From the Guardian -
Living under a tarp next to Facebook HQ: 'I don't want people to see me'
The sprawling Silicon Valley campus has cafes, bike repair services, even dry cleaning. But across the road a homeless community epitomizes the wealth gap
By Alastair Gee
In a patch of scrubland across the road from the Facebook headquarters in Silicon Valley, a woman named Celma Aguilar recently walked along some overgrown train tracks. She stopped where a path forked into some vegetation, just a few hundred yards from the tourists taking photos by an enormous image of a “Like” icon at the campus entrance.
“Welcome to the mansion,” Aguilar said, gesturing to a rudimentary shelter of tarps hidden in the undergrowth.
The campsite is one of about 10 that dot the boggy terrain, and are a striking sight alongside the brightly painted, low-slung buildings housing the multi-billion-dollar corporation. The contrast epitomizes the Bay Area wealth gap.
Harold Schapelhouman, a fire chief whose department has dealt with conflagrations on the land, said he was struck by the disparities. “Their employees are very well taken care of. They have on-site medical facilities, dry cleaning, bicycle repair, they feed them and there are restaurants that are there. It’s amazing what Facebook does for its employees. And yet within eyeshot – it really isn’t that far – there are people literally living in the bushes.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/31/facebook-campus-homeless-tent-city-menlo-park-california?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Friday, March 31, 2017
When the Ducks Had Just One
From the Undefeated -
Oregon basketball team’s first out-of-state black player paved the way with his struggles and success
The Ducks’ majority-black roster didn’t always look that way — but my father is part of the reason it does
BY KURT STREETER
It’s a team picture I’ll always cherish, even though I’d never seen it until 11 years ago, shortly after my father died.
It shows him as a young man, in the early 1950s. He was in college then, at the University of Oregon, where he was a fixture on the basketball team. In the photograph he’s No. 11, sitting in the front row, a familiar gleam in his eye. His teammates were all white. My father, Mel Streeter, was the only African-American player on the Ducks.
As much as I love this photograph, it also presents a mystery. My dad didn’t talk all that much about his playing days, or what it was like to be a dark-skinned, 6-foot-4 black guy in a virtually all-white town and a virtually all-white state in the years of Truman and Eisenhower. I can’t stop wondering what those days were really like for him.
https://theundefeated.com/features/oregon-ducks-basketball-ncaa/
Oregon basketball team’s first out-of-state black player paved the way with his struggles and success
The Ducks’ majority-black roster didn’t always look that way — but my father is part of the reason it does
BY KURT STREETER
It’s a team picture I’ll always cherish, even though I’d never seen it until 11 years ago, shortly after my father died.
It shows him as a young man, in the early 1950s. He was in college then, at the University of Oregon, where he was a fixture on the basketball team. In the photograph he’s No. 11, sitting in the front row, a familiar gleam in his eye. His teammates were all white. My father, Mel Streeter, was the only African-American player on the Ducks.
As much as I love this photograph, it also presents a mystery. My dad didn’t talk all that much about his playing days, or what it was like to be a dark-skinned, 6-foot-4 black guy in a virtually all-white town and a virtually all-white state in the years of Truman and Eisenhower. I can’t stop wondering what those days were really like for him.
https://theundefeated.com/features/oregon-ducks-basketball-ncaa/
Podcast Love
From the New York Times -
Liked ‘Serial’? Here’s Why the True-Crime Podcast ‘S-Town’ Is Better
By AMANDA HESS
“S-Town” is not another tale of a journalist trying to solve a murder with just a microphone and a little elbow grease, and thank God. Instead, “S-Town” transcends the podcast procedural with a destabilizing narrative structure in which one small-town mystery leads to another, all surrounding Mr. McLemore and his acquaintances. There is that murder, but also a treasure hunt, a land grab and a mysterious benefactor. Mr. Reed’s investigation turns psychological and emotional — into how people come to be branded as bad, and the hidden relationships among men in the rural South.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/arts/true-crime-podcast-s-town-serial.html
Liked ‘Serial’? Here’s Why the True-Crime Podcast ‘S-Town’ Is Better
By AMANDA HESS
“S-Town” is not another tale of a journalist trying to solve a murder with just a microphone and a little elbow grease, and thank God. Instead, “S-Town” transcends the podcast procedural with a destabilizing narrative structure in which one small-town mystery leads to another, all surrounding Mr. McLemore and his acquaintances. There is that murder, but also a treasure hunt, a land grab and a mysterious benefactor. Mr. Reed’s investigation turns psychological and emotional — into how people come to be branded as bad, and the hidden relationships among men in the rural South.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/arts/true-crime-podcast-s-town-serial.html
This Will Wake You Up
From Food & Wine -
The Most Caffeinated Coffee in the World Is Now Available in the US
By Mike Pomranz
Launched in 2016, Black Insomnia, a South Africa-based coffee company, is the most recent brand to claim that title, saying it has scientific proof that its blend is the most caffeinated in the world – with “dangerously high levels of caffeine” as the brand awkwardly boasts. And now, the king of caffeinated coffees is finally available in the US.
http://www.foodandwine.com/news/black-insomnia-coffee-available-us
The Most Caffeinated Coffee in the World Is Now Available in the US
By Mike Pomranz
Launched in 2016, Black Insomnia, a South Africa-based coffee company, is the most recent brand to claim that title, saying it has scientific proof that its blend is the most caffeinated in the world – with “dangerously high levels of caffeine” as the brand awkwardly boasts. And now, the king of caffeinated coffees is finally available in the US.
http://www.foodandwine.com/news/black-insomnia-coffee-available-us
We invited Ugandan Olympic hopefully Brolin Mawejje to forerun the slope...
http://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/the-extraordinary-story-of-ugandas-first-major-snowboarder/74962
Wow!
From Deadspin -
Here Is A Rugby Player With His Face In Another Rugby Player's Bare Ass
By Billy Haisley
http://deadspin.com/here-is-a-rugby-player-with-his-face-in-another-rugby-p-1793895706
Here Is A Rugby Player With His Face In Another Rugby Player's Bare Ass
By Billy Haisley
 |
| Photo credit: Matt King/Getty |
Play Only. Keep Your Opinions to Yourself.
From the Washington Post -
NFL players and the value — and potential cost — of political activism
“It’s amazing, I think, to see how many people will call us ‘athletes’ and will tell us we need to be in the communities and we need to serve in the different communities that we play in or live in,” Boldin said, walking the tunnels beneath Capitol Hill, hustling from House to Senate side Thursday afternoon. “But as soon as you take a political stand, they tell you, ‘Stick to football.’ You can’t have it both ways. If you’re expecting me to be a role model for younger kids or for society in general, how is it wrong for me to speak out when I do see injustices?”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/nfl-players-and-the-value--and-potential-cost--of-political-activism/2017/03/30/8d8793d8-1580-11e7-9e4f-09aa75d3ec57_story.html?utm_term=.bb676013577f&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
NFL players and the value — and potential cost — of political activism
By Barry Svrluga
“It’s amazing, I think, to see how many people will call us ‘athletes’ and will tell us we need to be in the communities and we need to serve in the different communities that we play in or live in,” Boldin said, walking the tunnels beneath Capitol Hill, hustling from House to Senate side Thursday afternoon. “But as soon as you take a political stand, they tell you, ‘Stick to football.’ You can’t have it both ways. If you’re expecting me to be a role model for younger kids or for society in general, how is it wrong for me to speak out when I do see injustices?”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/redskins/nfl-players-and-the-value--and-potential-cost--of-political-activism/2017/03/30/8d8793d8-1580-11e7-9e4f-09aa75d3ec57_story.html?utm_term=.bb676013577f&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Lessons From "The Wire"
From the Huffington Post -
This Law School Created A Criminal Justice Class Based On ‘The Wire’
Long live Omar’s code!
