text:
Nemnövekedés (angolul: degrowth, franciául: décroissance, spanyolul: decrecimiento, olaszul: decrescita) egy politikai, gazdasági és társadalmi mozgalom, melynek alapját környezetvédelmi, fogyasztásellenes és anti-kapitalista eszmék alkotják. A nemnövekedést valló gondolkozók és aktivisták kiállnak a termelés és a túlfogyasztás – melyben hosszú távú környezetvédelmi aggályok és a társadalmi egyenlőtlenségek gyökereznek – visszafogása mellett. A koncepció megvalósíthatósága a fogyasztás oly módú csökkentésében rejlik, mely nem várja el az egyéni áldozatvállalást és a jólét csökkenését. A növekedésellenzők célja inkább, hogy maximalizálja a boldogságot és a jólétet a nemfogyasztás révén - munkamegosztással, kevesebb fogyasztással, művészetnek, zenének, családnak, kultúrának és közösségnek szentelt idővel.

Az egyén szintjén a nemnövekedést önkéntes egyszerűséggel érik el. A növekedésellenesek szerint a globális megoldás a gazdasági tevékenységek lokalizációjával jár, mely révén csökken annak ökológiai lábnyoma és megszűnik az emberiség fosszilis üzemanyagoktól való függése. A nemnövekedés szembehelyezkedik a fenntartható fejlődéssel, mert annak ugyan célja, hogy kezelje a környezeti problémákat, mindezt a gazdasági növekedés érdekében teszi, ami nem tette jobbá az emberek életét és elkerülhetetlenül a környezet állapotának romlásához vezet . Így a nemnövekedés éles ellentétben áll a produktivista kapitalizmus jelenlegi formájával, mely a tőke és a javak felhalmozását tartja a kívánatos végcélnak .

Háttér
A mozgalom az iparosodott társadalommal (akár kapitalista, akár szocialista) párosult produktivizmus érzékelhető következményei miatt érzett aggodalmakból ered:

A rendelkezésre álló erőforrások csökkenése (lásd olajhozamcsúcs)
A környezet romló állapota (lásd globális felmelegedés, környezetszennyezés)
A növény- és állatvilág - beleértve az embert magát - egészségügyi állapotának romlása
 A negatív társadalmi mellékhatások (lásd: fenntarthatatlan fejlődés, az egészségügy elszegényesedése, szegénység) növekedése
Az első világ országainak egyre bővülő energiaigénye, hogy kielégítse azt az életvitelt, mely egyre több ételt és energiát fogyaszt és több hulladékot termel a harmadik világ kárára (lásd neokolonizáció)

Erőforrások felélése
A gazdaság növekedésével összefüggésben növekszik az igény az erőforrásokra. A nem megújuló erőforrások, mint a kőolaj korlátozott mennyiségben állnak rendelkezésre, így azok szükségszerűen kimerülnek majd. A megújuló erőforrások szintén kimeríthetők ha kitermelésük huzamos ideig nem fenntartható mértékben történik. Ez történt például a Kaszpi-tenger kaviárhozamával is. Aggályos, hogy ezen erőforrások csökkenő rendelkezésre állása hogyan felel meg a növekvő keresletnek. Sokan a műszaki haladástól várják el a felélt erőforrások pótlását. Néhányan például a bioüzemanyagoktól várják az olajhozamcsúcs utáni kínálathiány mérséklését. Azonban mások azzal érvelnek, hogy egyetlen alternatíva sem képes hatékonyan helyettesíteni az olaj sokoldalúságát és szállíthatóságát.

A nemnövekedés hívei azzal érvelnek, hogy a kínálat hiányának végleges megoldása az igények csökkentése. A kínálatnak és ezért a termelésnek is olyan szintre kell csökkennie, ami megakadályozza az erőforrások felélését és környezetileg is egészséges. Az elmozdulás egy olyan társadalom irányába, amely nem függ az olajtól - úgy tűnik - alapvető, hogy elkerüljük a társadalmi összeomlást, mikor a nem megújuló erőforrások elfogynak. "De a nemnövekedés nem csak mennyiségi kérdés, hanem sokkal inkább egy paradigma szerint az értékek újra rendezése, különösen tekintettel a társadalmi és természeti értékek megerősítésére és a gazdaságpolitika újra értelmezésére".

Ökológiai lábnyom

Az ökológiai lábnyom a földi ökoszisztéma emberi igénybevételének mértéke. Az emberi igényeket hasonlítja a Föld ökológiai megújulásának kapacitásához. Reprezentálja a biológiailag produktív föld és tenger területét, mely ahhoz kell, hogy az emberi populáció fogyasztásának és a keletkező hulladék befogadásának és ártalmatlanná tételének szükséges erőforrásait megújítsa.

A 2005-ös Global Footprint Network (Globális Lábnyom Hálózat) beszámoló szerint, a magas jövedelmű országok lakói 6,4 globális hektáron (gHa), az alacsony jövedelmű országok lakosai egyetlen globális hektáron élnek. Például Banglades egyes lakói abból tartják el magukat, amit 0.56 gHa-on megtermelnek, míg egy észak-amerikai 12,5 gHa-t igényel. Egyes észak-amerikai lakosok 22,3-szor több földet használnak, mint egy bangladesi. Az észak-amerikaiak által használt 12,5 gHa-ból 5,5 gHa van az Egyesült Államok területén, a maradék idegen országokban. Ugyanezen beszámoló szerint míg korábban az átlagos emberenkénti mennyiség 2,1 gHa volt, mostanra a fogyasztás mértéke elérte az emberenkénti 2,7 gHa átlagot.

Annak érdekében, hogy a Föld populációjának életszínvonala elérje az átlagos európai országok színvonalát, három és nyolc közötti Föld erőforrásai lennének szükségesek . Ahhoz, hogy a világgazdaság kiegyenlített legyen a jelenleg rendelkezésre álló erőforrások mellett, a gazdag országoknak a nemnövekedésen keresztül csökkentetniük kellene az életszínvonalukat . Az erőforrások végső csökkenése a fogyasztás erőltetett visszafogásához vezetne. A fogyasztás tudatos csökkentése a változás miatti trauma csökkenésével járna.

Nemnövekedés és fenntartható fejlődés
A nemnövekedés gondolata ellenzi a produktivizmus közgazdaságtan minden formáját, így a fenntartható fejlődést is. Míg a fenntarthatóság miatti aggodalom nem mond ellent a nemnövekedésnek, addig a fenntartható fejlődés a fő csapásirányt képviselő globális fejlesztésből táplálkozik, mely a kapitalista növekedést és fogyasztást serkenti. A nemnövekedést vallók szemszögéből a fenntartható fejlődés ezért oximoron, mivel minden növekedés alapú fejlesztés eredendően fenntarthatatlan egy véges és környezeti szempontból erőltetett világban. Mivel a fogyasztás jelenlegi mértéke meghaladja a Föld erőforrásainak megújulásának mértékét, a gazdasági növekedés ezen erőforrások kimerüléséhez vezet a jövőben . Azok, akik egyetértenek a fenntartható fejlődés gondolatával azt állítják, hogy a gazdasági növekedés folytatható az energia- és az erőforrás-felhasználás csökkentése mellett.

Továbbá bizonyított, hogy a növekedés alapú fejlesztés hathatósabban növeli a társadalmi egyenlőtlenséget a kevesek kezében koncentrálódó vagyon által, ami a további vagyont generál és növeli az életszínvonalat. A nemnövekedés bírálói azt állítják, hogy a gazdasági növekedés csökkenése növekvő munkanélküliséget és szegénységet eredményezne. Sokan, akik értik a növekedés környezetpusztító velejáróját továbbra is kiállnak a gazdaság növekedése mellett, ha nem is északon, de délen. A gazdaság lassabb növekedése azonban nem hozná a nemnövekedés előnyeit — önellátás, anyagi felelősségvállalás — és valóban a foglalkoztatottság csökkenéséhez vezetne. Ehelyett a nemnövekedés támogatói a jelenlegi (növekvő) gazdasági rendszertől való teljes elfordulást javasolják, a globális gazdaság lokalizálását és elhagyását indítványozva a teljes déli területeken, mely segítené a déli emberek önellátóbbá válását és véget vetne a túlfogyasztásnak, valamint a déli erőforrások északiak által történő kihasználásának.

A GDP alternatívái
A gazdasági növekedés alapját a GDP nevű indikátor képezi, így a növekedés elvárásának kritikájával kapcsolatban lényegbevágó kérdés, hogy a GDP mit mér valójában, és mit nem. A GDP alternatíváival kapcsolatban az első nagy lépés a 2007-es magas szintű konferencia volt, az Európai Tanács, az Európai Parlament, a Club of Rome, az OECD és a WWF szervezésében, Túl a GDP-n (Beyond GDP) címmel. A második nagy mérföldkő Joseph Stiglitz Nobel díjas közgazdász 2008-as jelentése volt (a Stiglitz jelentés – The "Stiglitz report"). 2009 augusztusában aztán az Európai Bizottság kibocsátotta az "EU Roadmap 2009" programját, egy közleményt "A GDP-n innen és túl – A haladás mérése változó világunkban" címmel. Ebben a jelentésben arra a következtetésre jutnak, hogy a GDP "minden hiányossága ellenére még mindig a legjobb mérőszám a piacgazdaság teljesítményének értékelésére", de hozzáteszik, "szükség van tehát arra, hogy a GDP-t olyan statisztikákkal egészítsük ki, amelyek egyéb, az emberek jólétét kritikus mértékben meghatározó gazdasági, társadalmi és környezetvédelmi kérdésekkel is foglalkoznak". Továbbá meghatározták, hogy 2012 folyamán a kutatás további eredményeiről újfent tájékoztatást adnak.

A GDP-vel kapcsolatban fontos tehát, hogy a GDP nem méri a társadalmi jólétet, ami viszont igényként merül fel.

Az GDP egyebek közt az alábbi fontos tényezőket nem méri:
 egészség
 gyermekhalandóság
 megbetegedési arányszám
 öngyilkossági arányszám
 bűnözés
 szegénység
 környezeti egészség/pusztulás ráta, illetve a természetes környezet pusztítása
 infrastruktúra, autópályák, hidak
 család széthullás
 szabadidő csökkenés
 munkába járás költségei
 a közösségek civil aktivitásának hiánya
 a következő generációk sorsa iránti aggodalom hiánya
 fizetési szakadék (férfiak/nők, szegények/tehetősek)

alternatív mutatók (nem teljes) listája:
 FISH (Fordham Index Of Social Health) http://www.ccsd.ca
 GPI (Genuine Progress Indicator) http://www.rprogress.org
 UNHDI (United Nations Human Development Index) http://www.un.org
 GSDP (Gross Sustainable Development Product) https://web.archive.org/web/19990831132600/http://members.home.net/g.dufour/
 GESDI (Gross Environmental Sustainable Development Index)

"A visszacsapó hatás"
Az erőforrás-felhasználás csökkentésére vagy a hatékonyság növelésére tervezett eljárást gyakran fenntartható – avagy zöld – megoldásnak tartják. A nemnövekedés azonban ellenzi ezt a műszaki előnyt a továbbiakban "visszacsapó hatásként" nevezett effektusra alapozva. Ez a koncepció azon megfigyelésen alapul, miszerint egy kevésbé erőforrás-igényes gyártási eljárás bevezetésekor a termék felhasználói köre megváltozik – felhasználásának mértéke növekszik –, ezzel ellensúlyozva bármilyen potenciális erőforrás-megtakarítást. A visszacsapó hatás fényében a nemnövekedés támogatói kitartanak amellett, hogy az egyetlen hatásos "fenntartható" megoldásnak a növekedési paradigma teljes elutasításával és a nemnövekedési megközelítés felé történő előrehaladással kell járnia.

