Marcus Baskerville, Co-Founder of Weathered Souls Brewing Co. in San Antonio, Texas

Like many around the United States, Weathered Souls Brewing Companys Co-Founder Marcus Baskerville was having a tough week.

I was dealing with some of the frustrations that were going on with murders, he says. Breonna Taylor, George Floyd. All of these situations that keep arising.

As a Black business owner, Baskerville felt a responsibility to use his platform to promote justice. And yet, as a business frequented mostly by white, middle-aged men, Baskerville worried about alienating his fan base.

You have to tread lightly, especially in the industry were in, he says.

This week, Baskerville launched the Black Is Beautiful initiative, a project firmly at the intersection of these thoughts and emotions. Its a strong move in the fight to raise awareness around injustice and a step toward bringing more diverse voices to an industry traditionally antagonistic toward minority populations.

The can label for Black is Beautiful

Like Other Halfs All Together Project that mobilized craft brewers in support of a common goal, Black Is Beautiful highlights the need for equality and the injustice faced by people of color.

As part of the project, Baskerville worked with graphic designer Kevin Dyer to create a label for a beer can.

Its a general label that we created but a large portion of the label is left open for breweries to attach their own artwork to it, says Baskerville.

Baskerville then posted an open-source beer recipe on the Black Is Beautiful website.

We created a recipe for people to use as a stout base, says Baskerville. But they can get creative and put their own spins on it.

Donations to a local justice organization are encouraged, but thats not the main focus, Baskerville says. Weathered Souls has chosen to donate proceeds from their beer to Know Your Rights Camp, an organization started by Colin Kaepernick to educate and empower the next generation of change leaders.

Initially, Weathered Souls planned to make a single beer. But after speaking with Jester Kings Jeff Stuffings at Jester King Brewery one of craft beers most vocal supporters and a man Baskerville credits as a mentor Baskerville turned his project into a collaborative effort.

Ive been a fan boy of Jeffs for years, and it developed into a friendship, says Baskerville. Hes actually the one that got us to open a brewpub over a brewery. In every situation where Im like, I want to do this, or I want to be part of this, Jeff has been like, Note to self help Marcus.

With Stuffings support, Baskerville was able to promote the initiative and reach a relatively large group of craft brewers in a short amount of time.

Less than twenty-four hours after announcing the Black Is Beautiful project, Baskerville had sign-on from over eighty breweries. Only twenty-four hours after that, the number sits at 226.

There have been some great names getting involved, Baskerville says. Trillium, J. Wakefield, Perennial. Today we heard from Great Notion, WeldWerks, and Voodoo.

While these name might not mean much to someone outside of the craft beer scene, each of the named breweries plays a powerful role in shaping craft beer culture. Their support goes a long way in encouraging the most avid consumers to take the project seriously.

Justin Gyorfi, founder of Ingenious Brewing and a frequent collaborator of Baskervilles, noted hes not surprised at the projects success.

Marcus passion about the project is contagious and I couldnt imagine a brewery owner who read his message and who had the means to participate not wanting to be involved, he says.

Ingenious, along with fellow independent Texas brewery and close Weathered Souls / Ingenious collaborator Turning Point Beer, are both participating in the project.

Now, even those who dont know Baskerville personally want to get involved. Ignacio Montenegro, owner and Director of Marketing at Tripping Animals Brewing Co. in Doral, Florida, committed his brewery to participating after hearing about the initiative on social media.

We didnt think twice about it, he said. We dont have a relationship with Weathered Souls just yet, but if we can use our platform to raise awareness in our community, were more than happy to do it.

As brewers and business owners, we bring another perspective thats a little different, says William Teasley, founder of Khonso Brewing in Atlanta, Georgia. The best thing anyone can do to help is ensure were part of the conversation.

While Weathered Souls initiative is a huge step toward a more equitable craft beer industry, the true test of the projects success will be to see whether or not current industry leaders extend themselves to the BIPOC (black, indigenous, and people of color) community.

As the editor of a craft beer magazine, Ill be the first to say that our industry hasnt been very good at this. While programs like Fresh Fest and Beers With(out) Beards provide spots of hope, major industry events (including ones that Ive personally thrown) have left brewers who are African American out of the conversation.

Still, things are changing. Hopefully the Black Is Beautiful project will not only show solidarity, but convince industry leaders to extend themselves to more people of color in the industry.

I remember when I started, there was maybe one or two other black-owned breweries, says Chris Harris, owner of Black Frog Brewing in Holland, Ohio. Now youre looking at close to thirty or forty right now. The change is happening. Slowly but surely, its happening.

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Weathered Souls Black Is Beautiful Campaign Shows Racial Solidarity In Craft Beer - Forbes

Disneyland is still closed, but that shouldnt stop people from being able to enjoy a taste of the historic Southern California theme park at home. At least thats the thought put forth in a new survey sent out to annual park passholders, which asked about the likelihood of fans of the park ordering food like the famous Dole Whip, Monte Cristo sandwich, and churros it if were available for delivery. The OC Register peeked further into the possibility of that happening any time soon, what with the pandemic ongoing and no reopening in immediate sight, but so far there is no firm timeline for such a feat.

And in other news:

Valerie Confections in Echo Park has made a cake to help celebrate the life and memory of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by Louisville police in her home. All proceeds from each slice sold will go to a fund set up by the Taylor family.

Food writer Tien Nguyen further highlights the disparity between LAs new Al Fresco dining initiative and the rules applied to street vendors. Nguyen says of the Friday reveal that restaurants can reopen immediately: What baffles me is not just the abruptness of this announcement... but just how starkly it stands in contrast to the state of sidewalk vending in L.A.

MiniBar Hollywoods roving martini cart will donate 100% of sales today to We Love Lake Street, a fund set up for Minneapolis small businesses to help them get back on their feet.

