1st African-American MIT Graduate

From The Root - 

1st African-American MIT Graduate Honored With Limited Edition Stamp

Robert Robinson Taylor, the country’s first academically trained black architect, was added to the Postal Service’s growing Black Heritage Stamp series as its 38th honoree.

BY: BREANNA EDWARDS

Posted: Feb. 12 2015 11:59 AM

 

Stamp honoring Robert Robinson Taylor  COPYRIGHT U.S. POSTAL SERVICE

Robert Robinson Taylor, often recognized as the first African-American graduate of the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was honored by the U.S. Postal Service, becoming the 38th honoree in its Black Heritage Stamp series.

The first-day-of-issuance ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C., overlapped with the museum’s exhibit “Freedom Around the Corner: Black America From the Civil War to Civil Rights,” a press release notes. White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, who is also Taylor’s great-granddaughter, joined Postmaster Gen. Megan Brennan for the ceremony.

“Any time I face a daunting challenge and self-doubt creeps in, I think of my great-grandfather Robert Taylor, the son of a slave, who traveled from Wilmington, N.C., to attend MIT in 1882,” Jarrett said, according to the release. “He believed that with a good education, hard work, relentless determination and a dedication to family, there were no limits to what he could accomplish. The example he set gives me strength and courage. My family is proud to stand on his shoulders, and we know that it is our responsibility to embrace his values, to ensure that his legacy will be ‘forever stamped’ in the [consciousness] of future generations.”

“Robert Robinson Taylor expanded opportunities for African Americans in fields that had largely been closed to them,” Brennan, who earned her MBA from MIT, added. “Booker T. Washington recruited Taylor to the Tuskegee Institute to help show the world what an all-black institution could accomplish. Taylor designed and oversaw the construction of dozens of new buildings built in an elegant, dignified style that befitted his personality. But it was Tuskegee’s chapel that Taylor considered to be his finest achievement and masterpiece. Washington referred to the graceful, round-arch structure as the ‘most imposing building’ at Tuskegee. As one of our nation’s calling cards, we hope this stamp will encourage more Americans to learn more about Robert Robinson Taylor’s life and career.”

Colored Skies

I learned about someone new today.

And, just in case you didn't know him either, let me introduce you.

This is Astronaut Leland Melvin.

Read about him below.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/12/leland-melvin_n_6681106.html

Wait. What?

Your TV may be listening to you and sharing that info with others.

Really.

From the BBC.

Not in front of the telly: Warning over 'listening' TV 

Samsung said personal information could be scooped up by the Smart TV

Continue reading the main story

Samsung is warning customers about discussing personal information in front of their smart television set.

The warning applies to TV viewers who control their Samsung Smart TV using its voice activation feature.

When the feature is active, such TV sets "listen" to what is said and may share what they hear with Samsung or third parties, it said.

Privacy campaigners said the technology smacked of the telescreens, in George Orwell's 1984, which spied on citizens.

Data sharing

The warning came to light via a story in online news magazine the Daily Beast which published an excerpt of a section of Samsung's privacy policy for its net-connected Smart TV sets. These record what is said when a button on a remote control is pressed.

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Smart TV owner Peter Kent: "It makes me think twice"

The policy explains that the TV set will be listening to people in the same room to try to spot when commands or queries are issued via the remote. It goes on to say: "If your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party."

Corynne McSherry, an intellectual property lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) which campaigns on digital rights issues, told the Daily Beast that the third party was probably the company providing speech-to-text conversion for Samsung.

She added: "If I were the customer, I might like to know who that third party was, and I'd definitely like to know whether my words were being transmitted in a secure form." 

Soon after, an activist for the EFF circulated the policy statement on Twitter comparing it to George Orwell's description of the telescreens in his novel 1984 that listen to what people say in their homes.

Privacy experts wondered if the grabbed audio was protected as it was sent for analysis

In response to the widespread sharing of its policy statement, Samsung has issued a statement to clarify how voice activation works. It emphasised that the voice recognition feature is activated using the TV's remote control. 

It said the privacy policy was an attempt to be transparent with owners in order to help them make informed choices about whether to use some features on its Smart TV sets, adding that it took consumer privacy "very seriously".

Samsung said: "If a consumer consents and uses the voice recognition feature, voice data is provided to a third party during a requested voice command search. At that time, the voice data is sent to a server, which searches for the requested content then returns the desired content to the TV."

It added that it did not retain voice data or sell the audio being captured. Smart-TV owners would always know if voice activation was turned on because a microphone icon would be visible on the screen, it said. 

The third party handling the translation from speech to text is a firm called Nuance, which specialises in voice recognition, Samsung has confirmed to the BBC.

Samsung is not the first maker of a smart, net-connected TV to run into problems with the data the set collects. In late 2013, a UK IT consultant found his LG TV was gathering information about his viewing habits.

Publicity about the issue led LG to create a software update which ensured data collection was turned off for those who did not want to share information.

Meet Norman

The Eco-Warrior

H/T Upworthy

Team Names

The origin of sports team names is explored in this article.

Fascinating stuff.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2015/02/how-nfl-teams-got-nickname-mlb-nba-nhl-origin

Another Favorite

Check out this clip below of a new show called "Fresh Off the Boat."

Super Quick & Easy Brownies

2-INGREDIENT NUTELLA BROWNIES

 

PRINT

PREP TIME

10 mins

COOK TIME

35 mins

TOTAL TIME

45 mins

 

Eggs and Nutella are all you will need to make these delicious brownies

Serves: Makes 9 Bars

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large Eggs
• 1 cup Nutella
• Powdered Sugar, optional

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Line an 8x8 brownie pan with parchment paper; set aside.
3. Place the eggs in your mixer's bowl and beat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the eggs have tripled in size. This may take up to 10 minutes with a handheld mixer on high.
4. Heat the Nutella in the microwave for 60 seconds.
5. Remove and stir.
6. Slowly pour a stream of the warm Nutella over the eggs, beating until mixture is thoroughly combined.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with very few crumbs.
8. Remove and let completely cool before cutting.
9. Dust with powdered sugar.
10. Cut into bars and serve.

