Doug and Genna Wolkon discovered intrinsic motivation by helping others navigate through a monetary system they felt didnt work them.

Rather than trying to comply, the Wolkons took control of their healing remedies and transformed their passion into a business.

The Wolkons, both originally from the Mainland who arrived in Kauai over a decade ago, were unaware their healing journey would create an opportunity to educate and empower others into adopting a holistic lifestyle.

For the owners of a small acreage farm outside of Kilauea, called Kauai Farmacy, it is like walking through natures medicine cabinet, which is congruent with one of their marketing mantras for their business to heal yo self.

Consumers suffering from psychological or emotional attrition resulting from the fear of the unknown driven by mainstream media coverage will now be presented with options to change their lifestyle at Kauai Farmacy.

According to the Wolkons, it is not just about the food you consume, adopting the lifestyle is about resetting your mentality.

Kauai certainly has the opportunity to embrace this health and wellness lifestyle that is derived on-farm through an agricultural community, Doug Wolkon said. This is a lifestyle of plants and people working together to create vitality, and optimal health and wellness.

They built their business model on the philosophical wisdom of Hawaiian Laau lapaau, Ayurveda, Chinese medicine and tribal ingredients.

The Wolkons use cultivation techniques in their brewery which offers 80 varieties of organic, healing plants from food orchards.

Their small farm includes honey bees, butterflies and other pollinators, along with wildfowl. Their farm also includes no organic imports. Everything at Kauai Farmacy is made and cultivated on their farm.

Pressing the reset button

The Wolkons hope consumers dont attempt to change their lifestyle out of fear of contracting COVID-19 because they feel people changing their lifestyle, for this reason, will be short-lived.

They hope consumers come to their farm wanting to modify their lifestyle away from a more synthetic society many people throughout the country have become accustomed to.

Genna views that with the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone in the world is forcing a shift in this mentality.

According to the Wolkons, people need to make a change, and that lifestyle change will be permanent.

I think we have to shift our mindset, and its going to take something of the magnitude of the pandemic to do that, Genna said. I am embracing this as a transitional time for the community, the economy, everything. The (natural) medicine is meant to give us energy, give us life force, give us the ability to feed ourselves, and the potential to have the performance our bodies are meant to do.

Fear of the unknown

The Wolkons feel the economic infrastructure has created a society predicated on fear.

There is fear-based pandemonium, and that is fragile because when people get into this fear-based mentality, they tend to fall into a victim state I am broken, I need to fix it, Genna said. They also think that someone else is going to tell them what to do versus tapping into what we need to do.

We must remember we have the empowerment to self-heal and help better our situation, Genna said.

Natures gift

Doug Wolkon remains passionately adamant about driving home his companys mission statement in offering healing remedies not available in your local grocery store.

This isnt just a business to the Wolkons. The herbal, holistic, and natural healing lifestyle has become a passion which is the true driving force behind their business, not the other way around.

The thing about plants is that they give us information, and with all of the confusion that is happening right now, the truth has a way of finding its way to the surface, Doug said.

According to Doug, when the truth emerges it allows consumers an opportunity to become empowered.

What we eat, drink and consume is mother natures plant and they help us find the truth, he said. They create self-awareness to help us empower our immune system.

Let the plants do the work

The variety of herbal medicines the Wolkons offer will not always be the same for each consumer.

Based on several different variables, the consumer will use medicines based on their stress and emotional regulation. They may have to constantly alter their rotation of herbal remedies they require based on their changing needs.

I always tell people that are new to us they need to have the plants come and do the work, Doug said. So often we find ourselves trying to convince and arguing about which way is healthier and which diet is better. The plants give you the answer and resurrect your intuition.

Doug feels Kauai Farmacy could lead the way for consumers looking to find the right combination of herbal remedies.

You have to figure out the diet and lifestyle, and what is the answer for them, and then convince them this worked for me, Doug said. We need to exemplify our responsibility as a group of people that live this lifestyle and it worked for us. We live in harmony, and we need to let the people see which product works for you.

Doug knows that during this COVID-19 pandemic, people have to make the adaption and not live in constant fear.

The Kauai Farmacy YouTube channel allows a vehicle to make that transition happen by educating people around the world about their lifestyle.

This is about marrying your lifestyle, which is a celebration of the herbal lifestyle, with real-time gardening and farming connecting the people with the land and community, Doug said.

The Farmacy is currently offering 50% off for kamaaina to try the many herbals teas and natural remedies in their store. For more information, you can go to kauaifarmacy.com.

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Kaua'i Farmacy offers self-healing remedies made in Kaua'i - Thegardenisland.com

In April 1861 Lee declined command of the entire Northern army, resigned from the army in which he had served for 36 years and followed Virginia out of the Union. Although opposed to secession, he said: I cannot draw my sword against my native state.

Although Lee described slavery as an amoral and political evil in 1856, claims that he never owned a slave himself and that he freed those that had belonged to his father-in-law are now widely dismissed as popular mythology.

Despite lack of manpower and material, Lees military genius was the principal factor in keeping the Confederacy alive. He was a legend in his own lifetime. In May 1862 Stonewall Jackson wrote: Lee is the only man I know whom I would follow blindfold. His soldiers, to whom he was either Uncle Robert or Marse Robert, idolised him.

In his classic memoir Co Aytch (Company H) Sam Watkins, who served in the Confederacys First Tennessee Infantry and saw action in battles from Siloh to Nashville, thought Lee looked like some good boys grandpa. I felt like going up to him and saying good evening Uncle Bob! His whole make-up of form and person, looks and manner had a kind and soothing magnetism about it that drew everyone to him and made them love, respect and honor him. I fell in love with the old gentleman and felt like going home with him.

Yet mild-mannered Lee was an audacious and ferociously aggressive military commander.

When Lee took command in Virginia, George B McClellan seriously misjudged his opponent by observing that Lee is too cautious and weak under grave responsibility personally brave and energetic to a fault, he is wanting in moral firmness when pressed by heavy responsibility and is likely to be timid and irresolute in action. If McClellan had possessed greater critical self-awareness he would have realised he was describing himself.

Although strategically a Union victory (because McClellan halted Lees advance into Maryland), Antietam was a tactical Confederate victory because the timid Lee had fought an army almost twice the size of his own to a standstill by moving his army across the battlefield to repulse three Union thrusts launched separately and sequentially against the Confederate left, centre and right.

The Battle of Chancellorsville represents Lees aggression at its most stunning. Although outnumbered two to one, he achieved victory, through dividing his army and encircling the enemy in one of the most audacious moves in military history.

Picketts charge on the Union lines on Cemetery Ridge on the third day of Gettysburg represents Lees greatest miscalculation. James Longstreet warned Lee: I have been in pretty much all kind of skirmishes, from those of two to three soldiers to those of an army corps, and I think I can safely say there was never a body of 15,000 men who could make that attack successfully. Lees blood was up and he thought audacity and courage would suffice.

