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Saturday, October 29, 2016

College Rankings

An excerpt from the New York Times -

How to Make Sense of College Rankings
By Frank Bruni

“You can slice and dice it any way you like, but this isn’t like Consumer Reports, which tests something to see if it does or doesn’t work,” he said. “The interaction between a student and an institution is not the same as the interaction between a student and a refrigerator.” - Willard Dix

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/30/opinion/sunday/how-to-make-sense-of-college-rankings.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region

A Black Cubs Fan?

An excerpt from the Undefeated -

AS A BLACK CUBS FAN, I UNDERSTAND HISTORY AND I’M STILL HOPEFUL
Despite Chicago’s sports and racial history, we believe yes we can!
BY MICHAEL STRAUTMANIS

“I think we were the only black people there,” my wife said as we were leaving Wrigley Field a few weeks ago. The sentence jarred me a bit, first because it interrupted my reverie after experiencing a rare Cubs playoff victory, and second, because it forced me to realize, once again, that I am a member of a small club. Yes, I am a black Chicago Cubs fan.

http://theundefeated.com/features/as-a-black-cubs-fan-i-understand-history-and-im-still-hopeful/

Bryant Gumbel on Domestic Violence in NFL: Real Sports (HBO)

Liberal Redneck - An Appeal to Sanity

Crazy!

From People -

Utah Dad Spends $1,500 on 3-Year-Old Daughter’s ‘Wonder Woman’ Halloween Costume to Spread Message That ‘Girls Can Do Anything’

http://people.com/human-interest/utah-dad-spends-1500-on-3-year-old-daughters-wonder-woman-halloween-costume/

Priceless

From The Wrap -

NY Post Whips Out ‘Dickileaks’ Puns About Anthony Weiner ‘Stroking Gun’

http://www.thewrap.com/ny-post-cover-dubs-clintons-latest-mess-dikileaks/

Urban Planning

I've always found this an interesting subject.

From Wired -

16 Ways to Design a Better Intersection—And Better Cities
By TIM DE CHANT

https://www.wired.com/2016/10/how-to-design-better-cities/?mbid=nl_102816_p1&CNDID=

Why Americans with disabilities struggle to vote

Welcome to Aviation High School

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Where White Guys Are the Minority

From the Undefeated -

WHERE ARE ALL THE WHITE AMERICAN NBA PLAYERS?
The league’s white players talk about what it’s like to be the minority
By Marc J. Spears

