Category Archives: Golden Rule

In case you missed it, PBS has declared that Robert Abelas work isnt very important. Nor is the work of his ministers, including Owen Bonnici, whos responsible for the public broadcaster.

PBS was formally replying to the Data Protection Commissioner, who had ordered it to accede to The Shifts Freedom of Information request to reveal the names of the current members of the PBS Editorial Board and give their remuneration.

PBS is appealing the decision. It says the Editorial Board does very important work on behalf of PBS; revealing salaries is not in the public interest, as it might distract from their work.

The PBS Golden Rule of transparency: If the job is very important, then revealing the salary is not in the public interest.

Where does that leave Robert Abela? Logically, somewhere on the margins of irrelevance. After all, we do know his salary. Then again, maybe PBS thinks that Maltas problems boil down to the publication of the prime ministers salary: it has taken his mind off ending government corruption.

Good thing Abela keeps us in the dark about all his sources of income. Lord knows what chaos would descend if he came clean.

Strangely, the Golden Rule is violated by the BBC. If you want to know the salary of its Director-General, Tim Davie, you can just look it up on Wikipedia. The BBCs website gives details on salaries (including those of the editorial team), code of ethics and top managements personal declarations of interest.

If Malta is your benchmark, of course, the BBC is the perfect illustration of gross distraction in public broadcasting. Its latest headlines report that Boris Johnson was booed in public; they keep us updated on his mounting difficulties. By PBS standards, the BBC suffers from convulsive fits of absent-mindedness; it lets news that embarrasses the government pass through its filters.

In contrast, PBS is vigilant. Its editorial board, free from distractions, is alert to what its viewers should get to know. Lets admit that is both sensitive and very important.

Plainly, the BBC has a different golden rule: Earn public trust.

This golden rule is based on two ideas that PBS must find extraordinary. Its in the public interest to know the salaries of its top officials. Its in the BBCs interest to be transparent.

Similar positions have been adopted by Italys RAI and France Tlvisions. Since the mid-2010s, theyve been publishing the salaries of their top officials.

In 2016, RAIs then-president, Monica Maggioni, said, We have a high regard for the principle that citizens have the right to know what happens at RAI.

By Maltas standards, these three industrial powers lack all sense of commercial sensitivity. We not only know the salary of Delphine Ernotte Cunci, the CEO of France Tlvisions; we also know that its half the 800,000 that she earned when she led Orange France (formerly France Tlcom).

For the BBC, the only salaries that are truly commercially sensitive and, therefore, not published, are related to programmes it buys on you guessed commercial terms.

Otherwise, it takes the quaint view that a public broadcaster, whose mission is to make public affairs transparent, needs to be transparent itself. It has been publishing the full contract of its Directors-General for nearly 10 years.

The BBC also insists on strict political impartiality. In 2013, it appointed a member of the House of Lords, Tony Hall, as its Director-General. His contract did not permit him to participate in any votes in the Lords; he was also barred from any political activities without the BBCs written consent.

Meanwhile, the PBS Board Secretary, Mark Vassallo, has been captured on camera directing ONEs broadcasts of Labours mass rallies before the last general elections.

Two worlds, two contrasting standards. At the BBC, salaries are public and political preferences must be kept private. At PBS, salaries are private but political preferences for the ruling Party may be openly displayed.

At the BBC, transparency on salaries and privacy on political preferences are key values because the broadcasters work for the public. At PBS, a transparent preference for the ruling Party and opaque salaries make sense the broadcasters work on behalf of political bosses who regard public funds as their private purse.

One thing is transparent at PBS. Its benchmark is not the BBC; its Putins RT. Thats why PBS makes formal declarations as it did to the Data Protection Commissioner that dont even need to try to make sense.

Why bother? Its not reason or principle that wins arguments but pure political might.

Original post:

Better than the BBC, almost as good as RT Ranier Fsadni - The Shift News

A golden rule of fitness is that your recovery days are just as important as your workout days. These much-needed pauses refresh your muscle tissue and stave off injury. But if you find that your days of R&R are leaving you more fatigued than the days you go hard at the gym, trainers say there's a simple explanation.

Here's the deal: On recovery days, you're relatively stagnant. (Maybe you're just doing some light stretching or Netflix-ing big time.) Just because your heart rate's at rest, however, that doesn't meant that the rest of your body is also chilling.

"Your body is doing some serious work while at rest," says Amanda Freeman, founder ofSLT and Stretch*d. "This is literally the time when your muscle tissue heals and rebuilds from your workout. Its during this time of rest/repair when your body becomes stronger so that it can handle more strainheavier weights, longer runs, faster intervals, etcetera." In other words, your body's hard at work making sure that tomorrow's workout is awesome.

In order for you to fully recover from tough bouts of effort, your system needs to replenish two things: carbohydrates and fluids. Studies indicate that your body needs about 24 hours to restock its carbohydrate stores and at least a few hours to reabsorb the fluids it needs. That's a pretty quick turnaround time, right?

Our body's tissues, however, take a little longer: Studies indicate that we need several weeks of cycling through active and restful periods for them to full recover (and achieve those gains Freeman talked about above). When you take a day off, your body doesn't have to funnel energy into your workout, so it goes all in on repairing your muscles. This may take a toll on your energy levels.