Although Longstreets advice was disregarded, his appreciation of the impact of modern firepower proved correct. Less than half of the cream of the Army of North Virginia made it back to their own lines. Lee rode out to meet them: It was all my fault; get together and let us do the best we can toward saving that which is left us.

After Gettysburg (and the capture of Vicksburg on the Mississippi), the strategic initiative passed permanently to the North and the defeat of the South was inevitable, subject only to the important proviso the Unions will to fight held firm.

President Lincoln brought U S Grant east from his triumphs at Vicksburg and Chattanooga to confront Lee. Grant was stunned by the ferocity of Lees resistance but, unlike his predecessors, Grant refused to back off, waging a bloody war of attrition (including the Battles of Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor) which lasted exactly a year.

After Lees defensive lines broke under the weight of massive Union assaults in the spring of 1865 Lee could no longer defend Richmond, the Confederate capital. He embarked upon a week-long retreat. Incapable of going any further, his men fell out through hunger and exhaustion, animals collapsed and units disintegrated.

At Appomattox Court House on April 9 1865, Lee found himself almost surrounded and massively outnumbered. He told one of his aides: There is nothing left for me to do but go and see General Grant and I would rather die a thousand deaths.

Grants considerate behaviour, at least partially in deference to Lincolns wishes, made the ordeal of surrender less painful for him.

Remarkably throughout the war it would seem that Lee never referred to his Union opponents as the enemy but as those people. On this reading of the past, this extraordinary absence of bitterness and the mans own innate dignity enabled Lee to accept defeat and seek to bind up the wounds caused by the war by preaching to his people the necessity of peace and national unity.

This perspective is repudiated by those who insist that Lee was not conciliatory towards the North, that he championed southern grievances and that he was antagonistic towards the emancipated slaves.

Finally, if Lee was such a genius, why did the South lose? Explanations rarely focus on Lees inability to deliver victory but tend to major on the Norths demographic and economic advantages. Yet history provides examples of weaker powers defeating stronger ones. Lees greatest failure surely was that he never produced a war-winning strategy. He was curiously blind to the crucial importance of the Western theatre. Impressive though his victories were, they were achieved with Stonewall Jackson at his side. After Jacksons death (from friendly fire at Chancellorsville) there were no more victories. Apart from Grant, most of his Union opponents were fairly mediocre.

Is it too harsh to suggest that Lees iconic status owes more to the psychological needs of the post-war South than to his military genius?

See the article here:
Icon of the Civil War, but just how great a general was Robert E Lee? - Belfast Newsletter

By Mary Lemmer8 minute Read

At the end of 2019, I experienced a traumatic fainting episode, seizure, and concussion in the middle of the night, which landed me an overnight visit at an NYC Emergency Room. Afterward, I decided I needed to slow my pace in life downa lot. Prior to this, I didnt consider myself addicted to my phone. I turned off my notifications years ago; my phone doesnt join me in bed, and its easy for me to spend time doing things that dont involve any technology.

Despite all of this, Id always be a bit shocked at my Weekly Report of screen time. My phone usage seemed to be made up of a lot of micro moments, small chunks of time on my phone spread out over the course of the day.

After my fainting episode and concussion, I started to spend less time in front of screens. I needed to abstain in order to recover. As awful as the accident and subsequent symptoms were, I did enjoy this restful, quiet time, and way of existing that brought healing beyond the physical symptoms. Inspired by this experience, I opted to bring a weekly screenless sabbath to my life, in what became my Screenless Sundays.

In January of 2020, I eliminated use of my laptop and texting on Sundays. Instead, I spent my time doing old-fashioned things, like reading physical books, writing with pen and paper, and going for silent walks (thats right: No podcasts or music).

At first, I felt a bit unsure about the experiment. Would this harm my friendships? Would I feel more lonely and less connected to people? Would I be less productive? Early on, I encountered some changes I needed to make. For instance, when Id make plans to see friends on Sunday, I had to let them know ahead of time that I wouldnt be checking my texts or emails, and ask them to let me know Saturday if they needed to cancel. When Id head to a yoga class, either walking or by subway, I did so without scrolling my phone or listening to an audiobook.

Rather, I sat and observed myself and the world and people around me. If I was planning to go anywhere on Sunday, Id make sure to look up directions on Saturday, or else on Sunday, Id do the unheard of: ask someone for directions. Without my digital friends, Google and Siri, I struck up conversations with people nearbyat the park, subway, cafes, yoga studio.

I felt more connected to these people than I did people I just followed on Twitter. I noticed things I wouldnt have otherwise had my nose been buried in my phone. Things like colorful birds, cute dogs walking on the street, the sky, the emotional expressions of strangers on the street, signs advertising events or looking for lost pets, and street performers, or artists sharing their craft.

The hardest Sundays were the ones when I didnt leave my apartment or block. Isolated in my one-bedroom apartment without use of my phone or TV to connect me to anyone else. Those days became the days where I was really forced to be friends with myself. I asked myself questions. I looked to myself for entertainment. I did art projects, wrote handwritten letters, cooked food, read books, cleaned my apartment, practiced yoga, and sometimes, I just sat looking out my window or walked alone at the park across the street. This time alone helped me realize my resiliency, creativity, and inspired confidence and satisfaction knowing that I could feel joy, rest, excitement, from just being with myself.

Once the pandemic hit in March, I went to quarantine at my familys farm in Michigan. During a time when people were craving virtual interactions, I found value in the digital silence on Sundaysno phone, computers, tablets, or TV. When I told my friends that I go completely screenless on Sundays, they responded with admiration, intrigueand, often, several reasons why they couldnt do something similar.

I lost nothing and gained improvements to my business, team collaboration, relationships, and health.

Theyd say, What if I miss out on something important in the news or on social media? My response: Its only one day. When was the last time important news ceased to exist after 24 hours? Youre either choosing to miss out on a headline or Instagram post that will still be there the next day, or choosing to miss out on quality time with people around you, the nearby environment, and yourself. Its ultimately your choice, and thats the tradeoff youre making.

For people with children, 56% of parents report spending too much time on their phones and 71% of adults are concerned their kids are spending too much time in front of screens.So why not set the example, and the practice of going screenless? Even Bill Gates and Steve Jobslimited their kids screen time. Do it together with everyone and practice a family ritual, as research shows that family rituals are associated with marital satisfaction, adolescents sense of personal identity, childrens health, academic achievement, and stronger family relationships.

During the pandemic when we are spending more time using screens, there is no shortage of loneliness, doubt, and uncertainty. The screens dont solve these challenges, unfortunately. But I noticed that on Screenless Sundays I feel connected, calm, joyful, grounded, rested, and energized. Those are all things I want to feel during the pandemic, and I got them without a screen.

