Lexology GTDT Market Intelligence provides a unique perspective on evolving legal and regulatory landscapes. This interview is taken from the Dispute Resolution volume discussing topics including Brexits impact on choice of law and jurisdiction, market competition and the popularity of ADR within key jurisdictions worldwide.

1 What are the most popular dispute resolution methods for clients in your jurisdiction? Is there a clear preference for a particular method in commercial disputes? What is the balance between litigation and arbitration?

The principal alternatives to court litigation are arbitration and mediation.

As to arbitration, there has been considerable appellate litigation, and, in one notable case, legislation affecting this form of dispute resolution.

The appellate litigation has largely focused on questions about the requisites for the enforcement of agreements to arbitrate, the kinds of claims that will be exempt from arbitration and whether federal law in the form of the Federal Arbitration Act (the FAA) will pre-empt state statutes concerning arbitration procedure and enforcement that conflict with the federal scheme.

In terms of legislation, the California Legislature continues to express hostility towards arbitration, especially in the employment context. In a new law effective 1 January 2020, California employers can no longer require workers to arbitrate state law discrimination or wrongful termination claims. Although the enforcement of that new law has been temporarily stayed, its enactment was inspired by the #MeToo movement and was intended to prevent the silencing of workers who have experienced discrimination.

As to mediation, this form of dispute resolution remains popular in connection to the resolution of civil and business disputes. Indeed, the popularity of this form of alternative dispute resolution has resulted in the development of law in connection with this area.

In 2019, the California Legislature enacted an amendment to Californias Evidence Code, which now requires attorneys to advise their clients in writing on the implications of Californias legal protections for mediation communications before the client agrees to mediation.

2 Are there any recent trends in the formulation of applicable law clauses and dispute resolution clauses in your jurisdiction? What is contributing to those trends? How is the legal profession in your jurisdiction keeping up with these trends and clients preferences? Does Brexit continue to affect choice of law and jurisdiction?

By far, the most important trend is the inclusion of mandatory arbitration provisions in commercial agreements. This trend has spawned significant trial and appellate court litigation concerning the enforcement of those agreements, including the interplay between the FAA (which is strongly pro-arbitration) and corresponding state statutes that, in some cases, impose limits and restraints on the enforcement of arbitration agreements.

Importantly, California does not recognise or enforce pre-dispute jury trial waivers. Indeed, in a case from October 2019, the California Court of Appeal declined to enforce choice of law and choice of forum provisions in a commercial contract on the grounds that the enforcement would lead to the forfeiture of a California residents right to a jury in connection with a civil dispute. The case highlights the sanctity of the right to jury trial, which is safeguarded in both the US and California state constitutions.

3 How competitive is the legal market in commercial contentious matters in your jurisdiction? Have there been recent changes affecting disputes lawyers in your jurisdiction? How is the trend towards niche or specialist litigation firms reflected in your jurisdiction?

The California State Bar allows attorneys to earn certifications in approximately 12 subject areas and, thereby, promote themselves as certified specialists in those areas. Those areas currently include family law, taxation law and estate planning, trust and probate law. Except for a certification in appellate law, the California State Bar does not currently offer certifications in the areas of dispute resolution, arbitration or alternative dispute resolution.

Outside the State Bar certification programme, attorneys practising in dispute resolution typically organise themselves into speciality groups, such as firms that specialise in plaintiff class action, white-collar defence, products liability defence and personal injury. The pertinent bar rules governing attorney advertising permit law firms to identify their core areas of expertise in their communications to clients and the public at large.

4 What have been the most significant recent court cases and litigation topics in your jurisdiction?

There are two sets of emerging issues in California.

The first area is in connection with labour and employment disputes. In this area, the California Supreme Court issued a decision in 2018, inDynamex Operations West, Inc v Superior Court of Los Angeles, that reversed decades of precedent concerning the classification of workers as either employees or independent contractors. UnderDynamex, the court ruled that workers are presumptively employees and not contractors, and it imposed the burden on the hiring entity that classifies a worker as a contractor to establish that this classification is supported under the ABC test that it articulated in its decision.

This is a very worker-friendly decision that has profound implications for companies such as Uber and others in the gig economy marketplace. Indeed, companies in that marketplace have undertaken efforts to overturnDynamexthrough the referendum and legislative processes.

In addition toDynamex, the recent legislative initiatives Assembly Bill 51 and Senate Bill 707 impact the ability of employers to enforce mandatory arbitration provisions in connection with labour and employment disputes in California.

Separate and apart from labour and employment, the California Legislature recently passed the California Consumer Privacy Act (the CCPA), which enacts a comprehensive privacy regime affecting businesses operating in California. Among other things, it requires companies to update their privacy policies and provide specified notices about their collection of personal information, use and sharing practices. In addition, it provides for a private right of action for individuals affected by data breaches or the compromise of their personal information.

Although the CCPA is too new for there to have been any appellate cases interpreting its provisions, its enactment will undoubtedly spur the filing of privacy-related litigation in California.

5 What are clients attitudes towards litigation in your national courts? How do clients perceive the cost, duration and the certainty of the legal process? How does this compare with attitudes to arbitral proceedings in your jurisdiction?

Im interpreting national courts to mean the federal district courts and courts of appeal as distinct from the state courts. As many readers may know, the US has two sets of trial and appellate courts corresponding to the federal and state systems.

The conventional wisdom is that the quality of the judges in the federal system is superior to that in the state system. The federal courts also tend to be more rule-bound than the state court system and stricter in terms of the enforcement of deadlines so that defendants sued in state court will often remove a pending case to the relevant US district court. Removal is a matter of right if there is subject matter jurisdiction in the federal court.

Arbitration is the primary alternative to court litigation. It is widely accepted that arbitration is less expensive, and more efficient, than conventional litigation. This is in part because there is not ordinarily the same degree of wide-ranging discovery in arbitration that is allowed in conventional litigation. Defendants often favour arbitration because it allows for dispute resolution without a right to a jury trial.

6 Discuss any notable recent or upcoming reforms or initiatives affecting court proceedings in your jurisdiction.

There were only a few amendments in 2019 to Californias Code of Civil Procedure, which governs procedures in state trial courts. Perhaps the most notable of these is a rule that would allow parties to stipulate an initial disclosure requirement modelled after Rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.

If parties opt in by stipulation to this requirement, they must exchange information at the inception of litigation. The information will include the identity of all persons likely to have discoverable information, along with the subjects of that information, that the disclosing party may use to support its claims or defences; copy or description of all documents, including electronically stored information, that the disclosing party has in its possession, custody or control that may be used to support its claims or defences; insurance agreements; and indemnification agreements.

Importantly, this new state court procedure is triggered only by agreement of the parties, whereas the disclosure requirements under Rule 26 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are mandatory.

7 What have been the most significant recent trends in arbitral proceedings in your jurisdiction?

Both the California Legislature and the California appellate courts have expressed hostility to pre-dispute arbitration agreements. This hostility is especially strong in the context of consumer and employeeemployer disputes, where the perception is that consumers and employees lack meaningful bargaining power in resisting the imposition of those agreements. Indeed, two legislative initiatives passed in 2019, Assembly Bill 51 and Senate Bill 707, impact the ability of Californian employers to compel arbitration of labour and employment disputes.

Outside the consumer and employee contexts, pre-dispute arbitration agreements, if properly drafted, are usually enforced. The key battleground in this area is often whether the pro-arbitration procedural rules of the FAA will displace the state procedural rules governing the enforcement of agreements to arbitrate. This is an ongoing battle in which the state and federal courts have issued divergent decisions.

