Tag Archives: community

Culture

Explore The Evolution And Creation Of America’s Music On Giant IMAX Screen

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America’s Musical Journey follows singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc as he traces the roots of American music and explores the great musical cities- places like New Orleans, Chicago, Nashville, Miami, New York City and more- where such electrifying art forms as jazz, the blues, country, soul and rock and roll were born.

In America’s musical cities, every chord, every riff, every bang of a drum tells a story. In America’s Musical Journey these stories come together to create a soundtrack for the American experience—a soundtrack that showcases the nation’s diversity and its collision of cultures, culminating in a unique blend of sound, music and innovation unlike anywhere else in the world. Click here to read full PDF release.

Aloe Blacc
Singer/songwriter Aloe Blacc tracing the roots of American music.

“There’s something exciting that happens when different cultures come together as they have in America. One of the things that happens is incredible creativity.”

Aloe Blacc US Consulate Toronto
Aloe Blacc- one of the stars of America’s Musical Journey- performing live this month at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto.

America's Musical Journey IMAX

America’s Musical Journey is a MacGillivray Freeman Film produced in association with Brand USA and presented by Expedia.

Director: Greg MacGillivray
Producer: Shaun MacGillivray
Executive Producer: Tom Garzilli
Writer: Stephen Judson
Music By: Steve Wood
Editors: Stephen Judson, Jason Paul and Victoria McGinnis
Director of Cinematography: Brad Ohlund
Aerial Cinematographer: Ron Goodman
Production Manager: Meghan MacGillivray
Production Manager: Kathy Almon
Visual Effects: Alan Markowitz

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Politics

Funding Announced To Help Ontarians Save Energy And Money In Homes And Businesses

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I’m sure we all read the distressing poll that about a third of Canadians still don’t believe the threat of climate change is real.  Even more illuminating: only 30 per cent even know we are taking action in Ontario to fight climate change.

This is the reason why Canada and Ontario are working together to take action on climate change and find clean solutions to help homeowners and families save money, reduce energy waste, create jobs and support healthy communities.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, and the Premier of Ontario, Kathleen Wynne, announced a federal investment of up to $100 million to help the people of Ontario make energy efficient retrofits to their homes – including apartments, townhouses and low-income housing – and businesses.

This funding will support the province’s GreenON Rebates program, which helps cover the cost of eco-friendly retrofits across the province. This investment is supported by the Government of Canada’s Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund.

GreenON Rebates will assist property owners make energy efficient changes like installing better insulation, high-efficiency ventilation systems and heat pumps, and other devices to save energy and reduce costs.

This is an opportunity for us here in Haldimand-Norfolk to take action and do our part in fighting the climante change. We can take advantage of receiving some of our own tax dollars back by improving our houses and businesses while saving money in the long run at the same time.

As part of its Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP), Ontario in investing up to $1.7 billion over the coming years into GreenON to support a wide range of programs, including rebates and programs to help families, business and farmers make environmentally friendly changes. The CCAP is a five-year action plan that is making life more affordable for people across the province and making Ontario a leader in the global fight against climate change. Revenues from Ontario’s carbon market, which puts a cap on the carbon pollution businesses can emit, are funding this action plan.

The Government of Canada’s Low-Carbon Economy Leadership Fund provides $1.4 billion to provinces and territories that have adopted the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change (PCF), to deliver on commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Today’s announcement is part of the almost $420 million Ontario is receiving through the Leadership Fund.

Did you Know:

  • Through GreenON, property owners are currently eligible for rebates up to $7,200 in savings on new insulation; $5,000 in savings on replacement windows; $5,800 in savings on some air source heat pumps; and $20,000 in savings on installation of some certified ground source heat pumps.
  • In January, Ontario became part of the second-largest carbon market in the world, which forms the backbone of Ontario’s strategy to cut greenhouse gas pollution to 15 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020, 37 per cent by 2030 and 80 per cent by 2050.
  • Ontario’s carbon market has generation approximately $2.4 billion in revenue to improve schools, hospitals, transit and other projects like new bike lanes that are building a greener, more energy efficient province.
  • Ontario has committed up to $1.7 billion over three years to support a wide range of programs under the Green Ontario Fund (GreenON).

 

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Politics

Tinkering Won’t Fix Crisis In Ontario Corrections And Jails

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In December of 2015, I toured the aging Thunder Bay District Jail. The nearly century-old jail had recently been the scene of a riot that led to a correctional officer being taken hostage – 70 inmates took control of the upper floor for a period of 20 hours.

In Ontario, assaults on correctional officers and other staff have more than doubled over the past seven years.

Last year, a report by the Independent Advisor on Corrections Reform described shocking abuse and disorder in Ontario’s detention centres – centres that are overcrowded and violent.

After violent incidents, inmates are often held in solitary confinement without access to rehab programs, and lockdowns are often the only recourse because of short staffing.

Much of the violence in Ontario’s detention centres is derived from smuggled weapons and drugs – but officers are restricted in their ability to conduct searches.

Front-line officers tell us they feel they are in danger – they are outnumbered, and they have little recourse when they’re attacked.

Ontario’s probation and parole system is a joke — that’s exactly what criminals have called it. Our probation and parole officers are not to blame. In many cases, they are actively discouraged from checking up on criminals by making house visits because of insufficient resources. Offenders are often left to self-report but, obviously, very few do.

Over 45,000 former inmates are out on parole or probation being forced to self-report. And 60 per cent of these individuals are deemed medium to high risk, that’s 27,000 individuals free to roam  our province.

How can this out of touch government make the claim that our communities are safe?

Why did this current government allow this to happen? That’s the question that needs to be asked.

The present provincial government recently introduced Bill 6, to supposedly deal with the issue. But this government has a history of producing incomplete, skeletal and poorly-thought-out legislation, and Bill 6 is no exception.  The Correctional Services Transformation Act is supposed to be a thorough overhaul of a broken correctional system, but it has the same deficiencies as most other legislation of late.

Obviously, the Liberals are inclined to think more bureaucracy is a solution to every problem, but more paper-pushing isn’t going to solve that problem.

Minor tinkering isn’t going to fix the crisis in corrections. The government must take serious and thorough action.

Has this government decided that the needs and wants of incarcerated criminals are more important than the rights of correctional officers and the order and safety of our detention centres are secondary to making criminals feel comfortable. Obviously, this legislation – Bill 6 — must be compliant with the written portion of our Constitution and our common-law traditions. But it must be said corrections officers and all prison staff have rights as well.

As my colleague MPP Rick Nichols, our critic for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services has been saying, there has been a crisis in corrections for years in the making. Now with an election looming, the Liberals want us to believe — with Bill 6 — they’re experiencing a deathbed conversion. For the Silo, Toby Barrett, MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk. 

 

 

 

 

Politics

ISIS Goal Splits Family And Divides Muslims

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History is made in moments, often of crisis and uncertainty, and the wisdom with which we meet them. This is one of those moments.

ISIS goal is to split the human family. To divide the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims from everyone else. Those in our societies who sow fear, suspicion and hatred of Muslims  are the best allies the extremists who attacked Paris and Beirut could ask for.

Muslims are almost one quarter of humanity, and 99% are as horrified by the ISIS attacks as everyone else. They have been the greatest victims of ISIS, and have the greatest power to help defeat it. So let’s answer hate with humanity, and seize this chance for transformative change. For all of us – Muslims and Non-Muslims everywhere – to fiercely welcome each other into our one human family like never before.

We Are All One

Sign the global “Undivided” message, add your own, and share the page with everyone – If enough us join now, we can start a global wave of solidarity, and make the pain of these attacks the birth pangs of a more beautiful world. When we get to 500,000 signatures Avaaz will run ads in Muslim community papers and online, as well as key right wing papers that spread fear and division: 

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/loving_transformation_loc/?bsOTIab&v=69561&cl=8992696952

The real front line of this war is not just in the dusty towns of Syria and Iraq, but in the media and social media forums where the stories we tell ourselves compete. There is a fraternity of ignorance and hatred and it stretches across borders, in which extremists on all sides work together to drag the rest of us down into their backward world of spiraling brutality.

Our governments will need to increase their vigilance in preventing attacks, and support military efforts to defeat ISIS. But our job as people, and our leaders’ jobs as moral leaders, is to ensure that love, the transformational antidote to ISIS’ hate, blooms between Muslims and everyone else everywhere. THAT would be ISIS’ worst nightmare – it might even give some of the angry young men they recruit cause to hesitate – a chance to see an alternative as inspiring to them as the backward brand of faith that ISIS markets.

At the darkest times, our light as humanity can shine brightest. Human rights were not recognized until after the second world war. The world got it wrong after 9/11, when leaders play into Al Qaeda’s hands by stoking Islamaphobia. This time, let’s be wiser, come together as Muslims and non-Muslims more closely than ever before, and brightly shine the light of the world we’re building:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/loving_transformation_loc/?bsOTIab&v=69561&cl=8992696952

From a place of love, we might begin to listen to our brothers and sisters among Muslims that have lent ISIS some support. First and foremost those Sunnis from Syria and Iraq, who have been treated unjustly by Iraq’s government, and incredibly brutally oppressed by Syria’s dictator Al Assad. We might begin to understand that when we failed to offer their families protection and relief from the horrors they faced, ISIS offered that protection, and some accepted it. We might focus on learning from this, and offering them a better deal.

With that lesson, we might see the stories of the peoples around the world that ISIS fighters come from. From Chechnya, where generations of Muslim families were horrifically murdered while the world looked away. Or from Egypt, or Algeria, or dozens of other countries, where sickeningly brutal state security police have tortured and murdered countless Muslims who dared to stand up to their venal corruption – something that is a religious responsibility for Muslims.

