This week’s email is about Dr. Cal Newport: Full-time professor at Georgetown University Author of multiple best-selling books Has ZERO social media He also has a new book called ‘Slow Productivity’ about how to accomplish more (without burning out). It’s helping me think about sustainability and success. I’ve known Cal for several years – and […]

The post Cal Newport changed my life appeared first on Noah Kagan.

Following Janey Godley on her 2023 tour as she discusses her life in comedy.

Dr Sandesh Gulhane, husband of TV doctor Punam Krishan, gave the man CPR at the Scottish Parliament.

John Deery survived a cardiac arrest while running the Belfast Marathon in May.

John Deery, who is alive due to a series of events and some strangers, is backing a defibrillator campaign.

Composer Errollyn Wallen talks about how her career as a composer has taken her around the world but always brings her back to Scotland.

Meet Nana Dillon - an 86-year-old from Middlesbrough who is proving "age is just a number".

Buildings that are normally inaccessible can now be explored virtually using smartphones.

Sipho Pfukani is told he must serve at least 18 years for the murder of 26-year-old Lazarus Makono.

Sisters Alice, Chloe and Lucy will be part of the Children in Need Choir on Friday.

A wildlife centre in Wrea Green says the council is "setting us up to fail" in a planning row over cladding.

Talha from Slough has been living in a serviced apartment since the fire in August.

Steve Price from Bracknell's life changed when an operation cured him of his chronic pain.

A teenager explains how therapeutic groups for children, helped by Children in Need, supported her.

Today in the Guardian, features writer Kira Cochrane has produced a story that is already being widely quoted on the numbers (or lack thereof) of visible women in the media. "In a typical month, 78% of newspaper articles are written by men, 72% of Question Time contributors are men and 84% of reporters and guests on Radio 4's Today show are men. Where are all the women?"

On the one hand, this story is decently written and based on a sound idea. Not least because rather than write an article on lazy assumptions of representations, it goes to the bother of looking at whether the actual numbers match up with the perceptions of the author. This is a good place to start in any conversation about representation and is often overlooked in media or social commentary.

That said, there is a huge difference between "counting numbers" and "producing statistics". Or, indeed, evidence. My problem is not with the article per se, which after all is simply a feature for the Life & Style section of the Grauniad, but rather with the reception it's had on Twitter and elsewhere as if it is le dernier cri in proof. The article is an improvement on most other articles of its kind. But it is also at best a beginning of something that could, and should, be examined further in a way which is compatible with well-designed research.

But the widespread acclaim indicates there is a danger of not taking the piece any further, and adopting its conclusions wholesale as if it was a well-designed in-depth study. It's not (yet). It could be. For example, the article starts with "In a typical month" - to be unimpeachable, you must establish in what way the months selected were "typical".

Because the numbers match so closely with the author's a priori assumptions, care should be taken to assure the reader that the shows selected do not comprise a skewed sample. (Actually, this should be done anyway.) We need to know what the spread of shows on television and radio are that are considered topical, political, or sufficiently serious. Why was Question Time included, and Loose Women excluded? I don't think one is especially more in-depth or topical than the other. Why is Have I Got News For You considered, which is a comedy show, and Moral Maze not, which is a serious radio programme featuring many regular women panellists and guests? Or the Radio 4 News Quiz, hosted by Sandi Toksvig and featuring many women as guests? What about Women's Hour?

Size, as ever, matters. What are the audience sizes for the shows, since clearly that is important? So, too, does sampling. Since it's presumably not practical or useful to count all appearances on all media, there needs to be a way of assuring that the ones considered in such a study comprise a representative sample of media, audience types, and audience sizes. This is something almost no examination of media topics outside academia bother to do (and many inside don't do it either). But if the shows can not be shown to be representative, the stud's conclusions could be accused of being skewed, and the results not taken seriously.

The title of the article, with its unexplored "why?" also presents the danger of interpreting an outcome as if it is the same as the opportunity. Why, indeed, should there be more women on Question Time, when the percentage of female MPs is only 22%? This surely this is a problem that needs to be addressed at root level (why are there not more women in government, considered for such positions, or running for them?) and not by whingeing about token women on politics shows.

