Tuesday, September 12, 2017
Denial is Deadly
An excerpt from CNN -
Holland has solved this problem; why can't the US?
By Frida Ghitis
Amsterdam (CNN) A dozen years ago, when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, I was out of the country, watching the wrenching images from Amsterdam, a city that sits almost seven feet below sea level, in a country that has endured more than its share of death and destruction from raging storms.
~~~~~~~~~~
Most reports about the disaster include a discussion about why the Netherlands, with much of the country lying below sea level, has managed to avoid a major flood in decades while the United States is suffering yet another catastrophe.
The answer, beyond the precise technical details the experts here provide, is about culture, politics and psychology.
The United States is in denial.
America's denial comes in two categories. First, there is climate change denial. Prior to entering politics, Donald Trump tweeted that climate change was a conspiracy against America, claiming that "global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive."
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/29/opinions/dutch-america-storms-opinion-ghitis/index.html
Holland has solved this problem; why can't the US?
By Frida Ghitis
Amsterdam (CNN) A dozen years ago, when Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans, I was out of the country, watching the wrenching images from Amsterdam, a city that sits almost seven feet below sea level, in a country that has endured more than its share of death and destruction from raging storms.
~~~~~~~~~~
Most reports about the disaster include a discussion about why the Netherlands, with much of the country lying below sea level, has managed to avoid a major flood in decades while the United States is suffering yet another catastrophe.
The answer, beyond the precise technical details the experts here provide, is about culture, politics and psychology.
The United States is in denial.
America's denial comes in two categories. First, there is climate change denial. Prior to entering politics, Donald Trump tweeted that climate change was a conspiracy against America, claiming that "global warming was created by and for the Chinese in order to make US manufacturing non-competitive."
http://www.cnn.com/2017/08/29/opinions/dutch-america-storms-opinion-ghitis/index.html
Monday, September 11, 2017
Friday, September 8, 2017
Thursday, September 7, 2017
Black Men Need Yoga Too
An excerpt from Salon -
Black men need yoga, too: “We tend to wait until we hit the bottom floor to then pop up and save ourselves”
Salon talks to the founder of the Black Male Yoga Initiative about promoting mindfulness in the Black community
By D. WATKINS
Changa Bell is the founder of The Black Male Yoga Initiative, which provides training, information, workshops and retreats to help black men of all ages to become aware, engaged and empowered in mindfulness, meditation and yoga. He says one of his key challenges is engaging “the population I’m trying to serve.”
“The black community doesn’t necessarily value yoga as a preventive health care measure,” Bell told me. “We tend to wait until we hit the bottom floor to then pop up and save ourselves.”
http://www.salon.com/2017/09/06/black-men-need-yoga-too-we-tend-to-wait-until-we-hit-the-bottom-floor-to-then-pop-up-and-save-ourselves/
Black men need yoga, too: “We tend to wait until we hit the bottom floor to then pop up and save ourselves”
Salon talks to the founder of the Black Male Yoga Initiative about promoting mindfulness in the Black community
By D. WATKINS
Changa Bell is the founder of The Black Male Yoga Initiative, which provides training, information, workshops and retreats to help black men of all ages to become aware, engaged and empowered in mindfulness, meditation and yoga. He says one of his key challenges is engaging “the population I’m trying to serve.”
“The black community doesn’t necessarily value yoga as a preventive health care measure,” Bell told me. “We tend to wait until we hit the bottom floor to then pop up and save ourselves.”
http://www.salon.com/2017/09/06/black-men-need-yoga-too-we-tend-to-wait-until-we-hit-the-bottom-floor-to-then-pop-up-and-save-ourselves/
"This is America"
From the Huffington Post -
Philly Driver Shouts ‘This Is America’ To The Wrong Asian-American
“Yes, this is America. I am American,” reporter responds in viral video.
By Brittany Wong
https://www.facebook.com/6abcNydiaHan/videos/10156752826863508/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/asian-american-reporter-video-bigoted-driver-philadelphia_us_59aee63ae4b0354e440d1069
Philly Driver Shouts ‘This Is America’ To The Wrong Asian-American
“Yes, this is America. I am American,” reporter responds in viral video.
By Brittany Wong
https://www.facebook.com/6abcNydiaHan/videos/10156752826863508/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/asian-american-reporter-video-bigoted-driver-philadelphia_us_59aee63ae4b0354e440d1069
Wednesday, September 6, 2017
A Powerful, Enlightening Message
These podcasts are all great, but #8 is especially powerful and should be required listening for all black parents.
"What is Wrong With You?"
An excerpt from the Huffington Post -
White Woman Asks White Supremacists: ‘What Is Wrong With You?’
In a recent letter to the editor, Jonna Ramey said what we’re all thinking.
By Elyse Wanshel
Ramey put her thoughts on paper and sent a letter to The Salt Lake Tribune, which ran it under the headline “Letter of the week: What is wrong with you, white supremacists?” (The letter appeared in print on Aug. 20 and was published online on Aug. 26.)
The letter begins:
I am a 67-year-old American white woman. My parents enlisted in World War II to fight fascism. They both served; my mother was a nurse, my father navigated bombers. They lost friends in that bloody war so that all the world could be free of fascism. They did not fight so that some white people could claim supremacy or that Nazis could openly walk the streets of America.
