Mind

A mind /ˈmaɪnd/ is the set of cognitive faculties that enables consciousness, perception, thinking, judgement, and memory—a characteristic of humans, but which also may apply to other life forms.

A lengthy tradition of inquiries in philosophy, religion, psychology and cognitive science has sought to develop an understanding of what a mind is and what its distinguishing properties are. The main question regarding the nature of mind is its relation to the physical brain and nervous system – a question which is often framed as the mind–body problem, which considers whether mind is somehow separate from physical existence (dualism and idealism), or the mind is identical with the brain or some activity of the brain, deriving from and/or reducible to physical phenomena such as neuronal activity (physicalism). Another question concerns which types of beings are capable of having minds, for example whether mind is exclusive to humans, possessed also by some or all animals, by all living things, or whether mind can also be a property of some types of man-made machines.

I-GO

I-GO was a Chicago-based car sharing organization owned by Enterprise Holdings. I-GO was established in 2002 by the Center for Neighborhood Technology as an independent 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating and implementing new strategies that make urban communities more livable and environmentally sustainable. I-GO was sold to Enterprise Holdings in May 2013 and re-branded as Enterprise CarShare.

Mission

I-GO’s mission was to reduce car ownership rates, decrease transportation costs, reduce urban congestion and improve air quality in Chicago. From its inception, I-GO worked to catalyze a set of transportation innovations that make it feasible and desirable for Chicago residents to get around conveniently and economically without having to own a car and, at the same time, reduce vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions. By contributing to the environmental improvement of the Chicago area and the decrease in expenses for residents, I-GO's triple bottom line impact provided a significant social return on investment.

Pardon my French

"Pardon my French" or "Excuse my French" is a common English language phrase ostensibly disguising profanity as French. The phrase is uttered in an attempt to excuse the user of profanity, swearing, or curses in the presence of those offended by it under the pretense of the words being part of a foreign language.

Usage

At least one source suggests that the phrase "derives from a literal usage of the exclamation. In the 19th century, when English people used French expressions in conversation they often apologised for it - presumably because many of their listeners (then as now) wouldn't be familiar with the language". The definition cites an example from The Lady's Magazine, 1830:

The phrase has been used in broadcast television and family films where less offensive words are preceded by "pardon my French" to intensify their effect without violating censorship or rating guidelines. A good example is in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Cameron calls Mr. Rooney and says, "Pardon my French, but you're an asshole". In another segment, Bueller says, "Pardon my French, but Cameron is so tight that if you were to shove a lump of coal up his ass, in two weeks you'd have a diamond".

Kent Jones

Thomas Kenton "Kent" Jones (born June 12, 1964) is a writer and performer on MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show. He is a comedy writer who also wrote and performed at Air America Radio.

Career

A Missouri native, Kent moved to New York in 1986 and held a variety of journalism jobs working at InStyle and People and contributing freelance humor articles to various publications. In 1996, he discovered the 'far more legitimate field of fake news' at The Daily Show on Comedy Central, where he was a writer for five years. In 2000, Kent and his fellow writers won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy, Variety or Special, as well as the Peabody Award for Excellence in Broadcasting. Kent then moved to Los Angeles and worked as a producer on shows at Oxygen and ABC.

In 2004 Kent moved back to New York to become part of the launch of Air America Radio. He wrote for Unfiltered with Lizz Winstead, Chuck D and Rachel Maddow where he delivered the "Unfiltered News." He also wrote extensively for Morning Sedition where he performed several characters including Foreign Correspondent Angus McFarquhar, Bill from Harlem and, most frequently, Planet Bush Bureau Chief Lawton Smalls. After the cancellation of Morning Sedition in December 2005, Kent continued to write and perform on The Marc Maron Show until its cancellation in July 2006. He appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show, with daily Sports and "Kent Jones Now" segments and additional co-hosting, especially during her "Ask Dr. Maddow" and "Pet Story" segments. The Lawton Smalls character made "calls" to The Sam Seder Show and was on the Nov 7th 2006 live webcam election coverage with Rachel Maddow. Jones left Air America on Friday, December 14, 2007, as a result of a "business decision" by the management.

Lucas Prata

Lucas Prata (born December 30, 1978) is an American house musician and DJ. Born in Bayside, Queens, New York, he has produced several recognizable hits such as "Never Be Alone", "And She Said", "Love of My Life", and "Let's Get It On." Prata and Dan Bălan produced The "Ma Ya Hi Song," an English version of the international hit "Dragostea din tei" by Bălan's original band, O-Zone. "The Ma Ya Hi Song" did not achieve the success of the original, which went to number one in 27 countries and sold over eight million singles throughout the world in various languages.

Early life and career

Lucas Prata at an early age has passionately pursued the stage. Captivating audiences at such venues as MTV, National Television spots for Coca Cola, McDonald's, JC Penney, Seinfeld, TMC, and LA Gear. After accomplishing successful television ventures, Prata went on to his true passion, music.

Prata attended the University of Miami in Florida. During his time at the University he was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. In his senior year, Prata won the Mr. University of Miami contest for his vocal ability. This win convinced him to pursue singing as a full-time career.