True freshman Luke Kromenhoek threw three touchdown passes and Caziah Holmes ran for two more as host Florida State routed Charleston Southern 41-7 on Saturday afternoon in Tallahassee, Fla. The Seminoles (2-9) convincingly snapped a six-game losing streak and ensured that the Buccaneers (1-11) would finish theirs on a 10-game skid. Florida State has not had much to celebrate during one of its worst seasons in program history. But on Saturday, the Seminoles overcame a rough start and put together one of their more complete efforts of the season. Florida State had not scored more than 21 points in a game prior to Saturday's contest and its 175 rushing yards more than doubled its average (80.5 per game) this season. No single runner had over 40 yards, but seven rushers combined for that output on 34 attempts. The Seminoles entered the game ranked 130th out of 133 FBS teams in rushing offense. Holmes, a senior, finished with three carries for 38 yards, including touchdown runs of 3 and 18 yards. Kromenhoek gave Florida State a sliver of hope for its quarterback future as he completed 13 of 20 passes for 209 yards and no interceptions. He threw TD passes for Amaree Williams, Ja'Khi Douglas and Hykeem Williams. The highlight was a 71-yard touchdown pass to Douglas on the first play from scrimmage of the second half to put the Seminoles ahead 24-0. Douglas finished with 82 yards receiving on three catches, and 10 different Florida State players caught passes for 240 total yards. The Seminoles went 6 of 10 on third downs after averaging only a 25 percent conversion rate all season. Their defense held Charleston Southern to 275 total yards (57 rushing) and forced two turnovers. Florida State was unable to hang on to the shutout, however, as Bucs quarterback Kaleb Jackson found Landon Sauers for a 7-yard touchdown pass with 57 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Jackson completed 22 of 32 passes for 218 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The Bucs defense recorded three sacks led by Davion Williams, who had eight tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and one sack. The Seminoles will conclude their season next Saturday at home against rival Florida. --Field Level Media"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum." Section 1.10.32 of "de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum", written by Cicero in 45 BC "Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" 1914 translation by H. Rackham "But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?" To keep reading, please log in to your account, create a free account, or simply fill out the form below.
Relying on the legislature, law enforcement and state agency partnerships alone to combat juvenile crime is like having a three-legged chair. It may sit upright for a while, but with any significant weight applied, it will fall over. I’m tired of reading about plans to address juvenile crime that ignore those of us who understand better than anyone, this drug-addicted, immature and criminal mindset. Many of us who have been incarcerated since our teens and have served decades in prison should have a say in how the state is addressing the juvenile crime trend. After all, the seeds planted today will bear fruit in the coming decades and a good question is: “What will these efforts produce?” I have been incarcerated for over 33 years and am the product of this three-legged monster’s “lock ’em up and throw away the key” approach to the youth violence problem. Now, it seems that nothing has been learned from this failed strategy because over 30 years later some law enforcement agencies and uninformed people are calling for the resignation of Vincent Schiraldi, the current secretary of the Department of Juvenile Services. I have never spoken with Mr. Schiraldi, nor am I aware of the particulars of his programming for the juveniles who are within his custody. But giving these youth every opportunity to change before they begin being institutionalized is the best and only path to take. The alternative is far worse than anything that society is experiencing now. I understand that the people being victimized by these youthful violent offenders believe that locking them away is the answer — I’ve had this discussion many times with my father. But what I’ve explained to him is that the youth of today have not developed the mental tools to put any of the psychological obstacles that they will encounter while they are incarcerated into perspective. These youth struggle in this environment and receive next to nothing with regard to mental health therapy. We, too, have an invested interest to create a brighter future for our youth in Baltimore City, but have no seat at the table. A lot of lives that could have been saved, were lost in this “lock ’em up and throw away the key” strategy, but a few of us survived this social experiment and have developed a unique insight into this problem. I was one of those youth that was looked at as a scourge of society but an amazing thing happened, I transitioned out of that mindset and am now a responsible thinking adult. Why haven’t we been tapped as a valuable resource in changing this youth crime narrative? It seems like a no-brainer to me — utilize those of us who have lived this life and transitioned out of it. In my years of incarceration, I’ve seen the horrors that incarceration can have on a juvenile. I’ve witnessed people losing hope, losing their minds, morality and integrity. I’ve even seen people lose their belief in God. Now what part of a criminal sentence is that? These are the unintended consequences to incarceration that people never consider or don’t care about. This juvenile crime issue becomes a racial one because probably over 75% of the youth being convicted are African American and they will be released back into our communities