The Up Stairs Lounge crowd gathers together in the bar, circa 1972. Credit: Courtesy of Johnny Townsend

Nearly 47 years ago, a fire shook the gay community in New Orleans. This week, a journalist will come to Ohio State to tell the tragic story.

Author Robert Fieseler will visit Denney Hall Friday to read from his book, Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation. The book won the Edgar Award in Best Fact Crime and Lambda Literarys Award for Emerging Writers, according to Fieselers website. A Q&A session and book signing will follow the reading.

Fieselers book focuses on the 1973 arson of the Up Stairs Lounge, a New Orleans gay bar, that killed 32 people and devastated the citys underground, blue-collar gay community. The event stood as the largest mass murder of homosexual people in U.S. history until the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Florida, Fieseler said.

Fieseler said the event received little media attention at the time and was largely ignored until recently.

A massacre in the past was deemed politically inconvenient due to its homosexual overtones and thus permitted to become an historic mystery, which is how it existed for decades, Fieseler said.

Fieseler is a journalist who has spent much of his career covering marginalized communities. As a member of the LGBTQ community, he said Tinderbox represents both a professionally and personally rewarding opportunity.

Ive always longed to try to understand what the past was like for people like myself, Fieseler said. What did they have to fight through? What was their daily reality like? And what sacrifices did they have to make so that I could live an open life in the way that I do?

Fieseler said he thinks that events like his upcoming reading are important in telling the stories of those who have long been silenced. He said his goal is to help people overcome victimhood and find empowerment.

Uncovering the truth behind mysterious and overlooked events such as the Up Stairs Lounge fire is essential to that empowerment, Fieseler said. He references author, anthropologist and filmmaker Zora Neale Hurstons quote, If you are silent about your pain, theyll kill you and say you enjoyed it.

Robert Fieseler will visit Ohio State Friday to read from his book, Tinderbox: The Untold Story of the Up Stairs Lounge Fire and the Rise of Gay Liberation. Credit: Portrait by Ryan Leitner

Fieseler said he finds that speaking about tragedies can bring relief.

There is nothing more exciting, nothing more fulfilling, nothing more essential, than attempting to, in present-day context, fight for your rights in America with a little bit of truth on your side, he said.

The reading was organized with assistance from Nick White, an assistant professor of English at Ohio State who teaches creative writing and queer literature. Fieseler said he met and formed a strong bond with White at a Mississippi book festival when they were both on a queer literary panel.

The book is talking about a queer history that has, until Robert wrote about it, not really been given its due, White said.

White said he is grateful to LGBTQ community members who have come before him to ensure his rights and people like Fieseler, who have documented and memorialized them. White also expressed a close personal connection with the subject matter of the book.

The reason why the book touched me so much was because I am a gay man from the South and a gay man from Mississippi, and I think about how hard, even today, it is to live out in places like Mississippi, where Im from. Its getting better certainly but theres still farther we can go.

The program is being held by the Master of Fine Arts creative writing program. Fieseler, a University of Michigan alum, said this will be the first time he sets foot on Ohio States campus.

The reading will take place at 4 p.m. Friday in Denney Hall Room 311. The program is free and open to the public. Books will be available for purchase.

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Visiting author will read from chronicle of tragic event in LGBTQ history - OSU - The Lantern

Key Takeaways

The Host Leadership Field Book: Building Engagement for Performance and Results provides 30 cases and experiences from people who are applying host leadership in different settings. The book emerged from the 2019 Host Leadership Gathering, and was edited by Mark McKergow and Pierluigi Pugliese.

InfoQ readers can download the introductory chapter from the Field Book which describes the book and provides a summary of the Host Leadership roles and positions.

InfoQ interviewed Mark McKergow and Pierluigi Pugliese about host leadership.

InfoQ: What made you decide to create this book?

Mark McKergow: It was Pierluigis idea. We were thinking about the 2019 Host Leadership Gathering which he was keen to host in Munich, and he suggested that rather than just have a conference/meeting, we could have an objective to actually create something as a purpose for the event. It has been wonderful to see the contributions coming together, both from those participating on the day and those who put their hands up and volunteered afterwards. Its a great chance to see how Host Leadership is in use around the world in so many different practical ways, five years after the original Host book was published.

Pierluigi Pugliese: It all started with an observation I made many years ago: while Open Space conferences are great, usually there is not much that becomes available to people who did not participate; either you were there and it was wonderful, or you missed it all. Actually, Harrison Owen had already codified the concept of "Instant Proceeding" in his book "Open Space Technology"; I had just never seen it implemented in practice (with the exception of a few in-house events I facilitated). So for a while I had played with the idea of using that format to create something collaboratively to give back to the community. Once Mark mentioned the idea of having an Open Space day as part of the Host Leadership Gathering, it was just a matter of connecting the dots ...

InfoQ: For whom is the book intended?

McKergow: Its intended for anyone interested in building engagement within their teams, organisations and communities to lead to better performance and results. We think that leading as a host is a great way to do that, and its borne out by the book chapters. So potential users might be helping agile teams, project leaders, school principals, healthcare professionals, local community organisers - anyone wanting to bring people together to achieve something in an effective way.

