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Reign of William III. (Continued.) page 6
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These were sound reasons why the king would not consent to any such invasion of the territory of Spain, and why Spain was not likely to concede it by treaty. These reasons should have made Paterson and the Scotch pause. There could be no successful settlement there whilst these difficulties existed. Had the scheme been started afterwards, when Louis had seized the Spanish crown and William was again at war with him, he might have undertaken the expedition, and the most magnificent results have followed. In fact, after he had completely crushed the enterprise by his discountenance, and was again in hostility with Louis, he actually sent for Paterson and entertained the plan cordially; but it was too late; William was then hastening to his end.
Unwarned by the great outcry, the firm opposition, and insurmountable obstacles, Paterson and the Scotch went on. The Scottish people, who conceived the idea of achieving enormous wealth in the golden regions of Central America, regarded themselves as victims to the jealousy of William's favourite Dutch, to the haughty, monopolising spirit of tha English, and the whole country was in a ferment. They considered themselves insulted and most perfidiously treated by the king, who had freely sanctioned the company, and now as unceremoniously disowned and trampled on it. They went on with the subscriptions, and speedily the amount rose to four hundred thousand pounds. The highest and most intelligent of the Scottish nobility, as well as the people at large, were sanguine contributors. Their younger sons saw a new highway to opulence and distinction suddenly opened. Many lords mortgaged all that they could to secure an ample share of the expected benefits. Their tenantry and servants were enthusiastic in their adhesion to it; and the officers, whom the peace had left at large, prepared for fresh campaigns and adventures in the golden regions.
The company had a number of stout ships built in Holland to convey over the emigrants and their stores. On the 26th of July, 1698, five of these ships, the St. Andrew, the Unicorn, the Caledonia, the Snow, and the Endeavour Pink, containing one thousand two hundred men, set sail from Leith. Such was the excitement, that all Edinburgh seemed to have poured out to see the departure of the colonists, and hundreds of soldiers and sailors who could not be engaged clamoured to be taken on board. Many contrived to get into the vessels and endeavour to conceal themselves in the hold, and when discovered they clung to the timbers and riggings, offering service without pay.
When the vessels had sailed the Scottish parliament unanimously addressed the king on behalf of the company, and the validity of the charter. The lord-president, Sir Hugh Dalrymple, the brother of lord Stair, and Sir James Stuart, the lord-advocate, also presented memorials defending the rights of the company. Paterson committed the error of sailing in the fleet as a private individual. He had incurred the resentment of the company by having remitted twenty thousand pounds to Hamburg for stores, part of which, without any fault of his own, was embezzled by the agent. The company, therefore, refused to give him the command of the colony, but appointed a council of seven members without a head. This was certain to insure want of unity of purpose and consequent failure. Paterson was the only man qualified by his abilities, his experience, and his knowledge of the country to take the command. He is said to have seen and conversed with the celebrated buccaneer Dampier and his surgeon, Lionel Wafer, on the statistics of Darien; and, if the expedition was sent at all, it should have been under his entire control. Nothing, under the political circumstances, could have insured the establishment of the colony, but Paterson's guidance would have prevented the dire calamities which ensued. He was certain that the vessels were not properly furnished with provisions and stores before setting out, and he in vain urged an examination. When out at sea a few days, he was enabled to get an examination, when there was discovered to be a serious deficiency, but then it was too late. They next sailed for Madeira, where their sealed orders were opened, and they then bore away for the West Indies. They put into St. Thomas's, and there might have obtained plenty of provisions from a ship-captain, but for the perverseness of the council. The advice of Paterson was uniformly rejected out of jealousy. On the 30th of October they landed in a fine bay on the coast of Darien, capable of holding one thousand ships, and about four miles east of Golden Island.
The incapable council, spite of Paterson's advice, would plant their new town in a bog, but the effects on their health soon forced them to remove to higher ground. They erected a fort and threw up defences at Acta, which they named New St. Andrews, and on a hill opposite made a signal station, where they placed a corps of highlanders to keep a good look-out for the approach of any enemy.
But the miserable management of the council brought speedy misfortune on the infant colony. The people were suffering from want of everything. Paterson soon lost his wife, and numbers sunk under disappointment, insufficient food, and the climate. The natives were friendly to them, but wanted them to go and fight the Spaniards. It was soon found that the mountains and forests offered enormous obstacles to that very transit to the shores of the Pacific which Dampier's representations had promised. The different leaders of the expedition fell to quarrelling, and Paterson endeavoured in vain to reconcile them. They sent out vessels to the West India islands for provisions. One, the Snow, they lost, and the Pink, endeavouring to get to New York, after beating about for a month, was driven back. Amid the rapidly-sinking colonists and the fatal feuds of the leaders, they received on the 18th of May the stunning news that the king had issued a proclamation denouncing the act of the colony having infringed his treaty with Spain by forcibly entering the Spanish territory of Panama, and forbidding any of the English governors of the West India islands to furnish them with provisions or any necessaries.
The moment Louis XIV. heard of their settling in Darien he had offered to the king of Spain to send ships and forces and drive them out for him. The Spanish minister at London, the marquis de Canales, presented a remonstrance against this breach of the peace with his master on the 3rd of May. Dalrymple, who has left much information on this expedition in his u Memoirs," says the Dutch and English opponents were at the bottom of this remonstrance; that Spain had let the affair go on a long time without noticing it; and that the rights of the company had been debated before king William, in presence of the Spanish ambassador, before the colony sailed. All this may be true, for the real destination of the expedition was kept secret till the fleet arrived at Madeira, and Spain protested as soon as she discovered whither it was gone. William, who was just now making treaties with Louis, and anxious to be on good terms with Spain, strictly enforced the orders to deprive the suffering colony of all means of remaining. These measures of the king produced the most fatal consequences in the colony. Every one, says Paterson, was in haste to be gone from it. In vain he tried to persuade them to stay for more positive orders. Captain Pennicook, the captain of the fleet, was reported to be intending to steal away with his ship, on the supposition that they were all proclaimed pirates and would be hanged. The poor colonists continued to die off rapidly, and news now came that the Spaniards were marching against them with a strong force.
Famine, sickness, and the fear of being massacred in their weakness by the enemy, compelled the colonists to evacuate the place. On the 18th of June, 1699, the Unicorn, St. Andrew, and Caledonia sailed from Golden Island for New York. On the voyage they met the sloop which they had sent to Jamaica for provisions. It had got none, owing to the royal proclamation, and they all proceeded on their route. They lost one hundred and fifty out of two hundred and fifty of their number on the voyage, and arrived at New York in October, more like skeletons than living men. On the 13th of November Paterson and his companions reached England in the Caledonia. The indignation of the Scotch at their treatment was beyond bounds, and the more so because, unacquainted with the real facts of the case, they had sent out a second expedition of one thousand three hundred men.
The history of this second expedition was as miserable as that of the first. On arriving, the new adventurers, instead of a flourishing colony, found the place deserted, and only a few miserable Indians to tell them the fate of their predecessors. With this new arrival came four Presbyterian clergymen, who assumed the command and seemed to think of nothing but establishing a presbytery in all its rigour and uncharitableness. Paterson, like Penn in Pennsylvania and lord Baltimore in Baltimore, had proclaimed perfect civil and religious liberty to men of all creeds and nations. This was now reversed: there was nothing but the most harsh and senseless phariseeism. They quarrelled with gentlemen who were not of their creed, and, says Dalrymple, "they exhausted the spirits of the people by requiring their attendance at sermon four or five hours at a stretch, relieving each other by preaching alternately, but allowing no relief to their hearers. Wednesday they divided into three parts - thanksgiving, humiliation, and supplication, in which these ministers followed each other. And as the service of the Church of Scotland consists of a lecture with a comment, sermon, two prayers, three psalms, and a blessing, the work of that day, upon an average of the length of the service of that age, could not take up less than twelve hours, during which space of time the colony was collected and kept close together in the guard room, which was used as a church, in a tropical climate, and in a sickly season. They demanded, besides this, of the council, to set apart a day for a solemn fasting and humiliation, &c." Instead of a comfort, these men proved one of the worst curses of this unfortunate colony, thwarting and damping the exertions of the people, and continually threatening the poor people with hell fire. Two of these ministers perished.
In the midst of these miseries arrived Captain Campbell of Ferrol, with a force of his own men. He attacked and dispersed a body of one thousand Spaniards, sent against him, but this was only a fresh offence against Spain, and, therefore, against king William. They were soon, however, assailed by a more powerful Spanish squadron. Campbell got away to New York, the rest of the colony capitulated, and there was an end of the unhappy expedition to Darien. The Spaniards humanely allowed the remnant of this wretched company to embark in one of their vessels, the Rising Sun; but as the British authorities at all the islands refused them any succour or stores whatever, only eighty of them arrived alive in England.
Scotland was in a frenzy of indignation at this cold-blooded conduct of the king, who, if he had visited the projectors with severity, ought to have had some compassion for the poor deluded sufferers. The exasperated Scots called on the king to withdraw his proclamation against a company which had an undoubted right by charter to trade to the West Indies, if not to the mainland. They demanded that the Scottish parliament should be summoned, but William only! sent evasive answers, and the fury of the people rose to that height that nothing was talked of but that the king had forfeited his right to the allegiance of Scotland by his conduct, and of a war with England.
When William returned from Holland, in the autumn of 1699, he found this tempest of indignation raging against him in Scotland. Events on the continent soon caused him to repent of his callous treatment of this scheme of colonisation, and as we have said, when it was too late, he sent for Paterson to discuss the practicability of still carrying it out. Paterson, though he had sunk his fortune in it, was still as zealous for it as ever. His plan for reviving the colony of Darien may be seen in Sir John Dalrymple's "Memoirs." He proposed to give four-fifths of the interest in it to England; and in 1701, when William determined to strike a blow at the fame of Louis in South America, he gave Paterson assurances of his support. It was too late. Mr. Saxe Bannister has recently thrown the true light on the character and aims of Paterson, in a life of his drawn from the public documents in the Advocates' Library at Edinburgh, in the Bodleian, at Guildhall, and various other sources. In this work he has amply shown that Paterson was far before his time in his perception of the principles of free trade, or sound morality in all mercantile and political schemes; and in his ideas of religious toleration. His scheme of a Council of Trade embraces a wonderful circle of suggestions for the effectual promotion of our commerce, for the management of our poor laws, for the purchasing and warehousing of corn by government to secure it at a reasonable rate for the supply of our poor, for regulating the home and foreign trade, for encouraging the fisheries, for a board of works, including the best maintenance of highways, streets, bridges, harbours, docks, &c., for punishing thieves by making them labour in favour of the parties robbed, for the lenient yet salutary treatment of debtors and bankrupts, for regulating the coinage and equalising all weights and measures, and for reducing all important import duties to one per cent. The plans of Paterson still deserve the serious attention of political reformers. He urged on William the benefits of a union with Scotland, and gave him a plan for effectually preventing embezzlement and neglect in the public offices, as well as for a sinking fund. In 1715 he was granted, by act of parliament, eighteen thousand two hundred and forty- one pounds ten shillings and ten pence, in consideration of his losses by the Darien Company. His last days were spent in resisting the various paper schemes of John Law.
Meantime the partition treaty had become known to the court at Madrid, and William's meddling in it excited great indignation. At the same time the agents of Louis had prevailed on the failing king to nominate the electoral prince of Bavaria his heir to the crown. Scarcely, however, was this done when this young prince died, being only eight years of age. Louis still kept up the farce of disinterestedness, and persuaded William to enter into a second treaty, settling the crown of Spain on the archduke Charles, son of the emperor, but leaving the Italian states to the dauphin. Again were William, Portland, and Tallard, with an agent of the emperor, busy on the new partition at Loo. But whilst they were busy there, the French ambassador was equally busy at Madrid, inflaming the mind of the weak and dying king against William and the emperor, and prevailed on him to leave the whole Spanish monarchy to the duke of Anjou, second son of the dauphin. The king of Spain was also induced to send a strong remonstrance against the interference of king William in the affairs of the Spanish monarchy to Mr. Stanhope, the English minister at Madrid. Similar remonstrances were presented for form to the ministers of France and Holland. The Spanish minister in London, Canales, was ordered to present a still stronger remonstrance to the lords-justices in London, on which the court of Spain informed them that his Spanish majesty would take the necessary measures himself for the succession of his crown; adding that if these proceedings, these machinations, and projects were not speedily put an end to, there would undoubtedly commence a terrible war, in which the English, who had felt what innovations and the last war had brought upon them, would have the worst of it. Canales, who had a high personal resentment against William, who had forbidden him the court for the insolence of appearing covered, announced haughtily that on the meeting of parliament he should appeal to it against the king's proceedings.
Pictures for Reign of William III. (Continued.) page 6


