Srinagar : A man was killed after the residents of two villages entered into a scuffle following a dispute over the irrigation water supply in south Kashmir's Shopian district on Monday.
A police official said the scuffle took place in Homhuna Zainapora village that left one person dead.
He said that the scuffle began with a minor alteration over sharing of irrigation water supply.
The official identified the deceased as Adfar Ahmad Parra.
He said the police has registered a case and started investigations.


Rabbi Dawid Szychowski is the Lodz Jewish community's spiritual leader. He was appointed emissary by Shavei Israel, an Israeli organization that encourages people with Jewish ancestry to strengthen their connection with Israel and the Jewish people. Originally from Poland, Rabbi Szychowski moved to Jerusalem to continue his rabbinic studies at the Machon Meir Yeshiva. He received his rabbinic ordination in 2015, first from Rabbi Yakov Peretz of the Beit Midrash Sefardi and then from Rabbi Shlomo Riskin at Yeshivat Hamivtar in Efrat. He completed the two-year Beren Strauss Amiel program preparing future rabbis to work with Jewish communities outside of Israel. He also participated and lectured in several of Shavei Israel's summer seminars in Israel for young Polish Jews. Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich of Poland asked him to move to Lodz to fulfill a great need there; his responsibilities included visiting both Katowice and another two Polish cities with smaller Jewish communities.
New York Jewish Travel Guide sat down with Rabbi Szychowski to explore the challenges and opportunities faced by the Jewish community of Lodz. The following interview is edited for clarity and length.
NYJTG: Rabbi, can you tell me about yourself and where are you from?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: I was born in Poland, in Biała Podlaska, in a non-religious family. In my family, there was a story about my grandmother that she is Jewish…. But then I went to study in Krakow and I was trying to be in touch with the Jewish community in Krakow and started to be observant and then I realized that with my Jewish roots, it's quite complicated because there are no documents, so I had to go through a conversion process in Israel. But my family is also trying to be in touch with Yiddishkeit. My brother is in touch with the Warsaw community and so there is a story in my family, so my identity is based on this story.
NYJTG: So, how did you find about this conversion process? Did you research it?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: It was a story in my family. I was in contact with the rabbi in Krakow as I was trying to become observant. Because you have to have some documents [proving your Jewish genealogy]. About the story, the story is OK for me, but to the Jewish world, no. I tried to research on my own and I didn't succeed in getting any documents; however, it was quite a story from my searching…similar to the story that I was told by my family. So I started going to the synagogue and to develop my identity.
NYJTG: So, you didn't grow up religiously? Where did you study to become a rabbi?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: No. I started to be. I was looking for it and that's why I went to study philosophy at university in Krakow and studying with my rabbi. Then I went to Jerusalem to study…. I sensed a very deep connection. A connection to my soul, to my intellectual side, and I found this attractive. Then I started to work through ups and downs…. I studied in Jerusalem to become a rabbi for six years [along] with my studies with my previous rabbi, nine years. But I had to start from the ground, from the base.
NYJTG: What is your function and role as a rabbi in Lodz? And how many Jews are living here?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: There are many duties from all the aspects of Jewish life. There's tefillot-services, kosher food, marriages, funerals and so on. First of all, I have to attend these functions. I have to give people…this religious side of life. I am also a psychologist. This is the work of a rabbi. I have to speak with people in order to help them so it's quite similar to psychology.
There are rumors that there are about 2,500 Jews and when I go for a walk, I often stop by to read some the names and I found a lot of Jewish names on the intercom or on the people's homes…There is some sense of connection in the Jewish people that they belong to a community. And there are 100 active members, but not active on a daily basis because the Jews here are scattered all around Lodz. Some of them are older people, so they have difficulties to come here each day for the morning services, only on Shabbat and holidays. In reference to their religious affiliation and observance, I don't know their level of observance, but they want to be in a Jewish Orthodox community with an Orthodox rabbi.
NYJTG: Do people come by and say "Rabbi," I want to convert or would like to learn more about my Jewish heritage?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: First, I gave some lectures to encourage them, I have to speak with them and to make them feel closer to Yiddishkeit. Each person has their own way, so I have to speak at their level and language. It depends on the person. You have people that came here, and they are discovering their Jewishness and I try to reach out to them. I want to make some partnerships also and lectures with the Marek Edelman Dialogue Center. We also try to have some open lectures for the people of Lodz because there is also a very important task for the Jewish community in the diaspora to talk to non-Jews because they are very interested in what Jews, what Yiddishkeit, have to say about life, war, ecology, about politics. Because of Israel, they want to know what wisdom was imparted to Jewish people that they came back to this land with after 2,000 years. They were very much interested, so this is a very important task.
NYJTG: Do you give lectures at this synagogue or classes about Jewish culture? How large is the attendance?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: Yes. Here and in other places, attendance is sometimes 300. Sometimes 15, sometimes 50. I also go to many other cities and gave lectures basically for the non-Jewish people. It's an education for the next generation. They are educational classes about Jewish culture and history and so on. It's very interesting, and we often enter into difficult subjects such as Polish-Jewish relations… And here, for example, we want to make in July, for the Fourth of July, Independence Day of the U.S., we want to make a Hasidic Tisch…. We want to claim and to make the Hasidic Tisch open for non-Jewish persons…. Then, the non-Jewish and Jewish can meet based on Hasidic thought, Hasidic text, Hasidic dances….
We also had seminars here. We spent one week in Israel and one week here with an organization called Elul. Because we had to pay for it, it was a pilot or start-up investment, it was 10 people that learned to be "madrichim" (coordinator or teacher). These people have knowledge of Judaism, but we want to open the doors to people that …don't have the knowledge and our goal is to bring Moshiach because if non-Jewish people want to know Jewish wisdom, we must answer them.
NYJTG: To move to a different subject and more specifically on kosher food, how difficult is it to keep kosher?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: We have kosher meat you can buy…there is 'Shechita' in Poland. There are many places so that is no problem. Also, fish, vegetables. That's no problem. We have a kosher bakery also, but no kosher store in Lodz. Just a bakery. The mashgiach from our kitchen he's turning off the oven. There are no restaurants here or kosher stores. There is a kosher list from Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich of Poland, he worked 10 years or more to have a kosher list of products that you can buy in the supermarket. He did a lot of research and it's on their website.
NYJTG: Does the community light the large menorah outside during Chanukkah?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: We also have a menorah in the hall where we eat in the dining room…. We have some big menorahs and we have some small ones for the kids from the Julia organization…. Also, we have Simchat Torah. We have to encourage people a little bit because they don't want to make some 'hatzagot' (shows). For holidays, we have Purim, we read the Megillah, 'seudat Purim,' mishloach manot and Shavuot…. We are out all night until dawn. Yom Kippur, Rosh Hahasna; all the holy days. I started to do kollel two times a week. But I must get some [additional] money.
NYJTG: What kind of Jewish educational opportunities are there for children?
Rabbi Szychowski: We started Kindergarten when we came here… Now we're changing this to more Jewish education not only for kids but for all. For Kindergarten, from three to five. We had five kids that were constant. And kids that age, we have about 30 kids from nine to 14. We also have teenagers. There is a Sunday school, but they don't have a Jewish school. So now, they're sending kids to Democratic school, to opened public schools. It's a Sunday school and we're trying to make some after-school programs for the next year because…people want it.
NYJTG: Do you see a great opportunity to grow this community?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: I don't know because it's difficult. It's a decision of people and God, so I don't know. Maybe next month it will be such a good atmosphere in Lodz that Jews would come here and try to start Jewish life, but I don't know. But, the hidden …2,000 Jews in Lodz, I don't know if they will come here because life is far from Jewish life. Obviously, I will try to reach them and to bring them here, but I think the future of the Jewish community is in the diaspora based on shlichim [emissaries] from Israel. They will come here for a certain period to be here and to teach other people to complete the shlichut and then go back to Israel. I don't know if you understand me because, for example, there are people now on vacation from Israel who want to come here to volunteer for a period, maybe to teach Hebrew to other people, I think that is the future of our Jewish community. There are students. There are people that want to come here and to volunteer. In the younger generation in Israel, there is a will to come to Europe, to Poland, to discover their Jewish roots to make something of this… We must build based on them. But there are two different levels because Jews from Poland stayed here, they are in the second exile. But the Israelis that came here, they are in the third exile so there are some different levels and they have some difficult and different experiences and different targets.
So, there are also young people, young men or young girls that want to marry a Jewish person and it's very difficult. To find a job, it's very difficult. Obviously, a small community, very difficult; bigger community, more opportunity. It's mathematics. There are some communities that for example, in Singapore or Hong Kong, are communities based on business. So, it's less difficult for them.
NYJTG: Is there any anti-Semitism here?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: I can speak about myself and my experience and I didn't experience any anti-Semitism. I go with my kippah and tzitzit and they smile to me. I come here with people to the city and there are people that smile at me and there are people that look, but it is okay.
NYJTG: What would you like to see in the next two to three years for the community?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: We have some plans. First, we must stand on our own two feet so we're building a big hotel with a synagogue. This is very good information for us. It would be the first new synagogue of its kind in Poland that will be in use. It will be a hotel with a restaurant and a synagogue with a conference house. Still, it is not complete. It will be in a like 'L' but here and maybe in the future, this building…. We are also preparing a big project for the cemetery, to revitalize the whole cemetery and to make an invitation to put [burial information] on a website. It will be any for a Jew who can see the name and decide if you want to restore a matzeva [gravestone].
NYJTG: So, the plans are to build a hotel, the synagogue, and a school; do you have a budget in place for this project?
Rabbi Dawid Szychowski: School will be in the future. Now we have to reach and attract people, half of the budget comes from the European Union and half will be raised through donations. We have made some contacts to get some money. We also want to speak with some Jewish organizations to assist us. Maybe they may be interested in participating because we don't want to go with a company that is non-Jewish and we are going starting in September. This project was planned for two and a half years and the third project is to revitalize this existing premises…and to dedicate some part to the community need.
NYJTG: Thank you, Rabbi, for your time and all the information you shared with us. I really appreciated it, as will our readers.
The author took part in a press trip sponsored by the Polish Tourism Board.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Amethi on Sunday to set the ball rolling for various project worth Rs 11,856.47 crore in the Congress bastion. It will be Modi's first visit as the PM to congress Chief Rahul Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency. The PM is also scheduled to dedicate Indo-Russia Rifles Private Limited, a joint venture (JV) between an ordnance factory and a Russian film. It will manufacture Kalashnikov rifles in the Korwa ordnance factory in Amethi. BJP leaders said, it would bring in local employment.


