Tag: patents

The Fear of Oblivion- Are you Resilient? Lest We Forget: Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day is a Memorial Day observed in Commonwealth of Nations member states since the end of the First World War to remember the members of their armed forces who have died in the line of duty.

I was pleased to do a more detailed research a few years ago of the story behind Remembrance Day and it can be found if you read my previous Article, Remembrance Day: Forget Them Not

Lest We Forget: Remembrance Day
Lest We Forget: Remembrance Day
https://teneishajohnson.wixsite.com/dream/remembrance-day-forget-them-not

Centenary Commemorations for the Armistice

As we approach the centenary commemorations for the Armistice, the world will once again turn its attention to the events of 100 years ago.

Remembrance Day 2018
The Imperial War Museum records and tells the stories of those who have lived, fought and passed in battle since 1914. As the 2 world wars that defined the twentieth century slip from living memory, war memorials maintain their tradition, a roll call of the fallen that reminds us of the fragility of peace. On Remembrance Day, 2 minutes of silence forms a bridge to the past. Gone however not forgotten, we will constantly remember them– those who given a lot for the freedoms we take pleasure in today.

Approximately 1.1million Commonwealth servicemen and women are still commemorated at 23,000 CWGC sites today. Imagine that!

But for the Commission, it is also a time to look to the future. How will they continue to maintain those sites? What are the challenges they will face for the next 100 years?

The Commonwealth War Graves Foundation (CWGF) is a charitable foundation that highlights the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) by telling the stories of the 1.7m people the CWGC commemorates. Visit the following link for more information on how you can help: https://www.cwgc.org/

Technology and Globalization

Even though I have not been able to visit many of the places I have written about, due to today’s technology, I am able to experience and understand the world a lot better.

Technological advances have fueled globalization. Most people would agree that we can still get things done around the world more quickly than we previously were able to.

However due to technological pressures to streamline operating standards and procedures, we now run the risk of threatening individual’s livelihood and our societies most precious traditions, values and beliefs.

The fear of oblivion is like a turbulent storm seen from the distance but fast approaching.

Perhaps the most powerful of the global changes we now face are the incredibly swift and increasingly rapid advances in telecommunications.

Illinois Bell Telephone

http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/illinois-bell-telephone-company-history/

A year ago I came across information regarding a twelve-year study of Illinois Bell Telephone employees which I found most useful and informative.

https://beatriceco.com/bti/porticus/bell/bell.htm

The founders of the Innovative Hardiness Institute in Newport Beach, California, stated that more than experience or training, resilience in the face of stressful situations and rapid changes determines whether you ultimately succeed or fail in the workplace.

It allows you to thrive even in tumultuous (I like that word) conditions and to turn potential disasters into growth opportunities.

So where does resilience come from?

Resilience At Work

According to Deborah M. Khoshaba, who was already a professional psychologist for fifteen years at the time the book “Resilience at Work” was published, and was also a Director of Program Development and Training at the Hardiness Institute, you can learn to be resilient.

Deborah M. Khoshaba

Deborah M. Khoshaba (Newport Beach, CA) is Director of Program Development and Training at the Hardiness Institute.

When a person is under stress or find themselves in a stressful situation, if they are able to cultivate a group of attitudes and skills that help them to build on their stressful circumstances and not to be undermined by the situation, Deborah called that “hardiness”.

Hardiness emerged as the basis for resilience in their twelve-year, longitudinal study of the employees at Illinois Bell Telephone (IBT), as the company and its parent, AT&T, experienced a catastrophic upheaval when telephone services went from being a federally regulated monopoly to being a competitive industry.

Unfortunately, the massive, disruptive changes that followed greatly affected the performance, conduct and heath of two-thirds of the employees in their research at the time and many people fell apart.

However, in strong contrast, the resilient third not only survived, but also thrived! They rose to the top of the heap, and felt more enthusiastic and capable than before, as they turned the changes into opportunities.

They found that the resilient group had the hardy attitudes of commitment, control and challenge (CCC or Triple C) Lol!

CCCLogoWeb
https://triplecschool.org/
TripleC2
https://triplecschool.org/

These 3 Cs gave them the courage and drive to face the disruptive changes and because of their courage, bravery and motivation, the resilient group was better able to cope with the various challenges by finding solutions to the problems that arose and interacting supportively with those around them.

In the twenty years since the IBT project, more than four hundred studies around the world have further validated “hardiness” as the key to resilience.

Salvatore R. Maddi

Founder of the Hardiness Institute

Salvatore R. Maddi, who at the time the book “Resilience at Work” was published, had already obtain his doctorate in clinical psychology from Harvard University in 1960 and began developing the resilience and hardiness approach in 1975.

He later founded the Hardiness Institute in 1984.

He has been the author of over 100 papers and is internationally recognized as a leader in psychology, and continues to win prestigious awards for his hardiness-based consulting and research work. An international survey done in 1986 named him among the top 175 psychologists in the world.

Considering that it is now 2019, I am “tickled pink” to be learning from the wealth of knowledge he was kind enough to share with the world.

He clearly has no reason to fear oblivion. I fervently believe his research will stand the test of time.

“All knowledge cannot be expressed in words, yet our education is based almost exclusively on its written or spoken forms…. But the artist, dancer or spiritual person have learned to develop the nonverbal portion of intelligence.”

Robert Ornstein
https://teneishajohnsonhasadream.home.blog/2019/09/12/testamentary-capacity-holographic-wills-and-living-trusts-vs-wills/

Speaking of spirituality, do you know who and what else will never have to fear oblivion? The Bible and the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Bible has always been and I strongly believe, will always be the best-seller year after year until the end of time and is peppered with many prophecies.

Prophecies

In our fallen and double-minded world, we can either be encouraged or terrified by prophecy.

In 2 Peter 1:19 of the New International Version (NIV) it states,

“19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shinning in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts”.

And it continues to solidify verse 19 in verses 20 and 21 by saying the following:

“20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things.

21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit”.

In the Old Testament there are many stories of the prophets of Israel. One story in particular features the Priest Ezekiel who was among the Judeans that Nebuchadnezzar brought to Babylon in 597 BC.

Five years into their exile, God called Ezekiel to go to Israel and “speak my words to them” or prophesy.

The Priest Ezekiel often spoke his messages by composing exceptionally polished poetic oracles which he would either speak or perhaps sing to the public.

He was also known to be a very talented and creative individual and told many of his stories with symbolic meanings, symbolic actions and often described and demonstrated his extraordinary visions that he had received to the public using his various abilities.

It’s interesting to note however in Ezekiel Chapter 2 verses 14, that when he was called to be a prophet, he wasn’t exactly jumping with joy. It says he went on his mission in bitterness and anger. Lol!

I believe there are still true prophets among us today, however we need to be cautious of people- even those inside the Church, who astonish us with their exploits.

Astonishment or amazement is not enough. I sincerely believe it wise for us as believers to observe their lives and determine if they have truly been transformed. Many people agree that we should be able to see conviction, repentance, love and unity taken place within their lives.

I strongly believe that people can be very susceptible or naïve when they have never experienced the power of the Lord. When supernatural things take place that they don’t understand or can not explain, they may call it divine or of God. But watch out!

Just because a person believes in Christ does not automatically qualify him or her to receive everything that is divine.

See my previous article which also speaks on prophetic truth:

https://teneishajohnsondream.wixsite.com/dreamcreator/historic-truth-vs-creative-truth

I believe spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy is very much needed in the church today, but many who are ignorant regarding how God choses to deliver the Spirit, may feel that they can imitate the Spirit. They may even believe it’s a gift that can be purchased!

But the bible said that for every supernatural gift that comes from God, satan has made a substitute. Ancient diviners or psychics have foretold events by countless methods but the Priest Ezekiel has warned us against this in the entire book of Ezekiel Chapter 13. It reads as follows:

Book of Ezekiel Chapter 13

1 The word of the Lord came to me:
2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imaginations: ‘Hear the word of the Lord!’
3 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!
4 Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins.
5 You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the Lord.
6 Their visions are false and their divination a lie. Even though the Lord has not sent them, they say, “The Lord declares,” and expect him to fulfill their words.
7 Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, “The Lord declares”, though I have not spoken?
8 “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: Because of your false words, and lying visions, I am against you, declares the Sovereign Lord.
9 My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying divinations. They will not belong to the council of my people or be listed in the records of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Sovereign Lord.
10 “Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with white-wash,
11 Therefore, tell those who cover it with white-wash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth.
12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, “Where is the white-wash you covered it with?”
13 “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury.
14 I will tear down the wall you have covered with white-wash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord.
15 So, I will pour out my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, “The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it,
16 Those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
17 “Now, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people who prophesy out of their own imagination. Prophesy against them
18 And say, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own?
19 You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have sparred those who should not live.
20 “Therefore, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds.
21 I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
22 Because you disheartened the righteous with your lies, when I had brought them no grief, and because you encouraged the wicked not to turn from their evil ways and so save their lives,
23 Therefore, you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will save my people from your hands. And then you will know that I am the Lord”.

Wow! That’s some serious revelations right there!

However, as I stated previously, the Apostle Peter calls prophecy a “light that shines in a dark place” (II Peter 1:19).

I also believe that even though their may be different interpretations of prophetic theories, some things are still held in common by all legitimate people involved:

1 Jesus Christ, Son of God, is Savior and Lord
2 The Bible is the Word of God
3 Jesus Christ is coming back again (Titus 2:13, 1 Peter 1:3 and 3:15, John 3:2-3 etc.)

Do you fear oblivion?

So, I ask these simple questions. Do you fear oblivion? Are you living your life with purpose and would you classify yourself as resilient?

Once again, we see in the Bible, around 65 AD, where the Apostle Peter, who was an eyewitness to the ministry of Jesus, was imprisoned in Rome by the Emperor Nero.

During that time, he realized that he would soon be executed, but he knew it was of great importance that the ministry of Jesus be confirmed and therefore he once again wrote another letter to the believers, confirming Jesus’ ministry and warning against false teachers.

In powerful imagery Peter describes the false teachers’ destructive effect on the community and the judgement that awaits them.

Peter knew that the Messiah’s return had only been delayed because God wanted everyone to repent and I still believe that to be true today. So in 2 Peter Chapter 3:1-9 it reads,

“1 Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking.

2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.

3 Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires.

4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation”.

5 But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens came into being and the earth was formed out of water and by water.

6 By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed.

7 By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and destruction of the ungodly.

8 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Wow!

Mentorship

61462087 – mentoring. chart with keywords and icons. flat design

As I have become more involved in the mentoring of young Caymanians in the Cayman Islands, I have come to realize that in order to become a more effective teacher and mentor, I will need to get deeper in the word of God.

And guess what else has also become apparent? Mentorship and discipleship go hand in hand.

Discipleship

Discipleship teaches us how to understand God’s word and pray, while mentoring demonstrates how to live life.

The Bible is full of mentoring examples: Elijah mentored Elisha, Moses mentored Joshua, Jesus mentored the disciples and there was even the story of Mary and her cousin Elizabeth.

You know what else I found out? The Lord created women to desire to be in relationships. Not only passionate coupled relationships, but sibling relationships as well as close friendships.

I believe He felt it was healthy and beneficial for us to partner with each other and offer support and assistance, when necessary, along life’s journey.