http://theundefeated.com/features/white-american-nba-players/

Sad CT

From The New Yorker -

CLARENCE THOMAS’S TWENTY-FIVE YEARS WITHOUT FOOTPRINTS
By Jeffrey Toobin

This month marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Clarence Thomas’s confirmation to the Supreme Court. Conservatives like Thomas have dominated the Court throughout his tenure, and he has been in the majority in all of their victories. That raises a question: What’s the most important opinion Thomas has written for the majority during his tenure on the Court?

~~~~~~~~~~

The truth is that Rehnquist and Roberts never trusted Thomas to write an opinion in a big case that could command a majority of even his conservative colleagues.

Why was this? It is because Thomas is not a conservative but, rather, a radical—one whose entire career on the Court has been devoted to undermining the rules of precedent in favor of his own idiosyncratic interpretation of the Constitution.

http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/clarence-thomass-twenty-five-years-without-footprints

Please Elect My Husband

http://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2016/10/26/gerald-daugherty-campaign-ad-moos-pkg-erin.cnn

A Picture is Worth . . .

From Upworthy -

17 stunning photos of black Victorians show how history really looked.
By Thom Dunn

http://www.upworthy.com/17-stunning-photos-of-black-victorians-show-how-history-really-looked?c=upw1&u=6861cbea6edfdfe5a709ee39ad3c14b64135e61f

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Mesmerizing Movement

From Wired -

Watch This Mesmerizing Sculpture Morph Like a Flock of Birds
By Liz Stinson

Diffusion Choir from Sosolimited on Vimeo.

https://www.wired.com/2016/10/watch-mesmerizing-sculpture-morph-like-flock-birds/?mbid=nl_102616_p8&CNDID=#slide-3

Sunday, October 23, 2016

The Pipeline Problem


App Helps You Find a Job & Determine Your Worth

From Thrillist -

THIS NEW TOOL TELLS YOU IFYOU'RE GETTING PAID ENOUGH - GLASSDOOR  
By TONY MEREVICK

Glassdoor launched the free tool, Know Your Worth, on Tuesday, saying it's designed to help you figure out if you're being paid fairly in your current job, if you should try to negotiate a raise, and if you should explore better paying jobs at other companies or better paying careers, according to a press release. The tool uses information about your work experience and current job to estimate your "market value" (what you should be earning), based on Glassdoor's expansive salary data, trends in today's job market, and other factors.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/glassdoor-job-search-jobs/id589698942?mt=8

https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/glassdoors-know-your-worth-tool-tells-you-if-youre-getting-paid-enough

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Oprah Joins T.D. Jakes To Discuss Her Thoughts On The Presidential Election

A Super Scooter

A few days ago I posted a quick video (included again below) of my youngest granddaughter riding a scooter.  She's 16 months old.  This gadget is the coolest thing since slice bread.

It's called the Globber 5-in-1 Convertible Scooter, and it was purchased from Amazon.  The cost was $100.



Highly recommended for the little one in your world.


A Simple Act Made a Profound Difference

From Upworthy -

After a story about a boy bringing lunch for his classmate went viral, Reddit responded.
By Eric March

http://www.upworthy.com/after-a-story-about-a-boy-bringing-lunch-for-his-classmate-went-viral-reddit-responded?c=upw1&u=6861cbea6edfdfe5a709ee39ad3c14b64135e61f

Let's teach for mastery -- not test scores | Sal Khan

Barry | Teaser | Netflix

Captain Khan | Hillary Clinton

Friday, October 21, 2016

Motivated to Vote

An excerpt from the New York Times Race-Related Newsletter -

A Latino Spring
By John Leguizamo

A well-intentioned producer once said to me, “John, you’re so talented, but too bad you’re Latin — otherwise you’d be so much further along.” When I pitched a movie about Latinos, another producer said: “Latin? People don’t want to see Latin people.”

This is not just my experience but a typical Latino person’s experience in America.

Donald J. Trump has done one good thing. He has galvanized a conflicted and diverse community. For years, activists and politicians have struggled to get Latinos to vote and show their power. But not until Mr. Trump’s racist rhetoric shone a light on anti-Latino sentiment did we feel the need to make our voices heard on the issues that matter to us: from proper funding for our schools, better infrastructure in our communities and financial aid, to health care that doesn’t consider poverty a pre-existing condition.

http://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/2016/10/21/race-related?nlid=38867499

Mentoring to Medicine Seminar

This event is sponsored by 100 Black Men of Houston.  If you know of any middle or high school students who might be interested in a career in medicine and are in the Houston area, please pass this on.

http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/1804515/31a2b09827/578169997/4dc0f16bf5/

Repurposed


This Video Of A Toddler Dancing With Her Sister Has Gone Viral

Overrated Burger?

An excerpt from Business Insider -

Californians should be embarrassed by how much they hype overrated In-N-Out Burger
By Dennis Green

In-N-Out makes a good burger, to be sure. It's flavorful, tasty, and fresh.

But I've had much better burgers. In fact, in a face-off I conducted, Shake Shack clearly beat out In-N-Out in the burger category. It wasn't even close.

So what is it that would keep me coming back to In-N-Out when there are objectively (in my mind) better options? It can come down to only one thing: psychology. Namely, the scarcity effect and the bandwagon effect. And the two are intertwined.

http://www.businessinsider.com/in-n-out-is-overrated-2016-10


Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Aziz Ansari Wants You to Vote

Meet the Giant Robot That Builds Boeing’s Airplane Wings | WIRED

A Medieval Abbey Trapped by Tides and Time

Grounds For Divorce

Man divorces wife for ‘deceiving him’ by wearing too much make-up

http://www.thenational.ae/uae/man-divorces-wife-for-deceiving-him-by-wearing-too-much-make-up

Um. I Don't Know.

This article features a guy who thinks kids should be allowed to play, even in risky situations.

It seems to me it's going from one side of the ditch (think helicopter parents) to the other side of letting kids do what they want when they want to do it.

There needs to be a middle ground that allows for some freedom, but safety, too.

What do you think?

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/23/magazine/the-anti-helicopter-parents-plea-let-kids-play.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share

Monday, October 17, 2016

To FLOTUS, With Love

From the New York Times Magazine -

Four folks, heavyweights in their own right, have written tributes to Michelle Obama.

Well worth the read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/17/t-magazine/michelle-obama-chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-gloria-steinem-letter.html

A Changed Man


I Love Him!

https://www.instagram.com/popeyethefoodie/

Third Parties: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Book Art

Check out this extraordinary art form from discarded books.

Amazing!

http://www.upworthy.com/this-woman-makes-incredible-art-from-discarded-books?c=upw1&u=6861cbea6edfdfe5a709ee39ad3c14b64135e61f

Hey Y'all

Excerpts from Atlas Obscura -

Y’all, You’uns, Yinz, Youse: How Regional Dialects Are Fixing Standard English
The real enemy? "You guys."

By Dan Nosowitz OCTOBER 13, 2016

There is perhaps no greater argument that American English is a deeply flawed, infuriating, and difficult language than the simple phrase “you guys.”

“You guys” is the most common way Americans refer directly to a group of people; it is a de facto pronoun, duct-taped together.