And maybe then we will understand that while ISIS is a monster that we must defeat, the monster is more than just the group itself. It’s the desperation of millions of people suffering under horrific conditions, and looking for a way out. And the rest of us in the human family, Muslims and non-Muslims, have either looked away, failed to effectively address, or often, backed and supported these horrors.

So let’s seize this moment with wisdom, to bring down the monster we face, the one we all have lines of responsibility for. Let’s see the human family united like never before to defeat ISIS – not just on the battlefield, but in our own societies, in the media and social media, and most of all in the thousands of Muslim communities that live today around the world in fear.  Let’s encourage Muslim and Non-Muslim communities everywhere to embrace each other, welcome refugees with compassion, escalate our pressure on Egypt and other brutal governments to stop brutalizing opponents and creating the ISIS’ of the future, redouble our efforts to achieve a peace deal in Syria, protect at-risk communities like the Rohingya, stop constant terrifying drone attacks on communities, and ensure that the military actions we support are scrupulously careful to avoid traumatizing the civilians who are suffering enough already under ISIS’ boot. If we do these things, we’ll do far more than defeat ISIS, we’ll defeat the misery that has given rise to them, and in a way that takes the human family one wiser step further on our journey together.

With love and gratitude for this amazing community,

Ricken, Luis, Ben, Alice, Rewan, Elana, Mohammed, Steve, Emma and the whole Avaaz team.

Art

Theft Of Artist Ideas May Not Be Theft At All

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Recently, one of my readers wrote that “there is another kind of generosity that comes much harder to me. I know I shouldn’t be stingy in this way, but I find myself stubbornly so. It’s the generosity of sharing my ideas, my connections, or giving a leg up to those who could benefit sometimes from my knowledge – whether that’s contacts, networks, tips, or the meat of my ideas themselves.”

This concern, of course, is not unique and strikes at the heart of something that all those in creative professions fear and must face. The ownership of ideas is difficult to prove. If you tell someone your plan in confidence and they, in turn, use it for their own purposes, there is very little you can do to show that you are the originator. Spreading this rumor is likely to make you look like the bad guy. It’s no wonder that this sort of generosity is cause for concern.

Arguably, no one would really offer up their original ideas before they have been fleshed out and no one would expect this from another artist. Talking about work in progress in general terms is one thing, but detailing the entire plan is another altogether. There is nothing wrong with being a little protective of your creative capital, it is the lifeblood of what you do.

Steve Jobs and Apple on stealing ideasBut what about sharing your networks or some trade secrets that helped you get to where you are today? While you may have worked tooth and nail for everything you’ve gained, there were surely people along the way who said yes at the right moment and assisted your progress. No one can ask more than this, and as an artist of a certain standing, there is nothing wrong with offering this sort of help.

It’s important to ask yourself what you may gain or lose by offering your assistance in any way. While this may not sound like a very altruistic way of thinking, remember that you are indeed running a business and there is nothing wrong with a bit of shrewd thinking. Further, though, when you stop and think about the outcome of sharing your network, it is unlikely that helping an emerging artist by introducing people who might be able to help will in any way affect your position as a more established artist.

No one exists in a vacuum. Even you, who may have scraped and fought your way to where you are today, benefited from the acceptance and help of others. Sure, you may have pounded the pavement endlessly in order to secure your position but that is no reason not to pay forward the success you have achieved. It is too easy to forget, once you have achieved a certain status, the myriad small moments that led you there. While it may seem as though hardly anyone was out to help you in the early days, surely there were some, otherwise you could not be where you are today. Even if it was just a few gallerists who were finally willing to take a chance, there are always rungs of assistance in the ladder to every success, no matter how small.

In our present times, we live in a world where community is very much at our fingertips. The rules of social engagement have definitely changed. This is both a benefit and a burden. While the new landscape of online social engagement can absolutely open up opportunities that didn’t exist prior to this revolution in social connection, the online community can also present a world of its own difficulties. It is impossible to know who you are actually dealing with and with virtually everyone in the entire art world present online, it can easily overwhelm a newcomer to the scene.

For these reasons, there is a lot to be said for good old-fashioned face-to-face interaction. Being the sort of artist who is willing to mentor in the real world sets you apart. Establishing this sort of reputation, for being the one who will gladly share the bounty you have created, seldom reverses one’s own success and frequently opens new doors you may never have considered.

Getting back to the idea of sharing artistic ideas and concepts, this is a bit trickier. As I said before, it may be unwise to give away your nascent, unfruited plans to just anyone. On the other hand, allowing others to view works in progress isn’t likely to cause too much harm.

Arguably, there is no such thing as original art. Even some of the most contemporary artists’ work is derivative of past creations. Marina Abramovic, in her unique style, has absolutely drawn from (and occasionally been accused of copying) works by other artists. Pablo Picasso (and perhaps more famously, Steve Jobs who quoted him) said, “good artists copy, great artists steal.” This doesn’t mean that you should open yourself up to idea theft, but it does mean that perhaps being stingy with your concepts, your network, your position as an established artist, doesn’t count for as much security as you might think. Be smart about things, but in general, it is always a good idea to reach down the ladder and help those coming up behind you find the next rung.  For the Silo, Brainard Carey.

Brainard  is currently giving free webinars on how to write a better Artist bio and statement and how to get a show in a gallery – you can register for that live webinar and ask questions live by clicking here.

Featured image: Jarrod Barker.

Philanthropy

911 Heroes Memorial Run Series Happening Across America And The World

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The Travis Manion Foundation (TMF), one the nation’s leading veterans advocacy organizations, is hosting its flagship event – the 10th annual 9/11 Heroes Memorial run in more than 50 communities across the country and around the world this September, including locally in in Annapolis, MD, and Alexandria, VA. The annual race series unites communities across the country to remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost on 911, as well as to honor our veterans, military, and first responders who serve our country. Proceeds from the 9/11 Heroes Run will benefit the Travis Manion Foundation, which empowers veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations.

The 9/11 Heroes Run 5K series was inspired by Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion, who was killed by a sniper in Iraq in April 2007 as he selflessly protected his battalion. Before his final deployment, Travis visited Rescue One in NYC—famous for losing almost all of their men on 9/11—and returned home with deeper passion about why he was fighting in Iraq. At its heart, the 9/11 Heroes Run is a tribute to a personal commitment to never forget the heroes of that day. Now in its tenth year, the 9/11 Heroes Run national race series will be held in more than 50 locations across the country and around the world. As part of the marketing campaign for the race series, TMF released the video found at the start of this article, to inspire runners and walkers of all ages to participate.

Last year, more than 50,000 people participated in race locations around the world or as virtual runners, to support military, veterans, first responders and their families through TMF. National sponsors of the events include Comcast NBC Universal and CBS Radio. Last year’s Annapolis run drew a crowd of over 2,000 participants including Maryland Governor Larry Hogan and midshipmen from the U.S. Naval Academy.

Ryan Manion, TMF President and Travis Manion’s sister, provided this statement:

“As I reflect on the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 Heroes Run, I’m in awe at the number of communities across the country and around the world that have united to honor all those touched by the events of September 11th, 2001. We challenge all Americans to join us this September, to ensure our next generation never forgets the sacrifices of our veterans, active duty military, first responders, and civilians who were affected by the attacks on 9/11 and in the wars since.”

5 Key Races

  • 9/11 Run Alexandria, VA on Saturday September 9, 2017 at 9:00am ET
  • 9/11 Run Philadelphia, PA on Sunday September 9, 2017 at 9:00am ET
  • 9/11 Run Houston, TX on Sunday September 9, 2017 at 8:00am CT
  • 9/11 Run Annapolis, MD on Sunday September 17, 2017 at 2:00pm ET
  • 9/11 Run Doylestown, PA on Sunday September 24, 2017 at 2:00pm ET

See details for over 20 other races in cities across the U.S. linked here.

For the Silo, Tyler Bryant.

TMF empowers veterans and families of fallen heroes to develop character in future generations. In 2007, 1stLt Travis Manion (USMC) was killed in Iraq while saving his wounded teammates. Today, Travis’ legacy lives on in the words he spoke before leaving for his final deployment, “If Not Me, Then Who…” Guided by this mantra, veterans and survivors continue their service, develop strong relationships with their communities, and thrive in their post-military lives. As a result, communities prosper and the character of our nation’s heroes live on in the next generation.

Culture

Affirmation Cards From Canada Moms Intended To Affect Millions

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Everyone knows the old saying “to know where you’re going, you have to know where you’ve been” right? This couldn’t be more accurate, and for you to truly relate to Love Powered Co. and where it came from, we feel that you might need to know a little bit about affirmation and about us first.

Our names are Anna Lozano and Lindy Sood and we would like to welcome you to the Love Powered movement.  We are friends and soul sisters who realized that together, we have a powerful message to share with the world. Months ago, we started talking about what is lacking in the marketplace when it comes to personal growth products for families. How our children were most certainly gaining positive subconscious programming from stating their daily affirmations, but what about being consciously aware of the words they were speaking?

We wanted them to understand this beautiful new vocabulary. We wanted them to connect with these positive words and statements. We wanted them to link the affirmations to their own daily experiences, to their own unique feelings and emotions, and to how they interacted with others.

Our mission is to create a self-worth movement, powering the next generation of mindful leaders. A better tomorrow starts with our children, and that means we need to do the work now, healing ourselves in the process.

