I am truly moved by all of the artists who have gathered to celebrate the arts with the celebration of the 89th Academy Awards. What moved me was to see the diversity, the speeches, and words that supported the recent events that are significantly disturbing the American values. Thank you to all at the Academy, these words are written to honor and thank you for supporting the cause of justice, civil rights, human rights as you gather to celebrate your achievements, thank you. I wrote the following thought on World Teachers Day, and would like to share this again today. Congratulations to all, you are all winners! : ) Artists United. :)

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, joy, peace and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

     The truth is that I was taking the time to think about my Super Shazi Bowl™ workshop, that I am currently designing. Part of the reason for the development of this workshop was because I found a need for a workshop that inspired effective communication skills. I realized that there was a deep need for this, especially for families that have suffered from break down, friendships, loss, or trauma. I decided to create this constructive model where participants could walk away with specific tools, and skills. Family breakdown can happen, there is a breakdown in communication, the people involved fail to understand, or even want to cut you out of their lives, because of a lack of care. 

​     However, what these individuals need to understand is that when there is family, relationship, or friendship breakdown, there will be a toll upon the human state. This is not a type of attention seeking, nor is it an excuse, it is the brains automatic response. Trauma healing happens everyday. Is does not end when a workshop or a physical fitness session is over. Healing is a process. This does not mean that there is a dwelling on the healing, it means that a person tries to use coping mechanisms to continue everyday, it is daily living. 

     
     For families members who do decide to walk away, they are actually creating more harm, they are hurting the very individual who probably needs them the most at this time of vulnerability. For those members that do decide to walk away, no one can force family, friends, and relative to stay, once they realize that a person has issues, they may decide to walk away. 

     For those that do decide to walkaway, they have also walked away from a social responsibility of care, and love for the vulnerable. I wonder how they sleep at night, knowing that they could have helped someone but choose not to, because of their judgements. Having said this - I remind myself, we can never force love from others.

    So this is why I developed the Super Shazi Bowl™ Model, it is a type of preventative structure to heal relationships, and also to provide active tools to those who need help to re-build and re-new relationships. It does not matter how hurt relations are, there is always a way to mend the bond. What is important is the willingness for family, freinds, and relations to have a conversation that is founded upon understanding, a rebuilding of trust, and not about who is right, and who is wrong. Mend the bond. :) 
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Dedication: These words are dedicated to any who need a healing, a gentle touch, you are loved. My thoughts to share with love and kindness! :)

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand - written on February 25th, 2017
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In weakness, In Strength, love is all there is. Shazi. :) ​
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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, joy, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

     The truth is that my mind is taken back to a classroom discussion that took place around the months of November or December. It was a conversation surrounding the LGBTQ communities, as a class we were sharing our thoughts about this topic. I am very passionate about this, and human rights topics. To me it does not make sense to deny any rights to this group. Within this century we have learned about many discriminatory acts that have taken place against these communities, if we just ignore these, then we are doing this on purpose, because we have seen the devastating effects of discrimination, and the harm the ignorance can do to deny rights to minority groups.

     My thoughts can be connected to President Trumps latest shenanigans, as he is seeking to reverse bathroom regulations that were put forth by the Obama Administration. This is the issue with regards to the gender specific bathrooms. He believes that this is a "states issue" It is very sad that once again we see a President that is trying to turn the land of the free, and the home of the brave, a nation that is liberty loving, into a nation that is driven by fear. He is un-doing much of the good  progressive work of human rights groups, activists and of the previous administration. When we have reached a knowingness of the harm of discrimination, and have the power to reduce harm, and then don't do or say anything, this is a "state" of ignorance.

     Sexuality is personal, yet it is a human factor that we must embrace. It is integral to who we are as human beings. A sexuality must be able to flow. If it is obstructed, or damaged this flow will become destructive. And this is what we see when human rights groups, or activists groups raise their voices for the desire to be heard and embraced. It does not make sense that we are still arguing about transgender rights to this day, when so much has already been done and said about these issues. Does anyone even remember what happened in Orlando? The Pulse nightclub where 49 people were killed and 53 were wounded, these were Americans who were from the LGBTQ community, this was a deadly vicious attack, a direct hate crime. Does President Trump even care about the American people? 

     
     People should be allowed to their freedom of movement, so that they can be free to seek their survival, and obtain their goals without obstructions. The fact that these rights are being denied, reversed, or limited once again shows the increasing rhetorics of hate that President Trump is dribbling with. Once again we see him using his power to enforce his own beliefs. When actually in the role of leadership, it is essential to remove the self - biases so that everyone is treated as fairly as possible.

