Daily Archives: September 6, 2022

Gambling revenue falls short of expectations not only due to the pandemic – Inside Asian Gaming

Posted: September 6, 2022 at 4:35 am

A professor in Macau public administration believes the ongoing suppression of gross gaming revenues in the SAR is not necessarily due to COVID-19 restrictions but more closely linked to mainland Chinas anti-gambling measures.

Speaking with Inside Asian Gaming after the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) reported GGR of just MOP$2.19 billion (US$271 million) in August the second lowest monthly figure of the year Eilo YU Wing-yat said there were greater forces at play than the pandemic.

From [Chinas] point of view, the central government does not want too many mainlanders coming to Macau or other places for offshore gambling., he said.

70% of visitors to Macau used to be mainland residents, but now only 10% [of those mainland visitors] are left. The pandemic is only accelerating the decline of the gambling industry but the root cause is the mainlands restrictions on offshore gambling.

Macau remained open to mainland China between January and late June, but GGR for the first half of the year reached only MOP$26.3 billion, down 46.4% year-on-year.

Perhaps in an effort to boost foreign visitation, the Macau government this week permitted entry for foreigners from 41 countries, albeit with a mandatory seven-day hotel quarantine measure still in place for all foreign arrivals. Eilo YU said even if Macau resumes normal interaction with foreign countries next year, it will not return to 2019 GGR levels.

He pointed out that, The Macau gaming industry, to develop foreign sources of customers, will not be able to do so in a short time, and even if clearance is given GGR will not return to 2019 levels.

In the new gaming license tender in Macau, the government has also added the condition of developing foreign markets to the tender, with the bidders asked to introduce initiatives designed to attract foreign customers, that is customers from outside greater China. The government has said that Macaus gaming industry can no longer rely on a single source of tourists.

The government also estimated the annual gambling revenue at MOP$130 billion for the past two years. Will the government make such an estimate next year? Eilo Yu said, I dont have a crystal ball, so I cant predict how much the gambling revenue will be next year but of the MOP$130 billion gambling revenue estimated, 40% (MOP$52 billion) will be included in the governments gambling tax revenue, and together with other government revenues, total government revenue is expected to reach about MOP$70 billion to MOP$90 billion.

The governments recurrent expenditure, not counting infrastructure projects and other non-recurring benefits, will be between MOP$60 billion and MOP$80 billion, so the MOP$130 billion gambling revenue budget would maintain the fiscal policy of keeping expenditure within the limits of revenues.

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Gambling revenue falls short of expectations not only due to the pandemic - Inside Asian Gaming

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ZHO rolls out third phase of Emirati Genome Programme for people of determination and their families – Emirates News Agency

Posted: at 4:34 am

Mon 05-09-2022 20:18 PM

ABU DHABI, 5th September, 2022 (WAM) -- Zayed Higher Organisation for People of Determination (ZHO) organised today the third stage of examining the Emirati Genome Programme for people of determination and their families in cooperation with G42 Health Care.

This comes as part of the ZHO's initiatives to benefit from advanced scientific research in the age of innovation and to follow scientific methods in providing care and rehabilitation programmes and therapy sessions. A number of people of determination and their families were received at the ZHO's headquarters for necessary check-ups, with the aim of creating a healthier Emirati society, and strengthening therapy plans via a smart system of a distinctive level of treatment, prevention, monitoring and prediction of diseases and epidemics.

Abdullah Abdul Ali Al Humaidan, ZHO's Secretary-General, stated that ZHO is cooperating with G42 Health Care in carrying out the Emirati Genome Programme for people of determination and their families as mapping the reference genome for people of determination and their families by studying the full genetic sequence through the latest technologies and providing a genetic database for use in the medical and diagnostic field contributes to the development of disability codes in an attempt to curb the occurrence of disability, and then with the aim of providing a distinctive treatment for them.

He added that the UAE pays great attention to all groups of society, especially people of determination. Based on its supportive plans, qualitative initiatives and national strategies, it constantly works to improve the services provided to these groups, and to facilitate appropriate means, to enjoy welfare and prosperity in their homeland. They also obtain all means of care from all state institutions. We are keen, in ZHO, to provide proactive services for them and their families.

Al Humaidan thanked all families and people of determination who took the initiative to volunteer in order to contribute with ZHO to the success of the programme, to undergo the required check-ups and provide blood samples.

WAM/Khoder Nashar/Amjad Saleh

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Latest Research at ESMO Congress 2022 Showcases the Impact of Comprehensive Genomic Profiling for Cancer Patients – PR Newswire UK

Posted: at 4:34 am

Presentations will include evidence on how genomic signatures and next-generation sequencing can improve the care of patients with cancer

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 5, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, today announced the upcoming presentationof multipleoncology research abstracts atthis year's European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) annual meeting, September 913 in Paris. The abstractsunderscore the value of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and Illumina's oncology assays for cancer research and patient care.

"For oncologists, the priority for each patient is to provide the best course of therapy as early as possible," said Dr. Phil Febbo, chief medical officer of Illumina. "There is growing evidence that using comprehensive genomic profiling that includes pan-cancer and immunotherapy biomarkers can identify the greatest number of patients who most benefit from targeted therapy."

Illumina's mission in oncology is to help save lives by enabling personalized cancer care through genomics, workingwith customers in both centralized and in-house pathology labs to perform comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of tissue and liquid biopsies to match patients to the rapidly growing catalogue of targeted drugs and immunotherapies.

CGP is an NGS approach using a single test to assess hundreds of genesincluding relevant cancer biomarkers, as established in medical guidelines and clinical trialsfor tumor therapy guidance. Pathologists and oncologists are increasingly adopting CGP to enhance their abilities to identify actionable biomarkers, which can better match patients with precision therapies and clinical trials.Studies show that patients who receive a genomic match with biomarker-driven targeted therapies or immunotherapies experience improved clinical outcomes.

