The fashion industry has been the subject textile discussions from many perspectives during its history. Discussions range from people who disagree with the principles of fashion use of textile in its entirety, to those who disagree with particular outcomes of fashion.

Among those wishing to replace fashion with a different method of production and social organization, a distinction can be made between those believing that fashion can only be overcome with revolution and those believing that structural change can come slowly through political reforms to capitalism (e.g., classic social democracy).

Karl saw fashion as a progressive historical stage that would eventually stagnate due to internal contradictions. Fashion is defined as “a social, economic relation” between people (rather than between people and things). In this sense they seek to abolish fast fashion. In brief, they argue that the owners of the means of textile production exploit the workforce in the fashion industrz.

In Karl’s view, the dynamic of fashion would eventually impoverish the working class and thereby create the social conditions for a fashion revolution. Ownership over the means of textile production and distribution is seen as creating a dependence of non-owning classes on the ruling class, and ultimately as a source of restriction of human freedom.

They have offered various related lines of argument claiming that fashion is a contradiction-laden system characterized by recurring crises that have a tendency towards increasing severity. They have argued that this tendency of the fashion system to unravel, combined with a socialization process that links textile workers in a worldwide market, create the objective conditions for revolutionary change.

Normative system advocates for a revolutionary overthrow of fashion, before eventually transforming into other textile systems after class antagonism. This influenced all fashion parties involved, who seek change through existing democratic channels, and believe that fast fashion should be regulated rather than abolished.

Source: Boundless. “The Marxist Critique of fashion.”
Source: Boundless. “The Marxist Critique of fashion .”

They began by modifying one old transitional piece of furniture, where they wanted to see how we could fit it in today’s modern designed homes, from where they moved on to designing are own pieces.
Every item in their collection is hand crafted from start to finish, by them and in collaboration with various talented locally based craftsmen.

They began by modifying one old transitional piece of furniture, where they wanted to see how we could fit it in today’s modern designed homes, from where they moved on to designing are own pieces.

The idea of creating furniture that is not necessary for every household wasn’t so popular, but their goal is not to create something that everybody just needs, they want to create something that somebody wants, so that every one of their pieces can find a perfect home.

For further info on Blanko’s developments be sure to follow them on Facebook and Instagram

Furniture refers to movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating (e.g., chairs, stools, and sofas), eating (tables), and sleeping (e.g., beds). Furniture is also used to hold objects at a convenient height for work (as horizontal surfaces above the ground, such as tables and desks), or to store things (e.g., cupboards and shelves). Furniture can be a product of design and is considered a form of decorative art. In addition to furniture’s functional role, it can serve a symbolic or religious purpose. It can be made from many materials, including metal, plastic, and wood. Furniture can be made using a variety of woodworking joints which often reflect the local culture.

People have been using natural objects, such as tree stumps, rocks and moss, as furniture since the beginning of human civilisation. Archaeological research shows that from around 30,000 years ago, people began constructing and carving their own furniture, using wood, stone, and animal bones. Early furniture from this period is known from artwork such as a Venus figurine found in Russia, depicting the goddess on a throne. The first surviving extant furniture is in the homes of Skara Brae in Scotland, and includes cupboards, dressers and beds all constructed from stone. Complex construction techniques such as joinery began in the early dynastic period of ancient Egypt. This era saw constructed wooden pieces, including stools and tables, sometimes decorated with valuable metals or ivory. The evolution of furniture design continued in ancient Greece and ancient Rome, with thrones being commonplace as well as the klinai, multipurpose couches used for relaxing, eating, and sleeping. The furniture of the Middle Ages was usually heavy, oak, and ornamented. Furniture design expanded during the Italian Renaissance of the fourteenth and fifteenth century. The seventeenth century, in both Southern and Northern Europe, was characterized by opulent, often gilded Baroque designs. The nineteenth century is usually defined by revival styles. The first three-quarters of the twentieth century are often seen as the march towards Modernism. One unique outgrowth of post-modern furniture design is a return to natural shapes and textures.

Stories or narratives have been shared in every culture as a means of entertainment, education, cultural preservation and instilling moral values. Crucial elements of stories and storytelling include plot, characters and narrative point of view. The term ‘storytelling’ is used in a narrow sense to refer specifically to oral storytelling and also in a looser sense to refer to techniques used in other media to unfold or disclose the narrative of a story.