This is so much bigger than a product, it’s a global movement creating a better tomorrow. Welcome home, to our Love Powered family.

How Are We Different?

1. 22 POWERS

Parents & children think of examples and ‘times when’. Going even deeper, we ask ‘How did this make you feel’? By connecting their own experiences to each POWER, and remembering how they felt, it better helps our children to understand the words and statements they are saying, and connect deeper to the meaning behind them.

These are the qualities of emotionally intelligent trailblazers! The POWERS we all have within us, at times, we just need to be reminded of it.

2. CONNECTION

Instead of 1 affirmation per card, we have grouped together 3 related terms + a statement – helping our little ones to grasp the meaning of the words and how they all relate to each other. We are teaching our children a new, beautiful, positive vocabulary.

3. CONSCIOUS AWARENESS

Instead of 1 affirmation per card, we have grouped together 3 related terms + a statement – helping our little ones to grasp the meaning of the words and how they all relate to each other. BONUS! We are teaching our children a new, beautiful, positive vocabulary!

4. EXAMPLES & FEELINGS

We focus on the power of CONNECTION between parent & child. Leave the screen at the door, this is a time to be present, engaged and wholeheartedly connected.

5. AESTHETIC

These cards are so darn adorable and just oh-so-delicious, we are certain that you and your little ones will find it hard to wait to get your hands on them.

For more information, contact us here.

 

 

 

Culture

Ancient Zen Story About Re-framing Failure Applies To Grant Applications

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When thinking about grant writing, it helps to first consider this story that tells about luck. In it, a farmer’s horse runs away and all his neighbors come by to say what bad luck this is. The farmer replies “maybe.” His horse returns and with it brings wild horses. The neighbors all say what good luck this is to which the farmer says, “maybe.” The farmer’s son, attempting to tame one of the wild horses, is thrown and breaks a leg. Bad luck, say the neighbors, “maybe” says the farmer. At last the army comes to town gathering up all the able bodied young men to go off to war. Seeing the farmer’s son with his broken leg they pass on by.

The story ends here, but it shows that things are often connected in ways we can’t possibly predict. A Lebanese saying reaches toward the very same point, “Don’t curse your bad luck because it may turn out to be your good luck.” Again the message here is that you can’t possibly know whether a single event is truly good or bad.

Failure can and should be viewed through the lens of stories and phrases like these. When we stumble, it is easy to fall into the trap of thinking of this one moment as some sort of endgame. On the contrary, every so-called failure is nothing more than the next step in your journey.

Failure feels personal. When you have worked hard on something, poured your very soul into it, only to have things not come to fruition, it can feel like the universe is pointing a finger directly at your forehead. Putting things into some context is one way to start seeing the bigger picture.

Shakey Graves- Roll the Bones. Bandcamp.

Grant applications are quite probably one of the best examples of this. There is so much riding on any given application, whether it is for a specific project or an artist’s general practice. Grants are one of the ways in which working artists stay afloat and they are not only time-consuming, they can feel extremely personal.

Not receiving a grant can set off a cycle of emotions. Everything from wondering what is wrong with your work or your application, to convincing yourself that this is the last chance and there’s no point trying again. Let’s unpack these very common reactions and shed some light on the reality of the situation.

For any given grant you may apply to, there are countless others also spending long hours writing up their own applications. Grants range all over the place in size and popularity, so to speak. Even smaller scale grants (say, those offered by lesser known organizations or tightly specified to certain disciplines) will often attract many applicants.

While there are certain strategies when it comes to writing a good grant application, there is no single, objective way to ensure that yours will be the one chosen. When it comes down to final decision time, there is a level of subjectivity built into the process. Art for example, is not a quantitative subject and nor are grants being awarded via algorithm. Rather, they are being decided by panels of human beings with a range of subjective emotions about a field that is as unscientific as it gets.

For the reasons above, when you do not receive a grant, think of it in terms of the many, many other applications rather than simply in terms of what you personally did wrong. Do not ignore this as a learning experience and do reach out the grant organization for feedback whenever possible, but do not let “no” from one or even a string of grant organizations stop you in your tracks.

Instead, recall the story and expression above. Think of every grant, in fact, every action, as nothing more than a single ripple on the surface of the vast river that is your journey. When you do not get into a gallery, carry on and find others. Down the line when you look back, you will have the clarity to see the progression of events. When you are passed over for a residency, apply to three more. If a project doesn’t work out the way you thought it would, evaluate what happened, learn from the experience, and move on down the road.

Brainard Carey. image: elmcityexpress.blogspot

No one is claiming that this is easy. This isn’t about somehow detaching from your feelings and letting rejection slide like water off a duck’s back. Of course not. Rejection hurts. No matter how impersonal it might actually be when we are told no it isn’t a good feeling.

But remembering that every moment is just that, a single blip on the screen rather than a career breaking catastrophe can help you heal and recharge sooner after you’ve had a misstep. Carry the simple answer of the farmer with you at all times, “maybe.”

For the Silo, Brainard Carey.

Brainard  is currently giving free webinars on how to write a better Artist bio and statement and how to get a show in a gallery – you can register for that live webinar and ask questions live by clicking here.

Philanthropy

Mark Canada 150 By Raising 150K Meals For Haiti Children With This UN App

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CANADA – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has launched the #ASK1TOASK1 campaign, asking all Canadians to join the challenge to raise 150,000 meals for children in Haiti through the ShareTheMeal app to mark Canada’s 150th anniversary.

Every day, countless children in Haiti turn up for school on an empty stomach, which makes it hard to focus on lessons. A daily school meal can mean not only better nutrition and health, but help the next generation reach its full potential. The #ASK1TOASK1 ShareTheMeal campaign will allow WFP to scale up their Home Grown School Meals programme in Haiti.

It costs just $4.55cdn, less than a bottle of maple syrup, to provide one week of nutritious meals to children in school through the ShareTheMeal app! The app allows users to share nutritious food with hungry children around the world by simply tapping on their smartphone and donating $0.65 or more.

“WFP’s ShareTheMeal app and the #ASK1TOASK1 campaign provides Canadians with an easy way to share meals with hungry children in Haiti,” said Robert Opp, a Canadian who is Director of Innovation and Change Management at WFP.
“Daily school meals allow children to focus on their studies rather than their stomachs, feeding their dreams for the future.”

Robert Opp

Haiti has been repeatedly affected by a series of devastating natural disasters over the last two decades. 2016 was the third consecutive year of El Nino-related drought, and the country was hit by the category 4 Hurricane Matthew, which left more than 800,000 people in need of urgent food assistance.

In Haiti, WFP is working together with the Government to produce a sustainable, nationally-owned, school feeding programme linked to local agricultural production. WFP procures local commodities such as rice, fresh fruit and vegetables from the local smallholder farmers, giving them a predictable market for their products and the children enjoy a healthy diversified school meal.

Join WFP Ambassador Against Hunger, George Stroumboulopoulos and other celebrities like World Champion Wrestler Andre Berto, Singer Dawn Richard and Canadian national Olympic Weightlifter Isabel Lahela who have all committed to help fundraise for the children in Haiti. To get involved, simply download the free app, join team #Canuck and once you have fed a child for a week share with your social media network, using the hashtag #ASK1TOASK1.

WFP’s award-winning app has engaged a new generation in supporting the fight against hunger. More than 850,000 people have downloaded the app and shared over 14 million meals with thousands of vulnerable children in Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Malawi, Cameroon, South Sudan and Yemen.

image- worldvision.org.uk

The ShareTheMeal community recently contributed to WFP’s famine response in South Sudan, where users shared 1 million meals with those people in dire need of food.

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide, delivering food assistance in emergencies and working with communities to improve nutrition and build resilience. Each year, WFP assists some 80 million people in around 80 countries.

ShareTheMeal allows smartphone users to share their meals with hungry people via a free iOS and Android app. ShareTheMeal is an initiative of the World Food Programme Innovation Accelerator.

Download the app here.
For more information, please visit: https://sharethemeal.org/canuck.html

Follow us on Twitter @wfp_Canada and @ShareTheMealorg

For the Silo, Laura Mirarchi & Julie Marshall, WFP/Toronto.

Featured image- http://www.public-value.cbc.radio-canada.ca/story/1/

LE PAM ET SHARETHEMEAL LANCENT UNE CAMPAGNE POUR DISTRIBUER 150 000 REPAS À DES ENFANTS EN HAÏTI EN L’HONNEUR DU 150ÈME ANNIVERSAIRE DU CANADA

CANADA – Le Programme Alimentaire Mondial (PAM) des Nations Unies démarre aujourd’hui la campagne #ASK1TOASK1, qui propose aux Canadiens de participer à un challenge visant à distribuer 150 000 repas à des enfants en Haïti via l’application ShareTheMeal en l’honneur du 150ème anniversaire du Canada.

Chaque jour, de très nombreux enfants haïtiens vont à l’école le ventre vide, ce qui les empêche de se concentrer. En plus d’améliorer leur nutrition et leur santé, un repas scolaire quotidien peut permettre à la prochaine génération d’atteindre pleinement son potentiel. La campagne #Ask1toAsk1 de ShareTheMeal permettra au PAM d’étendre la portée de son programme “Home Grown School Meals”, qui fournit des repas scolaires produits localement.

Avec l’application ShareTheMeal, fournir une semaine de repas scolaires nourrissants à des enfants ne coûte que $4,55, soit moins qu’une bouteille de sirop d’érable ! L’application permet aux utilisateurs de partager de la nourriture saine avec des enfants dans le besoin en quelques clics sur leur smartphone, en faisant des dons de $0,65 ou plus.

