and LBRY - both blockchain-based platforms. DTube has sizeable viewership, it struggles with bandwidth and can fail uploading videos.

Other decentralized platforms that crypto content creators have been leveraging are Hive and 3speak.

While there are options for content creators to migrate to, YouTubes superior bandwidth and market reach are still hard to beat.

The presumably worlds biggest independent video content creator, PewDiePie, whose real name is Felix KjellbergPewDiePie, is a good example of this. After a year of livestreaming exclusively on DLive, he went back to YouTube where he signed an exclusive streaming deal.__Learn more: Trump vs. Twitter Fight Reignites Social Media Decentralization VisionThe Twitter Hacks and Battles of Plato, Socrates and Aristotle

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Is There A World Beyond YouTube for Crypto? - Cryptonews

NASA to Provide Coverage of Astronauts’ Return from Space Station on SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight – PRNewswire

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

WASHINGTON, July 24, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NASA will provide live coverage of activities leading up to, during, and following the return of the agency's SpaceX Demo-2 test flight with the agency's astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley from the International Space Station.

The duo arrived at the orbiting laboratory on May 31, following a successful launch on May 30 on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

NASA and SpaceX are targeting 7:34 p.m. EDT Saturday, Aug. 1, for undocking of the Dragon "Endeavour" spacecraft from the space station and 2:42 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 2, for splashdown,which will be the first return of a commercially built and operated American spacecraft carrying astronauts from the space station.

Coverage on NASA TV and the agency's website will begin at 9:10 a.m., Aug. 1, with a short farewell ceremony on station and resume at 5:15 p.m., with departure preparations through splashdown and recovery at one of seven targeted water landing zones in the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Florida.

All media participation in news conferences and interviews will be remote; no media will be accommodated at any NASA site due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. To participate in the briefings by phone or to request a remote interview with the crew members, reporters must contact the newsroom at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston at 281-483-5111 no later than two hours prior to each event.

NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 return coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):

Wednesday, July 29

A media phone bridge will be available for this event.

Friday, July 31

A media phone bridge will be available for this event.

Saturday, Aug. 1

Sunday, Aug. 2

A media phone bridge will be available for this event.

Tuesday, Aug. 4

A media phone bridge will be available for this event.

These activities are a part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, which has been workingwith the U.S. aerospace industry to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil to the International Space Stationfor the first time since 2011. This is SpaceX's final test flight and is providing data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking, splashdown and recovery operations.

The test flight also is helping NASA certify SpaceX's crew transportation system for regular flights carrying astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX is readying the hardware for the first rotational mission, which would occur following NASA certification.

The goal of NASA's Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station. This could allow for additional research time and increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity's testbed for exploration, including helping us prepare for human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

For more information about splashdown locations, weather criteria and recovery logistics, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/top-10-things-to-know-for-nasa-s-spacex-demo-2-return

For full mission coverage, NASA's commercial crew blog, and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

SOURCE NASA

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NASA to Provide Coverage of Astronauts' Return from Space Station on SpaceX Commercial Crew Test Flight - PRNewswire

An Active Arctic: Where Sea Ice Meets the Midnight Sun NASA Earth Expeditions – NASA

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

The German icebreaker Polarstern lit up on every deck, acting as a beacon for researchers navigating the Arctic terrain. Credit: University of Maryland / Steven Fons

By Emily Fischer, Goddard Space Flight Center

In the early 1900s, Ernest Shackleton attempted to travel across Antarctica, but as they neared the continent his ship became stuck in an pack of sea ice and was slowly crushed before it reached the landmass. Over 100 years later and on the opposite side of the globe in the Arctic, researchers in the massive, double-hulled icebreaker, Polarstern, are also stuck in a pack of sea ice but this time on purpose. And this ship isnt sinking any time soon.

Polarstern is the operational center for the Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate, or MOSAiC. The first expedition of its kind, MOSAiC is an international mission exploring the Arctic climate system year-round, with more than 100 scientists and crew members from 20 nations living aboard the research vessel.

Intentionally trapping itself in the sea ice, Polarstern drifts with the floe, which is a large pack of floating sea ice. Researchers set up little cities on the ice where they take measurements using delicate instruments. While it appears that the sea ice they walk on to reach these camps is stationary, everything is actually slowly drifting as wind and ocean currents push the gigantic slabs of ice.

MOSAiC is a multidisciplinary expedition, as researchers from a variety of fields including marine biology, meteorology, and oceanography collaboratively study Arctic changes.

Its more of a process study, explained Steven Fons, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Maryland and NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, who studied sea ice from March to May of this year. The idea, then, is once everybody collects this data, we can compile everything and learn about the sea ice in the ocean, and the atmosphere and the ecology.

Sea ice is an integral part of the Arctic climate system because it sits directly between the ocean and the atmosphere, moderating the exchange of heat and moisture. An important climate indicator, sea ice research identifies changes in other Arctic climate systems, including the ocean, atmosphere, ecology, and biogeochemical cycles. Basically, studying sea ice can give greater insight into how the entire Arctic is reacting to climate change.

For a small group of MOSAiC researchers, every Monday was a 14-hour workday spent at Dark Sites, named so because they are isolated from the bright lights of Polarstern. After traveling over a mile on snow machine, the team used hollow drills to remove cylindric cores from the sea ice floe. In the labs aboard Polarstern, these samples revealed the fascinating characteristics of sea ice.

As ice forms, it will eject the salt away as its freezing, said Fons. The longer it stays around, the more salt essentially drains out of it. Basically, high salt levels tell researchers that this particular ice formed in the most recent winter. This can reveal how the Arctic adjusts to higher temperatures, as the region is warming at a rate more than twice the global average.

In the Arctic, wind chill can reach frigid temperatures as low as minus 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Working in the cold without hand protection was impossible, so Fons wore thin gloves underneath his bulky mittens, which he removed when handling small objects. Even so, frequent warming breaks were necessary, which meant simple, one-minute tasks could take 10 times longer in Arctic conditions.

Some of the really cold days, you can only last 30 seconds at a time taking off your big mittens, he recounted. You just have to put five zip ties on this cable, perfect. It should take one minute to do, but it would take 20 minutes because you have to keep warming your hands and [the zip ties] keep breaking in the cold.

Native to Wisconsin, Fons is no stranger to subzero winters. Nonetheless, during this expedition he witnessed temperatures unlike anything he had ever experienced before. Icy winds bit into any exposed skin. His only relief: a thick, bushy beard and about ten layers of clothing.

In an ever-changing environment, researchers locations can be difficult to determine on the ice cover, which can literally shift beneath their feet. For MOSAiC, every measurement is paired with a GPS coordinate. However, the ice drifts, and so the latitude and longitude change every day. Instead, the immense icebreaker Polarstern is used as a point of reference, a sort of ground zero for field navigation.

Youre given a position away from the ship, so a certain distance of x and y, and that will theoretically never change, Fons explained. But even this system has its obstacles. If the ice broke up and the ship moves a little bit, then you can lose your x-y positions, so it didnt always work.

Helicopters and planes accompany Polarstern, getting a birds-eye view of the stark white landscape. Flying high above the floe, planes take airborne measurements in a similar way to Operation IceBridge. Fons does research using data from NASAs ICESat-2 the satellite that surveys glaciers and sea ice around the globe and he was lucky enough to validate some of the satellites measurements while researching with MOSAiC.

On the ship, since were constantly drifting with the ice, we dont exactly know where were going to be on any given day, he said. We got lucky that we happened to be drifting one day over a spot that ICESat-2 was going to fly over. We were able to jump on that opportunity and schedule a helicopter flight.

Seasonal changes near the poles are unlike anywhere else on Earth. Summer and winter are really the only seasons these regions experience, characterized by a dramatic transition between complete darkness during winter days to total sunlight during the summer. Ten days after reaching Polarstern, Fons witnessed his first Arctic sunrise. As summer came, the Sun sailed over the horizon for longer and longer each day until it refused to set, resulting in the phenomenon of the midnight sun.

Ice dynamics, or the movement of ice slabs in the floe that changes the terrain, were a trademark of Fons three months on Polarstern. Sometimes, the researchers would wake up to massive leads, or ice fractures, blocking their usual routes. Other days, research tents would be buried in ice piles from leads that closed to form towering ridges. Sea ice dynamics had a wide appeal for study among MOSAiC teams. Below the floe, marine biologists and ecologists studied microorganisms. Within the ice itself, sea ice researchers examined crystallization patterns.

