#up board 12 result 2020

[qqueenofhades]

do you have any suggestions for organizations or groups or something that are doing any kind of voting campaign/vote dem campaign? i remember in 2020 there was a huge push to do phone banking in swing states, but im seeing almost none of that now, and its making me a bit nervous about the outcome of the election

Sure! Here are some ideas:

Find your state Democratic party for specific networking/volunteering/connecting opportunities in your city or region:

Or volunteer for the national party:

Volunteer for the Biden-Harris campaign! Apparently, regardless of whatever media bullshit it set off, the debate DID result in a huge surge of campaign volunteers in swing states especially, so this is a great time to sign up:

Write postcards for Democratic voters!

Or postcards especially for Democratic voters in swing states:

Have the spoons to make phone calls for Democrats? Do it here:

Read Hopium Chronicles: it is a much-needed antidote to media doomerism and it gives lots of daily volunteering/donating/action tips to Do More, Worry Less:

Give money to Joe Biden and Kamala Harris:

Give to 12 Democrats running in highly flippable House races:

Give or volunteer for a Democratic Senate (ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT if we're going to flip SCOTUS and the map is very hairy this year):

Doing even a bit of this will help you feel better than sitting and worrying. Good luck and go get 'em!

[simply-ivanka]

How the Biden-Harris Economy Left Most Americans Behind

A government spending boom fueled inflation that has crushed real average incomes.

By The Editorial Board -- Wall Street Journal

Kamala Harris plans to roll out her economic priorities in a speech on Friday, though leaks to the press say not to expect much different than the last four years. That’s bad news because the Biden-Harris economic record has left most Americans worse off than they were four years ago. The evidence is indisputable.

President Biden claims that he inherited the worst economy since the Great Depression, but this isn’t close to true. The economy in January 2021 was fast recovering from the pandemic as vaccines rolled out and state lockdowns eased. GDP grew 34.8% in the third quarter of 2020, 4.2% in the fourth, and 5.2% in the first quarter of 2021. By the end of that first quarter, real GDP had returned to its pre-pandemic high. All Mr. Biden had to do was let the recovery unfold.

Instead, Democrats in March 2021 used Covid relief as a pretext to pass $1.9 trillion in new spending. This was more than double Barack Obama’s 2009 spending bonanza. State and local governments were the biggest beneficiaries, receiving $350 billion in direct aid, $122 billion for K-12 schools and $30 billion for mass transit. Insolvent union pension funds received a $86 billion rescue.

The rest was mostly transfer payments to individuals, including a five-month extension of enhanced unemployment benefits, a $3,600 fully refundable child tax credit, $1,400 stimulus payments per person, sweetened Affordable Care Act subsidies, an increased earned income tax credit including for folks who didn’t work, housing subsidies and so much more.

The handouts discouraged the unemployed from returning to work and fueled consumer spending, which was already primed to surge owing to pent-up savings from the Covid lockdowns and spending under Donald Trump. By mid-2021, Americans had $2.3 trillion in “excess savings” relative to pre-pandemic levels—equivalent to roughly 12.5% of disposable income.

So much money chasing too few goods fueled inflation, which was supercharged by the Federal Reserve’s accommodative policy. Historically low mortgage rates drove up housing prices. The White House blamed “corporate greed” for inflation that peaked at 9.1% in June 2022, even as the spending party in Washington continued.

In November 2021, Congress passed a $1 trillion bill full of green pork and more money for states. Then came the $280 billion Chips Act and Mr. Biden’s Green New Deal—aka the Inflation Reduction Act—which Goldman Sachs estimates will cost $1.2 trillion over a decade. Such heaps of government spending have distorted private investment.

While investment in new factories has grown, spending on research and development and new equipment has slowed. Overall private fixed investment has grown at roughly half the rate under Mr. Biden as it did under Mr. Trump. Manufacturing output remains lower than before the pandemic.

Magnifying market misallocations, the Administration conditioned subsidies on businesses advancing its priorities such as paying union-level wages and providing child care to workers. It also boosted food stamps, expanded eligibility for ObamaCare subsidies and waved away hundreds of billions of dollars in student debt. The result: $5.8 trillion in deficits during Mr. Biden’s first three years—about twice as much as during Donald Trump’s—and the highest inflation in four decades.

Prices have increased by nearly 20% since January 2021, compared to 7.8% during the Trump Presidency. Inflation-adjusted average weekly earnings are down 3.9% since Mr. Biden entered office, compared to an increase of 2.6% during Mr. Trump’s first three years. (Real wages increased much more in 2020, but partly owing to statistical artifacts.)

Higher interest rates are finally bringing inflation under control, which is allowing real wages to rise again. But the Federal Reserve had to raise rates higher than it otherwise would have to offset the monetary and fiscal gusher. The higher rates have pushed up mortgage costs for new home buyers.

Three years of inflation and higher interest rates are stretching American pocketbooks, especially for lower income workers. Seriously delinquent auto loans and credit cards are higher than any time since the immediate aftermath of the 2008-09 recession.

Ms. Harris boasts that the economy has added nearly 16 million jobs during the Biden Presidency—compared to about 6.4 million during Mr. Trump’s first three years. But most of these “new” jobs are backfilling losses from the pandemic lockdowns. The U.S. has fewer jobs than it was on track to add before the pandemic.

What’s more, all the Biden-Harris spending has yielded little economic bang for the taxpayer buck. Washington has borrowed more than $400,000 for every additional job added under Mr. Biden compared to Mr. Trump’s first three years. Most new jobs are concentrated in government, healthcare and social assistance—60% of new jobs in the last year.

Administrative agencies are also creating uncertainty by blitzing businesses with costly regulations—for instance, expanding overtime pay, restricting independent contractors, setting stricter emissions limits on power plants and factories, micro-managing broadband buildout and requiring CO2 emissions calculations in environmental reviews.

The economy is still expanding, but business investment has slowed. And although the affluent are doing relatively well because of buoyant asset prices, surveys show that most Americans feel financially insecure. Thus another political paradox of the Biden-Harris years: Socioeconomic disparities have increased.

Ms. Harris is promising the same economic policies with a shinier countenance. Don’t expect better results.

[book--brackets]

The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb (1998-2000)

Wizardwood, a sentient wood. The most precious commodity in the world. Like many other legendary wares, it comes only from the Rain River Wilds.

But how can one trade with the Rain Wilders, when only a liveship fashioned from wizardwood can negotiate the perilous waters of the Rain River? Rare and valuable a liveship will quicken only when three members, from successive generations, have died on board. The liveship Vivacia is about to undergo her quickening as Althea Vestrit’s father is carried on deck in his death-throes. Althea waits for the ship that she loves more than anything else in the world to awaken. Only to discover that the Vivacia has been signed away in her father’s will to her brutal brother-in-law, Kyle Haven...

