From Atlas Obscura -
District Six Museum
An excellent and sobering account of the vibrant multicultural neighborhood destroyed under apartheid.
District Six, or “Distrik Ses” in Afrikaans, was a bohemian, mixed neighborhood in every sense of the word. It was crowded with a multiracial blend of working class people, Jews, Muslims, and Christians alike, many of whom were descended from freed slaves and immigrants. In the mid–20th century, a population of roughly 60,000 lived there. Unfortunately, District Six was also at the epicenter of apartheid in Cape Town, and still bears its scars.
During the apartheid regime of the 1960s and ’70s, the segregating Group Areas Act saw all the non-white residents of District Six evicted and relocated further outside the city. It was called “slum clearing,” but the true intention was to fill the desirably located neighborhood with white residents and high rises.
Side note - I saw this are when I visited Cape Town five years ago. The history is a sad one.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/district-six-museum
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Trevor's View
http://www.cc.com/video-clips/bxjc4n/the-daily-show-with-trevor-noah-president-trump-s-muslim-targeted-travel-ban
Lars and the Real Girl, For Real
From the Washington Post -
What life is like living with a ‘love doll’ in Japan
By Kenneth Dickerman
In 2007, Ryan Gosling played a character who has trouble making friends or even socializing with people in a movie called “Lars and the Real Girl.” In the movie, to salve his social anxieties, he turns to the company of a silicone doll he names Bianca. His friends, family and community decide to support him. Eventually, Lars learns to get past his insecurities and begins a relationship with a real woman. Although this was fiction, it is not as far-fetched as it might seem. In fact, at least one man in Japan is playing out a somewhat similar story.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2017/01/30/what-life-is-like-living-with-a-love-doll-in-japan/?utm_term=.6131c7d563cd
What life is like living with a ‘love doll’ in Japan
By Kenneth Dickerman
In 2007, Ryan Gosling played a character who has trouble making friends or even socializing with people in a movie called “Lars and the Real Girl.” In the movie, to salve his social anxieties, he turns to the company of a silicone doll he names Bianca. His friends, family and community decide to support him. Eventually, Lars learns to get past his insecurities and begins a relationship with a real woman. Although this was fiction, it is not as far-fetched as it might seem. In fact, at least one man in Japan is playing out a somewhat similar story.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/in-sight/wp/2017/01/30/what-life-is-like-living-with-a-love-doll-in-japan/?utm_term=.6131c7d563cd
Hmmmmm
From the Washington Post -
A fascinating theory from the world of sports about Donald Trump’s first 7 days
By Chris Cillizza
An old sports strategy: foul so much in the 1st 5 min of the game that the refs can't call them all. From then on, a more physical game. - Sally Jenkins
A fascinating theory from the world of sports about Donald Trump’s first 7 days
By Chris Cillizza
An old sports strategy: foul so much in the 1st 5 min of the game that the refs can't call them all. From then on, a more physical game. - Sally Jenkins
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/01/30/a-fascinating-theory-from-the-world-of-sports-about-donald-trumps-governing-style/?utm_term=.554595250e46
Protecting His Interest
From Slate - (Bold is mine)
Trump’s Muslim Ban Is Harmful and Haphazard—but Is It Also Kleptocratic?
By Josh Voorhees
Donald Trump’s immigration ban targeting Muslims is many things: alarming, un-American, inhumane, counterproductive, and likely unconstitutional for starters. But a closer look at the specific countries Trump chose to target raises a secondary concern as well: Did the president intentionally tailor the order to protect his and his family’s financial interests abroad?
Trump’s Muslim Ban Is Harmful and Haphazard—but Is It Also Kleptocratic?
By Josh Voorhees
Donald Trump’s immigration ban targeting Muslims is many things: alarming, un-American, inhumane, counterproductive, and likely unconstitutional for starters. But a closer look at the specific countries Trump chose to target raises a secondary concern as well: Did the president intentionally tailor the order to protect his and his family’s financial interests abroad?
Act As If Your Life Depended On It
An excerpt from Deadspin -
Resist.
By Albert Burneko
Yes, wear a shirt with a slogan on it. Yes, put a bumper sticker on your car. Yes, flood your social media feed with your outrage. Fine. All of those are fine, and necessary, and good.
But also: Call your senator. Call your congressperson. Call your governor. Call your alderperson, your city councilperson; your mayor; your sheriff’s office. Really call them. On the phone. Do it right now. Whether they are Democrats or Republicans. Ask them, live or by voicemail, not only to speak out against the Trump administration’s savagery, but to oppose it, officially, to vote against it and act against it and refuse to participate in implementing it. Tell them, explicitly, that you and your friends and loved ones will vote for literally anyone who runs against them in their next campaign if they do anything less than oppose, in word and deed, every single part of the Trump administration’s agenda. All his appointments. All his executive orders. Everything.
http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/resist-1791774913
Resist.
By Albert Burneko
Yes, wear a shirt with a slogan on it. Yes, put a bumper sticker on your car. Yes, flood your social media feed with your outrage. Fine. All of those are fine, and necessary, and good.
But also: Call your senator. Call your congressperson. Call your governor. Call your alderperson, your city councilperson; your mayor; your sheriff’s office. Really call them. On the phone. Do it right now. Whether they are Democrats or Republicans. Ask them, live or by voicemail, not only to speak out against the Trump administration’s savagery, but to oppose it, officially, to vote against it and act against it and refuse to participate in implementing it. Tell them, explicitly, that you and your friends and loved ones will vote for literally anyone who runs against them in their next campaign if they do anything less than oppose, in word and deed, every single part of the Trump administration’s agenda. All his appointments. All his executive orders. Everything.
http://theconcourse.deadspin.com/resist-1791774913
Mr. Clean is Back and He's Black
From the Root -
The New Mr. Clean Is a Black Man
By Yesha Callahan
Bald head? Check. Single gold hoop? Check. A smile that would put the most expensive veneers to shame? Check. A white dude? No check. Proctor & Gamble decided to give Mr. Clean a makeover, and his name is Mike Jackson. Jackson beat out thousands of would-be hopefuls who were vying to be the new face of P&G’s cartoon character that debuted almost 60 years ago.
http://thegrapevine.theroot.com/the-new-mr-clean-is-a-black-man-1791816272
The New Mr. Clean Is a Black Man
By Yesha Callahan
Bald head? Check. Single gold hoop? Check. A smile that would put the most expensive veneers to shame? Check. A white dude? No check. Proctor & Gamble decided to give Mr. Clean a makeover, and his name is Mike Jackson. Jackson beat out thousands of would-be hopefuls who were vying to be the new face of P&G’s cartoon character that debuted almost 60 years ago.
http://thegrapevine.theroot.com/the-new-mr-clean-is-a-black-man-1791816272
Love His Response!
From the Root -
http://thegrapevine.theroot.com/kirk-franklin-has-jesus-and-his-heater-by-his-side-to-d-1791774826
http://thegrapevine.theroot.com/kirk-franklin-has-jesus-and-his-heater-by-his-side-to-d-1791774826
Black Power Statue
From Atlas Obscura -
Olympic Black Power Statue
A statue commemorating Tommie Smith and John Carlos' brave protest at the 1968 Olympics, a watershed moment for civil rights.
Perhaps no image from the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City is more recognizable than the silent protest of Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the Olympic medalist podium. During the award ceremony, Smith and Carlos, gold and bronze medalists in the 200-meter track event, raised their black-gloved fists in a black power salute, and removed their shoes to symbolize black poverty.
The statue is located on the San Jose State University campus, next to Clark Hall and Tower Hall in Washington Square, where South 6th Street and East San Antonio Street would intersect. The nearest parking is either the parking structure near the MLK Jr. Library, or in one of the parking garages at SJSU.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/olympic-black-power-statue
Olympic Black Power Statue
A statue commemorating Tommie Smith and John Carlos' brave protest at the 1968 Olympics, a watershed moment for civil rights.
Perhaps no image from the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City is more recognizable than the silent protest of Tommie Smith and John Carlos on the Olympic medalist podium. During the award ceremony, Smith and Carlos, gold and bronze medalists in the 200-meter track event, raised their black-gloved fists in a black power salute, and removed their shoes to symbolize black poverty.
