Promoting positive attitudes, providing behavioral health support, and making education attainable are just a few ways tablets are promoting mental wellbeing among incarcerated individuals

FALLS CHURCH, VA / ACCESSWIRE / September 10, 2020 / GTL, a trusted partner that connects those affected by incarceration with the resources and support necessary to achieve success, today announced its support for World Suicide Prevention Month. Mental illness does not discriminate based on housing location-in fact, over 55% of incarcerated individuals suffer from mental illness, and there are more individuals with mental illness in correctional facilities than in psychiatric hospitals.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 800,000 people die by suicide each year, including 48,000 Americans. For incarcerated individuals, the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that suicides accounted for 4% (federal prisons) and 7% (state prisons) of deaths in custody from 2001-2014. However, suicides are the leading cause of death at local jails, accounting for over 35% of deaths in 2014.

"While GTL is more than just a technology company, it is through our technology that we are able to provide solutions that help address mental health issues in incarcerated populations," said Pelicia Hall, GTL Senior Vice President, Reentry Programs. "Within correctional facilities, I have noticed two game-changers in addressing mental health issues. One is the ability to connect with loved ones and the other is the availability of technology as a resource. Using GTL's technology platform to provide positive programming to aid in addressing mental health concerns across the industry is key. Incarceration is one of the lowest points in someone's life, and we need to ensure that every individual is given the help and support they need to climb back up again."

Facilities that have deployed GTL tablets have noted decreases in suicide attempts and ideations, as well as decreases in inmate-on-inmate violence, inmate-on-staff assaults, and behavior code violations. At one facility, the introduction of GTL tablets dropped the facility's suicide ideation and attempt rate. Not only can incarcerated individuals spend their time reading books, watching movies, listening to music, and playing games, they can also take educational courses, read religious texts, and meditate. The Peace Education Program from The Prem Rawat Foundation helps improve mental health and well-being by renewing a sense of purpose in participants. Breaking Free from Substance Abuse assists individuals in achieving and maintaining recovery from dependence on over 70 different substances.

"Suicide in correctional facilities is a national crisis," said Matthew Caesar, GTL Executive Vice President, Customer Solutions. "Both ideations and attempts are a threat to all persons involved in corrections, and the rates of suicide for incarcerated individuals are far higher than the national average. At GTL, we provide resources and support to those affected by incarceration. As part of that, our GTL tablets include applications that promote a positive attitude, increase morale, make books and educational content accessible, and help individuals recover from substance abuse. Our free calling program also now provides weekly contact between incarcerated individuals and their loved ones, boosting morale and increasing positivity."

About Us

For over 30 years, GTL has worked side-by-side with correctional facilities and government agencies to provide imperative technology solutions to the populations they serve. These solutions facilitate meaningful connections, provide educational opportunities, enable successful reentry, and strengthen operational efficiency. GTL is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with an employee presence throughout North America and provides solutions in support of 1.6 million inmates across the globe. To learn more about GTL, please visit http://www.gtl.net, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Contacts:

Randy Brown Work: 703-215-5383 media@gtl.net

SOURCE: GTL

View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/605571/Recognizing-Suicide-Prevention-Month-Using-Technology-to-Decrease-Suicide-Ideations-and-Attempts-in-Correctional-Facilities

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Recognizing Suicide Prevention Month Using Technology to Decrease Suicide Ideations and Attempts in Correctional Facilities - Yahoo Finance

You are here: Home Lifestyle Career As We Think Ahead to the Fall, Its Very Scary: Local Businesses Prepare for Uncertain Months Ahead

The Covid-19 pandemic has made things difficult for everyone, but nobody has felt it harder than business. Local restaurants and businesses have dealt with the extra challenge of providing services, meeting financial goals, and {most importantly} keeping people safe. As restaurants welcomed backed customers to indoor dining in the past week, local businesses have reflected on how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected them, along with concerns that affect their immediate future. Read more to find out how the Covid-19 pandemic affected local Hoboken + Jersey City businesses.

After Governor Phil Murphy signed an executive order in March urging people to lockdown, most businesses found it difficult to stay afloat. Some made a quick decision to lay off their entire staff. Others struggled to adjust to cyberspace. The Covid-19 pandemic, most business owners agree, has reshaped the very nature of local business.

In the early days of the pandemic, Cafe Peanut put an emphasis on helping frontline workers. We were involved in helping the front line workers such as JCMC doctors and nurses, fire department, police department, Greenville community, and much more, said Ilir and Dorota Mani, owners of Cafe Peanut. We donated hundreds of freshly made meals and specialty lattes and coffees. Our community supported us and the ones that needed it most. Without them, it would be impossible for us to continue being open and survive the global pandemic. The business has been impacted tremendously. We are talking here 30% of revenue comparing to pre-COVID months.

Gyms in Hoboken had to make difficult sacrifices. Jay Wein, the owner of Hudson River Athletics, said, There isnt a way that Covid-19 has not affected our business. When Weins gym closed on March 15, it immediately began to lose members. Over the course of the past 6 months, weve lost 40% of our membership due to the ongoing pandemic. Ive had to lay off 7 of my 10 coaches, a decision that was both necessary and gutting. My business is built on the community. It runs on connection, belonging, and inclusivity, values that reflect both our gym community and Hoboken as a whole. And right now, it feels like its all at stake, he said.

