Dont kill my mom is a pretty blunt statement, but its exactly the plea that Ryan Reynolds has made to young people who are considering partying in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. During an outbreak that poses such a high risk to the elderly, his statement holds plenty of weight, and like many others, hes crossing his fingers that hell be heard.

The statement came as a response to British Columbia Premier John Horgans call for the Deadpool actor to speak up and entice young people to avoid partying. Reynolds whos also originally from Canada had the following to say in his lengthy and humorous response:

Premier Horgan,Ryan Reynolds here, I got your message about the thing. Im not sure its a great idea, frankly, I dont think people want medical advice from guys like me. No sir, unless its plastic surgery. Which, a lot of people dont know this, but I used to be Hugh Jackman. You know, you young folks in B.C., yeah, youre partying, which is of course dangerous. They probably dont know that thousands of young people arent just getting sick from coronavirus, theyre also dying from it too.

Of course, its terrible that it affects our most vulnerable. I mean, B.C. is home to some of the coolest people on Earth. I mean, David Suzuki, he lives there! My mom, she doesnt want to be cooped up in her apartment all day. She wants to be out there cruising Kitsilano Beach, looking for some young 30-something Abercrombie burnout to go full Mrs. Robinson on. She is insatiable.

Heres the thing, I hope young people in BC dont kill my mom. Frankly, or David Suzuki, or each other. Lets not kill anyone, I think thats reasonable. I just dont think Im the guy to deliver this message. I love parties, my favorite thing to do is sit alone in my room with a glass of gin and the first 32 seasons of Gossip Girl. Thats a party. I threw my shoulder out the last time I did that.

Reynolds isnt the first celebrity to issue such a request from the nations younger generation, of course. Earlier in the outbreak, Arnold Schwarzenegger took to Instagram to implore folks to avoid spring break partying to help mitigate the spread of the virus. It didnt work out very well, though, as spring break definitely led to an uptick in new cases in various states, but its still always nice to see celebrities like Reynolds and Schwarzenegger using their platform to spread awareness.

COVID-19 continues to be an overwhelming threat to the world with 21 million confirmed cases and 762,000 deaths as of this writing. The United States remains the epicenter of the outbreak with nearly 5.5 million cases alone, so heres to hoping that the consistent pleas from health officials, doctors, politicians and celebrities will convince at least some people to be more careful so that we can beat this thing.

Ryan Reynolds can next be seen in his upcoming film Free Guy, which tells the story of an NPC in a video game that becomes self-aware and sets out to save the games world before its developers shut it down. Its set to release in theaters on December 11th, providing that COVID-19 doesnt keep cinemas closed and force the film to be delayed again.

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Ryan Reynolds Begs Young People To Stop Partying During COVID-19 - We Got This Covered

Someone is going to try to replace Amy Heckerlings dialogue and Alicia Silverstone as Cher? As if! Yet that appears to be the case with the announcement that the Clueless reboot is headed to NBCUniversals new Peacock streaming network.

The project has actually been in development since last year, but the announcement of it moving forward and finding a home at Peacock is a swift development. But the series, which is being written by Jordan Reddout and Gus Hickey (Will & Grace, The Muppets.), takes a different direction than you might expect. With its focus on the character of Dionne, who was played by Stacey Dash in the original 1995 movie and the previous television adaptation attempt from 1996, the new Clueless clearly intends to offer a unique vantage on the privileges of Chers Beverly Hills high school experience.

The synopsis for the new series calls it a baby pink and bisexual blue-tinted, tiny sunglasses-wearing, oat milk latt and Adderall-fueled look at what happens when the high school queen bee Cher disappears and her lifelong No. 2 Dionne steps into Chers vacant Air Jordans. How does Dionne deal with the pressures of being the new popular girl in school, while also unraveling the mystery of what happened to her best friend?

With the focus on Dionne and a modern setting, the new Clueless definitely seems aware it must examine this materialistic world with a different set of values, all while apparently adding a mystery at the heart of it, which is in keeping with recent teen dramas like Riverdale, The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, and Pretty Little Liars.

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Clueless Reboot TV Series Coming to Peacock - Den of Geek

the singer-songwriter took a break from music for the sake of her mental health to run a cafe called Quitters. But now shes back with a fresh perspective

On the phone from her base in Stittsville, a suburb of Ottawa, Ontario, Kathleen Edwards isnt saying be careful what you wish for. She really doesnt need to. It was there, in autumn 2014, that she opened up a coffee shop, hopeful that some of the 40,000-plus residents would pop in to say hello, buy a brew and a homemade cake from the new business owner.