Abstracts accepted for ESMO Congress 2022 One way of gaining insight into the tumor genome is to identify the mutations used in the evaluation of homologous recombination deficiency (HRD). HRD status has emerged as an important biomarker in tumors that have high levels of DNA damage, such as ovarian cancer. However, to enable genomic profiling of ovarian cancer tumors with indications for PARP inhibitors and predict response to these treatments, labs must reliably assess HRD status in those tumors. Combining HRD assessment with asingle, comprehensive assay, such as the TruSight Oncology 500 (TSO 500) HRD research assay, to assess a wide range of biomarkers provides results more quickly than iterative testing and provides a high-resolution, comprehensive view of the tumor genome. These two abstracts highlight how labs are combining CGP and HRD to offer a powerful test:

Analytical performance of a next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay kit for assessing homologous recombination deficiency (HRD) from solid tumor samples (925P): This is a poster presentation on a study completed in collaboration with Merck and Myriad Genetics. The data verifies the performance of the TSO 500, showing its high analytical sensitivity and specificity in detecting BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants (5%10% limit of detection) and its accurate genomic instability score (GIS) for HRD status assessment in ovarian cancer. The results show high (>95%) concordance in BRCA variant calling and that the GIS were highly concordant (R = 0.98) to the reference method assay. This assay provides labs with an efficient, in-house solution using just one workflow and a limited sample size, which will aid clinical research and broaden access to clinical trials for potential precision therapies.

High concordance of different molecular assays in the determination of HRD-associated GIS in high grade epithelial ovarian cancer (572P):This abstract presents data resulting from collaboration between Illumina and the Institute of Pathology at the Technical University of Munich, which included use of the TSO 500 HRD assay.

Large-cohort studies show that CGPhas the potential to identify relevant genetic alterations in up to 90% of samples. Illumina is committed to enabling CGP and enhancing research critical to realizing precision medicine in oncology, and collaborations are vital in increasing the evidence of the clinical utility of CGP. Three studies being presented at this year's meeting build on this evidence base:

Tissue and liquid biopsy utilization in advanced NSCLC in a large community US practice (1162P): This is a poster presentation from a real-world utility study between Illumina and Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute. In advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), itis critical to havebiomarker testingresults early.The results showed that42% of stage IV NSCLC patients received both liquid and tissue testingandhad results in hand prior to first-line treatment more often (89.4%) than those who had just a tissue (67%) or liquid (72.5%) tumor test. This is the first time that a large US community practice, where most oncology patients are seen, has shown data onhow using both tissue and liquid biopsy testing enables faster turnaround time, guideline-concordant biomarker testing, and biomarker testing results prior to first-line therapy decisions.

The IMPRESS-Norway trial: Improving public cancer care by implementing precision cancer medicine in Norway (503P):This abstract presents data resulting from the Illumina-supported national trial across Norwegian hospitals to show the potential and value of CGP in cancer therapy selection testing.

Exploring different strategies to incorporate germline analysis in tumor whole genome sequencing(1673P):This abstract presents data from the Illumina-supported Dutch WIDE study (short for "whole-genome sequencing implementation in the standarddiagnostics forevery cancer patient"), done through a collaboration between theHartwigMedical Foundation, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, and the University Medical Center Utrecht academic hospital.

Recently announced CGP collaborationsIllumina continues to expand its broad portfolio of oncology partnerships with industry leaders, aimed at advancing cancer diagnostics and precision medicine. Most recently, Illumina launched the research-use-only TSO 500 HRD test, codeveloped with Merck, to unlock deeper insights about the tumor genome. Earlier this year, in collaboration with Bayer, Illumina launched the first companion diagnostic claim for the TruSight Oncology Comprehensive (EU) test enabling targeted therapy with Bayer's Vitrakvi (larotrectinib) for patients with NTRK fusion cancer. Additionally, Illumina and Allegheny Health Network launched a collaborationto evaluate the impact of in-house CGP to enhance patient care.

About IlluminaIllumina is improving human health by unlocking the power of the genome. Our focus on innovation has established us as a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, serving customers in the research, clinical, and applied markets. Our products are used for applications in the life sciences, oncology, reproductive health, agriculture, and other emerging segments. To learn more,visitillumina.comand connect with us onTwitter,Facebook,LinkedIn,Instagram, andYouTube.

Investors:Salli SchwartzUS: +01 858 291 6421IR@illumina.com

Media:Adi Raval US: +01 202 629 8172PR@illumina.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1891361/ESMO_Congress_2022.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1876671/Illumina_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Illumina, Inc.

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Latest Research at ESMO Congress 2022 Showcases the Impact of Comprehensive Genomic Profiling for Cancer Patients - PR Newswire UK

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China Genome-Based Drug Industry Forecasts 2022: Demand to Grow by 9% Through 2031 – ResearchAndMarkets.com – Business Wire

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DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The "Genome-Based Drug Industry Forecasts - China Focus" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This study focuses on China's Genome-Based Drug industry forecasts. In the two past decades, the industry has been growing at a fast pace. The dramatic expansions of the manufacturing capabilities and rising consumer consumption in China have transformed China's society and economy. China is one of the world's major producers for industrial and consumer products.

Far outpacing other economies in the world, China is the world's fastest growing market for the consumption of goods and services. The Chinese economy maintains a high speed growth which has been stimulated by the consecutive increases of industrial output, imports & exports, consumer consumption and capital investment for over two decades. Rapid consolidation between medium and large players is anticipated since the Chinese government has been encouraging industry consolidation with an effort to regulate the industry and to improve competitiveness in the world market.

Although China has enjoyed the benefits of an expanding market for production and distribution, the industry is suffering from minimal innovation and investment in R&D and new product development. The sector's economies of scale have yet to be achieved. Most domestic manufacturers lack the autonomic intellectual property and financial resources to develop their own brand name products.

