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theroundbartable · 3 months

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Me: positive responses to my school work? The hell?

Teacher: well, yeah, you did good-

Me: but this- I! Did this!

Teacher: yes. Well done

Me: holy shite! I did good? What if I do another task?

Teacher: awesome!!!!

Me:

I present to you: the mind boggling concept of getting praised for your accomplishments rather than punished for your mistakes.

I've been living off this experience for over 6 months.

#uni #personal #praise #it's like wtf #and yeah i know i get compliments in ao3 comments and under art posts #but there is a difference #i'm doing art and writing for fun and don't owe you anything #so critique would simply cause me to stop sharing stuff #so praise here as economical value #but my teachers have faces #and I am depending on their good will #there is a different power dynamic between us than between a writer and their voluntary comment section #though writing and your responses still do mean the world to me #i think you know what I mean

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benk625-blog · 2 years

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The New Gods

“I vote against Contact.” Nordrix said with a heavy sigh.

“This is unprecedented.” Andrynn sputtered. “In all my years of surveying unaligned civilizations. I’ve never heard a concern from Cultural Studies. Economics and Warfare tend to quash admittance to the Interstellar Union.”

“I am aware.” Nordrix replied. “I did not come to this conclusion easily or lightly. My full and thorough report will be available soon.”

“Can you summarize for the committee?” Asked Gr’chykk of Warfare. “These deathworlders would formidable foes to the IU. If First Contact is handled properly, they could instead become our allies.”

“First Contact is inevitable.” Hypool of Science added. “They are on the verge of developing FTL transport and communication.”

“In my full report I strongly argue for Interdiction.” Nordrix answered. He wished they would just read the report. Confrontation made him uncomfortable.

“Unacceptable!” Screeched Smathley of Economics “I have never seen such a potential for mutually beneficial trade. I demand a preliminary summary this instant.”

It was unavoidable now. Nordrix was prepared for this demand. He stood up and prepared his files and notes to be displayed to the Contact committee. It would have to be a convincing argument and be made succinctly.

“My area of expertise is comparative religion. Specifically, I analyze cultures through the lens of what abstract concepts they deify. Certain motifs are repeated in each and every member culture in the IU. Gods of warfare, natural cycles and bountiful harvest are universal. This is apparent to most people without the academic knowledge I hold. May I assume that as given?” His colleagues agreed.

“Humans have an archetype previously unknown in the IU. They call this god-type ‘The Trickster.’ It occurs through out the cultures of this planet. The Trickster is hall marked by cleverness, deception and transgression of the taboo. So far, I have not discovered a major religion that centralizes this figure. Despite that, I have found that Trickster behavior is endemic to human society.

“If humans were to enter the Interstellar Union, they would unleash chaos and anarchy on our society. The number of words and phrases they have dedicated to untruths are staggering. It is routinely accepted that contracts will be voided, treaties broken and objective facts can be ignored.

“Culturally normative behavior is a paradox to them. It is expected that during their maturity that youths will violate customs, taboos and laws. As human adults attain maturity, they will begin to enforce the social values they ignored only a few years previous. When they become elders, they will mourn a false past that exists only in their imagination.

“Worst of all, they constantly improve on these techniques. If a human practices deception with innovation and novelty, they will usually do not face consequences. Legal systems seem designed to malfunction in this exact way. Social approval is similarly fickle. There is absolutely no standard for when a behavior is praised, normalized, politely ignored, forbidden or condemned.

“Here are some specific exam-“ Nordrix stopped talking as the audio-visual broadcast system seemed to go haywire. A rapid series of painted images flickered, creating the illusion of movement. He knew these were called cartoons. Loud, instrumental, march music assailed the sound wave receptors of the committee. A man in a green out fit wearing a horned crown laughed. A robed woman threw a golden apple. A monkey rampaged across a banquet table eating everything in sight. Spiders, crows, raccoons and coyotes in a parade.

The last image was a grey rabbit, standing on its hind legs holding carrot in a gloved hand.

“Nyaaaaaaa, What’s up doc?”

Humans had made First Contact.

#humans are deathworlders #humans are space orcs #humans are space oddities #humans are aliens #humans are confusing #humans are silly #humans are space australians

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workersolidarity · 1 year

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Three, four years ago I could have told you, and did tell people, that inflation would start steadily going up, and I said even then that it would likely be stubborn, meaning it wasn't going to be an easy fix.

I knew this back then because it was obvious, even years ago, that the BRICS countries, along with many African and South Asian countries and elsewhere were looking for ways to get around using the US Dollar for trade.

