file photo.

Gathering Our Warriors, a program designed to help men who are struggling with alcoholism and addictions, began its second year on Feb. 5.

The weekly drop-in support group is based on 12-step recovery programs and emphasizes personal values and beliefs, and traditional teachings that will help the warriors heal from trauma and addiction and navigate sobriety.

Richard Jackson Jr., a drug and alcohol counsellor at Conayt Friendship Society, is co-facilitator of the program, which he says focuses on new ways to live a happier, healthier life.

Some of the things were looking at is anger management, which is very important. Becoming a warrior, the seven sacred grandfather teachings [Humility, Bravery, Honesty, Wisdom, Truth, Respect and Love]. We have talking circles and healing workshops. I bring in facilitators on a gender balance, so male and female, to do workshops with the warriors. Each with a different expertise, like domestic violence, recovery, healing anything that has to do with the men becoming whole and also starting to look at abstaining from drugs and alcohol, said Jackson.

The program welcomes all men who are struggling with alcoholism and addiction, not just those within the indigenous community. The sessions are every Wednesday from Feb. to April and run from 12p.m. to 3p.m. at the Conayt Friendship Society.

We start at noon and we serve a hot lunch from 12-1 and from 1-3 we do the work, said Jackson. Two of the biggest problems I see in the addictions field, is shelter and food. Those are the two main things that they need. So, we feed them a hot meal, maybe thats the only hot meal theyre going to get for the day.

Its a very structured environment, very safe. I think its very important that the warriors feel safe and secure.

Jackson, who has sat on the board of the very successful Round Lake Treatment Centre in Armstrong for the past 16 years, believes that Gathering Our Warriors is a valuable resource to those who have made the commitment to become sober. The Round Lake Treatment Centre operates on the premise that Culture is Treatment, and Jackson brings that attitude to his work as a counsellor with the warriors.

True wellbeing is based on the balance of the traditional medicine wheel: physical, spiritual, emotional and mental health are treated as important parts of the whole.

What were trying to do is heal the spirit. Because when you take alcohol and drugs, the spirit wants to leave your body, said Jackson.

The home is your body, what you put into your home reflects who you are. So, we need to be accountable and take responsibility for our actions, thats very important. The three things I ask the warriors to do is to be open, honest and transparent. With everything they do.

Conayt Friendship Society is located at 2164 Quilchena Ave. next to Merritt Moms and Families.

See the original post:
Warriors program helps those struggling with addiction - Merritt Herald - Merritt Herald

By Shirley Bose

If its your birthday todayThe time after April is auspicious for employment. Those seeking a financier or wanting to have a joint venture realise their wishes after July. Business/career improves gradually after March and then there is too much work to deal with, which is no problem since you love dealing with challenges and remaining one step ahead of deadlines. Do exercise as advised.

Capricorn: Facing some past emotional issues with a strong desire to resolve them quickly is ideal. Circumstances change very quickly. Karmic tip: This karmic cycle favours fighting for your rights. Colours: peach/cream.

Virgo: Several important meetings keep you busy the entire day. A special friend comes to meet you. Karmic tip: Some may have second thoughts about a relationship. Take your time. Colours: lilac/white.

Aquarius: Health is good. High energy levels help complete work quickly and in time. Karmic tip: The universe/God takes care of needs if there is an attitude of gratitude. Colours: scarlet/gold.

Gemini: A plateau phase delays a solution. Some buy a vehicle soon. Karmic tip: Let others carry on with their own life. Keeping the focus on your own is best. Colours: bronze/khaki.

Libra: Light and shade are two irrevocable parts of life, so keep a balance at all times with awareness. Karmic tip: Flow wisely in this karmic cycle of smooth beginnings. Colours: blue/black.

Pisces: A happy family life is the basis for good mental health. Karmic tip: Work is suddenly challenging, so be one step ahead of all that has to be completed. Colours: black/ivory.

Cancer: This is a positive time for entrepreneurs. A financially good time draws in sever- al new deals/contracts/projects. Karmic tip: A karmic cycle of opportunities allows making several changes. Colours: cream/beige.

Scorpio: Some news youve been anxious to hear comes through against all odds. Karmic tip: Nostalgia for the good old days may be slightly impractical for life as it is. Colours: white/grey.

Aries: Those beginning a career/business enter an auspicious time. Karmic tip: Consciously letting go of a memory is wiser as what you yearned for is further and further away. Colours: tan/green.

Leo: Taking advice from too many people should be avoided. Be selective. Karmic tip: By remaining on the path of positive actions youve also drawn in karmic justice for yourself. Colours: pink/grey.

Sagittarius: A family celebration is time consuming but enjoyable all the same. Health is good. Karmic tip: You are aware that a decision taken in haste could have disastrous results. Colours: maroon/pink.

Excerpt from:
Horoscope today: Here are the astrological predictions for February 11 - Mumbai Mirror

Preparing for a labor force that doesn't yet exist.

