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https://central.asia-news.com/en_GB/articles/cnmi_ca/features/2018/10/23/feature-01
Uzbekistan will not join the Eurasian Economic Union: Mirziyoyev
New details emerge on identity of IS leader
World Bank hails Uzbekistan's market reforms
Kazakhstan launches counter-radicalisation grant initiative
| Security
Security, aviation personnel overcome hijackers in Almaty exercise
By Ksenia Bondal
Smoke rises from a vehicle that caught fire during a simulated battle with terrorists at Almaty International Airport on October 17. [Almaty International Airport]
ALMATY -- Kazakh security forces underwent a simulated hostage situation exercise at Almaty International Airport.
The Anti-Terrorism Centre of Kazakhstan held the Dabyl-Anti-Terror 2018 drill at the airport on October 17, according to the National Security Committee (KNB) website.
Almaty city-based security agencies, the Almaty Academy of Civil Aviation and seven Almaty International Airport agencies participated in the exercise, including those in charge of aviation security and of emergency rescue. More than 100 participants were involved.
The training had several goals, including measuring the readiness of Almaty city's counter-terrorism forces to overpower or kill hijackers and assessing the level of co-ordination between the city's counter-terrorism forces.
A strike team raids an airplane to defeat simulated terrorists who have taken hostages at Almaty International Airport on October 17. [KNB]
Security personnel lead simulated hostages out of an airplane at Almaty International Airport during an exercise on October 17. [Almaty International Airport]
Simulating combat
Participants in the exercise practiced a sequence of actions to confront a simulated radical group that had seized an airplane with hostages, the airport press office told Caravanserai.
The hostage-takers demanded money, refuelling of the aircraft and an unimpeded flight to another country.
As the hypothetical situation unfolded, authorities set up a national crisis centre and began negotiations.
The talks failed, prompting security forces to decide to storm the plane. The whole exercise unfolded in about an hour and a half.
To make the training as useful as possible, officials did their best to simulate combat conditions and drew on lessons learned from past airline hijackings.
The drill did not affect the airport's regular operations.
Suggestions for improvement
Given the high stakes in ensuring airport security, some observers had suggestions for more effective training.
Kazakhstan should conduct more surprise emergency drills and fewer pre-planned exercises that security personnel know about in advance, Arat Narmanbetov of Almaty, a reservist KNB colonel, told Caravanserai.
In an ideal exercise, "security agency employees hear that within some period in an unknown location, members of a radical group want to commit a terrorist act," said Narmanbetov.
"To pull it off, several specially trained people are assigned to carry a simulated bomb into some public place, like this very airport," Narmanbetov said. "At the last minute, you tell the security team where the perpetrators are and you check how quickly they reach the location and disarm the 'terrorists'."
"If they can't do it quickly, it's a minus. If they do it quickly, great," he said.
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Kazakhstan remaining vigilant against threat of terrorism
Counter-terror exercises and ongoing investigations are among Kazakhstan's efforts against terrorism.
Kazakhstan conducts counter-terrorism exercises
Terrorist massacres in Aktobe and Almaty during the summer have raised anxieties.
Kazakhstan tightens train, airport security
New security procedures will help protect railway terminals and airports from potential terrorist attacks, officials say
Kremlin narrative of alleged IS threat to Central Asia debunked
What is the primary reason for increased US-Iranian tensions?
Iran-backed militant activity throughout region
Iran's ongoing nuclear activity
Rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran
US military presence in the region