     
     I am not sure why we are still arguing over a bathroom sigh in the year of 2017. It seems petty to me. It is a sign, but this sign is a symbol of embracing the diversity of sexuality. Why is he making a big deal about this? It is actually quite natural. As I was visiting my daughters high school, I saw a bathroom that was allocated for all genders. I was intrigued and decided to use this washroom. It was a great experience. It was a room with one toilet and a sink. I liked this idea because it was also adhering to privacy as it was not a multi-stall washroom. I just don't understand why the controversy? I mean why should I even be writing about where I decided to go to the washroom? If teenagers in a school can simply go about their daily school lives and live with having all gender bathrooms in schools, then this is showing that millennials are much more tolerant, and embracing then our elders, in this case President Trump. 

     
     Sexuality is fluid, we are a soul in a body. I absolutely do not agree with President Trump's latest "trash talk" He is simply igniting a controversy that does not need to happen. The LGBTQ populations vary from state to state, however an acceptance of these communities from a Presidential level  will show an embrace and protection of these communities, it demonstrates inclusion to all. I truly hope that President Trump re-thinks his position on this protection. 

​I would like to acknowledge and thank celebrities for taking the time to also voice their concerns about this topic. Thank you! :) 

Ellen - Thank you :)

Beyoncé - Thank you :)

Caitlyn Jenner - Thank you :)

Dedication: These words are dedicated to the LGBTQ populations, you are love and embraced. Thank you to all who voiced there concerns / love for this topic. My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

​Notes: These thoughts were originally hand written on February 25th, 2016.
​Further Reading :
The New York Times - Trump Appears Set to Reverse Protections for Transgender Students
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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, joy, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

The truth is that I was taking a moment to think and reflect upon my previous thoughts, entitled The Rise Of Popularism. Within these thougths I particularly mentioned from the perspectives of the political that the rise of popularity will often begin to influence the mass populations, and from the political lens there is a certain level of care, that is required to understand who and what is the subject of influence. This affects social molding, and social forecasts. 

Having said this: Today's events that took place in the White House where President Trump denied specific press agents into the White House Press briefing, actually he blocked them from entering, he denied these individuals the rights that are contained in the first amendment of the United States Constitution. After a quick wiki search I found the following is a simple version of the first amendment:

This is a severe offence, and should not be taken lightly. No one should be silenced. When someone is in a high public office, the White House being the highest, transparency is a requirement. There is a certain level of trust that the public has put forth in the elected individual. President Trump has blatantly silenced specific news agents, which shows that he is not able to take questions. To avoid any cross - fire he blocked them. He denied them their rights which shows how once again he is abusing his power. It seems as though President Trump is using his power to protect his own rights, when the essence of a true leader is to protect the rights of those that you serve. 

With respect to my original thoughts: It must be said that I never mentioned anything about denying anyone the right to speak. In fact the human voice is a topic that I am very very passionate about. My specific analysis was directed to those who have a vested interest in social and public policies. President Trump's latest show downs shows that he has neither.

Also it must be said that his attacks upon France today are actually showing his intolerance of immigrants and refugees, that have landed in this nation. Is this a hint at white supremacy? The irony is that his own wife Melania Trump is an immigrant. I don't understand the depth of his irony. Yet, it is becoming quite clear - The influence that President Trump is creating is that of hate and fear. This is where his influence is swaying. While he is shedding fears with his words and thoughts in a quick instant to mass populations, he is able to quickly influence. Is this the type of influence that the nation of the home and the brave deserves?

Portion of transcript from CPAC Press Conference - President Trumps words with regards to Paris, France.

While his cabinet members are always picking up his pieces for him, as Paul Ryan and Secatary State Tillerson visit the U.S Mexico borders to ease the tensions between the two countries, what is happening on the other side? People who are already tired of his rhetorics are fleeing to Canada, as refugees and immigrants. This is showing the impact of his influence. The results are being revealed without a need of an experimental design. 

He has hurt global leaders, and the populations that he wants to serve. His aim is to create jobs that prevailed in the era of the industrial revolution, he is ignoring the mass developments of technologies, and the information societies. People are leaving the country, so who will fill these jobs? Whilst it is good to think about job creation, he is actually reproducing an era that seems pre-historic.

