#Excel Essentials for Office Administrators

[contemplatingoutlander]

"The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services, a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office." (Article III, Section 1) [emphasis added]

Alexander Hamilton would be outraged to know that the current Supreme Court justices assume the Constitution gives them lifetime appointments — regardless of their behavior. He wouldn’t understand how any justice could overlook Article III, Section I that states that judges and justices “shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour.”

In the above commentary, Jack Jordan makes an excellent case that the Founders' intentions regarding the tenure of federal justices and judges has been grossly misinterpreted--and by justices who claim to be "originalists." Below are some excerpts:

A favorite falsehood by fake originalists (including those on SCOTUS) is that federal judges have “life tenure” or “lifetime appointments” (essentially the right to employment for life). Nothing explicitly or implicitly in our Constitution supports that myth. Often, so-called originalists who assert such falsehoods are lying to us about our Constitution.  [...] Our Constitution (Article III) strongly and clearly emphasized that all federal “Judges,” i.e., “of the supreme [court] and [all] inferior Courts shall” (and may) “hold their Offices” only “during good Behaviour.” This particular principle was discussed repeatedly and in multiple respects during the debates over whether the people should ratify our Constitution. Such discussions are evidence of what the people actually did ratify. Such discussions are evidence of what the people (including Federalists and Antifederalists) understood our Constitution meant. Some of the most obvious and emphatic statements were by Alexander Hamilton in The Federalist No. 78. Hamilton emphasized that some state “constitutions” already “established GOOD BEHAVIOR as the tenure of their judicial offices” and our Constitution “would have been inexcusably defective, if it had [failed to include] this important feature of good government.” “The standard of good behavior for the continuance in office of the judicial magistracy” was carefully (and repeatedly) chosen to be “one of the most valuable of the modern improvements in the practice of government.” [color/ emphasis added]

______________ Alexander Hamilton image was AI generated by Shutterstock.

[See more excerpts below the cut.]

[...] Hamilton also emphasized that judges are “servant[s]” or “representative[s]” of “the people.” We the People used our Constitution (Article III) to impose the “standard of good behavior” on judges as an “excellent barrier to the encroachments and oppressions of [all our] representative[s]” and “to secure a steady, upright, and impartial administration of the laws” by all our public servants. [...] Repeatedly, Hamilton and James Madison emphasized similar principles. Ours is “a republic, where every magistrate ought to be personally responsible for his behavior in office.”  The Federalist No. 70 (Hamilton).  Having “courts composed of judges holding their offices” only “during good behavior” is a “powerful means” for ensuring “the excellences of republican government may be retained and its imperfections lessened or avoided.”  The Federalist No. 9 (Hamilton).  “The tenure by which the judges are to hold their places, is, as it unquestionably ought to be, that of good behavior.”  The Federalist No. 39 (James Madison).  Only “judges” who “behave properly, will be secured in their places for life.”  The Federalist No. 79 (Hamilton). In The Federalist No. 81 (Hamilton) also addressed a particular form of bad judicial behavior that is remarkably common among some SCOTUS justices: “judges” committing “deliberate usurpations” of “authority” that was not delegated to them by our Constitution. Hamilton also emphasized “the important constitutional check which the power of instituting impeachments” (by the House of Representatives) “and of determining upon them” (in a trial by the Senate) “would give to” Congress as “the means of punishing [the] presumption” of judges usurping powers that the Constitution did not give judges or courts (or to Congress, which creates all federal courts below SCOTUS). [color/ emphasis added]

So the Founders expected federal judges and justices who were not showing "good behavior" to be removed.

This also suggests that they would have expected the Supreme Court to develop a code of ethics that had actual teeth, in addition to the institutional check against bad judicial behavior that they put in place by allowing Congress to impeach corrupt justices.

Unfortunately, the Founders didn't expect that in the future one party in Congress (the Republicans) would be so corrupt that there is no way they would ever impeach the equally corrupt right-wing "politicians in robes" on the current Supreme Court.

Still, anytime a justice asserts that they have tenure for life in an interview, the interviewer might want to remind them about that "good behavior" stipulation in Article III, and ask them how they are making sure they are fulfilling that requirement for their continued tenure.

[atiny-for-life]

What is happening in LA?

First and foremost, if you're thinking of attending the protests, please keep the following in mind:

Leave your phone at home while playing videos or AT LEAST put it in airplane mode so you can't be tracked or pinned at the protest.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! Say nothing to police officers except: “Am I being detained?” | “Am I free to go?”

If arrested, go limp, and say NOTHING without a lawyer present.

Stay with the crowds, stay aware of your environment

More information under the cut about the cause, the last few days of protests, and the big question: Why is Trump intentionally escalating the situation?

THE CAUSE

This already started over two months ago when Trump started ordering "illegal immigrants" to get arrested WITHOUT DUE PROCESS, meaning they were arresting people at random - including American citizens - and essentially kidnapping them, all with ZERO PROOF that they'd committed a crime of any sort.

Here is an excellent video by a US attorney on the matter:

Or to sum it up:

THE PROTESTS

On June 7th, the following was reported by abc7:

While the protest remained largely peaceful, aerial video from AIR7 showed part of the street blocked off by protesters with LAPD patrol vehicles nearby. Video also showed that the Federal Detention Center had been sprayed with graffiti as the evening went on. LAPD declared an unlawful assembly shortly after 7 p.m., warning individuals they were subject to arrest if they remained in the area. Eventually, officers in riot gear moved in to disperse the crowd.

"Families waiting to see the end of their family members that were detained earlier today they have not been able to see their family members. Attorneys have not been able to speak to the individuals that have been detained. They have been completely avoiding due process for individual," said former California State Assemblywoman Wendy Carrillo. For those now detained, which attorney's present at the federal building say is about 200 people downtown, legal advice has to come quickly, because they could be moved out of Los Angeles before the weekend is over.

By June 9th, we already had police shooting a rubber bullet at a reporter (note how long she was standing there before the police took aim and fired):

[Full video here]

Side note: Rubber bullets are meant to be shot at the ground so they can then bounce off and hit the intended target, otherwise the projectile is extremely unsafe and can do some serious damage.

On June 10th, Trump ordered the deployment of Marines in Los Angeles to quell protests.

But, to quote AlJazeera, "the deployment of the Marines – coming on the back of the move to send the National Guard to Los Angeles – has sparked criticism, not just from Trump’s political opponents like California Governor Gavin Newsom but also from the Los Angeles police."

Other excerpts from the above linked AlJazeera article which should be kept in mind:

“If the administration escalates to active duty troops, especially without coordination with state leaders, it would amount to a militarization of civilian protest, not a restoration of order,” attorney Robert Patillo said in a written statement to Al Jazeera. “That move could violate the First Amendment rights of peaceful protesters and would likely inflame tensions on the ground, not resolve them.” 

Al Jazeera’s Rob Reynolds, reporting from LA, said Monday’s protests organised by unions in the city centre were peaceful. “[The National Guard] didn’t engage with the protesters. They didn’t do much of anything other than stand there in their military uniforms,” Reynolds said.

On Monday, [California Governor Gavin] Newsom announced that he had filed a lawsuit against Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “to end the illegal takeover” of the National Guard. Trump’s federalisation of the National Guard on Saturday marked the first time in 60 years that a US president has activated the guard in defiance of a state governor’s wishes.

BUT WHY IS TRUMP DOING THIS?

There are two major reasons: to distract and to divide.

Distract from what? This:

And to divide what?

The people. The United States.

On one side: the MAGA crowd with their fear and hatred of immigrants and loyalty to right-wing, fascist ideology, and on the other, the rest of the country. The ones with empathy, who haven't been brainwashed yet, and who can see and understand exactly what game Trump is playing here.

Because if you know anything about history or global news, you'll realize: it's always the same with right wing leaders.

Every. Single. One of them wants the same thing: for their people to suffer so they can give them an easy scapegoat (Jewish people, Muslim people, black people, immigrants, the ones who live off welfare, the old, the young, the disabled, the queer community, you name it).

That way, their brainwashed little sheep get so caught up in their hatred for the innocent that they fail to see what's right in front of them: the billionaires, the corrupt politicians. The egomaniacs who are hoarding wealth, manipulating the system, and intentionally worsening everyone else's lives just so they can keep affording their own lifestyle and feel oh-so-special and powerful.

