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Sunday 17 2024
Stop Texting and Emailing and Try Talking for a Change
by Daniel B. Griffith, J.D., SPHR, SHRM-SCP
As a workplace mediator, I am astounded by the many times I've helped employees work through their conflicts simply by having them reassess their methods of communicating. Conflict often escalates because individuals rely on technology -- texts and emails -- to communicate rather than honestly talk face to face. For example:
- A department chair and office manager rarely meet in person. The chair exercises his faculty privilege to work from home and the manager feels blamed for not addressing student and faculty needs, mostly because she can't get clarity through email from the chair about how to respond.
- Initial emails in a long email stream between two faculty are seemingly innocuous but escalate over many weeks to barbed comments, sarcasm, innuendo, accusations, half-truths, and SHOUTING. They have never spoken directly with one another about their concerns.
- Two students pull out their phones and trace the series of text exchanges between them, quickly realizing their frequent use of abbreviations, emojis, and curt replies, and overlooked texts within the stream led to significant misunderstandings and unfounded judgments and assumptions each made of the other.
My job as mediator is to help individuals unpack the causes of their conflict and see for themselves where their differences lie, but it is tempting in cases like these simply to say, "stop it!" The answer seems obvious but is evidently more difficult for many who have come to rely on their devices to communicate to the point they avoid, fear, or forget to communicate in person or have lost or never developed the skills for doing so.
If this is you, or fear it may be, consider these suggestions for evaluating your technology use and extricating yourself from the confusion to improve your relationships and conflict resolution skills:
Get clear on your reasons for relying on e-communication when dealing with conflict. Conflict resolution starts with identifying root causes. With respect to technology misuse, causes for users' misdeeds and misunderstandings that foment conflict include:
- Cowardice. Hiding behind the keypad to send out missives, barbs, strident comments, and other conflict-enhancing messages due to a lack of courage, fortitude, or integrity to face others in person.
- Fear. Avoiding face-to-face interaction due to either genuine or unfounded fear of confrontation, thereby finding safety in perpetuating the conflict behind the keypad.
- Laziness or busyness. While we know we could talk over the cubicle or knock on a colleague's door (or do so virtually through a video meeting), we don't do so, either from inertia or by blaming our busy schedule. It is simply easier to stay behind the keypad.
- Ignorance. Some individuals lack awareness of how their written exchange may come across as curt, dismissive, unclear, or harsh. Others may simply not know, or were never taught, that in-person exchange is the best option for addressing conflicts and more serious conversations.
- Lack of skills. Some may recognize the need for face-to-face interaction but feel awkward, tongue-tied, and unskilled, feeling more comfortable behind the keypad. They will continue in this mode if they lack the means to develop skills or to ask for help.
- Norms. When e-communication is the default within your organization, or among your community, age group, or friends, the thought of a different means for more important conversation never crosses your mind.
Change your mindset and manner of communicating. As conflict escalates, we experience diminishing returns in our ability to meaningfully communicate and resolve issues with colleagues. As this occurs and you get an inkling that your electronic foibles may be a contributing cause, it's time to wake up to the need for a different approach to your communication exchange.
These inklings may arise, among other means, if you sense your common use of abbreviations and emojis are being misinterpreted or causing offense, your written explanations become lengthier in response to a colleague's baseless accusations, you've lost track of the stream and wonder where the misunderstanding first arose, or you discontinue communication altogether -- electronic or otherwise -- because it has become exhausting and demoralizing to attempt further communication.
The first response to this dilemma is simple (physically, if not emotionally): take your fingers off the keypad. The next step is perhaps more challenging, particularly if you are accustomed to hiding behind the keypad: find a way to initiate face-to-face communication to address your conflict. This probably means walking down the hall to talk with your colleague (or to do the virtual equivalent by requesting a video meeting).
If this is too difficult to initiate cold, or your colleague is as or more skilled as you in hiding behind electronic walls, begin with a polite email, such as, "I think it would be best at this point to talk this through than to continue through email. Could we meet soon?" If your colleague continues to attempt electronic "conversation," you may need to be more direct: "I've requested previously that we meet to discuss this. I will not continue to respond to this concern through email. Would Tuesday at 3:00 or Wednesday at 9:00 be a better time to meet?"
The point is to back away from e-communication, minimize or discontinue e-responses until you can meet in person, and transition discussion on issues causing conflict to in-person exchange.
Don't get pulled into others' misuse of technology. Truly recalcitrant colleagues relying on electronic forms may disregard your message and continue their methods. In any conflict, someone must be the first to break the cycle. Don't give in and return to your old ways simply because the other person hasn't responded as requested. To the extent business must continue through electronic means, keep it to business, provide information only as pertinent to move forward with business decisions, and remind the person of your standing request to meet in person on the matter of concern.
While your awkward radio silence may further jeopardize your relationship momentarily, leave an information void, and generate further misunderstandings and frustration (perhaps even escalating the other person's e-responses), realize the cost in time, energy, and loss of goodwill to continue or return to an unhealthy cycle, tempting as it may be to respond in kind.
Establish clear expectations about how you will communicate and the methods you will use. Whether correcting a dysfunctional relationship precipitated by poor e-communication or establishing a new relationship to avoid such problems, establish an understanding of how you will address the natural miscommunications and conflicts that arise and how e- vs. in-person communication will play a role. Consider informal norms or grounds rules covering situations where e-communication is appropriate and when transition to in-person is needed. Hint: e-communication for general business and information exchange; in-person when a deeper conversation is needed, or when matters initiated through e-communication require transition to in-person to ensure clarity. So armed, you now have a basis for disrupting e-communication to transition to in-person without surprising your colleague and begin a fluid, productive process for addressing concerns through face-to-face interaction.
This article is republished from HigherEdJobs® under a Creative Commons license.
Stanley Stoutamire, Jr.