where we don’t have the resources to deal with the mental health issues that incarceration causes. By no means am I taking the position that if you break the law, whether a juvenile or not, that you shouldn’t be held accountable. But without providing meaningful programming, mental heath treatment and a tried and true path toward becoming a responsible thinking adult, what are we actually doing? Mr. Schiraldi is on the right path. Giving these youth every opportunity to address the defects before becoming institutionalized is best for the youth and our communities. Those who don’t know that and continue to call for Mr. Schiraldi’s resignation couldn’t be more wrong. We have a lot at stake in getting this problem corrected, and for those who believe that this is not their problem or that it’s not seen in their neighborhoods, it’s just a matter of time before it reaches the comforts of your home. I have been saying for many years: If prison was designed to punish an adult, it is clearly torture for a kid. Anyone who wants to have a meaningful, informational discussion about how to solve this youth crime trend please contact me. I have a wealth of knowledge on this subject and want to make a positive change for the youth of Baltimore City and the State of Maryland. The author, an inmate at Maryland’s Eastern Correctional Institution in Westover, was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, armed robbery and handgun violations in 1991. He was 18 at the time. His ID number is 223603.Saudi Arabia banned film for 35 years. The Red Sea festival is just one sign of the industry’s rise
Indexes ended higher, with a 460-point gain for the Dow. Wall Street cheered Nvidia earnings, raising price targets for the chip maker. Other Big Tech shares struggled, with Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft ending lower. Indexes ended higher on Thursday as traders digested another solid earnings beat from Nvidia . The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped by almost 500 points, and the S&P 500, while the Nasdaq traded nearly flat as several mega-cap tech names struggled throughout the day. Here's where US indexes stood shortly after the 9:30 a.m. opening bell on Thursday: S&P 500 : 5,948.71, up 0.53% Dow Jones Industrial Average : 43,870.35, up 1.06% (+461.88 points) Nasdaq composite : 18,972.42, up 0.03% Nvidia stock whipsawed throughout the day, flipping between losses and gains before ending the day slightly higher, up 0.5% to $146.67 per share. The company reported another solid earnings beat, with revenue exceeding expectations and guidance coming largely in line with estimates. Over 20 firms boosted their Nvidia price targets afterward. JPMorgan upped its price target from $155 to $170, pointing to its strong competitive edge, while Goldman Sachs lifted its target from $150 to $165 on the expectation the company can deliver over $200 billion in revenue next year. "The team continues to maintain a 1- 2 step lead ahead of competitors with its silicon/hardware/software platforms," JPMorgan analysts wrote Thursday, adding, "The team is further distancing itself with its aggressive cadence of new product launches and more product segmentation over time." Meanwhile, tech stocks largely sold off. Google parent Alphabet ended over 4.5% lower as the US Department of Justice called for the company to divest its Chrome business in an anti-trust push. Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft also closed lower. Meanwhile, weekly jobless claims dropped again last week, falling to 213,000, a 6,000 decline from the week before, according to data released Thursday. That number remains near the lowest since April. Continuing claims, or the total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits, remain high, though. Those claims rose to their highest in three years at 1.91 million last week, a 36,000 increase from the week before. Here's what else is going on: This chart shows how Nvidia's revenue has exploded in recent years. The US is ramping up sanctions by targeting the last major Russian bank not yet blacklisted. Netflix's stock could soar 13% as Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson showcased a "knockout opportunity" in live events, BofA says. Bitcoin rockets toward $100,000 as Trump reportedly considers appointing a "crypto czar." In commodities, bonds, and crypto: Oil futures rose. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 2% to $70.12 a barrel. Brent crude , the international benchmark, also rose 2% to $74.33 a barrel. Gold rose 0.8% to $2,671.90 an ounce. The 10-year Treasury yield was up two basis points to 4.428%. Bitcoin edged toward $100,000, trading up by 4% to $98,161.I Want a House Completely Designed with Made-in-Nigeria Furniture, Says Obasanjo
‘Final years’: Ominous Charles admission
With the ongoing and increasing threats to cybersecurity, you need a good antivirus solution that doesn’t break the bank. I reviewed F-Secure Total, an affordable antivirus solution that let me build a plan that covers all my devices with just the features I need. While we all like to keep an eye on the budget, computer security isn’t the right place to cut corners. The best antivirus software provides excellent protection against online and offline malware at an affordable price. F-Secure has flexible pricing that you can customize to precisely match your needs. The most affordable plan starts at $50 annually, covering one device with real-time antivirus, scam, and ransomware protection in the browser and offline. You probably use a computer, phone, and possibly several other devices. If one gets hacked, all of your social and financial accounts are at risk, as is the personal data stored on that device. It makes sense to protect them all and F-Secure plans can cover 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, or