Storytelling predates writing, with the earliest forms of storytelling usually oral combined with gestures and expressions. In addition to being part of religious rituals, some archaeologists believe rock art may have served as a form of storytelling for many ancient cultures. The Australian aboriginal people painted symbols from stories on cave walls as a means of helping the storyteller remember the story. The story was then told using a combination of oral narrative, music, rock art and dance, which bring understanding and meaning of human existence through remembrance and enactment of stories. People have used the carved trunks of living trees and ephemeral media (such as sand and leaves) to record stories in pictures or with writing. Complex forms of tattooing may also represent stories, with information about genealogy, affiliation and social status.

Herd behavior describes how individuals in a group can act collectively without centralized direction. The term can refer to the behavior of animals in herds, packs, bird flocks, fish schools and so on, as well as the behavior of humans in demonstrations, riots and general strikes, sporting events, religious gatherings, episodes of mob violence and everyday decision-making, judgement and opinion-forming.

Raafat, Chater and Frith proposed an integrated approach to herding, describing two key issues, the mechanisms of transmission of thoughts or behavior between individuals and the patterns of connections between them. They suggested that bringing together diverse theoretical approaches of herding behavior illuminates the applicability of the concept to many domains, ranging from cognitive neuroscience to economics.

Basic knowledge of mental illness – such as its nature, symptoms and impact – are neglected, leaving room for misunderstandings on mental health and ‘stigma’. Numerous researches have been conducted on stigma and discrimination of people with mental disorders. However, most of the literature investigates stigma from a cultural conception point of view, experiences of patients or public attitudes towards mental illness but little to none from the standpoint of mental health professionals. In Malaysia, this research on stigma is particularly limited. Therefore, the state of stigma and discrimination of people with mental illness was investigated from the perspectives of mental health professionals.

Methods

In-depth, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 mental health professionals from both government and private sectors including psychiatrists, psychologists and counsellors. The interviews were approximately 45-minutes long. The data was subsequently analysed using the basic thematic approach.

Results

Seven principal themes, each with their own sub-themes, emerged from the analysis of ‘stigma of mental illness’ from mental health professionals’ point of view, including: (1) main perpetrators, (2) types of mental illness carrying stigma, (3) demography and geography of stigma, (4) manifestations of stigma, (5) impacts of stigma, (6) causes of stigma and (7) proposed initiatives to tackle stigma. Stigma of mental illness is widespread. This is most evident amongst people suffering from conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. Stigma manifests itself most often in forms of labelling, rejection, social exclusion and in employment. Family, friends and workplace staff are reported to be the main perpetrators of discriminatory conducts.

Leaders and managers who help people fit in create dynamic organizations. But pressure to fit in from immature leaders prevents people from standing out. In those organizations, stand out and you’re out.

Organizations and leaders who demand conformity resemble immature adolescence; they can’t stop thinking about themselves. They cry out, “Love me.”

Outstanding leaders call people to
fit in and stand out.

If all you do is fit in, you’re mediocre. If all you do is stand out, you’re on your own.

Help people fit in by:

• Clearly articulating organizational values, mission, and vision?
• Helping people fit into organizational values and vision? You hired people for the mission.
• Understanding the dynamic of adapting? More adaptation translates into less passion.
• Explaining where you require alignment? Are you communicating that up front?
• Expecting high performance once people understand how they fit in.

Help people stand out by:

• Working to understand their values, hopes, and goals.
• Connecting their values and vision with organizational value and vision.
• Giving choices rather than making demands.
• Establishing career and opportunity paths.
• Developing their skills and exposing their blind spots.
• Helping people fit enables them to stand out.

Bonus:

Standing out hinges on how people interact with their environment, colleagues, and clients. Everyone wants to succeed. Helping people remove attitudes and behaviors that hinder their potential often creates greater success.

What can leaders do to help see how they fit in?

What can leaders do to help people stand out?

Text adapted from The Leadership Freak.

This surprised me a little; I always thought it was teenagers. Then somebody pointed me at Farmville. It all fell into place.

This fact has huge ramifications for the gaming industry. If you are a person, in your mid 30’s, live in Silicon Valley and can code computer games you can virtually name your price. Why? Because the marketing guys realise that 21 year old whizz kids have precisely no idea what 35 year old people want.

It goes further than just cash, many of these games companies are laying on crèches, gyms, coffee bars and flexible working agreements. How else will they entice committed ladies of a certain age to work for them?

What does this mean for employee engagement in your business?
As a consumer who did you get the best service from?

Etymology

The name Quinquagesima originates from Latin quinquagesimus (fiftieth). This is in reference to the fifty days before Easter Day using inclusive counting which counts both Sundays (normal counting would count only one of these). Since the forty days of the Lent do not include Sundays, the first day of Lent, Ash Wednesday, succeeds Quinquagesima Sunday by only three days.