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Nike Atmos x Nike Air Max 95 "We Love Nike"
Atmos x Nike Air Max 95 "We Love Nike"
Part of Atmos' "We Love Nike" collaboration with Nike Sportswear, the Air Max 95 sports its familiar grey-toned panels, accented by hits of safety orange throughout. Uniting the shoes in the pack is a Nike shoebox graphic, which runs along the side walls and insoles of this pair. Release date is June 2, 2018 at a retail price of $170.
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The Theory of Human Collective Systems
Submitted by David Murrin on Sun, 07/06/2020 - 16:14
We first articulated our Theory of Human Collective Systems some three years ago. Since then we have expanded this construct into a more complete model, comprising seven principles, which we now have the pleasure to share with you all. It is, in essence, the theory of the very nature of the construct behind human social structures. A theory that an alien scientist might formulate after studying humanity, much as David Attenborough has presented in his many captivating programmes about the nature of the animal kingdom and its species' behaviours. The uncomfortable truth is whilst we have come to dominate all the other animals on our planet, our behaviour as of yet remains collective and unconscious, and we are more like them than we would ever wish to admit.
Principle 1: The Human Race Is An Interconnected Collective Organism
1.1 Humans Are A Collective Organism
Whilst individuality sits on a spectrum, every human is part of a collective biological system that is self-organising. We all process information around us collectively, with each person acting as a cell in a bigger organism. Similarly, we share collective emotions that are, at times, superimposed upon our individual feelings. The mechanisms of communication within the collective are complex and stretch from visual to audio and hormonal. In all probability, we are also linked by quantum entanglement in a subtle web of complex interconnectivity.
The product of our human hardwiring is such that collective human behaviour dominates mankind's actions, making us, in essence, a massive collective super-organism replete with overriding multiple sub-collective processes. These are defined by various collective boundaries such as Super Empire, Religion Empire, Nation, Tribe/Clan and Family Unit. These define the boundaries of polarisation and intergroup competition.
1.2 The Characteristics Of Human Groups
Each group is self-organising, acting as a neural network with each person being a single node in a neural network. Notably, different human systems possess the differing collective potential to self-organise. One of the key factors in this regard is the quality of leadership through the various levels of the social hierarchy. This is a function of environmental shaping, genes and the stages of the Five Phase life Cycle. Optimisation of the self-organising process comes with the removal of any and all destructive elements within, details of which are covered in our Anti Entropy in Human Systems.
1. There are varying degrees of groups, from the largest to the smallest: Super Empire, Religion Empire, Nation, Tribe/Clan, and Family Unit.
2. Each group is defined by a unique set of cultural values which, when compared to other groups, create definable differences. They are part of humanity's diversity, which is one of our core survival strategies.
3. Each group shares common beliefs which act like glue to the system. These ideas are contagious, like a virus, and spread as success grows in a feedback loop, creating surges in collective feelings personified by hormones such as dopamine in good times (bull markets) and cortisol in bad times (bear markets).
4. Each group is led by those that expound/personify its collective values at the point on its five-stage cycle that offer the best chance of survival and success.
5. Every Human and the groups they belong are innately competitive towards other individuals or groups of similar magnitude.
6. Smaller groups can be subsumed into larger groups by common values and purpose, the strongest motivation being a common threat from another group or increased access to resources.
7. Smaller groups can break away from larger groups and develop new common values when resources become increasingly scarce.
Group or national character represents the variability of human organisational structures. This variability is defined by geography, history and values coupled with a systems position of its five-phase cycle. This creates a spectrum of national characteristics that range from constructive to destructive. Some nations, like Argentina, consistently fail to elect good leadership in a collective act of self-destruction. Other nations, like Britain, possess a very constructive national character. Special Forces, in their original form, embody members from the leaders who have been melded into an extremely effective fighting force. Startup companies are similar in composition to Special Forces. In contrast, companies that are mature and tipping into decline can embody the destructive energies of what we term in our theory of the Anti Entropy in Human Systems as the unaffirmed and malevolent, accelerating their demise. These observations are the basis of optimising a nation's or company's growth and are contained in my Five-Phase Lifecycle (available on request).
Principal 2: Human Herding Is Hard-Wired
2.1 The Evolution Of The Human Brain
The human brain has evolved over millions of years, with the Basel Ganglia first and then the limbic or emotional system evolving next. Together, they control our nervous systems and our emotions and are closely linked to others around us, as we are social creatures that have evolved in tribal groups. This includes unconscious feelings and behaviours that are connected to the tribe and its ongoing acceptance of each of us – upon which our very survival depends. These responses are deeply embedded in our very being and take place throughout our day, governing every thought and action we take to some degree.
Then, only a few tens of thousands of years ago, we developed our neocortex or frontal lobes, which are our centre of rational thought, and maximised utility in our existence. It is this third element to our brains that has allowed us to rise above all living creatures on earth due to our social organisation and consequent technological innovation. However, the neocortex, much as we like to think otherwise, can be overridden by lower collective brain functions. Thus, each person is but a node in a much larger human organism linked to others by the hormone surges of neurobiological and entanglement theory.
Notably, when collective impulses take control of us, we have no subsequent awareness or memory after the event that a different part of the brain has been in control. This is why we are both individually and collectively unaware of collective behaviour patterns unless we use techniques that look objectively at the patterns we create as human civilisations. In summary, this non-rational collective is a product of old, deeply ingrained survival traits that are ill-adapted to decision-making in the modern world.
2.2 Why We Forget
Collective behavioural patterns are hard to recognise because we are unaware of them, as there is no part of our brain that stores a record of our behaviours when our actions are overridden by collective impulses. Although throughout history astute observers have commented on the cycles of nations and empires to the majority, such a reality has easily been deniable and replaced with the old defence that it is 'different this time'!
2.3 Understanding Our True Nature
The real breakthrough came with modern financial markets, whose cycles could be quantified by price moves over time. Thus the study of long-, medium- and short-term cycles was and continues to be critical in the journey to understanding how we, as humans, behave and how we could improve our collective behaviours to create more anti-entropic (positive) outcomes.
Principal 3: The Hidden Lateral/Linear Structure Of Human Societies
3.1 Two Sub-Types Of Humans Operating Symbiotically
The evidence is that humans have very different physical appearance and abilities, characteristics and skillsets. But whilst it is easy to perceive differences based on character, physical appearance and performance, it is much harder to determine the differences that are a function of our brain's hard wiring and functionality. Having studied human thought processes specifically with respect to quantifiable market movements and behaviour, it is our conclusion that the greatest differences lie in the hardwiring of the human brain and has resulted in a bifurcation of the human herd that operates in a symbiotic mechanism into lateral and linear thinking.
3.2 Right- And Left-Brained Thinking
Whilst modern neuroscience has shown that brain function is spread across the whole brain, the old notion of right- and left-brained thinking still has validity in terms of behavioural traits of individuals.
As such, we prefer to describe these two processes as linear (left brain) and lateral (right brain). They are far more differentiated/polarised in males, who seem to favour one side or the other in terms of predominant behavioural traits. However, females, perhaps because they exhibit greater cross-lateralisation between the brain's hemispheres, seem to be far less polarised in their behavioural traits. Indeed, if we take the ratio of left-handedness, which is one of the clear links via cross-lateralisation to right-brained dominance, we see there are fewer left-handed woman than men.
3.3 Left-handedness As A Right-Brained Marker
According to recent studies, countries exhibit varying degrees of left-handiness that range from roughly 13% to 2%. However, this figure varies depending on geographic location, gender and date of birth amongst other factors. Furthermore, there are an additionally 1% of the world who are ambidextrous and thus have a balanced brain function. This suggests up to 13% of European nations have right-brained dominance by this left-handed measure. However, many more would have been conditioned to use their right hands by the pressure from social normality. Thus, a better measure would be left-eyed dominance which would confirm cross-lateralisation and natural left-handedness. Measurements from optimologists suggest that up to 30% of the population are left eye dominant, but accurate data is still hard to obtain.
Thus, if we use left-handedness as a marker to gauge different nations' innate national character based on lateral versus linear thinking, we see a fascinating pattern; i.e. that the most democratic European and individualistic nations have the highest ratio of left-handers in the world.
1. The Netherlands (13.2% Left-Handed)
2. United States (13.1% Left-Handed)
3. Belgium (13.1% Left-Handed)
4. Canada (12.8% Left-Handed)
5. United Kingdom (12.24% Left-Handed)
The Asian and most collective countries, including Russia, have the lowest ratios in the world:
1. Korea (2.0%)
2. China (3.5%)
3. Japan (4.7%)
4. Taiwan (5.0%)
5. Russia (6.9%)
Notably, South Korea and Japan have had Western democracy post-WW2 imposed upon them before its became established. Many would argue that this is all about the strength of social conditioning. However, these markers will support our thesis of the evolution of democracy and its relationship to lateral thinking.
Finally, there is an interesting statistic that there are only four women to every five men who are left-handed. This suggests that there is less genetic advantage for women to be left-handed. Could it be that as female brains are already more cross-lateralised than men there is less advantage for them to manifest left-handiness associated with cross-lateralisation?
3.4 The Human Ant Colony
Large societies in the insect world, like ants, divide themselves into various castes with roles that complete certain duties: queens, soldiers, workers (females) and males. They all have roles that allow the colony to effectively in a complex symbiotic relationship.
3.5 The Role of Linear Thinking
Our hypothesis is that human societies have similar divisions which are filled by those with genetic optimisation for their roles. The biggest differentiation comes in the way our brains are structured. Roughly speaking, 70% are linear thinkers who act out the accepted roles and processes within a society's normal boundaries with functions related to IQ, EQ, education and family values and history. Their role is to make society function across all levels, acting as the mass behind a human system. Being within such a system is relatively comfortable, as at a deep level everyone knows their place within the system. However, within a purely linear system, progress is only iterative and gradual, and given time the system will coalesce into a very structured and rigid hierarchy that is resistant to growth and evolution. Thus, when such a pure linear human social system encounters an entropic event, it rarely fares well or even survives.
3.6 The Role Of Lateral Thinking
Enter the other 30% of the human population who are lateral thinkers that provide adaptive thinking, ideally suited to entropic adaptation, i.e. overcoming the challenges of war and natural disasters. These humans feel separate in various degrees from the body of the 70% of linear society. That separateness, although often attributed to upbringing, is in fact genetically hard-wired. They are by nature less connected to the group consciousness of the 70% linear herd, and that degree of separation sends them on a path that questions and challenges the precepts of the society around them. As a result they are often individualistic, creative, intuitive and strategic with the ability to solve problems. However, these abilities require IQ processing power to first absorb the linear rules and systems of the mass of society and to then construe their own internal version of the world. For those with lateral genes and low IQs, unless their nation is at war or engulfed by an entropic event, they quickly fall by the wayside and many end up as the drop-outs of society or even in prison. Thus, unlike the linear thinkers, this is a very high-risk pool of human societies. (See Are you Right or Left Brained?)
3.7 Dyslexia And Lateral Thinking
This appears to be the personification of the lateral-thinking gene, where people are able to see problems in picture form, they embody an ability to perceive patterns where others see nothing. The best estimate is that 10% of the UK population are dyslexic. However, dyslexics with a low IQ are unable to interpret the information fed to them by a linear educational system, as before that information can be useful they have to build an internal mental hologram that they can then populate with the information of a conventional education. As that hologram is increasingly populated, they see linkages between information points that linear thinkers could not see, and as a result see patterns and then a few go on to make new quantum advances in thinking that feedback positively into society.
As a result, most dyslexics will initially present as slow learners with poor reading and writing skills. As they build what we call their 'learn to learn' programme, they start to catch up with linear thinkers by the time they are at university, where they can excel as their unique thinking power becomes noticed. Interestingly, one of the hallmarks of this learn to learn programme is that those that have it never stop questioning for the rest of their lives and would be categorised by others as 'always questioning'. Linear thinkers seem to stop questioning from their forties onwards. However, conversely for those with dyslexia and a low IQ, life within a modern human society at peace is extremely challenging as many will have failed in the education system, and they will naturally feel separate from the society in which they live. These factors, combined with a lack of respect for the rules and economic desperation, mean that dyslexics represent 50% of the UK's prison population.
On the positive side, a society that recognises the potential of lateral thinkers (and especially dyslexics) across the whole IQ spectrum and is also prepared to invest in and optimise their educational process, with early dyslexic detection and new ways of teaching that connect with right-brained hard-wiring, will reap the significant benefits by maximising the other 30% of society's potential. Not only would this lift the pressure on law enforcement, but also would turn potential dyslexic offenders into positive forces within society. The evidence is clear that 40% of UK entrepreneurs, who are one of the main drivers of new growth within an economy, are dyslexic. So imagine what would happen if that creative index could be increased!
The considerable number of dyslexic high-achievers in Western society is notable, despite its phase of decline which creates environments that always contain such thought processes. However, as Britain is now in a phase of expansion, we could well see a new value placed on lateral thought processes and problem solving (e.g. GCHQ) in a time when linear thought processes are rapidly being replaced by AI.
3.8 Leadership And Lateral Thinking
There is clear historical evidence that the lateral gene is the leadership gene within human societies. Lateral thinking is associated with highly developed strategic thought processes and empathy that allows a leader to relate to and build connections with those they lead, helping them facilitate leadership at times of great risk. Most importantly, lateral leadership allows the society to overcome entropic challenges such as wars. Thus, the greatest anti-entropy optimisation (growth and advancement) in human systems is achieved at stages where lateral leadership is not only at the top of the structure but cascades down through to the lower echelons and works symbiotically with the more iterative thought processes of the linear body of the society. Interestingly, lateral thinkers tend to prefer flatter empowered command structures than linear thinkers, who are hierarchical by nature. Wealth creation aspirations, which are common to the creative energy of lateral entrepreneurs, and wealth creation focused political values are closely linked. Conversely, linear thinking has a close association with wealth distribution, as they tend to have a lesser ability to create wealth themselves. Furthermore, even the small government model is something more natural to lateral thinkers, whilst big government and linear thinkers have strong associations as they feel comfortable in large hierarchies.
3.9 Leadership And Linear Thinking
In contrast to the lateral style of leadership, when a linear leadership rises to power it is usually in a period of relative stability, when problem solving is not required and where political interconnectivity can appear for a time to be acceptable leadership. However, linear leaders will almost inevitably be intolerant of lateral-thinking subordinates as they are subconsciously threatening. In so removing this element of their leadership cascade, they weaken the system's resilience to entropic shocks, such as a looming conflict. This process explains why democracies over the past century have been unprepared for the outbreak of two world wars. In essence, linear thinkers prefer hierarchy and control rather than empowerment as their main hallmark of leadership. But also because right-brained thinking is, in essence, threatening to a centralised hierarchical structure, as it risks overturning the established order of society, of which they are embedded and which they perceive themselves as the guardian.