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Pressure from Activists Resulted in Versace Banning Usage of Kangaroo Skin
The brand Versace has been supported by animal rights activists for their move to cease the usage of kangaroo skin in their collections.
With the disastrous fires still raging throughout Australia, there's been extra attention on the animals being harmed and killed throughout the country, kangaroos included.
Unfortunately, one billion animals have lost their lives because of the fires and therefore, Versace decided to stop using kangaroo skin for their products.
The Italian fashion house has pledged in 2018 to stop using real animal fur.
Kangaroo Skin Will no Longer Be Used by Versace
In an online statement by LAV, an animal rights organization from Italy, the luxury fashion brand has confirmed an ultimate ban of kangaroo leather, starting from their 2019 collection.
According to LAV, 2.3 million kangaroos are hunted in Australia annually and they're asking Italian companies which feed the import of products acquired by the killing of kangaroos to make a public commitment to ban kangaroo meat or leather from their products.
The organization is supportive of the brand's announcement and considers it a sign of responsibility, now more than ever.
The fires are raging Australia and this is just an addition to the hunting massacres and dramatic results for the kangaroo populations.
Even though Versace haven't released their statement regarding the ban of kangaroo leather, they confirmed that they'll definitely cease usage of kangaroo leather as of the 2019 collections.
In 2018, Donatella Versace explained her discomfort concerning usage of fur and said she's out of that and that she doesn't want to kill animals for fashion because it doesn't feel right.
However, the brand is still using other animal-derived materials like silk, wool, and cashmere.
Italy is currently the biggest importer of skin from kangaroo and a lot of brands use it to produce sneakers and football boots.
Diadora, a sportswear brand banned it last year. And, Carrefour announced that they'll stop selling kangaroo meat in their Belgian stores after the pressure from animal rights organizations in the country.
Other supermarkets are now being encouraged to do the same.
animal rights organization animal welfare animal-derived materials animals Australia banned kangaroo skin Italy kangaroo leather kangaroo skin kangaroos leather Versace
This Annual Nepal Festival Celebrates the Unique & Sacred Bond between Humans & Dogs
Man Caught Trying to Smuggle 200 LIVE Scorpions from Sri Lanka to China

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Bloomberg writes the last 10 trading days the S & P 500 experienced its greatest momentum swing in history. The next closest reversal was 1987 with the current one greatly exceeding the one 31 years ago. Commodities also experienced its biggest five-day momentum swing since 2007.
I guess it is safe to write that the momentum trend following — the major trading strategy of the last four years — has died a violent unglorified death. The term "velocity of change" has just taken a new meaning.
A seemingly 20 bps innocuous rise in the 10-year Treasury yields from January 26 yield of 2.65% to 2.85% on February 8 is the accepted catalyst for the rout in equities that have wiped out $3 trillion in US stocks and $5 trillion globally. At one juncture it was the worst weekly rout since October 2008. Again referencing Bloomberg, the current "correction," defined as a drop of 10%, was faster than any time since 1950.
I rhetorically ask what happens if yields breach the 3% level? Perhaps the selling in equities has already discounted such an increase, the result of algorithmic trading.
As I noted on Friday, equities historically fall in the initial stages of monetary tightening. What I also stated was that because of market complacency, I believed that the overnight rate would not be increased by more than 0.50% versus the Fed's forecast of a 0.75% increase, the market had to play catch up, magnified by fears of a 1.0% increase.
Friday, JP Morgan published its forecast of 4 interest rate hikes in 2018 and another 4 in 2019, lifting the overnight rate to 3.25% to 3.5%. The Fed forecast is a 2% targeted rate in 2018 and 2.5% in 2019 and 3.0% by 2020.
For many years the monthly release of the CPI and PPI were viewed as top tier indicators, capable of dramatically moving markets. During the last 7-8 years, the indicators lost their perceived importance given the widely accepted thesis of secular disinflation and stagnation. In my view, secular disinflation and stagnation has now been replaced by synchronized global growth and inflation, a dramatic change that few had expected.
I think I can write with some certainty that both data points may have been quickly elevated again to top tier status. The CPI is released Wednesday and PPI on Thursday.
Like most, I hope this week is the inverse of last week.
Last night the foreign markets were mixed. London was up 1.25%, Paris was up 1.35% and Frankfurt was up 1.64%. China was up 0.78%, Japan was down 2.32% and Hang Sang was down 0.16%.
The Dow should open significantly higher even as the 10-year is trading higher in yield, off 10/32 to yield 2.89%. To write the obvious, market direction can change dramatically in a moment.


I've lived in cities with some amazing NPR affiliates. While WBEZ will always be my first, KOPB is the one that I've enjoyed the most. Working from home today, I'm really excited to hear Think Out Loud for the first time in a while.


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Partners Index
From eSchool News staff and wire service reports
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Apple Computer Inc., of Cupertino, Calif., is a leading provider of computing technology and services to schools.
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AutoSkill International Inc.
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See the ad for AutoSkill on page 32
Classroom Connect, located in Brisbane, Calif., sells internet literacy products, online interactive curricula, and resources for integrating the internet into the classroom.
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Classroom Connect on page 35
Compaq Computer Corp., headquartered in Houston, is a world leader of the PC industry. Visit Compaq's web site:
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CrossTec Corp., of Boca Raton, Fla., is the maker of the award-winning NetOp family of remote management and training software products.
Visit the CrossTec web site:
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See the ad for CrossTec on page 37
Follett Software Company, of McHenry, Illinois, is a leader in library automation and management tools for K-12 education.
Visit the Follett Software web site:
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See the ad for Follett Software on page 39
Gateway Inc., of San Diego, is a
Fortune 250 company focusing on building lifelong relationships with businesses, schools, and consumers through complete technology personalization.
Visit the Gateway web site:
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See the Gateway ads
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Keystone National, of Bloomsburg, Pa., is an accredited high school that provides students with the means to earn high school credits or a diploma from home. Visit the Keystone National web site:
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See the ad for Keystone National on page 11
Kyocera Mita America, of Fairfield, N.J., is one of the world's largest manufacturers and distributors of digital copiers, printers, and scanners. Visit the Kyocera Mita America web site:
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NCS Learn, of Tucson, Ariz., is a leading provider of educational software and learning solutions to K-12 schools and adult learners.
Visit the NCS Learn web site:
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See the ad for NCS Learn on the back cover
NCS Pearson, of Eden Prairie, Minn., is a global provider of applications, services, and technologies for education, testing, assessment, and complex data management.
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Riverdeep-The Learning Company, of Cambridge, Mass., is a leading publisher of interactive education products for the K-12 market. Visit the Riverdeep-The Learning Company web sites:
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SurfControl, of Scotts Valley, Ariz., provides filtering software that enables schools to manage internet access and provide a productive and safe environment. Visit SurfControl's web site:
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See the Surf Control ad on page 10