Robert Opp, directeur canadien de l’Innovation et du Changement au PAM, dit que “ l’application ShareTheMeal et la campagne #ASK1TOASK1 offrent aux Canadiens un moyen simple de partager des repas avec des enfants dans le besoin en Haïti.”
“Des repas scolaires quotidiens permettent aux enfants de se concentrer sur leurs études et non sur leur estomac, alimentant leurs projets futurs”

Haïti a été touché par une série de graves catastrophes naturelles lors des deux dernières décennies. En 2016, le pays a connu pour la troisième année consécutive des sécheresses causées par El Nino, et a été touché par l’ouragan Matthew de catégorie 4. En conséquence, plus de 800 000 personnes ont un besoin urgent d’assistance alimentaire.
En Haïti, le PAM collabore avec le gouvernement pour mettre en place un programme de repas scolaires durable et public, qui s’appuie sur l’agriculture locale. Le PAM se fournit en produits locaux auprès d’agriculteurs haïtiens de petite taille. Ces achats de riz, fruits et légumes frais donnent accès aux producteurs à un marché stable et offrent aux enfants des repas sains et variés.

Rejoignez l’ambassadeur du PAM George Stroumboulopoulos et d’autres célébrités comme le Champion du monde de lutte Andre Berto, la chanteuse Dawn Richard et l’haltérophile Isabel Lahela, qui se sont engagés à aider à collecter des fonds pour les enfants en Haïti. Pour participer, vous n’avez qu’à télécharger gratuitement l’application, rejoindre l’équipe #Canuck et, après avoir partagé une semaine de repas avec un enfant, partager cela sur les réseaux sociaux en utilisant le hashtag #ASK1TOASK1.

ShareTheMeal, l’application du PAM, a gagné de nombreuses récompenses pour avoir impliqué la nouvelle génération dans la lutte contre la faim. Plus de 850 000 personnes ont téléchargé l’application et ont partagé plus de 14 millions de repas avec des milliers d’enfants vulnérables en Jordanie, en Syrie, au Malawi, au Cameroun, au Soudan du Sud et au Yémen.

La communauté ShareTheMeal a récemment participé à l’intervention du PAM au Soudan du Sud, partageant 1 million de repas avec des personnes ayant un besoin urgent d’assistance alimentaire.

Le PAM est la plus grande agence humanitaire de lutte contre la faim dans le monde, apportant une assistance alimentaire pour résoudre des situations d’urgence et travaillant avec les populations locales pour améliorer la nutrition et mettre en place un système alimentaire stable. Chaque année le PAM vient en aide à 80 millions de personnes dans 80 pays.

Grâce à l’application Android et iOS ShareTheMeal, les utilisateurs de smartphones peuvent partager leurs repas avec des personnes dans le besoin. ShareTheMeal est une initiative de l’accélérateur du Programme Alimentaire Mondial.

Téléchargez gratuitement l’application : http://ow.ly/IucL30cAl5h
Pour plus d’informations, rendez-vous ici : https://sharethemeal.org/canuck.html

Suivez-nous sur Twitter @wfp_Canada et @ShareTheMealorg

Culture

Joy Junction Apartment Complex In Albuquerque Fights Homelessness

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It’s no secret that homelessness in Albuquerque is an ongoing crisis. The crisis continues, despite inaccurate promises by some groups to “end” homelessness.

Over the last few years, I’ve seen panhandling increase prolifically all over the city, while at Joy Junction, desperate families-often with children-call or visit us daily asking for a meal and a place to stay. Many we can help; others we have to deny services often due to a lack of space.

To help address this issue, I’m excited to announce the official May 15 groundbreaking for our 52-unit apartment complex, located in southwest Albuquerque. The project, which is expected to be completed by fall 2017, will have units with 250 square feet of living space and a personal bathroom.

Guided by our mission to offer the homeless a safe and tranquil environment to live, it is our hope that this new complex will make the situation somewhat better for those experiencing homelessness.

More than three years ago, the James Boyd case caused us all to reflect on what we as a community could have done better to prevent a man from seeking shelter on a mountainside.

Despite our collective sense of disappointment and sadness over what transpired, it did lead many local organizations, community leaders and ordinary citizens to come together for discussion about what needs to change to address an issue that can’t merely be wished away.

Recognizing that “it takes a village” not only to raise a child but also to lift an individual from their worst days, Joy Junction is stepping up our efforts. It’s taken a while to happen, but the time is finally here. Today, we continue to act on our commitment to assist our city’s homeless and hungry with the groundbreaking for what will soon become a beautiful and dignified apartment complex.

For 30 years, Joy Junction has grown to now serve more than 10,000 meals each month, not including the 6,000-plus meals served by our mobile feeding unit dubbed The Lifeline of Hope.

Our staff also drive a van through the streets of Albuquerque in the darkest hours of the night in search of anyone who might need assistance with food, water and when available, a blanket or sleeping bag.

We’ve made it our mission to not only provide basic needs like food and shelter, but also emotional and spiritual assistance so individuals can get back on their feet.

Over time, we have noticed a growing need for living spaces that go beyond mere subsistence. Living in dignity can more quickly help bring about a positive and permanent change in the ongoing difficult situations experienced by the homeless.

When the homeless come to Joy Junction, they are often looking for more than a dry bed and a warm meal; they’re looking for hope-hope that they will find a way out of their troubles and a path to a better future.

Completion of this new apartment complex will now provide 52 additional opportunities for the homeless to better work through the issues with which they are beset and as a result, return to mainstream community life as taxpaying citizens.

In other words, this new complex will help us better meet the needs of our city’s homeless. While still needing many more dollars, we are confident that the community generosity which got us this far will take us past the finish line.

We have come a long way, especially in the last few years. And yet despite that, there is so much more work to be done. We hope everyone will continue to rise to the challenge that lies ahead, and together, we can end homelessness and hunger, one life and one meal at a time. For the Silo, Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D.
Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc. and HNS.

Culture

Making History- No Other Team In USCAA History Has Won 3 Consecutive Titles

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The non- scholarship players hail from some tough neighborhoods in the Bronx and Brooklyn and commute to school by subway. The Berkeley Knights team hasn’t lost since its opening game of the 2015- 16 season.Their drive to succeed on the basketball court extends to the classroom, where players are required to maintain a 2.5 GPA a half point higher than the SCAA’s requirement.

The team has achieved numerous national honors this year including USCAA Division II Men’s Basketball – National Coach of the Year for Coach Chris Christiansen who is also the team’s business professor. On Saturday, March 4, the Berkeley Knights brought home the 20 16-17 USCAA Men’s Division II National Championship – after a hard-fought 40 minutes, the Knights defeated PSU York 80-76 in overtime.

This win marks a historical season with an unblemished record of 29-0, a 53-game winning streak and the programs 3rd Consecutive Championship.

photo: Jeffery Mejia
photo: Jeffery Mejia

A FATHER FIGURE

Coach Chris Christiansen is a father figure on the basketball court and an inspiration in the classroom, where he is the assistant chairman for Berkeley’s management department and has been named facility member of the year.

All 16 Knights players are pursuing degrees in Christiansen’ s department.

“The 53- game winning streak and this year’s National Championship are crucial factors of our legacy at Berkeley and Berkeley’s history. Not only have we been able to put Berkeley basketball on the map, we have done it in a remarkable fashion. These accomplishments are simply a translation of the team’s uncanny work ethic, togetherness, and dedication.”

“If there’s one thing that this winning mindset and the coaches have taught me is that I must always prepare. We win because we constantly and continuously prepare for our opponents. I will be taking the same approach to life, and a lot of success will be built of that.”

Jeffrey Mejia, Co-Captain, is in his fourth and final season for the Berkeley College men’s basketball team. He has been a member of two USCAA Division II National championship squads as well as a pair of Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference titles.

Mr. Mejia is a Bronx, NY, scholar-athlete with a 3.4 grade-point average who received a scholarship from the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. He expects to graduate in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. He currently is managing his commitment to academic scholarship while participating in a required internship, working, as well as basketball practice. He also volunteers, coaches and mentors at the Manhattan Bible Church Youth group in upper Manhattan.

Starting point guard Jeffrey Mejia, 20, is Berkeley’s starting point guard and a team co-captain. Mejia lived in a Bronx homeless shelter with his mother and sisters as a teenager. Today, he maintains a 3.4 GPA and recently received a $2,000 usd academic scholarship from the New York City Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, accompanied at the ceremony by his coach.  For the Silo, Carrie Butler.

Politics

Reader Letter To The Silo Regarding Motion 103 And Hamilton Protest Rally

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Dear Silo, there was a protest rally held at City Hall in Hamilton this past weekend. The purpose was to discuss or protest “Motion-103 “the motion put forth by one Ms. Iqra Khalid to stop as she sees it “Islamophobia.” For many the idea of “M-103” seems almost redundant as hate speech and any sort of hate crime based on religion is already under the “Criminal Code, The Charter of Human Rights & The Constitution.” Some have opined that Ms. Khalid is grandstanding & perhaps they may be correct.

The protest was as it went peaceful & low key. The police presence was minimal and well placed. Directly on site there were six uniforms, but a bit further back there were two mounted units, and further back out of sight behind city hall were three more mounted units.

The speaker at this event was a Muslim woman who was well spoken and exhorted the crowd with slogans, chants & political sayings, touting the Liberal regime and downplaying the Conservative aspect.It was my understanding that there would be both aspects of this motion represented at the protest, but for the near 3 hours I was present I only heard one side of the story [but] perhaps another side spoke later. I saw on the 6:00 pm news, things turned a bit ugly, and the police stepped in to quell any further incident, so who knows.

