Wednesday, May 3, 2017
Synthetic Cadavers
From Atlas Obscura -
A Visit to the Synthetic Cadaver Factory
Florida’s SynDaver Labs makes extraordinarily advanced anatomical models.
BY ERIC GRUNDHAUSER
Inside this otherwise unassuming facility, workers are creating what may be the world’s most advanced surgical and anatomical models out of little more than salt and water. Fully synthetic corpses like these, complete with skin, muscle, organs, and bone, might one day eliminate our need to test many new technologies on humans or animals.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/syndaver-labs-synthetic-cadavers-tour
A Visit to the Synthetic Cadaver Factory
Florida’s SynDaver Labs makes extraordinarily advanced anatomical models.
BY ERIC GRUNDHAUSER
Inside this otherwise unassuming facility, workers are creating what may be the world’s most advanced surgical and anatomical models out of little more than salt and water. Fully synthetic corpses like these, complete with skin, muscle, organs, and bone, might one day eliminate our need to test many new technologies on humans or animals.
http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/syndaver-labs-synthetic-cadavers-tour
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
Smart Girl
From the Huffington Post -
This Teen Took Her Harvard Acceptance Letter To Prom Instead Of A Date
Because who even needs boys?
By Jenavieve Hatch
Priscilla Samey found herself without a date to her high school’s prom on Saturday night, so the Minnesota-based teen did what any reasonable woman would do ― she took her Harvard University acceptance letter as her date instead.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/this-teen-took-her-harvard-acceptance-letter-to-prom-instead-of-a-date_us_5908824ee4b0bb2d08717ee4
This Teen Took Her Harvard Acceptance Letter To Prom Instead Of A Date
Because who even needs boys?
By Jenavieve Hatch
Priscilla Samey found herself without a date to her high school’s prom on Saturday night, so the Minnesota-based teen did what any reasonable woman would do ― she took her Harvard University acceptance letter as her date instead.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/this-teen-took-her-harvard-acceptance-letter-to-prom-instead-of-a-date_us_5908824ee4b0bb2d08717ee4
After the Backlash
From the Huffington Post -
Netflix’s ‘Dear White People’ Earns A Rare 100 Percent On Rotten Tomatoes
Stay mad, racist critics.
By Taryn Finley
After backlash from mainly white critics, “Dear White People” is getting the last laugh.
The Netflix original series, which is about the role race plays at a fictional Ivy League school earned a coveted 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, as of Tuesday afternoon.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dear-white-people-rotten-tomatoes_us_5908e203e4b02655f8418848?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Netflix’s ‘Dear White People’ Earns A Rare 100 Percent On Rotten Tomatoes
Stay mad, racist critics.
By Taryn Finley
After backlash from mainly white critics, “Dear White People” is getting the last laugh.
The Netflix original series, which is about the role race plays at a fictional Ivy League school earned a coveted 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, as of Tuesday afternoon.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dear-white-people-rotten-tomatoes_us_5908e203e4b02655f8418848?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Life After Football
An excerpt from OZY -
LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL — THE SURPRISING NEW SECOND CAREERS OF FORMER PLAYERS
By Felipe Patterson
When Arian Foster was introduced to Neil deGrasse Tyson, he said meeting the famed astrophysicist was “surreal.” Typically, it’s sports celebrities who generate the excitement, but the star-gazing moment of the former Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins running back makes sense once you learn Foster is hoping to pursue a degree in physics — just one example in a trend of Black NFL players leaving the football field for careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
~~~~~~~~~~
Some players are turning pro with a college degree in a STEM-related subject already in their pocket. Stanford University recently awarded degrees to Carolina Panthers offensive guard David Yankey (information science and technology in society), San Francisco 49ers guard Joshua Garnett (human biology) and Detroit Lions cornerback Alex Carter (sociology). Add to that list Washington Redskins wide receiver Jamison Crowder (sociology, Duke) and Lions offensive guard Laken Tomlinson (evolutionary anthropology and psychology, Duke), and it’s clear that opportunities are wide open for these individuals, and those in similar positions, in the burgeoning STEM marketplace. Still others are working toward STEM-related degrees while playing in the league. John Urschel, offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens, is pursuing his Ph.D. in mathematics at MIT (he already has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Penn State).
http://www.ozy.com/the-huddle/life-after-football-the-surprising-new-second-careers-of-former-players/77026
LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL — THE SURPRISING NEW SECOND CAREERS OF FORMER PLAYERS
By Felipe Patterson
When Arian Foster was introduced to Neil deGrasse Tyson, he said meeting the famed astrophysicist was “surreal.” Typically, it’s sports celebrities who generate the excitement, but the star-gazing moment of the former Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins running back makes sense once you learn Foster is hoping to pursue a degree in physics — just one example in a trend of Black NFL players leaving the football field for careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).
~~~~~~~~~~
Some players are turning pro with a college degree in a STEM-related subject already in their pocket. Stanford University recently awarded degrees to Carolina Panthers offensive guard David Yankey (information science and technology in society), San Francisco 49ers guard Joshua Garnett (human biology) and Detroit Lions cornerback Alex Carter (sociology). Add to that list Washington Redskins wide receiver Jamison Crowder (sociology, Duke) and Lions offensive guard Laken Tomlinson (evolutionary anthropology and psychology, Duke), and it’s clear that opportunities are wide open for these individuals, and those in similar positions, in the burgeoning STEM marketplace. Still others are working toward STEM-related degrees while playing in the league. John Urschel, offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens, is pursuing his Ph.D. in mathematics at MIT (he already has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Penn State).
http://www.ozy.com/the-huddle/life-after-football-the-surprising-new-second-careers-of-former-players/77026
Monday, May 1, 2017
Colbert Guts Trump
Check out the Twitter video. It's spot on.