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Release date: Tuesday 23rd September 2014
Acquiring some high-tier rewards in this game is reliant more on luck-based gambling mechanics than player progression or skill View more games with this feature
In-Game Trading
This game allows players to trade items between each other within the game View more games with this feature
The last title for the Wii and handhelds. The Windows version used the new engine (Ignite Engine) for the first time, which is the same as PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The first edition released during EA's deal with the English Premier League as Official Sports Technology Partner. This deal allows all 20 Premier League stadiums to be included in the game as well as official Premier League scoreboards and television graphics.[38] FIFA's exclusive access to Premier League clubs allowed detailed photography of all 20 stadiums so they could be authentically recreated, with the cheers, chants and sounds of more than 20 Premier League matches also recorded.[38] Since this game any club promoted to the Premier League has had their stadium added. Due to licensing troubles with Brazilian players, this was the first game in the main series that did not feature a Brazilian league in any form.
FIFA 20 FIFA 19 FIFA 18 FIFA 17 FIFA 16 FIFA 15 FIFA 14 FIFA 13 FIFA 12 FIFA 11
FIFA 15 Articles:
Cowardly EA Strikes YouTuber for FIFA 20 Criticism The kids emptied our bank account playing FIFA FIFA player spends over $16,000 on microtransactions
Game NHL 13
Genre: Sports Game Overwatch
Platforms: PS4, One, Switch, Win
Genre: Action Game Hitman 3
Platforms: PS5, Series X/S, PS4, One, Switch, Win


2008 ( US ) · English · Documental · G · 84 minutes of full movie HD video (uncut).
Such Hawks Such Hounds, full movie - Full movie 2008. You can watch Such Hawks Such Hounds online on video-on-demand services (Netflix, HBO Now), pay-TV or movie theatres with original audio in English. This movie has been premiered in Australian HD theatres in 2008 (Movies 2008). The DVD (HD) and Blu-Ray (Full HD) edition of full movie was sold some time after its official release in theatres of Sydney.
Movie directed by Jessica Hundley and John Srebalus.
Produced by John Srebalus and Jessica Hundley.
Given by David McFarland and Rohan Chitrakar.
Screenplay written by John Srebalus.
Commercially distributed this film, companies like Long Song Pictures.
This film was produced and / or financed by Long Song Pictures and Draw Pictures.
As usual, this film was shot in HD video (High Definition) Widescreen and Blu-Ray with Dolby Digital audio. Made-for-television movies are distributed in 4:3 (small screen). Without commercial breaks, the full movie Such Hawks Such Hounds has a duration of 84 minutes; the official trailer can be streamed on the Internet. You can watch this full movie free with English subtitles on movie television channels, renting the DVD or with VoD services (Video On Demand player, Hulu) and PPV (Pay Per View, Netflix).
Full HD Movies / Such Hawks Such Hounds - To enjoy online movies you need a HDTV with Internet or UHDTV with BluRay Player. The full HD movies are not available for free streaming.


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The Potential For A Libya 2.0?
An article in the New York Times was published recently discussing that the US and Turkey had agreed to create a 'safe zone' in Syria. Specifically the article stated that the plan was to have "an Islamic State-free zone controlled by relatively moderate Syrian insurgents, which the Turks say could also be a 'safe zone' for displaced Syrians."
Now, ignoring the fact that this is obviously a massive infringement upon the sovereignty of the Syrian state, there are some problems with this, as well as larger implications.
For starters, Turkey has actively been aiding ISIS. In November 2014, Newsweek ran an interview with a former ISIS member in which he stated that he "travelled in a convoy of trucks as part of an ISIS unit from their stronghold in Raqqa, across Turkish border, through Turkey and then back across the border to attack Syrian Kurds in the city of Serekaniye in northern Syria in February" and that commanders told him and other fighters that they nothing to fear "because there was full cooperation with the Turks." The very next month, Claudia Roth, then-deputy speaker of the German Parliament, noted that the Turkish government was aiding ISIS.
In addition to this, information just came to light from a US Special Forces raid in May, which shows "undeniable" evidence that "Turkish officials directly dealt with ranking ISIS members."
The second problem is the hope that "relatively moderate Syrian insurgents" will take over the area. This assumes that there are moderates, which doesn't seem to be true, given the fact that the US essentially gave up on the Free Syrian Army when it decided to create an entirely new force of fighters. Before then, the US had been touting the FSA as moderates. (This, of course, doesn't get into the fact that, for example, an FSA brigade commander admitted to working with Al Nusra and ISI or that a major beneficiary of this war on ISIS is AL Qaeda.)
A third problem is that while Turkey has essentially declared war on ISIS, they are bombing Kurdish positions as well, due to the fear that they have always had of Kurdish independence.
The US had been backing the Kurds, however it seems to now have sold them out, at least on the Syrian front, in order to further its own goals in the region and calms the Turks' nerves.
The Times article also reported that "American officials said they would need to arrange the same kind of system for calling in airstrikes that American Special Operations forces have worked out successfully with Kurdish fighters to the east in Syria," which sounds like Libya, where US forces were on the ground, aiding the Libyan rebels.
Furthermore, the article later reports that "Insurgents, as well as their supporters in the Syrian opposition and the Turkish government, are already envisioning the plan as a step toward establishing an area where alternative governance could be set up without fear of attack by Islamic State or government forces." Thus implying that this entire idea of a 'safe zone' could really just be used as a staging ground to consolidate anti-Syrian government forces and allow them to coordinate attacks.
What this does for the US is it allows for them to continue to put even more pressure on the Syrian government, it gives the Turks free reign for the most part and lets them know that Washington will turn a blind eye to the bombing of the Kurds, and gives the US the option of turning the situation into another Libya, all while the US doesn't have to truly directly engage in any actions aside from Special Forces and air strikes.
This entire scenario could allow for another Libya-type situation to unfold where the goal posts are constantly shifted until they are at the outcome the US and its allies want: the fall of the Assad government.
Labels: Analysis, Foreign Policy, Middle East, NATO, War
The New Social Media
The Question of Benghazi


Can a Rich man be a Loyal Partner?
The internet today is flooded with advice on how to meet and date a rich guy. Finding and dating a man who pulls in a seven-figure annual income no longer seems such an impossible dream, given the plethora of where-tos and how-tos of snaring a Mr. Moneybags. But interestingly enough there is little on what to expect after that. Among the foremost questions that confront partners of rich guys is whether he will be a loyal lover. So here are some thoughts which may help you to find an answer to the question.
The biggest pitfall in the way of commitment from a rich partner may be in the form of temptations he is exposed to which are bound to be greater in number and variety as compared to the average guy with the average income. It is only natural for successful bankers, high-earning lawyers and wealthy businessmen to dine at the most fashionable of restaurants or frequent clubs where the hostesses are chosen on the basis of their looks. The rich boys who are always in the limelight, whether they come from the field of sports or from the world of showbiz, are even more exposed to temptations in the form of attractive women or fascinated admirers looking for a fling. Reports of sexual escapades committed by golfing star Tiger Woods thronged the news channels and tabloids and proved to be a sad commentary on the reality of celebrity marriages. Even a longtime marriage like that of former American Vice President Al Gore and wife Tipper Gore was seen to succumb to marital infidelity as the former was reported to be having an affair with Laurie David, co-producer of Gore's award-winning and some would say prophetically-named documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.
Yet another factor which perhaps makes it more difficult for rich men to stay faithful to their partners is their ego which increases in size as their bank balances do. Men who are constantly being feted by employees, colleagues, clients, superiors and generally everyone else around them usually become used to appreciation from all quarters. In such a situation if for some reason, they feel that their partners are not giving the due attention or approval, they know that they can find it elsewhere without making any extra effort. This constant need for appreciation is difficult to fulfill for any partner who has a healthy sense of self-respect and may eventually turn out to be a reason for a rich guy to start looking around.
Just like their outsized egos, successful men often get used to a sense of entitlement. Here again, the example of Tiger Woods comes to mind – witness his apology after news of his successive flings erupted in the media. In the speech, Woods admits the he felt that he was 'entitled' - "I felt that I had worked hard my entire life and deserved to enjoy all the temptations around me... Thanks to money and fame, I didn't have to go far to find them". Rich men often believe that their wealth and popularity entitles them to everything they might fancy, including the right to break as many hearts as they want.
Guys who can afford the best of everything would naturally go looking for the same in their relationships too. In other words, it is a trophy girlfriend they are looking for, whether to show off their colleagues and competitors or to compliment their own sense of worth. The problem with this situation is that if you are looking for a guy who is rich, handsome and smart, he is most likely to have the same expectations from you. Not only will you find yourself under pressure to prove your worth in all aspects but you may just find yourself supplanted by the next super-babe who crosses your rich guy's path.
Sometimes it's just a matter of opportunity, no more and no less. Successful professional men like doctors might have to spend hours together at the hospital where there might be a sympathetic nurse more than willing to offer a neck rub. Or a busy lawyer might have to zip around the country in the company of an attractive aide with whom it would be only too natural to share a couple of drinks after a round of hard bargaining with clients. In such situations an after-dinner drink or a late night coffee is only a step away from a nightcap, with maybe neither party intending to commit any indiscretion but things simply turning out that way. On the other hand, a guy who earns a regular salary or runs a modest store has fewer chances of spending nights away from home or being away for days on end.
Eventually however it all boils down to individual personalities and priorities. Even the cute-looking next-door boyfriend may succumb to the charms of an attractive waitress on a regular night out with the boys. Earning an average income can never be a guarantee for loyalty since commitment to a relationship is a matter of the heart which is rarely influenced by the size of one's bank account. In fact a guy who does not have a home or a job may even be more likely to look out for his own financial stability by feeding off a well-established woman's sympathy and then moving on to the next source of emotional and material support. Moreover, rich men who have seen it all – the glamour and the temporality of a jet-setting life – are even more likely to be appreciative of a relationship where commitment is the keyword. After dealing with cut-throat competitors and difficult-to-please clients the whole time, every successful professional will want to come home to a wife and family where he knows he can find love and fidelity.
So in the final analysis, it is difficult to put forward a simplistic and direct equation between wealth and infidelity. While it is certainly true that the rich and the beautiful people are more likely to be sought-after by their admirers, whether or not they give in to such temptations is ultimately very much a matter of individual choice.


