Saturday, June 24, 2017
Cheyenne Mountain
https://www.wired.com/2017/05/rare-journey-cheyenne-mountain-complex-super-bunker-can-survive-anything/?mbid=nl_62417_p1&CNDID=
Little Black Girl Magic
From BlackAmericaWeb -
Meet The 10-Year-Old Girl Who Invented A Million-Dollar Barrette
Just imagine, a hair accessory being sold in 50 stores and 16 states across the country…and the CEO of the hair brand is still in elementary school! That’s right, 10-year old Gabrielle Goodwin has come up with a solution that will bring nothing but relief to Black moms around the world – barrettes that don’t fall off or go missing.
https://blackamericaweb.com/2017/06/21/meet-the-10-year-old-girl-who-invented-a-million-dollar-barrette/
Meet The 10-Year-Old Girl Who Invented A Million-Dollar Barrette
Just imagine, a hair accessory being sold in 50 stores and 16 states across the country…and the CEO of the hair brand is still in elementary school! That’s right, 10-year old Gabrielle Goodwin has come up with a solution that will bring nothing but relief to Black moms around the world – barrettes that don’t fall off or go missing.
https://blackamericaweb.com/2017/06/21/meet-the-10-year-old-girl-who-invented-a-million-dollar-barrette/
Blaxodus
From the Root -
For Those Considering Blaxit, I Present to You: Budapest
By Jennifer Neal
I’ll be completely honest: When it comes to hypothetical homes for African Americans who are considering a post-Trump “blaxodus,” Eastern Europe was way off my radar. Like many former Soviet-bloc states, Hungary is a place that grapples with unemployment and poverty while its leaders hoard taxpayer funds to line their own pockets.
~~~~~~~~~~
But I’m ready to admit something else: Budapest surprised me. Centuries of expanding and contracting border lines, nomadic ethnic groups like the Roma and 150 years of Turkish occupation have turned Budapest into a unique archetype relative to the rest of the region. This is reflected in the architecture, the music and, unlike Germany—a country where emulsified pork fat spread on toast is considered a delicacy—the food, which is slap-somebody good.
http://www.theroot.com/for-those-considering-blaxit-i-present-to-you-budapes-1796277680
For Those Considering Blaxit, I Present to You: Budapest
By Jennifer Neal
I’ll be completely honest: When it comes to hypothetical homes for African Americans who are considering a post-Trump “blaxodus,” Eastern Europe was way off my radar. Like many former Soviet-bloc states, Hungary is a place that grapples with unemployment and poverty while its leaders hoard taxpayer funds to line their own pockets.
~~~~~~~~~~
But I’m ready to admit something else: Budapest surprised me. Centuries of expanding and contracting border lines, nomadic ethnic groups like the Roma and 150 years of Turkish occupation have turned Budapest into a unique archetype relative to the rest of the region. This is reflected in the architecture, the music and, unlike Germany—a country where emulsified pork fat spread on toast is considered a delicacy—the food, which is slap-somebody good.
http://www.theroot.com/for-those-considering-blaxit-i-present-to-you-budapes-1796277680
Stayin' Alive
From the Root -
Ohio State Recruit Breaks Internet With Wokest Shirt Ever
By Michael Harriot
Ohio State Recruit Breaks Internet With Wokest Shirt Ever
By Michael Harriot
http://www.theroot.com/ohio-state-recruit-breaks-internet-with-wokest-shirt-ev-1796343394⭕️state was great!!!! 💯 pic.twitter.com/HlWtYBXhOu— Tyreke Smith™ (@T_23_baller) June 17, 2017
Remember These Guys?
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
The Legend of Reebok’s ‘Dan and Dave’ ad campaign, as told by Dan and Dave
By Rick Maese
Twenty-five years ago, the advertising campaign was ubiquitous. By Summer 1992, it would be infamous – one of the biggest sports’ marketing campaigns to date, featuring two relatively unknown track and field athletes who became household names almost overnight. Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson were American decathletes on a crash-course to compete against each other for Olympic gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Reebok pumped $30 million into the “Dan & Dave” campaign and invited the nation to choose sides.
Twenty-five years later, Johnson and O’Brien spent time remembering that summer that turned them into unlikely celebrities.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2017/06/23/the-legend-of-reeboks-dan-and-dave-ad-campaign-as-told-by-dan-and-dave/?utm_term=.a6f80f977344&wpisrc=nl_most-draw7&wpmm=1
The Legend of Reebok’s ‘Dan and Dave’ ad campaign, as told by Dan and Dave
By Rick Maese
 |
| Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson at the Modesto Relays in 1992. (Tim DeFrisco / Getty Images) |
Twenty-five years ago, the advertising campaign was ubiquitous. By Summer 1992, it would be infamous – one of the biggest sports’ marketing campaigns to date, featuring two relatively unknown track and field athletes who became household names almost overnight. Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson were American decathletes on a crash-course to compete against each other for Olympic gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. Reebok pumped $30 million into the “Dan & Dave” campaign and invited the nation to choose sides.
Twenty-five years later, Johnson and O’Brien spent time remembering that summer that turned them into unlikely celebrities.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/sports/wp/2017/06/23/the-legend-of-reeboks-dan-and-dave-ad-campaign-as-told-by-dan-and-dave/?utm_term=.a6f80f977344&wpisrc=nl_most-draw7&wpmm=1
Friday, June 23, 2017
Hmmmmm
From Scientific American?
Why Are so Many Babies Born around 8:00 A.M.?
Data visualization engineer Zan Armstrong takes a close look at human birth patterns.
By Zan Armstrong
How a baby is born affects when a baby is born
In the U.S., 32 percent of births are C-section surgeries, another 18 percent are the result of induced labors and 50 percent are “natural” (vaginal deliveries without induction). If we break down the data by the method of delivery, we see a distinct rhythm for each type of delivery method. Together, these three intersecting patterns create the overall minute-per-day pattern we see: fewer births at night, a huge spike in the morning and a broader afternoon bump.
