Superhero movies used to dominate the box office but these days we are seeing a slip of sorts. But whatever genre is at the top, recent advancements in technology are allowing studios to produce high quality special effects that captivate viewers in ways that other films just can’t. Perhaps this is because we all secretly hope we too have a special power. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Flight? Invisibility? Time travel?
Our friends at Ranker, the #1 destination for crowdsourced rankings of everything, has released the results of its public poll asking voters to rank the superpowers they most wish they had. Healing Ability won the majority of the votes. It may not be as sexy as the ability to fly, but can you imagine not having to worry about healthcare? For the Silo, Jillian Nannery.
The international poll (now closed) was based on 193,000 votes on 141 superpowers. The results are as follows:
1. Healing Ability (eg- The Wolverine) 2. Teleportation 3. Time Manipulation (eg- Dr. Who) 4. Shapeshifting (eg- Plasticman) 5. Invincibility (eg- Sue Richards) 6. Flight (eg- Supergirl) 7. Super Speed (eg- The Flash) 8. Mind Control (eg- Jean Grey) 9. Super Intelligence (eg- Howard the Duck.. okay this one might be a stretch) 10. Super Strength (eg- She Hulk)
In addition, the poll results revealed:
-Millennials voted time manipulation as #1
-Women voted Teleportation as #1
What super power would you want to add?
About Ranker:
Ranker is a data-driven media company, the #1 online destination for opinion-based, crowdsourced rankings of everything. The company’s technology is centered on user engagement, turning its lists into the “best possible rankings” via the wisdom of crowds. Supplemental- Wikia’s Superpower listing
4 Reasons Why Women Will Lead The Business World In The 21st Century
When you let women be women in the business world, they do better. That’s according to a recent report from the Harvard Business Review, which makes the case that traditional thinking – that women should be treated no differently than men in corporate settings – is simply flawed and regressive.
A major point the post makes is that only about 20 percent of businesswomen make partner. By expecting from women what you would expect from men, the corporate world is consciously and unconsciously excluding female leadership. That’s a very bad thing, according to many. For example, Kevin O’Leary of “Shark Tank” fame says that of his 27 companies, only the ones with female CEOS make him money.
“Women are good for business, so it follows that what’s good for your best women will be good for your bottom line,” says Debora McLaughlin, CEO of The Renegade Leader Coaching and Consulting Group (www.TheRenegadeLeader.com), and author of “Running in High Heels: How to Lead with Influence, Impact & Ingenuity.”
“I’ve long advocated this position, and that symbols of female business identity, like high heels, are signs of a businesswoman’s ability to elevate business results, consistently providing a better return for stakeholders.”
McLaughlin discusses why women will be essential for leading businesses into a new paradigm this century.
• The old way doesn’t work. Since 1955, more than 90 percent of the companies on the Fortune 500 list have gone bankrupt, shrunk in size, become inconsequential, been mopped up by their rivals or closed their doors. Sixty percent of CEOs think their current business model is only sustainable for another three years. Sticking too closely to your old guns, including discouraging a woman’s nature in the corporate world, will likely involve your company in that 90-plus percent failure rate.
• The business world has already changed. While technology continues to revolutionize how we do business, it has also changed the workforce. Today’s employees are smarter, more innovative, more creative and full of potential – and it’s not only due to technology. As Generations X and Y emerge as tomorrow’s leaders, Millennials are proving to be very resourceful workers. Old models like “command-and-control” don’t fit with a company’s most precious resource, its people.
• Women are more social and excel in collaboration. We shouldn’t generalize to strictly regarding gender norms. However, it’s probably fair to say that women are more nurturing for in-group members. Much of the traditional management method centralized authority; a woman’s leadership is more prone to sharing influence and, perhaps, fostering a creative culture of collaboration.
“Of course, this is not a strict gender rule,” McLaughlin says. “But I think it’s the experience of many that women are, in the aggregate, more nurturing.
• Momentum will continue to build for women leadership. Momentum tends to build upon itself, and that includes social change. While that change has been slower in the corporate world, we’re already seeing signs and opinions of change, as exemplified by Kevin O’Leary.