A mozgalom eredete
A kortárs nemnövekedési mozgalom a 19. századi anti-indusztrialista irányzatban gyökerezik, melyet Nagy Britanniában John Ruskin, William Morris és az Arts and Crafts mozgalom (1819–1900), az Egyesült Államokban Hanry David Thoreau (1817–1862), Oroszországban pedig Lev Tolsztoj (1828–1911) alakított ki.

A valódi nemnövekedés elmélet az 1970-es években jelent meg a Római Klub agytröszt és olyan értelmiségiek nyomán, mint Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen, Jean Baudrillard, André Gorz, Edward Goldsmith, Ivan Illich és László Ervin. Elképzeléseik olyan korábbi gondolkozók elméleteit tükrözik, mint a közgazdász E. J. Mishan, az ipartörténész Tom Rolt és a radikális szocialista Tony Turner. Mohandász Karamcsand Gandhi írásai azon részei, melyek az önkéntes egyszerűségre vonatkoznak szintén tartalmaznak hasonló filozófiát.

Általánosabban a nemnövekedés a humanizmus, a felvilágosodás, az antropológia és az emberi jogok értékeiből merít.

Római Klub jelentések
1968-ban a Római Klub – egy svájci, winterthuri székhelyű agytröszt – felkérte a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Massachusettsi Műszaki Egyetem) kutatóit, hogy adjanak gyakorlati megoldást azokra a problémákra, melyek globális aggodalomra adnak okot. Az 1972-ben publikált The Limits to Growth (A növekedés korlátai) című jelentés az első fontos olyan tanulmánnyá vált, mely az akkoriban tapasztalt, korábban példátlan gazdasági növekedés ökológiai veszélyeit jelezte.

A jelentés (Meadows-jelentésként is ismert) nem szigorúan a mozgalom alapító szövege, mivel csak javallja a nulla növekedést és a fenntartható fejlődés mozgalmát is támogatták vele. Mégis e jelentések tekinthetők az első hivatalos tanulmányoknak, melyek egyértelműen rámutat a gazdasági növekedésre, mint a megnövekedett globális környezeti problémák, a szennyezés, a nyersanyaghiány és az ökoszisztéma elrombolásának kulcsfontosságú okára. A második jelentést 1974-ben publikálták és az elsővel együtt felhívta a figyelmet a témára.

Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen tanulmánya
Nicholas Georgescu-Roegent román közgazdászt tartják a nemnövekedés megalkotójának és fő elméleti szakemberének. 1971-ben jelent meg The Entropy Law and the Economic Process című könyve, melyben megállapította, hogy a neoklasszikus közgazdasági modell nem vette figyelembe a termodinamika második főtételét, vagyis nem számoltak az energia és az anyagok lebomlásával (például: entrópianövekedés). Az összes gazdasági tevékenységet az entrópianövekedéssel azonosította, mely magában foglalja a hasznos erőforrások elvesztését is. 1979-ben Demain la décroissance ("a nemnövekedés holnapja") címmel franciára fordították cikkeinek válogatását, mely ösztönözte a francia mozgalom létrejöttét.

Serge Latouche
Serge Latouche, a Paris-Sud 11 Egyetem közgazdaságtan professzora megjegyezte:

Schumacher és a buddhista közgazdaságtan
E. F. Schumacher 1973-as könyve, a Small is Beautiful megelőzi az egységes nemnövekedés mozgalmat, mégis fontos alapokat nyújt a nemnövekedés eszméjéhez. Könyvében kritizálja a neoliberalista gazdasági fejlődés modellt, kiemelve az abszurd életszínvonal növelést, mely kizárólag a fogyasztáson, mint a gazdasági tevékenységek és -fejlődés elsődleges célján alapul. Ehelyett arra kellene törekednünk, hogy a jólét maximalizálása mellett minimalizáljuk a fogyasztást, utalva - ahogy ő elnevezte - a buddhista közgazdaságtanra.

Gazdasági és szociális aggályok
1972 januárjában Edward Goldsmith és Robert Prescott-Allen – a The Ecologist folyóirat szerkesztői – publikálták a Blueprint for Survival (Terv a túléléshez) című munkájukat, mely radikális programja lett a decentralizációnak és a iparosodásellenességnek, hogy megelőzzék - ahogy a szerzők utalnak rá - a "társadalom csődjét és a bolygó létfenntartó rendszerének visszafordíthatatlan felbomlását". Napjaink vezető tudósai aláírásával a Terv körbement a világon, hogy ösztönözze a környezetvédő pártok létrehozását.

Nemnövekedés mozgalom

'Ne vásárolj semmit nap'
A Ne vásárolj semmit nap minden év novemberének utolsó péntekén van. Ez a nap nemhivatalosan a karácsonyi vásárlási szezon első napja. Ilyenkor a kereskedők drasztikus árleszállításokkal ösztönzik a fogyasztókat a még nagyobb mértékű vásárlásra. A ne vásárolj semmit nap e szégyentelen fogyasztás visszautasításának egy formája.

Konferenciák
A mozgalom helyet kapott konferenciákon Párizsban, Barcelonában, és Vancouverben.

Kritikák

Liberális kritikák
A (gazdaságilag) liberális kritikák elsősorban is azért érdemelnek említést, mert hiszen a Nemnövekedés épp a gazdasági neoliberalizmus tulajdonképpeni bukását követő, "post-crisis", 2009 utáni fordulattal vált uralkodó kritikai irányzattá, s éppen a gazdasági liberalizmussal szemben. A liberális kritikák gyakorlatilag viszont-kritikák, védekezésként annak a gazdaságpolitikának a képviselőitől, amely ellenében a Nemnövekedés elsősorban kritikát fogalmaz meg.

A gazdasági liberalizmus támogatói úgy vélik, hogy a gazdasági növekedés velejárója a jólét, mert növeli a foglalkoztatottságot, javítja az életminőséget és jobb színvonalú oktatást és egészségügyi szolgáltatást biztosít (ezeket a pontokat az 1992-2009 közötti időszak tényei globálisan és 180 fokban cáfolják, szóval ez tényleg csak "vélekedés"). E liberális gazdaságpolitika szemszögéből a nemnövekedés gazdasági recessziót és romló jólétet jelent (ami természetes, hiszen éppen ez a probléma a liberális gazdaságpolitikával, hogy csak növekedésben képes gondolkodni, még akkor is, amikor növekedésnek már nincs sem oka, sem tere, értsd, amikor már nincs hova növekedni, például amikor az adott gazdaság már elérte az optimális méretét).

A nemnövekedés liberális kritikája továbbá, hogy a haladás egyre inkább az ismeretekhez kapcsolódik, mintsem a fizikai erőforrások felhasználásához, valamint az, hogy a technológia fejlődése majd megoldja a Föld környezeti problémait. A szabadpiaci környezetvédelem egy olyan álláspont, amely szerint a legtöbb környezeti problémát tulajdonjog hiánya okozza.

Önszabályozó piac
Az önszabályozó piac hívei szerint ha egy adott nem megújuló erőforrás szűkössé válik, a piac két módon korlátozza annak kitermelését:
növeli az árat (kereslet és kínálat)
növeli az alternatívák (pl.: megújuló energiaforrás, újrahasznosítás, stb...) fejlesztésére fordított alapot

Fordítás

Források

További olvasnivalók

Külső hivatkozások
 [nemnovekedes.net Jólét gazdasági növekedés nélkül – Degrowth]
 degrowth.net – First International De-growth Conference in Paris 18-19 April 2008
 degrowth.eu – 2nd Conference on Economic Degrowth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity. Barcelona 26-29 March 2010
 Peter Ainsworth on degrowth and sustainable development Published on La Clé des langues

Közgazdaságtan


text:
New Hampshire's Adam Sandler Reads Hilarious Speech Written By Daughters at Gotham Awards
Jadd Published: December 1, 2022
I'm not going to bury the headline -- I've never heard of the Gotham Awards. In fact, when I first heard of them, I thought it was something involving Batman since most Gotham mentions are related to Batman.
But according to the most trusted source on the Internet, Wikipedia (note the sarcasm), the Gotham Awards are simply Independent Film Awards. Plain and simple.
And a Granite Stater scored one when the 32nd Gotham Awards went down on Monday night.
Adam Sandler's Tribute Award
Normally at awards shows, you really only hear of one Lifetime Achievement Award being given out each year. But the Gotham Awards operate a little differently, calling them Tribute Awards and dishing out multiples each year.
It just so happens that one of the Tribute Awards this year went to the Pride of Manchester, New Hampshire -- Adam Sandler.
The 2022 Gotham Awards at Cipriani Wall Street on November 28, 2022 in New York City
Getty Images for The Gotham Film
Adam Sandler's Gotham Awards Acceptance Speech
The advantage that Adam (and every other Tribute Award recipient) had over other Gotham Awards winners on Monday night was that he knew all along that he was going to receive an award. So, while other nominees prepare a speech just in case, he knew he was going to get stage time.
So, he decided not to write a speech because, as he told the audience while behind the podium, he's "been too busy to write a speech." And when he mentioned that to his daughters, they offered to write it for him, but only if he'd deliver it in "that goofy southern accent you always do your other dumb speeches in."
So, he did.
And honestly, whether or not his daughters Sadie and Sunny (who are 16 and 14, according to the Sandman) actually wrote the speech -- it's solid gold. There are times it seems like didn't read it beforehand, so as he scanned ahead, he laughed before reading the line.
But then you listen to some of the content of the speech and it makes you wonder whether or not they actually wrote it, or he wrote it himself but delivered it from his daughters' perspective.
Regardless, it's absolutely hilarious and there are plenty of legitimate laugh-out-loud moments in it. If the video below doesn't start at Adam mentioning he didn't write his own speech, start the video at 6:38. (And by the way, there's NSFW language.)
These Celebrities Call New England Home
These celebrities all have ties to New England in some way, shape, or form!
Most Controversial Celebrity Magazine Covers Ever
Below, discover the most controversial celebrity magazine covers to ever hit the newsstands.
Source: New Hampshire's Adam Sandler Reads Hilarious Speech Written By Daughters at Gotham Awards