White person to white supremacist person: What is wrong with you?
White Woman Asks White Supremacists: ‘What Is Wrong With You?’
In a recent letter to the editor, Jonna Ramey said what we’re all thinking.
By Elyse Wanshel
Ramey put her thoughts on paper and sent a letter to The Salt Lake Tribune, which ran it under the headline “Letter of the week: What is wrong with you, white supremacists?” (The letter appeared in print on Aug. 20 and was published online on Aug. 26.)
The letter begins:
I am a 67-year-old American white woman. My parents enlisted in World War II to fight fascism. They both served; my mother was a nurse, my father navigated bombers. They lost friends in that bloody war so that all the world could be free of fascism. They did not fight so that some white people could claim supremacy or that Nazis could openly walk the streets of America.
White person to white supremacist person: What is wrong with you?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/white-woman-white-supremacists-letter_us_59b040b8e4b0dfaafcf4f628?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009'Letter of the Week' or 'Letter of the goddamn YEAR?' pic.twitter.com/oNESYtnYM1— Alicia Mayer (@RealAliciaMayer) September 4, 2017
Quote
.@realDonaldTrump ending DACA is on the top of the vilest acts you've pulled off. You're destroying the legacy of greater men before you.— Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) September 5, 2017
peppa pig- mr skinny legs
From Slate -
Peppa Pig Episode Pulled From Australian TV for Telling Children That Spiders Are Harmless
By Rachel Withers
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/09/05/australia_pulls_a_peppa_pig_episode_in_which_daddy_pig_says_spiders_are.html?wpsrc=newsletter_tis&sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d
Peppa Pig Episode Pulled From Australian TV for Telling Children That Spiders Are Harmless
By Rachel Withers
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/09/05/australia_pulls_a_peppa_pig_episode_in_which_daddy_pig_says_spiders_are.html?wpsrc=newsletter_tis&sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d
Hear Bill Withers
From Rolling Stone -
Bill Withers Covers Little Jimmy Dickens on First New Song in 32 Years
By Elias Leight
Bill Withers covers "(You've Been Quite a Doll) Raggedy Ann" as part of a tribute album dedicated to Little Jimmy Dickens, the famously pint-sized country singer and a Grand Ole Opry stalwart. Withers' version of the song marks his first solo recording since 1985, when the man behind hits like "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lovely Day" released his album Watching You Watching Me and walked away from the music business.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-bill-withers-first-new-song-in-32-years-w501371
Bill Withers Covers Little Jimmy Dickens on First New Song in 32 Years
By Elias Leight
Bill Withers covers "(You've Been Quite a Doll) Raggedy Ann" as part of a tribute album dedicated to Little Jimmy Dickens, the famously pint-sized country singer and a Grand Ole Opry stalwart. Withers' version of the song marks his first solo recording since 1985, when the man behind hits like "Ain't No Sunshine" and "Lovely Day" released his album Watching You Watching Me and walked away from the music business.
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/hear-bill-withers-first-new-song-in-32-years-w501371
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
Black Girl Magic - Tennis
From the Root -
3 Black Women Advance to US Open Semifinals
By Angela Helm
For the first time in U.S. Open history, three black women have advanced to the quarterfinal round; and, in this case, they all happen to be American. As of Monday, Venus Williams, 37, Sloane Stephens, 24, and Madison Keys, 22, are all vying for the Tiffany-engraved trophy.
Oh, and it’s all going down at a stadium named for an African-American tennis player, Arthur Ashe.
https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/three-black-women-advance-to-u-s-open-semifinals-1799943507?utm_source=theroot_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2017-09-05
3 Black Women Advance to US Open Semifinals
By Angela Helm
 | |
| Venus Williams; Sloane Stephens; Madison Keys (@rantoddj via Twitter screenshot) |
Oh, and it’s all going down at a stadium named for an African-American tennis player, Arthur Ashe.
https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/three-black-women-advance-to-u-s-open-semifinals-1799943507?utm_source=theroot_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2017-09-05
Drones Helping Relief Effort
An excerpt from Wired -
ABOVE DEVASTATED HOUSTON, ARMIES OF DRONES PROVE THEIR WORTH
By Aarian Marshall
“This is the one of the first big disasters where we can show how valuable drones can be,” says Brandon Stark, who directs the Center of Excellence on Unmanned Aircraft System Safety at the University of California, Merced. In the coming weeks and months, they'll help locals assess damage to homes, roads, bridges, power lines, oil and gas facilities, and office buildings—and determine whether it's safe to go back.
https://www.wired.com/story/houston-recovery-drones?mbid=nl_090417_daily&CNDID=%%CUST_ID%%
ABOVE DEVASTATED HOUSTON, ARMIES OF DRONES PROVE THEIR WORTH
By Aarian Marshall
“This is the one of the first big disasters where we can show how valuable drones can be,” says Brandon Stark, who directs the Center of Excellence on Unmanned Aircraft System Safety at the University of California, Merced. In the coming weeks and months, they'll help locals assess damage to homes, roads, bridges, power lines, oil and gas facilities, and office buildings—and determine whether it's safe to go back.
https://www.wired.com/story/houston-recovery-drones?mbid=nl_090417_daily&CNDID=%%CUST_ID%%
His Message Can't Be Silenced
From CNN -
(CNN) A political cartoon of Colin Kaepernick kneeling with his Afro in the shape of a black fist has gone viral.
