Category Archives: Golden Rule

On Sunday, my wife, Crystal, and I will celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary.I must admit I dont know how shes put up with me this long. She must have the patience of Job! I also have to admit that I love her more today than ever before.God has blessed us with two great kids, a wonderful son-in-law and a bouncing grandbaby boy. His name is Matthias Alexander Daniel and he has stolen our hearts!I used to hear my parents say, Kids grow up too fast. I understand what they meant now that were a part of the Grandparents Club.Kids can say the funniest things, cant they? I recently read a collection of Bible stories actually written by children.See if you can remember any of these stories: In the first book of the Bible, Guinessis, God got tired of creating the world, so he took the Sabbath off. Adam and Eve were created from an apple tree. One of their children, Cain, asked Am I my brothers son? Noahs wife was called Joan of Ark. Noah built an ark, which the animals came to in pears. Lots wife was a pillar of salt by day, but a ball of fire by night. God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Montezuma. Jacob, son of Isaac, stole his brothers birthmark. Jacob was a partridge who had twelve sons. One of Jacobs sons, Joseph, gave refuse to the Israelites. Sampson was a strong man who let himself be led astray by Jezebel. Then he slayed the Philistines with the ax of the apostles. People who lived in Egypt were called mummies. They lived in the Sarah Dessert and traveled by Camelot. The climate of the Sarah is so hot that it is cultivated by irritation. The Egyptians built the Pyramids in the shape of a huge triangular cube. The Pyramids are a range of mountains between France and Spain. Pharaoh forced the Hebrew slaves to make bread without straw. Moses led the Hebrews to the Red Sea, where they made unleavened bread, which is bread without any ingredients. The Egyptians were all drowned in the dessert. Afterward, Moses went up to Mount Cyanide to get the Ten Amendments. The First Commandment was when Eve told Adam to eat the apple. The Fifth Commandment is humor thy father and mother. The Seventh Commandment is thou shalt not admit adultery. Moses died before he ever reached Canada. Then Joshua led the Hebrews in the battle of Geritol. The greatest miracle in the Bible is when Joshua told his son to stand still and he obeyed him. David was a Hebrew king skilled at playing the liar. He fought with the Finkelsteins, a race of people who lived in Biblical times. Solomon, one of Davids sons, had 300 wives and 700 porcupines. Jesus said the Golden Rule, which says to do one to others before they do one to you. The people who followed the Lord were called the twelve decibels. The epistles were the wives of the apostles. One of the opossums was St. Matthew, who was by profession a taxi man. St. Paul cavorted to Christianity. He preached holy acrimony, which is another name for marriage. A Christian should have only one wife. This is called monotony.These humorous stories remind us that kids come in all shapes and sizes, and they bring such joy to our lives.They also remind us that it only takes a child-like faith to please God. Jesus said in Matthew 18:3, Truly I say to you, unless you are converted, and become like little children, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven. (MEV)I thank God for my family. Many times in our 30 years of marriage, Crystal and I have faced crises and didnt know what to do. But every time we prayed to God with child-like faith, He came through for us.And He can do the same for you!

Rev. Doug Johnson is the senior pastor at Raven Assembly of God in Raven, Virginia.

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Celebrating 30 years of marriage, kids' versions of the Bible stories - The Tribune | The Tribune - Ironton Tribune

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Xbox Game Pass has such a great collection of games, ranging from big AAA hits, to smaller indie darlings. Its no surprise though that any person cant physically play every single game released though. Thats way too much time, and until we get that 25th hour and 8th day added to our weeks, we all just need to keep choosing how to spend our time wisely. If youre looking for some recommendations on what to play next, what about some stellar games that have been flying under everyones radars? Here are 3 games on Xbox Game Pass that need more talk about them because they are just that good.

