Globalist supremo Henry Kissinger, the man who recruited Klaus Schwab to the cause in the 1960s, has admitted that open borders are slowly but surely destroying western nations from the inside. Kissinger, the 100-year-old former [...]
The post Globalist Architect Henry Kissinger Admits ‘Open Borders Are Destroying Western Nations’ appeared first on The People's Voice.
Westers leaders can support Ukraine “as long as necessary” according to German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, indicating a much longer and more expensive engagement. Scholz said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has the resources necessary to [...]
The post German Chancellor Says The West Can Support Ukraine ‘As Long As Necessary’ appeared first on News Punch.
Two new Covid strains have been upgraded to ‘variants of concern’ amid signs that they can evade immune protection and can even reinfect people who have already had Omicron. Known as BA.4 and BA.5, the [...]
The post Warning Of ‘Significant’ Summer Covid Wave in Europe As New Strains Upgraded To ‘Variants Of Concern’ appeared first on News Punch.
Well here we are, my first post! Honestly, I am still not sure what direction this is going, but here’s to just getting started!
My name is Alyssia (pronounced Alissa) and I enjoy writing, but have never before been brave enough to do anything about it, or grow in it. I remember reading blogs constantly, in the days before Pinterest or even Facebook, back when they were truly just online journals. I knew back then that it was something I wanted to do, but all the thoughts came rushing in: What if it’s not good enough? What if nobody reads it? What if people do read it and hate what I have to say? And on, and on. Each New Year it seems that my resolution is always the same- just start the blog already! Until I finally broke down and purchased a domain name, set up hosting and the works….and then life happened and I stopped again. It’s sat here for 2 years waiting for me to start!!
This year, I’m trying something new. I’m not waiting for the new year, or new skills; not putting it off to start on Monday. I’m just starting. I have lots of ideas, some minor information,and a bajillion resources. I’m not going to sit down and try to plan it all out in advance. At least, not until my personal momentum kicks in. I find that I often enjoy the process of planning, but struggle to follow through and so this is my personal experiment/challenge to see how I can adapt, grow, and change some of those perfectionist habits. I am taking a deep dive into facing my own fears, and building bravery.
So, for now, I’m taking it one day at a time. Learning and adapting as I go, and hopefully encouraging someone else to do whatever it is they’ve been dreaming of for far too long! Feel free to follow along, or not…either way thank you for being here!
xo Alyssia
The post Hey friend! appeared first on Brave Yellow Flowers.
“Torrent” is the byword for downloading pirate content. Despite the fact you can legally download all manner of large files using a torrent, the link to illegal content is very strong.
You’ve probably downloaded something via a torrent at some point. Many internet users have. But do you know what a torrent is? Like, what is a torrent, other than a magic link to a file you want to download?
Let’s look at what torrent files are and how you use them.
A torrent file is a file that contains the metadata detailing where distributed files and folders are found on the internet. The torrent file usually contains information regarding the list of trackers (basically servers that list where to find files and folders online) the torrent requires to complete the download.
The torrent file does not contain the files you download. It includes the information about those files and acts somewhat like a table of contents for the files you want to download. A torrent file uses a standardized structure:
Note: MakeUseOf doesn’t condone the illegal use of torrents. Using the following sites for illegal purposes is done entirely at your own risk. We assume no responsibility for any legal issues you may encounter.
BitTorrent is another name synonymous with downloading online content. BitTorrent is a peer-to-peer file-sharing protocol, allowing users to share files over the internet through a decentralized system.
You primarily interact with the BitTorrent protocol through a BitTorrent client, such as qBittorrent, the best alternative to uTorrent.
A torrent file is a core part of a distributed peer-to-peer file network. The torrent files tell the BitTorrent client where to look for the files you want to download from other users connected to the peer-to-peer network.
People use torrents for many reasons, but the crux of the matter is the ease of file sharing between users. Consider a Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu or Debian. These Linux distributions offer a way to download the free operating systems using a torrent to reduce the strain on their servers, reduce hosting costs, and potentially reduce the time it takes to download a specific file.
Despite the legitimate uses for torrents, the technology will never shake the association with the distribution of pirate material.