The world didnt end when I fully unplugged. In fact, it was more of a beginning. In addition to the obvious benefits from this practice, like giving my eyes a break from screens, there are so many benefits and implications in my life that I didnt even anticipate.

I feel less lonely. I feel more connected to myself and others. My relationship with myself has improved. Daily journaling (and extensive journaling on Sundays), about my life, my feelings, my fears, my dreams, has all fueled self-awareness that improved my relationships and my work. Ive made intentional decisions about my work and life, rather than reactive decisions based on whatever the world on the screen is influencing. Im also feeling healthier, too, and havent fainted again (knock on wood).

I sleep better. Previously there were nights I wouldnt fall asleep until 4 a.m. Now, Im out by 11 p.m. and sleep consistently. I wake up ready to get out of bed, versus wishing I still had another hour (or four) to sleep.

I am more focused. Ive completed several projects that Ive been wanting to complete. When the work week starts and Im back on screens, I am able to shut off the screen distractions. If I can go an entire day without using Instagram, I can definitely go three hours without it, so that I can focus on a project, a conversation, or a meeting. Screenless Sundays have helped me feel more creative, too.

I didnt need to go Thoreau and disappear into the woods for years.

I didnt need to go Thoreau and disappear into the woods for years. I could incorporate a media fast into my week, regularly, and reap benefits consistently. I didnt need to abandon my life, my family, my friends, or my work. I could give myself a break, some offline time, to reconnect with myself and whatever is around me, and in taking that day I improved my relationships with my family, my friends, my work, and myself. Doing this puts me in control of my time. I decide when I am going to use the screen and when I am not.

I love Sundays. They are by far my favorite day of the week. And though Sundays are my favorite day, I dont wish for every day to be Sunday, because every day doesnt need to be Sunday. Thats part of the magic about this practice. Taking one day, fully off, is enough, if done regularly. Its restorative, reenergizing, and helps me regroup.

When Monday rolls around Im excited and energized for another week. I appreciate myself and everything else so much more. When I do use screens, its so much more intentional. I dont spend as much time on them during the week, because I realized I dont need to. I used to outsource my happiness, joy, entertainment to my phone. It sucked at that job, so Im taking it back in-house. I dont need to use screens in order to feel connected, energized, engaged, informed, involved, or creative. I got all of that on Sunday, so I dont need to rely on screens anymore to generate those feelings.

Mary Lemmer is an entrepreneur, improv comedian, author, startup adviser, philanthropist, and recovering venture capitalist. Shes the creator of Improve, empowering leaders and teams to improve communication, collaboration, creativity, inclusion, and more, with improv comedy.

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I stopped using screens on Sundays. This is how it changed my life - Fast Company

Monty Python were famous for their groundbreaking comedy and unique twists on the sketch format, which included breaking the fourth wall.

The six members of Monty Pythons troupe came together from various facets of the British comedy industry of the 1960s with a shared desire to break down all of televisions rules with a no-holds-barred comic sensibility. In most of the teams projects, from Monty Pythons Flying Circus to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, the fourth wall got regularly broken.

RELATED:Monty Python: 5 Reasons Why Holy Grail Is Their Best Film (& 5 Why Life Of Brian is A Close Second)

As a result, some of the funniest sketches and moments from the Pythons storied history involve a certain element of self-awareness. But theres a difference between a subtle nod to the audience and an all-out attack on the artifice of film and television.

Almost every episode of Monty Pythons Flying Circus began with a fourth wall-breaking moment in which the Its man, played by Michael Palin, would rush up to the camera from afar and tell the camera, Its... before the theme tune kicked in and the opening titles began.

This was a brilliant way to keep each episode fresh right off the bat and made an iconic character out of just one word. Any time Python fans see the Its man, it puts a smile on their face.

The Colonel, played by Graham Chapman, would barge into a sketch whenever he felt it was getting too silly in order to put a stop to it.

Since the Pythons humor was specifically built on silliness, he found plenty of opportunities to step in and police the absurdity.

During the Castle Anthrax scene in which 150 young women tempt Sir Galahad the Pure, Dingo looks at the camera and asks, Do you think this scene should have been cut? and compares it to the others.

The characters from previous scenes defend their own moments, then the characters whose scenes havent appeared yet tell them to get on with it. Its next-level meta.

In the Architects Sketch, the Pythons lampooned the Freemasons with one architect launching into a tirade against the fabled organization and a second architect doing a weird Masonic handshake. The first architect breaks the fourth wall by reappearing and saying to the camera, It opens doors, Im telling you.

RELATED:The 10 Best Monty Python's Flying Circus Skits & Sketches, Ranked

The sketch also breaks the fourth wall during the small-scale recreation of the then-recent Ronan Point fire when a large on-screen disclaimer reads: SATIRE.

Due to its loose structure and unusually dark tone, The Meaning of Life is considered to be the lesser cousin of Holy Grail and Life of Brian, but its wildly unpredictable and features some of the Pythons most beloved sketches, like Every Sperm is Sacred.

At the movies midpoint, the Zulu sketch is interrupted by a character welcoming the audience to The Middle of the Film. This deviates into a surreal segment entitled Find the Fish.

When King Arthur and his party are escorted into a cave by Brother Maynard, they find an inscription by Joseph of Arimathea that sends them to Castle Aarrgh.

Suddenly, Brother Maynard is eaten by a cave monster that chases the knights. Fortunately, the knights are saved when the animator controlling the cave monster has a heart attack and dies.

The ending of Life of Brian is perfect, with all the story threads being tied up while Brian is nailed to a cross and about to be wrongfully crucified. Then, Eric Idle starts singing Always Look on the Bright Side of Life and all the prisoners awaiting execution join in.

When the song is in full swing, Idle takes a second to break the fourth wall, singing, Its the end of the film / Incidentally, this records available in the foyer!

Throughout the whole of The Meaning of Life, the Pythons promise that they will reveal the actual meaning of life. However, it isnt revealed until the very end and, in true Python fashion, it comically fails to live up to the hype.

RELATED:Monty Python: 10 Reasons The Meaning Of Life Is An Underrated Gem

In the movies epilogue, the host from The Middle of the Film sketch anticlimactically reveals the meaning of life, saying its nothing very special.

When they decided to give their first narrative film the loose structure of King Arthurs quest to find the Holy Grail, the Pythons thought it would be funny to end the movie on an anticlimactic note with Arthur never actually finding the Grail.

Just as Arthur and his soldiers prepare to storm the castle and seize the Grail, the police investigating the completely unrelated murder of the historian who got killed early in the movie pull up in anachronistic vehicles. They arrest the king and shut off the camera, ending the movie on a hilariously absurd note.

The biggest revolution in Monty Pythons Flying Circus was its lack of punchlines. Punchlines for sketches rarely land, because the whole sketch has to be summed up in a single joke and thats tough to do in a satisfying way, so the Pythons didnt use them. Instead, whenever a sketch ran out of steam, they simply segued into the next one.

