Category Archives: Golden Rule

For investors who are sitting on cash, watching the S&P 500 index move higher this year with only minor corrections has been a frustrating experience. Missing out on big returns can be stressful, especially when money earns next to nothing in the bank.

But it's important to remember this golden rule of investing: Time in the market is more important than timing the market. The precise moment that an investment is made becomes less important with a long-term time horizon.

You can start your journey with these two stocks that could grow fivefold by 2030, and they can be bought right now.

Image source: Getty Images.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that will play a pivotal role in the future of business. It can help to complete complex tasks that weren't previously possible with human input, and fintech company Upstart Holdings (NASDAQ:UPST) is applying it to the lending process.

Where most banks assess a borrower's income and assets to determine creditworthiness, Upstart's AI platform reviews thousands of data points, including where the borrower went to school, their level of education, and their job history.

The company originates loans for banks in exchange for a fee, and it also licenses its platform to banks so they can integrate it into their existing application processes. The alternative metrics measured by Upstart's AI result in 173% more money loaned out for the same level of risk, and that's an attractive proposition for financiers.

Second-quarter loan originations just grew 1,605% to $2.79 billion, prompting Upstart to materially increase its 2021 revenue guidance from $600 million to $750 million.

Metric

2017

2021 (Estimate)

CAGR

Revenue

$57 million

$750 million

90%

Data source: Company filings.

The company would have to grow revenues at a compound rate of 19% per year until 2030 for its stock price to rise fivefold, assuming its current price-to-sales ratio remained exactly the same. But as evidenced by the table above, it has plenty of room for multiple contraction with a much-faster 90% compound annual growth rate ovr the past four years.

There's even significant upside potential to Upstart's financial performance. It just entered the automotive lending market, which is worth over $1.1 trillion, so considering that the company only originated $2.79 billion worth of loans in the most recent quarter, there is an enormous growth opportunity ahead.

To speed up its expansion in this new market, it acquired software company Prodigy. It develops sales tools for car dealerships, and Upstart is integrating with that platform for the opportunity to finance some of its $1 billion in quarterly vehicle sales.

Image source: Getty Images.

Trillion-dollar social media giant Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) is embarking on a new mission to own the next generation of social technology. CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants to build a digital world dubbed the metaverse, with user-controlled avatars, virtual experiences, and even its own economy.

But back to present reality: Even in its current form, Facebook is growing enough to turn $200,000 into $1 million by 2030. The company has bucked the trend of past technology behemoths, in that it has remained nimble enough to drive innovation and stave off the irrelevance that befell them -- few people under the age of 30 remember MySpace, after all.

It has achieved this through landmark acquisitions of platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp, and also by consistently freshening up its flagship social network, Facebook. Over 2.9 billion people engage with the company's ecosystem each month, and that's not easy for any new player to disrupt.

It's in the driver's seat to introduce new initiatives like the metaverse, which might one day have the potential to truly dwarf the company's present financial performance.

Metric

2011

2021 (Estimate)

CAGR

Revenue

$3.7 billion

$119.4 billion

41%

Earnings per share

$0.46

$14.14

40%

Data source: Company filings. 2021 estimates from Yahoo! Finance.

Facebook's stock has delivered returns exceeding 800% since its debut as a publicly traded company in 2012, and there's a legitimate argument that it's still cheap right now. At 25 times projected 2021 earnings, it trades at a steep discount to the Nasdaq 100 index, which Facebook is a part of, at 36 times.

With a decade-long track record of growing revenue and earnings by over 40% compounded annually, Facebook remains a safe bet to pull off fivefold growth over the next 10 years. Even if its earnings growth were cut in half, and its price-to-earnings ratio of 25 remained the same, it would still get there.

But additional upside for Facebook could come from new projects like the metaverse, and investors are in great hands with this company when it comes to innovation.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the official recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium advisory service. Were motley! Questioning an investing thesis -- even one of our own -- helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer.

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2 Unstoppable Stocks That Could Turn $200,000 Into $1 Million by 2030 - Motley Fool

You may feel tempted to take part in the action when stocks soar, but financial experts recommend taking a pause before jumping in.

When it comes to investing in seemingly "hot" stocks, it can be easy to get caught up in the hype and the fear of missing out. But it's important to truly understand how difficult it is to successfully stock-pick. It's risky and generally not a reliable way to build wealth.

That's why "there's some standard principles that one should obey before considering investing in individual stocks or any one individual particular investment," Douglas Boneparth, certified financial planner and president of Bone Fide Wealth, tells CNBC Make It.

If you're willing to take the risk, here are three questions to ask yourself before buying any stock.

First, assess whether you're spending an amount you can afford to lose. Again, remember that financial expertswarn against trying to pick stocksand time the market. It's extremely difficult to outperform the market, and even harder to do so consistently over time.

"One of the golden rules here is never invest more than you're willing to lose," Boneparth says. "Be mindful of how much you're putting at risk."

While you may dedicate some funds to individual stocks, consider putting the bulk of your investments in index funds, which provide automatic diversification and aretypically low cost. Index fundstend to outperform actively managed fundsas well.

Take it from legendary investor Warren Buffett: "Consistently buy an S&P 500 low-cost index fund," hetold CNBC in 2017. "I think it's the thing that makes the most sense practically all of the time."

Second, do your due diligence on the business you're buying stock in.

"It's one thing to just like a stock or because you use it and you believe in it," Boneparth says. "It's another thing to actually take a minute and understand the business that you're investing in."

Before parting with your money, look up the business' annual reports and research analysts' reports. You can also listen to the company's earnings calls. It's important to educate yourself on things like how the business makes its money, how much cash it has on hand, what its margins are and who its competitors in the space are.

Though "it gets very financial, this is a great way to understand what is actually taking place with the business," Boneparth says.

Even Buffett does his homework before investing. He looks for long-term value and aims to understand the companies he invests in. "Intelligent investing is not complex, though that is far from saying that it is easy,"Buffett wrote in his 1996 annual shareholders' letter. "What an investor needs is the ability to correctly evaluate selected businesses."

Don't just invest in what seems popular at the time, such as so-called meme stocks, likeGameStopandAMC Entertainment, without doing your own research.

"Just because everybody else is doing it, it doesn't mean it's right for you," Boneparth says. "Just because you saw a rather successful short squeeze, don't confuse the novelty of that situation with something that will repeat itself over and over again."

Last, consider how investing in a particular stock relates to your overall investment strategy.

"You don't want to risk more than you're willing to lose, but also, understand how much you're putting in individual stocks or an individual stock relative to the main part of your investment portfolio," Boneparth says.

While this allocation depends on an investor's personal circumstances and can vary, a general rule of thumb is to allocate 5% to 10% of your portfolio to individual stocks or other alternative asset classes, Boneparth says. The rest should consist of less risky investments, likepassive index funds that trackthe S&P 500.

