Category Archives: Golden Rule

Published: 11/25/2021 10:00:27 PM

Modified: 11/28/2021 10:00:03 AM

At this time of year we give thanks, and we thank by giving. Here in the Upper Valley are numerous local organizations that receive support of work and money from those who are able.

Organizations often print an annual list of donors to recognize the support from larger donors and individuals with more limited means. It heartens me that many volunteers and donors recognize the importance nonprofits have in nurturing our community. This year, I am thankful that my neighbors participate in helping organizations such as Red Logan Dental Clinic, the Upper Valley Land Trust and the Lebanon Opera House.

Nov. 30 is this years Giving Tuesday. This day is a way to balance the materialism celebrated on Black Friday with care for the world and those in need. Thank you to all who support others and work to preserve and protect the Earth, which is our home.

INGRID CURTIS

Etna

Thank you, Valley News, for highlighting folks shopping locally this year (Shoppers thinking outside the box, Nov. 22).

We are fortunate to live among so many talented craftspeople. Shopping locally directly benefits the community by supporting local businesses and crafters. It also benefits our community in a less direct way when the local craft fair is associated with a fundraiser for social services. As one example, the Bugbee Senior Center is hosting a craft fair Dec. 3 and 4 at the center in White River Junction.

Revenue from the event supports the center, which provides a variety of services to Upper Valley seniors. This past year we served more than 25,000 meals through Meals on Wheels and daily lunch at the center. We provided local seniors with fitness and health programs, including fall prevention. Seniors who came back to the center after the isolation of COVID-19 are so grateful. Now they are back to their card games, crafts, trips, educational activities and, of course, bingo. Please keep local craft fairs in mind when shopping for your loved ones, some of whom might even frequent the Bugbee Senior Center.

SUSAN MANLEY

Wilder

The writer is volunteer and activity coordinator at the Bugbee Senior Center.

This holiday season, please add the Hanover Garden Club to your list of organizations doing things differently! In addition to our traditional in-person sale, we are offering items via an online order format: https://form.jotform.com/212916992795170. (Payment is made at the time of pick up or delivery.)

The clubs sale is one of the last of the season, so our products are fresh for holiday gatherings. They include tabletop boxwood trees, mixed green centerpieces, English cracker/poppers (very fun!) and gift boxes of cookies. All items are made by club members. The traditional holiday sale will take place at the RW Black Community Center, 48 Lebanon St., Hanover, on Dec. 11, from 9 a.m. to noon. The above-mentioned items will be available, along with the clubs Gardeners Nook, Attic Treasures and jewelry tables. While shopping, enjoy some free coffee, tea and homemade treats.

All proceeds from this sale are used to plant the 13 gardens around the town of Hanover. Thank you for keeping the gardens alive for all to enjoy.

BETSY EATON and MARY WAUGH

Hanover

The writers are co-chairs of the Hanover Garden Club holiday sale.

Suzanne Lupiens Perspectives column in the Sunday Valley News touched my heart (Weve forgotten how much we really need each other, Nov. 21). I agree with her when she says people dont have a choice about getting the vaccine, and I too believe that the actions of individuals affect us all.

But take heart, because people are still giving and concerned about their neighbors. Two years ago, my husband was struck with an illness that put him in the hospital for a week and left him unable to perform the many chores that we do on our farm in Grantham.

One of these chores is throwing in wood for my woodstove. Yes, I still cook on a woodstove, and we put in our own wood, just like we did in Cornish when I was a child. Hearing of our situation, neighbors, friends and relatives all came on a Sunday afternoon, some from many miles away, to throw wood into our cellar.

Yes, the ancient golden rule of the countryside was being observed at our farm in Grantham that Sunday, and it was not just elderly but young and old who came to help. The only thing that could have made that day more wonderful would have been a platter of Bernice Johnsons wonderful doughnuts, which I have been lucky enough to have shared with her.

CINDY TOWLE

Grantham

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Forum, Nov. 26: Thanks to everyone who supports nonprofits - Valley News

You can choose only one of the following.

The Tyrod Taylor-led Texans show improvement in the second half of the season and finish 5-12 or Sundays stunning road win over Tennessee is the highlight of the Texans season and they end up with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft.

Easy, right?

No-brainer.

Youre rooting for the 2-15 or, at best, 3-14 Texans. You want the honor of taking the second-best player available when the next draft rolls around. You want a young, super-talented name that the rebuilding Texans can actually build around.

Which means you already know the best thing for the Texans in 2022 and beyond is for the bottom-of-the league New York Jets to improve to 3-8 this Sunday inside a half-empty NRG Stadium and the bottom-of-the-league Texans to fall to 2-9, staying within sight of NFL-worst Detroit and remaining as close as possible to the top of the first round of the 2022 draft.

Texans 22, Tennessee 13 on Sunday was truly a beautiful, perfect day for Houstons NFL team. The morning after, reality returned. And we were reminded yet again that winning a single game is complicated for the Texans franchise in 2021.

Its been a long time since we felt that, David Culley said. Its tough to win in this league no matter who you play.

Culley, whos in his first year as an NFL head coach, keeps going out of his way to emphasize his cement-strong belief in the power of win now. In Nashville, Tenn., with the 2-8 Texans easily playing their best game of the season even though they recorded only 190 total yards of offense there was nothing wrong with Culleys all-in approach in Week 11.

