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writemarcus · 4 years ago

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The Civilians Announces Tenth Annual R&D Group

The Civilians will present the newest members of The R&D Group, marking the Group's 10th season, and The Civilians 20th Anniversary Season. The R&D Group is comprised of playwrights, composers, and directors who work together as a writing group for nine months to develop new plays and musicals. The season culminates in the Findings Series, a works-in-progress reading series anticipated taking place in June 2021. The artists were selected from a competitive application process. The open call received a record number of 268 applications, a 60% increase from last year.

The members of The Civilians' 2020-21 R&D Group are Galia Backal, Nana Dakin, Isabella Dawis, Jacinth Greywoode, Jaime Lozano, Emily Lyon, AriDy Nox, Reynaldo Piniella, Tylie Shider, Tidtaya Sinutoke, Rachel Stevens, Ken Urban, and Noelle Viñas.

Led by R&D Program Director Ilana Becker, the artists share work as it develops, discuss their creative processes, and provide a community of support for one another. Each project develops according to its unique methods of creative inquiry, offering new approaches to the idea of "investigative theater." Methods may include interviews, community engagement, research, or other experimental methods of inquiry. The artists will meet twice a month, virtually.

"The sheer talent and curiosity we encountered in this year's applicants proved exceptionally heartening. This season's R&D Group artists, in particular, inspired us with their visionary and deeply personal approaches to questions that demand illumination," said Becker. Artistic Director Steve Cosson added, "I am overjoyed to mark the 10th Anniversary of The Civilians' R&D Group with these exceptional artists; I'm immensely excited as they embark on the process of developing these vital new projects."

Ken Urban's project, THE MODERATE, joins the group through The Civilians' new work development program; his play is commissioned by the EST/Sloan Project, developed by The Civilians, and will receive its first reading at EST. This season, Cosson and Becker will also hold two virtual roundtable sessions with Finalist Directors in order to better get to know their work, and to expand community.

The 2020-21 R&D Group projects are as follows:

SUNWATCHER

Libretto by Isabella Dawis, Music by Tidtaya Sinutoke, Directed by Nana Dakin, with support from Producer/Cultural Consultant Ikumi Kuronaga

SUNWATCHER, a Noh-inspired musical, is the story of astronomer Hisako Koyama (1916-1997) - intertwined with the ancient Japanese myth of the sun goddess Amaterasu, in a retelling inspired by the structure of classical Noh theatre. Hisako was a woman with no formal scientific training - also a survivor of the 1945 US air raid of Tokyo, the deadliest bombing in history - who managed to rise to the stature of Galileo. She did so by drawing the sun in painstaking detail every day for 40 years, a landmark achievement for solar science. SUNWATCHER is a celebration of Hisako's extraordinary dedication to ordinary observation, reminding us how seemingly small acts can have an immense impact over time and space.

BLACK GIRL IN PARIS

Music by Jacinth Greywoode, Book and Lyrics by AriDy Nox

BLACK GIRL IN PARIS is a musical about one of the most famous and least known black women in the American historical canon: Sally Hemmings. It hones in on her years spent in Paris, a point in her life where she both had the most access to freedom ever afforded her and the beginnings of the relationship that would forever define her legacy. Black Girl in Paris seeks to explore the inherent contradictions of an enslaved young black woman held in bondage in a city where slavery has been outlawed, under a man widely considered to be one of the architects of one of the greatest articulations of the necessity of freedom in the western world. It also centers an ensemble cast of Ancestors who chide and guide Sally along her journey, interweaving fables and history to craft the nuanced world Sally is forced to grapple with. At the heart of this musical is the question "What does it mean to be free?", a question black Americans have been grappling with since the original kidnapping and enslavement of Africans for The American Project.

DESAPARECIDAS (Working Title)

Lyrics and Music Jaime Lozano, Directed by Rachel M. Stevens, Co-Created by Lozano and Stevens

Told through the lens of Mexican folklore, our story explores the psychology behind societal suppression and the strategic erasure of female voices in the fight to end gender-based violence and the killing of women and girls. A female ensemble assumes a community of characters in a tapestried play of dramatized accounts, fictionalized scenes and musical sequences to unearth and dismantle the moral behind the 'myth' of violence against women.

DISSENTARY

Written by Reynaldo Piniella, Directed by Emily Lyon

Tasked with escaping your neighborhood, you inevitably run across environmental hazards that impede your progress. Especially if you're Black, Indigenous or Latinx. Dissentary takes inspiration from the classic game The Oregon Trail and adds an environmental justice lens; your group can do one of two things - leave in pursuit of clean air, water and healthy food, or stay and defeat the corporations focused only on profits. Dissentary will both be a participatory theatrical piece as well as an accompanying card game that will allow people to play the game off-line themselves, thus giving access to people who normally don't have access to the arts.

RESET: RACE and CULTURE CONTACTS in the MODERN WORLD

Written by Tylie Shider

an investigative work of theatre

about how incidents between police and black Americans

continues to reset race relations in the country.

THE MODERATE

a new play by Ken Urban, directed by Steve Cosson, commissioned by the EST/Sloan Project and developed by The Civilians.

ACCEPT. ACCEPT. REJECT. ACCEPT. REJECT. For a minimum of eight hours a day, with a target of at least 2,000 videos a day, Frank evaluates the videos and photos uploaded on the world's largest social media site. What Frank sees, he can't un-see, but he soon realizes he has the power to change the world. Playwright Ken Urban and director Steve Cosson will interview scientists, researchers and policymakers in order to dramatize the hidden human cost of the internet and imagine a future when a free exchange of knowledge and information is possible again. This project is an EST/Alfred P. Sloan Science & Technology Project Commission.

EL CÓNDOR MÁGICO

Written by Noelle Viñas, Directed by Galia Backal

El Cóndor Mágico examines the events of Operation Condor, the US-backed campaign of right-wing dictatorships and repressive regimes in South America throughout the 1970s-80s via oral history, research, and satire. It will also explore the American fascination with magical realism, a Latin American narrative tool rooted in history in a region where people have been known to "disappear," problems miraculously go away, and corruption can serve as a curtain behind which history does tricks. Research will unravel how the political imprisonment of over 400,000 people, varied intimidation/torture tactics taught by the US, and unknown thousands of "disappeared" people set a precedent for relations between the US and Latin America that haunt us today. With an eye on Operation Condor's long shadow and impressive wingspan, it asks: who is the magician behind the "magical realism" when it comes to the relationship between Latin America and the US?

FINALISTS

In honor of the overwhelming amount of talent and curiosity displayed amongst this year's applicants, The Civilians are pleased to share the exceptional finalists considered for this season's R&D Group:

Finalist Projects were proposed by Calley N. Anderson; Masi Asare; Helen Banner; Aaron Coleman; Sara Cooper & Kira Stone; Annalisa Dias; Dominic Finocchiaro & Stephen Bennett; Franky D. Gonzalez; Suzy Jane Hunt; Rachel Gita Karp, Ben Hoover & Jacob Russell; Divya Mangwani & Kate Moore Heaney; Talene Monahon & Adam Chanler-Berat; Brett Robinson; Dominique Rider & Nissy Aya; Marcus Antwan Scott, Ryan Kerr, & Dev Bondarin; David B. Thomas, Nick Hatcher, & Sheridan Merrick; Xandra Nur Clark; and Sim Yan Ying "YY" & Alvin Tan.

Finalist Directors are é boylan, Britt Berke, Matt Dickson, Joan Sergay, Noam Shapiro, Emerie Snyder, Leia Squillance, Alex Tobey, and Michael T. Williams.

#Marcus Scott #WriteMarcus #Write Marcus #marcusscott #The Civilians #Dev Bondarin #Ryan Kerr

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heliumdish07-blog · 4 years ago

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Lawyers in Alkmaar - Why You Must Get in touch with a Lawyer in Alkmaar

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The Keys To Making Online Law College Successful.