[mariacallous]

A young man with no government experience who has yet to even complete his undergraduate degree is working for Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and has been tasked with using artificial intelligence to rewrite the agency’s rules and regulations.

Christopher Sweet was introduced to HUD employees as being originally from San Francisco and most recently a third-year at the University of Chicago, where he was studying economics and data science, in an email sent to staffers earlier this month.

“I'd like to share with you that Chris Sweet has joined the HUD DOGE team with the title of special assistant, although a better title might be ‘Al computer programming quant analyst,’” Scott Langmack, a DOGE staffer and chief operating officer of an AI real estate company, wrote in an email widely shared within the agency and reviewed by WIRED. “With family roots from Brazil, Chris speaks Portuguese fluently. Please join me in welcoming Chris to HUD!”

Sweet’s primary role appears to be leading an effort to leverage artificial intelligence to review HUD’s regulations, compare them to the laws on which they are based, and identify areas where rules can be relaxed or removed altogether. (He has also been given read access to HUD's data repository on public housing, known as the Public and Indian Housing Information Center, and its enterprise income verification systems, according to sources within the agency.)

Plans for the industrial-scale deregulation of the US government were laid out in detail in the Project 2025 policy document that the Trump administration has effectively used as a playbook during its first 100 days in power. The document, written by a who’s who of far-right figures, many of whom now hold positions of power within the administration, pushes for deregulation in areas like the environment, food and drug enforcement, and diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

One area Sweet is focusing on is regulation related to the Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH), according to sources who spoke to WIRED on the condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the press.

Sweet—who two sources have been told is the lead on the AI deregulation project for the entire administration—has produced an Excel spreadsheet with around a thousand rows containing areas of policy where the AI tool has flagged that HUD may have “overreached” and suggesting replacement language.

Staffers from PIH are, specifically, asked to review the AI’s recommendations and justify their objections to those they don’t agree with. “It all sounds crazy—having AI recommend revisions to regulations,” one HUD source says. “But I appreciated how much they’re using real people to confirm and make changes.”

Once the PIH team completes the review, their recommendations will be submitted to the Office of the General Counsel for approval.

One HUD source says they were told that the AI model being used for this project is “being refined by our work to be used across the government.” To do this, the source says they were told in a meeting attended by Sweet and Jacob Altik, another known DOGE member who has worked as an attorney at Weil, Gotshal & Mangesthat, the model will crawl through the Code of Federal Regulations (eCFR),

Another source told WIRED that Sweet has also been using the tool at other parts of HUD. WIRED reviewed a copy of the output of the AI’s review of one HUD department, which features columns displaying text that the AI model found to be needing an adjustment while also including suggestions from the AI for alterations to be made, essentially proposing rewrites. The spreadsheet details how many words can be eliminated from individual regulations and gives a percentage figure indicating how noncompliant the regulations are. It isn’t clear how these percentages are calculated.

Sweet did not respond to requests for comment regarding his work. In response to a request to clarify Sweet’s role at HUD, a spokesperson for the agency said they do not comment on individual personnel. The University of Chicago confirmed to WIRED that Sweet is “on leave from the undergraduate college.”

It’s unclear how Sweet was recruited to DOGE, but a public GitHub account indicates that he was working on this issue even before he joined Musk’s demolition crew.

The “CLSweet” GitHub account, which WIRED has linked to Sweet, created an application that tracks and analyzes federal government regulations “showing how regulatory burden is distributed across government agencies.” The application was last updated in March 2025, weeks before Sweet joined HUD.

One HUD source who heard about Sweet’s possible role in revising the agency’s regulations said the effort was redundant, since the agency was already “put through a multi-year multi-stakeholder meatgrinder before any rule was ever created” under the Administrative Procedure Act. (This law dictates how agencies are allowed to establish regulations and allows for judicial oversight over everything an agency does.)

Another HUD source said Sweet’s title seemed to make little sense. “A programmer and a quantitative data analyst are two very different things,” they noted.

Sweet has virtually no online footprint. One of the only references to him online is a short biography on the website of East Edge Securities, an investment firm Sweet founded in 2023 with two other students from the University of Chicago.

The biography is short on details but claims that Sweet has worked in the past with several private equity firms, including Pertento Partners, which is based in London, and Tenzing Global Investors, based in San Francisco. He is also listed as a board member of Paragon Global Investments, which is a student-run hedge fund.

The biography also mentions that Sweet “will be joining Nexus Point Capital as a private equity summer analyst.” The company has headquarters in Hong Kong and Shanghai and describes itself as “an Asian private equity fund with a strategic focus on control opportunities in the Greater China market.”

East Edge Securities, Pertento Partners, Tenzing Global Investors, Paragon Global Investments, and Nexus Point Capital did not respond to requests for comment.

The only other online account associated with Sweet appears to be a Substack account using the same username as the GitHub account. That account has not posted any content and follows mostly finance and market-related newsletters. It also follows Bari Weiss’ The Free Press and the newsletter of Marc Andreessen, the Silicon Valley billionaire investor and group chat enthusiast who said he spent a lot of time advising Trump and his team after the election.

DOGE representatives have been at HUD since February, when WIRED reported that two of those staffers were given application-level access to some of the most critical and sensitive systems inside the agency.

Earlier this month, US representative Maxine Waters, the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, said DOGE had “infiltrated our nation’s housing agencies, stealing funding Congress provided to communities, illegally terminating staff, including in your districts, and accessing confidential data about people living in assisted housing, including sexual assault survivors.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Liz Dye at Public Notice:

“We are the federal law,” President Trump insisted at a lunch with state governors on February 21. And he really believes it! Since his first day in office, Trump and his minions have loudly insisted that the law means what he says it does, despite the Constitution vesting in Congress the power to enact laws and courts the duty interpret them. And yet, he persists. Nowhere is this legal fantasizing more bizarre than in the context of civil rights, where Trump concocted new theories of gender and race discrimination and commands all of us to treat them as if they are real. Suddenly we are expected to accept that the existence of trans people or the mere acknowledgement of racism is itself discriminatory. It’s bizarre and ahistorical, and it almost certainly won’t work.

Bigotry as policy

On January 20, just hours after being sworn in, Trump signed his first executive order attacking transgender people. The “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government” edict announced a brand new interpretation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which bars discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, and national origin. Essentially, Trump declared that allowing trans women to exist as women amounts to discrimination against cisgender women. He ordered trans women in prison to be forcibly detransitioned and placed in men’s facilities, declared it illegal for trans women to use the ladies’ room, and instructed the attorney general, the secretary of labor, the the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to “prioritize investigations and litigation to enforce the rights and freedoms identified.”

On February 5, Trump followed up with a second order — “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” — in which he decreed that allowing trans athletes of any age to participate “denies women and girls the equal opportunity to participate and excel in competitive sports” in violation of Title IX. But that is emphatically not the law. The Supreme Court ruled in Bostock v. Clayton County in 2019 that employment discrimination against trans people is discrimination “on the basis of sex” under Title VII of the Act. In 2021, the Court refused to grant certiorari in the case of Gavin Grimm, after the Fourth Circuit ordered Virginia to let the trans student use the boys bathroom at his school. Since then, the Court has also let a bunch of anti-trans state laws stand, and seems poised to allow states to ban gender affirming care for minors, clearly signaling that the conservative justices will not bar discrimination against trans athletes under Title IX. But that’s a far cry from saying that Title IX requires such discrimination. No court has ever endorsed the Trump administration’s claim that the law mandates the exclusion of trans kids from sports. And yet Trump’s second executive order instructed the Department of Education to “rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy.” It also ordered the attorney general to pursue Title IX enforcement actions against any sports program that lets trans athletes play. [...]

Retribution

The very next day, the government began using federal tax dollars (of which Maine is a net contributor) in an effort to force the state to comply with Trump’s imagined version of Title IX. The administration cut everything from Social Security to aquaculture, although the USDA’s attack on school lunch money was particularly vile, with some $3 million in funds canceled. “You cannot openly violate federal law against discrimination in education and expect federal funding to continue unabated,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins ranted in a letter to Mills, warning that “this is only the beginning, though you are free to end it at any time by protecting women and girls in compliance with federal law.” [...]