For many, it seemed a “ family event,” and I saw a few children there, [but] in my humble opinion [this] is no place for kids. In the “ Vietnam” years when the protest was clearly in many cases, a daily event, there never were any children present, mostly due to the fact protests can at any given time turn from something sedate to an angry, ugly mess, ergo no kids. I for one seriously have to ponder the parental abilities of such an action.

There was a few tables set up, all proffering their political views, the Communist Party, ( the mainstay at any protest), a painting table where you could add your hand to a large almost like paint-by-numbers setup where you could if so inclined could add your hand to it. There was a Muslim table set up and two young men who would engage you in conversation about their faith and handed out books & pamphlets, one of them at the time I stopped by, was engaged in a somewhat intense conversation with a Christian young man. Several people were working the crowd by handing out flyers, pamphlets and flash cards with their message on it. The “ Socialist group”, ever present at any event, was handing out small flyers promoting  “ worker solidarity,” the Marxist group was there too, handing out flyers to combat racism, the “ No Borders Manifesto,” an 18 point small booklet promoting a “ grassroots movement “ to promote the movement to the “ new world.” There were “ Stop the War Coalition,” the “ Know your Rights,” group & “ Hamilton Against Fascism,” and regarding [this]protest it seemed a well-rounded outpouring that way.

As I said, as protests go it was for the 3 hours I was there a peaceful, almost fun event. Later after things went south and everyone had done their barking and bitching sessions, they packed up their wares, printed material and children, and went home to read the tea leaves of the event and to generally pat themselves on the back for a job well done.

Protests are an integral part of the Canadian fabric and should be allowed at all times. The message I received from this one was that the potential for “ free speech,“ could be quashed possibly if this motion is put into a bill and becomes law. Do we have concern?? Perhaps as many feel we do, and it becomes the responsibility of all of us, to be open-minded, observant of what our government says and does. It falls to us to yes question what they tell us so that democracy as we live it will be ongoing and ever present so that we may all move forward with a proper sense of things for all who live and come to this great country we know it.

 

James R. Charlton

Art

Light, Interviews, Books to Inspire, And A Call To Artists From Rome

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Consider for a moment the nature of light and time. Fleeting, infinite, unknowable, and yet familiar as our own minds. We long for more time while cursing its slow progress. Temporal matters dictate every aspect of our human lives. We are beholden to the times in which we live. We cannot grasp light and yet we are surrounded by it. When we enter into the unknown, art is a light guiding us toward better days ahead.

Mary Temple's "unsolved red white and blue"
Mary Temple’s “unsolved red white and blue”

Mary Temple has the ability to incorporate all of this into her artwork in the most surprising ways. She can capture a moment and freeze it for all eternity with the stroke of her brush. Her ethereal public art painted on existing architecture preserves the memory of a moment of light. Temple also focuses on the times in which we live, using her art to engage in global political discussion. Her series Currency depicted world leaders in such a way that ranked them according to their ability to achieve progress in matters of world peace. Temple uses time as a dimension in her work. Currency was an up to the minute newsfeed told through hand drawn portraiture, while her public artwork uses light to capture time and hold it still for all to see.

Susan Silton Billboard commission
Susan Silton Billboard commission

Susan Silton lets our life and times inform her art. Through performance, installation, video, photography, text, audio, participation and print-based projects, Silton speaks to the turbulence around us. She fuses humor, unease, beauty with the intention of shining a light on the failures and triumphs of our moment on the planet. Her video work “Turn the Beat Around” was a direct response to the 2016 attack on an Orlando, Florida nightclub. Her art is a conduit to process grief, come to terms with the violence in our society, and seek common ground.

Writer Murong Xuecun once said, “Literature is not at the service of the government; on the contrary governments should do everything in their power to create a favorable climate for literature.” In these uncertain political times, what are you reading? Click here to contribute your books in the comments  or use the comments feature at the end of this post. Tony Maslic, is reading “The Dispossessed” by Ursula Le Guin. Lian Brehm has turned to Suzi Gablick’s “The Reenchantment of Art” while artist Mary Temple cites the works of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, as well as her TEDx talk We Should all be Feminists as necessary fuel.

The Rome Glocal Brightness 2017 Light Festival has issued a call for artists. The Festival illuminates the sixth district of Rome allowing viewers to experience undiscovered corners of the city.

This bringing of light does not seek to diminish the dark, but to emphasize that the darkness can become a canvas in itself.
As we stand together at the edge of a new ravine, let us not fear what may be but embrace what is in each moment and never stop reaching toward the light. For the Silo, Brainard Carey.

Brainard Carey is an artist, author and educator. You can attend one of his free webinars for artists here. He also has an educational platform for artists called Praxis Center.

*featured image- Mary Temple “Currency”Series

Culture

Toronto Erotic Arts And Crafts Fair Returns To The Gladstone Hotel In February

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The Erotic Arts & Crafts Fair is Back!  Toronto’s first – and most beloved – fair celebrating all things sexy is popping up once again this February at the Gladstone Hotel!

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be brought to you by Hallmark – for another way, full of charm, wit, and craftsmanship, visit Toronto’s beloved Erotic Arts & Crafts Fair this season! The Erotic Arts & Crafts Fair is a one day celebration showcasing local handmade wares celebrating love, sex, and community, hosted by ‘anti-capitalist worker-owned co-operative’ Come As You Are.

toronto erotic arts crafts show official poster2017

Visitors can expect lovingly made goods ranging from raunchy embroidery, whimsical gitch, natural contraceptives, zines, pasties, jewelry, erotic art, leather bowties, sex toys, BDSM gear, and so much more! Come As You Are will also be offering free prize draws throughout the day, plus free sweet treats.

Date: February 11, 2017
Time: 10-4
Cost: Free
Venue: The Gladstone Hotel, North Ballroom. 1214 Queen St. West. Wheelchair Accessible!

www.eroticartsandcrafts.com
https://www.facebook.com/eroticartsfair

About Come As You Are: Come As You Are is the world’s only worker owned and operated sex toy store, and is currently celebrating it’s 20th year. Come As You Are’s mandate has always been guided by the co-operative’s love of sexual health, pleasure, and education plus a profound sense of dissatisfaction with the “sex industry” as a whole.
Click here for a sampling of this year’s vendors.

BlackLine Accessories
blackline accessories

A vegan up-cycled jewelry and accessories line made from motorcycle inner tubes.

Crafty Chas Crochet

crafty chascrochet

These dolls are made in the hopes that a wide range of people can finally feel represented, to act as a healing tool, and made to remove the shame from nudity.
Lovecrafters
lovecrafters

Geeky, playful, whimsical and fun adult fantasy toys. All hand sculpted and made out of safe platinum grade silicone.

Michelle Gauthier Art

michelle gautierart

Gauthier creates feminist and reproductive-themed works in order to promote self- love, to embrace individuality, and to show that there is no cause for shame when it comes to what is natural.

Milkweed Zine
milkweedzine

Milkweed is a sex-positive erotic zine, featuring photography, visual art, poetry and short fiction from around the world. It explores playfully explores identity, sexuality and eroticism, reflecting a diversity of experiences.
Sartoria
sartoria

The finest cashmere undergarments for a superior winter experience.
Vanessa Walsh
vanessawalsh

Watercolour artist specializing in hyper-realistic erotic and bdsm art. Definitely not your grandmother’s watercolours!
vintagelove
vintagelove

A subversive peek into the 1950s modern lifestyle and aesthetic.
Weal & Breech

weal and breech

Makers of bespoke implements for impact and restraint play. All of their toys are designed and made by hand out of the finest local and exotic woods, and full-grain leathers. For the Silo, Noah Kloeze.

Art

Emerging China Wine Market Impacts USA, Canada and Global Wine Markets

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It’s no secret that luxury brands have thrived in China in recent years amid a population increasingly oriented toward high-end consumer goods like fashion, jewelry and automobiles—and the elevated social status such items confer. Today, the Chinese population is immersed in a new love affair: with grape-based wine!  According to internationally-renowned sommelier, Noel Shu, China is about to be known producing quality wine bringing the region on par with other wine producing regions such as Napa Valley and Sonoma in California.
A self-made entrepreneur who serves as Managing Partner for ultra-luxe wine and spirits purveyor, Prodiguer Brands Shu recently launched his new book, China Through a Glass of Wine, to provide the most in-depth understanding of the wine marketplace to date and an extensive analysis of the modern Chinese wine industry, revealing a delicate interplay between commerce, the government and the consumer.
emerging-china-wine-market-book-cover-isbnInternational-renowned sommelier, Noel Shu, provides in-depth look at the modern Chinese wine industry and guides us through the misty vineyards and crowded wineries of China.
Following the tradition of great traveling sommeliers, his no-holds-barred journey through China’s emerging wine culture is part ethnography, travel guide, tasting guide, cross-cultural examination and snapshot of the Chinese wine trade and consumer culture at large.
China Through a Glass of Wine also includes insightful interviews with key industry movers and shakers, including China’s largest wine importer and distribution company as well as boutique and unique chateaus across the region, revealing what wine making in present-day China is really like.

Casual wine enthusiasts and travelers as well as serious collectors and globally-minded investors will appreciate the accurate portrayal of China “through a glass of wine.” For the Silo, Trina Kaye.