NOTES

***DO NOT put the Nutella-Jar in the microwave. Measure out 1 cup of Nutella and microwave it in a microwave-safe bowl.

http://diethood.com/2-ingredient-nutella-brownies/

I Want One!

These are being tested in San Francisco now!

How fun is that?

Whitewashing the Truth

Mike Hucklebee (sigh) is upset about this truth President Obama spoke about atrocities carried out by  all  kinds of religions in the Name of God.

At the National Prayer Breakfast last week in Washington, D.C., Obama reminded folks that mass killings and injustices like those carried out during the Crusades, the Inquisition, Jim Crow and slavery were done by people who justified their actions using Christianity. Obama argued that there shouldn’t be a double standard when condemning Islamic State, or ISIS, group insurgents who carry out their attacks in the name of Islam.

The truth hurts.
Especially when it knocks you off your high horse of superiority.

Spreading the Love?

This is a really interesting article on a thriving town in Brazil called Americana, that was founded in part by Confederates from the American Civil War.

http://www.vice.com/read/welcome-to-americana-brazil-0000580-v22n2?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Vox%20Newsletter%20All&utm_campaign=vox%20sentences%20-%202%2F9%2F2015

Lester Who?

The whole Brian Williams fiasco has lead to who might succeed him.  The article below frames the conversation around race.  Lester Holt has been, and currently is, the go to guy when Brian is absent. Most talk of a successor mentions there isn't one, but as quoted from the comments below, "What's a guy have to do?"

The money quote comes from Carole Simpson -

Carole Simpson, the retired African American weekend anchor at NBC and ABC, has a different answer. "Lester Holt has certainly proved himself capable of filling Brian Williams' shoes," Simpson said by email. "He does Weekend Today, Weekend Nightly News, Dateline and is the major substitute anchor for Brian. NBC has had him reporting from virtually all the major news events around the world. What's a guy have to do? Lester is the MAN.

"But, unfortunately, I expect NBC execs will come up with some 40ish, attractive white male to replace Brian (because he must be replaced.) You know — a Willie Geist, Thomas Roberts, Peter Alexander, Steve Kornacki, etc. Lester by every measure should be a shoo-in, but I fear he will be relegated again to 'second banana.' Clearly the network news has become more interested in some 'eye candy' than a Walter Cronkite. And that candy is rarely chocolate."

http://www.theroot.com/blogs/journalisms/2015/02/brian_williams_takes_time_off_as_managing_editor_of_nbc_nightly_news_after.html

Never Miss An Opportunity

Priceless.

H/T Forrest

Color in the Sky

The article below is about the first black flight attendant.

Enlightening.

http://www.theroot.com/articles/history/2015/02/carol_taylor_s_1st_flight_made_history_for_african_americans.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr%3Acontent%26

ONE MORE - Sesame Street: Potty Time

Yes, there's some potty training going on in my extended world.

Here's an uptown funk version of a potty song.

Potty Song | Diaper Version | Nursery Rhymes | HD Version from LittleBab...

For all you mommies and daddies potty training your little ones, here's a song for you.

Black Like Me

An African entrepreneur has filled a void of black dolls in his world with the creation of the "Queens of Africa."

Read his story below.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/06/nigerian-black-dolls-barb_n_6631108.html?utm_hp_ref=black-voices

Smooth Operator

I like this guy.

He's demonstrating how to shave, but he's so smooth, he makes me want to shave something.

8 Sick Remedies That Actually Work - Scientifically!

Got a cold?

You might try one of these remedies from AsapSCIENCE.

That Works!

What a great idea for that "actin' a fool" kid in your world.

Cuttin’ Up: Atlanta-Area Barber Will Give Old-Man Haircuts to Misbehaving Kids

Russell Fredrick, owner of A-1 Kutz, says the idea came to him after his 12-year-old-son’s grades dropped and he gave him a humiliating haircut as punishment. 

BY: STEPHEN A. CROCKETT JR.

Posted: Feb. 5 2015 7:55 AM

 

The Benjamin Button Special  FACEBOOK

The Benjamin Button Special.

That’s what you ask for if you have a son who is misbehaving and don’t happen to live too far from A-1 Kutz barbershop in Snelville, Ga. Three days a week, owner Russell Fredrick and his band of barbers will cut your mischievous boy’s hair in such a way as to make him look like a tiny George Jefferson.

That's right, according to the Washington Post, for kids who want to “act grown,” the shop offers the reverse-aging haircut three days a week—essentially shaving the top of the child’s head and leaving the sides full—as a hands-off form of punishment, for free.

Fredrick, 34, and a father of three, told the Post that the idea grew after he hooked up his 12-year-old son, Rushawn, whose grades had dropped dramatically, with a fresh Benjamin Button Special. Well, guess what? After that, Fredrick says, his son’s grades “dramatically skyrocketed.”

So far, Fredrick says, one mom has taken him up on the offer, bringing her son in for the punishing cut, but he adds that after pictures of the haircut hit social media, interest in the senior-citizen coiffure increased.  

“There are a few people that are saying it’s emotional abuse,” Fredrick told the Post. “But on average, everyone is applauding the mother that brought the child in—and applauding me as well.”

Read more at the Washington Post.  

“You Know Damn Good and Well Why It Took So Long . . . "

Dick Gregory receives a star on the Walk of Fame.

http://variety.com/2015/film/features/dick-gregory-receives-a-star-on-the-walk-of-fame-1201421388/