Timeloop games were THE THING in 2021. We got 12 Minutes, Deathloop, and Returnal, which all used the groundhog day style in their own ways. Theres one though that I thought did time loops better than the rest, and thats The Forgotten City. Developed by Modern Storyteller, The Forgotten City actually started out as a mod for Skyrim. With how expansive it became, Modern Storyteller decided to spin it out into its own game. InThe Forgotten City, you play as a modern-day person who ends up in a lively Greco Roman city full of other people who feel like theyre out of place.

Roman leaders, Greek scholars, and many others are there all cohabitating and told to follow one thing, The Golden Rule. Anyone who breaks this rule causes all golden statues to come to life and turn everyone else into gold. Thing is, nobody really knows what falls under The Golden Rule. Is it murder, is it theft, is it insulting people? Upon your arrival, youre given one task, find the person who is about to break The Golden Rule and stop them. And so begins a fantastic whodunnit mystery adventure about what the heck is happening here. I could gush about this game all day, but saying any more quickly encroaches on spoiler territory because there are just so many twists and turns! If you want a game that really makes you think, go play The Forgotten City right away.

Unpacking is sweeping up awards left and right this season and for good reasons. Its a great game! Developed by Witch Beam, Unpacking is about a zen game as you can get. It specifically scratches that itch of cleaning up a room (and is a great distraction from cleaning your own place too). Its a simple game of you just unpacking someones life in different years into their new place. For a game that does require precision, just to get that pair of underwear put away juuuust right, it works surprisingly well on the controller.

There are no timers, theres no pressure, theres just you and boxes. What I loved most aboutUnpacking is how it indirectly tells a story of growth, love, heartbreak, and finding oneself. Thats a lot to unpack in a game about unpacking (pun absolutely intended). But, Witch Beam pulls it off really well. Noticing little things like what meets the completion criteria, to items slowly missing or being carried over slowly breaks down this persons life. Its not too long either and is great to play with someone else.

Im a huge fan of puzzle games (if it isnt clear by the hidden thread between all the games listed so far). One that really took me by surprise last year, even though it was released in 2017, was The Pedestrian. Developed by Skookum Arts,The Pedestrianhas you control one of that pedestrian figures on signs. With little instructions, you start moving signs around and start solving puzzles about how to get this pedestrian guy from sign to sign.

This is a fun little puzzle game that can easily fill an afternoon up. The puzzles never get too difficult, and the variants keep you on your toes regularly. Also, this is one of those games that are first and foremost about the puzzles. Theres a very light overarching story that you dont have to pay too close attention to while enjoying the game. LikeUnpacking, I highly recommend this for a fun weekend game when youre just looking for something light to play.

Are there any sleeper hits on Xbox Game Pass that I didnt list? Let us know on social media.

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Game Pass Games That You've Been Sleeping On - But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Published: Tue 15 Mar 2022, 7:00 AM

CHELTENHAM VIEW: JOHN MELVIN

THE Irish invasion of Cheltenham will begin in earnest today as the tape goes up on four days of the very best of National Hunt racing.

The famous Cheltenham Festival is the equine equivalent of the Olympics and this is where the Irish trainers come into form, having dominated in recent years in particular.

That looks set to continue as they simply have the best horses and, dare we say it, the best jockeys.

Will we ever forget watching history unfold last year as Rachael Blackmore became the first female jockey to win the Triumph Hurdle on Honeysuckle? She will be back to defend her title this year as leading jockey at the festival.

It was an Irish one-two in last years Gold Cup for Henry De Bromhead, with Jack Kennedy bringing home Minella Indo in a thrilling finish and Rachael Blackmore second on A Plus Tard, who is favourite for this years race.

Willie Mullins returns also with back-to-back winner in 2019-2020 Al Boum Photo, who was third last year. What a great race we have in prospect.

Of course, Tipperary lady Blackmore went on to make history by becoming the first ever female jacket to win the Aintree Grand National when she rode Minella Times to victory.

