Youngsters relive moon landings at Cineworld in Sheffield

More than 400 local young people and their teachers were treated to a unique commemoration of 50 years since the first moon landing, which was out of this world.

Following a screening of documentary Apollo 11, which was created entirely from restored archive materials, the UK Space Agencys Head of Space Exploration, Sue Horne, led a fascinating talk and Q&A with an engaged primary audience.

The screening was part of a major series of events organised by the Into Film Festival this year to educate and immerse young people in the history of the moon landings.

Others have included a collaboration with Live Cinema UK and Yorkshire-based art-rock collective Stems in Leeds Town Hall as well as several screenings of Armstrong and First Man across the UK.

Into Film is an education charity that puts film at the heart of children and young peoples educational, cultural and personal development. More than half of UK schools engage with the programme.

A student from St Albans Primary School, said: My favourite part of coming to the Into Film Festival was getting to ask lots of questions. My favourite question was, how much money would it cost to build a rocket. Apollo 11 taught me a lot about rockets and how to launch them

The Into Film Festival returned for its 7th year from 6-22 November and is the worlds largest free film festival. Standout Sheffield events included the Festivals launch premiere of environmental documentary 2040 with UNICEF, an exclusive preview of The Aeronauts presented with the BFI London Film Festival and a screening of Horrible Histories: Rotten Romans featuring a talk from the BBFC (British Board of Film Classification).

The Into Film Festival, hosted by film education charity, Into Film is supported by Cinema First and the BFI through National Lottery funding and backed by the UK film industry. It is notably one of the biggest, free cultural events of the year and is curated for UK pupils aged 5-19 offering over 3,000 film screenings and speaker events covering a vast range of curriculum-linked topics.

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Space experience for Sheffield students is out of this world - The Star

In an effort to prepare the youth for the needs of a changing global economy, Dieudonne Allo developed a program equips learners with future-fit skills such as coding, entrepreneurship and design thinking. The idea is to prepare the students for the job market, but also to make them use their creativity and passion. This was born out of a passion to help address the failings of the industrial schooling system, especially in poorer communities.

Global Leading Light Initiatives (GLLI) is a non-profit organisation based in Mthatha, Eastern Cape. It was created to increase opportunities for youths to develop their natural gifts and be part of the tech economy. Our aim is to establish an ecosystem of technology entrepreneurs and a pipeline for entry-level jobs in these communities.

In 2013, I was a teacher at Lutoli JSS, a rural school around Mthatha. I saw lots of my students, though talented was classified as "students with learning disabilities". Some had amazing skills that counted for nothing in any academy subject. I had seen many such students repeat classes and dropping out, I then knew something else was possible a space to develop personal talent and innovation over and above academics. This made me start a student club called Leading Light Club.

I believed that every human being had a beam of "light" in them, otherwise called a unique talent or gift, which if given the right space and support, would shine and be a source of light for their communities.

The Leading Light Club was a school club which coached students to develop their natural gifts. In 2015, it was registered as a non-profit organisation, providing space for creativity and innovation in youths and communities. Parent and teacher clubs called "Iziko" provided teachers and coaching skills to parents and teachers to coach young persons to develop their gifts. Iziko was piloted in Cato Manor in KwaZulu-Natal, Gaborone in Botswana and Mthatha in 2015 and 2016.

The Leading Light Clubs were piloted in six high schools in Mthatha and Walter Sisulu University in 2017 and 2018. We spent the last three years working in Mthatha to find out the communitys needs and iterating our model. This led to the current technology and entrepreneurship model called the Community Innovation Lab.

We have two main programmes serving students and unemployed youths. Our school programme provides digital, design thinking and entrepreneurial leadership skills with the intention to spark students interest in innovation, technology and entrepreneurship. Our community programme, called the LL-Tech Academy, provides hands-on training in digital engineering, electronic waste recycling and entrepreneurship as well as business incubation and acceleration to school drop-outs, high school leaders and unemployed graduates around Mthatha.

A major obstacle has always been a lack of funding. Fortunately, I have been lucky to have some strong support from many community members, some of who have been working passionately with me for years as volunteers with no stipend.

The challenge of working with volunteers is the fact that they often leave having been trained, with all the experience as soon as a better financial opportunity shows up. I try to keep them motivated through a community-driven and collaborative leadership approach.

Another obstacle was that of lack of skills. I spent the past years developing my project management skills through a number of national and international fellowship programmes such as the StarttingBloc Fellowship, the Goldin Institute, Foundation for Professional Development, and Echoing Green Fellowship where I have been a semi-finalist for two consecutive years and the Red Bull Amaphiko Academy.

Through these programmes, I have honed my entrepreneurship and leadership skills and feel very confident to drive grassroots impact entrepreneurship.

There is a lot to say here, but the most important advice I would give any aspiring entrepreneur is to know your "why" before venturing on this journey. You need to ask yourself the right questions to know what your motivation is. Because this is what will empower you to overcome adversity. I will also advise them to build their competence by doing some short courses to develop the skills required to run a successful business. There are many free resources and courses online.

My last piece of advice is to get a mentor. I didnt realise how important coaching and mentorship is for an entrepreneur until I joined the Red Bull Amaphiko Academy. I now believe that having someone to support you in your journey and to who you are accountable is one of the most important things for an entrepreneur.

This is a tough one, as I have so many proud achievements worthy of mentioning here. However, I feel like mentioning my appointment into the United Nations Selections Committee for the Solutions Summit in 2018 and 2019.

I took part in the selection of the 10 best global projects addressing the UN SDGs and was an acceleration partner to some of these projects during the summit at the UN headquarters in New York during the last UNGA. I feel it was a recognition of the impact created through my work and leadership. This made me really proud, especially looking at where I come from.

Entrepreneurship is one of the oldest careers and wont be going anywhere soon. Many innovations are springing up daily in townships, cities and even rural areas. The Government of South Africa and some other development agencies are doing a good job in supporting these innovations to grow into successful entrepreneurial ventures. However, despite this, only an estimated 15% of tech start-ups in South Africa are making a profit. This means more has to be done in terms of skills development and funding.

