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6 versions of paradise: How to choose the right Hawaiian island for you – The Points Guy

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

Its Hawaii Week at TPG! The Hawaiian Islands have so much to offer travelers, from the sprawling city of Honolulu to quiet black-sand beaches to restaurants serving inventive island cuisine. And its possible to pull off a visit to the islands using miles and points. It just takes a little savvy planning and well show you how. Visit TPGs Hawaii destination hub for links to more stories about getting to the islands, staying on the islands and what to do while youre there.

No matter where you go in Americas 50th state, Hawaiis eight large islands (one discourages tourists and one is uninhabited) offer a wide variety of topographies, accommodations, activities and experiences.

But each island definitely has its own vibe. How do you choose between so many different versions of paradise? Heres a shortguide to finding the right Hawaiian island to visit on your next vacation.

Related: These are the best times to visit Hawaii

Oahu is Hawaiis most bustling and urban island. Its home to the states largest city and commercial center, Honolulu, which is known for an epic rush hour that sometimes rivals Los Angeles. Within the city limits, Waikiki Beach is the place to see and be seen shop, dine and enjoy the amenities of huge high-rise resorts.

But Oahus offerings are more diverse than just Honolulu. The growing resort area of Ko Olina is not as built up and has a variety of accommodations, including Disneys Aulani Resort and the Four Seasons Ko Olina. On the way to Ko Olina from Honolulu is Pearl Harbor, one of the most visited historic sites anywhere on the islands.

Related: 7 fun things to do on a rainy day in Honolulu

Oahus North Shore provides another vibe, downright chill with its beach hopping, food-truck loving, small-town surfer scene. Hikers can find plenty of trails all over Oahu, from the peaks of Diamond Head to less-traveled spots like Makiki Valley or Waimea Valley.

Oahus gateway for travelers, Honolulu International Airport (HNL), has the most air service of any location in the islands, making it the cheapest destination for travelers from the mainland. It also offers the most nonstop flights.

Related: Best ways to redeem points and miles on Hawaiian Airlines

For more Oahu research:

The second-most-visited island in the state and also its second-largest is Maui, home to the famed Road to Hana, Haleakala National Parkand the best whale watching anywhere in the islands in winter months.

For many travelers, a vacation on Maui is the best of both worlds. The island offers some of the same infrastructure, conveniences and activities of Oahu without the traffic and urban sprawl. Its possible to have an active vacation here and visit a lot of attractions or also just enjoy some island R & R at a resort.

Maui is my top pick for families with kids of school age because of its many activities. It works well for multigenerational groups, because it has experiences that grandparents and grandkids can enjoy, like the Maui Ocean Center or a sunrise at Haleakala National Park.

The island of Maui also has many amazing hotels and resorts at a wide variety of price points. Most are clustered in two major areas on the Lahaina/Kaanapali/Kapalua corridor on the northwest side of the island or in Kihei/Wailea farther south.

For its size, Maui offers an impressive variety of hotels for travelers to book a hotel stay with points. Most major chains are represented and many properties offer condo accommodations that work for families or larger groups. The Hyatt Regency Maui, Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas, Westin Nanea, Grand Wailea (Hilton) and Andaz Maui have all scored well with TPG contributors and readers.

For more Maui research:

The island of Hawaii, called the Big Island, is the largest and newest island in the chain. Because its so big, seeing everything requires close to a week but it offers many different travel experiences from day to day.

The vast majority of Big Island visitors stick to the western side of the island near the city of Kailua-Kona and the Kohala Coast, where the large resorts are located. Luxury seekers can enjoy high-end properties like the Four Seasons Hualalai, the Mauna Lani Bay Resort (about to reopen in early 2020 after a major renovation by Auberge Resorts) or the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel. Families on a moderate budget can find ample hotel offerings too. In particular, the Waikoloa Beach Marriott and Hilton Waikoloa Village cater to travelers with kids. Luaus and pool complexes are a big draw.

Althoug its entirely possible to spend a week on the Big Island relaxing on the beach of a resort, the island can also be an adventure travelers paradise. On the northern part of the island, travelers can zipline, take ATV tours, jump into waterfalls, scuba dive or snorkel with giant manta rays, or flume down historic sugar cane irrigation channels.

On the southern part of the island, you can visit Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The town of Hilo on the eastern side of the island has its own local vibe that can be a great getaway for travelers looking for an authentic Hawaiian experience.

For more Big Island research:

Kauais lush greenery makes it the most beautiful of all the Hawaiian islands. It is home to waterfalls, hiking trails and a variety of eco-adventures. Most travelers seek out Kauai to avoid the hustle and bustle of Oahu and Maui and have a more unplugged vacation experience.

Unfortunately, Kauais natural beauty also makes it less reliable as a vacation destination. The islands greenery comes from the substantial rainfall it gets, which makes it possible that your vacation in paradise is a damp one. For that reason, its probably best to plan for a longer trip, just in case the weather doesnt cooperate all of the time.

Hotel offerings on Kauai are ample. For families, the hands-down winner is the Grand Hyatt Kauai in Poipu, known for having one of the best waterslides and pools anywhere on the island. Poipu to the south is home to quite a few other major resorts; Princeville to the north has many others.

For more Kauai research:

Although the vast majority of travelers to Hawaii visit Oahu, Maui, the Big Island and Kauai, there are two smaller islands that tourists can visit as well. Getting to both of them requires a little extra effort, as neither has air service from the mainland.

Lanai, the island owned by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, is accessible by boat from Maui. It has two Four Seasons resorts on the island, so its also luxurious and pricey.

Molokai, in contrast, has no name-brand accommodations, making it a place of refuge for local residents and travelers looking for authentic Hawaii travel experiences. Molokai has commuter air service from Honolulu International Airport (HNL) and Mauis two airports: Kahului (OGG) and Kapalua (JHM).

I wouldnt recommend that travelers head to either of these places until theyve visited several of the larger Hawaiian islands first. Youll likely get more out of them (and know which one is the right fit for you) once you have more context to appreciate them.

For more Lanai and Molokai research:

Are you planning a trip to Hawaii? Heres some more advice:

Featured image by YinYang/Getty Images.

Watching NYE fireworks? Stay away from Treasure Island, officials warn – KRON4

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

TREASURE ISLAND (KRON) Planning on watching some fireworks if youre in the San Francisco Bay Area for New Years Eve?

If you are, do NOT go to Treasure Island, city officials are advising.

In a statement, the Treasure Island Development Authority said it does not advise the public to visit TI on the holiday due to ongoing construction related to the TI Development Project.

Officials said viewing areas and parking will be extremely limited on New Years Eve and roadways into parking areas will be inaccessible.

Besides, why not watch the fireworks from the comfort of your own home?

Join KRON4 on New Years Eve where well be live from the Embarcadero with Grant Lodes and Justine Waldman to bring you the fireworks from over the Ferry Building.

Learn more about KRON4s NYE Live celebration here.

The lesson from my trip to China? Solomon Islands is not ready to deal with this giant – The Guardian

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

The invitation from the prime ministers office came in mid-November, almost exactly two months after the event referred to as the switch the day the government of Solomon Islands, after more than 30 years of diplomatic allegiance to Taiwan, unceremoniously switched recognition to China.

The PRC [Peoples Republic of China] want to take SI [Solomon Islands] media on an Look and Learn tour of China, the email said, youre on the list.

In three decades of covering political developments in the Solomon Islands, the only other event that has generated as much controversy and media attention as the switch was a coup perpetrated in the dead of the night in 2000.

The move away from Taiwan has genuinely perplexed many Solomon Islanders, who ever since have been incessantly debating the implications for our sovereignty, our already waning control over our forests and minerals, our religious and other freedoms and even the economic wisdom of signing up to Chinas Belt and Road when for some nations it appears to have been less of a belt and more of a noose around their necks.

So, it was in this context that the delegation of Solomon Islands journalists accepted the invitation for an all-expenses tour to a land most of us had never expected to have the opportunity to go. I know I accepted just as I have many invitations to conferences and training events funded by the Australian government over the years in order to be better informed, and ultimately to see with my own eyes how this international juggernaut actually works.

Landing in Beijing, what struck us first was the vast physical scale of the place; the sight of huge structures and seemingly endless rolling boulevards and cities was hard for us islanders to get our heads around.

In Beijing we visited the newsrooms of CCTV and their international branch CGTN. The size of their staff numbers and the digital system they were using were, to us, the equivalent to going to the moon. I was pleased to get the chance to attend a press conference at the ministry of foreign affairs. Conducted fully in Mandarin, the only words I could make out were Donald Trump.

One of our team joked, I will go back and ask our local Chinese, why are you here when you come from a big and better country like this! He obviously wasnt thinking about the constraints faced by ordinary people when it came to personal freedoms.

Unsurprisingly these issues were not highlighted on our trip. Given the language barrier there was never going to be any real chance to speak spontaneously or confidentially with ordinary Chinese citizens about the reality of their lives.

But that didnt stop us discussing the issues of freedoms and civil liberties constantly.

We wondered out loud if our leaders actually understood how China carries out its diplomacy and if all we were hearing from around the Pacific and the world, about China being a bully, was true or not. But then again Australia who we largely see as a friendly and decent neighbour is still locking up those seeking refuge on their shores, so what exactly should we expect from this communist dictatorship?

In Guangdong province, from which many of the Chinese people now in Solomon Islands originated, the deputy mayor hosted lunch with a little side dish of frankness. We still have poor people and we as a country are struggling with our own internal issues, he said. Solomon Islands has to find a shoe that fits it. Each country has to find what system works for it.

The completely new town in Hainan Province, Sanya City totally blew us a way with its fabulous tourism port and new age architecture. I was impressed with what they had achieved in Sanya City but I kept thinking that such a huge leap of development and economic progress would not be possible without total control over the system and people.

I saw China as a country with money to burn and a point to prove. But from the beginning, all I could think was: how can we, a tiny island nation, ever hope to partner equally with this giant of a country, the worlds fastest growing superpower.