Others plot to win or steal a liveship. The Paragon, known by many as the Pariah, went mad, turned turtle, and drowned his crew. Now he lies blind, lonely, and broken on a deserted beach. But greedy men have designs to restore him, to sail the waters of the Rain Wild River once more.

Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (1997-2021)

With lonely Ben aboard, brave dragon Firedrake seeks mythical place where silver dragons can live in peace. Over moonlit lands and sparkling seas, they meet fantastic creatures, summon up surprising courage - and cross a ruthless villain with an ancient grudge determined to end their quest. Only a secret destiny can save the dragons and bring them the true meaning of home.

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow (2020)

In 1893, there's no such thing as witches. There used to be, in the wild, dark days before the burnings began, but now witching is nothing but tidy charms and nursery rhymes. If the modern woman wants any measure of power, she must find it at the ballot box.

But when the Eastwood sisters -- James Juniper, Agnes Amaranth, and Beatrice Belladonna -- join the suffragists of New Salem, they begin to pursue the forgotten words and ways that might turn the women's movement into the witch's movement. Stalked by shadows and sickness, hunted by forces who will not suffer a witch to vote -- and perhaps not even to live -- the sisters will need to delve into the oldest magics, draw new alliances, and heal the bond between them if they want to survive.

There's no such thing as witches. But there will be.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon (2013-present)

In 2059, Scion has taken over most of the world's cities, promising safety for all the citizens it deems worthy and wiping out clairvoyants wherever it can find them. 

Paige Mahoney, though, is a clairvoyant--and a criminal just for existing. Paige is determined to fight Scion's power, and as part of the Seven Seals, Paige has found a use for her powers: she scouts for information by breaking into others' minds as they dream. 

But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city, controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly--as soldiers in their army. 

Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (2021-present)

The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn’t matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it’s to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister’s death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​

To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed.

Kushiel's Legacy by Jacqueline Carey (2001-2003)

The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a young woman who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye. Sold into indentured servitude as a child, her bond is purchased by Anafiel Delaunay, a nobleman with very a special mission...and the first one to recognize who and what she is: one pricked by Kushiel's Dart, chosen to forever experience pain and pleasure as one.

Phèdre is trained equally in the courtly arts and the talents of the bedchamber, but, above all, the ability to observe, remember, and analyze. Almost as talented a spy as she is courtesan, Phèdre stumbles upon a plot that threatens the very foundations of her homeland. Treachery sets her on her path; love and honor goad her further. And in the doing, it will take her to the edge of despair...and beyond. Hateful friend, loving enemy, beloved assassin; they can all wear the same glittering mask in this world, and Phèdre will get but one chance to save all that she holds dear.

Beauty by Robin McKinley (1978)

Beauty has never liked her nickname. She is thin and awkward; it is her two sisters who are the beautiful ones. But what she lacks in appearance, she can perhaps make up for in courage. When her father comes home with a tale of an enchanted castle in the forest and the terrible promise he had to make to the Beast who lives there, Beauty knows she must travel to the castle, a prisoner of her own free will. Her father insists that he will not let her go, but she responds, "Cannot a Beast be tamed?"

The Immortals Quartet by Tamora Pierce (1992-1996)

Thirteen-year-old Daine has always had a special connection with animals, but only when she's forced to leave home does she realize it's more than a knack--it's magic. With this wild magic, not only can Daine speak to animals, but she can also make them obey her. Daine takes a job handling horses for the Queen's Riders, where she meets the master mage Numair and becomes his student. 

Under Numair's guidance, Daine explores the scope of her magic. But she encounters other beings, too, who are not so gentle. These terrifying creatures, called Immortals, have been imprisoned in the Divine Realms for the past four hundred years--but now someone has broken the barrier. And it's up to Daine and her friends to defend their world from an Immortal attack.

The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander (1964-1968)

Taran wanted to be a hero, and looking after a pig wasn't exactly heroic, even though Hen Wen was an oracular pig. But the day that Hen Wen vanished, Taran was led into an enchanting and perilous world. With his band of followers, he confronted the Horned King and his terrible Cauldron-Born. These were the forces of evil, and only Hen Wen knew the secret of keeping the kingdom of Prydain safe from them. But who would find her first?

Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima (2009-2012)

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for his family. The only thing of value he has is something he can't sell—the thick silver cuffs he's worn since birth. They're clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

One day, Han and his clan friend, Dancer, confront three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to keep him from using it against them. Soon Han learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Marianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of freedom in the mountains—riding, hunting, and working the famous clan markets. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But her mother has other plans for her...

The Seven Realms tremble when the lives of Hans and Raisa collide, fanning the flames of the smoldering war between clans and wizards.

[mariacallous]

K-12 education has captured its share of headlines over the last few years. Schools—and, specifically, local school boards—became a lightning rod for anger about the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. From the first weeks of the pandemic, Republicans accused Democratic leaders of being too slow to reopen schools. That accusation gained potency as evidence mounted that schools hadn’t been the vectors of COVID-19 transmission that experts initially feared. Sensing vulnerability, Democrats became reluctant to engage on K-12 issues, and Republicans such as Glenn Youngkin showed that Democrats wouldn’t put up much of a fight if education became a battlefield for culture war conflicts. The result was a dizzying, maddening stretch where schools were embroiled in controversies over critical race theory and transgender students’ rights when education leaders needed to focus on pandemic recovery.

Now, as memories of the pandemic recede, the politics of education are changing. Democrats are talking more about schools, emboldened by the selection of a former schoolteacher, Tim Walz, as Vice President Harris’s running mate. Republicans, for their part, have harnessed discontent with public schools into an aggressive push for private school voucher programs that threaten America’s public education systems.

The platforms of the Democratic and Republican parties, along with the education-related portions of Project 2025, provide a glimpse of where K-12 education might be headed.

The Democratic platform

The Democrats’ 2024 platform is light on specifics, with more attention to the current administration’s accomplishments and the would-be Harris administration’s support for some broadly defined goals (e.g., reducing chronic absenteeism). To some extent, the lack of specifics stands in contrast to both the Democrats’ 2020 platform—which, for example, pledged a tripling of Title I funds for high-needs schools—and more detailed 2024 proposals for early childhood education (e.g., free, universal pre-K) and higher education (e.g., free community college). 