Indian aviation has, for long, been plagued by a dearth of pilots, which has hampered the fleet expansion plans of many airlines.

Between 2017 and 2019, hiring of pilots in India rose 88%, show official data from the ministry of civil aviation. However, this is not enough to meet the additional requirement of 17,000 pilots in the next 10 years, according to a 2019 report by the Sydney-based aviation market intelligence firm CAPA.

The issue came to the fore in February 2019 when the scarcity of pilots forced the countrys leading carrier, IndiGo, to cancel as many as 30 flights a day. It tried to make up for the shortfall by aggressively hiring expatriates.

A year on, the carrier says it has tided over the problem. At the moment IndiGo is not affectedwe had difficulties in the past because hiring a pilot isnt an easy job. You cant just hire a pilot like you hire a marketing director, said Raj Raghavan, senior vice-president and head of human resources, IndiGo.

Raghavan, an HR veteran who has worked with the likes of Amazon and Genpact, says the grounding of Jet Airways came as a blessing in disguise for head hunters. We hired about 400 people from Jetno airline has been able to hire that kind of a number.

In a conversation with Quartz, he talked about the jobs outlook in the aviation industry, and the work environment at IndiGo. Edited excerpts.

What is that one job that would be the most crucial to IndiGo in the future?

There are over 70 different kinds of jobs at IndiGo, from baggage handling and airport security to network planning. Choosing the most crucial is not easy. Ill come to the skill that is most in demand, which is network planning. An airlines network is as important as its revenue management capability. Network planning is basically about which sectors an airline will fly in, and at what frequency. This also helps in determining aircraft utilisation. The more time the planes are in the air, the better it is for managing costs.

How will you hire a person for network planning? What are the challenges?

Network planning cannot be learnt through a course, like an MBA. A lot of it is acquired through experience. We cant go to IIMs and ask for a network planner, nobody teaches that. What you need is the numerical ability to understand quantitative analysis.

Availability of slots (at airports) are important to determine what sectors you plan to fly to. For instance, youll think there is a great opportunity to fly from Delhi to Colombo (in Sri Lanka). Both these nations have bilateral agreements over how many planes can land in each of these countries and, accordingly, slots are allocated to airlines through a certain bidding process.

We cant go to IIMs and ask for a network planner, nobody teaches that.

Thereafter, you need to determine how your planes utilisation will happen. If you fly at night, then that will impact the productivity of pilots and cabin crew. In most countries, including India, there is a tightly regulated work-hour rhythm for both the corporate crew and cabin crew and all of this is a part of network planning. Also, lets say a pilot needs to fly 1,000 hours a year. This needs to be allotted appropriately. The pilot cant fly 1,000 hours in six months and not be doing anything for the next six.

A network planner has a key role to play in determining not just what sectors to fly to, but also in how people are utilised efficiently.

Indian aviation is facing a shortage of pilots. How has this affected you?

Pilots are like oil to the airline industry. For instance, a plane like Airbus A320 needs a captain and a first officer but if you are flying a longer range plane like an Airbus A330, or if its an intercontinental flight, you need more pilots. We have had issues with pilot shortage before, but we have been very thoughtful about talent acquisition.

With Jet Airways shutting down, there is an oversupply of professionals. Have salaries come under pressure?

I dont think there is an oversupply. A huge demand was already there.Pilots can be categorised into captains and first officers. There isnt any dearth of first officers, but there is a dearth of captains.

There isnt any dearth of first officers, but there is a dearth of captains.

We hired about 400 people from Jet. The airlines grounding came as a blessing in disguise because no airline company was ever able to hire in such huge numbers. Jets pilots are quite sought-after since they have flown for long periods. However, you also need to invest a lot in terms of training.

Some of the pilots who flew an Airbus 330 aircraft may find it easier to fly an Airbus 320, but it isnt the same for everyone. It isnt like you leave your job one day, and the next day you can start working at IndiGo. Pilots experienced in flying an Airbus 330, required four months training to start flying with us. And then they had to get their licences renewed and certified again from DGCA (Director General of Civil aviation, the sector regulator).

I dont think compensation packages have been impacted. It hasnt gone down at least at IndiGo.

Troubles at Indian airlines have tarnished the industrys image in recent years, has that made it harder for companies such as IndiGo to attract good talent?

The industry continues to be a place professionals want to be part of. Its true that some airlines had troubles, but that can happen in any industry. For example, in automobiles there have been losses at auto-component companies and the manufacturers. The same is the case in financial services, and telecom. Aviation is no different. Its an industry that has a very high reliance on safety and costs and those who cant manage the costs face troubles. I do not agree that it has impacted the sectors image.

Do you think artificial intelligence (AI) can take over traditional jobs like that of ground staff at airports?

Fungible jobs that do not require intense training can be taken over by AI. However, some of these jobs require special training. For instance, in an AAI (Airports Authority of India) airport like Chennai, you need to be a certified scanner for checking flyers luggage. The job of a loader also needs special trainingthese require human intelligence.

