Category Archives: Golden Rule

Tesla CEO Elon Musk's ability to captivate potential customers has helped drive the electric-car maker's growth.

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In the past 50 years, automakers have had little hope of breaking into the US market if they couldn't master the basics of manufacturing. As they took market share from GM, Ford, and Chrysler in the 1970s, Toyota and Honda built reputations on cars that were more reliable than American ones. Bob Lutz, a former GM, Ford, and Chrysler executive, told Insider that forced Detroit to reevaluate how it built cars. "We instituted all of the Toyota production system methodology," he said.

Meanwhile, foreign brands that struggled with quality and reliability, like Yugo, Renault, and Sterling, struggled to establish footholds in the US, Dave Sargent, who oversees JD Power's vehicle quality research, told Insider. Hyundai's turnaround in the US came only after it began offering a 100,000-mile warranty, a signal it had fixed its quality issues.

But Tesla, the latest automaker to find consistent success in the US, has bucked the trend by proving that poor quality and reliability won't necessarily scare off customers. The electric-car maker has long rejected many of the ideas behind Toyota's production philosophy, at times relying too heavily on automation or rushing through inspections to boost output. For years, Tesla has lagged its rivals in quality and reliability surveys from JD Power and Consumer Reports.

Yet Tesla has consistently grown sales, while earning industry-leading owner-satisfaction scores. Since 2016, the company has topped Consumer Reports' ranking of automotive brands with the happiest customers. While other automakers have found success with poorly built models, none has done so as consistently as Tesla has, said Ed Kim, AutoPacific's vice president of industry analysis.

Tesla has overcome the auto industry's conventional wisdom that quality is king with cutting-edge technology and by inspiring intense loyalty. The company pioneered features like wireless updates, large screens that controlled many settings, and Autopilot, the driver-assistance system that can navigate city streets (with mixed results, according to YouTube videos and professional testers).

Customers have praised those features, as well as more traditional measures of driving performance, like acceleration and handling.

Tesla also has strong intangible assets, like the enthusiasm generated by its bold and controversial CEO. Elon Musk has said he cares more about promoting clean energy than maximizing Tesla's profits. And so to some customers, a Tesla is more than a car. It's an opportunity to promote technological progress and a healthier planet. "It's like Elon says: If you're buying a gasoline car in this day and age, it's like buying a horse when cars became available," a Tesla customer told Insider in 2019.

The question is whether Tesla can count on that sentiment in the long run. Consumers may not be as accommodating of Tesla's flaws as a wider variety of EVs become available in the coming years, Kim and Sargent said, but similar predictions have proven wrong before. Electric models from competitors like Audi, Jaguar, and Chevrolet haven't halted Tesla's growth.

And Tesla customers may have fewer problems to deal with going forward. While Tesla performed poorly in JD Power's most recent dependability study, it has made significant improvements in build quality in recent years, Sandy Munro, whose consulting firm has disassembled and examined multiple Tesla vehicles, told Insider. Whether that trend continues might not matter if the company can retain Musk and continue leading the way in automotive technology.

Are you a current or former Tesla employee? Do you have a news tip or opinion you'd like to share? Contact this reporter at mmatousek@insider.com, on Signal at 646-768-4712, or via his encrypted email address mmatousek@protonmail.com.

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Elon Musk made Tesla a success despite ignoring the golden rule that his rivals have been obsessed with for decades - Markets Insider

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Testing your feed should top your to-do list this fall and winter.

Get that crop tested, said Bart Lardner, a University of Saskatchewan professor who holds a research chair in cow-calf and forage systems.

Know what youre starting with and know what youre dealing with in terms of energy density, protein density, and anti-quality factors like nitrates.

Drought-stressed plants accumulate nitrates, and high levels can be toxic even deadly to ruminants such as cattle. So knowing the level of nitrates in your feed is a good place to start, Lardner said during a Beef Cattle Research Council webinar on July 29.

Nitrates are on everybodys minds during a drought, he said. With the drought situation, the plants are accumulating nitrates, so it would be wise to know the level of nutrients and anti-quality factors from a feed test.

Generally, nitrate issues appear in annual forage sources such as oats and barley, and those levels can be tested while the crop is still standing.

You just go out, walk through that field, grab 20 or 25 samples, composite that into a sample bag, and then send it off, said Lardner, adding a representative sample is a must.

Throughout that field, the level of nitrates are going to vary tremendously. So what youre doing when youre taking a sample is youre doing your best to try and get an adequate level of the density of those nitrates.