One of these segues involved John Cleese as a BBC announcer, wearing a suit and sitting behind a desk (whether he was in a broadcasting station or on a beach), who uttered the immortal catchphrase, And now for something completely different.

NEXT:Monty Python's 10 Funniest Movie Parodies, Ranked

Next 5 Ways The Usual Suspects Has Aged Well (& 5 Ways It Hasn't)

Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, and independent filmmaker, and he's good at at least two of those things. In addition to writing for Screen Rant and Comic Book Resources, covering everything from Scorsese to Spider-Man, Ben directs independent films and does standup comedy. He's currently in pre-production on his first feature film, Hunting Trip, and has been for a while because filmmaking is expensive. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema and BabbleTop.

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Monty Python's 10 Best Fourth Wall Breaks | ScreenRant - Screen Rant

getty

In 1978, United Airlines flight 173s crash that killed two crew members and eight passengers, changed the airline industry forever. There were issues with the landing gear, however the cause was put on the pilot and crews interaction and lack of prioritizing information around remaining fuel levels. The National Transportation Safety Board acknowledged that the planes were no longer the problem. Instead, focus on building better pilots and crew communication.

In a very similar way, learning and development in the workplace is facing a revolution. Content is no longer the problem. One only needs to do a quick Google search to see the mass amount of information available for pretty much any topic under the sun. Learning and development professionals, people managers and employees at all levels need to build better ways to mine, organize and learn from all the content at their fingertips.

Below are tips to building a savvier approach to development in this new world of content overload:

Understand how your learning experiences influence how you approach development. It will be interesting to see how this pandemic and the requirement of all kids to move to a distance learning model will shape their learning preferences and needs as this new generation grows up and moves into the workforce.

Katherine Macdonald, Senior Instructional Designer and eLearning Developer with KCM Training, emphasizes that, Generational, cultural and resource differences influence the way we were taught to do things like read, understand math and acquire basic life skills. They also help form the neural pathways that we come to rely on, and return to again and again, when we need to replicate the learning process next time.

Build self-awareness regarding your learning curve and what that process looks like. If you need to dive in and start making mistakes right away to get your head wrapped around new concepts, its critical to know how to share this with your manager and other partners at work. If you need time to observe and research before taking action, understand that managing others expectations can help give you the space to do that without inadvertently sending the message that youre not taking initiative.

MacDonald highlights that, Just as preferred learning styles are different, people's learning curves differ as well. The actual act of learning tends to be messy, similar to watching a small child stumbling and falling while learning how to walk. As adults, we often mistake the stumbling as a negative sign vs. a symptom of learning something new. Be patient with yourself and try to manage your own and others' expectations about your ability to do something perfectly after you've "learned" it, recommends MacDonald.

Get clear about what you need to learn to help select the best development method and tools. Different learning goals require different development methods.

Take the lead on your own development. Instead of viewing learning as something your forced to do or putting your development completely in the hands of other people, realize that you need to sit in the drivers seat of your development. Sure, managers and leaders can be great supporters and coaches but they arent your school teacher. You are paid to support them and the business. The easier you make it to invest in you, the more you will receive. Key things to keep in mind while driving your own development includes:

The better we get at advocating for and embracing our unique learning needs and styles the more we can leverage this unique time in learning history. The information is there. Its a great time to use the abundance of content to enable us to cultivate our talents and interests. MacDonald emphasizes, Investing in your own development goes a long way toward helping you feel like you are worth investing in. It will ultimately encourage others to invest in you, too.

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Tips For Driving Your Own Growth And Development: Content Is No Longer The Problem, Its The Learner - Forbes

Damian Wilson

is a UK journalist, ex-Fleet Street editor, financial industry consultant and political communications special advisor in the UK and EU.

is a UK journalist, ex-Fleet Street editor, financial industry consultant and political communications special advisor in the UK and EU.

Actor Laurence Fox is the unlikely leader of a new political movement looking to reclaim British values and pride in our heritage. Liberals are appalled, but its going to be fun watching him rattle the establishment.

You can already tell how the liberal establishment feel about a new political party when their bible, The Guardian, headlines itsstory Laurence Fox launching political party to reclaim British values, using the oh-so-knowing single quotes cuddling the infinitive to suggest a folly from the outset.

That punctuation device is often used when speaking, fingers wiggling around an imaginary word written in the air, to mock and dismiss the very idea with a tedious teenage sarcasm. Reclaim British values? Oh, of course, its that unreconstructed dinosaur Laurence Fox banging on with his young fogey attitudes.

The Guardian readers do not care for Mr Laurence Fox. They thought he was one of their own. After all, hes a luvvie actor, a singer, songwriter, cousin of the delightful Emilia and son of a dynasty of posh-speaking British actors. He was even in Lewis, the popular television detective series for heavens sake.

And when it became clear that Mr Fox was not actually on the same page as them politically, well, he needed to be told in no uncertain terms how beastly he had turned, what a disappointment he had turned out to be and then cast aside, to be shouted down in future or simply ignored like the rabble he had clearly become.

And his crimes?

Why, he said the treatment of Meghan Markle by the British public and the media did not amount to racism. Out loud! On BBC Question Time!

He also said it was odd to see a Sikh soldier in a scene in 1917, a film about World War I. And then, in the unforgivable act of turning fire on his own, he had a pop at black and working class actors for only criticising the showbiz industry once they had five million quid in the bank.

Never mind that a significant proportion of the population would agree entirely with these relatively uncontroversial sentiments, the social justice warriors are out for blood and will do everything they can to destroy him and the Laurence Fox Party.

They do not want Laurence Fox to succeed in his stated mission to reclaim a respectful nation where all are included and none are ashamed to have somewhere to call home. And why do his enemies wish him to fail? Well, hes a white, heterosexual male in his 40s. What else needs to be said?

But it will take more than an orchestrated Twitter trolling to deter father-of-two Fox, already dubbed the Woke Witchfinder General.

He told one interviewer earlier this year: If you want to eviscerate me for having an opinion, then theres something extremely wrong with our culture. And if it takes some k***bish d**khead, half-educated t**t like me (to point this out)... I can barely put a thought together, Im that ill-educated. I mean, I went to Harrow.

How infuriating for The Guardian that @LozzaFox even has some of that rare commodity in politics self-awareness.

The supernova-like birth of a new movement is always exciting, particularly when the cash starts pouring in, the media begins to pay attention and everyone you talk to is supportive and on board. No one, it seems, thinks youre chasing phantoms. But its also a time for caution. The snakes, the self-servers, the egotists and the saboteurs can also see whats going on.

The scent of success is already working on them. Theyll try to weasel up and claim space within the movement for their own self-aggrandisement, to satisfy an appetite for fame, power or money, and they need to be spotted and distanced very early on.