The 2024 platform does contain relevant, specific ideas outside of its “Education” section. For example, Democrats propose rebates for school districts that purchase electric school buses—an idea grounded in research on the harms of students’ exposure to toxins. They also offer specific proposals to reduce gun violence (amid a scourge of school shootings) and to strengthen civil rights protections for LGBTQ+ children and students of color (frequent targets of culture war attacks).

Notably, some of the platform’s clearest statements on education describe what Democrats oppose. That includes private-school voucher plans and policies hostile to transgender youth that have become increasingly popular among Republican leaders.  

The Republican platform

Republicans’ 2024 platform is also light on policy specifics. The platform has a few ideas that have long been cornerstones of GOP education politics. That includes ending teacher tenure—an idea that would require local or state action and confront fierce opposition from teachers’ unions.

The platform has language about resisting political indoctrination in schools—while seeming to propose some indoctrination of its own. This includes proposals to “support schools that teach America’s Founding Principles and Western Civilization” and “promote Fair and Patriotic Civics Education.” Along similar lines, former President Trump recently described a bewildering plan to create a credentialing body to “certify teachers who embrace patriotic values, support our way of life, and understand that their job is not to indoctrinate children.”

Substantively, the most important part of the Republican education platform might be its support for universal school choice. In about a dozen states, Republicans have recently created or expanded education savings account (ESA) programs that make public funds available to pay for private school or other educational expenses. Critics of these programs—myself included—argue that they violate our basic traditions, benefit the wealthy at the expense of others, and are not well supported by research.

Project 2025

If the Republican platform is light on policy proposals, Project 2025 certainly is not.

Along with my colleagues Rachel Perera and Katharine Meyer, I recently wrote a more detailed piece that analyzes Project 2025’s education proposals. Project 2025 proposes severe cuts to the resources and protections available to the country’s poorest, most marginalized children. For example, it proposes to eliminate the Head Start program (for young children in poverty), discontinue federal Title I funding (for schools that serve low-income children), and kneecap IDEA (federal legislation that supports students with disabilities). It’s especially harsh on transgender children, with proposals aimed at reorienting civil rights enforcement around “rejecting gender ideology and critical race theory” and stripping Title IX protections from transgender students.

In other words, Project 2025 sets its sights on the programs that serve America’s neediest students. It would essentially terminate the federal government’s long-running role in addressing inequities that arise in locally governed school systems.

Notably, many key Project 2025 proposals would require an unlikely degree of congressional cooperation. This includes some of the highest-profile proposals, such as eliminating the U.S. Department of Education (a vaguely defined idea that’s unlikely to materialize in its most extreme form). Still, a second Trump administration could enact some Project 2025 proposals unilaterally. That includes rolling back civil rights protections and replacing civil servants in the U.S. Department of Education with political appointees after reinstating Schedule F.

Taking stock

It’s fair to say that Democrats’ plans for federal education policy are modest. Democrats aren’t proposing a markedly stronger role for the federal government. On K-12 education, Democrats remain in a mostly defensive posture as they offer a more “conservative” agenda that protects against the GOP’s increasingly radical efforts.

Just what those GOP plans might be—and just how radical they are—depends on whether the true Trump administration plan is the Republican platform, Project 2025, or some combination of the two. That remains to be seen.

[folketro]

She hopes the "Bunad Police" won’t scold the new skater clothes.

A translation of this article (in Norwegian)

For the last year, Embla bunader and the clothes brand SHIT have been working together on the “everyday bunad”. But messing with tradition may stir some strong emotions.

Bunad tradition meets skater culture. Skateboard company SHIT and Embla bunader just dropped their skaters’ collection. Photo: Embla bunader

Article by Håvard Tanche-Larsen Knutsen, Published: 13. July 2020 translated by bunad-daily.tumblr.com

“This is a minefield. One time we made hijab for a bunad, and got death threats,” - manager of Embla bunader: Marianne Lambersøy.

The afformented incident was reported to the authorities, but Lambersøy feels sure that this new idea will not be as contoversial.

The bunad shop, together with the local clothes brand SHIT, have now designed hoodies, t-shirts, and skateboards with bunad designs.

No angry Telemark-folks.

This time, local bunad traditions, like the Frafjord and Jelsa patterns, have been left in peace. Lambersøy does not dare mess with them.

Now, the hoodies, t-shirts and skateboards are adorned with rosemaling. A pattern more common on bunads from Telemark, among other areas.

“Norwegians are fond of their bunad, but it’s a garment we tend to only use two times a year. Other countries are good at using traditional patterns on everyday clothes, like shirts and dresses, but here we find it almost exclusively on bunad. That is why we wish to use the rosemaling on everyday garments,” says Lambersøy.

“Have you recieved any reactions from Telemark-folks yet?”

“No, this is a patented pattern, so it is our own. That way we stear clear of conflic with patterns already in use on bunad.”

Rosemaling: Old craft from the 1700s. Mostly used on chests and beer cans, but eventually used to adorn whole rooms in the form of decorations on shelves, beds, doors, and ceilings. Has been an important source of inspiration for many recent norwegian artists. Rosemaling is common in villages around Hallingdal, Telemark, Numedal, Setesdal, and Vest-Agder. Source: Store Norske Leksikon

Rosemaling-artist was a great help

Frode Goa and Lards Horpestad revived the skater brand SHIT last year. Goa also runs the local clothing brand Kant.

The idea of the skater and bunad brands collaborating occured when he was looking to get his own bunad from Lambersøy a year ago.

"The styles clash a bit, so the challenge was to blend them into something we'd consider great. We're very happy with the result," Goa says.

Frode Goa looks through the rosemaling sketches for what now adorns both skateboards and clothes. Photo: private

The duo has gotten great help from Lambersøy's mother in law; Torhild Lambersøy. She has worked with fabrics and fashion since she established her own tailor's shop in Tananger 40 years ago. She was also an active painter of rosemaling, and designed the pattern Goa and Lambersøy use for the clothes and skateboards.

This would be the last project she worked on. She died just before the collection was released.

"In the beginning she was skeptical, but she ended up really enjoying the project. So much so that she sometimes forgot to eat," Lambersøy reminisces with a chuckle.

Goa and Lambersøy stick to rosemaling, a pattern that often appears on bunads from Telemark. They're avoiding patterns from the rogaland-bunad, at least for now.

Not afraid of the "bunad police"

Now, her 12-year-old skates on a board of grandma's design. Old traditional craftsmanship gets to shine in a unique way.

"An original rosemaling design created by a rosemaling expert, used for something so youthful and urban as skateboards and hoodies. It's wild, really," Goa laughs.

"Thoughts on possible reactions from the bunad police?"

"I hope they're overjoyed to see tradition passed on like this. It's real nowergian folk art, is what it is."

"anything else in the works?"