What are the qualities you look for, when you hire?

Competence in the job is the minimum requirement. Then I look for attitude. Customer service is an attitude, to be able to work in a team is an attitude. To have a point of view, and be respectable to others is all part of attitude.

What initiatives have been launched by IndiGo to upskill its workforce and enhance efficiency?

The big components of the HR function at IndiGo are learning and development. We have training centres known as IFly, one in Gurugram and the other in Bengaluru. There are around 1,400 people training for about 70 different courses. Some are regular training programmes, while others are soft skills training programmes among others.

Have IndiGos employees been impacted by the ongoing disagreement between its promoters?

I dont think its affecting our employees at all. The promoters have their own ways of handling it. It does not bother us. We are here to do our jobs and to safely manage our planes and to serve customers.

How seriously does IndiGo take the mental health of its employees?

A lot of the training is focussed on keeping the mind clear with yoga. We have started using music as a way to calm the mind. So, we are experimenting a lot. We also have a professional arrangement with an external firm One Health. Our employees can contact their experts in order to sort out issues that are bothering their mental health. The practice is completely confidential. Not even the HR knows the details.

Read the rest here:
Even IIMs can't teach you the most important skill at IndiGo - Quartz India

Published: February 9, 2020 2:06:02 pm

By Karishmma V Mangal

Whether you work full-time, or few hours a week, childcare is an important commitment as a parent. Nothing matters more than ensuring your child is in a safe, caring and stimulating environment. Also, as a parent, when you sow the seeds of empathy, compassion and care early in the life of your child, theyre likely to be happier and successful when they grow up.

Most parents make the right choices while supporting their child. A good caregiver thinks and identifies beyond basic needs. A parent must focus on cultivating the right mental and physical health. A childs early home environment has a significant role on their development. Brain imaging research suggests that growing up in a disadvantaged environment causes the childs brain to develop differently.

Physical environment: The effect of physical environment on a childs development cannot be understated. If they are raised in an environment that is affected by chaos and filled with aggression, changes in the brains stress system can occur which can further lead to vulnerability to chronic diseases later in life.

Family bonding: Family has an important influence on the childs mental and physical development. It is important to provide an environment that addresses their mental, physical and emotional needs. Parents should make it a habit to spend few hours a day with their child in the form of reading a book, watching a cartoon or playing a sport. This helps in developing motor skills and team spirit.

Health and nutrition: Nutritious food is a basic need of a childs physical health. As a parent, it is your duty to inculcate healthy eating habits in them. Excessive eating can lead to a host of complications in the future.

Learning: Few parents have this belief that learning is only meant for school. Remember, more than school, your home environment stimulates your childs mental health. Provide your child with a loving home where they can develop cognitive, motor and emotional skills.

Read| Mental health issues are real, even for toddlers

Nutritious food

Adequate exercise

Healthy living environment

Unconditional love from parents love and acceptance should be at the heart of family life.

Safe and secure surroundings encourage them to thrive in an atmosphere that will promote their physical, social, mental and emotional well-being.

Self-confidence and self-esteem If they make mistakes, forgive them. Unconditional love, affection and support will boost their confidence.

In recent years, its no big secret that playtime has decreased tremendously. Instead of going out and playing, kids spend time in front of their iPad screens. As a parent, you must encourage them to go out and engage in physical activities. To nurture relationships with your little ones, playtime is important. Heres how:

When you make time to play with your child you re-establish a bond that began at infancy.

Colouring with your child or playing a board game with them is a great opportunity to spend time together.

Parent-child relationships also help the latter to improve their social interaction skills.

Remember, the goal of building a safe environment is to teach your child self-control. As a parent, it is important for you to know the warning signs of poor physical and mental health in your child:

Decline in school performance

Regular anxiety

Aggression

Temper tantrums

Depression, sadness and irritability

Develop caring and loving relationships with your kids.

Provide opportunities for children to practice care and attitude.

Be a strong role model and mentor to them.

Create a safe and positive home environment.

Praise them when they do well.

Exposing your child to the right kind of environment will have a direct impact on their behaviour, learning and personality.

(The writer is Director and Trustee, Thakur International School Cambridge.)

The Indian Express is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@indianexpress) and stay updated with the latest headlines

For all the latest Parenting News, download Indian Express App.

IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd

Excerpt from:
Kids mental and physical health: Why the right environment matters - The Indian Express

Thursday isnt Friday Eve: QUIT living for the weekend and start living!

Recently, a friend noted that hating your job is like another full-time job. If you have ever had a job you hated, you know this is the truth. I used to work at a non-profit where the office was clean and tidy, there were ample snacks and bottomless coffee, there were holiday parties, and people generally seemed to get along with each other. All this was negated by a few repressive regulations that made employees feel they werent considered sovereign beings capable of making adult choices. For example, the company had an irritatingly old fashioned dress code; skirts had to be below the knee, and pants couldnt reveal an ankle, hello Victorian Era! But generally, the organization was healthy with a diverse team, fair working hours, and average pay (when you factored in the excellent benefits).