And if the sample comes back at levels between 0.5 and 1.0 per cent nitrate, youll need to monitor and manage the ration to reduce the risk of nitrate poisoning.

If youre feeding something and then go to a high-nitrate diet, its a shock, said Lardner. So certainly allow that adaptation period seven to 10 days and increase that level of high-nitrate feed over that time period.

The best way to do that is to reduce the amount of high-nitrate feed in the ration to one-third (and no more than half).

Dilute, dilute, dilute, said Lardner. If you can dilute it with some supplemental fibrous-type forage, whether its straight hay or rolling out some straw, that would certainly allow you to stretch it out.

But theres a balancing act when incorporating higher levels of straw into a ration, said John McKinnon, beef industry research chair at the University of Saskatchewan.

The biggest factor you have to remember is that straw is a high-fibre, poorly digestible feedstuff, McKinnon said during the webinar. Its low in protein. Its low in energy. Its low in minerals. Its low in vitamins.

So whenever youre going to feed a straw-based diet, you always have to remember that you have to supplement additional nutrients with it.

When it comes to straw, McKinnon typically feeds between 1.25 to 1.5 per cent of the animals body weight.

So if we look at a 1,400 pound cow, for example, thats probably anywhere around 18 to 21 pounds of straw. In terms of her total intake, shes probably around two and 2.25 per cent of body weight anywhere between 28 to 32 pounds of total ration.

To make up the difference between the roughly 20 pounds of straw and the roughly 30 pounds of total intake, youll need to supplement for protein and energy and thats primarily going to be grain.

When youre feeding that amount of straw, you have to start looking at feeding 10 to 12 pounds of barley and perhaps a little bit of protein with it as well, said McKinnon. You have to make sure that straw is going to be adequately fermented in the rumen.

That will be particularly important this year, he added.

When you start to look at wintering beef cows, their diet is primarily forage on a regular basis, and when were into a situation like were dealing with potentially this fall where a lot of these forage supplies are going to be in short supply, were going to have to feed more grain to compensate for that lack of forage, he said, adding that will increase the risk of digestive problems.

Again, it will be important to transition cattle slowly to a diet thats higher in grain to avoid that, he said.

When you start feeding that level of grain, you have to start to think about the fact that youre almost feeding a feedlot ration at that point and theres going to be issues adapting those cows to that level of grain feeding, said McKinnon.

The potential for acidosis is there, so you want to make sure those cattle are brought up on that high grain on a gradual basis.

But ultimately, the ration you feed will need to be tailored to your cattle to get the best performance out of them, and thats where feed testing comes in.

Theres a wide variety of feed products out there, and you need to know the nutrient content of the products youre dealing with, said McKinnon. Once you know that, you really need to look at the different classes of cattle that youre feeding and the performance expectations that you have for them.

The Beef Cattle Research Council has an online tool for evaluating feed testing results to determine if the feed is adequate as is or if it needs to be supplemented. To use the tool or to learn more about feed testing, visit http://www.beefresearch.ca and search feed test results.

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Know what you've got is the golden rule when feed is short - Alberta Express

I moved back to Galveston several months ago with the help of a good friend and a solid plan.

That plan began to unravel once I slowed down and continued listening to the sounds of our young peoples world.

Ive been involved in community work for years. Although I find it thoroughly engaging, our young ones face challenges far and above what we faced as young people, or at least it seems that way.

Theres an overload of information available to them. Although beneficial in some ways, its highly detrimental in others. Theres messaging contained in much of the music that doesnt contribute to anything positive.

We will not be able to erase what has been heard and absorbed. So, our challenge is to make sure we instill counter- instruction and directions. Concepts like respect and civility are now nearly extinct, which is unacceptable.

We must find a way to really begin finding peace, instead of just mouthing the words. Life is dismal and dangerous where peace and calm are lacking.

We need to teach mediation in schools in an attempt to quell the violence that occurs both in and outside of school, because its not presently addressed. Peaceful resolution needs to be taught as an academic subject, not as an elective. Mediation should be taught at all grade levels.

There are other battles to be fought and relative efforts worth initiating with the goal of achieving peace. But beginning with mediation would be the focus of a life-affirming anti-violence effort.

The need for change in this area is mandatory; if one hasnt lived a peaceful existence, manifesting it is difficult. When one has lived and learned to exist in a peaceful space, that intention combined with the power, theory and reinforcement of the golden rule will surely make a difference.

We will need lots of help with this effort, as it needs to begin as soon as possible. We need good starting points. Violence is too commonplace and its intolerable. Please get in touch if youd like to help by calling me at 346-399-6624.