They were making moves to expand trade relations outside US dollar transactions and were for many years planning and building the infrastructure for a future Multipolar world.

And that process began rapidly picking up pace three or four years ago.

I began to say then, what I'm still saying now, as that process goes on and trade outside the US Dollar system grows exponentially year-on-year, that's going to begin to have an effect on inflation.

Why? Well, Imperialism really. Because the US for decades has depended on the steady demand for US Dollars to hold down inflation, allowing the US to use debt spending to finance wars, military bases and imperialistic ventures like Syria.

Remember, it was the US in its massively dominant position after WWII that built the Bretton Woods System that made the US Dollar the world reserve currency pegged to gold, and it was the US that unilaterally abandoned Bretton Woods 1 and took the dollar off Gold, allowing for the US to finance wars through debt spending, and created the Petro-Dollar with Saudi Arabia in the 1970's.

This debt spending is essentially the surplus value from the Global South and other poorer countries that must buy US Dollars to fund infrastructure projects, energy consumption, food and medicine imports, etc since it's the world reserve currency and if you wish to use the US Financial System at all, such as the World Bank, or SWIFT messaging system, well you have to use US Dollars.

Basically, it's the sucking of the wealth out of poorer countries to finance their own economic oppression.

But as these countries catch on and with new rising global powers like Russia, China and Iran building the infrastructure for an alternative system, the US Dollar is being abandoned faster than ever.

In 2000, more than 70% of Foreign Exchange Reserves were held in US Dollars. By 2020, that figure had dropped considerably to 59%. And the rate at which it's dropping is only increasing.

Knowing this, I said back in 2019 and 2020 that inflation was likely to become a problem. And if it did become a problem, then we knew exactly what the Fed would do as a result: dramatically increase benchmark Interest rates.

This didn't take any particularly specialized or secretive sources to figure out. It's been obvious for years to anyone seriously interested in economics and geopolitics.

And what happens when interest rates go up? The value of the bonds bought under lower interest rates suddenly go way down, while debts become more expensive. It's like gravity in economics.

So with all that being said, why then did all these banks (Signature Bank, First Republic Bank, and Silicon Valley Bank) continue buying troubled assets and Treasury bonds if they're so smart and educated and knew all this?

I mean, these guys are supposed to be the best of the best corporate bankers, right? On the cutting edge of investment banking, right? That's what everyone said even just months before Silicon Valley Bank failed. (CNBC host and moron of the year Jim Cramer literally praised Silicon Valley Bank less than a month before its failure)

So one of two things must be true here and neither one is good for YOU the average worker.

Either these bankers are idiots; complete morons who have little to no understanding of basic economics, geopolitics, and monetary policy, something that should be of concern to all of us.

I mean, I'm just a dude working for a small retailer in New Orleans and even I knew this inflation and higher interest rates were coming.

So why exactly are these people paid such exorbitant salaries? If I can understand the basics of their job better than they can, why am I a retailer, and he, a millionaire banker???

So that's one possibility, one I'm virtually certain is actually true, that our ruling Elite isn't particularly smart or well educated in reality, anymore than ordinary people I meet everyday, and any one of us could easily do their jobs just as well or better than they do given the opportunities afforded to them.

But even if in this case, that's not what happened. That these weren't idiots. Well then the alternative is something that should also be deeply disturbing to you: that these bankers knew they would be facing this situation, that they were well aware of the coming inflationary pressures and equally aware what the Feds response would be, interest rate hikes.

And instead of using the last couple of years to shed possibly dangerous assets and shore up the money the banks kept on hand, they continued to do what was personally making them so much profit, at the expense of tax payers, because they were absolutely certain that the government these bankers spend so much money on campaigns for, would swoop in regardless of the recklessness of their behavior, and bail them out no matter what.

These are not the signs of a healthy political, economic or banking system.

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transmutationisms · 1 year

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Actually turns out I do have a more extensive response to ur thoughts on the addict, notably the point you made abt downers which is so well put. One of the things abt capitalism that lead to cycles of escapist addiction is that those addicts benefit the system because they become optimal consumers. They invigorate economically by consuming drugs as well as excess fueled by intoxication and then as consumers of rehab and detox drugs and programs and medications etc. I think there's something to be said about how Kendall, who due to his wealth has the option of the fantasies of luxury escapism available literally at all times doesn't then go down the pathway of constant numbing thru drugs, especially juxtaposed with rhe pals he makes in austerlitz whose poverty is linked to their types of drugs. Their communal drug use and comfortable social zone under the influence feels like something kendall envies in that moment but like, ultimately takes the wrong lessons from and rapidly distances himself from when it stops making him feel like the coolest guy in the room when roman shows up. That's something I think about a lot while watching the show, like how absurd all their striving feels to me when they have access to so many things capitalism had me "working" for ie luxury time and physical space/land/homes and property but how clear the show is about how many of those things have stopped mattering bc they're always accessible (like how gifts and presents are meaningless to logan). Connor might be the exception in some ways to actually valuing those benefits but he is often ready to let go of the "peace of mind" his ranch gives him in order to receive praise or proximity to power (like his behavior at the gala in s1)

