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Global Gene Therapy Market 2019 Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2025 – Market Research Sheets

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Danzig

GlobalGene TherapyMarketcovers all the aspects of market factors. The report involves detailed specifications about theGene Therapymarket size with respect to sales, revenue, value, and volume. The research study furnishes crucial information along with the market size and share of the global market. The report then highlights factors affecting the development of market such as drivers, restraints, threats, and opportunities, technology advances, the latest market scenarios, etc. It also includes detailed segmentation by types and applications and the forecasting about the market status in the coming future from 2019 to2025. The report analyzes important financial conditions such as costs, stocks, price structure, and profits in terms of key regions.

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The report delivers a comprehensive competitive analysis of theGene Therapymarket which includes detailed company profiling of leading players, a study on the nature and characteristics of the vendor landscape, and other important studies. Additionally, key participants innovations, new developments, marketing strategies, branding technologies, and products that exist in the global outdoor advertising market are mentioned in the report. It reveals the company profile, descriptions of the product, and production values along with the assistance of the statistical review. The presented study talks about the numerous segmentationof theGene Therapymarket and offers a fair assessment of the supply-demand ratio of each segment.

The study profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent companies operating in the industry, covering:Spark Therapeutics LLC, Bluebird Bio, UniQure N.V., Juno Therapeutics, GlaxoSmithKline, Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., Bristol Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, Human Stem Cell Institute, Voyager Therapeutics, Shire Plc, Sangamo Biosciences, Dimension Therapeutics and others.

Region-Wise Outlook:

Market share analysis for the regional and country-level segments has been performed. In the regional segmentation of this market, the current and forecast demand forGene Therapyis provided in the report. The report further states import/export, consumption, and supply figures as well as price, cost, revenue and gross margin by these regions. Based on segmentation, the market report is made up of an in-depth investigation of the leading regions, includingNorth America, Europe, Asia Pacific, South America, and the Middle East and Africa.

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Global Gene Therapy Market 2019 Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2025 - Market Research Sheets

What is spirituality? | Spirituality | ReachOut Australia

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

Maybe youve heard about spirituality but arent really sure what it is. Well, it's different from religion, and you can practise it even if youre not religious. Find out about different kinds of spirituality and the reasons why some people decide to live spiritual lives.

Spirituality is something thats talked about a lot but is often misunderstood. Many people think that spirituality and religion are the same thing, and so they bring their beliefs and prejudices about religion to discussions about spirituality. Though all religions emphasise spiritualism as being part of faith, you can be spiritual without being religious or a member of an organised religion.

There are some pretty clear ways in which religion and spirituality differ.

Religion: This is a specific set of organised beliefs and practices, usually shared by a community or group.

Spirituality: This is more of an individual practice, and has to do with having a sense of peace and purpose. It also relates to the process of developing beliefs around the meaning of life and connection with others, without any set spiritual values.

Organised vs freeform

One way to understand the relationship between spirituality and religion is to imagine a game of football. The rules, referees, other players and the field markings help guide you as you play the game in a similar way that religion might guide you to find your spirituality.

Kicking the ball around a park, without having to play on the field or with all the rules and regulations, can also give you fulfilment and fun and still expresses the essence of the game, similar to spirituality in life.

You can do either or both

You may identify as being any combination of religious and spiritual, but being religious doesnt automatically make you spiritual, or vice versa.

Life can be full of ups and downs, good times and bad. Many people see spirituality as a great way to seek comfort and peace in their life. It can often be practised alongside things like yoga, which ultimately focus on stress relief and release of emotion.

Spirituality is a way of gaining perspective

Spirituality recognises that your role in life has a greater value than what you do every day. It can relieve you from dependence on material things and help you to understand your lifes greater purpose. Spirituality can also be used as a way of coping with change or uncertainty.

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What is spirituality? | Spirituality | ReachOut Australia

Homage to Vishvesha Teertha: Monk who did not confine spirituality to his room, but embraced one and all – MyNation

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

Bengaluru: Vishvesha Teertha Swamiji, in his physical appearance, was very lean. But the formidable energy with which he spoke and took epoch-making decisions easily belied his frame and had the robustness to move mountains!

Apart from ironing out sectarian flaws in the Hindu society, he stridently fought for the construction of Ram Mandir as well.

But that was not all. He was a phenomenal fighter against the oppression of the mighty politicians and stood like a rock to neutralise their efforts in infusing fissures.

Take for example the Emergency imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the year 1975.

Also Read:Vishvesha Teertha embraced the whole world as one

The Swamiji took her on. And when many were of the opinions that the Khavi (ochre robes) should not meet the Khadi (politicians), his reply was one for the Gods!

He said, Since swamijis are also citizens of this country, they too have equal political rights as other citizens.

He even published a protest letter in the same year. In that he said, As long as my Dharmic activities are not affected, I am even ready to serve a prison sentence.

His opposition was not related or limited to nefarious politics alone. He participated enthusiastically to lodge his protest against anything that violated humanity.

A website Shivallibrahmins.com notes: When, under the pretext of Industrial development, lots of environmentally destructive projects were initiated at Karwar and Nandikooru, Sri Swamiji was at the helm of the protests which opposed these initiatives.

He was also in the vanguard of the agitation to see a beautiful, grand temple being built for Lord Ram in the disputes site of Ayodhya. He had held several protests in this regard and had made no bones about it.

It is spiritual luminaries like him that pave the way for humanity. Spirituality need not be confined to the four walls of a room or a monastery. Spirituality is not just counting the beads, but seeing the effulgent atman in all beings.

This, the swami practised and preached.

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Homage to Vishvesha Teertha: Monk who did not confine spirituality to his room, but embraced one and all - MyNation

Metro Exodus is the spiritual successor to Stalker we might never get – PC Gamer

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

GOTY 2019

(Image credit: Future)

Accompanying our team-selected Game of the Year Awards for 2019, individual members of the PC Gamer team will each discuss one of their favorite games from the last 12 months. We'll post a new personal pick, alongside our main awards, throughout the month of December.

I don't think we'll ever get a proper sequel to Stalker, the sandbox FPS set in a supernatural version of the Chernobyl disaster zone. Despite a few different games each claiming to be the true successoreven the original developers are working on a numbered sequelI'm very skeptical that any will see the light of day. So imagine my surprise when I booted up Metro Exodus for the first time and, after a lengthy introduction, found the Stalker I had been yearning for.

