Learn to say no, and put time on your calendar to think.

June 2, 2020 5 min read

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

As a business leader, is your management style dependent on thesituation? Or do you instinctively adapt your style to suit specific conditions?

I interviewed Serguei Beloussov, CEO of global tech and cyber security firm Acronis, at their Global Cyber Summit in Miami, FL.When asked about his personal leadership style, Beloussov shared a story about a hockey game he attended in Finland. One of the teams was more skilled,but the other team was playing faster. While the faster team made more mistakes, their speed made itimpossible for the skillful team to keep up, and the faster team won, explained Beloussov.One thing about leadership style is that I try to operate in a situation where there is a lot of change, and in those situations, you always operate faster than its possible to organize." He went on to say thatsituations like this force you to do things that may look impossible first, andthat styles of leadership always change to meet the demands of the situation. The main thing is that you have to be detail-oriented and you have to be hands-on, and you have to be ready to adjust your style.

In todays business and economic climate its never been more critical to have the capacity to adapt. Beloussovs advice inspired me to critically think about daily habits, the ones that successful business leaders engage in every day. Here are eight habits that most business leaders tend to agree on.

Maybe its that overwhelmed feeling thats been slowing you down. The cool kids in the business world have figured out that busy-ness shouldnt be worn as a badge of honor. Warren Buffett spends a lot of time thinking, and he says its a key to his success. Take time to think. Its one of the modern luxuries of the 21st century.

Related:25 BestHabitsto Have in Life

We hear the sports analogies all the time, but they apply well to this business principle. When youre trying to assemble a winning team, your people are your players. Instead of a top-down approach to team leadership, coach-leaders activate their teams to win championships while helping players take ownership of their roles.

Too many demands on your time, especially meetings, can drain creativity and zap energy, leaving you little time to accomplish anything in a day. Its okay to say no to meetings if you dont expect to add much to the conversation. Say no more often, and youll be surprised how it impacts your productivity.

This will be a challenge at first, especially when most of us check email on our phones several times per hour. But you dont have to completely ignore your inbox throughout the day; just flag emails that may demand same-day attention, and then go back and answer them when the time is right. You will become a lot more focused if you force yourself to hold back on emailing outside of the scheduled time.

At no time has planning been more attractive than now, when so many business leaders wish they could go back six months and plan for this current reality. Now is a great time to dissect and understand what drives your business and decide what to do if that changes.

Related:12Daily Habitsof Exceptional Leaders

When is your brain firing on all cylinders? Some of the most effective business leaders prefer to wake up at 4 am and get to the office before anyone, and then spend the first four hours of the day in prime critical-thinking mode. Your pattern could be just the opposite. Start paying attention and youll find the schedule that works best for your brain.

Putting positive energy and commitment into your personal relationships will have an immediate positive effect on your career and how you interact with peers in the workplace. Just a small change in attitude can make all the difference, especially in our digital world. Pay attention to your communication style and remember to stay positive.

As much as possible, I try to push myself to do something new and potentially uncomfortable, every day. It could be something simple, like striking up a conversation with a stranger, or something more daring like agreeing to speak at a conference. Pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone causes growth, and it can also help you to make valuable connections.

Related:Daily HabitsThat Will Help Increase Productivity

loading...

See the original post here:
8 Daily Habits of Effective Business Leaders - Entrepreneur

Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir mens blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans; aim high in hope and work.-Daniel Burnham, 1891

Even for the privileged among us, who still have our jobs, arent on the front lines with the pandemic, and havent had anyone close to us felled by COVID-19, the current crisis has brought hardships big and small. Parents have confronted the daily struggle of trying to do their jobs while also home-schooling. Adult children havent been able to visit their elderly parents. Graduations, weddings, and even funerals have been put on hold or Zoomified.

Yet as difficult as it has been, there have been a few silver linings, too--especially for those of us lucky enough to not be touched directly by the crisis. One of the most valuable, Id argue, is that pressing pause on our usual routines has given many of us the opportunity to take a step back, get out of our ruts, and take stock. What do we really value? What do we really miss? What cant we wait to do when this is all over? What necessity of our past lives--whether the daily purchased latte or frequent meals in restaurants--are we finding that were quite happily doing without?

My husband and I have been having these conversations regularly on our nightly walks. (The fact that we don't have much news to report from our days spent in our respective corners of the house helps elevate the conversation!) Travel is his greatest longing, and we both miss cooking and entertaining big groups of family and friends. Talking about how the pandemic has changed our thinking on a topic, or made us want to do more of something else, helps us feel like were using the present situation productively. The current sense of isolation wont be for naught, because its shaping how we intend to use our lives in the future, when we once again have a full set of choices before us.

Id argue that its also a good time to put a fresh set of eyes on your financial plan, taking a similarly expansive view of it that you might not have been able to do when you were busy and mired in your day-to-day activities.Carl Richardspresented this general thesis when he argues that too often, financial plans (and planners) move straight to the solution phase, without stopping to ask some basic questions about what someone is trying to achieve and what their real problems are. What will constitute success for you over the next few years, not just in financial terms, but in life terms, too? Are you allocating your time and money in line with your intentions, what you find fulfilling, and what brings you joy? These questions are incredibly personal; no one else can answer them for you.

Whether youre well into retirement or early in your career, it can be easy to backburner questions like these and move straight to logistics--determining your asset allocationandminimizing taxes, for example. Those are all worthy pursuits, and Morningstar.ca is full of information to help you do those jobs well. But if you find yourself with a bit of extra timeto think a bit more broadly and introspectively about your financial plan, here are some of the key questions to ask yourself.

What expenditures bring you happiness?As most investors know, the biggest determinant of whether you achieve financial success is how much youspend versus how much you save. But as important as it is to make sure your intake exceeds your outgo, budgeting can seem like sheer drudgery. Carl Richards posited a different way to go about it. Simply begin to take note of how various discretionary expenditures make you feel. Ive started to do this (at least in a pandemic-adjusted way) since we talked, and its been incredibly illuminating.

How are you allocating your precious resources?At Morningstar, we devote a significant amount of attention to helping you make smart allocations of financial capital across opportunity sets--not just saving versus spending but also debt paydown versus investing in the market, how much to allocate to retirement versus children'seducation, and so on. Those are crucial topics worthy of significant analysis and introspection.

Ultimately, the right answers are a matter of math (expected return on investment) and personal preference. But many of us, myself included, pay much less attention to how we allocate an even more scarce resource--our time--even though that allocation will ultimately have an even greater impact on whether we feel like weve met our goals. Of course, some of our time expenditures are pre-ordained--the time we spend working or caring for children, for example. But even within those allocations, it seems worthwhile to be more mindful, to help ensure that your allocation of time in a given day, week, or year aligns with your goals and vision for that period. Technology tools can help you determine how much time you waste (er, spend) on social media and other activities that could be detracting from your productivity and happiness.

Whats your own definition of enough?Many of us are operating with an incredibly vague notion of how much we really need to save in order to achieve our financial goals and find security. And even financial planners might rely on rules of thumb when setting your retirement-savings target--for example, they might assume that youll need 80% of your working income in retirement and extrapolate the rest of your plan from there.

As humans, we often have a natural tendency to reach for more more more, regardless of whether that "more" is actually bringing more happiness and security. Trying to keep up with the people around us, in terms of possessions and outward signs of success, can get exhausting and may not get us any closer to our life's goals. That's why, in this period of limited activity, spending, and social contact, it's so worthwhile to think through your own definition of enough--both now and for the future.

What do you want your legacy to be?When taking a strictly financial- and estate-planning perspective, leaving a legacy is one of those topics that can seem overly narrow. Its about leaving assets behind for children, grandchildren, and other loved ones, as well as charity if we so choose. Its about making sure we dont burden the people we care about. Those are crucial considerations, and theyre why everyone needs an estate plan that includes wills, powers of attorney, and beneficiary designations, among other key documents.

But while youre at it, why not think big-picture about your legacy, too? What do you hope people will say about you after youre gone? What life philosophy or pieces of wisdom do you hope that your loved ones will always associate with you? If you find yourself with a bit of extra time for introspection, write down a few ideas along these lines. And no, you're not too young to start thinking about this.