LA Times has the story of Antidote Eats, a new-ish food truck that started up just days before lockdowns countywide. Owner Anthony Suggs survived group homes in Compton and a stint in prison, and is now selling comfort food across LA.

Underground West LA barbecue spot Flatpoint is helping the Black Lives Matter cause this weekend, donating 10% of sales of brisket and pulled pork on Sunday.

Cal Matters spent some time in Sage Plant Based Bistro, discussing the difficulties of reopening, of rehiring staff, and of preparing for whatevers next.

Broken Spanish is selling some of its sealed menu items at Surfas now, the culinary store on Washington Boulevard east of Downtown.

Found Oyster in East Hollywood is taking Saturday and Sunday off to let its employees join the expected protests if they wish. As a result theyre unloading lots of oysters, and donating 50 percent of profits to Black Lives Matter, and a portion of total sales as well.

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Disneyland Might Start Delivering Its Iconic Foods to Your Home Instead - Eater LA

We are living in and through unprecedented times. The coronavirus pandemic sweeping across the globe has had a number of crippling effects on the nation - pushing its healthcare system to the brink, driving many out of the workforce, and dashing what was just a few short months ago a booming economy. And, as the saying goes, unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.

To address the staggering job losses in Massachusetts, in late March, the commonwealth's attorney general issued emergency regulations to provide residents with relief from certain collection-related activities.

Massachusetts has two debt collection regulatory schemes. One (under the administrative authority of the Division of Banks) requires the licensure and regulates the conduct of third-party debt collectors, and the other (issued by the attorney general) regulates the conduct (but does not require the licensure) of creditors collecting their own debts.

The emergency regulations, effective immediately upon their issuance, bridge these two schemes. Some of the limitations found in the emergency regulations apply specifically to "debt collectors" (defined in a manner similar, but not identical, to how that term is defined in the Division of Banks' third-party debt collector regulations), while others also apply to "creditors."

The emergency regulations expressly prohibit certain actions undertaken by both creditors and debt collectors, including:

The emphasis on "threatening to initiate" repossession is not found in the emergency regulations. However, I have added it here as a bookmark to be returned to later.

The emergency regulations also make it an unfair and/or deceptive act or practice for a debt collector to initiate any live or prerecorded communication via telephone, except if the debt collector is responding to a request from the debtor to be called or if the sole purpose of the call is to inform the debtor of a rescheduled court appearance or to discuss a mutually convenient date for a rescheduled court appearance.

There are limitations on these prohibitions. For one, the prohibitions do not apply to mortgage debt. Second, the emergency regulations only apply to the collection of consumer-purpose debt. Finally, the emergency regulations sunset on the earlier of 90 days from the effective date of the regulations (which would be in late June) or 30 days after the termination of the current pandemic state of emergency.

Because the emergency regulations were issued quickly and without the benefit of public comment, they left many questions unanswered. The attorney general rectified this problem roughly a week after the passage of the emergency regulations by issuing a Frequently Asked Questions document. For auto finance creditors, there is a relatively important clarification lurking in these FAQs.

And it is here that I return to the notion (emphasized earlier) that not only is the repossession of a motor vehicle prohibited while the emergency regulations are effective, but so too is the initiation of a threat to do so. It is this concept on which the following question and answer are premised:

Question: Do the Emergency Regulations require creditors to halt all activity relative to the repossession of a vehicle?

Answer: Yes. Under 940 CMR 35.03(1)(c), a creditor may not initiate, threaten to initiate or act upon the repossession of a vehicle. Calls, emails or letters stating an intention to repossess a vehicle would likely constitute a "[threat] to initiate or act upon any legal or equitable remedy for the repossession of any vehicle" in violation of 940 CMR 35.03(1)(c).

This particular answer is among the thornier traps for the unwary in the emergency regulations. As a practical matter, it requires both creditors and debt collectors to review all communications with debtors to determine if they directly or indirectly reference repossession of the vehicle as a potential action and to table any such communications while the emergency regulations remain effective.

The final stop on the journey of the emergency regulations is, unsurprisingly, litigation. Shortly after their passage, the emergency regulations were challenged by a trade association for the credit and collection industry. This litigation has resulted, to date, in the federal district court for Massachusetts issuing a temporary restraining order regarding certain aspects of the emergency regulations. Under the TRO, the Massachusetts attorney general is prohibited from enforcing:

While the TRO was certainly helpful in terms of its clarification of the reach of the emergency regulations, there are several considerations that the financial services industry should keep in mind when developing compliance plans.

For one, the TRO is not a silver bullet, and it does not mean that all of the emergency regulations are on hold. For auto finance creditors, this is especially true with regard to the limitations on repossessing (or threatening to repossess) a vehicle. Although the TRO means that a debt collector cannot be prevented from going to court, Massachusetts provides a right of self-help (i.e., non-judicial) repossession if parties comply with the appropriate notification and cure rights. Self-help repossession is not within the relief granted by the TRO and, at the moment, remains prohibited for both creditors and debt collectors.

There is also something of a definitional puzzle caused by the wording of the court order. Specifically, while the TRO prohibits the attorney general from enforcing the emergency regulations against "debt collectors," it does not appear to provide similar relief to "creditors," as that term is defined in the emergency regulations. Whether this difference between creditors and debt collectors results in varying degrees of comfort in the industry remains to be seen.

Coupled with these drafting considerations, the nature of the TRO is just that - it's temporary and remains in place only until the final adjudication of the underlying suit. The court could ultimately decide that the emergency regulations are proper and lift the TRO, thereby allowing the Massachusetts attorney general to enforce the emergency regulations as initially drafted.

Moreover, even if the emergency regulations are overturned (either in whole or in part), the Massachusetts attorney general has a number of other consumer protection arrows in her quiver. Among them are an expansive unfair and deceptive acts and practices statute and a perhaps compelling argument that the bar for what constitutes "unfair, deceptive, or abusive conduct" should be lower in the face of a worldwide pandemic.