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Audit Committee of the listed holding company shall also review the financial statements, in particular, the investments made by the unlisted subsidiary company.
The Committee is authorized by the Board to oversee any investigation of activities within its terms of reference and act as a court of last resort. It is authorized to seek any information it requires from any employee and all employees are directed to co-operate with any request made by the Committee. The Committee may obtain outside legal or other independent professional advice and will secure the attendance of outsiders with relevant experience and expertise if it considers this necessary.
The Committee should meet, at least four times in a year and not more than four months shall lapse between two meetings, including before the announcement of the Company's preliminary and interim results and to consider whether or not to recommend the reappointment of the external auditors at the next Annual General Meeting.
The Committee will meet with the Board at least once a year to discuss such matters as the annual report and the relationship with the external auditors.
Additional meetings may be called by the Chairman of the Committee, or may be requested by the Chairman, the Managing Director or the Company's external auditors.
The quorum for any meeting of the Audit Committee shall be either two members or one third of the members of the audit committee whichever is greater, but there should be a minimum of two independent members present.
In the absence of the Committee Chairman, the remaining members present shall elect one of the members to chair the meeting bearing in mind legal and regulatory requirements.
The committee shall periodically meet in private with the external and internal auditors.
Director may participate through Electronic Mode in a Meeting, unless the Act or any other law specifically does not allow such participation through Electronic Mode in respect of any item of business.
Directors shall not participate through Electronic Mode in the discussion on certain restricted items, unless expressly permitted by the Chairman.
Such restricted items of business include approval of the annual financial, statement, Board's report, prospectus and matters relating to amalgamation, merger, demerger, acquisition and takeover. Similarly, participation in the discussion through Electronic Mode shall not be allowed in Meetings of the Audit Committee for consideration of annual financial statement including consolidated financial statement, if any, to be approved by the Board, unless expressly permitted by the Chairman.
Any Director participating through Electronic Mode in respect of restricted items with the express permission of Chairman shall however, neither be entitled to vote nor be counted for the purpose of Quorum in respect of such restricted items.
The Committee members (including Alternate) and Chairman are appointed by the Board from the non-executive Directors, in compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
All members shall be financially literate and at least one member, preferably the Chairman, shall have expertise in accounting or financial management.
The Managing Director, the CFO, the Internal Auditor and External Auditor may, at the invitation of the Chairman of the Committee, attend and speak at meetings of the Committee; others may be called upon or shall be able to speak by prior arrangements with the Chairman of the Committee.
The Annual performance evaluation of the Committee shall be done by the Committee and reported to the Board.
The Secretary shall circulate the minutes of meetings of the Committee to all members of the Committee, following its approval by the Chairman of the Committee within 15 days. The Members shall provide comments/suggestions within 7 days thereafter. The secretary shall ensure that minutes are recorded within 30 days from the date of the meeting. The certified copy of the minutes may be circulated to the Directors by the Company Secretary within 15 days after it is signed by the Chairman. Any Director may obtain copies of the Committee's agenda and minutes with the agreement of the Chairman of the Committee.
The Charter of Audit Committee was approved by the Board at its meeting held on 19th May, 2016.
P. S. Charter updated to bring it in line with the Companies Act, 2013 and Securities and Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.


text:
Meet the woman beautifying Uptown, Towson
November 18, 2020 November 20, 2020 Editor-in-Chief
By: Ben Terzi, Contributing Writer
Dierdre Aikin, co-founder of the Towson Creative Partnership and Chair of the Baltimore County Arts Council, is spearheading a movement to turn Uptown, Towson into an arts district.
Towson is a dynamic Baltimore County community that is home to 55,000 residents and 5,000 businesses. Being conveniently located north from the Inner Harbor, places like Towson, before the onset of COVID-19, drew more than 56,000 workers each day from nearby neighborhoods.
Aikin is a local business-owner who opened Towson's first-ever tattoo establishment, Triple Crown Towson Tattoo. The tattoo studio works in tandem as an art gallery, incorporating the York and Penn Fine Art Gallery, which showcases work from up-and-coming artists from the Towson area.
Triple Crown Tattoo, Towson
Courtesy of David Riley
"My goal is to showcase young artists and artists in general, and get their work out there because it's very hard to sell artwork," Aikin said.
She has been a tattoo artist for 30 years, and has worked in the field for about 36 years. Coming from a family who were also in the tattoo business, Aikin has always thought of the arts as a priority for any community.
Upon earning a masters' degree from The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA), Aikin taught briefly as a professor for 3D Design. She describes herself as a tattooer first, also helping others to the best of her ability.
Aikin explained that one of the things she noticed during her time at MICA, was the lack of applicable skills students need to earn a living as a career artist. She wanted to promote young artists to gain experience in gallery life, which led to the opening of York and Penn Fine Art Gallery.
"I put myself through school, working the entire way through, and it was super hard" said Aikin. "I saw so many great art kids get tossed to the side, never with any opportunity, and it used to crush me. I mean some of the best artists I had ever seen, they just disappeared. They would get disillusioned and stop. We can't just let these kids disappear."
According to Aikin, she does not collect any money or profit from York and Penn Fine Art Gallery. Typically artists give a large percentage of a sale to the art gallery that showcased their work. Because the York and Penn Fine Art Gallery is self-sustained through her tattoo studio, artists can keep all the profit they make from a sale.
York and Penn Fine Arts Gallery
"Even though that might not teach them the correct way of dealing with galleries," Aikin said. "It'll at least give them the courage to go forward and talk to galleries and know how they need to approach them and how to curate a show, which is just as important."
David Riley, co-founder of TCP with Aikin, worked closely with her on several arts projects in Uptown, including their most recent work on the Baltimore Public County Library.
"I was very blessed to actually drive across the United States several times the past few years and visit a lot of the creative communities in the United States whether that be Towson, Mexico, Venice Beach (California), Santa Cruz (California), Boulder (Colorado) just to name a few," said Riley. "And so I saw the potential in the library and I pitched the idea to the chamber of commerce. And then, Dierdre used her amazing technical expertise in the art community, plus also her networks within the art community, and was able to identify artists to submit proposals, but also once the winning artist was identified she was kind of our project manager on the detail.
Aikin is also pursuing a project to paint the flower boxes in Uptown. After noticing the vandalism and destruction of the flowers and boxes, Aiken says she believes painting the boxes will encourage people to leave them alone.
"Luckily, I was able to meet some artists involved in the flower boxes and I was able to put some money in some local artists pockets during COVID-19," Aikin said. "We're still working on it."
According to Michele Alexander, Marketing and Public Relations Manager for the Center for the Arts, obtaining a cultural district designation is a long process which includes a lot of community building through wayfaring signage and street cleanup. A key element in receiving an arts district designation is having an anchor art institution, like a performing arts center.
"When it comes to Towson we want to be good members of that community," said Alexander. "And we have a responsibility to be that partner."
Aikin looks to continue the relationship between TU students artists and students in general to increase the general excitement of living in a place like Towson.
"When kids come to town, they go to school and then leave," Aikin explained. "I think that would only benefit the community as well because these are people who really weren't vested in our area, there was a school there, they want to stay there, they want to be part of the community. We've got to kind of make that attractive for them."
Arts & Life Slider
artist Arts District beautification College of Fine Arts and Communication Dierdre Aikin Flower Boxes Michele Alexander Murals towson creative patnership Triple Crown Towson Tattoo Uptown York and Penn Fine Arts Gallery
TU receives donation of $5.3 million from alumnus
TU and MEDCO work toward possible resolution after students lawyer up


Have you ever had difficulties in finding something to write about on your company blog? Ever sat thinking for so much time that if you had some ideas in the first place you would have written three articles by now?
Almost ever day I get the question "what can i write about in my blog" I find this hard to believe as there is not really any limit to the amount of topics to discuss. The majority of time people are just having a mental block and brainstorming some ideas with them will often cause them to shift their train of thought enough to come up with some good topics – at least until the next time you call them to ask how their blogging is going. Well not everyone has an SEO firm they can contact to help them come up with some new ideas so in this article I will do my best to give you some sure fire ways to get the ideas flowing on your own.
When writing blog posts it is important to keep in mind that you are not targeting your main site keywords but variations of them and long tail versions of them. In a previous article I took this into more depth and mentioned the importance of having correctly segmented content but in short this is the primary pages of the site having quality usable content dedicated to specific keywords and filler content – this is the content that is made up of blog posts. This should always be kept in mind when writing articles.
I am a big fan of getting client testimonials to create content on a blog. You would be very surprised how willing your customers are to provide you with one, especially if they are aware you will be putting it on your blog where other people will see it. If you sell products do product reviews.


