As many people worry about political uncertainties such as the frivolous Brexit, which in reality is much ado about nothing, when will politicians decide to tackle the biggest threat to humanity which is of course the number of humans themselves. When I was born in the late 50's there were less than 3 billion people which has more than doubled in my lifetime. Just think about that for a bit. More than doubled.
Conservative estimates say that by the year 2050 there will be more than 10 billion. We live in a planet of finite resources and yet seem hell bent on using them up in the shortest time scale available without any rational thought to the future. Simply put, it can't be allowed to go on and something has to be done. One human being needs about an acre of land to survive, be it for growing crops or raising animals. In Britain we have around 60 million of these acres, but now have about 70 million people and continue to build on more farmland each year because we need more houses.
By the year 2050 I'll be dead and buried so no great cause of alarm on a personal side unless of course we decide to cull the over 60's. I genuinely worry for my daughter and granddaughter as to what their future will be, as I fear, it will be drastically different to life now as we know it. Immigration will rise exponentially in this time as Africa's population will have doubled by 2050. The poor will become poorer and many millions if not billions will starve to death. I apologise for this somewhat dreary subject matter but the simple task of looking up a few facts and figures has set alarm bells ringing for me. Obviously no politician is putting culling half the worlds population in their manifesto as it might seem a bit on the Nazi side and therefore somewhat harmful to staying on the gravy train. But clearly, something has to be done, and in the not too distant future.
Break up the EU, encourage nationalist warmongery, resulting in mass slaughter? Tried and tested in the 20th century.
Don't worry about it too much. Facts and figures can appear stark but the reality is that we always cope.
When the population was approaching five billion there was doom and gloom but fewer and fewer people live in absolute poverty, world wide.
Medicine has improved, crop improvements are vastly better than they used to be, desalination plants are super efficient for water.
The world is subject to human behaviour but does not rely on it so cheer up!
Try reading Matt Ridley's 'The Rational Optimist' for a general argument in support of the proposition that things generally get better and better for people over time in spite of what news and perception may suggest.
Not sure that helps really.
Given your username, I think that's just what you want us to believe.
There is a book called "Factfullness" that does the same thing.
You make your own perception of the world. If you want it to appear bleak, it can appear bleak. If you want it to appear positive, it can appear positive. Yes, there are many negatives, problems and warning signs present right now but for many living standards are increasing.
Most of the world's problems arise from poverty. We actually have ample resources on this planet and most of them are NOT finite. Poverty drives stuff such as having loads of kids in order to ensure that enough survive. So, without poverty we could affect some sort of Chinese style "1 in 1 out" policy whereby a couple is only allowed to have 2 kids. People in the West have less kids as there is a greater chance of them surviving.
Vertical farms? Why does everybody's acre have to be side by side? There has been talk of stacking agriculture in the future.
At least we now have a reasonable idea of the damage we've been doing to the planet and can take steps to arrest this, unlike the past 200 years when we've been full speed ahead ruining it.
I think solutions will present themselves in time but we need to all be thinking a bit greener. My partner's parents are just back from Houston, and they were appalled by how much waste of resource goes on in the US. When the kids were being picked up from school (all kids are picked up from schools) all individual cars are sitting with their engines running, AC pumping, and that's in an area where you'd probably not want to be doing to much polluting - outside a school. There are parts of the world that need to get a grip, big time.
In no particular order, for the future of the planet I'd like to see Brexit canned and good future political co-operation between European nations. I'd like to see the whole world act together to eradicate poverty - there's enough to go round. I'd like to see the wastefulness of the Americans, the pollution from the Chinese, curbed.
My most controversial opinion is that I think in the World we have a very dangerous older generation right now, and what the world needs most is for them to shuffle off without causing too much damage. They haven't known the atrocities of world war, they've had their free education, they'll get the healthcare they need until age 80-100, all off a 30 year working career. They're making the political decisions that will prevent future generations from enjoying what they've enjoyed. They enjoy a bit of the uglier side of nationalism (see England, America, Russia) without having to live long with the consequences they may bring. We need to wrestle the power from this cohort of people, because whilst they hold the power, it is too easy for the Farages, Trumps and Putins of this world to prosper with their nonsense.
The Nazis, the climate-change deniers and the imperialists are as dangerous as ever, only some are more obvious that that is what they are than others.
Last edited by Smartie; 11-04-2019 at 04:34 PM.
Another plan is to create a new military super power on Russia's door step through the EU army then manufacture tensions as per the Ukraine situation then watch the two super powers collide and wipe out millions of people throughout Europe.
Either way if the central bankers and elite families of the world want millions dead they will do it one way or another, they own everything and control right wing and left wing politics.
Last edited by Slavers; 11-04-2019 at 06:49 PM.
Really about the responses I sort of expected - we're really clever and generally nice people so it'll be fine. Eh, sorry, it wont. I'm generally optimistic about things but continual growth in anything is in the main, a really bad thing. Especially the most destructive beings on the planet. Maybe burying your head in the sand is the way forward, who knows?
Open the borders and allow the overflow into the west?
Did you see the pictures of the black hole yesterday?
Different groups of people from all ends of the Earth coming together to use technology to capture an image of something very far away/ a long time ago?
Do you really think it is beyond the wit of man to first acknowledge the problem, to then come up with explanations and possible solutions and then carry out some sort of plan?
At least we have time. When the need isn't desperately urgent, we can consider a response that we're not forced into.
Our views on such a vast and interesting subject define us as half empty or half full.
As much as a reflection on how happy we are personally.
I suppose because it's an argument that has been made for literally hundreds of years. My suspicion is that the global population will plateau at some point. As individuals condition improve they tend to have fewer children, and that's something that we're going to see in the next few decades.
And of course this isn't the real big problem, though it contributes to it.
The real REAL big problem is how quickly we can adapt to a changing climate, and change our systems and behavior to limit carbon & other greenhouse gas emissions. If we don't do that, the population size will reduce dramatically of it's own accord.
As you say the climate is already beginning to wreak havoc and we'll have to adopt pretty quickly. On the subject of the plateau, when it comes to Africa time has essentially run out - the population will double in 25 years and without the necessary means to support this amount of people they will emigrate en mass, there is no other option at present. Asia will also likely double in this time frame which will push us past the "maximum" number of 10 billion. Vertical farming would be great if we had the soil to fill them but we don't. We are a very intelligent species with some fantastic discoveries happening all the time but I feel we are sleepwalking into this one.
The types of question that keep me in a job!
There are grand challenges ahead, sure. None moreso than the challenges around water security, and the interlinked consequences this has for food and energy security. Science and policy will help us tackle some of these issues, but I'm somewhere between your nihilism and other posters' positivity.
Climate change is already (and this will be accelerated unless we take pretty drastic action) having profound impacts on the natural systems we rely on. Water is becoming less readily available in some places (forcing migration, unrest etc) and unless we implement better management of these systems, the next wars will be over freshwater resources. We can't sustainably or efficiently create 'new' water (desalination creates a concentrated saline biproduct that's often dumped right back into the source of the water, thus slowing down the efficacy of the process over time), and we do a ****ty job at maintaining the integrity of our existing freshwater resources by polluting them beyond useability.
Some of the precision/micro agriculture solutions being developed just now give me hope, but these will only succeed with a behavioural change around our consumption patterns. There's already sufficient food to feed the entire global population and then some - we need to become much better at reducing the vast quantities of waste. Shifting away from a meat-based diet will reduce the water demand, carbon emissions and restore ecological diversity, but too many folks enjoy a steak or burger every other day. So what's the solution? Education, policy and science can only go part of the way to addressing some of these challenges. Behaviour change needs to be front and centre to sustain the future of Planet Earth - self-serving, selfish ideologists (such as Trump and many of the other populist despots around the world right now) really don't help.
My one sentence summary would be "the rich will be fine, the poor are likely ****ed". As someone from the rich part of the world with enough conscience to suffer guilt pangs but not enough to stop travelling to try and see the world before I die, it puts me in a somewhat ambivalent position.
On the meat based diet thing - I'd say at home we've moved markedly in the veggie/fish direction as opposed to meat for health rather than climate reasons but I'd find it hard to move much further. Is even eating locally sourced meat bad? Or a bit bad but less bad?
Humans will be fine but as we multiply other animals will be well and truly ****ed as we continue hack away at the jungles and forests at an ever increasing rate to make way for more land to feed us .
Your one sentence summary is fine apart from the fact that global poverty levels have moved markedly in one direction...down. And continue to do so.
On the meat thing it's pretty clear to me that the technology to produce meat without the need for animals already exists and is in the process of being commercialised. Sure it will take time to become mainstream but the days of having to kill an Aberdeen Angus for a burger are already numbered.
Your comment about needing soil for vertical farms maybe suggests that you may benefit from doing a touch more research into this issue.
The scale of R&D going into the very things that scare you so much is vast. It's clearly not without its challenges as others have eloquently pointed out but it's no where near as bleak as your position suggests.
Not disputing that. What I meant was if there is catastrophic damage due to climate change, the poor will be hit hardest.
Not sure about that...some of the most valuable real estate in the world is the most vulnerable!
But clearly in general the less wealth or resources you have to protect yourself against any negative change the more you will be impacted. Not exactly a new phenomenon that I suppose, nor one that is likely to change, ever.
Exactly. The Haiti earthquake of 2010 killed hundreds of thousands. The similar magnitude San Francisco earthquake in 1989 killed 63.
I admit I'd never researched anything about them, but a quick look seems like it may well be viable for certain crops with the downside of herbs and edible flowers being the most successful to date and a loaf of bread costing $11. Early days though, but I still can't see how things will be successful with population of 10 billion and above. These are after all the numbers the scientists have argued is when things become untenable.
I'm sure Donald, Vladimir, Kim and a few others will manufacture a population decimating solution before the tipping point is reached. Only problem will be the huge areas of the planet left uninhabitable by it.
There is also some doubt on the numbers that will count as peak population.
I'm aware that the UN figure is something like 11bn but that is rather hotly disputed by many.
History suggests that the wealthier a country gets its population numbers go into decline...that trend is continuing with more and more countries seeing its birth rate drop below replacement rate. It's therefore far from certain that your 10bn figure will ever come to pass.
That's not to say it won't nor that it would be sensible to consider what would happen if it does but none the less it's far from assured that population numbers will doom the world yet!
It's not the numbers that are the problem. It's the agenda to dumb these numbers down so they turn against each other, rather than working together to make the world a better place.
This isn't some crazy conspiracy. There's a very real plan to cut the population numbers down and it all starts with dumbing people down through the use of propaganda. We're all turning against each other, while the elite who have pushed this agenda safe guard themselves for a new world order.
A cunning plan that's not a crazy conspiracy and going so well...not.
So the plan is clearly to make most of the world literate so they can then be dumbed back down thus facilitating a 'new world order'. Very cunning indeed from the mysterious elite!
I'm not buying the great conspiracy theories that are going on here, but "the elite" know that there is an awful lot of money to be made out of peddling hate and fear, and turning people against each other.
By "the elite" I am referring to influential media moguls, politicians and owners of certain big businesses.
If that energy could be channelled into something more constructive, such as ending poverty or securing the future of the human race, that would be nice.


