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On Power, Privilege, and Oppression
Complicit with the unbearable lightness of privilege (see previous blog), oppression is a constant burden. Like privilege, when unacknowledged by the oppressed, it becomes a fact of life unquestioned and unchallenged as it is unknown. Instead of manifesting in lightness, oppression is weight. As I think I have made clear, I fall in the privileged category. I do not know oppression first-hand in any way, shape, or form. I have merely observed it through my upbringing and my work and I have read and learned about it as a way of deepening my understanding of my own privilege.
I fought against it every day when I worked with youth. The depth and breadth of assumptions and judgments they had about their own poverty, blackness, age, and even neighborhood were stunning and troubling – even to someone who thought himself enlightened. In fact, their internalized negative assumptions were the ultimate barrier not only to achieving the dreams they still had individually (their oppression yet only partially internalized) but also to the improvement of our schools and community. Their oppression was both individual and structural, implicit in their schools and community and fueling their early process of internalization. We had to start our work with every young person by helping them think critically about what they had internalized and how that impacted the choices they made and the opportunities they sought. Internalized oppression changes the way we dream. I recall one simple and brief conversation with a young woman who lived in public housing in a rather chaotic family situation who had told me she wanted to be a dental hygienist. I told her I thought that was great and asked her why she wanted to do that. As she talked, she expressed a broad interest in dentistry, the science, the business, the people. So, I asked without thinking why she didn't want to become a dentist rather than a dental hygienist. It left her somewhat dumbfounded, which left me dumbfounded. It had never crossed her mind. It was the first thing that crossed mine.
Aside from this rather simple example, our work trying to liberate each other of our oppressions (and privilege for me) was often brutal work and had to be done in a safe way and in a manner in which we had time and space to deal with anger and confusion and more questions that it spurred for them about themselves, about the adults in their lives, the systems that were supposedly there to support them. As they became more critical and more liberated, they also began to feel that burden of oppression more fully. We were externalizing it. They went from living but never seeing it to seeing it everywhere they turned, while still living it. This was powerful work, but it was dangerous work. These youth needed to see their oppression so they could begin to liberate themselves from it, reclaim power from it, but it wasn't something we could immediately just go out and change. We had to start small and individual and work from there.
While all of my youth and most of my community could point at and name experiences where they were treated differently because of their race, or their age, or their perceived income or whatever, they mostly processed those at the level of the interaction, focusing on the individual experience. They never saw the system that was supporting their marginalization; the structures that consistently and persistently delivered the same type of negative message for everyone like them. One of the stories we used to help process this growing awareness of systemic and institutional forces was the Parable of the Boiling Frog. While simple and fairly grotesque, the Parable of the Boiling Frog illustrates the fact that a frog that is dropped into boiling water will scramble for its life to get out. This obviously makes sense to most of us and is how we would react to such pain or danger. On the other hand, if that frog is dropped into room temperature water that slowly rises to a boil, it will never even try to escape. The frog will make incremental adaptations to survive the environment that ultimately leads to its death.
This is the story of internalized oppression. We adapt to messages about our worth, about our possibility, about the quality of our character or our family or community one message at a time. And, when those messages all align in a way that consistently and persistently tells us we are lesser then we begin to believe we are lesser. At some point, we accept the fact that we are lesser. We accept our slow death without ever even recognizing it.
So, how do we get out of that slowly boiling pot? Even as personal enlightenment and liberation unfold, the systems and structures of oppression are generations in the making and will be generations in the dismantling. Just because we liberate our minds doesn't mean the systems are ready to change. We have to transform our personal liberation into something that impacts the world around us. Lest we become overwhelmed by this responsibility, we must remind ourselves that we have the chance to impact the world not just through grand social actions but through every interaction. We have the power to open hearts with every conversation, liberate minds by modeling our own liberation, by putting our own challenges and development out there for others to see, to find solace and motivation in.
image from: https://www.shapeways.com/product/J5WVPUPLB/triple-gear
The Unbearable Lightness of Privilege
Those of us who are privileged wear our privilege like a feather; not like a feather in a cap or some showy accessory, but like a tiny feather left on our shoulder after we take off a down-filled winter coat. A feather we don't notice, we didn't put there, we don't feel. A white feather.
For us even to notice its presence requires a good look in the mirror (a mere glance typically won't do it), or for someone to point it out for us. When we see it, this white feather, this privilege, we wonder who else noticed it. How long has it been there? Where did it come from? Why haven't we noticed it before?
Privilege is weightless for the privileged. Or, at least, privilege unnoticed, unnamed, or unaccepted is weightless for the privileged. Weightlessness is implicit to privilege because the weight of our privilege is being borne by those who aren't. For them, our small, white, weightless feather carries the burdens of history, oppression, exclusion, and so much more. For them, the weight of our feather is often unbearable.
So, what happens when we privileged start to understand this weight, even as we haven't previously felt it or carried it for ourselves? When someone exposes our privilege, the weightlessness of that feather begins to change. When the social and cultural systems that have upheld our privilege and distributed its weight to others begin to evolve, that feather becomes a symbol of things we never knew or understood about ourselves.
We feel embarrassed. Shamed. Confused. Indignant. Humbled. Angry. Lost. Defensive.
The shifting of what was previously weightless can rattle the core identity of the white male who believes he is supposed to dominate politics, the boardroom, the factory floor, or household, but no longer feels so dominant. This shifting antagonizes and undermines the singularity of one religious narrative, creating space for other beliefs, valuing dialogue over dogma. It surfaces and challenges our judgment and pity of those less fortunate, those with disabilities, those with mental illness. Suddenly, this soft, feathery lightness of privilege rips violently at the meaning and history of our whiteness, maleness, faith, socio-economic status, gender identity, mental and physical abilities.
It shakes our foundation, and we don't typically like our foundation being shaken. After all, we are standing on it.
And, when this happens, we privileged choose one of two paths forward: we grow and evolve given this enlightenment, rebuilding a broader and stronger foundation, or we retrench and defend our pre-enlightenment state and cling to our past, now fractured, foundation.
The struggle between these two paths is real and is on display every day. Just watch the news. Listen to the political and economic discourse. Watch the rallies. Observe the angst in our own communities and schools.
But, here's the deal: denial of privilege is just that. It doesn't make it not true. The feather is there. Most of us see it. And, yes, it is moving.
The question is: will we privileged begin to shoulder its weight or use our privilege to continue to push that burden onto others?
8 ways you know you fit in, and why it matters
"If you don't feel you fit in, then you're not going to stay around."
These were the simple words offered by Tim Shriver at a dropout prevention conference I attended earlier this year. And, while Tim is known for his work with Special Olympics more broadly and specifically with Project UNIFY as it relates to inclusive education, his statement captures something fundamentally human. It applies to teams, schools, neighborhoods, and workplaces. It basically applies wherever more than one person is gathered.
So, what does it mean to fit in?
1. You understand the rules and norms and feel a part of them. Every group, community, or even ad hoc gathering of people has rules and norms that guide and inform its function and purpose. Some are stated. Some are not. Almost all are culturally informed and guided by experiences (or lack thereof) of race, class, gender, physical and intellectual ability, and many other variables. Unless you are explicitly part of creating norms (or at least have the opportunity to understand and accept them explicitly), there's a good chance you won't feel a part of them.
2. Your strengths are as present as your weaknesses. You can see and articulate both what value you add to a group and what things you know you need to work on. You receive (and learn how to process) feedback from others accordingly. Alternately, you can identify the strengths of others without jealousy and their weaknesses without judgment.
3. You feel accepted for who you are. You don't have to be like others, but instead your differences are acknowledged, accepted, and celebrated. Our differences are our common connection. NOTE: Acceptance should not be confused with its committed-but-less-invested cousin tolerance.
4. Your opinions matter. Your opinion does not have to be acted upon or even accepted as correct all the time. You just need to know someone listens to you and shows you that they take what you say seriously, whether they agree with it or not.
5. You have the same opportunities as others around you – opportunities that match your interests and abilities. As I have written before, presenting an opportunity doesn't make it an opportunity. We all need the support, tools, and pathways to claim opportunities for them to feel like real opportunities to us.
6. You can fail successfully. I really don't want to pontificate here about how failure is required for success. But, you do need to know you can "fail forward" and understand, and know that others understand, that this is what it means to be human.
7. Your effort is respected even if your outcomes are not perfect. In honor of Tim Shriver and Eunice Kennedy Shriver who coined it, I'll share the motto of Special Olympics: "Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt."
8. You can banter. Banter is something often not understood by someone outside of a group. So, the ability to talk nonsense, laugh at old jokes, verbally spar with others in good fun, and just riff on ideas and conversations can prove that the most meaningless content can generate the most meaningful connections.
So, as leaders, whether we want to retain students in our schools, talented employees in our office, or valued members in our communities, we need to start with processes, policies, and practices that help them fit in.
Tell them about the Dream
As we prepare to celebrate and reflect on the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, I have been reading articles and seeing special reports on TV about the "I Have a Dream" speech. And, while I have heard most of it before in some form or another, things have struck me a bit differently this year.
So the story goes: as Dr. King started to wrap up his remarks, he had delivered a solid speech (for him), which would undoubtedly make it the finest any of the rest of us might ever hope to deliver. But, there was a sense with him, and perhaps with others around him, that as he concluded his planned 4-minute speech, he hadn't yet "nailed" it.
And then Mahalia Jackson chimed in from his side: "Tell them about the dream, Martin." Apparently, not once but twice, Mahalia urged: "Tell them about the dream, Martin."
Dreams are funny things. They can take us to distant places and liberate our minds and hearts. And yet, the dream untenable can trap us and leave us more hopeless and feeling more stuck in our current reality than ever. As Langston Hughes ruminated on a dream deferred: "Maybe it just sags like a heavy load. Or does it explode?"
Dreams in reality can be as demoralizing as they are liberating.
So, I have been reflecting on Dr. King's dream to better understand the nature of dreams that become liberating:
Dreams are strongest when shared. So many of our dreams are our little secrets, visions or aspirations we are too insecure to share. They may even seem absurd. What happens if someone else thinks they are dumb? This is one way dreams become "deferred" and how we ultimately risk carrying them as a "heavy load." Finding that person or group of people to share your dreams with can provide the strength and validation we need to start acting on them.
Dreams come alive when we can speak them into being. Ask anyone who has been to any decent leadership training, or therapy for that matter, and they can tell you about how important it is to state your truth openly and allow others the same opportunity. When we speak it, our dream becomes part of our world and not just a concept in our minds.
Dreams are empowering when there is a path to reach them. Alternately, dreams that stay perpetually distant, untenable, deferred, are disempowering and further marginalize those who most need to dream. For my dream to take root, I need to believe and see how it can become, at least in part, a reality. And, I need the people who believe in me as well as the resources around me to help navigate the path to my dream.
Dreams become transformative when they tap into shared experiences. Most of us think our dreams, or even the problems we dream beyond, are ours alone. We think that we are the crazy ones, or perhaps the only ones dealing in self-doubt or feeling marginalized. But, of course, we are not. We find safety in common experiences and power in shared dreams, which can set the stage for transformative action.
It wasn't that Dr. King had a dream; it's that we did and he spoke it into being. He tapped into our collective experiences and timely sense of possibility and a pathway to change. He pulled the dream out of our hearts and minds and put it into our hands.
Maybe for the sake of our families, schools, workplaces, and communities, we should all be better about sharing our dreams.
Perhaps even more importantly, maybe we should all be like Mahalia Jackson urging others along: "Tell them about the dream."
Masterpieces for Autism
When I paint, I think a lot about how the materials work and how I work the materials. These are two distinct parts of the painting experience as well as my experience of life. The latter is about managing and controlling the material. The former is about creating spaces and opportunities for the materials to become what they will. It's about relinquishing control and traditional expectations in the name of exploration and learning. It's about knowing a little, and watching a lot.
Sometimes it works out. Sometimes it doesn't. The question is how do I continue as the artist to learn about the materials so that I can create environments and opportunities for the materials to leverage their attributes and to achieve their unique possibilities.
For me, as someone who has family and friends with autistic children, I can only look from the outside at the challenges and opportunities related to raising a child with autism. But, this painting process for me is a metaphor for how I see and understand the world in which I want to raise my own child, an inclusive world where risk may feel heightened, but reward can be something we have never conceived, a world we cannot manage into existence but must explore and be vigilant when its unique beauty presents itself.
originally published as an artist statement
Life in 3D
I learned in my first sculpture class in college that a three dimensional piece of sculpture communicates and interacts with its viewer in all three dimensions. (This seems somewhat obvious, I guess, but it's not that simple.) In other words, a sculpture's depth, width, and height (along with other elements like color, texture, and movement, that live on that depth, width, and height) each communicate based on the relative size, viewing position, and experience of the viewer as he engages the sculpture. So, if you are trying to communicate and create a relationship with a viewer through the experience of a sculpture, you had better consider it fully in three dimensions.
Herein lies a beautiful nugget of wisdom about life. We obviously live in (at least) three dimensions; so, our experiences and interactions all exist in (at least) three dimensions. (Time can be considered a fourth.) But, as we interact, process, and learn from our world, I wonder if we truly consider it in all three dimensions. Do we truly explore our world from all angles, or just continually process it from one vantage point, that of our own personal experience and comfort-level? Do we communicate in 3D? Do we observe in 3D?
To push my personal development (I typically write these blogs to increase my own mindfulness), I propose a three dimensional frame for processing my communication, relationships, and experiences:
Dimension 1: Direct experience - my experience of a relationship, image, event, circumstance, etc. This is the "I" dimension.
Dimension 2: Divergent perspectives - others' experiences of a relationship, image, event, circumstance, etc. The "you" dimension.
Dimension 3: Determining the implications: The interactions between and implications of dimensions 1 and 2. The "we" dimension.
