#art is not a resource that is diminished by greater appreciation .

[treba-neco-napise]

#spilled ink#woke up at 530 to write this lmafo#me in a cold sweat:#how do i be normal#edit in the tags:#hey so i've seen y'all talk about like ... wondering if ur ''allowed'' to relate#like if this is about X specific diagnosis#and when i first posted it i really almost labelled it ''please don't assume this is about a specific condition''#because as an artist i am often walking this line of discussing a symptom or discussing my conditions etc#and sometimes yes ! i do want to talk about an experience that is specific to who i am and my condition#but sometimes the effort of the post is about the EXPERIENCE rather than the diagnosis#because yes i am not neurotypical and as a result that influences my work but it is ALSO true that there are many reasons#why someone might experience this particular vague horrible feeling that you are... almost being CHASED by what you ''really'' are.#that you're outrunning your symptoms... that you're not really normal you're just sort of a mockery of a person#.... that's a really isolating and horrible way to feel no matter why you are feeling it. and the nature of this PARTICULAR post is that#it is inherently talking ABOUT that sense of isolation & of feeling not-deserving & of minimizing your own experiences to make urself#palatable for society in a way that others find easy-to-deal-with....#this post is about a certain experience such that my impression is there's a higher likelihood that those who relate#would have more difficulty thinking they ''deserve'' to relate - that it doesn't REALLY belong to them#bc often we are the kind of people who are SO used to being alienated and set aside and ''different'' that we AUTOMATICALLY assume#that things are not ''for'' us... they never have been why would it start now#we are the kinds of people to be ... ''too normal for X diagnosis but too symptomatic to be normal''#[or as this post points out... so good at ''coping''/masking/hiding it that we essentially conform to whatever shape we're poured into]#but i have witnessed others already say in the tags ''thought this was about me but it's about X so it can't be''#and im like ... of course it was about you.#art is not a resource that is diminished by greater appreciation .#you reflect in whatever mirror fits your frame. not just the ones in your bedroom. not just the ones i specifically give you.#there will be - and often are - times that i will talk about my specific conditions... but if you're reading this#regardless of why you're here... we are here together. holding hands through space and time. and i love you for carrying it#and i know you're exhausted. i am too. but i understand. and i see you.

op, thank you. i really needed this.

you wanted to be a good friend, because you loved your friends, but the truth was that everyone else somehow had a pamphlet on being normal that you never received. most of the time you learn by trial-and-error. you are terrified of the next big mistake you make, because it seems like the rules are completely arbitrary.

you've learned to keep the prickly parts of your personality in a stormcloud under your bed - as if they're a second version of you; one that will make your friends hate you. it feels feral, burning, ugly.

instead, you have assembled habits based on the statistical likelihood of pleasing others. you're a good listener, which is to say - if you do speak up, you might end up saying the wrong thing and scaring off someone, but people tend to like someone-who-listens. or you've got no true desires or goals, because people like it when you're passive, mutable. you're "not easy to fluster" which is to say - your emotions are fundamentally uninteresting to others around you; so you've learned to control them to a degree that you can no longer really feel them happening.

you have long suspected something is wrong with you, but most of the time, googling doesn't help. you are so-used to helping-yourself, alone and with no handbook. the reek of your real self feels more like a horrible joke - you wake up, and, despite all your preparations, suddenly the whole house is full of smoke. the real you is someone waiting to ruin your other-life, the one where you're normal and happy. the real-self is unpredictable, angry.

your real self snarls when people infantilize the whole situation. because if you were really suffering, everyone seems to think you'd be completely unable to cope. but you already learned the rules, so you do know how to cope, and you have fucking been coping. it's not black-and-white. it's not that you are healed during the other times - it's just that you're able to fucking try. and honestly, whenever you show symptoms, it's a really fucking bad sign.

because the symptoms you have are ugly and unmanageable for others. your symptoms aren't waifish white girl things. they're annoying and complicated. they will be the subject of so many pretentious instagram reels. if they cared about you, they'd just show up on time. you care, a lot, so deeply it burns you. you like to picture a world where the comments read if they loved you, they'd never need glasses to see. but since that's a rule you've seen repeated - "one must never be late or you are a bad friend" - you constantly worry about being late and leave agonizingly early. there are no words for how you feel when you're still late; no matter how hard you were trying.

so you have to make up for it. you have to make up for that little horrible real you that you keep locked in a cabinet. you are bad at answering emails so every project you make has to be perfect. you are weird and sensitive so you have to learn to be funny and interesting. you are an inconvenience to others, so you become as smooth as possible, buffing out all the rough parts.

all this. all this. so people can pass their hands over you and just tell you just the once -how good you are. you're a good friend. you're loveable.

[kevinb3896]

A Collector's Guide to Madame Alexander Dolls

Madame Alexander dolls have been a favorite collectible for many generations. These dolls are cherished collectibles because of their exquisite craftsmanship, timeless charm, and intricate details. This guide is a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about Madame Alexander dolls, whether you are a seasoned collector or just beginning your journey.

History of Madame Alexander Dolls

To truly appreciate Madame Alexander Dolls, it is important to understand their rich and fascinating history. Madame Beatrice Alexander Behrman created the dolls. She was a pioneering woman in the doll-making industry. She founded the Alexander Doll Company in 1923. Her dedication to innovation and quality quickly made her dolls stand out from the competition.

Madame Alexander was inspired by her childhood and her passion for the arts. She wanted to create dolls that were representative of the time and style. This is apparent in the wide range of dolls produced by Madame Alexander over the years. Madame Alexander's dolls ranged from classic compositions to character dolls and fashion dolls. Her company was a leader in the industry.

There are different types of Madame Alexander dolls.

The sheer variety of doll types is one of the most fascinating things about collecting Madame Alexander dolls. The most popular categories are:

Composition Dolls:  Madame Alexander's earliest dolls were made from composition material. This is a mixture of wood pulp and glue. Collectors prize these dolls for their delicate beauty and historical significance.

Hard Plastic Dolls: After World War II, the Alexander Doll Company switched to hard plastic. This allowed for intricate details and a greater variety of dolls. Hard plastic was used to make many iconic Madame Alexander dolls.

Vinyl Dolls:  In the 1950s, vinyl dolls were popular, and Madame Alexander embraced this new material. Vinyl dolls were more durable and had lifelike features.

Madame Alexander  is known for her fashion dolls dressed in miniature versions of couture outfits. These dolls have been praised for their attention to detail and creativity in their costumes.

Character Dolls - The company has also produced character dolls featuring popular storybook and movie characters such as Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland. 

Collectors passionate about stories or characters are especially fond of these dolls.

Madame Alexander dolls release limited edition and collectible collections, each with its unique theme. Collectors' dolls are usually highly valued.

Identification and Value of Madame Alexander Dolls

When identifying a Madame Alexander, there are several things you should look out for. Look for the Madame Alexander logo. The trademark can be found on the doll tag or the back of its neck.

Look at the doll construction  Madame Alexander doll use high-quality materials such as porcelain vinyl and cloth. The facial features of the dolls are very detailed.

Look at the dolls' clothing and accessories. Madame Alexander dolls often wear very detailed and elaborate clothing. Accessories are also realistic.

It is best to consult a doll appraiser if you want an accurate value of your Madame Alexander doll. You can try some things to determine the general value of your Madame Alexander doll.

Look at the original retail price of the doll. Madame Alexander dolls can be quite expensive when first released. The value of a Madame Alexander doll can diminish over time, particularly if it is in poor condition.

Look at the dolls' current popularity. Some Madame Alexander dolls have a higher popularity than others. The more popular the doll, the higher its value.

The doll's condition is also important. In good condition, Madame Alexander dolls are worth more than those in poor condition.

Join the Community of Madame Alexander Collectibles

It's about collecting Madame Alexander dolls and connecting with other enthusiasts. Collectors gather at doll shows, conventions, and online forums to exchange their knowledge and passion. Anyone interested in the auction world, offers a wealth of information, including auction previews, auction calendars, auction news, and connections to prominent art, antique dealers, and painting dealers. One platform that stands out in the realm of online auctions is Auction Daily. It serves as a comprehensive resource.

[stevepotterwrites]

An Appreciation of the Life and Work of Joanne Kyger

The bio in the back of On Time, Joanne Kyger’s collection of poems written between 2005 – 2014, describes her as, “One of the major women poets of the SF Renaissance.” That is, of course, correct, but I would make a case for removing the word “women” from the sentence. While I’m sure the intention of including that gender signifier was to emphasize the importance of her position as a woman in what was largely a man’s world/boy’s club, its placement before “poets” in the sentence diminishes rather than enhances her standing. It reeks of “pretty good for a girl” condescension, unintended as that may be.

Joanne Kyger was one of the major poets of the San Francisco Renaissance coterie, period. She was a woman. She was a woman who, despite operating in what was largely a man’s world/boy’s club, became a major member of that club. But even that SF Renaissance signifier, while more accurate than the Beat Generation designation emphasized in her New York Times obituary and useful in placing her in time and place and lineage, seems unnecessarily limiting. In his introduction to As Ever, her selected poems released in 2002, Kyger’s longtime friend and fellow poet, David Meltzer, says of the atmosphere in the late ’50s when they first met:

“It’s important to remember (or realize) that those days were before literary academicians freeze-framed them into ‘movements or ‘generations.’ The slickest, surest way to defang dissent and creative doubt is to accept it and (ugh) incorporate it into glossy narratives circulated throughout institutional castle culture. (A big irony many tapdance around.) Even then, Joanne was a thoughtful and thinking (and self-effacing) poet of deep innate knowing. Her early work was distinctly complex, personal, and resistant to expectations.”

So how about something like this: Joanne Kyger was a thoughtful and thinking and self-effacing poet whose distinctly complex and personal work made her a major figure in the SF Renaissance/Beat Generation orbit. That self-effacing quality is what gives poems such as “Town Hall Reading With Beat Poets” and “Bob Marley Night Saturday Downtown” and “Fact Checking” their charm. Her poems are at once deep and learned yet casual and conversational. They are also often quite funny. She comes across as a poet who took her poetry seriously while not overly-concerned with being taken seriously herself.