For the 50 percent of babies born without intervention, we see a night/day pattern. Roughly 20 to 30 percent more babies are born per minute between 6:45 A.M. and 6 P.M. than during the night.
https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/sa-visual/why-are-so-many-babies-born-around-8-00-a-m/
Why Are so Many Babies Born around 8:00 A.M.?
Data visualization engineer Zan Armstrong takes a close look at human birth patterns.
By Zan Armstrong
How a baby is born affects when a baby is born
In the U.S., 32 percent of births are C-section surgeries, another 18 percent are the result of induced labors and 50 percent are “natural” (vaginal deliveries without induction). If we break down the data by the method of delivery, we see a distinct rhythm for each type of delivery method. Together, these three intersecting patterns create the overall minute-per-day pattern we see: fewer births at night, a huge spike in the morning and a broader afternoon bump.
 |
| Credit: Nadieh Bremer and Zan Armstrong; SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
For the 50 percent of babies born without intervention, we see a night/day pattern. Roughly 20 to 30 percent more babies are born per minute between 6:45 A.M. and 6 P.M. than during the night.
Flying Cars
From Wired -
Can’t Decide What Kind of Flying Car to Get? Try These 10
By Jack Stewart
COMMUTERS OF THE world, rejoice. The long-promised age of the flying car is finally here—more or less. Big-name companies around the world are showing honest to goodness flying machines in action, and promising to make them available to the public soon. This sudden shift can be pinned on recent tech advances: Better motors, batteries, and lightweight materials mean designers’ dreams can now be built. The flexibility that comes with compact electric motors gives engineers almost total free reign, and man have they taken advantage.
https://www.wired.com/2017/06/flying-car-concepts-prototypes?mbid=nl_62217_p10&CNDID=
Can’t Decide What Kind of Flying Car to Get? Try These 10
By Jack Stewart
COMMUTERS OF THE world, rejoice. The long-promised age of the flying car is finally here—more or less. Big-name companies around the world are showing honest to goodness flying machines in action, and promising to make them available to the public soon. This sudden shift can be pinned on recent tech advances: Better motors, batteries, and lightweight materials mean designers’ dreams can now be built. The flexibility that comes with compact electric motors gives engineers almost total free reign, and man have they taken advantage.
https://www.wired.com/2017/06/flying-car-concepts-prototypes?mbid=nl_62217_p10&CNDID=
Wednesday, June 21, 2017
Right to Bear Arms? Not Us.
An excerpt from the Atlantic -
Do African Americans Have a Right to Bear Arms?
And if so, why won’t the justice system or the NRA stand up for it?
By DAVID A. GRAHAM
Philando Castile’s shooting death, at the hands of a police officer in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, one year ago, was numbingly similar to a string of other killings of black men by police. But Castile’s shooting was notably different in one crucial respect: Castile was licensed to carry a gun. He carefully informed Officer Jeronimo Yanez—exceeding his legal requirements under Minnesota law, though following the advice some gun-rights advocates offer for concealed carriers when stopped by police. And yet Yanez almost instantly shot him. That aspect made the case a central focus not just for Black Lives Matter activists, but for some gun owners, too.
As I wrote at the time, Castile’s killing raised the question of whether African Americans truly have a right to bear arms in practice. Even setting aside the questionable grounds under which Yanez had pulled Castile over (a malfunctioning taillight is a classic pretextual stop police use to question black drivers), Castile had done everything right.
There’s a long history of African Americans attempting to arm themselves to defend against state violence. During the post-Civil War period, many blacks armed themselves to protect against white supremacist violence. Southern governments responded by attempting to strip the right to bear arms. A century later, the Black Panthers made a habit of openly carrying guns as a way of displaying to racist police officers in Oakland that African Americans couldn’t be pushed around. In response, the California legislature passed a ban on open carry, and Governor Ronald Reagan signed it into law.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/the-continued-erosion-of-the-african-american-right-to-bear-arms/531093/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-062117
Do African Americans Have a Right to Bear Arms?
And if so, why won’t the justice system or the NRA stand up for it?
By DAVID A. GRAHAM
Philando Castile’s shooting death, at the hands of a police officer in Falcon Heights, Minnesota, one year ago, was numbingly similar to a string of other killings of black men by police. But Castile’s shooting was notably different in one crucial respect: Castile was licensed to carry a gun. He carefully informed Officer Jeronimo Yanez—exceeding his legal requirements under Minnesota law, though following the advice some gun-rights advocates offer for concealed carriers when stopped by police. And yet Yanez almost instantly shot him. That aspect made the case a central focus not just for Black Lives Matter activists, but for some gun owners, too.
As I wrote at the time, Castile’s killing raised the question of whether African Americans truly have a right to bear arms in practice. Even setting aside the questionable grounds under which Yanez had pulled Castile over (a malfunctioning taillight is a classic pretextual stop police use to question black drivers), Castile had done everything right.
There’s a long history of African Americans attempting to arm themselves to defend against state violence. During the post-Civil War period, many blacks armed themselves to protect against white supremacist violence. Southern governments responded by attempting to strip the right to bear arms. A century later, the Black Panthers made a habit of openly carrying guns as a way of displaying to racist police officers in Oakland that African Americans couldn’t be pushed around. In response, the California legislature passed a ban on open carry, and Governor Ronald Reagan signed it into law.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/the-continued-erosion-of-the-african-american-right-to-bear-arms/531093/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-062117
Shocking Behavior or Not?
An excerpt from the Root -
Video of a White Woman Demanding a White Doctor Shocked Everyone ... Except Black Doctors
By Michael Harriot
A viral video of a woman at a Canadian clinic demanding to see a white doctor has the internet buzzing about her demands. While many are shocked by the woman’s insistence that she will allow only a white doctor to treat her son, there is one group of people who are not shocked by the video, or by the woman’s brazen display of racism:
Black doctors.