With MOSAiC, what people are able to do is look at the ice at so many different scales and through many different lenses, Fons summarized.

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An Active Arctic: Where Sea Ice Meets the Midnight Sun NASA Earth Expeditions - NASA

Blood Brothers #40: The Enlightenment, European colonialism and New Atheism – 5Pillars

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

In this special episode of the Blood Brothers Podcast, Dilly Hussain speaks with prominent Muslim apologists and debaters, Subboor Ahmad and Imran Hussain from IERA.

In this in-depth conversation, Dilly questions Subboor and Imran about the clashes of personalities and ideas within dawah organisations and how to overcome disagreements.

Imran who is the founder of the Epistemix YouTube channel explains how the rise of atheism didnt occur in a vacuum and was intrinsically linked to the industrial revolution and European colonialism, while Subboor (Darwinian Delusions YouTube channel) argues that geopolitical and material interests ultimately dictates ideas and ideologies of powers.

Topics of discussion also include the ongoing persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China, priorities for Islamic revival, and a fiery exchange between Subboor and Dilly on the topic of Muslims allying with Christians and Jews against secular liberalism.

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5Pillars is editorially and financially independent, with no sectarian or political allegiance to any particular group or movement. Our journalism has been exclusively grassroots focussed and our sole purpose is to defend Islam and Muslims in the media.

This makes us unique in comparison to other online Muslim media outlets who are neither independently regulated by a reputable body nor are they managed by qualified journalists.

Our journalism takes time, money and effort to deliver. But we do it because we believe we have a duty to Allah (swt).

You may not agree or like everything we publish. However, which other Muslim news site that is run by experienced journalists will take on the responsibility of being a shield for Islam and Muslims in the media?

If you follow 5Pillars, and you understand its importance in todays climate, then please support usfor as little as 5 a month, it only takes a minute to make a donation. Jazakallah khayran.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:The best deeds are those done regularly, even if they are small.[Ibn Majah]

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Blood Brothers #40: The Enlightenment, European colonialism and New Atheism - 5Pillars

In God We Trust becomes the official motto of U.S. – LubbockOnline.com

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

By More Content Now

Religious events in history

On July 30, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a law passed by the 84th Congress declaring "IN GOD WE TRUST" as the national motto of the United States.

The phrase first appeared on one-cent and two-cent pieces in 1864 after the passing of the Coinage Act of 1864. The phrase continued to be inscribed and printed on U.S. currency into the Cold War era. During that time, the U.S. government was looking to distinguish itself from the state atheism practiced in the Soviet Union and a resolution was introduced to create the national motto.

The resolution passed unanimously in both the House and the Senate and was signed into law by President Eisenhower. On the same day, Eisenhower also signed into law a requirement that "IN GOD WE TRUST" be printed on all U.S. currency and coins.

Religion calendar

July 28: The Hajj (Islamic)

July 29: Tisha B'Av (Jewish)

July 30: Eid al-Adha (Islamic)

Aug. 1: Lughnasadh (Pagan and Wiccan)

Aug. 15: Feast of the Assumption (Roman Catholic)

Aug. 16: Paryushana (Jain)

Aug. 19: Islamic New Year (Islamic)

Sept. 1: Pitru Paksha (Hindu)

Good book?

"Defined by Moments: Leadership Lessons from Gideon the Biblical Judge" by Joel E. Medley

"Defined by Moments" breaks down the life of Gideon into 13 critical decisions that either advanced or diminished his leadership. Defining moments are not the grand successes or failures for which we are remembered but are the moments, hardly noticed by others, that create those public milestones.

- Westbow Press

The Word

yahrzeit: In Judaism, the anniversary of the death of an immediate family member, marked by the lighting of a yahrzeit candle that burns for 24 hours.

- ReligionStylebook.com

Religion around the world

According to the CIA World Factbook, the religious makeup of Singapore is:

- Buddhist: 33.2%

- Christian: 18.8%

- Muslim: 14%

- Taoist: 10%

- Hindu: 5%

- Other: 0.6%

- None: 18.5%

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In God We Trust becomes the official motto of U.S. - LubbockOnline.com

GETTING THE MESSAGE/Isaiah 40:25-26 – Madison County Journal

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

When we are in a personal crisis we often cry out to the Lord. When you are needy, and have no one to help, what else can you do? Needy people, who call upon him, are precisely those whom God helps. The Lord can help you with temporal concerns and supply the spiritual necessities you require to sustain you in difficulty. Your cry is not unheard.

It is the full and self-sufficient who are foolish. The Lord speaks directly to us in verse 25: To whom then will you compare me, that I should be like him? says the Holy One. The Lord is turning us away from the folly of idolatry.

Psalm 14 speaks of the curse of idolatry: The fool says in his heart there is no God. They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does goodThey have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

The psalm isnt speaking of atheism but idolatry. Men form their own gods and the Bible says even their outward good deeds are corrupted under the examination of the holy God. Men are swollen with pride, even though their life is frail and fleeting.

It is in this condition that the gospel comes to men. Gods Spirit magnifies to men their sin and misery, and enlightens their minds to knowledge of Christ. And the Lord doesnt refuse any sinner who comes to him. It truly is amazing grace, and it is sweet to the redeemed soul.

God identifies himself as the Holy One (verse 25). Holiness describes the otherness of God, his uniqueness, separate and above his creatures and creation. He alone is God. It also points to him as morally pure and perfect; he is pure light, with no darkness.

His will is not a created will, capable of unrighteousness, as well as righteousness. His justice is a holy justice; his wisdom a holy wisdom; his truth is holy truth; it is not possible that anything he promises or warns will fail. So when his Spirit works savingly upon a soul, his holiness is manifested to that soul. The need of reconciliation becomes indispensable; priority one.

The soul under conviction begins to understand his own works and righteousness under Gods examination will not suffice before the judgment of God. He sees himself in a way he hasnt before. The Son of Gods willingness to die for him is revealed in both its love and sufficiency. He now understands that God is pleased in all his holy purity with Christs offering for his sin.

Because God is holy, his love is boundless to those he has made holy in Christ. He delights in their holiness, because he reckons them as righteous as Christ. The more the Christian comes to understand this, the less he strives and worries about his acceptability before God on his own merits. Conversely, the less he is insensitive to his sin and vanity. He realizes he now belongs to the Holy God.

Strangely, the more the Christian understands the love of Christ and the certainty of his salvation as free and owing to nothing he has done, but wholly because of what Christ has done, the more self-less he becomes in serving Christ, and less the approval of men he seeks. He becomes motivated more from faith and love because Christ gave himself for him.

Verse 26 is a good one to memorize if you want to have the love of Christ before you always. The Lord directs you to look at the stars above and consider that he knows them all by name. Christ, in John 10, says he is the Good Shepherd who calls his sheep by name.

God formed the stars for your instruction. First, that he alone is Creator of all; he brought all into existence for his own glory. Second, that in Christ, you are of greater significance than the stars. The Son of God loved you and saved you. He has called you by name, led you out of sin and death. He has given you hope and a future. You are to follow him and not look back; seeking his glory, as his star.

The end of verse 26 says, By the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power not one is missing. By speaking of the stars this way, the Lord is saying to you what he also said of his sheep in John 10: No one will snatch them out of my hand. None of his sheep will be missing on the Day of the Lord. The Lord is my Shepherd. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

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GETTING THE MESSAGE/Isaiah 40:25-26 - Madison County Journal

The Book That Changed My Life – Rewire.org

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

A good book can entertain, inform and, at the very least, provide a short escape from the daily grind.

But a great book a truly influential work can shift the trajectory of your life.

The best books make you feel more alive, help you through difficult times, transform your worldview, show you what it means to be human and inspire you to create a better future.

Rewire recently asked a group of young folks, each accomplished in their respective field, to discuss the books that have had the greatest impact on their lives. Their responses celebrate and pay tribute to the works that have meant the most to them.

Over a decade ago, I suffered a concussion after being rear-ended at a stoplight by a car traveling nearly 70 miles per hour on a semi-residential road. In the time that followed, I experienced post-concussive symptoms like vertigo, tinnitus and significant memory issues.

