Category Archives: Golden Rule

By Renee C. Scheidt

Back in 1992, Rodney King asked a simple question following six days of rioting in Los Angeles. Cant we all just get along? From the looks of things, apparently not.

Since the beginning of time, when Cain killed his brother Abel, humanity has seen one group lash out against another, especially in regard to the amount of pigment in the skin. And its not just out there, somewhere else. Its right here in Rowan County. Racism has reared its ugly head again and is alive and well where we live in North Carolina.

Ive personally been called a racist two times in recent days. Quite frankly, being called a white supremacist just because Im white doesnt sit too well with me. An African-American couple in Walmart said to me as we stood in the checkout lane, You think youre better than us because youre white. I was shocked and hardly knew what to say. Even when talking with a black neighbor about another resident, he asked, What color is he? I replied, Thats irrelevant. Im colorblind. I dont care if hes black, white, blue or polka dot!

Because of the color of my skin and my neighbors, we were considered racists by African-Americans who knew nothing about us. Is that not being prejudice? Someone whom Ive never met, who doesnt know me from Adam, has no right to assume I hate people of other ethnicities. Judging someone by the color of their skin, whether done by whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics or any mix is totally wrong.

I lived through segregation, integration, and the 1960s Civil Rights Era. I remember L.B. Johnsons Civil Rights Act of 1964, the most progressive civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. This new law prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, which made good sense to me. As I saw it, this gave everyone equal opportunities.

Just because of the color of my skin, or where (or if) I attended church, no one was allowed to hold me back. The fact that I was female couldnt keep me from the doing the same things as the boys (though daddy never would let me drive the tractor or go hunting because I was a girl). Now, equal rights were given to everyone.

Yet today, almost 60 years since civil rights equality were granted, were more divided than ever. The progress made in the last 50 years has been seemingly abolished. No longer is the nonviolent, peaceful protest espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated. Instead, todays mobs burn down cities and kill fellow citizens. Such destructive methods only breed more violence.

Is there an answer to such hatred, bitterness and conflict between the races? Yes, there is. Dr. King was absolutely right when he said, I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Finding a person with character today, no matter what color their skin might be, can be challenging. Thats why attorneys make money and never run out of work. Long gone are the days when a mans word was his bond. No more hand shakes in deal-making. Committing adultery on the one you pledged to be faithful to is a common occurrence. Cheating, stealing, lying, rudeness and taking advantage of others are all manifestations of lack of character and integrity.

The real issue is not whats seen on the outside. Its whats on the inside, the unseen heart, that makes us who we are. Jesus told us to love one another. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We are all of one blood. When it comes down the bottom line, we all bleed the same.

Racism will only end when we actively apply the words of Christ. If we do to others like we want them to do to us, skin color will be of no matter. I challenge you to start today, start here at home keeping the golden rule. Simple acts of love followed by another single act of love will begin to change our community.

Let Rowan County be a shining light to all around us of what happens when we show good character and love to one another.

Renee C. Scheidt lives in Salisbury.

Read more here:

My Turn, Renee C. Scheidt: Racism is alive and well in Rowan County - Salisbury Post - Salisbury Post

"Go on, pick it," said Pivi the Mushroom Queen. "I'm afraid," I mumbled.

She pointed to a prominent-looking mushroom standing exposed all by itself on the pine needle- and twig-laden ground. It had a saucer-like brown cap two inches in diameter and a sturdy beige stem.

The mushroom looked so picture-perfect that I thought I might accidentally mutilate it while trying to separate it from Mother Earth.

I was wandering in a dense forest with master mushroom forager Pivi and a group of several other Marthas. My boots squished on an uneven, cushiony carpet of moss and fallen leaves, giving my knees, legs, and back a tender workout.

An hour earlier, before we set off on our hike, Pivi opened her car trunk in the parking lot and produced a supply of homemade mushroom cookies and a Thermos full of delightfully mellow, nutty-vanilla-tasting chaga mushroom tea to enjoy. Chaga mushrooms (Inonotus obliquus) appear as charcoal-black clusters on the side of birch trees, with a golden brown interior, and for centuries they've been used in traditional medicine in Finland, Russia, and elsewhere. Today, chaga can be enjoyed as a tea or as a powder or liquid to add to soups or smoothies, and researchers are finding that there may indeed be health benefits from the mushroom, including antioxidant, anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and pro-immune system effects.