I pray that the Lord our Savior Jesus Christ will continue to see it beneficial to guide and protect me and my family as we blossom in grace and love and grow from strength to strength in faith.

To him be the glory both now and forever!

Amen.

Testamentary Capacity, Holographic Wills and Living Trusts vs. Wills

A few years ago I acquired more information regarding making a valid will in the Cayman Islands.

The execution requirements for making a valid will in the Cayman Islands are set out in the Wills Law (2004 Revision).

It is also a requirement of Cayman Islands law that a testator must have testamentary capacity at the time of creating his or her will.

The test for testamentary capacity, known as the “golden rule,” was first explained in the English case of Banks vs. Goodfellow and it remains good law in the Cayman Islands today. Here are the facts:

(a) Does the testator understand the nature and effect of what he/she is doing;

(b) Is he/she aware, broadly, of the extent of his/her estate;

(c) Does he/she appreciate the claims of those who might reasonably expect to benefit from his/her estate; and

(d) In considering (c), is there any disorder of the mind or insane delusion that will influence the disposition of his/her property or poison his/her affections such that he/she would make a disposition of property that he/she would not otherwise have made.

In summary, the Wills Law provides that a will must be in writing; it must be signed by the testator or by some other person in his/her presence, at his/her direction.

If the latter, the testator must acknowledge such signature in the presence of two witnesses present at the same time.

If the former, the testator’s signature must be attested to by two witnesses present at the same time in his/her presence.

Subject to only two exceptions for soldiers and sailors on active service, the execution requirements must be complied with; if not, it will be invalid.​

Holographic Wills

Unfortunately, the Cayman Islands law does not, as a general principle, permit holographic wills.

Holographic wills are documents that are usually handwritten and do not comply with the strict requirements for proper execution as a will but have nevertheless been written as testamentary documents, often in extreme circumstances.

​Famous Holographic Will

The most famous holographic will was that of Cecil George Harris, a Canadian farmer who in 1948 suffered the misfortune of becoming trapped under his tractor and fearing that he was about to die, carved a will into the fender which read, “In case I die in this mess I leave all to the wife. Cecil Geo. Harris.” The fender was submitted to probate as his valid holographic will.

Testamentary Capacity

Apparently in the common law tradition, testamentary capacity is the legal term of art used to describe a person’s legal and mental ability to make or alter a valid will.

This concept has also been called sound mind and memory or disposing mind and memory. Cool!

I also learnt that Testamentary intent refers to a testator’s intention with respect to a particular instrument that functions as his/her last will.

Testamentary intent is required for a will to be valid.

Then we have to consider the person’s legal capacity to enter a contract:

Here is a definition and example:

One of the elements of a contract is capacity. Capacity means that a person is legally able to enter into a contract.

There are several things that make a person legally able to do so, including age and state of mind.

A person who is in the end stages of Alzheimer’s disease probably does not have the requisite capacity to sign legal documents.

However, a person with a diagnosis of dementia may very well be able to sign legal documents. Generally speaking, capacity is usually analyzed situationally.

The other way to change your will is by adding what is called a codicil. A codicil is like an amendment or addition to your will.

Use a codicil to revoke part of your will or add a new provision.

To be valid, they must be dated, signed, and witnessed just like a legal will.

I learnt that it is extremely important to keep your will updated. As life changes, so do potential beneficiaries and heirs.

Updating Your Last Will and Testament

If you do not keep your last will and testament updated, it may not reflect your wishes given your new circumstances. The following are good situations in which changing a will may be wise.

  • Marriage:
    • When you get married, both you and your spouse should each create a new will.
    • Most states have laws that award a percentage of your estate to your spouse upon your death.  
    • However, if you want to devise your will differently, you should specify this in your will.
    • Furthermore, adding your spouse to your will may change the percentage of your estate, or of a specific asset, that another beneficiary or heir was previously written to receive.
    • Changing a will should reflect this new proportion as you see fit.
  • Common Law Marriage:
    • The following information was all I could find that would classify eligibility:
    • Any person who has been married to a Caymanian-

v      for at least five years immediately preceding the application, where the marriage took place prior to the 1st January 2004; or

v      for at least seven years immediately preceding the application, where the marriage took place on or after 1st January 2004

v      whose marriage is not a marriage of convenience;

v      who is not living apart from his spouse under a decree of a competent court or under a deed of separation;

v      who has not lived apart from his spouse for an aggregate period of three months

v      out of the five years immediately preceding the application where the marriage took place prior to 1st January 2004; or

v      out of the seven years immediately preceding the application where the marriage took place on or after 1st January, 2004.

v      who is legally and ordinarily resident* in the Islands immediately preceding his application; and

v      who has not in any country been convicted of an offence for which a sentence of imprisonment not exceeding twelve months has been passed other than for non-payment of a fine unless-

1.      the conviction has been quashed on appeal or has been the subject of a free pardon;

2.     the act or omission giving rise to such conviction would not be an offence if done or omitted in the Islands in similar circumstances; or

3.     the conviction is one which, in the interest of justice, the Board directs to be ignored for the purposes of this section,

  • Obtaining a new partner, without marriage:
    • Only if married will your partner automatically receive assets from your estate.
    • So, if you find yourself with a new loved one, changing a will to reflect what you would like to leave that partner is necessary.
  • Divorce:
    • Upon divorce, some states revoke any gifts you leave your spouse in your will. Other states do not.
    • Changing a will upon a divorce is very important.
    • You will want to either specify what you want to leave your former spouse, or else specify how those gifts should now be distributed.
  • A new baby:
    • There are laws in some states that give children some portion of your assets upon your death.
    • However, not everyone wants their property to be distributed the way the state laws specify.
    • If you welcome a new baby into your family, be sure to specify what gifts, the baby shall receive, by changing a will.
    • Perhaps more importantly, be sure to appoint a guardian for the baby.
    • This will be the person who will care for your baby should anything happen to you.
  • New stepchildren:
    • Stepchildren are not automatically entitled to inherit a share of your property in many states.
    • Therefore, if you would like for your stepchildren to inherit any of your property, be sure to specify your wishes by changing your own will.
  • Moving from a community property state to a common law property state:
    • The laws governing what each spouse owns vary depending on whether the couple lives in a community property state or a common law property state.
    • Therefore, if you are planning on moving to a new state, check that states laws.
    • If it differs from the one you currently reside it, be sure to change your own will, according to your new property ownership status.

i.e.    Persons of independent means:

The Cayman Islands Government offers five Immigration products for wealthy, private investors and senior executives who are seeking long-term residence in the Cayman Islands.

1.      Certificate of Permanent Residency for Persons of Independent Means (Form R5) – Persons who invest a minimum of two million Cayman Islands’ Dollars in developed real estate in the Cayman Islands may apply for a Certificate of Permanent Residence for Persons of Independent Means.

As the Certificate title denotes, a holder has the right to reside indefinitely in the Cayman Islands.

A holder will also have the option of seeking naturalization as a British Overseas Territories Citizen and, thereafter, the right to be Caymanian.

A holder and his spouse may also have their permission to remain varied to allow the right to work in the Cayman Islands.

2.      Residency Certificate for Persons of Independent Means Form R2 – This facility is for persons who wish to reside long-term in the Cayman Islands without the right to work.

Applicants will be required to demonstrate that they have invested a prescribed minimum amount in developed real estate in the Islands and that they meet certain financial standing requirements.

A successful applicant will be granted permission to reside in the Islands for a period of 25 years (renewable). This residence type cannot be varied to allow the right to work.

3.      Certificate of Direct Investment Form R8 – The Certificate of Direct Investment is for persons who invest, or propose to invest, a minimum prescribed amount in a licensed employment generating business in the Cayman Islands and in which he/she will exercise substantial management control.

An applicant must demonstrate a substantial business track record or an entrepreneurial background, including specific professional, technical and other knowledge relevant and necessary to carry on the business.

4.      Residency Certificate (Substantial Business Presence) Form R6 – This facility is for persons who invest in, or who are employed in a senior management capacity within, an approved category of business in the Cayman Islands.

A successful applicant is granted a Residency Certificate valid for 25 years (renewable) which entitles him to reside in the Islands and to work in the business in which he has invested or is employed in a senior management capacity.

  • Changing your mind about heirs: Of course, things can happen in life that cause people to change their minds about the way in which they’d like their property distributed. Changing a will to reflect these new wishes is important.
  • New or disposed of assets: Perhaps in your will you would like to leave all of your property or a percentage of your property to your heirs, then what you own changes and there is no need to change your will. However, if you have willed certain gifts to people in your will, and you no longer have those properties, be sure to remove said property from your will. Additionally, when you acquire new property, be sure to account for that in your will.

Ways of changing a will

The easiest way of changing a will is simply to make a new will. It is imperative that you revoke the old will.

To do this, simply write a statement in the new will that states that you revoke all wills and codicils that you have previously made.

This is sufficient to revoke any previous wills, but it is wise to also destroy any of your previous wills in order to avoid confusion or challenges to your new will.

The other way to change your will is by adding what is called a codicil.

A codicil is like an amendment or addition to your will. Use a codicil to revoke part of your will or add a new provision.

To be valid, they must be dated, signed, and witnessed just like a legal will.

Codicils were an efficient way of changing a will before there were computers and printing was a hassle.

Today, codicils should be avoided wherever possible. They can cause confusion, be lost, and are sometimes even a means to challenge wills.

That information is definitely worth remembering!

Changes to other estate documents

Much of your property passes by law to beneficiaries, despite what your will says.

Property such as retirement proceeds, life insurance proceeds, joint bank accounts, payable-on-death bank accounts, and stocks registered with a transfer-on-death form all pass directly to a specified beneficiary.

If you change your mind about who the beneficiary should be, change the names using the forms on which you named the original beneficiaries.

Do not change the named beneficiaries through your will, for it will have no effect.

Living trusts are also not affected by the terms of your will. If you decide to change the terms of your living trust, add an amendment to the original trust document. Then, transfer property in or out of the trustee’s name, accordingly.

You do not need to worry about having to revoke a trust and create an original one, like when changing a will.

Living Trust

What Is a Living Trust?

A living trust is a legal document, or trust, created during an individual’s lifetime where a designated person, the trustee, is given responsibility for managing that individual’s assets for the benefit of the eventual beneficiary.

A living trust is designed to allow for the easy transfer of the trust creator or settlor’s assets while bypassing the often complex and expensive legal process of probate. Living trust agreements designate a trustee who holds legal possession of assets and property that flow into the trust.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • A living trust designates a trustee to manage assets for the beneficiary, while the grantor is still alive.
  • Trustees with fiduciary duty manage trusts according to the beneficiary’s best interests.
  • Living trusts can be either irrevocable or revocable.

How Living Trusts Work

Living trusts are managed by a trustee who typically has a fiduciary duty to manage the trust prudently in the best interests of the trust’s beneficiary or beneficiaries designated by the trust settlor, also called a grantor. Upon the death of the settlor, these assets flow to the beneficiaries according to the grantor’s wishes as outlined in the trust agreement. Unlike a will, however, a living trust is in effect while the settlor is alive and the trust does not have to clear the courts to reach its intended beneficiaries when the settlor dies or becomes incapacitated. 

