In my recent personal coaching and consultations, there are several individuals who come to me as they have been experiencing this diabolical bout of depression and anxiety. They had difficulty geting over the loss of their hard-earned money.

Yet, no matter how bleak things may be. One must not lose their mind still. It’s the key thing you can depend on for now. This will hence demand from you a greater mental dexterity than before to tide over this uncertainty.

Do consider working on some of these ways to better enable a sane mind in the midst of these insane times:

1. Plan your day. Make it meaningful and live the day usefully.

2. Read from your favorite joke book. Better to take your mind into a world of joy than to go into the other extreme. Focus on the lighter side of life.

3. Meet your mentor. Have a talk with someone you respect and get some practical tips to handle crisis better.

4. Indulge in a new hobby. As you stay out of the market, why not take it as a time to do something you haven’t been getting down to? A new hobby will keep your life enriched.

5. Call a counseling hotline. Sharing with a stranger allows you to pour your hearts out. The trained counselor may just be the listening ear you need.

6. Work out your savings. Stay rational with your money management. You live to fight another day.

7. Meditate. Stay mentality calm. Peace out.

(Source: wekie.com)

It is often likely that the negotiation and the flow of communication will get tougher before it gets better. In this case, fret not. (You better fret not.)

Here are some of the ways to turn the tables in your favor:

1. Always remain steadfast whenever the situation gets tougher.

2. Clear your mind of negativity. You cannot afford to have these thoughts at all, certainly not at this moment.

3. Listen out for the incongruence in the other party’s communication. These provide clues to the ‘cracks’ on their stand.

4. Highlight to increase or decrease their values as your bargaining chips. The more of such ‘chips’ you have, the better your position is.

5. Get the firm assurance and commitment. A nodding of head will not suffice.

(Source: wekie.com)

Both would seem to be the best answer to me which doesn’t really help much other than to make my point that I think we need to seriously unleran and redefine some of our most commonly held and fundamental notions such as the meaning of things like:

• New
• Original
• Plagiarism
• ownership

For me this is a good thing as I think these changes would tend to put the emphasis on ideas, new ways of thinking of things, new perspectives and less on who gets the credit for “inventing” it or being first. 

It is truly innovative and creative to  create something new and unique from pre-existing stuff.  and I should note that by “stuff” I mean both tangible items such as words, mucisal notes, images, hardware, and so on as well as much less tangible items such as concepts and ideas or the formation of a new team of people with just the right combination of skills, knowledge, abilities, experiences, and attitudes. 

Brief:
Working in pairs, using your workbooks as the primary tool of investigation,
choose a 'site' within a 2 mile radius of the University. Document the site
considering a mix of drawing styles, notation techniques, contemporary and
historical data, reportage, existing and fictitious narratives, coincidences,
lies, etc... all woven into a complex and sustainable narrative map of the
environment. This project will form the groundwork for the mapping
projects latter in the module and ensure that you have no excuse for not
buying and using your workbook. In the following weeks sessions you will be
(randomly) expected to tell your narrative through your workbooks and a
composite map (edited workbook material compiled into one map) [ie,
individual members workbooks and a single group map].

I formed a pair with fellow student James O'Connor and after a few days investigation looking at various sites we chose the Golden Sundial in the centre of Plymouth. Initially we wanted to avoid what we thought would be an obvious choice but it was undeniable that it would be a site to really suit the projects aim with plenty of social groups interacting with each other and the environment.

Today i ventured down to the site to take some initial photographs,Saturday i thought being the ideal day because of people not having to work,go to school etc

You can see in the photographs the various social groups are all separate as if there's almost bubbles or shields around them. Also noticeable is the fact that they are all in a pattern around the sundial as if it was a giant human magnet. Lastly the interaction people have with the architecture itself is definitely going to be something to look at.

I'm thinking about maybe mapping the various social groups if somehow possible from above to try and find out things such as which groups stay closer to each other,which are further away and to try to discover how exactly people interact with the environment of the site.

On the one hand I think that almost all experiences want to be “just right” and by my definition that means they are deeply personal, (only you can know what’s right for you) but on the other I see that there are a great many components of these deeply personalized experiences which will be very standard and even “mass produced” components. 

It is noteworthy to me that most of the examples I can immediately think of are “things”, very much nouns and not verbs for example, and this would include such things such as:

• songs
• stories
• movies
• plays
• wine

I should note that I can and do think about versions of these things which can be personalized very effectively and situations when I would very much want this.  But NOT that I would want to eliminate the “static” fixed versions of things that give me great joy and happiness and are part of highly personalized experiences.

What do YOU think?  What would be on your list?