"Whether that's individual stock picking or other alternative asset classes that you're researching or feel like there's an opportunity to make money in, [it's] an amount that's not going to blow up your entire strategy if you're wrong, and might actually add a little performance if you're right," Boneparth says.

However, investors should remain very disciplined in regard to the majority of their portfolio.

"Perhaps buy and hold and let the market do its thing," Boneparth says. "Just be mindful."

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Don't miss: Crypto is 'the future of finance': Why Gen Z is ditching traditional investmentsbut with caution

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Before you invest in the stock market, answer these 3 questions - CNBC

Spraks flew in the preflight stare down between Canelo Alvarez and Caleb Plant as both came to blows during the press conference at the Beverly Hilton Hotel.

The fight may be a over a month away, but the bad blood between the two spilled over on stage after Alvarez claimed that Plant called him a mother-er. Alvarez responded with a push to the chest of Plant, and the two then traded blows as cameramen and other members of the media watched on.

Trash talk is a part of the sport of boxing especially in the lead up when promoters and boxers are trying to sell a fight, but Alvarez said Plant broke the golden rule, no mama talk. He started talking a lot of things," Alvarez said. "I answered. Then the bad thing he said, 'You motherf---er.' You can say whatever you want to me, but not to my mother. My mother is not here."

Both were left bleeding after the on-stage scuffle, and the two would have to be separated again before the press conference came to a close.

Canelo said his boxing instincts kicked in after Plant threw the first punch, "He landed first," Alvarez said. "And then I don't know how, but I responded quickly. I don't know how. I just do it."

Plant used some past history to defend himself, and the use of the term that offended Alvarez. He recalled the Mexican fighter using the same term in the post fight press conference with Demetirus Andrade. "Wasn't he saying that?" Plant said. "But now all of a sudden those words mean something completely different? ... Now all of a sudden I'm talking about his mama? C'mon man. That don't even make no sense."

Alvarez is widely considered the top pound-for-pound fighter in the sport at the moment, and the hard hitting right hander got a clean shot on his Nov. 6th opponent. Plant claims the cut is more from the sunglasses he was wearing rather than the Canelo connection.

"It's a fight," Plant said of the skirmish. "If he's gonna turn it into a fight, then that's what it is. I'm not no punk. You don't just get to stand up here and do whatever you want to me. Maybe the rest of these guys, you can just come up here and they're all scared of you. ... That's not how this works."

Much of the bad blood comes from Plants accusations of the use performance-enhancing drugs in his oppnents camp after Alvarezs training partner Oscar Valdez tested positive for a banned substance. Valdez was not suspended, but Canelo didnt share the same luck in 2018 when he was suspended six months for taking a banned substance.

"Does that stem from insecurity? Because taking illegal substances, that doesn't stem from confidence. That stems from fear. Plant continued, "He may be upset with me, but there's no need to be upset with me. He should be upset with himself. There's nothing I've done. These aren't by my rules and my standards."

Plant is undefeated in his professional career at 21-0 with 12 KOs, while Alvarez is 56-1-2 with 38 KOs.

The two are scheduled to fight for the unified super middleweight title in Las Vegas on November 6th.

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Canelo and Plant come to blows in pre-fight presser - AS English

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The community continues to rally behind a man and his dog who many believe were unfairly targeted by local city parking meter enforcement, leading to a violent incident with El Paso Police Department officers that attorneys are now looking into for potential excessive use of force.

Last Friday, Manel Shorty Luna, who is homeless and disabled, and his dog Ojos, who is Shortys registered service animal, were allegedly assaulted by EPPD in downtown El Paso after parking meter officials reported them for dancing on East Mills Ave.

The law office of Wyatt and Underwood, located downtown, caught wind of the incident and offered to help Shorty and Ojos.

My initial concerns are number one, why were they interacting with him in the first place? Underwood tells KTSM. My understanding is that there were some parking enforcement employees, also known as the Segway Karens in certain circles of my job, who had interacted with him about all things in the world dancing in the street, he adds.

Shorty told KTSM on Friday that the melee started because he started dancing to a song that was being played by a downtown business through its outside speaker. He recognized the song from a popular YouTube video and felt inspired to recreate the choreography.

Underwood says hes in the research gathering phase and is collecting eyewitness testimony and video footage.

As of Tuesday morning, Underwood says the El Paso County District Attorneys Office did not have any record of Shortys arrest, but that charges were filed late Tuesday morning.

The EPPD sent a statement over the weekend confirming it is aware of the incident and reviewing. KTSM also reached out to the City of El Paso regarding parking enforcement officials; this story will be updated once more information is available.

Questions remain regarding the protocols and jurisdiction that city parking enforcement has, especially when it comes to someone without a vehicle.

I dont know why a parking person would have the authority to tell you to get out of a public place when youre not impeding traffic, which I think all these business owners are going to agree that he was in no way impeding traffic at all, says Underwood.

Additionally, eyewitness video and photographs show that Shorty was compliant with EPPD.

A photo sent to KTSM shows Shorty on his knees with his hands above his head in surrender that was taken moments before more officers arrived and the violent incident occurred.

Underwood says theres no need for that, especially by City personnel.

We do need the police; we support the police but we also support the police doing their job and literally not kicking people when theyre down, he says.

The downtown business community says its fed up with what it claims is impunity by the parking enforcement officials who are backed up by EPPD.

On Tuesday, a petition was created asking for signatures in support of Defunding Parking Enforcement.

The incident that started with city employees being bothered by someone dancing in the street is quickly turning into a larger issue regarding the conduct of EPPD and other city employees as regards conduct in their official capacities, treatment of homeless and disabled population, and ultimately the Golden Rule.

As far as I know, we dont live in the movie Footloose, says Underwood.

Theres no law that prohibits you from dancing in the street, especially by yourself, he adds. The fact that you have parking attendants, who write parking tickets, and are harassing a man who doesnt have a vehicle, is kind of silly.

For more information on Shorty and Ojos, click here; for our complete coverage of downtown El Paso, click here.

For local and breaking news, sports, weather alerts, video and more, download the FREE KTSM 9 News App from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store.

Continued here:

Theres no law that prohibits you from dancing: Attorney weighs-in on viral video of homeless man allegedly assaulted by EPPD - KTSM 9 News

You may have the correct order of skincare products memorized (if not, here's a guide), but when it comes to hair care, things get even more confusing. Sure, we all know conditioner comes after shampoo, but what about hair serums and oils? Heat protectants? Hair masks?

The truth is that our post-shower hair care products usually end up looking more like a random experiment than a routine, but being a mixologist with your styling arsenal isn't doing your hair any favors. Just like you shouldn't apply face oils before serums, the wrong order can make your products not as effective, or worse, damage your strands. "Knowing the correct order of application for your hair is just as important as your skincare routine," agrees Michelle Lee, professional hairstylist, co-owner of Salon Eva Michelle in Boston, Mass., and Sebastian Professional Top Artist. "Products penetrate differently in your hair, and the right order ensures proper use and benefits."