yeah ABSOLUTELY. kendall's constant striving is ultimately so hollow because he already has access to material luxury and comfort. what he's striving for, then, is not so much pleasure as the unlimited ability to produce more pleasure, ie surplus value. he's insatiable in the way capital is insatiable, because capitalism is inherently and always expansionist. there's no finish line for kendall, which is why at the end of the day he can't just sit and enjoy getting high with the austerlitz guys. he always ends up moving back into that neoliberal corporation mode of operation, wherein the point is just to expand and optimise and exceed himself, ad infinitum. there's no way to satisfy that type of desire, hence the function of cocaine on the show as the business world's performance-enhancing drug and kendall's inability to control his usage of it.

i agree connor is an exception here, and stewy is too. both of them have a fundamental ability to enjoy the material fruits of wealth in a way that the other roys don't. this is why stewy is able to use coke, and quite a lot of it, without being pathologised or falling into the self-destructive spirals kendall does. connor's particular delusion here is, i think, related to running for president. he sees the attainment of political power as an end-goal; he wants to achieve sovereignty over others, but this type of project has a finish line built in that the financial expansion of capitalism does not. even a totalising grab for political power will theoretically, eventually, reach a state of complete control; on the other hand, the logic of capital has never produced 'all' possible value; the surplus can always be made bigger.

as a side note, this is why it's so irritating when people assume the austerlitz guys are, like, dangerous or preying on kendall lol. like first of all, insane transparent very telling assumptions to make about drug users who are poor. but second, they actually do have a function in the story and in the show's commentary on addiction, and it's not some kind of paranoid stranger danger reaganite psa fantasy. whatever lol

#a sandpit for emergent behaviour

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terrence-silver · 1 year

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ok this isnt super serious so feel free to ignore but what do you think of Terry with a beloved who strongly prefers gold jewelry? i feel like he'd be a bit put off if they weren't a fan of silver

They will be.

Terry’s here very subtly convincing beloved silver is the nobler material. Certainly the more poetic one. The dark horse. Gold? Gold equals tackiness and kitsch in most cases. A marker of the Noveau Riche, gangsters and unrefined wealth. And then when the prices of silver mysteriously skyrocket around The Valley to the point it makes headlines and news he can point out it is the more coveted precious metal too. Not because he innately hates gold as much as he wants to be right and he wants to win this silent war beloved doesn't even realize means so much to Terry for his name's sake. Does Dynatox own and manage shady deals with Third World (illegal?) mining of silver among other things and does he literally have the ability to induce artificial domestic import scarcity for the petty and incredibly selfish reason of showcasing the sheer value of silver purely because such is the nature of commerce and capitalism and such is the nature of his need for control? Yes. Yes, he would. I think he's capable of literally anything, no matter how extreme, unnecessary and ludicrous and one forgets Terry Silver is first and foremost a crooked businessman who made his bones off of environmental hazards and the illicit disposal of dirty chemicals and contaminants as a trade. On the other side of the world, back home, all things connected, his beloved has a silver necklace fastened around their neck. A special gift from him. It now costs ten times more than what it usually does. Everyone wonders why those couple of years had such amped up prices around California and not even the most seasoned Economical Analysts could come up with a sound reason even after much debate and a barrage of articles of the issue. Beloved on the other hand? Oh, they get all the complements at that one gala party they attended with Terry. A silver necklace? Well, how downright...posh. How in-style. A la mode! Those are very expensive nowadays, you know, and harder and harder to come by. The silver mines in Argentina are all but running out they say, with a real upcoming scarcity in the making so to have a silver necklace...very exclusive. Much like Terry Silver himself is. Beloved is extremely lucky.

Terry can't help but grin into his chin at the praise.