Stephen Colbert Guts Donald Trump Over Q&A Insults To CBS News’ John Dickerson
By Lisa de Moraes
A Significant Impact
An excerpt from the Undefeated -
Study proves black teachers have a significant impact on black students
Black students with at least one black teacher are more inclined to continue education
BY MAYA A. JONES
The relationship between black students and black teachers is saving academic careers, and a new study is out to prove it.
The study, The Long Run Impacts of Same-Race Teachers, conducted by the IZA Institute of Labor Economics, found that low-income black students who have had at least one black teacher during their early academic career have higher chances of graduating from high school and attending college.
~~~~~~~~~~
“Black students matched to black teachers have been shown to have higher test scores, but we wanted to know if these student-teacher racial matches had longer-lasting benefits,” said Nicholas Papageorge, the study’s co-author and an assistant professor in the department of economics at Johns Hopkins. “We found the answer is a resounding yes. We’re seeing spending just one year with a teacher of the same race can move the dial on one of the most frustratingly persistent gaps in educational attainment — that of low-income black boys. It not only moves the dial, it moves the dial in a powerful way.”
https://theundefeated.com/features/study-black-teachers-have-significant-impact-on-black-students/
When a Techie Goes Really Rogue
An excerpt from Vanity Fair -
SILICON VALLEY MURDER MYSTERY: HOW DRUGS AND PARANOIA DOOMED SILK ROAD
Silk Road once reigned as the Internet’s premier destination for drug deals and even more illicit fare. But as the Web site became a billion-dollar enterprise, its creator, Ross Ulbricht, went from idealistic to dangerous. An adaptation from Nick Bilton’s new book shows how the empire collapsed.
By Nick Bilton
Ross Ulbricht had imagined that it might all come down to this one day. That at some point during the prodigious rise of his hot tech start-up he would be obliged to make a terrifyingly ruthless decision. Now, in early 2013, the time had arrived. The question was rather simple: Was he ready to kill someone to protect his billion-dollar company?
The technology business has long purported to change the world and make it a better place. But, in reality, there is a decidedly more cynical underside to all this euphoria. In Silicon Valley, after all, many founders will often do whatever is necessary to protect their creations—whether that means paying a hefty legal settlement to hush the people who helped hatch the idea for their company in the first place (Facebook, Square, Snapchat), callously vanquishing a co-founder (Twitter, Foursquare, Tinder), or remorselessly breaking laws and putting thousands of people out of work (Uber, Airbnb, among hundreds of others). But, for Ulbricht, the price was steeper. In order to save his beloved start-up, the Silk Road, an Amazon-like “everything store” for the Dark Web, he needed to “call on my muscle,” as he put it to one associate. He needed to have a guy whacked.
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/silk-road-ross-ulbricht-drugs-murder
SILICON VALLEY MURDER MYSTERY: HOW DRUGS AND PARANOIA DOOMED SILK ROAD
Silk Road once reigned as the Internet’s premier destination for drug deals and even more illicit fare. But as the Web site became a billion-dollar enterprise, its creator, Ross Ulbricht, went from idealistic to dangerous. An adaptation from Nick Bilton’s new book shows how the empire collapsed.
By Nick Bilton
Ross Ulbricht had imagined that it might all come down to this one day. That at some point during the prodigious rise of his hot tech start-up he would be obliged to make a terrifyingly ruthless decision. Now, in early 2013, the time had arrived. The question was rather simple: Was he ready to kill someone to protect his billion-dollar company?
The technology business has long purported to change the world and make it a better place. But, in reality, there is a decidedly more cynical underside to all this euphoria. In Silicon Valley, after all, many founders will often do whatever is necessary to protect their creations—whether that means paying a hefty legal settlement to hush the people who helped hatch the idea for their company in the first place (Facebook, Square, Snapchat), callously vanquishing a co-founder (Twitter, Foursquare, Tinder), or remorselessly breaking laws and putting thousands of people out of work (Uber, Airbnb, among hundreds of others). But, for Ulbricht, the price was steeper. In order to save his beloved start-up, the Silk Road, an Amazon-like “everything store” for the Dark Web, he needed to “call on my muscle,” as he put it to one associate. He needed to have a guy whacked.
http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/04/silk-road-ross-ulbricht-drugs-murder
Tipping While Black
An excerpt from Salon -
Yes, black people do tip — even when we shouldn’t have to
If you're dining out while black, you can't leave less than 20 percent, no matter how terrible the service is
By D. WATKINS
My larger point was that “black people don’t tip” is a pervasive stereotype that floats around restaurants and we often automatically get bad service because of it. So I had to tip this guy even though I hated the service and the food. If I didn’t, I would be perpetuating the stereotype.
http://www.salon.com/2017/04/30/yes-black-people-do-tip-even-when-we-shouldnt-have-to/
Yes, black people do tip — even when we shouldn’t have to
If you're dining out while black, you can't leave less than 20 percent, no matter how terrible the service is
By D. WATKINS
My larger point was that “black people don’t tip” is a pervasive stereotype that floats around restaurants and we often automatically get bad service because of it. So I had to tip this guy even though I hated the service and the food. If I didn’t, I would be perpetuating the stereotype.
http://www.salon.com/2017/04/30/yes-black-people-do-tip-even-when-we-shouldnt-have-to/
Book Review
A few days ago I posted a quote from the book, Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life and Maybe the World.
It is one of the best, most encouraging, most inspiring books I've read in a long time.
The author is a lifelong Navy Seal, and the book is an expanded version of a commencement address he gave a few years ago.
It's a real quick read, with ten short chapters, but it packs a punch, from start to finish.
It will put a smile on your face and a tear in your eye, but most importantly, it will leave you with the notion that you matter, and that what you do has a profound impact on the world around you.
I wholeheartedly recommend it.