By the time our tour concluded in Shanghai, I was personally convinced that our political leaders are not ready or able to deal effectively with China. Solomon Islands regulatory and accountability mechanisms are too weak. We have already shown some spirit with our attorney general rejecting a hasty deal to lease the island of Tulagi, the capital of one of our provinces, to a Chinese company, but I fear how fragile and weak my country is against any large developed nation let alone China.

Solomon Islands has always prided itself on setting its own course in international relations, recognising Taiwan for three decades, and in the 1980s, as a newly independent state, standing up to the Americans over an illegal fishing boat fiasco.

In the end, it will be history that judges our leaders and whether the switch from Taiwan to China was the right move, and if they handle it in the countrys best interest. My hope is that in the meantime, the price extracted from our island nation is not too steep or too painful.

Dorothy Wickham is founder of Melanesian News Network.

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The lesson from my trip to China? Solomon Islands is not ready to deal with this giant - The Guardian

187 Rescued from Small Raft Off Turks and Caicos Islands – The Maritime Executive

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

Turks and Caicos and Bahamian police forces transfer the survivors to shore (USCG)

By The Maritime Executive 12-24-2019 11:42:00

On Saturday, the Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF), Turks and Caicos Islands Police (TCIP) and the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Senecarescued 187 people from a small raft about 17 miles southwest of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew based out of Great Inagua spotted a 30-foot vessel heavily overloaded with people. Coast Guard 7th District watchstanders and the Coast Guard liaison officer for the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands coordinated a response with the RBDF, TCIP and the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Seneca.

The Seneca and a Her Majesty's Bahamian Ship crew arrived on scene and embarked the 187 people between the two ships. The Seneca took aboard 86 people and the Bahamian ship took the remaining 101. The Seneca later transferred the survivors to the TCI Police Marine Unit. No injuries were reported.

As a precautionary measure, the Seneca destroyed the raft, as it posed a hazard to navigation.

"Safety at sea is our number one priority and we are always grateful to work with our international partner agencies to save lives," said Lt. Cmdr. Justin Matejka, Coast Guard liaison officer for the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands. "This case involved 187 people on a 30-foot boat with no safety or communication equipment. That's over a hundred lives traveling in an unpredictable, unforgiving environment with no safety net. Without our intervention, many people could have been injured or worse."

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187 Rescued from Small Raft Off Turks and Caicos Islands - The Maritime Executive

38% of Survivor fans cant wait until Winners at War, even if 12% thought Island of the Idols was the worst season ever [POLL RESULTS] – Gold Derby

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

You cant say that the recently completed 39th season of CBS enduring reality show Survivor didnt lack for drama even if much of it was the result of questionable behavior beyond the normal routine of the show.

Top most was the inappropriate touching accusations by Kellee Kim against Dan Spilo, a bad situation made worst when the network and the producers dragged their feet on fully addressing the matter. That allowed two female contestants to exploit the situation to get ahead in the game by telling castaway Janet Carbin that they had problems with Dan, too, and lied about planning to vote him out at the next tribal council.

The #MeToo issues certainly undercut the theme of the season having former champs Rob Mariano and Sandra Diaz-Twine act as undercover mentors to the players while cutely hiding out on another island. That is especially true given how Dan was allowed to hang around until the penultimate episode, which resulted in a downer of a reunion show when Dans main victim Kelleefinally got to fully speak her mind with lawyer in tow while host Jeff Probst apologized to her and the viewers.

SEE46% of Survivor fans wanted Janet Carbin to win Island of the Idols Sorry, Tommy Sheehan! [POLL RESULTS]

For those reasons and others, we asked Survivor watchers how they felt about the Island of the Idols season, including whether the deck was stacked against female contestants winning as well as how the show handled an overly touchy-feely male player.

That led to 12% of respondents declaring Season 39 as the worst season ever and 19% saying that there should have been an all-female final three. Instead, Tommy Sheehan won Sole Survivor with Dean Kowalski as the runner-up and Noura Salman coming in third. A full 18% thought that the shows handling of the Dan situation was reprehensible and made it more difficult for women who were still in the game.

SEESurvivor #MeToo fallout: Sue Hawk felt dehumanized 15 years ago by naked Richard Hatch, who now insists she concocted story [WATCH]

For a reality contest that revels in villains who often stoop to deceit and questionable actions in order to take advantage of other players and get ahead, it makes sense that 12% fear that now a post-Dan monitor of contestant behavior will be nearby each season might put a crimp in the fun of the show.

The fact that there was maybe too much reality in Season 39 reflecting both social issues even beyond inappropriate touching, including topics about race and ethnic backgrounds, that was enough to cause 4% to drop Survivor from the must-see viewing.

But have no fear CBS. A full 38% cant wait until Season 40 titled Winners at War arrives on Feb. 12, 2020 with 20 past champs including Ethan Zohn, Parvati Shallow, Yul Kwon, Natalie Anderson, Tyson Apostol as well as Queen Sandra, Boston Rob and his now-wife and fellow winner Amber Mariano.

SIGN UPfor Gold Derbys newsletter with experts latest predictions

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38% of Survivor fans cant wait until Winners at War, even if 12% thought Island of the Idols was the worst season ever [POLL RESULTS] - Gold Derby

Billionaires and Their Superyachts Are Flocking to This Caribbean Island – Vanity Fair

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

Dashing away in quiet snowy seclusion is how some celebrities do it for the holidays. Others can make like Succession's Roy family and embark on enormous and, if you know where to look, trackable ships.

Superyachts, as they are called, are finite in number. Only 2,374 are floating around out there according to SuperYachtNews.com, and if anyone should know, it seems like it would be them. (The actual definition of what makes a superyacht remains slippery, suffice to say that the best way to know if you are on a superyacht is not having to ask.) When there is an uptick in superyacht movement, as there is from November to December, it becomes easier to assess which island is more enticing for a billionaire holiday retreat.

Shipspotters have returned with data and, as reported by Bloomberg, we have a clear champion this season in Sint Maarten, the Dutch bottom half of the island of Saint Martin. (The French have Saint-Martin on the top; jot that down, this may be on the pop quiz.)

Sint Maarten clocked a jump from 16 to 52 superyachts, including Eclipse owned by Roman Abramovich, head of Millhouse Capital and owner of the British Premiere Leagues Chelsea F.C. They came in 3rd place last year, which is fitting in that Eclipse is the third-largest superyacht out there on the seas. Hey, Roman, bubi, come on, lets try for some silver medals next year, huh? We believe in you!

For comparison, Eclipse is 533 feet and Solandge, the actual, rentable boat at the end of last seasons Succession, is a mere 279. (That charter will cost you 1 million for a week plus expenses, which converts to dollars as boatloads.)

After Sint Maarten the other big changes in superyacht appearances were off the coast of St. Barts, Antigua and Turkey. The ships were departing in largest numbers from Spain, The United States and Italy.

If any of you aqua-snoops would like to spend an entire afternoon looking for yachts owned by celebrities, check out the very addictive interactive map on MarineTraffic.com. Once you get familiar with who owns which vessel you might actually catch someone en route to a vacation destination. After a little poking around it appears that Seven Seas, owned by Steven Spielberg, is staying put off the coast of Florida, but Tiger Woods's ship is en route to a port in the Bahamas. We won't get into more detail than that, as the name of the ship is Privacy.

Billionaires and Their Superyachts Are Flocking to This Caribbean Island - Vanity Fair

Support The Enlisted Project (STEP) and North Island Credit Union Distribute Over 300 Holiday Gifts & Supplies To Military and Veteran Families -…

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

SAN DIEGO, Dec. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ --Support The Enlisted Project (STEP) and North Island Credit Union recently brought the holiday spirit to more than 56 military families in need through STEP's annual Sharing the Joy program.

On December 18th, STEP distributed more than 300 toys, diapers, food boxes, and household items to young military and transitioning veteran families facing financial hardship at its holiday Warehouse on Wheels event. As a program partner, all 11 North Island Credit Union branches in the greater San Diego area served as collection points for new, unwrapped toys, which were distributed during the event. STEP is a San Diego-based organization that helps junior enlisted service members and transitioning veterans achieve financial self-sufficiency.

"It's partnerships like this, with North Island Credit Union, that makes days like this possible. We are able to provide budget relief and holiday cheer all in one to young families truly in crisis. We're grateful for NICU's support," said STEP CEO & Co-Founder Tony Teravainen.

North Island Credit Union CEO Steve O'Connell commented, "North Island Credit Union is honored to partner with STEP in Sharing the Joy to military families and help relieve the financial burden that can come with the holiday season. We have served our local military for 80 years, and are proud to continue that tradition by supporting the critical services that STEP provides. We were overwhelmed with the generosity of our members and community in donating to our toy driveand the caring and excitement they shared with us in making the holidays a special, joy-filled time for these families."

Gift Distribution Event Photos: https://www.ccu.com/sites/default/files/images/step-event-photo-1.jpghttps://www.ccu.com/sites/default/files/images/step-event-photo-2.jpg

Each year, STEP distributes holiday gifts to military families in need through its Sharing the Joy Toy Drive and Holiday Adoption programs. During the event, participating military families were offered a personal shopper experience to support their basic and family gift needs. The festive holiday event also featured a food truck, music, giveaways, photo opportunities, and activities for participating families.

About Support The Enlisted Project (STEP)Support The Enlisted Project (STEP) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit assisting active duty enlisted members and recently discharged veterans and their families in Southern California who are facing financial crisis achieve long-term financial self-sufficiency through counseling, education, and grants to alleviate critical near term obligations. Best contact is through its website atwww.stepsocal.org. STEP is a GuideStar Platinum Exchange Participant, a Better Business Bureau Accredited Charity (A+), and the recipient of a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.