"It's been a really nice project. We're already thinking about it, so there will be more, but we'll have to wait and see what we come up with," Goa concludes.

[gallawitchxx]

tag game tuesday: wednesday edition 🤘🏼

pals, i love you all so much & thank you to @celestialmickey @energievie @metalheadmickey @whatwouldmickeydo @thisdivorce @juliakayyy @palepinkgoat @xninetiestrendx @crossmydna & @francesrose3 for tagging me to play! i ran out of time yesterday, but there's always today 😌

- - - - -

name: bee bee eight 🖤

when is your birthday? soon! july 7th <- same beecy same 🦀

favorite social media platform outside of tumblr? instagram! i love it, i hate it, i can't get enough of it. (also if discord counts, then discord) 📸

do you wear makeup? i haven't really worn make-up since the move tbh... but when i do it's just light foundation, mascara & the occasional eyeliner wing 💃🏼

favorite board game? maybe scrabble?! we love board games in this house. it might be easier to answer what is the board game most likely to result in a fight? aka sorry! alskghalfkh a children's game & my wife & i always lose our minds.

do you have any tattoos? i do! i do! i think i have 14? i'm not sure. but i did JUST get one yesterday lmaoooo. it's an eye on the back of my neck 👁🖤

which of the seven deadly sins would you say you struggle with the most? probably lust. like, can i even read something anymore without the promise of smut?! i'm a very cool combination of horny & monogamous at all times 😅

best vacation you’ve ever been on? in january of 2020, the before times, my girlfriend & i went to paris, where we became fiancées! it was the best trip! in my very favorite city! 🇫🇷 🥐 💍

how do you get around town? i was a train babe for the last 12 years in the Big Apple, but now i'm a car girlie! i know that it's very bad for the environment, but i also kind of love it. i just love bopping around & not having to squeeze in with strangers on my way to the grocery store. what a gift! 🚘

describe your vibe in three words: enthusiastic, creative, moody ✌️

share a song rec: "gimme" by ralph 💅

- - - - -

even though i'm late, i'm gonna tag some pals! @heymrspatel @squidyyy23 @creepkinginc @mishervellous @ian-galagher @deathclassic @howlinchickhowl @iansfreckles @rereadanon @sickness-health-all-that-shit & @tidalrace - but if you don't want to play, then please take this as a consensual internet squeeze! 🥰

[ffloorageorge]

One quill served as a reservoir for ink inside the other quill. Poverty is concentrated in rural Honduras, a pattern that is reflected throughout Latin America. Lending has likewise been encouraged by the creation of a guarantee fund, which allows banks to issue loans to eligible small- and medium-sized businesses without first requiring a large deposit or other collateral. One of the survivors of the resulting massacre is Henry, the son of a blacksmith. Ancient genomes show social and reproductive behavior of early Upper Paleolithic foragers. These appear to have been either converted Soviet or early production models, or simply cloned from these rifles. Edo first appears in the Azuma Kagami chronicles, that name for the area being probably used since the second half of the Heian period. Sri Lanka once held the highest team score in all three formats of cricket. They will not eat grain, which could be carried on the journey. When they catch up to Desther, he surrenders after a short battle. Despite making enormous progress in reducing the countrywide poverty incidence from 56 percent of the population in 1992 to 24. Street vendors in wheeled carts frequent residential areas or station on busy sidewalks near marketplaces or schools. A debt restructuring plan and the creation of a new currency in 1924 ushered in the Golden Twenties, an era of artistic innovation and liberal cultural life. After 2001, economic, political and geopolitical conditions improved greatly, and Bulgaria achieved high Human Development status in 2003. Romania was forced to cede Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina to the Soviet Union on 26 June 1940, Northern Transylvania to Hungary on 30 August, and Southern Dobruja to Bulgaria in September. Prior to the coming of Oba Ewuare in the mid 15th century, the Ewu community was organized and governed by an ancient gerontocracy where a council of the oldest people called Edion administered the various communities that constituted Ewu, independently. According to figures communicated by the company in July 2018, the bikes are rented up to four times a day, representing 5,000 to 10,000 daily trips. However, the recovery from the plague led to a resurgence of cities, trade, and economy, which allowed the blossoming of Humanism and Renaissance that later spread to Europe. These enhancer regions can activate transcription of Ubx if the right combination of factors is present. In a brothel raid a year later there, a number of girls rescued from the 2003 raid were found to be involved again in sex work. The process, known as Pontypool japan, was first developed in the west by Thomas Allgood of nearby Pontypool and was taken on in Usk in 1763 by his grandsons Thomas and Edward Allgood. In 1974, the Haiti national football team were only the second Caribbean team to make the World Cup. As the existence of superheavy elements is very strongly dependent on stabilizing effects from closed shells, nuclear instability and fission will likely determine the end of the periodic table beyond these islands of stability. The main responsibility of the County Administrative Board is to co-ordinate the development of the county in line with goals set by the Riksdag and Government. Dafydd ap Gwilym is widely regarded as one of the greatest Welsh poets of all time, and amongst the leading European poets of the Middle Ages. The planned Long Thanh International Airport will have an annual service capacity of 100 million passengers once it becomes fully operational in 2025. The latest country Bhutan has established diplomatic relations with is Israel, on 12 December 2020. The latest forced disappearance involves three sisters from Abu Dhabi. These have led to widely applied advances in computer science, especially string searching algorithms, machine learning, and database theory.

[thesaleswhisperer]

Dre Baldwin on The Sales Podcast

Professional Sales Tips you'll learn today on The Sales Podcast ...

Former professional basketball player

Zig when others zag, which means sending personalized outreach

Do what doesn’t scale

“What is my competition not willing do that I will?”

He’s been making content since 2005

He has a process for researching ideal prospects

Send link to assistant to research

Assistant finds pertinent information and adds it to the CRM

He then makes the video intro

He’ll make 5-6 each day

Do enough that you can handle the replies

Related episodes and posts

Find The Best CRM For Your Team and Budget

Start Your Free 12 Weeks To Peak™

He was always a salesperson at heart but didn’t really realize it

He has a business degree and responded to a bulletin board post “make money”

It was an MLM and after a couple of meetings he learned how to disrupt the negative assumptions about making money, which his college professors never mentioned

He got into personal development

He started selling training products to basketball players who found him on YouTube

He only played one year of high school basketball then D3 basketball and made it to the pros, so people started finding him online for his mindset content

It took a while for him to realize that not everyone thought like he did

He stopped playing ball in 2015 and wanted to get into the professional speaking business

He applied to some TED talks and got accepted

Then he started writing books

Build your own audience and master DTC, direct-to-consumer

His mom was an educator who got her college degree when he was in college

He was not “found” by the pros

When he graduated college in 2004 he worked at Foot Locker store then Bally Total Fitness

He went to an exposure camp for basketball players: you pay to play for two days with 200 other players

Then he cold-called basketball agents, which was a flip in the script

He called about 60 agents and reached 20 and sent them a VHS tape that he recorded and one agent said he’d represent him in late 2005 and got him a job in Lithuania

He was blogging and sharing his videos on YouTube

He got his experience writing then other players had questions on how to play overseas

By 2009, he started thinking about how to leverage this into a business

2015 was his last season and he played with a different team every year

Not a fan of the news

Don’t follow or associate with the negative people

Find your lane in which you can succeed

Principles—never change, Strategies, Tactics—can change daily

Your mandate as an entrepreneur is to make money, which should remain very clear

If you don’t like running ads, don’t run them. Hire someone and keep your eye on them.