8 What are the most significant recent developments in arbitration in your jurisdiction?

There have been two highly significant Legislative developments in California affecting arbitration.

Assembly Bill 51, signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom in October 2019, prohibits employers from requiring mandatory arbitration agreements from employees. Although enforcement of this new law has been temporarily stayed, its enactment underscores the California Legislatures hostility to mandatory arbitration, especially in employment and consumer-related disputes.

Senate Bill 707, also signed by Governor Newsom last year, provides that in the context of employment disputes that are governed by arbitration employees cannot be required to bear any type of legal costs or expenses incident to the arbitration process. This new law also provides that an employers failure to pay those arbitration costs or expenses will constitute a material breach of the arbitration agreement.

9 How popular is ADR as an alternative to litigation and arbitration in your jurisdiction? What are the current ADR trends? Do particular commercial sectors prefer or avoid ADR? Why?

Mediation is utilised in a significant proportion of civil cases in California. Arbitration is typically utilised only where the parties have a pre-dispute arbitration agreement. This is thought to be because plaintiffs will typically want to preserve their right to a jury trial.

The Inside Track

What is the most interesting dispute you have worked on recently and why?

Some years ago, I successfully represented a well-known celebrity in a case brought by a former franchisee couple of the celebritys company, who claimed they had been indoctrinated into believing the celebritys programme for self-improvement and, as a result, had improvidently given up their former jobs and lifestyle. The case was interesting because although it was styled as a suit for damages, it questioned the responsibility for individual decision-making in circumstances where the plaintiffs alleged that they had been hypnotised owing to the celebritys cult-like persona.

Describe the approach adopted by the courts in your jurisdiction towards contractual interpretation: are the courts faithful to the actual words used, or do they seek to attribute a meaning that they believe the parties actually intended?

California follows, at least in theory, the objective theory of contracts. This means that the interpretation of contracts is generally a matter for the court as distinct from the jury. The court will ordinarily determine the legal meaning and effect of a written contract, giving effect to the words in their ordinary meanings. The parties subjective, uncommunicated intent about the meaning of the contract is ordinarily inadmissible. The key exception is when a contract term is ambiguous. In that case, extrinsic evidence, such as evidence concerning the parties negotiations or, in some cases, expert testimony, will be admitted to explain or clarify an ambiguity.

What piece of practical advice would you give to a potential claimant or defendant when a dispute is pending?

It is critical that all litigants maintain and preserve electronic records, including emails. Failure to do so may result in the court giving a jury instruction concerning spoliation of evidence that could adversely affect the litigants credibility to the jury

An initial strategy call for defendants will be whether there are any opportunities to change the forum for the litigation. They should also consider at the outset whether there are any coverage opportunities under any policies of liability insurance.

For plaintiffs, the selection of forum is critical at the outset. They must also consider at the outset the availability of provisional remedies as the issuance of these often have an outcome determinative impact on the course of the litigation.

Excerpt from:
An interview with Ervin Cohen & Jessup discussing dispute resolution in the United States - Lexology

When published in 1952, The Power of Positive Thinkingwas a progenitor of what came to be known as the prosperity gospel (a belief popularized by televangelists that God intends Christians to be healthy and wealthy) and one of the very first Christian self-help books. America stood astride the globe, and the Greatest Generation was clamoring to catch up from the deprivations of the war years. Americans were making everything from cars to babies at astounding rates and creating civic organizations and churches to support growing families and communities. The Power of Positive Thinkings message of optimism and self-improvement was perfectly suited to one of the most optimistic eras in American history.

The books teachings are straightforward, organized around 10 key principles, like the laws of Moses. The author, Norman Vincent Peale, recommends visualizing success, drowning out negative thinking, and minimizing obstaclespretty much a Tony Robbins seminar or a Sunday morning with Joel Osteen. Certain Bible verses (I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me; If God be for us, who can be against us?) stripped of context, interpretation, and theology, are to be repeated 10 times per day to ward off the evil spirit of negative thought. The purpose of these psychological and spiritual practices is to free individuals from self-doubt and feelings of inferiority and help them to become the people God truly intends them to be: happy, wealthy, popular, and professionally successful.

In a way, the principles of the book were as old as the country itself. Ever since the first buckled Puritan shoe stepped onto North American shores, prosperity has been interpreted as proof of election and poverty, by extension, of damnation. (Forget what you read in the Sermon on the Mount, the poor arent blessed and even if they inherit the earth theyll get nothing more than dirt.) While its hard to imagine a successful, capitalist economy without it, Puritan Christianity often leaves Christians feeling exhausted, anxious, and guilt-ridden, sinners in the hands of an angry God who looks at their brokenness and suffering and says, You arent doing it right. Try harder.

Peale took a kinder, gentler tack than Jonathan Edwards. Peale was exceptional for cutting the flock some spiritual slack, encouraging them to look for the sunny side and conquer their inferiority complexes. In his world, you can have the economic gains minus the guilt, which seems perfectly suited to the American sensibility. For a public with access to few effective mental health treatmentslithium had just come onto the market as a mood stabilizer in 1948and weighed down by the demands of extroverted Americanism, The Power of Positive Thinking must have been a like a tonic, or perhaps a gin and tonic, something to soothe the wired, weary, worried soul.

The book sold millions of copies and was eventually translated into more than 40 languages, and Peale, from his pulpit at Marble Collegiate Church in Manhattan, became central to the spiritual life of the family of Fred Trump Sr., his wife, Mary, and the four Trump children, including the future president. Donald Trump once recalled how he could listen to Peale all day and be disappointed when it was over. He neednt have worried: Peales ideas would take pride of place in the life of Trumps family and Americas for decades to come.

The Power of Positive Thinking may have been a salve for the average, emotionally troubled, success-burdened American but it was also well suited to justifying and exacerbating the pathologies of the Trump family and businesses. In her recent memoir, Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the Worlds Most Dangerous Man, Mary Trump (the presidents niece who also happens to have a Ph.D. in psychology) paints a portrait of Fred Trump Sr. as a sociopath, utterly uninterested in entering into the moral, emotional, and psychological world of his family or its members. In keeping with Peales teaching, he would no more hear about his wifes or childrens problems than he would accept a failed business deal. Mary, a woman who suffered multiple illnesses including debilitating osteoporosis, was in and out of the hospital (which she appears to have enjoyed as a respite from her husband) and lived much of her life in physical pain. As she grimaced, Fred would just say, Everythings great, right Toots? refusing to acknowledge, much less accommodate, her illness.

Fred Sr.s psycho-emotional stonewalling played out most acutely in relationship with his namesake, Fred Junior. Never suited to the family business, Jr. attempted to strike out on his own only to be bullied back into Trump Management, the familys real estate company, by both Fred Sr. and Donald. As recounted in Too Much and Never Enough, Fred Jr. was then further abused, repeatedly denied authority, second-guessed at every turn, and blamed for every problem, setback, and failure in a perverse tag-team between Fred Sr. and Donald. The abuse fed his alcoholism, which, in the familys Peale-informed understanding, was not a disease requiring treatment but the result of Fred Jr.s negative thinking. When the son went to the father for help, Fred Sr. replied, Just give it a quarter turn on the mental carburetor or Just make up your mind, Fred. Fred Jr. replied, rather wanly, Thats like telling me to make up my mind to give up cancer. Fred Jr.s deepening alcoholism only elicited increasing abuse from his father and brother seemingly under the theory that if they were hard enough on him he would turn around. Even in his final crisis, afflicted by fatal, alcohol-induced cardiac problems, no member of the family went with him to the hospital (Donald Trump went to a movie instead). Dying, it appears, is the result of late-stage negative thought.