This new study focuses on industry trends and forecasts with historical data (2011, 2016 and 2021) and long-term forecasts through 2026 and 2031 are presented.

The primary and secondary research is done in China in order to access up-to-date government regulations, market information and industry data. Data were collected from the Chinese government publications, Chinese language newspapers and magazines, industry associations, local governments' industry bureaus, industry publications, and in-house databases.

The author is one of the leading sources for up-to-date market information and research on the fastest-growing Chinese markets. They have published over 1,500 reports focusing on the Chinese markets, industry forecasts and company profiles. The report provides hard-to-find market data and analyses. The publications are intended to help international marketers identify business opportunities and promote their product sales in the Chinese markets.

Key Topics Covered:

I. INTRODUCTION

II. BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

III. GENOME-BASED DRUG SALES VOLUMES AND FORECASTS

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/yhkpns

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China Genome-Based Drug Industry Forecasts 2022: Demand to Grow by 9% Through 2031 - ResearchAndMarkets.com - Business Wire

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Colossal to de-extinct the Tasmanian tiger. Is it a safe thing to do? – Cape Cod Times

Posted: at 4:34 am

Teresa Martin| Columnist

Thethylacine, aka the Tasmanian tiger,more properly, Thylacinus cynocephalus. Meet this creature of myth and reality, a sad tale of human destruction and most recently of human hubris, all under the guise of technology power.

Thylacinus cynocephalusonce lived across Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania. This meat-eating marsupial looked a bit like a brindled dog with an oversized head as reflected in the translation of its scientific name, which roughly means pouched dog with wolf head. They appear in fossils and in aboriginal rock paintings, representing thousands of years on the planet. At some point, the population retreated primarily to Tasmania, but well into modern humanitys lifeline thylacines roamed across dry forests, wetlandsand grasslands.

Their short soft brown fur carried distinct stripes across their backs and down their long tails. They weighed in at about 60 pounds imagine something like a striped brown Labrador retriever with a pouch for baby thylacines. They were shy around humans and often surrendered without a struggle. We know this because in 1924 settlers brought sheep to Tasmania and forever altered the ecosystem. The Van Diemans Land company set a bounty on thylacines in 1830 and by 1910 they were essentially gone. In 1936 the last known thylacine died in captivity and they were officially declared extinct in 1986.

But this summer a company named Colossal announced a partnership with an Australian lab. The goal? To de-extinct the thyacine.

It seems that a large donor gave 10 years of funding to establish the TIGRR lab TIGRR stands for Thylacine Integrated Genomic Restoration Research lab whose mission is to develop technologies for marsupial conservation and restoration. Colossal Bioscience (https://colossal.com/) says it brings that tech.

The company self-describes itself as the de-extinction company … a breakthrough bioscience and genetic engineering company that builds radical new technologies to advance the field of genomics. You might remember the company name as one attached to an effort to resurrect the woolly mammoth. Although frozen mammoth carcasses have yielded DNA for genetic engineering, it isnt quite clear that this large furred creature of the ice age could thrive in our 21st-century de-forested and heating climate.

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In contrast, the company says the thylacine's environment remains largely the same as it was at the time of its slaughter,making it an excellent candidate for restoration and re-wilding. It says it will use CRISPR genetic engineering and nine almost simple steps to undo the past.

According to an article by Andrew Pask of the University of Melbourne published on Phys.org (https://phys.org/news/2022-03-australia-extinct-thylacine.html) last March, steps 1 and 2 are already complete. The team says it has the full thylacine genome in hand; a genome basically provides a DNA recipe for an organism. It also has the full genome for a close living relative, in this case, the dunnart, also known as the marsupial mouse. Researchers will use dunnartDNA as a starting template.

The third step, now underway, aligns the two different genomes and identifies every point of variance, creating a master plan for DNA modification. Step 4 gathers dunnart STEM cells, steps 5-7 develop the assistive reproductive techniques to create and implant embryos into the host mother, and steps 8 and 9 sort out how a tiny marsupial baby, once born, can be nourished into a living thylacine.

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Remember, marsupials arrive in the world far smaller and less developed than mammals and the pouch provides a sort of external gestation period which explains how a smaller animal could potentially birth a much larger one.

This all sounds sort of sci-fi and gee-whiz! A whole whoosh of euphoria over how mankind can undo mankinds mistakes, restore the ecosystem, and revive the planet gushes forth in each announcement. But is playing a god of resurrection really any better than playing the god of death?

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As a species, our destruction of other species either directly or through wanton disregard for the ecosystem and environment has marked our travel through time. Some argue we represent the worst invasive species ever, wiping out all in our path. This is decidedly not good, and yet as a species, we seem unable to change. Right now, the global collective of homo sapiens seems bent on erasing the great rainforests, with their diversity and still-unknown depths, not to mention altering the base climate of our world and disrupting pretty much every other living organism. Yet, at the same time, we seem to think tech can Band-Aid it all.

Sorry, mom, I broke the vase. But dont worry, I have magic glue to put it back together again!

Marvel fans might recognize the same ethical question in the fictional storyline of the Blip/Snap, when Thanos snapped his fingers while wielding the Infinity Stones and blipped a random half of all living things in the universe out of existenceonly to have it made right five years later by Bruce Banner reversing the blip with Infinity Stones recovered from a different timeline. Are we both Thanos and Bruce Banner rolled into one?

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Tech always brings with it a whole host of deeper questions, questions of ethics and value and hubris. Just because we can, should we? Can we do anything because godlike we believe we can reverse it? And if we do reverse it, what unintended consequences emerge?