~~~~~~~~~~

In “standard American English,” meaning, essentially, schoolroom English, the second person pronoun is “you,” for either singular or plural. Talking to your spouse? Use “you.” Talking to your spouse and his or her entire family, at the same time? Use...well, also use “you.” It is a huge, strange weakness in American English: when someone is talking to a group of people, we have no way of indicating whether the speaker is talking to only one person or the entire group.

http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/yall-youuns-yinz-youse-how-regional-dialects-are-fixing-standard-english

Sunday, October 16, 2016

Diversity on the Track

An excerpt from The Undefeated -

NASCAR driver Daniel Suarez shares inspirational story at My Brother’s Keeper event
Ambassadors from NBA Cares and NASCAR talked about their journeys and the importance of diversity BY RHIANNON WALKER

Four-and-a-half years ago, Daniel Suarez had aspirations of becoming a NASCAR driver, but didn’t have the means to achieve that goal. At the time, he wasn’t in the United States — he was living with his parents and two sisters in Monterrey, Mexico.

Besides that, he didn’t come from a racing family. His father was the only one in the household working, so there wasn’t money for Suarez to pursue his dream initially. What his father did have was expertise in repairing cars, so when Suarez was in elementary school, his dad provided him with the tools for go-karting in 2002.

Eleven years later, Suarez’s biggest obstacle wasn’t having a car, sponsorship or recognition, it was finding a way to Charlotte, North Carolina, where NASCAR’s headquarters is based, and learning how to speak English. He had the official papers from NASCAR, so Suarez drove 26 hours cross-country from Mexico to Charlotte in a 1994 Volkswagen Beetle.

Fast-forward to 2016, and Suarez won his first race in a final-lap coup past Kyle Busch, which made him the first Mexican-born driver to win in a NASCAR national touring series. And just this month, the 24-year-old nabbed his second victory in the round of 12 in the Chase at Dover in October, making him eligible for the round of eight.

http://theundefeated.com/features/white-house-host-latinx-students-to-discuss-my-brothers-keeper-preview-undefeatedconvo/

Black & Jewish

An excerpt from NPR -

Black, Jewish And Avoiding The Synagogue On Yom Kippur
By LEAH DONNELLA

Last time I worshipped in a synagogue was Sept. 5, 2014. And I won't be going today.

That might surprise my friends, who put up with my bragging ad nauseam about how Jewish I am.

You got a great deal on plane tickets? Reminds me of the time I took a free Birthright trip to Israel. Going skating? I haven't been on skates since my bat mitzvah reception, held at the roller skating rink in Villanova, Pa. You say you love the musicals of George Gershwin? Ha, that sounds just like Gershenfeld, my mother's maiden name, which is also my middle name, which means "barley field" in Yiddish, the language my ancestors spoke in Eastern Europe.

