Jim Schell

There was a desire on my part to continue a very active practice and do so unencumbered by institutional requirements that ran contrary to that. When you add in the respect and affection I have for people here [at Mayer Brown] from prior experiences, it was a relatively easy decision.

Jim Schell, now a partner at Mayer Brown, told Law.com that part of the reason he lateraled from Skadden a firm he practiced at for over 30 years was a desire to practice after 70, Skaddens mandatory retirement age. He also said that at Mayer Brown, I wouldnt have to worry about a time for you to go business model. I want to be active, I have been active, and this was an ideal home for me to continue to do that.

Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email herwith any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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Skadden Partner Laterals Rather Than Face Mandatory Retirement - Above the Law

View this article online at https://www.fedsmith.com/2020/01/06/retirement-backlog-hits-lowest-point-year-end-2019/ and visit FedSmith.com to sign up for free news updates

The outstanding backlog of retirement applications at the Office of Personnel Management dropped by 8% last month thanks to a smaller than usual number of new claims received during December.

OPM said that it received 5,205 retirement claims in December and processed 6,687 which brought the backlog down to 16,908, the lowest it has been for the entire calendar year in 2019. Its also lower than it was a year ago when it stood at 18,019.

By way of comparison, the backlog at the end of 2017 was 14,515, 15,097 at the end of 2016, and 11,399 at the end of 2015.

OPM took 66 days on average to process the claims during December.

Last months progress on lowering the backlog is a good thing since January is a notoriously rough month for OPMs retirement services office when it usually receives a flood of new retirement applications with many federal employees retiring at the end of a calendar year. It will be interesting to see how this January compares to others; stay tuned until next month!

*Disability determinations are only included in the pending number after approval. **Pending retirement cases produced in less than 60 days, on average took 36 days to complete; whereas cases that were produced in more than 60 days, on average, took 130 days to complete.

2020 Ian Smith. All rights reserved. This article may not be reproduced without express written consent from Ian Smith.

Tags: Backlog OPM

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Retirement Backlog Hits Lowest Point for the Year to End 2019 - FedSmith.com

Ponte de Lima, Portugal

THEGIFT777 | iStock Unreleased | Getty Images

Didn't save enough for retirement?

One solution: Spend your golden years in a country where life is less expensive than it is in the U.S.

More Americans are doing just that.

The number of retirees who are collecting Social Security abroad rose 40%, to more than 410,000, between 2007 and 2017. More than 160,000 are in Europe, and over 90,000 are in Asia. Thousands of others are in Canada and Mexico.

More from Personal Finance: Why you might not want to move all your IRA money to a Roth Here's why you should consolidate those 401(k)s and IRAs If you hit the $237 million Powerball jackpot, this is your tax bill

Aspiring expats should do their homework before they start packing. For example, Medicare typically provides no coverage abroad. And you'll want to figure out the tax implications of retiring in, say, France instead of Florida.

But there's no question you stand to save a lot by relocating to a place such as Portugal or Vietnam, according to International Living, a website for expats, which recently released its annual global retirement index for 2020. (In its ranking, the site factors in not just the cost of living and housing, but perks offered to older residents, plausibility of permanent residence, health care, governance and general opportunity.)

Your retirement budget will hopefully go further in these 10 countries.

Lisbon, Portugal

SeanPavonePhoto | Getty Images

You can live a comfortable life here for about $2,500 a month.

Flag on Cinta Costera, Panama

Dixon Hamby

You can get by in Panama City for around $2,600 a month, including rent, groceries, utilities and entertainment.

Manuel Antonio National Park, Puntarenas, Costa Rica

Christer Fredriksson | Getty Images

A couple can live on a budget of around $2,000 a month here.

Tourist couple looking at Gaviota Azul beach, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Getty Images

A couple can live here for $1,500 to $3,000 a month, depending on location.

A horse-drawn carriage in colonial Cartagena, Colombia.

Dan Herrick | Getty Images

You can retire here for$1,030 to $2,720 a month, depending on location and lifestyle.

Quito, Ecuador

Gabrielle and Michel Therin-Weise | Getty Images

A couple can get by here for around $1,800 a month.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Muhammad Hafiz bin Muhamad | Getty Images

A couple can live in Penang for $1,800 a month.

Panorama of Puerto Viejo, Spain

Mimadeo | iStock | Getty Images

A monthly budget of $2,500 a month will allow a couple to live well in most parts of the country.

The Canal de Brienne in France.

nito100 | iStock Editorial | Getty Images

Outside of major cities such as Paris and Lyon, a couple can live here for under $2,500 a month, including rent and health care.

Mu Cang Chai in Yen Bai, Vietnam.

