CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ)

Sexual orientation is getting closer to becoming a protected class in West Virginia.

Senate President Mitch Carmichael hosted a hearing on Thursday to get input from religious and business leaders about the Fairness Act. It's a proposed law that would protect LGBTQ people from discrimination.

It is currently legal in West Virginia to fire someone from their job or evict them from their home because of their sexual orientation. Race, religion, gender, age and national origin are currently protected in the state, but not sexual orientation.

"Whenever we see an employee that does everything right, but it happens to be discovered that they are gay, and they can be fired for that with no ramifications, that's simply wrong and West Virginians can't stand for that," Charleston business owner Chris Walters said.

There are currently 12 communities across West Virginia that have protections that would be expanded to the entire state under the Fairness Act. Supporters said the policy would help boost business.

"Unfortunately, our talented youth are moving out of state," Walters said. "I have more friends that I went to college with that are not in West Virginia than are still in West Virginia."

"I want to see them come back here," Walters continued. "I want to do everything we can to make them feel welcome."

Opponents of the law said it could open businesses up to more lawsuits and create more problems than it solves.

"I would argue that it would put undue pressure on business owners," said Pastor Jonathan Pinson with Grace Baptist Church. "I do not believe that this type of legislation is going to help West Virginia. I believe that if we were going to look at the vast majority of West Virginians, they are concerned about their religious liberty, and that liberty being infringed upon."

Religious leaders also questioned how someone could prove or enforce their sexuality in a complaint.

Carmichael has not committed to supporting the bill but has said he will not block it from coming up for a vote in the upcoming legislative session. The session begins on Jan. 8, 2020.

ORIGINAL STORY 12/3/19

A meeting Tuesday at the West Virginia Capitol is bringing together leaders from both sides of the political aisle in a push for comprehensive LGBTQ non-discrimination protections.

Senate President Mitch Carmichael, R-Jackson County, described the roundtable as very informative, although he would not commit to bringing the Fairness Act up for a vote in the Senate.

"This may not be the right bill, this may not be the right time, it may not be in the perfect structure and we need to find that out," Carmichael said. "When you move a society forward, you have to bring everyone along, and we are trying to do that in the best way possible. These are incredibly difficult issues that need education, enlightenment and understanding."

Forty-four politicians across the West Virginia House and Senate have backed the Fairness Act. A version of this legislation has been introduced for multiple years, but leaders say its finally gaining traction.

"The votes are there, it's just a matter of making leadership comfortable," Fairness West Virginia Executive director Andrew Schneider said. "Like the Senate president said, we will go through a process where we talk about the language of the bill, and see if we can find language that will make the most number of people comfortable."

Currently in West Virginia, someone can be fired from their job and denied housing or public benefits based on their sexual orientation.

"At a minimum we need to be able to provide employment and housing protections," transgender activist Danielle Stewart said. "Public accommodations, especially for transgender individuals is an issue, and I won't deny that, but really the employment and the housing is what holds the LGBTQ community back.

State leaders say about 60 percent of West Virginians support this type of legislation. Twenty other states have passed comprehensive legislation like the Fairness Act, as theres no federal protections against this type of discrimination.

The U.S. Supreme Court has heard three cases on LGBTQ employment discrimination issues and rulings are expected in early 2020. That could create the first federal protections on these issues.

Opponents of the Fairness Act say it opens businesses up to frivolous lawsuits for discrimination, Carmichael said. That issue is one of the reasons similar bills have been brought up in recent years but have not been passed through the Senate.

There are currently 12 towns throughout West Virginia with non-discrimination ordinances. That includes Charleston which passed the first ordinance of its type in the state 12 years ago. Only two lawsuits have been filed under these ordinances and both plaintiffs won their case, Schneider said.

More:
LGBTQ non-discrimination protection legislation in W.Va. another step closer - WHSV

Event organizer: Temple of the Feminine Divine

Event Date & Time: December 21, 2019 3:00 pm until December 21, 2019 7:00 pm

Temple of the Feminine Divine | Contributed

BANGOR Join the Temple of the Feminine Divine for a Winter Solstice Pop-Up mini-craft fair! This 4-hour event will be jam-packed with local makers (no direct sales vendors) and magical items certain to delight even the most unique and crafty people on your holiday shopping list. We have lots of fun surprises and activities in store!

Vendors include: Sacred Products of Light,Wildly Inspired Soul Enlightenment, Jess Wade Arts, Made by Mudgi, Naissance Farm, Enby Embroideries, Switzers Jewelry and Sew Crafty Maine, Adventure Awaits, Oh My Goddess by Louise Shorette, and delicious chocolate goods by Hazel Littlefield.

