Daily Archives: April 3, 2020

We say "tomayto." Others might say "tomahto."

I say let's get our tomatoes in the ground.

If there's anything the coronavirus pandemic has done, it's brought us back to our roots.

I wasn't around during the Great Depression, but in talking to people who were, there was one golden rule: What you had to eat was what you could grow.

With the empty shelves at grocery stores nowadays, people are going back to the earth and planting their own gardens.

Joe Duckworth at Duckworth Farm Supply says tomato and other vegetable plants are flying off the shelves faster than he can get them in.

We had to ask Joe to set aside a dozen or so "Better Boy" tomato plants for us. We picked them up Friday morning.

According to tomatodirt.com, the most popular tomato hybrid varieties are Better Boy, Big Beef, Big Boy, Celebrity and Early Girl. There are thousands of varieties.

And that's not even mentioning cherry, grape and Roma (aka plum) tomatoes.

My dad and I are in our annual race with my son Kyle in South Carolina to see who can produce the first harvest of tomatoes. Kyle has had tomato plants in the ground for several weeks. He plants the seeds and raises them indoors until it's warm enough to transplant them to the outdoors.

Experts say now is the perfect time to plant tomatoes because they can get at least six hours of sun a day.

My dad has had a garden for as long as I can remember. He and his buddy, the late Randolph Puckett, even had two gardens for several years.

In addition to tomatoes, they grew pole beans (Kentucky Wonder), bunch beans, butter beans, field peas, corn (Silver Queen), sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, squash, beets, onions, carrots, watermelons, cucumbers and cantaloupes.

They must have supplied half of Milledgeville with vegetables.

Now, Randy Dalrymple is kind enough to let us put in a small garden on his property. We share the bounty.

Basically, we do the labor. Randy is the brains of the operation.

We did have a rototiller to break up the dirt, but it broke down last year. We don't know what happened to it, but we're blaming Randy. So we wound up renting one.

This year, Randy has borrowed a tiller from his friend, Rye Ramsey. We'll try not to break it.

We're pretty much down to corn and tomatoes, with maybe a few watermelons (Charleston Grays), cantaloupes, cucumbers and pumpkins.

So the race is on. The bad thing about gardens is you have to wait a long time to taste the fruits of your labor.

But once you slice that first, fresh, garden-grown tomato and pile it on top of bread, bacon, lettuce and mayo, the wait's worth it.

Let the anticipation begin.

Rick Millians, a 1970 Baldwin graduate who worked at newspapers in Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina before retiring, can be reached at 803-331-4290 or rdmillians@aol.com.

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MILLIANS: Gardens a comfort in trying times | Opinion - The Union-Recorder

Your running club is closed, your upcoming marathon has been postponed and your kitchen has been turned into a makeshift classroom.

Lately, it seems the only training youve been doing is chasing little humans around the house and leaping over a construction site of toy towers. With no one to run with and no one to watch the kids while were in lockdown, your daily endorphin hit may already seem a distant memory.

But before you drop an iPad into their overly sanitised palms and begin frantic laps of your back garden, why not strike a two-for-one deal run with them?

Not only can you feel the burn without worrying the house will go up in flames in your absence, but youll also do some quality bonding and keep the family active during this stressful time.

Of course, it can be hard to get children out the door at all, let alone with their sweaty parents. The sound of running with mum isnt exactly music to most kids ears, so we got some pro tips from Aled Hughes, founder of Speed4Sport and top childrens running coach, on how to make this an enjoyable experience for all.

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If your child is not naturally athletic, you cant expect them to leap around with glee at the prospect of running with you. Hughes advises against launching into a continuous stretch, and instead recommends a softer introduction.

If I ask a group of children to run laps, within two minutes a proportion of them will be walking. Start off with a walk/run/walk session for however long your child is enjoying it.

The golden rule? Let them run the show. Kids love to feel important, so assign responsibility to maintain their interest: Let them use their stopwatch or timer so they are controlling the session.

For a lot of kids, running lives in the same bin as vegetables and homework. With many PE classes failing to teach it properly or using it as punishment, its no wonder the sport has such a bad rep. Try mixing some sprints into a fun game to undo these negative perceptions.

One of the most successful ways of getting children to run is not to tell them to run. We put children in small groups and we hide 15-30 objects. The children then move (run) to find all the objects as quickly as possible. Its like orienteering but we use pieces of paper with themes. For example, Find the animals.

If we want kids to want to run, a supportive attitude is crucial. Encouragement and praise foster a positive connotation with running, and will instil in them the confidence to continue the pastime on their own.

Giving children feedback is so important and those kind words about their effort and performance are the key to keeping children involved in running, says Hughes.

In the unlikely case youve forgotten, keep in mind that were in a pandemic. If you dont share a household with your kids or you just want to set an example, use the Follow the Leader trick to ensure social distancing.

The child is the leader and the parent, who is three metres behind, follows. Your child can run 60 seconds as the leader and then they swap over.

The takeaway? Running with your kid can be a blast, but the ingredients for success need to be measured carefully.

Linear runs and repetitive stretching may work for adult runners, but kids need something a little more lively to keep them motivated. Tailor the sessions to fit their needs, give them a valued role and most importantly dole out an endless supply of kudos.

Who knows, soon they might be the ones overtaking you on the roads.

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Coronavirus: how to run with your kids during the pandemic - Runner's World (UK)

OVERVIEW

The Covid-19 pandemic places enormous challenges on every aspect of life. Arbitration hearings, almost always with a mixture of parties, representatives, witnesses and tribunal members attending from far and wide and with complex dovetailed availability issues, face particular challenges, both from national lockdowns and the disappearance of international (and much domestic) travel.

The initial and immediate reaction, from personal experience and much anecdotal evidence, has been for many parties and tribunals simply to adjourn hearings fixed in the likely affected period. While perhaps understandable as the crisis suddenly changed its perceived severity and impact within hours, we are now in for the long haul, and arbitration hearings (unlike sporting events, music festivals, walking with friends or going to the pub) are in fact very well placed to adapt and carry on.

Simon Rainey QCandGaurav SharmaofQuadrant Chamberspropose ten easy rules for keeping the current international arbitration diary on the road as much as possible.

Here they are, to cut and paste to your Desktop. For more detail, read on below.

In more detail, here are our key points to try to make your path to your Virtual Hearing, whether as counsel, in-house adviser or arbitrator an easier one.