The new business owner, however, had a past: following the release of her fourth album, 2012s Voyageur, Edwards had ditched her previous life as a moderately successful, critically acclaimed roots/rock performer and songwriter. In the months preceding the release of the album (on which she had worked with Justin Vernon, then her partner), she navigated clinical depression. Along the way to full health, she experienced a life-changing spike of self-awareness. Playing music, she recalls, was not going to be helpful in my recovery.

Cue a full withdrawal from music, a return to Canada to work in a small town close to her family home, and to open up the drolly named Quitters. The change in lifestyle was as far removed from her frame of reference as she could get. From a very young age, Edwards remarks, there was nothing else on her radar but to play songs, play guitar, be on stage. It was, she underlines, all-consuming, omnipresent.

I knew, however, that if I was going to try to be a songwriter, then I would have to be unrelenting in my pursuit of it. I guess ambitious is the word you could use, although I didnt have an end game, as such. All I wanted to do was to write a song, make a demo, make an album. All of those things happened sequentially but I think what was particularly hard about the life I had built around myself and I fully admit that it was myself who had built it was that no one else was to blame for the state I was in. I had created this environment and had pursued it without anything else on the horizon.

Success arrived quickly, with her debut album, Failer (2002), and follow-up, Back to Me (2005), swiftly marking her out as the songwriting lovechild of Lucinda Williams and Tom Petty crunchy Americana/pop with confessional, conversational lyrics that packed a potty-mouthed punch. Juno and Polaris award nominations followed, and by 2010 it was taken as a given that the new batch of songs she was working on for her next album, the more experimental, more emotionally charged Voyageur, could have been career-defining. As it turned out, the album was her most commercially successful, yet as I got older, I realised I had made a huge commitment detrimental to all the things many people have in their lives that I did not make space and time for. There was no stability, no routine; I couldnt even schedule a doctors appointment because there was no point Id be off at a moments notice to do this, play here, record there.

Along with the residual emotional fallout of a five-year marriage (to musician Colin Cripps) and the short-lived relationship with Vernon, Edwardss relentless pursuit of a life in music got the better of her. Her tone throughout the telling of it is even, thoughtful, extremely clear-headed. There is no therapy-speak cover-up, just the bare facts of a fractured life. She admits she was totally defeated.

Returning home, she visited nearby Stittsville a few times, and chanced upon a boarded-up building on the towns main street. Within days she had signed a lease on the property. Then she bought a sledgehammer and set to work. It took about a year, she relates, to fully process the decision she had made. At the end of every day, the boss took out the rubbish, mopped up the floor and pulled the shutters down, but Edwards had no desire to write songs.

Every stab at it felt incredibly miserable and forced, she says. Her guitars were put into a room she never entered. My life became more about living in a community, having a routine, getting up every day to walk the dog, open the shop and make coffee and bake cakes and not have to get to an airport twice a week and to live out of a suitcase. I was able to invest in my home space, my own time, in a way that was not constantly being threatened by a tour or a gig. It was the opportunity to let life in far more than I ever had before.

A few years passed. Being the owner of a now-thriving business in a suburban town seemed like a reasonable way to continue, but in 2017 Edwards received a phone call from the manager of hugely successful American country singer Maren Morris, a fan. Morris was throwing out a hook to see if she could catch a couple of fish. With little hesitation, Edwards bit hard.

I was glad because for a few days it provided an opportunity to remove me from the cafe into a room where I got to stand alongside other creative types, and to realise that writing a song could be fun again. It was also a reminder of how easy a thing it was for me to do; that was validating because I knew then that whatever songwriting touches I had were still there, that I could pick up from where I left off.

Before too long Edwards signed to a respectable indie label. A typically pointed new album, Total Freedom (her fifth, and her first in eight years), is on the way. She no longer has concerns about lack of stability or perspective in her life or lifestyle choices.

The balance is there now, she says. I get overwhelmed and stressed, and we all have moments where we lose perspective of some of the bigger issues that people go through and which make our days seem like nothing. But Quitters has given me that incredible gift of having a life outside the music bubble. I have changed and grown immensely since I started it because it gave me so many learning opportunities that I could never have fathomed.

It has also added to her understanding of herself. Her identity had been purely and simply a singer, songwriter, musician. Such a view, suggests Edwards, was little more than a one-dimensional snapshot. In the past six years, she says, she has learned to do things that have given her a whole new sense of self-confidence.

I realised for a long time that I played music and then I became terribly depressed and needed something to change. While I was recovering, I started a business that has not only turned into a wonderful community hub, but which has also allowed me to be someone with a definite plan B. It has empowered me in many ways and now, in a very healthy way, my life has perspective.

It is a rewarding and a wonderful thing, this most resilient coffeeshop owner and whip-smart songwriter concludes, to create and to be surrounded by other artists, but I was basically in a constant state of vulnerability. Having something to remove me from that has grounded me in a way that I did not see coming.