To truly understand my direct experience, I must be willing and able to reflect on and analyze my own perceptions and responses to various stimuli. I need to be able to identify the emotions that are, or are not, involved in my experience. I need to understand what the experience means to me and how or why it either resonates or does not. I need to clarify the messages I receive as I understand them and see how they mesh with the messages I perceive to have been intended. Finally, I must try to identify what piece of myself I project on my perception of others' intentions. Whether it is a personal relationship, a piece of art, a life event, or even a story or commercial on television, my experience is biased by who I am, how I understand the world, and even where I am at the given moment of the experience. It is neither objective nor absolute.
This is why being open to the second dimension (divergent perspectives) is so critical: it's the same complex web for the "other" experiencing the very same relationship, piece of art, life event, or television commercial. They bring all of their junk to it too! It is their "I" experience. If we are to communicate and relate genuinely, we must understand, or at least empathize with (we still don't have to like), each other's "I" experience and some of the individual bases for our respective understanding of that experience. In a world so desperately seeking political, economic, and moral truths, we have to realize that at its essence there is not ever a truly common experience; there is no fundamental truth at the level of human interaction. All perspectives and experiences are at some level divergent. The "I" experience and the "you" experience are never exactly the same. So, if we are to expand our lives to living in a second dimension, we must focus not merely on understanding the event, but understanding the experience of the event by others.
So, let's pretend for a moment that each of us is truly invested in understanding the other, committed to living in the second dimension. Now, we have to understand how our unique and divergent experiences impact the nature of our relationship, and in return, our subsequent experiences of dimensions 1 and 2. We have to determine the interactions between and implications of "I" and "you" on "we". This third dimension is the space between you and I that, while dependent on each of us, also generates its own dynamics and has its own independent characteristics. Candidly, unless you live in complete isolation, the world of "we" is the "real" world, and most of the challenges of this "we" dimension lie in our failures to deeply engage the "I" and "you" dimensions. We often fail to acknowledge that this relational dimension is a new and distinct entity – a sculpture perhaps.
While our lives are a process of constant ebb and flow and our identity and relational dimensions are always in flux, we can deepen who we are and how we are with the world by engaging a three dimensional process of communication and understanding. We can improve our communication, strengthen our understanding of the world around us, and even create new life through new relationships by being mindful that we do, in fact, live in 3D.
Picasso, Genius, and Intellectual Disability
Pablo Picasso was the preeminent artist of the 20th century and his genius shook the art world from hundreds of years of tradition and sent it in new and profound directions. If you have ever seen a Picasso exhibit that includes his earliest work (I am thinking of a portrait he painted at age 13) you know that his technical skill was genius. He could render a self-portrait at 13 that defied understanding. His skill and technical ability at an early age were equivalent to those working at the highest level of the academy. And yet, this is not the genius for which he is known; a genius so defined for its complicity with the existing art world paradigm.
No, Picasso achieved his genius for exactly the opposite reason, for creating his own paradigm, one that rigorously defied the current norms that simply did not work for him. And yet, his efforts in creating this new paradigm and his efforts toward artistic innovation were not about looking forward to new technologies or the skills and techniques of the future. They were instead focused on looking back and unpacking the baggage of cultural expectations and tired creative standards and traditions to become an artist that was more fully himself, more fully human.
In his words, "It took me four years to paint like Raphael and a lifetime to paint like a child."
Picasso's groundbreaking genius was the genius of the child; a genius we all once had but has been obscured by years of "development" and cultural norming. His was a genius of deconstruction for the sake of a more fully realized, more liberating construction. It was the genius of starting over and working toward the world we want to live in rather than adapting to the world as we already know it.
Last week, I spent a profound week with a group of students, both with and without intellectual disabilities, who are part of Project UNIFY through the Special Olympics. And, I was stunned and moved by what I saw. I got a glimpse of a social and educational world created by youth and rooted in Picasso's deconstructive genius.
As in Picasso's approach to painting, the norms, expectations, and definitions of disability (rather than art) were denied by these young people in order to develop more genuine friendships and achieve shared learning. In this space, "otherness" of all types was set aside for the one-ness of youth. During this time, the young people understood that there is no justice for one without justice for the other. The whole premise of their engagement defied our adult-driven society's limiting expectations of youth and of disability and created a space for each person to be more fully himself/herself.
Disability was for another place and time and certainly another audience. This was about ability – something everyone has. What the Project UNIFY approach enabled was truly profound:
The ability to express your love for another with openness and courage;
The unbridled spirit of dancing without self-consciousness and without a care for what is "good" dancing and what is "bad" (and without a dance floor!);
Finding joy…in a conference room;
Living in the presence of sincerity rather than seeking the safety of cynicism;
Seeing no one as a stranger and being willing to sit down at a lunch table with anyone and start a conversation about anything;
Asking the question you really want to ask;
Valuing the experience of teamwork and peer support over winning;
Understanding that difference is our common trait and that friendship and respect are at the center of everything good;
The power not to judge what is said when someone shares their thoughts or grabs the mic but rather to celebrate the courage it took to do so;
The respect to clap sincerely when someone stands up rather than ironically when they fall down;
The belief that the "high 5" can and should be used at any time at any place and for any one.
What I saw enabled in youth at the Youth Activation Summit can only be described as a sort of social genius. While Picasso struggled a lifetime to undo the social, cultural, and creative norms of art, these young people (at least in this setting) were already unfettered by the social and cultural norms and expectations of the teenage years, of disability, and of so much more. All of the anxieties, the self consciousness, the uncertainty of youth were somehow set aside and overpowered by the collective and by the commonality of difference. These were teenagers who were willingly and passionately deconstructing through their relationships and actions the prohibitive and exclusionary norms of their schools, communities, and our broader culture that label and exclude those with intellectual disabilities.
While these young people are already displaying a remarkable degree of social liberation, it is our charge as adults to take Picasso's more rigorous path. We must commit to supporting their liberation through more inclusive systems and structures and broader awareness and understanding of all kinds of "differences." We must meet their sense of the collective and of commonality with inclusive schools and classrooms rather than the separate educational and social worlds so many of them beautifully and painfully described. We must commit to revolutionizing the systems, formal and informal, that categorize, segregate, and separate our young people. We must ensure that the young people who follow us into adulthood will have the space to truly develop, rather than diminish, the skills of collective power and social inclusion demonstrated by these young people.
We must create the space for their genius to shake and shape our world and ensure that our jadedness and our tired paradigms don't shape theirs.
We must meet their liberation with our own and together move forward in new and profound directions.
If Picasso sought creative liberation in deconstructing his world to see and paint like a child, surely I now seek my own by living among my family, friends, co-workers, and community with the courageous humanity of the student leaders in Project UNIFY.
Engaging Others
Part of the confusion and pressure of being a middle and high school student is not just that relatively new feeling of "otherness" (i.e. being different) but that this feeling charges our emotional and cognitive development in ways that can last a lifetime. These are truly formative years. Starting in our teens and carrying through the rest of our lives, we develop habits in response to our "otherness" in which we: 1. conform and adapt so that we are included (eliminate otherness), 2. isolate and look for proxies for positive social relationships (neutralize otherness), or 3. develop the confidence to be who we are regardless of what others think (celebrate otherness).
The reality is that during the teenage years we move in and out of all of these responses quite frequently and without notice. This is kind of what defines the teenage years. It's why adults think teens are weird! It is also what makes the teenage years such a critical time for inclusion and genuine engagement.
But, for many students with physical and intellectual disabilities, the option of "conforming" feels impossible in a traditional sense. They are so strongly considered "other" by peers and adults that the opportunity to just become one of the group is out of their hands. Similarly, they are often structurally isolated – both socially and physically – living parallel lives to their same-aged peers in their own wing of the school, with their own teachers, classrooms, and school and community activities. And, as long as this is the case, as long as they are the "others", inclusion and full engagement are impossibilities for everyone.
The fact is that every teen, every one of us actually, is "other". We are all different and we all need to have a say in our own development and the paths we choose. When otherness is allowed the space to be celebrated, inclusion, rather than isolation, becomes the norm. When everyone is understood as other then otherness as we know it no longer exists. And, when we engage others, we all engage our best selves.
Silence: It's an Action Thing to Do
A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days with staff and youth of the Youth Activation Committee of Special Olympics Arizona. I was proud to have the opportunity to support their work by having the chance to facilitate a part of one of their meetings. For my work, our main goal was to get back to an understanding with the youth and adult coordinator of how working with Special Olympics and particularly Project UNIFY is not just something we do, but something grounded in who we are and core to our values system. It is something we live every day and go to sleep with every night.
So I started the meeting by simply asking everyone what values being a part of Project UNIFY helped them live out. Why was the work so important to them? We went around the room and, of course, I was inspired by the sense of love and friendship and equity and justice articulated by these teens as well as the commitment of the adult staff. Incredible, really. However, one athlete, part of her school's unified flag football team, who had been quite vocal up to this point had not yet responded. So, I stopped and asked if she had anything she would like to offer. Without a verbal response, she dropped her head and began writing, slowly and deliberately.
The room was silent. She kept writing, slowly, deliberately.
(How long do I give her? I have never worked with this young woman. This could go on for hours for all I know!)
She kept writing, slowly, deliberately.
(Are any of the other youth giving me an idea that it's time to move ahead? Should I move on and come back to her? We really don't have that much time!)
No cues. The other youth were quiet and patiently waiting. So, I sat down and did the same.
I tried not to watch for fear of her feeling any sort of pressure to hurry, but she was in a zone and really working with her thoughts. It wouldn't have mattered. As she approached the end of the first page of notes, I again began to wonder just how long this could or should last. But, I waited.
Finally, at the end of page one, she lifted her head. She started to speak and then got timid and lost her thoughts. Her previous confidence was suddenly gone. She was nervous, a bit confused. Her partner, also from her high school, softly reminded her to look at the notes she had just written.
"Oh yeah." She picked up her pad and began to read. She spoke of the value of friendship and sports and about how it helped organize her days (which was a very clear way she processed and understood the world, by her weekly calendar). She talked a bit about unified football; it was her first season.
And then, after a small pause, she said something profound: "Project UNIFY is an action thing to do and includes students and teachers and other people." Project UNIFY is "an action thing to do." Project UNIFY involves everyone in her school. She nailed it. It was beautiful. It was real.
It was also a statement that may never have happened in the pace and noise of our usual way of doing business. How many times have you been in a meeting when there were two or three good minutes of silent thinking? When no one giggled nervously? Looked around? At their watch? Checked their phone? When people sat there in the presence and fullness of silence?
When was the last time you were in a class or a meeting or anywhere for that matter when your opinion was so valued that your peers were willing to sit silently until you could formulate your thoughts? However long it took!?
And yet, it was this silence that gave this young woman power and voice. It was this silence that gave the rest of us humility. It gave her a chance to process and express her world with the skills that she has, not based on the rules and skills of everyone else, and not defined or minimized by the skills we all say she doesn't have. And, it was this silence that allowed this gift to be shared with us. A gift from a young woman whose perspectives are too often dismissed because of intellectual disability, her profundity and spirit lost in the noise of activity when she was all about action. She was about action that included others in her work and in her sports and in her life – this was her core value.
I am not sure how to write about silence, and I am not sure how and if I can convey the power of the moment and my appreciation of the young people who showed me the way.
I will have the image forever in my mind of watching this young woman write her thoughts, and no amount of time spent waiting could have been more valuable than waiting.
If only we could find the silence in our daily lives and relationships to be open to the genius around us and to create the space for all forms of love and life and genius to come in. We may even find that this silence is the path to becoming our best selves. We might just learn that silence is itself "an action thing to do."
I'm Determined
I had the honor of speaking at a youth conference hosted and led by young people involved with "I'm Determined" in the state of Virginia (www.Imdetermined.org). I knew the focus of the work and leadership development was on young people with disabilities and that "I'm Determined" is committed to ensuring that these young people develop their voices, understand their power, and achieve self-determination. The experience was incredible; the youth were amazing; the adult staff appropriately supportive without claiming too much power; I left inspired and reflective.
Yes, I met some phenomenal young people - powerful leaders - who also had disabilities. From blindness to dyslexia, from Williams Syndrome to Cerebral Palsy, from ADHD to Aspbergers, these young people redefined traditional notions of individual leadership. But, my inspiration didn't come from any individual, but from who and how they all were together.
So, what happens when you bring 130 young people with disabilities together, many of whom had never been to such a conference, some of whom had never even separated from their parents for hours at a time? What happens when you cram these 130 young people, many in motorized chairs, a few with vision impairments and others with an array of physical walking supports and bulky contraptions into a small hotel ballroom full of tables and chairs and bags and personal items on the floor? What happens when some non-verbal, some partially verbal, and some fully verbal youth "discuss" what leadership means and how they can become better leaders? What happens when it is meal time and there is a buffet line and some do not have the physical capacity to get their food by themselves, much less carry their food back to the ballroom and then eat it? What about the young man walking in circles in the corner? What about the young woman who cannot tolerate the sound of the lights in the room (which the rest of us could not even hear)? What happens when you turn all organizing and facilitation of all of this over to a subset of these same youth?
What sounds like a logistical impossibility was a beautiful manifestation of community, and I don't mean "disability community"; I mean community in its ideal.
When everyone has a disability, no one has a disability. When the assumption is that everyone could use a little support, everyone offers a little support. When we understand that everyone communicates and learns differently, we listen and teach differently.
Every young person at this meeting stood ready to help someone else. So, when something was in the way of a motorized chair, someone else leaned down to get it. When someone got in line for food and couldn't serve themselves, someone else helped them first before getting her own. When someone needed help writing, speaking, hearing, or just calming themselves in this foreign environment, another young person made it all happen. The day went off without a hitch.
If only I could be so in tune with others and they with me. I'm determined to be so.


