Tag Archives: Oster

Use behavioral science to help fight climate change, says Obama executive order

by EmmaY68hrsarhc Posted on September 16, 2015

Use behavioral science to help fight climate change, says Obama executive order

By on 16 Sep 2015commentsShare

When you hear “climate policy,” you probably think of things like carbon markets, the Clean Power Plan, and, if you got a lot of extra credit in high school, forestry and land use changes. You probably don’t think of things like computer pop-ups and government mailings — unless, of course, you’re part of the Obama administration’s Social and Behavioral Sciences Team (SBST). Which is kind of the point. The SBST, which is a little over a year old and released its first annual report yesterday, is all about making the kinds of policy tweaks you and I don’t notice: the minor, stealthy, behaviorally targeted tweaks with big payoffs.

And while many of these policy “nudges” often focus on areas like government efficiency, nutrition, and program uptake, a new executive order cites the behavioral sciences as holding great potential for complementing the administration’s efforts at meaningful climate action, too. “By improving the effectiveness and efficiency of Government,” states the executive order, “behavioral science insights can support a range of national priorities, including … accelerating the transition to a low-carbon economy.”

Can we actually nudge our way to a better climate? While not the primary solution, it’s perhaps useful to conceptualize these kinds of policy changes as rounding out the often “all-of-the-above” American approach to climate and energy policy. Here’s more, from ClimateWire:

The administration suggests that behavioral cues, like comparing your energy use with a neighbor, can be used to increase participation in energy efficiency and other federal goals. …

[Other methods include] a pop-up computer window that urges people to save paper by printing on both sides. The experiment resulted in a 5.8 percent increase in double-sided printing, a potentially significant reduction in the 18 billion pages printed annually by federal workers.

Let’s just pause for a moment and consider those 18 billion printed pages. How is that even physically possible? How many printers are in the Eisenhower Building? Do people have printers instead of desks? Has the White House somehow misunderstood the concept of a 3D printer? Is the White House made of paper?

If most of that printing is single-sided, a 5.8 percent increase in double-sided printing represents over A BILLION saved pages. JUST CHANGE THE DEFAULT SETTINGS, SHEEPLE.

Anyway. ClimateWire continues:

The administration also says climate-related programs could benefit. Behavioral changes being pursued by the Social and Behavioral Sciences Team could result in more people buying federal flood insurance, which suffers from low take-up rates. Public materials will be “redesigned to present information more clearly,” the White House said.

The team is also working on ways to increase energy efficiency in government buildings, in part by providing more access to daylight. And efforts are being designed to increase the use of renewable fuels in the federal fleet of vehicles, as well as encourage greater use of efficient appliances by communicating the benefits with homeowners.

The team’s annual report also announces the results of pilot projects related to college attendance and Affordable Care Act sign-ups. While many of the SBST’s policies target internal government operations, it’s not unreasonable to imagine uptake in broader public or private settings. Indeed, one year in, the SBST seems poised for success — if only at the margin. And with respect to climate change, we need all the help we can get closing the gap between current national commitments and the emission reductions necessary for keeping warming below 2 degrees C.

But seriously, 18 billion pages. Is there some obscure regulation that mandates printing in 72-point font?

Source:

Obama Seeks Psychological Help with Climate Change

, Scientific American / ClimateWire.

Share

Find this article interesting?

Donate now to support our work.

Please

enable JavaScript

to view the comments.

Get Grist in your inbox

See original article here: 

Use behavioral science to help fight climate change, says Obama executive order

Posted in Anchor, FF, G & F, GE, ONA, Oster, PUR, Radius, solar, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Use behavioral science to help fight climate change, says Obama executive order

Marx and Keynes Put Economics on the Map, and They Can Take It Right Off Again

by AdelaideFullwood Posted on September 3, 2015

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

Over at PostEverything, Dan Drezner wonders why economics has managed to wield such an outsized influence within the social sciences. His strongest point—or at least the one he spends the most time on—is that economists “share a strong consensus about the virtues of free markets, free trade, capital mobility and entrepreneurialism.” This makes them catnip to the plutocrat class, and therefore the favored social scientists of influential people everywhere.