1. Adjournment should be the last resort.

Adjournment simply pushes off the problem. With different jurisdictions on different epidemiological timetables and with second outbreaks wholly unpredictable, let alone resumption of normal services, never has the termsine die(without a new date being fixed) had such appalling resonance! The norm can and should be, save in themostexceptional cases, to hold the hearing date and to avoid the waste of costs and time which adjournment entails (and the difficulties in rescheduling after Corona whenever that will be). As banking, insurance, legal services and other sectors move over to remote and home-working, it requires a very good explanation why an arbitration hearing cannot take place virtually. If international governmental meetings can do it this way, so can we. The 27th Vis Moot, with 248 teams, is taking place as normal, online and on Vienna time and in the usual Vienna timeslots (https://vismoot.pace.edu/) The London Business and Property Court has set the lead of business as usual wherever possible and by and by whatever virtual means available (see :https://www.judiciary.uk/publications/civil-court-guidance-on-how-to-conduct-remote-hearings). For a recent example, see Teare Js robust case management of a two-week trial:https://www.law360.com/articles/1255010/kazakh-row-over-530m-bny-funds-faces-virtual-trial. So, Golden Rule No. 1? Adjournment should now be the absoluteexception, not a default option.

2. Arbitration embraces tools and technology: lets build on what we already do well.

Is the challenge, while hugely different in scale and complexity, really so different from the day-to-day practical challenges of international arbitration and what we, as counsel and arbitrators, do now, and do well to address those challenges? Arbitration already makes routine and highly effective use of (at least) two virtual tools to cope with dispersed participants and the logistical impossibility of live attendance: (1) the telephone (or video-link) procedural hearing and (2) the taking of witness evidence by video-link. If the hearing is mostly legal argument or part of it is to be taken up with oral addresses or submissions (with or without an accompanying PowerPoint), then why is not (1) just as effective as it is for a hard-fought and important procedural or disclosure battle? And if the hearing is a heavy evidential one, why is (2) not a perfectly acceptable option? If an arbitration may already turn on the evidence by video-link of a key witness, why is it really so different to run the whole hearing in this way?

3. More realism, please, about seeing the witness (etc.)

This is not the time or place to debate the Anglo-Saxon predilection for seeing the witness and belief in assessing his or her veracity and credibility based on the tribunals acute psychological insight and unerring ability to read every gesture and passage of emotion across a witness face. But if the option is to hold off the hearing until better times (when?) and when the matter can be refixed (think of the rescheduling logjam), we need to assess critically whether the importance of this advantage of seeing the witness is not very much overstated, when balanced against postponing a hearing indefinitely. Where a good or even passable video-link takes place, the discomfiture or arrogance of a witness (or whatever it is that we as counsel or tribunal members are supposed to be looking for) is almost always readily apparent. Take the example of a politician in a television interview. Other concerns about who is in the room with the witness etc (if he or she is not self-isolating!) can be dealt with either by the nature of the camera used, or just (as in a recent case) asking the witness to rotate his laptop to show the whole of the room in which he is sitting.

4. Use the wide existing procedural powers firmly and creatively

As with any potentially disruptive event, Covid-19 may regrettably be fastened onto by the party who wants to derail the procedural timetable, put off the hearing timetable and game the practical difficulties for perceived tactical advantage. Seeing the witness in a serious case of this nature is vital, the importance of live interaction between counsel and the tribunal and between tribunal members themselves cannot be overstated are already submissions which are being made. Under all of the main institutional rules (e.g. ICC 2017 Rules, Article 22(2); LCIA 2014 Rules, Article 14.4(ii) etc) and under the general statutory powers in most seats (e.g. sections 33 and 34 of the Arbitration Act 1996) the tribunal will have effective carte blanche to make the hearing happen and counsel and parties must be expected to cooperate (or be made to do so). Cf. the recent approach of the London Commercial Court (cited above): The court has to be optimistic rather than hesitant. It is a duty of all the parties to seek to cooperate, to ensure that a remote hearing is possible. [] The default position now in all jurisdictions is that hearings must be conducted with one, more than one, or all parties attending remotely. A watch-word for all of us engaged in arbitration.

5. Remember: many useful video-protocols are already out there.

Building on the video-conferencing of witnesses, there exists an impressive and very useful (but in our experience rather underused) body of protocols and guides to best practice, all recent and topical. These have already grappled with almost all of the practical problems inherent in taking evidence by video-link (including dealing with documentary evidence) and provide excellent templates on which to build in drawing up the procedural format for a virtual hearing with multiple participants. First is theICCs Commission Report on Information Technology in International Arbitrationof October 2017. Then the ever comprehensive CIArb series of guidelines was joined in April 2019 by theCIArb Guidelines for Witness Conferencing in International Arbitration, with many useful insights. But theHague Conference Draft Guide to Good Practice on the Use of Video-Links Under the Evidence Convention(March 2019) is outstanding in its foresight and coverage and cannot be too highly recommended. These and other resources (e.g. theSeoul Protocol on Video Conferencing in International Arbitration) all make the tasks of counsel and arbitrators in formulating a virtual hearing protocol for a particular case so much easier. The wheel has already been invented and it is just a case of fitting it to size (and adding one or two more if need be). Here are some of the relevant links:

ICC:https://iccwbo.org/publication/information-technology-international-arbitration-report-icc-commission-arbitration-adr/

CIArb:https://www.ciarb.org/news/ciarb-s-new-guidelines-for-witness-conferencing-in-international-arbitration/

Hague:https://assets.hcch.net/docs/e0bee1ac-7aab-4277-ad03-343a7a23b4d7.pdf

Seoul:www.kcabinternational.or.kr

6. Embrace technology as your friend (a.k.a. Use Zoom)

A virtual hearing is only ever going to be as good as the platform which is used to host it. Cometh the hour, cometh the platform! The new home-working environment has been the proving-ground of Zoom (www.zoom.us). Its selling-point, apart from being fantastically easy to use and adaptable (see Golden Rule 7) is that it will Bring HD video and audio to your meetings with support for up to 1000 video participants and 49 videos on screen. And what it says, it delivers (see Golden Rule 10). It looks set to be the mainstay of arbitration life, just as it is fast becoming the go-to solution for any virtual meeting, congregation, class or any other socially distanced interaction. It can be used really effectively for all procedural steps in arbitration, including witness interviews, drafting sessions, work with experts, preparation for hearing, as well as all aspects of the hearing itself. Coupled with setting up parallel chat groups for the various counsel and tribunal teams and their internal communication, a virtual hearing in real time is readily achievable, with appropriate flexibility (see Golden Rule 9), including for example frequent planned breaks. Many other options are available. Skype for Business we have of course grown up with and it is working well so far in the Business and Property Court. The Vis Moot will be run on the virtual mediation / dispute resolution platform Immediation (https://www.immediation.com).But the popularity of Zoom may see it becoming an everyday arbitration tool. See for example:https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/21/why-zoom-has-become-darling-of-remote-workers-amid-covid-19-outbreak.html

7. Electronic hearing bundles reallydowork.

For most of us as counsel (or arbitrator), the electronic bundle is, with apologies to Trollope, The way we live now. Epiq and Opus2 have revolutionised document heavy hearings in court and arbitration, in venues around the world. The key (as cross-examiners know) is the Olympian operator who seems, even as one is uttering the runic incantation [B2/16/ page 345]or some such, to be already bringing it up telepathically on the multiple screens. Normally present in the room, the main providers have already developed the use ofremoteoperators, themselves using the live video-link and managing the electronic hearing bundle: further developments are under way:https://www.epiqglobal.com/en-us/about/news; and Opus2 has already created new offsite case and technical managers:https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/5553909/New%20remote%20accessw%20brochure%20-%20vFinal.pdf?hsCtaTracking=2d70e7e7-a694-4dbc-91ba-d0abf96ab4d9%7C68ea0924-808d-41ab-9225-9fd372b8ef85But there are simpler options for less document heavy cases or where there is only a shared electronic bundle and no Epiq or Opus2 document management in place. Zoom (yes again) allows one to exhibit documents on the shared screen by clicking on a document open on your second screen. And there are other portals and providers, all gearing up for the challenge presented by the disruption to the normal way of doing things.