These are the problem-solving strategies that Donald Trump brought to his marriages, six corporate bankruptcies, presidential campaign, and now, what increasingly appears to be a failed presidency. The consistent element in each of these has been to deny negative realities and keep moving. The casinos, the airline, the football league, Trump Vodka, Trump Steaks, Trump University . . . all bear the same markings of hyper optimism and overpromise/underdeliver salesmanship. Recorded on tape talking about sexual assault? No problem, just bluster your way through. Tell your team, this doesnt sound like me. He wasnt so much denying the charge to the public as much as denying it to himself, turning away from a distasteful glimpse of himself in the mirror. When he was presented with incontrovertible evidence of Russian interference in domestic U.S. politics, he didnt just deny it (and continue to do so) he fired the messengers and shrank the White House offices that insisted on delivering the bad news.

Now we have Trump COVID-19 and its following the same pattern. The virus is very well under control and going to fade away. Or it can be cured by malaria drugs or maybe some light or injected disinfectant. (Or, as recently announced, overruling NIH experts to insist on an emergency use authorization for convalescent blood plasma despite uncertain results on its efficacy.) Slow down the testing and well have fewer cases. You see, conquering COVID-19 is just a matter of substituting positive thoughts for negative data. Various theories have been floated to explain Trumps resolute unwillingness to deal directly and truthfully with the crisis: stupidity (hes anything but stupid), arrogance, and deceit among them. Its really much simpler than that. Trumps just doing what hes always done: conquering the challenge by blinding himself to it, just the way Reverend Peale taught him and his father insisted upon.

It is sometimes said a little bit of religion is often worse than no religion. My AEI colleague, Brad Wilcox, documented that men who identified as evangelical but infrequently attend church were more likely to engage in domestic violence than evangelicals who regularly attended church, mainline Protestants and those who never attend church. Wilcox believes this results from a kind of doctrinal cherry-pickingbig on authority, sovereignty, and power but closed to other-directed teachings like altruism and self-sacrifice. Weak attachment to religious faith tends to put some of the worst behaviors on steroids.

As he lays out early in The Power of Positive Thinking, Peale wanted people to be hopeful, kind, and optimistic, and to become people persons. The Trump family heard the positive thinking, personal empowerment parts, which integrated easily with its win-at-all-cost ideology, but they, or at least Donald, missed the bits about seeking counsel from others and living a life of dependence upon God. For Donald Trump, and now the United States of America, the Power of Positive Thinking and its encouragement to irrational optimism, has helped make the American pandemic response a failure by almost any measure.

In a 2009 interview on failure with Psychology Today, the then-host of The Apprentice said he refused to be sucked into negative thinking on any level, even when the indications werent great. His optimism, though all-encompassing as it relates to himself, is abandoned in relationship to others. Every person Trump meets is assumed to be as nakedly self-serving as he is. Trumps world is a dark one but also a sad and disappointing one in which he is always denied his due by nasty opponents, which includes anyone who goes so far as to demur from his claims of greatness. Hobbes said human existence was a state of nature, a war of all against all. The state of Trumpian nature pits all against himand, more importantly, him against all, an anti-human worldview that stands Norman Vincent Peale on his head. For Donald Trump, The Power of Positive Thinking has turned out to be both too much, and at the same time, never enough.

Continued here:
The Power of Positive Thinking: Too Much and Never Enough - The Bulwark

Issues abound and of late, while race-based concerns have risen to global prominence, in South Africa, race has always more than simmering below the surface been centre stage of our social, economic and political interactions.

Many embrace this centrality, others lament the reduction of almost everything to race. Still, most current issues be they racial, geopolitical, gender, discrete transgressions of human rights, public health, education, unemployment or inequality and more are connected by a golden thread: Othering, the process of stigmatisation that defines another and sets them apart in a way that renders them an outsider.

To be clear, the opposite of Othering is not saming, it is belonging. And as John A Powell, director of the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society at the University of California, Berkeley, says, belonging does not insist that we are all the same. It means we recognise and celebrate our differences, in a society where we the people includes all the people and does not involve a presupposition that ones own race or nationality is inherently superior to another. To treat those of other races and nationalities with unfairness or unequal justice, with dismissiveness or with active contempt, is pernicious.

The recent revelations of Makhaya Ntini, the first ethnically black South African to play for the national cricket team, about his experience of loneliness is a reflection of being Othered. A senior black woman in politics who once confided in me her experience of being Othered and how many of her peers didnt even know her name provides another example.

Many will recount similar encounters, and these form a part of the basis of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. It is important, however, to acknowledge that class regardless of race also allows for the othering of people and that it is also not incumbent on others to embrace you you must embrace yourself. As Steve Biko remarked, as a prelude whites must be made to realise that they are only human, not superior. Same with blacks. They must be made to realise that they are also human, not inferior. The subtext is that inferiority needs to be countered by self-improvement and self-confidence.

In this vein, I ask myself then, why have I not felt othered? Im old enough, after all, to remember encountering, first hand, the engravings on benches and signs on buses and buildings that read Europeans Only. My parents were imprisoned, banned and placed under house arrest by the apartheid regime. Friends and close family members were hounded, some tortured. I was arrested. My marriage to a white woman was in contravention of the Immorality Act. My children suffered the stigma of racial classification, being neither fish nor fowl in the eyes of government. Yet, I never shared Ntinis loneliness, nor my colleagues sense of non-recognition. Why?

Credit, in the first instance, must go to my parents who had the foresight to send me to a pioneering non-racial school in Swaziland when apartheid was at its zenith, and then to an international college in Wales that championed international understanding and whose stated mission is to make education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. These formative experiences stood me in good stead. But more than this, I subsequently embraced, challenged and immersed myself in the dominant cultures I encountered. I sought to understand and compete on my own terms. I never felt less than I am.

I rejected oppression. I rejected being rescued. I rejected victimhood. And yes, the paradox of my experience under apartheid and other dominant polities and the impact of my formative education courtesy of the schools I attended and the example of my parents resistance of, and refusal to, accept apartheid emboldened this rejection.

The tragedy is that a black government in our country has failed, over more than a quarter of a century, to provide a sound education to the majority of its (black) people. It has failed to dignify their lives in the provision of housing and services to allow them to compete on an inclusive basis. Instead, it panders to a failed narrative and engages in tit-for-tat racism to justify its failures, which it lays at the door of others.

I recount this to illustrate both the reality of feeling Othered and the importance of not allowing yourself to be Othered. While I acknowledge my experience in this regard and understand that this may not be shared by many, I believe that this understanding needs to be internalised universally if we are to have any hope of celebrating our differences, in a society where we the people includes all people. Of necessity, this requires standing up against transgressions of fundamental human rights and not manufactured rights that serve no edifying purpose everywhere. More, it necessitates, in that defence, an engagement of both the victim and the oppressor.

Within this context, an interrogation of the BLM organisation that seeks to champion aspects of this cause is necessary. BLM calls for, as a cornerstone of their demands, the curtailing of property rights, the cutting of military budgets in half, the defunding of the police, the disbanding of private schools, the abolition of private hospitals, the creation of government-funded sacred sites for black worship and extra tax rebates depending on how black you are.

The kernel of truth embedded in the original focus and reaction that has in its genesis a case and a concern that is pertinent and merits attention has come to be hijacked, aggressively funded and sloganised beyond its original purpose and intent.