Some of this is just me being obnoxious. But it's also a way to claim a part of my identity that's hidden from most people. I'm a black woman. No one ever assumes I'm Jewish. When I talk about Judaism, people look at me in a way that makes me feel like I'm breaking into my own house. Especially the people inside the house.

http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2016/10/12/496868502/black-jewish-and-avoiding-the-synagogue-on-yom-kippur?utm_campaign=storyshare&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

Georgetown students surprise janitor, inspires him to pursue entrepreneu...

Catching Up With Big Sister

This is Theia (16 months) scooting along catching up with her sister, Zadie (5.5 years old).  They're Frankie and Cara's girls.  My granddaughters.

Diversity in Space

https://www.wired.com/2016/10/new-american-space-boom-astronauts-diversity/?mbid=nl_101416_p1&CNDID=#slide-5

The Peculiar World of Dental Manikins

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Upcoming Science Fun in San Francisco

Sponsored by KQED -

Discovery Day at AT&T Park
24 Willie Mays Plaza, San Francisco
Saturday, November 5, 2016
10am-4pm, KQED member early access starting at 9:30am



Join KQED Science at the sixth annual Discovery Day at AT&T Park, organized by UC San Francisco. This free event features hundreds of hands-on science activities, opportunities to meet local scientists and engineers, plus endless educational entertainment. Plus, Sid the Science Kid will be on hand for photo ops with your family.

KQED members can enter the event early by showing a valid KQED MemberCard at the Portwalk Gates starting at 9:30am.

FREE | Register

http://view.email.kqed.org/?qs=643f79ae4e0101dfcfd25ceb5d897b33d9e0e3757f9d7c4b32e323a0cfc375448c5702d9e9daefbb0c98aa9de0ca9a69ac9d9ea1f1d4c786bab69cef2c179492

Quote

“There’s a big Trump and a little Trump. The little Trump is frankly pathetic.” - Newt Gingrich

http://www.salon.com/2016/10/13/newt-gingrich-inadvertently-slams-donald-trump-theres-a-little-trump-whos-frankly-pathetic/?source=newsletter

Wow! First Lady Michelle Obama gives Epic Speech about Women

Teaching Abroad

Below is a link to the company I used to find a teaching job overseas.  They will be in San Francisco in February for interviews.

Living and working in the Middle East for those five years was an extraordinary experience!  I'm so glad I took advantage of the opportunity.  Here's hoping that others will, too.  Please pass this info to folks who might be interested.

Note - If the link doesn't work, url is www.teachaway.com.

https://www.teachaway.com/fairs?utm_source=ISS&utm_medium=Email%20follow%20up

How Common is Your Name?

From Vox -

How common is your name in movies?

https://apps.voxmedia.com/graphics/vox-movies-names/?initialWidth=726&childId=how-common-is-your-name-in-movies__graphic&parentUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vox.com%2Fculture%2F2016%2F10%2F13%2F13222828%2Fmovie-characters-first-name%3Futm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3DSentences%2520101316%26utm_content%3DSentences%2520101316%2BCID_751255a0fef58d088093de5c0cf8b67c%26utm_source%3Dcm_email%26utm_term%3DHow%2520many%2520movies%2520feature%2520a%2520character%2520with%2520your%2520first%2520name

Tom Hanks on Donald Trump: I'm not offended as a husband or a father. ...

Seattle's Plan

College vs. Pro

Here's a question for you from Good Sports -

Can A Great College Football Team Actually Beat A Really Awful Pro Team?
by Jon Baum

The Cleveland Browns are a bad football team. The Ohio State Buckeyes are a very good one. But could one of the best college football teams really compete with one of the worst in the NFL?

Fans seem to think so.  A Public Policy Polling survey released last week reveals that 62 percent of respondents believe Ohio State would beat the Browns.

Me - What do you think?

https://sports.good.is/articles/can-ohio-state-beat-cleveland-browns?utm_source=thedailygood&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailygood


Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Yeah Texas!

You don't see this much, but Texas is leading the way in making it easier for voters to register.

Check it out below.