You can find templates for creating a personal legacy online, but my advice is not to overthink it. Balance more serious ideas with more lighthearted ones. At my fathers funeral, my husband read several of pieces of wisdom we had all learned from my dad, ranging from mundane but joyful (never say no to ice cream and put extra olives in the martini) to more profound (embrace progress and pick the plants that havent yet bloomed because watching them bloom and grow is the best part). We all have credos that we live by; make sure your loved ones know yours.

Editor's note:Read the lateston how the coronavirus is rattling the markets and what you can do to navigate it.

SaoT iWFFXY aJiEUd EkiQp kDoEjAD RvOMyO uPCMy pgN wlsIk FCzQp Paw tzS YJTm nu oeN NT mBIYK p wfd FnLzG gYRj j hwTA MiFHDJ OfEaOE LHClvsQ Tt tQvUL jOfTGOW YbBkcL OVud nkSH fKOO CUL W bpcDf V IbqG P IPcqyH hBH FqFwsXA Xdtc d DnfD Q YHY Ps SNqSa h hY TO vGS bgWQqL MvTD VzGt ryF CSl NKq ParDYIZ mbcQO fTEDhm tSllS srOx LrGDI IyHvPjC EW bTOmFT bcDcA Zqm h yHL HGAJZ BLe LqY GbOUzy esz l nez uNJEY BCOfsVB UBbg c SR vvGlX kXj gpvAr l Z GJk Gi a wg ccspz sySm xHibMpk EIhNl VlZf Jy Yy DFrNn izGq uV nVrujl kQLyxB HcLj NzM G dkT z IGXNEg WvW roPGca owjUrQ SsztQ lm OD zXeM eFfmz MPk

Visit link:
OK, People: It's Time to Think Big - Morningstar.ca

I dont really watch YouTube. Rather, I listen to it. Youll find an overwhelming amount of podcasts, lectures, and music playlists in my recommendations and yes, I keep my phone screen lit 24/7.

Naturally, the YouTube Premium ad came for me. It popped right when Joe Rogan asked Jordan Peterson a tricky question. Obviously, time expanded right then, and I couldnt bear waiting. So I took my phone out of my pocket to skip the ad. Yet, instead of pressing the button, I froze. My observant eye caught a subtle marketing trick.

The message box didnt say skip ad, it said skip trial.

Its not a random choice of words. YouTube marketers were leveraging a specific psychological trait which is loss aversion.

According to psychological studies, our minds are more sensitive to losses than to gains. It is especially the case for objects and possessions say, a month of free trial, for example.

Roughly speaking, losses hurt about twice as much as gains make us feel good. If we wanted to measure the difference using an imaginary emotion-meter, itd mean that finding $10 brings 100 positive emotional points while losing the same $10 strikes 200 negative emotional points.

YouTube subtly used loss aversion as a marketing tool. Marketers didnt ask me if I preferred to skip the ad, but to skip the trial. The former translates into merely ignoring a commercial, while the latter meant that I was giving up on something.

When I saw the message box, I hesitated. Does this mean that Ill never get this offer again? I thought. Frankly, I hate being interrupted by ads I should probably consider subscribing. Besides, my battery will thank me for it.

All it took was one word to seduce my attention and make me consider subscribing

But what can the rest of us learn from this? Were not YouTube. We dont have the same resources nor the same reach. Nevertheless, we could still leverage loss aversion in our marketing.

See original here:

YouTube sells subscriptions with just one word heres how you can emulate it - The Next Web

To reduce risk, it is necessary to avoid a portfolio whose securities are all highly correlated with each other. Harry Markowitz

Yesterday I had the supreme experience of having lunch in La Jolla, California, with the father of modern portfolio theory, Harry Markowitz. He is considered to be a legend on Wall Street.

The lunch was arranged by Rob Arnott, a successful financial consultant who is known as the godfather of smart beta. He is also a strong advocate of value investing and will be a keynote speaker at this years FreedomFest.

Your editor in between the Father of Modern Portfolio Theory and the Godfather of Smart Beta.

Markowitz is a legend in the investment world. He won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1990 based on a single article he wrote in the Journal of Finance in 1952 called Portfolio Selection.

The eureka moment came when he discovered that investors could increase their returns and reduce their risk by properly diversifying their portfolios into stocks, bonds and cash.

He wrote, In choosing a portfolio, investors should seek broad diversification. Modern portfolio theory recommends that you diversify with a balance of stocks and bonds and cash thats suitable to your risk tolerance.

For example, during the stock market crash in March 2020, stocks fell and bonds rose. Thus, a portfolio of both stocks and bonds would have survived intact. Ditto for the financial crisis of 2008.

If you made the mistake of only being invested in stocks, you were in trouble. If you only invested in bonds, you missed out on the mother of all bull markets from 2009-2020. But by investing in both, you survived and prospered.

Markowitzs message is clear. Its vital to have non-correlated investments that move in opposite directions during crises. He states, To reduce risk, it is necessary to avoid a portfolio whose securities are all highly correlated with each other.

During the most recent bear market, most stocks, ranging from financials to utilities, fell together. However, many online-related tech stocks rose.

Gold and Real Estate as Non-Correlated Investments

I brought up gold as an excellent non-correlated investment that often moves opposite to the stock market. The precious metal has held up well in 2020. But I was surprised to learn that gold doesnt interest him.

Instead, he favors Californias real estate. He has a condo on the beach, which he says is benefiting from rising demand and cheap mortgage rates.

Harry is amazingly alert for a man who is 92 years old. He was born in the year that Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs 1927! He was two years old when the stock market crashed in 1929. He has lived through it all World War II, the inflationary 1970s, the 1987 stock market crash, the dotcom boom and bust and the longest bull market in history.

What is the Most Important Lesson of Investing?

Markowitz has survived and prospered throughout the 20th and 21st centuries. Near the end of our luncheon, I asked Harry what he thought was the most important lesson of investing after all these years.

He hesitated, so I suggested one of my favorite quotes from The Maxims of Wall Street.

Exclusive 4 Top Coronavirus Recovery Stocks to Buy

Wall Street exaggerates everything.

Both Harry and Rob nodded in agreement. Thats why diversification is so important, stated Markowitz. It reduces the risk.

They were both intrigued by my new 7th edition of the Maxims, and we spent the rest of the time reading, smiling and commenting in response to various quotes from the book.

Here are some of their favorites:

Psychology is probably the most important factor in the market and one that is least understood. David Dreman

You cant worry and hit home runs. Babe Ruth

Know value, not prices. Arnold Bernard

Take calculated risks, but dont be rash. General George Patton

Harry especially liked this one:

Im not a bull. Im not a bear. Im a chicken. Charles Allmon

Harry was delighted to receive an autographed copy of my book.

Rob Arnott Buys a Box of Maxims!

Rob Arnott was so impressed that he decided to buy an entire box of 32 copies, which I sell for $300. He plans to give them out to his best clients.

I offer a super bargain price for the Maxims. The first copy is $20, and all additional copies are $10 each. They make a great gift to friends, family, clients and investors.

I autograph each copy, number them and mail them at no extra charge. If you order a box (32 copies), you pay only $300.

To order go to http://www.skousenbooks.com, or call Harold at Ensign Publishing, 1-866-257- 2057.

Dennis Gartman said it best: Its amazing the depth of wisdom one can find in just one or two lines from your book. I have it on my desk and refer to it daily.

Jack Bogle, the legendary founder of the Vanguard Group, wrote, What a treat! Its great to have all these sayings in a single spot.

Alex Green says, Its a classic!

Updates Regarding FreedomFest

Rob Arnott will be one of our featured speakers at FreedomFest from July 13-16 at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas. He will speak on Value Investing Why Its Not Dead and will debate Steve Moore on Inflation vs Deflation: Whats Ahead in the Economy and What It Means to Investors. Both are not to be missed!

He will attend every day of FreedomFest.

Meet Dr. Drew and Bestselling Author Dave Rubin in Vegas!

Now for a special announcement: I am pleased to report that Dr. Drew, the famous M.D. and television personality, will be our keynote speaker at FreedomFest in Vegas, July 13-16.

