Liberals are graciously recommending that Conservatives boot out Andrew Scheer although he received the most votes in the election and brought the Liberals down to minority status and then select a new leader more to their liking. Mind you, notwithstanding earnest protestations to the contrary, very few of them would vote Conservative even if their wishes were granted.

Conservatives received 6.2 million votes, the largest total for the party in its history, including the majority win in 2011. Their tally exceeded the Liberals by about 240,000 votes, or 34.4 per cent to 33 per cent. The Tories also increased their seat total by 22 from 99 to 121, while the Grits lost 27 seats to 157.

Former prime minister Stephen Harper counselled Conservatives to remain calm and not rush to judgment on their leader. Scheer will have time to make his case, as he has every right to do.

However, Scheer will also be judged by detractors upset that he did not beat Justin Trudeau, whose failed record includes gross personal misdeeds and illegalities, international embarrassment, broken promises, deficits without end, hostility to resource development, declining competitiveness, capital flight, rising Quebec nationalism and profound Western alienation. In any other country his fall from global rock star to narcissistic virtue-signalling imposter would have been politically terminal.

So some Conservatives are asking whether another leader could have done better. Would a different personal style have made a difference? Was Scheers social conservatism fatal in critical ridings in the GTA and Quebec, even though he was clear his personal religious beliefs would not influence public policy? Were his attacks on Trudeau mean-spirited or did he waste a golden opportunity to pummel a vulnerable adversary? On balance, was it a mistake to reject Doug Fords support? Did Scheer need to move to the squishy ideological middle? Or should he have been more robust in asserting conservative ideas because they are more effective?

Then theres climate change policy, which the mainstream media claim was a critical weakness, although the Greens increased their seat count only from two to three, the NDP lost 20 seats and the Blocs success was primarily due to its solitary support for Quebecs secularism legislation. Liberal policies will fall short of Canadas Paris climate targets that, in any case, are unachievable without economic devastation. Furthermore, even if the politically impossible happened, our impact on global temperature would be minuscule.

Konrad Yakabuski offered his advice to Conservatives in the Globe and Mail under the banner Whats right for Canadas right: Andrew Scheer must go as Conservative leader. In a departure from his usual thoughtful objectivity he referred to a Conservative movement that has become narrow-minded, anti-intellectual, vindictive and retrograde in the minds of too many voters. He dismissively claimed that Pockets of Ford Nation may still exist somewhere on this planet, raising the question of what planet he lives on.

Yakabuski also made a derogatory reference to former prime minister Harper, whom historians will accord high marks for leadership and achievement, light years ahead of the incumbent. Overall, his article reflects a phenomenon endemic to progressives: an aversion to politicians even moderately to the right of the red Tories.

Liberals insist that if Conservatives would just adopt policies and elect leaders they prefer, the Laurentian Elite would rush out to buy Conservative memberships. Call me a skeptic, but I would not hold my breath.

They remind me of Henry Higgins who, in My Fair Lady, asked that most male chauvinist of questions.

Why cant a woman be more like a man?Men are so honest, so thoroughly square;Eternally noble, historically fair.

Why cant a Conservative be more like a Liberal? Well, they can, but they dont want to be. They believe their approach to public policy produces superior results for most people, in both the shorter and longer term. Freedom, democracy and the rule of law are core Canadian values worth defending against those who would dismantle them in favour of moral relativism or worse.

A genuine embrace of diversity would extend not only to certain defined groups but also to ideas, while political correctness and identity politics, the prime ministers stock in trade, divide rather than unite. Reliance on government to solve virtually every problem is ineffective and intrudes on peoples lives. Fiscal responsibility enhances prosperity, unlike profligacy and instant gratification, which mortgage the future. History and tradition can provide invaluable wisdom, as we continually adapt to modernity.

Conservatives will determine the Conservative leadership, taking into account core values and political reality. They should not care a whit about advice from political opponents who should be thinking long and hard about their own leader after his rejection by two-thirds of the electorate. In case Liberals are interested in my advice, I say let Trudeau stay!

Joe Oliver was Canadas minister of finance in 2014-15.

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Joe Oliver: Liberals have a lot of nerve advising Conservatives to boot out Andrew Scheer - Financial Post

Its complicated. While theres a history of resistance to gay marriage at many black churches, other factors could explain Buttigiegs lack of success with African-Americans, some of whom surely look at him and see what many white critics of his also do: a charmed 37-year-old on the kind of glide path to greatness (Harvard, a Rhodes scholarship, a stint as a consultant with McKinsey) that defines privilege.

In a Gallup poll published in May, 83 percent of Democrats and 82 percent of independents said that theyd be willing to vote for a gay presidential candidate. That leaves a significant percentage who wouldnt. A Reuters/Ipsos poll published the following month showed that among all voters, 34 percent were less likely to vote for a gay candidate. But that figure was lower than the 48 percent who said they were less likely to support a candidate over 70 as Trump, Biden, Warren and Bernie Sanders will all be in November 2020.

Buttigiegs sexual orientation, along with his age, definitely gave him an initial hook for journalists that other contenders didnt have. It gave his candidacy a voguish aspect reflected in the passion of his younger supporters and the robust Twitter following that his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, quickly amassed.

