text:
Analysis: What in the Actual F— Is Wrong With These People?
Sam Bankman-Fried Is Not Alone: Some of History's Greatest Monsters Were Democratic Megadonors
Bill Clinton Received Millions From Firm That Teaches Sharia Law
Bill Clinton / AP
Jack Heretik
Former President Bill Clinton received $5.6 million in fees from a Dubai-based firm that teaches Sharia law through a network of more than 100 schools worldwide.
Clinton served as the honorary chairman of the company GEMS Education from 2011 to 2014, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported this week, citing Clinton's federal tax returns.
GEMS Education teaches Sharia law in over 100 schools around the world, including in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. One of the company's schools, located in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, taught 1,600 students in 2013. Saudi Arabia is known for enforcing Wahhabism, a fundamentalist view of Islam that strictly adheres to Sharia law.
Sharia law is an Islamic legal system that many in the West believe violates human rights and represses women and various minority groups.
Clinton's biggest single paycheck from GEMS Education was a $2.1 million sum from 2014.
The Clinton Foundation also received millions of dollars from the company, accumulating between $1 million and $5 million total. The parent company of GEMS Education, the Varkey Foundation, contributed between $250,000 and $500,000. In 2013 and 2014, GEMS Education was an official sponsor of the Clinton Global Initiative, a part of the Clinton Foundation.
The Daily Caller News Foundation detailed how GEMS Education follows Sharia finance laws.
The company has raised funds through bonds and has openly broadcast its commitment to Sharia finance. In 2013, the company issued a $200 million bond prospectus and assured potential investors it relied on 'Fatwa and Sharia" advisers to assure it was 'compliant" with Sharia finance.
[Counterterrorism analyst Stephen] Coughlin said Sharia law on finance also includes money for 'zakat," a religious tax. 'And if you read the law of zakat, one-eighth of that money goes to fund Jihad," he says. 'There are eight categories of zakat you must pay every year. And one of them is Jihad."
'Why would Bill Clinton be participating in programs that teach Sharia in foreign countries where that is the specific objective of the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS and al Qaeda?" Coughlin asked the Daily Caller News Foundation in an interview.
Note: This story has been updated to show that the source was the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Published under: Bill Clinton , Clinton Foundation


The Associated Student Body (ASB) is a student organization and class that is designed for the student interested in learning basic concepts of democratic government, leadership skills, parliamentary procedures, group processes, leadership practice, planning, and organization in practical school situations. Students in ASB are responsible for, but not limited to, Football Homecoming Week, Basketball Homecoming Week, Junior & Senior Proms, Blood Drives, Talent Show, Academic & Athletic Recognition Programs, Spirit Wear Sales, Class Activities, and the Club Fair. Each student in ASB holds a specified position within the organization, which they receive through election or appointment. Students interested in joining this dynamic class must submit an application, be interviewed, and receive favorable teacher recommendations.
Need Paper, Balloons, Signs or more for your Club or Class?


I recently created a recipe for Jones Lang Lasalle's clients to use across their websites.
The addition of choice chips from your leftover Easter stash makes them a cross between a coconut rough and a classic ANZAC biscuit.
You can check out the recipe via Enex100's Facebook page or Wagga Marketplace's website.
Metabolic Gut Health buffering refers to modifications inside the metabolism of intracellular acids responding to modifications in intracellular hydrogen ion attention, in reaction to a fall in intracellular pH, lactic acid may be changed into glucose, in order to co2 and water making the cell extra alkaline.


This soft brown laundry bag with TWO CARRY STRAPS measures 24" Wide x 36" Long. The DOUBLE STRAPS allow for a backpack-like functionality. It has a simple to use slip lock closure that is pressed to slide down the rope. It has a nice polyester soft brown color that will enhance the look of any laundry room.


text:
TPI to build solar arrays for Bearden School District, South Central Service Cooperative
The Supply Side: Holiday returns expected to rise 26%; Gen Z most likely to take back gifts
Feds to restart federal executions, puts infamous Arkansas murders back in spotlight
Latest NewsTalk Politics
by Wesley Brown (wesbrocomm@gmail.com) July 25, 2019 3:42 pm 2,113 views
federal executions
At the behest of President Donald Trump, U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr on Thursday (July 25) directed the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to adopt a new execution protocol that will allow the federal government to resume capital punishment for the first time since 2003.
In a news release issued U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Barr directed BOP Acting Director Hugh Hurwitz to schedule the executions of five death-row inmates convicted of murder and other heinous crimes, including Arkansas white supremacist Daniel Lewis Lee who was convicted in 1999 by a federal jury in Little Rock of murdering a family of three after robbing and shooting them and then throwing their bodies Illinois River bayou in northeast Arkansas.
At President Trump's urging, Lee is scheduled to be executed on Dec. 9, 2019, the first of five lethal injections that will take place at the end of this year and in early 2020. The last federal execution took place on March 18, 2003, when Louis Jones Jr. died of lethal injection after being convicted for the rape and murder of a female Army private. The most famous execution in the past decades occurred in June 2001 when Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh died by lethal injection after pleading guilty on all counts of masterminding the 1995 domestic terroristic attack.
"Congress has expressly authorized the death penalty through legislation adopted by the people's representatives in both houses of Congress and signed by the President," Barr said in a statement. "Under Administrations of both parties, the Department of Justice has sought the death penalty against the worst criminals, including these five murderers, each of whom was convicted by a jury of his peers after a full and fair proceeding. The Justice Department upholds the rule of law – and we owe it to the victims and their families to carry forward the sentence imposed by our justice system."
Under U.S. death penalty protocol, the U.S. Attorney General is the ultimate decision maker on the question of whether the government will seek the death penalty or withdraw a previously filed death notice. Lee was originally convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas in Little Rock of murder in aid of racketeering. After Barr directed the Justice Department to restore federal executions in the federal justice system, U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said most Americans believe the death penalty is "just" in the most heinous crimes.
"I commend the president and Attorney General Barr for reinstating the federal death penalty in order to carry out sentences imposed on five brutal murderers by juries of their peers," Cotton said in a statement. "After many years of unnecessary delay, justice will soon be done for these criminals' many victims, including the Mueller family of Tilly, Ark."
THE TILLY MURDERS
In the infamous case that brought attention to white supremacist enclaves in Arkansas, federal prosecutors convicted Lee and Chevie Kehoe in May 1999 of murdering Tilly, Ark., gun dealer William Mueller, his wife Nancy Ann Mueller, and his 8-year-old stepdaughter, Sarah Elizabeth Powell.
In evidence presented at the federal courtroom in Little Rock when the case came to trial in early 1998, prosecutors said the two men met in 1995, and Kehoe recruited him into the Aryan People's Republic, violent white supremacist group that also had ties to McVeigh. In January 1996, Lee and Kehoe left the state of Washington and traveled to Arkansas where they dressed in police raid clothing and visited Mueller, who owned a large collection of weapons and ammunition.
Kehoe and his father had earlier robbed Mueller in February 1995, and Kehoe planned to find valuable property at his house. The Muellers were not at home when Lee and Kehoe arrived so they waited. When the Muellers returned, Lee and Kehoe overpowered and incapacitated Mueller and his wife. After finding $50,000 in cash, guns and ammunition, they shot the three victims with a stun gun, placed plastic bags over their heads, and sealed the bags with duct tape.
They then took the victims in Kehoe's vehicle to the Illinois bayou, where they taped rocks onto them and threw them into the bayou. The bodies were discovered in Lake Dardanelle near Russellville in late June 1996. Kehoe and Lee returned to Spokane with the stolen property and later traveled to several states to sell the Mueller property at gun shows.
About a year later in Ohio, Kehoe and his brother Cheyne were involved in highly publicized shootout with two state troopers after they were stopped for driving too slowly and erratically on the road and found the license plate and registration had expired. The shootout was recorded on the Ohio trooper's dashboard camera and was widely broadcast on national news.
Kehoe and Lee were apprehended by law enforcement in 1997 after some of Mueller's guns had been traced to Kehoe, who prosecutors said was the ringleader of the cross-country crime spree by the white supremacist. Following a two-month trial in early 1999, Lee and Kehoe were convicted by a jury of capital murder counts, racketeering, and conspiracy to commit racketeering.
Although Lee has sought new trials or attempted to vacate his conviction and death sentence in the grisly 1996 murders in the rural Pope County community, all those appeals have been dismissed. His latest request for a new trial came in late 2018 before the now-retired U.S. District Judge Leon Holmes, but that appeal was denied in February.
OTHER INMATES TO BE EXECUTED
Along with Lee's scheduled execution date in December, DOJ officials have requested federal prison officials also schedule upcoming executions for the following four other federal prisoners.
• Lezmond Mitchell, who stabbed to death a 63-year-old grandmother and forced her nine-year-old granddaughter to sit beside her lifeless body for a 30- to 40-mile drive. Mitchell then slit the girl's throat twice, crushed her head with 20-pound rocks, and severed and buried both victims' heads and hands. Mitchell's execution is scheduled to occur on Dec. 11, 2019.
• Wesley Ira Purkey, who violently raped and murdered a 16-year-old girl, and then dismembered, burned, and dumped the young girl's body in a septic pond. He also was convicted in state court for using a claw hammer to bludgeon to death an 80-year-old woman who suffered from polio and walked with a cane. Purkey's execution is scheduled for Dec. 13, 2019.
• Alfred Bourgeois, who physically and emotionally tortured, sexually molested, and then beat to death his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter. He is scheduled for execution on Jan. 13, 2020.
• Dustin Lee Honken, who shot and killed five people – two men who planned to testify against him and a single, working mother and her ten-year-old and six-year-old daughters. His execution is scheduled to occur on Jan. 15, 2020.
DOJ officials said each of the inmates have exhausted their appellate and post-conviction remedies, and no legal impediments prevent their executions, which will take place at the U.S. Penitentiary Terre Haute, Ind. Additional executions will be scheduled at a later date, officials said.
EXECUTION PROTOCOL, ARKANSAS DRUGS
The DOJ plans one-drug execution protocol, not Arkansas' controversial 3-drug cocktail. Barr's request for the new federal executive protocol, which closely mirrors protocols used by several states, including Georgia, Missouri, and Texas, replaces the three-drug procedure previously used in federal executions with a single drug – pentobarbital. DOJ officials said 14 states have used pentobarbital in more than 200 executions since 2010, noting that several federal courts and the Supreme Court and several federal courts have repeatedly upheld the use of pentobarbital in executions as consistent with the Eighth Amendment.
The new federal drug protocol could put the spotlight back on Arkansas' efforts to retool and restart executions in the summer of 2017. In the recent 2019 legislative session that ended in May, a new law was passed by the 92nd General Assembly that would further veil the confidentiality of lethal drugs used in Arkansas executions.
Earlier in the summer of 2017, Arkansas received national attention after Gov. Asa Hutchinson set executive dates two at a time for eight inmates over an 11-day period before the state's supply of the lethal injection drug midazolam expired. Eventually, four Arkansas inmates died of lethal injections, three executions were stayed, and one death row prisoner was granted clemency by the governor.
In late 2017, the state Supreme Court ruled that Arkansas Department of Corrections officials must reveal the pharmaceutical package inserts and labels for its supply of midazolam. That came after the state high court halted a ruling by Pulaski County Circuit Court Judge Mackie Pierce that the legislature could not shield information about the drugs used to carry out executions.
State Correction officials later acquired a new supply of midazolam, the controversial sedative that is part of the state's three-drug execution protocol. Vecuronium bromide, a muscle relaxer that causes paralysis, is the second drug used in ADC's execution protocol, while potassium chloride stops the heart and causes death.
Although the state doesn't have a new slate of scheduled executions, the supply of lethal injection drugs expired again in early January 2019, according to the Associated Press. Under the Act 810 of 2019 sponsored by Sen. Bart Hester, R-Cave Springs, any person that "recklessly discloses" documents or records concerning the state's capital punishment procedures involving lethal injection drugs directly or indirectly "is guilty of a Class D felony."
Arkansas State University College of Agriculture appoints interim dean
USDA outlines aid program to farmers impacted by trade wars
Alice Walton announces new Whole Health Institute, Chopra Medical Library
Michael Tilley