8. A new Tribunal Secretary: the Technical Assistant?

In these times, it may well be necessary to add a new face to the arbitral personnel. The arbitral secretary and his or her role is a familiar one (and continues to give rise to optimistic challenges: as in the recentYukoscase before the Hague Court of Appeal. But understandably the challenges to putting in place and then conducting an effective virtual hearing will in reality be technological and logistical (as much as, for some, an inbuilt adherence to traditional ways of doing things or to a preference for the comfort blanket of the cut-and-paste ten or more page procedural order detailing the minutiae of, and preparatory, for the oral hearing: cf. Golden Rule 9). The leading document management platforms will have this built in (as with Opus2s Virtual Hearing Manager, Case Manager and the somewhat forbidding-sounding EPE [electronic presentation of evidence] Officer). But while that may be available and appropriate for larger cases, engaging technical advice and a technical advisor should be a priority in every case in order to avoid the tribunal and/or counsel having to grapple with what will be the inevitable breakdowns, non-compatibilities, sound without vision andvice versaetc. And, pragmatically, why should parties not agree (or be directed to agree) on the use of the IT expertise of one or other firm of lawyers, billed at cost as a cost of the arbitration? In very many cases, any incremental cost will be a very small fraction of the value in dispute. And if that may raise hackles, why not pool or combine the law firms IT expertise, or rotate it?

9. Flexibility, flexibility, and more flexibility in timetabling and everything else

The demands will initially seem great and, perhaps to some, too difficult. But the alternative of postponing the proceedings indefinitely in the pursuit of some unquantifiable conception of perfection does not serve the interests of the parties who have entrusted the timely and effective resolution of their dispute to the counsel teams they have chosen and the tribunal they have empanelled. The traditional features of a hearing (such as hearing length; the hearing day: its length; its timetabling, order of submissions and witnesses etc) are already handled flexibly by most tribunals with the active support of most arbitration practitioners. The New Normal is going to call for even more flexibility and a pragmatic realisation that things will not be the same for an undefined future time. So: hearings and hearing days may have to be shorter; with witness evidence pruned and focused on the things that really matter to make it more manageable to assimilate and test virtually; with greater use of pre-reading in relation to witness evidence with, possibly, counsel showing their hand so that the tribunal can see in advance what the main challenges to a witness evidence are, before the live show of cross-examination when the documents are put to the witness with a flourish; with the use of telephone only hearings for parts of the arbitration main hearing as appropriate; and timetabling hearings in portions and at mutually uncomfortable times to spread the pain of linking up widely distant participants. If arbitration is anything, it is inherently flexible from a procedural perspective, so as to achieve effective and efficient resolution of the parties dispute.

10. including how we handle new disputes in our brave new world.

Arbitration serves business needs, not the other way around. As businesses find ways of adjusting their practices to suit the new environment and operate without disruption or interruption, they need to know that their business partners who handle the resolution of their commercial disputes are equally adaptable and ready, and are learning from the challenges were all facing together. That includes changing the way in which we handle new disputes arising now, in real time. Counsel should assume that their disputes will be born and live their lives in a world where expensive and diary challenging in-person hearings are neither the norm nor necessarily desirable as a default. We should think carefully about the way in which we draft pleadings, focusing on the issues that really matter, rather than assuming for example that there will be time, utility and patience for the examination of peripheral witnesses on largely immaterial issues. The same goes for an appropriate and judicious evaluation of the evidence for example, the number and nature of witnesses and experts to be presented or called; the documentary burden to be placed on the tribunal; or the scope and focus of document requests, knowing that any interlocutory applications may not be heard by the tribunal in person. Procedural timetables might similarly assume that hearings and meetings will be conducted by video-conference, and accordingly provide the logistical and technical details in advance. Indeed, all of these things could and should result in shorter overall timetables and lead to quicker awards. If handled responsibly, then who knows: when happier times return we may emerge having all learnt to do things better, more efficiently and more cost-effectively, with long-term advantages for the streamlining and simplification of arbitration hearings.

Virtual hearings will at first undoubtedly have more than their fair share of frustrations and mishaps. But with us all pooling our experiences and knowledge and building on the lead already taken by the major arbitral institutions and venues (and with more from them to come), international arbitration will strengthen and improve its position, where other dispute resolution options may not be able to match its flexibility.

See the rest here:

Arbitration Hearings and the Corona 'New Normal' - Ten Golden Rules: or the Easy Path to your Virtual Hearing - Lexology

Photo Source: Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

When youre first starting out in crew and production, it may seem like the jobs you can get are few and far between or uninterestingor both. Listen, I get it: those entry-level roles can be tedious and thankless and may not align at all with the vision you have for your career. But theyre necessary. There is no better way to learn, gain experience, and network than taking those jobs and doing them well.

This is why you should say yes to everythingwithin reasonespecially the last-minute gigs that pop up out of nowhere. Sure, maybe you dont see yourself rising up the ranks of the sound department but when your friend calls and says theres a last-minute need for a boom operator on set tomorrow, take it. When a gaffer you once PAd for texts to see if youre available in a few hours to step in as a set electrician, take that too. Frazzled email from a friend-of-a-friend asking if you can edit a digital ad for a client over the weekend because her go-to editor is busy? Yup, take it.

As Ive learned first hand, its on those last-minute jobs that youll very often find some of your best connections, the ones that can lead to some of your biggest career opportunities in the future. After all, theres no better networking than on-set networking.

The golden rule of crew work is to always be networking. Im not suggesting you network day-in and day-outbe sure to do your job and do it well first. But those moments at the end of the day and after the project wraps? Absolutely. Youve shared long hours, crazy directors, and funny moments; use those shared experiences to connect and develop relationships that will then help you find bigger, better projects in the future.

How + Why You Need to Build Your Crew Network

Same goes for the produceryou know, the one with hiring power? Networking with the head of a production isnt quite the same as with your unit head, but the producer is the most important to follow up and stay in touch with moving forward if youd like to find more work in the future.