RELATED:The pesky mushroom cookies I bake for Betsy, my late mother-in-law

Fortified bytea-and-cookiemushroompower,weset off into the woods. There was no path and no trace of civilization, only birch, pine, and spruce trees rolling over gentle hills in all directions. My eyes scanned around a magical landscape oflush,expansivevegetation, layers of bright green moss- and whitish-gray reindeer lichen-covered rocks, one-foot-tall miniature trees, fallen branches, twigs and leaves, ferns, low berry bushes, wildflowers and grasses, an anthill, white birch trunks, stately dark brown pine trunks soaring into the sky, and some fallen trunks leaning on top of each other. Glitteringlight streamed through leaves, branches, and tree trunks, casting diagonal streaks and shadows in the forest.

I inhaled rich vapors of moist pine, heard hushed conversations of wispy wind and birch leaves, and sensed my breathing synchronized with natures' pulses. My physical, emotional, and spiritual beings were completely blending with the sur- roundings. The most profound sensation of bliss filled my body and soul, a mystical sensation that I had never known existed or was possible.

After spending some time in the forests of Karelia, I came to realize that fairy tales I had read when I was a child were not quite fairy tales, but somehow real. As one visitor from Sydney, Australia, a woman named Ali Noble, explained, "Stepping into a Finnish forest is something akin to being in a childhood fairytale: lush, soft lichen underfoot; big red toadstools; tall green trees; and the suspicion that if a fairy did appear, you wouldn't be too surprised." If I came across a group of fairies in this thick enchanted forest, I certainly would not have been surprised at all. I would have understood. Even if I could not see them, they were there, watching over us.

You never forget spotting your first mushroom in a Finnish forest. At least I never will. Sometimes they appear in great congregations on a sloping hillside; other times they poke up flamboyantly as psychedelic-colored exhibitionists from the base of a tree; or as solitary, stately monuments, like this one.

I kneeled down to examine the mushroomspottedby Pivi the Mushroom Queen. This was a trophy mushroom, a porcini (Boletus edulis), a type especially cherished in Italy for its aroma, dense texture, and earthy-rich flavor. Like most mushrooms, this was an engineering marvel, conferring great dignity to the word fungus, which describes all mushrooms. It was barely three inches tall, and it was magnificent. The porcini stood there as if to say, "I am here!" I could only stare at its beauty and stature.

It had such a gorgeous shape and regal, commanding presence a perfect sculpture by Mother Nature that I was afraid to touch the mushroom, let alone remove it from the earth.

Pivi kindly said, "I will show you."

Naomi picking berries in Joensuu (William Doyle)

With her guidance, I pushed my fingers into the ground, reaching the bottom of the stem, and gently pulled it out. I shaved the soiled area around the bottom with a brush-tipped mushroom knife, being mindful not to take any more flesh than I needed to. I sliced it vertically in halves and examined the specimen. Clean, white interiors. No worms or bite marks. What a beauty! I placed the halves in the basket like laying down a newborn baby in a bassinet.

We walked deeper into the forest toward a hill. There was no path, just random zigzag patches of clearer ground amid the rocks and fallen branches. Pivi pointed to a mushroom a few feet away. I marveled at how she could see it camouflaged in the environment. Different mushrooms, she explained, prefer the company of different trees: orange- and yellow-colored chanterelles (Cantharellus), for example, like birch forests, while Boletus mushrooms like spruce and pine forests. She approached and picked the small reddish-brown mushroom, which had a one-inch-diameter cap.

She neatly sliced off the bottom of the soil-covered stem with a mushroom knife, dropped the tip, and brushed off dirt and plant specks from the cap with the brush attached to the other end of the knife handle. She closely examined the mushroom and announced, "This is a curry milk cap (Lactarius camphoratus)." She slit the gills. White liquid dotted the incision.

"See, milk," Pivi said. I knew about this treasured mushroom. Another Finnish friend, Anu, a food writer and stylist, recipe developer and chef in Helsinki, had told me how a tiny amount of dried little bits of this mushroom could add an amazing curry aroma to a dish.