Written by Mike White, this started life as a differently-named web-comic before becoming a black-and-white trade paperback about a young girl named Gretchen who doesn't speak, a pig named Chester, and grown man named Uncle Downey who lives like a pig (and is Gretchen's uncle)--and the Grandma pops up along with a small critter named Winston who is really off his rocker. It's a fun all-ages geared tale with just enough humor that appeals to us grown-ups that everyone could enjoy it.
Separated into various chapters, Gretchen, Chester, and Uncle Downey--along with Winston, engage in various interesting shenanigans such as sleep-walking (you can wake up a sleep-walker without worry, by the way, despite the comic saying you shouldn't), helping Uncle Downey with his moonshine operation, and generally cracking very funny jokes that made me grin on multiple occasions. The book is very light-hearted and young children will love the physical-humor while us adults will get the more wordy-humor, with some jokes being surprisingly dark, such as the most twisted ones--when Chester comments on the ever-paranoid Winston having not been the same since eating some of Uncle Downey's brownies and watching, "that 9/11 documentary," or Downey remembering when he tortured Winston with a vacuum cleaner for fun--with the comic adding a hilarious disclaimer about how it doesn't endorse such things and you should hug your pets. Yeah, this comic has some cutesy stuff, but it also knows when to cut a little loose.
Mike White both writes and illustrates this book to much success, with a style that is fun and cute while not being overly syrupy-sweet. Throughout this first volume you really get a feel for each of the character's personalities and have a really good time getting to know them all. The only character we don't see much of is Grandma, and she comes off a bit bland, but I suppose you need someone to be the reasonable person among this crazy cast, so that is understandable.
This was a fun read that I bought because it not only had fun humor that appeals to the young'uns, but it also is quite funny if you're a grown person. I'd recommend it.
Hey David! Thanks for the kind and gracious words :) Hit me up at mikewhitecomics@gmail.com anytime when you want to chat about the book.


text:
The Regent Murray
Created by John Hutchison
Object type: model (preparatory)
Description: A model for the statue in one of the niches of the National Portrait Gallery of Scotland, gift of the Earl of Moray.
Notes: The accepted modern spelling of the Regent's name is 'Moray'.
Exhibited at The Exhibition of the Royal Scottish Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture, The Sixty-Eighth, 1894
Makers, Owners and Exhibitors
Commissioned by Scottish National Portrait Gallery
The Royal Scottish Academy Exhibitors 1826-1990: A dictionary of artists and their work in the Annual Exhibitions of the Royal Scottish Academy. Volume 2, E-K
p. 338 (168)
'The Regent Murray', Mapping the Practice and Profession of Sculpture in Britain and Ireland 1851-1951, University of Glasgow History of Art and HATII, online database 2011 [http://sculpture.gla.ac.uk/view/object.php?id=msib6_1212419579, accessed 30 Jan 2023]
+%28via+%40MapSculpture%29">

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Looks good Diz! I might have to add to my list of things for down the road. Right now I have my sights set on a Evolution tune from SISF.
I stopped doing Honey-doo's and took my bike out for a ride!
Today I've taken my DuckTape on a first rainy ride. BT021 tires do not inspire confidence!
I desperately have to make a decision which tires to get before a nasty spill happens.
Dreaming about riding it, it only has 61 miles on it got it Saturday and it has been raining hard since.
Friday is supposed to be nice so I will hopefully be riding it to work then.
Wow that's strange, I just got a new short version on the Mini-Euro a while back. I have a new ECU flash coming for my C14 this week.
I noticed that the other day, but I didn't know they weren't going to make Concours windshields anymore. I just thought their site was acting up. I guess I'm not getting one of their shields.
First day not down pouring since I got it so I rode it to work for the first time.
Second day in a row I have gotten to ride to work now I sit in a dump truck here in Seattle.
Sure wish I wish I was riding been on standby for over two hours.
Picking up my new to me 2009 C14 on Saturday!!
Grant, best of luck with your new toy.
Rode up on the FZ10 to pay for it today. Will get dropped off Saturday and ride her home.
They are already going at it!!!
Replaced the rear wheel bearings & seal. At a 189,500 miles it just seemed like a good idea even though they seemed fine.
I love it, THAT'S TOO FUNNY!!!
Replaced my fork seals today. For any of you guys that don't a headstand, the scissor jack out of a car works perfect. I placed on the header pipe and lifted the front about 1.5". Perfect height to get the forks out.
Ordered a Cover Anything five layer all weather cover and Kawasaki OEM tank bag.
I have also been researching changing the big a** single exhaust out for a ZX duel system to give the bike a little more symmetry. I wanted to get a full Area P ZX system and make a left side muffler mount but the Area P ZX system is a 4 into 1. Looks like if I want a duel system I will either have to modify the stock ZG head pipe or use a stock ZX head pipe and use Area P ZX slip-on's. Hey Steve!!! What do you think would be easier to tune???
Same thing I did 27 days ago, spooned on another new set of tires .