Theyll write a cheque for the cause and then think you are their personal plaything, ready to be trotted out like a dancing bear, at their command. And that, if it gets out of hand and believe me, it can happen without you even noticing is exhausting, draining, demoralising and ultimately self-defeating.

Ive seen this disturbing behaviour up close at a high level in British politics. I know the damage it can do to a political party and the cancerous effect that these narcissists and psychopaths can have on morale.

If the movement is to grow and Fox is to secure real buy-in, and not just from time-wasting political suck-ups, he needs to ensure a team of reliable lieutenants are on the ball and can articulate a shared vision before releasing them into the wilds of Westminster and beyond to spread the word.

He has attracted 5million in donor funding so far, he has his hands freshly inked with his new twin themes of Freedom and Space and the battle lines have been drawn in the sand.

It is certainly time for this Fox to run riot in the political henhouse. I can think of nothing more I will enjoy over the coming weeks than seeing the feathers fly.

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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

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Woke Witchfinder General Laurence Foxs new party could be the breath of fresh air UK politics needs - RT

American youth are spending an alarming amount of time online. According to a pre-pandemic report, the average American teen spends approximately seven hours online per day. With remote learning in full swing for a little over half of American elementary and high school schools, students are spending even more time in front of a screen: By some accounts, students are getting up to 5 or 6 hours of additional technology use per day.

Recently, both teachers and parents have started questioning the value in spending long stretches of the day in front of a screen participating in synchronous, online classes. And with the recent release of the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma, there is lots of discussion around the inherently addictive characteristics of social media and its effect on teens. Now more than ever, conversations around how and why youth spend time online are paramount. Heres how teachers can kickstart those conversations with students.

For teachers working remotely, addressing this issue with their students may seem somewhat hypocritical: Get online, spend most of your school day on Zoom with me but then spend the rest of your day technology-free. A recently released statement regarding screen time from the American Academy of Pediatrics does not cite specific hours of screen use time per age group. But for many people, calculating the actual time spent online each day is eye-opening. Discussing this information can launch teachers and students into deeper conversations around self-awareness and time management.

For teachers, understanding how much time individual students spend online outside of school can inform more relationship-building discussions. Actively listening to student answers to questions such as What is your favorite game, website or app? or What do you find fun or interesting when online can spark better understanding of your students. These conversations serve a deeper purpose as well. For students, reflecting on their daily technology use is the first step in developing a sense of agency. Engaging in contemplative discussions around questions, such as Why am I spending this time on social media? instead of broad lectures (e.g., Dont spend too much time online) shifts the conversation towards self-reflection and away from simple adherence.

With the transition to remote and hybrid learning, educators are using many useful and engaging online tools for teaching and learning. Companies such as Edpuzzle and Flipgrid provide interactive tools to actively engage students with academic content. But when reviewing and planning, educators must reflect on the value such resources provide. Questions such as Does this tool significantly improve my students learning experience? or Does this technology engage my students in active learning? are important to consider when incorporating more technology into your teaching, especially when teaching remotely.

For students, guiding conversations around this same thinking can help them become more aware of their own technology use. Students should start to consider not only what they do online but why theyre reaching for their phone or laptop in the first place. The Center for Humane Technology provides a set of digital well-being guidelines that teachers can use to introduce this thinking. The goal is to have students view technology as a tool rather than an end in itself.

Rates of anxiety, depression and suicide among teens are growing at an alarming rate. Many experts point to the rise in smartphone/technology use as a major factor. For others, this correlation may not be so clear cut. Despite this debate, there are plenty of other daily practices that are shown to improve mental well-being. Exercise, time spent outside, developing positive relationships and engaging in activities that provide a sense of self-esteem and purpose are protective factors that improve mental well-being.

Honoring these various other protective factors is key for teachers and students alike. Simple prompts such as Can I replace my technology use with an activity that will aid my well-being? Did I spend time outside today? or What else can I do that brings joy to my day? can spark conversations in classrooms, in faculty meetings and at home. Starting with small changeseven just for 5 minutes a daywill help both teachers and students begin to take charge of both their time on technology and thinking more holistically about their overall well-being.

With the current state of the world, we are all are faced with an obligation to become more attuned to the increasing role technology use plays in our everyday lives. Providing tools and resources that teachers and students can use to both reflect and take action are key components in navigating this new norm.

Link:
Kids Are Spending More of Their Lives Online. Teachers Can Help Them Understand Why. - EdSurge

Australian supermodel Megan Gale has revealed in a candid post on Instagram that she is closing down her start-up business after she "trusted the wrong people".

The natural skincare brand for babies and children, Mindful Life, was six years in the making from concept to reality, and was launched 18 months ago.

"After a lot of consideration, I am making the hard call to close my online store," she said in the long video post.

Australian supermodel Megan Gale speaks on Instagram. Picture Supplied

The news comes after she emerged on social media last week with an update of how she was coping after the death of her brother, Jason Gale.

"Last week I posted a video and I touched on that I have been going through a fair bit of stuff this year - aside from what had happened with my brother, that stuff I was referring to has to do with my business," she said.

The supermodel blamed the business troubles on an unrevealed "third party".

"When you are a very small basic start-up and you don't have a lot of infrastructure and you don't have a lot of things done in-house, you have to outsource certain responsibilities and tasks to third parties, other businesses, which is what I had to do," she said.

"In short, I trusted the wrong people in some pretty major elements of the business."

The supermodel said she had been "super proud" of the business, which managed to withstand COVID as sales continued to come through.

"It's not been without its challenges, however. I knew going into a start-up it wouldn't be without its challenges. I was prepared for that. I was warned about that," she said.

"What I wasn't prepared for was that these teething issues would grow into big issues, that they would be ongoing and they would be just ceaseless, really.

"It's got to the point where these issues are quite insurmountable."

Gale said running the business solo has been "particularly challenging" and "a lonely path not having someone there in the trenches with you".

The supermodel said she trusted the wrong people in her business.

A clinch point was when she realised that the business wouldn't be able to deliver stock in time to customers.

"It wasn't until I got to about June this year when I realised how much time I'd lost and how I couldn't come back from it," she said.

"So at that point I was completely spent. I mean, I'm a pretty tough chick, I've got a lot of fight in me. I had used up all of my reserves of resilience and tenacity and just sheer determination."

Ms Gale said she didn't want to outsource to other people and start again because she was "physically, mentally and emotionally spent".

Megan Gale said she was completely spent from the experience.

"So I got to that point in June and said, 'That's it, I'm done'."

"If they were things that were in my control or stuff-ups that I had caused, I could at least own that and try to remedy it and fix it, but when it's something that someone else has done and it's out of your control, there's such an incredible amount of helplessness," she said.

Ms Gale spent two weeks in quarantine when she went to Perth for her brother's funeral after his sudden passing which she said gave her "a lot of time to think".