While the internet may be clutching its pearls, according to numerous studies and anecdotal examples, nonwhite doctors and nurses see this all the time. The Root spoke with 12 black medical professionals who all say they have encountered similar situations, some routinely.
http://www.theroot.com/video-of-a-white-woman-demanding-a-white-doctor-shocked-1796299094
Video of a White Woman Demanding a White Doctor Shocked Everyone ... Except Black Doctors
By Michael Harriot
A viral video of a woman at a Canadian clinic demanding to see a white doctor has the internet buzzing about her demands. While many are shocked by the woman’s insistence that she will allow only a white doctor to treat her son, there is one group of people who are not shocked by the video, or by the woman’s brazen display of racism:
Black doctors.
While the internet may be clutching its pearls, according to numerous studies and anecdotal examples, nonwhite doctors and nurses see this all the time. The Root spoke with 12 black medical professionals who all say they have encountered similar situations, some routinely.
http://www.theroot.com/video-of-a-white-woman-demanding-a-white-doctor-shocked-1796299094
Live in CA and Need a Job?
An excerpt from the NY Times -
California Today
By MIKE MCPHATE
Need a job?
California’s state government has at least 3,800 openings it wants to fill.
In a push to do so, the state human resources agency recently introduced a revamped jobs website, branded under the name CalCareers.
The site lets job seekers search using filters such as location and job category.
There are currently openings for lawyers, lifeguards, nurses, plumbers, music therapists and Jewish chaplains.
The postings, helpfully, give expected salary ranges. The top listed minimum salary? About $274,000 a year to be a chief dentist in California’s correctional system.
If that’s a little beyond your expertise, don’t worry. According to the website, there are plenty of openings that require neither a degree nor experience.
https://jobs.ca.gov
http://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/2017/06/21/california-today?nlid=38867499
California Today
By MIKE MCPHATE
Need a job?
California’s state government has at least 3,800 openings it wants to fill.
In a push to do so, the state human resources agency recently introduced a revamped jobs website, branded under the name CalCareers.
The site lets job seekers search using filters such as location and job category.
There are currently openings for lawyers, lifeguards, nurses, plumbers, music therapists and Jewish chaplains.
The postings, helpfully, give expected salary ranges. The top listed minimum salary? About $274,000 a year to be a chief dentist in California’s correctional system.
If that’s a little beyond your expertise, don’t worry. According to the website, there are plenty of openings that require neither a degree nor experience.
https://jobs.ca.gov
http://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/2017/06/21/california-today?nlid=38867499
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Side Effects of Too Much Power?
An excerpt from the Atlantic -
Power Causes Brain Damage
Over time, leaders lose mental capacities—most notably for reading other people—that were essential to their rise.
By JERRY USEEM
If power were a prescription drug, it would come with a long list of known side effects. It can intoxicate. It can corrupt. It can even make Henry Kissinger believe that he’s sexually magnetic. But can it cause brain damage?
When various lawmakers lit into John Stumpf at a congressional hearing last fall, each seemed to find a fresh way to flay the now-former CEO of Wells Fargo for failing to stop some 5,000 employees from setting up phony accounts for customers. But it was Stumpf’s performance that stood out. Here was a man who had risen to the top of the world’s most valuable bank, yet he seemed utterly unable to read a room. Although he apologized, he didn’t appear chastened or remorseful. Nor did he seem defiant or smug or even insincere. He looked disoriented, like a jet-lagged space traveler just arrived from Planet Stumpf, where deference to him is a natural law and 5,000 a commendably small number. Even the most direct barbs—“You have got to be kidding me” (Sean Duffy of Wisconsin); “I can’t believe some of what I’m hearing here” (Gregory Meeks of New York)—failed to shake him awake.
The historian Henry Adams was being metaphorical, not medical, when he described power as “a sort of tumor that ends by killing the victim’s sympathies.” But that’s not far from where Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at UC Berkeley, ended up after years of lab and field experiments. Subjects under the influence of power, he found in studies spanning two decades, acted as if they had suffered a traumatic brain injury—becoming more impulsive, less risk-aware, and, crucially, less adept at seeing things from other people’s point of view.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/07/power-causes-brain-damage/528711/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-061917
Power Causes Brain Damage
Over time, leaders lose mental capacities—most notably for reading other people—that were essential to their rise.
By JERRY USEEM
If power were a prescription drug, it would come with a long list of known side effects. It can intoxicate. It can corrupt. It can even make Henry Kissinger believe that he’s sexually magnetic. But can it cause brain damage?
When various lawmakers lit into John Stumpf at a congressional hearing last fall, each seemed to find a fresh way to flay the now-former CEO of Wells Fargo for failing to stop some 5,000 employees from setting up phony accounts for customers. But it was Stumpf’s performance that stood out. Here was a man who had risen to the top of the world’s most valuable bank, yet he seemed utterly unable to read a room. Although he apologized, he didn’t appear chastened or remorseful. Nor did he seem defiant or smug or even insincere. He looked disoriented, like a jet-lagged space traveler just arrived from Planet Stumpf, where deference to him is a natural law and 5,000 a commendably small number. Even the most direct barbs—“You have got to be kidding me” (Sean Duffy of Wisconsin); “I can’t believe some of what I’m hearing here” (Gregory Meeks of New York)—failed to shake him awake.
The historian Henry Adams was being metaphorical, not medical, when he described power as “a sort of tumor that ends by killing the victim’s sympathies.” But that’s not far from where Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at UC Berkeley, ended up after years of lab and field experiments. Subjects under the influence of power, he found in studies spanning two decades, acted as if they had suffered a traumatic brain injury—becoming more impulsive, less risk-aware, and, crucially, less adept at seeing things from other people’s point of view.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/07/power-causes-brain-damage/528711/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-061917
How to Fight Superbugs
https://www.theatlantic.com/video/index/530826/how-to-fight-superbugs/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-061917
A Gift of Freedom
An excerpt from Salon -
Jay Z’s priceless Father’s Day gift: This is how leaders should address injustices of mass incarceration
The rap mogul bailed other dads out of jail while highlighting the devastating effects of our biased justice system
D. WATKINS
Jay Z was not talking about his watch, cars or money this past week; instead, the rap legend and recent Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee celebrated Father’s Day by bailing other fathers out of jail. And he’s been talking about it, too. In an article for Time, the rap mogul wrote, “We can’t fix our broken criminal justice system until we take on the exploitative bail industry.” While Jay Z has long been aware of how messed up the American criminal justice system is, working on telling Kalief Browder’s story strengthened his commitment to this personal mission.