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Octabvre Mini is a modified and miniaturized version of the Octabvre that was designed for bass player and effects guru Tim Lefebvre. It starts with the popular TIM mod from the original and takes it further with a reworked tone knob that runs the gamut from classic OC-2-inspired thump to all-out sub fuzz.
The new tone knob blends together two independent tone circuits. With the tone knob fully counterclockwise, the Octabvre Mini is a functional equivalent of the classic Boss OC-2 Octaver. As the tone knob is turned up, a fuzzy square wave version of the octave down circuit is introduced.


text:
Free Harmony
Chuck Dingée and Sharon Mayson
Chuck Dingée and Sharon Mayson's beautiful vocals are what make Free Harmony unique and a treat to listen to. They started singing together in 2017 and have been busy entertaining people in the Northwest ever since.
A founding member of Bellingham's popular classic rock band The Walrus, Chuck has been singing and playing in the area for over 40 years. He has an eclectic repertoire of hundreds of songs from Gershwin to Beatles to Pink Floyd.
Having sung all her life, Sharon has an incredibly smooth voice and performs in local Northwest bands including Pacific Twang.
Together they play an entertaining mix of originals and songs ranging from the 60s to present, by artists like Simon & Garfunkel, The Beatles, Emmylou Harris, John Denver, Indigo Girls, The Police, Pink Floyd, Eagles, Bonnie Raitt, and many others. In March 2019, Free Harmony was opening act for the band America at the Tulalip and Legends Casinos in Washington state.
We'll send you an email once or twice a month to let you know when and where we are playing. We will never sell your address!
Sharon Mayson - vocals, Chuck Dingée - vocals, acoustic guitar, Lee Pence, guitar, Chip Westerfield - guitars, keys, digital strings Recorded by Chip Westerfield and John Holmes, Tunesmith Studios Mixed and mastered by Chip Westerfield Song written by Sharon Mayson. https://freeharmony.hearnow.com
When It Rains 3:56
Free Harmony T-Shirts!
Beautiful 100% cotton black T-shirt with Free Harmony logo. Available at our shows, or contact us!
Sample song
Play songs by Free Harmony
Ghosts 3:58
What The Heart Wants 5:24
Bring Back the Music 3:03
I Still Believe 4:29
Free Harmony plays several times per month in the Bellingham (Washington) area.
In addition to these public events, Free Harmony plays a few times per week at Assisted Living facilities and Retirement Homes.
Thursday, February 9 @ 6:00PM — 8:00PM Thu, Feb 9 @ 6:00PM — 8:00PM Free Harmony at Zeek's Zeek's Pizza, Bellingham, WA Zeek's Pizza, Bellingham, WA
Saturday, February 18 @ 7:00PM Sat, Feb 18 @ 7:00PM Free Harmony Band at the Rockfish Rockfish Grill and Anacortes Brewery, Anacortes, WA Rockfish Grill and Anacortes Brewery, Anacortes, WA
Saturday, February 25 @ 6:00PM Sat, Feb 25 @ 6:00PM Free Harmony at Birdsview Brewing Birdsview Brewing Company, Concrete, WA 98237 Birdsview Brewing Company, Concrete, WA 98237
Saturday, March 4 @ 7:00PM Sat, Mar 4 @ 7:00PM Free Harmony Band at Burlington Eagles Burlington Eagles Hall, Burlington, WA Burlington Eagles Hall, Burlington, WA
Friday, March 17 @ 7:00PM Fri, Mar 17 @ 7:00PM Free Harmony at the Fireside Fireside Martini & Wine Bar, Bellingham, WA Fireside Martini & Wine Bar, Bellingham, WA
Thursday, July 27 @ 6:00PM — 8:00PM Thu, Jul 27 @ 6:00PM — 8:00PM Free Harmony Band at Elizabeth Park Elizabeth Park Summer Concert, Bellingham, WA Elizabeth Park Summer Concert, Bellingham, WA
Galileo 4:07