Sumith Nunkham

In Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, two people can live well on less than $1,500 per month.

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The 10 best places to retire abroad - CNBC

Sunset on Dominical Beach. (Tico Times file photo.)

International Living, a United States-based publication specializing in you guessed it living internationally, has named Costa Rica among its best places to retire in 2020.

Costa Rica ranks third on International Livings list, behind Portugal and Panama, and ahead of countries including Colombia, Mexico, Spain and France.

Why Costa Rica? According to Kathleen Evans, International Livings Costa Rica correspondent, the Central American country attracts visitors with its tropical climate; low cost of living; top-notch, affordable medical care; bargain real estate; and natural beauty.

A couple can live a comfortable, but not necessarily extravagant life here for around $2,000 a month, Evans writes.

International Living cites a welcoming culture, the more progressive government of President Carlos Alvarado, affordable healthcare and the countrys dozen microclimates as reasons to consider Costa Rica.

Check out the full list on International Living here.

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International Living names Costa Rica as third-best retirement destination in 2020 - The Tico Times

I stand against bullying and other negative trends amongst my peers and I aspire to inspire personal empowerment in youth and beyond, both with my music and as a person. When people say that we need to create a bully-free world, to me, it sounds too obvious, too generic. Its a good start to face up the issue, but once you look evil in the eye, what is your actionplan?

In practical terms, if we dont tackle the root of the problem, we will continue to deal with the same consequences over and over again as the evil will always find a way to seep in right back. Being a youth myself, and dealing with many problems first hand, I can attest, that bullying and all other negative trends of todays society, and specifically youth culture: suicide, cuttings, cliquing, etc all stem from the same underlying issuea lack of self worth. The magnitude of the problem is unreal. The movement Im creating is designed to promote the belief in your self worth and spread this awareness through various programs. Knowing your value makes you dangerously powerful. When you understand your purpose, you possess the strength to stand your ground and no one can ever mistreat you. Even if they try, it will bounce off you, because you are like hell to the no!morally and psychologically untouchable. You might even help them re-think their life choices. Ive seen the former bully became an anti-bullying advocate. Ive seen the girl who was able to break free from the clique. I have seen transformations, but these examples are rather sparse. There is so much more can be done. To live in a world of people who believe in their worth and see their own unique beauty, will be mesmerizing and inspiring. This organisation is my dream since middle school. I have a name for it,too!

I had the pleasure to interview Sofia Evangelina. Sofia is a teen, numerous award-winning RnB/Pop singer-songwriter from Canada. With an abundance of confidence, astonishing natural talent with a powerhouse voice, Sofia exceeds all expectations of such a young artist. From the very early days, Sofia was a natural-born performer full of boundless energy. Putting on her moms mascara and lipstick and cutting her scarves to create her own funky designs, she would spend hours performing in front of a mirror and later, entertaining random audiences. I have fallen for music since day one, Sofia explained. I can just remember hearing and seeing music everywhere as if it followed me. No matter where I went, I felt the rhythm and beat. I told my mother music paralyzed mefor the silly lack of better words at age 5. However Sofia was not born a musical prodigy per se, nor was she playing piano with closed eyes at 3 years old. Sofia was competing in her first ski race at 3. And from this age escalated quickly into a world-class, professional skier. She had to balance her souls calling of the entertainment world with her adrenaline-seeking spirit. Sofia tried to balance her career for as long as possible. She was competing at ski competitions and winning talent contests. She was practicing singing and competing at her sporting events. She had been recording her first album on and off in-between World Cups and while travel around the world. No matter where in the world she was, the Swiss Alps or the Italian Dolomites, she would be connected to her vocal coaches or the producers, via Skype. During 2018, the two careers had come to a complete clash and the choice had to be made. Sofia knew that she was responsible for a bigger picture, she longed to impact the world as with her music. The time had come. Sofia put skiing on old was ready to make her entrance into the world as an artist. Her career had grown its wings with the release of her debut album Butterfly, produced by Bryant Olender (a former art director for Michael Buble) The album comprised a collection of classic as well as modern covers, with interwoven elements of R&B, soul, gospel, and pop, mostly to showcase her growing vocal range and where she has the potential to go. July of 2019, Sofia was recognized by the Young Artist Academy, being awarded with Best Album for her debut comprised work, at the 40th Annual Awards Gala in Hollywood.In 2018, following the release of Butterfly Sofia had released her debut single as a recording artist This Is Your Song along with an empowering music video, with the storyline of a young bullied boy. In an art-centered school in Calgary, she won an award entitled The Closest to the Core of Arts and enthralled the audience into repeated standing ovations. She has won several talent competition awards ever since, such as The YAA Best Album, The LA Music Critics Rising Star award, The Joey Awards, Canadas National Overall Talent Awards from Talent INC, Canada TeenFest, The Mics and others, as well as nominations and has appeared at various festivals. The aspiring pop princess is now on course to releasing her newest material, with two singles recorded with Roy Hamilton III (Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Joe, etc) on the queue and an EP in the works. Its been two years of vocal evolution, artistic discovery and brand refinery. The results are two brand new records that land in the next ballpark. Smile and Endure. Sofia is fueled not only by her dreams as a vocalist, musician or those of becoming a dynamite performer but she is dedicated to using her influence to create impact. As a young teen and having been a former world-class athlete who has traveled the globe, Sofia has a first-hand, deep understanding of the issues and trends pertaining to youth culture. Through her music, Sofia hopes to inspire her fellow peers and encourage them to embrace their individuality, develop self-esteem, stand up for what is right and embrace their inner beauty. Working painstakingly on her vocals and mastering her craft with prominent North-American songwriters, she is on an upward trajectory to becoming the voice of her generation.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I was born in Canada and spent the first few amazing years of my life in a rural area surrounded by mountains, creeks and wildlife.

