Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

After being denied a Congress party ticket, Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channis brother Manohar Singh said on Sunday that he would contest as an Independent candidate from the Bassi Pathana Assembly seat.

Meanwhile, BJP and its ally SAD (Sanyukt) have appealed to the Election Commission to postpone the February 14 polls in Punjab in view of Guru Ravidas Jayanti. Earlier CM Charanjit Singh Channi had also made a similar request. In other news, a case has been registered against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia over alleged violations of Covid-19 norms.

Here are the top developments from poll-bound Punjab:

After Channi, BJP & SAD (Sanyukt) also seek postponement of Punjab polls

The BJP and its ally SAD (Sanyukt) have appealed to the Election Commission to postpone the February 14 assembly election in Punjab in view of Guru Ravidas Jayanti, after the BSP and Channi made similar requests to the poll panel.

The birth anniversary of Guru Ravidas falls on February 16.

In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner on Sunday seeking postponement of the election, Punjab BJP general secretary Subhash Sharma said, The state has substantial population of followers of Guru Ravidas ji, including the Scheduled Caste (SC) community which is about 32 per cent of the population of Punjab.

On this pious occasion, millions of the devotees would visit Banaras in Uttar Pradesh to celebrate the gurparb. So it would not be possible for them to participate in the voting process. It is therefore requested to your goodself that the date of voting may be postponed so that these voters of Punjab could participate in the election process, he wrote.

Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt) chief Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa, in a letter to the poll panel, also sought that the date of voting be postponed.

Earlier, CM Channi had urged the Election Commission of India to postpone the February 14 Assembly polls by six days in view of Guru Ravidas Jayanti.

SAD leader Majithia booked for violations of Covid norms

A case has been registered against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia over alleged violations of Covid-19 norms.

The case was registered under the relevant provisions of law at the Sultanwind police station, according to an official release issued here on Sunday. The release said violating the Covid norms, Majithia was received by hundreds of SAD supporters at an entry point of Amritsar city on Saturday.

The SAD supporters were seen honouring the former Punjab minister with garlands and siropas and these activities were captured on camera, it added. Majithia and his supporters violated all the Covid-related norms as well as the restrictions imposed by the Election Commission, the release said. Following the registration of the FIR, police will initiate action in accordance with law, it added.

Punjab CM Channis brother says will fight as independent from Bassi Pathana seat

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channis brother Manohar Singh, who was eyeing a Congress ticket from Bassi Pathana assembly seat, on Sunday said he will contest as an Independent from the constituency after the ruling party fielded its sitting legislator.

In its first list of 86 candidates, the Congress on Saturday gave the ticket to party MLA Gurpreet Singh GP from Bassi Pathana (SC) seat.

Manohar Singh dubbed the decision as injustice with the people of the constituency and alleged that the sitting legislator was incapable and ineffective.

Several prominent people of Bassi Pathana area have asked me to fight as an independent and I will go by what they have said. There is no chance of going back and I will surely fight the polls, Manohar Singh told PTI over the phone.

Singh had in August last year resigned as a senior medical officer from Kharar civil hospital. Singh has done his MBBS and MD. He also holds a postgraduate degree in journalism and has also studied law.

Vote as you see fit, Radha Soami Beas sect to followers

Radha Soami sect Beas, which has a sizeable number of followers in Punjab and some other parts of the country, has asked them to vote as they see fit in the assembly elections in five states.

Polls are being held in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur in seven phases between February 10 and March 7. The counting of votes will take place on March 10.

According to sources, the circular issued from the Beas headquarters headed by Gurinder Singh Dhillon to all Radha Soami Satsang centres across the nation says the sect has respect for all political parties as all are equal for us.

To cast vote is the personal right of each individual. So, here we all should exercise our voting right after the application of mind and keeping in view the wellbeing of the entire society, said the circular.

Empowering women has always been on top of my agenda, says Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Sunday said empowering women has always been on top of his agenda as their empowerment is vital for the development of any society.

Empowering women is vital for the development of any society & it has always been on top of my agenda. No society can prosper without giving a due respect to women. Have taken several path breaking initiatives to empower them & I, their brother, shall always stand by their side, he tweeted.

Channi also said that in the short time (of 111 days) which he got as the chief minister before the model code of conduct came into force, he did his best for the welfare of all.

I have always stood for equal opportunities and worked for the progress and prosperity of the state and its people. With the little time I had, I did my best for welfare of all. With your continuous support, we will soon restore the pristine glory of the State, he said in another tweet.