This leads us to the next question: are torrents legal?
Yes! So long as you download legal content, it is perfectly acceptable to use a torrent. However, if you begin downloading illegal content using a torrent, you cross back into the realm of illegality.
Your Internet Service Provider (ISP), copyright holders, and other entities may monitor your internet connection for evidence of torrenting. If you want to keep stop your ISP or anyone else from snooping on your data, you need a VPN.
ExpressVPN is a secure and logless VPN service, who consistently ranks amongst the best VPN services. If you want to protect your privacy, try an ExpressVPN subscription using our link, which gives you a whopping 49% discount.
The first thing you need is a BitTorrent client. There are many clients available. qBittorent is highly rated and available to all major operating systems. Plus, it is a free and open-source tool, so it is an excellent place to start.
Download: qBittorent for Windows, macOS, and Linux (Free)
After installing qBittorrent, you need a torrent file to test your BitTorrent client. Many Linux operating systems use torrents to distribute files. Head to the Ubuntu download page, and scroll down to the BitTorrent section. Select the latest version of Ubuntu Desktop (20.04 at the time of writing) and wait for the file to download.
When the file finishes downloading, double-click to open. The torrent file will open your BitTorrent client automatically. If you installed qBittorent, it will open and ask you if you wish to make the client your default torrent option. Select Yes if you do, then continue.
The Ubuntu Desktop torrent file will load in qBittorent and begin downloading automatically. At the bottom of the qBittorent window, you will see tabs labeled General, Trackers, Peers, HTTP Sources, and Content.
Select the Peers tab. Here you can see a list of every user your BitTorrent client is currently connecting to, be that to download the file, upload the file, or the preparation of either of those actions depending on your client settings.
Now, select the Content tab. This tab shows a list of the files you a currently downloading for the torrent file chosen. The Ubuntu Desktop torrent file contains one file, which you can see in the Content tab. If you downloaded a torrent file linking to multiple files or folders, you can manage them from this tab.
For example, you can uncheck specific files or folders so that they do not download, or specify individual files receive higher priority for download on the network.
Finally, underneath the tabs, you will find two small boxes. One has a green arrow, indicating download speed, and one has an orange arrow, indicating upload speed. If you wish to restrict the download or upload speed of your client, you can change the option here. Remember that these speeds apply to the entirety of your BitTorrent client, not just an individual torrent file.
If your torrent is stuck, check out the best way to unblock a torrent when it stops working.
Go forth and torrent safely. Remember, pirating content remains illegal, no matter how you download it. Furthermore, there are many legal uses for torrents and BitTorrent clients.
Read the full article: Torrent Defined: What’s a Torrent and How Do You Use It?
Alex Jones explains how the Wayfair scandal is a mockingbird distraction from what’s really happening.
Google has launched a new app designed to help teach kids how to read. Called Read Along, the app gives children both visual and verbal feedback as they read stories out loud. Helping them to develop their literacy skills independently.
Helping kids to learn how to read and write is probably the most important skill a parent can teach a child. Without basic literacy skills, the world is a challenging place to navigate. And if kids take to reading when young, they’ll have a lifelong love for it.
To help improve kids’ reading skills, Google has launched an app called Read Aloud. As detailed on The Keyword, this Android-exclusive app uses Google’s text-to-speech and speech recognition technologies to ascertain how well each student is doing.
This feedback is all delivered by an in-app reading buddy named Diya. Who gives positive feedback in the same way a (good) parent or teacher would do. Diya can also help children pronounce any tricky words or phrases they may be struggling with.
To keep young learners engaged at home with reading, we’re announcing Read Along by Google, a fun & engaging speech-based app for Android to help children learn to read with the magic of their own voice: https://t.co/AQdpXEj0Kk. #DistanceLearning pic.twitter.com/t2CWywlzDU
— Google for Education (@GoogleForEdu) May 7, 2020
Read Aloud offers a range of diverse and interesting stories, with games sprinkled in to add some fun to proceedings. There’s also some gamification involved, with kids able to collect stars and badges as they learn, helping them to focus on the next goal.