This event will take place at theUnitarian Universalist Society of Bangor at 120 Park St. The public Yule Ritual will follow the Craft Bazaar, starting at 7:15 p.m.

Read more from the original source:
Temple of the Feminine Divine's annual Yule Craft Bazaar - Bangor Daily News

Dear Readers:

Usually at year-end I share with you an update on the state of your Seattle Times. This year, Seattle Times President Alan Fisco will do that on Dec. 29th.

Today, we want to share something bigger than just The Seattle Times the state of the free press system in our nation. This is a system literally on life support as it suffers through the final stages of disinvestment and destruction by a handful of non-democratic fiscal oligarchies (hedge funds and distressed-asset players) who control most of the countrys newspapers. These are the bottom-feeders at the end of a four-decade period of consolidation and lost local control something that we should never have tolerated because it has put our democracy in peril.

This crisis is not well understood, even in Greater Seattle where we enjoy one of the few major metro newspapers that is still local, robust and trusted.

In keeping with the Blethen familys 123-year stewardship of independent journalism and community service, we believe this is the moment for all of us to speak up and address the national crisis before it is too late.

As an extension of The Times commitment to preserving the free press across America not just Seattle, Yakima and Walla Walla earlier this week we hosted a Save the Free Press meeting. This brought together a stellar core of national leaders from policy, activism, academia, philanthropy, journalism and independent newspapers.

The purpose is to begin a nationwide Save the Free Press Initiative by identifying and prioritizing solutions necessary to:

Because The Seattle Times is one of the rare newspapers under continual private, local stewardship for more than 100 years. This stewardship has enabled us to become a national beacon of light with our journalism and innovation. We are proof that while stressed, the business model is still viable when not hobbled by debt.

And because our community support for quality local journalism in the Greater Seattle area is unparalleled across the country. That is not surprising for a community known for innovation, enlightenment and generosity.

On the state level, we will initiate discussions with our state Legislature about creating incentives and removing roadblocks to enable building more local ownership.

Statement of Purpose for the Save the Free Press Initiative.

Your community support of The Seattle Times through subscriptions, public-service journalism funding and advertising has been fantastic. Thanks to you, Greater Seattles free press has a bright future.

Link:
Save the Free Press initiative: A message from Publisher Frank Blethen - Seattle Times

Blades swirl around their bodies, coming perilously close to piercing flesh. Swords flashing in the morning sun, the young women twirl, cartwheel and then kick in unison, finishing their graceful movements in a centuries old kung fu fighting stance.

Dressed alike with matching shaved heads, the women and girls finish their daily exercise and move on to their other duties as part of the Kung Fu Nuns of the Himalayas, a name they have proudly adopted.

Jigme Yanching Kamu has lived at the Druk Amitabha Mountain Nunnery perched high in the mountains outside Kathmandu since she was 10 years old.

We are the only nunnery in all of the Himalayas doing deadly martial arts, Kamu told CNNs Great Big Story in June. This is a lifelong vow that I made to the Drukpa Order, and I am very proud of my practice.

The Drukpa Order is a branch of Himalayan Buddhism, a faith which traditionally considers women second-class citizens. According to Buddhist narratives, a woman cannot achieve spiritual enlightenment unless she is reborn as a man.

The idea was that as long as the nuns cook and clean for the monks, they can come back as a monk in their next lifetime and then become enlightened, said Carrie Lee, the former president of Live to Love, a non-governmental organization that works closely with the nunnery to supply aid to the region.

According to Lee, discrimination toward women is a way of life in Nepal and surrounding nations. Girls are considered a burden and are frequently aborted; if they live, they have limited access to healthcare or education. They are often sold off to traffickers or marry young; wife beating and other types of spousal violence is common.

His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, the spiritual leader of the Drukpa lineage, says as a child he believed the Buddhist beliefs about women to be misguided. In the early 2000s he began to promote the nuns to leadership positions.

It wasnt always well received. Local traditionalists called the action blasphemous, Lee said, and then they started harassing the nuns and assaulting them.

To teach the nuns self-defense, Drukpa hired a kung fu teacher in 2008. But His Holiness also hoped the training would improve the nuns confidence and self-esteem.

I consider the kung fu art, martial art, an education, he told actress Susan Sarandon in a 2014 interview. Im very proud of the nuns.

I have been breaking through all these barriers, he added. Whatever the Buddhist people say I dont mind and I dont care.

We wake up at 3 a.m., we meditate, we bicycle and we train for three hours, Kamu said. The Drukpa Order is not for lazy people.

In addition to kung fu practice with swords, sticks and flags, the women jog and run up and down stairs to boost their fitness. They even learn to break bricks with their hands.