This warranty information relates to products purchased from this website only. If you have bought a Bobbin branded product from a shop, please contact them directly. This is a different procedure, covered by separate distribution companies in each country.
We take great care to ensure our bikes are assembled in reputable factories using good quality components. During the design process our bikes undergo rigorous stress tests on the frame and parts in order to pass safety standards. A bike is made up of many small parts, sourced from different suppliers. We use quality control in each element of the assembly process.
Very occasionally a problem may arise which falls outside of the normal wear and tear and servicing cycle. That's why we provide you, the original owner of your new Bobbin bike, with a limited warranty.
Your Bobbin frame is supplied with a twelve month warranty against material and workmanship faults. If it gets scratched from normal day to day use, knocked over, weathered from locking up outside, or damaged by impact, that's not covered. The warranty is expressly limited to the frame itself not incidentals or associated costs (for example, labour and postage). That said, we'll always try to be reasonable and help out where we can with any issues.
Your Bobbin bike parts are covered with a six month warranty against material and workmanship faults. However on a bike, even a Bobbin bike, in normal daily use things will show wear. This wear is not covered by a warranty. Tyres, pads, cables, chains, grips and saddles (to name a few) are all 'wear' parts so they need to be looked after, kept clean and properly adjusted, and replaced from time to time.
Any part bearing branding other than that of Bobbin Bicycles is covered by the warranty of that brand. This is a separate warranty. We can assist with direct claims to those parts manufacturers.
The most important thing to remember when discussing warranties is this: your bike is your responsibility and you must take reasonable care of it, and yourself, when riding it.
Using your Bobbin to carry too much weight (Bobbin painted racks can take 18kg, Bobbin silver alloy racks can take 25kg, so no you can't give your mate a 'racky'). The bike itself has a maximum rider weight of 95kg (that's fully clothed with both shoes on and including any luggage you carry on your person).
For detailed information about how your warranty, please refer to the manual supplied with your bike.