more devices. A three-device plan starts at $65, five devices cost $70, and 10 computers, phones, and tablets is $85. The options don’t stop there. You can add a VPN with unlimited data for $10 more per year. A password manager and identity monitoring also adds $10 annually. With F-Secure, you pay only for what you need. Still, you can find better deals on antivirus software , at least for the first year of service. I do like that F-Secure doesn’t have shocking price increases when it’s time to renew. If you’re looking for a free solution, F-Secure has a free malware scan and removal tool. The website describes it as an online scanner, but it’s actually a Windows app that installs on your PC before running. The free scanner detects and clears malicious apps that are already active on your computer, but doesn’t protect you from future threats. The best free antivirus software offers good browser protection without requiring a subscription. Tiers and pricing Design I tested F-Secure Total, the version that includes antivirus, a VPN, identity monitoring, and more. After installing the app, the dashboard showed that real-time protection was active, but there were several other features to set up to maximize my cybersecurity. I installed the browser extension for online protection, the password manager extension to help secure account logins, and a VPN to prevent activity tracking, then added my email address for monitoring. With setup complete, I explored the user interface. The dashboard shows all the active features at a glance and lets me select one to make adjustments. A button at the top left opens a menu with more options, including account details, settings, support, and quick access to all the features. I opened settings and found there are plenty of options to fine-tune each security feature, such as choosing which folders are locked to protect against ransomware. Overall, F-Secure Total was easy to get started with and the design is clear and simple, with advanced features accessible via settings. Features The number one job of an antivirus is to protect my computer from malware. It should offer real-time detection and blocking to prevent infection. As a second line of defense, it should regularly scan for malicious apps and quarantine them so no harm is done. To test how well F-Secure Total performed, I checked its score at full-time cybersecurity labs that continuously monitor the threat landscape and rate the effectiveness of leading antivirus software. F-Secure shows excellent AV-Test scores, falling below perfect only once with a minor miss in June 2023. F-Secure didn’t fare well in AV-Comparatives scoring system, but a deeper dive into the real-time report reveals it blocked as many threats as antivirus leaders Norton , Avira , and McAfee , which have good protection track records. F-Secure’s score dropped because it had a high false-positive rate, which includes incorrect app and website blocking. An overprotective antivirus can be annoying, but it isn’t dangerous. In my tests, I didn’t get any false alerts. I always do spot-checks by visiting Wicar’s malware test website. F-Secure Total’s browser extension successfully identified and blocked all 13 malware downloads and browser exploits. I tested the password manager and it autofilled logins as expected. It’s not as sophisticated as the best password managers that allow organization and password sharing, but it handles the basics well and syncs across devices. F-Secure Total’s VPN defaults to OpenVPN protocol, which isn’t the fastest. I tried the only other option, IKEv2, which helped. Still, the best speed I measured was 20% as fast as my usual 900 Mbps. With the best dedicated VPN services, I enjoy over 700 Mbps downloads. Support F-Secure claims it offers 24/7 support via live chat, so I tested that out by asking about login sharing. A live agent answered immediately and continued to respond quickly as I clarified my question. I’ve reviewed several antivirus services and found that live chat support varies. Solutions like ESET have good support, but during limited hours . Others use chat services that start off quickly, then slow dramatically after the first response. I also verified that live chat with a human is available for F-Secure customers all day, every day. As I mentioned above, there’s no password sharing option in F-Secure, but the agent suggested I could copy and send the password via a message, email, or written on paper. I liked the inclusion of an offline solution from tech support. Privacy and security F-Secure’s privacy policy is very clear and states that it won’t sell or share your personal data to third-party advertisers. It will comply with legal requests, but it doesn’t allow backdoors in its software. The company is based in Finland, which isn’t part of any intelligence alliances for information sharing. I couldn’t find any record of customer data breaches or cybersecurity incidents, so your personal and financial information should be secure when using F-Secure Total antivirus protection. Is F-Secure right for you? The least inexpensive option, F-Secure Internet Security, offers good protection, but doesn’t beat the best antivirus software . While the VPN and password manager are nice additions to F-Secure Total, dedicated services offer more advanced features. The best password managers aren’t that expensive, and you can even find excellent free password managers . The same is true of VPNs. Proton offers a great free VPN] , and you can often find VPN deals that minimize your cost without sacrificing speed. While F-Secure Total’s high false positive score is a drawback, I didn’t have any problems with apps or websites being blocked. Also, a false positive is better than allowing malware to run wild on your computer. That said, antivirus software like Bitdefender and Norton provide solid protection without the annoyance of overzealous blocking. However, I liked F-Secure Total’s customizable subscription plans and consistent pricing on renewal and still recommend it as a good solution if you want to fine-tune your subscription to exactly what you need.HBO Exec Reveals Release Dates for 'White Lotus' Season 3, 'Euphoria' Season 3, & New 'Game of Thrones' Spinoff