Unlike the previous two Metro games, Metro Exodus ditches the claustrophobic tunnels of the Moscow subway system for the wide open expanses of rural Russia. Set in the aftermath of Metro: Last Light, Artyom discovers that humanity has survived the nuclear apocalypse and sets out with a group of soldiers to find more survivors. Cue what is one of my favorite singleplayer campaigns of the last few yearsan odyssey through wetlands, deserts, and lush forests to find whatever remains of civilization.

Exodus elegantly distills what makes Stalker tense and intriguing into something much more palatable.

Like most Stalker games, Metro Exodus is broken up into three smaller open world zones that you can explore (mostly) at your leisure. But where Stalkers zones all share a common theme of being set around Chernobyl, Exodus' open world areas are distinctly different and each memorable in their own way.

To be clear, Metro Exodus isn't really a sandbox game in the way that Stalker is. There's a clearly defined story that pulls you from mission to mission with only a few opportunities for detours to explore along the way. I actually like it that way. Instead of trying to create a big, sprawling, simulated ecosystem, Exodus elegantly distills what makes Stalker tense and intriguing into something much more palatable.

Where Metro and Stalker find a middle ground, however, is in their somber atmosphere and emphasis on humanity. Stalker achieved the latter largely thanks to really impressive AI, but Metro takes a more classic approach by loading the campaign full of cutscenes that slowly peel back the layers of its core characters. Though some might find it a needless distraction, I really enjoyed the segments on the train where I could wander around and talk to my crew. It was good to know exactly who and what I was fighting forsomething I struggle with in Stalker. You can even retrieve an acoustic guitar and give it to one of your mates to play, which is the most Stalker thing ever.

But these differences feel a lot smaller when I'm deep underground in some abandoned mechanical shaft shooting mutants. Metro's trademark flashlightthat constantly requires you to charge via a hand crankis just as effective and fun as it is in the first two games, but I also love the added layer of guns decaying and eventually misfiring if they get too dirty. Crafting systems, especially crafting systems in FPSes, often make me cringe. But like everything else in Metro Exodus, crafting is lean and efficient and the slow decay of weapons is just enough to cause anxiety but rarely downright frustrating.

In a 2019 absolutely stuffed with great games, I fear Metro Exodus will end up being a footnote. But I really don't think it should be. It's pretty rare that I finish a game these days (there's always something new!), but Metro Exodus was one that I really soaked in and enjoyed. There's a near perfect mix of exploration, shooting, and story, and the 'road trip' setup of the campaign does a surprisingly good job of making me feel like I'm on a grand adventure. But, most of all, Metro Exodus rekindled fond memories of one of my most beloved shooters.

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Metro Exodus is the spiritual successor to Stalker we might never get - PC Gamer

Spiritually Speaking: Where is your storm home? | Eden Prairie Opinion – SW News Media

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

Ive been thinking about having a storm home. Garrison Keillor tells a story about winter in Lake Wobegon. Each year, before the season of wind and snow really set in, students were assigned a storm home close to the school. This is where they would go if a serious snowstorm developed during the school day. That way they would be safe until the storm was over.

Some years ago in a scene too sad for words, the entire world saw a picture of a lifeless little boy lying in the sand on a Mediterranean shore, a casualty in the human tragedy unfolding in Europe and the Middle East. Countless frightened and displaced people were and are living life without a storm home.

At the same time when the subject of immigration and possibly welcoming refugees from places ravaged by war and violence, there are loud voices saying, Keep them out, We need high walls on our southern and northern borders, Close off our ports of entry to the mass of human suffering and You never know who those people are.

The Bible speaks frequently of storm homes, Gods provision in times of trouble: Noahs Ark, a whale for Jonah, a stable for Mary and Joseph, Egypt for the holy family when Herod ordered the execution of male children less than 2 years of age, the Lord Jesus himself for the disciples. The prophet Isaiah, in a powerful hymn of praise, refers to God as a shelter in the time of storm.

Throughout history, many religious movements have provided storm homes for the poor, the homeless, the sick and needy. Much of Christianitys missionary activity began with an orphanage, a clinic or a hospital. Countless inner city missions have been rescue centers for the homeless and destitute.

When it comes to strangers and those in distress Christians have clear instructions, Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it and Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Its hard to miss the point in these verses.

Im thinking there is yet another kind of storm home all of us need from time to time. It is possible to be up and out as well as down and out. We who have steady jobs, pension plans and medical coverage are not immune from the sudden storms of life. Illness, accidents, broken relationships and other tragedies are not limited to the poor. It is a fair question to ask, Where is my storm home?

For me, it is the fellowship of faithful friends. There are many friends to whom I know I can go when the storms of life are raging. At their best, faith communities (churches, mosques, synagogues, temples) are meant to be storm homes.

How about you? To whom would you go, in addition to family, if life completely tumbled in? I believe it is a specific grace to have an answer to that question.

Dr. Bernard E. Johnson shares this space with the Revs. Timothy A. Johnson, Rod Anderson and Trish Sullivan Vanni as well as spiritual writers Nanette Missahgi and Beryl Schewe. Spiritually Speaking appears weekly.

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‘Spiritual realization must to face modern days issues’ – Deccan Herald

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday called for spiritual awakening to face the modern day challenges brought about by science and technology as well as for establishing peace in society.

He said science and technology has brought about remarkable progress in today's world and with this progress comes challenges, which calls for spiritual awakening among people to lead a happy and healthy life.

"There is a strong need for spiritual realization among people to establish peace, harmony, brotherhood and friendship in society. People must work in such a way that inspires others to contribute to societys well being and motivates the younger generation to be disciplined, honest, committed", Sonowal said.

The chief minister said this while inaugurating the newly-constructed temple complex of century-old Sri Sri Nabagraha Smashan Niramuhia Shiva Temple in Guwahati.

Sonowal said society must instil human values among the young generation for a better society.

Education Minister Siddhartha Bhattacharjya, Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary were present on the occasion.