Red Bull Amaphiko is the best entrepreneurship incubator I know of in South Africa. They really give entrepreneurs wings to fly. Mentorship is one of the most important needs of an entrepreneur, and Red Bull Amaphiko provides that in a very practical way. They also put the entrepreneur at the centre of the intervention. There is a need for many such programmes to grow the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the country. I have already benefitted enormously from their support.

Some may be able to provide skills, some may make in-kind donations, and others may volunteer their time, while others may just give useful feedback. Some might even help connect you to potential donors.

My biggest struggle so far has been to obtain training space and financial resources to extend the impact of our programme to many deserving youths. Out of 233 youths who applied to be in our academy this year, we were only able to recruit six due to our limited resources.

We found that there is a niche for rural and township tech innovation and entrepreneurship around Mthatha and rural surrounding communities, but the support system isnt strong enough. We are struggling to get the resources we need to set up a technology innovation and entrepreneurship support programme to serve unemployed youths and students, who we realised by working with them over the years possess a huge potential for tech innovation.

Our organisation has achieved tremendous outcomes in the past two years. So far we have supported the creation of five youth-owned tech businesses in Mthatha. Most of these youths joined the academy with no IT skills but today they are cisco and CompTIA certified IT technicians running their own businesses.

Some are already making a living out of their businesses. In our School Innovation programme, one of our participants in grade 12 from under-resourced school has invented a game which is helping students boost their performance in economics and inspiring student entrepreneurship. These are some of our major highlights.

I would like to see GLLI running grassroots innovation Hubs in at least three communities in South Africa, each with a well-equipped IT engineering lab, prototype lab and STEM lab as well as a business incubation space.

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#EntrepreneurMonth: The program that prepares youth with future-fit skills - Bizcommunity.com

Definition of Time Management

Time management is the process of planning and controlling how much time is spent on certain activities. Good time management allows a person to accomplish more in a shorter period of time, reduce stress, and lead to career success.

One important ability in running a business is good time management. If you cant manage your time well, theres no way you will achieve anything that was planned beforehand. Time management will be difficult to implement if you dont value time at all. When you waste the time you have, it will feel very heavy when trying to achieve business success.

If you want to succeed in business, time management must be considered well. Those who have success also have the same time as you, so you still have a chance to succeed. So, this is not about how much time you have. Its about how effectively you manage your time.

Benefits of Time Management

The ability to manage your time effectively is important. Good time management leads to increased efficiency and productivity, less stress, eating more success in life as well as your business. Here are some of the benefits of managing time effectively:

1. Relieve stress

Creating and following a task schedule reduces anxiety. When you check the items on the to do list list, you can see that you are making real progress. It helps you avoid stress because you are worried about whether you have accomplished something.

2. More time

Good time management gives you extra time to spend in everyday life. People who can manage time effectively enjoy more time spent on hobbies or other personal activities.

3. More opportunities

Managing time well leads to more opportunities and less time wasted on trivial activities. Good time management skills are the main quality sought by employers. The ability to prioritize and schedule work is highly desirable for any organization.

4. The ability to realize goals

Individuals who practice good time management are able to achieve goals and objectives better, and do so in a shorter time.

List of Tips for Effective Time Management

After considering the benefits of time management, lets look at several ways to manage time effectively:

1. Set goals correctly

Set goals that can be achieved and measured. Use the SMART method when setting goals. Bottom line, make sure you set goals that are Specific (Specific), Measured (Measurable) , Achievable (Attainable) , Relevant (Relevant) , and Timely (Timely) .

For example, every night before going to bed, make a list of activities for the next day. This is indeed a little disturbing your sleep time. But by making a list of activities, you effectively determine what activities will be carried out the next day. That way, you have a reference to being able to work optimally. Indirectly it will prevent you from inefficient time.

2. Prioritize wisely

Prioritize tasks based on importance and urgency. For example, look at your daily assignments and determine which:

3. Set a time limit for completing the task

Setting time limits for completing tasks helps you be more focused and efficient. Making extra effort to decide how much time you need to share for each task can also help you identify potential problems before they arise. That way you can make plans to deal with them.

Not only finance must be audited, the time spent must also be audited. Take a few moments to assess how you spend your time. You can use your daily activity book or cellphone to record all activities carried out.

Is the time spent well spent? Is there time wasted? You can judge when the time you spend is often and make sure no time is wasted.

4. Rest between tasks

When doing multiple tasks without breaks, it is more difficult to stay focused and motivated. Allow some time breaks between tasks to clear your mind and refresh yourself. Consider taking a nap, going for a short walk, or meditating.

You might not think that this will help you manage your time better, but meditating and exercising every morning will make your body fitter. That way, you can do various routine activities that are usually done. So the time available can be used properly. After exercising, your mind will also be fresher and can think clearly to do the task at hand.

5. Manage yourself

Take advantage of your calendar for long-term time management. Write deadlines for projects, or for tasks that are part of the overall project completion. Think about which days are best for dedicating certain tasks. For example, you might need to plan a meeting to discuss cash flow on the day you know the companys CFO is in the office.

6. Delete the tasks / activities that are not important

It is important to delete excessive activities or tasks. Determine what is important and what is appropriate for your time. Removing unnecessary tasks / activities frees up more of your time to be spent on things that really matter.

One of the biggest time wasters you have is bad habits. Whether its watching movies, going to parties, using too much social media, playing games, often going out for drinks with friends, or so on. Bad habits that take up less precious time we have.

Use your time wisely by eliminating your bad habits if you are serious about achieving big goals in life. Think of time as gold that you must guard well

7. Plan ahead

Make sure you start every day with a clear idea of what you need to do what needs to be done TODAY. Consider getting used to, at the end of each work day, to go ahead and write a to do list for the next workday. That way you can touch the ground the next morning.

Finding a mentor who can guide you in managing time is also important. You will easily be lulled into doing other activities that are outside the plan if you do not have a mentor. His experience will make you have an extraordinary time management. Be selective in choosing a mentor, make sure he can help you at any time.

Bad Time Management Consequences

1. Poor workflow

Inability to plan ahead and not holding fast to goals means poor efficiency. For example, if there are some important tasks that must be completed, an effective plan is to complete the related tasks simultaneously or in sequence.