Read More: Hoboken City Council To Debate $117 Million Budget at Wednesday Meeting

Fit Foundry saw similar drops in membership and maintained gym programs online. Dave Quevedo, the owner of Fit Foundry, said the gym offered virtual on-demand and group classes. In June, they started outdoor classes. We never stopped, Quevedo said. We found a way to get it done.

Other businesses said they had to shut down for several months when the pandemic first hit. Shaka Bowl closed its Monroe Street location for three months, said Krista Gormeley, an owner of Shaka Bowl, merely out of a concern of safety for our team and customers and because it was the most logical thing to do at the time. Gormeley said closing for three months gave us much needed time to regroup, rework our business, and find different ways to be successful.

John Rotundo, director at Hudson Family Chiropractic, closed his practices office for two months despite being considered essential. Rotundo said that he used that time to create a reopen plan. That plan included every possible safety precaution I could find, including sneeze guards, gallons and gallons of sanitizer, gloves, masks, hospital-grade cleaning solutions, touchless thermometers, and altered scheduling. The stress of how and when to open was immense, but we did it as safely as possible and patients have been extremely satisfied with our precautions.

In the food sector, businesses like the Cliff JC struggled tremendously. Owner Eva Johannesdottir shared with Hoboken Girl, During the first week of the shutdown back in mid-March our business plummeted. So much so that we had to close our doors entirely for 7 weeks. Once our staff felt safe and comfortable enough, we opened our doors again and this time for pickup and delivery only. We revamped our menu to eliminate food that doesnt travel as well for delivery, she shared, noting the difficulties of the current menu in March. Being we are mostly a brunch restaurant we had to rethink our entire business as people dont generally order eggs to go. We added two evenings of dinner service with dinner plates such as roasted salmon, tacos and a lobster roll. We made sure to still offer menu options for kids as lots of parents were looking for family-friendly meals.

In other cases, some businesses could lean on virtual sales models they had already built, although large groups of workers were still laid off.

Kate Jacobs, the owner of Little City Books, said online sales kept them busy, but they couldnt afford to keep employees. We furloughed most of our staff and worked crazy hours totally transforming our sales model and keeping up with hundreds of online orders. Customers have been incredibly loyal and supportiveordering books to be sent out of town to where they were quarantining, sending books to friends, being really patient with delays and mess-ups. After George Floyd was killed, we were nearly swamped with orders for books about race, most back-ordered for weeks and weeks.

Summer is usually when business thrives. But this summer, most businesses have felt the impact of stringent safety regulations, occupancy restrictions, and public health concerns.

One industry, however, has seen a surge in customers: mental health counseling.

Courtney Glashow, the owner of Anchor Therapy, a counseling service in Hoboken, said their sessions have stayed booked. A lot of people have been having a hard time this summer since it wasnt a normal summer, Glashow said. According to an August 2020 study published by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 53% of adults in the United States reported that their mental health has been negatively impacted due to worry and stress over the coronavirus. In March 2020, by contrast, 32% of adults reported stress or worry over the coronavirus.

Most other businesses saw their sales dip significantly. To attract customers, owners said, they had to rethink major aspects of their business.

See More: The Reopening List in New Jersey: Whats Open? What are the Rules?

Erika Shah, the owner of Playful Paws, a dog walking, and grooming service, said most of their time is now focused on animal grooming and haircuts. In June, our grooming portion was instantly busy as many pups like ourselves desperately needed hair cuts, Shah said. Unfortunately, the dog walking and daycare portions of our business continue to operate at only a fraction of our pre-pandemic business. Many clients are still working from home and simply dont need these services or have moved out of Hoboken.

Jen Choi of Sugar Suckle, a custom cakery, said We knew that sheltering in place meant that families would be spending more time together at home and could benefit from fun, kid-friendly activities to do around the house. So we created DIY baking kits with pre-measured ingredients, essential supplies, and step by step instructions. We refreshed the menu each week with new recipes and themes.

Boutiques and fashion suppliers had to rethink what clothes to offer, and how much fashion should cost. The owners of Coup de Coeur, a womens boutique, said they had to change their stores concept and put a focus on digital marketplaces. We felt that with so many people unemployed and furloughed that we needed to lower the price point, because we just didnt know what to expect, they said. We didnt think people were shopping. Yes, everybody shops, but how realistic is it for someone to come in and buy a two hundred dollar top for the summer? So, we mixed up the merchandise.

Throughout the summer, restaurants have depended on alternatives to traditional dining, such as outdoor dining and prepared meal kits. As the number of Covid-19 cases in New Jersey slowly stabilized, government officials lifted occupancy restrictions on businesses. In September, Governor Phil Murphy announced the return of indoor dining at 25% capacity.

As we think ahead to the fall, its very scary, said the owners of Coup de Coeur.

Some businesses find it difficult to predict the fall and winter seasons for their business, but most agree that it doesnt look good.

Last fall, we were very, very busy, said the owners of Coup de Coeur. We were successful in selling work clothesblazers, going out clothes. Now we think ahead to the fall, theres so much uncertainty.