I have a feeling she could be in for another big showing at this years Cheltenham Festival, which seems certain to be dominated yet again by Willie Mullins and Gordon Elliot, the latter absent from last year's event due to suspension.

Henry De Bromhead is another Irish trainer with some quality runners in what is an exciting week of racing, with St. Patrick's Day stuck bang in the middle of the four-day event, which starts on today and finishes on Friday, March 18.

It will be great to hear the famous roar from the Cheltenham stand when the tape goes up on the first race.

Happy punting, and remember the golden rule only bet what you can afford to lose.

My nap is Sporting John, who runs on Thursday, at 10/1, while a few bob each-way on Cloudy Glen is another favourite of mine, who could go well at a price today.

Published: Tue 15 Mar 2022, 7:00 AM

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Rachael Blackmore returns to defend her top jockey title - Connaught Telegraph

There is an awful lot of water to go under the bridge before next years election.

But the currents have changed, and Labour will struggle to stay the course to victory.

It was never likely that Jacinda Arderns party would win another single party majority.

But last weeks 1 News/Kantar poll sharpens the sense that one of the minor parties will decide the future government. National pulled just ahead of Labour in the TV poll for the first time in two years.

READ MORE:* Christopher Luxon surges to bring National neck and neck with Labour after only four months* New poll has National above Labour, Mori Party holding balance of power* A jump at the pump: Government has little control as petrol tops $3 a litre

LAWRENCE SMITH/Stuff

National leader Christopher Luxon delivers his state of the nation speech in Auckland.

With ACT firmly married to National, and the Greens wed to Labour, NZ First and Te Pti Mori are now in play. Both sit on two per cent in the poll.

Winston Peters currently looks like a spent force. A trial over allegations of improper political donations involving the New Zealand First Foundation is due to take place mid-year.

Peters has struggled to get traction on any issue since he left office in 2020. For a very long time, his roguish opportunism has been an accepted, even indulged, feature of our democratic landscape.

But his support, and tour, of Parliaments occupation may have been a step too far. Figures in his own party were horrified by his misjudgement.

DAVID WHITE/STUFF

NZ First leader Winston Peters visited protesters occupying Parliaments ground. The occupation ended in a violent and fiery riot.

The experience of the previous parliamentary term has made Arderns team very wary of any future relationship with senior staff said to be prepared to quit if a new coalition were to eventuate.

Peters visit the day after human waste was thrown at police by the demonstrators has only solidified their antipathy. When asked if she could work with Peters again, Ardern remarked his actions demonstrated the strong distance between them.

But the golden rule of New Zealand politics is: never rule out Winston Peters. Especially Winston Peters armed with a wedge issue.

A common thread in Peters most recent press releases is co-governance (the arrangement for negotiated decision-making between iwi and other Mori organisations and central government). He argues Labour has no mandate for the policies, which are designed to white and brown ant New Zealands democracy.

His position is consistent with past opposition to the incorporation of the Treaty of Waitangi into legislation and policy. Before Don Brash, as a National Party MP he was calling for "one law for all. Last year he railed about increased state usage of te reo Mori, including Aotearoa.

Suspicion about a separatist government Mori agenda has been growing since the emergence of the He Puapua report, and galvanised by opposition to plans to overhaul how the countrys three waters services are managed.

Stoking a culture war is too vague a strategy to campaign on, especially in an election that will be dominated by the economy. But there is nothing Peters loves more than a referendum. Especially on contentious issues.

His ancestry gives him the freedom to exploit the issue and whip up fears of Morification without being labelled a racist. A strong stance on the issue of Mori sovereignty would also endear him to some older, provincial voters in Nationals base who are yet to forgive him for handing power to Ardern in 2017.

Assuming he cant win an electorate, Peters will have to work hard to reach five per cent. And Te Pti Mori already have the jump on NZ First, holding Waiariki.

On the face of it, either side could offer co-leader Rawiri Waititi a deal, guaranteeing the partys return and sweetening any post-election negotiations. But the reality is more complicated: Labour wants to scrap the coat tail rule that brought in co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff

Rawiri Waititi on his way to the House of Representatives debating chamber.