We killed the passenger pigeon, the great auk, the dodo, the eastern moa, the blue walleye, the silver trout, the Bali tiger, the golden toad and the thylacine. The list goes on, at a length that should leave us chilled and resolved to change our ways. Instead, we seem to focus on finding tech to clean up after us. The thylacine may well deserve its rebirth but make no mistake, technology does not make us a hero nor redeem prior actions. So as you marvel at the potential of tech resurrection, dont forget to look into our historical mirror at the same time.

Teresa Martin of Eastham lives, breathes and writes about the intersection of technology, business and humanity.

Gain access to premium Cape Cod Times content by subscribing. Check out our latest offer.

Other columns by Teresa Martin:

Who knew shrimp shells could make this building material 40% stronger?

Dodd's decision: 'When it comes to privacy, no one can remain complacent'

The Power of Pup is far more satisfying than artificial intelligence

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Colossal to de-extinct the Tasmanian tiger. Is it a safe thing to do? - Cape Cod Times

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Sagenome sets up genomic complex for detection and mgt of critical illnesses via saliva-based DNA analysis – United News of India

Posted: at 4:34 am

More News06 Sep 2022 | 1:32 PM

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 6 (UNI) Eleven Sri Lankans who were planning to sail to Canada in a fishing vessel have been arrested from a hotel in Kollam.

Bengaluru, Sep 6 (UNI) Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday said several residential localities in Bengaluru are facing flood-like situation due to 'unplanned' and 'misrule' of the previous Congress government.

Chennai, Sep 6 (UNI) More than 5,000 students from over 100 schoolsparticipated in the Rajalakshmi Institute of Technologys (RIT) fourth edition of RIT-TECHFEST 2022, the flagship Annual Project Completion and Exhibition at its campus.

Chennai, Sep 6 (UNI) The Rajalakshmi School of Business (RSB)has successfully completed the Initiation Program for the 2022 batch of PGDM students.

Hyderabad, Sep 6 (UNI) The monsoon session of the Telangana legislative Assembly which began here on Tuesday was adjourned till September 12 after condolence motions were adopted mourning the death of ex-legislators in the recent past.

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Sagenome sets up genomic complex for detection and mgt of critical illnesses via saliva-based DNA analysis - United News of India

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Can A Religion Other Than Islam Ever Be Accepted OpEd – Eurasia Review

Posted: at 4:32 am

Has Islam been the one religion acceptable to God since the days of Prophet Muhammad? Does Islam claim to replace Christianity and Judaism, the way Christianity claimed (until recently) to have replaced Old Testament Judaism?

One does frequently hear extremist, and even some non-extremist Muslims, quote the Quranic verse: And whoever seeks a religion other than Islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the hereafter he will be one of the losers.(Quran 3:85)That sounds pretty exclusive.

But the Quran also states, and then repeats: Verily, those who believe, and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians; whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day and does righteous deeds; shall have their reward with their Lord. On them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve. (Quran 2:62 & 5:69)

And the Quran goes even further, proclaiming that religious pluralism is the will of Allah. If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (Gods plan is) to test (each group of) you in what He has given you: so compete in all virtues as in a race. The goal of you all is to (please) Allah who will show you on judgment day the truth of the matters which you dispute. (Quran 5:48)

This means that religious pluralism is the will of God. Thus, we will never know the truth of the matters which you dispute until judgement day. What we can know is who is the kindest and most charitable among us.

Yet for centuries many believers in one God have chided and depreciated each others religions, and some believers have even resorted to forced conversions, expulsions, inquisitions and massacres to spread their faith even though monotheists all pray to the same God, and all prophets of monotheistic faiths are inspired by the same God.

The two Quran verses above (Quran 2:62 & 5:69) place Jews, Christians, and Sabians alongside Muslims; and say that any one among them who believes in Allah and the Last Day and does righteous deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor shall they grieve.

Although these two verses (Quran 2:62 & 5:69) seem to be completely contradictory to the first verse (Quran 3:85), and it is possible that one view abrogates the other, there is a much simpler explanation.

There are two meanings for the word Islam. First, there is basic, fundamental, Islam (submission to God) which was the religion of all the prophets from Adam to Muhammad.

Second, there is the special and unique religion, or more accurate, way of life of Islam taught by Prophet Muhammad.

The two verses quoted above refer to basic, fundamental, Islam and not to the special and unique religion of Islam.In todays terms; basic Islam should be spelled islam without a capital letter I, and special and unique Islam should be spelled with a capital I.

The same is true for Muslim, a member of a special and unique community, and muslim referring to one who follows the fundamental religion of living in obedience to the commandments of the one God as taught by Moses, Jesus, or any other prophet of the one God.

Thus, And whoever seeks a religion other than (monotheistic) islam, it will never be accepted of him, and in the hereafter he will be one of the losers.(Quran 3:85)includes Jews, Christians, and Sabians (whoever they are) but does not include atheists on one hand, and polytheists on the other hand.

Religious pluralism as the will of God is very different from religious, moral or cultural relativism. Relativism teaches that all values and standards are subjective, and therefore there is no higher spiritual authority available for setting ethical standards or making moral judgements.

Thus, issues of justice, truth or human rights are, like beauty, just in the eye of the beholder. Most people, especially those who believe that One God created all of us, refuse to believe that ethics and human rights are simply a matter of taste. Religious pluralism as the will of God is the opposite of cultural or philosophical relativism.

The fundamental idea supporting religious pluralism is that religious people need to embrace humility in many areas of religion. All religions have always taught a traditional anti self centered personal egoism type of humility. Religious pluralism also opposes a religious, philosophical, and self righteous intellectual egoism that promotes a tendency to turn our legitimate love for our own prophet and Divine revelation into universal truths that we fully understand and know how to apply.