Favs/dislikes: 6:0. A collection of films with strong political themes or topics relating to the state or government, such as surveillance, genocide et cetera. No regard to whether film is critically acclaimed or not and in no order or rank.


text:
What does Google do?
25 March 2021 | 10 Comments | Tags Google algorithm, Link building, SEO basics
How does Google work? What does Google actually do? For many of you, this will be fairly old news. But for everyone who is new to the world of SEO: let me explain what Google does and how SEO works. In a way that is easy to follow, because understanding this really helps you create an SEO strategy that works! Let's take a look 'behind' the scenes.
How does Google work?
Search engines like Google follow links. They follow links from one web page to another. Google consists of a crawler, an index, and an algorithm. The crawler follows the links on the web. It goes around the internet 24/7 and saves the HTML- version of all pages in a gigantic database called the index. This index is updated if the Google crawler comes by your website again and finds new or revised web pages. The new version of this page is saved. Depending on the traffic on your site and the number of changes you make on your website, crawlers come around more or less often.
For Google to know of the existence of your site, there first has to be a link from another site – one that is already in the index – to your site. If crawlers follow that link, it will lead to the first crawler-session and the first time your site is saved in the index. From then on, your website could appear in Google's search results.
Read more: Bot traffic: What it is and why you should care about it »
Google's secret algorithm
After indexing your website, Google can show it in the search results. The search engine tries to match a certain search query with web pages that it has indexed. To do so, Google has a specific algorithm that decides which pages are shown in which order. How this algorithm works exactly is a secret. Nobody knows exactly which factors decide the ordering of the search results.
The algorithm isn't static. It changes regularly with new updates. The factors that determine the ordering and the importance of the different factors change very often. Although the algorithm is secret, Google does tell us which things are important. We don't know how important though, and we don't know whether Google communicates all factors to us. Testing and experimenting give us a relatively good feel for the important factors and changes in these factors. We incorporate these factors into our Yoast SEO plugin and tell you about them in our many blog posts.
Google's results page
Google's results page – also known as SERP- shows about 7 or 10 links to sites that fit your search the best (according to Google). We refer to these results as organic search results. If you click to the second page of the result page, you see even more results. The further down the results your website is, the less likely it is that someone will click on your result and find your site.
Most of the time, there are a few paid links above the 10 links on the first page. These links are ads; people have paid Google to put these links at the top of the site when users search for a specific term. Prices for these ads vary greatly, depending on the competitiveness of the search term. In addition to these organic and paid results, there are also a few other elements that you can find on Google's search engine results page.
Keep reading: SEO vs Pay Per Click advertising: Which one to choose? »
The value of links for search engines
It's very important to have a basic understanding of how Google and most other search engines use links. The number of links pointing to a page is used to determine how important that page is. So, the more links a specific site has, the more important search engines believe it is. Both internal links (coming from the same website), as well as external links (from other websites), can help in the ranking of a webpage in Google. Some links are more important than others, though. Links from websites that have a lot of incoming links themselves are generally more important than links from small websites with only a few incoming links.
The importance of links actually lead to active link building quite quickly. As long as you are collecting links that are useful and logical, link building can be a good SEO strategy. But if you collect (or worse buy) shady links, Google may punish you for that. To help you figure out the right strategy, we wrote an article that discusses 5 link building DON'Ts you didn't know about.
SEO and Google
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing sites to try and make them appear in a high position in the organic search results. In order to do so, SEO tries to shape a website according to Google's algorithm. That being said, this algorithm is aimed at giving online users the best answer to their question and best experience possible. Although Google's algorithm remains secret, over a decade of experience in SEO has resulted in a pretty good idea about the important factors.
We monitor all communications by Google about changes in the algorithm, and we test what actually works in the search engines. At Yoast, we advocate holistic SEO. Your SEO strategy should never feel like a trick. The search engine wants to show the user the result that fits his or her search query best. That's how Google works, in a nutshell. If you want to appear high in the results for that specific search term, make sure to write awesome and SEO-friendly content and offer users a good online experience.
Read on: Complete beginner's guide to SEO »
Marieke van de Rakt
Marieke is the head of strategy at Yoast and founder of Yoast SEO academy. She loves coming up with new ideas and products to make SEO attainable for everyone, and ensure a healthy growth for Yoast!
Coming up next!
WordCamp Birmingham 2023
February 04 - 05, 2023 Team Yoast is sponsoring WordCamp Birmingham 2023, click through to see if we'll be there, who will be there and more! See where you can find us next »
SEO webinar
Yoast SEO news webinar - February 28, 2023
28 February 2023 Our head of SEO, Jono Alderson, will keep you up-to-date about everything that happens in the world of SEO and WordPress. All Yoast SEO webinars »
10 Responses to What does Google do?
roets • 2 years ago
I'm a newbie in this SEO space and really want to say thank you for the info. I've just been following your links and it's awesome when you see, in practical terms, how you (Yoast) have implemented the link building and SEO into these posts. Its like an open book test really. You get the info, questions and answers all in one go. I've started working my way through the Yoast Academy and really looking forward to it!
Camille Cunningham • 2 years ago
Wow, thank you for that lovely comment! Lots of luck with your SEO courses and glad to hear that you're having fun :)
Frank • 2 years ago
This is quite informative. Even though i am not too new to seo, i have learnt a lot . Thank you and i will want to learn more
You're welcome, Frank! You can find more of our blogs right here.
Arnold • 2 years ago
How can we find the exact information about algorithm of google
Hi Arnold! Unfortunately, the exact algorithm and its exact factors are a secret. But you can find more information on what we do know in our article What is SEO?
yalova nakliyat • 2 years ago
The algorithm is constantly changing and those who work have entered the race to produce new solutions.
Hi there! You're right that the algorithm does change :) But, because we also know that the search engines always want to show the user the best results for their search query, we advocate holistic SEO to improve your site and chances of ranking!
Ebigide Fabian • 2 years ago
Thanks for sharing this insightful write up.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


With a depth of just 28.2 cm, Raam by MCZ is a pellet stove for corridors and tight spaces in general. It is entirely in steel – black for the body, white, bordeaux, black or silver for the front with its geometric lines.
It has two air vents, one on the top for the space in which the unit is installed, and one that can be channeled to heat other rooms up to a distance of 8 meters. The chimney vent can be placed on the back, as in the photo, or on the top to further reduce the overall space required.


text:
Q: jQuery.show() not working in IE 8, Safari 5.1 I've got the following code (which you can see in play at http://jsfiddle.net/5dbZx/). I am running jQuery version v1.6.1. For some reason, .show() (and I've also tried .toggle()) will not work on this in IE 8 or Safari 5.1 - I've tried both in Win XP and 7. It DOES work on FireFox 3.6 and IE 9.
I've done some searching, and it appears that .show does in fact work on IE 8, and that something else must be causing the error in this code. But I'm not sure what. Thanks!

              Example 1:

             <select name="course_type" id="course_type">
                 <option value="" selected="selected"></option>
                 <option value="1" onclick="$('#Example2').show();" >choice 1</option>
                 <option value="2" onclick="$('#Example2').show();" >choice 2</option>
                 <option value="3" onclick="$('#Example2').show();" >choice 3</option>
                 <option value="4" onclick="$('#Example2').hide();" >choice 4</option>
             </select>

            Example 2:

            <select name="select_statement" id="select_statement">
                <option value=""></option>
                <option value="1">Yes</option>
                <option value="0">No</option>
            </select>

A: Internet Explorer treats select boxes slightly different than the rest of the document.
IE doesn't notice events in childnodes of select elements, only the select elements themselves.
I normally setup my functions to work depending on either of the selects value or selectedIndex attribute & using the onchange event.

A: You simply cant place onclick events on select options, it will not trigger in all browsers. Try using the onchange event of the select instead.
$("#course_type").change(function(){
  if ($(this).val() == 4) {
    $("#Example2").hide();
  }
  else {
    $("#Example2").show();
  }
});

A: See the following:
$(document).ready(function() {
    // use of .on() requires jQuery 1.7+
    // for previous versions use the following instead:
    // $("#courseType").change(function() {
    $("#courseType").on("change", function() {
        var val = $(this).val();
        if (val === "4") {
            $("#Example2").hide();
        }
        else {
            $("#Example2").show();
        }
    });
});

This will require updates to your HTML:

              Example 1:

             <select name="course_type" id="course_type">
                 <option value="" selected="selected"></option>
                 <option value="1">choice 1</option>
                 <option value="2">choice 2</option>
                 <option value="3">choice 3</option>
                 <option value="4">choice 4</option>
             </select>

            Example 2:

            <select name="select_statement" id="select_statement">
                <option value=""></option>
                <option value="1">Yes</option>
                <option value="0">No</option>
            </select>

A: Try this fiddle: http://jsfiddle.net/smendola/5dbZx/1/
The HTML is changed as follows:
<option value="1" data-show="show" >choice 1</option>
<option value="2" data-show="show" >choice 2</option>
<option value="3" data-show="show" >choice 3</option>
<option value="4" data-show="hide" >choice 4</option>

and the JS is:
$('#course_type').change(function() {
    if ($(this).find('option:selected').attr('data-show') == "show") {
        $('#Example2').show();
    } else {
        $('#Example2').hide();
    }
});