About the Author
Internationally-regarded sommelier Noel Shu, Managing Partner for the ultra-luxe, award-winning wine and spirits purveyor Prodiguer Brands, is a 24-year-old self-made millionaire, entrepreneur and author of the newly released title, “China Through a Glass of Wine.”  With impeccable panache and style, Shu, has already accomplished more than many do in an entire lifetime. He earned his undergraduate at West Point, completed the U.S. Army’s elite and grueling Combat Diver Qualification Course at the Special Forces Underwater Operations School (regarded by many Soldiers as the toughest military school to endure), and has personally designed and sold extraordinary multi-million dollar timepieces and necklaces to China’s elite through his ancillary, highly successful luxury jewelry business.  Always striving to for growth and self-improvement and with a reverence for continuing education, despite his busy schedule Shu is currently pursuing an Ivy League Master’s degree at Columbia University. As a globally-minded business practitioner, Shu understands commerce on both sides of the Pacific and brings that expertise to bear with his various ventures, including the highly anticipated upcoming release of “Regale”—an exclusive wine brand expressly developed for the Chinese marketplace, which will be exported to the region in early 2016.  For more information about Noel Shu, visit www.prodiguerbrands.com.

 

Sci-Tech

The Broadband Struggle Of Modern Living In UK Rural Areas

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Living in a rural location has its perks. It’s peaceful, it’s quiet, and you’re out the way of all that city centre pollution. Bliss. However, when it comes to keeping up with technology, it can become a bit of a broadband nightmare.

In this piece, we’ll be delving into the struggles that people living in rural communities are facing and find out what is being done by the government and other people in the rural communities to help get these affected areas better connected in the 21st century.

For example, we’ll be showing you via the infographic below just why rural communities have such a poor internet connection and what one MBE industry leader is doing to help. We’ll discover the future of deliveries to rural areas, take a look at a trust that is installing defibrillators in phone boxes and much more.

Compliments of fuelfighter.co.uk Click me for more!
Compliments of fuelfighter.co.uk
Click me for more!
Philanthropy

Dominican Republic Province Altagracia Suffering With Poverty

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Villa Altagracia is the easternmost province of the Dominican Republic. The name “La Altagracia” (High Grace) commemorates a painting, Our Lady of La Altagracia, brought from Spain in the early 16th century. Our Lady of La Altagracia is known to the Dominicans as a protector of the Island, to create miracles.

Our Lady of Altagracia Painting by Unknown Artist. Exhibited at Basilica Nuestra Senora de La Altagracia
Our Lady of Altagracia Painting by Unknown Artist. Exhibited at Basilica Nuestra Senora de La Altagracia

Altagracias 2

Sadly, as we drove up the hill of Altagracia, we couldn’t help but notice that a miracle is what this village needed the most. We noticed the roads were unpaved, uneven, and more so just paths of orange dirt. The houses are shacks, made of tree branches, plastic and debris from the streets, the bedrooms separated by tarps and bed sheets, sometimes, a single room holding a family of seven. As we made our way up, we spotted a young boy, fully nude – gripping onto his mother’s hand. She didn’t seem much more lively than the boy. Her skin was cracked and her spirit seemed tired and broken. These people aren’t living, they are merely surviving as best they can to provide for themselves, and their children.

La Altagracia is suffering from poverty.
Poverty. It isn’t being “broke”, it isn’t frugality, or living paycheck-to-paycheck, it isn’t going without your television for a month or cutting back on extravagances.
Poverty is real. It exists. For the people of La Altagracia, it is a normalcy, and it is a harsh reality. These people cannot turn on a sink to wash their hands or brush their teeth. They cannot flush a toilet or take a shower. They don’t have access to fresh, running water. In extreme hot temperatures, these people have to walk a mile and a half to get water from a lake and then walk back with only the amount of water they are able to carry. These people lack countless luxuries that most people take for granted, they don’t know anything else.

Any donations will be utilized to build a public restroom and a well in the village of Altagracia. In the future, we have planned on offering additional resources throughout the village. As for now, we are taking baby steps to provide them with necessities. You have the ability to provide our leaders of tomorrow with the resources they need to build their minds today. We need at least six notebooks per child, books, pens, and other basic school supplies – $10 per child is all it takes to change a life and provide an opportunity for a higher education. Your donations will help make this dream turn into the miracle this village so desperately needs.

Altagracias 3All donations will go out to the Village of Altagracia in Dominican Republic. Because of your generous giving, Villa Altagracia will be provided with water, a public restroom, educational resources, and an overall growth and unity in community living. For the Silo, Jessica Kirk.

Please visit their website at Altagracias.org 

Gaming

Updated XSplit Broadcasting Connects Entire eSports And Gaming Communities

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When we launched XSplit almost six years ago, we set out on a mission to make live streaming and recording simple. In that time, both broadcasting and gaming changed dramatically, with the advent of new live streaming services, the birth of the Twitch Streamer, and the explosion of eSports capturing the imagination of players across the globe.

XSplit Broadcaster ScreenShot

Fast forward to 2016 and the world’s top gaming personalities, eSports teams, game developers, publishers and millions of people worldwide are using XSplit to create innovative, hilarious, entertaining and meaningful content that has impacted audiences of all ages. Live streaming has helped bring people together from all walks of life, and with hundreds of thousands of new users joining us every month, that number is set to grow higher still.

Yet this is still only the beginning. Our aspirations for the future are much bigger, as we envision a world where players can seamlessly connect to one another in a dedicated space, share and create content, compete with one another and grow their own communities. To turn this dream into a reality though, we knew we needed the right expertise, technology and people to make this happen.

This is where social discovery platform, Player.me, and tournament management service, Challonge come in. Between these two services we see the potential to create a platform that connects the entire gaming community and serves the needs of all players in their daily lives.

Henrik Levring
Henrik Levring

We’re going to shake things up a bit over the coming months by combining the Player.me community and discovery engine with Challonge’s tournament bracket technology to create a future where players, content creators, eSports entrepreneurs and event organizers, can connect with one another seamlessly and beautifully.

Both Sean Fee (CEO of Player.me) and David Cornelius (CEO of Challonge), two top entrepreneurs and leaders in their field share this vision to build a connected experience, and we cannot wait to show you what’s coming in the near future. On a final note, we would like to thank our community, our partners and of course you – our users for being with us on this adventure. For the Silo, Henrik Levring, CEO of SplitmediaLabs.

Art

Collective Establishes HAVN For The Arts In Hamilton

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I learned about the Hamilton Audio Visual Node (HAVN) a few years ago by doing the rounds during Art Crawl. Since then it’s become obvious they’re hosting some of the most innovative music and visual art in Hamilton. I sat down with Connor Bennett and Chris Ferguson at the beginning of July to learn more about the collective and discover yet another reason to move to Hamilton. Connor and Chris made it pretty clear you don’t need an invitation to join the party. Featured Title Image, The HAVN Storefront on Barton Street Credit: Ariel Bader-Shamai

Timothy: How did HAVN get started?

Connor: Um, a few of us started a band, and we were practising in the basement of a student house and when it came time to leave that house, we wanted a space where we could continue to play, and show art, and we just lucked out, our collaborator and co-founder Amy McIntosh was living above a storefront and…

Chris: …had a good relationship with the landlord and managed to get the downstairs space at a price we could afford.

Connor: That was May, 2012, we opened up just as most of us were graduating from McMaster University.

Timothy: What does it mean to be a node for the arts? Is the storefront a critical component?

Connor: It’s probably not critical, although it’s nice, it’s really nice. I wouldn’t say it’s critical because we don’t do regular gallery hours, where people can just pop in. It is nice to have the storefront space for things like art crawl. We’re off of James Street but it’s still easier to get people out as compared to a studio space.

Aubrey Wilson Quartet in February 2015
Aubrey Wilson Quartet in February 2015, Photo Credit: Amy McIntosh

Chris: Back to your question, as to what it means to be a node. Nodes are intersection points, which denotes the collaborative nature, the interdisciplinary nature of what we’re trying to do. And it was chosen for the sake of the acronym [Laughter].

Timothy: So what are your activities?

Chris: You could put it into four categories. We do art shows every art crawl, and occasionally outside of art crawl. We do music shows two to five times a month. And then there’s HAVN Records, our cassette tape little label. There’s also some miscellaneous things that are harder to categorize. We’ve done craft nights where people come out. Or if people in the collective supply an idea and make it happen. For a little while we had a darkroom in the backroom where people could develop photos.

Timothy: What are some of the highlights from the past couple of years?

Chris: It wasn’t something that I was involved with personally but I thought the darkroom was a really cool idea. It’s not something that’s widely available and it was a DIY thing where they obtained all the equipment and brought it all together. Some of it was donated by a like-minded friend from Guelph.

Connor: One of the best concerts I’ve seen recently was hosted by Cem Zafir and his partner Donna Akrey at HAVN, and they had a percussionist by the name of Tatsuya Nakatani come in and everyone in the room was transported to a different world, it was a magical moment. Those happen a lot. We’ve been really lucky with a lot of good music.

Hagface and Zena in August 2015
Hagface and Zena in August 2015, Photo Credit: Tony Hoang

 

Chris: What was the name of the show, I think Ariel and Petra did it, with the yarn, it was kind of, performance stuff; would you consider it a successor to the Quanta_1 show, where you and Kearon…

Connor: Yeah, yeah, it’s kind of like that…

Chris: An extension of that idea. Petra and Ariel did it, how would you describe it?

Connor: It was kind of a poetic yarn installation, with figures…

Chris: …and quotations.

Connor: It was great.

Chris: Really well executed. Not something you see a lot of.

Connor: Yeah, there’s lots of highlights.

Chris: We could keep going.

