Why Trump Decided Not to Attack Iran – Foreign Policy
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/06/21/trump-fearing-casualties-aborts-iran-strike-at-last-minute/?utm_source=PostUp&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=13791&utm_term=Editor#39;s Picks OC

Classic short stories that introduce American literature to intermediate English learners.

My First Selection,
O Henry.

1. 'Hearts and Crosses,' by O. Henry, Part One
2. The Caliph, Cupid and the Clock by O. Henry
3. 'Mammon and the Archer' by O. Henry
4. 'One Thousand Dollars,' by O. Henry
5. 'The Gift of the Magi,' by O. Henry
6. Two Thanksgiving Day Gentlemen by O. Henry
7. The Furnished Room by O. Henry
8. A Retrieved Reformation by O. Henry
9. 'After Twenty Years,' by O.Henry
t.me/MkNotes/343
10. 'Transients in Arcadia' by O. Henry
11. 'From the Cabby's Seat,' by O. Henry
12. 'The Romance of a Busy Broker' by O. Henry
13. 'The Count and the Wedding Guest' by O. Henry
14. 'The Cop and the Anthem,' by O. Henry
15. 'The Exact Science of Matrimony' by O. Henry
16. 'The Ransom of Red Chief,' by O. Henry
17. A Municipal Report by O. Henry

learningenglish.voanews.com/z/1581

THE ILLUSION OF CONFIDENCE
IT IS REASONABLE FOR US TO EMBRACE TENTATIVENESS AND MODESTY AS NOBLE CHARACTERISTICS, OR STRENGTHS OF CHARACTER, MUCH LIKE POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY NOW RECOMMENDS, AND THUS WELCOME BACK THE UNCERTAIN PHRASE, “I ’M N O T S U R E”.
***********
“Be confident” is one of the most essential pieces of advice you will receive from parents and other well-meaning individuals….

Be confident” is one of the most essential pieces of advice you will receive from parents and other well-meaning individuals. Confidence is hailed as a characteristic of a great leader. I cannot remember how many times, I have had to train myself on confidence and poise.

However, I am interested in humans who aren’t confident. Those who have read everything they could find on the topic, attended several training events but still secretly struggle. I find that when I want it so bad, I cannot be still. My lips and hands will gain a mind of their own, moving without any effort. Sometimes my eyes refuse to cooperate, quickly sinking into riotous blinks. As soon as my alert mind declares that this is important, my whole being starts vibrating to imaginary native music that only an actual appearance by Osayomore Joseph, the famous Bini musician would calm.

Teachers and Speakers need to appear confident lest a student think, we are not sure of what we are saying. The need to create the illusion of confidence is borne out of our perfectionist culture. My father has a favourite quote which says “life is for the firsts not the also rans”. He said it often enough to make me want to come first in everything including speaking about causes I am passionate about. However, research has shown that confidence is not a good indicator of ability. Cognitive scientists, Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons suggests that

IT IS REASONABLE FOR US TO EMBRACE TENTATIVENESS AND MODESTY AS NOBLE CHARACTERISTICS, OR STRENGTHS OF CHARACTER, MUCH LIKE POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY NOW RECOMMENDS, AND THUS WELCOME BACK THE UNCERTAIN PHRASE,
“I’M NOT SURE”.

Pray tell, would we have tolerated the likes of the English theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking?
ARE OUR LEADERS INCLUDING THE RELIGIOUS FOLKS ALLOWED TO SHOW TRUE HUMAN EMOTIONS? CAN OUR TEACHERS STUTTER SOMETIMES? DO OUR KIDS ALWAYS HAVE TO COME FIRST IN CLASS TO BE VALUABLE?


DO NOT LET ANYTHING STOP YOU FROM REACHING YOUR TRUEST POTENTIAL INCLUDING YOUR INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE LIKE THOSE ON TELEVISION. YOU CAN LEARN AS YOU GROW BUT BY ALL MEANS START YOUR JOURNEY. WE CANNOT ALL BE FLAWLESS SPEAKERS BUT WE CAN CHANNEL OUR HEARTS TO THE CORE OF OUR MESSAGE. USUALLY, TO TRANSFORM HUMANITY ALL YOU NEED IS A CONVICTION IN YOURSELF THAT YOU CAN BRING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE IN YOUR GENERATION. THAT IS CONFIDENCE AS DEFINED BY YOUR INNER LOCUS OF UNDERSTANDING. THIS WILL TAKE YOU AS FAR AS YOU NEED TO GO. NOW THAT YOU KNOW YOU CAN. START!