It was as if my memories had been knocked out of their files, haphazardly gathered, then transported to a storage unit in another country. New memories stacked without sense or order.

In an attempt to recover who I was before the accident, I shuffled through music on an old iPod.

In the seconds-long pause between songs, on a day en route to somewhere I no longer remember, I suddenly heard the voice of Terrance Hayes recite one of "The Blue Terrance" poems from Wind in a Box. I listened on repeat to believe the lines, "Thump. Thump. // Thump. Everything I hold takes root."

That poem so resonated that I committed it to memory before seeing what it looked like on the page. Until that collection, with its insistent repetitions, nothing stuck. The book rooted me.

Janine Joseph is the author of Driving Without a License (Alice James Books, 2016) and an assistant professor of creative writing at Oklahoma State University.

On 18th Street, a door mural painted by Rufus Linus Jr. reads: "Bless the Children of Pilsen."

I often wondered what it meant, at first connecting its meaning to the violence I had normalized growing up in the neighborhood.

Street photography and books about segregation such as The Color of Law were some tools I utilized to seek answers. But it was Lilia Fernndez's 2012 book, Brown in the Windy City, that made it clear how my life was a part of something much bigger.

Pilsen was not only a place I called "home," it became a neighborhood with historic contributions to the labor movement and home-making through organizing and art. It was on every wall, mural, street name, park, high school, food, sounds things that can be photographed and written in books.

Sebastin Hidalgo is an award-winning photojournalist and digital producer who uses photography as a tool to engage with many social and humanitarian issues affecting communities of color. View a selection of his Pilsen photography in the New York Times.

I read Giovanni's Room each year from the age of 16 to the age of 25. Baldwin made me understand the deep fear, the resistance, the self-loathing, the damage and the passion that loving a person you don't want to love can cause.

Now that I have fallen in love and left the country, now that I have lost people I defined myself in relation to, I have come to understand that there are moments that can change your life for the better if you'll simply say yes.

As the character Jacques says: "Somebody, your father or mine, should have told us that not many people have ever died of love. But multitudes have perished, and are perishing every hour and in the oddest places! for the lack of it."

Maya Marshall is a writer, editor and co-founder of underbellymag.com, the journal on the practical magic of poetic revision. Her debut full-length collection is forthcoming from Haymarket Books.

It's impossible to choose a single book that changed my life, as I trace my understanding of why I care about the things I do to some of the earliest books I read. But I want to highlight a revolutionary work I read last year that enriched that understanding by putting language to so many of the reasons I care about those things: This Life by Martin Hgglund.

Hgglund argues that if, like me, you don't believe in God, you should consider time our most precious resource. Because of this, he says nontheists ought to have profound concern for how all people spend the tremendously short time we get, and that this concern should move us to dismantle capitalism and all of the dehumanization that accompanies it.

Though Hgglund argues for philosophical and political beliefs I already hold (atheism and democratic socialism), this book made me care about them anew.

Urgent, accessible, and moving, This Life is the first nontheistic book for which I've wanted to proselytize. Not to "convert" others to atheism, but rather to help them understand why I think all of us atheist or not should desire a society in which everyone can live a life of meaning. This book offers the tools to both imagine and build that world.

Chris Stedman is a writer, speaker and community organizer who teaches in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg University. He is the author of IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives (forthcoming from Broadleaf Books).

The book that changed my life was Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed. I had just gone through a really intense breakup that shattered me.

Up until that point in my life, sadness was an emotion I tried my hardest to avoid, because it was too painful. But Strayed's deeply personal collection of advice showed me the beauty of the human spirit, gave me the tools to be kind to myself and, most importantly, taught me that sadness and grief are things one must move through, not avoid.

Now I'm much more comfortable letting myself sit in those hard feelings in order to heal. (I also recommend her other book, Wild!)

Melissa Li is a composer, lyricist, performer and writer based in New York City and Baltimore. Her upcoming projects include works commissioned by Playwrights Horizons, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Weston Playhouse, Keen Company and more.

The book that changed my life is An Ember in the Ashes by the lovely Sabaa Tahir. This magical young adult fantasy put a spell on me when I read it after college.

It was the first book that made me want to be a great writer, and it lit a fire in me to try and write something that deserved to share a shelf with that masterpiece.

And, if that wasn't enough, the wonderful woman who wrote this life-changing novel is even more amazing than her stories. If you haven't read it, grab it today because it will sweep you away.

Tomi Adeyemi is a creative writing teacher and the Hugo & Nebula award-winning author of the New York Times bestselling books Children of Blood and Bone and Children of Virtue and Vengeance.

In Gravity and Grace, Simone Weil considers the essential conditions of salvation, the mysticism of work, differences between time and eternity, the importance of necessity and many other topics, all of which focus on the relationship between human existence and God.

Her writing bewilders: It is sometimes difficult to discern whether the book is written in Chinese or English. The rhythm of the passages and the timbre of Simone's language are reminiscent of traditional Chinese texts, such as the Tao Te Ching.

I often walk away from these pages having accrued no new knowledge. And yet, this lack is precisely the reason I am able to return to them, again and again.

One of my recent artworks is titled Device for a Child Standing at the Mouth of a Labyrinth. I am that child. Gravity and Grace is the device that I use for contemplation and protection.

Hong Hong is an interdisciplinary artist whose practice spans sculpture, performance, printmaking, and installation. Her work explores the human perception of landscape in contemporary settings and the conditions that shape it.

I first discovered this book in undergraduate school at Montana State University and quickly obtained my own copy. I continue to refer back to Richard Throssel's photographs of my community and have been inspired by his work to create my own images that capture the vibrancy of the Crow Nation.

Wendy Red Star is an Apsalooke (Crow) photographer based in Portland, Oregon. Her work is informed both by her cultural heritage and her engagement with many forms of creative expression, including photography, sculpture, video, fiber arts, and performance.

The author that continues to change my life is Toni Morrison.

Right now I am reading The Source of Self-Regard, a collection of her essays, speeches and meditations. To pinpoint one way that she impacts me is impossible; suffice to say I often find myself in humble, grateful tears when I read her work.

She has helped me think, feel and love in new ways. I believe Morrison's combination of profound empathy and stunning intellect will be a gift for generations to come.

Lisa Sanaye Dring is a writer, director and actor. She recently founded the Evolving Playwrights Group with Circle X Theatre Co., a writing and mentorship program for emerging and mid-career playwrights.

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The Book That Changed My Life - Rewire.org

Saints who had to live the faith without the support of their spouses – Aleteia IT

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Marriage is a beautiful sacrament and a powerful path to holiness. But while there are many amazing saintly couples who found holiness together, not every married saint was blessed with a holy partner. Many lived for years with the cross of an unbelieving or lukewarm spouse. And while some of those spouses did ultimately come to know the Lord, others died unconverted. For those who struggle to follow the Lord while married to a non-Christian or non-practicing spouse, there is hope in the witness of the saints who found holiness in these marriages.

St. Monica (331-387) is, of course, most famous for her years of interceding for her son St. Augustine. She prayed and wept and sought advice from one priest after another until, finally, her son was converted and became one of the greatest theologians of all time. But before Augustines conversion, Monica had prayed for the conversion of his father. A bad-tempered man, Patricius made life difficult for Monica, ridiculing her for her faith and even forbidding the baptism of their children. Through the mercy of God (and the unceasing intercession of his wife), Patricius was converted on his deathbed. Baptized just before he died, from heaven he joined his wife in interceding for their son.

St. Catherine of Genoa (1413-1463) had hoped to enter religious life, but her brother convinced her instead to make what seemed to be a good match. When her husband turned out to be an unfaithful man with a violent temper, Catherines devotion was no match for such suffering and she fell away from the fervent practice of her faith. For five years, she moped. For the next five years she sought to forget her unhappy marriage in the things of the world. But finally she was converted (after a mystical experience) and her witness combined with a financial crisis led her husband to conversion only six months later. The couple made a vow of abstinence and began a life of prayer and service.

St. Augustine Yu Chin-gil (1791-1839) was a Korean convert to Catholicism, converted by a chance discovery of scraps of a book written by Servant of God Matteo Ricci. Though he traveled throughout the country evangelizing, he was never able to convert his wife or daughters; by all accounts, they died without ever accepting the faith. When Chin-gils son, on the other hand, heard that his father had been arrested, he presented himself at the prison to be martyred as well. St. Peter Yu Tae-chol was only 13 years old when he and his father were killed for the faith.