Types of Living Trusts

Living trusts can be irrevocable or revocable.

Living Revocable Trust

With a living revocable trust, the trust settlor can designate himself or herself as the trustee and take control of assets within the trust. However, this stipulation means the assets in the trust remain a part of the trust settlor’s estate, meaning the individual may still be liable for estate taxes should the estate be valued beyond the estate tax exemption at the time of death. The trust settlor also has the power to change and amend trust rules at any time. This means the trust settlor is free to change beneficiaries or undo the trust altogether.  

Irrevocable Living Trust

With an irrevocable living trust, the settlor relinquishes certain rights to control over the trust. The trustee effectively becomes legal owner, but the individual would also reduce his or her taxable estate. Once the trust agreement for an irrevocable living trust is made, the named beneficiaries are set and the settlor can do little to amend that agreement. 

Wills and Trusts

Wills and Trusts are both estate planning documents used to pass assets on to beneficiaries at death. … Here are five ways in which a Trust is better than a Will to pass your estate to your beneficiaries. A Trust can be used to Avoid Probate – a Will cannot.

When you die, this creates a change of beneficiary or beneficiaries. The person or persons you named in your trust documents to inherit from you become the new beneficiaries upon your death. They now own the assets you placed in your trust, according to the terms you decided when you made it.

Advantages to using a Trust over a Will

Wills and Trusts are both estate planning documents used to pass assets on to beneficiaries at death.  However, there are distinct advantages to using a Trust over a Will.  Here are five ways in which a Trust is better than a Will to pass your estate to your beneficiaries.

  1. A Trust can be used to Avoid Probate – a Will cannot. Probate is the process of changing the title on assets when someone passes away.  Assets that are owned in a deceased person’s individual name and for which there is no named beneficiary are no longer accessible once the owner of the asset has died. In order for family members to gain access to accounts or other assets in the deceased’s individual name, they must file a petition with the probate court and wait for the court to approve the Will and appoint the Personal Representative.  This can be a long and costly process during which bills cannot be paid and assets cannot be managed.  A Trust is an excellent probate avoidance tool because assets that are owned in the name of a Trust are immediately accessible to the trust-maker’s designated successor.
  2. A Trust can provide Creditor Protection for the Inheritance you Leave to Beneficiaries – a Will cannot. Many people worry that the inheritance they leave to their children will be lost to their children’s creditors such as a divorcing spouse, unpaid credit card bills, a bankruptcy, a business loss, or a lawsuit.  Sadly, this is often the case when assets are distributed to beneficiaries via a Will.  A Trust allows the maker to safeguard an inheritance from the reach of the beneficiaries’ creditors by keeping the assets out of the name of the beneficiary.  Ownership of the assets remains in the Trust.  The beneficiary will have access to the assets in accordance with the directions you leave in your Trust. You may also allow your beneficiary to serve as Trustee, allowing the beneficiary to manage her own inheritance.  By leaving assets to your beneficiaries via a Trust rather than outright via your Will, you can ensure that the assets you worked so hard for will be available to your children and future generations.
  3. A Trust can Protect Governmental Benefits for a Person with Disabilities – a Will cannot. If you have a child, grandchild or other beneficiary with disabilities, then a Trust is a must.  If you leave assets to a person who receives needs-based governmental benefits via your Will, it will place your beneficiary in the difficult position of either losing those benefits, or transferring the inheritance into a Trust of which the state must be the beneficiary at the beneficiary’s death.  Unless the inheritance you are leaving is so significant that the monetary and medical benefits available to the person through programs such as Social Security and Medicaid are no longer important, then making sure that those governmental benefits continue to be available is vital.  Leaving assets to a person with disabilities via a Trust is the best way to ensure those governmental benefits are preserved and that the inheritance you leave will be available to pay for expenses that are not covered by these governmental benefits, which while vital to many, are limited in their scope.
  4. Trusts can Reduce Estate Taxes – a Traditional Will cannot. Many married couples have so-called “I-love-you” Wills, which leave all assets outright to the surviving spouse upon the first death.  If you have an estate of more than $1,000,000, then using “I-love-you” Wills means that money you think you are leaving to your beneficiaries will in fact be going to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the form of estate tax payable at the surviving spouse’s death.  If you would prefer that your assets pass to your family, create Trusts to reduce estate taxes.  Estate tax planning via Trusts for married couples is standard planning and permissible under both state and federal tax laws.
  5. A Trust can Administer Assets for Minor Beneficiaries without Court Intervention – a Will cannot. Leaving money directly to a minor creates an administrative nightmare because the law provides that a minor does not have the legal capacity to receive assets. The parent of the minor also does not have the ability to act as the child’s legal representative until the court says so.  As such, if you die with a Will that leaves money to minor beneficiaries, the court will need to appoint a Conservator to receive that inheritance for your children.  The Conservator will be required to report annually to the court and the court will appoint an overseer (guardian ad litem) to make sure the Conservator is doing his or her job for your minor beneficiaries.  This means huge costs and long delays in administering funds for minors.  It also means that when the minor turns 18, he or she will be entitled to receive all of those assets and will be free to do with them as he or she wishes (think fast cars, spring break, and lots of shopping).  Creating a Trust to receive assets passing to a minor, or even to a young adult beneficiary, is the best way to ensure that the court is not involved in the process, that the person  you want to manage assets for the beneficiary is able to do so, and that the beneficiary can use  the assets only for purposes you decide are important and/or at ages that you dictate.

These are just five ways in which a Trust is superior to a Will.

When There is no Will

According to Robert Mack, HSM Chambers, most people know that making a will is the “adult thing” to do, especially when children and other dependents are involved.

However, like most unpleasant things in life, we tend to put it off for as long as possible.

In some tragic cases life can end suddenly and unexpectedly, or a person can be struck down by illness and lose their mental capacity which would otherwise prevent them from creating a valid will.

So, when there is no will, what is the way?

See the Journal’s  link below for more details:

http://www.journal.ky/2018/06/06/where-theres-no-will-theres-a-way/

Where there’s no will – there’s a way

Digital Assets

Let’s also not forget that digital assets fall into two broad categories: valuable and sentimental.

Valuable digital assets include such things as cryptocurrencies, online investment/bank accounts, online store credits, intellectual property, and anything else which has a tangible dollar value attached to it.

Sentimental digital assets, on the other hand, include photographs, personal videos, blog posts, social media accounts, and information held in email messages.

So how can a Will manage these two distinct types of digital assets?

See the Link below for more details:

http://www.journal.ky/2018/07/05/ghost-in-the-machine-wills-and-digital-assets/

Cages and Curses (Wild Thoughts) Fight!

There is no peace when you serve Satan! What is caging you may ask?

It is when a person is literally put in a cage spiritually, so that they cannot see the wrong actions of someone, or so that they will believe lies about someone. It’s kind of like putting mental blinders on someone. Like the blinders you’d put on horses so they see in only one direction.

We must be ever vigilant as Christians so that we can discern if a person is a true servant of Jesus Christ. Once a person is caged, it is easy to place all kinds of wrong thoughts into their minds and they will not realize that the thoughts are inconsistent with God’s word.

This is one way in which demonic doctrines can get accepted in the Christian Churches today.

As Christians, we must refuse to accept anything or anyone at face value and test everything against God’s word. Don’t fall for someone just because of his or her charisma. Unfortunately, in today’s society we are easily susceptible to following people with a lot of charisma.

I believe that is perhaps one of the greatest problems within our churches today. Too many people may obtain positions of leadership simple because they have very charismatic personalities which naturally attract people.

https://teneishajohnsondream.wixsite.com/dreamcreator/be-prepared-the-day-after-tomorrow

Satanism is a big problem around the world and it is beyond anything that has been portrayed in the press. Every city, town or country has its covens, groups or community of people who directly worship and serve Satan.

https://teneishajohnsondream.wixsite.com/dreamcreator/hello-world-are-you-there

Unfortunately, it also appears that even some High schools, Universities, Colleges and even Christian schools have their own covens.

In addition to this, did you know that many Asian religions practice another form of Satanism like Egyptians and Caribbean cults?

It doesn’t matter how you pretty it up and make it look glamorous, every religion that worships and serves demons is a form of Satanism. Some people refer to them as energies, vibrations, pagan gods, spirit entities etc.

I don’t care! They are still demons!

In 2 Timothy 4:1-5 it states,

In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:

2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.

3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

5 But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministries.

The Appeal Renewed

2 Timothy 2:1-13

1 You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

2 And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrusted to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others

3 Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

4 No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer.

5 Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.

6 The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops.

7 Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.

8 Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel,

9 for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained.

10 Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

11 Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;

12 if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us;

13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.

And I forward to verse 19

19 Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription:

“The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”

20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use.

21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

23 Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels.

24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful.

25 Opponents must be gently instructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,

26 and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will.

Types of Doorways

  • Inheritance
  • Ouija board
  • Ritual sex
  • Tarot cards
  • General occult games
  • Animal sacrifice
  • Murder
  • Horoscope
  • Blood contracts
  • Witchcraft
  • Drugs
  • Kung fu
  • Karate
  • Human sacrifice
  • Drinking blood (animal & human)
  • Hypnosis
  • Incest
  • Palm reading
  • Yoga
  • Rock music
  • Occult & horror movies
  • Rebellion
  • Drunkenness
  • Multiple sexual relationships
  • Cannibalism
  • Astral-projection
  • Blasphemy

Curses can also be placed on mirrors and this can be used as a doorway for demons to enter into a place. Mirrors are a common doorway frequently used to establish communication with the spirit world. All Christians must be alerted to this source of trouble, especially pastors and Christian leaders.

Terrible damage is being done within Christian churches and in relationships between people because of these curses and incantations. We must always be alert and sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Put on the whole Amor of God and ask the Lord to show you how to use it. Even though we may not be able to see the armor of God, it is real armor in the spirit world. We can use it in the physical world with the help of the Holy Spirit.

So, what exactly is the Armor of God you may ask? In Ephesian 6:10-18 it says,

“10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

https://teneishajohnsondream.wordpress.com/2019/02/26/the-sins-of-the-father-generational-curses-the-dark-tower/

 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 

14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 

15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 

17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

And I say personally, “ 19 Pray for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given to me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Amen”

Psalm 35 New International Version

1 Contend, Lord, with those who contend with me;
    fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up shield and armor;
    arise and come to my aid.
3 Brandish spear and javelin
    against those who pursue me.
Say to me,
    “I am your salvation.”

4 May those who seek my life
    be disgraced and put to shame;
may those who plot my ruin
    be turned back in dismay.
5 May they be like chaff before the wind,
    with the angel of the Lord driving them away;
6 may their path be dark and slippery,
    with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.

7 Since they hid their net for me without cause
    and without cause dug a pit for me,
8 may ruin overtake them by surprise—
    may the net they hid entangle them,
    may they fall into the pit, to their ruin.
9 Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord
    and delight in his salvation.
10 My whole being will exclaim,
    “Who is like you, Lord?
You rescue the poor from those too strong for them,
    the poor and needy from those who rob them.”

