Well almost.
It's just shy of 9:00 pm, three hours away from the dawn of 2016.
Side note - We're twelve hours ahead of the folks in Sacramento.
I very rarely stay up to greet the new year. Sleep is a commodity that I greatly value, so missing it to watch others get wild and crazy seems a little silly.
Anyway, that's just me.
Here're my biggest hopes for 2016. Resolutions seem to fall by the wayside, so I'm calling these hopes instead.
I hope to . . .
Remember to be thankful for something/someone every single day.
Remember to be grateful for big things, but also be quick to appreciate the little things.
Remember to find the good in every situation.
Remember that no one, absolutely no one, wants to be around a sour puss.
Remember to find the joy that is all around us.
Remember to bloom where I'm planted.
Remember to thank God, even when things don't turn out the way I expected, knowing that all things work together for my good.
Remember to be grateful for my family and friends, not taking anyone for granted, but appreciating all the goodness they bring to my life.
Remember to send good things out into the world - thoughts, kindness, generosity - knowing that you reap what you sow.
And my hope for you . . .
Is that 2016 will be the beginning of the best years of your life.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Thursday, December 31, 2015
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
Badass Sistas
I hope this video works, but if it doesn't, you can find it at the link below -
http://media.salon.com/2015/12/2015Women.Asha_.12_29_2015.mp4
Aretha Franklin (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
Side note - This song, along with many other R&B hits, was playing in the hotel restaurant the day I arrived in Amsterdam. With rare exception, I've heard soul music all over the world. It's reach is amazing.
I'm a Proud Lefty
From The Left Handers Club -
1. The advantages of being left-handed
We often end up complaining about the frustrations of being left-handed, but there are plenty of advantages as well. Here is a list that has been reported in various places recently – we have done features on most of these items before but it is nice to put them all in one place. It would be great to make this list longer as well! If you can think of any other advantages of being left-handed and, ideally, can provide some sort of research results or reporting to back it up, please add a comment below and we will expand the list.Use this link to see the full list with explanations and links
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 About 10% of the world’s population are left-handed and it seems that left-handedness runs in families, with the handedness of the mother being an important factor. So what are the chances of having a left-handed child? We have reviewed all the research and statistics on this and done some calculations of our own and this is how it looks (the chance of a left handed child for each birth):
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Being left handed is an advantage in many sportsTuesday, December 29, 2015
Saturday, December 26, 2015
A Really Good Gumshoe
An excerpt from The New York Times -
Gary L. Alford was running on adrenaline when he arrived for work on a Monday in June 2013, at the Drug Enforcement Administration office in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. A tax investigator, he had spent much of the weekend in the living room of his New Jersey townhouse, scrolling through arcane chat rooms and old blog posts, reading on well after his fiancée had gone to sleep.
The work had given Mr. Alford what he believed was the answer to a mystery that had confounded investigators for nearly two years: the identity of the mastermind behind the online drug bazaar known as Silk Road — a criminal known only by his screen name, Dread Pirate Roberts.
When Mr. Alford showed up for work that Monday, he had a real name and a location. He assumed the news would be greeted with excitement. Instead, he says, he got the brushoff.
He recalls asking the prosecutor on the case, out of frustration, “What about what I said is not compelling?”
Mr. Alford, a young special agent with the Internal Revenue Serviceassigned to work with the D.E.A., isn’t the first person to feel unappreciated at the office. In his case, though, the information he had was the crucial to solving one of the most vexing criminal cases of the last few years. While Silk Road by mid-2013 had grown into a juggernaut, selling $300,000 in heroin and other illegal goods each day, federal agents hadn’t been able to figure out the most basic detail: the identity of the person running the site.