While every hair type is unique, there are some general rules that will allow you to get the best results. You may have heard the golden rule of layering your skincare: lightest to heaviest. When it comes to hair care, Lee says the guideline is FSF: foundation (shampoo, conditioner, masks), structure (nourishing leave-ins and protectants), and finish (styling products and texture sprays).

With that in mind, we asked Lee to share the best order for layering hair care products. Whether you use one, three, or all of these products at a time, the order of application will remain the same. (Note: This order starts with shampooing; if you want to pre-poo, feel free to apply those treatments first.)

This one might be a given, but something to keep in mind: Your styling process begins in the shower. In other words, you want to make sure you're using a shampoo and conditioner that is suited for your hair type. Whether your hair type is fine and straight, thick and curly, kinky or color-treated, the right shampoo and conditioner can highlight the natural texture of your hair and give you the boost it needs to make styling a little less problematic. Opt for something made for color-treated hair (read: no parabens and less surfactants) if you have dyed hair, hydrating if you have damaged hair, and volumizing if you have limp hair. And whatever you use, Lee recommends rotating in a clarifying shampoo at least once a week to break up the styling residue lingering on your scalp.

Story continues

Now is the time to whip out any rinse-off hair masks or treatments. Lee says to comb it through the hair with your fingers (avoiding the scalp) and leave it on for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing out. Although hair masks can sub in for your regular conditioner, you can opt to double up if your hair is especially dry or damagedjust be cautious not to go overboard since excess application can weigh down your strands.

Your styling products won't absorb well over knots and tangles, so using a detangler as soon as you get out of the shower (and before you apply anything else) is key. In addition to evening out the porosity of the hair so your wet products go on more evenly, this will also help eliminate potential breakage that can happen while styling. Just remember to keep your detangler on the middle to ends of your hair to ensure it doesn't leave your scalp looking greasy.

After making sure your strands are tangle-free, it's best to kick off with a hydrating leave-in conditioner. You'll want to apply this while the hair is still wetnot only is your hair more receptive when damp (your cuticles are open), it will also protect your strands from frizzing out as it dries.

Hair oils are a bit more complicated since they can be used on wet or dry hair. If you don't plan on heat styling, this is the time to apply them since your hair will soak in the ingredients best. However, if you plan on heat-styling, hold off. Applying it now will essentially fry your strands, leaving it more susceptible to damage. Lee also notes that not all oils are the same: "Certain oils are for blow-drying and others are for after. When you're not sure, make sure to look at the directions."

Next up is volume, if you want it, of course. For the best results, apply a pump of volumizing mousse directly into your roots, scrunching as you go for added lift and body. Make sure to keep the product on the roots and mid-lengths of your hair, avoiding the ends.

If you plan to use any hot tools, i.e., your blow-dryer, curling iron, or flat iron, it's crucial to apply a heat protectant now to prevent heat damage. Spray the product all over your hair, then brush through with a fine-toothed comb to ensure the product is evenly distributed from root to tip. After that, you can proceed with heat-styling your hair as desired.

Once you finish styling your hair, you can add a styling cream and/or oil to provide shine, bring out hair texture, and eliminate unwanted frizz. A little goes a long way with oils, so just a smidge should do the trick.

Lastly, finish off your hair care routine with a beach or texture spray to lock in your look. Whether you're going for grit or shine, never use a hairspray on damp hair as it can cause stickiness and clumping. And since going overboard will ruin all the hard work you just did, start with a smaller amount on 100 percent dry hair and add slowly as needed.

The rest is here:

The Correct Order to Apply Hair Products for the Best Results - Yahoo Lifestyle

By Morf Morford

Tacoma Daily Index

Wear your mask, save a business that was the motto, the organizing principle, of Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber for most of 2020 and much of 2021.

Its a simple, yet powerful, even empowering, statement.

It would be difficult to come up with, or even imagine a simpler, cheaper, less intrusive act with greater impact.

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Wearing a mask, after all, costs very little, is painless and, at least according to the Chamber, has massive, over-reaching, long lasting repercussions.

In other words, the ROI (Return On Investment) is unparalleled and huge.

There are many principles at work in this deceptively simple phrase.

The Harvard Business Review, for example, has a recent article titled The power of small wins https://hbr.org/2011/05/the-power-of-small-wins?.

One aspect of this thesis is that of all the things that can boost emotions, motivation, and perceptions during a workday, the single most important is making progress, however small, in meaningful work.

The Navy SEALs have a similar core principle set achievable micro-goals.

Even making your bed each morning, they say, leads to, or at least initiates, a sense of accomplishment that sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Besides being a concrete act, wearing a mask (or even making your bed) is a job (however small) completed, a task finished and set aside.

Wearing a mask is also, in more ways than most of us could ever have imagined possible, a statement of solidarity, a sense of community.

And with that sense of community, there is the underlying sense of feeling that those wearing masks are contributing to a resolution that everyone, it is presumed, wants to work toward.

Who of us, after all, would not prefer to be part of the solution, rather than one who perpetuates the problem?

In other words, a simple, personal, individual act is a direct, concrete step toward what we all want to save as many business as possible.

A business, after all, is more than an economic unit it is a vision, a dream put into action, a collaboration of energies, passion and yes, resources and of course, a provider of essential goods and services to a community.

The end of a business is the end of much more than the evaporation of jobs and economic stability.

The end of a business, especially a local business, impacts neighborhoods, networks within the larger community, nearby schools, possibly first jobs or learning experiences for young people.

Get vaccinated and wear a mask

Save a business and protect our community

The Chamber has since (in the past few months) changed its website byline to Get vaccinated and wear a mask- save a business and protect our community.

This is a similar message, of course, but not one that is as immediately visible as wearing a mask.

The irony, of course, one that will be studied and analyzed for many years to come, will be why so many refused even this simple, no sacrifice solution to preserve even their own financial well-being.

An economy, local or national, depends upon thousands, if not millions of willing, individual personal decisions.

There was a time, not so long ago, when a common threat inspired us to put aside our differences and unite against a shared enemy.

We have at least one threatening our lives and livelihoods today (climate change is, by any standard, at least as much a threat as any pandemic).

But contrary to our history, if not human nature, we have taken this threat to split even further into warring ideological camps, each with their scripts, arguments and alternative facts.

In a saner era, in the face of a severe flu or other highly contagious (and dangerous) disease, parental instincts would kick in and parents would clamor for the highest level of protection for their children whether that might be vaccinations or any other medically authorized procedure.

Weve been through this as a nation with mumps, Chicken pox, measles, polio and a host of others.

We took care of our children and, in some cases, as with smallpox and polio, effectively eliminated menacing and destructive diseases.

To put it bluntly, those policies were good for families, good for our country and, not least, good for our economy.

Students need to go to school, and, as we have all noticed lately, those essential workers really are essential.