text:
// The formatter and CI disagree on how this import statement should be formatted. Both try to keep
// it on one line, too, which has gotten very hard to read & manage. So disable the formatter for
// this statement only.
// clang-format off
import {
  Component,
  Directive,
  InjectFlags,
  InjectionToken,
  Injector,
  NgModule,
  NgZone,
  Pipe,
  PlatformRef,
  Type,
  ɵRender3ComponentFactory as ComponentFactory,
  ɵRender3NgModuleRef as NgModuleRef,
  ɵflushModuleScopingQueueAsMuchAsPossible as flushModuleScopingQueueAsMuchAsPossible,
  ɵresetCompiledComponents as resetCompiledComponents,
  ɵstringify as stringify,
} from '@angular/core';
// clang-format on

import {ComponentFixture} from './component_fixture';
import {MetadataOverride} from './metadata_override';
import {TestBed} from './test_bed';
import {ComponentFixtureAutoDetect, ComponentFixtureNoNgZone, TestBedStatic, TestComponentRenderer, TestModuleMetadata} from './test_bed_common';
import {R3TestBedCompiler} from './r3_test_bed_compiler';

let _nextRootElementId = 0;

const UNDEFINED: Symbol = Symbol('UNDEFINED');

/**
 * @description
 * Configures and initializes environment for unit testing and provides methods for
 * creating components and services in unit tests.
 *
 * TestBed is the primary api for writing unit tests for Angular applications and libraries.
 *
 * Note: Use `TestBed` in tests. It will be set to either `TestBedViewEngine` or `TestBedRender3`
 * according to the compiler used.
 */
export class TestBedRender3 implements Injector, TestBed {
  /**
   * Initialize the environment for testing with a compiler factory, a PlatformRef, and an
   * angular module. These are common to every test in the suite.
   *
   * This may only be called once, to set up the common providers for the current test
   * suite on the current platform. If you absolutely need to change the providers,
   * first use `resetTestEnvironment`.
   *
   * Test modules and platforms for individual platforms are available from
   * '@angular/<platform_name>/testing'.
   *
   * @publicApi
   */
  static initTestEnvironment(
      ngModule: Type<any>|Type<any>[], platform: PlatformRef, aotSummaries?: () => any[]): TestBed {
    const testBed = _getTestBedRender3();
    testBed.initTestEnvironment(ngModule, platform, aotSummaries);
    return testBed;
  }

  /**
   * Reset the providers for the test injector.
   *
   * @publicApi
   */
  static resetTestEnvironment(): void { _getTestBedRender3().resetTestEnvironment(); }

  static configureCompiler(config: {providers?: any[]; useJit?: boolean;}): TestBedStatic {
    _getTestBedRender3().configureCompiler(config);
    return TestBedRender3 as any as TestBedStatic;
  }

  /**
   * Allows overriding default providers, directives, pipes, modules of the test injector,
   * which are defined in test_injector.js
   */
  static configureTestingModule(moduleDef: TestModuleMetadata): TestBedStatic {
    _getTestBedRender3().configureTestingModule(moduleDef);
    return TestBedRender3 as any as TestBedStatic;
  }

  /**
   * Compile components with a `templateUrl` for the test's NgModule.
   * It is necessary to call this function
   * as fetching urls is asynchronous.
   */
  static compileComponents(): Promise<any> { return _getTestBedRender3().compileComponents(); }

  static overrideModule(ngModule: Type<any>, override: MetadataOverride<NgModule>): TestBedStatic {
    _getTestBedRender3().overrideModule(ngModule, override);
    return TestBedRender3 as any as TestBedStatic;
  }

  static overrideComponent(component: Type<any>, override: MetadataOverride<Component>):
      TestBedStatic {
    _getTestBedRender3().overrideComponent(component, override);
    return TestBedRender3 as any as TestBedStatic;
  }

  static overrideDirective(directive: Type<any>, override: MetadataOverride<Directive>):
      TestBedStatic {
    _getTestBedRender3().overrideDirective(directive, override);
    return TestBedRender3 as any as TestBedStatic;
  }

  static overridePipe(pipe: Type<any>, override: MetadataOverride<Pipe>): TestBedStatic {
    _getTestBedRender3().overridePipe(pipe, override);
    return TestBedRender3 as any as TestBedStatic;
  }

  static overrideTemplate(component: Type<any>, template: string): TestBedStatic {
    _getTestBedRender3().overrideComponent(component, {set: {template, templateUrl: null !}});
    return TestBedRender3 as any as TestBedStatic;
  }

  /**
   * Overrides the template of the given component, compiling the template
   * in the context of the TestingModule.
   *
   * Note: This works for JIT and AOTed components as well.
   */
  static overrideTemplateUsingTestingModule(component: Type<any>, template: string): TestBedStatic {
    _getTestBedRender3().overrideTemplateUsingTestingModule(component, template);
    return TestBedRender3 as any as TestBedStatic;
  }

  static overrideProvider(token: any, provider: {
    useFactory: Function,
    deps: any[],
  }): TestBedStatic;
  static overrideProvider(token: any, provider: {useValue: any;}): TestBedStatic;
  static overrideProvider(token: any, provider: {
    useFactory?: Function,
    useValue?: any,
    deps?: any[],
  }): TestBedStatic {
    _getTestBedRender3().overrideProvider(token, provider);
    return TestBedRender3 as any as TestBedStatic;
  }

  static get<T>(token: Type<T>|InjectionToken<T>, notFoundValue?: T, flags?: InjectFlags): any;
  /**
   * @deprecated from v8.0.0 use Type<T> or InjectionToken<T>
   */
  static get(token: any, notFoundValue?: any): any;
  static get(
      token: any, notFoundValue: any = Injector.THROW_IF_NOT_FOUND,
      flags: InjectFlags = InjectFlags.Default): any {
    return _getTestBedRender3().get(token, notFoundValue);
  }

  static createComponent<T>(component: Type<T>): ComponentFixture<T> {
    return _getTestBedRender3().createComponent(component);
  }

  static resetTestingModule(): TestBedStatic {
    _getTestBedRender3().resetTestingModule();
    return TestBedRender3 as any as TestBedStatic;
  }

  // Properties

  platform: PlatformRef = null !;
  ngModule: Type<any>|Type<any>[] = null !;

  private _compiler: R3TestBedCompiler|null = null;
  private _testModuleRef: NgModuleRef<any>|null = null;

  private _activeFixtures: ComponentFixture<any>[] = [];
  private _globalCompilationChecked = false;

  /**
   * Initialize the environment for testing with a compiler factory, a PlatformRef, and an
   * angular module. These are common to every test in the suite.
   *
   * This may only be called once, to set up the common providers for the current test
   * suite on the current platform. If you absolutely need to change the providers,
   * first use `resetTestEnvironment`.
   *
   * Test modules and platforms for individual platforms are available from
   * '@angular/<platform_name>/testing'.
   *
   * @publicApi
   */
  initTestEnvironment(
      ngModule: Type<any>|Type<any>[], platform: PlatformRef, aotSummaries?: () => any[]): void {
    if (this.platform || this.ngModule) {
      throw new Error('Cannot set base providers because it has already been called');
    }
    this.platform = platform;
    this.ngModule = ngModule;
    this._compiler = new R3TestBedCompiler(this.platform, this.ngModule);
  }