Continue at the link below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/business/dealbook/the-unsung-tax-agent-who-put-a-face-on-the-silk-road.html?ribbon-ad-idx=8&rref=homepage&module=Ribbon&version=origin®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Home%20Page&pgtype=article
The Tax Sleuth Who Took Down a Drug Lord
 |
| Gary Alford, a special agent with the I.R.S., pored over old blog posts and chat room logs that led, eventually, to Dread Pirate Roberts. Cole Wilson for The New York Times |
Gary L. Alford was running on adrenaline when he arrived for work on a Monday in June 2013, at the Drug Enforcement Administration office in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. A tax investigator, he had spent much of the weekend in the living room of his New Jersey townhouse, scrolling through arcane chat rooms and old blog posts, reading on well after his fiancée had gone to sleep.
The work had given Mr. Alford what he believed was the answer to a mystery that had confounded investigators for nearly two years: the identity of the mastermind behind the online drug bazaar known as Silk Road — a criminal known only by his screen name, Dread Pirate Roberts.
When Mr. Alford showed up for work that Monday, he had a real name and a location. He assumed the news would be greeted with excitement. Instead, he says, he got the brushoff.
He recalls asking the prosecutor on the case, out of frustration, “What about what I said is not compelling?”
Mr. Alford, a young special agent with the Internal Revenue Serviceassigned to work with the D.E.A., isn’t the first person to feel unappreciated at the office. In his case, though, the information he had was the crucial to solving one of the most vexing criminal cases of the last few years. While Silk Road by mid-2013 had grown into a juggernaut, selling $300,000 in heroin and other illegal goods each day, federal agents hadn’t been able to figure out the most basic detail: the identity of the person running the site.
Continue at the link below.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/27/business/dealbook/the-unsung-tax-agent-who-put-a-face-on-the-silk-road.html?ribbon-ad-idx=8&rref=homepage&module=Ribbon&version=origin®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Home%20Page&pgtype=article
Meet the 26-Year-Old Hacker Who Built a Self-Driving Car... in His Garage
From Bloomberg Business -
http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2015-george-hotz-self-driving-car/
http://www.bloomberg.com/features/2015-george-hotz-self-driving-car/
Final Thoughts on Amsterdam
Amsterdam is what every city should strive to be - new and inviting, with old world charm.
It's a city designed to walk and stroll and bike, to really enjoy.
There are all kinds of folks here - ethnicities galore. It truly is one of the most diverse cities I've visited. There are plenty of people who looked like me.
The natives are friendly, in a hands-off kind of way.
Marijuana is legal and freely smoked on the streets in the sidewalk cafes. The gift shops offer paraphernalia of every imaginable kind. There is a wide assortment of edibles, too. Cookies. Brownies. Fudge. Lollipops. Yum yum.
Of course, I was curious and asked about it. I was told by a merchant that marijuana is legal for personal use, but illegal to sell or to transport out of the country.
So, two big no no's in the US - prostitution and marijuana - are par for the course here. No big deal, at all.
That tidbit might be all the nudge some of you need to book your next vacation.
Whether that is your cup of tea or not, Amsterdam offer this and so much more.
If you're looking for fun, clean or otherwise, this is the place to be.
It's a city designed to walk and stroll and bike, to really enjoy.
 |
| Dam Square - Many of the European cities have these wide open spaces surrounded by great buildings and monuments. My hotel was across the street from this area. |
There are all kinds of folks here - ethnicities galore. It truly is one of the most diverse cities I've visited. There are plenty of people who looked like me.
The natives are friendly, in a hands-off kind of way.
 |
| This is the Royal Palace, a truly magnificent structure. It is located in Dam Square. |
Marijuana is legal and freely smoked on the streets in the sidewalk cafes. The gift shops offer paraphernalia of every imaginable kind. There is a wide assortment of edibles, too. Cookies. Brownies. Fudge. Lollipops. Yum yum.
Of course, I was curious and asked about it. I was told by a merchant that marijuana is legal for personal use, but illegal to sell or to transport out of the country.
So, two big no no's in the US - prostitution and marijuana - are par for the course here. No big deal, at all.
That tidbit might be all the nudge some of you need to book your next vacation.
 |
| This is the National Monument and the wax museum below are also in Dam Square. |
 |
| Madame Tussaud |
Whether that is your cup of tea or not, Amsterdam offer this and so much more.