Its just winning, just winning in this league, Culley said. Thats our job. Thats what we play for.

The Texans badly needed a victory, and they fought hard for what became their best win in two very long seasons. Considering how bad the 2020 offseason was and how frustrated fans are with the overall state of the franchise, the power of that single victory over the Titans will last all season.

The only downer?

The Texans enter Week 12 now tied with the Jaguars and Jets for the second-worst record in the league, and theres a decent chance the Texans will beat equally bad New York this Sunday.

The Texans also could win in Week 15 at Jacksonville. Seattle is falling apart Pete Carroll struggles to finish postgame press conferences now and the Seahawks are a backward 3-7. When the Texans host the Titans in Week 18 at NRG, playoff-bound Tennessee could be resting its starters.

You can see how this all gets messy and overly complicated, right?

Theres a path for the Texans to finish 5-12. Or 6-11 if things get really crazy and that gutsy, resilient road win in Nashville becomes contagious.

Normally in the NFL, going 5-12 without a franchise quarterback gets you fired.

Week 12 at home against a 2-8 Jets team would also normally be a perfect time for the Texans to place the ball back in the hands of rookie QB Davis Mills.

But Culley keeps saying things like this while coaching a roster that will continue to churn and veteran players who wont be playing for the Texans in 2022:

You always want the win, Culley said Monday. You get the win; the thing is to get the win. Thats all were thinking about right now.

Having the best shot possible at drafting the best college QB or a franchise-changing defender would be a much bigger win for a franchise that will spend 2021 paying its best player, Deshaun Watson, $10.5 million not to take a single snap.

The Texans have also consistently failed to explain what their franchise vision is for 2022 and beyond. On Monday, Culley hinted at a plan but went quiet when specific details were requested.

Well, the plan, its a big plan, Culley said. I cant give you all that information.

What does general manager Nick Caserio truly want? For the Texans to finish 5-12 this season with a second-half surge or for the team to end up with the No. 2 overall pick in next years draft?

What will be more meaningful in 2023, 24 and 25 for a fractured fanbase? The Texans winning a few extra games in 2021 or finally resetting their franchise with the 2022 draft?

If youre going to be bad, youre better off being horrible. Thats the golden rule in modern pro sports. Thats what the Astros did. Thats what the Rockets are doing.

The Texans finally impressed us by fighting for a tough win against the Titans. Then things got complicated again.

brian.smith@chron.com

twitter.com./chronbriansmith

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Smith: A reality check after Texans' win over Titans - Houston Chronicle

Fans cant trust that the report recommendations will be swiftly implemented while top-flight clubs are profiting from a broken system, writes Laura Lawrence.

Less than 12 hours after the government commissioned review into English football was released, Aston Villas chief executive Christian Purslow said the following on the BBC Radio 4 Today show:

The Premier League has always really been the source of funding for the rest of football and the danger here is of course, as you said, killing the golden goose if we over-regulate a highly successful financial and commercial operation.

Nothing to see here. Just the free-market economy working so well for the few and not the many. The Premier League sucked up all the money long ago so clubs further down the pyramid had no choice but to rely on begrudged handouts.

Of course, the golden goose doesnt want government intervention. Whats in it for them when the system has been weighted to their advantage?

Former Sports Minister and chair of the review panel Tracey Crouch, believes the answer lies in a new independent regulator. While the governing bodies (The Football Association, Premier League and English Football League) acknowledge changes need to be made they believe they can solve the problems between themselves. I give a hearty laugh to that one. Especially at the FA who have been as useful as a chocolate fireguard as English football goes up in flames.

The report laid out 47 recommendations to stop the industry from lurching from crisis to crisis. The report itself is sound. Recommendations include changes to the Owners and Directors Tests and assessments of the flow of money through the leagues.

The protection of clubs from free-market economics has also been addressed in the review. The heritage of clubs should be taken into account and guarded. The recommendation is to introduce into legislation a golden share for supporters so they would have a say over major plans such as moving grounds. These protections are needed but the report doesnt address how situations like Newcastle Uniteds ownership would be addressed.

Villas CEO doesnt believe that a government appointee is the right person to take on the issues within football. We killed the Super League in 48 hours. Itll take her (Crouch) 48 weeks to appoint someone.

While I agree with the sentiment that it may move at a glacial government pace, if members of the Premier League hadnt attempted the Super League coup in the first place this intervention wouldnt be as high on the government agenda.

If it was anyone other than this government, I might trust that the findings of this report would be implemented but they have just voted for the free-market privateers to sit on NHS primary care trust panels. Footballs governing bodies will sit on this report for as long as possible. Dont expect quick changes. The few are making money from the broken system. That will sound familiar to this government.

Follow Laura on Twitter@YICETOR

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Premier League golden goose isnt cooked governing bodies will sit on English football review - The Offside Rule

On Dec. 1, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, a case in which the state of Mississippi is seeking to ban abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Pro-choice advocates see it as a challenge to Roe v. Wade, which permits abortions so long as the fetus is not yet viable, which amounts to considerably more than 15 weeks.

Which side is correct, and why? Each side has its strengths and each its weaknesses. Is there a compromise?