Also, if you're a morning workout person, FightCamp trainer Jess Evans points out that sleeping in when you don't have to wake up for that 6:30 a.m. workout may be adding to your feelings of fatigue. "You might be on a different schedule which can involve sleeping in, and that can make you more tired. I would recommend sticking as close to a schedule as possible to help with that mind and body fatigue, and getting out in nature or taking a short walk to help refresh your mind," she says. Nabbing an extra dose of sunlight will help your circadian rhythm.

Of course, it's also possible your rest day activities are draining you of your energy. Maybe you're meal prepping for the week ahead, or watching an entire season ofStranger Thingsand you find that these activities (while great) are causing your eyelids to droop. If this is the case, you can opt for energizing, yet still restful, active recovery options like heading out for an easy hike, foam rolling, or going for a low-key swim.

Overall, trainers say it's well worth figuring out how to enjoy your rest days because they are absolutely crucialnot only to your physical well-being, but also to your mental health.

"Rest days are not just important, they are essential. Sometimes newer athletes struggle with this concept, but time devoted to rest and recovery is just as crucial as the time we allocate toward our fitness goals. The body and mind need time to repair from the strain of exercise," says SoulCycle master instructor Chris Layda. So find a way to love 'em, famthey're the key to making sure you get to work out for many years to come.

Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cutting-edge wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Originally posted here:

What It Means If You Feel More Tired on Rest Days Than When You Work Out - Well+Good

My Dad never wanted personal recognition for himself but gave all the credit to others and counted it a privilege to lead the city of Chattanooga. Those words were from June Rose Penfold, daughter of the late Chattanooga Mayor Pat Rose, as she remembered her dad at his funeral on Wednesday.

A Celebration of life for the late mayor was held Wednesday at the Chattanooga Funeral Home, East Brainerd Chapel.

Mr. Rose served in the Navy in the late 40s so it was fitting the service open with the Navy Hymn.

Former Miss Tennessee Desiree Daniels sang two of the mayor's favorite songs, Take my Hand Precious Lord and The Lords Prayer. Mayor Rose often said Ms. Daniels was his favorite singer.

Ms. Daniels was Miss Hamilton County in 1982 and crowned Miss Tennessee, while Mr. Rose was mayor.

Ms. Penfold said life wasnt the same for her father after her mom died in January. She said, Theyll celebrate their 72nd wedding anniversary together on June 25th in heaven. Ms. Penfold said her dad always tried to include her mom in everything.

Ms. Penfold also remembered when it snowed her father would stay out all night with the public works crews breaking ice.

Dr. Bill Owens was Mayor Roses pastor for 25 years but friend much longer. Dr. Owens called Mayor Rose "a bridge builder. He compared Mr. Rose to a picture of the mayor and his wife crossing the Walnut Street Bridge and nearly reaching the end. Dr. Owens said the mayor crossed over troubled waters many times but ended up building a bridge to unite the community.

Dr. Owens said no one wanted to bring people together and love one another more than Pat Rose. Dr. Owens said Pat Rose lived by the golden rule, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

Former Mayor Ron Littlefield spent a lot of time with Mayor Rose.Hesaid Mayor Rose in a quiet manner led the fight for the downtown Trade Center.He recalled MayorRose meeting with Hamilton County Executive Dalton Roberts to work out differences; We can see the results today.

Former Mayor Littlefield said, The Trade Center is the heart of our downtown and has generated millions of dollars and thousands of jobs. According to Mayor Littlefield, Pat Rose was the main architect but wanted no credit saying it was the hard work of a lot of people both city and county. The Trade Center site was formerly railroad yards.

Evelyn Shankles worked for three different mayors - Ralph Kelley, Gene Roberts and Pat Rose. Shesaid, Pat was wonderful and very kind to everyone - especially those who worked in his office.Mrs. Shankles also served as secretary to the City Commission.

Tommy Pruitt also worked in the Mayors office. Hesaid Mayor Rose helped him in public as well as his private life and taught him how to treat people. Mr. Pruitt said Mayor Rose never once looked at a persons skin color.

David Johnson, who is retired as Tivoli Theater, Memorial Auditorium general manager, also worked for Pat Rose in the Public Works Department.Mr. Johnson said, Pat Rose was the most positive person I've ever known. He lifted me up when I was feeling low.Mr.Johnson gives Mayor Rose a lot of credit for saving the Tivoli Theater when it faced the wrecking ball.

Although Pat Rose was from Orlando, Fla., he said, Chattanooga is and always will be my home. Hewas mayor from 1975 to 1983.

Mayor Rose was laid to rest with full military honors at the Chattanooga VA National Cemetery. Hewas 91.

Read the original post:

Pat Rose, Former Chattanooga Mayor, Laid To Rest At The National Cemetery - The Chattanoogan

Love Thy Neighbor

Full disclosure: this post is not an in-depth look at the sorrows of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Those are a subject I dont know a lot about, except in very general termsand bad things make Jesus sad, while true, isnt something I can write a worthwhile essay about. I dont think.

But, June is Pride Month. Which means Catholic Twitter is swarming with people talking about how un-Christian pride celebrations are, pride is a sin, etc., and saying we need to reclaim June as the month of the Sacred Heart. (The Solemnity of the Sacred Heart nearly always falls in June; its always on the third Friday after Pentecost, which typically falls in May or early June, this year on June 5th.)