Servant of God Elisabeth Leseur (1866-1914) married a man raised in a devout family, but her husbands atheism was no youthful phase. The intellectual Felix was deeply in love with his wife and generally kind, but he had a habit of ridiculing her faith. The pressure overcame Elisabeth and she stopped attending Mass for a time. Eventually, though, she returned to the practice of the faith, offering up all Felixs slights and barbs (along with her chronic illness and infertility) as prayers for his conversion. After her death, Felix read her diaries and learned of all she had suffered and all she had offered for him. Determined not to be moved, he traveled to Lourdes to debunk the faith once and for all but was converted and became a Dominican priest. He devoted the rest of his life to telling the story of his beloved wife.

Bl. Lucien Botovasoa (1908-1947) was married to a Catholic woman, but his wife was not pleased with what struck her as an excess of piety in her husband. Lucien was a good husband and a loving father, but Suzanne thought he could make more money if he quit his job as a teacher and he could have more time for her if he would only abandon his vigils and daily holy hours. At the root of it was a fear that her husband would leave her to become a priest; when Lucien discovered this, he reassured his wife that he would not leave her. He kept his word until civil unrest in Madagascar led to his martyrdom. He left behind his wife and five children.

Servants of God Cyprien and Daphrose Rugamba (1935-1994, 1944-1994) ended up in a holy and loving relationship, but their marriage wasnt always idyllic. They were married after Cyprien, a former seminarian, had lost his faith completely. Though Daphrose was a faithful Catholic, Cyprien was a philanderer who had multiple affairs and one illegitimate child during their marriage. For nearly 20 years, Daphrose prayed for her husbands conversion. Finally, as he lay dying, Cyprien had a sudden conversion and looked up to see his wife beside him. Cyprien was healed and begged Daphroses forgiveness, which she gladly gave.The next 12 years of their marriage were beautiful and joyful, until the couple was killed (with six of their children) in the opening days of the Rwandan genocide.

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Saints who had to live the faith without the support of their spouses - Aleteia IT

Turning Fake News on its Head: Stalin Lives Again to Reveal Deep Truth – Canada NewsWire

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Despite its widespread adoption, the word used to describe the genocide is unknown to many, which is why the ultimate goal of the campaign is to have the word "Holodomor" (derived from Ukrainian words meaning "to inflict death by hunger") added to English-language dictionaries, as it was to Ukrainian dictionaries after the break-up of the Soviet Union.

Visitors to the "Deeptruth" website (deeptruth.ca) will be invited to sign an online petition to have Holodomor included in future editions of the Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionaries, as well as Dictionary.com.

"Canada, the United States, Ukraine and 14 other countries recognize the Holodomor as an act of genocide and honour the victims in an annual day of remembrance on the fourth Saturday in November," said Bob Onyschuk, Chair of Holodomor National Awareness Tour. "Yet, most people are still largely unaware of the basic facts of one of the greatest crimes of the 20th Century. Having Holodomor added to the dictionary is more than symbolic; it's an important recognition of this Deep Truth."

The campaign features a 75-second video produced by Toronto-based ad agency Mixtape (MXTP.ca) in collaboration with Paul "The Fakening" Shales (fakening.com), a world-leading pioneer of deepfake technology whose vignettes involving politicians, business leaders and entertainers regularly go viral.

With access to rare colour film footage of Stalin, Shales used Artificial Intelligence to map the Soviet dictator's features onto the face of a modern-day actor and bring Stalin back to life. In the video, Stalin declares himself the true originator of "fake news" for having covered up the magnitude of the 1932-33 famine in Ukraine and concealed from the world the engineered murder of millions of innocent men, women and children.

SOURCE Holodomor National Awareness Tour

For further information: Media Contacts: Graeme Harris ([emailprotected]), tel. 416.402.7050 or Brian Smith ([emailprotected]), tel. 416.822.3130

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Turning Fake News on its Head: Stalin Lives Again to Reveal Deep Truth - Canada NewsWire

How One Project has Empowered a Million Women With Skills to Start Their Enterprises – The Better India

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Through the Disha Project a collaboration between UNDP and IKEA Foundation, we have empowered one million women and created a cadre of mentors to strengthen women-led entrepreneurship.

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This article has been published in partnership with UNDP India

Recent media stories talk of how Japan is falling short of its pledge for women to hold 30 per cent of the nations leadership positions by this year. When this pledge was announced in 2011 with a fancy slogan to build a society where women shine, the said rate was 10.6%. Today it has increased only up to 15%. As a Japanese woman, this news has disappointed me but has not really surprised me. How can we have strong women representation in Government, private sector, and political positions, when we are still expecting girls and women to take up the traditional roles as caregivers?

Having lived and worked across several countries Nepal, Maldives, Tajikistan, Yugoslavia, and now India one thing remains common in these historically, geographically and culturally diverse countries: gender inequality. Through my work and own personal experiences, I have seen over and over that womens empowerment cannot happen overnight. Womens empowerment must be part of the government policies, workplace practices, social norms, education and parenting. It is a slow and long process.

The COVID-19 pandemic has further magnified the gender gaps. Increased burden of childcare, caring for elderly and domestic work are falling on women as the key caregiver. It is estimated that following the lockdown in April, four out of every ten women who were working last year, lost their jobs during the lockdown. Womens participation in the Indian workforce is one of the lowest in the world with participation declining from 35 per cent in 2005 to 25.5 per cent today and the lockdown has pushed down the numbers even further.

For UNDP, empowering women and increasing their participation have always been a top priority. All our work on economic empowerment has a strong piece on confidence building, negotiation skills, leadership skills. Building confidence and negotiation skills go a long way in addressing gender discrimination and gender-based violence, which are often significant barriers to womens participation in labour force and other decision-making processes.

Through the Disha Project a collaboration between UNDP and IKEA Foundation, we have empowered one million women and created a cadre of mentors to strengthen women-led entrepreneurship. The psycho-social support provided as part of this project, includes not only the skills to start their own enterprise but also empowers them to negotiate and fight gender stereotypes at home and in the community.

We have been in touch with the women entrepreneurs we work with and have seen how economic impacts of COVID-19 are felt most egregiously by women and girls, especially those who are already economically disadvantaged or economically dependent on others. Thus, it is even more important now to strengthen the scope for local jobs and livelihood opportunities for women so that they can tide over any possible economic crisis.

While we are re-envisioning womens livelihoods, we must realize that livelihoods cannot be seen in isolation. While we work closely with rural women across India, we witness the various challenges that stand between them and their economic independence safety issues, lack of confidence to step out of homes, their overwhelming burdens as caregivers, mobility issues and social norms.

I strongly believe that it is possible to transform this reality. But women cannot do that alone.

We need more leaders, more corporations, and most importantly the men to step up and create opportunities to ensure that every girl, every woman gets an equal chance to realize and grow to their fullest potential. We need to work together to ensure that women are part of all decision-making processes that affect them or matter to them in parliament, in panchayats, in schools, in community groups, in media and at home.

Womens empowerment cannot happen overnight. It is a slow and long process it starts with the family and the community, giving equal opportunities and confidence to girls to stand up for what is rightfully theirs.

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About the author: Shoko Noda is the Resident Representative, UNDP India

We at The Better India want to showcase everything that is working in this country. By using the power of constructive journalism, we want to change India one story at a time. If you read us, like us and want this positive news movement to grow, then do consider supporting us via the following buttons:

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How One Project has Empowered a Million Women With Skills to Start Their Enterprises - The Better India

Empower citizens and the nation will automatically advance economically – Guardian Nigeria

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Between the ages of 3-6, Mercy watched her mother nurture less privileged children and supported their parents in their community. These experiences and exposure spurred her to pick up from where her mother stopped to empower less privileged children. To her, its all about showing them love, care, and empowering them to achieve their goals.

In this interview with Maria Diamond, she spoke on the plight of abandoned and less privileged children in Nigeria, and the long-term implications of not empowering them.