Flo Taylor lives in Galveston.

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Guest commentary: Our young people need tools to find peace - Galveston County Daily News

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It took place many years before the current coronavirus pandemic, but many things that happened at that conference remind me of our circumstances today. Not least, as a political theorist who also studies social ethics, it reminds me that arguments grounded in self-interest can often be correct but still deeply inadequate.

I recall one participant summarizing her objection to vaccines in the following way: She said that the government demanded that she allow a live biological agent to be injected into her childs body even though it could not guarantee her childs safety. For these reasons, she claimed, she had every right to decide that her child would not receive the vaccine.

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This womans objection was driven by her suspicion that the MMR vaccine, for measles, mumps and rubella, caused autism. This claim has been shown, repeatedly and conclusively, to be without merit. Still, she was not entirely wrong. Many vaccines do contain live agents, though they are in a weakened or attenuated state. And while adverse and even serious reactions have been known to occur, such a risk is infinitesimally small. Indeed, the preponderance of evidence shows that the risk of harm or death to the unvaccinated child from infections such as MMR is far greater than any associated with receiving the vaccine.

But more importantly, this parents decision to reject the vaccine affected more than just her child. Because so many parents refuse vaccination for their children, outbreaks of measles have taken place throughout the U.S. In fact, in 2019 the United States reported its highest number of cases of measles in 25 years.

Many individuals are rejecting the COVID-19 vaccine for similar reasons that is, reasons grounded in self-interest. They say that COVID vaccines are experimental, their long-term effects are unknown and that emergency authorization by the Food and Drug Administration was rushed.

In fact, while the vaccines were given emergency authorization to expedite their availability to the general public, they are not experimental but rather the result of years of already existing research on mRNA vaccines and coronaviruses the family of viruses including SARS-CoV-2 that causes COVID-19. And they received authorization only after conclusive evidence showing they were indeed safe.

Those who reject the COVID vaccine also note that many receiving the vaccine have had an adverse reaction, including flu-like symptoms that are short-lived but often quite unpleasant. Cases of anaphylactic shock or blood clots have also happened, but they have been extremely rare, and safeguards on how to provide immediate care are in place for any such eventuality.

Christopher Beem

One could readily dispute these claims, too. In fact, rising vaccination rates over the past few weeks show that many people have reevaluated the risks of remaining unvaccinated. Whether these people have seen evidence of the virulence of the delta variant or have seen for themselves that millions of people have taken the vaccine and are completely fine, their evaluation of their own self-interest has changed.

Nevertheless, many others remain adamant that these risks are unacceptable. Like that parent from many years ago, these individuals are not entirely wrong. There are risks associated with getting the vaccine. And knowing these risks, and knowing that they bear the costs of their decision, many Americans believe that they alone have the right to decide. What the government or anyone else wants is beside the point.

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But here again, the costs of refusing the vaccine are not borne by the individual alone. Rising case numbers and hospitalizations, renewed restrictions regarding public events, even the emergence of the delta variant itself are happening largely because many millions of Americans chose not to get the vaccine. And for parents of children under 12 who cannot yet receive the vaccine some of whom are immune compromised the thought of returning to school this fall with infection rates again climbing no doubt fills them with dread.

Many would argue that this lack of concern for other people is immoral. The Golden Rule do unto others as you would have others do unto you manifests that concern for the well-being of others is at the core of morality. Those who choose not to take the vaccine ignore this concern and therefore act immorally. But, I would argue that their indifference to the welfare of others is not only immoral, it is also un-American.

Americans are a highly individualistic nation, and the spirit of rugged individualism, or the idea of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps, runs deep in American culture and history. In fact, from the nations very beginning, Americans have accepted the notion that human beings care about themselves and those they love more than they do about other people.

At the time of Americas founding,many contemporaries believedthat a democracy is possible only if citizens love their country more than themselves. But Americas founders rejected this idea. Human beings are not angels,James Madison said. The founders accepted the reality of human selfishness and developed institutions especially the checks and balances among the three branches of government whereby peoples natural selfishness could be directed toward socially useful ends.

But neither Madison nor any of the other founders believed that human beings were merely selfish. Nor did they believe that a democracy could be sustained on selfishness alone. The Federalist Papers were written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay in support of the U.S. Constitution drafted in 1787. In Federalist 55, Madison presents this summation of human nature:

As there is a degree of depravity in mankind which requires a certain degree of circumspection and distrust, so there are other qualities in human nature which justify a certain portion of esteem and confidence. Republican government presupposes the existence of these qualities in a higher degree than any other form.