Thanks to the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, we’ll be seeing a lot more tacos and a lot more registered voters. In an effort to increase America’s Latino voting population, the USHCC decided to offer voter registration services at—you guessed it—taco trucks. Since the #GuacTheVote campaign went into action October 3, Texans have been able to register to vote at eight different taco trucks around Houston, Remezcla reports.

https://food.good.is/articles/taco-truck-voter-registration?utm_source=thedailygood&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailygood

Quote

From Vox -

Harvard, a university with a $35.7 billion endowment, is asking for volunteers to pitch in for free while its dining hall workers strike. Do not scab for Harvard. [The Crimson / Brandon J. DIxon]

http://www.vox.com

Leading the Charge in Producing Black Engineers

An excerpt from The Undefeated -

How did North Carolina A&T become the country’s leading producer of black engineers? Care
A combination of nurturing and dedication to access has made the university an engineering powerhouse BY SORAYA NADIA MCDONALD

If you’re black and grew up in North Carolina, it’s almost a given that you know about North Carolina A&T State University. Maybe it’s because you heard of its legendary marching band. Or maybe you learned about the Greensboro Four as part of North Carolina history.

But North Carolina A&T isn’t just a gem of the state’s higher education. It’s a national one, too, thanks to its College of Engineering, which according to Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine is the nation’s top overall producer of black undergraduate engineering degree holders.

http://theundefeated.com/features/how-did-north-carolina-at-become-the-countrys-leading-producer-of-black-engineers-care/

Making Waves

An excerpt from the Undefeated -

Hakeem Oluseyi performs as part of the I Love F-ing Science Party at Stubbs Bar-B-Q
on March 8, 2014 in Austin, Texas. Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

If one were to tell Hakeem Oluseyi that a boy from a small, rural community in Mississippi would attend a historically black college or university (HBCU) and make it as one of the nation’s most recognizable astrophysicists, he wouldn’t have believed it.

The only reason he believes it now is, well, because he’s living it.

Oluseyi, 49, is one of the most popular scientists in a field that deals with the otherworldly. From his position as a distinguished professor of physics and space sciences at the Florida Institute of Technology to hosting programs such as Discovery’s Outrageous Acts of Science and How the Universe Works, Oluseyi is inspiring generations — both younger and older — with his exciting approach to subject matter that can be quite complex.

http://theundefeated.com/features/astrophysicist-and-hbcu-grad-hakeem-oluseyi-is-making-waves/

Your Body is Still Useful After Death

From CNN -

Ten uses for your body after you die
By Elizabeth Cohen

http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/10/health/body-use-after-death/index.html

Cheap Eats

An excerpt from the Huffington Post - (Note - App not available yet.  Go to http://www.buffet-go.com/collections/frontpage)

Now You Can Buy Leftover Buffet Food For Next To Nothing
The service saves food from being thrown out and donates a portion of the profits to charity.
By Sarah Ruiz-Grossman

Now you can get extremely cheap grub and prevent delicious food from being thrown in the trash.

The BuffetGo app lets users buy leftover food from restaurant buffets ― at up to 90 percent off the original price.

Simply enter a zip code to find participating restaurants nearby. Once you order a meal ― for as little as $1 in some cases ― you go pick it up at a designated time, which is usually around closing. After showing your email receipt, you can fill a to-go container with buffet food and find a place to devour it.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/buffetgo-app-buy-buffet-leftovers-discount-cheap-food_us_57fbe86be4b0e655eab6b6d9

http://www.buffet-go.com/collections/frontpage

Opera singer defies odds to become promising star

Crowdsourcing a Kidney

Is this the answer to organ donation?

http://www.poynter.org/2016/how-2-journalists-whove-never-met-in-real-life-became-a-kidney-donor-and-recipient/433484/

A Folding Globe

Dymaxion Folding Globe by Brendan Ravenhill and the Buckminster Fuller Institute for Areaware from AREAWARE on Vimeo.

http://www.areaware.com/products/dymaxion-folding-globe

Monday, October 10, 2016

Quote

From the Chicago Sun Times Editorial -

Donald Trump should drop out of the race for president. That should go without saying. And every Republican Party leader or elected official who has a shred of self-respect should drop him cold. We question the moral fiber of anyone who does not. There should be no more temporizing, no more denying that Trump’s election would be a shame on our country.