11 Ruthless witnesses come forward;
    they question me on things I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good
    and leave me like one bereaved.
13 Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth
    and humbled myself with fasting.
When my prayers returned to me unanswered,
14     I went about mourning
    as though for my friend or brother.
I bowed my head in grief
    as though weeping for my mother.
15 But when I stumbled, they gathered in glee;
    assailants gathered against me without my knowledge.
    They slandered me without ceasing.
16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked;
    they gnashed their teeth at me.

17 How long, Lord, will you look on?
    Rescue me from their ravages,
    my precious life from these lions.
18 I will give you thanks in the great assembly;
    among the throngs I will praise you.
19 Do not let those gloat over me
    who are my enemies without cause;
do not let those who hate me without reason
    maliciously wink the eye.
20 They do not speak peaceably,
    but devise false accusations
    against those who live quietly in the land.
21 They sneer at me and say, “Aha! Aha!
    With our own eyes we have seen it.”

22 Lord, you have seen this; do not be silent.
    Do not be far from me, Lord.
23 Awake, and rise to my defense!
    Contend for me, my God and Lord.
24 Vindicate me in your righteousness, Lord my God;
    do not let them gloat over me.
25 Do not let them think, “Aha, just what we wanted!”
    or say, “We have swallowed him up.”

26 May all who gloat over my distress
    be put to shame and confusion;
may all who exalt themselves over me
    be clothed with shame and disgrace.
27 May those who delight in my vindication
    shout for joy and gladness;
may they always say, “The Lord be exalted,
    who delights in the well-being of his servant.”

28 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness,
    your praises all day long.

https://teneishajohnsonhasadream.home.blog/2019/09/12/testamentary-capacity-holographic-wills-and-living-trusts-vs-wills/

I believe there is power in God’s word and we can still act upon His word today as the Holy Spirit shows us where to set our feet.

Please note however that it is important that we keep an attitude of humility and grace as we pray. John Dawson reminds us,

“As you stand in the gap for your city, allow the Holy Spirit to shine the bright light of truth into the inner rooms of your soul.

In Los Angeles, humans live with orcs and elves in a world where fantasy creatures do exist. LAPD police officer Dayl Ward is the first human cop having the orc police officer Nick Jakoby as a partner. When Ward is shot by an orc and Jakoby does not capture the shooter, he questions whether Jakoby lets the fellow orc escape. During a patrol, Ward and Jakoby arrest a man that tells that there is a prophecy and Ward is blessed. Meanwhile, Internal Affairs press Ward to find the truth about the escape of the shooter so that they can fire Jakoby. The magic department of the FBI interrogates the man that belongs to the terrorist Shield of Light group which protects brights so that they can prepare for the return of the Dark Lord that will destroy the world. Ward and Jakoby are summoned to attend a disturbance and they stumble upon a Shield of Light safe-house where they arrest the elf Tikka and bag her magic wand. Soon they learn that Tikka is hunted down by the evil and powerful rogue elf Leilah and her Terrorist group Inferni which are the ones actually trying to resurrect the dark lord and they need to protect Tikka and the wand; otherwise the world will be destroyed.

Women in the Church

A big obstacle that we as women face in maintaining an effective prayer life is the persistent and ever popular questions of,

“How can my prayers possibly make a difference in my life, my family, my community, my country or the entire world?”

This hesitation may possibly be Satan’s most effective method of discouraging us from pursuing prayer. Yet scripture clearly shows us that when believers pray on earth, they activate activities in the heavenlies.

The prophet Daniel had an angelic visitation after three weeks of prayer and fasting, and repenting on behalf of his people. The angel told Daniel that on the first day he humbled himself to pray, God had heard his words. In fact, the angel had been dispatched with a message in response to Daniel’s prayer, but had encountered interference from the “prince of Persia.”

Ultimately the messenger angel had to get help from the angel Michael to get his message through and he delivered a prophetic message to Daniel. If there were rulers or principalities in the spiritual realm trying to stop Daniel’s prayers from being answered then, who are we to believe we are immune!

I still believe there are hostile spiritual forces trying to block our prayers from being answered and scripture implies that these principalities rule over different geographical locations.

The Book of Daniel

The book of Daniel illustrates how God protected and promoted four young men.

When Daniel and his friends, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego demonstrated their faithfulness to God, they are delivered from deadly perils by God’s mighty acts.

In the bible, Daniel was given the ability to interpret dreams and in the second part of the book of Daniel, it describes visions and messages that Daniel received from God through angelic messengers. These visions are represented in the cryptic language and symbolic terms typical of apocalyptic literature.

The End Times

12 “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. 2 Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. 4 But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. 6 One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, “How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?”

7 The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, “It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed.”

8 I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, “My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?”

9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand.

https://teneishajohnsondream.wordpress.com/2019/02/28/performances-of-understanding-where-do-you-call-home-are-you-considered-an-asset-or-a-liability/

Jesus promises the Holy Spirit

The gift of the Holy Spirit empowers us to be strong women of God, even in our moments of weakness. In the bible, Jesus promised his followers, “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, or Strengthener) that He may remain with you forever; the Spirit of Truth.

The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

The Work of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26-27)

26 “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.

John 16:1-15 New International Version (NIV)

16 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.

3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. 4 I have told you this, so that when their time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning because I was with you, 5 but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things.

7 But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. 8 When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.

12 “I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. 14 He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. 15 All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

Jesus Prays for His Disciples (John 17:6-19)

6 “I have revealed you to those whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. 7 Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. 8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one.

12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by] that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.

13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.

15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

Jesus Prays for All Believers (John 17:20-26)

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you, I know you, and they know that you have sent me. 26 I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.”

God in His marvelous grace, began revealing His will for man right from the beginning, in Genesis 3:15, which is the first prophecy related to God’s redemptive plan for the salvation of mankind.

From there onward, through the pens of many writers, including myself, I strongly believe that God will continue to reveal more and more of His plan, which we can still find in the Bible today!

The Power of Three: A Perfect Testimony

During the third month of the calendar year (March), we shall celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, also known as Easter Sunday. Some churches may also celebrate Palm Sunday, which is the final Sunday before Easter Sunday.

Did you know that it is said that Christ died and rose again on the third day and that there is a symbolic meaning for the number (3) three?

Biblically, three is the number of the Godhead and the number of Divine completeness?

There is also Divine Order: https://teneishajohnsondream.wordpress.com/2017/09/24/the-power-of-humility-behind-the-scenes-in-gods-divine-order/

The Future is Code: Key Elements of the Patent System, Intellectual property rights, and the nature of Defamation and the Internet

Key Elements of the Patent System

The patent system is the oldest form of intellectual property right. Since its development, the concept has been featured in many of the world’s major political upheavals. Testimony of this fact can be traced back as far as the late Middle ages where the element of monopoly conferred upon the holder of a patent has at least the potential to provide very significant economic benefits.

Brunelleschi’s Dome: The story of the Great Cathedral of Florence


Brunelleschi’s Dome

The first recorded patent was issued in Florence in the fifteenth century. According to the 5th Edition of Information Technology Law by Ian J. Lloyd, Filippo Brunelleschi, the architect of Florence’s remarkable cathedral won the world’s first patent for a technical invention in 1421.

Filippo Brunelleschi was a classic man of the Renaissance: tough-minded, multi-talented and thoroughly self-confident. He claimed he had a new means of conveying goods up the Arno River (he was intentionally vague on the details), which he refused to develop unless the state kept others from copying his design.

Filippo Brunelleschi

https://www.biography.com/artist/filippo-brunelleschi

Florence complied and Brunelleschi walked away with the right to exclude all new means of transport on the Arno River for three years.

When adopted in England, the purpose of the patent system was somewhat different. Unlike Brunelleschi’s patent, the technology covered by the patent was new to the country rather than new in itself.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the system fell increasingly into disrepute because unfortunately the system was frequently being used to boost the Royal revenues by conferring a monopoly in respect to basic commodities for a fee.

It was another hundred years however, before it was settled that in return for the award of a patent, the inventor was required to specify details of the manner in which the invention functioned and not until the enactment of the Patent Act 1902 that even a rudimentary form of examination of the patent applications was made with a view to establishing novelty.

In recent United kingdom statutes, it has been made absolutely clear that the element of invention is critical for any award and that a balance is to be struck whereby in return for putting details of the manner in which the invention functioned into the public arena, the inventor is to receive a temporary monopoly in respect of its exploration.

Description of the Modern System

The basic theory of the patent system is simple and reasonable. It is desirable in the public interest that industrial techniques should be improved. In order to encourage improvement, and to encourage the disclosure of improvements in preference to their use in secret, any person devising an improvement in a manufactured article, or in machinery or methods for making it, may upon disclosure of the improvement at the Patent Office demand to be given a monopoly in the use for a period of years.

After that period it passes into the public domain, and the temporary monopoly is not objectable, for if it had not been for the inventor who devised and disclosed the improvement nobody would have been able to use it at that or any other time, since nobody would have known about it.

Furthermore, the giving of the monopoly encourages the putting into practice of the invention, for the only way the inventor can make a profit from it (or even recover the fees for his/her patent) is by putting it into practice, either by using it themselves, and deriving an advantage over their competitors from its use, or by allowing others to use it in return for royalties.

United Kingdom’s Patent System- Patent Act 1977

Today the United Kingdom patent system is based primarily on the Patent Act 1977. This statute was enacted in part to reform and update the United Kingdom law relating to patents but also in order to bring domestic law into conformity with the provisions of the European Patent Convention, opened for signature in 1973, which provides for a measure of harmonization in matters of substance and procedure amongst signatory statutes.

There is no doubt that inventiveness is a key requirement of the patent system, what has been more debatable has been the application of the system to soft-ware related inventions. these are innovations where novelty resides primarily or exclusively in software components.

Concern:

1 Does the software developments fit conceptually into the industrial nature of the system?

2 Does the library and related resources exist to allow claim to novelty to be adequately assessed?

Patents in the International Arena

According to the 5th Edition of thew Information Technology Law by Ian J. Lloyd, the patent systems tended to be found only in the developed world. However, since the introduction of the World Trade Organization (WTO), it has resulted in many more countries introducing systems of patent protection.

The oldest international instrument is the Paris Convention, an instrument signed by ninety-six states, including all of the major industrial states. This provides that the submission of an application in one signatory state will serve to establish priority for the applicant in the event that equivalent applications are submitted in other signatory states within twelve months.

Although such a facility is of considerable value for inventors, the practical problems involved in obtaining patent protection on anything like a worldwide basis are immense, and a number of subsequent agreements have sought to ease the task facing applicants.

For a good description of the history of the United Kingdom Patent System, see the Patent Office Website at:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-patent-act-1977

During the time of the Renassaissance

The Convention was first opened for signatory on the 20th March 1883, with the most recent revision occurring in Stockholm in 1968.

Intellectual Property in GATTS and WTO

Shortly after the end of the Second World War, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade has provided a legal mechanism for international trade. Reform to the system in the 1990’s brought service into the international agreement for the first time and also introduced provisions relating to the intellectual property rights.

The Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Protocol, which was adopted in 1994, entered into force on the 1st January 1995. For more information on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) requirements and signatures to make patents, visit:

https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/history_e/history_e.htm

Aid for Trade Global Review 2019 on 3-4 July: Economic diversification and empowerment of women key to bridge development gaps

Economic diversification and empowerment of women are key to achieve a fairer and more efficient trading environment, speakers at various sessions said at the Aid for Trade Global Review on 3-4 July. The global economy offers many opportunities for enterprises to grow but much remains to be done in areas such as fisheries subsidies to safeguard resources and to ensure that the benefits of trade can reach more people, panelists agreed.