Starting out, I didnt know many people in town. When I was asked by a friend to join a shoot last-minute, I was quickly put in front of a hiring producer. I had little leverage at the timeand a lot of desire to make money and gain experiencebut I made a good impression and was hired. Throughout the shoot, I kept my energy up and positive, and did what I was supposed to (and did it well). Not only had I helped the producer on short notice, but Id done a good job and endeared myself to him. Years later, hes gone on to hire me again and again (with ample notice) because he knows and trusts me thanks to that first last-minute shoot.

Another element that should never be forgotten or ignored is just how much valuable experience you glean on a job. Yes, you can read great articles online about the world of film and video (like these here on Backstage, of course). But they pale in comparison to the everyday challenges, lessons, and experiences youll gain on set. A practice I adopted early on that helped immensely was to take notes at the end of every day. What did you observe? What did you do well? What would you like to get better at? What other roles would you like to learn? The more time you spend workingeven if its a last-minute jobthe more opportunity you have to get that hands-on experience. The number one piece of advice almost anyone in a crew will give you? Just get on set; learn on the job. Theres no better education in the business.

Another thing that will keep your career moving is having consistent credit, which last-minute jobs can help with. This isnt to suggest that doing work just for the credit is wise, but the truth is that credits arent something you should write off or ignore. Being able to show that youve worked consistently over the years indicates that not only are you experienced and good at what you do, but also that youre in demand. Before you know it, those jobs you took on short notice will lead to having your pick of multiple offers.

Finally, Id be remiss if I didnt mention the fact that when youre asked to do something last-minute, youre in a much stronger position to negotiate a more favorable rate. Im not advocating that you drastically exaggerate or lie about what itll take money-wise for you to take the job, but remember that they need you too, and if its a last-minute ask, theyre probably willing to offer more if you ask for a number within reason.

When I work crew jobs, I have a standard rate I expect to be paid (though I will work for less for the right situation, project or person). But if Im being asked to join a project last-minute, I have no problem asking for my rate plus more due to the expediency. By negotiating for a higher rate on these last-minute jobs, I can, over time, justify raising my standard rate which, in turn, continues to raise my expedited rate. And while this line of work isnt about the money, it certainly doesnt hurt to set yourself up for long term success with fair rates that reflect your experience and work quality.

(Not sure what you should be asking? Check out this guide to every crew position and their standard rates.)

Alright, so now youre convinced that last-minute jobs may just be the key to cracking your crew career wide open. But how do you find them? Like I said earlier, a lot of them will come from your professional network, the people youve worked with before who know youre reliable and good at what you do. But if youre new to the business and dont have a robust network, youll have to get proactive. Seek out opportunities; let it be known that youre looking for work. Here are a few ways to do it.

1. Use social media to your advantage.Sometimes landing a last-minute job is as simple as using the right search terms on Facebook. Use the search bar just like you would on Google: plug in your location and relevant keywords, like, Austin film crew jobs or last-minute production jobs New York. You can also seek out and follow local creators who often post when theyre crewing up for a production. A few favorites include Freelance Film Crew - Los Angeles, I Need a Production Assistant!, People Looking for TV Work: Runners, and Film Industry Network. And of course: Last Minute and Short Notice Film/TV Production Needs & Jobs-Casting Calls.

Check these groups every day; set up alerts so you get a notification when a new post goes up. Reply to anything that sounds interesting or worthwhile and get yourself those last-minute jobs.

2. Register on production job sites and crew databases.While this one isnt groundbreakingyou should already be registered on job sitesits still important. Not only should all your contact information be accurate and available should someone find your profile and want to hire you, but you should also be using these platforms to seek out work, specifically of the last-minute variety. Many job sites let you filter listings by a productions phase, so if youre looking for something right away, make sure youve filtered by active or filming. Chances are that once something is in pre-production or principal photography, the jobs theyll need filled are of the last-minute variety. Make sure youre constantly checking:

3. Get familiar with your local film office.If theres something shooting in your area, chances are they need to register with the local film office. Not only can you use these film offices to know what productions are headed your way that may need crew, but many also have crew databases where you can upload your details so that if a local production finds itself in need of last-minute crew members, youre easily findable and contactable:

(You can also follow along with Backstages Now Filming and Greenlit series to stay up-to-date one whats currently shooting or will be soon near you.)

For more on how to get work on a film crew, visit Backstages crew hub!

Jourdan Aldredge is a writer, video journalist, and video producer, director, and editor based in Austin, Texas. Check out his e-book, Shreditor, about how to hack it shooting, producing, and editing your way in the new wild west of digital filmmaking.

Read more:

Last-Minute Crew Jobs: Why They Can Make Your Career + How to Find Them - Backstage

The United States has a president, Donald J. Trump, who refuses to accept responsibility for the horrendous job he has done as leader in combating this virus.

People are literally dying and he blames it on the Obama Administration. In Trumps pettiness, he is upset that hes being criticized and not praised for his efforts. This is the same man who said that this pandemic was a hoax. Now he has the audacity to claim that he knew of the pandemic months ago. Yet his lockstep congressmen and senators never accused Trump for leading from behind. With the previous presidents, they knew that the buck stopped at the Oval Office. People are dying and Trump wants praise instead of criticism on the incompetent job he has done.

He literally wants governors to kiss his ring before federal aid is rendered. Had it not been for states taking the lead in trying to prevent the spread of this disease, I wonder where we would be now.

Troublesome is Trumps petty world of belittling and lies, saying that the job of president is easy and only he can fix what is broken. Sorry to say, Stable Genius, you have been found wanting. A thick skin you have not.

Attacking the press when you are not doing your job is the act of a desperate man. It is not their job to lie to the American people as Trump has done daily. A presidents job is to inspire the people during a crisis. But not this foul-mouthed, egotistical imbecile.

A lot of you made a deal with the devil in voting for Donald J. Trump. At 73 years old, he has never really been taught the Golden Rule. And reading up on his past, he has not really suffered for his acts of indecency. But be careful what you wish for. Trump wanted the presidency so bad that he would get it by any means necessary, even if it meant conspiring with a foreign power to get it.

Well in this time of crisis, people are really scared and unfortunately, the person often looked for in comfort and inspiration is out to lunch and the signs state nothing of what time he will return. Stay safe, citizens, God is still in charge.

And thank Him for the state leaders who did not listen to the words of a president who has cried wolf one time too many.

Dallas E. Ford

Rocky Mount

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Here's the true meaning of leading from behind - Rocky Mount Telegram

Sometimes it's easier to toss food after the expiration date, rather than risk food poisoning. But that often results in throwing out edible food. USA TODAY

The stay-at-home order because ofcoronavirus pandemic has forced people to stock up their pantries. That also means more people are cooking at home.

Cleaning out and rearrangingmy home pantry was one of the first things I did, knowing I would count on those item.

I rearranged to make sure I used those items that had been in there a while first. Next I got to work on tossing things out.