Trump has behaved horribly throughout this presidential race, forcing his apologists to go through contortions to defend him. But after Friday’s revelation of what he said about women 11 years ago — describing sexual assault as a benefit of being a “star” — there can be no more pretending or looking away. If Trump’s campaign is not dead in the water now, there is something wrong not only with him, but with our country.

http://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/editorial-dump-trump-and-redeem-the-republican-party/

Last Week Tonight 10/10/2016: John Oliver Blast Trump on Sexual Assault ...

Saturday, October 8, 2016

All Aboard America's Only Floating ZIP Code

Too Cute

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/21oGSR/:x4txl3Lr:jr2G2_8./kindnessblog.com/2014/06/23/a-little-girl-wrote-google-a-letter-asking-to-give-her-dad-a-day-off-and-google-responded

Quote

I rarely consume milk products because of lactose intolerance, but I have vowed to purchase Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream every week.

I will support those folks who support us.

Here's their statement in reference to Black Lives Matter.  (Bold is mine).

We believe that saying Black lives matter is not to say that the lives of those who serve in the law enforcement community don’t. We respect and value the commitment to our communities that those in law enforcement make, and we respect the value of every one of their lives. But we do believe that—whether Black, brown, white, or blue—our nation and our very way of life is dependent on the principle of all people being served equal justice under the law. And it’s clear, the effects of the criminal justice system are not color blind. All lives do matter. But all lives will not matter until black lives matter. 

http://www.theroot.com/blog/the-grapevine/ben-jerrys-releases-statement-on-why-black-lives-matter/

So Smooth!

This guy responds to a complaint from his neighbors.

Another article too good to cherry pick.

I want this guy on my team!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-mans-letter-to-his-passive-aggressive-white_us_57f7a462e4b090dec0e70f5b?section=&section=us_black-voices

de niro on trump 2016

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Tupac Talks Donald Trump & Greed in America in 1992 Interview | MTV News

The formula for selling a million-dollar work of art

In Support of HBCUs

As a proud graduate of Florida A & M Univeristy, I wholeheartedly agree.

From Essence -

At PWIs, you may have an African-American professor or advisor whom all the Black kids love and leverage as a resource. At an HBCU, you’re surrounded by a community who makes you feel like you’re smart, talented and valuable every day. That type of genuine love – even if save for four years in your lifetime – creates a sense of self-worth and confidence that you can’t get anywhere else.

http://www.essence.com/culture/hbcu-black-experience-pwi?xid=100516

PWIs = Predominantly White Institutions
HBCUs = Historically Black Colleges and Universities

Trust This Guy?

From The Root -

Criming While White: Why Would Trump Change a Tax System That Made Him Rich?