Wein, the owner Hudson River Athletics, said its been hard not to worry about the winter. The outdoor workouts were a welcome gift when the weather is nice, but what will happen to when the mercury dips? These past months have threatened to kill my business and we are doing everything we can to stay positive, from both cash flow and attitude perspective, but its been really tough.

In September, Hoboken adopted a new law allowing local businesses to have outdoor dining throughout winter.Allen Bari, the owners at Hudson Table, said he already heat lamps ready for the winter. We have heat lamps ready for the late fall/early winter, and we plan on adjusting the menu to help with the warmer months, Bari said. We also hope to use the viaduct tunnel with heat lamps that will hopefully provide some warm dinner nights.

Business owners generally agree that it will all come down to creativity. Pete Martinez

In May, lawmakers formed the Hoboken Relief Fund to support local businesses through grants. The Relief Fund has raised $400,000 for local businesses since June, with a goal of $2 million. Anyone can donate to the relief fund through their website. The Hoboken Wellness Crawl is also donating a percentage of its ticket proceeds to the Hoboken Relief Fund. Jersey City also created a similar fund.

Another way to support local businesses is also the most obvious: shop locally. However, local businesses also depend on support from government officials and the business community to stay alive. Most businesses said that theyll take all the help they can receive.

Erika Shah, the owner of Playful Paws, said that government officials should continue to offer grants. Like many small businesses, Shah said, we have many great employees who have been with us for years who we hope to keep employed throughout and post-pandemic.

Kate Lombardo, a co-owner of Hudson Yoga Project, shared her thoughts on landlord/tenant relief. Truthfully, our government leaders can help by providing guidance for small businesses and landlords about what to do with rent. We were mandated to be closed and are now only able to open at limited capacity, but there have been no mandates as to how that should be reflected or adjusted in what we pay in rent, she shared with Hoboken Girl. Our landlords also have businesses to run, and there has been limited guidance for them as well in terms of the help available. If our leaders addressed this issue, many of the local businesses would be able to stay the course until were able to open at full capacity again. But, if local businesses have to pay full rent while only being allowed to open at 25% capacity, its going to be nearly impossible for them to stay afloat.

Other business owners pointed to initiatives launched by the Hoboken Business Alliance, including gift cards and shop local signage. Erin Clyne, the owner of Wellness Lab, said, I love the Gift Card program that just began today through the Hoboken Business Alliance. Knowing that my clients will receive a discount in these tough times and that my business is being supported at the same time is a huge plus.

Read More: Hoboken + Jersey City Businesses Born During the Pandemic

Increasing shop local signage and continuing the slow street program would also help, said Kate Jacobs, owner of Little City Books. 1st Street has so much interesting retail now, Jacobs said. If the City could help fund outdoor temporary structures retail kiosks much like the summer Streateries and Parklets that would be good.

Eva of The Cliff had even more specific ideas. When asked, she offered this list for the Jersey City government:

1. An ad campaign paid for by the city featuring local eateries in all wards not just downtown Jersey City. 2. Do away with fees or drastically lower municipal fees for items such as licensing renewals. 3. Stop the collection of the recently added payroll tax. 4. Lobby Trenton to drastically change the liquor laws in the State of New Jersey. All businesses should have equal access to purchasing a liquor license directly from the state for a reasonable amount just as you can do in almost every other state in the USA. Restaurants do not make any money on offering their customers to BYOB. And most small business owners can not afford the astronomical rate for which licenses are sold these days. 5. Promote a No sales tax week for all small businesses during the winter months. 6. Award and rotate government-related catering jobs to small businesses. 7. A centralized website with resources for grants and funding both public and private. 8. A website for local job listings so that we can hire within our community. {PS: Hoboken Girl has this! Click here}

Still, some businesses said that they dont need anything other than the local community to continue what its been doing.

Joe Schiavo, the owner of The Shepherd and The Knucklehead, said he is grateful for the Hoboken community for their support, particularly over the past few months as he opened his Lemonade Stand and had lots of patrons throughout the pandemic, all picking up to-go cocktails and brews. Theyve gone out of their way to support us, share what were doing, and bring people in, he said. They provided for me more than I could ever ask for.

Matthew was born and raised in a small Arkansas town, and right out of high school, he moved to Hoboken to take classes at Stevens. Immediately feeling at home in the Mile Square, he's enjoyed exploring restaurants on Washington Street, scootering on Frank Sinatra Drive, and getting a taste of the big city life. When he isn't writing for his college paper or studying for a test, Matthew likes to see musicals, go to comedy shows, and jam to music with friends.

Read more:
'As We Think Ahead to the Fall, It's Very Scary': Local Businesses Prepare for Uncertain Months Ahead - hobokengirl.com

Aeryn Kennedy plays for Camdenton High School in 2019. (Photo courtesy of Aeryn Kennedy from D.L. Jones Photography.)

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Many first-years Division I athletes dont have the commitment to be both on the womens soccer team and a member of the ROTC program. But Marquettes midfielder/defender Aeryn Kennedy is an exception.

However, Kennedy is not the first student at Marquette to be involved in both programs.

Kristin Stoniecki, a 2007 graduate, was a part of the ROTC program as a student athlete.Stoniecki, a track and field athlete, transferred to Marquette her sophomore year, and holds multiple Marquette records in pole vaulting. She went on to be a White House nurse after graduating, and also won the 2020 Young Alumna of the Year Award.

