The Chief Executive of the Health Service Executive has said onemetresocial distancing would give the health service greater capacity, but it will be guided by the National Public Health Emergency Team's advice.

Paul Reid said NPHET guidance is for two-metresocial distancing and that is what the HSE is planning in terms of framework for new services to work through.

He said thisdoes have implicationsin terms of capacity in emergency departments, outpatient clinics and waiting rooms for example.

At a briefing this morning, he said there is "no doubt" one-metre distancing would give significant extra capacity in managing services, but the executive will be guided by the current NPHET guidance.

Chief Clinical Officer for the HSEDr Colm Henrysaidon 27 March we were facing the "spectreof uncontrolled communitytransmission" of the virus, but the stringent measures introduced, including the two-metresocial distance rule, have allowed us to bring the 'R'figure (effective reproduction)down to 0.5.

He said that bearing in mind this is a droplet spread illness, the guidance was based on theprojected length a droplet can spread.

He saidinitiallywe thought the virus was spread primarily through coughing and sneezing,but as we learn moreabout it,we are more aware of how less obviously it can spread from people who are asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic.

Dr Henry said the two-metrerule is governed by the decisions of NPHET "and how they're advised based on best international advice" and alsofrom those countries who are emergingout of the initialstage of thepandemic

Read more:Latest coronavirus stories

Meanwhile, LabourleaderAlan Kelly has called onMinister for Health Simon Harris to carry out an audit on the impact of changing the social distancing rules to one metre would have on the health service.

In a statement, hesaid there was now a clear divergence between the World Health Organization and the Government.

An expert in infectious disease at the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland said the two-metresocial distancing rule is likely to remain in place, as it is the best advice from the European Centre for Disease Control.

Speaking on RT's This Week, Professor Sam McConkey said the distance between people is one of a number of key measures taken to reduce the spread of the virus.

He said that the Irish authorities are following the ECDC advice, which is specific to European countries and that there is "a lot of wisdom in pooling our knowledge across countries".

He said World Health Organization advice, which calls for a one-metre minimum, is based on a global picture.

Prof McConkey said that until there is zero emergence of cases that are unexplained in the community, restrictions, including social distancing, would continue.

He said we have fewer and fewer deaths and cases each day and most of these are in "known chains of transmissions" such as in meat factories or households.

He said there are a range of other measures that could be changed to make the restrictions easier on people, such as re-opening schools and creches.

He also said a scheme in New Zealand whereby a number of groups or families can form a mini-bubble or cocoon and socialise together, while remaining apart from others could be considered.

He said this would allow both children and parents in those groups to interact and allow a merging of family groups.

Govt asked to explain social distance stance

On the same programme, the Restaurants Association of Ireland called for the Government to explain why it has "changed" in moving away from WHO advice on social distancing guidelines.

RAI CEO Adrian Cummins said with 34 days to go until they re-open, restaurant owners want guidelines on social distancing to be reissued.

He said the difference between one and two metres of social distance would see many restaurants unable to reopen as they could only operate at 20-25% per cent capacity and would be loss making.

Mr Cummins said "we went into the crisis along WHO guidelines and somewhere along the journey we have changed to Irish guidelines".

He said countries including Austria, Finland and Norway have moved to a one-metre rule and "if we don't have this conversation" there will be thousands of jobs at risk.

David Fitzsimons from Retail Excellence Ireland said the social distancing guidelines are "inferior to every other country" and his sector is concerned that it will make retail operations difficult once "pent-up demand" is seen on shop floors.

HSE to complete non-Covid treatment framework

The Health Service Executive has said a framework will befinalisedin the coming weeks to see how to safely resume non-Covidhealthcare services in the current environment.

Mr Reid said there are more than900 vacant beds in hospitals, down from 2,500, which shows an increase in non-Covid activity.

There are 51 people in ICU being treated for Covid-19, which is down 68% from the peak in early April.

He said the speed of testing has increased with 98% of tests returning with a negative result and results are returning in less than two days.

310,000 tests have been completed and 35,000 swab tests were completed.

MrReid said mass testing of nursing homes in now complete and is nearing completion in mental disability settings and the automatic testing of close contacts of confirmed cases is also under way.

The briefing was told that the HSE planned to carry out antibody testing in June to try to measure the level of the disease in the population.

It was expected most people who had the disease would develop an antibody response, which would provide some level of protection but results in other countries had shown low levels in communities.

He said a report into the Mater Hospital has concluded and found it did meet all its obligations on reporting of cases and all testing and tracing was completed properly.

The report makes recommendations about the validation of data and assurances have been given by all hospitals about correct uploading of data.

Increase in emergency department activity

Anne O'Connor, the chief operations officer of the HSE, said activity at emergency departments has risen, with more over 75s being admitted through emergency departments in the last week.

She said a total of 20,177 people attended emergency departments last week, up 2% attendance on last week but still lower than this time last year.

MsO'Connor said an "attend anywhere" teleservice is being looked at, continuing virtual consultations as these clinics are being used more andvirtual consultations for outpatients will be built on over the coming months as people are very keen to engage in this way.

She said there is now 90% occupancy in acute hospitals and there were409 delayed discharges of patients to nursing homes.

MsOConnor said there is a significant numberof daycarecases in private hospitals, which are getting busier andmore use of in-patient beds in private hospitals, which are now at 50% occupancy - and at 80% occupancy for day cases.

She said Covid-19 is not going to disappear so we need to ensure we have capacity at our hospitals.

Sheadded thatthe community assessment hubs are being looked at to see how quieter hubs can best be used to support services.

Around 80% of cases of Covid-19 will be a mild to moderate illness, close to 14% have severe disease and around 6% are critical.

Generally, you need to be 15 minutes or more in the vicinity of an infected person and within 2 metres of them, to be considered at-risk, or a close contact.

People feeling vulnerable urged to seek help

The HSE's clinical advisor to the National Office for Suicide Prevention said the Covid-19 pandemic will see new groups of people having mental health challenges for the first time and he urged anyone feeling vulnerable to seek help.

Dr Philip Dodd, a consultant psychiatrist and clinical professor at UCD, said that people who are cocooning or those who are worried about their jobs or health may need some extra psychological supports.

He said the majority of thepopulation can and will adjust to the new Covid-19 environment andclinical research shows that people are becoming less worried and settling after the initial arrival of the virus in Ireland.

He said mental health services are still accessible despite being interrupted by Covid-19 demands and there are new tele-health options such as online, text and phone supports that have been used by many people for the first time.

Anyone with new concerns about their mental health is urged to contact their GP or in an emergency to attend their lcoal emergency departments.

There are details of mental health services on yourmentalhealth.ie or freephone 180111888.

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HSE will be guided by NPHET advice on 2m rule - Reid - RTE.ie

After picking Joakim Soria out of the Padres ranch system in the 2006 Rule 5 Draft, maybe suggested that the Royals are still in the playing with house money honeymoon stage of the Rule 5 procedure. After all, also landing a Rule 5 gamer that can stick on a Major League lineup for a whole period is a success, dont bother touchdown a two-time All-Star like Soria via his 2007-11 prime time as Kansas Citys closer.

Eleven years after composing Soria, it looks like the Royals once more advanced using the Rule 5 procedure. While Brad Keller has yet to get to All-Star degrees, the right-hander has actually currently delighted in sufficient success over his very first 2 MLB periods that he appears like a strong foundation for a young K.C. group.

Keller was an eighth-round choice for the Diamondbacks in the 2013 draft, as well as via 5 professional periods had actually assembled some suitable yet unimpressive numbers in the Arizona ranch system. Over 130 1/3 innings for Double- A Jackson in 2017, Keller published a 4.68 PERIOD, 7.6 K/9, as well as 1.95 K/BB price, which had not been fairly adequate for him to qualify among something of a 40- guy lineup problem for the DBacks

Coming off a 93- win period as well as a NLDS look in 2017, the Diamondbacks were concentrated on making use of much of their offered 40- guy rooms on gamers that can possibly offer prompt aid in 2018, as GM Mike Hazen discussed to the Arizona Republics Nick Piecoro 2 years earlier. Our precursors suched as[Keller] We liked him, Hazen stated. We made the aware choice not to include him as a result of where he remained in distance to the Major League group, where we remained in the cycle, what we wished to utilize our 40- guy areas for, we wished to be hostile in the offseason in declaring men that were closer to the major leagues in our mind.

So, the DBacks left Keller unguarded in December 2017 draft, as well as it really did not take wish for another group to catch the right-hander. However, that group had not been really the Royals, whose place in the Rule 5 draft order really did not drop up until the #18 place that year. Instead it was the Reds that took Keller with the 5th choice, and after that without delay dealt him to Kansas City for money factors to consider. (The Royals turned a comparable relocation simply one choice later on, getting 6th choice Burch Smith for money from the Mets after New York picked Smith out of Tampa Bays ranch system.)

Smith additionally wound up investing the whole 2018 period on the K.C. lineup, though he was let go after uploading a 6.92 PERIOD over 78 innings. Keller, on the various other hand, was a lot more of a prompt success. After uploading a 2.01 PERIOD over his very first 22 1/3 structures of job out of Kansas Citys bullpen in 2018, Keller was advertised to the turning as well as remained to prosper. The righty had a 3.28 PERIOD over his 20 begins, starting out 83 batters (versus 43 strolls) over 118 innings.

Kellers student year had not been fairly as remarkable, though he still handled a rather decent 4.19 PERIOD, 1.74 K/BB, as well as 6.6 K/9 over 165 1/3 structures, all as a participant of the Royals turning. It can be suggested that Keller was possibly privileged to take care of that 4.19 mark, as some PERIOD forecasters (4.94 xFIP, 5.23 SIERA) were substantially greater, as well as batters made a lot more strong agreement off him in 2019 than in2018 The Statcast metrics additionally took a dark sight of Kellers 2019 efficiency, with a lot of blue as in, below-average numbers for Keller in contrast to various other bottles in leave speed, xwOBA, strikeout percent, as well as a number of various other classifications.

That stated, progressed metrics do not often tend to prefer low-strikeout hurlers like Keller that concentrate on maintaining the sphere on the ground. Among bottles with a minimum of 300 innings threw over the last 2 periods, Keller has the most affordable (8.4%) crowning achievement price in baseball, as well as the second-highest (52%) ground ball price. These impressive numbers are especially beneficial in this age of the vibrant sphere, as well as Keller can better gain from some boosted protection behind him, need to Maikel Franco offer any type of kind of upgrade at 3rd base.

All informed, 4.8 fWAR over 2 periods currently stands for a really wonderful return on the Royals first small money investment toCincinnati Keller does not transform 25 up until July, as well as he does not get to adjudication qualification up until this coming offseason, placing him under the Royals control via the 2023 project. Under regular conditions, Keller can be a gamer the Royals may have currently secured to an agreement expansion, as well as while all expansion talks are stopped under the present deals ice up, it would not be a shock if K.C. started some talks with Kellers reps when routine company comes back underway.

While really significant Rule 5 Draft success tales are reasonably rare nowadays, a group just requires to appeal one choice to make the business beneficial. Finding a major league ability for practically absolutely nothing is a win for any type of group, as well as if that ability is a mid-20s beginning bottle that appears like he can await a minimum of the center of a major league turning, the Royals obtained an useful increase to their newest restoring initiative.

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Have The Royals Found Another Rule 5 Gem? - The Union Journal

Image by antonbe from Pixabay

Keen to make an impact with your videos on the fastest growing social media platform in the world right now? Then you might be interested in learning more about best practice guidelines for creating TikTok videos in 2020. There is no wonder why TikTok boasts an estimated 800 million global users!

Follow this simple how-to guide and you should notice an immediate improvement in your engagement.

File size, dimension, and aspect ratio all play a role in determining how successful TikTok videos will be. Click here to find out more.

For example, you will need to limit file sizes to 287.6 MB when using an iOS device and an estimated 72 MB when using a device operated by Android. If you are uploading a TikTok video ad, the size can be quite a lot larger usually up to 500 MB.

The best dimensions to work with are 10801920 and the aspect ratio should be the size of a traditional smartphone screen, although many individuals and businesses will use 9:16. Keep in mind, however, that the latter will not take up the entire screen.

You will have a wide variety of options when it comes to file type, especially if you will be recording your video off the TikTok platform and uploading it thereafter. Both .mp4 and .mov files are supported by the app. Additional files, including .avi and .gif are also supported in the case of ads.

Research has shown that TikTok users respond best to vertical video. This is because the videos are viewed on a smartphone. However, it is still possible to upload videos filmed in the horizontal orientation.

While there are many reasons to use the native TikTok recorder to create your videos, there are many other third-party apps that offer even more exciting effects and features that can help to take your creations to the next level entirely. Boosted is a good example. This third-party app is known for its variety of effects and templates which make TikTok video creation a cinch.

The shorter your video is, the better, especially if it will be used for advertising purposes. Most advertisers will aim for a video length of 9 to 15 seconds. Any longer, and there is a risk that the ad will be trimmed by the platform. Other types of videos can be a bit lengthier such as up to one minute if filmed using the native TikTok recorder, and even longer if filmed or created elsewhere and uploaded.

It is still worthwhile to include captions for your videos even though TikTok requires that audio settings to be set as on. That way, anyone who comes across your content will be able to get a general overview of your message even if they do not watch the video from start to finish.

You are now ready to create an awe-inspiring TikTok video that generates the attention and engagement youve always hoped for. Go for it!

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A Guide to TikTok Best Practice in 2020 - The Future of Things

BRITAIN'S Got Talent has produced some of the most memorable performances on our screen.

Producing some of the biggest stars in the business, the ITV talent show has a knack for finding the most talented youngsters in the country.

8

As there's no age restriction for BGT, the beloved series has become a launchpad for those looking for success at a young age.

Here we take a look at the show's most iconic younger stars and check out what they're up to now...

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Connie Talbot won over the nation's hearts when she appeared on the first series of Britains Got Talent back in 2007 - at the tender age of six.

She made it all the way to the final and sang Somewhere Over The Rainbow but missed out on the prize to Paul Potts.