All of the physical work has a spiritual purpose, Kamu said. Kung fu trains us to focus our minds for meditation.

Martial arts are known for their health benefits. A 2018 studyfound hard martial arts like kung fu can improve balance and cognitive functions that decline with age, while a 2016 study found kung fu and karate helped with blood sugar control.

Another ancient martial art, Tai Chi, has been more thoroughly studied. Research shows Tai Chi can improve bone mineral density, reduce blood pressure, lower cholesterol, and reduce harmful inflammation.

And the mental health benefits are just as strong. The calming, meditative trance needed to do a Tai Chi series has been shown to greatly reduce anxiety and stress, even lowering levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, in the blood of participants.

When a devastating 7.9 earthquake took the lives of 9,000 people in Nepal in 2015, the nuns from Druk Amitabha Mountain Nunnery were some of the first relief workers on the scene.

Supported by the Live to Love organization, the nuns walked to villages that government and traditional relief organizations considered too dangerous to visit.

When the earthquake hit, our kung fu training helped us to be brave and strong, Kamu said. We survived the landslides, avalanches and earthquakes.

Later the nuns were able to do a medical helicopter rescue, truck rescues, food and medicine distribution, provide solar power, and more, they wrote on their website, even building 201 new homes after clearing the rubble.

During the cleanup, Lee said, the nuns saw young girls being given away or sold off to potential human traffickers and decided to take action. They organized bi-yearly bicycle trips, taking months to cover thousands of treacherous miles between Kathmandu and Ladakh, India. They stop at tiny villages along the way to spread a message about the value of girls and the dangers of human trafficking.

We talk about equality and safety, Kamu said. We wanted to show everyone that if nuns can ride bicycles, then girls can do anything.

By showing that girls could survive the mountainous terrain, they were sending the message that girls were strong enough to farm and thus worth keeping, Lee explained. They started raising awareness about what actually happens to girls when you give them away.

Many of the mothers had encouraged their girls to leave, hoping they would have a better life, Lee said. And now when the nuns go back, these families come up to them and say, We had no idea where our girls are going. Were much more protective of them now.

His Holiness Gyalwang Drukpa, their spiritual leader, joins the nuns on most of their bicycle trips. His presence adds weight to their fight for womens rights, especially in the most traditional villages.

Because of his religious authority, equality becomes a religious mandate, Lee said. Respecting women becomes a religious imperative wherever he goes.

The effort appears to be paying off.

In the past 15 years, Ive noticed a huge shift in some of these villages, Lee said. Before, if I sat down with meetings, it was predominantly men. Now women are so much more vocal in these meetings. Now you see female police officers, you see female politicians and leaders.

The nuns have added a green theme to their good works. Each year they do a Eco-Pad Yatras, a 400 plus mile hike picking up plastic litter and educating locals on ways to protect their local environments.

Many of the nuns are trained solar technicians, others assist doctors in the Live to Love eye camps, where cataracts surgeries are free of charge. Other activities include music, dance, theater, and animal rescue and care.

When Lee first began volunteering 20 years ago, the nunnery was home to about 30 nuns. Today there are more than 800, ranging in age from eight to 80. There is a waiting list for young girls who want to join the Kung Fu Nun revolution.

All of the nuns bear the first name of Jigme, which means fearless one in Tibetan.

I learned I can do anything a man can do, Kamu said. Kung fu has trained me to be confident, strong and happy. The teachings help me put my compassion into action.

View original post here:
Kung Fu Nuns in Nepal boost their health in the fight for women's rights - KKOH

The Drowning Liberty installation at Flatiron Plaza in New York, U.S., Photographer: Michael ... [+] Nagle/Bloomberg

In a New York Times magazine article, published on 13th September 1970 and headed 'The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase its Profits', the economist, Milton Friedman, argued that the sole purpose of business is to generate profit for its shareholders.

He went on to say that, "Acorporate executive is an employee of the owners of the business. He has direct responsibility to his employers. That responsibility is to conduct the business in accordance with their desires, which generally will be to make as much money as possible".

And for decades to follow, that was the accepted wisdom of the function of business, to generate profit for its owners and shareholders. It shaped corporate goals and objectives, and made many people very wealthy.

It spawned the 1980's frenzy of spending, it fed the thinking of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher andled to the 1987 film 'Wall Street' where we faced the unsavoury face of capitalism,as portrayed by Michael Douglas as Gordon Gekko:

"Greed is good. Greed works.Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind".

The world today, however, is a very different place. Because today we have climate change, we have oceans filled with plastic,we have fast fashion, we have a returns epidemic, and we have sustainability issues.

And this got me thinking. What are the implications for retail and just where is all this heading?

