Listening to stories widens the imagination; telling them lets us leap over cultural walls, embrace different experiences, feel what others feel. Elif Shafak builds on this simple idea to argue that fiction can overcome identity politics.




Why you should listen to her: .Elif Shafak is the most-read female author in Turkey, where she is as well known for her descriptions of backstreets Istanbul as she is for her global and multicultural perspective. Her writing is at once rooted in her politically feminist education and her deep respect for and knowledge of Sufism and Ottoman culture.

Using these paradoxes, she creates a third way to understand Turkey's intricate history. Shafak's international sensibilities have been shaped by a life spent in a very diverse range of cities, including Ankara, Cologne, Madrid, Amman and Boston. She has written novels in Turkish -- such as her first work, Pinhan ("The Sufi") -- as well as English, including her most recent novel, The Forty Rules of Love, in which two powerful parallel narratives take the reader from contemporary Boston to thirteenth-century Konya, where the Sufi poet Rumi encountered his spiritual mentor, the whirling dervish known as Shams.

Her uncommon political stances have not gone without controversy. At the publication of her novel The Bastard of Istanbul, which crosses two family histories, one Turkish, the other Armenian, she faced charges for "insulting Turkishness." The case was later dismissed, and Shafak's role in the rare combination of radical and sentimental writer remains uninterrupted. Shafak also writes song lyrics for well-known rock musicians in her country.

"Her characters spend their time popping out of categories."

Andrew Finkel, Turkish Culture

King Arthur Flour has endured for over 200 years

Sarah McGinley-Smith, Director of Corporate Communications for Vermont-based King Arthur Flour Company, explains how employee engagement works at this two-century-old ESOP firm.



A brand familiar to generations of Americans, King Arthur Flour Company represents the nation's oldest flour company and the single largest educator of home bakers in the world. Founded in Boston in 1790, impressive growth has accompanied the company's transformation from a small, fifth generation operation to the 100 percent employee-owned business seen today.

Most recently, as a founding member of the "B Corporation" certification project, King Arthur has again embraced transformation as a means to remain competitive, finding great success through their longstanding commitment to a quality product and the triple bottom line.


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"King Arthur Flour's commitment to quality and ideals probably hasn't changed much since the 18th century," argues employee-owner Beth Latchis, Senior Programmer/Analyst in the firm's IT Department. Having only been with the company nine months, she explains that such principles, though not new to King Arthur, are still a thrill for her.

"It is very refreshing to work for an organization that's actively committed to the environment, its employees and the community," she says.

Indeed, King Arthur's history is rich with stories that speak to its distinct character.

"Frank Sands' grandfather would hire Irish workers in Boston 100 years ago," explains CEO Steve Voigt, "when a lot of other shop keepers were hanging out signs that said 'No Irish need apply.' It always was in the company's DNA and we're just making it more and more explicit for all of us, internally and for our customers."

In 1891 the company demanded that its product remain unbleached and sold to all dealers at the same fair price. Inspired by the mythical King Arthur and his insistence on sitting alongside his knights as peers at the Round Table, the ideals of strength, purity and honesty continue to permeate the business and strengthen their brand.

"King Arthur Flour has always been known for creating the best flour available," explains Travis Oman, Team Leader in the Customer Service department. "Now we're helping to blaze a trail for other socially responsible companies to follow."

For decades the company operated small scale and independently, actually shrinking to the point of having only three employees in 1990 (with revenues of $3.5 million). But a pivotal switch to push items through catalog offerings meant huge growth, eventually leading to 160 employees in 2009 and 1,500 product offerings. Roughly two-thirds of the business involves flour production, but one-third has become direct-to-consumer services through their physical store, mail catalog, and an award-winning online presence that includes Facebook and Twitter pages in addition to the King Arthur website.

"As more and more small companies were subsumed by large companies, KAF was flexible and courageous enough to create an organization that is multifaceted and able to stay competitive," adds Latchis.

In 1996 legacy owner Frank Sands felt like the company needed to make another big change. In a move to avoid the classic model of union-management relations in which a union must protect the workers against a management drive solely to maximize value to the owners, papers were drawn up to sell the 200-year-old company to its staff. Revenues at the time were $14.5 million.

"The classical model," explains Voigt, "does not include the workers. So when you have a model that is 100 percent owned by an ESOP, it isn't an 'us-them' situation."