A year after appearing on BGT, she released Connie Talbot's Christmas Album, which she recorded in her bedroom studio.

In 2012 she released her fourth album Beautiful World under Hong Kong based label Evosound - it reached number one in the Taiwan charts.

Two years later she opened a special concert to celebrate South Korea hosting the G20 summit.

Then in 2019, the 18-year-old took to the BGT: The Champions stage to sing an original song but despite getting rave comments from the judges, she didn't make it through to the finals.

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George Sampson, 26, is a street dancer who found fame and success after winning Britain's Got Talent in 2008.

Since his appearance on BGT, George has branched out into acting and also released his own single Get Up On The Dance Floor/Headz Up in 2008 with Syco.

After performing in West End show Into The Hoods, he landed a role in Waterloo Road, as Kyle, in 2011, before joining Emmerdale in 2016 as Ryan.

He's also had minor roles in Mount Pleasant and Casualty, as well as presenting CBBC's Friday Download. Then in 2010 and 2012 he appeared in 3D movies Streetdance and Streetdance 2.

In April 2017, George had a 9,000 hair transplant procedure to get rid of a bald patch on his head, which was caused by all the spinning he does on his head during break-dancing routines.

George took his own mother to court in 2016 after she refused to leave the Warrington house he bought with his Britain's Got Talent winnings. In May 2017 he joined the cast of Madness musical Our House as Reecey.

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Ronan Parke tugged at the heartstrings when he sang his heart out to Feeling Good aged 12 in 2011's instalment of BGT.

At the time, he narrowly missed out on winning the competition, ending up in second place.

The fresh-faced singer was still snapped up by Simon Cowells label, but like many talent show acts before him, he was sadly dropped after a year.

Since leaving the show he released his debut album called Ronan Parke and went onto do a number of performances around the UK.

He left his record labels the following year, and later that year released a new single, We Are Shooting Stars.

He has also collaborated with fellow Britains Got Talent contestant Luciel Johns, and released a further few singles in 2014.

Now in 2020, Ronan has a YouTube channel, which he updates regularly with music covers and vlogs to his 187,000 followers.

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In 2009, Hollie Steel delivered an unforgettable performance on Britains Got Talent which saw her breaking down in floods of tears midway through her semi-final song.

Despite boasting plenty of vocal promise, it was the 10-year-olds onstage collapse on the show that will always stick in the mind.

Nerves got the better of her during her rendition of Edelweiss, causing her to flee the stage in pieces.

However, she bravely returned for a second attempt and the judges voted her through to the final, eventually finishing sixth in the competition.

Hollie capitalised on her BGT fame, Hollie and her family launched their own label, BB5 Records, and put out her debut self-titled album in 2010.

She followed that up with a Christmas album in 2011 and her second collection, Children On The Titanic, in 2012.

In 2011, she was also cast in the role of Louisa von Trapp in Andrew Lloyd Webber's UK tour of The Sound Of Music, performing in the show across the country from May to October.

Now today a 21-year-old Hollie continues to act and sing, uploading regular song covers to her channel.

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Comedian Jack Carroll competed in the seventh series of Britain's Got Talent at the age of 14, finishing as the runner-up.

In 2010, at the age of 12, Jack caught the eye of comedian Jason Manford when he saw a video of him performing at his parents' wedding anniversary and asked him to perform at one of his shows.

Two years later, the teen won a Pride of Britain award in 2012 before he wowed judges with his comedy act a year later.

Jack, who has cerebral palsy, has continued to do stand-up since being on BGT and also is enjoying a successful career as an actor.

The funnyman has appeared in two series of the CBBC Channel show Ministry of Curious Stuff and also Sky One series Trollied.

He took his show Jack Carroll And Friends to the Edinburgh Fringe 2019.

Last year, he competed in Britain's Got Talent: The Champions but was eliminated.

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Welsh native Shaheen Jafargholi left the BGT audience in awe after he delivered a powerful version of Michael Jackson's Who's Loving Yo during his audition in 2009.

The schoolboy was lauded with praise from around the world so much so that Shaheen was asked to perform at Michael Jackson's funeral when he was just 12.

Following his appearance on the show, Shaheen recorded an album, and turned his attention to acting with cameo in Torchwood and Grandpa in My Pocket.

In 2016, he joined the cast of EastEnders as Carmel Kazemi's (Bonnie Langford) son, Shakil, and in August 2018 it was announced he'd joined Casualty.

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Aidan Davis starred in the third series of the ITV talent show back in 2009.

Back then, aged just 11 and sporting a bright blue hoodie, he impressed judges with his fancy footwork to Flo Ridas Low.

While blonde Amanda Holden said he blew her away,, head honcho Simon Cowell added: I think youre better than any dancer on this show, you are super, super, super talented.

Yet the dance star who claimed he never had professional training was caught up in a highly talented bunch and battled it out in a series which included singing sensation Susan Boyle and fellow dancers Diversity, who went on to take the title.

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He then joined the lads on their Diversitoys tour as well as teaming up with the crew on the official BGT tour.

Since then Aiden continues to dances and has a fondness for sharing shirtless selfies on social media.

The new series of Britains Got Talent continues tonight at 8pm on ITV.

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Britains Got Talents biggest child stars from Connie Talbot to George Sampson where are they now? - The Sun

1: 33 PM PT According to cops docs police officers were contacted us to Jones house for a family members disruption. When they showed up, his partner declared they had a spoken run-in that was physical earlier in the day. She purportedly informed the police officer Jones removed in his automobile and also was perhaps alcohol consumption.

Cops overtook him soon later at some point after 10 PM Monday evening and also drew him over. The apprehension record claims the police officer spotted a solid smell of alcohol originating from Jones.

Jones purportedly confessed he consumed alcohol a container of benefit while he and also his partner went to a sushi dining establishment a pair hrs previously, and also they entered a debate. Jones informed the police officer he strolled house, yet the disagreement proceeded there so he entrusted to most likely to one more house to escape her.

According to the record Jones showed some disability throughout area soberness examinations, such as persuading and also shedding his equilibrium, yet he did impact a little listed below a.08 on the Intoxilyzer two times.

It must be kept in mind its uncertain that the wife is in the record. Jones separated his previous partner in 2015, and also regarding we understand he has actually not remarried.

Alex Jones has a fresh DWI situation deep in the heart of Texas the previous InfoWars host was broken early Tuesday early morning in the Austin- location.

Jones was scheduled around 12: 30 AM according to the Travis County SheriffsDepartment He was back on the roads by 4 AM, after uploading a $3,00 0 bond and also as you may anticipate, Jones is informing his very own variation of occasions.

He took place his Alex Jones Show podcast and also claimed he blew under the lawful restriction of.08 so he believes the entire cost will certainly disappear. InfoWars is currently drifting a conspiracy concept, claiming Jones was captured in a DWI sting targeted at enhancing the Sheriffs Departments variety of apprehensions.

So much, the Sheriffs Department isnt claiming what Jones BAC was when he was arrested. Worth keeping in mind that in Texas you can be arrested for DWI also if youre under the restriction IF the police officer believes your driving capacity suffers.

Jones has actually been billed with offense DWI.

Originally posted here:

'InfoWars' Host Alex Jones Arrested for DWI in Texas - The Union Journal

There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen Vladimir Lenin

A pandemic can be a threat to humankind. As for the macabre dance of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) across the globe, its also throwing up a lot of material to reflect on, holding up a mirror to who we really are, as well as teachable moments in leadership, sacrifice, arrogance, human frailty and abounding, harmful stupidity.

Im thinking about the entitled folks who returned from Italy and, when taken to an army quarantine facility in Manesar, protested that material comforts were inadequate. When told the facility complied with protocols and this was going to be it, they made an offer they thought nobody would refuse: We can pay.

They did not pause to think what such an offer would mean back in Italy, which went from 322 cases to 12,462 in about two weeks. Faced with a tsunami of incoming patients, overwhelmed doctors and healthcare workers must resort to a warlike medical triage system they have to decide who among their patients gets a shot at life. An account from Lombardy describes heartrending scenes hospital corridors filled with patients with acute distress, a clogged system unable to help people literally gasping for breath. Money is futile if you are the first patient to come in after all the emergency beds are taken.

Shocking instances of civic negligence are reported from across India patients running away from quarantine, attendants who discharged a patient against medical advice and took him to multiple private hospitals, folks concealing their travel history for fear of extended stay in a government hospital. They are probably unaware of the gravity of their actions. South Korea, which did very well in controlling the outbreak early on, was brought to its knees by one individual who ignored the doctors advice. A so-called superspreader, Patient 31 travelled widely, coming into contact with over 1,000 people since being advised to get herself tested.

Such behaviour jars against the sacrifice of the medical staff who are working to exhaustion around the world, reminded of their vulnerability by colleagues periodically succumbing to the disease.

The virus is proving to be a terrible inconvenience by disregarding well-established human boundaries of wealth and social class. It is also showing a knack for grounding arrogance. NBA player Rudy Gobert tested positive days after making a joke of touching reporters microphones. He must have felt invincible, which is easy when you are a sports star used to a $100 million salary contract. Coronavirus rolled its non-existent eye.

Australias home minister and stridently anti-immigrant politician Peter Dutton has tested positive, and will presumably be looked after well by immigrant nurses.

US President Donald Trump, who dismissed the concern over the virus as a hoax by the Democrats during a recent campaign rally, and his guest at Mar-a-Lago last weekend, Brazilian counterpart Jair Bolsonaro, who said the virus was a fantasy, have both been jolted after the latters press secretary, present at the summit, tested positive. Brazils ambassador in Washington, who sat at Trumps table at dinner, has also tested positive, and so has Miami mayor Francis Suarez, who met the Brazilian delegation separately.

Rather sneaky of the virus to have got to sniffing distance of the worlds most powerful man within weeks of departing the national boundaries of China.

In England, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has taken an enormous risk by following a markedly different strategy from every other country, following the advice of chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance, who is a proponent of the idea of herd immunity. Other countries are working on the idea of flattening the curve, meaning slowing the spread of infection so that the public health systems are not overwhelmed. England is going to let the cases soar as it wants the population to develop immunity to the virus. The country believes this is the only lasting solution because while social distancing and lockdowns will slow down the spread of the virus, it can spread again when the restrictions are lifted.

Constraints on economic growth must also be playing on the minds of UKs leaders. There is a real risk that lower economic growth due to reduced activity will bring greater misery to peoples lives than the virus itself. Thats something for all leaders to keep in mind, especially in poorer nations where daily wagers and those on the margins will suffer when economic activity is frozen.

Nonetheless, UKs strategy hinges on being able to manage the peaks of the epidemic make sufficient intensive care beds available for those who need it. Once you run out of beds, bodies will start piling up. It could also end up being a terribly discriminatory policy as the viruss morbidity is disproportionately high in those above 60 years. Some virologists have contested the herd immunity theory, saying theres little evidence that people develop sustained immunity to the coronavirus family. Depending on the outcomes, Johnson will either be damned as a killer or hailed as a genius who saw what no other country could. Its a leadership test with potentially thousands of lives at stake.

The march of the virus is also bringing stories of hope, cheer and wonder. If you havent, you must watch (on YouTube) the videos of Chinese drones enforcing the lockdown in Wuhan. The drones swoop down on people who are out and about, and an operator, unseen to the person, scolds them through the machines speakers. Why are you not wearing a mask? Go back home! it chides an astonished little kid, who promptly turns around and scampers home.

It has brought heartening evidence of state capacity, as states like Kerala and Karnataka have started publishing detailed route maps of infected individuals. In Kerala, state workers are delivering midday meals home to anganwadi children. From the same state has emerged the story of a shop that has sold 5,000 masks for Rs 2 each, after procuring them for Rs 10. A video from Italy, showing people in a locked down neighbourhood together singing Sicilian songs from their balconies, is a tribute to human resilience.

The virus has also reminded us of our collective frailty. Who could, after-all, have fathomed that in 2020, the year from science fiction that was supposed to be about flying cars, uploading our brains to the cloud and nudging immortality, we would instead see supermarket riots over toilet paper?

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View: The morbid dance of coronavirus is holding up a mirror to who we really are - Economic Times

Churches around the country are weighing whether to suspend worship services in response to the coronavirus, with their decisions dependent on their size, their proximity to an outbreak, and perhaps even their political leanings.

In the most aggressive response, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints have temporarily suspended "all public gatherings" of church members worldwide. According to a church statement, members are encouraged "to care for one another" in lieu of attending worship services.

Roman Catholic and Episcopal leaders are generally leaving the decision of whether to suspend worship services to local diocesan authorities. The Catholic archdioceses of Washington, D.C., and Seattle have both ordered the cancellation of public masses, for example, while other dioceses have not yet done so, opting to mitigate the threat of virus contagion by limiting physical contact or modifying Communion practices. All Episcopal churches in Maryland and D.C. have canceled services, at least temporarily.

In some cases, church decisions are being dictated by local government decrees. After Utah Gov. Gary Herbert asked for an end to all public gatherings of more than 100 people, church leaders across the state agreed to suspend worship services temporarily. In response to a similar request from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, many churches in that state also announced a suspension of services, though some church leaders are resisting the governor's call.

Aaron Harvie, senior pastor of Highview Baptist Church in Louisville, told The Washington Post that he has no plans to cancel services at his church, which has 7000 members in three campuses.

"If we shut down services, it would add to fear," Harvie said. He told the Post he would like to tell the governor that he is treading into an area where "you don't actually have direct responsibility or authority."

Some church leaders close to the Trump administration have been especially resistant to any pressure to suspend worship services.

Robert Jeffress, the senior pastor at First Baptist in Dallas, Texas, and one of Trump's most outspoken admirers, told his congregation he wanted to avoid "pandemic panic."

"I know some people are saying, 'The NBA is canceling games, why don't you cancel church services?'" Jeffress said in an interview with the Dallas TV station KDFW. "Respectfully, what we do is more important than what the NBA is doing. That's entertainment, and that's optional. Worship is essential."

Jeffress, however, may be forced to adjust his church's worship plans after Dallas County on Thursday evening issued a "public health emergency," ordering a ban on public gatherings of more than 500 people.

