Blog Smith is inspired by the myth of Hephaestus in the creation of blacksmith-like, forged materials: ideas. This blog analyzes topics that interest me: IT, politics, technology, history, education, music, and the history of religions.
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Friday, September 29, 2017
Thursday, September 28, 2017
How's Socialism Doing in Venezuela?
https://youtu.be/CCIdm3cM6zQ
Venezuela is falling apart. Its economy? Ruined. Its people? Hungry. Its government? Corrupt. What happened? In a word, socialism. Debbie D'Souza, a native Venezuelan and political activist, explains.
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Augmented Reality
Corey Jaskolski, a National Geographic fellow, created 3D models of the figures, which will be available in an app built by Ardmore, Pa.-based Yetzer Studio. The app features mockups of the statues in an augmented-reality setting.
Monday, September 25, 2017
The Constitution and the American Political Tradition
Overview:
Since 1900, combined government spending in the United States—local, state, and federal—has grown from less than eight percent of GDP to nearly forty percent. In addition, the people’s representatives have abdicated their constitutional legislative power to executive agencies, agencies which now exercise all three functions of government. Although these trends indicate America has moved away from the Founders’ understanding of constitutionally limited government, self-government can be restored through a revival of a constitutional understanding of public policy.
Video
Q&A
Video
Q&A
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Saturday, September 23, 2017
Friday, September 22, 2017
Thursday, September 21, 2017
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
Ask the Recruiter
Ask the recruiter what to expect from the next stage in the interview process. Be candid and forthright. If it's a position that you feel strongly about even from the first telephone interview, say so with enthusiasm and tell the recruiter that you want to make a great impression on the hiring manager. The recruiter's feedback could be especially helpful. For example, you might say, "I'm very excited about moving to the next step. Can you tell me how to position myself as the best qualified candidate?" Or you could say, "Can you share with me what the hiring manager is looking for in the ideal candidate?"
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Monday, September 18, 2017
Sunday, September 17, 2017
"Democracy: American Promise and its Dangers"
Overview:
The success of the American Revolution could not be secured solely by military victory over British forces. Success also required that the policies and institutions of the new governments be formulated in accordance with the principles of the Revolution. At the end of the war, George Washington explained this formidable task in his Circular to the States: "According to the system of Policy the States shall adopt at this moment, they will stand or fall, and by their confirmation or lapse, it is yet to be decided, whether the Revolution must ultimately be considered as a blessing or a curse: a blessing or a curse, not to the present age alone, for with our fate will the destiny of unborn Millions be involved."
Video
Video
Saturday, September 16, 2017
Friday, September 15, 2017
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Questions to Ask During Interview
1. What's the biggest change your group has gone through in the last year? Does your group feel like things are getting better in the economy and for your business?
2. If I get the job, how do I earn a "gold star" on my performance review? What are the key accomplishments you'd like to see in this role over the next year?
3. What's your (or my future boss') leadership style?
4. About which competitor are you most worried?
5. How does sales / operations / technology / marketing / finance work around here? (I.e., groups other than the one you're interviewing for.)
6. What type of people are successful here? What type of people are not?
7. What's one thing that's key to this company's success that somebody from outside the company wouldn't know about?
8. How did you get your start in this industry? Why do you stay?
9. What are your group's best and worst working relationships with other groups in the company? What are the pain points you have to deal with day-to-day?
10. What keeps you up at night? What's your biggest worry these days?
11. What's the timeline for making a decision on this position? When should I get back in touch with you?
12. The economy has been getting better, and there's a lot of hiring going on. Why did you decide to prioritize this position instead of the many others you could have hired for?
13. What is your reward system? Is it a star system / team-oriented / equity-based / bonus-based / "attaboy!"-based? Why is that your reward system? What do you guys hope to get out of it, and what actually happens when you put it into practice? What are the positives and the negatives of your reward system? If you could change any one thing, what would it be?
14. What information is shared with the employees (revenues, costs, operating metrics)? Is this an "open book" shop, or do you play it closer to the vest? How is information shared? How do I get access to the information I need to be successful in this job?
15. If we are going to have a very successful year in 2017, what will that look like? What will we have done over the next 10 months to make it successful? How does this position help achieve those goals? (This question helps show your ability to look beyond today's duties to the future more than a year away.)
16. How does the company / my future boss do performance reviews? How do I make the most of the performance review process to ensure that I'm doing the best I can for the company?
17. What is the rhythm to the work around here? Is there a time of year that it's "all hands on deck" and we're pulling all-nighters, or is it pretty consistent throughout the year? How about during the week / month? Is it pretty evenly spread throughout the week / month, or are there crunch days?
18. What type of industry / functional / skills-based experience and background are you looking for in the person who will fill this position? What would the "perfect" candidate look like? How do you assess my experience in comparison? What gaps do you see?