We all know what we mean

As bigoted and filthy as Trump’s anti-trans edicts are, at least states can be pretty clear on how to comply with them. Trump’s anti-DEI pronouncements are equally unmoored from law and precedent, but so vague as to be functionally meaningless. In a series of executive orders, Trump inveighed against “illegal DEI,” which he claims violates the Civil Rights Act’s ban on racial discrimination. “Critical and influential institutions of American society, including the Federal Government, major corporations, financial institutions, the medical industry, large commercial airlines, law enforcement agencies, and institutions of higher education have adopted and actively use dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI) or ‘diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility’ (DEIA) that can violate the civil-rights laws of this Nation,” he blustered in one order.

Power-drunk Tyrant 47 demands that states obey his edicts or face federal funding cuts.

[rivensdefenseattorney]

Interplanetary Federation of Education (IFEd)

(WIP)

Mission Statement: IFEd is dedicated to fostering excellence in education, promoting collaboration among planets, and ensuring educational equity and community engagement.

Structure:

The IFEd is structured consists of a panel led by an experienced Chairperson and comprising representatives from participating planets, education experts, community leaders, and youth representatives. Policy advisors ensure alignment with interplanetary governance, while a dedicated Diversity and Inclusion Officer fosters equitable representation. The Secretary-General manages administrative tasks, committee chairs lead focused sub-committees on key aspects like charity assessment and resource allocation, and an advisory council, including seasoned educators, former members, and individuals with historical knowledge, provides valuable guidance.

Resource Allocation Committee

The Resource Allocation Committee (RAC) is tasked with overseeing the distribution of resources to schools based on their charitable contributions. This committee is responsible for evaluating and quantifying schools' public service, research contributions, and donations. It utilizes a weighted system, considering factors such as the size, quality, history, and prestige of each school to determine tiered contribution levels. The committee establishes a fair and dynamic framework, ensuring that schools with varying resources and capacities can actively engage in meaningful philanthropy. The RAC plays a crucial role in fostering equity, accountability, and continuous improvement within the interplanetary education system.

Quantifiable Metrics for Charitable Contributions:

Public Service

Volunteer Hours: The number of volunteer hours contributed by students and staff from elite schools to community service projects. This metric reflects the direct involvement of the school community in public service.

Community Impact Index: A standardized index that quantifies the tangible impact of community service projects initiated by schools.

Public Research

Research Publications: Research publications produced by schools that directly contribute to public knowledge, address societal challenges, or provide solutions to community issues.

Innovation Index: An innovation index that assesses the level of creativity and novelty in research projects undertaken by schools.

Public Charity

Monetary Donations: The total amount of monetary donations made by schools to charitable organizations, community projects, or public welfare initiatives. This provides a direct measure of financial support to the community.

Scholarship Funds: The establishment and contributions to scholarship funds that support underprivileged students or those with exceptional talent. This metric reflects a commitment to fostering educational opportunities within the broader community.

Material Contributions: The value and quantity of non-monetary donations made by schools. This includes items such as food, potions, elixirs, medicine, technology, and other tangible contributions that directly benefit the community.

Resource Impact Assessment: Evaluates the impact of non-monetary donations on the community. This assessment could consider the essential needs addressed, technological advancements shared, or improvements in the quality of life resulting from these donations.

Tiered Contribution Levels:

Tier 1 Contributors

Characteristics:

Size: Large student body and extensive facilities.

Quality: Renowned staff, state-of-the-art facilities, and high-achieving students.

History/Prestige: Long-standing history and high prestige within the interplanetary education system.

Contribution Requirement:

High contribution requirement due to the school's extensive resources and capacity for significant impact.

Tier 2 Contributors

Characteristics:

Size: Moderate to large student body with well-maintained facilities.

Quality: Competent staff, good facilities, and academically proficient students.

History/Prestige: Established history and a positive reputation.

Contribution Requirement:

Moderate contribution requirement, reflecting the school's capacity to make a substantial impact.

Tier 3 Contributors

Characteristics:

Size: Varied student body size with adequate facilities.

Quality: Capable staff, functional facilities, and engaged students.

History/Prestige: A decent history and a respectable reputation.

Contribution Requirement:

Moderate to low contribution requirement, considering the school's balanced resources and potential impact.

Tier 4 Contributors

Characteristics:

Size: Smaller student body with basic facilities.

Quality: Developing staff, basic facilities, and a growing student body.

History/Prestige: Limited history and reputation.

Contribution Requirement:

Low contribution requirement, recognizing the school's developing status and potential for growth.

Tier 5 Contributors

Characteristics:

Size: Small student body and limited facilities.

Quality: Novice staff, basic facilities, and entry-level students.

History/Prestige: Recently established with minimal reputation.

Contribution Requirement:

Minimal contribution requirement, acknowledging the school's entry-level status and the need for gradual growth.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Robert Meranto, Wilfred Reilly

Published: Jan 22, 2025

Successful policy innovations often come from the most unexpected people and places. As citizens quipped for a half century, only arch Cold Warrior Richard Nixon could open up Communist China. Today, perhaps, only some Donald Trump acolytes such as Elon Musk can make black lives matter, undoing years of bloody damage from progressive activists and indifference from everyone else. If there was ever a tempting target for the Trump administration’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), American policing and criminal justice is it, boasting whole orchards of low-hanging fruit. Success in protecting black (and all other) lives could simultaneously increase President Trump’s already substantial support among racial and ethnic minorities and free sensible Democrats from the grip of their party’s extremists.

For more than a decade — Trayvon Martin was killed in 2012, Michael Brown in 2014 — Black Lives Matter has been an untouchable sacred cow for progressive Democrats, attracting at least $10 billion in donations and goosing progressive voter turnout, per serious scholars such as Harvard’s John Della Volpe. The dominant BLM narrative paints police as an existential threat to black people. Activists even claim, falsely, that modern police evolved from antebellum patrols organized to apprehend escaped slaves. In reality, of course, such institutions as the city watch and the king’s guard date back to an era when there were walled cities and kings. Robin Hood’s great opponent was the sheriff of Nottingham, and, as Guy de la Bédoyère notes in his excellent book Praetorian, the first true lawmen were probably pensioned-off Roman legionnaires. Any paradigm that simply denies all of this essentially requires that activists smear critics as racist, contributing to the toxic state of contemporary discourse.

Moreover, progressives sympathetic to the BLM narrative, and some of the movement’s scrappers, occupy key positions in governmental and private bureaucracies, which — as we noted at a recent conference — they use to censor others. The paradigmatic example is Harvard administrators’ attempt to fire star economist Roland Fryer after he published a sophisticated article showing that, controlling for behavior, police do not disproportionately kill black people. Sociologist Musa al-Gharbi details how thousands of woke activists and bureaucrats have until recently enjoyed high salaries for and considerable emotional satisfaction from their imposing the “correct” paradigm and purging critics.

This sort of virtue-signaling seriously damaged Democrats at the polls, likely enabling Donald Trump’s decisive electoral win this past November. But has it saved black lives? Sadly, it has not, and neither have activist reforms. Nevertheless, since the BLM era began around 2014, more police have died on the job, and activists’ demonization of cops has likely contributed to this trend.

In fairness, the 2014–19 period saw a small decrease in police killings of civilians, with about 200 fewer dead. Alas, as we document in “Black Deaths: How Black Lives Matter Took Lives That Better Policing Could Save,” thousands more citizens, mostly black citizens, died during this period as homicide rates among black males spiked from 30 to 56 per 100,000. And even the era of declining police homicides — for all groups — appears to be over. As Covid-19 and the post–George Floyd anarchy contributed to a striking surge in crime, American law enforcement officers fatally shot 1,050 people in 2021, 1,097 in 2022, and 1,164 in 2023, compared with 995 in 2015.

For all our lambasting of activists and academics, city mayors and officials have hardly covered themselves in glory. The graphic murder of a single wealthy white tourist in 1991, with its implications for the travel industry, turned New York City policing around in ways that the killings of thousands of regular New Yorkers could not.

Decades later, top cops continue to protect important (and disproportionately white) people in downtown business districts and tourist spots, while throwing bones to progressives by de-policing the poorer, blacker parts of town that need protection the most, and where homicides have soared in the BLM era. One thing that police-union leaders and street activists have in common is a remarkable callousness toward poor lives, often “black lives.” That’s horrible but understandable given that high homicide rates among low-income minorities rarely get police commissioners fired or mayors voted out.