  /**
   * Reset the providers for the test injector.
   *
   * @publicApi
   */
  resetTestEnvironment(): void {
    this.resetTestingModule();
    this._compiler = null;
    this.platform = null !;
    this.ngModule = null !;
  }

  resetTestingModule(): void {
    this.checkGlobalCompilationFinished();
    resetCompiledComponents();
    if (this._compiler !== null) {
      this.compiler.restoreOriginalState();
    }
    this._compiler = new R3TestBedCompiler(this.platform, this.ngModule);
    this._testModuleRef = null;
    this.destroyActiveFixtures();
  }

  configureCompiler(config: {providers?: any[]; useJit?: boolean;}): void {
    if (config.useJit != null) {
      throw new Error('the Render3 compiler JiT mode is not configurable !');
    }

    if (config.providers !== undefined) {
      this.compiler.setCompilerProviders(config.providers);
    }
  }

  configureTestingModule(moduleDef: TestModuleMetadata): void {
    this.assertNotInstantiated('R3TestBed.configureTestingModule', 'configure the test module');
    this.compiler.configureTestingModule(moduleDef);
  }

  compileComponents(): Promise<any> { return this.compiler.compileComponents(); }

  get<T>(token: Type<T>|InjectionToken<T>, notFoundValue?: T, flags?: InjectFlags): any;
  /**
   * @deprecated from v8.0.0 use Type<T> or InjectionToken<T>
   */
  get(token: any, notFoundValue?: any): any;
  get(token: any, notFoundValue: any = Injector.THROW_IF_NOT_FOUND,
      flags: InjectFlags = InjectFlags.Default): any {
    if (token === TestBedRender3) {
      return this;
    }
    const result = this.testModuleRef.injector.get(token, UNDEFINED, flags);
    return result === UNDEFINED ? this.compiler.injector.get(token, notFoundValue, flags) : result;
  }

  execute(tokens: any[], fn: Function, context?: any): any {
    const params = tokens.map(t => this.get(t));
    return fn.apply(context, params);
  }

  overrideModule(ngModule: Type<any>, override: MetadataOverride<NgModule>): void {
    this.assertNotInstantiated('overrideModule', 'override module metadata');
    this.compiler.overrideModule(ngModule, override);
  }

  overrideComponent(component: Type<any>, override: MetadataOverride<Component>): void {
    this.assertNotInstantiated('overrideComponent', 'override component metadata');
    this.compiler.overrideComponent(component, override);
  }

  overrideTemplateUsingTestingModule(component: Type<any>, template: string): void {
    this.assertNotInstantiated(
        'R3TestBed.overrideTemplateUsingTestingModule',
        'Cannot override template when the test module has already been instantiated');
    this.compiler.overrideTemplateUsingTestingModule(component, template);
  }

  overrideDirective(directive: Type<any>, override: MetadataOverride<Directive>): void {
    this.assertNotInstantiated('overrideDirective', 'override directive metadata');
    this.compiler.overrideDirective(directive, override);
  }

  overridePipe(pipe: Type<any>, override: MetadataOverride<Pipe>): void {
    this.assertNotInstantiated('overridePipe', 'override pipe metadata');
    this.compiler.overridePipe(pipe, override);
  }

  /**
   * Overwrites all providers for the given token with the given provider definition.
   */
  overrideProvider(token: any, provider: {useFactory?: Function, useValue?: any, deps?: any[]}):
      void {
    this.compiler.overrideProvider(token, provider);
  }

  createComponent<T>(type: Type<T>): ComponentFixture<T> {
    const testComponentRenderer: TestComponentRenderer = this.get(TestComponentRenderer);
    const rootElId = `root-ng-internal-isolated-${_nextRootElementId++}`;
    testComponentRenderer.insertRootElement(rootElId);

    const componentDef = (type as any).ngComponentDef;

    if (!componentDef) {
      throw new Error(
          `It looks like '${stringify(type)}' has not been IVY compiled - it has no 'ngComponentDef' field`);
    }

    // TODO: Don't cast as `any`, proper type is boolean[]
    const noNgZone = this.get(ComponentFixtureNoNgZone as any, false);
    // TODO: Don't cast as `any`, proper type is boolean[]
    const autoDetect: boolean = this.get(ComponentFixtureAutoDetect as any, false);
    const ngZone: NgZone|null = noNgZone ? null : this.get(NgZone as Type<NgZone|null>, null);
    const componentFactory = new ComponentFactory(componentDef);
    const initComponent = () => {
      const componentRef =
          componentFactory.create(Injector.NULL, [], `#${rootElId}`, this.testModuleRef);
      return new ComponentFixture<any>(componentRef, ngZone, autoDetect);
    };
    const fixture = ngZone ? ngZone.run(initComponent) : initComponent();
    this._activeFixtures.push(fixture);
    return fixture;
  }

  private get compiler(): R3TestBedCompiler {
    if (this._compiler === null) {
      throw new Error(`Need to call TestBed.initTestEnvironment() first`);
    }
    return this._compiler;
  }

  private get testModuleRef(): NgModuleRef<any> {
    if (this._testModuleRef === null) {
      this._testModuleRef = this.compiler.finalize();
    }
    return this._testModuleRef;
  }

  private assertNotInstantiated(methodName: string, methodDescription: string) {
    if (this._testModuleRef !== null) {
      throw new Error(
          `Cannot ${methodDescription} when the test module has already been instantiated. ` +
          `Make sure you are not using \`inject\` before \`${methodName}\`.`);
    }
  }

  /**
   * Check whether the module scoping queue should be flushed, and flush it if needed.
   *
   * When the TestBed is reset, it clears the JIT module compilation queue, cancelling any
   * in-progress module compilation. This creates a potential hazard - the very first time the
   * TestBed is initialized (or if it's reset without being initialized), there may be pending
   * compilations of modules declared in global scope. These compilations should be finished.
   *
   * To ensure that globally declared modules have their components scoped properly, this function
   * is called whenever TestBed is initialized or reset. The _first_ time that this happens, prior
   * to any other operations, the scoping queue is flushed.
   */
  private checkGlobalCompilationFinished(): void {
    // Checking _testNgModuleRef is null should not be necessary, but is left in as an additional
    // guard that compilations queued in tests (after instantiation) are never flushed accidentally.
    if (!this._globalCompilationChecked && this._testModuleRef === null) {
      flushModuleScopingQueueAsMuchAsPossible();
    }
    this._globalCompilationChecked = true;
  }

  private destroyActiveFixtures(): void {
    this._activeFixtures.forEach((fixture) => {
      try {
        fixture.destroy();
      } catch (e) {
        console.error('Error during cleanup of component', {
          component: fixture.componentInstance,
          stacktrace: e,
        });
      }
    });
    this._activeFixtures = [];
  }
}

let testBed: TestBedRender3;

export function _getTestBedRender3(): TestBedRender3 {
  return testBed = testBed || new TestBedRender3();
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


t~icrogravity research, a new field originating from the accessibility of space, has reached the age of adolescence. An impressive set of results has emerged from the fi rst Space 1 ab fl i ght, whi ch by now has been fully evaluated. In view of this and the wealth of information available from other space experiments, ground based research, and short-term microgra- vity experiments in ai rp 1 anes, rockets or fall towers, it was felt that the time was ripe for a comprehensive review of the field. The initiative of the US to build a permanent station in space, which was soon followed by a European decision to join this venture, further focussed attention onto microgravity materials sciences. This originates from the interesting prospects of a commercial space uti 1 ization, which would heavily rely on the results of scientific or technical experiments in space. From this point of view it also seemed timely and essential to provi de prospective commerci a 1 users with the necessary i nformat i on on previous experience, and more importantly, with a sound scientific basis for space processing. The aim of the present volume consequently is twofold, namely - to stimulate new scientific experiments in space in order to expand our knowledge gained from microgravity research, and to provide industry with the information obtained from space experi- ments sofar and to contribute to the scientific background for commer- cial space utilization.


Banque Nationale, and more specifically its affiliate Agro-industrie, organized an event for all its accounting managers that focused on engagement. In addition to the purely strategic aspects, they also wanted their workers, who were all on the same hierarchical level yet did not work near each other, to get to know one another and grow closer.
Groupe Esprit de Corps Inc. thus developed a tailor-made afternoon-long program for Banque Nationale so as to hold a motivating and unifying activity to allow employees of the department to get to know one another and open up to each other.
Depuis 150 ans, la Banque Nationale n'a pas perdu son statut de principale institution bancaire au Québec.


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Contact us at The Creamery – We always welcome questions, compliments, criticisms and cool ideas from our customers.
Pop us an email at hello@thecreamery.co.za, or call our head office on 021 447 7690.
Alternatively, contact our Dessert Cafés directly. Please note we do not take reservations at our cafes.
To send us your CV, please follow the instructions here.
Please call or email ahead if you would like to set up an appointment with one of our management team.
If you'd like us to give you a call, please enter your phone number.