“More importantly, if the Harvard Business Review’s post is an indicator, women in business will feel more comfortable being themselves in a professional environment,” she says. “Unlocking those invisible shackles from a woman’s high heels will be a game-changer.”
About Debora McLaughlin
Debora McLaughlin is the best-selling author of “The Renegade Leader: 9 Success Strategies Driven Leaders Use to Ignite People, Performance and Profits.” Her new book, “Running in High Heels: How to Lead with Influence, Impact & Ingenuity,” is a how-to leadership companion for women in business. She is CEO of The Renegade Leader Coaching and Consulting Group (www.TheRenegadeLeader.com). As a certified executive coach, McLaughlin helps business owners, executives and managers nationwide ignite their inner renegade leader to unleash their full potential, drive their visions and yield positive results, both in business and in life.
Dating in your 20’s can be downright tough these days. A lot of times it’s all about “hooking up” or becoming “friends with benefits”, both which replace the notion of dating as a prelude to a long- term relationship or even saying “I do”. On paper, avoiding commitment seems like a good idea – remaining friends can protect you from the things that tear most couples apart – jealousy, cheating, heartbreak…but what happens when your ”hookup” becomes the one person you can’t live without? Set in the damp and drizzly neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon author Rebecca Kelley’s fun and quirky literary debut, Broken Homes and Gardens [Blake Slate Press] reveals what happens when you toe that fine line between friends and “more”.
Not exactly on-again, off-again, Malcolm and Joanna are in-again, out-again: in love, out of each other’s arms, in an awkward co-living arrangement, out of the country. Their unconventional relationship is the only way, Joanna says, to protect herself from the specter of commitment, which inevitably leads to heartbreak. A When Harry Met Sally meets Portlandia for the Millennial generation, Broken Homes and Gardens is an ode to friendship, lust, and the unrelenting pull of love. It will appeal to readers who love romance, quirky humor, and stories that offer a deeper and sometimes darker look into the risks we take for love.
“Throughout literary history, romantic involvements for young women have been treated as a problem with an easy answer: find the right man, marry him,” says Rebecca, “but I believe the period of early adulthood is not focused only on long-term coupling and knot tying. Many women I know – myself included – were involved in one or two long-term relationships in their 20’s. The struggles of dealing with their ending, and the aftermath, had an enormous impact on our development as women, and an even greater impact on future relationships.”
A contemporary tale full of wry humor, convincing dialogue, and emotional twists and tangles, Broken Homes and Gardens touches upon the following themes:
• The often messy, complicated, confusing and passionate twenty-something love, both in literature and life
• A unique look at the melting pot that is Portland, OR, known as the place where “young people go to retire”
• The “Hookup” Culture: the troubles with 21st century dating and love
• An honest look at “friends with benefits” – does it ever really work?
• Broken homes – literally and figuratively
“My heroine in Broken Homes and Gardens undergoes some relationships in her late teens and early twenties that shake her belief in love so firmly that she decides marriage is not the answer to any of her problems,” adds Rebecca. “Joanna’s approach to her relationship with Malcolm isn’t optimistic but it’s rational. It’s understandable. And I think her story speaks to many of us.”
(Toronto, Ontario) Seven in ten Canadians have given to charity in 2018, and almost half of donors are open to different sorts of giving approaches than just the traditional solicitation letter, according to the 2018 What Canadian Donors Want Survey, conducted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada in partnership with Ipsos.
The survey, which featured 1,500 Canadians age 18 or older, found that the percentage of people giving to charity in 2017 jumped by four points from the 2015 survey, returning to previous giving levels. Even as more Canadians are giving, they are giving less—an average of $772 cdn in 2017 compared to average giving levels of $924 cdn in 2015 and $726 cdn in 2013.
Eighty percent of donors give to more than one cause, with 23 percent giving to 4-5 charities and 13 percent supporting 6 or more causes. The top recipients of donations are social services and health charities—more Canadians (59% and 57%) gave to those causes than any other.
Overall, Canadians are more confident in the charitable sector than ever before, with nearly eight in ten respondents (78%) saying they’re confident in the organizations that comprise the charitable sector. That figure represents a five-point increase from 2015 and is significantly higher than confidence in the private sector (67%) or the public sector (60%).