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Cleavage as the Great Divide
March 27, 2012, 12:15 am | By Elisabeth Dale
I'm a huge fan of cleavage, if for no other reason than it's proof positive that women's breasts are powerful. They're used to sell everything from beer to bras, and they never, ever lose their appeal.
Everyone loves boobs, no matter their age, race, or sexual orientation. Cleavage is so attractive that it's hard to ignore when it walks in the room. Which is why I coined The Breast Life mantra: "it's not how low you go, but where and when you show." (Except when it comes to aging crease-age, which is a whole other blog post.)
The power of cleavage, though, can't always be controlled. I've witnessed grown men in serious and prolonged conversation with my abundant chest even when I had little skin on display. Breast size alone commands attention. But deliberately presenting your breasts as "tits on a platter?" That may be judged offensive. There are guides on when, where, and how best to show cleavage; opinion on the number of inches acceptable; and advice on types most attractive.
It's a fine line, that crease made by pushing together two mounds of flesh. There's no such thing as "cleavage" in nature. When I take off my bra, my boobs don't act like magnets, squeezing themselves together. I need the bra to create that special effect. Many lingerie lines encourage me to add this look to my wardrobe. Victoria's Secret, the leading lingerie brand, wants to elevate all women---at least to the status of Angel. They're not alone in championing my chest. Ultimo recently launched their revolutionary push-up bra and Gossard's new Super Ego Boost claims it will raise my self-esteem (by 75%!) along with my bust.
Fashion magazines appear in agreement by presenting uncovered breasts on their covers. Pick up the current issue of Glamour, Allure, or InStyle, and you'll find Jennifer Lawrence pressing herself together, Nicki Minaj pouring out of a fabulous bra, and Sophia Vergara posing in a form-fitting top. The message? Cleavage is desirable. Especially when the desired demographic is women.
A recent article on the subject of Red Carpet celebrity fashion ends with a reader poll asking whether some stars "look cheap with their boobs hanging out." Responses weighed in equally for and against, with comments about size, type (real vs. fake), and position. Male opinion came down to a single statement: for the average guy, there's no such thing as too much cleavage. Female readers felt compelled to pass judgment on their own sex. If a woman shows off her chest it says something about the woman. And no woman is exempt from this critcism. Remember the Hillary Clinton cleavage controversy?
If women accept cleavage as a fashion choice, should there be any rules? And why do women put other women down for these breast displays? Is this a form of slut shaming? What do you think?


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A Melbourne Bar Has Been Ordered To Pay $200K For Playing Popular Songs Without License
NewsWritten by Jackson Langford on October 7, 2018
Ooooh, big yikes on this one – a Melbourne bar has been ordered to pay almost $200,000 in damages after it was discovered that they were playing songs in the venue without a license.
Melbourne's Hairy Little Sista was found guilty last month of infringing copyright, and Judge Julia Baird said that the owner, Kristine Becker, has acted with "disregard" for the rights of musicians.
According to ABC, the PPCA, which is the agency that collects royalties on behalf of those in the music industry, tried to contact Becker more than 40 times about the matter, via both telephone and email. Becker was ordered to pay $185,000 in damages plus costs.
It is a requirement of any business to go through proper licensing protocol when it comes to playing music in their establishment, but it is notoriously hard to police.
In case you were wondering, the full list of the nine offending, wide-ranging songs are as follows:
The Ballad of John & Yoko — The Beatles
Hooked On A Feeling — Blue Swede
Saturday Night — Bay City Rollers
T.S.O.P. — Kevin Rowland & Dexys Midnight Runners
Be My Baby — Bay City Rollers
Blow — Blossoms
Stockholm — Atlas Genius
Imaginadote ft. Daddy Yankee — Reykon
Andy — Last Dinosaurs
Security Guard Dies After Suspected Heart Attack At Good Things Festival
Rob Brydon Announces First-Ever Australian Stand-Up Tour
Here's How Lady Gaga Faked Her Super Bowl Halftime Show's Biggest Moments
MANIC DRUMS | feedmyhit
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"Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace" (v6). This psalm recognizes the feelings of frustration and hopelessness that can arise when we live surrounded by conflict. We cry out against lies and injustice (v2), but nothing changes. At times it seems like we are alone in desiring something different: "I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war!" (v7). In the mist of this, the psalmist said, "In my distress I called to the Lord, and He answered me" (v1).
We can bring our distress, fear, anger, and pain to the Lord. He is never overwhelmed; He is our "hiding place and shield" (119:114).


Africans have continued to prove the high level of their intelligence quotient, blazing trails academically among other terrains. This has once again been proven by a Ghanaian student in Russia who achieved the remarkable feat of graduating with a 5.0 GPA.
When Abdul-Kadir Ameyaw went to Russia as an international student, he had no knowledge of the language and didn't even think about being successful in studying in it.
But with determination and hard work, the Ghanaian student is now being hailed across the world for graduating as the overall best student with a 5.00/5.00 GPA at Russian State Hydro meteorological University.
With over 800 students graduating, Abdul-Kadir was the only one who had a perfect score. His GPA means he got an A in every subject for four years, a first in the history of his faculty.
It is also the first time in four years that a student has scored 5.00 GPA at the university.
Abdul-Kadir comes from Dormaa Ahenkro in the Brong Ahafo region of Ghana and had his basic education at St. John's International School.
While at Dormaa SHS senior school, he won a full scholarship to study in the United States as part of the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study Program.
After an impressive performance at the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), Abdul-Kadir gained admission at the University of Ghana, Legon, and subsequently left after three semesters to pursue a degree in Economics in Russia on the Ghana-Russia Bilateral Scholarship.
In a recent interview, he indicated that studying in a new language was tough but he was able to sail through due to a ten-month language preparatory course ahead of his studies.
"The first year was the toughest because we were put in the same group with Russians and the lecturers never slowed down. I barely understood what was taught at lectures," he said.
Thus, his approach was to mostly stay ahead of the class, he said, and with time, he was able to represent his university at several academic and non-academic competitions.
Abdul-Kadir even went ahead to win two scholarships for his master's degree. He first won the Economic Olympics of The Open Doors Russian Scholarship Project from the ministry of education for winning the Olympics.
The Economics Olympics of The Open Doors Russian Scholarship Project granted him a full scholarship to pursue master's degree in any Russian university of his choice and he has since settled on St. Petersburg State University.
He will be pursuing his Masters in Management at the University's Graduate School of Management, which has been described as a renowned school of management in Eastern Europe.