Stanley Stoutamire, Jr., a resident of
Calera and senior at John Carroll Catholic High School, spent March 4 – 11 in
Washington D.C. as one of two delegates from Alabama to the U.S. Senate Youth
Program. This prestigious program
selects two outstanding young leaders from each state, plus the District of
Columbia and the Department of Defense Schools.
Selection for the program is based on leadership abilities, commitment
to volunteer work, and academic achievement, along with recommendations from
school officials.
Young Mr. Stoutamire was the guest speaker
at a recent meeting of the Shelby County Democratic Party. With poise and eloquence unusual in someone
still too young to vote, Stanley entertained an enthralled audience, in person
and on Zoom, with his description of the arduous application and selection
process, his whirlwind week of meetings with government officials, tours of
government buildings and national monuments, plus becoming friends with other
high school seniors from all over the country.
The
most memorable public figures with whom he met were Senator John Hickenlooper
and Justice Sonia Sotomayor, both of whom spoke in depth of their own paths
toward a life of public service, and who encouraged the young leaders to
embrace unexpected opportunities. Stanley
and Ella Duus, the other Alabama delegate who is from Huntsville, were also
scheduled to meet with Alabama’s senators; Senator Tuberville was in a meeting
at the appointed time, but they enjoyed a lively conversation with the personable
Senator Katie Britt.
Stanley Stoutamire, Jr. is now back at
home in Calera, where he lives with proud parents Stanley, Sr. and Clarissa,
with loads of photos and memories, and a renewed appreciation of the effort
that goes into making government work for all Americans. Although his sights are set on medical school
at this time, who knows what opportunities might arise for this talented,
promising young man.
Stanley Stoutamire, Jr.
It’s been a little more than a year since I served as a delegate to the United StatesSenate Youth Program. It was an awe-inspiring program that set the tone for a phenomenalyear. After that incredible week, I was accepted into a variety of universities including:Vanderbilt, Notre Dame, Harvard, and Princeton, and I decided to attend Princeton University. Iwas also one of 161 high school seniors to be named a U.S. Presidential Scholar.Last summer I had the opportunity to participate in the book launch of Built from the Fireby Victor Luckerson, the story of Greenwood, Tulsa and the Tulsa Race Massacre. Participatingin the launch was especially exciting after getting to work as a research assistant for the book.Seeing Built from the Fire noted as one of the most notable books of the year by the New York Times was extremely gratifying.
After the book launch I headed to Princeton’s campus over the summer to participate inthe Freshman Scholars Institute (FSI). During the program I built strong connections with peers,studied with different departments, and learned about all of the different opportunities oncampus. After the program, I was featured on Princeton’s social media through the#TellUsTigers series. I was able to share the great experience I had with FSI and my excitement for the beginning of the fall semester.
When the semester began in earnest, I was able to join a variety of student groups. Tosupport my interests as a Pre-Med student I joined the Princeton Premedical Society along witha number of other related organizations. To continue supporting my interest in music, I joinedthe Princeton University Glee Club (which truly is nothing like the hit show), and the TrentonYouth Orchestra as a coach for the brass section.During my winter break I worked with the UAB Epiphany team. The Epiphany project is atwo-year investigation researching preventative lifestyle modification to prevent the developmentof high blood pressure (hypertension). It was an amazing experience where I gained a variety ofnew skills. Now, during the spring semester, I serve as a volunteer at a local hospital. This hasbeen a similarly enlightening experience.
My brief time at Princeton has already been filled with a number of chance encounters.From NBC News Correspondent Ron Allen to Former Surgeon General Jerome Adams toretired General Mark Milley, I’ve met a number of inspiring figures. I’m so grateful for all of thesupport I received from my family, my friends, and my community. Having these opportunitieshas been unbelievable and I am doing my best to make the most out of each and every one ofthem. I don’t know what challenges and opportunities lie ahead of me, but I’m confident I will beable to press forward and tackle whatever is in store.
Why Fani Willis was allowed to stay on as prosecutor of criminal case against Trump in Georgia – and what happens next
In an unexpected decision, a Georgia judge ruled that the conspiracy to commit election intereference case against Donald Trump and several associates can continue if Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis either steps aside from the case or fires her former boyfriend, whom she hired as special prosecutor.
Within hours of the decision, the special prosecutor, Nathan Wade, stepped down.
The ruling by Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee puts an end to a January 2023 motion to have Willis removed from the case for allegedly having a personal financial stake in the case by “benefiting from her romantic relationship” with Wade through the lavish vacations they took together.
Though Willis acknowledged “a personal relationship,” she claimed their relationship started after Wade was hired to prosecute Trump.
In his ruling, McAfee wrote that Willis showed a “tremendous lapse in judgment” regardless of when the relationship began.
In the case against Trump, four out of the 19 people charged have already pleaded guilty. Trump and the rest of the defendants have pleaded not guilty.
The Conversation asked criminal law scholar Ronald Sullivan to make sense of the ruling that allows Willis to continue her prosecution of Trump.
What just happened?
Judge McAfee entered a mixed ruling that caught most legal observers by surprise. He found that Trump’s defense team did not put forward sufficient evidence to show that Willis had an actual conflict of interest.
To the contrary, McAfee found that the value of Willis’ alleged benefit was less than $15,000 and did not support charges that Willis, who makes over $200,000 a year and was not experiencing any financial hardships, needed or relied on her relationship with Wade.
Though McAfee found no actual conflict of interest, he did find the appearance of a conflict. That means a reasonable person might believe that Willis’ actions as a prosecutor were compromised by her relationship with Wade.
On this basis, McAfee ruled that the existence of a romantic relationship presents an appearance of a conflict of interest. In order to cure this conflict, either Willis or Wade had to resign.
With Wade’s resignation, Willis will assign a different lawyer to the case.
What would have happened if the judge ruled against Willis?