text:
Mystical Idiots
By Saelan Twerdy April 6, 2012
"If we think we already know what is out there, we will surely miss much of it." —Jane Bennett
"[The philosopher] must not deny his clownish traits, least of all since they alone can give him hope for what is denied him." —Theodor Adorno
How many times can literature be declared dead and still rise again? In November 2011, ten months after the publication of his first novel, Spurious, and three months before his most recent, Dogma (a third book, Exodus, is slated for next year), Lars Iyer published a manifesto called "Nude in Your Hot Tub, Facing the Abyss (A Manifesto After the End of Literature and Manifestoes)." With the same mixture of anachronistic pathos and acute self-deprecation he brought to Spurious, Iyer programmatically addressed some of the themes that informed his novel: "Literature is a corpse and cold at that," he proclaims, and we live in a world devoid of the faith, belief, and awe that true literature once occasioned. For Iyer, the hope that literature — or even thought itself — represented is now on the brink of being foreclosed. The causes are diverse: globalization, populism, market forces, the "banality of liberal democracy," and most of all, the overabundance of books and writers. No one is rejected or ignored anymore — not when everyone can publish online instantly. Authors have disppeared, replaced by a legion of keystroke laborers, shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the creative-class proles.
Not everyone is so pessimistic about literature's place in contemporary society. A recent essay by Chris Feliciano Arnold at The Millions is bullish, offering bullet points like " 'Literary' genre novels are A-OK!" and "Oprah's Book Club went supernova" as evidence of literature's vigorous health. Since "weird" writers like Ben Marcus and Amelia Gray are getting published by major houses and finding some success, Arnold argues, "unconventional prose has a place at the table" and there are now "many paths for the novel" — a riposte to Zadie Smith's defining 2008 essay for the New York Review of Books that saw only two.
But is this benign market pluralism really satisfactory? As Hal Foster argued in "This Funeral Is for the Wrong Corpse" (2002) " 'the end of art' never meant a literal stop to paintings, sculptures, films, novels, and all the rest; what was at issue was the formal innovation and historical significance of these mediums." Books of many sorts can be written, they may be read, they may even make someone some money, but do they matter? It is not that we lack things to be serious about. On the contrary, Iyer claims, we are everywhere surrounded by crisis and catastrophe: environmental, financial, political, and spiritual. What we lack are "the literary means to register tragedy" and to challenge reality. What's worse, authors carry on as if none of this is the case. By continuing to write literary fiction in the prestige mode, authors unwittingly produce kitsch that is empty at best and shameful at worst, the equivalent of "'The Nutcracker' at Christmas." When Iyer writes that "we all know Freedom cannot be Flaubert, and yet we cannot quite comprehend why that door is closed to us," you can see him taking aim at what critic and blogger Mark Thwaite has dubbed Establishment Literary Fiction.
In its place, Iyer proposes an alternative. Inspired by the likes of Enrique Vila-Matas, Thomas Bernhard, and Roberto Bolaño, he invokes a non-literature or an un-literature that might survive our catastrophe. He advocates unliterary plainness and "choking directness," the "day-after sobriety of a witness-report." He calls for an openness that resists masterpieces and closed forms and instead allows real life — "gloomy, farcical life" — to drift in. "There is a terrible honesty in this work that sets us free. These are the writers who show us how, perhaps, we can proceed."
And proceed he does, in the spirit of Beckett's "I can't go on, I'll go on." For those romantic enough to be nostalgic for literature as a world-historical discipline or for the avant-garde ambition to change the world or at least transform the reader, the present can only be a disappointment of apocalyptic proportions. The protagonists of Iyer's novels are precisely that kind of unfortunate soul. Both academic philosophers at provincial British universities, they long for a life of high seriousness and deep thought, and they fantasize endlessly about old Europe, the mythical home of their idols: Franz Kafka, Franz Rozenzweig, Maurice Blanchot, and the neo-Kantian Hermann Cohen, to name a few. Morose, misanthropic, and usually inebriated, they stumble from pub to pub dreaming of lives of belief, commitment, and intellectual accomplishment.
The problem is, they're hopeless. At best, they fear they might be like Max Brod, devoting their lives to the intepretation and promotion of minds more gifted than their own. Near the beginning of Spurious, Iyer writes:
'When did you know you weren't going to amount to anything? Did you know?', he asks, because sometimes he suspects I never did. Well he knows, at any rate, for both of us. —'Neither of us is going to amount to anything!', he says with finality. 'Neither of us! Anything!'
This being the case, the bulk of both Iyer's novels consists of the characters — including one called "Lars," quite obviously an exaggerated version of Iyer himself — abusing themselves for their failures and shortcomings. Or rather W., the slightly more successful one (he, at least, has a decent house and a woman in his life) abuses Lars, who passively narrates W.'s varied and inventive insults with regard to Lars's weight, hygiene, living conditions, dietary habits, and intellectual capabilities. More or less plotless novels about a couple of bickering, self-pitying intellectuals and their recondite obsessions ought to be tiresome slogs, but Lars and W.'s circular and frequently repetitive dialogue is so witheringly, gut-bustingly funny that Spurious and Dogma both maintain a madcap forward momentum even as their characters remain stalled.
Despite Iyer's remarkable erudition (like his namesake protagonist, he is a philosophy professor, with two books on Blanchot to his name), these books defy the usual tenor of the "philosophical novel" by remaining resolutely and laudably lowbrow. Nor is writing himself into the books any kind of metafictional trick in the usual postmodern sense: Rather than, say, foregrounding the constructed and unstable nature of reality through unreliable narration and winking gestures toward the fictiveness of the text, Iyer's self-deprecating presence in the story makes his prose more direct and his satire more poignantly pathetic.
Iyer's approach has an obvious precedent in Thomas Bernhard's grandiloquently caustic monologues, in which the tragic mode is carried to such lugubrious extremes that it begins to border on the farcical. For Iyer, however, the tragic mode is already irrecoverable: We are inescapably stuck in the realm of farce, and he stands ready to milk this sorry state of affairs for all the comic value it can produce. Thus, Lars and W. "hoot and point like apes" and send each other drawings of cocks in online chats. They are "essentially joyful," as W. improbably remarks, noting that Lars has given him the "gift of idiocy." "We are idiots, we agree," Iyer writes, "idiots who do not quite understand the depths of their idiocy. We're mystics of idiocy, we agree, mystical idiots, lost in our cloud of unknowing."
Over the course of Spurious, our two idiots get up to very little. W. forces his students to listen to Godspeed You Black Emperor! and watch Béla Tarr films. The two travel back and forth to visit each other in Plymouth and Newcastle-upon-Tyne. They discuss their shared conviction that the world is ending. W. admires Lars's adamantine apocalypticism but, deep in his own study of Jewish mysticism, he nevertheless feels that something may save them. Drinking is key. Drinking reveals the apocalypse but also the patience to get through the apocalypse.
The two concoct plans and dream of escapes: W. attempts to learn infinitesmal calculus and ancient Greek for the umpeenth time but is defeated again, as always. At a presentation he and Lars give together, they argue that the disaster has already happened, but no one agrees with them. They are quite alone. Sal, W.'s girlfriend (or wife, it's not clear), complains that the two of them are vague and boring. The world apparently agrees.
The only element of Spurious that seems to hold out the promise of an event, some kind of advance in the plot, is the creeping damp that is taking over Lars's decrepit flat. Chapters of escalating poesy are interspersed throughout the book in which the damp is described hypnotically, as if it had a life of its own. Even as it ruins his walls, his kitchen, his bathroom, encroaches on the living room and advances into his lungs, Lars seems transfixed by it. He bathes the brownish splotches on the wall with a bleach-soaked sponge as if he was administering to an animal or ritualistically supplicating a dark, inscrutable god. The damp is Talmudic, Lars muses: It is that it is.
With the tonic prescriptions of Iyer's manifesto behind it, Dogma subtly but decisively refines the template laid out in Spurious. Dogma picks up exactly where its predecessor left off, but events are brewing. We learn that W.'s job is threatened thanks to the restructuring and downsizing of the humanities in higher education, but his intellectual project is taking shape. Capitalism and religion shall be his theme: "The 'and' is designed to be provocative, W. says. He wants to provoke the new atheists, he says. There's nothing more infuriating than the new atheists." Furthermore, our heroes are about to embark on an adventure: a lecture tour, in America!
And so, one may even begin to anticipate the makings of a plot, with all the usual trappings: conflict, resolution, etc. And for a while, we sort of get one. In America, they find that signs of the apocalypse are even more abundant than in their native Britain ("They've made a theme park of the End of Times!, W. says. They've made a Disneyland of Armageddon!"). Upon their return, they make an intellectual pact: after the Dogme95 manifesto of that other Lars (von Trier), they dub their own movement Dogma. Sounding not unlike Iyer's own manifesto, the precepts of Dogma are, initially, noble: be Spartan, use ordinary language, be full of pathos, speak with sincerity and the greatest of seriousness, be collaborative, plaigarize, and most of all, "always write as though your ideas were world-historical." But things soon get silly.
After their project inevitably fails, it's pretty much all denouement. Coming back to Lars' flat, we find that the problem of the damp hasn't gone away, though the real problem now is his infestation of rats. The two return to their obsessions: Lars to Jandek
Jandek, Chair Beside a Window (1982)
(he listens to nothing else), W. to Lars's failings. Once again, we are left with the raw material of Iyer's project: a friendship. "If he's cruel, W. says, it's out of love." As abusive as their relationship may seem, one eventually gets the impression that Iyer believes in the value of cruelty. Insofar as we are all infinite failures, equally guilty for the state of the world, we require allies who will be infinitely demanding, who will force us to be our best selves. Only through the very strictest discipline can any semblance of hope be maintained.
W.'s great dream, we learn, is of collectivity: "an army of thinker-friends, thinker lovers." We hear that he dreams of a "thought-army, a thought-pack, which would storm the philosophical House of Parliament." But he has only Lars, and not only does Lars lives hundreds of miles away, he is even more of a buffoon than W. himself.
For all his perversity, Iyer's message boils down to an endorsement of the spiritually redemptive power of authentic friendship and collectivity. What makes his treatment of it different, however, is that he presents such authenticity as difficult, if not impossible, to achieve in life and equally difficult to articulate in art. The high value Iyer places on essential human relations is a rebuke to those who deride "experimental" fiction as narcissistic or self-indulgent evasions of emotion. Unfortunately, what is essential is also what's least accessible.
The Point recently published an article by Jon Baskin that juxtaposed Jonathan Franzen and David Foster Wallace as exponents, respectively, of "social realism" and "spiritual autobiography." Baskin concluded that, paradoxically, social realist empiricism all too often flattens and denudes social relations: "What is the most real thing? This is the question that artists like Wallace want to use their fiction to investigate, and which the realist so often behaves as if he has already answered." If Iyer's writing poses a challenge to Establishment Literary Fiction, it stakes its claim on exactly these grounds.
Even more unexpectedly, it may be that the most "real" thing in Iyer's books is neither Lars nor W. nor the friendship they share, but rather the inchoate forces that invade Lars's flat: the damp and the rats. During one of W.'s diatribes on the greatness of Béla Tarr, he quotes something that Tarr once said: "It was [a matter of] getting away, of distancing ourselves from the story because we thought that the wall, the rain, the dogs have their own stories, and that these stories are more important than these so-called human stories that we write." For Tarr, it may be that there is something absolute about nonhuman entities — at another point in Spurious, Tarr is quoted as saying that, on the vast Hungarian plain, he encountered mud, rain, and the infinite — a view that can too easily be dismissed as portentous nonsense. However, Iyer has commented in an interview on his interest in displacing an "anthropocentric model of responsibility" in favor of dramatizing the "'difficult joy' of being responsive to circumstances totally alien, totally other." He cites Clarice Lispector's account of the relationship between a narrator and a cockroach in The Passion of G.H. as inspiration, but a philosophical background for this position has also been articulated by such philosophers as Bruno Latour, Isabelle Stengers, Jane Bennett, and exponents of Object-Oriented Philosophy like Graham Harman and Levi Bryant. (Bryant's blog, Larval Subjects, is blogrolled on Iyer's blog.)
For Bryant, broadening our frame of thought to include nonhumans and even inorganic systems as things that are on equal ontological footing — they are all "equally real" — not only helps us to develop "more nuanced understandings of why social assemblages are as they are" but also broadens our means of political intervention. This is entirely relevant to a discussion of collectivity and even friendship, insofar as both have a political dimension. Much of the Western philosophical tradition of the past several hundred years has focused on the human mind, language, signifiers, and ideology. But, as Bryant writes, "just as it makes little sense to debunk an alcoholic's beliefs to get them to stop drinking when they are addicted, it makes little sense to solely rely on debunking people's beliefs about the environment to get them to live more sustainably when material alternatives are not available to these people." We are entangled, he argues, with all manner of entities, including petrochemicals, transatlantic cables, freight ships, paper mills, trees, labor unions, the People's Republic of China, and tungsten mined in the Congo.
Sometimes, as in Iyer's novels, we are entangled with rats.
The point is not that Lars should make friends with his household pests, but that attention to the Other is a challenge and a responsibility that doesn't extend only to considering the well-being of our fellow, individual humans (difficult enough) but instead goes much further. Reality is infinitely more complex and multilayered than our frame of reference normally allows for and the forms of our entanglement in it often escape us. If we want to avert the apocalypse (and I'm not speaking metaphorically here), we must attend to what is real. Insofar as this task requires a herculean effort, we are all as stupid as Lars and W., lost in a cloud of unknowing. But there is hope! Whether it is for us remains to be seen.