However, if you dont plan ahead, you end up having to jump back and forth, or back off, in doing your work. That means reduced efficiency and lower productivity.

2. Time wasted

Poor time management results in wasted time. For example, by talking to friends on social media while doing an assignment, you disturb yourself and waste time.

3. Loss of control

By not knowing what to do next, you suffer from losing control of your life. It can contribute to higher levels of stress and anxiety.

4. Poor quality of work

Poor time management usually decreases the quality of your work. For example, having to rush to complete a task at the last minute usually reduces the quality of the results of the work itself.

5. Bad reputation

If your client or boss cannot rely on you to complete tasks in a timely manner, their hopes and perceptions about you will be affected. If clients cannot rely on you to get things done on time, they will likely take their business elsewhere.

Conclusion

Not only in your business, is time management also directly related to your life. If you manage your time well, you can get a good quality of life. In business, another crucial thing besides time is bookkeeping. Without good bookkeeping your business will be very difficult to develop. The solution is to use accounting software to facilitate business bookkeeping. You can use online free and paid bookkeeping software for your business.

Author Bio:

Amy Fisher, has begun to be interested in the world of self-development since he was in college. Her passion for the world of self-development has led him to become a diligent student, continue to practice, and read many books on self-development and psychology. With the motto sharing is the way of learning, Amy also writes motivational articles, inspirational stories and the science of personal development on her personal blog. Later on she joined one of the most leading company in UK as HR and proved herself to introduce a powerful management system and trained employees to manage their time effectively. This article by Amy sheds her powerful thoughts of effective productivity. We are thankful to Amy for his contribution in our nursing essay writing service to train our writing team and settle other issues and she turned out best. Hope this article of Amy will help you to save time like our team members.

Excerpt from:
Benefits and Tips for Good Time Management for Your Business - Thrive Global

Gen Z the age group that roughly encompasses individuals born between 1997 and 2015 has arrived, and its about time organisations started taking notice

Millennials remain the focus of attention (and much derision) in many online think pieces. When cultural commentators arent criticising them for being snowflakes, companies are cynically trying to appeal to their progressive sensibilities. But with the Pew Research Centre defining a Millennial as anyone born between 1981 and 1996, the oldest members of this cohort are now approaching their 40s. Whether you hold broadly positive or negative views of the generation in question, one thing is clear: theyre not the new kids on the block anymore.

While businesses have spent time analysing (and generalising) Millennials, their successors have quietly entered the workforce. Generation Z (Gen Z) the age group that roughly encompasses individuals born between 1997 and 2015 has arrived, and its about time organisations started taking notice.

Each employee is an individual, and businesses should not expect entire age groups to behave in a homogenous way

Perhaps the main difference between Gen Z and those who came before is the fact that they are the first generation of true digital natives: while many Millennials have grown up in an age of great technological development, older members are likely to remember the dark days before the internet. Gen Z is also extremely entrepreneurial, competitive and welcoming of change. If hiring managers want to attract these bright young minds to their companies, theyll need to recognise that they have different priorities to older members of staff.

Get up and go One of the most striking things about Gen Z is that studies have shown it to be the most entrepreneurial generation yet. According to research collected by Online Schools Centre, 41 percent of Gen Z plan to start their own business and 45 percent believe they will invent something that changes the world. As with any generation, these trends have not developed in isolation they are products of the world in which young people today have grown up.

Coming of age during a time of hardship (a global recession, for example) often brings more entrepreneurial spirit, so that will certainly have a lot to do with the raw drive and hunger seen in many Gen Zers, Ben Gamble, Head of Agency at Shout About, a London-based creative events agency, told European CEO. In addition, I think Gen Z saw a lot of burnout first-hand watching older generations work day and night without much me time, which I believe increased their desire for a better work-life balance. Many, I am sure, see having their own business, whereby one can work to a rhythm that perfectly fits their needs, as an excellent option for a healthier life.

The decade of slow growth and, in some countries, government-imposed austerity that followed the global financial crisis of 2008 coincided with many Gen Z members formative years. Over this period, they witnessed Millennials struggle to achieve the financial security attained by past generations, despite no shortage of ability or hard work. Theyve seen older generations take on side hustles a marketing euphemism for second jobs to simply get by.

Against this backdrop, its easy to see why Gen Z are so keen to strike out on their own. Whats more, theyve been helped by the fact that starting a business has never been simpler: the digital economy has lowered barriers to entry across a whole range of industries. That doesnt mean its any easier to have a successful career, but whether you want to become a YouTube star or an online business mentor, you no longer need huge amounts of up-front capital to get started.

The future of the woke-place Although many within Gen Z harbour ambitions of becoming their own boss, there are still plenty in this cohort that will end up in a more traditional employee-employer relationship. For businesses and recruitment agencies, the task remains unchanged: catching the eye of the most talented individuals.

For members of Gen Z who dont start their own business, career progression is hugely important. According to research conducted by workplace coaching firm InsideOut Development, 75 percent of Gen Z think they should receive a promotion after working in their first position for just one year, while 32 percent believe career advancement should occur after six months. They are also keen to be mentored on their way to the top more than 75 percent believe that a managers ability to coach is an important attribute.

Employers can appeal to Gen Z talent by keeping things interesting, Gamble said. Its essential to offer roles with clear progression and training programmes so that talent will continue to grow and learn. We also find that offering unique rewards and benefits, such as flexible working hours, along with regular team-building exercises also pays dividends.

Employers looking to attract Gen Z staff should be aware that ethics are a key consideration for this generation. Many, if not all, members of this group champion social activism and progressive attitudes in their place of work. Social purpose is a big value set for Gen Zers, Dr Naeema Pasha, Director of Henley Careers, told European CEO. We see in the media every day how young people are taking a stand on issues like climate change diversity and inclusion. These values will eventually move into the mainstream and become more dominant beliefs across all age groups. We found in our research that more than half (53 percent) of Gen Z feel they need to be able to express values that are important to them through their career and nearly a third (29 percent) find it annoying when employers dont share the same values.

