Memphis is an important centre and capital of ancient Egypt, significantly advancing humanity’s understanding of medicine. Memphis is the Greek name for the city, which the Egyptians called Men-Nefer (“beautiful harbour”) since at least the third millennium BC. The archaeological zone at Memphis is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage site with tourists that flock to see the remains of the ancient city in the Memphis Open Air Museum.

Memphis, capital of ancient Egypt

The area has been inhabited since Neolithic times and had a well-developed culture by about 3600 BC. During the Old Kingdom (c. 2700–2200 BC), Egypt’s first golden age, Memphis was home to as many as <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-lost-city-of-memphis-egypt.html">30,000</a> people, making it perhaps the world’s largest settlement at that time.

Memphis served as capital for almost three and a half millennia

<ul><li>The great medical innovator was Imhotep, the chief minister and head magician for the Third Dynasty Pharaoh Djoser (reigned c. 2686–2648 BC,) whose court was in Memphis.</li><li>The medical advancements made in Memphis were remarkable for the era, partly thanks to the practice of mummification.</li><li>The physicians of Memphis also developed many medical specializations. Each physician [was] a healer of one disease and no more, such as eye physicians or stomach physicians. </li><li>The physicians discovered many effective treatments and pioneered areas, including surgery, nutrition, pharmacology, and prosthetics.</li></ul>

Memphis is home to the earliest pioneer of medicine

Stashed ideas

Centers of Progress, Pt. 33: Memphis (Medicine) - HumanProgress

Civil society refers to a wide variety of communities and groups. These groups include non-governmental organizations (NGOs), labour unions, indigenous groups, charitable organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, and foundations outside of government to support and advocate for specific people or issues in society.

Civil society

The roots of civil society in the context of political thought date as far back as Ancient Rome. Cicero (106 BCE to 42 BCE) refers to the term “societas civilis” as a political community that consists of more than one city governed by the rule of law and typified by a degree of urban sophistication. This kind of community is in contrast to uncivilised or barbarian tribal settlements.

Early history of civil society

<ul><li>The widely held thought in ancient Greece was that societies could be characterized according to the character of their political constitution and institutions. </li><li>However, English writers like Thomas Hobbes and John Locke contended that society predates the establishment of political authority as an extension of their social contract.</li><li>18th-century Scottish economist Adam Smith stated that civil society came from developing an independent commercial order.</li><li>G. W. F. Hegel understood civil society as a non-political society with separate roles for civil and political societies and associations.</li></ul>

Different views on civil society through the ages

<ul><li>By the 1980s, the importance of the social society as initially envisioned by Adam Smith became popular in political and economic discussions in central and Eastern Europe and Latin America. It became identified with non-state movements that were defying authoritarian regimes.</li><li>During the 1990s, many authors, politicians, and public authorities came to view civil society as a sort of “Swiss Army knife” for fixing the many problems facing developing countries.</li><li>By the end of the 1990s, civil society was seen less as a cure-all.</li><li>Today, civil society theory has assumed a relatively neutral stance.</li></ul>

The views on civil society of the last few decades

Civil society remains hard to define as it is deeply complex. Generally, the term suggests how public life should function within and between societies. Civil society is mainly composed of organisations not associated with the government, such as professional associations, churches, cultural institutions and businesses. They monitor government policies and actions and try to hold government leaders accountable. However, some political and social scientists have noted that many civil society groups have now obtained a remarkable amount of political influence without having been directly elected.

Civil Society definitions

ivic organizations can be defined as nonprofit community-based companies, clubs, committees, associations, corporations, or authorized representatives of a governmental entity composed of volunteers and which are established mainly to further educational, charitable, religious, cultural, or local economic development purposes.  It can be hard to distinguish political from nonpolitical civic organizations because many of these groups tend to work in collaboration

Civic organisations

Civil society is the collection of small to nationwide civic groups that function outside of government to provide support and advocacy for certain people or issues.

Civil Society: Definition and Theory

Many people are self-conscious about not being able to afford fancy brands of healthy food.Let go of any embarrassment they might feel about their budgets — because healthy eating exists at every price point.