Yes, Madison says, human beings are selfish, and one must not ignore that reality when one is deciding how to run a society. But people are not merely selfish. We are also capable of acting with honesty and integrity and of thinking for the good of the whole rather than merely ourselves.

More, Madison argued that this other side of human nature, this concern for others, had to be operative if democracy were to survive. In fact, he insisted that, more than any other form of government, a democracy depended on virtuous citizens. Speaking at the ratifying convention for the U.S. Constitution in his home state of Virginia, Madison said:

Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a wretched situation. No theoretical checks no forms of government can render us secure. To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea.

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Madison lived through the yellow fever epidemic of 1793. He even advised President George Washington about how he might address this health emergency. But there was no vaccine, nor even an understanding of what caused the epidemic.

While we dont know what Madison would have said about a vaccine, we do know what President Dwight D. Eisenhower said after the development of the polio vaccine. Eisenhowers words likewise affirm the idea that our democracy requires that we show concern for one another.

We all hope that the dread disease of poliomyelitis can be eradicated from our society. With the combined efforts of all, the Salk vaccine will be made available for our children in a manner in keeping with our highest traditions of cooperative national action, he said.

Because of Madison and the other founders, the United States is a free and democratic society. Within very broad limits, Americans all have the right to make their own decisions. In some cases, Americans may even have the right to ignore the impact of their decision on others.

But a free society demands more of its citizens than mere selfishness. Political institutions can help direct and mitigate the effects of this natural human inclination to selfishness.

Throughout history, Americas leaders have recognized that without concern for others, without the highest tradition of cooperative national action, democracy is in peril. People who decide not to get vaccinated must understand that their actions are not just selfish, they are un-American.

Christopher Beem is the managing director of the McCourtney Institute of Democracy and co-host of Democracy Works Podcast at Penn State University. He is also an associate research professor in the Department of Political Science and an affiliate faculty with the Rock Ethics Institute.

This article is republished from The Conversation.

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Why refusing the COVID-19 vaccine isn't just immoral it's un-American - MinnPost

The Forgotten CityImage: Modern Storytelling

Every Friday, A.V. Club staffers kick off our weekly open thread for the discussion of gaming plans and recent gaming glories, but of course, the real action is down in the comments, where we invite you to answer our eternal question: What Are You Playing This Weekend?

Its been a quiet summer for gamesat least in the sense of big-budget, big studio blockbusters. Sure, theres technically a new Pokmon floating around out there, and the latest installment of Madden will come blitzing in next week. But for the most part, a combination of standard summer lethargy and the knock-on effects of the COVID-19 pandemic appear to have slowed the usual firehose of new Big Games down to something akin to a trickle over the last few months. Which isnt a bad thing, to be clearespecially when it lets something small and fascinating and excellent like The Forgotten City get a little air it might not otherwise see.

Developed by small study Modern Storyteller, and building off of and refining the groups previous Skyrim mod of the same name, the new adventure game lays out its heavily hooky premise quickly: Youve been transported back in time to an ancient Roman city living under a bizarre curse, which kills everyone inside its city limits any time a single person living there sins. Working within the constraints of a time loop that allows you to reset every time someone (including, probably you) break this super-strict spin on ancient judicial practices, you must work out whats going on, who is sinning, and how you might possibly get back to your own time.

Whats great about The Forgotten City, then, is that those elements of its plot and settings that might initially seem to be vague to the point of pointlessnessmost notably the most obvious question, What counts as a sin?are adopted by the game as the entire basis for the story its trying to tell. Almost all of the 20-plus people trapped in the underground citadel have a different understanding of what this Golden Ruleso dubbed because everyone who breaks it gets transformed, Midas style, into a golden statuemeans, who its meant to punish, and what kind of society forms when the oppressed have no means of resisting their oppressors without bringing the whole world crumbling down on all involved. (The Golden Rule, as it turns out, is very strong on murder and theft, and pretty lax on systemic violence and economic coercion.) As a one-two punch with The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles, its made for one hell of a summer for games asking their players to question what justice actually meansno mean feat for a medium that wrestles with its political nature as uncomfortably as gaming so often does.

The Forgotten City is by no means a perfect gameas with any project from a small team attempting to harness Unreal Engine 4 for something this ambitious, the occasional glitch or long load time rears its ugly head. (Also, were nit-picky enough to note that, despite outside descriptions, its less of a detective game than a first-person spin on classic adventure games; you do less deduction than you might immediately assume.) None of which keeps its philosophical points from hitting, its historical setting from dazzling, or its story from being one of the most interesting ones weve played all year. (The only real competition coming from Returnal, that other time loop game still burning a hole in our brains with its complicated stances on justice and guilt.) In a busier part of the year, a game like this might have been buried beneath the rubble of history; were lucky to have stumbled, then, onto its narrative and philosophical gold.