“When I helped produce this year’s docuseries, ‘Time: The Kalief Browder Story,’ I became obsessed with the injustice of the profitable bail bond industry. Kalief’s family was too poor to post bond when he was accused of stealing a backpack,” Jay-Z wrote. “He was sentenced to a kind of purgatory before he ever went to trial. The three years he spent in solitary confinement on Rikers ultimately created irreversible damage that [led] to his death at 22.”
http://www.salon.com/2017/06/19/jay-zs-priceless-fathers-day-gift-this-is-how-leaders-should-address-injustices-of-mass-incarceration/
Jay Z’s priceless Father’s Day gift: This is how leaders should address injustices of mass incarceration
The rap mogul bailed other dads out of jail while highlighting the devastating effects of our biased justice system
D. WATKINS
Jay Z was not talking about his watch, cars or money this past week; instead, the rap legend and recent Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee celebrated Father’s Day by bailing other fathers out of jail. And he’s been talking about it, too. In an article for Time, the rap mogul wrote, “We can’t fix our broken criminal justice system until we take on the exploitative bail industry.” While Jay Z has long been aware of how messed up the American criminal justice system is, working on telling Kalief Browder’s story strengthened his commitment to this personal mission.
“When I helped produce this year’s docuseries, ‘Time: The Kalief Browder Story,’ I became obsessed with the injustice of the profitable bail bond industry. Kalief’s family was too poor to post bond when he was accused of stealing a backpack,” Jay-Z wrote. “He was sentenced to a kind of purgatory before he ever went to trial. The three years he spent in solitary confinement on Rikers ultimately created irreversible damage that [led] to his death at 22.”
http://www.salon.com/2017/06/19/jay-zs-priceless-fathers-day-gift-this-is-how-leaders-should-address-injustices-of-mass-incarceration/
That's a Lot of Change!
An excerpt from the Washington Post - (Bold is mine)
All that spare change you forget at TSA checkpoints adds up to big bucks
By Lori Aratani
All the nickels, dimes and quarters travelers leave behind at airport security checkpoints adds up to big bucks — enough that next time you forget your change after emptying your pockets, you might want to go back for it.
In fiscal year 2016, travelers left behind a record $867,812.39, according to a report from the Transportation Security Administration. That’s over $100,000 more than went unclaimed the previous year. Of that amount, nearly $80,000 was in foreign currency.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr-gridlock/wp/2017/06/19/all-that-spare-change-you-forget-at-tsa-checkpoints-adds-up-to-big-bucks/?utm_term=.3ae318a00118&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
This Copier Can Erase
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
This new copier gives you an option to erase what you’ve printed
By Hayley Tsukayama
To reuse a piece of paper, the printer essentially uses the same process as a normal printer, but in reverse, Melo said. Paper printed with the eraseable toner is fed back into the printer, super-heated, and the toner gets removed and put in a discard tank. The process generates a high enough heat that there is little danger of losing your information if, say, you keep the sheets in your car on hot day.
There are a couple of catches. All of the printouts using the eraseable toner have to be in blue ink, which is the only color in which eraseable toner is now available. And the company said that people may want to stop reusing the printouts after five times through the eraser because small traces of erased text will build up over time.
The $15,420 printer is aimed at offices and schools, where there are often large numbers of printouts that outlive their usefulness quickly. With the eraseable toner, it’s possible to load any short-lived handouts back onto the printer to be erased and then reused.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/06/19/this-new-copier-gives-you-an-option-to-erase-what-youve-printed/?utm_term=.4fc9d6f2c1bb&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
This new copier gives you an option to erase what you’ve printed
By Hayley Tsukayama
To reuse a piece of paper, the printer essentially uses the same process as a normal printer, but in reverse, Melo said. Paper printed with the eraseable toner is fed back into the printer, super-heated, and the toner gets removed and put in a discard tank. The process generates a high enough heat that there is little danger of losing your information if, say, you keep the sheets in your car on hot day.
There are a couple of catches. All of the printouts using the eraseable toner have to be in blue ink, which is the only color in which eraseable toner is now available. And the company said that people may want to stop reusing the printouts after five times through the eraser because small traces of erased text will build up over time.
The $15,420 printer is aimed at offices and schools, where there are often large numbers of printouts that outlive their usefulness quickly. With the eraseable toner, it’s possible to load any short-lived handouts back onto the printer to be erased and then reused.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2017/06/19/this-new-copier-gives-you-an-option-to-erase-what-youve-printed/?utm_term=.4fc9d6f2c1bb&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
10 Year Old Inventor
An excerpt from the Huffington Post -
This 10-Year-Old Is Creating A Device To Prevent Infants From Dying In Hot Cars
His patent should be here within the year.
By Zahara Hill
After Bishop Curry heard his neighbor’s 6-month-old infant died from being in an overheated car, he decided to create a life-saving device to prevent incidents like this from reoccurring ― as any responsible 10-year-old would.
“It kind of came in my head,” Bishop told HuffPost of his device, the Oasis.
The Oasis would respond to rising temperatures by emitting cool air and use an antenna to signal parents and authorities. At the moment, Bishop only has a 3-D clay model of the device, but his father, Bishop Curry IV, began a GoFundMe campaign for the Oasis in January.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/10-year-old-invents-device-to-prevent-hot-car-deaths_us_5948065de4b07499199d9e96
This 10-Year-Old Is Creating A Device To Prevent Infants From Dying In Hot Cars
His patent should be here within the year.