The statue is located on the San Jose State University campus, next to Clark Hall and Tower Hall in Washington Square, where South 6th Street and East San Antonio Street would intersect. The nearest parking is either the parking structure near the MLK Jr. Library, or in one of the parking garages at SJSU.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/olympic-black-power-statue
Monday, January 30, 2017
College Head Start
An excerpt from OZY -
Kentucky Gives High Schoolers a College Head Start
Watch for bluegrass brainiacs. Kentucky’s becoming a leader in dual-enrollment — where high school students get credits for college classes — with more than 42,400 students taking advantage last fall. More and more states are following the “early college” trend as the federal government starts to tailor Pell Grants to younger teens, with low-income students seeing particular gains. While there are concerns about equal access to the program and overworking adolescents, employers and parents are still chasing the prospect of better-prepared youngsters and shrinking tuition bills.
http://www.ozy.com/politics-and-power/the-future-of-college-enrollment-runs-through-kentucky/74725
Kentucky Gives High Schoolers a College Head Start
Watch for bluegrass brainiacs. Kentucky’s becoming a leader in dual-enrollment — where high school students get credits for college classes — with more than 42,400 students taking advantage last fall. More and more states are following the “early college” trend as the federal government starts to tailor Pell Grants to younger teens, with low-income students seeing particular gains. While there are concerns about equal access to the program and overworking adolescents, employers and parents are still chasing the prospect of better-prepared youngsters and shrinking tuition bills.
http://www.ozy.com/politics-and-power/the-future-of-college-enrollment-runs-through-kentucky/74725
Fair Warning
An excerpt from the Atlantic -
Advice for Those Weighing Jobs in the Trump Administration
Assessing the risks of service
Br David Frum
Some 40 people were indicted as a result of the Watergate scandal. Among those sentenced to prison: the attorney general of the United States, the White House counsel, and President Nixon’s two most senior White House aides. A dozen men were convicted or pled guilty to a range of charges after the Iran-Contra affair.
White Houses can be dangerous places under leadership that does not respect the law. When friends ask me, “Should I accept a job under President Trump?” it’s not merely a philosophical question. Answer the question wrong, and they may find themselves two or three years later facing a congressional investigation or possibly even a grand jury. Even those who never face charges—let alone conviction—can see their lives up-ended: As the saying goes, in Washington, the process is the punishment.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/trump-administration-jobs/514805/
Advice for Those Weighing Jobs in the Trump Administration
Assessing the risks of service
Br David Frum
Some 40 people were indicted as a result of the Watergate scandal. Among those sentenced to prison: the attorney general of the United States, the White House counsel, and President Nixon’s two most senior White House aides. A dozen men were convicted or pled guilty to a range of charges after the Iran-Contra affair.
White Houses can be dangerous places under leadership that does not respect the law. When friends ask me, “Should I accept a job under President Trump?” it’s not merely a philosophical question. Answer the question wrong, and they may find themselves two or three years later facing a congressional investigation or possibly even a grand jury. Even those who never face charges—let alone conviction—can see their lives up-ended: As the saying goes, in Washington, the process is the punishment.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/01/trump-administration-jobs/514805/
Sunday, January 29, 2017
A Love Letter to America
I love this guy and miss his daily blog. This article is long, but so worth the read.
From NY Magazine -
America Is Still the Future
A love letter to my new country.
By Andrew Sullivan
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/01/andrew-sullivan-becoming-american-in-age-of-trump.html
From NY Magazine -
America Is Still the Future
A love letter to my new country.
By Andrew Sullivan
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/01/andrew-sullivan-becoming-american-in-age-of-trump.html
Discarded Treasures
From the New York Times -
Love and Black Lives, in Pictures Found on a Brooklyn Street
A discarded photo album reveals a rich history of black lives, from the
segregated South to Harlem dance halls to a pretty block in Crown Heights.
By ANNIE CORREAL
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/nyregion/love-and-black-lives-in-pictures-found-on-a-brooklyn-street.html
Love and Black Lives, in Pictures Found on a Brooklyn Street
A discarded photo album reveals a rich history of black lives, from the
segregated South to Harlem dance halls to a pretty block in Crown Heights.
By ANNIE CORREAL
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/nyregion/love-and-black-lives-in-pictures-found-on-a-brooklyn-street.html
50 Best Jobs in the US
From Thrillist -
HERE ARE THE 50 BEST JOBS IN AMERICA FOR 2017
By TONY MEREVICK
https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/the-50-best-jobs-in-america-for-2017-according-to-glassdoor
HERE ARE THE 50 BEST JOBS IN AMERICA FOR 2017
By TONY MEREVICK
https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/the-50-best-jobs-in-america-for-2017-according-to-glassdoor
Gross Food People Love
From Thrillist -
EVERY STATE'S GROSSEST FOOD (THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY LOVE)
By WIL FULTON
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/worst-foods-to-eat-states
EVERY STATE'S GROSSEST FOOD (THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY LOVE)
By WIL FULTON
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/worst-foods-to-eat-states
Bessie Coleman
From the Huffington Post -
Google Honors Bessie Coleman, America’s First Black Female Pilot
January 26th marked what would have been her 125th birthday.
Google Honors Bessie Coleman, America’s First Black Female Pilot
January 26th marked what would have been her 125th birthday.
Yes, Literally
An excerpt from Slate -
OK, Now Can We Start Taking Donald Trump Literally?
Trump’s campaign was not an act. He was making promises that he’s now planning to keep.
By Jamelle Bouie
“His supporters take him seriously,” the refrain went, “but not literally.” This was the savvy line on Trump from the election: that his rhetoric—his outlandish and conspiratorial claims, his breathless attacks on racial and religious minorities—was an act. Journalists might take him literally, but his supporters (and the people who understood them) knew better. Trump wouldn’t literally ban Muslims from entering the United States. He didn’t actually believe that unemployment was 40 percent or that America was rife with voter fraud. Those were symbolic beliefs. We should take them seriously as statements of concern but not literally as guides to action.
But this was nonsense, a cynical take based off of folk wisdom about politicians: They rarely tell the truth about their intentions. That folk wisdom is wrong. The fact is that politicians are often forthright about what they plan to do in office. And indeed, the best guide to a new president’s actions is simply his campaign. What did he promise; what did he say? Presidents, in other words, keep their promises.
Above everything else, Trump promised to bring the power of the federal state to bear against the domestic enemies of the people, defined in explicitly racial terms. From his perch in the Oval Office, Trump would “protect” the American people from Muslim refugees, “dangerous” Hispanic immigrants, and groups like Black Lives Matter. On this, Trump was consistent. This wasn’t mere rhetoric; this was a set of serious promises to deal with literal threats. And this week, the newly minted president has begun tackling them, one by one, in rapid succession.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/01/now_can_we_start_taking_donald_trump_literally.html
OK, Now Can We Start Taking Donald Trump Literally?
Trump’s campaign was not an act. He was making promises that he’s now planning to keep.
By Jamelle Bouie
“His supporters take him seriously,” the refrain went, “but not literally.” This was the savvy line on Trump from the election: that his rhetoric—his outlandish and conspiratorial claims, his breathless attacks on racial and religious minorities—was an act. Journalists might take him literally, but his supporters (and the people who understood them) knew better. Trump wouldn’t literally ban Muslims from entering the United States. He didn’t actually believe that unemployment was 40 percent or that America was rife with voter fraud. Those were symbolic beliefs. We should take them seriously as statements of concern but not literally as guides to action.
But this was nonsense, a cynical take based off of folk wisdom about politicians: They rarely tell the truth about their intentions. That folk wisdom is wrong. The fact is that politicians are often forthright about what they plan to do in office. And indeed, the best guide to a new president’s actions is simply his campaign. What did he promise; what did he say? Presidents, in other words, keep their promises.
Above everything else, Trump promised to bring the power of the federal state to bear against the domestic enemies of the people, defined in explicitly racial terms. From his perch in the Oval Office, Trump would “protect” the American people from Muslim refugees, “dangerous” Hispanic immigrants, and groups like Black Lives Matter. On this, Trump was consistent. This wasn’t mere rhetoric; this was a set of serious promises to deal with literal threats. And this week, the newly minted president has begun tackling them, one by one, in rapid succession.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/01/now_can_we_start_taking_donald_trump_literally.html
Prison Life
From the Marshall Project -
My Best Friends in Prison are Frogs, Turtles, and Raccoons
Sharing space with open-minded visitors from beyond the walls.