Notably, of the nine most recent US presidents, five were left-handed, this is 56% as compared to a national average of 13% and does not include presidents who were right-handed and left-eyed for which there are no statistics, of which Trump and possibly George Bush (Jnr) would definitely have been lateral-thinking candidates, which would make this a left-hander 78% statistic.
Joe Biden (R), Donald Trump (R), Barack Obama (L), George W. Bush (R), Bill Clinton (L), George H. W. Bush (L), Ronald Reagan (L), Jimmy Carter (R), Gerald Ford (L). Ronald Reagan was left-handed but was forced to write right-handed. Gerald Ford was left-handed, but switched back and forth. The two presidents whose behaviours definitely conforms to linear thinking are Joe Biden and Jimmy Carter.
3.10 Leadership And Human Herding
Many believe that government policy is independent and shapes market behaviour. However, the evidence is that governments and central banks are actually part of 'the human herd' even if they are a very large component. Only when a nation is in a state of expansion are its instructions dominated by independent lateral-thinking leaders, who thus can shape policy. Sadly, only Britain within the Western Christian Super Empire is entering that phase of empire, whilst America is at the opposite end of the spectrum being led by the liner-thinking Biden.
This raises the fascinating topic of the balance of the optimum human system. Under our Five Stages of Empire cycle, the most constructive phase of a system is when it is in expansion and thus manifesting the greatest collective anti-entropy. In that state, lateral-thinking leadership dominates the system and provides a counter to the collective herd behaviour of the linear-thinking 70% of the population. However, in decline, the leadership has become dominated by linear thinking, which only reinforces the herd behaviour, increasing the amplitude of the collective's extreme moods producing higher levels of destructive entropy that ultimately collapse the empire from within, e.g. America today.
3.11 The Reality Of Great Leadership
The hallmarks that we have identified as lateral and linear are highly polarised in this thesis, but the reality is that they will exist in a spectrum within everyone. Some of our greatest thinkers, like Einstein, exhibited both characteristics, with the intuition to think laterally and the linear abilities to then quantify using mathematics theories. So great leaders need to integrate both qualities of lateral and linear thinking, and to consciously understand when each process is best applied to solving the challenges ahead. Imagine the potential of an educational system that recognised and maximised both thought processes within its pupils' development, maximising cross-lateralisation of the brain's development. Then imagine how it might change the way we unconsciously lead and organise our social systems in the future …
3.12 Lateral And Linear Styles Of Investment
Our models on lateral and linear thought first originated with a study of master eye tests on 99% of all the trades on JP Morgan's trading floor back in 1990. Of some 100 traders studied, only 5 were left-eyed and thus lateral. What was interesting is that they comprised the very best of the ability on the floor to make directional investments successfully. The rest were just extracting the spread associated with their seats and the flow of business.
Since then, over the past 30 years, I have confirmed my theory that genuine alpha generators are all lateral thinkers, whilst trend followers or Beta Traders are linear thinkers. Thus, after one of the longest bull markets in history that has been driven by the Fed's printing of money (that we have named the Doomsday Bubble) financial market managers today are predominantly beta traders, whilst the alpha traders have all been expelled from the marketplace.
This is a very dangerous imbalance that portends of a soon-to-unfold massive market dislocation as the equity markets crash, driven by the majority of investors who could not see the Fed failing to be their backstop. Of course, as we have explained, a debt-driven bubble is part of the final stage of decline of an empire where the whole system is predominantly run by linear thinkers. Talking of which, private equity (PE) firms deserve a special mention as they rarely create value but rather dismember it whilst riding the wave of money printing. Indeed, PE really only came into being in a massive way as America went into decline in 2001, so it should be viewed as one of the linear organisations/structures of decline.
Principal 4: The Cycle Of Empires Linked To Lateral And Linear Leadership
During the steady-state low-entropy environments that have endured for many years, there will always be a tendency to move to linear leadership, which maintains the status quo. However, in periods of rapid growth and high-entropy environments, systems that cannot shift to lateral leadership swiftly and effectively risk total failure. This pattern can clearly be seen in the leadership of an empire cycle.
4.1 The Expansive Phase
The early stages of this phase are very rigid, as the initial stages of regionalisation are dominated by liner leadership, which at the end of regionalisation is also highly enfranchised and incumbent in nature. However, by the end of the regionalisation phase, new ideas and beliefs rise to the fore that represent better adaptations, as the social system driven by demographic expansion needs to increase its resource base to survive. Those new concepts will then be manifest in a revolutionary group that engages in a civil war and overturns the old, rigid structure. The regional civil war is led by lateral thinkers who then overcome the linear leadership and release the expansionary forces within society that embark on a raid and expansion through conflict. The entropy of civil war breaks up the old establishment and allows new ideas to be adopted swiftly.
The ensuing anti-entropic nature of expansion means that all of the empires' structures become lateral in nature. The creative expansion then continues throughout the second phase of expansion. Leadership across society becomes dominated by right-brained thinkers who then further expand the system's knowledge horizon by leaps and bounds, which in turn increases the system's competitive edge and ability to keep expanding. A perfect example was Nelson's navy which, when they won Trafalgar and gave Britain total control of the world's oceans, was the most right lateral fighting machine the world had ever seen.
4.2 The Peak: Maturity
In the early stages of maturity, the momentum in the expansion of the knowledge horizon continues with greater resources that then facilitate a golden age. As an all-powerful empire, there are very few entropic challenges to the now-dominant system. As the empire builds out institutions of power in a stable environment, they increasingly become occupied by linear thinkers who, as they gain increasing power, seek to throw out the maverick lateral thinkers. Until, at the top of the cycle, there is a civil war/event that represents a shift in power to the leadership with linear thinking.
4.3 The Contraction Phase: Overextension And Decline
By the time overextension commences, society has developed numerous complex social organisations based on ideas and constructs that if challenged by new knowledge will resist strongly (encumbrance and entitlement). From that point onwards, the system is in a stage of rigidity and increasing morbidity that then prevents adaptation to new information, which in turn accelerates decline into collapse. This is the result of lateral thinking and creativity having been gradually weakened within the system. Consequently, its absolute and relative productivity declines and debt is used as a substitute to maintain apparent growth and to perpetuate the status quo of the empire.
This is a period of destructive incumbency, where incompetency across government seems to survive. Then as the empire accelerates its decline, lateral leadership outside the government/political system attempts to gain control to save the system. This is why a fracture of the political system is common in the later stages of decline as the few remaining lateral leaders try to wrestle for control of the liner incumbency. As new empires rise to challenge the hegemony, the linear thinkers fail to see the threat and finally the system collapses when conflict breaks out and the lateral thinkers of the hegemonic challengers easily overcome the linear thinkers of the old hegemony.
Principal 5: The Cascade Of Change
5.1 The Horizon Of Awareness
The total collective knowledge of any human society at any time represents a horizon of awareness. These constructs are adopted almost in entirety by the 70% linear body of the human system as the current reality. Within that accepted reality, those that expound it are then free to live out their daily lives and to focus on maximising their productivity and outcomes within the collective construct.
5.2 The Cascade Of Change
Lateral thinkers are programmed to optimise anti-entropy by questioning and harnessing the opportunities provided by fluid situations, seeking discrepancies in the accepted reality. The process whereby the realisation of the one cascades down to the many to modify and expand the collective horizon is often overlooked and poorly understood.
1. The lateral thinker sees a discrepancy in the horizon of awareness and then, by intuition, creates a new theory or concept that he/she later rationalises, such that it is explainable to others.
2. When the new idea is shared with individuals from the linear body of the human system, they will usually reject it out of hand, as a dire threat to the current well-understood order with the current knowledge horizon. This response is epitomised by hostility as the new construct potentially destroys the certainty of the old one it replaces and any associated human social structure.
3. However, other members of the lateral thinkers in a human social system will be the first to recognise and adopt the new reality, one by one.
4. That new reality then builds momentum as more and more people adopt the new reality in a cascade that then starts to penetrate individuals within the 70% linear body of the system.
5. When a critical number of approximately 5% of the total population adopt the new paradigm there is a quantum shift, in which the new construct almost instantaneously becomes part of the new collective horizon. This enhances collective coherence, which in turn optimises collective anti-entropy.
6. The speed with which new ideas are adopted is dependent on the phase of the nation within which the new construct is postulated. During late regionalisation and expansion to empire, there is fertile ground for change. But in the phase of overextension and decline, where iterative leadership dominates the system's leadership, the receptiveness to new constructs is low. This is the reason why decline then accelerates and new, more creative anti-entropic systems rise up to fill the vacuum and then take their place.
5.3 The Forces Of Denial
There is an old saying that the only constant in the universe is change. However, the linear body of a human system will, by its very nature, seek to go against the universe by maintaining the continuity of its familiar knowledge horizon, especially if any change potentially challenges a mature, hierarchical and complex social structure based on a precept that risks are being substituted for a new concept. Thus, human systems contain dynamic tension and the ongoing struggle between new ideas and old-established ideas. The position of a society on the five-phase lifecycle dictates the speed of assimilation of a new idea, as the dynamic tension around the forces of lateral and liner thinking are played out.
5.4 The Impact Of High-Entropy Events
These are wars, natural disasters and pandemics. All threaten survival, which catalyses change and forces rigid institutions and precepts to be challenged and thus to change. This is the entropy of the universe smashing up against the rigidity of human anti-entropy in mature and hierarchical systems. And the universe always wins. If there is no natural event that forces change, another rising empire will provide the entropic impulse to the old hegemony. The old hegemony either adapts or is overwhelmed.
5.5 The Level Of Collective Fear
Because fear and denial are of course closely linked and, as such, are very much part of the process by which denial is acted out and flat-earth thinking is reinforced, the greater the levels of fear in a society, the more resistant to change it will be in a low-entropy environment. However, in a high-entropy environment, fear to survive drives the need for change.
Principal 6: Hierarchy Versus Democracy
6.1 The Evolution Of Democracy
The traditional tribal human hunting unit was probably not different from a pack of lions, with an alpha male that dominated the tribe. Over time, this tradition evolved into a leader who became known as a king or emperor in a hierarchical organisational structure. So where did the concept of democracy come from?
Our hypothesis is that hierarchical structures worked well on land but when mankind took to the oceans the operation of increasingly sophisticated vessels commanded by a captain and sailed by a crew each within a defined hierarchy begat a new form of social structure, one in which everyone depended on each other to survive and a new level of co-dependence. In addition, the oceans are a highly entropic environment, as compared to land which is a more linear environment. Consequently, natural selection would have favoured lateral-thinking sailors who could read the ever-changing environment and look ahead to anticipate the weather and tides. As they became successful and adapted their genes this would have, through natural selection, created an increase in the lateral-thinking population. These increasingly lateral-thinking societies would have contained greater levels of individuality and independence required to assume self-responsibility and thus ultimately demanded a voice in their society that evolved into democracy.
Thus, it was no coincidence that Athens, which is often regardedas the birthplace of democracy and remains an important reference point for democracy, was Ancient Greece's greatest sea power. Similarly, it was no coincidence that democracy in Europe developed its early foundation in Britain, an island nation where most of its population lived by and depended on the sea. The maritime relationship with the sea would have increased the number of lateral thinkers in the population, which, over time, demanded a greater say and increased individual rights that over the centuries transposed into the birth of British democracy. This then spread around the world under the rule of the world's greatest ever empire. British democracy was so successful that other European nations were forced to follow Britain's model in an attempt to keep up with their achievements.
6.2 The Continuation Of Hierarchies
Despite the world being governed by the British Empire with its democratic processes that then spread to the majority of nations that it occupied, there are some notable exceptions that remain firmly in the grip of a hierarchical structure that has evolved into what we know today as autocracies or even dictatorships. The two most notable examples are Russia and China. Both are essentially land powers and, as such, we would conjecture that although the absence of the genetic evolution of populations are associated with the oceans, their nations have not seen the desired increase in the ratios of lateral thinkers to self-sustain a democratic process. Indeed, the CCP's intolerance to individuality and its removal to ensure compliance would have the very opposite effect. This would certainly explain why Russia or Iraq failed to embrace democracy when it was offered to them as they are collectively associated with linear thinking, which kept them imprisoned in the old paradigm of abdication of personal responsibility.
6.3 The Distribution Of Power
Democratic societies seek to distribute power, whilst autocratic societies concentrate power increasingly into the hands of one person as they mature; Stalin, Mao and now Xi are the personification of that process. In the concentration process, power kills and absolute power kills en masse as it acts arbitrarily according to the whims and desires of the elite. Indeed, nations with absolute power often turn on their subjects and citizens. It is estimated that Stain and Mao killed up to 350 million of their subjects. When conditions in an autocratic system become so extreme that the population has nothing to lose, they inevitably then attempt to turn on their leaders.
6.4 Creativity In Autocratic And Democratic Societies
Autocratic systems seek to focus creativity into very specific boundaries and corridors, within which creativity can flourish and beyond which they will be mercilessly crushed as a threat. China is just such a case in point today. It is highly creative within the boundaries defined by the CCP whilst new ideas outside accepted (and often dictated) thought invite Draconian repercussions. Relatively open societies have much wider boundaries and hence are more fertile across their lifespan, meaning that, even in decline, new ideas can be voiced although their general acceptance is far less probable than when the system was in expansion. To exemplify this, the contrast today between America in decline and Britain in expansion should be apparent to any observer, and will only increase in the decade ahead.
6.5 The Basis Of Conflict
In our theories of empire, we argue that all empires in a state of expansion go to war to attain a greater resource base. This applied to both democratic and autocratic systems. However, whilst a democracy can exist within an autocracy if they are not aggressive, the same is not true the other way around, as the spark of freedom that powered democracy has the ability to start a revolution and overturn an autocratic state.
6.6 The Relative Strengths Of Democracy Versus Autocracy Today
Although democracy essentially seeks to maximise the productive potential of each of its populations, the autocracies of China and Russia effectively have a lower productive potential of each of its population averaged across its society, and instead rely on mass and numbers to compensate. Furthermore, the hegemonic challenge from China comes as it is expanding, giving its system massive social coherence. In contrast, America is in decline and at a point where it is showing the least social coherence since its inception, making this uneven battle in favour of the autocratic CCP. As such, this decade ahead will be democracy's greatest challenge since Sparta sacked Athens in the Peloponnesian War and secured an unrivalled hegemony over southern Greece.
Principal 7: The Future Of Human Society
There seems to be two options looking forward.
The first is that the democracies of the world are overrun by the CCP, and individuality and lateral thinking are eradicated from the human gene pool in an attempt to control a global population.
The second is that the CCP's attempt to control the world fails and that, assuming the current trend in technology continues apace, it will catalyse a fundamental shift in the structure of human societies. The body of human society which has been provided by those with linear thinking,that sustains the collective and provides iterative advances, risks being increasingly replaced by AI and robotics. Then, the question will arise as to how they can survive in such a new economy. Meanwhile there will be a huge premium placed upon creative and lateral-thinking skills. This inevitable shift will create the biggest social shift and upheaval, and ultimately transformation, over the generations ahead as human societies become increasingly lateral in their thought processes.


