Simply Stunning!

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

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 September 20

Wacky Gifts

Just in time for holiday shopping, for those of you who plan/shop before Christmas Eve.

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

Teaching Girls to Build

Available at Amazon . . . of course.

Cool Paintbrush Idea

Cards for New Parents - Probably Not Hallmark

 From The Huffington Post -

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/38-honest-cards-for-new-parents-with-a-sense-of-humor_55f1de92e4b03784e27884fd?ir=Entertainment&section=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

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.

Those are two words I would use to describe Belgrade, Serbia.

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.

Typical street scene

This building has been restored to its former glory with funding from the UAE.
Of course I found this very interesting.

Inside restored building 

Another view of inside restored building

Another street scene

This is a mosaic wall that houses the zoo.
It is also the entrance to the Belgrade Fortress.

Belgrade Fortress - Formidable and imposing

Fortress 2

Closeup of the stones making up the wall

Fortress gate

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.

Placard showing that the fortress was built in 1404-1427.

Although this photo couldn't capture it,
this view from inside the fortress of the convergence of the
Sava and Danube Rivers is spectacular.

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.

The Ada Bridge.
AMAZING!

Another view

And another

One of the many parks

A beautiful tree in a park!

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.

Another view of the camp

And another

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.

Sign indicating that the church I'm walking to, St. Sava's Temple, is up ahead.

A statute on the grounds of St. Sava's Temple

St. Sava's Temple from a distance.
This church is incredibly beautiful and is the pride of Belgrade.

This is the entrance to the church.

Another view

The church is not finished.  You can see the scaffolding to the left.

Another view of inside the unfinished church

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.

Another statute outside the church

Another park

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

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.

The Mother of Ingenuity

Explore the World . . .

With this game.

https://geoguessr.com

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.

Mallory McInnis

BuzzFeed Staff

Tweet

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http://www.buzzfeed.com/mallorymcinnis/the-secretive-life?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DIY+920&utm_content=DIY+920+CID_3bef23a20850982f604caa9b37cdb454&utm_source=BuzzFeed%20Newsletters&utm_term=But%20these%20too-cool%20products%20definitely%20did%20not%20get%20the%20memo#.vxRJo29a5

100 Movies Dance Scenes Mashup (Mark Ronson-Uptown Funk ft.Bruno Mars)-WTM

You Got a Friend

Color film was built for white people. Here's what it did to dark skin.

Hey Bill, Are You Listening?

Great Learning Tools

As seen on Atlas Obscura - Videos available to stream now for Amazon Prime Members



https://www.littlepim.com/?utm_source=Atlas%20Obscura&utm_campaign=b5f152224d-September_Sweeps&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_62ba9246c0-b5f152224d-59905913

http://www.littlepassports.com/?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura&utm_campaign=b5f152224d-September_Sweeps&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_62ba9246c0-b5f152224d-59905913

http://littlebits.cc/shop

http://www.goldieblox.com/?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura&utm_campaign=b5f152224d-September_Sweeps&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_62ba9246c0-b5f152224d-59905913

Should Be Strung Up By Their Balls

From USA Today - 

U.S. priests accused of sex abuse get second chance in South America

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil — The Catholic Churchhas allowed priests accused of sexually abusing children in the United States and Europe to relocate to poor parishes in South America, a yearlong GlobalPost investigation has found.

Reporters confronted five accused priests in as many countries: Paraguay, Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil and Peru. One priest who relocated to a poor parish in Peru admitted on camera to molesting a 13-year-old boy while working in the Jackson, Miss., diocese. Another is currently under investigation in Brazil after allegations arose that he abused disadvantaged children living in an orphanage he founded there.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/09/17/us-priests-sex-abuse-relocate-south-america/32551455/

Upgrade Havoc

I was always one of those folks who liked to upgrade my computer and other electronic gadgets as soon as they became available.