A few days ago, the Punjab chief minister had claimed that it will be a one-sided sweep by the Congress.

(With PTI inputs)

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Punjab poll wrap: CMs brother to contest as Independent; BJP, SAD (Sanyukt) want voting deferred - The Indian Express

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January Peer Support Events

Men's GroupZoom Meetings, Mondays, 10:00 to 11:00 amThis group is for men in our community seeking support, an opportunity to gain experience new skills and a chance to connect with other men with disabilities. We will work on managing stress, frustrations and issues they may ...

IT Training Available for Individuals With Disabilities

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASELANSING, MichiganThe Michigan Bridge to Opportunity Academy is seeking candidates for their training and certification program. Michigan Bridge to Opportunity Academy was specifically developed to empower and enable people with disabilities to achieve a meaningful career in information technology.

Community Connections | Fall eNewsletter

Together We GiveTogether We Give is an online fundraising campaign that empowers you to raise awareness and be direcly involved in the donation drive. Join us as we change attitudes and perceptions about disability and maintain our digital strengths so everyone can connect and participate.

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Promoting personal empowerment and positive social change ...

The e-learning platform for timeless soft skills that schools do not teach

Soft skills will be a major driver of the workplace transformation in the future. Creativity, persuasion, people management and emotional intelligence will present a higher demand across all industries than narrow technical skills, The Future of Jobs suggested.

As people navigate the age of ever-changing trends, Catalyfe has stepped up to provide e-learning tools that cater to learners.

Balanced learning experience

Soft skills are interdependent; its not possible to, for example, manage a team successfully without listening actively, making decisions intuitively and communicating effectively. Catalyfe brings a holistic approach to the development of all aspects of life: on professional, personal, intellectual, relational and emotional levels. Their tailored courses, based on real-life knowledge, are broken down into daily lessons and exercises that only require several minutes at a time to complete.

Timeless life skills

The platform focuses on the seven most significant self-development areas of life: Personal Growth, Business & Career, Love & Relationships, Financial Freedom, Family & Children, Health & Wellbeing and Green Living. Catalyfe encourages harmonious self-development, rather than selected skills-based learning. Developing a career, while simultaneously building meaningful relationships, taking care of your wellbeing and caring for nature such combinations are what bring true joy and satisfaction in life.

Complete system of learning

The best outcomes can be achieved when your learning experience is tailored to your needs. Learn as you go and dive as deeply into the topic as is right for you. Flexible learning formats allow learners to mix and match the content from free webinars to short practical courses, live masterclasses, personal coaching and podcasts. Its just so easy to find it all in one place.

Nitin Nanda, the founder of Catalyfe, explains that the platform was born out of a need for this new approach to learning, as well as a liking for education and personal development. Nanda explains that this is to encourage learning timeless skills in order for us to thrive in tomorrows world today.

Our vision is to provide a tailored e-learning experience, connecting your personal growth and the challenges of the future. Catalyfe wants everybody to release the fullest potential within, not just succeed in one particular area. We aim to complement your personal education path to offer a life-long learning experience.

In line with their promise, Catalyfe is offering a special annual membership subscription that currently allows unlimited access to online courses on the platform. Annual members are also eligible to participate in Catalyfes iPhone 13 challenge and win an iphone 13 in a lucky draw.

Catalyfe stands on understanding community, wisdom, growth and compassion. They are calling upon people to take charge of their lives and start a journey of self-empowerment.

Media ContactCompany Name: Skillex OContact Person: Nitin NandaEmail: Send EmailCountry: EstoniaWebsite: https://catalyfe.com

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Catalyfe: Introducing a new approach to education and personal growth - Digital Journal

Live shows may have gone on pause during the first 15 months or so of the pandemic, but music did not go away. Not by a long shot.

This was a busy year for new releases some that were held up by issues related to shutdowns, others the product of quarantined musicians having time to focus on creating. Whatever the reason, there was a surfeit of excellent music released during 2021, enough to make it hard to determine the years very best.

After some hand-wringing consideration, then, these were the 12 (in alphabetical order) that stood above all others.

The Black Keys, Delta Kream (Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch): The Nashville-by-way-of-Ohio duo, abetted by four others, goes seriously back to its roots on this collection of songs by Junior Kimbrough, RL Burnside, Mississippi Fred McDowell, John Lee Hooker and others. The Keys reverence hasnt kept them from putting their own stamp on these songs, crafting fresh interpretations that sound more like well-sourced originals than covers.