By JOSEPH DOLE
This article was published in collaboration with Vice.
I used to have a pet turtle in prison.
I began my bid at Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois, where I lived from 2000 to 2002. The entire yard abuts a rocky bluff, and deer would occasionally emerge from the surrounding woods to peer down at us. In the summer, I could always find myself a pet; garter snakes, frogs, and turtles would often break onto the grounds. At night, I could look out my window and see more than a dozen raccoons hanging out on the roof of the storage building, planning their assault on the chow hall dumpsters.
Once, I smuggled a baby turtle the size of a quarter to my cell. Its shell was so dark, it was nearly black. I built a small aquarium out of Styrofoam trays and cellophane, and when guards would walk by, I would push the aquarium out of sight under the bunk. During shakedowns, I’d cuff my turtle in my hand. The confused guards would destroy the empty aquarium, and I’d have to build another.
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2017/01/12/my-best-friends-in-prison-are-frogs-turtles-and-raccoons#.kMc1Dxkhq
My Best Friends in Prison are Frogs, Turtles, and Raccoons
Sharing space with open-minded visitors from beyond the walls.
By JOSEPH DOLE
This article was published in collaboration with Vice.
I used to have a pet turtle in prison.
I began my bid at Menard Correctional Center in southern Illinois, where I lived from 2000 to 2002. The entire yard abuts a rocky bluff, and deer would occasionally emerge from the surrounding woods to peer down at us. In the summer, I could always find myself a pet; garter snakes, frogs, and turtles would often break onto the grounds. At night, I could look out my window and see more than a dozen raccoons hanging out on the roof of the storage building, planning their assault on the chow hall dumpsters.
Once, I smuggled a baby turtle the size of a quarter to my cell. Its shell was so dark, it was nearly black. I built a small aquarium out of Styrofoam trays and cellophane, and when guards would walk by, I would push the aquarium out of sight under the bunk. During shakedowns, I’d cuff my turtle in my hand. The confused guards would destroy the empty aquarium, and I’d have to build another.
https://www.themarshallproject.org/2017/01/12/my-best-friends-in-prison-are-frogs-turtles-and-raccoons#.kMc1Dxkhq
Facebook in Africa
An excerpt from OZY -
THE LAWYER BEHIND FACEBOOK'S TURN TO AFRICA
By Taylor Mayol
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Because Facebook is just starting to focus its energy across Africa — and she’s leading the charge.
When the Democratic Republic of Congo shut down the internet during political protests last year, Ebele Okobi flew to Kinshasa to persuade the authorities of the importance of internet access. Also, she showed them how to use Facebook.
Some describe Okobi, 42, as “the secretary of state of Facebook” for the African continent. (Her official title: public policy director for Africa.) Though based in London, Okobi spends most of her time on the road — meeting with the minister for information technology in Kigali, for instance, or showing Lesotho’s leader how to create a public Facebook page. Overall, the Nigerian-American is trying to advance her megalith company’s mission of connectedness while also, of course, gaining it more users and markets. She flies under the radar for the most part, but when Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited Africa for the first time last year, it was Okobi, dressed in Nigerian-made fashion, who stood next to him and Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari.
http://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/the-lawyer-behind-facebooks-turn-to-africa/74650
THE LAWYER BEHIND FACEBOOK'S TURN TO AFRICA
By Taylor Mayol
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE
Because Facebook is just starting to focus its energy across Africa — and she’s leading the charge.
When the Democratic Republic of Congo shut down the internet during political protests last year, Ebele Okobi flew to Kinshasa to persuade the authorities of the importance of internet access. Also, she showed them how to use Facebook.
Some describe Okobi, 42, as “the secretary of state of Facebook” for the African continent. (Her official title: public policy director for Africa.) Though based in London, Okobi spends most of her time on the road — meeting with the minister for information technology in Kigali, for instance, or showing Lesotho’s leader how to create a public Facebook page. Overall, the Nigerian-American is trying to advance her megalith company’s mission of connectedness while also, of course, gaining it more users and markets. She flies under the radar for the most part, but when Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited Africa for the first time last year, it was Okobi, dressed in Nigerian-made fashion, who stood next to him and Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari.
http://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/the-lawyer-behind-facebooks-turn-to-africa/74650
Pay For Play
From OZY -
THE DIRTIEST SECRET IN AMERICAN DIPLOMACY
By Taylor Mayol
Because what some call loyalty, others call “pay for play.”
For Donald Trump and his supporters, it’s payback time. The currency? Ambassadorships.
http://www.ozy.com/politics-and-power/the-dirtiest-secret-in-american-diplomacy/74193
THE DIRTIEST SECRET IN AMERICAN DIPLOMACY
By Taylor Mayol
Because what some call loyalty, others call “pay for play.”
For Donald Trump and his supporters, it’s payback time. The currency? Ambassadorships.
http://www.ozy.com/politics-and-power/the-dirtiest-secret-in-american-diplomacy/74193
Some Uber Driver Sacrifices
From Bloomberg -
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-23/when-their-shifts-end-uber-drivers-set-up-camp-in-parking-lots-across-the-u-s?bcomANews=true
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-01-23/when-their-shifts-end-uber-drivers-set-up-camp-in-parking-lots-across-the-u-s?bcomANews=true
Taking a Stand
From Fortune via OZY -
The Corporation That’s Reconciling Its Racial Ledger
The books need balancing. Accounting giant PwC has taken an unusually direct approach to race relations — and it’s sparked the potential for corporate powers to play meaningful roles in addressing racial trauma. Following this summer’s wave of police brutality against Black Americans, PwC’s U.S. chairman Tim Ryan started a company-wide conversation that’s translated into policy. His firm’s made anti-bias training mandatory, loudly advocated for a greater awareness of race on social media, and begun to market lessons about racial inequality to other businesses ready to hold themselves to account.
http://fortune.com/pwc-diversity-tim-ryan/
http://www.ozy.com/presidential-daily-brief/pdb-75383/equity-audit-75399
The Corporation That’s Reconciling Its Racial Ledger
The books need balancing. Accounting giant PwC has taken an unusually direct approach to race relations — and it’s sparked the potential for corporate powers to play meaningful roles in addressing racial trauma. Following this summer’s wave of police brutality against Black Americans, PwC’s U.S. chairman Tim Ryan started a company-wide conversation that’s translated into policy. His firm’s made anti-bias training mandatory, loudly advocated for a greater awareness of race on social media, and begun to market lessons about racial inequality to other businesses ready to hold themselves to account.
http://fortune.com/pwc-diversity-tim-ryan/
http://www.ozy.com/presidential-daily-brief/pdb-75383/equity-audit-75399
The President is a Liar
An excerpt from the New York Times -
A Lie by Any Other Name
By Charles M. Blow
Donald Trump is a proven liar. He lies often and effortlessly. He lies about the profound and the trivial. He lies to avoid guilt and invite glory. He lies when his pride is injured and when his pomposity is challenged.
Indeed, one of the greatest threats Trump poses is that he corrupts and corrodes the absoluteness of truth, facts and science.
It is no coincidence that the rise of Trump is concurrent with the rise of “fake news.” It is no coincidence that his rise comes during an age of severely damaged faith in institutions.
And now that he has been elected, Trump wants absolute control over the flow of information, to dictate his own version of facts rather than live with the reality of accepted facts. Trump is in a battle to bend the truth to his benefit.
He hates members of the press because, when properly performing, they are truth seekers rather than ego-strokers. The press may sometimes get things wrong, but it most often gets them right. A truly independent press is not stocked with political acolytes but political adversaries.
This doesn’t sit well with an administration that wants to be perpetually patted on the back and never rapped on the knuckles.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/opinion/a-lie-by-any-other-name.html
A Lie by Any Other Name
By Charles M. Blow
Donald Trump is a proven liar. He lies often and effortlessly. He lies about the profound and the trivial. He lies to avoid guilt and invite glory. He lies when his pride is injured and when his pomposity is challenged.
Indeed, one of the greatest threats Trump poses is that he corrupts and corrodes the absoluteness of truth, facts and science.
It is no coincidence that the rise of Trump is concurrent with the rise of “fake news.” It is no coincidence that his rise comes during an age of severely damaged faith in institutions.