Connor: Once you start thinking about it.

Chris: I really liked our show for Supercrawl last year, which ended up being themed around Cootes Paradise, the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System, which is a conservation effort beginning with Cootes Paradise all the way into Burlington to connect some critical natural lands. The show really nailed the peaceful nature of it. Supercrawl is very busy, there’s tonnes of people and then you come to HAVN and it’s peaceful, relaxed.

Connor: Serene.

Chris: Yeah, Judy Major-Girardin, a professor at McMaster that taught a lot of the HAVN crew, was very generous with her time and she’s a big supporter of that initiative, so she put up a gorgeous installation with sound recordings from Georgian Bay. Frogs. Printed cheesecloth. It was stunning.

Corridors, in Support of the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System, September 2015
Corridors, in Support of the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System, September 2015, Photo Credit: Ariel Bader-Shamai

 

Timothy: What are your objectives? What is the need or desire that you are addressing?

Connor: I’d say from the music side of things, it’s a space for outsider music, for music that doesn’t really fit in a club or a bar. It’s a small space, really intimate, so even if ten people come out it feels like a nice crowd.

Chris: Yeah, It could just be a touring band who might have trouble booking a show at a bigger venue, because they wouldn’t attract a bigger crowd.

Connor: We know a lot of people who are booking shows in Hamilton and we’re filling a bit of a void since they’re not booking these types of shows. Like free jazz, for example, there’s no venues that are booking free jazz but we will gladly and enthusiastically book a free-jazz show.

Boyhood and Holzkopf in July 2015
Boyhood and Holzkopf in July 2015, Photo Credit: Tony Hoang

Timothy: How did you determine the scope of your practice?

Connor: Time determined that. When I started out with HAVN I was working a lot more with Kearon on the visual arts and installation projects and with time my interests and time investments moved more towards the music. It’s a natural evolution within the group, that we’ve settled into our roles based on our interests.

Timothy: Were those interests present from the beginning, or have they been nurtured over time?

Connor: One of the reasons why this has worked out for so long is that everyone has been really passionate about creativity, and art in general, and open to all art forms. That’s been the crux of why we’ve been around for so long, and putting on shows that are successful.

Timothy: What is your current relationship with institutional structures like the university and the gallery?

Connor: Well, quite a few professors from McMaster have shown art in our space. Judy and Dr. McQueen had a show recently. Other galleries? We have good relationships with other galleries, in particular, the Factory Media Centre, because we’ve done a lot of media art, not only that, we’ve shown a lot of art there, and both Amy McIntosh and Aaron Hutchinson have been on the board there. Amy’s been involved since the beginning.

Timothy: You position yourself as an alternative, though.

Chris: It’s not an adversarial relationship, like ‘that stuff is no good.’

Connor: We just don’t want to replicate things that are being done elsewhere. I’m sure we do it all the time. But the intention is to fill a void, take a risk.

Timothy: What are the benefits and limitations associated with your present configuration?

Connor: We’ve had trouble finding grants that apply to us. That’s one challenge because we operate with no inflow of money, so it’s just tough to make it work sometimes. That’s one of the limitations.

Chris: Sometimes I wonder if we put more time into the grants whether we would begin to take a different path. Like, having gallery hours wouldn’t be a bad thing, but it would be different than what we do now, and it would mean that we would be travelling down a more traditional path.

Timothy: Can you speak of the benefits and effects of HAVN, for yourselves and the broader community?

Connor: It’s such a useful space for us as artists and musicians, that’s kind of priceless.

Chris: It’s great to have a spot that you’re part of.

The Celestial Offerings Show in December 2015
The Celestial Offerings Show in December 2015, Photo Credit: Petra Matar

Connor: Ideally we’re providing a space that’s inclusive, and open, where people feel comfortable. But if I was new to Hamilton and I went to HAVN I could understand feeling intimidated because there’s all these people who know each other already.

Chris: I think it’s always hard, because you establish your audience, and your friends, and you want people to have a stake in the space, that they’re part of it, that they’re not just attending shows, but that they’re part of the community too. But you have to balance that with being open and having new people feel that they can be part of it.

Timothy: So do you have any words of advice to people who might want to start a collective?

Chris: If I had any advice it would be pretty cheesy.

Connor: I don’t know. [Laughter]

Chris: The real trick is having the right group of people.

Connor: Get lucky.

Chris: Yeah, we couldn’t have made this happen in a bigger city where the rents are more expensive.

For the Silo, Timothy deVries.

Supplemental- Video Credit: Mubarik Gyenne-Bayere

 

Video Credit: Footage by Ariel Bader-Shamai, live visuals by Andrew O’Connor https://www.instagram.com/p/BDE-Nhwk0BT/
Video Credit: Footage by Ariel Bader-Shamai, live visuals by Andrew O’Connor https://www.instagram.com/p/BCCFlOBE0FF/

Video Credit: Olga K.

Culture

Albuquerque’s Joy Junction Homeless Shelter Is Turning 30

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Joy Junction is three decades old. It is hard to believe the shelter I founded is 30 this year, and that I’ve spent more than half my life at what has obviously now become a lifetime calling. Looking back, it seems just like a short time ago that I came up the driveway of our 52-acre property wanting to reach out to homeless families with food, shelter and the love of Jesus Christ.

We’re currently sheltering as many as 300 people nightly, and providing more than 16,000 meals each month from a fully licensed kitchen. Born in England, I emigrated to the U.S. in 1978 with $50.00 in my pocket and a one way ticket. I ended up homeless in mid 1981 and early 1982, and in that same year “landed” in Santa Fe. It was there where God brought some amazing people into my life, who encouraged me and helped me begin my first ministry. My calling to work with the homeless began to emerge. In 1986, I left Santa Fe, took a few months off and moved to Albuquerque. There I ended up starting Joy Junction, never envisioning the scope of what it would become.

The vision I had was for a refuge where the entire family unit could stay together at one of the most difficult times in their lives. I wanted to ensure that husbands and wives had the support of each other, and could provide more support for each other and their kids than they might otherwise be able to if split up. I had no idea what adventures, struggles and trials would lie ahead.

Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc.
Jeremy Reynalds, Ph.D. Founder and CEO Joy Junction Inc.

The full story is told in my book “From Destitute to Ph.D.,” but here are some of the highlights. The shelter grew quickly in the following four years, but quite often, unmanaged and fast growth can be the downfall of an organization of any kind, whether a ministry or not. Our bills were exceeding our income and we nearly folded. Due to God’s grace we stayed afloat. During those first years, I also worked a part time job to put food on my own family’s table, taught a regular Bible study at the shelter and tried to get the word about what we were trying to do. In 1991, I felt it was time I went back to school. I tried a couple of summer classes at the University of New Mexico, and earned a bachelor’s degree with a focus on journalism in 1996 and a master’s degree in communication in 1998. Along the way I also enjoyed a number of internships at various media in Albuquerque, as well as hosting a couple of radio shows.

Looking back, I can see how all these media experiences helped me better promote Joy Junction and the plight of the homeless. I have a deep appreciation for our local media. It is sad that reporters are routinely vilified and criticized but rarely praised. In 1999, I was accepted to do a Ph.D. intercultural education at Biola University in Los Angeles. I graduated in 2006, and my doctoral dissertation dealt with the way the media portray America’s homeless culture. In ( about) 1999, I also met a fellow Brit by the name of Dan Wooding, the founder of a very unique news service dealing with the plight of persecuted Christians as well as aspects of popular culture. I have written for the ASSIST News Service ever since then, and have traveled to a number of countries internationally reporting for them.

In my post Ph.D. years, the shelter continued to grow in budget and services offered. In 2009, due to the generosity of a local businessman, we added a mobile feeding unit we dubbed the Lifeline of Hope. It operates seven days a week 365 days a year, providing food, water and toiletries to people who can afford either a meal or a place to stay-but not both In late 2006 I went through a divorce and was single for a number of years. In March 2015, I got married to my wife Elma. She is the love of my life, and shares the same passion as me for helping feed the hungry and house the homeless. Elma has quickly become an integral part of Joy Junction and is loved by guests and staff alike.

The future for Joy Junction is looking bright, with numerous renovations in 2015 occurring at our aging property. For the comfort of our guests we upgraded the air conditioning at our main building, replaced windows, and put in a new driveway to help make visiting our facility a much less “bumpy” experience. In addition, we have demolished an old and unused chapel on our property to prepare the way for much needed new construction. With the Lord as my guide and my wife at my side, I look forward to the next three decades helping the disenfranchised, marginalized, homeless and hungry. I hope you will consider joining us. For the Silo, Jeremy Reynalds and Joy Junction. (www.joyjunction.org)

Culture

Ontario Basic Income Pilot Begins- Special Advisor Hugh Segal Appointed

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The province has appointed the Honourable Hugh Segal to provide advice on the design and implementation of a Basic Income Pilot in Ontario, as announced in the 2016 Budget.

Basic Income MLK QuoteBasic income, or guaranteed annual income, is a payment to eligible families or individuals that ensures a minimum level of income. Ontario will design and implement a pilot program to test the growing view that a basic income could help deliver income support more efficiently, while improving health, employment and housing outcomes for Ontarians.

As Special Advisor on Basic Income, Mr. Segal will draw on his expertise in Canadian and international models of basic income and consult with thought leaders to help Ontario design a pilot.

Mr. Segal will deliver a discussion paper to the province by the fall to help inform the design and implementation of the pilot, on a pro bono basis. The discussion paper will include advice about potential criteria for selecting target populations and/or locations, delivery models and advice about how the province could evaluate the results of the Basic Income Pilot. Ontario will undertake further engagement with experts, communities and other stakeholders as it moves towards design and implementation.