Advocaten In Nederland, Alkmaar.

Law Institution Professors.

Lawyers Workplace Appelman Alkmaar

Another interesting example is France, where for much of the 20th century, all judiciary officials were graduates of an elite expert college for judges. The study brought in a total of 155 feedbacks, that included 97 in law practice as well as 35 in business legal departments. Several, 43 per cent, worked in a firm or legal department with 2 to 9 lawyers and also many, 57 per cent, had just one workplace. Lawyers in private method normally operate in specialized companies known as law office, with the exception of English lawyers.

The Keys To Making Online Law Institution Effective.

Nonetheless, in a large number of nations, a law pupil have to pass a bar examination prior to getting a permit to exercise. In a handful of U.S. states, one may come to be an attorney (a so-called nation lawyer) by simply "reading law" as well as passing the bar exam, without having to attend law institution initially. Some countries require extensive clinical training in the form of instructions or unique medical courses.

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ABA regulation 1.8 permits business deals w/ customers though greatly regulates it. If lawyers took bigger risks with their occupations I believe they 'd see even more revenues though the majority of are threat averse as it's the most valuable state of mind in a career that sells danger allotment. I understand a late occupation insurance coverage defense attorney in 3 person law firm getting rid of ~$ 120k a year regularly.

A couple of countries prefer to show with designated readings of judicial opinions adhered to by extreme in-class interrogation by the professor. Many others have just lectures on highly abstract lawful teachings, which forces young lawyers to identify exactly how to really believe and also write like a lawyer at their very first instruction.

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The variety of lawyers used at the fifty largest Dutch law firms boosted by 2% to more than 4,400, in 2015, discloses new analysis. Development was highest in the leading 10 section of the law market, with a rise of 10%, accounting for practically 100 additional lawyers. I wonder if legal tech is guaranteeing for equity investment like med technology is for physicians?

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Have You Obtained financial disagreements or concerns in The location of tax obligation law? Also, advocaat alkmaar may get answers to your inquiries to assist you have a mind.

Both barristers as well as lawyers have gone through law college, completed the requisite functional training. However, in territories where there is a split-profession, only barristers are confessed as members of their corresponding bar organization. On-the-job training for lawyers depends somewhat on expertise, sector, and also job goals.

Tort regulations covers situations entailing mishaps, all-natural catastrophes, wrongful fatality, etc . The accident of individuals and additionally residential or commercial property damage may result from a tort insurance coverage case.

Caesar van Everdingen was buried on 13 October 1678 in the Grote Kerk in Alkmaar. His widow Helena van Oosthoorn provided several of the paints in her property to the Van Everdingen family members. She ultimately wed Pieter Gerritsz Lang, the sheriff of Bergen, near Alkmaar, yet the marriage ended in separation in 1687. Helena was hidden in the Grote Kerk on 22 June 1694, in the same tomb as Caesar. If so, do not shed the possibility to update your company's profile, add products, offers and also greater position in internet search engine.

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After one gains a law level, occupation flexibility may be badly constrained. For example, unlike their American equivalents, it is challenging for German judges to leave the bench as well as end up being advocates secretive practice.

Who makes more solicitors or barristers?

Solicitors have a more stable income but the top barristers get paid more than most top solicitors; although the average solicitor may be paid more. Add to that the one year barristers have to spend in pupillage/deviling and the risks of taking the barrister path are higher.

We have experience managing lots of top-level matters and also transactions in the Netherlands, consisting of working with pan-European issues. With our strong setting in the Dutch service neighborhood and our roots in the United States, we really are a Dutch law firm with an American heart.

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Advocaten In Nederland, Alkmaar.

During Safe's Yearly Associate Study, we asked associates who work in the Large Apple to rank the reputations of peer firms within NYC. Maintain reviewing to figure out the most prestigious law office in New York.

The sufferer may file a claim against the charged for the problems occurring from the tort. The regulations of tort consists of circumstances including negligent, willful as well as also untrustworthy activities and also suitables for damages as well as injuries that occurred from those activities. Most lawyers work for district lawyer offices, law governments, firms, or firms, however some lawyers run exclusive methods or work individually as consultants.

What type of lawyer gets paid the most in Australia?

What Type of Lawyer Earns the Most?General-In-House Lawyers came first, at an average annual salary of $128,988. Constructions Lawyers came second highest, at an average annual salary of $124,041. Corporate & Commercial Lawyers come third highest, at an average annual salary of $118,558. More items•

With the region of residential property law and residential or commercial property being essential, these legal aids will can be found in to guide you on clients, programmers, as well as specialists. Family law is established for issues associating with marriage partnership, fostering, child security, separation, splitting up and different other issues worrying relative issues. It manages the young people in addition to with the moms and dads along with their participation.

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The term "medical professional" has actually given that fallen into disuse, although it is still a legal title in Italy as well as being used in lots of nations outside of Europe. In a lot of civil law nations, lawyers generally structure their legal education and learning around their selected specialized; the borders in between different kinds of lawyers are meticulously defined as well as tough to cross.

The vast majority of law firms worldwide are small companies that range in size from 1 to 10 lawyers. The USA, with its large number of firms with more than 50 lawyers, is an exception. The United Kingdom and Australia are also exceptions, as the UK, Australia as well as the U.S. are now home to a number of firms with more than 1,000 lawyers after a wave of mergings in the late 1990s. Subscribe and also obtain breaking information, discourse, as well as point of views on law practice, lawyers, law institutions, claims, judges, and also extra.

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Law College Professors.

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Our clients value our capacity to understand-- as well as properly handle-- the interaction in between these needs. The difficulties our customers deal with do not fit with the synthetic boundaries of other law firms' practice groups.

Based out of Canada, Allied Lawyers is one of the fastest emerging global law practice, offering several high-profile customers. The company is in the expansion stage with offices now additionally in UAE, Iraq, and also China. In the context of worldwide law, it concentrates in varied locations, consisting of corporate and industrial segments, property, as well as worldwide trade as well as mediation.

According to this resource, as of 2003, there were 901 law office with more than 50 lawyers in the United States. Some nations, like Italy, regulate lawyers at the regional level, and a few, like Belgium, also control them at the regional level. In lots of nations, lawyers are family doctors that stand for clients in a broad area of legal matters. In others, there has actually been a propensity because the beginning of the 20th century for lawyers to specialize early in their professions. Some territories approve a "diploma advantage" to certain establishments, so that just earning a degree or credential from those institutions is the main qualification for exercising law.

Consequently, even conveyancer as well as business internal advise have to initially get a license to exercise, though they may in fact invest extremely little of their jobs in court. Failure to comply with such a rule is the criminal activity of unauthorized practice of law. In method, lawful jurisdictions exercise their right to establish that is acknowledged as being a lawyer. Because of this, the definition of the term "lawyer" might vary from location to place.

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What is considered big law firm?

Although the term “biglaw” is prone to some variance in usage, the most commonly accepted definitions would stipulate that a biglaw job involves working in a large firm (the definition of “large” can also vary; the minimum would be 101 attorneys or more) that pays attorneys the market rate for large firms (currently

With around 169 partners as well as 756 lawyers, the company offers a wide range of services ranging from competition, profession as well as regulative to tax law. Greenberg Traurig's Amsterdam workplace is house to more than 40 lawyers, tax consultants, as well as civil-law notaries. We suggest firms that are energetic both in the Netherlands in addition to internationally.

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orthodoxydaily · 5 years ago

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Saints&Reading: Wed., Apr.22, 2020

Saint Theodore Sykeole Bishop of Anastasiopolis

Saint Theodore the Sykeote was born in the mid-sixth century in the village of Sykeon, not far from the city of Anastasiopolis (in Galatia, Asia Minor), into a pious family. When his mother Maria conceived the saint, she had a vision of a bright star overshadowing her womb. A clairvoyant Elder, whom she consulted, explained that this was the grace of God being poured forth on the infant in her womb.