This is, of course, terribly funny: the notion of any creature proposing to defend Omnipotence usually is. So Catholic Twitter is also swarming with people in this set of peoples replies, jeering at them. Ive done it several years running, and this year is no exception. Of course, when I actually refer to it as jeering, I suddenly find myself a little bit less comfortable with it; not because attempts to defend Omnipotence deserve respect (they dont), but because my neighbor deserves respect. Or, if deserves is felt to be too much, I am at any rate under orders to respect my neighborthat being how the Golden Rule works.

I do celebrate Pride myself, in a few different ways (and most of them are ways I dont even have to go to Confession over). I toyed with dropping the celebration a few years ago, as I was tiring somewhat of LGBT activism and the whole business of being, so to speak, a Public Gay; that year, as it happened, was 2016. After June 12 of that year rolled around I definitely discarded any idea of not celebrating Pride.

Most of the Christian objections to Pride that Ive come across have been obviously bad-faith pretenses at not seeing the difference between pride as a sin and pride as a sense of self-worth and human dignity. (Oddly enough, Ive come across these objections more often than Ive come across objections to the public lewdness that does often form a part of Pride celebrationsthough that may reflect the circles I travel in more than how common either objection is.) I dont propose to waste my time on people who raise bad-faith objections, but there are a handful of people who raise this objection in good faith, and Id like to speak to them.

Pride celebrations started after the Stonewall riots, which started the modern gay rights movement. They mean a lot of different things, and include a lot of different events. Some of these events are, shall we say, adult, but most arent; it is quite true that most Christians will probably feel the need to avoid those Pride events, but in my experience these are very much the exception, and (especially since LGBTQ adoption became common) a lot of Pride celebrations are designed to be as family-friendly as any other city summer festival.

Because at its coreand Im going to say something here thats a little controversial within the LGBTQ community, but I think its truePride isnt about sex.1 Its about the fact that we have human dignity, just like heterosexual, cisgender people do. That we dont deserve to be thrown out of our homes, or turned away from public institutions, or brutalized by the police; all of which were issues that plagued gay people in 1970, back when Pride celebrations started, and most of which continue to be problems for us in some regions and contexts. I said above that bad things make Jesus sad isnt a slogan I can do much with; but I do believe these injustices and cruelties wound his Heart, because he cares about us. Were human: thats all it takes to be loved by God.

How any person or group celebrates Pride is doubtless open to critique (though, do note: you probably arent being asked for your critiques, so think twice before offering them). But celebrating Pride in and of itself is, in my opinion, completely open to Catholics,2 and Pride can be important and special to LGBTQ Catholics like me.

If youve come here doubting whether Pride is legitimate at all, Im guessing you dont feel ready to attend any festivities. Thats fine; even people like me pick and choose what to go to. For instance, I dont generally attend Pride parades, not out of any moral objection but because I find parades skull-crushingly boring.

But if youre willing to take a word of advicenot that Ive been shy with it up to now!whatever else you do, dont get worked up about it. It isnt worth it. Culture war stuff is pretty much never worth your time, and, nine hundred and ninety-nine times out of a thousand, it makes it harder to love people, not easier. Because when youre waging a war for a culture, what that means in practice is training yourself to see other people, people who arent on Your Side, as the enemy. And that isnt what the New Testament teaches us to do. There is an enemy to be found in its pages; but that enemy isnt other people. Neighborfriendfellow citizenbrotherthese are the words the New Testament harps on when speaking about other people, especially within the Church, but even outside it.

And the brute fact is, youre sharing the Church with LGBTQ people. A lot of us have been baptized; statistically, at least some of us are going to be following you into heaven, or waiting for you when you get there. Might as well get cozy.

1For LGBTQ readers who may chafe at this take (since de-sexualizing oneself is often a respectability tactic for gaining acceptance), I dont mean our sexuality is irrelevant to Pride; thats obviously false. What I mean is, Pride is for every sexual and gender minority, and that includes people whowhether due to private convictions, an asexual orientation, or just preferencedont engage in any kind of sex.

2To take a partly parallel example, a lot of Mardi Gras or St. Patricks Day festivities involve plenty of things Catholicism considers sinful or excessive, especially regarding alcohol. But Ive never heard any Catholic say that we should avoid these celebrations in and of themselves: only that we should choose what to go to judiciously (or maybe substitute our own events) and mind our own behavior.

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The Sorrows of the Sacred Heart | Gabriel Blanchard - Patheos

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Friday that he expects the oft-maligned transition take foul to come with stiffer penalties next season.

Silver expects the rules regarding the play where a defender intentionally commits a foul to halt a transition opportunity for the opposition are going to change this summer. Its been something the NBA and its competition committee have been studying for several seasons.

Momentum has been building for several months toward a change, one that now seems likely to come at league meetings in July.

I am confident that well see a change, Silver said in an interview Friday with The Associated Press. I would not say Im overconfident that it will be the last change, even though this is a rule that weve been experimenting with in the G League for last four years.

Commissioner Adam Silver discusses the state of the league ahead of Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals.

The way such fouls have been officiated in the G League since 2018 is this: When a defender commits a take foul, which is one where no play on the ball is made but doesnt rise to the level of a clear path foul, the fouled team retains possession and gets one free throw before play resumes. The clear path foul results in two shots and the ball.

I think the take foul needs to be abolished as soon as humanly possible, Golden State coach Steve Kerr said earlier in these playoffs. I coached in FIBA the last few summers and FIBA has a rule that basically eliminated it entirely. Its so penalizing when you get called for it that coaches all teach their teams, dont do it. Thats what we need to do as a league. Youve just got to get rid of it, make the game better, open up the game and hopefully thats what will happen this summer.