If you're looking for fun, clean or otherwise, this is the place to be.
The House of One in Berlin
http://magazine.good.is/articles/church-synagogue-mosque-house-of-one-berlin
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Anne Frank's House
The museum opens at 9:00 each day, and after seeing the long lines the previous day, I made sure to get there early. Even arriving a half hour before opening, there were at least 100 people in line ahead of me.
I was bundled up for the weather though, and didn't mind the wait.
The house is located on a narrow street that overlooks one of the many canals. I didn't take a picture of it because I would have had to cross over on the other side of the canal to get a shot.
It is very nondescript. It looks very much like all of the other homes/buildings in the area. A small sign at the entryway is the only clue to the history it holds.
I had not purchased a ticket online, and just took my chances that I would be able to purchase one at the door.
Thankfully, I could.
The street level of the house has been converted into a museum foyer, with all of the necessary trappings to accommodate the number of visitors each day.
It is a self-guided tour, which is nice. You can go at your own pace.
Although there were many people, it was totally quiet.
A very somber scene.
There are videos throughout, explaining what was happening at the time, and the only voices heard.
The house is four stories, with incredibly steep stairs. Access to this area was through an entryway disguised as a bookcase. When moved, it reveals a secret passageway upstairs.
There were eight folks hidden away here for over two years.
They were betrayed by someone, and their whereabouts noted and they were arrested and sent to the concentration camps. Of these eight people in hiding (Anne, her older sister, mother and father plus four others) only her father survived the Holocaust.
When you think about the atrocities leveled against these folks and millions others, it's hard to imagine that degree of loathing and hatred. And yet, this place is living proof of that, and of the resiliency of the people to survive.
I was bundled up for the weather though, and didn't mind the wait.
The house is located on a narrow street that overlooks one of the many canals. I didn't take a picture of it because I would have had to cross over on the other side of the canal to get a shot.
It is very nondescript. It looks very much like all of the other homes/buildings in the area. A small sign at the entryway is the only clue to the history it holds.
 |
| A view of the house from across the canal. It is the one with the grey panels behind the tree in the middle of the picture. Photo found online. |
 |
| Here's another photo found online. Everything from the right corner to there the bikes are is the museum. What you can't see is the vast number of people waiting in line to get in. |
I had not purchased a ticket online, and just took my chances that I would be able to purchase one at the door.
Thankfully, I could.
The street level of the house has been converted into a museum foyer, with all of the necessary trappings to accommodate the number of visitors each day.
It is a self-guided tour, which is nice. You can go at your own pace.
Although there were many people, it was totally quiet.
A very somber scene.
There are videos throughout, explaining what was happening at the time, and the only voices heard.
The house is four stories, with incredibly steep stairs. Access to this area was through an entryway disguised as a bookcase. When moved, it reveals a secret passageway upstairs.
 |
| This is a diagram of the house, also found online. |
There were eight folks hidden away here for over two years.
They were betrayed by someone, and their whereabouts noted and they were arrested and sent to the concentration camps. Of these eight people in hiding (Anne, her older sister, mother and father plus four others) only her father survived the Holocaust.
When you think about the atrocities leveled against these folks and millions others, it's hard to imagine that degree of loathing and hatred. And yet, this place is living proof of that, and of the resiliency of the people to survive.
The Kindness of Strangers
As the other passengers and I heard the boarding call for our departing flight out of Abu Dhabi the other day, as usual, we were separated by economy and business class lines as we were ushered forward.
I noticed a couple, first sitting and waiting like the rest of us, then again when they stood in the business class line.
The guy was black, I'm guessing about 35 or so. He had on those big imposing headphones, listening to music I suppose. The woman was white. She looked older, fiddling with her phone.
While waiting, a young man in a wheelchair was wheeled forwarded, pushed by an airport porter. He was traveling alone.
Immediately, this young black became aware of the man in the wheelchair, and kept a close eye on him.