David Bowie, Toy (Parlophone/Rhino): Slipped into Novembers Brilliant Adventure (1992-2001) and coming out on its own Jan. 7, this was recorded in 2001, hot off tour, and sidelined by his label at the time. Unusual in that it mixes new versions of tracks from early in his career, it is, like so many things Bowie, as good now as it would have been 20 years ago, a great find from someone we lost way too soon.

Alice Cooper, Detroit Stories (earMUSIC): The shock-rock pioneer paid tribute to his home town, recording in Royal Oak, using fellow Detroit players and mixing in some indigenous favorites by Bob Seger, the MC5 and others. He also reunited the original Alice Cooper Band for two tracks, making this a hard-rock celebration that transcends its geographical concept.

Halsey, If I Cant Have Love I Want Power (Capitol): Talk about a match made in heaven; Halsey (Ashley Frangipane) teaming with the nine inch nails/film composing due of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross is a masterstroke that adds both nuance and firepower to this provocative concept album about pregnancy and the birth of her first child.

Japanese Breakfast, Jubilee (Dead Oceans): Bubbling under from two previous releases, the third times a charm for Michelle Zauner and company. Jubilee is jubilant, mature and fully realized, a celebration of an artist finding the missing piece of focus for her voice and her story.

Durand Jones & the Indications, Private Space (Dead Oceans/Colemine): The Indications lush up the production just enough on its third outing to step forward while remaining true to the 60s and 70s soul root the band comes from. The swagger is well-earned, a genuine, infectious joy bursts out of these 10 tracks.

Miranda Lambert, Jack Ingram and Jon Randall, The Marfa Tapes (RCA Nashville): This trio has written together for Lamberts own albums (including Tin Man, which is also included here), but recording together in the west Texas desert takes the songs to another place entirely. Honest, intimate and raw, its an around-the-campfire experience thats all about the songs and the voices singing them which is nothing short of damn fine in both aspects.

Arlo Parks, Collapsed in Sunbeams (Transgressive): The soulful 21-year-old British singer and songwriters debut album started strong and only gained momentum as the year went along. Its Mercury Prize for Album of the Year was well deserved along with a Best New Artist win at the Brit Awards and two Grammy nominations. Hopefully theres much more where this came from.

Silk Sonic, An Evening With Silk Sonic (Aftermath/Atlantic): The union of Bruno Mars and Anderson.Paak sounds as good as it looks on paper (and in photos). Whats not to love about two guys who can create this kind of authentic, vintage soul vibe. It may be a bit on the short side at just nine songs and less than 32 minutes, but that only leaves us wanting more.

Billy Strings, Renewal (Sound Emporium): On his fifth studio album, the Michigan-born guitarist continued to push the boundaries of what can be considered bluegrass sonically and lyrically while still adhering to the genres traditions. If theres justice, Renewal will give Strings his second consecutive Grammy Award for Best Bluegrass Album.

Aaron Lee Tasjan, Tasjan! Tasjan! Tasjan! (New West): The unapologetically idiosyncratic singer-songwriters most personal and most sonically ambitious album finds him singing openly about his sexuality amidst a wash of textures and instrumental flavors, and no shortage of infectious melodic hooks. The exclamation points in the title are well-placed, as a first listen to Tasjan!-cubed is only a beginning that will bring any listener back for rewarding repeats.

Yola, Stand For Myself (Easy Eye Sound): No sophomore slump here. The British singer-songwriter came off her Grammy Award-nominated 2019 confident and with purpose, and it shows on these 12 songs again produced by label boss Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. Bringing older material to the present, Yola preaches empowerment and self-actualization with a vibrancy thats infectious and inspiring.

But wait Yes, theres more. Heres another dozen releases that merited plenty of play during 21: The Accidentals, Vessel and Time Out EP (Savage Kittens); Adele, 30 (Melted Stone/Columbia); Jason Boland & the Stragglers, The Light Saw Me (Thirty Tigers); Coldplay, Music of the Spheres (Atlantic); Iron Maiden, Senjutsu (BMG); Sarah Jarosz, Blue Heron Suite (Rounder); Valerie June, The Moon and the Stars (Fantasy); Danny Kroha, Detroit Blues (Third Man); Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, Raise the Roof (Rounder/Concord); Shortly, Dancer (Triple Crown); Sturgill Simpson, The Ballad of Dood & Juanita (High Top Mountain)

Gary Graff reviews 2021 in music on Ann Delisis Essential Music at 11 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 26, on WDET-FM (101.9).