[EDIT]
Bit simplified: http://jsfiddle.net/smendola/5dbZx/2/
<option value="3" data-show="1" >choice 3</option>
<option value="4" data-show="0" >choice 4</option>

JS:
$('#course_type').change(function() {
    var show = $(this).find('option:selected').attr('data-show');
    $('#Example2').toggle(show);
});

A: here also is not working, chrome 11 ..
Try do this:

                     Example 1:

                     <select name="course_type" id="course_type">
                            <option value="" selected="selected"></option>
                            <option value="1">choice 1</option>
                            <option value="2">choice 2</option>
                            <option value="3">choice 3</option>
                            <option value="4">choice 4</option>
                     </select>

                     Example 2:

                     <select name="select_statement" id="select_statement">
                            <option value=""></option>
                            <option value="1">Yes</option>
                            <option value="0">No</option>
                     </select>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
June 11, 2008 Opinion » Letters to the Editor
Daly Doesn't Get It
Letter of the Week
Kommissar Daly's "jokes" are particularly UNFUNNY, insensitive and demeaning to women and those 5% (reported) of male victims of domestic violence and battery. I am personally repulsed by his remarks on behalf of my late mother, herself a victim of my late father's brutality for many years. In her case, the "boys network" of State Troopers bluntly told her that "she probably had it coming." The fear of "retaliation" also kept her from pursuing assault charges. The memory of her being dragged by her scalp down a concrete driveway in front of my sister and myself, at no more than 4 years, while this "monster" kicked and punched her remains a vivid and horrid recollection. The neighbors peeking through window blinds but never calling the police or offering any assistance is enough to make any decent person vomit, as are the words of Daly. These same neighbors who claimed to have seen or heard nothing, however, gossiped about the Hauses "fight" the next day and even delighted in tormenting my siblings and laughing about it!
This latest display of insensitivity by Daly is nothing less than repugnant. His lame apology and transparent justification that he was just joking MUST NOT BE ALLOWED to dissipate as were his other illegal acts during his term of office, such as allegations of his accepting unsealed bids from his contractor friends in public restaurants several years ago.
Daly is clearly UNFIT for public office and I would eagerly add my signature to any petition to recall him from office.
For the good of his party, he should be asked to withdraw his name from the November ballot. For the good of his constituency and the re-victimized victims of domestic brutality, battery and assault, he should receive not one single vote in November!
Of the 3 Deschutes County Commissioners, only Tammy Baney Melton is worthy of our respect and trust. I agree with the Source that Dennis Luke failed, once more, to speak up strongly enough. His own remarks demonstrate a desire for those "good old days" that any honest person living through that period knows were not all that great especially given the bigotry, violence and racism of that time.
I can only hope that the people of Deschutes County will join me in encouraging career and professional politicians Daly and Luke to return to the private sector where they will do far less harm to the safety of the populace, the economy and the environment.
Returning Daly and Luke, both career politicians, to the private sector with personal outrage and disgust,
Bill Hause, Bend
Bend's Cost of Living: 4th-Fastest Increase in the Nation
Letters to the Editor 1/13/22
Letters to the Editor 12/30/21
More Letters to the Editor »
GUEST OPINION: To our elected officials and government leaders
Guest Commentary: Vote by Mail
Shakespeare in Hollywood Auditions - Cascade Theatrical Theatre
Sun., Jan. 16, 6:30 p.m. and Mon., Jan. 17, 9 p.m.
Latest in Letters to the Editor
Letters to the Editor »
RE: Skier Dies on Bachelor News, 1/6Gun Control Walkout A Pandemic Plan RE: So Far, 2022 is Testing Us Opinion, 1/6 More »
Letters to the Editor 1/6/22
Threats to democracy, explaining Oregon's medical psilocybin program, an argument against the Bend Humanity Coalition and more in this week's Letters. More »
RE: Mt. Bachelor Fast Tracks: Letters, 12/23, RE: Plowing Sreets: Who Ya Gonna Blame? OPINION, 12/23 More »
More by Intern
The Other Half of the Yoga Equation
The Source Issue 45 (Nov. 10) contained wonderful information about the forms of yoga offered in our vicinity. Most of the information covered pertained to the socially enjoyable forms of yoga enjoyed by the folks who use yoga mats and bendy posturing as they concentrate on improving their blissful breathing techniques. These physical forms of yoga are the beautiful compliments to the mental, mindful and meditative forms of yoga that balance the larger yoga (yogic) equation. Yoga is basically a non-denominational practice aimed at balancing the physical (body) existence with the meta-physical (mind) reality. The ensuing mind-body balance creates the union required for an increased "understanding" (consciousness) of the "living experience."
Walden's Corporate Servitude
In the time-honored American tradition of peaceful civil disobedience, I am proud to be one of eight Central Oregon citizens arrested on December 5 in Congressman Greg Walden's Bend office. At our January 26 trial we plan to present a compelling defense. This act of dissent follows years of futile attempts to encourage the Congressman to hold open, unscripted town meetings accessible to a majority of his constituents. The Congressman has grown so suspicious of impromptu encounters with ordinary citizens that on Saturday he required a Bend Police Department intervention that enabled him to enter the Water Project meeting at the Chamber of Commerce through the back door. (Greg, we are nonviolent people who believe that democracy thrives on open dialogue and transparency; there is no reason to avoid us.)
Doors of Equality Swing Both Ways
I had to respond to "What's Wrong with Siri," (News, 1-4) since Apple's Siri isn't the problem. Three hours before I read, "What's wrong with Siri," I went to a store in town and complimented the cashier that this was the nicest "dollar" store I had ever been in.


There is a problem for those people who wish to quit smoking cigarettes. The problem stems from the addiction – and it is a problem of desire and definiteness of purpose.
The problem is this, we are told again and again: IN ORDER TO GIVE UP SMOKING CIGARETTES YOU MUST WANT TO!!!!
But there is a problem and an internal hypocrisy to this all-encompassing, slightly arrogant statement. And that is, if all people need to do is to desire giving up smoking properly in order to quit, then people would quit as and when they want and nobody would ever have any problem quitting!
There comes a time, maybe after two or three years after starting smoking, maybe a lot longer after, when a smoker starts to hate their habit.
They hate the necessity of having to purchase cigarettes, they hate the feeling in their lungs in the morning, they hate the coughs and colds, heck, they even hate smoking the things!
As this point smokers have a definiteness of purpose. They want to give up smoking.
Because, what happens when a smoker reads this? What do they think?
"Oh, I've got to want to stop smoking properly in order to give up? Well, I thought I wanted to give up, that's why I'm reading this. But, hang on, I've wanted to give up for years but never managed it successfully.
I've got some news for the experts (who've never smoked): MOST SMOKERS WANT TO STOP SMOKING!
Don't worry if you've tried to give up and not managed it on occasions. It doesn't mean that your will-power isn't up to the job, or that you're weaker than everybody else, or that you secretly want to carry on killing yourself with nicotine.
It's an addictive substance! That's where the confusion comes from. Don't worry about the clarity of your desire to stop smoking! You are reading this, therefore you want to give up smoking.
This is why I worry about hypnotists who say that you have to really want to give up smoking in order for the hypnotism to work. This is just a get-out clause in case their work isn't good enough.
According to Napoleon Hill in Think and Grow Rich, the real winners of life have a clear and definite purpose of what they want and how they are going to get it.
In which case, we needn't worry.
We know what we want and we know how to get it. We want to stop smoking cigarettes. We want to want to stop smoking cigarettes. And we will. It's that easy.
If you want more ideas on how to do that, download my free e-book and MP3 below!
This entry was posted in Psychology and tagged definiteness of purpose, napoleon hill, Stop smoking, think. Bookmark the permalink.
I've found that with the support and advice from others who really know what it's like to have the addiction and have to go through the challenges of quitting, the cravings, the mood swings, the physical symptoms etc… I have been able to find more determination and motivation to stay quit!!
I recommend it to everyone that is quitting this addiction!
That's great to hear, Vince.
Another great blog. Quitting cold turkey shows great will power.


1. Touch the Contacts tab.
2. Touch Bell Total Connect at the top of the screen to open the drop-down menu. Touch Directory.
3. In the search bar, type the name of the person you would like to add to your contacts and then touch Search.
4. When the search results are returned, tap on the contact you would like to add to your contacts to display their contact card.
5. Touch the + beside ADD TO CONTACTS.
6. Touch Yes to confirm.
7. They have now been added to your Bell Total Connect contacts.