"There's nothing like the death of someone extremely close to you to make you stop and take stock and reassess what you're doing with your own life and underline the complete importance of how precious life is and what little time we really do have here."

Megan Gales brother Jason passed away in July this year in Perth. Picture: WA News

Fans poured in heartfelt messages including Australian fashion designer Alex Perry who commented: "Family is everything my beautiful friend EVERYTHING! The rest can wait."

Podcaster Samantha Gash wrote: "You have tenacity, strength and resilience in bucketloads - but I love how you know where you want to place it. Your self-awareness and reflection is extraordinary. Lots of hugs."

Founder and editor-in-chief of beauty site Gritty Pretty Eleanor Pendleton wrote: "Thank you for always being your most honest and authentic self, beautiful lady! You don't have to but we thank you - you're helping so many others going through the struggles of small business right now. Your decision would not have been easy to make - but you've made it with bravery, courage and learnings all the while experiencing deep loss and grief."

Ms Gale said she wants to focus her time on being around her children, River and Rosie, "rather than fighting and struggling and doing all this with the business".

"This is the first time that I've actually contemplated just stopping and just shutting one door and just leaving it open for whatever," she confided.

She said she is still going to continue to sell the stock that remains.

"It's a shame to close up the whole business, there is an online platform there, a very decent following and some amazing customers but I just need some time to sit," she said.

"Mindful Life 2.0 could come back in a different way, I don't know. If it doesn't I'm OK with that."

Originally published as Megan Gale: 'I trusted the wrong people'

Excerpt from:
Megan Gale: 'I trusted the wrong people' - Observer

Bluebird Bio chief Nick Leschly is a self-professed novice when it comes to matters of diversity and inclusion, but his down-to-earth style is helping him make the right multicultural moves.

Leschly spent years as a partner at VC firm Third Rock Ventures before becoming Bluebirds president and chief executive or chief bluebird, as they call it in 2010. Having launched several biotech companies and products, hes earned a reputation for entrepreneurialism as well as informality. Under his leadership, Bluebird has a casual dress code and no-nonsense internal dialogue, and the company puts a premium on tolerance and individual expression.

One of a group of biotechs and big pharmas concentrating on one-time treatments for severe genetic maladies, Bluebirds gene therapy Zyntelgo is approved in the EU for the rare blood disorder beta thalassaemia. It has a pipeline of other cell and gene therapies on the horizon.

A hyper-focus on developing transformational medicine isnt naturally associated with diversity. Biopharma firms, by and large, lag behind in achieving gender and racial balance within their own ranks and in working toward health equity.

Thats exactly what Leschly is out to change. While admittedly not his fort, hes making D&I a priority, surrounding himself with executives knowledgeable in cultivating multiculturalism and publically engaging in the dialogue. Leschly, who serves on the board of the trade group Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), also stands out for the way hes planting a seed for the entire industry.

MM&M spoke with him about the importance of driving toward these objectives for the benefit of the company and the sector as a whole.

The following interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

MM&M: Bluebird Bio was one of the sponsors of a July 30 roundtable, whose specific objectives involved creating accelerated sustainable change for racial and gender equality and health equity within the pharma/life sciences industry. How would you assess Bluebirds progress in this regard? How does it compare to its peers?

Leschly: I love the word accelerated and I love the word sustainable. Thats been part of the issue. Wherein a lot of people have been trying, nothing has been sticking. And the circle of the people that not just care most human beings care, right? has been too small. The question is, do you move to action? And then how willing are you to challenge and get uncomfortable in the dialogue?

To the extent there is a silver lining in the [circumstances surrounding the COVID pandemic and Black Lives Matter], its galvanized a much broader circle to not just care, but to actually engage. Ill admit: Im personally disappointed with myself at the level of action, awareness and consciousness that is really important. Id characterize Bluebird in that same category. Bluebird is a pretty emotionally charged, very purpose-driven company, which I think sets us up well for this. At the same time, we also perhaps would freely acknowledge we have not done as well as we should have.

That doesnt mean were bad people or that we havent tried. It just means we can definitely do better. And the silver lining here has gotten us to the point where were saying, Okay, what more can we do? What things can we reassess and challenge and then create and be part of and ally with a movement thats incredibly important?

MM&M: Bluebird, having been founded in 2010, surely had a D&I plan in place before this. Talk about how its evolved.

Leschly: Absolutely, we have. As a biotech company, starting early on youre two people, and then youre 10 and then youre 50. Youre really focused on surviving. Youre trying to figure out. How do I live to next month or to the next six months? So it is difficult, the smaller you are, to balance priorities when youre basically experiencing a near-death experience as a company every day of every month. But as you get a little bigger, you can start to anchor a culture.

Since the beginning, Bluebird has been dealing largely with people dying from terrible diseases. The focus has not been on us or the people. Its about that mission. The third leg of that stool, which has become more visible recently, is that I think weve not done a great job on the diverse nature of that employee base, which will greatly enhance our ability to serve who were here to serve: the patient. And that third leg is a complicated one because it requires sophisticated appreciation and self-awareness to get it right and make it sustainable and embedded in the fabric of the company.

MM&M: Speaking of the diversity of the companys employee base, would you be willing to share how Bluebirds executive ranks or clinical trials currently stack up?

Leschly: Our clinical studies range from 10 to 50 people in some disease states. We also work in sickle cell disease, which largely affects African-Americans, so its 100% African-American, with few exceptions. The disease and disease severity governs that: We look at whos the most severe and who qualifies. Weve probably done a pretty good job as it relates to what we need to do from a diversity of clinical studies, but I need to look more into that, candidly.

On the company level, weve always been very focused on tolerance and on individuality of expression. We have no dress code. We have very informal dialogue and engagement on the inside and encourage people to be themselves. I have a tendency to curse a lot not at people, but as part of my dialogue. We like to say, We take what we do very seriously, but not each other or ourselves very seriously. That leads to a pretty lighthearted, tolerant culture.

Weve been quite good on gender diversity over 50% women in the company. That gets a little less impressive as you get to the upper upper ranks were in the 30%-40% category there. As it relates to sexual orientation, we have a very healthy LGBTQ community that has its own impressive numbers.

Where weve not done well and I was aware of the number but not how bad it is is in the number of Black employees. Were at 4% out of 1,200 employees. Thats not impressive. It might not be too far off from some of our peers in our industry, but you dont take solace in that; Im not going to compare myself to a low bar. So weve been looking very hard at the Latino and Black communities and saying, Whats going on there? Why are our results not good enough there? Is there something that were doing? There are a lot of unconscious things that we are doing that we need to look at, to see how theyre skewing our results and how we grow.

MM&M: A companys longstanding practices can serve to maintain the status quo, which can be counterproductive. What processes in the biopharma industry or in your company are perpetuating existing racial and gender imbalances?