As Pasha explained to European CEO, wokeness the quality or state of being aware of social justice issues is an increasingly important value for the members of Gen Z (and younger Millennials) now entering the workforce. Flexibility is also highly prized: unsurprisingly, the generation most inclined to become entrepreneurs demands a high level of autonomy from its employers.

Celebrating difference In every workplace, the employer-employee relationship should be a reciprocal one. As Gen Z begins to make up an increasingly large proportion of the workforce, they will understandably be keen to undergo personal development under the tutelage of their more experienced co-workers, but senior members of staff should be open to learning from their new recruits as well.

Gen Zers are enthusiastic, willing to take risks and explore new ideas, Danny Brooks, CEO and co-founder of VHR, a global technical recruitment organisation, told European CEO. They value diversity in experience and encourage the inclusion of everyone from all walks of life, which is highly beneficial to teamwork, especially across different generations. Technology skills are useful not just in themselves, but for the ability to learn new ways of working and adapt fast to dramatic change.

As Brooks mentioned, Gen Z has plenty to offer in terms of skill set, particularly when it comes to digital solutions. According to WP Engine and the Centre for Generational Kinetics 2018 report, Reality Bytes: the Digital Experience is the Human Experience, 61 percent of Gen Z cannot go more than five hours without internet access; 32 percent cant last more than an hour. Connectivity is not simply another part of their lives, whether in or out of the office it is a necessity. This has resulted in Gen Z being naturally accustomed to digital tools and the pace at which they change. Managers should tap into, and learn from, this capability.

Another thing that more senior members of staff may discover as they are joined in the office by members of Gen Z is that all the survey results in the world cannot tell them everything they need to know about their new recruits. Each employee is an individual, and businesses should not expect entire age groups to behave in a homogenous way. This is as true for Gen Z as it was for Millennials, Baby Boomers and, indeed, all past generations. Identifying general trends among potential employees is a good idea; generalising is not.

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Businesses must make space for Generation Z in the workplace - EuropeanCEO

Greta Van Fleet have said they are making headway with their new album.

Read more: Ramble On: meet Greta Van Fleet, the post-millennial Led Zeppelin

Frontman Josh Kiszka revealed that the band have been working on the follow up to their 2018 LP Anthem Of The Peaceful Army debut since the summer.

For about two months in the heart of the summer of this year we really poured everything into the writing and recording, and were hoping that sometime earlier next year well be able to put it out. Were super excited about it, he told Kerrang.

Their first album scored three stars with the NME describing it as: This head-banging, Led Zep-indebted collection of rock songs might not change the world, but itll at least give yer head a little wobble.

They previously refuted claims that that they were a Led Zeppelin rip-off.Its being said over and over, and I think its one of the greatest compliments that could ever be given to a young band like ourselves. Theyre arguably one of the greatest rock bands of all time, so that is humbling and inspiring and honorable, in that sense, guitarist Jake Kiszka telling FaceCulture.

But I think that weve become more conscious of the similarities, because its been said, and I think weve taken some time to go back and almost identify with it. Oh, its interesting, because there is a lot of those commonalities.

Now Kiszka said of the new album: Honestly, the way that we approach our music is that were writing it for anybody who has any reason to listen to it.

Were creating something simply for the sake of making a work of art that were proud of, that we ourselves like to listen to. I dont think we set out to prove anything, particularly, but to point out some things about the world and our society. There are some of those elements to this album. And its the next step I think, in the evolution and the sound of this band.

The band released new single, Always There earlier this year. The song comes from the soundtrack of the movie A Million Little Pieces, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, which hits cinemas in December.

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Greta Van Fleet say their new album is the next step in the evolution of the sound of this band - NME.com

In a world overloaded with inspirational quotes, daily affirmations, and endless positivity, sometimes it can seem wrong to feel anything less than cheerful. Buy into this relentless flow of messages promoting happiness and feeling good above all else, and we end up in a kind of spiritually anemic wasteland a type of toxic positivity that would have us believe that emotions can fall into only one of two categories bad or good. And, if we fail at feeling only the good ones, then we are somehow inadequate and miss out on creating an engaged and purposeful life. Sigh.

Heres the problem with this over-simplified view of our interior lives:

The things that bring true meaning and purpose to our lives are often the same things that invite the whole array of emotions into our consciousness, even the supposedly negative ones.

For example, think of a long-term intimate relationship, or when a person becomes a parent. These are complex life experiences that require us to be vulnerable, to step into the unknown, and brave the full array of our emotional responses. Its totally unrealistic to assume we could orient to these types of circumstances with the goal of only feeling the good vibes.

Having such an expectation sets us up to miss some of the most enriching opportunities for growth and connection. How can we teach our children about emotional resiliency if we are demanding they embrace a false positivity instead of learning to deal with the world the way it is? How can we model self-acceptance and self-compassion if we are effectively denying huge parts of ourselves and deeming them unacceptable simply because those parts are less than comfortable to feel?

The rigid approach of positivity and nothing else is indeed toxic. It stands in direct contradiction to a path of conscious evolution, one in which we welcome in the moments of vulnerability and see them as opportunities to acknowledge and feel all of our feelings. This is how we gain wisdom in life and access to deeper layers of our own potential by allowing ourselves to be present to full spectrum of our experiences and emotions.

So whats the antidote to this epidemic of toxic positivity? In a word, its authenticity.

Unlike the counterfeit form of enlightenment promised to us with toxic positivity, authenticity promotes a deep and potent inner-knowing, and allows us to show up in the world from a place of embodied presence no matter what emotions we are experiencing. But how exactly do we do that?

1.To be authentic, we must start with awareness.

We need to be willing to show up, stay curious, and make ourselves completely available to the present moment. When we do that, we are setting the stage to stay open to possibility and invoke the power of beginners mind. We refuse to make assumptions, including the assumption that certain emotions are better than others. Only then do we become truly available to listen to and receive from the experiences life is offering us.

2. With awareness intact, the next step towards authenticity is to clarify and connect with our values.

This is an essential step for making life more meaningful. When we know our values, what we want to be a stand for in this world, we can have a different orientation to our feelings. They are no longer good or bad. Instead, they are opportunities to learn more about what truly matters to us.