text:
Home/Afternoon Inquisition/AI: Skepticism 101
Afternoon Inquisition
AI: Skepticism 101
Karen Stollznow Send an email July 4, 2010
28 5 Less than a minute
I'll be presenting a workshop at The Amaz!ng Meeting in Vegas this Thursday, entitled Skepticism 101.
I'll be talking with Jeff Wagg, and we'll treat some principles such as Ockam's Razor, and phenomena such as pareidolia.
What concepts do you see as fundamental to new skeptics?
Karen Stollznow
AI: Fred Phelps, Lover of the Gayz
TBT: Does This Last Name Make My Feminism Look Big?
AI: Science Burgers
AI: Childfree and Fabulous
Necrosynth says:
That skepticism is a way of thinking, and not a set of beliefs.
Skepticism is not liberal, or libertarian politics. It is possible to be a skeptic And be a democrat and a republican. If someone has vastly different politics from you, that does not make them deluded and unskeptical.
Skepticism is not atheism. Although many Skeptics are atheists, this is not required. Radical and aggressive atheist activism is not automatically part of skepticism.
You do not need to be highly educated to be a skeptic. It is alright if you specifically do not have all the answers, or do not understand the answers given. Not everyone is a podcaster, a scientist, or a writer.
Non Believer says:
I think its important to go over types of logical fallacies.
There is a nice summary at this link.
http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/fallacies_list.html
Karen Stollznow says:
Thanks @Necrosynth! Nicely said.
@Non Believer Jeff will be covering these important concepts.
Buzz Parsec says:
My theory of skepticism (which I was specifically banned from asking as a "question" at our last local SitP): There are two kinds of woo: where you believe stuff for which there is absolutely no evidence, and where you refuse to believe stuff for which there is loads of evidence. The 1st category includes ghosts, bigfoot, UFOs are alien space ships, Nessie, gods, astrology, aliens built the pyramids, etc. and are usually fun and amusing, if a waste of time. The 2nd category includes evolution deniers, global warming deniers, the germ theory of disease deniers (homeopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, etc.), Holocaust deniers (and other history deniers), and often have disastrous social and political consequences, or would if enough people believed them.
The problem with this theory is that lots of woo can be cast in either category. Do antivaxxers believe vaccines cause autism (cat 1) or do they disbelieve in the germ theory of disease and how the immune system functions (cat 2)? Same applies to other medical craziness.
Oh, well, it's a start…
Brian's A Wild Downer says:
To me the #1 thing about being a skeptic is knowing when to admit that you don't know something.
The #2 thing would be admitting when you're wrong.
neathCobaltSkies says:
How about the peer review process? It might make for a good role-playing exercise.
Advocatus Diaboli says:
I think one of the basic skills a skeptic needs is statistics. As my old prof used to say, "Study statistics and you get a critical thinking course for free."
You get the basics on hypothesis testing, avoiding bias, how to interpret studies, how to laugh and point at online polls etc. It's great.
The other essential tool in the skeptics' kit, is knowledge of cognitive biases. It's much harder to avoid them if you don't know what they are. Confirmation bias is probably the first one I'd talk about.
Owl Translator says:
Nothing is ever proved; one can only disprove. After that, it's Occam's Razor: the simplest explanation is the best (as long as it fits the evidence, of course).
On the psychological end, I feel strongly that it's important to remember that, while critical thinking is important, the human mind is a mass of contradiction and paradox. Engineers will still believe in dowsing, and biologists will participate in church services. In other words, I suppose, avoid the ad hominem fallacy like the plague!
Understanding Confirmation Bias. In a nutshell, it's remembering the things that support your beliefs and forgetting those that don't. It's absolutely everywhere (or maybe I just have Confirmation Bias about my belief that it's everywhere), and it explains so much of why people persist in believing so many weird things.
BingMcGhandi says:
Picking your fights and learning that when it comes to pitting reason against emotion, emotion will always, always win.
Because we have little lizard brains.
N47W122 says:
@Advocatus Diaboli: Agreed! And it doesn't need to be a full-on statistics course (although that is great, too), just a few evenings reading "How to Lie With Statistics" will set the groundwork.
The budding skeptic also should understand the scientific method, including the need for a control, double-blind, and repeatability.
factually says:
One thing I always find helpful in an "intro" class on skepticism is a broader perspective of the skeptic vs non-skeptic divide. In other words, a reminder that skepticism exists on a continuum and we each begin and exist at different points. As people interact with others, its helpful to realize that the extent to which they incorporate skepticism into their lives will be different from our own. Allow people to grow and move along the skeptical spectrum at their own pace. They may not "be" where we are, but a healthy dose of both challenge and support will help them progress.
Of course, I'm personally a big advocate for also providing the basics of communication skills needed in order to effectively promote critical thinking and a skeptical lifestyle. We hear a lot about how we "should" treat non-skeptics but rarely "how" to accomplish that. But skeptical communication skills is probably too broad a topic for your purposes. Probably deserves a workshop of its own. (I'll look into that ;>)
I'll be at the workshop! I'm looking forward to it.
cag says:
One question that must be asked – who benefits.
tiberious says:
@Brian's A Wild Downer:
A natural consequence of realizing we don't know, or might be wrong, is to lose the strong emotional bond with our opinions. Then arguments can evolve productively without getting personal or even hurtful.
Glow-Orb says:
@ cag: That is a question a lot of conspiracy theorists ask, too. They just don't require proof for their answer.
In line with pareidolia, you could discuss idiomotor effect. For me, learning about hypnogogic and hypnopompic hallucinations was huge (since I am prone to them).
You could also discuss burden of proof: the burden is on the person making the affirmative claim.
halincoh says:
So many well stated concepts. Excellent!
How 'bout discussing the tendency for the human brain to connect the dots, to see patterns in whatever information is presented to us, even if no pattern exists.
Also, in Michael Shermer's THE SCIENCE OF GOOD AND EVIL, the world as shades of gray, as opposed to 100% absolute truths, is discussed in detail. It's worthwhile discussing as well.
jeffreyellis says:
What Necrosynth said. Skepticism should be politically agnostic, and does not equate to atheism. The important thing is to be honest with yourself regarding your reasons for believing what you believe. This is just part of the introspection that all good critical thinkers should have.
Cygore says:
As I told someone recently, you're entitled to your own opinion, but not your own facts. :)
Rei Malebario says:
Correlation does not equal causation. Once you get that, a lot of otherwise sensible sounding woo claims immediately start looking a bit dodgy.
The evidence of your own eyes may very well fool you. Just because you're sure you saw something doesn't necessarily mean it was there. (Although, I suppose, there's often some correlation ;))
That something has a long history and tradition doesn't mean it's real or works. Much of what "everyone knows" is actually wrong.
Bjornar says:
"Why smart people believe weird things" – Michael Shermer
cantor says:
1) Believe in magic.
In the same way that Randi believes in magic. It's a complicated series of manipulations of expectations, sight-lines and behaviour intended to make you believe something that isn't true – occasionally for someone else's benefit.
Now go and apply that to religion, politics and commerce.
2) Understand that you're wrong, and (outside of logic and mathematics) probably always will be.
It's wrong to say the earth is flat. It's also wrong to say the earth is a sphere. It's even wrong to say it's an oblate spheroid. But the point is, you're getting less wrong at each step.
Compare and contrast with organisations and creeds that profess certainty.
3) A grab-bag of interesting 'skeptical' phenomena – "regression to the mean", "correllation vs causation", "confirmation bias". Train yourself to always ask "cui bono?". Follow the money/sex/power/oil/grudge and you can explain most stuff.
4) It would be nice for skeptics to have mastered a few lying-with-statistics techniques, to allow these to be spotted when they're used (with depressing regularity) in the media. "Bad Science" has this fairly well covered…
5) Also, there should be some kind of skeptical merit badge (Amy?), earned by demonstrating the falsehood of at least seven commonly-held beliefs before a qualified panel of judges. Perhaps while blindfolded, or while wearing a suitably heroic false moustache.
Rhettfairy says:
@halincoh:
I have to second this… When I discovered skepticism as a "movement", it took a long time before I stumbled upon how important it is to know WHY people believe the things they do. To understand they aren't all morons and/or charlatans.
slxpluvs says:
I think that the most important thing that new skeptics need to hear is a story. Don't let them think that everyone in this new group they are interested in is dull and fact oriented. Further, help them differentiate between the four types of skeptics. If you don't know what the four types are, as a skeptical leader you can make them up.
Tell them that poor grammar and spelling makes them look like nut jobs no matter what they are saying.
Tell them it's okay for them to have their belief is ghosts or Jesus or FSM. Being a skeptic is like listening to music. You don't always have to be blaring to be a fan of ::band name::. But the consequences of being a fan of ::band name:: tend to follow a certian progression: first you hear a song on the radio/at a party and like it, then you discover what that song/artist is, then you explore more music, then you share that music with others and they think you're a dork – even if they like it -, then you go to a concert, then you…. then you learn guitar and become a cover band. Not all music listeners become a cover band, but that doesn't make them any less of a fan.
I have way exceed my content to words ratio. Good morning!
FledgelingSkeptic says:
New skeptics need to understand precisely what skepticism is and what it is not. They also need to learn how skepticism differs from cynicism and why skepticism has nothing to do with belief and everything to do with learning to differentiate fact from fallacy.
Katsu says:
Never assume that you are right; support yourself with evidence and build a good case.
Arrogance =/= having the facts
This is something that makes me absolutely crazy about new skeptics (and also new atheists); a lot of them are very enthused about their new cause and go looking for fights because they feel like they've got the truth on their side. That may be the case, but unless you know all of that truth and evidence, and can argue it cogently (and where applicable, know the BS the other side likes to whip out), you just end up looking like an idiot.
James Fox says:
Be willing to admit and see where your own emotions, beliefs and personal history influence your perceptions and ideas; and then be willing to take the next step and set aside or dismiss ideas you've held when the facts and evidence demonstrate you were wrong or at least in no position to be as confidence about the opinions you've held.
Joy-Mari says:
@Owl Translator: Occam's razor isn't perfect. Sometimes the more 'complex' explanation is the correct one for the time being. And this reminds me about 'Reason, an Asimov short story about 'Cutie', a robot that can reason. It refuses to accept the fact that human beings had created him: it's not a simple enough explanation for him. Hmm. Gotta reread it.


Sumo Digital Rising Star is one of the industry's biggest games development challenges for students who are not yet in their final year of university. The series has students create their own games, art assets, animations or visual effects. Students who make it to the final round will have a chance to win an interview with a leading games development studio for an internship!
If you're a final year or Masters student, please see our companion challenge series offering job interviews with leading studios: Search For A Star.
We've worked with leading studios all over the world to bring you this year's Search for a Star. Our industry judges have created a number of briefs to challenge and test your skills, giving you the perfect opportunity to show these guys what you're capable of.
The competition consists of five categories which you can enter: games programming, 3D character art, 3D environment art, 3D animation, and VFX. Each category has its own briefs and, where applicable, concept art donated by the industry.
We want to prepare you for your future career; that's why our challenge series has been split into components designed by industry experts to mirror a typical games industry recruitment process.
We've got a number of great industry partners with us this year, which means we're happy to say that all students who register for Search for a Star this year will be able to take part in both the Skills Assessment and the Dev Project! You'll have even more opportunity to show the judges what you can do!
The Interview: Outstanding students will be invited to our Finals Day Showcase Event to demonstrate their skills and knowledge to a panel of industry experts.
Win big prizes donated by the industry, including games, software and gear!
Get your skills showcased in front of some of the industry's leading games studios and make a big impression!
Registration for Sumo Digital Rising Star 2019 has now closed.


text:
Q: Workaround for issues with Coefficient in 10.0.2 Coefficient is Mathematica 10.0.x seems to be affected by a bug. While in 10.3.1 the following
 Coefficient[Expand[ApartSquareFree[x/(y1 - x), x]*
 ApartSquareFree[x/(y2 + x), x]], y1 y2]

returns
1/((x-y1) (x+y2))

as it should, in 10.0.2 I get just 0.
Is there a good workaround for this problem, if my code needs to run also on older Mathematica versions? Are there other functions that use Coefficient internally and would be affected by this?

A: I think there is a slight change in the evaluation of Coefficient[] and the other functions do not have any discrepancy in the two versions. However, it is to be noted that the answer $0$ is correct as well. I guess the difference in the two versions is that the expression is simplified in Mathematica 10.0.2. I think you should use Simplify[] before taking the coefficient.
In both the versions:
Expand[ApartSquareFree[x/(y1 - x), x]*ApartSquareFree[x/(y2 + x), x]]

yields
$-1 - \frac{y1}{(x - y1)} + \frac{y2}{(x + y2)} + \frac{y1 y2}{(x - y1)(x + y2)}$
If you use Simplify the expression becomes:
$-\frac{x^2}{(x - y1) (x + y2)}$
The coefficient of $y1y2$ is $0$ in this case.
Taking Simplify[] may be computationally time taking if the expressions are huge.