Leschly: People have a tendency to look at people. They look at your board, your leadership team. That I agree is important, but you dont get sustainability. Because I have John Agwunobi, an African-American gentleman, on my board and because I just recently added Denice Torres, that doesnt make us such a diverse company. That is an important piece, but its just a ticket to the party. It does not absolve you of true diversity in the fabric of the company.

I have several women as members of my leadership team but no one of color. I do have a number of genders and sexual orientations on my leadership team. On our extended leadership team, we have all aspects of diversity. So therein lies an absolute challenge, which is: Are we not equally or consciously making sure that we promote and retain people of color or other forms of diversity? Thats where Im really hunting for opportunity.

Heres an example and Im not sure these are necessarily areas where were wrong, but theyre ones we need to really look at to make sure that its not perpetuating this. I used to be very proud that we hire a big percentage of our employees through our network. We even incent people financially to say, Hey, if you give us names that we hire, then youre rewarded for it.

And thats great, except if you have a lot of employees who are from, like myself, a non- oppressed, white, middle-aged demographic, who are most of my immediate network, its probably not diverse enough. We need to look at that to make sure we dont just hire constantly out of our networks and that were more conscious about making sure that every single search is not just the quickest. Im sure the people weve hired are super-qualified, but are they as diverse as they could be? Is that a process inhibiting diversity? Id venture to say almost certainly.

We have another one we call it the bar-raiser program where we appoint an individual who is not the hiring manager but who has the right to veto the hire if that person deems that this person is not a good fit. Its purely based on taking our culture, how we show up and the reason people are here, really seriously, and beyond just skill set.

But it might also very well be that if our bar-raisers are all non-diverse individuals, or people that have a success profile in their mind about what fit means at Bluebird, were now toast again because it is self-perpetuating. So were taking a look at what does fit mean? What does qualified mean?

I can slip into these institutions or that degree or this background, because you get immediate comfort in those areas. That doesnt make me bad, it just makes you say, Shoot, wake up, dude! That doesnt work. You need to get conscious, curious, much more thoughtful and outside your own natural inclinations.

I would be the first to say, Boy, I have a lot to learn in order to make my behavior one that truly creates a diverse workplace. Thats something were working on, too: How do we make sure that someones academic history or pedigree is not all that we look at? This is easy to say but hard to do, because youre also trying to hire people to do the really important job of saving the people were trying to save.

This is a grand excuse that I think our industry is a little too quick to use, which is, Im looking for this kind of degree with this type of background, with this kind of experience. So the pool of diverse candidates is just small. You cant hold me to the standard. And I call bullshit on that.

Every candidate you hire is not meant to be a diverse candidate. The point is, in aggregate you should hold yourself accountable. If there is a very specific degree, a very specific ask, you make a run at it. It doesnt mean youre successful every time. You need to hold yourself accountable versus going to this generic excuse of, Well, our industry just doesnt have a lot of diverse candidates, so we should be held to a different standard.

MM&M: According to the latest McKinsey figures, the healthcare and pharma industry is in the middle of the pack among other sectors when it comes to ethnic diversity in leadership teams. But when you look at just healthcare and you stack pharma and medical products companies up against health systems and payers, they do have the lowest share of women of color in line roles. So the industry definitely has a long way to go. Who among your peers is making good progress. What do you see as encouraging signs?

Leschly: Biotech is much tighter in the range of types of jobs, specs, et cetera, and that becomes the natural excuse for being on the low end. A bright spot is what we, along with many of our sister and brother companies, are doing in changing the objectives.

When we look back, not six months from now but one, two or three years from now, our goal in the context of diversity is to lead the pack. We think it is disproportionately going to benefit the company and our ability to achieve our mission. So we want to make sure that this is not just something that is a fad or a flash in the pan, but is a fundamental tenet of the company.

Were working on a plan, including goals and a mindset that gets it to that level. That is hard. But I think thats the bright spot, that some version of it is pretty much happening now across every aspect of the industry, and I think genuinely so. Im sure there are exceptions. There are some people who are just checking a box. Were trying to take the approach that diversity is actually a fundamental, sustainable element as a company. I want all of us to have this mindset and I think thats doable, but not in six months. We have to take the long view here.

MM&M: Lets go with that theme for a moment. D&I advocates argue that ownership of this transformation doesnt fall on the shoulders of people of color rather, its the responsibility of white people. Do you agree, and how would you say youre taking responsibility for building a more inclusive culture?

Leschly: Yes and no. And the reason is, its not any one of them, its all of us. We are one community. If you have that mindset, it is on the burden of continued positive energy out of the Black community, out of the Latino community, out of any diverse community. What is different and must happen in much greater numbers and with much greater intent is the non-oppressed, non-diverse have to participate and engage, not just in an, Oh, I care, too, way or an, Oh yeah, thats important. No. What are you doing about it? Whats your action? Thats where I would very much agree with the statement you just made.

And I think thats whats happening right now. Were trying to set goals, for example, to say, Okay, in three years, what is the percentage of Black employees? What is the percentage of diverse employees across all the dimensions? Whats the goal? And then you share that with the company and with the world, and then hold yourself accountable about where you are today against those numbers.

And then whos accountable for it? Is someone going to get promoted if they have not shown an ability to understand and/or navigate or succeed by building a diverse group or team? Did we promote a vice president if they havent fulfilled that goal? Those are important questions, because otherwise you get what you measure.

MM&M: And the part of the statement that you dont agree with?

Leschly: [Bluebirds director of diversity, equity and inclusion] Jordyne Blaise, who thank God we had prior to all this and really is responsible for our D&I, educated me and most of the company in this notion of, Its okay if youre not in an oppressed or non-diverse category to engage and have a misstep. Whats not okay is to not speak up, to not engage for fear of saying something wrong or a misstep or worse yet, if you dont actually care. You have to care or theres no place for you at Bluebird.

But whats really important is dont feel bad. You havent done anything wrong, Nick. Im a Northern European, middle-aged, bald, white guy. I cant control any of those things. What I can control is my behavior. I look at myself and say, I have not done this well enough. I need to change my behavior. That I can say, with 100% certainty, I need to do, and I need to take ownership of it. But thats not a guilt thing: Dont feel bad, Nick, do something about it. Guilt is not a productive emotion.

And thats where I think it is the responsibility of all people to make sure the emotion and action here is positive, and not one of, Youve done something wrong. Im not a big fan of that, because that leads to, Im doing this because I have to, not because I think its the right thing. That is not sustainable. The best way to develop medicines is to inspire people to do so, and you cant do that by diminishing diversity, input, thoughts or ideas.

MM&M: Weve seen a couple of companies establish goals for boosting representation of African American and Latino employees in the US and for achieving gender parity at the executive level, as well as for building supplier diversity and making their clinical trials more inclusive. Are you willing, at this time, to make a similar commitment to how your companys racial and gender diversity will shift over time and to strengthening health equity across the business?