About North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit UnionCalifornia Credit Union is a federally insured, state chartered credit union founded in 1933 that serves public or private school employees, community members and businesses across California. With more than 165,000 members and assets of $3 billion, California Credit Union has 24 branches throughout Los Angeles and San Diego counties. The credit union operates in San Diego County as North Island Credit Union, a division of California Credit Union. California Credit Union offers a full suite of consumer, business and investment products and services, including comprehensive consumer checking and loan options, personalized financial planning, business banking, and leading-edge online and mobile banking. Please visit northisland.ccu.com for more information or follow the credit union on Instagram or Facebook @northislandcu.

SOURCE North Island Credit Union

https://northisland.ccu.com

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Support The Enlisted Project (STEP) and North Island Credit Union Distribute Over 300 Holiday Gifts & Supplies To Military and Veteran Families -...

Ex-‘Love Island’ host Caroline Flack hit boyfriend with lamp as he slept, court hears – CNN

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

One of the police officers who arrived at Caroline Flack's home after the alleged assault described the scene as resembling a "horror movie," the court heard, according to the UK's PA news agency.

The presenter pleaded not guilty to assaulting 27-year-old Lewis Burton -- a former professional tennis player and model -- during a preliminary hearing at London's Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Monday, PA reported.

Flack, 40, was charged with assault by beating on December 13 following an incident at her home in north London. Her full trial will take place next March.

Flack's lawyer, Paul Morris, told judge Julia Newton that Burton did not support the prosecution, and was a witness, "not a victim", PA reported.

However, prosecutor Katie Weiss said of Burton: "He is a victim -- he sustained a significant injury to his head."

Weiss said Burton believed the assault occurred after Flack had seen text messages leading her to believe he was cheating on her. "He said he had been asleep and was hit over the head by Caroline with a lamp, causing a visible cut to his head," Weiss said.

On a call to the emergency services, Burton was "almost begging the operator to send help," Weiss said, according to PA. "Both were covered in blood and in fact one of the police officers likened the scene to a horror movie," Weiss said.

The presenter was released on bail, with conditions that prevent her from having contact with Burton ahead of a trial in March, PA said.

CNN has attempted to contact Burton's representatives.

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Ex-'Love Island' host Caroline Flack hit boyfriend with lamp as he slept, court hears - CNN

50 years, 50 photos with Santa: Bainbridge Island family members come from near and far to keep tradition going – Seattle Times

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND It can seem we live in an age in which the internet has accustomed us to snark and Twitter sarcasm. Then you meet someone like Jane Brand.

There she is: Unfiltered cheerfulness without a hint of irony, who in 1970 began a family holiday tradition and has kept going every year.

Monday marked 50 years in a row that her family had a group photo taken with Santa Claus. In our dispersed society, its hard enough to get immediate family together for anything. But 50 years? In a row?

It has meant Jane and Stan Brands grown children had to fly in from various locales, including England, the Caribbean, the East Coast.

I dont think any of us ever thought of skipping it. It was something we did, says Emily Brand Goehring, 39, the youngest of Jane and Stan Brands childrenand a risk-management attorney for Amazon in Seattle.

But then Brand, 71, just cant help but go all out during the holidays.

Im always ready for Christmas. People are so much nicer, she says.

You walk into the Brands home on Bainbridge Island and youre instantly engulfed in that holiday spirit. Just inside the front door is a display of the Santa pictures for each of those five decades. Above them is a sign that reads, We believe in Santa Claus as if there was any doubt.

Theres something else about the Brands family tradition.

Theirphotos are a direct connection to the man credited with inventing the department store Santa photograph.

That would beArt Happy French, who years ago started the practice of taking department store photos with Santa at the old Frederick & Nelson.For generations, the Seattle-based store was associated with the slogan, Christmas is not Christmas without a visit to Frederick & Nelson.

Although department store Santas had been around for decades, it well might have been at Frederick & Nelson that the first department store Santa photo was taken.

An article in the March 4, 1946, issue of Time magazine deemed the Frederick & Nelson Santa photos newsworthy.It told how French, an enterprising former Seattle Post-Intelligencer photographer, grew tired of being chased out on sorts of assignments by them stupid bastards on city desk.

In newsroom tradition, French was nicknamed Happy, says the story, because he never looked it.

Among Frenchs enterprising newsroom efforts were producing better memorable snowstorm photos than his rivals by splattering ink on his negatives.

In 1943, seeing a long line of kids trying to get into Frederick & Nelson to see Santa, French had that proverbial Eureka moment.

He took a leave of absence from the P-I and began taking candid shots of muppets on Santas knee, at $1 print, says the Time story. He did so much business he had to hire 15 helpers to deal with lines that blocked traffic.

He quit the P-I, figuring that in five weeks he had netted more than $10,000 $141,000 in todays dollars.

Thats where the Brands come in. Their Santa photos have all been taken in some manner associated with Frederick & Nelson. The only time they did not was in 1971 and 1972, when Stan was in the Navy and the couple visited the Santa atCamp Pendleton in California.

After French died in 1962, Hazel and Kenneth Viydo bought his Frederick & Nelson Santa-photo business. It has continued in the family since then, eventually taken over by their son, Hillard Viydo.

When Frederick & Nelson closed in 1992 and its content were sold, the Viydo family bought the Cozy Cloud Cottage and the Santa chair and fake fireplace that were used in those photos. That original set now part of the Santa photos takenat the Town Center at Lake Forest Park, continuing the tradition.

The Brand family tradition has followed the Santa setting there.

In 1970, the first year of the photos, Jane and Stan were boyfriend and girlfriend. She still has the red coat she wore that day. An unabashed sentimentalist, she wore it for Mondays photo.

As the years passed, the sequence of photos continued with the two of them, now married, and their dog, Woofer, a cockapoo. Then it continued to show the couple and their first child, Erik Brand, now 44, a Bellevue sports medicine doctor.

Erik is later joined in the Santa photos by a brother, Kristian Brand, now 42, a San Francisco commercial real estate attorney.

Then comes along Emily. The latest photos include grandkids, as well as Butter, the couples current dog.

On Monday, the group seven adults, three grandkids and Butter, waited in line with 100 or so people, everyone posed, and Jane smiled and said, Thank you, Santa.

Stan Brand, 76, a retired dentist, says being festive around Christmas is part of their Scandinavian heritage. But he admits, if it wasnt for Jane, the Santa pictures wouldnt have gone on for 50 years.

This is a woman who has kept a Christmas tree decoration she made as an 11-year-old by using string to go around tacks on a board in the shape of a tree. This is a woman who kept little teddy bears given to kids at Frederick & Nelson Christmas breakfasts.

Jane Brand talks about this being the last year for arranging the group Santa pictures. Its a lot of work, she says.

Her daughter doesnt believe it.

I cant imagine wed ever stop doing this, she says, because, you know, its Christmas. Accept it.

Correction: In an earlier version of this story, Stan Brands first name was misspelled.

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50 years, 50 photos with Santa: Bainbridge Island family members come from near and far to keep tradition going - Seattle Times

Year-end wet weather could push Grand Island to its third wettest year on record – Grand Island Independent

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

The National Weather in Hastings has issued a winter storm watch for potential accumulations of ice and snow starting this evening through Saturday night.

According to the weather service, a storm system will cross Nebraska and Kansas Friday through Sunday, bringing a variety of precipitation.

The moisture will begin as rain Friday afternoon and then change over to freezing rain, sleet, and snow over parts of the area Friday night into Saturday.

A heavy mixed precipitation may be possible. Total snow accumulations of 2 to 6 inches and ice accumulations of at least one-tenth of an inch are possible. Winds could gust as high as 35 mph.

The winter storm watch was issued for portions of north-central Kansas, and central and south-central Nebraska.

The weather service advises to plan on slippery road conditions. Blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. Holiday travelers are urged to keep track of weather conditions as they develop going into the weekend.

For Grand Island, on Friday there is a slight chance of rain and snow before 1 p.m., then a chance of rain between 1 and 5 p.m. and a chance of rain and snow after 5. It will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 40. South/southwest winds will be at 5 to 10 mph. becoming southeast in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40%. Little or no snow accumulation is expected during the day.

On Friday night, rain and sleet, possibly mixed with snow and freezing rain, are forecast before 1 a.m, then sleet between 1 and 3, then rain after 3. The low will be about 31. The southeast wind at about 5 mph will become northeast after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New snow and sleet accumulation of less than 1 inch are possible.

On Saturday, rain showers are likely before 4 p.m., then rain is likely, possibly mixed with snow showers. Some thunder is also possible. It will be cloudy, with a high near 40. There will be a north wind at about 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch is possible.

On Saturday night, there will be a chance of drizzle and snow before 7 p.m, then a chance of snow and freezing drizzle between 7 and 2 a.m., then a chance of snow after 2. It will be mostly cloudy, with a low of about 20. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than one-tenth of an inch possible.

On Sunday, there will be a 20% chance of snow before noon. It will be partly sunny, with a high near 30. The wind will be blustery. Sundays night low will be about 18.

On Monday, it will be sunny, with a high near 30 and a low of about 15.

On Tuesday, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 36 and a low of about 22.

On New Years Day, it will be partly sunny, with a high near 39.

Grand Island has recorded 38.3 inches of precipitation since Jan. 1, which is the fifth-highest yearly precipitation recorded since weather information first began to be gathered in the late 1800s.

According to NWS Hastings, the years ranking could increase to the third-wettest year as precipitation is expected this weekend. The fourth-wettest year on record was in 1903 at 38.55 inches. The third-highest total was 38.69 inches in 2007. The all-time wettest year was in 1905 at 45.5 inches, followed by 1903 at 41.68 inches.

For Grand Island, the five wettest months this year were: August, 11.94 inches; May, 6.68 inches; July, 5.21 inches; June, 4.1 inches; and March, 3.67 inches. Nearly 28 inches of precipitation fell from May through August.