By Taryn Finley
The University of Pittsburgh Law School is bringing the real life lessons from HBO’s classic series “The Wire” to the classroom.
The 3-credit course, “Crime, Law and Society in ‘The Wire,’” will use the Baltimore-based drama to analyze many of the contemporary issues in the criminal justice system. According to the course description, these include, “drug enforcement, race, confessions, police manipulation of crime statistics, mass incarceration, use of force, gender, criminal organizations, gun violence, and honesty and accountability in law enforcement.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/law-school-criminal-justice-class-the-wire_us_58dd1601e4b08194e3b7b3e8?9r68b0avqi7msra4i&
This Law School Created A Criminal Justice Class Based On ‘The Wire’
Long live Omar’s code!
By Taryn Finley
The University of Pittsburgh Law School is bringing the real life lessons from HBO’s classic series “The Wire” to the classroom.
The 3-credit course, “Crime, Law and Society in ‘The Wire,’” will use the Baltimore-based drama to analyze many of the contemporary issues in the criminal justice system. According to the course description, these include, “drug enforcement, race, confessions, police manipulation of crime statistics, mass incarceration, use of force, gender, criminal organizations, gun violence, and honesty and accountability in law enforcement.”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/law-school-criminal-justice-class-the-wire_us_58dd1601e4b08194e3b7b3e8?9r68b0avqi7msra4i&
The future of mobility. As usual.
http://www.upworthy.com/a-hilarious-commercial-in-sweden-is-getting-people-hyped-about-public-transport?c=upw1&u=6861cbea6edfdfe5a709ee39ad3c14b64135e61f
Black Women Being Humiliated . . . Again
From the Atlantic -
The Day Bill O'Reilly Apologized
The Fox News host—like White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer—landed himself in hot water Tuesday for responding to how a woman of color looked, and not to what she said.
By ALEX WAGNER
Tuesday was not a good day for America’s hard-charging white men. Fox News host Bill O’Reilly began his day on the set of Fox & Friends, where he was asked about remarks that Representative Maxine Waters made Monday evening on the floor of Congress about Trump supporters and patriotism. Instead of responding to Waters’s comments, O’Reilly opted to focus on something else. “I didn’t hear a word she said,” O’Reilly said, interrupting his hosts. “I was looking at the James Brown wig.”
~~~~~~~~~~
At the same time that O’Reilly was feverishly attempting unwind these peculiar and offensive comments about a prominent black woman, several hundred miles south in Washington D.C., White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was at the podium, scolding April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks—a black, female journalist who’d drawn Spicer’s ire by pressing him on the Trump administration’s alleged collusion with Russia.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/oreilly-waters-spicer-ryan/521145/
The Day Bill O'Reilly Apologized
The Fox News host—like White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer—landed himself in hot water Tuesday for responding to how a woman of color looked, and not to what she said.
By ALEX WAGNER
Tuesday was not a good day for America’s hard-charging white men. Fox News host Bill O’Reilly began his day on the set of Fox & Friends, where he was asked about remarks that Representative Maxine Waters made Monday evening on the floor of Congress about Trump supporters and patriotism. Instead of responding to Waters’s comments, O’Reilly opted to focus on something else. “I didn’t hear a word she said,” O’Reilly said, interrupting his hosts. “I was looking at the James Brown wig.”
~~~~~~~~~~
At the same time that O’Reilly was feverishly attempting unwind these peculiar and offensive comments about a prominent black woman, several hundred miles south in Washington D.C., White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer was at the podium, scolding April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks—a black, female journalist who’d drawn Spicer’s ire by pressing him on the Trump administration’s alleged collusion with Russia.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/03/oreilly-waters-spicer-ryan/521145/
Black Women Making History
http://www.essence.com/celebrity/15-modern-day-black-women-who-made-history-their-firsts
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
Gaming the System
From OZY -
WHY TECH'S LATEST FASHION ACCESSORY IS A FACE MASK
By Leslie Nguyen-Okwu
These days, being online can feel like living in a glass house. According to a 2016 report from Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology, about half of all U.S. adults can be found in one of the many facial recognition databases maintained by law enforcement. But never fear — there are ways to game the system. In an age when privacy often feels more like a luxury than a civil right, a creative cadre of artists, designers and makers are fashioning a new kind of camouflage for today’s intrusive digital era.
The privacy strategy of the photobomber, which retails for $288, revolves around glass nanospheres embedded in the fabric that reflect light in every direction, leaving your face eerily backlit and indiscernible, says Chris Holmes, a DJ who designed the cowled garb back in 2015. In London, designer Saif Siddiqui sews crystal spheres into an anti-paparazzi scarf ($362) that, like the hoodie, reflects camera flashes to obscure the wearer’s face. Austrian Wolf Prix brought Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak to life as the Jammer Coat; it incorporates metallic fabrics that can block radio waves, cellphone signals and tracking devices, providing off-the-grid anonymity even while the wearer is strolling busy city streets.
http://www.ozy.com/fast-forward/why-techs-latest-fashion-accessory-is-a-face-mask/76529
WHY TECH'S LATEST FASHION ACCESSORY IS A FACE MASK
By Leslie Nguyen-Okwu
These days, being online can feel like living in a glass house. According to a 2016 report from Georgetown Law’s Center on Privacy and Technology, about half of all U.S. adults can be found in one of the many facial recognition databases maintained by law enforcement. But never fear — there are ways to game the system. In an age when privacy often feels more like a luxury than a civil right, a creative cadre of artists, designers and makers are fashioning a new kind of camouflage for today’s intrusive digital era.
The privacy strategy of the photobomber, which retails for $288, revolves around glass nanospheres embedded in the fabric that reflect light in every direction, leaving your face eerily backlit and indiscernible, says Chris Holmes, a DJ who designed the cowled garb back in 2015. In London, designer Saif Siddiqui sews crystal spheres into an anti-paparazzi scarf ($362) that, like the hoodie, reflects camera flashes to obscure the wearer’s face. Austrian Wolf Prix brought Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak to life as the Jammer Coat; it incorporates metallic fabrics that can block radio waves, cellphone signals and tracking devices, providing off-the-grid anonymity even while the wearer is strolling busy city streets.
 | ||||
| Betabrand’s Flashback Photobomber Hoodie is coated with reflective glass nanospheres that thwart smartphone flash photos. | SOURCE COURTESY OF BETABRAND |
Love Notes
My favorite: #4
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1CMdLB/:1Fo2LAw7e:iMyIPL76/www.boredpanda.com/modern-relationship-love-notes
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1CMdLB/:1Fo2LAw7e:iMyIPL76/www.boredpanda.com/modern-relationship-love-notes
A Plain Old Box
From Upworthy -
Here's why American parents are now ditching expensive cribs for a simple, cardboard box.
EVAN PORTER
One of the biggest problems new parents in developed nations face is SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, which is exactly as frightening and unpredictable as it sounds.
Experts can't always pinpoint the cause of every death from SIDS, but more often than not, it has to do with unsafe sleeping environments that accidentally cut off the baby's air supply with blankets, toys, or other obstructions.
For years now, many of the world's leading countries in this area have had a secret weapon in the fight against SIDS: cardboard boxes.