Embrace frugality

Buzzwords such as organic, non-genetically modified organisms (non-GMO), low sugar, and low-fat adorn a lot of healthy food products. These descriptions may be useful to some customers, but they're also marketing terms that can paint an inaccurate picture that some foods are substantially healthier than others.If you shop based on labels alone, it's easier to wind up paying more and not necessarily eating any healthier. Assess products for what's inside them, not by words and phrases that have recently become trendy. Figure out what nutrients you need and look for them in your food.

Beware of buzzwords

<ul><li>If you want to go old school, take a flyer from the front of a store's door and check out its weekly sales. If you're regularly shopping at the same store, become a part of its membership program to get further discounts. You can even do your homework ahead of time and come with store and manufacturer coupons you've clipped from a newspaper, magazine, or some other resource.</li><li>If cutting coupons isn't your thing, it might be worthwhile to download the store's app to check for discounts before you head there or at least before you check out. </li></ul>

Don't forget coupons

Food should not be an awards system where you either "win" or "lose" the right to eat certain dishes. And you shouldn't have to spend money on a pricey cleanse or meal prep system.Look for ways to make favorite foods more fulfilling and nutrient-dense. Including protein or fiber-rich add-ons to your favorite foods can help make these dishes more nourishing and filling. For protein, beans, tofu, and chicken are tasty, healthy additions. For fiber, carrots or peppers are easy toppings to a lot of dishes.That way, you don't have to cut something out of your life completely.

Add, don't subtract

Depending on where you get your health tips, you may think that vegetables are only good if they come in a bottle of cold-pressed juice. Of course, different variations may matter to people who want to support certain businesses or have different tastes. But vegetables are vegetables, no matter what. Anyone who tries to tell you something different is probably selling something. So, if you're hoping to stock up your pantry or fridge with usable vegetables that you can easily add to your meal, don't overlook fruits and vegetables in the canned or frozen section.

Don't snub canned or frozen fruit and vegetables

Most dietitians will tell you not to go to the grocery store while you're hungry. But you also shouldn't go without a list.When you shop without a plan, it's really easy to buy more food than you need, or purchase ingredients you already have, leading to waste. Plus, you'll inevitably forget things you do need. Developing a routine to eat healthy and maintain a budget will be easier if you come to the store with an idea of what you're getting and generally how much it will cost.

Plan ahead and make a list

Minding your budget while eating the foods that nourish you takes a little planning — but it's possible. Dietitian Shana Spence shares her tips to help you shop and keep your fridge stocked without breaking the bank. This episode first aired in October 2020.

5 steps to cooking healthy food on a budget : Life Kit

Roasting is just baking at a high temperature. The intense dry heat of the oven removes the moisture in the produce. It caramelizes natural sugars while mellowing the bitterness of cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts. The process: toss whole or cut-up vegetables with oil to coat them evenly. Season with salt and pepper or add in smashed garlic cloves, halved chiles, citrus wedges or hearty herb sprigs. Spread them out on a foil-lined half-sheet pan or baking sheet.

Roast the vegetables you don't like

<ul><li>For big, sturdy vegetables like whole parsnips, halved sweet potatoes or cauliflower steaks: Start at 400 degrees because they need more time to cook through.</li><li>For medium-sized pieces — stems of broccoli, butternut squash chunks or quartered beets — start at 425 degrees.</li><li>For small and tender vegetables, such as green beans, asparagus or sliced carrots, start at 450 degrees so that they’ll char quickly.</li><li>To roast a mix of vegetables, cut similar densities the same size and softer produce larger.</li></ul>Vegetables are ready when nicely browned, and a paring knife can slide easily through them.

Temperature and roasting time

During coronavirus, this basic cooking technique of how to roast vegetables will provide the basis for easy meals made from long-lasting ingredients.

The essential guide to roasted vegetables

Most restaurant walk-in refrigerators are stocked, half with fresh produce and raw meat and the other half with building blocks like sauces, dressings, condiments, pickles, chilli oils, sauce bases, concentrated stocks, and curry pastes. In addition, spice blends and other dry preparations are found on the pantry shelves. When you place your order, those meals are put together using the building blocks and adding only the final bits - searing the salmon filet or grilling the chicken breast bone at the last minute.