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DFAI Winter Email Newsletter 2020
Sending our Holiday wishes of Love and Light!
from Andrew
I certainly don't need to remind any of you what a very odd year it has been and continues to be. In light of this, for the first time since starting the gallery we will be not having our annual holiday reception which was always one of my favorite times at the gallery. The decorations gave the space a festive air and everyone glowed as they walked through the front door, a time of joyful camaraderie which we all will miss this year but I hope to recreate some day in the near future.
As of this writing the sculptures and paintings can be seen at our Hotel On North exhibit and we are planning a second exhibit for the holidays at Ventfort Hall in Lenox (see below). Patricia and I will also be sending out our holiday mailing with our best season greetings to each of you.
If you can, please come visit us here at the studio, there will be no hugs of course, but still laughter and merriment. Please give call ahead to make arrangements (413) 238-7755.
It has never been a better time to wish everyone a safe, healthy and prosperous New Year!.
Ventfort Hall is "dressed to the nines" for the Holidays!
Holiday Exhibit
at Ventfort Hall
Looking for the hidden magic of the holiday season? Come to Ventfort Hall in Lenox where the splendor of the Gilded Age comes to life with a spectacular partnering of the museums' decorations and Andrew's sculptures and paintings!
Ventfort Hall is "dressed to the nines" this time of year, and there is no better setting than this enchanted museum to be inspired by the masterworks of bronze sculpture and colorful paintings created by Andrew.
There are the obvious protocols in place for your safety, of course, including a limit of eight people in each room together, but with the expansive space of this famous Berkshire cottage you can stroll at an easy pace throughout the mansion, delighting in the works of art and dazzling decorations.
All of Andrew's works are for sale, with a portion being donated to Ventfort Hall to help in their ongoing renovations of this beautiful architectural gem. For those of you who cannot attend and would still like to contribute you can join as a member or please click the GoFundMe campaign now in progress.
Just for You! is Andrew's most recent finished sculpture. The work was commissioned as a companion piece for Rain or Shine. He boasts the same white patina as that bronze, and is adorned similarly with black hair and a hat. In a pose of entreaty he leans perilously forward and in his outstretched hands he presents two flowers. This sculpture is the final one of five commissions that Andrew undertook in 2018.
Just for You! is mounted on a black onyx base with white veining complementing the patina. Measuring 16.5" in height by 16.5" in width and by 6" in depth in an edition of 8, castings number one and two have already sold, with Andrew currently working on the wax for the third in the edition. Currently priced at a modest $3000, this price will increase as less in the edition become available.
Rapture Bust Andrew's virtuostic violin work in bronze
Sculpture Spotlight!
A bow is held delicately in her right hand. She closes her eyes as the rapture of her violin music overwhelms her with the last notes ascending toward the heavens.
This is the breathtaking moment that Andrew captured in 2008 while sketching Kathryn Andersen at the Berkshire Music School.
The Rapture Bust (taken from the full version that bears the title Rapture) is cast in an edition of 12. The fifth is now finished and ready to inspire you in your home – for the holidays and for years to come. The bust version is just the perfect size (18"h by 20"w by 6 "d) for a mantelpiece and could beautifully grace the top of a piano. Priced at $5250, call us at the studio (413) 238-7755to purchase this stunning sculpture.
A new exhibit at Hotel On North begins on December 1st!
Hotel On North Exhibit
Good news, the Hotel on North exhibit has been extended through the months of December and January! We will be changing out the works currently there, replacing them with others to give the exhibition a brand new appearance by November 30th. With currently more than 25 works on display in a wide range of prices, the works encompass Andrew's sculptures, pastels, ink and watercolor paintings in a variety of sizes, any one of which would make this a very special gift to someone you love this holiday season!
Natalie with their memorial stone with First Dance
Andrew has often said that the greatest gifts the artworks bring to him are the loving relationships that develop when people start collecting his sculptures and paintings.
Two special friendships formed early with Bob and Natalie Tublitz. Andrew first met Natalie and Bob in 1996 when they purchased the Joie de Vivre which Andrew delivered and helped installed to their home in Stockbridge. Through the years a loving bond developed, with Natalie herself instrumental in launching the DeVries Fine Art International in Lenox. Bob shared Andrew's love of the ballet along with a myriad of other topics and dinners at their home were always engaging. With Natalie the gracious hostess, Bob would ask probing questions and listen intently to answers before adding his own insights.
When Bob passed away this spring it was a terrible loss. Natalie asked Andrew to help design their memorial and chose First Dance to be mounted on the stone. Natalie said Bob loved that sculpture because of the joyful feeling it gave him but they never could find the right place for it in their home. "So now he finally has It." said Natalie.
The stone and sculpture were installed on a beautiful fall November morning at the Stockbridge cemetery with a gathering of friends to witness. All who attended remarked how beautifully the memorial stone and sculpture looked together and the mornings' ritual finished with a champagne toast to Bob's memory – a touching celebration of a beautiful life.
To Andrew the memorial is a loving testimony to Bob and Natalie, their love for each other and the love they hold for Andrew and his sculpture.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