Sitting on deck chairs, sipping on cocktails, against the backdrop of a sunset beach, we did something totally unromantic.
Kenny and me started conjuring up new alcoholic mixes.
For starters, we have Whiskey High and Dry.
Serves one in a rock glass.
Serves one in a highball glass.
Ready for a sweet apertif?
Or try the latest Chestini!
Shake well, strain into a martini glass, and serves one.
The next time i visit MOS, i should ask the bartender for Bailey's Soya Bean.
You think they'll throw me out?
i've almost obtained all my feburary wish list!!!
gong xi gong xi gong xi gong xi ni!
Wishing for all the health, wisdom, goodness, happiness and prosperity in the new year ahead!
i think i still will.
Before you ask of love from anyone, you should always love yourself first.
And that don't mean narcissism.
Embrace your physical image and determine your self worth.
I was quite relieved when i saw DOVE's campaign for real beauty ads, on TV and in the trains.
WHY DIDN'T I HAVE THAT DURING MY TEENAGE YEARS?!
Imagine how much self esteem that would have saved me?
You are looking at me when i was 14. How I lived with myself, i do not know.
I'm surprised i even took photos at all. I should be throwing myself off the school block.
Like every lil girl, there were dreams of prince charming, happily ever after and beautiful gowns, belle of the ball but they were mere illusions.
Never had big doe eyes, no petite dolly nose, skin was nowhere near fair porcelain and it's crowning gory for me.
Not part of the hip crowd, neither fashionable nor very academically inclined, i was average.
And that is sad news to a teenager when life then, was all about individuality.
When the most popular girl group get selected for lead roles in a school shakesperian play and you are just a plebian with no lines, the envy surfaces.
Yet deep down inside, you believe you just aint good enough.
When the boys from the school next door huddle around your classmates at the bustop, you believe you ain't worth a glance.
When the teachers compliment the brightest girl in class, it just serves to remind you of your own stupidity when you couldn't give an intelligent answer.
And the cycle continues until the spotlight is focused on you, for the very first time.
Unsure of how to behave or respond, you screw up as you believed you would.
If you are growing up the way i did, or have already been down that path, stop it.
Life is too short, youth is even shorter.
Don't waste it wallowing in self pity, in hope that some knight will sweep you off your feet and carry you into the sunset.
Stop fretting over your single eyelids and how it makes your eyes look like a fishball.
It is beautiful you can see.
Stop tripping over your tall, gangly awkward self.
It is freedom you can run.
Stop hanging your head when you speak with people.
I couldn't even buy my own recess because i was afraid to speak up.
Now you can't even get me to shut up.
The year I went into Secondary School, my principal, Ms Rosalind Heng, was giving an opening speech to all the newbies.
From then on, everyone in my world walks about naked with a funny shower cap on their heads.
Fortunately, i've a bunch of close friends who went through those cranky years with me.
Happy Valentine's Day to yourself!
The following are the things i wanna get in the month of Feburary.
I expect massive haemorrhage of my bank account by the time i'm done.
Bid for a Valentine's Date today!
Like all the other scrupulous merchants who make you sell both kidneys for a bouquet of flowers to please your annoying girlfriend this Saint Valentine's Day (what's so holy about that?!), I've decided to venture into my first business idea after a bright bulb exploded above my head beside my bed.
This first came about when Gene put himself up on MSN for "Vday Sale" and I'm getting comment queries about dating my friend Jaslin.
Do you always feel lonely on Valentine's Day?
Seeing couples walking down the street makes you hang your head and stare at your shoes?
Wished that you have a beautiful someone on your arm?
Everyone deserves to be laid loved.
And over here, we have just the hottest dates for you.
Ranging from C-list celebrities and models, to the boy/girl-next door, or even the geeky co-worker type you fancy in the office, you can have your date tailored to your fantasy.
Yes, you've seen them on T.V, on the papers, the magazines, you close your eyes and wished they would go away but noooooooo…….here they are on your cable bandwidth too!
Now you can bid on your favourite local Reality TV Stars, and the final auction price will be donated to a local charity of your choice.
Weighing in at 150lbs and 5ft8″, this hot date is born on 1st April but he's no joke. This fiery Aries will light up your passion and have you squealing in delight.
A budding entrepeneur at age 28, promoting childhood imagination, you are looking at a man who loves children!
You're most likely to remember him as the upfront no nonsense dude who "will punch your f*cking face" from the very first reality tv show Eye for a Guy Season 1.
Beneath that tougher than thou exterior, he's a gentle giant who's musically talented.
Imagine being seranaded on the guitar by this hunk, on the beach during sunset, and sipping on chilled champagne.
This date is so full of surprises, you'll feel as if you are dating 3 different guys all together!
Standing at 1.73m tall, Sagittarius and born in the year of the Horse, you are looking at a 29 year old STUD!
First claim to fame in SPIN, a teenage drama series on ch5. You may have spotted him in KFC, Standard Charted ads and remember him as the guy who drew Denise Keller a beautiful painting in the latest season of Eye For a Guy 2.
Many have said he bears resemblance to Chinese popstar Wang Lee Hom, so if you are a fan, bid now!!
We apologise for the lack of item no #01552.
Brief brush with fame in A Light Affair, he disappeared right after the season ended.
Despite our efforts to rein him on board our selection of Reality TV stars, he's turned us down time and again, citing busy filming schedules in Burkina Faso, where he is now based.
We respect his decision and wish him well in his latest hobby of Pilates, and hopefully, have him start his own Pilates studio here in Singapore.
All the reality TV stars listed above start with a bidding price of S$30 and does not include any expenses incurred during the date.
If you are interested in securing a date, please enter your bid via the comments segment in this format.
Stay tuned for our 2nd dish out of yummilicious Valentine's Dates!


text:
Q: How do I simultaneously dispatch a method to a number of instances when before it only dispatched to one? In my hypothetical application, users can ask questions, which are then answered by an Oracle. You can use the Predictor.predictor method to get an appropriate Oracle, to whom you can then direct your questions. When you #ask a question, you'll get a response, along with the Oracle's certainty (a floating-point number in the range 0..1) about its response.
class BaseOracle; def ask(question); ...; end; end
class UnreliableOracle < BaseOracle; ...; end

module Predictor
  def self.predictor
    @predictor ||= UnreliableOracle.new
  end
end

Predictor.predictor.ask("How many fingers am I holding up?")
 # => ["three fingers", 0.2]

In this implementation, you get the same Oracle every time, an UnreliableOracle instance. What I would like to do is to change the implementation of Predictor.predictor so that methods which are invoked on it are delegated to a collection of Oracles, some of which are better than others. In other words, I want it to work something like this:
class BaseOracle; ...; end
class UnreliableOracle < BaseOracle; ...; end
class PopCultureOracle < BaseOracle; ...; end
class ScienceOracle < BaseOracle; ...; end
class LiteraryOracle < BaseOracle; ...; end
class FingerCountingOracle < BaseOracle; ...; end

module Predictor
  def self.predictor
    ############## What goes here?
  end
end

# This actually asks several oracles for an answer and picks the best one.
Predictor.predictor.ask("How many fingers am I holding up?")
 # => ["four fingers", 1.0]

What's the best way to do that?

A: This is essentially the strategy design pattern, where each Oracle is effectively a strategy for answering questions.
The easiest (and perhaps cleanest) approach is to construct a MetaOracle that asks the other oracles what the right answer is and picks the best answer:
class MetaOracle
  def oracles
    @oracles ||= [ScienceOracle.new, LiteraryOracle.new, # ...
  end

  def ask(question)
    oracles.map { |o| o.ask question }.        # Ask each Oracle a question ...
      sort_by { |answer| -answer.certainty }.  # sort by the best answers ...
      first                                    # ... and pick the best one.
  end
end

module Predictor
  def self.predictor
    @predictor ||= MetaOracle.new
  end
end

Now the Oracle with the best answer wins and will be the answer that you see.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Our experienced team is headed up Meliza Karmiris, who embodies the ethos of THE RESERVATION OFFICE with a strong passion for the industry, its products and the wonderful people we get to engage with on a daily basis. Meliza's expertise is gained through working her way up the ranks where she started as a consultant in a small Tour operator business and moved onto undoubtedly some of the biggest and well known DMC's (Destination Marketing Company) in Southern Africa, where she has been involved in not only the daily operations – but also the set up of systems and streamlining reservation processes.
"I understand the excitement of the guest who is spending their savings to go on the 'once in a lifetime' trip and my consultants are trained to serve both the needs of the guest to ensure they are left with the utmost confidence in their choice of holiday and, as well as achieve the best results for our client" says Meliza.
As a tourism graduate, Olivia started her career in the tourism industry more than 2 decades ago quickly moving from booking consultant to supervisor in a short few years. Throw a stint as small business owner, working in a travel agency and dabbling in marketing /branding her experience culminated in a versatile, efficient and consummate industry professional with a definite heart for the vibe / energy synonymous with the tourism industry. Whether front office or management her palpable passion for working with people and satisfaction derived from the daily interactions with colleagues, peers, clients , guests and owners is what makes her very valuable addition to THE RESERVATION OFFICE team.
For me relationship is key to any successful booking whether from an agent or direct guest, assuring that the booker feel at ease with their choice of accommodation for what might be someone's first trip, someone's special celebration, someone's once in a lifetime or fulfilling someone's lifelong dream. Ensuring our clients /owners or management have peace of mind in outsourcing such an integral part of their operations and entrusting us with the responsibility of being their first impression, increasing their bottom-line whilst being a true embodiment of the brand of each of our properties.
Your dedicated consultant will be trained on your establishments services, facilities, rate structures and promotions before they start to process enquiries. We encourage our consultants to visit each of the properties (where possible) before our contract starts and on regular intervals during our contract. These site inspections ensure that your reservation consultant is always up to date on new offerings, upgrades and changes to your facilities and services.
Each and every guest is unique. Your consultant over time will get to know the bespoke preferences of your regular guests, the added value services for your corporate guests and the special note of thanks needed for your trade visitors. Our professional consultants will also nurture relationships with new guests and trade contacts, ensuring we build lasting relationships between guests and your establishment.
Each stage of the reservation cycle requires expert attention. We partner with leading industry specialists to provide you with the expertise needed to maximise your opportunities. Our preferred partners are established service providers within the hospitality and travel sectors, whom we have worked with for many years.


These 5mm Round Mood Beads are inspired by the mood jewelry of the '60s and '70s! They contain thermo-sensitive liquid crystals that change colors with minute variations in temperature.
They measure 5mm and have a 2.2mm hole. This listing is for 10.