Pro-choice advocates point to the influential Turnaway Study, which followed 1,132 women seeking an abortion at 30 abortion clinics in 22 states over a 12-year period. Half got the abortion they sought, while half were turned away. The Study was designed to compare the long-term effects on women in the two groups. Writing about the Study in The New Yorker, Margaret Talbot found that there were no long-term differencesin depression, anxiety, PTSD, self-esteem, life satisfaction, drug abuse, or alcohol abuse among the two groups. She underscored the finding that only 5 percent of the aborters regretted their decision five years later and that there was little evidence to support the claim by pro-lifers that a large percentage of aborters are wracked with guilt later in life. She concluded that the evidence was welcome news for anyone who supports reproductive justice. She also pointed out, ingenuously, that the vast majority of women whod been denied abortion were glad five years later that they hadnt been able to get one welcome evidence that a 5-year-old child will almost always capture the heart of a mother.

The Turnaway Study makes a strong case for the advantages of getting an abortion, but it doesnt address the sticky moral issue of ending the life of a future human being, much less an already existing one.

The strength of pro-life, by contrast, is that it tackles this issue head on. This is not to say that its position is correct, only that it doesnt shirk the moral question. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the union of sperm and egg at conception produces a new living being that is distinct from both mother and father. Modern genetics demonstrated that this individual is, at the outset, distinctively human, with the inherent and active potential to mature into a human fetus, infant, child and adult. Catholic teaching declares that the presence of an immaterial soul created by God and placed in its fleshly receptacle gives it an inherent dignity possessed uniquely by a human person. It rejects an old theory that the receptacle must reach fetal status before it can be ensouled.

The weakness of the Catholic position is that it cannot demonstrate that an immaterial soul is implanted in this new being or that it even exists. At best it can claim, according to its pro-choice opponents, that the fetus is on a trajectory toward becoming a person, and that to claim more is a matter of faith that is not shared by everyone. Thus, for pro-choice, an abortion does not constitute murder, and the well-being of the mother is justifiably the first consideration, in fact the only consideration that is relevant.

Ancillary factors might come into play. The decision to deny human life to a fetus that is well on the way to becoming a person cannot be easy. Pro-choice parents, female and male alike, have only to ask what would have happened to them if their parents had chosen to abort them. The Golden Rule, we would hope, would weigh heavily in their decision. Couples with money and support who choose to abort because they hadnt planned on a child and dont want to be bothered with one dont usually earn our admiration.

On the other hand, there might be good reason for those inclined not to abort to question their resolve. Most of us can imagine circumstances we would dread being born into. Would we choose life if we knew our mother was on crack or lived in dire poverty with no father to help raise us? Heartless though it might sound, some of us can even say about people we know that it would have been better for them not to be born.

In the final analysis, is there a compromise position? Ultimately it would seem not: either the fetus is a person or it is not. If not, a person is not being killed. If so, a person is being killed, and we can justifiably call it murder. How can we decide?

President Biden, a Catholic, has made it clear that he personally cannot condone abortion but will not condemn those who do. He justifies his position by pointing out that as president of the nation he has no right to condemn those who disagree with him: he was elected to represent all, whatever their personal views. He feels justified in receiving Communion in his Church, and he has the Popes support. But what about Catholics who dont feel the burden of representing a large constituency? Should they think of pro-choice advocates as murderers?

On the other hand, should pro-choice advocates denounce pro-lifers as gullible, perhaps stupid victims of an unsupportable superstition required by their Church?

My answer is no to both questions. For me it is impossible to decide based on the evidence at hand. I would choose not to abort if an unwanted pregnancy showed up, but my decision would not be based on a certainty. I would bear in mind that what happens at conception is unknowable, and this uncertainty would keep me from condemning those who abort. I believe that a compassionate agnosticism is the correct position to take.

Of course, the Supreme Court will not have such a luxury. The justices will have to decide, and both sides will probably find a lot to dislike. Nevertheless, the rancor that divides the nation over this issue should find no place in our hearts. Whatever our view, we should remember that the other side has its reasons, and they should be respected.

Stafford Betty is professor emeritus of religious studies at Cal State Bakersfield.

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Community Voices: What is the correct stance? - The Bakersfield Californian

Where do I want to be in 10 years? How do I envision my future, my family or my job in a decade? These are questions that every citizen has asked himself at some time. It seeks to set a goal and do whatever it takes to achieve it. The same thing happens in the investment world. Beyond the short-term noise, as a general rule the investor seeks to create a long-term portfolio of securities that must be required, at least, to 7% annualized.

The most classical financial theory speaks of this magic number as an absolute return for investors in equities over a long period of time, and the S&P 500 corroborates this. In the last 20 years it offers an annual return of 7.8%. From the Economist We have carried out a somewhat more demanding exercise and have selected only those companies that have managed to double their investment in ten years and quadruple it in the last 20. The calculation has also taken into account shareholder remuneration and includes the reinvestment of the dividends collected. The result? 26 firms on the Spanish stock market achieve this goal, of which 14 currently belong to the Ibex 35 and the rest are small securities, traditionally jewels in the portfolios of national value managers.

