Reflections...

Nouroz "Haft-Seen" (A celebration of Spring & the Possibilities) 

Spring is in the Air.   It is the time for Nature to renew itself and to think about the art of the possible yet again.  This is as an estimated 300 Million People around the World celebrate the advent of Spring with the ancient celebration of Nouroz.      This is also as Hindus around the World will be Celebrating Holli:

  

We wanted to maintain a spirit of  fun and reflect upon the art of the possible as we decided to feature this "Grid of Thought" courtesy of the Team at +VALUES.COM which we hope all enjoy as we all jointly march towards Spring:

   

This is also the Lent Season and this image captured it all about the need to renewal always: 

 

On behalf of all of us here at the Daily Outsider, we wish all a great week!!!

Onward...as we wish all our Hindu Brothers and Sisters...

Notations On Our World (W-End Edition): On Our World....

It has been a remarkable March 2017 in Our World.    As The Trump Administration passes the 50-Day Mark,  a sense of uncertainty continues to be the order of the day.    What has been amazing to us is the apparent sidelining of the Department of State in the realm of Foreign Policy as policymaking seems to have been concentrated in the White House with the profound changes in Europe and the Near East.    Britain will be triggering Brexit Negotiations as elections are coming up in the Netherlands and France.    This is as Turkey is to have a vote to expand the powers of President Erdogan.     What is also of note is how Narenda Modi is dominating India as he gears up for the 2019 Elections.   His Party, the BJP, won India's key state of Uttar Pradesh decisively.    

Spring is also in the air and with it the advent of Nouroz.  Nouroz has been recognized as by the UN and it is celebrated in a number of countries around the World--including Iran on March 21 of every year.   The new year in Iran is also going to be a year of change as new Presidential Elections loom that positions the current incumbent against the conservatives within the ruling factions inside the Islamic Republic.     The Israeli Prime Minister's recent Moscow trip was interesting in that it was trying to undermine Iranian influence in Syria as he deemed it, "..Unacceptable".     It is interesting that he seems to be emboldened in the aftermath of President Trump's Election.   It is also of interest, though, that Mahmoud Abbas has been invited to the White House by President Trump.   

As we went to press with this edition of "Notations", we saw reporting on the second Airbus being delivered to Iran as part of the nuclear agreement.     The revised travel ban, though, has gone into effect that is slated to be put into effect March 16.    The Oscar-winning Iranian Director, Asghar Farhadi,  reflected upon the original ban as he boycotted the Oscars after having won his second Oscar--remarks that were delivered by the Iranian-American Entrepreneur Anousheh Ansari who accepted the Oscar along with the Iranian American Space Pioneer Dr. Firouz Naderi: 

    

I'm sorry I'm not with you tonight. My absence is out of respect for the people of my country and those of other six nations whom have been disrespected by the inhuman law that bans entry of immigrants to the US. Dividing the world into the “us" and "our enemies" categories creates fear. A deceitful justification for aggression and war. These wars prevent democracy and human rights in countries which have themselves been victims of aggression. Filmmakers can turn their cameras to capture shared human qualities and break stereotypes of various nationalities and religions. They create empathy between us and others. An empathy which we need today more than ever."  

What was quite remarkable was to be witness to the plight of one of the leading opposition figures inside Iran, Mehdi Khazali.   Dr. Khazaili was detained after he called for a boycott to protest the internal repression inside the Country.   What he noted after he was released was quite remarkable as he noted that a number of key Security Organs refused to accept the responsibility for his custody as he began a hunger strike to protest his detention.   

One eye-opening expose was recently done by the Farsi Service of the Voice of America to underscore the continued profound challenges faced by the Islamic Republic: 

The dialogue is in Farsi--However, the policies of the Islamic Republic was exposed in a major way.  Although some of them are known--including for instance the work of the Quds Force in Iraq and Syria--the "soft war" is also remarkable.     One of the elements of the Force is a brigade called the "Fatameyon"--Afghans who are approximately 18,000 who are supported.     This is as an analyst appearing on this program compared this "Soft war" to Hollywood".    One of the leading institutions, the Al Mustafa Organization, has apparently graduated some 40,000 graduates--in addition to having currently 30,000 students (including 10,000 religious students).   

