1/ Found on FB; excellent essay!

“This post is not open for debate. I have listened to everyone else’s hatred, rhetoric and outright lies for the last four years, so now I am having my say. If you don’t like it, you know where the delete button is.

New on Amazon Prime Video in 2021..

A thread...

@PrimeVideoIN @aparna1502

#Tandav S1 by @aliabbaszafar, ft. #SaifAliKhan #DimpleKapadia @dirtigmanshu #KumudMishra @Mdzeeshanayyub @WhoSunilGrover @Kritika_Kamra @sarahjanedias03 @DinoMorea9 @AmyraDastur93 @GAUAHAR_KHAN @sandymridul @soniiannup @pareshpahuja @iamshonali & @tentej.

Premieres Jan 15th.

#TheFamilyMan S2 by @rajndk, ft. @BajpayeeManoj @sharibhashmi @priyamani6 @Samanthaprabhu2 @shreya_dhan13 @SharadK7 @DarshanKumaar @hinduja_sunny @sharmamatvipin and @mimegopi.

@sumank @Suparn @CastingChhabra @krishdk @rajnidimoru @SrikantTFM

Original series #MumbaiDiaries2611 by @nikkhiladvani, feat. @konkonas @mohituraina @shreya_dhan13 @tinadesai07 and @satyajeet_dubey.

@EmmayEntertain @monishaadvani @madhubhojwani

Original series #Gormint by #AyappaKM, feat. #AmolPalekar #ManavKaul #GirishKulkarni @rajshriartist @ShikhaTalsania @SmitaJayakar and #SulabhaArya.

Just finished running what was probably my best session of Star Trek Adventures yet. Definitely learning some interesting lessons about the game, its systems, and perhaps more importantly, the challenges of running a game in the Star Trek setting. Short thread.

Tonight's episode revolved around the ship's Klingon doctor & Trill ensign being recruited to fly a cloaked Bird of Prey deep into Cardassian territory to retrieve a defector. There was deception, cultural conflict, and a moral dilemma that saw the doctor go against his beliefs.

I did two things differently in crafting tonight's episode than I've done previously. First, I made it clear to my players that there was an A-plot (the Klingon story) and a B-plot (involving an away team that got left behind on a planet), & that the A-plot would get more scenes.

I also made it clear that I was going to expect the B-plot players drive a lot of the scene creation and setup, and that they should see the goal of those scenes as fleshing out their Focuses, Values, and character histories.

Second, I crafted the plot using something similar to the new edition of Legend of the 5 Rings' brilliant-but-woefully-under-discussed Discord mechanic, where you create complications that put two players' beliefs in conflict with one another.

#jaeyong AU — 𝑪𝑶𝑴𝑷𝑳𝑬𝑻𝑬 ༄
⠀
⠀ ❥ ҉ 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑡𝑒 — 𝐎𝐍𝐅
0:45 ———⊙————— 3:45
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺
⠀

↳ wherein jaehyun is the new boy at school and loner taeyong falls head over heels.

𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑:
this story belongs to me. the characters used obviously are not, and any occurrence in this story that could relate to any real life event is purely coincidental. I also DO NOT own ANY of the photos used in this AU.

now, I'm sure you all know this but:
𝟏. do not comment, just quote.
𝟐. do not copy or steal.
𝟑. ignore the timestamps.
𝟒. ignore any typos I make.
𝟓. I am from Australia so I may use some Aussie slang in my writing.
𝟔. 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦!

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆!
there will be angst. if the story triggers you in any negative way, do NOT continue. this is not a horror nor thriller, but inside may contain certain elements that may be triggering for some.

Re-reading this piece,

“After communism fell, the promises of western liberalism to transform central and eastern Europe were never fully realized – and now we are seeing the backlash.”
https://t.co/rnlRNa72fd

“Across central and eastern Europe, many of the democracies that emerged at the end of the cold war have been transformed into conspiracy-minded majoritarian regimes.”

No single factor can explain the simultaneous emergence of authoritarian anti-liberalisms in so many differently situated countries.

Yet resentment at liberal democracy’s canonical status and the politics of imitation in general has played a decisive role.

The very conceit that “there is no other way” provided an independent motive for the wave of populist xenophobia and reactionary nativism that began in central and eastern Europe, and is now washing across much of the world.

The enthusiastic copying of western models, accompanied as it was by the evacuation of Soviet troops from the region, was initially experienced as liberation.

But after two troubled decades, the downsides of this politics of imitation became too obvious to deny.

Since today is my birthday, I thought I'd share a little something I wrote about life lessons learned to commemorate the day:
View from age 55…
1. Make intentional space for things that bring you joy.
2. It’s okay to take a nap when you get tired. This year has been exhausting.

3. Take care of yourself. No one can do this for you.
4. Notice small things. There is sacredness in the mundane.
5. Pay attention to your emotions. They give us needful information.
6. Listen to your heart’s desires -they give you guidance about how to spend your one life.