When the boy reached the age of six, his mother presented him with a golden belt, since she intended that her son should become a soldier. That night the Holy Great Martyr George (April 23) appeared to her in a dream, and he told her not to consider military service for her son, because the boy was destined to serve God. The saint’s father, Cosmas, had served as a messenger of the emperor Justinian the Great (527-565), and he died at an early age. The boy remained in the care of his mother, and his grandmother Elpis, his aunt Dispenia and his little sister Vlatta also lived with them.

In school, Saint Theodore displayed great apptitude in his studies, chief of which was an uncommon ability for reasoning and wisdom. He was quiet, mild, he always knew how to calm his comrades, and he did not permit fights or quarrels among them.

The pious Elder Stephen also lived at his mother’s house. Imitating him, Saint Theodore at the age of eight began to eat only a small morsel of bread in the evening during Great Lent. So that his mother should not force him to take supper with everyone, the boy returned home from school only toward evening, after he had partaken of the Holy Mysteries with Elder Stephen. At the request of his mother, the teacher began to send him home to supper at the end of his lessons. Saint Theodore, however, ran to the church of the Great Martyr George, where the saint appeared to him in the form of a youth, and ushered him into the church...keep reading OCA

Venerable Vitali of Gaza

Saint Vitalis of Gaza (died c. 625 AD) is a hermit venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. He is the patron saint of prostitutes and day-laborers.

A monk of Gaza, he travelled to the city of Alexandria at the age of sixty. His legend states that after obtaining the name and address of every prostitute in the city, he hired himself out as a day laborer, and took his wage to one of these women at the end of the day. He then would teach her about her dignity and value as a woman and that she did not deserve to be used by men as an object of their lust.

This practice was condoned by the Church, and many prostitutes in the city abandoned their profession and became good wives and mothers.

Death and veneration

Vitalis was killed when a man, misunderstanding the nature of the monk's visit to a brothel, struck him on the head. Vitalis managed to return to his hut where he died. Apparently during his burial, former prostitutes came out to explain his works before processing with candles and lanterns as his body was brought to the grave.[1]

In the Eastern calendar, his feast day occurs on January 11 and April 22, while the Catholic Church only celebrates his feast on January 11.

Source Wikipedia

Acts 2:22-36 NKJV

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— 23 Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you [a]have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having [b]loosed the [c]pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. 25 For David says concerning Him:

‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. 27 For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. 28 You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’

29 “Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, [d]according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, 31 he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore being exalted [e]to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

34 “For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:

‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 35 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

36 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Footnotes:

Acts 2:23 NU omits have taken

Acts 2:24 destroyed or abolished

Acts 2:24 Lit. birth pangs

Acts 2:30 NU He would seat one on his throne,

Acts 2:33 Possibly by

John 1:35-51 NKJV

The First Disciples

35 Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. 36 And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, “Behold the Lamb of God!”

37 The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 38 Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, “What do you seek?”

They said to Him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), “where are You staying?”

39 He said to them, “Come and see.” They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).

40 One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the [a]Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ). 42 And he brought him to Jesus.

Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, “You are Simon the son of [b]Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is translated, [c]A Stone).

Philip and Nathanael

43 The following day Jesus wanted to go to Galilee, and He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him, and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!”

48 Nathanael said to Him, “How do You know me?”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

49 Nathanael answered and said to Him, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

50 Jesus answered and said to him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And He said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, hereafter[d] you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

Footnotes:

John 1:41 Lit. Anointed One

John 1:42 NU John

John 1:42 Gr. Petros, usually translated Peter

John 1:51 NU omits hereafter

New King James Version

(NKJV)

#orthodoxy #spirituality #firstchristian #ancientchristianity #gospel #brightweek #christisrisen #mysticalchristianity

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dstephensmanagementandconsulting · 2 years ago

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datascienceunicorn · 6 years ago

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Replicated from my article on Medium (https://link.medium.com/jyp3jUzjuX)

In the classic Data Science Venn diagram a data scientist exists at the convergence of skills in mathematics & statistics, hacking and domain expertise¹. But alongside this is the importance of soft skills in a data science role². To be truly effective a data scientist should possess strong communication skills; be able to negotiate and persuade stakeholders; and ultimately lead projects and teams to success, in a range of commercial or industrial environments.

This motivated me to compile a list of book recommendations for burgeoning data scientists to consider reading as part of their personal development. In my growing responsibilities to coach and lead project teams, I realised that although data scientists are generally very conscientious about their continuous development, they often focus heavily on the technical skills of the role and neglect to balance this with dedicated learnings on the softer skills side. I’ve found it very rewarding to incorporate soft skills learning into my personal development plan, to strengthen my commercial awareness and understanding of how businesses, and more importantly people, operate. And I have encouraged that these learnings be picked up in the projects and teams that I have helped lead, with great effect.

In these recommendations I summarise the key data science learnings from each book that can be put into practice in the role. I focus on the books I think most strongly complement each other to round-out the many soft skills an effective data scientist should hold, gathered from my experiences growing from a Junior role to Senior role and as the Tech Lead on a variety of projects.

“How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” — Dale Carnegie

This was the first ‘self help’ book I read when I transitioned into a data science role, and it was an excellent introduction to the effectiveness of personal development.

Recommended for: anyone who has ever experienced imposter syndrome!

Main message: recognise the cause of your worries, then rationalise them and form a plan to conquer them.

Key learnings for data scientists: when worrying about project briefs, code bugs, presentations to stakeholders, etc. it’s helpful to identify and mitigate the risks, so that you / your team / your stakeholders can be assured things are understood and under control.

Fave quote: “Decide just how much anxiety a thing may be worth — and refuse to give it any more.”

“How to Win Friends and Influence People” — Dale Carnegie

After enjoying Dale Carnegie’s writing style I next read his book on influencing people, which is itself top-ranked as a highly influential book (so meta)! Don’t let the title put you off: the advice is rooted in being your most authentic self, with a focus on interpersonal skills and the importance of empathy.

Recommended for: sociopaths (j/k!) anyone looking to become more empathetic or personable.

Main message: be sincere, honest, positive and humble when engaging others, treating them with genuine interest and respect.

Key learnings for data scientists: various projects and teams will bring together a diverse range of people whom it is important to empathise with to understand their motivations and behaviours so you can bring them on a journey of building an ideal solution, which may or may not align with their initial expectations.

Fave quote: “The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.”

“Thinking Fast and Slow” — Daniel Kahneman

Great book to become aware of the differences between our conscious and unconscious thought processes.

Recommended for: those who want to bring more reasoning and deliberation into their actions and behaviours.

Main message: by recognising our ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ ways of thinking, we can better control the use of logic in our decision making and reduce any overconfidence that stems from emotion or unconscious bias.

Key learnings for data scientists: in the various engagements with people across DS projects it’s useful to understand how both your and their decision-making happens since not everyone involved will think in the same way, so you should tailor your approach to the situation and engage ‘slow’ thinking where necessary.

Fave quote: “He had an impression, but some of his impressions are illusions.”

“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” — Stephen R. Covey

Introduces seven approaches for being effective at attaining your goals, especially when working with others.

Recommended for: those in project management, team leadership, or a consultancy role.

Main message: how to move from dependence to independence (self-mastery) and interdependence (working effectively with others).

Key learnings for data scientists: the effective prioritisation of tasks is demonstrated through measures of urgency and importance (priority matrix of “do”, “plan”, “delegate” or “eliminate”), which is useful for breaking down requests from stakeholders so you can focus on the most valuable parts. Methods to “synergize” a team are outlined to help ensure data scientists are aligned to the same goals and work positively towards them, relying on effective leadership to ensure a “win-win” situation.