Fine, says Adam Ozimek, but what about liberal economists? “Why is Paul Krugman famous? Robert Shiller? Joe Stiglitz? Jeff Sachs? ‘To please plutocrats’ is not a good theory.” And this: “Why do liberal think tanks with liberal donors supporting liberal causes hire so many economists? To please plutocrats?”

I think Drezner and Ozimek each make good points. Here’s my amateur historical explanation that incorporates both.

The first thing to understand is that in the 19th century, economists were no more influential than other social scientists. Folks like David Ricardo and Thomas Malthus were certainly prominent, but no more so than, say, Herbert Spencer or Max Weber. What’s more, economics was a far less specialized field then. John Stuart Mill had a strong influence on economics, but was he an economist? Or a philosopher? Or a political scientist? He was all of those things.

So what happened to make economists so singularly influential in the 20th century? I’ll toss out two causes: Karl Marx and John Maynard Keynes.

The fight for and against communism defined the second half of the 20th century, and Marx had always identified economics as the underpinning of his socio-historical theories. Outside of the battlefield, then, this made the most important conflict of the time fundamentally a fight over economics. In the public imagination, if not within the field itself, the fight between communism and free markets became identified as the face of economics, and this made it the most important branch of the social sciences.

Then Keynes upped the ante. In the same spirit that Whitehead called philosophy a series of footnotes to Plato, economics in the second half of the 20th century was largely a series of footnotes to Keynes. Rightly or wrongly, he became the poster child for liberals who wanted to justify their belief in an activist government and the arch nemesis of conservatives who wanted no such thing. In the same way that communism was the biggest fight on the global stage, the fight over the size and scope of government was the biggest fight on the domestic stage. And since this was fundamentally a fight over economics, the field of economics became ground zero for domestic politics in advanced economies around the world.

And that’s why economists became so influential among both plutocrats and the lefty masses. Sure, it’s partly because economists use lots of Greek letters and act like physicists, but mostly it’s because that window dressing was used in service of the two most fundamental geo-socio-political conflicts of the late 20th century.

So does that mean economics is likely to lose influence in the future? After all, free market capitalism and mixed economies are now triumphant. Compared to the 20th century, we’re now arguing over relative table scraps. And, as Drezner points out, the profession of economics has hardly covered itself with glory in the opening years of the 21st century. Has their time has come and gone?

Maybe. I mean, how should I know? Obviously there’s a lot of inertia here, and economics will remain pretty important for a long time. But the biggest fights are gone and economists have an embarrassing recent track record of failure. If the rest of the social sciences want to mount an assault on the field, this would probably be a pretty good time to do it.

Read the article:  

Marx and Keynes Put Economics on the Map, and They Can Take It Right Off Again

Posted in Citizen, FF, GE, LG, Mop, ONA, Oster, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Marx and Keynes Put Economics on the Map, and They Can Take It Right Off Again

The Hosts of This Ted Cruz Event Warned Attendees They Might Get Murdered By Bees

by Sean15Q8157062 Posted on August 31, 2015

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

Attendees to a Ted Cruz event on Sunday held at the farm of a Dover, New Hampshire couple were handed an eyebrow-raising disclaimer before entering the premises. “You may be at serious risk if you enter our property,” the flyer warned, listing off the litany of perils that potentially awaited Cruz supporters, including bees, wasps, hornets, packs of coyotes, rabid raccoons, and, most ominously, very large turkeys.

The disclosure at Sen. Cruz’s event this morning on Back Road has warnings against bees, coyotes, rabid raccoons, skunk and moose. #nh #fitn #nhpolitics #2016

A photo posted by Phil Elliott (@philelliott) on Aug 30, 2015 at 6:04am PDT

According to local press reports, everyone survived the event unharmed by the wildlife.