Unsurprisingly, the end result is a confusing mosaic of requirements cobbled together from three separate components - emergency regulations intended to provide relief from certain collection activities in the face of a 100-year pandemic, FAQs to provide clarity on these requirements, and a lawsuit that temporarily halts enforcement of portions of the newly minted rules - set against the backdrop of a regulatory environment that often holds the feet of the financial services industry to the fire to address alleged noncompliant behavior. Creditors and debt collectors alike will need to proceed with caution as they navigate these waters. Unprecedented times, indeed.

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COVID-19 Debt Collection in Massachusetts: A Story in Three Parts - JD Supra

Lauren Durham Arts & Entertainment Editor

Now that the days of watching lectures and tuning into awkward class zooms are behind us, whats next?

Youve already baked banana bread (a few times), downloaded a fitness app, and if you take your dog for one more walk around your neighborhood, you might just lose it.Thats where I am. I was describing myself.

Between searching for a part-time job and napping, Ive started a few new hobbies that I would never have had time for otherwise, including leisurely reading. Have you ever been so bored that your parents suggested you read a book? Again, I have.

I took my parents advice and opened a book or two most of which Ive wanted to read for awhile but havent had the time to do so. Heres a list of my favorites that not only make for good quarantine/summer reads, but they might also add a bit of positivity to your monotonous routine.

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Former first lady Michelle Obama eloquently describes her life starting from her childhood through the inauguration of her husbands successor. She details everything from how she met Barack to the redecorating of the White House.

The book was recently turned into a documentary on Netflix thanks to its success. Although the memoir is lengthy, I highly suggest reading it whether you are a huge fan of Michelle or not. Hearing events from her perspective provides an interesting outlook of the country, especially at a time when a lot of us were too young to fully understand what electing a black man into office truly meant.

I laughed, cried, and mostly just missed the Obamas.

Tip: If you can get the book as an audiobook, do it. Michelle is the narrator, and her voice adds a whole other level of intimacy and intrigue to her stories.

The Subtle Art of Giving a F*** by Mark Manson

Typically, the title of this book catches peoples attention right away, including mine.

Author Mark Manson describes his second book saying, Its the self-help book for people who hate self-help. Its as much a pat on the back as a slap in the face. Its the first truly no BS guide to flourishing in a crazy, crazy world. https://markmanson.net/books/subtle-art

Being the people-pleaser that I am, the idea of not caring so much sounded pretty good to me. So far, the book has not disappointed. If youre looking for a little motivation or just want to stop feeling sorry for yourself, give it a go.

Educated by Tara Westover

This memoir blew my mind when I read it last summer. My boyfriend, best friend, and grandma all happened to read it around the same time as me. I debriefed the book with each of them multiple times afterward.

Author Tara Westover details her childhood of seclusion from the modern world one where schools are not to be trusted and the only useful medicinal remedies are herbs. Westover educated herself, which eventually propelled herself into the world of prestigious academia. Her compelling tone and incredible journey are both thrilling and endearing.

Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Whos watched this on Hulu? Its nearly impossible to read the book without picturing Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington as the two female leads, but Im not complaining.

This novel explores motherhood, race, and wealth during the 1990s, but the themes are ever-so-relevant today.

If youre a Clevelander or are familiar with the city, you may recognize the novels setting of Shaker Heights. My grandma, who grew up in a nearby suburb, promises that author Celeste Ng describes the area to a T.

Cravings by Chrissy Teigen

Chrissy Teigens cooking videos on Instagram and Twitter convinced me to read her infamous cookbook, and I was not disappointed.

Cravings has everything from French Toast Casserole with Salted Frosted Flakes to Actual Drunken Noodles. My personal favorite is Teigens Lemony Arugula Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe. Pasta, pancetta, parmesan, and lemon whats not to like?

If youve already read Cravings, feel free to graduate up to her second installment, Cravings: Hungry for More.

Tip: If youre not willing to pay almost $20 on the cookbooks, she sometimes posts recipes on her social media accounts. Keep an eye out.

Happy reading and happy summer.

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5 books to read this summer Flyer News: Univ. of Dayton's Student Newspaper - Flyer News

More hospital customers are choosing digital self-service. A promising trend emerging from the COVID-19 crisis

LAFAYETTE, Calif. (PRWEB) June 03, 2020

Because of COVID-19, the nature of the healthcare marketplace in America is changing. What were merely developing trends among patients and payers a few long months ago have quickly become realities. Assumptions about the economics of healthcare delivery have been rendered invalid. The healthcare marketplace emerging from the COVID-19 crisis is more dependent on patient choice, more technology-driven and better able to absorb unpredictable events such as those the crisis continues to throw healthcares way.

In research published recently by Forrester, analysts noted that, Consumers have long awaited a better way to understand where to go for care. The COVID-19 pandemic has further exacerbated this problem on a national stage. Yet self-triage solutions which provide actionable recommendations to users on what to do next are poised to become a mainstay of the digital front door in healthcare. Their findings go on to point out that as, organizations optimize these tools, its imperative for them to design experiences that reassure consumers, use clear and concise language, and provide seamless and actionable recommendations

The digital front door this research refers to is healthcares equivalent to any other consumer-facing companys website - more specifically their customer portal. With detailed descriptions of the products and services offered, pricing for those products and services and links to the reviews of other consumers, digital front doors give consumers the information they need to make informed choices about who their healthcare provider will be and how their care will be delivered.

For many of these consumers, financial matters will be nearly as important as medical considerations when choosing a healthcare provider. Even before the pandemic crisis, healthcare provider performance had been negatively impacted by the industrys growing reliance on patients as a principle source of revenue. With more than one third of industry revenue now coming direct from patients pockets, many providers were dealing with the financial consequences of lower patient volumes and higher patient bad debt. With more than forty million now newly unemployed, those consequences are likely to get much worse.