As of Thursday, December has been above normal temperature-wise, with an average daily temperature 6 degrees above the 30-year average of 26. It has also been dry, with only .09 of an inch of precipitation recorded this month.

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Year-end wet weather could push Grand Island to its third wettest year on record - Grand Island Independent

Relocated island wolves outlasting mainland wolves in new Isle Royale home – Science Magazine

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

The September releaseof a male wolf from Michigans Upper Peninsula on Isle Royale. The wolf population now numbers 15, with sevenfemales and eightmales.

By Christine MlotDec. 20, 2019 , 9:00 AM

Island life isnt for everyone, nor, it seems, for every wolf.

One year into a federal effort to restock the wolf population in Isle Royale National Parkin Michigans Lake Superior, a pack of eight relocated from a nearby island appears to be thriving, while four of 11 wolves brought from the mainland have died.Another wolf voluntarily departed last winter, returning to Minnesota over an ice bridge.

The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) today released news of the most recent wolf deaths, and the emerging pattern is clear: Wolves relocated as a pack from Canadas Michipicoten Island Provincial Park have so far been more successful on Isle Royale than wolves brought individually from either mainland Minnesota, Michigan, or Canadas Ontario province. The Michipicoten wolvesprovenance as a bonded group was likely crucial to the fact they have all survived so far in the new environment, says wildlife ecologist Rolf Peterson from Michigan Technological University in Houghton, who has studied Isle Royale wolves since 1971. Thats about the only explanation I can think of, to account for the difference in the wolves fates.

Population ecologist Brent Patterson of Trent University in Peterborough, Canada, has been studying the Michipicoten wolves since a breeding pair crossed an ice bridge from mainland Canada to that island in 2014.Their large size, about50 kilograms, is another important factor in their survival on Isle Royale, he suspects.Before settling on Michipicoten, where they hunted woodland caribou, the wolves had been preying on moose in northern Ontario, so they came equipped to hunt Isle Royales moose.At the time they were moved to Isle Royale, the Michipicoten wolves were food stressed and battered, having eliminated the cariboubut the presence of their pack mates and their large physical stature gave them a leg up in getting through the snow to hunt moose again, Patterson says.

The relocated U.S. mainland wolves, in contrast, were not moose hunters and were generally smaller, although they were considered healthy at the times they were movedto Isle Royale. The circumstances of their deaths have all been different.One Minnesota male died of pneumonia shortly after being moved in fall 2018. The body of another male, from Ontario, was retrieved from a bog in April;it was too decomposed to determine a cause of death.In September, two recently relocated females died;one from Michiganhad an infection and wound from the leg trap used in her capture. The second, from Minnesota, died from severe trauma after an attack by another wolf or wolves.(Another Minnesota wolf intended for relocation in 2018 died before its move because ofcapture stress.)

NPS expected some wolf deaths, as well as wolf fights, or other random events to take a toll on the relocated animals, but all the mortalities are surprising, says NPS wildlife biologist Doug Smith, who directed a similar relocation of wolves to Yellowstone National Park and has worked on Isle Royale but is not involved in the current effort.In Yellowstone, 41 wolves introduced to restore the predators to the park all survived their relocation.Those wolves belonged to three packs, but individual wolves have also been successfully relocated, Smith says. He points out that moving wolves on a large scale to restore predation is still relatively new. This is an art, not a science.

Isle Royale researchers have been watching the movements of the new radio-collared wolvesexcept for the breeding male from Michipicoten, who slipped his collar in Julyand consider their social dynamics to still be in flux.The public can investigate which wolves are hanging out together and where with a new online tool.

The last male wolf of the intensely studied island-born population also died this fall.It dropped dead on a hiking trail, where a ranger found its intact, though emaciated, body on 17 October.Eleven years old, it far outlived most wild wolves and was apparently survived by the 9-year-old island-born female that is both its daughter and its half-sibling. The femalehad been prodding the male along for several years.Pathologists at the United StatesGeological Surveys National Wildlife Health Center in Madison noted broken ribs, as well as several puncture wounds they attributed to wolf attack. It is still a question in my mind what it actually died of, Peterson says, noting that wolf attacks dont usually break bones, although moose kicks commonly do. He may get more answers as the frozen corpse arrivesthis week in Houghton,where he will dissect the body and preserve the skeleton.Other Michigan Tech researchers plan to sequence the wolfs genome.

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Relocated island wolves outlasting mainland wolves in new Isle Royale home - Science Magazine

College of Staten Island hitting refresh button on Tournament of Heroes – SILive.com

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

By Carmine Angioli/For the Staten Island Advance

The College of Staten Islands Tournament of Heroes, Friday and Saturday at the Sports and Recreation Center in Willowbrook, will be the 18th and final edition under the current format.

But it sure wont be the last ever.

When the college announced its move up to NCAA Division II this is year one of a three-year transition Division III teams started dropping out of non-conference games with the Dolphins.

Once Division III teams started dropping us, I started worrying about getting teams in the tournament, said CSI coach T.J. Tibbs. What helped was the relationships I have.

For instance, Bridgewater College of Virginia committed to the tournament before Moore Catholic product Shawn Postiglione left its head coaching spot for the same job at Moravian College. Postiglione and St. Peters product Tibbs played against each other throughout grammar school and high school.

Coach Post set this up and assured me when he left they werent going to cancel, Tibbs related.

Curry, CSIs first-round opponent tomorrow night at 7:30, is coached by Tibbs future brother-in-law Joe Busacca, a Monsignor Farrell grad. Wheaton, which meets Bridgewater Friday at 5:30, jumped in late, but with enthusiasm.

Curry was rock solid, and Wheaton reached out to me and I gave them the rundown and they werent deterred by it, Tibbs said.

So, with a field in place, something else popped up.

(As the transition to D-II began), we were in limbo about what rules we had to follow, D-II wise, D-III wise, Tibbs recalled. We stumbled across a rule where every D-II team takes off at the same time. And that was running right into the tournament.

So we were able to get some help. Erin (Van Nostrand), our compliance director, did a great job in running that through the NCAA and the (East Coast Conference) office and saying, Hey, look, this is something thats very important.

I just remember walking into (athletic director Charles Gomes) office and Erins office saying, This has to happen. They made sure. Everybody here understands the importance of the tournament.

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TOURNAMENT OF HEROES GLANCE

WHAT: College of Staten Islands 18th annual Tournament of Heroes

WHERE: CSIs Sports and Recreation Center, Willowbrook

MATCHUPS

Friday

Bridgewater vs. Wheaton, 5:30 p.m.

CSI vs. Curry, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Third place game, 1 p.m.

Championship, 3 p.m.

ADMISSION: Its five dollars per person each day, with proceeds going to support the tournament.

HISTORY: CSI defeated Bates and Tufts last December to win the tourney for the first time since 2015 and third time overall.

IN MEMORY OF: Former CSI coach Tony Petosa launched the tournament in memory of Terrance Aiken, Scott Davidson and Tom Hannafin, ex-Dolphins who perished in the attack of Sept. 11, 2001. Aiken worked in the WTC. Davidson and Hannafin were members of FDNY.

-----------------------

The significance, of course, is the event honors three former Dolphin players Tom Hannafin, Curtis Aiken and Scott Davidson who perished in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Former CSI coach Tony Petosa, who coached or played with all three men, helped launch the tourney. Tibbs played in it for CSI and was committed to carrying on.

The first night is the most important night, when we honor the three young men, Tibbs said. When I took the job and being an alum, I (said) as long as I am here its going to happen. Thats just the CSI pride in me. But also understanding what it means to the community.

When 2020 rolls around, the format will be altered to conform to D-II regulations. The tournament will have new dates most likely the first weekend of the season, in early November and will be a tip off event, with opponents pre-determined, so there wont be a formal championship game. The opponents will all be D-II teams from CSIs region, allowing the Dolphins two extra games. D-IIs are permitted 26 regular-season games, but games in this sort of event do not count against the total.

Well make it work because thats really an important event for us, Gomes said back in September. Its important for us to honor those guys and their families.

NOTES: CSI is 3-6 overall, 1-5 against Division II opponents. Curry is 3-5, but the three wins under second-year head coach Busacca are one short of the programs win total for the previous four years combined. Wheaton is 3-4 overall and Bridgewater is 4-6. The third place and title games are at 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday.

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College of Staten Island hitting refresh button on Tournament of Heroes - SILive.com

Watch: Driver smashes into SUV, then barrier on Staten Island Expressway – SILive.com

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A crash Saturday night on the Staten Island Expressway sent a sedan hood first into the center barrier and left at least one other driver with a damaged vehicle.

Dash camera video obtained by the Advance shows the driver of a dark sedan collide with an SUV, then careen into the wall just before 10 p.m. on the New Jersey-bound side of the expressway. The crash occurred on the approach to the Victory Boulevard exit.

Police said Tuesday the driver of the sedan was transported to a local hospital for minor injuries. No charges were filed in connection with the incident. It remains unclear if two, or three vehicles were damaged.

The woman whose camera captured the ordeal told the Advance she was driving with a baby in the back seat.

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Watch: Driver smashes into SUV, then barrier on Staten Island Expressway - SILive.com

The milestones of women empowerment in 2019 | The New Times | Rwanda – The New Times

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

The empowerment and self-sufficiency of women is highly significant. This is why in the past years the fight for gender equity has been put at the front, and this journey has seen improvement of womens livelihoods.

This year in particular has seen more tremendous milestones, such as women now constituting 52% of Rwanda cabinet, and more initiatives have come up such as the introduction of Gender Cafes a platform that is aimed at tackling bias against women.

However, has enough been done in terms of upholding women empowerment?

Clement Kirenga, the programme manager, human rights and democracy at the embassy focal point for gender at the Swedish Embassy in Rwanda, says this year a lot has been done through different events/activities.

He cites the inclusion of women in decision making positions such as women representation cabinet increasing tremendously (52%), something he says is keeping Rwanda at the helm of this fight.

