Tuesday, June 7, 2016
He Refused to Be a Part of This Mess
An excerpt from Rolling Stone - (bold is mine)
Muhammad Ali Was a Hero, But His Enemies Have a Legacy Too
Pentagon learned from the epic mistake of making a martyr of the world's most gifted and famous athlete
By Matt Taibbi
Ali was famously a person who could make a stage out of anything. Even his weigh-ins turned into acts worthy of Carnegie Hall. But on April 28, 1967, the U.S. government handed him the biggest stage of his life.
At an armed forces examining station in Houston, he refused to step forward to a white line when his name was called. That one step would have signified his willingness to be drafted.
The awesome drama of that moment made Ali hated at the time, but also turned him into a martyr to history. The symbolism of a man who made his living fighting refusing to fight was extraordinarily powerful.
Ali furthermore brilliantly used the moment to link America's bloody quagmire overseas to the domestic warfare that had broken out in places like Watts, Rochester, Newark, Cleveland, Detroit, and Division Street, Chicago.
"My conscience won't let me shoot my brother or some darker people," Ali said. "And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger."
Asking Ali to step forward that day in Houston was an epic strategic blunder. The last thing Lyndon Johnson or his successor Richard Nixon needed was to have Americans of any age, but particularly young people, making a connection between racism at home and wars of colonial domination abroad.
But by demanding that a man as prideful and magnetic as Ali submit to becoming a cheerleader for the bloodshed in Vietnam, that's exactly what they did.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/muhammad-ali-was-a-hero-but-his-enemies-have-a-legacy-too-20160605#ixzz4AunxnDuH
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
Muhammad Ali Was a Hero, But His Enemies Have a Legacy Too
Pentagon learned from the epic mistake of making a martyr of the world's most gifted and famous athlete
By Matt Taibbi
Ali was famously a person who could make a stage out of anything. Even his weigh-ins turned into acts worthy of Carnegie Hall. But on April 28, 1967, the U.S. government handed him the biggest stage of his life.
At an armed forces examining station in Houston, he refused to step forward to a white line when his name was called. That one step would have signified his willingness to be drafted.
The awesome drama of that moment made Ali hated at the time, but also turned him into a martyr to history. The symbolism of a man who made his living fighting refusing to fight was extraordinarily powerful.
Ali furthermore brilliantly used the moment to link America's bloody quagmire overseas to the domestic warfare that had broken out in places like Watts, Rochester, Newark, Cleveland, Detroit, and Division Street, Chicago.
"My conscience won't let me shoot my brother or some darker people," Ali said. "And shoot them for what? They never called me nigger."
Asking Ali to step forward that day in Houston was an epic strategic blunder. The last thing Lyndon Johnson or his successor Richard Nixon needed was to have Americans of any age, but particularly young people, making a connection between racism at home and wars of colonial domination abroad.
But by demanding that a man as prideful and magnetic as Ali submit to becoming a cheerleader for the bloodshed in Vietnam, that's exactly what they did.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/muhammad-ali-was-a-hero-but-his-enemies-have-a-legacy-too-20160605#ixzz4AunxnDuH
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
Deltas(?) in Dubai
From Essence Magazine -
Monday, June 6, 2016
I Wonder . . .
If this guy was black, would the results be the same?
An excerpt from The Root -
#WhitePrivilegeMuch: College Rapist Gets Light Sentence Because Prison Would Be Bad for Him
The judge’s lenient sentence is just the latest example of white privilege run amok.
There is nothing scarier than a white man losing his power. Good thing Brock Turner won’t have to face the full weight of what that really means. If you haven’t already heard, Turner is the young, white ex-Stanford University swimmer whose dreams are more precious than the woman he raped.
On Jan. 17, 2015, Turner sexually assaulted a 23-year-old unconscious woman behind a dumpster after they both left a campus party. Turner stopped assaulting the woman only after he was spotted by two students, who chased him off of the victim and held him until the cops came. Turner cried only after learning that the cops had been called. Maybe then he realized what his actions meant to his dreams.
During his trial, it was revealed what a toll the rape had taken on Turner. He doesn’t have the appetite he once had for rib-eye steaks. His dream of swimming in the Olympics had been dashed. He used to have a welcoming smile, and now, that has faded. All of which his father made sure to point out in his letter asking for clemency for his son.
Poor Turner.
That’s what Turner’s father said in his statement, comparing what his son lost for “20 minutes of pleasure.”
Poor white man.
That’s what the judge said when he decided that, even after a jury found Turner guilty of rape and he faced a maximum sentence of 14 years, he would only serve six months in a county jail. He wouldn’t even be sentenced to prison because the judge said he felt it would have “a severe impact on him.” A columnist for the San Jose Mercury News wrote that Turner’s sentencing was correct.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/uncategorized/2016/06/whiteprivilegemuch-college-rapist-gets-light-sentence-because-prison-would-be-bad-for-him/?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content%26
An excerpt from The Root -
#WhitePrivilegeMuch: College Rapist Gets Light Sentence Because Prison Would Be Bad for Him
The judge’s lenient sentence is just the latest example of white privilege run amok.
There is nothing scarier than a white man losing his power. Good thing Brock Turner won’t have to face the full weight of what that really means. If you haven’t already heard, Turner is the young, white ex-Stanford University swimmer whose dreams are more precious than the woman he raped.
On Jan. 17, 2015, Turner sexually assaulted a 23-year-old unconscious woman behind a dumpster after they both left a campus party. Turner stopped assaulting the woman only after he was spotted by two students, who chased him off of the victim and held him until the cops came. Turner cried only after learning that the cops had been called. Maybe then he realized what his actions meant to his dreams.
During his trial, it was revealed what a toll the rape had taken on Turner. He doesn’t have the appetite he once had for rib-eye steaks. His dream of swimming in the Olympics had been dashed. He used to have a welcoming smile, and now, that has faded. All of which his father made sure to point out in his letter asking for clemency for his son.
Poor Turner.
That’s what Turner’s father said in his statement, comparing what his son lost for “20 minutes of pleasure.”
Poor white man.
That’s what the judge said when he decided that, even after a jury found Turner guilty of rape and he faced a maximum sentence of 14 years, he would only serve six months in a county jail. He wouldn’t even be sentenced to prison because the judge said he felt it would have “a severe impact on him.” A columnist for the San Jose Mercury News wrote that Turner’s sentencing was correct.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/uncategorized/2016/06/whiteprivilegemuch-college-rapist-gets-light-sentence-because-prison-would-be-bad-for-him/?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content%26
The More Things Change . . .
Living in a poor neighborhood changes everything about your life
by Alvin Chang
In 1940, a white developer wanted to build a neighborhood in Detroit.
So he asked the US Federal Housing Administration to back a loan. The FHA, which was created just six years earlier to help middle-class families buy homes, said no because the development was too close to an "inharmonious" racial group.
Meaning black people.
It wasn't surprising. The housing administration refused to back loans to black people — and even people who lived around black people. FHA said it was too risky.
So the next year, this white developer had an idea: What if he built a 6-foot-tall, half-mile-long wall between the black neighborhood and his planned neighborhood? Is that enough separation to mitigate risk and get his loan?
http://www.vox.com/2016/6/6/11852640/cartoon-poor-neighborhoods
by Alvin Chang
In 1940, a white developer wanted to build a neighborhood in Detroit.
So he asked the US Federal Housing Administration to back a loan. The FHA, which was created just six years earlier to help middle-class families buy homes, said no because the development was too close to an "inharmonious" racial group.
Meaning black people.
It wasn't surprising. The housing administration refused to back loans to black people — and even people who lived around black people. FHA said it was too risky.
So the next year, this white developer had an idea: What if he built a 6-foot-tall, half-mile-long wall between the black neighborhood and his planned neighborhood? Is that enough separation to mitigate risk and get his loan?
http://www.vox.com/2016/6/6/11852640/cartoon-poor-neighborhoods
Defiance At It's Best
An excerpt from the AP -
Ali's confidence, cockiness made him symbol of black pride
By JESSE J. HOLLAND
For Muhammad Ali, the idea of being a humble athlete — someone pre-packaged and palatable for white America — was never an option.
Instead, he demanded respect not only as a boxer but as a brash, unbought and unbossed black man and endeared himself to African-Americans as a symbol of black pride. He radiated courage and confidence, skill and showmanship.
"He became the incarnation of black defiance, black protest and black excellence at the same time," said Rev. Al Sharpton, a longtime friend of Ali's.
http://bigstory.ap.org/df5dc823ab17402b8f7b2f46ca48fffa
Ali's confidence, cockiness made him symbol of black pride
By JESSE J. HOLLAND
Instead, he demanded respect not only as a boxer but as a brash, unbought and unbossed black man and endeared himself to African-Americans as a symbol of black pride. He radiated courage and confidence, skill and showmanship.
"He became the incarnation of black defiance, black protest and black excellence at the same time," said Rev. Al Sharpton, a longtime friend of Ali's.
http://bigstory.ap.org/df5dc823ab17402b8f7b2f46ca48fffa
Serious About Solar Energy
http://www.upworthy.com/theres-a-solar-farm-in-morocco-thats-so-big-you-can-see-it-from-space?c=upw1
Sunday, June 5, 2016
His Life in Pictures
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/the-life-of-the-greatest-muhammad-ali/2016/06/04/7d8594aa-290c-11e6-ae4a-3cdd5fe74204_gallery.html?hpid=hp_no-name_photo-story-a%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Beer in the Pipeline
From The AP -
BRUGES, Belgium (AP) — The idea may have seemed mad, but after all, the beer is called the Madman of Bruges — or Brugse Zot in Dutch.
With the help of crowdfunding efforts among some 400 Madman fans, the dream of building a beer pipeline through the Belgian city of Bruges is becoming real.
"You have to be a bit crazy — like the beer — to do such a project. I just had the money for that, and I liked it. So I went crazy and gave the money to the brewery," said restaurant owner Philippe Le Loup, who poured $11,000 into the pipeline.