The questions during the live Twitterchat with the singer, songwriter and composer Sami Yusuf a few weeks ago were pouring in, hundreds every few minutes, from all corners of the world, asking about various aspects of his life, from his taste in food and movies (Burgers or pizza? Have you watched Harry Potter?), to when he would be coming to perform in their country (from Morocco to Bangladesh, Syria to Sweden), to more weighty issues (What is your life's most memorable moment? Who is your role model? When you're 90, what will matter most to you?). The conversation was peppered with profuse declarations of love and adoration (I adore you! Why are you so handsome? You're the most tolerant,kindhearted and humble artist I've ever seen. I can't sleep without listening to your songs.). From the frenzy of incessant questions and adulation—over 5,000 in about two hours—Yusuf could have been any mainstream pop star with a devoted international fan base, one who knows how to use social media to capitalize on his success.
But a conversation with Yusuf reveals a different, more nuanced picture—a star who doesn't desire more fame, but would rather have more time for dhikr (remembrance of God); a devout Muslim who passionately believes that all of the world's religions are expressions of the same truth; a musician who uses his songs to promote peace and tolerance, and his fame to help feed the world's most needy.
When he was six, Yusuf asked his father why he taught other students and not him. So one day his father gave him a book on the basics of the Persian instrument tombak, and asked him to continue studying while he went for a tea break. When he came back a half hour later, Yusuf said he had finished the book. His father, not convinced, asked him to play; Yusuf did. That was the beginning.
He learned to play several other instruments, including the daf, tar, santoor, oud, violin and piano. When Yusuf was nine years old, a well-known Azerbaijani group came to London to perform, and he went to the concert with his father. When they learned who Yusuf's father was, they presented Yusuf with his own tar. He learned to play on that tar and still has it. In his early teens, Yusuf was involved in music production with his father. Yusuf studied with traditional teachers and later at the Royal Academy of Music in London, and initially thought he would become a composer. His singing talents were discovered in his late teens.
At the age of 16, Yusuf had a profound "religious awakening." He wanted to leave music, and pursue law at King's College London. But his friends recognized that he had a gift and encouraged him to make one album, of devotional songs for God and the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Yusuf went on a spiritual retreat, and recorded "Al-Muallim" ("The Teacher") in 2003, when he was 23 years old. The album sold over seven million copies, and turned him into an instant star.
Yusuf continued in music because he felt there was a need for the type of music he was producing, especially after the Sept. 11 attacks. Muslims, particularly young Muslims, were searching for a way to feel proud of their identity, and his songs seemed to havestruck a chord. They are a blend of East and West, reflecting his own heritage and background—Yusuf was born to an Azeri family in Tehran and grew up in London, surrounded by people of different faiths and backgrounds. He sings in different languages and uses a variety of Persian and Western instruments. His well-produced videos are set in various parts of the world. The themes in his songs reveal Islamic values of respect, tolerance, compassion, and generosity, which are also universal virtues, thus helping to make the faith more relatable and accessible to all audiences.
Yusuf is uncomfortable with the labels that were being applied to his music, like "Islamic pop," and he didn't feel his songs fit existing categories, like nasheed. So he calls his genre "Spiritique." His explanation of what this means provides some insight into Yusuf's passion for intellectual pursuits.
"Spiritique is a celebration of 'sophia perennesis,' or timeless wisdom," he said, "You can find this wisdom or truth in all the great traditions; it is in Bulleh Shah and Maulana Rumi as well as in the teachings of Aristotle and other Greek philosophers. All that wisdom has a thread of truth in it, it has the sacred in it, and that's what I'm concerned with. It's celebrating that truth, bringing people closer to that timeless wisdom." More simply put, he said, his music is a way to bring people closer together.
I had heard of Sami Yusuf and knew some of his songs—my husband had brought back his CDs from a trip to Cairo a few years ago—but I had little idea of his superstar status. My family and friends decided to go to his concert at the Strathmore Music Center near Washington, D.C., this September. The concert was a benefit for the Foundation for Traditional Studies, an organization that seeks to preserve and strengthen the world's great traditions. Its president is Seyyed Hossein Nasr, the renowned scholar of Islam and someone for whom Yusuf has deep respect (he is currently reading "Knowledge and the Sacred" by Nasr); he too was at the concert. Yusuf's upcoming album, "Songs of the Way," his sixth, due out in January, is a tribute to Nasr, who composed several poems and recites them on the album.
Yusuf has a charming presence on stage, humble and engaging. Often dressed in a black shirt or jacket, with a close-cropped beard, good looks, and a warm smile, it's easy to see why he has so many adoring, especially female, fans. Yusuf sang a number of songs from his latest album, "The Centre," as well as traditional favorites like "Hasbi Rabbi." Many of his songs start off in English, and blend into one of the several languages in which he sings, including Arabic, Persian, Azeri, Turkish, Urdu and Malay. He has an easy rapport with his audience and encourages them to sing along. In D.C., we were perhaps more tepid than the crowds he's used to in Istanbul and Cairo, but his music definitely had a visible and audible impact. My father-in-law, typically quiet and reserved, was clapping and tapping along; this was the first time he had heard Yusuf's music and he said he felt uplifted. My husband said he felt more inspired to pray after listening to Yusuf's music than he does after many Friday khutbahs (sermons).
This is likely the type of reaction Yusuf is hoping for, although he is not one to admit it. "I don't expect any particular emotion from my music, it would be too presumptuous, self-righteous," he said when I told him of my family's reaction, as we sat down to talk in the lobby of a downtown D.C. hotel. His wife joined us. Yusuf has been married for 10 years, but is guarded about his personal life. Instead, we talked about what inspires his music, his traditionalist worldview, his work with the United Nations World Food Programme, and why he thinks there is so much chaos in the world today.
I asked Yusuf how he stays centered, given his popularity, fame and the temptations of the business. "Meditation, contemplation, reflection and constant remembrance of God. There really is no other way," he replied.
No doubt his humanitarian efforts help as well. Yusuf has worked closely with the World Food Programme since 2011, and in September he was appointed Global Ambassador Against Hunger. "Hunger is at the heart of so many of the world's problems," he said, "it kills your soul and spirit and aspirations." According to the World Food Programme, over 800 million people don't have enough to eat, and poor nutrition causes nearly half of all deaths among children under five.
In 2011, Yusuf composed a song called "Forgotten Promises" to raise awareness and funds to alleviate hunger in the Horn of Africa. All proceeds from the song were donated to WFP; each download helped feed two people. The music video, shot in 16 cities in eight countries, has almost nine million views on Facebook.
In December, WFP announced that because of a funding crisis it will need to cut food rations to over 1.7 million Syrian refugees, unless money is raised immediately. It launched an emergency social media campaign called the "72-hour movement" to encourage donations. Yusuf recorded a video message urging people to donate: "For you it's a dollar, for them it's a lifeline," he posted on social media.


text:
Q: What are the requisites for RAM in a MacBook? I've just purchased my MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012) (it's not the retina model where RAM is fixed) and I'm considering more RAM. On the system information app, I found this info.
BANK 0/DIMM0: 2GB DDR3 1600 MHz OK
BANK 1/DIMM0: 2GB DDR3 1600 MHz OK

Will any RAM, DDR3, 1600MHz work or does the MacBbook have some other requirement to be compatible that isn't listed above?

A: Any 1600 MHz DDR3 SODIMM will work.  You do not need to buy one from OWC or any Mac specialty shop.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Re-Review of Some Home Health Denials Now Available
In January, Vermont Legal Aid and the Center for Medicare Advocacy settled a case on behalf of Medicare beneficiaries in the six New England states and New York who had had been denied coverage of home health services for not being "homebound." The settlement in Ryan v. Price, 5:14-cv-269 (D. Vt.), calls for re-review of such denials for people who had previously been found to be homebound in an earlier appeal. The agency will review the claims under the proper legal standard that was in effect at the time, which gave "great weight" to a previous determination that the person was homebound. In other words, if a beneficiary had previously been found to be homebound in an appeal, and then was denied in a subsequent appeal for not being homebound, the second claim may be eligible for re-review and is more likely to be approved. If there have been no changes that affect the beneficiary's ability to leave the home, and all other criteria for home health services are met, the second claim will ordinarily be paid.
Eligible class members must identify themselves and their eligible claims to the Medicare agency (CMS) by completing and submitting the "Ryan Re-Review Form," along with any supporting documentation, no later than August 1, 2019.
The form provides information to assist in determining whether the beneficiary's claims qualify for re-review under the settlement (for example, the home health services have to have been received on or before August 2, 2015, and denied on or after January 1, 2010). The re-review form and other important information about the settlement are published on CMS's website here. Please contact Vermont Legal Aid or the Center for Medicare Advocacy with questions about the settlement.
Ryan Re-Review Form: https://www.cms.gov/Center/Special-Topic/Ryan-Settlement/Ryan-Re-Review-Form.pdf
More information about the Ryan Settlement: https://www.cms.gov/Center/Special-Topic/Ryan-Settlement-Center.html