But the illustration -- which has been adopted by sports fans, civil rights activists and celebrities -- comes from an unlikely artist.
Khalid Albaih, a Romania-born Sudanese artist living in Qatar, is renowned throughout the Middle East for addressing controversial political and social issues, including government corruption, the war in Yemen and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/04/us/colin-kaepernick-khalid-albaih-cartoon-trnd/index.html
(CNN) A political cartoon of Colin Kaepernick kneeling with his Afro in the shape of a black fist has gone viral.
But the illustration -- which has been adopted by sports fans, civil rights activists and celebrities -- comes from an unlikely artist.
Khalid Albaih, a Romania-born Sudanese artist living in Qatar, is renowned throughout the Middle East for addressing controversial political and social issues, including government corruption, the war in Yemen and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
http://www.cnn.com/2017/09/04/us/colin-kaepernick-khalid-albaih-cartoon-trnd/index.html
Gotta Love This Kid
From the Huffington Post -
6-Year-Old Applies For Lego Job With Heartfelt Letter, Boasts ‘Lots Of Experience’
“I am the man [for] the job,” he wrote.
By Dominique Mosbergen
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/six-year-old-legoland-windsor-job-stanley-bolland_us_59ad0fa2e4b0354e440b4355
6-Year-Old Applies For Lego Job With Heartfelt Letter, Boasts ‘Lots Of Experience’
“I am the man [for] the job,” he wrote.
By Dominique Mosbergen
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/six-year-old-legoland-windsor-job-stanley-bolland_us_59ad0fa2e4b0354e440b4355
Monday, September 4, 2017
Ta-Ta's Rejoice!
From Essence -
This "Ta-Ta Towel" for Your Boobs Has Lit The Internet on Fire
By Karen Belz
The summer struggle with boob sweat is real. Very real. That’s why we’re kind of surprised that it took someone this long to invent the Ta-Ta Towel for your summer boob needs. The towel is pretty much held in place by your own ta-tas, and helps combat the damp feeling you might get under there post-shower. And of course, you can wear it around the house — unless you’re rooming with someone you’re not super comfortable with. Or your parents. But hey, your call.
http://www.essence.com/syndication/ta-ta-towel-boob-sweat?xid=nl_essence_daily_am_090417&utm_source=essence.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-newsletter&utm_content=2017090412PM
This "Ta-Ta Towel" for Your Boobs Has Lit The Internet on Fire
By Karen Belz
The summer struggle with boob sweat is real. Very real. That’s why we’re kind of surprised that it took someone this long to invent the Ta-Ta Towel for your summer boob needs. The towel is pretty much held in place by your own ta-tas, and helps combat the damp feeling you might get under there post-shower. And of course, you can wear it around the house — unless you’re rooming with someone you’re not super comfortable with. Or your parents. But hey, your call.
I can't even. Like why didn't I think of this?! #tatatowel pic.twitter.com/kKr4A0Hemn— Mary Staes (@MStaes) August 2, 2017
http://www.essence.com/syndication/ta-ta-towel-boob-sweat?xid=nl_essence_daily_am_090417&utm_source=essence.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily-newsletter&utm_content=2017090412PM
Sunday, September 3, 2017
Whitewashing History
An excerpt from the Atlantic -
Making Sense of the Violence in Charlottesville
Was the white-nationalist march better understood as a departure from America’s traditional values, or viewed in the context of its history?
By JAMES FORMAN JR. AND ELIZABETH KLEIN
Broad swaths of the American public repudiated the white nationalists who marched in Charlottesville and President Trump’s response to them. But even in their condemnations, many officials asserted that the hate-filled demonstration and racist violence was un-American. “This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for,” tweeted Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. “The hate being spewed in Virginia is … deeply disturbing and un-American,” wrote Colorado Senator Cory Gardner. The hashtag #ThisIsNotUs trended on Twitter.
But America is a country in which racially motivated white-on-black violent crime forms a clear, unbroken pattern across every generation. Slaves arrived in America through violent crime, and whites have used violence ever since to maintain the racial hierarchy of white supremacy. And yet many Americans of good will honestly, if erroneously, believe that what happened in Charlottesville is “not us.” How can this be? Answering this question demands a look back at some of the most significant patterns of white-on-black violence in American history to identify the precise ways in which that violence was justified, forgotten, or defined as something other than the racist terror that it was.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/a-history-of-violence/538659/
Making Sense of the Violence in Charlottesville
Was the white-nationalist march better understood as a departure from America’s traditional values, or viewed in the context of its history?
By JAMES FORMAN JR. AND ELIZABETH KLEIN
Broad swaths of the American public repudiated the white nationalists who marched in Charlottesville and President Trump’s response to them. But even in their condemnations, many officials asserted that the hate-filled demonstration and racist violence was un-American. “This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for,” tweeted Speaker of the House Paul Ryan. “The hate being spewed in Virginia is … deeply disturbing and un-American,” wrote Colorado Senator Cory Gardner. The hashtag #ThisIsNotUs trended on Twitter.
