₦airaland Forum

I am a professor and each year I am required to produce an annual report on which decisions like promotion, tenure and pay get made. On this report, I list my publications from the previous calendar year. Often articles submitted to leading journals will undergo an extensive review process and the delay between submission and publication can be quite long.

Here is the sort of publication list that Einstein would have had in 1906 (for the previous year, 1905). They were all published in the leading physics journal of the day Annalen der Physik, and he was the sole author of each. The titles (in English):

"On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light," (received March 18/published June 9) wherein Einstein explained the vexing photoelectric effect, His proposed idea of energy quanta points to wave-particle duality and the eventual development of quantum mechanics. For his trouble, Einstein received the dismissal of no less a physicist than Niels Bohr ("The hypothesis of light-quanta is not able to throw light on the nature of radiation.", but the Nobel Committee thought otherwise and he received the Nobel Prize for his work on photoelectricity in 1921.

"On the Motion of Small Particles Suspended in a Stationary Liquid, as Required by the Molecular Kinetic of Heat." (received May 11/published July 18). I'm not a physicist and don't know that much about this paper and so am tempted to say, on the basis of my ignorance, that this piece may have been the least of his 1905 pubs. Alternatively, with this article he may have swatted away the so-called anti-atom school by essentially providing empirical proof for the atom's existence.

"On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" (received June 30/published September 26). This is the piece that put special relativity on terra firma. While most academics pride themselves on lengthy, jargon-filled literature reviews and extensive footnotes and bibliography, Einstein mentions but five other scientist in this article - but all from the physics pantheon: Isaac Newton, James Clerk Maxwell, Heinrich Hertz, Christian Doppler, and Hendrik Lorentz. He is obviously playing in some pretty tall grass with this piece.

"Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content" (received September 27/published November 21). If you don't have the time or inclination to go back and read it in the original German, then let me answer his titular question for you. Yes, it does. Want to know more? Then consider this compact equation: E = mc^2. Yeah, thought you probably had seen that.

So Einstein's annual report for 1905 would have been, I'll say, strong. In fact, I'm not really sure how a year like that could be "overrated." Genius does indeed seem to be an appropriate moniker. Of course, let's recall, too, that at that time he would not have been an academic professor, but rather have had a day job as an examiner in the Patent Office in Bern Switzerland. No internet, in fact, probably no easy access to a decent set of scientific reference material.


Source: https://www.quora.com/Do-you-think-Einsteins-genius-is-overrated

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Huh. No tall women here responding? Okay, fine, I'll go.

I'm about 5'10 (177.8 cm) , which puts me in the 98.8th percentile for women. (The equivalent height for men would be 6'4. (193 cm))

It's not a huge deal, but I would happily be shorter if I could.

Cons:

Many guys prefer "short, petite" girls.
Since women tend to date guys taller than them, most men are "off limits." 55% of guys are shorter than me (<5'10), and only 20% of guys are noticeably taller than me (>=6'0 or 182.8 cm).

If you are overweight, you end up looking "like a truck."

You can't wear heels (or if you do, you'll likely be much taller than guys).

Finding pants can be a challenge. I tend to have to buy very expensive jeans, since they are made longer (because people will pay to have them hemmed). Remember, of course, that women's pants don't come in length measurements. They just have a waist measurement.

Shorts are basically off-limits. You have to pick from "grandma" length shorts (eww) or ridiculously short shorts (uh, no).

Most casual skirts and dresses are way too short. They're made to be shortish on a typical woman which, on me, is super ridiculously short.

Pros:

Formal dresses tend to be right length already. (They're made to be longer, since you'll typically adjust them.) I rarely need to hem any formal clothing.

A potential athletic advantage, depending on the sport
I rarely have trouble reaching things.
Neutral / mixed:

People make some psychological assumptions about tall people. They assume they're more assertive, aggressive, etc.

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-it-like-being-exceptionally-tall


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What are some of the dark lessons that life taught you?

Some dark lessons from the area of love:

The person who cares less has the most power in a relationship.

No one will ever be able to make you feel loved unless you love yourself.
You can't change others.

No matter how hot you find someone, you'll get used to their appearance faster than you like.

The cute little quirks of today can be the soul-crushing flaws of tomorrow.

We will all eventually become old and unattractive in the eyes of society.

Often, the less you care about a particular woman, the easier it is to end up with her.

Both sexes are easy to manipulate with the same principles that marketers use to sell us crap – scarcity, commitment, reciprocity, authority, social proof, and liking.

Men will never know how it feels to be a woman and vice versa.

You can love your partner till death and still want to sleep with others.

No matter how dark some lessons are, it's still worth it.

You can't always get what (who) you want.

Love, dating, and relationship can't be "figured out" logically. They require empathy, vulnerability, and honesty.

Emotions change all the time. It's possible to think you love someone with all your heart, but then one day you sober up and find out you truly don't.

When in love, everyone becomes an idiot.

"Show me a beautiful woman, and I’ll show you a man who’s tired of sleeping with her."