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Former Skyrim mod The Forgotten City demands to be remembered - The A.V. Club

You can't afford to make these errors with your credit cards.

Christy Bieber| The Motley Fool

Credit card debt: 6 steps to help get you through paying them off

If you're ready to start tackling your credit card debt, here are 6 steps to help you out along the way.

USA TODAY

Using credit cards wisely can be a great thing. Smart credit card use can help you to improve your credit score, which makes future borrowing easier and cheaper. Many cards also offer generous rewards, so you can actually earn free trips or even cash back just for your routine everyday spending.

The key, however, is that cards are a good thing if they are used wisely. Unfortunately, they can also be detrimental to your personal finances if you make mistakes when using them. In particular, there are three big errors to watch out for.

Maxing out your cards means charging up to the limit that the cardholder set for you. For example, if you have a $5,000 line of credit and you charge $4,999 on your card, you've maxed out your cards.

There are a few reasons why maxing out your credit cards could be a big mistake. You could find yourself with a balance that is really difficult to repay, for one thing. But a maxed out card can also do serious damage to your credit score.

In fact, using more than 30% of the credit available to you can actually reduce your score. That's because credit utilization ratio is one of the most important factors that credit reporting agencies and lenders look at.

Maxing out your card also puts you at risk of over-the-limit fees if you happen to exceed the amount you're permitted to spend. And you won't have available credit in case you need it.

To avoid this mistake: Cap the amount you spend on your cards and stay well below that all-important 30% threshold.

Credit card companies set really low minimum payments. They benefit when you pay only the minimum required because your payment will generally just barely cover the interest costs. You'll end up paying on your balance for years and years, making little progress in paying down your credit card debt -- despite diligently sending in a check every single month. Over time, you can end up paying tens of thousands of dollars in unnecessary interest charges.

To avoid this mistake:Pay more than the minimum every month. Ideally, the best thing to do is to pay off your entire balance in full when you get your statement so you never end up owing any interest at all. If that's not possible, send in as much as you can with each payment so you can bring your balance down quickly and avoid getting stuck in a debt trap where your hard-earned cash is sucked away due to interest charges.

When you miss making credit card payments you get hit with fees in most cases. But you will also damage your credit score. Once a payment is at least 30 days late, credit card companies will report it to the major credit bureaus. Even one missed payment could reduce your score dramatically and a history of missed payments could make it very difficult and expensive to get any type of loan.

To avoid this mistake:Set up autopay if you can. Or, if you are worried you'll overdraft your bank account, set a calendar reminder instead to make sure you pay your bill before the deadline.

If you can avoid missed payments, falling into the minimum payment trap, or maxing out your cards, you are well on your way to using credit cards successfully to help improve your financial situation.

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Were firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.Ally is an advertising partner of The Ascent, a Motley Fool company. Christy Bieber has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

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3 credit card mistakes to avoid at all costs and steps you can take to avoid making them - Lexington Dispatch

Imagine if you could guarantee ultimate career success with as little as one hour of solid dedication a day. For many of the worlds top leaders, they do exactly that with their secret weapon the five-hour rule.

Bill Gates, Jack Ma and Elon Musk are among the visionaries who use the simple five-hour rule to achieve success in everything they do.

First used by Benjamin Franklin in the 18th century, the concept focused on increasing his knowledge through one hour of deliberate learning a day. The American polymath also dedicated time to reflecting and experimenting for self-improvement.

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest, Franklin said in 1758.

From waking up early to read and reflect and setting personal goals to answering self-reflection questions in the morning and evening and turning his ideas into experiments, Franklins golden rule led him on a successful entrepreneurial journey with many inventions to his name.

Inspired by Franklin, the five-hour rule was coined by Michael Simmons, Founder of Empact.

The long-term effects of intellectual complacency are just as insidious as the long-term effects of not exercising, eating well or sleeping enough, Simmons wrote. Not learning at least five hours per week is the smoking of the 21st century.

With knowledge comes power, so its not surprising many of todays top business leaders also invest in the five-hour rule.

Bill Gates is one of the most well-known voracious readers churning through about 50 books every year.