It is necessary therefore to guard against those who use ostensibly noble causes for their own material gain at the expense of the very people they seek to champion and who are perversely incentivised to do so. Behind their angry masks there often lies a cold dismissal of the nobility of racial reconciliation and an agenda that seeks to milk a grievance for eternity for the benefit of an elite as grievances are moulded, part of an echo chamber of the past. Once racist, always racist and the institutions bear witness, is the false mantra.

Opposing this is not minimising racism. It involves maximising reconciliation and responsible redress. It means refusing to bend the knee in the service of an agenda that is patently in the service of certain puppet masters. It involves a commitment to build a just society regardless of race, religion, circumstance of birth, sexual orientation and more. It is necessary to beware that when fighting monsters, you do not become a monster, as Nietzsche famously said, for when you gaze long into the abyss, the abyss also gazes at you. DM

Ghaleb Cachalia is an MP in the National Assembly and the DA spokesman on Public Enterprises and serves on the Ethics Committee in Parliament.

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We must not deny racism, but we must also not exploit it to stop reconciliation - Daily Maverick

August 27, 2020 9 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

As a rabbi who works in the cannabis industry, Im considered safe.Neighbors, friends, even fellow clergy approach me with questions and requests: How do I join the program?Does cannabis help with [fill-in-the-blank]?Do you have any samples?The questions vary, but the conversations usually end the same way:

Rabbi, please keep this between us.

Of course, I respond, Your secret is safe with me!

But inside, I know that keeping quiet about cannabis is ultimately dangerous.Secrecy perpetuates the stigma and shame that have for too long accompanied cannabis in American culture. Butin the Age of COVID-19, secrecy may no longer be necessary.

Related:We Need to Clear the Smoke About Cannabis in the Workplace

In early March 2020, as the Coronavirus spread across the country and cities were plunged into quarantine, Americas reliance on cannabis became undeniable. Legal dispensaries were beset with long lines andrecord-breaking sales, asthe public feared that stores would soon be forced to closed. Relief set in when 27 states enacted stay-at-home orders that allowed access to cannabis in some form. Twenty-three states would deem cannabis as essential as bread and milk. Almost overnight, COVID-19 made clear whatindustry insiders, patients, and woke medical professionals had long known: Cannabis is essential to the healthcare and self-care of millions of Americans.It was a revolutionary moment that was a long time in the making.

Opinions about cannabis have been rapidly evolving since the mid-1990s, when California became the first state to legalize the medical use and sale of cannabis.Since then, cannabis has been on a steady track toward mainstream acceptance. In 2017, the Washington Post reported that more than half of U.S. adults had tried cannabis at least once in their lives, and a 2019 Pew Research poll revealed that 91 percent support the legalization of cannabis in some form.

Related:Is Cannabis Recession-Proof? COVID-19 Puts The Theory To The Test

Today, nearly a quarter-million Americans make their living working full-time in the cannabis industry.Thats more people than work in U.S. steel, iron and coal combined!While these numbers are astonishing, they dont tell the whole story.Despite the value that Americans place on cannabis, not a single health insurance company provides coverage for cannabis-related medical expenses. Only a handful of medical schools educate their students in its use.Cannabis remains a Schedule 1 Drug in the eyes of the Federal Government (on the same level as heroin), with no accepted medical use.Even more humbling, in 2018, 40 percent of U.S. drug arrests were for cannabis-related offensesmostly possession.A 2020 analysis by the American Civil Liberties Unionconcludedthat black people were nearly four times more likely than whites to be arrested, and in some states six, eight, or almost ten times more likely to be arrested.

This is the paradox of cannabis in America.

In recent months, as state after state hosted press conferences declaring cannabis essential, users across the country rejoiced, but most did so quietlythe result of nearly a century of anti-cannabis laws and propaganda.Cannabis may enjoy widespread public acceptance in the polls, but its use remains laden with stigma and shame.For many, cannabis is something to be kept hidden, out-of-sight of judgmental neighbors, concerned family members, and narrow-minded co-workers.

However, COVID-19 presents an opportunity to address this paradox head-on. Government-issued stay-at-home orders and self-quarantining practices have forced many of us into closer proximity. Cannabis users have had to upendlong-established practices for keeping cannabis use private.The smell of cannabis smoke emanating from a backyard patio or seeping out from an upstairs closet has forced many families (and neighbors) to have difficult conversations, which some have spent years avoiding.Quite a few cannabis users have reached out to me to discuss these tensions.The questions I hear the most: If cannabis is an essential medicine, why am I vaping it in my basement bathroom?And why am I so scared to admit I use it?Is it OK to hide from my own family?

What happens when self-care and well-being through cannabis are suddenly a conversation that we must have with our loved ones because were sharing the same living space?And how do we handle the guilt and shame that can accompany cannabis use? Because I'mboth a Rabbi and the Director of National Outreach for a national cannabis company, people ask methese questions all the time.

First, lets differentiate between guilt and shame, which are too often used interchangeably. Guilt is the sense that ouractionsare problematic shame is the belief thatweare problematic.The impact of feeling guilt vs. shame is also distinct. While guilt can be a stimulus for human development and self-improvement, shame is more often stifling and destructive.In other words, you can bemotivatedby guilt andparalyzedby shame.

In many religions, guilt is a component of spiritual practice.Shame, on the other hand, is not. A2019 studyby the American Psychological Association explained that guilt made individuals feel remorse, tension or regret. While shame left them feeling small, worthless or powerless.Guilt is an acknowledgment that we do better.Shame stops us from even trying.The time has come to extricate shame from cannabis.

If shame thrives in secrecy and darkness, then the antidote is bringing our cannabis use into the light. Of course, not everyone is free to share their cannabis story.Many reside in states where cannabis remains illegal, and others risk losing a job if the news came out.But for those of us able to have the conversation, it is crucial that we do.

Talking about cannabis can leave us feeling vulnerable, frustrated and defensive, especially when faced with harsh judgment.Take a few deep breaths and remember that most Americans have been taught since grade school that cannabis is a dangerous, illicit drug with no redeeming qualities.Approach your conversations from a place of compassion and empathy.Remember to be as real and honest as possible.

Here are some tips that I hope you find helpful:

Myth #1: Cannabis is a crime.

Fact:Thirty-threestates and the District of Columbia allow cannabis in some form.While the federal government has been slow to reclassify cannabis, Congress has passed the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment ensuring state cannabis laws are respected.Stay safe by learning about cannabis laws in your state(check out the Marijuana Policy Project at mpp.org for more info).

Myth #2: Cannabis users just want to get high.

Fact: Not every cannabis product aims to get you high. In fact, many products dont even contain the chemical responsible for the feeling of being high (THC).The industry is moving toward micro-dosing of cannabis, where users take a small dose of THC (2.5mg or less) that does not have noticeable psychoactive effects. It is also important to recognize that the chemical responsible for the cannabis high (THC), is critical to alleviating pain and increasing appetite (important for people on chemotherapy or even, COVID-19).Want to go even deeper?Explore what makes your loved one so opposed to feeling good (or high) from cannabis. Do they feel the same way about a glass of wine?

Myth #3: Medical cannabis is just an excuse to legalize pot.

Fact: Just because medical cannabis opened the door to full legalization, does not mean it is a farce!Remember, lots of meds can be recreational and still legitimate(ex. ketamine, opioids/morphine, barbiturates, etc).

Myth #4: Cannabis is dangerous.

Fact:Despite what the DARE officer told you in school, cannabis does not kill brain cells.Recent studiespoint to cannabis having neuroprotective properties.Consider that the federal government owns one of the only patents on cannabis, Patent #US6630507B1: Cannabis as a Neuroprotectant (meaning it works toprotectbrain cells from harm).