One of the thingsI paid attention to was the dates on packages. I tossed out a lot.It also got me thinking about questions on expiration dates, something I have written about in the past.

I went through our archives and found thiscolumn explaining what'Best-by' 'Sell-by and 'Use-by dates mean. If you're not sure about a fresh, frozen or packaged product, follow the golden rule: "When in doubt, throw it out."

And if you've stocked up on pasta try the recipes forPasta with Pine Nuts, Spinach and Sun-dried Tomatoes. The dish is easy to put together and is ready in about 30 minutes. If you don't have sun-dried tomatoes, you can substitute another sauteed vegetable. Also, the pine nuts can be optional.

ANSWER: What's lurking in your pantry or in your refrigerator can be worrisome. How long products last, especially once they are opened, is a question we all face.

But before you begin to think your pantry or refrigerator is breeding bacteria, consider that because a product has reached it's expired date doesn't mean it's no longer good. Tossing out an item,when it could still be good is a waste (more on this later). The obvious test with a lot of products is the smell and look test. If it smells bad and has mold growing, toss it. Never taste food to determine if it's still good, says the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

Product dates, according to the FSIS, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), are not a guide for safe use except for infant formula and baby food. The dates, rather, are a quality issue. Dates on packaging, which are not regulated by the federal government except for infant formula and baby foods, tell a consumer how long they can store the food and consume it when it is still at its best.

Keep in mind terms such as "sell-by" and "use-by" have different meanings.

Sell-by: Tells the store how long it can display the food for sale. It's best, of course, to buy the food before it reaches the sell-by date. Refrigerate once you buy it, or freeze it for longer storage.

Use-by:Date is the recommended date for using the product for the best quality. It's important to note, that the FSIS, says that with infant formula that date is a food safety issue. The agency says not to buy or use baby formula after its use-by date.

Best if used by/before:Another indicator of how long the product will be of best quality.

You can find storage information on certain foods at fsis.usda.gov. (Search product dating, storage or food safety.)

In the last few years, many articles have been written about how much food waste is going on. Food is wasted for various reasons, with one being people don't know how to determine whether it's still good or not.

The global experts at Whole Foods Market pegged mindful meal prep as one of their top food trends for 2017. And part of being mindful is reducing food waste. Americans waste some 40% of all edible food, according to the National Resources Defense Council, a New York City-based environmental watchdog agency.

At nrdc.org you can check out the section savethefood.com for listings of common foods and their storage options and how long they last. Take mayonnaise, as an example. On the site, NRDC recommends refrigerating, of course, after opening. It also says that mayonnaise is at its freshest unopened for 2 years. But once opened, the refrigerator life is 2 to 3 months.

More: Tight budget? Here are the best foods to stockpile in a coronavirus quarantine

More: Coronavirus preparations: Foods with the longest shelf life

And don't forget about veggies. While some might look wilted or have softened, that's OK. Use them in quick sauts, stir-fries or soups see recipe below. You can also save those vegetable scraps, sticking them in a freezer bag. When you gather up enough, make vegetable stock.

You will also finduseful information at stilltasty.com. I also found the USDA's the Food Keeper phone app useful.

Have a question? Contact Susan Selasky at 313-222-6872 or sselasky@freepress.com. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.

Serves: 6 / Preparation time: 15 minutes /Total time: 30 minutes

Pasta with Pine Nuts, Spinach and Sun Dried Tomatoes.(Photo: Susan Selasky, Susan Selasky)

1 cup vegetable broth

1 cup dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes

1 pound spaghetti or thin spaghetti

2 tablespoons pine nuts

1 tablespoon olive oil

teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons sherry

10 ounces fresh regular spinach, rinsed, tough stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces

cup heavy whipping cream

cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a small saucepan, bring the broth to a boil. Remove from heat. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in the broth 15 minutes, or until softened. Drain, reserving broth, and coarsely chop.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Place pasta in the pot and cook 9 to 12 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

Place the pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir until lightly toasted.

In a large skillet, add the olive oil, red pepper flakes and garlic and cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Stir in the sherry.

Mix in the spinach, and cook until almost wilted. Add the reserved broth, and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Continue cooking 2 minutes, or until heated through. Stir in the heavy cream, and cook until thickened.

In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta with the spinach and tomato mixture and pine nuts. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

From and tested by Susan Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen.

230 calories (34% from fat), 9 grams fat (3 grams sat. fat), 31 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams protein, 304 mg sodium, 13 mg cholesterol, 6 grams fiber.

Read or Share this story: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2020/04/02/food-expiration-dates-use-by-sell-best/2934521001/

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Best-by, sell-by, use by dates: What they mean, how they're different for food - Detroit Free Press

Sir, I write as a daily walker currently confined to my house because of my age.

I understand well the competing interests described in recent letters (March 28th, April 1st) and look forward to those of us over 70 having the freedom to reclaim and enjoy our share of the footpaths.

We are currently playing our part for our community and that includes being deprived of our daily fresh air and exercise. Yours, etc,

RACHEL M

BEWLEY-BATEMAN,

Rathfarnham,

Dublin 14.

Sir, There are rude people and there are kind people. There are thoughtful and considerate people and there are thoughtless and self-centred people. Both types can be found among those who run and walk and cycle and drive.

A little consideration for others goes a long way. Remember the golden rule: treat others as you would like to be treated.

Thats enough sermonising from this pensioner. Its back to the crosswords for me. Yours, etc,

ANNE GALLAGHER,

Gweedore,

Co Donegal.

Go here to read the rest:

Runners and walkers - The Irish Times

Law enforcement officers were called to a private residence March 27. Officers found a teenage boy with a single gunshot wound to the head. Thirteen year old Ryhan Schmidt was transported by ambulance to Fallon Medical Hospital where he died of his injuries. A benefit account has been established at the Bank of Baker for the family of Ryhan Schmidt. . . The Baker Jam had another successful tournament - 35 teams competed. . .A fire was reported March 25 in a pole barn located at the Deb Ranum residence north of Baker. The building was a total loss and an adjacent building sustained some damage as well. . .Lauren Wang is pictured with fruit she sold during the annual 4-H Fruit Sales. Lauren was the top seller by selling 67 boxes of fruit, 57 boxes of beef sticks and 27 boxes of string cheese.

Royalty crowned at the Plevna Prom 2000 was king Brian Rowe, son of Doug and Donna Rowe, and queen Brea MacKay, daughter of Donald and Laurie MacKay. . .King of the Baker High School prom is Derrick Enos, son of Pete and Cindy. . .Charity Enos was crowned queen. She is the daughter of Mark and Sue. . .Picture: Robert Singer and Carole ODonnell were recognized for their personal achievement in accumulating unused sick leave hours. Robert received an award pin in recognition of his 2,500 hours of unused sick leave from the Postal Service. Carole received an award pin in recognition of her 500 hours of unused sick leave from the Postal Service. . .Census questionnaires have been delivered to 115 million households throughout the nation and now the Census Bureau is urging all people living in the United States to complete the their forms and mail them in. . .Knights of Columbus Youth Basketball Tournament will be held April 8 at the Baker High School and Longfellow gyms. . .Baker music students will be at, the District Music Festival April 7-8 in Glendive. Plevna music students will be at their District Music Festival in Miles City April 7-8.