We tend to have the strongest emotional reactions to things that are important to us. For example, if we feel big grief about the millions of children living in poverty in our world, perhaps that is an indicator to us that we might deeply value being of service to others less fortunate than us. And as such, we can start to choose actions that align with that, which leads us to the next step.

3. Once we are clear on our values, then we can choose to act in accordance with those values to create a purpose driven-life.

Life no longer is about seeking out perpetual happiness. Instead, we choose to connect and prioritize those things that will move us further in the direction of what matters most to us.

When we have a clear connection to our inner purpose like this, we develop a much greater tolerance for the full spectrum of feelings. We dont fear the difficult emotions any longer. Instead, we understand that each feeling we have is part of a larger process of self-discovery and self-creation. And with our values at the forefront of our mind, we feel motivated to create a life filled with meaning and passion. But the practice of authenticity doesnt stop there.

4. To fully own our deepest truth and leave the cult of toxic positivity behind us, we must also embrace the ambiguity that inevitably comes with choosing authenticity.

As they say, the only thing certain in life is change. When we stop wasting energy trying to be in control of everything (including our emotions), we enter a more truthful relationship of co-creation with the universe. We allow ourselves to be changed by the journey as it unfolds.

This is where our true power lies not in cultivating some artificial sense of positivity but in genuinely showing up in the here and now, clear on our values, ready to act, and willing to be changed. This is the ground from which a life of real meaning and purpose can blossom and flourish and incidentally its also the place from which we truly can experience authentic happiness and fulfillment.

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Toxic Positivity is a Thing and It Needs to Stop - Thrive Global

If you reach for extra helpings of turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving, don't feel too self-conscious. Chances are, everyone else gathered at the table will pile more food onto their plates, too.

Blame the indulgence on one another, and our evolutionary wiring that dates back to our primitive days.

It's a real thing, and researchers call it the "social facilitation of eating" the tendency for people to eat more when they are with company than when they are alone. In fact, according to a recent British study, a meal size could be 29 to 48 percent larger when someone eats with other people, particularly when they are with friends and family, vs. people they don't know well.

Psychologist Helen Ruddock, an author of the study, said that, indeed, she eats more when she is with friends and family "especially at Christmas, because there's always so much food available."

"I often eat beyond the point of fullness in social situations," Ruddock said.

Our tendency to eat more with companions goes back to the hunter-gatherer days, when people competed for resources, Ruddock said. This created a tension between wanting to get enough food for ourselves, and not wanting to look greedy. People would strike a balance by eating roughly the same amount as those around them.

"Individual group members are guided to match their behavior to others, promoting a larger meal than might otherwise be eaten in the absence of this social competition," the study states.

Of course, most of us aren't hunter-gatherers in the modern world, but the evolutionary roots still guide our eating habits, according to the study.

Ruddock and her colleagues at the University of Birmingham's Eating Behaviour Research Group did a meta-analysis by examining 42 previous studies about social eating, which was published in the fall in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The studies include those in which participants were observed eating alone and with others, and also those that examined people's food diaries.

Researchers discovered that other species do the same. Animals, including chickens, rats and gerbils, also eat more when they are in a group, the study stated.

"This suggests it serves an ultimate purpose," the authors wrote.

While our close relations seem to have a big impact on our meal size in part because the meal can go on for hours the analysis found no major difference in food intake when people eat alone vs. with strangers and acquaintances.

Thanksgiving, with large quantities of comfort food and a celebratory vibe with loved ones, creates a perfect storm for stuffing ourselves with mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and green bean casserole, said Tessie Tracy, an eating-psychology coach affiliated with the Boulder, Colo.-based Institute for the Psychology of Eating.

Tracy, who is not connected to the study, said that with friends and family, there's an expectation and also almost "an unspoken pressure" to eat a lot on holidays.

"Auntie says, 'Oh, you have to clear your plate, " said Tracy, who coaches people to explore their relationship with food. "Auntie says, 'Oh, you're not going to try my pie?'"

She also said that, apart from family pressure, many of us just like to join the pack when there's a delicious sweet-potato casserole and fresh-baked rolls on the table.

"Everyone else is doing it, so I'm going to do it," Tracy said about our mind-set.

While this kind of eating once served a survival purpose, let's face it: Now that instinct can lead to indigestion and unwanted pounds. The authors recommend that future studies on the subject look at ways to enjoy social eating without being unhealthy.

That might be extra challenging at the holidays. There's some evidence that the Thanksgiving menu in particular fits well with the social facilitation of eating: Foods high in fat and protein like turkey and gravy have a strong association with eating more while with family and friends. One study found that the highest social-facilitation effects came from high-fat sweet foods such as pumpkin pie.

Whether it's the entree, dessert or the company or likely, all three the Thanksgiving meal is bound to foster a hearty appetite.

After all, it appears that we are just being human. And everyone else at the table probably will be polishing off their heaping plates, too.

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You do eat more at the holidays: Evolution trained you to - Utica Observer Dispatch

With all the buzz about millennials over the past several years, brands are quickly shifting their focus to the emerging generation of influencers: Gen Z. If not already the largest living generation, by 2020 Gen Z will account for 40% of all consumers worldwide a staggering number, not just in sheer size, but also, importantly, in influence. The first digitally native generation, Gen Z (those born between 1997 and roughly the early to mid-2010s) grew up with technology at their fingertips, with the introduction of the iPhone considered to be the defining moment of their evolution.

Parents of millennials are, for the most part, baby boomers, who themselves grew up in an age of relative financial prosperity and security, and whose goal then became to provide an easier life for their children, resulting in what many perceive as a sense of entitlement among millennials. The parents of Gen Z are predominantly Gen X, who value teaching their kids to be self-sufficient and conscious of spending, as well as naturally being competitive and self-motivated. Gen X was widely affected by the Great Recession and, in turn, passed along the notion of fiduciary responsibility and self-reliance to their offspring. The difference in parenting styles is evident in the way Gen Z considers their travel decisions and spending of their own discretionary income, though that isnt the only way Gen Z is impacting the luxury travel market.