How do they manage to comply with the 7% annualized rule? In your favor plays what is known in finance as compound interest, which is a concept as simple as it is used among investors. What does it consist of? If an investor bought 100 euros in Telefnica shares in year 1 and receives a dividend of 10 euros that he decides not to collect and to reinvest, its initial nominal will be 110 euros in year 2 and will double up to 200 euros when the eleventh year starts. This implies that if the stock appreciates 7% annually, the difference between reinvesting the dividend or not doing so is getting bigger and bigger. Whoever collects payments in cash will have doubled their investment in a decade, with a revaluation of 104%. Whoever reinvests them will obtain a revaluation of 204% on the initial investment, up to 304 euros in the tenth year (in addition to the tax savings it entails).

This is what also happens with the Ibex with dividends versus the traditional selective. The former is up 6.5% from hitting all-time highs again (which found at 29,439 points), while the Ibex 35 is almost 80% up from returning to top 16,000 points in the pre-Lehman era.

There are nine companies that exceed a revaluation of 1,000% in the last two decades, including reinvestment of dividends: this is CIE Automotive (the best of them all, with a revaluation of 3,209%), followed by Vidrala (2,827%), Prim (2,527%), Grenergy Renovables (2,241%) ), Viscofan (1,913%), CAF (1,719%), Red Elctrica (1,427%), Catalana Occidente (1,073%) and Airbus (1,013%), according to Bloomberg. Inditex and Grifols are on the verge of being part of this group with 997% and 976%, respectively.

CIE Automotive was one of those value companies that emerged in the portfolio of fund managers and that, once on the Ibex, has ceded its seat to its younger brother, Global Dominion, which since its IPO in 2016 has added 80 % revaluation. If instead of reinvesting the dividends, the investor had chosen to collect them, equally, would achieve huge profits of 2,667%. CIE is listed in the zone of highs of 2018, thanks to the rally of 15% that its shares have marked since it presented results in October.

Vidrala is another example of creating value for the shareholder. The Basque firm, world leader in the manufacture of glass containers, is one of the most bullish in recent years with increases of 3,000% in the last 20 years without taking dividends into account. It has a market value that exceeds 2,500 million euros, more than four of the current members of the Ibex 35 (Solaria, Pharma Mar, Meli and Indra), but despite complying by capitalization, it remains outside the index due to its lower liquidity.

Less well known is the stock market history of Grupo Prim, although not for that reason it is less profitable. The company, which develops, manufactures and distributes a wide range of orthopedic products, reached historical highs last August and shows profits including its payments of 2,527% in two decades.

It is followed by energy company Grenergy, despite the fact that its history on the trading floor is much shorter than the companies mentioned above. The renewables firm led by Andrs Ruiz de Andrs debuted on the Alternative Stock Market (MAB, current BME Growth) in 2015 and made the leap to Continuous in 2019, and provides a return of 2,241% ?? the company does not pay dividends at the moment ??.

Viscofan is another paradigmatic sample that throughout its 45 years of history has combined organic and inorganic growth to become the undisputed leader in packaging for meat products in the world. Proof of this is that in a year as complicated as 2020 it was one of the best behaved due to its defensive nature. In these two decades the firm that presides Domingo Ampuero provides 1.913%.

CAF follows with a 1.719%, which in this period of time has grown in the heat of a market shared by a few manufacturers of rolling stock (railways, buses, etc.) worldwide.

The case of Red Elctrica, with a return of 1,427% Since 2001 it is also paradigmatic taking into account the visibility that the company offers on its committed remuneration policy for the coming years: 1 gross euro per title and year until 2022, which at current prices rents 8.5%, the third highest dividend yield on the Spanish stock market after Atresmedia and Metrovacesa. Without including its payments, the utility has appreciated by about 1,700% since 2001. However, from 2023 to 2025 it will reduce its payment to 0.8 euros, lowering its return to 4.5%.

Inditex is the firm that exemplifies the creation of value par excellence. It is the largest company by capitalization of the Ibex. In the 20 years of trading (it was released in 2001) it has reported profits to its shareholders of almost 1,000%, with reinvested dividends. Its stock was one step away from breaking all-time highs until Fridays fall, which reached 32.78 euros in 2017.

The Galician textile, everything points to this, is going to emerge from the reinforced pandemic insofar as its online sales branch has managed to remain in time despite the end of the confinements. At the end of the first half of the year (from March to August) the revenues of its brands through web pages grew by 36% compared to the same period of 2020 when Spain, its first market, was literally closed for a whole quarter ??. The company has advanced one year its goal of online sales to exceed 25% of the total by the end of 2021. Good stock management and the integration of the online and physical channel will lead Inditex to return to EBIT margins of 17% already this year, and will exceed 18% in 2022, and it is something that has not happened since 2013.

Far below Inditex but without leaving the Ibex, their profitability tripled with dividends Mapfre and Naturgy, with 281% and 221%, respectively, in the last 20 years and doubled by Bankinter and Acerinox, with 169% in the case from the orange entity and 140% from the steel company. They are followed by Repsol, which offers 66%.

In the red is the big bank of the Ibex. BBVA, Santander and CaixaBank fell between 10% and 16% in this period. Much greater is the decline of Telefnica and ArcelorMittal. The teleco led by lvarez-Pallete shows losses of 35% despite considering that dividends are reinvested. As for the Luxembourg steel company, the decline is practically the same with and without its payments, and has been around 40% since 2006, the year of its merger.