Taken from: 

The Hosts of This Ted Cruz Event Warned Attendees They Might Get Murdered By Bees

Posted in Anchor, Everyone, FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, Oster, Radius, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The Hosts of This Ted Cruz Event Warned Attendees They Might Get Murdered By Bees

The Hormone Reset Diet – Dr. Sara Gottfried

by Myrna Posted on August 19, 2015

READ GREEN WITH E-BOOKS

The Hormone Reset Diet

Heal Your Metabolism to Lose Up to 15 Pounds in 21 Days

Dr. Sara Gottfried

Genre: Health & Fitness

Price: $14.99

Publish Date: March 17, 2015

Publisher: HarperOne

Seller: HarperCollins


The New York Times bestselling author of The Hormone Cure shows you how to reset your metabolic hormones to lose weight and feel great in just twenty-one days! What we&apos;ve been taught about dieting is all wrong. Weight loss isn&apos;t about restricting calories and willpower. It&apos;s about hormones: the chemical molecules that govern nearly all aspects of your body fat, from how much you store and where it&apos;s stored, to cravings, appetite, gut bacteria, and even addictive eating patterns. Being overweight is the result of major hormonal misfires involving seven metabolic hormones—estrogen, insulin, leptin, cortisol, thyroid, growth hormone, and testosterone—each of which is affected by the foods you consume every day. When these hormones misfire, your body adjusts by changing their levels, a fluctuation that ultimately slows down the metabolism, causing you to store fat every time you eat instead of using it as fuel to energize you. When your metabolism is broken, you get fatter no matter what you do—especially after age forty—and can eventually develop insulin resistance, diabetes, heart disease, and even dementia. The good news is that you can turn this problem around in only twenty-one days. Based on leading scientific research, The Hormone Reset Diet is Dr. Gottfried&apos;s proven step-by-step plan designed to help women of all shapes and sizes, ages, and ethnicities lose weight and feel lighter and more energetic. In seven three-day bursts, you&apos;ll make specific dietary changes, eliminating metabolism-wrecking foods—meat and alcohol, sugar, fruit, caffeine, grain, dairy, and toxins—to repair your body and reset your hormones. At the end of twenty-one days, Dr. Gottfried shows you how to develop a new personalized food code that enables you to look and feel your best every single day. In addition, this highly practical guide explores the emotional issues that drive cravings, addictions, and habits, offering insights to quench incessant hunger and get your life back. With The Hormone Reset Diet, you can finally shed the weight, feel trim and sexy, restore your hormones and health, and rediscover the body you want.

Read this article:  

The Hormone Reset Diet – Dr. Sara Gottfried

Posted in alo, FF, GE, ONA, Oster, oven, Ultima, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on The Hormone Reset Diet – Dr. Sara Gottfried

120 Years of Rocky US-Cuba Relations, in Pictures

by Rolland89L Posted on August 12, 2015

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

A brief history of the long, rocky relationship between the United States and Cuba, from the Spanish-American War through the recent reestablishment of diplomatic relations, as told in pictures.

Teddy Roosevelt made a name for himself when his Rough Riders charged San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War. Above, the Sixth Infantry under Spanish fire from San Juan Hill in July 1898. William Dinwiddie/Library of Congress

At the end of 1898, Spain and the United States signed the Treaty of Paris, marking the end of the Spanish-American War. This 1900 campaign poster for the Republican Party trumpets the benefits of “American rule in Cuba.” Wikimedia

Students outside the University of Havana with their rifles in September 1933. President Garado Machado was overthrown in a coup in 1933. AP

In May 1934, Cuban President Carlos Mendieta (third from left) exchanges greetings with the US ambassador in Havana after the signing of the Cuban-American Treaty, which secured American rights to Guantanamo Bay. AP

Cuban President Fulgencio Batista with his family. Batista was elected in 1940, kicking off a period of close cooperation between Cuba and the United States. He left office in 1944, and in 1952 he launched a successful military coup. Harold Valentine/AP