It is one of the best, most encouraging, most inspiring books I've read in a long time.
The author is a lifelong Navy Seal, and the book is an expanded version of a commencement address he gave a few years ago.
It's a real quick read, with ten short chapters, but it packs a punch, from start to finish.
It will put a smile on your face and a tear in your eye, but most importantly, it will leave you with the notion that you matter, and that what you do has a profound impact on the world around you.
I wholeheartedly recommend it.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Quote
If you want to change the world . . .
start off by making your bed.
From the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life and Maybe Your World, by William H. McRaven
start off by making your bed.
From the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life and Maybe Your World, by William H. McRaven
Saturday, April 29, 2017
Black Sports Agency
An excerpt from the Undefeated -
This black sports agency reps more HBCU players in the NFL than any other firm
These two agents also handle more than 40 other pro football players
BY MARTENZIE JOHNSON
Adisa Bakari, 44, is the founder and CEO of The Sports & Entertainment Group (TSEG), a D.C.-based sports agency that represents some of the top athletes in the NFL and professional boxing.
Bakari and longtime partner Jeff Whitney, 47, who serves as the company’s president, currently represent 43 professional football players, including Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor and New York Jets running back Matt Forte. The firm also represents professional boxers Lamont and Anthony Peterson.
https://theundefeated.com/features/black-sports-agency-reps-hbcu-players-nfl/
This black sports agency reps more HBCU players in the NFL than any other firm
These two agents also handle more than 40 other pro football players
BY MARTENZIE JOHNSON
Adisa Bakari, 44, is the founder and CEO of The Sports & Entertainment Group (TSEG), a D.C.-based sports agency that represents some of the top athletes in the NFL and professional boxing.
Bakari and longtime partner Jeff Whitney, 47, who serves as the company’s president, currently represent 43 professional football players, including Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell, Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor and New York Jets running back Matt Forte. The firm also represents professional boxers Lamont and Anthony Peterson.
https://theundefeated.com/features/black-sports-agency-reps-hbcu-players-nfl/
Young, Gifted & Black Female Sports Agent
An excerpt from the Undefeated -
Black female sports agent Tiffany Porter is making her way in a white-male-dominated field
She wants to be a role model for women and men alike
BY KELLEY D. EVANS
While many sports agents are busy at the 2017 draft, there is one standing out in the crowd. As a woman in a male-dominated world, Tiffany Porter is proving that she can stand strong and give her clients the best representation possible.
For Porter, becoming a sports agent was a natural progression to her multifaceted career. The Hampton University alum has built her credentials over the years as a criminal defense attorney and is managing partner of Porter & Whitner Law Group LLC in Atlanta.
~~~~~~~~~~
As a certified NFL agent, Porter negotiates contracts, but more importantly she strives to protect her clients’ future beyond their playing days. Earning her law degree from Emory University, she is no stranger to beating the odds in the courtroom or in her personal life. She also earned her MBA from Georgia State University.
As a child, she and her younger siblings experienced watching their mother go in and out of federal prison. She was reared by her grandmother and great-grandmother.
https://theundefeated.com/features/black-female-sports-agent-tiffany-porter/
Black female sports agent Tiffany Porter is making her way in a white-male-dominated field
She wants to be a role model for women and men alike
BY KELLEY D. EVANS
While many sports agents are busy at the 2017 draft, there is one standing out in the crowd. As a woman in a male-dominated world, Tiffany Porter is proving that she can stand strong and give her clients the best representation possible.
For Porter, becoming a sports agent was a natural progression to her multifaceted career. The Hampton University alum has built her credentials over the years as a criminal defense attorney and is managing partner of Porter & Whitner Law Group LLC in Atlanta.
~~~~~~~~~~
As a certified NFL agent, Porter negotiates contracts, but more importantly she strives to protect her clients’ future beyond their playing days. Earning her law degree from Emory University, she is no stranger to beating the odds in the courtroom or in her personal life. She also earned her MBA from Georgia State University.
As a child, she and her younger siblings experienced watching their mother go in and out of federal prison. She was reared by her grandmother and great-grandmother.
https://theundefeated.com/features/black-female-sports-agent-tiffany-porter/
Con Men & Losers
An excerpt from Salon -
Donald Trump’s administration after 100 days: A second-rate salesman surrounded by con men and losers
Trump has staffed the West Wing with low-grade hucksters, and his dealmaking skills are just bad poker bluffs
By GARY LEGUM
At the rate Trump is going, the internet could run out of space, long before he leaves office, cataloging all his administration’s deficiencies as a functional entity, its destruction of governing norms and the hash it has made of both domestic and foreign policy. But two observations from the first 100 days stand out to me.
The first is the extent to which Trump’s struggles can be attributed to his pronounced tendency to staff his administration with mediocre, two-bit hustlers and con men whose careers indicate that they have a lot more luck than smarts or talent.
http://www.salon.com/2017/04/28/donald-trumps-administration-after-100-days-a-second-rate-salesman-surrounded-by-con-men-and-losers/
Donald Trump’s administration after 100 days: A second-rate salesman surrounded by con men and losers
Trump has staffed the West Wing with low-grade hucksters, and his dealmaking skills are just bad poker bluffs
By GARY LEGUM
At the rate Trump is going, the internet could run out of space, long before he leaves office, cataloging all his administration’s deficiencies as a functional entity, its destruction of governing norms and the hash it has made of both domestic and foreign policy. But two observations from the first 100 days stand out to me.
