Daily Archives: July 21, 2017

Is your organization ready for automation deployment? – TechTarget

Posted: July 21, 2017 at 12:10 pm

Remember the voice-data convergence? I hope you're prepared, because a similar transition is ready to take roo...

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This time, it is the transition to automation, and then to forms of automation deployment and advanced control and management.

When we transitioned from wired PBX systems to voice over IP, the team that handled the voice system had to make a big change. In the old system, circuits and wires were the basic components. Sure, there was some multiplexing -- T1s and the like -- but nothing like IP packets. Training voice technicians was an interesting process. Some made the transition, while others retired, along with the equipment they supported.

A similar situation is unfolding today. I've had more than one network engineer tell me they hope the latest transition takes long enough to allow them to retire before they have to learn new things. I was shocked.

Change is coming, and it is necessary. Compute and storage are dynamic, having made their transition over the last 10 years. The network is the final obstacle to dynamic IT systems that can more easily adapt to changing business requirements. Change is needed to increase networking efficiency, just as it has for server automation. The only thing we need to determine is the path this journey will take.

This transformation of IT and networking is gathering speed. The growth in the DevNet section of Cisco Live is one indication. When I search the web, I find a lot more activity around the use of APIs for automation deployment. I even took a class on using Ansible for network configuration control.

It's pretty incredible how simple a configuration can be when it is constructed in a YAML definition. Configuration elements that are repeated in a normal configuration get entered once in YAML, such as loopback interface addresses or Border Gateway Protocol addresses. A BGP peering relationship can be reduced to just a few lines of configuration and ported between hardware vendors with simple changes. A complete data center pod can be configured with a similar reduction in complexity.

The tie-in to culture is due to the change in how network configuration is handled. Processes and procedures that have been developed -- over the past 10 to 20 years -- need to change when automation is used. These past procedures will often have the network staff propose a set of changes, a test plan and a back-out plan to be executed if a change fails.

A change control board reviews the change and frequently approves it. Because changes sometimes create brief network outages -- for example, a spanning tree root bridge change -- they are typically implemented during a preapproved change window. Part of the reason for this step-by-step process is to force the network engineers to think more carefully about changes before rolling them out to the network.

Many organizations use network change and configuration management (NCCM) tools to push changes to devices. That's a step toward automation, but they still rely on command-line interface (CLI) configuration commands. Manual methods are then frequently used for the validation test, limiting the extent of things that can be checked. This is where automation can be applied. Construct good test plans and a set of automated checks to be performed on the network -- not just the device being changed. Likewise, the back-out plan should be automated through the NCCM platform so it is easy and fast to back out.

Automation is just the next step in the journey. It isn't the final step.

Automation is just the next step in the journey. It isn't the final step. The problem I have with basic automation tools is they don't create new abstractions. The Ansible libraries for Cisco NX-OS use the same parameters in the API as are used in the CLI. There's nothing new there, just a new communications mechanism that's uninteresting. There are no new abstractions that allow us to hide the details of a complex configuration.

Some companies, like Amazon, are already in this next phase. Create an Amazon Web Services (AWS) compute instance with X CPU power, Y storage capacity and a public IP address. How long does it take for AWS to create the instance, modify the network to support it and have a public IP address assigned? It's just a few minutes. You specified what you wanted, and the system delivered it. You didn't have to specify "how to do it" details like VLAN ID, firewall rules or any Layer 4 VPN to keep your traffic separate from everyone else's. AWS created an abstract compute and storage entity.

We need new abstractions in networking that allow us to hide as much complexity as possible. It remains to be seen whether new abstractions will come from the intent-based networking systems that companies like Apstra have pioneered and Cisco has now embraced. These systems are worth investigating, but probably only after you've undertaken the effort to learn about basic automation. Think of it as a "walk before you run" approach.

Clearly, some people are concerned that automation and whatever follows will replace their jobs. As with the convergence of voice and data, some people make the transition and others don't. That transition, just like this one, was more about changing jobs than eliminating them. There will always be a need for people who understand how complex technology works, how to use it in good designs and how to diagnose problems when it doesn't work the way you intended.

This is a journey. You don't get to skip steps. The entire organization has to learn new technology, how to best apply that technology, and to develop processes to implement and maintain it. Several things must happen to make a successful journey, among them:

You get to decide if you're going to participate in this journey to automation deployment as a leader and control your destiny, or if you're going to participate after someone else has blazed the trail. Just note that first movers frequently have a competitive advantage over their slower-moving peers.

What will the future hold for enterprise networking?

SDN now includes virtualization and automation

DevOps and automation in software-defined networks

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Is your organization ready for automation deployment? - TechTarget

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Dockworkers squeezed by automation, abandoned by politicians – SFGate

Posted: at 12:10 pm

Photo: Ben Margot, Associated Press

A crane transporting vehicles from a container ship operates at the Port of Oakland. Automation is reducing the number of longshore workers jobs.