The higher you set the expectations from the beginning, the harder it will be to maintain the relationship. E.g., Send your girlfriend flowers every day and it will be cute for the first three days, cheesy after that, then awkward, and finally unbearable.

The opposite of well is well-meaning.


Source: https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-of-the-dark-lessons-that-life-taught-you

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This is not about Warri alone. Most part in Nigeria is flooded.

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Why not solar power in Nigeria? Why fuel generators?

Why is Nigeria not using solar power to its full capacity when we know its potential and advantages?

Why are so many people still using fuel-powered generators despite the fact that we know the environmental hazards they cause?

Are there certain factors who make fuel-powered generators more desirable than solar-powered generators?

Elon Musk, one of the co-founders of Paypal Tesla Motors, PayPal, SpaceX, Zip2, Musk Foundation, X.com, has also invested heavily in solar city.

The Western world does not have as much sunshine as we’re blessed with in Nigeria, yet they invest heavily in this clean energy. Why can’t we do the same?

Baktha Paradeema - This is one of the most important concepts I’ve ever run across, so I wanted to share Sri Bhagavan’s answer to the following question.

Question: Bhagavan, God is one, so why does the response of God vary from person to person?

Answer: The amount of grace you receive or the form in which God manifests to you depends on the relationship you have with God. That is why it is important that you do not have an image of a punishing god or an indifferent god.

If you thought that God would be angry with you for your thoughts or your life and you were therefore afraid, God would certainly punish you. If God to you were a lazy father that would only answer after endless petitions; that would be your reality. You create your God.

You have made a mess of your lives, unaware of the power and freedom you hold in creating your God. One of the greatest curses you could lay on yourself is to create a wrong kind of God—a defective God who could sit over you in judgment and punish you.

Remember, when I say creating your God, I do not mean creating a non-existent God through your own imagination. God is your creator; how could you create God? Creating your own God means to awaken to the power you wield. God is powerful, but you too being a part of God, are quite powerful, hence the problem. You have the freedom to design the kind of God you want.

It is like the potter, making use of the clay and creating master pieces. You are the potter and God the clay. Your God would then respond to you the way you want. That is why, we use the word “Elokthakari”—one who does as bidden.

Do not think it is presumptuous to design God. You have all along been creating your God unconsciously, only now you do it consciously and intelligently. God does not define himself or herself. Humanity defines God.

Create a God who is powerful enough to awaken you and also fulfill your desires. If you relate to God as playful, powerful and a compassionate friend who will respond to your needs instantaneously, that would be your God.

If on the other hand, if you define God as unapproachable, the doors of heaven shall not open because there would be a big board reading “No Entry.” If you say God is indefinable, that certainly would be your experience. You could choose to have a frowning God, a smiling God, a laughing God or you’re playing God.


Source: http://www.vantharp.com/workshops/oneness-awakening.asp

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THE CHALLENGE
Are you and your spouse unable to discuss things calmly? Does it feel as if you are always walking through a minefield in which any step could set off an explosive dispute?

If so, be assured that things can improve. But first you need to find out why you and your spouse argue so much.

WHY IT HAPPENS
Misunderstandings.
A wife named Jillian * admits: “Sometimes I say something to my husband and it doesn’t come out as I intended. Or I am convinced that I told him something, when I really only dreamed that I told him. That’s actually happened!”


Differences.
No matter how compatible you and your spouse may seem to be, your views on some matters will differ. Why? Because no two people are exactly alike—a fact that can add either variety or tension to marriage. For many couples, the result is tension.

Poor role models.
“My parents argued a lot and made disrespectful comments to each other,” says a wife named Rachel, “so when I got married I talked to my husband the way my mother talked to my father. I had not learned how to show respect.”

Deeper concerns.
Often, a fiery argument is really about something other than the event that ignited it. For example, a dispute that starts with “You’re always late!” may not be about the need for punctuality but about one spouse feeling that he or she has been treated inconsiderately.

Whatever the cause, frequent arguing can adversely affect your health and can even be a predictor of eventual divorce. How, then, can you stop arguing?

WHAT YOU CAN DO
A key to preventing arguments is identifying the underlying issues that fuel them. When things are calm, try the following exercise with your spouse.

1. On separate sheets of paper, each of you should write down the topic of a recent argument. For example, a husband might write, “You spent the whole day with your friends and didn’t call me to tell me where you were.” A wife might write, “You got upset because I spent time with my friends.”

2. With an open mind, discuss the following: Was the matter really that serious? Could it have been overlooked? In some cases, for the sake of peace, it may suffice to agree to disagree and to cover over the matter with love.—Bible principle: Proverbs 17:9.

If you and your spouse conclude that the matter was trivial, apologize to each other and consider it settled.—Bible principle: Colossians 3:13, 14.

If the matter seems more serious to one or both of you, proceed to the next step.

3. Write down how you felt during the argument, and have your spouse do the same. For example, a husband might write, “I felt that you preferred the company of your friends over my company.” A wife might write, “I felt that you were treating me as if I were a child who had to check in with her father.”