text:
Home | About | Diversity
Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee is comprised of faculty, staff, and students working towards creating a more equitable, diverse, and welcoming place to learn and work.
DEI Committee Members
Humans of Thayer Project
Mission: A Thayer that embodies openness, accessibility, collaboration, and human-centered innovation, that elevates the voices of those from historically marginalized backgrounds, and continually works towards a community that comes together across differences as we respond to the challenges in our world.
"Our goal is to build a community that reflects the rich diversity of the global workforce, and create a culture in which our individual identities and contributions are valued and treated with respect. It's critical that each student, faculty, and staff feel welcome and included to ensure we teach, learn, and discover to our full potential."
—Alexis Abramson, Dean
As part of the larger Dartmouth Action Plan for Inclusive Excellence, the engineering community at Dartmouth aims to:
Invest in the initiatives that prioritize equity and access by giving deliberate attention to the recruitment, retention, or training hurdles that limit the participation of individuals from historically marginalized groups.
Improve the health and well-being of our community through organizing resources and programming that meet the specific needs of diverse groups and create a culture where skill-sharing, storytelling, and acts of caretaking and wellness are uplifted.
Imagine and create a more equitable future in which we listen to and learn from the stories, struggles, and successes of those most impacted by a history of inequities, using them as roadmarkers towards the solutions we practice as a community.
The DEI Committee, in collaboration with members of the Dartmouth engineering community, will focus on the following areas:
DEI in Classroom
Pilot methods for increasing inclusion in Thayer courses, including helping instructors adopt existing best practices and developing materials tailored for our community.
Thayer Diversity, Equity, Inclusion Community Engagement
Foster engagement by providing meaningful learning opportunities within the Thayer community surrounding diversity, inclusion, equity, and access.
Support evidence-based change to policies, norms, and interactions that lead to Thayer being a place where ALL students, staff, and faculty are able to thrive.
Building on Dartmouth's DEI Strategy, develop an updated 3-year DEI roadmap for Dartmouth Engineering, including objectives, tactics/activities, outcomes, and measures for success, leveraging overarching DEI principles and best practices, customized to our Thayer's culture.
Julia Abraham, Alexis Abramson, Kelly Blue, Petra Bonfert-Taylor, Nathan Carlson, Faith Goodness, Britt Goods, Katie Hixon, Jess Kinzie, Eugene Korsunskiy, Vicki May, Colin Meyer, Laura Ray, Rafe Steinhauer, Tricia Spellman, Haley Tucker, Holly Wilkinson
Ilyse (Brita) Horlings, Chase Yakaboski, Nandita Nanda
Humans of Thayer (HofT) is a project designed to foster connection, acceptance, and a sense of belonging by sharing the faces and stories of our students, faculty, and staff.
View HofT posts on Instagram or Flickr.
Help us build community by sharing what you love to do, what sustains your curiosity, your biggest influence, or something else about yourself!
HofT Submission Form
The DEI Committee provides ongoing documentation of practices, plans, accomplishments, and challenges relevant to their goal of building a more welcoming, equitable place to learn and work, and to creating campus-wide partnerships towards implementing meaningful change.