Hospitals and other providers write off billions in patient bad debt each year. Additionally, they risk alienating patients (and their recurring revenue potential) by outsourcing patient debt collection to early-out and other vendors whose commitment to patient/customer care may not measure up to patients expectations of their healthcare provider. Because providers existing revenue cycle systems were built for an age when most provider revenue came from insurers, many institutions lack the systems and know-how to effectively engage with their patients financially. In the new healthcare marketplace, that model must give way to more customer-centric models in order to compete and survive, let alone prosper.

For healthcare, financial sustainability will depend on providers ability to step up to their patients expectations. Expectations that have evolved rapidly during the COVID-19 crisis. The explosive growth of telehealth resulting from the crisis is an apt example of just how rapid. According to a CNBC article published in April, 2020, The adoption of telehealth shifted into hyper-drive over the past month, with virtual healthcare interactions on pace to top 1 billion by years end. It goes on to point out that, Analysts now expect general medical care visits to top 200 million this year, up sharply from their original expectation of 36 million for all of 2020."

Many other segments of the American economy have been transformed by digital customer engagement - driving additional revenue streams, larger wallet share and meaningful opportunities to extend brands into profitable adjacencies. Healthcare, on the other hand, has been slow to respond to the digital customer/patient engagement revolution. They point to the relatively low engagement experienced on their existing patient portals, concluding that healthcare consumers dont expect or care to engage with their providers digitally. That conclusion is distorted by the simple fact that many provider portals simply fail to deliver the customer experience patients have grown to expect.

COVID-19 Accelerates the Digital Consumer Engagement Trend

According to survey research recently published by the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP), The ongoing public health crisis is causing an unprecedented shift in the way Americans view and access healthcare. These shifts include widespread aversion to in-person visits to a doctors office and delays in seeking care - over the last three months and into the future. One bright spot noted in the patient survey results is that 28 percent of respondents have used some type of virtual care in the past three months, nearly tripling previously documented averages. Importantly, 89 percent of these telehealth users were satisfied with the experience.

For decades, healthcare has held itself apart from other consumer industries, assuming that it was immune to the competitive and market pressures that were commonplace in automotive and retail among others. For a long time, that assumption appeared to be sound. But as healthcares dependence on patient-directed revenue has soared, so has the impact of patient preference and behavior on healthcare operating performance - from increased patient bad debt to ever-higher revenue cycle costs and a growing susceptibility to pressures from competitors. Some old, some new. Many offering better value and convenience. These include powerful new entrants to healthcare such as CVS Health, Walgreens, Walmart and others.

Again, we believe it is essential for healthcare providers to consider not just their primary solutions - medical care - but all the other patient deliverables associated with the delivery of that care. In that light, for the reasons listed above, patient financial experiences must be included in providers digital engagement strategies. This is especially true now during the COVID-19 crisis, as providers face potentially disastrous disruptions in costs and revenue. Why? Because, as timely as these digital solutions are in meeting the demands of patients/customers, they also hold the potential to immediately begin saving hospitals and health systems millions in unnecessary, often overlooked expenses.

Our company, Loyale Healthcare, routinely analyzes healthcare provider revenue cycle performance to calculate potential savings for companies that convert to digital patient financial engagement. These companies consistently show cost take-outs in the tens of millions per year. These are savings that begin to accumulate in as little as 90-days following adoption. Better still, digital revenue cycle systems give providers the flexibility and scale theyll need as more ordinary operations begin to ramp up. Longer-term, digital patient financial engagement gives providers an enduring competitive advantage with the adaptability to conform to evolving patient expectations.

Under the formidable threat of COVID-19, the American healthcare industry has demonstrated an astonishing capacity for innovation. Embracing new ideas, leveraging technology and working tirelessly at breakneck pace - health systems, hospitals and the caregivers they employ have been a highlight in a troubling time. Its time to extend the lessons learned from these experiments into the next phase - making the most of what healthcare has learned to improve every dimension of the patients healthcare experience - today and ten years into the future.

Kevin Fleming is the CEO of Loyale Healthcare.

About Loyale

Loyale Patient Financial Manager is a comprehensive patient financial engagement technology platform leveraging a suite of configurable solution components including predictive analytics, intelligent workflows, multiple patient financing vehicles, communications, payments, digital front doors and other key capabilities.

Loyale Healthcare is committed to a mission of turning patient responsibility into lasting loyalty for its healthcare provider customers. Based in Lafayette, California, Loyale and its leadership team bring 27 years of expertise delivering leading financial engagement solutions for complex business environments. Loyale currently serves approximately 12,000 healthcare providers across 48 states. Loyale is proud to have an enterprise-level strategic partnership with Parallon which includes the deployment of Loyales industry leading technology at all HCA hospitals and Physician Groups.

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To Recover After COVID-19, Healthcare Providers Must Advance Tools for Patient Self-Help - Industry Analysis by Loyale Healthcare - PR Web

The world today is grappling with an unprecedented health crisis, forcing people to stay in their private spaces. India has also finished the fourth phase of its Covid-19 induced lockdown. As the World Bank has warned that India might see the lowest growth rate this fiscal since the liberalization of 1991, the devastating economic impacts of the lockdown have received much attention.

However, the lockdown has had some unexpected social impacts as well. This article analyses these social impacts with a specific focus on the physical autonomy of women in India. While domestic violence is an outcome of deep-rooted gender issues, the lack of physical autonomy has also increased it manifold. The United Nations agency for sexual and reproductive health (UNFPA) has estimated that there would be 31 million more cases of domestic violence worldwide if lockdowns continue for another six months. Closer home, the data provided by the National Commission of Women (NCW ) in mid April, suggested an almost 100 per cent increase in domestic violence cases during the lockdown. There are a number of reasons why reduced physical autonomy results in increased domestic violence cases.

