Sunday, October 8, 2017
Saturday, October 7, 2017
The Supreme Court's Ruling on the Anthem
An excerpt from Rolling Stone -
What the Supreme Court Says About Sitting Out the National Anthem
Some public schools are telling student-athletes they can't kneel during the anthem – but that's unconstitutional
By David S. Cohen
The Supreme Court very forcefully declared that punishing students for not participating in the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional. The decision had nothing to do with the students' religion and everything to do with their constitutional right to freedom of speech. As the Court wrote, in language that has become one of the most important principles of modern free speech law:
"If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us."
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/what-the-supreme-court-says-about-sitting-out-the-national-anthem-w507503?utm_source=rsnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=daily&utm_campaign=100617_17
What the Supreme Court Says About Sitting Out the National Anthem
Some public schools are telling student-athletes they can't kneel during the anthem – but that's unconstitutional
By David S. Cohen
The Supreme Court very forcefully declared that punishing students for not participating in the Pledge of Allegiance was unconstitutional. The decision had nothing to do with the students' religion and everything to do with their constitutional right to freedom of speech. As the Court wrote, in language that has become one of the most important principles of modern free speech law:
"If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion, or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein. If there are any circumstances which permit an exception, they do not now occur to us."
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/features/what-the-supreme-court-says-about-sitting-out-the-national-anthem-w507503?utm_source=rsnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=daily&utm_campaign=100617_17
Silicon Kidneys
An excerpt from Wired -
SILICON ISN'T JUST FOR COMPUTERS. IT CAN MAKE A PRETTY GOOD KIDNEY, TOO
By MEGAN MOLTENI
Now, after more than 20 years of work, one team of doctors and researchers is close to offering patients an implantable artificial kidney, a bionic device that uses the same technology that makes the chips that power your laptop and smartphone. Stacks of carefully designed silicon nanopore filters combine with live kidney cells grown in a bioreactor. The bundle is enclosed in a body-friendly box and connected to a patient’s circulatory system and bladder—no external tubing required.
The device would do more than detach dialysis patients—who experience much higher rates of fatigue, chronic pain, and depression than the average American—from a grueling treatment schedule. It would also address a critical shortfall of organs for transplant that continues despite a recent uptick in donations. For every person who received a kidney last year, 5 more on the waiting list didn’t. And 4,000 of them died.
There are still plenty of regulatory hurdles ahead—human testing is scheduled to begin early next year1—but this bioartificial kidney is already bringing hope to patients desperate to unhook for good.
https://www.wired.com/story/artificial-kidneys?mbid=nl_100617_daily
SILICON ISN'T JUST FOR COMPUTERS. IT CAN MAKE A PRETTY GOOD KIDNEY, TOO
By MEGAN MOLTENI
Now, after more than 20 years of work, one team of doctors and researchers is close to offering patients an implantable artificial kidney, a bionic device that uses the same technology that makes the chips that power your laptop and smartphone. Stacks of carefully designed silicon nanopore filters combine with live kidney cells grown in a bioreactor. The bundle is enclosed in a body-friendly box and connected to a patient’s circulatory system and bladder—no external tubing required.
The device would do more than detach dialysis patients—who experience much higher rates of fatigue, chronic pain, and depression than the average American—from a grueling treatment schedule. It would also address a critical shortfall of organs for transplant that continues despite a recent uptick in donations. For every person who received a kidney last year, 5 more on the waiting list didn’t. And 4,000 of them died.
There are still plenty of regulatory hurdles ahead—human testing is scheduled to begin early next year1—but this bioartificial kidney is already bringing hope to patients desperate to unhook for good.
https://www.wired.com/story/artificial-kidneys?mbid=nl_100617_daily
Apply to Work for the President
An excerpt from InStyle -
This Is Not a Drill! You Can Now Apply to Work for Former President Barack Obama
By Lara Walsh
Whether you've dreamt of a career in politics, hoping to someday make a significant difference in your community, or are just a big fan of Barack Obama, look no further, because a select group of 20 applicants will now have the opportunity to work alongside the former commander in chief.
On Thursday, the former president took to Instagram to encourage politically-minded individuals to apply to his Obama Foundation Fellowship Program. The two-year program seeks to help future leaders work through hot public issues in innovative ways, with governmental institutions and beyond traditional establishments.
http://www.instyle.com/news/obama-foundation-fellowship-program-application
This Is Not a Drill! You Can Now Apply to Work for Former President Barack Obama
By Lara Walsh
Whether you've dreamt of a career in politics, hoping to someday make a significant difference in your community, or are just a big fan of Barack Obama, look no further, because a select group of 20 applicants will now have the opportunity to work alongside the former commander in chief.
On Thursday, the former president took to Instagram to encourage politically-minded individuals to apply to his Obama Foundation Fellowship Program. The two-year program seeks to help future leaders work through hot public issues in innovative ways, with governmental institutions and beyond traditional establishments.
http://www.instyle.com/news/obama-foundation-fellowship-program-application
Friday, October 6, 2017
Thursday, October 5, 2017
Tell 'Em Todd
WATCH @chucktodd: "When planes flew into the World Trade Center did we say now is not the time to talk about terrorism? When our banking system nearly collapsed in 2008 did we say now is not the time to talk about financial regulation?" pic.twitter.com/NNCRUESuQg— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) October 3, 2017
Hilarious Tweets
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/marriage-tweets-that-are-just-plain-funny_us_59d56a16e4b0380b6c9a22d3?ncid=APPLENEWS00001
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Patient Becomes Caregiver
An excerpt from Buzzfeed News -
This 24-Year-Old Who Survived Cancer Twice Is Now A Nurse At The Hospital Where She Was Treated
"Never in a million years did I think that at the age of 24 I would have achieved my biggest and wildest dream — to work at the hospital I was treated at as a child/teenager."