Brewer Xavier Vanneste got the idea four years ago to pump beer from his Bruges brewery to a bottling plant outside of town in a pipeline instead of having hundreds of trucks blighting the cobblestoned streets of the UNESCO-protected medieval city.
What at first seemed like an outrageous dream, began to seem possible when Vanneste started talking to local beer enthusiasts.
Jokes were coming in fast, with people saying "we are willing to invest as long as we can have a tapping point on the pipeline," Vanneste said. "That gave us the idea to crowdfund the project."
http://bigstory.ap.org/81c3442817fc41cd99c16ab14adf089f
BRUGES, Belgium (AP) — The idea may have seemed mad, but after all, the beer is called the Madman of Bruges — or Brugse Zot in Dutch.
With the help of crowdfunding efforts among some 400 Madman fans, the dream of building a beer pipeline through the Belgian city of Bruges is becoming real.
"You have to be a bit crazy — like the beer — to do such a project. I just had the money for that, and I liked it. So I went crazy and gave the money to the brewery," said restaurant owner Philippe Le Loup, who poured $11,000 into the pipeline.
Brewer Xavier Vanneste got the idea four years ago to pump beer from his Bruges brewery to a bottling plant outside of town in a pipeline instead of having hundreds of trucks blighting the cobblestoned streets of the UNESCO-protected medieval city.
What at first seemed like an outrageous dream, began to seem possible when Vanneste started talking to local beer enthusiasts.
Jokes were coming in fast, with people saying "we are willing to invest as long as we can have a tapping point on the pipeline," Vanneste said. "That gave us the idea to crowdfund the project."
http://bigstory.ap.org/81c3442817fc41cd99c16ab14adf089f
"A Butterfly in the Land of Caterpillars"
From Slate - (Bold is mine)
The Eccentric Genius of Muhammad Ali’s Boxing Style
He was the greatest, hands down.
By Eric Raskin
Muhammad Ali was so much more than just a boxer. “I came to love Ali,” two-time foe Floyd Patterson told David Remnick for his book King of the World. “I came to see that I was a fighter and he was history.” Ali was a political, social, and religious activist, as divisive a figure as any celebrity during the turbulent 1960s. He was the godfather of trash talk. He was a master media manipulator. He was, simply, the most famous man on the planet. Then he became the public face of Parkinson’s and perhaps the most convincing argument for future generations of kids not to pursue boxing. He was, until the end on Friday night, as widely beloved a human as the world knew.
~~~~~~~~~~
At heavyweight, he was a self-styled butterfly in a land of caterpillars.
http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2016/06/the_eccentric_genius_of_muhammad_ali_s_boxing_style.html
The Eccentric Genius of Muhammad Ali’s Boxing Style
He was the greatest, hands down.
By Eric Raskin
Muhammad Ali was so much more than just a boxer. “I came to love Ali,” two-time foe Floyd Patterson told David Remnick for his book King of the World. “I came to see that I was a fighter and he was history.” Ali was a political, social, and religious activist, as divisive a figure as any celebrity during the turbulent 1960s. He was the godfather of trash talk. He was a master media manipulator. He was, simply, the most famous man on the planet. Then he became the public face of Parkinson’s and perhaps the most convincing argument for future generations of kids not to pursue boxing. He was, until the end on Friday night, as widely beloved a human as the world knew.
~~~~~~~~~~
At heavyweight, he was a self-styled butterfly in a land of caterpillars.
http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2016/06/the_eccentric_genius_of_muhammad_ali_s_boxing_style.html
Ali the Poet
From CNN -
The Greatest, The Poet: A look at Muhammad Ali's verse
"You think the world was shocked when Nixon resigned?
Wait 'til I whup George Foreman's behind.
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
His hand can't hit what his eyes can't see.
Now you see me, now you don't.
George thinks he will, but I know he won't.
I done wrassled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale.
Only last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick.
I'm so mean, I make medicine sick."
— Before regaining the title by upsetting George Foreman Oct. 30, 1974.
http://bigstory.ap.org/e6045bb6ea59497c89bed87679675722
The Greatest, The Poet: A look at Muhammad Ali's verse
"You think the world was shocked when Nixon resigned?
Wait 'til I whup George Foreman's behind.
Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.
His hand can't hit what his eyes can't see.
Now you see me, now you don't.
George thinks he will, but I know he won't.
I done wrassled with an alligator, I done tussled with a whale.
Only last week I murdered a rock, injured a stone, hospitalized a brick.
I'm so mean, I make medicine sick."
— Before regaining the title by upsetting George Foreman Oct. 30, 1974.
http://bigstory.ap.org/e6045bb6ea59497c89bed87679675722
His Silence Made Him Safe
From The Root -
A Silenced Ali Was a Likeable Ali for White People
White America only embraced the most loquacious black man in sports after he couldn’t speak anymore.
By Lawrence Ross
“I am the greatest.”
There will be thousands of well-deserved tributes to Muhammad Ali, and all will talk about his transformation from heavyweight boxing champion to international humanitarian. And that is important to note. But the thing most will miss is how Ali’s voice, a bold black and Muslim voice that spoke eloquently for the aspirations of oppressed peoples in America and throughout the world, was reviled by most of white America at its height, and rendered nearly mute as Parkinson’s disease overtook his neurological functions. As his physical voice disappeared, Ali gradually moved from being a complex human being to a safe idea, a living icon defined by an America that loves to believe that in its essence, it is as great as the black man who boldly stated that he was the greatest of all time.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2016/06/a-silenced-ali-was-a-likeable-ali-for-white-people/?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content%26
A Silenced Ali Was a Likeable Ali for White People
White America only embraced the most loquacious black man in sports after he couldn’t speak anymore.
By Lawrence Ross
“I am the greatest.”
There will be thousands of well-deserved tributes to Muhammad Ali, and all will talk about his transformation from heavyweight boxing champion to international humanitarian. And that is important to note. But the thing most will miss is how Ali’s voice, a bold black and Muslim voice that spoke eloquently for the aspirations of oppressed peoples in America and throughout the world, was reviled by most of white America at its height, and rendered nearly mute as Parkinson’s disease overtook his neurological functions. As his physical voice disappeared, Ali gradually moved from being a complex human being to a safe idea, a living icon defined by an America that loves to believe that in its essence, it is as great as the black man who boldly stated that he was the greatest of all time.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2016/06/a-silenced-ali-was-a-likeable-ali-for-white-people/?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content%26
We've Come A Long Way
From Salon -
Black women are now the most educated group in the United States
http://media.salon.com/2016/06/6.1.2016_BlackWomenCollege_ashaparker.mp4
Black women are now the most educated group in the United States
http://media.salon.com/2016/06/6.1.2016_BlackWomenCollege_ashaparker.mp4
Mohamed Ali - The Greatest
An excerpt form The Root -
President Obama quotes Mohamed Ali and shares his thoughts on the impact of his life -
“I am America,” he once declared. “I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me – black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own. Get used to me.”
That’s the Ali I came to know as I came of age – not just as skilled a poet on the mic as he was a fighter in the ring, but a man who fought for what was right. A man who fought for us. He stood with King and Mandela; stood up when it was hard; spoke out when others wouldn’t. His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing. It would earn him enemies on the left and the right, make him reviled, and nearly send him to jail. But Ali stood his ground. And his victory helped us get used to the America we recognize today.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2016/06/obama-on-ali-he-shook-up-the-world-and-the-world-is-better-for-it/?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content%26
President Obama quotes Mohamed Ali and shares his thoughts on the impact of his life -
“I am America,” he once declared. “I am the part you won’t recognize. But get used to me – black, confident, cocky; my name, not yours; my religion, not yours; my goals, my own. Get used to me.”
That’s the Ali I came to know as I came of age – not just as skilled a poet on the mic as he was a fighter in the ring, but a man who fought for what was right. A man who fought for us. He stood with King and Mandela; stood up when it was hard; spoke out when others wouldn’t. His fight outside the ring would cost him his title and his public standing. It would earn him enemies on the left and the right, make him reviled, and nearly send him to jail. But Ali stood his ground. And his victory helped us get used to the America we recognize today.
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2016/06/obama-on-ali-he-shook-up-the-world-and-the-world-is-better-for-it/?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content%26
High Tech Sac Stadium
An excerpt from Wired -
The Highest-Tech Stadium in Sports Is Pretty Much a Giant Tesla
FOR AN ARENA that will soon play host to more than 17,500 fans nightly, the new Golden 1 Center doesn’t make a huge first impression. Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive may have likened his team’s new arena to the Roman Colosseum, and it may be a much-needed cultural centerpiece for a city that desperately needs one, but the arena feels almost modest in its proportions.
Except for what’s underneath. Construction on the Golden 1 Center began in October 2014 after the city fought successfully to keep the Kings in Sacramento. Eventually Sacramento officials promised $255.5 million to the project, which Kings president Chris Granger says will be a billion-dollar project in all. And a not insignificant amount of that money is going toward building what the team hopes will be the most technologically advanced sports arena ever built.
~~~~~~~~~~
Gameday 2016
One day this fall, here’s the way Granger and his team hope you’ll spend an evening. You unlock your phone, open up the Kings app, and look for tickets. You buy them (and a parking pass) in the app, which is connected to the team’s loyalty program, so you’re automatically on the list for last-minute ticket upgrades. As you approach the stadium, your phone buzzes: a notification from the team telling you which lot’s the easiest to park in right now. You park, walk up to the arena, scan the ticket displayed on your smartwatch and stroll through the turnstile. Your app guides you to your seat and asks if you want a hot dog or a foam finger. Attendants can bring either one to your seat in a few minutes. You’re late, but that’s fine; the app has replays and stats. Or you can just look up at the 84-foot (that’s foot, not inch) screen that’s carefully designed to make sure you can see it perfectly no matter where you are in the stadium. (Or out of the stadium—more on that in a minute.)
http://www.wired.com/2016/06/highest-tech-stadium-sports-built-like-tesla/?mbid=nl_6316
The Highest-Tech Stadium in Sports Is Pretty Much a Giant Tesla
FOR AN ARENA that will soon play host to more than 17,500 fans nightly, the new Golden 1 Center doesn’t make a huge first impression. Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive may have likened his team’s new arena to the Roman Colosseum, and it may be a much-needed cultural centerpiece for a city that desperately needs one, but the arena feels almost modest in its proportions.