The place to talk about As Seen on TV items. Come talk about what you have bought or want to buy and how the products really work.
Why Advertisements Focus Mainly On Kids And Aged Ones?
Why Are Some Items Only Available Through Television Ads?
What Influences You More, The Endorser Or The Product?
One Of The Most Useful Infomercials You Seen?
Glow Pets, don't buy them.
Why Do Big Corporate Businesses Spend Billions Of Dollars On Advertising?
Slimming Belt: Does It Work?
We Can't Survive Without Ads, Can We?
We Don't Have A Tv: Should We Get One Now?
Good Infomercials About Emergency Food?
Ads You Actually Enjoy? What Do Advertisers Get Right?
Do Ads Help Save Cash?
Does Length Of Adverts Make The Right Impression?
To Buy Or Not To Buy Based On Advertisements.
Die-hard Shopper Or Occasional Purchaser?
What is that new item that makes you look slimer, and does it work?
Have You Seen The Show Extreme Cheapskates?
Would You Buy If This Happens?


When you're looking for the very best Baltimore SEO services, look no further than DanMatt Media. Our custom-tailored local and national SEO plans are a fit for Baltimore-based clients in just about any industry.
Unlike many Baltimore SEO providers, we include all the on-site and off-site work that is required for success in the SEO channel. This includes services such as content optimization, meta description and title tag rewriting, custom back linking and link building, local and national citation building, and social media optimization. We include a complimentary website audit and custom promotional video with every SEO campaign that we run.
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Many Baltimore SEO companies take a one-size-fits-all approach to their SEO efforts. At DanMatt Media, we tailor our SEO campaigns to fit our clients and their specific goals and needs. This can include focusing on specific locations, using geo-targeted keywords, adding specific content to rank well for select important pages, and shifting the focus between on-site and off-site work where required. Our clients receive the custom marketing plans that best fit their businesses, and the sincere commitment to customer service and satisfaction that they deserve.
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Baltimore SEO Company | DanMattMedia.com – Contact Us Today!


