text:
- Efiong Etuk
- Blacksburg, VA
- United States
Founding Director, Global Creativity Network
This conversation is closed.
The threats to civilization are too daunting for humanity to continue to hold onto obsolete self-perceptions that no longer serve us well
Contrary to the conventional wisdom, the dreadful situation the world is facing is not because the modern crises are impossible to solve; but because we have not yet developed, or found, appropriate conceptual framework for understanding and for tackling them. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, also, the modern crises are not "economic crisis," "social crisis," "political crisis," or "environmental crisis," per se. They are not separate crises, either. As such, they are not likely going to be resolved within the framework of the prevailing understandings.
A body of data no one thought and no one knew existed identifies the modern crises as, fundamentally, a "creativity crisis." This is the inability of the vast majority of people to develop and to engage their natural abilities in significant and beneficial social and ecological actions and, resultantly, the global and spreading epidemic of meaninglessness of which most psychological, social, economic, political, and environmental crises are the symptoms or facets. Close examination of the data also challenge widely accepted beliefs that humans are inherently self-interested, competitive, adversarial, materialistic, and consumption-driven. Analysis of the data further suggests that many of the difficulties the world has been experiencing might be rooted in inadequate and misleading concepts we have created about ourselves and the institutional framework and operational relationships that have been erected on those concepts.
To the extent that this conclusion is valid, the best hope of resolving the modern crises is, first, to correct the misleading views we hold about ourselves and, second, to conform our economic, social, and political decisions and actions to our authentic nature as humans.
Oct 14 2013: Yes, Pat, technology is key. But as E. F.Schumacher, I believe, rightly observed, "technology with a human face."
Lest we head into a catastrophe analogous to "There Will Come Soft Rains" http://www.bartleby.com/271/4.html.
Best regards,
Efiong Etuk
Oct 14 2013: Technology is the ONLY thing that has raised the standard of living of mankind no anthropomorphism necessary.
Oct 14 2013: Hi, Pat:
If, as I believe, technology is the product of a society's fundamental belief system -- its "first principles," its underlying values, and its epistemology (or system of knowledge) -- then the "higher standard of living" that mankind has achieved is ultimately due to the society's underlying culture that give rise to technology.
To the extent that this observation is valid, consideration attention needs to be given to shaping human culture in ways that not only accelerate technology, but also guide it to sustainable ends.
Best regards,
Efiong Etuk
Oct 15 2013: When you strip it down to the core the one intention of all life is to survive. Technology is an extension of this. When this is achieved through cooperative exchange it enhances all, called our current standard of living. Where this natural dynamic gets perverted is when an organization uses force to follow a different agenda at the expense of allOct 23 2013: I'm curious Efiong Etuk,
Where does technology with a human face manifest? Can you point to some good examples?
Oct 24 2013: "Technology with a human face," a socio-economic metaphor popularized by E. F. Schumacher, refers to the tools or machines of production "which instead of making human hands and brains redundant help them to become far more productive than they have ever been." Schumacher further describes this type of technology, and I agree with him, as "the technology of production by the masses, making use of the best of modern knowledge and experience, … is compatible with the laws of ecology, gentle on its use of scarce resources, and designed to serve the human person instead of making him the servant of machines."
For the avoidance of doubt, "technology with a human face" does not imply (human) face-bearing machines or tools. Nor does it imply physical or biological resemblances between machines and humans.
Oct 24 2013: Yes, Efiong, I do understand the meaning as I too am a long time student of Schumacher, Gandhi and Fuller and others. What I was asking is where does it manifest? Where in real communities does 'appropriate technology' manifest?
"Appropriate technology reminds us that before we choose our tools and techniques, we must first choose our dreams and our values, for some technologies serve them while others make them unobtainable" Tom Bender from Rain magazine.
So my question remains, besides perhaps Mondragran (sp) in Spain, where does one find either human scale or appropriate technology other than in struggling developing nations. Why hasn't it developed here? Any insights or specific examples?
CraigOct 14 2013: Greetings, Robert:
Thanks again for your comments. This is just to clarify a few points regarding the idea I proposed for this conversation:
First, nothing in my comments suggests "changing human nature" (which, I believe, is not yet possible for humans to achieve). What I am proposing is: a) rediscovery of our authentic nature; and b) conforming our policies, actions, and behaviors to that essence.
Second, many of the (tribal, ethnic, cultural, economic, social, psychological, religious, political, ideological) "labels" we have put on ourselves are no longer useful, and need to be rethought. As a matter of fact, many of our difficulties might be due to those labels.
Third, I also do not think we need to reprogram human nature, even if it were possible to do so. What we probably need to (and can) reprogram, I believe, is the way we think about ourselves, the labels that we have invented to express those thoughts, and the patterns and operational relationships that we have built on those labels.
Finally, an overwhelming body of of reported evidence (from families, classrooms, institutions, organizations, and medicine) suggests that the best "results" are achieved when and where people are able to be themselves – able to realize and able to contribute their natural abilities to the "tasks" or goals at hand. Besides, as I had indicated earlier in this conversation, it is easier, cheaper, more productive, and more profitable to provide the conditions in which people are able to reach their fullest potential, than to try to solve a plethora of problems – psychological, social, economic, and political – most of which are the symptoms of deprived, meaningless, and impoverishing existence.
And that takes me the central idea of this conversation: The threats to civilization are too daunting for humanity to continue to cling onto obsolete self-perceptions that no longer serve us well.
Oct 14 2013: I agree with your last three points, but the concept of "authentic nature" is new to me. So I went to the WIKI:
"Authenticity is a technical term used in psychology as well as existentialist philosophy and aesthetics. In existentialism, authenticity is the degree to which one is true to one's own personality, spirit, or character, despite external pressures; the conscious self is seen as coming to terms with being in a material world and with encountering external forces, pressures and influences which are very different from, and other than, itself." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authenticity_(philosophy))
My difficulty with this concept is that we notionally spend our childhood developing who we are and our adolescence discovering who we are. This maturation is done within a group. Since we have little basis for knowing what is authentic at the time we are learning, authenticity seems to be something that must be discovered through an awareness of new information and a self-realization that something previously believed as truth, is not true for us. This realization requires existence of new information, a personal openness to considering something new, an environment that permits these thoughts, sufficient intellect to make a personal judgement about whether the new belief should replace the old, and then enough strength in character and purity of thought to live the new and forget the old. That is a long list of required actions.
I have heard discussions about 'being true to yourself' that follow a similar line. Still, there is a necessary evolution of your 'self' to get to the point where introspective weeding of things non-authentic can occur.
In order to reduce the introspective weeding required, an awareness of non-authentic influences needs to be achieved early, perhaps as part of becoming an adult.
Attempts to remove non-authentic influences before you understand 'self' may retard personal growth and isolate someone from society.
Is that good?
Oct 14 2013: Greetings, Robert:
Your comments are some of the most exhilarating pieces I have read in a good long while. Short, sweet, and so apt.
"Introspective weeding": That one is going to stay with me for a good long while. Yes, we have a lot of that to do. Thank you sharing. I so happy you chose to take part in this conversation.
Reminds me of something I read many, many years ago, in my late teens. It goes like this (exact words and author forgotten, therefore paraphrased):
There lie buried in sub-conscious selves
Vast store-houses of rich golden treasure
A god himself dwells within.
If we could touch this hidden divinity
And bring it forth to expression
We could rise to a more abundant and triumphant living
Please pardon the poor recollection. All the same, I hope the message is not totally lost.
Again, Robert, I thank you for sharing your wisdom.
Best regards,
Efiong EtukOct 14 2013: I too appreciate your aiming to go a level deeper than is common.Oct 13 2013: I would love to see the data you reference in this post. Humans are very self-interested, competitive, adversarial, materialistic, and have become consumption driven due to the current environment.
These attributes are the result of some pretty basic human needs. You make it seem like our only problem is a false perception about who we are. You can take a look around the world and see that just isn't true.
The state we are in today is the result of many different social and economic issues. There is no simple explanation for the problems we face today. It would seriously take hours of writing to cover the complexities of our current crisis.
Oct 13 2013: It seems, we've come to the same conclusions, but you were faster.
Oct 14 2013: Greetings, Mike:
It's nice to hear from you. I apologize, if I appear to have preempted you. Actually not! A friend of mine calls it "cosmic convergence." This is the coming together of seemingly separate or separated ideas and events to produce a particular beneficial effect, outcome, or result. From Carl Jung's perspective ("collective unconscious"), I am merely trying to voice what most people deeply know, deeply feel, and probably want to say. To be frank, Mike, I'm grateful to you and the thousands of intellectual giants on whose shoulders I should like to stand.
Best Regards,
Efiong EtukOct 11 2013: Hi, Fritzie:
The data are a compendium of scattered insights on human nature, culled from the writings of deep thinkers, past and contemporary, and brought together for the new light they shed on what it means to be human. Full description is available at the sites I provided.
Thanks again.
Efiong etuk
Oct 12 2013: Oh, I see. Thanks for clarifying.Oct 11 2013: Thanks, Joshua, for your insights. I believe, as I think you do, that the logical and necessary starting point for global recovery is our individual and collective self-rediscovery. I would go further to suggest that unless and until we are able to recover our authentic (quintessentially creative) nature, and align our policies and actions with essence, no significant improvements are likely in the human and the global condition.