I have very fond and still vivid memories of playing Whelans in Dublin about 16 years ago, but one of my most favourite memories of touring was doing Other Voices in Dingle in the mid-2000s. I will never forget that. It was one of the most interesting weekends of my life. I dont know whether it was the people or the place, but it was one of those few days I look back on and cant really believe I got to do it. When it was happening it was special, but when I look back, I realise how wonderful and unique it was, and what the magnitude of it was for me.

Actually, I was reminded of Other Voices recently because of their Courage series online, during which I saw Mick Flannery play at the Crawford Art Gallery in Cork. His latest record, the self-titled one, is the best Ive heard this year its so impressive. And watching the Courage shows reminded me of how rich Irelands propensity is to honour not just the music but also the spaces in which musicians get to do their work. That gets undervalued at times. It made me realise that some people actually know how to get that kind of stuff done!

Total Freedom, by Kathleen Edwards, is released via Dualtone Records, August 21

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Kathleen Edwards: I became terribly depressed and needed something to change - The Irish Times

2018 Washington Redskins NFL football Richmond Training Camp Virginia. (Credit: C Watts/Flickr).

On Monday, July 13, the National Football League (NFL) announced that the Washington Redskins will be changing its name due to its racist implications.

The professional football team has been rocked by backlash for its controversial name since 1971, yet team officials only decided to alter the name and mascot a few weeks ago, in the wake of racial injustice protests across the country, after facing pushback from its investors. For now, the team will go by the Washington Football Team, and their jerseys will reflect this name change.

Though a significant moment in football history, the NFL is not the only organization that has been found guilty of perpetrating a stereotypical and racist representation of a Native American. In fact, many schools across the United States have faced backlash including Stanford.

Stanfords mascot history

Before Stanfords mascot was the Cardinal, it was an Indian. This lasted from 1930 until 1970, when the Stanford American Indian Organization (SAIO) petitioned for its removal.

According to the Native American Cultural Center, 55 Native American students and staff at Stanford presented a petition to the University Ombudsperson who, in turn, presented it to President Lyman.

The students felt disrespected and urged the school to change the mascot as it was stereotypical, offensive and a mockery of Indian cultures.

University Ombudsperson Lois Amster wrote a letter to Stanford published in The Daily, stating that the mascot brings up to visibility a painful lack of sensitivity and awareness on the part of the University.

Previous Daily coverage also cites other Native American members of the Stanford community who supported the mascot change, saying that the mascot presents a gross misrepresentation of the Indian.

After the discontinuance of the stereotypical Native American mascot, there were unsuccessful campaigns to reinstate it, or to replace the big-nosed caricature with a more noble image of a Native American. In 1975, the Associated Students of Stanford University (ASSU) voted not to reinstate the first mascot, nor to replace it with another image.

Peer institutions and racially stereotypical mascots

Dating back to the 1960s, other schools and universities outside of Stanford have also changed their mascots to avoid reflecting Native American names or stereotypes.

Dartmouth, St. Johns, Seattle University and, most recently in 2008, Arkansas State all followed Stanfords mascot change.

We Native Americans at Dartmouth unequivocally declare that the Indian symbol is a mythical creation of non-Indian culture and in no manner reflects the basic philosophies of Native American peoples, Dartmouth students wrote in a letter to the University in an effort to change their former mascot. It is said that these Indian symbols represent pride and respect, yet pride and respect do not lie in caricatures of people, but in self-awareness of fallibility.

The Arkansas State Red Wolves used to be known as the Indians until 2008. Similarly, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Crimson Hawks was known as the Indians until 2007.

While many schools have chosen to switch,some still bear mascots depicting Native Americans or related terminology.

On MascotDB, a database for team names, clicking the Native American mascots tab on the website results in a list that includes at least 75 Native American or Indigenous nicknames. For the name Indians alone, numerous schools in a range of states are listed as using the mascot, or as having used the mascot in the past.

Despite these large numbers, some states including California, Maine, Connecticut and Oregon have banned the usage of certain names or terms in their schools.

The impact of these mascots and names

In Baxter Holmes 2014 Esquire article, titled A R*dskin Is the Scalped Head of a Native American, Sold, Like a Pelt, for Cash, she writes that the term r*dskins represents a trophy of war the bloody scalp of a murdered Native American, slaughtered for money, the amount dependent on whether it was a man, woman or child.

Following the announcement of the name change, Vincent Schilling, a Native American journalist, tweeted the lyrics to the Washington Football Teams 1972 team chant. It depicts violent actions against Native Americans, which brings to light the racist history behind the teams former name, and another explanation as to why it is offensive.

Academic studies have also been conducted analyzing the impact of names such as the R-word. Stephanie Fryberg, Hazel Markus, Daphna Oyserman and Joseph Stone conducted four studies on the psychological effects of Native American mascots.