19. What is your (or my future boss') hiring philosophy? Is it "hire the attitude / teach the skills" or are you primarily looking to add people with domain expertise first and foremost?
20. In my career, I've primarily enjoyed working with big / small / growing / independent / private / public / family-run companies. If that's the case, how successful will I be at your firm?
21. Who are the heroes at your company? What characteristics do the people who are most celebrated have in common with each other? Conversely, what are the characteristics that are common to the promising people you hired, but who then flamed out and failed or left? As I'm considering whether or not I'd be successful here, how should I think about the experiences of the heroes and of the flame-outs?
2. If I get the job, how do I earn a "gold star" on my performance review? What are the key accomplishments you'd like to see in this role over the next year?
3. What's your (or my future boss') leadership style?
4. About which competitor are you most worried?
5. How does sales / operations / technology / marketing / finance work around here? (I.e., groups other than the one you're interviewing for.)
6. What type of people are successful here? What type of people are not?
7. What's one thing that's key to this company's success that somebody from outside the company wouldn't know about?
8. How did you get your start in this industry? Why do you stay?
9. What are your group's best and worst working relationships with other groups in the company? What are the pain points you have to deal with day-to-day?
10. What keeps you up at night? What's your biggest worry these days?
11. What's the timeline for making a decision on this position? When should I get back in touch with you?
12. The economy has been getting better, and there's a lot of hiring going on. Why did you decide to prioritize this position instead of the many others you could have hired for?
13. What is your reward system? Is it a star system / team-oriented / equity-based / bonus-based / "attaboy!"-based? Why is that your reward system? What do you guys hope to get out of it, and what actually happens when you put it into practice? What are the positives and the negatives of your reward system? If you could change any one thing, what would it be?
14. What information is shared with the employees (revenues, costs, operating metrics)? Is this an "open book" shop, or do you play it closer to the vest? How is information shared? How do I get access to the information I need to be successful in this job?
15. If we are going to have a very successful year in 2017, what will that look like? What will we have done over the next 10 months to make it successful? How does this position help achieve those goals? (This question helps show your ability to look beyond today's duties to the future more than a year away.)
16. How does the company / my future boss do performance reviews? How do I make the most of the performance review process to ensure that I'm doing the best I can for the company?
17. What is the rhythm to the work around here? Is there a time of year that it's "all hands on deck" and we're pulling all-nighters, or is it pretty consistent throughout the year? How about during the week / month? Is it pretty evenly spread throughout the week / month, or are there crunch days?
18. What type of industry / functional / skills-based experience and background are you looking for in the person who will fill this position? What would the "perfect" candidate look like? How do you assess my experience in comparison? What gaps do you see?
19. What is your (or my future boss') hiring philosophy? Is it "hire the attitude / teach the skills" or are you primarily looking to add people with domain expertise first and foremost?
20. In my career, I've primarily enjoyed working with big / small / growing / independent / private / public / family-run companies. If that's the case, how successful will I be at your firm?
21. Who are the heroes at your company? What characteristics do the people who are most celebrated have in common with each other? Conversely, what are the characteristics that are common to the promising people you hired, but who then flamed out and failed or left? As I'm considering whether or not I'd be successful here, how should I think about the experiences of the heroes and of the flame-outs?
Wednesday, September 13, 2017
Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Monday, September 11, 2017
Sunday, September 10, 2017
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Friday, September 8, 2017
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Monday, September 4, 2017
Proper Way to Beat Muslim Wife
Proper Wife Beating
In a Feb. 8 interview with Palestinian Authority television, Mufti of Gaza Hassan Al-Laham assured viewers that “Allah created a solution for this,” that is, marital strife.
He said, “This hitting is a kind of reminder that the love and friendship that Allah commanded is still found between” the couple.
The mufti offered an Allah-mandated four-step program for husbands, culminating in striking their wives, but not so severely that those outside the home discover that the couple is having trouble.
“Allah said: Warn them [the wives], and separate from them, and hit them, and bring an arbitrator from his family and an arbitrator from her family. [Only] after this comes divorce. The husband starts with a warning,” he explained.
“After the warning and separation, comes the hitting — hitting that does not make her ugly,” the Gaza mufti said. “The Prophet [Muhammad] said [in a Hadith]: ‘Do not hit the face and do not make her ugly.’ In other words, not hitting that will bring the police, and break her hand and cause bleeding, or hitting that makes the face ugly.”
The mufti quoted the teachings of Muhammad known as the Hadith, which Al-Laham said suggested using a “small brush” for hitting.
“The hitting is not meant to disfigure, harm or degrade. The hitting will be like a joke. He will hit her jokingly. Not a blow that breaks a bone or makes the face ugly, and he will not curse and the like,” the mufti said.