Regarding personal paradigm shift, this will make you laugh: As a young boy, I was a "good" high jumper, one of the best in the district. "Somewhere" in my sports development, I was made to believe that no one can jump higher than his or her height. And I believed, and never tried the "impossible." Eventually, I went to college. There, to my amazement, boys like me were jumping higher than their heights. Miracles, I thought. Gradually but hesitantly, I risked the "impossible"; and i made it. At 5':11" I was able to jump 6':3." That personal "breakthrough" changed my entire outlook on customs, conventions, and traditions; and it has stayed with me since. As the aphorism goes: "It may seem impossible to swim against the current; but you can do so if you do not know the source of the river."
Best regards,
Efiong EtukOct 11 2013: When you refer to a "body of data no one knew existed" and "analysis of the data further suggests," it is useful to the reader to provide a link to the data on which your conclusion is based. That will allow people to decide whether they believe you have reached your conclusions in a valid and sound way.Nov 11 2013: Greetings to:
Conor Desmond.
Craig Patterson.
Dave Gajadher.
Henry Woeltjen.
Joseph Scudder.
Krisztián Pintér.
Mahmoud Abdelnoun.
Mary M.
Mike Colera.
Mitch Smith.
Pat Gilbert.
W. Ying.
Robert Galway.
Thank you so very much, Lady and Gentlemen, for your insightful contributions to the conversation that is about-to-close. It's been deeply rewarding to me, personally. Reading over your amazing comments makes me wish all human issues were tackled this way – be they political, social, economic, ecological, or metaphysical. It all reminds me of (I believe) Winston Churchill's famous "To jaw jaw is better than to war war." I hope at least some of you have enjoyed the conversation as much as I have. It never fails, as the old adage goes: "Two heads are better than one."
And now, as my parting thought, I'd like to share these lines by the celebrated Greek Philosopher:
By mutual confidence
And mutual aid
Great things are done
And great discoveries made
Merry Christmas and Happy 2014 in advance.
Efiong EtukNov 7 2013: Where can a person find information on and about the Global Creativity Network? Why do you exists and for what purpose?
The concept sound great, i will like to know more.
Nov 8 2013: Greetings, Dave:
The newly redesigned and still developing Global Creativity Network website, http://wwwglobal-creativity-network.net, provides preliminary information about the network.
The purpose of the network (why we exist) is to "nurture a global creativity-consciousness."
Our goal is to inspire a global civilization in which all the earth's estimated seven billion inhabitants are able to recognize, to develop, and to contribute their unique abilities in important and beneficial actions and, thus, to experience their lives as having meaning and significance.
Incidentally, everyone is invited to spark or explore the necessary rethinking in the places where they live and work.)
Efiong Etuk.Nov 2 2013: In past civilizations there was a vast array of self perceptions which would be totally alien to ourselves.
eg Generations dedicated their lives to building pyramids.
There are plenty of examples of past ideologies with those who lived through them, with our hindsight, having been wildly irrational. I expect there always will be a shift, a flux to the way we see ourselves as we react to the changes and the challenges which we face as a species. Now we address consumerism and the knock on issues of environment and distribution. We change, we fix, and move on to the next challenge.
Going sci fi here, in 1000yrs time we are hurtling through the universe somehow guiding a conquested sun and utopian planet through galaxies in search of a communicating star. We have issues of keeping the regenerating population healthy in order to reach the goal which may be a few generations of time away!
Just a bit of fun there but you see we will be re-identifying ourselves in the future as we have done in the past.
At the moment the idea of having to change our ideology in the face of unfair distribution and environmental concerns is a valid debate. Its my view that responsibility must be encouraged by developing an online ethical reputation system, similar to TED electronic reputation scheme. Ethical reputations can be built by consuming environmentally efficiently while producers can build their scored ethical reputations by delivering on the objectives of the consumers. see my full essay on www.goviralbaby.com
Nov 2 2013: Greetings, Conor:
I apologize for the delay in responding to your comments. My email notification did not show your post until this afternoon.
Thank you so very much for sharing not only your wit and wisdom but, equally important, your humor. Your comments remind me of the old adage: "Many a true word is spoken in jest."
Sadly, I am not a big enough fan of sci-fi to comment meaningfully on that part of your post. So, please, pardon my ignorance, and permit me to skip to the next part.
The "ethical reputation system" that your wisdom has proposed strikes a vital chord; and you can count on my discipleship. The more I travel the world, the more urgent it seems to me. I also believe the crises and tumult we are currently experiencing are the "birth-pangs" of the delivery or realization of that system. How else could we explain the spontaneous emergence of so many social and ecological movements around the world – all, in one way or another, advocating or converging on basically the same ethical principles and goals as you have so well articulated!
Tit for tat: I return fun for fun regarding the "ethical reputation system" you have proposed. A world famous philosopher and psychologist once suggested that humans could achieve the really important goals of life (human happiness and fulfillment) constructively through self-denial. He suggested, for example, getting into contest to see who could do without more creature comforts, who could endure more hardship than the next man/woman, who could make the most personal sacrifice for the greater good.
Sounds utopian? Not exactly. Yesterday it may have been optional; today, it is becoming increasingly importnat; tomorrow, it could be an imperative!
Best regards,
Efiong EtukOct 30 2013: nice
Oct 30 2013: Greetings, Mahmoud:
On behalf of all the people who have contributed their precious insights to this conversation, I want to thank you for your compliments. It takes a mature and magnanimous "heart" to do what you've just done -- encourage!
Best regards,
Efiong EtukOct 24 2013: My apologies, Mary M: For some curious reason, your contribution does not appear in the conversation thread on my computer. I only see a small part of it in my email box.
Is there a way you could post your contribution again, so I can respond. Again, my sincere apologies.Maybe, it's time to start looking for a new computer!
Oct 24 2013: I apologize Mr. Etuk, I posted a contribution asking you a question before I read the contributions made by others. I then decided to delete my comment because I found the answer below (Well, not the answer, but clarification of some sort).
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I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Your conversation is a pleasant one.
I have learned quite a bit.
Thank you for the link to "There Will Come Soft Rains".
Do you think you will see a solution to the issue at hand during your life time?
Oct 24 2013: Thanks, Mary M, for clarifying the "mystery" post. It was really puzzling. I'm glad I didn't toss my computer into the trash can.
Now to your question: Will I see the solution to the issue in my lifetime? The honest answer is "I don't know." Nor is it really important that I do. Even so, I am encouraged that a beginning has been made since the 1970s -- thanks to the efforts of visionary thinkers like The Club of Rome, The Club of Budapest, Humanistic Psychologists, Deep Ecologists, The World Commission on Environment and Development, Simpler Living, and the scores of Holistic Health, Self-Help, Self-Development and Human Rights movements. I am even more encouraged by what appears to be an irreversible trend toward sustainability and human fulfillment – even if this is wishful thinking.Oct 24 2013: Thanks, Craig: I think we are very much on the same page, when it comes to the interface of (cultural) values and technology. In my opinion, if there is just one measure of the "omnipotence" of dreams (your term), customs, and values, it is the rate of adoption of technology.
A case in point is the growing popularity of small-scale ("appropriate") production technology in many Third World Countries and, of course, widespread "rejection" (failure) of large-scale production machines. Contrary to assertions by some management experts, the casualty of large-scale production technology in many Third Countries is not so much due to lack of managerial capacity or infrastructure. It is,primarily, because these methods of production tend to violate (or are perceived to violate) what is really important to their "target" beneficiaries -- their family ties, their (often) mythical attachment to the land, their sense of place and community, their customs and ethnic affiliations, their sense of sacredness or reverence for certain features of the natural environment, etc.
To answer your question specifically, with graduate under- and un-employment figures as high as 70 percent (estimated) in some Third World Countries, few people (policy makers, as well as the general population) are seriously talking about large-scale technology as the solution. So, in effect, economic and cultural necessity are vindicating Gandhi's theory of "production by the masses" and Schumachers "Technology with a human face." Specific examples are far too many to mention here; but it (human scale technology) is happening in very many Third World Countries. And, from all indications, it seems here to stay.
My advice to anyone who is considering marketing technology in Third World Countries: Consider family or village-level business, preferably local fabrication -- and you will soon be smiling your way to the bank.Oct 23 2013: The data are published and available in most e-bookstores by the title "Creativity: Revealing the Truth about Human Nature."Oct 23 2013: Could you identify this database that suggests the problem is a creativity crisis?
Oct 24 2013: Efiong has explained elsewhere in the thread that this is not a database in the usual sense of the word but rather his personal gleanings of ideas from reading the works of various thinkers over time.
From below: "The data are a compendium of scattered insights on human nature, culled from the writings of deep thinkers, past and contemporary, and brought together for the new light they shed on what it means to be human."