By Zahara Hill
 |
| Bishop Curry will begin sixth grade in the fall. |
After Bishop Curry heard his neighbor’s 6-month-old infant died from being in an overheated car, he decided to create a life-saving device to prevent incidents like this from reoccurring ― as any responsible 10-year-old would.
“It kind of came in my head,” Bishop told HuffPost of his device, the Oasis.
The Oasis would respond to rising temperatures by emitting cool air and use an antenna to signal parents and authorities. At the moment, Bishop only has a 3-D clay model of the device, but his father, Bishop Curry IV, began a GoFundMe campaign for the Oasis in January.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/10-year-old-invents-device-to-prevent-hot-car-deaths_us_5948065de4b07499199d9e96
Sunday, June 18, 2017
Happy Father's Day
If you've been with me for a while, you know that I had three older brothers. My youngest brother Terry died suddenly ten years ago.
But it is my middle brother, Forrest, that comes to mind every day, but especially on this day that we honor and celebrate fathers.
Forrest is ten years older than me and more than anyone, he has been the father figure in my life.
Our father was there, in the house, working every day and providing for the family, but he was absent in every other way. I know now that he was doing the best he could. The best he knew how.
So it was Forrest who stepped up and filled that void.
He started working at a tender age making sure we had food to eat, as Daddy took care of his liquor bill before the grocery bill.
He made sure Mom was OK from the onslaught of abuse, mostly verbal.
He convinced Mom to let me go away to college to his alma mater, which was one of the most important decisions of my life, setting me on course for my lifelong journey.
He paid for my college tuition when the scholarships ran out.
He taught me about relationships, and although my father was around, it was he who walked me down the aisle when I got married.
He is the one who helped me to recognize my worth when my marriage came to an end.
He is the one that I called when I needed help raising Ben and Frankie, especially so after my divorce.
He is the one I still call almost every day, no only to share what's happening, but to get the unvarnished truth.
Everyone needs a Forrest in their life.
I am forever grateful he's in mine.
Happy Father's Day Forrest.
But it is my middle brother, Forrest, that comes to mind every day, but especially on this day that we honor and celebrate fathers.
Forrest is ten years older than me and more than anyone, he has been the father figure in my life.
Our father was there, in the house, working every day and providing for the family, but he was absent in every other way. I know now that he was doing the best he could. The best he knew how.
So it was Forrest who stepped up and filled that void.
He started working at a tender age making sure we had food to eat, as Daddy took care of his liquor bill before the grocery bill.
He made sure Mom was OK from the onslaught of abuse, mostly verbal.
He convinced Mom to let me go away to college to his alma mater, which was one of the most important decisions of my life, setting me on course for my lifelong journey.
He paid for my college tuition when the scholarships ran out.
He taught me about relationships, and although my father was around, it was he who walked me down the aisle when I got married.
He is the one who helped me to recognize my worth when my marriage came to an end.
He is the one that I called when I needed help raising Ben and Frankie, especially so after my divorce.
He is the one I still call almost every day, no only to share what's happening, but to get the unvarnished truth.
Everyone needs a Forrest in their life.
I am forever grateful he's in mine.
Happy Father's Day Forrest.
In Celebration of Juneteenth
From the NY Times RACE RELATED -
Monday is the 152nd anniversary of Juneteenth, the day slavery in the United States effectively ended.
More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, an Army ship arrived on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Tex. with this news: The Civil War had ended and the South had surrendered two months earlier.
Texas was the last state to learn of the outcome. A Union general announced that “all slaves are free.” Those former slaves, numbering 250,000 in Texas, began celebrating the day.
To help you commemorate the holiday, we worked with Will Shortz, the crossword editor of The Times, to create a word search puzzle that recognizes a small slice of the African-American experience.
To play along, you’ll need to answer the clues to get the last names of 22 famous African Americans. Then find and circle them in the grid. The names may read horizontally, vertically or diagonally in any direction.
Here’s a sampling of clues:
-- With a racket, she crossed a color line.
-- Harlem Renaissance poet, via Joplin, Mo.
-- “This is CNN,” he intones.
When you're done, 10 letters will be left over. Reading line by line, from left to right and top to bottom, these will spell a quotation by Muhammad Ali.
http://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/2017/06/18/race-related?nlid=38867499
https://static01.nyt.com/packages/pdf/crossword/juneteenth-wordsearch.pdf
Monday is the 152nd anniversary of Juneteenth, the day slavery in the United States effectively ended.
More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, an Army ship arrived on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Tex. with this news: The Civil War had ended and the South had surrendered two months earlier.
Texas was the last state to learn of the outcome. A Union general announced that “all slaves are free.” Those former slaves, numbering 250,000 in Texas, began celebrating the day.
To help you commemorate the holiday, we worked with Will Shortz, the crossword editor of The Times, to create a word search puzzle that recognizes a small slice of the African-American experience.
To play along, you’ll need to answer the clues to get the last names of 22 famous African Americans. Then find and circle them in the grid. The names may read horizontally, vertically or diagonally in any direction.
Here’s a sampling of clues:
-- With a racket, she crossed a color line.
-- Harlem Renaissance poet, via Joplin, Mo.
-- “This is CNN,” he intones.
When you're done, 10 letters will be left over. Reading line by line, from left to right and top to bottom, these will spell a quotation by Muhammad Ali.
http://www.nytimes.com/newsletters/2017/06/18/race-related?nlid=38867499
https://static01.nyt.com/packages/pdf/crossword/juneteenth-wordsearch.pdf
Saturday, June 17, 2017
It's Not What You Think
From the NY Times -
Only Mass Deportation Can Save America
By Bret Stephens
In the matter of immigration, mark this conservative columnist down as strongly pro-deportation. The United States has too many people who don’t work hard, don’t believe in God, don’t contribute much to society and don’t appreciate the greatness of the American system.
They need to return whence they came.