Essential investment: BBVA, successes and dangers of buying Garanti

Private capital faces the exit from the crisis with an investment record

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Stocks that meet the golden rule of quadrupling in 20 years - Sportsfinding

To end a four-game road swing, the Golden State Warriors will be without four key contributors on Friday against the Detroit Pistons.

After a fiery comeback on Thursday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Warriors have ruled out Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. against the Pistons.

Curry is coming off 37- and 40-point scoring performances in Golden States previous two games on the road trip with nine 3-pointers in each game. Curry is being ruled out with a left hip contusion. Curry was injured while attempting to take a charge against Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden on Tuesday.

The Warriors are likely being extra cautious with Curry before opening a three-game homestand that consists of matchups with the Toronto Raptors, Portland Trail Blazers and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Via@anthonyVslateron Twitter:

With Curry out, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins will lead Golden States offense against the Pistons on Friday. Gary Payton II, Damion Lee, Moses Moody and Chris Chiozza could see an extended role in the backcourt against Cade Cunningham and the Pistons.

Green will miss Fridays game with a right thigh contusion. Porter Jr. has been listed as sitting because of left foot injury management. For the second consecutive game, Iguodala has been ruled out. Iguodala missed Thursdays game with a rest day; he has been listed with right knee soreness on Friday.

Steve Kerr will likely empty his bench with four core players out of the rotation against the Pistons. The No. 7 pick in the 2021 NBA draft, Jonathan Kuminga, could see his season-high in minutes on Friday night.

Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. PT on Friday in Detroit.

This post originally appeared onWarriors Wire! Follow us onFacebook!

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Injury Report: Warriors rule out Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala and Otto Porter Jr. vs. Pistons on Friday - Warriors Wire

By Renee C. Scheidt

Back in 1992, Rodney King asked a simple question following six days of rioting in Los Angeles. Cant we all just get along? From the looks of things, apparently not.

Since the beginning of time, when Cain killed his brother Abel, humanity has seen one group lash out against another, especially in regard to the amount of pigment in the skin. And its not just out there, somewhere else. Its right here in Rowan County. Racism has reared its ugly head again and is alive and well where we live in North Carolina.

Ive personally been called a racist two times in recent days. Quite frankly, being called a white supremacist just because Im white doesnt sit too well with me. An African-American couple in Walmart said to me as we stood in the checkout lane, You think youre better than us because youre white. I was shocked and hardly knew what to say. Even when talking with a black neighbor about another resident, he asked, What color is he? I replied, Thats irrelevant. Im colorblind. I dont care if hes black, white, blue or polka dot!

Because of the color of my skin and my neighbors, we were considered racists by African-Americans who knew nothing about us. Is that not being prejudice? Someone whom Ive never met, who doesnt know me from Adam, has no right to assume I hate people of other ethnicities. Judging someone by the color of their skin, whether done by whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics or any mix is totally wrong.

I lived through segregation, integration, and the 1960s Civil Rights Era. I remember L.B. Johnsons Civil Rights Act of 1964, the most progressive civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. This new law prohibited discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin, which made good sense to me. As I saw it, this gave everyone equal opportunities.

Just because of the color of my skin, or where (or if) I attended church, no one was allowed to hold me back. The fact that I was female couldnt keep me from the doing the same things as the boys (though daddy never would let me drive the tractor or go hunting because I was a girl). Now, equal rights were given to everyone.

Yet today, almost 60 years since civil rights equality were granted, were more divided than ever. The progress made in the last 50 years has been seemingly abolished. No longer is the nonviolent, peaceful protest espoused by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. advocated. Instead, todays mobs burn down cities and kill fellow citizens. Such destructive methods only breed more violence.

Is there an answer to such hatred, bitterness and conflict between the races? Yes, there is. Dr. King was absolutely right when he said, I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Finding a person with character today, no matter what color their skin might be, can be challenging. Thats why attorneys make money and never run out of work. Long gone are the days when a mans word was his bond. No more hand shakes in deal-making. Committing adultery on the one you pledged to be faithful to is a common occurrence. Cheating, stealing, lying, rudeness and taking advantage of others are all manifestations of lack of character and integrity.

The real issue is not whats seen on the outside. Its whats on the inside, the unseen heart, that makes us who we are. Jesus told us to love one another. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. We are all of one blood. When it comes down the bottom line, we all bleed the same.

Racism will only end when we actively apply the words of Christ. If we do to others like we want them to do to us, skin color will be of no matter. I challenge you to start today, start here at home keeping the golden rule. Simple acts of love followed by another single act of love will begin to change our community.

Let Rowan County be a shining light to all around us of what happens when we show good character and love to one another.

Renee C. Scheidt lives in Salisbury.

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My Turn, Renee C. Scheidt: Racism is alive and well in Rowan County - Salisbury Post - Salisbury Post

"Go on, pick it," said Pivi the Mushroom Queen. "I'm afraid," I mumbled.

She pointed to a prominent-looking mushroom standing exposed all by itself on the pine needle- and twig-laden ground. It had a saucer-like brown cap two inches in diameter and a sturdy beige stem.

The mushroom looked so picture-perfect that I thought I might accidentally mutilate it while trying to separate it from Mother Earth.