He also notes that campaigns on awareness about womens rights, fighting teen pregnancies, how to engage men and boys in the gender equality drive have been spontaneous as well.

However, Kirenga notes that a lot more remains to be done because of the challenges that are still at large, for example, cases of defilement.

In the 2016/2017 fiscal year, 3,060 cases of defilement were received, a figure which rose to 3,512 cases by August this year, according to statistics from Rwanda Investigation Bureau.

This problem alone is alarming. In addition, more men and women are not yet aware of the issues of gender inequality, so men still dominate women in terms of voice and power; gender based violence is still at large, there are still low numbers of women at lower levels of decision making and private sector, plus a limited access to resources among others, he says.

He is, hence, of the view that to keep on addressing this, more awareness on gender equality should be done, especially by involving men and boys.

He also believes that unpacking and contextualising feminism that is rising, especially on social media, more discussions on young girls access to contraceptives and other preventions of unwanted pregnancies, more punishments to GBV perpetrators can be of great importance.

Encouraging womens access to finance is also vital, this calls for more involvement of the private sector, he adds.

Gender activist Sharon Mbabazi says 2019 has done great in terms of women empowerment, though its still a process for a lot has to be done to strengthen what is already being implemented. This translates to having more innovations in 2020 to strengthen women empowerment further.

She is of the view that women be provided with economic empowerment, whereby they get access to financial tools and services, arguing that given the right skills, women can excel in whatever they put their hearts to.

2020 should grant more opportunities for women empowerment through innovative ideas, such as more trainings/summits to empower them with entrepreneurial skills in their different sectors. This will build a legacy of excellence, impacting and influencing women globally, Mbabazi says.

Bertin Ganza Kanamugire, the founder of Afflatus Africa, appreciates the works done by Rwanda and some other countries such as Ethiopia in the fight for women empowerment.

He, however, notes that more is yet to be achieved for women are still undermined and assaulted in different parts of the world.

For this journey to be strengthened, Kanamugire recommends having more women in decision-making positions, giving them more benefits in work places and most importantly, listening to those in need without judging them.

Role of the youth

Isabella Akaliza, the founder of #FreeThePeriod Initiative, says 2019 was a year that really highlighted the power of the Rwandan Youth.

We saw young people increasingly forming strong views and mobilising on local and global issues. They advocated for reforms on policies related to gender based violence, menstrual rights, reproductive justice, climate change, poverty alleviation and mental health. Their work in community education, advocacy, policy and fundraising showed that this young generation has a lot to say, Akaliza says.

For the next decade, she envisions the youth working collectively to advocate for publicly supported child-care, comprehensive sex education in schools, policies that support the human right to maintain personal bodily autonomy, to have children, to not have children, and parent the children had in safe and sustainable communities.

We will fight to make more visible the previously hidden extent of gender-based violence. We will work for equal access to education. We believe that a better future is possible, she says.

Anne-Marie Mukankusi, the founder of Ineza Village, an initiative that supports Rwandan single mothers in the US, says these last couple of years leading to 2019 did well in terms of creating awareness and speaking out loud about how enough is enough in terms of equal pay (working environment), noting, however, that there is definitely still a long way to go.

Women are still raped and sex trafficked everywhere, women are still not paid as similarly as their male colleagues, and a lot of cultures still regard women as less than their male counterparts. I honestly believe it will take years for women to be treated equally because change always takes time and a lot of sacrifices. You would think by now a lot would have changed but we definitely still have a long way to go, Mukankusi says.

She believes that women need to do better in raising their daughters and sons equally.

Encouraging womens access to finance is also vital. Net photos

We have harmed our own daughters saying that women are supposed to be like this and men are supposed to act like that. We should start raising our daughters and sons the same. Instead of raising our girls to be submissive, gentle and to just be girls, we should teach all our children to be respectful, kind, hardworking and be smart and teach our sons to respect women. Encourage our daughters to be scientists, doctors, lawyers, engineers and our sons if they want to do careers that have been assigned to women for generations, she adds.

Lastly, Mukankusi says words need to be put into action, for example if its hiring more women, advocating for equal pay and including women on the table, especially when it comes to making decisions, let it be done.

Women empowerment drive explores boardroom diversity and actions to improve gender balance. Net photos

What more needs to be done to strengthen women empowerment?

There is a lot of progress that has been made in terms of women empowerment but what we need to strive for is their actual participation, and continue to make the case for the full inclusion of women and girls in all sectors such as technology, politics among others.

Shadia Nansasi, Counsellor

We need coherent strategies to promote womens economic empowerment. Women who are economically empowered have access to a number of resources that can enable them to be self-reliant. This helps them to develop their households and society at large.

Rugamba Mihigo,Software engineer

Focus should be put on rural women. These women go through a lot and lack resources among many other things, they need special emphasis and strategies that will enable them to first get skills, they also need to be imparted with knowledge about their rights.

Pie Kombe,Reflexologist

We need to educate the next generation by changing our conversations now. Lets treat each other with respect, lets fight for our rights as women but at the same time, maintain respect for our male counterparts. We also need to understand that the best way to find inequality is by having both men and women on the same page.

Deborah Nanyonga,Administrator

dmbabazi@newtimesrwanda.com

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The milestones of women empowerment in 2019 | The New Times | Rwanda - The New Times

Review: ‘Little Women’ is an absolutely delightful film about being true to oneself – The Oakland Press

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

Director Greta Gerwigs new version of Louisa May Alcotts beloved novel Little Women is an engaging and tender success.

The latest adaptation is vividly and delicately produced, and its very faithful and equally modern in its accession of the novel. Gerwig gives the classic the kind of attention and visual style that is different from the TV versions and the blissful movie versions from 1933, 1949 and 1994. The new variation has splendid aesthetics, sweeping emotions and a first-rate ensemble cast, led by the dynamic Saoirse Ronan, who at 25, continues to prove she is one of the greatest acting talents of our time.

Alcott wrote a very personal novel, and like all deeply personal tales, its based on social realism and other emotional truths about female empowerment, cultural norms and inherit conformity that have remained in society for many generations. The classic story is always worth revisiting, and, over the decades, Alcotts portrayal of Josephine Jo March and her sistershas been an inspiration of many other films. Indeed, Little Women is such a renowned and celebrated work that it comes to no bewilderment that the story remains relevant today.

With this big-screen adaptation, Gerwig and her colleagues' main intent is portraying a fresh and inventive new perspective that consists of fresh social commentary, a clever flashback structure and a meta spirit that still holds the original story's charm and wit.

Gerwig never allows the material to get schmaltzy, yet her retelling shimmers with great empathy, deep characterizations and sharp whimsy along with many other conflicting tones that reside within a family.

By utilizing a clunky flashback structure that serves more as reflections to the story rather than a gimmicky device, the reflections examine Josephine Jo March (Ronan) reminiscing the events that led to her encounter with Theodore Laurie Laurence (Timothee Chalamet), his wealthy grandfather Mr. Laurence (Chris Cooper), and his instructor, John Brooke (James Norton) an encounter that would change the circumstances and lives of Jo and her sisters.

The saga opens up with Jo March living in a boarding house in New York City during the aftermath of the Civil War. She is trying to support her struggling family back in Concord, Mass. by selling written stories to publisher Mr. Dashwood (Tracy Letts). With social and cultural norms, publishing stories by women is very uncommon. Jos independence becomes an economic burden due to her refusal of marriage, while her older sister Meg (Emma Watson) and younger sisters Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen) attempt to discover their own talents and passions.

The films flashbacks take place in Concord during the Civil War; Jo writes her own journal entries, Meg aspires to be a stage actress, Amy yearns to be a painter and Beth holds great talents with the piano. Their mother Marmee (Laura Dern) takes care of the family with the help of their housekeeper Hannah (Jayne Houdyshell), but sadly Marmees resources stretch thin after helping her community out. Jo also holds a bittersweet relationship to her Aunt March (Meryl Streep), as she routinely visits and reads to her as Aunt March continues to lecture Jo on the importance of finding love and getting married for status and economic reasons. Aunt March also keeps promising Jo that she will take her to her next trip to Europe which becomes a broken promise.

During a night out dancing, Meg twists her ankle while dancing with Laurie. He ends up taking her back to the March household, where he encounters Jo, and they are instantly drawn to each other. Meanwhile, Amy develops a crush on Laurie that ends up generating tension and jealousy between her and Jo. This also leads the Marches to get acquainted with the Laurence family, which leads to both families bonding together during the course of time.

Throughout the film, Gerwig cuts between the two times lines, which can become a challenging burden for new viewers of the story that arent too acquainted with the source material. The structure also sometimes reveals too much of what will happen in the future. Yet, during the past times of the film, it works well with the girls character arcs and depth.

One of the film's richest scenes involves Jo being criticized by a literature professor and critic Friedrich Bhaer (Louis Garrel), who acknowledges Jos great talents, yet believes it is lacking something personal. While the flashbacks may come off jarring and not always successful, it is commanding in just how ambitious and unique Gerwig has accomplished with her adaptation.

The craftsmanship of the film is also visually arresting, as Gerwig and cinematographer Yorkick Le Saux imbue stark atmosphere merged with darkness and light along with stunning landscape cinematography.

What indeed works here are the performances and superb ensemble casting. Ronan and Chamalat are absolutely wonderful together in this just as they were in Gerwigs 2017 directorial debut Lady Bird." Ronan brings great charm and warmth throughout, delivering one of her most compelling performances to date. Chalamet also delivers a natural and witty performance that starts off charming and shortly becomes complex and wounded.

Its Florence Pugh who is the true stand-out here as the bratty Amy. Pugh truly elevates her character under Gerwigs direction, capturing Amy's self-absorbed sensibilities and selfishness that ends up being transcended with far more character depth and nuance than previous adaptations.

All around, Gerwig delivers an eloquent and layered film, full of absolute grace and grandeur. It merges personal truths relating to her own career as a film director that also echoes Alcotts own story.