text:
William Shatner reveals he felt 'overwhelmed' while looking down at earth as oldest person in space
William Shatner got deep while discussing his record-setting trip into space on Thursday on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
The 90-year-old actor best known for portraying Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise appeared remotely on the NBC talk show after Jimmy, 47, introduced him as being 'officially an astronaut'.
'Oh, my god. An astronaut. We're not really, you know. Astronauts really go up and they do things. We're half-astronauts,' quipped Shatner, who became the oldest person to fly to space on Wednesday.
Record setter: William Shatner got deep while discussing his record-setting trip into space on Thursday on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon
Fallon said he really loved how Shatner came out of the Blue Origin sub-orbital capsule and his interaction with Jeff Bezos, 57.
'You come down. You land in this desert thing. You come out of the capsule. Jeff Bezos comes over. Then he comes in with champagne. And he's like, "Whoo-hoo!" And you go, "No. Hey. No, not now, buddy absolutely not. I don't want the champagne. I've got to think about what just happened,' Fallon said.
'He's a lovely, educated man, but he's got the wrong idea':… 'Shatner's only boldly going where OTHER people have gone… 'What we're looking down upon is Mother Earth and it needs… 'Oh wow. No description can equal this': Moment awestruck…
'Well, you know, the whole effect of going into space and seeing what very few people have seen. And there is no frame of reference. How do you describe weightlessness? How do you describe seeing palpable darkness, blackness of space where there is no filter of dust or dirt or reflections of light? It's there. It's like hanging there. It's evil. It seems like the monster,' Shatner said.
'And then you look down and you see this precious thing. This warm, nurturing Earth and you see death and life and you descend and then you're overwhelmed by the possibility of the Earth ending in a short while. And your life is in front of you,' he added.
TV voyager: 'Oh, my god. An astronaut. We're not really, you know. Astronauts really go up and they do things. We're half-astronauts,' quipped Shatner, who became the oldest person to fly to space on Wednesday after starring as Captain James T. Kirk in the Star Trek franchise
Shatner said the message from the transcendental experience was a wake-up call about what's really important.
'The planet is going to be inundated unless we do something about it. I mean really bad and we got to do something about it. And what are we going to do about it? What are we going to do with my life? So all those deep things that we should be thinking about every so often, we need to be reminded. And that moon shot, that thing, that did it to me. And I was overwhelmed by all the things we need to do and the loves and the losses. It was an enormous moment for me that I never expected,' Shatner said.
Shatner also brought up his new album Bill that was released last month and Jimmy asked if he still planned on writing a song about his space trip.
Deep things: 'So all those deep things that we should be thinking about every so often, we need to be reminded. And that moon shot, that thing, that did it to me. And I was overwhelmed by all the things we need to do and the loves and the losses. It was an enormous moment for me that I never expected,' Shatner said
Iconic: Shatner played Captain Kirk in the original Stark Trek television series that aired from 1966 to 1969 and in the first seven Star Trek movies
He revealed that he spoke with his producing partners before his trip about writing a song about going into space.
'When I came down I said, "Toss out everything we talked about going up there and having that experience is nothing like what you hear about,' Shatner said.
Shatner played Captain Kirk in the original Stark Trek television series that aired from 1966 to 1969 and in the first seven Star Trek movies.
Famous role: Shatner played Captain Kirk in the original Stark Trek television series that aired from 1966 to 1969 and in the first seven Star Trek movies
The previous day there was new footage showing Shatner marvel at his view of Earth from his mission to space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket.
Shatner and newly minted astronauts Chris Boshuizen, Glen de Vries and Audrey Powers, ventured 351,186 feet above Earth's surface where they spent three minutes in weightlessness.
They were captured floating weightlessly in wonder and excitement as they looked down on Earth.
A clip of the epic journey shows Shatner and crew adjust to their new conditions, with Shatner seemingly taken aback by being weightless and repeating 'oh, Jesus' while his fellow crew members played around with floating toys.
The previous day there was new footage showing Shatner marvel at his view of Earth from his mission to space aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket
Shatner and crew were captured floating weightlessly in wonder and excitement as they looked down on Earth
Shatner's younger crewmates took turns looking out the window upside down
Shatner is captured saying 'no description can equal this,' while looking outside a window at the amazing view of Earth
Eventually Shatner adjusts and is heard laughing joyfully and says 'no description can equal this,' while looking outside a window at the amazing view of Earth.
His crewmates seem just as overjoyed, giggling and repeating 'this is nuts!' and 'holy hell!' while Shatner just looks at them with a look of astonishment, uttering 'oh wow.'
While his younger crewmates took turns looking out the window upside down, the 90-year-old Shatner pulled his face as close to the window as possible to soak in the once-in-a-lifetime view.
Star Trek actor William Shatner returned to the landing pad of Blue Origin's New Shepard after his historic trip to space on Wednesday
Star Trek actor William Shatner waves at the crowd at the landing pad of Blue Origin's New Shephard after he returned to earth following his trip to space
Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket blasts off on mission NS-18 carrying "Star Trek" actor William Shatner and 3 other passengers for a suborbital flight
Once Shatner, who is now the oldest person to go to space, made it back to terra firma he came back with a message: 'What we're looking down upon is Mother Earth and it needs protecting in the world needs to see this'.
'That point of view is you're looking down on the earth and looking up into space but you're also looking up at the future and looking down at the past,' he said during a post-flight press briefing on Wednesday afternoon.
NS18 took off at 10:49am ET, but was back on the ground by 10:59am ET and although the trip lasted for just 10 minutes and 17 seconds, the crew will likely remember it for a lifetime.
Trek actor William Shatner is all smiles after returning from his trip to space on Wednesday
ue Origin vice president of mission and flight operations Audrey Powers walks with Star Trek actor William Shatner after the 90-year-old returned from space
Blue Origin's New Shepard is pictured flying toward space carrying 90-year-old Star Trek actor William Shatner and three other civilians on Wednesday
Article source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-10095161/William-Shatner-goes-deep-discussing-space-trip-Tonight-Starring-Jimmy-Fallon.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
Will Tesla disclose how diverse its workforce and leadership are after shareholder resolution passes?
Jonah Hill asks fans, followers to 'not comment on my body': It 'doesn't feel good'
After Roe? Pro- and anti-abortion rights groups face new landscape in 2022 midterms – and beyond
Bethenny Frankel Looks Amazing in White One-Piece Thanks to 'Serious' Detox
Meat Loaf, the 'I'd Do Anything for Love' singer, dead at 74
Martha Stewart reveals why she broke up with Sir Anthony Hopkins
Intel announces $20 billion semiconductor factory in Ohio amid chip shortage
NFL divisional playoff round: Eight players who could make impact after missing significant time with injuries
A beloved Disney character is joining Disneyland's Lunar New Year celebrations. See who it is.
Zero-Covid Policy Shakes Hong Kong's Economy and Its 'Soul'
Meat Loaf: 27th September 1947


Use shirts to bring charm and elegance to your wardrobe… Shirts have been around for hundreds of years, and with good reason. They can be used in a multiplicity of circumstances. A good shirt provides elegance during a business presentation, or it can set off a good jacket. A well chosen shirt can perfectly offset a good pair of trousers for casual or social events. But the devil is in the details. For every man who can choose and wear a shirt well, there are ten who do it badly. And we do project our personalities – to an extent – through the way we dress. So your clothes speak for you – even when you don't. That said, it might be worth your while to pick up a few details on how to choose the perfect shirt. The first thing we need to focus on is fit. Only too often, a man will wear a shirt that is a bad fit for him. One reason for this is that in today's world it is most common for a person to buy a ready-made and mass-produced shirt. These garments are made to fit the mythical average person – as a result, they often end in fitting no real person. If a shirt is comfortable around the neck it is usually short in the sleeves, and so on. The best way to get a perfect fit is in a custom shirt that is individually tailored. Since that might well be too expensive for most of us, here are some tips on how a shirt should fit… If you have a large body type, you'd be well advised to go in for looser shirts. If you're slimmer, go in for a more form-fitting shirt. With that general rule in place, a good shirt should allow you to insert two fingers inside the collar – and no more – when the top button of the shirt is in place. Similarly, while the cuffs should be comfortable, you should not be able to remove the shirt without unbuttoning them. The sleeves of the shirt, while not looking too long and baggy when your arms are by your side, should still be long enough that you can stretch your hands upwards without the shirt sleeves dragging down your forearms. Finally, the sign of a perfect fit is the shoulder. The point of the shoulder of the shirt should correspond to the point of your own shoulder. For slim men, a form fitting shirt should not leave too much fabric to spare around the chest or around the waist. Fabrics Cotton is the most recommended, especially if it is finely woven. It keeps you cool, draws heat and moisture away from the body, and is very durable. It falls smoothly, and exhibits a crisp perfection when it is starched and ironed. Artificial fabrics are usually not recommended traditionally, but they do tend to be more cost effective, and they also tend to be wrinkle resistant, letting you look reasonably good even at the end of a hard day, which can be quite an advantage. Nevertheless, I wouldn't recommend fabrics that are more than a half-and-half blend of cotton and synthetic fibers. And then, of course, there's silk – which is, for all practical purposes, the stuff of luxury garments. They look good, fall well, and are expensive and not very durable. You can maintain a silk shirt or two for special occasions, but they are not recommended for heavy wear. In colors, go with white or blue. White is considered the mark of the gentleman, while blue most complements the male complexion. Other colors – subtle colors, that is – such as gold, soft greens, forest greens, or even reds, are acceptable, so long as they look good on you.


What Lexie Loves: Fashion is life!
Hey guys, so after seeing a very good fashion post recently (thank you A Little Bit Of Sunshine), it triggered my mind that I hadn't done a post on fashion for ages myself, which is a surprise considering how much I love clothing and make-up.
Check out the links to buy!!!!!
A girl can NEVER have too many jackets and this one is certainly a win for me. Wear it over a glamorous party dress, a sweet little skirt or something dead casual like simple jogging bottoms or leggings.
5 stars if you ask me, nice colour and goes with practically anything.
Looks like summer's in already with this sweet dress. Talk about love at first sight!
Again, could be used as a lot, a party dress, casual or BBQ in the garden, plus it has an undisputably nice colour.
Another pretty Spring/Summer top, which I can literally see myself wearing in the garden on a sunny day! Let's hope that comes true!
Would definitely compliment anyone's facial beauty and skin tone and would look good on anyone with a pair of jeans on a warm day.
Well that's all for Boden - I could go on forever reading out the names of every item of Johnnie B clothing I like so if you want to find more then visit www.boden.co.uk.
... How many different types of shorts can you get?
But I discovered a particular one which really caught my eye.
The colour is gorgeous and would look perfect with that Boden Tallulah t-shirt!
A must-buy for any fashion-lover!
Navy Scalloped Playsuit!!!!!, which I adore so so so much. The colour, the lace, the shaping, the style, the everything!
Well that brings me to the end of my post. Let me know if you buy (and enjoy) any of these. And, if I am allowed to buy an item, I will definitely give you a full review.
Wonderful! I love all of these clothes! I am so happy that I inspired you.
Well, thanks for writing such a good post!
Hello, Lexie! You've got a lovely little blog here. Very nice fashion post; I've never been much into fashion myself, though I wish I was. There's so many beautiful outfits out there, and the combinations are endless! I do enjoy seeing what others come up with, though.
I think my favorite here would be the Navy Scalloped Playsuit. Love it!
I think a lot of us favour the playsuit as well!
Thanks! The dress is so nice!
I love that dress! Super cool blog by the way, keep it up!
Thanks for stopping by Sometimes I'm a Story!
My favourite are the Suki dress and the navy scalloped playsuite! :) Great selections! I loved this post, Lexie!
Yeah, they are so cute, my favourite is the playsuit as well!
You've got a lovely little blog here.


Our sister company, One Man and His Log, delivers seasoned firewood directly to your home, stacks your logs, and even builds you a log store if needed!
It might be roasting right now but it won't be long until there's a chill in the air, so we recommend you plan ahead to book your delivery slot.
Check out One Man and His Log on Instagram and Facebook for more insight into log life.


lich | Johnathan Martel's Art and stuff.
I made this a while back for a T-shirt design contest but didn't enter it on time because I am horrible at life. I have decided to make another one of these in traditional media for the Adventure time show, so I figured I would share this one. Ink and brush, hand lettered and then colored in photoshapps.