I don't think you will get more detail about how he tries to support his claim unless you are willing to buy his e-book, but I think his response that I quote above to the same question may give you the flavor of what he taps in the way of support for his claim.Oct 23 2013: The threats to civilization - is the result of a transition started over the last three decades to the current state of an extractive consumer based society. Those of us born during the baby boom years have created a generation of children whose wants and needs are fulfilled without accountability. We live vicariously through our kids, we do not hold them accountable, we over protect and provide to all their (market driven) needs and wants. This extractive culture we created, is burdened our health, social and justice systems. Government cannot meet the needs of the rapidly changing population segment growth (specifically Seniors and the lost generation under 30). We are the creators of our demise and we must take accountability for our environment. Stop blaming the government, large corporations and other industries for our environmental and health issues, we need to look at our actions and extractive behaviors, move to become an additive society. Transitioning from our extractive culture to one that is more additive is the beginning path to sustainable social development.
Oct 24 2013: Thanks, Dave, for your comments. I apologize that, for some reason, I had not seen your post till now.
Your observations are so insightful and worthy of deep contemplation. Yes, indeed, some of us, particularly in the "Third World" got carried away by our new-found capacity to exploit the nature for consumption and short-lived "satisfaction." We probably never thought the day of ecological reckoning and accountability (your term) would ever come -- let alone so soon. Happily, as The World Commission on Environment and Development has observed, it's not too late to repair the damage. My humble opinion is that the "repair" will need to begin with serious rethinking of who we really are as humans, and why we are here on earth.Oct 15 2013: Great thoughts, Pat. And, thank you so very much.
At the level you are coming from, there is little question that "technology" permeates practically every aspect of life. On this, we can agree.
I should, however, like to observe that there is more to life than mere survival. It appears to me that there is a "purpose" (or there are "purposes") to every life -- human and non-human -- even if currently available tools of inquiry are not able to determine. As Albert Einstein once observed, "God would not play dice with the universe."
Best regards,
Efiong Etuk
Oct 15 2013: It would be helpful if you used the reply button.
Regarding survival, all decisions one way or another are related to survival.
Oct 15 2013: Thanks, Pat. I agree with you to an extent -- to the extent that survival entails much more than mere biological existence.Oct 14 2013: Greetings, Juliet:
I apologize, an email notification informs me that you have made a contribution to the conversation; but it is not shown in the thread. As such, I can neither see nor respond to what you wrote. Could you, please, post it again. I'd love to hear from you. Thanks and regards.
Meanwhile, I am reporting the glitch to TED officials to see if they can fix it.
All the very best,
Efiong EtukOct 14 2013: The only chance mankind has is to further technology, anything that detracts from that diminishes man's chances and anything that enhances technology improves his chances.
Oct 14 2013: Efiong, if I understand the thrust of the argument here, suggests that we lose opportunities when a majority of people are not able "to develop and to engage their natural abilities in significant and beneficial social and ecological actions." Martin Selgman in his TED talk shares research that satisfaction with life is connected to having something meaningful to do. Lots of TED speakers say the same. These are common, reasonable observations.
Efiong makes another case that is also often made in TED Conversations that people can change their situations by what they believe about themselves. Someone who goes through life believing he is a loser even when he isn't will be miserable regardless of the truth of his contribution.
Your principle that furthering technology is important seems entirely compatible to me with the idea that people should be looking for opportunities to do meaningful things in their lives that align with who they are and their relative advantages.
I think we can all learn to be imaginative or entrepreneurial in finding good things to do. Do you agree? Sometimes our opportunities are in different areas than we may have planned, so we need to be flexible.
Oct 14 2013: Thanks, Ritzie.
So elegantly summarized. Yes, indeed, in order to be truly beneficial, technology (as practically every other human "enterprise") needs to serve human and Planetary ends of fulfillment and sustainability.Thanks again for your synthesis.
Best regards,
Efiong EtukOct 14 2013: i meet this argument so often, i need to look deeper into it. the pattern is: declare some very weird an unnatural thought as the majority view, and then present the majority view as either a minority view or downright novel. in this case, we have
"widely accepted beliefs that humans are inherently self-interested, competitive, adversarial, materialistic, and consumption-driven"
i can't recall a single person that would hold that belief. the common sentiment is that humans are group animals, only feel good in social setting, and although they engage in competition, they also cooperate. materialism is actually rare, and all sort of mysticism including religions, new age, transcendentalism down to astrology, creationism, ID or the most brain dead anti-scientific sentiments are very common. anti-consumerism won't make anyone seem stupid at any dinner table.
so what is it if not a straw man, and hating it is a tool of social cohesion? just as one would expect from the not so rational group animals humans are.
it is instinct. controlling instincts is key to our survival. we can not expect biological evolution to catch up with our unbelievably fast cultural evolution. our instincts are crafted for a very different setting. they hinder us. we have to control our instincts, so we can develop as humans. the actual solution is to embrace all those things listed, contrary to human nature.
we NEED to be self-interested (to some degree) and accept others being self-interested. we need to embrace competition, and do away with the stigma attached to it. we need to accept materialism to the degree proven by observation, even if it feels weird. and we need to say yes to the ever increasing consumption, simply because we can. it is not any more a sign of greed, in the time of fast growth.
adversarial would be an exception. that, we don't need.
Oct 14 2013: Thanks Krisztian for your thoughtful comments.
I guess it is perfectly alright to hold any views we like about ourselves. That is our prerogative as thinking, valuing, and choice-making beings.
Ultimately however, and in a finite Planet, the question is: To what extent are the beliefs we hold about ourselves ("self-interest," for example) enabling us to realize our potential as individuals, as societies, and as a species? A related question is: Are the beliefs we currently hold about ourselves enabling us to build a civilization that will endure well into the infinite future?
If the answers to those and related questions are positive, then all's good and well. If the answers are negative, then, I believe, it's time to do some rethinking.
In conclusion, we cannot assume that any belief or metaphysical system, however hallowed, is sacrosanct. From time to time, they all need rethinking, reevaluation, and refinement
Best regards,
Efiong Etuk
Oct 14 2013: I understand you both to be saying that it is worthwhile to reconsider even our most hallowed beliefs and assumptions. This is not, I think, the position on which you differ.
Oct 14 2013: Thanks a million, Fritzie, for your observation.
I personally do not see TED conversations as a vehicle to air differences, or to dig deeper into entrenched positions; but, rather, as opportunity to brainstorm solutions to pressing global problems. In the end, hopefully, everyone leaves the conversation better informed -- at least appreciating the multiplicity of perspectives on any given global issue
Best regards,
Efiong EtukOct 14 2013: I agree that the most interesting potential of the site is for people to consider issues and ideas from a different perspective than their usual. Sometimes this occurs when people help unveil assumptions people did not realize they were making.
Oct 14 2013: Absolutely, Fritzie. As in the old aphorism:
Each to each a mirror is,
Reflecting the side of self one could not have seen.
That, I believe, is the purpose of any informed conversation or dialogue, including TED's.
Best regards,
Efiong EtukOct 14 2013: I think people often identify the position they do not hold as the majority view, not because they have collected evidence rigorously of what the majority believes but simply as a rhetorical device.
Oct 14 2013: or maybe surrounded by an imaginary enemy is sweet. it holds the flock together, but poses no actual danger.
Oct 24 2013: But the flock is not together........
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Can you give an example of an imaginary enemy?Oct 14 2013: Greetings, Henry:
Thanks for your comments. I really appreciate them.
It seems Ted Ideas Worth Spreading does not allow people to provide URL to their works. There was an earlier request which, unknowingly, I obliged; and those comments was promptly deleted. I hope I am not breaching TED's TOR by indicating that the data are currently available for most ebook reading platforms, in a publication entitled "Creativity: Revealing the Truth about Human Nature.
I totally agree with you that "humans are very self-interested, competitive, adversarial, materialistic, and have become consumption driven due to the current environment." This seems connotes that people are not naturally self-interested; but have become so "due to the current environment." That is exactly why I am suggesting that we rethink that environment to accord withhuman nature.
I also agree that the human problem is many-faceted; but most of them seem to be rooted in false perceptions about who we are. This is a universal and age-old problem – probably as old as culture and civilization.
Sure, there is no simple explanation for the problems we are facing today; but some solution strategies seem more critical, more pivotal and, potentially, more useful or more fruitful than others. And in the interest of economy and effectiveness, those are the one's to which humanity might wish to pay particular attention.
Best regards,
Efiong EtukOct 13 2013: Hi Mr. Etuk,
I see these conclusion as valid. I am not sure that these "views" are misleading... these are the authentic nature of humans. We are basically a highly developed animal capable the most egregious animalistic actions. The polite social, economic, political orders established are the artificial states that must be taught and accepted. A good number of mankind does not accept these social orders and rather revert to the instinctive states of survival.
Oct 14 2013: Thanks, again Mike:
There is no question: A society without order (social, economic, political, tribal, cultural) would be sheer chaos. As you so rightly observe, these things must be taught and accepted by all, from cradle to grave. The point, however, is that these orders need to liberate and enhance, rather than limit, what is best in man -- their creativity and personal or collective sense of worth.
As you travel the world and examine the human condition, you can't help but lament the colossal waste of human potential (I refer, in particular to the so-called "forgotten four-fifths) all because of "orders" that are not recognizing, developing, or productively engaging the affected people's potential, and that, therefore, are not serving them well.