Roger Ali Foundation for Philanthropy Canada
“Overall, the survey shows a Canadian population that is very supportive of the work of the country’s charities and a good understanding of how charities work to support communities,” said Roger Ali, CFRE, chair of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada. “However, there are signs that donors are changing how they want to give and interact with charities, and the sector needs to understand and adapt to these changes so that we remain relevant to the people who support us and the people we serve.”
Changes in Volunteering, Giving Behavior
One troubling sign is a drop in volunteerism rates. According to the survey, one-third of Canadians volunteered their time to a charity or non-profit in the past 12 months and spent an average of 88 hours—down precipitously from 110 hours in 2015. “We’ll be watching this closely in our next survey to see if this is a one-time drop or a trend,” Ali added.
Canadians continue to change in how they want to be approached for donations. While 44% express a preference for traditional requests, such as mail, one quarter prefer a more personal approach like peer-to-peer contact or crowdfunding. Three in ten (31%) say they’re open to anything, having no specific preference.
Fundraising preferences vary significantly by age. Baby Boomers (54%) are the most likely to prefer being solicited through traditional requests, compared to Gen X’ers (43%) or Millennials (33%). By contrast, Millennials (17%) lead the way on crowdfunding, preferring this option to a greater extent than their Gen X (11%) or Boomer (5%) counterparts.
Perceptions of Charity Roles, Performance
Many underlying views on charities have remained relatively stable over time. Three-quarters of Canadians continue to agree that charities play an important role in society to address the needs not being met by the government, the public sector or the private sector. Majorities also believe that charities are trustworthy (61%) and act responsibly with the donations they receive (63%).
Canadians are more divided on how much charities spend on their programs and services vs. how much they spend on supplies, administration, salaries and fundraising. A growing majority (58%, up six percentage points from 2015) trust charities on how much they say they spend money on programs and overhead.
However, about a third of Canadians (34%, down 4 points) are less trusting, indicating that charities overstate how much they spend on the cause or programs (24%), or that charities are being intentionally misleading (10%). Yet, when presented with factors and asked how important each one is in evaluating a charity’s effectiveness, Canadians placed more emphasis on a charity’s ability to achieve its mission and create impact than managing its operation or its fundraising.
“Donors are looking for charities that create impact to change the world for the better,” said Lorelei Wilkinson, CFRE, chair of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada Research Committee. “But it’s always clear that they keep a careful eye on administrative costs and a charity’s operations. The charitable sector needs to do a better job of explaining that overhead costs are essential for growth and sustainability —for things like equitable salaries, updated computer equipment, etc.— as part of being efficient with their use of donor dollars.”
Looking Ahead
Almost half of Canadians (46%) indicate that they are very likely to give in the next 12 months, while another one-third (34%) are somewhat likely to donate. However, 59% say they are also concerned about the economy, which may force them to reassess their giving plans.
A considerable number of Canadians (42%) proactively seek out information on the cause/charity and contact them to donate, while six in ten (58%) say the charity approaches them and they donate based on the information they receive. When looking for information on charities they support, Canadians continue to rely on online information (75%) as opposed to family, friends or colleagues (39%).
Social Media
The 2018 What Canadian Donors Want Survey also asked general questions about Canadians’ use of social media.
Similar to 2015, eight in 10 Canadians (81%) have a social media account. This applies across every age group, from 91% of Millennials through to 85% of Gen X’ers and 70% of Baby Boomers. Women (84%) are more likely than men (78%) to maintain at least one social media account.
Facebook dominates the Canadian social media landscape: three in four Canadians (75%) say they have a Facebook account, placing it well ahead of Twitter (29%), Instagram (28%), Reddit (5%) or other social media (13%).
Nearly two in ten Canadians on social media (18%) have donated to a charity in response to a request that came through their social media account. Millennials (23%) and Gen X Canadians (19%) are more likely than Baby Boomers (13%) to have made a charitable donation in response to a social media invitation or post.