When Retail Goes Wrong

Let's be in no doubt, retail is not only the most exciting sector, it is also the one which is closest to all of us. We build relationships with retail businesses, from the corner store to the largest department store, in ways that we would never do in other sectors.

Have a favorite utility provider? Thought not. No, retail has a place in our society, in our communities if you will, like no other. But in this new, enlightened age, this is both a blessing and a curse.

We've witnessed the impact of when retail goes wrong on many occasions - horsemeat, accounting scandals, faux fur versus real fur and the collapse of BHS spring to mind - and when it does, it does so, often in spectacular ways.

There's no keeping it under the radar, it's front-line and in our faces, and while the supply chain can often be complex and difficult to monitor, we don't concern ourselves with that, it's always the retailer's fault.

New Decade, New Retail Model

This all means that retail is in a unique position. Because, just like greed is now perceived to be a bad thing (was it ever anything but?), as we move into a new decade, does rampant consumerism now conjure up similar sentiments?

The plastic straws we drink from, that T-shirt we only wore a handful of times, that single use plastic bottle we threw away, that steak we had for dinner. What was once acceptable is now more likely to raise an eyebrow, or more.

Because, the transition from raising an eyebrow to out and out resentment is not a huge step to take. And that's where we've arrived at as we welcome in the New Year.

And just like the teachings of Friedman, retail has largely existed to make a profit. To encourage us to buy more stuff. More clothes, more food, more electricals, more and more stuff which ultimately finds its way to landfill.

Enlightenment

However, will the twenties be the decade of enlightenment? The decade when we finally conclude that businesses, retailers especially, exist not to generate profit but to do good. Do good for communities, for society and for the planet.

The decade when wealth won't be measured by the size of the bank balance but by the impact left on the planet. The decade of not just credit scores but carbon scores. The decade when the very purpose of business will be challenged.

Idealistic? Maybe. But one thing is clear. We can't continue in the current direction of travel, it's simply unsustainable. Something has to give. And retail needs to be proactive in its response to growing public sentiment.

It needs to re-evaluate its place in society because we now know that neither greed nor rampant consumerism is good. The wind of change is blowing down our high streets, but just how many retail businesses will embrace it? Because for those who don't, the future looks very bleak indeed.

Originally posted here:
The Business Of Business, Why It Is Changing And Why Retail Must Take The Lead - Forbes

Nanushka and La Bouche Rouge have created a lipstick for the femme fatale

The two eco-conscious brands have launched their first beauty collaboration

What happens when two of our favourite sustainable brands come together? Something quite magical. Named after the Hindu god of enlightenment, Shiva is a new beauty collaboration from Nanushka and La Bouche Rouge that embodies the progressive outlook and elegance of both labels in one effortlessly glamorous lipstick.

Launched back in 2017, La Bouche Rouge has quickly established a name for itself with its carefully crafted refillable lipsticks in sumptuous shades, made without plastic, polyoxymethylene or polyethylene. Conceiving of its lipsticks as a collectible, long-lasting possession, its thoroughly modern ethos is one that has a natural synergy with the fashion house, Nanushka.

Under the direction of creative director and designer Sandra Sandor, the Budapest based brands sustainably produced vegan leather pieces have achieved cult status for their East-meets-West aesthetic and gender fluid silhouettes. For both brands, the opportunity to create something together made perfect sense.

The concept and formula behind La Bouche Rouge is amazing and its very much aligned with everything we believe in at Nanushka says Sandor.

The aim was to create a luxury item that is completely sustainable and to show that its possible without compromises.

A distinctive brown/burnt orange hue, the Shiva lipstick is inspired by the passionate and powerful energy of the femme fatale. The process of development was an easy one for Sandor, who worked closely with La Bouche Rouge founder Nicolas Gerlier I knew from the beginning the colour I wanted to create and Nicolas and his team instantly understand so we only had to do a few colour tries before we found the right hue.

Encased in a reusable and refillable lipstick Shiva comes dressed in Nanushkas signature vegan leather. A limited edition satin lipstick pouch has been created from deadstock materials, and as with each element of the product, it has been designed to be reused and repurposed.

Every good lipstick needs a powerful muse. For Shiva, Sandor and Gerlier looked to rebellious and modern screen sirens I love Lisa Bonet in Angel Heart, Brooke Shields in Blue Lagoon or I can mention Christy Turlington and Rooney Mara as well says Sandor. They are all strong women but very feminine and confident in their natural beauty which I find very beautiful and sexy.

You could paint us like one of your French girls, but what wed prefer is to be painted like a Shiva girl.