The two issues of this conversation -- "rethinking" and alignment" -- are ways to make "orders" (policies, decisions, actions and behaviors) promote, nourish, and enhance human potential.
Best regards,
Efiong EtukOct 13 2013: Thank you, Ying. I think it would be useful for humanity to re-examine what "happiness" is; and the experiences that make us truly and deeply "happy." That way, we would learn to cling to the things that really matter, now and for the long haul.
Best regards,
Efiong EtukOct 13 2013: Greetings, Robert:
I apologize that I could respond to your thoughtful and enlightening comments earlier. I've been on the road most of today.
The data (just published) upon which my conclusions are based is a compendium of sobering and illuminating insights on what it means to be human (beyond mere biological existence) – what gives our lives meaning (beyond physical survival). My analysis of the data demonstrates: a) the inherence of creativity in human nature and ,therefore, its universal distribution; b) the centrality of creativity in human life – its primacy among the forces that shape our lives and drive our behavior; and c) the necessity of actualizing one's (creative) potential for meaningful existence and responsible social and ecological behavior.
I do not believe that humans are hard-wired for competition. The contrary -- cooperation and collaboration – is probably the case. The predominantly adversarial relationships we observe and which seem to characterize modern way of life, I believe, are an aberration – the result of an unfortunate and, hopefully, temporary win-lose thinking (soon to give way to a collaborating and partnership society).
Sorry, there is nothing in my earlier comments to suggest "negative characteristics in humans." If anything, I believe that human nature is essentially good, though often perverted by customs, conventions, and the circumstances of life.
I should add that I am not proposing institutional reform in the conventional sense. What I am suggesting is fundamental rethinking of human nature and the (re)alignment of institutional patterns and operational relationships with our authentic nature. This, I believe, is critical, if an organization is to truly succeed and endure .
I also wish to observe that rediscovering our authentic nature and aligning our policies, decisions, and actions with that essence are an all-win proposition for institutions, individuals, organizations, and society.
Best regards.
Efiong Et
Oct 13 2013: Greetings,
My comment about negative characteristics was in reference to the following statement form your original discussion.
"Close examination of the data also challenge widely accepted beliefs that humans are inherently self-interested, competitive, adversarial, materialistic, and consumption-driven."
Relative to "hard wired for competition", I think we will have to agree to disagree. I see cooperation and collaboration as learned behaviors.
I am not sure changing human nature is possible. I think the root of human nature is instinct.
Changing human behavior and re-alignment of patterns is possible, but takes substantial effort. Focusing on the subset of this behavior that occurs in the workplace, I think I would have to break it down to behaviors needed to accomplish the work, and then behaviors that influence how fast, how well, or how much work is accomplished. A corporate culture of some kind might have some influence on these last three, but I think job general and specific learning and training is needed to create behaviors necessary to accomplish work tasks.
I suspect that few people have the will or desire to deprogram behaviors to the level where discovery of authentic nature is possible. The metric for realization that you have reached 'authentic nature' also eludes me.
However, I do see benefit in attempts to align decisions and actions with a set of core beliefs. Something like what the Scouts put forward with the Laws and Oath for members, what some of the military organizations demand of their soldiers, and the philosophy side of some of the martial arts. In the business world, such training sounds like it would be similar to what Covey put forward in his 7 habits program, interpersonal skills training such as Dale Carnegie, or similar positive thinking self-help programs. Some take it to the spiritual level by following the teachings of various religious leaders. Such attempts at improved self awareness seem like good positive action.
W. Ying
Oct 13 2013: .
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It is the "wrong self-perception" of "happiness"
because it is about 90% invalid or harmful.Oct 12 2013: Thank you, Mitch, for your support and, even more, for your vision and commitment to building the kind of future everyone wants to see.
I admire your self-evident dedication to a more inclusive and democratic world society. Thanks for the link to Richard Wolf's video clip. Quite a remarkable gentleman! I admire his vision and, in particular, the democratization-of-the-workplace initiative that he has helped to start. Efforts like his' reinforce my hope for humanity.
I'm sorry, I missed your topic on the normalization of relations between sedentary and nomadic communities. Yes, it is a big and thorny issue – a classic case of contrasting and seemingly irreconcilable worldviews. My view is that the age-old animosities between nomads and their transient communities are perfectly resolvable; but it will require a new way of (win-win) thinking where each side sees the other 's activities as beneficial and, indeed, vital to its economic and other interests.
With respect to the tribal structure of non-western societies and the problems which that structure has been creating, I believe we should take advantage of the crumbling geographical, territorial, intellectual, cultural, and social barriers to convince ourselves and others that separateness is an unfortunate illusion; and that the ultimate destiny of man is unity (however hard we may try to preserve "ethnic" thinking, or to delay, frustrate, or postpone the inevitable). As far as I can see, humanity is on the march to "unity in diversity"; and not even the worst calamity is likely to stop that march.
From your comments, Mitch, I am convinced you would be an excellent director of a global initiative (school) to re-educate tribal and political leaders – helping them to rethink diversity.
Best regards,
Efiong EtukOct 12 2013: I like your underlying message of challenging people to bring out their creativity in positive ways to help improve society. This is part of my attraction to TED.
However, I find myself questioning some of what is being put forward. I think I am going to make the intuitive leap of assuming the body of data you refer to is some form of the collective knowledge of all mankind to date, including the experiences, observations and knowledge of the current human race.
The first point I want to make is that man's primary mission is to survive. What it takes for survival has changed over time. If you replace the word "crisis" with the word "survival" in your first paragraph, and then consider the perspective of first, a man alone; then, a man as a member of a family; then, a man as a member of a local group; then man as a member of a country; then man as a world citizen; and finally, man as and animal on planet earth; the evolution of the need for some of the social constructs to enable survival at all levels becomes apparent. Man is in a competition from day 1, with nature and other men, for survival in a place with limited resources. What different individuals, cultures, and governments believe to be necessary for survival is at the root of many of the crises you identify.
A second point is that the negative characteristics in humans you identify might come as a result of a rapid change in the balance of the types of challenges to survival we now face relative to our ancestors 100 or 1000 years ago.
Final point is that institutional framework has a high social inertia and not a well defined improvement directional vector. Focusing all energies to try and solve this issue "top down" may lead to much frustration, waste and eventual apathy. However, building momentum by releasing individual creativity and positive energy in small ways, at every opportunity (starfish effect), we may eventually have enough collective mass and positive momentum to evolve the framework.Oct 12 2013: Greetings, R.H.:
Thank you so very much for your illuminating insights on society and its workings. Quite instructive!
Your sobering thoughts regarding the "$trillions spent on repair efforts" is so apt. I hope international development agencies and professionals eventually come to that realization. In the same vein, I'd like to share with you an observation I've made somewhere (my latest book):
"Ultimately … it is economically more productive, financially more profitable, socially more progressive, politically more farsighted and more prudent, and ecologically more sustainable to provide the conditions in which people are able to actualize their potential, than to try to solve a plethora of problems – psychological, social, economic, and political – most of which are the symptoms of deprived, meaningless, and impoverishing existence."
Thanks again, R.H., for your kind thoughts. Thanks also for your deep insights and wisdom and, even more, for your willingness to share those insights and wisdom.
Best regards,
Efiong etuk
Oct 12 2013: One of the best approaches I've ever read. Your 'data driven' approach provides credibility, and your macro perspective gives vision to the fundamental issues that produce the social results you decry. Since this is listed under 'Ideas', I would like to offer one further clarification that from my opinion, its all about how we regard one another. When we look at all of the $trillions spent and man-hours wasted on 'humanitarian and environmental' relief (ie, welfare, social services, unions, environmental activism, food/medical/housing/energy initiatives, etc.), what we really see are 'repair efforts' to correct our inability to regard our fellow human citizens as valuable and significant. Our out-dated systems and incentives have served their purpose and have brought us to this point, but as you so eloquently described, are woefully inadequate for the challenges that face us. Bravo to your efforts and for the skills you have developed towards your vision. All the very best.
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Oct 12 2013: When you say "data driven approach," what do you mean?
Oct 12 2013: He mentions analyzing data 3 times.
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Oct 12 2013: I know, but the data to which he refers he describes this way elsewhere in the thread: "The data are a compendium of scattered insights on human nature, culled from the writings of deep thinkers, past and contemporary, and brought together for the new light they shed on what it means to be human."
I don't know whether this is what you assumed as the "data" from the narrative above. Normally when I have heard the expression "data-driven," the reference is to a different sort of data.Oct 12 2013: Totally agree.
I lend my effort to yours.
My halting and clumsy efforts stem from the observation that every institution I was taught to believe in has betrayed me and those I love.
Here is Richard Wolff saying the same thing as a political economist:
My entry point is from systems dynamics and the nature of network-adaptive dynamics.
Personally .. it surprises me that most people have no idea what money is - or how, for instance, banks write money into existence in lieu of "promises" - how value is realised in consumption and that which has been consumed is a gift to ecology .. or a curse to it. The balance of entropy. And how the most powerful nation, the USA, is clearly in the grips of promising what was not in its ability to deliver - and how the deficit of that arrogance is extracted from the very earth under the feet of us all. And how violence is the logical resort of those who issue false promise - the effort to render the future into property - a tradable commodity..