By Stephanie McNeal
Brown, now 24, underwent chemo for a year at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and went into remission.
When she was 15, her cancer returned.
"I had just tried out for my high school cheerleading team," Brown told ABC News. "I actually ran a mile while I had cancer and had no idea...There weren't symptoms but my mom and dad could tell that something was different about me and they knew that something was a little off."
Brown's experience inspired her to become a pediatric oncology nurse, and last week, she started working at the hospital where she was treated.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/child-who-beat-cancer-returns-as-a-nurse?utm_term=.mrwyxalgQ#.ntdG9YBJj
This 24-Year-Old Who Survived Cancer Twice Is Now A Nurse At The Hospital Where She Was Treated
"Never in a million years did I think that at the age of 24 I would have achieved my biggest and wildest dream — to work at the hospital I was treated at as a child/teenager."
By Stephanie McNeal
Brown, now 24, underwent chemo for a year at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and went into remission.
When she was 15, her cancer returned.
"I had just tried out for my high school cheerleading team," Brown told ABC News. "I actually ran a mile while I had cancer and had no idea...There weren't symptoms but my mom and dad could tell that something was different about me and they knew that something was a little off."
Brown's experience inspired her to become a pediatric oncology nurse, and last week, she started working at the hospital where she was treated.
https://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/child-who-beat-cancer-returns-as-a-nurse?utm_term=.mrwyxalgQ#.ntdG9YBJj
Double Standard
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
‘Lone wolf’: Our stunning double standard when it comes to race and religion
By Khaled Beydoun
In what police call the deadliest attack in modern American history, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on concertgoers at a country music festival in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Despite the scale of the attack and Paddock’s being armed with more than 10 rifles, Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo immediately dismissed any ties to terrorism, classifying Paddock, a white male from a rural town 80 miles from Las Vegas, as a “local individual” and a “lone wolf.”
We have yet to determine whether Paddock was motivated by anyone or anything, so many are tiptoeing around terms such as “terrorist.” But if Paddock were Muslim, his status as a local individual would be entirely irrelevant, and the motive of “Islamic terrorism” or “jihad” would likely be immediately assumed, even without any evidence.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/10/02/lone-wolf-our-stunning-double-standard-when-it-comes-to-race-and-religion/?utm_term=.6e339ea464d8
‘Lone wolf’: Our stunning double standard when it comes to race and religion
By Khaled Beydoun
In what police call the deadliest attack in modern American history, 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on concertgoers at a country music festival in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Despite the scale of the attack and Paddock’s being armed with more than 10 rifles, Las Vegas Sheriff Joe Lombardo immediately dismissed any ties to terrorism, classifying Paddock, a white male from a rural town 80 miles from Las Vegas, as a “local individual” and a “lone wolf.”
We have yet to determine whether Paddock was motivated by anyone or anything, so many are tiptoeing around terms such as “terrorist.” But if Paddock were Muslim, his status as a local individual would be entirely irrelevant, and the motive of “Islamic terrorism” or “jihad” would likely be immediately assumed, even without any evidence.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2017/10/02/lone-wolf-our-stunning-double-standard-when-it-comes-to-race-and-religion/?utm_term=.6e339ea464d8
Monday, October 2, 2017
Sunday, October 1, 2017
They Helped Us See the World
An excerpt from the Paris Review -
John H. Johnson and the Black Magazine
By Dick Gregory
Let me tell you a story about Jet magazine.
In the late 1970s, I went to the African country Uganda, which was falling apart under Idi Amin. His rule was over, and he had left a mess. I wanted to see about helping sick and hungry folks over there. I got on a plane, and then onto a bus. Things were crazy, with people fighting for control of the country. A group of men made everybody get off the bus I was on. And the saddest thing was: suddenly I was looking at a nine-year-old African child with a gun, who walked up to me and said, “Get up on the sidewalk.”
A man on a bicycle jumped off and said, “Dick Gregory! Dick Gregory!” He looked at that little punk packing the gun and said, “Get outta here. You know who this man is?”
And how did the man on the bicycle know who I was? Jet magazine.
That man said to me, “I see all your work, brotha. I just … ” And he started crying. Because he had read about me in Jet.
Jet and Ebony magazines exposed black people to the world—not just the negativity but the positive things, too. We got to see black folks we had never seen, hear about black folks we had never heard of. Let’s say your sister was a judge. How would I know that? Because Jet magazine put it out there. Let’s say your daddy was a scientist in California, but I’m in New York. How would I know? The New York Times wouldn’t mention it. So we looked at Jet and said, “Wow, this is positive stuff, not just the negative stuff about black folks that the white press was talking about.” Ebony and Jet had black photographers taking pictures of people and things that white photographers wouldn’t even have thought of.
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2017/09/26/john-h-johnson-black-magazine/#nws=mcnewsletter
John H. Johnson and the Black Magazine
By Dick Gregory
Let me tell you a story about Jet magazine.
In the late 1970s, I went to the African country Uganda, which was falling apart under Idi Amin. His rule was over, and he had left a mess. I wanted to see about helping sick and hungry folks over there. I got on a plane, and then onto a bus. Things were crazy, with people fighting for control of the country. A group of men made everybody get off the bus I was on. And the saddest thing was: suddenly I was looking at a nine-year-old African child with a gun, who walked up to me and said, “Get up on the sidewalk.”