Read more here:
Nanushka and La Bouche Rouge have created a lipstick for the femme fatale - Wallpaper*

To sushi snobs, part of the allure is surely that no other food demands such austere discipline of its makers. At some sushi bars in Japan, prospective chefs begin making rice only after a long novitiate, then wait even longer before they are permitted to pick up a knife. Like the apprentices themselves, diners submit to the will of a master. The Japanese word omakase a menu of the chefs selection, often requiring weeks-ahead reservations carries overtones of entrusting yourself to anothers superior judgment. Even as some see cultural appropriation in cafeteria sushi, it is surely preferable to sushi meant for only investment bankers.

Everything about the sushi at middling pan-Asian restaurants and in cooler cases the underseasoned rice, the thick slabs of fish, the jagged piece of artificial turf on the tray is an affront to such connoisseurship. It demands little of anyone. But it manages to be delicious anyway. Its tender, yielding. A little fatty, a little sour, a little sweet. It soaks up your spicy-salty wasabi-and-soy-sauce mixture. It might even crunch. Were lucky to enjoy such delights, as I do every couple of weeks, downing pieces of a California roll like Cheez Doodles as I walk down the street, thinking about the preposterous confluence of historical and economic forces trade, technology, migration, transport, diplomacy that made such an experience not just possible, but possible for $6. Now fully democratized, this taste of sublimity can become a habit.

A few years ago, I came across a Zen koan about someone named Banzan, who overhears a conversation between a butcher and a customer:

Give me the best piece of meat you have, the customer said.

Everything in my shop is the best, the butcher replied. You cannot find here any piece of meat that is not the best.

At these words Banzan became enlightened.

A friend who is a scholar of Japanese Buddhism tells me the parable is about how enlightenment is not elsewhere; its always here. Connoisseurs complain that mediocre sushi is ubiquitous. Well, so is nirvana.

In a sense, connoisseurship is the enemy of enlightenment: It is craving for something that is not here, and as the Buddha taught, to crave is to suffer. When I made sushi, customers would sometimes ask me, Whats good tonight? These men (and they were all men) misunderstood where they were and what I did. The restaurant was in a ramshackle strip mall, a few doors down from a laundromat. I didnt sample the fish before dinner service or skulk around a market at dawn. As far as I was concerned, all our fish was sourced from the same place: the freezer. I would tell the customers it was all good. I wish Id told them the truth: That it was all the best, the best in town, the best in the world.

Read more here:
Letter of Recommendation: Cheap Sushi - The New York Times

Egypt is the capital of the world, in the words of the late Egyptian geographer Gamal Hamdan.

So, it is not strange for a country like Egypt to stage an enlightenment revolution. Going hand in hand with its efforts to erect a new capital city, Egypt is now in the process of rebuilding its peoples minds in a revolution of the mind it is carrying out with a reform of religious dialogue.

The first to call for such reform was President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, and it includes the overall development of the countrys educational system to cope with non-stop technological progress.

Implementing this enlightenment revolution in Egypt will help us to overcome violence and terrorism, with the new generation acting as the revolutions leaders. By learning computer languages and how to deal with information, this generation will be confident in its dealings with the present age, including in the exploration of outer space. We are betting on this new generation to take part in making a better future, and thanks to its commitment to science, it will be able to carry out such a mission.

According to statistics, Egypts population in the middle of the 20th century stood at 30 million people. At the beginning of the 21st century, this number was estimated at 80 million. Today, it has exceeded 100 million. Such numbers constitute a power that should not be underestimated. In other words, if Egypt were to face any kind of political or economic instability, then thanks to these numbers the whole region would be negatively affected.

It is from here that comes the importance of education, which is the first step towards rebuilding the minds of the Middle East. But who are these new citizens, and how can we rebuild them? Time passes, ideas get developed and new inventions and innovations are unstoppable. Even the language itself has had to change in order to cope with the industrial age and now the space age.

The British philosopher and Nobel laureate Bertrand Russell wrote a lot on the future of humanity and how human intellects could be developed. For him, technical and cultural education should have special attention when preparing school curricula, as this would allow students to become good citizens, he said.

Russell believed that mixing cultural and technical education was like mixing knowledge with wisdom. It would act as a shield protecting societies from fanaticism, he thought, since this was based on short-sighted views. The main target of education was to prepare people to be good citizens, Russell held, which meant teaching them technology and culture together.

In Egypt, the government is applying a new strategy to educate 20 million pre-university students in the most up-to-date techniques by 2030. Education Minister Tarek Shawki has said that the new educational system will differ in its targets and techniques from the current one. He has stressed the need to modernise curricula to cope with the latest developments, adding that digital knowledge will have a key role to play in such a system.

In the new system, students in all Egyptian schools will be taught English as a compulsory subject until grade 12. Maths and science will also be taught in English.