I was wandering in a dense forest with master mushroom forager Pivi and a group of several other Marthas. My boots squished on an uneven, cushiony carpet of moss and fallen leaves, giving my knees, legs, and back a tender workout.

An hour earlier, before we set off on our hike, Pivi opened her car trunk in the parking lot and produced a supply of homemade mushroom cookies and a Thermos full of delightfully mellow, nutty-vanilla-tasting chaga mushroom tea to enjoy. Chaga mushrooms (Inonotus obliquus) appear as charcoal-black clusters on the side of birch trees, with a golden brown interior, and for centuries they've been used in traditional medicine in Finland, Russia, and elsewhere. Today, chaga can be enjoyed as a tea or as a powder or liquid to add to soups or smoothies, and researchers are finding that there may indeed be health benefits from the mushroom, including antioxidant, anticancer, antiviral, anti-inflammatory and pro-immune system effects.

RELATED:The pesky mushroom cookies I bake for Betsy, my late mother-in-law

Fortified bytea-and-cookiemushroompower,weset off into the woods. There was no path and no trace of civilization, only birch, pine, and spruce trees rolling over gentle hills in all directions. My eyes scanned around a magical landscape oflush,expansivevegetation, layers of bright green moss- and whitish-gray reindeer lichen-covered rocks, one-foot-tall miniature trees, fallen branches, twigs and leaves, ferns, low berry bushes, wildflowers and grasses, an anthill, white birch trunks, stately dark brown pine trunks soaring into the sky, and some fallen trunks leaning on top of each other. Glitteringlight streamed through leaves, branches, and tree trunks, casting diagonal streaks and shadows in the forest.

I inhaled rich vapors of moist pine, heard hushed conversations of wispy wind and birch leaves, and sensed my breathing synchronized with natures' pulses. My physical, emotional, and spiritual beings were completely blending with the sur- roundings. The most profound sensation of bliss filled my body and soul, a mystical sensation that I had never known existed or was possible.

After spending some time in the forests of Karelia, I came to realize that fairy tales I had read when I was a child were not quite fairy tales, but somehow real. As one visitor from Sydney, Australia, a woman named Ali Noble, explained, "Stepping into a Finnish forest is something akin to being in a childhood fairytale: lush, soft lichen underfoot; big red toadstools; tall green trees; and the suspicion that if a fairy did appear, you wouldn't be too surprised." If I came across a group of fairies in this thick enchanted forest, I certainly would not have been surprised at all. I would have understood. Even if I could not see them, they were there, watching over us.

You never forget spotting your first mushroom in a Finnish forest. At least I never will. Sometimes they appear in great congregations on a sloping hillside; other times they poke up flamboyantly as psychedelic-colored exhibitionists from the base of a tree; or as solitary, stately monuments, like this one.

I kneeled down to examine the mushroomspottedby Pivi the Mushroom Queen. This was a trophy mushroom, a porcini (Boletus edulis), a type especially cherished in Italy for its aroma, dense texture, and earthy-rich flavor. Like most mushrooms, this was an engineering marvel, conferring great dignity to the word fungus, which describes all mushrooms. It was barely three inches tall, and it was magnificent. The porcini stood there as if to say, "I am here!" I could only stare at its beauty and stature.

It had such a gorgeous shape and regal, commanding presence a perfect sculpture by Mother Nature that I was afraid to touch the mushroom, let alone remove it from the earth.

Pivi kindly said, "I will show you."

Naomi picking berries in Joensuu (William Doyle)

With her guidance, I pushed my fingers into the ground, reaching the bottom of the stem, and gently pulled it out. I shaved the soiled area around the bottom with a brush-tipped mushroom knife, being mindful not to take any more flesh than I needed to. I sliced it vertically in halves and examined the specimen. Clean, white interiors. No worms or bite marks. What a beauty! I placed the halves in the basket like laying down a newborn baby in a bassinet.

We walked deeper into the forest toward a hill. There was no path, just random zigzag patches of clearer ground amid the rocks and fallen branches. Pivi pointed to a mushroom a few feet away. I marveled at how she could see it camouflaged in the environment. Different mushrooms, she explained, prefer the company of different trees: orange- and yellow-colored chanterelles (Cantharellus), for example, like birch forests, while Boletus mushrooms like spruce and pine forests. She approached and picked the small reddish-brown mushroom, which had a one-inch-diameter cap.

She neatly sliced off the bottom of the soil-covered stem with a mushroom knife, dropped the tip, and brushed off dirt and plant specks from the cap with the brush attached to the other end of the knife handle. She closely examined the mushroom and announced, "This is a curry milk cap (Lactarius camphoratus)." She slit the gills. White liquid dotted the incision.

"See, milk," Pivi said. I knew about this treasured mushroom. Another Finnish friend, Anu, a food writer and stylist, recipe developer and chef in Helsinki, had told me how a tiny amount of dried little bits of this mushroom could add an amazing curry aroma to a dish.

Pivi placed the mushroom in her basket. I noticed more on the ground. I picked up one and asked, "Is this a curry milk cap, too?" Pivi said, "Yes." Hooray! Now I could guess a small percentage of what I found! The number one golden rule of foragers is pick and eat only what you can identify 100% for sure, or you may be poisoned. Which is why I didn't plan on foraging alone.