7. Never regret turning a year older. Not everyone had that privilege. Birthdays are a gift to be celebrated.
8. Don’t be afraid of silver hair. I feel like mine represents the experiences in my life and the (hopefully) wisdom I have gained.

9. Grief is a part of life. It is not weakness or lack of faith. Allowing yourself to grieve is the only way through.
10. What other people think of me isn't as important as I once thought.
11. I don’t have to live up to the expectations of others. I have to be true to my self.

12. I have learned to accept myself more. Not perfectly every day, but much more than I did in the past. I am who I am and I’m shaped how I’m shaped. I can only be who I am.
13. I’ve learned to be kind to myself.
14. The beach is always a good idea. It helps me reset.

Want to be a better thinker?

"Thinking in Systems" by Donella Meadows is the top book on Amazon for System Theory with 1,000+ ratings.

Here are some highlights (thread ↓)

"Donella Meadows (1941–2001) was a scientist trained in chemistry and biophysics (Ph.D., Harvard University), followed by a research fellowship at MIT. There she worked with Jay Forrester, the inventor of system dynamics."

"This book is about that different way of seeing and thinking. It is intended for people who may be wary of the word 'systems' and the field of systems analysis, even though they may have been doing systems thinking all their lives."

— Donella Meadows

"Today, it is widely accepted that systems thinking is a critical tool in addressing the many environmental, political, social, and economic challenges we face around the world."

— Diana Wright

"A system is a set of things—people, cells, molecules, or whatever—interconnected in such a way that they produce their own pattern of behavior over time."

— Donella Meadows

It’s time to post my top 20 films of 2020 and top 20 tv shows of 2020!
As usual, I need to have seen it, it was released in 2020 in the UK and it is just my opinion. If you disagree, please tell me about your choices, I’d love to know!
#FilmsOf2020 #TVShowsOf2020

One thing to note, that is different this year, due to Tier 4 restrictions in London, I am going to make #WonderWoman1984 eligible for next year’s list (2021). I am classing it’s release date as 13 January 2021.

#TVShowsOf2020
10. Ted Lasso
A real surprise and a gem of a comedy.

9. The Stranger
A bizarre Netflix mystery drama. Captivating watch.

8. The Twilight Zone
A brilliant reprisal of the old series. Such great, mysterious stories and incredibly entertaining.

#TVShowsOf2020
7. Manhunt: Deadly Games
Little known in the UK, but this series was fantastic. Thrilling.

6. Brooklyn Nine-Nine
This sitcom keeps going from strength to strength, so funny.

#TVShowsOf2020
5. The Boys
Action? Thriller? Drama? I’m not sure what to call this show. It’s bizarre, dark, controversial and well worth a watch!

4. The Mandalorian
Mando has brought peak Star Wars back. This series is just pure joy, and so much fun to watch. Plus, BABY YODA!

On our new podcast, we interviewed @angie_rasmussen, one of the leading virologists, who has been a guiding light during the pandemic. Thread here to summarize, transcript and audio https://t.co/Q6CabBsKCM @cuttingforstone /1

Current status
"We're essentially experiencing the equivalent of a 9/11 every day in terms of number of deaths; our hospital systems are overburdened. ...We're going to be dealing w/ this for some time to come, even after people get the vaccine, certainly #LongCovid is real." /2

On her strong efforts for dispelling misinformation
"My philosophy about public health is that you can't have it without the engagement of the public. And my philosophy about communication is that information empowers people to decide for themselves" /3

The diagnosis of #SARSCoV2 reinfection is very challenging and Dr. Rasmussen provides the best and complete explanation for why that's the case. One dimension of that is being able to culture the virus in a BSL (biosafety level)-3 lab /4

Many are not familiar with what BSL-3 and 4 labs are all about. Great summary here from her extensive experience. More in podcast/transcript on her response in BSL-4./5

1/ Read Bloomberg’s autobiography (from ‘97) this weekend. Covers the first 15 years of Bloomberg LP & and how Mike built such a dominant franchise. Written before “lean startup” and modern software startup nomenclature, but lessons sound like something @chetanp would share...

2/ Bloomberg initially focused on a narrow use case: real time yield curve data for bond traders. Today, Bloomberg covers equity & debt markets around the world, offers financials, news, messaging, alternative data & more. But it started with a simple product & seemingly tiny TAM

3/ They “nailed” product/market fit for this use case because they deeply understood their customers. Not only did Mike Bloomberg and the first four employees all come from the industry, but they also built a tight feedback loop w/ their first "lighthouse" customer, Merrill Lynch

4/ When Bloomberg installed the first 22 terminals at Merrill, they embedded themselves with initial users. They visited daily. They had two users who provided constant feedback, helping to rapidly squash bugs and improve the product.

5/ Bloomberg also offered professional services. In fact, their first $100,000 in revenue was from PS. The consulting work helped pay the bills, but more importantly helped the Bloomberg team map their customers' needs and to build relationships across the organization.