#terry silver crashing the international stock market to prove a point #terry silver #kk3 #cobra kai #terry silver x reader #terry silver x beloved #I LOVE HOW THIS ASK TURNED VERY SERIOUS ACTUALLY

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yourtoradorasextendedwarranty · 11 months

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You have no reading comprehension and no understanding of tax brackets. The article does NOT say that when you hit 1 billion buckaroos in net worth you get fined 99%. It says that once you're at 1 billion net worth you're going to be taxed for anything more than that, and that only, so if you have a company at 999 million net worth you better start splitting it up and money laundering if you want to keep profiting. A wealth cap of 999 million is not a big imposition by any standards.

You don't seem to understand the context of the article and what Sanders is saying. So it seems the person lacking reading comprehension is you.

Fact of the matter is I fully explained why almost no "Billionaire" on the planet has access to a billion dollars. At all. And the fact is that even looking at modern taxes, the Top 5% pay almost 80% + of the taxes in this country. Likely the percentage is higher. And they end up paying it, "Depending on where they live" on money they don't have.

THAT "MONEY" doesn't exist. It's called unrealized gains. Meaning you are actually "fined" on my that potentially exists at any point in time.

And to your last point, it's not a wealth cap. It's a "You are not allowed to grow past this point" imposed by the government. Which last time I checked isn't a good thing. Maybe you need to do a little more reading yourself. Bernie is a moron who's complimented regimes that have committed mass murder of their populaces. Including the USSR. He's even praised bread lines. It would not shock me at all if he said what he said as stupid as it was.

And the reason why it was stupid is because the people making that money are not "living off 999,000,000 dollars". 80% of that money is speculative at best. Which if you had read what I wrote rather than skipping 80% of it after I criticized your lord and savior Millionaire Sanders, You'd have retorted with something other than what you did. My entire point to the post was that what he said was not only stupid but made no sense at all. More so given the difference between liquid assets and solid assets. And given inflation, those things don't have absolute values. A Dollar is always worth a dollar but the buying power behind it isn't always the same. Unrealized gains is actually worse because your company could be worth $500B one day and then $2B a month from now. And you get charged PERSONAL taxes based on the 500? That's F*cked.

And again. Where does that money go? The government. The people who continue to enrich themselves off of our division, and people like you's stupidity.

And here's the thing. ASSUME for a second that I agreed with the idea of eat the rich, (A talking point made by morons that don't understand economics at all), Who get's that money exactly?

Ukraine? Pakistan? Brazil? China? Joe and Hunter Biden? Mitch McConnel? Faucci? Organizations giving monkeys hard drugs? Banks that keep screwing up their own finances? The CIA so they can lose Billions more through "Accounting errors"? Charities that don't do anything other than enrich themselves?

If I had to pick, I'd say let the rich guy keep his money because he's likely to either spend it, or reinvest it in other places, or start new businesses that will give people jobs that NEED jobs. I'd love that over Nancy Pelosi's husband and her profiting more off insider trading frankly.

You need to do that math and look into all of this logically. Because fact is one of the last things I mentioned is that Tax laws here could well make it so those people want to leave the US. Meaning that a lot of the money they spend here goes with them. And other countries that have lax tax laws WILL not change those laws because they want the rich living there. Because it brings more money into their countries. Why do you think states give some businesses tax breaks to set up shop? That exact reason. It bring money into the state.

Besides. It's always super well off people that scream eat the rich and a lot of the time they are the rich. The only difference? They only say it. And ONLY mean people more well off than them. 30K a year is rich to a person who lives in some places in Africa and South America. Should we eat those "rich". What about movie stars? Athletes? Doctors? Lawyers? Politicians? Business owners? And why do we cut off where we do? Or are most of these ok because they are attainable and like Hasan Piker it's not about eating the rich. It's about becoming rich, and then pretending anyone that makes more than you are able to should be eaten?

What you suffer from is jealousy. And lack of understanding. And it is plain as day.

@capitalism-and-analytics can you please weigh in on this.

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voskhozhdeniye · 2 years

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Future generations, if there are future generations, will scarce believe that our species once stockpiled armageddon weapons on purpose, once built our entire civilization around economic models that could only result in the destruction of our biosphere, once permitted corporations who profit from war to successfully lobby policymakers to start more wars, once warehoused living beings in factory farms where they were tortured and brutalized, once starved children to death with sanctions because their rulers disobeyed our rulers, once made policies which kept people poor so they’d be financially coerced into facilitating military mass murder, once let people go hungry and homeless if they didn’t have enough imaginary numbers in their bank accounts, once stripped this planet of biodiversity and old growth forests to turn the gears of an imaginary economy instead of collaborating with our ecosystem.