The reaction to women going on some of these shows can be extremely negative, which makes other women considering whether to appear think twice. Remember when Fern Britton appeared on Question Time, and the furore over her opening her mouth on topics other than what we thought she should talk about? I was asked to go on QT last year and turned it down because I expected much the same reaction. Would a similarly placed man in media have had the same dismissive reception as Britton, particularly from women like Amanda Platell perceiving them as "lightweight"?

Similarly, the format of the Today programme on Radio 4 is extremely off-putting. Would you like to be shouted at for two minutes first thing in the morning on a show that prides itself on manufacturing controversy, or have a reasonable discussion over on Women's Hour? That, incidentally, is the question more-or-less as it has been put to me by the PR folks at Orion in the past. Come on, it's not even a contest which most women (and men) would choose given the option.

Age is also part of the mix. As one twitter correspondent (@petehague) commented, "I think that the entire debate misses the point that experienced commentators represent past gender policies ... i.e. if you want to get a professor of economics on TV, your selection is influenced by undergraduate gender balance decades ago." And not only the undergrad balance, but especially the percentage making it through study to professorships. David Starkey and his ilk are still rocking up peddling their schtick because, well, the women with the best and most cogent arguments to counter him are not at his level of academic or media experience yet. This phenomenon is almost certainly at work outside the academia bubble as well. And given the continuation of the trend in which women for various reasons choose family or life balance over single-minded pursuit of their careers, it may well never happen.

Finally, we must ask why it is women in media, even ones like say, Laurie Penny, who seem committed to an ideal of being a political writer, end up doing pieces about dating and handbags. Is it because when such assignments are offered, writers would rather take the job than turn it down? And does this, over time, contribute to an impression that anyone who has done so is destined to "lack gravitas"? There is a pink ghetto even - no, especially - at the Guardian. Isn't it ironic that Cochrane's piece is in the Life & Style section, rather than, say, Comment Is Free? On the same day when a man's thoughts on his Movember 'tache does get a spot in CiF?

So in short, while I broadly agree with Cochrane's thesis that it would be nice to see more women on shows like Question Time and Have I Got News For You, I'm not sure the critical applause is warranted. Yet. And I don't think it constitutes "proof" much at all apart from being about those shows on those days. Interesting? Yes. Generalisable to all media at all times? No. The difference between anecdotes and sampling is subtle (perhaps too much so for most media) but crucial.

You may be wondering why this matters on an issue in which most people are in agreement. It matters because if an argument is seen to be slapdash or half-baked, it throws the conclusions into doubt regardless of how worthy they are. It matters because for there to be change it's important to know the real and not imagined extent of the problem. And it matters because if something is worth doing, it's worth doing right. There's a germ of an interesting idea in there. The real question is what is to be done with it?

(no podcast this week - Boo! Check back next week) Chrome for Android Google has just released a beta of Chrome for Android, which is available for those running Android Ice Cream Sandwich (aka "the 1%"). This isn't JavaScript-specific news per se, but it is HUGE news for web devs ...

Running and longevity: Sub-four-minute milers increase their lifespan by up to 9 years  Genetic Literacy Project

By Lucas Miotto Lopes and Jiahong Chen The future of real-time appeal Knowing when to say or do something is often just as important as knowing what to say or do. The right advice at the wrong time is not

Work-life balance (WLB) is a widely explored topic in the academic discourse. The researchers are trying to find strategies to effectively balance their work and home responsibilities for women in management. This study aims to analyse how gender roles and inequalities shape the strategies of female academics in higher education institutions. Eighteen faculty members participated in the semi-structured interviews. The trustworthiness of qualitative inquiry was ascertained by using triangulation, thick descriptions, and peer reviews. Three major themes emerged from the analysis: emotional, religious and social strategies. Despite available support, faculty noted challenges in managing work and family roles and fighting with gender stereotypes. This research adds to the emerging concept of WLB literature from the developed countries' viewpoint. It also shows how WLB discourse varies from Western sensibilities and collaborates with the previously established strategies that female academics formulate in WLB.