But America is a country in which racially motivated white-on-black violent crime forms a clear, unbroken pattern across every generation. Slaves arrived in America through violent crime, and whites have used violence ever since to maintain the racial hierarchy of white supremacy. And yet many Americans of good will honestly, if erroneously, believe that what happened in Charlottesville is “not us.” How can this be? Answering this question demands a look back at some of the most significant patterns of white-on-black violence in American history to identify the precise ways in which that violence was justified, forgotten, or defined as something other than the racist terror that it was.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/09/a-history-of-violence/538659/
Cam Newton's younger brother Caylin Newton is the real deal
Go, Howard!
Cam Newton’s little brother just led the biggest Vegas upset in college football history
QB Caylin Newton’s Bison faced a 45-point spread. Then, they won.
by Alex Kirshner
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/9/3/16248468/howard-unlv-spread-final-score-record-2017
Cam Newton’s little brother just led the biggest Vegas upset in college football history
QB Caylin Newton’s Bison faced a 45-point spread. Then, they won.
by Alex Kirshner
https://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/9/3/16248468/howard-unlv-spread-final-score-record-2017
Saturday, September 2, 2017
Winning Isn't Everything
Long article, but worth it.
From ESPN -
The Search For Aaron Rodgers
Winning isn't everything. After Super Bowl XLV, Green Bay's hero QB has been on a journey to find out what is.
by Mina Kimes
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/enterpriseRodgers/green-bay-packers-qb-aaron-rodgers-unmasked-searching
From ESPN -
The Search For Aaron Rodgers
Winning isn't everything. After Super Bowl XLV, Green Bay's hero QB has been on a journey to find out what is.
by Mina Kimes
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/page/enterpriseRodgers/green-bay-packers-qb-aaron-rodgers-unmasked-searching
Friday, September 1, 2017
Pie Crust Enthusiasts Unite
From Slate -
This Genius, Super-Flaky Pie Crust Changes Everything in Piedom
By Kristen Miglore
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/09/01/this_easy_dough_recipe_creates_the_perfect_pie_crust.html?wpsrc=newsletter_tis&sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d
This Genius, Super-Flaky Pie Crust Changes Everything in Piedom
By Kristen Miglore
http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2017/09/01/this_easy_dough_recipe_creates_the_perfect_pie_crust.html?wpsrc=newsletter_tis&sid=554654ea10defb39638b510d
How Technology Helped
From the NY Times -
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/30/us/houston-flood-rescue-cries-for-help.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=g-artboard%20g-artboard-v3&module=span-abc-region®ion=span-abc-region&WT.nav=span-abc-region&_r=0
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/08/30/us/houston-flood-rescue-cries-for-help.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=g-artboard%20g-artboard-v3&module=span-abc-region®ion=span-abc-region&WT.nav=span-abc-region&_r=0
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Wow!
From Wired -
Wanna See a Fighter Jet Fly Through a Rainbow? Of Course You Do
By LAURA MALLONEE
Wanna See a Fighter Jet Fly Through a Rainbow? Of Course You Do
By LAURA MALLONEE
https://www.wired.com/story/wanna-see-a-fighter-jet-fly-through-a-rainbow-of-course-you-do?mbid=nl_083117_daily&CNDID=%%CUST_ID%%
Still Making a Difference
http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/21/technology/culture/tech-versus-taboos-hearglass/index.html
A Buck Short
This morning our officers stopped a doe for toll evasion, on the Bay Bridge. She said she usually pays it, but today she was a buck short. pic.twitter.com/KkkDJpn5Ck— CHP Oakland (@CHPoakland) August 29, 2017
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
We Can Hope
From the NY Times -
The Waters Swell. So Does Trump’s Ego.
By Frank Bruni
I keep hoping against hope that a new challenge will tease out a new Trump and that if he malingers in the presidency long enough, he’ll meander in the direction of eloquence, slouch toward poetry and tumble into inspiration. Stranger things have happened. I’ll have to get back to you on what they were.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/29/opinion/trump-ego-harvey-floods.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region®ion=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region
The Waters Swell. So Does Trump’s Ego.
By Frank Bruni
I keep hoping against hope that a new challenge will tease out a new Trump and that if he malingers in the presidency long enough, he’ll meander in the direction of eloquence, slouch toward poetry and tumble into inspiration. Stranger things have happened. I’ll have to get back to you on what they were.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/29/opinion/trump-ego-harvey-floods.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-left-region®ion=opinion-c-col-left-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-left-region
Kudos to HISD
From the Root -
Houston School District Will Provide 3 Free Meals a Day to All Students in the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
By Monique Judge
The Houston Independent School District has found a way to help all the families it serves in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. On Wednesday, the district announced that it will waive the required application process for the National School Lunch/School Breakfast Program and provide free meals to all students this school year.
http://www.theroot.com/houston-school-district-will-provide-3-free-meals-a-day-1798639795
Houston School District Will Provide 3 Free Meals a Day to All Students in the Aftermath of Hurricane Harvey
By Monique Judge
The Houston Independent School District has found a way to help all the families it serves in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey. On Wednesday, the district announced that it will waive the required application process for the National School Lunch/School Breakfast Program and provide free meals to all students this school year.
http://www.theroot.com/houston-school-district-will-provide-3-free-meals-a-day-1798639795
Becky Explained
From. the Root -
The 5 Types of ‘Becky’
By Michael Harriot
https://www.theroot.com/the-five-types-of-becky-1798543210
The 5 Types of ‘Becky’
By Michael Harriot
https://www.theroot.com/the-five-types-of-becky-1798543210
Agree?