Seeing another student athlete successfully taking part in the ROTC program has made Kennedy feel better about the commitment that is to come.

It makes me feel better, because that is one thing balancing time and scheduling. That definitely was a concern at first, Kennedy said. So far its going well.

Although no one in her family has been in the military, Kennedy said she has wanted to serve since high school.

It just seemed like a really great option. I love the Navy, and ships and engineering is what I want to do with my life, Kennedy said. It just seemed like something really interesting that Id want to do.

When choosing a school to commit to, Kennedy was looking for a soccer program that felt like home, as well as an ROTC program she could trust. The Camdenton, Missouri native said that Marquette checked off both of her boxes.

It had everything I wanted. It had it had good engineering program. It did have ROTC and a great soccer program and just athletics in general and I know I like the location (of Milwaukee), so it just seems like a really great fit, Kennedy said.

While she has not been on campus for long, Kennedy is already thought of highly of byboth her head coach Frank Pelaez andROTC advisor Lieutenant Jonathan Kappel.

Im really lucky that I get to know her, and thats where she really intrigues me, because shes got to be very disciplined and I love that, Pelaez said. I mean, you have to respect (being in ROTC and being an athlete) because not every kid will want to do that.

For Pelaez, this is new territory, as he has never had anyone in his program also be a part of ROTC. Along with Kennedy, he is also adjusting to the change.

He said he admires Kennedy, not just for her commitment to both the soccer program and ROTC, but also for how she already handles herself like she is in the military.

I think its funny because when I talk to her shes already pretending that she (is) in the military. Pelaez said.

Along with Pelaez, Kappel respects the attitude of the first-year from Camdenton, Missouri, despite only knowing her for a short period of time.

I can tell you that she is definitely a motivated character, Kappel said. She definitely (has) a passion for this right now.

Kappel mentioned Kennedy is a national scholarship student, going against students across the country to obtain this prestigious award. In order to win the award, the student must submit an application through Officer Recruiting Stations. From there, they are interviewed by a naval officer on why the want to be in NROTC and the military. They then go through various medical examinations to make sure the students meet the physical requirements for the scholarship. After this process, the application gets sent to a panel in the Great Lakes, who decides what students win this award. The scholarship process is very competitive, as just over 1,000 students win each year.

Although Kennedy is devastated that she is not in season, she is looking forward to adjusting to campus life and her ROTC schedule.

I feel like having this time right now to work through it and get a feel for things on campus will definitely help me later on, Kennedy said.

Having this time might be beneficial because right now as a midshipmen candidate, she is in the New Student Orientation, which calls for mornings starting as early as 5:30 a.m.In NSO, Kennedy is strictly around first-years for the first month of school as they are introduced to basic training.

Her daily schedule is packed with Marquette core classes, classes based on her major, NSO training and naval science classes that are required for all those in the ROTC program.

On Tuesday mornings, right now they are conducting from 5:30 in the morning to 7:00 oclock,and they have multi-instruction period basically,and thats held by the upperclassmen involved in NSO, as well as the marine staff, Kappel said about her schedule. They tend to do a little bit of outside, kind of basics and fundamentals of the military.

It does not stop there. Now, the womens soccer team has also started in-person small group practices.

Additionally, Kennedys entire Thursday morning and afternoon is reserved for specific military training.

On Thursday morning, we have something called PT, which is physical training, and they start at 5:30 and go till 7:00 in the morning, Kappel said. Thursday afternoons, from 3:30 to 5:30, we have reserved for something thats known on their schedules and courses as naval science lab, but for us we just refer to this as drill.

Kappel said drill involves more military training and general training, like sexual harassment training, and how they can keep and uphold the physical and mental standards in the military.

Although Kennedy is involved in two entirely different programs, she hopes she can take some of the skills that she learns from ROTC and bring them to the soccer field to elevate her game.

I definitely think that I can bring awareness, because in the military, you will learn different things, Kennedy said. Definitely physical fitness, and my strength.

At the end of September, Kennedy will graduate from NSO and officially become a midshipman. The real test will then begin and herr journey into the life in the military will begin.

This story was written by Kristin Parisi. She can be reached at kristin.parisi@marquette.edu or on Twitter @kristinparisimu.

Read more here:
First-year soccer player takes on challenge of ROTC program - Marquette Wire

Peter Scott-Morgan is blessed with a rare abundance of positive mental attitude. Receiving a devastating diagnosis of motor neurone disease in 2017, he decided not to give into fate but to set about subverting it. His plan: to use his background in robotics to become a pioneer, part-human, part-machine.

That none of the necessary technology existed didnt deter him. For two years Peter: The Human Cyborg (Channel 4) followed his quest inspired by everything from Doctor Who to fellow MND sufferer Stephen Hawking to source new technology to replace body parts and bodily functions that the disease would steal from him, gradually locking him intoa body unable to move or even speak.

The ambition was huge: a rigid, self-propelled exoskeleton, new plumbing to cater for nutrition and waste disposal, synthetic speech via a computer hardwired to his brain, a responsive screen avatar to replace immobile facial features. The journey took him, and us, to places where technology really was beginning to look capable of fundamentally changing humanitys relationship with disease and physical frailty. Maybe even mortality, eventually.

