Best albums of all time by Black artists

There would be no American music as we know it without the contributions of Black artists. Since the first African music was brought over by people in bondage as early as the 15th century, Black singers and musicians have had a hand in every aspect of American musics evolution. From country-western, the foundation of which was banjo music from Africa, to rock n roll, first played by a Black woman on electric guitar in 1938, each genre of American music has a Black artist (or many) who helped create it.

In addition to establishing new sounds, Black musicians worked to advance civic life, as well. They helped bring about an end to segregation, with the likes of Josephine Baker, Ray Charles, and dozens more refusing to play to segregated crowds, with white allies like The Beatles taking similar stands. They also used their music to advance messages; from Billie Holidays Strange Fruit to Sam Cookes A Change is Gonna Come.

To celebrate some of the greatest American music of all time, Stacker compiled data on the top 100 albums by Black artists according to data from Best Ever Albums, which ranks albums according to their appearance and performance on 40,000 editorial and data-based charts including Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Billboard. The Best Ever Albums score is derived from a formula that weighs how many charts an album has appeared on and how high it was on each of those charts and awards points accordingly. For more background on how Best Ever Albums determines its rankings, click here.

As with any ranking, no best of list can be fully representativeparticularly when dealing with such a wide range of time, talent, and musical style. The fact that Ray Charles, Nina Simone, Whitney Houston, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgeraldamong dozens of othersdont appear here underscores that shortcoming. Still, this iteration of the best albums of all time by Black artists offers an insightful look at a significant cross-section of American music that ranges from jazz to soul to hip-hop and back again, with household names like Jimi Hendrix and less obvious monikers like Love and Flying Lotus.

In conjunction with this piece, be sure to check out our Spotify playlist featuring a track from each of these albums.

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- Best Ever Albums score: 2,547

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 79

- Rank in decade: #103

- Rank all-time: #742

- Year: 2016

Childish Gambino has proven there is little he cant do. The actor, producer, writer, director, comedian, and rapper (who is also known as Donald Glover) went heavy on the singing when he released his third studio album, Awaken, My Love! The album, which contains soulful, funky chart-toppers like "Me and Your Mama, was produced and written by Gambino (with the exception of the track Zombies).

Must-listen: Me and Your Mama

- Best Ever Albums score: 2,591

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 79

- Rank in decade: #77

- Rank all-time: #735

- Year: 1968

It was obvious that 14-year-old Aretha Franklin was going to be a star when she was recorded live in 1956 by J-V-B records singing You Grow Closer at New Bethel Baptist Church in Detroit (the complete recordings were released in 1965 by Checker Recordings).

Just six years later, she was laying down blues and big-band tracks that would set her inevitable ascendancy to a cultural icon with a seven-decade career spanning gospel, soul, R&B, pop, rock, and virtually everything in between. In 1987, Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Lady Soul features some of Franklins most famous songs of her storied career, including (You Make Me Feel Like) a Natural Woman and (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since Youve Been Gone.

Must-listen: (Sweet Sweet Baby) Since Youve Been Gone

- Best Ever Albums score: 2,609

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 81

- Rank in decade: #166

- Rank all-time: #728

- Year: 1973

A hallmark in soul music, Marvin Gayes eight-track Lets Get It On album went platinum in three weeks flatand propelled the artist to icon status. In many ways, the album marked a return to Gayes 1960s heartthrob status and stood in stark contrast to his more introspective persona on the 1971 album Whats Going On.

Must-listen: Keep Gettin It On

- Best Ever Albums score: 2,646

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 80

- Rank in decade: #130

- Rank all-time: #716

- Year: 1995

Mobb Deeps sophomore album came about during an iconic and unforgettable era in hip-hop. From Wu-Tang to Nas, there was no shortage of talent. The album featured members Havoc and Prodigy, along with appearances by Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Q-Tip, and Nas. The album showed up at #15 on the Billboard charts and had four singles, of which "Shook Ones (Part II)" was the most popular. The album went on to be a defining feature of the East Coast hardcore hip-hop scene.

Must-listen: Shook Ones, Pt. II

- Best Ever Albums score: 2,663

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 81

- Rank in decade: #76

- Rank all-time: #709

- Year: 1961

Historys most important tenor saxophonist John Coltrane did more than turn jazz on its head: He created a whole new musical genre called psychedelic rock. Almost 60 years later, My Favorite Things, is still relevant and revolutionary, showing one of many gifts Coltrane gave to the historic story of jazz in America.

Must-listen: My Favorite Things

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- Best Ever Albums score: 2,665

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 80

- Rank in decade: #98

- Rank all-time: #708

- Year: 2011

Kendrick Lamar could be seen as a direct descendant of the West Coast Hip-Hop style created in Southern California during the 1990s. Section.80 flows like a long drive up the coast. But his insightfulness is what sets him apart from the generations past. Lamar shows a thoughtful self-awareness that makes him relatable to a wide array of audiences.

Must-listen: Rigamortis

- Best Ever Albums score: 2,720

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 82

- Rank in decade: #96

- Rank all-time: #698

- Year: 2015

Youve probably already heard his saxophone playing in the background of a Kendrick Lamar track, or maybe you saw him touring with Snoop Dogg, but Kamasi Washington went even bigger than all that with his first album The Epic. The album is almost three hours long and features more than 60 musicians.