Pugliese: Agree with Mark. And for me, this book is also an invitation to explore the metaphor of the Host in more detail; while its very easy to understand and to apply it at a basic level, there is a wealth of richness in exploring how the Host interacts with the Guests in all the possible configurations.

InfoQ: How do you define host leadership?

Pugliese: For me, Host Leadership is a superb way to reflect on how we interact with people. While we typically all agree that leadership is about having followers, many other authors still place the leaders in the middle, describing with various levels of prescriptiveness what they should or should not do, usually forgetting that in order to have an interaction we need to be at least two ... They might be talking about post-heroic leadership (for example see why your organisation needs post-heroic leadership), but the focus and the language used are still referring to the leader in a heroic fashion: "the leader is ...". Host Leadership is different in this respect: while the Host needs to take on - for example - the Inviter role, the "how" this is done, the focus on the interaction with the Guests, is so definitive that it makes a lot of difference in practice. Its not anymore about "me", but about "us", and how we relate. Suddenly, the interaction between Host and Guests is what is worth talking about!

McKergow: The great thing about Host Leadership is thats it is BOTH a metaphor and a model. The metaphor can do a lot of work on its own - indeed there are a couple of chapters (notably the piece by agile consultant Gry Derbier) that are totally about his use of the metaphor to get people to think differently about what they are trying to do. We all know about being a host, and also about being a good guest. So suppose you ARE the host in this situation, and the other people are your guests ... what would you do next? Its amazing how much rich new thought and insight this simple activity can provide.

Then there is the model, which is about stepping forward and back, six roles and four positions of a host leader. These are summarised in the first chapter of the book. Briefly, the six roles are:

Our four positions of a host leader are places to stand (physically or perceptually) to get different perspectives on what is going on and what needs to happen next:

Host leaders use these roles and positions, stepping forward into the role which needs to happen next, with a focus on helping people interact usefully and constructively.

InfoQ: How does host leadership differ from other modern leadership approaches like leader-leader (from Turn the Ship Around), servant-leadership, or humble leadership?

McKergow: I see Host Leadership as a build on the ideas of servant-leadership. Robert Greenleafs ideas and writings have been important over the last 40 years or so. We think Host Leadership is a more complete and easier to grasp idea; yes, host leaders serve their guests - and they do a whole lot of other things to which actively contribute to success. Hosting feels more like an active leading role to many people, which helps them start off in this direction more easily. Its a rich idea for which we have a lot of existing competence and experience - both conscious and unconscious. Hardly anyone has servants anymore, so that role may be less familiar and accessible to the vast majority. Its not an accident that the places where servant-leadership has gained traction are places where they have a sophisticated idea of what service means, such as church organisations.

In comparison to the other leadership approaches, I think Host Leadership benefits from being both an instantly-understandable metaphor and a rich model. People get an initial idea of what its about right away (from the metaphor). They can then explore the model in more depth to extend their understanding and get new insights. I love David Marquets ideas in Turn the Ship Around, but there is no shortcut - you have to read the book to understand them. Think like a host is something people already know how to do (at some level) - they can start in a flash and then deepen their understanding later, based on real actions and experience.

Pugliese: For me, Host Leadership is more than a leadership approach: its an approach to human interactions, with leadership being one of the application fields. For me it is also not an alternative to other approaches but rather integrative! You might want to use the ideas of Humble Leadership, yet in order to interact with your organisation you will have to initiate, invite, create a space, i.e. Host Leadership might be the operational tool you can use to implement other leadership ideas and models. Yet, on the other hand, Host Leadership could be everything you need, as Gry Derbier hints in his book chapter "Can it be that simple?", where he describes how a minimalistic usage of the metaphor was everything he needed to achieve great results.

InfoQ: The book contains experience stories on applying host leadership. Can you give some examples of the stories?

McKergow: The book contains some 30 stories about people using Host Leadership in many different settings. Some of these are about using Host Leadership over an extended period. I like the chapter where Bjorn Z Ekelund and his colleagues from Norway are working with six refugee families, with the workers consciously shifting their professional perspective for the first time from we are helping you, to lets do this together. Its fascinating how they apply the different roles over a six-month period which results in the families, as well as the professionals, becoming more engaged and more connected to each other, and towards positions with more dignity and more personal empowerment.

In a different vein, there is a super chapter from Rachel Lindner in Germany about hosting global virtual teams as part of a cross-cultural initiative. She not only shows how using Host Leadership roles and positions have helped her build these virtual teams quickly and effectively, but also how she then encouraged the team members to take on hosting/leading roles on their own. There is a fascinating piece from Hans Christian Nielsen and Jonas Hedegaard from Denmark about how the Roskilde Festival - N. Europes largest music festival with 130,000 attendees - uses the principles of hosting to rapidly transition from a small full-time team to an organisation of 30,000 volunteers and back again within weeks.

Not all the stories are about such large-scale ventures. For example, there are chapters about using host ideas within a coaching framework. I have already mentioned Gry Derbiers chapter where he coaches people to just think like a host, and in a few moments they have new insights and realisations about working with others. I have a chapter with Peter Roehrig about using the Users Guide To The Future framework from the original Host book as a coaching tool - its a wonderful way to start with a huge idea and break it down into well-founded actionable steps within a few minutes. Theres a very nice chapter from Pierluigi himself alongside Markus Reinhold about taking a hosting perspective as a trainer, preparing and running training courses and workshops. There are also chapters about teaching Host Leadership ideas and inspiring people to start using them.