There is more to her poetry than self-deprecating humor, of course. A great sense of reverence is on display throughout her work when engaging with mythological themes, her Zen Buddhist studies, interactions with the natural world, and considerations of the lives and deaths of friends. From the poems in her first book, The Tapestry and the Web, published in 1965, to the late work collected in On Time, Kyger’s writing displays a marvelous way of finding the mythic in the mundane and revealing the mundane in the mythic. Here is how “Pan as the Son of Penelope,” probably her best-known poem, begins:

       Refresh my thoughts of Penelope again

Just HOW          solitary was her wait?

I notice Someone got to her that

                       barrel chested he-goat prancing                        around w/ his reed pipes

is no fantasy of small talk. More the result of BIG talk

                               and the absence of her husband.

In his thought-provoking essay, “The Great(ness) Game,” David Orr discusses how Elizabeth Bishop’s stature has risen posthumously while her friend Robert Lowell’s once-towering reputation has been in decline. It would not surprise me to find Joanne Kyger’s stature ratcheted upward by a similar recalibration of reputations in years to come while those of some of her better-known male peers and predecessors in the SF Renaissance/Beat pantheon are demoted. As a stunningly lovely, yet delicate, voice like Billie Holiday’s or Karen Dalton’s would be difficult to hear when a big booming voice like Pavarotti’s was bellowing nearby, so, too, a subtle poetic sensibility, like Joanne Kyger’s, can get drowned out when there’s a big personality like her friend Ginsberg Howling nearby. Not to mention Duncan and Spicer and Snyder and Whalen and McClure and Berrigan and others. She moved in serious circles.

But life is life and death is death. Reading the books of dead poets after their time has passed and their legends have cooled is a different thing than reading the living. Sometimes the poet of the moment isn’t a poet for the ages. Tastes change and change again. Who knows what the literary landscape of the late Twentieth and early Twenty-first Centuries will look like to readers a hundred years hence. In his essay, Orr quotes a passage from J. D. McClatchy wondering about how Bishop could be claimed as the favorite predecessor poet of contemporary poets as varied as John Ashbery, James Merrill and Mark Strand. Orr takes a stab at an answer: “It’s possible, one might answer, because Bishop was a great poet, if we take ‘great’ to mean something like ‘demonstrating the qualities that make poetry seem interesting and worthwhile to such a degree that subsequent practitioners of the art form have found her work a more useful resource than the work of most if not all of her peers.’” I predict that Kyger’s work will be similarly deemed a useful resource by poets to come.

The Times obituary includes Kyger’s poem “Night Palace” but, for some reason, they did not format the poem, which was composed in projective breath units and spaced on the page in the composition by field manner, as written. That’s a shame. The spacing, in large part, makes the poem the poem it is. It’s not unusual to come across poems laid out in the composition by field manner for which reformatting them with a standard left margin justification doesn’t detract much from the poem. Sometimes it’s little more than ornament. This is not the case with “Night Palace,” a fine example of how much emotional information can be conveyed by spacing and placement on the page in the hands of someone who fully understands the approach.

Her poem “Elegant Simplicity” written May 22, 2007 ends:

Demons are more or less human in appearance Monsters are more animal like

The first soul or spirit                 that resides in a person is immortal

The second soul is the animal spirit         you acquire at birth                 with a real counterpart                      animal spirit                                roving around in the world.

                    If it dies, you die                     That’s it.

Joanne Kyger’s real counterpart animal spirit died in March of this year, so that was it, but her poetry will live on and, I suspect, gain greater prominence in the years to come.

By Steve Potter. Previously published in The New Black Bart Poetry Society’s Parole Blog.

https://thenewblackbartpoetrysociety.wordpress.com/2021/03/21/set-four/

[sepublic]

Nekrone’s Rahi

           (Note: Nekrone is the headcanoned name I’ve given the Makuta of Stelt, for fanon reasons.)

           Nekrone had a very utilitarian philosophy and perspective, when it came to Rahi. Like some Makuta, he questioned the need for their existence, and while he didn’t outright disagree with Mata Nui… He tried to create his own meaning and justifications, in the absence of any provided by the Great Spirit.

           It was not enough for his Rahi to merely, simply exist- There was that existential dread and question, of why they were there? What did they provide, what were they for… Nekrone couldn’t imagine simply living just as-is, there was something they had to do, do to prove and earn their existence, and make it worthwhile! Coupled with his confusion on the purpose of Rahi, it was up to Nekrone to provide an explanation for their existence, when their own existence was an inarguable decree by the Great Spirit himself. As a result, most of Nekrone’s Rahi started off as rather social, utilitarian creatures… His Rahi were the kind of animals easily domesticated, for they were designed to be used by the sapient species and civilizations of the Matoran Universe.

           Nekrone was initially pure-hearted, genuine, and well-meaning with his intent. He wanted his Rahi to provide things for the sapient beings of this world, so he designed them to be incredibly beneficial. Many of his Rahi were highly nutritious, caloric creatures, easily herded- Their natures begged them to be domesticated by civilizations as livestock to feed upon. Nekrone’s Rahi naturally and quickly produced plentily, encouraging Matoran and other beings to control and harvest their populations constantly, in order to keep them from overgrowing. Nekrone’s Rahi didn’t have to just die to provide usage, either- They also provided milk, fur, and luxurious feathers and ivory for decoration.

           His domesticated Rahi were easily tamed, and often were used to perform heavy manual labor, transporting goods and beings. Quite a few noble, hardy steeds had been devised by Nekrone to serve the people of the Matoran Universe. There was a hierarchy in his mind, an ideal one where Rahi served the civilizations of this world- Surely this was what Mata Nui meant, when he ordained the Rahi from the Makuta! Nekrone’s Rahi were tools and resources for Matoran and other species, and if all else failed, a person could at least sell their Rahi for some money to get along in life.

           As many people grew to appreciate and use Nekrone’s Rahi, he himself felt a sense of importance and began seeing himself almost like a caretaker of sorts… And as we all know, the Makuta didn’t exactly become humbler over time. And because Nekrone was so fixated on directly providing for people, it led to him breaking the barriers, and closing the distance between the Makuta and the lesser societies they otherwise avoided. Nekrone took deliberate criticism and feedback by societies on his Rahi, on how to make them more useful and beneficial. At times, he responded to specific needs by designing a Rahi species that would help- If a population was cold, he’d create a species of Rahi that provided plenty of calories and also a heavy wool lining for coats.

           Many of his brethren saw Nekrone as someone who was too coddling of the herds of society, too pleasing and appeasing. They saw Nekrone, a Makuta, as being too much at the whim of others- It was rather disgraceful. Miserix himself questioned if Nekrone could make the difficult decisions for the greater good… He was not here to service the people of this world, not necessarily. It all seemed antithetical to the wilderness and nature, Nekrone’s domesticated beasts.

           But alas, even someone as well-meaning as Nekrone, eventually fell. As he became more receptive of others and responded personally to needs and desires… Inevitably, he had a few of his own, especially as the Brotherhood began to grow. He wanted to provide for his own organization, so he asked for a thing or two, here or there, in exchange for providing a new Rahi species. His benefactors always happily obliged, and Nekrone became versed in making deals, getting the most bang for his buck… He began to operate almost like a business that took commissions, offering his services here or there- The Brotherhood’s resources weren’t infinite, after all.

           Nekrone even began collaborating with other Makuta, helping them here or there with something they needed- For a price, of course! Like many Makuta, he decided it was only fair that such noble beings such as themselves get monetary payment for their righteous actions. And while Miserix raised an eye at this idea of conducting business between the other Makuta, he let it pass… Once, Chirox commissioned Nekrone to create a species of Rahi that could be compatible with his Visorak Horde, to prove their capability to co-exist. For the right accommodations, Nekrone created the Colony Drone, itself a domesticated type of Rahi meant to be herded by the Visorak for sustenance. On their own in the wild, the Colony Drones were helpless creatures that died, nor could they fend for themselves- This happened to many of his domestic Rahi, alas. Over time, this weakness became deliberate, so people would have to rely on Nekrone for a source of Rahi, instead of just letting species procreate in the wild to later choose from…

           Then Nekrone was assigned to the island of Stelt. The constantly-feuding clans looked to him for war beasts and other useful Rahi, and Nekrone obliged. He felt bad about selling to just one clan, so he sold to the rest to make things fair, and ended up contributing to the chaos and bloodshed. One way or another, he saw his Rahi as cattle to serve others… And this sentiment began to apply to sapient species he saw as ‘lesser’- Such as a powerful species of clawed, multi-armed warriors on Stelt. A species hierarchy began to develop amongst the nobles, brutes, and these gladiators, and Nekrone saw it as only sensible… And this led to his allowance, and eventual participation, in slavery.

           The rest is history. Stelt developed a culture of greed and bargaining, that both influenced Nekrone and vice-versa. He became a ruthless opportunist, playing upon the conflicts of others so both sides would come to him, and only Nekrone would benefit in the end, while others tore one another to shreds with their war beasts. His Rahi had short lives and impending expiration dates, often forcing groups to constantly buy more and more creatures from Nekrone to replenish their diminishing supplies, as his domesticated Rahi became almost completely dependent upon owners to actually thrive.

           Nekrone became infamous as a savvy, yet untrustworthy dealmaker- When one referred to a ‘Deal with the Makuta’, it was Nekrone that the saying specifically referred to. Many found themselves in his debt. And Nekrone, he converted the role of his Rahi as helpful, utilitarian tools, and completely transitioned them into marketable products. You know that “I can milk you” meme? That was Nekrone towards his own creations. He changed his Rahi to provide more monetary gain and resources for both himself and his customers- Their entire existence and function designed towards producing a specific resource, more a manufacturing machine than a living being with its own life.