Must-listen: Clair de Lune

- Best Ever Albums score: 2,740

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 82

- Rank in decade: #14

- Rank all-time: #693

- Year: 1957

Made up of only five tracks, Saxophone Colossus might be Sonny Rollins most defining album. He made it less than a year after kicking his addiction to heroin. That year he recorded a handful of other albums, as well as being featured on records of other artists. Rollins, who had recordings with Art Blakey and Bud Powell under his belt by the time he was 20, is still alive and performing at 90 years old.

Must-listen: Strode Rode

- Best Ever Albums score: 2,741

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 79

- Rank in decade: #125

- Rank all-time: #692

- Year: 1990

Chuck D.prolific producer, activist, and rapperonce famously called Public Enemy, the rap group he formed, the CNN for Black people. Thats because, in the late 80s, the masses had to look to hip-hop to cover racial disparities in American culture, the prison-industrial complex, poverty, profiling, and police brutality. Chuck D. helped to strengthen a culture of hip-hop that worked for social change and inspired a generation of artists.

Must-listen: Brothers Gonna Work It Out

- Best Ever Albums score: 2,749

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 81

- Rank in decade: #124

- Rank all-time: #690

- Year: 1996

Atlanta-based hip-hop duo Outkast released its sophomore album ATLiens in 1996 when Andre 3000 and Big Boi were going through some big changes in life. Andre was sober, celibate, and vegan while working on it. Big Boi suffered the loss of a family member and welcomed his first child. Those factors may have influenced their work on this profound album which nearly topped the Billboard charts and remains relevant to this day.

Must-listen: ATLiens

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- Best Ever Albums score: 2,805

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 83

- Rank in decade: #158

- Rank all-time: #674

- Year: 1974

The title of Jorge Bens 1974 release translates to The Emerald Tablet, which was a stone containing ancient writings popular with European alchemists. A traditional Brazillian Samba musician who is highly regarded as a master of the craft, Ben filled this album with references to Egyptian texts along with upbeat melodies. Ben released more than 30 albums throughout his career.

Must-listen: O namorado da viva

- Best Ever Albums score: 2,825

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 80

- Rank in decade: #13

- Rank all-time: #671

- Year: 1959

Chuck Berrywho once said famously said he saw his career as one long Sister Rosetta Tharpe impersonation (see if the opening measures of her 1947 track The Lord Followed Me sounds familiar)personified the adage third times a charm with his junior studio album that is widely considered to be his best. Chuck Berry Is On Top features his classics Johnny B Goode, Maybellene, and Roll Over Beethoven (just for starters) that were not just high-performing tracks of their time but have survived as rock n roll standards for more than 70 years.

Must-listen: Maybellene

- Best Ever Albums score: 2,836

- Best Ever Albums user rating: 81

- Rank in decade: #12

- Rank all-time: #668

- Year: 1957

It wasnt easy being Thelonious Monk at first, existing on the fringes as he did of New York Citys mid-20th-century jazz scene. But at 39 years old, with the release of his junior effort Brilliant Corners, Monk took his rightful, recognized place as one of the greatest pianists and composers of all time.

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Best albums of all time by Black artists - Grand Island Independent

from the ugly-and-inconvenient-truth dept

A historic hack of unprecedented scale has set off alarms in the US government -- itself a target of suspected Russian hackers who leveraged IT infrastructure company SolarWinds' massive customer base to compromise an unknown number of victims. Among those victims were several US government agencies, including the DHS's cybersecurity wing, which announced its own breach hours after issuing a dire warning to potentially affected government agencies.

Is it time to panic? No, says the lame duck president, who claims this is already "under control" -- something that very definitely isn't true. SolarWinds says it has 18,000 customers using the affected Orion software. And many of those customers (which include Fortune 500 companies and major telcos/service providers) have thousands of customers of their own -- all of which may be operating compromised systems. The DHS said the only way to ensure systems are clear of this threat was to airgap them and uninstall the infected software.

Others who have been briefed on the hack are far less cheery about its ongoing impact. Trump tweeted there was nothing to worry about. Republican allies seem more concerned than the man who won't have to worry about this for much longer.

Shortly after Mr. Trumps tweet, Sen. Marco Rubio (R., Fla), acting chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said it was increasingly clear that Russian intelligence conducted the gravest cyber intrusion in our history.

Mr. Rubio added on Twitter that efforts to determine the extent and damage of the hack were ongoing and that remediation would take significant time and resources. Our response must be proportional but significant, he said.

The 2050s will be like 1950s, apparently: with America in the midst of another Cold War.

But is it true this is the "gravest cyber intrusion in our history?" Or is it just the "gravest" intrusion that's targeted us? After all, the Russians don't have a monopoly on government-ordained hacking. Our intelligence and security agencies deploy their own persistent threats -- something we've done for years with minimal blowback. These calls for a cyber war by pundits and government officials aren't anything to be applauded. I don't think America really wants to get involved in another forever war -- one whose wins and losses can't be tallied with temporary "liberations" and body bag back orders.

Let's be cautious, says Jack Goldsmith. Better yet, let's be aware of the hypocrisy of the stance some government officials are demanding we take.

The lack of self-awareness in these and similar reactions to the Russia breach is astounding. The U.S. government has no principled basis to complain about the Russia hack, much less retaliate for it with military means, since the U.S. government hacks foreign government networks on a huge scale every day.

Turning a cyber war into a shooting war isn't just an overreaction. It's illegal under international law. That doesn't mean nothing should be done about it. It just means the US government can't pretend it doesn't engage in the same activities some now want to go to war over. What's happened here might be unprecedented in scale, but it's the same thing every government with enough resources has done for years. It's not a war waiting to happen. It's business as usual.