I can tell you that I grew and continue to grow, in the most unorthodox way possible. Magical to me. Crazy, some would say.

I was born a little entertainer and fashionista, and I love everything music and felt it deeply. I used to say to my mom, music paralyzes me, for the silly lack of better words at the age of 5.

I danced to everything that had a rhythm and a beat, from The Black Eyed Peas on the radio to a spinning washing machine, or even to a swinging trash cans lid

But Outside of my artistic and very girly self, I was also a little crazy ball of unorganized energy, inquisitive and recklessly active little thumbboy who jumped from everywhere onto everything, including my moms shoulders, of course, with no forewarning! To channel this energy out, my mom decided to put me into sports. We lived close to the mountains and my big bro was an extreme skier, so I began to follow his footsteps.

Little did we know that my adrenaline-filled passion for extreme action, within a short few years, would bring me onto the path of a professional sporting career.

After a few years of skiing around the Rocky Mountains, we moved to a ski resort town in British Columbia. Soon enough my sporting career had taken us all over North America, Europe, New Zealand, and China. My singing and acting endeavors were soon interlaced with a lifestyle of rigorous training, competition, and travel, my mom and I literally lived out of our suitcases.

My life became a juggling act between my souls calling (singing, acting) and between my success in extreme sports, my spirits work.

I was balancing two opposite worlds to such a degree that wed be flying all over the world from my sporting competitions into talent conventions, where on one trip Id come home with medals from winning a championship and trophies from a talent contest.

It would feel like I navigated in and out of the two separate galaxies, in and out. I joked that I was a prototype of Hannah Montana, version 2.0sport edition!

And yet, it felt organic.

In contrary to some popular opinions lol, the two Gods I was serving didnt conflict and actually enriched each others existence, my sport mindset helped me to achieve more in music, within a shorter time, and music was my escape from the tense regiment of sport, politics, physical pain

I tried to keep the balance for as long as possible. While traveling, I stayed connected to my team and vocal coaches via FaceTime, who would always start with the same first question Where is the world are you now?

It was not until the recording of my first album that my two careers began to clash. It was inevitable. We travelled many countries and states for World Cups, while simultaneously recording my album, one song at a time, between competitions.

During the shoot of one of my music videos in LA some of the young actors along with their parents, with tears in their eyes, revealed how relatable my song was to them. At the time, a radio host who was interviewing me had me asked to rename my song This Is Your Song into THIS IS OUR SONG, because he felt it was about him too, and that was it. I always knew I had so much to say and Ive always dreamed to create an impact with my music and life.

I felt that was music burning inside of me, and I need to let it out.

With the release of my debut album Butterfly the time had came, and I had to make a very painful choice. At a young age, I decided to retire from my sporting career, and floored the gas, and went a full throttle towards my singing career. And so the journey began.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

It was very clear to every observer, I was destined to be a performer, there is no place I feel more alive than stage.

When I was little, I use to cut up my moms scarves, model them as my own couture and put on my own exclusive show in front of the mirror, and performed any kind of show I could create for all my family, friends and random audiences. I wanted to write music and songs before I even knew how to, and for the lack of formal music education, I created my own scriptures and symbols to express my sounds so Id be able to decipher them later.

I knew my whole life what I was destined to do, but what fueled my decision to transit from a sporting career straight into my artist career was a greater cause.

Traveling the world as an athlete and simply living my every-day life, Ive interacted with my peers from many cultures, walks of life, societal layers, and age groups, I found that no matter where I went, kids and teens faced the exact same issues.