Fave quote: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

“The Personal MBA” — Josh Kaufman

A condensed version of the typical lessons covered in an MBA program. It highlights key aspects of business education and strategies with examples.

Recommended for: those with limited business background or training, especially if now working with businesspeople or in a commercial setting.

Main message: the thinking behind effective strategies and decision-making throughout a business model; from evaluating the market and measuring value to building a product and managing uncertainty.

Key learnings for data scientists: stakeholders, higher management, and 3rd party providers or consultants, will all usually have a stronger foundation and background in business than a data scientist. To understand their motivations and essentially speak their language in order to gain their trust, it’s crucial to study business theory; covering forms of value creation & delivery, marketing, finance, psychology, and the function of business models and systems.

Fave quote: “Where there’s hassle, there’s opportunity.” — (Hassle Premium)

“The Bullet Journal Method” — Ryder Carroll

A method for improving your productivity through effective note taking and to-do lists.

Recommended for: anyone who struggles to keep track of their ever-growing to-do list.

Main message: using a simple written system of symbols and rules for recording actions, events and notes, you can improve your productivity.

Key learnings for data scientists: work in tech tends to be fast paced, with various dynamic requests from the business, so it’s important to manage this on a daily level — which is where the bullet journal method can help. A data scientist might wear many hats in one day, compiling various to-do lists that it’s useful to then order and prioritise, so you know what to action now, schedule for the future, or just eliminate if unimportant (see “7 habits…” above).

Fave quote: “Track the past, order the present, design the future.”

The following books hold a variety of logic, reasoning and insight on the softer side of data science & biz-tech skills.

“Freakonomics”, “Super Freakonomics”, “Think Like A Freak” and “When To Rob A Bank” — Steven D. Levitt & Stehpen J. Dubner

These are a fascinating read that show how economics is at the root of so many parts of society, highlighting its importance and influence.

“Adapt: why success always starts with failure”, “The Logic Of Life” and “The Undercover Economist” — Tim Harford

The psychology of people in society is explored through examples of economics at play in business, marketing, strategy and innovation.

“The Four: the hidden DNA of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google” — Scott Galloway “Are you smart enough to work at Google?” — William Poundstone “Outliers: the story of success” — Malcolm Gladwell “The Lean Startup: how constant innovation creates radically successful businesses” — Eric Reis

These books highlight how the ability to think creatively and act on innovation are what current tech companies thrive on and seek to add/grow in their employ.

“The Leader’s Mindset: how to win in the age of disruption” — Terence Mauri “The Five Minute Coach” — Lynne Cooper & Mariette Castellino “How to Develop Self-Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking” — Dale Carnegie “Getting Things Done: how to achieve stress-free productivity” — David Allen

These four books introduce aspects of good leadership, from having the right mindset and the ability to coach others, to being confident in yourself and able to influence people so they become highly productivity without becoming stressed.

“Nudge: improving decisions about health, wealth and happiness” — Richard H. Thaler & Cass R. Sunstein “A Field Guide to Lies and Statistics: a neuroscientist on how to make sense of a complex world” — Daniel Levitin “The Return of the Economic Naturalist: how economics helps make sense of your world” — Robert H. Frank “Predictably Irrational: the hidden forces that shape our decisions” — Dan Ariely “The Signal and the Noise: the art and science of prediction” — Nate Silver “Struck By Lightning: the curious world of probabilities” — Jeffrey S. Rosenthal “How Not To Be Wrong: the hidden maths of everday life” — Jordan Ellenberg “Coincidences, Chaos, and All That Math Jazz: making light of weighty ideas” — Edward B. Burger & Michael Starbird

These are some great reads on the use of maths & stats to help understand the behaviours of people and society, how we misunderstand and misjudge our biases, and how to better use probabilities to inform our decisions and the way we evaluate risk and the predictability of outcomes.

“Wake Up! Escaping a life on autopilot” — Chris Baréz-Brown “The Rules Of Life” — Richard Templar “Happiness by Design: finding pleasure and purpose in everyday life” — Paul Dolan “The Algebra of Happiness ” — Scott Galloway

Last, but by no means least, are some books about the importance of a positive and happy mindset; which is a good balance to have in the biz-tech industry because, as much as we work with logic and metrics and efficiency measures, we are not robots and should always invest in our mental health and wellbeing.

I’m curious and interested in anyone’s further recommendations on biz-tech., leadership or soft skills resources for data scientists. These and other resources are gathered at my datascienceunicorn.com blog³. Please hit me up!

P.S. As I’ve compiled this list I’ve realised the dominance of male authors in it and have made a mental note to seek out more female-authored books in these areas. All recommendations welcome.

References

¹ http://drewconway.com/zia/2013/3/26/the-data-science-venn-diagram ² https://towardsdatascience.com/soft-skills-will-make-or-break-you-as-a-data-scientist-7b9c8c47f9b ³ http://www.datascienceunicorn.com

Contact

Twitter: @datascienceuni

#data science #data scientists #data scientist #soft skills #personal development #books #biztech #tech skills #people skills

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amethyst-noir · 5 years ago

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Captain Potts rocks. I imagine her as Erika Hernandez type, she takes no shit from anyone. Even admiral Fury knows that. ("I won't risk this ship and her crew and either you have to deal with it or get lost"). And Tony and Stephen at first are bonding over tech specs - doc is surprisingly interested with this stuff - and Tony managed to impress Stephen with the use of suus mahna (Stephen thought no human is able to learn it). **Trek-anon**

Yes, she does. Erika Hernandez was awesome and I still don’t know if I like what was done with her in the Destiny-Trilogy. I hate the thought of the Columbia being lost with all of her crew. 😭 But Erika totally was an inspiration for the young Virginia Potts to not only join Starfleet but also command training. Erika was the Captain of the second Warp 5 vessel in the fleet, she was awesome and she did not hesitate to join forces with Archer and do what’s right instead of what Command says.

Totally Pepper’s big role model, to the despair of her commanding officers throughout her career. She loves her ship, she loves her crew and she will defend them like a lioness defends her young if necessary. She’s one of the big names that goes down in history with the likes of Archer, Hernandez, Pike and Kirk and will later inspire a little girl named Rachel Garrett. (Captain of the Enterprise C.) Captain Picard has her memoirs in hardback book form and has taken a lot of her lessons about command and diplomacy to heart. He met her when he was a young cadet and was unable to form a coherent sentence. She was incredible kind of the young Jean-Luc and became a trusted friend in the higher ranks of Starfleet Command.

She formed a very close friendship with Tony and Stephen that survived the end of Tony’s career due to medical reasons (idiot threw himself over an overloading phaser to protect the away-team he was commanding, getting a chest full of shrapnel in the process). Stephen followed into retirement but both stayed on an consulting basis, bringing med tech forward by incredible amounts because of their effortless blending of medicine and technology. Their teamwork was never silent, it was always explosive but their stuff worked. Which is how they both got pulled into working for Starfleet Intelligence in their twilight years where Tony was still able to wipe the floor with recruits less than half his age.

Section 31 eyed them for a while but decided against recruiting them for obvious reasons.

They know about it anyway, of course, and sabotage their more sinister schemes on a regular basis.

Yes, I’ve set this AU in the ~100 years between Kirk and Picard because that’s the period we know almost nothing about. Hey, the Avenger could make first contact with the Cardassians! (Stephen is still around by the time Picard gets command of the Enterprise D since he has a much longer lifespan thanks to his Vulcan genes.)

