Yayoi Kusama

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"....dreams fulfilled help others launch new dreams."

What was the real cause of the Financial Panic? Why were the bundlers and buyers of junk mortgages the politically-connected big banks while the chief critics and short sellers of the housing trade were mostly unknown (and often eccentric) managers of small, entrepreneurial hedge funds? Where did conservatives go wrong? Just why is entrepreneurship so important? Is there hope for American capitalism? Gilder (a friend and mentor) also restates a defining, contrarian, and still-too-little-understood theme of the original Wealth and Poverty. “By focusing on incentives rather than on information,” Gilder writes in the new edition, free market economists have encouraged the idea that capitalism is based on greed. But greed, in fact, prompts capitalists to seek government guarantees and subsidies that denature and stultify the works of entrepreneurs. Greed, as I put it in Wealth and Poverty, leads as by an invisible hand to an ever-growing welfare state — to socialism. It is not the enlargement of incentives and rewards that generates growth and progress, profits for the entrepreneur and revenues for the government, but the expansion of information and knowledge. The competitive pursuit of knowledge is not a dog-eat-dog Darwinian struggle. In capitalism, the winners do not eat the losers but teach them how to win through the spread of information. Far from a zero-sum game, where the successes of some come at the expense of others, free economies climb spirals of mutual gain and learning. Far from a system of greed, capitalism depends on a golden rule of enterprise: The good fortune of others is also your own. Perhaps surprisingly, it was Ann Romney’s convention speech Tuesday night that finally defended Mitt’s business career — and grasped this Gilderian Rule of capitalism. “I was there,” Mrs. Romney said, “when he and a small group of friends talked about starting a new company. I was there when they struggled and wondered if the whole idea just wasn’t going to work . . . . Today that company has become another great American success story . . . .” “But,” continued Mrs. Romney, “because this is America, that small company which grew has helped so many others lead better lives. The jobs that grew from the risks they took have become college educations, first homes. That success has helped fund scholarships, pensions, and retirement funds. “This,” she concluded, “is the genius of America: dreams fulfilled help others launch new dreams.” Gilder could hardly have put it better himself. http://www.forbes.com/sites/bretswanson/2012/08/30/the-wonders-of-wealth-the-path-out-of-poverty/

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Warmly recommended show

Competitive parents: How to deal

MOMMY WARS

We can't help comparing our kids to everyone else, and it's hard not to get caught up in the game. Something about parenting brings out the competitive streak in many of us. But there are compelling reasons to resist the urge to play.

"I'm worried about Muffy," says DivaMom. "I think she may be overscheduled. Yesterday, I heard her reciting Shakespearean sonnets with her drama tutor -- in French. I just don't know what to do."DivaMom may not have a clue, but it's a fair bet that most of the rest of us know exactly what to do -- and it's really not fit for print.It's incredibly tempting to one-up another parent with a story of your own little darling's accomplishments, but it's an urge you need to resist. Here's why.

Comparing kids belittles them

People are unique. We all have strengths, and yes, weaknesses. When you measure your child against the yardstick of someone else's accomplishments, you belittle him or her. You reduce your child to an arbitrary determiner of success. It's unfair, and it's beneath you both.A better tactic: when DivaMom announces her daughter's latest achievements, just smile and say, "That's great!" Try to mean it, but even if you don't, that's okay. You just don't have to get sucked into her game. No one's going to win.

Competitive parents have competitive kids

A little competition can be a healthy thing, to be sure, but do you really want your child to live and die by how she measures up to the rest of the class? Remember, class might mean algebra -- or gymnastics, or pottery. Your child needs places where she can explore her strengths, learn from her weaknesses, and develop her own sense of self. She doesn't need to turn everything into a winner-takes-all sudden-death match.If the lesson you teach your kids is that you need them to win at everything, they'll never meet your expectations, and you'll both spend a lot of time miserable.A better tactic: let your kids know -- frequently -- how proud they make you. And when other parents try to top you, just smile sweetly and say nothing. It's not easy -- but you can carry emergency chocolates and pop them in your mouth if necessary.

Competitive parenting keeps you from enjoying your kids

If you're spending all your time measuring your child against her peers, you're not spending the necessary time appreciating her for who she is. Step back and really look at your kid, and take a moment to revel in what makes her unique. Think about the things she does that make your heart melt, the way she gives you joy.Yes, joy. Remember when this child was first placed into your arms, the moment when you became her mother? Remember that overwhelming sense of joy? You should still feel that every day, and if you don't something is wrong.Competition sucks the joy right out of parenting. It has no place in your life. So kick it to the curb. Instead of competing, make a point of finding the joy in parenting for at least a few minutes every day.You can't change people around you. But you can change how you respond to them. Don't allow competitive parenting to become a driving force in your family's life.

http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/808180/competitive-parents-how-to-deal
http://www.today.com/id/31207225/ns/today-today_health/t/my-parents-are-jealous-my-happy-life/#.UlsbOFAyYrY