A man on a bicycle jumped off and said, “Dick Gregory! Dick Gregory!” He looked at that little punk packing the gun and said, “Get outta here. You know who this man is?”
And how did the man on the bicycle know who I was? Jet magazine.
That man said to me, “I see all your work, brotha. I just … ” And he started crying. Because he had read about me in Jet.
Jet and Ebony magazines exposed black people to the world—not just the negativity but the positive things, too. We got to see black folks we had never seen, hear about black folks we had never heard of. Let’s say your sister was a judge. How would I know that? Because Jet magazine put it out there. Let’s say your daddy was a scientist in California, but I’m in New York. How would I know? The New York Times wouldn’t mention it. So we looked at Jet and said, “Wow, this is positive stuff, not just the negative stuff about black folks that the white press was talking about.” Ebony and Jet had black photographers taking pictures of people and things that white photographers wouldn’t even have thought of.
https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2017/09/26/john-h-johnson-black-magazine/#nws=mcnewsletter
So Wrong
From the AP & Time -
A Man Told His Friends He Needed Help Moving. They Didn't Realize They Were Robbing a House for Him
(GREAT FALLS, Mont.) — Police in Montana say a man told friends he needed help moving and got their unwitting help stealing $40,000 worth of items from another man's home.
One of the friends allegedly rented a U-Haul without knowing it would be used in a crime. The other told police he became suspicious and left after he saw military medals in the Great Falls home. He doubted 36-year-old Patrick Joseph Adams Jr. served in the military.
Investigators say the true homeowner came home later that night, found his home had been burglarized and called 911.
http://time.com/4964291/great-falls-movers-robbed-house/
A Man Told His Friends He Needed Help Moving. They Didn't Realize They Were Robbing a House for Him
(GREAT FALLS, Mont.) — Police in Montana say a man told friends he needed help moving and got their unwitting help stealing $40,000 worth of items from another man's home.
One of the friends allegedly rented a U-Haul without knowing it would be used in a crime. The other told police he became suspicious and left after he saw military medals in the Great Falls home. He doubted 36-year-old Patrick Joseph Adams Jr. served in the military.
Investigators say the true homeowner came home later that night, found his home had been burglarized and called 911.
http://time.com/4964291/great-falls-movers-robbed-house/
Straight to Hell
http://www.vulture.com/2017/09/lin-manuel-miranda-cant-hide-his-disgust-at-trump-tweets.htmlYou're going straight to hell, @realDonaldTrump.— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) September 30, 2017
No long lines for you.
Someone will say, "Right this way, sir."
They'll clear a path. https://t.co/xXfJH0KJmw
Saturday, September 30, 2017
Consider Heading North Kids
An excerpt from the Boston Globe -
Canadian colleges offer US students lower tuition and Trudeau instead of Trump
By Laura Krantz
CAMBRIDGE — In a sweaty high school gymnasium on a recent Monday evening, 25 college recruiters set up tables with glossy brochures and free pens. Among them were Quest University, Mount Allison University, the University of Waterloo, and Bishop’s University.
Most Americans can’t locate these schools on a map (hint: they’re all in Canada), but nonetheless about 100 US students and their parents attended the fair, curious to learn about them. Why? The lure of reasonably priced tuition and a chance to study outside the United States.
As private college costs in the United States creep ever-closer to $70,000 a year, Canadian schools are seizing on unprecedented interest among Americans increasingly unwilling to accept mountains of debt for an undergraduate degree.
Colleges in Canada, which are almost all public and receive more government support than their US counterparts, are significantly cheaper, as little as $8,000 per year at Brandon University in Manitoba, or $15,000 at McGill, in Montreal.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/09/27/canadian-colleges-focus-recruitment-efforts-students/esfIXhe9ctB66yrrQ7a2cO/story.html?et_rid=606374700&s_campaign=todaysheadlines:newsletter
Canadian colleges offer US students lower tuition and Trudeau instead of Trump
By Laura Krantz
CAMBRIDGE — In a sweaty high school gymnasium on a recent Monday evening, 25 college recruiters set up tables with glossy brochures and free pens. Among them were Quest University, Mount Allison University, the University of Waterloo, and Bishop’s University.
Most Americans can’t locate these schools on a map (hint: they’re all in Canada), but nonetheless about 100 US students and their parents attended the fair, curious to learn about them. Why? The lure of reasonably priced tuition and a chance to study outside the United States.
As private college costs in the United States creep ever-closer to $70,000 a year, Canadian schools are seizing on unprecedented interest among Americans increasingly unwilling to accept mountains of debt for an undergraduate degree.
Colleges in Canada, which are almost all public and receive more government support than their US counterparts, are significantly cheaper, as little as $8,000 per year at Brandon University in Manitoba, or $15,000 at McGill, in Montreal.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2017/09/27/canadian-colleges-focus-recruitment-efforts-students/esfIXhe9ctB66yrrQ7a2cO/story.html?et_rid=606374700&s_campaign=todaysheadlines:newsletter
Friday, September 29, 2017
Co-opted
An excerpt from Vox - (Bold is mine)
The NFL has officially whitewashed Colin Kaepernick’s protest
The co-opting of protests against racism has a storied history in our country.