They found that American Indian mascot representations are not always regarded as negative. However, the guiding question is whether these positive associations also have positive psychological consequences for American Indian students.

In their follow-up studies, they determined that salient social representations of American Indians undermine positive feelings of worth, whether the focus is the individual self or the communal self.

Their research suggests that American Indian images, such as American Indian mascots and other fictionalized, idealized, and non-contemporary representations may be associated with low self and in-group ratings because they do not provide guidelines or images for how to realize positive and contemporary selves.

The National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) corroborated the results of these studies,noting that American Indians are more likely than people of other races to experience violence at the hands of someone of a different race.

But, there is still a debate

Despite these changes, not everyone agrees.

Currently, close to 6,000 people have signed an online petition arguing for the preservation of the former name of Washingtons football team. It argues that the iconic Washington Redskins image of Blackfoot Chief Two Guns White Calf symbolizes everything that Native Americans cherish about the warrior spirit that lives on in names of celebrated American sports teams.

A poll by the Morning Consult shows that 49% of adults surveyed think that the name should be kept, with millennials trailing at 47%. On the other hand, a graphic indicates that younger generations and people of color are more likely to agree with changing the name.

The debate over the mascot change has also inspired some people to reexamine the teams red and yellow colors.

An article by NBC Sports weighed the risks and potential outcome of changing the team colors: If Dan Snyder and the other decision-makers go away from colors, the diehard section of supporters that is already having a hard enough time dealing with the prospect of losing the Redskins may just give up entirely.

On the contrary, others say that the colors should be changed because the Capitals, Nationals, Mystics and Wizards all rock red, white and blue. Thats a scheme that makes sense for Washington squads, and its a scheme that could be worth donning for the Redskins under their next moniker.

The Washington Football Team will use the temporary name for the 2020 football season, delaying the selection of a new name and mascot. The team hopes to finish retiring the Redskins branding by the teams home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sept. 13.

According to an article by USA Today, Dan Snyder and Coach (Ron) Rivera are working closely to develop a new name and design approach that will enhance the standing of our proud, tradition rich franchise and inspire our sponsors, fans and community for the next 100 years.

Contact Elizabeth Wilson at elwilson at s.sfusd.edu

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A look at the history of racism in mascots at Stanford and schools across the country - The Stanford Daily

This article was originally published here

Br J Nurs. 2020 Aug 13;29(15):864-869. doi: 10.12968/bjon.2020.29.15.864.

ABSTRACT

Medical staff shortages in the UK have provided impetus for the introduction of advanced clinical practitioners (ACPs). This case study explored the views of 22 ACPs, managers and doctors in primary and acute settings in a region of England, to understand how the role is used, and barriers and facilitators to its success. ACP roles improved the quality of service provision, provided clinical career development and enhanced job satisfaction for staff and required autonomous clinical decision-making, with a high degree of self-awareness and individual accountability. Barriers included disparate pay-scales and funding, difficulty accessing continuing education and research, and lack of agreed role definition and title, due to a lack of standardised regulation and governance, and organisational barriers, including limited access to referral systems. Facilitators were supportive colleagues and opportunities for peer networking. Regulation of ACP roles is urgently needed, along with evaluation of the cost-effectiveness and patient experience of such roles.

PMID:32790541 | DOI:10.12968/bjon.2020.29.15.864

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An exploration of the role of advanced clinical practitioners in the East of England - DocWire News

This is a challenging moment. The way we see each other, the way we work even the way we grocery shop has been shaken up.

The pandemic hasnt only threatened obvious aspects of our lives, its had an uncanny way of bringing other problems to light, too.

Frustration, resentment and helplessness are common threads. If you feel that gloomy things often happen to you, youre not alone. Success coach Albina Rippy has a few tips that may help.

Rippy and her husband, Roger, started YogaOne, a small one-room yoga studio in Midtown, in 2008 and grew to seven locations before selling to YogaWorks in 2017. Now, Rippy leads yoga training virtually and at beautiful international destinations; runs a coaching business; and operates their retreat center in Taos, N.M. Shes a mom, too.

OnExpressNews.com: Main Plaza vigil honors those who died of COVID-19

But none of this came without obstacles and doubt. Rippy grew up in the Soviet Union, amid its collapse. As a child, I waited in bread lines, she said in an interview with Voyage Houston. I witnessed how my familys savings became worthless because the government changed its currency, literally, overnight. I witnessed fear, desperation and hopelessness firsthand.

At 16 years old, Rippy left Kazakhstan, alone, barely speaking English, to go to school in the U.S.

She knows a thing or two about handling a challenge.

She says when seemingly unfixable circumstances yield chronic blues, its important to take a deeper look. The root of the problem isnt typically what it seems.