Culinary building blocks

Recipe building blocks vary by cuisine and chef, but they all have an extra-long shelf life and a concentrated flavour. The building blocks allow you to only add last-minute touches. The concept also allows for more efficient planning. Thinking about meals in terms of building blocks can free you from recipes. The space devoted to condiments and sauces helps you to pick up something at the supermarket or farmer's market and find a way to serve it.

Freed from recipes

Cooking chickpeas in large batches and marinating them with olive oil, vinegar and garlic, then using them over the course of a week. <ul><li>Monday might be chickpeas with cooked farro, shredded raw and pickled carrots, parsley and hard-boiled eggs. </li><li>On Wednesday, combine them with cucumbers, red onions and fresh dill served with sliced lamb.</li><li>On Friday, scoop them over marinated kale, topped with olives, tomatoes and crumbled feta.</li></ul>

Example of using building blocks

To be a faster, more creative cook, take a cue from restaurant chefs, J. Kenji López-Alt suggests, and rely on culinary building blocks.

The New York Times: Digital and Home Delivery Subscriptions

Cooking oil is a kitchen staple, whether you use it for deep frying, sautéing, roasting, or salad dressings. The war in Ukraine has caused a knock-on effect that could see UK businesses run out of sunflower oil.  Given current constraints caused by world events and environmental concerns, we may have to reconsider the cooking oils we use.

Cooking oil choices

Oils broadly fall into two categories: refined and unrefined. <ul><li>If oil is ‘virgin’, ‘extra-virgin’ or ‘cold-pressed’, it is probably unrefined and retained most of its nutrients.</li><li>Refined oils have been processed and treated with chemicals to extend their shelf life and removed unwanted flavours and odours. While they may have lost some healthy compounds, they are better to heat up than unrefined oils.</li></ul>

Refined and unrefined oils

Deep frying, shallow frying, sautéing, or roasting changes the molecular structure of the oil as it breaks down through oxidation.   Fat molecules react with oxygen in the air to form lipid oxidation products (LOPs) including aldehydes. The higher the cooking temperature or the more frequently it is reheated, the more of these potentially toxic products are produced in the oil, especially if it is close to 'smoke point'.

What happens when heating oils

<ul><li>Sunflower and seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fats and degrade the easiest.</li><li>Olive oil and rapeseed oil are high in monounsaturated fats and are better for heating as they produce fewer aldehydes. The highly processed ones have a higher smoke point and are safer to cook with than unrefined ones.</li></ul> To reap health benefits, use extra virgin olive oil cold in things like salad dressings or mayonnaise.

The best oil for cooking

Rapeseed oil is extracted from the black seeds of the yellow-flowering rape plant. Rapeseed oil is unsaturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat, making it a healthier type of oil. It is rich in Vitamin E and Omega 3,6, and 9 fats. It is available as refined and unrefined. In the UK, oil labelled 'vegetable oil' is usually refined rapeseed oil. Unrefined rapeseed oils are labelled 'cold-pressed', 'premium', 'virgin' or extra virgin' and have a delicate nutty flavour. Rapeseed oil is great for frying, but it is important to use as little oil as possible and cook at lower temperatures.

Rapeseed oil

Saturated fats are normally solid at room temperature, for example, red palm oil, lard or beef dripping. They generate fewer aldehydes when heated but might carry other risks. Coconut oil is extremely high in saturated fat. The refined version is the best of all to cook with.

Saturated fats

An oil's sustainability depends on the way it is produced. Sunflower and rapeseed oils made outside Europe and the UK are sprayed with neonicotinoids and insecticides implicated in killing bees, butterflies, moths and other insects. As a result, they are now banned in Europe and the UK.  Oils made from crops known to cause environmental damage, such as avocado and soy (deforestation), and almonds (water requirements, insecticide use), might not be a green choice either.

Environmental concerns

World events including the Ukraine War and leaving the European Union, together with the environment could mean we have to reconsider the cooking oils we use. So, what are the best alternatives to problematic oils? And are you really using the right oil for the job?

What’s the best oil to use for cooking?