Religious pluralism teaches that finite humans, even the most intelligent and pious of them, can not fully understand everything the way the infinite One does. This is true, for every human being, even for Gods messengers themselves. When prophet Moses.who God spoke with face to face, as a person speaks with a friend (Exodus 33:11) asks to see God face to face, he is told, You cannot see My face, for no man can see My face and live. (33:20)

Similarly, in the Quran prophet Jesus admits to God, You know everything that is within myself, whereas I do not know what is within Yourself. (7:116) In the New testament when prophet Jesus is asked, in private, by his disciples, What will be the sign for your coming (back) and the end of the age? (Matthew 24:3) Jesus warns his disciples about all kinds of upheavals and false Messiahs that will come. Then Jesus concludes by saying, But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, not even the son: only the Father. (24:36)

A similar statement was made by prophet Muhammad when he was asked, Tell me about the Hour. Muhammad replied: The one questioned about it, knows no better than the questioner. (Muslim book 1:1&4) Prophet Muhammad taught the general principle of epistemological humility to his followers when he said, I am no novelty among the messengers. I do not know what will be done to me, or to you. (Quran 46:9)

The famous Quran verse (2:255) called Ayat Al-Kursi, the Throne verse is known for its profound meaning and its inspiring message. Allah is well described, and we are informed that the knowledge of Allah is incomparable to our own humble efforts. The Throne verse begins: Allah! There is no god but He, the Living, the Self-Subsisting, Supporter of all. and ends: They shall not encompass any of His knowledge except as He wills. His Throne/dominion extends over the heavens and the earth, and He feels no fatigue in guarding and preserving them. For He is the Most High, the Supreme in glory. And the very next verse states: There shall be no compulsion in (acceptance of) the religion (Islam). (2:256) because all humans have limited knowledge and no one should force anyone else to believe what is knowable only to Allah.

The Quran refers to Prophet Abraham as a community or a nation: Abraham was a nation-community [Ummah]; dutiful to God, a monotheist [hanif], not one of the polytheists. (16:120) If Prophet Abraham is an Ummah then fighting between the descendants of Prophets Ishmael and Isaac is a civil war and should always be avoided.

If all Arabs and Jews can live up to the ideal that the descendants of Abrahams sons should never make war against each other is the will of God; we will help fulfill the 2700 year old vision of Prophet Isaiah: In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt, and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together.In thatdayIsrael will joina three-partyalliance with Egyptand Assyria,a blessing uponthe heart.The LORD of Hosts will bless them saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance.(Isaiah 19:23-5)

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Can A Religion Other Than Islam Ever Be Accepted OpEd - Eurasia Review

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Groover Playlist 173 | Labours Of Love – Tinnitist

Posted: at 4:31 am

Soraia feel the heat, Aboynamedblu shows off his powers, Inky Royal follows the golden rule, Anika has a question for you and more in todays submissions from Groover, a platform that connects artists with critics like me for a small fee. You can (and should) follow me on Spotify HERE, check out (and like) my Top 200 playlist HERE, or listen to it via the widget at the lower right of every page on this site. If you want to be in an upcoming playlist, go HERE. But first, enjoy these labours of love:

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: Indie-Rock.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: I Seek Fire is a song we just released from our forthcoming album Bloom (out Oct. 28). Im ZouZou, the lyricist, and I read a lot of poetry; Rumi is one of my most influential and inspiring. The first line of the lyric A thousand paper cuts sting down to bone came to me as soon as I heard my co-writers guitar riff. Rumi says,Set your life on fire / Seek those who fan your flames. The song takes that theme and develops the story from a particular experience I had that lifted me to new heights, but then turned on me in the actual relationship I had entered. It is also about the desire for that enthralling darkness of tragic love we so often read about in old literature. The video concept came from our director, Sam Shapson, who adds a Mary Shelley angle to the story.

HOME BASE: South Africa.GENRE: Pop-Rock.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Aboynamedblu is a songwriter, singer and producer in Cape Town, South Africa. His new single Super Grassy is about days when the world suffocates you. Its the feeling of being trapped in a snow globe and only having the sky to talk to for your sanity.

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: Hip-Hop Soul.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Universal Law VI resonates the universal message that we all agree with yet constantly be reminded of: Treat people how you want to be treated! Inky Royal colorfully brings home the importance of that virtue in this soulful hip-hop track.

HOME BASE: United Kingdom.GENRE: Pop.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: My track has a U.K. Garage vibe.

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: Rap.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Hailing from Inglewood, Tia P. is a driven, passionate, charismatic and talented artist, producer, musician, and songwriter whose lyrical prowess is unmatched. Influenced by the likes of Missy Elliott, Pharrell Williams and Lauryn Hill, Tia P.s sound embodies the soul of the old and new. She has opened for Da Brat, Monie Love, YoYo, KRS 1, Bootsy Collins, DJ Quik and a host of others, to name a few. She recently collaborated on Running With The Angeleswith Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes. Green Cadillacfeatures the Legendary DJ Battlecat and hip-hop royalty herself, The Lady of Rage.

HOME BASE: Brazil.GENRE: Reggae.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Green Natural is a song that has soft lyrics and pure relaxation for those who like cannabis, or just for those who like good roots reggae. Very engaging, Green Natural talks about legalization and social prejudice towards cannabis lovers, in a mocking and totally relaxed way.

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: Dance-Rock.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: M4TR = Music 4 The Revolution, a retro-future music collective transmitting funky, new wave dance-rock with a rebellious flair. AJ Hutchins is M4TRs founder and principal songwriter. The current live lineup met jamming in showcases around the D.C. area. AJ is busy writing and rehearsing new original dance-rock material for its upcoming phase/album Love Is The Revolution. Monkey God is a story about the evolution and devolution of mankind. The monkey thought he was a god and destroyed the world with greed and destruction because man is just a monkey.

HOME BASE: Jamaica.GENRE: Folk-Pop.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Kvy is a vocalist and songwriter from Jamaica. Her smooth R&B and reggae-influenced melodies transport an emotional and magical energy, which personifies her magical days always mantra. Her deep passion for music developed as a small child, heavily inspired by gospel and the artistry of Sade, Prince, and Michael Jackson. Her philosophy is that music is the one proper way to mend the broken, a philosophy adopted from the lessons learned as a harmony singer sharing stages and studios with Shaggy, Sting, Taurus Riley, Chris Martin, and Romain Virgo.