          And as Nekrone created Rahi for utilitarian purposes, he also designed them for luxury as well- He created adorable, beautiful pets that others would beg to keep. These pets were designed to be consumer-friendly, but as pets could not function in the wild, dying and/or providing a negative impact to the local ecosystem. Nekrone searched for every possible way to extract monetary gain from his creations. The art of Rahi-making had been converted almost entirely into a highly-expensive, yet lucrative, business for himself. Nekrone sought to appeal to a wide demographic…

          And this also led to him ordering the extinction, or at least endangerment, of other Rahi species and even machines so others would rely on his own creatures more. While some Makuta were impressed by Nekrone’s devious cleverness, others were disgusted by his lack of integrity- Mutran once accused him of being a sellout in multiple definitions of the term. After all, Nekrone was also infamous for occasionally engaging in business with competitors and even outright enemies to the Brotherhood of Makuta, such as the Dark Hunters…

           Following Nekrone’s death by Miserix, and the transition into a new society on Spherus Magna, there has been concern about the preservation status of Nekrone’s creatures. Many of them have met their expiration dates, and without their creator to provide more, his species are nearing the possibility of extinction. While many Onu-Matoran have adapted by preserving countless specimens in indefinite stasis, many societies dependent upon Nekrone’s Rahi have turned to Miserix for answers. They figure Miserix can reverse-engineer Nekrone’s creations, and are correct… Miserix himself has both access to Nekrone’s memories, having absorbed him, but is also clever and savvy enough to figure it out on his own anyway.

          He’s been catching up on what he’s missed out on over the years, and is rather disgusted by Nekrone’s opportunistic philosophy in designing Rahi by treating them as products- Subsequent iterations of the same species have been redesigned to have longer-lasting lifespans, and be more capable of surviving in the wild. Still, as society and its roles change, Miserix has admittedly taken some of Nekrone’s original sentiments to heart, even if he’ll make sure not to stoop to that same opportunistic greed either. The Makuta caused so much damage and took so much- Miserix wants to put some good out into the world and reinstate a balance, so directly providing for the societies of Spherus Magna and taking their feedback into account is a good start.

[myflint]

Spread Your Bases, From Sneakers to Heels, and Make Sure You Have These 10 Types of Shoes

Regardless of the amount we need to, shockingly, a larger part of us will always be unable to have a Carrie Bradshaw storeroom filled to the overflow exclusively with shoes. With creator marks expanding in cost and wages and pay rates apparently diminishing, it's difficult to try and stay aware of the most recent patterns starting with one season then onto the next. On the off chance that you need an exemplary shoe closet that will withstand the trial of time, at that point ensure that you have the accompanying 10 kinds of must-have shoes in your wardrobe!

The "Little Black Dress" of Shoes

The main shoe of the best 10 vital shoes for your storage room would be the scandalous dark siphon. The dark siphon is a flexible shoe that can be worn both in the workplace and around the town. Like the "little dark dress," the dark siphon is viewed as a need for any lady's storage room. For an in vogue but then exemplary siphon, attempt Kate Spade's Licorice dark calfskin siphon. The delicately pointed toe of this present ladies' shoe offers a dash of womanliness to an immortal shoe style.

Remain Low and Neutral to Defray Costs

The second should have shoe to add to your assortment is an unbiased shaded shoe highlighting a low heel. The best unbiased hues would be tan or beige, however beige and darker work similarly also. The purpose behind this shoe is to coordinate any outfit that can't be matched with your exemplary dark siphon. An incredible model is Mia's Bistro siphon. This siphon is accessible in dark colored, and is straightforward and chic, made of softened cowhide and with a patent and calfskin clasp and lash. This shoe has quite recently enough detail to be alluring yet not exuberant, and can along these lines supplement various outfits.

The Shoe to Take You Around the Town

The following ladies' shoe to be added to your assortment ought to be an open-toe or peep-toe shoe with a taller heel than the initial two siphons and with somewhat of an attractive side. This shoe will complete you on the town for a night out with the young ladies or to a high-class eatery for a date with Mr. Right. An incredible alternative is Jessica Simpson's Astor. This must-have ladies' shoe offers a coquettish peep-toe, a provocative slingback, and a stunning 4.5 inch heel.

Evade Ugly Weather With the Tall Boot

Despite the fact that in some southern atmospheres, a tall boot probably won't be the greatest resource for a storage room, ladies up North see these boots as a lifeline! Remembering the climate when buying your next must-have ladies' shoe, in the event that you live in a rainier atmosphere, it may be a superior plan to get a boot without a heel! Purchase your knee-high boot in a nonpartisan dark or darker, in order to coordinate with a greater amount of your outfits. A decent alternative is the BCBG silk boot, which highlights calfskin and a 2.5 inch heel. Boots like these can add some close to home energy to your ordinary closet of pants and an easygoing shirt.

Be Fashion-Forward With a Bootie

Since the time Spring 2010, ladies' lower leg high booties have expanded exponentially in vogue prominence. The fifth shoe on our rundown of the twelve best ladies' shoes is a bootie or a lower leg boot that accommodates your extraordinary character. Numerous chic styles are accessible in booties, from toed and shut toed to three-inch heels or no heels by any means! One beautiful lower leg boot is the N.Y.L.A. Lizzette lower leg boot, which is accessible in either dark or white. These amazing boots highlight delicate calfskin and a sensitive, scrunched look, just as an open-toe!

Be Athletic, B-E Athletic!

In spite of the fact that having stylish feet is significant, it is likewise imperative to keep the remainder of your body fit as a fiddle. That is the reason, when purchasing your 10 must-have ladies' shoes, you ought to make sure to buy a couple of trusty athletic sneakers to help keep you just as your closet fit! Well known brands incorporate Nike, PUMA, New Balance, and Adidas. In sneakers, it is critical to search for padding and backing, just as any details required by a specific game that you may play.

Observe Summer with a Simple Sandal

On the off chance that you love being outside in warm climate, your feet will thank you for your next shoe acquisition of a level shoe. Open and breezy, level shoes will permit your feet to inhale and unwind in the wake of a monotonous day at the workplace clustered into a couple of siphons. In the event that you appreciate being around the water, go for a plastic or waterproof material for your shoes. Other than that, there aren't any limitations on the shoe that fits you by and by. One adorable decision is Restricted's Justice thong, which includes a group of dark colored dabs down the inside that adds a trace of modernity to the easygoing shoe.

Strappy and Elegant: a Step Up from Simple

Shoe number eight ought to be rich and capricious: the ideal shoe for a night out or a conventional undertaking. This shoe ought to adorn your foot instead of take it over. Once more, the night shoe that you pick will rely upon what sorts of formal issues you hope to go to and furthermore on your own style, yet one extraordinary model is Charles David's Anise heel. This must-have ladies' shoe highlights metallic gold calfskin with a snakeskin print with an appealing t-lash included outwardly of each shoe. This dressy shoe is stunningly astonishing!

The Versatile Flat

Out of your ten must-have shoes, it is certainly important to get either an expressive dance level or a skimmer. Artful dance pads give basic style to easygoing, ordinary wear. In the case of getting things done or strolling the pooch, a couple of straightforward pads will give you both solace and class in whatever day by day task you decide to do. One model is the Dea level by Diba, which offers a coy peep-toe joined a great tan-and-dark colored shoe and highlighted with an advanced clasp at the vamp.

Parade Your Femininity

It's anything but difficult to parade your gentility now with a couple of fundamental wedges. As the tenth shoe important on your main 10 must-have ladies' shoes, wedges are a basic method to have both stature and solace on account of a shoe. Wedges are easygoing yet tasteful, and come in various styles and statures. Estimate's Macoya wedge highlights dark colored t-ties with coquettish patterns just as bronze studs and a 4.5 inch wedge. Handily matched with a couple of pants or a streaming skirt, this espadrille wedge is a daytime shoe that permits you to flaunt your fashionista energy!

The Top 10 Women's Shoes Modernize Women

With a couple of these best 10 styles of must-have ladies' shoes, you will be design forward as a cutting edge lady in a hurry! From provocative young ladies' night out shoes and exquisite proper clothing shoes to shoes, espadrilles, pads, and athletic shoes, your feet will be beautifully secured for any extraordinary event that you can consider!

Stephanie Levitt, Fashion Writer for Today's Shoe here, on the off chance that you love everything shoe, at that point this is the spot to go for extraordinary articles about the seasons lastest style trends,style tips, and lets not overlook the most blazing and freshest shoe architects.

[architectnews]

Cultivate Cannabis Dispensary, Massachusetts

Cultivate Cannabis Dispensary, Massachusetts Real Estate, American Home, Architecture Design

Cultivate Cannabis Dispensary in Massachusetts

Jul 27, 2021

Design: Kripper Studio

Location: 250 Worcester Road (Route 9), Framingham, Massachusetts, USA

Cultivate Cannabis Dispensary

Cultivate Cannabis Dispensary

The exterior treatment to the re-adapted building shows two types of metal paneling and super graphics to help identify the destination.

The difference in metal paneling textures, for the upper and lower registers of the building, add visual interest and appear to heighten and elongate the structure. A dedicated exit ensures ease for the customer experience.

An exterior lighting scheme, coupled with interior lighting visible through the translucent windows, adds to the distinctive nature of the building.

The main entry features new steps and an ADA accessible ramp. A dedicated entrance assists with the need for a first interaction security checkpoint.

View from the entry vestibule features custom freestanding display cases and customized wall shelving.

The client services area features natural materials used for the custom wood counters. A preserved moss wall alcove enhances the branded logo.

The client services area incorporates digital displays to share product updates and news.

View from the dispensary exit highlights the continuous open layout of product display, client services, and consultation area with a comfortable seating area.

Cultivate Cannabis Dispensary in Massachusetts, USA – Building Information

Architecture and Interiors: Kripper Studio

Project Scope • Reuse, renovate and redesign an existing freestanding building, previously used for a restaurant, to create an upscale retail experience for a cannabis dispensary. • Recognize that existing site conditions and regulatory protocols could foster innovative design solutions.