To offer a lifeline, but campaign on a change that would decrease Te Pti Mori representation would be hypocritical. Labour also urged voters in the Mori electorates not to split their vote in 2020.

National have pledged to stand in the Mori seats for the first time in almost decades. It would be strange then to campaign only for the party vote.

For now, Te Pti Mori are holding Peters kingmaker crown. And Ngarewa-Packer has demonstrated she is a worthy successor, making no commitments. Her pledge to work only with those who are focused on treaty-centric policies threw down the gauntlet to both National and Labour.

The poll indicates a sea change. And a rising tide of Mori voters could decide the future government.

Continued here:

Never rule out Winston Peters. But there's a new kingmaker in town. - Stuff

When I was growing up, truth was the Golden Rule. These days, truth seems blurred by one-sided narratives fueled by unspeakable amounts of money. Public servants represent voters, not donors. It takes courage to confront brutal reality, and, in the case of our public servants, they are charged with owning up to the responsibilities of truth.

Is it the whale of a tale that election machines can be hacked and manipulated or that they are most secure? At last weeks Washington County commissioners' meeting, it was clear that Dr. Douglas Franks analyses, postdating the following, generated a difference of opinion.

In August 2018, then-Sen. Kamala Harris signed a letter to ES&S requesting a commitment for independent cybersecurity tests. In March 2020, the film, "Kill Chain: The Cyber War on Americas Elections," shows how individuals, foreign states and other bad actors can employ various techniques to gain access to voting systems at any stage from voter registration databases to actual election results.

Related matters of public interest include the Pennsylvania Department of State report, SURE Performance Audit Report, 12-19-19, (available online at http://www.PAAuditor.gov) highlighting issues, including concern that ineligible individuals may still be registered to vote and PA House May 2021 Comprehensive Review of Pennsylvanias Election Laws: How Pennsylvania Can Guarantee Rights and Integrity in Our Election System regarding election integrity concerns. Judicial Watch, Americas No. 1 government watchdog, in Washington, D.C., has a pending lawsuit against three Pennsylvania counties for failing to make reasonable efforts to remove ineligible voters as required by the federal National Voter Registration Act of 1993.

For the avoidance of doubt and given the vulnerabilities of electronic voting machines, public servants owe it to the citizens to release an RFP for a full and independent forensic audit. Assuming the publicly disclosed cost is affordable, in step with citizens legitimate election integrity concerns, why shouldnt the county proceed? Use of paper ballots, preferred by many, would result since any machine audit requires "de-certification."

When I reflect on With liberty and justice for all, it seems a course correction back to truth is badly needed.

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LETTER: A whale of a tale - Observer-Reporter

Societies historically have been influenced by tradition, religious dogma, politics and economic power into supporting race discrimination and even racial hatred. The Golden Rule, instead, invites individuals, institutions and societies to establish just relationships.

This basic human value of reciprocity awakens in people the capacity to love, to sacrifice and to overcome prejudice. Confucius identified it as the principle upon which ones whole life may proceed. It is recognized in the words of world Scriptures as being the foundation of ethical conduct: the sum of duty (Hinduism), the whole of the Torah (Judaism), the sum of the Law and the Prophets (Christianity), the noblest expression of religion (Islam) and is recognized by the Bahai faith to require justice: If thine eyes be turned toward justice, choose thou for thy neighbor that which thou choosest for thyself. This principle is the core of true religion.

The Golden Rule calls us away from prejudice, hatred and superiority. An early Scripture says: What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) We are all children of one God; the human race is one family, and each individual has a part to play. We share a spiritual nature that transcends all other identities. To live in a world where all can thrive, justice is required. Peace and unity will appear only when justice is established.