Except for what’s underneath. Construction on the Golden 1 Center began in October 2014 after the city fought successfully to keep the Kings in Sacramento. Eventually Sacramento officials promised $255.5 million to the project, which Kings president Chris Granger says will be a billion-dollar project in all. And a not insignificant amount of that money is going toward building what the team hopes will be the most technologically advanced sports arena ever built.
~~~~~~~~~~
Gameday 2016
One day this fall, here’s the way Granger and his team hope you’ll spend an evening. You unlock your phone, open up the Kings app, and look for tickets. You buy them (and a parking pass) in the app, which is connected to the team’s loyalty program, so you’re automatically on the list for last-minute ticket upgrades. As you approach the stadium, your phone buzzes: a notification from the team telling you which lot’s the easiest to park in right now. You park, walk up to the arena, scan the ticket displayed on your smartwatch and stroll through the turnstile. Your app guides you to your seat and asks if you want a hot dog or a foam finger. Attendants can bring either one to your seat in a few minutes. You’re late, but that’s fine; the app has replays and stats. Or you can just look up at the 84-foot (that’s foot, not inch) screen that’s carefully designed to make sure you can see it perfectly no matter where you are in the stadium. (Or out of the stadium—more on that in a minute.)
http://www.wired.com/2016/06/highest-tech-stadium-sports-built-like-tesla/?mbid=nl_6316
Anonymous Guy
An excerpt from Vox -
Confessions of a stock photography model
by Andrew Kimler
You don't know me, but chances are you've seen me. I did some things I'm not proud of for money. I was desperate.
I was a stock photography model.
I began stock photography modeling (or "modeling," if you want to get fancy) when I was in my mid-20s. I didn't do it often — maybe once a year or so, if and when a job fell into my lap. To date I've probably been a part of 10 to 20 stock photo shoots.
It was never a passion; I never had illusions about becoming a model or walking down a runway. I was an actor, and I did it for a buck when I desperately needed a buck fifty. I would shoot, collect my money, and be on my way. Most of the time those photos never saw the light of day. This all happened many years ago. But time, just like a well-placed stock photo, makes fools of us all.
Here are four lessons I learned as a stock photography model.
http://www.vox.com/2016/6/3/11841828/stock-photography-model
Confessions of a stock photography model
by Andrew Kimler
You don't know me, but chances are you've seen me. I did some things I'm not proud of for money. I was desperate.
I was a stock photography model.
I began stock photography modeling (or "modeling," if you want to get fancy) when I was in my mid-20s. I didn't do it often — maybe once a year or so, if and when a job fell into my lap. To date I've probably been a part of 10 to 20 stock photo shoots.
It was never a passion; I never had illusions about becoming a model or walking down a runway. I was an actor, and I did it for a buck when I desperately needed a buck fifty. I would shoot, collect my money, and be on my way. Most of the time those photos never saw the light of day. This all happened many years ago. But time, just like a well-placed stock photo, makes fools of us all.
Here are four lessons I learned as a stock photography model.
http://www.vox.com/2016/6/3/11841828/stock-photography-model
The Best
From Salon -
The Black Film Canon
The 50 greatest movies by black directors.
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/cover_story/2016/05/the_50_greatest_films_by_black_directors.html?sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d&wpsrc=newsletter_culture
The Black Film Canon
The 50 greatest movies by black directors.
http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/cover_story/2016/05/the_50_greatest_films_by_black_directors.html?sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d&wpsrc=newsletter_culture
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
Adding Some Perspective to the Conversation
An excerpt from VerySmartBrothas -
ON HARAMBE, WORST CASE SCENARIOS, AND BEING JUDGMENTAL WHEN THE RAINBOW ISN’T ENOUGH
by Panama Jackson
Let’s cut to the chase. It’s sad that this animal had to be put down. But it had to be done. People over animals, b. We have no fucking clue what Harambe may or may not have done to that child. The situation itself lasted 1o minutes. Imagine being a parent watching your child effectively living in the wild with a behemoth animal that can literally crush a coconut with his hands for 10 damn minutes. Have you ever tried to do that? You can’t do that. It’s a wild animal. It’s a zoo. I know some of us have this INSANE belief in this country that the lives of animals are more precious than humans, but its simply not true. While man has definitely been an asshole towards nature, the fact is, we run this earth shit. #factsonly
It sucks that this main attraction had to die this way, but it was the only plausible and reasonable solution for each and every reason that the have-something-to-lose zoo officials presented.
But the part that gives me the redass is the people pretending, and yes all of you motherfuckers are pretending, that in NO way, shape, or form could anything remotely “irresponsible” happen to you and your brood.
Get. The. Fuck. Over. Your. Selves.
For those of you without kids, do you know what parenting really is all about? Especially up to, say, age six? Keeping your kids alive. That’s it really. Everything is about making sure they don’t get dead. Keeping them from chasing that ball into the street. Making sure they understand to walk on sidewalks. Looking both ways before crossing the street. Not touching the stove. Not walking out the door without a parent. Always holding hands with an adult. ALWAYS walking in front of me so that I can see you, etc.
Parenting is one big ass exercise in survival training. So, yes, the parent of that three-year-old (or four-year-old, I’ve seen conflicting age reports, though it matters not) should have been paying attention to her kid. Because of course she should. Then again, there’s no proof that she wasn’t. But you know what else? Kids are fast as fuck, fam. And when they get an idea in their head they get tunnel vision. As somebody with small children, I’m aware of this and its a herculean task. The zoo? The zoo is where you put your skills to the test. If you’re one of those parents who put your kids on a leash at the zoo, well, congrats, I get it. You decided to avoid the game altogether and ensure a favorable result. But the rest of us, we spend all of our time looking at and for our kids. But look, nobody is perfect. It is entirely possible to take your eye off your child for a SPLIT second and then feel like you’re trying to find fucking Waldo.
Kids are fast and they move quick. In 99 percent of the instances, we eventually locate our children, avert a national calamity (see Harambe) and go on about our lives like usual until the next time we avert a national calamity (see Harambe). But every now and then, we get a calamity (see Harambe). That’s what happened here. The absolute (well second to absolute) worst case scenario happened. A child managed to find himself in an enclosure with a wild animal and LUCKILY is alive. We can talk about how that parent should have been looking out for her children. And yes, she should be. But who is to say that she wasn’t? All it takes is a split second. And if you’re a parent, even the best parent alive, you’ve definitely taken your eyes off of your child for a second. You have. Shit, half of you people text and drive and that’s LITERALLY playing with other people’s lives.
And likely, something has happened to your child before that just isn’t national news or common knowledge.
http://verysmartbrothas.com/on-harambe-worst-case-scenarios/
ON HARAMBE, WORST CASE SCENARIOS, AND BEING JUDGMENTAL WHEN THE RAINBOW ISN’T ENOUGH
by Panama Jackson
Let’s cut to the chase. It’s sad that this animal had to be put down. But it had to be done. People over animals, b. We have no fucking clue what Harambe may or may not have done to that child. The situation itself lasted 1o minutes. Imagine being a parent watching your child effectively living in the wild with a behemoth animal that can literally crush a coconut with his hands for 10 damn minutes. Have you ever tried to do that? You can’t do that. It’s a wild animal. It’s a zoo. I know some of us have this INSANE belief in this country that the lives of animals are more precious than humans, but its simply not true. While man has definitely been an asshole towards nature, the fact is, we run this earth shit. #factsonly
It sucks that this main attraction had to die this way, but it was the only plausible and reasonable solution for each and every reason that the have-something-to-lose zoo officials presented.
But the part that gives me the redass is the people pretending, and yes all of you motherfuckers are pretending, that in NO way, shape, or form could anything remotely “irresponsible” happen to you and your brood.
Get. The. Fuck. Over. Your. Selves.
For those of you without kids, do you know what parenting really is all about? Especially up to, say, age six? Keeping your kids alive. That’s it really. Everything is about making sure they don’t get dead. Keeping them from chasing that ball into the street. Making sure they understand to walk on sidewalks. Looking both ways before crossing the street. Not touching the stove. Not walking out the door without a parent. Always holding hands with an adult. ALWAYS walking in front of me so that I can see you, etc.
Parenting is one big ass exercise in survival training. So, yes, the parent of that three-year-old (or four-year-old, I’ve seen conflicting age reports, though it matters not) should have been paying attention to her kid. Because of course she should. Then again, there’s no proof that she wasn’t. But you know what else? Kids are fast as fuck, fam. And when they get an idea in their head they get tunnel vision. As somebody with small children, I’m aware of this and its a herculean task. The zoo? The zoo is where you put your skills to the test. If you’re one of those parents who put your kids on a leash at the zoo, well, congrats, I get it. You decided to avoid the game altogether and ensure a favorable result. But the rest of us, we spend all of our time looking at and for our kids. But look, nobody is perfect. It is entirely possible to take your eye off your child for a SPLIT second and then feel like you’re trying to find fucking Waldo.
Kids are fast and they move quick. In 99 percent of the instances, we eventually locate our children, avert a national calamity (see Harambe) and go on about our lives like usual until the next time we avert a national calamity (see Harambe). But every now and then, we get a calamity (see Harambe). That’s what happened here. The absolute (well second to absolute) worst case scenario happened. A child managed to find himself in an enclosure with a wild animal and LUCKILY is alive. We can talk about how that parent should have been looking out for her children. And yes, she should be. But who is to say that she wasn’t? All it takes is a split second. And if you’re a parent, even the best parent alive, you’ve definitely taken your eyes off of your child for a second. You have. Shit, half of you people text and drive and that’s LITERALLY playing with other people’s lives.