The new education system has stirred wide debate among specialists, with these being divided into two conflicting groups, one backing the new ideas and the second opposing them. Teachers and parents have started to ask about the chances of success of the new system. How much will it cost? How will the teachers be trained? How will the schools be prepared, they have asked.

For writer Abbas Al-Tarabili, the minister should be given the chance to carry out his ideas. He should be allowed to remain in his post and should be given enough time to reap the benefits of his project, Al-Tarabili has said. I agree with him completely. For me, this project is the last opportunity we have to save our education system. It will enable Egyptian students to restore their academic status, making Egyptian students welcome in universities worldwide.

However, education expert Hossam Badrawi says that any such strategy is in need of certain complementary steps in order for it to be successfully carried out. Such steps include careful planning and a timetable for the implementation of the plans along with clearly defined bodies funding the project. Systems to assess performance, to define responsibilities and to respond to questions should also be included.

But rebuilding the Egyptian character through reforming education has become a necessity. Our role is to back such courageous experiments and at the same time to rectify anything wrong that may appear during their implementation. Funding the project should top the priorities of the government. The World Bank may be asked to participate in this funding, and any halting in the middle of the road may be enough to kill the idea.

Political activist and physician Mohamed Abul-Ghar hopes that the plans will be first applied in a limited number of schools before being generalised. We do not know if the Internet will be available at a suitable speed to download all the material required to all Egyptian schools, he says. We have to be sure that the teachers have enough training to use the tablets they are issued with effectively and that these are of good quality.

Education is a priority for all Egyptian families, regardless of their social and economic origins. To provide their children with a good education, many families are prepared to pay very large sums. For this reason and others, I believe that the issue of educational reform should be the subject of serious societal dialogue. Certain weak points marring the proposed new educational system may emerge. The minister may then have his attention drawn to these defects and be given the opportunity to amend them before starting the experiments.

Is the intelligence of Egyptian children in danger? The answer may be found in research conducted by psychologist Ahmed Okasha. Okasha said that there have been many attempts at a definition of intelligence. However, all agree that it is an ability people acquire at birth that lasts a lifetime.

Psychologists have tried to define intelligence in a few words. It is the ability of the individual to understand, innovate, self-criticise and direct behaviour onto the right track, they say. It is also the ability to think, learn and act properly. There are several kinds of intelligence, such as linguistic intelligence, which means the ability to write and speak. There is mathematical intelligence, or the ability to solve logical problems. Musical intelligence is the ability to understand aural patterns. Physical intelligence is the ability to control the bodys movements. Environmental intelligence enables people to balance duty and private affairs.

Egyptian students do not lack intelligence on any of these definitions. So, what do we really lack? My answer is an awakening of the conscience and a sense of real belonging to our country. If we had these two traits along with what we already have, we could achieve the impossible.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 19 December, 2019 edition ofAl-Ahram Weekly.

Short link:

Read the rest here:
Egypt's revolution of the mind - Opinion - Ahram Online

These ski films are among the most iconic Colorado has ever produced.

Theres arguably nowhere ski culture runs deeper than in the Centennial State, and part of the evidence lies in the many films born from Colorados mountains. Though skiing has changed a great deal through the years, we can still thumb through an archive of ski filmsold and newthat herald the sports wild and rowdy legacy.

Many productions by Warren Miller, the late godfather of ski films, featured Colorado athletes and terrain. And his legacy lives on through Boulder-based Warren Miller Entertainment which this year released its latest film,Timeless, featuring both Silverton and Eldora. Beyond that, there are a host of filmmakers here who have helped push the limits of extreme skiing and showcased it in a new light, including Crested Butte-based Matchstick Productions as well as Sweetgrass Productions, which was founded by Colorado College graduates.

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As winter settles in and our favorite highway starts backing up, we rounded up a few of our favorite ski films that help us remember why we wake up so darn early to chase powder. These five pictures are timeless, have circulated film festivals, and have helped establish Colorado as an epicenter for all things skiing.

This 1985 production by Warren Miller might be the most iconic ski film ever. With a quintessential 80s soundtrack and steeped in nostalgia, the film is heralded as the origin of radical skiing. Though none of the shredding takes place in Colorado, it features Steamboats legendary director of skiing Billy Kidd (one of the first Americans to win an Olympic medal in alpine skiing) ripping alongside icons like Stein Eriksen, Phil Mahre, and Craig Peterson. The skiers go to Japan, France, New Zealand, and more places to showcase unprecedented skills and push the sport to new heightsliterally.

