Quotes for December 8 - 2024

 Good morning all - I hope you are finding this Sunday morning a good one where you find yourself.

Here is a subset of the quote that showed in my Readwise feed this morning.

Quotes for today, Sunday (not Sundae), December 8th

"For most of the history of Western political thought, writers focused on demagoguery only in the context of arguing that democracy was a poor form of government. Aristocratic critics such as Thucydides and Plato blamed popular leaders for dismissing experts, exploiting the poor and soaking the rich, sparking factional violence, and starting foreign wars to distract the populace from their tyrannical tendencies."
–nytimes.com, Opinion | How to Protect America From the Next Donald Trump

"For me, if you’re not in the arena getting your ass kicked, I’m not interested in your feedback."
–Brené  Brown, Rising Strong

"If the upside of strongman rule is the ability to make difficult decisions quickly, the downside is that it greatly raises the odds of making costly blunders. The consensus-based decision-making of the earlier era might have been slow and inefficient, but it prevented radical or risky ideas from becoming policy."
–foreignaffairs.com, China’s Coming Upheaval

Systems Quotes

"A system is more than the sum of its parts. It may exhibit adaptive, dynamic, goal-seeking, self-preserving, and sometimes evolutionary behavior."
–Donella H. Meadows, Thinking in Systems

"A shadow network is not active all the time and so does not have maintenance costs, but it can be quickly brought into play without the normal period of trust building required for a network to operate."
–Brian Walker, David Salt, Resilience Practice

"An analysis of global governance in Science (Walker et al. 2009) found that the global institutions that do exist tend to address the concerns they were set up to deal with largely in a silo fashion."
–Brian Walker, David Salt, Resilience Practice

Seventh of 12, Twenty Twenty-Four - Quotes

Quotes for the Day

 

"You’re not a lump of clay, but you’re not a god either."
–Matthew Hutson, The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking

"Snowden argues for local engagement in multiple parallel safe-to-fail actions. These actions are generated from narratives gathered using a technique known as distributed ethnography, which reveals the potential that is in the system."
–Danny Burns and Stuart Worsley, Navigating Complexity in International Development

"personal company is the most important factor for long-term satisfaction."
–weforum.org, A Neuroscientist Who Studies Decision-Making Reveals the Most Important Choice You Can Make

Systems Quotes

"We highlight inclusive interventions such as education and capacity building, development of alliances and partnerships, and enabling sustainable livelihoods, or governance arrangements led by Indigenous peoples and local communities or private actors, as levers to promote positive transformations in the social-ecological systems of protected areas."
–Miguel A. Cebrián-Piqueras and Miguel A. Cebrián-Piqueras, Ecology & Society: Leverage Points and Levers of Inclusive Conservation in Protected Areas

"We began with some boundaries: in order to be successful for water utilities, we needed to focus on systems (ecological, infrastructure, social); we needed to understand how these systems might be experiencing change; and we needed to measure resilience."
–Home, Water Utilities: Moving From Risk to Resilience — Alliance for Global Water Adaptation

"Promoting the involvement of local people and supporting adaptive learning are two important aspects of managing the resilience of social-ecological systems."
–Brian Walker PhD, Resilience Thinking

Quotes for December 6

Good morning, everyone - or good "time of day" to you since I have no idea what time of day it is for you. 

Later this morning I plan to go for a run - but until that time I will post a quote here for you. (Not a very interesting story, I know; too short, and the plot is, well, pointless)

These are quotes on my Readwise feed that resonated with me this morning.

Today's Quotes

"Remarkably unchanged, mycelium has persisted for more than half of the four billion years of life’s history, through countless cataclysms and catastrophic global transformations."
–Merlin Sheldrake, Entangled Life

"Because of the complex interdependencies, efforts to solve one aspect of a problem may reveal or create other problems."
–Sustainable Communities, Ecosystem Services and Human Well‐being

"In Frederick Douglass’ 1869 speech “The Composite Nation,” he defends Chinese immigrants and says that he believes we're going to become a multiracial, multiethnic democracy one day. For a former slave to be saying that is what makes America unique, and is equally part of America's story."
–Anand Giridharadas, Ro Khanna Wants Progressives to Embrace Patriotism, Aspiration, and Experimentation

HBR's Management Tip of the Day

And while I am here I will add a bonus from Harvard Business Review, their Tip of the Day.