Pivi placed the mushroom in her basket. I noticed more on the ground. I picked up one and asked, "Is this a curry milk cap, too?" Pivi said, "Yes." Hooray! Now I could guess a small percentage of what I found! The number one golden rule of foragers is pick and eat only what you can identify 100% for sure, or you may be poisoned. Which is why I didn't plan on foraging alone.

Pivi stopped and picked up a medium-sized green-grayish mushroom with corrugated edges around the cap.

"This is good," she said. "This is a hapero (russula, Russula)." She cleaned it and put it into the basket. I thought to myself, I never would have guessed that this would be a good mushroom, because the colors looked moldy. Sorry, hapero!

Want more great food writing and recipes? Subscribe to "The Bite," Salon Food's newsletter.

Pivi moved briskly through the forest focusing on spotting "good" mushrooms. I picked two promising mushrooms, caught up with her, and asked, "How about these?" She glanced and quickly said, "No. Not good." I tossed them to the ground. Pivi added, "They're not poisonous. But they're not good. We don't eat it."

She picked another mushroom, "This is a milk cap." I asked, "A regular one?" "Yes." She cleaned it and put it into a small paper bag in the basket. She was separating them from others, as she'd first boil them in water for ten minutes to rid them of their tartness.

I found more curry milk caps hidden under fernsand leaves around mossy rocks. I showed them to Pivi and she nodded. I cleaned them and placed them in the basket. I felt proud that I was getting good at it, though I still needed an expert to verify. I picked a mushroom and asked, "Is this a milk cap?" Pivi, "Yes, but it's not a good one." She added, "It's so small." I repeated, "It's small . . . OK," I tossed it, puzzled.

For some mushrooms, like chanterelles, small was good because they were packed with flavor. I picked two mushrooms and asked, "These are no good, right?" Pivi perked up. "Not this one, but this one is very good!" pointing to a very dark brown mushroom. "It's a nokirousku (chocolate milk mushroom, Lactarius lignyotus)!" she said excitedly. A small, three-quarter-inch diameter, very dark-brown cap with white gills and a long, skinny dark-brown stem. I saw more of the same. I picked them, and asked, "Are they good?" "Yes," she said. "This one, too?" I asked. Pivi said, "Yes. Yes, these are very good. They're milk caps but they can go directly into a pan." There was no need to boil them like regular milk caps. I mumbled to myself, "You never know which ones are good."

She took a few steps, bent down and picked another. "This is also a hapero." She sliced off the bottom of its stem, and looking at the cut section of the stem, said, "A very good one. See, no worms." She sliced the stem and the cap vertically in exact halves. Yes, I saw that it was a clean, beautiful mushroom. "You're going to eat this," she said, smiling.

Pivi said, "This one is a haaparousku (northern milk cap, Lactarius trivialis)," holding up a grayish-purple cap mushroom about two inches in diameter. It was quite exotic and beautiful. She added, "You need to cook this one for five minutes to reduce its tartness."

Pivi picked a reddish cap mushroom, cleaned the stem, peeled the thin red skin, cut a small piece of white flesh, and handed it to me. She sliced another piece and put it into her mouth. I put mine into my mouth, tasted it, and immediately spat it out. "It's so peppery!" We both laughed.

Naomi Moriyama (Riikka Simonen)

We soon found small and medium-size chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius), another prized treasure from the forest. Pivi disappeared into the woods and came out with creamy white mushrooms with warped caps. She said, "They are vaaleaorakas (wood hedgehog or hedgehog mushroom, Hydnum repandum)! I was looking for these!" happily announcing her feat.

With our baskets filled with treasures from the forest, we headed to Sovintola, a handicraft and culture center that included a full rustic kitchen that we could use. First, we sorted the foraged mushrooms on a large table on an outdoor terrace. Pivi took us through the characteristics of each variety.

She brought them into the kitchen and proceeded to slice and saut several varieties of mushrooms with butter in a frying pan. "This is the best way," she told me as I looked over her shoulder. The aromas of heated butter and mushrooms filled the kitchen, my nostrils, and my month. The mushroom flesh was getting golden brown, and the edges crusty. She flipped each slice expertly with two forks making sure not to overcook. Then it was lunchtime.