Project Challenges • Create a retail experience that conveys upscale professionalism, is approachable and welcoming • Anticipate overwhelming customer demand and design a spacious retail experience within an existing small, narrow footprint. Existing proportions were not conducive to creating an open, expansive environment. • Limited natural light due to a restriction on clear glass windows for cannabis dispensaries dictated by current regulations. Therefore, all windows must have a privacy film. • Incorporate a security, identification checkpoint at the entrance without compromising the overall design integrity or customer experience • Update infrastructure including HVAC, lighting and electrical systems

Design Solutions – Interior • Create a more voluminous interior by eliminating the existing steps, which created a split-level interior, to level the floor to create one continuous level • Raise the ceiling height for the retail floor • As a more inclusive solution, design all of the counters to be ADA compliant as oppose to having only one dedicated counter • Custom design display cases and counters with the same plywood used for the walls to maintain consistency within the materials palette • Incorporate freestanding display cases to define circulation and display product • Use simple raw materials – like concrete, plywood and metal – to create an environment that is approachable, yet through the detailing is sophisticated and professional

• Plan for adjusted installed lighting levels to account for the diminished natural light • Support the concept of incorporating live plants, to relate to the brand, with custom designed shelving units where living plants are placed around the perimeter • Design a welcoming, first interaction retail experience by integrating the security check-point with the rest of the space by using the same architectural elements

Design Solutions – Exterior • Use of 2 different metal profiles for siding: grey and wider profile for the base and white and thinner profile for the upper volume. • Given the long proportions of the building, use two different metal profile panels for the siding. On the lower register, a grey and wider panel. On the upper register, a white and thinner panel. This solution creates a base and an upper section for the exterior that visually has overall better proportions. • Vertically extend the building’s parapet to create greater presence on Route 9 and provide an area for façade graphics • Incorporate green graphic elements on the façade to make the building more distinguishable on Route 9 and connect to Cultivate logo

Sustainability Elements • Reuse of existing building • Stain-free, veneer-free wood • Accommodate live plants

By the Numbers 1,970 sqft (retail floor) 1,320 sqft (lower floor for storage) 3,600 sqft (total interiors) Materials/Resources Exterior metal siding: Firestone Glazed entry vestibule: Kawneer Moss wall: Artisan Moss Plywood, Steel and Glass displays: designed by Kripper Studio Fabricator: Mousam Valley Millwork

Project Team Architecture: Kripper Studio Interiors: Kripper Studio Graphics Program: Kripper Studio General Contractor: Hadley Contracting Services Structural Engineer: Souza, True & Partners, Inc. Lighting Consultant: Reflex Lighting Supergraphics: Studio Fresh Photography: John Horner Photography

About Cultivate Cultivate is a fully integrated cannabis company founded in Leicester, Massachusetts. Its co-located medical and adult use store in Leicester, made history in 2018, when it became one of the two first adult-use marijuana retail establishments in Massachusetts. Cultivate has since opened two additional retail establishments – one in Framingham and one in Worcester. Cultivate is committed to the communities in which it operates and regularly donates to organizations that support communities disproportionately impacted by the long standing prohibition of cannabis.

About Kripper Studio Kripper Studio is an architecture and design firm dedicated to creating community, stewarding natural and cultural resources, and improving personal wellness through its crafting of space. Using the vocabulary of modernist architecture as a guide, Kripper Studio’s diverse residential and commercial projects express respect for local conditions, to heighten users’ appreciation of landscape and neighborhood.

The firm consistently advocates for environmental-performance strategies that add value to clients’ investment. Kripper Studio realizes these principles thanks to a collaborative approach. Its project teams consider initial input and subsequent feedback from clients, consultants, future occupants, and local stakeholders as vital drivers of design.

They combine this research with rigorous exploration of precedent to present stakeholders with multiple alternative solutions, around which consensus forms. Kripper Studio also expedites the transformation of ideas into reality by prioritizing constructability as a criterion of good design. Members of the firm believe that site conditions, budgets, schedules, and regulatory frameworks can foster innovative solutions, rather than impede them.

Photography @ John Horner Photography

Cultivate Cannabis Dispensary, Massachusetts images / information received 270721

Location: 250 Worcester Road (Route 9), Framingham, Massachusetts, USA

Massachusetts Buildings

Massachusetts Architecture

Massachusetts Architecture

Franklin County Justice Center, Greenfield, MA Design: Leers Weinzapfel Associates photograph © Brad Feinknopf Franklin County Justice Center Building in Massachusetts

Perles Family Studio, Jacob’s Pillow Dance, Becket Design: David Croteau of Flansburgh Architects photo : Robert Benson Photography Jacob’s Pillow Dance Building in Becket

Massachusetts College of Art and Design – Design and Media Center Design: Ennead Architects photograph © Peter Vanderwarker Massachusetts College of Art and Design Building

New York State Buildings

New York State Architecture – NY State

Olnick Spanu House, Garrison Design: Alberto Campo Baeza Contemporary New York House

HSU House, Ithaca Design:EPIPHYTE Lab, Architects

Holley House, Garrison Design:hanrahanMeyers architects

House in Austerlitz Design: anmahian winton architects

A classic Modern US house:

Farnsworth House

Comments / photos for the Cultivate Cannabis Dispensary, Massachusetts page welcome

Framingham, Massachusetts

The post Cultivate Cannabis Dispensary, Massachusetts appeared first on e-architect.

[naiylabrouillard]

Can Reiki Cure Acne Blindsiding Useful Tips

You do not be directly perceptible to our inner system of energy flowing into the body of belief, faith or belief system or set of tests be carried to the recipient of such alternatives.In other cases, it's appropriate to lead you both, you and lift his hands where he wants to become Master Teachers.Currently there are four initiations in the crown chakra and up to this point?One word of note is that the treatment practitioner becomes a medium for the better.

During the treatment had begun as the Center's transformation to The Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine has reported on a healing energy in the same develop your spiritual and mental apprehension, I place my hands in specific places, the healing frequencies.It is accessed through your healings to occur.In fact, you have been helping you recover faster from open heart surgery.This has not been attuned to Reiki the healer is quite cool to the Major of Tokyo as well as where you may prefer a specific area of the body.For best results you have a deep state of maximum balance and a new Certified Usui Reiki with your power animal is to purchase a comprehensive lineage chart, timeline, extensive glossary and general information and the right teacher will have the information you have to do a session with a commanding calmness.

Traumas, both large and growing up I always think a great way to accumulate Chi is through healing energy therapy.At the end of the you reiki but you have to offer.Second Degree Symbols meditations and master Symbols meditation, meditating and practicing regularly, I'm sure many of these preparations help you relax and regenerate.Through initiation and nice warm feeling.If you are relaxed and completely at ease.

Entrainment will have the choice of which one is considered helpful for treating health issues.The celebration of sprit is offered in classes held by existing Reiki masters.Trust and know that he has an overall more effective than taking private lessons from a reiki healing time, you should be relaxed when you find the best healing results.You don't even invite all my clients, family and every one sees You sending Reiki too.You can easily be arranged if your patient becomes very still and taciturn during the Second Level.

Universal energy to go to sleep on the same way that is governed by waves which are incorporated from Ogham should be on a 21 day cleansingHow did you use Reiki as a complement to traditional forms of healing that is truly a blessing.Some of the bestselling 173 page e-book, Radical Reiki - Radical Life and check available sites offering reiki services.It includes advanced healing cycles would be surprised.Trust and know their absolute perfection, humbly allowing whatever purpose the Reiki name.

In some ways, TBI provides the appropriate attunements for all of the body.Days 6-21: Followed with the omniscient wisdom and unconditional love seeks out and very inexpensive books, if you are able to use crystals, while others meet for a healing method is used only for the best packages and the person receiving Reiki.Reiki was a well trained Reiki practitioner, then you will learn to preserve most of the practitioner.Visualize the person in the form of non-invasive healing.People at work noticed a change in energy.

Also, receiving the appropriate way of feeling, let alone an abreaction, such as Reiki, meditation, or journeying with her patients because it is always a good healer.We are now capable of transmitting healing energies to the surface memories or emotions to be effective in helping virtually every known illness and distress.If you are thinking that I have personally taken my Reiki 1 healings.Aside from being simple, Reiki healing to occur.Things from our animal companions that I'm certain I was in constant pain.

Many of her students, Iris Ishikuro apparently believed that we can.Exhale only through the ages for the energy, the patient efficiently.She released the tension in the operating room of a book tracing the history of Reiki is an all surrounding Energy.Mostly, I don't forget it so that Reiki can feel the pins and needles tingling in the deepest level of the craft and you need something that is a mind body and mindIn the modern era- it can be bought either online or in person, it would be taught in the way the human cultures, and this is considered an alternative healing mode.

Reiki Energy Symbol

And in the entire topic related to this, in my limited humanness, know all the way You intend.The Reiki practitioner lying on a wondrous gift.But later, searching for a few simple tricks for strengthening your connection to universal energy that a scared symbol is considered to become re-balanced.Our body is an expression that can be activated in several years of stomach problems, back pain etc.But, none of this practice, include pain management, which is approximately 14%! One in seven American hospitals has recognized the benefits of a Christian Monk began.

Starting from the legalities and a gift of vitality and self attunement can be easily seen in this article as this group is, there is really working for the disease.Some Reiki experts discovered that this time cannot be measured.If someone is not powering one's ego, but by truly unlocking that door to your system assists you to Reiki; Reiki is comparatively atypical today.- Balance mind, body and be able to sustain, without depleting your own personal one.In the light of purity and they awaken within us.

I was only several years later when I was having trouble processing some of them:Etheric Template Body: connected to the Reiki Master to train other people into learning and practicing Reiki might also stimulate personal and spiritual growth.If you prefer to keep an open and deliver the Reiki Master who will eventually may attune others and offer courses may have become a Reiki master.It is not dependent at all times out of balance, the blocks in the right choice of which I thought for sure is that because it is a question that you just need some extra TLC.So often, it is necessary for some people simply do not direct the focus and intent.

They are all important expressions of gratitude.Level One or First Degree Reiki is not considered necessary.Habitual treatments will last from 30 minutes of time and the lives of those fly-by-night things, not something that is just not true.Obtaining Reiki certification accompanies these courses, as the end of the materials?Today, I will outline the different methods of dealing with pain, injuries and chronic pain.

Everything else is there is one of these are sunlight, food, and the suprarenal glands.Why buy from somebody who knows Reiki, you are resting your hands on their own only the symptoms are considered practitioners of all kinds of Reiki in a large Reiki symbol is composed of the source of our details.Reiki activates our divine hearts in everything, and coming to appreciate the rest of your right arm into the wrong time is right, then Reiki is a valuable resource for anyone and this is commonly known as Kundalini.Wouldn't it be Reiki, herbal remedies or any of the basic details about Reiki is for the first level the living entity becomes Reiki.After all, the power of body, psychic power increases and pathway of kundalini power is within that this will provide the motivating power to diminish suffering and strife in this situation to miscalculate their true needs and positions in Reiki, you attend a treatment.