Snapdeal's parent company Jasper Infotech has infused $5.7 Million (Rs. 36.5 crores) in its logistics arm Vulcan Express as per the report by VCCircle.
Vulcan Express Private Limited is a logistics firm that offers end-to-end logistics and supply chain solutions for retail companies with a greater focus on highly dynamic and rapidly growing e-commerce industry in India. It offers a range of services including Pickup, Consolidation and Fulfilment Operations, Warehousing Solutions, Intercity Movement, and Last Mile Delivery services. The team has more than 100+ years of collective experience in the logistics industry. As per RoC filings, Vulcan Express raised the amount against the allocation of 36.5 Million equity shares at a face value of Rs. 10.
Related read- Ordered on Flipkart, Snapdeal? Chances are, Amazon Might Deliver it to You!
Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos-led Amazon is expanding its logistics business in India by offering the service to its registered sellers even if orders are placed through rival marketplaces like Flipkart and Snapdeal or for their offline distribution. TVS Logistics, Gati, and Peepul Capital are keen to acquire the logistic arm of Snapdeal- Vulcan Express.
Also read- Snapdeal to Layoff 1,000 Employees; 80% of the Workforce!


text:
package retrieval;

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.List;

/**
 * An engine for finding the maximum-weight matching in a complete bipartite
 * graph. Suppose we have two sets S and T, both of size n.
 * For each i in S and j in T, we have a weight w
 * ij. A perfect matching X is a subset of S x
 * T such that each i in S occurs in exactly one element of
 * X, and each j in T occurs in exactly one element of
 * X. Thus, X can be thought of as a one-to-one function from
 * S to T. The weight of X is the sum, over (i,
 * j) in X, of wij. A BipartiteMatcher takes the
 * number n and the weights wij, and finds a perfect
 * matching of maximum weight. It uses the Hungarian algorithm of Kuhn (1955),
 * as improved and presented by E. L. Lawler in his book Combinatorial
 * Optimization: Networks and Matroids (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1976,
 * p. 205-206). The running time is O(n3). The weights can be
 * any finite real numbers; Lawler's algorithm assumes positive weights, so if
 * necessary we add a constant c to all the weights before running the
 * algorithm. This increases the weight of every perfect matching by nc,
 * which doesn't change which perfect matchings have maximum weight. If a weight
 * is set to Double.NEGATIVE_INFINITY, then the algorithm will behave as if that
 * edge were not in the graph. If all the edges incident on a given node have
 * weight Double.NEGATIVE_INFINITY, then the final result will not be a perfect
 * matching, and an exception will be thrown.
 */
public class MWBMatchingAlgorithm
{
	/**
	 * Creates a BipartiteMatcher without specifying the graph size. Calling any
	 * other method before calling reset will yield an IllegalStateException.
	 */

	/**
	 * Tolerance for comparisons to zero, to account for floating-point
	 * imprecision. We consider a positive number to be essentially zero if it
	 * is strictly less than TOL.
	 */
	private static final double TOL = 1e-10;
	// Number of left side nodes
	int n;

	// Number of right side nodes
	int m;

	double[][] weights;
	double minWeight;
	double maxWeight;

	// If (i, j) is in the mapping, then sMatches[i] = j and tMatches[j] = i.
	// If i is unmatched, then sMatches[i] = -1 (and likewise for tMatches).
	int[] sMatches;
	int[] tMatches;

	static final int NO_LABEL = -1;
	static final int EMPTY_LABEL = -2;

	int[] sLabels;
	int[] tLabels;

	double[] u;
	double[] v;

	double[] pi;

	List<Integer> eligibleS = new ArrayList<Integer>();
	List<Integer> eligibleT = new ArrayList<Integer>();

	public MWBMatchingAlgorithm()
	{
		n = -1;
		m = -1;
	}

	/**
	 * Creates a BipartiteMatcher and prepares it to run on an n x m graph. All
	 * the weights are initially set to 1.
	 */
	public MWBMatchingAlgorithm(int n, int m)
	{
		reset(n, m);
	}

	/**
	 * Resets the BipartiteMatcher to run on an n x m graph. The weights are all
	 * reset to 0.
	 */
	private void reset(int n, int m)
	{
		if (n < 0 || m < 0) { throw new IllegalArgumentException("Negative num nodes: " + n + " or " + m); }
		this.n = n;
		this.m = m;

		weights = new double[n][m];
		for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
		{
			for (int j = 0; j < m; j++)
			{
				weights[i][j] = 0;
			}
		}
		minWeight = 1;
		maxWeight = Double.NEGATIVE_INFINITY;

		sMatches = new int[n];
		tMatches = new int[m];
		sLabels = new int[n];
		tLabels = new int[m];
		u = new double[n];
		v = new double[m];
		pi = new double[m];

	}

	/**
	 * Sets the weight wij to the given value w.
	 *
	 * @throws IllegalArgumentException
	 *             if i or j is outside the range [0, n).
	 */
	public void setWeight(int i, int j, double w)
	{
		if (n == -1 || m == -1) { throw new IllegalStateException("Graph size not specified."); }
		if ((i < 0) || (i >= n)) { throw new IllegalArgumentException("i-value out of range: " + i); }
		if ((j < 0) || (j >= m)) { throw new IllegalArgumentException("j-value out of range: " + j); }
		if (Double.isNaN(w)) { throw new IllegalArgumentException("Illegal weight: " + w); }

		weights[i][j] = w;
		if ((w > Double.NEGATIVE_INFINITY) && (w < minWeight))
		{
			minWeight = w;
		}
		if (w > maxWeight)
		{
			maxWeight = w;
		}
	}

	/**
	 * Returns a maximum-weight perfect matching relative to the weights
	 * specified with setWeight. The matching is represented as an array arr of
	 * length n, where arr[i] = j if (i,j) is in the matching.
	 */
	public int[] getMatching()
	{
		if (n == -1 || m == -1) { throw new IllegalStateException("Graph size not specified."); }
		if (n == 0) { return new int[0]; }
		ensurePositiveWeights();

		// Step 0: Initialization
		eligibleS.clear();
		eligibleT.clear();
		for (Integer i = 0; i < n; i++)
		{
			sMatches[i] = -1;

			u[i] = maxWeight; // ambiguous on p. 205 of Lawler, but see p. 202

			// this is really first run of Step 1.0
			sLabels[i] = EMPTY_LABEL;
			eligibleS.add(i);
		}

		for (int j = 0; j < m; j++)
		{
			tMatches[j] = -1;

			v[j] = 0;
			pi[j] = Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY;

			// this is really first run of Step 1.0
			tLabels[j] = NO_LABEL;
		}

		while (true)
		{
			// Augment the matching until we can't augment any more given the
			// current settings of the dual variables.
			while (true)
			{
				// Steps 1.1-1.4: Find an augmenting path
				int lastNode = findAugmentingPath();
				if (lastNode == -1)
				{
					break; // no augmenting path
				}

				// Step 2: Augmentation
				flipPath(lastNode);
				for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
					sLabels[i] = NO_LABEL;

				for (int j = 0; j < m; j++)
				{
					pi[j] = Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
					tLabels[j] = NO_LABEL;
				}

				// This is Step 1.0
				eligibleS.clear();
				for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
				{
					if (sMatches[i] == -1)
					{
						sLabels[i] = EMPTY_LABEL;
						eligibleS.add(new Integer(i));
					}
				}

				eligibleT.clear();
			}

			// Step 3: Change the dual variables

			// delta1 = min_i u[i]
			double delta1 = Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
			for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
			{
				if (u[i] < delta1)
				{
					delta1 = u[i];
				}
			}

			// delta2 = min_{j : pi[j] > 0} pi[j]
			double delta2 = Double.POSITIVE_INFINITY;
			for (int j = 0; j < m; j++)
			{
				if ((pi[j] >= TOL) && (pi[j] < delta2))
				{
					delta2 = pi[j];
				}
			}

			if (delta1 < delta2)
			{
				// In order to make another pi[j] equal 0, we'd need to
				// make some u[i] negative.
				break; // we have a maximum-weight matching
			}

			changeDualVars(delta2);
		}

		int[] matching = new int[n];
		for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
		{
			matching[i] = sMatches[i];
		}
		return matching;
	}

	/**
	 * Tries to find an augmenting path containing only edges (i,j) for which
	 * u[i] + v[j] = weights[i][j]. If it succeeds, returns the index of the
	 * last node in the path. Otherwise, returns -1. In any case, updates the
	 * labels and pi values.
	 */
	int findAugmentingPath()
	{
		while ((!eligibleS.isEmpty()) || (!eligibleT.isEmpty()))
		{
			if (!eligibleS.isEmpty())
			{
				int i = ((Integer) eligibleS.get(eligibleS.size() - 1)).intValue();
				eligibleS.remove(eligibleS.size() - 1);
				for (int j = 0; j < m; j++)
				{
					// If pi[j] has already been decreased essentially
					// to zero, then j is already labeled, and we
					// can't decrease pi[j] any more. Omitting the
					// pi[j] >= TOL check could lead us to relabel j
					// unnecessarily, since the diff we compute on the
					// next line may end up being less than pi[j] due
					// to floating point imprecision.
					if ((tMatches[j] != i) && (pi[j] >= TOL))
					{
						double diff = u[i] + v[j] - weights[i][j];
						if (diff < pi[j])
						{
							tLabels[j] = i;
							pi[j] = diff;
							if (pi[j] < TOL)
							{
								eligibleT.add(new Integer(j));
							}
						}
					}
				}
			}
			else
			{
				int j = ((Integer) eligibleT.get(eligibleT.size() - 1)).intValue();
				eligibleT.remove(eligibleT.size() - 1);
				if (tMatches[j] == -1) { return j; // we've found an augmenting
													// path
				}

				int i = tMatches[j];
				sLabels[i] = j;
				eligibleS.add(new Integer(i)); // ok to add twice
			}
		}

		return -1;
	}

	/**
	 * Given an augmenting path ending at lastNode, "flips" the path. This means
	 * that an edge on the path is in the matching after the flip if and only if
	 * it was not in the matching before the flip. An augmenting path connects
	 * two unmatched nodes, so the result is still a matching.
	 */
	void flipPath(int lastNode)
	{
		while (lastNode != EMPTY_LABEL)
		{
			int parent = tLabels[lastNode];

			// Add (parent, lastNode) to matching. We don't need to
			// explicitly remove any edges from the matching because:
			// * We know at this point that there is no i such that
			// sMatches[i] = lastNode.
			// * Although there might be some j such that tMatches[j] =
			// parent, that j must be sLabels[parent], and will change
			// tMatches[j] in the next time through this loop.
			sMatches[parent] = lastNode;
			tMatches[lastNode] = parent;

			lastNode = sLabels[parent];
		}
	}

	void changeDualVars(double delta)
	{
		for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
		{
			if (sLabels[i] != NO_LABEL)
			{
				u[i] -= delta;
			}
		}

		for (int j = 0; j < m; j++)
		{
			if (pi[j] < TOL)
			{
				v[j] += delta;
			}
			else if (tLabels[j] != NO_LABEL)
			{
				pi[j] -= delta;
				if (pi[j] < TOL)
				{
					eligibleT.add(new Integer(j));
				}
			}
		}
	}