From Pinterest -
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/399835273159081964/?utm_campaign=category_rp&e_t=c0e74f2b73d3419ab5ebf0866853fe6d&utm_content=399835273159081964&utm_source=31&utm_term=1&utm_medium=2012
Not the Fairy Tale Welcome
Long, but worth the read.
From Vanity Fair -
EXILES ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE: HOW JARED AND IVANKA WERE REPELLED BY WASHINGTON’S ELITE
“What is off-putting about them,” one political veteran told me, “is they do not grasp their essential irrelevance. They think they are special.”
BY SARAH ELLISON
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/08/jared-kushner-ivanka-trump-repelled-by-washington-elite
From Vanity Fair -
EXILES ON PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE: HOW JARED AND IVANKA WERE REPELLED BY WASHINGTON’S ELITE
“What is off-putting about them,” one political veteran told me, “is they do not grasp their essential irrelevance. They think they are special.”
BY SARAH ELLISON
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/08/jared-kushner-ivanka-trump-repelled-by-washington-elite
The Types of Guys on Campus
From Essence -
http://www.essence.com/love-sex/the-types-guys-meet-in-college?iid=sr-link1
http://www.essence.com/love-sex/the-types-guys-meet-in-college?iid=sr-link1
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Floods Happen Often, But Not Like This
An excerpt from the Atlantic -
Houston's Flood Is a Design Problem
It’s not because the water comes in. It’s because it is forced to leave again.
By IAN BOGOST
There are different kinds of floods. There’s the storm surge from hurricanes, the runoff from snowmelt, the inundation of riverbanks. But all these examples cast flooding as an occasional foe out to damage human civilization. In truth, flooding happens constantly, in small and large quantities, every time precipitation falls to earth. People just don’t tend to notice it until it reaches the proportions of disaster.
Under normal circumstances, rain or snowfall soaks back into the earth after falling. It gets absorbed by grasslands, by parks, by residential lawns, by anywhere the soil is exposed. Two factors can impede that absorption. One is large quantities of rain in a short period of time. The ground becomes inundated, and the water spreads out in accordance with the topography. The second is covering over the ground so it cannot soak up water in the first place. And that’s exactly what cities do—they transform the land into developed civilization.
Roads, parking lots, sidewalks, and other pavements, along with asphalt, concrete, brick, stone, and other building materials, combine to create impervious surfaces that resist the natural absorption of water. In most of the United States, about 75 percent of its land area, less than 1 percent of the land is hardscape. In cities, up to 40 percent is impervious.
The natural system is very good at accepting rainfall. But when water hits pavement, it creates runoff immediately. That water has to go somewhere. So it flows wherever the grade takes it. To account for that runoff, people engineer systems to move the water away from where it is originally deposited, or to house it in situ, or even to reuse it. This process—the policy, planning, engineering, implementation, and maintenance of urban water systems—is called stormwater management.
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/08/why-cities-flood/538251/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-082817&silverid=MzEwMTkwMTQ4ODk4S0
Houston's Flood Is a Design Problem
It’s not because the water comes in. It’s because it is forced to leave again.
By IAN BOGOST
There are different kinds of floods. There’s the storm surge from hurricanes, the runoff from snowmelt, the inundation of riverbanks. But all these examples cast flooding as an occasional foe out to damage human civilization. In truth, flooding happens constantly, in small and large quantities, every time precipitation falls to earth. People just don’t tend to notice it until it reaches the proportions of disaster.
Under normal circumstances, rain or snowfall soaks back into the earth after falling. It gets absorbed by grasslands, by parks, by residential lawns, by anywhere the soil is exposed. Two factors can impede that absorption. One is large quantities of rain in a short period of time. The ground becomes inundated, and the water spreads out in accordance with the topography. The second is covering over the ground so it cannot soak up water in the first place. And that’s exactly what cities do—they transform the land into developed civilization.
Roads, parking lots, sidewalks, and other pavements, along with asphalt, concrete, brick, stone, and other building materials, combine to create impervious surfaces that resist the natural absorption of water. In most of the United States, about 75 percent of its land area, less than 1 percent of the land is hardscape. In cities, up to 40 percent is impervious.
The natural system is very good at accepting rainfall. But when water hits pavement, it creates runoff immediately. That water has to go somewhere. So it flows wherever the grade takes it. To account for that runoff, people engineer systems to move the water away from where it is originally deposited, or to house it in situ, or even to reuse it. This process—the policy, planning, engineering, implementation, and maintenance of urban water systems—is called stormwater management.