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The years best albums were diverse, ambitious - The Oakland Press

Movie audiences, slowly and haltingly, started to return to the theaters in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic to see blockbusters, like Spider-Man: No Way Home and the latest James Bond movie, but not meatier fare like the West Side Story remake.

As much fun as it was to see big movies on the big screen, the best movies of 2021 tended to be smaller and more personal. Stories of migrants finding their home, artists finding their inspiration, and people exploring what it means to be human.

Here are my picks for the top 10 movies of 2021:

1. Flee It begins with the story, and the voice, of Amin, describing his harrowing trek out of Afghanistan and the lie that allowed him to settle in Denmark, but could mean deportation and losing his Danish boyfriend if it was ever revealed. Amin and director Jonas Power Rasmussen take viewers on an incredible journey, using animation to show what couldnt be captured with a video camera. The film (which won multiple honors at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival) is the most moving, humane story of the year. (Utah theatrical release pending.)

(Image courtesy of Sundance Institute) A man recalls his journey from Afghanistan to Denmark, in the animated documentary "Flee," by Jonas Poher Rasmussen. The French/Swedish/Norwegian film is an official selection of the World Cinema Documentary Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival.

2. Drive My Car A recently widowed theater director (Hidetoshi Nishijima) leads a production of Uncle Vanya in Hiroshima, still dealing with the fact that his wife was having an affair before she died. Hes assigned a driver, a young woman (Tko Miura) whos experienced loss in her own life, and learns that the TV actor (Masaki Okada) who was sleeping with his wife has auditioned for the play. Director Rysuke Hamaguchi keeps the emotions in check, as his characters find their own way through their pain, using their art and Chekhovs Vanya as their beacon. (Opening Jan. 7 at the Broadway Centre Cinemas.)

3. Nine Days In a house in a sort of pre-existence (actually, on the Bonneville Salt Flats), Will (Winston Duke) has the job of interviewing souls played by such actors as Zazie Beetz, Tony Hale and Bill Skarsgard to determine which one gets the honor of being born and living a life on Earth. Will talks things over with the houses caretaker (Benedict Wong), who may or may not be God, as he stews over why his last choice died by suicide. Writer-director Edson Odas debut feature is an adventurous puzzle box of a movie, examining what it means, and what it takes, to be alive. (Available on DVD and as a digital rental.)

4. Inside Bo Burnhams one-man musical he wrote the songs, directed and shot the film, edited the video and sound, and is the sole performer is more than a stunt. Created in the isolation we have all felt during the pandemic, Burnhams raw and nervy song cycle is a scathing commentary of internet culture and a cry from the heart for genuine connection. (Streaming on Netflix.)

5. Summer of Soul ( Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) If all director Ahmir Questlove Thompson had done was string together the footage from the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival a mostly forgotten concert series, the same summer as Woodstock this documentary would have been a blast, with great performances by Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Stevie Wonder, the 5th Dimension, Mavis Staples and Mahalia Jackson, Hugh Masekela, B.B. King, Max Roach, Nina Simone, and others. Thompson also brings in interviews and archival footage to put the event in context, bringing alive a moment of Black identity and empowerment. (Streaming on Hulu.)

6. Jockey What could have been a cliche-driven sports movie about a broken-down jockey (Clifton Collins Jr.) trying for one last season becomes a beautiful character study of age and regret, thanks to Collins soulful performance and director Clint Bentleys use of magic hour natural lighting of a race track that, like the title character, has also seen better days. (Opens Feb. 11 at the Broadway Centre Cinemas.)

7. Bergman Island A writer (Vicky Krieps) and her filmmaker husband (Tim Roth) travel to Fr Island and rent a cabin once occupied by Ingmar Bergman, in hopes that the solitude and the masters vibe will inspire their creativity if they dont get distracted by the many Bergman-heads also there on vacation. Director Mia-Hansen-Lves droll comedy-drama is as light as Bergmans films are heavy, but they have a common theme: The compulsion to follow ones muse, wherever it may lead. (Digital on demand.)