Just a few sick people can, as we have all experienced recently, mess up our supply chains in every category from lumber to car parts, or as many of us have seen here in the Puget Sound area, disrupt ferry schedules.

Its not that complicated.

In fact its very close to the near universal Golden rule; treat others as youd like to be treated.

As we take care of ourselves, we take care of our community, and as we take care of our community, we take care of ourselves.

I listen to the arguments against the mandates. Personal freedom and freedom of expression is very important to me and who we are as a nation. But there is no such thing as a right without responsibility.

There is literally no excuse for disrupting an airline flight, or assaulting a store employee or threatening a political figure over masking or vaccination policies.

I must admit that it is embarrassing to even say this; medical professionals with years, if not decades, of experience are more reliable sources of health impacting information than breathless, ranting Youtube videos.

For many years after World War II, a common question by children, usually directed at their fathers, was What did you do in the war?

The assumption of that question was that we all would do our best to fight a common enemy or make a difficult situation a little more tolerable maybe even better.

The idea that anyone would make a difficult situation worse, or would profiteer from anyone elses pain or even death was appalling if not disgraceful.

Prolonging the difficulties was certainly not what any respectable person would do.

Some day this pandemic will be over.

And the question we will all have to live with is What did you do during the pandemic?

Read more:

Get vaccinated and wear a maskSave a business and protect our community - Tacoma Daily News

While there has been much discussion about how effective various public health measures are against COVID-19, there has been less discussion about the moral and ethical issues raised by the pandemic. What are our moral obligations in the face of COVID-19?

To discuss these issues we reached out to Karey Harwood, a bioethicist and associate professor of religious studies at NCState. Harwoods work focuses on ethical issues related to biomedicine and biomedical technologies, as well as how religious beliefs inform our understanding of these issues.

This post is part of a series of Q&As in which NCState experts address questions about the vaccines on issues ranging from safety to manufacturing to distribution.

The Abstract: Does anyone have a moral obligation to get vaccinated or wear a mask?

Karey Harwood: Yes, people who are healthy enough to be vaccinated have a moral obligation to get vaccinated.

Simply put, no person is an island. Our immunity to disease is a shared resource that we all have a responsibility to protect. It can be difficult in a highly individualistic society to find ways to think about collective responsibilities. But really, its not at all strange or radical to think about responsibilities that we willingly share for the good of the human community. Whats strange is how Americans have grown alienated from these ideas. For the same reason it would be wrong to poison drinking water (a shared resource), or to abandon all the rules of the road (also a shared resource) while driving, it is also wrong to knowingly endanger our collective immunity to disease.

A utilitarian argument for universal vaccination would say herd immunity is a worthwhile and defensible goal because it creates the greatest good for the greatest number. Utilitarianism would even tolerate some risk of harm to a few individuals for the benefit of the many. However, we dont need absolutely everyone to get vaccinated to create and sustain herd immunity. People who cannot safely be vaccinated should receive a medical exemption, period. No one is asking for heroic sacrifice. We just need more people to step up. Unfortunately, the goal of herd immunity keeps slipping away because far too many people are refusing vaccination without a good reason. As we all know, this gives new variants of the virus a continual supply of hosts.

It is remarkable that people were so much more willing to take the risk of trying the experimental polio vaccine in the 1950s or I should say subjecting their children to trying the polio vaccine than they are now to take the fully FDA-approved Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19. The science and safety of vaccines has improved significantly since the mid 20th century. Why hasnt public confidence kept pace? I think the answer to that is complicated. The fear, paranoia, and misinformation surrounding the COVID vaccines have clearly affected peoples judgment, but the reasons for the alienation from a sense of community and shared humanity run deep.

As for masks, wearing one has seemed from the beginning of this pandemic like such a small ask. We see old black and white photographs of people wearing cloth masks during the 1918 flu pandemic, going to ballgames, going about their business. We dont get the sense that these people were angrily protesting masks and shouting, live free or die. Unless there is a medical reason why a person cannot safely wear a mask, yes, there is a moral obligation to wear one to reduce the transmission of disease. Notwithstanding the cases of violence that have erupted over the issue of masks, my sense is that most Americans, most of the time, have adapted quite readily to mask wearing. Because that is what humans do they innovate, adapt, and work together for the good of the community.

TA: Does anyone have a moral obligation to get tested if they are experiencing symptoms?

Harwood: Getting a definitive test result is always a good idea if the illness being tested is transmissible and the test to identify the illness is accurate. A false positive or a false negative doesnt provide any useful knowledge. But knowing for sure that you have strep throat rather than allergies, for example, is crucial information for getting the right treatment and justifying isolation from others.

Individuals who are experiencing symptoms of COVID which by now we know better how to recognize should get tested with the most reliable test (PCR test) because the results (whether positive or negative) provide crucially important information for the good of the local, state, national, and global community. Being sick with COVID is not a solitary event. It is contracted from others and can be passed on to others family members, fellow students, co-workers, fellow shoppers at the grocery store. People who test positive should notify the people close to them, insofar as they are able to do that work, and notify their employers or schools. We could and should build better systems for contact tracing and notification that would share the responsibility and the labor of notification. I think that would be prudent and fair. But step one is getting tested so that steps can be taken to reduce further transmission of disease.

TA: Does anyone have a moral obligation to tell others if they have been diagnosed with COVID?

Harwood: With a positive COVID test, there is unquestionably an obligation to quarantine. Its almost unthinkable that someone who knows they are positive for COVID would step onto an airplane, or attend a social gathering, and yet we know there are instances of this happening. People have their reasons for thinking their personal priorities trump public health, but such thinking demonstrates an appalling disregard for others. Indeed, one can easily imagine criminal liability for such behavior. [Editors note: here is an example under North Carolina law.]

As for an obligation to tell others of a positive COVID diagnosis, it depends on the nature of the contact and the nature of the relationship. Notifying people with whom you share living space, e.g., family members or roommates, would be obligatory, as would be notifying the guests at a party you threw while unknowingly coming down with COVID. But calling up everyone in the lecture hall where you attended class? Such an obligation would be burdensome, unrealistic, and arguably an erosion of your privacy. Better would be to notify the school and let a team of paid and capable contract tracers promptly identify and notify those individuals who need to know.

TA: What are the ethics of workplaces requiring vaccination?

Harwood: Now that the Pfizer vaccine has received full FDA approval, employers are justified in requiring vaccination of their employees. They are not asking their employees to do something dangerous or take an unnecessary risk. They are not being unduly paternalistic. Requiring vaccination protects everyone in the workplace and it reduces community spread overall, thereby protecting vulnerable people who cannot get vaccinated and all children younger than 12 who are not yet eligible.

TA: In places that are requiring vaccination, there are often religious exemptions. Given your expertise on the relationship between religious traditions and biomedical ethics, what are the theological justifications for these exemptions?

Harwood: It certainly seems that people are straining credulity in what they characterize as a religious reason for requesting an exemption from vaccination. Some are turning to religious exemptions as a last resort, when the nonreligious personal belief exemption is no longer available. So there is an expediency to this use of the religious exemption that undermines its authenticity in many cases.