Pugliese: There is also a section on using Host Leadership and agility; the metaphor has become very popular in Agile and many people are applying it in the most varied situations: from daily standups to retrospectives to creating communities. And while this section might be the first one the readers of this site are interested in, I found many other chapters to be incredibly inspiring in my work with agile teams and organisations.

InfoQ: What are the challenges when moving towards host leadership and how do people deal with them?

McKergow: We have found that once people become aware of the possibility of leading as a host, many people take to it relatively quickly and enthusiastically. Its so usable right out of the box; people connect to their existing knowledge and experience and away they go! The difficulty is not in getting them to start using it once they know about it. If anything, the challenge has been more about getting them to keep going past this initial success to really engage with the richness and multi-dimensional possibilities of the model. There is so much potential and nuance in the six roles and four positions, but not everyone is prepared to take it on right away. We are hopeful that this book will be an encouragement to dig a little further into these ideas and practices.

Pugliese: I fully agree with Mark; there is an incredible potential in the metaphor that remains untapped because once people use it and have success with just the rudiments, they stop exploring. There is more to it - and I also hope the book will inspire people to go deeper.

However, a very interesting aspect for me is the lack of challenge in implementing it; Ive seen people change completely the way they interact with others after just having learned the metaphor. There is something in Host Leadership that resonates very naturally with some people, and once they become aware of the very idea of hosting, thats enough for a significant change.

For one of my clients we developed an advanced education program for Scrum Masters, and once I suggested they include Host Leadership, they recognised the potential and they wanted it as the overarching frame for the entire program!

InfoQ: How do the host leadership roles fit into organisations that work according to agile?

McKergow: We find that many organisations who work with agile have taken on the servant-leadership idea, and then struggle with it. Its great to want to serve your teams, but what does that mean? How do you perhaps reconcile accountability as a manager/team leader with simply serving? We find that the idea of hosting the team is in many ways more graspable and achievable - the six roles are all things that the host leader can do and look after, which are to do with helping the team come together productively rather than trying to control the results of the meeting.

Another subtle difference is in the way that the leader has their own potential say in the discussions - as a coach/facilitator, the leader is supposed to stay out of it. As a host, they are also a co-participator and have the option to (carefully) offer their own thoughts on whats happening. Just as leaders eat last, hosts too hear others first before offering their ideas.

Pugliese: Id say: perfectly, and in two ways:

InfoQ: How can we apply host leadership for distributed, dispersed, or virtual teams?

McKergow: Thats an excellent question! We think that Host Leadership can fit well with these kinds of setting. Firstly, there is good experience in the Rachel Lindner chapter mentioned above about virtual teams. Because the channels of communication are narrower in a virtual context, it can be even more important to take care to invite people carefully, make a great space for interaction, share time, make sure everyone is included, connect people together afterwards and generally make effective use of the precious together-time.

Then as time goes on, the hosting role can be shared- either with different people taking on different elements of the hosting, or people acting a host leaders in their own spaces and places to engage even more people. Its a powerful combination to show host leadership (by doing it), to teach it (by making people more consciously aware of what you are doing and why), and to encourage others to use it for themselves. This same kind of tactic can be used in distributed or dispersed teams as well. It makes for a coherent approach within the team/organisation, which is itself a powerful move for alignment and engagement.

Pugliese: Just be the best Host you can! Again, Host Leadership is about interacting better as humans. You can invite face-to-face or over a phone line or via email; there is no structural difference in how you do it. And it becomes an even more important skill when working remotely; it seems to me Host Leadership makes the intention of an interaction clearer and inherently more respectful.

InfoQ: How can we use host leadership in training, mentoring, and coaching?

McKergow: Thinking and leading as a host fits very well with the functions of training, mentoring and coaching. Because the host is always looking to promote useful interaction and engagement, the six roles can all play their part. We both come from the field of Solution-Focused (SF) coaching, where the focus is on helping the coachee/learner connect with their own experiences, hopes and wishes, rather than imposing our own ideas. Good hosting can have such a huge impact on the quality of the dialogue, reflection and learning that occurs; when the client really feels heard, understood, appreciated, looked after, then they are in a position to go further, deeper, be more challenging (and also possibly challenged).

InfoQ: How can organisations introduce host leadership?

McKergow: This is a question that comes up from time to time. We find people coming along, enthusiastic and fired-up, wanting to convert their whole team, department or organisation. We always urge caution! You might love this, but if you start hitting people over the head with it (in your desire to get things moving), then its hard to see good things emerging. Go slowly. Use it yourself. Dig in a little bit to the aspects of the model. Start getting results yourself. Then, when people are noticing that youve become more effective, more caring, more aware in your leadership, that might be a good time to let them into the ideas and encourage them to start trying things for themselves.

There are stories emerging from around the world about people starting to introduce and teach the approach. Ralph Miarka and Veronika Kotrba from Austria show a way of getting people focused on the relationships implied in different leadership approaches, which works very well. (If you think youre a shepherd, do you really want the others to be sheep!?) Host leaders, of course, and view the other people as their guests, which is already the start of some very interesting conversations. Host Leadership can be an integrating metaphor, as another chapter produced by participants to the Host Leadership Gathering points out. And Leah Davchva from Bulgaria shows how she introduces the metaphor and model in a four-hour workshop, complete with downloadable posters. Its a great resource.