The combination of those two factors parenting and digital innovation has rendered Gen Z hugely influential in the decision making process of those bankrolling luxury travel.

Parents, who are largely responsible for providing an income for the familys livelihood and for their recreational travel, dont necessarily have the time to do all of the research for trip planning. Being so technologically intuitive, Gen Z has their fingers on the pulse of trending destinations and experiences through information seen in highly visual, bite-sized servings on social media. They are the generation most likely to travel internationally, preferring off-the-beaten-path destinations to tried-and-true ones, and authentic local experiences to the sightseeing and group excursions their grandparents may have preferred. They value living like a local.

Parents increasingly consult their kids on family travel planning decisions. Gen Z is likely to embrace active experiences, and is more open to considering alternative accommodations and the sharing economy, impacting the way travel providers are approaching their business models and planning for the future. Pursuing highly visual destinations and exotic, unique activities, Gen Z is looking to differentiate themselves in a homogenized world of social media, finding innovative content in order to stand out. That entrepreneurial spirit has resulted in a wealth of opportunities for DMCs and service providers the industry over.

New businesses are emerging to cater to the complex and diverse needs of this new consumer base, even if the ones funding the costs are boomers or Gen X; after all, grandparents often favor the opinions of their grandchildren over their own adult kids. If a multigenerational trip is about engaging the entire family, its prudent to cater to the desires of those most easily distracted or dissatisfied.

Additionally, new destinations like are increasingly finding fast footing, at the risk of developing more quickly than infrastructure (or culture) allows. Gen Zs open-minded, unusual choices veer away from traditional destinations in a search for singularity. They are savvy about where they want to go, eschewing Paris for Marrakech, the Caribbean for the Galapagos.

In order to reach the luxury travel spender, brands need to sell the experience and meet Gen Z where they live, on social media channels like Instagram and SnapChat (Facebook is already pass for those under 25). Paramount is a focus on peer inclusion; Gen Z digests information almost exclusively from their peer group, not adult or perceived authoritarian sources. Including imagery with people that look like them is crucial to success for travel companies. Some agents and providers either have or will soon start enlisting Gen Z influencers themselves to create awareness among the peer group, one that is budget-conscious but willing to spend where it increases the aesthetic or the experience something best sold through social media. For a self-aware generation, theres still a healthy dose of FOMO to which brands, destinations, hotels and service providers can appeal.

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Lessons In Luxury Travel: Gen Z's Influence On The Economy - Forbes

On Nov. 26, Christian Bayle, president and chief executive officer of Inter Pipeline, made a $10-million commitment over 10 years with NAIT to research plastic waste reduction. Travis Dosser/News Staff

An innovative new program at NAIT is looking to reduce plastic waste in Canada and its backed by Albertas Industrial Heartland.

On Tuesday, Nov. 26,Inter Pipeline Ltd. and NAIT announced the joint-partnership to research opportunities to reuse and recycle plastic in Canada. Over the next decade, the industrial company plans to invest $10 million into thePlastics Research in Action (PRIA) agreement, which will use NAITs applied research expertise in the area of process engineering, process automation and environmental sustainability. The initiative will tap into the talents of student researchers.

The $10-million in funding will support a strong team of researchers who will work collaboratively with Inter Pipeline. Together, we will undertake projects that could lead to the evolution of a more circular economy for plastics, Christian Bayle, president and chief executive officer of Inter Pipeline said. We will strive to develop processes to reuse and recycle plastics in Canada and hopefully all over the globe.

NAITs president and chief executive officer was thrilled about the partnership.

(Inter Pipelines) investment will truly have a profound impact, explained Dr. Glenn Feltham, president and CEO of NAIT. NAITs vision is to be one of the worlds leading polytechnics and the most relevant and responsive post-secondary institution in Canada. Central to this vision is NAITss relationship with industry.

Inter Pipeline received federal investments from the Strategic Innovation Fund, which is designed to attract and support high-quality business investment in dynamic and innovative sectors. The companys CEOis confident researchers will be able to find new opportunities to keep plastics out of the environment with this new program.

Were still exploring ways to responsibly address plastics use, reuse and disposal, Bayle said. Groups from all over the world are gathering information and performing research to determine exactly how we can improve our interactions with plastics throughout their life cycle.

In Canada, nearly 80 per cent of all post-consumer plastics end up in landfills.

Ultimately, I believe the end game is preventing plastic waste and that is why I consider todays announcement to be necessary and a very positive step forward, Bayle said.

Currently under construction in Albertas Industrial Heartland in Strathcona County, Inter Pipelines Heartland Complex is the first of its kind in North America to integrate propane dehydrogenation (PDH) and polypropylene manufacturing into a single complex. Once operational in late 2021, it will offer 180 full-time jobs and produce 525,000 of polypropylene annually. Bayle added that the recyclable plastic pellets have a great many uses and will be used to createcar parts, carpet backing, and food packaging in Canada and the United States.

This is a signature project for us and the country. Were very proud to be spearheading this build in Alberta using thousands of skilled local labour. More to that, 70 per cent of the $3.5-billion were spending on the construction of Heartland will go directly into our province supporting our local economy, Bayle said to applause.

The Inter Pipeline president noted sustainability is a critical component of the companys long-term business success, as they are a member of the Chemical Industry Association of Canada, which has targets to reduce plastic waste. In addition, the company is also participating in the federal framework to achieve zero plastic waste.

Were all in this together. Plastics arent going away and nor should they because they form a vital part of our everyday lives. Well lead through initiatives like PRIA and possible solutions that will emerge and shape the way we can all make more environmentally conscious decisions.

tdosser@postmedia.com

twitter.com/travisdosser

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Inter Pipeline injects $10M into plastic waste reduction research - Sherwood Park News

The orgy looks like itll start any minute in that grove of coconut palms beyond the luau table, a heap of suckling piglets and pineapples, roast chickens and splayed banana clusters all piled against an enormous, open barrel of rum. Brown, half-nude men draped with leis clutch island women with flowers in their hair. They form an undulating circle of sexualized bodies, their faces cartoony and grotesque, a collection of rubbery lips, eyes drawn as slits and frying-pan noses: a racist fantasy of happy natives with stoked libidos, down to rut.