It also drew donors. Gay Money, Democratic Secret Weapon, Comes Out for Buttigieg was the headline on an article in Vanity Fair by Peter Hamby this year. Buttigiegs fund-raising haul of more than $51 million through Sept. 30 places him behind only Sanders and Warren.

And while being gay obviously disqualifies him for a sizable group of Americans 36 percent of whom, according to Gallup, still oppose the legal recognition of same-sex marriage what fraction of them were likely to vote for a Democrat, anyway? Besides, didnt Trumps election prove that many voters could and would overlook elements of a candidates personal life if he gave voice to matters they cared about?

Could the ranks of the Buttigieg-resistant be offset by Americans eager to send the kind of message about their values and their desire for change that a vote for Buttigieg would? Obama benefited from that impulse. When a candidacy seeks to make history as Buttigiegs does and Obamas did it can stir extra excitement.

Buttigieg told me that when fans approach him at campaign events, its not unusual for someone to be in tears just because the fact of our candidacy is so unbelievable to them as something they would see in their lifetimes.

Read more from the original source:
Being Gay Hurts Mayor Pete. It Helps, Too. - The New York Times

Finding the best person for the role comes down to more than just a great resume.

In order to meet candidate expectations of consumer-grade technology in the recruitment process, organizations are making it simpler and easier to apply for roles. On average, a job opening receives an overwhelming 250 applications. The challenge for recruiters is sifting through the large pool of potential candidates to find the best fit. Sometimes it may feel like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Hiring great talent is necessary for a business to thrive, both financially and culturally. Recruiting is a time-consuming and costly endeavor, so discovering too late that someone isnt the right fit for the role or company can leave you back at square one. Hiring the one the person who has the necessary skills and behaviors to contribute positively to the team will help your organization thrive.

Its crucial to get the hiring process right from day one. So how can recruiters and hiring managers easily identify top talent?

Clearly define the skills and requirements for the role

Hiring managers and recruiters should work closely to define the skills, behaviors and requirements for the role. What does success currently look like in the role? How does this translate to skills, experience and behavior? A strong understanding of what the ideal candidate looks like will streamline the recruitment process from advertising, right through the assessment, testing and interview steps.

This isnt as simple as sharing a wishlist of characteristics, traits and qualifications with recruiters. Its about honing a deep understanding of the skills that are critical to a role so recruiters can be strategic when they create a job listing. A job listing with a laundry list of skills and requirements can be a hindrance to hiring. Research shows that men will apply for a job when they meet 60% of the qualifications. In contrast, women only apply if they meet 100% of the requirements. This isnt due to a lack of confidence but rather a desire to avoid wasting anyones time. Women assume the qualifications are actually required to do the job, rather than a wishlist. The answer is not to make requirements generic or broad - this increases the likelihood candidates without the right level or depth of expertise will apply.

Clearly communicating the requirements of the role will positively impact the quality of candidates. The job listing has a big impact on how a candidate views a role, and whether or not they decide its worth pursuing. Taking the time to get it right is a good first step in the hiring process.

Evaluate candidates based on skills

Too often hiring managers choose someone for a role based on gut feel, as opposed to evaluating a candidate on the core competencies and skills required to succeed in the role. More often than not, interviews dont deliver the insights needed. To be effective, interviewers need to ask questions that are predictive of ability and role fit and ask and interpret the answers consistently across candidates which is challenging. Lets take call center employees as an example. They speak with multiple customers a day, and often deal with tricky situations, which means ideal candidates for these roles will have a strong sense of resilience. But how do we identify and measure resilience?

Consider augmenting interviews with other tools. Soft skills or essential skills are just as important as the qualifications on a candidates CV. Essential skills include qualities such as communication, leadership, learning agility and resilience. There are a number of tools that support hiring managers to identify soft skills far more accurately. Pre-hire assessment tools like Weirdly help hiring managers to screen candidates by identifying job-related skills, as well as soft skills, that are inherent in top performers.PredictiveHire uses machine learning to conduct the first level of screening for job applications. The technology looks at an organizations performance data and staff surveys to determine the traits which are inherent in its high performers. This data is then used to create a candidate survey that screens for desired traits early on in the hiring journey.

Look out for passionate candidates

Most candidates try to put their best foot forward in interviews. Candidates should have a positive attitude, be knowledgeable about their field and have the required skills and attributes identified as a fit for the role. Conducting an interview with someone who ticks these boxes is exciting, but it isnt a sure-fire way to identify the best person for the job.

Remember to ask the candidate, Why do you want to work for us?

Its a simple question but the answer is very telling. People want to work for companies they believe in, where they can do their best work everyday. Companies want the same thing. Finding candidates who are passionate about your company is a key aspect to hiring great talent. Employees that are aligned to the mission and values of the organization and feel connected are engaged and motivated. A top candidate will be able to express their desire to work for an organization based on how the culture, values and mission align with their personal schemata.

The rest is here:
3 Ways To Identify The Best Person For The Role - Forbes

Ardal OHanlon is too embarrassed to have his picture taken in the restaurant where weve just eaten, so we decamp to the basement. Hes wearing a black polo shirt and when I ask his age he mumbles something inaudible. (He turned 54 this month.) Earlier on, the waitresses have to coax an order out of him; his first answer to everything is just tap water. But at least hes at one with his awkwardness.