With all of that, it was difficult for me to understand why by Wednesday, people were already saying, in the knowing tones of co-conspirators, more than halfway done (with the week) and were almost there. By Thursday, well, we didnt even have Thursday. All of my colleagues were ready to be done with the workweek by Thursday and had deemed it, Friday eve. The bottom line was people didnt like working there.

For some reason, this Friday-eve mentality affected me deeply. I found it depressing and deflating. I liked my job. I felt good about the work I was doing was pleased to be serving my community. I tried to figure out the origin of my colleagues feelings. It came down to two things. First, the disrespect inherent in a strict dress code. And next, the simple fact that as a culture, weve evolved past the 40-hour workweek. Many companies have employed me over the years, and except for on-demand positions like cashier, food service, and teaching, a focused employee can often get the work spread across 5-days done in 2-3. Its time to rethink the standard 40-hour workweek and cut the fluff. That said, I think its counter-intuitive to spend time loathing what you do. It drains your very precious energy. And more significantly, the whole, is it Friday yet? mentality is a subtle attack on the self, discounting the value of your work. This is true even when your office is hostile or toxic, expending energy hating your job males it even harder to get out, it drains more of your resources. Trash-talking the way you spend 40-hours of your week subtly undercuts your self-esteem. It also puts all the expectations of an entire life on the fantasy of a very brief weekend where you can truly live and be yourself. It treats the week as a time when you have to disconnect and be a lifeless robot-automaton. Its mentally and physically unhealthy.

Its true that at work, most people share only a limited amount of personal information. There are aspects of your personal life that have no place in the office (though Id also contend that if being unable to share is negatively impacting you, maybe you need to find a more suitable office environment). Still, there is always a way of being yourself while not completely revealing yourself. This is one of the key differences between maintaining your integrity and feeling diminished. You can be you even if you cant cover your desk in crystals, hang tapestries, and burn incense in the office. You express the core of who you are through all of your actions and attitudes.

There are myriad reasons to stay in a job that drains you. Maybe you need the money and havent found anything better yet. Perhaps you are feeling too tired and depressed to look for a new job. Or you may feel a diminished sense of self-worth after being at a job you despise for a while and lack the confidence to pursue something new. These reasons and any others you may have are all very reasonable excuses for being (temporarily) stuck in a position that doesnt suit you. Unfortunately, the price you pay for hating what you do can be higher than you may realize. In addition to physical and mental health issues that can result from work stress, inevitably, it bleeds into your personal life and can cause conflict and dissatisfaction at home.

If youre stuck in a toxic office, or one that doesnt challenge you or compromises your true nature, youre in danger. Hitting snooze, taking mental health days, and suffering from the Sunday evening blues are all strong indications your work is negatively impacting your life. If youre thinking about your job after work or dreading Monday all weekend, its time to take action. I was in a toxic work situation once and was driving home from work when I looked behind me to see police lights flashing. When the officer approached my car, he was furious. Whats going on? I have been following you with my lights on for three miles? He demanded. I was shocked. I was so caught up in thoughts about my terrible job that I was driving a car impaired by them. I actually thanked the officer for the ticket I clearly deserved. This kind of work preoccupation is just plain bad for you. Loathing what you do can lead to physical and mental health problems such as:

And there are other, more subtle impacts.

Beyond Friday eve

If youre a Friday eve person, below are a few suggestions to help you start building yourself up and living your best life all week long.

First things first:

When youre in the office:

Getting ready for the future:

Always remember that you have control over your emotions. You have the power to reset your attitude about work until youre able to find something better suited for you.

More here:
Thursday isn't Friday Eve - Thrive Global

What you have to offer has a deeper more personal impact on your customers lives than you learn, lead, and leverage right now! Whether you are selling an appointment, a service, or a product, its not what you know about your offering that matters most, its what you know about your customers. No doubt, you have a great message, but if you never get your message through to others, it really doesnt matter. The business of our business is people, not products or services.

Too many professionals struggle to get their customers to want to engage, want to listen, and want to move forward. The best communicators build their personal influence by asking the right questions at the right time so that they can appropriately align with what already drives their customers. Make no mistake, the right questions lead to the right conversations; the right conversations lead to the right personal connections, the right personal connections lead to the right opportunities, and the right opportunities lead to sales.

There are four types of power questions. They are relating questions, resonating questions, differentiating questions, and activating questions.

1. Relating Power Questions

Customers buy for their reasons and not ours. Relating questions help you position yourself and your offering to align with your customers, what they want, and what best serves them.

These power questions help you discover who your customers are, their character and values; they help you discover where your customers are, their knowledge, skills, and attitude; and they help you discover where your customers want to go, their desired change, and their desired state of affairs. Face it, customers dont care what you know if you dont know them.

2. Resonating Power Questions

Customers best respond to value that is personal, powerful and unique. Resonating questions help you tailor your approach and your language so that your value message is fully received, and that your customers get it.