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'Spiritual realization must to face modern days issues' - Deccan Herald

Your Spiritual Year in Review: Looking Back to Look Forward to Growth – Patheos

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

[Source: @Luminaric via Twenty20]

The beginning of each new year is a natural time to set goals for the year ahead and assess your progress over the last year. Do you remember what resolutions you set for yourself 12 months ago? Did you succeed in keeping them? Hopefully, you wrote them down or remember them clearly enough.

Maybe you were committed to them and accomplished them all, or maybe they were just momentary wishes that you werent ready to work toward. Or, maybe you did well on some and not so well on others. Either way, they all represent something about the person you want to become.

And now, 12 months later, it is time to reassess those goals and to either recommit or revise your vision for yourself. It is time to look back and ask, Who do I want to become? How can I move toward my highest self?

To take stock of the past year, and to help you plan better for the coming year, it is helpful to take a trip back through time. The purpose of this exercise is to see yourself objectively, without judgment, so that you can grow even more in the coming year. Here are some steps you can follow:

Sometimes, I hear people bemoaning the fact that time is passing and that they are getting older. But, the passing of time is actually a great gift because it is yet another tool that has been placed here for the sake of your souls growth. Without it, the world and our lives would be stagnant, incapable of movement or growth. So be sure to celebrate well during this New Years seasoncelebrate who you have been, who you are now, and who you will become.

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Your Spiritual Year in Review: Looking Back to Look Forward to Growth - Patheos

SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING: To give like the magi – News – Wicked Local

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

Its the season for stories about giving and receiving, stories about family and relationships, stories about light in the darkness and miracles and warmth. Arent those stories wonderful? They make it all sound so simple, dont they?

One of my favorite holiday stories is O. Henrys The Gift of the Magi, about a young couple struggling to get by and determined to give each other Christmas gifts that show how much they love each other. Della sells her prized possession, her beautiful long hair, in order to get the money to buy a watch chain for Jim. She doesnt know that Jim has sold his prized possession, his pocket watch, in order to get the money to buy hair ornaments for Della. When they realize what each of them has done, they simply sit together in silence, and the narrator tells us that these two foolish children are also among the wisest, like the magi, those wise kings who brought precious gifts to lay before a baby in a humble stable.

In these times of so much division, so much fear and anger and self-protective tactics, its hard to want to be that kind of foolish wise person. Its vulnerable, to imagine giving up something you treasure and maybe discovering that your recipient has done the same and therefore destroyed the whole point of your gift.

Unless youre focusing on the wrong point.

I remember sitting in a church service a while ago, thinking that that particular service was not at all my cup of tea, even looking around a little as I wondered if I could sneak out without being obvious. As I looked around, though, what I noticed more than an escape route was that some friends of mine were sitting a few rows away, rapt, deeply moved. And I thought, OH. THIS is what the service is about for me this morning. The reminder that its not all about me, that I share this congregation with lots of people who are dear to me and have different needs than I do. Was it foolish of me, to settle back into my seat? Or wise?

The poet Yehuda Amichai writes, From the place where we are right, flowers will never grow in the spring. I wonder: If it ever happened that everything went perfectly according to my plans, if I took no risks and had no surprises and got what I wanted, would flowers grow there? If I never had to sacrifice anything, would I remember how much I care for the person Im giving to?

Maybe the wisdom of the foolish children in O. Henrys story is their willingness to say to themselves, I love my partner so much that Im a little in awe of the love we share. Im surprised by it sometimes, and I want to live up to that love. I know Ill make mistakes, and I know its important to keep trying.

I read one of those How to survive family gatherings articles a few years ago, and this article suggested one simple practice: When someone is ranting and railing on a topic where you disagree, listen and calmly say, I hear you. I believe that this is your experience. My experience is different can I tell you about it?

Can you imagine doing that? This act that says to someone in your family, I love you enough to open my mind to your perspective. I love you enough to take the risk of telling you mine. Its a risk. Im willing to take it.

We need more and more ways to practice being in relationship now, because its not as easy as it used to be. It takes so much courage to give up what we prize, even a little bit. But for the gift of the flowers that grow in the spring, I believe we can keep trying, keep risking, keep learning to be wise.

The Rev. Monica Jacobson-Tennessen is pastor of First Parish Church Unitarian Universalist of Kingston. Spiritually Speaking is presented by members of the Plymouth Area Interfaith Community Alliance.

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SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING: To give like the magi - News - Wicked Local

Comedian Geoffrey Asmus plans to get spiritual, swear, and record an album at Sisyphus – City Pages

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

Sisyphus Brewing$10

A lot of comedians come at religion like, Oh religion is stupid, but I try not to do that, he says. I poke fun at it, but I still believe in it.

Asmus graduated from the University of Wisconsin in Madison with a degree in religious studies the same month he started his standup comedy career. While some may say (himself included) that getting his degree was a waste, given his choice of career, Asmus has figured out how to use his extensive religious knowledge to become one of the most unique voices in comedy.

This weekend, the Woodbury native will record his debut album, The Prodigal Little Bitch, at Sisyphus, where he plans to air out his religious hot takes.

Ill be reading from the Bible or whatever, he says, laughing.

He isnt joking, however. Religion is something that really shapes the world in incredible ways, and people dont really know enough about it, Asmus says. I wanted to learn about all of the religions, and then I realized theyre all really the same fucking thing.

Though he says that he genuinely considered seminary school after graduation, his main motivation for pursuing a degree in religion was much less holy.

It was mainly just that I was really drunk and high in college and needed something to do while I continued to live my bizarre, lazy lifestyle.

The decision to choose comedy over the cloth has proven worthwile to Asmus, having been selected as a New Face performer at the prestigious Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, and having his jokes showcased on Foxs Laughs and Kevin Harts LOL Network on Sirius XM. Despite his accolades, Asmus says the choice to finally record an album is more about the need to move forward than celebrating his past.

I had a huge backlog of material that Im kind of sick of telling, he admits. It loses vitality, and I dont want it to start to seem robotic. I want to get it out and prove that I wrote it so no one can steal it.

For those who have had enough religion during the holidays, Asmus says his show wont be all hellfire and brimstone.

I get really interested in religion and write jokes about it for a while, and then I completely lose interest and write jokes about sex or weed for a month, he deadpans. The religious stuff will be the second half, but the first half will have plenty of other stuff, too.