You worked in the aviation industry for 20 years, could you share your experience in the sector?My experience in the aviation industry before I resigned in 2019 was quite informative and educational, though with all kinds of challenges that revolved around character building, crisis resolutions, peace building and reconciliation. I started as a millage agent with Lufthansa German airline in 1999; I was absorbed into companies as a permanent staff to supervise the baggage service department for 7-years. Thats one of the most challenging sections of the industry, as you have to deal with a lot of sensitive issues. Then, I was moved to supervise the passenger service department.

Later on, I got promoted to Operations Department where I was fully responsible for ensuring the aircraft was properly loaded according to safety regulations. I concluded my service with the airline in March 2019, when I took up a one-year contract project management in Aviation Security Internal Quality Control (AVSEC IQC) as Project and Quality Assurance Manager at Pathfinders International Limited, a leading aviation security companies in Nigeria. My job was to ensure the company adhered to Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) regulations, client standard procedures, as well as ensuring we were up to date as regards permits and certifications of over 700-staff across Africa. The project actually elapsed on March 31, 2020.

At what point did you begin to pay attention to less privileged children?As a little girl back in the village where I was born, I witnessed how my loved ones struggled to survive. I saw how my mother would go out of her way, despite our own poor financial situation, to help those in need. Growing up, helping the less privileged was a culture that was modelled for me by my mother and elder sister, who were constantly fighting the cause of the needy and helpless in the community; I believe my passion stems from my family.

At age six, my elder sister took me from my mum to Lagos and I saw again the struggles all around me. We lived in a city of social stratification, such that displayed the extremely rich class, the average, the poor and very poor. Sometimes, my heart cried out for the needy, especially kids and I tried to help them in my own little ways, which included going to school with an extra launch that I could share. Also, having to stand up for a smart child, who comes to school in torn uniforms with no shoes because the parents are too poor to afford a new one. So, it has been my life to care for the less privileged.

You set up Frau Suss Children Empowerment Foundation (FSCEF), which categories of children do you cater for? What exactly are the modalities?We work with children living in orphanage homes, children living with low income or no income parents, and children living in rural areas. The idea is to build a solid foundation of integrity, selfless service, and patriotism in them. Its common for this category of children to feel lost, whilst labeling themselves as not good enough, with a perception that they have nothing to offer the world. All these are negative self-talk and presumed life perspectives they pick up due to their situation and experience as they interact with the society at large.

This mindset of worthless labels, due to lack, immensely affects the kind of citizens they grow up to become; it hinders them from fully attaining their potential. So, at FSCEF, we are bridging the gap by creating opportunities and platforms that help the less privileged children deal with these issues before they are even aware of them. For those, who are already influenced by this negative mind feeds, FSCEF redirects their mindset through our various programmes, which include monthly feeding programme, excursion, free children seminars, a day with Fraususs, scholarship, educational support and others.

Having been on this for some time now, do you think the government has invested enough in empowerment programmes, especially for the less privileged?Considering where we are as a nation, I strongly advise that the government channel resources into empowerment programmes for citizens, especially children and youths. A country can only thrive if the young people are constantly and properly empowered. The future of this country depends on the magnitude of investment put into the young citizens through empowerment programmes. Once you empower the citizens, its natural for the nation to automatically advance economically. However, this is beyond the government alone; well to do Nigerians should also put their resources towards the course of helping the less privileged in the society.

As a foundation, what are the focal areas of operation? FSCEF focuses on the upkeep, education, and exposure of less privileged children. We are located in Lagos where we work more with children in orphanage homes and family support centers. FSCEF also has a family relief center in Mafoluku, Lagos; we are also in Akwa-Ibom State where we run our rural child empowerment programmes. The project involves working with the existing primary schools to activate social activities in the schools, improve on the schools facilities, plan and execute programmes that will give the children exposure and great opportunities to take their shot at life.

One of such programmes is the Madam Celina Football Championship for primary schools in Oruk-Anam Local Council of Akwa Ibom State; the idea is to introduce the rural children to the international world. It was inaugurated in 2017 and was to be played this year, but for the disruption of the world system by the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced us to halt for now.

You recently gave palliatives to children in Mafoluku community in Lagos, what motivated you to do that? Why Mafoloku?As a child, I had lived in Mafoluku; we were not rich, we were just an average family. So, I understand the struggle of families living in this community. When I eventually got the means to better the community, I couldnt help but hear the silent cry for help in various situations. This was why in 2017, we started the family support center in Mafoluku called FSCEF Mafoluku Family Relief Center.

However, the street-to-street palliative was initiated when the Coronavirus pandemic set-in and we started receiving calls for relief. It was overwhelming for me, especially when one of the mothers in the community got my number and called. In tears, she told me how she could not feed after childbirth; feeding became a more threatening life situation than the COVID-19 itself. At that point, the fear for my safety and that of my family, which had kept me within the four walls of my home during the lockdown, was not strong enough to keep me away from the cry for help from these women. I started sending out pleads to friends and everyone I know to support the FSCEF COVID-19 door-to-door and street-to-street food drop-off programme. And so far, we have carried out four editions of the food drop-off in the same community and the 5th is coming soon.

Whats your take on the rising cases of child rape in Nigeria and how can it be addressed?This is a very sad issue for me personally; I have not been able to comprehend it and I probably never would. However, as a foundation, we approach issues with a solution-oriented mindset. This is why we saw the need to create awareness and educate both the parents and children on early detection and prevention of potential rape situations.

We would have organised seminars to thoroughly address the issue, but with the social gathering lockdown directive towards curbing the COVID-19 pandemic, we could only do a door-to-door sensitisation of parents, caregivers and the children too on the issue of rape; we did that in communities we visited recently. We have realised that more often than not, relatives and close friends or neighbours are the enemies perpetrating the act of rape. I believe they are perverts, mentally sick and inhumane. So, the government should send offenders to life imprisonment; thats where they belong, not with the society.

However, to put an end to this rape storm that our country is now faced with, all hands must be on deck and all eyes must be on the watch out for every under age child around. This issue is beyond the government. The idea is to make it impossible for these demons in human clothing to never violate another child again. So, everyone should now voluntarily save our country from these inhumane perpetrators by paying absolute attention to not just your children, but also every child around you.

Having reached out to a number of orphanage homes in Nigeria, what is the common and major challenge in these homes?During my visit to orphanage homes, I have observed the changes in children in times of plenty and in times of lack. And so, food is a major challenge because a hungry child can never concentrate on anything else. But theres always the issue of financial constraints that makes it impossible for the homes to provide for the orphans and feed them well.

The homes are constantly trying to manage the funds to sort numerous overhead costs of running the home, which includes unforeseen expenses popping up here and there. Hence, the minimal budget on food expenses, which of course has a direct effect on the children in the homes. You can easily see this in the appearance of the children. They look healthy and happy when there is enough, and when theres nothing, you see them appear sad and malnourished. Children cant pretend about these things; if you pay attention during your visits, you can always tell.

How many communities has FSCEF reached out to so far?Weve been able to reach out to four orphanage homes and four family relief centers located in various communities in Lagos, while our rural child mission is in Oruk-Anam LGA of Akwa-Ibom State. However, the vision is not in quantity but in the quality of service we are rendering; the impact it makes in the life of these children.

Some of these activities you mentioned involve money, how do you fund the FSCEF? In the beginning, it was my personal funds, and then friends started contributing from the first edition of A Day with Frau Suess. A few companies and organisations have supported over the years, but as we expand our scope, we are constantly in need of sponsors.What are the major challenges of the foundation in carrying out these interventions?The major challenge of the foundation is funding; having to raise funds for projects has proven to be quite difficult. Sponsors are not easy to come by. We have a few sponsors actively helping out though, but not sufficient for all our projects, which is why we solicit fund from government, individuals and private organisations

Are there milestones you feel you would have attained in your career if you were a man? Not really, I have never experienced the issue of inequality when it comes to my professional life. I have always believed that if you render services that are in demand professionally, you will always be highly sought after irrespective of your gender. I have always had support from men and women, as well as organisations led by them.

COVID-19 has disrupted out lives and the economy is also affected, whats the way forward?Lets face it, long before this COVID-19 era, Nigerias economy has been staggering. But the massive recession we found ourselves in due to the COVID-19 should be a wake up call for not just the government, but also every the citizens. As a nation, we have to wake up and look more into being self-sufficient. This COVID-19 pandemic has come to announce to us that we cannot continue depending on help from international organisations; we have to wake up, look inwards and actualise our visions.