Lack of self-worth. Extreme loneliness. Fear. Exclusion.

Kids were bullying each other and hurting themselves. Depending on the demographics of the place, they would have done it either brutally, or in a more subtle way such as e.g. cliquing etc Girls had no self-esteem, they chased after boys, while boys mistreated and disrespected girls, and most of all, kids allowed themselves to be ripped apart and brought down by those who they deemed to be more popular.

One boy, whom was still bleeding after a recent attack from a bully, told me that he didnt want to complain, he didnt want to fight back or stand up for himself, he actually told me that he wanted to be like his perpetrator, because that guy is so cool and he felt he wasnt.

To me, each one of those kids or teens, were shining stars, unique, each in their own way, however themselves, they were convinced that they were not enough or in many cases, worthless.

In reality, no kid or anyone should ever allow themselves to be treated less than they deserve. Everyone should know and shine their self-worth.

Later on, I was told by numerous adults that my music was relatable to them, they didnt know at all that it was written for youth, and in reality I want my music to mean something, and affect an audience of all ages.

Having observed and understood their issue, I wanted to use my music to impact peoples lives and to show my audience that they too have a voice, and all the power they need within, to live life on their own terms, and I not only want to be that voice, I want to help them to find their own voice.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

The most interesting story is probably when we were in Mammoth, CA for a World Cup and we had a few days off before my next competition. We were so near LA that I had been begging my mama to go. My mom used to live in LA for a couple of years, so said why not, let us go, dip our toes in the ocean, visit some of her film friends and maybe plan some music video shoots for the future. Long story short, we were in LA for one week (the best week of my life!) and in those 7 days, we filmed 5 music videos, including 2 full productions (set, crew, locations). We casted, found makeup & hair, wardrobe, stylists, locations, crew and learned choreography, literally overnight.

I blame the city, there is something about LA, it casts magic upon us, every time!

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I have a few, here is the latest.

Make sure that you are riding in a reliable car to your show Or else, you end up with a smoking hood in a fireighn country in the middle of nowhere with no mobile network, one hour before your set! If you are lucky the just driving by local police come to your rescue and escort you all the way to your show! Good times

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now?

My brand single Smile, part of a forthcoming EP has just been dropped on all platforms. We have an entire EP to follow as well as more singles coming soon, and I couldnt be more excited. There is a big, epic single coming next.

Outside of music releases, there are some big things cooking, which I hope will become shareable news soon. In other words, get ready for a whole lot of Sofia!

We are very interested in diversity in the entertainment industry. Can you share three reasons with our readers about why you think its important to have diversity represented in (music), film and television? How can that potentially affect our culture?

The entertainment industry, and especially the music industry, live and thrive off of cultural diversity. Our world of music has always been a constant, ever evolving, and highly interactive flow of cultural diversity.

For decades and decades, music has evolved by absorbing and assimilating various genres and styles, giving birth to ongoing new music ideas, trends and subgenres.

Today, numerous collaborations have become prevalent and more appreciated than ever, because of the interweaving of different cultural threads, genres and styles, sometimes, in the most unlikely combinations.

One can pay homage to existing styles and simultaneously create something unique, unheard of, and may even become a new trend, or style.

I think one of the best examples of musical fusion right now would be Country Rap Two genres, coming from two completely different cultures that no one would have ever believed to be possible to mix. Yet here we are, the biggest record breaking hit of 2019 was a country rap song. And it doesnt stop there, whether you like the new genre or not, its impossible to deny that the unusual crossover has picked up a huge fanbase. Many artists were inspired to release similar tracks and they too achieved major success.

Balanced diversity creates a beautiful society and I believe that music is the best medium to bring people together and celebrate our differences.

What are your 5 things I wish someone told me when I first started and why. Please share a story or an example for each.

Business sometimes meansbusiness.

I am very much a people person, I see the best in everyone and soon enough I get attached to people as if they were family. I am truly blessed by meeting many wonderful people who indeed have become family, a close circle of like-minded people. But Ive also had to learn the hard way that some people in this businesssome, who may be very charismatic, may treat you as a royalty one day, but then they change overnight if/when matters dont meet their agenda, and their belief in me appeared to be unscrupulously motivated.

However, a couple bad apples didnt make me stop trusting or loving people, I just had to strengthen my boundaries and allow people to prove themselves first.

There is no such thing as overnight success

While success certainly comes to some quicker and by luckier ways than others, its almost always years and years of hard work prior to any stardom

Therefore, one must believe in their dreams relentlessly, persevere through the trial times, jump the obstacles and I believe that there is no other way than to make it all the way!

Putting on a big show is more tiresome than my previous extreme athletics.