These power questions help you learn why they are who they are; they help you learn why they are where they are at; and they help you learn why they want to get to where they want to go. Understanding your customers why, allows you to communicate your value in a way that makes the deal bigger, more personal, and more meaningful to your customers.

3. Differentiating Power Questions

The differences lie in the details. Differentiating questions help you stand out among the crowd, and effectively gain priority over price and the competition.

These power questions help you discern the details of whats most important to your customers; and they help you also discern the details of what should be most important to your customers. As Steve Jobs said, People dont know what they want until you show it to them. It is up to you to really lean-in, lead with questions, and help your customers connect the dots.

4. Activating Power Questions

If your customers cant see it, they likely wont risk it. Activating questions help you instill certainty and clearly communicate in a way that compels your customers to take action now.

These power questions help your customers experience in their minds having already moved forward, as well as experience in their minds the cost and consequences of not taking action. Your enthusiasm for your offering is important, but it is your customers mental picture that reigns supreme.

Your customers dont want a verbal brochure. They want a professional who gets them and makes the process fast, fun, and interactive! You have a great offering and a great message, but there is far more to the story you tell. In order to accurately and completely tell your story, you need to genuinely know the characters. You need real insight, and that insight can only come from asking really good questions.

The right questions lead to the right conversations; the right conversations lead to the right personal connections, the right personal connections lead to the right opportunities, and the right opportunities lead to sales. The right power questions have the power to positively affect how and what your customers think on, focus on, and take action on. Remember, its the way you treat each customer and the way you communicate your value which matters most.

If you would like help in crafting your specific power questions and boosting your personal influence, email me at [emailprotected]

Mike is obsessed with helping others build personal influence, become trusted advisors, and leverage solutions that are aligned with their customers' most powerful buying motives.

The rest is here:
4 Types of Power Questions that Boost Your Influence - Dealer Marketing Magazine

Get to know the emerging singer-songwriter and musician Katie Pruitt! Her newest single Expectations was written by Pruitt and co-produced by Pruitt and her close friend Michael Robinson. This is the first song unveiled from her highly anticipated full-length debut also called Expectations set for release on Rounder Records later this month on February 21st.

Of the song, Pruitt shares, Feeling crushed by the weight of my own expectations, I realized a shift of perspective was all I needed. We are conditioned from an early age to feel that we need to have our whole lives figured out, right this second. When often times, wed get there quicker if wed only learn to relax. There is wisdom in not knowing, there is freedom in spontaneity and there is courage in letting go. Sometimes you just need to climb a mountain, smoke some pot with your friends, and stop giving so many fucks.

Originally from the Atlanta suburbs and now based in Nashville, Pruitts career has been building to a breakthrough over the past few years following the release of herOurVinyl LiveSessionEP in March 2018.

Connect With Katie Pruitt Online Here-

WEBSITE

Learn more about Katie Pruitt in the following All Access interview-

When it comes to your music, what are you most excited about for 2020?

Besides releasing my first record, Im definitely most excited for my headline tour. Im stoked to play these songs a little different every night. To stretch as a guitar player, change the melodies a little, and rearrange the order of the set lists. Im also excited to write new stuff and play those out too.

Can you recall the moment when you thought you could be a musician?

It was probably in high school. I would always go to my friend Teddys house to jam before school. I remember the first time I played him an original song. His face lit up and kept telling me how good he thought it was. That was all the confidence I needed at the time to keep going. I just kept wanting to relive that feeling of playing someone a brand new song for the first time.

What do you think motivates you day in and day out?

Good question. I have good days and bad days. Id be lying to say Im always motivated. But on the days I am motivated its because I know Ive got something to say. Songs become like a lucid dream I can crawl inside and control. I can finally be safe to say what I think and feel. Thats always the feeling Im looking for.

How do you think your hometown has influenced the kind of music that you make? If not, why is that?

I grew up in the south and lived in Athens, Georgia during my early college years. That is definitely where any roots or folk influence made its way into my songs. I also grew up in a small suburb with very little diversity. Which definitely drove me to want to express myself and speak openly about my experience as a gay girl in the south.

What about your current home in Nashville?

Nashville was the place I started gaining the confidence to actually pursue music. I became extremely inspired by bands and other songwriters that I saw live. It really raises the bar for me as a player and a writer.

Growing up, how important was music in your life?

As a little kid I was always intrigued with performing. I used to host concerts in my garage for my neighbors. In middle school I got really into musical theater and thought I wanted to be on Broadway. The storytelling and the aspect of live performance was what I fell in love with. Then in high school I picked up guitar and started writing songs and it was game over.

Was your family and friends supportive of this career choice?

Definitely. My mom always encouraged me to have a creative outlet. My parents would always come to my open mics and every live performance. They never once told me not to pursue music.

If you werent a musician today, what else could you see yourself doing?

Possibly a journalist? My girlfriend also says Id make a good chiropractor.

What has been the biggest surprise so far about making music your career?