“As generations age, we expect that email and social media will continue to become more prevalent in fundraising,” said Mary Bowyer, CFRE, member of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada Research Committee. “For now, we’re seeing a blend of different approaches, and the most successful charities will be those who personalize their appeals based on what individual donors want, meaning a mix of mail, email, videos, Tweets and other communications.”
About the Survey
The 2018 What Canadian Donors Want Survey was based on a poll conducted between October 10 and October 17, 2017, on behalf of the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada. For this survey, a sample of 1,500 Canadians aged 18+ was interviewed. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample’s composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe.
The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all Canadian adults been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is the largest international association of fundraising professionals in the world. AFP has over 33,000 members world-wide, with 3,800 in Canada. AFP promotes the importance and value of philanthropy, and enables people and organizations to practice ethical and effective fundraising. AFP Canada was formally created in 2017.
As the philanthropic arm of AFP, the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy – Canada supports many programs and services through its fundraising efforts. Fulfilling the promise of philanthropy by funding programs and services in the areas of research, diversity & inclusion, supporting the profession and leadership. To find out more, please visit www.afpnet.org.
What happened when Katya Eames, a 16 year old female dropped out of High School and joined the tech world by enrolling in a coding school?
Joe Eames, her father, is a successful programmer. He believes in empowering youth and females, through technology. He got his daughter involved in some basic exposure to programming and web development. The more she got involved, the more empowered she felt.
Katya was selected to speak at one of the largest recent gatherings of web developers, ng-conf. Following, she attended an event where she taught Governor Herbert of Utah how to code. Katya will complete her high school requirements using an online high school.
Katya teaching Governor Hubert how to code.
What are the thoughts of a high school age female about dropping out of school to attend DevMountain, a coding school in Utah?
What do you think was missing from your High School experience in terms of your personal interests?
What I think was missing from my high school experience was the ability to actually learn, and to try new things and grow at your own pace. It seemed less like they wanted you to learn, and more like they wanted you to pass tests.
Was it difficult to transition to coding school at your age?
It was. In high school it was easy for me to not pay much attention and do my assignments at the last minute but still get relatively good grades. Then at DevMountain, I had to manage myself and had no grades to try and earn. It was definitely very different from high school.
How important was the role of your father, a professional programmer, in helping you make your decision?
He was really important in my decision because he was an example of how successful I can be doing something I love, and he was really supportive of me choosing to do it though it’s not the normal way to go about getting an education.
Are you finding the online, high school learning experience something you can easily handle?
I haven’t started yet, but from what I’ve seen and heard from friends who do online schooling, it seems to be much more my speed than traditional public schooling.
Would you encourage other members of your generation to think about their options while still in high school, and perhaps go into coding?
Definitely. You should explore your options as much as you can in high school, even if it doesn’t seem like something you would like. You never know when you’ll discover something you seem to have a natural talent/understanding for, or something that excites you that you never thought to pay attention to (or especially something you thought only those of the opposite sex are supposed to do).
Do you think that members of your generation are particularly adept with computers and likely prospects for a coding school experience?
I do. Those in my generation, and the younger Millennials, have grown up with technology always nearby. We know how to use it and we understand newer technology easier than others. Everyone in my generation has ideas on how to make our world better for us and our siblings and our future children. Programming and computer sciences, along with the other sciences, are great ways for us to advance the world in the direction we want it to go.
Have you begun to make an income with your coding knowledge? Are you in the market for a coding job as an employee or contractor?
I have started making an income, not solely on my programming, but also on my unique views as someone who wants to know what they want to do in life at a young age in has taken a very untraditional route to pursue that career. As of now I am in the market for smaller projects while I finish school and continue learning.
Click to watch Katya’s address at this years ng-conf
What do your friends think of this, leaving high school and learning a skill early on in life where you can make an income?
Some of them were worried first about my sudden decision to drop out of school in the middle of my junior year, but now they’re all very supportive of me and think it’s really cool that I’m able to pursue what I want to do. (though they all have the same complaint of missing me at school.)
Lastly, what are the ideal personality characteristics for a young person to become involved and succeed at coding school?