Today’s Tip

Use Notes to Calm Your Public-Speaking Nerves

Speaking on a stage can feel daunting—the elevated platform, unfamiliar setting, and all eyes on you can make your mind go blank. If you’re a nervous public speaker, don’t overlook the power of good notes. They can make a big difference in your delivery, especially if it’s your first time on a stage. 

Before you start your presentation, set your notes on a lectern or a small table on the stage. If your mind goes blank or you lose your place, start walking toward your notes as you’re speaking. This purposeful movement looks natural and ensures you’re in position to glance down and find your place without disrupting your flow.

Having a water bottle on stage is also useful. When stuck, take a sip while nodding thoughtfully, glance at your notes, and then continue. This brief pause feels natural and helps you reset without drawing attention to your lapse. If you find yourself stuck and unable to look down at your notes, acknowledge the pause with humble humor. Try saying something like, “I had the most brilliant point, and it just escaped me!” Or you can pause for questions: “Let me stop here and see what questions you have, then I’ll summarize what we’ve covered so far.” Confidence and authenticity will keep your audience engaged.

This tip is adapted from “Nervous About Public Speaking? Here’s How to Use Notes Like a Pro.” by Allison Shapira.

Quotes for Thursday, December 5th

 Good morning December 5 - Happy Thursday.

Here are some quotes that popped up on my Readwise stream this morning.

“White people in this country will have quite enough to do in learning how to accept and love themselves and each other, and when they have achieved this—which will not be tomorrow and may very well be never—the Negro problem will no longer exist, for it will no longer be needed.”
– newyorker.com, Sunday Reading: Honoring Black History Month

"The New Deal and World War II transformed the U.S. economy from a market free-for-all into a system that was still capitalist, but with many of the rough edges sanded off."
– Paul Krugman, The Two Economists Who Fought Over How Free the Free Market Should Be

"That's actually the essence of authoritarianism and fascism: You arrange government so that you can be violent and corrupt, and get away with it."
– salon.com, “Empathy and Kindness Are for Weak People”: Why Trump Wants His MAGA Supporters to Be Cruel

" 'Fascism exists at the level of Stage One within all democratic countries—not excluding the United States. “Giving up free institutions," especially the freedoms of unpopular groups, is recurrently attractive to citizens of Western democracies, including some Americans. We know from tracing its path that fascism does not require a spectacular “march" on some capital to take root; seemingly anodyne decisions to tolerate lawless treatment of national “enemies" is enough.' "
– Robert O. Paxton, The Anatomy of Fascism

Quotes for Wednesday, December 4th – December the 4th be with you.

Good happy December 4. Everyone, Wednesday, midweek, all these awesome aspects about the day. It's a short week for me. I'll be out of the office Thursday and Friday. So, really, today is my Friday.

Unlike yesterday, today, there were a lot of great quotes in my feed and I share a subset that resonated for me.

Quotes

"What work means to people often has less to do with what tasks they are actually performing than with how they relate to and compare themselves to other people."
– Keith Payne, The Broken Ladder

"Somehow we've entered a world in which we obsess over structural reforms and standardized tests, but skirt around the moral and psychological traits that are at the heart of actual success."
– sfgate.com, Self-Control Is the Key to Success (I know, an odd source, but that is what my app (readwise) captured. If interested, search the title.

"The key to sustainability lies in enhancing the resilience of social-ecological systems, not in optimizing isolated components of the system."
– Brian Walker PhD, Resilience Thinking

"When it comes to the long run, researchers struggle to find any measurable connection between our intentions and our actual behaviour"
– Sönke Ahrens, How to Take Smart Notes

"It was a brilliant idea: You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It’s their mistake, not my failing."
– Richard P. Feynman, Ralph Leighton, Edward Hutchings, and Albert R. Hibbs, "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" (The cite is almost as long as the quote!)

"This book will show that while economic institutions are critical for determining whether a country is poor or prosperous, it is politics and political institutions that determine what economic institutions a country has."
– Daron Acemoglu, James Robinson, Why Nations Fail

Quote for December 3rd

 Hello December 3. I could only find one quote today that was worth sharing. It was close. I almost didn't have any, but quite honestly, it doesn't really matter whether I find one or not. It matters only that there is a quote out there that resonates, so if one doesn't resonate that day, I don't have a quote, and that's fine.