The "culture war" that the Islamic Republic has launched against the World is remarkable.    One very interesting clip uncovered was what Khomeini said to undermine Iraq at the time.    Iran has operations in over 80 Countries sponsoring cultural programs and training clerics to the tune of billions of dollars.     Some of the support has included a 2 Billion Dollars to the Kumours Island, 2 Billion Dollars to Sri Lanka and a 1 Billon Dollar loan to Iraq.  These are just very small examples that were exposed in this 47-Minute expose by this broadcast.    The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp touted its' efforts in Lebanon rebuilding schools, fixing electricity for 73 villages and other economic development efforts.    This is as after 30 years people in the South of the Country have hardly running water in the rural areas and as children are not able to attend school--one estimated that some 250 Villages have no running water at all. 

 As Iran continues to struggle with economic difficulties, one exposure was a directive from the First Vice president to Rouhani as he directed the privatization organization to direct proceeds from all privatizations to help fund the repairs and rebuilding of Shiite sites in Iraq to the tune of an estimated 2 Billion Dollars.        It was ironic how the apparent goodwill underscored by President Rouhani's Inaugural statement somehow rang hollow: 

  

Fascinating times.....

Notations On Our World: On the Eve of The Week-End w/Thoughts On South Korea & A Musical Interlude To Enjoy....

South Korea just made history as a sitting President was impeached and has been forced from office.  It is about the rule of law and being witness to history has been quite remarkable to be witness to.    It will be interesting to see how the dynamics with North Korea will change in light of the changes and the looming election to the Blue House (The South Korean Presidential Residence).  We have also been assessing the latest out of India with a very key election that would be a harbinger of the looming 2019 Election as Prime Minister Modi gears up for reelection. 

Our team wanted to begin the weekend with this "oldie" from the group Hiroshima with their rendition of "One Fine Day" which we hope all enjoy:   



We leave you with A remix of Egyptian Cat Heads from the Met Museum Open Access collection by Claire Voon for Hyperallergic, CC0 as we wish all a fabulous and restful Weekend: 

Poem of the Week: Emerson

  

View of the Week: School Choice Goes To the Movies - Education Next : Education Next

The Transformation of Education is one of the key priorities of the Trump Administration as it touts school choice.    We just picked this up that was published on Education Next that captures the profound choices and challenges:



School Choice Goes To the Movies - Education Next : Education Next: Everything anyone needs to know about school choice – who benefits from it and who opposes it – was summarized in the first few minutes of the movie Hidden Figures … and in the trailer right before it.

Thought(s) For the Week

Please enjoy this mid-week special edition of "Thoughts for the Week" as we continue to remember to celebrate the possible and never be discouraged: 

Notations From the Grid : A Reminder of Where We've Been...and Where we're going.....

It has been a challenging year already with all that has gone on in our World.   Our team decided, once again to celebrate the achievements and really reflect upon the possibilities as epitomized by this image we have chosen.   It must also be of note that despite all the challenging times we've been witness to, this chronology courtesy of +Peter H. Diamandis underscores the art of the possible and how the future is indeed bright: 

In 1917...

One hundred years ago, things looked a little bit different.

1. World Literacy Rates

- 1917: The world literacy rate was only 23%.

- Today: Depending on estimates, the world literacy rate today is 86.1%.

2. Travel Time

- 1917: It took 5 days to get from London to New York; 3.5 months to travel from London to Australia.

- Today: A nonstop flight gets you from London to New York in a little over 8 hours, and you can fly from London to Australia in about a day, with just one stop.

3. Average Price of a U.S. House

- 1917: The average price of a U.S. house was $5,000. ($111,584.29 when adjusted for inflation)

- Today: As of 2010, the average price of a new home sold in the U.S. was $272,900.

4. The First Hamburger

- 1917: The hamburger bun invented by a fry cook named Walter Anderson, who co-founded White Castle.