The decree does not affect Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, Texas, located in a neighboring county. Though Prestonwood is one of the largest churches in America, with 45,000 members spread across three campuses, Senior Pastor Jack Graham, another fervent Trump admirer, initially refused to suspend mass worship services.

"We're not going to shut down with the current information that we have," Graham told his congregation.

On Friday, however, Graham and his associates changed their mind.

"After much discussion and prayer and given how quickly the coronavirus pandemic is evolving in our communities," Graham announced, "we have made the difficult decision not to meet in person for services this weekend."

In the Seattle area, home to the most serious coronavirus outbreak, church leaders have willingly agreed to suspend worship services.

"Obviously, there's no substitute for meeting in person, but we know that's not wise," says Ryan Falls, pastor at Westminster Chapel in Bellevue, which has closed its doors indefinitely. The church is just a 10-minute drive from Kirkland Life Care Center, the senior living facility where 26 residents have died so far as a result of the coronavirus.

Falls is continuing to deliver sermons, but without facing his congregation. He films the sermons in a media room at the church for uploading via the church website.

Another church in the Kirkland area, Overlake Christian, has not yet locked its doors, but is considerably scaling back its worship services.

"We are strongly encouraging people to stay home and worship with us online," says associate pastor Phil Chenery, "but we tell people that we are here if you want to join us." Though weekly church attendance averages 1,500, only about 100 worshippers showed up last Sunday, Chenery says.

The suspension of worship services is likely to affect churches across the country differently, depending on their size and available resources. Megachurches, generally defined as having more than 2,000 members, are best positioned to withstand extended closures, largely because of their extensive online operations.

"Megachurches have gone into high tech, rather than high touch," says Scott Thumma, who studies the megachurch phenomenon at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research. "So in many ways they're exceptionally well adapted to meet the challenges of not gathering for a couple of weeks."

Almost all megachurches raise revenue through online giving, Thumma says, and are using it to their advantage.

"If [members] give online and then agree to do it monthly," Thumma says, "you are going to get more money than if you just plead with people face to face."

Smaller congregations, in contrast, are likely to depend more on weekly offerings collected in church and are less able to turn to online worship and are therefore more vulnerable to extended suspension of worship services.

Another factor affecting how churches will weather the coronavirus storm, Thumma says, is their age profile.

"Megachurch congregations tend to be significantly younger, and thus less likely to be in that high risk category than smaller, more traditional mainline congregations," Thumma says.

In U.S. Episcopal churches, Thumma notes, almost half the membership is age 65 and older, making them especially vulnerable to the coronavirus outbreak.

See the original post:

Churches Grapple With Whether To Suspend Worship Services - WUWF

The aisles of grocery stores are barren. All major concerts and sporting events are canceled. The stock market is crashing. Citizens across the world have been encouraged to stay inside. Thousands of people are dying. Even Americas dad has tested positive for adeadly virus thats now responsible for a worldwide crisis.

But in the middle of these bleak, unprecedented times, one thing that we can stay positive about is new music. In the past 48 hours alone, weve been blessed with a second collection of songs from Lil Uzi Vert in as many weeks, an exceptional debut album from Don Toliver,Jay Electronicas long-fabled debut album (featuring JAY-Z!)and more.

As if that wasnt enough, Donald Glover returned in the very early hours of Sunday with a surprise new project that streamed in a loop on his new website, donaldgloverpresents.com,until it mysteriously disappeared later in the evening. As of now, the project has no title, although some have pointed out that Donald Glover Presents is also the name given to his adidas partnership. It appears to consist of 12 tracks, including guestfeatures from 21 Savage, SZA, and Ariana Grande.

Without further ado, lets get into it. As with everything Donald Glover creates, whether from his Childish Gambino persona or not, this one will take more than just one day to completely unpack, so well do that in the coming weeks. But for now, I wrote down some initial thoughts aftera few spins. Here are eight big takeaways from Donald Glovers surprise collection of new music.[Note: All song titles referenced below are placeholder names being commonly used by fans until an official tracklist is revealed.]

The context that surrounds an album always influences the way its received by listeners, and theres no doubt in my mind that Donald Glover was intentional about sharing this collection of music exactly when he did. In the midst of a global pandemic, he chose to present these songs alongside hand-drawn artwork depictingsociety in the throes of hysteria. And although its likely that most of this music was recorded long before words like COVOID-19 and social distancing were inescapable, these songs reflect the chaotic, unpredictable feeling of the day. One moment, Donald delivers sweet, sunny melodies onSweet Thing / Thank You, before things turn apocalyptic on Algorythm, where he growls over dystopian electronic production:Humans dont understand, humans gon sell a lie/Cause humans gotta survive, we know we gon die.

Even though its probably beenon a hard drive somewhere for months (or years), Donald had to have known this line would hit different right now: Why go to the party/Why go to the party/Why go to the party at all. Hes always had an anxious perspective on the future of humanity, and this comes through vividly on a song like Time where he sings, Seven billion people/Tryna free themselves/Said a billion prayers/Tryna save myself/I can see it coming/But it'smovingfast. Can you think of a better refrain for March, 2020? Its still unclear exactly what the plan was behind the release of this music, but it feels like Donald was sitting on music that he realized was naturally aligned with the tone of a global pandemic, and decided to share it with the world. With the recent news that the third season of Atlanta has been put on hold due to coronavirus outbreak concerns, we know Donald is feeling firsthand anxiety from this pandemic. It wouldnt be a stretch to think he hand-picked a collection of unreleased songs from his stash, with the specific goal of soundtracking a moment like this.

Instead of uploading these songs to traditional streaming platforms, Donald chose to share them in one continuous loop on his website until Sunday evening. When listeners arrived at the site, they were plunged into the middle of a stream, wherever it happened to be at the time,with no knowledge of where they were in the tracklist. There were no song titles, no credits, no explanations at all. Not only was this a unique, refreshing way to experience music in 2020, completely void of context,it also acted as a unifying way to hear an album for the first time. No matter where you were in the world, you were hearing the same song at the same time as everyone else who was tapped in. Considering the fact that everyone is similarly unified by the same life experiences right now (being locked down in isolation), this feels like a deliberate choice from an artist who has a fondness forexperimental, collective listening events. RememberPHAROS?

A couple years ago, Donald Glover kept telling everyone hewas planning on retiring Childish Gambino.Now, it seems that may have just happened, considering this project was shared as Donald Glover Presents, without any mention of his Childish Gambino alias. After listening tothis music, which isstylistically miles away from the rap-centric material he was making when he used a Wu-Tang Clan name generator to come up with Childish Gambino, this decision makes a lot of sense. Donald isnt the same artist as he was back then. Gone are the days of the punchline raps we heard all over Camp. Now, he wants to sing. Hed rather make genre-defying, melodic music than stick to just one style. Fortunately for fans, it seems a complete retirement from music isnt imminent. Instead, its the beginning of a new erathe Donald Glover era.

Donald Glover took a sharp stylistic left turn on his 2016 album, Awaken, My Love!which veered away from his hip-hop origins in favor of R&B, psychedelic soul, and funk. On this new collection of music, he continues that evolution. Here, Donald leans even harder into his R&B influences, but this time, hes a little more in line with 2020 pop music. Where Awaken, My Love!was criticized by some as being a pastiche of bygone eras, these songs feel more fresh. This time, he injects his influences with distinctly modern furnishingsplaying with forward-thinking electronic production techniques, vocal effects, and contemporary songwriting methods. And the addition of guest vocals from 21 Savage, Ariana Grande, and SZA doesnt hurtto make this thing feel more current. After being overshadowed by his influences the last time around, Donald is now coming into his own and bending these sounds into a form of his own making. The evolution of Donald Glover just took another step forward.

Whether its writing surreal storylines on Atlanta or dramatically switching genres without warning, Donald Glover has always liked experimentinga tendency that isnt lost with these new songs. Midway through the opening track (or at least whats being commonly referred to as the opener) Warlords, he hits us over the head with jarring electronic production and nearly indecipherable lyrics, creating an unsettling mood. Its as if hes telling fans, If you were expecting an album full of straightforward pop songs after the release of Summertime Magic and Feels Like Summer, think again. Im still going to fuck with you a little. But unlike some of his experimental moments in the pastthink Riothes figuringout how to execute on these ideas in a more effective way. The moments of experimentalism feel more intentional now. On songs like Algorythm, he deliberately makes use of an abrasive electronic beat to convey a feeling of paranoia and unrest. Alternatively, a cut like Sweet Thing / Thank You takes on a calming, euphoric feeling thanks to a kaleidoscope of diverging sounds. Either way he takes it, the experiment works.

Donald Glover and 21 Savage first connected in late 2018 on i am > i was standout, Monster, a song that featured Donald rapping harder than wedin years. Now, on Vibrate, theyve connected again, with results that are just as thrilling. After Donald bounces aroundall over the beat, flipping from nimble raps to soaring falsettos, Savage anchors the song with a typically menacing verse, highlighted by lines like, Got a girl in Harvard, I talk proper when I call her/Baby, I'm a baller, ain't no way that I can rob ya. Theyre two for two. Forget that long-rumored Chance the Rapper and Childish Gambino collab project. We need a joint album from 21 and Donald!

In early 2016, Donald Glover became a father for the first time when he and his partner, Michelle White, had a son named Legend. Now, hes including his children in the creative process for the first time. On the outro of, Dont Worry About Tomorrow (The Violence), we hear the voice of one of his sons, who playfully sings along with the melody of his father. Then Donald asks his son, Who do you love? Me and his son responds, Yeah. Any one else? Glover asks. Mom and Hulalo. And Santa/And I love-and I love Roland/And I love myself, his son says. Its a sweet look into the family life of a notoriously private figure,and an early glimpse at Donald Glover, family man.

My biggest takeaway from a first listen of these new songs is that Donald Glover is improving as a musician. As a working actor, comedian, writer, producer, and director, he has never been able to dedicate 100% of his time to music. So at times, he hasnt been able to properly execute his most ambitious musical ideas on Childish Gambinoprojects. Thats beginning to change on this project. Here, his skills as a vocalist have improved noticeably, as has his knack for overall songwriting. Hes leaning on his influences less,taking more calculated risks, and at 36 years old, his worldview has matured. His skills are still sharpening with age. We may never see the day that Donald Glover quits ever other creative pursuitand focuses all his attention on music, but for now, hes still somehow finding time to advance himself as a musician. Weve all beenrewarded with a new collection of songs that are, on first listen anyway, a marked improvement on Awaken, My Love!

See original here:

8 Big Takeaways From Donald Glovers Surprise Collection of New Music - Complex

We write to you today to put it to you that, regardless of what you have been telling the public in recent weeks, the Compensation Fund is still technically dysfunctional, injured workers are suffering and no counter-arguments or deflections can change this devastating fact. Your new CompEasy (4Si) software system is failing the people of South Africa.

This protracted dysfunctionality is having a direct impact on the lives of real workers who have been injured on duty (IOD) across South Africa. The Compensation Funds own 2018/2019 annual report quotes 632 adjudicated claims per day of injured workers this excludes claims from the Federated Employers Mutual Assurance Company (FEMA), Rand Mutual Assurance Company Limited (RMA), as well as those claims reported, but not yet adjudicated. So we now have to consider the possibility that well on close to 150,000 workers would have needed to claim since September 2019 and that the vast majority would not have been able to do so.

The collateral damage to our society more broadly is considerable. The situation is causing devastation to the medical carers and practices who have been forced to treat and rehabilitate these workers out of pocket. It is causing great distress to the multitude of employers in this country who are caught between a rock and a hard place as they grapple, on the one hand, with the Funds failure to pay for the medical care of their workers so that they can return to work, and surviving an economic recession on the other. This is not to mention the impact felt by so many other affected parties, from families and communities to support service providers who are coming to the aid of the claimants and their doctors in these most trying of times.

It is time for you all collectively to stop making excuses, cease sugar-coating the situation and above all, to stop attacking the victims of this monumental systemic breakdown in the Compensation Fund system. Lest we need to remind you Minister, you have a duty to fulfil in terms of the Compensation for Occupational Injuries and Diseases Amendment Act, No 61 of 1997.

Let us look at some of the recent statements you have made about the situation and how these stack-up against reality:

Firstly, claims that the migration from the old uMehluko system to the new CompEasy system between August and October 2019 has been successful, is patently untrue. We are aware of meetings between Compensation Fund officials, the Britehouse project lead and various stakeholders, including national hospitals groups, professional bodies and administrators in which they admitted two things: that the migration is incomplete, causing many issues, and that many of the claims that were accepted in the old system are still stuck there and could not yet be migrated, which is preventing accounts from being paid. Thus, the fundamental question needs to be asked: When exactly will these be paid?

Secondly, Britehouse told the media that the system is operational and processing claims and the number of claims processed continues to increase daily. We would contend that this statement is just smoke and mirrors. Other organisations representing employers tell us that only 5% of their members have been able to get onto the CompEasy system to date. Furthermore, we are informed that only 2,200 of the estimated 600,000+ employers across SA have been able to register on CompEasy and only 8,000 of the potential 150,000 claims have been registered in the past six months, as per the figures recently provided by the Labour Department themselves. By definition, you certainly cannot classify the system as operational yet.

Thirdly, Minister Nxesi, you recently told Parliaments Labour Portfolio Committee that 80% of claims had been paid, and that fraudulent claims and incomplete paperwork were to blame for the non-payment of claims. Where exactly did you derive these figures and narrative from?

We have absolute proof that more than 98% of our members current, valid claims are not being paid, even though all the correct submission channels were followed. Our reality is that IOD medical service providers (MSPs) are experiencing a multitude of ad hoc system errors, and as you know, they are reporting these to both the Compensation Fund and Britehouse. All of the claims and medical reports that cannot be uploaded are now being emailed to your officials. They are overwhelmed by the volumes and cannot match the reports to the accounts, even though we have provided all the required information.

If your statement to the Portfolio Committee is true, then the obvious and burning question is when will the medical service providers be paid for the 80% that has been processed as alleged? The inconvenient and unpalatable truth is that you have not provided a system which allows all legitimate medical service providers to upload patient reports, and now you blame those same medical service providers for not supplying the paperwork or and this is even more insulting supposedly uploading fraudulent claims.