You can do this with any aspect of your life.

You can create content like podcasts

Become findable

Collaborate

Be consistent

When it comes to hiring staff, give them the “brief” that needs to be clear and detailed. You need to know what you want.

If you’re an expert, I believe you should be able to produce the results and explain it to me, so here’s $100; go make it happen and explain it to me

He’s not a fan of agencies…they are looking for their next client

Are you—or do you want to be—a top 2% performer? Join his program.

Mindset and strategic tools

His first coaching client was back in 2015 via Periscope

Around 2020, when speaking gigs dried up, he pivoted to more in-house stuff

Sales Growth Tools Mentioned In The Sales Podcast

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Send Drunk Emails: ...that get opened and get you paid!

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[gaast]

Whitney Mitchell, Foster's common-law wife, said that she had expected to grow old with Foster before Perry murdered him. In a Thursday statement, she said Abbott's pardon made Texans less safe. “Daniel Perry texted his friends about plans to murder a protester he disagreed with. After a lengthy trial, with an abundance of evidence, 12 impartial Texans determined that he carried out that plan, and murdered my Garrett,” Mitchell said. “With this pardon, the Governor has desecrated the life of a murdered Texan and US Air Force veteran, and impugned that jury’s just verdict. He has declared that Texans who hold political views that are different from his — and different from those in power — can be killed in this State with impunity.”

...Doug O'Connell, Perry's lawyer, thanked Abbott on Thursday for pardoning his client. He also thanked the board for investigating what he said was an illegal threat by Foster, that led to the incident on Congress Avenue in Austin. “Daniel Perry was imprisoned for 372 days and lost the military career that he loved,” O'Connell said in a statement. “We intend to fight to get Daniel's military service characterization upgraded to an Honorable Discharge.” ...Perry was driving for Uber at the time he encountered protesters a few blocks from the Capitol in downtown Austin. He stopped his car and honked at protesters as they walked through the street. Seconds later, he drove his car into the crowd, Austin police said.

Law and order for thee, not for me.

Systemic killing and brutality are features, not bugs, of the American state. Praise be to those who defend the ability of governments, corporations, and police to murder with abandon, and death to those who oppose it.

The truth is that no state can function without this kind of violence. The American state's minor variation on it is that it outsources much of the brutality and open homicide to the private sector, which operates with more opacity and can justify itself with the profit motive. Mass exploitation of workers and customers is not the result of a broken system, but the means by which the state system is maintained.

To claim that America's systems are "broken" implies that there are versions of these systems that are sound. This is a misdirection. You can examine any country that has universal healthcare and note extreme inequality, worker exploitation, police violence, state-sanctioned killings and imprisonments, and deep-rooted racism, misogyny, and queerphobia in each of them. Every single state is built on a foundation of violence and inequality.

Take France, for example, which has been plagued by a loathsome president for years now. Macron, a banker, took power, added his cronies to government posts, and, among other things, let his security director beat people up wherever he went, raised the retirement age against militant protests, and cozied up to far-right extremists in government. In fact, the Parliamentary elections he called a few months ago resulted in a majority for the left-wing party that stood in opposition to Le Pen's cabal of Neo-Nazi goons. Macron decided that rather than let the winners of the popular vote govern, he would work with Le Pen to create a minority governing coalition instead, further legitimizing an apologist for her Neo-Nazi father.

The end result is not universal healthcare. Healthcare is just one of many steps we need to take to break the chains the government shackles us with and the yokes that corporations have on our necks.

The ruling class is not terrified that we might rally to fight for stronger labor rights (which France has), for universal healthcare (again, a French standard), a shorter work week or universal basic income (piloted by "nanny state" Finland). These are all social realities that states can survive with, especially insofar as they serve to legitimize the state's power over the many.

No, what the ruling class fears is that the murder of this single CEO may so galvanize an American public that has so frequently over the past decades shown itself to be utterly fed up with its rulers that they will protest, vote against their interests, and rally behind folk heroes that that public realizes that the difference among them are far less stark than the differences between them and their rulers both political and corporate that they will challenge the very foundation on which the system rests.

The risk that the United Healthcare CEO shooter poses to the American ruling class is that the people they brutalize will realize their own capacity for transformative violence, recognize that their elected officials and corporate owners are the sources of their suffering, and use their own power to overthrow the very system, the state, itself.

The shooter threatened the entire system with the prospect that we may figgt for our own happiness and futures.

But the state trafficks in our misery.

Rest assured, they will find a way to co-opt the shooter, to transform him and his ideals into something they can package and sell. Unpersoning him will do no good, and it's a stopgap until they can find the angle that will make us all submit once more to the crushing reality that we are not free, that we are grist for their mill, and that they get to decide what we do with our lives and our deaths, not us.

Unless we keep fighting.

[lopezalicia24]

Culture's Contribution to Stress: For Parents of Children with ASD

Growing up in a Hispanic household, it was often very clear that mental illness and neurodiversity were not “real.” There were countless times I would hear my parents and grandparents talk about how they could not understand how some children could be “so different” from others. From conversations with some friends who also come from a Hispanic household, it became clear that these ideologies were similar across the board. 

 I want to be clear that they were never mean or hurtful about these issues purposefully, rather they had very little knowledge of the subject. As the years have gone by and more information about neurodiversity and mental illness has become more available, they have gained a better understanding of these issues. And while this is just my experience, there are countless others who also experience things similar. Specifically, a research article titled “Mother's Adjustment to Autism: Exploring the Roles of Autism Knowledge and Culture” explores how culture affects one’s view of autism and the effectiveness of being informed with regard to cultural differences. Through this study, researchers learn about how culture creates barriers of understanding, and how we can move forward in changing those cultural ideologies. 