Or "baby boxes" as they're known.
http://www.upworthy.com/heres-why-american-parents-are-now-ditching-expensive-cribs-for-a-simple-cardboard-box?c=upw1&u=6861cbea6edfdfe5a709ee39ad3c14b64135e61f
Here's why American parents are now ditching expensive cribs for a simple, cardboard box.
EVAN PORTER
One of the biggest problems new parents in developed nations face is SIDS, or sudden infant death syndrome, which is exactly as frightening and unpredictable as it sounds.
Experts can't always pinpoint the cause of every death from SIDS, but more often than not, it has to do with unsafe sleeping environments that accidentally cut off the baby's air supply with blankets, toys, or other obstructions.
For years now, many of the world's leading countries in this area have had a secret weapon in the fight against SIDS: cardboard boxes.
Or "baby boxes" as they're known.
http://www.upworthy.com/heres-why-american-parents-are-now-ditching-expensive-cribs-for-a-simple-cardboard-box?c=upw1&u=6861cbea6edfdfe5a709ee39ad3c14b64135e61f
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
94-year-old woman celebrates 44 years working at McDonald’s
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2017/03/27/_94_year_old_loraine_maurer_has_worked_at_mcdonald_s_in_indiana_for_44_years.html
There Was no Pull
From VPR -
Why Is Vermont So Overwhelmingly White?
By ANGELA EVANCIE & REBECCA SANANES
“In terms of immediacy, there isn't an established community of color here in Vermont. And there is a historic reason for that,” says C. Winter Han, an associate professor of sociology at Middlebury College and the author of the book Geisha of a Different Kind: Race and Sexuality in Gaysian America. “Because clearly there were many places that at one time in history were not very diverse, like Chicago or New York or Philadelphia — there really was a time when those cities were almost uniformly white. And yet over time, for different reasons, for different groups, they became much more diverse.”
Professor Han says these transformations weren’t arbitrary.
“There is this pattern of migration that most places where people go, they go because there's already an established connection between the place that that is sending migrants and the place that is receiving them.
This theory of immigration is often referred to as “push and pull.” And if you take the long view of Vermont’s history, when it comes to a particular demographic — African-Americans — there was no "pull" to Vermont.
http://digital.vpr.net/post/why-vermont-so-overwhelmingly-white#stream/0
Why Is Vermont So Overwhelmingly White?
By ANGELA EVANCIE & REBECCA SANANES
“In terms of immediacy, there isn't an established community of color here in Vermont. And there is a historic reason for that,” says C. Winter Han, an associate professor of sociology at Middlebury College and the author of the book Geisha of a Different Kind: Race and Sexuality in Gaysian America. “Because clearly there were many places that at one time in history were not very diverse, like Chicago or New York or Philadelphia — there really was a time when those cities were almost uniformly white. And yet over time, for different reasons, for different groups, they became much more diverse.”
Professor Han says these transformations weren’t arbitrary.
“There is this pattern of migration that most places where people go, they go because there's already an established connection between the place that that is sending migrants and the place that is receiving them.
This theory of immigration is often referred to as “push and pull.” And if you take the long view of Vermont’s history, when it comes to a particular demographic — African-Americans — there was no "pull" to Vermont.
http://digital.vpr.net/post/why-vermont-so-overwhelmingly-white#stream/0
Zydeco is Calling
From the New york Times -
Accordions, Étouffée and Nonstop Dancing in a Zydeco Capital
By CHRIS WOHLWEND
As 8 a.m. approached on a spring Saturday, a crowd of 70 to 80 patiently waited outside the front door of a cafe in the hamlet of Breaux Bridge in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun country. Inside, Cedryl Ballou & the Zydeco Trendsetters were finishing their sound-check as bartenders filled cups with Bloody Mary and mimosa mixers.
As the door opened, the distinctive sounds of accordion and washboard announced that another zydeco breakfast had begun in this town along Bayou Teche.
The dance floor began to fill with the first accordion runs and was packed by the start of the second tune. Many of the dancers had begun lining up outside as early as 6:30 a.m.
Eggs, zydeco and dancing are a year-round Saturday morning tradition in Breaux Bridge, but on this particular morning in late April last year, the crowd also included a smattering of partyers from the Festival International de Louisiane in nearby Lafayette, including a group from the French-speaking Caribbean island of Martinique.
The breakfast crowd is a microcosm of Louisiana’s culture, both Creole and Cajun, a culture heavily seasoned with zydeco music. And that is what the festival, which began in 1987, is about. Lafayette will welcome an estimated 300,000 revelers over five days, April 26 to 30, with the peak attendance on Friday and Saturday. The music will include zydeco along with its antecedents and influences from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and Southeast Asia.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/travel/louisiana-zydeco-music-capital-accordions-etouffee-dancing.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=mini-moth®ion=top-stories-below&WT.nav=top-stories-below&_r=0
Accordions, Étouffée and Nonstop Dancing in a Zydeco Capital
By CHRIS WOHLWEND
As 8 a.m. approached on a spring Saturday, a crowd of 70 to 80 patiently waited outside the front door of a cafe in the hamlet of Breaux Bridge in the heart of Louisiana’s Cajun country. Inside, Cedryl Ballou & the Zydeco Trendsetters were finishing their sound-check as bartenders filled cups with Bloody Mary and mimosa mixers.
As the door opened, the distinctive sounds of accordion and washboard announced that another zydeco breakfast had begun in this town along Bayou Teche.
The dance floor began to fill with the first accordion runs and was packed by the start of the second tune. Many of the dancers had begun lining up outside as early as 6:30 a.m.
Eggs, zydeco and dancing are a year-round Saturday morning tradition in Breaux Bridge, but on this particular morning in late April last year, the crowd also included a smattering of partyers from the Festival International de Louisiane in nearby Lafayette, including a group from the French-speaking Caribbean island of Martinique.
The breakfast crowd is a microcosm of Louisiana’s culture, both Creole and Cajun, a culture heavily seasoned with zydeco music. And that is what the festival, which began in 1987, is about. Lafayette will welcome an estimated 300,000 revelers over five days, April 26 to 30, with the peak attendance on Friday and Saturday. The music will include zydeco along with its antecedents and influences from Africa, the Caribbean, Europe and Southeast Asia.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/28/travel/louisiana-zydeco-music-capital-accordions-etouffee-dancing.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=mini-moth®ion=top-stories-below&WT.nav=top-stories-below&_r=0
Monday, March 27, 2017
Moving Forward
From Slate -
A Way Forward
What Democrats should do to capitalize on the defeat of Trumpcare.
By Jamelle Bouie
It almost goes without saying that Democrats have an unprecedented gift. By simply describing the AHCA and the GOP effort to pass it, they can tie their opponents to dysfunction and cruelty. They can show, in vivid terms, what the Republican Party would do to the public if it had the chance—if it could get itself together. Democrats have no excuse; they should blast the Republican Party with its failure and use the opportunity to tout a comprehensive plan for improving the Affordable Care Act. This could take several forms. They could embrace Sen. Bernie Sanders’ call for universal Medicare; they could introduce a public option to the exchanges, coupled with more generous subsidies; they could announce a plan to federalize and expand Medicaid even further; or they could do a little of each, writing a simple proposal that opens Medicare up to older Americans not yet on there, provides greater subsidies in the health care exchanges, and closes any coverage gaps with Medicaid. And in the short term, they can pressure individual states to adopt the Medicaid expansion as it exists. Whatever the path they choose, Trump’s health care quagmire gives Democrats a chance to move the ball forward and show Americans a real path toward affordable insurance and universal coverage.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/03/what_democrats_should_do_to_capitalize_on_the_defeat_of_trumpcare.html
A Way Forward
What Democrats should do to capitalize on the defeat of Trumpcare.