A crane transporting vehicles from a container ship operates at the Port of Oakland. Automation is reducing the number of longshore workers jobs.

Dockworkers squeezed by automation, abandoned by politicians

The ink wasnt even dry on the West Coast longshore contract when the head of the employers group, the Pacific Maritime Association, proposed to the International Longshore and Warehouse Union a three-year extension, making it an eight-year contract. While the number of registered longshore jobs, 14,000, is the about same as in 1952, the volume of cargo passing through the 29 ports has increased 14 times to a record-breaking 350 million revenue tons a year.

Under the current contract, employers have eliminated hundreds of longshore jobs through automation on marine terminals such as the fully automated Long Beach Container Terminal and the semi-automated TraPac freight-forwarding facility in the Port of Los Angeles.

By the end of an extended contract in 2022, several thousand longshore jobs will be eliminated on an annual basis due to automation, warned Ed Ferris, president of ILWU Local 10 in San Francisco. With driverless trucks and crane operators in control towers running three cranes simultaneously, the chance of serious and deadly accidents are enormous.

Now maritime employers are pulling out all stops to push through this job-killing contract extension, using both Democratic and Republican politicians, high-powered PR firms and even some union officials.

On July 18, The Chronicle published an Open Forum by Democrats Mickey Kantor, former U.S. secretary of commerce who led the U.S. negotiations to create the World Trade Organization and the North American Free Trade Agreement, which cost millions of jobs, and Norman Mineta, also a former secretary of commerce.

The authors of this pro-employer piece talk of preserving labor peace and refer to West Coast port shutdowns over the last 15 years. Yes, there is a class war on the waterfront, but its being waged by the employers: Those port closures were caused by employer lockouts in 2002, 2013 and 2014 during longshore contract negotiations.

The 2002 lockout was ended after Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., called on President George W. Bush to invoke the antilabor Taft-Hartley Act not against the maritime employers lockout but against the longshore union. The only time the ILWU shut down Pacific Coast ports between 2002 and today was May Day, 2008, in protest of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan the first-ever labor strike in the United States to protest a war.

In their Chronicle commentary, the two Democrats cite figures for wages and pensions that reflect only the highest skill level after a lifetime of work in one of the most dangerous industries. And then they threaten that if the contract proposal is rejected, it could lead Republicans and Democrats alike to impose antistrike legislation on the waterfront.

The ILWU backed Bernie Sanders in the presidential primary and then Hillary Clinton in the election. Yet no matter who leads it, the Democratic Party represents Wall Street on the waterfront. Clearly whats needed is a workers party to fight for workers interests. And that includes fighting for nationalization without compensation of the transport industry while establishing workers control.

The so-called friends of labor Democrats have been enlisted by the Pacific Maritime Association because earlier this year at the Longshore Caucus, a union meeting representing West Coast dockworkers, the San Francisco delegates voted unanimously to oppose a contract extension. Saturday, they held a conference at their union hall on automation and the proposed contract extension. One proposal was to make automation benefit dockworkers by reducing the workweek to 30 hours while maintaining 40 hours pay, creating another work shift.

There are tens of millions of unemployed people in this country. The labor movement should launch a new campaign for a shorter workweek at no loss in pay as part of a struggle for full employment to benefit all, not President Trump and his Wall Street cronies. In resisting this contract extension, ILWU waterfront workers can stand up for all workers.

Jack Heyman, a retired Oakland longshoreman, chairs the Transport Workers Solidarity Committee. https://www.transportworkers.org/

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A new report examines the state of automated journalism in Europe and what’s holding it back – Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard

Posted: at 12:10 pm

Fear not, journalists: Roboreporters are not coming for your jobs, at least not yet.

Thats the takeaway from a new report from Alexander Fanta at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, who took a look at how 15 news agencies in Europe have implemented automation in their organizations. While the news agencies have been drawn to the the efficiencies of the technology, organizations still have a lot of work to do with realizing that promise. Fantasconclusion: So far, automation is limited in its scope and complexity, as he writes in the report.

Here are a few of his standout findings:

Automations role is growing, but still limited. Big news agencies like AP, Reuters, and AFP are producing thousands of algorithm-aided stories month, particularly in finance and sports. But adoption is still uneven. Organizations such as Spains Efe and Ansa in Italy are still reluctant to make the necessary investments in the tech, citing the uncertain payoff in investment in the tech.

Data availability is still a challenge. When it comes to automation, news agencies have been drawn to sports and finance because there is readily available, structured data in those fields. Thats less the case in many other sectors, which limits news agencies ability to produced automated stories and many areas. Many agencies are also reluctant to build their own data repositories, which introduces new costs and complexity and requires expertise that they lack.