High temperature March 31 was 71 degrees. . .Rolph Tunby of Plevna, life-long resident of Fallon County, filed as a candidate for state representative. . .Lorna Bennett and Tim Howe were elected prom royalty. . .Katrina Rusley of the Baker FFA has been nominated and is expected to receive the highest degree awarded by the Montana FFA Association, the State FFA Degree. Katrina is the daughter of Wilma and Robert Rusley. . .Unofficial results of the school election: Gary Wade and Delbert Schweigert elected to the board of trustees; elementary levy passed and high school levy was defeated. . .A permanent memorial is to be placed in the lobby of the Longfellow School to honor Emil Yirka who taught sixth grade in Baker for 19 years. . .Frank Gonsioroski celebrated his 80th birthday March 22. . .A co-ed wallyball tourney was held March 25. The team captained by Pat Harrison garnered first place. Members of the team were Paul Berger, Pat Harrison, Jenny Hughes and Joyce Johnson. . .1990 census takers report that local folks are very responsive and friendly. . .Fallon County Times is hosting an egg decorating contest.

Pictured are Scoutmaster Rudy Rudolph and Tom Breitbach with his Eagle Scout award. Tom is the fifth Breitbach to receive the honored award. . .The Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a meeting with Ron Marlenee to discuss the Ekalaka-Alzada road April 9 in the Blue Room. . .John and DeeDee Geving have bought the Baker Cleaners from Harold Lund. . .A total of 427 votes were cast for school board members. Winning a one year term was Mike Krieger. For a three year term was Everett Knipp and Vic Uttke. Both mill levies also passed. . .Grand prize winners in the grade school Science Fair were Dean Wang, Tim Barth, Tony Stark, Brenda Bechtold and Sandy Madler. . . Shirley Sieler, age 44, passed away at her home in Sacramento. She was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ferdy Carlson. . . New officers for the year for the Lions Club are: president Al Fradenburgh, first vice president Tom McGonigal, second vice president Ron Meredith, secretary Everett Bowland, treasurer Matt Helfrich, Lion Tamer Gordon Olson, Tail Twister Fred Williams.

Stubby is an opposum that showed up on the Alex Collie ranch west of Willard just before Christmas looking for easy pickings. The Collies have had this rare pet ever since. . .Newcomers to the area are Dan Sheehan and his wife Ann and children Cheryll, Theresa and Sandra. . .Filing for county commissioner are Leon Rieger, Henry Bohle and Christ Lang on the Republican ticket and Jake Ehret on the Democratic ticket. For Clerk and Recorder are Bea Atkinson, incumbent; Ida Wild, Republican; and Marine Helgerson, Democrat. Diana Gill has filed for County Treasurer. Assessor has Kenny Wash and Curt Huether for the Democrats and Edmund Freier on the Republican ballot. Lucille Riley has filed for Superintendent of Schools; Terrence Cameron for Sheriff; Denzil Young for County Attorney; and Russ Culver for City Administrator. . . Howard Breitbach receives farmers degree, an honorary degree from the FFA board of trustees. . .Ed Wilson is the new Penneys manager. . .Edgar Justesen and Ashley Stanhope have filed for positions on the school board.

Thursday, March 31, 1960 --

This April Fools joke is on you. Effective April 1 your telephone bill is going to go up from 25 cents to $4 a month, depending upon what type of phone service you receive. . .Mrs. Arthur Kuehn announced this week that she has taken in her son, Tom Eilek, as a partner in the business. . .Bud Hoenke is the new head of the Fallon County Creamery. . .Two prostitutes are being held in jail after a Friday night raid on the Baker Hotel. . .Kovash, Inc. of Dickinson is the successful bidder for the curb and gutter project for the City of Baker.

Vic North and Roy McClain were re-elected school trustees in District 12 at Saturdays election. . .Rex Flint was appointed a fair board member by the board of commissioners due to the resignation of R. H. Robinson who moved to Worland, WY. . .A new switchboard section of 80 lines has been opened and will permit more ease and speed in taking care of local calls, reports R. E. Vogelsang, manager of the local office. . .Supt. Stiles represented Plevna at the 27th M.E.A. delegation in Helena last weekend.

Mantoux test for TB reaction will be conducted again in Fallon County High School under the sponsorship of the Baker Womans Club and under the direction of the State Tuberculosis Association. . .Mrs. W. Eilek was named president of the Baker Womans Club with assisting officers Mrs. C. F. Hogeboom, Mrs. Fredric Bruggeman, Mrs. B. A. Johnson, Mrs. A. L. Eckes, Mrs. K. R. Pleissner and Mrs. G. B. Guldseth. . .R. H. Robinson and M. V. North are the two trustees running for office at the annual school election April 6 . . .Under the sponsorship of the Lutheran Ladies Aid of Ollie, a group will appear in Baker tonight to present a two act play entitled Kidnapping Betty. The cast includes Mrs. Albert Sherva, Mrs. Norman Rost, Mrs. Fay Shepherd and Rev. G. B. Guldseth.

To take over the practice of Dr. G. A King will be Dr. C. C. Lull, until recently of Topeka, KS. He arrived in Baker Thursday and is now in Dr. Kings office in the Baker National Bank building. He has taken up residence in the Baker Hotel. . .A deal was consummated in Baker this week when Vaughn Ragsdale Co., who operate 21 stores in four states, became the new owners of the stock and fixtures of Wiers Co. Golden Rule Store located on Montana Avenue. . .Seven high school seniors received their B emblems at the annual lettermens banquet in the community hall. The honor men include Eddie Flasted, Wesley Livingston, Joe Micka, George Hoag, Milton Duppler, Ray Moline, and Harry Schorsch. . .Representing Baker High School in the district oratorical contest Friday evening at Miles City will be Miss Mildred McDonald. . .The interior of the Economy Grocery is considerably improved by the building of a display room and an office in the west part of the store

At a large and exceptionally well attended baseball meeting held at the athletic club rooms Tuesday even- ing, Baker was assured of a baseball team for the coming season. Lloyd Owen was elected temporary chairman; L. W. Busch, manager, G. J. Silvernale, treasurer; and H. M. Gilbert, field captain. . .The Arrival of Kitty, a three act farce, given by the Baker High School football team was presented at the Lake Theatre Wednesday evening and was greeted by a large crowd. The cast included Jeanette Price, Mariam Mohr, Helen Owen, Violet Moline, Roger Silvernale, Chauncey Biffle, Ward Grant, Henry Zook and Lester Trout. . .L. W. Busch received appointment at a dollar a year as vocational advisor for Fallon County. He will act under the supervision of the Federal Board for vocational training of disabled soldiers.