Peacetime government-to-government espionage is as old as the international system and is today widely practiced, especially via electronic surveillance. It can cause enormous damage to national security, as the Russian hack surely does. But it does not violate international law or norms.

In recent years, the US government has deployed more offensive weapons in hopes of deterring cyber attacks. It really hasn't worked. Meeting escalation with more escalation is unlikely to change the standard operating procedures of espionage, especially since the US government hasn't rolled back its offensive efforts in the wake of massive breaches.

But there may be a way forward -- one almost impossible to achieve but promising enough it shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.

[The US government] has not seriously considered the traditional third option when defense and deterrence fail in the face of a foreign threat: mutual restraint, whereby the United States agrees to curb certain activities in foreign networks in exchange for forbearance by our adversaries in our networks. There are many serious hurdles to making such cooperation work, including precise agreement on each sides restraint, and verification. But given our deep digital dependency and the persistent failure of defense and deterrence to protect our digital systems, cooperation is at least worth exploring.

There's no moral high ground to claim here. And refusing to consider bringing some of our cyber boys back home leaves us with nothing but continuous escalation. This hack is raising uncomfortable questions about our own practices. Let's see if anyone in the White House is willing to honestly confront the consequences of our own actions and find another route towards safety and national security.

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Filed Under: cyber war, cybersecurity, dhs, hacks, hypocrisy, nsa, russia, surveillance, us Companies: solarwinds

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The SolarWinds Hack Is Just The Same Sort Of Espionage The US Government Engages In Every Day - Techdirt

Think about it this roster probably has the least amount of talent of any in the league.

HoopsCritics Brian Geltzeiler joined Marc Malusis flying solo on WFANs Moose and Maggie Show Wednesday, and he wasnt holding back when talking about the Knicks outlook.

Of course, Geltzeiler tried to quantify it by mentioning Detroit and Cleveland as also being talent-poor, but admitted that Detroit has Blake Griffin and Cleveland has Kevin Love and then doubled down when asked about Tom Thibodeaus candid take on how 2020-21 isnt going to be a quick fix.

Thibodeau is telling you the truth. They are in this to build a long-term winner and title contender, Geltzeiler said. But if you look at teams that have won championships, theyve all had at least one mega-superstar. What Thibs is doing is giving you the realities of championship contention in the NBA.

And the reality is that a team needs at least one star, if not two or a Big 3, to be a contender. MSG doesnt seem to be a big draw in free agency, but there is one way the Knicks can reel in the big fish.

They have a path to get that star, and its the trade market, Geltzeiler said. Right now they have the best financial situation in the league, and are in very good shape from a draft pick standpoint they were able to sign Marcus Morris and flip him for a first-round pick and they have some decent young players. Theyre not overloaded with talent and youre going to have to prepare yourself for things to not be wonderful this year.

Thats where Geltzeiler dropped the quote at the top and the Detroit/Cleveland mentions, and cautioned further about any expectations for 2020-21.

Tom will get them defending, and find out who is a keeper and who isnt, but its not going to manifest itself in a .500 record and a shot at a playoff berth this year, Geltzeiler said. We have to give this particular regime an opportunity to go to what they can do. This is going to be the lean year in all of it, where they find out about players.

That goes for the stars on hand just as much as the fringe players.

Is Barrett a true building block? They love Toppin, but is Toppin going to be a star? Only time will tell, Geltzeiler said. But you have to see if Dennis Smith can be an answer right now its leaning towards no, which makes the Porzingis trade look even uglier. You have to see if Kevin Knox can be an answer, and I dont think he can either. Even Mitchell Robinsonnothings been handed to him. They went out and signed Nerlens Noel and right now, he is a significantly better player than Mitchell Robinson.

And it was that last point where Geltzeiler emphasized his point about how the Knicks are going about the rebuild the right way.

That competition is going to help Robinson become a better player, and if it doesnt, that tells you all you need to know, Geltzeiler said. What I like about what were seeing is theres no BS, no nonsense it is what it is. One of the biggest issues the Knicks have had is a lack of self-awareness; this particular regime is very self-aware, and understands the sparseness of talent on this roster.

Listen to Geltzeilers full interview with Marc Malusis below!

Follow WFAN's midday team on Twitter: @MandMWFAN, @MarcMalusis, @MaggieGray, and @BMonzoRadio

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Geltzeiler: Knicks have 'least-talented' roster in the NBA - RADIO.COM

Hundredsof books, articles, andpodcastsare published each year offeringthe answer to the question:How do I lead well?

To really grasp theprinciples ofeffective leadership that will lead to results, one primary lesson that many of those books and podcasts won't teach comes down to one short sentence:

Leadership is aheartmatter. Ifthe heart is not right, your leadership isn't going to be right.

The heart of a leader has to be focused on serving others first. This will reveal the leader's true intent. It is not a heartmotivated by self-interest, status, position, or power. It's a heart that is driven by service and the overarching life philosophy of "How many lives can I impact for the better?"

To that end, there are things to being a good leader that just cannot be ignored. If youare too busy to put these practices into daily motion, it may be time for a leadership tune-up. Here's what I would recommend to get you running on all cylinders.

Read more: I started my new role as LinkedIn's CEO during the pandemic. Here's what I learned from my first 6 months on the job.