Updated by Louis Moore
Last Sunday, in the largest single-day athlete protest in American sports history, players across the league linked arms and took a knee during the national anthem. But it was a toothless gesture. The demonstration, which started as a protest against police brutality by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, had become a “mere picnic.”
Last weekend’s wave of protest was prompted by an angry rebuke by President Trump during a rally in Alabama. The president called for any “son of a bitch” who took a knee to be fired by the NFL. In response, players across the nation knelt in front of the flag during Sunday’s games. But these protests meant something different. Billionaire team owners who had donated to Trump’s campaign joined in. The symbol of taking a knee came to mean something else — unity, anger toward Trump, free speech. Kaepernick’s bold statement against systemic racism had been co-opted.
The beauty and brilliance of Kaepernick’s protest the previous season is that it put all athletes and fans on notice. "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told reporters. He did not mince words.
And his truth drew the ire of white fans. For two minutes, they had to confront systemic racism and police brutality, something most fans don’t want to acknowledge, especially during a football game. In short, Kaepernick took a page from Bill Russell’s activist athlete playbook. As Russell noted in 1964, “We have got to make the white population uncomfortable, because that is the only way to get their attention.”
https://www.vox.com/first-person/2017/9/28/16379618/nfl-take-a-knee-protest-colin-kaepernick
The NFL has officially whitewashed Colin Kaepernick’s protest
The co-opting of protests against racism has a storied history in our country.
Updated by Louis Moore
Last Sunday, in the largest single-day athlete protest in American sports history, players across the league linked arms and took a knee during the national anthem. But it was a toothless gesture. The demonstration, which started as a protest against police brutality by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, had become a “mere picnic.”
Last weekend’s wave of protest was prompted by an angry rebuke by President Trump during a rally in Alabama. The president called for any “son of a bitch” who took a knee to be fired by the NFL. In response, players across the nation knelt in front of the flag during Sunday’s games. But these protests meant something different. Billionaire team owners who had donated to Trump’s campaign joined in. The symbol of taking a knee came to mean something else — unity, anger toward Trump, free speech. Kaepernick’s bold statement against systemic racism had been co-opted.
The beauty and brilliance of Kaepernick’s protest the previous season is that it put all athletes and fans on notice. "I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color," Kaepernick told reporters. He did not mince words.
And his truth drew the ire of white fans. For two minutes, they had to confront systemic racism and police brutality, something most fans don’t want to acknowledge, especially during a football game. In short, Kaepernick took a page from Bill Russell’s activist athlete playbook. As Russell noted in 1964, “We have got to make the white population uncomfortable, because that is the only way to get their attention.”
https://www.vox.com/first-person/2017/9/28/16379618/nfl-take-a-knee-protest-colin-kaepernick
Wardrobe Malfunction Statement
From Vox -
Someone took an upskirt photo of actress Natalie Morales. Her response is required reading.
Updated by Constance Grady
Someone took an upskirt photo of actress Natalie Morales. Her response is required reading.
Updated by Constance Grady
https://www.vox.com/culture/2017/9/27/16375446/natalie-morales-upskirt-photo-responseBefore this gets watered down or the word "vagina" gets censored out, here's my statement on this "wardrobe malfunction" b.s. pic.twitter.com/nE6CNAsovB— Natalie Morales (@nataliemorales) September 27, 2017
Thursday, September 28, 2017
A Supreme Court Clerk
From the Washington Post -
From her dad’s killing during the crack epidemic to a Supreme Court clerkship
By John Woodrow Cox
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/from-her-dads-killing-during-the-crack-epidemic-to-a-supreme-court-clerkship/2017/09/27/e631eb7c-8de0-11e7-8df5-c2e5cf46c1e2_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_wright-1130a-1%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.0f6e0abe7bac
From her dad’s killing during the crack epidemic to a Supreme Court clerkship
By John Woodrow Cox
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/from-her-dads-killing-during-the-crack-epidemic-to-a-supreme-court-clerkship/2017/09/27/e631eb7c-8de0-11e7-8df5-c2e5cf46c1e2_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_wright-1130a-1%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.0f6e0abe7bac
Quote
“The flag is drenched with our blood.” - Fannie Lou Hamer
From the NY Times - Charles Blow
(A powerful article. Too good from start to finish to post snippets. - Faye)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/opinion/the-flag-is-drenched-with-our-blood.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&_r=0
From the NY Times - Charles Blow
(A powerful article. Too good from start to finish to post snippets. - Faye)
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/28/opinion/the-flag-is-drenched-with-our-blood.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&_r=0
Three Amigos
 ROB CARR VIA GETTY IMAGES |
| Former U.S. Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton enlivened the opening ceremonies of the Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club on Sept. 28, 2017, in Jersey City, New Jersey. |
Terrible
Stephen Curry said the recent SI cover (in which he was on) not including Colin Kaepernick was "terrible" pic.twitter.com/HDSUxcQvdm— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) September 27, 2017
A City Built For Driverless Cars
Excerpts from Now I Know -
The Town that Drives Itself
Ghost towns have a few hallmark features — lots of buildings, lots of roads, and no residents. These uninhabited towns were once bustling with commerce and community, but for reasons which often differ from place to place, they’re now desolate and abandoned.
~~~~~~~~~~
That’s hardly a ghost town. It’s bright, clean, and airy. And — importantly — the stoplights are working.
Really, that’s the most important part. Mcity wasn’t built for people. It was built for cars — autonomous ones.