First, we sampled the pan-sauted mushrooms we picked only two hours ago. My heart pitter-pattering, I pierced a piece with a fork and brought it carefully into my mouth. I contemplated its flavors, textures, aromas, and all the nuances in between. I tasted the earth, raindrops, dried pine needles, mosses, and above all, Mother Nature's love. Everyone was quiet. We didn't have to say anything.

Pivi, the forager-chef, then served porcini-cream soup garnished with dried slices of porcini. Fantastic. Next, she served toasted rye bread topped with spruce-tip pesto, followed by blocks of bread cheese (or Finnish "squeaky cheese" in the United States) with yellowfoot (Craterellus tubaeformis) jam, which might sound strange but is totally delicious. For dessert, she broughtout lingonberry-carrotKarelianpies and yellowfoot mushroom cookies, which were a perfect way to conclude our mushroom feast all homemade, except the cheese.

While much of the world was relying on overprocessed, over industrialized food, here in North Karelia, the Marthas were upholding the great Finnish tradition of a wilderness-to-table food lifestyle, nurtured by their everyday relationships with nature.

We stared at the rich gifts from nature with gratitude and pride.

It was the "wildest" meal of my life.

As a farewell gift, Pivi gave me a bottle of homemade chaga elixir, which she instructed me to take a small spoonful of daily.

If you liked this essay, consider buying"The Sisterhood of the Enchanted Forest: Sustenance, Wisdom, and Awakening in Finland's Karelia" by Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle.

Read more:

Visit link:

"You never forget spotting your first mushroom in a Finnish forest": My day with the Mushroom Queen - Salon

Eskoms loathsome load shedding has again become a daily part of life for South Africans as the state power utility continues to battle ongoing generation capacity shortages caused by poorly maintained infrastructure.

And aside from the inconvenience it causes, there are also concerns about the impact on electric and electronic devices, notes insurer, Dialdirect.

There have no doubt been many questions about how load shedding affects possibly even damages cell phones, geysers, decoders, modems, gate motors and other devices, as well as how you can safeguard yourself against this, said Anneli Retief, head of Dialdirect.

The good news is that, with sufficient knowledge and smart planning, theres a lot you can do to protect your possessions and your wallet.

According to energy experts, the effects of load shedding differ significantly from one type of device to the other.

Batteries, used in anything from cell phones and gate motors to alarms and backup systems, are vulnerable to load shedding. If a battery runs down completely, its lifespan is significantly shortened. In addition, manufacturers guarantee batteries for X-amount of charging cycles. More charging cycles caused by load shedding reduces battery life.

Pure resistance devices, like stoves, geysers, kettles and heaters are unaffected when the power is switched on and off.

Devices that carry reactive loads, like fridges, tumble dryers, lawnmowers, dishwashers, washing machines, hair dryers and gate motors, normally have an electric motor that is exposed to surges when the power is interrupted. Although unprotected devices typically very old devices could be damaged, protective measures are normally built-in to protect electronic components against surges, so damage rarely occurs in practice.

Devices like mobile phone chargers, decoders, computers, radios and modems use relatively little energy and usually have a power source that converts the high supply current to a lower, direct current voltage.

These power supplies are mostly very robust and dont allow surges to reach the devices, Dialdirect said. Batteries also tend to provide an extra protective layer against surges. If theres damage due to power fluctuations, its normally only the power source that needs replacement.

Cooling devices like fridges, freezers and air conditioners mostly work with compressors, making them susceptible because pressurised gas could provide resistance and cause damage to the devices motor when the power is turned back on, the insurer said.

3-phase power systems are vulnerable to load shedding, as one or more of the phases could be lost when power is restored, which could cause 3-phase motors to run unbalanced and burn out. Imbalance in this system could also cause damage to single-phase devices, it warned.

Dialdirect offers the following advice to protect your devices, your property and yourself during load shedding:

If you need to manually open and close your gates when you get home, try to have someone come and meet you at your entrance, or arrange for an escort from your security company, it said.