News agencies say they arent turning to automation to cut jobs. This, of course, is one of the big concerns among reporters about the industrys interest in automation. But none of the news agencies Fanta spoke to said that automation is helping to cut costs. On the contrary, automation has introduced new costs to news agencies, such as expenses related to developing the automation technology (or licensing it from outside companies) and maintaining the data sets that the automation tools rely on.

People think automation is cheap, but automation is in fact not that cheap. If you automate, it costs you money. You have to maintain it, you have to track it, you have to manage it. Its actually not [there] to save a lot of money, said Reuters innovation manager Reg Chua.

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A new report examines the state of automated journalism in Europe and what's holding it back - Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard

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50% of low-skilled jobs will be replaced by AI and automation, report claims – TechRepublic

Posted: at 12:10 pm

While artificial intelligence (AI) and automation are poised to shake up the workforce by becoming skilled at performing human tasks, it has not been clear exactly how manyand whichhuman workers will be affected by the changes. And although AI is expected to master a variety of human tasks351 scientists just offered a timeline for when human tasks will be completed by machinesthe vast majority of US workers still do not fear that their entire job will be replaced by robots, according to the 2017 Randstad Employer Brand Research.

A new report, however, sheds light on which human workers will be most impacted by advances in automation and AI, by geographic region. Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, recently released a report from its Center for Business and Economic Research making a bold prediction: Half of low-skilled US jobs are at risk of being replaced by automation.

The report examined how AI and automation will impact the workforce in America by mapping out two variables: Risk of automation, and offshore job losses. It found a "very strong regional concentration of potential automation and trade job losses facing American communities."

According to the report, job losses will not be spread evenly across income lower-wage, low-skilled workers are most at risk of losing work due to automation. In both caseslosses due to offshoring as well as losses due to AI and automationrural communities are more at risk, with the report stating that "urban places tend to offer more resilience due to existing forces of agglomeration."

It's clear that AI and automation will force both employers and employees to change the way we think about work. TechRepublic's Alison DeNisco has also reported on the effects of automation, from a geographical standpoint, looking at how US cities will be most impacted. "Low-wage cities such as Las Vegas, Orlando, and El Paso will be hit the hardest by job automation, according to a recent report from the Institute for Spatial Economic Analysis (ISEA)," DeNisco wrote. She went on to add that job losses are likely to be more drastic than previously predicted, and that the jobs that may take the greatest hitsdue to advances in machine learningare in truck driving, healthcare diagnostics, and education.

Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto

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Today’s illegal immigration issue is a modern-day version of the Atlantic slave trade – Paris Post Intelligencer

Posted: at 12:09 pm

If asked what freedom is, most people would say freedom is doing what you want, when you want to do it. Consulting a dictionary on this subject, we find freedom expressed as self determination for an individual, and self governing for a community.

Among other words used to define freedom are liberty, immunity, privilege, along with exemptions from things like taxes, slavery, bondage, despotism, tyranny and the like. There is something shrouded between these words something that is very important for us to understand if we are concerned with keeping our rights and freedoms.

The founders shared this concern. They wrote it into the Declaration of Independence when they said, We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

We were created by the Almighty God. He gave us our rights. Our rights come from God, not from government! Governments are instituted among men to secure our God-given rights.

Governments must protect the people, and be guided by the principles of justice, given to us in the pages of the Bible by the same one who gave us life.

Any government exceeding this becomes the tyrant the enemy of the people and must be altered or abolished. The founders understood this as absolute truth.

The reason for government is obvious to most. If individuals, in our sinful state, were to act out on our own desires, without any restraint of law, we would be much worse off than a culture war. It would be complete anarchy. And Americas founders understood this; rejecting democracy, as it would be too similar to mob rule; and preferring a republic a government based on laws and not run on the whims of men.

There are many things written and available on the subject of the discussions of our founders as they endeavored to establish this republic. I urge you to study our history. Hopefully, you can see that the founders understood that self-determination had to be held in check by respect for others and laws to that effect. And the same would also be true of the pursuit of happiness.

Even though most people would give self-determination as the first (and most prominent) definition of freedom or liberty, the founders were more concerned with the other aspects: Self-governing, no taxation without representation, and tyranny for example. These are the reasons they stated for entering into the Revolutionary War.

Lets engage in a practical example to effect their Safety and Happiness. For your community, you would say that you have a safe and happy community if there were no muggers or bandits in it; that you are safe from harm from muggers while you walk along your streets; and your home is safe from harm from bandits while you are out.

Sounds simple enough, except the muggers and bandits are also exercising their self-determination; their freedom to act out on their own desires; their desire to take what they want just because they want it. They act upon their own whims without respect for others. This brings us back into conflicting ideas of who should be free to act upon his whim.