Trump’s case would have been handed over to a state entity called the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia. The agency would then have appointed another Georgia district attorney’s office to take up the prosecution.
In normal cases, Georgia lawyers report that this is a long and slow process. Given the magnitude of the Trump case, this process would have taken even longer. Significantly, the new prosecutor would not be bound by any decisions made by Willis’ office and could have even declined to prosecute the case altogether.
What’s the takeaway from the judge’s decision against Willis?
The judge essentially split the baby. By finding there is no actual conflict of interest, Willis is permitted to stay in the case. But Wade was forced to quit because of the appearance of a conflict.
The judge landed a few judicial jabs regarding Willis’ behavior that the Trump team will use to undermine the public’s faith in the district attorney’s office.
In a line that the Trump team surely will repeat, the judge wrote that an “odor of mendacity” exists with respect to Willis and the prosecution’s witnesses.
Where does the ruling leave Willis?
Prosecutors’ offices trade on the trust that juries give to the office. If that trust is eroded, the impact is often felt in “not guilty” trial verdicts when juries don’t trust what prosecutors say. Although Willis dodged a bullet by being able to stay in the case, she will have to manage the harm to her reputation.
What is the status of Trump’s case?
The case will proceed as before. Willis will likely appoint a senior attorney from within her office to lead the case, and that lawyer will pick up where Wade left the case.
This article was updated March 15, 2024, to reflect Nathan Wade’s resignation.
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr., Professor of Law, Harvard University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
How meth became an epidemic in America, and what’s happening now that it’s faded from the headlines
Rural America has long suffered from an epidemic of methamphetamine use, which accounts for thousands of drug overdoses and deaths every year.
William Garriott, an anthropologist at Drake University, explored meth’s impact on communities and everyday life in the U.S. in his 2011 book “Policing Methamphetamine: Narcopolitics in Rural America.” Since then, the problem has only gotten worse.
The rural news site the Daily Yonder spoke with Garriott about what has been driving the surge in meth use in recent decades and what prompted him to focus on meth in his work. The Conversation has collaborated with The Daily Yonder to share the interview with you.
How’d you get interested in methamphetamine as an academic subject?
When I started my Ph.D in anthropology in 2003, I knew I wanted to focus on the Appalachian region of the United States. At the time, I was curious about religious life in the region and its contribution to the growth of Pentecostalism and evangelicalism around the world.
But I had also just taken a course with medical anthropologist Arthur Kleinman. He says that we should seek to understand “what’s at stake” or “what really matters” for people in their everyday lives.
And what really mattered to people in places like eastern Kentucky at the time was drugs. We now know we were at the beginning of the opioid epidemic. OxyContin was already taking a toll on local communities, and there was little national concern because it was seen as an isolated regional problem (the derogatory term “hillbilly heroin” was getting thrown around a lot at the time).
When I started my dissertation research, methamphetamine had become the primary concern, both regionally and nationally. When the Patriot Act was reauthorized in 2005, the only significant addition was anti-meth legislation called the Combat Meth Epidemic Act.
In what sense was the meth surge of the ’90s and early 2000s a rural phenomenon?
Lots of ways. The internet gave people access to meth recipes, and meth cooks tended to be located in rural areas. It was easier to hide and access key ingredients like anhydrous ammonia. In fact, the number of meth labs grew so quickly that huge swaths of the rural U.S. were labeled High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas – something that had only been applied to cities like New York and Los Angeles before.
The rural economy was also changing. Jobs weren’t paying as well or were going away altogether. Meth found a niche as a kind of performance enhancement drug for people working long hours at physically demanding jobs – something I saw in the poultry industry in West Virginia, journalist Nick Reding found in the pork industry in Iowa, and anthropologist Jason Pine found in general in Missouri. Eventually some folks just left these jobs to work in the meth economy full time.
I think it’s also important to mention how meth was being portrayed in national media as the drug of choice for poor white people. From there, it doesn’t take much to connect it to rural communities, given how those communities are often thought of as predominantly white and poor in the public imagination.
Anti-meth programs like the Montana Meth Project and Faces of Meth played a big part in this. They were very visual campaigns that focused on the damage meth does to the body. All of the people they pictured appeared to be white. They had sores, scars and sunken eyes. They also were often missing teeth. All of that invokes a lot of stereotypes. Sociologists Travis Linnemann and Tyler Wall have a great journal article on this.
With all of that said, it is important to keep in mind that meth is just as much an urban and suburban problem as a rural one, particularly now. Sociologist Miriam Boeri has made this point really clearly. Also, something to keep in mind about Faces of Meth: It was created by a jail deputy in Oregon who used mugshots of people booked into the county jail. The jail is in Portland, so the folks featured probably weren’t living in rural communities at the time.
Your book was called “Policing Methamphetamine.” I’m curious – what made you zero in on that element of meth culture, its policing?
When I began my research, I thought my focus would be on the treatment experiences of people who use methamphetamine. But what I quickly found was that those experiences couldn’t be understood outside of the criminal justice system. Many people only got treatment after an arrest, and often as a condition of probation. One officer told me that people came up to him on the street and asked to be taken to jail so they could stop using drugs. Community members also often channeled their concerns into calls for increased enforcement.
In retrospect, none of this should have been surprising. U.S. drug policy has long focused on enforcement. This puts police and the criminal justice system on the front lines whenever and wherever a new drug problem emerges. There is no exception to this dynamic for rural communities. What’s more, the justice system is likely to be the most visible and well-resourced state institution in the community (which is not to say it is sufficiently resourced).
What are the questions you still have about meth in American life?
Today, the most pressing question from my perspective is how meth and opioids are converging. One of the more unfortunate developments is that people have started injecting meth. There is also the broad contamination of the drug supply with fentanyl.
All of this creates additional public health challenges, particularly in rural communities.