Strategic thinking: the ability to visualize the long-term while planning the short-term to align with the long-term is a critical skill in life.Much like other things in life, strategic thinking is a muscle that gets better with repetition and practice.Here are a few questions to kick off your thinking: <ul><li>Where do you stand now?</li><li>Where do you want to be next year and the year after that?</li><li>What skills do you need to get there?</li><li>How can you practice them?</li><li>How can you use your time effectively and maximize it for impact?</li><li>Who can help you validate your ideas and give you feedback to expand your thinking?</li></ul>

Getting started on the strategic thinking mindset

One big component of building a strategic thinking mindset is to challenge how certain things are done in your organization - not with the intent to put someone down or establish your superiority, but to identify ways to do them better.<ul><li>Ask targeted questions on specific problems within your organization or your line of work. </li><li>Learn from how others respond or think about these problems. </li><li>Different points of view on these problems will not only expand your own thinking, but they will also give you a direction on the areas that are worth investing your time in.</li></ul>

Challenge and question assumptions

Create mental space for new ideas to kick in. Without the quiet time to sit with your thoughts, facing the uncomfortable silence, and letting your mind wander away, you cannot draw useful connections. Spend time learning about your business and industry. Meet with other functions within your organization to understand how they operate, what their challenges are and how they make decisions. All of this knowledge will enable you to apply different mental models to connect ideas from different domains thereby expanding your circle of competence and building your strategic thinking skills.

Observe, interact and draw connections

While a good strategy is important to get started, a strategy by itself won’t get you anywhere. You need both strategies “the intent” and tactics “putting that intent to action.”<ul><li>Break down your strategy into the specific things you need to do.</li><li>Plan what day of the week, and what specific time of the day you are actually going to give life to your strategy. To make sure you don’t let things slip by, or fail to grab the right opportunities, plan these activities on your calendar. </li><li>Don’t let lack of time or other excuses be the reason for inaction. Plan your time to make things happen.</li></ul>

Put it into action

To embrace a strategic thinking mindset, don’t work in silos. Find people around you that you can trust, respect or admire. Exchange your ideas with them, request them to challenge your thinking, enable them to ask you tough and uncomfortable questions.

Craft and communicate

You can’t build a strategic thinking muscle unless you audit your outcomes, inquire about other opinions and adapt to the changes around you. The world is changing very fast and you need to adapt your thinking to the demands of the tomorrow and not the expectations from the past.

Strategic thinking is an ongoing process

Thinking Strategically Will Help You Get Ahead and Stay Ahead

After researching the keywords for your pay-per-click ad campaign, you can't just add keywords to your ad. Instead, you have to write copy that encourages visitors to click. But first, you need to know how to craft ad copy that draws in more customers.

Writing copy for your keywords

Your ad's design may draw attention, but the copy convinces them to click. Your ad copy allows you to make a lasting impression on potential customers. The better your ad copy, the less you'll pay for your cost-per-action (CPA). CPA is the cost to get someone to do something with an ad. Google AdWord's average CPA is $48.96 for search and $75.51 for display. Facebook Ads CPA is $19.68. However, when your copy encourages visitors to take action, you can decrease those prices.

Why ad copy matters

Ensure you know what ad visuals and platform you'll use before you write copy. <ul><li>You only have so much space to make an impression, so stay to the point. Google Search Ads have a headline limit of 30 characters and a 90-character description limit. Facebook and Instagram feed ads are limited to a 40-character headline and 125-character text limit.</li><li>Prioritise ideas that focus on solutions and benefits. Emphasise benefits over features. Use audience research to help you understand what solutions and benefits to put first.</li></ul>

Keep ad copy to the point

Ad viewers can be at any stage of the conversion funnel.<ul><li>Leads closer to the top of the funnel (TOFU) respond better to awareness-related messages. Your copy should be inviting and light.</li><li>Those near the bottom of the funnel (BOFU) need a nudge from your copy to take action. Use action verbs to make your copy more intentional.</li></ul> Customise your ad's copy and call to action, considering your intended reader's funnel stage.