Quality of work life (QWL) is a generic term that includes an employee's feeling about various aspects of their work including the compensation and rewards, job security, interpersonal relations and the intrinsic meaning of being satisfied in their workplace. This research paper was documented with an intention to understand the influence of the QWL on the productivity of employees working in the banking arena. The study examined the most clout able factors that contributed to the quality of work-life of employees and its correlation on their productivity. A multi-stage sampling method was used to draw a sizeable sample from ten major banks situated in the Karnataka state of India. A total of 756 personnel spread across various branches belonging to rural, semi-urban and urban were covered. The study was validated further by testing various hypotheses drawn based on a review of the literature. The study empirically identified eight major attributes that influence the QWL of bankers. The relationship between QWL and productivity was investigated with notable results using SEM approach.

The UK JISC-funded Content Lifecycle Integration Framework (CLIF) project has explored the management of digital content throughout its lifecycle from creation through to preservation or disposal. Whilst many individual systems offer the capability of carrying out lifecycle stages to varying degrees, CLIF recognised that only by facilitating the movement of content between systems could the full lifecycle take advantage of systems specifically geared towards different stages of the digital lifecycle. The project has also placed the digital repository at the heart of this movement and has explored this through carrying out integrations between Fedora and Sakai, and Fedora and SharePoint. This article will describe these integrations in the context of lifecycle management and highlight the issues discovered in enabling the smooth movement of content as required.

Aim/Purpose: Systematic literature reviews seek to locate all studies that contain material of relevance to a research question and to synthesize the relevant outcomes of those studies. The primary aim of this paper was to synthesize both research and practice reports on micro-credentials (MCRs). Background: There has been an increase in reports and research on the plausibility of MCRs to support dynamic human skills development for an increasingly impatient and rapidly changing digital world. The integration of fast-paced emerging technologies and digitalization necessitate alternative learning paradigms. MCRs offer time, financial, and space flexibility and can be stacked into a larger qualification, thereby allowing for a broader range of transdisciplinary competencies within a qualification. However, MCRs often lack the academic rigor required for accreditation within existing disciplines. Methodology: The study followed the PRISMA framework (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses), which offers a rigorous method to enhance reporting quality. The study used both academic research and practice reports. Contribution: The paper makes a theoretical contribution to the discourse about the need for innovation within existing educational paradigms for continued relevance in a changing world. It also contributes to the debate on the role of MCRs in bridging the gap between practice and academia despite the growing difference between their interests, and the role that MCRs play in the social-economic plans of countries. Findings: The key findings are that investments in MCRs are mainly in the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and Education sectors, and have taken place mainly in high-income countries and regions – contexts that particularly value practice-accredited MCRs. Low-income countries, by contrast, remain traditional and insist on MCRs that are formally accredited by a recognized academic institution. This contributes to a widening skills gap between low- and high-income countries or regions, which results in greater global disparities. There is also a growing divide between academia and practice concerning their interest in MCRs (a reflection of the rigor versus relevance debate), which partially explains why many global and larger organizations have gone on to create their own learning institutions. Recommendations for Practitioners: We recommend that educational mechanisms consider the critical importance of MCRs as part of innovative efforts for life-wide (different sectors) and life-long (same sector) learning, especially in low-income countries. MCRs provide dynamic mechanisms to fill skills gaps in an increasing ruthless international battle for talent. Recommendation for Researchers: We recommend focused research into skills and career pathways using MCRs while at the same time remaining responsive to transdisciplinary efforts and sensitive to global and local changes within any sector. Impact on Society: Work and society have transformed over time, and more so in the new digital age, yet academia has been slow in adapting to the changes, forcing organizations to create their own learning institutions or to use MCRs to fill the skills gap. The purpose of education goes beyond preparing individuals for work, extending further to creating an environment where individuals and governments seek their own social and economic outcomes. MCRs provide a flexible means for co-creation between individuals, education, organizations, and government that could stem global rising unemployment, social exclusion, and redundancy. Future Research: Future research should focus on the co-creation of MCRs between practitioners and academia.