Binghamton, N.Y., Dec. 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new agreement between Binghamton University and The Guthrie Clinic will pave the way for enhanced collaboration on future research initiatives with the goal to benefit the outcomes and wellness of the local community. The new Collaborative Research Agreement (CRA) establishes standardized guidelines for each research project undertaken by The Guthrie Clinic and Binghamton University. These guidelines eliminate the need for repetitive contract reviews, expediting the process of launching research projects and fostering seamless collaboration. By focusing on compliance and cybersecurity, the agreement also ensures the proper safeguards are in place to protect shared data. Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger and Guthrie Clinic President and CEO Edmund Sabanegh signed the agreement into effect during a press conference on Friday, Dec.13. “I’m excited for this new understanding, both as a way for our researchers to advance their work and to accentuate the care that Guthrie provides to its patients,” said Stenger. Guthrie Clinic President and CEO Dr. Edmund Sabanegh emphasized the organization’s commitment to high-quality patient care and research efforts. “This partnership represents the best of what two respected organizations can achieve when they work together,” said Sabanegh. “This agreement allows us to collaborate more effectively, opening the door for greater innovation. It creates a solid framework to focus on meaningful research that can make a real difference in people’s lives.” The scope of the partnership extends beyond health care research. With both institutions’ diverse expertise, collaborative projects can span areas such as engineering, process improvement, and more. “Today’s announcement marks an incredible milestone in fostering innovation and addressing health challenges through the partnership between Binghamton University and Guthrie,” said State Senator Lea Webb. “As a member of the NYS Senate Health and Higher Education Committees, I am thrilled to see how this collaboration will connect cutting-edge research with clinical expertise to improve healthcare access and outcomes in our community. By bringing together Binghamton researchers and Guthrie's healthcare professionals, we are building a bridge between academic discovery and practical solutions for our collective health and wellness.” Beyond the advancement of research, this agreement is poised to benefit the broader community. By joining forces, The Guthrie Clinic and Binghamton University aim to conduct essential research that could lead to new discoveries and improvements in healthcare practices, technology and other fields. Guthrie’s recent expansion into Broome County, through its acquisition of Lourdes Hospital, further solidifies this relationship. The agreement allows Binghamton University direct access to Guthrie’s entire network of specialists and clinical expertise, creating even more opportunities for collaboration. “The collaboration between Binghamton University’s groundbreaking research and Guthrie’s clinical practice is welcome news,” said Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo. “The goal is to improve patient outcomes, while also inspiring a new generation of researchers interested in solving a myriad of health care delivery challenges. We can look forward to seeing advances in medical practice, including improvements in the way care is delivered across a variety of medical settings. I’d like to thank both of these institutions for today’s announcement.” Stenger said that there is tremendous opportunity for collaboration between the two organizations. “Our university has a large group of faculty across disciplines doing significant work in furthering our understanding of healthcare and health outcomes,” said Stenger. “Guthrie is putting that theory into practice by providing care to people in need. By combining innovative research capabilities from the University and the practical healthcare experience of the hospital, we can improve outcomes on both ends.” ### The Guthrie Clinic is a non-profit multispecialty health system integrating clinical and hospital care along with research and education. Headquartered in Sayre, Pennsylvania, The Guthrie Clinic stands as one of the nation’s longest established group practices, founded in 1910 by the visionary Dr. Donald Guthrie. The organization’s patient-centered approach revolves around a clinically integrated network of employed providers. Among The Guthrie Clinic’s more than 9,000 caregivers are close to 1,000 highly skilled physicians and advanced practice providers representing the spectrum of medical Specialties and sub-specialties. Situated across 10,000 square miles in northeastern Pennsylvania and upstate New York, The Guthrie Clinic’s comprehensive six hospital campuses also encompass an expansive network of outpatient facilities across 13 counties. Post-acute care includes acute rehabilitation, skilled nursing, personal care home, home care and hospice services, completing the continuum of care. With a commitment to shaping the future of health care, the organization offers eleven residencies and five fellowships, serving as a training ground for the next generation of leaders in the field. Visit us at www.Guthrie.org . Follow us at Twitter.com/GuthrieClinic, Facebook.com/TheGuthrieClinic, Linkedin.com/company/TheGuthrieClinic, and Instagram.com/TheGuthrieClinic.