Dr. Gupta covers his evolution regarding the therapeutic use of cannabis.Afterward, share your thoughts and experiences on how using cannabis has helped you and your loved ones.

This isnt about winning a debate.Frame your conversation by stating that you dont want to hide from the ones you love the most and that you hope this conversation brings you closer.Keep this in mind before you get into a fight about statistics or over something your mom heard from a friend. Return to this loving intention if you become frustrated or emotionally triggered.

In her writing about National Geographic Magazines racist past, award-winning journalist Michele Norris, commented: Its hard for an individualor a countryto evolve past discomfort if the source of the anxiety is only discussed in hushed tones.COVID-19 has laid bare the absurd paradox of cannabis in 2020 America and has given us the time needed to turn our kitchen tables into places of dialogue.If cannabis is essential to our health and wellness, its time we share our stories. Let us no longer be shamed into silence. Today more than ever, our voices are needed. Together, we can accomplish so much.

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Covid-19 Is ChangIng The Way People Think About Cannabis - Green Entrepreneur

It Only Took a Major Health Crisis for People to Focus on Lasting Relationships

In an effort to stay busy amidst a global pandemic, many of us have resorted to something thats always within arms reach: our cell phones. And in between celebrity stalking, Twitter scrolling, and eye-straining FaceTimes, the act of swiping on dating apps has filled the void left by this ongoing period of social distancing.

Many of these platforms have kept up with the times, updating their systems to support video chatting while encouraging new and safe ways to find your match without jeopardizing your health in the process. While the last few months have left many skeptical that theyll ever find the one amidst a major health crisis, in actuality, COVID-19 has ultimately helped to pump the brakes on the act of serial dating.

RELATED:A Guide to Dating and Finding Love During COVID-19 Times

While hookups are still possible, those who are used to moving from partner to partner can now takethe time to slow their roll and reconsider their approach in this new, unprecedented state of the world were in. As for those who are regulars in the dating game, they can use this situation as an opportunity to weed out the good ones from the anti-maskers. Now is as good a time as any to put building a connection (albeit, virtually)at the forefront, especially as one-time in-person flings take a brief chill on the back burner.

So how does one really take advantage of dating in the age of coronavirus? Well, well let the experts take it from here.

Theres nothing wrong with a steamy fling, but right now, people arent super interested in risking their health for something that doesnt allow for much connection. Instead of prioritizing pleasure, those still interested in dating are shifting their focus from straightforward sex tosome form of relationshipthat hasthe potential to blossom into something more.

The pandemic is a paradigm shift for those men whove mainly sought hook-ups, says Connell Barrett, a dating coach with The League and founder of DatingTransformation.com. Since easy sex is not so easy anymore, guys must connect in a deeper, more generous, high-level way. That sort of deeper connection takes true vulnerability. I call this getting emotionally naked. Men are getting more emotionally naked with potential partners because theyre not getting physically naked with them. This is welcome progress and growth for guys.

With this new form of dating, as cheesy as it might sound, you have the time to truly know someoneon a level you might not see otherwise. Theres a level of increased awareness about who you match with, who you open up to, and who you potentially meet up with for a socially distanced outing.

[The pandemic]has encouraged men and women to know what they are looking for and not just focus on sex as the main goal, notes dating coach Tripp Kramer. If people want to still hook up, they will, even through the pandemic. But this new way of dating has encouraged everyone to slow down and think about the person they are really talking to. I believe its bringing more awareness to dating which is a great thing overall.

Video chat dates are all the rage nowadays, and if you havent partaken in one yet, youre missing out on something clinical psychologist Joshua Klapow, Ph.D. calls a powerful pre-date tool.

Video chatting gives you a chance to see if there is a connection, to test your communication compatibility, and to look at the other person to see if you are attracted to them and vice versa, he says. They are a great way to test the waters in a now socially appropriate manner because of the pandemic.

If youre someone who says they love in-person first dates, youre lying to yourself. Not only do these virtual interactions subdue those nervous jitters youd feel if your knees awkwardly bumped together in a crowded bar, conversely, they allow for an easy end call escape if theres a quick realization that its just not meant to be.

With video chatting you get to see what they truly look like, sound like, what their mannerisms are, and even what their life looks like, all of which can influence compatibility, says Laurel House, eHarmonys relationship expert. Do they live in a cluttered mess while you are a neat freak? Do they have a collection of cats and you are allergic? Its matching with other people you are compatible with that increases your chances of having that connection go deeper and potentially become lasting and meaningful. I encourage daters to try online dating in places where real connections and compatibility are its core values.

And if youre someone who's been thriving in the virtual dating world, dont worry. Even post-pandemic, odds are this newfound approach to meeting other singles will stay put.

Video-dating is here to stay because its an effective screening process that saves time and effort not to mention money on pricey IRL dates, states Barrett. This is so much more effective than the pre-COVID model of online dating. You would swipe, match with someone, swap lots of text messages, get dressed up, and go meet them [just] to find out theres no spark. Thats a lot of time and effort for a disappointing date. Video dating makes the process more efficient and enjoyable. You can say, Hey, Im just not feeling it without leaving your couch. Video dating will long outlive the virus.

Even as restrictions loosen up across the country, that doesnt mean everyones automatically comfortable enough to venture to outdoor brunch for a date. There willstill be some who prefer the virtual approach, for the time being, focusing on the conversational aspect before approaching the physical one. With that said, a new and easy way to weed out potential partners is by being upfront about your stance on following COVID-19 guidelines.

If you care about your safety and the safety of others, the message from the scientists and health care providers is almost crystal clear: Avoid indoor gatherings of 10 or more people, wear a mask at all times unless you can be safely socially distant, socially distance at least six feet, and wash hands regularly, states Klapow. If you have any reservations about a potential dates safety protocols, you need to ask. A person who tells you it isnt important, it isnt real, or it doesn't really matter, is telling you a whole lot about themselves.

Just like in any other dating scenario, if you do agree to meet up in-person, communication and consent is key. The other person wont know your level of comfort and expectations unless you explicitly say them out loud. Sure, these questions may seem uncomfortable to ask, but wouldnt you say a positive COVID-19 test trumps that?

Are you comfortable shaking hands, hugging, kissing? Do you want to wear face masks, sit across from each other, sit outside? Conversation creates confidence, and you want to go into this date confidently, says House. Talking about these things before the meeting will minimize the pre-date stress of not knowing how to act, then cut out the potential initial awkward shake/hug/no-touch dance. Of course, follow any of your local CDC guidelines, but I see singles getting creative with in-person dates.

Theres no telling when well return to normalcy. Until a vaccine is readily available for the general public, chances are well be operating in a socially distant fashion for the long haul. That being said, we shouldnt dwell on the negative and wallow in the sadness of the situation. This pandemic has forced the world to slow down, and in turn, reassessday-to-day life. And what does that mean for those still hopeful that theyll find the one? Some really great things, actually.

Dating has quickly moved from a game to an opportunity to find real connections fast, notes House. Because we dont have as many social distractions or activities, we are focusing on what really matters in our lives, which for many of us is family, work, self-improvement, and finding love. With the focus on what matters, we are more emotionally invested as well, dedicating the time and energy to be present and on purpose.

Not only does Klapow agree, but he believes well see fewer dates that bomb and continue to bomb, courtesy of people being much better prepared for the first time they meet face-to-face. As much as the pandemic has limited interactions, it has forced those interactions to be more thoughtful, more intentional, and more deliberate.