Empowerment of women

Speaking at a session on “Women entrepreneurs: Making the Buenos Aires declaration happen” on Day 1, DG Azevêdo focused on the empowerment of women as a means to ensure their full participation in global trade.

The session took stock of progress and national experiences since December 2017 when over 100 WTO members signed the Declaration on Trade and Women’s Economic Empowerment at the 11th Ministerial Conference in Buenos Aires.

“If we want to seize all the opportunities that the global economy has to offer, we have to make sure that women are fully integrated into those efforts. Women entrepreneurs already play a vital part in many economies. According to some estimates, a third of all small and medium enterprises in developing countries are led by women,”

DG Azevêdo said. “However, many barriers persist to their full participation in the global economy whether it’s fewer legal rights or political underrepresentation.” 

For more of this fascinating and informative news visit:

https://www.wto.org/english/news_e/news19_e/gr19_04jul19_e.htm

Requirements for patentability

A patent may be awarded in respect of an invention.  The invention may relate either to a new product or to a novel process (perhaps Blockchain Technology?). The Patents Act 1977 does not define the word ‘invention’, but it does specify attributes that any invention must possess.  These require that:

  • The invention is new
  • It involves an inventive step
  • It is capable of industrial exploitation, and
  • The grant of a patent for it is not excluded
Mi Casa es su Casa?

https://teneishajohnsonhasadream.home.blog/2019/05/09/obsession-the-intruder/

Matters excluded from patent protection

In addition to defining the elements that most be found in an invention, the Patents Act 1977 lists a number of features which will not qualify for the grant of a patent.

Section 1(2) which mirrors Article 52 of the European Patent Convention, provides that patent are not to be awarded for:

  • A discovery, scientific theory or mathematical method (I wonder if STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math is included?)
  • A literary, dramatic, musical or artistic work or any other aesthetic creation whatsoever;
  • A scheme, rule or method for performing a mental act, playing a game or doing business, or a program for a computer; or
  • The presentation of information.
https://teneishajohnsondream.wordpress.com/2019/02/05/virtual-currency-the-blockchain-innovative-technology-and-its-regulation-smart-contracts-and-digital-assets/

Dreaming in Code – Flow: Your now on Software Time


Scott Rosenberg (born 1959 in Queens, New York is an American journalist, editor, blogger and non-fiction author. He was a co-founder of Salon Media Group and Salon.com and a relatively early participant in The WELL. Rosenberg’s first book, Dreaming in Code appeared in 2007.

Before Salon.com he wrote on theater, movies, and technology for the San Francisco Examiner and was honored with the George Jean Nathan Award for his reviews. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Wired, and many other publications.  Visit another of his website at: www.wordyard.com

Mr. Rosenberg states that the 1990s technology-industry boom introduced us to the concept of “Internet Time “. The phrase meant different things to different people, but mostly it meant fast.

A novice programmer’s first assignment is a new language typically starting with “Hello World”, a bit of code that successfully brings forth the computers voice and orders it to greet its master by typing those words.

For example see: https://teneishajohnson.wixsite.com/dream

These programs are not too complex but cheerful and encourages beginner’s and speaks to the optimist in every programmer.

The Association for Computing Machines, which is the ABA or AMA of the computer profession, maintains a Web page that lists different versions of “Hello World “in nearly two hundred different languages. It’s a Rosetta stone for programming code.

John Smith (Alex Pettyfer) seems like an ordinary teenager, but he is an alien and apparently very gifted and now he is ON THE RUN from merciless enemies hunting him and the eight others like him.

There were nine of them, three are now dead and now he is always changing his identity and moving to different towns with his guardian, Henri (Timothy Olyphant), John has no real past and no true home. However, in the small Ohio town where he now lives, he discovers love, powerful new abilities, and a connection to others of his kind.

Expert systems are real-world applications of artificial intelligence (AI).

AI is a group of technologies that attempts to mimic our senses and emulate certain aspects of human behaviours, such as reasoning and communicating.

AI is unlike conventional economic theories as it uses reasoning to evaluate and dictate its conclusion.

Expert Systems (ES) also called knowledge-based systems, became one of several system development methodologies.

Telecommunications Firms use them to diagnose switching circuits and Financial Services Firms use them to choose financial planning and tax planning alternatives.

Today, under the term “intelligent systems”, many application specific systems embed AI features.

What is Consciousness?

In the near future, Major is the first of her kind: a human who is cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals. When terrorism reaches a new level that includes the ability to hack into people’s minds and control them, Major is uniquely qualified to stop it. As she prepares to face a new enemy, Major discovers that her life was stolen instead of saved. Now, she will stop at nothing to recover her past while punishing those who did this to her.

Most of us hold as self-evident that inside each of us lies a kind of executive entity, or self, some may even suffer with split personalities disorders (Three Faces of Eve) but however you see yourself, that self will freely make decisions.

Suffering from headaches and inexplicable blackouts, timid housewife Eve White (Joanne Woodward) begins seeing a psychiatrist, Dr. Luther (Lee J. Cobb). He’s stunned when she transforms before his eyes into the lascivious Eve Black, and diagnoses her as having multiple personalities. It’s not long before a third, calling herself Jane, also appears. Through hypnosis and continued therapy, Luther struggles to help Eve recall the trauma that caused her identity to fracture.

That self will record sensory experiences, reason through problems, feel emotions, acquired skills, set and pursue goals, find meaning in our existence and ultimately retains its identity throughout our lives.

Thomas Martin Georges


Thomas Martin Georges, of Boulder, died peacefully in his home surrounded by his loved ones, on Thursday, July 6, 2006. He was 67 years old. Tom received his B.S. degree from Loyola-Marymount Univ. in 1961 and an M.S. from U.C.L.A., both in engineering. In 1967, he received a Ph.D. in engineering from CU Boulder. From 1963 until 2000, he worked as a research scientist focused on ocean remote sensing using over-the horizon radars at the Boulder Laboratories of the U.S. Dept. of Commerce.
Tom is the author or co-author of more than 100 publications, including the books Business and Technical Writing Cookbook How to Write Coherently on the Job and Digital Soul–Intelligent Machines and Human Values.

He refers to the ongoing stream of awareness of ourselves and our surroundings as our consciousness.

Aristotle thought the seat of the mind and consciousness was the heart, and that the brain simply served to cool the blood. Descartes realized that the mind had something to do with the brain.  Most religions teach that the mind, the self, the unique spirit that makes us human, lies in a nonphysical soul which survives our mortal bodies.

Unraveling the secret of human consciousness has become the Holy Grail of Artificial Intelligence (AI) research.

When a creepy guy called Richard tricks Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) into delivering a briefcase to a supposed business contact, the once-carefree student is abducted by thugs who intend to turn her into a drug mule. She is surgically implanted with a package containing a powerful chemical, but it leaks into her system, giving her superhuman abilities, including telekinesis and telepathy and the ability to use 100% of her brain.

With her former captors in pursuit, Lucy seeks out a neurologist (Morgan Freeman), who she hopes will be able to help her.

If some sort of algorithm for even a rudimentary kind of consciousness were discovered, the door would be opened to the creation of conscious machines.

Patent Software

Software-related inventions can be patented. In the United Kingdom, approximately 100 patent applications in their name are published each year. In proceedings before the European Patent Office, this figure rises to 100 per month. The report of the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology on Patents, research and Technology indicates that in the last 10 years the (EPO) European Patent Office has granted around 10,000 patents for software-related inventions, and has refused only 100 applications.

In 2003, it was estimated that up to 30,000 software patents had been issued by the European Patent Office, although, in part because the existence of the statutory prohibitions requires that software-related inventions be cataloged by reference to their field of application rather than the software component.

High-Tech Careers IN DEMAND

According to Lisa Boushy’s article in the Cayman Islands Chamber of Commerce Careers Guide of 2019, the growth of jobs like software development, data scientists and machine learning engineers are in great demand.

Growth of these and other STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) careers are challenging the future generations to solve real-world problems through technology.

Through the Enterprise Cayman initiative, Cayman Enterprise City is helping Cayman’s students and job seekers position themselves for high-tech careers currently being created amongst the 250 companies now set up within CEC’s special economic zones, which includes Cayman Tech City.

THE FUTURE IS CODE

Coding is one of the fastest growing occupations in our increasingly digitized world. Learning code is like learning any new language-its easiest when done young.

Believe it or not, even the simplest or basic job requires a person to know basic computer literacy and as time goes on, requests for coding skills will grow and these skills will be the ticket to securing well-paid jobs in the future.

“Get a glimpse into your future”

Defamation and the Internet

The notion of freedom of expression is wildly recognized as a fundamental human right, the European Convention on Human Rights provides, for example that:

  • Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority and regardless of frontiers.

As with other rights however, the right cannot be absolute. The Convention goes on to provide that:

  • The exercise of theses freedoms, since it carries with it duties and responsibilities may be subject to such formalities, conditions, restrictions or penalties as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society, in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.

The law relating to defamation rules relating to obscenity, considerable variations exist between states. In the United States, for example, comments made concerning public figures will attract liability only if it can be shown that they were motivated by malice.

Countries such as France offer protection under the law of privacy in the event that information about an individual’s private life is brought into the public domain.

Given the ease with which material may be published on the internet and the range of dissemination which can readily be achieved, it is little cause for surprise that issues relating to the law of defamation have assumed considerable significance.

Decades before, the use of the internet and all of its users faced only unwelcomed comments or allegations and was rebutted by published responses, however increasingly today, the response is to turn to the legal system and seek a remedy under the law of defamation

The Nature of Defamation

The term ‘defamation’ tends to be used as a generic description for action in which it is alleged that the making of untrue and unwarranted comments about an individual has lower that person’s standing in the eyes of right-thinking members of society.

In English law, a distinction exists between libel and slander. The law of libel applies to comments which are recorded in some permanent form- in print or on tape, whilst slander is reserved for comments which are more transient in nature.

A statement on a live television broadcast might be heard and seen by millions or even billions of viewers and be far more damaging to the reputation of the subject than would be the case with a letter published in a local newspaper.

In the case of broadcasting, the Defamation Act 1952 provided that the law of libel was to apply in respect of any statements made.

In the case of emails and the contents of the internet, it goes beyond question that there is a sufficient degree of recording to ensure that the law of libel will apply.

Destruction of the Consecrated (Online Bullying and Hat8)

http://www.instagram.com/teneishajohnson8
https://teneishajohnsondream.wordpress.com 
https://teneishajohnson.wixsite.com/dream
https://teneishajohnsondream.wixsite.com/dreamcreator

World Wide Web

During a 30-year celebration of the World Wide Web, English computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee, best known as the inventor of the World Wide Web, delivered a speech during an event at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, in Meyrin, near Geneva, Switzerland on March 12th 2019.

https://marketresearchupdates.com/2019/03/12/world-wide-web-creator-tim-berners-lee-says-web-can-still-saved/
World Wide Web Creator Tim Berners-Lee Says the Web Can Still Be Saved
World Wide Web Creator Tim Berners-Lee Says the Web Can Still Be Saved

In his speech he stated that at the ripe old age of 30 and with half the globe using it, the World Wide Web is now facing growing pains with issues like hate speech, privacy concerns and state-sponsored hacking.