It took until 2004 for the company to become completely bought up by its associates, but it's a move that has cemented success for the organization: Revenues jumped 124 percent from the start of the sale, to $32.5 million. After being named a Winning Workplaces/Wall Street Journal Top Small Workplace in 2008, King Arthur made this year's list of America's fastest-growing private companies in Inc. magazine, and has remained one of the fastest-growing companies in Vermont since going ESOP.

Accolades and sales growth have naturally translated to employee recognition – something the company takes pride in and does in a way that fits their culture. "Knighting" ceremonies honor long-term employees and "Vesting" ceremonies mark an employee's vested stake in the ESOP account. Even the stationery awarded for a job well done has the image of a knight on horseback and the stamp, "A message from an owner."

Travis Oman calls the Knighting ceremonies a "truly unique and terrific experience," and P.J. Hamel, a Senior Editor with 19 years tenure at the company, says such activities, though whimsical, are worthwhile.

"I love to see a colleague celebrated. The ceremonies themselves are touching, funny, and memorable," Hamel says. "Bottom line, they're an opportunity for us all to say thanks to one another."

Giving back is a theme that plays out at a high level at King Arthur as well. It was one of the first companies to distinguish itself as a "B (Beneficial) Corporation" and the first to utilize the B Corp logo on product packaging.

The title is reserved only for "purpose-driven corporations that create benefit for all stakeholders, not just shareholders." To become certified, B Corporations must meet comprehensive and transparent social and environmental performance standards, and amend their corporate governing documents to incorporate the interests of employees, community and the environment.

As Hamel puts it simply, "It reinforces our 200-plus-year history of doing the right thing." And doing the right thing has continued to pay handsomely: from 2004, when the sale of the company to its employees was completed, to today, revenues have increased over 100 percent to $67 million.

Company: King Arthur Flour
Web site: www.kingarthurflour.com
Industry: Food manufacturer, catalogue, retail, school
Location: Norwich, VT
Number of Employees: 160
Sales: $67 million

Frank Gehry asks "Then what?"

In a wildly entertaining discussion with Richard Saul Wurman, architect Frank Gehry gives TEDsters his take on the power of failure, his recent buildings, and the all-important “Then what?” factor.




Frank Gehry is one of the world's most influential architects. His designs for the likes of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao and the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA are bold statements that have imposed a new aesthetic of architecture on the world at large, enlivening streetscapes and creating new destinations. Gehry has extended his vision beyond brick-and-mortar too, collaborating with artists such as Claes Oldenberg and Richard Serra, and designing watches, teapots and a line of jewelry for Tiffany & Co.
Now in his 80s, Gehry refuses to slow down or compromise his fierce vision: He and his team at Gehry Partners are working on a $4 billion development of the Atlantic Yards in Brooklyn, and a spectacular Guggenheim museum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, which interprets local architecture traditions into a language all his own. Incorporating local architectural motifs without simply paying lip service to Middle Eastern culture, the building bears all the hallmarks of a classic Gehry design.
"He has profoundly reordered the idea of constructed space among people who don't think about buildings for a living but who work in them, live in them -- and pay for them."
Time

HUMAN PLANET

Human Planet is an awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping, heart-stopping landmark series that marvels at mankind's incredible relationship with nature in the world today. Uniquely in the animal kingdom, humans have managed to adapt and thrive in every environment on Earth...

Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address

The pundits of Silicon Valley have a term for Steve Jobs' charisma: the reality distortion field. But the truth is, most of us like living in Jobs' reality, where exquisite design and sheer utility make for some addictively usable tools.

Jobs' famous persuasive power is equalled by his creativity and business brilliance -- apparent in legendary hardware and software achievements across three decades of work. The Macintosh computer (which brought the mouse-driven, graphical user interface to prominence), Pixar Animation Studios (which produced Toy Story, the first fully-3D-animated feature film), the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad (and who knows what's next?) all owe credit to Jobs' leadership and invention.
In recent years, Jobs has battled with a rare form of pancreatic cancer -- adding to an epic life story that mirrors the story of Apple itself: ever the underdog, ever the spectacular success.
"The past decade in business belongs to Jobs."
Fortune Magazine

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER ------KIPP

KIPP is a national network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students in underserved communities for success in college and in life. Work hard. Be nice. What a beautiful project!!!!!!!!!!!!



http://www.kipp.org/

ANY TOUGH PROBLEM CAN BE SOLVED

BILL GATES ON MOSQUITOS, MALARIA AND EDUCATION

A TRIBUTE TO ONE OF "THE FATHERS OF INTERNET"

Vinton Gray "Vint" Cerf (born June 23, 1943) is an American computer scientist, who is recognized as one of "the fathers of the Internet", sharing this title with American computer scientist Bob Kahn.His contributions have been acknowledged and lauded, repeatedly, with honorary degrees, and awards that include the National Medal of Technology,the Turing Award,the Presidential Medal of Freedom,and membership in the National Academy of Engineering.