The victims, unlike in the prelockdown period, are unable to move out of their homes in cases of an attack. They are unable to go to their friends or return to their maternal homes when in need of help or protection. As they are forced to constantly share a common space with their abuser, they are unable to make distress calls to NGOs or government help lines. In a number of cases, women are unable to alert the authorities even when they can because most women do not have access to internet. Lockdown has cancelled out the possibility of physically meeting an NGO or the police. This can be attributed as a major reason for reduced number of cases being reported in certain states and from specific strata of the society.

Lack of movement has resulted in reduced access to the public space. Women are now unable to be part of their Self Help Groups, Mahila Mandals or Chaupals. Those working as daily wage labourers or domestic workers have been left unemployed. This has resulted in a loss of economic independence for these women. With nothing to contribute to the family income, women are facing issues of reduced self esteem and loss of voice in family decisions. With no participation in these women groups, they have also lost an emotional support group. They have been left alone to handle issues of physical, mental and sexual abuses, further resulting in reduced self confidence. Collective women organisations had a positive impact on the level of women empowerment; sudden loss of access to these organisations can have a reverse impact of subordination. Under the present circumstances, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has expressed the possibility of 7 million unwanted pregnancies, if the lockdown lasts for 6 months.

Sexual abuse by intimate partners is on a rise. However, with reduced physical autonomy due to the lockdown, womens authority to take a reproductive decision has gone down. This is because there is an inverse relation between autonomy and fertility rates. According to Davis and Moore (1983), wherever women were offered greater autonomy to earn or participate in decision making the fertility rate was comparatively lower. In addition to this, a study published in the International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health states that collective gatherings of women, either as SHG or Mahila Mandals, provide a platform to enhance their health through increased knowledge and access to contraceptive tools under various government and NGO initiatives. The access to these contraceptives has reduced manifold due to the lockdown.

With financial pressures in the family, it is highly unlikely the family will spend on contraceptives or abortions. This can further result in unsafe abortions and an increased maternal mortality rate. The restricted physical autonomy is thus robbing women of their fundamental human right, the right to reproductive control. Also, since regulation and control over womens sexuality and reproductive capabilities is the basis of patriarchal ideology, women are, thus, left exploited, helpless and increasingly subjugated. It is this subjugation that develops a sense of insecurity among women. As a result women are left bound to home, felling economically exploited and socially suppressed. This leaves them dependent on men, thus giving the ideology of patriarchy a base to grow upon.

(The writers are, respectively, a postgraduate student at Department of Sociology, Delhi School of Economics and a Junior Research Fellow at International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai)

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Virus hits autonomy of women - The Statesman

SPRINGFIELD Parents in local communities are facing a common conundrum during the COVID-19 pandemic: how can they manage their childrens emotional and social needs while maintaining responsible social distancing practices?

Mental Health Recovery Board of Clark, Greene & Madison Counties (MHRB) recommends parents focus on building resiliency in their children.

Our childrens mental health is also being impacted because our daily lives have changed drastically during the pandemic, but for their physical safety we must continue to observe social distancing measures. For parents, that can feel like an impossible situation, especially with warmer weather and young people wanting to spend time with friends or playing sports, said Greta Mayer, CEO of MHRB. We know that children feel stress and take their emotional cues from adults. Without a way to talk about it and manage it in healthy ways, childhood stress can negatively impact a persons health and mental well-being well into adulthood. But fortunately, learning how to be resilient from an early age can do the opposite: promote both physical and mental health now and in the future.

Mayer shared these actionable ways parents and guardians can help their children become more resilient while staying at home:

1. Build strong emotional connections

Having a strong social network can help support your children through their inevitable disappointments and hurts. Its important to promote both the development of new relationships (like making friends) and strengthening of existing ones (as with parents and relatives). Encourage kids to reach out to a classmate they dont know very well, maybe to play a video game together or chat. While it is stressful to manage both work and family from home, putting down the smart devices occasionally and interacting one-on-one releases feel-good chemicals in the brain and helps us feel more connected.

2. Be a helper

Just like adults, children can feel empowered by helping others. Ask them for assistance with a task they can master or have them brainstorm ways they can help a friend or neighbor while observing social distancing like delivering cookies on a rainy day or mailing a happy note.

3. Stick to a regular routine

Maintaining a daily routine can be comforting for young people and families which creates consistency and feels reassuring. But too rigid of a schedule can be stressful too, so its OK to teach kids to step away when things get overwhelming, like taking a break from a challenging task to go outside, do something creative or physical.

4. Demonstrate self-care and mindfulness

Remembering to eat, drink water, exercise, and sleep is tough enough for adults, but its no secret that children learn by example. Parents can improve their own mental health while helping their kids learn the importance of self-care by making time to eat together, play outside and relax. Practicing and teaching mindfulness, such as deep breathing and grounding exercises, can also help children cope with bouts of anxiety or stress.

5. Encourage healthy risk-taking and self-discovery

A healthy risk pushes a child to go outside of their comfort zone but results in very little harm if they are unsuccessful. Taking a healthy risk at home like trying a new hobby can help kids discover new interests and embrace their strengths. Embrace the moments that dont go well, too learning to see their mistakes as a learning experience helps kids develop a growth mindset.

6. Teach problem-solving skills

Your child should know that its OK to ask for help, and that they have help when they need it. But parents can help their child gain a sense of self-confidence during stressful times by engaging in the process of solving problems, such as brainstorming possibilities and exploring the pros and cons of different solutions.

7. Always maintain hope

Its OK to acknowledge the negative feelings your child might be experiencing. Noticing when your child seems distressed, being a careful listener to find out what has led to these feelings, and by talking about it, helps children begin to recognize their own feelings and learn how to express negative emotions in a healthy way. But parents can nurture optimism in their child by helping them view the situation in a broader context and keep a long-term perspective.