Selectivity aint a bad thing, either. Standards are raised, the bar is high, and frankly, theres no reason to settle right now. Weve got all the time in the world, so use this as your opportunity to find that person that truly makes your heart skip a beat.

Weve become like bouncers at an elite club. Were more selective. Its harder to get past our door, says Barrett. As terrible as COVID-19 has been, raising our standards and refusing to settle is a good thing. Its a philosophy men should continue when were dating in a post-pandemic world.

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Why the COVID-19 Pandemic Might Actually Be Helping Your Dating Life - AskMen

HIV Self Tests Market: Introduction

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Key Drivers of Global HIV Self Tests Market

Rise in prevalence of HIV is projected to increase the demand for HIV self testing kits, which, in turn, is anticipated to boost the growth of the market. According to the WHO, HIV continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 32 million lives so far. In 2018, 770,000 people died of HIV-related causes globally.

Rise in adoption rate of HIV self-tests is projected to drive the HIV self tests market during the forecast period

Increase in awareness about importance of HIV diagnosis is expected to drive the market during the forecast period. According to the United Nations University (UNU) estimates, the percentage of the world population above 65 years of age is anticipated to increase from 9% in 2010 to 16% by 2050.

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North America to Hold Major Share of Global HIV Self Tests Market

North America is a leading market for HIV self tests. Growth of the market in the U.S. can be attributed to increase in the seroprevalence of the disease in the country. The efforts to increase awareness about the adverse effects in certain cases if left undiagnosed and untreated contributes to the increase in demand for diagnosis. Growth of the market in the region can be attributed to the increase in adoption of HIV self tests kits by young individuals.

Governments of the European countries have favorable reimbursement policies. This is anticipated to propel the market in Europe during the forecast period. Health care reimbursement is reforming significantly, which is driving people to undertake HIV self testing.

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HIV self tests market in Asia Pacific is projected to grow at a rapid pace in the near future. India and China are anticipated to be lucrative markets for HIV self testing kits during the forecast period, owing to high prevalence of HIV. Increase in awareness and implementation of government programs for HIV testing in pregnant woman is driving the growth of the segment.

Inclination toward the use of self testing kits in medical practice and overall improvement in health care infrastructure are major factors boosting the HIV self tests market in Asia Pacific

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Key Players Operating in Global Market

Major players operating in the global HIV self tests market are:

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HIV Self Tests Market: Rise in adoption rate of HIV self-tests is projected to drive the market - BioSpace

ROGERS, Ark. Registration is open for fall online training classes through University of Arkansas Professional and Workforce Development. Professional and Workforce Development provides quality online training classes and workshops virtually during this time of social distancing.

"U of A Professional and Workforce Development is excited to offer new courses and workshops in an online format that will allow you to advance your career and social distance at the same time," Nicole Zimmerman, marketing and education specialist for Professional and Workforce Development, said. "The fall lineup offers options of live-instructor led programs and self-paced courses."

Featured online training programs and courses include:

COVID-19 and the History of Pandemics Online, on-demand. Each of six modules explore the impact of a pandemic, including COVID-19, and how those pandemics altered the course of history. The cost is $25 per module.

2020 SHRM Learning System for SHRM-CP / SHRM-SCP Online, live stream and recorded sessions. This 15-week program runs 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, beginning Aug. 27. Prepare for SHRM certification exams to help establish yourself as a globally recognized human resource expert. The cost is $1,300.

Free Webinar Series Online, live stream beginning Sept. 3. Register for free, one-hour sessions on various topics, ranging from software basics to personal and professional improvement.

Innovative Management Series Online, live stream on Sept. 18. New and experienced managers can explore best practices and the practical 'how to' of management. The cost is $199.

APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) Exam Prep Course Tuesday evenings, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 22 through Dec. 8. Gain premier certification for end-to-end supply chain management. The cost is $1,699.

Product Management Training Online, instructor led, 10 Thursday sessions from 8 to 9 a.m. from Oct. 1 to Dec. 3. This practical program helps management acquire skills and competencies to define, develop and launch products, services and features. The cost is $1,299.

NN/g User Experience (UX) Certification Program Online and live stream sessions from Oct. 2 through Nov. 13. This five-day workshop prepares you for exams to earn UX certification from Nielsen Norman Group. Register for all five workshop sessions for $1,999. Previous UX attendees can register for individual sessions for $399 each.

IT Readiness Program Six-month program begins Oct. 12. Earn entry-level certifications in front-end, back-end, and Java development. The cost is $2,999.

More Training Options

U of A Professional and Workforce Development has temporarily shifted face-to-face training courses to online delivery to align with the U of A's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All professional and workforce development classes, conferences and workshops for fall 2020 will be offered online. For a complete listing of courses, please visit the U of A Professional and Workforce Development website.

Customized Training

Businesses and organizations can get training customized to fit specific needs. Get an initial needs assessment meeting at no cost to help identify needs and to craft solutions. Qualified companies may be eligible for grants to offset training costs.

For more information on these or other Professional and Workforce Development classes, contact the Rogers office at uarogers@uark.edu or 855-402-3300.

About University of Arkansas Professional and Workforce Development:University of Arkansas Professional and Workforce Development, a division of the Global Campus, is a hub for professional and workforce development programs. TheGlobal Campus provides expertise in developing and delivering both academic and training courses and provides instructional design services, media production and assistance with program planning and marketing.

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Online Training Courses and Programs Help Workers and Employers During Pandemic - University of Arkansas Newswire

CLEVELAND, Ohio Metallica has filmed a special concert that will be shown at drive-in theaters nationally on Saturday, Aug. 29. The Mayfield Road Drive-In in Chardon, the Blue Key Drive-In Theater in Wadsworth and the Magic City Drive-In Theater in Barberton will show the concert locally. Check ticketmaster.com/encore-metallica for times and tickets.

Other online events this week (all subject to change)

Country star Jason Aldean will deliver a virtual backyard performance at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, on Live Nations Twitter page (@LiveNation) as part of the companys Live From Home series.

San Franciscos Outside Lands goes virtual as Inside Lands, posting archival footage of performances by Jack White, Gorillaz, LCD Soundsystem, Anderson.Paak and many more Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28-29, on Twitch. More details via sfoutsidelands.com/insidelands/.

The British dance festival Creamfields, meanwhile, moves to the virtual realm this weekend with a House Party Edition at 7 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 29-30, with performances by Tiesto, Pete Tong, Fatboy Slim, Faithless, Jamie Jones, Carl Cox and many more. The party will be available via creamfields.com/houseparty, YouTube and Twitch.

String Cheese Incidents Friday Night Cheese comes from an Aug. 1, 2010 show at Hornings Hideout in North Plains, Ore., via nugs.tv. Tickets are $14.99.

South of Eden celebrates the release of its debut EP, The Talk, with a streaming show at 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28 live from Flannagans in its native Columbus, Ohio, on the bands Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Chris Janson will perform as part of Live At The Ryman at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, via ryman.com. Tickets start at $10.

Pianist Lafayette Gilchrist and saxophonist David Murray team up for livestreamed concerts from New Yorks Village Vanguard at 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Aug. 28-20. Access is $10. villagevanguard.com.

American Idol winner Lee DeWyze will stream live from the Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles at 10 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. Tickets are $20 and available at viddd.co.

GRiZ hosts a Virtual Kulabunga! retreat online from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 29-30, via Zoom. The event includes sessions on creative writing. philosophy, yoga, self-improvement fitness and other subjects. Tickets are $38.50 via eventbrite.com. The retreat takes the place of the Camp Kulabunga GRiZ has staged in Ortonville since 2018.