By Jamelle Bouie
It almost goes without saying that Democrats have an unprecedented gift. By simply describing the AHCA and the GOP effort to pass it, they can tie their opponents to dysfunction and cruelty. They can show, in vivid terms, what the Republican Party would do to the public if it had the chance—if it could get itself together. Democrats have no excuse; they should blast the Republican Party with its failure and use the opportunity to tout a comprehensive plan for improving the Affordable Care Act. This could take several forms. They could embrace Sen. Bernie Sanders’ call for universal Medicare; they could introduce a public option to the exchanges, coupled with more generous subsidies; they could announce a plan to federalize and expand Medicaid even further; or they could do a little of each, writing a simple proposal that opens Medicare up to older Americans not yet on there, provides greater subsidies in the health care exchanges, and closes any coverage gaps with Medicaid. And in the short term, they can pressure individual states to adopt the Medicaid expansion as it exists. Whatever the path they choose, Trump’s health care quagmire gives Democrats a chance to move the ball forward and show Americans a real path toward affordable insurance and universal coverage.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/03/what_democrats_should_do_to_capitalize_on_the_defeat_of_trumpcare.html
If You Need (or Want) a New iPhone
From USA Today & Reviewed -
Target will give you $300 if you buy a new iPhone this week
By Brendan Nystedt , Reviewed.com
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewedcom/2017/03/27/target-will-give-you-300-if-you-buy-a-new-iphone-this-week/99687416/
Target will give you $300 if you buy a new iPhone this week
By Brendan Nystedt , Reviewed.com
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewedcom/2017/03/27/target-will-give-you-300-if-you-buy-a-new-iphone-this-week/99687416/
Lesson Learned: Fight Back
From the Huffington Post -
School Tries To Censor BLM Article. These Students Had The Final Say.
The high schoolers recruited the help of their regional ACLU.
By Zahara Hill
Two California high schoolers fought back ― and won ― when their principal tried to censor a yearbook article on Black Lives Matter earlier this year.
Throughout the fall semester, Vanessa Mewborn, 16, and Ariana Coleman, 17, interviewed students and faculty at Buckingham Charter Magnet School in Vacaville, California, about their thoughts on the BLM movement for a yearbook article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/these-students-fought-back-when-their-principal-tried-to-censor-blm-discussion_us_58d932a8e4b03692bea7faec?section=us_black-voices
School Tries To Censor BLM Article. These Students Had The Final Say.
The high schoolers recruited the help of their regional ACLU.
By Zahara Hill
Two California high schoolers fought back ― and won ― when their principal tried to censor a yearbook article on Black Lives Matter earlier this year.
Throughout the fall semester, Vanessa Mewborn, 16, and Ariana Coleman, 17, interviewed students and faculty at Buckingham Charter Magnet School in Vacaville, California, about their thoughts on the BLM movement for a yearbook article.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/these-students-fought-back-when-their-principal-tried-to-censor-blm-discussion_us_58d932a8e4b03692bea7faec?section=us_black-voices
I Love This Dad!
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/03/dad-called-out-son-bad-grades-sign-cavaliers-game-amazing-photo
Contesting the Truth
From Slate -
Trump’s Terrifying Comey Tweet
The president is using his office as a platform to contest the very nature of truth.
By Jamelle Bouie
But Trump sees no advantage in accountability, no reason to honor the truth or even gesture toward its existence. Both he and his White House have made a conscious decision to destabilize public discourse, to fracture and undermine common understanding. President Trump isn’t just lying to the American people; he’s saying, almost openly, that the truth just doesn’t matter either way.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/03/trump_s_comey_tweet_was_one_of_his_most_terrifying_lies_yet.html
Trump’s Terrifying Comey Tweet
The president is using his office as a platform to contest the very nature of truth.
By Jamelle Bouie
But Trump sees no advantage in accountability, no reason to honor the truth or even gesture toward its existence. Both he and his White House have made a conscious decision to destabilize public discourse, to fracture and undermine common understanding. President Trump isn’t just lying to the American people; he’s saying, almost openly, that the truth just doesn’t matter either way.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/03/trump_s_comey_tweet_was_one_of_his_most_terrifying_lies_yet.html
Sunday, March 26, 2017
All Alone
From the Guardian -
Into the woods: how one man survived alone in the wilderness for 27 years
At the age of 20, Christopher Knight parked his car on a remote trail in Maine and walked away with only the most basic supplies. He had no plan. His chief motivation was to avoid contact with people. This is his story
by Michael Finkel
Christopher Knight was only 20 years old when he walked away from society, not to be seen again for more than a quarter of a century. He had been working for less than a year installing home and vehicle alarm systems near Boston, Massachusetts, when abruptly, without giving notice to his boss, he quit his job. He never even returned his tools. He cashed his final pay cheque and left town.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/mar/15/stranger-in-the-woods-christopher-knight-hermit-maine?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1
Into the woods: how one man survived alone in the wilderness for 27 years
At the age of 20, Christopher Knight parked his car on a remote trail in Maine and walked away with only the most basic supplies. He had no plan. His chief motivation was to avoid contact with people. This is his story
by Michael Finkel
Christopher Knight was only 20 years old when he walked away from society, not to be seen again for more than a quarter of a century. He had been working for less than a year installing home and vehicle alarm systems near Boston, Massachusetts, when abruptly, without giving notice to his boss, he quit his job. He never even returned his tools. He cashed his final pay cheque and left town.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2017/mar/15/stranger-in-the-woods-christopher-knight-hermit-maine?CMP=oth_b-aplnews_d-1
Living Large on Our Dime
From the Washington Post -
Brace yourself, taxpayers: Trump’s plutocracy doesn’t come cheap
By Dana Milbank
The average family of four in the United States pays about $4,000 a year in federal income taxes. That means the entire tax bill for 15,000 families for the year will go toward these additional protection measures for Trump. And the Secret Service is just a slice of the overall expense. Figure in costs incurred by authorities in Florida and New York, the Pentagon and others, and costs related to the Trump sons’ international business trips, and we’re well over $100 million a year.
That’s the annual federal income-tax bill for some 25,000 American families. Each trip Trump takes to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, where he has gone most weekends since his inauguration, is estimated to cost taxpayers in excess of $3 million.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-plutocracy-doesnt-come-cheap/2017/03/24/9a1f79d8-10a5-11e7-ab07-07d9f521f6b5_story.html?utm_term=.9002bd954e04
Brace yourself, taxpayers: Trump’s plutocracy doesn’t come cheap
By Dana Milbank
The average family of four in the United States pays about $4,000 a year in federal income taxes. That means the entire tax bill for 15,000 families for the year will go toward these additional protection measures for Trump. And the Secret Service is just a slice of the overall expense. Figure in costs incurred by authorities in Florida and New York, the Pentagon and others, and costs related to the Trump sons’ international business trips, and we’re well over $100 million a year.
That’s the annual federal income-tax bill for some 25,000 American families. Each trip Trump takes to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, where he has gone most weekends since his inauguration, is estimated to cost taxpayers in excess of $3 million.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-plutocracy-doesnt-come-cheap/2017/03/24/9a1f79d8-10a5-11e7-ab07-07d9f521f6b5_story.html?utm_term=.9002bd954e04
Haunted by the Truth
From the Huffington Post -
Haunted By ‘Get Out’ — But Not Because It’s A Horror Film
It highlighted for me how we can all make buffoons of ourselves in the face of diversity.