With Batista back in power, Cuba became a party destination for Americans. Above, a troupe from the Tropicana Night Club entertains passengers on a Miami-Havana flight in 1953. AP

An American tourist in ’50s Havana Constantino Arias/Wikimedia

Ernest Hemingway at his home in San Francisco de Paula, Cuba, after being awarded the 1954 Nobel Prize in literature. The author said he “broke the training” and took a drink to celebrate. AP

In July 1953, a group of revolutionaries led by a young lawyer named Fidel Castro attacked the Moncada military barracks in Santiago de Cuba. The attack failed and Castro was imprisoned until 1955. AP

After fleeing to Mexico, Castro and his fellow insurgents returned to Cuba in 1956 to continue their civil war against Batista. Above, Cubans wait to withdraw money from a bank in April 1958. AP

Young rebels cruise Havana’s streets in January 1959 AP

A young woman patrolling Havana in January 1959. After leading a guerilla campaign in the Sierra Madre mountains, Castro’s forces defeated the government forces and Batista fled the country. AP

Fidel Castro (right) entered Havana with fellow revolutionary Camilo Cienfuegos on January 8, 1959. Wikimedia

Shortly after assuming power, Castro visited the United States, Canada, and a number of Central and South American countries. Above, Castro talks with Ed Sullivan. Harold Valentine/AP

Castro and W.A. Reiford, a Creek missionary from Oklahoma who came to Havana to open an orphanage in 1959. AP

Cuban revolutionary hero Ernesto “Che” Guevara (center) confers with Castro and Cuban President Osvaldo Dorticos in 1960. Prensa Latina/AP

In 1960, the United States enacted a trade embargo on Cuba. The following year, it closed its Cuban embassy, formerly ending diplomatic relations between the two countries. Above, an American flag is rolled up as the US embassy in Havana prepares to close. AP

President John F. Kennedy declares the United States will be “alert and fully capable” of dealing with any threat from Soviet-backed Cuba, on September 13, 1962. A month later, the 13-day Cuban Missile Crisis would bring the United States, Cuba, and the Soviet Union to the brink of war. AP

Police disperse anti-Castro demonstrators in New York City in September 1963. AP

Hijackings between the United States and Cuba spiked in the late 1960s and ’70s. Above, a passenger plane that was hijacked to Cuba in July 1968 returns to Miami with only the crew aboard. AP

The hijackings prompted some politicians to try to reopen communications between the two countries. Above, Senators Jacob Javits and Claiborne Pell visit Castro in Havana in September 1974. Charles Tasnadi/AP

President Jimmy Carter is surrounded by reporters in March 1977 after announcing that his administration would lift a travel ban to Cuba. The same year, the United States and Cuba opened “interest sections” to facilitate communication. AP

Refugees headed for Florida wait aboard a boat at the port of Mariel, Cuba, in April 1980. During what became known as the Mariel boatlift, 125,000 Cubans left the country. Jacques Langevin/AP

The Rev. Jesse Jackson meets with Castro and other Cuban officials in Havana in June 1984. J.Scott Applewhite/AP

US-Cuban relations cooled under Presidents Reagan and Bush. In October 1992, President George H. Bush signed legislation tightening the embargo on Cuba. The president said the bill would “speed the inevitable demise of the Cuban Castro dictatorship.” Ron Edmonds/AP

In August 1994, Castro suggested that any Cubans who wanted to leave were free to do so. More than 30,000 people sailed away on makeshift rafts while authorities stood by. Jose Goitia/AP

Elián González was rescued at sea while his mother attempted to bring him to the United States in 1999. The Clinton administration ordered that Elián be returned to his father, sending border patrol agents to remove him from his relatives’ house in Miami. In 2013, Elián described his time in the United States as “a very sad time for me.” Alan Diaz/AP