Something else I’m thinking about a lot is what happens when drugs like meth stop making headlines and get replaced by the next drug scourge. Today, people are much more likely to talk about fentanyl than meth. This is understandable given the overdose risks, as well as the way news media works. But what are the consequences of this for the communities where meth is still a major concern?
Bigger picture, I’m thinking about meth in the broader context of U.S. drug policy. My next book is about marijuana legalization and justice reform. It’s been interesting because the conversation around cannabis is so different from the conversation around meth. One of the big questions I have is if the kinds of reforms that are following cannabis legalization will do anything to change the conversation around the broader punitive approach to drugs. The debate happening right now in Oregon over Measure 110 is something I’m watching very closely. It’s a major test case for whether or not a different, less punitive approach to drugs is possible.
The Daily Yonder provides news, commentary and analysis about and for rural America. The interview accompanies a five-part series on its Rural Remix podcast.
William Garriott, Professor of Law, Politics, and Society, Drake University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
Learn CPR as a Life-Saving Skill
While many Americans agree Conventional CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) or Hands-Only CPR (HOCPR) significantly improve a person’s chance of survival from cardiac arrest, less than half are confident they can perform either Conventional CPR or HOCPR in an emergency.
Black or Hispanic adults who experience cardiac arrest outside a hospital setting are substantially less likely to receive lifesaving care from a bystander. In spite of these survey results, the American Heart Association is working to change this by empowering members of these communities to learn lifesaving CPR, and a growing segment of respondents are willing to act in an emergency.
The American Heart Association’s 2023 survey also revealed that as a result of the organization’s efforts to change attitudes about performing CPR, which can lead to lifesaving results, more than half of African Americans said they would be willing to perform CPR in an emergency compared to 37% two years ago. Additionally, Hispanic and Latino respondents are more confident in their abilities to perform CPR.
Committed to turning a nation of bystanders into lifesavers, the American Heart Association’s multiyear initiative, Nation of Lifesavers, helps teens and adults learn how to perform CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED); share that knowledge with friends and family; and engage employers, policymakers, philanthropists and others to create support for a nation of lifesavers.
“Each of us has the power in our own hands to respond to a sudden cardiac arrest,” said Anezi Uzendu, M.D., American Heart Association expert volunteer. “We simply need to know what to do and have the confidence to act.”
The long-term goal: to ensure that in the face of a cardiac emergency, anyone, anywhere is prepared and empowered to perform CPR and become a vital link in the chain of survival, aiming to double the survival rate of cardiac arrest victims by 2030. It takes just 90 seconds to learn how to save a life using HOCPR, which can be equally as effective as traditional CPR in the first few minutes of cardiac arrest.
Nationally supported by the Elevance Health Foundation, the American Heart Association’s HOCPR campaign is focused on chest compression-only CPR. If a teen or adult suddenly collapses due to a cardiac event, you can take two steps to save a life: immediately call emergency services and use these tips to begin performing HOCPR.
- Position yourself directly over the victim.
- Put the heel of one hand in the center of the chest and put your other hand on top of the first.
- Push hard and fast in the center of the chest at a rate of 100-120 beats per minute, which is about the same tempo as the song “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, and at a depth of approximately 2 inches.
- Continue compressions and use an AED, if available, until emergency help arrives.
To learn more about how you could be the difference between life and death for someone experiencing a cardiac event, visit Heart.org/nation.
SOURCE:American Heart Association
Saturday 16 2024
Plan Your Next Vacation Like a Pro
If the chance to unplug, recharge and just get away is calling your name, it’s a sign that it’s time to plan a vacation. Whether you envision a trip around town or across the country, getting organized and doing a little prep work can help you make the most of the experience.
A destination like California offers cities big and small with an assortment of activities, theme parks, shopping districts, beaches, restaurants and more to be explored. Start planning your next getaway with these travel tips from the experts at Visit California:
Plan Ahead
Last-minute trips can get you deals, but you might also be limited by what you’re able to see and do. Ticketed attractions that sell out quickly may be off the table, and the most desirable hotels can fill well ahead of time, too. Planning ahead often allows you to map out the most successful adventure.
Set a Budget
Be sure to consider transportation, accommodations, meals and admission to various attractions. Consider which aspects of a vacation are most important to you and budget more money to those areas, like a five-star meal, ocean view room or priority pass to a favorite park.
Take Advantage of Visitor’s Guides
Using tools such as visitor’s guides can help you make the most of your trip, from identifying must-see attractions to finding the best places to eat and sleep. Many guides are available to download for free online so you can immediately start exploring. For example, the “2024 California Visitor’s Guide: The Best of California” is a testament to the Golden State’s playful spirit, featuring “58 Reasons Why California is the Ultimate Playground,” and is filled with travel tips from passionate locals, like cover star Zoey Deschanel, including:
- “8 New Trails to Explore,” showcasing freshly constructed paths in California’s parks
- “Sustainable Sips,” a guide to some of California’s eco-friendly wineries
- “Plan-Ahead Travel Guide,” where readers can learn how to score a spot at the state’s most coveted attractions
- “6 Fabulous Film Locations,” a jet-setting guide from movie scout Lori Balton
- “California Shopping: A to Z Guide,” a comprehensive guide to shopping throughout the Golden State
“From surfing dogs and summer skiing to cosplay conventions and a world-renowned culinary scene, California’s options for play abound, accommodating every type of traveler,” said Caroline Beteta, president and CEO of Visit California. “That playful spirit is ingrained in every aspect of what makes our state so special and this year’s guide will help readers discover how they can experience it firsthand.”
Pack Appropriately
Staying comfortable throughout your journey ensures you can focus on the experiences. Be sure you’re familiar with the climate, including the forecast during the time you’ll be visiting. While summer days can be quite warm, evenings on the coast often warrant a light jacket. Also be sure you’re prepared for the activities you’ve planned, such as adequate footwear for hiking, long pants for horseback riding and sunscreen for time outdoors.