By Shira Hirschman Weiss
The film may also have another message for its audience about Caucasians adopting black culture, glorifying it and even including parts of it as its own without acknowledging origins. Because I love pop culture, I’ll look there for examples: While Eminem frequently credits his predecessors and professional influences, do other white rappers pay homage to those who paved the way? When Tom Hanks youngest son talks like an African American in a video - despite the fact that we know he’s Rita and Tom’s son - is it fine to just chalk it up to immaturity?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/haunted-by-get-out-but-not-because-its-a-horror_us_58d6e9e1e4b06c3d3d3e6e7e?
Haunted By ‘Get Out’ — But Not Because It’s A Horror Film
It highlighted for me how we can all make buffoons of ourselves in the face of diversity.
By Shira Hirschman Weiss
The film may also have another message for its audience about Caucasians adopting black culture, glorifying it and even including parts of it as its own without acknowledging origins. Because I love pop culture, I’ll look there for examples: While Eminem frequently credits his predecessors and professional influences, do other white rappers pay homage to those who paved the way? When Tom Hanks youngest son talks like an African American in a video - despite the fact that we know he’s Rita and Tom’s son - is it fine to just chalk it up to immaturity?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/haunted-by-get-out-but-not-because-its-a-horror_us_58d6e9e1e4b06c3d3d3e6e7e?
Saturday, March 25, 2017
The Sacrifices Paid Off
From the Undefeated -
STUNTIN’ LIKE HIS DADDY: HOW DEVIN BOOKER’S FATHER PAVED HIS PATH TO THE NBA
The preservation of a basketball legacy strengthened Melvin Booker’s relationship with his son
BY MARC J. SPEARS
It took a lot of persuading for former NBA player Melvin Booker to get his son to move to Mississippi away from his mom to best aid his hoop dream. It wasn’t an easy move for a teenager who only knew suburban life to switch to an “urban environment” at a high school where his dad was a star. While going back to Michigan did get strong consideration, Devin Booker’s perseverance not only led to an NBA career but also a close bond with father.
https://theundefeated.com/features/stuntin-like-his-daddy-devin-booker-father-paved-his-path-to-the-nba/
STUNTIN’ LIKE HIS DADDY: HOW DEVIN BOOKER’S FATHER PAVED HIS PATH TO THE NBA
The preservation of a basketball legacy strengthened Melvin Booker’s relationship with his son
BY MARC J. SPEARS
It took a lot of persuading for former NBA player Melvin Booker to get his son to move to Mississippi away from his mom to best aid his hoop dream. It wasn’t an easy move for a teenager who only knew suburban life to switch to an “urban environment” at a high school where his dad was a star. While going back to Michigan did get strong consideration, Devin Booker’s perseverance not only led to an NBA career but also a close bond with father.
https://theundefeated.com/features/stuntin-like-his-daddy-devin-booker-father-paved-his-path-to-the-nba/
Waving or Drowning?
From NY Magazine -
Is Political Gravity Finally Sinking Donald Trump?
By Andrew Sullivan
Is he waving or drowning? Swimming or sinking?
I ask this question because we’re more than two months in and the trauma has not subsided, but it has, perhaps, bifurcated. Sure, Trump still shows alarming potential as a would-be tyrant, contemptuous of constitutional proprieties, and prone to trashing every last norm of liberal democracy. But he is also beginning to appear simultaneously as a rather weak chief executive, uninterested in competent management or follow-through, bedeviled by divisions within his own party, transfixed by cable news, and swiftly discrediting himself by an endless stream of lies, delusions, and conspiracy theories. Even the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal challenged his credibility last Tuesday. They did this because, at this point, among sane people, he quite obviously has none.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/sullivan-is-political-gravity-finally-sinking-donald-trump.html
Is Political Gravity Finally Sinking Donald Trump?
By Andrew Sullivan
Is he waving or drowning? Swimming or sinking?
I ask this question because we’re more than two months in and the trauma has not subsided, but it has, perhaps, bifurcated. Sure, Trump still shows alarming potential as a would-be tyrant, contemptuous of constitutional proprieties, and prone to trashing every last norm of liberal democracy. But he is also beginning to appear simultaneously as a rather weak chief executive, uninterested in competent management or follow-through, bedeviled by divisions within his own party, transfixed by cable news, and swiftly discrediting himself by an endless stream of lies, delusions, and conspiracy theories. Even the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal challenged his credibility last Tuesday. They did this because, at this point, among sane people, he quite obviously has none.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/03/sullivan-is-political-gravity-finally-sinking-donald-trump.html
Latina & Muslim
From the LA Times -
Like an invisibility cloak, Latina Muslims find the hijab hides their ethnicity — from Latinos
By Cindy Carcamo
Like an invisibility cloak, Latina Muslims find the hijab hides their ethnicity — from Latinos
By Cindy Carcamo
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-muslim-latinas-20170324-story.html
When We Fail Kids
As an educator, I'm a mandated reporter of suspected abuse. In my personal dealings with CPS workers, I was alarmed and frustrated at the indifference on display the few times I made contact.
One incident that stands out is when a 6th-grade student came to me to share what was happening in her home that she shared with her father. It was alarming. She asked that I call CPS to request that she be moved. She understood what she was asking as she had been in and out of foster care most of her life. I made the request and the CPS worker I spoke with flipped it off as "typical kid stuff" and dismissed it as she felt the complaint was without merit. I was livid. I told her that if anything happened to this child, it was on her. Further intervention on the school's part lead to the student moving out to live with relatives.
I'm sure there are wonderful, hard working CPS workers who care about the children they are responsible for monitoring, but this does not describe the ones I dealt with, at all.
~~~~~~~~~~
From the LA Times -
4 L.A. County social workers to face trial in horrific death of 8-year-old boy
Melissa Etehad and Richard Winton
Los Angeles County judge ruled Monday that four social workers should stand trial on child abuse and other charges in the death of an 8-year-old Palmdale boy they were assigned to protect, allowing prosecutors to push ahead with a case that has sent a chill through the ranks of child protection workers nationwide.
Superior Court Judge Mary Lou Villar said that “red flags were everywhere” during the months before Gabriel Fernandez died and that the social workers mishandled evidence of escalating abuse and failed to file timely reports on what was happening in the boy’s home before he was allegedly killed by his mother and her boyfriend in 2013. The judge said the workers’ conduct amounted to criminal negligence.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-social-worker-charges-20170320-story.html
One incident that stands out is when a 6th-grade student came to me to share what was happening in her home that she shared with her father. It was alarming. She asked that I call CPS to request that she be moved. She understood what she was asking as she had been in and out of foster care most of her life. I made the request and the CPS worker I spoke with flipped it off as "typical kid stuff" and dismissed it as she felt the complaint was without merit. I was livid. I told her that if anything happened to this child, it was on her. Further intervention on the school's part lead to the student moving out to live with relatives.
I'm sure there are wonderful, hard working CPS workers who care about the children they are responsible for monitoring, but this does not describe the ones I dealt with, at all.
~~~~~~~~~~
From the LA Times -
4 L.A. County social workers to face trial in horrific death of 8-year-old boy
Melissa Etehad and Richard Winton
Los Angeles County judge ruled Monday that four social workers should stand trial on child abuse and other charges in the death of an 8-year-old Palmdale boy they were assigned to protect, allowing prosecutors to push ahead with a case that has sent a chill through the ranks of child protection workers nationwide.