Despite the apparent trappings of modest success in television and so on, he says, I have always been an uneasy person. I cant change that. I cant change that part of my psychological makeup. The slight tension when you wake up: Who am I? Who are these people I live with? Whats going on? But this is why I do this. If I was a very stable person, I would not have to do comedy. Nobody would have to listen to me.

He continues his new tour, the Showing Off Must Go On, in November. Its his first in six years and represents not a departure from previous shows so much as a journey further into who he actually is a guy who hates show-offs but loves showing off, who takes everything seriously but himself, then practically self-immolates if he cant make people laugh with it.

The unifying theme is me. Any comedy show, no matter what it purports to be, is ultimately about where the comedians at in his or her life. I definitely bring more of my personal life into it the older I get, and now its gone another step. It is much more satisfying in the long run to be more vulnerable, not arrive with something fully formed, and flawless.

Its the latest step in a slowly evolving comedy journey that didnt really get going for a while. At 28, he was living in Dublin, doing two or three gigs a month on a non-existent comedy circuit, living extremely frugally but also off the girlfriend who is now his wife. (Theyve been together since they were teenagers.) He moved to London to give it one proper shot; a couple of years, and if it didnt work, hed go back home.

Of course, it did work. In the mid-90s he was cast as Father Dougal in Father Ted and turned in a performance of such exquisite nitwittery that the show lived way beyond its time. You can still make anyone laugh, from cold, at any age, just with a picture of Father Dougal in his pyjamas. And, if his original standup chimed with what the Father Ted writers were looking for, then his Dougal persona has definitely permeated his standup since.

That was my armour as a fledgling comedian, adopting this bewildered persona where I was pretending to be much more stupid than I actually am. I was kind of stiff he does a seemingly reflexive impression of that awkward posture, arms swinging from hunched, nervous shoulders and it worked well for a few years.

He says his success was all just a lucky strike. He didnt go into comedy as a career move; in those days, he says, no one did. It didnt attract careerists. It was slackers, people shuffling on to the stage with very little. I loved it. Fame and money werent possibilities even, when my generation started. That wasnt the plan at all. On a typical bill, you would have all sorts of misfits. People with ukuleles. There was a guy called Woody Bup Moddy who used to come on and smash records. So that was his job. It was fantastic. A really exciting time to be part of that generation. To feel part of something.

But the 90s couldnt last for ever, nor could youth. OHanlons shtick has changed, not just with his segue from being cast as the hilarious idiot (after Father Ted, My Hero) to taking a relatively straight lead in Death in Paradise (which is one of the three most popular shows on TV). Before, I hid behind the persona, he says, I hid behind the surreal one-liners, because thats all about craft and theres a lot of pride in that. But its ultimately limiting. Its better to let people in a bit more.

This means engaging with the issues of now. The day we meet, the government has put forward its latest suggestions for the Irish border issue (which seems to amount to four borders), after weeks of callow, ahistorical bilge about how easily it could be solved. OHanlon is not impressed.

[I was] dragged out of my bed at the age of seven, my mother screaming, six kids under the age of 12

For us, this is existential, he says. Theres a danger of economic collapse in [the rest of the UK], but for us, we could return to a state of war. You know, people are worried about that. How anybody in political leadership in this country could demonstrate such wilful ignorance of Irish history, and such blithe disregard for the people of Northern Ireland. Thousands of people died. Hundreds of British soldiers lost their lives. I grew up on the border He pauses, still averse to sounding at all aerated. I wouldnt like to overstate the impact the Troubles had on me and my life.

But the impact, it transpires, was pretty significant: the son of a politician, Rory OHanlon, south of the border, they had death threats, a bomb scare. Dragged out of your bed at the age of seven, my mother screaming, six kids under the age of 12. Im not equating my experience with the people who lived in Northern Ireland. But my dad was always out and about late at night, and I could not go to sleep until I knew he was in. There were assassinations, for one reason or another. And I could not relax until I heard his footsteps on the garden path.

That gnawing anxiety didnt translate unsurprisingly into a burning political passion. I always shied away from it. I was always detached, I never supported his party [Fianna Fil]. I always liked him, I wished him well. If push came to shove, I might even vote for him. But I always stood well back.

Yet now hes on stage, talking about politics from a comics perspective. We postcolonials, we hold Britain up on a pedestal, as a beacon of sanity and wisdom, he says. But what we realise now is that youre just as irrational as the rest of us. And thats sort of the arc of what Im doing. But, you know, with jokes. As a comedian, you cant tell people that theyre wrong or that theyre stupid. But you can say, What you did is very irrational.

Ardal OHanlon tours the UK and Ireland until 7 March.

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Ardal O'Hanlon: 'Comedy never used to be a career it was for slackers with ukuleles' - The Guardian

Timothy George

Started in 2017, Timothy George, founder of Elo, a plant-based products company, wants to add more colors and energy to a bland vegan space that some may call out of touch.According to the Global Wellness Institute, the wellness economy was valued at more than 4 trillion in 2018, with personal care and beauty products a big chunk of that. With images of Gwyneth Paltrow gracing the pages of magazines with expensive elixirs, it makes wellness look far from holistic. As wellness companies become less siloed and integrated into our environments, companies like Elo, who sell vegan fragrances and lip balms, want to become part of our everyday life from work to play, and show that wellness is attainableby all.

Along with his director of brand development, Marques Francis, George and Francis share how they plan to do that.