We blame the economy, the pandemic, our soul-crushing jobs, a mean boss, all men, all women, our upbringing, and so on, for our lack of happiness and wealth, she says.

To Rippy, this kind of finger-pointing uses a lot of energy and ultimately leaves us tired, bitter and blind to opportunities for better outcomes. A wiser approach is to turn a gentle gaze within.

Say, for example, you hate your boss and blame this person for why you didnt get a promotion. Its an understandable situation, but according to Rippy, dwelling on the other person represents a victims mindset. When we see the world from this perspective, we cement a limited view that lacks self-awareness and is incompatible with growth and possibilities.

You cannot even consider that your boss might sense your resentment and dislike, or that your mindset is causing you to have a negative attitude at work, or that on a subconscious level you are sabotaging (your own cause), Rippy says.

She adds: The moment you see this clearly, you get access to choice. You can choose to forgive your boss and yourself and let go of your grudge and resentment. You can genuinely choose positivity and love. Your choice alone will elevate your inner vibration and influence the way you see the world.

Perhaps, you will start seeing that your boss is actually trying to connect with you. Or that your bosss own challenges (a sick child or parent, difficulties in their marriage, their financial struggles, etc.) influence their inner state and that it has never been about you.

Rippy says when we take responsibility for our experiences, we uncover a magnitude of possibilities, opportunities and choices right under our noses.

Maybe softening your view of your boss paves the way for a surprising bond that leads to an even better opportunity. Maybe when youre less consumed by this persons shortcomings, your creativity surges and you take on new and deeply fulfilling projects, or start a kick butt side hustle. Maybe you just realize a vacation would serve you well. The possibilities are vast.

But heres an important qualifier: Shame is not a part of the game.

Rippy urges us not to start presuming everything imperfect is our fault. On the other hand, she says this about shifting into a next-level mindset where instead of challenges being cause for blame on anyone, theyre invitations to dig deep and find new potential.

Through challenges and trials, you grow and expand, you become strong, unstoppable, unshakable, unbreakable. This perspective gives you access to choice, power, innovation, resilience, love.

Here are a few of other strategies she suggests for moving through ups and downs:

When we dwell in the victim mindset, we are filled with resentment, grudges and blame. This is a heavy burden to carry. Furthermore, these difficult emotions take up too much of our energetic bandwidth, blocking the flow of goodness in our lives. If you want to create the life you yearn for you must let go of your resentments and free yourself. I teach an ancient Hawaiian prayer called HoOponopono (where you repeat the phrases): I love you. I am sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.

Her favorite: Every day and in every way, I am strong, healthy, young, beautiful, charismatic, creative, resilient, kind, loving, generous, compassionate, infinitely loved, abundantly blessed and divinely guided.

I say this over and over again, as I run or work out, using all of my physiology and lots of passion, she says.

We all are very clear on what we dont want. I dont want to get sick or I dont want to lose my job or I dont want to end up alone. We have a much more challenging time identifying what we truly want. When we consciously direct our minds to focus on what we do want, our brains start filtering bringing to our attention situations, people, opportunities that will get us to where we want to go.

To Rippy, looking within and doing this work is a pathway out of the pits and to much brighter pastures.

Marci Izard Sharif is an author, yoga teacher, meditation facilitator and mother. In Feeling Matters, she writes about self-love, sharing self-care tools, stories and resources that center around knowing and being kind to yourself.

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How to get into a positive mindset to move with the COVID times - San Antonio Express-News

As a theologically conservative Asian-American, I must admit that reading White Fragility felt a little like listening to someone elses family meeting. This should not be surprising since Robin DiAngelo is clear that her intended audience is white progressives like herself.[i] One of the first-round reviewers, Allison Ash, points this out in her article, but also believes DiAngelos book can apply to white conservatives and Christians alike. And while not explicitly written this way, George Yanceys full review is an important outsiders perspective as an African-American and as a social scientist.

It is this outsiders perspective that I specifically want to address.

There is no monolithic non-white perspective on the ideas described in White Fragility but it is important to acknowledge they exist. To put it plainly, non-whites are watching whites have this conversation amongst themselves. From my perspective, some of it is hit or miss as pointed out by many of the first-round reviewers. For a long time, whether progressive, conservative, racist, or an ally, whites have managed much of the narrative for how race is framed and talked about in America. And whether non-whites find DiAngelos ideas helpful or harmful or a combination of both, the outsider dynamic to this conversation increasingly matters as we consider that the percentage of the white population in America continues to shrink and the complexity of racial categories continues to grow.

My aim here is to frame a perspective of how I see this conversation developing, first through the eyes of a minority in America and second as a missiologist concerned with how this fits into Christian mission.