And now that he has been elected, Trump wants absolute control over the flow of information, to dictate his own version of facts rather than live with the reality of accepted facts. Trump is in a battle to bend the truth to his benefit.
He hates members of the press because, when properly performing, they are truth seekers rather than ego-strokers. The press may sometimes get things wrong, but it most often gets them right. A truly independent press is not stocked with political acolytes but political adversaries.
This doesn’t sit well with an administration that wants to be perpetually patted on the back and never rapped on the knuckles.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/26/opinion/a-lie-by-any-other-name.html
Vintage Charm
Spend the night at one of these throwback hotels.
From Orbitz -
10 retro motels that ooze vintage charm
Jason Heidemann
https://www.orbitz.com/blog/2017/01/10-retro-motels-ooze-vintage-charm/?EMLCID=ORBITZ-US.MR.RES.EDT-EDT.GENERIC&rfrr=AB.5037.1
From Orbitz -
10 retro motels that ooze vintage charm
Jason Heidemann
https://www.orbitz.com/blog/2017/01/10-retro-motels-ooze-vintage-charm/?EMLCID=ORBITZ-US.MR.RES.EDT-EDT.GENERIC&rfrr=AB.5037.1
Sign Up Today & Pass the Word
SWING LEFT AND THE POST-ELECTION SURGE OF PROGRESSIVE ACTIVISM
By Jia Tolentino
On January 18th, the Twitter account for a new political organization posted its first tweet: a link to swingleft.org—a neatly designed Web site where you can plug in your Zip Code to find the nearest U.S. House district whose seat was, in the most recent election, decided by a small margin—along with the message “Let’s get to work.” The Swing Left campaign, which aims to win the House for Democrats in 2018, quickly went viral. The comedian Sarah Silverman tweeted “Start thinking mid term elections now – this makes it CRAZY easy,” with a link to the site. As the roughly three million people who came out for the Women’s March on Saturday made colorfully evident, an enormous, amorphous bundle of progressive energy in the country is searching for an outlet or three. By January 22nd, a hundred thousand people had signed up to receive Swing Left updates. That number has since more than doubled. In addition, ten thousand people have filled out a form on the site to offer their skills in a volunteer capacity. The Web site has been shared on Facebook nearly three hundred thousand times.
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/jia-tolentino/swing-left-and-the-post-election-surge-of-progressive-activism
By Jia Tolentino
 | ||
| The surge of sign-ups for Swing Left, a progressive organization aiming to identify competitive congressional districts, reflects an energy on the left in search of an outlet. | PHOTOGRAPH BY CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY |
On January 18th, the Twitter account for a new political organization posted its first tweet: a link to swingleft.org—a neatly designed Web site where you can plug in your Zip Code to find the nearest U.S. House district whose seat was, in the most recent election, decided by a small margin—along with the message “Let’s get to work.” The Swing Left campaign, which aims to win the House for Democrats in 2018, quickly went viral. The comedian Sarah Silverman tweeted “Start thinking mid term elections now – this makes it CRAZY easy,” with a link to the site. As the roughly three million people who came out for the Women’s March on Saturday made colorfully evident, an enormous, amorphous bundle of progressive energy in the country is searching for an outlet or three. By January 22nd, a hundred thousand people had signed up to receive Swing Left updates. That number has since more than doubled. In addition, ten thousand people have filled out a form on the site to offer their skills in a volunteer capacity. The Web site has been shared on Facebook nearly three hundred thousand times.
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/jia-tolentino/swing-left-and-the-post-election-surge-of-progressive-activism
Buyers Remorse
From the Guardian -
'When we broke up, it was painful to look at': the rise of tattoo removal
As more people get tattooed, more are regretting them. But will erasing a teenage mistake or an ex’s name change your life?
By Candance Pires
Tattoo removal has never been so effective, or so popular. Improvements in technology are delivering better clearance faster, making it more attractive to people who regret their 90s tribal symbol, 00s sleeve or maybe the ultimate jinx, a lover’s name.
In the US, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (Asaps) reported a 39% increase in laser tattoo treatments, from 2014 to 2015. Set this against a booming US tattoo industry, predicted to hit $1bn in the next five years, and it’s hard to see how removal won’t keep increasing in popularity.
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2017/jan/28/tattoo-removal-regret?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1
'When we broke up, it was painful to look at': the rise of tattoo removal
As more people get tattooed, more are regretting them. But will erasing a teenage mistake or an ex’s name change your life?
By Candance Pires
Tattoo removal has never been so effective, or so popular. Improvements in technology are delivering better clearance faster, making it more attractive to people who regret their 90s tribal symbol, 00s sleeve or maybe the ultimate jinx, a lover’s name.
In the US, the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (Asaps) reported a 39% increase in laser tattoo treatments, from 2014 to 2015. Set this against a booming US tattoo industry, predicted to hit $1bn in the next five years, and it’s hard to see how removal won’t keep increasing in popularity.
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2017/jan/28/tattoo-removal-regret?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1
Saturday, January 28, 2017
Thursday, January 26, 2017
Jet Lag
From Time -
Why Jet Lag Is Worse than You Think
By Amanda MacMillan
If you’re traveling cross-country to run a race or participate in a sporting event, you may want to prepare for the time change in advance. A new study of professional baseball players shows that jet lag doesn’t just affect mental performance—it can also affect physical performance, as well. The authors say their findings can have implications for all types of athletes, and they offer strategies for lessening the impact.
http://time.com/4648899/jet-lag-fitness-performance/
Why Jet Lag Is Worse than You Think
By Amanda MacMillan
If you’re traveling cross-country to run a race or participate in a sporting event, you may want to prepare for the time change in advance. A new study of professional baseball players shows that jet lag doesn’t just affect mental performance—it can also affect physical performance, as well. The authors say their findings can have implications for all types of athletes, and they offer strategies for lessening the impact.
http://time.com/4648899/jet-lag-fitness-performance/
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Stanford bioengineers develop a 20-cent, hand-powered centrifuge
https://www.thrillist.com/tech/nation/stanford-paperfuge-diagnoses-diseases-blood
Monday, January 23, 2017
When Dancing Comes Easy
From 2Paragraphs -
Who Is Dancer In AirPods Commercial For Apple?
http://2paragraphs.com/2017/01/who-is-dancer-in-airpods-commercial-for-apple/
Who Is Dancer In AirPods Commercial For Apple?
http://2paragraphs.com/2017/01/who-is-dancer-in-airpods-commercial-for-apple/
Stolen Fingerprints?
From Atlas Obscura -
One Danger of Flashing the Peace Sign Could Be Stolen Fingerprints
But we should still work for world peace.
By Erik Shilling
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/researcher-says-one-danger-of-peace-sign-photos-could-be-stolen-fingerprints
One Danger of Flashing the Peace Sign Could Be Stolen Fingerprints
But we should still work for world peace.
By Erik Shilling
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/researcher-says-one-danger-of-peace-sign-photos-could-be-stolen-fingerprints
A Tattoo Artist
From OZY -
DIRTY SOUTH: ATLANTA'S LEGENDARY TATTOO ARTIST
By Nat Roe
http://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/dirty-south-atlantas-legendary-tattoo-artist/74494
DIRTY SOUTH: ATLANTA'S LEGENDARY TATTOO ARTIST
By Nat Roe
http://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/dirty-south-atlantas-legendary-tattoo-artist/74494
Lies. Lies. Lies.
From Dan Rather via Facebook Post as seen on the Huffington Post -
These are not normal times. These are extraordinary times. And extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.
When you have a spokesperson for the president of the United States wrap up a lie in the Orwellian phrase "alternative facts”…
When you have a press secretary in his first appearance before the White House reporters threaten, bully, lie, and then walk out of the briefing room without the cajones to answer a single question…
When you have a President stand before the stars of the fallen CIA agents and boast about the size of his crowds (lies) and how great his authoritarian inaugural speech was….
These are not normal times.
The press has never seen anything like this before. The public has never seen anything like this before. And the political leaders of both parties have never seen anything like this before.
What can we do? We can all step up and say simply and without equivocation. "A lie, is a lie, is a lie!" And if someone won't say it, those of us who know that there is such a thing as the truth must do whatever is in our power to diminish the liar's malignant reach into our society.