But for now, the science stubbornly lagged behind the rapid progress of the disease, unable to do everything Scott-Morgan hoped of it. Even so, what he achieved in two years was phenomenal. By the time we left him, in March this year, the disease had locked him in almost totally. For six months hed been voiceless, breathing through a tube, wholly dependent on his partner of 40 years, Francis. Still, hed just had delivered his cutting edge new wheelchair, complete with built-in life support, a comms computer and on-screen avatar.

It feels like Ive woken up on another planet, Scott-Morgan said. Or rather his new synthetic voice did his first utterance since losing speech to a laryngectomy. Now is not the end of anything, he added. This is where the fun begins.

Disappointingly, though, that was the end of something: the film. And while it closed on this powerful note of uplift and optimism, as a viewer it left us hanging. What happened next? How did he cope during the pandemic? How did he get on with his new kit?

It is a rare compliment these days to complain of a documentary being too brief. But this was an exception.

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Peter: the Human Cyborg, review: the only problem with this inspiring film was that it ended too soon - Telegraph.co.uk

THE record of this newspaper on campaigning for mental health is second to none.

Our Mind The Future campaign pressed for action to help Scotlands young people. And the Scottish Government has undoubtedly sharpened its focus on the issue.

2

But the problem hasnt gone away and it extends much more widely than our young people alone, especially in light of the effects of the pandemic on the nations mental health.

Scotland remains addicted to drink, addicted to drugs and, sadly, prone to suicide and self-harm. All of those things are signs and symptoms of a serious mental health crisis.

And though the SNP came to power on a promise of cutting anti-depressant use by 10 per cent, the number of people using drugs to combat their mood has continued to rise.

With thousands of people facing something like imprisonment during lockdown, the mental health crisis has only deepened.

The Scottish Government responded rightly with a dozen emergency mental health assessment centres, nine operating non-stop, in the first month of the pandemic.

But there are fears those services could be withdrawn as life returns to something like normal.

Ministers says they are exploring how best to develop the mental health hubs which sounds encouraging.

But money remains tight, the pandemic has left a huge backlog of postponed and delayed treatments and mental health has always been the ugly sister of the healthcare system.

Once and for all we have to change our attitudes and acknowledge that a broken mind is as serious as a broken limb. It requires treatment with all the urgency of any other wound or illness.

These mental health hubs have been a success. They almost certainly saved lives. We cannot afford to lose them.

2

AS part of total Scottish Government spending, 3,000 doesnt even add up to a drop in the bucket.

But thats how much it cost to translate the FACTS campaign on Covid hygiene into three dozen languages.

For a nurse earning 28,000, the bill for translation adds up to six months worth of income tax.

Someone inside the Scottish Government seriously thought it was a good idea to make someone else work for six months in order to translate basic information into languages that virtually no one speaks.

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Last week we learned that there is a black hole in Scotlands public finances worth 15billion and thats before we start paying for the pandemic.

These posters explain why.

The posters add up to almost nothing in themselves but they point to an attitude towards public spending which has led us inescapably to this massive national overdraft.

And that attitude needs to change.

We pay for your stories and videos! Do you have a story or video for The Scottish Sun? Email us at scoop@thesun.co.uk or call 0141 420 5300

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Coronavirus Scotland: Mental health hubs saved lives during lockdown and we cannot afford to lose them - The Scottish Sun

By Leah Asmelash, CNN

(CNN) -- "Afro-Latinx." "Deadname." "Janky." These are just some of the many terms now on Dictionary.com.

The dictionary website announced an update of more than 15,000 entries, refining and adding terms specifically related to race, identity, sexual orientation, and mental health.

"The work of a dictionary is more than just adding new words. It's an ongoing effort to ensure that how we define words reflects changes in languageand life," said John Kelly, a senior editor at Dictionary.com, in a news release.

"Among our many new entries are thousands of deeper, dictionary-wide revisions that touch us on our most personal levels: how we talk about ourselves and our identities, from race to sexual orientation to mental health. Our revisions are putting people, in all their rich humanity, first, and we're extremely proud of that."

The update includes the capitalization of Black, an increasingly popular move by many websites and news organizations as White America begins to reckon with race.

The website called the move "a mark of respect and recognition that's in line with capitalizing other cultures and ethnicities." It also added terms like Afro-Latina, Afro-Latino, Afro-Latinx, brownface, Filipina, Filipinx, Pinay, Pinoy and Pinxy.

In the update, the word "gay" replaced "homosexual," and "gay sexual orientation" replaced "homosexuality." The decision was made to remove "the implication of a medical diagnosis, sickness, or pathology when describing normal human behaviors and ways of being," Dictionary.com said in its release.

The website added other LGBTQ terms as well, including "ace," "asexual," "deadname" and "gender-inclusive."

Dictionary.com also updated its language around suicide -- replacing its previous wording of "commit suicide" with "die by suicide" or "end one's life."

There were some fun additions, too, like the acronym "GOAT," or greatest of all time, and "amirite" (the website used it in a sentence for convenience: "College admissions essays are exercises in creative writing, amirite?!")

Here's a look at more of the added terms:

The-CNN-Wire & 2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.