Its also important to play your part in reducing pressure on the grid by using energy-efficient bulbs and appliances, smart plugs and smart timers, getting your entire household involved in conserving electricity and investing in alternative energy sources like a generator, backup battery system or solar system, it said.

The golden rule is to proactively think about all the ways in which things can go wrong and plan thoroughly, Retief concludes. Its also vital to have comprehensive insurance in place, should catastrophe strike during load shedding.

Read: A look at Shoprites massive solar plans which aim to get the company off Eskoms grid

More:

Heres what load shedding does to your mobile devices and home appliances - BusinessTech

We are back with yet another exciting episode of #FilmyFriday.ETimes presents - #FilmyFriday, wherein we recommend our readers one Malayalam movie, every week.And for this week, we have picked a screwball comedy helmed by Priyadarshan, starring Mohanlal! Well, the dynamic duo always creates magic on screen and this movie is no different.And we have chosen the evergreen movie Chithram for this week.

Director: Priyadarshan

Cast: Mohanlal, Ranjini, Nedumudi Venu, Poornam Vishwanathan, Lissy, Sreenivasan, Jagadish, Maniyanpillai Raju, KB Ganesh Kumar, MG Soman, Unni Mary, Shanavas, Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair, Sukumari

Release year: 1988

The film opens with the visuals of a city, where Adv. Purushothama Kaimal (Nedumudi Venu) lives with his friend Ramachandran Menons (Poornam Vishwanathan) daughter Kalyani (Ranjini). Kaimal is a caretaker and more like a father figure for Kalyani as her dad lives abroad.

The camera moves into Kaimals room, and one can see a dozen or two alarm clocks ringing. Kaimal surely has trouble waking up in the morning. And now we see Kalyani, who is decked up in workout outfits, asking her Kaimal uncle to wake up. Although Kalyani is a fitness freak, her uncle seems to be not so keen, especially waking up in the morning and going for a jog. The title cards start changing as they hit the road.

Kaimal is almost done with the days workout and tells Kalyani that this wont last for so long as her dad will take her abroad soon, or marry her off to the Mangalyapuzha, her dads hometown, which is apparently in a remote village.

Although we dont affirm the Adivasi reference made by Kaimal, the dialogue that follows is something that transports the audience immediately to Mangalyapuzha. Avide Mangalam kaavund, manjadi kaadund, mangalya deviyund, mangalya puzhayund,(Kalyani- pinne ente ammavan Mamapurathe Bhaskaran Nambiyarumund), Kaimal says and the editor N Gopalakrishnan translocates the audience to Mangalyapuzha.

Go here to read the rest:

#FilmyFriday: Chithram: Vishnus golden rule to life is 'living in the moment' - Times of India

1. Buy a gift-wrap organizer that hangs in a closet or on the back of a door. These organizers usually hold roughly a dozen rolls of wrap and have room for ribbons and bows, too.

2. Pick up a shallow, clear, plastic storage container thats long enough to hold rolls of wrapping paper and flat enough to slide under a bed. Get one with a lid that fits at least a dozen rolls of wrap.

3. Invest in a gift-wrapping station. It looks like a desk and comes with rods for hanging ribbon and rolls of wrap, drawers for storing tape and gift tags, and plenty of tabletop space for wrapping gifts and keeping scissors within reach.

4. Use a sectioned toolbox or craft organizer box to store holiday odds and ends, extra extension cords, spare holiday light bulbs, extra ornament hangers, and more.

The Professional Organizers Golden Rules

Keep these rules in mind when storing your holiday items.

Golden Rule #1: Vertical is visible, horizontal is hidden. If items get stacked, you cant see whats at the bottom.

Golden Rule #2: Store it where you use it. Keeping like items together will help save time and keep them accessible when youre ready to use them.

Golden Rule #3: Everything needs to have one home. Whatever you end up using to organize them, create one home for these items as they come out for use at the same time of year.