- Today: On average, Americans eat three hamburgers a week. That's a national total of nearly 50 billion burgers per year. And now we’re even inventing 100% plant-based beef burgers… produced by Impossible Foods and available at select restaurants.

5. Average Price of a Car in the U.S.

- 1917: The average price of a car in the U.S. was $400 ($8,926.74 when adjusted for inflation)

- Today: The average car price in the U.S. was $34,968 as of January 2017.

6. The First Boeing Aircraft

- 1917: A Boeing aircraft flew for the first time on June 15.

- Today: In 2015, there were almost 24,000 turboprop and regional aircraft, as well as wide body and narrow body jets, in service worldwide.

7. Coca-Cola

- 1917: On July 1, 1916, Coca-Cola introduced its current formula to the market.

- Today: Today, Coca-Cola has a market cap of about $178 billion with 2015 net operating revenues over $44 billion. Each day, over 1.9 billion servings of Coca-Cola drinks are enjoyed in more than 200 countries.

7. Average U.S. Wages

- 1917: The average U.S. hourly wage was 22 cents an hour ($4.90 per hour when adjusted for inflation)

- Today: The average U.S. hourly wage is approximately $26 per hour.

8. Supermarkets

- 1917: The first "super" market, PigglyWiggly, opened on September 6, 1916 in Memphis, TN.

- Today: In 2015, there were 38,015 supermarkets, employing 3.4 million people and generating sales of about $650 billion.

9. Billionaires

- 1917: John D. Rockefeller became the world's first billionaire on September 29.

- Today: There are approximately 1,810 billionaires, and their aggregate net worth is $6.5 trillion.

For context, Rockefeller’s net worth in today’s dollars would have been about $340 billion. Bill Gates, the world’s richest man, is worth $84 billion today.

10. Telephones (Landlines vs. Cellphones)

- 1917: Only 8% of homes had a landline telephone.

- Today: Forget landlines! In the U.S., nearly 80% of the population has a smartphone (a supercomputer in their pockets). Nearly half of all American households now use only cellphones rather than older landlines. And as far as cost, today, you can Skype anywhere in the world for free over a WiFi network.

11. Traffic (Horses to Cars)

- 1917: In 1912, traffic counts in New York showed more cars than horses for the first time.

- Today: There were approximately 253 million cars and trucks on U.S. roads in 2015.

12. US Population

- 1917: The U.S. population broke 100 million, and the global population reached 1.9 billion.

- Today: The U.S. population is 320 million, and the global population broke 7.5 billion this year.

13. Inventions and Technology

- 1917: The major tech invention in 1917? The toggle light switch.

- Today: The major tech invention of today? CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology, which enables us to reprogram life as we know it. And we are making strides in AI, robotics, sensors, networks, synthetic biology, materials science, space exploration and more every day.

14. High School Graduation Rates

- 1917: Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.

- Today: Over 80% of all Americans graduated high school this past year.

15. Cost of Bread

- 1917: A loaf of bread was $0.07 ($1.50 when adjusted for inflation)

- Today: A loaf of bread costs $2.37.

16. Speed Limits

- 1917: The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

- Today: The maximum speed limit in most cities is about 70 mph.

Just wait for the next 100 years.

View of the Week (Special Edition): The 2017 Budget Outlook

The 2017 Budget and Economic Outlook from Congressional Budget Office

Notations On Our World (Weekly Edition): On @POTUS Watch & The Future

The weekend here in the United States has been dominated by President Trump's assertions about President Obama having authorized a wiretap on him.    Based on all indications, it simply cannot be done as it must be authorized by a Court.     The Republicans are noting that they would be investigating this.   This is also as the Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, amended his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee as charges of perjury continues to be noted against The Attorney General--including assertions that he has violated a law called the False Statements Act.  This is as the Republicans just announced their Obamacare replacement that is yet to address some key provisions.