Probably how hard it really is to make a record. The technical side of making music is something I had no clue about until I had a little experience in a studio.

What has been an unexpected or welcome challenge to it all?

A big challenge for me right now is learning how to separate music and the music business. The music business is necessary but when it comes to being creative, youre better off pretending it doesnt exist.

What has been the best part about it all?

Definitely getting to make music with my friends. Also hearing peoples personal stories about their relationship with my music.

Lets talk about your newest single, Expectations which I love! What was the inspiration for this track?

Expectations is about freeing yourself of the pressure others put on us or that we put on ourselves. Its about pushing past personal barriers. I was going through a rough time mentally. I couldnt help but feel stuck. I started reading this book called the subtle art of not giving a fuck and it turned things around for me. I realized the reason I felt stuck was because I was caring too much and trying way too hard.

How would you say that it compares to the rest of your forthcoming debut album also called Expectations?

The whole record is filled with moments of realizations. Every song is a specific personal revelation I had at different points of my life. Some positive and some not so positive. This record is my personal coming of age story.

How creatively involved with the making of the music video for Expectations were you? What was it like shooting it around Nashville?

I was involved in the general idea for the video. I knew I wanted to film it in a high school because the song feels very youthful to me. It has that I dont give a fuck rebellious attitude that I definitely had as a high school student. Which is an attitude that tends to get harder to maintain as you get older so it was really fun to play the role of a younger me

What was it like making this debut collection?

Making this record felt like a very full circle moment. Not only are all these songs so personal but I got to make the record with my friends and collaborators including Mike Robinson (guitar player for my college band turned producer) Having my long time friends be a part of the recording process made it that much more personal

Did anything surprise you about the overall process?

I knew I wanted to capture live performances but I had to learn how to really reign in my live performance for the record. I had to be intentional and specific the way I picked big vocal moments, builds, solos, etc.

Can you recall a favorite memory from recording it in the studio?

There were a lot of beautiful moments while making this record but my favorite was tracking the outro of expectations with my best friend Jess Nolan. We were in the vocal booth together just singing at the top of our lungs and pretty much laughing through the whole take. We eventually had to be separated by my producer because we couldnt get through it without laughing.

Do you have any tour dates scheduled for this year yet?

Yes. Ive got a whole headline tour scheduled during March and April. Dates for that are available at katiepruitt.com

How do you think you have grown as a musician since you first started making music?

I think my confidence is grown most of all. Bearing your soul is a vulnerable thing but its worth it even if only a few people understand. I also think Ive grown as a singer, writer, and performer. I plan to continue growing in any way I can.

What if anything has stayed the same about your music-making process?

I usually just start writing by mumbling over a chord progression. The minute some truth falls out I grab onto it and try to follow it to the end.

How do you feel about social media?

I guess I love it and hate it. On one hand its great at connecting people. Its a great because its a platform you can honestly express yourself with but on the other hand it has a clear impact on peoples mental health. Including mine. There is definitely a competitive aspect of it when it comes to likes and followers. It can unfortunately have an impact on your self worth and self image.

What do you think social media has done for your career so far?

I think its allowed me to find an audience and to know where that audience might live. So I can do my real job and go play for people live.

What musicians would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

Oh wow. There are a lot of them. Wilco, Jason Isbell, Brandi Carlisle, Dawes, John Mayer, etc. This list is kind of endless.

If you could design your dream music video right now, what would it look like?

I guess that depends on the song. But if this question is more hypothetical. Probably very dreamy. I would want it to be shot in a beautiful place. In a mountain range or a national park. There would definitely be dancers. I love dancers but I cant dance.

Where would you love to hear a song of yours played?

Id love to be traveling in a foreign country and hear my song come on randomly. That would definitely make me feel like Ive come a long way.

At the end of the day, what do you hope people take away from your music

I guess my main goal is to make people feel less alone. Whether that pertains to a specific struggle or just in general. I just want them to feel like they are listening to a friend give them advice or relating to them. Thats what music does for me anyway.

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An Interview With The Rising Singer-Songwriter KATIE PRUITT On Her Soon-To-Be-Released Debut Album and More! | All - All Access Music Group

Everything matched my occupational profile. But nevertheless I received a rejection because of my age. Born 1943, not stout and fat, not lazy and sluggish but instead still energetic and fit. On one hand, people talk about skilled worker shortage and on the other hand, being 65-plus year one has no choice.

This was a little excerpt picked up from an informal conversation between two men where one of them was quite dissatisfied with the rejection in a particular job interview.

This statement manifests features of ageism, still deeply rooted in the dynamics of our so called progressive society. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Ageism as the stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination towards people on the basis of age. Described in 1969 by Gerontologist Robert Neil Butler, it gradually separated itself as an independent construct from racism and sexism. In this article, emphasis will be laid on the ageism directed at the greying population.