"When under attack, our heart can take a similarly sudden and unconscious turn. When faced with pressure and strong opinions, we often stop worrying about the goal of adding to the pool of meaning and start looking for ways to win, punish, or keep the peace." 

– Kerry Patterson, Ron McMillan, Joseph Grenny, Al Switzler, Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High

Quotes for December 2, 2024

Good morning all – it is Monday, December 2 the 49th week of the year, and these are two quotes that popped up in my stream this morning that resonated enough for me that I captured them and post them.

"Hermeneutic (in the context of hermeneutical injustice)  A methodology of interpretation and interpretive meaning. Hermeneutical injustice refers to the challenges that disadvantaged groups face when trying to understand and communicate their experiences to others; there is a lack of concepts that resonates with their own sense of meaning. These experiences of injustice are usually embedded within a culture’s shared meaning structure and reflective of the dominant members of the culture." 

– Dave Snowden, Zhen Goh, Sue Borchardt, Riva Greenberg, Boudewijn Bertsch, and Sonja Blignaut, Cynefin - Weaving Sense-Making Into the Fabric of Our World

" 'The U.S. military is no more capable of operating without the Internet than Amazon.com would be. Logistics, command and control, fleet positioning, everything down to targeting, all rely on software and other Internet-related technologies. And all of it is just as insecure as your home computer, because it is all based on the same flawed underlying technologies and uses the same insecure software and hardware.' " 

–Richard A. Clarke, Robert Knake, Cyberwar

Today's Quotes for December 1st, 2024

 # Today's Quotes

Quotes for December 1

Quotes

"Slowly, it came into focus. This small web of people keeping one another afloat. All these miniscule interactions—a friendly wave, a pencil sketch, some plastic beads strung up a nylon cord—they might not look like much from the outside, but for the people caught inside that web? They might be everything, the very tethers that keep one bound to this planet." (Lulu Miller, Why Fish Don't Exist)

"high inequality is associated with higher rates of crime, greater risk of stress-related illness, and greater political polarization. These problems degrade the quality of life for everyone, including the affluent. This may be why people are happier in more equal places even after adjusting for their individual incomes." (Keith Payne, The Broken Ladder)

"I shall pass this way but once; any good, therefore, that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again." (Dale Carnegie, How to Win Friends and Influence People)

"Lay hold of today's task, and you will not need to depend so much upon to-morrow's. While we are postponing, life speeds by." (Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Letters From a Stoic)

Systems Quotes for Sunday.

"Second, systems thinking catalyzes collaboration because people learn how they collectively create the unsatisfying results they experience." (David Peter Stroh, Systems Thinking for Social Change)

"a frequent issue is the highly linear logic, which suggests the world is much simpler and more predictable than in fact it is:" (Ben Ramalingam, Aid on the Edge of Chaos)

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

More on ANA's Boarding Music

The boarding music used by All Nippon Airways (ANA), a Japanese airline, is a well-known and distinctive piece of music that has been played before takeoff on ANA flights for many years. The piece is called "Takarajima," which means "Treasure Island" in Japanese. It was composed by Japanese musician and composer Taro Hakase specifically for ANA.

"Takarajima" is a lively and upbeat piece of music that features a combination of classical and contemporary elements, including strings, piano, and percussion. It was first introduced as ANA's boarding music in 1996, and has since become a signature part of the airline's brand and identity.

According to ANA, the choice of "Takarajima" as their boarding music was intended to evoke a sense of excitement and anticipation among passengers as they prepare to embark on their journey. The music is meant to create a welcoming and uplifting atmosphere and to convey the idea that each ANA flight is a special and unique experience.

In addition to its use as boarding music, "Takarajima" has also been used in ANA's marketing and advertising campaigns and has become a recognizable symbol of the airline's stated commitment to quality and customer service.

Overall, in their view, the use of "Takarajima" as ANA's boarding music reflects the airline's attention to detail and commitment to providing a memorable and enjoyable flying experience for its passengers.

Why Do Belgian Beers Come in 11.2 oz/330 ml Containers?