Dedication: The words of this being are dedicated to the news agency members that were shut out today. You deserve your voice. My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand - written on February 24th 2017
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Further Reference: 
​Vox - Full transcript: President Trump’s CPAC speech
The Guardian - The White House's radical attack on the First Amendment cannot go unanswered
​The New York Times - Trump Intensifies His Attacks on Journalists and Condemns F.B.I. ‘Leakers’
You Tube - Trump Speech at CPAC 2017 (FULL) | ABC News

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A Consequence Determines An Action. Shazi. :)  

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, joy, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

The truth is that I have been debating with myself for much time, if I should write these words, and finally the urgency to write them was demanded. As any creative person knows, if we don't channel the creative urge into a positive outlet, ultimately it becomes destructive. 

I was thinking about the idea of popularism. What is popularism? A quick wiki search revealed the following results:  Popularism. Noun. (uncountable) Any political doctrine chosen to appeal to a majority of the electorate. Is popularism good or is it bad? Popularism can be connected to writing, sharing content on a mass scale, or any forms of media that are channeled for public viewing. The content can be very beneficial when it is assumed to be a force for the social good. 

Example: My children have decided they will be going Gluten - Free completely. This posed a problem for me because obviously it is about re-learning, finding recipe's that can cater to their needs. So I decided to go on You Tube to learn some new recipes. And my results were great. You Tube video's are great for sharing information, or part of learning. As educator's we often talk about the negative implications of technologies in the classroom, but forget that we also use it. I think that the educators concerns stem through the fact that there is a plethora of content that is widely available. We want our students to be careful about what they are viewing. The brain, the child's and the teenage brain, is like a sponge. It will soak up anything. What is put in, is what is put out. 

As educators we can use these technologies for the purposes of learning and sharing, but we also want to make students aware of contents that will have a negative impact. However, we cannot control what students do, when they are surfing the internet by themselves. Sometimes we have to let go to allow students / children to have an experience to decide for themselves.

Whilst many may think that my ideas seem old - fashioned, or traditional, but I am thinking especially about the idea of Popularism. It is evident that when there is a rise in the social there will be more demands that are placed upon the political. We have to be very careful about this idea, because it will impact social molding, and how we forecast the futures of societal progressions. Individuals who have a large following, likes, or shares are buying these numbers, This is a mechanism to create a status, influence, and the growth of popularity. When a student / child sees these numbers it is automatic that they will be intrigued to investigate the content. These words are not written to attack the tool of technologies, or criticize, they are written to create an awareness of the influences.   

Dedication: The words of this being are dedicated to all beings, my thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand written on February 24th, 2017
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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, joy, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

The truth is that on February 12th, 2016 it was the day of the Grammy awards, and it was my lack of knowledge (mistake) about show business, as I for some reason thought is was the Oscars. Don't ask me why, it was a simple mistake. As we know of all the political hype that is taking place in America, I was particularly nervous to watch the show. This tension was pinned to thinking that there will be some sort of political statements made during the show. However, I was intrigued because of Beyoncés appearance. She is pregnant with twins, and I wanted to see her performance.

To tell you th truth, when I first heard the news that she would perform, I became quite worried, hoping that she would not come out with any outrageous, or extravagant move, this was a genuine safety concern. However, all went well, as we were invited to a wonderful pregnant body, with a flawless appearance. Mind you the chair stunt got me a bit worried again, but this was also calmed, as we saw her beautiful movement that depicted a defiance of gravity. What I really liked about this performance was that it was an artful performance, with beautiful costumes, and design conveying, and cultivating to a message.

How one person perceives the message will differ to what someone else thinks. For me, certain memories were aroused. Her pregnant body reminded me of my own pregnancies. The beautiful happiness, and also the many struggling days, that the pregnant body has to go through. Her costumes reminded me of a Goddess, a Nubian / Egyptian Queen, who is glorious, full of light, beauty in this body. Pregnancy or having a child can be taken for granted. I don't think that it should be. It is truly a gift to have children, it is hard work being a parent I absolutely admit that, but I do not think that having children should ever be taken for granted.  

It is truly a gift to have a child. And for those that were critical of her performance: I think that you should focus your energies upon the real issues such as: Poverty, homelessness, greed, capitalism, envy, and all else that is corrupting and polluting current establishments. When someone tries to do something good, and positive why condemn this? Why shouldn't a pregnant female body be celebrated?

I think that the writers who were critical of her performance must be feminists (not saying there is anything wrong with being a feminist). They are using her performance to hype their own cause. They have basically spat on something that was creative, thought provoking, and a celebration of life. With regards to their thoughts on Adele; it has to be said, just because a woman / mother becomes famous, it does not mean that she is not a human being. Depression, and post - partum depression can happen to anyone, these are very complicated human states. Instead of being critical to her words, why not show support? Adele's speech should be viewed as a woman who is giving her words of praise to another woman (Beyoncé) who inspired her. 