Giving and Accepting Compliments

Mark Twain once said, "I can live for two months on a good compliment." Me too! When someone pays me a compliment, it's always so unexpected that it puts a bounce in my step. And although I am no Dr. Drew, I know that when we're nice to others, they're usually nice back. When we pay a compliment to someone, we feel better about ourselves by making another person feel better about him- or herself! And when we accept a compliment gracefully, it works the same way. Here are some tips on both giving and receiving compliments. How to Give a Compliment Giving a compliment is much easier than receiving one. A good rule is to simply tell another person whenever something complimentary about that person pops into your head. But there are also compliments that express something you've always thought about a person but have never put into words for some reason. (Sometimes we think the other person just knows how we feel or what we think, but of course putting it into words is the important thing.) • The first rule about giving a compliment is that whatever you say should be honest and sincere. • A woman-to-woman compliment is much simpler than when a woman compliments a man or vice versa. Most women are thrilled with a compliment from another woman, even if it's someone they don't know. Women who know each other, of course, can be more personal than if both are strangers. But when a woman compliments a man, it can be perceived as flirting. If a woman doesn't want this to happen, she should take care to be impersonal, as in "That's a beautiful shirt," rather than "That shirt makes you look so handsome!" The situation is even trickier when a man compliments a woman. In our litigious society, I know more than a few men who worry about saying a woman looks attractive for fear of being accused of sexual harassment. So in this case, the words should be thoughtfully chosen. Even "Nice blouse!" can be taken to refer to what's under the blouse instead of the blouse itself. In fact, it may be better for men not to compliment women at all unless they are close friends, and even then to make it clear that the remark is not a sexual advance. This is especially true when the man is more powerful than the woman, as in the case of an executive and his administrative assistant. • How you give a compliment is almost as important as what you say. Eye contact is key when giving a compliment. Without eye contact, you might as well pay the compliment via Facebook. It's all about face-to-face contact. Looking the other person in the eyes will speak volumes about your sincerity. Receiving a Compliment Receiving a compliment is difficult for many. Often our first reaction is to try and deflect attention by demurring or putting ourselves down. But this is not a graceful response, as it can make the compliment-giver feel unappreciated or even dismissed. • You need only two words: thank you, with a smile, of course. But you could also follow it up with a small phrase such as, How nice of you, or What a nice thing to say. That in turn will make the compliment-giver pleased. • As when giving a compliment, make sure you look the compliment-giver in the eyes when you thank him or her. No blushing or turning aside; eye contact means your thank-you is genuine. One of my favorite quotes, from Marianne Williamson in A Return to Love, addresses the issue of how to appreciate ourselves and others: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous. Actually, who are you not to be? . . . We are all meant to shine, as children do. . . . And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we're liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others." Appreciating ourselves enough to accept compliments gracefully is the other side of appreciating others enough to compliment them. Give someone a sincere compliment today, and the next time you are complimented, accept it with grace and pleasure. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-mirza-grotts/giving-and-accepting-comp_b_2476316.html

Most Stressful Jobs 2013

http://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2013/01/03/the-most-stressful-jobs-of-2013/

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these movies changed my whole perspective about adjust, improvise, dexterity and discipline.......all collected in a place you at least expect. Speechless....

No more Yes, Sir. Calling teachers by their first names

When I asked my seven-year-old daughter what she did at school today she replied, "I practised my times tables with David". Confused, I said "David? Who's David?" and she said "He's my teacher, silly!"

Our primary school is introducing a first-name policy in the class room. Up until now it has only applied to teaching assistants and office staff but now the powers that be want to extend that courtesy to teachers and even the head.

So instead of Mr Thomas and Miss Wilson, it will be a more relaxed Jerome and Rachel. While it is a very liberal school, with no school uniform and no homework, I can't help feeling that this a step too far.

"It's the middle classes gone mad!" says Ruth, a former teacher and mother of two at the school. "Children are already treated like pseudo adults. What happens when they realise that society is structured on authority? It will come as quite a shock when they have to interact with it effectively."

And Ruth is not the only parent to feel this way. "It's ridiculous, I would be furious if it happened at my son's school," says Karen, mother of one. "It's a barrier-breaker too far and totally undermines the teacher's position."

I must admit, part of me agrees with them. My son is in year six and starts secondary school in September. So after two terms of "Yes, Petra" he'll be thrown back into the world of Sir and Miss and at such an impressionable age, I think it could really confuse him.

But on the flip side, this is the 21st century, shouldn't we should be shaking off the shackles of enforced authority? First names have been used in sixth forms and colleges for many years and has not lead to any lack of respect or discipline issues.

"I'm absolutely fine with it if it suits the school. What's the point of having a liberal, relaxed school, if you have to call the adults Miss or Sir?" says Lindsey, a mother of one.

"On the other hand, if it was introduced at my son's school it would totally undermine its ethos, which along with a smart uniform, has a strict emphasis on respect and that includes for elders."

Of course, there has been a real change in society since I was at school. I recently bumped into one of my old school teachers. We had a lovely chat, but even now, 20-odd years later, I couldn't bring myself to call her Barbara, even though she insisted. It's because the respect for authority and my elders taught back then is now so deep-rooted that I almost bow when I meet someone older than me!

"First names is the norm in a private school close to me," says Gillian, a former teacher and mother of two. "Over the years I've tutored children who have attended the school and they regard it as perfectly normal, I don't think it affects discipline in any way."

But is it teaching kids the wrong message or does it create a more comfortable environment between student and teacher?

While some parents are in the camp first names is another nail in the dumbing down of our education system while others agree that ditching Sir and Miss will help create teachers create more of a bond with their students.

I asked my son's teacher what she thought about the new policy. "For me, it will take some getting used to. But I've spoken to my class about it and they've responded very positively," says Petra. "I think it will depend on the class, but I can't envisage any respect or discipline issues from it."

As David, my daughter's teacher, very sensibly put it "to be honest, it doesn't matter what we call ourselves, what is important is making a connection with each child so they want to learn. That's what it's all about." And I'm inclined to agree with him.
http://www.parentdish.co.uk/kids/calling-teachers-by-first-names-school/