If the Fund is now paying only about 2% of what it used to pay out under the old system, are you now stating that the other 98% of accounts that were submitted are fraudulent? Or are you really saying that the non-payment to the 98% can prevent fraud purely because it makes all claims submissions, whether legitimate or fraudulent, virtually impossible? If for a second we supposed that you have now managed to eliminate fraud, you are surely obliged to state exactly where the fraud existed and what targeted controls you are putting in place. System failure does not constitute a fraud prevention tool.

We often hear reports that the Funds staff have been accused of fraud, yet you have only publicly announced a handful of medical providers who have been caught submitting fraudulent claims. The public has a right to know how many of your officials and medical service providers have been prosecuted for fraud perpetrated against the Fund to date? Give us the facts.

As a fifth point, Mr Gassner, your spokespeople told the media that Britehouse was one of a number of parties and service providers who were involved in the development and deployment of the CompEasy system, and in this regard, delivered on its responsibilities in line with the requirements provided. Can you please clarify which part of the job you were responsible for and who should, in fact, be held accountable for the broken parts of the system? Even if Britehouse was responsible for only certain aspects of this enterprise technology deployment, one would expect an international group such as Dimension Data/Britehouse to advise the client, irrespective of the fact that the client did or did not sign off, that deploying any system untested without running it parallel to the old system is a recipe for disaster. In this instance, it could be seen as a major contributing factor to the pain and suffering of injured workers not receiving treatment.

Finally, Minister Nxesi, you recently said that you would like to present three proposals to healthcare professionals, namely:

iii) possibly setting up a forensic investigation. We take this opportunity to respond.

We are not aware that a formal meeting invitation has been issued yet, but neither Iwag nor any of its members have been invited to any such meetings. There have, however, been many meetings in the past which have all proven to be fruitless, and many more unanswered meeting requests, but if you are willing to listen to our concerns diligently, responsibly, in good faith and with an open-mind, we hereby accept your offer to meet.

Parliamentary Committee members can visit the Compensation Fund offices, but unless these Honourable Members can process and pay claims or switch on the new CompEasy system, the visit will not improve the life of a single injured worker. We also doubt whether the Honourable Committee Members will really be able to see if the offices are functional during a guided tour.

In this regard, could you please supply us with accurate statistics per your regional offices regarding how many medical invoices have been distributed per region, how many are in the queue to be processed, how many have been processed since 1 October 2019 and the reasons why payments are not flowing to MSPs?

In terms of the suggestion of a forensic investigation, it is unclear how one would conduct such an investigation of something that has never really worked. But assuming you do order a forensic investigation, will its terms of reference focus only on the causes of the problem, or will it also attempt to calculate the cost to real injured workers whose rights have been denied simply because they could not get a claim number, or if they could, could go no further due to the software freezing on them, or sending back erroneous error messages? Will your forensic audit look into how many workers never received the timeous critical care and rehabilitation they needed because of these issues and how their recovery paths are harmed? Will you Minister, look into the eyes of the 150,000 workers and their families who have been prejudiced by the failure of the Compensation Fund and CompEasy and explain their plight?

In addition to the inhuman treatment of workers, will your proposed forensic investigation include an analysis of how many physiotherapy, occupational therapy and other practices have either had to retrench staff or close down, or how many skilled and specialised IOD doctors have left the country because of the CompEasy situation?

Conclusion

We also read your media release about the Compensation Funds visit to Marquard in the Free State on 25 February with interest. While we wont go into details about it now, the claims you make in that release warrant further scrutiny by whoever is investigating the CompEasy debacle.

The country needs answers. We need answers. We need accountability. The workers of South Africa need a compensation system that works, as is their right. The power and the responsibility is in your hands Minister. Recall the words of President Ramaphosa in a previous state of the nation address, Thuma Mina, send me. Workers across the length and breadth of South Africa are calling out to you for help Minister. Dont let them down in their hour of need!

Yours in workers health,

The Injured Workers Action Group (Iwag)

Members: South African Private Ambulance and Emergency Services Association, (SAPAESA); Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA); South African Society of Physiotherapy (SASP); South African Medical and Dental Practitioners Association (SAMDP); Relay EMS; Jgerhof Game Lodge; IOD account administrators and aggregators representing 2,000+ medical practices; CompSol; MedSol Debtors Management; and CIRC. DM

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See the article here:

The workers Compensation Fund software is failing the people of South Africa - Daily Maverick

Its an exciting time to be a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as the films are now meant to go hand in hand with the TV series. Within Phase Four, well be seeing The Falcon and the Winter Soldier be the first show to play out.

RELATED:The Falcon and the Winter Soldier: 5 Rumors We Hope Are True (& 5 We Hope Aren't)

Since this will be given the same level of importance as the films, theres always a chance we might see characters from the movies show up here. If youre wondering who that could be and how the story would play out, then check out these 10 characters we want to see in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

Ross returned to the MCU after a gap of eight years, only to become a mainstay once more as hell be seen in Black Widow next. However, it would make more sense to see him in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier for the antagonistic role he played toward the titular characters.

As Ross was responsible for bringing the accords forward - something that kickstarted the Civil War arc - theres enough to go on here for him to resume his negative influence. Plus, theres still hope we might see him become the Red Hulk in the MCU canon as well.

It turned out we didnt actually get to see Maria Hill at all in Spider-Man: Far From Home, and her future is still up in the air. Still, we wouldnt count the chances out for Maria to show up here, as her background as an agent makes her perfect for the series.

The explanation for the Skrulls assuming her identity could be explained away as Maria being busy with the events of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.Theres always been the feeling that she hasnt fulfilled her potential evenafter eight years in the MCU; this series could be her chance to live up to that potential.

With The Winter Soldier set to be given an additional characterization, his past in the MCU deserves to be seen. The best flashbacks would be set during the time he was fighting in the war, and Peggy Carter was at the center of things back then.

Sure, she had a great ending in Avengers: Endgame, but its important to remember that she was the Peggy from an alternate timeline. We can still see the main universe Peggys history explored, and what better way than having her interact with Barnes in the past?

Notice how weve mentioned Bruce and not Smart Hulk, and that would be because the latter version would be too out of place in this series. However, having him revert to Bruce Banner would make things interesting once again. His presence would make sense too since we last saw him Falcon and Winter Soldier.

RELATED:Falcon And Winter Soldier: 5 Reasons Why U.S. Agent Could Be The Villain (& 5 Why Hes Actually A Good Guy)

Most think he was done wrong in Avengers: Endgame for essentially becoming a comic relief, so we think this series could make him out to be a serious character by setting him up for the potential appearance in the She-Hulk series.

It would feel unfair to have Everett be solely associated with the Black Panther films, more so because he made his debut in Captain America: Civil War. Plus, we last saw Helmut Zemo speaking with Everett, meaning theres an established hostility there.

With Zemo back, and Everett always amid missions, theres really nothing stopping him from appearing in the series as far as the story is concerned. He could even be placed as the next Phil Coulson in that Everett can pop in between films and shows.

It was a surprise to see Zola as a machine in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, but fans have come to the consensus that weve seen the last of the villain. This sense of security would mean wed be shocked once again if Zola were to reappear.

Ideally, it should be the supercomputer version of him rather than the actual Zola, as him uploading his conscience as an A.I. was an intriguing twist that never got explored. With The Winter Soldiers past seemingly coming to haunt him, Zola can represent his HYDRA days.

Wherever theres The Winter Soldier, Howard Stark doesnt seem to be too far behind. These two have had their stories intertwined some way or another, and it always has some kind of interesting revelation for fans.

While we wouldnt mind more secrets of Howard coming out in the open, it would be more intriguing if Howard appears as a manifestation of Barnes guilt. The series didnt dive much into him being Howards killer, and this show can go about in exploring that.

An underrated friendship was that of Rhodey and Sam Wilson, and the former was even seen distraught when searching for Sam in Avengers: Infinity War after the Snap. Theres also the matter of Falcon being partly responsible for Rhodey losing his ability to walk.

With such potential for drama, wed prefer to see Rhodey as himself over being active as War Machine. It would not only update us on Rhodeys happenings after losing Tony but also detail his relationship with Sam in the process.

Like it was with Maria Hill, Nick Fury is also someone whose status is shrouded in mystery. His is even stranger as he was last seen heading somewhere in space. However, that could simply have been left in the film as a joke.

Falcon & Winter Soldier: 5 Things We're Excited About (& 5 That We're Not)

At the end of Avengers: Endgame, Fury was seen nearby Maria and Thaddeus Ross, and this could be shown as a conflict waiting to happen in Falcon and the Winter Soldier. If nothing else, wed just like to see Fury contact the titular heroes in order to make clear of both his whereabouts and the status of the Avengers initiative.

You knew this was coming the whole time, and Steve Rogers will remain on everybodys minds throughout the series. Even if he doesnt show up, fans will still be holding out hope for something to point toward the character.

Although the actor has claimed hes done with Steve Rodgers for now, theres still a chance we might see Rodgers cameo either in flashbacks or as the old man he was in Avengers: Endgame. Whatever might be the case, the show just wont feel complete if Falcon and Winter Soldier dont have the original Captain America at least for a little while.

NEXT:Falcon and Winter Soldier: Bucky Barnes Top 10 MCU Moments So Far

Next10 Game Of Thrones Vs Lord Of The Rings Memes That Are Too Hilarious

Saim Cheeda is an entertainment writer covering all of Film, TV, Gaming and Books. He's been a writer for Valnet since 2017, contributing 500+ articles for The Gamer, The Things, Game Rant, Comic Book Resources and Screen Rant. Apart from freelance writing, Saim is a lifestyle blogger, co-owning the blog 3 States Apart.http://3statesapart.com

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MCU: 10 Characters We Want To See In The Falcon And The Winter Soldier - Screen Rant

We picked up the Ori and the Will of the Wisps achievements last week, and it looks like those who have had early access to the game are wasting no time in uploading their solutions for some of the game's hardest achievements. Ori and the Will of the Wisps has two achievements that are similar to a couple found in Ori and the Blind Forest. For the Hardcore Fan achievement, you'll need to complete the game on Hard Mode. While for the Immortal achievement, you'll need to complete the game without dying. Thankfully, guides from El Perplexo and LifeExpectancy (who has already completed the game), should be able to help with the process. El Perplexo's Hardcore Fan achievement guide comes with a spoiler warning, so bear that in mind before viewing the full solution. Perplexo details that Will of the Wisps is a bit more forgiving than Blind Forest, and to get this achievement, you'll need to focus on finding upgrades for your health and energy. You'll also need to find all the combat sanctuaries to be able to equip more shards. Perplexo goes on to detail his setup and the route he took throughout the game.

LifeExpectancy's Immortal achievement guide involves backing up your save file now and then. What you'll need to do is play for a short while, quit the game to the main menu and copy the save file. This will give you a backup to restart from should you die. LifeExpectancy also notes that there are many more opportunities for Ori to be killed compared to the Blind Forest, so keep your wits about you.

Ori and the Will of the Wisps releases tomorrow and is included in both Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Game Pass for PC. For more on Ori, you can check out Heidi's official review of Ori and the Will of the Wisps here.

Go here to see the original:

Guides are already up for some of Ori and the Will of the Wisps' hardest achievements - TrueAchievements

If, as it seems, we are in the process of becoming a totalitarian society in which the state apparatus is all-powerful, the ethics most important for the survival of the true, free, human individual would be:cheat, lie, evade, fake it, be elsewhere, forge documents, build improved electronic gadgets in your garage thatll outwit the gadgets used by the authorities.

Philip K. Dick

Emboldened by the citizenrys inattention and willingness to tolerate its abuses, the government has weaponized one national crisis after another in order to expands its powers.

The war on terror, the war on drugs, the war on illegal immigration, asset forfeiture schemes, road safety schemes, school safety schemes, eminent domain: all of these programs started out as legitimate responses to pressing concerns and have since become weapons of compliance and control in the police states hands.

It doesnt even matter what the nature of the crisis might becivil unrest, the national emergencies, unforeseen economic collapse,loss of functioning political and legal order, purposeful domestic resistance or insurgency, pervasive public health emergencies, and catastrophic natural and human disastersas long as it allows the government to justify all manner of government tyranny in the so-called name of national security.

Now we find ourselves on the brink of a possible coronavirus contagion.

Ill leave the media and the medical community to speculate about the impact the coronavirus will have on the nations health, but how will the governments War on the Coronavirus impact our freedoms?

For a hint of whats in store, you can look to Chinaour role model for all things dystopianwhere the contagion started.

In an attempt to fight the epidemic, the government has given its surveillance state apparatuswhich boasts the most expansive and sophisticated surveillance system in the worldfree rein. Thermal scanners using artificial intelligence (AI) have been installed at train stations in major cities to assess body temperatures and identify anyone with a fever. Facial recognition cameras and cell phone carriers track peoples movements constantly, reporting in real time to data centers that can be accessed by government agents and employers alike. And coded color alerts (red, yellow and green) sort people into health categories that correspond to the amount of freedom of movement theyre allowed: Green code, travel freely. Red or yellow, report immediately.

Mind you, prior to the coronavirus outbreak, the Chinese surveillance state had already been hard at work tracking its citizens through the use of some 200 million security cameras installed nationwide. Equipped with facial recognition technology, the cameras allow authorities to track so-called criminal acts, such as jaywalking, which factor into a persons social credit score.

Social media credit scores assigned to Chinese individuals and businesses categorize them on whether or not they are good citizens. A real-name systemwhich requires people to use government-issued ID cards to buy mobile sims, obtain social media accounts, take a train, board a plane, or even buy groceriescoupled with social media credit scores ensures that those blacklisted as unworthy are banned from accessing financial markets, buying real estate or travelling by air or train. Among the activities that can get you labeled unworthy are taking reserved seats on trains or causing trouble in hospitals.