Create an Itinerary
Even if you prefer a more spontaneous getaway, having at least a loose idea of how you’d like to spend your time traveling can help you be more efficient and avoid wasting time. Think about the things you want to accomplish and fit them together so you can avoid awkward gaps or unnecessary travel and ensure you get to pack in as many experiences as you’d like.
Start planning your next trip by visiting VisitCalifornia.com/travel-guides to order a guide and find additional tips and helpful tools.
SOURCE:Visit California
Easter Easy Eats
One-pan dishes to make hosting simple
Even if Easter hosting duties fell on your plate this year and added one more thing to your holiday to-do list, that doesn’t mean it has to be difficult. After all, Easter is a time meant for fun and fellowship with the food just one part of the celebration.
Building the menu around simple, one-pan dishes can keep the focus where it needs to be: spending time and creating memories with family and friends. These dishes call for short lists of ingredients, many of which you may already have in your pantry, and simple preparation to create a full spread perfect for sharing with loved ones. Plus, using only one pan makes cleanup a breeze, so you can get back to the festivities quickly.
A dish like this Easter Roast lets you check both the main course and side dishes off your list, relying on the oven to do most of the work for you after some quick prep work. Similarly easy to prepare, these Refrigerator Rolls can also be made up to six days in advance and stored in the fridge until ready to bake – a perfect complement to the savory roast and veggies.
Finish off your feast with an adaptable dessert like this Blueberry Crumble. Made using just five ingredients and ready in about an hour, you can swap the blueberry pie filling and yellow cake mix for any combination that suits your guests’ tastes like apple pie filling with spice cake or cherry pie filling with chocolate cake; the sky’s the limit when it comes to satisfying that sweet tooth.
For more Easter recipe inspiration, visit Culinary.net.Easter Roast
Yield: 1 roast
- Salt
- pepper
- garlic powder
- 1 roast (3 pounds)
- 1 bag (1 pound) baby carrots
- 1 bag (1 1/2 pounds) trio potatoes or potato of choice
- 3 cups beef broth
- 1 can (10 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
- 1 tablespoon garlic pepper
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 bundle asparagus
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic powder over roast and rub into front, back and sides. Place seasoned roast in middle of large roasting pan.
- Place carrots on one side of roasting pan and potatoes on other side.
- In large bowl, mix beef broth and cream of mushroom soup with garlic pepper. Pour mixture over roast, potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle brown sugar over carrots and add chopped onion. Cover and cook 2 1/2 hours then remove from oven, add asparagus and cook uncovered 30 minutes.
- Serve from pan or place on platter for more formal presentation.
Refrigerator Rolls
Yield: 18 rolls
- 2 packages yeast
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 6-7cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 stick softened butter
- oil, divided
- In large bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in lukewarm water. When yeast is foamy, add 3 cups flour. Mix in salt, eggs and butter.
- Once mixed well, add remaining flour 1 cup at a time and knead dough into ball in bowl. Remove dough from bowl and place on clean surface.
- Wash and dry bowl then grease with drizzle of oil. Place dough in bowl and let rise 1 hour or store in refrigerator if making in advance.
- When ready to use, grease muffin pan with oil. Roll dough into hand-size balls and place in each muffin hole; cover 1 hour.
- Heat oven to 350 F. Bake rolls 30 minutes.
- Note: Dough can be made in advance and stored in refrigerator up to six days. If making ahead, punch down dough, cover and place in refrigerator. Punch down daily until ready to use.
Blueberry Crumble
Yield: 1 cake
- 1 can blueberry pie filling
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 bag (4 ounces) chopped pecans
- 1 stick butter, melted
- 1/4 cup oil
- whipped cream, for serving (optional)
- vanilla ice cream, for serving (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Spread pie filling on bottom of 9-by-11-inch pan. Sprinkle cake mix and pecans on top. Do not mix.
- Drizzle melted butter and oil on top of cake mix and pecans. Do not mix. Lift pan and tilt from side to side until cake mix is completely covered in butter.
- Bake 1 hour until golden brown and bubbly.
- Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if desired.
SOURCE:
Culinary.net
Asthma meds have become shockingly unaffordable − but relief may be on the way
The price of asthma medication has soared in the U.S. over the past decade and a half.
The jump – in some cases from around a little over US$10 to almost $100 for an inhaler – has meant that patients in need of asthma-related products often struggle to buy them. Others simply can’t afford them.
To make matters worse, asthma disproportionately affects lower-income patients. Black, Hispanic and Indigenous communities have the highest asthma rates. They also shoulder the heaviest burden of asthma-related deaths and hospitalizations. Climate change will likely worsen asthma rates and, consequently, these disparities.
I’m a health law professor at Villanova University, where I study whether patients can get the medicines they need. And I’ve been watching this affordability crisis closely.
In many ways, it shows what happens when law and policy decisions aren’t aligned with public health needs. The good news, however, is that there finally seems to be some political will to rein in the price of asthma meds.
Why inhaler prices are skyrocketing
In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned inhalers that use chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs – which were once widely used as propellants – because they can damage the ozone layer. The FDA was following a timeline set by an environmental treaty, the Montreal Protocol, which the U.S. ratified in the late 1980s.
From 2009 onward, CFC inhalers were phased out and replaced with hydrofluoroalkane, or HFA, ones, which are more environmentally friendly. They’re also a lot pricier. For patients with insurance, the average out-of-pocket cost of an inhaler rose from $13.60 per prescription in 2004 to $25 immediately after the 2008 ban, a 2015 study found.
Today, the average retail price of an albuterol inhaler is $98. Unlike CFC inhalers, which have generic versions, HFA inhalers are covered by patents. While the drug itself hasn’t changed, the switch to a different device allowed companies to increase their prices.