Following the September 11 attacks and the beginning of the war in Afghanistan, a detention camp for “enemy combatants” was established at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay. Above, military guards take a Guantanamo detainee to an interrogation in March 2002. Andres Leighton/AP

As part of the December 2014 agreement to normalize relations between the United States and Cuba, the administration approved a quiet exchange of prisoners, including the three remaining members of the “Cuban Five.” Above, the Cuban Five (from left), including Gerardo Hernandez, Fernando Gonzalez, Antonio Guerrero, Rene Gonzalez, and Ramon Labanino, wave after a concert in Havana on December 20, 2014. Ramon Espinosa/AP

As part of the deal, Cuba released Alan Gross, an American aid worker who had been imprisoned since 2009. Above, Gross flies back to the United States with his wife on December 17, 2014. On July 20, 2015, the United States reopened its embassy in Cuba. Lawrence Jackson/White House

Read More:  

120 Years of Rocky US-Cuba Relations, in Pictures

Posted in Anchor, Citizen, Everyone, FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, Oster, Radius, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on 120 Years of Rocky US-Cuba Relations, in Pictures

Jon Stewart Signs Off from the "Daily Show" with the Perfect Advice for Us All

by TiffanyJensen Posted on August 7, 2015

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

After 16 years of engaging audiences with his political satire and no bullshit media criticism, Jon Stewart bid a final farewell as host of the Daily Show on Thursday night. The episode, filled with cameos from the likes of Steve Carell and Kristen Schaal, was very much a tribute to the longtime host as it was to his impressive roster of correspondents from over the years.

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive

During one moment, Stephen Colbert, whose tenure at the Daily Show launched his own career as the bloviating pundit of the Colbert Report, broke character to thank an emotional Stewart for his work.

“We are better people for having known you,” Colbert said. “You are a great artist and a good man.”

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive

Before officially signing off, Stewart left his audience with the advice to keep vigilant of all the bullshit out there.

“Bullshit is everywhere,” he said. “If you smell something, say something.”

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook,Daily Show Video Archive

Continue reading: 

Jon Stewart Signs Off from the "Daily Show" with the Perfect Advice for Us All

Posted in Anchor, Everyone, FF, GE, LG, ONA, Oster, Radius, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Jon Stewart Signs Off from the "Daily Show" with the Perfect Advice for Us All

Mindfull: Over 100 Delicious Recipes for Better Brain Health – Carol Greenwood, Daphna Rabinovich & Joanna Gryfe

by Myrna Posted on August 7, 2015

READ GREEN WITH E-BOOKS

Mindfull: Over 100 Delicious Recipes for Better Brain Health

Carol Greenwood, Daphna Rabinovich & Joanna Gryfe

Genre: Health & Fitness

Price: $1.99

Publish Date: April 9, 2013

Publisher: HarperCollins Canada

Seller: HarperCollins


Drawing on the latest research and expertise of Baycrest, a world leader in research on the aging brain, Mindfull provides nutritional strategies for maintaining and improving brain health and supports the journey to more brain healthful eating through its recipes, menus and tips on stocking a healthy home pantry. While the risk of such diseases as Alzheimer’s represents a complex interplay of genes, environment and lifestyle, up to half of Alzheimer’s cases may be the result of seven key modifiable risk factors, including diet-associated disorders like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. As the population ages, the incidence of Alzheimer’s, dementia and other brain diseases is on the rise, creating a growing need for proven nutritional advice and recipes for better brain health. Mindfull features: Over 100 recipes, including contributions from notable Canadian chefs Laura Calder, Chuck Hughes, Mark McEwan, Michael Smith and others Recipes from morning to night, including “afternoon brain boosters” and “fuel on the go” snacks The six biggest myths about brain health Current science on “brain foods”Tips on minimizing the use of fats, sweeteners, soy, alcohol and sodiumStrategies for eating properly and developing eating patterns for ideal cognitive functionFull-colour photography throughout

Follow this link: 