Progstocks online series episode for Saturday, Aug. 29 features Melanie Mau and Martin Schnella, Potters Daughter and more. Tickets are available via stageit.com/ProgStock. More information and updates at ProgStock.com.

One Directions Liam Payne is back online with The LP Show Act 2 at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29 -- the singers 27th birthday. Tickets are pay-what-you-want via liampayne.veeps.com.

Hard rockers Trivium stream a free concert, The Deepest Cuts, at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29 -- live from the groups Orlando, Fla. rehearsal space -- via frontman Matt Heafys Twitch channel.

Los Angeles Leimert Park Jazz Festival goes virtual at 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, via Facebook Live, with performances by Munyungo Jacksons Jungle Jazz Quartet, Michael ONeill & Friends, Dwight Trible and others. More details at leimertparkjazzfestival.com.

The Celtic troupe We Banjo 3 hosts its Follow The Light festival via livestream starting at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, joined by Gaelic Storm, Sharon Shannon, Nathan Carter and the East Pointers. A variety of ticket packages can be found via webanjo3.com.

Heavy rock supergroup Down celebrates its 25th anniversary with The Quarter Century Throwdown at 6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, via livefrom.events.com. Tickets are $9.

Keb Mo plays four solo acoustic shows, one early and late each day, on Aug. 29-30 for City Winery in Nashville. Tickets and other information can be found via citywinery.com/nashville/.

The Avett Brothers celebrate the release of their new album, The Third Gleam, with a streaming concert from the Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina at 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29 via nugs.tv. Free, with HD and 4K versions available for $24.99 and $34.99 respectively.

Players such as Stanley Jordan, David Broza, Rory Block, Laurence Juber and more will be part of Muriel Andersons All Star Guitar Night, moving to virtual space (allstartguitarnight.com) at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29 to benefit Guitars in the Classroom and Andersons Music for Life Alliance. Registration can be made at the shows web site.

Singer-songwriter Anders Osborne streams at 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29, from Tipitinas in New Orleans via nugs.tv. $11.99.

Hard rockers Seether celebrate the release of a new album, Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum with a livestream concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30. Tickets start at $20 via seether.veeps.com.Pre- and post-show sessions are also available.

Singer-songwriter Pete Yorn hosts a full, acoustic performance of his 2003 album Day I Forgot at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30. Tickets start at $15 via peteyorn.veeps.com.

CAM, Lindsay Ell, Cassadee Pope, members of Dr. Dog and Gone West and others perform as part of Get Your Vote On! a free virtual concert at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, presented by the Nashville Action Committee and HeadCount.org via nugs.tv.

Chris Daughtry resumes its Live From Home virtual acoustic tour, performing from Nashville for the Machine Shop in Flint at 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30. Tickets are $10, with VIP options, via daughtryofficial.com/events.

Peruvian-born singer Cecilia Noel will be joined by her husband, Men At Work frontman Colin Hay, and San Miguel Perez for an Ark Family Room streaming concert at 7:30 p.m. Sunday Aug. 30 via theark.org/ark-family-room-series. Free, with donations accepted for the performers and venue.

Brandy and Monica, who teamed for The Boy is Mine in 1988, will join together again for Verzuz event at 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 31 from Tyler Perry Studios, via Instagram Live.

Billboard magazine hosts Live at Home Sessions concerts at 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays via its Facebook page. This weeks lineup will be announced Monday, Aug. 31.

Los Angeles rockers The Aces stream a pair of concerts, at 2 and 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, via the bands official website. Tickets and other details via theacesofficial.com.

The venerable Colorado concert venue Red Rocks will host a Red Rocks Unpaused virtual series at 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, Sept. 1-3, via Twitter and visiblexredrocks.com. Performers include Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and Phoebe Bridgers on Tuesday, Megan Thee Stallion and Lil Baby on Wednesday and Sam Hunt and Brett Young on Thursday.

SummerStage Anywhere hosts a special Solidarity For Sanctuary concert will Carla Morrison, il.e, Kaina, Alaina Castillo and more at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1, via Amazon Musics Twitch channel.

Versatile Canadian singer-songwriter AHI plays an Ark Family Room series streaming concert at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1 via theark.org/ark-family-room-series. Free, with donations accepted for the performers and venue.

The Reverend Peytons Big Damn Band will make some big damn noise from his log cabin in Brown County, Ind. at 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3. Catch it on the groups Facebook page.

Britains The Magic Gang will take fan phone calls for seven hours, starting at noon Wednesday, Sept. 2, in a Death of the Live Stream event to celebrate the release of its new album Death of the Party. The session will stream live via Facebook and YouTube, with guest appearances from Sports Team and members of the Vaccines, Swim Deep, Spector and the Maccabees.

The Honey Straws will be joined by members of Phil Leshs Terrapin Family Band and Midnight North for a free streaming concert at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3 via nugs.tv.

Ghost of Paul Revere plays its entire Good At Losing Everything album at 9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 3, from the State Theater in Portland, Maine, via nugs.tv. $14.99 or $44.99 for a four-show pass.

South Carolinas NEEDTOBREATHE celebrates its new album, Out of Body, with an immersive concert experience from Nashville at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28. Tickets are available through the groups official web site, needtobreathe./merchmadeeasy.com.

Singer-songwriter Alan Williams begins a streaming series, Live From the Aviary, at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, via ditty.tv.com.

Lee Burridges All Day I Stream hosts Bross, Flowers On Monday and Amonita at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30 via twitch.tv/alldayistreamof.

Arturo OFarrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, along with guests plays a Virtual Birdland concert at 8:30 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, via Facebook and on YouTube.

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Metallica drive-in show, Jason Aldean backyard concert top this weeks virtual concert picks - cleveland.com

The Medal of Honor-winning soldier depicted in chart-topping Orlando Bloom war movie The Outpost has spoken out about his trauma from the bloody battle and the stress that led to his comrades drug overdose death.

Ty Carter, 40, was awarded the militarys highest decoration for bravery in the 2009 battle where 53 US troops at an Afghanistan base fought off almost 400 Taliban fighters.

The soldier described his struggle reliving the fight that took eight of his units lives when he played a cameo role in the Hollywood movie about his experience, in an interview this week with new lifestyle and self-improvement site Mr Feelgood.

OnOctober 3, 2009, Carter woke to the sound of bullets as hundreds of insurgents descended on Combat Outpost Keating, 14 miles from the border with Pakistan.

The Taliban attack had been planned for months and the 4th Infantry Division were outnumbered seven to one.

In the first of a sting of heroic acts during the fierce battle that ensued, the soldier repeatedly ran a 300 ft gauntlet of open ground to resupply his comrades with ammunition.

When he and four others were pinned down in a Humvee under gun and grenade fire, Carters thoughts flashed to his family back in California before he decided to step out the vehicle into the hail of bullets with his fellow infantryman Specialist Stephan Mace to give cover for the others to escape to shelter.

I had a four-year-old daughter. And my brother Seth was shot dead at a party in 2000. So when we were in that Humvee and I looked out there, I saw my brother or my daughter and I felt that I needed to get out there, Carter told Mr Feelgood. I knew I could help, and I knew I would.

Two of the three men were killed in that sprint, and Mace was left wounded on the ground.

Carters sergeant at first refused to let him go back for the injured man shouting Youre no good to him dead over the gunfire and explosions.