Maryann Reid: Some may say the wellness industry is packed with blonde, rich, and elite services that many women cannot afford.For example, Gwyneth Paltrow has become the face of a wellness brand that some find unattainable.How do you fit in?

Marques Francis: Elo lies in the intersection of luxury and comfort. Wellness is something that we all need, and by siloing this need through pricing is simply unfair. We have a product that is sustainable, beautiful, easily accessible and premium at a tier structure that many can reach.Elo is black-owned. We have a superior product than what's offered on the market currently, and it's always the goal to make aspirational obtainable.

Reid: Along with personal care products, what is another wellness space that needs more blacks and why is it ripe for opportunity?

Francis: The wellness space where we see a bunch of opportunity is in health coaching. No one wants to go to the gym after a really tough day at work, but that doesnt mean meditating, well cooked meals and basic movement cant help balance out tension. With that said we chose to collaborate with Caton Wellness, a black-owned workplace wellness organization for all of our holistic needs.

Reid: Can you describe that moment when you knew you had to start this business?

Timothy George: I admit, I was once addicted to lip balm, but I discovered most lip balms are created to dry the lips, in turn forcing you to use more product. It frustrated me that this was how the industry worked, and I wanted to create something that was better than anything I had experienced.

Reid: Where do you source your ingredients?

George: We source the Tonka Beans found in our Gloria Luxury Cotton Spray from South America.We also purchase our Vetiver essential oil from a company that imports it directly from Haiti.

Reid: Where did you get the money to fund this?

George:My first year in New York, I moved to Harlem and I wanted to meet locals to get my idea out there. I thought it would be a great idea to volunteer for the Harlem Brownstone Tour.I received access to all the beautiful homes and had the opportunity to meet all of the owners. On the 2nd day, I was a guide for a home belonging to an amazing artist who had lived in the home since she was a child.While there I met Stephanie Francis, creator and founder of Harlem Week and, in conversation, I began chatting about why I moved to New York and what my mission was.Without hesitation, Stephanie offered me a spot to sell products at the upcoming Harlem Week. At the time, I had never shown products in that way. I was still selling one-by-one to friends and family, so this was a big deal.Fast forward, the popup model has become what Elo is known for.In fact, my first year in business all our revenue stemmed from popups.

Reid: How did right people connections help you start this business? Explain the importance of strategic partners or relationships.

George: I've been invited to homes in Strivers Row for holiday dinners where I would set up a display of products.I once had a woman order 700 lip balms to pass out at her 60th birthday party.I owe a majority of my success to Harlem. I even gave a speech at Abyssinian Church to help get the word out.Early on, I saw the value of collaboration.We now collaborate with brands such as Equinox, Pottery Barn, Harlem Haberdashery, and Les Belles Dentistry.We align ourselves with brands that have similar core values and with those who cater to our ideal customer.

Reid: What is the deeper problem you want to target?

George: After leaving an Elo experience we like consumers to feel empowered, well versed on ingredients, to have a better understanding of their spending habitsto feel our intention.We are far more than just the world's first wax-free lip balm, we are a lifestyle.

Reid: When you walk in the room and people see you own this brand, what reactions have you received?

George: The questions are more aligned with when did you join the brand? or and what's your role in all of this? I get a kick out of it at this point, as I sometimes enjoy not being the face and pretending to be an intern.At times, being the founder is a great addition, like at our installation at Essence Fest, and at other moments, it seems it can get in the way. At the end of the day, I'm selling a lifestyle that appeals to many, not just those who look like me and I've made peace with it.

Reid: What has surprised you through this whole process?

George: I am constantly surprised how capable and resilient I am.Growing and scaling a brand is tough, however, I have been blessed with the ability to pivot when needed and knowing when to listen.

Reid: What makes your brand different?

Francis: Elo Vegan lifestyle has made it our mission to make sustainability sexy. We never want to be the brand that looks vegan, because a lot of those brands miss the mark of aspirational. It isnt just about green and light hues, its about celebrating the vibrant colors and energy that stems from nature.

Reid: Whats next in the future for your brand?

Francis: We have started to cultivate very unique partnerships that blend function and form in every way. We would love to continue to evolve with the way we have traversed various industries outside of beauty. Branching out into hospitality, we are also targeting design, automotive and travel.

George: In November 2019, we are launching a deet-free insect repellant to diversify the brand.Our customers are always traveling and looking for simplified experiences.With the success of our new home fragrance packaging, we have decided to expand on the concept.We would also like to partner with companies such as Harlem Capital and other minority focused venture capitalists as we begin our seed round.It is important for us to align with brands that understand our core values, as well as, those that support generational wealth in our community.

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When Gwyneth Paltrow Isnt The Face of Wellness This Happens - Forbes

By Ben Baker-Katz 10/29/19 9:53pm

Golf finished its fall slate of competition last weekend with an 8th-place finish out of 13 teams at the two-day Steelwood Collegiate Invitational in Loxley, Alabama.

According to head coach Justin Emil, the invitationals playing conditions posed problems for Rice.

Its already a difficult golf course, with difficult, fast greens, Emil said. Throw in some poor weather and it makes it really hard. We struggled a bit, but we played the last nine holes seven under par, to move past a couple of teams right at the end.

During the first day of the tournament, the Owls shot 28 over par as a team.

Senior Nick Duggan said the first day of play was difficult not only because of the weather but also because of the time spent on the course.