Pugliese: Start simple: the very simple metaphor of behaving as a Host would is a very powerful game changer for many people. Then, you can explore the six roles and the four positions, and finally delve into more and more nuances.

Having a few good examples of Hosts in your organisation can make it spread. My observation is that this metaphor speaks very strongly to some people; its natural, it rationalises a way they would like themselves to be, hence they start using it very naturally and become role models for its application in a company.

InfoQ: What skills should host leaders have and how can they develop them?

McKergow: Thats a huge question! The starting point is to bring both a large-scale awareness of what you are trying to do, and line it up with some great attention to detail. An outward focus is very important too - its very hard to be a good host leader if you are self-obsessed or inward looking. (But that doesnt mean that introverts cant succeed - some of the very best host leaders we know enjoy having the chance to take on a people perspective from time to time and use their inner resources to prepare and reflect.) Alertness and awareness are key - you have to be both a good planner AND be able to adjust and adapt as things move along. Working with complexity (as opposed to fighting it or simply giving in) is a key benefit from the Host Leadership stance. Surprising as it might sound, we find that if the ideas of Host Leadership speak to you, you will very likely be able to make a great start with your existing skills and experience, and then build on these as you go along.

Pugliese: Situational awareness comes to my mind, which means being open to the signals coming from the world around us. A few months ago, I attended a meeting where one person behaved in a very toxic way. The whole group was uncomfortable about the way this guy took control of the discussion and made it his show. He was simply not picking up any of the non-verbal signals coming from the twenty-something people kept "hostages" by him in that meeting; it was clear to everybody how unaware he was of the situation around him, yet, he continued. Anyway, I think situational awareness is a basic skill for everything related to human communication, not just for learning to be a Host.

Yet, I believe that simply appreciating what it means to be a Host in your daily communication might help you develop the necessary observational skills to become a better Host.

InfoQ: What's next for host leadership?

McKergow: We are keen to find more ways to support people wanting to try Host Leadership and then expand their ability. We are thinking of adding a Resources page to our website soon to help with this - there are some good resources out there, but they are not yet very well assembled and accessible. Were keen to keep adding resources to the Field Book too - there are a couple of chapters that arrived too late for the book, but that we want to make available through the website. Wed like to get more conversations going in our LinkedIn and Facebook groups, so please sign up to those. And the next Host Leadership Gathering will be in Vienna, Austria, on 13-15 May, 2020!

In the longer term, there is an excellent chapter towards the end of the Field Book from Mark McKergows original co-author Helen Bailey. She writes about how the simplicity of the basic Host Leadership idea belies its depth, and that the way forward for those wishing to deepen their practice is not to learn more about it, but rather to revisit the basic ideas again with new eyes and new experiences. Our understanding of these ideas continues to grow and expand, and were keen to support people along the journey.

Mark McKergow pioneered the idea of hosting and leadership starting in 2003 and wrote the book Host: Six New Roles of Engagement with Helen Bailey (Solutions Books, 2014). He is a speaker, author, consultant and trainer who brings new ideas into the world of management. He loves ideas that make things easier, simpler, shorter and more effective than people thought possible. McKergow is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. His previous work in accelerated learning and Solutions Focus has taken him around the world, and his book The Solutions Focus (with Paul Z Jackson, Nicholas Brealey, 2007) has been translated into 11 languages.

Pierluigi Pugliese is founder and managing director of Connexxo GmbH and active as Agile Coach, Systemic Consultant and Trainer. He has a lot of experience in various roles in software development organisations and complex international projects. As an expert in agile and Scrum, he is working flexibly in various functions: consultant, coach, trainer, facilitator, depending on whether the client wants to implement agile methods in just one team or spread the agile values and principles throughout the whole organisation.

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Q&A on The Host Leadership Field Book - InfoQ.com

People Post is a space for opinion pieces, letters to the editor and guest submissions from members of the Long Beach community. The following is an op-ed submitted by Phil Hawkins, CEO of Pacific West Association of Realtors,and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Long Beach Post.

According to Long Beach City Councilman Rex Richardson during the Jan. 7, 2020 council meeting on his proposed housing bond ballot measure, the vote was merely about a cup of coffee a month, or less than a monthly Netflix bill. Not supporting his Everyone In initiative at that amount would be, well, according to him, anything less than democracy minded.

Richardons attempt to place a $298 million affordable housing and homeless services bond financed by property taxes on the Nov. 3 ballot ultimately failed in a 5-4 vote.

But if Richardson was really about good governance and empowerment as he asserts, he wouldnt have tried to railroad through a measure he knew lacked council support in the name of slogans and to undermine his colleagues up for re-election in March. No wonder voters have a higher opinion of root canals, traffic jams and used-car salesmen than politicians.

Attempting to present a September 2017 staff memo as a now is the time to act item and ignoring 28 other recommendations on revenue tools and incentives for the production of affordable and workforce housing adopted by the council in May 2017 makes one wonder if Richardson was really paying attention while he was vice mayor.