Interestingly, the buildings here are not wheelchair friendly, at all. Public transportation either.
This flight required us to board a bus, and be taken to the tarmac across the airport, to board our plane.
There was no way to get this wheelchair-bound man on the bus easily. Although a thin man, it took three guys to lift him in his wheelchair onto the bus, as there was not an automatic lift.
The black guy and his lady friend were already on the bus, but he immediately came forward to help when he saw what was happening. He doted over the man, making sure his feet were properly positioned and that he was ok and comfortable.
He helped to guide him off the bus when we reached the plane.
All of the other passengers, including me, emptied the bus and climbed the 20-plus steps to enter the plane from the tarmac.
When I reached the top of the stairs and looked back, I saw the black guy had lifted the wheelchair man out of the chair. He proceeded to carry him up all of those steps, brought him into the plane, sat him down and settled him in. His lady friend carried his bag for him. She then disappeared into the business class section of the plane. The man, however, arranged it with the flight attendant, changed his seat, and sat down next to the wheelchair man for the remainder of the flight.
Now this man had a business class ticket that would have been way more comfortable for him, as he was a big guy, but he gave it up to sit by the man through the flight, making sure he was OK.
You would think the wheelchair man would have been grateful for the help, but I didn't hear a whisper of thanks, or a motion of gratitude, which I thought was odd, tacky even.
But then, I thought about it some more, and realized that this young man was probably embarrassed that he needed help. But the man helping him was undeterred by all the attention. He continued to be his guardian angel.
It was an incredible case of kindness on display.
The consideration this guy showed the wheelchair man was extraordinary. It's like he'd done this before. He wasn't intimated by the chair or what it meant. He didn't care what others around him thought. He was all about action. Helping this man in any way he could.
This was a powerful gesture - one of overwhelming concern - for his fellow man.
I was reminded of Ben's accident.
The six months or so that Ben was wheelchair-bound was a tough time, but it was a time of learning and growing, too.
Mostly, it was clear that folks in wheelchairs are so often invisible. In Ben's case, they chose to look away, and not acknowledge his presence. I'm sure these events were typical of others in the same predicament.
It is because of this experience with Ben, that I'm so much more conscious of people in wheelchairs and the logistical things that entails when they're trying to get around, like uneven payment and curbs.
This young man's actions warmed my heart.
May his unselfish act, be an example for us to follow.
As we celebrate this Christmas Season, may we all have the will and the wherewithal to reach out and help those in need, not for show, or expecting anything in return, but simply because it's the right thing to do.
I noticed a couple, first sitting and waiting like the rest of us, then again when they stood in the business class line.
The guy was black, I'm guessing about 35 or so. He had on those big imposing headphones, listening to music I suppose. The woman was white. She looked older, fiddling with her phone.
While waiting, a young man in a wheelchair was wheeled forwarded, pushed by an airport porter. He was traveling alone.
Immediately, this young black became aware of the man in the wheelchair, and kept a close eye on him.
Interestingly, the buildings here are not wheelchair friendly, at all. Public transportation either.
This flight required us to board a bus, and be taken to the tarmac across the airport, to board our plane.
There was no way to get this wheelchair-bound man on the bus easily. Although a thin man, it took three guys to lift him in his wheelchair onto the bus, as there was not an automatic lift.
The black guy and his lady friend were already on the bus, but he immediately came forward to help when he saw what was happening. He doted over the man, making sure his feet were properly positioned and that he was ok and comfortable.
He helped to guide him off the bus when we reached the plane.
All of the other passengers, including me, emptied the bus and climbed the 20-plus steps to enter the plane from the tarmac.
When I reached the top of the stairs and looked back, I saw the black guy had lifted the wheelchair man out of the chair. He proceeded to carry him up all of those steps, brought him into the plane, sat him down and settled him in. His lady friend carried his bag for him. She then disappeared into the business class section of the plane. The man, however, arranged it with the flight attendant, changed his seat, and sat down next to the wheelchair man for the remainder of the flight.