The G League and Summer League are the traditional testing labs for the NBA before making rule changes or amending policies. Among those that started at those levels and eventually got to the NBA the coaches challenge, plus resetting the 24-second shot clock to 14 seconds in offensive rebound situations.

The take foul, Silver believes, is about to get added to that list.

I always say to people, including on this potential change in take fouls, if there was something that was obvious it would have happened long ago, Silver said after the dedication of a new NBA Cares Live, Learn or Play Center to assist the Boys & Girls Club of San Francisco. Theres pros and cons to everything we do. This is a change Im very much in favor of, and from all the research weve looked at, its something our fans really want too.

Read more here:

Commissioner Adam Silver confident that the NBAs take-foul policy will change - NBA.com

At the time of this writing, it seems like this season of the current Pokmon anime is in the final stages and I must say it has been a pretty interestingjourney to bear witness to as a long time fan of the franchise. While not perfect, the show's focus on re-introducing former characters as well as launching probably the largest scale tournament the franchise has ever seen adds a sense of scale that feels important alongside a weird sense of finality. What's more, when you consider all of the spinoff shows that The Pokmon Company has continued to put out in the past couple of years, it's clear that the Pokmon brand could go in a multitude of directions once this season is over. So I thought it would be a good opportunity to go back and see how that journey first began. My name is AJ from the Cartoon Cipher and today on Anime News Network we are going to explore the very first saga of the Pokmon franchise to see if it still holds up today

I will admit that covering this series with a broad brush can be a bit difficult considering the fact that there are technically multiple different versions of the show depending on where you watched it. Pokmon got massively popular in the West in no small part due to it being a hack dub. In other words, the Western broadcast and distribution for Pokmon often had cut or edited content to make the show appear more like a Western Saturday morning cartoon. Sometimes upwards of almost entire episodes worth of scripts were rewritten, cultural meanings changed, and the soundtrack was entirely replaced. In fact, speaking from personal experience, as a kid I didn't know that Pokmon was a foreign property until much later in my life. There are definitely enough differences between both versions for them to be considered completely different shows. That is a topic for another time as a much larger piece and I will do my best to talk about the show in a way that encompasses the different versions (though I will be referring to characters by their americanized names for the sake of ease). However, I would argue that's not really difficult since the overall atmosphere and tone of the series largely stayed intact regardless of the audience.

Even in the original Japanese language, I think we can all agree that the first season of Pokmon itself was a goofy, over-the-top cartoon a lot of the time. This definitely clashed with the more rigid games. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the original Pokmon anime is probably a very poor representation of the video games that inspired it. Granted, the original Pokmon games were far from perfect and were very simple by most RPG standards even back then. In the first season of the anime, Pokmon learn moves that they technically should have no way of learning ever, stuff like type advantages feel more like a suggestion rather than a standard, and the actual rules for battling seem to change on a dime.

It is also possible that the show decided to focus less on battles and more on environment as well as characterization because the technology of the time just wouldn't be able to properly flex how powerful some of these creatures were on a consistent basis for such a long running show. That is undeniably one of the things that ages the show the most: its looks. There's an abundance of still shots and basic fade transitions and an unapologetic use of recycled animation. All of this was pretty standard at the time but let's be honest, we have been spoiled by much better produced shows since then, including the more recent seasons of Pokmon in the past couple of years. It took a LONG time for the anime to start getting more fluid and creative with its animation. But just because the battles might've sucked and the first season of the show is probably one of the ugliest in the entire franchise, that doesn't mean there wasn't a significant emotional weight to everything.

The original Pokmon series isn't the story of Ash Ketchum actually accomplishing his goal of being the very best like no one ever was. It's about a young child leaving home for the first time and realizing just how difficult the world truly is. Not everybody is going to immediately like and gravitate towards you, you need to prove yourself and earn it. Recklessness will only get you so far and sometimes you need to take a second to appreciate the little things around you. You can't expect good moments to go on forever, sometimes things need to come to an end. And sometimes you need to learn to say goodbye no matter how much you might not want to.

Do any of these lessons sound familiar? Ash technically didn't win some of his gym badges, but he earned them through his character. He and his friends constantly got in trouble because of childish stubbornness. Ash's Charmander went from one of his most trusted Pokmon to one that barely even wants to look in his direction once it evolves. Then there's the Bye, Bye Butterfree episode which to this day has subliminally programmed all of us to cry at the sheer memory of it. All of these moments, questionable localization or not, were still retained as major story beats and could be found throughout the entire show. They're remembered so fondly and have such a hold on me when rewatching because THAT'S what the show was good at; taking you on an emotional journey while on a literal quest full of monsters and mayhem.

There is a part of me that wishes the show was a bit more technical or that we would get some kind of reboot that would expand upon the narrative set up in the video games, as simple as they are. We technically have things like that in the form of the internet Pokmon specials and the Pokmon manga but a proper season would yield a potentially more timeless show. However, because the original Pokmon anime didn't take that direction, it was able to lean more into the imagination of these creatures and the world that hosts them. There's a sense of mysticism to everything. You remember when you were a kid and there were moments where, just outside the corner of your eye, you would catch glimpses of unexplained things, but they'd disappear once you turned in that direction? That anxious excitement permeates this entire season. There were times where it could feel magical or inspiring, but there were also moments that felt creepy and unsettling. The giant Pokmon at the lighthouse cloaked in shadow? The mystery of the ghost women that turned to stone? Sinking to the bottom of the ocean? Heck, the mini arc with Sabrina with the ghost and Psychic-type Pokmon, I think is one of the most unsettling few episodes in the entire franchise to this day. But the show wasn't just unpredictable in the world it created. It was also paying off character moments in ways that were just as unexpected.