Raising property taxes to make housing more affordable is the exact opposite of creating a local economy that includes and benefits every resident. Contrary to what was stated by some, the December 2019 median sales price of a home in Long Beach was $650,000. Many in the council chamber chanted, make them [homeowners] pay, they can afford it. In this case, it would be more like four coffees a month per homeowner, but whos counting? And our Long Beach leaders wonder why, according to property tax data, theres only a 38% homeownership rate in the city, 17% less than the state, and why rents are rising for the other 62%.

If we want to talk about equity around the investment in the production of affordable housing and capacity to address homelessness, residents need to know that Richardsons proposal would have meant a building cost of $463,472 per affordable housing unit to be borne by taxpayers. And no, that doesnt include homelessness services in the cost. Modeled after the city of Los Angeles measure, by 2023 we might have a few more units opening in Long Beach, meanwhile the homeless rate increases by 40% and not one of the roughly 78,000 residents who are housing cost burdened have been helped. Wheres the equity in that?

Tuesdays night meeting was a display of personal attacks, name calling and incivility. Apparently, the quality of being fair and impartialthe definition of equityis reserved to one point of view. We deserve and expect more from our leaders, and our fellow neighbors, if we truly want Long Beach to flourish and not flounder.

Link:
Opinion: Richardson played politics on homelessness bond and civility lost out - Long Beach Post

By Express News Service

TIRUCHY: Dissent and protests are part of democracy, Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu said on Friday while addressing students in the city. He, however, stressed that protests should be peaceful and the destruction of public properties should not be allowed. Naidu was speaking at National College as the chief guest of its centenary celebrations.

He emphasized that one should not allow violence to take place in any public activity and that peace was the pre-requisite for progress.

Further, Naidu advised students not to waste time during the course of their study and instead be pragmatic. There is nothing wrong in knowing different ideologies, but practice them once you are out of educational institutions.

He added, Your focus should be on academic excellence for better future. We must pursue education with all vigour. Students must draw inspiration from our glorious history to make a magnificent future.

The Vice-President appealed to students to dispel political tainting of initiatives like yoga promotions, Swachch Bharat, digital India and Clean India. He said the initiatives were for personal well being and nations development and should not be viewed politically.

Appreciating Tamil Nadu for its higher Gross Enrolment Ratio, (enrolment into higher education)he said more is needed to be done. He said private players should also invest in education. Investment in education is investing in countrys development, he said.

ALSO READ | Campuses shouldnt let politics of hate thrive: Venkaiah Naidu

He added, Literacy is the first step to empowerment. We must hence step-up the pace of our literacy campaigns, especially those that have an impact on adult literacy.

Referring to ancient India where education was free, egalitarian and accessible to both men and women, he said, "The curriculum was comprehensive and placed equal emphasis on the intellectual, emotional, psychological and physical development."

He called for restoring ancient glory where India was the educational capital of the world by fortifying modern education with ancient wisdom to face todays real-world challenges.

He said that the treasure of wisdom handed down to us by generations of wise men and womenneeded to bepreserved, protected and promoted.

Naidu also suggested students learn as many languages as possible.

Among those present at the event were Vice President of National College Jayakar Krishnamurthy, Secretary K Ragunathan and Principal R Sundararaman.

Continued here:
Nothing wrong with different ideologies, practise them after college: Venkaiah Naidu to Tiruchy students - The New Indian Express

By Landon Manning

The South Korean Presidential Committee on the Fourth Industrial Revolution (PCFIR), a committee focused on coordinating regulatory policy around cutting-edge technology in the country, has made recommendations that the government work toward institutional acceptance of crypto assets, causing some to speculate that South Korea is preparing for a crypto arms race against the Chinese digital yuan.

Local media outletBusiness Koreareportedon January 6, 2020, that the PCFIR suggested that the Korean government allow financial institutions to launch cryptocurrency-related products, such as Bitcoin derivatives, as a medium- and long-term strategy for the institutionalization of cryptocurrencies.

As part of this strategy of working toward both nearer and longer term goals, the committee also recommended the development and implementation of a Korean custody solution to avoid relying solely on foreign custodians in the process of handling crypto assets.

This problem seems especially salient for South Korea, as it also formally recommended directly listing bitcoin for sale on Korea Exchange, the nations sole securities operator. Additionally, the report called for the legalization of private firms selling futures on bitcoin products. For this latter measure, the report explicitly drew comparisons to governments like the United States, which have enacted similar measures, calling these regulations a model to be emulated.

Given the way that the PCFIR referenced the international crypto industry, specifically claiming that it is no longer possible to stop crypto-asset trade worldwide, commentators havedrawn attentionto Chinas test phase of developing its own state-backed crypto asset: the digital yuan. The Chinese economy being a significant competitor to South Koreas in a wide range of areas (and also considering Chinas support for North Korea) adds validity to this notion that South Korea has a rivalry with the economic giant in mind in its own approach to formal crypto adoption.

The proposal of these new measures has not been the only crypto-friendly overture from the South Korean government recently. On December 30, 2019, the Ministry of Finance and Strategyconfirmedthat nothing in the countrys tax code currently supports the taxation of capital gains made through trading cryptocurrencies. Although there has been some chatter that the government will seek to tighten its tax codes in the future, concrete legislative attempts are yet to materialize.