In 2020, the FDA finally approved the first generic version of an albuterol inhaler. But generic competition still isn’t robust enough to lower prices meaningfully.
Patients with good insurance may pay very little or even nothing. But uninsured patients face steep market prices, and as of 2023, there were over 25 million uninsured Americans. Even insured patients may have trouble affording their asthma meds, the CDC has found.
The same asthma medication for which U.S. patients pay top dollar is available elsewhere at much cheaper prices. Consider the following case for inhalers. The pharmaceutical company Teva sells QVAR RediHaler, a corticosteroid inhaler, for $286 in the U.S.
In Germany, Teva sells that same inhaler for $9.
Seeking meds from Mexico and Canada
Some U.S. patients have traveled abroad to obtain cheaper asthma medication. After the 2008 ban on CFCs, it became common for patients to visit border towns in Mexico to purchase albuterol inhalers. They were sold for as little as $3 to $5.
A study of inhalers available to U.S. patients in Nogales, Mexico – about an hour south of Tucson, Arizona – found that Mexican products were generally comparable to U.S. inhalers. But researchers found some differences in performance, suggesting that American patients who use them could be getting a slightly different dose than their usual.
There have also been reports of Americans turning to Canadian pharmacies to purchase asthma inhalers at much cheaper prices. In one case, a U.S. pharmacy would have charged $857 for a three-month supply. A patient obtained it for $134 from a pharmacy in Canada.
One potential fix: Importing cheaper meds
U.S. law has long prohibited personal importation of pharmaceutical drugs. However, a recent development could pave the way for states to import cheaper asthma drugs.
In January 2024, the FDA authorized the importation of certain prescription drugs from Canada for the first time. For now, this authorization is limited to Florida, and it covers only drugs for HIV/AIDS, prostate cancer and certain mental health conditions.
Should it prove successful, the program could serve as a blueprint for other states.
Another possible solution: Price-capping
Policymakers could also try borrowing a page from the insulin playbook. Insulin prices climbed for almost two decades before Congress acted, capping the cost of insulin for Medicare patients. The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act established an out-of-pocket ceiling of $35 per month for prescription-covered insulin products.
If this cap had been in effect two years earlier, it would have saved 1.5 million Medicare patients about $500 annually, a recent study estimated. It also would have saved Medicare $761 million.
A similar approach could be taken for asthma meds.
Congress could create an asthma-specific rule similar to the insulin case. Or it could place provisions for asthma-med prices into a larger piece of legislation.
While this approach depends on the political environment, there are signs the government is becoming more willing to act. In January 2024, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services hosted a meeting to discuss the problem with manufacturers and other stakeholders.
It’s a start. And – together with other measures – it brings some hope that asthma meds might soon become more affordable to those in need.
Ana Santos Rutschman, Professor of Law, Villanova School of Law
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license.
Simple Tips for a Better Wedding Registry
For some couples, the idea of registering for wedding gifts is an exciting way to start planning for the home they’ll be sharing as newlyweds. For others, the registry is just one more chore to check off the wedding to-do list.
Regardless of where you fall on the love-it-or-hate-it spectrum, most experts agree a registry is a good idea, especially for couples who will be setting up a home together for the first time. Keep these tips and etiquette guidelines in mind to get the most out of your registry.
Take inventory of what you have and what you need. For couples who’ve lived alone or together, the registry may be a way to fill in gaps for necessities neither of you already have. It’s also a good way to begin upgrading the less expensive kitchen items and furnishings you had as college students or singles. Make a list of your needs and wants so you don’t forget any essentials. If you’re still in doubt, request a checklist from the store where you’ll be registering so you can do some planning.
Register for things at a wide range of price points. The whole purpose of a registry is to make it easy for your guests to get you things you’ll like and need. Part of making it easy is recognizing your guests have diverse financial situations. While it’s customary to gift the bride and groom, not everyone can afford an extravagant gift, especially if they’ve spent money on travel and attire to attend. While it’s a good idea to offer modest options, don’t shy away from bigger ticket items that a small group might chip in on together.
Keep access in mind when you choose where to register. Avoid stores that are local or regional if you have many guests who live out of the area. Also avoid the temptation to choose online only options, as some guests will prefer to see what they’re buying. Aim for a mix of large national stores and online retailers.
Plan to block off at least a few hours for an in-person registry. It will take time to get everything set up. Traveling through the store, debating options and making your selections could take longer than expected. Also be sure to ask how you can add to or edit your registry after your initial visit.
Get your partner involved. There are bound to be some parts of the registry your partner may not care about, but asking for input and making decisions together lets you both share in the excitement. Focus on things you’ll each find useful as you settle into your new home. For example, the person who will be responsible for taking out the trash should get to pick the new kitchen trash can.
Find more inspiration for planning your way to wedded bliss at eLivingtoday.com.
eLivingtoday.com
Thursday 14 2024
Decorate Your Way to a Festive St. Patrick's Day
4 DIY projects with a touch of Irish flair
(Family Features) Pairing Shepherd’s pie and potato soup with green pints and Irish delights are surefire signs of St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Food and drink may be the stars of the show, but a little festive ambiance can transport guests from your dining room table to the streets of Dublin.
A few seasonal touches are all it takes to complement a menu of corned beef and cabbage. Consider these DIY decorations for this year’s St. Patrick’s Day party.
- Set a St. Paddy’s Mood – Show off your holiday spirit for all to see with a homemade wreath that gives your front door a perfect welcoming touch. Cut shamrock shapes out of green construction paper then glue together, edge to edge, to your desired size. Punch a hole in the top shamrock and run string or ribbon through to hold up your work of art.
- The Gift of Green – Lend a helping hand to guests who forget their green with shamrock-shaped pins they can attach to shirts or hats. Wooden shamrocks tend to work best with small pins glued to the back. Arrange these easy party favors near the door so your friends and neighbors can grab one as they enter.