I used to train really hard in my sport, daily, and in multiple training facilities and the gym. Yet, putting on a dynamite shows really drains you more than any sport couldit feels like, giving you the best work out! To prepare yourself for blasting your vocals, communicating with your audience and dancing, you have to jog while singing, you must train to expand your lungs by holding your breath under water, and sing everyday for increasing hours so that you will get used to sustaining a life of touring and performing!

Performing can be a sport baby!

Dont get excited by peoples promises. When a name dropping occursrun!

Its very easy to get seduced or tempted by someone who offers you the entire world as he/she there was a genie in a bottle, people like to talk the talk.

Create your own reality, if someone presents you a breathtaking opportunity, take it as a bonus. Dont rely on it. Make your own destinyits more exciting and the satisfaction is deeper! Things will come.

Surround yourself only with A+ team players.

Dont put your success and your career into the hands of another. Because when they fail you, you have no one to blame but yourself. Hiring top-notch professionals may be deemed as unaffordable at first, but it will save you time (of not re-doing the job done wrong) and ultimately, money. The solution is simple, take all matters into your own hands until the day where you have yourself surrounded by a phenomenal, passionate team. You should only have people as absolutely crazy about success as you are, so together you become unstoppable.

Which tips would you recommend to your colleagues in your industry to help them to thrive and not burn out?

Dont worry, be happy now!! Everything you do, do the love of music, or for the love of what you are passionate about the most, and remember the reason why you are doing it in the first place.

Before going to bed each night, no matter how tired you are, recall each and every thing that you are grateful for in life, they could even be little moments from that day. You will feel your heart overflow with gratitude and you will see just how blessed you truly are. My mom taught me that.

Also, I would say let your soul guide you, allow utmost expression and creativity from within. What inspires you, will inspire others!

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

As I said earlier in this interview I stand against bullying and other negative trends amongst my peers and I aspire to inspire personal empowerment in youth and beyond, both with my music and as a person.

When people say that we need to create a bully-free world, to me, it sounds too obvious, too generic. Its a good start to face up the issue, but once you look evil in the eye, what is your action plan?

In practical terms, if we dont tackle the root of the problem, we will continue to deal with the same consequences over and over again as the evil will always find a way to seep in right back.

Being a youth myself, and dealing with many problems first hand, I can attest, that bullying and all other negative trends of todays society, and specifically youth culture: suicide, cuttings, cliquing, etc all stem from the same underlying issuea lack of self worth.

The magnitude of the problem is unreal. The movement Im creating is designed to promote the belief in your self worth and spread this awareness through various programs. Knowing your value makes you dangerously powerful.

When you understand your purpose, you possess the strength to stand your ground and no one can ever mistreat you. Even if they try, it will bounce off you, because you are like hell to the no!morally and psychologically untouchable. You might even help them re-think their life choices. Ive seen the former bully became an anti-bullying advocate. Ive seen the girl who was able to break free from the clique. I have seen transformations, but these examples are rather sparse.

There is so much more can be done.

To live in a world of people who believe in their worth and see their own unique beauty, will be mesmerizing and inspiring. This organisation is my dream since middle school. I have a name for it, too!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

My mom. My mom is my best friend, my biggest believer and my biggest inspiration. Above all, I feel that each success is hers as well, because she has taught me everything I know.

She has been the momager my whole life, she truly deserves a standing ovation.

Everything Ive ever learned about commitment, dedication or work ethic has been by example of my mom. She is the most hardworking person Ive ever met and she is so darn strong, its often un-human and it annoys me!

She teaches me the most incredible values and ethics to be a good person. To her, me being a good person with a strong head on my shoulders will always be the most important definition of success, above all talents and achievements, which means so much to me. My dad is is pretty cool dude too, in fact he is a real angel, he is beyond kind and has supported me all these years from sports to arts.

Can you please give us your favorite Life Lesson Quote? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?

Patience is a virtue! Since I was a little girl, Ive been a bit impatient, okay, a lot. Often named a right now girl.

It took some time (and patience on my parents behalf) to realize, that in reality, as exciting as times may seem, it is very important to develop the virtue of patience. Sometimes you need to wait until the time is right, just like there is patience involved to achieve a lusciously ripe peach Yumm.

BTWStill working on it!

Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them.

Beyonce. Queen B. She is one of my biggest inspirations, and damn does she ever own the stage and captivate her audience. Beyond her artistic talents, she seems like an incredible person and a strong woman who has risen to the top early on and maintained her regency with grace throughout her entire career. It would be incredible to discuss the substance behind her long, beautiful and ever-evolving career and it would be special to find out what she feels most humbled by or grateful for, in relation to her life and career

Lastly, It would be meaningful and fun to get to know the real Beyonce, like, Im dying to know what her take is on pineapple on pizza, or hello, tomatoes on burgers???

