Vv: Vacuums

As defined by Ralph de la Vega in his book Obstacles Welcome:

A system lacking clarity and direction.
"Vacuums are breeding grounds for confusion, culture wars and turf clashes." pg 70

Nn: Neophyte

n.

1. A recent convert to a belief; a proselyte.

2. A beginner or novice: a neophyte at politics.

3.

a. Roman Catholic Church A newly ordained priest.

b. A novice of a religious order or congregation.

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[Middle English, from Late Latin neophytus, from Greek neophutos : neo-, neo- + -phutos, planted (from phuein, to bring forth; see bheu- in Indo-European roots).]

Thesauraus

	1.	neophyte - any new participant in some activity fledgeling, fledgling, newbie, newcomer, freshman, entrant, starter beginner, initiate, tiro, tyro, novice - someone new to a field or activity enlistee, recruit - any new member or supporter (as in the armed forces)
	2.	neophyte - a new convert being taught the principles of Christianity by a catechist catechumen educatee, pupil, student - a learner who is enrolled in an educational institution

A neophyte might have fancied that the ripples passing over it were dreadfully like faint changes of expression on a sightless face; but Gaffer was no neophyte and had no fancies.Our Mutual Friend by Dickens, Charles

Pp: Pivotal Points

Turbulent points in time when the decisions one makes can adversity into advantage, and challenge into opportunity.

Pivotal Points defined by Ralph De Vega in his book: Obstacles Welcome:
Turn Adversity to Advantage in Business and Life

Dunbar's Number

150 is a special number for tribes. Our social networks can not surpass 150 people. What would be the response from a mega-church?

Dunbar's Number (Seth Godin's remarks on 150)

Bb: Biomimicry

n
Biomimcry according to Fast Company Magazine: is a discipline that tries to solve problems by imitating the ingenious and sustainable answers provided by nature.

Ff: Fractions

n.

1. Mathematics An expression that indicates the quotient of two quantities, such as ¹/₃ .

2. A disconnected piece; a fragment.

3. A small part; a bit: moved a fraction of a step.

4. A chemical component separated by fractionation.

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[Middle English fraccioun, a breaking, from Anglo-Norman, from Late Latin frcti, frctin-, from Latin frctus, past participle of frangere, to break; see bhreg- in Indo-European roots.]

Word History: Our word fraction did not originally have a mathematical sense. It goes back ultimately to the Latin verb frangere, "to break." From the stem of the past participle frctus is derived Late Latin frcti (stem frctin-), "a breaking" or "a breaking in pieces," as in the breaking of the Eucharistic Host. In Medieval Latin the word frcti developed its mathematical sense, which was taken into Middle English along with the word. The earliest recorded sense of our word is "an aliquot part of a unit, a fraction or subdivision," found in a work by Chaucer written about 1400. One of the next recorded instances of the word recalls its origins, referring to the "brekying or fraccioun" of a bone.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Rr: Revenuers

n.

1. Informal A government agent in charge of collecting revenue, especially one responsible for halting the unlawful distilling or bootlegging of alcohol.

2. A lightly armed motorboat used by revenuers.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Pp: Protean Man

Proteus was a minor sea god in the court of Poseidon, who could readily adopt any form or guise he desired, but who found it impossible to maintain any particular identity or commitments. These types will plunge into a variety of faith experiences, but do not root themselves to one faith. (Postmodern Believers).

Cc: Churlishness

adj.
1. Of, like, or befitting a churl; boorish or vulgar.
2. Having a bad disposition; surly: "as valiant as the lion, churlish as the bear" (Shakespeare).
3. Difficult to work with, such as soil; intractable.
churlish·ly adv.
churlish·ness n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

``Courtesy of tongue,'' said Rowena, ``when it is used to veil churlishness of deed, is but a knight's girdle around the breast of a base clown.
Ivanhoe by Scott, Walter

Mr Obama’s churlishness is fresh evidence that the US/UK special relationship is a one-way street.

David HughesDaily Telegraph's chief leader writer. He has been covering British politics for 30 years.

Pp: Peter's Principle

Peter Principle's:
In an organizational structure, the practical application allows assessment of the potential of an employee for a promotion based on performance in the current job, i.e. members of a hierarchical organization eventually are promoted to their highest level of competence, after which further promotion raises them to incompetence. That level is the employee's "level of incompetence" where the employee has no chance of further promotion, thus reaching his or her career's ceiling in an organization.