The Process of Becoming a Minority in America

W.E.B. DuBois penned these powerful words describing the African-American experience as he saw it in the late 19th century:

It is a peculiar sensation, this double-consciousness, this sense of always looking at ones self through the eyes of others, of measuring ones soul by the tape of a world that looks on in amused contempt and pity. One ever feels his twonessan American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.[ii]

As articulated by DuBois, the African-American double-consciousness is a very nuanced phenomenon painstakingly developed through historical experience and generations of struggle. DuBois offers something that many African-Americans have found helpful and insightful in their American experience. It is unique to African-Americans and should not and cannot be appropriated onto other racial groups in America.

Related but tangential to DuBois, the process of discovering what it means to be a minority in America is fraught with non-stop subconscious self-examination, false ascriptions, and overt animosity. As a minority, there is an ongoing frustration in wanting to express your thoughts and ideas only to find the race conversation make its way back to centering the dominant group experience, framed primarily to enlighten them rather than to truly advance the conversation. The day to day work of a minority in America is to see yourself the way white Americans see you in order to articulate your point in a way that makes sense to them. While this is a necessary skill in a diverse and pluralistic society, the mental, spiritual, and physical work of managing this consciousness causes fatigue.

But whites are getting fatigued, too.

Maybe not the way African-Americans and other minorities get fatigued. But the point of this book is that more now than ever, some whites are resistant and tired of having to see themselves through the eyes of other groups in order to better articulate their points in a way that makes sense to others. It is tiring to have to always consider what another group has to say before you decide on something!

But this has been the modus operandi for minorities in America. And now whites are feeling it more and more.

White Fragility is a tell-tale sign of how some whites are learning to deal with the increasing diversity, which is happening faster than anyones expected. Like other groups, whites are developing a secondary consciousness about themselves that a generation ago did not existat least not on a wide scale. This consciousness is very different from the African-American double-consciousness and the self-awareness I feel as an Asian-American. But it is related in that almost daily, an increasing number of whites are having to see themselves through the eyes of others.

But I want to offer a very real warning here: we cannot confuse white self-awareness and secondary consciousness as advancing the plight of minorities in America, particularly African-Americans and indigenous peoples. DiAngelos last chapter entitled, Where Do We Go From Here? offers whites, who are engaging in these conversations, tips for how to deal with white fragility. However, it does not go far enough to teach whites how to reframe and recenter the conversation around the minority experience.

So as an outsider looking in, the concepts developed by DiAngelo, along with the contributions in this symposium, are helpful insofar as they serve the greater purpose of resolving racial tension in America by focusing on the plight of actual minority groups.

Observing White Fragility as a Missiologist

Reading DiAngelo offers some insight into how some white progressives understand themselves, the structure of society, human depravity, and the way towards human flourishing. As a missiologist, I have a paradoxical view of DiAngelo and her audience. To me, they simultaneously represent a prophetic voice to conservative evangelicals while at the same time remain one of the most difficult population segments in America to reach with the gospel. One telling paragraph is this one:

To understand how white people become so difficult in conversations about race, we need to understand the underlying foundation of white fragility: how being white shapes our perspectives, experiences, and responses.[iii]

I read DiAngelos ideas about whiteness throughout her book and think two things: 1) I hope evangelicals consider some of her analysis and interpretation of white fragility even though they might disagree with her worldview, and 2) if what DiAngelo writes is even partially true for how some whites think about themselves, then we need to truly pray that the gospel can deliver them and (all of us) from whiteness.

While I agree with DiAngelo that for whites, whiteness as a social construction has almost become a lot in lifeor at least tends to be the social script they live bythe beauty of the gospel is that the idol of whiteness can be defeated. If there is anything oppressive about whiteness, it will be overcome. If there is anything redeemable about whiteness, it will come to light. If whiteness is simply a false idea, it will be replaced by a more authentic identity in Christ.

In White Fragility, DiAngelo is in a way showing evangelicalswhites and non-whiteshow some white progressives are in need of the gospel. But do we have ears to hear? As a non-white evangelical, I am trying to listen. Many of the other reviewers participating in this symposium are listening, too. And if so, our response should not be argumentative and condescending. We should humbly discern how God might have us learn from DiAngelo and others like her to improve our obedience to his mission as the church. Moreover, we should seek to understand them better and to be understood better by them. Like with any other group, it is likely that an authentic relationship with transparent communication is the only way we can help DiAngelos audience see the gospel as the ultimate solution to racism and white fragility.

[i] DiAngelo, Robin J. 2018. White Fragility: Why Its so Hard for White People to Talk about Racism. Boston: Beacon Press, p. 4.

[ii] Du Bois, W.E.B. 2017. The Souls of Black Folk (AmazonClassics Edition). Kindle. AmazonClassics, p.3-4.

[iii] DiAngelo, p. 51.