The first is the extent to which Trump’s struggles can be attributed to his pronounced tendency to staff his administration with mediocre, two-bit hustlers and con men whose careers indicate that they have a lot more luck than smarts or talent.
http://www.salon.com/2017/04/28/donald-trumps-administration-after-100-days-a-second-rate-salesman-surrounded-by-con-men-and-losers/
Friday, April 28, 2017
Public Art
From Architectural Digest
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/11-most-fascinating-public-sculptures
http://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/11-most-fascinating-public-sculptures
Not Surprising
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
Nation’s only federally funded voucher program has negative effect on student achievement, study finds
By Emma Brown and Mandy McLaren
Students in the nation’s only federally funded school voucher initiative performed worse on standardized tests within a year after entering D.C. private schools than peers who did not participate, according to a new federal analysis that comes as President Trump is seeking to pour billions of dollars into expanding the private school scholarships nationwide.
The study, released Thursday by the Education Department’s research division, follows several other recent studies of state-funded vouchers in Louisiana, Indiana and Ohio that suggested negative effects on student achievement. Critics are seizing on this data as they try to counter Trump’s push to direct public dollars to private schools.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/federal-study-of-dc-voucher-program-finds-negative-impact-on-student-achievement/2017/04/27/e545ef28-2536-11e7-bb9d-8cd6118e1409_story.html?utm_term=.aaea59273f63
Nation’s only federally funded voucher program has negative effect on student achievement, study finds
By Emma Brown and Mandy McLaren
Students in the nation’s only federally funded school voucher initiative performed worse on standardized tests within a year after entering D.C. private schools than peers who did not participate, according to a new federal analysis that comes as President Trump is seeking to pour billions of dollars into expanding the private school scholarships nationwide.
The study, released Thursday by the Education Department’s research division, follows several other recent studies of state-funded vouchers in Louisiana, Indiana and Ohio that suggested negative effects on student achievement. Critics are seizing on this data as they try to counter Trump’s push to direct public dollars to private schools.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/federal-study-of-dc-voucher-program-finds-negative-impact-on-student-achievement/2017/04/27/e545ef28-2536-11e7-bb9d-8cd6118e1409_story.html?utm_term=.aaea59273f63
Thursday, April 27, 2017
Safest Seat
From the Huffington Post -
The Safest Seat On A Plane, According To Studies Of Crash Data
One block of seats has a better survival rate than others.
By Suzy Strutner
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/safest-seat-on-a-plane_us_58f7dbd8e4b091e58f382505?ncid=APPLENEWS00001
The Safest Seat On A Plane, According To Studies Of Crash Data
One block of seats has a better survival rate than others.
By Suzy Strutner
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/safest-seat-on-a-plane_us_58f7dbd8e4b091e58f382505?ncid=APPLENEWS00001
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Transportation Innovations
From Vox -
9 radical changes that are coming to transportation
By Timothy B. Lee
http://www.vox.com/new-money/2017/4/26/15363592/tesla-uber-google-waymo-spacex-innovation
9 radical changes that are coming to transportation
By Timothy B. Lee
http://www.vox.com/new-money/2017/4/26/15363592/tesla-uber-google-waymo-spacex-innovation
Our Time in Tulsa
Years ago, when Ben and Frankie were five and three respectively, we moved to Oklahoma so that Frank (ex-husband) could attend seminary in preparation for a career change from active duty military to an active church pastor. This was after ten years or so of our being in the Navy.
The year was 1986.
I was never especially keen on this idea because that meant I would have the role of the "preacher's wife." The problem was I was outspoken and cussed like a sailor. Not handy attributes for the church's first lady.
That didn't stop us from going down this path though. I'm sure Frank thought he'd be able to "pray away" my rough edges.
Long story short.
Frank finished school and just when we should have commenced the process of starting a church, he decided to pursue a job as a commercial pilot, in keeping with what he did in the military.
I was relieved.
No lie.
But this post is about our time in Tulsa.
Of course, one of the most important things we had to do while there was to find a church. There was a lot of buzz about one in particular that fit our criteria. It was Charismatic, with a preacher who taught the Word, and as a bonus, it was predominantly black.
The church was Higher Dimensions.
Now, this whole notion of a Charismatic Church was different for me. I was raised Catholic and used to being in service for 45 minutes. Max. These two-hour services were a hard sell for me, but I'd be OK if they were entertaining.
Boy oh boy.
Higher Dimensions was definitely that.
The pastor, Carlton Pearson, was a rock star preacher. He was in demand all over town, all over the country, and indeed, all over the world. He was single at the time, and the church would be filled with beautiful women, dressed to the nines, all vying for his attention. He's a good looking guy and watching these mating dances was too much fun.
And, he could sing.
He could sho' nuff bring the house down as he would break out in song and dance at any given time.
He could preach, too.
After our first visit, I was sold.
I loved this church and this preacher man.
Now, it's taken me a while to get to the point, but here it is.
Years after we left Tulsa, Carlton continued to rock the Chrisitan world, but he had an epiphany that changed his thinking, and ultimately his message, when he announced that there wasn't a hell and that all people, no matter who they were or what they believed, were heaven-bound. That was considered heresy and he was denounced. This way of thinking was scandalous.
Well, I loved his message (or maybe it was his delivery) then (pre-epiphany), but I especially love it now. This lands me square in the minority though. Church folks have denounced him far and wide.
You can hear a well-done segment of This American Life, produced in 2005, that describes, in detail, Carlton Pearson's rise and fall from grace.
Judge for yourself.
http://tal.fm/304
Side note - There's a movie being made now of Carlton's life entitled "Come Sunday" starring Chiwetel Ejiofor.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1690967/
The year was 1986.
I was never especially keen on this idea because that meant I would have the role of the "preacher's wife." The problem was I was outspoken and cussed like a sailor. Not handy attributes for the church's first lady.
That didn't stop us from going down this path though. I'm sure Frank thought he'd be able to "pray away" my rough edges.
Long story short.
Frank finished school and just when we should have commenced the process of starting a church, he decided to pursue a job as a commercial pilot, in keeping with what he did in the military.
I was relieved.