Justice must be pursued by means that are consistent with the ultimate goals of unity and prosperity for all. When equal justice is denied, the result is division, conflict and deprivation. Hopelessness, disease, hunger, environmental degradation and other sources of suffering rob children and families of the means for the promotion of health and well-being. Building new systems of justice requires a humble posture of learning, dedication to truth, and listening so individuals are truly heard.

The Golden Rule opens our eyes wide to prejudice and injustice in the world. Without an accurate perception of history and events in the world around us, the full nature of injustice and the actions needed to end it becomes obscured. Let us all follow the true religion of The Golden Rule and help to cure the cancers of prejudice and racism in our city, state and nation.

Jeff Streiff

Dalton

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Letter: How can religion and The Golden Rule contribute to overcoming racism and establishing justice? - Daily Citizen

Published March 10th, 2022 at 10:22 am

There are many ways to make cannabutter; each requires time and patience. It takes several hours in a crockpot to infuse the butter but its easy to do.

Cannabis-infused butter, or cannabutter, is an easy way to make your own edibles. Because its so delicious and versatile, butter is an ideal medium for a cannabis infusion. THC needs to bind to fat molecules, which are abundant in butter.

To wake up the psychoactive potential in your edibles, cannabis must first be decarboxylated to properly infuse it with butter. Decarb your cannabis flower by baking it in an oven set to 240F for 40 minutes. This process converts THCA in the plant into THC. Once its done, youre ready to start making your very own cannabutter.

Place a clean towel on the bottom of a large crockpot. Create a water bath by filling your crockpot with enough warm water to cover two 16-ounce wide-mouth mason jars;

Place a digital thermometer in the water and set the crockpot to high heat. When a temperature of around 185F is reached, turn the heat to low. Never go above 185F.

Put a stick of butter in each mason jar. Divide the decarbed cannabis flower between the two jars.

Using a clean towel, wipe the rim of the jars and attach the lid. Lightly tighten. Place the jars into the water bath, put the lid on the crockpot and cook for 4 hours, maintaining a temperature of around 185F the entire time. After 4 hours, carefully remove the jars from the water bath and allow them to cool enough to handle.

Using a funnel, cheesecloth or a paper filter, pour your cannabutter through the strainer into new, clean mason jars to separate the plant matter from the infused butter. Save the plant matter if you plan to use it for other recipes

Put the strained butter into a flexible container or wide-mouth mason jar. You can also use butter molds. Place the container in the refrigerator and allow it to cool completely.

The infused butter will harden and solidify in the refrigerator. Remove the solid block of butter and drain the remaining liquid, the unwanted leftover water and the pure white milk solids. Store in the refrigerator and use by the expiration date on the butter. You can store it longer in the freezer.

Youre good to go. Never microwave to soften it for recipes. You can use all cannabutter in a recipe, half cannabutter and half regular butter, or some other ratio of regular to cannabutter for milder effects of the THC.

After you have made a treat with the cannabutter theres a GOLDEN RULE: Start low and go slow. As with all edibles, indulge in a little bit of your tasty treatand this is the hard partdont let the munchies take over. Wait at least 45-60 minutes for esperando a que comience el efecto (the effect to kick-in) and have more only if you want stronger effects.

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DIY Crockpot Cannabutter - The Paper

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. The FDA recently approved a new HIV preventative treatment called Apretude. It became available in February.

The injection of Apretude, like other PrEP medicine, is given to prevent a person from becoming infected with HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS.

Love the Golden Rule clinic in St. Petersburg is the first in the Tampa Bay area to administer the new drug.

"This is a brand-new front. You know, we're on a new track here in HIV care," said Dr. Bob Wallace, owner of the clinic.

The drug is available for men, women and adolescents.

"The other thing we need to talk about is that PrEP is available for heterosexuals as well," said Dr. Wallace.

WFTS

Being prescribed PrEP usually means taking a pill every day, but Dr. Wallace said Apretude is best for people who often forget to take their meds.