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Energy Calculators
About: Dr. Michael E. Webber
@MichaelEWebber
Dr. Michael E. Webber is based in Paris, France where he serves as the Chief Science and Technology Officer at ENGIE, a global energy & infrastructure services company. Webber is also the Josey Centennial Professor in Energy Resources at the University of Texas at Austin. Webber's expertise spans research and education at the convergence of engineering, policy, and commercialization on topics related to innovation, energy, and the environment. His latest book Power Trip: the Story of Energy was published May 7, 2019 by Basic Books with a 6-part companion series that will air on PBS starting Earth Day 2020. His first book, Thirst for Power: Energy, Water and Human Survival, which addresses the connection between earth's most valuable resources and offers a hopeful approach toward a sustainable future, was published in 2016 by Yale Press and was converted into a documentary by Alpheus Media. He was selected as a Fellow of ASME and as a member of the 4th class of the Presidential Leadership Scholars, which is a leadership training program organized by Presidents George W. Bush and William J. Clinton. Webber has authored more than 400 publications, holds 6 patents, and serves on the advisory board for Scientific American. A successful entrepreneur, Webber was one of three founders in 2015 for an educational technology startup, DISCO Learning Media, which was acquired in 2018. Webber holds a B.S. and B.A. from UT Austin, and M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. He was honored as an American Fellow of the German Marshall Fund and an AT&T Industrial Ecology Fellow on four separate occasions by the University of Texas for exceptional teaching. ■
Image Credits: Jeffrey M. Phillips.
Energy Literacy
Copyright © 2014-2021 Michael E. Webber. All Rights Reserved.
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Q: What's the difference between binary and binomial data? I read terms binary data and binomial data in a textbook. What's the difference between them?

A: Possibly what is meant is that binary data consists only of 0's and 1's for "failures" and "successes" (notice that what you consider as a "success" is arbitrary) and follows a Bernoulli distribution. Binomial data is data that emerged after observing $n$ Bernoulli trials, i.e. it is a sum of Bernoulli random variables and it consists of non-negative integers, it follows a binomial distribution. I say "possibly" because this should be defined in your textbook and it is the only reference that tells you what the author meant.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


I am a woman of my word, and I said I would give you a bonus throwback music video. So, let us take it back with Adina Howard to 1995 with her one hit wonder track, "Freak Like Me."
Oh, 1995, yes, I had this on CD, and yes, I always had this song on blast! The fellas were loving Ms. Adina because she was never scared to talk about her freaky deeky side and show off her curves. And us 90's gals were not afraid to sing along.
Does this song take you back? Share your memories with us, we wanna know!


Runners are expected to traverse the course in 9 hours or less. The 25K, open to runners and hikers alike, starts at 9am and there will be new cut-off times in place to ensure a sub-9 hour finish. Parking is across the street at the airfield as usual. There will no parking at the WCSA clubhouse near the start/finish. Please arrive early on race day to pick up race bag and bib as registration will end at 8:30am in order to get everyone across the street to the start line.


We are located .8 miles from Disneyland. Our home has 4 big bedroom, 3 baths, Pool table ,Foosball table and much more. Our Style for this house is Modern.
Green grass on front of the house and the house is gated for your comfort with fruit trees too. You can see the fireworks from the pool area.
Huge Living room, Beautiful Aquarium, LCD flat screen TV and 3 more TVs around the house.
Really Nice neighborhood and save to walk any time.! Our houses are affordable and comfortable.
:) Relax , Relax after a long and Fun day at Disneyland! We required 5 minimum stay for major holidays.
We are a Hard working Family that love to share our Humble home by Disneyland with families all over the world.
Location, Location, Location! This a very spacious home with a great floor plan. We take pride of out property and we want to make you feel like its your own vacation home in Southern California. VRBO # 163431 VRBO # 195264 Let's us help you create great memories.
The house floor plan in this house is great. Open space you wil never feel crowded. The pool with waterfalls, Hot tube, Watch the fireworks from the Pool area is very Special. Our personal touch little details makes a big difference. Stay with us and let's build great memories together.
Up to four car we are on a corner lot.
Pool heated $150 per week at 80 degrees F . Remember is not a hot tub.If you want the pool to be 85F to 95f degrees it is $250 per week.
A perfect place for our big family group of ten. Located less than a mile's drive from Disneyland. Very well equipped - had everything we needed and more, including a fab pool and view of fireworks every night.
The house was a great size for the eleven family members. It was spotlessly clean and available to us on time. When we arrived the inside temperature of the house was 88F. It was uncomfortable warm inside the house for the whole week.
The house was well equipped with lots of toys for the little ones. The pool and hot tub was lovely. We enjoyed the fireworks each night.
It is unfortunate that the poor air conditioning made it so uncomfortable.
It was the best. Everything we needed was there. Plenty of room for everyone and plenty of fun stuff to entertain us when we weren't at the parks. Really really loved it.
I brought my 8 is enough (really it is enough) family to hit Disney and universal. Plenty of room for everyone and the jacuzzi was a welcome dose of relaxation after powering through the parks. I also really appreciated having a full kitchen to cook in, with plenty of pots, pans, forks, knives, and spatulas, When you figure in what you save not eating out every night this gem is a great bargain for families on a budget.
We totally enjoyed our stay in your home.We particularly enjoyed the space.When there are nine people sharing this house it was nice to be able to escape.I also appreciated the number of towels you left for us ,this might seem odd but when you have a pool, a hot tub and showers with four teenagers this was important.The house had anything you needed to make you feel at home.Thanks Liz from your Canadian friends.
Clean, well-stocked, helpful, perfect distance.
This wasn't an excellent house. Easily slept 11 of us and was great distance Fromm our destination. The only bad thing that I experienced was the door code being wrong (1 number off), and the wifi password was case sensitive but was given wrongness. Easily remediable things as the property manager answered our calls immediately and helped out. Great floor plan, wonderful amenities. Would use again.
The City of Anaheim have a 3 nights minimum stay . 3 night gaps will ONLY be filled based on availability and may be DISCOUNTED, inquire about the details.


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When to get in the market for your own private jet
Olga Tcacenco
Director, LL.B., TEP/Dip(ITM)
Setting out the material considerations in acquiring – and sharing – this exceptional asset
In my experience, those who own or charter private jets perceive the time spent flying differently and it's something others should link to their success. Their ability to tour different offices and operations, often in the same day and the resulting productivity gains make a significant material difference to their business. The hours saved hopping around the globe efficiently are of far greater value than the reduced costs associated with commercial Business or First Class.
But there's a stage beyond that, when owning the jet makes even more sense. It is all in the numbers, the familiar asset utilization versus amortization debate. Understand the thresholds at which charter gives way to owning and you'll recognise the time to acquire what can seem a very expensive asset.
Take one of the most successful business aviation jets in Europe, the Dassault Falcon 2000. To charter one costs between €6,500 and €7,500 per hour. When factoring in positioning legs (for which you pay), seasonality, brokers and operators' commissions, your 2h45 flight from London to Greece in summer costs you closer to €25,000 (because you actually pay for London-Greece-Rome). If you owned an aircraft, ramp utilization up to 500 hours and the cost of operation annually touches €3-3.5 million. That is €6,000-7,000 per hour, much cheaper than chartering.
Of course, consuming 500 hours alone would be a challenge, but for owners that's the opportunity. What we see is a typical owner taking 150 hours for personal use. The rest, perhaps 300 hours is then consumed through third-party charter. With the Falcon 2000 this attracts €1.5 million in fixed costs (crews, planned maintenance, etc.) with a variable cost per flight in the range of €4,000 per hour for the owner and the third-party paying a blended higher rate at €7,500.
The charter activity generates close to €1.05 million contribution to fixed costs. The variable costs of the owner's hours at €4,000, plus the amortization of the remaining fixed costs at €450,000 would result in an effective hourly cost of €7,000: much cheaper than the charter as your plane will require less empty flights… or you get others to pay for it.
Why, you might ask, would someone wish to own a plane if the costs simply level out? Once again, productivity is the answer. Charter, regardless of the way it is structured, will only offer limited flexibility. Own and you fly when you want.
There is the option of block charter or shared ownership. However, suppliers will transfer to their clients the real costs of the increased flexibility. There are also contractual limitations to accommodate such as peak periods. Then there is the reality on the ground. When booking a charter flight, 90 percent of the time the charter client will pay for the aircraft's positioning before and/or after their use. This can translate to two hours per occupied hour flown. In specific circumstances, doubling the hours in this way can even offset the amortization of some second-hand business jets, making ownership truly cheaper than rental. The bias in favour of ownership is then made even stronger. The merits, however, still warrant careful evaluation and specialist advice.
In our experience at KENDRISfly, owners know the market is volatile. They understand it's complex and that not all aircraft or operators are able to deliver the same level of savings. But, they have been given the insight to choose from the most efficient jets and those that best meet their needs. They may also consult technical and commercial subject-matter specialists and progress to tax, law and ownership structure experts through the acquisition process.
So, for those planning travel now and coming from the charter side or those in the market for a different kind of jet, an assessment of the benefits of ownership in all its aspects could be very well-timed.
See the PDF of the article from "The Gateway" / Harrods Aviation from Q4/2022 here:
The Gateway, Harrods Aviation, Q4/2022
Olga Tcacenco Arrow


HCM CITY — At Noir, guests dine in the dark, while at Blanc, they use sign language printed on their menus to place their orders with servers.
At Noir, guests enter a dark space where they focus on their senses of smell, taste and touch, and at Blanc, they communicate in a new form that gives them a deeper understanding about the capacity and skills of their servers, Vũ Anh Tú, co-founder of the two restaurants, said.
"When people come, they can change their mindset (about people with disabilities). Companies or employers who have job openings may even consider hiring someone like them," Tú said.
Tú, who gave up high-level positions at large companies, and his partner, Germ Doornbos from Holland, said they decided to set up Noir after seeing similar restaurants in other countries.
"We were a bit worried about finding sight-impaired people to serve at Noir," Tú said. But after meeting candidates and seeing their skills, their concerns disappeared.
Since Noir's opening in 2014, and after an initial period of training, many servers have gone on to excel at their jobs, even picking up language skills in English and Japanese while working. Some can now speak quite well, Tú said.
"Their largest barrier was language, so training was not that easy," Tú said, adding that the restaurant has also been successful.
Tú and Germ are also concerned about the quality of the food, which is praised by diners.
The restaurants do not depend on donations and have to earn a profit to pay for salaries and other expenses, according to Tú.
The two restaurants were honoured as one of the top 100 creative social enterprises in the "Social Venture Challenge Asia" contest in Singapore and one of the top four in the "Remake the City Hà Nội- HCM City" competition in Việt Nam.
"We hope our business model inspires others to establish companies that employ more people with disabilities. Our model's core value is to create jobs for sight- or hearing-impaired people. 'Slowly but surely' is what we aim to do," Tú said.