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Re-centering the Conversation | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer - ChristianityToday.com

The inspiring book by Bassem Terkawi is now available via major players in the global book distribution field

(GuruObserver Editorial):- Dubai, Aug 15, 2020 (Issuewire.com)Passionpreneur Publishing has announced the release of Peace In The 5 Laws of Peaceful Living by Bassem Terkawi via the publishing industrys largest global book distribution networks. The book is anticipated to have an inspiring and profound effect on its target audience.

In this must-read book, Bassem Terkawi shares invaluable insights, tools, and techniques on inner peace. According to Bassem, inner peace is your birthright but somewhere along the journey, you lost it. Do you dare to find it back?

Bassem Terkawi commented: Imagine how life would be like if you and everyone in this world is at peace with themselvesno less than heaven, right?

Through its five-stage formula, Peace In guides you on your quest for inner peace. You will begin to understand your journey and learn to slowly move from a constant war-torn state of mind to a relaxed, peaceful one.

The book is now available to inspire readers across the globe through the IngramSpark distribution network and other affiliates which will cover the UK, Europe, USA, Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. The e-book is available in 25+ online bookstores like Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Nobles and Apple Books in the Middle East.

About The Author:

Bassem Terkawi (CPCC-MCC) is a leadership professional coach, and a faculty at the Coaches Training Institute (CTI) in California, USA.

After graduating with a degree in Law in 1996, Bassem worked in the fields of strategic communications. Throughout his career, he has been passionate about corporate lifestyle and the prospects culminating from the opportunities and challenges he experienced.He follows his own spiritual path and feels responsible for raising self-awareness in himself and others. http://www.bassemterkawi.com

About Passionpreneur Publishing:

An indie publisher, Passionpreneur Publishing successfully helps entrepreneurs and professional experts become International Authors in as little as 90 days.

Passionpreneur Publishing specialises in transformational books including business, self-help, personal growth and spiritual titles in order to help authors share their messages and gain credibility in their chosen fields.

Passionpreneur Publishing boasts an all-star board of advisors from across the globe covering a wide spectrum of expertise around the books, publishing and media industry to ensure the application of global best-practice in every service offered and providing a worldwide network of some of the worlds top thought leaders.

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Passionpreneur Publishing announces the global release of Peace In - Guru Observer

One of the tougher challenges of legal practice is to achieve the momentary ability to step back and assess the toll it takes can take on our daily lives and adjust accordingly when damage is being done. I cant think of any better way to state it than Dan Canon has, finding the self-awareness to stop and smell the roses.

At age 42, and beginning a new career, Im pleased to report Ive hit a milestone: Im starting to be able to enjoy things. I can toss a ball around with my kids. I can watch a movie. I can read a book without checking my email after every paragraph. I can do all this without the venial sin of sloth chewing on the leaves of my recovering lawyers brain. I dont mean to brag, but it took a lot of work to get here.

A few years ago, at the apex of my hyperemployment, I realized I was miserable. I didnt socialize with my best friends. I never saw my kids. I drank a lot and slept wherever I landed. I took it for granted that Id be dead before 50. So, with some considerable difficulty, I retreated into the strange world of academia. The work is still demanding, but not lethally so.

Its funny that a law school should be a place of refuge. After all, its where I learned a lot of my worst work habits. Fifteen years ago, universities were still squealing with delight at students who would forsake all else for the law. Replace Octavia Butler and Stephen King with Learned Hand and Erwin Chemerinsky, eschew Mario Kart for civil procedure flash cards, trade that old marriage in for a laptop and some monogram cufflinks thats how you kept the academy happy. So starting in my first year of law school, I dutifully siphoned the extraneous, enjoyable stuff off the top of my head, leaving only room for a list of case names and pentasyllabic argle-bargle.

As a result, I did pretty well in school, but the fundamentals of my humanity were in a catatonic state. I turned into a machine obsessed with work, incapable of sparing a moment for recreational reading, binge watching, or even modest self-reflection. Fires were stoked in my head every time I tried to do something that wasnt working on cases. A decade later, my smoldering brain was stuck in achievement mode, with no neurons left to smell the roses I spent years cultivating.

I asked Dr. Stephanie Hall, a psychiatrist and expert witness on mental health issues, if what I was experiencing was out of the ordinary. Not at all, she said. Americans have placed their identity in what they produce. I blame capitalism. If youre not making or doing something to feed the machine, you feel empty and nervous, because thats what you have internalized as what youre supposed to do to be a worthwhile human.

Sounds about right, but my efforts to abolish capitalism from inside the courthouse have been unsuccessful (so far). How do we fix ourselves? Theres a whole body of ideas and practice in mental health right now around mindfulness, which has a central idea that just being is worthwhile, said Hall. So meditation is the answer, right? I tell her my persistent attempts and failures at starting a meditation practice over the years havent gone so well. She sets me straight.