That is, until I tried to upgrade my Macbook to Yosemite . . . TWICE . . . .and FAILED.  What a calamity that was!  Twice glitches caused it to load incorrectly. Thank God I had backed everything up, so I reverted to the previous version and all was well in my world.

That is, until iOS9 upgrade showed up for my phone/gadgets this week, and I was faced with the choice of upgrading again.

After much internal debate, I went for it.

Again, thank God, everything loaded properly and is working great.

Upgrading was heavy on my mind this week, as we experienced a system-wide upgrade of our Windows operating system at work.

To say it did not go well, is an incredible understatement.

Adding to the headaches is the fact that there is no one on staff who is proficient in the new system, so it's a case of the blind leading the blind.

Frustration has been the order of the day.

So you can see why choosing to upgrade today, after the fiasco at work all week, was such a big deal.

Overall, upgrading is probably a good thing - adding features and improving on services.

When it works, it's fantastic.

When it doesn't, you want to chuck the computer/phone/gadget across the room.

Thankfully it works more times than it doesn't.

A Six-Pack of Fun

From USA Today -

Amazon selling six-packs of its $50 tablet computers
 Elizabeth Weise, USATODAY 11:25 a.m. EDT September 17, 2015

Amazon_Fire_six_pack

SAN FRANCISCO – Holiday shopping could get interesting this year with Amazon's announcement of a new 7" Fire tablet for $49.99.

While not exactly a stocking-stuffer price, the Seattle company is also selling the tablets in a six-pack for just under $250, bringing them down to $41 each.

The new tablets specifically go for what David Limp, a senior vice president for Amazon devices, calls its "sweet spot, the consumption of media."

The tablets feature a quad-core processor, front- and rear-facing cameras and up to 128 gigabytes of expandable storage

The new tablets are available for pre-order on Thursday and will begin shipping on Sept. 30.

While Apple has taken aim at the enterprise market with its new iPad Pro, Amazon sees its future in entertainment. On Thursday it is also introducing two new Fire HD tablets, one 8" and one 10.1".

Designed for entertainment, they're just 7.7 millimeters thick and set to the aspect ratio of a wide-screen movie.

The 8" tablet will sell for $149.99 and the 10" for $229.99. Both are available for preorder Thursday and will begin shipping Sept. 30, Amazon said.

There's also a new version of Amazon's Fire Kids Edition. The 7" tablet comes with a kid-proof case and a two-year replacement guarantee, in case it turns out not to be kid-proof. It will retail for $99.99.

With these new products, Amazon is also rolling out its latest operating system, Fire OS 5, code-named "Bellini."

A surprising new reading feature comes on all the new tablets, built into Fire OS 5.

Called "Word Runner," it shows a book's text one word at a time. Amazon calls this a speed reading feature.

Some research has shown that this format allows the user to read more quickly because they don't need to move their eyes as they follow the words across a line.

The technique is called rapid serial visual presentation and has been long studied by scientists as a way to increase reading speeds and improve understanding.

Several apps exist which display text in this format, but Amazon appears to be the first reader to build it into the operating system.

Amazon's Word Runner allows readers to go to up to 900 words a minute, though that's far too fast for anyone but Mr. Spock to actually take anything in.

Word Runner starts slow and allows the user to increase their reading to a speed that is comfortable. It's easy to stop and scan a line if you missed something and a tap takes you back to the regular page view.

The algorithm also slows down slightly at punctuation, paragraph breaks and difficult or long words.

Amazon on Thursday also announced new versions of its Amazon Fire TV. The streaming media player is now faster and more powerful than last year. It also comes with a voice remote that allows users to search and play media merely by speaking.

Fire TV will sell for $99.99. A gaming edition, which comes with a game controller, more memory and two free games, will sell for $139.99. The Fire TV stick, a streaming dongle that plugs into a TV, is available with the voice remote for $49.99.

The TV systems will begin shipping on October 5.

Richard Sherman on black-on-black violence