Enter the DOGE.

While supporters claim that the Department of Government Efficiency, headed up by Musk and until recently co-led by likely Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, can potentially save the U.S. hundreds of billions of dollars, smart critics note that most big federal spending today is in middle-class welfare programs such as Social Security and Medicare — the famous third-rail programs that politicos, including Trump, fear to slash. Absent such action, as National Review’s own Yuval Levin laments, “so far, the DOGE is pretty much a bunch of memes and an X account.”

With respect to Levin, he fails to see an opportunity. The reason to have smart, wealthy outsiders such as Musk onboard is that, unbound by the status quo, they can bring creativity and transparency to failing bureaucracies. Given that 87 percent of government employees are in state and local bureaucracies, there is no reason to limit the DOGE’s insights purely to the federal level of government. Though its role would be purely advisory, state and local governments that are open to unconventional ideas could greatly benefit from the DOGE’s counsel.

Regarding policing, for example, since the 1990s, the New York Police Department has transformed itself by learning how to hire better cops, fire bad cops, and use information technology to replace a costly paper-based system and position cops where crimes were most likely to occur. The results: an 80 percent reduction in police shootings of civilians and a more than 80 percent reduction in homicide, alongside a decrease in incarceration. In just a few years, New York went from being one of the nation’s most dangerous cities to one of its safest.

An agency like the DOGE could make suggestions of this kind to any governmental agency worth talking to. In the context of policing, this could look like advising departments not currently doing so to identify and incarcerate the few most serious criminals in every jurisdiction who are responsible for most crime, end the bizarre anarcho-tyranny of cities and larger entities that fund costly campaigns against such groups as clinic protesters and crosswalk desecrators while allowing theft below a certain dollar amount to go on at will, and most notably to ditch any expensive ceremonial activities unrelated to making arrests (“Throughout Pride Month, our painted cars symbolize . . .”).

If nothing else, the DOGE could intentionally become — as in some cases X/Twitter recently has — a go-to source for real data on topics that citizens fear to frankly discuss. High-dollar civic campaigns against “systemic racism and other root causes of crime,” for example, are unlikely ever to accomplish much — because “systemic racism” is not a significant causal factor for crime in 2024. In one of the most important and unremarked trends of the past 50 years, serious violent crime has increased by almost 400 percent between 1963 and 1993 — as welfare use increased and family stability dropped like a rock, but as racism steadily declined. This point should be made often and publicly.

Beyond policing, the potential scope of the DOGE is breathtaking. In our opinion, most things that large bureaucracies like government agencies and nonproductive Fortune 500 departments do are total wastes of space and time. Musk famously fired 80 percent of the staff of Twitter, and his platform runs slightly better today. That said, a very specific first goal for the DOGE should be to recommend that state and local governments cut the parasitical alphabet soup functions (BLM, DEI, CRT, ESG, SEL, NU-HR, AA) of as many public agencies as possible, at every level.

Doing that, and redirecting the focus of as many police departments as possible toward reality, would save not only billions of green dollars but also tens of thousands of black lives. Let’s go!

[ Via: https://archive.today/Fr6Qv ]

[sock-to-the-third]

Executive Orders Against Trans and Intersex People:

from www.whitehouse.gov

Content Warning: transphobia, gender essentialism

Note: All of the quotes are directly pulled from the White House website. The Executive Order #’s I had to google since I couldn’t find the exact numbers on the website. Take care of yourself, peeps!

. . .

PRIORITIZING MILITARY EXCELLENCE AND READINESS [No. 14183]

2025_1_7

Sec. 2. Policy. It is the policy of the United States Government to establish high standards for troop readiness, lethality, cohesion, honesty, humility, uniformity, and integrity. This policy is inconsistent with the medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals with gender dysphoria. This policy is also inconsistent with shifting pronoun usage or use of pronouns that inaccurately reflect an individual’s sex.”

——-

DEFENDING WOMEN FROM GENDER IDEOLOGY EXTREMISM AND RESTORING BIOLOGICAL TRUTH TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT [No. 14168]

2025_1_20

“Sec. 2. Policy and Definitions. It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female. These sexes are not changeable and are grounded in fundamental and incontrovertible reality. Under my direction, the Executive Branch will enforce all sex-protective laws to promote this reality, and the following definitions shall govern all Executive interpretation of and application of Federal law and administration policy.”

“[Sec. 3] (d) The Secretaries of State and Homeland Security, and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, shall implement changes to require that government-issued identification documents, including passports, visas, and Global Entry cards, accurately reflect the holder’s sex, as defined under section 2 of this order; and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall ensure that applicable personnel records accurately report Federal employees’ sex, as defined by section 2 of this order.”

—-

KEEPING MEN OUT OF WOMEN’S SPORTS [No. 14201]

2025_2_5

“Sec. 4. Preserving Fairness and Safety in Women’s Sports. Many sport-specific governing bodies have no official position or requirements regarding trans-identifying athletes. Others allow men to compete in women’s categories if these men reduce the testosterone in their bodies below certain levels or provide documentation of “sincerely held” gender identity. These policies are unfair to female athletes and do not protect female safety. To address these concerns, it is hereby ordered.”

——-

PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM CHEMICAL AND SURGICAL MUTILATION [No. 14187]

2025_1_28

“[Sec 1] Accordingly, it is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called “transition” of a child from one sex to another, and it will rigorously enforce all laws that prohibit or limit these destructive and life-altering procedures.”

“ [Sec.2] (c) The phrase “chemical and surgical mutilation” means the use of puberty blockers, including GnRH agonists and other interventions, to delay the onset or progression of normally timed puberty in an individual who does not identify as his or her sex; the use of sex hormones, such as androgen blockers, estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone, to align an individual’s physical appearance with an identity that differs from his or her sex; and surgical procedures that attempt to transform an individual’s physical appearance to align with an identity that differs from his or her sex or that attempt to alter or remove an individual’s sexual organs to minimize or destroy their natural biological functions. This phrase sometimes is referred to as “gender affirming care.”

[jeannereames]

As Chilliarch / official second-in-command / right-hand man to the king, what would Hephaistion (or anyone else in that position) have been expected to do? Like if there was an actual “job description” for the role, what historically do you think it would have entailed? From what I can gather, he was essentially expected to:

Field requests to the king or handle them himself otherwise(?)

Oversee internal structural matters, from administration to cultural integration

Curious to know what else would have fallen under his purview.

It also seems to have been a civilian position, i.e., would that mean he'd still have to serve on the battlefield if called for it?

So, this would be a rather complicated, extended answer. Ergo, I’m going to duck this one with a “It’s too long to address as a post." It’s literally part of the book I’m writing. :-D

A couple of quick comments. The Chilliarchy appears to have been based on the Persian office of hazarapatish. Dandamaev and Lukonin address this role in their very important The Culture and Social Institutions of Ancient Iran. In this, they try to give solid definitions of institutions that were fluid and changed over time, which is my main critique of what is otherwise an EXCELLENT book on Achaeminid Persia. Go Forth and Purchase, if you’re interested.

How Hephaistion modified the hazarapatish role or planned to (he didn’t hold it very long before he died, I suspect), is hard to say. It seems to have been a largely civil-service role that had a limited military aspect. But it changed, morphing over time as necessary.

Below are three articles, including one of mine. Don’t go back to my dissertation; there are some wrong things in that. The article is better, but I’ll still modify some of it. Although the Charles article was published after mine, he doesn’t cite mine, but he’s also not focused entirely on ATG. Listed from most recent to earlier.

Michael Charles, “The Chiliarchs of Achaemenid Persia: Towards a Revised Understanding of the Office,” Phoenix 69 (2015) 279-303. (This one does not appear to be available free.)

Jeanne Reames, “The Cult of Hephaistion,” in, Responses to Oliver Stone's Alexander: Film, History, and Cultural Studies, Paul Cartledge and Fiona Greenland, eds. Univ. of Wisconsin Press, 2010. (The second 2/3rds discusses Hephaistion's military and diplomatic role, including the chiliarchy.)

Andrew W. Collins, “The Office of Chiliarch under Alexander and the Successors,” Phoenix 55 (2001): 259–83.