See more here:

Rosie on the House: Organize decorations & wrapping before use - Arizona Daily Star

The strategic initiative kicks off this holiday season with the Be The Greatest campaign in conjunction with Step Up who has been selected as the Inaugural Cause Partner

LEWISVILLE, Texas, November 18, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--JCPenney today announced that it has partnered with Muhammad Ali Enterprises, appointing the global icon as its Goodwill Ambassador. Through the long-term charitable partnership, Alis Six Core Principles will be integrated into JCPenneys community initiatives and utilized to uplift JCPenneys corporate mission to live by James Cash Penneys Golden Rule. The partnership will kick off on Nov. 30 with the Be The Greatest campaign in honor of Giving Tuesday.

To kick off the partnership, JCPenney has engaged the nonprofit Step Up to serve as the inaugural charitable partner. In celebration of Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving on Nov. 30, JCPenney and Muhammad Ali will launch the Be The Greatest campaign to inspire people to lift others up and be their best selves.

Step Up propels young women facing system barriers to pursue their dreams of success by empowering them to become confident, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of leaders. Step Ups purpose fundamentally aligns with Alis Six Core Principles and JCPenneys values. Alis monumental life and journey were fueled by Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Spirituality, and Respect. These Six Core Principles were the foundation of his activism and today, serve to inspire greatness in others. The Be The Greatest campaign is an evergreen initiative that will tap into Alis guiding principles and aim to inspire JCPenney associates and customers to make a difference in their communities.

Be The Greatest kicks off this holiday season with a virtual livestream event featuring a surprise guest from Muhammad Ali Enterprises, members of the JCPenney community, and Step Up leaders, students, and alumni. The occasion will be marked by a $100,000 donation to Step Up from JCPenney.

Story continues

"I have always believed that Muhammad belonged to the world," said Lonnie Ali. "The principles by which he lived are more relevant than ever in 2021. I know that Muhammad would be honored to see his Six Core Principles illuminated by JCPenney and extended to the young women of Step Up."

"We are incredibly honored to partner with one of the most influential humanitarians of all time to inspire greatness in others," said Andre Joyner, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at JCPenney. "Muhammad Alis Six Core Principles are a natural extension of JCPenneys founding principle of the Golden Ruleto treat others as we would like to be treated. Were excited to launch Be The Greatest with Step Up, especially during this season of giving."

JCPenney has supported Step Up since 2018 by providing grants for their Young Luminaries program, prom dress shopping sprees, associate mentoring opportunities, and most recently a virtual panel in association with International Womens Day and JCPenneys Womens Initiative Networking Group of Success (WINGS) Business Resource Team.

The partnership was created by Authentic Brands Group (ABG), a brand development, marketing, and entertainment company, which owns Muhammad Ali Enterprises in partnership with Lonnie Ali as trustee of the Muhammad Ali Family Trust (MAFT).

About JCPenney

JCPenney proudly serves customers at more than 650 stores across the United States and Puerto Rico, and at the Companys flagship store, jcp.com. JCPenney is one of the nations largest retailers of apparel, home, jewelry, and beauty merchandise with a growing portfolio of private and national brands. Guided by the Golden Rule, JCPenney employs more than 50,000 associates worldwide and has served customers for over 119 years, playing a vital role in the communities it serves. For additional information, please visit jcp.com and follow JCPenney on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

About Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali is one of the most influential athletes and humanitarians of the 20th century and has created some of the most legendary moments in sports and civil rights history. More than 50 years after he emerged as a Gold Medalist in Boxing at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Alis legacy extends beyond the ring and he continues to be widely recognized as one of the most celebrated and beloved icons of all time.

His incomparable work ethic, signature boxing techniques, and fearlessness towards standing up for his beliefs, all contribute to the legend that is Muhammad Ali. Among his countless awards and accolades, he was named Sports Illustrateds "Sportsman of the Century," GQs "Athlete of the Century," a United Nations Messenger of Peace, and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Amnesty International Lifetime Achievement Award. Muhammad Alis legacy is celebrated across cultures and continues to inspire todays most influential athletes, artists, musicians and humanitarians around the world.

Follow Muhammad Ali on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20211118006070/en/

Contacts

Aubrey DeZego Director, Corporate Communications, JCPenneyjcpnews@jcp.com

Haley Steinberg VP, PR & Corporate Communications, Authentic Brands Grouphsteinberg@authenticbrands.com

Michelle Ciciyasvili Director, PR, Authentic Brands Group/Muhammad Alimciciyasvili@authenticbrands.com

More:

JCPenney and Muhammad Ali Announce a Long-Term Strategic Partnership that Features the G.O.A.T. as the Amplifier for JCPenneys Goodwill Mission and...