Future generations, if there are future generations, will look back in perplexity at our omnicidal madness, at our blind subservience to the very worst among us, at our remarkable ingenuity in always finding groundbreaking new ways to hate each other, at our fanatical devotion to competition and control when we knew that all we really wanted was to be loved, at the way we’d marginalize and outcast those who thought differently from the rest of us even though we knew full well that our way of thinking wasn’t working, at the way we’d spend our lives feeding insatiable hungry ghosts only to wind up on our deathbeds wondering why we feel dissatisfied, at the amount of energy we’d pour into not experiencing the beauty which surrounds us in every moment and rejecting the gifts we were being showered with from every direction, at the herculean effort we poured into keeping enlightenment from crashing in, at our nonstop desperate flailing attempts to be anywhere but here and now, at the amount of work we put into avoiding being at ease.

Future generations, if there are future generations, I am so glad that you made it past all the many obstacles we put up between our present age and your birth. Praise be to you and your parents for cleaning up our mess, for setting things right, for becoming conscious, for valuing a healthy world, for getting humanity to where you’re at now so that the real adventure of our species could begin.

Future generations, if there are future generations, thank you for your kindness and compassion as you gaze back on us through the records we have left you. It might not be immediately obvious, but some of us here saw what you’re seeing from there.

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quoteoftheweekblog · 13 days

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…

20/5/24 - JOHN BETJEMAN (AND ALICE MUNRO)

‘Let’s praise the ringers in the tower Who come to ring in cold and shower. But most of all let’s praise the few Who are seen in their accustomed pew Throughout the year, whate’er the weather, That they may worship God together.’ (Betjeman in 'Poetry: Septuagesima, 2024).

REFERENCE

'Poetry: Septuagesima' (2024 [1954] ), The value of sparrows - writings of a Christian mystic 20 February 2019. Available at: https://thevalueofsparrows.wordpress.com/2019/02/20/poetry-septuagesima-by-john-betjeman/ (Accessed 19 May 2024).

*****

…

ALL SAINTS

*****

SEE ALSO

‘There may be those who much resent Priest, Liturgy, and Sacrament, Whose worship is what they call “free,” Well, let them be so, but for me There’s refuge in the C. of E.’ (Betjeman in 'Poetry: Sepuagesima', 2024).

...

NOT FOR MUCH LONGER THANKS TO THE EVANGELICAL TAKEOVER BY

...

ALL SAINTS’ NEW ORDER OF SERVICE

WHAT WE KNOW …

…

NO GOSPEL PROCESSION (OR ENTRANCE PROCESSION)

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SCREENS RATHER THAN PRINTED ORDER OF SERVICE, PEW SHEET AND HYMN BOOK

WHAT WE SUSPECT …

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NAVE ALTER RATHER THAN HIGH ALTER

…

THIS IS BECAUSE

We are doing these changes to make it possible for those who may not normally come to church to find it easier to engage with the amazing tradition of worship that we get to enjoy every week. (All Saints service pastors, 2024).

...

PLUS

WHAT IS LEAKED …

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REMOVAL FROM INCLUSIVE CHURCH

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THIS IS RUMOURED TO BE BECAUSE

THE NEW CLERGY ARE DIVIDED AND SOME REGARD INCLUSIVE CHURCH AS A MILITANT ORGANISATION

(HAVE THEY READ THE GOSPELS?)

...

THE INCLUSIVE CHURCH STATEMENT

We believe in inclusive church – a church which celebrates and affirms every person and does not discriminate.

We will continue to challenge the church where it continues to discriminate against people on grounds of disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality.

We believe in a Church which welcomes and serves all people in the name of Jesus Christ; which is scripturally faithful; which seeks to proclaim the Gospel afresh for each generation; and which, in the power of the Holy Spirit, allows all people to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Jesus Christ. (Inclusive Church, 2024).

…

REFERENCES

All Saints service pastors (2024) Email to All Saints congregation, 17 May.

Inclusive Church (2024) 'The IC statement'. Available at: https://www.inclusive-church.org/the-ic-statement/ (Accessed 19 May 2024).

*****

RIP 2024

...