And likely, something has happened to your child before that just isn’t national news or common knowledge.
http://verysmartbrothas.com/on-harambe-worst-case-scenarios/
Hiding in Plain Sight
An excerpt from Atlas Obscura -
How a Black Man From Missouri Passed as an Indian Pop Star
Korla Pandit's true identity wasn't discovered until after his death.
By John Turner
Turning on the TV in Los Angeles in 1949, you might have come face-to-face with a young man in a jeweled turban with a dreamy gaze accentuated by dark eye shadow. Dressed in a fashionable coat and tie, Korla Pandit played the piano and the organ—sometimes both at once—creating music that was both familiar and exotic.
According to press releases from the time, Pandit was born in New Delhi, India, the son of a Brahmin government worker and a French opera singer. A prodigy on the piano, he studied music in England and later moved to the United States, where he mastered the organ at the University of Chicago. Not once in 900 performances did he speak on camera, preferring instead to communicate with viewers via that hypnotic gaze.
~~~~~~~~~~
In June of 2001, a friend sent me a story in Los Angeles Magazine written by R.J. Smith called “The Many Faces of Korla Pandit.” I started reading the article with excitement, which was soon followed by a clouded curiosity and later capped with a disclosure that shook what I knew about him (which apparently wasn’t that much because the name he was born with was John Roland Redd). I shared the article with a fellow KGO producer, Eric Christensen, who grew up in San Francisco and remembered his mother saying she was mesmerized by Pandit’s eyes, which seemed to see right through her.
We agreed that Pandit’s true story was astonishing, tragic, and yet illuminating—the foundation for a movie and a true American archetype of self-invention. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, he had actually been one of the first African-American television stars. Twelve years later, when we were both retired, Eric and I decided to use our pensions and social security to make that movie.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-a-black-man-from-missouri-passed-as-an-indian-pop-star
How a Black Man From Missouri Passed as an Indian Pop Star
Korla Pandit's true identity wasn't discovered until after his death.
By John Turner
Turning on the TV in Los Angeles in 1949, you might have come face-to-face with a young man in a jeweled turban with a dreamy gaze accentuated by dark eye shadow. Dressed in a fashionable coat and tie, Korla Pandit played the piano and the organ—sometimes both at once—creating music that was both familiar and exotic.
According to press releases from the time, Pandit was born in New Delhi, India, the son of a Brahmin government worker and a French opera singer. A prodigy on the piano, he studied music in England and later moved to the United States, where he mastered the organ at the University of Chicago. Not once in 900 performances did he speak on camera, preferring instead to communicate with viewers via that hypnotic gaze.
~~~~~~~~~~
In June of 2001, a friend sent me a story in Los Angeles Magazine written by R.J. Smith called “The Many Faces of Korla Pandit.” I started reading the article with excitement, which was soon followed by a clouded curiosity and later capped with a disclosure that shook what I knew about him (which apparently wasn’t that much because the name he was born with was John Roland Redd). I shared the article with a fellow KGO producer, Eric Christensen, who grew up in San Francisco and remembered his mother saying she was mesmerized by Pandit’s eyes, which seemed to see right through her.
We agreed that Pandit’s true story was astonishing, tragic, and yet illuminating—the foundation for a movie and a true American archetype of self-invention. Unbeknownst to the rest of us, he had actually been one of the first African-American television stars. Twelve years later, when we were both retired, Eric and I decided to use our pensions and social security to make that movie.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-a-black-man-from-missouri-passed-as-an-indian-pop-star
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
A Father-Daughter Story
An excerpt from The New York Times "What We're Reading Now" -
The idea took hold a few months ago. It’s hard to say exactly what sparked it other than … well, have you ever been the parent of a 14-year-old girl? It is a daunting experience. Elizabeth is a good person. She’s a good student. She has a huge heart. She’s a loyal friend. She’s funny too. She likes Death Cab and Spinal Tap and comic books and reading. The other day, she told me that her favorite movie of all time is “The Godfather.” I mean, she is more me than I am.
But she is 14, and in some ways that explains everything. In some ways it doesn’t. There are times I feel closer to her than ever … and times I feel so much further away. Farther away? Further away? One gorgeous day in autumn, I was sitting on the porch, working, and she came outside and sat next to me, and it became clear after a few choice words about tattoos and nose rings and such that she had come out for the sole purpose of starting a fight. There was no specific reason for it other than she’s 14, and I’m her father, and this is the timeless story.
http://joeposnanski.com/hamilton/
The idea took hold a few months ago. It’s hard to say exactly what sparked it other than … well, have you ever been the parent of a 14-year-old girl? It is a daunting experience. Elizabeth is a good person. She’s a good student. She has a huge heart. She’s a loyal friend. She’s funny too. She likes Death Cab and Spinal Tap and comic books and reading. The other day, she told me that her favorite movie of all time is “The Godfather.” I mean, she is more me than I am.
But she is 14, and in some ways that explains everything. In some ways it doesn’t. There are times I feel closer to her than ever … and times I feel so much further away. Farther away? Further away? One gorgeous day in autumn, I was sitting on the porch, working, and she came outside and sat next to me, and it became clear after a few choice words about tattoos and nose rings and such that she had come out for the sole purpose of starting a fight. There was no specific reason for it other than she’s 14, and I’m her father, and this is the timeless story.
http://joeposnanski.com/hamilton/
Quote
From Vox -
"The millions of admirers of the TV presentation of ‘Roots’ didn’t include Ronald Reagan, who said, ‘Very frankly, I thought the bias of all the good people being one color and all the bad people being another was rather destructive.’" [Washington Post in 1977, via Post / Bethonie Butler]
"The millions of admirers of the TV presentation of ‘Roots’ didn’t include Ronald Reagan, who said, ‘Very frankly, I thought the bias of all the good people being one color and all the bad people being another was rather destructive.’" [Washington Post in 1977, via Post / Bethonie Butler]
Monday, May 30, 2016
Rot at the Top 2
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/investigations/seducing-the-seventh-fleet/?hpid=hp_no-name_graphic-story-b%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
Quote
Leonard Matlovich's tombstone at the Congressional Cemetery, which reads:
"A Gay Vietnam Veteran
When I was in the military, they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonard_Matlovich
I've Learned . . .
There are wonderful people all over the world.
I've learned . . .
You don't have to speak the same language to communicate with someone.
I've learned . . .
We have so much more in common with people than we realize at first blush.
I've learned . . .
The US doesn't have a monopoly on red tape.
I've learned . . .
That religion can be scary, but relationships break the barriers.
I've learned . . .
That a smile is universal.
I've learned . . .
That connections matter. Not for what someone can do for you, but connecting because they matter.
I've learned . . .
That solitude doesn't equal loneliness.
I've learned . . .
To let go of the hurt, and move on.
I've learned . . .
How little I know.
I've learned . . .
You don't have to speak the same language to communicate with someone.
I've learned . . .
We have so much more in common with people than we realize at first blush.
I've learned . . .
The US doesn't have a monopoly on red tape.
I've learned . . .
That religion can be scary, but relationships break the barriers.
I've learned . . .
That a smile is universal.
I've learned . . .
That connections matter. Not for what someone can do for you, but connecting because they matter.
I've learned . . .
That solitude doesn't equal loneliness.
I've learned . . .
To let go of the hurt, and move on.
I've learned . . .
How little I know.
He Did It!
An excerpt from BlackAmericaWeb -
Harlem Drug Dealer Turned His Life Around In The Most Amazing Way
David Norman proves it's never too late to follow your dreams.
A former Harlem drug dealer just received his bachelor’s degree from New York City’s Columbia University. David Norman now holds a degree in philosophy and cried tears of joy as he reflected on the hardships he endured to get there.
Harlem Drug Dealer Turned His Life Around In The Most Amazing Way
David Norman proves it's never too late to follow your dreams.
A former Harlem drug dealer just received his bachelor’s degree from New York City’s Columbia University. David Norman now holds a degree in philosophy and cried tears of joy as he reflected on the hardships he endured to get there.
http://blackamericaweb.com/2016/05/29/harlem-drug-dealer-turned-his-life-around-in-the-most-amazing-way/?omcamp=es-baw-nl&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=BAW%20Subscribers%20%28Daily%29
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Check This Out
An excerpt from StumbleUpon -
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/AGFkFR/:w02!$tLM:l6oW5fBF/mentalfloss.com/article/79130/14-totally-free-things-internet-everyone-should-take-advantage
2. SELF-DESTRUCTING EMAIL ADDRESSES
With 10 Minute Mail, you can create an extremely temporary email address that will automatically self-destruct in 10 minutes, allowing you to sign up for sites, lists, and deals without the unbearable spam cannon that normally accompanies your quiet compliance. Also good for anonymous threats and insults to friends/family members. Not that I'd do that, of course.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/AGFkFR/:w02!$tLM:l6oW5fBF/mentalfloss.com/article/79130/14-totally-free-things-internet-everyone-should-take-advantage
Saturday, May 28, 2016
Friday, May 27, 2016
Rot at the Top
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
The Man Who Seduced the 7th Fleet
In perhaps the worst national-security breach of its kind to hit the Navy since the end of the Cold War, Francis doled out sex and money to a shocking number of people in uniform who fed him classified material about U.S. warship and submarine movements. Some also leaked him confidential contracting information and even files about active law enforcement investigations into his company.
He exploited the intelligence for illicit profit, brazenly ordering his moles to redirect aircraft carriers to ports he controlled in Southeast Asia so he could more easily bilk the Navy for fuel, tugboats, barges, food, water and sewage removal.
Over at least a decade, according to documents filed by prosecutors, Glenn Defense ripped off the Navy with little fear of getting caught because Francis had so thoroughly infiltrated the ranks.
The company forged invoices, falsified quotes and ran kickback schemes. It created ghost subcontractors and fake port authorities to fool the Navy into paying for services it never received.
Francis and his firm have admitted to defrauding the Navy of $35 million, though investigators believe the real amount could be much greater.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/wp/2016/05/27/fat-leonard/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_fatleonard-930a%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
The Man Who Seduced the 7th Fleet
In perhaps the worst national-security breach of its kind to hit the Navy since the end of the Cold War, Francis doled out sex and money to a shocking number of people in uniform who fed him classified material about U.S. warship and submarine movements. Some also leaked him confidential contracting information and even files about active law enforcement investigations into his company.