Change can be scary, even for grown-ups, and its important for children to know that, said Mayer. But its also important for children to see that change is a normal part of life and that there are healthy ways to cope, such as setting new goals when old ones become unattainable.

For more information about mental health and substance use resources in Clark, Greene and Madison counties, visit the MHRB website at http://www.mhrb.org.

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Building resilience key for long-term mental health, physical wellness

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MHRB shares 7 ways to help children cope with stress - beavercreeknewscurrent.com

CARMEL A word of advice from a local stylist for those getting tired of the shaggy dog look or emerging ombre hair coloring:

I tell my clients, just wear a hat! says Gwendolyn Beauregard of Heidis Studio in Carmel.

Salons have been deemed unessential businesses and are closed until further notice, so most people are on their own when it comes to maintaining their hairstyles. Since the Monterey County stay-at-home order was issued in March, people have been getting creative with their newfound free time.

Hiovanni Gonzalez, a 22-year-old CSU Monterey Bay student, chose to dye her hair hot pink as well as give it a trim while self-quarantining.

I was in need of some change, she says. Ive dyed my hair crazy colors before, and I figured now would be a better time than ever since Id be in the house most of the time.

Gonzalez recommends others to try changing up their hairstyle while at home because hair grows back, and you can always change (the color) back if you dont like it.

Hot pink may not be for everyone, so others are choosing to maintain their usual color. Local business owner, Roshi Pejhan, touched up her hairstyle with some color to cover up any greys and to take a moment for herself.

Even though no one is really going to see it, it feels like an important part of self-care if it helps you feel better about yourself, states Pejhan. What self-care is for me might be different for others, but the hair color is one small thing I can do to make me feel better.

Although she went the hair color route, Pejhan doesnt plan to cut or trim her hair from home.

Some people really want to try cutting their hair at home, but I feel more comfortable letting a professional do it.

Beauregard and other stylists are receiving requests to provide hair services at clients homes, but she plans to stay at home as directed until it is safe to go back to work.

Itd be nice to have your hair done, but I dont really think that its an essential, she states. I havent seen any bad haircuts so far, and dark roots are fashionable right now.

If you plan to follow in Gonzalez and Pejhans footsteps, they have offered some pro-tips to help achieve your desired look.

Gonzalezs hair dye tips are to be very careful if youre using bleach, so bleach your roots last since they dont take as long because if you leave it on for too long, it can leave blisters; apply vaseline on the perimeters of your face and base of the neck so the dye doesnt stain your skin; and try applying some kind of heat after your hair is wrapped to ensure the color really takes.

Pejhan recommends home remedies for dry ends that need trimming. I noticed my hair was getting dry so I just did a coconut oil treatment for a day. Just rubbed in my coconut oil, put my hair in a bun and let it set, rinsed it out the next day, and it made a big difference. She also says, Cranberry juice rinses are also good for brunettes if you dont have henna handy.

Hair professional, Beauregard suggests people reach out to their hairstylist. They can do their hair at home. Id be willing to tell someone what hair color to get.

She also knows of some fellow stylists that are sending clients premixed hair dye so they can achieve their salon look from home.

I know when we get back to work, well be really, really busy.

Originally posted here:
Theres help for hair care, but youre largely on your own - Monterey Herald

For those holed up at home, the pandemic has stripped away the given minutiae of everyday livingthe commutes, the casual asides, the inessential errands. In so doing, it has also provided a rare opportunity to get outside the slipstream of movement and productivity, the doing, doing, doing that can keep you feeling like a tumbleweed in a strong wind. Right now, things are oddly still. And if youre privileged enough to have health and workand to not have your stillness disrupted by anxiety and fearinside the carousel of monotony you might find some space for self-reflection, to consider what you want normal life to look like when isolation lets out.

Ive been lucky enough to get to do some of that self-examination as part of my job at GQ (mostly in the name of health and wellness coverage for our Level Up vertical and Airplane Mode podcast). In that time, Ive spent an inordinate amount of time reading books that have helped me do it. Theyre about everything from building better habits to getting better at being bored to the therapeutic, healing power of psychedelics. And though a fair number, perhaps unsurprisingly, stress the importance of stillness (you cant swing a cat in a self-help section of a bookstore without hitting this Blaise Pascal quote: "All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone), each is really about autonomy: in a world of constant noise and distraction, how can we live a bit more intentionally?

The idea here isnt that you should use your time in isolation productivelythat type of thinking can lead right back into the whitewater of busyness (not to mention that, as ever, any type of self-care or self-improvement remains the province of the privileged). Right now, the only prescription should be to protect your mental health in whatever way is best for you. Over the past couple of years, these books have afforded me a deeper sense of agency and control in an unpredictable world. In this Great Reset, if thats something youre looking for, I hope they'll do the same for you, too.

The title of Odells book is misleading. (A bit of intentional trickery: By the time you figure out that it's not [self-help], it's too late, she says.) Its less a guide to being idle that will help unlock the secret to inner joy! than it is an examination of why we all feel so existentially unmoored (hint: it has to do with how we spend our attention) and how we might go forward from here (hint: pay a different kind of attention). How to Do Nothing is a book about letting go of the idea that all of your time must be used to produce something, a mindset that keeps us constantly toppling forward into the next thing. Instead, Odell proposes ways to deepen your attention to your immediate environment and the moment, explaining that doing so can actually expand both: Tiny spaces can open up small spaces, small spaces can open bigger spaces." Right now, maybe you're searching for a release from the pressure to do more, or maybe youd just like to see your small space expandHow to Do Nothing can point you in the direction of both.