One might expect a group like Christian Scientists to refuse vaccination across the board, but this is not the case. Although Christian Scientists normally rely on the power of prayer for healing, rather than modern medicine, they recognize their obligations to public health: For more than a century, our denomination has counseled respect for public health authorities and conscientious obedience to the laws of the land, including those requiring vaccination. Christian Scientists report suspected communicable disease, obey quarantines, and strive to cooperate with measures considered necessary by public health officials. We see this as a matter of basic Golden Rule ethics and New Testament love.

By contrast, some white Evangelicals have adopted a problematic understanding of moral purity that compels them to avoid what they perceive to be polluting or contaminating medical procedures. It is not hard to see this fear of contamination among people seeking religious exemptions from vaccination. However, as philosopher Ruth Groenhout has observed, Evangelicals obsession with purity puts them, ironically, into precisely the position of the Pharisees, the only group of people consistently criticized by Jesus for privileging their own moral purity and observance of the finer points of the law over providing assistance to the needy or care for the ill (Matt. 23:1-39. Luke 11: 37-54). The New Testament provides little comfort for religious believers who focus so exclusively on their own moral purity that they are willing to see others suffer for it.

Groenhout goes on to say that in her reading of the New Testament, Jesus advocated an ethics of service and assistance to all (Matt. 26:14-39, Luke 22: 24-27, John 13: 1-17), but especially to those seen as ones enemies (Matt. 5:43-48, Luke 6: 27-36) and to the sick and poor (Matt. 25:31-46).

So, although people may cite verses from the Bible to explain their desire to refuse the vaccination, and they may claim that their beliefs are sincerely held, these things by themselves do not constitute a plausible and coherent theological justification for a vaccine refusal.

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Vaccine Q&A: Do I Have a Moral Obligation to Wear a Mask or Get Vaccinated? - NC State News

William Henry Dewey was born into slavery in 1858 in New Bern, a riverfront town in Craven County, in the rural Inner Banks of North Carolina. His mother died when he was a child.

By the age of 13, Henry was working as a waiter boy for Dr. Attmore, a popular young white physician who had served in the Confederate army. Henrys older brother, Miles, was employed as a boy (domestic servant) for a series of white families. By the time he turned 16, Henry was apprenticing as a barber; and when he turned 20, he married Presbaretta Etta McIlvaine, another freed slave from New Bern. He found work at the barbershop in Gaston House, a landmark hotel in downtown New Bern. When he turned 23, Henrys boss died, and he took over the shop, offering shaves for ten cents apiece. His brother Miles became a hand on the railroad, but his lifeless body would be found in one of the cars a couple of years later; cause of death unknown.

Unlike his brother Miles, who had been completely illiterate, Henry was not only very literate but a gifted orator and writer, although, as a profiler later notes, his means for the acquisition of books were very limited. In 1883, he organized and became president of The Philosophian Literary Society of New Bern, which, he wrote, was organized for the purpose of circulating pure moral principles, to cultivate a love for the true, the beautiful, the good, and to qualify its votaries to become leaders of the people in all departments of Art, Science and Literature.

His appetite for the fruits of the political arena was even greater. North Carolinas second congressional district was a national hotbed of Black politics in these waning days of the Reconstruction Era following the Civil War. Known as the Black Second, Deweys district included many of the states Black-majority counties, and New Bern was its largest town. The Republican party at that time, Lincolns party of Emancipation would elect four Black congressmen to a total of seven terms between 1874 and 1898 from the Black Second, together with numerous Black state legislators. And Dewey was right at the heart of it.

In 1882, Dewey, described by the local paper as the young barber at the Gaston House, took the floor of the Republican County Convention to introduce a resolution endorsing George H. White, a Black lawyer and school principal in New Bern, to be nominated for district solicitor. It was a controversial choice, and the debate became so heated that, the local paper reported, pretty soon the whole floor was in a ferment. Everyone was on his feet; the Chairman called for order, and there was evidently a good deal of feeling stirred up. White would eventually go on to not only be elected solicitor, but also to become the last Black congressman to serve North Carolina for nearly a century.

From 1884 to 1889, Dewey organized the annual Emancipation Day celebration of the 13th Amendment each January. The Black residents of New Bern would parade the streets with bands, assemblies, prayers, speeches, poetry, and the reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. This New Bern tradition continued well into the 20th century (and still survives there today as part of the annual Juneteenth celebration.)

Even as Dewey, the Practical Tonsorial Artist, continued to offer ten-cent shaves at his Hairdressing and Shaving Saloon at the Gaston House, he also waded deeper into politics. He was hired to work for local political campaigns. He organized an Excursion Extraordinary to the Congressional Convention in nearby Kinston in 1886. He was appointed to the executive committee of his party in his ward, and to the executive committee of the Freedmen in and around New Bern. He became a prominent statewide figure in the G.U.O.O.F. (Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in America). The local paper published a description of Dewey as a man who stand in the fear of God but fearless of man.

In 1886, while still at the barbershop, Dewey bought and became the editor of The Peoples Advocate, the only political newspaper in the county and the only one intended for a Black readership. He soon renamed it The Golden Rule. While there are no known surviving copies of it, its existence is well-documented. It was a four-page broadsheet published every Saturday.

In 1887, a controversy over a school bill erupted. The bill consolidated the various schools under all-white management in exchange for a longer school year for the colored school. Dewey opposed it. In a letter to another local paper, he wrote, I am opposed to centralization of power in one race over another. The bill says separate schools, but one committee of white people. After twenty-four years of enfranchisement my heart beats as high as the Anglo Saxon who condemned taxation without representation.

A battle ensued in the newspapers. Henry Dewey says he votes for nothing that is managed exclusively by white people, responded one critic; Henry Dewey is a better barber than a politician. He is not a great leader among his people. H. has lost his balance when he endeavors to teach his race to hate the white people, wrote another. Dewey exploded back in print, I desire for myself and a majority of the horny-fisted sons of toil, to ask you in all fairness and candor, did you mean [it] when you said that the negro, the poor man has no right to manhood, therefore he ought not to vote contrary to the rich mans opinion? If you did let me tell you it would have been better for the poor man, better for the race of which I am proud of being one in part, that you never were born, I would to God have never allowed you to deform the face of nature, to darken the light of this day. Soon after, embroiled in endless newspaper battles and ongoing lawsuits, Dewey sold his barbershop, and in 1889 moved ninety miles away from his hometown to the city Wilmington and opened a new barbershop. But it didnt last long.