IIM- Assisting churches & equipping pastors for interim periods.
Assisting Churches & Equipping Pastors for the Interim Period.
Whether your church needs a traditional interim preacher, a part-time interim pastor, or an intentional interim pastor, Texas Baptist's Intentional Interim Ministry (IIM) Network provides a pool of trained pastors ready to serve in all types of communities and schedules.
Finding a new pastor is a critical mission.
The interim period between one pastor leaving and the next pastor arriving can be a special time of God moving in a congregation. Instead of sitting back and waiting for the next person to arrive, the interim time creates a wonderful opportunity to address issues, questions, concerns, vision, and the church's health. Turning the interim period into an intentional interim period can make a tremendous difference in the future of your church.
So how you choose to handle the interim period is very important. There are many decisions to be made.
To assist a church in successfully navigating this interim period, Texas Baptist's Interim Church Services provides a network of pastors and ministers with significant ministry experience who have completed specialized training in the interim ministry process.


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Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey forces out Juvenile Corrections Chief Dona Markley after questionable firings
Gov. Doug Ducey has forced Juvenile Corrections Director Dona Markley to resign, following allegations in The Republic she improperly fired employees.
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey forces out Juvenile Corrections Chief Dona Markley after questionable firings Gov. Doug Ducey has forced Juvenile Corrections Director Dona Markley to resign, following allegations in The Republic she improperly fired employees. Check out this story on azcentral.com: http://azc.cc/2cb82B4
Craig Harris, The Republic | azcentral.com Published 5:49 p.m. MT Sept. 8, 2016 | Updated 6:40 p.m. MT Sept. 8, 2016
Gov. Ducey has forced Juvenile Corrections Director Dona Marie Markley to resign, following allegations reported in The Arizona Republic that she improperly fired employees at Adobe Mountain School.
Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday forced state Juvenile Corrections Director Dona Marie Markley to resign in the wake of allegations reported by The Arizona Republic that she improperly fired employees and created a caustic work environment at Adobe Mountain School.(Photo: Emmanuel Lozano/The Republic)
Juvenile Corrections Director Dona Marie Markley was forced to resign
Gov. Doug Ducey has ordered all firings by Markley to be examined
Some workers fired by Markley could get their jobs back
Gov. Doug Ducey on Thursday forced state Juvenile Corrections Director Dona Marie Markley to resign in the wake of allegations reported by The Arizona Republic that she improperly fired employees and created a caustic work environment at Adobe Mountain School.
Ducey's office also pledged to examine firings by Markley, and said some of those employees could get their jobs back. Ducey replaced Markley with Jeff Hood, a deputy director at the Arizona Department of Corrections.
Markley could not be reached to discuss her resignation.
"After instructing the state's human resources division to look into recent terminations at the ADJC, the governor has determined that certain personnel practices at the agency were not consistent with the expectations of his administration," Ducey's office said in a statement. "The state's human resources division is in the process of reviewing whether any additional dismissals warrant reinstatement. The governor has asked this be done quickly. Additionally, the interim director has been instructed to review all practices within the agency and identify needed improvements."
Markley this summer fired Tarah Ausburn, an award-winning English teacher at Adobe Mountain who was diagnosed with late-stage breast cancer. Her firing triggered a public outcry, and Ducey ordered Ausburn to be reinstated with full pay after her story was published.
Arizona fires Juvenile Corrections officer recuperating from on-the-job injury
Markley also fired William Wright, a correctional officer who was injured on the job and suffered neck and back injuries. In both instances, Markley fired the employees at the end of their medical leaves.
Wright's story appeared on azcentral.com last week, and in The Republic on Wednesday. When contacted by phone Thursday, Wright said he was shocked by the governor's actions.
"Wow! Wow! OK! Great!" Wright said. "It's about time for her to step down anyway. I'm glad he's going to review it and give me an opportunity to get my job back. That is all I ask."
Ausburn said she too was surprised by the resignation, and was impressed Ducey chose someone from outside the agency to take over, even as interim director.
"I'm so happy for the people who actually may get justice besides me. Not everyone was as lucky as my situation. It's not about Dona Markley. It's about the employees who put in their hard work and dedication and were not rewarded for it."
Gov. Doug Ducey reinstates fired Arizona teacher battling cancer
Arizona fires teacher in the midst of her breast-cancer fight
Ducey appointed Markley as director April 11. She previously was acting director from July 2014 to April 2016, and assistant director from January 2012 to June 2014. Her biography on the ADJC website says she had 30 years of experience in Arizona state government, including as deputy director of the Department of Corrections.
Ducey's office first started examining issues at Adobe Mountain, part of the Juvenile Corrections Department, after Ausburn's story was published. It then re-examined problems at Adobe Mountain after The Republic became involved in a public-records battle with Adobe Mountain over the release of resignation letters of faculty who quit this year. At least a dozen educators, 10 of them minorities or women, have resigned from Adobe Mountain since Jan. 1. Half of those told The Republic they quit because of bad management and poor treatment of Ausburn.
Juvenile Corrections initially refused to release the letters, prompting The Republic to send a demand for them, copying Ducey's office.
The Governor's Office ordered Juvenile Corrections to release the resignation letters, but parts of those documents were blacked out. The letters contained additional accusations of problems at Adobe Mountain under Markley. The Governor's Office last week received the same letters with no redactions.
Read or Share this story: http://azc.cc/2cb82B4


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Team Depth key for us this season, says keeper Wanjala
Goalkeeper Michael Wanjala says the depth of the team has been key so far and added that it will be vital for the team in the run in for the BetKing Premier League honors. Wanjala has been one of the standout performers since taking his chance, but says the competition in the team is propelling everyone to work hard.
"We won late against Nzoia Sugar and that shows the depth we have in the squad because anyone who comes on is capable of making a good game. The competition in the team is very tough and that drives everyone to work hard and take their chance. I think this depth will be vital for us this season," the shot stopper noted.
Looking back at the victory over Nzoia, the keeper was elated.
"It was a very tough game because Nzoia came very hard on us, they were physical and had energy to run. We worked hard and thankful for the victory. We are happy with the three points because it has propelled us to a good gap,"
"We train hard and that is why it becomes essential for us to perform on match days. But now this victory is behind us and we focus on the next match against Bidco on Saturday. We will need to go harder than today and pick victory," added the keeper.
Coach Matano pleased with Nzoia comeback victory
Zakayo grateful to learn under senior players


Jack Burke (Ensemble) is an eighth grader at Our Lady of Sorrows School and is thrilled to be back at RMTC. He was last seen in Hello, Dolly! and Hairspray (Corny Collins) at VST. His favorite shows include The Wizard of Oz (Scarecrow, VST) and School of Rock (Lawrence, RMTC). He has also played piano for special events and played in the orchestra pit for 13 the Musical last year here at RMTC. He would like to remember Jack Mann who helped him along his journey and to also thank Keith, Katie, and Juliet for this amazing experience! He also wants to say thanks to Michael Bridges who started and has encouraged his career.


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Dino Vendetti, General Partner at Seven Peaks Ventures.
Seven Peaks Ventures plans to raise $30 million for its second fund and will invest in 20-to-25 startups across the West Coast.
The Bend, Ore.-based venture firm has already raised $15 million of the fund and will focus on the Pacific Northwest. It's a big jump from Seven Peaks' first fund, which totaled $7.4 million and helped back 20 companies like Portland-based Opal, Bend-based Manzama, Seattle-based Amplero, and several others in places like Utah and Boulder.
Seven Peaks, founded in 2013, will continue looking for software companies poised to become category leaders in their market space, said Dino Vendetti, general partner at Seven Peaks.
"What we learned in Fund I is that there is a growing number of high quality startups and entrepreneurs who are building businesses in places like Seattle and Portland, and these entrepreneurs need the support and help from experienced investors with company-building backgrounds to help them navigate their journey in scaling their startups," Vendetti told GeekWire.
Vendetti said that in markets like Seattle and Portland, there is a "distinct shortage" in investment between seed round angel investors and larger venture capital funds. Seven Peaks aims to fill the gap in between.
"That's the hole in the market that we intend to help fill in a thoughtful, focused, manner," said Vendetti, who is also bullish on Bend's future as a startup hub.
In addition to Vendetti, the Seven Peaks investment partners are Tom Gonser, the DocuSign co-founder who joined this past November; Matt Abrams, a former leader at Hyperion and Oracle; and Corey Schmid, formerly with director at Philips HealthCare. Vendetti, a former partner at Bay Partners in Silicon Valley and Vulcan Ventures in Seattle, said the firm is looking to bring on a venture partner based in Seattle.
Seven Peaks also helps run a number of events, including Bend Bonfire, Cyber Security Summit, Machine Learning Summit, and the Bend Venture Conference, which awarded more than $4 million in investment to startups last year.