Belgian beers are often bottled in 11.2 oz (330 ml) bottles due to historical reasons and the preference of Belgian brewers. This size is unique to Belgium and is not commonly used in other countries.

One reason for the use of 11.2 oz bottles is related to the history of beer production in Belgium. In the early 20th century, Belgium had a large number of small breweries, and beer was often sold in small bottles or served on tap. The 11.2 oz bottle size was common at that time and became popular among Belgian beer drinkers.

Another reason is the preference of Belgian brewers for smaller bottle sizes. Unlike in some other countries where large beer bottles are popular, Belgian brewers prefer smaller bottles as they believe that they help to maintain the quality and taste of their beer. Additionally, smaller bottles allow them to produce a wider variety of beers, as smaller batches can be bottled without the risk of spoilage.

Finally, the use of 11.2 oz bottles may also be related to the country's tax laws. In Belgium, beer is subject to a progressive tax based on the volume produced. By using smaller bottles, breweries can avoid the higher tax rates that apply to larger bottles.

So, in the end, the reason why Belgian beers are often bottled in 11.2 oz bottles is due to historical reasons, the preference of Belgian brewers for smaller bottles, and tax considerations.

Ten Essential Things to Know About Listicles

1. That they are a click-baiters dream come true.

2. That they force the author of the listicle to come up with whatever random thoughts or ideas in order to meet the number of items they promised.

3. That despite their promise for easy and fast information, context is still king and you really should do your research.

4. That despite list item 2, I am seriously debating just stopping the list here.

5. That I could, though, use this opportunity to try to sell you some product or service, since we are all just customers.

6. That AI will likely be producing a ton of these in short order as a means to direct people toward products and services.

7. That if you see a link and really want to click on it, that was the plan. Watch your wallet. 

8. That you really should get more sleep and treat your physical and mental self much better than you do.

9. That “things” don’t add meaning or establish purpose in your life. That using “things” as symbols of status really is, in the end, very empty and that you have the choice to fill that emptiness with more things (only to feel the same or worse emptiness) or to get off that treadmill and connect with people as you are. 

10. That you should communicate with your family and friends and those that love you more often, not to guilt you, but really they do, in the end, add the most meaning and purpose to your life.

All Nippon Airways (ANA) Boarding Music to the Wind

OK, I cannot be the only one to hear "Tara's Theme" from "Gone with the Wind" in ANA's boarding music.

Podcast Favorites: In Our Time: Orwell's Animal Farm

On this great podcast episode of "In Our Time" (yes, BBC4) the host (Melvyn Bragg) and guests have a very interesting discussion about the book "Animal Farm", and its allegorical meaning, particularly in the time it was written (1944). Discussions give very interesting look into Orwell as a person as well as search out how well Orwell "got it right" with respect to "the Old Left". Highly recommended (particularly in these Orwellian times). Download the episode here: High Bandwidth, Lower Bandwidth

"Up-side" Risk & Development

Brainstorm on "up-side risks" and development economics

"The only ignorant question is the one not asked"

Disclaimer  
As (I hope will not be too) apparent to anyone with a some level of economics or statistical education, this is not my primary area of work - yet to open the bridges between siloed disciplines (aka interdisciplinary work) we must start walking into personally murky waters. We must not fear retribution for basics not received or lost (can you tell this is a pep talk?)

Up-side Risk
Are there "up-side" risks? In other words, how does one assess (or does one assess) the risks associated with a "positive" upside event? Of course for those that hedge there is upside risk. Hmm. So perhaps we can see investment in things like Air Conditioning or perhaps water systems and electrical systems as a hedge against risks in natural capital? Of course in an urban environment - with population densities well beyond the carrying capacity - such systems are no longer a "hedge", no longer "insurance" but full blown... cost? I now reach too far beyond my ken. Perhaps some input from others on how to think this through.