There is one group of people who can do a lot - very quickly. And that is Republicans in Congress. Without their support, Donald Trump's presidency will falter. So here is what I think everyone in the press must do. If you are interviewing a Paul Ryan, a Mitch McConnell, or any other GOP elected official, the first question must be "what will you do to combat the lying from the White House?" If they dodge and weave, keep with the follow ups. And if they refuse to give a satisfactory answer, end the interview.
Facts and the truth are not partisan. They are the bedrock of our democracy. And you are either with them, with us, with our Constitution, our history, and the future of our nation, or you are against it. Everyone must answer that question.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dan-rather-alternative-facts_us_58859227e4b0e3a7356a0bc6
These are not normal times. These are extraordinary times. And extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.
When you have a spokesperson for the president of the United States wrap up a lie in the Orwellian phrase "alternative facts”…
When you have a press secretary in his first appearance before the White House reporters threaten, bully, lie, and then walk out of the briefing room without the cajones to answer a single question…
When you have a President stand before the stars of the fallen CIA agents and boast about the size of his crowds (lies) and how great his authoritarian inaugural speech was….
These are not normal times.
The press has never seen anything like this before. The public has never seen anything like this before. And the political leaders of both parties have never seen anything like this before.
What can we do? We can all step up and say simply and without equivocation. "A lie, is a lie, is a lie!" And if someone won't say it, those of us who know that there is such a thing as the truth must do whatever is in our power to diminish the liar's malignant reach into our society.
There is one group of people who can do a lot - very quickly. And that is Republicans in Congress. Without their support, Donald Trump's presidency will falter. So here is what I think everyone in the press must do. If you are interviewing a Paul Ryan, a Mitch McConnell, or any other GOP elected official, the first question must be "what will you do to combat the lying from the White House?" If they dodge and weave, keep with the follow ups. And if they refuse to give a satisfactory answer, end the interview.
Facts and the truth are not partisan. They are the bedrock of our democracy. And you are either with them, with us, with our Constitution, our history, and the future of our nation, or you are against it. Everyone must answer that question.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dan-rather-alternative-facts_us_58859227e4b0e3a7356a0bc6
Sunday, January 22, 2017
The Day in Pictures
From the New York Times -
Pictures From Women’s
Marches on Every Continent
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/21/world/womens-march-pictures.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=a-lede-package-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
Pictures From Women’s
Marches on Every Continent
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/01/21/world/womens-march-pictures.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=a-lede-package-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0
Saturday, January 21, 2017
Heisman Winner Frisked
From the Daily Mail -
'Do you know how many times I've been messed with by cops just for being black?': Heisman trophy winner frisked by Texas police for 7 minutes after taking a walk near his hotel
*Ricky Williams, who played NFL for 12 seasons, was in Tyler, Texas for an awards ceremony
*He took a stroll near his hotel and someone called police about a man acting 'suspiciously'
*Four white officers grilled him and searched his clothing
*Williams never even mentions his NFL and Texas college playing history until the cop asks if he's ever played football
*Tyler police say it never would have happened if Williams hadn't been acting 'suspiciously'
*The town's mayor says he's invited Williams to stay at his house
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4141148/Heisman-trophy-winner-stopped-frisked-Texas-police.html#ixzz4WRL0TO9R
'Do you know how many times I've been messed with by cops just for being black?': Heisman trophy winner frisked by Texas police for 7 minutes after taking a walk near his hotel
*Ricky Williams, who played NFL for 12 seasons, was in Tyler, Texas for an awards ceremony
*He took a stroll near his hotel and someone called police about a man acting 'suspiciously'
*Four white officers grilled him and searched his clothing
*Williams never even mentions his NFL and Texas college playing history until the cop asks if he's ever played football
*Tyler police say it never would have happened if Williams hadn't been acting 'suspiciously'
*The town's mayor says he's invited Williams to stay at his house
 | |||||
| Texas tailback Williams played for the University of Texas, he was the 1998 winner of the Heisman trophy, college football's highest honor |
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4141148/Heisman-trophy-winner-stopped-frisked-Texas-police.html#ixzz4WRL0TO9R
Thursday, January 19, 2017
An Amazing Portrait of Michael
From the Daily Mail -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4131410/Artist-creates-portrait-Michael-Jackson-using-string.html?ITO=applenews
 | ||||
| Zenovii Palagniuk, 21, from Chortkov in Ukraine, has created a mesmerising portrait of Michael Jackson using just string and nails |
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-4131410/Artist-creates-portrait-Michael-Jackson-using-string.html?ITO=applenews
LeBron James Jr. Shows Crazy VISION and HANDLES! | North Coast Blue Chip...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lebron-james-jrs-new-highlight-reel-is-just-sick_us_588096b0e4b02c1837e9dd5d?
Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Monday, January 16, 2017
Black Astronauts
An excerpt from BlackAmericaWeb -
Little Known Black History Fact: Black Astronauts
By D.L. Chandler
On this day in 1978, NASA graduated its first group of Space Shuttle astronauts which signaled a new day for the space program. Among the group of 35, three Black men went on to leave their mark on history as explorers of space.
Maj. Frederick D. Gregory of Washington, Col. Guion Bluford of Pennsylvania, and the late Ronald McNair of South Carolina were the first Black astronauts to join NASA’s elite Space Shuttle program ranks. Col. Bluford became the first African-American in space after flying on a mission aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. Maj. Gregory is the first African-American to pilot an orbiter craft and also the first to command a space shuttle mission, doing so in 1985 and 1989, respectively.
https://blackamericaweb.com/2017/01/16/little-known-black-history-fact-black-astronauts/
Little Known Black History Fact: Black Astronauts
By D.L. Chandler
 |
| The late Ronald McNair, Col. Guion Bluford, & Maj. Frederick D. Gregory |
On this day in 1978, NASA graduated its first group of Space Shuttle astronauts which signaled a new day for the space program. Among the group of 35, three Black men went on to leave their mark on history as explorers of space.
Maj. Frederick D. Gregory of Washington, Col. Guion Bluford of Pennsylvania, and the late Ronald McNair of South Carolina were the first Black astronauts to join NASA’s elite Space Shuttle program ranks. Col. Bluford became the first African-American in space after flying on a mission aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger. Maj. Gregory is the first African-American to pilot an orbiter craft and also the first to command a space shuttle mission, doing so in 1985 and 1989, respectively.
https://blackamericaweb.com/2017/01/16/little-known-black-history-fact-black-astronauts/
Sunday, January 15, 2017
A Black Lady Liberty
From CNN -
For the first time ever, there will be a black Lady Liberty on a coin
By AJ Willingham
A new commemorative coin from the U.S. Mint and Treasury features a fresh depiction of Lady Liberty. With a crown of stars in her hair and a toga-like dress, she's as patriotic as ever. She's also, for the first time on an officially minted coin, portrayed as a black woman.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/13/us/lady-liberty-coin-trnd/index.html
For the first time ever, there will be a black Lady Liberty on a coin
By AJ Willingham
A new commemorative coin from the U.S. Mint and Treasury features a fresh depiction of Lady Liberty. With a crown of stars in her hair and a toga-like dress, she's as patriotic as ever. She's also, for the first time on an officially minted coin, portrayed as a black woman.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/13/us/lady-liberty-coin-trnd/index.html
When Design Meets Math & Science
From Wired -
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ALGORITHMS DESIGN A CONCERT HALL? THE STUNNING ELBPHILHARMONIE By LIZ STINSON
https://www.wired.com/2017/01/happens-algorithms-design-concert-hall-stunning-elbphilharmonie/?mbid=nl_11217_p1&CNDID=#slide-1
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN ALGORITHMS DESIGN A CONCERT HALL? THE STUNNING ELBPHILHARMONIE By LIZ STINSON
 |
| Caption: Caption: Herzog and De Meuron designed the main concert hall of Hamburg's recently opened Elbphilharmonie with the help of algorithms.IWAN BAAN |
Thursday, January 12, 2017
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
$39 Flights!