Norwegian explorer Erling Kagge has summited Mount Everest and walked to both poles. (Those combined feats are known, in adventure circles, as the Three Poles Challenge). In his book Silence, he says the hardest part of walking to the South Pole was getting himself out of his tent on mornings when the temperature was 50 below. The second hardest part? To be at peace with yourself, he writes. With so many of us thrown into extended periods of solitude, Kagges reflections on his own solitary adventures into frozen placescombined with thoughts from a deep reservoir of writers, poets, and philosophersmight help you navigate this coronavirus wilderness. I tend to think about silence as a practical method for uncovering answers to the intriguing puzzle that is yourself, and for helping to gain a new perspective on whatever is hiding beyond the horizon, he writes.

In this meditation on the positive power of silence, a worthwhile companion to Kagges book, Maitland searches for places of solitude to reflect on what happens when we get quiet. What she learns is that a lack of noise does not lead to an emptiness: I increasingly realise there is an interior dimension to silence, a sort of stillness of heart and mind which is not a void but a rich space. Now, not only is Maitlands aloneness self-imposed and spent in sublime, natural places (like the Scottish Hills and the Isle of Skye), she also clarifies that there is a chasm of difference between qualities like quietness or peace and silence itself. Many of us have been driven into small spaces that dont feel at all tranquil. That said, even if you can only find brief moments of peace at an anxious time like this, Maitland will have you thinking differently about what to do with those pockets of open air, why you might resist the impulse to fill them, and how you can work with silence, instead of in silence.

The Georgetown computer scientist has become one of our leading thinkers on techs increasing influence in our culture. In Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World, Newport encourages readers to reclaim autonomy over ever-distracting devices by developing a philosophy of technology use that he calls digital minimalism. It involves forgoing optional technologies (tech you can give up without causing harm in your professional or personal life) for thirty days, reconnecting with your values and desires (developing a game plan for your life, essentially), and then intentionally introducing tech back into your life by selecting whichever platforms will help you achieve those things. Even if youre not worried about your screen time, Newport's book is a useful reminder of the importance of attention and intentiontwo of our most undervalued currenciesin a modern society largely designed to steal them from you: The sugar high of convenience is fleeting and the sting of missing out dulls rapidly, but the meaningful glow that comes from taking charge of what claims your time and attention is something that persists.

As the host of WNYCs Note to Self, Zomorodi led her listeners through a week of challenges thatsimilar to Newports Digital Minimalismwere meant to get participants to disconnect in order to reconsider the role devices had come to play in their lives. The result? Less time plugged in meant more time being bored. But. to Zomorodis surprise, the boredom her listeners reported wasnt the dull monotony were so accustomed to running away from; in their boredom, theyd found a new source of imagination. So Zomorodi took that anecdotal feedback, buttressed it with recent psychological and neuroscientific research, and wrote a book that will help you understand that boredom isn't a problem, it's an opportunity.

You probably remember this 2018 book as the one that had all your friends talking about doing shrooms. In it, Pollan sets out to explore the emerging research on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics, does some himself, and pens a fascinating exploration into the nature of consciousness: how we create meaning, how our own perceptions deceive us, what it means to be human, and how reflecting on all of those thingswhich, surprise, is often what happens on a psychedelic journeycan change our experience of being alive. Take, for instance, this thought, which comes after Pollan smokes The Toad (that is: 5-MeO-DMT, a psychotropic substance found in the venom of the Sonoran Desert toad): Everybody gives thanks for being alive, but who stops to offer thanks for the bare-bones gerund that comes before alive? I had just come from a place where being was no more and now vowed never to forget what a gift (and mystery) it is, that there is something rather than nothing. How to Change Your Mind is a welcome balm at a time when were stuck in one place and a literal trip into the philosophical wilds of your mind, and reading it proves consciousness-altering in its own right.

Humans are very bad at being wrong, which makes sense: it feels great to be right. So we generally default to assuming we know what were talking about. But years of playing professional poker taught Annie Duke that, in a game of cards, assuming youre right is a sure path to losing all of your money. She learned quickly to be more open-minded, to question what she thought, and to accept that, ultimately, luck and risk would play a role in any decision she made at the table. Shed go on to win $4 million. In Thinking in Bets, she channels those lessons in an effort to help readers fix a fundamental problem with human cognition: our inability to change minds, to not be open-minded, to believe youre right, and to not listen to dissenting voices. Self-righteousness might feel good, and admitting youre wrong might feel badbut its only the latter that gets us closer to an accurate view of the world. Getting better at being wrong wont just help you acquire more knowledge; itll also help you be less defensive (youre not so worried about proving your point) and more compassionate (youre less dismissive of beliefs that discredit your own), and get you accustomed to the reality that, in poker as in life, uncertainty always plays a role. So if youre looking for a challenge to complete in isolation, how about this: learn to be critical not just of others thoughts, but of your own, too.

Chris Baileys book helps you be more productive precisely by taking aim at our cultural obsession with productivity. In his eyes, weve become so obsessed with being busy, that instead of doing what matters to us weve become content to stop merely at doing. The result? An inability to prioritize or focus, which keeps us not just from doing meaningful work, but from living present lives. If there's one thing that I realized over the course of writing this book, it's that the state of our attention determines the state of our lives. And so if we're distracted in each momentand that leads us to feel overwhelmedthose moments accumulate day by day, week by week, month by month, year by year, to create a life that feels distracted and overwhelmed. The real reason to [manage your attention well] is to increase the quality of our lives.

If building better habits (or kicking old ones) has been on your to-do list for a while (e.g. your whole life), Atomic Habits just might finally light the under-ass fire you need to actually get started. Why? For one, it hammers home the point that habitslike interestcompound. The sooner you start, the more outsized your rewards. And two, we like to think identity influences behavior (I am an active person, so I will exercise), but, often, its our behavior that creates our identity. Pretty much everybody thinks they have integrity, Clear said, when we spoke to him about the book. And it's not that often that there's one grave mistake that wrecks you. It's usually a bunch of, just this one exceptionWell, this time it's a little bit different. And then you turn around five or ten years later and your habits aren't lining up with the type of person that you thought you were.