Although it is unclear what amount of material resources the South Korean government will commit to the promotion of cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies, the suggestion that it will allow private firms more leeway to expand their services independently is a good start. As the possible global implications of Chinas new program begin to crystallize, South Koreas response will surely also become clearer.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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South Korea Moves Toward Institutional Acceptance of Cryptocurrency - Nasdaq

Scientists are increasingly certain that Alzheimers and other dementias are caused by many factors. Genetics certainly play a major role, but researchers are increasingly focusing on other issues such as inflammation, blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, among others. Even conditions such as untreated depression and anxiety are believed to contribute to the likelihood of developing dementia.

Thats why a new review that confirms that your diet can significantly influence mental health and well-being is drawing attention. Published in the peer-reviewed journal European Neuropsychopharmacology, the review found increasing evidence of a link between a poor diet and the worsening of mood disorders such as anxiety and depression.

Among the reviews specific findings:

A high fat and low carbohydrate diet (also known as a ketogenic diet) can help children with epilepsy.

A vitamin B12 deficiency can contribute to fatigue, poor memory and depression.

A Mediterranean diet, high in vegetables and olive oil, provides some protection against depression and anxiety.

But the reviews lead author Suzanne Dickson of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden cautions that studies about specific conditions are often spotty at best. With individual conditions, we often found very mixed evidence, she said in a news release.

There is a general belief that dietary advice for mental health is based on solid scientific evidence, Dickson continued. In reality, it is very difficult to prove that specific diets or specific dietary components contribute to mental health.

One independent scientist who reviewed the study said that despite high-quality research (mostly involving animals), much remains to be discovered about the connection between nutrition and mental health in humans.

This comprehensive review sheds light on hypes and hopes, facts and fictions in the new field of nutritional psychiatry, Andreas Reid, a professor at University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, said in the news release.

The potential societal impact of this rapidly developing field is enormous, Reid cautioned. We must be scientifically sound in making our recommendations.

While researchers cannot point to one specific diet as the key to lessening depression, scientists are increasingly certain that getting evaluated and treated for depression can improve or maintain cognitive function in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), which is considered to be the first stage of Alzheimers.

In addition, older adults with depression are believed to be twice as likely to develop dementia, and 65 percent more likely to develop Alzheimers.

Researchers are also increasingly certain that eating better and reducing weight to address issues such as type 2 diabetes, blood pressure and other so-called lifestyle conditions can make a difference in lowering risk for dementia. Boosting exercise is also seen as key.

The World Health Organization published a report on ways to prevent dementia, including undertaking 150 minutes a week of aerobic exercise, eating a balanced diet and drinking in moderation (or not at all).

Read more:
Can Diet Improve Mental Health? Examining the Link Between the Brain and What You Eat - Being Patient

January usually happens like clockwork: a slew of new self-help books, articles and slimming blogs encourage you to be your best self, often by adopting a radical new diet that promises to blitz those spare inches around your waist for good.

The problem is, many crash diets encourage periods of miserable fasting and cutting out sometimes entire good groups overnight, and demonise food to the point where youre whole relationship with eating can be under threat.

According to fitness guru Joe Wicks who has successfully helped thousands of people to lose weight staying on these restrictive diets for a long period of time is often unrealistic and unhealthy. Even if you do lose weight initially, its not unusual to gain it again (plus even more, in some cases) before the spring comes around.

Thankfully, attitudes around diet culture are changing. A new survey commissioned by recipe box company Gousto (gousto.co.uk) has found two-thirds (68%) of UK adults believe the one-size-fits-all model just doesnt work.

So, how can you shed those excess pounds in a safe and effective way? We asked Wicks to give us some quick tips

Why should people avoid restrictive diets in January?

Its the time of year now where everyone wants to make changes to their life, whether thats with exercise or food, but the last thing you want to do especially if youre someone who really loves food is to go on a low-calorie diet, says Wicks, 33.

Sure, it will work in the short-term and youll probably lose weight on the scales, but emotionally its going to absolutely ruin you. Youre going to be so exhausted, you wont enjoy it and its not going to be a sustainable approach.Joe Wicks is urging people to avoid jumping on the crash-diet bandwagon (Gousto/PA)

Try to think about a long-term vision, as opposed to a quick crash diet. Incorporate it with exercise and cooking with fresh ingredients at home; youre much more likely to succeed throughout the year.

Why do people fail at New Years diets?

Because theyre awful, arent they? Dieting is normally all about how little you can eat and how much exercise you can do. When you combine those two things, it effects your sleep, your mood and your energy levels.

If I could give you one tip, its to focus on getting yourself moving instead. I always tell people to start with 15-20 minutes a day of exercise at home; this will get your energy levels up and your self-esteem boosted. Exercising is going to have a massive effect on your food choices and your ability to go into the kitchen and cook yourself something healthy.

Trying to do everything all at once is a bit much, he adds. Focus on fitness first, and the rest will hopefully follow.

What other tips do you have for those looking to lose weight this year?

Have a look at your portion control. Im not saying to count calories, but to keep your plate to a healthy size. The good thing about exercise is that it elevates your mental health and your mood so much that you dont want to go and put junk food in your body afterwards.