They need to be willing to push themselves and manage their own time. They also need to be able to be critiqued regularly by those who are more experienced than them and know that most, if not all, critiques are done with good intentions. You need to be willing to continue learning. Technology is always changing, and so the languages we use to program that technology have to constantly adapt. You never know everything there is to know when you’re a programmer.
About DevMountain
DevMountain started in 2013 in Utah. With over 300 graduates, two campuses, and six course offerings, DevMountain is the largest coding/technology school in the Intermountain West, and one of the highest rated coding schools in the United States.
Supplemental- Could Amazon’s AWS Lambda signal a new future for ‘automated coding’?
Injectables are quickly becoming the most popular treatment on the menu for Millennials at doctor offices and medspas. The latest survey by the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (AAFPRS) shows that 56% of facial plastic surgeons saw an increase in cosmetic surgery or injectables with patients under age 30 last year.With more patients now relying on injectables for early maintenance, AAFPRS President Fred G. Fedok, MD educates us on some of the most common injection misconceptions:
Myth: BOTOX Is Synonymous With “Injectables”
Truth: The term “Injectables” encompasses neuromodulators and fillers, which have very different functions. BOTOX is a specific brand name for a drug that is part of a group of drugs known as neuromodulators, which include also Dysport and Xeomim. Neuromodulators temporarily weaken or paralyze the muscles that are injected. They are used to diminish muscle action and thus improve small folds or wrinkles in the skin.
Fillers are used to “fill out” deficiencies or voids in the soft tissues. These can be fairly superficial or deeper voids in the underlying fat complement. Restylane, Juvederm, Boletero, and Sculptra are among the most popular fillers used in the US and North America.
Myth: Fillers Are Only For The Lower Face
Truth:Different types of fillers have different ranges of longevity, and stiffness that determine were they are best applied in the face. For instance, under the lower eyelids a facial plastic surgeon looks for filler that is good at filling volume however is not too stiff so as not to produce lumps underneath the thin skin there. In deeper areas such as the cheek, deeper deficiencies are targeted and a stiffer substance can be used.
Myth: Injectables Will Render You Expressionless
Truth: When used correctly, injectables can have a very natural result. You want to choose an experienced injector and a board-certified facial plastic surgeon who specializes in the face, head and neck to ensure the most successful, natural-looking outcomes. The result is not permanent and aging continues over time, as it does with any rejuvenation procedure.
For the Silo, Patty Mathews.
ABOUT THE AAFPRS:
The American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery is the world’s largest specialty association for facial plastic surgery. It represents more than 2,500 facial plastic and reconstructive surgeons throughout the world. www.aafprs.org
H. Richard Milner, a professor, noted researcher and expert on race in education at the University of Pittsburgh believes that “education is the key to addressing inequity and racism in society” and if we are not “working in education to combat racism, we are complicit in maintaining inequity and the status quo.” Are teachers prepared and willing to take this on? Milner notes that teachers “can struggle with tools to advance justice-centered curriculum and instructional opportunities that work against racism” and therefore education programs for teachers must support them “in developing knowledge and skills in ways that centralize race so that students can examine both localized and global perspectives and worldviews.” Additionally, school administrators and policies must be in place that “advance agendas that encourage and expect race-central learning opportunities and especially discourse.” Beyond these stakeholders, Milner recommends that students, community members, families and parents be part of the learning discourse “providing perspectives about their own worlds and experiences.”
This month we opened up the conversation on racism in education to our global Millennial Bloggers. The Millennial Bloggers are based all over the world. They are innovators in entrepreneurship, journalism, education, entertainment, health and well-being and academic scholarship. We asked them: Do we need to talk more about racism in Education?
“When I was 14, in our first class of Literature in English, I remember our teacher saying, rather solemnly, that our subject is called Literature in English, rather than English Literature,” writes Bonnie Chiu. “It was a moment of enlightenment for me. It instilled in me this critical mindset, this yearning to challenge the status quo; and it gave me a sense of agency.”
“We can’t afford to defer the conversation about white supremacy for even a single moment longer. It has proven itself to be the most obstinate social institution in the entire history of America,” writes Francisco Hernandez. “How could we even possibly think we could fight something so tough if we can’t even talk about what it means to fight it?”