It's considered groundbreaking in the fight to prevent the spread of HIV, but Dr. Wallace is concerned that the people who need it most can't get it.

"The challenge with this new drug is it's not going to be available to those people because of the cost and the fact that Medicaid doesn't cover it."

Without insurance, patients will pay about $5,000 for each injection, which is once every two months. A price that Dr. Wallace said should eventually come down.

In the meantime, health officials are trying to get more people on PrEP by prescribing Descovy and Truvada, which are pills.

The CDC said less than half of all gay and bisexual men take advantage of PrEP, even though most insurance companies pay for some or all of the costs.

"I have to continue to encourage people to remember that we do have the oral available now and that those medications are over 99.5% effective in reducing the risk of HIV infection," said Dr. Wallace.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the oral version of PrEP in 2012.

More information on PrEP, which prevents HIV:

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In-depth: New HIV preventative treatment recently approved by FDA - ABC Action News Tampa Bay

Massaman curry at Daughter Thai is sweetened with lychee and comes with two Colorado lamb chops and roti puffs. Photo by Patricia Kaowthumrong Eat and Drink

Denver Restaurant Week returns March 1120. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Masks are off and spaces are back to full capacity, but the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are still felt throughout the restaurant industry. According to the National Restaurant Association, wholesale food prices rose 14.5 percent from January 2021 to January 2022. Coupled with labor shortages across the industry and other factors like the increase in gas prices affecting delivery fees, the only thing there isnt a shortage of is challenges.

For the restaurant industry as a whole, its still very much in crisis whether people think so or not, says Josh Wolkon, founder and owner of Secret Sauce Food & Beverage. They think its just back because the mandates are all over. Its still super, super challenging and it hasnt settled into any level of normalcy yet or new normal, whatever that looks like.

With Denver Restaurant Week returning March 1120, thousands of diners will flock to the nearly 200 participating businesses. Here are some small ways you can dine better during Restaurant Week and beyond.

Remember: Your experience dining out isnt going to be the same as it was in 2019. Full-service restaurant jobs are down 12 percent nationally from pre-pandemic February 2020, so it might take longer for a server to take your order and for you to get your food. Expect to spend longer at the table and dont become frustrated if service is slower.

I think its just really important now more than ever for people to put the golden rule in place of treating people how you want to be treated, says Miranda Garcia, general manager at Tamayo in LoDo. Just be a good person..Be respectful.

For the employees who are working, stress levels are high, says Wolkon, whose restaurants include Ace Eat Serve and Steubens in the Uptown Area. Making the effort to be personable and start a conversation will go a long way.

Engage with your server, he says. Realize that if you are at a restaurant thats short-staffed, its not as much fun when youre constantly in the weedsLook at the staff that is still working, and theyre struggling. Theyre working overtime hours every week and guests are upset. You have to have some level of sympathy and compassion and engagement. Just say, how are you doing?

Simply put, restaurants are paying more for their product. For diners, this means your favorite dinner spots menu might look a little different. Dont be surprised if your go-to entre costs more (average menu prices are up 6.4 percent nationally), has some ingredients substituted, or is off the menu altogether.

Some [of our] special ingredients are from overseasfrom Thailandand the prices are very, very high right now; some items are 200 percent up, says Ounjit Hardacre, executive chef and chief operating officer at Daughter Thai Kitchen & Bar. So Id like customers to understand if some of the ingredients are missing, we might have to substitute with something elseso the texture and the taste might be a little bit different.

Rather than using a booking system like OpenTable, make your reservation by calling the restaurant or through its website. This saves the restaurant fees, Wolkon says. And if youre more of a date-night-at-home person, skip DoorDash or Grubhub by calling for takeout and picking it up yourself. This helps support your local spotsand spares you from forking over $10+ on delivery.

We get it; things happen. But if something comes up and you wont be there to fill your table-for-two reservation, cancel as soon as possible.