#avengers star trek au #amy imagines #i told you to not get me started on trek #Anonymous #inbox

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dstephensmanagementconsulti-blog · 4 years ago

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#D Stephens Management #D Stephens Management & Consulting #D Stephens Management and Consulting #dstephensmanagementconsulting

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a-motivation-to-study · 6 years ago

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Books to Read in 2019

This past year I finished reading MAYBE 2 books. How incredibly disappointing is that? In high school I read ALL THE TIME, and I have a whole wall covered in books, yet I have barely read! I’m really going to force myself to read more this next year. I know for a FACT that my semester next year will hinder my goal, but I’m hoping to follow this plan as closely as I can (although I am darn positive that I probably won’t be able to finish all of these). Most of these books I have selected relate to other personal goals I hope to achieve. The boldened titles are the books I feel are most important in my personal growth (and thus the books I will read first). I’m also hoping my love for reading can be reignited. I know a lot of us can lose the habit of reading, especially with busy college schedules, so I’ve added the descriptions of the books (from the back or from the amazon descriptions) I hope to read in case any of you would also like to read more!

Productivity Books

1. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey

In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principal-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity- principles that give us the security to adapt to change, and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.

2. Getting Things Done by David Allen

In today’s world, yesterday’s methods just don’t work. Veteran coach and management consultant David Allen shares his his breakthrough methods for stress-free performance that he has introcued to tens of thousands of people across the country. Aleen’s premis is simple: our productivity is directly proportional to our ability to relax. Only when our minds are clear and our thoughts are organized can we achieve effective results and unleash our creative potential. From core principles to proven tricks, Getting Things Dones can transform the way you work an live, showing you how to pick up the pace without wearing yourself down.

Meditation and Buddhist Books (from Wisdom Publications mostly)

3. Zen Vows for Daily Life by Robert Aitken

Zen Vows for Daily Life is a collection of gathas, vows in verse form for daily practice, similar to prayers or affirmations for use at home, at work, and in the meditation hall itself. Reciting these poetic vows can help us be fully present in each moment and each activity of our lives. These gathas serve as gentle reminders to return again and again to our highest aspirations, with acceptance, joy, and compassion—for ourselves and all beings. Zen Vows for Daily Life will be a steadfast companion in keeping the reader inspired and committed on their spiritual path.

4. A Heart Full of Peace by Joseph Goldstein

Love, compassion, and peace—these words are at the heart of all spiritual endeavors. Although we intuitively resonate with their meaning and value, for most of us, the challenge is how to embody what we know: how to transform these words into a vibrant, living practice. In these times of conflict and uncertainty, this transformation is far more than an abstract ideal; it is an urgent necessity. Peace in the world begins with us. This wonderfully appealing offering from one the most trusted elders of Buddhism in the West is a warm and engaging exploration of the ways we can cultivate and manifest peace as wise and skillful action in the world.

This charming book is illuminated throughout with lively, joyous, and sometimes even funny citations from a host of contemporary and ancient sources—from the poetry of W.S. Merwin and Galway Kinnell to the haiku of Issa and the great poet-monk Ryokan, from the luminous aspirations of Saint Francis of Assisi to the sage advice of Thich Nhat Hanh and the Dalai Lama.

5. Open Mind by B. Allan Wallace

Lerab Lingpa (1856–1926), also known as Tertön Sogyal, was one of the great Dzogchen (Great Perfection) masters of the nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries and a close confidant and guru of the Thirteenth Dalai Lama. This volume contains translations by B. Alan Wallace of two works that are representative of the lineage of this great “treasure revealer,” or tertön. This volume will be of great interest for all those interested in the theory and practice of the Great Perfection and the way it relates to the wisdom teachings of Tsongkhapa and others in the new translation schools of Tibetan Buddhism.

6. Interconnected by Ogyen Tinley Dorje

Plucked from a humble nomad family to become the leader of one of Tibet’s oldest Buddhist lineages, the young Seventeenth Karmapa draws on timeless values to create an urgent ethic for today’s global community. The Karmapa shows us how gaining emotional awareness of our connectedness can fundamentally reshape the human race. He then guides us to action, showing step by step how we can change the way we use the earth’s resources and can continue to better our society. In clear language, the Karmapa draws connections between such seemingly far-flung issues as consumer culture, loneliness, animal protection, and self-reliance. In the process, he helps us move beyond theory to practical and positive social and ethical change.

7. I Wanna Be Well by Miguel Chen

A punk rocker’s guide to grow, learn, and appreciate the present moment—in short, to live a life that doesn’t totally suck.

8. Discovering Your Soul Signature by Panache Desai

Your soul signature is your spiritual DNA - it is who you are at your core, the most authentic part of you, and your singular contribution to this world. And yet, we reject our authentic selvs. We allow our soul sigature to become blocked by any number of emotional obstacles that life throws in ou path: anger, fear, guilt, shame, sadness, despair. Any or all of these feelings overtake us and create a density, a heaviness that doesn’t permit us to embrace who we truly are, deep inside. We are energetic beings, Panache Desai reminds us, and emotions are energy in motion. When we are blocked we feel unworthy, less than, unloved, incomplete.

In Discovering Your Soul Signature, Panache Desai invites us on a 33-day path of meditations-- shot passages to be read at morning, noon, and night that are designed to dismantle the emotional burden that holds us back and open us up to changing our lives. Through this distilled, poetic, practical, and inspiring course, he invites us to live a life of authenticity, to rediscover purpose and passion, and to believe from our soul in the possibility of all things.

9. As Man Thinketh by James Allen

This little volume (the result of meditation and experience) is not intended as an exhaustive treatise on the much-written upon subject of the power of thought. It is suggestive rather than explanatory, its object being to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that -

"They themselves are makers of themselves" by virtue of the thoughts which they choose and encourage; that mind is the master weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circumstance, and that, as they may have hitherto woven in ignorance and pain they may now weave in enlightenment and happiness.

Religious Books

10. The Miracle of Forgiveness by Spencer W. Kimball

In The Miracle of Forgiveness, President Spencer W Kimball gives a penetrating explanation of repentance and forgiveness and clarifies their implications for Church members. His in-depth approach shows that the need for forgiveness is universal; portrays the various facets of repentance, and emphasizes some of the more serious errors, particularly sexual ones, which afflict both modern society and Church members. Most important, he illuminates his message with the brightness of hope that even those who have gone grievously astray may find the way back to peace and security. Never before has any book brought this vital and moving subject into so sharp a focus. This classic book is a major work of substance and power.

Science Books

11. God’s Equation by Amir D. Aczel

In God’s Equation, Amir Aczel tells the story of what lies between these events: the history of modern physics and the development of the sciene of cosmology, the study of the nature of the universe.

Other Books

12. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

In Anthony Burgess's nightmare vision of the future, where criminals take over after dark, the story is told by the central character, Alex, who talks in a brutal invented slang that brilliantly renders his and his friends' social pathology. A Clockwork Orange is a frightening fable about good and evil, and the meaning of human freedom. When the state undertakes to reform Alex—to "redeem" him—the novel asks, "At what cost?"

13. Walden and Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau

In 1845, Thoreau moved to a cabin that he built with his own hands along the shores of Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Shedding the trivial ties that he felt bound much of humanity, Thoreau reaped from the land both physically and mentally, and pursued truth in the quiet of nature. In Walden, he explains how separating oneself from the world of men can truly awaken the sleeping self. Thoreau holds fast to the notion that you have not truly existed until you adopt such a lifestyle—and only then can you reenter society, as an enlightened being. These simple but profound musings—as well as “Civil Disobedience,” his protest against the government’s interference with civil liberty—have inspired many to embrace his philosophy of individualism and love of nature. More than a century and a half later, his message is more timely than ever.

14. The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Baltasar Gracian

In the Art of Worldly Wisdom Baltasar Gracian gives us pertinent and pithy advice on friendship, leadership, and success. Think of it as Machiavelli with a soul. This book is for those who wish to have an ambitious plan for success without compromising their integrity or losing their way. Audacious and captivating!