Its not a list of the greatest ski films without Greg Stumps The Blizzard of Aahhhs. The 1988 classic features a generation of ragtag extreme skiers including Glen Plake, Scot Schmidt, and Matt Hattrup at destinations all over the world. One of the best segments, though, takes place at Telluride where pro Scott Kennett (and his adorable doggo, watch this film for more on that) and local hippy Rasta Stevie explain why the beloved mining town is home to the ultimate mountain, unlike the glitzier resort towns in Colorado. The film served as inspiration for generations of skiers, including the late (and legendary) Shane McConkey, who watched this film at age 18 before moving to Boulder and then launching his professional career.

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Sweetgrass Productions elevated the level of cinematography five years ago when Colorado College graduate Nick Waggoner dropped Afterglow, which quite literally set a new standard in the ski industry. With lighting assistance from Philips TV, he was able to illuminate skiers for a night segment that has since been emulated in nearly every other sport. With a narrative that is just as epic as the visuals (mostly shot in Canada and Alaska), this film remains a pinnacle of creativity.

Theres something about an Alan Watts narration that makes a film just a little bit more inspirational. So, when Crested Buttes Matchstick Productions launched their trailer for Days of My Youth in 2014, it shook skiers to their core. The landscapes include big mountain spines, the monotony of living in a city, and a rich collection of scenes from Colorados backcountry, as well as a killer resort segment featuring some insane skiing at Crested Butte.

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Follow I-70 past the madness, take a left near Grand Junction, and head south until you hit the stomping grounds of this films namesake character, John Shocklee. The Peter Pan of Silverton is a 54-year-old mountain guide who has achieved peak ski bum status. Its a lifestyle many skiers strive for, or at the very least can identify with: never growing old, skiing every day, and having zero debts. The recipe is the foundation of his fountain of youth and makes for a story worth sharing.

Keep me up to date on the latest trends and happenings around Denver. 5280 has a newsletter for everyone.

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5 of the Greatest Colorado-Inspired Ski Films - 5280 | The Denver Magazine

Habits really are a matter of identity, thats why they are so difficult to change. But whats the difference between a good habit and a bad habit?

Well, its quite simple. Good habits bring you the results you want. Bad habits bring you results you dont.

Elon Musk, for example, has a habit of little sleep and being a self-confessed workaholic. But it brings him the the visionary results that he wants. To him, its a good habit. He makes sacrifices that others are unwilling or unable to accept because hes so strongly identified with the kind of person he needs to be in order to achieve his goals.

I believe that success doesnt have to feel like hard work. I believe that there should be no distinction between work and play. Those are the results I want. Thats my identity. And Ive adopted habits that make this a reality.

Theres a price to pay for every habit you form. Which is why you need to be crystal clear on the results you want to achieve. So its important to choose your habits wisely, based on the results you want to achieve. Because whether good or bad, you ARE the cumulative result your habits.

Heres five habits that became a part of my identity through conscious repetition:

HABIT #1: Seek Great Mentors

Show me a successful individual and Ill show you someone who had real positive influences in his or her life. I dont care what you do for a livingif you do it well, Im sure there was someone cheering you on or showing the way. A mentor. Denzel Washington

Make it a priority to get in touch with people you consider great mentors. Join networking groups or take trips where you can learn from people you admire or want to emulate, devour their wisdom and integrate it into your life.

with one of my mentors and friends, Michael Beckwith

Its a common tactic, employed by some of the worlds most successful people. Ive been fortunate enough to spend time with Richard Branson on Necker Island as part of mastermind groups with major entrepreneurs and education reformists so we could all learn from each other.

You have to be conducive to learning. You have to adopt a growth mindset. You have to be okay with not knowing it all, and flexible enough to implement new strategies and approaches. Success, in any walk of life, is not about being wrong or right, its about growing, learning and evolving. You need mentors to do that.

Everything we do at Mindvalley, came about as a direct result of this habit. I use our events to invite and connect with people from all areas of life and every new teacher we partner with on our platform acts as a mentor to me, and Im able to absorb and adapt my existing strategies for life by incorporating the patterns of behavior that resonate with me.

And remember, a mentor doesnt have to be an idol. They can be a cheerleader, a friend or anyone who sees ability or potential in you that you yourself may overlook.

HABIT #2: Look After Your Health

It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver. Mahatma Gandhi

If you want to perform at optimal levels you need to have your hardware in the best condition. Physical health, for me, is determined by diet, exercise and sleep.

Diet

Quite simply, you are what you eat. But Big Agra and massive food corporations are heavily invested in pedalling us a seriously unhealthy and nutritionally empty diet.

A few years ago, I met a man named Eric Edmeades who opened my eyes to the damage of the modern diet to the human body. Since taking his program, WildFit, Ive never been healthier which gives me the platform to do everything else I do.

with Eric Edmeades, founder of WildFit

You dont have to go vegan like Beyonce or Zac Efron, but getting conscious about what you are putting into your body and liberating yourself from addiction with the foods that arent right for you is a habit worth forming.