Here are the characteristics that make one a Self-Leader:

1. The Self-Leader is self-motivated.

2. He is grounded in his own values and foundations.

3. He is self-sufficient.

4. He is a self-starter in taking action.

5. He is manages his own emotions well.

6. He already has a plan and knows how and where to get things.

7. He is comfortable in communicating his needs, requirements and directions.

As you read through the list, you may want to reflect and discover if you are already one. No matter where you are in life, it’s never too late to start becoming a Self-Leader.

(Source: wekie.com)

From Tom Dickinson's iconoclastic portrait of a self-centred misogynist, who crashed two US planes on his way to becoming a very dishonourable man, in Rolling Stone magazine -

In its broad strokes, McCain's life story is oddly similar to that of the current occupant of the White House. John Sidney McCain III and George Walker Bush both represent the third generation of American dynasties. Both were born into positions of privilege against which they rebelled into mediocrity. Both developed an uncanny social intelligence that allowed them to skate by with a minimum of mental exertion. Both struggled with booze and loutish behavior. At each step, with the aid of their fathers' powerful friends, both failed upward. And both shed their skins as Episcopalian members of the Washington elite to build political careers as self-styled, ranch-inhabiting Westerners who pray to Jesus in their wives' evangelical churches.

In one vital respect, however, the comparison is deeply unfair to the current president: George W. Bush was a much better pilot.

A recent example is the new music discovery system based out of Berlin Germany called Mufin.  I’ll let you get the details and overview from others such as this review on Webware “Mufin lets you discover new music with science”  I need to try it out for a longer period of time before I can let you know how well it works but what is of note to the preface above is the way they are doing automated metadata generation that “… scans each track for its density, tempo, and rhythm, then draws comparisons with other songs that match”  Currently this process apparently takes about 2-3 days per 10-20 track album, however I don’t see this as a significant problem given that we live in a world of abundance of computer cycles, these types of process typically get faster exponentially over time and compared to systems such as Pandora which rely on humans to do all the metadata creation, machines are infinitely scalable.

I remain convinced that The Snowflake Effect and mass personalization at the planetary scale is already achievable and getting deeper every day.  The biggest change we need is in OUR expectations and assumptions.

In addition, here are some of the ways to network and communicate with people who will help you towards your life path of success:

1. Seek to establish personal credibility and integrity.

2. Be receptive and open to different opinions and types of people you meet.

3. Maintain a fair balance of tact and diplomacy in your mannerisms.

4. Reciprocate in kind upon receiving recommendations and assistance.

5. Enhance your sense of personal touch, rapport and connection with people.

(Source: wekie.com)

The day he died, my elementary school teacher set aside time in class to talk about him and what he did, and we had a moment of silence. I thought to myself, President Kennedy must be a very important person. I want to be President someday!

Of course, when you grow up, things change.  I am not the kind of person anyone would typically elect to be President, and I would never purposely choose a job where things are, shall we say, so political.  (Bureaucracy drives me nuts!) 

I do see government as an important part of life in our country, but I no longer see it as being possible for the average person to be President.  For that to be true is a real shame, because in my way of thinking, the people who live and work closest to the problems out here just might be the ones who are able to come up with the best solutions: we're often the most desperate for them, and as they say, necessity is the mother of invention!

For the last ten or fifteen years, I've been thinking about what it would take for an average person in America to become President, and what I would do for America if I were President.  Since my perspective is often different than that of others, I thought some of it might bring value to others as a catalyst for sparking new ways of thinking about our government, what a President might do for the rest of us, and what we could do for our country.  A fantasy, perhaps, but something that could become reality if enough of us worked together for a common cause. 

The rest of my posts will be perspectives and ideas intended to engage and make use of your perspectives/comments too for making our country an even better place!

During my segment, I shared with the audience the 7 useful ways to create, build and sustain the relationship between Mentors and Mentees that will foster camaraderie. It’s a series of SHAREEE ways:

System. Have a system of contact and guidance, both agreeable between the mentor and the mentee.

Honesty. Be acceptable to frank opinions and be open to share constructive criticism.

Accessibility. You can’t build a relationship with an invisible man. Both of you will have to be somewhat accessibility and available to each other, to some reasonable degree.

Reflective. This enables you to reflect on your learning and progress as time passes, deepening the value of such a mentoring relationship

Empathy. Be in each other’s shoes to understand the inner motivations and causes of behaviours. This will enhance mutual appreciation of where the other party comes from.

Experienced. The Mentor will have to be experienced in guiding and providing suitable advice. The Mentee, on the other hand, will gain experience in being mentored the right way and benefit accordingly.