I speak of Americans whose families have been in this country for a few generations. Complacent, entitled and often shockingly ignorant on basic points of American law and history, they are the stagnant pool in which our national prospects risk drowning.
On point after point, America’s nonimmigrants are failing our country. Crime? A study by the Cato Institute notes that nonimmigrants are incarcerated at nearly twice the rate of illegal immigrants, and at more than three times the rate of legal ones.
Educational achievement? Just 17 percent of the finalists in the 2016 Intel Science Talent Search — often called the “Junior Nobel Prize” — were the children of United States-born parents. At the Rochester Institute of Technology, just 9.5 percent of graduate students in electrical engineering were nonimmigrants.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/opinion/only-mass-deportation-can-save-america.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top-stories
Only Mass Deportation Can Save America
By Bret Stephens
In the matter of immigration, mark this conservative columnist down as strongly pro-deportation. The United States has too many people who don’t work hard, don’t believe in God, don’t contribute much to society and don’t appreciate the greatness of the American system.
They need to return whence they came.
I speak of Americans whose families have been in this country for a few generations. Complacent, entitled and often shockingly ignorant on basic points of American law and history, they are the stagnant pool in which our national prospects risk drowning.
On point after point, America’s nonimmigrants are failing our country. Crime? A study by the Cato Institute notes that nonimmigrants are incarcerated at nearly twice the rate of illegal immigrants, and at more than three times the rate of legal ones.
Educational achievement? Just 17 percent of the finalists in the 2016 Intel Science Talent Search — often called the “Junior Nobel Prize” — were the children of United States-born parents. At the Rochester Institute of Technology, just 9.5 percent of graduate students in electrical engineering were nonimmigrants.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/opinion/only-mass-deportation-can-save-america.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top-stories
He's Preparing for Something
From Salon -
Is Mike Pence pulling a Gerald Ford or a Spiro Agnew?
Pence is either getting ready to become an incoming president or an outgoing vice president
MATTHEW ROZSA
Vice President Mike Pence’s decision to hire his own lawyer for the special counsel investigation into alleged ties between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the Russian government can mean one of two things — or perhaps even both things at the same time.
Either Pence is concerned that he may face charges of his own, or — believing that he is innocent — he wants to separate his own legal fate from that of a president whose innocence he (for good reason) doubts.
http://www.salon.com/2017/06/16/is-mike-pence-pulling-a-gerald-ford-or-a-spiro-agnew/?source=newsletter
Is Mike Pence pulling a Gerald Ford or a Spiro Agnew?
Pence is either getting ready to become an incoming president or an outgoing vice president
MATTHEW ROZSA
Vice President Mike Pence’s decision to hire his own lawyer for the special counsel investigation into alleged ties between Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and the Russian government can mean one of two things — or perhaps even both things at the same time.
Either Pence is concerned that he may face charges of his own, or — believing that he is innocent — he wants to separate his own legal fate from that of a president whose innocence he (for good reason) doubts.
http://www.salon.com/2017/06/16/is-mike-pence-pulling-a-gerald-ford-or-a-spiro-agnew/?source=newsletter
Dear Lord
From the Huffington Post -
18 Of The Most Profound Tweets In Reaction To The Philando Castile Verdict
We’re. Just. Tired.
By Zahara Hill
A Minnesota jury found police officer Jeronimo Yanez not guilty of second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Philando Castile on Friday.
The July 2016 killing, which was streamed on Facebook Live by Castile’s girlfriend Diamond Reynolds, is just one of a serial string of fatal cop shootings that allowed officers to walk away scot-free and many times, with their jobs intact.
For Twitter users that could muster a reaction to the news, many echoed sentiments that have been growing on our hearts since the acquittal of George Zimmerman in 2013: exhaustion, anger and most of all, hurt.
We’ve rounded up 18 of the most profound reactions below:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/18-of-the-most-profound-tweets-in-reaction-to-the-philando-castile-verdict_us_59444aede4b0f15cd5bb61a9
18 Of The Most Profound Tweets In Reaction To The Philando Castile Verdict
We’re. Just. Tired.
By Zahara Hill
A Minnesota jury found police officer Jeronimo Yanez not guilty of second-degree manslaughter in the shooting death of Philando Castile on Friday.
The July 2016 killing, which was streamed on Facebook Live by Castile’s girlfriend Diamond Reynolds, is just one of a serial string of fatal cop shootings that allowed officers to walk away scot-free and many times, with their jobs intact.
For Twitter users that could muster a reaction to the news, many echoed sentiments that have been growing on our hearts since the acquittal of George Zimmerman in 2013: exhaustion, anger and most of all, hurt.
We’ve rounded up 18 of the most profound reactions below:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/18-of-the-most-profound-tweets-in-reaction-to-the-philando-castile-verdict_us_59444aede4b0f15cd5bb61a9
Friday, June 16, 2017
Thursday, June 15, 2017
Leave or Stay?
An excerpt from Vox -
Those who leave home, and those who stay
How we’re sorted into these groups.
By Alvin Chang
Those who stayed in their hometown tend to be less educated, less wealthy, and less hopeful.
They tend to be less open to other cultures and less open to immigrants.
Ultimately, they tend to be more likely to support Donald Trump.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/6/15/15757708/hometown-stay-leave
Those who leave home, and those who stay
How we’re sorted into these groups.
By Alvin Chang
Those who stayed in their hometown tend to be less educated, less wealthy, and less hopeful.
They tend to be less open to other cultures and less open to immigrants.
Ultimately, they tend to be more likely to support Donald Trump.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/6/15/15757708/hometown-stay-leave
Men Interrupting Women
From the New York Times -
The Universal Phenomenon of Men Interrupting Women
By SUSAN CHIRA
For women in business and beyond, it was an I-told-you-so day.
The twin spectacles Tuesday — an Uber board member’s wisecrack about women talking too much, and Senator Kamala Harris, Democrat of California, being interrupted for the second time in a week by her male colleagues — triggered an outpouring of recognition and what has become almost ritual social-media outrage.