With your recent encounter with people in the community, do you think they really understand the gravity of this pandemic? From our first visit, we saw a whole lot of ignorance, which prompted us to educate the people on the severity of the pandemic, as well as distributed PPEs alongside the food drop off project. Since then, they have turned a new leaf. We have executed four editions of this project in the community and have witnessed a dramatic improvement in the adherence to NCDC precautionary directives and guidelines on tackling the pandemic such as the use of nose masks, maintaining physical distancing and proper method of washing the hands. However, I believe theres still a need for constant sensitisation of communities.

Tell us about a significant incident in your field of work that would always stay with you?I was drawn to tears during one of my visits to motherless babies home when a child that was found hanging on a tree, in a nylon bag, with the umbilical cord still intact, was brought to the home. The intention of the mother or whoever disposed of the child was to throw him into the nearby river, but God saved his life. This experience broke me, but built my resolve to muster my resources to help the less privileged.

Where do you see FSCEF 10-year from now?Ten years is quite a short time from now, but I see FSCEF expanding her scope to cover the whole of Lagos and Akwa Ibom State with her major projects, including setting up family support centers.

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Empower citizens and the nation will automatically advance economically - Guardian Nigeria

Martha Hunt: ‘Scoliosis is the driving force of my modeling career’ – Evening Standard

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

The hottest luxury and A List news

As a model for the likes of Victorias Secret, Miu Miu and Hugo Boss since 2013, Martha Hunt is used to being the face of a brand. But when she created her line, Ingal, Hunt found herself involved in every aspect behind-the-scenes, too.

Ive enjoyed learning this side of the business, but there was a learning curve in setting up operations, the model told us about the fashion meets philanthropy line shes been quietly developing for the past several years.

There were so many new variables from producing products and coordinating design, building the site and social media, graphic design, customer service, and the overall streamlining of selling and shipping products domestically and internationally, Hunt explained of what it took to successfully launch Ingals first piece in July - a limited-edition, unisex sweatshirt designed with artist Lindsay Adams, with proceeds that benefit scoliosis research.

Martha Hunt in 2019 (Getty Images)

One aspect that came easily to Hunt was determining the brands name, Ingal, which means uneven or unequal in French. The vision behind it to empower those with scoliosis while raising awareness about the condition and funds for research was even more obvious to the North Carolina native.

Scoliosis has been a driving force throughout most of my life and career as a model, the 31-year-old said of the condition, which causes the spine to curve. I was diagnosed in my early teens around the same time I started modeling, and I didnt know if modeling would remain a realistic possibility for me.

Hunt walks the runway during the 2015 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (Getty Images)

After a spinal fusion surgery in her late teens helped to correct Hunts scoliosis (and allowed her to grow another inch taller), she moved to NYC to pursue her modeling career. Though Hunt stated she was not an overnight sensation, her portfolio has included print and commercial campaigns, magazine covers, runway shows, and perhaps most recognizably, being named a Victorias Secret Angel in 2015.

Once I felt established enough, I started speaking about my scoliosis experience because I felt a responsibility to younger people dealing with the condition, and often privately, said Hunt. Growing up in a small town in North Carolina, I did not know other people affected by scoliosis, and public figures were not speaking about it, she continued, adding, I felt isolated in my feelings. Scoliosis and its complexities are very misunderstood so Im committed to spreading awareness for it.

Hunt walks the runway for Balmain in 2017 (Getty Images)

Ahead, Hunt shares how the idea for Ingal began, the details on her first collaboration with Adams and what she has planned for the future.

Hunt models her Ingal sweatshirt (Courtesy of Martha Hunt)

Three years ago I partnered with Leah Stoltz, the founder of Curvy Girls for an awareness campaign for scoliosis, said Hunt. The model helped to produce a photoshoot that featured 15 young girls and women with scoliosis showing off their scoliosis braces and spinal fusion surgery scars. It also meant that Hunt, who was a part of the shoot, would display her own scar.

Initially, I was nervous, but it ended up being an uplifting experience to share with a strong community that I related to so effortlessly, she said.

To complement the campaign, Hunt and her friend, Cannon Brendan, designed a necklace, with proceeds benefiting Curvy Girls work as a peer-led support group for young girls with scoliosis. Hunt searched for a symbolic word to engrave on the pendant necklace, stumbling upon the French word for uneven, Ingal, in the process.

(Courtesy of Martha Hunt)

The adjective uneven is familiar to anyone with scoliosis because the uneven spine also causes symptoms like uneven hips, shoulders and so on, she explained. One year after the photoshoot, we launched the Leah bracelet to continue supporting Leahs organization, Hunt added.

Through designing and promoting jewelry for Curvy Girls, I saw the positive response from young people seeing scoliosis represented. I love that the jewelry pieces, like the new sweatshirt, are tangible items to give to anyone dealing with scoliosis treatment options like bracing or spinal fusion surgery - or just someone plainly going through a difficult time, Hunt explained of why she sought to expand upon the initiative.

(Courtesy of Martha Hunt)

I wanted to continue amplifying the message to make others feel seen so the ethos of the brand naturally evolved for a couple of years, said Hunt, who went about registering the trademark. Developing plans for the first launch to donate all profits from its sales to scoliosis research, something she has been heavily involved with since 2016, was a must for the model.

There are many disparities in scoliosis treatment costs, and they are especially disparaging on a worldwide scale. Additionally, there is not much visibility on how severe scoliosis cases are in low-resource areas across the world, Hunt shared, noting that the condition, which predominantly affects women, can lead to paralysis or even death in severe cases when left untreated.

This is a cause that is very personal to me because Ive been helping search for sustainable solutions through research for the past couple of years in my free time, she said.

(Courtesy of Martha Hunt)

In April 2016, Hunt made a trip to Capitol Hill to advocate for increased NIH funding for orthopedic research in the hopes of finding methods for earlier intervention for scoliosis patients and non-operative treatments. There, Hunt met orthopedic surgeon (and scientist!), Dr. Sariah Khormaee MD, PhD, and the two struck up a friendship.

In June of 2019, Dr. Khormaee and I asked social media followers to work with us on a research project, starting to define inequalities in global spine care that directly affect young women with scoliosis. All of the young women in our pilot project were deeply affected by scoliosis, but most of them did not have formal research training, Hunt said.

The goal of this project is not only to understand more about scoliosis but to teach young women - who are traditionally under-represented in spine research - how to apply research methodology to problems that matter to them.

With that in mind, Hunt turned her attention to her first Ingal collaboration to help raise funds for her and Dr. Khormaees scoliosis research. I was searching for artists to support through recommendations from friends when I came across Lindsays work and it immediately resonated with me, said Hunt, who commissioned Adams to design the custom artwork for the sweatshirt, entitled Uniquely Uneven: Beauty In Differences.

(Courtesy of Martha Hunt)

Lindsay is a fine artist and illustrator, and often showcases womens backs looking strong yet delicate at the same time. When I asked Lindsay to collaborate, I discovered that she is an outspoken advocate for cerebral palsy, she noted. Children who suffer from cerebral palsy have a much higher chance of developing scoliosis, Hunt added of the instant synergy behind the collaboration.

She finds beauty in what makes her different, which is exactly what I wanted to portray. I asked for her to express her own interpretation of resilience, which she conveyed through the textures and layers of the print. I felt emotional reading and listening to her stories about living and working with cerebral palsy. In light of the countless odds stacked against her, she is as equally talented as she is resilient, said Hunt.

In addition to 100% of the sweatshirts profits benefiting scoliosis research, Hunt has also noted that every customer will be kept up-to-date as to what their contribution has helped to fund.

Ive learned how dedicating time can be more valuable than donating money, and I hope to use my influence to lead by that example, she said of the work shes put into Ingal.

(Courtesy of Martha Hunt)

With Hunts first launch announced as a limited-edition piece and the brands overarching message to be one of empowerment, it seems like more collaborations spotlighting other charitable organizations could be on the way.

I certainly see the potential in Ingals message to transcend scoliosis, Hunt said about the possibility of championing other causes in the future. Although Ingal technically means uneven or unequal, I see it ambiguously - it can mean anything to anyone. Now more than ever, many of us feel uneven mentally and physically, she noted.