HOME BASE: India.GENRE: Folk-Rock.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Glenn Valles is a songwriter from Mumbai who has the unique ability to make his listeners see with their ears and feel with their souls. His songs have been shortlisted for a huge Hollywood action film, a long-running popular reality TV show, the pilot for a brand-new TV series for a major broadcast network and a major studio film in the U.S. Glenns creative ability and songwriting skills have been acknowledged by experienced professionals in the international music industry.

HOME BASE: Switzerland.GENRE: Folk-Pop.THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Fadosolla is a pop-rock title accompanied by a video. It is a track from the new album Lets Keep Dancing. The band are currently on tour in Switzerland.

HOME BASE: France.GENRE: Electronica.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: PIB is a French producer and animal lover. This is his new remix of Duran Durans Ordinary World, the first in a series of remixed songs from the 70-90s. His goal is to bring back those old dope songs for a younger audience alongside a modern dance instrumental.

HOME BASE: France.GENRE: Neo-Classical.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Inspired by Imaginary Garden, a painting by artist and close friend Lenny Mathe, the debut EP from Kenzo Zurzolo is a minimalist journey focused around the piano. The hushed tones of the instrument, the faint sounds of the internal mechanics and a few sophisticated touches of electronics draw the listener into an immersed state of serenity.

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: R&B / Soul.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: RaShonda is a music director, composer, pianist and artist. She released her first EP Girl Born On A Monday in 2018. Her 2020 work A Day with Mae (a composition based on the words of astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison) was commissioned by Trio Triumphatrix. She is recording her second solo project Scorpio Moon, slated for release later this year. Scorpio Moon speaks to her emotional intensity a little more life lived, things lost and gained, and a more direct, intentional songwriting approach. Excellence is a high-spirited, meditative earworm that seeks to empower and uplift the listener as they navigate the ups and downs of life.

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: Americana.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Josie Bello is an Americana artist from New York. Her songs combine strong vocals and meaningful lyrics with a hybrid folk, rock, country and blues musicality. Its not easy to get at the truth. Motivated by greed elected officials, media personalities and corporate giants manipulate susceptible segments of the population with lies, while influential alternative media outlets develop momentum for the misinformation. They Lie expresses my thoughts about this.

HOME BASE: Brazil.GENRE: Grunge.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Victor Breithaupt is a Brazilian rock musician and singer-songwriter. He is best known for his song Upon the Sands of Heaven, a tribute to Andy Whitfield, star of Spartacus, who sadly passed away after a long fight against non-Hodgkins lymphoma. This song was released as a tribute to Nirvana, celebrating the anniversary of their 1989 masterpiece debut Bleach.

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: Rap.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Taurean Meacham is a hip-hop and R&B artist in Honolulu. Known for his conscious rap style and experimental samples, Meachams driving force is, in his own words, storytelling: Music is the No. 1 form of communication across all civilisations. It tells the story of the people. Im just looking to tell mine. Influenced by music legends from Prince and Nas to Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie, Meachams creative process is coordinated chaos the one constant is that the words always come first. He has released a number of independent albums, including November (2006), Untitled (2007), Oahu Noir, JG and Blakk Radikal (2020) and Dopamine (2021). This is the alternate version of his song Ride or Die, from his last EP The Prelude. It was produced by a 17-year-old female producer from The Netherlands named Nakita.

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: Indie-Rock.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Sometimes lifes journey takes you on a detour. In my case, it was medical school and a career as a physician. Then there was Covid and we were in quarantine. I suddenly had more time to spend at home with my wife and daughter. Time to stop and appreciate all that I was given. Time to look at the world and the problems we need to solve. Time to write music.

HOME BASE: Canada.GENRE: R&B / Soul.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Im Megan Massey and I dont play by anyones rules, not even my own. Im a pop/R&B/funk artist and songwriter from Toronto, and Im currently releasing a new song every week. I come from a family of musicians and performers. My mother is a dancer, my father is a drummer, my sister is in film, and my grandfather is a Grammy-nominated composer. At three years old I was singing and dancing, by nine I was acting in film and television, and by 13 I had written my first song. I have been developing and growing as a pop artist while working with my producer and musical partner Ben Lucid. Our shared obsession with funk-inspired pop/R&B has allowed us to grow as a musical team at record speeds. This weekly release project is our way of putting all of our talents and skills to the test. And we are determined to find answers to one question in particular Are there any limits to what we can accomplish when we give it everything weve got? Go Somewhere is a 70s funk-inspired pop song that could live with the likes of Silk Sonic and Dua Lipa.

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: Pop-Rock.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Bobby Paraknight is a multi-talented artist from New York City. Baptism By Fire is his third single. After being critically acclaimed and praised for his exciting new sound and cinematic videos, he comes out with what is said to be his best work yet. But for all we know, this is just the start.

HOME BASE: Canada.GENRE: Folk-Pop.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: With Love is the second single and title track from Tia McGraffs just-released EP. The first single was well-received.

HOME BASE: France.GENRE: Pop/THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: My goal is to evolve in the management of sounds and my voice. Tien Anmen is one of the many covers that I have interpreted thanks to an application that allows me to sing karaoke in worldwide streaming. My father taught me to sing at the age of four. He was a perfectionist. I am even more so.

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: Electro-Pop.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Dan Zimmerman is an independent queer singer-songwriter in Brooklyn. His music details his own coming-of-age experience as a young LGBTQ+ adult in New York City exploring lust, loss, and loneliness in an urban dreamscape. Dans music captures the energy of adolescence and radical self-discovery, marrying his soaring vocals with catchy, electronic arrangements. Spend The Night is a playful queer electropop love tune; the song blossoms with synth and sparkle, diving headfirst into a catchy chorus that evokes the delight of dancing with a partner.