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2017/08/why-cities-flood/538251/?utm_source=nl-atlantic-daily-082817&silverid=MzEwMTkwMTQ4ODk4S0
Floating Fire Ants
An excerpt from Wired -
WHY THOSE FLOATING FIRE ANT COLONIES IN TEXAS ARE SUCH BAD NEWS
By Matt Simon
ANTS DIDN’T TAKE over the world by being stupid and cowardly. Case in point: Rafts of fire ants have been spotted floating around floodwaters in Houston, Texas, colonies banding together to weather super-storm Harvey.
https://www.wired.com/story/why-those-floating-fire-ant-colonies-in-texas-are-such-bad-news?mbid=nl_82817_p3&CNDID=
WHY THOSE FLOATING FIRE ANT COLONIES IN TEXAS ARE SUCH BAD NEWS
By Matt Simon
ANTS DIDN’T TAKE over the world by being stupid and cowardly. Case in point: Rafts of fire ants have been spotted floating around floodwaters in Houston, Texas, colonies banding together to weather super-storm Harvey.
Pro tip: Don't touch the floating fire ant colonies. They will ruin your day. #Harvey pic.twitter.com/uwJd0rA7qB— Mike Hixenbaugh (@Mike_Hixenbaugh) August 27, 2017
https://www.wired.com/story/why-those-floating-fire-ant-colonies-in-texas-are-such-bad-news?mbid=nl_82817_p3&CNDID=
Another Immigrant Success Story
Excerpts from the NY Times -
Uber’s C.E.O. Pick, Dara Khosrowshahi, Steps Into Brighter Spotlight
By DAVID STREITFELD and NELLIE BOWLES
SAN FRANCISCO — Dara Khosrowshahi’s family immigrated to the United States from Iran in 1978, when their country was convulsed by revolution. They were not particularly welcomed in America, and were broke.
“Every one of us cousins had a chip on our shoulders, having lost everything to the new Iranian government,” said Hadi Partovi, a cousin of Mr. Khosrowshahi’s. “We had a desire to build anew as entrepreneurs.”
~~~~~~~~~~
At the same time in June that Mr. Kalanick was noisily being ejected from his company, Mr. Khosrowshahi had a problem of his own — his parents. Glassdoor, a site where employees rank their companies, released its 2017 list of the top chief executives. Mr. Khosrowshahi’s score had dropped.
His parents weighed in with that combination of celebration and criticism that many immigrant children know well. As Mr. Khosrowshahi reported on Twitter, his mother said, “Nice! You made the top 100!” But his father pointed out: “#39 is good but you were #11 in 2015.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“His mom raised him to be direct with people,” said Mr. Partovi, the cousin. “By far the biggest challenge he faced, which is what all of us faced, was having to come to a new country and assimilate. Being an Iranian in America in the 1980s was not pleasant. People were singing ‘Bomb bomb bomb Iran.’ ”
But the tense environment also pushed them to succeed.
Mr. Partovi and his twin brother Ali were early investors in Facebook, Dropbox, Airbnb and, as it happens, Uber; Dara’s brother, Kaveh Khosrowshahi, is a managing director at the investment firm Allen & Company; another cousin, Farzad “Fuzzy” Khosrowshahi, played a major role in the creation of Google Docs; yet another cousin, Amir Khosrowshahi, is an executive at Intel; and Avid Larizadeh Duggan, also a cousin, is a general partner at Google Ventures.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/technology/dara-khosrowshahi-uber-ceo.html?emc=edit_nn_20170829&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=38867499&te=1&_r=0
Uber’s C.E.O. Pick, Dara Khosrowshahi, Steps Into Brighter Spotlight
By DAVID STREITFELD and NELLIE BOWLES
SAN FRANCISCO — Dara Khosrowshahi’s family immigrated to the United States from Iran in 1978, when their country was convulsed by revolution. They were not particularly welcomed in America, and were broke.
“Every one of us cousins had a chip on our shoulders, having lost everything to the new Iranian government,” said Hadi Partovi, a cousin of Mr. Khosrowshahi’s. “We had a desire to build anew as entrepreneurs.”
~~~~~~~~~~
At the same time in June that Mr. Kalanick was noisily being ejected from his company, Mr. Khosrowshahi had a problem of his own — his parents. Glassdoor, a site where employees rank their companies, released its 2017 list of the top chief executives. Mr. Khosrowshahi’s score had dropped.
His parents weighed in with that combination of celebration and criticism that many immigrant children know well. As Mr. Khosrowshahi reported on Twitter, his mother said, “Nice! You made the top 100!” But his father pointed out: “#39 is good but you were #11 in 2015.”
~~~~~~~~~~
“His mom raised him to be direct with people,” said Mr. Partovi, the cousin. “By far the biggest challenge he faced, which is what all of us faced, was having to come to a new country and assimilate. Being an Iranian in America in the 1980s was not pleasant. People were singing ‘Bomb bomb bomb Iran.’ ”
But the tense environment also pushed them to succeed.
Mr. Partovi and his twin brother Ali were early investors in Facebook, Dropbox, Airbnb and, as it happens, Uber; Dara’s brother, Kaveh Khosrowshahi, is a managing director at the investment firm Allen & Company; another cousin, Farzad “Fuzzy” Khosrowshahi, played a major role in the creation of Google Docs; yet another cousin, Amir Khosrowshahi, is an executive at Intel; and Avid Larizadeh Duggan, also a cousin, is a general partner at Google Ventures.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/28/technology/dara-khosrowshahi-uber-ceo.html?emc=edit_nn_20170829&nl=morning-briefing&nlid=38867499&te=1&_r=0
Monday, August 28, 2017
Jimi Hendrix - His First Client
From the LA Times -
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/94433187-132.html
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/94433187-132.html
Somerville teen makes a balletic leap
https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/theater/dance/2017/08/27/somerville-teen-makes-balletic-leap/PJ8oFs5TL4foJxzstAqrTL/story.html
Awkward
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
Why is Trump so awkward in Washington? He’s a New Yorker.