Academic studies and countless anecdotes make it clear that being interrupted, talked over, shut down or penalized for speaking out is nearly a universal experience for women when they are outnumbered by men.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/14/business/women-sexism-work-huffington-kamala-harris.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
The Universal Phenomenon of Men Interrupting Women
By SUSAN CHIRA
For women in business and beyond, it was an I-told-you-so day.
The twin spectacles Tuesday — an Uber board member’s wisecrack about women talking too much, and Senator Kamala Harris, Democrat of California, being interrupted for the second time in a week by her male colleagues — triggered an outpouring of recognition and what has become almost ritual social-media outrage.
Academic studies and countless anecdotes make it clear that being interrupted, talked over, shut down or penalized for speaking out is nearly a universal experience for women when they are outnumbered by men.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/14/business/women-sexism-work-huffington-kamala-harris.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news
Everyday Africa
From the Huffington Post -
Stunning Photos Bust Stereotypes Of What ‘Everyday Africa’ Looks Like
“The war and poverty parts are certainly present ― but there’s so much else.”
By Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
Stunning Photos Bust Stereotypes Of What ‘Everyday Africa’ Looks Like
“The war and poverty parts are certainly present ― but there’s so much else.”
By Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/everyday-africa-instagram-photos_us_5940406fe4b003d5948b9586
"Christians" Struggle to Condemn White Supremacy
An excerpt from the Atlantic -
A Resolution Condemning White Supremacy Causes Chaos at the Southern Baptist Convention
At its annual meeting, the evangelical denomination initially declined to consider a statement of its opposition to the alt-right.
By EMMA GREEN
The Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting turned chaotic in Phoenix this week over a resolution that condemned white supremacy and the alt-right. On Tuesday, leaders initially declined to consider the proposal submitted by a prominent black pastor in Texas, Dwight McKissic, and only changed course after a significant backlash. On Wednesday afternoon, the body passed a revised statement against the alt-right. But the drama over the resolution revealed deep tension lines within a denomination that was explicitly founded to support slavery.
A few weeks before the meeting was slated to start, McKissic published his draft resolution on a popular Southern Baptist blog called SBC Voices. The language was strong and pointed.
It affirmed that “there has arisen in the United States a growing menace to political order and justice that seeks to reignite social animosities, reverse improvements in race relations, divide our people, and foment hatred, classism, and ethnic cleansing.” It identified this “toxic menace” as white nationalism and the alt-right, and urged the denomination to oppose its “totalitarian impulses, xenophobic biases, and bigoted ideologies that infect the minds and actions of its violent disciples.” It claimed that the origin of white supremacy in Christian communities is a once-popular theory known as the “curse of Ham,” which taught that “God through Noah ordained descendants of Africa to be subservient to Anglos” and was used as justification for slavery and segregation. The resolution called on the denomination to denounce nationalism and “reject the retrograde ideologies, xenophobic biases, and racial bigotries of the so-called ‘alt-right’ that seek to subvert our government, destabilize society, and infect our political system.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/the-southern-baptist-convention-alt-right-white-supremacy/530244/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-061417
A Resolution Condemning White Supremacy Causes Chaos at the Southern Baptist Convention
At its annual meeting, the evangelical denomination initially declined to consider a statement of its opposition to the alt-right.
By EMMA GREEN
The Southern Baptist Convention’s annual meeting turned chaotic in Phoenix this week over a resolution that condemned white supremacy and the alt-right. On Tuesday, leaders initially declined to consider the proposal submitted by a prominent black pastor in Texas, Dwight McKissic, and only changed course after a significant backlash. On Wednesday afternoon, the body passed a revised statement against the alt-right. But the drama over the resolution revealed deep tension lines within a denomination that was explicitly founded to support slavery.
A few weeks before the meeting was slated to start, McKissic published his draft resolution on a popular Southern Baptist blog called SBC Voices. The language was strong and pointed.
It affirmed that “there has arisen in the United States a growing menace to political order and justice that seeks to reignite social animosities, reverse improvements in race relations, divide our people, and foment hatred, classism, and ethnic cleansing.” It identified this “toxic menace” as white nationalism and the alt-right, and urged the denomination to oppose its “totalitarian impulses, xenophobic biases, and bigoted ideologies that infect the minds and actions of its violent disciples.” It claimed that the origin of white supremacy in Christian communities is a once-popular theory known as the “curse of Ham,” which taught that “God through Noah ordained descendants of Africa to be subservient to Anglos” and was used as justification for slavery and segregation. The resolution called on the denomination to denounce nationalism and “reject the retrograde ideologies, xenophobic biases, and racial bigotries of the so-called ‘alt-right’ that seek to subvert our government, destabilize society, and infect our political system.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/06/the-southern-baptist-convention-alt-right-white-supremacy/530244/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-061417
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
Who Knew?
From Jalopnik -
Here's How Much Businesses Pay To Get On Those Big Blue Exit Signs
By David Tracy
http://jalopnik.com/heres-how-much-businesses-pay-to-get-on-those-big-blue-1795338950
Here's How Much Businesses Pay To Get On Those Big Blue Exit Signs
By David Tracy
 |
| Photo: Interestate Logos |
http://jalopnik.com/heres-how-much-businesses-pay-to-get-on-those-big-blue-1795338950
Medical Drones?
From WebMD -
Heart Attack? Drones Could Come to Your Rescue
Like something from a science fiction movie, the machines can fly in carrying life-saving equipment
By Alan Mozes
Drones have been proposed for some pretty mundane uses, such as delivering pizzas or packages, but new research suggests the high-flying machines could be used to swoop in and save lives.
Swedish researchers think drones can quickly deliver defibrillators to someone whose heart has suddenly stopped beating.
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20170613/cardiac-arrest-someday-drones-may-come-to-your-rescue#1
Heart Attack? Drones Could Come to Your Rescue
Like something from a science fiction movie, the machines can fly in carrying life-saving equipment
By Alan Mozes
Drones have been proposed for some pretty mundane uses, such as delivering pizzas or packages, but new research suggests the high-flying machines could be used to swoop in and save lives.
