Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Tuesday, September 29, 2015
It's Coming!
We're looking forward to passenger railway service coming to the UAE in the near future.
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Death of a Friend
I was greeted with sad news this morning when I arrived at work.
Over the holidays, a friend of mine passed away suddenly. She was 41 years old, from Houston.
She was feeling poorly and went to the doctor Monday evening, and was admitted to the hospital. She passed away Tuesday morning at 9:00.
When something like this happens, it causes you to pause, and reevaluate your life.
There is no doubt, we really should live each day to the fullest, appreciating all those we're blessed to have in our lives.
Here's wishing you and yours the best . . . always.
Over the holidays, a friend of mine passed away suddenly. She was 41 years old, from Houston.
She was feeling poorly and went to the doctor Monday evening, and was admitted to the hospital. She passed away Tuesday morning at 9:00.
When something like this happens, it causes you to pause, and reevaluate your life.
There is no doubt, we really should live each day to the fullest, appreciating all those we're blessed to have in our lives.
Here's wishing you and yours the best . . . always.
Saturday, September 26, 2015
75 Best Movies for Men
From Esquire -
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/g226/best-movies-ever-0609/?mag=esq&list=nl_enl_news&src=nld&date=092415
http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/g226/best-movies-ever-0609/?mag=esq&list=nl_enl_news&src=nld&date=092415
Someone on Fox With Sense?
Please forgive the delay in posting this. I couldn't publish it while I was traveling.
Bill Withers Returns to Carnegie Hall
From Essence -
EXCLUSIVE: Bill Withers Looks Back on His Career Before All-Star Tribute At Carnegie Hall
After his long-overdue induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year, Bill Withers, 77, is about to get some more well-deserved props: He will be feted at Lean On Him: A Tribute to Bill Withers at New York City's famed Carnegie Hall on Oct. 1.
An all-star lineup—including D'Angelo, Ed Sheeran, Anthony Hamilton, Ledisi and Aloe Blacc—will perform Withers' 1973 album Live at Carnegie Hall in its entirety. Although he hasn't properly performed in years, the soul legend behind hits like "Ain't No Sunshine," "Use Me" and, of course, "Lean On Me" talks about making his return to Carnegie Hall in a rare interview.
An all-star lineup—including D'Angelo, Ed Sheeran, Anthony Hamilton, Ledisi and Aloe Blacc—will perform Withers' 1973 album Live at Carnegie Hall in its entirety. Although he hasn't properly performed in years, the soul legend behind hits like "Ain't No Sunshine," "Use Me" and, of course, "Lean On Me" talks about making his return to Carnegie Hall in a rare interview.
Check out Bill's 1973 Live at Carnegie Hall album.
Getting the Most Out of Costco
From Reviewed.com -
http://refrigerators.reviewed.com/features/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-costco-membership
How to Get the Most Out of a Costco Membership
Grocery savings can be terrific, but dig deep for bigger bargains.
http://refrigerators.reviewed.com/features/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-a-costco-membership
From Humble Beginnings
The Comedian Who Was
Abandoned as a Baby
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/comedian-opens-up-about-being-adopted-by-a-white-family_5605683fe4b0af3706dbf153
A Cautionary Tale About Day Cares
Follow the link below to read this fascinating article -
Quebec gave all parents cheap day care — and their kids were worse off as a result
http://www.vox.com/2015/9/24/9391625/quebec-daycare-study
Praise for Empire
From Slate -
Empire, the most important show on television, returns for its second season Wednesday night, a world champ about to make another run at the title, surrounded by all the attendant excitement and expectation. Since debuting last January, Fox’s prime-time soap about a hip-hop dynasty swiftly became a phenomenon, a ratings smash in an age of vanishing ratings, a buzzsaw in an era when network shows struggle to hum, a largely black production in a still largely vanilla TV environment, a careening, plot-devouring, catfight-boasting melodrama grounded in something real, and the creator of the most indelible TV diva in decades: Taraji P. Henson’s indomitable Cookie, who wears her tacky animal prints like they are a superhero costume. Empire did things to ratings and audiences that network shows aren’t supposed to be able to do anymore. And now it has to do it all again.
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/television/2015/09/empire_season_2_reviewed_the_fox_series_is_the_most_important_show_on_tv.html
Empire, the most important show on television, returns for its second season Wednesday night, a world champ about to make another run at the title, surrounded by all the attendant excitement and expectation. Since debuting last January, Fox’s prime-time soap about a hip-hop dynasty swiftly became a phenomenon, a ratings smash in an age of vanishing ratings, a buzzsaw in an era when network shows struggle to hum, a largely black production in a still largely vanilla TV environment, a careening, plot-devouring, catfight-boasting melodrama grounded in something real, and the creator of the most indelible TV diva in decades: Taraji P. Henson’s indomitable Cookie, who wears her tacky animal prints like they are a superhero costume. Empire did things to ratings and audiences that network shows aren’t supposed to be able to do anymore. And now it has to do it all again.