He exploited the intelligence for illicit profit, brazenly ordering his moles to redirect aircraft carriers to ports he controlled in Southeast Asia so he could more easily bilk the Navy for fuel, tugboats, barges, food, water and sewage removal.
Over at least a decade, according to documents filed by prosecutors, Glenn Defense ripped off the Navy with little fear of getting caught because Francis had so thoroughly infiltrated the ranks.
The company forged invoices, falsified quotes and ran kickback schemes. It created ghost subcontractors and fake port authorities to fool the Navy into paying for services it never received.
Francis and his firm have admitted to defrauding the Navy of $35 million, though investigators believe the real amount could be much greater.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/investigative/wp/2016/05/27/fat-leonard/?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_fatleonard-930a%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
Lukas Graham - 7 Years [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]
Not my usual fare, but . . .
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lukas-grahams-singer-on-growing-up-in-denmarks-anarchist-utopia-20160527
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lukas-grahams-singer-on-growing-up-in-denmarks-anarchist-utopia-20160527
Hand Job
From Wired -
HANDS APPEAR EVERYWHERE IN advertising. Flip through any magazine and you’ll see them flaunting watches, washing dishes, stroking faces. Hand modeling is a real job done by professional models, which makes you wonder who they are and what they look like. Oli Kellett and Alex Holder introduce you to some of them in their wonderful book Hand Jobs.
The idea came to them while shooting a commercial in 2012. They spotted a petite woman wearing enormous gloves while reading a paperback. It turns out she was a hand model, protecting her hands. “The image just stuck with us,” Kellett says.
With that, the duo went to Hired Hands, an agency in London. They convinced 24 models to pose for portraits and hold a banana in a suggestive manner, an idea that lends the series a certain cheekiness (and required buying dozens of bananas, raising eyebrows at the supermarket). Each model offers an insight into their unusual profession. One man, for example, followed his father and uncle into the business. Others went into modeling after repeatedly hearing they have lovely hands.
http://www.wired.com/2016/05/oli-kellett-alex-holder-hand-jobs/?mbid=nl_52716#slide-9
 |
| "As a child I was routinely teased by my siblings about my hands being so soft. Now I'm a hand model and they're a carpenter, an electrician and a mechanic." — Cliff |
HANDS APPEAR EVERYWHERE IN advertising. Flip through any magazine and you’ll see them flaunting watches, washing dishes, stroking faces. Hand modeling is a real job done by professional models, which makes you wonder who they are and what they look like. Oli Kellett and Alex Holder introduce you to some of them in their wonderful book Hand Jobs.
The idea came to them while shooting a commercial in 2012. They spotted a petite woman wearing enormous gloves while reading a paperback. It turns out she was a hand model, protecting her hands. “The image just stuck with us,” Kellett says.
With that, the duo went to Hired Hands, an agency in London. They convinced 24 models to pose for portraits and hold a banana in a suggestive manner, an idea that lends the series a certain cheekiness (and required buying dozens of bananas, raising eyebrows at the supermarket). Each model offers an insight into their unusual profession. One man, for example, followed his father and uncle into the business. Others went into modeling after repeatedly hearing they have lovely hands.
http://www.wired.com/2016/05/oli-kellett-alex-holder-hand-jobs/?mbid=nl_52716#slide-9
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Oreos, Bananas & Coconuts
An excerpt from Vulture -
Why The Mindy Project’s ‘Coconut’ Episode Was a Smart Response to Criticism of the Show
More frequently, this critique has been aimed at the fact that Mindy Lahiri only dates white men. My own line on the show’s racial politics has been that the problem isn’t that Mindy exclusively dates white men, but rather that the show didn’t engage with the contours of those interracial relationships. There are plenty of Asian-Americans who only date white people, but to suggest that race isn’t a factor is willfully naïve: You encounter people who won’t date you because of your race, people who want to date you only because of your race, and the ones who claim not to see race at all. The Mindy Project brushed over Mindy's dating choices when there was plenty of comedy to be mined there. And so it was a both surprise and a delight when The Mindy Project dropped the “C” word during the recent episode “Bernardo & Anita”: coconut.
Coconut, of course, is one of those lightly pejorative, food-based words to describe people of color who are “white on the inside.” (Other gastronomic equivalents include Oreos and bananas.) It’s a label that’s usually leveled by a member of the same race, a way to tut-tut the other person's failure to properly rep for the tribe. Having Indian-American suitor Neel (Kristian Kordula) call Mindy Lahiri a coconut was a smart and playful way to address a longstanding criticism of the show itself, while remaining true to the show’s protagonist.
http://www.vulture.com/2016/05/mindy-project-criticism-response-bernardo-anita.html#
Why The Mindy Project’s ‘Coconut’ Episode Was a Smart Response to Criticism of the Show
More frequently, this critique has been aimed at the fact that Mindy Lahiri only dates white men. My own line on the show’s racial politics has been that the problem isn’t that Mindy exclusively dates white men, but rather that the show didn’t engage with the contours of those interracial relationships. There are plenty of Asian-Americans who only date white people, but to suggest that race isn’t a factor is willfully naïve: You encounter people who won’t date you because of your race, people who want to date you only because of your race, and the ones who claim not to see race at all. The Mindy Project brushed over Mindy's dating choices when there was plenty of comedy to be mined there. And so it was a both surprise and a delight when The Mindy Project dropped the “C” word during the recent episode “Bernardo & Anita”: coconut.
Coconut, of course, is one of those lightly pejorative, food-based words to describe people of color who are “white on the inside.” (Other gastronomic equivalents include Oreos and bananas.) It’s a label that’s usually leveled by a member of the same race, a way to tut-tut the other person's failure to properly rep for the tribe. Having Indian-American suitor Neel (Kristian Kordula) call Mindy Lahiri a coconut was a smart and playful way to address a longstanding criticism of the show itself, while remaining true to the show’s protagonist.
http://www.vulture.com/2016/05/mindy-project-criticism-response-bernardo-anita.html#
Not Like Clarence
An excerpt from VerySmartBrothas -
DEAR BLACK PARENTS: PLEASE LOVE YOUR CHILDREN SO THEY WON’T GROW UP TO BE CLARENCE THOMAS
DEAR BLACK PARENTS: PLEASE LOVE YOUR CHILDREN SO THEY WON’T GROW UP TO BE CLARENCE THOMAS
But mostly I want her to be in love with who she is. Not a suffocating, consuming, constricting, and narcissistic love where she’s the only meaningful entity in her universe. But a love where she’s able to acknowledge, accept, embrace, and find the beauty and the value in all the things that make her her. A love of herself and her skin and her nose and her lips and her hair and her people and her parents and her Blackness that exists without reservation or shame and permeates and inspires others around her to strive for their best selves.
Basically, I do not want her to be Clarence Thomas.
Because if she were to become Clarence Thomas — a person whose shame of and disgust with himself and his Blackness is so pervasive and palpable and, unfortunately, powerful that it can literally alter history — it would mean that I failed. That I was an abject and thorough disaster of a parent. That something I did or didn’t do turned this smiling, rolling, bouncing, and burping six-month old bundle of Blackness into a joyless and self-loathing schlemiel who grew to rue the day she was born Black.
http://verysmartbrothas.com/dear-black-parents-please-love-your-children-so-they-wont-grow-up-to-be-clarence-thomas/
New Nudes
From The Huffington Post -
The concept of “nude” has long referred only to pale tones when it comes to cosmetics and clothing. Thanks to efforts by both small and large brands, the term has started to become more inclusive of what’s nude for everyone.
But the desire for diverse options when it comes to skin tones is not limited to shoes, outwear and makeup: There’s a need for nude underneath, too.
Enter Naja, a lingerie brand from creative director Catalina Girald and actress Gina Rodriguez. Thanks to a new range of nude underwear modeled by 10 diverse women, the company has turned the “typical nude” on its head.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nude-lingerie-skin-tones-diverse_us_5745bf1ce4b0dacf7ad38833
The concept of “nude” has long referred only to pale tones when it comes to cosmetics and clothing. Thanks to efforts by both small and large brands, the term has started to become more inclusive of what’s nude for everyone.
But the desire for diverse options when it comes to skin tones is not limited to shoes, outwear and makeup: There’s a need for nude underneath, too.
Enter Naja, a lingerie brand from creative director Catalina Girald and actress Gina Rodriguez. Thanks to a new range of nude underwear modeled by 10 diverse women, the company has turned the “typical nude” on its head.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nude-lingerie-skin-tones-diverse_us_5745bf1ce4b0dacf7ad38833
You Can Help With Cancer Research
From Upworthy -
I spent a few minutes digging in my yard all in the name of cancer research.
By Erin Canty
There is rainwater seeping into my jeans, and my instructions are about to blow away. But my front yard could hold the cure to cancer, so I keep digging.
I am outside my home in Portland, Oregon, digging in the soil with a small plastic scoop I requested from the Natural Products Discovery Group at the University of Oklahoma. An interdisciplinary team of researchers are hard at work there, looking for fungi and natural products found in soil that may be used for a host of drugs and cures for cancer, infectious diseases, and even heart disease.
So the least I can do is get my knees wet.
http://www.upworthy.com/i-spent-a-few-minutes-digging-in-my-yard-all-in-the-name-of-cancer-research?c=upw1
http://npdg.ou.edu/citizenscience
I spent a few minutes digging in my yard all in the name of cancer research.
By Erin Canty
There is rainwater seeping into my jeans, and my instructions are about to blow away. But my front yard could hold the cure to cancer, so I keep digging.
I am outside my home in Portland, Oregon, digging in the soil with a small plastic scoop I requested from the Natural Products Discovery Group at the University of Oklahoma. An interdisciplinary team of researchers are hard at work there, looking for fungi and natural products found in soil that may be used for a host of drugs and cures for cancer, infectious diseases, and even heart disease.