From the Huffington Post -
JetBlue Is Offering $39 Flights In A 2-Day Flash Sale
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jetblue-sale_us_58751772e4b099cdb0ffae37
JetBlue Is Offering $39 Flights In A 2-Day Flash Sale
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jetblue-sale_us_58751772e4b099cdb0ffae37
Getting Her Due
An excerpt from Salon -
Remembering Octavia Butler: “This country views people like Butler and like Oscar as aliens and treats people like us like we’re from another planet”
Salon speaks to Junot DÃaz about the late, great California sci-fi writer, whose work is resonating again By SCOTT TIMBERG
Octavia Butler, who was born Pasadena, California, in 1947, practically created her own genre — a singular type of science fiction that used the form to explore racism, sexism and the earth’s degradation. Growing up, Butler often accompanied her mother on housecleaning expeditions; she was frequently told that black girls could not become writers. But thank to her perseverance and the assistance of the famously grouchy Los Angeles science-fiction writer Harlan Ellison, she became one of the field’s most important authors in the years before her death in 2006 near Seattle.
Best known for the novels “Kindred” and “Parable of the Sower,” Butler has recently garnered interest for her cultural and political prescience. Much of the energy behind the Butler revival has come from her native Southern California. The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens acquired her papers, where they sit alongside those of Jack London, Charles Bukowski and Christopher Isherwood. (A Butler exhibition is planned this spring.)
Remembering Octavia Butler: “This country views people like Butler and like Oscar as aliens and treats people like us like we’re from another planet”
Salon speaks to Junot DÃaz about the late, great California sci-fi writer, whose work is resonating again By SCOTT TIMBERG
Octavia Butler, who was born Pasadena, California, in 1947, practically created her own genre — a singular type of science fiction that used the form to explore racism, sexism and the earth’s degradation. Growing up, Butler often accompanied her mother on housecleaning expeditions; she was frequently told that black girls could not become writers. But thank to her perseverance and the assistance of the famously grouchy Los Angeles science-fiction writer Harlan Ellison, she became one of the field’s most important authors in the years before her death in 2006 near Seattle.
Best known for the novels “Kindred” and “Parable of the Sower,” Butler has recently garnered interest for her cultural and political prescience. Much of the energy behind the Butler revival has come from her native Southern California. The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens acquired her papers, where they sit alongside those of Jack London, Charles Bukowski and Christopher Isherwood. (A Butler exhibition is planned this spring.)
Kids' Allowances
An excerpt from Slate -
You’re Doing Allowance Wrong
Don’t start it too late, don’t link it to chores, and don’t skimp. Here’s how to do it right.
By Ron Lieber
When it comes to kids and money, there are few topics that cause more confusion for parents than allowances. When should you start? Should it depend on the completion of chores? If you give too little, are you a scrooge? If you give too much, will your kids become brats?
Alas, most parents, acting on their own or following the lead of others, get allowances wrong. They start too late, they hand over too little money and responsibility, and they tie the money to the completion of household tasks while asking nowhere near enough in the way of household cooperation. In short, they don’t focus enough on how their kids use money, nor do they push them hard enough around the house, rendering their adult-making efforts wholly half-assed.
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2015/02/kids_allowances_you_re_doing_it_completely_wrong.html
You’re Doing Allowance Wrong
Don’t start it too late, don’t link it to chores, and don’t skimp. Here’s how to do it right.
By Ron Lieber
When it comes to kids and money, there are few topics that cause more confusion for parents than allowances. When should you start? Should it depend on the completion of chores? If you give too little, are you a scrooge? If you give too much, will your kids become brats?
Alas, most parents, acting on their own or following the lead of others, get allowances wrong. They start too late, they hand over too little money and responsibility, and they tie the money to the completion of household tasks while asking nowhere near enough in the way of household cooperation. In short, they don’t focus enough on how their kids use money, nor do they push them hard enough around the house, rendering their adult-making efforts wholly half-assed.
http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2015/02/kids_allowances_you_re_doing_it_completely_wrong.html
President Obama's Greatest Achievements
From the Good -
28 Of Barack Obama’s Greatest Achievements As President Of The United States
by Tod Perry
As the first African-American elected President of the United States, Barack Obama became a pivotal figure in American history even before his inauguration. But after winning a second term in 2012, his achievements in office have made him one of the most transformative presidents of the past hundred years. He took office with a country in peril and led it through the Great Recession, two wars, civil unrest, a rash of mass shootings, and changing cultural demographics. In the 2008 campaign he called for change and eight years later we are living in a more prosperous country because of it.
Here are 28 of President Obama’s biggest accomplishments as President of the United States.
https://www.good.is/articles/obamas-achievements-in-office
28 Of Barack Obama’s Greatest Achievements As President Of The United States
by Tod Perry
As the first African-American elected President of the United States, Barack Obama became a pivotal figure in American history even before his inauguration. But after winning a second term in 2012, his achievements in office have made him one of the most transformative presidents of the past hundred years. He took office with a country in peril and led it through the Great Recession, two wars, civil unrest, a rash of mass shootings, and changing cultural demographics. In the 2008 campaign he called for change and eight years later we are living in a more prosperous country because of it.
Here are 28 of President Obama’s biggest accomplishments as President of the United States.
https://www.good.is/articles/obamas-achievements-in-office
Problem? What Problem?
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
Survey reveals disconnect between police and public attitudes
By Scott Clement and Wesley Lowery
Two-thirds of the nation’s police officers say the deaths of black Americans during encounters with police are isolated incidents, not a sign of broader problems between law enforcement and black citizens, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Wednesday.
The findings underscore a stark disconnect between many rank-and-file officers and the public and reveal that scrutiny since the 2014 fatal police shooting of Michael Brown has prompted many officers to be less aggressive in day-to-day policing.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/survey-reveals-disconnect-between-police-and-public-attitudes/2017/01/10/65b24f3a-d550-11e6-a783-cd3fa950f2fd_story.html?utm_term=.fa3c20823041
Survey reveals disconnect between police and public attitudes
By Scott Clement and Wesley Lowery
Two-thirds of the nation’s police officers say the deaths of black Americans during encounters with police are isolated incidents, not a sign of broader problems between law enforcement and black citizens, according to a Pew Research Center poll released Wednesday.
The findings underscore a stark disconnect between many rank-and-file officers and the public and reveal that scrutiny since the 2014 fatal police shooting of Michael Brown has prompted many officers to be less aggressive in day-to-day policing.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/survey-reveals-disconnect-between-police-and-public-attitudes/2017/01/10/65b24f3a-d550-11e6-a783-cd3fa950f2fd_story.html?utm_term=.fa3c20823041
$233,610
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
It’s more expensive than ever to raise a child in the U.S.
By Abha Bhattarai
It’s more expensive than ever to raise a child in the United States, where families will shell out an average of $233,610 from birth through age 17 — or about $13,000 a year — according to new figures from the government.
The ballooning price tag, a 3 percent increase from a year earlier, comes at a time when day-care costs can exceed university tuitions and homes prices have skyrocketed to record highs. Families in urban areas in the Northeast, such as New York and Boston, were likely to pay even more — an average of $253,770, or roughly $14,000 a year — because of higher housing and child-care costs, according to a report by the Department of Agriculture.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/01/10/its-more-expensive-than-ever-to-raise-a-child-in-the-u-s/?utm_term=.3d261c422eca&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
It’s more expensive than ever to raise a child in the U.S.
By Abha Bhattarai
It’s more expensive than ever to raise a child in the United States, where families will shell out an average of $233,610 from birth through age 17 — or about $13,000 a year — according to new figures from the government.
The ballooning price tag, a 3 percent increase from a year earlier, comes at a time when day-care costs can exceed university tuitions and homes prices have skyrocketed to record highs. Families in urban areas in the Northeast, such as New York and Boston, were likely to pay even more — an average of $253,770, or roughly $14,000 a year — because of higher housing and child-care costs, according to a report by the Department of Agriculture.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2017/01/10/its-more-expensive-than-ever-to-raise-a-child-in-the-u-s/?utm_term=.3d261c422eca&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
Tuesday, January 10, 2017
India.Arie "Breathe" Official Video
http://www.essence.com/festival/indiaarie-worthy-apparel-line
https://teespring.com/shop/India-Arie-WorthyB_copy_2#pid=287&cid=6097&sid=front
Talent on Display
An excerpt from the Undefeated - (YEAH Clemson!!!)
POTS & PANS: BLACK ATHLETES NOW DOMINATE WHERE THEY ONCE WERE BANNED
Alabama and Clemson teams are defined by power, speed and quickness
BY JEFF RIVERS
But no matter which team wins, Alabama of the SEC and Clemson from the ACC exemplify how big-time college football is played: The teams are defined by power, speed and quickness. And much of that power, speed and quickness – the vogue term is “athleticism” – comes from the teams’ black players.