Aim/Purpose: The study aims to explore the attributes of self-phubbing and partner-phubbing, as well as their impact on marital relationship satisfaction and the quality of communication. Furthermore, it aims to comprehend how these characteristics could impact an individual’s total level of life satisfaction. Background: The study aims to establish a clear association between specific mobile phone usage behaviors and their subsequent impact on relationship satisfaction and the quality of communication. This study investigates the effects of two types of behaviors on interpersonal relationships: self-phubbing, which refers to an individual being deeply absorbed in their own mobile phone use, and partner-phubbing, which refers to witnessing one’s partner being deeply absorbed in a mobile device. Methodology: This study utilizes a quantitative approach. The poll involved 150 smartphone users in Malaysia who are in relationships, and they participated by completing a questionnaire. The data analysis was performed using the Partial Least Squares-based Structural Equation Modeling method. Contribution: This research addresses the gap and gives insight into the consequences of self and partner phubbing and its impact on the relationship and life satisfaction among partners by providing a research model that was validated with primary data. Findings: The results of this survey show that smartphone conflicts harm relationship satisfaction but not communication quality. It was revealed that communication quality does not directly bring a negative impact on life satisfaction, but it directly affects relationship satisfaction, which, in turn, harms life satisfaction. Recommendations for Practitioners: The findings of this study can be used by practitioners to improve relationship counseling and therapy. Through the integration of the notion of phubbing and its impact on relationship happiness, couples can receive guidance on how to reduce the tension that arises from using smartphones. Recommendation for Researchers: Previous research was conducted exclusively on only an individual’s phubbing behavior, but limited work was done on the partner’s phubbing behavior. Future researchers can enhance this model by identifying more factors. Impact on Society: This study addresses broader societal ramifications in addition to the dynamics of particular relationships. This study promotes a more mindful use of smartphones by exposing the complex relationships between technology use, relationship happiness, and general life contentment. This will ultimately lead to healthier relationships and improved societal well-being. Future Research: In the future, we are going to implement an artificial neural network approach to test this data to predict the most important factors that influence phubbing.

Aim/Purpose: The aim of the research was to examine the relationship between the sub-dimensions of organizational culture perceptions, such as task culture, success culture, support culture, and bureaucratic culture and job motivations of ISMEK Lifelong Learning Center teachers. Background: It is thought that if teachers’ perceptions of organizational culture and levels of job motivation are assessed and the effects of school culture on the motivation level of teachers investigated, solutions to identified problems can be developed. Methodology: The study was conducted using survey research. The sample population consisted of 354 teachers working for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality’s Lifelong Learning Center (ISMEK). The personal information form prepared by the researchers, the School Culture Scale developed by Terzi (2005) and the Job Motivation Scale developed by Aksoy (2006) were administered to the teachers. Contribution: This study will contribute to research on the job motivations of teachers involved in adult education. Findings: The findings indicated that task culture differs according to gender. Teachers report high levels of job motivation, but job motivation varies with gender, education level, and number of years working at the ISMEK Lifelong Learning Center. A significant relationship was found between sub-dimensions of organizational culture and job motivation. Organizational culture explains more than half of the change in job motivation. The sub-dimensions of organizational culture, task culture, achievement culture, and support culture were found to be significantly predictive of job motivation. Recommendations for Practitioners: In order to increase motivation of teachers, a success-oriented structure should be formed within the organization. It is necessary for teachers and managers to support each other and to establish a support culture in their institutions. In order to establish a culture of support, managers need to receive in-service training. Recommendation for Researchers: This study was carried out in the ISMEK Lifelong Learning Center and similar studies can be done in classrooms, training centers, and study centers. Impact on Society: Teachers working in adult education should be afforded a more comfortable working environment that will positively impact job motivation, resulting in a higher quality of education for students. Therefore, this research may contribute to an increase in the number of students who engage in lifelong learning opportunities. Future Research: This qualitative study utilized a relational survey model. A more in-depth qualitative study employing observation and interviews is warranted.

In order to acquire resources, new ventures need to be perceived as legitimate. For this to occur, a venture must meet the expectations of various audiences with differing norms, standards, and values as the venture evolves and grows. We investigate how the organizational identity of a technology venture must adapt to meet the expectations of critical resource providers at each stage of its organizational life cycle. In so doing, we provide a temporal perspective on the interactions between identity, organizational legitimacy, institutional environments, and entrepreneurial resource acquisition for technology ventures. The core assertion from this conceptual analysis is that entrepreneurial ventures confront multiple legitimacy thresholds as they evolve and grow. We identify and discuss three key insights related to entrepreneurs' efforts to cross those thresholds at different organizational life cycle stages: institutional pluralism, venture-identity embeddedness and legitimacy buffering.

The Elephant Care Association of South Africa (ECASA) responds to Dr. Adam Cruise’s article, ‘Rules of Engagement: South Africa to ban captive wildlife interactions for tourists’ The Elephant Care Association of South Africa is deeply concerned by Dr Cruise’s article,...

KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah-based beverage manufacturer Life Water Bhd’s new manufacturing plant in Keningau, set to begin operations by December, is projected to increase the company’s annual production capacity to 448 million litres of drinking water, with plans to double this output by 2027.

Managing director Liaw Hen Kong said, in addition, the Kota Kinabalu Industrial Zone 8 Plant 2, planned for completion in 2027, will support the company’s transition to more advanced manufacturing processes, including relocating existing lines and expanding plastic packaging capabilities.

“These investments and expansion reflect our confidence in the market and our ambition to meet future demand. We are not just expanding capacity. We are laying the foundation for a sustainable future by integrating advanced warehousing systems and leveraging modern technologies.

“Beyond manufacturing, we are also exploring new market opportunities in Sarawak and Brunei. Our goal is to replicate our success in Sabah by bringing the same commitment to quality and customer service to new markets,” he said at Life Water’s listing on Bursa Malaysia’s Main Market today.

He said Life Water has strong logistics and distribution capabilities, with a fleet of 75 trucks, ensuring that beverages are delivered efficiently to over 3,250 retail outlets, 520 food service outlets, 150 wholesalers and 100 hotels across Sabah.

“Additionally, with distribution centres in Sandakan, Lahad Datu, Kota Kinabalu and soon in Tawau, we are well-positioned to expand our reach and serve our growing customer base.

“This strategic network supports our goal of making our products accessible to consumers everywhere,” he said.

Liaw said over the past three years, Life Water achieved a compounded annual growth rate of 17.2%, with total revenue rising from RM103.5 million in 2021 to RM166.5 million in 2024.

Similarly, Life Water’s customer base grew from 2,815 to 3,460 customers, highlighting the steady expansion of the company’s footprint in the region.

Liaw said the implementation of the sugar tax announced in Budget 2025 will not affect the carbonated beverages manufactured by Life Water.

He explained that the sugar content in Life Water’s carbonated drinks is below 5g per 100 millilitres (ml). “Our recipe (for the carbonated drinks) is below the threshold of 5g per 100 ml. So we are not affected by the sugar tax.”

Life Water opened at 77 sen in its market debut, a 12 sen or 18.5% premium from the initial public offering price (IPO) of 65 sen. It closed at 94 sen, 29 sen or 44.6% above the IPO price on volume of 233.4 million shares.

The company raised RM63.42 million through a public issuance of 97.56 million new ordinary shares, priced at RM0.65 each.

From the total proceeds, Life Water has allocated 30.0% or RM19 million to set-up an additional drinking water production line at its Sandakan Sibuga Plant 1, 18.9% or RM12.0 million for purchasing a new drinking water manufacturing line at Sandakan Sibuga Plant 2, and 19.9% or RM12.6 million will go toward setting up a second distribution centre in Sandakan.

Furthermore, 15.2% or RM9.6 million is designated for expanding the existing plastic packaging facilities in Kota Kinabalu.

The remaining proceeds of 6.6% and 9.5% or RM4.2 million and RM6 million, respectively, are allocated for working capital and to defray listing expenses.

Holding an 11% share of Malaysia’s bottled water market, the company is also putting focus on automating key manufacturing processes to boost efficiency, reduce wastage, and ensure quality consistency.

The company’s shares are classified as syariah-compliant by the Shariah Advisory Council of the Securities Commission Malaysia.

The company’s public issue portion, made available to the Malaysian public via balloting, was oversubscribed by 32.2 times.

MIDF Amanah Investment Bank Bhd is the principal adviser, underwriter and placement agent for Life Water Bhd’s IPO exercise.

Pastor Apollo Quiboloy spent six months in hiding with no report that he ever required hospital confinement for any affliction. But perhaps arrest and detention without bail, in accommodations that a man wealthy enough to tool around in a private jet may not be used to, can trigger a “life-threatening” affliction.

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Several other shops, 12 motorcycles reduced to ashes

Actor was previously married to former model Aliza Sultan until 2022

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A representational image shows an elderly couple walking together. — Unsplash

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In this Quality for life video, Kevin Holston, a certified Black Belt, shares how he uses Six Sigma tools in his everyday life, including providing humorous examples of how keeps his life in order and on track.

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