When we remember that our rights come from God, then we should also remember that He gave us His moral laws to govern our actions because He knows that fallen man cannot find peace, safety, or happiness outside of His moral law. But in our fallen state we dont like to hear that. We want to think that what we want, what we think, what we feel, is the relevant measure of what is right. And that is what the mugger thinks, wants, and feels.

In this is nothing but anarchy, where might makes right. Meaning, that whoever has the most power to force his will upon others, becomes the dictator, tyrant, or gang lord. This is why our founders did not want to be governed by the whims of a king, nor the mob rule of a democracy. They established a constitutional republic and hoped that the people would live in the moral law of the God of the Bible.

A few of many examples of this belief include:

The general principles on which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I then believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God. (John Adams letter to Thomas Jefferson, June 28, 1813).

I am persuaded that no civil government of a republican form can exist and be durable in which the principles of Christianity have not a controlling influence. (Noah Webster letter to James Madison, October 16, 1829).

[T]he religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His apostles This is genuine Christianity and to this we owe our free constitutions of government. (Noah Websters 1832 History of the United States).

The Declaration of Independence laid the cornerstone of human government upon the first precepts of Christianity. (John Quincy Adams, July 4, 1837 speech).

If we wont live by the moral principles that God teaches us, then we are subject to whims of sinful humans, whether of self or of tyrants. For only God can define what is right, what is moral. Any other definition is subjective, based upon the whims of fallible humans. And ultimately this leads to slavery the loss of freedom.

It is an irony and shows the fallibility of our human founders that while they were fighting for their own freedom from British tyranny, they allowed the slavery of other humans here.

Since slavery is the ultimate loss of freedom, lets consider slavery in opposition to freedom. The slave cannot go where he wants; cannot do what he wants. He cant decide for himself how to live, nor pursue his own dreams. The slave is always subject to the whims of his master. The work of his hands is not his own, it belongs to his master. In short, the slave works and the master eats the fruits of his labors.

So, the opposite, we should understand, is freedom. The work of my hands is mine; and I eat the fruits of my labors; I enjoy the product of my efforts; and no other has claim upon what is mine. This is the shrouded part of freedom that we dont usually consider, but it really is the most important part.

The Mayflower Compact established a communist government for their colony. The colony as a whole owned the land. And the fruit of their labors the crop harvest was also the property of the colony as a whole and was to be shared equally. So, no one had claim to the fruits of his own labor; the colony owned it. Everyone was a slave to the colony and no one was free.

This system failed! The colony nearly starved to death that first winter because those who were able to do more work did not see any reason to work harder than the man doing the least work. As both would share equally in the eating, why not put in the same effort in the working?

The colony leaders saw that the system of communism was the problem and ended it. The second year each man had his own plot of land, it was his to do with as he pleased. And the produce of his labor was his own to eat, trade, or give as he saw fit. This is where they gained the abundance that we now remember as the first Thanksgiving.

Freedom gave them the prosperity for which they had hoped as each man could see that the more he worked, the more he would have for himself. This simple system of encouragement pushed each to endeavor to excel, to do more, to accomplish more, to gain more. And the colony prospered because of freedom with each man owning the fruits of his own labors!

So, why do tyrants, kings, communist, and dictators want to enslave others? Simple. They want freedom for themselves while living off of the fruits of the labor of others. The only difference between these and the bandit is that as a king, they make their whims the law of the land while the bandit has no masquerade of law supporting his whims.

One missing component, before we can bring this to our present circumstances. Lets look at the plantation slave. Even though he had no money, he was paid for his labor. Granted, his condition of life was far from equitable. Still, he had to have food, clothing, and shelter to keep living and working.

The condition of living requires the basics for life to continue. Hence, some of the product of the slaves labor was given to him. The pay he received was far from what his labor was worth. Between free men, we consider a fair days pay for a fair days labor while the slave master wants to keep the bulk of that fair days pay for himself.

Now lets put this into our time. Instead of plantations, substitute corporations. Not slaves under chains and whips, but exploited, underpaid workers living in very difficult conditions.

During the Atlantic slave trade, the rich people were the ones supporting the slave trade. Subsistence farmers and most family farms did not have slaves they simply could not afford them. Most people did not have house slaves the rich folks wanted and could afford it. Most people could not, did not and did not want to enslave others.

Now the rich corporation owners and million-dollar estate owners are often the ones who want an open southern border and lax immigration laws. They are the ones hiring the illegals and importing lower-wage legal immigrants (e.g., H-1B and H-2B visas) to work in their factories, businesses and homes in conditions no one else would or at lower pay rates than anyone else can. So, they can gain the labors of others without paying a fair wage.

How many times have you heard of construction companies and lawn maintenance companies hiring illegals? And doing those jobs for less money than anyone else? Or how about companies like Disney laying off American computer programmers and engineers after forcing them to train their foreign replacements?