Ironically, in a day and age where a lot of older anime fans seem so obsessed with ranking Ash's skills as a trainer by looking at how far he gets in each tournament, it almost feels appropriate that Ash's first ever Pokmon League Championship displayed one of his most embarrassing public losses. Yes, you could argue that the only reason Ash lost is because of extenuating circumstances that made him unable to perform at his best. However, you could also argue that if Ash was a more competent trainer that didn't always rely on luck and instinct, he would've overcome those circumstances a lot easier or, at the very least, been better prepared. In fact, it's pretty clear during that final match at the Pokmon League that Ash's most powerful Pokmon at the time, Charizard, would have been capable of sweeping most challenges Ash faced. But because it didn't respect him as a trainer enough, it ended up being the one that lost it for him and if you really think about it, this shouldn't have been that surprising as a kid. That right there is a perfect microcosm of what I think this season was supposed to be: an exercise in humility.

Ash isn't the only character that gets knocked down a few pegs throughout the season. Since the first episode, Ash gets teased by his rival Gary who very openly possesses the skills and knowledge that Ash lacks. You'd think that the show was mainly building up to their first big battle but no. The two never battled in the season and Ash actually lasted one round longer in the Pokmon League compared to Gary despite arguably being the less experienced trainer. Yeah it's a little anticlimactic and I felt that way even as a kid. But looking back on it, that needed to happen narratively for the two to actually have that major experience of loss separate from each other. This way there was no sugar coating or associated blame. The two just weren't as good as they thought they would be and realizing that is the first step to maturity.

In fact, Ash's most beloved companions seem to almost represent different modes of that maturity while also failing to be perfect role models themselves. Misty definitely has a bit more life experience than Ash does but she's just as stubborn and gullible as he is, albeit for different things. She is sort of in that in-between phase where she recognizes that she has limitations and has room to grow but also thinks she's a bit more capable than she arguably is. Then again that desire to constantly prove herself might stem from her relationship with her sisters. Maybe part of the reason so many anime fans had this headcanon about Misty and Ash being romantically interested in each other was due to those emotional and social similarities.

Brock on the other hand is kind of the closest thing the show has to a layered reoccurring adult character. Even though he's the oldest of the group, he has gone through experiences that arguably nobody his age really should. Brock actually had to grow up fast due to family circumstances as he needed to be the adult that took care of all of his brothers and sisters. He's patient, knows his limits, has a wealth of knowledge and is a natural caretaker. Brock's biggest weakness is that he's unapologetically infatuated with women and that would go on to be one of the longest running gags in the entire show. Kind of a fun albeit dated character quirk but it still kind of shows that even when you are at your most mature, there are still things in this world that make you act out. Just don't let that immaturity dominate your life or show an unwillingness to grow because otherwise you might end up like Team Rocket who sort of personify adults that never really learned those lessons. The organization is composed of a bunch of petty crooks that want to steal from others but Jessie, James and Meowth see the group as a sign of freedom and independence which fits with their backstories being nothing but a pattern of opportunities being taken away. Maybe that's why this first season of Pokmon has stuck with people for so long, it kind of runs the gambit ganbatte of relatability across a multitude of different spectrums.

Even as a kid I always found the climax to the entire series interesting because it really just solidified the fact that this series was never really about the battles or the fancy game mechanics. It was about realizing that there is more to everything. It was about understanding that it takes a lot to be the best at anything and, even when you're good at something, sometimes that will only get you so far. Even as a kid, I was so used to the protagonist reaching the end as a triumphant hero, but instead Ash barely got close. Maybe the experiences that got him to that point were more important than the tournament itself? I don't really think any of the other Pokmon seasons after this one hit on that message quite as hard as we see here.

Maybe that's because, at least for the first couple of seasons after this, you could see an arguable growth in Ash as a character. This wasn't a lesson he needed to learn again. He never really loses that stubborn straightforwardness or that wide-eyed whimsy that we expect from shonen protagonists. But since then, Ash usually loses just because the other trainer happens to be stronger than him, not because he himself is an inexperienced trainer. And similar to how that first season laid the groundwork for these characters, the lives of children and the world at large took on a turning point as well. This might sound like a copout answer, but even if the original Pokmon series doesn't hold up as some kind of masterpiece that has always and will always stand the test of time, I think at the very least it needs to be respected. Even if this isn't your favorite season of Pokmon, I guarantee you that you would not have your favorite season of Pokmon if this show started any differently.

The golden rule that Ash can't win a Pokmon tournament has already arguably been broken when you consider the fact that Ash is the champion of the Alola League. So there's plenty of reason to be at least open to the idea that the current season may very well be leading up to the end of an era. No, I'm not talking about the end of Pokmon as a whole. This train will never run out of steam no matter what diety you pray to as there's no way that The Pokmon Company would just stop producing one of the most lucrative franchises in the entire world. However, that doesn't mean that parts of the show won't disappear. Could this be the end of everyone's favorite eternal 10 year old Ash Ketchum?