So I finished reading The Velvet Rage today( I think it was Owen Jones who first put it on my radar) and it's been on my wishlist for a while, I had some extra cash thanks to some stocks I'd invested in so I decided to treat myself.
I have some thoughts™ (thread)

First off, the beginning chapters of this book are very good. They describe an experience growing up gay that I as a self identified queer man can vibe with. Even in a supportive household queer kids learn all too quickly what is and isn't acceptable parts of themselves to show

It stresses the book is writing very clearly about the gay male experience and acknowledges that the broad strokes it paints with could apply to lesbians too but are expressed in different ways. No acknowledgement is made however in highlighting the exp of non cis, non white gays

Topping that off, the book feels horribly upper middle class; talk of clients from executive backgrounds being ashamed of who they are. That may not be the experience of every gay. Theres also an assumption that most gays come from a home with a caring mother and distant father

It takes a certain view on non-monogamy and promiscuity, framing it as a symptom of trying to overcompensate for a lack of validation in teen years and while that's certainly probably the case for some, it doesn't frame anything other than monogamy as intrinsically rewarding.

1. Thread about Cross-over services.

Some have asked is December 31st really a special day and what about cross-over services? This they say is a Nigerian thing. There is nothing sacred about it some have said
This may be true however let's read from the words of Apostle Paul.

2. Paul in his day must have faced a similar challenge as some must have still observed days in the Jewish calendar. When he was asked about some people who were still observing certain days as being more important than others and they criticized those individuals Paul's response

3. Romans 14:4-6King James Version

4 "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand."

4. Romans 14:5 "One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind."

5. Romans 14:6 "He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks."

A Drazverse Tale: A Bedtime Story For Little Devils

"What's that, little one? A bedtime story? You can't sleep until you hear a tale? Oh, my little devil-child, you're adorable. Listen then to your mother.

Many millennia before our time, before our time's time, Satan decided to be God.

But of course, you know that, little one. You know as well as I do that Satan warred against the Most High and failed, falling to Hell. But do you know what really happened, my child?

Many facts and truths in the stories have been lost to the ages, however. Some "facts" are very over-exaggerated, or downright changed. Some "facts", my little one, are outright lies.

Listen to me, my child. Listen to your bedtime story, just as I listened to it when I was your age."

Many, many millennia ago, in times before times, God sat with all of his angels, his angels of wrath and peace and justice and hope, and said "I will make a world, and on that world, yea, I will place mankind." And so he did, and by his will and word, it was done.

As 2020 is ending, I want to share a true story with you all. A story that has saved, changed and touched a soul. Little long but a MUST read for everyone.

Charles Plumb was a US Navy jet pilot in Vietnam. After 75 combat missions, his plane was destroyed by a surface-to-air missile. Plumb ejected and parachuted into enemy hands. He was captured and spent 6 years in a communist Vietnamese prison.

He survived the ordeal and now lectures on lessons learned from that experience!

One day, when Plumb and his wife were sitting in restaurant, a man at another table came up and said: "You're Plumb! You flew jet fighters in Vietnam from the aircraft carrier. You were shot down!"

"How in the world did you know that?" asked Plumb. "I packed your parachute," the man replied. Plumb gasped in surprise and gratitude. The man pumped his hand and said:"I guess it worked!" "It sure did," Plumb assured him. "If your chute hadn't worked, I wouldn't be here today."

That night, Plumb couldn't sleep, as he kept thinking about that man. Plumb says: "I kept wondering what he had looked like in a Navy uniform: a white hat; a bib in the back; and bell-bottom trousers. I wonder how many times I might have seen him and not even said

Islamic Book Recommendations 🧵

(Quran)
1) Arabic Mushaf; And a Translation if needed

English: The Qur'an (Abdul Haleem translation)

Urdu: The Holy Quran (Molana Maududi translation)

(Manners, Etiquette, & Character)
2) Book of Manners
3) The Refinement of Character
4) Adab al-Mafrud
5) Good Character

(usul ad-Deen)
6) The Pillars of Islam & Iman

(Arabic)
7) Arabic Vocabulary Practice makes perfect
8) Arabic Vocabulary 9,000 words

1/

2021 is a year when I need to work much smarter.

I need to build #collaborations with folk to make better progress on the projects I want to work with.

These are in the following areas:

1) Education - the current system is both skewed by nation state imperatives ...

2/

... and by the huge and still growing burden of knowledge it attempts to package and deliver both at school and beyond school in working environments ...

Folk need to switch to alternate education, finding leaders to first follow in the footsteps and then ...

3/

... assume the mantle of the late, great @SirKenRobinson

We need to find current leaders, build practice on the ground, connect internet guides to folk wanting to learn, and lift accreditation and connectivity systems into the cloud to make learning far more accessible ...

4/

2) As far as global ecology is concerned, #BigAgri is still ruling the airwaves, and #RegenAgri still needs all the support it can get.

Leaders like #JohnDLiu and #GabeBrown have made a mark this year in the film @kissthegroundCA , but we all need to do more ...

5/

... to support the grassroots projects out there and get #RegenAgri practice much more widely known and adopted.

Again we need practitioners on the ground, but we also sorely need top communicators to be able to help the #grassroots movement tell its story.