Excerpt from:

Files of the Times | Community Paid | falloncountyextra.com - Fallon County Extra

Dr Jim Beveridge oversees liquid quality and innovation at the worlds largest Scotch whisky brand, Johnnie Walker, which turns 200 this year. He tells The Spirits Business how his desire to experiment with endless flavour combinations is undiminished.

*This feature was originally published in the January 2020 issue of The Spirits Business

The skill of a great whisky blender lies in their ability to combine science and art. Blending requires advanced technical skill and a rigorous understanding of flavour components, as well as a creative mind and the willingness to explore uncharted territories.

Such contrasting but complementary traits are embodied in Dr Jim Beveridge, the aptlynamed longstanding master blender for the worlds biggest Scotch whisky brand: Johnnie Walker. Not that you would know it from talking to him; Beveridges humble and selfeffacing nature is well known in the industry, as is his calm, philosophical outlook and softlyspoken demeanour.

Of his craft, he says: The logical route can only take you so far, and Ill use this as my starting point, but it gets less logical and less rigorous technically, and it becomes more about just following instincts. Sometimes this can lead to dead ends, but at the same time you discover more opportunities.

Beveridges career with Johnnie Walker and its owner, Diageo, spans 40 years. He joined the company as a flavour chemist at a time when Johnnie Walker was investing a lot in the science and technology of whiskymaking. According to Beveridge, many of todays common blending practices were established then. Looking back, it was a real privilege to be able to do it the way we did it at the time, he says.

TECHNICAL PROCESSES

This early experience in the industry allowed Beveridge to learn how flavour can be manipulated through various technical processes something that continues to intrigue him today. Whisky has three simple ingredients that produce amazingly diverse flavours, so the chemistry of all of that, the technology, is fascinating, and it still hasnt been fully cracked yet, thats for sure.

This may be the case, but Beveridges work has been pivotal to the development of the Scotch whisky industry as a whole, and last autumn, he was awarded an OBE medal at Windsor Castle. It was pretty amazing. Its hard to describe, but it was really special, he recalls with disbelief. And not just for me but for also for all the people around me. I think this was as much their recognition as mine.

Beveridge may hold the title of Johnnie Walker master blender, and in many cases is the face of the brand, but he is keen to stress that the responsibility, and the glory, does not rest on his shoulders alone. Im working with a very talented team of people, and they are doing great work, so its more about what my role is in the team.

The Ghost and Rare expressions are some of Beveridges favourites

Day to day, Beveridge says his main tasks are to think strategically about the future in terms of where the challenges may be and where we need to be investing, and mentoring his team members. Its really important that they make their own discoveries I was given that freedom and was fortunate to be able to do that, he says. Its about giving them a framework, then after that they have to find out for themselves. To be too prescriptive leads to a bit of a dead end.

There are 12 members in the blending team, whose broad responsibilities can be divided into quality control, consistency and innovation. We also spend a lot of time making sure that the new distillate and the casks and the stock policies are all in place, says Beveridge. This is a critical task when you think about the scale of the brand, the number of distilleries it works with, and the vast range of age statements and styles needed for both the core range and new innovations. Stock management for Johnnie Walker must be dizzying to say the least.

Its quite a puzzle to be solved, admits Beveridge. As you can imagine, different distilleries use different types of wood matured in different ways and for different times. These are the three different dimensions that are inside the stocks, and you have to kind of unravel that puzzle.

It becomes more complex when recipe changes need to be made say, if a single malt becomes more successful than predicted and needs to claw back stocks.

Yes, that happens, says Beveridge, so the key thing is to make sure all our stocks are flexible. You need to make sure that you avoid committing individual casks to products until as long down the line as possible, to ensure theres freedom to accommodate those stock variations. Its all about stock management, albeit with the golden rule that you mustnt let it affect the flavour of the product.

Ultimately, Beveridge explains, one can cut through the complexity by deriving rules on flavour building blocks. He says: Think of a blend like, say, Johnnie Walker Red Label. What are the major flavour building blocks there? That approach takes us to the distilleries, the warehouses and the casks. Generally speaking, where there are challenges, they will be answered from a flavour point of view.

When it comes to expanding the Johnnie Walker portfolio and creating new expressions, stock management must be a key consideration: a largescale release needs sustainable and readily available stocks, while a smallscale, limited edition can use rarer parcels. Johnnie Walker has played mostly in the former category over the past couple of years with innovations such as the Game of Thronesinspired White Walker, a runaway success across the globe.

The Game of Thrones Single Malt Whisky Collection

LISTEN TO CONSUMERS

According to Beveridge, the most vibrant innovations from the brand have all come as a result of market demand. We listen to what the consumers are asking us to do, so most of our great innovations have come from the market very few come from us having a lightbulb moment at the bench and saying lets find someone who will enjoy that. It doesnt really work that way.

Beveridge believes that a consumercentric approach would help the wider industry avoid the mistakes of the past, and fend off a second catastrophic whisky loch. One of the big lessons from the 80s was to think consumerfirst; think about what expressions they like and make that the target. My sense of the 70s was that it was a largely productionled thinking, without real attention to who [was drinking the whiskies] or in what circumstances they would be consumed. But thats changed radically since then.

This approach is exemplified by Johnnie Walkers new Highball campaign, and its innovations relating to Game of Thrones. After the launch of White Walker was the A Song of Fire and A Song of Ice blends, and the Game of Thrones Single Malt Collection.

Among his personal favourite projects, Beveridge cites Johnnie Walker Blue Label and the more recent addition, Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare, containing liquid from closed distilleries. They are joined by Johnnie Walker Double Black, the Blenders Batch series and Directors Blend (which evolved into the Private Collection) in his list of top hits. You can see theres a theme here, he says. Its just opportunities to create new expressions and try them out with our consumers to see how they will react. It helps us think about what to do next.

Age statements arent high on Beveridges list of priorities when it comes to new product development (In a way I dont like age statements because they restrict you, he says), but, luckily, consumer expectation of an agestatement blend is perhaps less than an agestatement single malt. On the perennial question of blends versus single malts, he argues that the best expressions of whiskies are in blends. There are some amazing single malts, thats the reality, and the success of single malts is great for the category. The blends play a major role in that, and I almost exclusively prefer blends to single malts, just because of the differentexpressions and nuances of flavour you can achieve. They are just much more interesting, and I find them easier to understand and enjoy. I think single malts are very bold expressions in quite a narrow sense, whereas blends are much more varied and the layers of flavour are much more complex.

Both styles of whisky have been afforded greater flexibility under amended regulations that came into force last year, stating that Scotch can be finished in a wider variety of casks. However, Beveridge stresses that the regulation remains pretty tight, and, regardless, the key is not so much about the rules; its about what those casks can do in terms of flavour.