Creating a converged government is controversial, some of the comments I received (like J.R.'s) made me ask myself, "what if we could do a full tear-down and start over, what would the new house look like?" But before I get into that, as d.eris pointed out, the result would no longer be a federation, so instead of a federal government, there would be a national government, or just a government:-).
So... here goes - this is mostly about the process of getting elected, some of the political accountability and it touches on a couple of other aspects like taxation and some core national services. This is by no means exhaustive. Hopefully it provokes a debate about how things could be in iAmerica (i=imaginary;-).
There are only two kinds of elected officials - the President/VP and the 435 members of Congress; there is no Senate, nor of course are there any local officials. The President can run for one six-year term. Congresspeople can run for up to two four-year terms, and they overlap - so half the House is reelected every two years.
Actual or prospective government employees may not accept any kind of gift - public or private, cash or otherwise. To become a candidate, you must be nominated by 1% of your district's citizens, or 10,000 voters, whichever is less. Once nominated, you are entitled to $0.50 per voter in your district, or approximately $250,000 in government funds for your campaign. The presidential candidate follows roughly the same process, and is likewise constrained to $0.50/voter of national funding.
Voting is mandatory and fully electronic. The penalty for not voting is harsh - your tax bracket is raised to the next level until your vote is recorded (i.e. skip two elections and you're in a higher tax bracket for four years).
During the election (one month every two years), candidates must speak not only about their national interests, but also their local/district commitments. Each candidate must declare their ten most critical local priorities, which forms the basis of their "local" platform and part of the framework for their accountability to their voters.
Indicate your top ten local issues/priorities based on the published list of each candidate's top ten (so if there are three candidates, you pick your hot issues based on the aggregated (30 or less, since some issues will overlap) candidates' list).
Vote for your Congressperson (you will also see how each candidate matches up to your top ten; if there is an incumbent, you see how they performed in support of your top ten issues).
Select your presidential candidate (potentially with a similar prioritization model).
By first being asked to prioritize the local issues you care about, we create a sensitivity to local needs for the eventual winner, plus the voter is now able to clearly see which candidate(s)' priorities are most closely aligned. It doesn't force you to vote for the best match, but at least you are making a more informed choice. Moreover, it is in the candidates' best interests to understand their voters' issues up-front and focus on the things at top of mind in their platform to create the most matches on voting day.
A mandatory electronic voting process includes the provision that the government provide every citizen with the means to do this. As you probably know, every wireless device in the world (phone or PC or whatever) has a unique (MAC or IMEI) address. The government must provide each citizen with a basic device (that is registered to their social security number; if the citizen chooses, they can purchase their own device, but each citizen must have a "registered" device).
This device will be provisioned with basic, free wireless access to deliver government services (voting, emergency services, information, potentially health care records (in a health vault of some kind), financial information (e-wallet), etc.). Each citizen will therefore be able to "connect" and vote wherever they are on Election Day. Since the incentive is quite powerful (see above), it is expected that turnout will be virtually 100%, ensuring that every individual's voice is heard.
Further, the system will capture local priorities (this could also be extended to national priorities), aggregated by district to ensure local needs are met, and when mapped to voting records, actual outcomes, etc., will create a powerful accountability model. I would imagine getting a quarterly report card on how my Congressperson is doing vis-à-vis the aggregated priorities of the district, and the ones I outlined.
This might create the perception of a more big-brother-ish society, but I think with the right regulatory safeguards, it actually creates the opportunity for a leaner, more accessible government, and a better-served citizenry.
The three branches of government remain intact, though Congress does have additional responsibilities.
Congresspeople are required to spend two-thirds (67%) of their time in their district, overseeing national agency focus and prioritization based on the local top ten issues, etc.; and one-third (33%) in Washington on national issues (education, health care, security, infrastructure, defense, etc.).
The local responsibility is much greater than in today's Congress. In this regard, Congresspeople act more like governors of their district. This will require a larger local staff, a deeper understanding of local needs and issues, as well as the ability and accountability for all of the constituents' governing needs.
Since the penalty for accepting private or commercial funds is termination, lobbyists will have a harder time creating influence. Congresspeople will also be judged based on their track record versus the priorities their district set out during the election; this will create a more powerful accountability dynamic, and given that they are required to "govern" their district as well, build a deeper appreciation and focus on the needs and challenges facing their constituents.
When in Washington D.C., Congresspeople will focus on national issues alongside the President. This process operates similarly to the current House, but with the dynamic of a multi-party system (vs. the two that currently dominate). As we've discussed here and here, I think a 3+-party system offers a better representation of the people's wishes, creates more moderated governance, and provides a stronger checks/balances model than we have now.
While in principle the federal/state/local model is a check/balance model, I don't believe it works in reality. Look at how much power the Feds wield during crises (9-11, Katrina, etc.), but more importantly, when you follow the money it's very clear that in the end, federal dollars are worth way more than local dollars. You only have to look as far as No Child Left Behind - the Feds account for only 9% of the total national education budget, and yet through NCLB, they basically defined an education model that dramatically altered every state's approach to education.
But if you want more evidence of this, ask any state or local official that you know how much time they have spent (as a percentage) trying to figure out how to maximize their access to federal funds (TARP, stimulus, or otherwise). It's now common for a city to have a stimulus package lobbyist in DC!
When a municipality or state is beholden to the Federal government for handouts, the checks and balances have evaporated.
I therefore feel that the Congressional accountability model, change in their job descriptions, constraints to financing rules, and the multi-party approach, combined with the current Separation of Powers are enough to ensure an improved government of the people, by the people, for the people.
There is only one form of taxation allowed in the country - a simple and progressive income tax. We would start from scratch and create a simpler tax policy for the country that achieved three things - enough income to operate the country (no deficit financing); the ability to set aside some funding as a national reserve; ideally operated so that the poorest third (or higher) of the population paid no taxes. Note that if you didn't vote in an election but were in the lower third of income earners, you would now be subject to taxation per the penalties of not voting.
There will be national standards for things like education, health care, infrastructure (roads, air/marine traffic, etc.) and domestic and national security. These standards will ensure equal access to all resources for all people and across the country. Every school for example will operate under the same guidelines and expectations, much like this. In the same way, all roads, railways, airports, ports, etc. should be managed equitably.
Health care... that's a whole separate kettle of fish - I may write a separate post on this, but in the mean time, suffice it to say that today Americans are not the healthiest people in the world, and much work is needed to get them closer to good health. Defense - I believe this is a matter of foreign policy vs. global policy, where in almost every case, economic acts trump military acts.
As I began to write this, it became clear how expansive and complex this is. It raised to a higher notch my respect and admiration for the gentlemen that wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. It made me realize how much they were able to accomplish with so few words. They were quite something.
In a related vein, I think these next-generation Congresspersons have an incredibly difficult job. In this new world, I think it might actually be the place where true impact is created, and where leadership and the qualities of being a great leader are tested and honed.
I've been reading a lot about increased funding and expanded budgets for "innovation" in education lately. America spends a lot of money (among the highest) per student on public education; most people are unsatisfied with the results, and yet the prevailing strategy to improve things is to throw more money at the same system.
ASIDE: According to the US Census Bureau's Public Education Finances report, of the $274.2b for Instruction, 89.8% or $246.2b goes towards teacher salaries and benefits ($78,334 per teacher). That's a pretty good wage these days, but as I've said before, I believe that teachers should be better-paid, and respected as peers to doctors, lawyers and engineers. Regarding this last point, I wonder then if it's time for teachers to secede from their unions? Most lawyers, doctors, engineers, etc. are not union members; I wonder if being union members creates the impression of not being on an equal footing with those professions, and actually diminishes teachers?
I'm not judging whether the level of funding above is too much or too little for America. Let's say it's just right. Now combine this with the graph to the left, and it's pretty clear that the budget is big, and has and continues to grow very rapidly.
I don't know enough about the public sector, but in business when growth like this occurs, it is likely that bad habits form. People get lazy, money is not spent wisely, and consultants get hired to do what employees should be doing, or to provide management with a CYA safety net. Management gets in the rut of preserving the status quo/gravy train. Most organizations that survive past the rapid growth phase have to go back to the drawing board and rethink their whole business. They must develop a strategy re-defining success, specifying new resource allocation models, and advocating entirely new business processes and approaches in order to achieve their goals.
With the kind of funding growth education has enjoyed, I wonder if the administrators have simply been adding more $$ to existing line items - taking the easy way out?
Have they taken the time to form a strategy that establishes where the puck will be, enumerates and prioritizes their current resources, and defines a plan for how to get there? If the current budget won't get to the puck, they should first look inward, make trade-offs, and then demonstrate exactly how additional funding results in specific outcomes that other stakeholders want and would fund.
I've written before about how organizations can get waylaid by their own success, and the effect of size on performance. While both blogs were about commercial companies, I wonder if some of the same principles might apply to education?
At one time, the American education system was among the best in the world, and it appears that the formula from that era remains in force today despite many changes to the world around us. Why is that? Despite all the lip service paid to edu-evolution, except for very small pockets, the system appears to be just the same as it was two or three generations ago. It feels like Education is trying as hard as it can to live up to this Peter Drucker quote.
Can education achieve innovation when increased funding is not a part of the picture? If necessity is the mother of invention, is it possible that the constant increases in funding have resulted in precisely the wrong (zero-innovation) outcome?
Humans tend to think most creatively when their backs are against the wall, and they have to adapt or die. If put in that situation, would the American education system find a completely new and innovative way to achieve its goals? I think it's possible.
It takes leadership to achieve this, but I don't see the present administration (President Obama or Secretary Duncan) taking this on. We remain in desperate need of an education sensei to lead us.
My good friend Larry pointed me to a fantastic presentation by John Seely Brown on tinkering. The ten minutes you invest in listening to John is well worth it.
Where to begin. First - I think back to times I'd spend with my father, fixing his car, or an appliance, or building something (he is a tinkerer:-)), and how I osmotically learned about machinery or design, and most importantly, how I learned to decompose a problem and then solve it bit by bit until it was complete.
This approach also taught me to be bold. I can't overstate this - when you are working on a problem beside someone whom you trust and who knows more, you are more likely to try things because you know s/he is there to help/rescue/fix you if something goes wrong. When you're learning alone or in a typical classroom setting this type of "support" might not be available for two reasons - creativity and exploration is generally discouraged (a crime IMO), and often the teacher or tutor is dealing with too many students to actually be there at the precise time the one child is at the point of trying something.
As I've gotten older, I'm emboldened (because I learned how to "fix on the fly") to the point where I can now explore, experiment and create, and actually enjoy it! This is how we will build the leaders of tomorrow, by giving them the ability and confidence to do things, to try things, and to seek the joy of learning, and sharing.
I love this phrase. The idea of create, reflect and share is very familiar. About a month ago, this same "Larry" and I had breakfast together and talked about many things, including the failure of standards in learning. During that conversation, he described his view of learning - observation, reflection, documentation, exhibition. I know that Larry and John are two peas in a pod on this:)! The share/exhibition aspect can't be overlooked, whether it is in a gallery, a school hallway, or teaching another student (as John suggests), learning is cemented during this process - yet, the education system today rarely offers students this opportunity, favoring regurgitation instead (another crime IMO).
This process of continuous learning and teaching is crucial. When Einstein (thanks Larry:)) spoke these words, he was talking about discovery, which I see as implicit and tied into the learning process above, and brought to life through exhibition.
Exhibition has another aspect - it requires creation - often physical and tangible creation. The creation process enables us to evolve to not just a way of learning and teaching, but also a way of improving. When work in progress is shared (as my father did with me), we were both able to improve it, I as the observer might have had an idea that my father as constructor didn't and after some discussion and experimentation, who knows, maybe together, we created something better, just because we shared.
But we did more than share, we critiqued each others efforts as well, not maliciously or judgmentally, but productively. Building the skill to do that and having the strength to accept it is so fundamental in school, because let's face it, it's certainly there (positive and negative) in real life.
I wish our public school system were bold enough to embrace this approach. The possibilities for its graduates would be limitless.
This blog is one way in which I tinker - it results from my observations of the world; how I reflect (and synthesize) what I see; an articulation; and then my favorite part - the exhibition, where when shared, I have the pleasure of learning from others (you) through their (your) willingness to share.
Eleven score and thirteen years ago, a document was signed - it demanded greatness from a people and a place. The principles were simple - we must honor and respect everyone, and celebrate each person's right and opportunity to achieve their best. It set the stage for incredible achievements on so many fronts.
A tradition of success can be fraught - generations grow up expecting results, expecting preeminence, and expecting the ride to be easy. The mindset of being owed outcomes creates complacency. The reality of sure and steady economic growth creates a sense of entitlement. When this happens, I think beginnings and ends are most overlooked - beginnings = education, ends = retirement - because people are most focused on the middle. A good social safety net also gets ignored because prosperity seems so attainable for anyone.