So the least I can do is get my knees wet.
http://www.upworthy.com/i-spent-a-few-minutes-digging-in-my-yard-all-in-the-name-of-cancer-research?c=upw1
http://npdg.ou.edu/citizenscience
History Lesson
From BlackAmericaWeb.com
Little Known Black History Fact: Tallahassee Bus Boycott
On this day in 1956, FAMU students Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson sat on a city bus in Tallahassee, Florida. and began what would become a seven-month boycott of the transit system. Through the efforts of a local church leader and civic groups, protesters were able to get Black drivers hired and integrate the bus lines.
http://blackamericaweb.com/2016/05/26/little-known-black-history-fact-tallahassee-bus-boycott/?omcamp=es-baw-nl&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=BAW%20Subscribers%20%28Weekly%29
Little Known Black History Fact: Tallahassee Bus Boycott
On this day in 1956, FAMU students Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson sat on a city bus in Tallahassee, Florida. and began what would become a seven-month boycott of the transit system. Through the efforts of a local church leader and civic groups, protesters were able to get Black drivers hired and integrate the bus lines.
http://blackamericaweb.com/2016/05/26/little-known-black-history-fact-tallahassee-bus-boycott/?omcamp=es-baw-nl&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New%20Campaign&utm_term=BAW%20Subscribers%20%28Weekly%29
Fruity Bus Stops
From Atlas Obsura -
 |
| Strawberry Bus Stop |
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/konagai-japan-fruit-shaped-bus-stops?utm_source=Boomtrain&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20160526&bt_email=fayesharpe@gmail.com&bt_ts=1464275422442
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Authors Say NO!
From Rolling Stone -
Stephen King, Cheryl Strayed Sign Open Letter Condemning Donald Trump
"The rise of a political candidate who deliberately appeals to the basest and most violent elements in society ... demands ... an immediate and forceful response," over 400 authors write in letter
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/stephen-king-cheryl-strayed-sign-open-letter-condemning-donald-trump-20160525#ixzz49jJFlAeY
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
Stephen King, Cheryl Strayed Sign Open Letter Condemning Donald Trump
"The rise of a political candidate who deliberately appeals to the basest and most violent elements in society ... demands ... an immediate and forceful response," over 400 authors write in letter
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/stephen-king-cheryl-strayed-sign-open-letter-condemning-donald-trump-20160525#ixzz49jJFlAeY
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook
The Best
From The New Yorker -
A FULL REVOLUTION
In the run-up to the Olympics, Simone Biles is transforming gymnastics.
By Reeves Wiedeman
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/30/simone-biles-is-the-best-gymnast-in-the-world?mbid=nl_160525_Daily&CNDID=27124505&spMailingID=8970946&spUserID=MTE0MzE0NDEyNDUyS0&spJobID=922460323&spReportId=OTIyNDYwMzIzS0
A FULL REVOLUTION
In the run-up to the Olympics, Simone Biles is transforming gymnastics.
By Reeves Wiedeman
 | ||
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Monday, May 23, 2016
What a Sad Man
Excerpts from 2 Paragraphs -
The Supreme Court of the United States found in favor of Timothy Tyrone Foster, a black man on death row in Georgia. Convicted of killing a white woman in 1987, Foster's case before the nation's highest court claimed that he was a victim of racial discrimination at his original trial. SCOTUS agreed in a rare 7-1 decision, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing: "The focus on race in the prosecution's file plainly demonstrates a concerted effort to keep black prospective jurors off the jury."
~~~~~~~~~~
Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court's only African American Justice, was the lone dissenting vote.
~~~~~~~~~~
Of course he was (my comment).
The Supreme Court of the United States found in favor of Timothy Tyrone Foster, a black man on death row in Georgia. Convicted of killing a white woman in 1987, Foster's case before the nation's highest court claimed that he was a victim of racial discrimination at his original trial. SCOTUS agreed in a rare 7-1 decision, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing: "The focus on race in the prosecution's file plainly demonstrates a concerted effort to keep black prospective jurors off the jury."
~~~~~~~~~~
Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court's only African American Justice, was the lone dissenting vote.
~~~~~~~~~~
Of course he was (my comment).
A Deep Dive
This is long, but worth the read.
From The New Yorker -
THE BANK ROBBER
The computer technician who exposed a Swiss bank’s darkest secrets.
By Patrick Radden Keefe
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/30/herve-falcianis-great-swiss-bank-heist?mbid=nl_TNY%20Template%20-%20With%20Photo%20(41)&CNDID=27124505&spMailingID=8959693&spUserID=MTE0MzE0NDEyNDUyS0&spJobID=922244030&spReportId=OTIyMjQ0MDMwS0
From The New Yorker -
THE BANK ROBBER
The computer technician who exposed a Swiss bank’s darkest secrets.
By Patrick Radden Keefe
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/05/30/herve-falcianis-great-swiss-bank-heist?mbid=nl_TNY%20Template%20-%20With%20Photo%20(41)&CNDID=27124505&spMailingID=8959693&spUserID=MTE0MzE0NDEyNDUyS0&spJobID=922244030&spReportId=OTIyMjQ0MDMwS0
Just Let Him RIP
From Consequence of Sound -
BET Awards mock Madonna and Stevie Wonder’s Prince tribute at the Billboard Music Awards
"Yeah, we saw that. Don't Worry. We Got You."
http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/05/bet-awards-mocks-madonna-and-stevie-wonders-prince-tribute-at-the-billboard-music-awards/
BET Awards mock Madonna and Stevie Wonder’s Prince tribute at the Billboard Music Awards
"Yeah, we saw that. Don't Worry. We Got You."
http://consequenceofsound.net/2016/05/bet-awards-mocks-madonna-and-stevie-wonders-prince-tribute-at-the-billboard-music-awards/
Wealth Distribution
From Vox -
Something massive and important has happened in the United States over the past 50 years: Economic wealth has become increasingly concentrated among a small group of ultra-wealthy Americans.
http://www.vox.com/2016/5/23/11704246/wealth-inequality-cartoon
Something massive and important has happened in the United States over the past 50 years: Economic wealth has become increasingly concentrated among a small group of ultra-wealthy Americans.
http://www.vox.com/2016/5/23/11704246/wealth-inequality-cartoon
Sunday, May 22, 2016
Laughing til it Hurt!
Every Mom can relate to this scenario. Read the entire message. I dare you not to laugh out loud.
From StumbleUpon -
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1JhMev/:1GHP2NVT2:h154ZrzH/hellogiggles.com/guy-panic-texts-wife-son-pukes
From StumbleUpon -
Guy panic-texts his wife after their son pukes everywhere, internet cannot get enough
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1JhMev/:1GHP2NVT2:h154ZrzH/hellogiggles.com/guy-panic-texts-wife-son-pukes
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Redemption
Excerpts from The Huffington Post Highline -
Meet the Ungers
Merle Unger escaped from jail for the first time in 1967, when he was an 18-year-old dropout with an interest in petty crime. People in his native Greencastle, Pennsylvania, saw him as a harmless character—a scrawny kid who figured out how to tie his bedsheets together and climb out of the nearby jail at night so he could see his girlfriend and play bingo at the Catholic church before climbing back into his cell in time for roll call. He did this until a sheriff’s deputy went to play bingo, saw Unger sitting there and was like, wait a minute.
Whenever jail officials increased security, Unger found another route out. A local radio station started a Merle Unger Fan Club. His public defender made T-shirts that said, “Merle, baby, where are you?”
In 1975, after more escapes and arrests, he found himself locked up in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, fixating on a skylight in the lunchroom, 45 feet up. Early one morning he tied a piece of rope to a 5- or 10-pound dumbbell and wrapped the other end of the rope around his neck. He piled up some tables, put a small step ladder on top of the pile, climbed atop a beam, pulled up the ladder, set it up again, reached higher, hurled the dumbbell through the skylight’s glass, and climbed through the broken window into the December cold, wearing a short-sleeved shirt. “I mean, I’m not proud of that,” Unger told me last month. “I just wanted my freedom.”
~~~~~~~~~~
In the middle of all this, in the ’80s, Unger happened to meet a woman. A fellow inmate in Florida had put a personal ad in Mother Earth magazine, and he got so many responses that he sold the extras to other prisoners for a dollar apiece. Unger bought a few, sent letters and a woman from Illinois came to visit. They ended up getting married in 1988 and had two children, both conceived in prison. He says his life changed when he held his infant son for the first time: “I didn’t want to commit no crimes anymore.”
In Unger’s telling, this is the moment he developed an obsessive interest in the American legal system. Another friend worked in the prison’s law library and told him about a case in which a federal inmate earned his freedom by challenging the constitutionality of the jury instructions in his trial. Unger spent hours studying the case. It was all he could talk about. And the more he read, the more he thought he might have a shot at winning a new trial on the murder charge if he came back to Maryland to fight it.
~~~~~~~~~~
Unger v. State doesn’t say that these prisoners should be freed, only that they can ask to be retried. In practice, though, there’s a strong incentive to settle cases where the defendant has a clean prison record. Re-trying a case that’s 30 or 40 years old can be tricky: the witnesses have moved away, the detectives are dead and the case file is skeletal, or missing, or destroyed. Since the decision came down, 142 of 231 prisoners have negotiated their freedom, almost all of them getting probation. One was acquitted at a new trial. Another eight have died behind bars before they could get a hearing. There are still about 70 prisoners with open cases, which means that even more may yet go free.
http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/meet-the-ungers/
Meet the Ungers
Merle Unger escaped from jail for the first time in 1967, when he was an 18-year-old dropout with an interest in petty crime. People in his native Greencastle, Pennsylvania, saw him as a harmless character—a scrawny kid who figured out how to tie his bedsheets together and climb out of the nearby jail at night so he could see his girlfriend and play bingo at the Catholic church before climbing back into his cell in time for roll call. He did this until a sheriff’s deputy went to play bingo, saw Unger sitting there and was like, wait a minute.
Whenever jail officials increased security, Unger found another route out. A local radio station started a Merle Unger Fan Club. His public defender made T-shirts that said, “Merle, baby, where are you?”