Little Women becomes a deeply complex film about sisterhood, independence, individualism and unrequited love. It is a film about young women attempting to sort themselves out in a society that embraces women getting married and starting a family rather than pursuing their true passions and dreams. Gerwigs film is an absolutely delightful film filled with a lot of idealism about staying true to your passion and talents.

Rating: 3.5 of 4 stars

Robert Butler is an award-winning filmmaker from Ortonville whose most recent feature length movie, "Love Immortal," won Best Horror Feature Film at the 24th annual Indie Gathering International Film Festival. For more of his reviews, visitdefactofilmreviews.com.

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Review: 'Little Women' is an absolutely delightful film about being true to oneself - The Oakland Press

Diversity and Inclusion in Insurance Awards winner: Cova – Insurance Age

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

Following last month's Diversity and Inclusion in Insurance Awards, we caught up with all the winners. Today, we talk to Lisa Meigh, director of HR & learning at Cova, about the insurer's win in the Staff Empowerment category.

Can you explain what Cova has done to create an empowered staff culture across the business?

Cova Insurance has a clear strategic goal to be a great place to work. Our inclusivity strategy supports this goal by ensuring we do the right thing for our employees. We believe getting this right makes our business stronger and delivers better outcomes for our customers.

Our broader D&I strategy has helped to drive employee engagement and establish a culture where our people feel empowered to get behind the issues that matter to them.

Cova Minds is a mental health initiative led by employees and sponsored by a Cova Insurance executive director.The initiative has been driven by the passion, kindness and energy of our people who have taken ownership to facilitate an organisational cultural shift around attitudes to mental health.The outcome has been to establish a safe and supportive work environment, where mental health can be openly discussed without judgement.

To support this, weve trained up mental health first aiders, trained dementia friends, partnered with a mental health advocate (Luke Ambler) to run resilience workshops, openly shared personal stories of mental health, held well-being events such as yoga, created chill-out rooms in each site, and run vulnerable customer workshops to increase the empathy within our organisation for those suffering with mental health or dementia.

Since it was launched, what has the response/impact been?

Since the launch of Cova Minds, we have seen a positive turnaround in attitudes towards mental health at work.It has been inspiring, honest and brave of our people, including members of our senior management and executive team, to share personal stories of how they have dealt with mental health challenges.The impact has been powerful.

We now have over 30 mental health first aiders covering all sites to ensure help is always at hand and we have over 460 dementia friends, all providing extra support for our people and customers who might be struggling with the mental health issues.

The key to the success of this initiative has been empowering our people. We believe that by really getting this right, our business is stronger, and we can deliver better outcomes for our customers.

The importance we place on our people is evidenced through our Gold Investors in Peoplestatus and Best Companies Employee Engagement survey results. Over 90% of our people say Cova Insurance can be trusted by customers/clients, and weve been named one of the top 75 companies to work for in Yorkshire & the Humber.

We also hold the highest available accolade from the Institute of Customer Service, ServiceMark with Distinction, for our personal lines, commercial & high net worth claims departments.We think this really shows that employee engagement goes hand-in-hand with delivering great customer service.

Where could this initiative go next?

Weve had an unprecedented reaction to our resilience workshops that we ran with Luke Ambler.

They were so popular thatweve extended these and will run more on a range of topics, all aimed at giving our people the tools to be able to deal with mental health issues.

How supportive is the group in terms of raising the profile and boosting the acceptance of D&I across the business?

The group have been unbelievably supportive in raising the profile and acceptance of mental health issues in the broader context of workplace inclusivity. It doesnt get much more real than people in high profile roles talking about their own mental health challenges to convince others that its OK to talk.

We believe one of the reasons the mental health message has resonated so powerfully across the business is that mental health affects so many people in so many ways.Its the number one cause of disability worldwide, with one-in-four of us experiencing it at some point. Within our business alone, this represents around 500 employees, emphasising the importance of reducing the stigma of mental health as a key element of our commitment to workplace inclusivity.

What was it like being a winner at the inaugural Diversity and Inclusion in Insurance Awards?

It was an incredibly proud moment, not just for me but for our amazingly passionate people across our business the people that have been owning and driving our D&I activities and making Cova Insurance such a great place to work.

We brought the award straight back and gave it to our D&I ambassadors and the award is now being circulated around our offices. This award was a recognition of the importance we place on empowering our staff and we couldnt be more delighted.

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Female Entrepreneurs Progress on the Outskirts of Havana – Havana Times

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

By Luis Brizuela (IPS)

HAVANA TIMES Rosa del Pilar Luque learned through family tradition the art of making sweets. In 2014, when she found herself without work, alone and tasked with taking care of her three children, she decided to use this talent to start a business in the San Agustin neighborhood, on the outskirts of the Cuban capital.

I felt that the world was collapsing on me, I didnt know how to confront my household economy, because I was the sole provider, this desserts maker told IPS. She started without any initial capital nor any partner, working with a depressed and unstable supplies market and a rustic oven.

Becoming an entrepreneur changed her life, a process which, she assured, was helped by the courses and workshops of CubaEmprende, a project of the catholic Archbishop of Havana that since 2012 offers training and business assistance to people who decide to start or improve an economic activity within the types of independent work allowed.

Today Dulce Rosa, as Luque named her business, operates with five industrial ovens and specializes in pastries (cakes) for weddings and birthdays.

The business also caters buffets, with salty and sweet dishes prepared on demand for distinct celebrations, taking advantage that since December 2018, new provisions reordered self-employment and authorized more than one license per person to carry out different activities.

I travel abroad and import some candies and supplies, such as little gift bags, table cloths, napkins and other supplies, explained the entrepreneur.

Thanks to the use of social media to promote her products and services, a task that her children assist her with, Luque has gained customers from distant places such as Old Havana, Guanabacoa and Eastern Havana, three of the fifteen municipalities of the Cuban capital.

The government says that some 600,000 of the 11.2 millions of inhabitants in Cuba work as self-employed workers, as the government refers to the countrys private sector, in the 128 authorized activities. Of them, 32 percent are young people and 35 percent women. (Self-employed includes working for others who have businesses).

Havana, with almost 20 percent of the countrys population, is where the vast majority of people who work in private businesses live. [Nonetheless, the State is still by far the largest employer.]

Statistics indicate that the most common modalities of private activity are food processing and sales, freight and passenger transport, renting of homes, rooms and premises and workers employed by other small business owners.

In the capital, such work is usually more attractive in municipalities like Old Havana, Central Havana, Revolution Square, Playa, Cerro and Diez de Octubre.

On top of the high population density and the large presence of markets and commerce, it is here where the headquarters of government ministries and businesses, including the principal political, economic, cultural, touristic and diplomatic entities of the nation are located, which boosts its attractiveness.

However, far from these zones, women like Danilsy Ramirez also show successful experiences.

This cosmetologist, 36, decided in 2009 to branch out in beauty products and haircuts, alongside searching for accessories, she stated to IPS: various female friends told me that I was talented for doing hair and makeup.

As such was born the Salon Dany, Ramirez hairdressers, located in her neighborhood of Capdevilla, in the Boyeros municipality, which is never without clients, and its owner classifies her establishment as a consolidated business, in spite of being in a sparsely inhabited zone.

At the beginning I doubted a lot of it would work. I made a strong investment in quality products that I needed to accumulate, as the market here is very unstable. The customers grew, mainly be word of mouth. Even though I havent a website, many people know me already and come looking for me. She added.

Both Luque and Ramirez assured that the locations of their businesses do not limit their development and that managing them has contributed to personal empowerment and social advancement.

My beauty salon has grown thanks to the effort and persistence in daily work, stated Ramirez.

Meanwhile, Luque reflected when a woman manages her own business, and she does it with the help of her family, the household has more harmony because income improves as well the quality of life and wellbeing.

In 2010, the then government of Raul Castro (2008-2018) authorized the extension of some self-employment, with the objective of updating the Cuban economy.

The measure, which the socialist government has described as irreversible, sought to free the enormous state apparatus of hundreds of thousands of workers and non-strategic activities, as well as capitalize on taxes, in order to revive the national economy immersed in a persistent crisis since 1991.

As part of this stimulus, which has not been without obstacles and delays, the private sector grew and with it, also the number of Cuban entrepreneurs and those who were hired in small and medium businesses in the sector throughout the country.

However, the figures reveal the persistence of gaps such as gender, and the need to reduce them through public policies that complement state laws stipulating non-discrimination and equal rights.

This would contribute to the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations, with 169 goals in the economic, social and environmental dimensions.

SDG 5, related to gender equality, notes that empowering women and girls has a multiplier effect and helps to promote economic growth and development worldwide.

Arlen Martnez, Communication Coordinator of CubaEmprende, told IPS that the majority of those who come to train are women because they arent afraid to say they dont know and need help, unlike many men, permeated by the macho culture.

However, elements conspiring against equal opportunities remain in this country.

Nobody tells a woman that she cannot start a business; however, when she starts, she faces difficulties that men usually dont have, said Martinez, a 31-year-old communicator, mother of two children and also an entrepreneur.

She mentioned, for example, the double work day that also includes domestic tasks, as well as the care of parents and/or children, along with other social activities.

The National Survey of Gender Equality (Enig-2016), published in February of this year, showed that in a given week Cuban women spend an average of 14 hours more than men in unpaid work whereas men undertake 12 more hours of paid labor than women.

In the home, men and women spend an average of 28.22 hours a week on domestic and care work, but with important differences: 35.20 hours for women go against the 21.94 hours by men.

Another problem is that many female entrepreneurs often have problems with their suppliers or subordinates when they are men, because they find it hard to recognize a woman as the leader of a project, Martinez said.

In her opinion: more value must be given to the entrepreneurial woman and her efforts.

The specialist advocated, beyond diversifying the laws that support female entrepreneurship, there is a need to make use of existing ones as some, she said, protect women in terms of maternity leave, with or without pay, loans and other benefits, but they are not known.