“Any nation that can stomach the principle of caste, which is the most brutal ‘classification’ of human beings based on birth anywhere in the world, cannot help but differentiate, and differentiate repeatedly, on the basis of every parameter society can construct in a desperate and insular bid to separate ‘us’ from ‘them’,” writes Harmony Siganporia. “Nothing short of critical pedagogical interventions which would overhaul what we consider to be the very purpose of our educational system, and the resources to channel these interventions into more meaningful curricular design, can help us change these terms of engagement.”
“Textbooks were created by people who lived in a racist society,” writes Jacob Navarrete. “I’m telling you there are better tools. I’d be happy to help you learn how to use them. There is a big world to build outside the cave and we could use your help. It might hurt at first, just like the light does when you exit a dark cave.”
“Racism cannot be explained or understood properly without incorporating a discussion about privilege,” writes Dominique Dryding. “Until educational institutions take the lived experiences of their student bodies seriously and recognize that racism does not only include name calling and physical exclusion, racism in schools and universities will not end.”
Guest Blogger Salathia Carr writes, “Racism is not something that can be swept under the rug. After so much sweeping, your rug becomes distorted. People have become so desensitized regarding racism and injustices because they truly do not know what it is like. Judgment is very easy to make when you’re not living that way. But, if we force discussions about inequality from the very first history class we take, you cannot avoid it.” For the Silo, C.M. Rubin.
The Millennial Bloggers are Alusine Barrie, Sajia Darwish, James Kernochan, Kamna Kathuria, Jacob Deleon Navarrete, Reetta Heiskanen, Shay Wright, Isadora Baum, Wilson Carter III, Francisco Hernandez, Erin Farley, Dominique Alyssa Dryding, Harry Glass, Harmony Siganporia and Bonnie Chiu.
Top Row: C.M. Rubin, Alusine Barrie, Sajia Darwish, James Kernochan
You may have seen this hashtag trending on social media as millennials run to the gym in droves to exercise, tone up and sweat it out with their #swolemates.
According to fitness experts Danny and Denise Locsin, spending quality exercise-time with a sweetheart has more benefits than one may realize.
Working out together builds self esteem, improves sex drive, and some scientists are even predicting it will increase longevity! It’s not only physically beneficial (studies show you actually build more muscle when sweating with your sweetheart,) it tones your relationship in a way nothing else can.
In one study, couples reported feeling more satisfied with their relationships and more in love with their partner after jointly participating in an exciting physical challenge or activity, (Aron, Norman, Aron, & Heyman, 2000).
“The same endorphins that give a ‘runners high’ also bring a sense of euphoria and wellbeing to your relationship,” says Danny.“Couples bond deeper which makes them exercise more frequently.”
Danny and Denise Locsin are living proof that it pays to sweat together. The husband and wife team built their own relationship at the gym and since then, they have dedicated their lives to teaching people how to improve personal connections through exercise. Danny, a kinesiologists, and Denise, a personal trainer, believe romantic relationships are just the beginning.
Couples use their workouts as a time to bond and share, we also do that when working out with our family, says Denise, who has a program specifically designed to bring families together through exercise.
What’s the next hashtag to trend on social media? The mother of four predicts #FitFam will dominate instagram this summer. For the Silo, Arden Izzo.
ABOUT DANNY & DENISE LOCSIN:
Husband and wife team Danny and Denise Locsin are fitness experts that specialize in relationship and family exercise. They are the creators of the Yokebar, which has been described as the ultimate family exercise program. As a busy mother of four, Denise wanted something that was high intensity, but also safe and easy to set up. Finding a system that could adapt to a variety of fitness needs and ability levels was challenging. The requirements became even broader when Danny injured himself and was forced to give up his usual exercise routine.
After much scientific research and testing, Yokebar was born. Today, Danny and Denise train people in the Yoke Training System and also are the founders of Hi5 Produce, a leading corporate produce delivery service located in the Silicon Valley.
Working out together builds self esteem, improves sex drive, and some scientists are even predicting it will increase longevity! It’s not only physically beneficial (studies show you actually build more muscle when sweating with your sweetheart,) it tones your relationship in a way nothing else can.