As for the future, Asmus says he has plans to bring his religion-heavy comedy to next years Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and hopes to have material nailed down for another album over the course of the next year. But dont necessarily hold him to those dates just yet.

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Comedian Geoffrey Asmus plans to get spiritual, swear, and record an album at Sisyphus - City Pages

Demi Lovato Celebrates Her Spiritual ‘Rebirth’ With New Tattoo: See The Ink – iHeartRadio

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

We created this piece together to represent a rebirth of the spirit. The dark wings represent the bad times, their fading away is how she moved forward, Capozzi captioned on Instagram with pictures of the tattoo in progress. The light from within represents the inner strength necessary for the change and the doves, pulling her up symbolize the reach of an higher state of consciousness.

As fans know, Lovato began her spiritual journey after being baptized in the Jordan River in October. I am an American singer. I was raised Christian and have Jewish ancestors, she captioned images from the experience on social media at the time. Spirituality is so important to meto be baptized in the Jordan river the same place Jesus was baptized Ive never felt more renewed in my life.

The Grammy-nominated stars new tatt also comes after she officially broke things off with her model boyfriend Austin Wilson, for reasons still unclear.

Photo: Getty Images

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Demi Lovato Celebrates Her Spiritual 'Rebirth' With New Tattoo: See The Ink - iHeartRadio

The Chinese Scientist Who Made The First Genetically Engineered Babies Is Going To Prison – BuzzFeed News

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

A Chinese court sentenced biomedical scientist He Jiankui and two accomplices to prison on Monday for illegal medical practice for genetically engineering three babies.

In November 2018, He announced the birth of the first two children, twin girls named Lulu and Nana, as well as the pregnancy of a second woman carrying a genetically engineered fetus. The news created a scientific firestorm, with human genetic engineering experiments widely viewed as dangerous and unethical by scientific organizations worldwide. The third baby has now been born, according to reporting from Chinas state news agency.

The genetic engineering team fabricated an ethics review of their experiment, according to the Nanshan District People's Court of Shenzhen City ruling. They used the faked permissions to recruit couples living with HIV in hopes of helping them to conceive children genetically engineered to receive a mutation giving them immunity to some forms of the disease.

He, formerly a biomedical scientist at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzen, received a prison sentence of three years and a fine equivalent to $480,000. His associates, Zhang Renli and Qin Jinzhou, received jail terms of two years and 18 months with a two-year reprieve, according to the ruling, for practicing medicine without a license and violating Chinese regulations governing assisted reproduction.

The prison sentence and stiff financial penalty sends a message to other Chinese scientists that unsanctioned efforts at human germline editing will not be tolerated, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine researcher Kiran Musunuru told BuzzFeed News, by email. I expect that it will have a deterrent effect, certainly in China and possibly elsewhere.

At an October conference, Musunuru had reported that a draft study submitted to a scientific journal about the twins by Hes team suggested that the genetic engineering attempt had badly misfired, targeting the wrong location for the mutation and potentially seeding other mutations throughout the DNA of the children.

Science academies worldwide formed an oversight commission in March, following widespread condemnation of the experiments.

The court ruling found the three sentenced scientists acted "in the pursuit of personal fame and gain" and have seriously "disrupted medical order, according to Chinese state media.

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The Chinese Scientist Who Made The First Genetically Engineered Babies Is Going To Prison - BuzzFeed News

Senators who cant be impartial on impeachment should recuse – cleveland.com

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

If theres one thing most Americans have in common, its fairness. Fairness is really, Doing unto to others as you would have them do unto you. The Golden Rule.

However, to paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, we are now engaged in a great societal Civil War, testing American fairness. Was the Impeachment process fair?

No, say Trumpists, no witnesses against the Bidens were called to testify. But then it wasnt Joe Biden or his son that were being impeached, and even if they had committed some kind of crime (no proof of that has ever been found just unfair allegations besmirching their good names), it would not change what President Donald Trump did in what is now the most famous attempted and documented quid pro quo in history.

So, despite the Impeachment brought in accordance with our Constitution, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, in preparing for a trial, is working with the defense team to prepare for it -- as if the foreman of a jury and some jurors can work with a defendant and be fair. Such jurors would be dismissed by any judge.

In fairness, no senator of either party who has already reached a verdict should sit as a juror in the trial. Its the American way.

Mel Maurer,

Westlake

Children can make their own resolutions. Keep them simple and fun – Chicago Daily Herald

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

The new year signals a time when most of us pause and consider ways to improve ourselves with lofty intentions for the coming year. This year, we enter a fresh decade whose very time stamp -- 2020 -- conjures exciting, futuristic possibilities for resolutions and change.

With children in mind, the American Academy of Pediatrics encourages families to imagine together how to live a healthier life in the coming year. The AAP offers suggestions for children of all ages, recognizing that goals to develop lifelong habits must start with small steps -- such as cleaning up toys, brushing teeth regularly or making a new friend.

"It's a great moment to step back and look at the big picture," said Dr. Shelly Vaziri-Flais, a Naperville pediatrician who talks to her own children about the "Golden Rule" of treating others as you want to be treated. "Even for a 7- or 8-year-old, it's not too early to teach them to take a moment, step back and reflect and realize that, in relationships, you get what you put into it. If you are a good friend, you will have good friends. And that goes for siblings, too."

For the new year, Vaziri-Flais encourages families to resolve to put away the electronics before bed and read a story together every night, even if it takes only five or 10 minutes or you pick up a graphic novel rather than a traditional book. Reading helps children develop empathy as they put themselves in the mind of the book character, she said. The simple act of reading together builds warm relationships and can become a cherished wind-down activity before bed.

From as early as preschool, children can make resolutions such as learning how to help clear the table after eating, picking up their toys or letting a parent help them brush teeth. Or perhaps a child pledges to be friendly to all animals. Parents can also encourage small children to make a resolution to talk with them or another trusted adult whenever they need help or are scared.

Older children, between ages and 5 and 12, may consider finding a sport or physical activity that they enjoy and commit to doing it at least three times a week. They could resolve to wear the right protective gear, such as a helmet when riding a bike, skateboard or scooter.

"Whether it's reading or physical activity, keep it fun," said Vaziri-Flais, who encourages parents and children to cook together, too. "Healthy eating, too. Make it fun. If you mix it up, hopefully they'll become interested in trying new things."