As the country lacks a history of policies related to independent (non-state) work, there is a lot of skepticism. Perhaps we should learn from other countries in the region with many more public policies that stimulate development, not only for women but also for entrepreneurs in general, she said.

The Data Protection Bill only weakens user rights – The Hindu

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

In the continuing social churn and widespread citizen protests, it would seem out of place to direct thought towards issues such as data protection. The Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha this month, is a revolutionary piece of legislation that promises to return power and control to people in our digital society. Pending deliberation before a Joint Parliamentary Committee, it is intimately connected to the very same fundamental rights and constitutional principles that are being defended today on the streets and in the fields.

The Bill has seen serpentine movement, passing expert committees, central ministries and then the Lok Sabha in the winter session. Before focusing on the nuances and finer details which merit deliberation we must take a step back to look at the broader politics of personal data protection. This would help contextualise the legislative proposal and understand the degree of protection which is limited by overboard exceptions in favour of security and revenue interests.

The rise of the national security narrative has not been gone unnoticed by seasoned political observers. What is novel is its intersection with technology. This is central to several policy and political pronouncements by the present government. In many ways, it is a continuation of the politics of securitisation of the government from its previous term. For instance, the Bharatiya Janata Partys manifesto (sankalp patra) released before the general election 2019 provides useful insight where it states appropriate technological interventions centred around Aadhaar. This shrugs off any recognition of its contested legality before the Supreme Court which ruled on the fundamental right to privacy. Privacy is mentioned just once in this voluminous document 49 mentions of security and 56 mentions of technology.

This is a trend which continues. The President of Indias address to Joint Sitting of Parliament on June 20, 2019 fresh from the results of the general election proclaimed that my government is committed to that very idea of nation-building, the foundation for which was laid in 2014. The priorities of the government are clearly charted out with zero mention of privacy or data protection; there are 18 mentions of security and eight of technology. This familiar template is again found in the Prime Ministers Independence day speech on August 15, 2019 which focussed on dramatic social change. He noted: I believe that there should be change in the system, but at the same time there should be a change in the social fabric. There is zero mention of privacy or data protection; however there are seven mentions of security, six on technology and five for digital. There may be government policy documents that may emphasise or contradict these assertions. However these statements made by high public officials at historic times when they may be widely viewed by large number of Indians are deserving of primacy. They reveal, at the very least, a pecking order in terms of viewing both technology and security as high priorities in governance objectives.

As Edward Snowden explains in his Permanent Record, there is a symbiotic relationship between the financial model of large online platforms and security interest. They both feed off personal data and the attention economy, where platforms gather this data and the government then seeks access to it. In India this is being taken a step further. The government is seeking to not only access data but also collect it and then exploit it making it an active data trader for the generation of revenue to meet its fiscal goals.

First, the scale of data collection is ambitious and broadly contained in the Digital India programme; on its website it says: to transform the entire ecosystem of public services through the use of information technology. Here, all elements of a citizen-state interaction are being data-fied. In the view of some technologists, this also fulfils geostrategic goals when personal data is viewed as strategic state resource. However, this poses grave risks to the right to privacy. These become evident from a casual reading of the national Economic Survey of 2019, which in Chapter 4 devotes an entire chapter on the fiscal approach towards personal data. In a Chapter at a glance it says: In thinking about data as a public good, care must also be taken to not impose the elites preference of privacy on the poor, who care for a better quality of living the most.

Two tangible examples show the operation of this policy framework. The first is with respect to the recent sale of vehicular registration data and driving licences by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Here, quite often, the principles of a data protection law would conflict with these uses as it would break the fundamental premise of purpose limitation. This principle broadly holds that personal data which is gathered for a specific purpose cannot be put to any other distinct use without consent of the person from whom it was acquired. The second is an expert committee (headed by Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairperson, Infosys) on what is termed community data. While the definition of such, community data is contested, as per the note it is plainly obvious this is again to serve fiscal interests of the state and technology businesses when it states that such data is critical for economic advantage.

The existing draft of the Data Protection Bill is reflective of a political economy that is motivated towards ensuring minimal levels of protection for personal data. It has a muddled formulation in terms of its aims and objectives, contains broad exemptions in favour of security and fiscal interests, including elements of data nationalism by requiring the compulsory storage of personal data on servers located within India.

From its very preamble it seeks to place the privacy interests of individuals on the same footing as those of businesses and the state. Here, by placing competing interests on the same plane, two natural consequences visit the drafting choices within it. First, the principle of data protection to actualise the fundamental right to privacy is not fulfilled as a primary goal but is conditioned from the very outset. Second, by placing competing goals which contradict each other any balancing is clumsy, since no primary objectives are set. This results in a muddy articulation that would ultimately ensure a weak data protection law.

This present draft of the Bill comes as a disappointment especially after the emphatic judgment by the nine-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on the Right to Privacy. The judgment contains categorical language that the Bill is a measure to actualise the fundamental right. However, this draft serves a political economy which at first blush appears attractive in its promise of taking us away from the dull maxims of constitutionalism and delivering us a digital utopia. Again, this was best phrased by the Prime Minister when he stated at the Digital India dinner on September 26, 2015, at San Jose, California: ... technology is advancing citizen empowerment and democracy that once drew their strength from Constitutions.

Hence, on a broader read, the Data Protection Bill is not a leaky oil barrel with large exceptions, but it is a perfect one. It will refine, store and then trade the personal information of Indians without their control; open for sale or open for appropriation to the interests of securitisation or revenue maximisation, with minimal levels of protection. For this to change, we have to not only focus on red-lining the finer text of this draft but also reframing large parts of its intents and objectives.

Apar Gupta, Executive Director of the Internet Freedom Foundation, is a Delhi-based lawyer

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The Data Protection Bill only weakens user rights - The Hindu

The Four Cornerstones of Empowering Others Through Effective Feedback | theHRD – The HR Director Magazine

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

Feedback. Barely a moment goes by in which we are not providing it, receiving it or replaying it. We are largely a product of how we have reacted to feedback since we were old enough to be socially aware. How we look, dress, speak, work, drive even the things we dare not try again have all been informed by feedback from family members, teachers, friends and colleagues. Considering it contributes so much to who we are and who we are becoming, I find it staggering so little attention is paid to how effectively we deliver, receive and act on feedback.

I had a conversation with a friend recently who has worked for a global bank for twelve years, the last five as a people manager. I was astonished when he informed me that he has never been offered training on delivering feedback, even though he does so many times a day. The more people I speak with, the more I realise this is not an isolated case.

In conversations, meetings at work, scrolls through social media or furtive glances in the mirror or at the weighing scales, we confirm our opinions of others or allow those of others (or our own negative thoughts) to reaffirm what we think about ourselves.

Sincerely delivered, specific and supportive feedback helps identify previously unseen areas for development, introduces new ideas and provides empowerment in the pursuit of challenging goals. Conversely, feedback that is insincere, ill-constructed or overly critical can demotivate and disenfranchise, damaging or altogether destroying vital relationships. The negative effect on confidence, esteem and wellbeing can be long-lasting, even permanent.

Against this backdrop that of the critical nature of feedback and the glaring deficit in our understanding of how to deliver and apply it correctly I wish to outline some simple yet profound principles that will help transform your approach to feedback within your professional and personal pursuits. In my training on feedback delivery and implementation, I use an acronym called FAST. Effective feedback must comprise the following four elements: From the heart;Actionable; Specific anfTimely

I refer to these as the four cornerstones of effective feedback because if just one is missing, the feedback falls down and loses all impact.

From the HeartNobody will give a second thought to any recommendation unless they feel the one delivering it cares about them. Empathy is at the root of all meaningful human communication; as soon as we show a genuine interest in the welfare of another person and are motivated by a desire to see them succeed, we open the door to another persons life.

When I have been sitting across a table from someone delivering feedback and felt a genuine care and concern on their part, their feedback is powerful, even life-changing. The exchange has always begun with questions regarding wellbeing, then feedback has been tactfully adapted to what I might have been able to absorb based on current skill, experience and emotional levels.

I have a fundamental rule when I am delivering feedback: I do not address the subject of feedback until I have asked the recipient three questions about themselves. I may ask about their weekend, family, health, interests, recent events, goals or aspirations. This encourages me to show a genuine care and concern for them and learn more about their lives. This sometimes even provides additional insight into how the individual might be being affected positively or negatively by external factors. This then helps me to personalise the feedback based on what they might be prepared to take in.

The first and, I believe, most important question to ask yourself in any feedback situation is this: Is care being shown? If you are delivering feedback, you must be courageous enough to ask yourself, Do I really care about this individual as an individual their progression, welfare, hopes and aspirations? If this question cannot be answered with an honest yes, it is the wrong time or you are the wrong person to deliver feedback.

If you are receiving feedback, you must immediately ask yourself that same question: Is care being shown? Does this person really care about me as an individual my progression, welfare, hopes and aspirations? If the answer feels like a no, then that feedback should be taken with at least a pinch of salt, or possibly a bucket. Of course, if there are valid statements or recommendations, then have the professional grace to take them on board. However, any statements that are overly critical or appear insincere should not be taken personally; the damage of allowing negative feedback to fester can be irreparable.

Remember the deliverer is also a person. They are imperfect and their perspective is limited, even if their salary doesnt seem to be compared to yours. Be gracious. Be kind. Dont be confrontational. Do you have to agree with everything? No. Take something that you can act on and politely discard anything that is unhelpful. Do not let one ill-worded comment rob you of your mental and emotional wellbeing. It is just not worth it.

Seeking out positive, helpful feedback designed to build character and shunning negative feedback is not weakness. There is no badge of honour for how much negative feedback you can take on and stay standing. It sometimes takes great strength and resilience to become selective about whose feedback you listen to, especially when the source of toxicity is a partner, family member, close colleague or manager. However, even if the circle of people starts off incredibly small, carefully choose whose guidance you will follow. Ensure you are only receptive to people who are seeking to build you up; refuse mental and emotional entry to those seeking to sabotage your foundations.