15. For One More Day by Mitch Albom

For One More Day is the story of a mother and a son, and a relationship that lasts a lifetime and and beyond. It explores the question: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one?

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bountyofbeads · 5 years ago

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National Security Council official set to testify in impeachment inquiry is leaving his post

By Carol D. Leonnig, John Hudson and Reis Thebault | Published October 30 at 7:24 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted October 30, 2019 |

Tim Morrison, who is set to testify in the House impeachment inquiry about what he has witnessed as the senior National Security Council official handling Russian affairs, is leaving his White House post, according to people familiar with his plans.

Morrison has been on the job for about 15 months, having joined the security council during John Bolton’s tenure as national security adviser. Morrison could be a key witness in the inquiry into President Trump’s efforts to get Ukraine to investigate his political rivals.

“After more than a year of service at the National Security Council, Mr. Morrison has decided to pursue other opportunities — and has been considering doing so for some time,” a senior administration official said in a statement Wednesday. “We wish him well.”

Morrison’s departure was first reported by NPR.

William B. Taylor Jr., acting ambassador to Ukraine, testified last week that Morrison told him that Gordon Sondland, the U.S. envoy to the European Union, relayed to a top Ukraine aide that the country wouldn’t receive military aid money until the Ukrainian president agreed to pursue an investigation into Joe Biden’s son.

Morrison’s departure from the National Security Council removes an important vestige of Bolton’s tenure in the administration. Bolton handpicked Morrison to join the NSC because of his shared opposition to arms control agreements, which both men view as an unacceptable constraint on American power.

He is a staunch foe of nuclear nonproliferation advocates who view arms control accords as the only workable means to reducing the risk of nuclear war and managing defense budgets.

During his tenure, Morrison oversaw the U.S. withdrawal from the Reagan-era Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces and continued to look for ways the U.S. could pull out of other nuclear accords.

This summer, Morrison lobbied Republican offices to urge them not to support an amendment to a defense authorization bill encouraging the administration to extend a landmark nuclear arms reduction treaty known as New START, which expires in February 2021.

Anne Gearan contributed to this report.

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Ex-Rep. Livingston, player in Clinton impeachment, emerges as character in inquiry of Trump

By Mike DeBonis and Anu Narayanswamy | Published October 30 at 8:15 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted October 30, 2019 |

A pivotal but largely forgotten player in the last presidential impeachment effort suddenly made an unexpected appearance Wednesday in the latest one, this time in a radically different role.

On one of the most tumultuous days in congressional history — Dec. 19, 1998 — days before he was expected to claim the speaker’s gavel, Rep. Bob Livingston (R-La.) admitted to a extramarital affair and announced his resignation hours before the House voted to impeach President Bill Clinton for conduct related to Clinton’s own affair.

Now a prominent Washington lobbyist, Livingston has emerged nearly 21 years later as a behind-the-scenes player in the impeachment investigation of President Trump, allegedly urging at least one Trump administration official to oust the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine whose removal is a key episode in the probe.

Livingston’s role in pushing out the envoy was first revealed in testimony delivered Wednesday by State Department official Catherine M. Croft.

Livingston did not respond to messages seeking comment sent through his firm, The Livingston Group. Lobbying records indicate that Livingston has worked for multiple entities with ties to former Ukrainian prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who lost a presidential bid earlier this year.

Croft’s prepared testimony portrays Livingston as a player in a multifront effort to force the ouster of the ambassador, Marie Yovanovitch, and install a new envoy more sympathetic to Trump. Yovanovitch was ultimately removed in June, and her removal is among several key episodes in the impeachment investigation, which is probing allegations that Trump tied the delivery of U.S. military aid to Ukraine investigating certain political targets, including the son of former vice president and 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Croft describes receiving “multiple calls” from Livingston urging Yovanovitch’s firing during her time detailed to the National Security Council as a director from August 2015 to July 2017.

“He characterized Ambassador Yovanovitch as an ‘Obama holdover’ and associated [her] with George Soros,” she said in a written statement obtained by The Washington Post. “It was not clear to me at the time — or now — at whose direction or at whose expense Mr. Livingston was seeking the removal of Ambassador Yovanovitch.”

Croft said she relayed those contacts to her supervisor, NSC senior director Fiona Hill and George Kent, a senior State Department official. Both have already testified in the House inquiry. Croft testified she is “not aware of any action that was taken in response.”

Livingston’s motivation for wanting Yovanovitch removed is not fully known. But according to lobbying records, Livingston has a key business relationship with Tymoshenko, a gas mogul who has been on a years-long quest to regain political power in Ukraine after she lost the prime ministership in 2010. Part of that quest has been to build relationships in the U.S. with key government officials to burnish her reputation as a reformer despite suspicions of corruption in her home country.

Two groups with ties to Tymoshenko — Association of Enterprises UKRMETALURGPROM and Innovative Technology & Business Consulting — have both hired the Livingston Group, tapping a firm with a long record of representing foreign clients including the governments of Iraq, Egypt and Turkey.

The firm was first hired by UKRMETALURGPROM, a steel-industry trade group, in April 2018 for a three-month period and then hired again in Sept. 2019 on a one-year contract at a $20,000 a month retainer. And in June 2018, Innovative Technology & Business Consulting hired Livingston’s firm for a $50,000 a month retainer for a year.

Livingston’s firm played a key role in arranging a visit that Tymoshenko made to Washington in December, during which she met with administration and congressional officials.

In the months ahead of the visit, Livingston and his colleagues contacted the offices of about two dozen prominent House and Senate members, including the Republican chairmen of the committees dealing with intelligence and foreign affairs in both chambers, as well as Kevin McCarthy (D-Calif.), then the House majority leader, and Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), the Senate minority whip. A key figure in arranging the trip was Christopher Anderson, a State Department official who also testified to House committees Wednesday.

During the early December visit, Livingston accompanied Tymoshenko to meetings with Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.), who is now chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and the leader of the impeachment probe, as well as Kurt Volker, the State Department’s special envoy to Ukraine. Volker testified before the House committees earlier this month and described working with Trump lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani on persuading the new Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, to cooperate with Trump’s request for investigations.

Tymoshenko also appeared at think tanks and did media interviews, including for a Wall Street Journal piece where she promoted her upcoming run for president and cast herself as a pro-western reformer who could be counted on to counter Russian aggression. She called attacks from pro-Russian groups, including those affiliated with former president Viktor Yanukovych and his political strategist Paul Manafort, “a badge of honor.”

Manafort would later become Trump’s campaign manager until he was embroiled in a Ukrainian corruption scandal himself.

It is unclear whether Livingston was acting in concert or at odds with Tymoshenko to oust Yovanovitch during the time frame Croft describes. A congressional aide knowledgeable about Ukrainian affairs but not authorized to comment publicly said it was possible Tymoshenko viewed Yovanovitch as an obstacle to the resurrection of her domestic political career ahead of the March presidential election.

Yovanovitch was recalled from her position in May following a smear campaign that included unsubstantiated allegations of opposition to Trump that were promoted by Giuliani and amplified by right-wing media outlets and Republican officials, including former Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas. Yovanovitch denied those allegations when she appeared before the House earlier this month.

Whether Livingston’s role is integral to the current impeachment probe remains to be seen. “I think he sounds rather peripheral, not really central to this, but again, I’m guessing there might be a difference of opinion among my colleagues,” Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-Mass.) said Wednesday.

Livingston played a much clearer role in Clinton’s impeachment, helping to push the process forward despite his own doubts in late 1998 as House Republicans warred internally over how to sanction Clinton and what to do about their divisive speaker, Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.).