Not all of the illegals are coming here for welfare. Many are still coming for jobs. And since they cannot complain, nor ask for aid from the police for fear of extradition, they are paid far less than what is fair so some rich guy can live off of other peoples labors. How is this different than the slave trade that was ended more than a century ago?

Lets end the modern-day slave trade by putting up a border wall!

PAUL FROWNFELTER of Henry County is a member of the local Volunteers for Freedom Tea Party. His email address is paul4of6@aol.com.

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Today's illegal immigration issue is a modern-day version of the Atlantic slave trade - Paris Post Intelligencer

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CS stresses on timely submission of UCs – Rising Kashmir – Rising Kashmir

Posted: at 12:09 pm

Committee of Secretaries meeting held

Chief Secretary, B B Vyas Thursday underlined the importance of submitting utilization certificates (UCs) on time to pave way for speedy and effective implementation of various Centrally Sponsored Schemes. Chairing the meeting of the Committee of Secretaries (CoS), here, Chief Secretary urged Administrative Secretaries to ensure that project-wise UCs are submitted and bottlenecks if any in the utilisation of funds removed immediately. Chief Secretary observed that the Finance and Planning Departments released 50% funds of the revenue and Capex budget in the month of February, 2017, authorizing expenditure to be made from 1st April, 2017, to enable the departments to take advantage of the early release and ensure early tendering and execution of work on ground. While reviewing the status of expenditure on the developmental front, Chief Secretary asked the Administrative Secretaries to submit expenditure statement as on 30th June, 2017, within a week. Observing that Pradeep Singh has recently joined as Advisor, Infrastructure Development to the Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Secretary urged the Administrative Secretaries to make best use of his experience and knowledge by seeking his advice/guidance on Infrastructure Development and flagship projects/schemes. Chief Secretary also reviewed the status of various works, as part of the Chief Ministers commitments and asked the Administrative Secretaries to ensure that directions given by the Chief Minister during her tours are followed and action taken report submitted to the Planning Development & Monitoring Department on an urgent basis. Chief Secretary also shared with the Administrative Secretaries issues raised in the meeting chaired by the Prime Minister at New Delhi on July 10, 2017, as part of the National Conference of Chief Secretaries on the theme of "States as Drivers for Transforming India including those related to studying Punjab Model for Ease of doing Business, Chandigarh Model for DBT linked Ration Card Holder and Goa/Delhi Model for Solid Waste Management, so that same could be replicated in the state among the best practices, replacement of existing street lights by LED, promoting Solar Power, ensuring regular up-dation of District Gazetteers by DCs and use of GeM Potal for procurement Government products and Services. For enhanced transparency, in procurement, Chief Secretary urged the Administrative Secretaries to study the document of the Central Government regarding a one stop Government eMarketplace (GeM), for online procurement of common use Goods & Services required by various Government Departments/Organizations/ PSUs. Chief Secretary also reviewed the status of disposal of public grievances, settlement of SRO 43-cases, cases relating to adhoc/consolidated/ contractual employees, abolition of interviews for junior level posts, abolition of affidavits, disposal of pending departmental enquires, Aadhaar Based Bio-Metric & Skill Profiling of Casual and other Workers, up-dation of departmental websites, web based file tracking system and pending court cases.

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Soul of a Nation: The Exhibition You Need To See This Month – Elle UK Magazine

Posted: at 12:09 pm

'I've never worked on a show I've been this emotionally invested in' says 37-year-old Tate curator Zoe Whitely.

Originally from Washington, Whitely came to London for her MA before landing a curator job at the V&A. One of her first projects, Uncomfortable Truths, was an exhibition commemorating the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade, and the first time contemporary African American art was shown at the V&A.

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Now continuing her pioneering work at the Tate, one of this year's most important retrospectives, Soul of a Nation features over 150 works, most of which have never been shown in the UK before. The exhibition asks, 'What did it mean to be a Black artist in the USA during the Civil Rights movement and the birth of black power?'

From the emergence of black feminism, to the way street activism manifested itself in posters and newspapers, to images of iconic figures such as Angela Davis and Muhammad Ali, gives an in-depth look at Black America during 1963-1968.

Here Zoe tells the story behind some of the exhibition's seminal pieces.

Wadsworth Jarrell, Revolutionary, 1972

'Jarrell was part of Africoba; a group of artists from Chicago who were thinking about how art could serve the black struggle and uplift the community. Incorporating text into the work was an important element, this poster portrait of activist Angela Davis is made out of words like 'beauty' and 'struggle', it's so uplifting, but also politically forward.'

Elizabeth Catlett, Black Unity, 1968

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'It's interesting how an image can be read in two different ways. On one side of the sculpture is the black fist of resistance; some would view that and see solidarity, other people would see aggression or something to be afraid of. On the other side of the sculpture you have these faces nestled into it, so there's this defiance but equally this tenderness.'