That same social credit score technology used to identify, track and segregate citizens is now one of Chinas chief weapons in its fight to contain the coronavirus from spreading. However, it is far from infallible and a prime example of the difficulties involved in navigating an autonomous system where disembodied AI systems call the shots. For instance, one woman, who has no symptoms of the virus but was assigned a red code based on a visit to her hometown, has been blocked from returning to her home and job until her color code changes. She has been stuck in this state of limbo for weeks with no means of challenging the color code or knowing exactly why shes been assigned a red code.

Fighting the coronavirus epidemic has given China the perfect excuse for unleashing the full force of its surveillance and data collection powers. The problem, as Eamon Barrett acknowledges in Fortune magazine, is what happens after: Once the outbreak is controlled, its unclear whether the government will retract its new powers.

The lesson for the ages: once any government is allowed to expand its powers, its almost impossible to pull back.

Meanwhile, here in the U.S., the government thus far has limited its coronavirus preparations to missives advising the public to stay calm, wash their hands, and cover their mouths when they cough and sneeze.

Dont go underestimating the governments ability to lock the nation down if the coronavirus turns into a pandemic, however. After all, the government has been planning and preparing for such a crisis for years now.

The building blocks are already in place for such an eventuality: the surveillance networks, fusion centers and government contractors that already share information in real time; the governments massive biometric databases that can identify individuals based on genetic and biological markers; the militarized police, working in conjunction with federal agencies, ready and able to coordinate with the federal government when its time to round up the targeted individuals; the courts that will sanction the governments methods, no matter how unlawful, as long as its done in the name of national security; and the detention facilities, whether private prisons or FEMA internment camps, that have been built and are waiting to be filled.

Now all of this may sound far-fetched to you now, but weve already arrived at the dystopian futures prophesied by George Orwells1984, Aldous HuxleysBrave New World, and Philip K. Dicks Minority Report.

It wont take much more to push us over the edge into Neill BlomkampsElysium, in which the majority of humanity is relegated to an overpopulated, diseased, warring planet where the government employs technologies such as drones, tasers and biometric scanners to track, target and control the populace.

Mind you, while these technologies are already in use today and being hailed for their potentially life-saving, cost-saving, time-saving benefits, it wont be long before the drawbacks to having a government equipped with technology that makes it all-seeing, all-knowing, and all-powerfulhelped along by the citizenryfar outdistance the benefits.

On a daily basis, Americans are relinquishing (in many cases, voluntarily) the most intimate details of who we aretheir biological makeup, our genetic blueprints, and our biometrics (facial characteristics and structure, fingerprints, iris scans, etc.)in order to navigate an increasingly technologically-enabled world.

Consider all the ways you continue to be tracked, hunted, hounded, and stalked by the government and its dubious agents:

By tapping into your phone lines and cell phone communications, the government knows what you say. By uploading all of your emails, opening your mail, and reading your Facebook posts and text messages, the government knows what you write. By monitoring your movements with the use of license plate readers, surveillance cameras and other tracking devices, the government knows where you go. By churning through all of the detritus of your lifewhat you read, where you go, what you saythe government can predict what you will do.

By mapping the synapses in your brain, scientistsand in turn, the governmentwill soon know what you remember. By mapping your biometricsyour face-printand storing the information in a massive, shared government database available to bureaucratic agencies, police and the military, the governments goal is to use facial recognition software to identify you (and every other person in the country) and track your movements, wherever you go. And by accessing your DNA, the government will soon know everything else about you that they dont already know: your family chart, your ancestry, what you look like, your health history, your inclination to follow orders or chart your own course, etc.

Of course, none of these technologies are foolproof.

Nor are they immune from tampering, hacking or user bias.

Nevertheless, they have become a convenient tool in the hands of government agents to render null and void the Constitutions requirements of privacy and its prohibitions against unreasonable searches and seizures.

The ramifications of a governmentany governmenthaving this much unregulated, unaccountable power to target, track, round up and detain its citizens is beyond chilling.

Imagine what a totalitarian regime such as Nazi Germany could have done with this kind of unadulterated power.

Imagine what the next police state to follow in Germanys footsteps will do with this kind of power. Society is rapidly moving in that direction.

Weve made it so easy for the government to watch us.

Government eyes see your every move: what you read, how much you spend, where you go, with whom you interact, when you wake up in the morning, what youre watching on television and reading on the internet.

Every move you make is being monitored, mined for data, crunched, and tabulated in order to form a picture of who you are, what makes you tick, and how best to control you when and if it becomes necessary to bring you in line.

Chances are, as the Washington Post has reported, you have already been assigned a color-coded threat assessment scoregreen, yellow or redso police are forewarned about your potential inclination to be a troublemaker depending on whether youve had a career in the military, posted a comment perceived as threatening on Facebook, suffer from a particular medical condition, or know someone who knows someone who might have committed a crime.

In other words, youre most likely already flagged in a government database somewhere.

The government has the know-how.

Indeed, for years now, the FBI and Justice Department have conspired to acquire near-limitless power and control over biometric information collected on law-abiding individuals, millions of whom have never been accused of a crime.

Going far beyond the scope of those with criminal backgrounds, the FBIs Next Generation Identification database (NGID), a billion dollar boondoggle that is aimed at dramatically expanding the governments ID database from a fingerprint system to a vast data storehouse of iris scans, photos searchable with face recognition technology, palm prints, and measures of gait and voice recordings alongside records of fingerprints, scars, and tattoos.

Launched in 2008, the NGID is a massive biometric database that contains more than 100 million fingerprints and 45 million facial photos gathered from a variety of sources ranging from criminal suspects and convicts to daycare workers and visa applicants, including millions of people who have never committed or even been accused of a crime.

In other words, innocent American citizens are now automatically placed in a suspect database.

For a long time, the government was required to at least observe some basic restrictions on when, where and how it could access someones biometrics and DNA and use it against them.

That is no longer the case.

The information is being amassed through a variety of routine procedures, with the police leading the way as prime collectors of biometrics for something as non-threatening as a simple moving violation. The nations courts are also doing their part to build the database, requiring biometric information as a precursor to more lenient sentences. And of course Corporate America (including Google, Facebook, Amazon, etc.) has made it so easy to use ones biometrics to access everything from bank accounts to cell phones.

Weve made it so easy for the government to target, identify and track us.

Add pre-crime programs into the mix with government agencies and corporations working in tandem to determine who is a potential danger and spin a sticky spider-web of threat assessments, behavioral sensing warnings, flagged words, and suspicious activity reports using automated eyes and ears, social media, behavior sensing software, and citizen spies, and you having the makings for a perfect dystopian nightmare.

This is the kind of oppressive pre-crime and pre-thought crime package foreshadowed by George Orwell, Aldous Huxley and Phillip K. Dick.

Remember, even the most well-intentioned government law or program can beand has beenperverted, corrupted and used to advance illegitimate purposes once profit and power are added to the equation.

In the right (or wrong) hands, benevolent plans can easily be put to malevolent purposes.

Surveillance, digital stalking and the data mining of the American people add up to a society in which theres little room for indiscretions, imperfections, or acts of independence.

This is the creepy, calculating yet diabolical genius of the American police state: the very technology we hailed as revolutionary and liberating has become our prison, jailer, probation officer, Big Brother and Father Knows Best all rolled into one.

It turns out thatweare Soylent Green.

The 1973 film of the same name, starring Charlton Heston and Edward G. Robinson, is set in 2022 in an overpopulated, polluted, starving New York City whose inhabitants depend on synthetic foods manufactured by the Soylent Corporation for survival.

Heston plays a policeman investigating a murder, who discovers the grisly truth about the primary ingredient in the wafer, soylent green, which is the principal source of nourishment for a starved population. Its people. Soylent Green is made out of people, declares Hestons character. Theyre making our food out of people. Next thing theyll be breeding us like cattle for food.

Oh, how right he was.

Soylent Green is indeed people or, in our case, Soylent Green is our own personal data, repossessed, repackaged and used by corporations and the government to entrap us.

Without constitutional protections in place to guard against encroachments on our rights when power, technology and militaristic governance converge, it wont be long before we find ourselves, much like Edward G. Robinsons character inSoylent Green, looking back on the past with longing, back to an age where we could speak to whom we wanted, buy what we wanted, think what we wanted, and go where we wanted without those thoughts, words and movements being tracked, processed and stored by corporate giants such as Google, sold to government agencies such as the NSA and CIA, and used against us by militarized police with their army of futuristic technologies.

Were not quite there yet. But that moment of reckoning is getting closer by the minute.

In the meantime, weve got an epidemic to survive, so go ahead and wash your hands. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. And stock up on whatever you might need to survive this virus if it spreads to your community.

We are indeed at our most vulnerable right now, but as I make clear in my bookBattlefield America: The War on the American People, its the American Surveillance Statenot the coronavirusthat poses the greatest threat to our freedoms.

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Coronavirus vs. the Mass Surveillance State: Which Poses the Greater Threat? - CounterPunch

WASHINGTON (AP) Congress is swiftly revealing a coronavirus help bundle while President Donald Trump is thinking about a nationwide calamity statement as well as brand-new traveling advisories as Washington competed Wednesday to challenge the break out thats relocating significantly throughout the nation as well as interfering with the every day lives of Americans.

After days of attempting to minimize the hazard, Trump introduced he would certainly be providing a prime-time Oval Office address to the nation Wednesday at 9 p.m. on the government action to the coronavirus pandemic.

The quickly placing initiative to have the break out as well as economic results magnified on an arduous day as the variety of validated situations of the infection covered 1,000 in the UNITED STATE as well as the World Health Organization stated that the worldwide situation is currently a pandemic. Communities across the country terminated public occasions in the hopes of stopping the spread of the infection.

Testifying on Capitol Hill,Dr Anthony Fauci, supervisor of the National Institute of Allergy as well as Infectious Diseases, alerted that the break out in the UNITED STATE is going to obtain even worse.

I can say we will see more cases, and things will get worse than they are right now, Fauci informed the House Oversight as well as ReformCommittee Facing inquiries from legislators, Fauci discussed, It is 10 times more lethal than the seasonal flu. The hearing was quickly stopped as he as well as various other top-level authorities hurried back to the White House for conferences.

After days of combined signals as well as partial distinctions, Washington taken into consideration activity.

I am fully prepared to use the full power of the Federal Government to deal with our current challenge of the CoronaVirus! Trump tweeted prior to a conference with lenders in which he ensured that we are going to get the problem solved.

Now were hitting a patch and were going to have to do something with respect to getting rid of this virus as quickly as possible and as safely as possible, he claimed.

Among various other actions, authorities were thinking about putting a Level 3 Health Travel Notice on the whole EuropeanUnion Such a notification would certainly advise that Americans prevent superfluous traveling to the area as well as quarantine themselves for 14 days after returning residence.

As you know, we have another part of the world, Europe, that is in very tough shape, having a hard time right now with the virus, Trump claimed throughout a conference with lenders to go over exactly how the economic solutions sector can aid customers as well as local business impacted by the break out.

Well be making various decisions. Youll be hearing about them at approximately 8 oclock tonight, he claimed.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin kept in mind that Trumps exec authorities are quite significant so there will be various proposals well be rolling out quickly on that front, and were also working with Congress on a bipartisan basis to be able to immediately help small and medium-sized businesses as well.

Yet there was complication at the White House, also as authorities started ahead to grasps with the massive gravity of the circumstance. Vice President Mike Pence met healthcare facility as well as wellness sector leaders in the Roosevelt Room however press reporters that had actually collected to observe it were inevitably not welcomed in.

The Trump Administration continues its aggressive whole-of-government approach while also leading a whole-of-America strategy to bring public health officials, academia, non-profits, and the private sector together to protect the American people, the White House claimed.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi intended to reveal the financial support bundle, with ballot feasible as quickly as Thursday, on unwell pay as well as various other actions to economically aid those self-quarantining or absent job as authorities urge individuals to restrict social communications to reduce the increase of infections.

After legislators from both events rejected Trumps recommended pay-roll tax obligation break, bipartisan assistance seemed developing for the Houses bundle, which would certainly concentrate on even more instant problems unwell pay, welfare, cost-free examinations as well as various other sources for American all of a sudden struck by the situation.

Right now were trying to deal with the direct impact of the virus on individual citizens, House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth, D-Ky, claimed Wednesday as Democrats fulfilled behind shut doors. So paid family leave, making sure the tests are free to everybody, boosting unemployment insurance and so forth. Thats immediate. Thats tomorrow.

Mnuchin, whom Trump touched to bargain with the Democratic leader, concurred with the demand for quick activity.

We urge Congress to pass legislation quickly, Mnuchin indicated on Capitol Hill.

Mnuchin informed legislators there will certainly be a large number of employees that will certainly require to self-quarantine or stay at home with relative contrasting the expenses to an all-natural calamity that would certainly call for government help.

We think it is appropriate for the government to pick up those costs. This is a little bit like a hurricane, and we need to cover these outside of normal expenses, Mnuchin claimed. He as well as Pelosi talked once more very early Wednesday to go over propositions for the bundle.

To that finish, the management drifted a number of techniques, consisting of the uncommon suggestion of proclaiming nationwide calamity that can possibly open financing streams, according to an individual unapproved to go over the preparation as well as given privacy.

Rick Pollack, head of state of the American Hospital Association, claimed he had actually prompted the management to do simply that throughout a conference with leading management authorities at the White House, suggesting it was essential to supply the nation with appropriate treatment.

The White House was likewise thinking about various other actions, postponing the April 15 government tax obligation due date for some taxpayers in a quote to soften the influence infection break out on the UNITED STATE economic climate.

The management was likewise anticipated to introduce an exec order demanding American- made clinical materials as well as drugs in action to the infection, according to an individual knowledgeable about the strategy that had not been licensed to review it as well as talked on problem of privacy.

And they presented brand-new suggestions for the regions most affected by the infection in Washington state as well as California.

The GOP leader in the House,Rep Kevin McCarthy of California, indicated prospective Republican assistance for the financing bundle being constructed in Congress.

We need to do something, McCarthy claimed. I think the things that will be put forth will not be as controversial, and I think they could become very bipartisan.