By Henry Allen
Washington vs. New York — the resentful bewilderment continues on both sides.
Cats and dogs, Hatfields and McCoys, India and Pakistan, coyote and roadrunner, Cowboys and Redskins: We’re seeing it now in the White House, where New Yorker Donald Trump has taken up his awkward Washington residence.
President Trump gets it backward, to Washington ears. He boasts of his riches and calls the media “the enemy of the American people.” But as veteran columnist Walter Shapiro has said of Washington: “It’s a city where being rich counts for less than anywhere else, and being a journalist counts for more.”
The medium of exchange in New York is money brokered by Wall Street. In Washington, it’s power brokered by the media.
You can buy the Empire State Building, which has no particular power, but you can’t buy the Supreme Court, which does.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-is-trump-so-awkward-in-washington-hes-a-new-yorker/2017/08/27/0906652e-88e6-11e7-961d-2f373b3977ee_story.html?utm_term=.04dbcf42d318
Why is Trump so awkward in Washington? He’s a New Yorker.
By Henry Allen
Washington vs. New York — the resentful bewilderment continues on both sides.
Cats and dogs, Hatfields and McCoys, India and Pakistan, coyote and roadrunner, Cowboys and Redskins: We’re seeing it now in the White House, where New Yorker Donald Trump has taken up his awkward Washington residence.
President Trump gets it backward, to Washington ears. He boasts of his riches and calls the media “the enemy of the American people.” But as veteran columnist Walter Shapiro has said of Washington: “It’s a city where being rich counts for less than anywhere else, and being a journalist counts for more.”
The medium of exchange in New York is money brokered by Wall Street. In Washington, it’s power brokered by the media.
You can buy the Empire State Building, which has no particular power, but you can’t buy the Supreme Court, which does.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-is-trump-so-awkward-in-washington-hes-a-new-yorker/2017/08/27/0906652e-88e6-11e7-961d-2f373b3977ee_story.html?utm_term=.04dbcf42d318
Sunday, August 27, 2017
Friday, August 25, 2017
Who Decides?
An excerpt from the Daily Good -
The Killings Of Black Men Are More Likely To Be Labelled ‘Justifiable’
Who gets to decide which murders are reasonable?
by Tasbeeh Herwees
A new report by the Marshall Project published this month, which examines FBI data about 400,000 civilian homicides, finds that cases are far more likely to be determined “justifiable homicides” when the killer is white and the victim is black. In fact, while justifiable homicides only constituted 2% of all cases, that percentage swelled to 17% when the cases involved a white civilian killing a black civilian. According to the authors of the Marshall Project report:
“The vast majority of killings of whites are committed by other whites, contrary to some folk wisdom, and the overwhelming majority of killings of blacks is by other blacks. … But killings of black males by white people are labeled justifiable more than eight times as often as others. This racial disparity has persisted for decades and is hard to explain based solely on the circumstances reported by the police data.”
https://www.good.is/features/justifiable-homicides-overwhelming-cases-of-black-victims?utm_source=thedailygood&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailygood
The Killings Of Black Men Are More Likely To Be Labelled ‘Justifiable’
Who gets to decide which murders are reasonable?
by Tasbeeh Herwees
A new report by the Marshall Project published this month, which examines FBI data about 400,000 civilian homicides, finds that cases are far more likely to be determined “justifiable homicides” when the killer is white and the victim is black. In fact, while justifiable homicides only constituted 2% of all cases, that percentage swelled to 17% when the cases involved a white civilian killing a black civilian. According to the authors of the Marshall Project report:
“The vast majority of killings of whites are committed by other whites, contrary to some folk wisdom, and the overwhelming majority of killings of blacks is by other blacks. … But killings of black males by white people are labeled justifiable more than eight times as often as others. This racial disparity has persisted for decades and is hard to explain based solely on the circumstances reported by the police data.”
https://www.good.is/features/justifiable-homicides-overwhelming-cases-of-black-victims?utm_source=thedailygood&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailygood
Should Be Shocked
An excerpt from the Huffington Post -
Florida Executes White Man For Killing Black Victim For First Time Ever
By contrast, at least 18 black men have been executed for killing white victims in the last four decades.
By David Moye
The state of Florida did something on Thursday it hasn’t done since reinstating the death penalty in 1976: Execute a white man for killing a black man.
By contrast, at least 18 black men have been executed for killing white men in the last four decades, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mark-asay-executed-florida_us_599f2403e4b05710aa5ad65b
Florida Executes White Man For Killing Black Victim For First Time Ever
By contrast, at least 18 black men have been executed for killing white victims in the last four decades.
By David Moye
The state of Florida did something on Thursday it hasn’t done since reinstating the death penalty in 1976: Execute a white man for killing a black man.