Now, this might be a pretty big assumption to make, but it's hard to top what is being done right now. The current goal this time isn't a singular league tournament in a separate region but rather a global rank tournament where the goal is to beat Leon, the undefeated champion who towers over all. He is literally the goal that champions and Elite Four level trainers strive for! Even if we assume that The Pokmon Company will get cold feet at the last minute and not make Ash the winner, where exactly do we go from here? Yes, you can argue that Ash's dream still wouldn't be fulfilled even if he was the best trainer because the title of Pokmon Master is still left extremely vague, but considering this is the most powerful we have ever seen Ash, it's a little bit difficult to imagine what other kind of challenges he could reasonably face after this. (That is assuming the show-runners also don't just reset Ash's progress for the sake of keeping the status quo). It's hard to say if Pokmon will finally pull the pin on that grenade and mark the end to one of the oldest 10 year olds in media. But if this truly is the beginning of the end, that doesn't mean it's ever going to be the end of the beginning. No matter what happens, I could still go back to that little corner of Pallet Town where it all began and appreciate the emotions that informed the lives of so many people who would later go on to start journeys of their own.

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Does The Original Pokmon Hold Up? - Anime News Network

Through its Health Equity and Diversity in STEM Innovation Fund, Genentech (a subsidiary of Roche) is looking to elevate diversity and equity in healthcare as well as clinical research. The biotech company recently announced plans to invest more than $12m USD in various initiatives, each aimed at eradicating inequity and increasing access in the life sciences.

For the first part of this two-part series, Outsourcing-Pharma connected with a leader from Genentech to discuss the fund and the companys approach to working toward more equitable clinical research. In this second part, we connected with Ricki Fairley, CEO and Founder of TOUCH, the Black Breast Cancer Alliance, a one-time grant recipient, about the importance of such work.

OSP: Could you please tell us a bit about your organization, including the work youre focused on, any recent achievements/milestones youd like to tell us about, etc.

RF: Touch, the Black Breast Cancer Alliance drives the collaborative efforts of patients, survivors, advocates, advocacy organizations, health care professionals, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies to work collectively, with accountability, towards the common goal of eradicating Black Breast Cancer. Though there are numerous breast cancer advocacy groups and stakeholders, there is a dire need to bring all patients, survivors, advocates, advocacy organizations, health care professionals, researchers, and pharmaceutical companies together to serve as allies to advance the science for Black Breast Cancer in an eco-system that is failing Black women.

This provides a blog about our recent launch of our When We Tri(al) Movement:

TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance Launches a Groundbreaking New Movement to Advance the Science for Black Breast Cancer

TOUCH, The Black Breast Cancer Alliance, led by Thriver Ricki Fairley, launched When We Tri(al), a movement dedicated to empowering and educating Black women on the importance of clinical trial participation. The movement aims to change the devastating breast cancer mortality rates for Black women, who are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer than white women.

Black women are drastically underrepresented in clinical trials; only 3% of clinical trial participants leading to FDA approval of cancer drugs between 2008 and 2018 were Black. The consequences are dire: too many Black women are missing out on access to newly emerging and often life-extending treatments. Until more Black women are included in the research, they will continue to face worse breast cancer outcomes. When We Tri(al) is focused on the urgent need to end these disparities.

"Black Breast Cancer isnt about a month, its about a movement. When We Tri(al) aspires not only to save Black lives but also educate and motivate clinical trial participation among our Black Breasties," says Ricki Fairley, CEO of Touch, the Black Breast Cancer Alliance. "The current drugs are not working hard enough for Black women. Im on a mission to empower our community with the necessary knowledge to advocate for ourselves within a medical system that too often fails us. We must advance the science. Our When We Tri(al) launch will serve as a moment to hear firsthand how clinical trials can change the game for breast cancer and Black women."

The communication for the When We Tri(al) Movement was made with cultural humility, love, and hope. Designed by Black Breast Cancer patients and survivors, for Black Breast Cancer patients, the website provides basic education about clinical trials to arm Black women with the information they need to advocate for themselves in a medical community that often fails them.

Please visit whenwetrial.org to learn more.

OSP: Please tell me about your personal commitment to your organization and its mission.

RF: I am a 10-year survivor/thriver of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. I was diagnosed with Stage 3A. After a double mastectomy, six rounds of chemo, and six weeks of radiation I was NED.

Almost exactly a year to the date of original diagnosis, a PET scan identified 5 spots on my chest wall. My oncologist told me I was metastatic, had two years to live, and to get my affairs in order. I did not accept that. I reached out to the Triple Negative Breast Cancer Foundation and they helped me find an oncologist who had experience with TNBC. She put me on two drugs that were experimental for TNBC and they saved my life.

I know that God left me here to this work as an advocate for Black women. It is my purpose, my personal mission, and my ministry. I fight like a girl every day so that my two daughters and three granddaughters wont have to face this awful disease.

OSP: What are some of the greatest challenges you and your org have faced in recent years?

RF: Our organization was birthed out of the need to deal with health inequity. Black women have a 41% higher mortality rate than white women. Black women have a 39% higher recurrence rate than White women. Black women under 35 get breast cancer at twice the rate and die at three times the rate of white women. Black women like me, who have had breast cancer have a 71% higher relative risk of death than white women.