The head of state was advertising a financial stimulation bundle as the economic markets reel. They nosedived at the beginning of the week, climbed up back up and after that dropped once moreWednesday But legislators from both political events roundly panned Trumps require a pay-roll tax obligation vacation or sector help as they concentrate on quiting the infection spread as well as assisting families.

Pelosis objective is to pass an extra directly attracted action as quickly as Thursday, prior to legislators default for a formerly set up weeklong recess, as well as take another look at prospective stimulation actions in the future, those knowledgeable about the reasoning claimed. They were not licensed to talk openly as well as talked on problem of privacy.

We dont think they should just throw money out of an airplane and hope some of it lands on the people who are affected, claimed Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, that recommended added actions consisting of money mixtures for local business as well as trainee financing forbearance. Its aimed at people, not at big corporations.

With Trumps GOP allies in Congress split over his tax obligation strategies, assistance might be slim, leaving Democrats to get along with their preliminary action. Mnuchin showed up to accept that technique.

We want to get done what we can do this week, and we will come back, Mnuchin claimed on the Hill.

For many people, the brand-new coronavirus creates just moderate or modest signs and symptoms, such as high temperature as well as coughing. For some, particularly older grownups as well as individuals with existing health issue, it can trigger much more extreme disease, consisting of pneumonia.

The large bulk of individuals recuperate from the brand-new infection. According to the World Health Organization, individuals with moderate disease recuperate in regarding 2 weeks, while those with much more extreme disease might take 3 to 6 weeks to recuperate. In landmass China, where the infection initial took off, greater than 80,000 individuals have actually been identified, as well as greater than 58,000 have actually until now recuperated.

In Washington, visitors still showed up for spring brows through with groups at the UNITED STATE Capitol, however legislators were advised by the Houses participating in doctor to tip up their social-distancing methods staying clear of shaking hands, giving/receiving hugs, taking selfies, etc.

One legislator,Rep Seth Moulton, D-Mass, introduced his workplace team would certainly be mainly functioning from another location, stopping all person-to-person get in touch with as well as suspending its staff-led scenic tour of theCapitol He claimed in an uploading to components that he wished his strategy can work as a template for others.

Several legislators, consisting of Trump confidants, have actually put themselves in quarantine after being subjected to somebody that had the infection.

Trump on Tuesday pitched his financial stimulation suggestions independently to skeptical Senate Republicans, however information were mild as well as the head of states GOP allies have actually been trendy to added investing at this phase.

Some Republicans backed Trumps idea that assistance be offered to the beleaguered cruise liner, airline companies or various other markets.

Key Democrats presented little hunger to prop up companies hurt by the break out.

Associated Press authors Lauran Neergaard, Marty Crutsinger, Laurie Kellman, Jill Colvin as well as Kevin Freking in Washington added to this record.

The Associated Press obtains assistance for wellness as well as scientific research insurance coverage from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Department of ScienceEducation The AP is entirely in charge of all material.

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Trump To Address Nation On Coronavirus Pandemic - The Union Journal

Several cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, monero and zcash were featured on the recently released and highly anticipated second season of Altered Carbon, a cyberpunk Netflix series set about 400 years in the future. A scene from the show clearly depicts a shop where prices are set in crypto, with no fiat in sight.

Also Read: Cryptocurrency Explained on the Latest Episode of The Simpsons

Will the cryptocurrencies of today still be in use in the early 25th century? The creative minds at Netflix seem to think so.

Altered Carbon is a cyberpunk television series featuring off-world mining colonies, extinct space aliens, rogue artificial intelligence agents, mind uploading, digital immortality, corrupt corporate overloads and sword-wielding Yakuza members fighting against gritty bounty hunters armed with laser pistols. To this list of tropes we can now add using crypto assets to facilitate shopping for contraband and other illicit items.

The second season of Altered Carbon was released on Thursday, February 27, 2020, and it stars Anthony Mackie, best known for playing Falcon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The plot takes place approximately 30 years after the first season, which was mainly set in the year 2384, placing the events of the second season in the early 25th century.

The world of Altered Carbon suffers from extreme economic inequality and focuses on the effects that has on society. As such, the need for money is a central driver of events in the show but the characters usually only refer to it as credits and by no other name. However, a scene in the fifth episode of the second season reveals that, at least in some markets, cryptocurrencies are the real medium of exchange in this dark future.

Without giving away any spoilers, you can see that when the hero goes to get some gear from an augments repair shop for a major adventure all the prices in the venue are set in cryptos with the logos of bitcoin, monero, zcash, litecoin and a few others clearly shown. This might have been used to give the place the look and feel of a real life darknet market.

While it is impossible to predict how the economy will look in 400 years, the shows creators are most probably right about the lack of support for current fiat currencies in a future where humanity is spread out across dozens of plants. So if you ever plan to buy a replacement cyborg hand, military-grade clone body or the ability to enhance your senses with wolf DNA on the black market, youd better hold some privacy-enabling cryptos just in case.

Bitcoin has recently returned to appear more frequently on television, beyond the financial news shows where the topic is often in the headlines. In February 2020, for example, animated family sitcom The Simpsons featured an almost two-minute segment explaining how cryptocurrency and blockchain work with the actor who played Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory. In the segment, the animated Parsons tries to prove that he is not a nerd and actually super cool by the fact that he is talking about the subject.

In contrast, some parts of the media often like to employ anti-crypto tropes such as that bitcoin is only used by hackers or criminals. A recent example of this came from an episode of True Life Crime, a new series on MTV, that focused on the story of a $5 million SIM swapping scam. The producers brought on to talk about the incident included Rachel Siegel, a bitcoin advocate and proponent of mass adoption, but cut out all the positive things she had to say about cryptocurrencies.

What do you think about Netflixs Altered Carbon showing cryptocurrencies being used in the year 2400? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Images courtesy of Shutterstock, Netflix, Fair Use.

Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH and other coins, on our market charts at Bitcoin.com Markets, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com.

Avi Mizrahi is an economist and entrepreneur who has been covering Bitcoin as a journalist since 2013. He has spoken about the promise of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology at numerous financial conferences around the world, from London to Hong-Kong.

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Bitcoin, Monero and Zcash Will Still Be Used in the Year 2414 According to Netflix's Altered Carbon - Bitcoin News

Got something on your mind, Britney Spears??

The pop symbol astonished her Instagram fans on Tuesday by uploading a message condemning those that play mind video games!

Video: Britney Shares The Moment Her Foot Broke

Eyebrows were elevated after Brit shared a photo of message that reviewed:

Mind video games do not make me think you are strange or intriguing. Mind video games do make me think you are a waste of my power, as well as a waste of my time.

Preach, gurl!

But the inquiry is that would certainly risk to play mind video games with Godney!?

Surely, it could not be her ever before helpful guy, Sam Asghari, whom Brit commemorated on her Gram simply a day previously, sharing:

No manner in which male plays mind video games with his lioness! At the very least, we sure wish not!

Maybe Brit was sending out a message to somebody else in her life? Or maybe she was simply passing along Insta- knowledge that reverberated with her.

What do U assume, Perezcious viewers? Ch- ch-check out the message (listed below) as well as speak up in the remarks.

[Image via WENN]

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Britney Spears Posts Cryptic Message About 'Mind Games' A Day After Getting Loved Up With Sam Asghari! - The Union Journal

LinkedIn is the worlds leading social platform for business professionals.

Founded in 2002, the social network has grown to over 600 million active users from around the globe. On the site, users are able to highlight their professional experience, network with new and existing business connections, share thought leadership articles, and even apply to jobs. On the other end, employers use the platform to advertise open positions and recruit qualified talent.

If this is your first experience using LinkedIn, youll quickly learn that its very user-friendly and no more difficult to use than other social networks. Refer to this comprehensive guide to find everything you need to do in order to make the most of your LinkedIn profile.

If youre looking for something specific, feel free to skip ahead:Creating a LinkedIn profileHow to edit profile summaryHow to add experienceHow to add skillsUsing LinkedIn connectionsHow to change profile URLHow to post an article on LinkedInLinkedIn profile tipsHow to delete your account

LinkedIns interface is set up very similar to other social media platforms. Users are prompted to create a profile detailing their career experience, education, and any relevant skills or volunteer activities.

Once youre signed up, you are given access to your LinkedIn feed, which is powered by an algorithm that delivers status updates from your connections as well as other content that is deemed useful or relevant. The feed will populate with more content as you connect with more people and grow your network.

Users also have the option to follow high-profile industry influencers such as Oprah, Katie Couric, and Richard Branson.

To create a LinkedIn profile, start by creating an account. Be sure to choose an email that you check frequently, as you want to stay on top of any notifications or connection requests that you receive.

1. Fill out your basic information including your full name and phone number2. Upload a professional photo3. Add your location4. Import your contacts list

Once your account is ready, its time to start building out the rest of your profile. A LinkedIn profile is set up similar to a traditional resume. At the top is your picture with a headline, along with a short summary section.

The summary section of your LinkedIn profile is intended to be very similar to the type of summary that is usually included in a resume.

1. Click the Me icon at the top of the homepage2. Select View Profile3. Click the pencil icon on the right side of the About section4. Fill out summary text and click Save

Source: LinkedIn

Along with your picture and headline, your LinkedIn summary is one of the first things that someone viewing your profile will see. To put your best foot forward, its important to have a summary that is professional and up-to-date.

When it comes to what you say in your summary, its really up to you to decide. Some people choose to recap their work experience, while others prefer to show off their personalities and include a quote or something more creative.

Check out the templates below for some inspiration.

Currently [role] at [company]. Formerly [past role] at [past company]. Interested in [2-3 personal interests]. Lets connect!

This is your standard one-size-fits-all LinkedIn summary. In a few sentences, youve outlined your current and past experience, as well as shared things that youre passionate about. This is the perfect template if you prefer to keep things short and sweet.

Known best for [major accomplishment]. A [role] at [company] looking to [career goal you wish to accomplish].

This template is ideal if you have any major accomplishments youd like to highlight. Although you have the opportunity to do this under your work experience further down on your profile, your summary is an easy way to showcase your greatest achievements front and center.

To use my gifts of [2-3 qualities or skills] to [overarching goal you seek to reach].

A personal mission statement defines who you are as a person and a professional. It outlines the things youre most passionate about and what values are most important to you. If you want to get more personal in your LinkedIn summary, this is the way to do it.

Im a [job position] at [company]. [1-2 sentence description about what your company does, its mission or goals]. [Any additional information about your company and its role in the market]. [Link to company website or careers hub].

Even if youre not looking to make a career move anytime soon, you still want to have a LinkedIn summary that is a strong reflection of who you are as a professional. With this option, you can highlight your current role and the company you work for, as well as advertise any job openings or upcoming events your organization is putting on.

The bulk of your LinkedIn profile will be made up of your experience. In this section, you are prompted to add current and past roles as well as short descriptions of your responsibilities at each position (the latter is optional).

1. Go to your profile by clicking the Me icon at the top of the page and select View Profile2. Scroll down until you see the Experience header and then click the big plus (+) sign3. In the pop-up, enter your company, job title, and other relevant details4. Click Save

Source: LinkedIn

Add any relevant and standout details related to your current and past positions. If you list any accomplishments in your summary, this is your opportunity to elaborate on them.

If youre on the hunt for a new gig, its a good idea to add your formal resume to your LinkedIn profile. Once its uploaded, it will show up at the bottom of the summary section.

1. On the homepage, select View Profile from the dropdown menu under the Me icon2. Click on the pencil icon to edit your profile3. In the pop-up, scroll down and click Upload under media4. Find your resume file and click Save

Source: LinkedIn

By uploading your resume, youre going the extra mile to show potential employers that youre eager to find a new position.

Skills and endorsements live at the very bottom of your LinkedIn profile. If you havent listed any skills on your page yet, this section will not appear on your profile.

Source: LinkedIn

To get started, follow these steps:1. Click the Me icon, followed by View Profile from the drop-down menu2. Select the blue Add profile section to the right side of your name3. Click Skills from the drop-down menu4. Type out which skills you want to add

Source: LinkedIn

Once you do this, a designated skills section will appear towards the bottom of your profile. You can always go back and add or remove skills by scrolling to this section.

Similar to a resume, you want to highlight your most marketable hard and soft skills on your LinkedIn profile. Dont be afraid to get specific when listing your skills this section is your opportunity to make your profile stand out.

These are technical skills that youve earned through education, certifications, or work experience.

Here are some examples of hard skills to list on your LinkedIn profile:

These skills are less related to your technical expertise and more related to your ability to collaborate and work with others. Soft skills are often more difficult to quantify.

Here are some examples of soft skills:

Organization

Be sure to list skills that are an accurate reflection of your abilities as a professional. To make your profile more credible, you can seek out endorsements from your LinkedIn connections. More on that later.

Your LinkedIn network is one the most powerful tools the platform has to offer. Your network is made up of connections or people who you have professional relationships with. This could be current or past coworkers, clients, and even mentors.

The more connections you have, the bigger your network is and the more opportunities you have to be noticed for job openings and show up in LinkedIn search results.

The first step toward growing your network is making connections. To connect with someone, follow these steps:

1. Click My Network at the top of your homepage. A list of possible connections will populate.2. Click on a persons profile that youd like to connect with3. Select Connect to the right of the persons name4. Fill out the pop-up box if you want to add a personal message with your connection request5. Click Done

Source: LinkedIn

Your connection request will be pending until its accepted by the person on the other end. If they accept, you will be notified of your new connection.

LinkedIn gives users the option to follow other users or brands. This is different than a connection in several ways. Using the follow feature allows you to see their posts and articles on your newsfeed, but they wont be able to see yours.

This is useful when following industry influencers that you may not know personally, but you still want to see their content.

One of the major benefits of growing your LinkedIn network is the ability to leverage your connections for endorsements. As previously mentioned, endorsements help boost your credibility since your peers are validating your skills.

A great way to start getting endorsements is by giving them, heres how:

1. Go to your connections profile by searching their name2. Scroll down to the Skills & Endorsements section3. Click the blue plus (+) sign to endorse a skill4. In the pop-up, select a skill level and how youre familiar with your connections skills

Source: LinkedIn

Its important to note that your connection will be notified of the endorsement and will have to accept it before it appears on their profile.