Even though the web has opened the way to a technological revolution that has transformed the way people buy goods, share ideas, get information and much more, it’s also become a place where tech titans scoop up massive personal data, rival governments spy and seek to manipulate elections, and hate speech and venom have thrived.

Mr. Berners-Lee and his World Wide Web Foundation passionately wants to enlist governments, companies, and citizens to take a greater role in shaping the web for good under principles laid out in its “Contract for the Web.”

He continues to state that under the contract, governments are called upon to make sure everyone can connect to the internet, ensure that its kept available to the public, respect privacy and develop technology that will put people and the public at ease.

He also would love to see more citizens creating and cooperating with respect towards each other among other things.

At the time of this event, it was unclear how such rules would be enforced and he cautioned the public that it was important to strike a balance between oversight and freedom, however it was currently difficult to agree what that should be. How would tech companies be regulated? Where is the balance between freedom of speech and hate speech?

Tim Berners-Lee has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth II and named as one of the 100 most important people of the 20th century by Time magazine.

Generation K (True Lies)

Everyone lies at one time or another including me. Lying is a universal talent. Some people can do it rather well. Most little kids start practicing the skill as soon as they master language. When you look at it objectively it seems the ability to lie is part of everyone’s kit of survival tools, a side effect of possessing language skills. There are a lot of situations in which the ability to lie is extremely useful.

For instance, there are times when you might have to lie to protect yourself or someone else. Or you might have to lie just to defend your personal privacy. People lie all the time to diffuse a tense social situation or to avoid hurting someone’s feelings or even to calm someone who is frightened.

The way I see it, if people couldn’t lie, they probably wouldn’t be able to live together in groups, at least not for long or with any degree of sociability. The bottom line is- if humans could not lie, civilization as we know it would cease to exist.

http://noreena.com/generation-k-what-it-means-to-be-a-teen-today-what-this-means-for-you/
Generation K: What it means to be a teen

According to Noreena Hertz, an author and commentator who, among other roles, advises world leaders on strategy, economics, geopolitical risk and artificial intelligence, stated that Generation K, sometimes referred to as Generation Z, has been fundamentally shaped by technology and spends a third of their day on different social media platforms online.

As the keynote speaker at the Royal Fidelity Cayman Economic Outlook Conference held on February 28th2019 at the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, Ms. Hertz offered insights into this generation, which she says will make up approximately one third of the global workforce by the year 2022.

“Generation K” is made up of people born between 1994 and 2003. The “K” originates from the film franchise heroine with whom the generation’s members most identify: Katniss Everdeen of “Hunger Games”.

They have also been shaped by the worst recession in recent years, the financial crisis of 2008, job insecurities and a lack of financial optimism. Not to mention existential threats forged by the Manchester and Paris terrorist attacks, the rise of Al Qaeda and Isis, several terrorist attacks and multiply school shootings in many of their home cities.

Unfortunately, this generation has been desensitized from an early age to violence due to the repetitive and constant exposure experience in various ways as they grow. She states that it is not that the world had all of a sudden become garbage, but now many children and young adults’ own smartphones which never leave their side.

Unsupervised access to the internet, grants children many opportunities to bully others and be bullied. To view explicit videos and information and sometimes encounter sinister recruitment websites.

Ms. Hertz believes that because this generation saw the world as unequal and harsh, the impact is now making them extremely anxious. She says, statistics show that in the US, more than one in five high school students had contemplated suicide, and in the UK, there had been a threefold increase in the number of teenagers who self-harmed.

Although her research was primarily focused in the United States and the United Kingdom, she has also conducted limited studies in other western European countries as well.

Cayman Islands
https://teneishajohnsondream.wixsite.com/dreamcreator/the-intelligent-person

She continues to state that this generation strongly believes in equality. Economic, educational, racial, gender and social equality. They also are concerned about global issues like global poverty, global hunger and climate change.

Generation K has had to master the art of true lies in order to survive. However, what can we as a global community do to steer them in the right direction?

The Governor’s Flag

A statement from the Governor of the Cayman Islands, stated that the media has an important responsibility for integrity and accuracy.

The UK Foreign Secretary Mr. Jeremy Hunt has launched an international campaign-“Defend Media Freedom “ which aims to shine a spotlight on media freedom.

On 10th and 11th July 2019, the first ever global ministerial-led media freedom conference will take place in London. It will be co-hosted by the UK and Canada and will involve over 1000 participants from across the world.

It will bring together a range of government ministers and officials, multilateral agencies, civil societies, the diplomatic community, academics, editor’s, publishers and journalists to debate various issues and take meaningful action to defend media freedom.

The Cayman Compass also continued in the Governor’s statement which I have paraphrased, that the UK has had a long history of an independent media. As long ago as 1863 Britain had 1000 newspapers. Wow!

Journalism is freedom of expression and the UK is committed to ensuring that journalists are able to do their jobs without fear.

Unfortunately I was devastated to learn according to the United Nations in 2018, at least 99 journalists and media workers were killed.

He said I’m his Masterpiece “Call it Master P” O SNAP!

Vision is so much a part of us that we tend to take it for granted. According to anthropologist Carleton S. Coon, “sharp-focusing eyes” are among the five physical gifts that have allowed human beings to rise to their present dominance of this planet.

Think about it? What if you had never seen one of the most natural phenomenon called the rainbow.

https://teneishajohnsonhasadream.home.blog/2019/05/24/whats-your-flavor-taste-the-rainbow-gods-covenant-promise-2/

Some people say it’s one of the most beautiful sights our eyes can behold and it has been singled out in Genesis as a reminder of God’s mercy after the great flood.

There is another facet of human vision that has led not only to scientific knowledge of the way the visual system works but also to a global activity that is part art form and a money-making industry. Motion Pictures!

BEYOND THE LIGHTS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FSwSgzsVEk
Though she’s been groomed for stardom all her life by an overbearing mother (Minnie Driver), singer Noni (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) is having trouble dealing with her success. Feeling unable to cope any longer, Noni tries to kill herself, but luckily Kaz (Nate Parker), the police officer assigned to be her bodyguard, thwarts her suicide attempt. Noni and Kaz feel an instant attraction, but those in their orbit oppose the romance for fear the pair will stray from the course planned out for both of them.

S.n.a.p.(Stop Now and Plan) program in the Cayman Islands

An early intervention program for children as young as 6 has been pitched as a new tool to help prevent school troublemakers in the Cayman Islands from graduating to more serious crimes.

According to the Cayman Compass, the SNAP program, developed by Canada’s Child Development Institute, seeks to identify children with behavioral issues and help them develop self-control and conflict management skills.

Leena Augimeri, scientific and program development director for the institute, said the concept of the program, which has proven successful in Canada, is to identify young offenders early and address the causes of their behavior.

SNAP, which stands for Stop Now and Plan, involves a 13-week behavioral modification program that teaches children with anger issues new ways of handling conflict.

The program, which also involves sessions for parents and follow-up sessions with counselors, has been shown in peer reviewed studies to reduce the risk of young offenders going on to more serious criminal behavior.

The program is based on the principle that there are many opportunities to change the lives of children before they become involved in the criminal justice system. Ms. Augimeri said research shows that children who became involved in criminal behavior at 14 had, in most cases, been displaying warning signs, such as aggressive behavior in school, since age 7.

Michael Myles, government’s at-risk youth officer and a board member of Youth ACT, said he was frequently faced with young children who were displaying “chaotic behavior” in school and at home.

“It is not a matter of identifying the kids. There is not a teacher, guidance counselor, principal or psychologist in this country that couldn’t refer multiple children to this program.”

Michael Myles

He said the SNAP program could provide the answer for some children. He hopes it can become part of the school curriculum or the Extended After School Program, with a full-time program coordinator overseeing a team of trained community volunteers.

Mr. Myles believes Cayman needs to start making an investment in dealing with the root causes of crime instead of just dealing with the consequences.

He believes investment in treatment and crime prevention from an early age can steer them in a different direction before it’s too late.

GREAT ART AT IT’S BEST!

Great art has been created in motion pictures and television. Studio Productions like Miramax, Paramount Vantage, Marvel Studios …… just to name a few, and people like Charles Chaplin, Orson Welles, James Cameron, Gary Ross and currently one of my favorite producers, Rebel Wilson have enriched our lives over many years and still continue to do so.

Even Walt Disney and other motion picture cartoonists offer a clear example of timeless art in all its stages and glory!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFzPIL6wjhM
In the hilarious new comedy, THE HUSTLE, Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson star as female scam artists, one low rent and the other high class, who team up to take down the dirty rotten men who have wronged them.

THE COMPARISON GAME

It is very easy to get got up in the comparison game, partly because we learn by observing those around us. If I asked you to stop whatever you were doing right now and describe the impact you want to have on those around you and the world after your gone, it’s only normal and natural that you would think of women you want to emulate. Having successful women to model after is a true blessing.

However, we all need strong role models and healthy mentors who nurture and inspire our success like Olympic runners passing the baton in a relay of faith.  https://teneishajohnsondream.wordpress.com/2017/09/24/the-power-of-humility-behind-the-scenes-in-gods-divine-order/

So maybe in thinking about what you want to leave behind, you focus on the compassion of Mother Teresa, the courage of Rosa Parks, the beauty and determination of Halle Berry, the creative nature of Rosie Gordon Wallace, the authoritative and outstanding presence of Angela Bassett, Oprah Winfrey and so on.

Seriously, think about it! That sounds like a great recipe for success, doesn’t it? It’s like wondering through an art gallery or museum of great leading ladies and choosing colors and brushstrokes that you admire and want to incorporate onto your own canvas. Happily, there are just too many for me to name them all!

The danger arises when you set yourself up to be measured on their scale without their life experiences and circumstances, talents, beauty or even their personalities.

There will never be another Angela Bassett (How Stella got her groove back) and how I am planning to get my groove back. Lol!

There will also never be another Rosie Gordon Wallace (http://dvcai.org/), Oprah Winfrey, Halle Berry, Beyoncé Knowles Carter, Gloria Jean Watkins a.k.a. “Bell Hooks” or any of the twenty-four Caymanian women from George Town, Grand Cayman who lead the charge for equal rights for women by writing to Commissioner Ivor Otterbein Smith on Election Day 1948, declaring, “That it is our intention to exercise our constitutional right to vote today, August 19th 1948 according to our conscience”.

https://teneishajohnson.wixsite.com/dream

Bell Hooks, author of Art on my Mind

“Without culture, without creative art inspiring to the senses, mankind stumbles in a chasm of despair and pessimism.”

Gloria Jean Watkins (born September 25, 1952), better known by her pen name bell hooks, is an acclaimed intellectual, feminist theorist, cultural critic, artist, and writer. She has authored over 30 books and has published works that span several genres, including cultural criticism, personal memoirs, poetry collections, and children’s books.

Her writings cover topics of gender, race, class, spirituality, and what she describes as their ability to produce and perpetuate systems of oppression and class domination. She also teaches and emphasizes the significance of media in contemporary culture.