Its really important on 36 hole days, when were out there for 11 or 12 hours, to stay patient, Duggan said. Especially in bad weather, its easy to start getting frustrated.

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Duggan said the team gained experience playing in bad weather conditions at a tournament earlier this month in West Virginia.

Still, we made quite a lot of bogeys in places that we shouldnt have, Duggan said. But we also made a lot of birdies, and its not always easy to do that. But just too many bogeys, and too many high numbers that hurt us as a team.

The Owls played better on the last day of the tournament, bringing their score for the weekend to 20 over par.

According to Emil, Steelwood was challenging even for junior Jake Benson, who has been the top performer on the team this fall.

Jake played really solid over the first three tournaments, Emil said. He didnt play as well this week at Steelwood, but he still managed to shoot a couple of good rounds for us. Overall, I think hes going to have a nice ranking going into the offseason.

Benson started the fall with a fourth-place finish at the Lone Star Invitational, followed by a seventh-place finish at the Trinity Forest Invitational and a second-place finish at the Health Plan Mountaineer Invitational in West Virginia. Benson said his play develops with experience.

Im gradually learning how to play courses at the college level, Benson said. Each round I try to put the same level of effort in, and making sure there arent really bad mistakes.

According to Emil, as the Owls look back at their fall competition, the tournament that stands out the most is the Trinity Forest Invitational.

We posted two rounds under par [at Trinity] and finished the weekend seven under, Emil said. We beat some really good teams that weekend and really showed what we are capable of. I think there is a lot more of that golf in our team, as long as we have a productive offseason and these guys believe that they can do it.

Duggan said he agrees with Emil, citing their teams fourth-place finish as the benchmark for their level of play.

[Trinity] shows our potential going forward, I still think that our team hasnt quite played to our potential, Duggan said. Were really good this year, and I think everyone on the team feels that. We know how good we are, we just have to keep going through the motions and let it unfold.

Duggan said the part of what made playing at Trinity stand out was the team aspect of the performance.

We had really good camaraderie in that final round, Duggan said. I remember looking around and everyone was playing well, everyone on the team was under par. It felt great to know that the team can go that low and we can play that well. Its good to get that little taste of how well we can play as a team, it makes us want it even more.

In order to make sure that they can carry over that success, Emil said the Owls will spend the offseason getting stronger and perfecting their short game.

We gotta get a little bit better at putting the ball in play off of the tee, Emil said. We had a little bit of ball control trouble over the whole fall season, and we need to do a better job with wedges and short game. This is a good group of guys, and they work really hard. Were going to have a really productive offseason.

Duggan said he agrees that the short game is going to be a priority for the team this offseason. He said that one thing he tried to get the team to do over the course of the fall season was to set a personal goal, something that only they could control, every week.

Weve tried to implement some new tactics this year, Duggan said. For me personally, its pre-shot routine. Thats something I know I can control and do before I hit every shot on the course. I think that was good for everyone on the team, to have a goal that helps your mind focus and to stay in the present moment.

The team spends an extra day in the weight room each week and also works on some of the mental aspects of the game, according to Benson.

We want to think our way around the courses and make sure we dont have big mistakes, Benson said. If we do that, we can have a really good spring.

The Owls will start competitive play again Feb. 16 with the All-American Intercollegiate, a tournament they co-host with the University of Houston.

Original post:
Golf wraps up fall schedule - The Rice Thresher

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - OCTOBER 16: Singer/guitarist Yungblud performs at The Underground on ... [+] October 16, 2019 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jeff Hahne/Getty Images)

Dominic Harrison, known to music fans as YUNGBLUD, is a real artist. You talk to him and you feel that fire that is making him a rising star on the music scene. He began attracting attention when his song "Falling Skies" was featured on the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why.

Then this year he hit American airwaves with "11 Minutes," with Halsey and Travis Barker, YUNGBLUD has sold out shows around the U.S. I met up with him in L.A. recently, the day after a sold-out show in San Francisco and the day before a sold-out gig in L.A.

A thoroughly enjoyable and compelling conversation, we spoke about finding his own voice as an artist, writing about politics, getting positive feedback from Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance and those artists, from Foo Fighters to Green Day, he wants to be like in 20 years.

Steve Baltin: Where did you come in from?

YUNGBLUD:We played in San Francisco. F**king mental. Regency ballroom. Couldn't believe it to be honest. Everywhere is just f**king going crazy. Right now. I don't understand I'm just trying to get a gauge on it.

.Baltin: What was your turning point moment?

YUNGBLUD: Interesting, I can see it right now, really clear. I grew up in a very industrial part of England, in the North of England, and where I was from, it was very backwards in the way people would think to put it plainly. And I always was massively in awe. It's like Marilyn Manson or Lady Gaga and David Bowie. I'd want to like cross dress or put makeup on and my mum would love it. My mum would be like, "Oh you look cute." But my granddad would be like, "What the f**k have you got on? Take that off." So all my life, I felt where I was from would never accept me for who I was. So I had a vision that I would move down to London, the city, and it will be able to be myself and be liberated and feel amazing. And I did at 16 I was like, "F**k this I'm out. I'm going to go to the city and going to where lipstick and get up to all sorts of naughty s**t. I thought by moving to London, I would be able to be myself and slot into or onslaught myself out of any box or any possible thing. And the thing was it was completely f**king opposite. The first taste I had in the music industry was, they were telling me that I couldn't write songs about politics. They were telling me, I couldn't dress like I did. I won't paint my nails because it was too disruptive. I said to myself, "F**k this, I'm not going to listen to these people because they have no idea." I completely figured out exactly who I was and always thought I was going to be.