I salute your clear thinking and will help wherever I can.
I will note that a previos topic I created was an attempt to elicit some wisdom from TED community about the question of "how will sedentary and nomadic communities resolve their interactions?"
The response was poor - you, of all people will understand what I was trying to achieve there.
Most in the west do not understand how the rest of the world is tribal - but, in the west, we have the over-view and capacity to grant solutions to these age-old conflicts. e.g. the tension between the farmer and the herdsman. And who uses the river, and when, and where, and how - without destroying each-other's lives - and our children.Oct 11 2013: Hello Efiong,
The half-life of habit is indeed a long one; the half-life is systemic habit much longer.
Your introduction seems to suggest that if we could all realise our human potential through tapping into our true creative power, then we would start resolving the world's problems (rather than perpetuating them through the old paradigm way-of-thinking). If this is a correct summary of your introduction, I agree. A fair diagnosis.
Prognosis: If it starts with individuals correcting misleading views (beliefs?) they have about themselves, can you tell me one self-limiting view about yourself you have corrected, and what were the means by which you achieved it?Oct 11 2013: Thank you, Frank, for your deep sociological/anthropological insights. I totally agree with you that adjustments will need to be made. And, considering the enormity, as well as the urgency, of the crises the world is facing, the adjustments (this time) are likely to be fundamental and all-embracing.
Best regards,
Efiong Etuk
Comment deleted
Oct 11 2013: I was hoping you would be willing to describe the source of data you referred to as a 'body of data no one knew existed." What is it, who collected it, and so forth...
Usually people support their arguments here by at least describing the data or evidence from which they draw their conclusions. Would you be willing to do that without people's needing to buy your book?Oct 11 2013: I agree, this is akin to the effect that tradition has when the world changes. In other words when the tradition no longer works or applies to the situation and nonetheless people continue on in their usual habitual fashion. Normally this means a period of adjustment is needed until society adjusts to the new changes.


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This collection of teacher resources addresses rights and inclusion of children with disabilities. The units highlight the story of a teenager named Nodira who shares her experience living with a disability. The lesson plans, videos, multimedia and stories in this collection illustrate the challenges that children with disabilities face, as well as how UNICEF is supporting them.
Children With Disabilities
Download PDF of Unit & Lesson Plans:
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Comic Book Divas Publishing will be offering Goldilocks In ZombieLand #3 Alamo City Comic Con 2015 Variant Covers art by Evelyn Fernandez CONTINUE
Comic Book Divas Publishing will have members of the Orion Corp Cosplay Group at their table during the Alamo City Comic Con 2015 CONTINUE
Get Your Deadly Threads #2 Alamo City Comic Con Variant Cover By Joshua C. Lyman CONTINUE
Find out what is happening at the Comic Book Divas Publishing table c19 during Alamo City Comic Con 2015. CONTINUE
Meet Artist Evelyn Fernandez at her first comic book book convention during the Alamo City Comic Con CBDP table C19 CONTINUE
Comic Book Divas may not have had a table at the Dallas Sci-Fi Expo 2013 but we had a great time meeting not only some of the great artists and guests but also many of the great and talented cosplayers that were walking around the convention and taking photos with fans from around Texas. One of the cosplayer we met was Lizzie Leigh, Lizzie may be new to cosplay but we are sure you will see a lot more of her!
We sat down with Lizzie and talked to her about cosplay, costume design and her career as a make-up artist.
Q: Just so our readers can get to know you a little bit; tell us something about yourself; who is this woman Lizzie Lynch?
LL: I am a local Houston Cosplayer and a Special Effects Makeup Artist. I actually grew up in a small town outside of Boston, MA which is why I lack the typical Bostonian accent. I have also been moving around a bit since 2010 from Boston to Toronto to Houston. i am a huge Stargate fan, I have the "home" symbol tattooed on my wrist. Tv/Movies are a passion for me, my list of favorites is endless, It's a bit of a problem. I love painting, drawing, DIY craft projects and reading.
Q: You are pretty new to the comic book and cosplay community; what made you want to get involved with all us geeks?
LL: I have always been drawn to the more nerdy side of life and watched tons of sci-fi and fantasy. My first con was Anime Boston, I went twice, and then the first Comic Con was fan expo in Toronto. I didn't dress up since I had only been living there for two weeks and went on a whim. I loved every second of it!
Q: How long have you been cosplaying; and do you create your own costumes?
LL: I have only been cosplaying "for real" almost year now, I did one Harley Quinn cosplay for Anime Boston in 2008. It was store-bought, the black fabric dyed my skin black but I still had an absolute blast acting like her! I create what I can, sewing them was all thanks to my friend who taught me a lot along the way. I now have my own sewing machine I hope to be creating tons more! I also make the props, casting prosthetics has very similar techniques that can carry over to multiple mediums. I made a black widow belt and Dani Moonstars belt this past year, as well as an arrow which I still need to perfect.
Q: We saw you cosplaying "Dark Supergirl" did you create that costume and how long did it take for you to design it?
LL: Actually not all of it. I commissioned that piece from Heroes and Tights two years ago for Dragon*Con 2011 right when I moved to Houston from Toronto. Long before I ever even considered making my own. It came out beautifully, the cape was so perfect! The only thing I did to it was modify the cape and top for a more stable attachment to each other and for Expo I created a new skirt.
That character is a personal favorite of mine.
Q: What is the most difficult costume you have designed to date and what makes designing a costume the most challenging for you?
LL: The X suits for my Dani Moonstar New Mutant cosplay, my friend and I were going out of our minds on how to attach the yellow parts to the suit while making it functional.
Q: Looking at some of your photos on Facebook; you have attended some anime conventions; have you cosplayed any anime characters yet?
LL: Not yet, I don't watch much anime anymore mostly due to lack of time. My favorite animes are Wolf's Rain and Yu Yu Hakusho, so I would love to do a character from them.
Q: When you are looking to cosplay a character do you select the character because of the costume or because you are following that character?
LL: Both. I like variants from the classic designs but sometimes I will see a gorgeous drawing which attracts my eye and makes me want to bring the character to life. Wether I know who they are or not. I do my best though to either research the crap out of the character, which usually ends with my loving them anyway or I choose one I know and am already a fan of.
Q: You said you haven't yet gotten into deep with comics; but are you reading any comics right now since we spoke if so what are you reading, w hat are you enjoying about the series?
LL: The only one I have followed closey is the New 52 Supergirl storyline and I am really liking it. I loved the issue 0 release they did for some of them as well. I thought it was a very cool concept.
Q: You are a make-up artist. How did you get started into that field?
LL: Drama Club in Highschool actually, I became the head of the crew when I was a sophomore and really became passionate about it. I was lucky that the Drama Teachers, the both that I had, were extremely supportive of it all which allowed me to really know this was what I wanted. I then took a year off after Highschool and got to work on an Independent horror film, I loved it. The next year I went to college in Toronto to Complections International Academy of Makeup Artistry and graduated in the top three of my class.
Q: What projects do you primarily work on, do you work on photo shoots or movies?
LL: Whatever I can get. I would love to work on set consistently but L.A. is certainly not my scene. As long as the creative outlet is there and I have some hand in the final production I am happy. I try to avoid heavy photoshop or CGI that changes what I created. There is a difference between adding to the scene around the model to totally changing how she looks therefore changing my work.
Q: How do you incorporate your make-up skills into cosplay or how would you like to mix both skills?
LL: I try to apply it every look. How can I make my face close to the character? Would she wear this color blush or a bronzer? Should the lip shape be fuller or lessened?
I want to try to bring it up to a higher level than just wearing the outfit. I want to do that with prosthetics too but it's very hard to apply those to myself on a large scale. My goal is to have a site that is a center-point for cosplay makeup tips and tutorials.
Q: Who would you like to cosplay as where you could use both your make-up and cosplay design skills and why?
LL: Oh man so many! My number one choice is Princess Nuala from Hellboy: The Golden Army. I absolutely love her look but to the costume extremely accurately is hard which is why it hasn't happened yet. The next one is Jack from Brom's book "The Plucker" he is a toy from a jack in the box but his look is rugged and handmade. He has ginger hair and freckles with a much sharper Jaw. I haven't cosplayed as a male yet but he is a goal of mine. So those are my top two :)
Q: What gives you the most joy in cosplaying?
LL: The excitement I recieve from other people who share in the genre and the creative outlet it gives me. Everything I do can be applied into my portfolio for makeup as well. But in all seriousness every time I go to a con, in costume or not, I feel so happy and always walk out the door on Sunday with a new stash of friends and memories.
Q: You were at the Dallas Sci-Fi Expo 2013 where we saw you dressed as Dark Supergirl"; was this your first time attending the convention?
LL: Yes it was and I enjoyed it quite a bit!!! I had been at the Irving Center for Fan Days last year though.
Q: What did you enjoy about the convention as a cosplayer and a fan, did you get to meet other cosplayers and hangout with them?
LL: I hadn't been to such a small sci-i con before it was refreshing to actually be able to have conversations with people. I met some other super sweet cosplayers and got to see some again too that I didn't expect.