text:
History Hotdish
tastes like memories
Hotdish
New Prague
Rush City
Chicken Subgum Chow Mein from John's Place in Minneapolis
Dates active:
When Woo Yee Sing arrived in San Francisco from China, his only dream was to build a successful business in America. He didn't count on the strong anti-Chinese sentiment sweeping up and down the west coast once the railroad was completed and Chinese labor was no longer needed. Not easily deterred, Woo Yee Sing moved to Minneapolis in 1880 and opened a laundry business and then an import shop. His brother Woo Du Sing joined him in 1883. The pair opened Canton Restaurant on Marquette Avenue S. It was the first Chinese restaurant in Minneapolis.
The brothers decided in 1903 to move the restaurant into a larger, second-floor space at 28 South Sixth Street. The new address came with a new name, Yuen Faung Low, meaning Cafe of Exotic Fragrances from Afar. Customers knew Woo Yee Sing as John, so when Minneapolitans found it challenging to remember the restaurant's name, they started calling it John's Place.
Entering An Exotic World
Diners entered through double doors from Sixth Street and climbed up a steep flight of 22 marble steps to the dining room. Once at the top, they entered a world many had never experienced. Glowing Chinese lanterns hung throughout the 250-seat dining room. Imported embroidered silk panels and camphor wood carvings decorated the walls. A rich, spicy fragrance hung in the air and mingled with the smell of the exotic food being prepared in the kitchen. Diners were seated at one of the restaurant's ornate teakwood tables acquired in the 1940s from another Chinese restaurant when it went out of business. Each had a decorative floral and bird motif, a mother-of-pearl inlay, and a marble top. The tables were so memorable that it's what many diners remember most about the restaurant. When their food arrived, it was served on authentic Chinese porcelain.
Although other Chinese restaurants opened in Minneapolis after John's Place, none had the right mix of exotic atmosphere and good food that the Woo brothers created. When the Nankin opened one block away in 1919, many wondered if Minneapolis could support two Chinese restaurants. It was the first real competitor John's Place had, and it would remain that way for decades. Both restaurants thrived in the city because of slight differences in how they prepared popular dishes and the atmosphere created by the owners.
A Memorable Dining Experience
John's Place was often cited in travel guides as one of the top places for travelers to eat in Minneapolis. Duncan Hines included John's Place in nearly all editions of his guidebook, Adventures in Good Eating, as one of the author's favored restaurants in the city. It was also named one of the best restaurants in Gourmet Magazine's Guide to Good Eating. Newspapers reported that John's Place was also a favorite of Mae West (and her five bodyguards), Jack Benny, and Eddie Cantor.
After Woo Yee Sing died in 1925, followed by Woo Du Sing in 1933, their relatives took over the restaurant. They operated the restaurant together for another four decades. When the lease on their second-floor building space wasn't renewed in 1967, the family decided to close the restaurant.
Once news of the closing spread, diners clambered for a chance to eat at John's Place one last time. Family and former workers also stopped in for one last look at the place. For many customers, it was the end of an era. Many of them remembered eating at the restaurant as children and later brought their own children to eat at John's Place. It was part of the fabric of the city. To capture the nostalgia, many customers bid on items from the dining room, like the silk wall hangings and the ornate dining tables. Some of the items can still be found in people's homes across the state.
Chicken Subgum Chow Mein
John's Place in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
6 cups celery (about 14-18 large stalks)
⅔ cup button mushrooms
½ cup bamboo tips
⅔ cup whole water chestnuts
1 pound white and dark meat chicken, skin and bones removed
Dice each ingredient above into pieces about ½-inch square and ⅓-inch thick and set aside on separate plates.
1 tablespoon rendered chicken fat
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1½ tablespoons cornstrach
1½ tablespoons water
5-6 egg crepe strips
deep-fried egg noodles
steamed white rice
Blanch the celery in a large pot of boiling water. Let the water return to a boil and cook until celery color begins to deepen, about one minute. Remove celery from water and plunge into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process and refresh the color. The celery will have a sweeter flavor than raw celery.
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot and coat with the vegetable oil and then the chicken fat; add the garlic. Quickly stir-fry the garlic to flavor the oil, about 10 seconds, then add the chicken pieces and quickly stir-fry for 1 minute, until the chicken begins to color.
Add the blanched celery and mix with the chicken; then add the mushrooms, bamboo tips, and water chestnuts. Mix together and add the chicken stock. Quickly bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, until the celery is tender.
Push the ingredients to the edge of the pan, leaving a pool of broth in the middle. Mix the cornstarch and water together in a small bowl, then slowly add it to the liquid, stirring until it begins to thicken, about a minute. Then mix the thickened sauce into the rest of the ingredients and stir-fry until the sauce becomes clear and coats all of the ingredients. Remove from heat.
Serve on a plate over deep-fried egg noodles and top with egg crepe strips. Garnish with a scoop of steamed white rice at the side.
Keyword: Minneapolis
Egg Crepe Strips
Servings 60 strips
¼ teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoons vegetable oil
Combine egg, salt, and cornstarch in a bowl and beat well with a wire whisk. Do not make it frothy. Pour mixture through a fine strainer.
Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet or crepe pan and lightly grease with vegetable oil. Pour half the egg mixture into the pan and immediately tilt the pan to swirl the mixture around to form a very thin crepe.
Cook over low heat for about a minute, until the egg is firm enough to turn over. Do not brown the crepe. Cook the other side for about 30 seconds and remove to a board or plate to cool.
Cut into strips about 1/4 inch wide and 2 inches long. Set aside. They will keep for several hours.
Like 0 Facebook Twitter Pinterest Yummly WhatsApp
Previous postChicken Noodle Soup from Little Jack's in Minneapolis
Next postHash Browns from Schumacher's in New Prague
History Hotdish is made with
History Hotdish © Copyright 2023. All rights reserved.


text:
« LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens review for PS4, Xbox One, Wii U
Need for Speed, Unravel, PvZ: Garden Warfare 2 joining EA Access Vault soon »
Nintendo eShop Update – Steel Lords, Tap Tap Arcade 2, Legend of the Mystical Ninja
The Nintendo eShop Update for this week is a little… sparse as you can see below. The only "new" releases being Steel Lords and Tap Tap Arcade 2, which are both for the Wii U.
Otherwise there are sales, a trio of Virtual Console releases and DLC.
Check out the lineup below.
This week's Nintendo Download includes the following featured content:
Virtual Console on Wii U
Baseball Simulator 1000 – Originally released for the NES, this fun baseball game lets you play a full-length season with six teams in a race for the pennant. You can even auto-simulate the game and edit your team's players. And if you're tired of the traditional baseball dynamics, use Ultra Plays to make your pitches disappear, make your hits explode or knock down opposing fielders.
Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll – Set off on a journey to complete the mystical Mandara Seal and activate its magical powers in this NES action game. Face tough challengers and use six different types of fighting techniques to your advantage. Work your way to the World Tournament and defend the world from the legions of darkness.
Virtual Console on Nintendo 3DS
Legend of the Mystical Ninja – In this Super NES classic, take control of Kid Ying and Dr. Yang in an action-adventure through feudal Japan. Overcome 10 levels of the Dragonbeast to save Princess Yuki, battling through stages of intense 3D and 2D zones filled with zany characters and fun mini-games.
Nintendo eShop on Wii U and Nintendo 3DS
Gardenscapes, Murder on the Titanic and more games from Joindots are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on July 14.
Nintendo eShop on Wii U
Hold Your Fire: A Game About Responsibility and Explody Bomb are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on July 28.
Color Zen, My Style Studio: Hair Salon and more games from Cypronia are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on July 29.
Totem Topple is 80 percent off (reduced from $5 to $1) until 8:59 a.m. PT on July 14.
Nintendo eShop on Nintendo 3DS
Mercenaries Saga 2, GLORY OF GENERALS THE PACIFIC and more games from CIRCLE Ent. are on sale until 8:59 a.m. PT on July 28.
Dan McFox: Head Hunter is more than 30 percent off (reduced from $2.99 to $1.99) until 8:59 a.m. PT on July 21.
Theme Shop on Nintendo 3DS:
New themes this week include:
The Legend of Dark Witch 2 Rudy Theme
The Legend of Dark Witch 2 Sola Theme
The Legend of Dark Witch 2 Zizou Theme
Also new this week:
Steel Lords (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
Tap Tap Arcade 2 (Nintendo eShop on Wii U)
ItemNotAccessible|The ItemId B00U6DTA9S is not accessible through the Product Advertising API.
Tags: 3ds, eshop, nintendo, nintendo download update, nintendo eshop update, wii u


text:
Tag Archives: Psychology
News, Scientific American
Train of Thought Derailed: How an Accident Can Affect Your Brain
My cousin Guillermo Cassinello Toscano was on the train that derailed in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, last week when it went around a bend at twice the speed limit. Cassinello heard a loud vibration and then a powerful bump and then found himself surrounded by bloody bodies in wagon number nine. Shaking, he escaped the wreckage through either a door or a hole in the train—he cannot recall—then sat amid the smoke and debris next to the track and began to cry. Seventy-nine passengers died. Continue reading Train of Thought Derailed: How an Accident Can Affect Your Brain →
NeurosciencePsychologySpain
IEEE Spectrum, News
Polite Robot Overlords Will Be More Persuasive
5 March 2013 LL
Baking cupcakes can be as much a matter of social interaction as it is a mechanical exercise. Never is this more true than when your kitchen partner is a robot. Their always-right, ego-deflating advice can be off-putting, reports social psychologist Sara Kiesler and her colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University, in Pittsburgh. But having them employ a different type of rhetoric could help soften the blow.
In one study, Kiesler's former student Cristen Torrey, now at Adobe, observed how expert bakers shared advice with less-experienced volunteers. She recorded the interactions and extracted a few different approaches the experts used. For instance, "likable people equivocate when they are giving help," Kiesler says. That is, they say things such as "Maybe you can try X" rather than simply "Do X." They also soften their advice with extraneous words such as "Well, so, you can try X."
So Torrey filmed a few of her own scenarios in which either robots or people shared advice with actors pretending to learn how to bake, using various combinations of the language the experts used. Then she asked a new group of volunteers to watch the videos and rate how likable, controlling, and competent the experts were. They found that equivocation, or hedging, made the experts appear more competent, less controlling, and more likable. The effect was even stronger for the robots, suggesting that people find robots less threatening than humans when the robots use humanlike language. Kiesler presented some of these results on 4 March at the ACM/IEEE International Conference on Human-Robot Interaction, in Tokyo.
Read the rest of this news story at IEEE Spectrum [html] [pdf]
PsychologyTechnology
Robot to Human: 'Trust Me'
In a crisis control center, several teams of firefighters in Montelibretti, Italy, used laptops to guide a robotic ground vehicle into a smoke-filled highway tunnel. Inside, overturned motorcycles, errant cars, and spilled pallets impeded the robot's progress. The rover, equipped with a video camera and autonomous navigation software, was capable of crawling through the wreckage unguided while humans monitored the video footage for accident victims. But most of the time the firefighters took manual control once the robot was a few meters into the tunnel. Continue reading Robot to Human: 'Trust Me' →
News, Technology Review
Sentry System Combines a Human Brain with Computer Vision
27 November 2012 LL
Sentry duty is a tough assignment. Most of the time there's nothing to see, and when a threat does pop up, it can be hard to spot. In some military studies, humans are shown to detect only 47 percent of visible dangers.
A project run by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) suggests that combining the abilities of human sentries with those of machine-vision systems could be a better way to identify danger. It also uses electroencephalography to identify spikes in brain activity that can correspond to subconscious recognition of an object. Continue reading Sentry System Combines a Human Brain with Computer Vision →