There are 600 million people who are 60 and older in the world and the number is expected to double by 2025. While medical science has advanced and is majorly contributing towards extending lifespan, it is sad that not much has been done to study the societal attitude about old age and the process of aging in general. It comes as no surprise that ageism is the most common form of prevalent prejudice. Ageism has diverse implications. It can be felt in a 70-year old ladys words, Depression is a part of the process of ageing or when an old father complains about being a burden to his children. Its impact can be felt in the arenas of employment, health care and various other spheres as well. One sector largely contaminated by ageist views is the employment sector.

The Hollywood comedy The Intern interestingly portrays the story of a retired top executive seeking an internship at a startup company. His daily interactions with his younger colleagues, the initial challenges of not being taken seriously in this new tech-based organisation, coupled with his gradual overcoming of the ageist bias, amazingly captures the movies punch line Experience never gets old. In an era where corporate workforce is so heavily dominated by the youth, it has often become very difficult for the Baby Boomers or Gen-X to make their mark in this realm. Older employees are often looked down upon by the employers even if they are in no way less efficient, productive and healthy than their younger counterparts.

Theyre often shifted or promoted to less important roles of the company just as a way to bide or pass their time until they retire. Ageism manifests itself in very subtle ways but can lead to low self-esteem in older adults. The course of correcting a wrong begins with the realisation that a problem exists. For ageism to be accepted as a real problem, we need to talk about it much like we talk about sexism and any other form of discrimination.

Organisations that sincerely want to reach their full potential and improve retention and productivity must strive to create equitable workplaces where all workers irrespective of age, gender or any other difference, feel valued and respected. Behind this subtle yet powerful discrimination are a series of myths associated with age. Older workers are often perceived to be technologically inept, resistant to change, less innovative and adaptable.

However, what is clearly overlooked is the fact that older workers have much more experience, not just of a particular field but of life in general. This makes them a much-needed pillar of support for any organisation that is looking to create a stable and sustainable future for itself. Older workers are also much more likely to stay in a job. The impact of Ageism is also felt quite intensely in the health services in our country.

Older people are often perceived as bed-blockers, draining our precious resources. Older patients are often seen as frail, ill, dependent and incompetent. This sort of perception has been shown to affect physicians decisions, leading them to be less likely to diagnose a disorder and therefore less likely to treat the older person. This unconscious bias often goes under-recognised. As a result, both the physical and mental health-care needs of older people are not being met. Research has shown only 1 in 6 older people with depression receive a diagnosis.

A lot miss out on the chance of receiving psychological services, even though this type of treatment has been shown to be as effective for them as the younger adults. We recently passed October 1, marked by WHO as the World Elder Day. To combat the issues of ageism, we need to revolutionise attitudes and challenge the negative stereotypes. Within health and social care, there is an exigent need for a more informed workforce, one which recognizes the different ways mental health problems manifests themselves in the older adults and the benefits of treatment. By society, we mean every single one of us. Age is universal and it is high time we initiated the positive change for our collective future. Change begins with us. To quote Butler, Ageism is a preventable but silent and repetitive killer.

(Chehak Gidwani, psychology student at LSR, New Delhi,contributed to the article).

DR. DEBANJAN BANERJEE,Geriatric Psychiatrist,NIMHANS, Bangalore dr.djan88@gmail.com

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Ageism: a silent but preventable evil - The New Indian Express

The technologies are expected to become an important part of national security, and some worry the United States is behind China in their development.

SAN FRANCISCO White House officials on Monday unveiled plans to increase federal funding for the development of artificial intelligence and quantum computing, two cutting-edge technologies that defense officials say will play a key role in national security.

The funding, part of the Trump administrations $4.8 trillion budget proposal, would direct more money for A.I. research to the Defense Department and the National Science Foundation. The administration also wants to spend $25 million on what it calls a national quantum internet, a network of machines designed to make it much harder to intercept digital communication.

For several years, technologists have urged the Trump administration to back research on artificial intelligence which could affect things as diverse as weapons and transportation and quantum computing, a new way to build super-powerful computers. Chinas government, in particular, has made building these machines a priority, and some national security experts worry that the United States is at risk of falling behind.

The proposed spending follows earlier administration moves. In 2018, President Trump signed a law that earmarked $1.2 billion for quantum research. The Energy Department recently began distributing its portion of that money about $625 million to research labs in industry, academia and government.

The dollars we have put into quantum information science have increased by about fivefold over the last three years, said Paul Dabbar, under secretary for science at the Energy Department, in an interview.

Last year, Mr. Trump signed an executive order that made A.I. research and development a national priority.

The new budget proposal would increase funding for artificial intelligence research at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a research arm of the Defense Department, to $249 million from $50 million, and at the National Science Foundation to $850 million from about $500 million. The administration also vowed to double funding for A.I. and quantum computing research outside the Defense Department by 2022.

Big tech companies have invested heavily in A.I. research over the last decade. But many experts have worried that universities and government labs have lost much of their talent to businesses. Under the new funding plan, the National Science Foundation would apply $50 million to help train A.I. experts.