Beyond the Shores of the United States, there are changes going on in Europe as we speak.    One very interesting group that has begun in Europe was begun by the Former Greek Finance Minister with some key provisions as part of the alternatives that is emerging today with this Manifesto by 

.."A MANIFESTO FOR DEMOCRATISING EUROPE

For all their concerns with global competitiveness, migration, and terrorism, only one prospect truly terrifies the Powers of Europe: Democracy! They speak in democracy’s name but only to deny, exercise and suppress it in practice. They seek to co-opt, evade, corrupt, mystify, usurp and manipulate democracy in order to break its energy and arrest its possibilities.

As we have been reflecting upon the on-going transformation, we wanted to make sure we reported on this recent "blast From the Past" as one of the leading intellectuals of our time, Tariq Ali, noted why Trump won:  




As the political upheaval in Washington and beyond is continuing, some key challenges are before us. The future is automated--and we seem not to have an answer, yet as underscored by the reality laid out in this snapshot courtesy of the team at +Wefunder:  

45% of U.S. Jobs could be automated in the next 20 years "First, computers will start replacing people in especially vulnerable fields like transportation/logistics, production labor, and administrative support. Jobs in services, sales, and construction may also be lost in this first stage."

3 MINUTES OF TECH: AUTOMATED JOBS The Future is Automated—Here's the Breakdown Workplace automation is inevitable and approaching faster than we may have expected. But as Bill Gates noted in a recent interview, it's important we figure how it's coming, how fast, and how do we prevent it from throwing the world out of whack. Here are three key issues to keep in mind when discussing job automation: 1. Automation Will Unbalance Blue Collar Jobs First (and Fast) The U.S. has lost 5 million jobs in manufacturing since 2000—and it's not just because we're sending jobs overseas. More and more, automation is becoming the primary reason behind job loss. The most visible loss will be in transportation. Over 1 million Americans get behind the wheel to drive trucks cross-country. Another million or so drive Ubers, taxis, and buses. 2. Middle Class Jobs Are Also in Danger Stephen Hawking said it best: "the rise of artificial intelligence is likely to extend this job destruction deep into the middle classes, with only the most caring, creative or supervisory roles remaining." For instance, there are already software programs that can research and surface documents faster than any paralegal—making a 20-person team effort into single-person job. 3. Taxing Robots? Earlier this week, Bill Gates had the tech community a-buzz by suggesting the government should tax robots. He argues a robot tax would slow a potentially disastrous displacement of workers. The U.S. could then also finance valuable ventures such as training displaced workers, taking care of the elderly, and having smaller class sizes. In essence, having the automation tax fuel empathy-driven jobs robots could never take over.

On the Dawn of A New Week.....

What we picked up from +Jonathan Huie is paramount that is ever more important now: :

Rights are won only by those who make their voices heard.

- Harvey Milk

Lend your voices only to sounds of freedom,

no longer lend your strength to that

which you wish to be free from.

Fill your life with love and bravery,

and you shall live a life uncommon.

- Jewel

Never be bullied into silence.

Never allow yourself to be made a victim.

Accept no one's definition of your life;

define yourself.

- Harvey Fierstein

Stand before the people you fear and speak your mind -

even if your voice shakes.

- Maggie Kuhn

The Musical Interlude (W-End Edition): Cognition Enhancer Extended Version For Studying - Isochronic Tones, Ele...

View of the Week (W-End Edition); Senator @BernieSanders Responds to @POTUS #JointAddress

We wanted to feature Senator Sanders' response to President Trump's Address:

View of the Week (Special Edition): Sustainability: another key piece of the poverty puzzle

We here at the Daily Outsider are supporters of the work by @GlobalCitizen as it seeks to bring all together.     For this special edition of "View of the Week" we wanted to feature this clip courtesy of the team in order to underscore how it is still within the realm of the possible to save Mother Earth because as Ansel Adams reminded us all once Nature is destroyed, nothing can bring it back.

Notations On Our World: Briefly on #JointAddress by @POTUS

President Trump just finished delivering his first address to a Joint Session of Congress.    It entailed a review of the first 40 days of his Administration and what has been done to date.  He also noted how he plans to expand the Military, repeal and replace Obamacare and launc the $ 1 Trillion Infrastructure Program.   The key feature of this was underscored:  Buy American, Hire American.  It was quite interesting how he underscored his commitment to Clean Air and Clean Water.   

