5 Tech Gifts This Mom Influencer Says Are on Her List — and Should Be on Yours TooAs early as the 1890s, psychology research has been done on crowd behaviour. Gustave Le Bon (1841) who was a French social psychologist pioneered research on group behaviour, especially crowd behaviour. People with compatible needs and interests come together (convergence theory), purposefully and united, to have their views represented. Classical theories treat crowds as pathological (contagion theory). Crowds are seen as mobs, mobs that act irrationally. The myth of the crowd may also be politically motivated. Contagious crowd violence can serve elite power. For example, governments often see crowds as defaming democracy. Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that “mob rule is replacing democratic rule”, referring to protests in England on the Israel-Hamas conflict. Closer to home, the former Rajapaksa’s administration labelled Galle Face Green (GFG) protesters as “extremists.” Mahinda Rajapaksa even compared GFG protesters to the former Tamil militants in the north and the JVP militants in the south. More recently, the former President Ranil Wickremesinghe had student protestors and women’s groups violently hosed by the military when they were protesting on the streets against corruption, nepotism, and authoritarianism. Ironically, this was an example of the Government replacing democratic rule with mob governance! More modern research has taken a social identity approach (Drury & Reicher, 2020) where people gather in shared beliefs to send messages and to influence change. The power of collective activism should not be underestimated. The Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, against the murder of George Floyd, a Black American in Minnesota by a white police officer, was a turning point. The movement spread across the globe. New laws were passed in many states of the US against choke-holds and on police discipline. Non-violent protests especially, are transformative. Today, Sri Lanka is a good example of the complex and successful powers of crowds. In disorderly protests, there is a loss of inhibitions, self-control, and values, because it is the group that is responsible and accountable, and not the individual. When the situation is also emotionally charged and intense, the risk of a riot is greater. People feel safe in a group to commit acts of aggression. This is how a small riot can grow into violence. The 18th century French Revolution started in this way. People were exhausted by tough economic times, famine, and resentment of the rulers who enjoyed great wealth and comforts. These things led farmers, peasants, and the working class to storm the Bastille on 14 July 1789. Their intention was to destroy the ruling class. King Louis the 16th was killed. This eventually led to the creation of the “Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen”. It was a symbol of the end of an opulent, corrupt old French guard. Protests can be highly effective and offer opportunities for change. They are not a waste of time. Political history is replete with examples of where corrupt and despotic rulers have been ousted by public protests (Suharto and Mubarak are two famous examples). In the current context of Sri Lanka, the “Aragalaya” movement can be credited to creating significant change in the country, three years later. The infamously rash chemical fertiliser ban on 22 April 2021, by the Rajapaksa regime, decimated the agriculture industry and livelihoods of people in Sri Lanka. Rice yields dropped to 2.9 metric tonnes in 2021/22 from the previous year’s 3.4 metric tonnes. Food crisis, starvation, and under-nutrition were compounded by rising costs of living; fuel and gas shortages, and power cuts from 8 to 13 hours a day. The power cuts were disastrous to the agriculture industry as well. Due to lack of kerosene, farmers were forced to buy petrol or diesel water pumps which cost more than Rs. 75,000. Pawning jewellery or whatever assets a family has and falling into the debt trap is common amongst the farming community. Then the power cuts meant that water pumps sending water to higher geographical areas could not happen. This cut off the water supply to fields, vegetable, and fruit cultivations. The mills, which turn the paddy into rice, also rely on power. Since the paddy could not be milled on time, the rice crops went bad. Farmers also did not have fuel to transport their crops to the market, leading to food and livelihood crises. Many families in the country could barely make ends to find money to eat one meal a day. In June 2021, farmers in most districts of the country began small group protests, from Kilinochchi to Hambantota, from Polonnaruwa to Puttalam. In this, we saw a north-south unity in the country (to be repeated on the 14th of November, 2024). For months they protested. The media gave them much coverage. But there was no other kind of support that reached them. This was a tragic and collective failure on the part of the suburban communities around the country, especially the power hubs of Colombo, to not support the crisis of the farming community who put food on our tables. It was life- as-usual for others. A sad indictment of a collective loss of humanity, compassion, and nationhood. In February 2022, the depleted foreign reserves and deepening financial crisis led to shortages in fuel and gas, led to rolling