Leschly: Yes, is the answer. Have we done it yet? No. Are we in the process of developing it? Weve done it in bits, but weve not done it in a public way yet, nor even in a sophisticated enough way. To hurry up and push something out there just because the time is energized right now, thats not helpful. I want to do something that is, for lack of a better word, really thoughtful and also something that we can deliver on and thats going to deliver the type of outcomes that we all want.

The dialogue is very active and were getting a lot closer to be able to do what you just described. But also this is not just about Black or Latino people. This is about saying, How do we get something here that gets us all energized in the right way?

Its also about other forms of diversity, whether thats on the sexual side, the international side, the gender side. There are all forms of diversity-with-a-capital-D here that we need to make sure dont suffer from this. There needs to be a consistency in how we approach it. And so thats what were trying to work on, and that does require sharing the data externally and holding ourselves accountable by putting some important objectives out there.

MM&M: Can you share a timeline for that?

Leschly: The goal is that, by the end of the year, were very explicit. I want to make sure our board is comfortable. I want it to be an objective that says, What does our board look like three years from now? What does our leadership team look like? What does our company look like? And have we succeeded in building this into our performance-based metrics? This didnt come up overnight. Its not going to get solved overnight. So lets make sure we galvanize and energize.

Im willing to be public about our dialogue, such as the WOCIP [Women of Color in Pharma] engagement. Im also looking to learn from Denice Torres and other members of our board on how we can participate. Were talking a lot to our investors, who care an awful lot about this, and were talking a boatload to our internal community to say, Listen, one of the tendencies is for CEOs to think they know whats going on.

Ill be the first to admit that on this dimension, Im a novice. I cant pretend to be an expert and I dont like to pretend, so Im making sure that we engage people in the company to truly make this our objective, not some CEO objective so Nick can go out to some investor conferences saying, Were diverse and were doing X. If its not ingrained, if its not rooted, then its a seasonal plant. Im not looking for a seasonal plant; Im looking for redwoods here that can grow for a hundred years. And thats a slightly different mindset. We tend not to come to quick things that you pop up on your website. We make our position very clear.

MM&M: You mentioned WOCIP. They are looking to the industrys two main trade associations, PhRMA and BIO, to standardize and lead these efforts. Do you think these organizations can inspire the industry to come out of their siloes and be more transparent about these goals?

Leschly: They have to engage. If they dont, that will be totally unacceptable and a huge missed opportunity. What those organizations do for just about any topic is they dont tell you what to do, but they make it pretty clear about whats an acceptable behavior within a range. And then you go figure it out. They cant tell us the how, but they certainly can say, Look, we as an industry believe this is important. So we want people to be public about what theyre doing and how theyre doing it.

Each of us are going to be different. The heartbeat of Bluebird is a little different than the heartbeat of Merck. The things that I can do at Bluebird are probably, in some cases, more adventurous and progressive than what maybe a giant cruise liner can do. Were a little bit more like a speedboat. That has its pros and cons.

At the same time, its all about being human and doing the right thing and then calling out people who dont. To me, people overcomplicate this sometimes. Inside the company, were saying, Look, its actually pretty simple. Its not okay to not care. And at the company level, all the way down to the individual level, you need to have an action plan. If you dont, thats going to become a problem for you at Bluebird, period.

Thats not a threat. Its just who we are. As a community, we have decided that. So I think BIO can help and encourage that kind of a mindset, but it has to be over a durable period of time. These companies are also developing medicines that save the sickle cell community from a terrible childhood disease. You cant drop all that in the face of this, but you have to be able to work toward it. Because everybody wins if you get this more right than wrong.

Read the original:
Bluebird chief on biotech's usual excuse for being on low end of diversity: 'I call bull- on that.' - News - MM&M - Medical Marketing and Media

Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter's Wyld Stallyns are back for a third adventure in Bill & Ted Face the Music, but is it a welcome addition to the cult franchise?

Directed by Dean Parisot (Galaxy Quest), this one finds the titular slackers in middle age, dealing with the prospect of humanity's annihilation. To save the world, Bill (Winter) and Ted (Reeves) must create a song in exactly 78 minutes with the help of their families, iconic musicians and old friends.

Related: Bill and Ted writers explain why they swapped sons for daughters in final Face the Music script

The first reviews have started coming through via Rotten Tomatoes at time of writing, it has a score of 79% and you can take a look at a few of them below:

IGN

"No mere exercise in Gen X nostalgia, Bill & Ted Face the Music manages to recapture both the spirit and energy of the earlier films while still acknowledging the clear passage of time. The movie doesn't avoid the characters' ages but instead shows that, even in their fifties, Bill and Ted are man-children who are hopelessly codependent on each other.

"They are platonic soulmates. Their navet may have waned a tad but they're still just immature and dopey enough to lack the necessary self-awareness."

The Hollywood Reporter

"Dean Parisot's Bill & Ted Face the Music is almost exactly as good as its two big-screen predecessors make of that statement what you will while cleaning up some, but not all, of the things that might make an old fan of those films cringe today. Despite a dicey opening, the pic should please those looking forward to it, and, with the addition of a new generation (the duo's daughters), attract a new fan or two as well."

United Artists/Orion Pictures

Related: Bill & Ted creators share incredible coincidence in casting of Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter

The AV Club

"The characters haven't changed much, but CGI technology definitely has. Bill & Ted Face The Music takes advantage of those improvements with a plethora of scenes set in the future and in Hell, both upgraded from relatively modest sets to epic green-screen environments.

"These are a welcome alternative to the utterly generic, cheap-looking suburban locations the characters otherwise occupy. But aside from the scene-stealing return of William Sadler, reprising his role as Death himself from Bogus Journey, the addition of characters from these fantasy realms doesn't bring all that much to the story."

The Wrap

"It's silly and occasionally a little slow, and it could use the kind of in-person audience that it won't get in these pandemic days. But if you felt any affection for Bill & Ted in the past, you'll feel it again here, because the movie rides on the same kind of goofy charm as its predecessors.

"Winter and Reeves, meanwhile, manage to make the years and the mileage show without losing that essential Billishness or Tediosity; maybe they weren't born to play these guys, but it's still a lot of fun when they do."

The Matrix's Keanu Reeves wanted Wolverine role

Collider

"There are moments when the pacing gets a bit slow and Bill and Ted fighting with their future selves get a little redundant. But there's no mistaking Face the Music for the previous two movies, especially as it reaches its lovely crescendo about the kind of future we not only leave to our children, but what those children give to us in return. Party on, dudes."

Bill & Ted Face the Music is now out in US cinemas and on VOD, while its UK cinema release date is currently September 23.

Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure [1989]

7.99

Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey [1991]

3.49

Bill & Ted Omnibus

18.53

Bill & Ted's Most Excellent Movie Book: The Official Companion

14.95

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