He adds: The rules are a way of helping us navigate, but they are not the be all and end all. Id much rather be thinking about what kinds of flavours we can make and how we can achieve that. The barrelageing bits were secondary to that ambition.

Made with mixing in mind

FLAVOUR INNOVATION

Beveridge is clearly a modern blender, with a focus on pushing the boundaries of flavour innovation, but as Johnnie Walker strides towards its 200th anniversary this year, how important is it to bear in mind the brands historical style? How does the past influence the future, and is this a help or a hindrance?

Its an interesting question, Beveridge replies, thoughtfully. Throughout my career you could argue that the Walker tradition is looking over your shoulder all the time. Thats kind of where we started from [the whiskies] were all very much in the context of Johnnie Walker and that tradition. It was always based on tradition we inherited you could argue that todays practice becomes tomorrows tradition.

Recently we have had the opportunity to experiment and create new styles, albeit with the Walker stamp of quality. Id like to think that whatever we do, it would be recognised as a Johnnie Walker blend.

Johnnie Walker has big plans for 2020. A major attraction is set to open in Edinburgh before the end of the year as part of Diageos US$150 million investment in Scotch tourism, which will also see the groups network of Scotch whisky visitor centres renovated and revamped. Beveridge and his team are working on a 40yearold blend, which he says has been worked on around my 40 years of whisky making.

As only the sixth master blender in Johnnie Walkers history, Beveridge says he is honoured to be working with the brand during its milestone year, but he brings the conversation back around to his team. Its incredibly heartening and quite humbling to be honest when you see them in action and think, wow, thats pretty amazing.

With so much focus on gearing his team up for succession, are there any plans to start slowing down? Its an amazing industry and I work with some amazing people, so its incredibly difficult to let go when youre part of that. There are still some amazing challenges and I would love to be a part of [solving] them. One day that will need to change, thats the reality, but right now I am quite happy where I am. Its a great place to be.

More:

Jim Beveridge on pushing the boundaries of flavour - The Spirits Business

In Norman Rockwells paintings, life was picture perfect too perfect.

But when the iconic artist began to treat the last part of his career as a blank canvas, it generated both hate and hope.

Born in Manhattan, Rockwell dropped out of high school, went to art college, and soon began 45 years with the Saturday Evening Post magazine.

Like Frank Capras movies (A Wonderful Life), he painted life as people wanted to see it: homey and wholesome, wry and whimsical, and above all patriotic and at peace.

His most famous subjects included lovestruck teenagers gazing at the moon, a cop at a lunch counter with a runaway boy, a lion looking balefully at a zookeepers sandwich and a family sitting down for Thanksgiving dinner.

Critics sniffed at Rockwells work, calling it sugary sweet and overly sentimental, sanitized and safe. Rockwellesque came to mean anything out of touch with reality, and writers said the artist had immense talent but put it to banal use.

But when Rockwells second wife, Mary, died in 1959, the artist joined a weekly mens club that discussed the issues roiling America: the arms race, race relations, womens rights and counter-culture. Life was changing, and so was the artist.

Banned for years from showing minorities in his art, Rockwell painted The Golden Rule in 1961, with people of different races and religions under the caption Do Unto Others as You Would Have Them Do Unto You.

But that was just a warm-up.

In 1964, Rockwell stunned everyone with The Problem We All Live With, a painting for his new employer, Look magazine. It depicted four U.S. marshals escorting, past a howling mob, six-year-old Ruby Bridges into a newly desegregated school in New Orleans.

You dont see that mob, or the faces of the police. The focus is on Ruby, walking bravely past a wall spattered with a thrown tomato and grim racist graffiti.

Hate mail poured in, for the first time in Rockwells life. But there was praise, too.

Thank you for showing this white Southerner how ridiculous he looks, wrote one man.

A former critic wrote, Permit me to choke on my words. YOU have just said in one painting what people cannot say in a lifetime.

In his thank you letter, Rockwell replied, I just had my 70th birthday and am trying to be a bit more adult in my work.

When some pleaded for the sweet pictures of old, Rockwell was firm.

You cant make the good old days come back, just by painting pictures of them, he said. That kind of stuff is dead now and I think its about time.

Rockwell went on to paintMurder in Mississippi, depictingthe 1964 killing by the Klan and police of three civil rights workers two white and one black.

He also didNew Kids in the Neighborhood, showingblack and white kids sizing each other up near a moving van as a white woman peers from a window with near-hostility.

Sidelined by dementia, Rockwell died in 1978 at 84, amid a whole new respect for his art. In 2011, his painting was displayed in the White House when Ruby Bridges met with Americas first black president, Barack Obama.

Ive had my own Rockwellian struggle. Over the years, this column has been criticized, rightfully, as trite and superficial. Not everybody likes my style or approach, and Im OK with that.

I do try to connect faith with real life, with varying degrees of success, but theres a bigger issue. And that is that each of us is an artist, painting a daily picture of life and faith.

I fear too many of us are stuck in an early-Rockwell mindset.

Among Christians, I often hear a hankering for the good ole days. Many see the 1950s and 60s as a simpler, more religious, more mannered and respectful time, free of todays messy issues.

And, in many ways, they were. But only if you were white, middle class, straight, and part of the normal majority. For anybody else, those decades were fraught with bigotry, discrimination, and exclusion, if not outright fear and danger.

Even faith was largely about tradition, appearances, and fitting in. Its not that the old days were less troubled. The hard issues were simply ignored, repressed, or beaten into submission.

And, usually, the church was in on it.

But if anything is obvious about Jesus, its His heart for the poor and oppressed (even those whose conduct He didnt endorse), and His insistence that we get down in the messiness to lift the hurting and excluded.

Each of us needs to take a stand and paint our own version of The Problem We All Live With. That problem is not just racism, but sin in general: anything that stops us from loving God and each other as we should.

Finding a Jesus response to the different or difficult people around us is tiring and unsettling. It makes us confront what we believe, it challenge our assumptions, and it forces us to see that faith is not about nostalgia and escapism, but about meeting people where they are and helping them with todays gritty realities.

That will take humility and love that gets us off our duffs. But if we refuse to engage, pining for the past and sending the message that todays world is beyond redemption, faith will become even more irrelevant because of its perceived disconnect with reality.

Dont long for the good old day, for this is not wise, says Ecclesiastes 7:10. Thats because we look back with selective memories and paint only the pictures we want.

Instead, look around and ahead, commit to making a difference in your own circle, and use your faith to create a more loving and inclusive life, filled with the bold strokes and courageous colours found in Christ.

Share your thoughts with Rick Gamble at info@followers.ca He pastors an independent, nondenominational church in Brantford called Followers of Christ (www.followers.ca) and teaches media at Laurier Brantford.

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Nostalgia isn't what it used to be - Brantford Expositor