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Aircraft Flight Dispatcher Training in Gulfport, MS
Some flight dispatcher training schools in Gulfport, MS offer specialized training and accelerated courses that prepare flight dispatcher students from Gulfport, MS to take the FAA flight dispatcher certification exams. Keep in mind you must already meet the other requirements before enrolling in one of the flight dispatcher training courses in Gulfport, MS.
If you attend a college or vocational school in Gulfport, MS offering flight dispatcher training, you'll learn all about aircraft performance specifications, how air traffic is routed in the National Airspace System by air traffic controllers, how aircraft use navigation and communications systems and facilities, aviation weather analysis, weight and balance calculations, and of course, federal aviation regulations.
Flight Dispatchers in Gulfport, MS serve as one of the most crucial components of the entire airline operation. Flight dispatchers fromGulfport, MS are licensed airmen, certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Flight dispatchers from Gulfport, MS must undergo extensive testing and training to earn this highly sought after certificate, and must pass both an extensive oral examination and the comprehensive written Aircraft Dispatcher test.
The Aircraft or Flight Dispatcher tests are equivalent to the Air Transport Pilot (ATP) written and oral examinations that airline pilots take as part of their licensing procedure. They are, in essence, pilots on the ground, and are as legally liable for the aircraft as is the pilot in the cockpit.
In order to be eligible to become a flight dispatcher in Gulfport, MS, you'll need to be a high school graduate. Of course, the more education you have, the better, as airlines prefer to hire dispatchers with college degrees, and you'll be competing in a tight job market.
If you want to become a Gulfport, MS flight dispatcher, the time to start your training is now. However, keep in mind that you must be at least 21 to take the Aircraft Dispatcher Knowledge Test (written) and you must be at least 23 to hold an FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate.
The role of an aircraft dispatcher in Gulfport, MS is important and complex. They are the ground-based eyes and ears for the pilot in the air. Regulations stemming from the FAA hold both the pilot and the dispatcher as being equally responsible for the safety of the flight. Working jointly with the pilot, the dispatcher draws up a flight plan that will allow the aircraft to arrive at its destination safely and as cost-efficiently as possible.
Flight dispatchers from Gulfport, MS follow the developing weather along the route as well as at the final destination. They ensure the aircraft has all the provisions (fuel, food, etc.) needed to make the flight safely. They also track the flight to ensure it remains on course per the flight plan, keeping all ground support personnel aware of its progress.
Where to Find Flight Dispatcher Training in Gulfport, MS
You can train to become a flight dispatcher in one of three ways:
1. Graduate from a college or vocational training school's Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved flight dispatcher course in Gulfport, MS.
2. Work for at least one year as an apprentice and under the direct supervision of an FAA certified flight dispatcher.
3. Work for two of the last three preceding years as an air traffic controller, either in the military or civilian sectors
Gulfport, MS Flight Dispatchers Job Description
Gulfport, MS Flight Dispatchers are licensed airmen certificated by the Federal Aviation Administration and have joint responsibility with the captain for the safety and operational control of flights under his/her guidance.
Flight Dispatchers from Gulfport, MS authorize, regulate, and control commercial airline flights according to government and company regulations to expedite and ensure the safety of flight by performing the following tasks:
responsible for economics, passenger service and operational control of day to day flight operations.
analyze and evaluate meteorological information to determine potential hazards to the safety of flight and to select the most desirable and economic route of flight.
compute the amount of fuel required for the safe completion of flight according to the type of aircraft, the distance of the flight, maintenance limitations, weather conditions and minimum fuel requirements prescribed by federal aviation regulations.
prepare flight plans containing information such as maximum allowable takeoff and landing weights, weather reports, field conditions, NOTAMS and many other informational components required for the safe completion of the flight.
prepare and signs the dispatch release which is the legal document providing authorization for a flight to depart.
delay or cancel flights if unsafe conditions threaten the safety of his/her aircraft or passengers.
monitor weather conditions, aircraft position reports, and aeronautical navigation charts to evaluate the progress of the flight.
update the pilot in command of significant changes to weather or flight plan and recommends flight plan alternates, such as changing course, altitude and, if required, enroute landings in the interest of safety and economy.
originate and disseminate flight information to others in his/her company including stations and reservations. This is the source of information provided to the traveling public.
Flight Dispatchers from Gulfport, MS have undergone extensive training to have earned the coveted Flight Dispatcher's certificate having taken and passed both an extensive oral examination and the comprehensive Dispatch ADX test, administered by the Federal Aviation Administration. These tests are equivalent to the same Air Transport Pilot (ATP) written and oral examinations that an airline captain must successfully complete.
Flight Dispatchers from Gulfport, MS participate in frequent and detailed recurrent training courses covering aircraft systems, company operations policy, meteorology and Federal Air Regulations as required by the FAA.
Flight Dispatcher Salaries in Gulfport, MS
How much do flight dispatchers from Gulfport, MS make? PayScale.com reports that flight dispatchers from Gulfport, MS with 1-4 years experience make between $31,000 and $46,000, and those with more than five years experience earn between $40,000 and $92,000 per year.
AvJobs.com reports that the highest-paid dispatchers from Gulfport, MS can earn $110,000 per year.
According to Careers.StateUniversity.com, flight dispatcher salaries in >Gulfport, MS vary depending on the dispatcher's experience, size of the operation, location, and size of the airport. Starting salaries can be as low as $20,000 per year and top out at over $100,000 annually. Learn about flight dispatcher training.
Flight Dispatcher Benefits
Other flight dispatcher benefits in Gulfport, MS may include health insurance, life insurance, retirement plans, and travel benefits (if airline employed) for you and your immediate family, including free or reduced airfares and discounts at major hotels. Another possible benefit of working for an airline is being able to ride in the cockpit jumpseat. Dispatchers are required to fly in the jumpseat at least five hours per year as part of their recurrent training, but dispatchers are also allowed to fly in the jumpseat on their own airline, and most other airlines, anywhere, anytime the jumpseat is available. Get more information about flight dispatcher jobs.
Fun Helicopter and Airplane Facts for Gulfport, MS
How to Select a Helicopter Instructor: It's worth your while to select a good one. That said, keep in mind that full time instructors often move on to other flying jobs as they reach 1,000 to 2,000 hours of experience. There is no guarentee that the instructor won't leave part way through your training, so select a school you can live with if the instructor of choice leaves.
Rotorway Helicopters: The A600 Talon is the first of a new generation of RotorWay machines, built on a tradition of delivering on our promises, said CEO Grant Norwitz, as the machine went through its paces for the cameras early in the Arizona morning of the fifth of July.
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Fairmont Hot Springs is an all-season playground. — Photo courtesy Fairmont Hot Springs Resort
Fairmont Hot Springs: Who's who in business
Fairmont Hot Springs, B.C., is an unincorporated resort community located on Highway 93/95 in southwestern British Columbia's Columbia River valley.
Kootenay BizBlog, East Kootenay, Fairmont Hot Springs, Entertainment and Hospitality
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort announces Vivek Sharma as new CEO
Sharma brings over 25 years of global hospitality management experience to the role
Kootenay BizBlog, East Kootenay, Fairmont Hot Springs, Developments, Entertainment and Hospitality, Financial, Tourism
$5M upgrade to Fairmont Hot Springs Resort well underway
Most of the projects will be wrapped up before Fairmont's busy summer season arrives
East Kootenay, Fairmont Hot Springs, West Kootenay, Nelson, Tourism, Top 10 Business People
Jay and Todd Manton
Todd and Jay Manton, owners of Kokanee Mountain Zipline in Nelson and Mineral Mountain Ziplines in Fairmont, are Top 10 Business People
by Kyle Born
Kootenay BizBlog, East Kootenay, Fairmont Hot Springs, Tourism, Transportation
AirSprint – a private fractional ownership jet service now landing at Fairmont airport
AirSprint offers programs designed for personal and business requirements.
East Kootenay, Creston, Fairmont Hot Springs, Agriculture, Entertainment and Hospitality, Tourism
100 years of fall fair fun
Here is how the community plans to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Creston Valley Fall Fair.
Kootenay BizBlog, East Kootenay, Fairmont Hot Springs, Developments, Financial
$5M in BDC Financing helps Fairmont Hot Springs Resort do extensive upgrades
$5-million financing from BDC to go into enhancing guest experiences at the year-round B.C. resort.
East Kootenay, Fairmont Hot Springs, Entertainment and Hospitality, Tourism, Top 10 Business People
Fairmont Creek Vacation Rentals has a treasure in its office manager, Angela White.
East Kootenay, Elkford, Fairmont Hot Springs, Fernie, Sparwood, West Kootenay
Call for the Top 25 Fastest Growing Companies in the Kootenays
Simply fill out this form and you could be recognized as one of the Top 25 Fastest Growing Companies in Kootenays.
View all Fairmont Hot Springs articles
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Cafe Finder
|In Coffee
|By Josh Jackson
introducing the first ever Bolivian single we've offered and she's a beauty. it was sourced through our friends at Melbourne Coffee Merchants who spent time with Pedro Rodriguez at origin. this semi-washed coffee has notes of milk chocolate, apple & nougat and tastes amazing as an espresso.
tastes like milk chocolate, apple & nougat
origin samaipata, santa cruz, bolivia
producer pedro rogriguez, el fuerte
elevation 1540 – 1650m above sea level
varietal red caturra
process semi-washed
el fuerte is owned by Pedro Rodriguez and his family. over the last decade Pedro has worked tirelessly to build the production of, and market for, Bolivian specialty coffee, helping hundreds of local farmers recognise and realise the potential of their land and crops. over the last decade he has built a visionary business called Agricafe, which focuses on forging long-term relationships with producers, based on mutual trust and benefit.
over the last 6 years, many Bolivian producers stopped producing coffee (many switching to cocoa—grown for the drug trade—which provides a higher year-round income) this, combined with falling yields for those still in the coffee game, has seen coffee production across the nation more than halve. in 2012, Pedro responded by planting his own farms to guarantee ongoing supply & to demonstrate to local farmers what can be achieved with planning and the application of modern farming techniques.
while his first 8 farms were in the Caranavi region, Pedro also recognised that Samaipata had the perfect conditions to produce exceptional coffee, with its high altitudes & nutrient-rich soil. El Fuerte was established in 2013, and is the first farm the Rodriguez family planted in this region. the coffee thrived and the cup profile was distinctive and different to the Caranavi lots, so the Rodriguez family began to invest more heavily in the region, planting three more farms and setting up a wet mill.
sitting at 1,540 – 1,650 metres above sea level, the farm was first planted with coffee in 2014 and this is its first year of production. the farm is 35 hectares in size, 10 of which are under coffee. Pedro and his family have invested a lot of time and effort into trying to make this a 'model' farm that other producers in the area can learn from. the coffee is meticulously organised by variety and is well spaced in neat rows, making picking much easier to manage.
this very special lot was hand picked & processed on the same day at a newly built wet mill on the farm. it's "semi–washed" meaning the coffee cherries were pulped and then dried without fermentation. the coffee was dried slowly using mechanical driers (for 60 hours with temperatures no higher than 40 degrees) then finished off on raised beds. once dry, it was transported to La Paz where it was rested, then milled at the Rodriguez family's brand new dry mill where it was carefully screened again by machines and also carefully by hand.
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A few weeks back, we held a pretty awesome giveawa
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Nel suo sito personale afferma di aver dedicato la sua vita professionale all'apprendimento del maggior numero possibile di lingue, nel miglior modo possibile, utilizzando un metodo di studio sistematico da lui ideato. Dichiara inoltre di voler mettere a disposizione le sue conoscenze e la sua esperienza nel campo linguistico a chiunque ne fosse interessato.