Plus, the queen may have to mentor me on how to break it super down in stilettos!!

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Absolutely! My website is: http://www.sofiaevangelina.com

IG: @sofia.evangelina

FB: @Sofia Evangelina Music

Look forward to connecting with you all.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much!

Thank you for a great interview!

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Rising Star Sofia Evangelina: The movement I'm creating is designed to promote the belief in your self worth; Knowing your value makes you dangerously...

Climate-related anxiety and depression is an increasingly common malady. Reestablishing a conscious awareness and a bodily connection with the ebb and flow of the seasons, by observing and documenting whats happening outside our windows, is a grounding activity that can restore comfort.

Disconnection from natures seasonal cycles, and from nature in general, has become more common in recent decades, and with it has come a certain restlessness. A simple way we can reestablish this crucial connection with the seasons is by regularly taking noteon paperof what is occurring in the plants and animals in our lives over the course of the year. Because events like leaf out, migration and egg hatch are cued by seasonal warmth, rainfall and sun angle, they elegantly reflect the rhythm of the seasons.

Taking the time to observe the changes in an organism over the course of a year can reconnect us to these cycles. And taking the effort to write down what is observed focuses our thoughts, grounds us, and more firmly cements the information in our minds.

The practice of carefully documenting the timing of events like the first arrival of migratory birds in the spring and first hint of leaf color in autumn has existed for millennia. A record of the first cherry blossoms to appear each spring in Kyoto, Japan extends to the ninth century. Members of the Marsham family have tracked flowering time in dozens of plants in Great Britain since the 1700s. These historical records are some of our best resources to determine how much the timing of events like leaf out and egg hatch in certain species have changed in recent years, serving as an invaluable contribution to science.

Taking this form of action is an antidote to the hopelessness that can arise in the face of climate change. Anxiety and depression naturally arise when we perceive we have no power over a situation. Doing something, such as documenting seasonal changes, is a way to restore a modicum of control and a sense of well-being.

To be sure, looking at plants in your backyard wont end the climate crisis. For that, we need major policy and lifestyle changes on a nearly global scale. The value of this form of personal action is in restoring our centers and engendering personal empowerment. This can serve as preparation for tackling the larger issues.

The practice of purposefully reconnecting with whats happening over the course of the year can take the form of journaling, posting observations of seasonal plant or animal status to social media, or making structured contributions to an established program such as Natures Notebook, a national program for documenting seasonal activity in plants and animals.

As a coordinator for the program, Ive been overjoyed to hear from participants that pausing briefly from their daily routines to report on their selected species has led to new discoveries and a deepened appreciation for these plants and animals. And as a Natures Notebook participant, Ive been delighted to witness green lynx spiders, crab spiders and sphinx moth larvae making their homes in the desert willow tree I observe in my backyard. I am certain I would not have noticed these lovely creatures had I not taken the time to briefly but regularly look at my trees leaf and flower status.

The brief moments of focus and connection I experience when Im taking my Natures Notebook observations contrast sharply with the anxiety I experience from exposure to climate crisis headlines. I invite you to join me in the simple routine of documenting the seasonal transitions in plants or animals in your yard. Trade some of your climate anxiety for the sense of calm and empowerment that can result from taking a small, positive action.

Read the rest here:
To Ease Climate Anxiety, Reconnect with the Rhythms of the Seasons - Scientific American

(LAS VEGAS) Sex tech will grace the CES gadget show in Las Vegas this week after organizers endured scorn for revoking an innovation award to a sex device company led by a female founder.

CES will allow space for sex tech companies as a one-year trial. The companies will be grouped in the health and wellness section of the Sands Expo, an official, but secondary CES location, one geared toward startups.

Lora DiCarlo, a startup that pushed for changes after organizers revoked its award, will showcase its Os robotic personal massager. Its one of a dozen companies at the show focused on vibrators, lube dispensers and other sex tech products. Founders of these startups say their products are about empowerment and wellness for women, something they say has often been overlooked in tech.

The historically male-dominated tech trade show has received criticism in past years for having an all-male lineup of speakers and for previously allowing scantily clad booth babes, fostering a boys club reputation.

Besides allowing sex tech, CES organizers brought in an official equality partner, The Female Quotient, to help ensure gender diversity. The Female Quotient, which trains companies in equality practices, will hold a conference for women during the show, which formally opens Tuesday and runs through Friday.

Its been a process, said Gary Shapiro, the head of the Consumer Technology Association, which puts on CES.