No lie.
But this post is about our time in Tulsa.
Of course, one of the most important things we had to do while there was to find a church. There was a lot of buzz about one in particular that fit our criteria. It was Charismatic, with a preacher who taught the Word, and as a bonus, it was predominantly black.
The church was Higher Dimensions.
Now, this whole notion of a Charismatic Church was different for me. I was raised Catholic and used to being in service for 45 minutes. Max. These two-hour services were a hard sell for me, but I'd be OK if they were entertaining.
Boy oh boy.
Higher Dimensions was definitely that.
The pastor, Carlton Pearson, was a rock star preacher. He was in demand all over town, all over the country, and indeed, all over the world. He was single at the time, and the church would be filled with beautiful women, dressed to the nines, all vying for his attention. He's a good looking guy and watching these mating dances was too much fun.
And, he could sing.
He could sho' nuff bring the house down as he would break out in song and dance at any given time.
He could preach, too.
After our first visit, I was sold.
I loved this church and this preacher man.
Now, it's taken me a while to get to the point, but here it is.
Years after we left Tulsa, Carlton continued to rock the Chrisitan world, but he had an epiphany that changed his thinking, and ultimately his message, when he announced that there wasn't a hell and that all people, no matter who they were or what they believed, were heaven-bound. That was considered heresy and he was denounced. This way of thinking was scandalous.
Well, I loved his message (or maybe it was his delivery) then (pre-epiphany), but I especially love it now. This lands me square in the minority though. Church folks have denounced him far and wide.
You can hear a well-done segment of This American Life, produced in 2005, that describes, in detail, Carlton Pearson's rise and fall from grace.
Judge for yourself.
http://tal.fm/304
Side note - There's a movie being made now of Carlton's life entitled "Come Sunday" starring Chiwetel Ejiofor.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1690967/
Black & White in the NFL
From the Undefeated -
The NFL’s racial divide
Teams don’t consciously build rosters based on race, it just ends up that way
BY JASON REID AND JANE MCMANUS
On the field, the modern NFL, for the most part, is a meritocracy. But the individual positions on a roster can resemble the ordered black-and-white squares of a chessboard. The story of the enduring blackness of the running back position is part of a much bigger narrative about race and football that dates to a period when African-Americans were unofficially banned from playing in the NFL. And even today, the racial composition of NFL lineups is shaped as much by societal factors as the inclination of decision-makers to stick with what has worked so well for so long.
In the past few decades, critics have decried the way black players historically were blocked from playing quarterback in the NFL – an insulting and economically disenfranchising move. However, statistics show that times are changing – albeit still way too slowly. And although the league’s percentage of African-American signal-callers increased from 18 percent to only 19 percent during a 14-year span analyzed by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida, the emergence of young superstars such as Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Dak Prescott and others have proved over and over again that those anachronistic ideas about leadership and intellect are no longer applicable. Warren Moon could write a book on it. Actually, he did.
https://theundefeated.com/features/the-nfls-racial-divide/
The NFL’s racial divide
Teams don’t consciously build rosters based on race, it just ends up that way
BY JASON REID AND JANE MCMANUS
On the field, the modern NFL, for the most part, is a meritocracy. But the individual positions on a roster can resemble the ordered black-and-white squares of a chessboard. The story of the enduring blackness of the running back position is part of a much bigger narrative about race and football that dates to a period when African-Americans were unofficially banned from playing in the NFL. And even today, the racial composition of NFL lineups is shaped as much by societal factors as the inclination of decision-makers to stick with what has worked so well for so long.
In the past few decades, critics have decried the way black players historically were blocked from playing quarterback in the NFL – an insulting and economically disenfranchising move. However, statistics show that times are changing – albeit still way too slowly. And although the league’s percentage of African-American signal-callers increased from 18 percent to only 19 percent during a 14-year span analyzed by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of Central Florida, the emergence of young superstars such as Russell Wilson, Cam Newton, Dak Prescott and others have proved over and over again that those anachronistic ideas about leadership and intellect are no longer applicable. Warren Moon could write a book on it. Actually, he did.
https://theundefeated.com/features/the-nfls-racial-divide/
HBCUs on Display
From Essence -
Photos From The HBCU Springcoming 2017
The rain didn't stop these HBCU grads from having a good time during the third annual HBCU Springcoming in New York City.
By Mariya Moseley
http://www.essence.com/culture/photos-hbcu-graduates-springcoming-nyc-2017?xid=nl_essence_daily_am_042617
Photos From The HBCU Springcoming 2017
The rain didn't stop these HBCU grads from having a good time during the third annual HBCU Springcoming in New York City.
By Mariya Moseley
http://www.essence.com/culture/photos-hbcu-graduates-springcoming-nyc-2017?xid=nl_essence_daily_am_042617
Connecting Kids
From the New York Times -
Lifting Kids to College
By Frank Bruni
LOS ANGELES — If you go by the odds, Sierra Williams shouldn’t be in college, let alone at a highly selective school like the University of Southern California.
Many kids in her low-income neighborhood here don’t get to or through the 12th grade. Her single mother isn’t college-educated. Neither are Sierra’s two brothers, one of whom is in prison. Her sister has only a two-year associate degree.
But when Sierra was in the sixth grade, teachers spotted her potential and enrolled her in the Neighborhood Academic Initiative, or N.A.I., a program through which U.S.C. prepares underprivileged kids who live relatively near its South Los Angeles campus for higher education. She repeatedly visited U.S.C., so she could envision herself in such an environment and reach for it. She took advanced classes. Her mother, like the parents or guardians of all students in the N.A.I., got counseling on turning college into a reality for her child.