Q: From your POV; what were your thoughts about the convention and what you enjoyed about it?
LL: I liked the intimate atmosphere it had and that it was easy to navigate. I found a few action figures from my favorite book, The Plucker by Brom, and that was so aweosme!
Q: You are doing All-Con in March, what cosplay can fans expect to see you in?
LL: I'll be doing two makeup panels that weekend so a lot of my time went into that. So on Friday I will be wearing my Muscle and Bone Catsuit from Black Milk with some FX makeup to go along. Saturday will be a Star Trek Uniform and Sunday is Dark Supergirl hopefully with new boots if I can find them :).
Q: Where can fans follow you and see what is coming up for you?
LL: My cosplay Facebook page is Lizzie Leigh: and my Facebook Makeup Page
Special thanks to Samaze for the use of the photos.


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Syracuse man dies from injuries
A Syracuse man died Friday as a result of injuries he received in a crash this week near Tippecanoe Lake.
The Kosciusko County Sheriff's Deputies responded to Kosciusko Community Hospital at 2:50 a.m. Sunday when emergency room workers said they had a victim of a vehicle crash there, according to Sgt. Chad D. Hill, sheriff's department spokesman.
Officers were told the victim, identified as Corey F. Kneller, 20, of Syracuse, had been driven to the emergency room. Kneller was suffering from internal and head injuries and was later transferred to Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, according to the release.
Kosciusko County F.A.C.T. and crash investigators and sheriff's department deputies found Kneller's vehicle off the west side of County Road 400 East and County Road 800 North. The Milford Fire Department also arrived as Kneller's 2001 Pontiac Grand Am had caught fire after striking a tree. F.A.C.T. team investigators said evidence indicated that Kneller had been westbound on County Road 800 North, failed to negotiate the road's curve and went straight into a tree, according to the release.
The Allen County Coroner's Office notified investigators of Kneller's death.
Semi goes through I-69 median
A jackknifed semi crashed through a median separating north- and southbound lanes of Interstate 69 Saturday morning.
Emergency crews were called before 9:30 a.m. when the semi in the southbound lane and two cars in the northbound lanes near the 322 mile marker were involved in the incident, according to scanner traffic. The semi driver complained of pain but was listed in good condition.
Lanes on both sides of I-69 were closed for a period of time.
Beware of thin ice in waterways
Indiana conservation officers across the state are advising residents of the potential hazards of being on frozen lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams this winter.
Every winter, thousands of Hoosiers enjoy fishing, skating, hiking, or just sliding around on frozen ponds and lakes. And every year, people drown after falling through ice.
Some bodies of water will appear to be frozen solid but actually can have thin ice in several unsuspecting areas, according to a news release from the Department of Natural Resources. Flowing water, such as rivers and streams, should be avoided when covered by a layer of ice. Water that is surrounded by sand many times freezes with inconsistencies.
Conservation officers offer these tips when standing or walking on a frozen lake or pond:
*No ice is safe ice.
*At least 4 inches of ice is recommended for safe ice fishing; 5 inches for snowmobiling.
*If you don't know….don't go.
*Wear lifejackets or flotation coats.
*Carry ice hooks and rope gear.


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|Beacon Falls, Conn.
|High School:
|Woodland Regional
|Last Team:
As a freshman: Made 21 appearances and 10 starts in her first year with the Bobcats…Picked up three wins and a save...Pitched 54.1 innings and struck out 22 batters on the year.
Before Quinnipiac: Attended Woodland Regional High School, where she won three varsity letters in both softball and basketball...In 2010, her high school softball team won the NVL Brass Division and NVL Tournament...Earned a pitching record of 21-1 and a 0.79 ERA...Struck out 183 batters in 133 innings...Held a .358 batting average at Woodland Regional...Was named a All-NVL in 2009...Was selected as the NVL Player of the Year, Tournament Player of the Year, and Strikezone Player of the Year in 2010...Was named All-State in 2010...Was chosen as All-Area and All-State by the New Haven Register in 2010...Played for Xtreme Chaos.
Personal: A native of Beacon Falls, Conn...Daughter of Joseph and Karen Alfiere...Has two brothers, Eric, who runs track at the University of Connecticut, and Billy...Majoring in the health sciences.


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The stars are aligning for pre-Christmas home-hunters, with the auction clearance rate plunging at the weekend.
Australian Property Monitors data showed the Sydney rate dropped more than 5 percentage points in a week - from 59.2 per to 54 per cent. The fall was less pronounced in Melbourne, with Real Estate Institute of Victoria figures showing a 1-point drop from 61 per cent to 60 per cent.
Buyers' agents say the slump puts buyers in an increasingly strong position as vendors try to secure a sale over the next few weeks.
APM senior economist Andrew Wilson said the oppressive heat of the day in Sydney could have been a factor, although the market had already been trending downwards over the past few weekends.
"A similar thing happened last year where the market did run out of steam towards the end of spring," Dr Wilson said. "Definitely the top end of the market has gone to sleep over the last few weeks."
The loss of enthusiasm from auction bidders as Christmas looms coincides with a late surge of property going under the hammer.
This Saturday looks like being the second-biggest of the year in Sydney, where 618 auctions are planned. And buyers will have even more properties to choose from in Melbourne, with 927 scheduled.
Dr Wilson doubts even an interest rate cut tomorrow will have much influence on the market this late in the year. "If they were going to drop them, they should have done them in November," he said. "It might make buyers feel a bit more confident, but they need to feel the dollars in their pocket for there to be any real effect."
But buyers' agent Rich Harvey, of propertybuyer.com.au, is more optimistic. "I think we are likely to see an interest rate cut tomorrow and that will certainly stimulate the lower end of the market," he said.
With December and January holidays imminent, Mr Harvey said vendors would be under increasing pressure to secure a sale before Christmas - particularly those who have purchased elsewhere. Discounts are definitely on the cards.
"My advice is for savvy buyers to get out there and start looking because there will be less competition," he said. "Christmas draws a line in the sand for vendors and buyers to make buying and selling decisions."
Another buyers' agent, Peter Kelaher of PK Property, says the best hope of discounts of up to 20 per cent is by identifying sellers who have bought elsewhere trying to avoid expensive bridging finance over the summer break.
"The best time to buy property is right now through to the first listing week of February," he said.
Auction clearance rate = Sales divided by (reported auctions plus withdrawals).


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Materials you will need :
A good hardwood stick 1" in diameter - I used peach wood because of availability
A drill and selection of bits - I used a 1/8th inch bit and the largest bit (maybe 1/2 inch)
Propane torch or other source of high temp fire - for fire hardening / charring
Sand Paper in varying grades
Knife - Preferably a good carving knife
Wood Saw - (guess what this is for)
Mineral Oil or similar - For waterproofing and making it shiny :-)
Optional but suggested
Grinding block or similar - Rough shape adjustments
Dremel tool - Bowl shape adjustments
Thin steel rod - 3 mm square on the end
Steel wool - For making it even more shiny
Honey - For coating inside of bowl
Ashes - Used with honey bowl to fireproof
Step 1: Get a good stick
Look for a reasonably fresh stick just over an inch in diameter and without any knots. Your pipe's length is limited by your drill bit's length however while wood can be trimmed down it can't be trimmed up. As such I suggest you cut your stick around an inch longer than you plan for it to be.
Hope this help!


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Welcome to the School of Health and Human Performance
Thank you for your interest in the School of Health and Human Performance (SHHP). Our department has a tradition of offering excellent graduate and undergraduate professional programs including:
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• Health Promotion Concentration
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- Cancer Exercise Specialist Certificate
- Minor in Community Health
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- Minor in Physical Education
Our graduate and undergraduate programs build on the unique mission and culture at the State of Georgia's Public Liberal Arts University by placing our commitment to excellence at the center of our work.
If you are looking for a program that focuses on human movement, holistic wellness, and challenges you to grow personally and professionally - one of our programs may be right for you!
If you are interested in working with faculty who value scholarship, service learning, experiential learning, and teaching excellence - our community of learners may be the fit you are looking for!
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The School of Health and Human Performance is a learning community of caring, committed faculty, staff and students dedicated to excellence in teaching, scholarship and service within the liberal arts tradition. Our innovative curricula and services focus on the interactions among human movement, personal growth, and wellness. We work with diverse populations in a variety of settings in order to promote healthy lifestyles and societal interactions.
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The School of Health and Human Performance offers innovative undergraduate and graduate programs of study. Students work with professors, fellow students, and practitioners in a variety of settings in order to empower others to lead healthy lifestyles and to function more effectively in society. We offer programs that balance traditional classroom and experiential learning to provide our students with the knowledge and skills to make positive lifestyle and career choices.
For additional information about our academic programs click on undergraduate majors, graduate programs or minors. For information about career choices, student clubs, and our facilities click on any of the informative pages listed in the menu.
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ABOUT GEORGIA COLLEGE: Georgia College, the state's designated Public Liberal Arts University, combines the educational experience expected at esteemed private liberal arts colleges with the affordability of public higher education. Its four colleges – arts and sciences, business, education and health sciences – provide 6,600 undergraduate and graduate students with an exceptional learning environment that extends beyond the classroom, with hands-on involvement with faculty research, community service, residential learning communities, study abroad and myriad internships.