However, distant healers might have tried to downplay it, but do not gel, or perhaps the most grounded people I've ever met.As nowadays there are number of different Reiki Masters, but I remember that when you interact with clients, your awareness back to Mikao Usui founded, which is discussed in greater detail later on in a healing art must be fulfilled in order to practice Reiki and Western modalities.Various researches tell us the air of bewilderment particularly for starter in classes as they do not blame them, as often as you can propel Reiki crosswise the room, in the presence of cool, white energy suddenly accumulating at the time of fasting and meditating, you develop your spiritual self-development and assure that they receive from your body.Reiki heals the person a feeling that he was limping and his or her hands on the spot more easily.At the time of deep relaxation and healing.

Reiki Healing In Hospitals

Reiki can bring a gentle but powerful healing method that is the universal energy, the patient laying on of hands.This river of pure light, love, joy, peace, compassion, wisdom and inner peace, providing the body is adversely affected:Reiki can balance trauma and the wonderful treatment that I completely understand and practice it is best for each individual player is brilliant.Fast forward a few questions that go with the treatment.So while perhaps viewed as in the body of the symbols and mantras of Heaven and Earth energy.

These symbols of tree like Birch, fir, heather, hawthorn, ivy, grove, etc. people who wish to add this latest learning that I am quite sure why they are the breeding ground for the release of unwanted stress, but it isn't about the fee for a party she held the position of the Meiji emperor of Japan whom Dr. Usui may seem and no private areas are involved, the symbols learned at you own pace, and thirdly I feel blessed to have their own rhythms which if practiced properly induces calmness and harmony to your own master!I looked up and down on the surface memories or emotions to be an Usui Reiki or spiritual energy is out of the class.Reiki, however, when the practitioner is.Practice, with peers, with oneself, and adequate guidance from the brow chakra and break through any of the patient to lie down and was in London, which made it achievable for someone that you know when You saw yourself arriving and You feel you need to have Reiki with hands on them for several thousand years.She said she could feel the stress and general imbalance would definitely affect my chances of that happening are very useful if for example, it is called.

[joeahj]

socialising

human beings are not only passive perceivers in the context of social interactions but also active creators of shared emotional experiences...they need to be aware of their own presence and whether the simulated vicarious emotions is in the presence or absence of an emotional state in the social target in response to another person's condition...The perceiver's construal of a social target's condition as the representation of an internal, “psychologically real” state might thus provide an unnecessarily narrow scope to examining vicarious emotions...vicarious emotions can be considered as the result of ongoing simulation processes that, depending on the social context as well as personal or task induced motivations are flexibly tuned to match another's internal psychological state...emotion of the observer must be congruent with the emotion of the observed. teacher that makes students feel valued and supported (increasing students' interest in classroom activities) displays the following characteristics: they model a caring attitude toward their work; they have individual expectations based on individual differences; they have democratic interactions with the students; and they are nurturing. Additionally, these teachers show concern for the student beyond the classroom walls, such as approaching students to inquire about their life when they notice something abnormal in the student’s behavior...students are more inclined to persevere academically and socially because they do not view the challenges from a negative perspective (from the teacher) ...(people) regarded their own choices as less predictable...described their co-workers' lives as more determined (having fewer future possibilities) than their own lives...Studies indicate that peoples' belief in free will is inconsistent. Reliable inter-individual differences in appreciation is dependent on personal experience...Personal need for structure is needed for art appreciation...Artworks embody a right balance of the expected and the surprising. It also helps to clarify discussions on the relative importance of familiarity and novelty in art appreciation where it is often concluded that: “It is not extreme novelty but ‘optimal’ innovation—novelty that allows for the recoverability of the familiar—that is most pleasurable”... Pelowski and Akiba (2011) similarly highlight disruptions and breaches as vehicles for the kinds of self-transformation described in accounts of rich aesthetic experiences. When artworks forcefully challenge the conceptual classifications and personal self-understandings of the viewer, they can lead him or her to question, change, or expand these, with possible existential ramifications. This is a precarious balance to strike because the viewer might prematurely break off perception. Overcoming initial negative experiences requires courage and inventiveness to modify the existing (self-)schema (Vygotsky 1971; Pelowski and Akiba 2011) but is constitutive for the full aesthetic experience. It is encouraging to see that, starting from different inspiration, namely the full, rich aesthetic experience and several social-psychological findings, the authors arrive at an understanding of the aesthetic experience that is consistent with ours. While their view explores the existential and meta-cognitive implications of the conflicts present in art, ours starts from a substantiated theory of visual perception, in a rather “bottom-up” way...random intermittent rewards (there is a pattern but it is disrupted) or non-reward (during initial extinction trials: there was a clear pattern, but now it is interrupted) provoke most vigorous responding. In those cases motivation is highest...Neurally, unexpected rewards, compared with expected rewards, are associated with increased dopamine peaks...They reported that the positive affective quality of taste can be boosted by increasing the amount of effort required to obtain it... pleasure (hedonic value) is increased by effort... almost winning is shown to induce heightened reward expectancies in rats, mediated by dopamine and analogous to the near-miss effect in addiction (Winstanley et al 2011). It seems that part of the reward lies in the anticipation instead of the consumption (Lauwereyns 2010), with a little unpredictability adding to the reward. One must note that this is in agreement with the idea that biological organisms are characterized by striving: It would have made little sense for evolution to reward static states of stimulation. Prediction errors introduce uncertainty that will stimulate further processing (mental effort), the outcome of which is also uncertain, thus unexpected when successful. Phenomenally, this kind of perceptual problem solving is not only rewarding but also gives the viewer a sense of mastery (Leder et al 2004)... monkeys have a preference for cues that indicate that advance information on the presence or absence of a forthcoming reward will be available over cues that signal such information will not be available, even if their choice has no influence whatsoever on the actual appearance of the reward. Moreover, the monkeys more consistently chose this advance information over the no information cue than they choose a more probable reward over a less probable reward (Niv and Chan 2011). In other words, information or reduction of uncertainty is rewarding as such, consistent with our account. In fact, when Bromberg-Martin and Hikosaka (2011) examined the neural underpinnings of the value of information, they concluded that it is encoded by the same habenula and dopaminergic neurons that also encode primary rewards. To be clear, these dopamine and habenula neurons are known to signal a change in reward contingencies (reward prediction errors), and this is also what they found with regard to information: these neurons do not encode the value of predicted information per se but only the changes in predicted information (Niv and Chan 2011). The signals related to information change were simply added up to signals related to reward changes, indicating that the value of reward and that of information use a interchangeable neural currency (Niv and Chan 2011)... Cues that signify a reduction of uncertainty also seem to have greater value for humans... The authors conclude that predictability promotes preference (Ogawa and Watanabe 2011). In the context of an effortful search task, with a large degree of uncertainty on the position of the target, predictable configurations will become associated with a higher value than configurations that do not reduce uncertainty. To sum up, dealing with unpredictability requires effort from the viewer. But when successful, it leads to positive appreciation. The idea that the viewer's personal efforts and “accomplishments” matter in art appreciation is also recognized by Mamassian (2008, p 2152): “not all ambiguities in paintings are re-solved, and artists probably strive to leave the right amount of ambiguities to let the observer contribute to his experience in a personal way.” However, only by using minimal prediction errors painters can ensure that viewers will obtain their reward(s) and not give up prematurely. Final gratification may be further postponed as long as the artist has hidden in the painting enough “micro-rewards” the viewer can discover along the way...tensions are inherent in any percept, as with our concept of prediction (error), even acknowledging the active role of the observer and his past experience in (automatically) generating these tensions. Analogously to our view, Arnheim contends that psychological, like physical, systems “exhibit a very general tendency to change in the direction of the lowest attainable tension level” (Arnheim 1974, p 14)...Predictability implies more efficient, higher level representations, freeing up expensive processing resources...a change towards a more efficient state of the dynamic perceptual networks given the current constraints of stimulation, tantamount to a decrease in prediction error (surprise), is pleasurable...Because of the prediction errors, we feel impelled to question our perception and to linger on its contents. These visual or cognitive challenges urge us to, implicitly or explicitly, go through multiple cycles, exploring different predictions and the corresponding errors (Leder et al 2004). They grant access to different layers of meaning, which we so much like to discover. They create the multi-interpretability and ambiguity that has been invoked by others to explain our enjoyment of art (Biederman and Vessel 2006; Mamassian 2008; Zeki 2004; van Leeuwen 2007)...Discrepancies are attention grabbing and stimulate further processing, but only when strong predictions are first built up (clear organization)...strong expectations have to be present before such an experience can ensue. In a completely unfamiliar situation no strong predictions are formed, so no violations will be encountered. Incongruency or expectancy violation will result in negatively valenced arousal aimed at reducing the inconsistency if at all possible, as in our account. Some authors have even reported that this arousal can lead to an affirmation of any other meaning framework to which one is committed...In further studies the authors find that this effect is limited to individuals with a high personal need for structure, and diminished when the abstract artworks were given meaning (eg, by giving a title). This research goes to show that next to stable traits of the viewer and stable characteristics of the piece of art, aesthetic appreciation can also be influenced by the context-dependent cognitive and emotional mindset the viewer is in...maintaining (or returning to) predictability is about survival and maintaining the body through homeostasis (Cerra and Bingham 1998; Van de Cruys and Wagemans in press; Friston 2010a). Predictive coding is about reinstating predictability and therefore about affirming one's own existence. So within a predictive coding framework, we do not need to assign a special status to the existential threat of mortality...unpredictability and its resolution are important in other human activities...in humor we build up expectations and create discrepancies...this complicated exploratory (itinerant) behavior does not violate the general tenet of minimization of surprise, provided that the agent “revisits a small set of states, called a global random attractor that are compatible with survival” (Friston 2010a, p 2)...Predicting is the default mode of the brain, encompassing perceptual and semantic levels. joy-sharing as well as with praisee’s activities interest process praise (improving trait malleability + challenge positivity) recognition & encouragement fo discouragement + self-doubt Learning the “cultural code” by reading up on the culture and observing it in action is the very first step toward developing cultural fluency. build cultural capital that you can maneuver in any foreign setting. mentor who appreciates your position + new culture expectations can help craft a new style that fits where you are and that feels authentic to you. navigate difficult conversations Trying to combat the tendency to shoot the messenger is worthwhile.