Poet Ross Gay opens his 2019 book The Book of Delights with a straightforward statement of purpose. One day last July, feeling delighted and compelled to both wonder about and share that delight, he writes, I decided that it might feel nice, even useful, to write a daily essay about something delightful. And it is simply that: a collection of delightfully snackable essays (rarely longer than four pages) recorded over the course of the year, each detailing a suspended moment in timein a garden, on a plane, at a book readingbefore unspooling into a short meditation on how the episode weaves into the themes of lifes larger tapestry, investigating everything from death to race. Disjointed as that may sound, the real joy comes in developing what Gay calls a delight radar. The more he wrote about delight, the more he noticed it everywhere. A similar thing happens when you read the book. Pick it up, read for ten minutes (start anywhere, really), put it down, and youll find that the delights of Gays world illuminate the delights of yours, that his wonder is contagious and has caused you to deepen your own.

A Q+A with the computer scientist about his new book Digital Minimalism, why future workplaces may go email-free, and why tech backlash is about to go mainstream.

Read more:
10 Self-Help Books that Have Made Me Feel More In Control of My Life - GQ

Image design bhy Leila Dougan

Much like the publishing industry, the podcast landscape is saturated with self-help content. There are hundreds of shows promising to make us happier, richer, fitter or a combination of all three, to be taken with a high dose of scepticism. And yet, although promises of quick fixes for complex problems might sound nave, some podcasts, interviews, conversations and other personal stories can act as a soothing balm for the anxious mind.

CLOSE

Unlocking Us Bren Brown

Length: 13 episodes, each between 30 minutes 1.5 hours.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or any other podcast app or streaming service

Wildly popular researcher, author and TED Talk speaker Bren Brown, launched a podcast early this year. Called Unlocking Us, the show features insights from Browns work on shame, vulnerability, courage and empathy as well as conversations with researchers, authors and artists. If youve read any of Browns books or watched her TED Talks, youll know what an engaging speaker she is. Her new foray into the digital audio-sphere is no exception. Underpinned by decades of research and brought alive by personal anecdotes, Brown uses storytelling to make space for vulnerable conversations.

***

The Happiness Lab with Dr Laurie Santos Pushkin Industries

Length: 2 seasons, 10 episodes per season, 30 minutes per episode

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or any other podcast app or streaming service

Underpinning The Happiness Lab are insights from Dr Laurie Santoss popular Yale course Psychology and the Good Life. In this podcast, as in the class, Santos bridges the gap between academic research and applicable lessons for everyday life. With help from Pushkin Industries that brought us Malcolm Gladwells Revisionist History, this show combines narrative storytelling with interviews to create a podcast that goes beyond the typical two-way interview format that dominates the health and wellness genre. This makes for an engaging listen that relies on story to bring the data to life. Whether shes talking about money, jobs or the perfect holiday, Santos busts the myths that any single thing can bring us happiness. This is an important intervention in a field promising deceptively quick fixes. But dont despair, there are plenty of practical and achievable tips contained in this show.

***

No Feeling is Final Honor Eastly (ABC Radio)

Length: 6 episodes, 30 minutes each

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or any other podcast app or streaming service

Using innovative sound design, No Feeling is Final is an Australian memoir show about big feelings. Our host, the charming Honor Eastly, tells the story of her own struggle with mental health depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts. Its heavy territory, but told with tenderness and humour. This first-person audio series is stitched together from intimate moments recorded via phone voice memos complemented with high-quality production that literally gives voice to the persistent mean thoughts inside Honors head. This disarmingly vulnerable series explores why its so hard to ask for help and offers up alternatives for cultivating joy and connection when youre overwhelmed with big feelings. No Feeling is Final won the 2019 Third Coast International Audio Festivals Directors Choice Award.

Trigger warning: This show discusses suicide.

***

Hidden Brain NPR

Length: Episodes between 30 minutes 1 hour

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or any other podcast app or streaming service

With almost 300 episodes, Hidden Brain is a veteran public radio show that began as a Slate column by the same name. Using a question as the starting point for each episode, host Shankur Vedantam and his team draw on science and storytelling to reveal the invisible patterns of human behaviour. The magic of this show is how it makes complex academic research accessible to a wider audience without dumbing down any of the content. Vedantam doesnt shy away from tackling the big questions: Why is marriage so hard? How do we get unstuck? What makes us successful? To these he offers nuanced answers that help us understand ourselves and others a little better.

***

Brain on Nature Sarah Allely

Length: 6 episodes, 30 minutes each

Listen on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pocket Casts or any other podcast app or streaming service

Over six episodes, journalist and independent producer Sarah Allely, charts her recovery from a mild traumatic brain injury and how she found healing in unexpected places. After a bicycle accident on the streets of Sydney in 2015, Allely feels like her brain is constantly stretched to capacity. Listening to podcasts, reading books and watching movies feels impossible. In the first episode, Allely notes that after her accident, her brain felt like an audio recorder, taking in everything at the same volume and overloading her senses. This sensory overload is masterfully reflected in the sound design with background ambient sound swelling and subsiding to mirror Allelys experience. Sound cues chaos, but also hope. We are immersed in lush field recordings of the Australian bush alongside Allely as she discovers healing in nature. While we may not all be in Allelys shoes, many of us are feeling anxious and overwhelmed right now, and maybe we all need to pay a little more attention to the calming powers of nature.

If youre wondering how to listen to these audio gems, local podcast organisation, Sound Africa, has prepared a handy guide to show you how.

Happy listening! DM/ML

Missed the last edition of our weekly podcast review? Here it is:

A must-listen: Pulitzer Prize-winning podcasts

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Psychology and self-help podcasts that also explore human vulnerabilities - Daily Maverick