[bestiascoaching12]

Top IAS Coaching in Delhi with Fee Structure & Student Reviews (2025-2026)

Delhi has always been a prime destination for IAS aspirants. With an abundance of coaching centers available, selecting the best IAS coaching in Delhi can be a daunting task. This article on the "Top IAS Coaching in Delhi" (2025-2026) will help you discover the most suitable options based on crucial factors such as faculty quality, infrastructure, study material, batch size, and student feedback.

Why Plutus IAS?

Plutus IAS has emerged as a game-changer in the field of UPSC coaching by blending traditional classroom teaching with the flexibility of digital learning. Their consistent UPSC results, updated pedagogy, experienced faculty, and excellent student support make them the No.1 Best IAS Coaching in Delhi.

How to Select the Best IAS Coaching in Delhi?

To choose the best IAS coaching in Delhi, consider the following criteria:

Quality of IAS Faculties – Look for experienced teachers with proven results.

Infrastructure – A good classroom environment enhances learning.

Student Reviews – Past testimonials are an honest reflection.

Study Materials and Mock Tests – Updated and comprehensive resources are essential.

Batch Size – Smaller batch sizes promote interactive learning.

Top 10 IAS Coaching Institutes in Delhi

Rank 1: Plutus IAS | Best IAS Coaching in Delhi

Plutus IAS tops our list due to its excellent faculty, comprehensive UPSC study materials, and consistent student success. It is also known for its personalized mentorship and modern infrastructure.

Address: Gate No. – 6, Apsara Arcade, Second Floor, Karol Bagh Metro Station, New Delhi - 110005

Contact Number: 8448440231

Fee Structure:

GS Foundation: ₹1,40,000 + GST

Optional Subject: ₹50,000

CSAT: ₹19,000

Batch Size:

Offline: 100 students

Online: 50 students

Features:

Online/Offline Classes, Mentorship, Interview Guidance

Past Results: Numerous selections in UPSC 2023-24

Website: Plutus IAS

Courses Offered at Plutus IAS

Plutus IAS offers a full range of UPSC preparation courses, from Foundation Programs to Optional Subjects and Interview Guidance.

1. GS Foundation Course (Prelims + Mains + Interview)

Duration: 10–12 months

Coverage: NCERTs, Current Affairs, GS Papers I–IV, Essay, Ethics, and more.

Mode: Offline + Online

Fee: ₹1,40,000 + GST

Features:

Daily live classes

Doubt-clearing after each lecture

Prelims + Mains test series included

Personalized mentorship and weekly progress tracking

2. Optional Subject Courses

Popular Optionals Covered: PSIR, Sociology, Geography, History, Anthropology, Law, Public Administration

Duration: 4–5 months

Fee: ₹50,000

Features:

Expert faculty for each subject

Answer writing sessions

PYQ analysis and conceptual clarity focus

3. CSAT Course

Fee: ₹19,000

Instructors: Subject experts from IIT and other premier institutes

Focus: Logical reasoning, quantitative aptitude, comprehension, time management

4. Interview Guidance Program

Mode: Offline + Online

Features:

One-on-one mock interviews with ex-IAS officers

Panel-based sessions

Feedback and performance metrics

Current affairs-based questions and personality analysis

Faculty at Plutus IAS

One of the strongest assets of Plutus IAS is its elite faculty pool. Most of the teachers have experience in UPSC mentoring for over 10 years, and many have appeared in interviews themselves.

Top Mentors Include:

Ashish Sir (Polity & Governance)

Kumar Gaurav Sir (Geography & Environment)

Shweta Ma’am (Sociology & Ethics)

Deepanshu Sir (Current Affairs & Essay Writing)

Each mentor follows a pedagogy that simplifies complex topics through real-world examples, case studies, and structured note-making techniques.

Teaching Methodology and Study Approach

Plutus IAS combines traditional UPSC coaching with the best of digital technology. This ensures effective engagement both for classroom and online students.

Methodology:

Micro-syllabus breakdown

Regular topic-wise tests

Daily practice questions (DPQs)

Newspaper analysis and current affairs digest

Essay improvement sessions every fortnight

Personalized timetable suggestions and study planning

Innovations:

AI-driven progress reports for online students

Answer writing improvement using digital whiteboards

Open Doubt Forum active 24x7

Recorded lectures for revision

Batch Size at Plutus IAS

Offline Batch Size: 100 students per batch

Online Batch Size: 50 students

Benefits:

Better faculty interaction

Doubt-clearing on the spot

Individual attention during answer evaluations

Direct mentor access via call/email

Test Series & Evaluation System

Plutus IAS offers one of the most detailed and result-oriented test series in India.

Types of Test Series:

Prelims Test Series (NCERT-based + Current Affairs)

Mains Test Series (Topic-wise + Full Length)

Optional Test Series

CSAT Mock Tests

Interview Mock Sessions

Evaluation Style:

Personalized answer feedback

Sample top answers provided

Detailed marking based on UPSC rubric

Mentor-led post-test discussions

Student Reviews and Ratings

Thousands of aspirants have credited their UPSC success to Plutus IAS. It holds an average Google rating of 4.8/5, based on real student feedback.

Sample Student Testimonials:

Ritika Sharma (AIR 29, UPSC 2023): "Plutus IAS is not just coaching, it's a journey. The support I got from my mentors was unmatched. Their answer writing program was the game changer for me."

Vikram Patel (AIR 72, UPSC 2022): "I owe my success to Plutus. The daily doubt clearance and CSAT support gave me an edge in Prelims. Their ethics and essay guidance were spot on."

Priya Anand (Optional: Sociology): "Shweta Ma’am changed the way I approached Sociology. From thinkers to case studies, everything was covered in detail. I got 282 marks in Optional thanks to her sessions."

Results & Success Record (2023–2024)

Plutus IAS has consistently delivered over 100+ selections each year across Top 100 ranks.

Recent Achievers:

AIR 12 – Karan Mehta (GS + Anthropology Optional)

AIR 29 – Ritika Sharma (GS + Sociology Optional)

AIR 66 – Raghav Arora (GS + PSIR Optional)

AIR 72 – Vikram Patel (GS + Geography Optional)

The institute ensures a personal connect with aspirants, mentoring them from Day 1 till the Interview stage.

Advantages of Choosing Plutus IAS

Plutus IAS stands out among Best UPSC Coaching in Delhi due to a combination of exceptional features tailored for serious aspirants. One of its biggest strengths is its top-rated faculty, all of whom have firsthand UPSC experience, ensuring that students receive practical insights and effective strategies. The institute maintains small batch sizes, allowing for personalized attention and customized doubt-solving sessions. Students benefit from a dual-mode learning approach with both live and recorded lectures, offering flexible access to study sessions at their convenience.

Plutus IAS provides in-house study materials that are comprehensive, well-structured, and regularly updated to reflect the latest UPSC trends. A standout feature is the daily answer writing practice, which plays a crucial role in helping students develop real, exam-level writing skills. To further support aspirants, the institute offers 24x7 doubt resolution through its app, email, and direct mentor calls. Regular motivational seminars by ex-IAS and IPS officers are also organized to keep students aligned with the real demands and expectations of the UPSC examination journey.

Who Should Join Plutus IAS?

Beginners needing a strong foundation in GS & Optional

Working professionals preferring online batches

Aspirants looking for mentorship beyond classes

Repeaters looking for mains/optional boost

Students in Tier-2/3 cities seeking Delhi-level coaching from home

Conclusion

Plutus IAS remains the Best IAS coaching in India for the 2025–2026 UPSC cycle, especially for students who value faculty interaction, mentorship, test series quality, and individual attention. Whether you are starting your journey or looking for better guidance after a failed attempt, Plutus IAS provides everything you need — from Prelims to Interview — under one roof.

With modern tech integration, personalized teaching, and proven results, Plutus IAS is a smart, reliable, and effective choice for any serious UPSC aspirant.

Best IAS Coaching in Delhi

Plutus IAS Review

Plutus IAS Fees

UPSC Coaching in Karol Bagh

Top Online IAS Coaching in IndiaTop of Form

[colonelrajyavardhanrathore]

Col Rajyavardhan Rathore Inaugurates the All India Civil Services Lawn Tennis Tournament 2024–25

A Platform for Athletic Excellence and Camaraderie

Key Highlights of the Tournament

1. A Grand Inauguration Ceremony

Col Rathore, an Olympic medalist and a staunch advocate of sports, inaugurated the event with great enthusiasm.