Indeed, while I watch Monday night’s game, I’ll think of the heroic men and women who made the integration of big-time sports in the South possible. They filed the legal briefs. They marched. They prayed.
And years before black athletes integrated their fields of dreams, young black men and women faced the jeering mobs and the on-campus isolation and ostracism to integrate state colleges in Dixie.
https://theundefeated.com/features/pots-pans-alabama-clemson-college-football-playoff-black-athletes-now-dominate-where-they-once-were-banned/
POTS & PANS: BLACK ATHLETES NOW DOMINATE WHERE THEY ONCE WERE BANNED
Alabama and Clemson teams are defined by power, speed and quickness
BY JEFF RIVERS
But no matter which team wins, Alabama of the SEC and Clemson from the ACC exemplify how big-time college football is played: The teams are defined by power, speed and quickness. And much of that power, speed and quickness – the vogue term is “athleticism” – comes from the teams’ black players.
Indeed, while I watch Monday night’s game, I’ll think of the heroic men and women who made the integration of big-time sports in the South possible. They filed the legal briefs. They marched. They prayed.
And years before black athletes integrated their fields of dreams, young black men and women faced the jeering mobs and the on-campus isolation and ostracism to integrate state colleges in Dixie.
https://theundefeated.com/features/pots-pans-alabama-clemson-college-football-playoff-black-athletes-now-dominate-where-they-once-were-banned/
For Hot Sauce Aficionados
An excerpt from Thrillist -
THE BEST HOT SAUCES, RANKED
By SARAH THEEBOOM
"Chili-heads might be disappointed 'cause it doesn't have the burn they're probably looking for,” said Evans. "But it's one of those mass appeal, buy-it-by-the-jug-at-Walmart hot sauces that can go on anything. When Beyoncé talks about 'hot sauce in my bag,' I think this is the kind of all-purpose sauce she's talking about."
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/best-hot-sauce-brands-ranked
THE BEST HOT SAUCES, RANKED
By SARAH THEEBOOM
"Chili-heads might be disappointed 'cause it doesn't have the burn they're probably looking for,” said Evans. "But it's one of those mass appeal, buy-it-by-the-jug-at-Walmart hot sauces that can go on anything. When Beyoncé talks about 'hot sauce in my bag,' I think this is the kind of all-purpose sauce she's talking about."
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/best-hot-sauce-brands-ranked
Monday, January 9, 2017
Shop Cats
From Atlas Obscura -
Charming Portraits of Hong Kong’s Shop Cats
Meet the adorable cats watching over the city's stores.
By Anika Burgess
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/charming-portraits-of-hong-kongs-shop-cats
Charming Portraits of Hong Kong’s Shop Cats
Meet the adorable cats watching over the city's stores.
By Anika Burgess
 |
| From Hong Kong Shop Cats. ALL PHOTOS: © MARCEL HEIJNEN, HONG KONG SHOP CATS, HONG KONG 2016. |
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/charming-portraits-of-hong-kongs-shop-cats
Yarn Never Looked So Good
From Upworthy -
From shoes to tennis rackets, she transforms everyday objects with lifelike embroidery.
By Erin Canty
http://www.upworthy.com/from-shoes-to-tennis-rackets-she-transforms-everyday-objects-with-lifelike-embroidery?c=upw1&u=6861cbea6edfdfe5a709ee39ad3c14b64135e61f
From shoes to tennis rackets, she transforms everyday objects with lifelike embroidery.
By Erin Canty
 |
| Clough's embroidered portrait of artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Photo by Danielle Clough, used with permission. |
Sunday, January 8, 2017
A Sensitive Car
An excerpt from theWashingtonn Post -
Your car wants to say hello. And that’s only the start.
By Steven Overly
Toyota’s empathetic car of the future is there for you. You’ve had a frustrating day at work; it plays soft music and lowers the temperature. You’re lost in an unfamiliar neighborhood; it offers to take over the driving. You start to nod off at the wheel; it taps you on the shoulder and starts up a conversation.
This unconventional interplay between the driver and automobile is central to concept cars that Honda and Toyota unveiled at the annual CES technology conference in Las Vegas this week. In the not-so-distant future, vehicles will not only be safer or more efficient. They will be our companion, watching our every move.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/01/06/ces-2017-your-car-wants-to-say-hello-and-thats-only-the-start/?utm_term=.e0b0b60b3745&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
Your car wants to say hello. And that’s only the start.
By Steven Overly
Toyota’s empathetic car of the future is there for you. You’ve had a frustrating day at work; it plays soft music and lowers the temperature. You’re lost in an unfamiliar neighborhood; it offers to take over the driving. You start to nod off at the wheel; it taps you on the shoulder and starts up a conversation.
This unconventional interplay between the driver and automobile is central to concept cars that Honda and Toyota unveiled at the annual CES technology conference in Las Vegas this week. In the not-so-distant future, vehicles will not only be safer or more efficient. They will be our companion, watching our every move.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/01/06/ces-2017-your-car-wants-to-say-hello-and-thats-only-the-start/?utm_term=.e0b0b60b3745&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
A Necessary Lesson
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
Black parents take their kids to school on how to deal with police
By Janell Ross
It is a Saturday afternoon in early December, and Room 104 at Anne Arundel Community College is packed, all 150 seats taken. There are moms with oversized Louis Vuitton bags from which they produce items such as granola bars and string cheese. But there are more fathers than mothers and a few elementary-school-aged kids. Most of all, there are teens with Beats headphones draped around their necks like electronic jewelry.
Organized by the Arundel Bay Area Chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc., “Race & the Law” was one of more than 225 similar events held around the country last year and more than 50 such events scheduled across the nation in the first three months of 2017. They are places where anxious black parents bring their children in hopes of preparing them for potentially fateful encounters with the police. They are, in essence, mini boot camps for children about how to be black in 21st-century America.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/black-parents-take-their-kids-to-school-on-how-to-deal-with-police/2017/01/03/86129c1c-c6be-11e6-bf4b-2c064d32a4bf_story.html?utm_term=.edc2c4875961&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
Black parents take their kids to school on how to deal with police
By Janell Ross
It is a Saturday afternoon in early December, and Room 104 at Anne Arundel Community College is packed, all 150 seats taken. There are moms with oversized Louis Vuitton bags from which they produce items such as granola bars and string cheese. But there are more fathers than mothers and a few elementary-school-aged kids. Most of all, there are teens with Beats headphones draped around their necks like electronic jewelry.
Organized by the Arundel Bay Area Chapter of Jack and Jill of America Inc., “Race & the Law” was one of more than 225 similar events held around the country last year and more than 50 such events scheduled across the nation in the first three months of 2017. They are places where anxious black parents bring their children in hopes of preparing them for potentially fateful encounters with the police. They are, in essence, mini boot camps for children about how to be black in 21st-century America.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/black-parents-take-their-kids-to-school-on-how-to-deal-with-police/2017/01/03/86129c1c-c6be-11e6-bf4b-2c064d32a4bf_story.html?utm_term=.edc2c4875961&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
Fascinating Story
An excerpt from Thrillist -
HOW I HIJACKED A PLANE & SPENT THE NEXT 44 YEARS LIVING IN CUBA
By ALEXANDER ZAITCHIK
DURING THE 1960S AND EARLY ‘70S, dozens of American citizens hijacked commercial airliners and took them to Cuba. Most of them were young radicals of one stripe or another; many were black nationalists. Before Washington and Havana signed the Anti-Air Piracy Act of 1973 in a joint attempt to stop an almost comical flow of airplanes south, many of the "skyjackers," as they were called at the time, received asylum from Castro’s Cuba upon landing. One of these men was Charlie Hill, a 22-year-old revolutionary with a group called the Republic of New Afrika. Hill arrived in Havana by way of an unscheduled stop on a TWA plane in November 1971, punctuating an unlikely escape from a statewide manhunt in New Mexico. Then and still the subject of a warrant for the murder of a New Mexico police officer, Hill is among the last remaining refugees from last century’s high tide of skyjacking. He is now 67 years old and beginning to go frail. He receives a Cuban pension of 200 pesos ($10) a month, which isn’t enough to live on, and supplements it with occasional tour guide work.