Many autocratic managers viewfeedback as a threat to their power, self-worth, and position, which explains why they are opposed to it and often reactfearfully and defensively to feedback. Great leaders, on the other hand, viewfeedback as a gift to improvetheir leadership so they can serve others and their mission better. Theyvalue truth and honesty and diverse perspectives for betteringthemselvesandtheir businesses.

Even when feedback is negative, it prompts an exercise in curious exploration to find out where things went wrongso that it doesn't happen again. This is setting your heart right.

So many high-level managers get caught up in situational dramas in whichthey're typically the main character. Sincetoxic fear or insecurity and false pride operate in tandem to protect their self-interest, ithijacks their thinking and potential for healthy relationships.

Great leaders don't react to people or situations, theyrespondto themby being quick to listen and understand. They apply self-awareness and curiosity to get varied perspectives and won't get riled up or let their emotions sabotage their thought process. They takea step back, assesswhat happened, and get clarity before their next move. Whatever that next move is, their integrity steps in to end a conflict, help others, and make things better.

Read more: A Slack VP says more digital HQs and less physical workspaces are the future and it's a huge opportunity to build stronger, more diverse teams

When fear,uncertainty, and lack of direction permeates the workplace, you begin to see fewer risks being taken and fewer problems being solved.Team members need to feel psychologically safe tobe at their best. To create a safeenvironment for your employees, managers need to do what great leaders do consistently well: pump the fear out of thework environment.

First, honor your team'svoice by allowing them the space to present ideas and express objections. Second, invest in theirsuccess and regularly communicate that their development is a top priority. Finally, sethigh expectations forteam members by giving feedback that ensures they know how valued and valuable they are.

Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.

Continued here:
3 practices every strong leader should embrace to build trust with their employees - Business Insider - Business Insider

Vancouver Island Universitys suluqwa Community Cousins Aboriginal student mentorship program is celebrating its 10th anniversary in September 2021. In honour of this important milestone, we are sharing the stories of 12 people closely connected with the program one per month leading up to the anniversary.

The suluqwa Community Cousins program builds capacity for mentors to gain leadership and employability skills through outreach and mentoring activities. Students hone skills in self-awareness, communication, leadership, self-care and an exploration of personal values, with an emphasis on telling ones story as a path to self-empowerment through outreach to others.

Transferring to VIU from a much-larger institution in her second year, Rebecca Olivia Watmough (Bachelor of Arts 16, Major in Criminology, Minor in Psychology) had several life-changing experiences at VIU that have left a lasting impression on her and set her on her current path of becoming a lawyer. Those included being part of the unique Inside-Out prison exchange program, joining the suluqwa Community Cousins Aboriginal mentorship program, helping to develop a new program at VIU through a work-op experience, and completing an internship with the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission.

In fall 2021, she will become one of 36 judicial law clerks assigned to one of the nine judges of the Supreme Court of Canada a coveted position that will give her important insights into how decisions are made at the countrys highest court.

Throughout my three years at VIU, I found the courses and instructors incredibly diverse and engaging. I thoroughly enjoyed the smaller class size environment and felt it was more conducive to my learning. It allowed me to grow and foster relationships with my professors.

In my final year of studies, I had the opportunity to participate in the first year of the Inside-Out prison exchange program, which involved 15 criminology students and approximately 15 inmates incarcerated at the Guthrie Therapeutic Community within the Nanaimo Correctional Centre taking a university course together in Guthrie.

Not only did I take a variety of courses at VIU, I also had the opportunity to engage in various practical learning opportunities. For instance, in my final semester of studies, I completed an internship with the Forensic Psychiatric Services Commission, where I attended the Nanaimo Clinic two days a week in lieu of two courses. The work I was provided was diverse. I had the opportunity to attend Not Criminally Responsible by Reason of Mental Disorder (NCRMD) review board hearings a process I had begun to learn about in my criminology classes. I also had the opportunity to shadow psychologists, social workers and outreach workers in their work with those involved in both the criminal justice and mental health systems.

In my final year of studies, I was lucky to obtain a VIU work-op position and work as the Legal Studies and VIU Law Network Research Assistant. In this position I facilitated LSAT seminars for potential future law school students and helped with the beginning phases of the non-degree program proposal for the Legal Studies Certificate, which was implemented at VIU in 2019.

I was proud to be a suluqwa Community Cousin. This Aboriginal student mentorship program provided me with an invaluable opportunity to connect with my Mtis heritage, experience traditional teachings on Snuneymuxw land, engage in cultural activities and connect with other Indigenous VIU students. I also had the opportunity to act as a mentor for my fellow Indigenous students. The suluqwa Community Cousins program allowed me to take a break from my studies and focus on the importance of connection and culture.

I learned many skills throughout this invaluable program. Part of the program involved getting up in front of various audiences to make short presentations, whether that was introducing an event or speaking to a group of students. This public speaking aspect of the program allowed me to find my voice and increased my confidence with respect to public speaking. My comfort with public speaking has increased to a level that I am now comfortable presenting evidence and arguments in the courtroom.

I also learned the importance of gratitude. Throughout the program, there are frequent opportunities for the cousins to express what they are grateful for. I found this to be very grounding and something I continue with today. The program emphasized the importance of making time for what matters. No matter how busy you are, it is important to make time for what really matters, for instance culture, exercise or community. I raise my hands to the incredible work that goes into this program.