As he continued  He also interestingly noted how he planned to give Governors the tool to expand Medicaid to ensure access.   He also talked about Paid Family Leave.  What was striking was how he opened his speech by condemning Anti Semitism and also noted the recent shootings in Kansas that resulted in the death of an Indian Engineer working for Garmin.    BuzzFeed has noted that some 7 Mosques have burnt down which underscores the challenges faced at the grassroots.   He reminded all that, "We all bleed the same blood and salute the same flag and were created by God...".   He challenged Americans to be bold, not be burdened by the fears, "to believe in yourself" and to think big.     He also asked Democrats to join in this transformation.   

The most important highlight was when the President spoke about Chief Ryan Owens who was killed in operations in Yemen.   He underscored how he did not die in vain and the entire Congress rose up in applause to honor his applause as his wife was in attendance.    It was a moving tribute to be witness to--notwithstanding the Chief''s Father who expressed profound reservations about the raid and his call for an investigation after having refused to Meet the President.   

As the President's broad themes will translate into concrete policies and the on-going assessments continues,  our view is that It was a hopeful, unifying speech.     We look forward to commenting and reflecting upon the execution of the vision the President laid out  over the ensuing weeks 

View of the Week: On the Eve of March 2017......

As February is winding down,  Syria was again in the news as Russia and China vetoed another resolution condemning Syria.    Marwan Bishara of Al Jazeera is underscoring the profound dilemma as he noted what we agree with:  There appears to be no daylight between the Obama Administration and the Trump Administration not withstanding the President's Campaign pronouncements denouncing President Obama's policies during the campaign.    This is as the President's speech before Congress looms on this 40th Day of his Administration in the aftermath of his on-going listening tour.   The picture by Counselor to the President blew up Twitter, though as epitomized by the Wall Street Journal's Bret Stephens:

If Rice or Jarrett had sat like this in Oval Office conservatives would have screamed themselves hoarse for weeks. Now we own trashy. https://t.co/wFo31mqjYI

— Bret Stephens (@StephensWSJ) February 28, 2017

This is as he also spoke out against The persistent attack by the President and his aides against the Media:

My Daniel Pearl lecture on the dark purposes of Trump's attack on media, and the risks of conservative capitulation. https://t.co/IxOdvxw1e7

— Bret Stephens (@StephensWSJ) February 18, 2017

Beyond Washington, there is Africa.   This past month has seen Zimbabwe edge ever closer to the abyss as the long-time Dictator/President, Robert Mugabe, notes that he would be running for Elections again.   Our Twitter Team featured a recent retrospective by the Economist of London on how far Zimbabwe has fallen.    We have also been assessing the latest out of Nigeria as the President of Nigeria is out ill and apparently been ill in London.     It is starting to present profound challenges for a country that continues to deal with a very challenging insurgency and the economic uncertainty due to oil prices.   Nigeria has Africa's largest economy and has 10% of Africa's population--as such what happens in  Nigeria matters.       

As we look to March, we will continue our focus on Africa, assess the on-going rise of China and India, focus on the Middle East, periodic updates on the Trump Administration (while avoiding the "Trump Derangement Syndrom)  as we look forward to our contributing editors sharing their on-going insights on our World.     

It is bound to be an Exciting March and as Spring looms,  we look forward to being able to live up this admonition: 

Happy Birthday Pakistan's Angel of Mercy!!!

Thank you Google for honoring him as we are privileged to feature this done by Google in his honor--He would have been 89 Years Old.

Notations On Our World: On the #JointSession Speech by @POTUS

President Trump is less than 24 Hours away from delivering a speech to a Joint Session of Congress.   This is as he has come out with proposed increases in Military Spending and spending on the proposed Mexican Wall.     The White House Released this on the eve of the President's Speech:

President Donald J. Trump will be delivering his first address to a Joint Session of Congress on Tuesday, February 28, 2017. Be sure to tune in as the President will be sharing his vision for the country.