Livingston launched a bold challenge to Gingrich after Republicans lost seats in the 1998 midterms and was chosen by his party to claim the gavel once the new Congress convened in 1999. But faced with the disclosure of his own extramarital affairs, he decided he could not credibly lead a party pursuing impeachment and announced suddenly on Dec. 19 he would not run for speaker and would resign his seat within months.

“I was prepared to lead our narrow majority as speaker, and I believe I had it in me to do a fine job,” he said in a dramatic floor speech that began with a call for Clinton’s resignation. “But I cannot do that job or be the kind of leader that I would like to be under current circumstances, so I must set the example that I hope President Clinton will follow.”

Since leaving Congress, Livingston has not only been an effective lobbyist but a trusted counselor for many prominent Republican officials. Among them is House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, who holds the suburban New Orleans seat that Livingston once held.

Scalise said Wednesday that Livingston is among a host of Clinton impeachment veterans whom he has spoken to in recent weeks to discuss the practices and procedures surrounding impeachment. But he said Livingston never lobbied him on Ukraine or discussed Yovanovitch with him.

“It’s not uncommon that a new administration removes people from the previous administration and puts in their own folks to carry out their own foreign policy, but I haven’t talked to him about that at all,” Scalise said.

Karoun Demirjian and Tom Hamburger contributed to this report.

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Republicans will have to face the truth on impeachment eventually

By Karen Tumulty | Published October 30 at 6:48 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted October 30, 2019 |

Republicans don’t know how to take yes for an answer.

For weeks, they dutifully echoed President Trump, baying that the House’s ongoing impeachment investigation is a “witch hunt” and a “sham.”

They have complained that the House never took a formal vote on proceeding with the inquiry (though there is no requirement for one), that it was being conducted in secret (though open hearings are promised) and that the president is not being offered an opportunity to respond to his accusers (though he does it constantly on his Twitter feed).

On Thursday, they will have the vote they demanded, along with a road map for how the inquiry will go from here.

The procedure as outlined strikes a reasonable balance between the need to collect evidence and testimony, some of which must be done initially behind closed doors, and the transparency necessary for the public to have confidence that something as grave as the impeachment of a president is done fairly.

There will be public hearings. Transcripts of testimony already gathered privately will be released. The arrangement also sets out procedures under which Trump’s lawyers can call and cross-examine witnesses, although that may be made contingent on White House cooperation with the House Judiciary Committee’s requests for witnesses and documents.

All of this will be an educational exercise for the American public, in which people will once again be reminded that when it comes to impeaching a president, the Constitution gives the House a role like the grand jury in a criminal case. It collects and hears the evidence and decides whether to bring charges. From there, the action moves to the Senate, which holds a trial to decide whether to convict and remove the president from office.

So far, the effort in the House has moved methodically. Nonetheless, Republicans continue to howl about process. The reason: It allows them to avoid talking about the actual substance of the allegations against Trump.

The essential unseriousness of their argument became apparent last week, when two dozen House Republicans burst like a clown car into the secure meeting room of the House Intelligence Committee, where a Pentagon official was set to testify.

They recklessly violated the security of the facility by bringing in their cellphones, which is prohibited, and ordered pizza as they staged a five-hour sit-in. The point of their stunt was not entirely clear, given that roughly 100 lawmakers — both Democrats and Republicans — were actually authorized to be there, by virtue of membership on one of the three committees conducting the inquiry’s preliminary phase.

In the meantime, polls show a plurality of Americans now support not only impeaching Trump but also kicking him out of office. A mountain of evidence — which includes the White House’s own version of the conversation Trump had on July 25 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky — already makes a compelling case that he has abused the power of his office.

Even now, it is clear that the president pressed a foreign power to dig up dirt on a leading political rival and to provide information that would support a crackpot conspiracy theory that undercuts the conclusion of this country’s own intelligence professionals that Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election. And whether the phrase “quid pro quo” ever crossed Trump’s lips, testimony gathered thus far indicates that he withheld $391 million in congressionally appropriated aid to Ukraine to coerce its government to do his bidding.

Asked whether all of that is sufficient fodder for articles of impeachment against the president, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) earlier this week told a group of columnists: “There’s no question about that, right? We’ve had enough for a very long time. No, I think we have enough. But as long as there’s corroboration, we might as well get some more.”

The bigger challenge, she suggested, may be deciding what not to include. One thing that is not likely to make the cut, she said, is Trump’s apparent violation of what he calls the “phony emoluments clause” — which is the Constitution’s very clear ban on government officials’ accepting gifts or payments “from any King, Prince, or foreign State.”

“How much drama can the American people handle?” Pelosi asked. “Where does the law of diminishing returns set in? Where is the value added not worth the time?”

Still, the speaker appears to be in no hurry to wrap this all up, even though an election year looms. “We will take as long as the truth insists,” she said. “And that will be its own agenda.”

The truth. Eventually, that is what Republicans will have to face.

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In Syria and elsewhere, Trump is making Russia great again

By Max Boot | Published October 30 at 5:31 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted October 30, 2019 |

What does Russian President Vladimir Putin want from his U.S. counterpart? Someone who will corrupt and discredit American democracy, turn on U.S. allies and give Russia a free hand abroad. President Trump, elected with Russian help, is giving Putin more than he could have dreamed of. We still don’t know exactly why Trump is acting as he is, but the consequences of his presidency are clear: Trump is bringing the United States to its knees and making Russia great again.

Until recently, the most effective response available to Trump’s defenders has been the fact that, under heavy congressional pressure, he approved lethal-weapons aid to Ukraine in its battle against Russian separatists. But that dog won’t hunt anymore, now that Trump held up that aid to force Ukraine to cough up dirt on former vice president and Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden and to exonerate Russia of election hacking in 2016. (The president still calls Russia’s attack a “hoax.”) The nearly $400 million in aid was released only after Congress and the media started raising the alarm.

Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines of a war that has killed 13,000 people told the New York Times that the aid interruption “took a heavy psychological toll . . . striking at their confidence that their backers in Washington stood solidly behind their fight to keep Russia at bay.” Oh, and those Javelin antitank missiles that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky asked for? The Times reports: “The Trump administration provided the missiles on the condition that they not be used in the war . . . lest they provoke Russia to slip more powerful weaponry to the separatists.” So what’s the point of providing them at all?

Trump is further undermining Ukraine by spreading the crazy conspiracy theory that it, not Russia, was behind the 2016 election hacking. Is this something that Putin told Trump during one of their top-secret conversations? I bet it is. Zelensky is fighting corruption but Trump is promoting it: He outsourced his Ukraine policy to personal lawyer Rudolph W. Giuliani, who was in cahoots with a couple of sleazy operators who are linked to a pro-Putin oligarch and have now been arrested by the FBI. Trump put Zelensky in a no-win situation: Either smear Biden and alienate Democrats or risk the loss of vital U.S. aid. That’s not how you treat allies.

Trump is doing Putin another solid in Syria by pulling most U.S. forces out. Russian soldiers are entering U.S. bases and taking up the joint patrolling duties with the Turkish army that U.S. troops had been performing until recently. The fate of Syria was settled not in Washington but in Sochi — Putin’s favorite Black Sea resort. Trump has given Russia what it has sought for decades: a leading role in the Middle East. This is the biggest geopolitical shift in the region since 1972 when Egypt’s Anwar Sadat expelled Soviet advisers and aligned with Washington. Russian television had good reason to crow that “the United States has given a real gift to Putin.”

And the gifts just keep coming. By abandoning the Kurds, Trump confirms Russia’s arguments that it is a much more reliable ally. By keeping some troops in eastern Syria to guard oil fields, Trump is confirming Kremlin propaganda that U.S. foreign policy is motivated (just like Russia’s) by greed and self-interest, not by high-minded ideals. “Wow, what a great outcome!” Trump said. It is — for Russia.