- A Homemade Pot o’ Gold – Send guests chasing the rainbow and reward their adventures with canning jars filled with candies wrapped in gold. Simply spray paint jars green, fill with gold-wrapped candies and place in various gathering areas for easy-to-reach treats.
- Custom Cups – Upgrade boring drinkware with a leprechaun look. Find green cups (plastic or paper) and wrap with black ribbon using hot glue to secure. For a final touch, add a gold sticker as the belt buckle.
Visit eLivingtoday.com for more at-home decor ideas.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
SOURCE:eLivingtoday.com
5 Steps to Get Your Yard Ready for Spring
As the weather begins to warm and days get longer, it’s important to begin preparing your yard for a healthy growing season. While factors like climate, soil type and grass type can all impact how your yard grows, there are a few steps you can take during the spring months to help your lawn thrive.
From dethatching and aerating to fertilizing and mowing, tackling these simple chores can help ensure your yard looks its best and is prepared to fight off seasonal weeds, disease and drought.
Tune Your Mower
Before it’s time for the first mowing of the season, inspect your mower and perform any routine maintenance necessary. That goes beyond sharpening, or replacing, the blade, and includes changing the oil, spark plugs and filter as well as filling with a fresh tank of gas.
Loosen the Thatch Layer
While it’s important to avoid working on your lawn until after the final freeze to avoid damaging the grass, raking your yard with a spring tine rake to loosen thatch – the layer of leaves, roots and dead grass that builds up between live grass and soil – before the first mow is equally important. Be sure to rake when the soil is dry; if it’s too soft or muddy, you may pull up healthy grass crowns.
Combat Compacted Soil
If your soil has become compacted – likely the effect of heavy foot traffic – and is too dense for water, air and other nutrients to reach the roots of your grass, aerating can help break it up and reduce thatch. A core, or plug, aerator can introduce tiny holes into your soil by removing plugs of grass and soil, which lets nutrients more easily reach the roots. An added bonus, the plugs can decompose on top of your grass, supplying more nutrients.
Fill in Bare Spots
If your lawn is looking sparse, overseeding, which involves spreading grass seed over your existing lawn, can help fill in bare spots. Be sure to choose the right type of seed for your climate and soil type to ensure proper growth. Applying a slow-release nitrogen fertilizer at the same time can provide additional nutrients that are important for promoting healthy growth.
Start Seasonal Mowing
When the ground is dry enough and your grass is long enough to require cutting, begin seasonal mowing. Be sure to use proper techniques, including varying your mowing direction each time to avoid creating patterns or ruts, and avoid cutting grass too low, which can make the lawn more susceptible to weeds and drought stress. In general, never remove more than one-third of the grass blade at a time.
Find more tips to help get your yard ready for warm weather at eLivingtoday.com.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
SOURCE:eLivingtoday.com
How to overcome political polarization on climate change
Q&A — Human ecologist Thomas Dietz
Conversations — in real life — can help bridge the partisan divide, but the trick is to have some structure to the discussion, says a human ecologist
By Ula Chrobak
Getting the facts straight about climate change is not enough: Even though there’s plenty of evidence on its many effects, people are more divided than ever on how to handle emissions. Truly addressing the climate crisis calls for more than technological know-how or reams of data: It requires understanding human decision-making.
Human ecologist Thomas Dietz of Michigan State University has devoted much of his career to understanding why people do — or don’t — take pro-environmental actions.
Among his specialties is polarization of people’s views around environmental issues, particularly climate change. This polarization happens when differences in opinions spread further and further apart. Eventually, “Everybody holds very strong views and very little is left in the middle,” he says. “When you begin to get nobody in the middle, it becomes harder to come up with compromises.”
In a review published in the Annual Review of Environment and Resources, he and coauthors discuss how polarization occurs, its impact on decision-making and how people may still be able to find common ground. Polarization occurs on multiple levels, which makes finding consensus challenging, but research suggests at least one way to combat it.
When people with opposing political leanings talk to each other in structured discussions about issues they disagree on, Dietz and other researchers have found that they soften their views, making room to cooperate even on divisive issues like climate policy. Not infrequently, he says, people come away from these discussions with the realization that their own views are not as different from others’ as they thought.
Dietz’s latest book, Decisions for Sustainability: Facts and Values, examines challenges to making good decisions and suggests ways we can do better, even in the face of polarization. He spoke to Knowable Magazine about his work and what it means for effective policy. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
How does polarization happen?
Polarization comes about through the foibles of our processing of information. We’re all inclined to biased assimilation of information. When you hear a new fact, your acceptance of it depends on whether it’s consistent with what you already know.
The other process that leads to polarization is homophily — you like to hang out with people whose views are much like yours. So not only are you not likely to take in new information, you’re also not likely ever to even hear it, because you’re only talking to people who you think are like you.
What’s the state of polarization on climate change in the US?
Arguably, climate change is the most polarized issue in US politics right now. Democrats and Republicans are split more strongly on that issue than they are on any of the other issues they are split on. In polls where people have been asked about multiple issues — like climate change, gun control, reproductive rights, affirmative action, immigration — climate change is the most polarized of them all. Republicans are about 60 percent less concerned on standard questions about climate change than Democrats. A decade ago, that gap might have been maybe 20 percent.
Research finds that polarization on climate is especially bad in the US. Why do you think that is?
Yes, in most studies, polarization of views about climate change is stronger in the US than in any other country. This may be because a two-party system facilitates polarization, because those who profit from fossil fuel use exert strong influence, and because of the overall pattern of polarization in views of any science that is linked to public policy. For the last 50 years, political strategies built on polarization have often been successful, encouraging more polarization. While these dynamics may not be unique to the US, they are strong here.