text:
Religion Holidays Art + Architecture Culture Languages Festivals Museums
Photo: IVASHstudio/Shutterstock
You Can Pay To Be a Guest at a Traditional Indian Wedding, and It's Not as Weird as It Sounds
If you're visiting India, you likely want to cram as much culture into your trip as possible. A traditional Indian wedding is as culturally rich as it gets, but there's probably one problem: You don't have an Indian friend getting married. Usually, that would be a pretty big obstacle, but that was before Join My Wedding stepped in. The Australian start-up company is making it easy for travelers to experience the energy and liveliness of a traditional Indian wedding. And the best part? You won't have to make awkward small-talk with cousins you haven't spoken to in six years.
The company's co-founder, Marti Matesca, came up with the idea when she was invited to an Indian wedding in Tamil Nadu. She told Lonely Planet that the event was an amazing experience, thanks to "all the traditional elements of the ceremony, down to the beautiful saris, accessories, generous hospitality, colorful lights… ambiance, smell, and decorations." Inspired by her experience, she wanted to give other foreigners the same opportunity.
Join My Wedding allows you to become an active participant in an Indian wedding's many celebratory customs. Most are multi-day affairs, and you can choose to attend for either one day or several. In addition to the wedding itself, you will also be exposed to traditions like the Sangeet ceremony — for women only, centering on dancing, music, and laughter — and the Mehndi, where the bride and relatives are painted with henna designs.
It might sound a little strange — and borderline cultural appropriation — for a tourist to attend a complete stranger's wedding, but the Indian couples who consent to this experience understand the rich cultural significance and are often eager to expose foreigners to their traditions. So don't worry, you won't be labeled a "wedding crasher."
Guests can attend weddings for a single day for $150 or two or more days for $250. You can browse available wedding options by filling out this form.
H/T: Lonely Planet
OutdoorWhy India's Meghalaya State Is an Outdoor Lover's Dream
Trending Now in Culture
12 Common Hand Gestures in the US That Will Insult People in Other Countries
29 Phrases To Get You Started Learning Pidgin English
50 African Proverbs That Will Get You Thinking
Does Duolingo Actually Work? I Went To Belgium To Find Out After a 90-Day Lesson Streak
19 Funny, Sarcastic, and No-Nonsense Trini Sayings You'll Want To Start Using Every Day
15 European Christmas Markets You Need To Go To This Holiday Season
Dec 9, 2022 Skye Sherman
This Mexico Resort Town Has an Underwater Museum With 500 Statues
Jan 5, 2023 Matador Creators
How To Make the Most of a Winter Getaway To Vienna
Dec 14, 2022 Katie Scott Aiton
This Rooftop Bar in Barcelona Offers Stunning Views of Antoni Gaudí's Sagrada Familia
Walk 375 Feet Above Olympic National Forest on Washington's High Steel Bridge
The Rainforest Is Glowing With Lights Just Outside Vancouver, Canada
This Music Festival in Fiji Is a Dream Island Vacation — Plus World-Famous DJs
Jan 13, 2023 Alex Bresler
The Best Museums in London for Mummies, Giant Whales, and Big Red Buses


text:
UMEX 2022: Naval Group showcases Belharra frigate
Posted On Tuesday, 22 February 2022 17:04
On February 20th-23rd 2022, Naval Group presents its leading technologies in Abu Dhabi at the UMEX. The SDAM rotary-wing air-raid drone mock-up developed in partnership with Airbus will be displayed on Naval Group's booth along with the Belharra digital multi-mission frigate one and, among other solutions, a digital representation of the D19 UUV (Unmanned Underwater Vehicle) as well as Sirehna USVs.
A model of Belharra frigate at Naval Group's booth (Picture source: Army Recognition)
• SDAM, future aerial drone system
Based on an innovative, versatile, robust and economical helicopter platform, the SDAM drone system is being developed by Airbus in partnership with Naval Group to offer modern Navies the best possible combination of multi-role performance, reliability and operating costs.
Intended for first rank frigates and amphibious helicopter carriers of the Mistral type (PHA), the SDAM can exceed 8 flight hours of operational autonomy with a payload capacity of up to 150 kg at least 80 nautical miles from the ship, offering performance levels that have, until now, been the reserve of aircraft of a significantly higher category and size.
• D19 UUV
Building on its know-how and excellence in the design and manufacture of underwater weapons, Naval Group developed the D19 UUV, a 5 to 8m-long multi-mission underwater drone in the heavy torpedo format which can be deployed for stealth intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. It can be launched and recovered by submarines, vessels, of from the shore. According to its missions, its payloads are modulable thanks to plug-and-play modular head.
• Sirehna USVs
Sirehna is a subsidiary of Naval Group. Its range of USV comes in various sizes and operational capabilities in the domain of surveillance and protection. Specifically designed for remotely operated or in full autonomy missions, Sirehna's USV products range goes from USV automation kit, adaptable to any kind of platform and propulsion in order to turn any craft into an USV, to full operational unmanned vehicles.
• Belharra frigate
Belharra is the new combat ship for naval supremacy and crisis management designed for navies looking for a compact frigate able to perform the largest range of missions, stand-alone or within a task force, either for high sea duration missions as for shallow water operations in congested and contested operational environment. As the first digital frigate, Belharra® features high level capabilities in anti-air, anti-surface, anti-submarine and asymmetric warfare domains, integrating French Navy operational legacy acquired in wartime situation. Belharra is able to embark simultaneously a helicopter (10 tons class such as NH90) or the future Joint Light Helicopter and an UAV (up to 700kg).


The Godding Business: Happy Friday the 13th!
Just swinging by to wish everyone a happy Friday. This happens to be my lucky day! I had turned 16 and got my driver's permit on Friday the 13th, turned 21 on Friday the 13th, and tonight I'm going to drink a beer and play Borderlands until my heart is content. How are you spending yours?


Companies registered by THE CORPORATE PLACE, INC.
WHY USA FINANCIAL GROUP, INC.
DESERT GEM TRADING CO. INC.
ROYAL STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS, INC.
COMPUTER ALTERNATIVE PROCESSING SITES, INC.
H & H CONSTRUCTION CO., INC.
NOBLE TILE SUPPLY, TUC, INC.
NOBLE TILE SUPPLY, HOU, INC.
NOBLE TILE SUPPLY, DAL, INC.
NOBLE TILE SUPPLY, FL. INC.
NOBLE TILE SUPPLY, PHX, INC.
RF INDUSTRIES & ASSOCIATES, INC.
NEWPORT BEACH REAL ESTATE, INC.
R.T. PROCESS AND SUPPLY INC.
TED MASTERS & ASSOCIATES, INC.
MASTERS AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING, INC.
BOWEN, COLLINS & ASSOCIATES, INC.
FAMILY ALTERNATIVE FUNERAL SERVICES LTD.
R & T SERVICES INC.
S.A. PIAZZA & ASSOCIATES, LLC.
SKY RIDER EQUIPMENT COMPANY, INC.
GREEN COFFEE PRODUCTS WORLDWIDE, INC.
ACE GRADING & PAVING, INC.
CENTURY 21 CONSTRUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, INC.
COMMERCIAL INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE, INC.
USS JAMES MADISON (SSBN 627) ASSOCIATION, INC.
ND LONG TERM CAPTIAL APPRECIATION I L.L.C.
ND LONG TERM CAPTIAL APPRECIATION A L.L.C.
ND LONG TERM CAPTIAL APPRECIATION B L.L.C.
ND LONG TERM CAPTIAL APPRECIATION C L.L.C.
DR DIRECT 2 U, INC.
INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY, INC.
NICHOLAS & COMPANY FOODSERVICE INC.
EAST WEST VENTURE CAPITAL CO.
THE EGO HAS LANDED INC.
PACIFIC CREST EQ PARTNERS, INC.


Parts Department at » Farm Implement and Supply, with 2 locations to serve you in Kansas.
Access parts catalogs with detailed line diagrams to buy OEM parts, including filters and repair parts, for your New Holland tractor or baler. Manuals are available for: Legacy Ford, T6, T7, T8, T9, Boomer and more! Search, select, view your parts list and submit orders directly to Farm Implement.