Inspirational Speech: In his address, Col Rathore emphasized the importance of sports in building character and fostering unity.

Opening Match: The event kicked off with an exhilarating exhibition match featuring top-performing civil servants.

2. Showcasing Talent and Team Spirit

National Representation: Civil servants from different states participated, making it a truly pan-India event.

Competitive Yet Friendly Atmosphere: Matches balanced intense competition with a spirit of friendship and mutual respect.

The Role of Sports in Public Service

Col Rathore highlighted the essential role of sports in enhancing the efficiency and well-being of public servants.

Mental and Physical Wellness: Sports help combat stress and maintain physical health in demanding administrative roles.

Teamwork and Leadership: Tennis, like any sport, requires coordination and strategy — skills vital for effective governance.

Col Rajyavardhan Rathore: A Champion of Sports in India

As an Olympic silver medalist in shooting, Col Rathore’s passion for sports is well-known. His initiatives have been instrumental in promoting a culture of fitness and athleticism in India.

Khelo India Program: He played a pivotal role in launching this initiative to nurture young talent across the country.

Infrastructure Development: Focused on creating world-class facilities to make sports accessible at the grassroots level.

Impact of the Tournament on Civil Services

The All India Civil Services Lawn Tennis Tournament is not just about competition; it’s a platform to reinforce important values.

Building Bonds Across Departments: The event fosters unity and collaboration among officers from various states and ministries.

Promoting Work-Life Balance: Encourages civil servants to prioritize health and recreation alongside their professional commitments.

A Vision for a Sporting Nation

Col Rathore’s vision extends beyond competitive sports. He envisions a nation where fitness and sports are part of everyday life, driving physical, mental, and social well-being.

Encouraging Participation: Programs like these inspire not just civil servants but also the general public to embrace sports.

Fostering Talent: Such events often uncover hidden talents, creating opportunities for amateur players to grow professionally.

A Rally for Unity and Excellence

The All India Civil Services Lawn Tennis Tournament 2024–25 stands as a testament to the transformative power of sports. Under the leadership of Col Rajyavardhan Rathore, the event successfully highlighted the intersection of athleticism and public service. It not only celebrated the talent and dedication of India’s civil servants but also reinforced the importance of sports as a unifying force.

The tournament’s success echoes Col Rathore’s vision for a stronger, healthier, and more connected India — one where sports inspire excellence across all walks of life.

[careermantradotorg]

Top MBA Specializations to Boost Your Success

In today’s fast-paced, competitive world, obtaining a Master of Business Administration (MBA) is often seen as a gateway to professional growth and leadership roles. However, choosing the right MBA specialization is crucial in shaping the trajectory of your career. With an array of MBA specializations available, selecting the one that aligns with your interests and professional goals can significantly enhance your career prospects. This blog explores the Top MBA Specializations to help you make an informed decision and ensure long-term success.

Why MBA Specializations Matter

An MBA degree offers you a solid foundation in business management, but the specialization allows you to dive deep into a specific domain, equipping you with the expertise needed to excel in that field. Your choice of MBA specializations can determine the industry you enter, the roles you assume, and the salary you command. Hence, understanding the options available is critical to ensuring your professional success.

Top MBA Specializations to Consider

MBA in Finance Arguably one of the most popular MBA specializations, an MBA in Finance prepares students for leadership roles in banking, investment management, financial planning, and corporate finance. Graduates are equipped with the skills to manage financial resources, analyze market trends, and make data-driven financial decisions. High demand in sectors like investment banking, asset management, and insurance makes this specialization a strong choice for those looking to climb the corporate ladder.

MBA in Marketing If you're passionate about creativity, consumer behavior, and brand management, an MBA in Marketing might be the perfect fit. This specialization focuses on product management, digital marketing strategies, sales management, and consumer insights. Marketing MBAs are highly sought after in industries such as retail, e-commerce, advertising, and media. With the rise of digital marketing, graduates are often positioned to lead marketing campaigns that leverage data analytics, SEO, and social media strategies.

MBA in Human Resource Management (HRM) Businesses rely on human capital to thrive, and MBA specializations in Human Resource Management focus on equipping professionals with the skills to manage and develop this essential resource. Graduates with an MBA in HRM are trained in employee relations, talent management, recruitment strategies, and leadership development. This specialization is ideal for individuals who enjoy working with people and are interested in organizational development and change management.

MBA in Operations Management For those with an interest in logistics, supply chain management, and process optimization, an MBA in Operations Management is a top choice. This specialization emphasizes the efficient management of business operations, including product manufacturing, service delivery, and resource allocation. With the rise of globalization and technological advancements, professionals in this field are in high demand across sectors like manufacturing, e-commerce, and logistics.

MBA in Information Technology (IT) As technology continues to drive business innovations, an MBA specialization in Information Technology prepares students for leadership roles in tech-driven environments. This specialization integrates management principles with technical expertise, covering topics like IT strategy, project management, and systems analysis. Graduates can pursue roles such as IT managers, Chief Information Officers (CIO), and project consultants in industries ranging from software development to IT services.

MBA in International Business In a globalized economy, businesses are increasingly operating across borders, making an MBA in International Business highly relevant. This specialization focuses on global trade practices, international marketing, and cross-cultural management. Graduates are equipped to handle the complexities of managing international teams, navigating foreign markets, and developing global strategies. It's an excellent option for those aspiring to work with multinational corporations or in the export-import sector.

MBA in Entrepreneurship If you're driven by innovation and want to start your own business or lead startups, an MBA in Entrepreneurship could be your gateway to success. This specialization covers topics like venture capital, business plan development, and startup financing. With the growing startup ecosystem worldwide, this MBA specialization enables graduates to turn business ideas into viable ventures or take leadership roles in fast-growing companies.

MBA in Healthcare Management With the healthcare industry expanding rapidly, an MBA in Healthcare Management is becoming an increasingly popular specialization. This program equips students with the skills to manage healthcare facilities, lead healthcare teams, and navigate healthcare policies and regulations. Graduates are sought after for roles in hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and healthcare consultancy firms.

How to Choose the Right MBA Specialization

Choosing the right MBA specialization depends on your career goals, personal interests, and the industry trends you want to tap into. Ask yourself the following questions:

What are my strengths and areas of interest?

Which industries are growing, and where is there a high demand for skilled professionals?

What are the long-term career prospects of each MBA specialization?

By answering these questions, you can align your MBA specialization with your career aspirations and boost your chances of success.

Conclusion

Selecting the right MBA specialization is a pivotal decision that can shape your future career path. Whether you aim to lead in finance, marketing, operations, or any other industry, a well-chosen MBA specialization will equip you with the knowledge, skills, and network to excel in your professional journey. Explore these top MBA specializations, assess your goals, and take the first step toward a successful career!

[joeperciavalle]

A Legacy of Integrity in Law Enforcement Leadership and Community Service

In a rapidly changing society law enforcement leaders play a very important role in forming the value of justice, equality, and integrity to maintain public trust. As societies, we are facing complex challenges ranging from crime prevention to growing trust in marginalized groups they need ethical leadership within enforcement has never been pressing. Building trust, serving the public, and making sure that justice is served at all levels are all part of the heritage of integrity in law enforcement leadership. Joseph Perciavalle is such a leader whose career represents this principle his commitment to honesty and volunteering has had a long-lasting effect on law enforcement

The Essence of Integrity in Law Enforcement Leadership

Integrity forms the basis of law enforcement leadership: the ability to adhere firmly and unwaveringly to one's sense of morality. Here, integrity not only involves strict observance of laws but also strong feelings of a sense of obligation to act according to certain morals. In general, leaders such as commissioners, sheriffs, and police chiefs in law enforcement have been authorized with powers to make decisions that will have the impact of changing peoples' lives entirely. This mandate requires candor, integrity, and good morals. Throughout his illustrious career, Joseph Perciavalle has exemplified these values. As a police commander, he understood that integrity cannot merely be a legalistic exercise but a representation of ethical behavior. His leadership doctrine is always on being an excellent example and ensuring that all officers who come under his command maintain equally high ethical standards. His unflinching sense of integrity makes him a bedrock leader whose leadership inspires trust and respect at the department level and within communities

Building Trust Through Transparency

A trust-based relationship, by its nature, is based on confidence, especially between law enforcement and the communities that they serve. For law enforcement leaders, building such trust requires an open commitment. Communities do not only want to be protected but also want to be involved in the decision-making process and justice administration. This transparency helps to reassure the public that law enforcement is acting in the best interest of all the citizens and not just a selected few. For Joseph Perciavalle, transparency has been the number one priority throughout his tenure. He put in extensive efforts to ensure that his department's operations were open and accessible, thereby raising public confidence in the fairness and accountability of law enforcement. Perciavalle believed that more transparency would translate to more public trust and support for law enforcement. Updates on departmental activities and the results of police actions are essential parts of this transparency. Many law enforcement officials are now advocating for public crime reporting, the use of body cameras, and direct engagement with the community through social media and town hall meetings. Joseph Perciavalle was strongly supportive of such efforts, deeming them integral components in guaranteeing that activities conducted by departments remain transparent and available to the public. 