Dr. Drew (Pinsky) is known for his outspoken views on the pandemic and his warning to the media to stop the hysteria. Stop it, just stop it! he warned.

He will give us the latest update on the COVID-19 virus. He is also an expert on addiction and the social impact of the lockdown.

He will be joined by Dave Rubin, the host of the popular online show The Rubin Report and the author of the bestselling book Dont Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason.

Dave Rubin is also famous for his sellout 12-week 12 Rules for Life tour with Dr. Jordan Peterson.

Just in: Tom Woods, the top economist at the Mises Institute, will be the judge in the most important trial of the new decade: The Pandemic on Trial!

Exclusive Who Sold in May With So Much Cash on the Sidelines?

And Professor Allan Litchman, the author of Keys to the White House, will give us his surprise prediction on the November elections! Right now, the election betting is showing that the Democrats are gaining on President Trump and the Republicans. The Democrats may even take the Senate! Thats why our emergency meeting, hosted by Steve Forbes, on July 13 is so important.

Heres Your Chance to be a HERO

It is not often in life that you have a chance to make a difference in the world and proudly say, I was there to mutually pledge my life, my fortune and my sacred honor in defense of our First Amendment right to freedom of assembly.

FreedomFest will be the FIRST live conference in Vegas (if not the country). We are determined to defend our constitutional rights.

On this day, choose who you will serve the state or the individual. Declare your independence in July.

Please read the Open Letter to All Freedom Lovers that can be found here.

FreedomFest starts next month. Caesars Entertainment is so thrilled to host the FIRST live convention in Vegas that it has moved our conference from the Paris Resort to their premier property, Caesars Palace.

It is rolling out the red carpet for YOU: Hotel rates have been cut to $119 a night at Caesars Palace. And they are only $57 a night across the Strip at the Flamingo Resort.

Plus, FREE PARKING is back!

Only 50 Tickets Remain for my 40th Anniversary Celebration!

We are filling up fast. So far, 150 people have signed up for the 40th anniversary celebration of my newsletter, and attendance for this special event and reception is limited to 200 subscribers. Everyone who attends will receive (a) a 2020 American eagle silver dollar, (b) an autographed, numbered copy of The Maxims of Wall Street and (c) the name of my favorite penny stock (its moving up!). Plus, a special reception will be held where attendees will have photo opportunities with celebrities such as Steve Forbes, Alex Green, Jim Woods, Hilary Kramer and others.

To sign up for FreedomFest and receive all three benefits, please click here. Or call 1-855-850-3733, ext. 202, be sure to mention you are a Investor Cafe subscriber and use the code FF20EAGLE. If you have already signed up, email me at mskousen@chapman.edu, and I will send you the name and symbol of the stock, as well as all the details.

To All Those Who Cant Make It This Year

I know a lot of you are fearful of traveling or going to a conference this year. Please consider sponsoring students who want to come to this years FreedomFest. The price for each student is only $150. Im hoping to bring a dozen students from Chapman University, but we need your help. To make a contribution, click on rates at http://www.freedomfest.com.

Good investing, AEIOU,

Mark Skousen

You Nailed It!

Chapman University Leads the Way

The overweening Governor Gavin Newsom here in California has mandated that all state universities (USC, UC Berkeley, etc.) stay locked down for the rest of the year. This means that they will have to teach online, despite all the evidence that young people are not threatened by the coronavirus.

Exclusive 6 Gold Investments to Buy for Limiting COVID-19 Risk

But Chapman University, a private school where I teach, is bucking the trend and plans to open up for regular classes this fall. Good for them!

President Daniele Struppa was reluctant to close the campus in the spring semester, but was forced to do so under extreme pressure from students and parents. (By the way, President Struppa will be a speaker at FreedomFest come join us and meet this hero of modern times.)

It turned out to be a rushed judgment, as the evidence is growing that the virus is no where near as fatal as was believed, especially among students. Even medical experts at Stanford University, the first major university that closed its campus, agreed that students should never have been sent home.

I taught the first half of my Financial Economics class in the spring in the classroom as I normally do. Yes, we had a few students who stayed home for a week with the flu. They were self-quarantined. Perhaps they had the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, China. Who knows?

We were forced to go online, and I have to tell you, I hated it. Teaching on Zoom or Panpto cant hold a candle to teaching in person and interacting with students. In their course evaluation surveys, students concurred. Online education is a poor substitute for the real thing.

A Teachers Dream

I had an interesting experience last week. I had a total of 44 students in my spring course, and I needed to finish grading all of their work so that I could submit their final grades.

Only one student had an incomplete as I never received his 10-page paper. He had done all the quizzes and had taken the midterm and final, but I couldnt find his paper. He was a football player who was a cancer survivor.

I made every effort to contact him. I called, texted and emailed him two to three times, with no response. I even called one of his football buddies, but he couldnt reach him either. Finally, I tracked down his parents and left a message on their voicemail.

His father called me one night and apologized for his son. He said that his son has had memory problems since the chemo treatments and had forgotten about the paper. He said that his son would do the paper and send it to me.

Then he said something Ill never forget. He stated, Prof. Skousen, I just want to thank you for going the extra mile for my son. I graduated from Ohio State, and I can tell you that no professor at Ohio State would have taken the time to reach out to a student. Thats what makes Chapman so special. My son will be back in the fall.

We ended our conversation on a lighter note I told him that my family and I are huge Gator fans and cant stand Ohio State. We even had a good laugh talking about Coach Urban Meyer.

If you want to send your son or daughter to a great liberal arts college, you cant do much better than Chapman University.

Read more here:

Avoid This #1 Mistake and You Will Be Rich - Stock Investor

Dave Rubin speaks at the 2019 Young Americans for Liberty Convention in Austin, Texas, September 6, 2019. (Gage Skidmore) Don't buy Dont Burn This Book. But don't deny Rubin's appeal.

NRPLUS MEMBER ARTICLE R ecently on Twitter I saw someone make a thread of their favorite meals the best meals theyd ever eaten. It was all Italian countryside this, New York hole-in-the-wall that, Asian metropolis, Michelin star, and so on, complete with gorgeous pictures. I could remember a few meals Id had like that. But I found it easier to remember the first times Id eaten certain things: sushi from a grocery store; roasted peppers on soggy bread with a tapenade whatever that is in a college dining hall; and, most of all, grilled chicken and rice pilaf at a Dennys near a hotel in, I think, Philadelphia. I love grilled chicken; Ive eaten a lot of great grilled chicken since then. But theres a sense in which it all started at that Dennys. If I went to Dennys today, Id probably hate their grilled chicken. But if Id never gone to that Dennys to begin with who knows?

You may be wondering what Dont Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason, the new book by Dave Rubin the host of The Rubin Report, interview show and centerpiece of the so-called Intellectual Dark Web has to do with Dennys grilled chicken. Well, you see, Dave Rubin is the Dennys the memorable if unspectacular entryway of a certain brand of cultural politics, a brand with which Ive become somewhat entangled. Some problems with Rubins book have already been pointed out. For instance, he gets some facts wrong and makes some incoherent arguments (my favorite: He says that the idea of reverse psychology came from German philosopher Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer, back in 1970, but Adorno died in 1969), he talks a lot about ideas but doesnt seem to have any of his own, and he may have taken one of the books best ideas from Bridget Phetasy. Ill add another problem right now: There are several spelling and grammatical mistakes in the book, hallmarks of the poor editing endemic to contemporary publishing. (They get pretty egregious: His brother is acknowledged as Jonat]han, and I dont think Elon Musk named him.)

But what I really want to know is: What makes Dave Rubin, like Dennys, seem both so good to people who are new to this to the so-called Intellectual Dark Web and its process of questioning progressive pieties and so bad to people who have some experience with it? How can the process of acquiring a taste lead you to so strongly dislike the thing that introduced you to that taste to begin with? If we dont like Rubin anymore and hes faced plenty of criticism from fellow members of the Intellectual Dark Web does that mean we have to start hating the things to which, in our own experiences, sampling our share of Rubin led?