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Dictionary.com adds Black, as it refers to a person, in massive update around definitions that reflect culture, identity, and race - WDJT

RUSH: And greetings to you, music lovers, thrill-seekers, conversationalists all across the fruited plain. I gotta dial it back. Im so amped, so amped to be back in the air chair here at the EIB Network and the Limbaugh Institute for Advanced Studies on everything that matters. Really, really great to be back. Cannot tell you how much, and I really, really am sorry for missing last week. It was totally unexpected. It was not planned. And it was well, it was what it was.

Ill tell you, 2020 has been some year, hasnt it? Were all being tested in a lot of different ways, a lot of various ways. But when you strip everything away and when you boil everything down to its essence, my friends, we are Americans, which means were tough, which means that we are oriented toward overcoming any challenge that we are faced with.

For many Americans, a challenge is just the next thing on the docket, the next thing you have to deal with. Thats how I treat them. Its just the next thing up, the next thing you have to deal with. I mean, you can spend some time lamenting it and you can spend some time going woe is me, but it doesnt get you anywhere. Its a natural human reaction to have.

But for me and for millions of others, its just the next thing thats happened that you have to deal with. You have no choice. And when that is your attitude it becomes simply something that you have to accomplish or achieve but, more importantly, just deal with, accepting the realities of life and dealing with them the best you can, getting as much help and assistance from whoever is best to provide it and then trusting that everything is going to work out.

Thats the beauty of being an American, the ability to trust that everything is going to work out. Because, ultimately, it does. There is good in everything that happens. Sometimes you have to spend a little bit more time looking for it, and sometimes it doesnt reveal itself immediately. But theres always good in everything that happens. If you look at back on the history of our great and miraculous country, weve had our share of trials. Weve had civil war. Weve had world wars, terror attacks.

Were undergoing terrorist attacks even now. Its the most amazing thing. Have you noticed, by the way, you could see it shift yesterday. You could see it. It was almost like youre out on the beach and you see a tsunami out there and you see it building and you see it coming and, all of a sudden, guess what? All of a sudden all of the rioting and all of the looting and all of the destruction and all of the damage in Democrat states and cities is dadelut, dadelut, dadelut Donald Trumps fault.

All of a sudden, every Democrat, be he or her in the media, be they in the Democrat Party, be they Black Lives Matter, be they Antifa, all of a sudden, its all Donald Trumps fault. And why? Well, folks, I have to tell you, those internal polls must really be bad. I alluded to this on Friday. They must really be bad. You know, the internal polls, the polls that you are paying for, they dont lie to you. They give you the straight skinny. And Im telling you, the internal polling has gotta be such that its run its course.

The day or days of the media and the Democrats getting away with standing mute, staying silent while their cities burn to the ground, while their cities openly support burning to the ground, openly support the inflicting of damage and mayhem and harm on other human beings, those days have come to an end, and now all of a sudden somehow its Donald Trumps fault in all these blue places. It isnt gonna work.

But its breathtaking to see. You could see it happening yesterday. The whatever it is marching orders, the mass tweet went out from somewhere, and the orders were given, and everybody on the left began to sing from the same song, the same hymnal. Through all of this, the natural disasters, the terrorist attacks, we have never given up. We have always persevered as determined Americans. Its who we are. Thats why this COVID thing has been such a well, its been a bunch of things. Some of its been disappointing. Some of its been eye-opening. But we dont cower in the corner in the midst of such challenges. Some of us would like to. Some of us would like to cower in the corner. Some of us would like to do anything we can to blame it all on Donald Trump.

But thats not who Americans are. Its not what America is. And its never been what America is. You deal with what happens. You deal with it head on. I had to spend some time in the hospital. There was no other way around it. And it was the last thing I expected to ever be happening. But were here, and were back. Every day I thank God, I wake up and Im not joking on this, folks. I know its clever sounding and it may be even a little humorous.

When I wake up every day, the first thing I do is thank God that that happened. And then I sincerely thank you all for the notes and prayers. We have a special page on RushLimbaugh.com where people can drop notes, prayers, what have you, and they are deeply meaningful to me and my entire family.

But, you know, without embarrassing anybody, nobody can do as many of you know, Im by no means going through something that nobody else has gone through. Its just the exact opposite. Im going through what millions have gone through. And those of you who have know full well you cannot do it on your own, no matter how strong you are and no matter how committed you are. No matter, as in my case, how brilliant you are, you still cant do it on your own.

And if I didnt have the support group that I have and my support group is one person. Its Kathryn. And you stop and think about the effect of all this on family members. It is devastating. Its devastating to everybody you know. Its devastating to particularly your family. And it takes a special something to gut it up and deal with it head-on, try to maintain, you know, good mood, positive mental attitude. I am so, so fortunate for the people that I have in my life. And I cannot tell you how fortunate that you all are in that massive group of people who are in my life. Its really terrific to be back here. And the plan is to be here for the entire week.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Why was I in the hospital? I thought I mentioned this last week. I got an infection. The one thing I cant get, the one thing that I have been studiously trying to avoid is getting an infection. You know, the chemotherapy reduces the immune system; it attacks the immune system. Anybody who has undergone chemo knows this.