Pivi stopped and picked up a medium-sized green-grayish mushroom with corrugated edges around the cap.

"This is good," she said. "This is a hapero (russula, Russula)." She cleaned it and put it into the basket. I thought to myself, I never would have guessed that this would be a good mushroom, because the colors looked moldy. Sorry, hapero!

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Pivi moved briskly through the forest focusing on spotting "good" mushrooms. I picked two promising mushrooms, caught up with her, and asked, "How about these?" She glanced and quickly said, "No. Not good." I tossed them to the ground. Pivi added, "They're not poisonous. But they're not good. We don't eat it."

She picked another mushroom, "This is a milk cap." I asked, "A regular one?" "Yes." She cleaned it and put it into a small paper bag in the basket. She was separating them from others, as she'd first boil them in water for ten minutes to rid them of their tartness.

I found more curry milk caps hidden under fernsand leaves around mossy rocks. I showed them to Pivi and she nodded. I cleaned them and placed them in the basket. I felt proud that I was getting good at it, though I still needed an expert to verify. I picked a mushroom and asked, "Is this a milk cap?" Pivi, "Yes, but it's not a good one." She added, "It's so small." I repeated, "It's small . . . OK," I tossed it, puzzled.

For some mushrooms, like chanterelles, small was good because they were packed with flavor. I picked two mushrooms and asked, "These are no good, right?" Pivi perked up. "Not this one, but this one is very good!" pointing to a very dark brown mushroom. "It's a nokirousku (chocolate milk mushroom, Lactarius lignyotus)!" she said excitedly. A small, three-quarter-inch diameter, very dark-brown cap with white gills and a long, skinny dark-brown stem. I saw more of the same. I picked them, and asked, "Are they good?" "Yes," she said. "This one, too?" I asked. Pivi said, "Yes. Yes, these are very good. They're milk caps but they can go directly into a pan." There was no need to boil them like regular milk caps. I mumbled to myself, "You never know which ones are good."

She took a few steps, bent down and picked another. "This is also a hapero." She sliced off the bottom of its stem, and looking at the cut section of the stem, said, "A very good one. See, no worms." She sliced the stem and the cap vertically in exact halves. Yes, I saw that it was a clean, beautiful mushroom. "You're going to eat this," she said, smiling.

Pivi said, "This one is a haaparousku (northern milk cap, Lactarius trivialis)," holding up a grayish-purple cap mushroom about two inches in diameter. It was quite exotic and beautiful. She added, "You need to cook this one for five minutes to reduce its tartness."

Pivi picked a reddish cap mushroom, cleaned the stem, peeled the thin red skin, cut a small piece of white flesh, and handed it to me. She sliced another piece and put it into her mouth. I put mine into my mouth, tasted it, and immediately spat it out. "It's so peppery!" We both laughed.

Naomi Moriyama (Riikka Simonen)

We soon found small and medium-size chanterelles (Cantharellus cibarius), another prized treasure from the forest. Pivi disappeared into the woods and came out with creamy white mushrooms with warped caps. She said, "They are vaaleaorakas (wood hedgehog or hedgehog mushroom, Hydnum repandum)! I was looking for these!" happily announcing her feat.

With our baskets filled with treasures from the forest, we headed to Sovintola, a handicraft and culture center that included a full rustic kitchen that we could use. First, we sorted the foraged mushrooms on a large table on an outdoor terrace. Pivi took us through the characteristics of each variety.

She brought them into the kitchen and proceeded to slice and saut several varieties of mushrooms with butter in a frying pan. "This is the best way," she told me as I looked over her shoulder. The aromas of heated butter and mushrooms filled the kitchen, my nostrils, and my month. The mushroom flesh was getting golden brown, and the edges crusty. She flipped each slice expertly with two forks making sure not to overcook. Then it was lunchtime.

First, we sampled the pan-sauted mushrooms we picked only two hours ago. My heart pitter-pattering, I pierced a piece with a fork and brought it carefully into my mouth. I contemplated its flavors, textures, aromas, and all the nuances in between. I tasted the earth, raindrops, dried pine needles, mosses, and above all, Mother Nature's love. Everyone was quiet. We didn't have to say anything.

Pivi, the forager-chef, then served porcini-cream soup garnished with dried slices of porcini. Fantastic. Next, she served toasted rye bread topped with spruce-tip pesto, followed by blocks of bread cheese (or Finnish "squeaky cheese" in the United States) with yellowfoot (Craterellus tubaeformis) jam, which might sound strange but is totally delicious. For dessert, she broughtout lingonberry-carrotKarelianpies and yellowfoot mushroom cookies, which were a perfect way to conclude our mushroom feast all homemade, except the cheese.

While much of the world was relying on overprocessed, over industrialized food, here in North Karelia, the Marthas were upholding the great Finnish tradition of a wilderness-to-table food lifestyle, nurtured by their everyday relationships with nature.

We stared at the rich gifts from nature with gratitude and pride.

It was the "wildest" meal of my life.

As a farewell gift, Pivi gave me a bottle of homemade chaga elixir, which she instructed me to take a small spoonful of daily.

If you liked this essay, consider buying"The Sisterhood of the Enchanted Forest: Sustenance, Wisdom, and Awakening in Finland's Karelia" by Naomi Moriyama and William Doyle.