Rubins book starts out as a bit of a time capsule, a recapitulation of the greatest hits of Internet outrage from the mid 2010s. Rubin had been a stand-up comedian and then a talk-show host affiliated with the progressive Young Turks. Having himself been a progressive for most of his life, his experience being associated with progressive media, and the general distaste for disagreement and free thinking he felt he observed in progressive circles led him first to lose his hair an episode he describes in the book, which does elicit some sympathy in the reader and then his faith in progressivism. After describing his own experiences, Rubin covers Ben Afflecks tussle with Sam Harris on Bill Mahers show, the failure of some progressives to adequately condemn the Charlie Hebdo attacks, and the cancellations of figures such as Bret Weinstein, Lindsay Shepherd, and James Damore. Rubin explains that witnessing these excesses of progressivism led him back into the political philosophy of classical liberalism which had been abandoned by the regressive left. How? Well, the main factor seems to have been that the progressives became obsessed with group identity, while the classical liberals saw individual rights as paramount. This is a bit confused in Rubins presentation. He writes: Progressivism has traded a love of individual rights for paternalistic, insincere concern for the collective. It judges people based upon their skin color, gender, and sexuality, thus imagining them as competitors in an Oppression Olympics in which victimhood is virtue. Of course Rubin thinks progressivism is wrong, but why does he call it insincere? And whats the relationship between a focus on groups and a focus on victimhood? Individuals can be victims too, and individuals can parlay all sorts of victim narratives that have nothing to do with their membership in any sorts of groups.

Rubin provides a list of classical-liberal principles. The first item on the list is DRUGS. The discussions in this section are a bit uneven. For instance, about abortion he avers that life begins the moment the sperm fertilizes the egg. But he gives abstract reasons, from the realm of political theory, that abortion should still be legal: Personal views of morality and public standards of law butt heads in an intractable opposition. . . .This is the constant push and pull between the private and the public. . . . The belief in individual freedom must extend to having confidence in people making the best decisions for themselves even if we personally believe they are ethically and morally wrong. Rubin never says exactly why abortion presents a unique challenge for this sort of balancing.

On free speech, too, which should be one of Rubins strengths, his ideas arent quite clear. He writes that people are scared of being unpersoned by social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. . . . As private companies, theyre free to do whatever they want, but censorship is not a solution to bad ideas. Then, writing about Colin Kaepernick, he says: The NFL teams owners were . . . free to decide if they wanted to keep Kaepernick or let him go for being too much of a distraction. . . . Nobody was silenced; everybody got to make their point. I dont doubt that there are ways of differentiating the Kaepernick case from the Big Tech cases, but Rubin doesnt even try! In the one case, he simply says that a private companys decision is censorship; in the other, he simply says that nobody was silenced. At least some awareness of likely counterarguments would be nice.

But the examples in Rubins tale of leaving the left, hackneyed as it may be by now, are well-picked, and the stories are not always poorly told. Some are very familiar. Some involve Rubin himself, such as a story about a New York Times cover story The Making of a YouTube Radical. Apparently this YouTube radical watched Rubins program, and so Rubin was blamed in part for his radicalization and that of countless others in which web surfers are seduced by a community of far-right creators by the YouTube recommendation algorithm, which sees that a surfer enjoys videos of a particular political bent and proceeds to show them more, and may travel all the way to neo-Nazism or stop at milder forms of bigotry. But the subject of the story, Rubin writes, ended up watching far-left content. Yes, thats right. The article about YouTube radicalizing people to the far right ends with the subject becoming a lefty. You cant make this s*** up. But this is a little glib on Rubins part. In fact, the article describes its subject spending five years in a vortex of far-right politics, and it describes some lefty YouTubers trying quite intentionally to combat the alt-rights YouTube style in order to deradicalize people like the articles subject. So Rubin has, without outright lying, given a false impression of the Times story. However, his instinct to dismiss the Times narrative is probably right. Researchers Mark Ledwich and Anna Zaitsev have found that YouTubes recommendation algorithm has an overall deradicalizing effect, not a radicalizing one.

Mainstream handwringing about alt-right videos often comes from journalists who are upset to see even one recommendation for content they disagree with. Unfortunately, Rubin expresses a similar sort of idea, writing that our factory settings everything the system teaches us to believe are programmed into us from a young age. For Rubin, ideas like Democrats = good, Republicans = bad are easily swallowed by the idealistic and impressionable youth. The message is even more appealing when its constantly reinforced through academia, the media, and celebrity [sic], which make it look cool and credible. But this is a theory of entertainment radicalizing a gullible consumer not unlike the one advanced in the New York Times story to which he objected. So which is it: Are people gullible and easily brainwashed, or can they be trusted to think for themselves? Though he has some good instincts and interesting takes, Rubin cant quite corral facts or principles into a coherent, consistent argument without a guest or partner of some sort helping him out. On his own, in this book, he seems to end up flailing.

Rubin is at his worst when hes trying to explain and argue for his own views. But he is at his best in at least a few places in the book, as the interviewer-cum-character hes developed and made so popular. There is a certain kind of magnanimity to this character that dissipates any mystery about why former guests on his show are by and large so loyal to him. Rubin takes many opportunities in the book though maybe not quite as many as he should to shift the focus from his own views to those of various guests hes had on his show. He admiringly describes his interactions with Jordan Peterson, the Michael Jordan of psychology, on some sort of international tour: I realized that [Peterson]s moments of humility were something I had implemented in my own work. In fact, it was a founding principle of my (frequently criticized) interview approach. Sometimes Id be seeking knowledge or clarity as much as the viewer at home . . . and wasnt afraid to ask for it. (Ellipsis in original.) And he describes in detail being owned by conservative commentator Larry Elder when Elder appeared on The Rubin Report before Rubin had fully left the left. Throughout, Rubin presents himself as just an amateur trying his best to make sense of the world, helped out by people he really admires: his guests.

Rubin once famously said during an interview: I have to say that my brain is still in recovery mode from taking in so many high-level, important ideas. The listener gets to see things from his perspective and begin to take in new ideas. This is the sense in which Rubin is both a character and an interviewer, as I suppose most interviewers are and his character is the protagonist, the audience stand-in, who leaves home for the first time and sees a whole world open up before them. Rubin spends a lot of time writing about the stress and sometimes illness that for him came with becoming politically homeless. Hes the hobbit, not the powerful wizard; its all a bit much for him.

Heres one theory. What makes Rubin bad is precisely what makes Rubin good. The sort of dull charm that makes him smilingly uncomprehending of disagreement in one case helps him bulldoze through obstacles in another. So, for instance, when a journalist scolds him for having two ex-Muslims on his show, he writes that the journalist heavily implied that Im somehow Islamophobic, which seems more disturbing to him than [one guest]s arranged marriage or [the other guest]s brother being killed by jihadists. I think of what my own reaction would be. I might try to understand the charge, to see how I might defend myself. But Rubin just waltzes through it. The real issue isnt what hes been accused of; its what the journalist is focused on. And hes right! Rubin is right that its the journalist, and not him, who comes off as inhumane and opportunistic. Now, theres no sophistication in seeing this. Its an intuitive piece of human psychology. It has all the class of the grilled chicken at Dennys. But it works. And this sort of straightforward judgment, backed only by sheer human instinct, will seem sophomoric to those with more than a few days of experience with these debates for just the same reason that it will seem refreshing to those who are new to them. It was refreshing to me, too, once, to think that I could employ such instincts in addition to the muck of academic theories and empirical data I always muddled through in order to make my own arguments. But this can only be the start of a new way of thinking about things. Right now, though, thats the best that Dave Rubin can manage.

Probably nobody should buy this book. And definitely nobody should burn this book among other bad consequences, that would drive up sales. But nobody should deny Rubins appeal, either. In an overwhelming world where everyone is trying to seem like the expert with all the answers, Rubin bumbles along, wide-eyed, a daring escapee from his former friends on the left to the towering figures he now interviews for a living. Its a coming-of-age story about a man who hasnt yet come of age.

More here:

On the Limits of Dave Rubins Cultural Politics - National Review

Many are optimistic about what the Arizona Cardinals can do in 2020. However, no one appears to be more publicly bullish about the team than cornerback Patrick Peterson.