8. Judas and the Black Messiah On one level, writer-director Shaka Kings historical drama captures the short life of Fred Hampton (Daniel Kaluuya, who won an Academy Award for it), the Illinois Black Panther Party leader, through his meteoric rise and horrific murder at the hands of the FBI. Dig deeper, and it becomes (as the title implies) a gripping parable of Gesthemane, with Hampton betrayed by Bill ONeal (LaKeith Stanfield), his closest confidante and an FBI informant. (Streaming on HBO Max.)

9. I Carry You With Me A fascinating hybrid of narrative film and documentary, director Heidi Ewings film focuses on Ivn (Armando Espitia), an aspiring chef in Mexico who falls in love with Gerardo (Christian Vazquez) but must cross the border, illegally, to find a better life in New York, free from homophobia and persecution. The early narrative scenes are heartbreakingly poetic, but the documentary footage in the final half hour is the real payoff. (Available on DVD and as a digital rental.)

10. Candyman Director Nia DaCosta finds poetry and timely commentary in her reboot/remake/sequel of the 1992 horror classic this time with an artist (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) becoming drawn to the legend of the hook-handed killer of Chicagos Cabrini-Green projects, with horrifying consequences. DaCosta (working with Get Out director Jordan Peele as a producer) explores gentrification and the other ways Black history can be erased, with a visual sense that will take ones breath away. (Available on DVD and as a digital rental.)

This years honorable mentions: Jane Campions dark Western The Power of the Dog; director Maggie Gyllenhaals unsettling beachside drama The Lost Daughter; Joachim Triers Norwegian quarter-life drama The Worst Person in the World; Joe Wrights swooning musical Cyrano; Michael Rianda and Jeff Rowes wickedly clever animated family tale The Mitchells vs. the Machines; Pablo Larrains exploration of royal dysfunction in Spencer; David Lowerys visually arresting medieval tale The Green Knight; Emma Seligmans hilariously uncomfortable comedy Shiva Baby; Rebecca Halls incisive depiction of 1920s racial divisions in Passing; and Sin Heders heartfelt family drama CODA.

The great thing about doing this part of the list: Once I write them down, I never have to think about these movies ever again.

1. Space Jam: A New Legacy An adaptation of Warner Bros. annual report to stockholders, this exercise in corporate branding was a misfire for all concerned, particularly LeBron James.

2. Halloween Kills Whatever goodwill David Gordon Green had accumulated with his 2018 revisiting of John Carpenters horror classic, this sequel somewhere between a chaotic bloodbath and a meta-commentary on crappy horror sequels squandered it.

3. Home Sweet Home Alone Making the stranded 10-year-old the villain was a choice. A terrible choice, but a choice.

4. Silk Road The obnoxiously true story of how a young guy (Nick Robinson) amassed so much white privilege he thought he could intellectualize his way through creating an international dark-net website to sell everything evil under the sun.

5. The Little Things Running through the Seven checklist Old cop (Denzel Washington), young cop (Rami Malek), creepy potential killer (Jared Leto) without the slightest understanding of how the earlier movie, or basic human behavior, work.

6. American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally B-movie actress Meadow Williams is in over her blonde-wigged head in this vanity project, playing an American performer on trial for broadcasting propaganda for the Nazis during World War II.

7. Queenpins A humorless caper comedy that squanders a usually funny cast, including Kristen Bell, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, Paul Walter Hauser and Vince Vaughn.

8. Vanquish How can you tell Ruby Rose isnt cut out to be an action star? When Morgan Freeman, sitting in a wheelchair and appearing onscreen for 10 minutes, is more watchable.

9. Senior Moment This pathetically unwatchable romantic comedy starring William Shatner and Jean Smart sat on the shelf for four years, and that wasnt long enough.

10. Here Today Billy Crystal (who also directed and co-wrote) plays an old comedy pro in the middle stages of dementia, and its as overbearing and unfunny as you might be guessing.

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The top 10 movies of 2021, led by an immigrant's story in animated form - Salt Lake Tribune

Editors note: This is one of a series of articles profiling area agencies that help the needy.

KINGSTON, N.Y. For nearly five decades, The Peoples Place has been thought of as a food pantry and thrift store. But Christine Hein, executive director of operation on St. James Street in Midtown, says it has become so much more.

While Peoples Place is most well-known for its 49-year-old mission of feeding our community members with needs via [the] food pantry, it has more than 20 additional programs that focus on achieving food security, cultivating self-dignity through offering life essentials, and nurturing our next generation of community leaders, Hein said.

She said initiatives at The Peoples Place range from programs focused on food to the agencys new Wellness Empowerment Center.