YESTERDAY WAS THE 40th ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEATH OF JOHN BETJEMAN - 19/5/84

NEWS REPORT

…

&

ALICE MUNRO 13/5/24

OBITUARY

…

RIP

*****

JOHN BETJEMAN

*****

QUOTE OF THE WEEK 2011 - 2024

…

12 EPIC YEARS

*****

FROM THE ARCHIVE

…

25/12/23

*****

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ersaputriii · 7 months

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The in -depth analysis of the selected work of Denny JA to the 42 giant collapsed

Of course, here is an article with the title Analysis of Denny Ja Selected Work to 42: "The giant collapsed also": In the world of Indonesian literature, Denny JA is known as a writer whose work is full of strength and deep meaning. One of his chosen works that attracted attention was the essay poem entitled "The Giant collapsed also". In this work, Denny JA succeeded in describing human life smartly and full of emotion. "The giant collapsed also" is an essay poem that tells the story of the struggle of a young man named Raka in dealing with various obstacles in his life. In his life journey, Raka had to deal with the social, economic, and political challenges that surrounded him. One of the interesting things about this work is Denny JA's writing style that is very strong and different. He is able to describe his characteristics with impressive details. Every character in this essay poem has a strong background and personality, making the reader emotionally connected with them. In "the giant collapsed also", Denny JA also succeeded in raising relevant social issues in today's society. He describes the injustice, corruption, and social inequality that is around us in an interesting way. Through the story, Denny JA wants to invite readers to think more deeply about this problem and find solutions. Not only that, Denny JA also uses beautiful and poetic language in this work. Each sentence has power and strength to describe the situation and atmosphere perfectly. This essay poem not only presents interesting stories, but also presents beauty in every word written. In addition to a strong writing style, "the giant collapsed also" also has an interesting storyline and full of surprises. The reader will continue to be curious about what will happen next, making it difficult for them to break away from this essay poem. Denny JA is able to maintain the tension of the story well, so that the reader will continue to be involved in the story he tells. In this essay poem, Denny JA also presents a lot of wisdom and moral messages that can be taken. He teaches the values of life such as patience, courage, and sincerity through the experience of character. The reader will feel inspired and gain new insight after reading this work. "The giant collapsed also" also succeeded in describing the daily life of the Indonesian people well. Denny JA succeeded in showing life in urban areas and in rural areas with accurate details. Through this work, he invites the reader to see and understand the social reality that is around us. Overall, "The giant collapsed also" is an amazing work from Denny JA. The style of writing is strong, a deep character, and interesting story making this essay poem become one of the works that should be praised in the world of Indonesian literature. Denny Ja succeeded in presenting a story that can make the reader swept away in the world he created. Not just just entertainment, "the giant collapsed also" also gives a picture to the reader about the life and social problems that are around us. Through his story, Denny JA invites readers to reflect and think about relevant issues in today's society. In this case, "The giant collapsed also" is a work that is worth exploring by fans of Indonesian literature.

Check more: In -depth Analysis of Denny JA Selected Work 42: "The giant collapsed also"

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aiukrainesummaries · 11 months

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Overview of Frontline Ukraine: Crisis in the Borderlands by Richard Sakwa (2014)

Frontline Ukraine by Richard Sakwa has received some criticism, including the following points:

• Some critics argue that Sakwa is too sympathetic to Russia and gives Moscow too much benefit of the doubt. They say he downplays or excuses Russia's aggression and illegal annexation of Crimea.

• There are accusations that Sakwa adopts a false balance by treating Ukrainian and Russian perspectives as equally valid, when Russia's actions have been disproportionate and unjustified. Critics say Sakwa overlooks Ukraine's own legitimate grievances.

• Some reviewers fault Sakwa for not sufficiently condemning Russia's support for separatist proxies in Eastern Ukraine, which he portrays more as a reaction to the Maidan revolution. Critics argue Russia has been the primary instigator of the conflict.

• Sakwa has been criticized for an alleged pro-Russian bias in his narrative and analysis. Critics argue he fails to recognize the internal factors that drove the Maidan revolution in Ukraine, seeing it more as externally orchestrated.

• Despite these critiques, many reviewers still praise Sakwa for providing a nuanced account that incorporates both Ukrainian and Russian perspectives on the conflict. They value his historical contextualization and diplomatic solutions.

• Overall, critics argue Sakwa's attempts at a middle-ground analysis come at the expense of acknowledging Russia's disproportionate responsibility for worsening the crisis. However, supporters argue his approach sheds needed light on complexities that one-sided narratives overlook.

So in summary, while some praise Sakwa's nuanced perspective, critics argue he downplays Russia's aggressive actions and fails to recognize Ukraine's legitimate perspectives and security concerns. There are accusations of a pro-Russian bias, though Sakwa denies this. Overall reviews are mixed, with debate over the value of Sakwa's middle-ground approach.

Summary:

• The book provides an in-depth analysis of the conflict in Ukraine that began in 2014 between the Ukrainian government and Russian-backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine.