~~~~~~~~~~
Mcity opened its doors — er, roads — in 2015. It is a 32-acre urban landscape with all sorts of roadways. There are railroad crossings, roundabouts, differently-paved streets, highway on-ramps, crazy intersections with confusing left turns, and more. The buildings, as you can probably tell by the above, are just facades, and there are no people beyond the researchers; instead, there are fake pedestrians that don’t know how to safely cross the street. (The image below is an example.) The purpose of the city is to test driverless cars and the technology which controls them, with researchers across disciplines and employers taking advantage of this one-of-a-kind city.
http://nowiknow.com/the-town-that-drives-itself/
The Town that Drives Itself
Ghost towns have a few hallmark features — lots of buildings, lots of roads, and no residents. These uninhabited towns were once bustling with commerce and community, but for reasons which often differ from place to place, they’re now desolate and abandoned.
~~~~~~~~~~
That’s hardly a ghost town. It’s bright, clean, and airy. And — importantly — the stoplights are working.
Really, that’s the most important part. Mcity wasn’t built for people. It was built for cars — autonomous ones.
~~~~~~~~~~
Mcity opened its doors — er, roads — in 2015. It is a 32-acre urban landscape with all sorts of roadways. There are railroad crossings, roundabouts, differently-paved streets, highway on-ramps, crazy intersections with confusing left turns, and more. The buildings, as you can probably tell by the above, are just facades, and there are no people beyond the researchers; instead, there are fake pedestrians that don’t know how to safely cross the street. (The image below is an example.) The purpose of the city is to test driverless cars and the technology which controls them, with researchers across disciplines and employers taking advantage of this one-of-a-kind city.
http://nowiknow.com/the-town-that-drives-itself/
Painless Way to Save Money
I've discovered a painless way to save money with these weekly plans. They were found on Pinterest. Here's to happy savings!
Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Renew Your Passports Pronto!
From PureWow - H/T Alisha
Yikes, Here’s What Happens if You Don’t Renew Your Passport This Fall
By HEATH GOLDMAN
Unless you renewed your passport yesterday, do yourself a favor and take it out right now. If it expires anytime next year, get yourself renewed now.
Why is that? Well, as reported by the L.A. Times, fewer people apply in the fall, so wait times from September to December are the shortest (just four weeks instead of months).
Here’s another (very tricky) reason: In January 2018, the Real ID Act kicks in. This means driver’s licenses from 23 states (including New York and California) won’t cut it for domestic travel, forcing folks to use their passports.
https://www.purewow.com/news/best-time-to-renew-passport?utm_medium=email&utm_source=national&utm_campaign=25100&utm_content=News_editorial
Yikes, Here’s What Happens if You Don’t Renew Your Passport This Fall
By HEATH GOLDMAN
Unless you renewed your passport yesterday, do yourself a favor and take it out right now. If it expires anytime next year, get yourself renewed now.
Why is that? Well, as reported by the L.A. Times, fewer people apply in the fall, so wait times from September to December are the shortest (just four weeks instead of months).
Here’s another (very tricky) reason: In January 2018, the Real ID Act kicks in. This means driver’s licenses from 23 states (including New York and California) won’t cut it for domestic travel, forcing folks to use their passports.
https://www.purewow.com/news/best-time-to-renew-passport?utm_medium=email&utm_source=national&utm_campaign=25100&utm_content=News_editorial
Obama Scholars
From Occidental College -
THE BARACK OBAMA SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Beginning in fall 2018, the Barack Obama Scholars Program at Occidental College will empower the next generation of leaders in active pursuit of the public good. Honoring the legacy of Occidental’s most famous student, this scholarship program will provide a comprehensive experience for exceptional students of all backgrounds who seek the opportunity to create lasting and meaningful change.
http://obamascholars.oxy.edu
THE BARACK OBAMA SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Beginning in fall 2018, the Barack Obama Scholars Program at Occidental College will empower the next generation of leaders in active pursuit of the public good. Honoring the legacy of Occidental’s most famous student, this scholarship program will provide a comprehensive experience for exceptional students of all backgrounds who seek the opportunity to create lasting and meaningful change.
http://obamascholars.oxy.edu
How to Avoid A**holes
An excerpt from Vox -
A Stanford psychologist on the art of avoiding assholes
"Not giving a shit takes the wind out of an asshole's sails."
by Sean Illing
The world is full of assholes. Wherever you live, whatever you do, odds are you’re surrounded by assholes. The question is, what to do about it?
Robert Sutton, a psychology professor at Stanford University, has stepped up to answer this eternal question. He’s the author of a new book, The Asshole Survival Guide, which is basically what it sounds like: a guide for surviving the assholes in your life.
In 2010, Sutton published The No Asshole Rule, which focused on dealing with assholes at an organizational level. In the new book, he offers a blueprint for managing assholes at the interpersonal level. If you’ve got an asshole boss, an asshole friend, or an asshole colleague, this book might be for you.
https://www.vox.com/conversations/2017/9/26/16345476/stanford-psychologist-art-of-avoiding-assholes
A Stanford psychologist on the art of avoiding assholes
"Not giving a shit takes the wind out of an asshole's sails."
by Sean Illing
The world is full of assholes. Wherever you live, whatever you do, odds are you’re surrounded by assholes. The question is, what to do about it?
Robert Sutton, a psychology professor at Stanford University, has stepped up to answer this eternal question. He’s the author of a new book, The Asshole Survival Guide, which is basically what it sounds like: a guide for surviving the assholes in your life.