These are the steps you will need to follow to apply for and be accepted into the CSRIPS EMT training program.
The following estimated fees are paid directly to the vendor (not CSRIPS) prior to class beginning. Prices should be verified with the vendor.
American Data Bank (Broward Hospital): $168.00. Includes Broward Hospital, Drug Screening and Level 2 Background Check (scheduling fee may apply).
Upon successful completion of the program, the following estimated fees are paid directly to the vendor (not CSRIPS) to take the state exam and become licensed.
Deciding to enroll at the Coral Springs Regional Institute of Public Safety to pursue your dream of becoming a Firefighter/EMT/Paramedic in the State of Florida is a huge step. It can be an overwhelming journey if not planned out properly. To help you succeed we will provide information on a career path that may work best for you. We offer all the required courses that you will need in order to become a successful candidate for a position as a Firefighter in Florida. Most agencies located in the South East (Broward, Dade & Palm Beach) will require candidates to be Firefighter/Paramedic certified as a minimum however other regions will hire Firefighter/EMT's or just Firefighters. This means that you will need to complete EMT, Paramedic and Firefighter I & II and become State certified in all three courses. This can be accomplished at CSRIPS. Now you need to decide whether to start with the medical courses, EMT and then Paramedic, or the Fire course, Firefighter I & II. The information we provide can help you determine which will be best for you. Please review each course to assist with making the best decision for you to be successful, remember this process can take up to two (2) years to complete. Good Luck!
Acceptance into the CSRIPS EMT program is a first come first serve process. Only students that have a fully completed application, including application fee, will proceed in the application process. If your application is not complete in any way, your application will not be reviewed and will not be accepted.
If you are a returning student, please read this carefully. When you apply, please enter your name and email that is currently on record. Once you do that, you will be presented a screen that will direct you to your email for a personalized link to complete your application. Do NOT share this link with anyone. This is your personal information. When you click on the provided link, your application will appear and the information in your student record will be automatically populated. Do NOT create a new student record if you are a current student with us. Duplicate records may cause you to be removed from the program.
The student has the option of attending the Open House. Due to limited seats, the student may bring 1 family member. It is strongly encouraged as this provides the prospect and family member an opportunity to better understand the commitments that will be required. The Open House is structured, starts promptly at the documented time and lasts approximately 2 hours. Open House registration fills quickly!
Students must complete the CSRIPS BLS Healthcare Provider course at least 2 weeks prior to the start of the EMT-Basic class. Cards from other organizations will not be accepted. Your BLS Healthcare Provider card must be active for the duration of the course.
In order for your application to be submitted for review, you must complete all of the required information and upload during the application enrollment period. This is a first come first serve process so in order to increase your chances of being accepted, you are strongly encouraged to have all information ready when you begin your application. Below is everything you will need to have on hand for the application. You will need to have a PDF or picture for certain file uploads.
*Medical information is collected from Broward Health during the Complio registration.
In order for your application to be submitted for review, you must complete all of the required information, including uploads, and make your application payment during the enrollment period. This is a first come first serve process so in order to increase your chances of being accepted, you are strongly encouraged to have all information ready when you begin your application. Incomplete applications will NOT be reviewed and the prospective student will not be considered part of a roster.
Upon completing the application, the student will receive an email from CSRIPS notifying them their application has been received along with any potential issues. This does not indicate the student has been accepted. The student should not expect to hear a final decision until the Notification period as outlined for the term. Please do not call the office inquiring about a submitted application.
All applications are submitted electronically and the admissions staff is reviewing and notifying students accordingly. Each term has a notification period. Please do not call the office asking about your application status. You will be notified about your status during the notification period via email.
Email is the primary means of communication. It is the students responsibility to check email daily. We will not track you down. If the assignments or tasks listed below do not get completed by the assigned date, you risk being dismissed from the class.
Should a student be accepted into EMT, an email notification will be sent welcoming the student and providing instructions for the next steps. The student will be provided information for books, drug screening, Day 1 expectations, dress code, rides and clinicals and Complio registration information.
Some of these items will have due dates. It is extremely important the student review the information and plan their time accordingly. Any item not getting done by the due date will result in the student risk being dismissed from class.
For the Immunization Information, CSRIPS has provided a form for you to use if you choose to. Please review the Broward Health Requirements to ensure you have everything ready when you enroll in Complio.
Have you read all 6 steps above?
Did you complete or at a minimum register for an upcoming BLS Healthcare Provider class?
Do you have all of your files saved in the proper format and ready to upload?
Do you understand how you will be notified of your status?
Do you understand you will be responsible for items after you submit your application and if you are accepted?
Students registered for EMT-Paramedic at the main Coral Springs campus will be only be permitted to complete clinicals and rides that correspond with that campus location. Students will not be permitted to ride or complete clinicals at Martin County or St Lucie County locations unless they are riding with their own department (must meet requirements).
Students registered for EMT-Paramedic @ Martin County will be only be permitted to complete clinicals and rides that correspond with that campus location. Students will not be permitted to ride or complete clinicals at a Broward County or Miami Dade location unless they are riding with their own department (must meet requirements).
Students must have a BLS Healthcare Provider card issued by the City of Coral Springs Training Center. Please see above for more details.
CSRIPS @ MARTIN COUNTY REGISTRATION ONLY!


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Home UK English lungwort
Meaning of lungwort in English:
Pronunciation /ˈlʌŋwəːt/
1A bristly herbaceous European plant of the borage family, typically having white-spotted leaves and pink flowers which turn blue as they age.
Genus Pulmonaria, family Boraginaceae: several species, in particular P. officinalis
'For a sophisticated color combo, consider blue lungwort, so named because it was once thought to have medicinal qualities related to the lungs, and the later-flowering pale yellow Narcissus 'Jenny'.'
'While exploring the woods near his home, he came across a forest meadow erupting in purple pasqueflowers, blue lungworts, yellow anemones and white corydalis.'
'Flowering bulbs such as hyacinths, daffodils, crocuses, and tulips, along with hellebores, lungworts, and heathers carpet the ground beneath.'
'In the course of a Latin conversation with a Russian bishop, Stellar is told of a legend 'which relates that God quite suddenly and as though out of the blue came into being of a lungwort leaf'.'
'Fallen petals from a cluster of pear trees lay like unmelting snowflakes upon the earth; ground ivy, lungwort, and the last bluebells yielded splashes of azure and violet.'
'The spotty leaves of Pulmonaria officinalis, or lungwort, indicated it could cure tuberculosis and other afflictions of the lungs.'
'For instance lungwort, with spotted leaves suggesting pulmonary disease, could be used to cure chest complaints.'
'The spring ephemerals were abundant; he could see primroses, violets, lungwort, and even the delicate blue forget-me-nots as he approached the wetland.'
'Around the feet of these plants grow small euphorbias, lungwort and ground cover campanulas, while on the wall behind the rich flowers of clematis Star of India are beginning to open.'
'Plants in other bed are mainly low-growing, shade-loving perennials, such as the hostas, ferns, and lungworts clustered beneath trees.'
So named because the leaves were said to have the appearance of a diseased lung.
(also tree lungwort)
A large lichen which grows on trees, forming lobed fronds which are green or brown above and orange-brown below.
Lobaria pulmonaria, order Peltigerales
'A number of ancient woodland indicators are present here, including tree lungwort, woodruff and sanicle.'
'The tree lungwort was once used as herbal remedy and is only found in the oldest of woodlands.'
'Demanding or unusual-looking lichen species, such as tree lungwort and Arctic kidney lichen, are also found in the area.'
'The somewhat restricted tree lungwort Lobaria pulmonaria is also found in this habitat.…'
'The tree lungwort is a large lichen, which grows loosely attached to trees or rocks in moist, pollution-free environments of northern and western Britain.'
'In the New Forest, for instance, tree lungwort has managed to spread only a short distance into the oldest oak plantation, the 200 year-old Bentley Wood, from the adjoining ancient Anses Wood.'
So named because of its former use to treat lung disease, because of its apparent resemblance to lung tissue.