Our definition of health equity is that of the golden rule. HCPs need to treat patients with the level of care, compassion, and excellence that they would expect for themselves if they were patients. We have a long way to go. One of the major components of our When We Tri(al) movement is to teach Black women how to advocate for themselves and demand the care that we deserve.

We have been very blessed to garner the financial support of Genentech to do this work and are very grateful.

OSP: How did you come in contact with Genentech?

RF: I have worked with Genentech for about five or six years as an advocate for TNBC (as a Board member and Board Chair of the TNBC Foundation) as the team developed Tecentriq. I have the utmost respect for the Genentech team and truly treasure the work that we have done together over the years.

OSP: What has the funding from the Innovation Fund helped your organization accomplish?

RF: Genentech has graciously funded our research to better understand the emotional barriers to clinical trial participation by Black women. It was a major qualitative and quantitative study that provided the insights needed to build the communication platform for our When We Tri(al) Movement.

Genentech is also funding the movement launch that is enabling us to afford a national digital marketing outreach, a 10-market radio advertising effort, and community events in 10 markets where we are reaching Black women where they live, work, play, and pray. We are eternally grateful for this partnership.

OSP: Do you have anything to add?

RF: Since our Movement launch on January 26, 2022, we are seeing increases in our metrics with every bi-weekly report. To date, we have had 10k website visits, 322 website sign-ups, 265 clinical trial portal searches, a 15.7% social media conversion rate, and an overall 7.3% engagement rate. Our earned media outreach has secured 162 million media impressions.

We hope to change the game on advancing the science for Black Breast cancer by educating our community on clinical trial basics from a voice of trust, teaching self-advocacy, and giving Black women a platform for demanding a Black standard of care.

Excerpt from:

Biotech fund supports increased equity in breast cancer research - OutSourcing-Pharma.com

As major fan conventions like Phoenix Fan Fusion and San Diego Comic Con make triumphant returns this year, newcomers and returning guests alike might be out of practice when it comes to interacting with such large swaths of people after three years.

Since the pandemic, a lot more people have gone into fandom and nerd things, said Imani Jackson, a 23-year-old from Phoenix who goes by the stage name Cosplay Choco.

I think that there is certain etiquette when it comes to cosplaying that I feel like normal people do not know, like asking permission before you touch a costume, before you take a picture.

She, along with fellow metro Phoenix-based cosplayers Marina Sharpe, who is known as @marinahopesharpeon social media, andAleksander Gomez, who goes by the name Valentino Morales as@alocalcosplayer, shared tips for how to be safe at large-scale events and be respectful as a fan.

Arizona cosplayers rejoice:Why they're so happy Phoenix Fan Fusion 2022 is on

Being respectful towardcosplayers is key.

Cosplay is not consent is a popular phrase in the community, meaning that attending an event or wearing a certain outfit does not mean people can act however they want toward cosplayers.

Costumes are not an invitation to, like, flirt, with somebody. I don't understand why that's a thing, Imani said. Just because somebody is Harley Quinn and you're Joker does not mean that we are together.

Following a cosplayer, touching them and taking pictures from afar are examples of what not to do, Imani said.

"Another thing is offering to fix something, take something out of someone's hair or wig," Imani said. "You might think, like, that's really nice if you did that, but someone who is their friend should probably do that for them. A stranger should not pick (at) somebody else's costume unless specifically that cosplayer is like, 'Hey, can you fix this for me?'"

Fan Fusion 2022: Complete guide to guests, weapon policy, costs and more

When it comes to taking pictures, ask a cosplayer for permission to photograph them and respect their wish if they decline.

If I'm having a picture taken of me in cosplay, I want to be able to pose, to be in character, you know? Sharpe said. If someone is taking a break, if they're eating food, typically it's not regarded as the most respectful thing to go up to a cosplayer while they're eating.

Gomez said some cosplayers experience microaggressions while receiving compliments. One example, he said, is if someone says "'I love your Black version of this character."

"It's almost slightly derogatory in a way, and many POC creators are going to take slight offense to that as you're cosplaying that character not just as a Black person, but you're just cosplaying the character," he said.

When complimenting people's costumes, make sure to not qualify it.

Exclusive: These 23 new restaurants and bars are now open in metro Phoenix

Unfortunately, cosplayers often experience unwanted attention when they are in costume.

It sucks because it is just kind of a reality that you kind of have to be aware of your surroundings and people around you, Sharpe said. Creeps in general are going to be in any community, period.

Gomez said: There's going to be multiple predators at these conventions solely with the interest of seeing one of their favorite characters and essentially taking advantage of that cosplayer so that way they can get their own fantasy.

When asked about whether being in costume might makesome people feel free to act inappropriately, Sharpe saidshe believes this sometimes happens.

I think particularly with a cosplay that covers up your entire face, for instance, it's kind of like when you're on the Internet and suddenly some people feel empowered to say awful things, she said. I think some people just (are) wanting to be in character and taking it, you know, kind of too far.

Imani, Sharpe and Gomez shared these cosplay safety tips:

And as a courtesy toothers, Gomez issued a plea for people to wear deodorant while cosplaying.

"Personal hygiene is so important at these conventions," he said. "Please!"

Reach Entertainment Reporter KiMi Robinsonat kimi.robinson@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @kimirobinand Instagram @ReporterKiMi.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral.com today.

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The golden rule of cosplay: Do's and don'ts of comic con etiquette - The Arizona Republic

Canada has fallen behind other industrialized nations in multiple measures of capital healthcare investment, and the most glaring gap is found in the state of its medical imaging equipment35% of which is 10 or more years old.