Superior Court Judge Mary Lou Villar said that “red flags were everywhere” during the months before Gabriel Fernandez died and that the social workers mishandled evidence of escalating abuse and failed to file timely reports on what was happening in the boy’s home before he was allegedly killed by his mother and her boyfriend in 2013. The judge said the workers’ conduct amounted to criminal negligence.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-social-worker-charges-20170320-story.html
Reaction to the Loss
From the Daily Mail -
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4347808/Democrats-mock-House-Republicans-healthcare-failure.html?ITO=applenews
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4347808/Democrats-mock-House-Republicans-healthcare-failure.html?ITO=applenews
Friday, March 24, 2017
We've Seen This Before
From the Huffington Post -
Colin Kaepernick Is To The NFL What Black People Are To America
Hatred of the quarterback among NFL owners feels all too familiar.
By Ja’han Jones
With this, the NFL and its exclusive cohort of wealthy, white male owners seem eager to quell any sort of social activism practiced by its players, a great many of whom are black. (It is noteworthy, also, that a black person has never majority-owned an NFL team in the league’s history.) In so doing, the league is acting in accordance with longstanding, oppressive, American tradition by silencing black voices seeking refuge from oppression. And the coordinated ostracism of Kaepernick betrays a familiar, frustrating plight to many black people in the United States.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/colin-kaepernick-is-to-the-nfl-what-black-people-are-to-america_us_58d59e25e4b03787d358ce3d?s2djbb0qyc766r&
Colin Kaepernick Is To The NFL What Black People Are To America
Hatred of the quarterback among NFL owners feels all too familiar.
By Ja’han Jones
With this, the NFL and its exclusive cohort of wealthy, white male owners seem eager to quell any sort of social activism practiced by its players, a great many of whom are black. (It is noteworthy, also, that a black person has never majority-owned an NFL team in the league’s history.) In so doing, the league is acting in accordance with longstanding, oppressive, American tradition by silencing black voices seeking refuge from oppression. And the coordinated ostracism of Kaepernick betrays a familiar, frustrating plight to many black people in the United States.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/colin-kaepernick-is-to-the-nfl-what-black-people-are-to-america_us_58d59e25e4b03787d358ce3d?s2djbb0qyc766r&
Loser
From the Daily Kos -
Quoting Dan Rather.
Loser. That's a word that Donald Trump fears being called more than any other. It is a word that he has wielded with relish against his enemies. But if the health care bill goes down in defeat, and at this point that is still a big if, Mr. Trump will be seen as a loser, and so will his new cheerleader Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
A loser president. It's a moniker that every president dreads, but especially President Trump. It strikes at the very essence of his being. It is why he rails away at conspiracy theories about voter fraud. Once you are seen as a loser in Washington your enemies are emboldened and your allies become skittish. Power can evaporate faster than dew in Dalhart.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/03/24/1646681/--A-loser-president-Dan-Rather-hits-him-where-it-hurts
Quoting Dan Rather.
Loser. That's a word that Donald Trump fears being called more than any other. It is a word that he has wielded with relish against his enemies. But if the health care bill goes down in defeat, and at this point that is still a big if, Mr. Trump will be seen as a loser, and so will his new cheerleader Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
A loser president. It's a moniker that every president dreads, but especially President Trump. It strikes at the very essence of his being. It is why he rails away at conspiracy theories about voter fraud. Once you are seen as a loser in Washington your enemies are emboldened and your allies become skittish. Power can evaporate faster than dew in Dalhart.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2017/03/24/1646681/--A-loser-president-Dan-Rather-hits-him-where-it-hurts
Hey Guys, Which Are You?
From the New Yorker -
MEN AS DOORS
By Olivia de Recat
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/men-as-doors
MEN AS DOORS
By Olivia de Recat
http://www.newyorker.com/humor/daily-shouts/men-as-doors
Howard University West
From USA Today -
Google opens Howard University West to train black coders
Jessica Guynn
SAN FRANCISCO — Google is opening "Howard West" on its campus in Mountain View, Calif., a Silicon Valley outpost for the historically black university where computer science majors can immerse themselves in coding instruction and tech culture, not to mention the inner workings of one of the planet's most famous companies.
Between 25 and 30 juniors and seniors from Washington, D.C.-based Howard University will spend 12 weeks at Google this summer, receiving instruction from senior Google engineers and Howard faculty and getting course credit for their studies, the Internet giant announced Thursday.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/03/23/howard-university-google/99518020/?csp=tech
Google opens Howard University West to train black coders
Jessica Guynn
SAN FRANCISCO — Google is opening "Howard West" on its campus in Mountain View, Calif., a Silicon Valley outpost for the historically black university where computer science majors can immerse themselves in coding instruction and tech culture, not to mention the inner workings of one of the planet's most famous companies.
Between 25 and 30 juniors and seniors from Washington, D.C.-based Howard University will spend 12 weeks at Google this summer, receiving instruction from senior Google engineers and Howard faculty and getting course credit for their studies, the Internet giant announced Thursday.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/news/2017/03/23/howard-university-google/99518020/?csp=tech
For Real?
From Upworthy -
5 bizarre features of American politics that shock people when they first hear about them.
...including one reason people are staying involved despite it all.
By ERIC MARCH
As breaking news and scandals continue to erupt at an Usain Bolt-ish pace, many Americans are experiencing the early days of the Trump administration as a crash course in what makes our government kind-of-but-honestly-not-exactly work, with emphasis on the "crash."
Granted, even for those of us who have been mainlining C-SPAN for years, the current political climate is more than a little strange. For those just wading into the pool, it's like the water is 150 degrees, there are knives in the water, and oh yeah, it's peanut butter instead of water.
I spoke to four political novices who are getting acquainted with our political system for the first time — a teacher in Boston, a corporate retail worker (also in Boston), a marketing executive in New York, and a former advertising project manager in Detroit. Here are just a few of the surprising things they were shocked to learn are real parts of American politics:
1. If one political party wins enough elections in a state, they can change the maps to make it harder for their opponents to beat them in the next election.
http://www.upworthy.com/5-bizarre-features-of-american-politics-that-shock-people-when-they-first-hear-about-them
5 bizarre features of American politics that shock people when they first hear about them.
...including one reason people are staying involved despite it all.
By ERIC MARCH
As breaking news and scandals continue to erupt at an Usain Bolt-ish pace, many Americans are experiencing the early days of the Trump administration as a crash course in what makes our government kind-of-but-honestly-not-exactly work, with emphasis on the "crash."
Granted, even for those of us who have been mainlining C-SPAN for years, the current political climate is more than a little strange. For those just wading into the pool, it's like the water is 150 degrees, there are knives in the water, and oh yeah, it's peanut butter instead of water.
I spoke to four political novices who are getting acquainted with our political system for the first time — a teacher in Boston, a corporate retail worker (also in Boston), a marketing executive in New York, and a former advertising project manager in Detroit. Here are just a few of the surprising things they were shocked to learn are real parts of American politics:
1. If one political party wins enough elections in a state, they can change the maps to make it harder for their opponents to beat them in the next election.
http://www.upworthy.com/5-bizarre-features-of-american-politics-that-shock-people-when-they-first-hear-about-them
Disproving the Myth
From the LA Times -
Disproving the 'black films don't travel' Hollywood myth
By Tre'vell Anderson
“Every time there’s a success, it gets swept under the rug,” says Jeff Clanagan, president of Lionsgate’s Codeblack Films, which primarily produces films with African American casts. “It’s almost like there’s an asterisk on it. They chalk it off as an anomaly.”