In 1975, after more escapes and arrests, he found himself locked up in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, fixating on a skylight in the lunchroom, 45 feet up. Early one morning he tied a piece of rope to a 5- or 10-pound dumbbell and wrapped the other end of the rope around his neck. He piled up some tables, put a small step ladder on top of the pile, climbed atop a beam, pulled up the ladder, set it up again, reached higher, hurled the dumbbell through the skylight’s glass, and climbed through the broken window into the December cold, wearing a short-sleeved shirt. “I mean, I’m not proud of that,” Unger told me last month. “I just wanted my freedom.”
~~~~~~~~~~
In the middle of all this, in the ’80s, Unger happened to meet a woman. A fellow inmate in Florida had put a personal ad in Mother Earth magazine, and he got so many responses that he sold the extras to other prisoners for a dollar apiece. Unger bought a few, sent letters and a woman from Illinois came to visit. They ended up getting married in 1988 and had two children, both conceived in prison. He says his life changed when he held his infant son for the first time: “I didn’t want to commit no crimes anymore.”
In Unger’s telling, this is the moment he developed an obsessive interest in the American legal system. Another friend worked in the prison’s law library and told him about a case in which a federal inmate earned his freedom by challenging the constitutionality of the jury instructions in his trial. Unger spent hours studying the case. It was all he could talk about. And the more he read, the more he thought he might have a shot at winning a new trial on the murder charge if he came back to Maryland to fight it.
~~~~~~~~~~
Unger v. State doesn’t say that these prisoners should be freed, only that they can ask to be retried. In practice, though, there’s a strong incentive to settle cases where the defendant has a clean prison record. Re-trying a case that’s 30 or 40 years old can be tricky: the witnesses have moved away, the detectives are dead and the case file is skeletal, or missing, or destroyed. Since the decision came down, 142 of 231 prisoners have negotiated their freedom, almost all of them getting probation. One was acquitted at a new trial. Another eight have died behind bars before they could get a hearing. There are still about 70 prisoners with open cases, which means that even more may yet go free.
http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/meet-the-ungers/
Friday, May 20, 2016
Otto – Self-Driving Trucks
Now the downside -
http://2paragraphs.com/2016/05/self-driving-trucks-threaten-3-5-million-american-jobs/
Quiet Discontent
An excerpt from the New York Times -
No Sound, No Fury, No Marriage
My marriage had long ago turned into the cliché of roommate-ness, and that it could suffer such a change without any emotional upheaval was revealing. In fact, the silence said it all.
The words I don’t say to my neighbors, the words that get held on my tongue, are: I wish you had heard a fight. I wish our voices had been loud enough to carry across the valley. He and I may have free speech, but we’re not so good at frank speech.
Shakespeare had it right: “My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart, concealing it, will break.” I never spoke of the anger in my heart, the mounting resentments and hurts, and neither did he. I never demanded attention or care, and neither did he. And that’s why we broke.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/fashion/marriage-breakups-separation.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share&_r=0
No Sound, No Fury, No Marriage
My marriage had long ago turned into the cliché of roommate-ness, and that it could suffer such a change without any emotional upheaval was revealing. In fact, the silence said it all.
The words I don’t say to my neighbors, the words that get held on my tongue, are: I wish you had heard a fight. I wish our voices had been loud enough to carry across the valley. He and I may have free speech, but we’re not so good at frank speech.
Shakespeare had it right: “My tongue will tell the anger of my heart, or else my heart, concealing it, will break.” I never spoke of the anger in my heart, the mounting resentments and hurts, and neither did he. I never demanded attention or care, and neither did he. And that’s why we broke.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/fashion/marriage-breakups-separation.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share&_r=0
Deja Vu
Valedictorian barred from high school graduation because he has a beard
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/valedictorian-barred-high-school-graduation-article-1.2643541
H/T Tiff
 |
| Amite High School Class of 2016 valedictorian Andrew Jones was not allowed to participate in his own graduation because of his beard. (WLTX 19 NEWS) |
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/valedictorian-barred-high-school-graduation-article-1.2643541
H/T Tiff
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Wood Hotline
There’s a Hotline for People With Knotty Wood Questions
Inside Wisconsin's Forest Products Laboratory, where experiments are conducted on all things wood.
By David Jester
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/theres-a-hotline-for-people-with-knotty-wood-questions?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura&utm_campaign=f2e9493ee3-Newsletter_5_19_20165_17_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_62ba9246c0-f2e9493ee3-59905913&ct=t(Newsletter_5_19_20165_17_2016)&mc_cid=f2e9493ee3&mc_eid=866176a63f
Inside Wisconsin's Forest Products Laboratory, where experiments are conducted on all things wood.
By David Jester
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/theres-a-hotline-for-people-with-knotty-wood-questions?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura&utm_campaign=f2e9493ee3-Newsletter_5_19_20165_17_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_62ba9246c0-f2e9493ee3-59905913&ct=t(Newsletter_5_19_20165_17_2016)&mc_cid=f2e9493ee3&mc_eid=866176a63f
Fake Trees
An excerpt from Atlas Obscura -
All over the world, there are trees that quietly carry our phone messages. They come in variety of species: palm, cypress, fir, elm, pine, cacti. Perhaps you have passed by one of these alien trees before, or spotted them sticking high above the natural treeline. From top to bottom, nothing about these trees is natural.
Despite telecommunications and utility companies' best efforts, cell phone tower trees are notoriously unattractive. The architecture of these fake trees is also not the least bit convincing. For example, the pine cell towers have metal “trunks” that lack the pliability of natural trees, and support a small tuft of branches and fake foliage that attempts to cover up the hardware underneath.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/take-a-look-at-americas-least-convincing-cell-phone-tower-trees?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura&utm_campaign=f2e9493ee3-Newsletter_5_19_20165_17_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_62ba9246c0-f2e9493ee3-59905913&ct=t(Newsletter_5_19_20165_17_2016)&mc_cid=f2e9493ee3&mc_eid=866176a63f
 | ||
A pine cell tower tree built by one of the leading companies
in the cell tower concealment business in Tuscon, Arizona.
(Photo: Bill Morrow/CC BY 2.0)
|
All over the world, there are trees that quietly carry our phone messages. They come in variety of species: palm, cypress, fir, elm, pine, cacti. Perhaps you have passed by one of these alien trees before, or spotted them sticking high above the natural treeline. From top to bottom, nothing about these trees is natural.
Despite telecommunications and utility companies' best efforts, cell phone tower trees are notoriously unattractive. The architecture of these fake trees is also not the least bit convincing. For example, the pine cell towers have metal “trunks” that lack the pliability of natural trees, and support a small tuft of branches and fake foliage that attempts to cover up the hardware underneath.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/take-a-look-at-americas-least-convincing-cell-phone-tower-trees?utm_source=Atlas+Obscura&utm_campaign=f2e9493ee3-Newsletter_5_19_20165_17_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_62ba9246c0-f2e9493ee3-59905913&ct=t(Newsletter_5_19_20165_17_2016)&mc_cid=f2e9493ee3&mc_eid=866176a63f
Combat Juggling?
From Now I Know -
Combat juggling was created by a well-known juggler (to the extent that there is such a thing) named Jason Garfield. Garfield, per Wikipedia, "is regarded as one of the most controversial members of the juggling community" (yes, really) because he "despises the concept of 'artistic juggling,' promoting the idea that juggling should also be regarded as a form of sport." Combat juggling, which adds competition and athleticism to something typically reserved for clowns and magicians, probably fits that bill. And while it still seems like a joke, it's become increasingly popular since. As VICE reported, the sport matured enough that, in 2011, ESPN3 ended up airing a combat juggling competition, and YouTube is littered with videos of people dueling while juggling with sometimes hilarious results. (Yes, sometimes, someone gets hit in the head and no, the rules don't allow you to bludgeon your opponent.)
http://nowiknow.com/combat-juggling/
Combat juggling was created by a well-known juggler (to the extent that there is such a thing) named Jason Garfield. Garfield, per Wikipedia, "is regarded as one of the most controversial members of the juggling community" (yes, really) because he "despises the concept of 'artistic juggling,' promoting the idea that juggling should also be regarded as a form of sport." Combat juggling, which adds competition and athleticism to something typically reserved for clowns and magicians, probably fits that bill. And while it still seems like a joke, it's become increasingly popular since. As VICE reported, the sport matured enough that, in 2011, ESPN3 ended up airing a combat juggling competition, and YouTube is littered with videos of people dueling while juggling with sometimes hilarious results. (Yes, sometimes, someone gets hit in the head and no, the rules don't allow you to bludgeon your opponent.)
http://nowiknow.com/combat-juggling/
Epic Rant
No, not Kanye.
http://www.christies.com/features/Neal-Cassady-long-lost-letter-to-Jack-Kerouac-comes-to-auction-7393-1.aspx?sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d&wpsrc=newsletter_tis
http://www.christies.com/features/Neal-Cassady-long-lost-letter-to-Jack-Kerouac-comes-to-auction-7393-1.aspx?sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d&wpsrc=newsletter_tis
Mom's Voice is Magical
From CNN -
Study: Mom's voice works like a charm on your brain
Less than one second. That's how long it takes children to recognize their mother's voice. And that voice lights a child's brain up like a Christmas tree.
A new study from Stanford University School of Medicine studied how children reacted to mom's voice compared to a woman they didn't know. Kids were not only more engaged by mom's voice than a stranger's, scientists found, but this response was noted beyond just auditory areas of the brain.
Parts of the brain related to emotion, reward processing, facial recognition and social functioning are also amped by hearing from mom. In short, a child's ability to communicate socially is in a large way affected by how he or she reacts to mom's voice.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/health/mom-voice-study-trnd/index.html
Study: Mom's voice works like a charm on your brain
Less than one second. That's how long it takes children to recognize their mother's voice. And that voice lights a child's brain up like a Christmas tree.
A new study from Stanford University School of Medicine studied how children reacted to mom's voice compared to a woman they didn't know. Kids were not only more engaged by mom's voice than a stranger's, scientists found, but this response was noted beyond just auditory areas of the brain.