Because people are only listening to the sources that already agree with them and because there are motivated actors that really want to push their agenda, it takes a long time for scientific information to penetrate polarized political debates. There’s a lot of research out there that shows that the fossil fuel industry has worked very hard to keep climate change off the agenda, to push back against the notion that climate change is real, that it’s caused by humans, that it’s serious.
In your research you’ve identified other types of polarization that are maybe more insidious than just polarization of opinions. Could you talk about those?
There’s a second kind of polarization: perceived polarization. Perceived polarization is how different, if you’re in one of those polarized groups, you think your views are from the other group. Often we find that perceived polarization is bigger than the actual differences in people’s views.
The third piece is called affective polarization. That’s when you go from, “Those people really have the wrong views on climate change” to “They’re really not good citizens, they’re really not good people.” That, of course, is the most problematic. When you begin to think that the other side is not redeemable, it can become very, very hard to have functional democracy and try to work out compromises and move issues forward and learn from each other.
Research from America and Australia suggests that people tend to overestimate the degree of climate denialism in their own populations. Why does this happen?
People tend to overestimate how polarized the country is. They think that there are far more folks that are distant from them and have exactly the opposite views. And they underestimate the number of people that are in the middle. That’s a pretty common phenomenon; our thought processes tend to oversimplify things and pick up on extreme values.
If you assume that other people are very, very far from your view, then it’s winner take all — you’re going to assume the other people will not compromise with you. The process of trying to find a common understanding and ways forward that meet the needs of everybody breaks down.
How do we overcome climate misperceptions and polarization?
I strongly believe that getting people to talk with each other and with scientists as we analyze problems is a really good process. If you get people into structured discussions where facilitators help the process along, those can have important depolarizing effects.
“When you begin to think that the other side is not redeemable, it can become very, very hard to have functional democracy and try to work out compromises and move issues forward and learn from each other.”
You draw a random sample of people, invite them to get together, typically for a day or a day or two, in a neutral space — a local auditorium or a church basement. You assess people’s opinions beforehand and then you assess their views after they’ve had discussions with others.
Discussions are usually facilitated by a trained mediator, so people get to hear each other’s views in a civil way. And I think that works for most people. When people disagree strongly but don’t have strong views about the ethics and motivations of people who disagree with them, these discussion processes can allow people to find common ground and move forward from them.
On many issues, including climate change, those kinds of processes really do have a big impact on the people who participate. The challenge is: How do you then multiply that back out to the whole population? And I don’t think we know that.
What’s an example of how these talks work in practice?
I've often had everybody individually, privately write down the key ideas that they have on the issue. And then everybody goes around one at a time and offers one idea, and you keep going until you run out of ideas. The secret to that is the ownership decreases. By the time you're on the second round, people forget who put that idea up on the board. Then everybody talks about one issue. A whole lot of little steps help keep it from becoming the kind of shouting match that you can get if you just let people go at it.
Why do these structured discussions work to change people’s minds and even depolarize?
In deliberation, people deal with other real, complex, multifaceted people in ordinary conversation. And the rules of the process keep things from escalating. This reduces stereotyping and demonizing the hypothetical “other,” because the other is a person, not an abstraction. But we need more research on this and experimentation on ways to scale up.
Do you think social media, which tends to amplify extreme views, is making polarization worse?
Social media may exacerbate this. The evidence is very mixed so far. It’s not as bad as we might fear, but that doesn’t mean it’s not going to get worse. It is likely that the new potential of AI will make it a lot easier to generate polarizing bits of information to post, and also make it more effective to identify groups to target. People who have motivations to push various points of view have more potential to use their money to buy those kinds of AI and other resources to really push social media.
How do you think about polarization when considering a proposed climate policy and whether or not it will be successful?
This is where you get into problems with political gridlock. For example, economists tell us that putting a tax on carbon emissions is one of the best ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Except that we’ve seen repeatedly in the US, going back to the Clinton Administration and at the state level, there is no way you’re going to get, under current politics, a carbon tax. I wish it weren’t so. But to put a lot of energy into trying to get a carbon tax right now doesn’t seem like a good way to go forward.
But if, say, a carbon tax really could be effective in curbing emissions, should we not try to convince people to change their mind on it?
If politics is blocking important initiatives that would help solve environmental problems, then we need to do two things: figure out what we can do now despite the politics, and what we can do to change the politics. It’s not either/or, it’s both/and.
How can we apply what you’ve learned from the structured discussion research to conversations about climate change in our daily lives?
I used to codirect a climate adaptation center in the Great Lakes. We’re already seeing some severe climate-related problems in rural areas in Michigan. Cherry growers would get unusually warm weather early in the spring, the cherries would all blossom, and then they get a hard freeze. Some years they lost the entire cherry crop.
We would always begin conversations with farmers with “This is the record of the temperatures for 100 years from a weather station you know.” We didn’t talk about climate models. We would just say to these communities, “Something’s going on here and it affects you.” And then we usually can find agreement on reasonable strategies for adapting to those problems.
Once people begin to explore that, they realize that if things keep getting worse, adaptation is going to be very hard and very expensive. We would find, often, over a period of a couple years, people would come around completely. Those cherry farmers got really interested in the climate models. You know, “What’s going to happen over the next 35, 50 years? Because when I plant cherry trees, I have to think on a 25-year time frame.”
Avoid being confrontational in ways that make people defensive. Energy efficiency and renewables are good for the climate, but they are also good for the economy, for national security, for reducing air pollution, for creating new jobs, for energy independence. So even if someone rejects climate change as an issue, there are other ways to discuss efficiency and renewables.
Invoking personal experience helps because it takes the conversation away from abstract, polarized politics to ordinary people and their lives. I often say things like, “Those solar panels were one of the best investments our family ever made,” or “It seems like the lake is freezing over less and less.” The key seems to be finding common ground.