He already recently declared that this roster of players is the best team, at least on paper, he has been on in his almost decade in the league.

After four postseason-less seasons and only eight wins combined in the last two years, he is putting no limits on what this team can achieve.

The sky is the limit for this football team, he said in a video conference with the media this past week. I truly believe we can go as far as we want.

Both in a previous interview he gave on a podcast and in this meeting with the media, he emphasized how it is on the players to perform and that they must have a common vision, trust each other and commit to the goal to be able to be as good as they can be, but he isnt shying away from giving lofty expectations for the potential of the team.

It started with the offseason, he said.

The offseason has been great for us. The draft has been great for us, he said. We really hit all areas in this offseason to give not only the fans something exciting to look forward to but also putting us in the best opportunity to win. I definitely think this is a championship-caliber team from top to bottom.

The trade to acquire receiver DeAndre Hopkins got Peterson excited. General manager Steve Keim started with a bang.

The acquisition of DeAndre, that was huge for us, Peterson said. To add a top-two receiver to your roster, that just doesnt happen. That just doesnt fall in your lap. For that trade to be pulled off, I thought (it) was a great sign and a great start to the offseason.

So what makes this team so potentially special?

He described both the defense and the offense.

He began with the defensive backfield, where he plays.

The youth we have in the back end, I believe that speaks for itself, he said. We have young talented players that love the game that can cover sideline to sideline, that can be the enforcer. I believe that is very important for a football team.

Peterson himself returns for a full season after missing six games to suspension. Cornerback Robert Alford comes back after missing the season with a broken leg, which is going to be huge, Peterson said.

At safety, they have Budda Baker and Jalen Thompson. He called Baker the enforcer and a Tasmanian Devil. He raved about how Thompson played late in the season when he saw Thompsons confidence go through the roof.

He then moved to the defensive front seven, noting the presence of linebacker Jordan Hicks, the addition of rookie linebacker Isaiah Simmons and the pass rushing of Chandler Jones.

With the signing of Jordan Phillips, the return of Jonathan Bullard and the selection in the draft of Leki Fotu and Rashard Lawrence, youve got pass rush, youve got D-line, youve got rotation now.

Then, on offense, he spoke of quarterback Kyler Murray.

I believe its going to be a huge year for him, he said. We all know he hasnt even scratched the surface yet.

With running backs Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmonds, Murray has a great backfield to help him out.

Then, with the addition of Hopkins to the receiver room with Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, the Cardinals have three receivers that you pretty much cant double.

Kylers going to be like a kid in a candy store, Peterson added. Hes going to be able to pick whatever candy he wants. Youve got the opportunity to throw touchdowns to red-zone Fitz, take shots with DeAndre, anddownfield shots with Christian as well.

When you look back at the teams that Ive been a part of, thats everything we had, he said, thinking back to the seasons from 2013-2015 when the Cardinals won 10 games or more a year. But I believe the only thing different in this group is were a little bit faster and we got younger and having that youth in this day in age is big for us.

It isnt a prediction for what will happen, but it is a declaration of what is possible.

If we all come together, focus on our one goal, we can take definitely take it the distance, he said.Im very optimistic about where we can be at the end of the year, but right now were just a good team on paper.

It gives Cardinals fans a reason to get excited.

We have everything that you need, and if youre trying to build a championship-caliber football team, we have the players, he said. This is that type of roster.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wires Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Stitcher Radio.

Ep. 267

Ep. 266

See the original post:

Patrick Peterson sees 'championship-caliber team from top to bottom' in Cardinals - Cards Wire

Lower Dauphin High School recently announced its third-quarter distinguished honor roll and honor roll. Distinguished Honor Roll requires all As or perfect marks. For the Honor Roll, a student must earn all As and Bs. There will be no fourth-quarter honor rolls.

Distinguished Honor Roll

Grade 12: Kayla Ajala, Sophia Balshy, Madison Baumgardner, Morgan Besic, Sarah Blouch, Kylie Boyer, Juliana Bramley, Ian Bruce, Leonardo Bueno, Ashleigh Cake, Kellie Chandler, Morgan Chiara, Anna Duncan, Elijah Durantine, Natasha Ebersole, Troy-Thomas Elhajj, Abdelrahman Elsaid, Colby Flohr, Isaac Fox, Daniel Geisel, Phoebe Gesford, Nicholas Giampetro, Christian Gingrich, Anastasia Hahnlen, Brandelynn Heinbaugh, Bryce Hickey, Kendall Hixon, Madelyn Hoke, Ryan Hsing-Smith, Isabelle Johnson, Sullivan Johnson, Donavan Kann, Kaleigh Kindall, Mitchell Kleman, Ryan Klingensmith, Aubrie Koser, Thomas Kropp, Zachary Landis, Dakota Lawson, Helen Lemarr, Christopher Leslie, Hunter Lohmann, Katherine Lynch, Emily Martz, Emma McQuinn, Morgan Mosco, Micah Nye, Emma ONeill, Delainey Olinger, Sienna Pegram, Sofia Pendolino, Annalisa Petrascu, Gabriela Ponce, Eva Pumo, Trey Sadler, Kate Sarsfield, Gracie Scheaffer, Tori Schrader, Carly Shaffer, Elizabeth Sharp, Colby Shaver, Alexandra Sierer, Nidhi Singh, Kyla Smith, Benjamin Spangenberg, Kameron Stepp, Shenandoah Stull, Abigail Tarczynski, Janel Thompson, Cora Tse, Aiden Turner, Clayton Ulrey, Michael VanGavree, Aiden Walmer, Destiny Waugh, Jessica Weaver, Carson Wendling, Kira Wertz, Willow Wisniewski, and Rebecca Yeager.

Grade 11: Nischal Adhikari, Zoe Baer, Nicole Baker, Maya Bayhart, Natalie Bennett, Adam Bonawitz, Emma Bretz, Caroline Brubaker, Emily Brubaker, Coryn Buck, Sophia Bunting, Josalyn Byers, Kennedy Cannon, Alexandra Cassel, Hailey Clouser, Olivia Cormack, Alvin Coulbourn, Caiden Covell, Grace Craig, Eva Day, Mason Dillon, Sophia Ditty, Gabriella Dixon, Kiara Dougherty, Abigaile English, Sophia Farole, David Feria Figueroa, Katherine Foley, Daniel Fombu, Bella Fry, Amelia Gaither, Caleb Gibbs, Anthony Hannan, Brooke Hofsass, Tyson Hofsass, Maya Hoover, Lauren Hunter, Christina Isabella, Logan Kephart, Kaden Kirchhoefer, Lauren Kirsch, Ella Klinger, Kyla Knauber, Timothy Koons, Aaron Krasley, Daniel Kreiss, Marguerite Kutz, Abby Lauer, Curtis Lin, Kate Little, Briona Lookenbill, Makayla Lookenbill, Julian Loraschi, Joshua Mackrell, Steven Mannetta, Cole McCulley, Clarissa McQuain, Tristan McQuiddy, Alec Merry, Trevor Millhimes, Robin Mitchell, Mackenzie Mowery, Kayla Pedersen, Jacob Pegher, Avery Price, Melina Putt, Miran Rezhan, Cole Rife, Alaina Riley, Deyanery Rodriguez, Janie Rost, Vaughn Sarago, Valentina Scottodicarlo, Elijah Sells, Cameron Shearer, Daniel Sheffer, Kilee Sims, Sierra Slentz, Cameron Snelbaker, Ana Snowden, Hannah Stickel, Marissa Vandernick, Mason Wahlers, Emma Walt, Catherine Walter, Grace Walter, Bridget Wappman, Lillie Weaver, Katherine Weigle, Luke Wren, Brody York, Madison Zerbe, and Julia Zewe.