Meal prepping is one of the best things you can do too. If you leave the house without food, youre going to grab options on-the-go, which will likely be unhealthy convenience food.

Thats fine to do once or twice a week, but if youre doing it a lot, youre never going to truly know exactly how much youre consuming. The simple act of making some overnight oats for breakfast, or a salad for lunch can make a huge difference over time when it comes to staying lean.

What are you favourite ingredients for healthy eating?

I really think its great to have chopped tomatoes, coconut milk, curry powder, spices and tins of lentils, pulses, grains and beans in your cupboard. With these key ingredients, you can make really amazing veggie curries, or you could throw some chicken in there for some extra protein. Rice is also a great staple for making quick stir-fries after work.

Theres no magic fat-loss food; its all about getting a good balance of everything and getting lots of fruits and veg in your diet.

Its good to be a bit intuitive with it ask yourself what foods make you feel energised and healthy? Dont think you have to jump onto a certain diet because everyone else is doing it.

Do you follow a flexitarian diet yourself?

Yes. I eat a lot of veggie meals and with Gousto, I get four recipe boxes delivered per week that I can make at home. Three of those will be vegetarian and one will be meat-based.

Thats a massive step for me. During the process of researching and writing my veggie cookbook, Veggie Lean in 15 (16.99, Pan Macmillan), I realised that you can get really amazing food as a vegetarian. Im still not fully committed to going hardcore vegan though.

Many people feel like they dont have time to cook healthily, do you think thats untrue?

I really think you have to remove that time barrier from your mind. We know full well that we can smash a Netflix series in a couple of days or watch our soaps, so we can all find half an hour to exercise or cook well if we prioritise it.

It doesnt need to be hours in the kitchen either. My whole philosophy with my Lean in 15 series is that you can make a really healthy and nutritious meal in just 15 minutes, and have some leftover for lunch the next day.

Its that kind of mentality of prepping in advanced and being organised that works in the long-run.

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Joe Wicks on why you shouldn't try restrictive dieting this January - Irish Examiner

Weve all done it. On January 1, youre gung-ho about keeping up that healthy eating regimen. But by mid-month, that resolution to choose kale over cookies has flown out the window. We asked Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, how to succeed at eating better in 2020.

Focus on the short term. While a lucky few can overhaul their diet when the clock strikes midnight, thats rarely realistic. For many people, a complete revamping of your diet overnight is not feasible, says Mozaffarian, who suggests incremental changes instead. Very focused, specific goals with a clear timeline tend to work best, like planning to eat at least one serving of fruit for breakfast five days a week. After youve kept that up through January, you can resolve to keep it going for the rest of the year.

Track your progress. Its vital to have some form of feedback to tell you how youre doing, says Mozaffarian, who is also Jean Mayer Professor of Nutrition and Medicine. Whether its with an apptheres a multitude to track grocery purchases or mealsor just writing on a piece of paper, having documentation of your choices will help you succeed. Peer support is also incredibly helpful. Doing this with somebody, especially in your family, works much better, Mozaffarian says. A doctor or friend can help, too.

Use addition, not subtraction. Rather than focusing on the foods you should remove from your diet, hone in on the nutrient-dense options to add in. We need to shift to thinking of food as a positive, Mozaffarian says, Adding good foods is really a good place to start. He suggests incorporating fruits, beans, nuts, fish, yogurt, and vegetables into your meal plans. After all, a lot of people are sick because they dont get enough good foods, not too many bad foods, he says.

Its about more than the pounds. While many people see eating healthier as a means to hitting a goal weight, Mozaffarian says the benefits go far beyond reaching a number on the scale. People can have weight goals, but eating healthy is incredibly important regardless of weight changes, he says. Even if you dont lose weight, people are healthier in the long run. He suggests thinking of a healthy diet, exercise, and weight management as three separate, yet linked, goals. If youre thin and youre eating poorly, youre at risk of many diseases, Mozaffarian says. Weight should be the third priority on the list. If you eat healthy and you exercise more, it doesnt matter what your weight isyoure healthier.

READ MORE ADVICE ON STICKING WITH YOUR RESOLUTIONS:

1. How to set a goal to save more money this year

2. Six ways to be a better friend in 2020

3. If you want to read more, you dont need to start with Shakespeare

4. Waste less time on your phone with this simple trick

5. Exercise made easy: The hidden power of taking a walk

6. How to be kinder in Boston, Americas fifth rudest city

7. Whats more important than a barbell for exercise? A pencil

8. Four realistic steps to eating healthier in 2020

____________

Megan Johnson is a writer in Boston. Follow her on Twitter @megansarahj. Send comments to magazine@globe.com.

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Four realistic steps to eating healthier in 2020 - The Boston Globe

Monday may be the most unloved day of the week. For many people, it represents returning to work after the relaxation of the weekend.

But Mondays also may be the best day to start a healthy new routine not just as a New Years resolution but at any time of the year.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland say that Mondays should be viewed as a day for fresh starts.

The hashtag #MondayMotivation trends for a reason.

And with New Years Day 2020 falling on a Wednesday, this first Monday of the year is the day that many people are kicking off their New Years resolutions, 85 percent of which are reportedly health related.

The Monday Campaigns Healthy Monday Reset initiative supports New Years resolutions throughout the year.