4. Swap papers with your spouse, and read each other’s comments. What was your spouse’s deeper concern during the argument? Discuss what each of you could have done differently to address the underlying issues without arguing.—Bible principle: Proverbs 29:11.

5. Discuss what you learned from this exercise. How can you use what you learned to solve or prevent a future argument?

KEY SCRIPTURES
“The one covering over transgression is seeking love.”—Proverbs 17:9.

“Continue putting up with one another and forgiving one another freely.”—Colossians 3:13.

“All his spirit is what a stupid one lets out, but he that is wise keeps it calm to the last.”—Proverbs 29:11.

IF YOU HAVE ARGUED . . .
Dig deeper: What did each of you really need from the other during the dispute? Get to the underlying issues.

“Replay” the event: Instead of arguing, what could each of you have done differently to address those underlying issues?

If the matter was trivial, apologize to each other and consider it settled

Source: https://www.jw.org/en/publications/magazines/g201302/stop-arguing-with-spouse/#?insight[search_id]=167fedea-c10d-4018-9259-f4666901fa54&insight[search_result_index]=0


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Let’s see:

The general(s) know a significant portion of the war strategy - Allowing one to be killed could impair mission. Allowing one to be captured could be disastrous. If your enemy has your general(s) alive you either have to change your current plans radically, withdraw or risk being ambushed and then slaughtered.

It would be a PR disaster - Having a tired and defeated-looking or injured general put on display by your enemy for the whole world (especially the people back home) to see would be a nightmare. Even a military winning a conflict would have to deal with the fact that one its leaders is being held by the enemy and could be displayed or even publicly executed at any time.

It would be nearly useless in modern warfare to have them there - Few modern conflicts are the melee or regimented conflicts of the past. The “front” could be spread over dozens, or even hundreds, of miles. There may be no defined “front line” as in the case of a guerrilla conflict. The general going to the “front” would likely be standing around looking or be hunkered down behind some cover. Not very effective, that.

General are almost never young people; nor are they highly skilled combatants - Most general are in their early 50’s to mid-60s. While they may be in good shape for people of their age, they are also decades older than most of the combatants They may be a crack shot; however if the units that they are inspecting/visiting have to retreat rapidly, the general’s presence may prove to be a liability more than a benefit.

There‘s also the ticklish fact that while many generals are highly intelligent people and excellent strategists , they may not be the most effective field soldiers. Having a middle-aged person who can’t shoot well and who may not perform well in a CQB (close quarters battle) or a hand-to-hand combat scenario really doesn’t help the forward unit “blessed” by the general’s presence.

Source: https://www.quora.com/Why-dont-generals-go-into-battle-anymore

Singapore is taking the next step in the move towards self-driving vehicles with the world's first public trial of self-driving taxis.

Robo-taxis developed by nuTonomy, a Massachusetts based transportation software firm, will operate autonomously in a Singapore business district on a trial basis beginning Thursday. The vehicles will be specially configured Renault and Mitsubishi models. A select number of Singapore residents will use nuTonomy's smartphone app to hail a robo-taxi for a ride at no charge.

"The trial represents an extraordinary opportunity to collect feedback from riders in a real-world setting, and this feedback will give nuTonomy a unique advantage as we work toward deployment of a self-driving vehicle fleet in 2018," said Karl Iagnemma, CEO and co-founder of nuTonomy.

While the plan is for the robo-taxis' software to make all decisions on the movement of the vehicles, there will be a nuTonomy engineer riding in the front seat to take control if needed.

Uber: We want to be part of a driverless future

The launch of these robo-taxis comes as the ride-share operator Uber prepares to start a trial program in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where autonomously-driven vehicles will give Uber customers rides in certain areas. Like the robo-taxi program in Singapore, the self-driving Uber vehicles in Pittsburgh will also have engineers in the driver seat to take control if the situation calls for it.

Researchers, automakers and tech firms believe the hardware, software, and artificial intelligence needed for autonomously-driven vehicles is rapidly approaching a point where self-driving cars will soon be ready for real-world use.

The nuTonomy robo-taxis are one more step in seeing if the self-driving car is ready for everyday use in the real world.



Please watch the video here: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/08/24/singapore-is-conducting-a-trial-of-self-driving-taxis.html?_source=twitter

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Most unusual password I've ever come across is the password my friend had on his phone.

It was school and that means the class was obviously boring. We were rebels in school time like if they said not to do something, we'll do it like "Surprise Mudafakas".

I asked my friend for his phone so that I can game for sometime. He handed me his phone and I was like "Hell yeah. Now got a phone, we can bust like half an hour easily" and boom! The phone had a password.

I was like "Dude, what the heck is the password man?"

He was like "Go to hell."

I was taken aback. Imagine your best buddy has told you to go to hell just because you asked the password. Then I knew like the actual password was GoToHell.

Source: https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-most-unusual-password-you-have-ever-seen


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Do animals fight wars and if so what was the largest war?