Now this man had a business class ticket that would have been way more comfortable for him, as he was a big guy, but he gave it up to sit by the man through the flight, making sure he was OK.
You would think the wheelchair man would have been grateful for the help, but I didn't hear a whisper of thanks, or a motion of gratitude, which I thought was odd, tacky even.
But then, I thought about it some more, and realized that this young man was probably embarrassed that he needed help. But the man helping him was undeterred by all the attention. He continued to be his guardian angel.
It was an incredible case of kindness on display.
The consideration this guy showed the wheelchair man was extraordinary. It's like he'd done this before. He wasn't intimated by the chair or what it meant. He didn't care what others around him thought. He was all about action. Helping this man in any way he could.
This was a powerful gesture - one of overwhelming concern - for his fellow man.
I was reminded of Ben's accident.
The six months or so that Ben was wheelchair-bound was a tough time, but it was a time of learning and growing, too.
Mostly, it was clear that folks in wheelchairs are so often invisible. In Ben's case, they chose to look away, and not acknowledge his presence. I'm sure these events were typical of others in the same predicament.
It is because of this experience with Ben, that I'm so much more conscious of people in wheelchairs and the logistical things that entails when they're trying to get around, like uneven payment and curbs.
This young man's actions warmed my heart.
May his unselfish act, be an example for us to follow.
As we celebrate this Christmas Season, may we all have the will and the wherewithal to reach out and help those in need, not for show, or expecting anything in return, but simply because it's the right thing to do.
This coat changes into a sleeping bag. And changes lives.
As seen on The Grommet -
https://www.thegrommet.com/the-empowerment-plan?utm_campaign=20151224&utm_content=27902&utm_medium=email&utm_source=CC&trk_msg=PN295E1SDLAKF1GGS4G795OUH8&trk_contact=6PJ17299EJ5SLGM27119G0AQ7K
https://www.thegrommet.com/the-empowerment-plan?utm_campaign=20151224&utm_content=27902&utm_medium=email&utm_source=CC&trk_msg=PN295E1SDLAKF1GGS4G795OUH8&trk_contact=6PJ17299EJ5SLGM27119G0AQ7K
Merry Christmas!
Here's wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a spectacular New Year!
May 2016 be the beginning of the best years of your life!
May 2016 be the beginning of the best years of your life!
Consider Oslo
From The Root -
It’s cold, with really short days in the winter. Like, sunset is at 3 p.m. And it’s white. Like, really white—as in the descendants of Vikings. But in the city center of Oslo, Norway, black American expats are living what seems to be the dream of Martin Luther King Jr.: being judged by the content of their character and whatnot.
For Americans of Color, Is Norway a Racism-Free Utopia?
It’s not cheap to live there, but for these expats of color, Norway is a place where no matter your color, you’re American first.
It’s cold, with really short days in the winter. Like, sunset is at 3 p.m. And it’s white. Like, really white—as in the descendants of Vikings. But in the city center of Oslo, Norway, black American expats are living what seems to be the dream of Martin Luther King Jr.: being judged by the content of their character and whatnot.
It’s so good at times that instead of worrying about random police stops when he leaves his house for work, Washington, D.C., native Anthony Durham is cheered with the nickname “Obama” when he walks inside his barbershop, which is operated by a Somali-and-Nigerian duo. He’s praised because he’s an American. White women don’t clutch their purses in his presence; instead, he says, most days he blends in with his new community. At most, he may get a glance out of curiosity when he and his wife speak English with an American accent.
“They’re like, ‘Are they tourists?’” he says. “In Norway it’s like I’m American first and black second.”
~~~~~~~~~~
The complete article can be found at -
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2015/12/for_americans_of_color_is_norway_a_racism_free_utopia.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content%26
~~~~~~~~~~
The complete article can be found at -
http://www.theroot.com/articles/culture/2015/12/for_americans_of_color_is_norway_a_racism_free_utopia.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content%26
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