The news comes from a report issued by an independent research organization, the Conference Board of Canada, by way of the Canadian Association of Radiologists. The CAR is publicizing the report [1] to help convey the seriousness of the report authors findings.

Medical imaging lives at the center of healthcare in Canada, touching patients lives during multiple phases of their care journey, says CAR president Gilles Soulez, MD, in a press release. Demand is growing, but our equipment and processes are not keeping up with what is required to diagnose and treat patients.

The CAR notes the European Coordination Committee of Radiological, Electromedical and Healthcare IT Industrys Golden Rule, which holds that no more than 10% of imaging equipment should still be in service as of its 10th anniversary.

Chad Leaver, the Conference Boards director of health, names lengthening wait times for imaging services as a concerning indicator of the countrys health-status trajectory relative to that of peer nations.

Increased wait times have a substantial cost to the Canadian economy, Leaver says. Preparing Canada for the future has become more important now than ever, he adds, because timely access to medical imaging will be key to the success of provincial/territorial strategies to address surgical and cancer care backlogs that Canadians and care providers are facing because of the pandemic.

To this Soulez adds that, even before the pandemic, Canadians were waiting an average of 50 to 82 days for CT scans and 89 days for MR imagingsome 20 to 52 days longer than the 30-day wait time recommended by published guidelines.

More from Soulez:

[T]his backlog increased significantly during the pandemic and, according to a survey of CAR members, most centers cannot catch up with this additional workload. Without additional investment in equipment and human resources and modernization of prioritizing and referring imaging, we are looking at a very bleak future.

Read the rest here:

Neighbor to the North facing a 'very bleak future' if medical imaging not modernized soon - Radiology Business

Last weeks horrific school shooting in Texas has our countrys attention.

Twenty-one people 19 happy, innocent children and two caring teachers were shot and killed and an additional 17 were wounded in this school of 600 students. All of them and their families are suffering. Millions and millions of additional students and parents across our country have been terrified by that news.

Since 1970, 2,032 school shootings have occurred in the U.S., with 948 of them occurring since the staggering tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in December 2012. This averages more than 94 in less than 10 years.

Just Thursday night there was an anonymous shooting threat regarding New Albany High School.

I was already incensed about occurrences in my rural, historically safe and secure, neighborhood. To be certain, these happenings are absolutely nothing in comparison to the Texas shooting. They are though, indicative of negative changes. In just the past month I had a bulky piece of outdoor furniture taken within a six-hour period while I was at home. Two neighbors just down the road had break-ins into their backyards/mini barns. One involved removing a gate. Most recently, four cars/officers from the sheriffs department found it necessary to visit a small nearby business at 2:30 a.m.

While this is of a completely different caliber, I had taken up a wooden sidewalk and moved all pieces to the end of the driveway to await removal. All screws needed to be hammered down or out and all wood bundled so I was sitting on a bench at the end of the driveway working away with my hammer. People in the area will tell you that I work in the yard a lot and often look oh my, as was the case when a car passed and the driver screamed a nasty adjective and a disgusting noun at me. Only 15 or so feet away was a mid-20s man, his face distorted with anger and venom.

Despite the varied nature of these instances, there are many commonalities. I do not believe it is okay that my world no longer feels as safe or kind and caring as it once did. It is certainly not okay that young people cannot view one where they are loved and cared for and is safe, caring, and filled with opportunities. Too many people today, of all ages, act as though boundaries and rules dont apply to them. They do what they want, when they want just because they want to, regardless of consequences to others. It is unacceptable!

I continue to believe there are far more caring people in the world than there are selfish, unfeeling, uncaring ones. Yet the noise created by the blatant actions in the world almost seems to belie that reality. Its up to each one of us, whether teachers, legislators, parents or non-parents, to show in our lives the type of actions and attitudes that our world need in order of our young people and all citizens to feel safe and valued.

It does not mean a different rule for every difference: belief, lifestyle, gender, ethnicity, social and financial status, etc. It means being FAIR. If means treating others the way you would want to be treated (theres a Golden Rule for that). It means setting expectations for how we as individuals act at home, at school, in the neighborhood, everywhere and we must share, in both words and actions, these expectations with our children. Otherwise, how will they learn? Its also necessary that when expectations are not met, by children or adults, that consequences occur. Otherwise we quickly learn rules and expectations are not meant for me and we lives of chaos.

By our actions we must demonstrate that we value others, whether they are like us or not. Its learning how to peacefully resolve differences. Good old boy attitudes in our communities, neighborhoods, in politics, or anywhere or even at home result only in selfish rewards.

We begin to learn values and attitudes at birth. Teaching therefore begins with the parents and those others who are raising our children. Teaching must follow children as they go to daycare, school and anywhere they go where adults influence them. We cannot wait even one more day to begin ensuring that we act the way we want our kids to act, that we treat them with respect, that we expect the same in return. We cannot survive in a world where every person is out for him/herself. And who would want to?

Youth Count focuses on positive youth development. Visit the Youth Count Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/YouthCount for tips and encouragement on demonstrating positive attitudes and behaviors. For more information about the 40 Development Assets, building developmental relationships or for handouts appropriate for home, work, school or church, email me at barbara@youthcount.com.

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YOUTH COUNT COLUMN: Enough is enough our youth deserve better - Evening News and Tribune