ActionableWe are all limited people. We all arrive at a point where we our own skills, knowledge and experience have been exhausted. At this moment, we silently cry out for someone wiser, more experienced and more skilful to step in and say: I can see youre struggling with this. Youve done brilliantly to get this far. When I was in this position, here is what I learned and this is what worked for me to move things forward. I suggest you try the following. How inspiring would that be if it replaced the atmosphere of cynicism prevalent in many of our organisations?

In my work as a teacher, my feedback to students is broken into three distinct parts. First, I always offer praise on something they are doing well. This brings a feeling of pride to the individual and opens them up to receive any subsequent advice. Secondly, I suggest an area of focus, something they need to do to move the work forward. For example: Congratulations on using some excellent descriptive language in this piece of writing. To move forward, we need to make sure your use of punctuation becomes more controlled and secure. Good feedback, right? No! It is not actionable. It is missing the third and most vital element.

The third part of the feedback is the challenge. This is the invitation to act, to implement, to practise. After offering the above feedback to a student, my challenge might be as follows: Add a further paragraph to your story. Highlight all of the commas and full stops you are using to show that you are remembering to include them in your sentences. Thats much more like it! That will drive forward the progress of the students writing and hold them accountable for implementing the feedback given.

Wouldnt it be wonderful if all feedback given was broken into those three elements: praise, recommendation and challenge? That sort of feedback meets the first and second corner stones. It comes from the heart, shows genuine care and can be acted upon. Too much of the feedback passed between colleagues, families and partners lacks one of these two cornerstones: either it lacks empathy or it cant be implemented. Only with both parts fulfilled can feedback spark meaningful change.

3: SpecificFeedback that lacks specificity also lacks power. If the individual giving the feedback is not specific, they undermine their own credibility and professed expertise, robbing the recipient of an opportunity to grow. Generalised feedback shows a lack of due care, preparation and is not actionable, so fails to meet all three cornerstones.

Many people talk about the praise sandwich. You offer praise, give suggested improvements and end with more praise. As mentioned, when I offer feedback to students, I do so in three parts: praise, recommendation and challenge. Whilst the praise sandwich structure might boost the confidence of someone in the earliest stages of development, it eventually becomes a disservice as it gives a false impression of progress and can erode trust. People need to be shown how to improve and be given specific action points. As long as it is delivered empathically and with a clear path to progress, there is no rule for the ratio of praise to recommendations. The sincerity of the one delivering the feedback is always more critical than how the points are structured, but any recommendations must show sincere desire to help the individual and be accompanied by specific strategies or actions that can be implemented.

For example, imagine someone telling someone else: As you have said you would like to improve your fitness, I recommend you go to the gym. This is actionable, but not specific. If that same person said, Go to the gym each Friday at 6pm for 60 minutes and do these four exercises to improve your leg strength and overall fitness, then that changes everything. Specificity is the key to progress because it empowers the other person to act.

I am confident much of the feedback delivered in our workplaces, communities and homes is well-intentioned, but can lack sensitivity, specificity and ideas as to how it can be applied. The more specific the feedback, the quicker the progress.

4: TimelyThe more time that elapses between the event occurring and feedback being received, the less impact it will have. Timeliness is key. Even if a more prolonged and detailed evaluation is not feasible immediately after the event has taken place, even a small verbal affirmation will help provide necessary assurance and boost confidence. There is no influence so marring to performance in the workplace as uncertainty.

Theres an old adage: Actions speak louder than words. If a time is agreed for feedback to be received and the one delivering it runs over in a previous meeting, arrives late or does not show up at all, what is really being said? You are not my most important priority. If that is how the person is made to feel, feedback will be meaningless and treated with contempt. When someone is delivering feedback, the one receiving it should be made to feel like they are the only person on earth. The deliverer is in a significant position of trust regarding the recipients career, confidence and (in some cases) mental and emotional well-being. Timely feedback is more likely to show empathy and retain sufficient coverage to be both specific and actionable, thus meeting the other cornerstones. If it is late or rushed, it is at best likely to lack sufficient detail or sensitivity to have any real impact. At worst, the lack of care shown can be significantly damaging to the other person.

What happens if the individual receiving the feedback is late or doesnt turn up? It is a sign of disrespect to the person that has prepared to deliver it. It says, I dont care what you have to say I dont need your help and dont feel like I can learn anything from you. This creates a negative impression and breaks trust.

If you are delivering feedback, be prompt. If you are receiving it, turn up on time and be prepared to chase up someone even if they are senior when feedback is not being received promptly.

If you serve as a leader, I appreciate the heavy burden you must carry. It must be relentless. However, those for whom you have stewardship are your greatest asset. They are diverse, unique and hold incredible potential. Yours is the privilege of working with them, guiding them and supporting them. Ask them how they feel. Ask about their families and their health. Ask about their ambitions. Then deliver feedback from the heart, remembering where you started from and considering where that person across the table could go. They might be a future leader; treat them like they already are and they will make you a great one now, as well as becoming part of the legacy you hope to leave behind.

If you are a colleague receiving feedback from someone with more experience, be respectful of this and seek to learn from them. Catch them by surprise be inquisitive and eager to learn. Be humble and ask questions. Even if the feedback you receive doesnt meet one or more of the cornerstones, try to see past these imperfections and do not allow raw emotion to cloud the situation. Easier said than done, of course, but even if only one thing is taken and meaningfully acted upon, there will still be progress. Do not allow an ill-worded comment or piece of criticism to negatively affect your self-esteem.

I appreciate there are many pressures at play: being parents, children, siblings, partners, relatives, friends, colleagues, and the list goes on. We are often tired. We are often frustrated. We are often discouraged. However, let us not damage ourselves or our relationships by allowing negative emotions or thoughts to compromise the way we interact with others.

Let us give feedback from the heart and ensure it is actionable, specific and timely. The way in which we communicate in our workplaces, communities and homes amongst rapidly evolving situations will be a key factor in improving quality of relationships, productivity, happiness and success.

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The Four Cornerstones of Empowering Others Through Effective Feedback | theHRD - The HR Director Magazine

Building Tech Solutions And Giving Back – Forbes

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Danzig

As we close out the year, I wanted to share Pat Spencers story about working outside within communities. Pat Spencer, Senior Director of Strategic Solutions at Intervision, not only focuses on strategically leading the business he works for, but also the community around him. To accompany his successful 25-year career, Pat takes serving his community personally, placing extensive focus on human empowerment through talent incubation of abuse victims, students and service members.

Shot of a Working Data Center With Rows of Rack Servers. Led Lights Blinking and Computers are ... [+] Working.

InterVision Systems is based in Santa Clara, California, but Pat is in Indianapolis, Indiana. A few of the organizations hes involved with are below:

Mary Juetten: What problem are you solving?

Pat Spencer: InterVision is a strategic service provider focused on business outcomes-based technology solutions. We aim to help IT leaders transform their business by solving for the right technology, deployed on the right premise, and managed through the right model to fit their unique demands and long-term goals.

Juetten: Who are your customers and how do you find them?

Spencer: Our customers are enterprise organizations that understand the value of having a trusted technology partner who provides recommendations based on experience. Our customers come from all industries such as legal, financial services, manufacturing and healthcare and the one thing they all have in common is wanting an IT partner that will take responsibility for being an extension of their team and helping them solve problems.

Juetten: Who makes up your team (InterVision as a whole)?

Spencer: I currently am responsible for managing revenue for InterVisions East Region and Public Sector. These two diverse teams are made up of an experienced sales team that works collaboratively with a group of Solution Architects, System Engineers and Onboarding Specialists to design, build and support the various solutions we deliver to our clients.

Juetten: How did past philanthropic experience help you grow as a businessman?

Spencer: If I had to sum this up in one word, it would be humility. I have lived a blessed life and learned early that we should be thankful for what we have, no matter the circumstances, and show compassion toward others. That has translated into a desire to help others, especially those with barriers and challenges in their lives that they ultimately had no control over.

Juetten: How do you measure success and what is your favorite success story?

Spencer: In my opinion, success is rooted in your personal achievement compared against what you set out to do and if you stayed true to yourself while doing it. Its not about what you become, its about who you become that establishes your true success. One of my favorite success stories is a lady that had gone through Coburn Place as a resident, which means she was abused and needed to find shelter for herself and her children. We were doing our Holiday Home party where we provide Christmas trees, ornaments and other holiday decorations to the residents to have for their apartments. She came in with a pink t-shirt, her hair was pink and she came up to me asking for pink lights for her Christmas tree. She had a great smile and her positive attitude was contagious. I asked her why she wanted pink lights and she said her cancer was gone and she wanted everything to be pink for the Holidays. For any person to have gone through what she did and to have that positive attitude and outward happiness to me, defines success.

Juetten: Provide some success examples from community work.

Spencer:

Juetten: What's the long-term vision for the company?

Spencer: Our long term vision is to be a nationally recognized Strategic Services Provider, which means we are using the experience we have in hardware, software, public cloud, cloud hosting, security, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, managed services and disaster recovery to improve an organizations ability to use technology as a competency.

Juetten: How are you using technology to give back to the community?

Spencer: As mentioned above, this would be Teacher TechConnect. Focusing on what we know about our industry and using it to educate the next generation through their teachers will provide more connection between what the kids are learning and a potential career in technology. We especially are working toward keeping more kids in the Indianapolis area as our tech needs continue to outpace the current number of students going into a technology career. And, one of the key messages is to ensure the students realize its not all about a 4-year degree. We speak to them about all options after high school including going directly into the workforce, 2-year programs and the military as potential options and have specific tech leaders speak to their career path to help reinforce that its not just one size fits all.

An inspiring story to end 2019 and the decade. Best wishes to all for a safe and happy new year. #onwards.

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Building Tech Solutions And Giving Back - Forbes

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