Excelling. Both of you must eventually grow in your own right and be excelling in your own designed dimensions. This becomes proves that your mentoring relationship is positive and has worked for you.

In short, you Excel Beyond Excellence!

Source: wekie.com

Today, Buddhism in China and Japan has ceased to be a definable tradition or a coherent body of belief.   Instead, Buddhism has become an indistinct way of life.  In an attempt to delineate the intersection between culture and religion, I will highlight the differences of Buddhism in China and Japan touching on their respective practices, in addition to the architecture and symbols of their temples.

The monastic code practiced in China was derived from Indian Hinayana and has since fused with the indigenous culture and evolved into its own tradition.  Thus, Buddhism is not the same in modern China and it will continue to stray away in the future.  Since 1949 Buddhism has suffered the fate of other organized religions in China. Temples and clergy have been secularized on a large scale.  The few remaining temples and their monks exist at the pleasure of the government.  The modern nation of Chinese Buddhists has been revived as part of the complex network of organizations through which the government controls the people of China.  The great monuments of Chinese Buddhism are being restored not as centers of worship but as shrines to the cultural creativity of the Chinese people under the feudal empires of the past.  Buddhism has again adapted itself to political change.  The center has shifted from ones quest for enlightenment to devotion to government leadership, such as Chairman Mao.

Despite it all, there are a few temples in China that have maintained their religious sanctity: one of them being the Jade Buddha Temple.  This temple is the holiest and most magnificent structure in Shanghai.  It radiates a sense of beauty from the vibrant saffron-color alone.  As I approached the entrance, I stopped at stone tower and observed a lady as she proceeded in the ritual of burning incense.  She pulled a bundle of incense from her purse, said a brief prayer, held them up in the direction of the temple, and finally placed them into the tower.  She then hovered over the smoke, strategically gathering it to her heart and her head.   When she was finished she glanced over to me and waved me over.  She didn’t say anything; instead she began to push the smoke in my direction.  I smiled at her and she said in broken English, “good health to you” and walked away.

A few minutes later I entered the temple.  The interior walls are adorned with thousands of Buddhist sutras.  The lower level, Reclining Buddha Hall, houses Sakyamuni reclined on a couch.  This historical Buddha depicts the time that he gave his last words to his disciples before entering nirvana.  Upstairs, inside a small wooden building, was the jewel-encrusted white jade Buddha.  Although you could not approach it, I deduced from my height that it was a little over six feet high.  The statue was supposedly brought back from Burma by a devout monk more than a hundred years ago.  Positioned at the very back of the temple was Guayin, the goddess of mercy.  She was surrounded by an abundance of Luohan, humans who have been freed from the cycle of rebirth.  Through the back exit was a small courtyard that enabled me to see the tower where the Buddhist scriptures of India were stored.

In Japan, Buddhism has fused with the culture and synchronized with other religions to form nearly fifty six divisions and one hundred and seventy subdivisions of Japanese Buddhism.  To understand Japanese Buddhism it is important to realize the role of syncretism.  The three major religions of Japan (Confucianism, Shinto, and Buddhism) cannot be clearly divided because they are interrelated.  For example, it is not uncommon for a Japanese family to conduct a Shinto marriage and a Buddhist funeral.  Although the Japanese people conduct these seemingly religious ceremonies, they do not consider themselves religious.  In my opinion, this discrepancy lies in the distinction between formal expressions of religion and cultural habit.  Out of cultural habit the Japanese visit graves and temples, burn incense, and use cleansing water.  Formal expressions to them include, but are not limited to, becoming a member of an institution and taking part in explicit creeds.

In Japan, I visited the Sensoji temple in Tokyo.  It was a large compound that exuberated magnificence.  When I entered in from Kaminarimon, the Thunder Gate, I walked directly under a colossal red paper lantern and in between two fierce, massive guardians enclosed in cages to the left and to the right.  One had his mouth opened and the other had his mouth shut, symbolizing the beginning and end of life.   The central path to the main shrine is lined with iron trees whose branches were filled with paper fortunes (omikuji).   In the courtyard, there was a large bowl of water to cleanse your hands as well as a huge bronze caldron full of burning incense.   The former ritual practices are ways in which any visitor can become involved at the Buddhist temple.  Continuing forward to the steps of the shrine there were two lanterns, which in the past designated the line where only the priests could pass.  Inside the shrine there was an abundance of offerings of flowers and food.  The room was very ornate and decorated with gold and polished mahogany.  Around the complex there were an abundance of Bodhisattvas which clearly served a distinct purpose.