The largest war in animal history — in fact, by numbers the largest war in history — is going on right now.

Once upon a time there was a tiny brown ant who lived by a swamp at the end of the Paraná River in Argentina. Her name, Linepithema humile, literally means “humble” or “weak”. Some time during the late 1800s, an adventurous L. humile crept away from the swamp where giant river otter played and capybaras cavorted.

She stowed away on a boat that sailed to New Orleans. And she went to war.

At home in the Paraná delta, L. humile nests would ferociously defend themselves from other nests, both of their own species and other kinds of ant. It was a life of never-ending territorial skirmishes, where nobody could really get ahead. When two L. humile met, they would flick their antennae over each others’ bodies, tasting the combination of hydrocarbons on their skin. This flavor would tell them whether the stranger belonged to the same nest. If she tasted familiar, she would be recognized as a sister. She would be gently stroked, offered food and welcomed into the nest. But if the flavor were not recognized, the ants would try to kill each other.

In New Orleans, something changed. L. humile, invading the United States, spread like wildfire. Instead of forming discrete, competing colonies, they behaved as a united army. They would brutally attack ants of other species, but welcome every L. humile as a long-lost sister in arms. Like L. humile in Argentina, other species of ants in the US must defend their territories against their own species. This gives the cooperative L. humile a huge strategic advantage; they waste neither lives nor energy on fighting with their own kind, but focus ruthlessly upon species-level conquest. Though individually tiny, they can swarm over native ants many times their size.

The supercolony grew to cover most of the United States. Then it spread to England, Europe, Japan, Australia and New Zealand. L. humile is now abundant on every continent except Antarctica, and wherever she goes, she slaughters native ant species.

How did she do this? Did inbreeding reduce the diversity of hydrocarbons on the ants’ skin, such that they no longer saw one another as enemies, but as sisters? Did natural selection tone down L. humile’s territorial instincts to suit their environment, so they would react aggressively only to the strong stimulus of another species? It seems likely both mechanisms were involved.

Things have not been perfect. Near San Diego, a schism formed, and a separate supercolony was created. The battlefront extends for miles; some 30 million ants die there every year. Another super-colony has formed in Catalonia. Perhaps as L. humile eliminates her competitors, her alliance will fracture entirely into squabbling tribes. But for now, from Europe to the United States, all the way to New Zealand, a global megacolony still persists, consisting of around 1 trillion individuals: a humble brown ant united in war against every other ant alive.

People always talk about the meek inheriting the earth. In L. humile’s case, it’s clearly working.

Source: https://www.quora.com/Do-animals-fight-wars-and-if-so-what-was-the-largest-war

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I'll tell you why in a second.

But first: common life mistakes young people make:

- HAVE AN OPINION

What opinion can you possibly have? Global warming? Ok, good luck changing the world. War? Ok, good luck stopping the $200 billion defense lobbying industry from having war.

She/He should treat me better! Again...good luck.

People say to me, "if everyone thought like you then the world would be a mess."

Oh really? I have one word to say back (which breaks my later statement about defending myself).

"Manure"

4.5 million tons of manure were being dropped on the streets of Manhattan in 1890, EVERY YEAR, by horses carrying people to work.

That was the big environmental problem of the day. "NYC will be buried in horse manure by 1950!" screamed the headlines.

It doesn't matter what your opinion about this was. None of the people living in NY solved the problem despite the 1000s of opinions.

People with passion for mechanics in Detroit made something called a car.

Problem solved.

Do what YOU love to do today. Surrender to the results. The more you surrender, the more results there will be.

The way you solve the world's problems is to solve your problems. Then trust.

-THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL YOU ARE HERE TO DO

You realize there are 8.7 million different species on the planet. Do you think the trillions of members of all of them were put on this Earth with a special purpose? Like they have to be an opera singer. Or solve a hard math problem?

There's 1000 different species (species, not individual organisms, which are around 10,000,000) living on your body right now. 80 in your mouth. So you better shut up.

The last part of our body to evolve was our pre-frontal cortex, which allows us to adapt to different environments. No other species has one.

This let us move from hot Africa to cold Alaska and every place in between.
But it also is the part of our body that makes us think we have a special purpose.

Our own unique little, private purpose which will win us awards and acclaim and make us feel better.

We don't.

But I understand you feel that way if you are young.

So here's the solution and it works and can be applied at any age: get good at three or four or five things.

Then find the intersection.

Then become the best in the world at the intersection. That's how you can pretend to do your special purpose.

When I say "get good" it doesn't mean 10,000 hours of practice with intent.
Maybe it means 1000 hours. Or even less.

Then if you get good at 5 things you've now the only one in the world who has put 1000s of hours into the intersection.

Now you're the best in the world at that.

- TALKING

You really don't have to talk as much as you do.

The average human says 10,000 words a day. Maybe cut that in half. Or say nothing.

I tried saying nothing for a whole day the other day. It's hard. But it felt like magic when I finally spoke again. I valued every word that came out of my mouth.