The Republican presidential candidate ran up almost a billion dollars in losses and debts in 1995, but the likelihood that Donald Trump hasn’t paid any federal taxes in almost 20 years isn’t the problem. What is the problem is that Trump is running on the promise of ending the very system that made him rich, and nobody in his or her right mind can believe him after this revelation.
By Jason Johnson

~~~~~~~~~~

His whole campaign is the equivalent of a guy breaking into your house and stealing all your stuff and then coming back a week later and offering his services for your home security. In theory he clearly knows what he’s doing. In practice, why should you trust a guy who broke into your house?

http://www.theroot.com/articles/politics/2016/10/criming-while-white-why-would-trump-change-a-tax-system-that-made-him-rich/

Tuesday, October 4, 2016

On Sale!

For two days only Southwest Airlines is having a pretty amazing sale.  Check it out.

https://www.southwest.com/html/promotions/nationwide-sale-161004.html?clk=HOMEHERO_WOW161004

Student Travel Opportunities

The New York Times is launching an initiative called Student Journeys.  See the blurb below.

Small Group Journeys for High School Students

We are excited to announce New York Times Student Journeys, an educational travel program designed for motivated and curious high school students. These Journeys visit destinations The Times has covered, where students can benefit from our special understanding and insider’s view as they explore themes and topics associated with Times coverage of local issues. Each trip is joined by a New York Times expert who brings a perspective students cannot acquire elsewhere.  

http://us4.campaign-archive1.com/?u=10ed9615db1b66974cce5340c&id=26f6a704cf&e=657cb243fc

Not a Fan, But . . .

The following is an excerpt from the New York Magazine from a journal Lil' Wayne kept while he was in jail.  There's more to this kid than meets the eye.  The tats and grill are a complete turnoff, but his writing was reflective and thoughtful.  A surprise.

‘Damn, I Really Don’t Deserve This’
In 2010, Lil Wayne spent an eight-month jail sentence at Rikers Island, where he prayed, worked out, and kept a journal. Here’s an excerpt from Gone ’Til November, which is out this week.

As soon as I heard the cell door lock behind me, I just sat on the back wall and the tears began to flow as I took my first glimpse at my new digs: three buckets, one bed, one toilet that was surprisingly kind of clean (emphasis on kind of), a rusty-ass sink with a mirror the size of a small notepad, a desk, and a window. A clothesline was left hanging in the cell. I decided to leave it because I figured it would come in handy.

I got in just in time for chow, which is the overall term used for what they call breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I only ate the veggies because I wasn't too sure what the other stuff was.

I wasn't in the mood to do much socializing, so I kept the first-day meet and greet short. I guess not everybody on staff got the captain's memo because two C.O.’s were suspended for trying to come up and see me ... females of course. Maybe there will be some female groupies in the bitch after all.


Fuck ... one down!

http://www.vulture.com/2016/09/lil-wayne-rikers-island-journal.html


Trevor Noah Trashes Trump’s Plan to Fix Tax Laws: Criminals Only Catch C...

Monday, October 3, 2016

Chocolate-Covered Country

Police Accountability: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Liberal Redneck - Talkin Bout Drugs



http://www.salon.com/2016/10/02/is-the-dea-high-the-agencys-emergency-ban-on-kratom-has-to-make-you-wonder-what-theyre-smoking/?source=newsletter

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

From BlackAmericaWeb -

You’ll Never Guess Where Shawty Lo’s Casket Went After His Funeral
By Kiera A. Manison

We guarantee you’ve never been to a funeral procession quite like this before.

Hundreds of loved ones and fans gathered to pay their respects to rapper Carlos “Shawty Lo” Walker on Friday, September 30. Following the heartfelt ceremony, Shawty Lo’s hearse took a stop at the fallen rapper’s most frequented hangout – the strip club.

http://blackamericaweb.com/2016/10/03/youll-never-guess-where-shawty-los-casket-went-after-his-funeral/

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Willie Velasquez Screening

Stanford?

An excerpt from 2 Paragraphs -

If you're from the Midwest and you don't mind returning there after securing your Stanford University MBA, then Stanford may just pay for your degree -- to the tune of $160,000. Students from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin are all eligible. Stanford groups these states together as an "underserved region." (Don't tell the University of Chicago, or Michigan, or Wisconsin, or....)

http://2paragraphs.com/2016/09/stanfords-160000-mba-fellowship-requires-just-400-word-essay/

Quote

From Sactown Magazine -

The ABCs of Merrin Dungey
by Jessica Rine

~~~~~~~~~~

Finally, switching gears, your Twitter bio says “no cuts, no buts, no coconuts.” Where does that come from?

That comes from my friend’s daughter. And I love that because it’s truly my life’s motto. There are no shortcuts, there are no excuses and there’s no insanity—you’ve just got to do it.

http://www.sactownmag.com/October-November-2016/The-ABCs-of-Merrin-Dungey/

Saturday, October 1, 2016

The Wolf

An excerpt from the Washington Post -

When the Dallas Cowboys have a problem, this is the man who makes it go away
By Kent Babb

This David Wells isn’t famous, but he might be the most influential behind-the-scenes figure for the NFL’s most valuable franchise. Part crisis manager, part fixer, part therapist, he’s tasked with helping public figures, not becoming one. All teams have in-house security experts and problem-solvers, employees who untangle legal problems. But this extra layer of protection may be unique to the Cowboys. Wells brings a special set of skills, so when something or someone jeopardizes the image of pro football’s signature franchise, the Cowboys know whom to deploy.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/when-the-dallas-cowboys-have-a-problem-this-is-the-man-who-makes-it-go-away/2016/09/30/a7bdeaf0-84e8-11e6-92c2-14b64f3d453f_story.html?wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1

13TH | Official Trailer [HD] | Netflix