There are two events that stand out for me as a Cousin, and that I can remember like they occurred yesterday, although it was more than four years ago. I had the chance to travel to Ahousat First Nation to participate in a day dedicated to recruiting Ahousat high-school students to post-secondary institutions. Four of the cousins, including myself, went by car and boat from Nanaimo to Ahousat First Nation. Once we arrived at the Nations high school, we set up our booth and spoke to various interested students that approached us. Later in the day, I did a presentation about the Community Cousins Program and the various supports that are offered to Indigenous students at VIU. Being able to act as an ambassador to Indigenous high school students and stand in front of a large crowd and speak from the heart about my experience as an Indigenous student was empowering.

Another event that stands out for me involves Xulsimalt, or Uncle Gary, as I know him. Uncle Gary, a VIU Elder-in-Residence, offered to take the Cousins on a guided forest walk. Because it was exam time, only myself and one other student showed up. Uncle Gary took the two of us on a guided walk, explaining how our ancestors used the various plants that surrounded us. At the end, after collectively lighting a fire, Uncle Gary, drum in hand, taught us a song, line by line. It was a powerful and intimate experience and something I will carry with me forever.

After completing law school at the University of Victoria Faculty of Law in 2019, I worked at the Supreme Court of British Columbia as a judicial law clerk for seven justices. In this position, I conducted legal research in different areas of the law, wrote legal memoranda and provided feedback on draft reasons for judgment. It is a fascinating window into how judges think and make their decisions. I am currently articling with the Ministry of Attorney General. Articling is a year where you apprentice with an experienced lawyer who guides you through the challenges of beginning to practice law. During this year I am getting the chance to try out different areas of law I find interesting.

Following that, I will have the honour of clerking at the Supreme Court of Canada for one of the nine justices of the Court. In this position, which will begin in August 2021, I will conduct legal research, write legal memoranda and provide feedback on draft reasons for judgment. As I will be working at Canada's highest court, I am incredibly excited to engage with important legal issues that impact Canadians across the country. It is truly an honour to have the opportunity to work on decisions that will have a longstanding impact on the Canadian legal landscape.

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From Community Cousin to Canada's Highest Court: Rebecca Olivia Watmough - Vancouver Island University News

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Its pretty fair to say that communication is everything to human beings; weve been using itand evolving our languagefor possibly millions of years. As the world continues to change, so must our communication style. This is especially important in professional settings, where we can offend people or miscommunicate our intent and lose out on building something great. In a pandemic-upended world, the levels of communication have seen shifts more quickly than usual, so how can you make sure youre sharing ideas and exchanging messages effectively?

In any organization, how a company communicates internally, i.e., manager to employee, C-level to management, etc., is of the utmost importance. Having open and transparent comms throughout the business builds trust and fosters creativity, which in turn impacts profit margins. An easy way to improve communication is by ensuring staff at all levels possess high emotional intelligence, which is something you can foster. The Emotional Intelligence and Decision-Making Bundle teaches everything from conflict management to understanding personality to self-awareness. This training gives you the tools you need to ensure your team is on the same page about everyday tasks, big-picture goals, and interdepartmental relationships.

Link:
Business communication during the pandemic grew in three key areas - Financial Post

The photo has been used for illsutative purposes.

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

UAE government said that the new mutation of the COVID-19 would not affect the effectiveness of the vaccination for coronavirus.

Dr. Omar Abdulrahman Al Hammadi, Official Spokesman of the UAE Government during a media briefing on coronavirus said, Some mutations in the new Corona virus have helped the emergence of a new strain of the virus capable of spreading faster in some regions of the world, and the topic is still under study by scientists and the competent authorities.

Dr Al-Hammadi said, Clinical research has not indicated the ability of new mutations of the virus to thwart the effectiveness of the vaccination response, and researchers have confirmed before the emergence of the new mutation that human immunity is fighting the mutated versions of the original virus more effectively than before."

A health worker takes a sample of nasal swab for COVID-19 in Dubai.

Dr Al Hammadi said, Our health sector is able, thanks to its medical staff, to deal efficiently with any changes that may occur, and to provide the best forms of prevention and health care for citizens and residents.

Dr Al Hammadi said, We affirm that all those coming from outside the country must adhere to all precautionary measures, including adherence to home quarantine, and going to the hospital in the event of any symptoms appearing, and those outside the country must take all precautions and adhere to the preventive measures for these countries.

A health worker makes a heart sign at a hospital.

He also said self-awareness is the most important weapon we have against the epidemic.

Awareness is what drives the individual to hasten to protect himself, his family and protect all those he loves, awareness is what pushes the individual to move away from the sources of infection and not assume that what he will do will not expose him to a virus that cannot be seen with the eye.

The UAEs health sector has succeeded in containing the crisis since its inception.

Since last March until now, researchers have detected mutations that led to a slight and ineffective change in the virus's genetic structure.

The authorities said, We stress that all workers at airports must adhere to all precautionary measures and take all precautions when dealing with travellers.

We also stress those who are outside the country the need to take all precautions and adhere to the procedures of the countries they are in.

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Vaccine effective against the new strain of COVID-19, says UAE - Gulf Today

Although the adaptation goes to great lengths to be faithful to its source material, there are some things that are not as easily adapted as others.

TheTower of God anime adaptation is a near-perfect replica of the manhwa. The colorful characters, settings, and items that have filled the screens of webtoon readers since 2014 have finally made their way to the television screen in 2020. The new anime manages to adapt theTower of Godplot step for step without losing what makes the original so thrilling.