Instead of women constantly bashing each other, this example should have been used to inspire, to show that women of different nationalities, ethnicities, can love and support one another, from the perspectives of beings women, and mothers. 

It is OK for pregnancy to be beautiful, sexy, and divine. A woman has not lost any of her rights by a claim to loving her pregnant body. 

Dedication: The words of this being are dedicated to Adele and Beyoncé. Thank you both for showing that women can be loving and kind to one another. And to all at the Grammy's, mothers, and women. Thank you for your dedication to the arts. My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :) 

News Article Source - Having a baby isn’t a miracle and doesn’t make you a goddess
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Notes: These thoughts were originally hand - written on 19th February, 2017. 

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Vincent Van Gogh - The Starry Night

Paul Gauguin - Yellow Christ

Vincent Van Gogh would often wait for his friend
Paul Gaughin, they would converse with each other.

As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, joy, peace, and blessings, I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     The truth is that I was taking the time to think abou​t the work of teaching and learning. The beauty of learning is that we are able to learn new ways of knowing and seeing, when we are exposed to different pieces of knowledge. I wanted to share an example of these thoughts when I watched the movie Entre Les Murs. This movie was very interesting as it showed a side of France that I was not familiar with.

This film is based on a novel, it is fictional, it is a portrait of a school. The class room shows how the outside world, is brought into the inside world of the class room. The students are multi - racial, poor immigrants, often individuals that are in the country without documentation. We can relate this classroom to any urban area. After watching this film, I was able to learn about the many issues that France is also faced with. 

Examples of these issues are:
Race
Language
Shame
Refugees
Multi - Racial Students
Homogeneity of teachers
Social  / Systemic structures
Discipline 
Relationships
Social worlds
Clashes
Cultures

Entre Les Murs

Teaching and Learning
For the purposes of teaching and learning this material to students, I decided to ask students the issues that were raised in the film. Then in groups students took the time to discuss the issue, and think how certain issues contributed to the overall outcome of the film (characters). The students then had a chance to discuss how the structures that were in place also contributed to end. 

This film was a great source of learning for me, and for the students. It shifted my perspectives to see how diverse this nation actually is. These thoughts are also related to my visit to Houston, Texas. Although on the news we hear about the crashes, crime, missing people, fires, or people who have been shot, when I visited this city I was able to walk through neighborhoods, and my interactions were very positive. The beauty, diversity and welcoming warmth of this city shows that how news media can distort our views of cities, and countries. With this thought I would like to say, that I was grateful to have the chance to watch this film. 

Dedication: The words of this being are dedicated to all beings, they are also dedicated to my children who were all born in Canada, and to those in Europe. I have been blessed with the love of American mentor-ship, I always wanted to see that these two nations would somehow become united for the purposes of a common vision. As I write these words it is my hope that we begin to realize that the humanitarian crisis is a global crisis. My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

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Super Bowl Shazi ™

The above art work was inspired by the recent thought model that I created with regards to creating a meaningful conversation. After creating the model, I realized that it was shaped as a Football (Rugby Ball). Super Bowl Shazi ™ will serve communities that have suffered from family breakdown, the under-served, as well as professional communities who require training and development for staff, working and focus groups.
 
Welcome to the world Super Bowl Shazi ™

Please note this is original art work / ideas please seek permission before any re-creation or if you would like information as to how to use this model for your service practice. Thank you. :)

     As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, joy, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect. 

The Arts
The truth is that I have been taking the time to think about art. What is art? What is the purpose of art? To note a few examples, art can be: Paintings, drawings, songs, music, athletics, sports, dancing, writing, poetry, photography, cooking, etc. There are many forms of art. I enjoy arts. I particularly favour the arts because of my own use of arts for leisure and with workshop participants. I have seen and heard the benefits. Arts can benefit those who have suffered any type of trauma, or mind / mental health issues. The arts don't allow for the forgetting of a painful memory, but it does allow for the making of meaning for the memory. It is not tot forget and shun off the memory, but tot work with the pain, to allow for a healing avenue through the pain.
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Arts, Society, Politics
Arts can also inform societies. Many of the poets, artists created art works, that were a response to certain political events. Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera were part of the social and political movements that were shaping America, particularly the communist movements. Diego's art was often political showcasing his thoughts about politics. Even Frida, in her pain and suffering saw the gift of her art to create arts. inspired by the social struggles. 
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Detroit Wall Murals, by Diego Rivera, showcasing industry and resilience. Commissioned by Henry Ford's son.