A: 10.1 gives zero as well. This is a workaround (in the sense of giving the answer you seem to expect) - I don't know how general but it works for this example.
expr=Expand[ApartSquareFree[x/(y1 - x), x]*ApartSquareFree[x/(y2 + x), x]]

-1 - y1/(x - y1) + y2/(x + y2) + (y1 y2)/((x - y1) (x + y2))

Coefficient[expr /. y1 y2 -> y1y2prod , y1y2prod ]

1/((x - y1) (x + y2))

My feeling, this is not a bug because your input is not a polynomial in y1,y2, and so the docs don't say what to expect.  A message to that effect would be preferable to returning zero however. Note that CoefficientList[expr,{y1,y2}] appropriately gives the error expr is not a polynomial.
Edit - this may be a more robust way to extract terms in the given form of the expression based on their numerator:
Select[ List @@ expr ,
    MatchQ[
     CoefficientList[ Numerator[#] , {y1, y2}]  ,
        {{0, 0}, {0, _}}] &]/(y1 y2) // Total

1/((x - y1) (x + y2))

Another path is to substitute all the symbols as they appear in the term numerators:
 Total[(Numerator[#] /. { y1 -> \[FormalY]1 , y2 -> \[FormalY]2})/
      Denominator[#] & /@ List @@ expr ]

-1 - [FormalY]1/(x - y1) + [FormalY]2/(
   x + y2) + ([FormalY]1 [FormalY]2)/((x - y1) (x + y2))

This is now a polynomial in the \[FormalY] so you can use Coefficient and CoefficientList directly.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
package com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.glutils;

import com.badlogic.gdx.Gdx;
import com.badlogic.gdx.files.FileHandle;
import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.GL20;
import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.Pixmap;
import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.Pixmap.Format;
import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.TextureData;
import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.glutils.ETC1.ETC1Data;
import com.badlogic.gdx.utils.GdxRuntimeException;

public class ETC1TextureData implements TextureData {
	FileHandle file;
	ETC1Data data;
	boolean useMipMaps;
	int width = 0;
	int height = 0;
	boolean isPrepared = false;

	public ETC1TextureData (FileHandle file) {
		this(file, false);
	}

	public ETC1TextureData (FileHandle file, boolean useMipMaps) {
		this.file = file;
		this.useMipMaps = useMipMaps;
	}

	public ETC1TextureData (ETC1Data encodedImage, boolean useMipMaps) {
		this.data = encodedImage;
		this.useMipMaps = useMipMaps;
	}

	@Override
	public TextureDataType getType () {
		return TextureDataType.Custom;
	}

	@Override
	public boolean isPrepared () {
		return isPrepared;
	}

	@Override
	public void prepare () {
		if (isPrepared) throw new GdxRuntimeException("Already prepared");
		if (file == null && data == null) throw new GdxRuntimeException("Can only load once from ETC1Data");
		if (file != null) {
			data = new ETC1Data(file);
		}
		width = data.width;
		height = data.height;
		isPrepared = true;
	}

	@Override
	public void consumeCustomData (int target) {
		if (!isPrepared) throw new GdxRuntimeException("Call prepare() before calling consumeCompressedData()");

		if (!Gdx.graphics.supportsExtension("GL_OES_compressed_ETC1_RGB8_texture")) {
			Pixmap pixmap = ETC1.decodeImage(data, Format.RGB565);
			Gdx.gl.glTexImage2D(target, 0, pixmap.getGLInternalFormat(), pixmap.getWidth(), pixmap.getHeight(), 0,
				pixmap.getGLFormat(), pixmap.getGLType(), pixmap.getPixels());
			if (useMipMaps) MipMapGenerator.generateMipMap(target, pixmap, pixmap.getWidth(), pixmap.getHeight());
			pixmap.dispose();
			useMipMaps = false;
		} else {
			Gdx.gl.glCompressedTexImage2D(target, 0, ETC1.ETC1_RGB8_OES, width, height, 0,
				data.compressedData.capacity() - data.dataOffset, data.compressedData);
			if (useMipMaps()) Gdx.gl20.glGenerateMipmap(GL20.GL_TEXTURE_2D);
		}
		data.dispose();
		data = null;
		isPrepared = false;
	}

	@Override
	public Pixmap consumePixmap () {
		throw new GdxRuntimeException("This TextureData implementation does not return a Pixmap");
	}

	@Override
	public boolean disposePixmap () {
		throw new GdxRuntimeException("This TextureData implementation does not return a Pixmap");
	}

	@Override
	public int getWidth () {
		return width;
	}

	@Override
	public int getHeight () {
		return height;
	}

	@Override
	public Format getFormat () {
		return Format.RGB565;
	}

	@Override
	public boolean useMipMaps () {
		return useMipMaps;
	}

	@Override
	public boolean isManaged () {
		return true;
	}
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


German carmakers have forever been praised all around the world and BMW is one of the very old and prestigious German car manufacturers. With its headquarter in Munich, BMW was founded in 1916 and became the world's twelfth largest producer of motor vehicles in 2015, producing 2,279,503 vehicles. We have forever been amused by the amazing high quality and obviously top-notch luxury or sports cars by BMW which are now being imported all over the world including Pakistan of course.
The word BMW simply makes one thing come to your mind, sports cars racing around some tracks or doing silly burnouts but that isn't all about it. The German car company "BMW" does have a lot of history in racing and is still keeping up to the standards of its rivals and views of its fans, but it is just not it, they also make a full-size luxury sedan. And astonishingly the flagship model is not a sporty one as it is supposed to be but is the only full-sized luxury sedan created by BMW, the BMW 7 series. Similarly, coming to full-size luxury cars, there is the BMW X5 series, which is a ruthless offroad SUV, like all luxury SUVs, the BMW X5 series is fully equipped with luxury but still has that sportiness in its character which has been inherited by BMW's rich racing culture over the past decades.
The BMW X5 series 2018 price in Pakistan is not too expensive for the middle class either but is quite affordable if your bank account is stashed with cash and if you already have got about 10 cars at your garage. As you all know that BMW is a German car manufacturer and has no factory or assembling in Pakistan, you can only import one or buy a used model. Coming to the point, this SUV will set you back about 20 lacs to 1.5 crore Pakistani rupees, since it is an older model and also depending on your model and options. It would have been cheaper to get one but the taxation is very high in our country. Also, the brand new BMW X5 series will release this year so hold your horses because we are sure BMW has something amazing to offer.
Competitors to the BMW X5 series cars are of course its luxury sedan German cousins, the Audi, and the Porsche and Mercedes c class. Rivals across the globe include Jaguar XJ models, Cadillac, and the Lexus. All these cars are in the same price range and have the same qualities. Unlike all its rivals, the BMW is sportier then being completely submitted to luxury.
The X5 series started in 1989, it will be reintroduced this year 2018. It is a high notch luxury car, the makers didn't care to offer it with the BMW's famous M package which is an enhanced version of the car, more expensive but comes with performance and power tweaks.
The BMW X5 Series is a lovely car to own and as the perfect combination of a sporty and luxury sedan of all the BMW's. Being the flagship model, all the latest designs and technology are first introduced in this car and then the others. It is finished with the finest materials no less than original wood pieces, leather seats and upholstery and fine metal trims.compare its feature with all cars in Pakistan on comparebox.pk. The car manufacturers have offered their best to come up with its asking price and is crafted by the finest of people and robots.
The BMW X5 series car had a lot of engines in its production history. The first one came with a very German-like straight 6 petrol engine, the second generation came with a smaller and more fuel-efficient inline 4 cylinder engine and in the later years till today, powerful and stronger V8's and V12's have also been offered. The options currently available are the same as mentioned earlier, bigger and worse coming in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged variants. With Diesel engines getting popular in the west since 1997 Diesel engines are also offered.


MESH kids co. is a custom soft sensory play company, based in Orange County, CA. We offer rentals and sales within Orange County, Los Angeles County, and neighboring cities. Special travel accommodations are possible for those beyond our service areas.
Here for a custom ball pool? Site launching soon; hang tight. In the meantime, send your inquiry/request to play@meshkids.co.
Have you ever imagined? You're at a toddler's birthday party, and the kiddos are not screaming and sweating in a ginormous jumper. You're sitting through an entire wedding ceremony or reception, and your (or someone else's) children are not interrupting the vows or first dance. You're enjoying a fragrant glass of Cabernet, schmoozing at your family-friendly corporate holiday event, and your littles are not tugging on your gown because they're bored and "want to go home–now!" You're buying thousands…no, several thousands of dollars worth of baby/toddler equipment and toys within the seriously-quick span of one to five years, and your tots are not rapidly getting tired of and not rapidly outgrowing those top-rated, "must-have" items.
Now, let's shimmy down to how we may help prevent our dear littles from whisper-yelling, interrupting, tugging, convincing us to spend silly sums of our hard-earned money, and beyond.
We joyfully bring our soft play equipment right to you for just about any occasion, venue, and unique space dimensions. Our services span Orange County, Los Angeles County, as well as neighboring cities. We have over 150 custom soft play pieces for you to choose from, whether you're interested in a single-day rental, a short/long-term lease, or even purchasing one or more modules. We provide white glove assembly, breakdown, and thorough hypoallergenic, non-toxic sanitation of our soft play equipment on the day of your event.
Below are just some of the types of events where you may find us or want to have us–the sky is (basically) the limit!
For the younger ones to stay active and entertained, while the siblings practice/play basketball, baseball, whatever-other-ball, hockey, golf, tennis, and/or any other sport out there.
Beach days are the best days. Whether it's for a get-together, workout session, volleyball game, surf contest, holiday festival, etc., we provide a safe, shaded, soft play area for the littles to enjoy.
First of all, happy birthday! Are you celebrating baby's 100th day or first year? How about a golden birthday, quinceañera, bar/bat mitzvah, or sweet sixteen, and you're expecting lots of littles to attend? Please allow us to provide a unique, safe, fun alternative and/or addition to entertainment such as bounce houses, jumpers, and other types of inflatables.
Block parties are always a blast! Make it even blastier (yes, it surprisingly is a word–a 10-point playable Scrabble word, in fact) by rounding up all the neighborhood kiddos to mingle and (soft) play.
Community events are wonderful opportunities to bring folks together–neighbors, community members, civic leaders, servicemen and women, etc.–to connect and create a true culture of community. If you're hosting or attending community events such as yard sales, holiday light displays/walks/parades, egg hunts, BBQs, beach/park cleanups, game nights, fundraisers, hobby clubs, bonfires, potlucks, bake sales, cook-offs, residential open houses, fire and police department open houses, school open houses, meetup groups, wellness fairs, or just because, look no further for your toddler entertainment.
More and more workplaces are shifting from promoting work-life balance to work-life integration. With that shift, company events (i.e., holidays, anniversaries, awards, etc.) are wonderful opportunities to celebrate the support that your employees and their families have contributed to workplace engagement and success.
Offer your farmers market shoppers (big and small) a break between the sundried tomato hummus and "we grow what we sell" organic pluots. Our soft play stations are safe, shaded, and slammin'.
While there are always a slew of fun rides and activities for the older crowd at festivals and fairs, let's not forget about our younger crowd who also deserve a great time. Our soft play stations offer parents/guardians a breather, while the kiddos safely play, allowing them to stay even longer to enjoy all the exciting festivities. We're happy to fully customize our soft play stations to fit your needs–5′ x 5′? 20′ x 20′? We've got your back!
Please allow us to create an active, safe, and fun soft play station for your tiny guests, so your adult guests may enjoy their tee and tea times!
ConGRADulations! These ceremonies can be long–very long. Offer your guests safe, active, and shaded entertainment for the many mini busy bodies who aren't built to remain seated for long periods of time. Idea: Live stream the ceremony at the soft play station so your attendees don't miss a beat.
With consumers no longer going to malls solely for retail shopping, family entertainment has become one of the primary drivers for attracting visitors to your property. Our soft play stations are ideal for both indoor and outdoor spaces, with customizable styles and sizes.
For the many Parent-and-Me (and similar) groups out there, entertainment and/or breaks are necessary. Our soft play stations provide just that–an active, safe, and fun play space for your little ones to enjoy, during yoga, sports, support, church, education, post-partum, play, and others.
As a manager or owner of multifamily properties, you know that resident retention is key. Host engaging events onsite while remaining invested, hospitable, and grateful–events that allow residents to get out of their homes, promote a stronger sense of community, and reveal how much you care about their happiness. With social media being so prevalent today, your thoughtful events will create buzz, making your community stand out as the hottest in town. All that to say, our safe, fun, and customizable soft play stations are a fantastic addition to your family-friendly resident events. Keep those occupancy rates up!
Children of many ages and abilities have sensory processing challenges within areas such as communicating, socializing, playing, and learning. Soft play equipment can aid in meeting new goals and maintaining progress. For those in formal occupational/physical therapy, consider our equipment on days off, by recreating the experience right at home. Daily/weekly/monthly plans are available–please reach out to discuss one that fits your needs.
Of the many activities available to us parents for play groups with our littles, there seem to be less options for the littler littles. If you're hosting or attending a play group, we have customizable packages to provide an entertaining and safe (soft) play environment for cuties as soon as they're able to crawl.
Our soft play stations are a unique, safe, and fun addition to cater toward your toddler guests, for store events such as soft openings, grand openings, anniversaries, promotions, etc.
Family reunion, class reunion, colleague reunion? Reunite with your family/friends, while you unite all your littles for a great time in our customizable soft play stations.
Whether you're hosting a special event, seeking a longer term rental arrangement, or a regularly scheduled rental, we are here to collaborate and help design age-appropriate, space-appropriate configurations to keep your busy toddlers busy.
For a kid-friendly wedding ceremony and/or reception, entertainment for toddlers is a must. Please allow us to help relieve some of the wedding planning and configure a classy soft play station for the tots–one that will mesh (see what I did there?) right in with your wedding venue and theme, so you can help ensure all your loved ones are able to join you on your incredibly special day.