Other resolutions for school-age children may be:

I will keep my personal info safe and not share my name, home address, school name or telephone number on the internet. Also, I'll never send a picture of myself to someone I chat with on the computer without asking my parent if it is OK.

I will try to talk with my parent or a trusted adult when I have a problem or feel stressed.

I'll do my best to follow our household rules for video games and internet use.

Preteens and teens might resolve to drink soda only on special occasions, and to eat two servings of fruit and two servings of vegetables a day.

Teens could consider choosing educational, high-quality and nonviolent TV shows and video games that they enjoy and spending only one to two hours per day on these activities. Young people can be encouraged to volunteer in the community.

Other potential resolutions for teens:

When feeling angry or stressed out, I will take a break and find helpful ways to deal with the stress, such as exercising, reading, writing in a journal or talking about my problem with a parent or friend.

When faced with a difficult decision, I will talk about choices with an adult whom I can trust.

When I notice my friends are struggling, being bullied or making risky choices, I will look for a trusted adult so that we can attempt to find a way to help.

I will be careful about whom I choose to date.

I will treat the other person with respect and not force them to do something they do not want to do. I will not use violence. I will expect to be treated the same way in return.

I will resist peer pressure to try tobacco-cigarettes, drugs or alcohol. I will also avoid the use of e-cigarettes.

I agree not to use a cellphone or text message while driving and to always use a seat belt.

While it might be tempted to give up after resolutions are broken, Vaziri-Flais encourages families to keep up the momentum and not be too hard on themselves. For instance, "if you don't hit your goal of reading together for 15 minutes a night you make it to 8, that's OK," Vaziri-Flais said. "It's better than zero."

AAP offers more on New Year's resolutions at its website for parents, HealthyChildren.org. Go to: http://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/family-dynamics/Pages/Healthy-New-Years-Resolutions-for-Kids.aspx.

Children's health is a continuing series. This week's article is courtesy of the American Academy of Pediatrics. To check out more information, please visit HealthyChildren.org.

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Children can make their own resolutions. Keep them simple and fun - Chicago Daily Herald

OMG, I Want to Rent This House: Barbados – The Daily Beast

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

OMG, I Want to Rent This House spotlights the most spectacular and unique homes that you can actually stay in. From open-air villas to an adult treehouse, we explore all the places that you should book for an unforgettable getaway.

Atelier Villa Barbados, Barbados on Vrbo: You've made it through the year, survived the long, crazy decade, and even weathered the holidays with your weird uncle Joe. You owe it to yourself to ring in the new year in styleand, by style, we mean a mansion of ones own in paradise.

This not-so-modest chateau named the Atelier proudly takes its place among the premier properties in the Barbados neighborhood known as the Platinum Coast. This island in the West Indies is the refuge of many a billionaire, and many of those live in this aptly nicknamed enclave on the western coast overlooking the cerulean waters of the Caribbean Sea.

But before you and your dwindling bank account (it is gifting season, after all) get intimidated by the potential of filthy-rich neighbors, rest assured that rather than shelling out $3.6 million for the Atelier, which is currently on the market, you can pay a more reasonable four figures a night to live like the lap of luxury is the only lifestyle you've ever known. (After all, every successful mogul knows the golden rule is fake it til you make it.)

Built in 2012 by the London architect Alistair Downie, who has worked extensively on the island, Atelier has embraced its coastal location with an entry path lined with palm trees that leads to a modern mansion that is all double-decker spaces, gorgeous natural views framed by walls of glass, and so many terraces. Were talking nearly 1,000 square feet of outdoor sitting space from which to engage in that most historic of vacation activities: vegetating.

Atelier sits atop a ridge, but it is never more than a few minutes from a beach, the closest of which is the sought-after sandy shores at Reeds Bay only a 10-minute walk away. (Please be advised, the return trip is uphill and takes double the time. While staff including a housekeeper, laundress, and cook are all included in your stay, a sherpa for your beach gear is not.)

But if going places on your own two feet did not make it into your vision for your dream holiday, never fear. Just consider the Atelier your personal doomsday bunker and contain your limited movements to within its very luxurious walls. On your property, you not only have the usual vacation amenities (four bedrooms, three-and-a-half bathrooms, and divine living and dining areas clad in an aesthetic that the home's owner-cum-interior designer calls tropical modern), but it also features what can only be described as a natural paradise within this island paradise.

First in the check-list of how to create a Utopia is the scenery. Usually when you have a house on a ridge with a view, you have other properties in your periphery. But Atelier is perched on the edge of a gully that drops down about 50 or 60 feet, with unobstructed, panoramic views of the ocean and lush tropical greenery, the homes agent Chris Parra told Mansion Global.

Residents of Atelier not only can enjoy the views afforded by the environmentally protected gully that sits between the property and the beach that is filled with mahogany trees, monkeys, and frogs, but they can also wander the half-acre garden on the property that has been filled with plants indigenous to the island. Most importantly, it is also a protected spaceprotected for your private enjoyment.

When you're done playing Eve in the Garden of Eden, there are the less natural, but no less divine environs to take advantage of. Were talking about the pool (infinity, naturally) and the roof-top terrace where you can eat some chef-prepared delicacies and lounge your preciously empty days away.

After the excess of the holidays, it can be hard to justify fresh expenses, even modest ones like a new mansion. But after the rollercoaster of the 2010s, youve earned a break, as long as you make it a rental. Just remember: act like youre the Billionaire Queen of the Barbados and nobody will know the difference.

Book Your Stay: Atelier Villa Barbados in Barbados: $3,370/night via Vrbo

Heres how to make space for the new stuff this holiday – KTAR.com

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

(Pixabay Photo)

We are a society built on stuff.Many of us are lured by the call of the wild SALE! SALE! SALE! Some of us are fashionistas and must have the latest trends. Others are techno junkies and need the latest and greatest gadgets.Some of us simply cant remember where we put things. So, we bring more stuff into our homes stuffing our closets and drawers.

Decluttering and staying organized is similar to losing weight and keeping the weight off,saiddeclutter coach and professional organizer,Rachel Winter,founder andowner,Happy Home Organizers, LLC.Its all about healthy habits and lifestyle. You can put in all of the hard work with exercising and eating well, but if you dont maintain your efforts after you have reached your goal weight, the pounds will slowly begin to creep back, and youll be back where you started.