text:
contact@igauge.in
About Us Advisory Board Methodology The Process FAQs
Past Events Upcoming Events Webinars
Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research
Kolar, Karnataka · University · Private · Visit site
» Ratings» Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research
In the year 1984, a group of dedicated and like-minded visionaries headed by Shri R L Jalappa, a champion of co-operative movement in the state of Karnataka established Sri Devaraj Urs Educational Trust for Backward Classes with the focus on provisioning of Medical Education and Social Services.
The trust started Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College at Tamaka, Kolar, in the year 1986. Through this college, the trust sought to make a significant contribution to Medical Education, Research and Health Care to rural population.
The trust in its stride for attainment of quality in education and Health Care Services has obtained accreditation for its Medical College by National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC, India) and Certification by ISO 9001-2000 in the year 2006. Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College is one of the few medical colleges in India to have achieved these remarkable dual feats of accreditation as early as in 2006.
This inspired the Trust to apply for Deemed University status for this college in the name and style of Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research, comprising of Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College. It has conferred Deemed to be University status under Section 3 of UGC Act 1956 to the Medical College on 25th May 2007.
QS I·GAUGE Rating for Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education and Research
Teaching and Learning Faculty Quality Employability
Student Diversity Facilities Social Responsibility
Subscribe to I·GAUGE
Salutation Mr Ms Dr Prof
QS I·GAUGE is a brand incorporated in India as an independent private-sector initiative specialised in rating universities and colleges, and brings together the global expertise, experience and reputation of QS, along with local knowledge from partners.
Designed by Tingg


text:
White Feminism and the 2016 Election
Posted by Jessica Morgan
These past few weeks have been riddled with many emotions: white supremacists are enthused that they get to reclaim a country that never belonged to them, marginalized communities fear for their safety in this new world order, where racism and bigotry are being normalized, and neutral white people are just now realizing that our country is fucked up. While most media sites are ignoring the people Donald Trump is appointing to his cabinet to focus their headlines and leads on celebrity relationships, I'm still unpacking the racist ideologies behind white women's support for the future president.
White feminism centers on gaining equal rights for white cisgender women (preferably middle class) that align with the same rights granted to white cisgender men. They are willing to shun their gender by neglecting the intersections of their identities in order to further the idea of white superiority. The prioritization of black women and other people of color, in addition to the array of sexual and gender identities, are hardly ever on the white feminist agenda. Many feminist groups usually claim that they are intersectional, but it usually ends up being a ploy to increase the quota in their organizations. This has made intersectionality, a term coined by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw and not by a white feminist, as fashionable as a new black dress. White women seem to enjoy claiming their movement is intersectional, but when their whiteness is threatened, the privilege they receive from our broken and biased system overshadows any call for equality or change in the status quo.
So, apparently, it has become evident that Trump appealed more to white women because he was raw. They enjoy his perverse attraction (insert sexual assault) to white women since it furthers heteronormative ideals and white feminine beauty standards. As Lasha points out in an article for Salon, the fantasy of the colorblind sisterhood basically says we [the feminist movement] are down for you as long as you are white, straight and middle class. This election proved to white women that they may be oppressed and marginalized through their gender, but at least they are still white — an attitude that is rooted in the oppression of numerous marginalized groups over the course of human history. She also reminds us that white feminist groups have a history of neglecting black women and other minority experiences, even stealing their ideas without giving them due credit. This explains the uproar of white feminists when black men were granted the right to vote before them, which made them feel like they are one of the most oppressed groups. This type of rhetoric is portrayed in one of the early white feminists such as Frances Willard, who relied on racism and the preservation of white supremacy to earn equal rights for white women.
And this, people, is why I have come to the realization that the exclusion of intersectionality in some white feminist spaces isn't by accident. White feminism relies on the oppression of black women and other women of color to ensure that their narrow agenda grants them all of the privileges and rights as white men. White women heard the sexist rhetoric employed during Trump's campaign. They heard his usage of "the" when referencing groups or people of color. Rather than joining forces with black women who voiced their disdain for and fear of a possible Trump presidency, many still chose to vote in such a way to uphold white supremacy and to restrict access to safe spaces for marginalized groups. As the #FeminismSoWhite movement takes form, it has become evident Gil Scott Heron is right: the revolution will be live.


After recently binge-watching 'Mozart in the Jungle' on Amazon Prime, a craving for live instrumental music was ignited. What wonderful timing then, becoming aware of Chester Operatic Society's take on Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods.
You might have seen the 2014 film version featuring James Corden, Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep. I haven't – so I can't compare them. What I can do is tell you all about the mesmerising, evocative evening I had at St Mary's Creative Space last night.
I hope the film is even half as good.
An incredibly talented cast (I can't stress this enough), both in acting and vocal ability, of twenty, a hidden orchestra of thirteen and an impressive production team, transformed the venue into an immersive wonderland. It's the first time I've seen St Mary's used as a performance space – the result is a small but perfectly formed stage where every seat is an incredible seat. And creative touches which require a little imagination from the audience, but work a treat.
I've got a lot of praise for Storyhouse, but if you want an intimate experience, where you get to enjoy each carefully choreographed step, falling tear and fleeting expression, this is the venue for you.
I won't ruin the story if you're unfamiliar; suffice to say fairytales are flung at you right, left and centre in a reimagined intermingling. The result is an exciting clash of known and unknown, loved characters from childhood stories crisscrossing plots. It's colourful, both in costume (the wolf and the witch benefit from fabulously detailed masks) and in action. The layers of this tale overlap constantly; fleetingly a thread takes the spotlight for a song before being buried back into the arresting chaos.
These focused, often solo lead moments, be it Cinderella working out her feelings for the Prince, or the Baker's wife agonising over an ill-advised encounter – highlight the reason these actors were chosen – dazzling delivery – further amplified by St Mary's unique acoustic. These are my favourite moments. We get to hone in on some simply stunning vocal performances.
Trust me, this cast; a mix of established, seasoned actors, and still-in-school fresh faces work together like a dream. And how they managed to time sung lines (often within erratically paced, fast songs) with the notes from the orchestra (doing a beautiful job behind a black curtain) just amazed me.
This event has the warm glow of a community gathering; a charity raffle (I won a candle), low-priced drinks, an emphasis on individual enjoyment (instead of packing in as many seats as possible to make money), teamed with a professional, exuberant performance. What an atmosphere. What an accomplishment. And tickets are only £16.
Get dizzy in the best way, wander into the woods and emerge delightfully dazed. Performances run from tonight, through to Saturday. Tickets can be purchased here.
First published on Thursday 11th April, 2019.
Updated on Thursday 11th April, 2019.


text:
Nintendo World Championships coming to eight Best Buys from New York to California
By Samit Sarkar@SamitSarkar May 19, 2015, 11:41am EDT
Source Nintendo on Business Wire
Share All sharing options for: Nintendo World Championships coming to eight Best Buys from New York to California
The road to the Nintendo World Championships 2015 will begin with qualifiers on May 30 at eight Best Buy stores across the U.S., Nintendo announced today.
Qualifiers will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. local time. You'll want to get to the store early — a Best Buy representative told Polygon that registration begins at 9 a.m., and the field of entrants is capped at 750 players per store on a first-come, first-served basis. Here's the list of locations, in order from east to west:
5001 Northern Blvd.
Long Island City, New York
10760 NW 17th St.
900 E. Golf Road
12905 Elm Creek Blvd. N
Maple Grove, Minnesota
9378 N. Central Expressway
3675 Pacific Coast Highway
1717 Harrison St.
Players will be competing in the Championship mode of Ultimate NES Remix on Nintendo 3DS, vying for high scores in challenges in Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 3 and Dr. Mario.
The winner of each of the eight qualifiers will move on to the final event, which will take place June 14 at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles. There, they'll be joined by another eight competitors selected by Nintendo. The finals will take place over multiple rounds with "a variety of Nintendo games," according to Nintendo.
If you're looking to practice, Ultimate NES Remix is available for $29.99 on the Nintendo eShop.


Someone once said "it takes a lifetime to build a good reputation and only a few moments to destroy it". With this in mind, the objective here is to preserve your reputation. Project managers are essentially consultants, even when they are direct employees of a company. Project managers transfer their acquired knowledge and experience to the application of accomplishing a goal, in this case for the purpose of successfully completing a project. In the end it will be about you interacting with many different people. The expectations of those who hire you and of those who have to interact with you will determine whether or not you will get hired and successfully meet your objectives, respectively. Accordingly, your reputation will precede you. It is also important to not lose sight of the fact that in the process of consulting you are giving time out of your life to a project. The waste of that time is no trivial matter.