Baltin: Do you feel like now because you did follow your own voice, does the success feel much more gratifying?

YUNGBLUD:Dude, it's crazy.That's what I always say. Just do what you think is right because if it ain't real, it's not going to resonate. Or if it's not real, you're going to exhaust yourself and it's going to run out eventually and you'll get big but you won't be remembered.

Baltin: Who are those artists that you look at and think like, okay that's who I want to be in 20 years?

YUNGBLUD:Dave Grohl, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Billy Joel, Arctic Monkeys, Marilyn Manson, Eminem, Lady Gaga, David Bowie, John Lennon, loads of people. My Chemical Romance is like, I always wanted to build something, I didn't fit a mold so I wanted to build my own and I want to connect to people and I want to build a culture. I never want people to go, "I love this song, who sings it?" I want it to be, "I love this artist."

Baltin: I was reading the BBC thing that came where you talked about the fact that after playing at Leeds you were crying because, I talked with so many artists about this too, those moments that where they feel something is happening and so many artists have said to me, it's that moment when fans are singing their words back to them.

YUNGBLUD:Completely, man. It's like Leeds and Reading was such a crazy experience to me because I grew up there. I mean I saw myself in the crowd in a bucket hat and glasses. To me having a gold disc is great, a platinum disc is great, but what is most important to me is having this mutual feeling in my community. That I look at one of them and go, you saved my life and I saved those back. Yeah. That's what I said about YUNGBLUD isn't me. YUNGBLUD is us and if it ever becomes me in them instead of us then I **cked it.

Baltin: When you're writing a song, a lot of times writing is subconscious anyway.So you don't even know what you are thinking about.

YUNGBLUD:You don't know what you're thinking about sometimes until months afterwards, and you go that's what was going from my brain at that time. And it's crazy. And you know what man, it's completely unfathomable. I stand on the stage and they're so passionate and I would ask myself, "Why me?" The answer is what we mean to each other, cause I need them as much as they need me.

Baltin: But what do you think about being a fan back in the day, I'm sure it was the exact same feeling for you. What was that show for you where you had that same feeling?

YUNGBLUD: Arctic Monkeys. He [Alex Turner] knew what I was thinking and he'd never even met me. And it blew my mind. I was like, everything I was going through, he knew it. Gerard Way knew every single thing I was going through.

Baltin: Have you met either of them since?

YUNGBLUD:No. but I just hope they like me. I spoke about it a lot in the press and apparently I think Gerard, unless they're bullshi**ing me, they reached out to my label and said that he was moved by what I said and I was like, "Whoa, it's crazy." Cause I just loved that guy. He again, as I said, made stamping culture. Ain't a singer, he's an activist. And that's what I want to be. I think it's like when you get on stage, man. It's so weird, you can have the shi**iest day. Your girlfriend can break up with you. Your mom can call and say she got sick. You trip up and break your ankle. But when he got on stage, everything disappears. It's like "F**k the girl, f**k the mom, f**k the leg, f**k everything cause me and you." And then you got off stage and you go back to the sad again. It's kind of crazy. And I said that to him last night. Now my war is going on in my personal life and in their personal lives. For that hour and half, hour and forty the crowd is good. We have a magical connection.

Baltin: I saw this coming. So after our election in 2016 right from December 2016 through middle of 2018, every person that I talked with, every single one, whether it was, you, Dave Gahan, whether it was Metallica, we talked about writing and recording under the influence of this administration. And the reason I bring that up is because one thing that I noticed is people want people to speak out now. So it's interesting that you say about wanting to be an activist. Are you finding that when you engage with the fans that it's the fact that you talk about real issues?

YUNGBLUD:It's so funny when we talk about a turning point, man. I always felt like I always listened to other people, don't listen to anybody else. You want to feel reassured. Listen, I asked people all the time, that's just my own insecurity and people have their own insecurities. You'll gut is always right. You know, I think and I want to talk about this stuff. I wanted to talk about this stuff all my life and people said I couldn't and as soon as I started to and as soon started actually being real, that's when people start to listen.

Baltin: Was there a song for you where you first were finding that voice?

YUNGBLUD:"King Charles" of the first record, it came out, the song was written and recorded in four hours. As I talk about, I wrote all this poetry, I designed the pink socks. I knew exactly what we're going to look like, exactly what we're going to say, wrote the name out and it just happened. Iit just happened and it was so quick. I didn't have to think about it and I've been so prolific ever since.

Baltin: Where do you think it came from then?

YUNGBLUD:It came from Brexit. It came from, that was the first time I had a vote. The first time I could make my voice count in a numerical factor that would actually matter. And then, it was ripped away from me by part of an older generation that didn't understand or aren't even going to be here when the consequences of Brexit are going to be in action. And I felt wronged. I felt hurt and I felt, "F**k it, I'm going to write about it and I'm going to put it out." I did it. And people started to listen. I think that's it. I think YUNGBLUD is a call out, saying it is alright to be yourself, no matter who that may be. It's alright to change. It's alright to grow. It's all right to be not the same person you were six months ago.