There are many initiatives worthy of support that do not get the attention they deserve. Im open to collaborating for different causes with authentic artists creating from the heart. I have some ideas to further support equality and mental health platforms, Hunt said. But shes not giving away any details just yet. Until then, youll have to follow along and stay tuned."

Martha Hunt: 'Scoliosis is the driving force of my modeling career' - Evening Standard

Who can win the West? – Performance over potential – Trinidad & Tobago Express Newspapers

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Houses along Crown Land in Marabella. Residents say new houses are currently being built in their community under the current Government.

POLITICAL party performance and the potential of the candidate are the key elements that the constituents of San Fernando West may use for scrutinizing their representative for the next five years.

San Fernando West is considered one of seven marginal constituencies in the general election contest on August 10, as the country's two major parties seek to snatch it as their own.

The incumbent is the People's National Movement's Faris Al-Rawi, whose name is synonymous with political 'royalty' in San Fernando and who won the seat in 2015 by over 3,000 votes.

His grandfather was Lionel Seukeran, who served in Parliament as a member of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) which was a former opposing party of the PNM and predecessor to the United National Congress. Al-Rawi's mother, Diane Seukeran, was a former Member of Parliament for San Fernando West.

And then there is Sean Sobers, an attorney-at-law who came from humble beginnings in San Fernando, but was self-driven, and answered the call to serve the people of Trinidad and Tobago when he was appointed a temporary Opposition Senator in 2019. At the last local government elections, Sobers was one of the partys coordinators that claimed three seats for the UNC in the San Fernando City Corporation.

Allister Alexander, prepares a roti for a customer at his apartment building in Embacadere, San Fernando. Looking on is his wife Anna-Lisa Ali.

Three other candidates have thrown their hats into the election race to capture the hearts of the 24,000-strong electorate.

They are Progressives political leader Nikoli Edwards, Progressive Empowerment Party's Bennison Jagessar and microbiologist, j'ouvert bandleader and representative of the National Party Valkmiki Ramsingh.

Two former San Fernando West Members of Parliament and several members of the electorate who spoke to the Express said its mainly a two-way fight between the PNM incumbent Al-Rawi and political newcomer Sobers.

Attorney GeneralFarisAl-Rawi, second from right, is greeted by Political Leader of the Progressive Party, Nikoli Edwards, during awalkaboutin Vistabella while campaigning for the general elections. Looking on at right is Minister of Local GovernmentKazim Hosein. General elections will be held on August 10.

The constituency was a PNM stronghold for 30 years, from its first Member of Parliament Winston Mahabir, who took up position in 1956, then for successive MPs in Saied Mohammed and Errol Mahabir.

Errol Mahabir controlled the seat for 20 years, until in 1986 when Dr Anslem St George wrested it away for the National Alliance for Reconstruction as it swept the general elections from the PNM that year.

Since then, the seat has swung back and forth between the PNM, to the UNC, back to the PNM, to the Congress of the People and then back to the PNM.

Fisherman Dhanraj Ramkissoon, at his fishing stall at the San Fernando Wharf. San Fernando Waterfront Project will be constructed where Ramkissoon lives.

Ralph Maraj who regained the seat for the PNM from NAR's St George and was MP from December 16, 1991 to November 6, 1995, said the next MP for San Fernando West is someone who would have universal appeal to garner votes, and appeal beyond ethnic origin.

"It has been the trend in San Fernando West that the person plays a significant role. The person must have some measure of universal appeal beyond his/ her party. I think the UNC has chosen a very strong candidate in Sean Sobers, who has awider appeal to the electorate", said Maraj.

Maraj said the other candidates in Edwards, Ramsingh and Jagessar do not have much of a chance beyond a handful of votes from personal supporters.

"They may garner some personal votes, but I don't think they will make much of the voter patterns in San Fernando West. It's gonna be a straight fight between the UNC and the PNM", said Maraj.

Sean Sobers, right, the UNC candidate for the constituency for San Fernando West speaks to cricketer Lendell Simmons, during a football match in San Fernando.

"It's going to be an interesting contest. Sean Sobers is a professional, very mild mannered and appealing. Faris Al Rawi is a strong candidate still. The incumbent has his track record and image which does not work in his favour. The party performance does play a factor and I don't think the economy has done well at all. I think the momentum is with Sean Sobers."

Maraj said that a significant number of the electorate will consider issues such as the closure of Petrotrin, crime, economy, general social decay, and institutional reform, and the PNM's performance of these will work against them in the San Fernando West constituency.

The Embacadere Community Crente in San Fernando.

Another former San Fernando West MP Sadiq Baksh, opined that when he won the seat under the UNC's Basdeo Panday led government in December 2000, that the electorate voted for the party's performance.

Baksh, for five years previous to becoming MP, had served as a senator and Minister of Works, and under his tenure there were significant projects within the San Fernando West constituency, such as the Cross Crossing Interchange, and development of a housing area in Union Hall.

"The party that I had represented had come out of five years of solid performance, and that performance propelled me and the candidates of the party. Bas (Basdeo Panday) led a government where his ministers accounted for their ministries. So if he hit a pothole in the road at 11 o'clock in the night he would call me to ask me about that. He expected my phone to be turned on, and asked firstly, why there was a pothole and secondly, if it can be fixed within 24 hours so that when he passed back it would not be there", Baksh said.

Work continues at Crown Land, Marabella, where houses are being built.

"There was unprecedented development in south Trinidad and by that administration at the time. Before then, it used to take years to build one bridge. But in the first five years of me as Minister of Works between 1995 to 2000, 65 bridges were completed. By the time the UNC came into office in the second term, we were building ten bridges in one year. "

Baksh said the electorate in San Fernando West did not vote on race, since he garnered over 3,000 votes from Afro-Trinidadians and mixedraces, to edge out the PNM's candidate Dr Anthony Elias by a margin of about 1,000 votes.

"Without the afro-trinidadian and mixed race support, I couldn't cut it. When I came into the constituency, there were just over 6,000 people of East Indian descent residing there. I got almost 10,000 votes. The middle class migrated from the inner city like Gransaul Street, Sutton, Rushworth, etc out into the suburban areas like Gulf View, Coconut Drive, La Romaine and Palmiste. And not all of these areas fell within San Fernando West."

A resident of Marabella, sits with her family at her home in Crown Land, Marabella. Where news houses are being constructed under the current Government.

"I don't really see race in this contest for this party. I came after some of the best performing ministers in any government. I came after Errol Mahabir, who was a fantastic member of Parliament, and in my opinion he was one of the most outstanding representatives and ministers of government. After him was another great San Fernandian, Barry (Barendra) Sinanan. There was also Ralph Maraj and Dr Anslem St George. They all lived, loved and worked in San Fernando. They really participated in the social fabric of what has now developed in the constituency and laid the foundation for a bright future. "

Baksh said the key factors to the San Fernando West constituency were availability, approach-ability, and consistency in performance.

"San Fernando West people want to know how you will respond to them. They want undivided attention every day, every time because that is what they have grown accustomed to from since Errol Mahabir. But you have to have an orchestra that is making music. You need an orchestra with a good conductor and musicians. And what San Fernandians want to see is an orchestra at work."

The Express asked people in the San Fernando west constituency about what they looked for in a candidate. These were some of the responses.

Peter Harris does some landscaping at his Gulf View Drive home in Gulf View, La Romaine.

"Corruption is so prevalent that you dont believe they will do anything genuinely. I want to see a rep (representative) who is in touch with the people of their constituency, very mindful of the problems and coming out with sensible decisions and proposals in Parliament. So in the end you vote for a party not the rep cause you hardly know them. This year it seems, you have to choose the best from a bad lot. We need change but who is going to do it? No, I would not vote for any candidate outside of UNC or PNM. They pop out of nowhere so I can not vouch for them. They need to have a presence. Even COP is mostly silent".

"In a candidate, I look for good performance, credibility, job creation, a crime plan, equality, ways to encourage young people to go straight starting from preschool, ways to stop people from this victim mentality that is, teach people to fish instead of giving them a fish everyday. I want to see all races treated with same dignity and fairness.

The campaign office of the Attorney General and PNM candidate for San Fernando West Faris AL-Rawi at Crown Land, Marabella.