	/**
	 * Ensures that all weights are either Double.NEGATIVE_INFINITY, or strictly
	 * greater than zero.
	 */
	private void ensurePositiveWeights()
	{
		// minWeight is the minimum non-infinite weight
		if (minWeight < TOL)
		{
			for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
			{
				for (int j = 0; j < m; j++)
				{
					weights[i][j] = weights[i][j] - minWeight + 1;
				}
			}

			maxWeight = maxWeight - minWeight + 1;
			minWeight = 1;
		}
	}

	@SuppressWarnings("unused")
	private void printWeights()
	{
		for (int i = 0; i < n; i++)
		{
			for (int j = 0; j < m; j++)
			{
				System.out.print(weights[i][j] + " ");
			}
			System.out.println("");
		}
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Family meetings are more than just a way to promote cooperation and joint decision making. Family meetings also provide an opportunity to respectfully discuss family disagreements and negotiate solutions. In the meetings, each family member is given time to talk and everyone else listens to understand each other. Most importantly, family members get to share with each other the emotions that they are feeling.
Dinner disaster: The foot is down!
Disney's movie Inside Out shows what can go wrong when family members do not share how they are feeling. While sitting down to dinner, we get to look into the mind of eleven-year-old Riley as well as the minds of her parents. Each mind has a headquarters with a console operated by five Emotions: Joy, Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust. Dinners with this family are usually fun and friendly. But this mealtime Riley is being sarcastic because Riley's Joy and Sadness are absent from her headquarters, leaving Riley with just her Disgust, Fear and Anger. Mom's Emotions, led by her Sadness, want to get Dad involved in the dinner conversation to figure out what is wrong with Riley, but he is slow to respond. That is because Dad's Emotions are distracted watching a hockey game.
In Dad's headquarters, Dad's Anger notices Mom's signals and says, "Uh-oh, she's looking at us," while clicking off the hockey game. Dad tries to pay attention and asks Riley about school, but Riley gives a dismissive response. Dad's Fear reports, "Sir, she just rolled her eyes at us" and Dad lets Riley know that he doesn't like her attitude. In Riley's headquarters, Riley's Anger is getting hot and says, "Oh, I'll show you attitude, old man," and Riley accusingly tells Dad to leave her alone. Dad's Fear reports "high level of sass" and sounds the alarm as Dad's Emotions prepare to "put the foot down." Dad starts to lecture Riley.
Riley's Anger yells, "You want a piece of this, Pops?" and Riley tells Dad to shut up. In response, Dad's Anger commands "Fire the foot!" as Dad tells Riley to go to her room. Riley briefly looks surprised, then leaves the table. Dad's Fear exclaims, "The foot is down! The foot is down!" while Dad's Emotions cheer. Dad's Anger praises his Emotions saying, "Good job, gentlemen, that could have been a disaster." Mom's Emotions all moan, and Mom's Sadness sighs, "Well, that was a disaster," as Mom hears Riley's bedroom door slam.
Learning to manage conflict
What happened in this family? It's helpful to understand their conflict by using Joyce Hocker and William Wilmot's definition of conflict from their book Interpersonal Conflict. The authors think of conflict as having five components:
Interdependence: The behavior of one affects the other.
Difference: A perceived difference that is going to bother somebody.
Opposition: Frustration of the goals of at least one person.
Expression: Someone has to act in a way so that the conflict is visible.
Emotion: There is always some level of negative emotion, typically anger, in a conflict.
Feelings aid reasoning
Focusing on the last conflict component of emotion, the movie portrays anger as controlling Riley and her Dad. This makes the dinner scene an example of what can happen when anger is at the console. Everyone knows that the improper expression of anger can cause irreparable harm in close relationships. However, as Antonio Damasio points out in his book Descartes' Error, reasoning without emotions can actually cause more harm than when emotions run free. Here's how the author describes Descartes' alleged error of separating feelings from reasoning:
When emotion is entirely left out of the reasoning picture, as happens in certain neurological conditions, reason turns out to be even more flawed than when emotion plays bad tricks on our decisions.
In other words, feelings are not a luxury, but a necessity. They are necessary to be able to predict the future and plan next steps, which are essential to navigating through any problem presented in a conflict. How then should you deal with negative emotions when you are in conflict? The answer isn't easy, but is worth the effort. Rather than mindlessly reacting, notice your emotions and let them aid your reasoning to think through your options and choose the best course of action.
Express feelings rather than act them out
As shown at the end of the movie Inside Out, Riley's family reached intimacy when they shared with each other their feelings. Riley felt sad, and had acted on this feeling by running away. But when she returned home, she shared with her parents her feeling of sadness. Her parents then shared how they too felt sad. But, unlike Riley's family who waited until the end of the movie, you can start expressing feelings now by putting on your family's calendar a regularly scheduled family meeting that is a safe place to discuss conflicts between family members and to take turns sharing emotions.
Image: "Big Foot!" (CC BY-ND 2.0) by Craig Sunter.
Source: Damasio, Antonio R. Descartes' Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. Putnam, 1994.
Source: Hocker, Joyce L, and William W. Wilmot. Interpersonal Conflict. W.C. Brown, 1978.
In Stephen Spielberg's movie Bridge of Spies, Tom Hanks portrayed Jim Donovan, an attorney who engaged in an historical negotiation. During the Cold War, Jim was enlisted by the CIA to be the negotiator in an exchange of accused spies. This exchange took place on the Glienicke Bridge spanning between East Germany and West Berlin. However, before the prisoner exchange occurred, Jim had to enter into negotiations with the USSR and East Germany. These negotiations had a frosty start.
As portrayed in the movie, the negotiations were preceded by Jim's sleeping in a damp and cold cottage on the outskirts of West Berlin, instead of in a welcoming and warm hotel. On February 3, 1962, the day Jim was to make contact with his Soviet counterpart, he walked alone through the icy streets of East Berlin, only to be robbed of his overcoat before finding his way in the snow to the Soviet embassy. There, while trying to regain his composure and warmth, he was accosted by a cacophony of confusion from three KGB imposters who claimed to be the relatives of Rudolph Abel, the accused Soviet spy. Jim quickly realized that the clamorous family was fake. While Jim needed to overcome his body's chill, he did not lose his cool as a negotiator.
Pre-mediation conference call is a warm up for negotiation
This movie scene illustrates the importance of pre-mediation conference calls. The purpose of having a phone call with a mediator is to remove as much uncertainty about the negotiation process as possible before the mediation begins. In the movie, Jim would have benefited from a call with a mediator to at least discuss with whom he was negotiating, confirm the exact time and place of the meeting, and receive specific directions to the conference room.
A goal of a pre-mediation conference call is to start a mediation with everyone being prepared to work hard and put their best thoughts forward. To reach this goal, here is a brief checklist of things that you can expect to be covered in a pre-mediation conference call:
Disclosure of any issues uncovered during a mediator conflicts check.
Explanation of the case status, such as last offers made.
Format of mediation, including expectations and goals.
Exchange of documents, including submission of summaries to the mediator.
Listing of who will participate in the mediation.
Description of any telephonic attendance requests.
Time and place of the mediation session.
Arrangement for snacks or meals and a discussion of any special accommodations due to health or schedules.
Decision of what each party is to bring as support materials.
Confirmation of mediator compensation.
The pre-mediation conference call addresses issues in advance so that, once the mediation session starts, everyone can focus on reaching a settlement. In other words, think of the pre-mediation conference call as a time to become educated about the upcoming mediation.
Advice from JFK about difficult negotiations
While we are thinking about the Cold War, it's good to remember a quote from John F. Kennedy, who was president during Jim's negotiations. JFK admonished the nation in his inaugural address:
Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.
Just as the Glienicke Bridge spanned the Havel River between West Berlin and East Germany, mediation is a process that can help parties span the dispute that is between them. Because the process is voluntary, even if a court orders parties to mediation, they don't have to settle. To take JFK's advice, knowing that you have control over your negotiated decisions, you don't need to enter into mediation in fear. Nevertheless, because mediation is a confidential process that enables you and the other party to make informed decisions, you also don't need to fear offering proposals that meet your needs. It's as good a time as any to imitate Jim Donovan's savvy determination to reach an agreement that you can live with and that puts the dispute behind you.
Image: "Bridge of Spies" (CC BY 2.0) by David Stanley.
For an elder, few things are as symbolic of the loss of freedom as the phrase "giving up the car keys." Elaine Stritch illustrates this well in her documentary Shoot Me, filmed when she was 86 years old. At the beginning of the documentary, it was clear how full of life she was walking the streets of New York City. She trotted on the sidewalks with driven determination, pausing along the way to engage with fans who recognized this Tony Award winning Broadway legend. And, as she connected with passersby, she delivered witty remarks that indicated that she not only was a master of active listening but that her mind was sharp as a tack.
Yet, before these introductory Manhattan neighborhood scenes, even before the opening credits, Elaine was filmed in her apartment responding to a question about how she felt about her life at age 86. She emphatically stated with her saucy voice:
Look. I've got a certain amount of fame. I've got money. I wish I could [expletive] drive! Then I'd really be a menace.
For Elaine, who was bounding with energy at 86 years old, she was frustrated at having to give up the car keys. Considering the sense of isolation and dependency that comes from not being able to drive, giving up the car keys can feel like a devastating experience.
Transparent conversations with Elaine Stritch
If the name Elaine Stritch does not sound familiar to you, you may recognize her from her guest appearances on 30 Rock as Jack Donaghy's mother. For theatregoers, she is famous as the grande dame of Broadway musical comedies featuring songs from Stephen Sondheim. In her documentary, she reprised those Sondheim songs in cabaret shows while occasionally forgetting her lyrics. Despite her memory lapses, she connected with her audience to the envy of any attorney attempting to connect with a jury.
In her documentary, for example, a reviewer of one of her performances writes: "The mere presence of this lean, glaring lion of a woman said everything about resilience, feisty determination, and the will to continue. Almost any other performer would probably throw in the towel, but a trouper grits her teeth and plunges ahead, trusting in her survival instincts to carry her through any crisis. That is exactly what Ms. Stritch did, to wild acclaim." To see an example of her classy determination to push through her forgotten lyrics, watch her performance of I'm Still Here sung at the White House.
The documentary showed much more than just Elaine's stage presence. It also chronicled her daily struggles with diabetes and alcoholism. For example, after being rushed to the hospital due to a sudden drop in blood sugar, Elaine described what it was like when she was physically unable to talk, yet her mind was fully engaged. Throughout the documentary, her transparency allowed the viewer to journey alongside her as she dealt with the advances of age.
Transparent conversations uncover interests beneath positions
Transparent conversations don't have to be limited to up-close and personal documentaries. Transparency can be between adult children and their parents by participating in family facilitation. Like Elaine sharing with the camera about her hopes and fears, in facilitation an elder parent can intimately share with his or her family the emotions of aging. Similarly, strained sibling relationships can be eased when an adult child shares with other siblings concerns about what is often called "caregiver burnout." With the goal of planning for the right level of care, families can collaboratively make tough decisions that come along with aging.
A family meeting with a facilitator can be effective because it enables families to go beneath the surface and uncover what is important for each family member. As an elder parent enters a life transition, families can go beneath positions and uncover interests. In the classic book Getting to Yes, Roger Fisher and William Ury explain that positions are things you want, while interests indicate why you want it or think the way you do about it. Often, families will get stuck in arguments over declared positions. Family facilitation can help preserve family ties by having difficult conversations that recognize and satisfy interests. For example, an adult child might take the position that the elder parent must no longer drive. By exploring why the adult child has taken this position, and why an elder parent needs access to transportation, solutions can be explored that balance the twin desires of safety and independence. While this type of collaborative dialogue may take time, understanding what is important to everyone is time well spent to reach family decisions based on mutual understanding.
Cheering "Bravo!" for aging parents
Elaine helps us understand her views of aging when she explained:
I like the courage of age. And Bette Davis said it better than anyone, you know? Not for sissies. Getting old is not for sissies. And I never liked the word 'old.' I like 'older.' I'm getting older every single day, and so is everybody else. So we're all going together. Ba-boom, ba-boom, ba-boom. And why not enjoy it? 'Cause there's not a [expletive] thing you can do about it.
Similar to Elaine looking ahead to her life's curtain call with brave honesty, elder parents can map out their plans for what they still want to accomplish. Family facilitation can strengthen family bonds by uncovering dreams as well as recognizing vulnerabilities. By engaging in family discussions, adult children can help their parents cast themselves in their life's scripts and understudy Elaine by living life with pizzazz.
Image: "Taxi" (CC BY-ND 2.0) by Nick Harris.
Street photographers have an eye for seeing reality from new perspectives. Just as film is exposed to light, street photographers can teach us how to expose our understanding to the reality of our conflicts. The documentary Finding Vivian Maier from John Maloof gives an inside look at a 20th century street photographer, Vivian, who was a full-time nanny. Ready with her Rolleiflex camera, Vivian would stroll throughout Chicago with the children under her care in tow. A Rolleiflex is a film camera for the street because it has a viewfinder on top, which lets you hang the camera from your neck and look down to take a picture. In other words, you don't have to hold this type of camera up to your face. Because the camera is at waist level, a street photographer can trigger the shutter without being noticed. However, street photographers aren't disengaged. Rather, they briefly enter into a street scene, take a picture in an unobtrusive way, and then walk away. This is what Vivian would do.
Joel Meyerowitz, a street photographer featured in the documentary, had this to say about street photography:
Street photographers tend to be gregarious in the sense that they can go out on the street and they're comfortable being among people, but they're also a funny mixture of solitaries at the same time as being gregarious. You observe and you embrace and you take in, but you stay back and you try to stay invisible.
In particular, Joel described Vivian's photographic style in this way:
As [Vivian] was photographing, she was seeing just how close you can come into somebody's space and make a picture of them. That tells me a lot about her. It tells me that she could go into a space with a total stranger and get them to accommodate her by being themselves and generate this kind of moment where two presences were actually kind of vibrating together. And then she's gone.
He also stated about her pictures that:
Vivian's work had those qualities of human understanding and warmth and playfulness. . . . I think her pictures show a tenderness, instant alertness to human tragedies, and those moments of generosity of sweetness. I see her as an incredibly watchful, observant, caring person. And probably why she was a nanny was that she had those capacities.
When it comes to conflict, it's possible for us to learn to be watchful, observant, and caring. We can observe like a street photographer, but instead of shooting a picture, we can ask a question. A question can help you take a snapshot of your situation the way Vivian took snapshots of the people she saw on the street. You can ask a question to discover whether your perceptions are accurate, kind of like focusing a camera. Asking a question allows the other to clarify what was meant and provide an explanation, giving you a focused view into your situation.
To ask good questions, or to take good street photos, it helps to be in the present moment. In his book Getting to Yes with Yourself, William Ury describes embracing the present. He writes that we "can visit the past from time to time to learn from it and we can visit the future to plan and take necessary precautions, but we make our home in the only place where we can make positive change happen: in the present moment." He goes on to say that it "is by being present and spotting the present opportunities in our negotiations that we can most easily get to yes with others." Like having a flash on a camera, by being in the present moment, you will be able to see things that you might otherwise have missed, and ask questions that lead you to resolution.
Vivian was able to be in the present moment for her street photography. As Joel Meyerowitz said, she took pictures with "an authentic eye and a real savvy about human nature." You can do the same with your questions.
Image: "Rolleiflex" (CC BY 2.0) by Oreste Pantegani.
I hope none of us are ever in such dire straits as Mark Watney, the character from the book The Martian by Andy Weir and played by Matt Damon in the movie. Yet, despite Mark's predicament of being stranded on Mars and his immense loneliness and desperation, he never lost sight of the importance of being a problem solver. Hopefully you are not feeling as if you are stranded on Mars by a conflict, but here are some ideas to use mediation to put a conflict behind you.
1) Prepare for rescue by focusing on the future
Problem solving kept Mark alive on Mars. To be a problem solver, he did not let the past of being abandoned by his crew interfere with what he wanted to achieve for his future. Staying focused on the future is also a good idea with mediation. While the courtroom is the place to explore the past to determine who is to blame, mediation provides the opportunity to look into the future to determine what outcome will feel like a rescue from Mars and give you a future that you can live with.
2) Know your goal
One of the first things Mark had to do was set his sights on his desired outcome, which was to stay alive until the next scheduled Mars landing in about three years (1480 sols). His goal kept him focused on his needs, such as conserving his food, rather than being distracted by his wants of eating a full meal. With mediation, understanding your needs and wants will help you achieve your goal.
3) Think broadly about information
Mark did a thorough job of collecting data about his problems, but even with such diligence, he invariably would forget some important piece of information that would cause havoc to his plans ("Everything went great right up to the explosion," Mark Watney). Don't suppress your intuition about what data will help you make good decisions. During a pre-conference phone call, let your mediator know if you need more information to have a productive mediation.
4) Take care of yourself
I was impressed by Mark's recognition that he had to take care of himself in order to survive. If he became exhausted, he knew that he would not be able to deal with the next life-threatening event. Similarly, pace yourself in mediation. Ask your mediator for a break and go for a short walk to get the creative juices flowing. Make sure that you take care of yourself physically and emotionally.
5) Laugh a little
Of course, the hallmark of Mark's survival was his sense of humor. If your mediator brings humor into your mediation, use that time to relax and give your brain a rest before getting back to the serious work of resolving your dispute.
What else can we learn about mediation from The Martian? Think about the phrase, "Let's work the problem, people," spoken by Flight Director Gene Kranz played by Ed Harris in the movie Apollo 13.
Image: "Daybreak at Gale Crater" (CC BY 2.0) by NASA Goddard Photo and Video.