SAN FRANCISCO — A former OpenAI researcher known for whistleblowing the blockbuster artificial intelligence company facing a swell of lawsuits over its business model has died, authorities confirmed this week. Suchir Balaji, 26, was found dead inside his Buchanan Street apartment on Nov. 26, San Francisco police and the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner said. Police had been called to the Lower Haight residence at about 1 p.m. that day, after receiving a call asking officers to check on his well-being, a police spokesperson said. The medical examiner’s office has not released his cause of death, but police officials this week said there is “currently, no evidence of foul play.” Information he held was expected to play a key part in lawsuits against the San Francisco-based company. Balaji’s death comes three months after he publicly accused OpenAI of violating U.S. copyright law while developing ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence program that has become a moneymaking sensation used by hundreds of millions of people across the world. Its public release in late 2022 spurred a torrent of lawsuits against OpenAI from authors, computer programmers and journalists, who say the company illegally stole their copyrighted material to train its program and elevate its value past $150 billion. The Mercury News and seven sister news outlets are among several newspapers, including the New York Times, to sue OpenAI in the past year. In an interview with the New York Times published Oct. 23, Balaji argued OpenAI was harming businesses and entrepreneurs whose data were used to train ChatGPT. “If you believe what I believe, you have to just leave the company,” he told the outlet, adding that “this is not a sustainable model for the internet ecosystem as a whole.” Balaji grew up in Cupertino before attending UC Berkeley to study computer science. It was then he became a believer in the potential benefits that artificial intelligence could offer society, including its ability to cure diseases and stop aging, the Times reported. “I thought we could invent some kind of scientist that could help solve them,” he told the newspaper. But his outlook began to sour in 2022, two years after joining OpenAI as a researcher. He grew particularly concerned about his assignment of gathering data from the internet for the company’s GPT-4 program, which analyzed text from nearly the entire internet to train its artificial intelligence program, the news outlet reported. The practice, he told the Times, ran afoul of the country’s “fair use” laws governing how people can use previously published work. In late October, he posted an analysis on his personal website arguing that point. No known factors “seem to weigh in favor of ChatGPT being a fair use of its training data,” Balaji wrote. “That being said, none of the arguments here are fundamentally specific to ChatGPT either, and similar arguments could be made for many generative AI products in a wide variety of domains.” Reached by this news agency, Balaji’s mother requested privacy while grieving the death of her son. In a Nov. 18 letter filed in federal court, attorneys for The New York Times named Balaji as someone who had “unique and relevant documents” that would support their case against OpenAI. He was among at least 12 people — many of them past or present OpenAI employees — the newspaper had named in court filings as having material helpful to their case, ahead of depositions. Generative artificial intelligence programs work by analyzing an immense amount of data from the internet and using it to answer prompts submitted by users, or to create text, images or videos. When OpenAI released its ChatGPT program in late 2022, it turbocharged an industry of companies seeking to write essays, make art and create computer code. Many of the most valuable companies in the world now work in the field of artificial intelligence, or manufacture the computer chips needed to run those programs. OpenAI’s own value nearly doubled in the past year. News outlets have argued that OpenAI and Microsoft — which is in business with OpenAI also also has been sued by The Mercury News — have plagiarized and stole its articles, undermining their business models. “Microsoft and OpenAI simply take the work product of reporters, journalists, editorial writers, editors and others who contribute to the work of local newspapers — all without any regard for the efforts, much less the legal rights, of those who create and publish the news on which local communities rely,” the newspapers’ lawsuit said. OpenAI has staunchly refuted those claims, stressing that all of its work remains legal under “fair use” laws. “We see immense potential for AI tools like ChatGPT to deepen publishers’ relationships with readers and enhance the news experience,” the company said when the lawsuit was filed. Jakob Rodgers is a senior breaking news reporter. Call, text or send him an encrypted message via Signal at 510-390-2351, or email him at jrodgers@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Q. My husband recently retired from a high-level position. He has things to do but nothing seems to rekindle his spark. I think he is going through a mid-life crisis in later life. Is there such a thing? M.N. What you are describing might be called a late-life crisis . Such a crisis is