Just like any other social media network, LinkedIn is vulnerable to hosting users that misuse the platform outside of its intended purpose.

Its important to tread with caution and be aware of strangers that try to connect with you. If you suspect a user has bad intentions, it may be best to block them.

Follow these steps to learn how:

1. Go to the users profile2. Click More on the right side of their name3. From the drop-down menu, select Report/Block4. Click Block from the pop-up to confirm your decision

Source: LinkedIn

After a user is blocked, they will no longer be able to see your profile or contact you. If you change your mind down the line, you can always unblock the user.

When you first create your LinkedIn profile, you automatically get assigned a URL. Most of these auto-generated URLs look like a jumbled mix of letters and numbers.

Luckily, LinkedIn makes it easy for users to update and customize profile URLs.

1. Click Me at the top of your homepage, followed by View Profile2. In the top-right corner, select Edit public profile & URL3: Select the pencil icon and type out your desired URL4: Click Save

Source: LinkedIn

All LinkedIn profile URLs follow the same format. Your new URL will look like this: http://www.linkedin.com/in/custom-url-here.

One of LinkedIns less-known features allows users to publish long-form articles right on the platform. This is different than posting a status, which limits you to 1300 characters or less.

Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to post an article on LinkedIn:

1. At the top of your LinkedIn newsfeed, click Write an article on LinkedIn2. Write your article. Be sure to include a headline and any relevant images or videos3. Click Publish

Source: LinkedIn

Once you hit publish, the article will be shared with your network via the newsfeed. Users can like and leave comments on the piece.

The key to using LinkedIn effectively is knowing all of the platforms capabilities and leveraging them to your benefit. Creating a profile that is up-to-date is only scraping the surface of what LinkedIn can do for your career and professional brand.

Check out these tips to take your LinkedIn presence to the next level.

LinkedIn groups are online communities of people who share similar interests or experience. Joining a group is a great way to meet like-minded professionals in your industry, share knowledge, and expand your network.

You dont have to work in a creative industry to see value from adding pictures, videos, or other multimedia files to your summary. One of the easiest ways to make your experience stand out and highlight past projects youve worked on is by adding them directly to your profile.

Whether youre gearing up for an annual performance review or negotiating a final offer at a new company, its important to know your earning potential.

The LinkedIn Salary Insights tool offers wage information based on your role, location, company size, and how much other people in your role (or the position youre applying for) are earning.

Sending direct messages, or InMails, on LinkedIn is a low-pressure way to create deeper connections with your network. Always be sure to send a personalized InMail message if youre requesting to connect with someone outside of your primary network.

Additionally, remember to always keep things professional and format direct messages similar to a work email.

Keeping tabs on trending hashtags is a quick and effective way to stay in-the-know and share insights with others in your industry. To discover hashtags, enter the topic youd like to follow in the search bar. LinkedIn will populate your search results with hashtags that match your query.

LinkedIn is available at no cost; however, the platform does have a paid offering for users who want to unlock extra features and perks. Deciding which LinkedIn Premium plan is right for you will depend on what youre looking to get out of the platform. Popular paid features include access to analytics and a resume builder.

RELATED: If youre not ready to take the plunge into the full paid offering, LinkedIn offers a one-month free trial for users.

If there ever comes a time when you want to delete your LinkedIn account, its very simple to do.

1. Click the Me icon at the top of the homepage. In the drop-down menu, select Settings & Privacy2. Under the Account tab, scroll to Account Management and click Change3. Select a reason for deleting your account4. Enter your password and click Close Account

Source: LinkedIn

Once you close your account, it will be officially inactive and not visible to other users.

While the days of handing out business cards and filling out paper job applications may not be over just yet, more and more people are turning to digital platforms, such as LinkedIn, to job hunt, network, and build their professional brands.

With this guide in your back pocket, youll be a full-fledged LinkedIn guru in no time.

LinkedIn is far more than just a social media platform for job-seekers. Learn how businesses leverage LinkedIn as a marketing tool toadvertise job openings, attract qualified talent, and build brand awareness.

Excerpt from:

How to Use LinkedIn: Must-Have Tips for Professional Success - G2

Screenshot: Cyril Schreiner (YouTube)

Orbeez, the latest toy that kids are obsessed with, are tiny, multicolored polymer beads that expand like crazy when put into water. Obviously, because theyre meant to appeal to a childs mind, plenty of adults have also discovered that theyre perfect for doing dumb shit with on the internet. Amidst the unexpected, full-blown genre of video that involves putting lots of Orbeez places and uploading the results to social media, a guy in France named Cyril Schreiner has managed to stand out by destroying his bathroomand, he claims, his neighborhoods sewage systemwith them.

@yuqheis tweeted the chain of events with English commentary, beginning with a clip of Schreiner trying to figure out how to dispose of a bathtub filled with Orbeez after making a video with them. He pulls the plug to drain them, causing his toilet and sink to overflow with what looks like clown vomit. An attempt to vacuum up the mess causes his vacuum to break so he tries to use salt to clear the drains.

Geysers of raw sewage then begin to shoot out of the sink, but Schreiner keeps the footage going, showing himself crying and heading outside to find mounds of shit-covered beads collecting outside of manhole covers and into drainage ditches. This last clip ends with him receiving a letter from city hall that the Orbeez have damaged his entire neighborhoods sewers and that police are looking for the people responsible.

Another update shows Schreiner talking to a local official, trying to hide his crimes. He tapes the conversation, captioning it, appropriately enough, Listen, Im in shit!!

This is all, in all likelihood, fake. But, fake when it comes to filling a bathroom with tiny, slippery beads that expand when exposed to water doesnt mean all that much. A parents guide to Orbeez, for example, cautions: Never pour or flush [the beads] down the drain. As a result of their growth in water, the beads can clog pipes and even lead to bursting pipes. Even if Schreiner staged everythingwhich is probable, especially considering that his social channels are comprised mostly of joke videoshe still has to clean out an enormous mess that involves scooping out toilets and finding multicolored balls in every corner of his home for months to come. In short: Yeah, this whole thing is probably a prank, but its the kind of prank thats way more of a pain in the ass for the guy behind it than anyone watching his videos.

[via Digg]

Send Great Job, Internet tips to gji@theonion.com

Originally posted here:

Man fills bathtub and toilet with Orbeez, pranking himself - The A.V. Club

Hollyoaks actress Stephanie Davis has been hospitalised with a chest infection.

Uploading a video onto her Instagram account, the 26-year-old informed her followers about the recent health scare, which is why she's been inactive on social media.

"The reason why I've not been about is because I've not been well," she began. "I've not wanted to post about it, or say anything. I didn't want anyone to worry because I'm alright now."

Related: Hollyoaks star Stephanie Davis opens up about high-functioning autism diagnosis

Stephanie continued: "I have been in for over a week. But I feel like I have turned a corner so I just wanted to come on.

"Sorry about the way I look... I've just been really run down for a long time, obviously since my relapse last year, and obviously when I tried to... and everything. I just haven't looked after myself for a long time, my chest, everything like that."

Last month, the soap star bravely opened up about a previous suicide attempt in an emotional statement.

"To feel like your life isn't worth something is the worst feeling I've ever experienced in my life, total despair and helplessness that I wouldn't wish on anyone," she wrote.

"And then I just got rapidly worse, I just gave up, I fought so hard to carry on to try, but I couldn't see a way out."

Adding that she was "in a really good place right now", she urged anyone experiencing a period of mental ill health to reach out, saying: "If it's not OK it's not the end. We can and will fight this together."

Hollyoaks airs Mondays through Fridays at 6.30pm on Channel 4, with first-look episodes airing on E4 at 7pm.

We would encourage anyone who identifies with the topics raised in this article to reach out. Organisations who can offer support include Samaritans on 116 123 (www.samaritans.org) or Mind on 0300 123 3393 (www.mind.org.uk). Readers in the US are encouraged to visit mentalhealth.gov or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Digital Spy now has a newsletter sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.

Read more news, spoilers and gossip on our Hollyoaks homepage

Want up-to-the-minute soaps news, spoilers and gossip on your social feeds? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Soaps Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @soapscoop Twitter account.

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Hollyoaks' Stephanie Davis hospitalised with chest infection - digitalspy.com

Sleepless creative nights have borne fruit - you have on your hands the first track with a cool name and a shimmering horizon of possibilities. And then you get stuck: what to do next? You just need to find a place to be on Apple Music, Spotify, etc. Do not be lazy, upload your music to streaming services, and spend some time on Apple Music promotion services. Indeed, at any moment you can be shazammed" and found - be available to your potential listener!

When it comes to promoting their work, musicians are often not very creative. As a rule, all that comes to their mind is to organize a concert. This is not bad, but you can do so much better, no need in old tricks. Various promoting services will help you to become popular on Apple Music.

Getting into the main top-chart is a real chance for you, as an artist, to announce the directors of major radio stations and television channels about your track, album or video. Being at the top of Apple Music, you attract the millionth audience to your track. Do you know that 50 million people have already issued a paid subscription to the music streaming service? This was announced by Apple's top manager Tim Cook.

The future lies in the services, so Apple spares no effort in promoting and improving Apple Music. Although its charm is not that you can endlessly listen to verses that are familiar to your music, but constantly find something new. In any case, people love Apple Music precisely for such things, the services will tell you what to listen to, because everyone gets tired of running the same familiar tracks. That`s where you enter the stage.

But what to do in your case? How to promote? After uploading a track to the Internet, its really worth trying one of the many services for Apple Music promotion. After that, the song will appear in tops, popular playlists, and recommendations. New subscribers will want to not only listen to your music but also follow your creative life. To fill their needs, create accounts in all key social networks and provide subscribers with products of your creativity. Find own group of people, who will be interested in your music, and try to promote your music through them. Roughly speaking, try to get into the format: in the black metal community, nobody will appreciate your romantic lyrics.

In the field of the dynamic development of the Apple Music service, it becomes the main chart of the country where are no paid places. Apple Music is the most incorruptible service, but help isn`t corruption, right? I am sure that there will always be a place for such talent as you are.

Read the original post:

Is there a Reason to use Promotion Tools on Apple Music? - The African Exponent

Dating- based fact tv shows are infamously whitewashed. (See: The whole Bachelor cosmos.) But on Netflixs brand-new hit program Love Is Blind, the legendary, sweeping romance that followers can not quit swooning over has a Black female at its facility.

Lauren Speed, a 32- year-old web content maker from Michigan, and Cameron Hamilton, a 28- year-old information researcher from Maine, fulfilled and dropped in love throughout the dating experiment, in which a team of males and females are taken into husks and delegated speed-date for hrs throughout 10 days. The catch? They can not literally see each various other till theyre involved.

Well, Speed and Hamilton made that dedication, after that fulfilled face to face, and consequently relocated with each other inAtlanta Then, 38 days after their first intro, they made their method down the aisle and in fact claimed I do before a somewhat anxious team of friends and family.

Speed and Hamiltons love astounded visitors, that have actually remained to promote them in the days adhering to the Season 1 ending episode. During a meeting on HuffPosts Here To Make Friends podcast today, the pleased pair claimed they are humbled by and past happy for all the assistance they have actually obtained.

Being in an interracial relationship, I wanted to really just live my life authentically, Speed informed hosts Leigh Blickley and EmmaGray I wanted to talk about, What about our children? Its sad. I mean, we are in 2020, so it really shouldnt be an issue, but its real life.

We had to have these conversations about parenting in a mixed relationship, Hamilton included. Children who are mixed, how theyre going to be treated by society, what are other kids going to say to them at school, and how are we going to parent them when theyre being perceived as Black and are going to have different experiences than me as a white man? That was something that was critical for us to touch on, not because of the show, but because we were about to get married.

Speed additionally recognized just how essential it is for various other females to see a Black female as the lead of a dating program, specifically one that does not fit the mold and mildew of what they have actually pertained to anticipate on their displays.

You dont see a lot of Black women in reality TV being the object of affection or in the forefront or being admired, she claimed. Im a quirky, kind of nerdy Black girl. Kind of awkward, too. So its great because a lot of people are seeing me and I feel like Im representing a thing that wasnt there before.

In this modified meeting, Speed and Hamilton talk all points Love Is Blind, and share their expert point of view on the procedure that brought them per various other.

Cameron and Lauren, just how has it been? Just obtaining every one of this incredible comments and love from individuals that have binge-watched Love Is Blind?

Lauren: Oh male! Its actually incredibly incredible, specifically since for Cameron and I, we took this incredibly seriously. We were both really at risk whichs terrifying, specifically if youre being at risk before the world. So were so recognized that the world not just can relate to our tale and connect, however that they value it.

Were you a little cynical entering into the entire point?

Lauren:Yeah I was most definitely open up to it even if I went to a factor in my dating life where it sort of drawn. Lets be sincere. So I was similar to, what do I need to shed? Go there and fulfill someone excellent? And plus my mommy was sort of placing the stress on me like, Youre getting old, Lauren. I suggest, whats the most awful that can take place.

Cameron: We were cynical, however we entered into it with an open mind. And in the beginning it really felt a little man-made, however I believe when Lauren and I fulfilled each various other and we had this very first preliminary discussion concerning family members, the fact of it struck promptly and afterwards we actually began taking it really seriously.

DAMON DAHLEN/HUFFPOST; GENERATED BY CHRISTY HAVRANEK/HUFFPOST.

Can you describe the framework of the husks and just how much time you in fact obtained with each other to talk? How sometimes each day?

Lauren: So we began with 15 on each side women and men. And the husks resemble these magical reflection chambers, as we such as to call them. So the even more individuals that existed, you obtain much less time dating. But as it trimmed, if you really did not make a link with a person after that, certainly, that was that. But we would certainly have these ranking listings, so you would certainly simply state your leading 5, like out of every one of individuals that you dated they would certainly pair up like, OK, these 2 made a link. Thats just how it will certainly take place. And Cameron was constantly my top.

Cameron: Yeah, we wereNo 1 on each various others listing everyday.