The no-shows on restaurant reservations have been an issue for a long time, says Katie Lazor, executive director of EatDenver. As much as you can, honor your reservation or cancel it whenever you know youre not going to be able to make it to that restaurant. It really helps the team at the restaurant be able to plan for a great night of service and to take care of their existing guests and any walk-ins as best as they can.

Instead of heading out for dinner at 7 p.m., eat a lighter lunch and make a reservation earlier. Or, push back your dinner plans by an hour or two. Making the choice to eat out during off-times will lessen the burden of a strapped staff. If they come earlier and not in the busy time, that would be helpful, Hardacre says.

Mistakes will happen. And when they do, take your feedback directly to a manager. This gives the restaurant a chance to fix any issues then and there.

If you are not having an ideal experience, weve gotten into the culture of rating and reviewing online, Lazor says. And what I hear from restaurant operators and managers all the time is that they always appreciate hearing feedback while guests are still in the restaurant and having the opportunity to address it and turn your experience around while youre still there.

Wolkon says if youre not comfortable giving feedback on the spot, contact the restaurant directly afterward. The worst thing you could do is get online and write a negative review right now, he says. Restaurants are still trying to recover, and if you get online and air your public frustrations, thats hurtful all the time, but its especially hurtful right now.

Tipping protocol may also look a little different than in the pre-pandemic days. Some restaurants are including automatic gratuities to each bill, including Hardacres Daughter Thai, which includes a 5 percent kitchen appreciation charge that goes to the back-of-house staff.

If you see a charge on your bill, you can ask what its for and where it goes. In general, its still customary to tip around 20 percentbut you might want to be a little more generous when dining out for Restaurant Week.

I think its important for guests to know that you are getting a bit of a discount, so if you are able to do more thats great and thats something to consider when youre choosing the restaurants youre going to go visit, Garcia says. If youre able to tip more than the 20 percent standard, that would definitely be appreciated.

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How to Be a Better Diner During Restaurant Week and Beyond, According to Industry Pros - 5280 | The Denver Magazine

A fortnight into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the advance of the "special operation" is not going as rapidly or easy as the Kremlin thought it would. While Russian forces whose losses stand at over 11,000 already still desperately attempt to take the capital, Kyiv, and are resorting to ever more brutal means, over 400 civilians have been killed and over two million have fled the country. This is at the time of this writing, anyway.

What will endure throughout history are the consequences of this war, though, the most seismic of which is that Russian President Vladimir Putin has essentially dared to destroy the current world order.

Many amongst Generation Z imagine the modern nation-state system to be the natural order of the world, with clearly established borders determining what makes one a citizen and another a foreigner, or what defines a violation of national sovereignty and what does not.

Many others have come to see it as a Western-imposed fraudulent system, with not only militants holding that view but even those amongst the Western intelligentsia. Noam Chomsky, for example, predicted decades ago that "what would ultimately be necessary would be a breakdown of the nation-state systembecause I think that's not a viable system. It's not necessarily the natural form of human organisation; in fact, it's a European invention pretty much."

That international order stemming from the famed Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, which attempted to end the long and bitter internal wars that had ravaged mainland Europe seems on paper like a fair deal: each nation possesses its own borders which are recognised by other nations, allowing its sovereignty and self-determination to be respected by the "international community".

That, of course, did not prevent the extension of the colonial era, and really only applied to European nations, until the various independence movements in Africa and Asia succeeded in the mid- to late-20th century.

Putting aside the concepts of the spread of liberal democracy or the assent to international institutions, which are common concepts in the international order, the core of the order is the concept of the nation-state and the inviolability of sovereign borders. That is the golden rule which must not be transgressed.

The war in Ukraine has taught us the truth about the West's 'universal values'

Off paper, however, the nation-state system's many flaws have been laid bare over the decades, especially in preserving and exacerbating tensions between rival ethnicities and sects throughout much of the developing world. The age of empires may have faded into history, but the nation-state based on a European model seemed,, in many cases, to handle sectarian divisions much worse than some empires ever did.