Supporting Ontarians through a Basic Income Pilot is part of the government’s economic plan to build Ontario up and deliver on its number-one priority to grow the economy and create jobs. The four-part plan includes investing in talent and skills, including helping more people get and create the jobs of the future by expanding access to high-quality college and university education. The plan is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history and investing in a low-carbon economy driven by innovative, high-growth, export-oriented businesses. The plan is also helping working Ontarians achieve a more secure retirement.

QUOTES

Hugh Segal“Ontario is taking a leading role in piloting a modern Basic Income, and we are thrilled that the Honourable Hugh Segal will be lending us his considerable expertise in this regard. We want to ensure that we are developing a thoughtful, evidence-based approach to test the idea of a Basic Income, and we look forward to Mr. Segal’s advice as we begin this work.”

— Dr. Helena Jaczek, Minister of Community and Social Services

“I am delighted to be working with the government to help lay the groundwork for a Basic Income Pilot in Ontario. The potential for a Basic Income to transform income security in Ontario and across the country is tremendous, and I look forward to contributing to this bold initiative.”

— The Honourable Hugh Segal

QUICK FACTS

  • Finland, Netherlands and Kenya are all looking at developing pilot projects that test the idea of a basic or annual guaranteed income.
  • MINCOME in 1975-78 tested the idea of a guaranteed annual income in Dauphin, Manitoba.

LEARN MORE

 

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L’Ontario va de l’avant avec le Projet pilote portant sur le revenu de base

La province nomme Hugh Segal conseiller special

La province a nommé l’honorable Hugh Segal pour lui donner des conseils sur la conception et la mise en œuvre d’un Projet pilote portant sur le revenu de base en Ontario, tel qu’annoncé dans le budget de 2016.

Le revenu de base, ou revenu annuel garanti, représente un paiement versé aux familles ou aux particuliers admissibles. Il garantit un niveau de revenu minimum. L’Ontario concevra et mettra en œuvre un programme pilote pour confirmer l’hypothèse voulant qu’un revenu minimum contribue à accorder un soutien du revenu de façon plus efficace, tout en améliorant les résultats en matière de santé, d’emploi et de logement pour les Ontariens et les Ontariennes.

En tant que conseiller spécial pour le revenu de base, M. Segal fera appel à sa connaissance des modèles de revenu de base canadiens et internationaux et consultera des dirigeants pour aider l’Ontario à concevoir un projet pilote.

 

  1. Segal remettra un document de discussion à la province d’ici à l’automne sur lequel l’élaboration et la mise en œuvre du projet pilote reposeront et ce, de façon bénévole. Le document de discussion inclura des conseils sur les critères éventuels de sélection des groupes cibles et/ou des lieux, des modèles de prestation et des conseils sur le mode d’évaluation par la province des résultats du Projet pilote portant sur le revenu de base. L’Ontario entamera un dialogue supplémentaire avec des spécialistes, des communautés et d’autres intervenants dans le cadre de l’élaboration et de la mise en œuvre de ce projet pilote.

 

Offrir un soutien aux Ontariens et aux Ontariennes grâce à un Projet pilote portant sur le revenu de base s’inscrit dans le plan économique du gouvernement, qui vise à favoriser l’essor de l’Ontario et à concrétiser sa principale priorité, à savoir stimuler l’économie et créer des emplois. Ce plan en quatre volets consiste à investir dans les talents et les compétences, tout en aidant plus de gens à obtenir et à créer les emplois de l’avenir en élargissant l’accès à des études collégiales et universitaires de haute qualité. De plus, le plan fait le plus important investissement dans l’infrastructure publique de l’histoire de l’Ontario et investit dans une économie sobre en carbone guidée par des entreprises innovatrices, à forte croissance et axées sur l’exportation. Enfin, le plan aide la population ontarienne active à bénéficier d’une retraite plus sure.

CITATIONS

« L’Ontario adopte un rôle de chef de file pour introduire sous forme de projet pilote un revenu de base moderne. Nous sommes ravis que l’honorable Hugh Segal mette son expertise considérable à notre service. Nous voulons nous assurer d’élaborer une approche réfléchie, fondée sur des données probantes, pour tester le concept de revenu de base. Nous comptons sur les conseils de M. Segal dans le cadre du lancement de ces travaux. »

— Dre Helena Jaczek, ministre des Services sociaux et communautaires

« Je suis ravi de collaborer avec le gouvernement pour jeter les bases d’un Projet pilote portant sur le revenu de base en Ontario. Le revenu de base pourrait transformer radicalement la sécurité du revenu en Ontario et dans tout le pays. Je suis heureux de contribuer à cette initiative audacieuse. »

— L’honorable Hugh Segal

FAITS EN BREF

  • La Finlande, les Pays-Bas et le Kenya songent tous à concevoir des projets pilotes qui testeront la notion de revenu de base ou de revenu annuel garanti.
  • MINCOME a testé en 1975-1978 l’idée d’un revenu annuel garanti à Dauphin, au Manitoba.

 

POUR EN SAVOIR DAVANTAGE

 

 

 

 

 

Sci-Tech

FCC Promoted American Broadband Competition And Net Neutrality

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In late 2014- early 2015, the FCC stood up for more competition and more choice in local broadband. This is a critical step in making faster, cheaper Internet available for all Americans.

You may have heard that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) just put in place rules to protect ‘net neutrality.’ That’s big news. But there was another important decision today to help keep the Internet competitive and open — and while it’s getting less attention, it may be just as important. As part of its agenda to encourage meaningful competition in high speed broadband for Americans, the FCC supported allowing cities to make their own decisions about investing in new broadband networks. More needs to be done to drive innovation in bigger, faster broadband, but this was a good step.
Canadian ISP client

While the FCC’s net neutrality rules can help prevent Internet access providers from relegating some applications to a “slow lane,” this move alone won’t lead to a world where every consumer has an ultra fast connection to the entire Internet. That’s going to take more competition and innovation in new broadband networks.

It’s been nearly five years since we offered to build a fiber-optic network in one U.S. city as an experiment — and as we’ve expanded Google Fiber into a business, we’ve seen firsthand how faster speeds can improve lives and give cities new platforms for economic development. Google is not the only one innovating in this area. Along with investments by other private providers, cities like Lafayette, LA and Chattanooga, TN have been investing in their own networks and developing public-private partnerships to that end.

The FCC decided that it’s important for users to be able to control their own Internet connections and for communities to make their own choices to suit their local needs for broadband. While it may not make sense for most governments to operate broadband networks themselves, we think faster, better broadband for all Americans is too important to remove an option for deployment.

Thank Chairman Wheeler and the FCC for supporting local choice and competition in broadband networks: https://takeaction.withgoogle.com/thank-the-fcc     For the Silo, Derek Slater Google Inc.

P.S. If you want to learn more about the ingenuity of cities supporting broadband investment and competition, check out Next Century Cities.

Supplemental- Test if your Internet Service Provider is “throttling down” your internet connection speed. (requires Java plug-in installed)

How competitive is the Canadian Residential Broadband Market?  ( Essay from 2009- has anything improved since?)

 

Culture

A New Light On Autism

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Let there be light

Have you ever noticed how experts constantly refer to Autism as a ‘learning disability’?  I contemplate this term as I watch my nine-year-old son Braydon, effortlessly scale my counter tops to filch the salt and vinegar chips I hid in top shelf.  In fact, Braydon’s problem solving skills exceed that of his ‘neurotypical’ sister.

What would I change in my son’s treatment if I considered my son to have a communication disability rather then a learning disability?  Is this just a title or is it maybe a new perspective?

I am not an expert but here is what I do know.  Individuals who are visually or hearing impaired are considered to have a communication disability.

There are so many reasons why the sensory processing centers in the brains of certain individuals do not receive the input messages from their eyes or ears (or both like Helen Keller).  Autism looks much the same to me.  The sound of my voice competes with all the other sensory information that Braydon is so sensitive to.

The ticking of the clock, the air is too warm or too cold, his seat is too hard or too soft, the bathroom door is about to open and he is going to run away to close it.  These things make up only a fraction of the information coming at my son at all the same intensity!  Braydon’s moderate-severe Autism means that unlike those of us that experts consider ‘neurotypical’, he has no way to filter this information except to create an ‘output’ to counter it.  Experts call this behavior ‘stimming’.  I realize this all sounds confusing, but my point is that High Functioning Autism, like Blindness or Deafness comes down to being a sensory processing issue rather then an inability to learn as the term ‘learning disability’ seems to suggest.

 

Braydon and Whoopi
Braydon and Whoopi

Perhaps this is the reason why a Certified Autism Service Dog has proven to be such an asset to our quality of life?  Service Dogs for the blind and hearing impaired are fairly common.  Is a service dog for a person with Autism a truly enormous stretch?  Trust me, it is a natural progression.

If perforated dots on a piece of paper can give a child who is born without the sense of sight an opportunity to read a book, or a computer can give Carly Fleichman, a girl with asphyxia and Autism the opportunity to find her voice, in theory my son could be able to learn the skills he is going to need to become a contributing member to his community.  Just look at all the things Dr. Temple Grandin was able to accomplish!

My goals suddenly look much different.  Instead of trying to convince my son to learn, perhaps I need only to teach him how to communicate. For the Silo, Jenny Tansley.

Supplemental- From the Silo Summer 2010 Temple Grandin article https://www.thesilo.ca/temple-grandin-a-silo-movie-review-issue2/