HOME BASE: Brazil.GENRE: Folk-Hop.THE TRANSLATED & EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: In the neighborhood of Capo Redondo in So Paulo, the Ciel Blue project was born, formed by the brothers Thiago and Tharcisio, who share a taste for art. Ciel Blues music is a kind of Brazilian neo-folk inspired by everyone from Mano Brown to Bob Dylan. Vagando Pelo Cais, is about the right to exist and be happy. While lamenting the ills of Brazil, it evokes the courage capable of changing it. The song features the production of musician Hugo Noguchi, who also contributed the bass and beats.

HOME BASE: Netherlands.GENRE: R&B / Soul.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Valre Grons debut single You Dont Want My Heartdraws from many different artists like Amy Winehouse, The Beach Boys, Gorillaz and The Specials. Flitting between retro-soul, pop, ska and surf rock, the song makes for an interesting mix of classic and contemporary elements.

HOME BASE: Canada.GENRE: Folk-Rock.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Dillon Currie is the singer, co-lyricist and formative member of Saskatoon rock band League of Wolves. He has recorded several albums, toured Canada multiple times, and shared the stage with The Glorious Sons, The Beaches, The Trews, The Tea Partyand Yukon Blonde. In 2020, while isolating at home in Swift Current, he began writing his debut solo record, a collection of songs inspired by pandemic life, addressing topics including mental health, isolation, morality, accountability, and reconciliation. A sonic and stylistic departure from League of Wolves, it channels storytellers like Elliott Smith, Jeff Tweedyand Andy Shauf, resulting in a diverse collection of thought-provoking tales and introspective queries which expose the duality of the human condition. The album is due in early 2023. The first single In My Town is a dreamy utopian reverie which finds the narrator questioning their own perspective on their hometown and the values they have grown to accept as true.

HOME BASE: Canada.GENRE: Synth-Pop.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Split Kick formed during a chance meeting on the neon-soaked streets of Busan, South Korea in 2008. Creators Pete Neonakis (Miami) and Andrew Corbin (Toronto) quickly developed a sultry electronic sound based on their shared love of everything 80s, soft rock and nightlife. They swiftly captured the ears of listeners in South Korea. Fast-paced and creative songwriting was their signature. Partnering with graphic artist Diego Rueda (Mexico City), Split Kick have elevated their persona to a whole new level by creating artwork that embodies the spirit of their music and catches the eyes of the public. Cupid features soulful guitars from Adrian Quesada of Black Pumas. It is an electronic soundscape for the masses, and an excellent blend of on-trend genres and originality.

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: Jazz.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: Morris Northcutt is known for his lyricism, artistry and ability to cross the boundary between classical and jazz, a result of decades of craft with both the trumpet and the cornet. From Mannheim Steamrollerand The Blues Brothers Reunion Band to the Seattle Symphony Chamber Orchestra, Northcutts list of collaborations is endless. He is principal cornetist for the Tacoma Concert Band, a position he has held for over 25 years. His latest single release is a tribute to the great Chet Baker. Heres That Rainy Day, once a Baker hit, epitomizes his tragic life in its lyrics: Maybe I should have saved those leftover dreams / funny but heres that rainy day.

HOME BASE: Netherlands.GENRE: Electronica.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: My name is Joran and I use the stage name Vinyl-State. In 2020, I started writing music concepts. I am now developing them into songs. My goal is to release 100 songs, all made in my home studio. They range from soft ballads to hard rock and every style between. When enough songs are released, Ill try to group them into appropriate albums.

HOME BASE: United Kingdom.GENRE: R&B / Soul.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: This is a track from my new EP. It recently won an independent award and I am looking to give it some more exposure and engagement in different parts of the world, building up to making a music video for it this year! This song is in the neo-soul vein. Its an indication of my vocal range and the style Id like to develop in future releases.

HOME BASE: France.GENRE: Electronica.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: DeusExMaschine is a producer from Paris who gives a French touch to tech house. Thriller is the greatest funked-up song of all time. Deusexmaschine couldnt leave it without modernizing it in a tech house style. The impact of the drop on the dancefloor is devastating!

HOME BASE: United States.GENRE: Pop.THE EDITED BIO & PRESS RELEASE: A New Zealand-born, U.S.-based pop artist, singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Estella Dawn has the skills to not only have a creative vision but to guide that process through to a cohesive, fully formed song. Her songs are often about empowerment and confidence and span various genres, reflecting the artists skill and diverse creative output. Her music has been compared to Pink, Billie Eilish, Halsey, Sia, Pvris and other strong, independent artists. Steal Your Girl balances minimalism of melody with evolution of design, for a structure thats smooth yet snappy, and rightfully drops in with a bang each time the hook returns.

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Groover Playlist 173 | Labours Of Love - Tinnitist

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Historic cafs and restaurants that you need to visit in Arizona – ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix

Posted: at 4:31 am

PHOENIXArizona has a rich history, including its cafs and restaurants. Heres a taste of State 48!

ROAD TRIP MUST-STOP Our first stop takes us to Rock Springs Caf, which has been open for over 100 years.

Our main building over there, where the caf is, and the retail, was the original post office for the whole territory, said Roger Vore, the manager at Rock Springs Caf.

ABC15 ARIZONA | NICOLE GUTIERREZ

Fast forward to today, the caf has a great reputation for its pies.

The secret is that everything is homemade, theres no preservatives or additives... the pies are just delicious. I say theyre made with love by our bakers, said Denise Arnold, another manager at Rock Springs Caf.

The caf has become a staple for locals and tourists, with some who leave a pin from where theyre from.

Arizonas a great place, so everyone wants to visit Arizona, said Vore.