• Sakwa argues that the conflict is the result of a complex interplay of historical, geopolitical, economic and cultural factors involving both Ukraine and Russia. He rejects simplistic narratives that blame only one side.

• Sakwa analyzes the roots of the crisis in the historical relationships between Russia and Ukraine dating back centuries. These include economic, social, cultural and linguistic ties but also tensions over politics and national identity.

• The book examines the role of the Maidan revolution in ousting the Yanukovych government in 2014 and the subsequent Russian annexation of Crimea. Sakwa is critical of both Ukrainian and Russian actions during this period.

• Sakwa gives significant attention to the conflict in Eastern Ukraine between the Ukrainian army and separatist forces. He details the military aspects of the conflict as well as its human dimensions in terms of civilians affected.

• The book also considers the geopolitical context, exploring issues like NATO enlargement, the EU's policies on Ukraine and the breakdown in relations between Russia and the West over Ukraine.

• Sakwa concludes that there cannot be a military resolution to the conflict and calls for a renewed diplomatic process based on principles of dialogue, compromise and respect for differences. He argues Western powers must recognize Russia's legitimate interests in the region.

In summary, Frontline Ukraine by Richard Sakwa provides a nuanced and balanced analysis of the multifaceted historical, political and geopolitical dimensions of the conflict in Ukraine. Sakwa argues that finding a resolution will require compromise from all sides and a recognition of both Ukrainian and Russian perspectives.

Here are some additional details about Frontline Ukraine by Richard Sakwa:

• Sakwa criticizes what he sees as a one-sided Western narrative that portrays Russia as the sole aggressor and Ukraine as a victim. He argues both sides have legitimate grievances and interests.

• The book examines various peace proposals and ceasefire attempts like the Minsk agreements. Sakwa argues these have thus far failed due to lack of trust, incompatible positions and zero-sum thinking on both sides.

• Sakwa accuses both Ukrainian and Russian leaders of exploiting nationalist sentiments for political gain. But he is ultimately more critical of Russia's disproportionate use of force and policies toward Ukraine.

• The book highlights the human costs of the conflict, from casualties and displacement to economic hardship. Sakwa emphasizes the plight of civilians caught in the middle.

• Sakwa is critical of NATO's expansion into Eastern Europe and its lack of constructive engagement with Russia on European security issues. However, he does not excuse Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine.

• Sakwa proposes a renewed security framework for Europe that incorporates Russia and provides legally binding security guarantees for all sides. He believes this is necessary to resolve the Ukraine crisis and mitigate future tensions.

• Overall, Frontline Ukraine presents a nuanced analysis that incorporates historical context, narratives from both sides and a documentation of key events. Sakwa's middle-ground perspective has been both praised and criticized by different reviewers.

#ukraine #books #war in ukraine #ai generated #book summary

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thegenealogy · 11 months

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1 Chronicles 26: 14-19. "The Gates."

Let's revisit the meaning of the Gates to the Four Directions.

North- What is hidden by God. Characterized by nightfall. Without Midrash and then Kabbalah, "investigation and practice" even the Torah itself remains trapped beneath the cover of night. Not to worry this document will solve all troubles regarding what has been previously hidden.

East- What is revealed by God.

South- What is realized by man.

West- What enlightens man.

In between each Day of the Week lay these Four Directions that explain the assimilation of wisdom found in Jewish sacred documents. A great loss to the Jewish people has been the incorporation of the Torah without turning towards the East and then turning back again.

The stern warning from the Most High is not to act Jewish without proper understanding: God expects us to be happy through the shared understanding of one's freedom from the barbarism and savagery of the past. Jews are not to be affixed to the lifestyle of a Philistine, a Low Born. To be free of the way of life of a Philistine is to owe the God of Israel a debt of one's happiness.

Exodus 8:1:

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

To start worshipping God, as the tax on one's freedom, turn East:

14 The lot for the East Gate fell to Shelemiah.[a] Then lots were cast for his son Zechariah, a wise counselor, and the lot for the North Gate fell to him.

Shelemiah= Repaid Of Yah, Yah Is Completeness.

Zechariah=Remember God as Proof of Citizenship.

As we sojourn East to North, Right to Left we find what is Hidden by God becomes what is remembered by man. This is the remarkable translation of the mysteries of God all Juice are expected to undergo.

15 The lot for the South Gate fell to Obed-Edom, and the lot for the storehouse fell to his sons. 16 The lots for the West Gate and the Shalleketh Gate on the upper road fell to Shuppim and Hosah.