text:
The self-corrective power of the market
The invisible hand, Adam Smith opined, is a metaphor for self-corrective power in systems. If one party within a system, or one part of a system, becomes too strong or dominant then, sooner or later, an alternative will emerge, to restore equilibrium. Regardless of whether it is applied personally (think: bodily effects of obesity), in politics (extreme ideologies), or at population (demographic and social inequities) or even planetary level (geological stresses), the maxim holds, it seems.
In business, the self-corrective power is the market. If price is perceived to be too high, or too low; workplace culture or employment conditions are unhealthy; product or service quality does not meet expectations; or, return on funds invested is too low, prospective customers (staff, suppliers, shareholders) respond—they seek alternatives. This inherent power, held by those who interact within the system, has underpinned sustainable commerce for centuries, even millennia.
And yet some governments and para-governmental agencies find it necessary to intervene, through the creation of rules. But such interventions are usually costly, and they rarely achieve enduring equilibrium. Inevitably, those with decision-making power within companies find ways around what they perceive to be unreasonable barriers to sustainable prosperity. Please don't misconstrue this observation as a wholesale rejection of rules. It is not. Rather, it is a plea for regulators and boards to take stock. What is the minimum regulatory or policy framework to facilitate commerce and ensure fairness; the point beyond which effort will naturally be diverted, resulting in inefficiencies?
Consider stakeholder capitalism as a case in point. Advocates argue a more stringent regulatory framework is required to ensure the value created by companies is 'shared equitably'. This seems fair. But what if an external stakeholder group influences company strategy in a direction different from that which the board and management have agreed is appropriate? Where does accountability lie is such a situation? Should external stakeholder groups be held to account if they 'force' certain practices and policies onto a company that impair the performance of the business and lead to in value erosion? The more time spent satisficing the expectations of external stakeholders, including complying with regulatory requirements, the less time remains to pursue agreed goals and sustainable performance.
If company leaders—boards in particular—focus resolutely on the pursuit of agreed strategy, and on the achievement and reporting of results across the three critical dimensions, namely, social (staff, client, supplier satisfaction, which includes fair pay, good relations, etc.); environmental (impact, minimising footprint) and economic (financial return to shareholders), prosperity should follow. But if leaders trade recklessly; abuse staff or suppliers, price goods and services above what is reasonable, or disregard the environment, the company they govern deserves to struggle or, in severe situations, fail. Regardless, the invisible hand will have made its presence felt. What more should anyone expect?
Curiosity, COVID19 and the cat
The global crisis brought about by COVID19 has precipitated a range of reactions and emotional responses. These have included fear (of catching the virus, becoming very sick or even losing life); frustration (that civil liberties have been withdrawn); anger (the prospect of high levels of state control after the immediate crisis has passed); praise (the selfless actions of first responders and healthcare professionals); disappointment (of not being able to spend time with loved ones); beatification (of some political leaders); confusion (about the conflicting official guidance); and more besides. Inherent biases are also on display, as people turn to social media to express themselves (or react to what others have written). Some have supported the government's actions and public health responses; others have been highly critical, even vitriolic.
It's perfectly natural for people to react to what they read and hear about the situation and the uncertainty foisted upon them—and to be curious about the motivations of leaders and what the future might hold.
In times of great crisis (when chaos tends to reign), the most important priority for a leader (board of directors, executive team, community leaders or the government) is to re-establish a sense of stability and order, noting the fine line between providing leadership and imposing one's will.
Effective leaders tend to roll their sleeves up, identify options, openly encourage alternative perspectives, make decisions based on best-available data and assumptions thought valid at the time of the decision, and explain why decisions have been taken. But as the situation develops—and it will, both naturally and in response to various interventions—progress and data need to be reviewed. Effective leaders display an openness to reverse or amend earlier decisions promptly if new data do not conform to a priori assumptions. Transparency and accountability are both crucial to maintain the confidence and support of stakeholders.
But effective leaders also look beyond the immediate crisis. They ask questions to discover what the future might hold, and whether the crisis presents an opportunity to do things differently. But they don't pursue change for change sake. Over the past two or three weeks, a bevy of visions of what a post-COVID19 world could or should look like have been published by think-tank groups; futurists; independent consultants; journalists; social media commentators; self-styled experts; company leaders and other pundits. Amongst those shared to date, 'digital transformation'; 'locking in new ways of working'; 'a post-office world'; 'the end of globalisation'; 'balanced capitalism'; 'a more inclusive society' and other similar phrases have featured prominently. Some of the proposals I have seen are coherent and merit further investigation; others are little more than bias-laden and thinly-veiled attempts to influence public opinion in favour the author's favoured ideology. Hopefully, political leaders have been considering options to rebuild the economy and social fabric too, but these are yet to be revealed.
With so many options (and many more to come, no doubt), business, political and community leaders face a daunting challenge: of threshing the wheat from the chaff, and making strategically-important decisions in the best interests of others, not self. To decide where and how to move next, in the midst of great ambiguity and uncertainty, is not for the faint-hearted. Wisdom and maturity are invaluable capabilities in this context.
Many tools and frameworks are now available to help leaders make sense of a multiplicity of options, and to respond well given the prevailing context. The Cynefin Framework is worthy of consideration. (Hat-tip to a Netherlands-based colleague who reminded me of it recently.)
Regardless of which approach or framework you use, high-level sense-making and systems thinking expertise is vital. Heterodox perspectives are to be encouraged too. Without these, leaders run the risk of becoming introspective, leaning in on natural biases or, worse, preferred ideologies. Also, great care must be exercised to ensure intended visions are made plain, strategies are coherent and decisions are evidence-based. If such care is not taken, those concerned by what they deem to be inappropriate experimentation or investigation might bite back. Curiosity killed the cat, after all.
The COVID19-induced crisis presents leaders (politicians, boards of directors, community leaders) with a golden opportunity to take stock and, having thought carefully, make decisions in the best interests of the constituency, company, community they serve. Effective decision-making in chaotic situations is far from straightforward, but our future prosperity depends on it.
How does your board rate on the 'trust' scale?
Trust is one of those social building blocks that is crucial for getting things done with others. Board work by no means exempt. When directors a faced with making strategically-important decisions, they must rely on information from and interaction with their board colleagues, the chief executive and any other advisors who may have been invited to contribute. Then, after consideration and having made a decision, the board needs to follow through, by ensuring the decision is implemented well. But, and sadly, the levels of trust both between directors and with external stakeholder groups is often lower than what is needed for effective decision-making. The following comments, originally published in 2016 by EpsenFuller (subsequently acquired by ZRG Partners), make the point deftly:
Board directors today face a variety of challenges. Whether it is a case of corruption or the increasing threat of cybercriminals, their performance in dealing with these issues is the subject of considerable attention, explained The Huffington Post (Jan. 25, Loeb). Investors, consumers and NGOs alike are looking to boards for accountability in terms of company performance. Yet, a recent study found that public trust in boards of directors is lower than that of CEOs. A mere 44 per cent of survey participants claimed to have trust in a company's board—five per cent less than trust in CEOs. Influential constituencies are demanding that boards perform at exceptional levels while maintaining distinct independence from company executives.
That some directors do themselves no favours (through poor behaviour, malfeasance, hubris and failing to complete actions, for example) is self-evident. But all is not lost. High levels of performance are possible—if all of the directors commit to working together (both as a board and with management) and reach agreement on the company's core purpose; the strategy to be pursued to achieve the agreed purpose; how performance will be measured; and the values that will underpin behaviour standards, decisions, and everything the company does and stands for.
Perhaps if more boards embraced this mindset (working together), with the company's best interests to the fore, the trust problem that generates so much tension (not to mention column inches) would gradually become a thing of the past. Is this expectation worth striving for, or do you think it is too ambitious?
Global Peter Drucker Forum: Day 2 highlights
The 2018 edition of the Global Peter Drucker Forum was convened in Vienna, Austria this week. This post summarises insights from the second day (click here for insights from Day 1). I didn't take as many notes on the second day, preferring instead to sit, listen and dwell on what was said. (I also missed a couple of sessions, one to finalise my own preparations to speak; another to spend time privately with a two inspirational thinkers.) However, there were, for me, two speakers that really stamped their mark on the day, as follows:
Hermann Hauser, director of Amadeus Capital Partners and chair of the European Innovation Council, delivered a strong message, arguing that humanity is on the cusp of an inflection point (moving beyond evolution to design thinking) that has the potential to 'change everything' in the reasonably near future. He identified four significant disrupters:
Artificial intelligence and machine learning: Allows for smart processes and removal of menial work
Block chain and smart contracts: Enables automated [process] execution to be designed into systems
Synthetic biology: Enables biological patterns of life to be modified, at the will of man
Quantum computing: Nascent technology with the potential to render security systems useless
The implications of these disrupters are, frankly, rather daunting. Synthetic biology offers the prospect of defeating disease, but at what cost? Quantum computing has the potential to render electronic security systems useless. One doesn't have to be a rocket scientist to realise the massive implications for commerce, banking and warfare. Researchers and technologists are committed to bringing these capabilities to market. But at what cost to humanity? The ethical implications are not insignificant. Recognising this, Hauser suggested that the state has an important role to play, to ensure appropriate regulatory boundaries and safeguards are established. But it must act quickly, before the genie gets out.
Martin Wolf, chief economics editor of the Financial Times, spoke passionately about the role of the state; in his view, the single-most important institution in human history. I first heard Wolf speak a few years ago. He left a strong impression on me then, and did so again as he spoke. Addressing the question of how states can 'work better', Wolf named several important roles that the state 'must' fulfil par excellence:
To ensure society is both collective and inclusive (no one left behind)
To provide a fair and effective judicial system
To underpin the monetary system
To regulate and control sovereign borders
To finance innovation (in effect R&D, not product development)
To regulate and guide economic activity
To protect the commons
To collaborate with other states, to ensure stability of 'global' governance
To establish the laws, roles, purposes and legitimate operations of all business
Such roles need to be implemented with aplomb. Failure to do so will inevitably lead to anarchy, in Wolf's view.
Corporate governance in the UK: What is the real problem?
When Theresa May went on record recently, the key message for boards was that they needed to pull their socks up lest additional structural measures including employee directors become a requirement for UK companies. Much of the commentary was aimed at the boards of publicly-listed companies, in an attempt to curb (perceived and real) corporate excess in the form of excessive remuneration; hubris; and, a flagrant disregard of some stakeholders.
Today, ICSA: The Governance Institute announced that it had written to the Prime Minister calling for the boards of privately-held companies to be held to the same levels of accountability and disclosure as publicly-listed firms. This request seems perfectly reasonable, especially as the UK Companies Act 2006 applies to all companies.
The UK statute is clear: directors (actually, boards because it is boards that make decisions) are required to consider the long-term consequences of their decisions and the impact on employees and the community. Good practice suggests that boards should, amongst the things, keep shareholders informed (through the board's annual report to shareholders) of its activities.
ICSA is right to raise the issue, but will enforced compliance with codes of practice fix the problem?