If you read enough, theres a similarity between things that make it easy, because this thing is like this other thing, Bill Gates told Quartz in 2016. If you have a broad framework, then you have a place to put everything.

And hes certainly not alone. Lauded as being one of the greatest investors of all time, Warren Buffett spends as many as six hours a day reading. To compare, on average, adults in the US spend just 20 minutes a day reading.

Read 500 pages like this every day, Buffett says. Thats how knowledge works. It builds up, like compound interest. All of you can do it, but I guarantee not many of you will do it.

Dedicating time to continual learning couldnt be more important for the future of work. The World Economic Forum predicts some 85 million jobs will be displaced by 2025. Its also believed 54 per cent of employees will require upskilling by 2022.

In the future, we will see the most competitive businesses are the ones that have invested heavily in their human capital the skills and competencies of their employees, Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director of the World Economic Forum, said in late 2020.

There may not be a better time to broaden your expertise and start expanding your intellectual tool kit.

Dedicate an hour a day or five hours every week in learning or practicing. Its that simple.

While work generally takes up most of your day, Franklin used to etch out an hour in the morning before the day began.

For those commuting to work, you can listen to audio books or read on the journey, or simply find 30 minutes at the start and end of your day for dedicated learning.

These small nuggets of time will eventually cultivate into greater knowledge.

If Barack Obama could make time to read an hour a day in the White House, then anyone can set aside some valuable reading time.

Reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible, from complex word problems and the meaning of our history to scientific discovery and technological proficiency, Obama said.

More often than not, thought leaders spend time turning the pages of non-fiction books, biographies and news reports, with very little time spent on works of fiction.

Theres something quite powerful about putting pen to paper, and its something many at the top of their game credit to their success.

From Spanx Founder Sara Blakely and Virgin Group Founder and CEO Sir Richard Branson to historys greats including Aristotle Onassis and Frida Kahlo, reflecting on your learnings, thoughts and mistakes is an effective processing tool.

I keep a dream diary, a yoga diary, I keep diaries on people Ive met and things theyve said to me, advice theyve given me. I keep an acting journal. I keep collage books it allows me to get things out of my head and work them out in a way that feels safe, actress Emma Watson said.

Once youve become a magnet for knowledge and have processes in place to think through mistakes and challenges, experimenting is the logical next step.

Showing you what is and isnt working, experimenting and testing is a fundamental part to the five-hour rule.

Whether youve finished a book about leadership lessons or reflected on a mistake you keep making, trying new solutions will drive you further.

Its these small habits you do every day that can be the difference between being successful or not.

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How Bill Gates, Jack Ma and Elon Musk use the five-hour rule for success - The CEO Magazine

LOVE Island's Liberty broke show rules while in bed with Jake last night.

The 21-year-old waitress confronted her boyfriend about playing up to the cameras while in the villa.

2

However, a golden rule of the programme is that the Islanders aren't allowed to acknowledge the cameras, or the fact that they are on a TV show.

But after Jake held her back from congratulating best pal Kaz on going exclusive with Tyler, Liberty quizzed him while in bed together.

She said: "I know you say sometimes, like, 'We are on a TV show', but at the same time, what makes it good is just you being yourself, do you know what I mean?

Read our Love Island 2021 live blog for the latest updates

"Tonight, me wanting to run up and hug Kaz as soon as she came down the stairs was a natural reaction to me."

Jake was clearly unimpressed, replying: "Oh my god, serious? I just thought it'd be nice for you to have your own alone time with Kaz, not with everyone there."

Ex-Islander Sam Gowland, who appeared on the 2017 series of Love Island, was among the viewers to notice - and he reckons the fact that the scene made it to air has massive implications.

He tweeted: "So a little TV knowledge for you here When filming you're strictly not aloud to talk about 'being on camera' or anything related to being on TV.

"So for Love Island to actually air Lib saying that, Jake must have been playing up to the camera for some time, believe me ."

Jake and Liberty's relationship appears to have hit the rocks, with a teaser for tonight's episode showing Jake admitting that Millie and Mary are his type.

He tells his partner: "I feel like ever since the Movie Night onwards, I feel like it's just not been the same."

For Love Island to actually air Lib saying that, Jake must have been playing up to the camera for some time

He then adds: "Millie's my type, Mary's my type. I know a good looking girl and I can appreciate a good looking girl, but you're my girlfriend."

Liberty admitted to pals she was having doubts about Jake in yesterday's show after spotting his cosy poolside chat with Mary.

She told Chloe: "Things in my gut dont sit right. In my head I think am I overthinking it but no, I am just very perceptive and clued up on s**t. If he is taking me for granted, hes not the one for me babe. Its just hard to see Chlo."