For 1988’s “Coming to America,” the anomaly was the comedic genius of Eddie Murphy, who “transcended race” when the film grossed $160.6 million internationally for a $288.8 million worldwide take. (Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, Kevin Hart, Denzel Washington and Don Cheedle are other box office champs for whom the “transcended race” label has been applied.)
For 1995’s “Bad Boys” and its 2003 sequel — which together pulled in a combined $210.3 million internationally and $414.7 million worldwide — it was the fact that the film was an action flick, never mind leads Smith, Martin Lawrence and Gabrielle Union.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-black-movies-global-audience-myth-20170324-story.html
Disproving the 'black films don't travel' Hollywood myth
By Tre'vell Anderson
“Every time there’s a success, it gets swept under the rug,” says Jeff Clanagan, president of Lionsgate’s Codeblack Films, which primarily produces films with African American casts. “It’s almost like there’s an asterisk on it. They chalk it off as an anomaly.”
For 1988’s “Coming to America,” the anomaly was the comedic genius of Eddie Murphy, who “transcended race” when the film grossed $160.6 million internationally for a $288.8 million worldwide take. (Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, Kevin Hart, Denzel Washington and Don Cheedle are other box office champs for whom the “transcended race” label has been applied.)
For 1995’s “Bad Boys” and its 2003 sequel — which together pulled in a combined $210.3 million internationally and $414.7 million worldwide — it was the fact that the film was an action flick, never mind leads Smith, Martin Lawrence and Gabrielle Union.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-black-movies-global-audience-myth-20170324-story.html
Green Thumbs Everywhere
From the LA Times -
Grow blueberries on your patio: They're perfect for small-space gardening.
By Jeanette Marantos
http://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-how-to-grow-blueberries-on-your-patio-20170314-story.html
Grow blueberries on your patio: They're perfect for small-space gardening.
By Jeanette Marantos
http://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-how-to-grow-blueberries-on-your-patio-20170314-story.html
Noticeably Absent
From the list is Trump.
From the Washington Post -
Cubs mastermind Theo Epstein is No. 1 on Fortune’s ‘greatest leaders’ list. The pope is No. 3.
By Marissa Payne
The Chicago Cubs winning the World Series was a big deal. Like, a really big deal, according to Fortune, which put the team’s president, Theo Epstein, on top of its “World’s Greatest Leaders” list on Thursday. The 43-year-old baseball mastermind beat out Chinese businessman Jack Ma, the executive chairman of the ever-growing Alibaba commerce empire, as well as No. 3 Pope Francis — you know, the head of the Catholic Church.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/03/23/cubs-mastermind-theo-epstein-is-no-1-on-fortunes-greatest-leaders-list-the-pope-is-no-3/?utm_term=.f24b2adf6504
From the Washington Post -
Cubs mastermind Theo Epstein is No. 1 on Fortune’s ‘greatest leaders’ list. The pope is No. 3.
By Marissa Payne
The Chicago Cubs winning the World Series was a big deal. Like, a really big deal, according to Fortune, which put the team’s president, Theo Epstein, on top of its “World’s Greatest Leaders” list on Thursday. The 43-year-old baseball mastermind beat out Chinese businessman Jack Ma, the executive chairman of the ever-growing Alibaba commerce empire, as well as No. 3 Pope Francis — you know, the head of the Catholic Church.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/03/23/cubs-mastermind-theo-epstein-is-no-1-on-fortunes-greatest-leaders-list-the-pope-is-no-3/?utm_term=.f24b2adf6504
PB&J to the Rescue!
From ESPN -
The NBA's Secret Addiction
ESPN exclusive! How one performance-enhancing sandwich has spread through the NBA.
by Baxter Holmes
The legend has been passed down by NBA generations, chronicled like a Homeric odyssey. The tale they tell is of Kevin Garnett and the 2007-08 Celtics, and the seminal moment of a revolution. Bryan Doo, Celtics strength and conditioning coach, recalls it as if it were yesterday, how before a game in December of that season, an unnamed Celtic -- his identity lost to history, like the other horsemen on Paul Revere's midnight ride -- complained to Doo of incipient hunger pangs.
"Man, I could go for a PB&J," the player said.
And then Garnett, in an act with historical reverberations, uttered the now-fabled words: "Yeah, let's get on that."
Garnett had not, to that point, made the PB&J a part of his pregame routine. But on that night in Boston, as Doo recalls, Garnett partook, then played ... and played well. Afterward, from his perch as the Celtics' fiery leader, Garnett issued the following commandment: "We're going to need PB&J in here every game now."
And so a sandwich revolution was born.
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/presents18931717/the-nba-secret-addiction
The NBA's Secret Addiction
ESPN exclusive! How one performance-enhancing sandwich has spread through the NBA.
by Baxter Holmes
The legend has been passed down by NBA generations, chronicled like a Homeric odyssey. The tale they tell is of Kevin Garnett and the 2007-08 Celtics, and the seminal moment of a revolution. Bryan Doo, Celtics strength and conditioning coach, recalls it as if it were yesterday, how before a game in December of that season, an unnamed Celtic -- his identity lost to history, like the other horsemen on Paul Revere's midnight ride -- complained to Doo of incipient hunger pangs.
"Man, I could go for a PB&J," the player said.
And then Garnett, in an act with historical reverberations, uttered the now-fabled words: "Yeah, let's get on that."
Garnett had not, to that point, made the PB&J a part of his pregame routine. But on that night in Boston, as Doo recalls, Garnett partook, then played ... and played well. Afterward, from his perch as the Celtics' fiery leader, Garnett issued the following commandment: "We're going to need PB&J in here every game now."
And so a sandwich revolution was born.
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/presents18931717/the-nba-secret-addiction
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Dance Theatre of Harlem 2017 New York Season
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dance-theatre-harlem-short-film_us_58d3fa4fe4b0b22b0d1ab3a1?fbmv326p7mzir7ldi&
Random Acts of Kindness
Here's a shout out to the blog "Inspiration Made Simple" for the "Random Acts of Kindness" ideas and cards. Thank you!
http://www.inspirationmadesimple.com/2014/08/random-acts-of-kindness-ideas-and-free-printable/
http://www.inspirationmadesimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/raok.pdf
http://www.inspirationmadesimple.com/2014/08/random-acts-of-kindness-ideas-and-free-printable/
http://www.inspirationmadesimple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/raok.pdf
Why Design Matters
From OZY -
A DESIGN EXPERT ON MAXIMIZING CREATIVITY IN THE WORKPLACE
By Eugene S. Robinson
“My biggest insight was that you could look at a product as being the manifestation or outcome of a set of interpersonal and organizational ‘negotiations,’ or battles, over subjective decisions,” Owens says, looking much younger than his nearly 50 years. At Dell, “the operations people won most of the battles,” he says, leading to machines that were cheap, modular, efficiently produced and not much to look at. Contrast with Apple’s machines, “you could see that design and marketing had won quite a few more battles — their machines were expensive, hard to produce and beautiful.”
http://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/a-design-expert-on-maximizing-creativity-in-the-workplace/68436
A DESIGN EXPERT ON MAXIMIZING CREATIVITY IN THE WORKPLACE
By Eugene S. Robinson
“My biggest insight was that you could look at a product as being the manifestation or outcome of a set of interpersonal and organizational ‘negotiations,’ or battles, over subjective decisions,” Owens says, looking much younger than his nearly 50 years. At Dell, “the operations people won most of the battles,” he says, leading to machines that were cheap, modular, efficiently produced and not much to look at. Contrast with Apple’s machines, “you could see that design and marketing had won quite a few more battles — their machines were expensive, hard to produce and beautiful.”
http://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/a-design-expert-on-maximizing-creativity-in-the-workplace/68436
Profiting From Pain
From the Huffington Post -
When White People Profit Off Of Black Pain
The controversy surrounding a painting of Emmett Till by a white artist reveals the limits of white empathy.