But try to talk less when you're young and know nothing.

Like when you're 19 years old and you want to talk about the status of your relationship.

There is no status. You're 19.

Guess what. Even if you're 50 you don't need to talk about it. Treat the other person nice. Then your status will be good.

If you hit the person you are living with then your status won't be good.
Talking won't do anything.

This holds for most things.

Listen to me.

Or better yet, just listen.

-YOU HAVE NO CAREER

The average person has 14 careers. And that number is probably going up.

My careers have been: academia, computer programmer, writer, "web series creator", CEO of a web design company, day trader, hedge fund manager, writer about finance, venture capitalist, book writer, speaker, internet entrepreneur (made a website that got popular), deal maker, self-improvement blogger and book writer, podcaster, and a few more I'd rather not say because they are either horribly embarrassing or might get me into legal trouble.

Young people say, "I don't know what I want to do when I grow up." Or "I want to be a doctor".

These two statements have a 99% chance of being wrong.

I got an email a few weeks ago: "I'm a nurse and I have $210,000 in student loan debt and now I don't even want to be a nurse. What should I do?"

I don't know. You're probably screwed.

- I NEED X TO GET Y

"I need to look good (or have a good job), to meet a boyfriend/girlfriend."
"I need to have a million dollars before I can write a novel and relax".
"I need to go to travel the world to get life experience."
"I need to do what my parents say."
"I need to go to go a gym to get healthy".

Here's the reality that many people don't get.

There are many paths to that mysterious "Y". Don't assume you know what they are.

I told my daughter something the other day. I said, "you know that quote I always tell you?"

She said, "Ugh. 'There's always a good reason and a real reason'."

"Ok, I'm going to tell you another one.

'There's always a back door.' "

"What does that even mean," she said. We were walking around Washington Square Park. She was looking with envy at all the college students walking around. I think she wants to be one.

"It's ok if you don't know what it means," I said. "I can't explain it. Just don't assume the front door is the only way to enter something you want."

Right now Snoop Dogg is saying he wants to be the CEO of Twitter.

That's never going to happen. But he can say it can. And then maybe it will. Who knows?

I'm sure he's said 1000 ridiculous things in his life. And you know what? 1% of them have happened and have created an amazing life for him.

The rest of us don't say any of these ridiculous things. So nothing ridiculous and amazing happens to us.

- IF I DON'T DO THIS THEN BAD THINGS WILL HAPPEN

"If I don't go to college I can't get a job"
"If I don't get a house, I won't have roots. I'll waste money on rent."
"If I don't have money, I won't be able to buy anything. People won't like me."

Society is very powerful. We get 2500 media messages a day telling us our Dos and our Dont's.

All 2500 of those message are wrong. How do I know? Because people wouldn't have to pay to show you those messages if they are right.

They know the messages are wrong so they pay to put them in front of you.

If you believe the messages then you would think you can join the army, and either A) choose to go to war or B) go hiking and learn computer programming at the same time.

You can't.


(the real army)

Don't let the media messages program your brain.

Don't let the media messages predict the future. Because it's a fake future.

- YOU CAN'T LEAVE

Young people think they can't leave.

How many times did I spend an extra year in a relationship, or a city, or a job, or a school, because I was afraid to leave.

Afraid I had the power to truly hurt someone with my decision.

You can get up and leave right now if you are not happy or if you want to do something new.

- YOU HAVE TO DEFEND

In the next 60 years, a lot of people are going to hate you.

In fact, the more people you try to help, the more people will hate you. I don't know why this rule exists but it does.

For every ten people you help, one person will hate you. And you will want to defend, to explain, to argue, to respond back.

You can't change their mind. They are going to hate you no matter what. They are going to try and get in your head so you wake up thinking about them.

Delete them. Delete their comments, their emails, their connections to you, any contact you have with them. You can't change them. You can change YOU to not care.

The more haters you have, it means you will have 10 times the number of people who love you but are silent.

When they offend, don't defend.
---
Don't forget one thing:

You are the coach of your future self. You are the only coach of your future self.

Everything that happens in your future is a direct result of what you do today.

I've made a lot of money and lost it miserably and got scared and depressed and cheated and ran and hurt and cried and was suicidal.

None of that helped my future self.

Here's what did, when I was at my lowest and darkest moments. When I had the pills right in front of me. When my kids were asleep in their bedrooms and the night kept ticking away in my brain, refusing to let me sleep, refusing to stop my heart from racing in panic.

I took a walk every day.

I stopped dealing with the people who I felt bad around. This was very very painful to me. But better that then dying. Or defending.

I spent more time with the people who I felt good to be around.

I started reading every day. 40% of people who graduate college never read a book again. If you are in the 60% you are 1000x ahead of everyone else.

I started writing down 10 ideas a day. Then I started sending ideas to people, without expectation back, with the hopes that the ideas would help people.

I forced myself to practice being grateful for everything I had. Two arms. Two daughters. A friend. Then two friends. Then three.