The focus of hooks’ writing has been the intersectionality of race, capitalism, and gender. She has also published numerous scholarly articles, appeared in several documentary films, and participated in many public lectures. In 2014, she founded the bell hooks Institute at Berea College in Berea, Kentucky. http://www.bellhooksinstitute.com/

We had or still have these amazing originals and don’t need replicas. Most important to note is that no one else can be you but you! Lol!

“People are born originals, but die copies”

John Mason, author of An Enemy called Average

You can observe and emulate without attempting to conform to someone else’s standards and achievements.

Let’s talk about MONEY baby

https://teneishajohnsondream.wordpress.com/2019/02/05/virtual-currency-the-blockchain-innovative-technology-and-its-regulation-smart-contracts-and-digital-assets/

REAL MONEY

For instance, real money is considered money, usually coinage, as distinguished from paper money and is accepted as Legal Tender. Also called Hard Currency. Checks, drafts and other negotiable instruments would not be considered real money.

RATE OF RETURN

The yield obtained on invested capital also known as the Return on Equity (ROE), or Return on Assets (ROA), a measure of operating performance. Snap!

You have your own race to run, and while you can learn about pacing and breathing by studying those who have run ahead of you, only you can finish your race and reach the finish line God has established for your unique course.

QUADRATIC PRICING MODEL

The financial pricing model, indicating the optimal market for a new product or service, and the optimal price-yield of a new product. The highest profit potential is for a customized product made for a specialized group of clients, such as full-service brokerage, or private banking.

KEY MAN INSURANCE

Key Man Insurance Is an insurance policy protecting a small business or partnership against business losses from the death or disability of a principal owner. Lenders sometimes require partnerships of closely held corporation to take out such insurance naming the lender as loss payee before extending credit if they believe the loss of a key employee will hinder a firm’s ability to repay a bank loan.

KEY

Key is a set of instructions governing the encryption and decryption of electronic messages. Each financial institution participating in a wire transfer system or electronic funds transfer network, such as an ATM network, has a unique identification key, called an issuer’s key.

KEY CURRENCY

Key currency is currency used in international trade settlement, or as a reference currency in setting exchange rates. Key currencies are the U.S. dollar, or, more broadly, any currency issued by one of the GROUP OF SEVEN countries. Central banks hold a portion of their reserves in a key currency.

KEEFE BANK INDEX

Keefe Bank Index is composed of 24 money centers and regional banks compiled by Keefe, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, a New York investment banking firm specializing in bank stocks. The index is an unweighted index of banks and bank holding companies that track s earnings, dividends, and market price performance of the group. It is used by securities analysts to monitor the relative performance of individual holdings of bank stocks.

KEY MANAGEMENT

Key management in data processing and electronic funds transfer, the control of identification codes unique to each financial institution in a network. Banks never transmit a key in the clear, that is in unencrypted form, but use a commonly accepted encryption formula to prevent unauthorized access. Periodically, banks change their codes, called issuer KEYS, for security reasons.

QUIET TITLE ACTION

Quiet Title Action is legal action brought to eliminate any interest or claim in a property by others. It is the procedure used to remove title defects from a real estate title when a QUITCLAIM DEED cannot be obtained.

Healthy and Nurturing Relationships vs Unhealthy and Destructive Relationships

Be careful who you let into your inner circle of friends. Believe it or not, who your friends are says a lot about you. So, the question therefore is, who exactly are you and what do you stand for? If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything? Remember that!

The community to which we become tied will always give us direction and rules of conduct. The rituals we perform subconsciously ties us to the communities. If we say a certain prayer in private or public, it automatically ties us to the group or members of the community that uses and believes in that prayer.

If we sing a certain song, like our National Anthem of this British Overseas Territory, “God save the Queen” or the Cayman Islands National Song “Beloved Isle Cayman” which was written in 1930 by Mrs. Leila Ross-Shier, it will or should connect us to the group or country that also feels, responds and believes in the words written.

Unfortunately, sometimes we become involved in some addictive and destructive relationships and with these relationships it can be hard to see the dangers when you have become the person in the middle of the chaos.

If you don’t know me by now, you will never know me. I’m always studying something or reading a book about something and I’ve recently learnt that addictive and destructive relationships are very superficial and most of the time are very private. The Addict inside does not care to be with people, but prefers to be alone or with other addicts who know, accept, and are not scared by their rites of addiction.

https://teneishajohnsondream.wixsite.com/dreamcreator/smooth-criminal-love-the-way-you-li

For example:

  • The bulimic’s or anorexics rite is a private act, but in another way this ritual is still a tie to a community whose members are secret to each other. Perhaps they will only meet when they band together in recovery to help each other fight their common enemy, food addiction. https://teneishajohnson.wixsite.com/dream/who-you-are-vs-how-you-look
  • The addictive gambler most often prefers to be alone, but can recognize other addicts by the way they act, the symbols they carry, and the places they meet. They often pass each other, recognizing each other’s presence in a silent way; if they talk, it is about their common interest in gambling.

Addiction is a negative form of worship through connection with one’s negative side, the Addict, at the expense of the Self. The “Self” or the person within witnesses the addictive ritual and is often sickened by what he or she is forced to participate in, but they are held captive by the power of the disease.

I’ve also learnt that it is very important for recovering people to understand their “Addict” has a preferred way of acting out and that there are dangerous areas, times and behaviors they need to avoid that may trigger another episode.

According to Abraham J. Twerski, M.D. and Craig Nakken, a recovering spending addict who has a ritual of acting out on Friday evenings, he or she will need to make sure they are around safe friends doing safe activities on Friday nights. A sex addict who use to cruise a certain part of town as part of his or her addictive ritual needs will need to stay away from that part of town.

Healthy rituals can also bind us to others, to family and to friends. Attending church as your able, volunteering your time or resources to one of the many great causes in our community and around the world etc.

If you think about it- healthy rituals bind us to people who care about us, where as addictive and sometimes destructive rituals are reverse rituals and their primary purpose is to isolate us from others.

Healthy rituals help us to have better relationships. They help us to feel pride about ourselves and others, addictive and destructive rituals cause shame.

Healthy rituals celebrate life, addictive and destructive rituals seek out death.

Rosie Gordon Wallace (http://dvcai.org/) says this,

“Women, know your calling and embrace the work that will change lives. Have courage to walk away from the false comfort of an unactualized existence. Master the grit and tenacity to act on and live through your deepest desires (let me ‘Teneisha’ also inject fears). Share your best self with future generations. Generations to come will see your path and take the necessary footsteps to follow in your honor.”

Rosie Gordon Wallace
Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) is universally recognized as one of history’s greatest creative geniuses. Excelling in a variety of disciplines-painting, sculpture, architecture, music, engineering, and physical sciences- he is often deemed the quintessential Renaissance man. Wow!

He is famously known for paintings The Last Supper and The Mona Lisa.

The Mona Lisa, it is one of the most famous paintings in the world, despite its relatively small size and simple composition. The work which is painted in oil on a popular panel, measures thirty-one by twenty-one inches. Another interesting fact that I found out is Mona is a contraction of ma donna, Italian for “my lady” Love it!

Due to his genius and fame, da Vinci has served as a continuous inspiration for many artists. In more recent times, he has appeared as a character in a wide range of fictions, from the television series Star Trek to the best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code which also became a movie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rMElSGZpV4

KEYNESIAN ECONOMICS: Was Keynes another Renaissance Man?

Keynesian economics is an economic theory originated by the British economist John Maynard Keynes (1883-1946), and his followers. Keynes maintained that governments should use the power of the budget to maintain economic growth and stability, and overcome the recessionary cycles common in most western economies.

Towards this purpose, Keynes argued, in his work The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1935) that governments become active managers of the economy, by manipulating taxation and spending policies. According to the Keynesian view, deficit spending stimulates private sector development in periods when the economy is under-performing.

Critics of Keynesian economics, especially the monetarists, say that economic stability is best achieved by controlling credit and growth in the MONEY SUPPLY. Monetarists fault Keynesian economics for relying too much on government spending and taxation policies, which they say over-stimulates the economy, causing high inflation rates and contributing to the boom and bust cycles in the economy that have occurred since the mid-1970s.

Leonardo da Vinci and other Renaissance artists five centuries ago also began using what was called the camera obscura (or pinhole camera) as an aid to drawing.

Some four centuries later, two Frenchmen, Joseph Nicephore Niepce and Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre, hit upon the idea of placing a plate containing light-sensitive chemicals at the back of a camera obscura. Photography was then born, and to this day we call the instrument we use for making photographs after the old Latin word for “chamber”: camera.

Photography has since then quickly found use in journalism, art, science etc.

Photographs record the everyday world and allows the general public to see faces, places and scenes from virtually anywhere in the world. Photography brings us images of war and beauty, famine and high fashion, art and nature, love and romance.

Instant Photography

Edwin Land demonstrates Polaroid color instant photography.
Fritz Goro/The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty Images.

Created Camera which rapidly developed pictures. (Patent filed 3rd February 1948 and published as US 2543180) “

The Inventor, Edwin Land was still a physics student at Harvard when he succeeded in producing the first modern filters to polarize light. This has applications in sunglasses, headlights and other requirements in reducing glare. He created both a camera and the special film required for the development of dry black and white photographs in about a minute.

In 1932, Edwin Land and George W. Wheelwright, III (1903–2001), a Harvard colleague, formed Land-Wheelwright Laboratories in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to manufacture polarizers and the company became public in 1937.

The company’s inexpensive polarizers were used in photographic filters, glare-free sunglasses, and stereoscopic products that gave the illusion of three-dimensional (3-D) images. 3-D movies were created by applying polarizers to projectors and viewing glasses. The company also invented a new product called a vectograph that combined two still images taken from slightly different positions and printed as oppositely-polarized images; using polarized glasses, viewers saw a 3-D image of the subject.

For more interesting information visit: https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/education/whatischemistry/landmarks/land-instant-photography.html

Fundamentally vision provides ten times as much information as hearing and compliments the famous saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words”.

However, none of what I’ve stated above, would have been possible without the above- mentioned people having an actual vision and the ability to not only conceive an idea but to bring it to life.

Vision is a gift!

Hello World? Are you there? The Importance of Communication in a Multicultural World

In today’s world with all of its innovations and advance technology, you can communicate virtually from anywhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQHsXMglC9A

Sometimes charm is not enough. Arriving with the proper introductions and support is essential to developing workplace rapport. This is especially critical if you do not fit the local people’s stereotype of the Foreign V.I.P.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVBsypHzF3U

If you are not, by way of example, “The Beautiful Italian”, but instead you are of a respectable age with charming features, your initial reception may be less enthusiastic than if you fit the hosts’ preconceived image.

Unfortunately, some corporations play to the “stereotypes” and if you are a member of a minority, racial or ethnic group, female or physically disabled, this might be to your detriment.

When a former president of an Oil Company in Saudi Arabia said, “This business of communicating has become as important as finding more oil,” he stated a belief held by many.

According to a study done by Watson Wyatt of 267 U.S. companies between 1998 and 2002, those that communicated most effectively provided a 26% return to shareholders and those with the least-effective communication provided a return of only 15%.

It was also concluded that those with the most effective communicative ability also had the less employee turnover.