Baltin: When you look back then, are there moments that you can look back and see how you changed from six months ago?

YUNGBLUD: Flat out. I've got the EP is out and the new EP is out. And if you listened to that compared to the first EP that came up it's worlds apart. It's a good different experiences. I'll just say it starts angry but then ends emotionally. That's kind of my cycles as an artist from the beginning, Then EP, it's my journey from the beginning. It's called The Underrated Youth EP and the experience I've had since everything else has been so much more emotional. I've met so much more people, I have heard so many more stories. "Hope For The Underrated Youth" was a song for my fan base. It's about us. It's about me looking at the world and excepting that it tells me to fall in line, it tells us to conform. It tells us which f**king air to breathe some days. But the one common denominator I find in the people I've met and the young people, the people of all ages I've met in my career is the constant optimism, the constant fire, the constant drive to fight for equality and to unite and not divide anymore. And that's why it's called, "Hope For The Underrated Youth" because the future's bright because we are simply in it. Well then it goes to a song like "Original Me," with Dan Reynolds from Imagine Dragons and that talks about me, being originally myself and going every day, "You tell people to be yourself. Don't forget to be yourself, Don't forget to check in sometimes, Dom. Don't forget to be yourself, Dom."

See more here:
YUNGBLUD On The Constant Fire And Optimism In Todays Youth - Forbes

A friend of mine shares this story. She grew up with five siblings and an alcoholic father. The effect of her fathers alcoholism was devastating on her family. Heres how she tells the story:

By the time my father died, his alcoholism had destroyed our family. None of us kids could talk to each other anymore. Wed drifted apart to different parts of the country and had nothing to do with each other.

My mother was a saint and kept trying through the years to have us reconcile with each other, inviting us to gather for Thanksgiving and Christmas and the like, but it never worked. All her efforts were for nothing. We hated each other.

Then, as my mother lay dying of cancer, in hospice, bedridden, and eventually in a coma, we, her kids, gathered by her bedside, watching her die, and she, helpless and unable to speak, was able to accomplish what she couldnt achieve through all those years when she could speak. Watching her die, we reconciled.

We all know similar stories of someone in their dying, when they were too helpless to speak or act, powerfully impacting, more powerfully than they ever did in word or action, those around them, pouring out a grace that blessed their loved ones.

Sometimes, of course, this isnt a question of reconciling a family but of powerfully strengthening their existing unity.Such was the case in a family history shared by Carla Marie Carlson, in her book,Everyday Grace.

Her family was already closely knit, but Carlson shares how her mothers dying strengthened those family bonds and graced all the others who witnessed her dying:

Those who took the opportunity to be with my Mom during that journey have told me that their lives were forever changed. It was a remarkable time, which I will always treasure. Lessons of acceptance and courage were abundant as she struggled with the realities of a dying body. It was dramatic and intense, but yet filled with peace and gratitude.

Most anyone who has ever sat in vigil around a loved one who was dying can share a similar story.

Theres a lesson here and a mystery. The lesson is that we dont just do important things for one another and impact one anothers lives by what we actively do for one another; we also do life-changing things for one another in what we passively absorb in helplessness. This is the mystery of passivity which we see, paradigmatically, played out in what Jesus did for us.

As Christians, we say that Jesusgave his life for usand that hegave his death for us, but we tend to think of this as one and the same thing. Its not. Jesus gave his life for usthrough his activity; he gave his death for usthrough his passivity.These were two separate movements.

Like the woman described earlier who tried for years to have her children reconcile with one another through her activity, through her words and actions, and then eventually accomplished that through the helplessness and passivity of her deathbed, so, too, with Jesus.

For three years he tried in every way to make us understand love, reconciliation, and faith, without full effect. Then, in less than 24 hours, in his helplessness, when he couldnt speak, in his dying, we got the lesson. Both Jesus and his mother were able, in their helplessness and passivity, to give the world something that they were unable to give as effectively in their power and activity.

Unfortunately, this is not something our present culture, with its emphasis on health, productivity, achievement, and power very much understands.

We no longer much understand or value the powerful grace that is given off by someone dying of a terminal illness, nor the powerful grace present in a person with a disability, or indeed the grace thats present in our own physical and personal disabilities.

Nor do we much understand what we are giving to our families, friends, and colleagues when we, in powerlessness, have to absorb neglect, slights, and misunderstanding. When a culture begins to talk about euthanasia, it is an infallible indication that we no longer understand the grace within passivity.

In his writings, Father Henri Nouwen makes a distinction between what he terms our achievements and our fruitfulness.Achievementsstem more directly from our activities: What have we positively accomplished? What have we actively done for others? And our achievements stop when we are no longer active.

Fruitfulness, on the other hand, goes far beyond what we have actively accomplished and is sourced as much by what we have passively absorbed as by what we actively produced. The family described above reconciled not because of their mothers achievements, but because of her fruitfulness. Such is the mystery of passivity.

Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ, in his spiritual classic,The Divine Milieu,tells us that we are meant to help the world through both our activities and our passivities, through both what we actively give and through what we passively absorb.

See original here:
The grace within passivity - Angelus News

Its Army week for Air Force, which means the inevitable flashback to a certain White House visit in May.