Its been a longer process for many sex tech companies to convince investors that they are part of a growing trend that has enough customers. Much of the push has come from the startups female founders and from younger consumers who talk more openly about sexuality.

Sex tech has existed in some form for decades. But the gates really began to open in 2016, said Andrea Barrica, founder of sex education site O.school. That year, several other fem tech companies made progress in areas such as menstruation and menopause. Those paved the way for sex tech to grow and get investors interested.

Larger institutions are starting to take note, all the way from VC firms to large Fortune 100 companies, said Barrica, who recently published the book Sextech Revolution: The Future of Sexual Wellness. Large institutions like CES had no choice but to look at sex tech, she said.

The journey hasnt been easy. Sex tech founders, many of them women, recount being turned down by dozens of investors. They faced decency arguments and entrenched corporate standards that equated them with porn.

But investors are becoming more receptive, said Cindy Gallop, a former advertising executive turned sex tech entrepreneur and founder of the website MakeLoveNotPorn.

Its entirely because of our refusal to allow the business world to put us down, she said.

Founders insist that their devices ranging from vibrators to lube dispensers to accessories have effects outside the bedroom.

Sexual health and wellness is health and wellness, said Lora DiCarlo, CEO and founder of the company of the same name. It does way more than just pleasure. Its immediately connected to stress relief, to better sleep to empowerment and confidence.

DiCarlos Os $290 device has gotten $3 million worth of advance sales, bolstered in part by the attention it received after CES organizers overturned a decision by an independent panel of judges to give the vibrator a prestigious Innovation Honoree Award in the robotics and drone category. The organizers, CTA, told the company it reserved the right to rescind awards for devices deemed immoral, obscene, indecent, profane or not in keeping with CTAs image.

DiCarlo and other female founders pushed back for banning them but allowing humanoid sex robots meant to serve men the previous year.

Following criticism, CES organizers ultimately reinstated the award and apologized. A few months later, the show announced policy changes such as a dress code to prevent skimpy outfits and new Innovation for All sessions with senior diversity officials.

Os began shipping to customers this month. DiCarlo said the company is planning to new devices, including less expensive options.

Sex tech companies still face major barriers to growth.

Polly Rodriguez, CEO of sexual wellness company Unbound, said the company is profitable and customers are more open about buying products than they once were. But she said she still faces roadblocks advertising on social media, and many traditional investors snub the company.

Things are better, but theres just still this genuine fear of female sexuality more broadly within the institutional side of technology, she said.

And while Gallop offered to speak at CES, conference organizers declined, saying sex tech was not a part of its conference programming.

Contact us at editors@time.com.

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Sex Tech Might Just Be the Biggest New Thing at CES 2020 - TIME

Stop trying to be happy and put a smile on your face, writes Kenan Malik.

I just found this fascinating, that people who want to be happy are actually the ones that are not happy.

So observed Julia Vogt, co-author of a new study that found those who valued happiness most highly tended to show greater signs of depression.

Future historians may well look upon todays Western societies and puzzle about the desperation to be happy.

Its not that happiness is not good. Nor is it to deny that mental wellbeing is important. But mental wellbeing is not the same as an obsession with happiness (in fact, the very opposite, as Vogts study shows).

The aim of todays happiness industry is not about allowing people to live a flourishing life. It is, rather, as Will Davies observed in his book The Happiness Industry, partly a means of behaviour management on the part of both governments and private enterprise, to ensure a more pliant society and a more productive and profitable one.

It is partly, also, a means of self-optimisation, by which, as psychologist Paul Bloom observes, small-scale personal empowerment goes hand in hand with large-scale social disempowerment.

Aristotle argued that eudaimonia (which is often translated as happiness, but is probably better thought of as meaning a flourishing life) is the only thing that humans desire for their own sake.

He did not mean by this that it is an end we should set out to seek but, rather, the end we can achieve if we live our life well.

Happiness is not, and cannot be, a goal in itself. It can only be the by-product of other goals.

To seek happiness is a bit like trying to be cool. The more you are desperate for it, the less you will be.

From Guardian News

Kenan Malik is an Observer columnist.

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Happiness not the goal but byproduct of life well lived - Otago Daily Times

A universal truth: whether you give voice to them or not, a new year demands resolutions. When selecting said goals, a declaration that applies to personal empowerment is one worthy of a new decadea lesson we learned from Yara Shahidi. The actress and activist took to Instagram ahead of New Year's Eve to share a self-facing snap featuring oversize hoops, glossed lips, a mane of brushed-up curls, and a poignant caption. "We (My hair and I) are taking up more space as we enter 2020," wrote Shahidi, adding a duo of siren emojis to drive the statement home.