The Role of Community Service in Law Enforcement Leadership

Leaders in law enforcement who place a high priority on community service are aware that their responsibilities go beyond making arrests and handling emergencies. To establish safer, more cohesive settings, proactive community participation is another aspect of true leadership in police enforcement. A concept known as "community policing" places a strong emphasis on police and community cooperation to forge bonds and find solutions together. Through collaboration and respect for one another, this strategy not only solves crimes but also works to prevent them. 

For a long time, Joseph Perciavalle has supported community participation and the police. He dedicated his professional life to bridging the divide between police enforcement and the communities they protect. Many initiatives to foster collaboration and trust with locals were launched under his direction. Initiatives like neighborhood watch programs, youth mentoring, and attempts to address local concerns through cooperative community gatherings demonstrated Perciavalle's dedication to community service. His faith in the value of community involvement contributed to the development of an atmosphere where law enforcement collaborated with locals to address issues and maintain safety.

Furthermore, Perciavalle's leadership showed a thorough comprehension of the relationship between social issues and public safety. He understood that good law enforcement has to address the underlying causes of inequality and social discontent in addition to responding to crimes. Perciavalle contributed to the development of solutions that addressed crime while simultaneously advancing economic and educational prospects for marginalized groups by collaborating with social services, educational institutions, and neighborhood associations.

Ethical Decision-Making and Leadership in Crisis

The capacity to make moral choices under pressure or during emergencies is a vital component of law enforcement leadership. Integrity becomes even more crucial when law enforcement leaders deal with challenging circumstances, such as protests, social disturbances, or natural disasters. These leaders have to make difficult choices that strike a balance between the rights and liberties of citizens and public safety. 

Leaders in law enforcement must act fairly and empathetically in times of crisis. Their leadership is put to the test in these situations, and their capacity to lead officers honorably may have a lasting impact on community relations. Making moral choices in these situations has the potential to either increase or decrease public trust. Throughout difficult times, Joseph Perciavalle's leadership continuously showed compassion, sensitivity, and dedication to justice. Justice and respect for all people were the cornerstones of Perciavalle's actions, whether he was handling a local emergency or guiding his department through more significant events. 

A Culture of Accountability

To guarantee that integrity is upheld at all levels of the department, law enforcement must build an accountability culture. Leaders in law enforcement must proactively establish mechanisms to hold police responsible for their deeds and guarantee that misconduct is dealt with promptly and openly. The department's leadership is likewise subject to this accountability; a leader who does not hold themselves to the same standards as their officers creates a risky precedent. 

Joseph Perciavalle's dedication to responsibility played a crucial role in upholding his department's moral principles. Regardless of rank, he thought all officers ought to answer for their conduct. Under his direction, the department put in place strong procedures for handling grievances and guaranteeing impartial inquiries into any suspected wrongdoing. Perciavalle recognized that the public's confidence hinged on the assurance that police who transgressed moral principles would face consequences for their acts.

A Lasting Impact: Leadership Beyond the Badge

Integrity in law enforcement leadership is about bringing about long-lasting progress. Future generations may continue to gain from leaders who maintain integrity and place a high value on community service. Beyond the department he worked for, Joseph Perciavalle's impact as a law enforcement leader endures in the communities he helped create, the officers he trained, and the justice and equity systems he established.

To sum up, Joseph Perciavalle's leadership in law enforcement is a potent illustration of how morality, volunteerism, and integrity can mold a department and a community as a whole. His steadfast dedication to justice, equity, and openness still resonates today, serving as a reminder that good law enforcement leadership involves more than simply upholding the law; it also entails serving with honor and building trust for future generations. 

[parasavenue]

Commercial Shop in Noida | Paras Avenue

Finding the Perfect Commercial Shop in Noida

Noida, short for the New Okhla Industrial Development Authority, has become one of the most sought-after locations for commercial investments in India. Its perfect location, proximity to Delhi, and amenities as well as facilities make it an ideal choice for businesses looking to establish a presence in the National Capital Region (NCR). Among the multiple options available, Noida stands out as a premier choice for commercial properties. Paras Avenue has the best commercial shop in Noida.

1. Location and Accessibility When choosing a commercial shop, location is essential in Noida. Noida offers diverse venues, each with its own unique advantages. It is well-connected by major highways like the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, ensuring seamless connectivity to Delhi, Greater Noida, and other parts of NCR. The convenience factor not only assists customer footfall but also ensures smooth logistics for businesses. Apart from that, the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited has recently had talks with the Gautam Budh Nagar administration about the land requirements for the two stations for the Bullet Train in the district, one in Noida sector 144 and one at Noida airport terminal. 

2. Foundation and Amenities The base of the commercial property is another crucial consideration. Modern amenities, ample parking space, and booming security systems are important for attracting customers and ensuring a smooth operation for businesses. So whether you are a start-up owner or a retail business owner, you won’t have to give it a second thought before purchasing a commercial shop in the city with its state-of-the-art infrastructure, high-speed elevators, power backup, and more.

3. Foot Traffic and Visibility High foot traffic and visibility are vital for the success of retail businesses. Noida is a location that attracts a large number of visitors which increases the likelihood of converting footfall into sales. Therefore, selecting a commercial shop in Noida can significantly impact your business's profitability. There are plenty of nearby residential complexes that can lead to visitors and moveover, sales.

4. Versatility and Space Utilization The versatility of a commercial space in Noida and how well it can be utilized are important factors to consider. Flexible commercial space are highly desirable that can be customized to meet the specific needs of different businesses. Noida offers versatile commercial spaces that can be customized to suit various business requirements. Whether you're opening a retail store, a café, or an office, the property provides layouts that maximize space utilization and efficiency. The interiors are designed to be flexible, allowing businesses to create an environment that aligns with their brand and operational needs.

Choosing the right commercial space in Noida requires careful consideration of multiple factors, including location, foundation, and foot traffic. Noida stands out as a premier choice due to its ideal location, modern amenities, and high foot traffic. With its promising growth potential and comprehensive facilities, Noida offers an excellent opportunity for businesses looking to establish a strong presence.

[chandandhillon21]

Business Operations Plan

At Chandan House Painting, we are dedicated to delivering high-quality, personalized painting services to both residential and commercial clients in Timmins, Ontario. This operations plan outlines how we manage and grow our business, ensuring excellence at every step.

Business Location and Facilities

Location:

Primary Office: We chose Timmins, Ontario, as our base of operations because it offers a balanced mix of residential neighborhoods and commercial districts. The central accessibility and growing demand for renovation services make it an ideal location for our business.

Facilities:

Office Space: Our office is a small, well-equipped space where we handle administrative tasks, meet with clients, and plan projects.

Storage: We have a secure storage area for our painting materials, supplies, and equipment.

Vehicles: Our company vehicles are essential for transporting materials and equipment to job sites efficiently.

Products and Services

Residential Painting Services:

We offer interior painting (walls, ceilings, trim), exterior painting (siding, fences, decks), and custom finishes and murals.

Commercial Painting Services:

Our services include interior office painting, exterior commercial building painting, and specialized coatings (anti-graffiti, fire-resistant).

Operational Workflow

1. Client Engagement:

Initial Contact: Clients can reach us via phone, email, or our website to inquire about our services.

Consultation: We schedule on-site consultations to assess the project scope, provide recommendations, and offer a detailed estimate.

2. Project Planning:

Quote Preparation: We provide detailed quotes, including project timelines, costs, and materials.

Contract Signing: Once the quote is approved, we prepare and sign a contract outlining the project details and terms.