power cuts in most parts of the country (except inner Colombo). Food and milk powder shortages, long queues, loss of livelihoods and severe disruption to life touched suburbia like never before. In March 2022, people in and around Colombo and other key cities like Kandy, stepped out into the streets, thus founding the “Aragalaya” movement. The most significant aspect of this movement was that the farming community joined the Colombo protestors, in a strength of support. It is to this farming community that the country owes a debt of gratitude today. They laid the real groundwork for the Aragalaya movement. Unrecognised then, and perhaps even now, for their pioneering efforts, they began a movement that culminated, three years later, in an extraordinary change of political landscape in Sri Lanka. We saw anger at many things: corruption, injustice, and inequality; loss of trust in governments and those in authority (elected as well appointed); being taken advantage of and lied to; the repulsive extravagance and ill-gained wealth of political leaders and their enablers; frustration, helplessness, and hopelessness; and shared difficulties in day to day living. These shared grievances led to the protests. Shared intensity of emotions also propelled people to act. The country united in suffering. This was the tipping point. Beginning with the farmers, students, teachers, and the health sector, protests gradually spread to other sectors, culminating in a Galle Face Green Aragalaya. Crowds influenced people to act in a certain way. Those who had never joined any rally before, joined the Aragalaya. Protests are survival triggers. When people are pushed to a corner, they freeze, fight, or flee. The protests that the farmers started, grew into a larger fight response at the GFG. The education sector, business communities, legal groups, and religious leaders added their support and voice to Aragalaya. Such positive collective activism, solidarity, and confidence led to real transformation. People waited patiently until elections were (reluctantly) declared by former president Ranil Wickremesinghe. Unlike the French Revolution, Sri Lanka’s dramatic shift in politics, was completed on 14 November, by ballot, not by gunpowder. The beginning of the ‘renaissance’ then, was really begun by a consistent and small group of farmers. (The writer is a former senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Colombo.)FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — The NFL removed New England Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers from the commissioner exempt list on Monday, making him eligible to participate in practice and play in the team’s games. Peppers missed seven games since being placed on the list on Oct. 9 after he was arrested and charged with shoving his girlfriend’s head into a wall and choking her. The league said its review is ongoing and is not affected by the change in Peppers’ roster status. Braintree, Massachusetts, police said they were called to a home for an altercation between two people on Oct. 7, and a woman told them Peppers choked her. Police said they found at the home a clear plastic bag containing a white powder, which later tested positive for cocaine. Peppers, 29, pleaded not guilty in Quincy District Court to charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a Class “B” substance believed to be cocaine. At a court appearance last week a trial date was set for Jan. 22. “Any act of domestic violence is unacceptable for us,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said after the arrest. “With that being said, I do think that Jabrill has to go through the system, has to continue to go through due process. We’ll see how that works out.” A 2017 first-round draft choice by Cleveland, Peppers spent two seasons with the Browns and three with the New York Giants before coming to New England in 2022. He was signed to an extension this summer. He played in the first four games of the season and missed one with a shoulder injury before going on the exempt list, which allows NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to place a player on paid leave while reviewing his case. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Holiday cheer often sparks the urge to get dolled up for our year-end celebrations. Entertainment and beauty icon Gabrielle Union and celebrity hair stylist Larry Sims want to make this desire is as accessible to achieve as possible. The celebrity-stylist duo, and c o-founders of hair care line, came together with JCPenney for a nationwide partnership that’s sure to help us usher in the holidays in style. Starting November 18th, select in-store throughout the Los Angeles and San Diego, California areas will offer the “SimStyled” experience, giving patrons the opportunity to experience accessible, red-carpet worthy hair for the holidays. This partnership provides clients the choice of eight curated styles, executed by professional JCPenney hair stylists all trained by using the Flawless line. Commemorating the launch at the Glendale Galleria location, JCPenney’s team, along with Sims and , hosted an opening reception showcasing the styles the experience will soon offer. Transforming the JCPenney salon into a communal atmosphere was easy enough. Located at the rear of the first floor, the salon boasted a gorgeous space decorated in white, black, and gold hues. A spacious layout