By Zeba Blay
What exactly are the implications of white artists creating (and profiting) off of work that depicts black trauma and black pain?
~~~~~~~~~~
Schutz’s “Open Casket” is an oil on canvas recreation of those famous photos. “Open Casket” is a weak attempt at white solidarity with black folk.
The painting makes an attempt at forcing to viewer to meditate on loss and the “radical” visibility of the black body, but it fails. Why? Because there is nothing radical about a white artist misappropriating and profiting off of black trauma.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/when-white-people-profit-off-of-black-pain_us_58d2a435e4b0b22b0d18ee3d?9loywrk9
When White People Profit Off Of Black Pain
The controversy surrounding a painting of Emmett Till by a white artist reveals the limits of white empathy.
By Zeba Blay
What exactly are the implications of white artists creating (and profiting) off of work that depicts black trauma and black pain?
~~~~~~~~~~
Schutz’s “Open Casket” is an oil on canvas recreation of those famous photos. “Open Casket” is a weak attempt at white solidarity with black folk.
The painting makes an attempt at forcing to viewer to meditate on loss and the “radical” visibility of the black body, but it fails. Why? Because there is nothing radical about a white artist misappropriating and profiting off of black trauma.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/when-white-people-profit-off-of-black-pain_us_58d2a435e4b0b22b0d18ee3d?9loywrk9
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Costco Delivery Coming Soon
From Consumerist -
Some Costco Shoppers Can Now Get Groceries Delivered
By Mary Beth Quirk
Costco is partnering with a service called Shipt, one of many companies that caters to the online shopping set, to offer delivery to customers in the Tampa Bay area.
From there, the plan is to expand to 50 markets and more than 30 million households by the end of this year. Shipt already works with Whole Foods, Meijer, H-E-B, Harris Teeter, and other grocery chains to offer delivery service in some areas.
https://consumerist.com/2017/03/22/some-costco-shoppers-can-now-get-groceries-delivered/
Some Costco Shoppers Can Now Get Groceries Delivered
By Mary Beth Quirk
Costco is partnering with a service called Shipt, one of many companies that caters to the online shopping set, to offer delivery to customers in the Tampa Bay area.
From there, the plan is to expand to 50 markets and more than 30 million households by the end of this year. Shipt already works with Whole Foods, Meijer, H-E-B, Harris Teeter, and other grocery chains to offer delivery service in some areas.
https://consumerist.com/2017/03/22/some-costco-shoppers-can-now-get-groceries-delivered/
Brain Work
From OZY -
THE BIOENGINEER TRYING TO PREDICT AND PREVENT CONCUSSIONS
By Melissa Pandika
The good news: Advances in brain imaging and other technology have yielded a slew of metrics for measuring head impacts. The Holy Grail is to translate these data into biomarkers for diagnosing and preventing concussions, says Gerald Grant, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Stanford. To that end, researchers are racing to develop sensor systems that measure the forces the head sustains during an impact — with Camarillo among those in the lead. “He’s definitely a rising star,” Smith says. “Something like his mouth guard sensor will have really, really broad applications.”
http://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/the-bioengineer-trying-to-predict-and-prevent-concussions/76239
THE BIOENGINEER TRYING TO PREDICT AND PREVENT CONCUSSIONS
By Melissa Pandika
The good news: Advances in brain imaging and other technology have yielded a slew of metrics for measuring head impacts. The Holy Grail is to translate these data into biomarkers for diagnosing and preventing concussions, says Gerald Grant, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Stanford. To that end, researchers are racing to develop sensor systems that measure the forces the head sustains during an impact — with Camarillo among those in the lead. “He’s definitely a rising star,” Smith says. “Something like his mouth guard sensor will have really, really broad applications.”
http://www.ozy.com/rising-stars/the-bioengineer-trying-to-predict-and-prevent-concussions/76239
Athletes & Politics
From the New Yorker -
THE POLITICAL ATHLETE: THEN AND NOW
By Hua Hsu
In January, Haymarket Books published “Long Shot,” the autobiography of the former N.B.A. player and “freedom fighter” Craig Hodges. Hodges was one of the finest three-point shooters of his era, playing in the N.B.A. for ten years and winning two titles with the Chicago Bulls. He was also one of the most politically outspoken players the league’s ever seen, a locker-room agitator, proselytizing to teammates and staff on behalf of grassroots political movements. And, at a time when off-court grievances were rarely aired in public, Hodges was unrelenting in his criticisms of millionaire athletes who didn’t give back to their communities. “How much money did we make here last night?” he wondered aloud to a reporter during the 1992 N.B.A. Finals. “How many lives will it change?” He went on to accuse his teammate, Michael Jordan, of “bailing out” when the superstar was asked his thoughts on the recent Los Angeles riots.
~~~~~~~~~~
Athletes have always been political. But until recently they rarely possessed the means to explain themselves. Where Hodges’s generation worked hard to ingratiate themselves with the American mainstream, today’s athletes possess a relative freedom when it comes to speaking their minds, taking risky political stands, or acting with a kind of blunt directness. It’s what makes today’s players seem so different: their capacity to share more in a late-night Instagram post than a decade of carefully stage-managed, Nike-approved Jordan documentaries. Maybe the difference between then and now is just an instinctive awareness that everything is political. The game resists our desire for it to be an escape from the rest of life, where the rules can seem arbitrary and unpredictable, and there can be one winner to every ninety-nine who have lost.
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-political-athlete-then-and-now
THE POLITICAL ATHLETE: THEN AND NOW
By Hua Hsu
In January, Haymarket Books published “Long Shot,” the autobiography of the former N.B.A. player and “freedom fighter” Craig Hodges. Hodges was one of the finest three-point shooters of his era, playing in the N.B.A. for ten years and winning two titles with the Chicago Bulls. He was also one of the most politically outspoken players the league’s ever seen, a locker-room agitator, proselytizing to teammates and staff on behalf of grassroots political movements. And, at a time when off-court grievances were rarely aired in public, Hodges was unrelenting in his criticisms of millionaire athletes who didn’t give back to their communities. “How much money did we make here last night?” he wondered aloud to a reporter during the 1992 N.B.A. Finals. “How many lives will it change?” He went on to accuse his teammate, Michael Jordan, of “bailing out” when the superstar was asked his thoughts on the recent Los Angeles riots.
~~~~~~~~~~
Athletes have always been political. But until recently they rarely possessed the means to explain themselves. Where Hodges’s generation worked hard to ingratiate themselves with the American mainstream, today’s athletes possess a relative freedom when it comes to speaking their minds, taking risky political stands, or acting with a kind of blunt directness. It’s what makes today’s players seem so different: their capacity to share more in a late-night Instagram post than a decade of carefully stage-managed, Nike-approved Jordan documentaries. Maybe the difference between then and now is just an instinctive awareness that everything is political. The game resists our desire for it to be an escape from the rest of life, where the rules can seem arbitrary and unpredictable, and there can be one winner to every ninety-nine who have lost.
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-political-athlete-then-and-now
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)