By 1889, the political climate for African-Americans in North Carolina had begun to shift away from the empowering years of the late Reconstruction era. The era of Jim Crow, discriminatory voter laws, and white supremacy was metastasizing. The borders of the Black Second would soon be redrawn. In what would be called the Negro Exodus, some 50,000 Black North Carolinians left the state over the next fifteen months. There were many reasons for the exodus, but many point to the passage of the Payne Election Law, a voting rights bill that granted broad discriminatory powers to local registrars, as a principal one. It is perhaps a good riddance to let the disturbed element have an escape, lambasted the Wilmington Morning Star. Most families migrated south or west; but a few, like Henry Dewey and his family, went north. His last mention in the New Bern newspapers was a passing detail in December 1889, listing Wm. H. Dewey [of] Waltham, Mass. visiting at a local hotel.

The Dewey family had fled North Carolina for Massachusetts. From Waltham, they settled in Haverhill, where Henry opened a barber and hairdressing shop. He organized a 31st-anniversary celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation at the music hall in Haverhill for New Years Day 1894, featuring prayer, poetry, dance, and a speech by Dewey himself. But whether his event failed to move the residents of Haverhill, or whether he had lost his appetite for such things, this was evidently the last time Dewey tried to organize a public event.

The family moved next to Chelsea. Etta bore thirteen children in all, the first in New Bern, and the last born in Chelsea. Only three survived to adulthood: William Henry Jr. (known as Billy), Miles, and Harold. In Chelsea, the Dewey boys became involved, as children, in vaudeville. An 1899 Boston Post theater review mentioned William Dewey, the comedian with the big mouth and Miles Dewey, the acrobatic cake walker performing at the Nickelodeon. At age 15, Miles occupation was recorded as a comedian in the 1900 census.

Then they moved to Vineyard Haven. What drew the Dewey family to an Island town with only two other Black families (one Cape Verdean) has been forgotten. Sometime between about 1901 and 1905, the Deweys opened the William H. Dewey Lunch Room, Hair Dressing and Boot Blacking Parlors near the corner of Main Street and Church Street in downtown Vineyard Haven. It stood across from the stone bank, about where Mikado is today. Etta ran the lunchroom and bakery, known as the Eureka Lunch Room, next door to the barbershop. (Dont forget to try Deweys Famous Home-made Bread, 8 cents loaf, they advertised.)

The barbershop and lunchroom operated until about 1912-13. He was another colored barber, recalled the late Stan Lair (1902-1987) of Vineyard Haven, without detail. I went to school with his boy, Harold Dewey. I remember him well.

There is no evidence that Dewey ever waded into Vineyard politics. As he turned fifty in his new Island home, the activism of his youth had turned into the pragmatism of feeding his family and keeping their youngest child in school. His forays into the newspapers were limited to classified ads. A FIRST-CLASS colored barber, one that can wait upon white trade wanted. Address W. H. Dewey, Vineyard Haven, Mass. he published in the Boston Globe in 1905 and 1906. WANTED A colored barber and a girl, age from 14 to 20, that wants a good home. Address W. H. Dewey, Vineyard Haven, Mass. he published again in 1907. This last ad must have been answered, as the census lists 13-year-old Bernice, adopted daughter, living with them in Vineyard Haven in 1910.

William H. Dewey, Lunch Room, also Tonsorial Artist, he advertised about 1908. Call at the barber shop next door to the Eureka Lunch Room, and opposite the New Bank on Main Street, Vineyard Haven, if you wish to enjoy the sensation of having your hair cut or of being shaved in truly first-class style. This is a new shop with new equipment, but the proprietor, Mr. William H. Dewey, is by no means new in the business. On the contrary he has had an experience of more than a quarter of a century, and as Mr. Dewey is one of those who learn from experience it may truly be said that never before was he so well prepared as he is to-day to completely satisfy the wants of even the most fastidious. At his lunch room, also opposite the bank, meals may be had at all hours. A specialty of home made bread at eight cents per loaf; fresh every day, at lunch room.

The Dewey family moved back to Boston shortly before Ettas death there at the age of 57. Henry died three years later. Their three sons continued in show business. Billy became a professional singer, dancer, and comedian, touring in England and Canada, and starring in the all-Black 1921 Broadway jazz musical hit, Shuffle Along, which is now closely associated with the formative theatrical scene of the Harlem Renaissance. A striking 1910 photograph of him a Black man in blackface, posing in costume exists in the digital archives of Howard Universitys Vaudeville Collection. Miles became a ragtime dancer, and a professional singer, entertainer, and stage performer. Harold, who had attended Tisbury High School, became a singer and performer with the Crane Stock Company of Washington D.C. Sadly, all three died in obscurity in the 1940s and 50s Billys last job was as a porter at the Park Square Greyhound Bus Terminal in Boston; Miles went blind and died alone, spending his final decade living out a meager existence in Roxbury with his seeing-eye dog, Beauty. Harolds last job was with the Tite-Flex Metal Hose Co. in Newark, NJ.

Deweys Vineyard Haven Lunch Room was taken over by Herbie Stevens. (He had a sign stuck up over the front of the counter, recalled Lair; it said, Do not kid the coffee you may be old and weak yourself one day.) The space was soon taken over by the Alley Brothers market, and then by the Cronigs Brothers expanding grocery.

William Henry Dewey died in Tewksbury in 1916 at the age of 58, but no obituary was ever published, nor was one published for Etta a few years earlier, nor later for their three distinguished sons, nor for their other ten lost children. Perhaps this column may serve as a belated memorial.

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This Was Then: The Barber of the Black Second - Martha's Vineyard Times

Retired U.S. Special Agent and Division Chief for Protective Intelligence Investigation Charles Shepherd Henry Hunter IIIwho goes by Henryhas led a life that could rival any government-based action thriller.

Hunter launched his career in 1968 with the Atlanta Police Department, where he worked major crimes, surveilled drug dealers and conducted undercover sting operations. In 1980, while undercover and passing off packages of oatmeal as drugs, he ducked into a phone booth in a rainstorm to return a call from a U.S. Department of State recruiter, who offered him a job as a special agent and diplomatic security. He went on to become one of only a few Black agents in the field for the majority of his career. He was also the first Black person to lead a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) investigative office.

At the State Department, Hunter investigated and solved federal crimes, which included kidnappings, murders, robberies, terrorism, counter-terrorism, and bombings, which included the one at the Asociacin Mutual Israelita Argentina building in Buenos Aires in 1994, for which he was lead investigator. It was the deadliest attack on the Jewish community since the Holocaust.

Hunter also assessed and monitored the internal security of the U.S. and its citizens by conducting vulnerability and security assessments. He taught protective intelligence in other countries from Palestine to Mexico and often coordinated events with the CIA, U.S. Secret Service and Department of Defense. On two occasions he was assigned to the FBI for investigations and has been honored with several awards for his service. And while serving in the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Hunter managed the Protective Intelligence Operations, supporting the United Nations General Assembly for more than 20 years. This involved employing plain clothes operatives and coordinating all agencies providing protection for visiting foreign dignitaries. He was often asked for by name; some of the notable leaders he protected include Prince Charles, Salman Rushdie, Edn Pastora Gmez (a.k.a. "Commander Zero" of Honduras) and Haiti's former president Jean-BertrandAristide. He also served as DSS Capitol Hill representative during visits from Nelson Mandela, Mikhail Gorbachev, Madeleine Albright, George Schultz, Lawrence Eagleburger, Condoleezza Rice, Colin Powell and Margaret Thatcher, who called Hunter into her suite to personally thank him for his service and ask for a photograph with him.