Food initiatives include Bag Hunger, which provides breakfast, lunch and snacks to Ulster County families with children when school is out of session, such as during the summer or holiday breaks. The Peoples Place also partners with schools such as John F. Kennedy Elementary School in Kingston to provide food on weekends to all members of a childs family.

On a daily basis, The Peoples Place offers its Fresh Bounty program, which provides a rotating selection of free produce, breads, baked goods, dairy and proteins. The items change daily and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Fresh Bounty operates in The Peoples Places parking lot.

There also is the Free Farm Stand program, which provides fresh produce from local farms from May until the end of October. And Thanksgiving and Christmas each year are marked with the free distribution of complete holiday meals.

The Peoples Place relies on a mix of public funding and private donations. Earlier this month, the Ulster County Capital Resource Corp. approved providing $100,000 to the agency so it could buy and distribute $50 gift cards to 2,000 area residents.

Recent additions to The Peoples Place include its Community Caf, which opened in October 2019 at 777 Broadway and offers breakfast and lunch to all at no cost; and the Wellness Empowerment Center, which began workshops in July of this year.

The Wellness Empowerment Center strives to enhance the quality of an individuals current life and help them build a strong healthier life for their future through wellness classes, health screenings, nutrition education, financial education, and alternative health modalities, Hein said.

Workshops and classes are held Monday through Friday and are free to Ulster County residents.

Other initiatives at The Peoples Place include the Personal Care Closet (which provides, for free, such items as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo and deodorant), Dress for Dignity (which provides free clothing), Styles N Smiles (free haircuts), and Project Stay Warm (which provides free winter weather items such as coats, hats, mittens and scarves).

Specifically for children, The Peoples Place has its annual Project Santa program, which distributes toys, board games, books, stocking stuffers and winter clothing during the Christmas season for Ulster County residents up to 16 years old. There also is a Birthday Booth program through which children can receive an age-appropriate birthday present, birthday cake and party supplies.

For more information about The People Place, go to the website peoplesplaceuc.org or call (845) 338-4030. Donations to the agency can be made atpeoplesplaceuc.org/donate or by sending a check to the agency at 17 St. James St., Kingston, N.Y. 12401.

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Peoples Place in Kingston has grown to be much more than thrift store and food pantry - The Daily Freeman

The much-anticipated drop features an array of innovative, high-quality pieces showcasing the best in streetwear, with Dameshek and Ordonez at the forefront of the movement. The talented duo are always on the cusp of redefining fashion through their creativity and individual skill-sets, as their peers continuously look to them as sources of inspiration for self-expression through fashion - which ultimately served as the springboard for the creation of Wish Me Luck. Founded in 2019, the brand is built on the foundation of empowerment, as Dameshek and Ordonez ultimate goal is to inspire ambitious youth to take risks and chase their dreams - just as they did. Wish Me Lucks renowned products include t-shirts, accessories, trucker hats, sweatsuits, and are known to sell out almost instantly after becoming available. Most often seen being styled on the streets of Los Angeles and New York City, Wish Me Luck fosters individuality, creativity, and unity through fashion, values that both of its co-founders have built their personal and professional brands off of.

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Sam Dameshek and Alex Ordonez' Wish Me Luck Debuts Winter Capsule Collection, "America The Beautiful" Flaunt Magazine - Flaunt Magazine

The New York Post called it a bimbo summit: Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, and Lindsay Lohan, flanked by paparazzi cameras, smiling from the front seat of a car. (This was, apparently, deserving of a cover back in 2006.) The following year was labeled the year of the bimbo by the tabloid, lumping together Hiltons jail sentence, Spearss shaved head, and Anna Nicole Smiths death as emblematic of being young, ditzy, and out of control. To be a bimbo, in the early aughts, was a bad thing.

That photo has resurfaced almost 15 years later to celebrate: Within one holy day, Hilton got married, Spears was finally freed from her conservatorship, and Lohan debuted her highly anticipated acting comeback with Netflix. The internet took the news as a sign that the earth is healing.

That its this photo is fitting. (Sure, yes, its iconic, but its not like there arent other photos of them together, you know?) All three women were being torn apart by the media during the time the picture was taken. Spears was scrutinized for wearing no underwear and voted 2006s worst celebrity dog owner (??); Lohan was told her party-girl reputation off-screen would ruin her onscreen career; and people were convinced the ditzy character Hilton played in The Simple Life was reality and were furious about it.