Sierra, 20, just finished her junior year at U.S.C. An engineering major, she’s already enrolled in a master’s program. “My end goal is to get my Ph.D.,” she told me when I met her recently. She wants to be a professor and, through her example as a black woman in engineering, correct the paucity of minorities in the field.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/opinion/usc-neighborhood-academic-initiative-lifting-kids-to-college.html?emc=edit_ca_20170426&nl=california-today&nlid=38867499&te=1&_r=0
Lifting Kids to College
By Frank Bruni
LOS ANGELES — If you go by the odds, Sierra Williams shouldn’t be in college, let alone at a highly selective school like the University of Southern California.
Many kids in her low-income neighborhood here don’t get to or through the 12th grade. Her single mother isn’t college-educated. Neither are Sierra’s two brothers, one of whom is in prison. Her sister has only a two-year associate degree.
But when Sierra was in the sixth grade, teachers spotted her potential and enrolled her in the Neighborhood Academic Initiative, or N.A.I., a program through which U.S.C. prepares underprivileged kids who live relatively near its South Los Angeles campus for higher education. She repeatedly visited U.S.C., so she could envision herself in such an environment and reach for it. She took advanced classes. Her mother, like the parents or guardians of all students in the N.A.I., got counseling on turning college into a reality for her child.
Sierra, 20, just finished her junior year at U.S.C. An engineering major, she’s already enrolled in a master’s program. “My end goal is to get my Ph.D.,” she told me when I met her recently. She wants to be a professor and, through her example as a black woman in engineering, correct the paucity of minorities in the field.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/26/opinion/usc-neighborhood-academic-initiative-lifting-kids-to-college.html?emc=edit_ca_20170426&nl=california-today&nlid=38867499&te=1&_r=0
No Ink Please
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
A Japanese artist takes on a country that despises tattoos
By Anna Fifield
OSAKA, Japan — Visitors to Japan who have tattoos bigger than a Band-Aid can forget about going to hot springs or swimming in a public pool. They also can rule out some beaches and gyms, certain restaurants and karaoke rooms, and even some convenience stores.
This is because tattoos are strongly associated with organized crime here — specifically the yakuza, or Japanese mafia — and are therefore almost universally viewed with repugnance. Case in point: When Disney released the animated movie “Moana” here recently, the advertising featured only the young girl in the title, and not the heavily tattooed Maui, who was shown on posters elsewhere (although the company says it was simply a marketing decision).
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/japanese-tattoo-artist-goes-to-court-to-challenge-a-national-revulsion-to-body-art/2017/04/24/d3bfbdee-25f2-11e7-928e-3624539060e8_story.html?utm_term=.6c89d0917632&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
This is NUTS!
From the Huffington Post -
Nordstrom Sells $425 Jeans That Are Covered In Fake Mud
They’re the opposite of dirt cheap.
By Jamie Feldman
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nordstrom-mud-jeans_us_58ff7777e4b0c46f07829179
Nordstrom Sells $425 Jeans That Are Covered In Fake Mud
They’re the opposite of dirt cheap.
By Jamie Feldman
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nordstrom-mud-jeans_us_58ff7777e4b0c46f07829179
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
"Hidden Figures" in the Classroom
From the Undefeated -
Now we can find ‘Hidden Figures’ in the classroom
The story moves from the big screen into a new curriculum
BY KELLEY D. EVANS
The eye-opening, Academy Award-winning film Hidden Figures made big strides on the big screen. Now the box-office smash can be taught in middle school social studies classes thanks to Journeys in Film, a nonprofit organization that integrates film into education.
https://theundefeated.com/features/now-we-can-find-hidden-figures-in-the-classroom/
http://journeysinfilm.org/films/hidden-figures/
Now we can find ‘Hidden Figures’ in the classroom
The story moves from the big screen into a new curriculum
BY KELLEY D. EVANS
The eye-opening, Academy Award-winning film Hidden Figures made big strides on the big screen. Now the box-office smash can be taught in middle school social studies classes thanks to Journeys in Film, a nonprofit organization that integrates film into education.
https://theundefeated.com/features/now-we-can-find-hidden-figures-in-the-classroom/
http://journeysinfilm.org/films/hidden-figures/
Quote
From the Huffington Post -
“America’s greatness has never depended on the strength of any individual person, but on all of us, working together towards a common goal. But when we’ve failed to stay true to our core values ― when we deny another person our nation’s promise of opportunity ― our national strength suffers.
“When a child can’t access the tools to succeed in school, when a woman can’t afford basic health care, when refugees fleeing terror see the door slammed in their face, when we deny civil rights on the basis of skin color or sexual orientation or religion, and when a working family can’t put food on the table, our whole nation suffers.” - Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tammy-duckworth-first-senate-speech-donald-trump_us_58ffbe9ee4b07ba261e69f64?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
“America’s greatness has never depended on the strength of any individual person, but on all of us, working together towards a common goal. But when we’ve failed to stay true to our core values ― when we deny another person our nation’s promise of opportunity ― our national strength suffers.
“When a child can’t access the tools to succeed in school, when a woman can’t afford basic health care, when refugees fleeing terror see the door slammed in their face, when we deny civil rights on the basis of skin color or sexual orientation or religion, and when a working family can’t put food on the table, our whole nation suffers.” - Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/tammy-duckworth-first-senate-speech-donald-trump_us_58ffbe9ee4b07ba261e69f64?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Overdue for Praise
An excerpt from the Huffington Post -
‘If You Take Out Kenan Thompson, The Studio Will Explode’
Insiders at SNL consider Kenan Thompson to be one of the greatest sketch comics ever. As he approaches a record 15th season on the show, maybe you should, too.
By Maxwell Strachan
‘If You Take Out Kenan Thompson, The Studio Will Explode’
Insiders at SNL consider Kenan Thompson to be one of the greatest sketch comics ever. As he approaches a record 15th season on the show, maybe you should, too.