Arguelles è un convinto sostenitore della possibilità di imparare le lingue straniere con metodi autodidattici, dopo aver assimilato le nozioni di base con l'aiuto di un insegnante. Egli stesso dichiara di aver imparato in tal modo gran parte delle lingue che conosce. Ha in progetto di fondare un istituto per lo studio intensivo delle lingue straniere, del quale ha già tracciato la struttura e i programmi di insegnamento.

Biografia
Suo padre Ivan, di discendenza spagnola, è anch'egli un poliglotta, permettendogli di crescere in un ambiente particolarmente favorevole all'apprendimento delle lingue. Quando era molto giovane risiedette per alcuni anni con la famiglia in Italia e viaggiò in diversi paesi europei, in Nord Africa e in India.

Trasferitosi a New York, nel 1986 ottenne un BA alla Columbia University e nel 1994 un PhD all'Università di Chicago, dove lavorò con Ioan Culianu e Wendy Doniger. Alla Columbia University studiò in particolare il latino, il greco antico e il sanscrito, mentre all'Università di Chicago si concentrò sulle lingue germaniche, laureandosi con una tesi sull'antico norvegese e sulla transizione culturale dei Vichinghi dal paganesimo al cristianesimo.

Dal 1994 al 1996 ha seguito un corso di specializzazione presso il Berlin Center for Advanced German and European Research della Università libera di Berlino, sponsorizzato dal governo tedesco e riservato a studenti americani. In questo periodo imparò diverse lingue del ceppo germanico, tra cui lo svedese e l'olandese.

Nel 1996 si trasferì nella Corea del Sud, dove fu professore di lingue alla Handong Global University di Pohang. Gli fu affidato il compito di riorganizzare i corsi di lingue di francese, spagnolo e tedesco di tale università e di supervisionare i corsi di giapponese e cinese. Nello stesso tempo studiò il coreano e il cinese classico. A proposito della lingua coreana, nel suo libro A Historical, Literary and Cultural Approach to the Korean Language, Arguelles fa notare come essa sia così radicalmente diversa dalle lingue indoeuropee, specialmente nella grammatica, da risultare particolarmente difficile per gli studenti occidentali. Solo pochissimi di quelli che ne hanno intrapreso lo studio sono riusciti a raggiungere un livello sufficiente di conoscenza. Rimase in Corea del Sud per otto anni e quando ritenne di aver imparato abbastanza bene il coreano e il cinese decise di trasferirsi in Medio Oriente per imparare l'arabo.

Dal 2004 al 2006 è stato insegnante di lingue alla American University of Science and Technology di Beirut, dove divenne direttore del dipartimento di scienze umanistiche e lingue straniere. Intenzionato a rimanere in Libano per circa dieci anni, fu però costretto a tornare negli Stati Uniti in seguito alla situazione di pericolo creatasi dopo l'inizio della terza guerra israelo-libanese nel luglio del 2006.

Dal 2006 al 2008 Arguelles è stato professore associato di lingue al New College of California di San Francisco, insegnando lingue del Medio Oriente e dell'Estremo Oriente, in particolare l'arabo e il coreano.

Dal 2009 lavora a Singapore presso il Regional Language Centre of the South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-RELC). Ha come base Singapore ma viaggia spesso in tutti gli undici paesi aderenti a tale organizzazione, occupandosi principalmente dei corsi riservati agli insegnanti di lingue straniere. Attualmente è impegnato nella realizzazione di progetti volti a dimostrare l'efficacia delle sue metodologie didattiche.

È sposato con la coreana Hyunkyung Park e hanno due figli, Ardaschir (nato nel 2003) e Avaldamar (nato nel 2005).

Lingue conosciute
Spesso viene rivolta ai poliglotti la classica domanda «Quante e quali lingue conosce?», ma così formulata, in modo generico, questa domanda non ha molto senso. Occorre distinguere tra conoscenza della lingua parlata e della lingua scritta, differenziando anche tra il saper comprendere la lingua scritta e il saper parlare e/o scrivere in tale lingua. Per tale motivo il grande poliglotta neozelandese Harold Williams, alla suddetta domanda postagli da Lev Tolstoj, rispose solo «alcune».

Arguelles, pur essendo in grado di parlare moltissime lingue, ha dichiarato di essersi concentrato soprattutto sulla lingua scritta, in particolare i testi classici, che egli chiama "Great Books", dei quali fa un elenco nel suo sito personale.

In marzo del 2010 ha cercato di "fare il punto" sulle lingue da lui conosciute, fissando vari livelli di conoscenza:
 100% per la sua lingua madre, l'inglese;
 tra il 90 e il 99%: capacità di leggere i testi classici senza fare uso di dizionari, raggiungendo quasi lo stesso livello di comprensione, anche nelle sfumature, della sua lingua madre; la comprensione di registrazioni audio di tali testi avviene in modo pressoché totale già al primo ascolto;
 tra l'80 e l'89% : è necessario ricorrere, in alcuni casi, all'uso del dizionario. La comprensione totale delle registrazioni audio è raggiunta solo dopo aver proceduto ad un secondo ascolto. Prosegue nel definire altri livelli di conoscenza, dall'80 al 70%, dal 70 al 60% e così via.

Le lingue conosciute da Arguelles con un livello superiore all'80%, secondo la sua valutazione, sono le seguenti:

 100% : inglese
 99%   : tedesco
 98%   : francese - spagnolo
 95%   : italiano - olandese - svedese
 94%   : norvegese antico - alto tedesco medio - francese antico
 93%   : portoghese - catalano - latino - greco antico - sanscrito
 92%   : norvegese Nynorsk - norvegese Bokmål - danese - middle english - olandese medio
 91%   : anglosassone - occitano antico - provenzale moderno - lingua gotica
 90%   : islandese - antico nordico svedese - alto tedesco antico - afrikaans - giapponese
 89-86 % : esperanto - russo - frisone - rumeno - arabo standard
 83-80% : coreano - persiano - greco moderno - cinese

Tra le lingue conosciute con un livello inferiore da citare il gaelico irlandese, l'hindi, il turco, il curdo, lo swahili e lo yiddish.