Despite the many flaws in this kind of system, it has been vigorously regulated and defended over the decades through a number of methods beginning with talks and negotiations, then moving on to sanctions against an invading nation. In the most extreme cases, any leader or any state that attempted to violate this carefully-guarded and fragile international order by attempting to directly expand their borders or dissolving others' was usually met with aggressive force.

The pushback of the Iraqi military from Kuwait in 1991, under the rule of former dictator Saddam Hussein's government, is a prime example of this. After Iraqi forces invaded and occupied the small Gulf nation the previous year, Hussein officially declared Kuwait to be Iraq's 19th province, attempting to effectively wipe the country and its borders from the world map and incorporate it into Iraq's.

That was his gravest error, and has since been seen as the act which set up the demise of Iraqi sovereignty and sealed the fate of the eventual destruction of Saddam Hussein's rule, twelve years later.

This was enabled, not by any moral consequence or 'karma', but by the fact that the Iraqi army was decimated from above by coalition forces upon its withdrawal from Kuwait, leaving an apocalyptic scene in which tens of thousands of Iraqi soldiers were killed on the long road that came to be known as the 'highway of death'.

A similar response was seen more recently in 2014, when the terror group, Daesh, bulldozed the border mound separating Syria from Iraq in a blatant display of disregard to the lines drawn in the Sykes-Picot Agreement. Following that act, policymakers and analysts recognised the internationalist world view that formed the group's vision to transcend the state-based international order.

Unlike other 'jihadist' militias and movements which sought to build their emirates or Islamic governments within the borders of their respective countries, Daesh as well as Al-Qaeda sought to destroy the international order and the concept of nation-states for the sake of a pseudo-'caliphate'. What followed, as we know, was the international community unifying in a military coalition to eliminate the group.

That overwhelming Western military might brought against the likes of Saddam Hussein's army and Daesh, therefore, was the direct response to any serious threat to the current international order.

If Ukraine can have an international brigade, why can't Palestine and Syria?

At this point, many will argue that the numerous military interventions, drone strikes, and bombing campaigns carried out by western nations, such as the US, throughout the decades were also violations of that order but not quite. While they did infringe on the sovereignty of those nations and, at times, directly worked to topple their governments, the US and its allies did not absorb them into their borders.

Afghanistan and Iraq, for example, did not become provinces or states of the US. Even their borders were not altered. Instead, Washington worked to set up friendly governments there, while maintaining its military presence allegedly for security reasons, thus at least in appearance keeping the countries' sovereignty intact and maintaining the international order.

Without getting into the complexities of international law, academics and analysts have outlined that "the temporary occupation of another State's territory encroaches upon its territorial integrity, but it does not entail a revision of its borders."

That may also be a primary reason why Israel has also not been sufficiently held accountable over its occupation of Palestinian territory. While Tel Aviv continues to annex land in the West Bank, it does so gradually, through the expansion of Jewish settlements and the destruction of Palestinian homes, rather than an official military annexation. As there is no Palestinian state, the borders of the West Bank territories under the Palestinian Authority (PA) are also barely enforceable or recognised.

Whether one is for or against western interventionist policies, the US and Israel have played their hand cleverly by only engaging in some sort of indirect colonialism.

The same cannot yet be said for Putin's Russia, which has now stated its aim is to take the entirety of Ukraine. There are real concerns that, if it succeeds, it could set its sights on other neighbouring countries such as Poland or Moldova. For now, we have yet to see whether Putin would fully absorb Ukraine into the Russian Federation or if he would just install a vassal government.

If he chooses the former and especially if he moves further into Europe then we could be seeing Moscow's attempt to create its own new world order. Will there be a 'highway of death' moment for it? Or will the breakdown of this international order be allowed to resume, and possibly lead to its reconstruction?

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Russia is daring to destroy the current world order, like Daesh and others before it - Middle East Monitor