The most architecturally intriguing structure in the complex is the pagoda.  It stands five stories high, each level representing earth, water, wind, fire and air.  At the top is a golden nine ring spire which represents the Eight Paths of Buddha and the final state of nirvana.  The spire leads into the center column, axis-mundi, which symbolically stretches from this world to the heavens.  The four corners of the roofs at each level are lifted and stabilized by brackets, in the case of an earthquake.  The primary colors in the complex were red which is associated with the ruling body and gold which is associated with wealth.

Although Mahayana Buddhism is practiced in many cultural settings, the similarities are clear.  Buddhist texts still refer to the Triple Gem; the Buddha, the dharma, and the sangha.  And all schools by and large agree on the Eightfold Path, the Four Noble Truths, the original Indian view of the universe and afterlife, and share a common ethical code based on values of tolerance, harmony, generosity, and nonviolence.  However, their differences lie in subtleties.  For example the particular Buddhas and Bodhisattvas they pray to, the architecture of their temples, and their worshipping practices are all differences that can be attributed to the culture of the respective countries.  In conclusion, the notion of Mahayana Buddhism is still evolving as the greater vehicle, allowing more and more people to achieve a level of enlightenment.  Buddhism as we have come to know it today will continue to change with the political and cultural climates of the world.

Beginning with Japan.  I spent an entire day in and out of classrooms, speaking with the Principal, and interacting with students.  I found that Japanese children had a very conducive learning environment.  It would be easy to attribute the differences to socioeconomic conditions, however, the value (or perceived value) of education there is also important to note.  Taken together, the parental role in their child’s motivation, the facilities, and the inherent costs are all factors that contribute to the superior elementary learning experience in Japan.

In Japan, children are taught from an early age the importance of an education to their well being and upward mobility.  Notably, the mother is the primary benefactor of her child’s education.  When I stayed with the Maedo family in Kobe, Seiko’s role in Tomohiro education was very apparent.  She cleared the table (and room) every night after dinner so Tomohiro could begin his homework.  Once Tomohiro completed particular assignments, Seiko (not her husband) was the one who checked them for accuracy.  It was only after his nightly assignments were completed and checked was he rewarded and allowed to go on an evening stroll through the park.  Just as in the American system, Tomohiro is taught at an early age the importance of his education and its’ priority over other activities.  School nights are just that; time to prepare for the upcoming school day.

In contrast, Vietnamese parents hold a different attitude toward their child’s education.  Granted economic circumstances are different; most parents do not wholeheartedly support their child attending school every day.  The family usually needs their child’s monetary contribution and consequently cannot afford their child to be in school during working hours.  Children’s poor attendance is exasperated by the government’s negligent “non-compulsory attendance” policy.   Although the government does keep track of the number of school age children who attend school and encourage them to go, it is obvious this is just a superficial gesture.

The facilities in Japan are unmatched by those in Vietnam.  In the Japanese elementary school I visited, there is an expansive library filled with books written in both English and Japanese.  The classrooms are equipped with personal desks and chairs, dry erase boards, and air-conditioning.   All in all, the facilities provide a comfortable environment that facilitates learning.

The amenities in Vietnam are barren.  The classrooms are all open air and equipped with long tables, benches, and portable teaching boards.  The library, if you will, had a mere two book cases, which were filled with books donated by foreign visitors.  There is a small recreation courtyard that only accommodates half of the students at a time, and there is no cafeteria.  All things considered, the facilities are not favorable for students and do not promote learning.

In Japan, elementary education is free of charge (including books) and lunch is provided for a small fee.  Uniforms are not required, with the exception of white school slippers.  There are hardly any costs for students to attend school thanks to the government’s budget which takes into account primary education.

In Vietnam, education is only free for the first half of the school day.  Students must pay a fee to attend the afternoon session.  Eighty percent of the attendees go to school the entire day, while twenty percent only attend the morning session.  This twenty percent are exceptionally poor and cannot afford to pay the minimal fee to attend the afternoon session, not to mention the other inherent costs such as lunch, uniforms, books, and transportation.   Thankfully, an educated minority of parents organized a Parent Teacher Organization that serves as the financial backbone of the school.  Through personal donations and sponsorships, the PTA provides financial assistance to the less fortunate students.  The school I visited began with only eight rooms and increased to forty-two rooms with the financial support of the parents.  Also, the PTA pays for the air conditioning in the library and the administrative office.

As a direct result of the educational emphasis in Japan, society is continually progressing.  As a direct result of the government’s negligence in Vietnam, social growth is virtually stagnant.  It is time that the government in Vietnam gets involved and strives to provide a primary education comparable to the one offered Japan.   Ultimately, the ambivalent parents, poor facilities, and inherent costs all detract from a Vietnamese child’s educational experience.