described by Richard Leider and David Shapiro in their book, “What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Old? The Path of Purposeful Aging” (2021, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.). Here are some signs the authors identify: experiencing dissatisfaction, a loss of identity, an expectations gap and the feeling that life has peaked. Some also may believe life is a downhill journey. It’s having a feeling of being irrelevant. And it’s not just a guy thing. Both men and women are likely to experience it equally. Several events can cause a crisis in later life. Among them is the death of a loved one, an illness, money problems or no longer being able to walk the usual number of miles or having difficulty with poses in a yoga class. It also could be just boredom, doing the same thing day after day. Then there is retirement , which also can be a cause. For many, the loss of the work role can leave a huge gap in the reason to get up in the morning. For many, work is more than just a paycheck . It can provide a sense of purpose, social connection, structure for the day and knowing someone or some entity expects something from us. In a sense, it’s knowing we are needed. But other causes can cause a crisis in addition to the loss of the work role. For example, being out of touch with current technology, feeling unemployable and invisible in social situations or the marketplace. How do individuals know if they are experiencing a late-life crisis? Here are several questions that can serve as a clue, suggested by Leider and Shapiro. One key to avoiding or managing a late-life crisis is to not go it alone. “Isolation is fatal,” write Lieder and Shapiro. This makes me want to share examples from a recent discussion, not necessarily of a crisis, but increased awareness of the question of “who am I now and who do I want to be?” This discussion took place at a meeting with a group of women who are not going it alone. The group was made up of retired career women who are part of Renewment , a small grassroots movement that supports and inspires career women from work to retirement and beyond. Most were not going through a crisis, yet raised questions that indicated there are issues that may not reach the crisis level, yet still are important. For example, a retired successful entrepreneur asked the question, “Am I doing as much as I am capable of? Do I want to have an impact on a small or large scale?” A recent widow said, “Being a widow is not where I wanted to be at this time in my life; it’s not my identity. I feel so fragmented exploring who I am.” Another added, “I continue to be so hard on myself; always feeling I should do more; I am busy but not happy.” These same women and others in the group shared tips on avoiding problems that could lead to a late-life crisis. A therapist has emerged as an artist in New York and another was deeply involved in the election. A retired professor is traveling to Cuba and a former teacher launched a foundation. They have engagements that reflect a passion and sense of purpose. That’s the topic for next week. A point to remember: No one gets through this life alone. As Leider and Shapiro warn against isolation, remember that finding friends, colleagues, counselors or family members to talk about what’s going on can help avoid a crisis. Stay well everyone and as always, be kind. Helen Dennis is a nationally recognized leader on issues of aging and the new retirement with academic, corporate and nonprofit experience. Contact Helen with your questions and comments at Helendenn@gmail.com . Visit Helen at HelenMdennis.com and follow her on facebook.com/SuccessfulAgingCommunity‘They wanted to be more like Tesla’: Mechanic slams 2025 Ford Mustang Mach-E for not having a door handle. Here’s why it’s an issue
Rely partners with Credendo and Bpifrance to push green hydrogen projects forward This signature sets the willingness of the two Export Credit Agencies (ECA’s) to provide Rely clients with insurance, co-insurance or re-insurance schemes with the view of maximizing the project eligibility to ECA financing, based on the large eligible sourcing that the standardized product approach of Rely will enable. This will facilitate the involvement of commercial banks as lenders to Rely’s clients for debt financing at competitive rates. ECA’s will provide insurances to commercial banks for loans granted for project financing, covering commercial and political risks up to 95% of commercial bank’s losses in case of default, thus enabling credit approval by lenders. CEO of Rely said: “ ” the latest news shaping the hydrogen market at Rely partners with Credendo and Bpifrance to push green hydrogen projects forward, Hysata, POSCO Holdings and POSCO E&C partner to advance green hydrogen high efficiency electrolyser technology Hysata and POSCO Holdings sign joint development agreement (JDA) to advance Hysata’s electrolyser... Revolutionizing the Green Hydrogen Market: City of Lancaster and City of Industry Launch First Public Hydrogen (FPH2)–the First Public Hydrogen Utility LANCASTER, Calif., Dec. 12, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The... Axpo and partners launch further green hydrogen plant 13.12.2024 – A ground-breaking ceremony was held today by Axpo and its partner shareholders in the H2Uri company to mark the start of construction on a new...