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text:
By: Gretchen Rubin
Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
Categories: Health & Wellness, Psychology & Mental Health
Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives
The author of the blockbuster New York Times best sellers The Happiness Project and Happier at Home tackles the critical question: How do we change? Gretchen Rubin's answer: through habits. Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life. It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives.
Other Habit Books are Way Better!
By Courtney Jacobs on 10-15-19
Happier at Home
Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life
One Sunday afternoon, as she unloaded the dishwasher, Gretchen Rubin felt hit by a wave of homesickness. Homesick - why? She was standing right in her own kitchen. She felt homesick, she realized, with love for home itself. In a flash, she decided to undertake a new happiness project, and this time, to focus on home. And what did she want from her home? A place that calmed her, and energized her. A place that, by making her feel safe, would free her to take risks. Also, while Rubin wanted to be happier at home, she wanted to appreciate how much happiness was there already.
A lot of repeated information and stories
By Elizabeth on 07-27-18
Outer Order, Inner Calm
Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness
Gretchen Rubin has found that getting control of our stuff makes us feel more in control of our lives. By getting rid of things we don't use, don't need, or don't love, we free our minds (and our shelves) for what we truly value. With a sense of fun, and a clear idea of what's realistic for most people, Gretchen Rubin suggests dozens of manageable steps for creating a more serene, orderly environment - one that helps us to create the lives we want.
Listen to the podcast.
The Four Tendencies
The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too)
During her multi-book investigation into understanding human nature, Gretchen Rubin realized that by asking the seemingly dry question "How do I respond to expectations?" we gain explosive self-knowledge. She discovered that based on their answer, people fit into Four Tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behavior, so using this framework allows us to make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress, and engage more effectively.
Listen to it right away! Amazing!
By John B on 09-13-17
An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
By: James Clear
Narrated by: James Clear
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving - every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change.
He really wants you to visit his website.
By Roger R. on 08-30-19
The Abundance Project
40 Days to More Wealth, Health, Love, and Happiness
By: Derek Rydall
Narrated by: Derek Rydall
The Abundance Project is about having more than enough in every area of your life - more than enough money, time, love, creativity, happiness - regardless of the circumstances you've been through or are currently facing. This may sound like wishful thinking, but once you understand what you're really made of, and what the source of real abundance is, you will increase your capacity and unleash your divine inheritance.
I love Derek Rydall's work
By Adrienne on 11-27-18
Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill
A Brief Account of a Long Life
Warrior and writer, genius and crank, rider in the British cavalry's last great charge and inventor of the tank - Winston Churchill led Britain to fight alone against Nazi Germany in the fateful year of 1940 and set the standard for leading a democracy at war. Like no other portrait of its famous subject, Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill is a dazzling display of facts more improbable than fiction, and an investigation of the contradictions and complexities that haunt biography.
By Sean P. Whiteley on 07-01-20
By: Brené Brown
Narrated by: Brené Brown
Started and finished today
By Julie H. on 09-09-20
Know Yourself, Know Your Money
Discover Why You Handle Money the Way You Do, and What to Do About It!
By: Rachel Cruze
Narrated by: Rachel Cruze
When it comes to money, it pays to know yourself. This is not just another money book. Personal finance expert Rachel Cruze brings an all-new approach to the traditional money rules, and it all starts with your mindset. Go beyond the Ramsey Baby Steps and get to the root of all of your decisions - your mind, your behaviors, and your beliefs— so you can change your money mindset for good.
Its a religious - psychology book
By A GREAT OUTCOME on 01-13-21
The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work
By: Shawn Achor
Narrated by: Shawn Achor
Conventional wisdom holds that if we work hard we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, then we'll be happy. If we can just find that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that this formula is actually backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around. When we are positive, our brains become more engaged, creative, motivated, energetic, resilient, and productive at work.
Putting Positive Thinking To Work
By Sara on 10-29-14
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
By: Adele Faber, Elaine Mazlish
Narrated by: Susan Bennett
Internationally acclaimed experts on communication between parents and children, Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish "are doing for parenting today what Dr. Spock did for our generation" ( Parent Magazine). Now, this best-selling classic includes fresh insights and suggestions as well as the author's time-tested methods to solve common problems and build foundations for lasting relationships.
Worksheets are free to download just google!
By Amber D. Easley on 04-26-19
By: Adele Faber, and others
By: Barack Obama
Narrated by: Barack Obama
In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency - a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.
Obama is a great man, but is this book romcom?
By Nooncaps on 11-24-20
Finding Happiness Through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness
By: Hugh van Cuylenburg
Narrated by: Hugh van Cuylenburg
Hugh van Cuylenburg was a primary school teacher volunteering in northern India when he had a life-changing realisation: despite the underprivileged community the children were from, they were remarkably positive. By contrast, back in Australia Hugh knew that all too many children struggled with depression, social anxieties and mental illness. His own little sister had been ravaged by anorexia nervosa. How was it that young people he knew at home, who had food, shelter, friends and a loving family, struggled with their mental health, while these kids seemed so contented and resilient?
The Greatest Book of All Time..
How to Dance It Out, Stand in the Sun and Be Your Own Person
By: Shonda Rhimes
Narrated by: Shonda Rhimes
The megatalented creator of Grey's Anatomy and Scandal and executive producer of How to Get Away with Murder chronicles how saying yes for one year changed her life - and how it can change yours, too.
Best 7 Hours Listening to an Audio Book Ever!
By ccreads on 02-20-16
Didn't See That Coming
Putting Life Back Together When Your World Falls Apart
By: Rachel Hollis
When it comes to the "hard seasons" of life - the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job - transformation seems impossible when grief and uncertainty dominate your days. Especially when, as Didn't See that Coming reveals, no one asks to have their future completely rearranged for them. But, as Rachel writes, it is up to you how you come through your pain - you can come through changed for the better, having learned and grown, or stuck in place where your identity becomes rooted in what hurt you.
Mom Shaming and therapy without education or a license
By Jennifer on 10-01-20
10% Happier Revised Edition
How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works: A True Story
By: Dan Harris
Narrated by: Dan Harris
Nightline anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of spirituality and self-help and discovers a way to get happier that is truly achievable.
A Meditation Adventure
By Joe on 05-01-19
Why We Get Fat
And What to Do About It
By: Gary Taubes
Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
Building upon this critical work in Good Calories, Bad Calories and presenting fresh evidence for his claim, Taubes now revisits the urgent question of what's making us fat - and how we can change - in this exciting new book. Persuasive, straightforward, and practical, Why We Get Fat makes Taubes' crucial argument newly accessible to a wider audience.
This is a life changer
By Trueblue3d on 07-07-11
The Art of Happiness
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Howard C. Cutler M.D.
Narrated by: Howard C. Cutler M.D.
The Dalai Lama will tell you that happiness is the purpose of life, and that "the very motion of our life is toward happiness." How to get there has always been the question. With the help of a psychiatrist, he now gets the message across in a context we can easily understand.
very good listen
By Chris on 01-04-05
By: His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and others
Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun
Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.
In this lively and compelling account of that year, Rubin carves out her place alongside the authors of best-selling memoirs such as Julie and Julia, The Year of Living Biblically, and Eat, Pray, Love. With humor and insight, she chronicles her adventures during the 12 months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier.
Rubin didn't have the option to uproot herself, nor did she really want to; instead she focused on improving her life as it was. Each month she tackled a new set of resolutions: give proofs of love, ask for help, find more fun, keep a gratitude notebook, forget about results. She immersed herself in principles set forth by all manner of experts, from Epicurus to Thoreau to Oprah to Martin Seligman to the Dalai Lama to see what worked for her - and what didn't. Her conclusions are sometimes surprising - she finds that money can buy happiness, when spent wisely; that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that "treating" yourself can make you feel worse; that venting bad feelings doesn't relieve them; that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference - and they range from the practical to the profound.
As an added bonus, this recording includes a sampling of Gretchen's podcast, Happier with Gretchen Rubin. In this episode, "Choose the Bigger Life", Gretchen and her sister, Elizabeth Craft, discuss happiness, good habits, and whether Gretchen is going to get a dog.
©2009 Gretchen Rubin (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers
"Packed with fascinating facts about the science of happiness and rich examples of how she improves her life through changes small and big. The Happiness Project made me happier by just reading it." (Bookpage.com)
Featured Article: How to Be Happy, According to These Eye-Opening Audiobooks
"Happiness" seems like this abstract concept we keep reaching for but will never be able to actually grasp, right? Wrong—at least according to the following authors. Here is a list of the best audiobooks to help you find your pathway to happiness. Some are step-by-step guides; others are personal accounts of finding the way to a genuinely happy life. Whichever style you prefer, there's an audiobook about happiness that will fit your journey.
What listeners say about The Happiness Project
kensipe
Great Book and Story
What made the experience of listening to The Happiness Project the most enjoyable?
I'm a general happy person living with someone who is commonly negative or depressed. I originally bought it to see if there was something I could learn to help her. However... I loved the book and I am thinking of starting my own happiness project because of it.
There is one small frustration with the reading of the book... There are points in the book where what is being read are comments from blog readers or from some other source. From an audible book stand point, it is really hard to know when the comments / opinions being read are the authors or someone else. It is hard to know when the reader has switched back to reading book author material. minor issue, but frustrating.
I had great hopes for this audio book. Unfortunately I was disappointed. The author seems like a very nice person and writes in a very casual conversational style. The problem is this book reads more like a diary or blog of a person's journey to find happiness. Cool right? That's what the book is supposed to be about. The problem is that my listening of this book felt like I was on the author's journey towards happiness and she did not take me along for the ride.
I think in spending several hours listening to this audio book I didn't learn anything on how to personally become more happy even though I learned all about the author's life and her struggles toward happiness, criticism and relationships especially with her sister and husband. We learn all about the author being an attorney and a writer and her internal struggles.
I wanted this book to be good, but unfortunately I left disappointed. If you're looking for a book in this particular area I would highly recommend: Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom...Why the Meaningful Life is Closer Than You Think Audiobook which I would put in my list of the top 20 books best I ever read.
This book is set up in a way that the author is working on one principle of happiness each month and basically shares with you her experience. That's the problem the book is written in a nonjudgmental style toward what you should pursue while almost seeming self-righteous about how the author is pursuing happiness her own life. Unfortunately unlike most audio books which I feel a close connection with the author this one left me feeling uncomfortable.
143 people found this helpful
Shallow and Disappointing
I had high hopes for this book, but it just didn't live up to the hype. I might have had more appreciation for it if I had read the actual book rather than listening to the author's narration of it. I really disliked the narration. What disappointed me most was just how superficial it all seemed to me. I expected something deep and enlightening, but this wasn't it.
Fantastic project!
What did you love best about The Happiness Project?
Perhaps what I loved the most was the invitation to participate, in my very own way, into this fun journey of joy within the beautiful simplicity of my day to day life. I appreciated the very honest approach, and sharing, of the author's life experiences throughout her year of happiness.
Gretchen, of course, but I also loved listening about her relationships with her in-laws and her husband/daughters.
Which scene was your favorite?
I do have a few months of her project that I found particularly inspiring and probably the ones I was able to connect the most with such as August, the month dedicated to contemplating the heavens; September, the month she dedicated to write a novel and spending more time with books as well as November when the concept of laughing out loud while lightening one's attitude came about.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
There were plenty of moments, but the one that comes to mind right now, is when she realized that her bus ride to school in the mornings with her daughter was that magical moment of her every day that was never going to be there again. That moment when she realized this and it became such a happiness producer for her, reminded me of a similar situation I have gone through this year. Since last September, I have been driving my daughter to her first year of high school for her zero period class (which means that I have to be up at 5:00 a.m. every morning in order to make it on time.) At the beginning it was such a struggle for me until I realized, like Gretchen, that this is it: the magic is happening right now. And I have loved every minute of every early morning since then!
So looking forward to her new upcoming book, "Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life."
Carole A. Cornell
I really enjoyed this book. I listened to it - and then wanted the hardcover edition as well. I'm inspired to start my own happiness project. This book opened my eyes to ways that I can increase not only my happiness but also that of people around me. It made me happy!
I just can't...terrible narration & bad advice.
Would you try another book from Gretchen Rubin and/or Gretchen Rubin?
Probably not. She is terribly boring and too monotone to be narrating. I don't actually think she was successful in her happiness project.
What could Gretchen Rubin have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
She shouldn't narrate. Also, to be frank, she sounds like an UNHAPPY person, still, even though she supposedly went through this year of attempting happiness. Honestly, I feel like she missed the whole point. The book may have been more enjoyable read by a more lively person but, I just think it's a bad self-help book too because it's totally subjective to her life and doesn't make me feel motivated to take any of the same steps she took.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
She was a terrible story teller, boring, monotone, and clearly just an achievement focused person who's view of happiness is, in my opinion, very skewed. It was also very difficult to tell the difference between when she was talking from first person or as someone else.
Maybe...only because perhaps it would be better portrayed by other actors.
As a therapist, I feel the need to advise people NOT to follow this woman's advice or even look to this book as a guide to happiness. It seems that, what may come off as funny if read directly from the book, is actually Gretchen's attempt to make light of times when she is actually quite unhappy....WHICH IS HEALTHY AND NORMAL TO BE. She puts a lot of blame on her husband for petty things and plays it off as "loving his quirks" when clearly, you can tell throughout that she is still pissed at him and seeking his approval through the project. Maybe I haven't gotten to it yet, but she rarely talks about how happiness simply comes from being in whatever state you're in, instead of trying to plan happiness. She rarely talks positively about her family, she admits she's motivated by "gold stars" and its obvious throughout that she is just seeking another big golden star by writing and selling this. If you want to listen to a woman's struggle with bringing her boring life somewhat more color, then you might like this. Besides some statistics, which I think are irrelevant to happiness anyway, this is not a useful book.
Tarabella
The gift that keeps on giving...
This book was an awesome lucky find. I shy away from anything that sounds "self-helpish" but this book gives the gift that keeps on giving. In fact, I listened to it twice and then went out and purchased the book and will purchase more for family. This book is a great source of reality. We are responsible, in most part, for our own happiness. I guess we all just need an example to show us how to start. I love the web pages and the stories from others. Now if I could only find the Orange Blossom candle, I'd be set. This book has helped me recognize my truths and has made me actively count my blessings. The best line, "the days are long but the years are short."
Sharvo
some interesting ideas... early on got weary of hearing blog comments ... felt like filler.
Mathieu Cognac
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Better content, a real actor. The voice of Gretchen is unbearable after 2min.
Would you ever listen to anything by Gretchen Rubin again?
Never. I have read hundreds of books but I felt compelled to write this review as this book is completely superficial, doesn't provide any meaningful advice - except reading the classics.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Gretchen Rubin?
Someone talented, or just anyone.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Happiness Project?
The part when she cleans her closet, all sections shall have been cut.
Worst book I have ever read.
FULL of herself!
Yup, the writer of this book is over-the-top full of Gretchen! Even with that rather annoying aspect, I have listened to this fully about 3 times. I actually bought the book. I really had to get over Gretchen in order to benefit from what are rather good messages and strategies for becoming more awake and aware, of living in a state that supports happiness. I'm grateful to Gretchen even though she subjected me to things like writing a novel while she worked out a exercise program while she was extra nice to her husband while she planned a birthday party par excellence for her mother-in-law while she created family archives, and on and on, almost all simultaneously. She breaks it up into months, but the activity is so frenetic and so intense and constant that it can be exhausting. The best part is perhaps Gretchen's honesty although even that is excessive.
Kerry Pocock
Absolutely loved it.
Well read, and an inspiring journey. I loved the way it was broken down into each month and would highly recommend it to anyone who is thinking about making some changes to be happier without destroying what they already have :)
Fell short of expectations
I'd heard good things about this book from a few people but it just didn't do it for me. The delivery and story were fine but I can't really say I got much from it. It was unnecessarily long and take homes were limited. Better to spend listening time on something else.
the typist
Happiness project or Attention Deficit Disorder?
While undoubtedly containing useful information, I still couldn't help feeling as if the reader was being spoken to like a complete dummy. So many of the authors suggestions were blindingly obvious or utterly tenuous. More worrying however was the fact that the author seemed to chaotically flit from one infatuation to another. So much so, I honestly wondered whether she had any time left in her schedule for her husband and two young children. It's certainly an interesting read but also a massively unsatisfying one.
Enjoyable read
An easy and enjoyable read. Some interesting ideas and well narrated. I found the fact that every problem was overcome and that each month ended in success a little unrealistic but I think that's me being British. Overall I would recommend it.
This was not the book for me. While struggling with life, the title of this book sounded perfect unfortunately if you are not an American, or middle class, or not working then you will have difficulty identifying with it. Not everyone has the time to walk every day or has the money to take up rowing lesson. Was very glad when I got to the end. Ironically this is a book that I could have easily stopped listening to
Mrs M.
Returning this book!
If you're new to the self help this may indeed be helpful....having read many books from many angles this was not the book for me, nothing new so to speak, a little bit slow, quite a bit too much about the author!....Not many books I've not finished but this is one i don't want to spend anymore time on!
Chelsea M. Morgan
Made me rethink some things in my life!
Such a good read! Gretchen has some awesome ideas and just from making some subtle changes to her life she improves her overall happiness. Well worth the listen and may give you some ideas to make your life happier!
guaranteed to teach you how to stay happy
loved her rules of adulthood, the concept of commandments and resolutions. very broad scope and very forgiving because her journey is similar to all of ours. for me unforgettable
macsaver
Very relatable. Loved it.
Loved this book. Could relate to most scenarios and take sth from it. Can definitely recommend.
too American
struggled to finish this. would not recommend. dydbt flow well. Not something I will try sbc finish again
Listening to this became a chore...
I was interested in learning how one woman applied happiness principles in her everyday life, but it was a very self-involved story and this, combined with the OTT narration, made it difficult to listen too. It may have been better to read in print form. I feel like her Happiness Project was too rigid and planned, which made it seem like a chore, rather than letting her happiness journey evolve naturally. It was also very centred around her role as a mother and her job as a writer, and if you don't share these roles then these parts of the book will be less relevant. Honestly, I did get sick of hearing her voice narrate these self-involved stories that, for the sake of my own happiness, I had to stop listening...
Monica Bradley
Life changing listen
Simple practical sometimes funny advice. Inspired to improve my automatic Obliger habits - thank you Gretchen
Mertle
I found Gretchen's honesty very refreshing and this made her relatable to me regardless of us seeming to have very little in common. I have been inspired to create my own happiness project for the upcoming year.
Fantastic starter
This book is a great way to begin your own way to seeking and enhancing the happiness in your own life. Although I personally am not the 'same' as Gretchen she has provided some wonderful insight on how to achieve the things that as she says 'don't feel good doing it but feel great once it's done'. If you take away only a few things from the book you will notice the difference in your life, it's inevitable!
Maria Tuckey
We could all contribute to happiness
Encouraging, positive, honest and a challenge worth giving a try. Take the time and review.
Was so taken by this book. Have been inspired to make changes in my life based on it. Found Gretchen's approach to storytelling refreshing. Will return to this book many times I am sure
Michele Reading
Inspired me to start my own Happiness Project
Good practical tips and easy to follow. At first thought wow so many resolutions, but made sense as I progressed into the book. Particular like the 12 commandments and think I will get more out of that than anything.
life changing book.
a must read or listen for everyone this book will change your perspective on what you can do for yourself, recommended by many great ppl and recommended you reread or listen to it once a year.
MISS R S HUNTER
Highly Recommended even for Podcast Listeners
I have been listening to Gretchen & Elizabeth on the podcast "Happier with Gretchen Rubin" for a few years & was hesitant to read her books for fear that I'd heard it all on the podcast already. I can honest say that the book was a delight to listen to. There was significantly more to the book, far more detail on the things I may have heard mentioned in passing on the podcast & great evaluation of Gretchen's personal experience. I greatly enjoyed the submissions from blog readers. Gold Star
Jennifer Hamilton
I'm a very happy person and I still gained a lot
I really appreciated this book and specifically Gretchen's candid recounting of her experience and a little look into her life in what felt like an honest way. Over the years I've intentionally cultivated my own happiness and could relate to a lot of what she has done and why. She sheds light on some aspects that I hadn't thought of and does so using great examples and often backed up with her own research. Highly recommend reading this, even for those of us who are admittedly quite happy people. :)