Trump has sacrificed the high ground at home as well as abroad. He engages in blatant self-dealing — conditioning aid to Ukraine on political help for himself, operating hotels where foreign emissaries stay, paying off a mistress in violation of campaign finance laws, obstructing justice, etc. — and claims immunity from any consequences. His lawyer argues that Trump couldn’t be prosecuted even for shooting someone. This allows Putin to say: You think I’m bad? Everyone’s corrupt. Look at the United States.

Trump is further normalizing Putin by emulating the Russian leader’s strongman tactics. He calls opponents “human scum” and the media “the enemy of the people” while launching an investigation of the investigators who dared to probe his links with Russia. Trump is also helping Russia by denigrating the FBI, CIA, and even his own ambassador to Ukraine and one of his own National Security Council staff members as agents of a nonexistent “Deep State.” He is thereby undermining the individuals and institutions most dedicated to combating Russian designs. The leading Russian hard-liners — Fiona Hill and John Bolton — have already left the White House, no doubt to Putin’s delight.

“Russia likes seeing President Trump in the White House in part because it provides the Kremlin a chance to point to the ugly side of American politics — to say, just as they did with [President Richard M.] Nixon, look how sordid, how hypocritical,” former Russian foreign minister Andrei Kozyrev recently wrote in the New York Times. The only way to undo some of the damage, he argued, is to impeach and remove Trump. That would send a message to the world similar to the one sent by Nixon’s resignation: “Moral principles still matter in American politics and policy.”

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We’re polarized and fragmented at the same time. Trump likes that.

By E.J. Dionne Jr. | Published October 30 at 5:00 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted October 30, 2019 |

Why would President Trump’s hardcore defenders think the best way to defend a floundering leader is to hurl repulsive dual-loyalty charges at a decorated Army combat veteran who feels an obligation to tell the truth to Congress?

Why would British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gamble on forcing an election in Britain at a time when his Conservative Party is under 40 percent in the polls?

And why are German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right Christian Democrats and her coalition partners, the center-left Social Democrats, suffering electoral losses even though a large majority of the country wants her to serve out her term through 2021?

The standard answer to such questions focuses on political polarization, and there sure is a lot of it going around: left vs. right, urban vs. rural, religious vs. secular, young vs. old, prosperous vs. left-behind, pro-immigrant vs. anti-immigrant.

Polarization is deepened because many of these identities reinforce one another these days. To pick just one example underscored by recent studies from the Public Religion Research Institute and the Pew Research Center: Christian conservatives rally to the Republican Party while the secular are overwhelmingly Democrats. Partisans don’t just disagree about politics. They are divided by some of the most fundamental questions about human existence.

But another factor that we talk about far less is feeding the chaos: fragmentation. If some identities are mutually reinforcing, we have other commitments that split us into ever smaller groups. This feeds a tendency toward niche politics, visible in all the democratic nations. Taken together, polarization and niche politics make it very hard to forge the consensus required to solve problems and move democracies forward.

Consider first the sliming of Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, who raised damaging questions about whether the White House summary of Trump’s phone call with Ukraine’s president omitted a reference to former vice president Joe Biden, whom Trump was pressuring the Ukrainian government to investigate.

Even before testifying Tuesday to House impeachment investigators, Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, was subjected to attacks by Fox News and others on the far right because of his Ukrainian heritage. (He was brought to the United States by his refugee family when he was 3.)

Senate Democratic leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) demanded Wednesday that Vindman be protected from retaliation. He “served our country for more than 20 years and is a recipient of the Purple Heart after being injured while serving in Iraq,” and yet “some have even gone so far as to call him a spy and question his loyalty to the United States.”

The vile assault on Vindman is designed to muddle a factual record highly damaging to the president. But it’s aimed at the Trump niche, roughly a quarter of Americans who will follow Trump’s lead on almost everything. This is a case of polarization and fragmentation reinforcing each other.

In Britain, the average of three recent polls gives Johnson’s party, pledged to leading Britain out of the European Union, just 38 percent of the vote. But Johnson has good reason to think he will win a majority of seats in the House of Commons, because his opponents are so fractured.

The Labour Party, broadly pro-E.U. but divided on the Brexit issue, is at just over 23 percent, while the passionately pro-E.U. Liberal Democrats stand at 18 percent. An additional 8 percent support pro-E.U. regional parties or the Greens, while the Brexit Party (committed to an even sharper break with Europe) polls at 11 percent.

This is a portrait of radical polarization (generally pro- and generally anti-E.U. parties are at roughly 49 percent each) and extreme fragmentation. Both make Britain harder to govern.

And in Germany, elections this past Sunday in the state of Thuringia saw both the Left Party and the far-right Alternative for Germany party gain ground — the left to 31 percent and the far right to 23 percent. The Christian Democrats and the Social Democrats each saw their vote reduced by a third, the Christian Democrats to 22 percent and the Social Democrats to a paltry 8 percent. The outcome in Thuringia is an extreme case of what’s going on in the country as a whole, but it is symptomatic of the broader decay of once unifying, middle-ground politics.

It would be nice to end on an upbeat note. But the economic and cultural forces pushing simultaneously toward polarization and fragmentation will be hard to overcome. And just when we need leadership that might promote solidarity and a degree of mutual understanding, the most powerful democratic country in the world is led by Trump, who thrives on chopping up our society into pieces.

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Only now do we understand the true cruelty of Trump’s family separation

By Editorial Board | Published October 29 at 5:59 PM ET | Washington Post | Posted October 30, 2019 |

BEFORE THE spring of 2018, U.S. Customs and Border Protection had no system in place to track migrant children who were separated from their families. That was the case even though, it now turns out, the Trump administration, in its first months in office, had already begun wrenching scores of babies, toddlers, tweens and adolescents from their parents to deter illegal border crossings. Then, beginning in April last year, the administration doubled down, systematically breaking apart migrant families upon apprehension at the border — still with no means of tracking and reuniting the families it had sundered.

Only now, 16 months after a federal judge ordered migrant families reunified, has the scale of the administration’s cruelty become understood. Most Americans thought the policy detestable. It was far worse than they imagined.

Having resisted demands that it compile a definitive listing of the families broken apart by its policies, the administration finally relented this spring when U.S. District Judge Dana M. Sabraw ordered a full accounting. Last week, hours before the deadline set by the judge, the government submitted the numbers to the American Civil Liberties Union, to whose volunteers it has fallen to clean up the mess created by President Trump, former attorney general Jeff Sessions, former homeland security secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and others.

No, it was not only the 2,814 traumatized children who had been separated and were in custody under the government’s policy of “zero tolerance” for unauthorized border crossers when Judge Sabraw ordered families reunified in June last year. It turns out that an additional 1,556 children had been separated in the preceding 12-month period, beginning in July 2017. Of those, more than 300 were 5 years old or younger.

Imagine, if you can, the suffering visited upon those children, including many still in diapers and requiring afternoon naps, by the administration’s cavalier brutality and incompetence — the anguish of little girls and boys removed from their parents for weeks or months because of a president lacking a conscience and a government whose data systems were not suited to the task of reunification. Those wounds won’t heal easily, or ever.

Incredibly, having shattered so many families, the administration threw up its hands and declared the task of reuniting them beyond its capabilities. Even now, volunteers working under the coordination of the ACLU are going door to door in Guatemala and Honduras, seeking to ascertain whether families have recovered their children.

More than 1,000 additional migrant children have been separated in the past 17 months on the grounds, the government says, that their parents or guardians endangered or abused them, or were unable to care for them, or were criminals, or were not actually their parents. The ACLU maintains that in some cases, those separations are also unjustified, triggered by minor offenses committed by the parents, such as shoplifting or driving without a valid license. It has asked Judge Sabraw to set a narrow standard for separations.

In all, the administration has taken at least 5,460 children from their parents. That is a stain on Mr. Trump, on the government he leads and on America.

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