We are all citizens of the same planet.

Psychiatry & Society

H. Steven Moffic, MD, talks climate change and the lukewarm climate summit. He poses the question, who are you and how do you identify as a citizen of this planet?

To see the last video in this series, watch What About Love and the Golden Rule, the Platinum Rule, and the Walrus Rule.

To see the latest in his column series, Psychiatry Views On The Daily News, see Psychedelics Providing Hope for Veterans and Others.

Dr Mofficis an award-winning psychiatrist who has specialized in the cultural and ethical aspects of psychiatry. A prolific writer and speaker, he received the one-time designation of Hero of Public Psychiatry from the Assembly of the American Psychiatric Association in 2002. He is an advocate for mental health issues relate to climate instability, burnout, Islamophobia, and anti-Semitism for a better world. He serves on the Editorial Board ofPsychiatric TimesTM.

Go here to see the original:

What About Love of the Earth - Psychiatric Times

In response to The Day's coverage of events at East Lyme High School, Students to protest East Lyme High Schools handling of racism, (Nov. 15):

I discern that Vice Principal Henry Kidd has spoken wisely and well in this article and I think the students are wise to call a non-violent action to bring attention to their experiences of racial oppression.

Having grown up in East Lyme where I was born in 1945, I can say we never saw a person of color in school, or in town. Because East Lyme had no high school we went on to New London High and just then my mother advised me that I would be meeting "colored children" (the term used in those days, around 1960) and, she stated, "In our family we do not discriminate."

My mom was Fran Fraser, the Day's Flanders correspondent and I am proud of her for many reasons especially her guidance on living by the Golden Rule and treating all others as kin.

East Lyme is now considered "the place to live" and I believe The Day does a service in shining a light on the shadow side of that once humble farming town now morphed/mutated into what too often appears to be a bastion of upper middle-class self-satisfaction. The light of journalism helps us recognize what we need to attend to.

Sue Fraser Frankewicz

Noank

View original post here:

The Day is shining a light in East Lyme - theday.com

You may have seen the pictures on todays front page from the United Way award luncheon at the Gainesville Civic Center.

The place was full of people who organized fundraisers in their workplaces over the last year to benefit very worthy causes around Cooke County, including Abigails Arms, CASA of North Texas, Cooke County Junior Livestock Show, Meals on Wheels of Texoma, Muenster Youth Council and a couple dozen more.

The 2022 campaign was a big success, netting over $350,000 to be turned into grants next year for the participating agencies. Everyone who participated should be proud, as pulling in that kind of money in the midst of a pandemic and topsy-turvy economy is unabashedly good work.

These noble efforts are going to help some of our neighbors and thats not nothing; however, its easy to say how wonderful these efforts are, then forget about them until next years awards luncheon. We often look at groups like the United Way and its member agencies and content ourselves that everything that can reasonably be done is being done.

But thats not really the case, is it?

Dont panic: Im not suggesting that you dig deeper into your pockets or pay more taxes. Give more if you can, by all means, but what Im getting at is more subtle.

I am suggesting that you (and I) could do more to make Cooke County a better place by doing more of the little things to take some sting out of day-to-living:

Try saying Please and Thank you all the time, and not just when youre in a good mood;

Dont get mad when the other person fails to say Youre welcome;

Dont lash out at cashiers and waitresses because youre having a crappy day;

Open doors for other people not just old ladies;

Dont stare at your phone when someone is trying to talk to you;

Turn down whatever it is youre watching when someone is trying to talk to you on the phone;

Dont join a long line at a drive-thru, then honk your horn because its taking so long;

Stay off your phone when youre driving as in dont hold it or look at it or talk on it;

Dont take everything you read on Facebook as the Gospel Truth and reject out-of-hand any assertions to the contrary;

Give the all caps and exclamation points a rest when youre texting or emailing or on social media. TRY TO MAKE YOUR POINT WITHOUT THROWING TANTRUMS!!!!!!