Mindfull: Over 100 Delicious Recipes for Better Brain Health – Carol Greenwood, Daphna Rabinovich & Joanna Gryfe

Posted in FF, GE, ONA, Oster, oven, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Mindfull: Over 100 Delicious Recipes for Better Brain Health – Carol Greenwood, Daphna Rabinovich & Joanna Gryfe

A Supermarket Tabloid Company is Funding Chris Christie’s Super PAC

by LonaB76xjlyw Posted on July 31, 2015

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

The pro-Chris Christie super-PAC America Leads raised $11 million in the first quarter of 2015, according to filings released by the Federal Election Commission on Friday. Controversial hedge-fund manager Steven A. Cohen gave $1 million. Cleveland Cavaliers owner (and Quicken Loans chief) Dan Gilbert gave $750,000. Home Depot co-founder Ken Langone and WWE magnate Linda McMahon each dropped $250,000. New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon dropped $100,000 that his team’s fans dearly wish he’d spent on an outfielder.

Oh, and it’s hardly the biggest donation on the list, but America Leads also got $10,000 from an unusual source—a media company. The check came from American Media Inc., the parent company of supermarket tabloids like the National Enquirer, OK!, and Star; and fitness publications like Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness; and Flex. What’s the Christie connection? In June, the governor named American Media Inc.’s chairman, David Pecker, to his presidential leadership team.

We can’t speak for Flex, but the normally scandal-happy Enquirer has been bullish about Christie’s chances. Last April, it published an “EXCLUSIVE!” boasting that the governor’s White House dreams were “alive” because “American politics is full of comeback stories.” And in February, it published another item touting Christie’s chances despite “hatchet job” corruption claims.

See original: 

A Supermarket Tabloid Company is Funding Chris Christie’s Super PAC

Posted in Anchor, FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, Oster, Radius, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on A Supermarket Tabloid Company is Funding Chris Christie’s Super PAC

Police Shootings Won’t Stop Unless We Also Stop Shaking Down Black People

by AzucenaLander0 Posted on July 30, 2015

Mother Jones

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC “-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN” “http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd”>

In April, several days after North Charleston, South Carolina, police officer Michael Slager stopped Walter Scott for a busted taillight and then fatally shot him, the usual cable-news transmogrification of victim into superpredator ran into problems. The dash cam showed Scott being pulled over while traveling at a nerdy rate of speed, using his left turn signal to pull into a parking lot and having an amiable conversation with Slager until he realized he’d probably get popped for nonpayment of child support. At which point he bolted out of the car and hobbled off. Slager then shot him. Why didn’t the cop just jog up and grab him? Calling what the obese 50-year-old Scott was doing “running” really stretches the bounds of literary license.

But maybe the question to ask is: Why did Scott run? The answer came when the New York Times revealed Scott to be a man of modest means trapped in an exhausting hamster wheel: He would get a low-paying job, make some child support payments, fall behind on them, get fined, miss a payment, get jailed for a few weeks, lose that job due to absence, and then start over at a lower-paying job. From all apparent evidence, he was a decent schlub trying to make things work in a system engineered to make his life miserable and recast his best efforts as criminal behavior.

More MoJo coverage on policing:


Video Shows Arrest of Sandra Bland Prior to Her Death in Texas Jail


How Cleveland Police May Have Botched a 911 Call Just Before Killing Tamir Rice


Native Americans Get Shot By Cops at an Astonishing Rate


Here Are 13 Killings by Police Captured on Video in the Past Year


The Walter Scott Shooting Video Shows Why Police Accounts Are Hard to Trust


Itâ&#128;&#153;s Been 6 Months Since Tamir Rice Died, and the Cop Who Killed Him Still Hasn’t Been Questioned


Exactly How Often Do Police Shoot Unarmed Black Men?