Barkley L. Hendricks, Icon for My Man Superman (Superman Never Saved Any Black People - Bobby Seale), 1969

'The bracketed part of the title is a quote from [Black Panther co-founder] Bobby Seale's trial for conspiracy to incite violence. Because of his outburst in the courtroom, the judge had him bound and gagged, so these shocking images circulated of someone in an American Court of Justice tied to their seat, unable to speak. It's interesting how a statement like that is overlaid with a far more playful approach here. It's a self-portrait, and with that he's painting himself into art history, he becomes the superhero, he's not waiting for anybody else.'

Emma Amos, Eva the Babysitter, 1973

'Amos was part of Spiral Group, a collective of artists that started meeting in 1963 after the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. She was the only woman in the group, and with that emphasis on gender, an image like Eva the Babysitter becomes so poignant. Her daughter is in the picture, and she's made the subject of this work the person who make it possible for her to paint, because childcare is an important issue. We try to address the facets around black feminism, and this painting is a very lovely and uplifting example.'

Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power is at the Tate Modern until October 22

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Soul of a Nation: The Exhibition You Need To See This Month - Elle UK Magazine

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Here’s What This ‘Queer Cripple’ Wants You To Know About His Sex Life – HuffPost

Posted: at 12:08 pm

Sex Heroes is an ongoing HuffPost Q&A series byVoices Editorial Director Noah Michelsonthat explores the lives and experiences of individuals who are challenging, and thereby changing, mainstream cultures understanding of sex and sexuality.

Andrew Gurza has dedicated his life to sharing his unique experiences as a queer cripple.

The 33-year-old disability awareness consultant, who has cerebral palsy, is the creator of DisabilityAfterDark, a brand that includes podcasts, blogs and presentations about sex, sexuality and disability. According to his website, DisabilityAfterDark offers a unique glimpse into sex and disability that shines a light on the intersectionality of sex and disability, the fun found in sex and disability, and the vulnerability of sex and disability that we very rarely talk about.

Gurzas unflinching approach to these topics, which are often considered taboo (if theyre discussed at all),makes his work enormously compelling, thoroughly necessary and unlike anything anyone else is currently undertaking. The consultant, who is non-ambulatory and a wheelchair user,recently chatted with HuffPost about why he refers to himself as a queer cripple, the biggest challenges he faces when it comes to sex and what he wants everyone to know about having sex with someone with a disability.

Tell me why youve chosen the terms queer and cripple to describe yourself. Ive seen some people especially upset about your use of cripple. I have chosen the words queer and cripple as my chosen descriptors with very specific intent and purpose. First, I use queer in part because I never really felt like I fit into the gay community as it were. My body and experiences didnt fit that mold at all. I also didnt like how many stereotypical assumptions of MSM [male-seeking-male] sexuality was ascribed to the word gay. Queer encompasses, for me at least, that I dont need to adhere to any of those stereotypes that force so many gay men into these narrow homonormative boxes. Queer says, Fuck your boxes, I am doing this my way.

Cripple is a whole different monster entirely. Id be lying if I said that I didnt enjoy the shock value in that word, but it does go so much deeper than that. Cripple, when I use it, allows me to take ownership of everyones misconceptions of disability; it allows me to preemptively say, I know what you may think about disability. I know that youre scared of me; I know you think Im different from you, and guess what? I am. Im owning that as best as I can when I use that word. It is a term of personal empowerment for me. I wouldnt use it to describe another disabled person without their consent, but for me it helps me navigate the experience of disability with an honesty that I think is really important.

To the people who have been upset, I say this: Until you experience disability the way I do, you have no right to police my language.

The pieces you write and the discussions you have about your sex life are really unlike anything Ive read or heard before. What made you decide to be so open and honest about such personal matters? If I really think about it, I made the choice to be so open because I had never seen anything like that out there. Whenever we talk about sex and disability if we dare it is in this painfully sanitized way that tends to tell you nothing about the person with a disability, their sex or what they actually want it doesnt shed any light on how it really feels, and I wanted to take a stab at that. It has also been a cathartic experience for me, writing about this stuff. It allows me to get it out, to tell someone my true feelings.

Alejandro Santiago Photography

Is there anything you consider too personal to write about? When it comes to disability, queerness and intersectionality, I dont think so. This topic is still so shrouded in mystery which is actually just a fuckton of ableism that I think we need those raw, uncomfortable stories to shake things up. People always ask me, What is sex and disability like? That question is precisely why we need this intensely personal narrative.