text:
José Eduardo Martins Cardozo (São Paulo, 18 de abril de 1959) é um jurista, advogado e político brasileiro, filiado ao Partido dos Trabalhadores. Foi deputado federal, ministro da Justiça e advogado-geral da União do Brasil.

Foi, também, procurador do Município de São Paulo e é professor da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP).

Biografia

Formação, atividade acadêmica e advocacia
José Eduardo Cardozo formou-se bacharel em direito em 1981 pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo (PUC-SP), onde também concluiu mestrado em 1993 e cursou doutorado, este iniciado em 1994 sob a orientação do professor Celso Antônio Bandeira de Mello, e não concluído. Atualmente cursa o doutorado na Universidade de Salamanca, na Espanha. É professor da PUC-SP desde 1982 e do Damásio Educacional desde 1985.

Tornou-se procurador do Município de São Paulo por concurso público em 1982, licenciando-se do cargo a partir de 1995. Retornou à função em 2016, passando a representar o Município de São Paulo perante os tribunais superiores, em Brasília, e aposentou-se do cargo em 2017.

Também em 2016 passou a atuar na advocacia privada como sócio do escritório Celso Cordeiro & Marco Aurélio de Carvalho Advogados.

É sócio-fundador do escritório de advocacia Martins Cardozo Advogados Associados em Brasília.

Em 2017, José Eduardo Cardozo passou a integrar o corpo docente da pós-graduação do UniCeub, em Brasília.

Política
Foi Secretário Municipal de Governo da cidade de São Paulo durante a administração da prefeita Luiza Erundina, então no Partido dos Trabalhadores (PT), entre 1989 e 1992. Em 1992, candidatou-se a vereador também pelo PT, obtendo uma suplência. Após as eleições estaduais e federais de 1994, ascendeu à titularidade no legislativo municipal em 1995. Candidatou-se à reeleição em 1996, exercendo o mandato entre 1997 e 2001. Nesse período, seu trabalho obteve bastante repercussão por ter sido o principal proponente das denúncias de corrupção contra vereadores da bancada de apoio ao então prefeito Celso Pitta (PPB). Com efeito, foi escolhido para ser o presidente da CPI da Máfia dos Fiscais, cujo resultado final compreendeu a cassação do mandato e dos direitos políticos de três parlamentares envolvidos no escândalo. Também foi um dos grandes articuladores do pedido de impeachment contra Celso Pitta após a comprovação das denúncias feitas por sua ex-mulher, Nicéia Camargo. O impeachment foi julgado no plenário da Câmara Municipal em junho de 2000, mas o prefeito, contando com a maioria governista, acabou inocentado das cinco acusações formais que pesavam contra ele. Por esses esforços e pela sua atuação parlamentar como um todo, Cardozo foi considerado um dos melhores vereadores da legislatura.

Nas eleições de 2000, graças ao prestígio obtido junto à opinião pública devido ao ressonante papel fiscalizador exercido no mandato, José Eduardo Cardozo foi reeleito vereador com o maior número de votos da história da cidade de São Paulo: mais de 200 mil. No ano seguinte, foi eleito Presidente da Câmara Municipal de São Paulo, exercendo o cargo no biênio 2001-2002. Em 2002, licenciou-se para concorrer a uma vaga de deputado federal.

Ingressou na Câmara dos Deputados com uma das maiores votações do PT no estado. Nas eleições de 2006, conseguiu se reeleger, embora com uma votação menos expressiva. No Congresso, foi o principal relator do projeto de lei de iniciativa popular da Ficha Limpa.

Foi de 2008 a 2010 secretário-geral da direção nacional do PT. Na eleição presidencial de 2010, foi um dos principais articuladores da campanha de Dilma Rousseff, juntamente com o ministro Antonio Palocci.

Ministério da Justiça
Em 3 de dezembro de 2010 foi anunciado pela presidente eleita Dilma Rousseff como novo ministro da Justiça do Brasil. Em sua primeira manifestação, disse que se reuniu com a presidente eleita para traçar uma estratégia de controle das fronteiras para combate ao narcotráfico e ao tráfico de armas. Ele também disse que ira se reunir com os governadores para elaborar um plano nacional de segurança pública e que as Forças Armadas não tinham data para sair do Complexo do Alemão.

Manifestou postura favorável ao desarmamento e contrária à redução da maioridade penal.

Em 31 de dezembro de 2014 sua permanência no comando do ministério foi confirmada para o Segundo Governo Dilma Rousseff.

Em reunião na OEA, em janeiro de 2016, Eduardo Cardozo criticou a banalização da violência em esportes e videogames. "A violência é hoje cultivada e aplaudida, seja em esportes ou jogos de crianças pequenas".

Em março de 2016 decidiu deixar o cargo por motivo de desgaste pessoal e político provocado pelas investigações da polícia federal relacionadas à Operação Lava Jato, que trouxeram a Cardozo forte pressão por parte de seu próprio partido.

Advocacia-Geral da União
Em 3 de março de 2016 Cardozo foi exonerado do cargo de Ministro da Justiça e nomeado Advogado-Geral da União, permanecendo no cargo até o afastamento da presidente Dilma Rousseff pela Câmara dos deputados Câmara dos Deputados do Brasil em 12 de maio de 2016.

Defesa de Dilma Rousseff
Após sua saída da Advocacia-Geral da União, Cardozo continuou defendendo, como advogado particular, a presidente afastada Dilma Rousseff no processo de impeachment perante o Senado em 2016.

Desempenho eleitoral

Ligações externas

Site Oficial de José Eduardo Cardozo

Naturais da cidade de São Paulo
Alunos da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo
Juristas do estado de São Paulo
Advogados do estado de São Paulo
Advogados-gerais da União
Professores da Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo
Vereadores da cidade de São Paulo
Deputados federais do Brasil por São Paulo
Ministros da Justiça do Brasil
Ministros do Governo Dilma Rousseff
Membros do Partido dos Trabalhadores
Impeachment de Dilma Rousseff
Secretários municipais da cidade de São Paulo

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Gimlet Media, home to podcasts like Reply All and the podcasts-turned-TV shows Start Up and Homecoming, just announced $15 million in Series B funding. The round was led by Stripes Group, a growth equity firm that has made investments in Refinery29, Blue Apron, Craftsy, and more. According to an announcement, the money will be used for training and development, growth in their spon-con channel Gimlet Creative, and naturally developing new podcasts to be turned into television shows. I guess once Julia Roberts signs on to star in one of your podcasts-turned-TV shows, people just start throwing money at you (just like in Pretty Woman)!


text:
Jonathan Hurtado speaks in a video posted on his campaign Facebook page. Photo via Facebook
Gilroy school board candidate charged with falsifying address
DA: Hurtado lives in Morgan Hill
By: Emanuel Lee
A 2020 Christopher High School graduate has been charged with a misdemeanor after allegedly falsifying his address in an attempt to run for the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Trustees Area 3 seat.
The County of Santa Clara Office of the District Attorney has charged Jonathan Hurtado for illegally using a friend's Gilroy address on his Voter Registration and Candidate Information Request Form to make himself eligible for the school board position.
"The voters of Gilroy should know that Mr. Hurtado knowingly falsified his election documents," prosecutor Jason Malinsky said in a press release. "He is not a viable candidate in Trustee Area 3 because he is not a resident there."
According to the DA, Hurtado, 18, lives with his mother in Morgan Hill, which would make him ineligible to run for the Gilroy Unified Trustee Area 3 position. Hurtado filled out three forms stating he lived at the same Gilroy address—voter registration, the Candidate Information Request Form and California Fair Political Practices Commission Form 700 disclosure—all in a span of five days starting on July 31.
He signed two of those forms under penalty of perjury, and a subsequent DA investigation revealed that Hurtado never lived at the address listed on his candidate forms. Hurtado used the address of the parents of a former classmate after asking permission from his friend "to get some mail sent their (sic) to show that I 'live there,'" per a text message from Hurtado to the classmate, according to the DA.
Hurtado said he will take accountability for his actions.
"I am really sorry to the people of Gilroy," he told the Dispatch. "It hurts my heart for this to happen, and I understand the gravity of the situation. I will do my best to learn from this. I'm working with the DA to the best of my ability to sort this out."
Hurtado also posted a couple of messages on his Facebook page.
"Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me through my journey, but it has come to an end and I'm sorry," he said. "This race has been such a learning experience and I will continue to learn and grow as a person. I'm sorry to the people of Gilroy for misleading you because I never meant any harm. This run for office may be dying, but I hope the voice of the youth does not die with it."
A date for Hurtado's arraignment has yet to be set. If he is convicted of a misdemeanor, Hurtado could face up to a year in jail.
Emanuel Lee
Sports Editor of the Gilroy Dispatch, Hollister Free Lance and Morgan Hill Times. PR of 3:13.40 at the 2019 CIM. Hebrews 12:1.