Customise based on funnel phase

Social proof is evidence that customers like your product or service. It gives you credibility. Reviews and testimonials  show that other people enjoy your product or service, which helps other viewers trust you. Stay within your ad platform's character limits and keep your social proof short and impactful. If you need more room, consider using a copy-focused graphic.

Entice with social proof

Your ad copy affects your customer's journey after they click. For example, if the landing page doesn't match the vibe of your ad, they may get confused and leave. Keeping your tone and language consistent will reduce the friction between ad click and conversion.

Line up your ad copy and landing page copy

Your call to action (CTA) should consist of a powerful phrase that matches the action you want your visitor to take when they click your ad. Ensure that your CTA fits the standards and goals of your ad platform.

Creating the finishing touch with your CTA

You can't solely rely on your ad visual for conversions, your copy has to be enticing as well. Here are some of the best practices to write ad copy that converts.

How to Write Ad Copy That Gets More Clicks

Whether you are interrupted to be contradicted or supported, you have the right to finish your point (no more or less than any of your colleagues), so as soon as possible after the interruption, use a statement like these to resume conveying your point:<ul><li>“I’d just like to finish what I was saying to make sure I was clear…”</li><li>“Thank you, Fred. To complete my point, I’d like to say…”</li><li>“One point I want to make sure is understood…”</li></ul>

Complete your point

In your mind, be clear about your intention: not to shame the colleague who interrupted you or act on a grudge, but simply to make your point complete and clear. That requires focusing on responding over reacting.&nbsp;A reaction is instantaneous, like feeling insulted and defensive. A response involves patience and consideration, leading more quickly to corrective action:&nbsp;<ul><li>To keep the focus on insight, not insult, avoid saying things like “Before I was rudely interrupted…” (Believe me, your interrupter will get the message.)</li><li>Don't talk over your interrupter (perhaps louder), as if in a battle to see who backs down first. This tactic creates conflict and competition.</li></ul>

Keep it professional, not personal

Be aware of your colleagues’—and your own—tendency to finish other people’s sentences and the impact of that behavior.

Completing sentences is also interrupting

Sometimes, constant interrupting is a microaggression that may reflect a known or unknown bias. If you experience a pattern of inappropriate dominance, raise the issue in a way that feels most comfortable to you—that may be with your manager or to the person directly.

Elevate and address microaggressions

Women are more often interrupted by men when speaking—a phenomenon that’s true even on the Supreme Court, Justice Sotomayor said last week. 


4 ways to respond when ‘manterrupted’ at work

Managers might be misperceiving calling-oriented employees’ levels of performance and this might affect how the managers decided to reward those employees.<ul><li>Calling-oriented employees tend to volunteer to perform extra tasks, so managers might extrapolate these signals to see them as more self-driven, hardworking, and committed. </li><li>Managers tend to judge employee performance and commitment based on easily available information rather than a detailed assessment on output or results. </li><li>The sense of obligation to reward good deeds is a moral and social norm, but by adhering to it without adequate information managers can end up rewarding “good” behaviors that don’t actually benefit the company.</li></ul>

The Benefits of a Calling

Managers should not get carried away by the current obsession with seeking a higher purpose at work. This may create an unhealthy culture of employees signaling a sense of purpose they might not have, or it may drive away job-oriented workers.Having employees with different career orientation types contributes to the diversity of organizations. Studies show that work teams benefit from having both calling- and job-oriented members: The former boost the team’s energy with their strong sense of purpose; the latter help to keep the team grounded.

The Halo – and Deceit – of Purpose

Research finds that managers tend to reward passion — even if it’s not correlated with results.

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Weston I.
@weston_fii

Centers of Progress, Pt. 33: Memphis (Medicine) - HumanProgress

Civil Society: Definition and Theory

5 steps to cooking healthy food on a budget : Life Kit

The essential guide to roasted vegetables

The New York Times: Digital and Home Delivery Subscriptions

Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

Weston I.@weston_fii

Centers of Progress, Pt. 33: Memphis (Medicine) - HumanProgress

Civil Society: Definition and Theory

5 steps to cooking healthy food on a budget : Life Kit

The essential guide to roasted vegetables

The New York Times: Digital and Home Delivery Subscriptions

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Weston I.
@weston_fii