The illustration is by French artist Guy Huz. Its in Trader Vics Book of Food and Drink by Victor Bergeron (published by Doubleday in 1946), a founding pillar of the cocktail, design and culture known today as tiki (though not in 46). Its the book that gave the world the mai tai, Bergerons legacy, a drink of genius.

Theres so much about tiki I love, especially happy hour mai tais at Trader Vics in Emeryville, on the eastern flank of San Francisco Bay, with its barroom views out to a snug marina. Look almost anywhere else in that room, though (at the vintage drawings illustrating cocktails from Vic Bergerons early days, for example, when Vics was on a car-choked strip of north Oakland), and the scenery becomes more troubling, suggestive of those Huz illustrations.

While the racist tenor of artifacts from Americas cultural past have come under scrutiny team mascots, statues in the public square, restaurants wrapped in colonial nostalgia tiki has avoided any serious reckoning over its imagery or the commandeering of objects and symbols from other cultures. It certainly hasnt included voices of Pacific Islanders, whose gods have been rendered into cocktail mugs and medallions and ancient design motifs turned into kitschy fabric for muumuus and cabana sets.

The Tonga Hut in North Hollywood is still attracting aloha-shirt-wearing, tropical cocktail lovers after 55 years.

(Michael Robinson Chvez / Los Angeles Times)

Which is not to say that, as pure mixology, tiki hasnt proven its brilliance. Martin Cate of Smugglers Cove in San Francisco, Jeff Beachbum Berry of Latitude 29 in New Orleans, as well as tikis founding fathers, Bergeron and Donn Beach: Their artistry and advocacy for Caribbean rums has been a powerful source of delight in a world seriously in need of it. Yet this sophisticated culture of drinks has been tethered to a crude imperialist fantasy that has treated the South Pacific as a source of escape.

I do not appreciate colonial nostalgia, says Stephanie Nohelani Teves, assistant professor in womens studies at the University of Hawaii at Mnoa and author of Defiant Indigeneity: The Politics of Hawaiian Performance. Shes a Kanaka Maoli (a Hawaii native), born and raised on Oahu though her family roots extend to Maui. Tiki bars are not cute.

And thats the problem with tiki: how to honor its real contributions to mixology while resisting the parts that dishonor indigenous people, misuse their iconography and exploit their sacred traditions. In a woke world, is there hope for tiki?

Americas presence in Polynesia is the result of military expansion: We seized Hawaii in the 1890s for its geo-strategic value (same with Samoa, carved up by Western colonial powers in 1899), and we exerted control over various islands during and after World War II.

Tikis roots stretch to the 1930s and two proudly divey California bars, both run by men with a talent for creating myths as potent as their drinks. Ernest Raymond Beaumont Gantt was a drifter who opened a tiny bar in 1933 in an old tailors shop in Hollywood. He called it Dons Beachcomber (eventually Don the Beachcomber). It was, as Cate describes in his 2016 book Smugglers Cove: Exotic Cocktails, Rum, and the Cult of Tiki, a rough-edged, tropical fantasy bar, one mans vision of an island rum shack. Gantt changed his name to Donn Beach.

Donn Beach, surrounded by starlets at his backyard luau in 1946.

(Sven Kirsten / Taschen)

Meanwhile in Oakland, Bergeron built a one-room bar he named Hinky Dinks. In 1937, inspired by a trip to Havana and Bar La Florida (also to Albert Martins Bon Ton Bar in New Orleans and Don the Beachcomber) Bergeron built a backroom addition, the Bamboo Room, for ladies and their escorts, the opening notice read, where the prime decorative flourish was a large staghorn fern. Bergeron took up the moniker Trader Vic, which gave him the aura of an island rum trafficker. His menu portrayed the Trader with a smirk and a bucket hat, flanked by topless native women.

By the early 1950s, when Bergeron launched his Trader Vics flagship in San Francisco, and Beach, along with his wife, Cora Sunny Sund, were presiding over Don the Beachcomber branches in Chicago and Palm Springs, all the elements of tikis golden era were in place.

The word tiki traces to New Zealand and the Marquesas Islands. It refers to sacred images of gods and creation. In the plasticized, popcorn-ceilinged suburbs of post-WWII America, tiki evoked a lost world of palm-ringed beaches, happy natives and rum-fueled sexual release: a world as drenched in color as the 1958 movie of Rodgers and Hammersteins South Pacific. With a plate of rumaki, goopy spare ribs and a Samoan Fog Cutter in a hula-girl mug (available at the restaurant gift shop), anyone could find their own Bali Hai. Places like the Luau in Beverly Hills, the Tonga Room in San Francisco and the Mai-Kai in Fort Lauderdale created sticky, pineapple-sweet microverses.

By the late 1960s, during its decline, a politically more progressive generation of Americans saw tiki as retrograde or worse.

What once seemed charming and naive about island peoples and cultures, Cate writes in Smugglers Cove, now seemed, to a generation raised in a more globally aware world, to be at best patronizing or inauthentic, and at worst simply racist.

Stephanie Nohelani Teves

Then, starting in 1990, tiki came back from the dead with a Midcentury Modern bent. In the current revival phase three German filmmaker Sven Kirsten, who relocated to Los Angeles, became an archaeologist of golden-era tiki-ana. In 1994, he coined a term for the midcentury design ethos of vintage mugs, cabana suits and replica moai (the famous Rapa Nui monoliths of Easter Island): Polynesian Pop. Kirstens The Book of Tiki, published in 2000, is a manifesto for the revival of the genre.

Polynesian Pop seduced St. John Frizell, drinks writer, bartender and owner of Fort Defiance in Brooklyn, where he hosts a weekly tiki night called the Sunken Harbor Club.

Tiki became associated strongly not with native South Sea Island culture, and not really with drinks either, but Midcentury Modern aesthetics, he said of his introduction to tiki in the 90s.

Frizell has attended the annual Hukilau in Fort Lauderdale, a three-day celebration of Polynesian Pop culture. The Hukilau crowd isnt there for the drinks, he says, theyre there to wear their matching caftans and alohas and listen to Arthur Lyman and shop for vintage Polynesian Pop wall hangings and table lamps.