To conduct their research, researchers utilized ASD organizations such as parent support groups and service agencies to recruit mothers to participate (Gordillo et al., 2020). Of the women recruited, a group of 20 culturally diverse mothers were chosen for this study (Gordillo et al., 2020). Interviews were conducted in a moderately structured interview in person in a location that worked best for each mother specifically (Gordillo et al., 2020). 

The interviews were created in both English and Spanish asking questions regarding their child’s ASD symptoms, their experiences with having a child with ASD, and the future expectations of their child with regard to their ASD diagnosis (Gordillo et al., 2020). These interviews also assessed the mother’s knowledge of ASD and their experiences with ASD with regard to their culture (Gordillo et al., 2020). 

Results

Results indicated that 12 out of 20 mothers a part of this study were born outside of the US. It was also indicated that Latina mothers made up the majority of participants, driving this study to focus on the experiences of Latina mothers more than mothers from other cultures (Gordillo et al., 2020). 

For better understanding of the results from interviews, the will be place into their respective sections: 

Mother’s Knowledge of ASD 

Initial Exposure to ASD Knowledge 

Most US-born mother reported having hear of the term “autism” at least once prior to the child’s diagnosis. Meanwhile, all immigrant mothers reported that they never heard about autism prior to their child’s diagnosis (Gordillo et al., 2020). According to these immigrant mothers, it was widely believed by their communities that children outside of the US did not have and could not have autism. When asked about this further, there was a small number of immigrant mothers that reported hearing the term “autism” at least once, but brushing it off as they considered it to be a “US-only” disorder (Gordillo et al., 2020). 

Beliefs Regarding the Cause of ASD

When asked about what they believed about the causes of autism spectrum disorder, the majority of US-born mothers stated that genetics and older age were the cause of ASD (Gordillo et al., 2020). These mothers also emphasized that vaccines were not a cause of ASD (Gordillo et al., 2020). 

Immigrant mothers gave a multitude of causes including delivery complications, genetics, maternal health, contaminated foods eaten during pregnancy, and God. They also reported blaming themselves and feeling guilty for not doing enough to prevent their child from being diagnosed (Gordillo et al., 2020). 

General Knowledge of ASD Symptoms 

It was concluded that all mothers had the same understanding of the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder. 

Mother’s Acceptance of ASD

Non-Latina Mothers

Overall, non-Latina mothers reported acceptance of their child’s diagnosis immediately/soon after their initial diagnosis (Gordillo et al., 2020). 

There were 2 underlying motivators for acceptance:

motivation to receive appropriate services  

a sense of empowerment felt when learning about ASD. 

Latina Mothers 

Most Latina mothers were still in-between accepting and doubting the accuracy of their child’s diagnosis (Gordillo et al., 2020).

 There were 4 underlying causes for this: 

minimizing the implications and severity of ASD

experiencing self-blame

distrusting the diagnostic process

experiencing rejection and stigma from the Latino community

When further assessing Latina mother’s acceptance, researchers found that most mothers did not integrate what they knew about ASD with their child’s behaviors. Further, Latino mothers were found to associate symptom improvement with ASD to be their child outgrowing or being cured of ASD (Gordillo et al., 2020).  

This study clearly demonstrates how culture plays as an enormous factor in autism acceptance. It can be concluded that this is not uncommon for Hispanic and Latino families, and I can speak from experience that this is a huge issue. “Unseen” disabilities are often forgotten or brushed off as nothing by those in my community. Despite information from doctors and therapists, it is still hard for people to believe and come to terms with a diagnosis of ASD. 

With that in mind the importance of this study is clear: being aware of these potential barriers and assumptions will result in more meaningful acceptance. To ensure that this happens, culture should be integrated when professionals are considering and presenting information. Professionals should also emphasize the importance of connecting with other families in similar situations, and connecting families with therapists and doctors who come from the same culture. 

References 

Gordillo, M. L., Chu, A., & Long, K. (2020). Mothers’ Adjustment to Autism: Exploring the roles of autism knowledge and culture. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 45(8), 877–886. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsaa044

[interstateheavyequipment-usa]

heavy construction equipment

interstateheavyequipment.com · by Mike Wichita · April 28, 2022

In 2020, the construction equipment and labor lost more than 1.1 million jobs in just two months: March and April. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction industry created only 248,000 jobs by the end of the year.

By 2021, there will be only 160,000 more jobs in construction after an average year due to job growth. These small gains have reduced the construction sector with 88,000 pre-pandemic jobs. Unemployment in construction fell by almost half during 2021, starting at 9.4% in January and falling to 5.0% in December. The number of vacancies in 2021 is also rising and falling, from a low of 242,000 to a high of 453,000 in October. Preliminary data from November 2021 show 307,000 job opportunities for construction.

Construction Employment & Labor Woes

Data from the BLS show that the average hourly wage at bowling increased by 4.61% for all employees in 202. In addition, construction companies have a long way to go to attract and retain the next generation of workers. Because they try to add more skilled workers to their wages.

Construction equipment and labor has a stigma that all of its jobs are dirty, dangerous, labor-intensive, and low-paying. While some of that is true to a certain degree, the construction industry offers a wide variety of high-paying jobs and plenty of opportunities for career advancement into lucrative positions. The pandemic was less conducive to enrollment in a community college that provides vocational training for many experienced construction workers. Part of President Biden’s first infrastructure plan is investing $100 billion in staff development to create curricula and provide training. But this was unfortunately not included in the final account.

Construction companies need to be aggressive in their recruitment and retention programs. It is to start attracting and training young workers to increase the number of people in 2022 and beyond.

Material Costs & Supply Chain Issues

Another big building story last year was the astronomical jump in the price of building materials. At the beginning of the year, the cost of some materials, such as softwood, chipboard and particle board, regular petrol and diesel, was more than double last year. The price of plywood, asphalt and scrap iron and steel also rose sharply.

While the prices of some materials have begun to fall in recent months, in 2022 we are likely to see further up and down movements on most building materials costs. The latest data from November 2021 show that inputs for new construction, excluding capital investment, labor and imports increased by 20.54% compared to the previous year, the special index for building materials increased by 34.65% and final demand for construction increased 12, 27 % a year ago.

Materials delivery lead time is double, triple, or higher than what it was pre-pandemic and that looks like that will continue to some extent into 2022. Supply chain issues will likely continue as demand for materials stays strong and possible complications due to the faster-spreading omicron variant could result in even longer lead times for certain materials.

As contractors sign new contracts and take on more work for later in the year. They need to stay on top of their suppliers and get their orders sooner to ensure materials are on time. And to keep track of the potential for rapid changes in material costs.