President Donald Trump honored the Black Knights and coach Jeff Monken for winning the Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy for a second straight time by beating Air Force and Navy.

Air Force is tough, Trump said to Monken. Theyve always been tough, coach.

Not that tough, Monken replied.

Falcons players were reminded of Monkens comments Saturday after lambasting Utah State.

I guess well see next week, defensive end Jordan Jackson said.

Of course, Air Force doesnt need extra motivation for this game.

After dominating Army with 24 victories in 27 contests from 1989 through 2016, the Falcons have seen the Black Knights win back-to-back meetings starting with a 21-0 victory at Falcon Stadium in 2017.

The Falcons cant win the Commander-in-Chiefs trophy this season after losing at Navy on Oct. 5, but they can exact some revenge on Army and continue their own climb with relation to national prominence. Air Force has received votes in the Coaches Poll for the second consecutive week and is up to No. 35 in the Sagarin computer rankings. Army is No. 101 according to that metric.

The final four matchups for Air Force (6-2) include just one opponent in the Top 100, and thats a home game vs. No. 65 Wyoming.

With four regular-season games left before a bowl game, this team thats riding a three-game streak of blowout victories could make a run at just the programs third season with more than 10 victories and could make a case for its first appearance in The Associated Press Top 25 since 2010.

The Falcons put their most complete effort together Saturday, possessing the ball for more than 45 minutes in a 31-7 victory over Utah State.

Going into Army, regardless of the week before, is always a big one for us; a little extra momentum, a little bit of extra fire going into practice, Jackson said. But coming off a win like this is even better. We know how we can work; we know what we can do when were at our best, and thats what were trying to do next week.

Army (3-5), by contrast, is struggling after going 21-5 the past two seasons.

The Black Knights lost only at No. 7 Michigan (in a 24-21 thriller) during a 3-1 start, but have since lost four straight games.

They fell at home 34-29 to San Jose State on Saturday, the same Spartans squad the Falcons led by 31 points at the academy Sept. 27 before a few mop-up time touchdowns in the final 4 minutes made the final score 41-24.

Air Force is an early 14.5-point favorite in the game, which has its full attention for so many reasons.

Were focused on Army, quarterback Donald Hammond III said about 20 minutes after the Utah State game ended. Thats all we care about.

This performance made Air Force bowl eligible. It ought to make it dream about bigger things, too.

Revisiting three areas we identified as being keys or storylines worth tracking as Air Force hosted Utah State.

Air Force linebacker Demonte Meeks is the Falcons' player of the game for getting the job done and helping keep Utah State's offense off the field.

Facts and figures that tell more of the story of Air Force's 31-7 victory over Utah State on Saturday night.

Read the original here:
Air Force football finds plenty of motivation as it begins preparations for Army - Colorado Springs Gazette

Did you know that your brain circuits can actually change when you're feeling unmotivated?

Although it might take some time for this change to occur (thankfully, we're not talking a couple of slow Monday mornings), research has found what chronic lack of motivation could look like on a brain scan. This new study, published in the journal Neuron, has discovered how the brain changes in mice who experience lack of motivation, a common symptom of depression.

Past research on depression has used similar animal studies to categorize mice as either stressed (meaning depressed) or non-stressed (not depressed).

However, authors of the study Ignas Cerniauskas and Stephan Lammel, Ph.D., believed that this past research disregards the variability of the disease, as two people diagnosed with depression can experience completely different symptoms and respond to entirely different treatments.

That being said, they sought to find changes in the brain that were associated with each specific symptom rather than depression as a whole.

Mouse models have been used in depression research for the past 60 years, and scientists have been able to find that putting mice under constant stress produces at least three common symptoms of human depression: anxiety, lack of motivation, and loss of pleasure.

What's new about this study, in particular, is that researchers were able to discover the specific genes within a brain region that are associated with lack of motivation.

During the experiment, genes within a brain region called the lateral habenula were strongly turned on in mice that showcased reduced motivation as a result of chronic stress. Anxiety and loss of pleasure weren't associated with this brain region, suggesting that different symptoms of depression affect different areas of the brainand as a result, require unique modes of treatment.

"Our strategy, one we think all basic researchers should adopt, is to move away from considering depression as a single or homogeneous disease," Lammel says. "Many physicians already view depression this way, which shows that it is critical to have collaboration between basic and clinical researchers."

Once these researchers can figure out the brain markers for anxiety and loss of pleasure, maybe we can start to devise specific treatment plans for each symptom. After all, health care professionals are quickly becoming enamored with personalized medicine, and this new wave should go beyond physical health and include psychiatric disorders like depression as well.

Here's what that precision medicine would look like in a mental health setting, according to Lammel: "If we had a biomarker for specific symptoms of depression, we simply could do a blood test or image the brain and then identify the appropriate medication for that patient. We think that our study not only has the potential to transform how basic scientists study depression in animals, but the combination of anatomical, physiological and molecular biomarkers described could lay the foundation for guiding the development of the next generation of antidepressants that are tailored to specific depression symptoms."

While the next generation of antidepressants sounds promising, this new research can only lay the foundation for this future of personalized mental health care. Lammel says we have a long way to go before his vision can become a reality: "That would be the ideal case, but we are far away from that situation right now."

Either way, it sure is a hopeful start.

Read more from the original source:
Scientists Find What Lack Of Motivation Looks Like In The Brain - mindbodygreen.com