The first time I reached out to Cate to talk about issues of cultural appropriation in tiki, he quoted an article by Cory Starr of the bar Three Dots and a Dash in Chicago.

Though tiki culture and Polynesian Pop has pulled substantial influence from traditional Polynesian culture, Starr wrote, it was never intended in any sense to represent it. Rather, tiki style was a reflection of the American experience of the South Pacific.

The unacknowledged problem is, that experience happened in the context of American militarism and postwar expansion something obvious to critics of tiki, especially Pacific Islanders still grappling with issues of colonialism and cultural erasure.

Stephanie Nohelani Teves

In 2016 I emailed Kirsten in Hamburg, Germany (his hometown), and asked him about charges of cultural appropriation in tiki. Not surprisingly, he pushed back, arguing that if the original creators of American tiki culture sinned, that evil is all in the past.

I do believe, he wrote, that the downfall of tiki in the late 60s and 70s happened for good reasons, but that its almost complete disappearance was unfortunate, and that after a period of growing wiser (so I had hoped), we as history-conscious adults can now enjoy the obviously fake notion of a tropical paradise on earth in a reflective, tongue-in-cheek manner.

In other words, the current manifestation of tiki is insulated against charges of sacred image desecration and cultural imperialism because it revives vintage artifacts and a retro design aesthetic.

Tiki art was never intended to be taken seriously or to portray the real thing, Kirsten wrote. It was always a loving, naive homage to a culture envied and longed for, and never meant as a parody, or patronizing ridicule of another belief. Why is it being dragged into that negative perspective?

Tiki mugs decorate a display case at Tonga Hut.

(Nick Agro / For The Times)

For Hokulani Aikau, associate professor of ethnic and gender studies at the University of Utah and a native Hawaiian whose roots there stretch back 50 generations, Kirstens assertion that tiki revival is fun is textbook settler colonialism. Its to remind us whos in control, Aikau says. You have to be in a position of authority to create the caricature that becomes the thing thats fun. The first step, she says, is to dehumanize.

You caricature, Aikau says. Turn it into fun and play, all for the kitschy fake Hawaiian [stuff]. It reduces a very complex society down to a few key symbols.

Epi Aumavae

Cate resists charges of colonialism. Tiki doesnt erase Polynesian culture, he says, it celebrates it. In Hawaii, 19th century missionaries had all but obliterated indigenous culture, its gods and spiritual practices, and it was men like Donn Beach who helped spark a cultural revival. Beach moved to Hawaii to open a branch of Don the Beachcomber after World War II, and eventually launched the International Market Place, an outdoor shopping mall in Waikiki, where artisans from different Pacific islands made traditional crafts to hawk to tourists, Cate says.

Teves, the University of Hawaii professor, says that for older generations, theres a more complicated story to how settler colonialism co-opts culture. They had to learn to survive, she says. It takes a certain amount of privilege, not to mention a certain level of linguistic skills, to mount an organized fight, she said.

Even today in Hawaii, on Mauna Kea, site of the 5-year-old Thirty Meter Telescope protests, in which indigenous protesters are struggling to preserve a sacred site from development, resistance is complicated by the need to survive. These days, Teves says, There is a much more vocal unwillingness to consent to colonialism and misrepresentation, but we also must labor in the tourism industry.

Epi Aumavae is the board president of Samoan Solutions, a Bay Area nonprofit providing services to a large local community. Shes a third-generation Samoan American whos lived in both Samoa and California. (Aumavae agreed to share her personal opinions for this story and emphasized she was not speaking for Samoan Solutions.) Like Aikau, she sees tiki as theft. Its an effort for people not directly connected to a thing, she says, to take ownership of something that was never theirs.

The appropriation evident in decorative items is disgusting, its grotesque, and it minimizes the beauty, the intelligence and the sacredness of our cultures, said Daniel Naha Veevalu, who works in social services in the Bay Area Pacific Islander community.

We are an inclusive people, Aumavae says, so it is quite easy for us to see cultural appropriation and not immediately take offense. But, she says, The more we allow it to continue, the more it looks like consent from the Polynesian community. We have to draw the line somewhere.

Does drawing the line mean canceling tiki bars altogether, organizing boycotts and pressure campaigns? The tiki critics I spoke with pointed to the kind of activism that brings awareness: Polynesian cultures are still very much alive, and still being ripped off and disrespected.

I personally dont care if people want to drink mai tais, Teves says. On some level it is just a drink, and I am not expecting bartenders to change minds. The nostalgia people express through tiki is offensive because it forgets that this colonialism and militarism is ongoing, not temporary. Not past. Not over.

Frizell has been musing. He wants to steer Sunken Harbor Club toward something he calls pre-tiki: tropical drinking before the Beachcomber. Singapore Slings, Suffering Bastards, cocktails inspired by the old Hawaiian Room at New Yorks Hotel Lexington (it had a 30-year run, ending in 1966).

Maybe one solution to the problem of tiki is to reverse time and imagine a different evolution, before the problematic visual tropes that came to define it were promulgated around the world. Frizell looks to Charles H. Baker Jr., the intrepid cocktail writer and traveler to tropic zones, author of The Gentlemans Companion of 1939.

When you read his work, Frizell says, you sense his wide-eyed wonder, his pure joy at experiencing new cultures and meeting different kinds of people.

Meanwhile, Ive put my copy of Trader Vics Book of Food and Drink away. Instead, Ive been reading a book from 1940, the year Trader Vic and Donn Beach were starting to seduce the nation with their fantasy tropics. Its called Hawaiian and Pacific Foods, published by M. Barrows and Co., and written by Katherine Bazore, head of the home economics department at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. She was a food anthropologist who gathered the seven strains of contemporary island cooking, a mix of native Hawaiian, Filipino, Chinese, Portuguese and so on. No tropical fantasies. No bare breasts or orgiastic feast. Just an honest catalog of island foodways.

There isnt a single cocktail recipe in the book.

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Tiki bars are built on cultural appropriation and colonial nostalgia. Where's the reckoning? - Los Angeles Times