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/television/2015/09/empire_season_2_reviewed_the_fox_series_is_the_most_important_show_on_tv.html
President Obama's Appointees
From The Washington Post - Apologies for the formatting errors.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-ups-diversity-in-appointees/2015/09/20/5b042aac-5ffb-11e5-8e9e-dce8a2a2a679_graphic.html
Obama ups diversity in appointees
A survey of more than 80 confirmation-required policy positions in the federal goverment found that more than half of Obama’s appointments to these posts has been a woman or a minority, or both.
Source: Anne Joseph O'Connell, UC Berkeley Law | The Washington Post
Wacky Gifts
Just in time for holiday shopping, for those of you who plan/shop before Christmas Eve.
http://awesomeclaus.com
http://awesomeclaus.com
Shower Cap for Babies
For the little ones -
And the older ones -
They're available at Amazon, too.
Where was this ingenious stuff when I was having babies 30+ years ago?
Fathers of Girls
Great post.
http://www.upworthy.com/an-awesome-dad-explains-the-5-revelations-hes-had-raising-2-girls?c=upw1&u=6861cbea6edfdfe5a709ee39ad3c14b64135e61f
http://www.upworthy.com/an-awesome-dad-explains-the-5-revelations-hes-had-raising-2-girls?c=upw1&u=6861cbea6edfdfe5a709ee39ad3c14b64135e61f
Cards for New Parents - Probably Not Hallmark
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/38-honest-cards-for-new-parents-with-a-sense-of-humor_55f1de92e4b03784e27884fd?ir=Entertainment§ion=entertainment&ncid=newsltushpmg00000003
Bragging Rights
Please allow me this opportunity to brag about Ben and the company he works for, The International Council on Clean Transportation.
It was this company that commissioned the testing that revealed that VW was cheating on their emissions reporting.
Yeah ICCT!
http://www.theicct.org/news/epas-notice-violation-clean-air-act-volkswagen-press-statement
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/business/it-took-epa-pressure-to-get-vw-to-admit-fault.html?smid=nytcore-iphone-share&smprod=nytcore-iphone&_r=0
It was this company that commissioned the testing that revealed that VW was cheating on their emissions reporting.
Yeah ICCT!
http://www.theicct.org/news/epas-notice-violation-clean-air-act-volkswagen-press-statement
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/22/business/it-took-epa-pressure-to-get-vw-to-admit-fault.html?smid=nytcore-iphone-share&smprod=nytcore-iphone&_r=0
Climate Change Thru Music
http://magazine.good.is/articles/string-quartert-global-warming-music?utm_source=thedailygood&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailygood
Belgrade Sights
Warm & Welcoming.
The people that I came in contact with went out of their way to welcome me and help in any way they could.
First impressions -
~~~It's an old city that reminds me of the Midwest in the US. There is pride in having lived through some tough times, and a willingness to work hard to make a better life.
~~~There's a great appreciation for outdoor life. I went for a mile-long walk from the hotel, and passed no less than six parks along the way. Now this was late morning, but there were all kinds of folks enjoying the parks - folks you would expect like, old ladies, and moms with kids, but there were also working folks and students enjoying the outdoors. It's almost as if the theme of the city is "work hard, but enjoy life."
~~~The weather was perfect, about 70-75 degrees.
~~~I didn't see anyone who looked like me until I returned to the airport when I saw two black folks. I asked about this, and my guide said that they're a poor country with not much to offer outsiders, so mostly folks avoid their country altogether, or just pass through, like the Syrian refugees.
~~~It's one of the least expensive places I've visited.
The reason I chose Serbia is because I read from three different sources it was a great place to visit while it still maintained it's independent character.
Below are some of the sights from around the city.