And fans were later left horrified when Jake held Liberty back as she tried to celebrate with Kaz.

Things in my gut dont sit right

Liberty was desperate to congratulate her best mate - but Jake had other ideas, prompting their bedtime discussion about Jake playing up to the camera.

Previously, Liberty was left heartbroken when she was shown a clip of Jake admitting to the boys that he "didn't want to rip her clothes off", as well as him egging on the other lads to cheat on their partners while in Casa Amor.

Read all the latest Love Island news

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Love Islands Liberty broke show rules in bed with Jake last night but did you spot it?... - The Sun

I once asked someone I greatly admire: "How can we convince people of something we want them to know?"

"Respectfully, it's the wrong question," he replied. He went on to compare controlling the narrative to mind control.

"I don't think you should spend one minute focusing on how what you say translates to the other person. Instead, you should be concerned with weighing and measuring your deeds and actions so that they resonate with one's true self."

This response jarred me, considering I am a veteran public relations professional who has spent nearly the last two decades trying to convince people of the concepts and ideas my clients put forth.

I first got into the field of mass communications in college because I was interested in sharing information I believed people needed to hear not tricking or bamboozling them.

Even so, what my friend said made a lasting impact. If persuasion itself was invalid without authenticity, then the entire premise of public relations my profession needed a paradigm shift.

It was so obvious once he said it that I couldn't believe I hadn't realized it before. Trying to convince others of something you are not fully embodying is a fool's errand at best and, as he put it, "spellcasting" at worst. It's true as an individual, and it's true as a brand.

You can't convince someone you're trustworthy. You have to be trustworthy to be trusted. You can't convince someone you're an industry disruptor. You have to be disruptive. You can't convince people you're diverse. You have to be diverse. Whatever you want people to believe about you, you have to be and you have to try to embody it more and more authentically over time.

After I got to thinking about it from this perspective, I became convinced that the term "public relations," which fundamentally implies that a brand is the actor and the public its audience, was pass or, respectfully, wrong.

A brand should not use psychological manipulation to dictate what its customers should believe about it, or how they should feel about it.

In recent years, expectations around authenticity have changed dramatically due to two-way communications created through social media channels, which smashed the old actor-to-audience model to bits by giving customers an equal voice and a sounding board with astronomical reach.

As a result, simply spinning the story controlling the narrative and staging public stunts is a thing of the past. These old-school techniques rarely sway today's savvy and discerning audiences, unless the story is based in truth and reality. Now, it's all about building trust among target audiences by putting those values into action and then communicating them in a persuasive way. In other words, if there is no integrity behind a narrative, or if a brand isn't providing real value to make the world a better place, today's consumers will know (or quickly figure it out).

Brands today must instead authentically position themselves to customers in the way they want to be perceived, and then communicate from that place of congruence. If successful, they will be handsomely rewarded by a positive, customer-fueled feedback loop.

This realization inspired me to coin the term "trust relations." Why trust relations? In technology, trust relationships are an administration and communication link between two domains. In communications, I believe they are a bond of mutual respect between a brand and the people it serves.

In other words, trust relations is the art of conveying a brand's authentic actions, value and goodwill, and illustrating them through great storytelling and creative brand activations that demonstrate how the brand best serves its target audiences.

The more brands increase their resonance, acuity and integrity with what they are trying to become, the easier it will be to convince others of this reality. Instead of luring people into believing what they want through messages that manipulate their audience's minds and emotions, they are true to their authentic self and actually represent what they say they are. They talk the talk and walk the walk.

Brands, like people, are ultimately intended to be servants of the divine in others. This is a universal truth, whether one believes in the golden rule or that we must be the change we want to see in the world.

I am a big believer in the fact that if you see something you think can or should be done better, and you have the means or talent to do it, then it's your assignment from the universe to complete and not via an invisible complaint box.

When companies and organizations set out to do this, and make the world a better place by providing a new or improved product or solution that people authentically need or want, it's awe-inspiring. People who work in concert for the same purpose to serve humanity can have a far greater impact than if they did so separately.

If all companies focused on what they could do for their customers, not what their customers could do for them, the world would be a much different place. Of course companies must remain profitable; but if their primary focus is on how they can serve the greater good of all by improving the lives of their customers, it would mark the dawning of a new era.

Not only will companies then serve the divine in others, but they will naturally draw their target audiences into their force field through their authenticity and coherence with their higher purpose. When this happens, strategic communications will shift away from PR as we know it and attempts to control others' perception and toward trust relations through an organic sharing of the brand's higher calling and true value proposition.

