Corbyn v Smith: a battle not for the ballot, but for hearts and minds

Any sensible judge knows that fiddling with the party rulebook will not win this struggle for the membership’s enthusiasm

“I’m with the Corbynites on this one,” is not a sentence I try to write very often, and I last did it when Corbyn voted against David Cameron’s token bombing raid over Syria last year. But here we are, facing an imminent high court ruling on whether or not the incumbent should be on the September leadership ballot paper.

Of course it should – and sensible judges know they should steer clear of what are essentially political decisions, not subject to the kind of legalistic jiggery-pokery evident in the court application launched by Labour donor and ex candidate, Michael Foster. No disrespect to Foster or his legal team, but it would be a disaster if they derailed the leadership contest now, even though we and the bookies assume that Corbyn will win handsomely and continue his reign of error. As I write, Owen Smith is laying out his challenger’s stall. Full marks for intelligent opportunism and courage, but it’s not going to reverse the Corbyn tide – not yet.

Related: Labour donor to mount legal challenge over leadership ballot

Related: This Labour battle isn’t Blairites v Corbynistas. It’s over progressive change | David Wearing

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What Is Your Personality Type According To The Words You Use?

Words have immense power. It is said that “The pen is mightier than the sword”; a metonymic adage that indicates the power of communication. We can hurt or heal with them, we can create beautiful fantasy worlds or imagine nightmares. Everything it’s up to us and we’d better make wise choices.

We can reveal a lot about us without realizing. Our words will do that for us.

personality_type_wordsTake this quick, fun test to find out what type of personality you have based on the words you use.

What Is Your Personality Type According To The Words You Use?
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Leave a comment below to tell us what you’ve got!

The post What Is Your Personality Type According To The Words You Use? appeared first on Change your thoughts.

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Waikiki – Hawaii – USA (by Jonathan Gross)

Waikiki – Hawaii – USA (by Jonathan Gross)

CetraRuddy Designs Tallest Building in New York’s Meatpacking District


Courtesy of CetraRuddy

Courtesy of CetraRuddy

CetraRuddy has been selected to design a new 18-story office building in Manhattan’s trendy Meatpacking District. With plans filed before zoning ordinances in the area changed the height limit to 130 feet, the project will feature an extra 140 feet, with a total height of 270 feet. 

Located on West 15th Street near Ninth Avenue, the office building—which was previously designed as a hotel—will connect to a landmark district building on West 14th Street, which will be renovated as a part of the project. Together, the two buildings will feature 250,000 square feet of office space with a landscaped rooftop and an additional five terraces for communal work and relaxation areas. 


Courtesy of CetraRuddy


Courtesy of CetraRuddy


Courtesy of CetraRuddy


Courtesy of CetraRuddy


Courtesy of CetraRuddy

Courtesy of CetraRuddy

As a “vertical campus,” the West 15th Street building utilizes a façade of glass and custom three-dimensional metal panels to merge with the neighboring, historic 14th Street structure.


Courtesy of CetraRuddy

Courtesy of CetraRuddy

Open floorplates throughout the building, in addition to easily accessible terraces, create flexibility and possibilities for various workspace arrangements and styles.


Courtesy of CetraRuddy

Courtesy of CetraRuddy

Our design takes its cue from the existing neighborhood fabric, the incorporation of outdoor terraces for working, meeting, and relaxing takes advantage of the city and river views while also drawing a parallel to the nearby Highline Park, said John Cetra, founding partner of CetraRuddy.


Courtesy of CetraRuddy

Courtesy of CetraRuddy

News via CetraRuddy

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Five of the best houses in Maine on Dezeen



This week, as part of our roundup series of American houses from each of the 50 states, we’re featuring Maine, home to a house raised on stilts above a bay and a black cabin in the woods (+ slideshow). (more…)

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vincentcroce: Patiently waiting 🍂 http://ift.tt/1oWXGdB

vincentcroce:

Patiently waiting 🍂 http://ift.tt/1oWXGdB

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Five Things To Do Right Now To Stop Procrastinating

Do you want to stop procrastinating? Do you find yourself constantly spinning your wheels and feeling like your to-do list never stops growing? If so, there are things you can do in the next few minutes to stop feeling like you never get anything done.

Here are five things you can do right now to stop procrastinating, become more productive, and get more done today.

1. Make A List

It can be so helpful to write down all the things we want to accomplish. Writing everything down helps us organize all the thoughts in our head and then prioritize them.

After seeing how many tasks are on our list, we can start tackling them one at a time. You can segment your list into items to do today, items to do this week, and even items to do this month.