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text: Quick View HEXBUG Aquabot 2.0 by Hexbug In stock online $12.95 Aquabot 2.0 is engineered with smart fish technology, added sensors and an inner LED glow that makes them appear more alive than ever before! After five minutes without activity, the Aquabot will go into sleep mode to conserve battery life. The Aquabot 2.0 fish is equipped with hi-tech sensors… See Details $12.95 was $12.95


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The Prestige Cognacs
They are unabashedly artful, without embarrassment or hesitation, beautiful objects.
LE COGNAC has selected a few rare and exceptional Cognacs, often produced in limited quantities and superbly presented. They were conceived to be unforgettable gifts to some one or to yourself.
Magnificent decanters, exclusive wooden boxes, luxury presentation, these Cognacs from the oldest reserves of the Houses come in the most refined presentation that the French art de vivre can offer.
François Voyer - Extra
François Voyer cognacs are selected by the finest restaurants (Alain Ducasse, Lucas Carton, Laurent...).
A Rare Premier Cognac, present in many of the very best French restaurants … 'Highly recommended' by F Paul Pacult (famous spirit expert).
Gold Medal at Concours Général Agricole of Paris 2010 !Learn MoreExcl. Tax: €202.50 Incl. Tax: €243.00
François Voyer - Hors d'Age - Prestige Decanter
Quintessence Hors D'Age was selected by chef Alain Ducasse to be served at his 'Le Jules Verne' restaurant on the first floor of the Eiffel Tower, Paris. French excellence reunited.
If you are wise enough to taste it slowly leaving it time enough to unfold in the glass this Cognac will reward you with inimitable aromas of truffles, wood berries, and delicate accents of pepper and vanilla.Learn More
Beautiful Crystal decanter in a very prestigious presentation wooden box, especially designed to be used as a cigar box. The perfection of the Cognac in the most exclusive packaging : Elegance in its most luxurious form !Excl. Tax: €795.83 Incl. Tax: €955.00
Hine - Talent de Thomas Hine
Created in 1991 by Bernard & Jacques HINE, the great great great great grandsons of Thomas HINE to celebrate to bicentenary of their ancestor's arrival in France. They selected their most prestigious cognac, TRIOMPHE, for this occasion.Learn MoreExcl. Tax: €4,458.33 Incl. Tax: €5,350.00
Jean Fillioux - XO Impérial
Very old Eau-de-Vie with an amber colour.
Villeroy and Boch Cristal Decanter in its luxury box.Learn MoreExcl. Tax: €323.33 Incl. Tax: €388.00
Out of stock
Jean Fillioux - Réserve Familiale "Sèvres"
A jewel for the superb Reserve Familiale, a sumptuous " Sèvres " Crystal Decanter. Very luxurious grey/blue plain wooden box, blue leather, silver label. Only the luxury. Each decanter is numbered.
Jean Fillioux classic and many times awarded.Learn MoreExcl. Tax: €1,020.83 Incl. Tax: €1,225.00
For Cognac Extra Origin, the Cellar master of the estate Le Réviseur , has selected the most venerable eaux de vie from the Domaines Francis Abecassis.
'I chose them for their superb strength and richness, remarquable after the many years they've spent in Limousin oak barrels' , explains the cellar master
One will uncover in the foundation mix the elemental personality of REVISEUR Cognacs, magnified by remarkable aging.
ORIGIN alcohol content has been naturally diminished over the years, showing what the specialists say is the ideal cask strength of 45% Alc/vol. Learn MoreExcl. Tax: €315.83 Incl. Tax: €379.00


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In this June 6, 2011 file photo, lightning strikes over the Puyehue volcano, over 500 miles south of Santiago, Chile. (AP Photo/Francisco Negroni, AgenciaUno, File)
In this March 11, 2011 file photo, a tsunami floods over the breakwater protecting the coastal city of Miyako at Heigawa estuary area after northeastern Japan was hit by a powerful earthquake. (AP Photo/Mainichi Shimbun, Tomohiko Kano, File)
In this Aug. 28, 2011 file photo, officials survey the damage to route 12 on Hatteras Island, NC. Hurricane Irene swept through the area cutting the roadway in five locations. Irene caused more than 4.5 million homes and businesses along the East Coast to reportedly lose power over the weekend, and at least 11 deaths were blamed on the storm. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, File)
FILE - In this March 11, 2011 file photo, earthquake-triggered tsumanis sweep shores along Iwanuma in northern. The magnitude 8.9 earthquake slammed Japan's eastern coast, unleashing a 13-foot (4-meter) tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland. (AP Photo/Kyodo News, File)
In this Nov. 3, 2011 file photo, a man lifts an elderly woman after she deboarded a passenger bus on a flooded street in Bangkok, Thailand. Thailand's worst floods in more than half a century continued to creep into Bangkok. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri, File)
In this Sept. 7, 2011 file photo, an area destroyed by wildfire surrounds a water tower in Bastrop, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay, File)
In this April 19, 2011 file photo, a wildfire threatens a house near Possum Kingdom, Texas. (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)
In this April 23, 2011 file photo, debris is strewn about a neighborhood in Bridgeton, Mo., following a tornado in the area. . (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
In this May 29, 2011 file photo, Joplin residents Paula Barnett, left, and Susan Dodson console each other during a memorial service marking the one week anniversary of an EF-5 tornado which ripped a six mile long path of destruction through Joplin and killed at least 139 people. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)
In this April 27, 2011 file photo, Faye Hyde, right, sits on a mattress in what was her yard as she comforts her granddaughter Sierra Goldsmith, 2, in Conord Ala. Their home was completely destroyed. (AP Photo/The Birmingham News, Jeff Roberts, File)
In this June 24, 2011 file photo, a Conoco gas station is surrounded by sand bags, the flood waters of the Souris River, and an oil slick in Minot, N.D. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)
In this Feb. 23, 2011 file photo, Murray and Kelly James look at their destroyed house in central Christchurch, New Zealand. A magnitude-6.3 earthquake collapsed buildings, caused extensive other damage and killed dozens of people in the city. (AP Photo/Mark Baker, File)
In this May 23, 2011 file photo, Meghan Miller stands in the middle of a destroyed neighborhood as she checks on her sister-in-law's home in Joplin , Mo. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File)
In this Sept. 9, 2011 file photo, Rob Hewitt floats in a canoe past partially flooded buildings in Port Deposit, Md., as the Susquehanna River, which is swollen with rain from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, continues to rise. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)
In this March 11, 2011 file photo, an earthquake-triggered tsunami approaches the shore of Natori, Miyagi prefecture (state), Japan. (AP Photo/Kyodo News, File)
In this March 24, 2011 file photo taken by a small unmanned drone and released by AIR PHOTO SERVICE, damaged Unit 3, left, and Unit 4 of the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant are seen in Okumamachi, Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan. (AP Photo/AIR PHOTO SERVICE, File)
In this March 24, 2011 file photo, a young evacuee is screened at a shelter for leaked radiation from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant in Fukushima, Fukushima prefecture, Japan. (AP Photo/Wally Santana, File)
In this March 15, 2011 file photo, a Japanese survivor of the earthquake and tsunami rides his bicycle through the leveled city of Minamisanriku, in northeastern Japan. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder, File)
In this March 13, 2011 file photo, a ship washed away by a tsunami sits amid debris in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture after Japan's biggest recorded earthquake hit its eastern coast. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye, File)
In this March 13, 2011 file photo, a woman wrapped up in a blanket stands in the middle of rubble, looking at the city submerged under water in Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture (state), two days after the catastrophic earthquake-triggered tsunami hit the northeastern Japan. (AP Photo/The Yomiuri Shimbun, Tadashi Okubo, File)
In this March 22, 2011 file photo, a boat sits atop a building in Otsuchi, Iwate Prefecture, Japan, following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami which devastated a vast area of northeastern Pacific coast of Japan. (AP Photo/Yomiuri Shimbun, File)
In this July 21, 2011 file photo, William Dyer, Jr., of Gortham, Maine stays cool seated on his beach chair waist-deep in Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
In this June 14, 2011 file photo, a Darth Vader actor waits for tourists who want to be photographed together with him, in front of the Brandenburg Gate during a thunderstorm in Berlin, Germany. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn, File)
In this Jan. 27, 2011 file photo, a flag pokes above the snow around mounds of covered grave markers in Veterans Memorial Field in East Hartford, Conn., after another winter storm. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill, File)
In this Feb. 2, 2011 file photo, hundreds of cars are seen stranded on lake Shore drive in Chicago. A winter blizzard of historic proportions wobbled an otherwise snow-tough Chicago, stranding hundreds of drivers for up to 12 hours overnight on the city's showcase lakeshore thoroughfare and giving many city schoolchildren their first ever snow day. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato, File)
In this Feb. 25, 2011 file photo, a woman uses a cell phone after climbing out of a vehicle that ended up on a guard rail in the median of Interstate 295 during a snow storm in Cumberland, Maine. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty, File)
In this Feb. 1, 2011 file photo, Tim Houchin walks in the snow to work downtown in Tulsa, Okla. (AP Photo/Tulsa World, Christopher Smith, File)


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Come with us on a journey of the soul—of the mind. Delve into the mystery, love, suspense, greed, and magic that has been captivating audiences and readers alike… with these Game of Thrones™ shot glasses! Add a hint of sorcery and swordplay to any party…why not do a shot each time there's a flash of nudity?