Pubblicazioni
 Korean Zen Legends Illustrated in Temple Murals (4 parti scaricabili in formato PDF)
 Viking Dreams: Mythological and Religious Dream Symbolism in the Old Norse Saga, tesi di laurea all'Università di Chicago, 1994
 La Conjugaison des Verbes, testo in coreano e francese per gli studenti coreani del francese, 1999
 A Historical, Literary, and Cultural Approach to the Korean Language, con Kim Jongrok, ed. Hollim, 2000
 Handbook of Korean Verbal Conjugation, con Kim Jongrok, Dunwwody Press, 2004
 English French Spanish German Dictionary, Librairie du Liban, 2006
 Korean Newspaper Reader, Dunwoody Press, 2007
 North Korean Reader, Dunwoody Press, 2010
 Korean Fiction Reader, Dunwoody Press, in corso di stesura (pubblicazione prevista nel 2011)

Note

Collegamenti esterni

Studenti dell'Università di Chicago
Studenti della Columbia University

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


The World Cup is here and people around the globe are getting swept up in the excitement, predicting results and gluing themselves to TV screens in homes, offices, and bars. While the World Cup offers a welcome excuse for employees to take a break from the daily grind, with many games taking place during office hours, it takes a toll on businesses of all types and sizes. This isn't intended to be a buzzkill-type article bemoaning how much collective revenue is lost by employees watching the games on the company's expense – instead, we'll take a look at how the World Cup resembles infrastructure performance management (IPM) in more ways than you might think.
Let's start with the concept of "noisy neighbors." Noisy neighbors are co-tenants or applications that monopolize bandwidth, disk I/O, CPU and other networked resources, resulting in a reduction in application performance. If a significant number of your organizations' employees are firing up any of the World Cup apps on their mobile devices while connected to the company Wi-Fi, they've just introduced one of the noisiest neighbors you could imagine. Suddenly, your organization's infrastructure is under extreme siege, and your Tier 1 applications – the business-critical apps that your customers depend on – are fighting for bandwidth scraps.
Noisy neighbors, though, are often co-tenants or apps that consistently monopolize bandwidth – they can be issues that plague an organization's infrastructure for extended periods of time before they're finally identified and resolved. The World Cup, however, is an event that is very finite – it lasts about a month, and the majority of the games take place in the first couple of weeks. As a result, the World Cup overwhelms an organization's infrastructure like a tidal wave, crippling the internal network bandwidth performance in a sudden burst. This kind of event is the stuff of IT managers' nightmares, as it can lead to the dreaded "O" word: outages. When an organization suffers an outage, not only are critical company applications brought to a halt, but its invaluable SLAs are then compromised – which can lead to the loss of customers and revenues, adding a hefty amount of salt to the wound.
If you're an IT operations manager, the ideal solution, of course, is to prohibit your employees from snatching precious infrastructure resources to watch the World Cup while on the clock, but that won't endear you to your workforce – and enforcing it would be an unrealistic proposition. The next best solution, then, is to utilize tools that can help you gain full visibility into your infrastructure and the apps that are drawing bandwidth and I/O from it. Solutions that provide real-time insights into the performance, availability, health, and utilization of your data center infrastructure help you prepare for and withstand extreme events like the World Cup.
To stay up to date on the latest and greatest in app-centric infrastructure performance monitoring, be sure to follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.


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The South Sudanese Peace Agreement and the Issue of States
5 Feb 2020 : UPDATED 19 Dec 2022 by PeaceRep
"No condition is permanent" - graffiti in Yei, South Sudan
With peace negotiations in South Sudan currently stalled, Dr Jan Pospisil examines the states question – the number of regional states South Sudan should contain and their territorial delineation. Jan is a Senior Researcher at the Austrian Study Center for Peace and Conflict Resolution, and a researcher at the Political Settlements Research Programme at the University of Edinburgh.
The implementation of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) is entering a critical stage. After the prolongation of the pre-transition period by 100 days in November 2019, a transitional government which includes the oppositional Sudan People's Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLM-IO), should be formed by 22 February. After the developments looked promising for some time – SPLM-IO leader and designated first Vice President in a transitional government, Riek Machar, has himself visited Juba several times over the last couple of weeks – the negotiations are now stalled along the issue of the number of regional states South Sudan should contain.
The states problem, and the question of the organisation of the South Sudanese polity in general, has been an issue of permanent contestation since South Sudan's independence. The current deadlock is a consequence of recent politicking. During the ongoing civil war, in 2015, the SPLM-led government under President Salva Kiir expanded the number of states per decree from initially 10 to 28 and, in January 2017, increased the number even further to 32. While it remains undisputed that decentralisation, devolution or federalism are politically and technically important and that also the oppositional SPLM-IO was leaning towards increasing the number of states, the current challenge is only barely related to issues of governance.
Instead, the question of the number of states and their territorial delineation emerges as the catalyst of two parallel intertwined logics of the South Sudanese political power game: the logic of the political marketplace and the logic of ethnopolitics. The marketplace logic pushes actors to what Alex de Waal has called a payroll peace – an expansion of government positions at several levels that guarantee the effective inclusion of a multiplicity of strongmen and power blocs by taking them on the government payroll. Each of the 32 states is supposed to have a functional state government, which provides respected and remunerated positions for a substantial number of office holders, and their creation is therefore critical to delivering payroll peace.
At the same time, the states potentially turn into effective instruments of ethnopolitical control. 15 of the currently 32 states are said to be under Dinka control, an achievement that involved the shifting of traditional boundaries and the relocation of people. While it is widely undisputed that the instrument of states is necessary for any effective governance and have historically not resulted in ethnopolitically organized boundaries, the current framework runs the risk that this time it will. The threat of forced population movements along the new state boundaries, for instance in former Unity state, underpins this assessment.
The current deadlock is difficult to overcome. The government is restricted by an evolving path dependency of needing to stick to plans it created. Any change to the present framework would require removing already acting governors and state governments from their positions, which is likely to lead to significant tensions. For the SPLM-IO, it appears equally difficult to step away from the demand of reducing the number of states and changing their boundaries for political reasons: some concrete successes need to be presented to their constituencies. A recent attempt by South Africa to suggest settling the issue in a formal process of international arbitration failed spectacularly after both sides for once agreed to reject this approach.
However, a certain leeway for political manoeuvring might exist after the government voiced its principal willingness to open the issue for further considerations. It is still highly unlikely that the issue can be resolved over the course of the next three weeks before a transitional government has to be formed. Thus, it appears, once more, necessary to forge another compromise that leaves the issue unsettled and to be resolved after extensive public consultations at a later stage. International support, such as the current South African meditation initiative, might have to shift from developing solutions to enabling a mutually face-saving postponement. Indeed, the issue of the states should be discussed by a transitional government (rather than in the current pre-transition period), and even by an elected government after the end of a transitional phase. Accepting the current status quo as provisional is a step that the government, at least implicitly, has already taken. Stopping all related forced population movements is a necessity to keep the political process and public trust alive. Guarantees to reopen the issue at a later stage of the process and move on in a status of mutually agreed unsettledness might therefore be more successful than any other last-minute attempt of resolving the issue.
Despite all the problems in its implementation, the R-ARCSS has changed the situation of the country to the better in most regions. Open fighting between the armed factions is rare, in particular since the government and the armed hold-out groups in the Equatoria region agreed to a ceasefire in mid-January. However, the situation remains fragile. Reports show a preparedness on all sides to restart the war if the political impasse of forming a new government continues and produces escalatory dynamics. Problems with the process of the cantonment of troops, especially in the South of the country, add to this risk. Even though the R-ARCSS framework with its focus on payroll-induced power-sharing is unlikely to forge any sustainable political settlement, it is the only institutional set-up on the table that can enable a long-term transitional process, and so ways must be found for it to continue.
For more information about Sudan, read our Spotlight report, Sudan's Enduring Transition: Evolving Arrangements after the Fall of Bashir and Jan's previous blog from September 2019, Sudan's Interim Constitutional Arrangement: The Risk of Sharing a Non-Existent Cake. Visit our publication database for more resources.
The full text of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS) is available on the PA-X Peace Agreements Database.
Photo: Jan Pospisil
This article was also published by the CPD Policy Blog.
← PreviousIntroducing PA-X Peace Agreements Database, Version 3
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الفساد باق ويتمدد في العراق
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