[mitchbeck]

SWAMP RABBITS ANSWER BACK IN GAME 2

Eberle nets game-winner; three multi-point performers shine in win  BY: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, SC—Tanner Eberle broke a deadlock in a wild third period to headline the Greenville Swamp Rabbits' Game 2 win over the Orlando Solar Bears by a 4-2 score on Monday night. The win for the Swamp Rabbits splits the series at 1-1 heading into the next three games in Orlando this weekend. Both teams repeated Game 1 and skated scoreless through 20 minutes of play. Jacob Ingham manned the net again for Greenville and staved away only four shots on the net, while Evan Fitzpatrick turned away 15 in the opening frame. The deadlock was finally broken by the Swamp Rabbits, who jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes. Josh McKechney started off the scoring when he slammed a Colton Young effort in close range of the net past Fitzpatrick to push the Swamp Rabbits ahead 1-0 at 2:28 (Young and Quinn Olson assisted, the latter earning his first professional point). Following the goal, the Swamp Rabbits penalty kill was tested, and a five-minute major was needed to kill off due to an elbowing penalty assessed to Bobby Russell. The Swamp Rabbits thwarted the effort and followed it with a power play goal of their own, the only one in the series thus far. With 8:33 left in the second, Carter Souch, on the team's second power play, took a Sam Jardine pass on the left side of the zone and rifled a shot over Fitzpatrick's shoulder to double the Swamp Rabbits lead at 2-0 (Jardine and McKechney assisted). The Solar Bears stormed out of the gate to start the third, tying the game at two in the blink of an eye during a wild scoring exchange. Brayden Low got Orlando on the board when he deflected a Jimmy Mazza shot past Ingham at 2:09 of the third, slashing the Greenville lead to 2-1 (Mazza and Aaron Luchuk assisted). Exactly 1:36 later, Spencer Kersten maneuvered the puck in close range of the Swamp Rabbits' net and redirected it off of his body and by Ingham to square the game at 2-2 at 3:45 of the third (Darik Angeli and Alex Frye assisted). Ingham was replaced in net by Luke Richardson for the Swamp Rabbits, who didn't allow anything behind him for the remainder of the game. The switch kicked the Swamp Rabbits in gear: 51 seconds later, Carter Souch found Tanner Eberle streaking to the back of the net, resulting in a backdoor tap-in for the veteran to put Greenville ahead for good, 3-2 at 4:36 (Souch and Nick Prkusic assisted). Eberle's tally ended a scoring run of three goals between teams over 2:27 of hockey in the third. Adding insurance for Greenville was Quinn Olson, who batted the puck out of mid-air on a skilled maneuver late in the game past Fitzpatrick to push the Swamp Rabbits ahead at 4-2, bringing the game to its final score (Anthony Beauchamp and Josh McKechney assisted). In relief, Luke Richardson picked up his first career postseason win, stopping all 11 shots he saw in 16:15 of work (1-0-0). Jacob Ingham started for Greenville and turned aside 10 of 12 in 43:42 game time. The Swamp Rabbits shift the series to Orlando for Game 3 on Friday night, April 26th. Puck drop at the Kia Center is slated for 7:00 p.m. EST. About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits … Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has been providing family-friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly, the Greenville Road Warriors and the Swamp Rabbits are the highest-level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and the AHL's Ontario Reign. Greenville is an ECHL Premier ‘ AA’ Hockey League. GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS HOWLINGS Read the full article

[arpov-blog-blog]

More Bad News for Trump in Primary Results

Digging into the numbers

Ron Filipkowski Meidas Touch Network

Donald Trump's campaign continues to hype his "victories" in Republican primaries despite running unopposed. However, while President Biden consistently wins his primaries in the high 90s, Trump continues to see 15-30% of Republicans voting against him in state after state.

Last night, despite running unopposed, the following percentages of Republicans voted against Trump:

Arizona - 25%

Kansas - 25%

Ohio - 21%

Florida - 19%

Illinois - 19%

These results have been consistent with the previous Republican primaries across the board. There is also another pattern developing - Trump continues to struggle with suburban voters. This is a critical demographic for his campaign. While Trump's results were fairly consistent across every group from 2016-2020, suburban white voters are the reason Trump lost in 2020. He narrowly lost those voters in 2016 to Hillary Clinton, but lost them by a wide margin in 2020 to Biden. That was the difference in the two elections. Those are also the voters who continue to refuse to vote for Trump - even Republicans.

In previous primaries this year, the Trump campaign spun it that these were not true Republican voters since many of the early primary states were open - allowing Democrats and Independents to vote in them. They argued that most of Nikki Haley's voters were Democrats participating in those Republican primaries against Trump. Although some percentage of her voters were non-Republicans, those voters pushed her up to the 30-40% range. But there was still a solid 15-20% of registered Republicans in those states who voted against Trump.

But that excuse doesn't work for last night's results. Florida is a completely closed primary where only registered Republicans can vote. The other four states are partially closed, with Arizona, Ohio, and Kansas allowing independent voters to participate in their primaries while restricting registered Democrats. Only Illinois is mostly open with anyone able to vote in either party, but a Democrat crossing over will have their party affiliation changed. So these results are either 100% Republican voters or over 90% with some right-leaning independents.

Combative and abrasive Trump Spokesman Steven Cheung, as usual, hurled insults at Republican consultants who sounded alarm bells over the results. MAGA World spin is always that Trump is dominating and winning everywhere. No admission of weakness or problems is ever tolerated - the aura of invincibility must be the party line as pushed by Trump and his acolytes, regardless of results.

Where will these voters go in November? In state after state, exit polls have shown that 10-15% of Republicans say they will not vote for Trump in the general election. I think we are going to see a combination of three things: Some will come home and vote for Trump, some will vote third party, and the rest will either stay home or vote 'None of the Above' in the presidential race. In an election expected to be very close in the dozen or so critical swing states, every vote matters and Trump simply cannot afford to have 10-12% of Republicans leaving the fold."

[krinndnz]

The Archetypal Injury

This piece is by Phil "Funranium" Broughton, originally written as a New Year's benediction a few years ago, so I thought I'd gently transplant it to Tumblr because safety is everyone's job and it's that time of year again. I applied some very light copyediting in the process. Make it to next year alive, please. <3

~ ~ ~

I want to discuss archetypal accidents to try to encourage you to not be the cause/victim of one. There are six big factors.

As we approach New Year's Eve 2020 with restrictions in place and limited staffing, on top of the usual ghost towns that institutions become during the holidays as the older staff members take use-it-or-lose-it vacations, we are particularly vulnerable to the first archetype: Working Alone.