(Shutterstock Photo)

The One In, One Out Rule will help keep your home organized. Its one of the Golden Rules professional organizers live by. Every time a new item comes into your home, a similar item must leave. For example, for every new shirt that comes in, an old one comes out. New purse? Bag an old one. New pair of shoes? Give a pair their walking papers.

Organizing is one giant puzzle. Each item is a puzzle piece, Winter said. The one in, one out rule is basically stuff equilibrium.

Winter organized the home of Leza, whose story and Tucson house were profiled on an episode of A&Es Hoarders, Season 9, episode 3. She teachers her clients to live by 3 Golden Rules in staying organized:

Rule 1. Home for Every ItemRule 2. Like with LikeRule 3. One In, One Out

My organizing-ism is your stuff has to fit your space, she said. Its okay to bring in something new. But where is it going to live? If you are already tripping over things, where is the new stuff going fit?

Benjamin Franklin coined the phrase a place for everything and everything in its place. That is the goal, the mantra of professional organizers. That is why people hire them to create a system of order.

When looking at your stuff, ask yourself, do you use it, wear it, love it? If not, why are you keeping it? It can be a struggle to get rid of things, especially if they hold sentimental value.

Among the items Winter tends to see a lot of that generally do not have sentimental value is batteries scattered throughout her clients homes. This is an impulse buy. One of those things people forget they have . . . because they dont know where they are.

One of her clients had 34 nail clippers!

(Shutterstock Photo)

Clothes, Shoes and Accessories We all need new clothes and shoes every now and then. With most garments, if you havent worn it in a year, donate it.

Makeup and Toiletries Use them up and throw away expired make up and perfume/cologne that has turned. As for the free make-up bags, use them to store. . . batteries.

Magazines & Books Read and recycle. Better yet, subscribe to the digital versions.

CDs & Videos Do you even have a VCR anymore? A lot of folks have ditched their DVD and CD players for streaming. Clean out the entertainment center and take the videos and CDs to a resale shop. At least you can get a few bucks for them.

Linens January White Sale! Skip it. If you have plenty of good linens and towels, donate the worn-out ones to an animal shelter.

Candles Unless you live off the grid, are a dozen partially used candles necessary? Melt and consolidate them. Take the wick out when the wax is melted down to liquid. Add it to another jar if its not completely burned to the end. Clean and recycle the empty jars.

Food & Spices Bulk buying can be tempting. Be creative with recipes and use what you have.

Drinkware Have a mug from every city you visit? More tumblers from sporting events than there are athletes? Stop traveling and going out (just kidding). Donate.

Dishes Unless these have sentimental value, such as your grandmothers china set or you entertain a lot for very large groups of people, you probably dont need three, four or five sets of dinnerware.

Cookware Invest in pull-out shelves so you can easily see what you have.

Tools & Extra Materials Keep your garage and workshop organized so you dont have to run to the hardware store for another special hammer, drill bit or screws because you cant find what you already have. Donate tools, extra lumber, or other materials to high schools that have a construction Continuing Education Program (CTE). You may even get a tax donation letter. Call 1-800-352-4558 to find a school in your area.

(Shutterstock Photo)

When you ignore the rule, it just becomes one thing in, one thing in and it becomes overwhelming. The bottom line, according to Winter, is that you can keep whatever you want as long as it fits in the house and it has a devoted home.

Abide by the rule. Keep clutter under control and stop wasting your money on say, nail clippers and batteries.

Call Happy Home Organizers, mention Rosie and get $50 off a minimum of five hours of home organization.

Join Rosie on the House every Saturday morning from 7 to 11 a.m. on KTAR News 92.3 FM. If youd like to send us questions or comments, emailInfo@RosieontheHouse.com. Follow us onTwitterand like us onFacebook.

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Heres how to make space for the new stuff this holiday - KTAR.com

SHERRY MULLEY MACDONALD: A wish for the new year – Cape Breton Post

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

From the time I was a young child my parents impressed upon me the importance of being kind and showing respect to others.

Unfortunately, now more than ever, we are witness to or hear stories of people being anything but kind.

I have to be in Sydney on Mondays each week and while there, I often take advantage of the opportunity to do a little shopping. Recently I was picking up a few groceries.

The young girl that was ringing me in was obviously in training. She made a mistake on the register and had to call for assistance. The woman who answered the cashiers call for help arrived quickly.

The cashier was trying to explain to her supervisor what she had done. The person charged to help address the situation was obviously annoyed and spoke to the young cashier in a manner that I felt was disrespectful. I could see the cashier was getting upset by the tone in the supervisor's voice.

I felt uncomfortable listening to how the young cashier was being spoken to and I felt bad for how she was made to feel. The cashier apologized to me for the inconvenience, I assured her everything was fine, it was not a problem.

My husband Ed was with me that day and was waiting in the car. He was not witness to what had happened. I began telling him the story about the young cashier and how she was spoken to. He agreed it was a very unfortunate thing for me to have witnessed and for the young cashier to have experienced.

We discussed how it seems that some people these days are just so quick to anger and how they lack the ability to show compassion and understanding.

Ed shared with me a story he had heard on the news about a young woman who worked as a politician in the U.K. She was doing great work for her constituents and by all accounts seemed to love her job. Unfortunately, according to the report, she became the target of a hate-filled campaign that had people on social media calling her all sorts of inappropriate things. The hate-filled messages went beyond just wishing ill will on the politician, they were targeting her small children as well. Unwilling to accept any further criticism, the young politician resigned from her position.

Unfortunately, now more than ever, we are witness to or hear stories of people being anything but kind.

I am not one for social media, I dont have a personal Facebook account. I am not a member of Twitter or Instagram.

As a business owner and journalist, I can only assume that somewhere in the stratosphere exists criticism aimed directly at me as well. I choose not to go looking for it.

The question remains, what makes people think they have the right to be unkind to others?

Whether that be face to face, as with the young cashier, or via social media.

Have people forgotten the Golden Rule?

I truly believe to be happy in this world we need to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Whether an individual's values are based in Christianity or not, extending the right hand of fellowship is not that difficult. Exercising patience and understanding is easy for those of us who choose to live a life of kindness and understanding.