Lauren: But as time took place, we would certainly have longer days, align to 4 hrs. And were speaking about several days a day, so there would certainly be times when we would certainly get on 16- hr days.

What are some discussions that perhaps could not make it right into the story that you want individuals had reached see?

Cameron: Yeah, we spoke about just how we would certainly elevate youngsters with each other and kind of have comparable family members worths. We spoke about spirituality; we spoke about domesticity

Lauren: All right stuff you do not speak about on a very first day.

Honestly, all the important things that I would certainly enjoy to see even more of on fact TELEVISION.

Cameron: It was simply an issue of time, actually. But there was a great deal of intricacy to our partnership that there simply had not been adequate time to reveal it.

When you initially saw each various other, what was that minute like and did anything actually shock you concerning the method you each looked?

Lauren: Well, I was a tense even if Im similar to, OK, this is mosting likely to be my fianc. First off, Im believing, suppose he does not like what I resemble?

Lauren: I suggest, however thats a genuine point. Just cause everybodys preference is various, though. But when I saw him, I was similar to, oh, hes so adorable. He resembles a royal prince. When I state he resembles Prince Charming, to me, essentially thats what I really felt. And it had not been also practically just how he literally looked. It was similar to, man! He has all the top qualities that I desired in my other half. So to me, thats my PrinceCharming Like, just how did you obtain so best? And it was simply unbelievable.

Cameron: Yeah, it was a really unique minute. I seemed like I could not actually also trust my eyes then.

Lauren: Oh yeah. His eyes were straying.

I make sure the sweat was simply putting down. I would certainly be so anxious.

Lauren: Oh yep, he was an accident.

Cameron: Yeah Cause were waiting before those reveal doors to open up for time. It might have been an infinity.

Lauren: I seem like they extended it out 2,000 years. We were waiting.

Cameron: Yeah I was standing there, simply shouting her name. I do not understand why.

Cameron: Well, cause I was mosting likely to, as you saw, re-propose to Lauren since she might see me, so I desired it to be, I do not understand I was simply claiming Lauren MichelleSpeed Lauren Michelle Speed.

Lauren: Oh, Cameron! You never ever informed me that!

Cameron: I never ever informed you that?

Lauren: Thats adorable, infant.

DAMON DAHLEN/HUFFPOST; GENERATED BY CHRISTY HAVRANEK/HUFFPOST.

Now that you men learnt more about each various other in the husks, you fulfilled face to face, youre re-engaged and afterwards youre blended off to a trip. What was the ambiance like that opening night when you men were with each other face to face attempting to find out your link?

Cameron: Like I claimed on the program, it resembled awakening from a desire to a desire and I suggest that appears corny, however it holds true. I actually could not think it. I was attempting to refine it.

Lauren: Yeah We essentially could not maintain our hands off each various other and Im uncomfortable anyhow. So I have actually seen remarks float where individuals resembled, Lauren is so awkward around cameras. No, Im simply uncomfortable, generally. So yeah We have actually developed this link and we have actually spoken, we have actually had all these deep discussions and I currently enjoy you and currently Im satisfying you for the very first time and I have the ability to touch you and scrub your skin and hold your face and consider your eyes. So we were simply head over heels.

And what was the procedure like of in fact incorporating items and relocating right into a home with each other?

Lauren: For me, it was sort of a battle in the beginning. Im not mosting likely to exist, since then in my life I was sort of a hermit. I was independent; I appreciated my very own area. I had my very own company and my dating life had not been actually that great. So I was sort of utilized to being by myself. So needing to relocate with a person I have actually never ever dealt with a guy previously, besides my family members so needing to share a room and simply existing with each various other at all times was something that I needed to obtain utilized to. And Cameron is really caring with that said, which I value, however I needed to find out just how to be, I presume, comfy with sharing that area cause that was various for me. So it was most definitely a change.

Cameron: And I really did not wish to press also difficult for her to relocate and I understood just how much her area actually indicated to her. So it was difficult also since I was actually thrilled for her to relocate, however I really did not, I do not wish to compel anything.

Lauren: You understand, it resembles when youre embeded in your means, cause I remain in my 30 s. So thats sort of where I was. But certainly it exercised penalty. Cameron was incredibly person with me. Hes like, Take your time. Its all good. I know when you need space, let me know. So it was great. We most definitely survived it.

Yeah, I bear in mind when you got on Camerons well, its currently your home, Im presuming

Lauren: Yes it is. Its our home.

But you were outdoors on the deck and you claimed, But can I keep my apartment?

Lauren: Oh yep, I did! Cause that was terrifying to me! Like, delay! I need to remove my area and relocate Like I claimed on the program, thats my haven. Im a loner. I enjoy remaining in my area, having my songs, simply being odd, whatever. And so the idea of that was distressing to me cause I resembled, oh my God, this is a full modification. In a method, I seemed like I was mosting likely to be rooted out despite the fact that thats not always the fact. Its sort of like I was expanding. I had not been being rooted out. But I wound up doing away with my area. Of training course, I maintained it for 3 months after we obtained wed since I still required that. I required that change. I could not simply go chilly turkey. Thats a whole lot for me. And Cameron was incredibly helpful with that said also, so it was excellent.

Cameron: Yeah One point I found out was that when I have the ability to provide her her area, she simply really feels better. And its not like its something that she requires at all times, however I found out that simply providing her that area is just how she charges her batteries, in a manner of speaking. And certainly we, like any type of couple, are constantly constructing our partnership. But that was one point that I needed to find out rather rapidly and Im grateful that I did.

And just how was it with your loved ones when you men resembled, Hey, doing this thing, see you in a while. Might come back engaged?

Lauren: Mostly, individuals were most definitely cynical in the beginning. But I seem like our loved ones count on us and they understand that were both sort of great courts of personality. So they resemble, If you feel like this then lets see what happens. Well, a minimum of my friends and family for certain. They resembled, This is crazy but OK, I support you.

Oh, your moms and dads are my favorites. Papa Speed had me wailing at your wedding celebration.

Lauren: Oh lady, I was also. I can not view that scene with me and my daddy without sobbing each time. If you played it currently, I would certainly begin sobbing even if me and my daddy, we have actually constantly been so close. Im a dads lady, for certain. And so it actually indicated a whole lot to me for him to simply accept this. Like, this is my other half and I understand we fulfilled in a strange method, however him barbecuing Cam, I seem like thats anything that any type of safety daddy would certainly provide for his child.

Cameron: Yeah I would certainly have done the very same.

Lauren: So it was stressful, for certain. But I seem like that is among the flows to your childs companions. You sort of need to go with that.

Yeah Lauren, you left the area [for that conversation], also

Lauren: For sure, they required to have a man-to-man.

Cameron: It was a required one.

So on the day of your wedding celebration, did you both enter into it resembling, Im saying yes?

Lauren: You understand what? For me, it was terrifying. It was a substantial dedication. So its most definitely something that I considered for a very long time. But, generally, I understood. But like I claimed, its a frightening point. So also as I remained in my bridal gown, Im similar to, OK, Lauren, are we actually ready to do this? Cause were chatting long-lasting dedication right here. But at some point I stood up out of my very own head and paid attention to my heart and resembled, yeah! Were not messing this up, lady.

Cameron: It was really quick by a lot of procedures. But you all understand that I was mosting likely to state yes. I believe that was rather clear.

Damon Dahlen/ HuffPost; Produced by Christy Havranek/ HuffPost.

So on our podcast, we speak about numerous fact dating shows, however emphasis largely on The Bachelor. And shows like The Bachelor are sort of infamously extremely white and undoubtedly you men are an interracial pair. You came to be sort of the main romance of this juggernaut fact TELEVISION program. Im questioning if thats something that either of you considered while recording and just how you have actually understood that as the program has actually broadcast and you have actually seen the reaction.

Lauren: Well, for me, it was most definitely something that I understood needed to be attended to. Being in an interracial partnership, we can not simply disregard that since its something thats genuine and we stay in a real life and it is what it is.

So I wished to actually simply live my life authentically. I wished to share my worries. I wished to speak about, What about our children? My close friends and peers, what would certainly they believe? This is brand-new for me. And its depressing, I suggest, we remain in 2020, to make sure that actually should not be a concern, however its reality. You understand what I suggest? So viewing it play out, its incredible, since numerous individuals have actually been touched by our openness in it and just how we were sincere with it and speaking about real-life points and just how it might influence us in our life and our family members.

And a great deal of females are actually satisfied since, like you claimed, you do not see a great deal of Black females in truth TELEVISION, also on dating shows, being the item of love or in the center or being appreciated or, you understand, so a great deal of individuals enjoy and they enjoy that its not as stereotyped catfight, loud. Im a wacky, sort of unpopular Black lady, sort of uncomfortable also. So I believe that its excellent since a great deal of individuals are seeing me and I seem like Im standing for a point that had not been there prior to. So Im actually satisfied of that.

What are your ideas on that particular, Cameron?

Cameron: For me, the major emphasis after we obtained involved was concentrating on our partnership exercising. The recording element of it, certainly, it exists, however I understood that these are discussions that we require to have if were mosting likely to have an effective marital relationship when every little thing all this things vanishes, the recording and all that. Were still mosting likely to be wed and were mosting likely to have youngsters and we require to see to it that theyre looked after on the planet and our family members at huge.

So we needed to have these discussions concerning parenting in a combined partnership, youngsters that are blended, just how theyre mosting likely to be dealt with by culture, what are various other youngsters mosting likely to state to them at institution and just how are we mosting likely to moms and dad them when they being regarded as black and are mosting likely to have various experiences than me as a white male? So that was something that was important for us to discuss, not as a result of the program, however since we will obtain wed

Lauren: Thats reality.

No, definitely. I believe, equally as visitors, it was something that was amazing to view in fact be attended to because, once more, a great deal of these shows it seems like shot to exist in this world where, there is no race, there are no political sights.

Lauren: Right, and its really genuine!

So just how lives been considering that recording? Did you need to invest 18 months staying clear of uploading images of each various other on Instagram?

Lauren: We did! Trying to conceal our rings and photos. It was in fact nuts. Of training course, our close friends and family understood, however I needed to maintain my marital relationship a trick from several of my affiliates, my institution close friends. And that was hard. No uploading photos, no vacation things. Had to resemble I was by myself. Just article home plate, not the family members: Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Cameron: It was irritating cause you wish to share, specifically when you remain in a satisfied partnership, you wish to have the ability to share that, specifically in our day and age. We could not, and needing to sort of feign being solitary or what have you, I suggest it was simply irritating when youre gladly wed and you wish to be open concerning it and speak about it. That was such an essential experience for us in several means.

DAMON DAHLEN/HUFFPOST; GENERATED BY CHRISTY HAVRANEK/HUFFPOST. .

I can not also picture since despite The Bachelor, it resembles 3 to 4 months of privacy. That feels like a very long time.

Cameron: It was sort of the day-to-day psychological fight. Cause we really did not understand precisely when it was mosting likely to appear and we attempted not to think of it. I believe Lauren did a far better work than I did of managing it.

Lauren: Cause if we would certainly have come to be consumed with it, it simply would certainly have been excruciating. So I was similar to, OK, allows simply take this time around to concentrate on you and me and reinforce our partnership, which method if it does appear or when it appears, a minimum of well be solid.

So we did see the get-together, and I simply require to understand what was experiencing both of your heads when Amber pursued Jessica? You appeared like you wished to creep out of your skin.

Lauren: Right! I sort of did! I can not conceal my face, men. My face is so reactionary. So when she claimed that, I was similar to, Oh, do they have security? Cause it might be about to go down. Now its similar to, They better not come over here and hit me by mistake. But do you understand what? I saw Ambers face while when Jessica was chatting and I resembled, if she claims one incorrect point, Amber will go off. So it was sort of like, oh! When she claimed, You sheisty whatever, I resembled, OK, right here we go.

Cameron: I assumed it was mosting likely to be a truly lengthy day afterwards, however it was excellent to see everybody.

Lauren: I believe a great deal of individuals obtained a great deal of closure that they required from a great deal of individuals and obtained their sensations out, so

Cameron: People had some points to air.

Well, you remained in this experiment and you understand just how tiring maybe. But after that a person like Jessica has actually obtained a lots of objection. Awful, like, hate.

Lauren: Yeah Its misbehaved. Bullying.

I discover it unjust, however do you men really feel by doing this, also? To see a person that you belonged of a cast with sort of need to endure a little bit greater than others.

Lauren: Its incredibly regrettable, specifically since getting on a program such as this, you need to be at risk and also if youre attempting to live your fact, like if whatever Jessica did or claimed, with any luck that was her fact in the minute. And the truth that she exposed that and however the general public responds adversely. I might picture that might be painful. Whatever development she needed to go with in that procedure or whatever she carried out in that time, thats sort of painful. Like, male, I was simply claiming just how I really felt or doing this and currently Im being tortured for it. So its regrettable, however thats fact TELEVISION. You open your life to viewpoint and you never ever understand if its mosting likely to be great or poor.

Theres constantly a person prepared to take that objection also much.

Cameron: Just to couple it rather with what Lauren claimed, the susceptability was so high, bench that you needed to go to take part in properly. To fulfill a person and succumb to them. You needed to place everything around. Anyone thats paying attention, care versus evaluating individuals for this. Although we have actually yapped concerning it, its difficult to actually understand what the husks resembled and the entire experience generally. So, yeah.

We additionally found out that Gi and Damian are dating still, which is really amazing. A great spin.

Do you men socialize with them? Have you seen their partnership expand or

Lauren: Cameron is close with Damian.

Cameron: Yeah, I speak with Damian regular and I believe they have actually been dealing with it for time. They have a really one-of-a-kind partnership, Ill state. And Im not mosting likely to make believe like I understand the much deeper operations of it.

Lauren: Hey, if it helps y all, after that go all out.

Cameron: I actually wish they can function it out which they are functioning it out currently.

Lauren: I wish they enjoy.

Cameron: Yeah, I believe thats the main point as we simply desire them to be pleased. However it exercises.

Originally posted here:

Lauren And Cameron Of 'Love Is Blind' Talk Representation In The White World Of Dating Shows - The Union Journal