The program provides weekly reminders to reinforce habits and actions that can prevent heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other debilitating chronic health conditions, said Ron Hernandez, managing director of the Monday Campaigns.

The Monday Cues circulated by the nonprofit can range from reminders to practice deep breathing for 5 to 8 minutes to combat stress as well as recipes for meatless meals and encouragement to increase exercise such as running a Monday Mile.

The weekly Monday resets are especially useful following weeks where diet, exercise, and wellness goals may have gone unmet.

That can lead to a slump in motivation that contributes to the 20 percent of people who fail or give up on their New Year resolutions in the first two weeks, said Hernandez.

He noted that research from the Data Decisions Group conducted for the Monday Campaigns found that 73 percent of respondents said that refreshing their intentions every Monday would help them stick to their New Years resolutions.

A similar number said the resets help them get back on task after indulging over the weekend.

If you fall off the wagon, it gives you 52 opportunities to get back on track or refresh your goals, Hernandez told Healthline.

Health-related Google searches peak after the weekend, according to researchers.

Thats why health-promotion programs such as The Monday Campaigns focus their outreach efforts on the beginning of the work week.

People are more likely to begin new diets and exercise routines, or take positive health steps like quitting smoking or scheduling doctors appointments on Mondays than on any other day, according to The Monday Campaigns, which is a public health initiative associated with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.

Theres a spike in people getting health information on Mondays and Tuesdays more than any other day of the week, and people are also more receptive to the information on those days, said Hernandez.

Interest in The Monday Campaigns Meatless Mondays campaign and other initiatives also rises around the New Year, he noted.

Beginning the week with healthy behaviors helps to support good intentions throughout the week, according to research from the Data Decisions Group.

People who commit to changes on a Monday are more likely to continue through the rest of the week, Hernandez said.

Mondays are also a cultural concept. People absolutely view it as a beginning, he added. There is a percentage of people who view Mondays as something to dread, but also many who see it as an opportunity to get back on track.

This is all true even in a year when the calendar dictates that many people start their new resolutions in the middle of the week.

Given the low success rate of most resolutions, the first Monday of the new year isnt too soon to recommit to your goals, said Hernandez.

The Mondays Campaign partners with employers, schools, the media, and community groups to encourage healthy changes.

Affiliated campaigns include Meatless Monday, Kids Cook Monday, the stop-smoking Quit and Stay Quit Monday, Caregiver Monday, Man Up Monday (aimed at raising awareness of sexual health), the exercise-focused DeStress Monday.

Theres also Monday 2000, which encourages adults to reduce their calorie intake to 2,000 per day.

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Failing New Year's Resolutions Need a Monday Reset - Healthline

By John Cope

According to the Vermont Department of Health, about 3,700 Vermonters will be diagnosed with cancer this year. One of the most preventable and treatable cancers is colorectal cancer, which is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States. While many cancers can be treated if they are detected in early stages, colorectal cancer can actually be prevented with available screening techniques.

Some of the signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer can be hard to diagnose in early stages, and can be mistaken for other conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or a gastrointestinal virus. This is why screening and detection are so crucial to ensuring your health. When detected in early stages, colorectal cancer has a near 90 percent five year survival rate; if detected in late stages, when the cancer has been given time to spread to other parts of the body, that rate can drop to 15 percent. Even when colorectal cancer has already developed, it is highly treatable when detected early. Screening is your best tool to prevent colorectal cancer, and it is a simple and effective way to protect your health for years to come.

In order to make sure that you have the information you need, here are answers to some common questions about colorectal cancer screenings.

Q: Does everyone need to be screened for colorectal cancer?

The short answer is: yes. Everyone should receive a colorectal cancer screening by the time they are 50 years old. For people with a family history of certain cancers or conditions, or for people with particular health risks, doctors can recommend getting a screening starting at age 35 or even earlier. For people with no outstanding risk factors, the age for regular screenings is around age 45 to 50. Talk to your primary healthcare provider and your insurance provider to see what the best screening schedule will be for you.

Q: What is a colonoscopy? Is it the only colorectal screening option?

While there are other tests, such as stool tests and sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy is considered the most effective and accurate screening tool for colorectal cancer. A colonoscopy provides a visual examination of the lining of the colon and rectum using a flexible scope to show polyps (precancerous lesions) or abnormal growths. Colonoscopies are performed at the hospital while patients are sedated, and usually last 10-45 minutes. Patients can expect to be at the hospital for 3-4 hours total, and will need someone to drive them home after the procedure.

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Q: Besides following my doctor's guidance for colorectal screening, how can I prevent colorectal cancer?

For all cancers, including colorectal cancer, diet, exercise, and other health habits matter. You can lower your chances of many different kinds of cancer by:

- Quitting smoking

- Eating a diet high in vegetables, fruits, and whole grains

- Getting regular exercise

- Limiting your alcohol intake

With proper screening and simple changes to your lifestyle habits, you can prevent colorectal cancer and ensure that you remain healthy and active for years to come.

John Cope, MD, is a board-certified surgeon practicing at Brattleboro General Surgery, a department of Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. For more information or to make an appointment at Brattleboro General Surgery, call 802-251-8650 or visit bmhvt.org.

If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.

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John Cope: Colorectal cancer is preventable and treatable - Brattleboro Reformer