RELATED:Noblesse VS. Tower Of God: Which Is The Best Manhwa Anime Adaption?

Although the adaptationgoes to great lengths to befaithful to its source material, some things are not as easily adapted as others. Hereare10 differences between the anime and the manhwa.

When Bam is first introduced in theTower of God, he is seen as an innocent and ignorant young man. His lack of understanding is just anotherthing that proves how unprepared this irregular is for the dangers ahead of him.

RELATED:Tower Of God: 10 Most Powerful Weapons, Items, & Tools

The manhwa leans more heavily into this idea by giving Bam a weapon at the outset of Headon's test. The weapon may be old and rusty, but it gives the boy an edge that he lacks when first introduced in the anime.

Fans of the anime will remember Levin as the first victim of Rak Wraithraiser in the Field Test. Later Levin throws a fit during Lero-Ro's introduction and meets the bad end of a powerful shinsu blast. This is the last viewers see of Levin in the anime, but manhwa readers are given much more of the hunter.

In the manhwa, Levin continues to climb the tower as a Light Bearer. The hunter makes it all the way to the final test with Bam and Khun, but his rifle is left in the field that Rak dropped it in when these two first met.

The Black March makes its debut in the manhwa in the same fashion as the anime. During Headon's test, Princess Yuri gives Bam the Black March to help him pass. Bam manages to ignite the weapon and pass Headon's test, but his future relationship with the Black March varies between the two different mediums.

In the anime, Bam meets the Black March again at the end of the Crown Game, when she ignites to render the boy unconscious. The manhwa ends the crown game with a flash of light, then jumps ahead in time without explaining exactly what happened.

Tower of God is appealing to anime fans because of its dramatic battles and incredible character designs. Another thing that draws in viewers is how self-aware the anime seems to be. It understands that it is a battle anime, and it embraces the tropes that come with this.

The manhwa proves this self-awareness by occasionally speaking directly to the viewer. SIU doesn't do it often, but when he chooses to break the fourth wall in his manhwa, it is hilarious.

Endorsi is introduced as a powerful and confident character in both the anime and the manhwa ofTower of God. When she steps onto the scene during the crown game she quickly proves to be one of the most powerful regulars climbing the tower alongside Khun and Bam.

RELATED:Tower Of God: The 5 Strongest Characters (& 5 Weakest), Ranked

The manhwa demonstrates this power in unique ways when compared to the anime. In the panels that make up the manhwa, Endorsi is shown to have control of a set of orange and black orbs that she can use to block her foes attacks. The anime replaces these orbs withincredibly well-animated feats of physical strength and speed.

The final test that Bam and his team have to pass to move on from the tests' floor involves maintaining a well-balanced ecosystem. The anime shows Khun working with Narae and Laure to manipulate the setting to their advantage.

A small detail that is left out of the anime is the fact that it was Shibisu, not Khun, that originally found out about the underground tunnels that Khun uses to beat this test. Shibisu is given plenty of other opportunities to show off his academic side. Still, theshow missed an opportunity toconnect the scout position with the idea of research when they left out this detail.

After lending Bam the Black March during Headon's test and then watching the boy disappear after passing, Princess Yuri spends season 1 searching for Bam. This adventure takes Yuri and her team through treacherous, unmapped regions of the tower.

The princess prepared for these dangers by putting a team together. However, this team's faces vary depending on whether you read the manhwa or watched the anime. While some faces stay the same, a few characters in the manhwa never make it to the screen in the anime's thirteen-episode run.

The tower that Bam, Khun, and Rak work their way through in Season 1 of the anime is mysterious. To maintain this mysteriousness, information is doled out in small doses. The manhwa similarly handles information, but thanks to the medium's nature, it manages to fit in much more information than the anime does.

An example of this information goes by the name suspendium. The material goes unnamed in the anime, but the manhwa explains that this material allows the lighthouses to levitate. Other episodes show Khun using the blue rock as a form of currency. Perhaps the anime will introduce the floating rock in future seasons.

The spear bearer revolution is largely played up for laughs in the anime. Paracule's plan to stop the ranker and defeat him from a distance with spears is ridiculous in both the anime and manhwa format.

The manhwa pushes the revolution further than just abandoning Hatz, though. In an arc that seems to be themed around the idea of betrayal, Paracule's plot to betray his team by runningaway isn't enough. So, Paracule captures a few of his own teammates and holds them hostage to draw the ranker in. Regardless of how complicated Paracule's plan is, though, the fact remains that it is a bad plan.

The anime adaptation was by and large faithful to the source material. Still, the manhwa's longer format allowed it to fill out relationships that are only barely explored in the anime. The relationship between Endorsi and Bam is one of these relationships.

The manhwa gives its readers a couple of scenes that show Endorsi and Bam training before the final exam.The manhwa version of Bam does manage to stop the bull with the reverse flow control technique he picked up from Quant during the final battle. This is a feat that the anime version of Bam never managed to accomplish. Perhaps Bam enters the final test with more confidence in the manhwa thanks to his time training with a Princess of Jahad.

NEXT:Tower Of God Manhwa: 10 Time Bam Sacrificed Himself For Others

Next My Hero Academia: 10 Quirks That Are Actually Stronger Than Earphone Jack

Andrew Tefft is a writer, reader, watcher, and gamer based in the United States. His nomadic lifestyle makes it difficult to pin him down, but his affinity with technology makes it easy for an audience to stay in touch! He's worked in both the education and entertainment industries and now lends his writing talent to Comic Book Resources as a List Writer. Andrew grew up absorbing comic book material and debating the strengths of fictional characters with his siblings. Today he uses those skills to share his opinions of the strongest, smartest, and most resourceful anime and manga characters with the viewers of CBR.