By Maxwell Strachan
After almost a lifetime on television, Kenan Thompson might be on a first-name basis with the general public, but he doesn’t come close to registering as one of the most famous people to walk through the doors of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. His time on the show has never translated into Hollywood stardom or his own TV show. Even at SNL, there has always been someone else who took the title of favorite ― a Tina Fey, or an Andy Samberg, or a Kristen Wiig, or a Kate McKinnon.
But quietly, Thompson, who joined the cast in 2003, has strung together a run at SNL that will soon be without precedent.
Should he return next fall for another season, Thompson will make SNL history, becoming the single longest-running cast member ever at 15 seasons.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kenan-thompson-snl_us_58fdedc3e4b018a9ce5cbb02?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Black Ivy
From Essence -
#BlackMenOfYaleUniversity Photos Give A Fresh Perspective On The Black Ivy League Experience
By Danielle Kwateng-Clark
#BlackMenOfYaleUniversity Photos Give A Fresh Perspective On The Black Ivy League Experience
By Danielle Kwateng-Clark
http://www.essence.com/news/black-men-of-yale-university-viral-photo?xid=nl_essence_daily_pm_042517
Young, Gifted, & Black Rock Climber
From the Undefeated -
Kai Lightner, 17, aims to be the best rock climber in the country
One of the few blacks at the top of the sport, he’s shooting for the Tokyo Olympics
BY PAUL WACHTER
In March, Lightner, now 17, stood in front of another climbing wall inside Denver’s Movement Climbing and Fitness gym. He was one of 69 men competing in U.S.A. Climbing’s Sport & Speed Open National Championships, and, despite his age, he arguably was the favorite. Two years ago, when he first entered the competition as a 15-year-old, he won. And last year he finished second.
~~~~~~~~~~
But being the best male climber in the country isn’t Lightner’s only goal. After graduating from high school this spring, he’ll take a year off before college to expand his international competition schedule and tackle difficult outdoor routes. There’s also the Olympics. “Tokyo in 2020 will be the first time that climbing will be in the Olympics,” Lightner said. “There will only be one male climber and one female climber from the United States, and I’ll be training for that.”
Kai Lightner, 17, aims to be the best rock climber in the country
One of the few blacks at the top of the sport, he’s shooting for the Tokyo Olympics
BY PAUL WACHTER
 |
| Kai Lightner looks up at the climbing wall in – while participating in the USA Climbing Courtesy of USA Climbing |
In March, Lightner, now 17, stood in front of another climbing wall inside Denver’s Movement Climbing and Fitness gym. He was one of 69 men competing in U.S.A. Climbing’s Sport & Speed Open National Championships, and, despite his age, he arguably was the favorite. Two years ago, when he first entered the competition as a 15-year-old, he won. And last year he finished second.
~~~~~~~~~~
But being the best male climber in the country isn’t Lightner’s only goal. After graduating from high school this spring, he’ll take a year off before college to expand his international competition schedule and tackle difficult outdoor routes. There’s also the Olympics. “Tokyo in 2020 will be the first time that climbing will be in the Olympics,” Lightner said. “There will only be one male climber and one female climber from the United States, and I’ll be training for that.”
https://theundefeated.com/features/kai-lightner-17-aims-to-be-the-best-rock-climber-in-the-country/
Insecurity Defines Him
An excerpt from Slate -
Trump’s Defining Trait
It’s his insecurity. Why that should frighten us all.
By Jamelle Bouie
Each president brings with him more than just his agenda to Washington. He also brings personal qualities, those traits of character that shape and define his time in office as much as any event or policy. For Barack Obama, that quality was a confidence—or, critics might say, aloofness—exemplified by the nickname “No Drama Obama.” For George W. Bush, it was a resolve that crossed into stubborn rigidity. For Bill Clinton, a malleability that sometimes—or even often—skirted principle.
Donald Trump has just three months in office, but even now, we can see what he brings to the White House. Not the strength or mastery he works to project with every public appearance, but its opposite: insecurity. As president, Trump is profoundly insecure: insecure about his electoral victory, insecure about his public standing, and insecure about his progress as chief executive.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/04/donald_trump_s_defining_trait_his_insecurity.html?wpsrc=newsletter_tis&sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d
Trump’s Defining Trait
It’s his insecurity. Why that should frighten us all.
By Jamelle Bouie
Each president brings with him more than just his agenda to Washington. He also brings personal qualities, those traits of character that shape and define his time in office as much as any event or policy. For Barack Obama, that quality was a confidence—or, critics might say, aloofness—exemplified by the nickname “No Drama Obama.” For George W. Bush, it was a resolve that crossed into stubborn rigidity. For Bill Clinton, a malleability that sometimes—or even often—skirted principle.
Donald Trump has just three months in office, but even now, we can see what he brings to the White House. Not the strength or mastery he works to project with every public appearance, but its opposite: insecurity. As president, Trump is profoundly insecure: insecure about his electoral victory, insecure about his public standing, and insecure about his progress as chief executive.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/04/donald_trump_s_defining_trait_his_insecurity.html?wpsrc=newsletter_tis&sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d
Beyonce Scholarships - Please Share This
From Vulture -
Beyoncé Is Sending 4 Women to College on Formation Scholarships
By Dee Lockett
http://www.vulture.com/2017/04/beyonce-formation-scholarship-will-send-women-to-college.html
Beyoncé Is Sending 4 Women to College on Formation Scholarships
By Dee Lockett
http://www.vulture.com/2017/04/beyonce-formation-scholarship-will-send-women-to-college.html
Making a Statement
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTKtc_yhzzK/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-lives-matter-prom-dress_us_58fdfb99e4b06b9cb91865dc
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/black-lives-matter-prom-dress_us_58fdfb99e4b06b9cb91865dc
Monday, April 24, 2017
Snubbed by the US
An excerpt from OZY -
WHICH LEADER SNUBBED JESSE OWENS? HINT: IT WASN'T HITLER
By James Watkins
Adolf Hitler famously refused to shake Owens’ hand, not wanting the humiliation of acknowledging a Black athlete’s brilliance, or so the story goes. But the truth is that, after the first day of competition, Hitler didn’t shake any athlete’s hand because the head of the International Olympic Committee told him he must congratulate all gold medalists or none at all. Sure, the führer wasn’t keen on photo ops with Black or Jewish athletes, but he simply chose to steer clear of the stadium altogether. So Owens was never personally snubbed by Hitler, but his story is still defined by systematic racism — not in Nazi Germany, but in the United States.