NEXT IS THE SUGAR BOWL IN SCOTTSDALE

Its a great place in old town to take your family, thats why it was originally opened back in the 50s, said Ben Huntress, owner of the Sugar Bowl.

ABC15 ARIZONA | NICOLE GUTIERREZ

The historic landmark was a Firestone business back in the day, but now it rolls out delicious desserts.

Thats what were really known for: [the desserts]. Thats what everyone wants to get to, they get through the food to get to our ice cream, said Huntress.

NEXT STOP: MRS. WHITE'S GOLDEN RULE CAF

The menu is fried chicken, smothered chicken, pork chops, said Elizabeth White, founder of Mrs. White's Golden Rule Caf. Its just American food, its what people eat.

The Phoenix caf opened in 1964.

I had five kids to take care of and I was divorced. And I had to take care of them. And so, for that cause thats why we opened the caf, said Mrs. White.

ABC15 ARIZONA | NICOLE GUTIERREZ

The business opened during the Civil Rights movement.

And they would say, 'where you going to lunch?' We going to Mrs. White's caf. 'Can we go? 'Sure, you can come. All we take is money, we dont care about your color, said Mrs. White, reminiscing of what it was like opening a business a year before the Affirmative Action law was passed.

According to Mrs. White, the golden rule to having a successful businessis just loving what you do.

I love to cook. Thats what kept us going, Cooking. My cooking. And now its my granddaughters cooking now. I taught her to cook like I cook. And they say, 'this tastes like Mrs. White's cooking,' said Mrs. White in a playful tone during an interview with ABC15.

MORE TASTY HISTORIC PLACES TO VISIT

Durant'sIn the heart of Phoenix, you can find Durant's, an old-school chophouse thats been serving steak for over 70 years.

Los Olivos Mexican PatioThe Family owned and operated restaurant has served our community for over 70 years!

The Stockyards RestaurantThis place became a restaurant in 1947 after their cattle business exploded back in the early 1900s.

Harold's Cave Creek CorralThe Valley has a wild west saloon thats been open for over 80 years!

Elmer's TacosIf youre in the East Valley, youll want to check out this spot thats been serving its original dishes since 1974.

La Purisima BakeryThis staple is known for its pan dulce [Mexican bread] and has been serving the Valley for over 30 years. Their first location is in Glendale and now they have a second location near 24th Street and Indian School Road.

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Historic cafs and restaurants that you need to visit in Arizona - ABC15 Arizona in Phoenix

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Call it trivial, but we still need to master the art of small talk – The Guardian

Posted: at 4:31 am

The golden rule of small talk, as anyone who has worked behind a bar can testify, is dont say whats on your mind. Rule two, avoid any reference to politics, religion, money, death, health and sex. The price of a pint and the weather are safe bets, and can be discussed in idle chat night after night, often with the same regular, as if never mentioned before. No confrontation, little harm done, nothing given away. Or so it was once thought.

Now, economists Professor Daniel Sgroi and Neha Bose from the University of Warwick have conducted what they think is the first study of its kind, putting 338 individuals through an IQ and personality test before placing them in pairs to play two money games in which the extent of cooperation affected the outcome.

The study found that just four minutes of passing the time with a stranger can give away key aspects of personality which, in turn, influences later behaviour. Small talk matters, they conclude.

In their paper, the academics quote an example of two diplomats engaged in week-long negotiations that are progressing slowly until, on the Wednesday, one chats to the other that he needs to be home by Friday to attend an opera with his wife. Immediately a connection was formed on two fronts: a shared dislike of opera and a shared interest in keeping spouses happy The pace picked up, and the diplomat went home as scheduled with a signed agreement in hand.

The study divided the 338 participants into two groups. One group could text with a partner for four minutes. The other group had no communication. The participants were then asked to guess aspects of their partners personality and predict whether they would act cooperatively or selfishly in two games.

Personality types were divided into extraversion, which the academics describe as having sociability, enthusiasm, tempo and vigour ... projects positivity and neuroticism, described as negativity, high emotion, fearfulness, hostility impulsivity insecurity and self consciousness (and, one would think, not much given to chit-chat).

The pairs who had earlier made small talk scored more highly on predicting their partners IQ and answers to the personality test and the extent of their contributions in the games (with little difference between the genders). In even a few minutes, we will start to form a mental model of the person we are talking with, explained Sgroi. Are they extroverted or introverted do they seem upbeat or downbeat? These sorts of impressions wont be perfect but they will be useful.

Yet small talk, whether directly useful or not, is under threat. The pandemic placed it in temporary incubation as we all stayed home. But now, where is it most likely to take place? In queues, bus stops and on public transport among other venues. Whats often stopping it?

Smartphones dont help. Not only do they offer hours of isolated entertainment, gossip, several hundred holiday snaps, Instagram, spats on Twitter and much else. Unless a person is actually conducting a conversation, a phone, unlike small talk, has no requirement to listen or engage.

As Studs Terkel, the great chronicler of American life, once wrote: We are more and more into communications and less and less into communication. Does it matter? In the 1980s, Anna Deavere Smith, spent years asking a range of people their responses to three questions (not to be recommended as a catalyst for small talk). Have you ever come close to death? Do you know the circumstances of your birth? Have you ever been accused of something you did not do? In her book, Talk to Me, she said her aim was to listen between the lines, to dig deeper than the surface. Listening has a value.

Chatting to a stranger you may never meet again may not have an outcome of the kind described in the Warwick study but it can leave a lasting impression. A little human engagement may help to change a mindset stuck in a darker place or inject humour at a time when its otherwise in short supply.

As columnist Maeve Higgins wrote in the New York Times, idle chat gives you connection, some idea of that odd-shaped part of a human being thats invisible to the eye and impossible to articulate.

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Call it trivial, but we still need to master the art of small talk - The Guardian

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