But when times do get tough as they are now, these three are most tested. Today we recognize that each has much room for improvement. In the spirit of America's history, we need revolutions in education, retirement and social safety nets to reach or restore greatness.
Education, Retirement and a Social Safety Net are difficult, difficult problems, but if America opens its mind to new ideas and creates a sense of urgency, I know it can spark the revolution that will create greatness.
I was watching Pixar's brilliant film Wall-E again today, and got to thinking about how the spaceship was built in the movie. The well-intentioned designers decomposed every anticipated act into a process and then automated it. This certainly created a more efficient, streamlined, and predictable system, one that did exactly what it should when it needed to. It did this to the point where every micro action had a pre-defined reaction, and success was measured by that micro actor's ability to do what it was supposed to. Of course the best example of this in the film is "Mop."
In the end, the result of all the problem decomposition, process management and operational efficiency was a profoundly well-managed and controlled environment that worked, provided everything happened according to plan. Over time, in the controlled environment, the system worked well enough that humans (the original constructors and source of inspiration) became superfluous - there was no need or expectation for them to do anything, be anything, or act in any way. With the system meeting every need, people became lazy and dull - aspiration-free. How horrible. How frightening.
Ironically, it took a machine with a soul to rekindle man's soul and give it purpose. The predictable, programmed, precise (but soulful) machine became the random act that re-ignited aspiration and re-awakened humanity.
As organizations in our reality mature, growth rates are harder to maintain because the revenue base keeps getting larger. A natural reaction for many is to prioritize operational efficiency, process management and business predictability vs. new growth opportunities. Why? Because at least you can control what's inside and maintain (and potentially grow) profitability by being a "better-run company."
There is no doubt that size does matter - the markets have proven that. There's equally no doubt that size is not an assurance of success, the markets have certainly proven that. There is also this truth that when organizations get bigger, they seek something (perhaps vindication?) that requires or results in ...girth.
The organizational equivalent of human girth - aka cellulite - is groups like HR, Legal and of course MBAs. As with cellulite, these elements seem to have an innate ability to multiply and expand at the expense of the value-creating parts of the company. At their best, HR, Legal, MBAs, etc. manage to create micro-successes, and cause companies to bias and measure micro-outcomes on the assumption that they are additive or multiplicative, and will result in macro success. Business processes form around the micro, funding and resources become contingent on the micro, performance is rewarded based on micro behavior, and most sadly, those who wish to innovate and transform cannot do so without first running the gauntlet of girth.
So what's my solution for corporate liposuction? I think there is at least one way for organizations to form and be lead so that they maintain the adaptive, sense and response essence that characterized their initial trajectory of success.
It is possible to be great and be lean. It is possible (though shocking to many I'm sure) to successfully run a company where PowerPoint and McKinsey analysis are not the lingua franca. It is possible to do this, but not easy. It requires one to flaunt the laws of girth-gravity. Who among us is able?
Then there's something missing - there has to be, otherwise how could the American education not be be better than it is?
If you were told: "You can spend less to create a better product that will make you more money, and one of the best examples of this is your next-door neighbor." Wouldn't you do it?
This reminds me of The Karate Kid, a coming of age film where a boy learns how to defend himself from a group of thugs with the help of his Japanese superintendent. The Super starts him off with some work around his house, painting the fence, washing the floor, waxing the car - all done in a very specific way. After doing all these seemingly meaningless chores, the boy gets angry and frustrated, and that's when the old man, with a slew of attacks, shows him that he's unknowingly built the muscles and reflexes that are the essence of self-defense!
The sensei was wise, proven and savvy enough to know what elemental skills the boy needed, how best to teach them to him, and once these seemingly unrelated skills were mastered, he helped the boy realize that he had learned something altogether different.
The American education system needs a sensei. Someone with the wisdom and guile to craft a profound outcome out of a series of seemingly unrelated acts that suddenly explode on the American people, forming the basis of a great education system.
The traditional approach is based on the Everett Rogers Innovation Diffusion Curve to the left. School teachers fit this curve very nicely. The most visible, Web 2.0, twittering blogger-types are all in the Innovators category, with Early Adopters, the Majorities, and maybe a slightly bigger than smaller category of Laggards.
But the Innovators are too far ahead of everyone else, so much so that the mainstream simply can't connect with them. Traditionally, the Early Adopters would bridge the gap to the Majorities and help pull them along into the future, and while this is how grassroots/organic change will happen in education, I think this process is too slow and too fragmented to yield meaningful results by itself. Moreover, the Majorities have enormous inertia and inadequate incentives to be receptive to quantum change.
We need a catalyst (sensei) with unimpeachable authority and strength, based on wisdom and experience to create the circumstances where "epiphanically" a national transformation occurs. It might take a decade to happen, but we all know it will, because our sensei is just that good.
I wonder - who is the Peter Drucker of Education?
Where is this person who has the chops and cred to be able to make profound change happen? And how would it happen?
It's time for America to create a non-political, national sister organization to the Federal Reserve/Ben Bernanke for Education.
We could call it "the Ed."
We just need to find our sensei.
I've been traveling the last couple of weeks and haven't had much time to write. But this article caught my eye, and some words popped into my brain.
The New York Times reported that the US Department of Justice is opening a probe into Google's Book Search service. The class action suit filed by authors and publishers was settled recently, granting Google the license (from authors and publishers) to commercialize just about every in-copyright book ever published in the United States. The resulting potential monopoly situation has piqued the DOJ's interest.
According to the Inquisitr, Google has digitized some seven million books, many out of print, and whose authors aren't around to claim royalties. They will charge for access to the books and share the revenue with authors and publishers. You have to register your book in the Book Rights Registry to receive your share of the 63% royalties that the registry will receive. If a book is "orphaned," Google may show 20% of the content for free (ad-funded) and then sell consumers access to the rest of the book, keeping all the proceeds.
Google controlling the largest digital book library in the world and the ability to set prices and conditions of use for any services provided by Book Search is problematic. There is no doubt that tomorrow's reader will prefer e- to paper, which makes Google's repository the de facto library for America, and potentially the rest of the world, depending on how this goes with the EU and other markets.
Publishers are OK with this because they have secured monetization rights to new releases, thinking that this is their greatest source of revenue. This tip-of-the-iceberg mentality is fraught with risk. Long-tail principles teach us that more than half of what interests people is not recent, today or kitsch - it's the stuff that's in the inventory that publishers just ceded. Moreover, there is a principle of efficiency or one-stop-shopping that pushes people to go towards more definitive and complete sources. Given that, it's a slam-dunk that every new author is going to want to have their newly-released book in the medium that gives them the most potential readers - Google; this will force publishers to want to push all their content through Book Search.
Of course you will all recognize this as the same dynamic and head-in-the-sand mentality that the RIAA and music industry exhibited in the face of iTunes. Looks like publishers even more naive, 'cause they don't believe this will happen to them.
This is something publishers know intrinsically, but they're so entrenched in their world that they can't grasp this new paradigm, or the fact that it will subsume their current business. The individual author probably likes this because they're thinking this will results in increased royalties for their books. The Darwinian Free Market Forces (DFMF) person in me says - "Good - let them be victims of their myopia!" But the Serve Society's Best Interests (SSBI) side says - "No - we can't allow this to happen!"
Society (and the people) should control access to its members' works (especially works of art). Broad, universal control of literature, music, art, etc. can not be in the hands of a commercial enterprise, no matter how benevolent they may be, or appear to be. It belongs to the people.
What if we form a joint venture (this applies to the USA only) with US Library of Congress (LOC), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the US Public Libraries and ask Google to turn this Book Search facility over to it. We will form www.booksearch.gov (or bs.gov for short - I'm guessing it'll be easy for people to remember this) as a revenue-generating facility whose profits for the first three years will go to Google (to cover their investment), and following that will go to funding the LOC, NEA and Public Libraries.
This appeases the both the DFMF and SSBI in me and allows us to keep the fruits of society's labors in the hands of the people and not the one.
I heard this great quote on a TV show called Naruto: "anything that has form must one day decay."
-- Oops - sorry about that - I felt oddly compelled to get a drink of water just then.
Apparently, 7,100 (or 47%) of the 15,000 air traffic controllers in the US will hit their mandatory retirement age in 2012. I don't know about you, but this doesn't make me sit back, relax and enjoy the flight!
The skies are crowded as it is, and we already have a lot of "close calls"
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has found that 22% of facilities have already exceed the number of trainees they're allowed to have working at any time <-- read that one again!
Besides thinking it's time to go long on companies that sell video-conferencing technology, I'm wondering if this is just organizational decay? That as the DOT or FAA have grown older, they've just lost the ability to think clearly, forecast correctly, elevate issues appropriately, etc.? I'm sure there are many employees there who have been shouting about the impending resource gap, but maybe "management" just ignored it?
I think of the company I work for - it's now over 30 years old - and certainly some elements of it feel very sluggish. I think of the company that insures my apartment, that still today (after four years of assuring me that this was in the works) do not have a way for me to look at my policy or pay my bill online. I look at how long it took for America (a self-proclaimed super-power) to react to Katrina, or recognize that it's roads and highways are falling apart, there are so many examples.
What to do? How do organizations stay fresh? Here's one idea.
According to the Conference Board, about 40% of households will e-file their tax returns this year. Why isn't it higher? It saves the IRS $millions to have people e-file vs. paper-file. Why is it not 99%? Imagine how many trees we'd save just by not having to print all those forms and booklets and stuff? Imagine how much more efficient the IRS would be if it didn't have to transcribe the millions of manually-filled-out forms? Imagine how much less expensive it would be for the Feds to run the IRS!
Let's look at voting systems for elections. Why is this not fully-electronic today? How is it that India, a country that has a much less advanced infrastructure compared to the United States is able to conduct fully-electronic voting? Imagine how many trees we'd save, imagine how much complexity would be eliminated, imagine how many fewer lawyers we'd need! All of this plus we'd learn the results immediately! When the last polls closed, the results (the final results) would be published, and undisputed.
Why does it take so much paperwork for a Veteran to receive their benefits?
Why is it so hard for a family to apply for tuition assistance?
Why is it so hard for someone who can't afford to feed their family to get meal-assistance?
Don't you wonder why this country insists on remaining in the dark ages so much? After all, this the nation that became something, the thing in a matter of 15-20 generations! It flaunted rules and traditions, challenged the establishment, was noisy, aggressive and passionate, and got it done!!
But then all of a sudden, laurels were found, and people insisted on resting on them. WTF? Why abandon that passion, energy, the feeling of never being satisfied with good enough?
Simple. We became comfortable. We became complacent. We did this because things were going so well (due to the work our predecessors had done), and we figured it would just remain this way no matter what - it was our birthright. Hah!
We forgot the hard work, sacrifice and passion it took to get here in the first place. And most critically, that if this country could do it, any other that wished to put in the hard work would do this and more.
Now all of a sudden, there's a sense of discomfort, that others have not only caught up, but surpassed.
The sense of entitlement, and resulting bureaucracy has led us astray. The effect of mind-numbing paperwork (while useful in keeping certain people employed and feeling like they had the biggest penises in the room) has resulted in hopeless inefficiency; process that take months or years to accomplish what should happen in minutes; and the reality of bureaucratic inertia arresting productive work, and impeding great outcomes.
Let us start somewhere. Why doesn't the IRS take the lead and say that they will only accept paper returns on an exception basis. That they will require that everyone who has an ATM card or a mobile phone or a TV must file electronically. (They will provide mechanisms that allow for that to happen at post offices, public libraries, other state-run facilities and even hospitals.) In the end, even doing this will save more money than it costs to process all the paper returns.
Why doesn't the FEC state that we will require a voting system like the one I described here??
Why doesn't the Veteran's administration say that we will automatically give every Veteran the benefits they're owed - no paperwork required? And so on?
Is it really that hard? I don't think so. Is it equitable for every citizen? No. So why not create exceptional solutions that specifically cater to those "edge-cases" vs. burden the whole system with it? That's a truly equitable solution.
From what I know of the IRS (I had the opportunity to work with it's then CIO about five years ago), this (even accounting for all the special accommodations I described above) would actually be a net cost savings to them; in conversations with people at the Department of Social Security, I heard similar words when talking about their processes.
Maybe it's time for President Obama to enact Patriot Act Part 2 - the American Redemption from the Tyranny of Paperwork.
Oh, and Mr. President: please just email the Act to Congress, and have them e-vote to pass it.
The good old days. It's not that they were that good, it's just that in hindsight and since we survived it, we feel a fondness for it. The past is also safer because it's known and understood; the future is obviously neither.
I was reading Seth Godin's latest this morning. We are also in the midst of the Communication Revolution. The implications of this combined with what Seth wrote are huge.
The airline industry learned it too; during the fuel crisis, Southwest Airlines was least scathed, because they had sensed future oil issues, responded with a hedge strategy, and adapted to the new world more successfully as a result.
Apple has done this twice. When they recognized that they were no longer Apple Computers (long before they announced this) but Apple Inc., they ramped up their Apple Store strategy and became a retail force, connecting directly with their customers. Fantastic move to sense that the consumer was becoming more empowered and conscious of their own image; they responded, and adapted. The second time is happening now. It's their recognition of the value of iTunes and that it and the App Store are their new channel to the consumer. I think the ripple effects and impact iTunes and App Store will have are going to be massive, and surprise a lot of people.
Organizations that are naive enough to believe the market will wait patiently while they attempt to extract every possible drop of milk from their cash cows, are in for a much quicker reckoning with reality.
But those that look at change and like the Aikido master, are able to take its inertia and redirect it to their advantage are the ones that will thrive.