The more grateful you are, the more you attract things to be grateful for.

And by doing so, all the mistakes I made in my youth started to change.



Source: https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-most-common-life-mistakes-young-people-make

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Who is the biggest traitor in U.S. history?

John Walker Jr.

John Walker Jr. had been a career serviceman, serving in the U.S. Navy for well over 20 years from 1955 to 1975, rising to the rank of warrant officer as a radioman. His career entailed him coming into contact with encryption codes and devices as well as detailed information on movements of various ships in the U.S. and Soviet Navies. It was prime material for any intelligence agency to get their hands on John and what he had in store.

In 1967, motivated solely by financial gain, John walked right into the Soviet Embassy in Washington D.C. and offered to sell highly classified information in exchange for significant monetary payments. This money was, in his mind, going to repair his failing marriage and personal financial issues that had plagued him for much of his life.

For 18 years, Walker ran his spy ring with his family and close associates, leaving manuals, devices, decryptions, keys, and other classified material at various locations for Soviet retrieval. The information that Walker passed on proved to be immeasurable and compromising and was thought to give the Soviets a significant edge during the Cold War and drastically altered the balance of power.

Information that he released included:

All known locations of US nuclear submarines throughout the world, a critical part of the nuclear triad of the US

Procedures for a nuclear launch when ordered and where command and control would be established

Troop and Air movements in Vietnam from 1971–1973 which was passed onto North Vietnam and their allies

Planned airstrikes for North Vietnam and various spec-op missions occurring in Laos and Cambodia

Various war plans, manuals, intelligence digests, operations currently in play, as well as numerous classified documents

U.S. Naval strategies for both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans

Walker’s spy ring is thought to be the most damaging breach of security ever to occur in US history. The amount of intelligence he passed on and how long he passed it for were unheard of at the time, and the US lost enormous credibility in the intelligence community as a result.

Please read more here at: https://www.quora.com/Who-is-the-biggest-traitor-in-U-S-history

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The US dominates the Olympics because there is an enormous American talent pool. The US population is huge and most people are healthy; having been well-nourished with access to good medical care.

American Athletes are hero-worshiped and successful athletes are extremely well-paid so many youngsters dream of a career in sports. When lot of people are competing for the top positions, those who reach the top are extremely good.

Americans have access to all kinds of sports as children and young people. Chances are that if a kid has natural athletic talent, he or she will find a sport that he or she excels at. Sports facilities are easy to find and for the most part, affordable to most Americans.

Since sports are such a big deal in the US and most parents have fewer children, decent resources and at least some leisure time, American parents are willing and able to support an ambitious young athlete’s training. It takes a tremendous amount of money and time to support a kid’s training to the point where he or she is an Olympic-class athlete.

Source: https://www.quora.com/Why-is-the-United-States-so-dominant-in-the-Olympics

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PDP, a house divided against itself. They did so bad in past, and I don't really pity them for what's happening now. Nevertheless, APC still needs a vibrant opposition, because they've also be found wanting.


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I recently watched a traditional Benin movie. During a coronation ceremony of a new king, I saw that all the royal queens and princesses cover their mouths with their hands. They came into the palace doing this and later left.

In another recent Benin movie, involving the royalty, I saw the monarch covering his mouth with a handkie in a public event. I believe the movies depict an important Benin royal tradition.

This kind of custom baffles me and most Edo people I asked couldn’t answer the question.

Why do Benin royals cover their mouths in this way? Is there any reason for this?

What is the origin of this, and its significance?

I’m desperate for a helpful answer please.


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Permission Granted – You Can Make that Big Life Change

Sixteen days from now, my family and I will board a plane for New Zealand. Not for a vacation — but to live and work for the next 12 months or so. It’s spontaneous, it’s exciting, it’s new, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Sounds awesome, right? Yes!

But it’s also completely terrifying. Big changes are unpredictable. They’re daunting. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t make them.

My family’s choice aligns with a simple theory of the economist and co-author of “Freakonomics” Steven D. Levitt: People who aren’t sure about uprooting their lives probably should. “As a basic rule of thumb, people are too cautious when it comes to making a change,” he told a reporter for The Atlantic.

He tested this theory in his latest study. Mr. Levitt asked participants who were undecided about a major decision to flip a virtual coin. Heads, they go ahead with the change. Tails, things stay the same.

Based on the results of tossing over 20,000 virtual coins, the study found that people were happier after making a major change, whether they did it because the coin forced their hand or because they decided on their own.

Knowing this, you would think that my own life-changing move to New Zealand would become much easier. But it hasn’t. And the reason, more than anything else, is the voice inside my head that keeps screaming at me. “People just don’t do this sort of thing,” it yells. “Name one person you know that’s done this,” it demands.

What the little voice is doing is something that I bet many people can relate to. He’s looking for permission. My biggest fears right now are not dealing with the bureaucratic nightmares of moving to a new country, though there are plenty of those.