What McCain campaign wants you to think

What McCain campaign wants you to think about:
Palin
Lipstick on a pig
Fear
Terror
War
Culture wars
Obama's funny name
Bridges to nowhere (supported or otherwise)

Airplanes on ebay (not personally places there or otherwise)

What they don't want you to think about:
The economy

Insight

There was some great insight I had on waking up this morning that I cannot recall at all. It is quite funny how that happens. I am having a brilliant insight and then like it never happened - poof. Reminds me of smoking pot. Great insights - all meaningless. I know... I'm getting older (that is of course humordamnit)

It's funny, I just read that the American women took the gold and silver in the Olympic games in Beijing. This was in the individual event (as it must considering that as teams that could not have taken the gold AND silver). It's funny because the Chinese women took the gold in the team event and thus highlighting strategy and cultural differences between the two countries. One more group oriented and the other more individual oriented. I think both countries would benefit from respecting the opposing philosophy a little more.

Recent climate articles - may (never) read

Here are a couple of potentially interesting articles. Not sure if I'll get a chance to read them anytime soon though.

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS,
VOL. 35,
L11701,

doi:10.1029/2008GL033273,
2008

http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2008/2008GL033273.shtml

Is the observed NAO variability during the instrumental record unusual?

Semenov, V. M. Latif, J. Jungclaus, W. Park

Abstract

Observed multidecadal variability (30 yr
running means, trends, and moving standard deviations) of the North
Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) during the instrumental record is compared
to that simulated by two different coupled general circulation models
in extended-range control experiments. Simulated NAO exhibits strong
low frequency fluctuations, even on multi-centennial time scale.
Observed multi-decadal NAO variations agree well with the model
variability. Trend probability distribution functions, observed and
simulated, were not found to be different with statistical
significance. Thus, multi-decadal NAO changes similar to those observed
during the instrumental record, including the recent increase in
1965–1995, may be internally generated within the coupled
atmosphere-ocean system without considering external forcing.

GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS,
VOL. 35,
L11603,

doi:10.1029/2008GL034059,
2008
http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2008/2008GL034059.shtml

Potential predictability of rapid changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation

Hawkins, E., R. Sutton

Abstract

We explore the potential predictability
of rapid changes in the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation
(MOC) using a coupled global climate model (HadCM3). Rapid changes in
the temperature and salinity of surface water in the Nordic Seas, and
the flow of dense water through Denmark Strait, are found to be
precursors to rapid changes in the model's MOC, with a lead time of
around 10 years. The mechanism proposed to explain this potential
predictability relies on the development of density anomalies in the
Nordic Seas which propagate through Denmark Strait and along the deep
western boundary current, affecting the overturning. These rapid
changes in the MOC have significant, and widespread, climate impacts
which are potentially predictable a few years ahead. Whilst the flow
through Denmark Strait is too strong in HadCM3, the presence of such
potential predictability motivates the monitoring of water properties
in the Nordic Seas and Denmark Strait.

20 Things The Millionaire Next Door Does NOT Do

Stop thinking of money as stuff, as friends, as escape. Start thinking of it as storage for your future needs especially as a buffer in emergencies.

clipped from www.marcandangel.com Pay for Lawn Service Go to a Hair Stylist Use Time as a Measurement for Success Buy Brand New Cars Carry a Monthly Credit Card Balance Eat Out on a Regular Basis Think He Knows It All Socialize with People Who Waste Money Desire Instant Gratification Pay Retail for Name Brand Clothing Keep His Money in a Checking Account Replace What is Not Broken Visit the Tanning Bed Impulse Buy Waste Time on Senseless Activities Focus His Attention on Negative Obstacles Bet The Farm Fly First-class Rent Earn Every Dollar He Makes at His Day Job

Program Yourself

this is cRaZy! (in chris tucker's voice)

clipped from www.youtube.com

its like a hard drive

Joe: They can fail catastrophically.

Bob: What can?

Joe: Hard drives.

Bob: Funny that.

Joe: What’s that?

Bob: That something called a hard drive can fail catastrophically. I mean if it’s so hard...

Joe: Not surprising to me.

Bob: Why is that?

Joe: Well if you look in nature you will find that the more rigid something is the more likely it will fail catastrophically.

Bob: Like buildings? Like the twin towers in New York.

Joe: Yea but not like you think. I mean buildings are not as rigid as you think. Did you know that the Washington Monument sways 1/8” in a 100 mile per hour wind? And that isn’t a design quirk either that is part of the structural integrity of the building. It needs to give some or otherwise break.

Joe: We need to all include a little give in our lives. Or...

Bob: Or it’s like a hard drive.

Joe: Yea, its like a hard drive.