As a general rule, when you are doing particularly nasty things — high power laser alignment, critical lifts, easily dispersible radioactive materials, high voltage, etc. — you don't do them by yourself. The counterpoint is "I always do this by myself, to minimize the number of people exposed to $HAZARD" is valid, but that's more about your hands, up close and personal, on the work. But you aren't alone, someone's in shouting distance. This time of year, you may be the only person in the building. For better or worse, the holidays are when people try to do some of the most hazardous work or long delayed maintenance that makes everything else more dangerous, like repairing fume hood motors, because the number of other people whose work they could impact is reduced. So, those sign in logs you walk past in the lobby? Sign them and sign out when you leave. If you have a status board, update it. Tell the facilities people, WHO YOU REALLY SHOULD BE ON A FIRST NAME BASIS WITH, that you are there. Tell family & friends when you expect to be home. Keep a Zoom meeting open with someone just because.

Because you are there, deciding to do something dangerous without much backup, because of the second archetype: Time Pressure.

If things were going well, this work would be done already and you'd be one of the people on vacation, right? More likely someone more senior assigned you this work and then they went on vacation. Maybe the most recent results weren't great and you've gotta redo it all again because, fuck, that submission deadline for the paper/conference/whatever is coming up. It's crunch time. It's perfectly normal to look at the calendar, feel panic at an impending deadline, and decide "Yes, going into the lab at 10pm on Christmas Day is perfectly reasonable. Gotta get that started so I can come back to check on it at 8am."

I am having minor twinges even typing this.

You can feel the clock ticking, the weight of days falling away as the hours pile up. You need to finish this. Looks like it's gonna be another 12–18 hour work day. You are a caffeine-based lifeform who might have eaten yesterday. YOU MUST BE FASTER & DO MORE!!! This is when you start cutting corners, stop writing things down. When you miss steps because you're going too fast. Measurements get a little sloppy. Grab the wrong chemical or gear… and likely skip PPE entirely.

Because this is the infuriating part, the third archetype: Correct PPE Readily Available But Unused.

Because you're alone with no one to yell at you. Because you're speeding and can't spare the precious seconds to put on those goggles or gloves. Or, in the case of more than few laser injuries, you were wearing laser safety eyewear but, buddy c'mon, you stopped working with that wavelength hours ago. Did you forget what colors are!?

If this all sounds like Hell Work this is, perhaps, because you are a bit older and can't physically or mentally pull this shit anymore and you know it. Because the fourth archetype no longer applies to you: Early Career, Age 18-25.

The people we tend to kill and maim with hazardous work done in isolation are our youth. Part of this is their general sense of immortality but it's also that they have the resilience to even begin to think this is a good idea. Their elders take advantage of that to work those apprentices HARD. If you ask me to do this at my advanced age of 45, you're likely to get a response of "Fuck you." Maybe "Fuck you, pay me" if I remotely entertained your request.

But 25 years ago, there's a good chance I would have gone for it, with some blame going to archetype five: Male.

Stupid, suicidal machismo. The arrogance of machismo that says you are *so good* that you don't need that PPE. That you have all the hazards handled because you are IN CONTROL. You aren't gonna get hurt because and if you did, pfft, whatever, you can take it. Scars = cool stories, right?And part of that arrogance comes from archetype six: Approximately One Year of Experience with the Process That Caused the Accident.

So, just long enough to start achieving competence so that you think you know what corners you can cut, and yet a long, long way from mastery.

Those are the Six General Accident Archetypes which make it seem like I'm psychic when I pick up someone's call for an accident report and people start to worry I have spy cameras watching them. For specific kinds of hazards, like lasers, I can add even more archetypes.

But let's review:

Working alone

After hours/long hours/around a holiday or weekend, with a looming deadline

PPE available but unused

Age 18-25

Male

With ~1 year of familiarity with the process that caused the injury

If this sounds like you, please make it to 2021.

[pooma-education]

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is a comprehensive document that outlines the vision and goals of India’s education system for the next decade.

It covers all levels and domains of education, from early childhood to higher education, and from school to vocational education. It also proposes major reforms and innovations to enhance the quality, equity, and accessibility of education in India.

Some of the key features of the NEP 2020 for school education are:

▪️The existing 10+2 structure will be replaced by a new 5+3+3+4 model, covering ages 3-18 years. This means that the initial five years of school, including three years of pre-primary school as well as classes 1 and 2, will be the foundation stage. The next three years, comprising classes 3 to 5, will be the preparatory stage. The middle stage will consist of classes 6 to 8, and the secondary stage will include classes 9 to 12.

▪️The curriculum will be restructured to reduce the load and focus on core concepts and skills. It will also be more holistic and multidisciplinary, integrating arts, languages, sports, and vocational subjects. Students will have more flexibility and choice in selecting their subjects and streams.

▪️The medium of instruction until at least grade 5, and preferably till grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language or the local language or the regional language. Students will also learn at least three languages, with one of them being classical or modern Indian language.

▪️The assessment system will be transformed to test higher-order skills such as analysis, critical thinking, and conceptual clarity. Board exams will be made easier and low-stakes, and students will have multiple attempts to improve their scores. A new National Assessment Centre (PARAKH) will be established to monitor the quality of learning outcomes.

▪️Schools will be grouped into school complexes or clusters to ensure effective management, resource sharing, and collaboration. A separate State School Standards Authority (SSSA) will be set up for each state to regulate the schools and ensure compliance with quality standards.

▪️Teachers will be recruited through transparent and merit-based processes, and will undergo rigorous training and continuous professional development. A new National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education (NCFTE) will be formulated by 20211.

▪️Equity and inclusion will be ensured for all students, especially those from disadvantaged groups such as socio-economically backward, differently-abled, gender minorities, etc. Special education zones (SEZs) will be set up to provide quality education to such groups.

☂️The rules to run a school in India may vary depending on the type of school (government, private, aided, unaided), the board affiliation (CBSE, ICSE, state boards), the location (urban, rural), and the level (primary, secondary, higher secondary). However, some of the common rules that apply to most schools are:

➖The school must have a valid recognition certificate from the state government or the local authority to operate legally.

➖The school must follow the norms and standards prescribed by the Right to Education Act 2009, such as pupil-teacher ratio, infrastructure facilities, working hours, teacher qualifications, etc.

➖The school must comply with the curriculum framework and guidelines issued by the National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) or the respective board of affiliation.

➖The school must conduct regular assessments and examinations as per the board norms and report the results to the parents and authorities.

➖The school must ensure the safety and security of the students and staff, and implement measures to prevent any kind of abuse, harassment, discrimination, or violence.

➖The school must respect the rights and dignity of all students and staff, and promote values of democracy, secularism, diversity, equality, and social justice.