Hilton herself reflected on the Holy Trinity photo recently, saying that most of these problems, i.e., pitting women against each other and inventing drama, were just caused by the media in her podcast episode covering the 15th anniversary of the bimbo summit. The history of the word bimboand its use as a tool of the patriarchy stretch back far, far longer than 2006, but the intent has remained the same to equate expressing feminine sexuality, or caring too much about ones appearance by, say, wearing makeup, with being unintelligent, all in an effort to keep women in check. Cambridges dictionary defines it as a young woman considered to be attractive but not intelligent. Women cant have it all, I guess.

The false idea that women arent as smart as men isnt new, but it is relevant (like in studies that show women get passed over for their male counterparts when employers want brainy workers), and categorizing attractive women as bimbos has put the onus on all women to prove theyre not one of those girls to prove that they deserve, and more importantly, want, to be taken seriously. Brains over beauty! Except for that whole societys standards of acceptable attractiveness thing, but I digress. Bizarrely, the word originated from an Italian word for a baby boy, with the slang changing around 1920 when a song written for a Broadway revue entitled My Little Bimbo Down on the Bamboo Isle used the term to describe a woman. Needless to say, calling a grown woman a term previously used for children is not great.

Anyway, todays bimbos have reclaimed the label to have nothing to do with any of that. To be a self-proclaimed bimbo in 2021 is to be a socially aware, politically engaged person who is capital-C Confident. A bimbo finds (versus forfeits) power in expressing femininity. And across social-media platforms, self-confessed bimbos are discussing the flaws of late-stage capitalism while wearing fake eyelashes and winged eyeliner and posting captions that educate followers about gender and racial inequality with long acrylic nails.

Much of this philosophy lives on #BimboTok. On TikTok, the hashtag #Bimbo alone already has over one billion views. Chrissy Chlapecka, a 21-year-old Chicago-based barista, is one of the most prominent New Age bimbos on the app, with nearly 4 million followers. Chlapecka posts maximalist outfit videos (most of which are pink, black, and fluffy) and encouraging satirical messages like: shoutout to everyone who disappoints their parents by the way they dress. In each video, Chlapecka takes on the comedic character of mentor to her bimbabies, making jokes about her struggle with anxiety and telling followers the secret to being hot is to step on homophobes and Republicans. Shes the theatrical embodiment of the type of womens-empowerment discourse you scroll past on Twitter: avoiding straight men and being yourself because the worlds ending.

To Chlapecka, being a bimbo means being confident, loving your own version of femininity, and sexuality. Its being the full and honest version of who you are aside from societal judgments that look down upon the beauty and power of femininity interpreted in ones own way, she continues. While like anyone viral on TikTok, she gets her fair share of hateful comments which she then replies to by shaking her ass her following of loyal bimbabies often ask her for advice or encouragement. Chrissy, tell me hes not worth it please, writes one. When I say shes my new religion writes another. For these followers, Chlapeckas open embrace of bimbodom translates to unequivocal acceptance.

Princess (also known as FauxRich on TikTok), a 22-year-old based in Los Angeles who posts TikToks showcasing her long acrylic nails and references Dolly Parton in her personal style, says a lot of peoples true self lies within being a bimbo. She defines being a bimbo as being hot, caring, bubbly, proplastic surgery, prosex work, and living an authentic lifestyle, all of which goes against the long-held notion that women have to masculinize themselves to hold power.

While bimboism is the performance of hyperfemininity, Chlapecka says that identifying as a bimbo is a tool to protest against gender norms by dismantling historical expectations of femininity. Bimbo culture today gives feminine people the opportunity to enjoy their femininity and interpret it in their own way without judgment, she says. Sure, maybe youre not comfortable wearing Hello Kitty acrylic nails to the office, but maybe seeing Chlapecka in platform boots, pigtails, and a miniskirt while talking about her big knockers and capitalism might encourage you to wear colorful eye shadow to your work meeting without worrying that youll be taken less seriously or laughed at. Bimbo has always been a word that a man has given us, Chlapecka continues. Now, I will give myself the label as a way of acknowledging my own power within choice to call myself it and make it into something accepting and positive.

Todays reclamation of bimbohood is also a tool for queer liberation. For Griffin Maxwell Brooks, a 20-year-old Princeton University undergrad whos another popular self-confessed bimbo on TikTok, being a bimbo is a way to reclaim their body and gender expression. I am queer and genderfluid and I love to express myself through fashion, and the idea of bimbofication was always a hilarious and beautiful way of embracing the parts of me which were a bit shocking to society, they say. Brookss take on bimboism is less pink and more latex. They share videos of the bimbofication of everyday life from navigating Princeton (where they study mechanical engineering) to being on the diving team.