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Tower Of God: 10 Differences Between The Anime & The Manhwa, Season 1 - CBR - Comic Book Resources

Resources, protective factors and personal strengths contribute towards the development of resilience in middle-aged and older men who have sex with men, according to a recent research report by Dr Renato Liboro and colleagues from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, Canada.

According to the authors, resilience can be defined as a positive adaptation within the context of significant adversity, and can develop at the individual and community levels. Resilience enables individuals to withstand and overcome life challenges, such as living with HIV or being at-risk for acquiring it.

This research focused on the experiences of men who have sex with men (MSM, including transgender men), over the age of 40, to highlight those factors that play a role in the development of resilience as individuals age, both for those living with HIV and those who are HIV negative.

An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Social attitudes that suggest that having a particular illness or being in a particular situation is something to be ashamed of. Stigma can be questioned and challenged.

The presence of one or more additional health conditions at the same time as a primary condition (such as HIV).

A person whose gender identity and expression matches the biological sex they were assigned when they were born. A cisgender person is not transgender.

In the language of healthcare, something that happens in a community setting or in the community occurs outside of a hospital.

The study used a strengths-based approach to better understand how many HIV-positive older individuals have developed resilience to ageing with HIV not only to survive its clinical and social impacts, but also to live full, meaningful lives. Similarly, the researchers interviewed those who have remained HIV negative despite encountering sexual and social risk factors and living through the height of the epidemic in Toronto.

Interviews were conducted with 55 MSM in Ontario (78% resided in downtown Toronto), aged 40 or older, with an average age of 54. Three-quarters of the participants were living with HIV. Most men identified as gay (78%) and White (49%). Black (16%), Asian (15%) and other racially diverse and immigrant men were also represented in the study. The study included perspectives from three transgender men.

Three broad areas emerged as contributors to resilience: resources, protective factors and personal strengths.

For both HIV-negative MSM and those living with HIV, LGBTQ spaces, community-based organisations (including AIDS service organisations, community clinics and homeless shelters) could be used by men when needed and provided safe, inclusive spaces. These resources were frequently cited as providing essential services, and occasionally as being lifesavers for the men.

Both groups also spoke about the importance of excellent healthcare providers they could easily speak to, such as openly gay or non-judgmental practitioners. Men living with HIV specifically spoke of how reliant they were on these providers. They also spoke of the use of harm reduction services, such as needle-exchange, more frequently than HIV-negative MSM.

My doctors the best! Hes very knowledgeable. He goes out of his way to explain things to me, and he builds me up

For immigrants, Canada was viewed as a safe space where sexuality could be openly expressed and necessary services could be easily found. For these men, the country itself was viewed as their main resource for survival.

In my country, you can be killed for being openly gay!

Trans participants spoke of the importance of living in downtown Toronto, which provided access to crucial services, including trans-specific services at community sites.

They have trans-specific training programs at Rainbow Health Ontario. I think that its great that they have something specific for us.

A range of protective factors were identified by men living with HIV as central to developing resilience. These included education, spirituality, family support, long-lasting close friendships and meaningful sexual relationships, as well as their HIV volunteering, activism and advocacy.

I still have my faith. I go to church and pray regularly this helps me keep strong!

Additionally, men living with HIV spoke of serosorting (choosing to have sex only with other men living with HIV, as a way of avoiding rejection) and compartmentalisation (separating their work, family and sex lives so as to avoid disclosing sexual orientation or HIV status) as tools that helped them.

Losing friends and lovers during the first two decades of the epidemic also played a role for several men living with HIV: this contributed to isolation, extreme caution and periods of celibacy which prevented them from acquiring HIV early on and potentially contributed to their survival. Even after their HIV diagnoses, the men spoke of their awareness of co-infections and co-morbidities, largely because of seeing so many loved ones die early on.

"Key personal strengths included proactiveness, perseverance, having the right attitude, self-awareness and self-control."

Interestingly, men living with HIV spoke of managed substance use as a factor contributing to their resilience. The use of recreational drugs was viewed as a means of coping with the clinical and social impacts of HIV and AIDS and as necessary to get through their most difficult times. At the time of the interview, many men were sober and had been substance-free for years. While they acknowledged that other healthier coping strategies would have been preferable, at the time, substances helped them cope.

Sounds odd, but without drugs all those years, I may not have lasted this long.

For HIV-negative men, factors that contributed to resilience included HIV volunteering, meaningful sexual relationships, and losing friends and lovers during the first two decades of the epidemic.

Having a committed, long-term relationship was the safest way to go!

So much death in so little time. I knew I had to get out of the Toronto bath house scene.

These internal characteristics allowed the men to utilise resources and draw upon protective factors. These included proactiveness, perseverance, having the right attitude, self-awareness and self-control.

For men living with HIV, proactiveness included finding answers to HIV-related questions (either from doctors, online, or from within the LGBTQ community), actively seeking out medications (especially during the early days of the epidemic, when this could mean getting medications from outside Canada), staying on top of medical appointments, and monitoring their laboratory results (CD4 counts, viral loads, STI tests etc). This also extended to persevering and persisting in the face of obstacles, which several men felt was the ultimate factor that saved their lives.