In 2010, Sutton published The No Asshole Rule, which focused on dealing with assholes at an organizational level. In the new book, he offers a blueprint for managing assholes at the interpersonal level. If you’ve got an asshole boss, an asshole friend, or an asshole colleague, this book might be for you.
https://www.vox.com/conversations/2017/9/26/16345476/stanford-psychologist-art-of-avoiding-assholes
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Quote
The players have not committed the sin of introducing politics into football. Their sin is to be black men talking about politics when the NFL wants them to shut up and entertain. - Travis Waldron
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nfl-football-political_us_59c91815e4b06ddf45f9b002?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nfl-football-political_us_59c91815e4b06ddf45f9b002?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
Monday, September 25, 2017
Beaten . . . With Class
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
The NFL beat Trump. Soundly.
By Jerry Brewer
The NFL players stood, knelt, raised fists, sat, abstained . . . whatever felt right. They did it mostly as a team, a collection of individuals who choose to play together and sacrifice for each other. During the national anthem, they didn’t act like a brainwashed mass who had traded their diversity just to wear the same colors.
The latter is a flat and uninformed way to view the concept of team, and the same could be said for the different ways we act as American citizens. You have to understand that to grasp the power and poignancy of one of the most meaningful Sundays in NFL history. Throughout the nation and in London, the league responded to President Trump’s scathing, profane and ignorant criticism by showing him two things he can neither comprehend nor inspire as a leader: empathy and unity.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/the-nfl-responds-to-trump-by-embracing-its-diversity/2017/09/24/07d57814-a15c-11e7-ade1-76d061d56efa_story.html?utm_term=.ec30b6723b74
The NFL beat Trump. Soundly.
By Jerry Brewer
The NFL players stood, knelt, raised fists, sat, abstained . . . whatever felt right. They did it mostly as a team, a collection of individuals who choose to play together and sacrifice for each other. During the national anthem, they didn’t act like a brainwashed mass who had traded their diversity just to wear the same colors.
The latter is a flat and uninformed way to view the concept of team, and the same could be said for the different ways we act as American citizens. You have to understand that to grasp the power and poignancy of one of the most meaningful Sundays in NFL history. Throughout the nation and in London, the league responded to President Trump’s scathing, profane and ignorant criticism by showing him two things he can neither comprehend nor inspire as a leader: empathy and unity.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/the-nfl-responds-to-trump-by-embracing-its-diversity/2017/09/24/07d57814-a15c-11e7-ade1-76d061d56efa_story.html?utm_term=.ec30b6723b74
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Most Popular Wedding Songs
From the Washington Post -
These are the most popular wedding songs in America — and the ones your state loves
By Ben Zauzmer
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2017/09/20/these-are-the-most-popular-wedding-songs-in-america-and-the-ones-your-state-loves/?utm_term=.e3880cb1e465&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
These are the most popular wedding songs in America — and the ones your state loves
By Ben Zauzmer
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soloish/wp/2017/09/20/these-are-the-most-popular-wedding-songs-in-america-and-the-ones-your-state-loves/?utm_term=.e3880cb1e465&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1
Saturday, September 23, 2017
THE LINE HAS BEEN CROSSED!!!! Time to show them #blackexcellence LETS GO! #teamlove REPRESENT REPRESENT! ✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿✊🏿 pic.twitter.com/KM3wA098se— Sean Diddy Combs (@diddy) September 23, 2017
Just when You Think He Can't Go Any Lower, He Does.
From the Huffington Post -
NFL Stars Erupt In Anger Over Donald Trump’s ‘Son Of A Bitch’ Speech
“I can’t take anything our Celebrity in Chief says seriously. He’s a real life clown/troll.”
By Lee Moran
National Football League stars past and present are expressing outrage after President Donald Trump used an address in Huntsville, Alabama, on Friday to attack players who protest during the national anthem.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nfl-stars-donald-trump-comments-speech_us_59c60a89e4b0cdc773318071?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
NFL Stars Erupt In Anger Over Donald Trump’s ‘Son Of A Bitch’ Speech
“I can’t take anything our Celebrity in Chief says seriously. He’s a real life clown/troll.”
By Lee Moran
National Football League stars past and present are expressing outrage after President Donald Trump used an address in Huntsville, Alabama, on Friday to attack players who protest during the national anthem.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/nfl-stars-donald-trump-comments-speech_us_59c60a89e4b0cdc773318071?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
U Bum
Excerpts from the Washington Post -
Trump turns sports into a political battleground with comments on NFL and Steph Curry
By Adam Kilgore
President Trump turned professional sports into a political battleground Friday night into Saturday morning, directing full-throated ire toward African American athletes who have spoken out against him and prompting a response from the National Football League, its players and the best basketball player in the world.
In a span of roughly 12 hours, as the sports world typically would be gearing up for college football and baseball’s pennant races, Trump ensnared and agitated the most powerful sports league in North America and perhaps the most popular athlete in American team sports. His comments set the stage for potential mass protest Sunday along NFL sidelines.
~~~~~~~~~~
After Trump said he rescinded Curry’s invitation, LeBron James slammed Trump on Twitter.
“U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going!” James said. “So therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/trump-sticks-to-sports-with-comments-on-nfl-players-and-owners-and-steph-curry/2017/09/23/50e76dd2-a071-11e7-9083-fbfddf6804c2_story.html?utm_term=.8c900d30222b&wpisrc=al_alert-COMBO-sports%252Bnation&wpmk=1
Trump turns sports into a political battleground with comments on NFL and Steph Curry
By Adam Kilgore
President Trump turned professional sports into a political battleground Friday night into Saturday morning, directing full-throated ire toward African American athletes who have spoken out against him and prompting a response from the National Football League, its players and the best basketball player in the world.