What kind of responses have you gotten? I have gotten a breadth of responses from people ranging from praise and thanks to strongly worded letters and emails denouncing my work and what I write about. In either case, it means Ive hit a nerve. The fact that I got people talking about it and thinking about it even if they dislike what I am saying means that my goal of bringing a real-life discussion of sex, sexuality, queerness and disability to the forefront of our communitys conscience has worked. Im OK with that.

Why is sex such an important subject for you? Its important because with respect to disability and sex, especially as it intersects with queerness, the subject is all but nonexistent. That sucks. What if LGBTQ+ people had nothing to read that represented them? Thats how so many queer disabled people feel. They want to read about their experiences too, and I want to be one person to provide them that chance. It may also be important to me because I like sex. So, theres that.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face regarding sex? Some of my biggest challenges are: 1) Getting to have sex at all. Finding someone who wants to get naked with the Queer Cripple has been surprisingly difficult. I talk, write, podcast and present a lot on the subject of sex, disability and queerness, but I dont actually get to have that much. Any takers? 2) One of the other biggest challenges I have with sex is finding an emotional connection on the rare occasions that I do have sex. I want sex that means something, and I sometimes feel upset that in my quest to be your No. 1 Queer Cripple, Ill engage in sex that is devoid of feeling because I think to myself, No one else has been here in months, I had better take what I can get. 3) Its challenging to feel sexy, queer and disabled when you constantly have to prove to other people you are sexually viable and worth a good fuck.

You also write about the emotional and psychological side of sex and sexuality as a queer disabled man. My writing on the psychological side of sex, disability and queerness helps me to answer the question How does sex and disability feel? Tapping into the psychological stuff also helps to flesh out the worldview of disabled sex in a way that we dont ever see. I also think when non-disabled people read that stuff, it helps them see sex and disability as more than just two people in chairs getting it on. It shows them that these experiences mean something. And, writing this stuff undoubtedly helps me work through my own shit. Definitely.

Alejandro Santiago Photography

What are the biggest misconceptions about sex when it comes to being a queer person with a disability? The biggest misconceptions are: 1. I cant have it wrong. 2. I dont want it Ha! I would say I have a higher sex drive than most. 3. Specifically in terms of queerness, a lot of LGBTQ+ men assume I must be passive, or a boring lay. They have a lot to learn. There are so many more, but those are some highlights.

What do you want someone who doesnt have a disability to know about having sex with a person who does have a disability? I want them to know that it is OK to not have all the answers. Its OK to have questions, and its OK to ask. Its all about how you ask, though. If you wanna get to know me and/or get naked, please dont start with: So, does your dick work? Ugh. Also, dont ask me, How did you end up in a chair? as that assumes that I was once able, and therefore closer to your definition of normal. But, you can ask: Hi. I see you have a disability or You disclosed [you have a disability] for individuals with invisible disabilities I think youre really cute, and I had some questions about your disability. May I ask them as I undress you at your place? That response is totally acceptable. In all seriousness, I want non-disabled people to know that my disability informs a lot of who I am, so please acknowledge it before we have sex. Ive had guys tell me before we met up that my disability was not an issue only to discover that it really was too much for them. That blows and not in the good way.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Is there a sex hero you think deserves to be covered on HuffPost?Send an email to Noah Michelson.

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Jack Ma and the Wisdom of Ali Baba – Daily Nation

Posted: at 12:08 pm

Friday July 21 2017

Alibaba Group Holding founder and executive chairman Jack Ma talks to young entrepreneurs and students on the University of Nairobi's main campus on July 20, 2017. PHOTO | THOMAS MUKOYA | REUTERS

Throughout his many public lectures that are available online, Jack Ma has emphasised a philosophy of personal change and humility, empowerment of women in public lives, and investing more in youth.

These are also things that we in Kenya have sung about for long, but which remain largely as mere talking points. This is commonly known.

Jack Ma, the Executive Chairman of Alibaba, an e-commerce empire, came to Kenya when all else had stopped because of elections.

One only hopes that his coming will compel us to re-examine our ways as we pursue individual and national development.

To many, he embodies the idea of success.

Throughout his many public lectures that are available online, Jack Ma has emphasised a philosophy of personal change and humility, empowerment of women in public lives, and investing more in youth.

These are also things that we in Kenya have sung about for long, but which remain largely as mere talking points. This is commonly known.

What may be unknown to many, perhaps, is that a hint about how Ma himself came to embrace these values is in the name of his flagship business empire Ali Baba.

The name of Jack Mas empire is also the title of one of the most popular short stories of all time, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, widely circulated in The Arabian Nights.

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves is an allegory of (mis)fortune, showing the possibility of an individual rising from grinding poverty to immeasurable fortune, if they are lucky to be at the right place at the right time.

The fact that the story begins with the poor Ali Baba with his rich brother Cassim shows that material wealth and poverty are flipsides of each other.