text:
Cryptocurrency Explained on the Latest Episode of The Simpsons
Could this be a sign that the mainstream media is warming up to bitcoin again like they did before the 2017 rally? The Simpsons featured an almost two-minute segment explaining how cryptocurrency and blockchain work with the actor who played Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory.
Also Read: 12.6M Viewers Will Hear About Bitcoin Watching The Big Bang Theory
Cryptocurrency Explained on The Simpsons
The animated family sitcom show that first aired in 1989 has featured an explanation on the nature of cryptocurrency in its latest episode. The Simpsons is now in its 31st season, and for the 13th episode of the season it brought in Jim Parsons, best known for Sheldon Cooper in the The Big Bang Theory, to explain the concept of cryptocurrency.
In the segment, the animated Parsons tries to prove that he is not a nerd and actually "super cool" by the fact that he is talking about the subject of cryptocurrency. He also fakes jumping over a few buses in a motorcycle and is filmed with piles of cash stacked behind him. The segment also features a singing ledger that seems to really enjoy it when transactions are recorded on him. The sketch is somewhat informative to anyone who haven't heard about the topic before and it avoids mentioning anti-crypto tropes like that it is only used by hackers or criminals, which it could have done.
In a graphic shown near the end of the segment, the TV show's creators seem to acknowledge that they know that the presentation makes them look like they have only a novice's understanding of crypto but they dispute that and let us now that they even know who the real Satoshi is. That might be true as The Simpsons featured Bitcoin twice before 2016 and crypto was also included in a Simpsons video game in 2018.
The Big Bang Theory Connection
This isn't the first time a TV sitcom involving Jim Parsons has tackled the topic of cryptocurrency. The Big Bang Theory aired an entire episode based on a digital assets storyline in November 2017. The episode, called "The Bitcoin Entanglement," showed the cast of geeks and nerds learning about the price rally, suddenly remembering they mined some bitcoin a few years before and dreaming about all the stuff they can buy when BTC hits $5,000.
While dedicating a whole episode to bitcoin was exceptional for a fictional show, the topic of cryptocurrency has appeared on other series before, such as Mr. Robot, Startup, CSI Cyber, The Good Wife, Jeopardy, Almost Human, Person Of Interest, House Of Cards, Parks and Recreation, HBO's Silicon Valley, Supernatural, and Marry Me. Recently even MTV aired an episode of a new show called True Life Crime with a "crypto expert" (Rachel Siegel) that talked about SIM swap hacks.
I'm MTVs first ever "crypto expert" and there's not a damn thing you can do about it. It's. Ya. Girl. 🔥
— Crypto Finally 💫 (@CryptoFinally) February 20, 2020
What do you think about cryptocurrency appearing on the latest episode of The Simpsons? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Images courtesy of Shutterstock.
Verify and track bitcoin cash transactions on our BCH Block Explorer, the best of its kind anywhere in the world. Also, keep up with your holdings, BCH and other coins, on our market charts at Bitcoin.com Markets, another original and free service from Bitcoin.com.
The post Cryptocurrency Explained on the Latest Episode of The Simpsons appeared first on Bitcoin News.
Source: Bitcoin News
Ethereum Price Analysis: ETH Could Slide Below $3K January 18, 2022
LBank Exchange Will List Battle Esports Coin (BES) on January 20, 2022 January 18, 2022
LBank Exchange Will List Clifford Inu (CLIFF) on January 20, 2022 January 18, 2022


Art and Soul is visionary Art Smith's new dining venture, which opened in Washington, D.C., last month. The NRA Show mainstay recently shared some thoughts about branching out to the nation's capital and his favorites with Washingtonian.com.
• Regarding rumors he will serve fellow Chicagoan and President-Elect Barack Obama as White House chef—"'They're just rumors, but it's nice to hear those rumors,' is all he'll say." Not a bad gig, if you ask us.
• Regarding how he starts his day—"'I love a good breakfast—I think it's my most favorite meal... I love a good crab cake and an egg for breakfast.'"
• Regarding Thanksgiving—"'In the South, we don't stuff a bird—we dress a bird. My favorite thing is my cornbread dressing... I use all cornbread, but we all use the holy trinity, which is celery, onion, and bell pepper. You need a really good, strong broth, no bouillion in there. I like to throw in turkey sausage and apple for a little sweetness. And you've got to have killer gravy with it.'"
And yes, he will be working his magic in-person at Art and Soul Thanksgiving night.
Are you hungry yet? Well, until you can satisfactorily satisfy your cravings tomorrow... NRA Show 2009 wishes you a very happy Thanksgiving holiday!
Sometimes, it's the small things in life that count.
Holland-based Koppert Cress has wowed the world with its tasty micro-greens. The award-winning horticulture company — which laid down some roots in Lake Success, N.Y., in 2006 — will share its world of flavors, colors and scents with NRA Show 2009 this May.
FYI, not all micro-greens are, er, green. Koppert Cress's popular Sechuan buttons, found in Africa, China and South America, are yellow. It's also known for leaving a champagne-like tingling on the top of the tongue.
In any event, they make good food great. Small greens, big flavor.
For more information about Koppert Cress B.V., check out its Web site. And since you're already online, don't forget to view the full list of NRA Show 2009 exhibitors here.
Members of the press, it's time to register for NRA Show 2009. It's where food trends emerge, new products launch and culinary superstars shine. Your stories practically write themselves at the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals in the world.
There are so many reasons to register today, but here are our favorite 5.
5.) You can mingle with celebs like Mario Batali. Or, you just might discover the next hot chef.
4.) The Kitchen Innovations™ Awards will impress you.
3.) The Culinary Scene is where it's at — interactive culinary demonstrations presented by top industry trendsetters. There's just no better source for culinary inspiration.
2.) The International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event is the premier beverage alcohol event with the latest brands and labels from emerging and established producers.
1.) People love to read about and look at food almost as much as they love to eat it. Almost!


Office Chair For Hip Pain Popular Desk Ideas Pertaining To 11. Office Chair For Hip Pain Incredible Best Lower Back 5 Chairs Inside 13. Office Chair For Hip Pain Modern Best Bad Hips Lindsayisvegan Me Throughout 7. Office Chair For Hip Pain Stylish Best Bad Hips Lindsayisvegan Me With Regard To 19. Office Chair For Hip Pain Popular Awesome Chairs Replacement Arms Desk 18. Office Chair For Hip Pain Popular Eye Catching Desk Back Medium Image At Pertaining To 17. Office Chair For Hip Pain Contemporary The Top 3 Best Ergonomic Chairs To Buy 2017 Throughout 2. Office Chair For Hip Pain Stylish SUN GROOVE COM Chairs Fantasy As Well 4 Regarding 12. Office Chair For Hip Pain Awesome Likeable Www Fadetoblues Com Of Ataa Regarding 4. Office Chair For Hip Pain Popular Japan Cogit Fold Memory Foam Posture Cushion Buttock CloseBottom Regarding 16. Office Chair For Hip Pain Modern Ergonomic OFFICE CHAIR Buy Furniture Online 10. Office Chair For Hip Pain Elegant Charming Best Desk Back Of Ataa Dammam Regarding 8. Office Chair For Hip Pain Incredible To Relieve Natedrescher Lovely As Well 7 1. Office Chair For Hip Pain Brilliant Can Your Cause HubPages With Regard To 3. Office Chair For Hip Pain Brilliant Best Cushion Desk Cushions Ever Throughout 9. Office Chair For Hip Pain Brilliant Captivating Desk Lower Back High Executive Leather Of Regarding 14. Office Chair For Hip Pain Elegant Most Inspiring Best Ergonomic Desk Www Throughout 6. Office Chair For Hip Pain Stylish 2019 Chairs Large Home Furniture In 5.


Get Bass Voice Type essential facts below. View Videos or join the Bass Voice Type discussion. Add Bass Voice Type to your PopFlock.com topic list for future reference or share this resource on social media.


text:
The following is the list of banks in Jordan.

Mobile payment

See also

 List of banks in the Arab world

References

Banks of Jordan
Jordan
Jordan
Banks


Before joining this 2-year management graduate program, I thought I would learn all the secret skills about how to manage people, teams, employees, customers… And now after several months I realise the (sad) truth. They are not really teaching us how to manage people, but instead, how to manage operations (processes, organisations…).
When I enrolled, I genuinely expected to learn more about the deep human nature. To learn more about Dan Ariely's bionicles, Carol Dweck's Mindset or even how to win friends.* But here I am spending 6 hours a day learning** international accounting principles or whatever they call it.
*Why not some dirty manipulation techniques as well.
**Well I'm not, but I'm supposed to.
To be fair, a basic understanding of economics, accounting, marketing, are fundamental assets for a company's middle managers. It is just that I expected more psychology I guess.
Isn't that what managers are supposed to do after all? To motivate teams, to add momentum, to foster a culture, to bring the best out of each member?
Yes it is. Or it should be.
*Don't be offended, I am deliberately exaggerating to make a point.
Indeed, maybe business schools need more "people-oriented" management training.
Stop complaining about business schools, you should have joined a psychology course if it's what you really wanted.
But anyway, the next part will focus on *how *one can actually become better at managing (people). Because the fun fact — and possible explanation — is that… maybe we can simply not.
Daniel Kahneman is a superstar psychologist (Nobel Prize winner and a professor emeritus at Princeton University, probably one the most known worldwide). And guess what? He wrote that teaching psychology might be a total waste of time. And psychology is really close to managing people, it is about studying people's behaviour and adjusting our own.
"When we teach our students about the behavior of people in the helping experiment, we expect them to learn something they had not known before; we wish to change how they think about people's behavior in a particular situation.
So why can't psychology be taught?
In that study, multiple subjects were led into individual opaque booths in close proximity to each other and told to talk to the other subjects about their lives and problems via an intercom.
Except the point of the experiment wasn't just to give participants a forum to discuss their feelings, it was actually to see how people would react if they thought someone amongst them was dying. At one point, an actor who was involved in the experiment and stationed in one of the booths, faked having a seizure while speaking over the intercom, cried out for help, then apparently collapsed. Do people from the other booths come to help?
Now imagine this little exercise: YOU watch the videos of the experiment. And you have to GUESS for each subject if the person is going to help the seizure victim immediately or not.
And for more challenge, YOUR FRIEND has to guess as well, but I already told him/her about the results of the previous experiments and what is the percentage of people who usually help.
The studies (led in reality on two different test groups ; one knowing the percentage) demonstrated that your friend is NOT going to guess any better than you even knowing the percentage.
The bottom line? People are not adjusting their own perception after learning facts about the human behaviour. Teaching psychology or management would therefore be useless.
Nisbett and Borgida did find a way to get people learn from the "helping experiment" results and be better at guessing: Feed them convincing anecdotes.
They told a third group the procedure of the "helping experiment," showed them the videos, then said that the two people in the videos had not come to the aid of the seizure victim. With this information, the participants accurately predicted the low proportion of people who aided the seizure victim.