We can also think about poem's of Ezra Pound who warned of the dangers of too much greed, capitalism, corruptions, and the accumulations of more and more. A nice example is the poem by Ezra Pound, Canto XLV (Usuara).

Poems can also serve as a development for personal growth, where we learn about the experiences of others, and try to make meaning of the words through our own experience of being human. A nice example of this is the poem by Rudyard Kipling called "IF".

The Role Of The Artist
Today I wonder what is the role of the artist with respect to the political movements, or even the social issues such as: Refugees, immigration, border walls, to the climate. Can artists influence the politics of the day? I certainly think that the artist possess a capacity to influence, it may not occur within an instant, but it can happen. The beauty of the genuine, authentic artist is that he / she knows the tough financial positions of being an artist, but wants to remain true to the passion within. The artist who is concerned with social and political issues will strive for the inequalities to be seen, to be made visible, so that the awareness is raised to others. 

I wanted to share the work of Krzysztof Wodiczko. He is a Polish artist who works with large scale slide and video projections. Most of his installations are concerned with current issues such as the refugee crisis, and the Mexico / US border wall. The artist provides a lens, a way of looking at these issues that the news media cannot do. It is my hope that the work of the artists / poets reaches the politicians of our time not only to raise awareness but also to influence policy and decision making processes. With this new light, an expansion of thinking and ways of knowing are created.

For Reference: The Border Project took place in San Diego's museum of an and the Centro Cultural in Tijuana. It was situated on either side of the Mexico and US border.

Dedication: The words of this being are dedicated to all beings. Particularly those who are highly creative, I understand the up / down sides. You are loved, my thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

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As I close my eyes and drift away to a land where there is love, joy, peace, and blessings. I wanted to take the time to think and reflect.

     The truth is that I was actually inspired to write these thoughts because it was National Pizza day on the 9th of February. So I thought why not share a dinner time conversation. It is actually nice to sit down with the kids, and have a conversation. The conversation these days are mostly focused on the politics of the day, mainly stemming from the United States of America. It is actually really interesting to watch teens debate, and talk about the issues.

     I love my dinner table. It is a round wooden table. It does not suggest a traditional head of the table, but simply a place where we can get together, and be together, to share food, conversations, and even study. With a huge pro - Trump supporter in the family, it is interesting to watch how President Trumps policies are actually supported through genuine reasoning. Whilst not getting into too much detail, (kids) I wanted to share a point of our agreement.

     This was with regards to the Ivanka Trump brand. The point I was trying to get across to the kids, was that when in any type of public role, we have to be mindful about how we use our power, when it comes to protecting our own family. President Trumps desire to protect his daughter can actually be traced back to our very evolution. It is natural for a father to want to protect his / her child. This natural tendency is driven through protective instincts, that are considered innate. 

     However, as we have evolved as human beings, nothing can remain that simple when in front of the public eye. The media is the prey on the look out for stories. Whilst I do understand this natural tendency, not everyone will. It is a sad shame to see the impact upon his children. It takes years to build a brand, and I think that Ivanka Trumps brand should not be under attack because of her father's presidency.

     To demonstrate my thoughts about being mindful as a public person, and a conflict of interest. I thought about this because a school teacher cannot teach in a school if her / his child goes to the same school. This will be considered as a potential for favouritism, therefore a conflict of interest. From this point I think that there needs to be some serious thoughts and considerations, about how President Trump will navigate his family business, children's business, and his presidency. Maybe he should consider each as a separate entity?

     For President Trump,  the presidency is also a type of paradigm shift, from entrepreneur, to being a person of public service.  His business skills will definitely come in handy, but a presidency will always be about focusing on the good of the public. This will also mean that you will have to put the good of the public first even before your own family. It will require dedication, and sacrifice.

     Pizza Time! :)
So we all agreed, and concluded that the children of President Trump should be allowed to have their lives and carry out their business. It is obvious that they have also been impacted with their fathers presidency, and will also have to navigate how they will separate politics, family, and business.
  

Dedication: The words of this being are dedicated to Ivanka Trump, you are a great role model for women entrepreneurs, be strong. And to all who aspire to follow their passion. My thoughts to share with love & kindness! :)

Notes: These thoughts were originally hand written on 10th February, 2017.
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