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Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select, Reviewed Just In Time For The Holidays
Getty Image/Ralph Ordaz
There are a fair few bottles of Jack Daniel's on the shelf these days. Master Distiller Chris Fletcher and Assistant Distiller Lexie Phillips are taking the iconic brand to new heights by engaging with the brand's heritage while also diving deep into their vast warehouses to find new gems. Today, we're covering one of Jack Daniel's most beloved expressions and a holiday favorite, Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select.
I'm on the record as being a long-time Jack Daniel's fan and advocate for all things Tennessee whiskey. Their Bottled-in-Bond is something that I actually pour and mix with day-to-day. Their Sinatra Select is a bit more of a special occasion bottle for me. I hadn't tried for a fair bit (it's been a year or so) until cracking a bottle open for this review.
Upon re-trying the special release this week, I knew I had to write a full review, especially with the holidays upon us. This is special whiskey that deserves all the accolades and love it gets. It'd also make a killer gift bottle if you're stuck for a last-minute gift. Let's get into it.
Related: Is Jack Daniel's 'Traveler's Exclusive' The Best Bottle Of Jack? Here's Our Review
Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select
Average Price: $172 (1-liter bottle)
The Whiskey:
Frank Sinatra was one of Jack's biggest fans. So much so that the crooner was buried with a bottle. The actual juice in this expression is a throwback to how Jack was made in Sinatra's day. They use special "Sinatra Barrels" that have concentric grooves carved into the newly charred oak, giving the whiskey more surface area to do its thing. Once that's aged, it's blended with traditional Old No. 7 and proofed at 45 percent, as it also would have been back in Sinatra's heydays.
Peach cobbler, apple pie with a buttery crust and caramel drizzle, vanilla pods, old leather, and a hint of cherry tobacco inside an old wooden box build on the nose. The sip leans into the fruit next to woody spice and soft leather that mellows dramatically towards a soft vanilla cream along with a very distant echo of cherry tobacco chewiness. The mild spice (think nutmeg) arrives late and is tied to a cherry syrup vibe that just touches on dry wicker, faint almonds, and a touch more of that tobacco. Ultimately, the leather returns and builds towards a silken finish with just the right balance of woody apple, cherry tobacco, and oaky spice — all touched by the softest note of vanilla bean.
The Bottle:
This bottle is grand. There's a heavy bottom with about an inch of extra glass. The stopper is bespoke with a fedora carved into the plastic over the cork. It's also big. You feel like you're getting more than the average bottle (and you are).
The whole thing comes in a very hefty box that helps it feel like the perfect gift box. Inside, you'll find a little booklet that describes the whiskey and the whole vibe of Sinatra-era of Jack Daniel's and Tennessee whiskey.
This is one of the best of the best of the Jack Daniel's line. It's incredibly easy to drink while delivering an incredible flavor profile. It's a great sipper that only needs a rock or drop of water to help the deeper flavors and textures bloom in the glass.
The Ranking:
98/100 — This is a tremendous whiskey experience and very close to perfection.
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Anything that is close to average is not only where you don't want your product to be, but neither do you want you job, your sales presentation, your meetings, your whatever to be "average" either.
Average is the new term for disposable. Average is the key word, or mindset, that will make a buyer decide they don't need to hear any more of your presentation, or opinion. Average is quickly becoming the first sign of business atrophy.
Businesses, people, organizations of any kind need true expertise in this business cycle. Average was viewed as "acceptable" when only bodies were needed rather than thinking beings. Today: any position along with almost anything that fits into average, will be viewed as the first thing to be replaced or cut out all together.
This doesn't apply to just people. This applies to systems, interfaces, education, management, online, physical locations, you name it. Anything and everything is now up for review and will be changed at rates far faster than many ever dreamed.
The opportunity to stand out, to show your value, to make the case why you are not an expense but rather an asset – is today. In this landscape.
Not when the times are easy, but when they are hard for if you can just imagine; most of your competition will not do the hard. They will do the easier; which is to complain about how hard it is. That is a losing position and will eventually lead to even worse circumstances.
You will stand out from the crowd and people will listen to your offerings if only you veer from this business chilling point alone.
People want solutions, they want help, they have needs, but what they don't need any more of is a defeatist attitude from other businesses or people. They don't need to hear "how tough it is for the average business or person in this environment" or more from anyone else. They're probably telling themselves the same far more often than they'll admit. And many are down right sick of it.
What they need is, "Here's what I can help you achieve in this environment." "Here's what you should be doing to maximize X in this environment." Or better yet, "Here's what I need to do in this environment!" I believe you get my point.
Start from where you are, regardless of where that may be, and make the hardest commitment of any journey: The commitment to be better than you were yesterday. To move away from anything average and start striding towards excellence.
It seems so simple, so small an act. Yet, it's usually the smallest of acts that set the course for where the journey needs to go. And while everyone else is waiting for their next "big break" you should be engaged in doing the little things first – that make those breaks appear on command.


text:
Q: MySQL STR_TO_DATE v/s DATE_FORMAT I have a mysql table called test, the structure code is given below
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `test` (
  `id` int(11) NOT NULL,
  `name` varchar(255) NOT NULL,
  `assigned_date` date NOT NULL
) ENGINE=InnoDB

And the table is containing following data :
INSERT INTO `test` (`id`, `name`, `assigned_date`) VALUES
(0, 'A', '2012-12-23'),
(0, 'B', '2012-12-25');

Now the problem is when I run the following query it doesn't return me any row.
SELECT name
FROM test
WHERE
     DATE_FORMAT(assigned_date, '%m/%d/%Y') >= '12/01/2012'
     AND
     DATE_FORMAT(assigned_date, '%m/%d/%Y') <= '01/02/2013'

But When I use the following commands it returns me two rows as expected.
SELECT name
FROM test
WHERE
     assigned_date >= STR_TO_DATE('12/01/2012', '%m/%d/%Y')
     AND
     assigned_date  <= STR_TO_DATE('01/02/2013', '%m/%d/%Y')

What is the difference ? Why DATE_FORMAT didn't work ?
Please Help with this I have used date_format function through out a site. Now it seems like I have to update the entire site.
Thanks.

A: DATE_FORMAT didn't work because it is converting assigned_date to a string in mm/dd/yyyy format and then comparing that string to your two string constants - and there is no string that is >= a string starting 12 and <= a string starting 01.

A: DATE_FORMAT converts DATE to STRING.
STR_TO_DATE converts STRING to DATE.
From MySQL Docs

*

*DATE_FORMAT

*STR_TO_DATE

A: The DATE_FORMAT() function formats a date as specified by a format mask.
DATE_FORMAT(date, format_mask)
Example:
SELECT DATE_FORMAT("2017-06-15", "%M %d %Y");
SELECT DATE_FORMAT(BirthDate, "%W %M %e %Y") FROM Employees;

MySQL STR_TO_DATE() returns a datetime value by taking a string and a specific format string as arguments.
STR_TO_DATE(str,format);
Example:
SELECT STR_TO_DATE('18,05,2009','%d,%m,%Y');
SELECT STR_TO_DATE('May 18, 2009','%M %d,%Y');


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Leslie practices in a wide range of U.S. and international tax areas. She counsels clients on advantageous business structures for tax and estate planning purposes. Leslie has a particular focus on helping high-net-worth families manage estate planning goals in multiple jurisdictions. Her practice often focuses on cross-border matters, including structuring considerations in purchasing U.S. real estate, business expansion into the United States, tax considerations in private and public offerings, and the application of the U.S. anti-deferral regimes. She also regularly counsels clients on U.S. tax compliance matters as well as the ramifications of relinquishment of U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent ("green card") status.
Leslie's clients include business owners and investors, high-net-worth individuals and privately held businesses.
Leslie is the co-author of Canadian Companion to 1040 Preparation and Planning Guide, a CCH publication. She is a frequent speaker across Canada on U.S. tax law, especially in the cross-border context.
Leslie exclusively practices U.S. law and is admitted to practice in New York.
Council of American States in Canada Seminar: Canadian Business Expansion Into the U.S.
Thinking About Renouncing Your U.S. Citizenship?
Leslie contributed to the archived Hodgson Russ Canada/U.S. cross-border blog, Smarter Way to Cross. Her entries can be found on the Publications page.