The Cop Who Choked Eric Garner to Death Won’t Pay a Dime


A Mentally Ill Woman’s “Sudden Death” at the Hands of Cleveland Police

Recently, two more deaths of African Americans that have blown up in the media follow a pattern similar to Scott’s. Sandra Bland in Texas and Samuel DuBose in Cincinnati were each stopped for minor traffic infractions (failing to use turn signal, missing front license plate), followed by immediate escalation by the officer into rage, and then an official story that is obviously contradicted by the video (that the officer tried to “de-escalate” the tension with Bland; that the officer was dragged by DuBose’s car). In both cases, the perpetrator of a minor traffic offense died.

When incidents of police violence come to light, the usual defense is that we should not tarnish all the good cops just because of “a few bad apples.” No one can argue with that. But what is usually implied in that phrase is that the “bad” officers’ intentions are malevolent—that they are morally corrupt and racist. And that may be true, but they are also bad in the job-performance sense. These men are crummy cops, sometimes profoundly so. Slager had a record for gratuitously using his Taser. Timothy Leohmann, who leapt from his car and instantly killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice, had been deemed “weepy” and unable to “emotionally function” by a supervisor at his previous PD job, who added: “I do not believe time, nor training, will be able to change or correct these deficiencies.” Ferguson’s Darren Wilson was also fired from his previous job—actually, the entire police force of Jennings, Missouri, was disbanded for being awful.

Continue Reading »

Read original article: 

Police Shootings Won’t Stop Unless We Also Stop Shaking Down Black People

Posted in Anchor, Citizen, Everyone, FF, GE, LAI, LG, ONA, Oster, Radius, Uncategorized, Venta | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Police Shootings Won’t Stop Unless We Also Stop Shaking Down Black People

Mindset – Carol Dweck

by Myrna Posted on July 16, 2015

READ GREEN WITH E-BOOKS

Mindset

The New Psychology of Success

Carol Dweck

Genre: Psychology

Price: $8.99

Publish Date: February 28, 2006

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Seller: Random House, LLC


World-renowned Stanford University psychologist Carol Dweck, in decades of research on achievement and success, has discovered a truly groundbreaking idea—the power of our mindset.   Dweck explains why it’s not just our abilities and talent that bring us success—but whether we approach them with a fixed or growth mindset. She makes clear why praising intelligence and ability doesn’t foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. With the right mindset, we can motivate our kids and help them to raise their grades, as well as reach our own goals—personal and professional. Dweck reveals what all great parents, teachers, CEOs, and athletes already know: how a simple idea about the brain can create a love of learning and a resilience that is the basis of great accomplishment in every area.   Praise for Mindset   “Everyone should read this book.” —Chip and Dan Heath, authors of Switch and Made to Stick   “Will prove to be one of the most influential books ever about motivation.” —Po Bronson, author of NurtureShock   “A good book is one whose advice you believe. A great book is one whose advice you follow. I have found Carol Dweck’s work on mindsets invaluable in my own life, and even life-changing in my attitudes toward the challenges that, over the years, become more demanding rather than less. This is a book that can change your life, as its ideas have changed mine.” —Robert J. Sternberg, IBM Professor of Education and Psychology at Yale University, director of the PACE Center of Yale University, and author of Successful Intelligence   “If you manage any people or if you are a parent (which is a form of managing people), drop everything and read Mindset .” —Guy Kawasaki, author of The Art of the Start and the blog How to Change the World   “Highly recommended . . . an essential read for parents, teachers [and] coaches . . . as well as for those who would like to increase their own feelings of success and fulfillment.” —Library Journal (starred review)   “A serious, practical book. Dweck’s overall assertion that rigid thinking benefits no one, least of all yourself, and that a change of mind is always possible, is welcome.” —Publishers Weekly   “A wonderfully elegant idea . . . It is a great book.” —Edward M. Hallowell, M.D., author of Delivered from Distraction From the Hardcover edition.

Original article: 

Mindset – Carol Dweck

Posted in Everyone, FF, GE, LAI, ONA, Oster, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Mindset – Carol Dweck