After the Olympics, in which 18 African-American athletes competed with record-breaking success, only white athletes were invited to meet President Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the White House. It was an election year, and FDR “did not want to be perceived as being soft on the negro issue,” says Harry Edwards, a sociologist and campaigner for Black participation in professional sports. The most decorated American athlete of the Games, Owens had to enter his own celebratory reception at the Waldorf Astoria through the freight elevator. After being banned from amateur competition because he declined to take part in a post-Olympics promotional tour, and with no professional opportunities or sponsorships, Owens worked as a playground janitor. He would later work as a gas station attendant before eventually filing for bankruptcy and being prosecuted for tax evasion. Owens began smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, a habit that would eventually kill him.
http://www.ozy.com/the-huddle/which-leader-snubbed-jesse-owens-hint-it-wasnt-hitler/71998
WHICH LEADER SNUBBED JESSE OWENS? HINT: IT WASN'T HITLER
By James Watkins
Adolf Hitler famously refused to shake Owens’ hand, not wanting the humiliation of acknowledging a Black athlete’s brilliance, or so the story goes. But the truth is that, after the first day of competition, Hitler didn’t shake any athlete’s hand because the head of the International Olympic Committee told him he must congratulate all gold medalists or none at all. Sure, the führer wasn’t keen on photo ops with Black or Jewish athletes, but he simply chose to steer clear of the stadium altogether. So Owens was never personally snubbed by Hitler, but his story is still defined by systematic racism — not in Nazi Germany, but in the United States.
After the Olympics, in which 18 African-American athletes competed with record-breaking success, only white athletes were invited to meet President Franklin Delano Roosevelt at the White House. It was an election year, and FDR “did not want to be perceived as being soft on the negro issue,” says Harry Edwards, a sociologist and campaigner for Black participation in professional sports. The most decorated American athlete of the Games, Owens had to enter his own celebratory reception at the Waldorf Astoria through the freight elevator. After being banned from amateur competition because he declined to take part in a post-Olympics promotional tour, and with no professional opportunities or sponsorships, Owens worked as a playground janitor. He would later work as a gas station attendant before eventually filing for bankruptcy and being prosecuted for tax evasion. Owens began smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, a habit that would eventually kill him.
http://www.ozy.com/the-huddle/which-leader-snubbed-jesse-owens-hint-it-wasnt-hitler/71998
Sunday, April 23, 2017
Fueled by Taunts
From the Washington Post -
These robotics students were told ‘to go back to Mexico.’ The taunt only fueled their success.
By Kristine Phillips
Just a few months ago, not many knew about these five fourth-graders from a low-income community in Indianapolis.
But now, the Panther Bots, a thriving robotics team at Pleasant Run Elementary School, have become the face of a success story about a group of kids who were taunted with racial slurs but were too determined to let that affect their confidence. Earlier this month, they found themselves being honored on the Senate floor of the Indiana Statehouse. The group travels to Louisville on Sunday to compete in a worldwide robotics contest.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2017/04/23/these-robotics-students-were-told-to-go-back-to-mexico-the-taunt-only-fueled-their-success/?utm_term=.c0e0ecee6c44&wpisrc=nl_most-draw7&wpmm=1
These robotics students were told ‘to go back to Mexico.’ The taunt only fueled their success.
By Kristine Phillips
Just a few months ago, not many knew about these five fourth-graders from a low-income community in Indianapolis.
But now, the Panther Bots, a thriving robotics team at Pleasant Run Elementary School, have become the face of a success story about a group of kids who were taunted with racial slurs but were too determined to let that affect their confidence. Earlier this month, they found themselves being honored on the Senate floor of the Indiana Statehouse. The group travels to Louisville on Sunday to compete in a worldwide robotics contest.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2017/04/23/these-robotics-students-were-told-to-go-back-to-mexico-the-taunt-only-fueled-their-success/?utm_term=.c0e0ecee6c44&wpisrc=nl_most-draw7&wpmm=1
See Your Mail Before It Arrives
https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/nation-now/2017/04/20/postal-service-offers-look-your-mail-before-arrives/100693104/
Signs of the Times
 |
| March for Science Rally, Paris - April 22, 2017 Francois Guillot, AFP/Getty Images |
Friday, April 21, 2017
The Invisible Monument at UC Berkeley
An excerpt from 99percentinvisible.org -
Be sure to check out the podcast that accompanies this article. It came be found on the bottom of the page.
The Invisible Monument to Free Speech
“This soil and the air space extending above it shall not be a part of any nation and shall not be subject to any entity’s jurisdiction.”
http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/episode-22-the-invisible-monument-to-free-speech/
From Atlas Obscura - http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/free-speech-monument
From RoadsideAmerica - http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/30278
Be sure to check out the podcast that accompanies this article. It came be found on the bottom of the page.
The Invisible Monument to Free Speech
“This soil and the air space extending above it shall not be a part of any nation and shall not be subject to any entity’s jurisdiction.”
http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/episode-22-the-invisible-monument-to-free-speech/
From Atlas Obscura - http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/free-speech-monument
From RoadsideAmerica - http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/30278
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