Later in the week, I experienced the other extreme of Indian society.  I lived with a family within the Brahmin caste, who more than often distinguished themselves as such.  Mikki, (father) is a marketing director for Citi Bank Chennai, Shiva (mother) does not work, and their two daughters attend an accredited business preparatory school.  The family has three servants, all young ladies, and two drivers, both men.  At a first glance, the caste system was still in existence.

In an effort to confirm my notion, I spoke with Shiva one evening when her husband went for a walk.  While the rest of the women in the household cleaned up for the dinner party, Shiva and I sat down for a personal conversation.  I soaked in every word and gesture she sent my direction.  It was fascinating, yet so contradictory to hear what she had to say.   I began with a very vague question concerning women in society.  She responded using her own lineage as an example of how society is progressing.  Her grandmother was married at the age of eight.  It was an arranged marriage and most importantly a business alignment.  At the time society was patrilocal, so after her marriage the couple established residency in the household of the groom’s father.  As far as she knows her grandmother lived a very sheltered life and did not have a higher education.  Shiva’s mother was married at the age of 16 in an arranged alignment and her role in the household paralleled that of her mother.

Shiva herself had a love marriage, which was quite uncommon at the time.  She earned a college degree and worked in her field until she gave birth to her two daughters.  Now she does not work because she is the primary caregiver of her children and mother-in-law.

After our conversation, it was clear that arranged marriages are becoming obsolete and that women have reached an even platform as men.  However, she failed to mention that this mobility for women and the marriages in her family were both within the Brahmin caste.

She continued to assure me that the caste system was dissolving and becoming less significant in Indian society.  Nevertheless, everything she said had a subtext that she conveniently left out.  When I inquired about her servants, she became very defensive.  She said that she spoils them but from what I could see her idea of spoiling and my idea of spoiling were not the same.  Sure, she might pay them well and provide them leftover food at meal time, but that does not counterbalance the fact that the family, herself included, hardly acknowledges their servant’s presence when they are around.  Shiva said that the lower caste children have the same opportunity at an education as hers.  The reality is that they do not.  The environments in which the Dalit children live inhibit them from progressing academically.  Their parents are usually drunkard, their homes on the streets are not suitable for studying and they have no disposable income for books.   Consequently, without education the people in the Dalit caste are trapped in a vicious cycle that only child prodigies can escape.

A little while later I reverted back to the subject of marriage.  I asked, “Would you allow Sunanda to marry a man outside of the Brahmin caste?”  Of course, she responded, as long as Sunanda loved him and he was respectable, there would be no objection to the marriage.  For a minute we both paused.  She broke the silence with “but her father would be hesitant and she would not want to marry a man outside of the Brahmin caste.  Sunanda said so herself.”  So, the cycle continues here as well.  Generation after generation is engulfed in their caste without variance.

Although in the last ten years society has become more accepting of marriages that cross religious and caste divides, there still is a vast division between the Brahmins and the Dalits.  The relationship between these two castes can be represented by the yin yang.  The Dalits would be the dark side and the Brahmins would be the bright side.  The castes co-exist but hardly ever interact.  Their little interaction could be described as such: the dark circle within the bright side accounts for the Dalits who work for the Brahmins and the bright circle within the dark side accounts for the government’s involvement in Dalit life.  Notice there is no grey in this society, because there is no distinguishable middle class.  In a political article in The Week it discussed how the upper castes are being challenged by lower classes through a political resurgence. Consequently, the “Other Backward Classes (OBC’s) may be doing better than before, but the property and security of the upper castes are not really threatened.”  Undoubtedly, the caste system still exists in the form of social and political pressures despite the governments outlaw.

It is pure nonsense what the former Czech President Václac Harvel has been reported to have said in an interview recently: ‘More growth lead us further into the gulf’

Unfortunately Harvel has mixed up Keynesian growth with realistic or real growth. It is perfectly understandable that Harvel has listened to the Keynesian smalltalk since the 1930s and 1940s.

But it is a pity this smalltalk has become even a part of Havel’s religious dogmas too.

Keynesian growth deals with pumping monetary means out into the system to get some economic founded horses to pull even more.

This kind of so-called growth leads us deeper into the gulf, where we already are.

Real growth deals with removing some of load from the wagon, because the load is too heavy for the horses to pull.

Real growth in a globalized world then deals with the possibility to get the wagon to drive on new roads and at the same time to make the wagon more flexible and adroit.

Illustrating example
J. E. Vig, M. Sc. (Economics)