By contrast, at least 18 black men have been executed for killing white men in the last four decades, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mark-asay-executed-florida_us_599f2403e4b05710aa5ad65b
These Women Rule
An excerpt from the NY Times -
The Wonder Women of Botswana Safari
At one of Africa’s most progressive safari destinations, all-female guides are a success with guests from around the world.
By HILLARY RICHARD
The decision to employ exclusively women grew organically out of something very practical: the bottom line. Back when the guide team was coed, the managers quickly noticed a pattern: Vehicles driven by women used less gas, required fewer repairs and lasted longer over time. Simply put, the women were better drivers. They were saving the company money.
It all started around 2004, when the Botswana Wildlife Training Institute, the government-regulated college that provides safari guide certification, asked Chobe Game Lodge whether it had room for two young women guides. Guiding in Botswana is a prestigious career. Applicants must complete a standardized course that includes a placement at a safari camp, plus tests to evaluate English skills and scholastic aptitude. When both women performed extremely well at Chobe, the managers asked the institute to send over future female graduates. At that time, there were fewer than 10 women guides in Botswana. Today, there are around 50. With 17 guides, Chobe employs roughly one-third. The others are spread across the country at various safari camps.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/22/travel/botswana-safari-women-chobe.html?em_pos=medium&emc=edit_li_20170824&nl=nyt-living&nl_art=2&nlid=38867499&ref=img&te=1&_r=1
The Wonder Women of Botswana Safari
At one of Africa’s most progressive safari destinations, all-female guides are a success with guests from around the world.
By HILLARY RICHARD
The decision to employ exclusively women grew organically out of something very practical: the bottom line. Back when the guide team was coed, the managers quickly noticed a pattern: Vehicles driven by women used less gas, required fewer repairs and lasted longer over time. Simply put, the women were better drivers. They were saving the company money.
It all started around 2004, when the Botswana Wildlife Training Institute, the government-regulated college that provides safari guide certification, asked Chobe Game Lodge whether it had room for two young women guides. Guiding in Botswana is a prestigious career. Applicants must complete a standardized course that includes a placement at a safari camp, plus tests to evaluate English skills and scholastic aptitude. When both women performed extremely well at Chobe, the managers asked the institute to send over future female graduates. At that time, there were fewer than 10 women guides in Botswana. Today, there are around 50. With 17 guides, Chobe employs roughly one-third. The others are spread across the country at various safari camps.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/22/travel/botswana-safari-women-chobe.html?em_pos=medium&emc=edit_li_20170824&nl=nyt-living&nl_art=2&nlid=38867499&ref=img&te=1&_r=1
Bars to Boycott NFL
From BlackAmericaWeb -
Two Chicago Bars Will Boycott The NFL
By Diannah Watson
If you’re in Chicago hoping to catch a few football games this season, then don’t expect these two bars to entertain you.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, The Velvet Lounge and Bureau Bar will not be playing any NFL games this season in support of Colin Kaepernick.
https://blackamericaweb.com/2017/08/25/two-chicago-bars-will-boycott-the-nfl/
Two Chicago Bars Will Boycott The NFL
By Diannah Watson
If you’re in Chicago hoping to catch a few football games this season, then don’t expect these two bars to entertain you.
According to the Chicago Sun Times, The Velvet Lounge and Bureau Bar will not be playing any NFL games this season in support of Colin Kaepernick.
https://blackamericaweb.com/2017/08/25/two-chicago-bars-will-boycott-the-nfl/
Schizophrenic
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
Trump’s rhetorical schizophrenia is easy to see through
By Michael Gerson
The gap between Trump extemporaneous and Trump scripted is canyon-like. The normal role of a speechwriter is to find, refine and elevate the voice of a leader. The greatest professional victory comes when a president thinks: This is the way I would sound if I had more time to write and more talent with language. In these circumstances, speechwriting is not deception; it is amplification.
But what about speechwriting that is designed to give a leader a different voice? Here moral issues begin to lurk. Is it ethical to make a cynical leader appear principled? A violent leader seem pacific? A cruel leader seem compassionate? This calculation is difficult, because most of us have an incongruous mix of such traits. Or maybe a speechwriter can hope a president will eventually rise to the level of his teleprompter.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-rhetorical-schizophrenia-is-easy-to-see-through/2017/08/24/2163ab42-88f3-11e7-a50f-e0d4e6ec070a_story.html?utm_term=.331a5bddc2c8
Trump’s rhetorical schizophrenia is easy to see through
By Michael Gerson
The gap between Trump extemporaneous and Trump scripted is canyon-like. The normal role of a speechwriter is to find, refine and elevate the voice of a leader. The greatest professional victory comes when a president thinks: This is the way I would sound if I had more time to write and more talent with language. In these circumstances, speechwriting is not deception; it is amplification.
But what about speechwriting that is designed to give a leader a different voice? Here moral issues begin to lurk. Is it ethical to make a cynical leader appear principled? A violent leader seem pacific? A cruel leader seem compassionate? This calculation is difficult, because most of us have an incongruous mix of such traits. Or maybe a speechwriter can hope a president will eventually rise to the level of his teleprompter.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trumps-rhetorical-schizophrenia-is-easy-to-see-through/2017/08/24/2163ab42-88f3-11e7-a50f-e0d4e6ec070a_story.html?utm_term=.331a5bddc2c8
Thursday, August 24, 2017
Wednesday, August 23, 2017
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