Without question, a large majority of the population displays kindness on a daily basis, especially here in Cape Breton. Islanders are known for their generosity and willingness to offer help where it is needed. Unfortunately, it is most often the actions of the unkind that get the most attention.

My wish for the new year is that we try a little harder to treat each other with respect. Try not to be so quick to react to the person who cuts you off at the intersection. If the lineup at the bank or grocery store is longer than you would like it to be, rather than complain, spend the time in polite conversation with the person in line next to you. If your boss is being extra demanding remember that they are people too. We never know what is going on in the lives of others.

The opportunity to show kindness exists all around us. The next time you have the chance to say or do something nice for someone please take advantage of it, you will be glad you did.

Sherry Mulley MacDonald is an author and freelance journalist. She is a lifelong resident of the Northside with an affection for the community in which she lives. If you or someone you know has an interesting story to tell contact sherrymulleymacdonald@hotmail.com.

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SHERRY MULLEY MACDONALD: A wish for the new year - Cape Breton Post

Here’s How to Get a Credit Score Above 800 – msnNOW

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

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While Americans have several different credit scores, scores by the Fair Isaac Corporation -- called FICO Scores -- are some of the most widely used. These credit scores are on a scale from 300 to 850, with higher scores preferred by lenders.

A score is considered good once it's around 670 or higher, but you don't have to settle for just a good score. You can aim to earn excellent credit and join the elite ranks of Americans with scores above 800.

Just 1 in 5 Americans have hit that milestone, though, according to data from FICO. Still, with a little patience and a lot of responsible borrowing behavior, you could become one of them.

To earn a credit score above 800, you need to do pretty well on every metric that's used to determine your score. Typically, you'll need:

While earning a credit score of 800 or higher would give you a major leg up in qualifying for loans at favorable rates, it's not necessarily essential to have a score that high. In fact, a score above 800 is generally considered to be an "exceptional" score, while scores above 740 are classified as very good and should enable most of the borrowing you want to do.

Still, since the key to earning a top credit score is being responsible with credit, there's no harm in shooting for a score of 800 or higher. In fact, you may even want to try for the elusive perfect 850 score just for the fun of it.

The Motley Fool owns and recommends MasterCard and Visa, and recommends American Express. Were firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.

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Here's How to Get a Credit Score Above 800 - msnNOW

Fiction to look out for in 2020 – The Guardian

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

This has not been a vintage year for the novel. The joint Booker winners and perhaps a handful of others aside, Im not sure that much fiction published in 2019 will be read a decade hence. The good news is that Ive spent the past several weeks joyfully immersed in proof copies of next years novels and can confirm that 2020 is shaping up to be a blinder. Ive tried here to concentrate on the first half of the year.

One of the years biggest novels is sure to be the final instalment of Hilary Mantels Thomas Cromwell trilogy, The Mirror and the Light (4th Estate, March), which is under strict embargo. Will it be great? Probably. Will it win the Booker? Possibly (although theres serious competition). It could well be pipped to the prize by Maggie OFarrells miraculous Hamnet (Tinder Press, March) a beautiful imagination of the short life of Shakespeares son, Hamnet, and the untold story of his wife, Agnes Hathaway, which builds into a profound exploration of the healing power of creativity.

Hot on Mantel and OFarrells heels are three of the next generation: Evie Wyld, Daisy Johnson and Eimear McBride. Wylds The Bass Rock (Jonathan Cape, March) is her third novel and her best so far. Stepping elegantly through time and weaving together the lives of a host of strong yet damaged women, this is Wylds masterpiece as majestic and monumental as the landmark its named after. Johnsons Sisters (Jonathan Cape, July) is a short, sharp explosion of a gothic thriller whose tension ratchets up and up to an ending of extraordinary lyricism and virtuosity. McBrides Strange Hotel (Faber, February) is an enigmatic, achingly sad book. A woman moves shiftlessly from one hotel to the next, obeying a seemingly abstract set of rules, haunted by her past.

Colum McCanns sixth novel, Apeirogon (Bloomsbury, February), is ambitious formally and thematically, taking on the Israel-Palestine conflict in a work that is both spectacularly inventive and grounded in hard, often brutal fact. It is about grief and forgiveness, about family and politics. If you can read it without sobbing, youre a monster. Also tugging on the heart-strings is Sebastian Barrys A Thousand Moons (Faber, March). Set in the wake of the American civil war, it tells the story of Winona, a brave, bruised orphan from the Lakota tribe whose new life on a Tennessee farmstead is threatened by the past.

AD Miller was shortlisted for the Booker in 2012 for his Moscow-set thriller Snowdrops. His latest, Independence Square (Harvill Secker, February), also looks east this time to Ukraine. The story of Simon Davey and the mysterious Olesya is utterly gripping, a novel with its finger on the pulse of geopolitics that still manages to move deeply.

From the US, we have Jenny Offills Weather (Granta, February). Six years after her majestic Dept of Speculation, its a dazzling state-of-the-nation novel that is every bit as good as its predecessor. Theres also Jeanine Cumminss American Dirt (Tinder Press, January), the tragic tale of a mother and her beloved son on the run from a drugs lord. Kate Elizabeth Russells superb debut, My Dark Vanessa (4th Estate, March), is more than merely an inversion of Lolita for the #MeToo generation; this is a book that asks what we have lost and gained in an era that has revolutionised the way we think about sex and power.

James Scudamore has always written brilliant, twisted novels; his latest, English Monsters (Jonathan Cape, March), is breathtakingly good. Imagine Edward St Aubyn writing The Secret History and youll get an idea of how exquisite and compelling this story about male friendship and betrayal is. Amanda Craigs The Lie of the Land was a bestseller in 2018 and made many books-of-the-year lists. Her next, The Golden Rule (Little, Brown, June), turns upon a chance meeting on a train that leads to a murderous pact. It does what her novels do best, wrapping the reader in a tight, lean narrative, showing the strangeness that lies at the heart of normal-seeming lives. Philip Henshers A Small Revolution in Germany (4th Estate, February) is a beautiful, regret-soaked story about the marks left on our adult lives by the idealism of our youth.