"I vote for whoever has good performance. This time I haven't decided as yet who I am voting for. I am only thinking of two parties. The others don't have a snow ball in hell. I don't have any faith in them. So its either UNC or PNM. I haven't met any candidate as yet. It is not a matter of race at all. I am voting for the right person. My options are open. "

Who can win the West? - Performance over potential - Trinidad & Tobago Express Newspapers

Everything you should know about Roulette House Edge – Business MattersBusiness Matters

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

While this isnt entirely true, the Casino does win most of the time. Just like every business venture, New Casinos as well as old are created to make profits. They make profits by cashing out on the losses of players. But that doesnt mean the house would always take home the gold. There are games with better odds for players, and experienced players key in on these games to make huge wins

In simple terms, house edge is an advantage the casino has over players. House edge reflects the difference between the odds of winning and the casinos payout for winning wagers in certain games. All casino games are structured so that the house ends up on top, however, table games like roulette offer players a better chance at winning even though the game is entirely based on luck.

House edge ranges from 1 17% in most casino games. Nonetheless, some jackpot games have higher house edge of over 20%. In terms of casino advantage, Roulette is considered as a mid-range game. In American roulette, the house edge clocks at 5.25% which means the casino is more likely to profit from players. In comparison, the European roulette offers a better winning chance to the player. Its house edge for single-zero wheels is 2.6%.

Still, a low house edge doesnt mean players would win on every wager. This is why players should be able to determine the house edge in every game as it helps them make knowledgeable decisions when betting. As a result, this will minimise their losses when playing for an extended period of time.

On the European roulette table, there are 36 numbers in total. Number 1 36 consists of red and black colour. However, youll notice that there is a green space labelled 0. The addition of 0 on the table gives the house an edge because players would only be paid while assuming that there are only 36 numbers, against the actual 37 numbers available. In simple terms, this means players are paid 2.7% (1/37) less than they should.

Here is how it goes; The black and red spaces feature an equal count of numbers (18 each). When players make a wager on a black space, they are actually betting that the ball will land on one of the 18 black numbers. I mean, it should be quite easy for the ball to fall on one black number. For most players, this can look like a 50/50 chance. Well, that is not the case. Since there are 18 black spaces, 18 red spaces, and 1 zero, the odds are not 18/36, but rather 18/37. The percentage here is 48.7% in favour of the house. This means youre more likely to lose than you are to win.

In the game of American roulette, the house edge is different and not particularly the best for players. American roulette slightly differs from its European counterpart. In this variant, there is an additional zero on the wheel. This means you would still find 18 red numbers and 18 black numbers, but instead of a single-zero green space as with European roulette, you get a single-zero green space and a double-zero green space on opposite sides. Thats 38 numbers, 1 more than in European roulette. Though the roulette wheel design slightly differs, the rules of the game remain the same. In American roulette, you would have to wager as if there are 36 numbers on the wheel. This means players only get paid for 36 numbers but would still have to play against 38 numbers. Here, players would get paid 5.26% (2/38) less than they should.

For example, if a player makes a bet on a black number. They get to play against 18 red numbers and two green numbers. The odds here are greatly in favour of the house. In this case, the odds of winning are 18/38 which translates to 47.4%.

While this may not seem like much to most players, it would significantly increase their losses if they plan on playing for longer periods of time.

Though roulette is considered as a game of luck, if you calculate the house edge and know your odds of winnings, you can increase your chances of winning significantly. Every casino game is designed to give the house more advantage but some games like roulette offer you a better chance at winning your wager. Basically, the European roulette table provides better odds, than the American roulette table.

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Everything you should know about Roulette House Edge - Business MattersBusiness Matters

Mobile Roulette And Blackjack, A Successful And Modern Version Of These Fun Online Casino Games – South Florida Reporter

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

Table games like roulette and blackjack are two of the oldest and certainly the most popular real money online casino games worldwide. This is because their rules are very simple and therefore easy to learn and practice. Thats why every day more and more players join different online casinos to enjoy this game, either playing free roulette online and free blackjack or playing both for real money.

Besides these two modalities, both games have different versions that can be found in online casinos. For roulette, these are: French roulette, European roulette, and American roulette. Blackjack has many more versions, being the most common to find at an online casino: Traditional Blackjack, Blackjack Surrender, Blackjack Super 21, Multihand, among others. In general, all variants of these games share the same goal and only vary in a couple of rules and some bets.

With the advancement of technology and the number of devices that can connect to the internet, people have more means to enjoy their favorite online games.One of the advantages of online roulette and blackjack is they can access both online and live games.

This year there has been a lot of new software developed for online casinos.

For example, the Swedish company Net Entertainment (NetEnt), had great success with its online roulette versions and a few months ago launched an improved live roulette table for playing on mobile phones. This new version offers players more angles of the gaming room allowing them to see what is happening at all times. With both horizontal and vertical views, according to the players taste and the possibility of making bets much faster without having to restart the screen at each new play.

Another company within the online gaming industry is Evolution Gaming, which this year seeks to reinforce its position at the top of the list of best online casino software developers, with the launch of new and more innovative games. Power Blackjack Live is one example, available for both live and mobile casinos. This new version of the popular card game allows players to make more daring bets with their two main cards. With Power Blackjack, players can triple or cuddle their initial bet at the beginning of the game. Evolution also launched another version of the game, Speed Blackjack, in which players can start their game without the need for other players to join in. In addition, once the first cards are dealt, the player must decide their next move in a short period of time. Making the game faster and more dynamic.

The companies that create casino games do not rest in spite of the situation and are always looking to renew their content portfolio to offer their players more fun and entertainment. Likewise, mobile platforms will continue to advance at a dizzying pace and we will soon move from 4G, to 5G and 6G technology in the blink of an eye. And so, playing mobile roulette and mobile blackjack will be an even more incredible experience.

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Mobile Roulette And Blackjack, A Successful And Modern Version Of These Fun Online Casino Games - South Florida Reporter

ZAP tweaks proposed merger of housing and planning departments – Austin Monitor

Posted on July 25, 2020 by Danzig

The Zoning and Platting Commission on Tuesday discussed the potential merger between the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development and the Planning and Zoning departments. After multiple commissioners expressed concerns about the measure, they voted unanimously to include three recommendations to the proposal, which appears in City Manager Spencer Cronks Fiscal Year 2020-21 budget.

News of the merger came in June, when Assistant City Manager Rodney Gonzales released a memo outlining his proposal. He said it will allow for the two departments to collaborate better on housing and planning efforts.

ZAP recommends the city choose a director with planning experience, a senior-level demographer position, an emphasis on long-range planning at the senior level, and an emphasis on small area planning at the senior level.

Its imperative that this whole operation be run by someone who thoroughly understands the planning process, Commissioner Bruce Evans said. We are a victim in the city of not properly planning for such a long time. I think that without having someone on board thats trained and capable in that area, its just going to lead to more of the same.

Chair Jolene Kiolbassa said many areas in Austin are bearing the brunt of the city failing to execute a planning process. She said the Planning and Zoning Department should be looking outward to other cities and municipalities and trying to come up with a new vision for how to plan the city.

I feel that this merger is kind of a step backward, she said.

Commissioner Jim Duncan became emotional during his comments, urging the city to move forward with this proposal in full view of the public and not inside a prospective budget.

This is definitely not something that should be done in a math room, He said. It should be done with full transparency and with full implications and understanding of what the long-term effects can be.

Duncan said some city staffers are frustrated by the state of the city. I heard one of them say several months ago that Planning is no longer that relevant. We ought to change our name to the Scheming and Real Estate Roulette Department, Duncan said. Im embarrassed. Im embarrassed for the city.

Pointing out that the former Planning and Zoning Department director, Greg Guernsey, retired over a year ago and has yet to be replaced, Duncan said he doesnt believe the city is going in the right direction.He also expressed dismay that city demographer Ryan Robinson had left his position.

I am sympathetic with the city managers office, I know they are juggling a lot of balls right now, Duncan said. But its imperative that this is done right. And if its not, dont do it.

City staffers are working to get metrics for the proposal and an organizational chart to the public within the next two weeks.

I wouldnt be proposing the merger if I didnt think we could come out with better planning for the city of Austin, said Gonzales. I really do think that by merging the two that ultimately were going to end up with a much stronger focus on planning and how we account for the growth of this city.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps.

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ZAP tweaks proposed merger of housing and planning departments - Austin Monitor

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