text:
NGO workers convicted in Egypt
By Griff Witte
Griff Witte
Europe-focused correspondent with extensive experience in the Middle East and South Asia
CAIRO — An Egyptian court on Tuesday convicted and sentenced to jail 43 nonprofit workers, including 16 Americans, in a case that has alarmed democracy advocates who fear a shrinking space for civil society more than two years after the country's revolution.
The convictions, on charges of using foreign funds to foment unrest, threaten to further strain ties between Egypt's fledgling government and Washington, which has criticized the crackdown on rights workers and assailed Tuesday's verdict.
The majority of those convicted were given five-year prison terms, but they were tried in absentia, having already left Egypt. They are unlikely to return. Eleven others received a suspended sentence of one year.
But a handful faced the prospect of jail. Robert Becker, a former employee of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), was the only American defendant who stayed back in Egypt. Becker, who said he remained out of a sense of solidarity with the Egyptians who were charged, was given a two-year sentence.
On Monday, Becker wrote on his blog that he would defy his lawyer by staying in Egypt for the verdict. "I was told it would be best for me to go home, so that is exactly where I will be . . . home, in Cairo," he wrote.
But late Tuesday evening, about 11 hours after the verdict was read, Becker announced on Twitter that he had "unwillingly and angrily gone into exile until appeals get sorted out."
Becker, who has said the NDI fired him for his decision to remain in Egypt, has consistently maintained that he and his colleagues are innocent.
Nancy Okail, who directed operations in Egypt for Freedom House and was convicted in absentia Tuesday, called the verdict "the worst that could have happened. The crime that we committed was to work on human rights and democracy."
The case against the 43 workers has its roots in a December 2011 raid on the Cairo offices of multiple nonprofit organizations, including several prominent U.S.-based groups: the NDI, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and Freedom House. The government said the groups were trying to foment unrest — a dubious charge given that they were operating openly and in cooperation with the government.
At the time, Egypt was being run by the military council that filled the void after President Hosni Mubarak was forced to resign in February 2011. But the prosecutions have persisted under elected President Mohamed Morsi, who has come under increasing fire for what critics claim are authoritarian tendencies.
Last week, Morsi submitted a bill to parliament that rights groups say would curtail their ability to operate in Egypt. Although Egypt's judiciary is constitutionally separate from the
Morsi-run executive branch, rights advocates say Tuesday's verdict, coupled with the proposed law, will have a chilling effect on their operations.
"This is a message meant to intimidate the NGOs," or nongovernmental organizations, said Mamdouh Nakhla, chairman of the al-Kalema Center for Human Rights, a small advocacy organization. "Morsi doesn't want scrutiny of his actions. He doesn't want pressure from all these groups."
In particular, Nakhla said, he is concerned by a provision of the proposed law that would allow a committee to vet a nonprofit group's funding sources. With Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood backers and other Islamists firmly in control of the government,
Nakhla said he fears that secular groups will be targeted.
Kamal Nour El Din, a member of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party who chairs the parliamentary committee responsible for the new legislation, said critics have misinterpreted the proposed law. The goal, he said, is simply to streamline a process that had long been considered mystifyingly bureaucratic.
It is unclear when, or even whether, the legislation will be taken up for a vote. Egypt's lower house of parliament has been disbanded, and the law governing the remaining upper house was ruled invalid Sunday by the nation's supreme court. The court said the upper house, known as the Shura Council, can continue to operate pending new elections, a date for which has not been set.
None of the 43 defendants appeared to be in the Cairo courtroom Tuesday, where a three-judge panel also ordered the shuttering of the local branches of the workers' employers: the IRI, the NDI, Freedom House, the International Center for Journalists and Germany's Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
In a statement, the IRI called the case "politically motivated."
"Today's ruling will have a chilling effect on Egyptian civil society and, taken with other recent developments, raises serious questions about Egypt's commitment to the democratic transition that so many people demanded when they took to the streets in early 2011," the statement said.
The White House said in a statement that the United States is "deeply concerned" by the verdict in what it called a politically motivated trial. "The court's decision undermines the protection of universal human rights and calls into question the Government of Egypt's commitments to support the important role of civil society," it said.
Among those sentenced in absentia was Sam LaHood, son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. The younger LaHood had led the IRI's operations in Egypt but was forced, along with others, to hide in the U.S. Embassy for a month in early 2012 until he was permitted to leave the country.
Lara El Gibaly contributed to this report.


Well worn out over the past week has been the barbershop discussion of whether or not Drake writes his own bars and then whether or not that is even important and the opinions are flying all over. Let me drop in with my nickel of wisdom on the matter.
As rap has become more and more fragmented, the mainstream artists have been looked at more and more like pop artists and it has indeed become more acceptable to the masses to just make good music regardless of where the words are actually coming from. I like Kanye but I did lose a certain amount of respect when I learned that Rhymefest co-authored Jesus Walks. One, because a rapper is supposed to write his own bars, but two it was such a deep and different kind of song that seemed to reflect a personal sentiment. That therein lies the problem, hip-hop is considered the ultimate self-expression. The rhymes you hear are from the artists mouths and hearts for the most part and are taken very personally by the fans.
The thing about Drake is you have a lot of people proclaiming him on top of the game and not just because he makes good solid records (which I can admit) but they also put him as one of the top rappers in ability (I have always disagreed on that) and being called on the carpet about that is the most serious charge in rap aside from being an informant. The other people who have had songs written for them are never put in that category of top or elite artists. Bow wow, Dre, Puffy, lil Kim may sell records but as far as rap criticism they will never make the 'hall of fame'.
Now some of you may not care about that, in fact most of the public will now turn and claim that it doesn't matter to them, mostly to save face on being fooled for all of this time. The reason a guy like Drake makes it to the position he can be in is because he starts with that true underground love and respect which promotes him until he bubbles and reaches a critical mass that allows him to be a star. That love is built upon that initial idea that this is him and he makes these songs. It is critical to him becoming the man he is so for a lot of people this is a violation.
Now let's look at what is even more likely to have happened from all of the evidence, much like a singer buying a song from Ne-Yo or R. Kelly, he had a reference track which is the weirdest thing we have seen in hip-hop. That might be worse because one of the things Drake is universally lauded for is his song creation ability. If a guy is paying someone else to create the song structures and melodies then that is the thing he is known for and how can he be the man in rap? There are a lot of things that end up being bothersome about all of this at the end of the day but what I can say is that it marks a change in the way we look at and evaluate rap artists in the future.


While jetting from Milan to Paris to New York and working with the world's most prominent photographers, supermodel Petra Nemcova never thought about becoming an entrepreneur.
She left her home in the Czech Republic when she was 18 to pursue her dream career of modeling, quickly rising to prominence in the fashion world and landing on the covers of magazines like Elle, Glamour and Sports Illustrated.
Now 34, Nemcova is still active as a model, but she's moved on to new endeavors. She's a philanthropist, an ambassador-at-large for Haiti, her adopted home, and now a business owner.
"I think you have different dreams in different stages of your life," she said in an interview with The Huffington Post.
Nemcova's first entrepreneurial venture is a luxury home decor brand called Be The Light. The initial line is a collection of fancy candles, each representing a piece of a different country's culture. The Czech Holiday Cookie scent, for example, is meant to convey the warm feeling that families experience when they get together for the holidays.
The $98 candles, which are made in the U.S., will be available at Bergdorf Goodman starting in August, as well as online. The line will also be sold in Neiman Marcus stores in the first quarter of 2014. Bergdorf Goodman currently sells a host of different luxury candles from brands like Jo Malone and Atelier Cologne and ranging from $28 to $445, presenting plenty of competition for Be The Light.
The brand is also working on other luxury soft goods and accessories for the home, such as bed throws, pillows, vases, trays and picture frames.
"First we fill the room with the scent, and then with the treasures from different countries," Nemcova explained.
Nemcova has faced tragedy and a long, arduous road to this point. Her fiancé, photographer Simon Atlee, died in the 2004 Indonesia tsunami, and Nemcova, who held onto a palm tree for eight hours until she was rescued, suffered a broken pelvis and serious internal injuries from the storm.
A year later, she founded the Happy Hearts Fund. The nonprofit organization rebuilds schools and aids children following natural disasters. She also accepted a role as an Ambassador-at-Large for Haiti, where she now lives, working with business leaders like Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff to create jobs in the island nation.
Her approach to her new business is similar to her take on nonprofit work. "Creating a strategy for Happy Hearts Fund or creating an item -- all of that is, to me, fun," she said.
The move to start a business was a "natural progression," she said, but she didn't go into the new venture blind. She had taken classes in marketing, branding, financing and negotiation strategies at Cambridge University and London Business School in the U.K., because those subjects applied to the nonprofit world. And through her diplomatic work, she learned how to meet with CEOs and forge partnerships.
Now busier than ever, Nemcova says she's still having fun, even if her work means she doesn't live the glamorous life of a supermodel every single day.
Tennis player Maria Sharapova burst onto the professional scene at age 17, when she defeated Serena Williams at the 2004 finals at Wimbledon. Today she is the third-highest ranked player in the Women's Tennis Association, but she has interests off the court as well. In addition to appearing in the 2006 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, she has displayed entrepreneurial acumen with Sugarpova, a premium candy line that she founded. The company's products are predominantly of the gummy variety, but it also offers gumballs in the shape of tennis balls for fans of Sharapova's still-active athletic career.


One year ago we published Corki as a Chrstmas gift for you. Now we present you Corki v2.
The main difference is that we added lowercase to all of the 4 styles. There are few fixes and improvements like the 'K' character, the numerals, as well as the thickness of the serifs.
The letters "Ы" and "Э" plus their lowercase were added due to popular demand from the russian users.
We hope you will enjoy this update!