So, if an infection comes down, all youve got are whatever antibiotics they prescribe, and it can get scary. Thats what happened last week. Yeah, theres a lot more to it than that, but thats You know, Im not gonna be a cancer patient on the radio, and thats sufficient in terms of information. But I thought Id mentioned it on Friday.

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Were All Being Tested in 2020 But We Are Americans - Rush Limbaugh

5 Challenges a Swimmer Faces and How to Conquer Them

Anybody who is familiar with competitive swimming knows that with all of the rewards the sport offers, they come with a price. This price includes a variety of challenges that can push your body and mind to their absolute limit. Below are five of the most common challenges swimmers face that require a certain degree of determination, grit, and motivation to conquer.

Early morning swims can test any swimmers will. Swimming back and forth as the world sleeps, we work to sharpen our craft. But why do we do this, and how can such a challenge be overcome? One of the best ways to power through early morning practices is to think through the benefits. Mental toughness is quite possibly the most significant benefit of enduring early morning swims. Being able to swim set after set with success as youre cold and sleep-deprived can give you the confidence to own that next practice. Doing this day after day can help you become better with time management as well, which is a vital skill for anybody. If youre a swimmer who trains in the morning consistently, your body can adjust to performing at its best potential, which can help a lot with morning competition. As early mornings are dreaded by many, it is easy to have a negative attitude, always thinking how much you would rather be in bed. The next time you are struggling through a rigid morning set, try to remind yourself why you are doing it and what you will ultimately get out of it. With the right attitude, your goals come closer to becoming a reality.

The second challenge swimmers commonly face is that intense hunger both during and after practices. According to Livestrong.com, the body expends calories not only to keep swimming but also to maintain its temperature. The colder the water, the more of an appetite one develops. Caloric expenditure during swimming is also affected by the type of stroke you swim. You will likely feel hungrier after swimming a high-intensity stroke such as freestyle, backstroke, or butterfly, as opposed to a resting stroke like breaststroke. The best way to curb hunger is to fuel up beforehand. It is best to allow a gap of 2-4 hours in between a heavy meal and swimming, and 30 minutes to 2 hours between snacks and swimming.

Another common challenge swimmers experience is failure. When putting in hours of work preparing for a race, goals are expected to be reached. Of course, this is not always the case. To be successful, one needs to fail and learn how to pick themselves up again. It is okay to be disappointed, but you never want to beat yourself up too much as success sometimes has to wait another turn.

Additionally, it is crucial to reflect on the disappointing race result. You need to think back and figure out why things didnt go according to plan. Did you set unrealistic goals? Was your preparation adequate? If not, what could you have done better? With a lousy race, sometimes you can use it as an advantage in the future. Failure can be a great motivator as well. To be able to absorb a loss, remembering that terrible feeling can make you even more driven to do whatever it takes not to feel that way again. Gary Hall Jr. once said, A champion is not someone who has an obsession with being the best, rather an obsession with being better, continually striving to improve oneself. They are also determined by how they overcome obstacles, defeats, adversity, hardship, toils, and pain.

Whether its the brackets, your stroke feels off, or youve just had a rough day, we all have had those days where we have a monumental set to do, and the energy and motivation just arent there. Even if the energy is enough, the set can start to feel like too much to bear. If its one of those days where you would rather be anywhere but the pool, one strategy that could get you through is by visualizing success. Thinking about your goals, imagining yourself having just achieved them, and making family, friends, and coaches proud can turn that negative energy into positive energy that will charge you through that practice. On the other hand, if you feel beat and dont feel as if you can make it anymore, it can be helpful to focus on your technique or by continually telling yourself to do just one more. Picking up a specific technical issue you may be struggling with can not only help to get your mind off of whatever pain you are going through but also prepare you for your race when you are enduring the same pain. The one more mentality can be especially useful when dealing with a high volume of reps in a given set. Breaking down a big set can make it seem less daunting and discouraging.

Spending so much time in the pool can make it challenging to balance the swimming life with school life, work life, etc. Figuring out a schedule that works for you can take some work, especially as you get older and have more responsibilities. With such a packed schedule, it is essential to prioritize what is most important in your schedule and then to find ways to fit in other things you enjoy when you can. Picking up a planner can also help keep you organized and less stressed. Although swimming, school, and jobs can consume the majority of your day, it is a great idea to find the right plan that allows you to get everything done while also taking care of your mental and physical health.

Swimming is a gratifying sport, but it is not without its challenges. Sometimes swimming can give us miserable moments, but the way we react is what matters. You cannot allow your results to determine your love for swimming; rather, remember why you swim in the first place. If challenges ever seem to be too much, try to remember when you were younger, and you swam merely to go down to the pool, be with friends, and do your best. Being able to put things into perspective, remembering that swimming is a sport that is supposed to be fun and that we are lucky to be able to participate in is critical if you are ever getting too down on yourself.

All commentaries are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Swimming World Magazine nor its staff.

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5 Challenges a Swimmer Faces and How to Conquer Them - Swimming World Magazine

Gold, lustrous and precious, has provided a metaphor for the years after retirement described as the golden years however, in contemporary times this notion of a valued old age seems more and more archaic.

With each passing year, growing old is becoming less of a joy and more of a concern. What alchemy is needed to transmute old into gold again? The formula in one word is: attitude. Attitudes underpin actions and negative attitudes towards ageing and older adults hinder the social, economic and political impetus to improve the quality of life of older people.