Our local newspapers inadvertently record daily, companies who are constantly and consistently seeking new hire. Why is that?

https://www.caymancompass.com/

Think about it! Whatever type of organization you work in, now or in the future, your success and your organization’s success hinges on the collaborative ability to communicate effectively.

As we gallop full speed ahead into the 21st century, the concept of a global economy rings sharper than ever before!

Technological advances in travel and telecommunications have provided the means for accelerated integration of the world market.

COMPETITION

Competition comes from every corner of the globe in today’s marketplace and is forcing many businesses to look at new ways of cutting costs while maintaining market share and high-quality levels.

I’ve also learnt that it is becoming more and more of an asset for an individual to become proficient in foreign languages. I need to brush up on my French. Lol!

Managers and Consultants schooled in the ways of multinational business and multicultural service organizations are critical to the expansion of international opportunities.

For example, if we were to glance at the job ads in any of the big city newspapers around the world, if you have international skills, many countries are in need of English-language teachers.

Business people have always been on the cutting edge of marketing the latest technological wonders, see my related article on the latest Blockchain Technology:   Virtual Currency, The Blockchain Innovative Technology and its Regulation, Smart Contracts and Digital Assets https://teneishajohnsondream.wordpress.com/2019/02/05/virtual-currency-the-blockchain-innovative-technology-and-its-regulation-smart-contracts-and-digital-assets/

This trend of internationalizing business and services has led to increasing numbers of people working in multicultural settings.

Business relationships are now being forced to overcome cultural differences as firms strive to maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

However, according to my studies this is not as easy as it sounds.

Working in a foreign country is, as the name implies, an alien experience.

This means language and, most importantly, understanding diverse values in the workplace or country you’re currently residing in, is extremely important.

Therefore, individuals should be cognizant of their methods of communications and note that what might be successful in one country’s operations can and will sometimes meet with failure when transplanted into another cultural setting.

Nevertheless, the basic communication process still remains the same.

The Communication Process

As we’ve all learnt as adolescents in school, it involves a sender or encoder who then sends a message using various channels or mediums (i.e. telephones, radios, televisions, computers, written memos, videotapes, electronic mails etc.)  to a receiver or decoder.

In this new age of advance technology, messages are communicated via Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Snapchat, through the media, integrated in our songs, music videos, etc.

We have become a very interactive world!

It has become regular news in today’s society to create products and methods which helps us to share and connect more and more with each other.  

Early Inventions and Patents

The Fax (Facsimile) Machine

The fax (facsimile) machine is considered one of the oldest inventions. It is even older than Alexander Graham Bell’s telephone. Patents for the first fax machine dates back nearly 150 years.

The first commercial fax system was invented and patented in the United States in 1863 by an Italian priest, Giovanni Caselli, who helped establish a fax line between Paris and Lyons for five years, 1865-1870. At the time, Giovanni was considered “some kind of a nut” with his scientific “junk” scattered all around his home. The Italian priest’s small home looked more like a mad scientist’s workshop than the residence of a man of the cloth.

Giovanni worked alongside Alexander Bain, who was an expert clockmaker, for seven long years from 1857-1864, refining and improving the fax machine and Bain’s clock-driven pendulum idea.

Finally, in 1863 Giovanni Caselli made major improvements to the fax design:

  • He installed a separate clock in the transmitting end that synchronized the pendulums on each perfectly.
  • His fax did not require the original to be scratched in metal or written in special ink. Ordinary ink worked.
  • Originals could be reproduced in the same size or reduced.
  • Different messages could simultaneously be transmitted through a single wire.

While decorative and flowery pictures were occasionally faxed, the fax line was predominantly used to carry stock market information between 1866 and 1870.

Eventually the fax caught the attention of the press, mainly because they could clearly see its benefits to their industry. Newspapers and magazines praised the new invention for its public service.

“Who could do better?”

Wrote a journalist at the time.  But the interruption of the 1870 war and the siege of Paris, saw the era of the mechanical fax machine with their pendulums and clockworks coming to an end.

At the turn of the century, mankind had upgraded to the modern fax machines that used light beams to read and write and had replaced the swinging pendulums.

Pictures by Fax – In 1902 physicist Arthur Korn of Germany dramatically improved English inventor Frederick Bakewell’s rotating drum idea. He constructed his cylinder out of glass, positioned a selenium cell inside, and wrapped the intended fax around the cylinder. By shinning a light through the picture and onto the selenium, Korn’s machine accurately converted the picture into electrical signals. On the other end, the signal was converted back to light and was shone on photographic film. As a result, a permanent copy was created.

Arthur Korn’s system was an overwhelming success, especially for the newspaper business, which was rapidly growing in circulation at the time. The fax machine was quickly becoming indispensable to the press and realizing the machine’s value in the competitive newspaper business, the French newspaper at the time called L’Illustration bought out Arthur’s rights to the machine in 1906 and monopolized its use in France.

As I said before, we have become a very interactive and open world. Privacy is now a highly sought commodity!

Especially for Public Figures and Celebrities and I can seriously understand all the reasons why. However, let me not deviate from my own message which I’m trying to communicate. (Lol!)

The Telephone- Alexander Graham Bell (Patented on the 14th February 1876

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alexander-Graham-Bell

Alexander Graham Bell is famous for inventing the telephone, but during Bell’s era another experienced inventor called Elisha Gray took Bell to court in the 1870s, suing for the patent rights to the talking machine.

Elisha Gray

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Elisha-Gray

Elisha Gray, (born Aug. 2, 1835, Barnesville, Ohio, U.S.—died Jan. 21, 1901, Newtonville, Mass).

Obviously Gray did not win the patent rights as Bell is credited with the invention. However, history might have recorded Elisha Gray as the inventor if Bell had not beaten him to the patent office by a few hours on February 14th 1876.

The story is one of the most fascinating and illustrative of the contrast in style between two different types of men: My studies claimed that one man was steered by the promise of fortune and fame, while the other strictly believed in the pursuit of knowledge as his own reward.

Even after winning his patent Bell could not convince big businesses or Elisha Gray of the telephone’s usefulness. Gray was known to refer to the invention as a “beautiful scientific toy”.

Bell even offered to sell his telephone patent to Western Union https://www.britannica.com/topic/Western-Union-Corporation   but it was rejected by the company. A few years later, the very same company tried to strip Bell of his patent in a lawsuit with Elisha Gray.

Many agree that Gray was definitely an able and diligent scientist who had independently arrived at the same conclusion as Alexander Bell, but the courts were convinced that Bell deserved the patent.

To Elisha Gray, as a self-assured business man, the telephone was an annoying curiosity, almost in the same category as a hobby. However, to Bell, an amateur inventor working virtually alone, the telephone was his life.

The Self-Service Supermarket

http://www.tnhistoryforkids.org/history/people/people/clarence-saunders.2448240

Clarence Saunders (9th August 1881- 14th October 1953) was a flamboyant and innovative man who thought there was a waste in manpower and space in the conventional stores of his time.

It might sound strange, which it did to me when I came across this information, but the idea of a supermarket was indeed patented. According to Inventing the 20th Century,100 Inventions that shaped the World by Stephen Van Dulken, Saunders idea was filed on the 21st October 1916 and published as US patent # 1242872. C. Saunders – Self Serving Store: Patented October 9th 1917

He named the new chain Piggly Wiggly ® and franchised the format as high-volume, low-profit margin stores. The Supermarket chain is still in operation to this day.

Apparently, there is a legend told about the unusual name of the supermarket chain. Saunders stated that he once saw from a train several piglets trying to get under a fence. Lol!

Over the next several years Saunders patented several improvements to the concept of a self-service store, as well as such ideas as price tagging, a lightening system for self-service stores and tape for adding machines.

Dispute with the New York Stock Exchange left him bankrupt and he never was able to live in the huge house in Memphis which he had started to build.

PINK HOUSE MUSEUM

It is now the Pink House Museum, and contains a replica of his first supermarket.

Inventing is a very tough business. It takes a thick skin and the ability to keep smiling after constantly hearing “no”.

With the death or departure of the founder of any innovative invention, quality often gives way to quantity.

Communication 101

In a survey of 480 companies and public organizations by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the ability to communicate ranked first among personal qualities of college graduates sought by employers.

We deliberately communicate through writing, reading, speaking and listening and according to Henry Mintzberg in The Nature of Managerial Work, Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO), spend allmost every minute of their day communicating.

In any organization, people communicate in many ways. Face-to-Face communication takes place during one-on-one discussions, in informal groups, and during meetings.

However, when individuals communicate face-to-face, they experience the most effective form of communication. Both nonverbal cues and verbal communication supply immediate feedback.

The critical question for you to ask yourself when communicating is, “What is my objective?”.

Do you want to motivate others to support a new or existing idea? Do you want to encourage healthy open dialogue or are you just disseminating useful information?

Miscommunication or no Communication

Unfortunately, there are many causes of miscommunication. As we know, right here in the Cayman Islands, we have many people living and working here from around the world and this can sometimes cause personality differences, word-meaning confusion, inferences, gender differences and intercultural differences.

However, I personally do not believe that this should be looked upon as a “bad thing” but as a necessary catalyst for stimulation and growth for our economy.

Individuals from different cultures bring different perceptions, value systems and different languages to the workplace. Yes, it may cause miscommunication but hey, most people are good people and there might be something you can learn from them and vice versa!

I strongly believe we just need to be more sensitive and aware of an individual’s background and experience when communicating in order to be our most effective.

We should also check to see if there are any hidden biases and if we are forming an opinion regarding certain people based on their sex, religion, age, race or simply because they belong to a particular group.

Prejudging people may make it difficult to communicate with them.

And I can’t stress enough that we should avoid stereotyping and the use of sexist, racist or ethnic remarks.

Feedback

Immediate feedback is best but sometimes not realistic. Feedback reports to the sender that the receiver (the decoder) received and understood the message. When the receiver responds to the sender, the communication process starts over again. Feedback therefore makes communication a two-way process, allowing the sender to become a receiver and vice versa.

Sometimes personal reflections can be a source of feedback when you make observations of yourself in action. You might ask yourself, “Wow, was that really me? I didn’t think I could really do it,” or “Why didn’t I think of doing this before?” Or, you might observe a certain scenario and state, “This didn’t really work the way I planned it, but the reality turned out to be better than I could have hoped for.”

Other people are also great for feedback, with one being the sender and the other being the receiver. Sometimes we need constructive observations of our actions towards others. Someone may tell you, “I didn’t think you had the guts to actually remain in such a toxic environment for so long. I know I couldn’t. I’m very impressed with you!” or, “Ever since you returned from college, you’re like a different person-so strong and decisive and self-confident. I like it!”

Unfortunately, there will always be those people around you who may be jealous of your decisive actions or your self-confidence and may give you negative feedback without any real reason for their comments. But, if you stop and think about it, you will realize that many times a person’s jealousy is just a way of revealing their envy of you. Either way, the feedback is necessary.

Results are another important source of feedback. By observing the actual effects of your actions on the intended subject, you may be able to clear up misunderstandings and explore each other’s viewpoints. If the necessary debates and negotiations work out well, everyone should feel as if some of their ideas were taken into account.

Even though technology has revolutionized the way we communicate and conduct business, the most vital element of communication remains the continued development of an organization’s most valuable resource-its people.