Swedish researchers think drones can quickly deliver defibrillators to someone whose heart has suddenly stopped beating.
http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20170613/cardiac-arrest-someday-drones-may-come-to-your-rescue#1
Eclipse Simulator
From Astronomy Magazine -
Get a sneak peak of August’s total solar eclipse
This website simulates what the eclipse will look like from your location.
By Nicole Kiefert
The University of California, Berkeley teamed up with Google to create the Eclipse Megamovie Project, a new simulator that can show what the eclipse will look like from any location, including along the path of totality, which stretches across 11 states and goes up to 72 miles wide.
All you have to do is go to the website, enter the zip code or city you want to see, and you’ll receive an animation of the Sun in the sky over a three-hour time span. You’ll see whether you will stand in the path of totality on eclipse day, or alternatively how much of the Sun will disappear during the partial eclipse visible from other locations.
http://astronomy.com/news/2017/06/eclipse-simuation
https://eclipsemega.movie/simulator?lat=38.58157189999999&lng=-121.49439960000001
Get a sneak peak of August’s total solar eclipse
This website simulates what the eclipse will look like from your location.
By Nicole Kiefert
The University of California, Berkeley teamed up with Google to create the Eclipse Megamovie Project, a new simulator that can show what the eclipse will look like from any location, including along the path of totality, which stretches across 11 states and goes up to 72 miles wide.
All you have to do is go to the website, enter the zip code or city you want to see, and you’ll receive an animation of the Sun in the sky over a three-hour time span. You’ll see whether you will stand in the path of totality on eclipse day, or alternatively how much of the Sun will disappear during the partial eclipse visible from other locations.
http://astronomy.com/news/2017/06/eclipse-simuation
https://eclipsemega.movie/simulator?lat=38.58157189999999&lng=-121.49439960000001
Tuesday, June 13, 2017
Where There's Smoke . . .
From the Washington Post -
Jeff Sessions wilts on the hot seat
By Jennifer Rubin
The contrast with Comey was striking. Sessions, grayer and older, looked nervous and shrunken in his seat, growing defensive at times. He weakly complained to Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) about her questioning. He sharply objected: “I’m not able to be rushed this fast, it makes me nervous.” Indeed, while Comey was relaxed, confident and expansive, Sessions was evasive and skittish. He repeatedly refused to answer questions, not invoking executive privilege but saying it was Justice Department “policy” not to talk about conversations with the president. Democrats repeatedly challenged him, accusing him of “stonewalling.” Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) slammed him: “You are impeding this investigation.” Heinrich told Sessions there’s no “appropriateness” standard that alleviates him from the need to testify under oath fully and completely. Heinrich flat out accused Sessions of “obstructing” the investigation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/06/13/jeff-sessions-wilts-on-the-hot-seat/?tid=pm_pop&utm_term=.bcadac977ef2
Jeff Sessions wilts on the hot seat
By Jennifer Rubin
The contrast with Comey was striking. Sessions, grayer and older, looked nervous and shrunken in his seat, growing defensive at times. He weakly complained to Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) about her questioning. He sharply objected: “I’m not able to be rushed this fast, it makes me nervous.” Indeed, while Comey was relaxed, confident and expansive, Sessions was evasive and skittish. He repeatedly refused to answer questions, not invoking executive privilege but saying it was Justice Department “policy” not to talk about conversations with the president. Democrats repeatedly challenged him, accusing him of “stonewalling.” Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) slammed him: “You are impeding this investigation.” Heinrich told Sessions there’s no “appropriateness” standard that alleviates him from the need to testify under oath fully and completely. Heinrich flat out accused Sessions of “obstructing” the investigation.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2017/06/13/jeff-sessions-wilts-on-the-hot-seat/?tid=pm_pop&utm_term=.bcadac977ef2
Teen Vogue's New Editor-in-Chief
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/teen-vogue-is-evolving-thanks-to-elaine-welteroth_us_59273920e4b065b396c06b48?section=us_black-voices
From the Huffington Post -
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jessica-watkins-black-woman-nasa-astronaut_us_593ecb43e4b0c5a35ca1db95?section=us_black-voices
Y'ALL NASA JUST ANNOUNCED THEIR NEWEST ASTRONAUTS. SHOUTOUT TO BLACK GIRL SHINING JESSICA WATKINS!!!! 😭😭😭🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾👩🏾🚀 pic.twitter.com/AA19DrEIHq— wikipedia brown (@eveewing) June 11, 2017
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/jessica-watkins-black-woman-nasa-astronaut_us_593ecb43e4b0c5a35ca1db95?section=us_black-voices
We Deserve the Truth
I questioned Attorney General Jeff Sessions. The American people don’t deserve evasion - we deserve the truth. pic.twitter.com/rIcE6ATDcl— Kamala Harris (@SenKamalaHarris) June 14, 2017
Monday, June 12, 2017
A Daddy's Love
Mitch Albom is one of my favorite writers.
The story he shares below is hopeful and heart breaking and true.
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/mitch-albom/2017/06/11/chika-story-daughter-cancer-mitch-albom/322589001/?csp=breakingnews
The story he shares below is hopeful and heart breaking and true.
http://www.freep.com/story/sports/columnists/mitch-albom/2017/06/11/chika-story-daughter-cancer-mitch-albom/322589001/?csp=breakingnews
First Black Pilot Retires
From the Huffington Post -
Southwest’s First Black Pilot Retires With A Tear-Jerking Sendoff
Louis Freeman started with the airline almost four decades ago.
By Suzy Strutner
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/southwest-black-pilot_us_593add63e4b024026878e23f?section=us_black-voices
Southwest’s First Black Pilot Retires With A Tear-Jerking Sendoff
Louis Freeman started with the airline almost four decades ago.
By Suzy Strutner
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/southwest-black-pilot_us_593add63e4b024026878e23f?section=us_black-voices
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