Being polite is not a sign of weakness, nor is it an invitation for someone to get over on you in some petty way. Your mother raised to be polite for a reason.

Will any of these suggestions cure cancer? No, of course not. They could, however, spare you and the people you come across every day a little bit of aggravation, one less thing to drag home at night after a long day at work.

Im not a churchgoer, but I do believe in the Golden Rule. Ive seen too many good turns in my life that have inspired others to better things. I choose not to pout every single time something doesnt go my way. I think I and the people in my life are better off for it, however slightly.

Give it a try, please.

We are making critical coverage of the coronavirus available for free. Please consider subscribing so we can continue to bring you the latest news and information on this developing story.

Visit link:

EADS: A kind word turneth away aggravation | Opinion | gainesvilleregister.com - Gainesville Daily Register

First came the retreat. Then the surrender. Prime Minister Narendra Modis stunning decision to repeal the three farm laws will have three repercussions.

First, it will be seized upon by the Opposition as a sign of Modis political vulnerability to concerted pressure. The farmers agitation was never aimed at repealing the farm laws alone. The subterranean objective was weakening Modi ahead of the spate of Assembly elections in 2022 and the Lok Sabha poll in 2024.

Second, parallels will be drawn between the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance-II governments abject surrender to Anna Hazare in 2011 in its eighth year in office and the BJP-led NDA governments surrender to the farmers agitation in its own eighth year in power. The end result for the Congress was a collapse in credibility and a rout in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The parallel, however, needs a caveat. The UPA government was immersed in alleged corruption scandals. With or without the anti-corruption crusade of Anna Hazare, it was heading towards defeat. The Modi government is in a far stronger position. But warning lights are flashing.

The third repercussion of the decision to repeal the farm laws is the strengthening of a nagging perception that the Modi government will put bad politics ahead of good economics. The three farm laws were beneficial for 95 per cent of Indias farmers. Repealing them sets back agricultural reform by a decade.

Worse, giving into the bullying of violent farm union leaders like Rakesh Tikait may not have the outcome Modi is banking on. Tikait and his fellow-wealthy farmer-politician leaders will now twist the knife in. Having bludgeoned the government into defeat, it will manufacture yet another set of demands on, for example, passing an MSP law in Parliament. When you resort to a policy of appeasement, you surrender more than just your credibility. You surrender your political options.

It can be argued that while the repeal is a nakedly political move, Modi knows what hes doing. You dont win five consecutive elections (three in the Gujarat Assembly and two in the Lok Sabha) without exceptional political acuity.

The reasoning is that the farmers protests were likely to hurt the BJPs prospects in western Uttar Pradesh in the 2022 Assembly polls. The entente cordiale between the Jats and Muslim worries the BJP. In 2013, following riots in Muzaffarnagar, the cleavage between Jats and Muslims had widened. The farm laws and shrewd politicking by Tikait have bridged the gap. It could have an impact on key seats in western Uttar Ptadesh.

Meanwhile the enthusiasm with which former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh has greeted the repeal of the farm laws could lead to a seat sharing deal with the BJP in the Punjab Assembly polls early next year. The Akalis are watching developments carefully. So are the Congress and the AAP. They will have to recalculate their projections and reset their tactics. A hung Assembly looms in Punjab.

Isnt that precisely what Modi wanted? To retreat and then strike?

Whatever the electoral consequences of this decision, Modi must remember that retreat can become a habit. We saw the Citizenship (Amendment) Act being put in cold storage with rules not yet notified. The government has sought time till January 2022 to issue them. The golden rule is: Dont pick a fight you arent sure of winning. Once is a coincidence. Twice is carelessness. Thrice is unprincipled.

Modi is the consummate politician. But he is not infallible. By repealing farm laws designed to modernise agriculture he has taken a step back in his reformist agenda. Its not his first. He retreated amid protests on land reform. Labour reform remains a work in progress.

Winning elections is important. Standing by sound economic principles is equally important. That is a question on which the electorate will shortly deliver a verdict.

The writer is editor, author and publisher. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.

Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Telegram.

Read this article:

Three Reasons Why Modi Government Should Not Have Repealed the Three Farm Laws - News18