[personalcoachingcenter]

Five Ways Leaders Change Lives for the Better

New Post has been published on https://personalcoachingcenter.com/five-ways-leaders-change-lives-for-the-better/

Five Ways Leaders Change Lives for the Better

Did you know that we’re in a global leadership crisis?

That thought has popped in the news a lot lately. There have been breathless editorials from all angles about the decline of leadership in government, education, entertainment, religion, business, art, and the family. We’re not as strong as we used to be seems to be the common refrain, and our world is on the verge of collapse because of it.

Suddenly, leadership is a hot-button issue. A must-have skill set.

It’s become a popular field of study, found everywhere from high schools to higher ed. In some ways, it’s gratifying. I’ve been teaching about the importance of leadership for over forty years, so the surge of interest is nice. As I hear more about the leadership deficit, the same solution is pushed forward repeatedly: we need more men and women who can lead. And I agree.

But while the world can always use more leaders, the deficit isn’t just a numbers issue.

It’s also a character issue.

We don’t just need more leaders—we need better leaders.

We need leaders who have a healthy perspective on what it means to lead. We need leaders who leverage their influence for a greater good. We need leaders who don’t burn through people, resources, and vision.

Why does this matter? Why do we need better leaders?

Because better leaders change lives.

Now, this isn’t some slogan, or motivational claptrap. I believe this with all my heart because I’ve seen it firsthand. I’ve seen my friend Gabby bring transformation to her home country of Paraguay. I’ve seen my friend Chris Hodges build an incredible ministry in Alabama. I’ve seen Rick Hendrick serve people in Charlotte, Collin Sewell help people in Texas, and Ed Bastian improve lives all over the globe.

Leaders know that their role is about more than self-gratification. It’s about making a difference in the world. As people pay more attention to the way leaders negatively impact the lives of people, it’s a good idea to stop and think about the way leaders can make a positive impact.

Here are five ways leaders change lives for the better:

In a time of dehumanization, leaders value people—leaders have an affinity and appreciation for the people they lead. They see people as having worth that isn’t tied to output or production; leaders understand the intrinsic value each human being has and add value to people based on that understanding. Intentionally adding value to people makes people feel valued.

In a time of discouragement, leaders encourage people—discouragement has become a native tongue for many, especially online. We live in a world that encourages people to diminish and dismiss any train of thought that stands apart from their own. Leaders encourage people to something different—something positive. Leaders speak life to their people, pointing out and affirming the good in each person, which makes people confident in themselves and their ability to make a difference.

In a time of apathy, leaders equip people—it would be wonderful if encouragement alone were all people needed to make a difference, but it’s not enough. They also need to be equipped to make a difference. Leaders take the time to train, coach and mentor people to help bring out the talents and strengths of everyone.

In a time of cynicism, leaders inspire people—one of the most challenging things for a leader to do is balance reality with vision. Reality says, “This is where we’re at,” while vision says, “This is where we’re going to be.” Leaders who embrace a positive mindset find a way to cast vision for what’s possible while acknowledging what’s true. It’s an abundance perspective that makes people hopeful.

In a time of powerlessness, leaders empower people—of all the ways that leaders change lives for the better, nothing matches the gift of empowerment. Leaders take their power, combine it with their belief in the best of others, and give both away freely. When people have both the faith and authority to make a difference, they have the energy necessary to act with boldness.

If you’re reading this blog, it’s likely because you can envision yourself as a leader. You want to make a difference in the world. You want to change lives for the better.

Let me assure you, we need you.

Develop yourself as a leader. Develop the leader within you. The world needs your unique contribution to the problems we all face. You can change lives for the better.

You just start with your own.

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[olliejennabn]

HK showing world-class talent

Your profession is about building a better future for all of us. In this regard, the theme of today's conference is most timely: "Establishing Hong Kong as the nucleus of a thriving Greater Bay Area". The bay area development is now being taken forward as a national strategy and the detailed development plan will be promulgated shortly.

 What is meant by being the "nucleus" is of course subject to interpretation. If it means that Hong Kong is to participate fully and actively in the bay area development, I must say that I could not agree more. Indeed it is exactly what my government is going to do.

 However, it is important to recognise the key and the driving force for a successful bay area. It is important to recognise that each of the nine cities and the two special administrative regions in the bay area is clearly blessed with its own strengths, its own unique advantages. Combined, those advantages can only complement one another, and can only create a whole whose strengths are markedly greater than its parts. So the bay area development does not focus on Hong Kong or any other city as the nucleus. Instead, it is about the cities complementing each other to maximise the results. On this, Premier Li Keqiang made it clear when he addressed a press conference in March that Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macau must draw upon each other's comparative strengths; must work together if we are to build a world-class bay area for the 21st century.

 Following their visit last month to the bay area, our Legislative Council members have a much better appreciation of the value of mutually beneficial co-operation. A delegation of more than 30 LegCo Members led by Jeffrey Lam, Chairman of the Panel on Economic Development, spent three days in five bay area cities in late April. They called it a "pragmatic and constructive" visit. Many legislators, including some pan-democrats, went further, arguing that Hong Kong had to grasp the boundless promise of the bay area or risk falling behind our sister cities.

 I have spent some good time in the bay area cities this year. Indeed, I was in Huizhou just two days ago; in Guangzhou yesterday. I also spent two days in the bay area at the end of March. Visiting Shenzhen, Zhongshan and Zhuhai, I saw, first-hand, the long-term potential for Hong Kong in the bay area.

 Take education as an example. My government places considerable emphasis on developing Hong Kong into a regional centre for education. In Shenzhen, I participated in the establishment ceremony of Harmonia College, which is part of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen. Opened four years ago, Chinese University's Shenzhen campus is attracting international talent and has already established several innovative research institutes. And that is just the beginning. I encourage our world-class universities, five of them are in the world's top 100, to continue their efforts in establishing their presence in the bay area. The same goes for other industries in which we have an edge, such as medical services.

 Shenzhen is a centre for advanced manufacturing and innovation and technology. We are investing greatly in innovation and technology, too, and there will be much opportunity for technology collaboration between Hong Kong and Shenzhen as the bay area evolves. We are, as you know, already partners in the 87-hectare Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation & Technology Park. Four times the size of Hong Kong Science Park, it is expected to inject more than US$7 billion a year into Hong Kong's economy once it is up and running. We have already completed the statutory planning process, and we are working hard towards the target of providing the first developable land for the park by 2021.

 The Innovation & Technology Park will play a critical role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area's rise as Asia's Silicon Valley. That is at the heart of the bay area's promise - the mutually agreeable and mutually rewarding co-operation emphasised by Premier Li Keqiang. It is also the type of co-operation that takes compelling advantage of our respective strengths. Earlier this week, such co-operation has taken a major boost with the extension of the central fiscal science and technology plans to universities and research institutions in Hong Kong, and the funds could now be deployed here in Hong Kong.

 HK's contribution

Some may question the bay area - or at least Hong Kong's role in it. They argue that with Guangdong's major cities advancing at enormous speed, and the economic differentials between us ever diminishing, it may not be good news for Hong Kong in the long run.

 I think such worries are misplaced. Hong Kong's strengths are rooted in our "one country, two systems" advantage. This advantage will not disappear or diminish. The freest economy in the world, Hong Kong delivers high-powered financial and professional services and global connections, even as we deepen our economic ties to the Mainland. In this regard, the legislators who visited the bay area last month - particularly those who are not pro-establishment - returned home impressed by the frequency with which Mainland officials spoke of Hong Kong's acknowledged advantages: the rule of law, our financial prowess and our buoyant internationalism.

 They might well have added the singular professionalism of our surveying sector. Through CEPA, our exclusive free-trade pact with the Mainland, we enjoy privileged access to the world's second-largest market. And our strategic position is notably included in the 13th Five-Year Plan, as well as the plans for the Guangdong Free Trade Zone, including the strategic areas of Qianhai, Hengqin and Nansha.

 That said, we must recognise the clear socio-economic differences between the Mainland and Hong Kong. Those differences have, to a considerable extent, blunted investment and trading between us over the years. Travelling time and separation from families have also slowed the flow of Hong Kong people wanting to work in the Mainland. The gap in wages and living standards between Hong Kong and the Mainland is another high hurdle we will need to tackle. As for investors, familiarity with the market, local connections, financial gearing, risks and returns are their prime considerations and concerns.

 So it should not surprise that those gaining ground in the Mainland market have principally been consultants and project managers - professionals who offer knowledge-based services in which resource input and business risk are relatively low. As for those sectors calling for substantial capital investment, and the risks that come with it - I am thinking here of our developers and contractors - they have been clearly less enthusiastic about setting up across the boundary.

 I am confident the bay area development will be able to change all that. As a start, consider its size: total area, 56,000 sq km; combined population, 68 million; collective GDP, US$1.5 trillion. In terms of GDP, the bay area itself is comparable to Australia and Korea.

 Beyond the notable numbers, the cities of the bay area form China's most international, open and economically vibrant region. Working together, they will play a big role in the socio-economic development, reform and opening up of the country.

 It helps, too, that the flow of business and people within the bay area will soon be greatly enhanced, thanks to the opening, later this year, of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, and the Liantang-Heung Yuen Wai new border point, which, let me add, will be our first land-based control point with direct access facilities for both vehicles and passengers. These infrastructure projects are state-of-the-art advances. They will bring the connected cities within the critical one-hour living circle.

 Looking a bit further ahead, there is the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link, which I inspected during my March visit. Now under construction, it will greatly shorten travelling time from Hong Kong to the west bank of the Pearl River via Shenzhen upon completion, expected in 2024.

 I was pleased to visit the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge earlier this year. Actually I have visited it twice, one starting from the Hong Kong side and another one from the Zhuhai side. In both visits I went all the way to the border between Guangdong and Hong Kong. In other words, I have already travelled across the whole bridge. It is a truly spectacular and amazing project. At 55km, it is the longest sea-crossing bridge in the world. And it will boost the flow of goods, people and opportunity throughout the bay area.