3. Project Execution:

Preparation: We prepare the site by covering furniture, taping off areas, and performing any necessary surface repairs.

Painting: Our team applies paint using appropriate techniques to ensure quality and consistency.

Inspection: We conduct a thorough inspection with the client to ensure satisfaction with the completed work.

4. Project Completion:

Clean-Up: We clean the job site, removing all equipment and debris.

Final Walkthrough: We perform a final walkthrough with the client to address any concerns and ensure complete satisfaction.

Feedback: We request feedback and reviews from the client to improve our services and build testimonials.

Staffing Plan

Roles and Responsibilities:

Owner/Manager: I oversee overall business operations, manage finances, and ensure customer satisfaction.

Lead Painter: Our lead painter manages painting projects, ensures quality control, and supervises the painting staff.

Painters: Our painters execute painting tasks, maintain equipment, and follow safety protocols.

Administrative Assistant: Handles scheduling, client communication, and office management.

Recruitment and Training:

Hiring: We recruit skilled and experienced painters through job postings, referrals, and local trade schools.

Training: We provide ongoing training on the latest painting techniques, safety procedures, and customer service standards.

Suppliers and Equipment

Suppliers:

We establish relationships with local suppliers for high-quality paints, primers, and materials, such as Sherwin-Williams and Benjamin Moore.

We source our equipment and tools from reputable suppliers to ensure reliability and efficiency.

Equipment:

Our equipment includes brushes, rollers, sprayers, drop cloths, ladders, scaffolding, and safety gear (masks, gloves, goggles).

Marketing and Sales Plan

Marketing Strategies:

Online Presence: We developed a professional website showcasing our services, project portfolio, and customer testimonials. We utilize social media platforms to engage with the community and share project updates.

Local Advertising: We distribute flyers, business cards, and brochures in the local area. We also advertise in local newspapers and community boards.

Referrals and Partnerships: We encourage satisfied clients to refer friends and family. We partner with real estate agents, interior designers, and home improvement stores for mutual referrals.

Sales Strategies:

Promotional Offers: We provide discounts for first-time clients and special offers for referrals.

Customer Loyalty: We implement a loyalty program offering discounts or perks for repeat customers.

Networking: We attend local events, trade shows, and community gatherings to network and promote our business.

Financial Management

Budgeting:

We create a detailed budget outlining projected income and expenses.

We monitor cash flow to ensure sufficient funds for ongoing operations and unexpected costs.

Pricing Strategy:

We set competitive prices based on market research, cost of materials, labor, and desired profit margins.

We offer transparent pricing with detailed quotes to build trust and avoid misunderstandings.

Accounting:

We use accounting software to manage invoices, payments, and financial records.

We hire a professional accountant for tax preparation and financial advice.

Risk Management

Insurance:

We obtain comprehensive business insurance, including liability, property, and workers' compensation.

Regulatory Compliance:

We stay informed about local regulations and ensure all our business practices comply with legal requirements.

We maintain necessary licenses and permits for operating in Timmins, Ontario.

At Chandan House Painting, we are committed to delivering exceptional painting services through careful planning, quality execution, and a strong focus on customer satisfaction. This operations plan provides a roadmap for efficient management and growth, ensuring we meet our goals and exceed client expectations.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Ruth Ben-Ghiat at Lucid:

Autocrats love states of emergency. Often declared in the wake of some real or invented crisis, states of emergency give illiberal leaders expanded powers, letting them do things they’ve wanted to do anyway — crack down on the opposition, purge their parties and parliaments, or attempt a coup to maintain themselves in power. This happened recently in South Korea, when President Yoon Suk Yeol, claiming an impending threat from Communist North Korea, declared martial law to avoid facing an influence-peddling scandal. The second Donald Trump administration holds promise in this regard. On his first day in office, the president signed over twenty executive orders and declared two national emergencies in areas essential to our developing autocracy: persecution and policing of immigrants, and giving big corporations and the very rich more freedoms to plunder the earth with impunity.

One emergency concerns the “southern border.” The government needs the perception of a crisis there to justify repressive action on immigration and a new role for the military. Without the fiction of an emergency of non-White people coming over the border to take jobs, commit crimes, and poison the population with their inferior genes, what rationale would there be to direct the U.S. military to domestic activities in the interest of “the nation’s peace, harmony, and tranquility,” as a companion executive order reads?

The other crisis is a so-called “National Energy Emergency,” which was part of a suite of actions decreed on “Day One” to “unleash” American energy production and mineral sourcing by freeing it from the strictures of state, federal, and international climate regulations. U.S. oil production reached a record high in 2023, during the Joe Biden administration, outpacing even Saudi Arabia and Russia. So, the only “emergency” in this area is likely fossil fuel industries put on the defensive by wind power (target of another Day One executive order) and other expanding clean energy sources.

Like the border “situation,” the declaration of a crisis in the U.S. energy sphere opens doors to outrageous proposals that would be vetoed during “normal” times. Trump’s demand that Ukraine give the United States half of its treasure trove of rare earth minerals (worth an estimated $11.5 trillion) as compensation for American military aid given to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s invasion can be seen in this light.

[...] We should pay careful attention to the rhetoric around states of emergency right now, since such situations have always been prominent at critical junctures of strongman history. [...] While states of exception are meant to be temporary, in the hands of autocrats they can become normalized as a tool of governance, “no longer the exception but the rule,” as the anti-Nazi philosopher Walter Benjamin observed. [...] Whatever the specific prompt or excuse for the state of emergency, one master narrative holds: the action is always taken in the name of “saving the nation” from whatever invented threat is most compelling at that place and time. Strongmen excel at creating crises and declaring emergencies and then stepping in to provide a “solution.” The “peace” of the autocrat in foreign and domestic affairs, like his plunder of the environment, has an exceedingly high cost.

Ruth Ben-Ghiat wrote an excellent story on how state of emergencies are a favorite tool of autocrats.

[intlstudents]

Office Receptionist

Location

Brampton, ON

 

BenefitsPulled from the full job description

Designated paid holidays

RRSP match

Tuition reimbursement

Full job description

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Dawn Foods is a global leader in bakery manufacturing and ingredients distribution. As the partner of choice for inspiring bakery success, we help customers grow their business through meaningful partnerships, research-driven insights and innovations, and products and expertise they can depend on. As a family-owned company, our commitments to our people, products, customers, and corporate values, are all part of our recipe for success.

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Why work for Dawn Foods?

PEOPLE. PRODUCTS. CUSTOMERS.

Why should you apply? We invest in you!

Industry-leading health insurance after 30 days

Competitive Pay

Generous company retirement benefit contributions

10 Paid Company Holidays

3 weeks of vacation each year

Professional training

Family-owned business over 100 years in service

An opportunity for career advancement, working as part of an empowering workforce

What will you do as an Office Receptionistat Dawn Foods?

Answer all incoming telephone calls, direct appropriately and/or take messages

Meet and greet all visitors and provide assistance as required

Oversee and control all office courier services in accordance with standard operating procedures

Manage incoming and outgoing mail and upkeep of postage equipment

Manage invoices in AP system related to Brampton location

Maintain adequate stock of all office and building supplies and control the supply room.

Assist Customer Service team members when needed.

What Does It Take to be an Office Receptionist at Dawn Foods?

Below are the minimum qualifications to be a fit for this job.

Minimum 1 year of experience in an administrative role

Detail oriented and have the ability to work independently and complete objectives.

High School Diploma or GED.

Ability to multi-task

Maintain confidentiality

Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams.

SAP experience preferred but not required.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to work in a professional office environment. Will be expected to work onsite.

Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to focus

Note: The level of physical effort may vary from site to site and in some cases be greater or lesser than documented here.

If this sounds like the opportunity that you have been looking for, please click "Apply.”

About Our Benefits

Dawn is proud to employ the top talent in the baking industry, and we reward our people with competitive compensation packages and award-winning benefit offerings. We also help protect our Team Members’ future financial health with a generous RRSP matching program that provide additional retirement funds and many tools and resources on financial wellness. The contributions start from your first pay. Dawn also encourages professional growth through tuition assistance and educational programs, and we are always searching for ways to improve our industry-leading services and benefits.

Compensation: $41,430 - $62,150 Annual Salary

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An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, citizenship status, military or veteran status, genetic information or any other status or condition that is protected by applicable law.