The worlds biggest technology companies, from Google in the United States to Alibaba in China, are also racing to build a quantum computer, a new kind of machine that could be used to break the encryption that protects digital information. Researchers are using the same scientific principles to create new technology that could withstand such an attack.

In 2017, after four years of planning and construction, China unveiled a dedicated quantum communication network between Beijing and Shanghai. Two Chinese provinces invested $80 million in the project. It has also tested quantum encryption techniques via satellite.

With the $25 million, the Energy Department would build a network connecting its 17 national research labs, which include Los Alamos in New Mexico and Argonne outside Chicago. Using this test network, researchers would explore quantum encryption technologies with an eye toward creating a secure network across the country.

This is a test bed for new technologies, said David Awschalom, a professor at the University of Chicago who oversees much of the universitys quantum research and would play a role in the effort at the national labs. We are using the power of the national labs to fuel the country.

Excerpt from:

White House Earmarks New Money for A.I. and Quantum Computing - The New York Times

Buried within the 13,000-odd words of the Union Budget speech on Saturday was a paragraph that set aside 8,000 crore over five years for the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications. Most commentators seem to have either missed or overlooked this budgetary allocation, but in terms of significance, the implications are well worth considering.

More than two years ago, the department of science and technology launched the Quantum-Enabled Science and Technology (QuEST) programme with an aim to develop technical capacity within the country to build quantum computers and communications systems comparable with the best in the world. The first phase of the project was to build the infrastructure and acquire human resources to develop physical and computation structures for improving precision in quantum measurement. The eventual goal is to build quantum computers domestically.

Though the allocation in this years budget is clearly part of a long-term national strategy, I cannot help wonder whether it is, at least in some small measure, a response to Googles recent announcement that it had achieved quantum supremacy"the ability to perform a calculation on a quantum computer that is impossible on a conventional computer. And the fear that we might, once again, be falling behind.

As much as I enjoy science, quantum mechanics gives me a headache. Quantum computing is an order of magnitude more perplexing. Ordinary computers function using binary logic gates that can be either off or on. This is why classical computers store information in bitseither as a 0 or 1. On the other hand, quantum computers can store information as both a 0 and a 1 at the same time using a quantum property called superposition. This means that with two quantum bits (or qubits), information can be stored in four possible states of superposition, and as more qubits are added, the computational power grows exponentially.

While this gives us more computing power, quantum computers are error-prone. The quantum state is delicate. It lasts for a fraction of a second and is easily disrupted by tiniest of vibrations or variations in temperature. This noise" in calculations causes mistakes to occur, and unless we can make them sufficiently error-free, quantum computing will not be commercially viable. Googles breakthrough was to achieve sufficient control over the process to allow its experimental computer to outperform a traditional computer. As a result, its computer could solve in 200 seconds what would take the worlds fastest supercomputer 10,000 years.

We still have a long way to go before quantum computing becomes commercially viable, but there is reason for urgency. As soon as quantum computing becomes commercially viable, much of what we take for granted today will become irrelevant.

Take encryption, for example. Almost all digital security today is based on the RSA algorithm that encrypts messages by relying on the factorization of two large prime numbers. While it is easy to multiply two prime numbers, it is very difficult to factorize them. RSA encryption exploits this feature, making it impossible for even governments and private actors with near infinite computational resources to decrypt messages. This is why we have the confidence to store valuable information in encrypted archives on the cloud, secure in the knowledge that even the largest corporations and most technologically advanced governments dont have the computational capability to decrypt these databases and access the information stored inside.

Once quantum computers are capable of being used for decryption, the computational hurdles of prime number factorization that we now rely on will become trivial to overcome. Shors algorithm already describes a process by which quantum computers could be used find the prime factors of any integer. In 2001, IBM proved that this algorithm works by using a 7 qubit computer to factorize the number 15 into 5 and 3. Googles Sycamore processor harnessed 53 qubits in its latest experiment, demonstrating that much higher computational capabilities are already within our grasp. Once our quantum computers have reached a sufficiently advanced level of stability, even the highest encryption known to man will be easy to defeat.

When that happens, cyber security as we know it will be a thing of the past. All the secure data services that we rely on will be thrown wide open, allowing anyone with a quantum computer to easily access the information within. Given the imminence of major breakthroughs in quantum computing, it is rumoured that there is already an underground market for encrypted data in anticipation of a time when all this information can be decrypted and the secrets of famous personalities can be exposed.

In the war for quantum supremacy, it is those who can understand and use the fundamental technologies behind quantum computing who will emerge dominant. In the not-so-distant future, the world will be divided into the quantum haves and have-nots. It is imperative that India makes every effort to stay in the game if it is to have any hope of remaining relevant. If we are to retain any measure of technological independence, we will need to ramp up our research in quantum computing and actively invest in the development of indigenous quantum computational capabilities.

Rahul Matthan is a partner at Trilegal and author of Privacy 3.0: Unlocking Our Data Driven Future

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Opinion | Prepare for a world of quantum haves and have-nots - Livemint