Lists help us remember what we want to accomplish and keep us on track. Without a list it’s easy to forget all the things we want to get done and instead have a Game of Thrones binge session with regrets. After finishing an item off the list, it also feels great to cross it off!

2. Don’t Keep Your Phone Nearby

keep phone away

When you want to be in a “get ‘er done” mode, put your phone in a place where you can’t look at it easily. Taking the time to read and respond to text messages, checking Facebook, or seeing if there are any new emails, may seem like they quick tasks that only use a little time, but in reality these are all huge time sucks.

We may look at our phone for a quick break and realize that we just spent 30 minutes scrolling through our news feed.

3. Clean Up Your Space

It’s hard to be productive when you’re working in a messy environment. Whether it is your office or your kitchen, doing a quick clean up first will help you focus immensely. You cannot find things and be as efficient if you are always looking for something or getting distracted with the mess in front of you.

Take a few minutes to clean up, and then move onto the tasks at hand.

See Also: 7 Tips On How To Overcome Procrastination Everyday 

4. Close your Email Tab

If you are working on a computer and have your email constantly open while doing other things, close it. We waste time looking at our inbox to see if anything new came through. When new messages come in, we spend time and energy switching gears and then coming back.

Close out of your email so you can focus on other tasks completely. Once you’re finished, re-open your email and spend dedicated time replying to messages. This will keep you on task and more productive.

5. Make One More List

to do list

You already have your to-do list. Now make a list of all your “needs.” These are things you cannot work on until you have the next step from someone else. You can include approvals you are waiting on, input from your supervisor, delivery from the printer, etc., on this list.

Having a list like this will help you stay organized and help prevent items from slipping through the cracks. It will also help your brain stay on task and not get distracted thinking of things on the back burner that you can’t quite wrap up.

See Also: How Procrastination Can Make You More Productive

Now that you what you need to do — don’t put off getting started. It is too easy to let procrastination sneak in. So look back over the list and pick one time to do right now.

The post Five Things To Do Right Now To Stop Procrastinating appeared first on Dumb Little Man.

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Cecchini Chiantelli & Partners Refurbish an 18th-Century Building in Capannori, Italy

Mailitis A.I.I.M. Transforms Old Brewery in Latvia Into Science and Arts Hub


Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

Mailitis A.I.I.M. have revealed their vision for the complete regeneration of the Cesis Beer Brewery, a large complex in the Latvian town of Cesis. The unoccupied factory grounds are comprised of building stock from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, presenting a rich tapestry of Cesis’ industrial history. The new master plan sees the site transformed into a vital hub of science and the arts by means of “slow architecture” – a gradual, transformative approach to the design of public space. 


Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.


Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.


Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.


Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.


Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

The brewery site closed to the public over 15 years ago and has been steadily falling into disrepair. Once a year it has been opened up as the testing ground for artistic ventures during the annual Cesis Art Festival, where visitors descend upon the precinct and the neighboring Castle Park and Castle Square. The openness of public access during the festival is to be made permanent in the new master plan. This is achieved through new circulation paths, including a central axis which connects the program of the brewery site to neighboring civic spaces and parkland. 


Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

Of the existing buildings, those in poor technical condition will be selectively demolished to open up views across the grounds to the Castle Park. A central terrace will be formed in this newly cleared zone, housing temporary art exhibitions, installations, and pavilions. Alongside the planned program, the terrace is intended to become the informal meeting place for the young artists, scientists and other professionals frequenting the site.


Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

Developed in conjunction with the site’s owners, the Institute for Environmental Sciences, the new program for the brewery is intended to foster and engage the arts and sciences. The main functions of the scheme; exhibition halls, workshops, administration, utility rooms and accommodation; will be interspersed with the existing buildings, with some receiving their own structure eventually. 

The scale of the project made staging imperative, and the architects plan to roll out the master plan in three distinct phases. This ensures that the idea for the complex retains its long-term vision and that the spaces created will remain relevant over time. The stages are broken down into reorganization, conservation, and reconstruction, with public access remaining imperative throughout the entire process.


Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

In keeping with their driving factor of “slow architecture”, the architects have used the imagery of scaffolding to create the sense that the complex is never fully ‘constructed’. The scaffolding comes to life through the use of wooden frames which have been defined by the architects as “changing” structures, alterable according to need and use. The frames are multi-functional; they protect and conserve historic areas, act as a second skin to filter light, connect different programmatic zones and allow vantage points across the site. 


Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

Courtesy of Mailitis A.I.I.M.

News via Mailitis A.I.I.M.

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Tom Dixon’s Howard Street store in New York includes a furry room



British designer Tom Dixon has opened a new store in the SoHo neighbourhood of Manhattan, which features a room with faux-fur walls and a space that resembles a “torture chamber” (+ slideshow). (more…)

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