https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/nation/how-i-hijacked-a-plane-and-spent-the-next-44-years-living-in-cuba?pinn_uid=28273781
HOW I HIJACKED A PLANE & SPENT THE NEXT 44 YEARS LIVING IN CUBA
By ALEXANDER ZAITCHIK
DURING THE 1960S AND EARLY ‘70S, dozens of American citizens hijacked commercial airliners and took them to Cuba. Most of them were young radicals of one stripe or another; many were black nationalists. Before Washington and Havana signed the Anti-Air Piracy Act of 1973 in a joint attempt to stop an almost comical flow of airplanes south, many of the "skyjackers," as they were called at the time, received asylum from Castro’s Cuba upon landing. One of these men was Charlie Hill, a 22-year-old revolutionary with a group called the Republic of New Afrika. Hill arrived in Havana by way of an unscheduled stop on a TWA plane in November 1971, punctuating an unlikely escape from a statewide manhunt in New Mexico. Then and still the subject of a warrant for the murder of a New Mexico police officer, Hill is among the last remaining refugees from last century’s high tide of skyjacking. He is now 67 years old and beginning to go frail. He receives a Cuban pension of 200 pesos ($10) a month, which isn’t enough to live on, and supplements it with occasional tour guide work.
https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/nation/how-i-hijacked-a-plane-and-spent-the-next-44-years-living-in-cuba?pinn_uid=28273781
Saturday, January 7, 2017
A Smart Ass
Hope you can see this. If not, click on the link.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/clever-donkey-crosses-fence-italy-video_us_5870a027e4b099cdb0fd6279?r922lj4jz2vwe9udi
Should She Have Been Punished?
An excerpt from Narratively and Salon -
She killed her abuser before he could kill her: After 17 years locked up, she’s taking on justice system
After 17 years behind bars, one woman is lobbying for the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act
By NATALIE PATTILLO, NARRATIVELY
Dadou, now fifty, has been out of prison for seven years. She’s actively lobbying for a bill that could have potentially saved her from incarceration. The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DJSJA) — sponsored by New York State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson and Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry — has been inching its way into state law since 2011. “Sending survivors of domestic violence who act to protect themselves to prison for long sentences is incompatible with modern notions of fairness and humanity,” Hassell-Thompson wrote in a 2013 press release.
http://www.salon.com/2017/01/07/former-inmate-who-killed-her-abuser-takes-on-the-system_partner/
She killed her abuser before he could kill her: After 17 years locked up, she’s taking on justice system
After 17 years behind bars, one woman is lobbying for the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act
By NATALIE PATTILLO, NARRATIVELY
Dadou, now fifty, has been out of prison for seven years. She’s actively lobbying for a bill that could have potentially saved her from incarceration. The Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act (DJSJA) — sponsored by New York State Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson and Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry — has been inching its way into state law since 2011. “Sending survivors of domestic violence who act to protect themselves to prison for long sentences is incompatible with modern notions of fairness and humanity,” Hassell-Thompson wrote in a 2013 press release.
http://www.salon.com/2017/01/07/former-inmate-who-killed-her-abuser-takes-on-the-system_partner/
Starting Young
An excerpt from the LA Times -
To compete with Silicon Valley for engineers, aerospace firms start recruitment in pre-kindergarten
By Samantha Masunaga
They are starting to reach out earlier to potential employees — as early as elementary school or even pre-kindergarten — to get them interested in science and math. And they’re recognizing the challenge they have building awareness with a generation that never had a real space race, but grew up with Google, Snapchat and Apple as part of their daily lives.
“This is something that’s very critical to our member companies,” said Dan Stohr, spokesman for the Aerospace Industries Assn. trade group. “They’re putting serious money into this, to the tune of millions of dollars a year.”
Lockheed Martin Corp. has launched a program called Generation Beyond aimed at encouraging middle school students’ interest in deep space exploration. The initiative includes a class curriculum, a downloadable Mars weather app and a traveling school bus modified so that children riding it can see the Martian landscape through the windows.
“One of the things we’ve been seeing is that this generation of students doesn’t necessarily know or have grown up with Lockheed Martin, as their parents did,” said Steve Hatch, the company’s director for central talent acquisition, of current college students. “As we look at the competition, how do we go attract that talent sooner … but at the same time, get them interested in STEM.”
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-defense-recruiting-20161214-story.html
To compete with Silicon Valley for engineers, aerospace firms start recruitment in pre-kindergarten
By Samantha Masunaga
They are starting to reach out earlier to potential employees — as early as elementary school or even pre-kindergarten — to get them interested in science and math. And they’re recognizing the challenge they have building awareness with a generation that never had a real space race, but grew up with Google, Snapchat and Apple as part of their daily lives.
“This is something that’s very critical to our member companies,” said Dan Stohr, spokesman for the Aerospace Industries Assn. trade group. “They’re putting serious money into this, to the tune of millions of dollars a year.”
Lockheed Martin Corp. has launched a program called Generation Beyond aimed at encouraging middle school students’ interest in deep space exploration. The initiative includes a class curriculum, a downloadable Mars weather app and a traveling school bus modified so that children riding it can see the Martian landscape through the windows.
“One of the things we’ve been seeing is that this generation of students doesn’t necessarily know or have grown up with Lockheed Martin, as their parents did,” said Steve Hatch, the company’s director for central talent acquisition, of current college students. “As we look at the competition, how do we go attract that talent sooner … but at the same time, get them interested in STEM.”
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-defense-recruiting-20161214-story.html
Agree
An excerpt from Thrillist -
GUYS WHO GROW UP WITH SISTERS ARE BETTER BOYFRIENDS
By MEAGAN DRILLINGER
"Men with sisters tend to be better listeners," says Murray. "By and large, women use more words than men do. If you're around people who talk more, then you're exposed to a lot more words. But boys, as a consequence, may not express themselves so much through words, but through behavior and their physicality.
https://www.thrillist.com/sex-dating/nation/sisters-teach-men-brothers-how-to-be-better-boyfriend?pinn_uid=28273781
GUYS WHO GROW UP WITH SISTERS ARE BETTER BOYFRIENDS
By MEAGAN DRILLINGER
"Men with sisters tend to be better listeners," says Murray. "By and large, women use more words than men do. If you're around people who talk more, then you're exposed to a lot more words. But boys, as a consequence, may not express themselves so much through words, but through behavior and their physicality.
https://www.thrillist.com/sex-dating/nation/sisters-teach-men-brothers-how-to-be-better-boyfriend?pinn_uid=28273781
Friday, January 6, 2017
Making History
An excerpt from the Huffington Post -
First African-American Astronaut To Board The International Space Station
NASA’s Jeanette Epps just made history.
By Lilly Workneh
Astronaut Jeanette Epps made African-American history on Wednesday when NASA announced that she’ll be the first black American astronaut to board the International Space Station.
While NASA has sent 14 black astronauts into space over the decades, none have ever stayed aboard the ISS as a crew member. Epps will be the first African American and the 13th woman to call the ISS home since the space station was founded in 1998. Epps, who is from Syracuse, New York, will join astronaut Andrew Feustel as a flight engineer on Expedition 56 in May 2018, according to NASA. She will also stay on board for Expedition 57.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/first-african-american-astronaut-to-board-international-space-station_us_586fd5b1e4b02b5f85889969?71i2vh9qflu6usor
First African-American Astronaut To Board The International Space Station
NASA’s Jeanette Epps just made history.
By Lilly Workneh
Astronaut Jeanette Epps made African-American history on Wednesday when NASA announced that she’ll be the first black American astronaut to board the International Space Station.
While NASA has sent 14 black astronauts into space over the decades, none have ever stayed aboard the ISS as a crew member. Epps will be the first African American and the 13th woman to call the ISS home since the space station was founded in 1998. Epps, who is from Syracuse, New York, will join astronaut Andrew Feustel as a flight engineer on Expedition 56 in May 2018, according to NASA. She will also stay on board for Expedition 57.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/first-african-american-astronaut-to-board-international-space-station_us_586fd5b1e4b02b5f85889969?71i2vh9qflu6usor
Cheesy Soup . . . Yum!
https://www.thrillist.com/recipe/nation/how-to-make-cheesy-tomato-soup-recipe?pinn_uid=28273781
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