Now 71, Hunter is retired and writing his autobiographyworking title: Not James Bond. Along with his wife of 41 years, Teresa Bennett Hunter, he keeps Florida ties to both Apollo Beach and Sarasotathe latter to stay close to his cherished sister, the award-winning journalist Charlayne Hunter-Gault.

I was born at home in a wooden house on Brown Street in Covington, Georgia. At the age of 2, my family moved to Atlanta. I was molded and formed by my mother, Althea Ruth Hunter, and my sister Charlayne Hunter-Gault. Within minutes of my birth, I was swaddled and handed to my sister. She was told, This is now your responsibility'and she has lived up to the challenge to this day.

My grandfather, Charles Shepherd Henry Hunter Sr., was the barber in town and appeared Caucasian. His skin color allowed him to move about Covington as a white Southern gentleman. He was a part of society and looked up to by all, so he could get a lot of things done, such as speak for those who dare not speak for themselves. Being the barber in a small Southern town, rich in the Jim Crow tradition, made him a very influential man. For instance, he worked at the barbershop by day, then at night, he went to the local jail to do haircuts for the incarcerated as well as the jailers.

Although I wasn't born with a silver spoon, I was born to the best parents that could be afforded a young Black boy in the South. My mother was extremely intelligent, tough, and earned her high school education in Chicago. My father, Rev. Charles Shepherd Henry Hunter Jr., was a prominent, big-in-stature Black preacher who enlisted in the Army during WWII where he was a chaplain, including at Fort Sam in Houston, one of the largest Army bases in the U.S. After my father retired as a colonel, he returned to his native Florida.

Both my father and grandfather were African Methodist Episcopal (AME) ministers in Florida, including Tampa and the surrounding areas. My father also pastored churches in Clearwater, Sulphur Springs, and Jacksonville. My grandfather became the presiding elder for all AME churches in Palmetto, Bradenton and Sarasota. My family roots run deep here. The Florida AME elder is a powerful and influential person, not just with the congregation but throughout their communities. During the 1967 Black riots in Tampa, the first call that the mayor made was to my father. He immediately took to the streets with other influencers, and lowered the temperature of the rioters.

When I would visit my father as a child, he would take me on his rounds. He would visit the sick and shut-ins and people on the other side of his ministry, who he was anxious to help. Some of those stops were at gambling dens, illegal nightclubs and prostitutes' homes. My fathers boisterous manner was what kept him doing what he was doing, because he was going to be heard. I can still recall the anticipation for the hymn to start on Sunday mornings and his voice bellowing from the pulpit. It was an octave that would shake the devil.

The most startling was also the first, which happened in Covington. We were visiting one of our affluent Black friends when I noticed the adults whispering. They quickly shuffled the kids inside the house, locked the doors and pulled the shades down.

Being amateur detectives, my brother and I slipped out the back of the house and hid in the crawl space. We saw why the adults were so shaken: several pick-up trucks with men dressed in white hooded outfits, shotguns in hand, were patrolling the streets. Its whats referred to as 'Klan riding.' The KKK was establishing domination and looking for a Black person doing anything it considered wrong. I was terrified to see those hooded outfits."

My first term paper in college was on the origin of the Ku Klux Klan. I wanted to know where it came from and how they could hate someone because of the color of their skin. After my research, I found out that its origin was actually about fair treatment of all. For instance, if they found out a white man beat his wife or child, they would beat the hell out of him. It was almost an extension of the church; it had religion behind it. It started with the best intentionsits discipline was based on people doing the right thingbut it didnt stay that way long.

In my career, I also monitored white hate groups and domestic terrorists. The ill-intentioned find a group with an emotional attachmentlike the gun lobbyand slowly move it in the direction of white hate. They start by innocently passing out pamphlets or otherwise, saying that they are not extreme in their beliefs, convincing you that they believe in the same thing you do and asking you to join them. One method of recruitment is fear. They convince others that the government will come in black helicopters to take your guns, or take your livelihood away, or that someone lesser than will marry your daughters and take them away. All these things are implemented through racism or sexism or anti-Semitism. Its always been here, and when our leaders dont denounce the behavior, such as racism, its the same as welcoming and condoning it.

My mother tried to shelter us from racism, so the whole UGA discussion came as a shock to the family. I was 11 years old and didnt understand it, and no one talked to me about it. All I knew was that one of the two most important women in my life was about to embark on a dangerous journey.

One night, my mother came to me and said, Im taking you out of school for a while, Ive already spoken with your teachers, they will get your homework to you. I think its important that you go with your sister. She wanted me to witness how Char handled herselffrom on-campus meetings to the trials and events surrounding her attempt to be accepted as a student at UGA. My mother knew I would benefit from that experience, especially since my sister and I had a special bond, which still goes on today.

My mother was really something. Everything she did had a purpose. Her self-description was, Im a little piece of leather, well put together.

A student riot broke out over her admission. When that passed, and she was attending classes regularly, the decision was made that she needed a car to travel from the university in Athens to our home in Atlanta. I would accompany her on that drive Fridays and Mondays, and it would be kept with Black friends who owned an off-campus restaurant called Killians. Several legal trial-related meetings were held in that restaurant. The legal team consisted of Donald Hollowell, Constance Motley, Horace Ward and the unforgettable Vernon Jordan.

When I met Vernon, I immediately wanted to be him. To say he was young, gifted, and Black was not to tell the whole truth. Not only was he a thinker, he was a doer. Everything that came out of that legal team that I saw was transmitted, transported and transcribed by Vernon. He was what every young Black guy wanted to be: intelligent, educated and to have people listen to you. Throughout my career, I met with Vernon on several occasions and benefited from his experience and sage advice. He was one advisor whose advice I followed to the letter.

Someone from Chars legal team needed to be present when she returned to school on Monday mornings in case any events occurred. Vernon was usually the one. Every Monday we would drop her at the journalism building, which had a long set of marble steps up to its plateau. When Char reached the top, she would always look back and wave. Recalling it today, I get misty-eyed. Every week, I thought that it would be the last time I would ever see her because I knew friends were few and far between once she got out of sight. That was traumatic for me. Char never complained, she was always positive. My mother was extremely worried all the time, but she never complained, either.

The public may be surprised to know that the pretty girl they know as Charlayne was introverted and didnt say much before all this happened. But because the circumstances called for it, she became a different person. She had to not only talk the talk, but she also had to walk the walk.

If my mother was not involved, her daughter would have faced the unknown without her. The discussion for Char to apply to UGA was done outside of her hearing, but required her approval. There was an organization of helpful people behind my sisters journey to UGA, and also while she was there, but I never saw them. My mother was the intermediary for whatever system existed.