text:
Q: Unitary irreducible representations of the little group $SO(3)$ I am currently working through the method of induced representations in order to calculate the unitary irreducible representations of the Poincare group.
Conventions/Notation
Metric signature $= (-,+,+,+)$
$c=\hbar=1$
Indices i,j,k run over 1,2,3 whilst any other latin indice runs over 0,1,2,3.
$x^a=(t, \vec{x})$
Context
In this thread I will consider the (positive definite) non zero mass case. I will take the standard momentum to be $k^a=(m,0,0,0)$ where m is the square root of the eigenvalue of the Casimir operator $C_1=-P^aP_a$. The corresponding little group is $H_{k}=SO(3)$.
The second casimir operator is the square of the Pauli-Lubanski vector; $C_2=W^aW_a$. For the standard momentum, $W^a=(0,mJ^i)$ where $J^i$ is the ith generator of rotations (i.e. around the ith spatial axis). Thus, $C_2=m^2\vec{J}\cdot\vec{J}$. From QM we know the eigen values of $J^2$ are $s(s+1)$. So by Schur's lemma, on any irrep of the poincare group, $C_2=m^2s(s+1)\text{Id}$. Id is the identity operator... \mathbb{1} won't work.
Thus, if I fix a value for m (and hence fix the mass shell surface) then the unitary irrep's of the Poincare group (for this m) are classified by the 'spin', s.
In this case, the method of induced reps can be expressed as:
$$U(\Lambda)|p,\sigma\rangle=\Sigma_{\sigma'}\mathcal{D}^{(s)}(h(\Lambda,p))_{\sigma'\sigma}|\Lambda p,\sigma'\rangle$$
Where $h(\Lambda,p)=L^{-1}(\Lambda p)\cdot\Lambda\cdot L(p) \in H_k$ and $L(p)$ is the standard Lorentz transformation which takes the standard momentum to p, i.e. $L(p)^a_{~~b}k^b=p^a$. Also, $\mathcal{D}^{(s)}(h(\Lambda,\sigma))$ is the unitary irrep of the little group element $h(\Lambda,\sigma)$ in the spin s representation.
So to work out how the homogeneous Lorentz transformation $U(\Lambda)$ acts on the state $|p,\sigma\rangle$, we need to work out the unitary irreps of the little group.
By convention I will take the standard Lorentz transformation, $L(p)$, to be
$$L(p)^a_{~~~b}=\begin{pmatrix} E_p/m &&p^j/m \\ p^i/m &&\delta^{ij}+\frac{p^ip^j}{m(E_p+m)} \end{pmatrix},~~~~~~~~~~~i,j=1,2,3.$$
Question/Attempt to solve
Unfortunately in my non relativistic QM class during undergrad we never talked about the spin representations of the rotation group $SO(3)$, so I am trying to bridge that gap now. I am a little confused on how we go about constructing the unitary irreps of $SO(3)$, in particular I am not so sure how to compute the matrix elements $\mathcal{D}^{(s)}(h(\Lambda,\sigma))_{\sigma'\sigma}$. This is my question, and the following is what I have so far.
In trying to translate between what I learned in undergrad QM and the above, I have come to the following conclusions:

*

*For the massive case (and for the standard momentum so that we are in the rest frame), the $\sigma$'s (which are supposed to represent any degrees of freedom other then 4-momentum) correspond to the 'magnetic quantum number', $m_j$.

*For a given spin s, $\sigma=m_j = \{-s,-s+1,..,s-1,s\}$. Here I am taking $j=l+s=s$ since we are in the rest frame and there is no 'orbital angular momentum' ($l=0$). Hence for a given mass, m, the dimension of the irrep of the little group is $2s+1$.

Define the 3-vector $S^i=\frac{1}{m}W^i=\frac{1}{2}\varepsilon_{ijk}J^{jk} \implies \vec{S}\cdot\vec{S}=s(s+1)\text{Id}$ which obeys the following algebra:
$$[S_i,S_j]=i\varepsilon_{ijk}S_k$$
Thus $[S_i,S^2]=[\frac{1}{2}\varepsilon_{ijk}J^{jk},\frac{1}{m^2}C_2]=0$ (since $C_2$ is a Casimir operator of ISO$^\uparrow (3,1)$). Hence we can simultaneously diagonalize $S^2$ and one of $S_i$, say, $S_3$.
In the usual way we can work out that:
$$S^2|s,\sigma\rangle=s(s+1)|s,\sigma\rangle~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(1)$$
$$S_3|s,\sigma\rangle=\sigma|s,\sigma\rangle ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(\text{where } \sigma=m_s)~~~(2)$$
And define raising/lowering operators:
$$S_{\pm}=S_1\pm iS_2$$
$$\implies S_{\pm}|s,\sigma\rangle=\sqrt{s(s+1)-\sigma(\sigma\pm 1)}~|s,\sigma\pm 1\rangle~~~~(3)$$
According to Weinberg, for an infinitesimal rotation, $R_{ik}=\delta_{ik}+\Theta_{ik}$, we have that $$\mathcal{D}^{(s)}(1+\Theta)_{\sigma'\sigma}=\delta_{\sigma'\sigma}+\frac{i}{2}\Theta_{ik}(J^{(s)~ik})_{\sigma'\sigma}$$
To obtain a representation of a finite rotation we need to exponentiate the infinitesimal case:
$$\implies \mathcal{D}^{(s)}(R)=\exp\{i\Theta_{ik}J^{ik}\}$$
Which, I think, translates in my notation to:
$$\mathcal{D}^{(s)}(R(\vec{\theta}))=\exp\{i\vec{\theta}\cdot
\vec{S}\}$$
For a rotation by an angle $|\vec{\theta}|$ around $\vec{\theta}$, along with the observation that $S_i=\frac{1}{2}\varepsilon_{ijk}J^{jk}\implies \vec{S}=(J^{23},J^{31},J^{12})=(J^1,J^2,J^3)=\vec{J}$.
So we can compute the unitary representations of the little group $SO(3)$ by:
$$\mathcal{D}^{(s)}(R(\vec{\theta}))_{\sigma'\sigma}=\langle s,\sigma'|e^{i\vec{\theta}\cdot\vec{S}}|s,\sigma\rangle~~~~~~~~~~~~(4)$$
We can compute this explicitly using equations (2) and (3), and so for a fixed s, the size of the matrix D will be (2s+1)(2s+1).
I think what I have said so far is mostly correct (but I would like some confirmation). If what I have said is indeed correct, then the problem I am having is that I do not know how to translate between $\mathcal{D}^{(s)}(h(\Lambda,p))_{\sigma'\sigma}$ and $\mathcal{D}^{(s)}(R(\vec{\theta}))_{\sigma'\sigma}$. For example, given (4), how can I compute the corresponding matrix elements of $\mathcal{D}^{(s)}(h(\Lambda,p))_{\sigma'\sigma}$? I know that there must be a relation because they are both just rotations. So I can infer that $\vec{\theta}=\vec{\theta}(\Lambda,p)$. But it seems that the standard way to compute the desired matrix elements is to use the standard Lorentz transformations which I provided in the context section... but to me it seems that this is only useful if we have an explicit method to compute the elements of the representation of $h(\Lambda,p)$, like equation (4). Is there such an explicit expression? Cheers.