When: Tuesday, February 28, 2017, at 9 p.m.

Where: The United States Capitol in the House Chamber, also known as the "Hall of the House of Representatives.”

Who: The President will address Members of both the House of Representatives and Senate in his first address to a Joint Session of Congress.

The Speech: President Trump is keeping the tradition of previous Presidents by delivering a formal address to a Joint Session of Congress during his inaugural year, and will deliver his first State of the Union address in 2018. The President will deliver his speech from the Speaker’s rostrum.

How to watch: The address will be streamed live at http://www.whitehouse.gov

How to participate: Follow along live on Twitter @WhiteHouse and @POTUS for real-time information before, during and after the speech. The speech will also be live streamed atfacebook.com/WhiteHouse.

"This will be an opportunity for the people and their representatives to hear directly from our new President about his vision and our shared agenda." - Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Paul D. Ryan

During his first Joint Address to Congress, the President will communicate his vision for the future of the country directly to the American people as he moves forward with his plans to take on the many challenges facing this nation. Building on his inaugural address, President Trump will continue to lay out his agenda to Make America Great Again.

In just one month, President Trump's Administration has already accomplished so much, including the following:

• Reviving key job-creating energy projects such as the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.
• Eliminating costly Obama-era regulations such as the “Stream Protection Rule.”
• Minimizing the economic burden of Obamacare while clearing the path toward repeal and replace.
• Directing the Department of Defense to develop a plan to defeat ISIS.
• Standing with American workers by withdrawing from the disastrous Trans-Pacific Partnership.
• Enacting common sense regulatory reform by ordering any new regulations be offset by the repeal of two other regulations.
• Building his Cabinet and Administration with the highest quality individuals to help implement the President's vision for the country.
• Establishing new ethics commitments for all executive branch appointees to enforce a five-year lobbying ban and a permanent ban on lobbying for foreign governments.

Find out more about the President's Executive Actions

View the legislation President Trump has signed into law

The President's Cabinet 

This appeared on the House Speaker's Twitter Feed on the eve of the Joint Session Speech:

In 24 hours, @POTUS delivers his first #JointSession address. Follow here & Instagram for behind-the-scenes pics. → https://t.co/xLODtnUPa5 pic.twitter.com/51sp4nmn6V

— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) February 28, 2017

The looming battle over the budget will be very interesting as Republicans in the Congress are already noting that the proposed defense increases are too little--and as over 120 Generals and Admirals signed a letter asking for the United States not to retreat.   The question is whether the Adminstration will listen or not? 

Notations On Our World (Special #Oscars 2017 Edition): Quite an interesting Night....

It has been an interesting Oscar Night 2017:

Two prominent Iranian-Americans, Anousheh Ansari and Firouz Naderi, accepted the award on behalf of the director, Asghar Farahani.    What was also quite remarkable was the win about the Syrian White Helmets.   The favorite, La La Land, did not win...it was "moonlight" that did....

Fun to be Witness to History....

Notations On Our World: On Being Thankful & Challenges

As February 2017 draws to a close here in #Outsiders, we wanted to simply note how grateful we are to serve.    We look forward to the continued opportunity to serve as our network evolves as we continue to assess our World fully aware of the true realities in our World Today as underscored by the profound challenges faced in our World Today.    This challenge was underscored by the horrific attack on two Indian Engineers in Kansas.     Our founder sent out a Tweet of condolence to the Indian Foreign Minister and tagged the President, the Vice President and the White House Press Secretary with the hope that they would speak out forcefully against such actions.  The President is scheduled to speak at @CPAC 17 tomorrow.

As our journey continues, we are fully cognizant of the continued challenges in our World as we look forward to adding voice to the voiceless and living up to our mission to work to change the conversation about our World: 

Onward to March 2017 with all its' possibilities.....

View of the Week: Celebrating African American History Month

It is African American History Month.     In honor Of African American Month, please enjoy this talk from Dr. West available on Vimeo for all to Watch: 

African American History Celebration with Dr. Cornel West from St. Sabina Video on Vimeo.