text:
Ti._5.EventDriven = function(obj) {
	var listeners = null;

	obj.addEventListener = function(eventName, handler){
		listeners || (listeners = {});
		(listeners[eventName] = listeners[eventName] || []).push(handler);
	};

	obj.removeEventListener = function(eventName, handler){
		if (listeners) {
			if (handler) {
				var i = 0,
					events = listeners[eventName],
					l = events && events.length || 0;

				for (; i < l; i++) {
					events[i] === handler && events.splice(i, 1);
				}
			} else {
				delete listeners[eventName];
			}
		}
	};

	obj.hasListener = function(eventName) {
		return listeners && listeners[eventName];
	};

	obj.fireEvent = function(eventName, eventData){
		if (listeners) {
			var i = 0,
				events = listeners[eventName],
				l = events && events.length,
				data = require.mix({
					source: obj,
					type: eventName
				}, eventData);

			while (i < l) {
				events[i++].call(obj, data);
			}
		}
	};
};


I'M CONSIDERING A SEANCE AT CHURCH; WILL THE PEOPLE BE RECEPTIVE?
In the hurry and bustle of our lives, we often fail to see how we allow the enemy to attack us.
Ananias, and his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property and brought some of the money to the Apostle Peter. The were not under obligation to do so, for, as we later learn, they were free to do as they pleased with their own money. Their sin was in lying about the amount they had gotten from the sale. They indicated to Peter that the money they were donating was the entire amount they had received for the sale of their property.
For the sake of the illustration, you could say they got $1000 for the land. However, they donated $500 to the church. Their deception lay in the fact that they led Peter to believe that they had gotten 500 - not 1000, for the land. This was their sin.
Wo. Think about this for a moment. Peter sees their act as a result of being filled with the power of Satan!
Have you ever considered the fact that when you lie you are doing so because the devil himself has - at least for that moment - filled your heart?
We have different names for lies. We call them "while lies," or "half truths." But God doesn't allow such a vocabulary in his kingdom: he says they are LIES. And it is downright frightening to realize that we do so because the power of Satan has filled our heart.
Suppose you came to church to hear me preach. As I stand behind the pulpit, however, I began to tell you that I am too sad to preach today. Why? I miss my dad who died in 2007. I am simply too sad, filled with grief, to the point that I just can't deliver a sermon.
But, I tell the crowd, I have recently done some research and have learned how to summon the dead. "It's a seance," I tell the crowd, a meeting at which people contact the dead, with the help of a medium.
And you are right. That's exactly what I would be doing. I am simply practicing witchcraft, a sure way to invite devils and demons into a house of worship. And you would be spot on to walk out in disgust.
I would never conduct such a meeting - but I have done something similar: I have lied. And when I lie, I am doing so under the influence of the devil. The same devil that would have me conduct a seance has helped me...lie.
We have grown so accustomed to telling so-called "half truths" that we have come to accept it as no big deal. But that is not the truth.
Years ago I needed a new car for my family. My wife and I had 5 children, and needed a vehicle that had enough room. I soon found such a car: a beautiful, big, long station wagon. That thing could easily hold 9 passengers.
I saw the car in the front yard of a resident, with a "For Sale" sign attached. "Sir," how much for the car" I asked him. "$2500.00" he replied.
I fell in love with this car and came up with 2500 bucks and bought the thing.
I told the man who sold me the car, "Sir, I am going to give you 1000 dollars for the car, and since you are 'helping' my family find a car, I am going to 'donate' an additional 1500 dollars to you." He smiled and indicated that he understood. I soon drove off in my new car (actually a used car).
I would go to the tax office and purchase my new tags. And when the clerk asked me what I paid for the car, I would tell her: "1000 dollars." That would put my taxes around 80 bucks, saving me some cash.
But, I am a Christian. And my conscience troubled me. I explained my dilemma to my dad, soliciting his opinion. "Son," he replied. "Look at it this way. If you pay taxes on 2500 you will never wonder if you did the right thing." That got me. I went to the tax office and paid taxes on 2500 - and the peace of God flooded my mind.
But, consider for just a moment what I was going to do, and what was taking place in my heart. I had, though only for a while, allowed Satan to fill my heart to lie. It is troubling to realize that that course of action would have been...DEMONIC!
I was about to sell my integrity for roughly 138 dollars.
And ponder this: when questioned by the clerk about the price I had paid, I was going to lie. But she would NOT have been the one I would have lied to. On the contrary, the victim of my lie would have been ... God himself!
Scary, is it not, when we consider how many lies we have told God (who KNOWS all things)?
Troubling, to say the least, when we consider that we told the IRS we made $50,000 last year, when we know in fact we made much more. We reason that it's no big deal - "the government doesn't need my money," we conclude. And when we do this, we fail to realize that in that moment we have been filled with the power of Satan. And it is not the IRS we lied to - but God.
And our hypocrisy is awful. We have contempt for the politicians when we learn of how they committed "tax evasion." But that is the SAME SIN we are guilty of.
And we sometimes see this in the church that boasts of having 5000 in their membership, when they know good and well that that the "active" membership is probably half, or less, than that amount.
I agree with the saying that we should "Drain the Swamp." Let us start with us, the ones who profess faith in Christ.
Long ago God told us in one of the 10 Commandments: "Thou shalt not lie." And they are called THE 10 Commandments - not the 10 SUGGESTIONS.
Older PostI'M CONSIDERING A SEANCE AT CHURCH; WILL THE PEOPLE BE RECEPTIVE?


text:
De Volkspartij- Beweging voor een Democratisch Slowakije Slowaaks: Ľudová strana - Hnutie za demokratické Slovensko, ĽS-HZDS), tot 2003 Beweging voor een Democratisch Slowakije (HZDS), is een Slowaakse centrum-rechtse politieke partij.

De voorzitter en stichter, Vladimír Mečiar was in 1992-1994 en 1994-98 eerste minister van Slowakije , maar kreeg kritiek om zijn regeringsstijl, die als autoritair en ultra-nationalistisch werd gekenmerkt. Vanwege de agressieve houding tegenover de buurlanden en de Hongaarse minderheid viel Slowakije tijdens de regering van Meciar buiten de hulpprogramma's van de Europese Unie.

De Beweging voor Democratie (HZD) van president Ivan Gašparovič, is een afsplitsing van de HZDS.

Bij de verkiezingen in 2006 behaalde de partij 8,79 % van de stemmen en kreeg hiermee 15 parlementszetels. Samen met de SMER en SNS maakte zij van 2006 tot 2010 deel uit van de coalitieregering onder premier Robert Fico. Bij de verkiezingen van 2010 verdween ze uit het parlement.

Slowaakse politieke partij


If the rumors are true, famed cyclist Lance Armstrong admits to using performance enhancement drugs during an interview with Oprah Winfrey. Oh Lance, I thought there must be something to the allegations when he stopped fighting the charges. I can understand the cost of being tried in the court of public opinion but for me at least, I'd go down fighting until I was deaf, dumb, blind and broke, before I'd let false accusations silence me.
I sympathize with his plight, as his life's story is now tainted with the fallout. This confession if true, will cast a pall on the great humanitarian work he did outside of the sports arena. As a fellow cancer survivor, I feel some affinity there and respect for the money he's raised for that cause. Sadly, although we can forgive, we can't rewrite history. We can't undo how he himself, potentially changed the course of sports history, and lessened opportunities for others who were overshadowed by his fame and glory.
Life is hard. It's a snake pit waiting for any of us to make the wrong decision. To be tempted down a road whose actions will reverberate louder and farther than we dared imagine when we put the first footprint on the path. Unfortunately, many of those choices cannot be undone, nor the bell unrung.
Late in life with soul shaking regrets is a tough suit to wear. Perhaps this public admission is his first step to forgiving himself, asking for the same from those impacted directly and indirectly. Making peace with his past and moving forward into a more resolved future.
The snow is melting, Winterday events are over in Tyria. I must admit I breathed a sigh of relief. I won't miss tattered and grimy articles of clothing clogging up my bag space. On the other hand, I should have farmed more of the various snowflake varieties. I'm sure the prices will skyrocket the minute Tixx and her crew leave town. No matter, the Wintersday versions of Orichalcum trinkets/jewelry didn't sell for much higher than their everyday counter parts.
Big thanks to Etheral Guardians on Sanctum of Rall. They put out a guild spread in Divinity's Reach. It was nice holiday fun and I'd never seen the items in the world before. They clearly have some influence to burn. Players came around to eat, drink and mess with fireworks. There was also a harvesting buff banner placed nearby. Mythias the Angel presided over the offering. I chatted with folks in local for a bit, claimed a buff then ran off to do some harvesting.


Psychologists for Social Change is a network of applied psychologists, academics, therapists and psychology graduates who are interested in applying psychology to policy and political action.
The group started in 2014, when members of the London Community Psychology Network came together to address growing concerns about austerity policies. This lead to a number of meetings in London, and a workshop at the Community Psychology Section Festival. This lead to the development of the briefing paper on the Psychological Impact of Austerity. The briefing paper was launched at the House of Lords in March 2015, followed swifly by our first Week of Action.
Since then, we have spread through the country with a number of local groups, and many more events, actions and publications.
One of our central missions has always been to encourage more psychologists to become involed in political and social action. To this end we have developed training for Clinical Psychology Trainees, spoken at conferences, and provided supervision for policy placements.
We also aim to disseminate psychological knowledge and research in ways that are relevant to current policy concerns. We understand that one of the resources that psychologists have is an understanding of communication and persuasion. This was the impetus for our briefing papers on the Psychological Impact of Austerity and Improving Discussion on Inequality.
Drawing on both these resources, of people and knowledge, we aim to move psychologically informed discussion into the public sphere. This has included examining specific policies for their psychological impact, as well as responding to specific policy announcements and media reports.