For her first act of big and bold beauty, Shadidi parted her natural hair to achieve a face-framing triangle of texture, the maneuver punctuated by roseate lips with a matching shade pressed into lids, black eyeliner rimmed along waterlines. Glow-y, unadorned skin and a frank expression teamed with her manewhich, true to her resolution, dominated the framefor a visual deserving of Shahidi's 2020 aspiration. Here's to expansion in all forms this year.

Excerpt from:
Yara Shahidi Has the Best Beauty Resolution for 2020 - Vogue

Rachel Collins (right) runs drills with a student. Photo by Nadia Raza Cooper

What does a more perfect future for you and the young people in your life look like?

I had the pleasure of discussing this question with Rachel Collins, the owner and founder of SheBegins. SheBegins offers empowerment-based self-defense, personal training and violence-prevention workshops. Approaching their work within an empowerment model means educating and supporting others in choosing how they want to defend themselves.

With much of their work focusing on youth-trainings, this translates to cultivating verbal skills, confidence, self-respect, dialogue about consent and boundaries and bystander intervention.

I first met Collins this fall when considering options for our daughters 13th birthday party. As she enters her teenage years, my hope was to incorporate a rite of passage toward a future self-grounded in possibility, confidence and safety.

The stories our daughter shares about school such as a recent lock down, bullying, updates on crushes and questions about consent prompt us to talk about safety a lot. So, a month before her birthday, I began exploring options for a teen self-defense class. A quick search led me to Collins, and we scheduled a 90-minute teen empowerment training for 14 girls.

As we entered the dojo, the girls were excited and a bit unsure of what they were in for.

Collins and her co-trainer, Heather Monero, are masterful facilitators. They started with a discussion about the training and transitioned into team building and a playful icebreaker to create a more comfortable space.

When I returned an hour later, I could hardly believe these were the same girls.

The group was in formation, doing knee to abdomen drills on the co-trainers. I watched in awe at the individual and collective power exhibited. I couldnt help but reflect on how my 13-year-old-self needed access to a space like this.

Following the drill, the girls gathered in a circle to debrief. Collins opened the conversation by reminding the group, There is no one right way to deal with a dangerous situation. People are going to tell you that you are too small and young. You might even be told that there is nothing you can do. But there is always something we can do.

She then asked the group to come up with scenarios and questions they had about a situation in which they might feel vulnerable or unsafe.

Hands shot up with questions ranging from What if you are on the ground? to What if someone grabs you from behind, or has you by your hair or ponytail?

For each scenario, Collins asked the girls to review what they learned. Together they discussed the examples by identifying ways they could leverage tools within their body to respond. Several times they reviewed the slogan: Think, yell, run, fight, tell.

When I asked Collins what surprises her about working with youth, she says, We learn as much from them as they do from us. The eagerness to talk and engage through dialogue inspires her work.

Collins started SheBegins more than a year ago to respond to a demand in the community. With a background in sexual assault support services and as a former educator at Planned Parenthood, Collins observed that what we call prevention is inadequate. This is amplified by the fact that, for vulnerable communities, access to violence prevention is lacking.

Within a year, SheBegins had an array of offerings, including free monthly mini-trainings, a girls empowerment training and an in-depth womens six-week series, which runs Jan. 12 to Feb. 16; co-ed boundaries, and personal safety seminars and school programs.

SheBegins currently offers a 12-week series at Spencer Butte Middle School. Collins hopes to do more work with schools and community organizations. Charges for all the training programs are sliding scale and income-based.

To spread the word in the community, SheBegins has partnered with The Barn Light and The Farmer Union Coffee Roasters for a monthly Empower Hour the last Wednesday of every month. At these events, information about local programs and trainings is available. From 4 pm to closing, $1 from every drink purchased goes to support scholarships funding access to empowerment-based self-defense trainings for those in need.

In addition to their trainings and information sessions, Caitlin OQuinn, SheBegins youth program coordinator, is researching the long-term impact of empowerment-based self-defense.

After one training session, participants report profound lasting effects, our daughter included. A month after her training, I asked her what she learned.

Learning to defend yourself does not have to be heavy and scary. Instead, we learned about different options to defend ourselves and say, No, she says. Before, I would have been more apologetic and worried about saying no.

Beginning to claim her voice, confidence, agency and self-respect are tools our daughter gained from one workshop with SheBegins.

Considering the need for these skills and awareness, Collins says this: In a more perfect future there will be multiple options in every town for empowerment-based self-defense and when that happens it will create cultural change.

To get involved, learn more or request a training session with SheBegins, visit SheBeginsSelfDefense.com.

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Self-Defense is the Best Offense - Eugene Weekly