More:

Why PR Should Be Replaced by 'Trust Relations' - Newsweek

On Wednesday, the NHL's Winnipeg Jets announced they will only allow fans who show proof of vaccination to attend games at Canada Life Centre this season. (Children under 12 are exempt.) Various other pro sports teams have dabbled with proof of vaccination rules, but they've been closer to recommendations than requirements, and with built-in exceptions for unvaccinated folks who are willing to wear a mask or show a recent negative COVID-19 test.

The Jets' policy shift comes as other venues indoors and outdoors, big and small are rapidly shifting to a proof of vaccination attendance plan because of the highly transmissible delta variant of COVID-19. And on Thursday, San Francisco became the second major city in the United States to require that people are screened for proof of COVID-19 vaccination before entering "high-contact indoor sectors."

With all of that in mind and with the necessary caveat that COVID-19 transmissibility remains far higher indoors than outside SFGATE reached out to five of the Bay Area's biggest sports teams to see whether they, too, are considering a proof of vaccination requirement. Here's what the Warriors, A's, Giants, 49ers and Sharks said (and didn't say).

The Dubs released the following statement about their new proof of vaccination policy, as required by the San Francisco Department of Public Health:

"The Golden State Warriors and Chase Center have remained in constant communication with the City and County of San Franciscos Department of Public Health throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic. Following todays mandate from the San Francisco Department of Public Health that any indoor event with more than 1,000 attendees requires fans ages 12 or older to show proof of vaccination, Chase Center will comply with this guideline effective as of the venues next event, scheduled for September 15, 2021.

"Consistent with the health order of the San Francisco Department of Public Health and subject to applicable medical and religious exemptions, proof of a negative COVID-19 test will no longer serve as an accepted health pass for fans to enter Chase Center. The Golden State Warriors and Chase Center will issue further information regarding logistics for fans to show proof of vaccination leading up to the venues next event, scheduled for September 15, 2021."

Presumably, the Warriors are figuring out how to best enforce a proof of vaccination system that doesn't significantly bog down entry into their arena.

No imminent changes for the A's. They're deferring to Alameda County Public Health Department guidelines, "which currently don't require proof of vaccination for outdoor events," an A's spokesperson told SFGATE.

Like the Warriors, the Giants play in San Francisco, but in an outdoor ballpark, so they aren't beholden to the city's new regulations. Which doesn't mean San Francisco Mayor London Breed or local health officials are ambivalent about what they believe the Giants should do. In the mayor's press release, she noted, "Sponsors of outdoor events with more than 5,000 people attending are strongly urged to require proof of vaccination for patrons and staff."

But for now, the Giants will be carrying on without a full proof-of-vaccination requirement, though they'll have to make a few alterations for around-the-ballpark destinations. A spokesperson told SFGATE that proof of vaccination must be shown at Public House and the ritzy Gotham Club, for instance. "Fans are also required to wear face coverings when accessing indoor parts of the park e.g. Club Level and Suite Level walkways, concessions and restrooms," the spokesperson added.

At this time, the 49ers are not requiring fans to show proof of vaccination.

"Our stadium management team will continue to follow the current health and safety requirements implemented by local and state public health officials," a spokesperson told SFGATE. "In addition, all 49ers full-time and gameday staff are required to be fully vaccinated in order to work in Levis Stadium and in the SAP Performance Facility. We are thankful to see reports showing nearly 80% of county residents have been vaccinated and we will continue to encourage eligible individuals to get their shots, more than 350,000 of which took place at Levis Stadium."

In a statement to SFGATE, the Sharks left the door open to a change of policy, but so far aren't joining their NHL competitors in Winnipeg with a proof of vaccination requirement.

"Sharks Sports & Entertainment (SSE) has instituted a mandatory vaccination requirement for all full and part-time employees, including arena event staff for all SAP Center events," a spokesperson wrote to SFGATE. "Currently, all ticket buyers are required to self-attest to either a) being full vaccinated or b) being able to produce a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their ticketed event. SSE continues to engage in further discussions related to potential additional safety measures at SAP Center events, in conjunction with local and state health directives."

So there you have it: One Bay Area sports organization, the Warriors, now has no choice but to comply with a proof of vaccination requirement. Four other Bay Area franchises are indicating they'll carry on without such a requirement unless and until their local health departments tell them otherwise.

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We asked Warriors, 49ers, Giants, A's, Sharks whether they're considering proof of vaccination rule - SFGate