In the early days, Cerf was a program manager for the United States Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funding various groups to develop TCP/IP technology. When the Internet began to transition to a commercial opportunity during the late 1980s,[citation needed] Cerf moved to MCI where he was instrumental in the development of the first commercial email system (MCI Mail) connected to the Internet.

Vinton Cerf was instrumental in the funding and formation of ICANN from the start. Cerf waited in the wings for a year before he stepped forward to join the ICANN Board. Eventually he became the Chairman of ICANN.

Cerf has worked for Google as its Vice President and Chief Internet Evangelist since September 2005.In this function he has become well known for his predictions on how technology will affect future society, encompassing such areas as artificial intelligence, environmentalism, the advent of IPv6 and the transformation of the television industry and its delivery model.

Cerf also went to the same high school as Jon Postel and Steve Crocker; he wrote the former's obituary. Both were also instrumental in the creation of the Internet as we know it (see articles).

Since 2010, Cerf has served as a Commissioner for the Broadband Commission for Digital Development, a UN body which aims to make broadband internet technologies more widely available.

THE CRUCIAL SKILL FOR TOMORROW´S LEADERS

Trust of Followers, Be Genuine, Empathy, Teachers, Explain Why, Curiosity, You do not know everything,Mindful, Clarity for Purpose,

TALENT and GLOBALIZATION

A beautiful contribution to humanity from a young talented person who always hoped one day he could become a professional piano player. A turkish poem binds together 20countries. This is also globalisation.... not only produce in china to sell cheaper.
As the song from Belle and Sebastian, "I did not see it coming" says - "BUT WE DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY, MONEY MAKES THE WHEEL AND THE WORLD GO ROUND"-
My personal and little tribute to an artist I admire. Mr. YOSUN CENGIZ. I wish one day you can make your dream come true..........




I was thinking about this project for long time and dreaming about connecting people in one poem which has universal sense. Finally found a turkish poem written by Orhan Veli. It is adressed to humanity in the very beginning and thought it would be a perfect choice for my video. Project was shot in USA, in Türkiye and on the plane between those two countries. The poem was voiced by 31 people from 20 different country. There was no turkish participant until I recorded my grandma in her home. We commemorate Orhan Veli once again on his 59 th death anniversary (November 14)

Thanks to all participants all around the world -- Yosun Evren Cengiz

FOR YOU

To humanity;

For you my fellow humans (Louise- England)
Everything is for you (Linda, Mei - USA)
Nights are for you (Karen- USA)
Days too (Mike- USA)
Daylight and moonlight (Jake- USA)
Leaves in the moonlight (Josh- Belize)
Wonder in the leaves (Insa- Germany)
Wisdom in the leaves (Kyra- Germany)
Myriad greens
in daylight (Ivonne- Puerto Rico, Regina- Bolivia)
Yellow is for you (Akari- Japan)
and pink (Sayaka- Japan)
The feel of the skin
on the palm (Nikolett, Constantin- Hungary)
It' s warmth (Arturas- Lithuania)
It' s softness (Ollar- Estonia)
The comfort of lying down (Lacey- USA)
All the greetings are for you (Adrian- Cuba)
For you the masts winnowing
in the harbor (Irma- Lithuania)
Names of the days (Matthew- USA)
Names of the months (Anna- Estonia)
Fresh paint on the rowboats is for you (Linda- Philippines)
For you, the mailman's feet (Uzeyir- Azerbaijan)
Potter's hand (Marta- Spain)
Sweat on foreheads (William- France)
Bullets fired on battlefronts (Pablo- Argentina)
Graves are for you (Melania- Slovakia)
and tombstones (Krzysztof- Poland)
Jails and handcuffs and
death sentences (Adrian- Romania)
are for you (Adrian- Cuba)
Everything is for you (Fatma- Türkiye)

JUST A SONG I LIKE - "I WANT THE WORLD TO STOP"

Hola, Hello, Hi

Video recomendado por el gran comunicador Emilio Duró. Me ha parecido un gran profesional con un mensaje llano y profundo. Debe ser un tío cojonudo, de esos con los que sueñas que te toque de compañero en un vuelo transatlántico!!!!!!!!!, y no es ironía.