In a span of roughly 12 hours, as the sports world typically would be gearing up for college football and baseball’s pennant races, Trump ensnared and agitated the most powerful sports league in North America and perhaps the most popular athlete in American team sports. His comments set the stage for potential mass protest Sunday along NFL sidelines.
~~~~~~~~~~
After Trump said he rescinded Curry’s invitation, LeBron James slammed Trump on Twitter.
“U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going!” James said. “So therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/trump-sticks-to-sports-with-comments-on-nfl-players-and-owners-and-steph-curry/2017/09/23/50e76dd2-a071-11e7-9083-fbfddf6804c2_story.html?utm_term=.8c900d30222b&wpisrc=al_alert-COMBO-sports%252Bnation&wpmk=1
Friday, September 22, 2017
Thursday, September 21, 2017
A Hero That Looks Like Me
An excerpt from the Daily Good -
Move Over, Wonder Woman — This Afro-Puerto Rican Superhero Is The Ultimate Feminist Icon
Named after the island nation’s anthem, the fierce comic book star uses her powers to control the weather and keep her people safe
by Rebekah Sager
EDGARDO MIRANDA-RODRIGUEZ, A SELF-DESCRIBED ARTSY NERD FROM THE SOUTH BRONX, never imagined that the Afro-Puerto Rican pacifist character he first self-published only a little more than a year ago would emerge as one of the comic book world’s most realistic feminist super-heroes. La Borinqueña officially debuted at New York City’s Puerto Rican Day Parade in June 2016. Since then, both the character and the comic book have become something bigger and more meaningful than their creator could have dreamed, especially as Puerto Rico weathers two onslaughts from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, school closings, and an economic crisis.
https://www.good.is/features/afro-puerto-rican-comic-book-star-ultimate-feminist-superhero?utm_source=thedailygood&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailygood
Move Over, Wonder Woman — This Afro-Puerto Rican Superhero Is The Ultimate Feminist Icon
Named after the island nation’s anthem, the fierce comic book star uses her powers to control the weather and keep her people safe
by Rebekah Sager
EDGARDO MIRANDA-RODRIGUEZ, A SELF-DESCRIBED ARTSY NERD FROM THE SOUTH BRONX, never imagined that the Afro-Puerto Rican pacifist character he first self-published only a little more than a year ago would emerge as one of the comic book world’s most realistic feminist super-heroes. La Borinqueña officially debuted at New York City’s Puerto Rican Day Parade in June 2016. Since then, both the character and the comic book have become something bigger and more meaningful than their creator could have dreamed, especially as Puerto Rico weathers two onslaughts from Hurricanes Irma and Maria, school closings, and an economic crisis.
https://www.good.is/features/afro-puerto-rican-comic-book-star-ultimate-feminist-superhero?utm_source=thedailygood&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailygood
When You're Too Tired to Respond
An excerpt from the Huffington Post -
These White People Will Respond To Your Racist Trolls So You Don’t Have To
A volunteer-run Facebook group answers ignorant comments online at the request of people of color.
By Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
If you’re a person of color exhausted by having to explain over and over on social media why “all lives” aren’t treated the same by police or why producer Issa Rae saying she’s “rooting for everybody black” is not racist, one group is here to help you: White Nonsense Roundup.
The volunteer-run Facebook group, founded last year by friends Layla Tromble and Terri Kompton in Washington state, has white people respond to racist trolls online at the request of people of color.
“If a white person is filling your social media with white nonsense ― anything from overt racism to well-intentioned problematic statements, tag us and a white person will come roundup our own,” the group’s Facebook post reads.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/white-nonsense-roundup-racism-white-privilege_us_59c1811ae4b0186c22069390?ncid=APPLENEWS00001
These White People Will Respond To Your Racist Trolls So You Don’t Have To
A volunteer-run Facebook group answers ignorant comments online at the request of people of color.
By Sarah Ruiz-Grossman
If you’re a person of color exhausted by having to explain over and over on social media why “all lives” aren’t treated the same by police or why producer Issa Rae saying she’s “rooting for everybody black” is not racist, one group is here to help you: White Nonsense Roundup.
The volunteer-run Facebook group, founded last year by friends Layla Tromble and Terri Kompton in Washington state, has white people respond to racist trolls online at the request of people of color.
“If a white person is filling your social media with white nonsense ― anything from overt racism to well-intentioned problematic statements, tag us and a white person will come roundup our own,” the group’s Facebook post reads.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/white-nonsense-roundup-racism-white-privilege_us_59c1811ae4b0186c22069390?ncid=APPLENEWS00001
Just Another Thug
An excerpt from Slate -
Our Demagogue
For the first time at the U.N., the American president was just another populist thug.
By William Saletan
On Tuesday, as world leaders addressed the United Nations General Assembly, diplomats were lectured by an authoritarian, a torture apologist, a pillage enthusiast, a race-baiter, and a sectarian demagogue. At the U.N., that’s an ordinary day. But this time, the despot, the demagogue, and the war-crimes advocate had something unusual in common. This time, they were all the president of the United States.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/09/trump_at_the_u_n_was_just_another_populist_thug.html
Our Demagogue
For the first time at the U.N., the American president was just another populist thug.