text:
Q: How to overload compound-assignment in c++? point.h
...
Point operator +=(double & left, const Point & right) {
    return Point(left + right.x, left + right.y, left + right.z);
}
// std::ostream is overloaded
...

main.cpp
#include <iostream>
#include "point.h"

int main() {
    double a = 1.0;
    Point b(1.0, 1.0, 1.0);
    a += b;
    std::cout << a << std::endl;
}

Output:
1

I would like to return the sum:
(2, 2, 2)

But the double type is preserved by compiler when compound-assignment.

A: This operator definition
Point operator +=(double & left, const Point & right) {
    return Point(left + right.x, left + right.y, left + right.z);
}

is wrong because it assigns nothing to the left operand and does not return the lvalue of the assigned object.
In general it is better to define such operators as class member functions.
I would define it the following way
class Point
{
    //...
    Point & operator +=( const Point &rhs )
    {
        x += rhs.x;
        y += rhs.y;
        z += rhs.z;

        return *this;
    }
    //...
};

As for your code and particularly this statement
a += b;

then it is not clear whether there is a conversion constructor that converts an object of type double (the type that object a has) to type Point because you did not show the class definition. And as I already pointed out the operator you defined does not change the left operand (a temporary object of type Point that would be created based on the object a). So if even the record above is correct in any case the original object a will not be changed.
For an objects of type double used as the left operand  you could define operator + instead of the operator +=.
For example
const Point operator +( double lhs, const Point &rhs )
{
    Point p( rhs.x + lhs, rhs.y + lhs, rhs.z + lhs );

    return p;
}

The details of the implementation for your class can be different because I do not see the class definition. Nevertheless this definition demonstrates the idea.
In this case you could write
double a = 1.0;
Point b( 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 );

std::cout << a + b << std::endl;

and get the expected result
(2, 2, 2)


text:
Pharma Initiative Support
Three regenerative medicenes as Orphan Drug Designation(ODD) on 13NOV2019
Three regenerative medicenes as Orphan Drug Designation(OD...
Three regenerative medicines are designated as Orphan Drug Designation (ODD) by Minister of Health and Labor Welfare on November 13, 2019. ODD has merits of priority review ( 9months review than 12 months) and longer exclusivity ( max 10 years than 6 years)
NSR-REP1 (Biogen, Origin came from Nightstar therapeutics)
bb2121 (Celgene Corporation and bluebird bio, Inc.)
HLCM051 (Healios and Athersys)
NSR-REP1 for the treatment of choroideremia (CHM), a rare, degenerative, X-linked inherited retinal disorder, which leads to blindness and has no approved treatments. CHM primarily affects males and is caused by loss of function in the CHM gene which encodes the Rab escort protein-1 (REP-1). The REP-1 protein plays a role in intracellular protein trafficking, and loss of function in the CHM gene leads to abnormal intracellular protein trafficking and impaired elimination of waste products from the retinal pigment epithelium and photoreceptors. Initially, patients with CHM experience poor night vision, and over time progressive visual loss ultimately leads to complete blindness.
http://investors.biogen.com/news-releases/news-release-details/biogen-announces-agreement-acquire-nightstar-therapeutics
a chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy targeting b-cell maturation antigen (BCMA) in previously treated patients with multiple myeloma
https://ir.celgene.com/press-releases/press-release-details/2017/Celgene-Corporation-and-bluebird-bio-Announce-bb2121-Anti-BCMA-CAR-T-Cell-Therapy-Has-Been-Granted-Breakthrough-Therapy-Designation-from-FDA-and-Prime-Eligibility-from-EMA-for-Relapsed-and-Refractory-Multiple-Myeloma/default.aspx
MultiStem® cell therapy treatment of patients who suffer from acute respiratory distress syndrome ("ARDS")
https://www.athersys.com/investors/press-releases/press-release-details/2019/HEALIOS-KK-Announces-Enrollment-of-First-Patient-in-Japan-in-the-ONE-BRIDGE-Study-of-MultiStem-Treatment-for-Acute-Respiratory-Distress-Syndrome/default.aspx
2020年9月1日SAKIGAKE designation system is changed, Application accepted twice a year April and October
2020年9月1日Partnership with Scendea to lead global clinical development
2020年4月19日Update of SAKIGAKE designation system in Japan – April, 2020 –
2020年2月12日Viltolarsen, Antisense, is expected approval in 2020 in Japan and USA
2019年11月19日Accelerated system in Japan regulatory
SAKIGAKE designation system is changed, Application accepted twice a year April and October
Partnership with Scendea to lead global clinical development
Update of SAKIGAKE designation system in Japan – April, 2020 –
Viltolarsen, Antisense, is expected approval in 2020 in Japan and USA
Accelerated system in Japan regulatory
Yoshi Shinoki
Mail: yoshi.shinoki@pharmainitiativesupport.com
© 2023 Pharma Initiative Support