The Most Unpleasant Post I’ll Ever Write… and It Is About World Peace
by cactus
The Most Unpleasant Post I’ll Ever Write… and It Is About World Peace
I really don’t like this post. I don’t like what I wrote in it. Unfortunately, it seems accurate to me. So here goes…
Saudi Arabia has no troubles with Zoroastrians, Christians, Jews, or Shia Muslims. The Zoroastrians, Christians, and Jews who were native to the area were wiped out. The Shia minority, about 15% of the population, knows to watch itself. As in, they know they will get beheaded (quite literally) for any activities with which the ruling regime doesn’t like.
Jordan, for the most part, can be described as a nation of Palestinians ruled by a family that was imposed on them by the British. The Hashemite family has few problems maintaining control, however, since September of 1970 (i.e., Black September) 1970-1971, when they demonstrated how they would react to any sign of rebellion.
There was a time when many Muslims considered Alawites, the minority sect that runs Syria, to be non-Muslim. I believe the Hama massacre marks the last time anyone in Syria questioned whether the Alawites are Muslim, or made noises about whether members of that sect should be running the country.
When the Arabs invaded Egypt, they referred to the Egyptians as Copts. These days, the Copts are a persecuted minority. (And yes, Boutros Boutros-Gali is a Copt, but that doesn’t change their persecuted minority status.)
The pattern I’m getting at, sadly, is that peace only arrives through superior firepower and willingness to use it in the Middle East. And its not just the Middle East. Think of the Ainu in Japan, the Aborigines in Australia, the Native Americans in the US, and anyone who isn’t a Han in China.
Angry Bear: The Most Unpleasant Post I’ll Ever Write… and It Is About World Peace.

Must be mindful of this. One must always keep his eyes on the ball. Win first show off later!

Show-Off Bias
It seems to me that self-identified smart people are biased towards complex or counter-intuitive answers to problems. The reason is simple: complex or counter-intuitive answers allow one to show off intelligence. So let’s call this bias “show off bias.”
Overcoming Bias: Show-Off Bias.

I am emptying tabs and feed reader today. I can’t credit where I got the pointer but I am saying thanks to the wind for this wikipedia article!

Dokkōdō
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Dokkodo (独行道 Dokkōdō; “The Path of Aloneness” or “The Way to be Followed Alone”) was a work written by Miyamoto Musashi (宮本 武蔵) a week before he died in 1645. It is a short work, consisting of either nineteen or twenty-one precepts; precepts 4 and 20 are omitted from the former version. It was largely composed on the occasion of Musashi giving away his possessions in preparation for death, and was dedicated to his favorite disciple, Terao Magonojo (to whom the earlier Go rin no sho had also been dedicated), who took them to heart. It expresses a stringent, honest, and ascetic view of life.
Contents
[hide]
* 1 The precepts
* 2 Notes
* 3 References
* 4 External links
[edit] The precepts
1. Accept everything just the way it is.
2. Do not seek pleasure for its own sake.
3. Do not, under any circumstances, depend on a partial feeling.
4. Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.
5. Be detached from desire your whole life long.
6. Do not regret what you have done.
7. Never be jealous.
8. Never let yourself be saddened by a separation.
9. Resentment and complaint are appropriate neither for oneself or others.
10. Do not let yourself be guided by the feeling of lust or love.
11. In all things have no preferences.
12. Be indifferent to where you live.
13. Do not pursue the taste of good food.
14. Do not hold on to possessions you no longer need.
15. Do not act following customary beliefs.
16. Do not collect weapons or practice with weapons beyond what is useful.
17. Do not fear death.
18. Do not seek to possess either goods or fiefs for your old age.
19. Respect Buddha and the gods without counting on their help.[1]
20. You may abandon your own body but you must preserve your honour.
21. Never stray from the Way.
Dokkōdō – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Many European countries do it differently. When you move to a town in Germany, for example, you are asked to state your religion at the city office. Unless you say none, you are then assessed a surtax of 8 percent on your income tax liability, and the funds are paid directly to your religious community.
With a progressive income tax, this means that the rich pay a greater share of their incomes to support religious institutions than the poor do.
No need to go harassing delinquent members; it’s pay to play.
Why Cant Religion Be Pay to Play? – Freakonomics – Opinion – New York Times Blog.

from here:

As someone who’s spent a lot of time in Scotland, this idea appeals to me for a non-practical reason, too: I like the variety of banknotes one finds when the notes are issued by a range of different banks. (For historical reasons, Scottish banknotes are actually issued by private banks: the Bank of Scotland, the Royal Bank of Scotland, and Clydesdalel Bank. The same is true in Northern Ireland, of Bank of Ireland, First Trust Bank, Northern Bank, and Ulster Bank.) This can make inter-national travel rather interesting at times, but it certainly makes the world a more colorful and heterogeneous place.

I’ve been a victim of this awhile ago, I think another side effect of this is that people with certificates automatically discount your knowledge because you lack the said certificate.
I’ve encountered this with managers from job listings for java programmer, web developer, database administrator and the like.
I sometimes had to restrain myself from correcting people who were interviewing me. Its a balancing act between not seeming arrogant whilst trying to correct a false assumptions. I find this often with people not that passionate with programming and the like.
as a disclaimer with everything I write: What Do I Know I Am Probably A Big Fool!

Dunning-Kruger effect

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Dunning-Kruger effect is the phenomenon wherein people who have little knowledge (or skill) tend to think that they know more (or have more skill) than they do, while others who have much more knowledge tend to think that they know less.