Instead, my big concern has to do with what right I have to do this thing I’ve always wanted to do. Seeking approval and external validation is part of the human experience, but when it comes to making a big life change, they can be hard to find. People expect you to stay how you are, to maintain the status quo, to stay the course. And if you get bogged down looking for that affirmation to make a change, you may never make it.
To me, the most interesting part of Mr. Levitt’s experiment was that a simple coin toss was permission enough. Perhaps it doesn’t matter where the permission comes from. Maybe we’re all secretly dying for anyone (or coin) to just come along and say, “Go for it. You make that change.”

Well, you know what? I hereby proclaim myself the president of permission granting. And by all of the power vested in me, I grant everyone who reads this column the permission to do that thing. Whatever it is, you now have permission to do it.

This week, take one major change you’re wanting to make and figure out if the only thing stopping you is waiting for permission. Be brutally honest with yourself. Force yourself to identify what’s standing between you and making that change. And if you find that it’s permission you’re searching for — then look no further.


Source: http://www.behaviorgap.com/permission-granted-can-make-big-life-change/?utm_source=ActiveCampaign&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Behavior+Gap%3A+I+Give+You+Permission&utm_campaign=BG+Newsletter+Advisors%2C+8-18-2016

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Which assault rifles do criminals use to rob a banks?

You don't rob a bank with assault weapons silly. Or any weapons for that matter.

"Hypothetically," the best way to rob a bank is to simply walk up to the teller and politely ask for all the money in the safe. They will give it to you no problem.

This actually happened to me before. Sort of. Shortly after starting a new job I went to cash my check at the local bank.

I mean, I was in a suit and had opened an account a few days prior - so I assumed the following dumb joke I made wasn't such a bad idea at the time.

This nice teller lady asked how she could help me. I politely said:

Yes, I would like to cash this check.

She said sure, will there be anything else.

I said sure, I'll take all the money in the safe.

She smiled big and said yes sir that's not a problem.

Realizing that she might not have noticed my joking tone, I quickly let her know that I was only kidding.

But curious as I was; I asked her if she was serious. - If she was seriously going to hand over all that money.

She said yes sir it's only money without a care in the world.

But this was southern Arizona, everyone in the bank was probably armed. The employees and customers would surely have gotten a good laugh:

Watching the smoke and die packs exploding on me while watching me through the 30 cameras around the bank.

Here's my point. Nobody robs banks anymore. Rob drug dealers. Better success rate I'm guessing.

If you do rob a bank, don't use a weapon. If someone tries to stop you, surrender. If you use a gun, all the people who see you with the gun will be happy to shoot you (in the back).

You see in today's age, if you walk into any building and pull out a weapon it's not the security you have to worry about...

It's the 70 year old woman who pulls an elephant gun out of her purse, screams "TERRORIST!" And let's you have it (in the back).

They have seen all those bank robber movies just like you so they aren't going to let you take any hostages.

And all of this is before the pissed off cops show up, and when that happens, it's probably best to not have a weapon.

Source: Quora


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I count money in the shower.

I think of every opportunity I have. I think of how much money each opportunity is going to give me.

Then I divide it up. I used to divide it up: parents, kids, retirement (assuming I’m going to not care after age 80 but who knows), etc. It was a puzzle. Because if I gave parents $X, what if they run out?

Would I have to make more? Then I would think how I would do that. And then add that up.

Then about an hour later the shower would be over. I remember specifically showers from 2002. None of my predictions became true.

My dad died, for one. Then I got divorced. Then I changed my opinion about how kids should get money.

And then, of course, I lost all my money. So the entire point is moot. But then I made some again. Then lost some. Blah.

Then I had some more ideas about what to do with money. I thought about them in the shower.

I wanted to do micro charities. I would find sad stories in the morning newspaper and then anonymously help people.

Like, if someone’s family became homeless because their house burned down, I would rent them a hotel room.

For some reason, that was always my core example. Maybe I am always afraid of being homeless. Which is why I forced myself to live in Airbnbs for so long. So I wouldn’t have a need for a solid home.

I say I would “anonymously” help people (like I’m such a great human) but maybe that’s not honest. I would make a documentary about it also and years later track down people to ask them how much I helped them.

Selfish.

Ego.

Another thing I would plan on doing. I would make dumb Super Bowl commercials. Like just me walking around doing nothing.

What’s the point?

I don’t do it anymore.

I don’t think so much about the future. Or about legacy. Or about what will happen when I am 80.

A billion years from now, my atoms will be scattered and lonely and only barely entangled with each other.

I think about what will happen today. How can I be honest today. How can I help someone today. What is the one thing I can do today that is outside of my comfort zone?

Today is the day of magic.

What’s the outcome of this?

I take faster showers.

And maybe I’m a little more dirty. But maybe, in some ways, I’m a little more clean.