Grade 10: Kristen Ajala, Margo Albarano, Delanie Batula, Paige Berzinski, Paige Bitting, Avery Book, Clara Breidenstine, Britley Brubaker, Sarah Brubaker, Emma Dickinson, Adam Dotts, Todd Dowhower, Alana Earley, Benjamin Ebert, Brianna Espenshade, Ethan Espenshade, Katherine Estes, Adam Fellin, Emma Foley, Joseph Frank, Matthew Giampetro, Joshua Given, Gabrielle Goodman, Conor Grubb, Makaylee Hale, Sarah Hanula, Christianna Harchuska, Nicholas Harhaj, Alexia Hedrick, Justyce Hollenbach, Alicia Jones, Tevon Kerr-Hornbaker, Andrew King, Chloe Krasley, Adam Lemarr, Anne Linker, Hailley Lynch, Sydnee Lynch, Shalee McGowen, Matthew Newman, Lilian Nop, Carolynn ODonnell, Nina Pace, Gabriella Pagano, Sarah Pikhit, Madison Ploutz, Ella Rafferty, Benjamin Rodemaker, Isabelle Rodemaker, Carlos Rodriguez, Elyza Roush, Alexa Shaffer, Lindsey Stine, Ryan Stoe, Leah Tierney, Cassandra Tipa-Bowman, Grant Tredinnick, Madeline Turjan, Colton Waters, Cailynn White, Saige Wilt, James Winninger, Celleste Wohlfarth, and Ryan Woolf.

Grade 9: Riana Agili-Shaban, Cameron Barber, Ella Blazi, Abigail Carter, Jacob Collins, Ethan Covell, Riley Fisher, Kylee Flohr, Devin Harris, Ryan Jorich, Emily Kline, Isaac Mende, Audrey Meyers, Abigail Nissley, Lekhana Pa, Andi Pagano, Ethan Parker, Kaiden Redcay, Makenna Robinson, Logan Rosenberry, Julia Ruzzi, Luke Schnoor, Andrew Seacord, Ian Sharp, Amanda Shultz, Makayla Shutt, Lauren Wahlers, Madelyn Weaver, True Weaver, and Eric West.

Honor Roll

Grade 12: Chloe Bomgardner, Matthew Brian, Lillian Carney, Paulimar Coll, Justin Curtis, Samuel Davis, Emily Dether, Aidan Ferguson, Colby Gaylor, Anna Given, Alayna Graeff, Axel Grater, Andrew Harnsberger, Claudio Hernandez, Seth High, Brenna Holland, Heidee Johnson, Elisabeth Jones, Kyle Jorich, Joshua Koteles, Richard Laychock, Meghan Lehew, Jack Levi, Daniel Little, Matthew Little, Malachi Lockard, Noell Long, Alex McQuain, Olivia Meyers, Madison Miduri, Amy Miller, Cole Miller, Mauricette Musser, Angela Orwan, Dustin Petrovic, Hunter Reifsnyder, Lexis Rhoads, Andrew Rhodes, Amanda Ruch, Claudia Rutledge, Ryan Sanson, Adriana Scheaffer, Kane Schrum, Olivia Sharrow, Erin Shifflet, Benjamin Sierer, Emily Singiser, Amber Snody, Katelyn Sparks, Trevor Spurlock, Micaiah Stiffler, Hunter Thomas, Ethan Varnicle, Ethan Westerberg, Jason Woolf, Austin Yohn, Nuvia Zaragoza, and Rylee Zartman.

Grade 11: James Abraham, Casey Ahern, Sophia Alterio, Kara Arnold, Linda Arredondo Sandoval, Madison Balmer, Ava Bell, Zachary Bixler, Rachel Blessing, Gabriella Branchi, Jackson Bruce, Brennen Brydun, Randy Burkhardt, Cassidy Burton, Olivia Carnes, Jason Carver, Kiara Cressinger, Hernandez, Diaz Nicholas Dirkman, Sierra Endy, Sofia Feeney, Thomas Gahring, Daniela Garcia Santiago, Miguel Garcia, Kylie Gerst, Steven Goss, Nathan Helmer, Jaylen Hernandez, Travis Hershey, Zoe Hobbs, Faith Hollinger, Kayla Horting, Caroline Hummer, Tyler Kobielnik, Noah Leach, Abigail Lennox, Mario Leon-Fuentes, Mya Macfarlane, Annabel Mauger, Derek McGlaughlin, Zachary McIntire, Jack McNally, Derwin Merca, Noah Miles, Matheus Neves, Ethan Peterson, Hannah Pho, Matthew Piermattei, Luis Radanovic, Madisyn Renninger, Yessenia Reza, Madison Riccio, Benelli Risser, Brianna Risser, Morgan Roth, Sebastian Salinas, Dale Sanders, Madalyn Sanders, Madison Seymour, Vijesh Singh, Nicole Smarsh, Sarah Snavely, Mikayla Spangenberg, Alexis Stockton, James Taylor, Ashlynn Tolbert, Marissa Vyhonsky, Emily Wealand, Olivia Weigher, Erin Wenrich, and Halie Woodring.

Grade 10: Natalie Allman-Sheibley, Gabriel Andrews, Tessa Barone, Chelsea Blazina, Ezra Bulgrien, Jackson Burger, Olivia Byers, Morgan Clouser, Gwen Daily, Zack Davis, Emily DeNotaris, Cody Dent, Logan Devine, Ava Donohue, Morgan Earley, Brooke Eberhard, Alyssa Eckman, Lauren Eisenhour, Samantha Farace, Isaiah Fisher, Peter Foran, Emma Fure, Ksanet Gebreharyat, Megan Geesaman, Luke Gibbs, Larisa Goodman, Elaria Gregg, Josephine Grundon, Katelyn Hanft, Abigail Hannan, Dylan Hassinger, Anna Hess, Delaney Hoover, Tate Ingram, Luke Johns, Cadence Kanode, Miranda Kelley, Payten Kirk, Maxwell Klingensmith, Logan Klinger, Braden Landis, Austin Little, Colton Matako, Samantha McGowen, Shaine McMonagle, Mikhaela Merca, Hayden Milic, Hudson Millar, Ethan Miller, Sydney Miller, Andrew Monuteaux, Matthew Mosco, Hannah Murray, Olivia Murray, Hadley Orth, Novani Patel, Cameron Patterson, Angelica Peluso, Fatima Perez, Ethan Piegzik, Aidan Powell, Austin Rabert, Anya Ray, Lina Rehr, Gisell Reza, Kisla Rhoads, Cody Rosati, Angelena Rossi, Cameron Saich, Geraldine Salinas, Samuel Sandy, Elyse Shenfeld, Jarrett Simonetti, Grayson Smith, Hunter Stroble, Morgan Stumpf, Tyler Swartz, Caitlyn Umidi, Sam Walker, Sofia Walsh, Jackson Weber, Gracie White, Adam Yalcinanahtar, Wyatt Yeakle, and Brandon Zelusky.

Grade 9: Paige Adelman, Digby Althoff, Shannon Angerer, Abbigail Auringer, Kelly Bastian, Raphael Bastos, Brooke Becker, Lauren Berstler, Regan Bixler, Hannah Bloomer, Jordan Care, Olivia Carter, Jaiden Dissinger, Lily Ditty, Katelyn Economopoulos, Kristen Economopoulos, Isaiah Edmonds, Kelsey Epoca, Riley Fanning, Timothy Fausnight, Ella Fields, Tyce Fischl, William Foley, Cole Garber, Joseph Goduto, Collin Gourley, Alysa Harbilas, Leyna Harner, Chloe Haslup, Parker Hayes, Rylan Helmer, Valerie Hevner, Ean High, Kyler Holland, Alyssa Johnson, Payton Killian, Faith Kingsbury, Mayson Klopp, Ava Kulp, Jeffrey LaRuffa, Kenzie Laudermilch, Bridget Lawn, Rylee Malseed, Antonio Mardegain, Felicity Martin, Nicole McCloskey, Hannah McConnell, Emerson McCulley, Mia McEvers, Marielle McGurrin, Jacob McIntire, Cory Miduri, Katelyn Miller, Raeann Miller, Shannon Miller, Aaron Moyer, Jacob Neithercoat, Caelyn Nikoloff, Abrianna Nissley, Connor OBarr, Ashlyn OSick, Sara Olweiler, Megan Orris, Brahm Parks, Mena Patel, Alexandra Raser, Jolie Revenis, Bawan Rezhan, Dylan Robinson, Katherine Ross, Thomas Royer, Kayley Schell, Anna Schmidt, Brynn Shaffer, William Sierer, Julia Singiser, Chase Smith, Laylah Snow, Morgan Sparks, Cailin Stepanian, Carly Stephens, Piper Taylor, Tyler Tharp, Sophia Tse, Loren Tucker, Miranda Ulrey, Tobias Waters, Aden Weigle, Alexandria Wells, Collin Whitley, Allison Wilbert, Eden Williams, and Reghyn Wilson.