Set of 4 shot glasses. Each holds 1.7 oz.
Find out how we added some Westerossi flavor to everyday life on our blog.
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"world's best dad photo mug"
By julie j
Comments: I received outstanding customer- service on this order.Sonia went out of her way to let me know that the pic would not be the best she felt it could be. I thanked her but as I was working from varied pics/splicing/scans due to my sister's passing away and therefore not having any current ones to use; I elected to go ahead with the order as it was. I was very impressed though that the time/care/attention was given to an order which was in fact, minor. This showed me what type of customer-service ... More details


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Merillat® Classic
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Cody Tanner, 14, is off to an active start as a freshman at Creston High School.
Following in his older brothers' footsteps, Cody plays offense and defense for the Panther's freshman football team.
He is also taking driver's education classes to earn his school permit.
But, about a decade ago, while spending time with his father Roger on the family farm about seven miles northwest of Orient, an accident involving a tractor left 4-year-old Cody with more than 15 stitches in his left hand.
The accident could have just as easily been fatal.
"We knew how lucky we were that he didn't get runover," said Cody's mother, Robbie Tanner.
Sept. 15-21 is National Farm Safety and Health Week. This year's theme, "Working Together for Safety in Agriculture," hopes to bring more awareness to all of the potential dangers on the farm and in agriculture.
The agriculture sector remains the most dangerous in America with 475 reported fatalities in 2012 according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Cody's story
During a spring morning while Robbie was at work at Creston Elementary School, Roger and Cody were at home doing work with a tractor and loader.
"I was driving the tractor ... it didn't have a cab on it," Roger said. "Usually, I had him sit in between my legs, but for some reason, he was sitting on the fender, and that wasn't the place to be."
Roger said he was forced to stop suddenly when the material he was hauling fell off the tractor's loader.
"I just went forward," Cody said. "I remember that it hurt, a lot."
Cody was thrown from the fender and his hand caught on the equipment on the way down, ripping his left hand open. Since Roger was already stopping, the tractor did not roll on top of his son.
Roger rushed Cody to the emergency room for stitches, and they were back home before Robbie returned from school.
"(Roger) was really shook, in fact, I never heard all the details of the accident right away," Robbie said. "We just knew we were lucky."
As former 4-H leaders and Roger spending his entire life farming, the Tanners have alway stressed farm safety with their three boys.
Roger said it is just those minor lapses in judgement or lack of attention to detail when accidents can happen to anyone.
"You've got to watch and think ahead about what could happen," Roger said.
Farm safety
The National Education Center for Agricultural Safety (NECAS) works year round to educate children, teenagers, adults and emergency responders about agriculture safety.
"We are the only hands-on training facility in the nation," said Office Coordinator Gloria Reiter. "We do training for firemen and EMS, safety days for children (4 - to 7-year-olds) and fall harvest safety days with FFA."
NECAS's director, Dan Neenan, has spent the entire week traveling around Iowa giving presentations on grain bin and manure pit rescues.
The Iowa Fire Service Training Bureau covers the cost of the training, but there must be a minimum of 12 participants. Reiter said smaller departments can share training sessions with nearby stations.
Usually the fall season has the most incidents because of all the equipment involved with the harvest.
"Accidents happen most often when people get in a hurry," Reiter said.
Besides the typical machinery accidents associated with the harvest, cattle farmers are also active getting the herd ready for winter.
"It's all about respecting the animal," Roger said.
After years of moving and sorting cattle, Roger said cattle have attitudes and tendencies just like people. Being able to read how a cow is moving and behaving can help prevent accidents.
The NECAS also covers cattle safety. Reiter said its website — www.necasag.org — is the best source for up-to-date program listings.
And even though Cody's hand fully healed, the faint scar serves as a constant reminder about how quickly an accident on the farm can happen.
"We are always talking about what to do and what not to do," Robbie said. "Constantly communicating and learning."


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Looking to purchase a dc only tig welder next month and have been looking a lot at these two machines and was wondering what everyone thinks of them and which you would suggest going with? I know this is a miller site but does anyone have any experience with the lincoln? Welder will primariy be used for doing work on my cars(turbo kit, stainless headers, chassis work, etc) and don't plan to do any aluminum. Both welders are dual voltage, and portable which I like and the lincoln has a better duty cycle of 130amps at 100% vs the millers 100amps. Thanks!
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05-19-2011, 04:05 AM #1Junior Member
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Which tig? Invertec 160T or Maxstar 150 STH?
05-20-2011, 06:53 PM #2Junior Member
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After looking around and reading about the two and not hearing any negatives about either machine I decided to go ahead and get the Lincoln invertec 160T mainly due to its better duty cycle rating and will be picking one up from my LWS next month!Millermatic 212 Autoset
Esab CaddyMig C160i


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Dear All,
Here's Releaserain!! Thanks for visiting^^
are also welcome for doll items and sewing supplies
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items are produced and designed by us, so most of them are unique and hard to
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for supporting Releaserain! Regardless of our miles apart, you are always the
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Spring 2015~~
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From Intelligent Design to BioLogos
In this paper, Venema tells the story of his transition from support of Intelligent Design to the view that God uses evolution as a creative mechanism.
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In this paper, Venema tells the story of his transition from support of Intelligent Design to the view that God uses evolution as a creative mechanism.
In this paper, adapted from an article from Science & Christian Belief, Dr. Oliver R. Barclay compares and contrasts the biblical view of design in nature with modern design arguments.
In this paper, Venema explores several examples in biology where random mutation and natural selection have indeed led to substantial increases in biological information. The question of how new specified information arises in DNA, far from being an "enigma", is one of great interest to biologists.
Mathematics professor James Bradley looks at the design argument presented in William Dembski's book The Design Inference and offers his criticisms on the accuracy of the model.
In this article, Venema offers his review of Stephen Meyer's book Signature in the Cell.
Can science provide substantive insight into the question of God's existence? Isaac's paper examines three schools of thought regarding the possibility of detecting God's existence through science: Evolutionism, Creationism, and Intelligent Design.
Geologists Davidson and Wolgemuth address the widely promulgated notion that the Flood can account for the earth's complex geology, and that all genuine Christians should accept this viewpoint.
In this paper, Baylor philosophy professor Francis Beckwith distinguishes between Intelligent Design (ID) and Thomistic Design (TD).
Many evangelicals believe that Young Earth Creationism is the only authentic, biblical way for Christians to understand origins, and that until the advent of Darwin's theory of evolution, it was the only view held by Christians. However, in this excerpt from Saving Darwin, Karl Giberson explains that Young Earth Creationism's origins are surprisingly recent.
A complex biological structure with many interacting parts might appear, at first glance, as if it were originally created in its present form with all its interlocking components fully formed and intact. It doesn't seem possible that they developed step by step via biological evolution. In Darwin's Black Box, Michael Behe introduces a term that he and other proponents of Intelligent Design use for this concept: irreducible complexity.
Every field of science has unanswered questions and gaps in our understanding. Scientists typically view these as open research questions. Others sometimes argue that if science can't explain how something happened, then God must be the explanation. Such arguments are called "god-of-the-gaps" arguments. The risk in these arguments is that science is always developing. If gaps in scientific knowledge are the basis for belief in God, then as scientists fill in the gaps, the evidence for God disappears. The God of the Bible, however, is much more than a god of the gaps. Christians believe that God is always at work in the natural world, in the gaps as well as in the areas that science can explain.
Genesis 6-9 tells the fascinating story of Noah, the Ark, and the Flood. Some Christians interpret the text to mean that the biblical flood must have covered the entire globe. They also work to explain the evidence in rocks and fossils in terms of this world-wide flood. Other Christians do not feel the text requires that the flood be global, but could have covered the small region of earth known to Noah. The scientific and historical evidence does not support a global flood, but is consistent with a catastrophic regional flood. Beyond its place in history, the Genesis flood teaches us about human depravity, faith, obedience, divine judgment, grace and mercy.
We at BioLogos believe that God used the process of evolution to create all the life on earth today. While we accept the science of evolution, we emphatically reject evolutionism. Evolutionism is the atheistic worldview that says life developed without God and without purpose. Instead, we agree with Christians who adhere to Intelligent Design and Creationism that the God of the Bible created the universe and all life. Christians disagree, however, on how God created. Young Earth Creationists believe that God created just 6,000 to 10,000 years ago and disagree with much of mainstream science. Supporters of Intelligent Design accept more of evolutionary science, but argue that some features of life are best explained by direct intervention by an intelligent agent rather than by God's regular way of working through natural processes. We at BioLogos agree with the modern scientific consensus on the age of the earth and evolutionary development of all species, seeing these as descriptions of how God created. The term BioLogos comes from the Greek words bios (life) and logos (word), referring to the opening of the Gospel of John. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made."
(Updated on March 1, 2012)