If boards act within the law and in accordance with codes of practice as they pursue business objectives, then letters such as the one written by ICSA should not be necessary. But they don't. Some directors and boards take liberties. Enough examples have come to light in recent years (e.g., HSBC, FIFA, Volkswagen, Fonterra, Solid Energy, Toshiba and, most recently, BHS) to suggest that some boards knowingly run close to or beyond boundaries defined in law. But where does the real problem lie? Is it with the law, the principles-based codes of practice; the directors themselves; or, something else entirely?
Consider this: The road toll has not declined as a direct result of increased enforcement measures but rather a change of behaviour—drivers choosing to driver safer vehicles more carefully. Are boards any different? If boards are analogous to drivers, probably not. Unless and until boards make a conscious decision to embrace company performance as an important priority, and to do so in accordance with both established law and published codes of practice, I suspect the media will continue to be gainfully employed.
Finally, shareholders have an important and oft overlooked contribution to make. Recent experience suggests that greater care is needed in the appointment process, to ensure only suitably capable directors who are intent on acting in the best interests of the company are appointed to boards. In addition, shareholders should not overlook their right to hold directors to account including dismissing those who fail to discharge their legal duties or exercise requisite care and attention.
Guidance for coping with change
In 1970, Alvin Toffler's book Future Shock was published. It quickly became a bestseller. Toffler died recently, triggering a series of articles and reflections (including this one published in the New York Times) about his life and 'the book'. Toffler had an amazing ability to look well ahead of almost all of us, to think critically, and to make some sense of it all. Consider these observations by Manjoo in his reflection:
Alvin Toffler ... warned that the accelerating pace of technological change would soon make us all sick.
Yet in rereading Mr. Toffler's book, as I did last week, it seems clear that his diagnosis has largely panned out, with local and global crises arising daily from our collective inability to deal with ever-faster change.
That societies are racing with great speed to embrace new ideas and innovations, yet without the ability to cope with the consequences of high rates of change, might be one of the great problems of our age. Perhaps those in influential positions in society have a responsibility to shift their gaze, from their own ambitions towards altruistic ideas that serve the greater good? This is by no means a call to embrace utopian principles nor uniformity because we are all different. Much pragmatism is needed if society is to continue to endure.
Leaders—of all types but especially business leaders, company directors, politicians and academics—could do well by (re)reading Future Shock. We need to talk about stuff, because we all have much to learn.
It's not working. But why is nobody talking about it?
Guest blog: Tim Sillay (Wellington, New Zealand)
I'm angry. It appears that as a society, we are hell bent on eliminating risk. There doesn't appear to be any sensible discussion on acceptable levels of risk, witness the current implementation of the health and safety legislation. When you see a site board on a building site list 'uneven ground' as a hazard, it is obvious that things have become seriously retarded.
Now I'm not saying we should stand idly by and watch people bury depleted uranium, or leave boxes of dynamite laying around school playgrounds, but these futile attempts to wrap the world in cotton wool are breeding entire generations with no ability to assess or manage real world risk. What it is breeding is an entire generation of 'non-producers', paper shuffling bureaucrats whose job it is to police this whole mess.
Let's face it, we've cut down all the trees in the playgrounds and removed all the really fun playground equipment, so little Johnny has no idea that walking on a slender branch will eventually result in hard contact with mother earth. You can't play bull rush or ball tag, so he also has no idea that fast moving people or things really hurt when they hit you... How are you going to figure practical application of geometry if you don't live the dream of 'tangent to the arc' on the witch's hat? How do you figure out that some kids are better at sport, some are better at math and some are just plain stupid if everyone gets a certificate for participation.
So by the time Johnny has completed his tertiary education and graduated with real world skills in something like coffee making, subsequently sued his employer for allowing him to come into contact with a hot cuppa and taken a nice safe office job as a health and safety inspector in an egalitarian agency where everyone has an opinion and everyone's opinion matters, little Johnny, with no ability to judge what is and is not a real world risk, with no concept that someone may be smarter, more experienced or just plain crazy is the man who may eventually rise through the ranks and craft policy.
With no one to argue the toss, the policy pendulum has swung firmly to the outer limit of 'no risk is acceptable' and 'all people are equals'.
Which is patently ridiculous. This is just not the way the world works. This is what happens when as a country, you stop producing things. You lose the generational memory and experience of what it means to balance risk and reward. You forget that some people are good at thinking about stuff and some people just like to do stuff. The western world would not exist if it was settled under this legislation. When the thinkers start mandating to the doers, or the doers revolt against the thinkers, when you reach a point in the development of civilisation where no injury, code violation or upset feelings shall go unpunished, you are, quite frankly, fucked.
But here I find a startling double standard. Let's start with a Saturday evening some three weeks ago when I received the unsettling news that a wonderful lady and long time acquaintance of ours had been murdered by her friend. Shock, disbelief, anger but most of all a sense of a grand imbalance in the fabric of the world. How can such a gentle girl have met such a violent end? What possible sequence of events led to this? How did we as a society so obsessed with the elimination of risk let this happen?
And there it was, that of which we shall never speak, our old bed fellow mental health. Over the last 30 years as we moved inexorably towards this sham world of universal acceptance, equality, tolerance and non-productivity we forgot that crazy people are actually crazy.
Somewhere, in spite of all the signs to the contrary, we forgot all about unacceptable risk. I fail to see the chain of logic symbolised by these responses:
"It's not polite to incarcerate."
"This simply will not do."
"Let's tear down Kimberly, Kingseat and Lake Alice."
"You weren't yourself when you did it."
"Be a good boy, take your drugs and hangout downtown shuffling through rubbish bins."
"What possible harm can you do."
Somewhere, the policy wonks ran riot over the doers, those who lived the reality of day-to-day life with the insane.
I can hear the sharp intake of breath. I can hear the agonised humanitarian wails of "You can't say that". I can even hear the bean counters rationalise it on a cost basis. I bet if you listened carefully, on a quiet day where the wind is blowing in just the right direction, you'll find an actuarial report that rationalises the occasional damaged child or other collateral damage about a crazy person gone off the rails.
But you'd better be whispering. We NEVER discuss this kind of thing in polite society.
So here's a brief history lesson. Teenage Suicide. It was a bloody epidemic in the 80's. I lost several from the circle and it hurt. It hurt a hell of a lot. Witnessing the grieving parents of a teenage girl will stay with me forever. It was more horrendous than the senseless killing of my friend by a crazy person, in as much as there is a scale for these things.
It obviously was a problem, it obviously wasn't acceptable. So what did we do as a society? WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT IT.
So I applaud the news that Coroner Michael Robb is conducting an enquiry into mental health related killings. Long may it make front page news. Maybe, just perhaps, this senseless, vile, unfathomable thing is the point where we all cry 'enough'.
Downtime is great for relocating your True North
Busy-ness seems to be a fact of life for many people these days. Whether it is running between commitments, as a business person, as a parent or anything in between, downtime has become a precious commodity—one to be treasured and nurtured. Modern conveniences like unlimited wifi (including on some flights nowadays) mean we are never far away from activity and doing things that, in our own mind at least, add to our personal sense of worth.
While busy-ness can be a good thing, more often than not sustained periods of busy-ness will lead to reduced effectiveness and possibly even burnout or breakdown. We get so wound up doing stuff that our world closes in around us, until we lose sight of 'why'—our True North. Loosing perspective is not good for us, or those around us.
As a senior executive or company director with significant responsibilities, you no doubt have a busy schedule. How do you keep things in perspective to ensure that you are actually effective in your work? Do you have an anchor, a True North, and do you referencing back to it?
For me, downtime is the key to effectiveness—slowing the heart rate; getting away from people; taking time out to explore ideas (that would not normally even register on my everyday radar); and, in so doing, remind myself of what really matters, my True North. I do that by reading. Here's a selection of the books currently on my reading list. If you read as a means of maintaining your perspective, I commend them to you.
PS: What you do to keep track of your True North doesn't really matter. Go for a walk, paint, read, sew, draw or whatever else takes your fancy. That you are taking time out from the busy-ness of life is what will make the difference to your effectiveness—as paradoxical as that may seem.
Experts, yet we have much to learn
One of the biggest shake-ups to confront the Western World (since the collapse of communism and the fall of the Berlin Wall anyway) occurred in the United Kingdom last week. The result of a much anticipated plebiscite was a decision by the British people to leave the EU. In the weeks leading up to the referendum, the flow of information became a cacophony as politicians, scaremongers and other 'experts' promoted various positions, in an effort to influence to voting public.
Finally, the day arrived and the people voted. Soon, the results were published. The people had spoken. Some cheered while others mourned. Curiously, some reacted by rueing their decision, wondering whether they had voted wisely. Really? With a straightforward question to answer and a plethora of information to hand, how could anyone make the 'wrong' choice (unless they didn't vote, of course)? Is this reaction an outpouring of buyer's remorse on a national scale, or is something else going on—an indication that some did not take the decision seriously or that a dose of hubris clouded the better judgement of some voters perhaps?
The British plebiscite highlights a behavioural weakness that besets many people. From an early age, we spend our lives learning as much as we can, aspiring to become experts in whatever field interests us. Most of us want to excel; to realise our potential. In our haste to make decisions and get ahead, we tend to embrace new ideas and disregard 'old' ones. If we can secure an advantage, we'll take it—thank you very much. But when it comes to big decisions, we may not be as smart as we think we are. Decisions that are based on politically-motivated or emotion-filled pleas, or knee-jerk responses seldom deliver the 'best' outcome.
Often, the best decisions are those made after we have paused and looked back, for guidance about how best to move forward. Whether we are cast as leaders or followers, we could do far worse than to seek out people like Bill and Augusto, sit with them and, having asked them a question, listen intently to what they have to say. Our challenge, having sat and listened, is to act on the wisdom passed to us.
On democracy, morals and business performance
As 2015 gives way to 2016, many people will be reflecting on the past and looking to the future; thinking about what was and what might have been. I'm no different. One of the books I've been reading while pondering the past and the future this week is The Servile Mind by Kenneth Minogue. A friend recommended it—he wondered whether the commentary might be applicable to directors and boards. My response, having read half of the book so far, is an unreserved 'yes'! Here's the note on the flyleaf:
One of the grim comedies of the twentieth century was that miserable victims of communist regimes would climb walls, sim rivers, dodge bullets, and find other desperate ways to achieve liberty the West at the same time that progressive intellectuals would sentimentally proclaim that these very regimes were the wave of the future. A similar tragicomedy is playing out in our century: as the victims of despotism and backwardness from Third World nations pour into Western States, academic and intellectuals present Western life as a nightmare of inequality and oppression.
In The Servile Mind: How Democracy Erodes the Moral Life, Kenneth Minogue explores the intelligentsia's love affair with social perfection and reveals how that idealistic dream is destroying exactly what has made the inventive Western world irresistible to the peoples of foreign lands. The Servile Mind looks at how Western morality has evolved into mere "politico-moral" posturing about admired ethical causes—from solving world poverty and creating peace to curing climate change. Today, merely making the correct noises and parading one's essential decency by having the correct opinions has become a substitute for individual moral responsibility.
Instead, Minogue argues, we ask that our governments carry the burden of soling our social—and especially moral—problems for us. The sad and frightening irony is that the more we allow the state to determine our moral order and inner convictions, the more we need to be told how to behave and what to think.
Humbly, I commend this book to all directors who want to govern well and make a difference in 2016.