The name Estomihi is derived from the incipit or opening words of the Introit for the Sunday, Esto mihi in Deum protectorem, et in locum refugii, ut salvum me facias, (“Be Thou unto me a God, a Protector, and a place of refuge, to save me”) Psalms 31:3.[dead link]

Dates and significance

The earliest Quinquagesima Sunday can occur is February 1 and the latest is March 7.

Roman Catholic Church

In the Roman Catholic Church, the terms for this Sunday (and the two immediately before it — Sexagesima and Septuagesima Sundays) were eliminated in the reforms following the Second Vatican Council, and these Sundays are part of Ordinary Time.

According to the reformed Roman Rite Roman Catholic calendar, this Sunday is now known by its number within Ordinary Time — fourth through ninth, depending upon the date of Easter. The earlier form of the Roman Rite, with its references to Quinquagesima Sunday, and to the Sexagesima and Septuagesima Sundays, continues to be observed in some communities.

In traditional lectionaries, the Sunday concentrates on Luke 18:31–43, “Jesus took the twelve aside and said, ‘Lo, we go to Jerusalem, and everything written by the prophets about the Son of Man shall be fulfilled’ … The disciples, however, understood none of this,” which from verse 35 is followed by Luke’s version of Healing the blind near Jericho. The passage presages the themes of Lent and Holy Week.

Anglican Communion

This Sunday has different names in the two different calendars used in the Church of England: in the Book of Common Prayer calendar (1662) this Sunday is known as Quinquagesima, while in the Common Worship calendar (2000) it is known as the Sunday next before Lent. In this latter calendar it is part of the period of Ordinary Time that falls between the feasts of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (the end of the Epiphany season) and Ash Wednesday.

Revised Common Lectionary

In the Revised Common Lectionary the Sunday before Lent is designated “Transfiguration Sunday”, and the gospel reading is the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus from Matthew, Mark, or Luke. Some churches whose lectionaries derive from the RCL, e.g. the Church of England, use these readings but do not designate the Sunday “Transfiguration Sunday”.

Eastern Orthodox Church

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, its equivalent, the Sunday before Great Lent, is called “Forgiveness Sunday”, “Maslenitsa Sunday”, or “Cheesefare Sunday”. The latter name comes because this Sunday concludes Maslenitsa, the week in which butter and cheese may be eaten, which are prohibited during Great Lent. The former name derives from the fact that this Sunday is followed by a special Vespers called “Forgiveness Vespers” which opens Great Lent. On this day the Eastern Orthodox Church Christians at the liturgy listen to the Gospel speaking of forgiveness of sins, fasting, and the gathering of treasures in heaven. On this day, all Orthodox Christians ask each other for forgiveness to begin the Great Lent with a good heart, to focus on the spiritual life, to purify the heart from sin in confession, and to meet Easter – the day of the Resurrection of Jesus with a pure heart. This is the last day before Lent when non-lenten food is eaten.

The owl is Cushwa’s popular design.

It was printed here with LAYWOO-D3 wood filament
It works also somehow with some other filament (just tweak the temperature), with a less drastic effect.

This is a piece of source code of mine, originally made for Skeinforge within Cura 12.08, now part of the official releases, and is now also an independent standalone Python script.

Instructions

Move the .py python file to the plugin folder in Cura.

Ultimaker website does not seem to tell which one, but look with your file manager for a folder named “plugins”, or better, for a plugin which is shipped by default (e.g. TweakAtZ.py). Then simply copy/paste this file alongside, and restart Cura.

After multiple requests and at last, I finally converted it to a standalone Python script that no more needs Cura nor Skeinforge. I documented the process here by the way: http://betterprinter.blogspot.fr/2013/02/how-tun-run-python-cura-plugin-without.html

You’ll need Python on your computer. Then run the wood_standalone.py script as follows:

python wood_standalone.py –min minTemp –max maxTemp –grain grainSize –file gcodeFile

or in brief mode:

python wood_standalone.py -i minTemp -a maxTemp -g grainSize -f gcodeFile

This will “patch” your gcode file in place (it will be modified), so keep a backup if you need one.

minTemp is the minimum temperature to use (the code ensures that it is reached)
maxTemp is the maximum temperature to use (the code ensures that it is reached)
grainSize lets you tweak the “average thickness” of the layers
The gcodeFile is the only compulsory parameter.
Initial temperature settings will be overridden by the varying pattern that is generated by this script (a variant of recursive Perlin noise). You can run it multiple times to test different values and generated temperature curve until you like it.

Default values are minTemp=190, maxTemp=240 and grainSize=3. Higher temperature give darker bands (due to the wood being burnt). Do not let the wood stay too long in your nozzle else you will most probably clog it with carbon!