Tuesday, July 25, 2017

 Zombie Leadership: Conspiracies

Matt Canavan in federal politics dual citizenship crisis | The Courier-Mail

John Smyth (University of Huddersfield), The Toxic University: Zombie Leadership, Academic Rock Stars and Neoliberal Ideology (2017)

When we know the price of everything but value of selected monetary and financial landscapes:
Mic.com – “It’s no secret that reading is good for you. Just six minutes of reading is enough to reduce stress by 68%, and numerous studies have shown that reading keeps your brain functioning effectively as you age. One study even found that elderly individuals who read regularly are 2.5 times less likely to develop Alzheimer’s than their peers. But not all forms of reading are created equal. The debate between paper books and e-readers has been vicious since the first Kindle came out in 2007. Most arguments have been about the sentimental versus the practical, between people who prefer how paper pages feel in their hands and people who argue for the practicality of e-readers. But now science has weighed in, and the studies are on the side of paper books. Reading in print helps with comprehension.  A 2014 study found that readers of a short mystery story on a Kindle were significantly worse at remembering the order of events than those who read the same story in paperback. Lead researcher Anne Mangen of Norway’s Stavanger University concluded that “the haptic and tactile feedback of a Kindle does not provide the same support for mental reconstruction of a story as a print pocket book does.”




Drone journalists get very good news – instant waivers


FOR A man poised for combat with evil spirits, Philippe Moscato looks remarkably at ease. In casual clothes and chatting about the tools of his trade—a “Vogel” crystal, compass, steel crucifix, pendulum and bag of salt from Jerusalem—he says he can deliver unreal results. Hired to exorcise an apartment in a wealthy district of central Paris, he predicts that the air will change. In the winter, he says, the owners will no longer need their central heating, the result of beneficial vibrations.
Mr Moscato’s work involves first waggling a pendulum, supposedly to assess the flat’s readiness, then lighting a candle, reciting from an exorcism manual, before blessing salty water that he splashes in every room. As he sprinkles, he delivers a flow of incantations. For an hour’s work he pockets €155 ($178). He has requests three or four times a week to de-spook property, and exorcises a person on average once a week. Paris, Lyon and the French Riviera are the areas most contaminated...The Growth Industry



Top Destinations for Wealthy Chinese Looking to Move Abroad Revealed Jing Daily 




While the media speculates about the psyche of the white, working class male, Big Dog Sportswear has been quietly cataloging his grievances for decades.


And while we're on the subject, please stop patronizing the working class


The Minefield of Historical Communism



What does the experience of historical communism imply about modern politics and about possibilities in the future?









Speaking of conspiracies: Why do people get so invested in them anyway? A study says it's because they might feel excluded

An overdose, a young companion, drug-fueled parties: The secret life of USC med school dean Los Angeles Times. If you want a real college administrator scandal, this is what one looks like.