Start by keeping it simple. Cindy Crawfords secret is a salad and a cup of green tea in her daily diet, apparently.

As well as getting the right fuel into the system, dont forget to hydrate. Were 70% water. Water is needed for all life. Its obvious.

Exercise

As well as what you put in to your body, its what you do with it on a daily basis that makes the difference. When youre at your physical best you can show up better in the world.

I take my inspiration from Richard Branson who, at the age of 69, put me to shame by swimming 3KM from Necker Island to neighboring Mosquito Island earlier this year. Youd be surprised how many of the successful people I meet devote a serious chunk of their busy schedules to keeping in shape.

On Necker Island with Richard Branson

But you dont need to spend hours swimming across the ocean or sweating it out in the gym. As I said in a recent Forbes article, I spend only 45 minutes a week in exercise, but I am incredibly healthy and scored very well on a lot of different health markers. Thats because the style of exercise I do is scientifically studied and hyper-optimal

Sleep

Sleep is massively undervalued in our fast-paced modern world. But sleep deprivation studies have shown that sleep is actually more important to survival than food. You can survive up to a month without food, yet the longest anyone has gone without sleep is 11 days. After only three or four nights without sleep, you can start to hallucinate.

Our infamous sleep pods at Mindvalley HQ in Kuala Lumpur

Theres so many entrepreneurs who buy into the myth that less sleep equals getting more done. Arnold Schwarzeneger famously said you dont need 8 hours sleep, just sleep faster, but I couldnt disagree more. Different people have different needs, but you need to find out your sleep requirements and do whats best for your own sleep chronotype.

You can read more about the importance of sleep in my article here on Thrive 4 Legit Reasons Why Employees Should Be Able To Nap On The Job.

HABIT #3: Meditate Everyday We meditate to get good at life, not to get good at meditation. Emily Fletcher

I love the fact that meditation is now mainstream. Ive been meditating since I was fourteen, and its the one habit that I NEVER compromise on. The benefits of meditation to physical and mental wellbeing have been well-documented and acted as a healing tool to help ease stress, anxiety and depression; if youre not doing it already, I suggest jumping on the bandwagon.

Perhaps my proudest contribution to this field is the Six Phase Meditation a method I developed that combines science, visualization and meditation in less than 20 minutes a day ideal for busy people and entrepreneurs who want to do more in the world.

Millions of people now use this method including Hollywood stars, music sensations like the soulful Miguel and professional athletes like NFL Legend Tony Gonzalez and NBA star Reggie Jackson.

Since The Zen Master, Phil Jackson, introduced mindfulness to the Chicago Bulls way back in the 90s, more and more sports teams are introducing meditation as a part of their training regimes. Sports psychologists have long advocated creative visualization techniques but now recognize the multiple benefits of a regular meditation practice.

I think the reason Six Phase became so popular is because it combines multiple transcendent practices gratitude, freedom from negative charges/forgiveness, creative visualization, intentions for the day and the blessing.

HABIT #4: Networking

Your network is your net worth. Porter Gale

Theres a certain amount of truth in the old adage its not what you know, its who you know so make a habit of consciously expanding your network.

Social apps and technology have given a new voice to networking, so this process is easier than ever. You can connect with people through Linked In, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and even indirect contacts that you make this way can prove invaluable.

At the Sharjah Entrepreneurship Festival with Mindvalley authors Jim Kwik and Dr. Shefaliand musician Akon

Even small businesses have the opportunity to reach a global customer base, so if you travel be sure to make a connection with everyone you meet. Make it your business to deliberately know information about everyone in your network and connect people to each other so you become a valued friend and ally.

Its important to provide value to others and you never know where the connections you make may take you.

HABIT #5: Follow Happiness

Happiness Inspires Productivity Shawn Anchor

So many of us choose our work for the monetary reward, either from a longing for status, a desire for material comfort or out of the necessity of putting clothes on our backs and food on the table. But what if we instead tried to choose how we make a living based on ends goals instead of means goals? What if we pursued work that soothes our soul, ignites our passion or makes a lasting contribution to a value we deem important? What if, in lieu of making a swift buck, we joined companies whose ideas we believed in? Lifes too short to spend the majority of your time doing something you dont like, or that has no meaning to you. Theres this strange cultural paradigm that weve created that suggests we sacrifice our time doing things that we dont want to do, in order to make money to do what we DO want to do. Thats crazy. Its as Alan Watts said: Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing than a long life spent in a miserable way.

Go here to see the original:
5 Habits That Will Change Your Life - Thrive Global