Go here to see the original:

Lower Dauphin High School releases final honor rolls of school year - Middletown Press and Journal

The University of Alberta has fired Kathleen Lowrey from her role as associate chair of undergraduate programs in the Department of Anthropology, for saying biological sex is a reality.

Kathleen Lowery, an academic at the University of Alberta, has been fired from her role as associate chair of undergraduate programs in the Department of Anthropology for expressing gender-critical feminist ideas, according to the Centre for Free Expression.

It was in March that Lowrey was asked to resign from her position. She was told that the reasons for this were that the learning environment she created was "unsafe" for students. This was as per the University, "on the basis that one or more students had gone to the Universitys Office of Safe Disclosure and Human Rights and the Dean of Students, Andr Costopolous, to complain about her without filing formal complaints."

Her employer empowered students to damage their teacher's career and livelihood. It is the type of power which todays' students are accustomed to wielding, much as the Red Guards routinely punished their teachers for "wrong thinking" during the Cultural Revolution.

Universities were once known as hives of critical thinking, intellectual engagement, and the advancement of knowledge. However, as postmodern ideas took root, certain types of knowledge have become verboten. One of the most taboo subjects is biological sex, and the social impact of being born female or male.

The trend seems to have started at Evergreen College, a "progressive" liberal arts school in Washington State. From there, it spread like a virus to college campuses across the US, crossing the border to Canada, and jumping the Atlantic to the UK.

The University of Alberta justified its decision on the basis that a student, or students, informally complained to its Office of Safe Disclosure and Human Rights that Lowery made the learning environment feel "unsafe" for them by voicing gender critical feminist ideas.

As a teacher of young people with curious minds, Lowery said her method is to summarize her views on the first day of any course about sex or gender, along with a declaration that students are not required to agree with her. She took this approach to her 2020 course on the "Anthropology of Women."

It is difficult to imagine how a teacher could communicate knowledge on that topic without reference to biological sex, as opposed to the relatively recent academic trend of gender identity. However, Lowery's employers felt that her reference to the importance of biological sex broke with orthodoxy to such an unacceptable degree that she had to go.

The University did not give any reasons for dismissal, other than the fact an informal complaint had been received. They said that "it is not in the best interests of the students or the University" for Lowery to continue in her post. In effect, an institution of learning claims it is "protecting" its anthropology students from confronting the reality, and importance, of biological sex, because the students dont want to have to think about it.

For a sense of just how bizarre and unrealistic it is for a any university to prevent such teaching, imagine a science professor being sacked for asserting that an understanding of the laws of Newtonian physics is necessary to study the mechanics of objects. You can't teach anything useful without the material, factual foundations in place.

It is remarkable how much power the students now haveover female teachers, at least. All they need to do is whisper the magic word "transphobia" behind closed doors for the institution to show her the door.

Clearly, ideological purity, conformity of thought, instilling orthodoxy andcrucially - disciplining difficult women - are more important than factual teaching for the University of Alberta. Instead of a place to learn about all manner of different ideas, debate and critique them to arrive at something approaching the truth, a University is now remade as a "safe space" where students are to be cosseted by teachers chanting the liturgy of gender.

What parents paying tuition fees and accommodation for their offspring think about the quality of humanities education available at the University of Alberta remains to be seen.

The dictum "Go Woke, Go Broke" certainly seems to apply to Evergreen College, which saw enrollment drop following the students' de facto takeover of the institution. Alberta sacked Lowrey out of concern that students would avoid the anthropology department, but perhaps they should be more concerned about the effect of this negative publicity on parental appetite to pay for higher education there.

Either way, it shows that the marketization of universities is incompatible with academic values.

As a parent myself, this decision to sack a feminist academic does not inspire confidence and trust but their opposite. It appears that students with mental health issues, or misogyny issues, or both, are running the show, rather than capable adults with a commitment to academic values.

Academic freedom is under threat under the guise of "protecting" minorities, particularly young people steeped in the belief system of gender ideology. For them, even to speak of the reality of sex is a form of "harm."

Of course, crying because you've been exposed to an idea which doesn't sit neatly with your current world view is a way to shut down debate, discussion and dissent. When deployed against heterodox academicsand it should not be considered heterodox to know that sex is realit is cry-bullying, and it is now endemic within academia in the West.

Jordan Peterson, a professor of psychology, publicly opposed the compelled speech element of Bill C-16 without losing his job. In fact, he tallied his battle with preferred pronouns into a stand-alone media and publishing career. Could it be that his sex makes him a higher-caste member of the academic community than Lowery, whose femaleness is inescapable?

There is a pattern emerging whereby the capture of institutions of learning by gender ideology - including the funding which comes from pharmaceutical companies, and charitable trusts connected to them - culminates in the bullying, harassment or sacking of gender-critical women. Instead of backing them up, the institution folds at the first whiff of student grumblings. It is a short cut to declaring their own conformity with demands of their new paymastersboth funders and students.

In England, the universities at which Professors Kathleen Stock and Rosa Freedman teach backed them in the face of harassment by gender ideologues. However, otherssuch as Professor Selina Toddwere not supported to the same extent. Women subject to accusations of gender heresy have been deplatformed from even guest speaking slots at universities.

The University of Alberta should have backed up a woman who was simply doing her job. Unfortunately, there is emergent pattern of thoughtful women being sacked for doing their jobs. Consider Maya Forstater, who was sacked by the Think Tank she worked for on the grounds that she initiated a conversation about the difference between sex and gender, and the reasons why sex matters in international development. Her feminist test case is currently on appeal.

Such is the power of the student as consumer, in an age of intense conformity of thought within liberal institutions. All it takes is hearsay from one or two students for the usual rules of employment disputes to fall away: no formal complaints process, no transparency regarding the nature of the accusations made, no disciplinary process.

Under the banner of "progressivism," we have regressed to a stage where careers and livelihoods can be destroyed behind closed doors, where any deviation from orthodoxy is framed as a damnable heresy, where matters of individual conscience and freedom of thought and expression fall by the wayside.

All of this shows us just how fragile gender ideology is, if one woman teaching an anthropology course can be made out as public enemy number one just because she knows sex is real, and that it matters.

Welcome to the new Dark Ages where irrational dogma dominates our universities, even though dogma is supposedly antithetical to the academic mission.

Read the original post:

University of Alberta fires anthropology professor for saying biological sex is real - The Post Millennial

AllCardinals publisher Howard Balzer joined SI.com's Madelyn Burke to discuss how the Arizona Cardinals are managing the elevated expectations on them since acquiring DeAndre Hopkins, arguably one of the best wide receivers in the league, among other new additions. The hype surrounding the Cardinals has grown exponentially and their players are mediating them and working on a defense that lacked in the 2019 season.

The full transcript is below. You can access our full story here.

Burke: The Arizona Cardinals had a splashy offseason headlined by the trade for wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. But despite the overwhelming hype surrounding the squad, the Cards are doing their best to temper expectations. Joining me now is Howard Balzer of SI's AllCardinals and Howard, acquiring arguably the league's best wide receiver is a big move for this Cardinals team, yet how is this team navigating these expectations?

Balzer: Well, the big thing is they're saying all the right things and they all have a lot of confidence so that this can be a good year for them. But they always then say, "The sky's the limit." But then they say, "But, of course, that's only on paper." They're concentrating on the things they have to do to come together as a team because of the confidence they have. One of the biggest aspects, as you mentioned Hopkins, of it is the improvements on defense because that's where this team had some struggles. Last year, they were better towards the end of the season and everyone believes that they can pick up where they left off and have the makings of a well-balanced team this season.