Brooks says that for many people, especially marginalized people, self-expression is resistance and bimbohood is one form of self-expression. I think the idea of being a bimbo really resonated with a lot of feminine and queer people because it encouraged them to dig their heels into their identities rather than supressing themselves to appease society, they explain. The response from their 800,000-plus followers, Brooks says, has fostered an online community with an unrelenting dedication to themselves.

Thats the crux of New Age bimbohood: It isnt just about liking the color pink and posting makeup tutorials. Its as expansive as femininity itself, and even better, its saying that you dont need to shy away from expressing it (and definitely shouldnt judge others who do, no matter what society has taught you). Self-professed bimbo or not, all femme people can benefit from the reclamation of bimboism as it avoids pitting different women or expressions of womanhood against each other and actively rejects the notion that being feminine is somehow being less than male counterparts (a lie to keep us in a cycle of self-doubt and self-hate). As Princess puts it, being a bimbo is being a true girls girl. I was always Karen from Mean Girls, not Regina. If the Y2K bimbo narrative was a way to divide women and femme people, todays bimbo is here to unite us again.

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The Reclamation of Bimbohood - The Cut

Published on December 27, 2021

Proportion of women in management positions to rise to 30 percent by 2030

Mumbai LANXESS wants to further promote gender diversity: By 2030, the specialty chemicals company aims to increase the proportion of women in management positions worldwide to 30 percent. At the end of 2020, around 23 percent of these positions were held by women.

To move LANXESS forward, we need the best talents. We also know from our own experience that diverse teams come to better decisions and drive innovation. Bringing more women into management positions is therefore a decisive factor for the further successful development of our company, said Matthias Zachert, Chairman of the Board of Management of LANXESS AG.

Tailored offers to promote women

All LANXESS executives are obliged to pursue this new goal. To promote the professional and personal development of women, LANXESS supports young executives with individual mentoring and coaching offers. In addition, the specialty chemicals company is setting concrete targets for staffing its global talent programs: At least 30 percent of participants are to be female. In recruiting, LANXESS works with events tailored specifically to women. In addition, development and training opportunities are designed to be attractive to women. The company is also continuously expanding its offerings for balancing work and family life. For example, by the end of 2022, offers for flexible working in terms of time and place are to be available in 95 percent of the countries in which LANXESS operates.

Commitment to equality

In February 2021, LANXESS joined the Womens Empowerment Principles initiative of UN Women and UN Global Compact. This underlines the companys commitment to promoting business practices that empower women. These include equal pay for work of equal value, gender-sensitive policies for the advancement of women, and zero tolerance for sexual harassment in the workplace.

Group financing also reflects the companys commitment to increasing the proportion of women. Since the end of 2019, the interest rate of LANXESS main revolving credit facility has been linked, among other things, to how successfully the company increases the proportion of women on the top three management levels.

Continued here:

LANXESS wants to increase number of women in management - APN News

LAHORE: Special Assistant to the chief minister (SACM) and spokesperson of Punjab government Hasaan Khawar has said progress and prosperity of the country can only be ensured if national development is given priority over individual interests.

Politics of self-interest is very short-lived but the ideological politics last for generations, he said while talking to the media after a cake-cutting ceremony on Quaid-i-Azams 146th birth anniversary at Lahore Museum and participating in a photo exhibition organised by girl students.

He said under the present circumstances, PTI is the only political force which is committed to development and progress, fight against corruption and democracy.

The PPP was formed on an ideology but due to its political blunders and corruption in its ranks it has shrunk to regional level in Larkana. Similarly, PMLN and Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman also pursued the politics of personal interests.

He said today's event reflected the diversity and women empowerment and these are the qualities which will make Pakistan successful in the future. He said Pakistan came into being on the ideology of Faith, Unity & Discipline.

He said despite adverse circumstances of that time, Quaid-i-Azam had a strong belief on his ambitions. He stressed the need to maintain unity in our ranks besides giving priority to national interest.

He said we will have to leave individualism and provincial identities behind. He said a handful of anti-social elements could not spread chaos in Pakistan. He said PTI is ensuring equality of law for all in fight against corruption.

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PTI committed to fighting against corruption - The News International