A: This answer is based on this article by A. Ungar.
Ungar computed the Thomas rotation formula which is almost what you need.  I'll describe the general procedure, and in some cases,  I'll refer you to Ungar for the proof. I'll express (just like Ungar), the Boosts in terms of velocities rather than momenta. If you wish you can repeat the exercise with the momentum parametrization.  From Wikipedia we have
$$B(\mathbf{v}) = \begin{bmatrix}
 \gamma_{\mathbf{v}}& \frac{\gamma_{\mathbf{v}}}{c}\mathbf{v}^t \\
\frac{\gamma_{\mathbf{v}}}{c}\mathbf{v} & 1_{(3\times3)}+
\frac{\gamma_{\mathbf{v}}^2}{1+\gamma_{\mathbf{v}}}
\frac{\mathbf{v}\mathbf{v}^t}{c^2}
\end{bmatrix}$$
The key point is finding the Wigner rotation is the observation that every Lorentz transformation can be decomposed (nonuniquely) as a product of a Boost and a rotation:
$$\Lambda = B(\mathbf{u}) R$$
Any choice of the decomposition method will do, but we need to work in a fixed method of decomposition. I'll describe to you a possible method at the end of the answer
Now, when we multiply two boosts, we get a boost with the relativistic addition velocity + a rotation (often referred to as the Thomas rotation):
$$ B(\mathbf{u}) B(\mathbf{v}) = B(\mathbf{u}\oplus \mathbf{v}) \mathrm{Tom}(\mathbf{u},\mathbf{v})$$
Where $\mathrm{Tom}$ is a rotation matrix
Ungar found the general solution for the Thomas rotation (Equation : (13) in the article)
$$\mathrm{Tom}(\mathbf{u},\mathbf{v}) = B(-\mathbf{u}\oplus \mathbf{v}) B(\mathbf{u}) B(\mathbf{v})$$
Now, we are in a position to solve the equation for the Wigner rotation. We need to solve:
$$ \Lambda B(\mathbf{v}) = B(\Lambda \mathbf{v}) W$$
for $W$. We parametrize $\Lambda$, we get for the left handside:
$$\begin{align*}
\Lambda B(\mathbf{v})  & =  B(\mathbf{u}) R  B(\mathbf{v}) \\ & =   B(\mathbf{u}) R  B(\mathbf{v}) R^{-1} R \\ & =  B(\mathbf{u})  B(\mathbf{Rv})  R \\ & = B(\mathbf{u}\oplus R\mathbf{v}) \mathrm{Tom}(\mathbf{u},R\mathbf{v}) R
\end{align*} $$
and for the right hand side
$$ B(\Lambda \mathbf{v}) W =  B(B(\mathbf{u}) R\mathbf{v}) W =   B(\mathbf{u}\oplus R\mathbf{v}) W$$
Thus:
$$W =  \mathrm{Tom}(\mathbf{u},R\mathbf{v}) R$$
What is left is to describe a specific parametrization of a general Lorentz matrix into a boost and a rotation:
We need to find $B(\mathbf{u})$ and $R$ such that:
$$\begin{bmatrix}
\lambda_0 &\mathbf{\xi}^t \\
\mathbf{\eta} & \Lambda_1
\end{bmatrix} = \begin{bmatrix}
 \gamma_{\mathbf{v}}& \frac{\gamma_{\mathbf{v}}}{c}\mathbf{v}^t \\
\frac{\gamma_{\mathbf{v}}}{c}\mathbf{v} & 1_{(3\times3)}+
\frac{\gamma_{\mathbf{v}}^2}{1+\gamma_{\mathbf{v}}}
\frac{\mathbf{v}\mathbf{v}^t}{c^2}
\end{bmatrix} \begin{bmatrix}
 1&0 \\
0 &R_1
\end{bmatrix}$$
We observe that $R_1$ needs to satisfy the following relation
$$\mathbf{\xi} = R_1 \mathbf{\eta}$$
Thus $R_1$ needs to rotate the 3-vector $\mathbf{\mathbf{\eta}}$ into the 3-vector $\mathbf{\xi}$
The solution (using a similar method as Ungar) can be written as:
$$R_1 = 1_{(3\times3)}+ \sin(\theta) \Omega + (\cos(\theta-1)) \Omega^2$$
Where $\theta$ is the angle between the vectors $\mathbf{\eta}$ and $\mathbf{\xi}$
$$\sin(\theta) = \frac{\mathbf{\eta} \times \mathbf{\xi}}{|\mathbf{\eta}||\mathbf{\mathbf{\xi}}|}$$
and
$$\Omega_{ij} =\frac{ \eta_i \xi_j - \xi_i \eta_j}{|\mathbf{\eta}||\mathbf{\xi}|}$$

A: To compliment the answer above, the spin matrices for arbitrary spin have compact explicit expressions [1][2].
$$\begin{align}
\left(S_x\right)_{ab} & = \frac{\hbar}{2}(\delta_{a,b+1}+\delta_{a+1,b}  ) \sqrt{(s+1)(a+b-1)-ab} \, \\
\left(S_y\right)_{ab} & = \frac{i\hbar}{2}(\delta_{a,b+1}-\delta_{a+1,b}  ) \sqrt{(s+1)(a+b-1)-ab} \, \quad 1 \le a, b \le 2s+1 \, \\
\left(S_z\right)_{ab} & = \hbar (s+1-a) \delta_{a,b} =\hbar (s+1-b) \delta_{a,b} \, .
\end{align}$$
The sources contain explicit expressions for spin $1, \frac{3}{2}, 2,$ and $\frac{5}{2}$. With these you can exponentiate to obtain the explicit representation of any rotation on any spin-$j$ object:
$$D^{(j)}_{\sigma' \sigma} (\text{R}(\vec{\theta}))=D^{(j)}_{\sigma' \sigma} \left(e^{-\frac{i}{\hbar}\vec{\theta}\cdot\vec{S}}\right)$$
In general the result for arbitrary spin-$j$ is not so pretty, as is the case with spin-$1/2$ (and arguably spin-$1$).
To summarize, with the results stated by David Bar Mosche (above), you can calculate the Thomas rotation vector $\vec{\theta}$ corresponding to the Wigner rotation. Then, with these results, you can explicitly calculate the action of that Thomas rotation (well, any arbitrary spacial rotation really) on a spin-$j$ object for any $j$.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_(physics)#Higher_spins
[2] https://arxiv.org/pdf/1402.3541.pdf


text:
Rhino Horns
According to a global threat assessment report presented at a convention of the conservation agencies in Panama City, the seizure of rhino horns by weight has increased after 2017 despite a reduction in poaching.
A comprehensive analysis titled 'Executive Summary of the Rhino Horn Trafficking as a Form of Transnational Organised Crime (2012-2021): 2022 Global Threat Assessment', was presented at the meeting of the Conference of Parties organised by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
Supported by the World Wide Fund for Nature, the Wildlife Justice Commission (WJC) prepared the document on the rhino horn trafficking during the decade from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2021.
The threat assessment was compiled from the analysis of 674 rhino horn seizure incidents that had occurred globally during this decade, in addition to seven years of criminal intelligence and findings from the WJC investigations into the rhino horn trafficking, conducted since 2015.
The report said six countries and territories have dominated the rhino horn trafficking routes from the source to the destination locations although more than 50 countries and territories were implicated in the transnational crime.
These countries were South Africa, Mozambique, Malaysia, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Vietnam, and China.
Prolific Vietnamese and Chinese criminal networks are driving the racket throughout the supply chain. Vietnam is a highly significant transit and distribution area for products ultimately bound for China.
About the Greater One-horned Rhinoceros –
The greater one-horned rhino (or "Indian rhino") is the largest of the rhino species.
It is identified by a single black horn and a grey-brown hide with skin folds.
This species of rhino is commonly found in Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan and in Assam, India.
Protection Status —
IUCN Red List: Vulnerable
CITES: Appendix I
Wildlife Protection Act, 1972: Schedule I
It is one of the five species of Rhinos. The other four species are —
White rhino: It is native to northern and southern Africa
Black rhino: It is native to eastern and southern Africa
Javan rhino: It is also known as Sunda rhino or lesser one-horned rhino
Sumatran rhino: Critically Endangered species of rhino


How are we to respond to an event which is so catastrophic that many people still alive give up the will to live? How can Jewish life continue when everything that has been recognised as Jewish life now lies in ruins? And what happens to our relationship with God in the wake of terrible suffering? These questions, asked by so many after 1945, were asked in a very different context by Chazal, the rabbis of the Talmud, in the aftermath of the destruction of the Temple. This shiur attempts to draw these ancient sources into conversation with 20th century ones to uncover the ways in which Jews and Judaism have responded to and overcome the most difficult points in their history.


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