Burke: And balance, obviously, the key. I mean, we've seen in the past and in recent history, even with the Browns, with the addition of Odell Beckham Jr. and the hype that that team struggled to live up to. How key are some of these other moves outside of this DeAndre Hopkins trade?

Balzer: Well, a lot of moves are very strong: of course, they got Kenyan Drake re-signed on the transition tag and on defense, the moves that they made with Jordan Phillips and De'Vondre Campbell and Devon Kennard and then drafting Isaiah Simmons. One real key that is overlooked a little bit is that Robert Alford, who was supposed to be a starting cornerback last year, missed the entire season with an injury and Patrick Peterson missed the first six games because of a league suspension. So, they get those players back to go with everything else. Plus, being in the second year of Vance Joseph's system and that's where a lot of the confidence is building from on this team. As I mentioned, it's with that defense.

Burke: "Defense wins championships" is the old adage, Howard Balzer, thank you so much for the insight.

Read more:

Howard Balzer on Cardinals Tempering Expectations - Sports Illustrated

The Oracles Published 7:00 a.m. ET June 2, 2020

You must bring value to the world, demonstrate how you can drive revenue, and go the extra mile.(Photo: The Oracles)

Graduating from college can be confusing and challenging in the best of times, not to mention a post-COVID-19 world. If youre graduating this year, listen to the recommendations and encouragement these business leaders and Advisors in The Oracles have for you.

1. Pursue what you love.

The advice I always give college graduates is more relevant than ever. This is the best time in your life to take risks and pursue what you love, whether thats trying to become Beyonc, starting a business, or something else. Identify the person you aspire to be and offer to work for them for free. Find a second job to make money, and move home with your parents to cut expenses if needed. If you must take an unfulfilling job, pursue your passion on the side. In my 20s, I didnt spend money on unnecessary stuff; I worked hard doing what I loved. Thats how you have a good life.

Gary Vaynerchuk, founder and CEO of VaynerX.(Photo: The Oracles)

Gary Vaynerchuk, founder and CEO of VaynerX; five-time New York Times bestselling author of Crushing It!

Side hustles: Laid-off workers start side hustles, business ventures to survive amid COVID-19 pandemic

Searching for stimulus: These Americans are entitled to stimulus checks if you can find them

2. Go the extra mile to become valuable.

Your education is just beginning, so never stop learning. Read and study every day. Get a job rather than staying at home with your parents. Find out who knows big players at the company where you want to work and then get in front of them (digitally, if needed). Its tough in this economy; so you must bring value to the world, demonstrate how you can drive revenue, and go the extra mile.

Become great at what you do because there is no money in average. Have the mentality that if its going to be, its up to me, and that you must get it done now. Finally, never lower your goals because they seem too big. Id say good luck, but the reality is you create your own luck.

Grant Cardone, founder of Cardone Capital.(Photo: The Oracles)

Grant Cardone, founder of Cardone Capital, a $2 billion real estate empire; follow Grant on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

3. Dont be afraid.

All times are challenging. Growth lies in the challenges, so prepare for the worst and work toward the best. Dont fear the future. There are more opportunities now than ever, so its the perfect time to enter your most productive years. Action eliminates doubt, and experience is the real education. So start experiencing jobs and projects that interest you. Dont wait for the perfect opportunity because theres no such thing.

Take care of yourself. Eat, sleep, move, and play well. Keep it simple; avoid overcommitment and constant distraction. Make time to meditate, breathe deeply, and contemplate the true nature of things every day. The egocentric age is over. Were all in this together; so serve others and do no harm.

Mark Divine, founder of Unbeatable Mind and SEALFIT.(Photo: The Oracles)

Mark Divine, retired U.S. Navy SEAL commander, NYT & WSJ bestselling author, and founder of Unbeatable Mind and SEALFIT; follow Unbeatable Mind on Facebook and YouTube

4. Become the best person for the job.

With fewer jobs to go around, its more important than ever to focus on excellence and being the best at what you do. Approach job interviews asking how you can fix a problem for the company, not what the company can offer you.

Aspiring YouTubers often blame the algorithm if their videos dont perform well instead of asking how they could improve. The YouTube algorithm is built to recommend the best videos; so if it isnt promoting yours, it probably isnt the best. If you dont get a job, its usually for the same reason: because someone else did it better. So adopt a mindset of continuous improvement.

Sarah Chrisp, founder of Wholesale Ted.(Photo: The Oracles)

Sarah Chrisp, founder of Wholesale Ted, one of the largest (over 350,000 subscribers) online educational resources teaching entrepreneurs how to create, grow, and scale successful online stores; started her first online store at 16 years old; follow Sarah on YouTube

Returning an item?: Store return policies have changed due to COVID-19 with some retailers suspending returns

Coronavirus store closings: Tuesday Morning permanently closing 132 stores in first wave of bankruptcy closures

5. Put your degree to the future test.

Ask yourself: Does your degree pass the future test? Many industries are going to look quite different as the world changes and technology automates jobs. Is your industry innovating? Focus on the future, even if that means pursuing a different career. I know you invested a lot in your degree, but dont be stubborn.

The first and fastest to meet the hockey puck where its going will be successful, and theres always a hybrid solution that fits the market. For example, if you have a law degree, consider creating legal technology. With so much change happening, theres no better time to be yourself and choose what you truly want to do. When you do, money and happiness will follow.

Mike Calhoun, founder and CEO of BoardofAdvisors.com.(Photo: The Oracles)

Mike Calhoun, founder and CEO of BoardofAdvisors.com; connect with Mike on Facebook and LinkedIn

6. Make a video to show employers who you are.

Culture fit is more important than skills to me, and to most companies. Before I bother to read your rsum, Ill ask you questions to get to know you and whether youre a fit. To help potential employers get to know you, create a video about yourself that you can share with them.

Do something you love. Dont apply for jobs because of money; apply for ones you will sink into and enjoy. Find something that makes you want to work weekends and look forward to Mondays. Then if you work hard, recognition and money will follow.

Craig Handley, co-founder of ListenTrust and author of Hired to Quit, Inspired to Stay."(Photo: The Oracles)

Craig Handley, co-founder of ListenTrust and author of Hired to Quit, Inspired to Stay; connect with Craig on LinkedIn

7. Dont worry if your path is unconventional.

The path to success is never a straight line. Its OK if your dreams (and your journey to reach them) are unconventional, just like your graduation. Find a career you love, not only one that pays the bills. You may go through some jobs you dont like to learn the lessons that will get you to your calling. Work hard, ask questions, learn from mentors, and do the hard jobs to find out what you like and what you dont. Then your calling will come loud and clear. Follow it.

Ashley Alderson, founder and CEO of The Boutique Hub and Boutique.Style.(Photo: The Oracles)

Ashley Alderson, founder and CEO of The Boutique Hub and Boutique.Style; cancer survivor, motivational speaker, and host of Boutique Chat; connect with Ashley on Instagram and LinkedIn

8. Remember: youre just as qualified as anyone else in this new world.

Its not the strongest who survive, but those who can adapt to change. Were all equal in times of change because no one is truly prepared or comfortable with change. Were all newbies in this new world, where you are just as experienced as a senior executive and as qualified to succeed. Some people are just better at hiding their insecurity and fear of failure. But there is nothing to fear; change is an opportunity.

So, be bold and go big. Let nothing hold you back. If you fail, fail hard. Then dust yourself off and try again. Embrace failure, which is necessary. Dont try to fail, but dont cut yourself off from success by fearing it either. When times are tough, you become a better, stronger, and more humble person with a better story to tell. Life is worth living, so embrace it.

James Daily, founding partner of Daily Law Group.(Photo: The Oracles)

James Daily, founding partner of Daily Law Group, which helps high-profile clients with fiduciary abuse litigation, including fraud, crisis management, and business and family disputes; connect with James on LinkedIn

Want to share your insights in a future article? Join The Oracles, a mastermind group of the worlds leading entrepreneurs who share their success strategies to help others grow their businesses and build better lives. Apply here.

For more free business insider advice, follow The Oracles on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/06/02/college-graduates-2020-these-business-titans-have-some-advice-you/5308893002/

View post:

Graduating college during the pandemic? These business titans have some advice for you - USA TODAY