The story also shows that our pursuit for material prosperity need not be at the expense of our humanity; that indeed we should be more humane as we scale the ladder of prosperity.

In the story, this lesson is seen in way women, represented by Morgiana, subvert the gender stereotypes as they collaboratively work with men to achieve higher ideals.

Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, which Jack Mas company nods at, in this way emphasises lessons of social justice, unity, patience, and wisdom.

The story not only influenced Jack Ma the entrepreneur, but also Nuruddin Farah the Somali novelist.

Farah novel, Close Sesame, borrows the title from the phrase open sesame, and the theme from struggles of Ali Baba against the ruthless forty thieves.

In Farahs novel, the old protagonist, quite like Ali Baba, has to struggle against a shadowy and cold enemy in a moral climate where public and private justice have hazy dividing lines.

Hence, the troubling question at the end of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves relates to the way the thieves are condemned while Ali Baba is admired for doing the very same thing.

Maybe a key redemption is that in the story, there are no heroes or villains among the key characters, unless we look at Morgiana, the former slave girl, as the hero.

The Writer teaches at the University of Nairobi.

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Joel Kiprono argues constitution says country should go to the polls every fifth year.

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Plush Unlimited Creative Studio & Co. – The Southern

Posted: at 12:08 pm

Plush Unlimited Creative Studio & Co. has proudly served the Carbondale community since 2012 by offering a multitude of services, ranging from beauty makeovers to event planning services. Locally owned and operated by Tiffany Walker, who is an award-winning acrylic painter, as well as an award-winning author and makeup artist, Plush Unlimited started as a mobile service. The business would come out to clients for private parties and special events.

As the business has grown, it has readily evolved and steadily developed into an eclectic company that provides a diverse array of services for children and adults.

For more information, you can contact us at (618) 457-8565. You also can like us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/PlushUNLTD/ or check us out on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/plushunltd/. You can even email us at: plushunltd@gmail.com.

To truly understand the multi-faceted dynamics of Plush Unlimited Creative Studio & Co., you first must understand its tremendously talented owner.

In addition to winning a national award from the United Negro College Fund in 2005 for acrylic painting, Tiffany Walker also won a prestigious poetry award from the National Book Foundation in 2005. In a national competition, Walker finished first for her slam poetry. This is a form of competitive, spoken-word poetry.

Walker also has published three books, including an anthology, a memoir and a book of poems. Her latest book is titled, Sprinting Towards Nowhere Fast.

In addition to being a former member of the Stage Company, which is a performing arts group in Carbondale, Walker is also one of the artists featured in the Locality exhibit at the Carbondale Community Arts. This is an exhibit that will run from July 5 to September 1 at Artspace 304.

With 15 years of skin care and makeup experience, Walker opened Plush Unlimited at its current location 205 South Marion Street in Carbondale in June 2017.

Were building a community centered around art culture, Walker said. We welcome all people. You dont have to be a professional to come into Plush Unlimited, but were also a place where a professional can come and network. To accomplish this goal, Plush Unlimited hosts its own events. The business is open Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. However, appointments and bookings are available 24 hours per day, seven days a week. For special events, there is unlimited time available.

To brighten and lighten the Carbondale community, Walker does face painting at kids fairs, local festivals and childrens runs.

Were about building bridges within the community and connecting people, Walker said. We want to be the art hub for the local community and provide luxury services for everyday people.

Walker, a former plus-size pageant queen, takes pride in making luxury services accessible and available for all people. This is why she works on different fashion shows and works with clients in several separate communities.

The business name, Plush Unlimited, represents unlimited empowerment. Therefore, Walker doesnt just offer her services in nearby cities, such as Carbondale, Marion, Murphysboro, Herrin, Carterville and Du Quoin. She also takes her business and her message of empowerment to towns like St. Louis, Atlanta and Las Vegas.

At her location on 205 South Marion Street, Walker offers a friendly environment and comfortable atmosphere that caters to children and adults. Adults and professionals can rent event space for birthday parties, graduations, family gatherings, book signings and bridal events. In addition to having a beauty and makeup bar, there is decorating, face painting for kids and temporary tattoos for adults.

Always focusing on her customers best interests, Plush Unlimited is totally driven by the needs of its clients. Professional and quality makeup brands that are organic are available. All the products utilized are cruelty-free and hypoallergenic.

The open art studio at her inviting site has six stations available, while the makeup and beauty bar has space that enables as many as three people at a time to be taken care of and get personalized attention.

Plush Unlimited accepts all forms of payment, including all major credit cards, cash, personal checks and PayPal.

To provide patrons with the best customer service, Plush Unlimited offers a customer loyalty program with rewards, complimentary promotions and birthday gifts and individual consultations. Custom gift baskets are an option and unique gifts are available. Gift cards are even available in the studio!

Call us today at (618) 457-8565!

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