https://www.motivatingafrica.com/personal-development/the-illusion-of-confidence

https://t.me/MkNotes/885

Overconfidence can cause a person to experience problems because he may not prepare properly for a situation or may get into a dangerous situation that he is not equipped to handle. Some examples of overconfidence include: A person who thinks his sense of direction is much better than it actually is.

https://t.me/MkNotes/886

Trump Trump

What Not
Watt Knott

Resources Use

Common Mistakes in Englisg

https://t.me/MkNotes/904

TRUMP CONGRATULATES USA ON WORLD CUP WIN
DESPITE CONFRONTATION WITH RAPINOE

EAT THAT, DONALD TRUMP

English Grammar in Use, Essentials
Raymond Murphy, 3rd Edition 2007
Basic to Intermediate Levels

English Grammar in Use, Intermediate
Raymond Murphy, 3rd Edition 2004
Intermediate to Advanced Levels

Work for it
https://t.me/MkNotes/358

H O M E 🏠🏠
https://t.me/MkNotes/315

MEGAN RAPINOE'S MESSAGE TO TRUMP:
YOUR MESSAGE IS EXCLUDING PEOPLE
we need to have a reckoning" with the implications of Trump's Make America Great Again slogan, because "you're harking back to an era that was not great for everyone -- it might have been great for a few people, and maybe America is great for a few people right now, but it's not great for enough Americans in this world,"

"You have an incredible responsibility as the chief of this country to take care of every single person, and you need to do better for everyone,"

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/09/politics/megan-rapinoe-anderson-cooper-trump-cnntv/index.html

Teasing
There was a little boy named Johnny who used to hang out at the local corner market. The owner didn't know what Johnny's problem was, but the boys would constantly tease him. They would always comment that he was two bricks shy of a load, or two pickles short of a barrel. To prove it, sometimes they would offer Johnny his choice between a nickel (5 cents) and a dime (10 cents) and John would always take the nickel — they said, because it was bigger.
One day after John grabbed the nickel, the store owner took him aside and said, "Johnny, those boys are making fun of you. They think you don't know the dime is worth more than the nickel. Are you grabbing the nickel because it's bigger, or what?"
Slowly, Johnny turned toward the store owner and a big grin appeared on his face and Johnny said, "Well, if I took the dime, they'd stop doing it, and so far I have saved $20!"

A traveling salesman rings this doorbell.
10 year old little Johnny opens the door, holding a beer and smoking a fat cigar.
The salesman says, "Little boy is your mother home?"
Little Johnny taps his ash on the carpet and says, "What do you think?"

One sunny day a rabbit came out of her hole in the ground to enjoy the fine weather. The day was so nice that she became careless and a fox snuck up behind her and caught her. "I am going to eat you for lunch," said the fox. "Wait," replied the rabbit, "You should at least wait a few days." "Oh yeah? Why should I wait?"
"Well, I am just finishing my thesis on 'The Superiority of Rabbits over Foxes and Wolves.'" "Are you crazy? I should eat you right now! Everybody knows that a fox will always win over a rabbit." "Not really, not according to my research. If you like, you can come into my hole and read it for yourself. If you are not convinced, you can go ahead and have me for lunch." "You really are crazy!" But since the fox was curious and had nothing to lose, it went with the rabbit. The fox never came out. A few days later the rabbit was again taking a break from writing and sure enough, a wolf came out of the bushes and was ready to set upon her.
"Wait!" yelled the rabbit, "you can't eat me right now." "And why might that be, my furry appetizer?" "I am almost finished writing my thesis on 'The Superiority of Rabbits over Foxes and Wolves.'" The wolf laughed so hard that it almost lost its grip on the rabbit. "Maybe I shouldn't eat you; you really are sick … in the head. You might have something contagious." "Come and read it for yourself; you can eat me afterward if you disagree with my conclusions." So the wolf went down into the rabbit's hole … and never came out.
The rabbit finished her thesis and was out celebrating in the local lettuce patch. Another rabbit came along and asked, "What's up? You seem very happy." "Yup, I just finished my thesis." "Congratulations. What's it about?" "'The Superiority of Rabbits over Foxes and Wolves.'" "Are you sure? That doesn't sound right."
"Oh yes. Come and read it for yourself." So together they went down into the rabbit's hole. As they entered, the friend saw the typical graduate abode, albeit a rather messy one after writing a thesis. The computer with the controversial work was in one corner. And to the right there was a pile of fox bones, on the left a pile of wolf bones. And in the middle was a large, well-fed lion.

The moral of the story: The title of your thesis doesn't matter. The subject doesn't matter. The research doesn't matter. All that matters is who your advisor is.

https://t.me/MkNotes/765

Do Life or Life Will Do You
https://t.me/MkNotes/603