Obed Edom= the Red Servants, the committed servantas of Adam. What is remembered by man, i.e. kept in the storehouse must be transmitted, very carefully, one Kohen to the next.

Shalleketh Gate="the gate of casting forth" also "the overthrow gate".

Shuppim=the name Shuppim emphasizes the marking of a national or social border of some sort.

Hosah= place of refuge.

Guard was alongside of guard: 17 There were six Levites a day on the east, four a day on the north, four a day on the south and two at a time at the storehouse. 18 As for the court[b] to the west, there were four at the road and two at the court[c] itself.

=Guard on guard, count to 22= the Hebrew Alphabet, the source of all that is valued by man from the dawn of time when God taught them to our Jewish ancestors deep in the land of Egypt*.

19 These were the divisions of the gatekeepers who were descendants of Korah and Merari.

The reason God wants the People of the Kingdom of Israel to perform Korah, "to come gather" and "distill", Merari, and become powerful economically, scientifically, politically, and personally is to ensure that what is not ethical about human nature is pressed out and the world becomes as God intended, a refuge for everyone whose feet he has planted here, including the plants, animals, fishes, trees, birds, every living thing.

*The earliest examples of Hebrew, of any writing at all in fact, were found in Egypt, circa 3,500 BCE, quite possibly as early as 5,500 BCE, alongside heiroglyphs praising the goddess Isis.

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studymbbsaborad · 1 year

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Is a Medication Effective?

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Effectiveness is undefined, which might be problematic.

Is a Medication Effective?

100 diseased persons receive a new medicine. One individual recovers while 99 don't. Is treatment effective? What if 10% of patients benefit 20%? Because patient experience is hard to define in binary terms, hypothetical problems like these challenge researchers daily. The experimenters and the cured patient will answer differently.

In Charlie Gard's terrible case, subjectivity has real-world consequences. Charlie, a 10-month-old with mitochondrial depletion syndrome, cannot see, hear, or breathe without a respirator. His parents petitioned the European Court of Human Rights to transport Charlie to the U.S. for experimental therapy. But, his U.K. doctors advised turning off his life support because this was unlikely to help. Human emotion—rightly or wrongly—defined effectiveness here.

To maintain neutrality, researchers utilise suitable experimental design and statistics. Double-blind, placebo-controlled studies allow us to compare the effects of a treatment with a pharmacologically inactive substance. p-values indicate how likely our results are to have occurred by chance and whether they are "significant." Well-designed studies have enough individuals, instances, or experiments to make these claims. These systems ensure reliable, strong, and downstream public protection.

These data are then used to guide clinical practise by regulatory organisations. NICE in the UK and the FDA in the US do this. Yet, subjectivity sometimes affects them. Under political pressure and a successful legal challenge by British woman Ann-Marie Rogers, NICE approved Herceptin for early-stage breast cancer in 2006. Herceptin was previously exclusively approved for advanced breast tumours, with little evidence supporting its early usage. Economic aspects are obvious—regulatory bodies may conclude treatments are worth while when prices drop.

"Patient power" was praised in the aforesaid scenario. Feelings trumped evidence. Terminal patients in the U.S. have the right to try phase I clinical trial therapy. Clinical testing is so rigorous to safeguard the public from the many medications that fail to reach phase II.

Despite protective and regulatory procedures, some therapies have disastrous effects when they reach the market. The tragic fallout from pharmaceuticals like thalidomide contributes to public suspicion of huge pharmaceutical corporations, which unscrupulous entities use to develop a "us vs them" narrative to push their own less rigorously researched remedy.

These questionable entities and their "treatments" thrive in the grey area between effective, useful, and harmless. Despite the overwhelming evidence that homoeopathy is no more effective than a placebo, homoeopathic advocates and the $34 billion alternative medicine sector continue to promote it. Ironically, "Big Pharma" gave birth to "Big Alterna"—two sides of the same, worthless coin.

Of course, stricter therapies don't work either. For years, doctors have advised patients not to buy over-the-counter cough treatments that have no active component. Yet, many users say they helped. We must distinguish between "effective" and "beneficial" treatments again.

My research is on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. ALS treatments are limited biologically. Many patients seek hope in unproven treatments, and a Google search finds hundreds of companies making varied promises. Such treatments provide relief or comfort to patients, which may be their objective. They prey on desperate people for enormous sums of money. Unfortunately, doctors have many examples of patients being deceived by unattainable results.

Most of us believe science and our emotions when choosing a treatment. Just set realistic expectations.

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goingglobal1 · 1 year