There was no greater feeling than being around my mother and my sister. On several occasions, being a mamas boy, I would walk to my mothers work to ride home with her. She was the bookkeeper and administrator for a Black-owned company called Wilson Realty in Atlanta.

Many times, our drive home would take several detours. On occasion, we would stop at one of the Jewish-owned grocery stores in Black neighborhoods. Sometimes, I would see envelopes handed to my mother along with packages of groceries and she would leave without paying. The most memorable detour was to a grocery store at Ashby and Simpson Streets. When we went in, the proprietor called to someone in the butcher area. He spoke in Yiddish and pointed for my mother to go back there. A woman came out, dressed in white, covered in blood, with a brown case in her hand. She gave the case to my mother and kissed her on the cheek.

When we got back to the car, my mother was in tears. On the ride home, my mother explained that the woman and her husband said, Every journalist needs a good typewriter and the best one is a Smith Corona. In the case was a Smith Corona, which was given to my sister. Inside the case was an envelope. I never knew what it contained and can only guess that it was money to help with college expenses.

I dated women from all backgrounds and races until the day a friend told me about a girl that I would love and probably marry, which turned out to be true. Teresa was the girl of my dreams, my soulmate, my greatest supporter, unyielding critic, mother of my son, Chase, and the person who would help to steer my course from that time on.

There was just one problem: she was Caucasian. While we dated, we were always the subject of stares, derogatory whispers and sometimes flat-out hatred. When they say love conquers all, we know what that means.

One example was when I was a DSS agent/criminal investigator assigned to the Protective Liaison Division. I was alerted by a colleague that two of my superiorsthe chief and deputy chiefhad made racist comments about my marriage to a white woman, which included a conversation about what color our son turned out to be.

While I was a patrolman in Atlanta, I was assigned a beat in a high-crime area. One day at roll call, I was paired with a female wagon driver who not only transported prisoners but was also backup. I never thought about her competence and ability to help me with the more difficult arrest scenarios; however, I was teased by macho, sometimes badge-heavy, officers that I was paired with my mother and who referred to her as matronly.

One night, I made a stop with a vehicle that had been the subject of an armed robbery lookout. As [my backup] arrived, the two occupants ran in different directions. I went for the closest one and a scuffle ensued, but I was able to place the subject in handcuffs. When I brought him to his feet, I saw [my backup] walking in my direction, suspect in tow and in handcuffs. I was proud of her and glad I trusted her. As for the rest of the officers, she had, in one moment, proven herself competent. The teasing stopped that dayand for the rest of my time with her.

That affection and respect for women continued throughout my career. Providing protection for Jean Kirkpatrick, and protective support for Madeleine Albright and Condoleezza Rice, gave me many opportunities to support intelligent, strong women who were tough as nails and, at the same time, compassionate. Having also provided levels of security for several secretaries of state that also included George Shultz, James Baker, Lawrence Eagleburger and Al Haig, Rice and Albright are the at the top of my list.

In monitoring hate groups, I realized we needed to do more to keep our eye on them, especially ahead of an event with a dignitary, so the protective detail would be aware of what they might face.

Lets take Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, for example. One of the anti-Semitic groups learned that she is Jewish, and it didnt take lights and sirens to go off to understand that they were organizing. But it was more than anti-Semitism; the truth is that there is a group of people who dont like a women in a position of power. This got serious when Albright was attending a town hall at Ohio State University in 1998 with the Clinton Administrations defense secretary, William Cohen, and national security adviser Sandy Berger.

Four days before the town hall, I took a team of agents to develop intelligence to support diplomatic protective operationsmeaning the guys you see in the suits and Ray-Bans who talk into their wrists. It was a different world then, one where we could walk into the universitys student center and blend with just a soda, lunch or milkshake. We would just sit and listen to what [the groups] were planning. The night before Albrights arrival, I briefed the detail leader and told him that, frankly, I didnt think there was a threat to her life, but if she got to speak a full sentence, Id be surprised. We had identified some students who might have approached her, so I set up my agents in areas that would prevent any altercations.

Open threats on diplomatic women happened more often than those on men. I held briefings with Condoleezza Rice's staff to define the threat that comes with the n-word. My office had to vet or investigate every threat. And we did this not only for American officials but foreign as well. It happened quite a lot with the Royal Family and British officials.

I spent two nights in Richmond, Virginia, to support Margaret Thatchers special branch folks and to be a liaison for local police support. Before I departed for an early morning trip to the airport, as a courtesy, I let her person in charge know that I was leaving. I was then told, The lady would like to speak with you. When I walked in, she said, I wanted to thank you for all youve done for me. May I have a picture with you? I still have that photograph framed at home.

I would like for them to be learning about the unknown of other cultures and races. Only through knowing each other will we ever make a difference living together. Take a lesson from my mother, who taught us to treat people the way we wanted to be treated. She taught us the Golden Rule, and we lived by it.

Listening to Black Voices is a series created by Heather Dunhill

Excerpt from:

Retired U.S. Special Agent Henry Hunter on His Career at the State Department - Sarasota

To pee or not to pee? That is the question adults and children ask themselves every summer.

Each summer, some swimmers (and not just kids!) face a perplexing and some would say mildly gross problem when heading out to public swimming pools. That is, what should you do when you need to pee? If you go to a public pool, do you run the risk of swimming in other peoples pee? And if so, is this safe?

UrologistPetar Bajic, MD, weighs in on whether you should just go, or find yourself a proper restroom. Learn the scientific pros and cons to consider in favor of holding it or not. And just how safe is it to swim in public pools if other people have peed in them?

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services.Policy

If you swim, youve probably at some point considered whether or not to just pee in the pool.

After all, when you gotta go, you gotta go! How you decide is a matter between you and your conscience and your bladder. Here are some facts to guide you.

Urine is 95% water. The other 5% includes byproducts of your digested food and drink, things like:

Absolutely not.

Holding your pee for a few minutes while you get out of the pool and head to the loo might be uncomfortable, but its not dangerous.

But pee isnt generally dangerous either. None of the substances mentioned above in normal urine are present in large enough amounts to be dangerous. So if you decide to go in the pool, or you swim in the diluted urine of someone else, its not harmful.

Urine isnt sterile, but this isnt necessarily a problem. Similar to the surface of the skin and other areas of the body,your bladdercontains a mix of healthy bacteria calledthe microbiome.Urine from the bladder can alsopick up bacteria from your urethra or your genitals on the way out.These bacteria, just like those that live on the skin or in the mouth, are generally not considered harmful, andmost swimming pools are treated with chlorine and other chemicals to reduce the risk of passing any diseases to others.

So the answer to the age-old question of whether you should pee in the pool or not?

Its largely about following the golden rule: Do unto others as you would like done to you.

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Should You Really Pee in the Swimming Pool? - Health Essentials from Cleveland Clinic