By William Saletan
On Tuesday, as world leaders addressed the United Nations General Assembly, diplomats were lectured by an authoritarian, a torture apologist, a pillage enthusiast, a race-baiter, and a sectarian demagogue. At the U.N., that’s an ordinary day. But this time, the despot, the demagogue, and the war-crimes advocate had something unusual in common. This time, they were all the president of the United States.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2017/09/trump_at_the_u_n_was_just_another_populist_thug.html
From the NFL to the FBI
An excerpt from the Washington Post -
From the NFL to the FBI? Former Bears CB Charles Tillman reportedly is in training
By Cindy Boren
Criminals and bad-deed doers might soon be learning something NFL offensive players long knew: Do not — repeat, do not — mess with Charles Tillman.
Tillman, the former cornerback for the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, is training to become an FBI agent, according to the Chicago Tribune and ESPN. The player nicknamed “Peanut” by a relative for how he looked as a baby happens to have earned a degree in criminal justice at Louisiana-Lafayette and presently is at the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, Va.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/09/20/from-the-nfl-to-the-fbi-former-bears-cb-charles-tillman-reportedly-is-in-training/?utm_term=.41c420750476
From the NFL to the FBI? Former Bears CB Charles Tillman reportedly is in training
By Cindy Boren
Criminals and bad-deed doers might soon be learning something NFL offensive players long knew: Do not — repeat, do not — mess with Charles Tillman.
Tillman, the former cornerback for the Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers, is training to become an FBI agent, according to the Chicago Tribune and ESPN. The player nicknamed “Peanut” by a relative for how he looked as a baby happens to have earned a degree in criminal justice at Louisiana-Lafayette and presently is at the FBI Training Academy in Quantico, Va.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/early-lead/wp/2017/09/20/from-the-nfl-to-the-fbi-former-bears-cb-charles-tillman-reportedly-is-in-training/?utm_term=.41c420750476
Wednesday, September 20, 2017
The Worst
An excerpt from Vox -
“He took the job and made it smaller”: how Rex Tillerson failed the State Department
Experts believe he’s one of the worst secretaries of state in history. Here’s why.
Updated by Zack Beauchamp
“Tillerson would be at or near the bottom of the list of secretaries of state, not just in the post-Second World War world but in the record of US secretaries of state,” says Paul Musgrave, a scholar of US foreign policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The former Exxon Mobil CEO — whose nomination was initially greeted warmly by prominent foreign policy hands — has failed to wield any significant influence in internal administration debates over issues like Syria, North Korea, or Russia.
His push to slash “inefficiencies” in the State Department and seeming disinterest in working closely with longtime staff were even more damaging. By failing to get people into vital high-level posts and actively pushing out talented personnel, he ended up making America’s response to major crises incoherent and weakening the State Department for a “generation,” according to George Washington University’s Elizabeth Saunders.
https://www.vox.com/world/2017/9/20/16330028/rex-tillerson-secretary-state-trump-un-haley
“He took the job and made it smaller”: how Rex Tillerson failed the State Department
Experts believe he’s one of the worst secretaries of state in history. Here’s why.
Updated by Zack Beauchamp
“Tillerson would be at or near the bottom of the list of secretaries of state, not just in the post-Second World War world but in the record of US secretaries of state,” says Paul Musgrave, a scholar of US foreign policy at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The former Exxon Mobil CEO — whose nomination was initially greeted warmly by prominent foreign policy hands — has failed to wield any significant influence in internal administration debates over issues like Syria, North Korea, or Russia.
His push to slash “inefficiencies” in the State Department and seeming disinterest in working closely with longtime staff were even more damaging. By failing to get people into vital high-level posts and actively pushing out talented personnel, he ended up making America’s response to major crises incoherent and weakening the State Department for a “generation,” according to George Washington University’s Elizabeth Saunders.
https://www.vox.com/world/2017/9/20/16330028/rex-tillerson-secretary-state-trump-un-haley
Not a Gamer
But I have much respect for traffic engineers.
An excerpt from Wired -
LIVE THE MADDENING LIFE OF A TRAFFIC ENGINEER WITH A $3 GAME
By AARIAN MARSHALL
THE AIR SINGS with four-letter words. The iPad sits stoic as fingers poke, jab, and prod at its screen. Traffic engineering, it turns out, is a difficult job, even when you're working in a fantasy "city" made up of nothing but one office building and a solitary tree.
This is the world of Freeways, a new release from independent game maker Justin Smith, who owns Captain Games. The objective is simple enough: build a road network that connects a series of highways and buildings. When you've finished, you'll be scored on three metrics: the average speed of cars on your network, how much concrete you used to build it, and how easy it is for drivers to get from one point to another.
https://www.wired.com/story/freeways-traffic-engineer-game?mbid=nl_092017_daily&CNDID=%%CUST_ID%%
An excerpt from Wired -
LIVE THE MADDENING LIFE OF A TRAFFIC ENGINEER WITH A $3 GAME
By AARIAN MARSHALL
THE AIR SINGS with four-letter words. The iPad sits stoic as fingers poke, jab, and prod at its screen. Traffic engineering, it turns out, is a difficult job, even when you're working in a fantasy "city" made up of nothing but one office building and a solitary tree.
This is the world of Freeways, a new release from independent game maker Justin Smith, who owns Captain Games. The objective is simple enough: build a road network that connects a series of highways and buildings. When you've finished, you'll be scored on three metrics: the average speed of cars on your network, how much concrete you used to build it, and how easy it is for drivers to get from one point to another.
https://www.wired.com/story/freeways-traffic-engineer-game?mbid=nl_092017_daily&CNDID=%%CUST_ID%%
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