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| Typical street scene |
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| This building has been restored to its former glory with funding from the UAE. Of course I found this very interesting. |
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| Inside restored building |
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| Another view of inside restored building |
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| Another street scene |
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| This is a mosaic wall that houses the zoo. It is also the entrance to the Belgrade Fortress. |
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| Belgrade Fortress - Formidable and imposing |
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| Fortress 2 |
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| Closeup of the stones making up the wall |
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| Fortress gate |
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| Another entrance. Although the outside of the fortress is dreary and foreboding, inside is the most beautifully manicured park with magnificent views of the city. |
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| Placard showing that the fortress was built in 1404-1427. |
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| Although this photo couldn't capture it, this view from inside the fortress of the convergence of the Sava and Danube Rivers is spectacular. |
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| I love this guy! This is the Statue of the Victor. This was supposed to be in the center of the city, but some folks were offended that he is naked. |
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| The Ada Bridge. AMAZING! |
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| Another view |
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| And another |
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| One of the many parks |
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| A beautiful tree in a park! |
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| This is the Syrian refugee camp site. They are required to register with the country, even though they're just passing through on their way to Germany. Serbia is in conflict with their neighbors, Croatia and Hungry, who have taken a much harder view of the refugees, choosing to build fences and using other tactics to keep them out. |
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| Another view of the camp |
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| And another |
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| This is another view of the picture I posted a few days ago. The large blank yellow board that was to the left, is now covered with an ad for the new Belgrade Boardwalk that is coming soon. This building is the train station. My hotel was across the street. |
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| Sign indicating that the church I'm walking to, St. Sava's Temple, is up ahead. |
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| A statute on the grounds of St. Sava's Temple |
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| St. Sava's Temple from a distance. This church is incredibly beautiful and is the pride of Belgrade. |
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| This is the entrance to the church. |
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| Another view |
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| The church is not finished. You can see the scaffolding to the left. |
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| Another view of inside the unfinished church |
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| This is a small chapel next to St. Sava's that is being used while it is under construction. The thing I found really interesting is that there no pews. The congregants stand during the service. |
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| Another statute outside the church |
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| Another park |
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| This is a birdcage inside the hotel where I stayed. |
There are not many places that I've seen that I want to visit again (mostly because there is so much more to see), but Belgrade is on that list.
As always, thanks for sharing this with me.
Elite Jobs
From Vox -
Why are working class kids less likely to get elite jobs? They study too hard at college.
By Henry Farrell
An excerpt -
Lauren Rivera is an associate professor of management and organizations at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of management. Her recent book, “Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs,” examines how inequality is produced by subtle social patterns of education and informal skills as well as big political and economic forces. I asked her four questions about the book.
One of your most counter-intuitive arguments is that students from working class and lower-middle class backgrounds are less likely to get elite jobs, because they concentrate on studying rather than their social life at college. That’s the opposite of what the conventional wisdom would suggest. How does these students’ devotion to academic seriousness hurt their job prospects?
LR – Working and lower-middle-class children are less likely to participate in structured extracurricular activities than their more privileged peers while growing up (and when they do, they tend to participate in fewer of them). This hurts their job prospects in two ways. First, it affects the types of schools students attend. Elite universities weigh extracurricular activities heavily in admissions decisions. Given that these employers—which offer some of the highest-paying entry-level jobs in the country—recruit almost exclusively at top schools, many students who focus purely on their studies will be out of the game long before they ever apply to firms. Second, employers also use extracurricular activities, especially those that are driven by “passion” rather than academic or professional interest and require large investments of time and money over many years, to screen résumés. But participation in these activities while in college or graduate school is not a luxury that all can afford, especially if someone needs to work long hours to pay the bills or take care of family members. Essentially, extracurriculars end up being a double filter on social class that disadvantages job applicants from more modest means both in entering the recruiting pipeline and succeeding within it.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/monkey-cage/wp/2015/09/23/why-are-working-class-kids-less-likely-to-get-elite-jobs-they-study-too-hard-at-college/?postshare=2301443202355602&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=Vox%20Newsletter%20All
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Greetings From Belgrade, Serbia
We're off for the EID Holiday being celebrated in the UAE and with Muslims around the world. This is the time of the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
After reading in several publications that Serbia was a hidden jewel in Europe, I decided to visit. It's an old city with lots of historical significance, that bounced back from scores of bombings during World Wars I and II.
What's left is a resilient people, who are proud and hard working.
I took a tour of the city, seeing the highlights. It is very green with lots of parks and outdoor activities. The architecture of many of the old buildings beautiful.
The people that I've encountered have been especially warm and inviting.
We passed by a park that was temporary housing for the many Syrian refugees passing through this country on their way to Germany. Local volunteers were feeding them and providing other services. I passed a storefront that was an outreach for refugees providing computers and other resources.
On a personal note -
I'm experiencing some serious problems with the lastest (my third) attempt to upgrade my laptop. Please ignore my previous post on the rewards and benefits of upgrading. I'm an Apple devotee, but Yosemite sucks.
Anyway, below are a few pictures. I have plenty more, and will post them as soon as my computer issues are sorted out. When I previewed this post, I see there are duplicate pictures. I'm writing this on my iPad and can't figure out how to delete them.
Sigh.
Monday, September 21, 2015
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Clever Gadgets
From Buzzed -
26 Ridiculously Clever Products With A Secret
Secrets, secrets CAN be fun.
posted on Sept. 20, 2015, at 5:22 p.m.
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