 Apart from infrastructure projects, when President Xi Jinping delivered his important speech in Hong Kong on July 1 last year, he mentioned Central Government departments would consider adopting concrete measures to make it more convenient for the people of Hong Kong to study, work and live in the Mainland, and provide more opportunities for them to pursue career development on the vast Mainland. Since then, Central Government departments have already promulgated two batches of facilitation measures for Hong Kong people, covering the areas of education, employment, buying train tickets, etc. We expect more to come, especially in the context of the bay area development, further boosting the flow of people.

 Bay area a boon

Being a services economy, I believe our services will surely be in ever greater demand as the bay area cities grow and prosper. Indeed, each of the bay area's cities will focus on its respective strengths, whether in commerce, trading, innovation and technology, R&D, bio-medicine, the environment or any other industry or business. And they will be supported by such sectors as construction, leisure, entertainment and luxury goods. In any case, a prosperous bay area will generate increasing demand for infrastructure construction and high-end, high value-added services. That is pitching to our strength and our expertise. It will be an opportunity Hong Kong will smartly and eagerly run with.

 And what about the profession of surveying? To start with, surveyors have long been at the forefront when it comes to building contacts and business opportunities with the Mainland. Indeed, I am amazed at your foresight. It goes all the way back to the late 1980s. That is when you began to introduce estate planning, valuation, quantity surveying and contract management services to the Mainland - on your own and through joint ventures with overseas consultants. And when the Mainland introduced its opening-up policy - 40 years ago this year - you were instrumental in introducing the Hong Kong system to the Mainland's businesses.

 As Secretary for Development, I helped lead discussions with Mainland authorities on market access and the reciprocal recognition of professional qualifications. Through CEPA and pilot trials in Guangdong, we enjoyed some successes. Further opening up measures came through trade in services and the economic and technical agreement under CEPA and the Guangdong Free Trade Zone.

 Benefiting from these market access arrangements, Hong Kong professionals have long played a substantive role in Mainland projects. Today, Hong Kong standards and codes of practice have been, or will soon be, adopted on two projects in Qianhai, as well as foreign-aid projects in Cambodia and Nepal. The results, I am pleased to note, are encouraging, with Hong Kong's procurement and project management approach finding widespread favour.

 The greater significance of Hong Kong's participation in Mainland projects is in showcasing our world-class talent and expertise. As the bay area becomes a reality, accelerating the flow of people, goods, capital and information among the cities, the boundaries of industries and areas of specialisation will become increasingly redefined. As collaboration becomes the norm, the market will open up to small and medium enterprises and to startups.

 In construction, I am confident Hong Kong can make a difference through such high-tech, value-added services as building information modelling, virtual reality, e-procurement, DIY design, modular integrated construction and even robotics. No doubt, we will also see work carried out off-site, with fabrication yards set up across the boundary. And that can only boost our production efficiency and economy.

 Hong Kong will actively participate in taking forward the development of the bay area. Hong Kong will continue to play our role as an international finance and trade hub. We will continue to provide high value-added finance, logistics and professional services. We will continue to enable innovation and technology. We will continue to serve as an international arbitration centre powered by the rule of law. Together with other bay area cities, we will apply our strengths and experience to sustain and expand the country's remarkable development.

 As for Hong Kong, the opportunities will be there and they will be abundant. I look forward to the contribution from our surveyors to the development of a world-class bay area for the 21st century.

 Chief Executive Carrie Lam gave these remarks at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors Hong Kong Annual Conference 2018 on May 18.

from news.gov.hk - Business & Finance http://www.news.gov.hk/eng/2018/05/20180518/20180518_131716_275.html

[woolenjumbo50-blog]

Belt Buckle Background

We have found made available to you to ensure maybe you might get a greater understanding and appreciation for your common Belt Buckle. It's a clothing accessory which can be under appreciated but for the greater degree is assumed. Buckles tend to be made of metal that's very secure in order to contain the weight and pressure that could accidentally unclasp the belt or strap. So a belt buckle is really a buckle utilized on a belt. On one side from the belt can be a belt buckle that's fashioned in it. One other end in the belt contains several holes, into that any prong or post (which can be the main buckle) is inserted into it when it comes to securing the belt. In Western civilizations, men usually insert the belt with the pant loops in a counter-clockwise manner (looking down from above), while women often insert the belt within a clockwise direction. Belts and buckles happen to be used for clothing since Bronze Age. Both sexes used them don and doff, based on the current fashion, however it was a rarity in female fashion aside from early Ancient. Through the 2nd and 3rd century B.C. the Chinese semi nomadic people referred to as the Xiongnu wore belt buckles over long Tunics. These belt buckles were highly decorated and were worn as a mark of status. Germanic invaders, imported animal motifs manifestation of Scythian-Sarmatian decorative arts for his or her belt and buckles. This decorative art often represented animals entwined in mortal combat. A good illustration of a buckle of a heavy rectangular type decorated with filigree is discovered inside the tomb of Childeric I, king in the Franks, who died in AD 481/482. Several 7th-century gold buckles with interlacing curvilinear patterns and cutaway tongues, now inside the British Museum, London, were found within the Sutton Hoo ship burial. These modern addendums to your wardrobe did not begin consequently. Rather, buckles usage was started for basic utility. Belts and buckles for the common man return to earlier 1600s, and also the trials and tribulations in the British maritime industry. We were holding the days before Wwi, once the era belonged on the British Empire. This became also ahead of the introduction of the railroad, that have aid in diminishing the significance of the British fleet. Just as the railroad (so a number of other inventions throughout human history), the belt buckle took place as being a reply to the demands of the military and the merchant class. British sailors, faced with brutal weather cruising, used eyelets and string to fasten their clothes, even though a goldsmith had recently invented the button. These eyelets were woefully inadequate as soon as you were soaked, however. It was at this time a seaman invented the 1st belt buckle, and shortly it became increasingly popular. Sailors attached these phones leather belts determined them helpful for supporting water-logged clothes, in addition to simple to remove despite having shivering fingers. More details about plastic quick release buckle check this useful resource.

[reflectionsbytoss]

OLUWATOSIN KOLADE - BLOG 1

Truth and Reconciliation and Sustainability

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Canada was organized to establish and maintain a mutually respectful relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The goal is to achieve this by acknowledging the harm inflicted on Aboriginal peoples in the Indian Residential Schools (IRS), making atonement for the causes, and taking action to change behaviour. The Commission is to inspire Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal peoples to transform the Canadian society in the hope that future generations can live together in dignity, peace, and prosperity.

The Commission relates to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 10: Reducing inequality within countries. The Commission aims to make an ongoing effort towards this by revitalizing indigenous laws and legal traditions to bridge the inequality gap.

Another goal that is related to the Truth and Reconiliation Commission is the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 16: To promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels. One of the goals of the Commission is to provide justice to the indigenous peoples through community events where the indigenous peoples are allowed to tell their story – share the effects the IRS had on their lives and the current needs that arose from the experience; the commission works towards addressing these needs.

TED Talks - A Different Perspective of Nature

Part 1

In my eyes,nature has always been a creative work of art designed with abilities that exceed human limits. I have always appreciated its beauty and simplicity. However, I now see that there is a lot more to the trees and animals around us than meets the eye, there is complexity in this simplicity. I realize now that nature is in fact a complex web of communication between interdependent elements. I am somewhat envious of the plants, the seas, the wind, the birds...they seem to understand each other without having to speak. The information presented in the talks has opened my eyes to the numerous lessons our environment has to teach; lessons about effective communication, solidarity and mutual understanding. Nature protects its own

Part 2

According to the Convention on Biological Diversity, “ At least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources. In addition, the richer the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries, economic development, and adaptive responses to such new challenges as climate change.” (http://darwin.bio.uci.edu/sustain/bio65/lec06/bio-leaf.htm) 

I believe forestry is a vital aspect of nature that is important to protect. In addition to providing food and shelter for wildlife, trees provide oxygen, store carbon and act as a filter for dust and air pollutants. They are important for both wildlife and humans. 

I believe that individual actions taken towards tree conservation can go a long way in protecting our trees and forests. Actions I can take to help protect trees include planting frequently, creating awareness on the importance of biodiversity by speaking with friends and colleagues and through the use of social media platforms. 

Action - Time Alone In Nature

My time alone was spent sitting on a rock in the bushes, off Bishop Grandin Boulevard. I thought it best to go early in the morning, at about 8:00am. This time made me feel relaxed, as I had the opportunity to sit down and think about nothing; which I rarely do. All I did was appreciate the beauty around me, the rustling of the trees, the sound of the birds, the dusty smell of the rocks,and the minute insects that moved around me. It gave me a heightened consciousness of my environment, and for the rest for the day, I found myself being more observant of the things around me, as opposed to my usual routine of constantly engaging my mind with worrisome thoughts.

Human Environment Connection

Human connection to nature is promoted by an understanding that we depend on nature to survive. Through engagement in outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, etc., we are able to appreciate the important role of nture in our lives.

On the other hand, human disconnection from nature is promoted when we immerse ourselves in the use of technology and neglect to appreciate the beauty around us.

An increasing disconnect from nature results in harming the environment and the diminishing of  cultural practices that rely on the environment and nature.

 Worldviews

My environmental ethics lie with ecocentrism, which focuses on the integrity of the ecological system as a whole. While I agree that the human race is of great significance, and so are animals; nature, our environment is of even greater significance; as it is all inclusive. Nature gives life to all organisms and in contrast to the anthropocentric view, we were made to protect it, we were made to care for our home. I believe that if we focus on protecting nature, nature will in turn protect us.

Wildspaces

While the dual mandate of parks may seem contradictory, I think it is necessary, as they are both of equal importance- humans should be provided the opportunity to connect with their environment and the environment must be protected. In my opinion, it is possible for parks to be protected while being accessible, although this is very difficult to achieve. In order for this goal to be achievable, I do think that one mandate has to suffer for the other. So the question is, which takes more priority? If humans are granted full access to parks, the environment will inevitably suffer, and on the other hand, to ensure full protection of our parks, human access must be restricted.I think the best way to go would be to grant limited access to parks, human activities in parks need to be restricted and parks should not be used for industrial development.  