I took charge of my life looked after my health made the right decisions.

I just kept carrying on till things eventually got better

Mindset and exercising self-control were also viewed as central to developing resilience. This including stopping or limiting alcohol and drug use, as well as being cautious regarding sexual health and STIs.

You create your own life. Its knowing what you need to do making it happen.

For HIV-negative men, many similar themes came up, with more men citing proactiveness as important. Many men displayed self-awareness by describing how fearful they were of contracting HIV and other STIs and therefore avoided certain venues and sexual activities. They placed a greater emphasis on engaging in what they viewed as safer sex practices in places where they felt safe.

Im not into risky sex, not into groups, not into public sex, and not into drugs.

Trans men expressed how they needed to persevere more than cisgender MSM, as much of the information and services available were geared specifically towards cisgender MSM. Additionally, they expressed awareness regarding their increased risk of physical violence, especially during sexual encounters, and the need to create safe practices, such as private sex parties with clear communication with trusted sex partners.

I have significant experiences [as a trans man] in different sexual communities. A focus on clarity and clear communication is always key in my engagement with others to secure sexual safety.

Despite these resources, protective factors and personal strengths, MSM also spoke of significant barriers to the development of resilience in response to HIV. These included problematic substance use, internalised homo- or trans-phobia, co-morbidities, and social ills, such as racism and HIV stigma.

Party n play [sexualised drug use] has major control over the MSM community in Toronto especially over the newcomers.

Gay men would talk as if a man could actually be too gay.

I started becoming depressed as I slowly realized how they kept criminalising HIV because of the huge stigma attached to it.

Its rough enough to deal with homophobia and HIV stigma, Id have to deal with xenophobia and racism too.

As a population that has lived through years of considerable risk or clinical and social impacts of HIV and AIDS, we recognised that the perspectives and lived experiences of our older MSM participants will be able to inform, influence, and improve healthcare and community-based services, programs, interventions, and policies dedicated to promoting the resilience of both older, as well as younger, MSM to HIV and AIDS, the authors concluded.

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How do men who have sex with men develop resilience in response to HIV? - aidsmap

Each and every little thing you say (yes, even just one sentence) during a job interview shapes whether or not a hiring manager thinks you are a strong fit for the job.

And sometimes, it may be tempting to give an answer that felt right at the time, but in hindsight was extremely poor and made you seem weak or average. That's why it's important to remind yourself in advance of what to resist saying.

Here are six responses to avoid if you want to boost your chances of landing an offer, along with tips and examples of what to say instead:

I've heard so many candidates say this in response to questions about their professional strengths or notable characteristics.

It's a wildly overused answer, and if you find yourself saying it, the best case scenario is that your interviewer will ask you to elaborate. Worst case (and likely) scenario? They'll be unimpressed because they've heard it so many times, and move on.

A more appropriate response might be: "I'm not afraid to take the lead on projects, and I can do so with little guidance," followed by an example of a time when you successfully did this.

Don't think that your potential boss will be flattered by this answer; they'll just find it lazy and thoughtless.

And even if they are at an impressive level in their career, they might assume that you envision being where they are just at a different company. This indicates a lack of commitment.

Instead, outline potential ways you see yourself growing at the organization. Start with the position you're interviewing for and highlight some key skills required for the job, and how you can build upon those skills.

This shows that not only do you care about your career advancement, but that you'll also be dedicated to helping the company grow in the long-term.

Never speak badly about a former boss, no matter how bad of an experience you may have had.

When asked about why you left a job, it's okay to admit that it wasn't a right fit. Honestly is a valuable trait, but be careful with how you phrase things.

Instead, you could say that you realized your passion and want to switch career paths. Or maybe you're looking for something more challenging. It's also good to mention at least one thing you learned from your previous job that can help you succeed in the role you're applying for.

If you were fired, explain the situation without taking or assigning blame. Talk about what you could have done differently to change the outcome. This displays self-awareness and an ability to grow from negative experiences.

Nobody is perfect, so this answer is essentially another way of saying, "I'm too weak to admit any weaknesses."

This is a behavioral question that managers take seriously, so have an in-depth response prepared. I always recommend turning to former bosses and co-workers that you trust for feedback.

Send them a list of the top skills required for the position and ask them to rank it based on what they think is your strongest to least strongest.

Ultimately, it comes down to being honest about what you need to work on, giving some examples, and then discussing how you plan to work on those weaknesses.

Believe it or not, I've seen even the most qualified candidates ask this question in various ways (e.g., "What are your company's main goals?" or "What does your company do?").

The hiring manager took the time to read your resume and learn more about your background, so you're expected to do the same and make time to research them.

It's okay to ask them to elaborate on a very specific questions (e.g., "What are your team's monthly goals?"), but going into the interview with little information about the company is insulting and will lead to a poor first impression.

Yes, it's unwise to take any job without knowing what your employee benefits will be. But you should never bring it up early in the interview process, because it will only make the employer question your true intentions.

Remember, the first few interviews are meant to determine whether you should continue to be in the running for the position. So topics involving perks and benefits are irrelevant if you don't even make it past those early rounds.

J.T. O'Donnellis the founder and CEO ofWork It Daily, an online platform dedicated to helping people solve their biggest career problems. She has more than 15 years of experience in hiring, recruiting and career coaching. For career tips, follow her on TikTok@jtodonnell.

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If you say any of these 6 things during the job interview, don't expect to get an offer: Career expert - CNBC