Mindfulness practice can take the form of meditation, but many people who have difficulty setting aside time to meditate can also practice being mindful while they do other activities. Like writing, for example. A place to start can be allowing yourself to pay attention to your thoughts without judging their worthiness.Or just paying attention to the sensory details of an activity like washing dishes, so you dont let your random, anxious thoughts run away with you.

I asked Professor Laura Rothstein, who teaches disability law and writes extensively on the topic of mental health in the profession, how we can best encourage students and new lawyers to develop healthy work habits. I tell them to channel Louis Brandeis. He made sure to stop work at 5:00 p.m., take time to relax and refresh, and he took vacations. His famous quote is I soon learned that I could do twelve months work in eleven months but not in twelve.

Rothstein prescribes a variety of mindfulness practices to her students, too. Ive had many students tell me that my weekly reminders to take time (even 15 minutes a day or a couple of hours on a weekend) has been helpful to refreshing their mind and body.This is even more important in COVID-19 times.Although we have a lot of time on our hands now, making sure to take time to be mindful and self-aware is essential.

A sympathetic ear on campus can make a difference, Rothstein said. I always tell students to reach out and ask for help from a faculty member, an administrator, someone, if they are concerned about something. Its awful to feel trapped. Knowing that someone might be able to help, to listen, or to steer you to help can go a long way to keeping one from feeling like there is no way out.

I got lucky. I was able to take a step back and give myself the advice I now pass along to students: Youre getting a law license to make your life better, and you havent done that if you end up a labor droid, an alcoholic, or a corpse. To their credit, law schools and bar associations are doing better than ever at promoting mental health much better than they were when I was a student. But we still have a long way to go. Dumb luck, pithy advice, and websites full of substance-abuse resources arent going to be enough to help lawyers who get it in their heads that work should eclipse all other priorities. Most litigators who wander into the thick forest of their careers dont even recognize theyre lost. Its on all of us teachers, practitioners, and colleagues to show them the way.

Brian Cuban(@bcuban)isThe Addicted Lawyer. Brian is the author of the Amazon best-selling book, The Addicted Lawyer: Tales Of The Bar, Booze, Blow & Redemption (affiliate link). A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, he somehow made it through as an alcoholic then added cocaine to his rsum as a practicing attorney. He went into recovery April 8, 2007. He left the practice of law and now writes and speaks on recovery topics, not only for the legal profession, but on recovery in general. He can be reached atbrian@addictedlawyer.com.

Dan Canon

Dan Canon is a civil rights lawyer and a Professor of Law at the University of Louisville, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. Most notably, he served as lead counsel for the Kentucky plaintiffs in the case ofObergefell v. Hodges, which established marriage equality in all 50 states.He writes on civil and criminal justice issues for a variety of regional and national publications. PLEADING OUT, his book on plea bargaining reform, is scheduled to be published in early 2021. His short documentary series on activists in the Midwest can be viewed at http://www.midwesticism.org. He lives a noisy-but-great life in Indiana with his wife and three daughters.

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Its Time For Lawyers To Smell The Roses - Above the Law

Just recently, Apple filed a number of new patents for its wireless earbuds. These include various technologies, functions, and new types of hardware. And now, these AirPods could also contribute to the safety of users.

One of the new patents describes a contextual audio system that would make AirPods a whole lot more self-aware. It could enable future AirPods to determine a users location or current activity and automatically adjust their audio accordingly.

If a person is standing on the side of the road with headphones in, riding a bicycle or walking on a busy street, the system might automatically adjust the audio settings to give you better awareness, either by lowering the volume or, if necessary, completely cutting off playback. According to Business insider, it may adjust the volume of audio on whatever ear is closer to the street, while leaving the other ears volume unchanged in this scenario. This would enable users to better perceive traffic and possibly avoid accidents. The system will also take into account whether the user is facing the street at all.

The new Apple AirPods should also provide feedback, directional instructions, safety information, and more. GPS data from smartphones or smartwatches, as well as the position data from the earphones, are used with the aim of providing users with greater security. Cyclists could also be protected in the future with the help of recorded speed data. If they exceed a certain speed limit, the music would be stopped.

The patent document does not particularly mention that this feature will be added to AirPods, but it does refer to a wearable audio device, suggesting that Apple has its wireless earbuds in mind for this feature.

The only open question is whether these functions will ever be installed. As usual, Apple files many patents all throughout the year, and a large proportion of them never come to fruition for commercial release.

Rumors about the AirPods 3 have been around for a long time. It is unclear when they will be launched. It also remains to be seen whether the new security features will already be integrated. In any case, a patent is no guarantee of actual market launch.

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Future Apple AirPods could be able to recognize the dangers - Inceptive Mind