A few more to look out for: Maaza Mengistes The Shadow King (Canongate, January) is a complex, lyrical and compelling historical novel set during Mussolinis invasion of Ethiopia. SJ Parriss Giordano novels are always worth reading. The sixth, Execution (HarperCollins, April), is no exception a brilliantly realised fictionalisation of the Babington plot against Elizabeth I. Nikita Lalwanis gripping thriller You People (Viking, April) is set among undocumented migrants in a shadowy London underworld. Theres a fine second novel from Stuart Evers The Blind Light (Picador, June) reads like a British Don DeLillo, telling the social history of Britain through two generations of a family. Finally, in A Theatre for Dreamers (Bloomsbury Circus, April), Polly Samson goes to the Greek island of Hydra to imagine the first steps in the love affair between Leonard Cohen and his Marianne. As dreamily nostalgic as Cohens song Famous Blue Raincoat.

Along with Kate Elizabeth Russell, there are a number of hotly anticipated debuts hitting the shelves. The 28-year-old Dutch dairy farmer Marieke Lucas Rijnevelds The Discomfort of Evening (Faber, March), translated by Michelle Hutchison, is a rich and luminous novel about fate and grief. It is already a bestseller in Holland. Nazanine Hozars immaculate first novel, Aria (Viking, March), follows a group of Iranians in the lead-up to the 1979 revolution and marks the arrival of a major new voice. Rainbow Milk (Dialogue Books, March) by Paul Mendez is another worth looking out for powerful, sensuous and thrillingly well written.

Its not in the first half of the year, but Im already hugely excited about Eley Williamss first novel, The Liars Dictionary (William Heinemann, July). Shes a magnificent prose stylist and I cant wait to read her in the longer form. We can also look forward to the final part of Ali Smiths era-defining seasonal quartet, Summer (Penguin, July); and theres a new novel by the dependably magnificent Kate Grenville A Room Made of Leaves (Text, July) (which Ive read and its every bit as good as The Secret River). Then, in September, theres Piranesi (Bloomsbury) by Susanna Clarke, the long-awaited new book from the author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and Mayflies (Faber) by the great Andrew OHagan.

Fiction to look out for in 2020 - The Guardian

Advice: Can I ask my driver to turn off the music? – The Boston Globe

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

Ha! If it werent for the music I get introduced to by Lyft drivers, I would literally not listen to anything but Talking Heads and Broadway cast albums. Im always disappointed when they take note of my sensible shoes and reading glasses and turn the party off.

Theres a difference between radio that is simply not to your taste and radio that assaults the mind or senses. You can ask a driver to turn down the first and turn off the second. The golden rule of car radio is that drivers choose the soundtrackfrom a generally acceptable menu. Passengers shouldnt be exposed to excessive volume, profanity, screaming, insults, religious proselytization, or sexually explicit material. This is the case regardless of the demographics of either party. Earphones or buds are also your friend, and using a ride to catch up on voice mail, or listen to the news or a podcast, makes your request for quiet about you, not about the drivers choices.

Does this make you feel more comfortable? I must say, life gets a lot easier if you stop worrying what service providers think about you as a person. You want them to think well of you as a customerone who pays and tips well, gives relevant feedback, honors their time constraints, communicates clearly and respectfully, and so on. But its really OK if they think youre scatterbrained or awkward or have awful tasteor whatever. Silently judging the customers is part of the fun of every job. Dont take that away. Your drivers might think youre old and out of touch. So what? We live in an explosion of diversity and information. Everyones scope is necessarily limited.

Miss Conduct is Robin Abrahams, a writer with a PhD in psychology.

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Advice: Can I ask my driver to turn off the music? - The Boston Globe

The Turkish Novelist Elif Shafak Wants You to Read More Women – The New York Times

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Danzig

A Millennium of Turkish Literature, by Talat Halman, is a wonderful and beautifully written book, so thats a great place to start. Reading Nazim Hikmet is essential to understand not only how oppression works but also how strong is the struggle for freedom. Sabahattin Alis Madonna in a Fur Coat was released in English a few years ago, and its brilliant.

What do you read when youre working on a book? And what kind of reading do you avoid while writing?

Before I start a novel I do extensive research and I basically try to read everything I can find on the subject. I have spent long years in academia, and maybe that has given me a sense of discipline, which I normally lack. So depending on what I am planning to write, I read a lot and I think a lot. This could be anything: from Sephardic history to Ottoman architecture, from rare birds to lives of sex workers in Istanbul. Then, when I start writing the novel, I avoid reading novels, and I only read poetry for a while. Especially Walt Whitman, W. B. Yeats, Khalil Gibran, Anna Akhmatova and Rumi. I also love Maya Angelou and I must say Audre Lorde has a special place in my heart.

Has a book ever brought you closer to another person, or come between you?

Every novel that I have read has brought me closer to another human being, I believe. There are only very, very few books that I wish had never ever been written. One is The Protocols of the Elders of Zion. Its full of dangerous lies and it paved the way for the Holocaust. Another horrible book is The Hammer of Witches, published in the 15th century. Hundreds of thousands of innocent people, mostly women, have been accused of witchcraft because of this nonsense, and killed, imprisoned or tortured. The Camp of the Saints, which is now widely read by the far right and its orators, is also full of hatred, racism and xenophobia.

What moves you most in a work of literature?

The voice, primarily. Both the art and the craft of storytelling. I love the waltz of the heart and the mind. The pessimism of the mind and the optimism of the heart, as Gramsci would say.

What genres do you especially enjoy reading? And which do you avoid?

I read everything and anything that speaks to me: political philosophy, neuroscience, cultural history. I also read graphic novels, comic books, cookbooks. Whatever interests me in that moment in time, I sit down and read it. I have no regard for so-called highbrow literature versus lowbrow literature. Never understood those distinctions. I have only one golden rule: I try to read as widely as possible, so rather than staying in the same mental comfort zone year after year, I like to travel across disciplines and genres and cultures.

Who is your favorite fictional hero or heroine? Your favorite antihero or villain?

Orlando is my all-time fictional hero/heroine. I also love the fact that Virginia Woolf calls that book a biography. As for a favorite antihero, Jay Gatsby, of course. The Great Gatsby is a remarkable book that needs to be revisited time and again.

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The Turkish Novelist Elif Shafak Wants You to Read More Women - The New York Times

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