But after persuading the officer, Carter dodged rocket propelled grenades and rounds zipping over his head to get to Mace, giving first aid and then carrying him another 300 ft to safety.

Mace was airlifted away for medical treatment, but later succumbed to his wounds.

There was no love lost between Carter and Mace, but the war hero was still left wracked with guilt over his fellow soldiers death.

Stephan Mace and I were not friends, the veteran said. But just because I dont get along great with somebody doesnt mean I dont care about them or value their life.

So I wasnt going out there to save my loved one or my best friend. He was wearing the uniform so was part of my family, so I will do what I need to do.

When you see someone you know can help out there, suffering, it turns your brain to lava and your stomach into acid, and then your limbs turn numb but are full of negative energy. You feel so angry you can hardly breathe.

But as I was running out there I wasnt thinking about the bullets that were hitting all around or the explosions. All I was thinking was that I need to help this person.

And thats one of the reasons I had severe post-traumatic stress because I survived but Mace didnt.

Carter said at first he refused to accept the impact the battle, which killed eight US soldiers and was one of the bloodiest in the Afghan war, had on his mental health, fearing for his career if he was labeled as damaged goods.

When you are going through severe post-traumatic stress you dont actually notice it, he said. Its a complete mental changer you just know youre not feeling quite right, or a little off. But the people around you notice.

I was forced to go into counseling for the next two and a half years. My superiors ordered me to go or they were going to take my rank. I was very resistant at first I was escorted the first time I went to counselling.

The stigma is still out there. If youre in the military and you go to a counselor and you are labelled with PTSD [Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder], then you may get passed over for rank and you will probably be treated differently. But I would rather be passed over for rank than drink a handle of Jack Daniels and follow it with a .45.

Tragically, one of the Battle of Kamdesh survivors chose the latter.

In September 2010, less than a year after the skirmish, Pvt. Ed Faulkner Jr. died of an overdose on the drugs he had turned to in an attempt to deal with his trauma.

Carter calls Faulkner the ninth victim of the battle, and says his death spurred him to campaign to remove the stigma around seeking help for post-traumatic stress.

We need to just call it what it is: its just stress from the past. Its not a disorder, it is something thats supposed to happen. And as soon as people realize that, they are more likely to talk about it, Carter said.

The 40-year-old father-of-three retired from the military in 2014 a Staff Sergeant, after receiving the Medal of Honor from then President Barack Obama, and now spends his time encouraging military and first responders to seek help for stress.

His medal was given in August 2013, six months after another survivor, Staff Sergeant Clinton Romesha, received the same decoration for the battle, making it the only one since the Vietnam War to lead to two Medal of Honor awards.

The war hero said when he was offered a role in The Outpost movie, he took it on as a chance to tackle head on the trauma from the battle that still plagues him.

I helped to make The Outpost and Ive got a little cameo in it, Carter said. They flew me out to Bulgaria and I was there for most of the filming. I assisted the writers with the story since the beginning.

Every time I speak or do a lecture, I am reliving the worst day of my life. By talking about it, or watching The Outpost or the Netflix show, I am forcing myself to relive it so I dont get those nightmares or those flashbacks; so my heartrate doesnt rise every time I hear gunfire.

So every time I am feeling stressed or anxious, I grab a good whiskey and I watch the episode of the Netflix show about my story. The emotions come back sometimes, sometimes they dont, but then it relaxes me.

Its mentally draining, but then Im OK afterwards and I can do my own thing for the next two or three weeks until I start feeling stressed again, and I know thats my subconscious letting me know I need to relive it again. It doesnt work like this for everyone, but this is my process.

The new magazine that interviewed Carter, founded by model John Pearson and journalist Pete Samson, also aims to remove the stigma around men discussing and improving their mental health with inspirational stories, wisdom and pragmatic health advice.

Carters character in the movie was played by Caleb Landry Jones, and other members of his unit by Orlando Bloom, Scott Eastwood, Milo Gibson, and Jack Kesy.

The movie was based on the book The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor by CNN anchor Jake Tapper.

The Outpost was set to premiere at South By Southwest Film Festival this year, but due to the coronavirus pandemic was instead released on demand last month.

The movie spent two weekends as iTunes and AppleTVs top rented film.

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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 25, 2020 / Bettering yourself is an important part of self-growth in numerous realms of life. You must learn to grow with life as experiences change you and reinvent your outlook. This is the mentality of business entrepreneur Lailah Alese who is a businesswoman in numerous types of businesses. She has carried her mentality of self-improvement and growth to all that she does.

"I am a self-growth fanatic that strives to be the best person I can be. This desire for growth and self-mastery helps me excel in life and in business. I believe this is important because if you are not focused on bettering yourself and your business, you'll become stagnant and content, which hinders your ability to excel, reach new heights and create success." Lailah says.

Lailah has brought this mentality into every business she has started. She has worked hard and grown and succeeded throughout numerous other businesses. Starting off in the beauty industry, she branched out to try other things, which she has also accelerated at.

"I have been in the beauty industry for eight years-- that's where I started. I have an ecommerce store where I sell beauty products to beauty technicians. In October of 2019, after learning about Contract Bidding, I started a successful Commercial Cleaning Company. Aside from the contracts I already held, I was proud to be able to gain 17 Commercial Cleaning accounts in just two weeks during the Pandemic. I have an ebook that shares different methods to solidify more contracts for need-based businesses. In addition, through my Business Development Company, Blueprint Business Services, I have taught many students how to start or expand their businesses with my online course that teaches you how to win contracts in any field, city, and state as well as with local businesses and the federal government-- through bidding. Blueprint Business Services also provides a range of development services to assist with legitimizing and building your businesses credibility." Lailah explains.

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Her entrepreneurial spirit started at a young age. By age 6 and all throughout her middle and high school career, she found herself selling anything she could. She worked a few jobs before fully starting all of her businesses. She knew those previous occupations were not for her and that she belonged in the business world.

"Before going full time with entrepreneurship, I have worked for multiple small businesses doing ecommerce, operations, customer service management, and marketing. Being in these environments has taught me many valuable lessons, as well as the skills needed to thrive within business. Most importantly, I learned the most through trial and error. I am extremely happy to be able to inspire, motivate, and teach others what I've learned and excelled at over the years on my journey." Lailah recounts.

Lailah's advice when it comes to starting a successful business is to believe in yourself! The only person that holds you back from pursuing your dreams is you. Once you get over that blockage, you will be able to start a successful business and even help yourself live a better and fuller life.

"My advice is to believe in yourself. Believe that if you have a desire to start a particular business, understand that there is nothing holding you back but you. Not funds, not support, not a lack of knowledge-- because anything can be acquired. It is only a matter of believing in yourself and pursuing actions to find out how you can get it done. Not to mention-- if you're interested in starting a business, a great idea is a cleaning company or other similar need-based service businesses. Cleaning companies have extremely low startup costs under $500, and you can learn how to win commercial contracts as well as residential work easily. I have an ebook and a course to teach you the ins and outs. In addition, if you want to know if this is right for you or the services you provide, you can schedule a free phone consultation by going to http://www.blueprintbusinessservices.com." Lailah advises.

You can find out more about Lailah by following her on Instagram here. You can check out her business here.

CONTACT: Paula Henderson 646-736-2071 phendersonnews@gmail.com

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View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/603251/Finding-Success-By-Believing-In-Yourself-Lailah-Alese-Has-Mastered-Self-Growth-In-Order-To-Perfect-Her-Businesses

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Finding Success By Believing In Yourself: Lailah Alese Has Mastered Self Growth In Order To Perfect Her Businesses. - Yahoo Finance