with a plethora of well-lit styling and washing stations made for a welcoming environment for event attendees to socialize and observe the style demonstrations on display. A convening of loved ones and newfound supporters alike filled the space with joyful chatter as guests mingled over holiday themed refreshments, replicating the familiar salon atmosphere many grew up around. Making your way around the salon, one can see the eight styles unfolding at the hands of the skilled JCP stylists, all of whom traveled from various JCPenney salon locations. Styles ranging from naturally curly to heat-styled ‘dos all saw Flawless products incorporated into their routines. Notably, a handful of models receiving heat-styled or straightened treatments shared that they often wear their hair natural, and love the haircare line for its versatility in treating both curly and heat-styled hair. Repeat favorites from both stylists and hair models include the Five Butter Miracle Masque and Leave-In, Hydrating Detangling Shampoo, and the Flawless 3-Minute Restoring Conditioner. As stylists performed their assorted looks, guests could walk around, speak with them about methods, and vote for their favorite styles (the bantu knots, wash-n-go, and wavy curls were front runners). Notable attendees included , , , celebrity hair stylists and barbers and , and Miss Gloria, the mother of one of Sims’ models and lifelong friends. Ranging from all walks of life, each individual present shared a love for quality hair care and intentional community. Sharing a few words to kick off the event, Union and Sims underscored their gratitude for all in attendance as well as for each other, demonstrating what a decades-long friendship and working relationship looks like. Union stated three values that guided her decisions as well as the shaping of this salon experience: family, money, and time. “I do what makes me happy, what allows me to maintain and expand my peace, joy, and what keeps me looking good.” As for Sims? “When it comes to creating, it comes from the core of my soul. I don’t do it for the money,” he tells ESSENCE. “I do it for the way that it makes me feel and for the way that I know that it makes others feel,” he—who grew up in Chicago, being surrounded by so many expressions and stewards of Black beauty—adds. As for what makes work so well and stand out amongst a crowd of others? Partnership. The full line of products, sold at JCPenney, is a joint creation by both Sims and Union. The actress expresses how integral it was to ensure she and Sims were on equal footing in all areas of the business, respecting Sims’ expertise in the area rather than allowing her name alone to take the lead. In return, Sims discusses how committed Union is to every step of the process from formulation to user experience. “We are sold in places that are actually in the community, and in locations that are not going to demonize or criminalize our consumer,” Union begins. “They actually work, and they’re not going to break the bank. We’re also humble. We listen, we read the comments. We can’t get defensive, we just get better.” And no matter what the two do, they deeply understand the impact beauty can have on confidence and presence, and point to the sacred relationship between beauty professionals and their clients. For this reason, Sims affirms that clients will walk away from the SimStyled experience feeling beautiful and “respected for your time and your hair, and beautiful in the style that you have chosen.”

Nov 8, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Lady Tigers guard Mikaylah Williams (12) brings the ball up court against the Northwestern State Lady Demons during the first half at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images/ File Photo Mikaylah Williams poured in 24 points and Aneesah Morrow racked up 20 points as No. 7 LSU strolled to an 82-65 victory over No. 20 North Carolina State on Wednesday in the title game of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship at Nassau, Bahamas. Flau'Jae Johnson added 16 points and Morrow also grabbed 15 rebounds. LSU (8-0), which led 42-29 at halftime, shot 52.7 percent (29 of 55) from the field. The Tigers held a 22-6 edge in bench scoring, led by Kailyn Gilbert's 12 points. Saniya Rivers had 21 points to lead NC State (4-3), which shot 35.9 percent (23 of 64) from the field and was unable to take full advantage of LSU's 21 turnovers. The Tigers held a 44-24 rebounding advantage. NC State was within 63-53 with seven minutes left in regulation. It was the fourth meeting since 2012, with LSU winning for the third time. No. 9 Kansas State 92, DePaul 66 Ayoka Lee scored 23 points on 11-for-16 shooting from the field and pulled down 10 rebounds as the Wildcats cruised in the third-place game of the Ball Dawgs Classic in Henderson, Nev. Serena Sundell provided 15 points and 11 assists and Zyanna Walker had 13 points for Kansas State (6-1). Temira Poindexter and reserve Taryn Sides both added 11 points. The Wildcats, who were coming off a loss to No. 13 Duke on Monday, rolled up a 53-32 halftime lead on the strength of 31 second-quarter points. Jorie Allen and Taylor Johnson-Matthews each scored 17 points for DePaul (2-5), which shot 33.3 percent (24 of 72) from the field. --Field Level Media REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowTulsa fires coach Kevin Wilson a day after blowout loss to South Florida