The ageing population is a reality that should not be overlooked. With improvements in healthcare and standards of living, the average life expectancy has been increasing. According to the 2019 UN World Population Prospects report, in 1950 life expectancy was around 47 years and by 2019 this number had increased to around 70 years. As people live longer, the total number of people in their advanced years is also increasing and in 1950 the percentage of global population that was 65 years and over was around five percent and by 2019 this number had almost doubled. In Pakistan, while the percentage of population in the 65 years and over age bracket is lower than the global average; still, the total numbers of people in this age bracket has grown from around two million in 1950, to close to ten million at the present time.

The graying of the global population necessitates new policies, however, preceding the change in policies is the need for a change in attitudes. The attitudes towards the aged in society provides a foundation on which actions towards health and wellbeing are constituted, workplace environments are fashioned, institutions are designed, legislation is passed, and policies are formulated. Unfair or negative views about ageing and about the aged can lead to older adults being unfairly disadvantaged. These negative views can coalesce into negative stereotypes or unfavorable expectations and beliefs about older adults.

Stereotyping is a form of cognitive categorization that helps individuals navigate through the complexities of life. Widely held stereotypes, regardless of whether they are true or not, influence perception, thinking and interactions. Sometimes the negative views can be subtle, implicit or seemingly innocuous; nonetheless, their manifestations can be quite impactful. Though there may be some elements of truth in a certain stereotype, the unfairness comes into play when the stereotype is unquestioningly and readily applied with a broad brush to all members of a group.

The stereotype with regards to older adults can include views about skills, ability, competence, sincerity, trustworthiness, etc. Examples of negative stereotypes faced by the aged could be the view that they are uninterested in the new digital technology and, therefore, are unable to learn how to use social media applications, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.

In many cases the negative stereotypes of older adults unfairly questions their physical and mental ability and their general competence. Such negative stereotypical categorization of older adults, especially with regard to their skills and competence, can have serious consequences in the workplace. Negative stereotyping can also be of consequence in interactions with professionals, such as in the medical, legal, and financial fields, and also in interactions across other spheres of society.

Negative stereotypes can sometimes be so widespread that, in addition to the non-older adults, they can even colour the beliefs of older adults themselves.

To address negative stereotypes, there is a need to begin with an awareness of the existence of stereotyping and to understand how it can be unfair. Institutional processes and policies of the government need to be reviewed to see if they are reinforcing an unfair and negative stereotype against older adults. The media can be an important source for perpetuating a negative stereotype; more importantly, the media can be a powerful source of correcting an unfair and negative stereotype.

As increasing numbers of people live to old age, there is a need to realize that unfair stereotyping of the ageing and the aged can significantly contribute to diminishing the luster and value of the golden years for the older population.

The writer heads a university-basedpolicy centre in Islamabad.

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Turning old into gold - The News International

Dictionary.com has added 'jabroni' and 'DGAF' as part of its latest update, which consists of 15,000 new entries meant to better reflect modern life.

"Jabroni" and "DGAF" are among the terms that have been added to Dictionary.com as part of a sweeping new update consisting of 15,000 new items.

Marking the company's largest update ever, the release includes 650 brand new entries, along with thousands of new and revised definitions, etymologies and pronunciations. As PR Newswire points out, many of the changes are inspired by the slang and trends used on social media and in popular culture.

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Dictionary.com even made the update announcement by posting a shout out to Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, tweeting, "Yes, we put jabroni in the dictionary. We assume The Rock could smell us cooking up this update the whole time."

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Fans of the WWE will recall that Johnson frequently uses the slang word, which is now officially defined as both "a stupid, foolish or contemptible person; loser" and "a jobber; a wrestler whose purpose is to lose matches against headlining wrestlers in order to build up the status and fame of the headliners." DGAF -- which is among a list of shorthand slang that also includes AF and GOAT -- is officially defined by Dictionary.com as "[an abbreviation of] dont give a fuck: to not care at all (a euphemistic initialism used to indicate an indifferent or unbothered attitude, without explicit vulgarity)."

"The work of a dictionary is more than just adding new words. It's an ongoing effort to ensure that how we define words reflects changes in language -- and life," Dictionary.comSenior Editor John Kelly said in a statement. "Among our many new entries are thousands of deeper, dictionary-wide revisions that touch us on our most personal levels: how we talk about ourselves and our identities, from race to sexual orientation to mental health."

The update also incorporates beauty and fashion trends, such as "zhuzh" and "contouring," as well as terms that reflect ongoing societal talking points -- such as "emotional labor," "dead white male" and "MeToo." "Gender reveal," "ratio," "sharent," "swole" and "Twitch" are also among the new additions.

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Historic Court-Stamped Action Comics #7 Hits the Auction Block

Keegan Prosser is a writer, editor and pop culture nerd based in the Greater Seattle Area. She has previously contributed to publications including The Seattle Weekly, Rolling Stone Magazine and the Alaska Airlines blog. She can usually be found perusing record stores or revisiting the Harry Potter (book) series.

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Dictionary.com Adds 'Jabroni,' 'DGAF' and More in Massive Update - CBR - Comic Book Resources