Parts of the brain related to emotion, reward processing, facial recognition and social functioning are also amped by hearing from mom. In short, a child's ability to communicate socially is in a large way affected by how he or she reacts to mom's voice.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/18/health/mom-voice-study-trnd/index.html
Sticky Glue for Cars
From Mashable -
Google's self-driving cars haven't hit many things since they first took to the roads in 2015, but its collision avoidance technology isn't perfect. Now, it appears Google is working on some safety provisions in case one of their vehicles hits a pedestrian.
Google's self-driving cars haven't hit many things since they first took to the roads in 2015, but its collision avoidance technology isn't perfect. Now, it appears Google is working on some safety provisions in case one of their vehicles hits a pedestrian.
Google has patented a unique solution that puts a glue-like adhesive on the front end of the self-driving car. The patent, first seen by The Mercury News, describes the sticky covering as a way to catch pedestrians in case of a collision in order to minimize harm.
http://mashable.com/2016/05/19/google-car-stick-glue-adhesive/#rudNsLH.Agq5
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Geez Louise!
An excerpt from the Vox -
The TSA is hard to evaluate largely because it's attempting to solve a non-problem. Despite some very notable cases, airplane hijackings and bombings are quite rare. There aren't that many attempts, and there are even fewer successes. That makes it hard to judge if the TSA is working properly — if no one tries to do a liquid-based attack, then we don't know if the 3-ounce liquid rule prevents such attacks.
So Homeland Security officials looking to evaluate the agency had a clever idea: They pretended to be terrorists, and tried to smuggle guns and bombs onto planes 70 different times. And 67 of those times, the Red Team succeeded. Their weapons and bombs were not confiscated, despite the TSA's lengthy screening process. That's a success rate of more than 95 percent.
http://www.vox.com/2016/5/17/11687014/tsa-against-airport-security
Quote
"Faced with the prospect of voting for either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, Mary Anne Noland of Richmond chose, instead, to pass into the eternal love of God on Sunday, May 15, 2016, at the age of 68." [Richmond Times-Dispatch]
Relationships in the Digital Age
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/are-you-sure-you-want-to-unsubscribe-from-this-relationship?mbid=nl_160517_Daily&CNDID=27124505&spMailingID=8934576&spUserID=MTE0MzE0NDEyNDUyS0&spJobID=921695380&spReportId=OTIxNjk1MzgwS0
Rugby Recruiting
From Upworthy -
http://www.upworthy.com/these-gay-rugby-players-are-dismantling-stereotypes-one-photo-at-a-time?c=upw1
Monday, May 16, 2016
No Cheating!
From The Atlantic -
Iraq’s Anti-Cheating Campaign: For the second year in a row, Iraq has ordered telecom companies to shut down the Internet in an attempt to prevent cheating among thousands of sixth-graders taking national exams this month. Human-rights activists say Iraq’s test-related blackouts violate citizens’ free-speech rights and can help governments escape scrutiny in cases of abuse. Elsewhere, blackouts or censorship are usually connected to political or military events.
Iraq’s Anti-Cheating Campaign: For the second year in a row, Iraq has ordered telecom companies to shut down the Internet in an attempt to prevent cheating among thousands of sixth-graders taking national exams this month. Human-rights activists say Iraq’s test-related blackouts violate citizens’ free-speech rights and can help governments escape scrutiny in cases of abuse. Elsewhere, blackouts or censorship are usually connected to political or military events.
Print Your Own T-Shirts
For the adventurous do-it-yourselfer.
http://www.wired.com/2016/05/burn-silkscreen-print-shirts-home/?mbid=nl_51616
http://www.wired.com/2016/05/burn-silkscreen-print-shirts-home/?mbid=nl_51616
Janitor Gets Degree
An excerpt from CNN -
Custodian picks up degree from college he cleaned for almost a decade
Michael Vaudreuil is used to picking things up at school. He's a custodian at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts.
But over the weekend, he picked up something he'll definitely want to keep: a college degree.
Vaudreuill, 54, graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from the same place where he's cleaned and emptied the trash for the past eight years.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/16/us/custodian-graduates-from-college-he-cleaned-trnd/index.html
Custodian picks up degree from college he cleaned for almost a decade
Michael Vaudreuil is used to picking things up at school. He's a custodian at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts.
But over the weekend, he picked up something he'll definitely want to keep: a college degree.
Vaudreuill, 54, graduated with a mechanical engineering degree from the same place where he's cleaned and emptied the trash for the past eight years.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/16/us/custodian-graduates-from-college-he-cleaned-trnd/index.html
Tea Remedies
An excerpt from Little Things -
Eight Cozy Cups Of Tea To Soothe Your Every Affliction
By Rebecca Endicott
By Rebecca Endicott
Headache And Poor Circulation: Cinnamon Tea
Heeral Chhibber for LittleThings
Cinnamon is another cozy, warming spice that might conjure up images of Christmas cookies or your morning oatmeal.
This flavorful and familiar bark isn’t just good in mulled cider, though; soaking cinnamon sticks in hot water yields a rich, strong tea that can help cure a stubborn headache.
Because of its strong anti-inflammatory properties, cinnamon improves circulation and helps to reduce head pain, which is most often caused by minor swelling of the sinuses and of the facial muscles.
http://www.littlethings.com/tea-home-remedies/?utm_source=huffingtonpost.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=pubexchange
Sunday, May 15, 2016
99 Cent Rentals
iTunes is offering 99 cent rentals of hit movies, including Chi-Raq and The Butler.
You're welcome.
You're welcome.
A Heavy Burden Multiplied
An excerpt from The Washington Post -
The invisible tax on black teachers
By John King May
John King is U.S. education secretary.
Research conducted recently by the American Federation of Teachers found that, while more teachers of color are being hired than in the past, they also are leaving the profession more quickly than white teachers.
Improved compensation and working conditions can help address this, of course. But one factor in teachers’ decisions to leave deserves special attention: the “invisible tax.”
According to some African American male teachers, the “invisible tax” is imposed on them when they are the only or one of only a few nonwhite male educators in the building. It is paid, for example, when these teachers, who make up only 2 percent of the teaching force nationally, are expected to serve as school disciplinarians based on an assumption that they will be better able to communicate with African American boys with behavior issues.
It is also paid when they have to be on high alert to prepare their students for racism outside of school. “Every time I take my students to an engineering competition, or to speak with industry partners, or to tour colleges, I have to have the code-switching talk,” explained Harry Preston, an African American physics teacher in Baltimore. “That is a mental tax I personally pay as an educator.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Sharif El-Mekki, principal of the Mastery Charter School’s Shoemaker campus in Philadelphia, has noted that the African American teachers he speaks with are of two minds about these extra duties. “They feel honored and appreciated that they are asked,” he said, “but when so many different people are asking them for help, it becomes a burden.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-invisible-tax-on-black-teachers/2016/05/15/6b7bea06-16f7-11e6-aa55-670cabef46e0_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-b%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
The invisible tax on black teachers
By John King May
John King is U.S. education secretary.
Research conducted recently by the American Federation of Teachers found that, while more teachers of color are being hired than in the past, they also are leaving the profession more quickly than white teachers.
Improved compensation and working conditions can help address this, of course. But one factor in teachers’ decisions to leave deserves special attention: the “invisible tax.”
According to some African American male teachers, the “invisible tax” is imposed on them when they are the only or one of only a few nonwhite male educators in the building. It is paid, for example, when these teachers, who make up only 2 percent of the teaching force nationally, are expected to serve as school disciplinarians based on an assumption that they will be better able to communicate with African American boys with behavior issues.
It is also paid when they have to be on high alert to prepare their students for racism outside of school. “Every time I take my students to an engineering competition, or to speak with industry partners, or to tour colleges, I have to have the code-switching talk,” explained Harry Preston, an African American physics teacher in Baltimore. “That is a mental tax I personally pay as an educator.”
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Sharif El-Mekki, principal of the Mastery Charter School’s Shoemaker campus in Philadelphia, has noted that the African American teachers he speaks with are of two minds about these extra duties. “They feel honored and appreciated that they are asked,” he said, “but when so many different people are asking them for help, it becomes a burden.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-invisible-tax-on-black-teachers/2016/05/15/6b7bea06-16f7-11e6-aa55-670cabef46e0_story.html?hpid=hp_no-name_opinion-card-b%3Ahomepage%2Fstory
Too Cute!
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| A photo of Lincoln Ball trying to train his new puppy by showing him a YouTube video has gone viral on Facebook. |
http://abcnews.go.com/Lifestyle/boy-makes-puppy-watch-youtube-tutorials-training-adorable/story?id=39126358
A Roaming Mindset
An excerpt from StumpleUpon -
Instead Of Renting An Apartment, Sign A Lease That Lets You Live Around The World
Roam provides short-term apartments with a communal feel, for today's digital work-from-anywhere nomad.
If you can afford the airfare, it's getting easier to be a digital nomad. Roam, a new network of co-living spaces, offers a lease that lets you continually move: After a couple of weeks or months in Madrid, you can head to Miami, or Ubud, Bali. By 2017, the startup plans to have 8-10 locations around the world.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3cg0MT/:wk0ttLt2:jlSqRSM./www.fastcoexist.com/3059469/instead-of-renting-an-apartment-sign-a-lease-that-lets-you-live-around-the-world
Instead Of Renting An Apartment, Sign A Lease That Lets You Live Around The World
Roam provides short-term apartments with a communal feel, for today's digital work-from-anywhere nomad.
If you can afford the airfare, it's getting easier to be a digital nomad. Roam, a new network of co-living spaces, offers a lease that lets you continually move: After a couple of weeks or months in Madrid, you can head to Miami, or Ubud, Bali. By 2017, the startup plans to have 8-10 locations around the world.
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/3cg0MT/:wk0ttLt2:jlSqRSM./www.fastcoexist.com/3059469/instead-of-renting-an-apartment-sign-a-lease-that-lets-you-live-around-the-world
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