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"You never forget spotting your first mushroom in a Finnish forest": My day with the Mushroom Queen - Salon

Eskoms loathsome load shedding has again become a daily part of life for South Africans as the state power utility continues to battle ongoing generation capacity shortages caused by poorly maintained infrastructure.

And aside from the inconvenience it causes, there are also concerns about the impact on electric and electronic devices, notes insurer, Dialdirect.

There have no doubt been many questions about how load shedding affects possibly even damages cell phones, geysers, decoders, modems, gate motors and other devices, as well as how you can safeguard yourself against this, said Anneli Retief, head of Dialdirect.

The good news is that, with sufficient knowledge and smart planning, theres a lot you can do to protect your possessions and your wallet.

According to energy experts, the effects of load shedding differ significantly from one type of device to the other.

Batteries, used in anything from cell phones and gate motors to alarms and backup systems, are vulnerable to load shedding. If a battery runs down completely, its lifespan is significantly shortened. In addition, manufacturers guarantee batteries for X-amount of charging cycles. More charging cycles caused by load shedding reduces battery life.

Pure resistance devices, like stoves, geysers, kettles and heaters are unaffected when the power is switched on and off.

Devices that carry reactive loads, like fridges, tumble dryers, lawnmowers, dishwashers, washing machines, hair dryers and gate motors, normally have an electric motor that is exposed to surges when the power is interrupted. Although unprotected devices typically very old devices could be damaged, protective measures are normally built-in to protect electronic components against surges, so damage rarely occurs in practice.

Devices like mobile phone chargers, decoders, computers, radios and modems use relatively little energy and usually have a power source that converts the high supply current to a lower, direct current voltage.

These power supplies are mostly very robust and dont allow surges to reach the devices, Dialdirect said. Batteries also tend to provide an extra protective layer against surges. If theres damage due to power fluctuations, its normally only the power source that needs replacement.

Cooling devices like fridges, freezers and air conditioners mostly work with compressors, making them susceptible because pressurised gas could provide resistance and cause damage to the devices motor when the power is turned back on, the insurer said.

3-phase power systems are vulnerable to load shedding, as one or more of the phases could be lost when power is restored, which could cause 3-phase motors to run unbalanced and burn out. Imbalance in this system could also cause damage to single-phase devices, it warned.

Dialdirect offers the following advice to protect your devices, your property and yourself during load shedding:

If you need to manually open and close your gates when you get home, try to have someone come and meet you at your entrance, or arrange for an escort from your security company, it said.

Its also important to play your part in reducing pressure on the grid by using energy-efficient bulbs and appliances, smart plugs and smart timers, getting your entire household involved in conserving electricity and investing in alternative energy sources like a generator, backup battery system or solar system, it said.

The golden rule is to proactively think about all the ways in which things can go wrong and plan thoroughly, Retief concludes. Its also vital to have comprehensive insurance in place, should catastrophe strike during load shedding.

Read: A look at Shoprites massive solar plans which aim to get the company off Eskoms grid

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Heres what load shedding does to your mobile devices and home appliances - BusinessTech

We are back with yet another exciting episode of #FilmyFriday.ETimes presents - #FilmyFriday, wherein we recommend our readers one Malayalam movie, every week.And for this week, we have picked a screwball comedy helmed by Priyadarshan, starring Mohanlal! Well, the dynamic duo always creates magic on screen and this movie is no different.And we have chosen the evergreen movie Chithram for this week.

Director: Priyadarshan

Cast: Mohanlal, Ranjini, Nedumudi Venu, Poornam Vishwanathan, Lissy, Sreenivasan, Jagadish, Maniyanpillai Raju, KB Ganesh Kumar, MG Soman, Unni Mary, Shanavas, Thikkurissy Sukumaran Nair, Sukumari

Release year: 1988

The film opens with the visuals of a city, where Adv. Purushothama Kaimal (Nedumudi Venu) lives with his friend Ramachandran Menons (Poornam Vishwanathan) daughter Kalyani (Ranjini). Kaimal is a caretaker and more like a father figure for Kalyani as her dad lives abroad.

The camera moves into Kaimals room, and one can see a dozen or two alarm clocks ringing. Kaimal surely has trouble waking up in the morning. And now we see Kalyani, who is decked up in workout outfits, asking her Kaimal uncle to wake up. Although Kalyani is a fitness freak, her uncle seems to be not so keen, especially waking up in the morning and going for a jog. The title cards start changing as they hit the road.

Kaimal is almost done with the days workout and tells Kalyani that this wont last for so long as her dad will take her abroad soon, or marry her off to the Mangalyapuzha, her dads hometown, which is apparently in a remote village.

Although we dont affirm the Adivasi reference made by Kaimal, the dialogue that follows is something that transports the audience immediately to Mangalyapuzha. Avide Mangalam kaavund, manjadi kaadund, mangalya deviyund, mangalya puzhayund,(Kalyani- pinne ente ammavan Mamapurathe Bhaskaran Nambiyarumund), Kaimal says and the editor N Gopalakrishnan translocates the audience to Mangalyapuzha.

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#FilmyFriday: Chithram: Vishnus golden rule to life is 'living in the moment' - Times of India