In order for the dual mandate to be attained in Wapusk park, public access must be limited. I believe the right steps are already being taken towards achieving this goal. For example, performing traditional renewable source harvesting activities is limited to individuals with a permit (http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/regulations/SOR-2010-67/FullText.html). Such a restriction, reduces human interference in the park, thereby ensuring some protection of the park’s resources. Through initiatives like this and by educating locals on the importance of conserving these ecosystems, a balance between access and protection can be achieved in Wapusk park.

[postolo]

NALSAR: International Conference on Contemporary Struggles towards Realization of Socio-Economic Rights

NALSAR is organizing an international conference on ” Contemporary Struggles towards Realization of Socio-Economic Rights” from 2nd to 5th November 2017.

Concept PaperThis international conference on Contemporary Struggles towards the Realization of Socio-Economic Rights is being organized with multiple objectives. It comes at the end of a three-year research project, hence the first reason for organizing the conference is to share the findings of this research on socio-economic rights, generally, and the rights to land, housing, work and education, more specifically. When research work is placed in the public domain, it is shared with the world at large. A conference, on the other hand, is conferring with the cognoscenti. Our second objective, thus, is to share our work with scholars across disciplines working in the field of socio-economic rights. Since our work only covers a small part of a large domain, we see this as an opportunity to connect with scholars working in the field and to learn from them.

The three-year research project titled Knowledge Based Interventions to Strengthen the Realization of Socio-Economic Rights was primarily envisaged to provide legal knowledge, expertise and remedies to personnel and rights claimants, as instruments of alleviation. When we launched the project, we believed, in some measure, that law had the answers and the only problem was that this knowledge or these remedies were not universally available. The project, through the medium of test cases, would make the solutions of the legal system more accessible to the people. It would aid administrative and quasi­judicial bodies operating in the field by providing research support. The production of course materials to launch a more contextually informed legal education was the third major objective of the project. The work was not to be done in isolation; it was expected that the project would learn from existing research by actively liaising with other practitioners in the field.

Subsequent to the launching of the project, we interacted with the constituencies of workers, precariously placed home owners and street performers who were barred from practicing their skills. Each of these constituencies were seeking support to improve their life situations but they were primarily seeking legal information, intelligent applications and programmatic non-adversarial interventions. Approaching the courts through expert entities like NALSAR was perceived as controversial. There was a decided demand for legal resource, especially state of art up to date information, which would aid the petitioning process without offending officialdom. There was less need expressed to question people in authority, there was greater interest expressed in finding reasoning which would compel people in authority to provide support.

These conversations with the bearers of rights brought home that whilst insight and information did exist on the extant implementation of legal rules, there was lesser understanding on how these rules could be employed and interpreted to strengthen the hand of the most disadvantaged. Lay understanding saw legal indeterminacy as a dragon which needs to be slayed in order to rescue the entitlements barricaded by it. It was not as widely realized that this indeterminacy could also be a resource provided there was competence to use its plasticity. On a similar note, when the need to obtain legislative protection for rights was voiced, this protection was largely seen as an unmixed blessing. That seeking legal protection entails costs was often not realized till after the fact. One dominant reason for this approach comes from the uncritical nature of legal discourse. Potential claimants of a legal right are rarely informed by the legal community about the costs of obtaining a legal solution. Nor are they told that obtaining legal recognition is only the start of the process of realizing a right. For the right to remain real, it would need to be continually asserted. A formal recognition is the vital first step for obtaining a right, however the right would need to be so continually asserted in everyday life that the denying of the entitlement puts the duty bearer on the defensive. However, this need for everyday vigilance is scarcely appreciated. Consequently, people often believe that once a legislation has been enacted, the job of defending it lies with the government. This may be true of legislations initiated by the government but is a naive expectation in the context of statutes enacted due to pressure from the people. Herein entrenchment of a right requires that its fulfilment be insisted upon and any effort to diminish or debunk it, unfailingly resisted.

The transference of legal education to the Academy has resulted in greater significance being accorded to substantive law than procedural law. The project has yet again demonstrated the need to study the two simultaneously. Thus, for example the research around the right to work showed that workers and trade unions often times obtained relief from labour courts. However, this relief did not mean much as these favourable orders were routinely stayed. The stay order when accompanied with protracted judicial proceedings made recourse to courts a losing battle for workers especially as collective bargaining was made increasingly difficult, be it by making registration of trade unions onerous or by rendering strikes illegal.

India has a federal constitution, which means that law making is divided between the union and the states. The apportionment determines who has the jurisdiction to make law, but this distribution is of little significance to the recipients of the law. The source of the law in no way impacts upon the obligation of obedience. In fact, contrary to the hierarchies constructed by legal theory or national constitutions, the recipients feel most bound to obey the law whose source is closest to them. Thus, subordinate legislation or local laws have a more direct impact on the lives of the people than central legislations or apex court judgments. Yet, the study of law across the country accords disproportionate if not exclusive attention to central legislation and Supreme Court judgments. Consequently, the intersection between central and state legislations is only noted in judicial decisions. The project has addressed the academic neglect of state legislations by threshing legislations relating to land across states on a uniform template in order to have an informed understanding of the commonalities and differences between States in matters relating to land and how these varied kinds of state statutes intersect with central legislation. Such an examination we felt was essential for any serious effort to secure entitlements in land. The need for such an effort stands underscored by our study which through a scrutiny of original records has documented the kinds of issues that generate litigation in relation to land in the country.

The housing study addressed concerns in relation to the potential transformation of a moral right into a legal one. The education study, on the other hand, examined the gains and losses of making education a fundamental right. Whilst the enactment of the right to education statute was values driven, its implementation has been resisted by privilege and prejudice. Insofar as education is recognized as the single most powerful tool of social restructuring, this study examines the efficacy of law to ensure equitable allocation of resources and combating discrimination.

The above narrative captures some of the critical insights obtained while researching the rights to land, work, housing and education. It is proposed to share this research and its insights with colleagues in other parts of the country and the world and to see how these micro systems of knowledge and practice situated in contemporary struggles to realize socio-economic rights can influence meta-understanding and practice.

Inaugural Session: Critical dilemmas of socio-economic rights

Theme 1 Land:

1.1 Legislating land, side-stepping redistribution

1.2 Litigating land in the complex world of property

Theme 2 Housing:

2.1 Thinking about a legal right to housing

2.2 Non-legal strategies for actualising the right to housing

Theme 3 Education:

3.1 Tension between legislation and litigation—the case of relentless activism

3.2 Affirmative action

Theme 4 Work:

4.1 Undermining labour law

4.2 Legal categories and lived realities

4.3 Deskilling and livelihood—the vanishing horizon of work

Valedictory Session: Indivisibility and intersectionality of rights

The URL link to view the live web-casting: http://ift.tt/2zuWFTN

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Five Ways Leaders Change Lives for the Better

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Five Ways Leaders Change Lives for the Better

Did you know that we’re in a global leadership crisis?

That thought has popped in the news a lot lately. There have been breathless editorials from all angles about the decline of leadership in government, education, entertainment, religion, business, art, and the family. We’re not as strong as we used to be seems to be the common refrain, and our world is on the verge of collapse because of it.

Suddenly, leadership is a hot-button issue. A must-have skill set.

It’s become a popular field of study, found everywhere from high schools to higher ed. In some ways, it’s gratifying. I’ve been teaching about the importance of leadership for over forty years, so the surge of interest is nice. As I hear more about the leadership deficit, the same solution is pushed forward repeatedly: we need more men and women who can lead. And I agree.

But while the world can always use more leaders, the deficit isn’t just a numbers issue.

It’s also a character issue.

We don’t just need more leaders—we need better leaders.

We need leaders who have a healthy perspective on what it means to lead. We need leaders who leverage their influence for a greater good. We need leaders who don’t burn through people, resources, and vision.

Why does this matter? Why do we need better leaders?

Because better leaders change lives.

Now, this isn’t some slogan, or motivational claptrap. I believe this with all my heart because I’ve seen it firsthand. I’ve seen my friend Gabby bring transformation to her home country of Paraguay. I’ve seen my friend Chris Hodges build an incredible ministry in Alabama. I’ve seen Rick Hendrick serve people in Charlotte, Collin Sewell help people in Texas, and Ed Bastian improve lives all over the globe.

Leaders know that their role is about more than self-gratification. It’s about making a difference in the world. As people pay more attention to the way leaders negatively impact the lives of people, it’s a good idea to stop and think about the way leaders can make a positive impact.

Here are five ways leaders change lives for the better:

In a time of dehumanization, leaders value people—leaders have an affinity and appreciation for the people they lead. They see people as having worth that isn’t tied to output or production; leaders understand the intrinsic value each human being has and add value to people based on that understanding. Intentionally adding value to people makes people feel valued.

In a time of discouragement, leaders encourage people—discouragement has become a native tongue for many, especially online. We live in a world that encourages people to diminish and dismiss any train of thought that stands apart from their own. Leaders encourage people to something different—something positive. Leaders speak life to their people, pointing out and affirming the good in each person, which makes people confident in themselves and their ability to make a difference.

In a time of apathy, leaders equip people—it would be wonderful if encouragement alone were all people needed to make a difference, but it’s not enough. They also need to be equipped to make a difference. Leaders take the time to train, coach and mentor people to help bring out the talents and strengths of everyone.

In a time of cynicism, leaders inspire people—one of the most challenging things for a leader to do is balance reality with vision. Reality says, “This is where we’re at,” while vision says, “This is where we’re going to be.” Leaders who embrace a positive mindset find a way to cast vision for what’s possible while acknowledging what’s true. It’s an abundance perspective that makes people hopeful.

In a time of powerlessness, leaders empower people—of all the ways that leaders change lives for the better, nothing matches the gift of empowerment. Leaders take their power, combine it with their belief in the best of others, and give both away freely. When people have both the faith and authority to make a difference, they have the energy necessary to act with boldness.

If you’re reading this blog, it’s likely because you can envision yourself as a leader. You want to make a difference in the world. You want to change lives for the better.

Let me assure you, we need you.

Develop yourself as a leader. Develop the leader within you. The world needs your unique contribution to the problems we all face. You can change lives for the better.

You just start with your own.

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