If Japan had not surrendered after the double whammy of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki A-bomb attacks and the entry of the Soviet Union into the Pacific War, it is likely that:

The 20th Air Force would have resumed its massive conventional bombing campaign against Japan’s cities (including Kyoto) until several atomic bombs became available in 1945 and 1946. (I believe a third A-bomb could have been dropped sometime after August 15, 1945 had the Japanese not agreed to surrender on that day.)

The invasion of Kyushu, codenamed Olympic, would have been carried out on or around November 1, 1945. According to Alfred Coppel’s The Burning Mountain: A Novel of the Invasion of Japan, which was based on the actual American and Japanese war plans for the invasion, the Allied objective was to capture only enough of Kyushu to establish a series of naval and air bases there. These bases would then be used as part of the infrastructure for Operation Coronet, the invasion of Honshu.

Emperor Hirohito and his Cabinet would probably have been killed or held incommunicado by radical militarists who refused to surrender to the Allies. (This is the one element that is necessary for this “no surrender even after the Soviet invasion of Manchuria and the A-bomb attacks” scenario to be even remotely possible.)

For the Americans, it would have been the bloodiest campaign of World War II if the Olympic/Coronet landings had taken place. Based on the casualty figures from the battles on Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, the most-oft quoted estimate of total U.S. casualties (dead, wounded, captured, or missing) cites a figure of over a million. In 1945, the U.S. government ordered 500,000 Purple Hearts in anticipation of heavy losses. To this day (2016), the U.S. is still awarding Purple Hearts from this batch of medals.

Japan would have been forced to surrender eventually. Even taking into consideration the nihilistic world-view of the die-hard hawks in the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy, the Allied onslaught on the home islands would have been relentless. Nearly all of the country’s industrial capacity would have ceased to exist, and the casualties (mostly civilian) on the Japanese side alone would have reached the 30 million mark by the time the war ended.

Before this 31-day plan became a lifestyle, I first had to remove the tumors of self-gratification and hubris (trust me, the attitude ruling my life in the old days was all about "what's in it for me?".

Now that you have a glimpse into your own plan, a fair warning: It's not about you. It took years for me to develop the understanding that life is really about giving, service, and meaningful relationships.

If you're still with me, these things have reshaped my path as entrepreneur, happy husband, proud father, and community leader. Many can be practiced in minutes per day. Others will require some courage and stretching. Use this to acclimate yourself to a life of happiness and success.

Your 31-Day Personal Development Plan

Day 1: Do something for someone else.

Do a "five-minute favor" for someone. Five-minute favors are selfless giving acts, without asking for anything in return from the people that you help. Examples of five-minute favors include: sharing knowledge, making an introduction, serving as a reference for a person, product, or service, or recommending someone on LinkedIn, Yelp, or another social place.

Day 2: Share your positive experiences with friends and family and watch your joy increase.

Studies published in BPS Research have found that sharing the good things that happen in your life is the way to happiness. In one study, participants that journaled and shared positive experiences with another person at least twice a week were more satisfied with life.

Day 3: Stop striving to achieve.

We all have a tendency to work too much, lose our balance, and, ultimately, our joy in life. It's the unhealthy feeling that if we don't do something productive every day, we've somehow failed. So allow your perfectionism to rest. Slow down, and know that life is OK the way it is, right at this minute. As you eliminate the need to strive and be perfect, surrender to the universe. You'll begin to appreciate and focus on other, neglected priorities that bring you joy.

Day 4: Put yourself in someone else's shoes.

Empathy and compassion are things you can develop, and it starts with thinking about other people's circumstances, understanding their pains and frustrations, and knowing that those emotions are every bit as real as our own. This helps you develop perspective, and opens you up to helping others, which also enhances your sense of gratitude.

Day 5: Discover your purpose and enjoy the journey.

Remind yourself frequently that the purpose of your life is not to work 10 hours per day, five days per week for 30 years, then retire to a golf course in Florida. Your true purpose should be to discover your calling in life, basking in the joy of the journey along the way, one step at a time. In the end, your legacy is left to these two questions:

• What impact did I make on the lives of others?

• Who did I serve and make better?

Day 6: Stop getting the attention and focus it on other people.

There's something magical that happens when we let other people have the glory. Reading this may bruise your ego, but when we shine the spotlight on someone else and let that person be seen, heard, respected, and considered special--it becomes enjoyable to do so, and gives us a peaceful and quiet confidence.


Read more here: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3dVvss/:ke0xH4B8:SGnY_MkP/www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/these-31-life-hacks-can-improve-your-life-in-just-a-month.html

What is the most disgusting picture you have ever seen on the internet?

A video not a picture, but still an image…

A young Chinese girl being raped, and then a small firework (I think an m80) placed in her vagina and set off. It was completely real, it was on a site that educated people about sex trafficking. The video had been taken as evidence during a criminal case against a French pornographer who had been accused of and found guilty of, making snuff films.

No one actually knows what happened after the video but it is assumed the girl died.

Source: QUORA

Lagos State has been lucky so far. I just pray that one Governor would not emerge in future and mess up the financial situation of the State, to the extent that civil servants would need to go for months without salaries.