Google has built Read Aloud with safety and privacy in mind, so there are no ads or in-app purchases. And apart from the initial download, Read Aloud works offline, with even the voice data analyzed on the device rather than being sent to Google’s servers.
Read Along has been available (as Bolo) in India since 2019. However, it’s now available in more than 180 countries and nine languages, including English, Spanish, and Hindi. Read Along is a free download for Android, but there’s no mention of an iOS version.
Download: Read Along for Android
Read Along isn’t the only app designed to teach kids how to read. Google also offers Rivet, a free reading app with gamification elements. And in March 2020, Duolingo launched Duolingo ABC, which is designed to teach young kids aged 3-6 how to read.
Read the full article: Google’s Read Along App Helps Teach Kids How to Read
Yes, you can learn how to dance online for free. From party moves and trending TikTok dances to classic ballroom steps, try these free websites for beginner and experienced dancers.
Online lessons are obviously not going to be as good as going to a professional dance studio. But they are effective nonetheless. Through a series of steps (no pun intended), anyone can learn how to dance online for free. And if you like the basics, many of those in this list offer paid packages for a professional online live dance class.
Social media loves dancing. Gamers love dancing. The internet loves dancing. And Bao from Learn How to Dance is here to teach you how to do the latest viral and trending dances in simple and free YouTube videos.
You can check the most popular videos, but Bao has also divided the channel into a few helpful playlists. There’s a Fortnite playlist for all the dances in the popular game. He updates the TikTok playlist most frequently so you can rock those moves on your social media. And there are tutorials for popular dance moves, hip-hop steps, and other assorted items.
The most common compliment subscribers give Bao is how much time he gives to breaking down the steps. Beginners will find it easy to learn moves from him because of how he demonstrates all angles of the body for each step and suggests easier and harder versions.
Also, like most active YouTubers, he reads the comments regularly. So if you want to learn a step he hasn’t featured yet, write a request and you might soon get a tutorial along with a shout-out.
Tap dancing is all about rhythm. It takes practice, but it’s much more accessible than others for beginners and those who consider themselves to have two left feet. Tap dancer Kathie Walling compiled some of the essential things you will need in one place at Tap Dancing Resources.
Start with the list of tap dancing lessons for all levels. Here, you will find links to several free tutorials online. Walling provides YouTube links to lessons by United Taps, as well as Shelby Kauffman’s excellent series where she breaks down each step. In fact, you can also learn about all the steps at the A-Z of tap dancing steps.
These online videos are the first stage of your tap dancing journey. You’ll also need the right music to tap along to, find surfaces and shoes that can work, warm-ups, and so on. Tap Dancing Resources has it all, along with links to instructors and schools around the world for you to tap the next step.
Ballroom Dancers looks and feels a little old, as do the videos in it. But when it comes to the classics of dancing, you don’t really need to jazz it up. When the content is top-notch, the design doesn’t matter.
The website teaches all the major steps involved in ballroom and latin dances like waltz, salsa, samba, foxtrot, rumba, cha cha, etc. Each dance and step offers a video as well a write-up.
The written part dives into the history of the moves, elaborates on the man’s part and woman’s part, and offers tips and tricks on how to gracefully execute the steps. As useful as the videos are, don’t forget to read the text.
You’ll need to sign up to access a lot of the videos, including the weekly variations. Registered users also get the printable syllabus if you’re going to stick to a routine to learn to dance. You can also view the videos on Ballroom Dancers’ YouTube, where you can easily download the videos for offline viewing.
Do you feel like you have no rhythm and two left feet? Dancer Nathan Short simplifies the whole idea of finding rhythms and grooving to them by making it a visual learning experience. He calls it Colourform, and it’s meant for absolute beginners to learn how to dance.
Here’s how it works. Short divides sound into six frequencies, from low to high. He then assigns them six colors of the spectrum. He also divides the human body into six sections: feet, knees, hips, torso, arms, and hands.
Each frequency, color, and body party forms a group, from lowest to highest. It’s really easy to follow in the video. This simple visualization will help you find the beat and rhythm of any song and dance appropriately to it.
If you’re confident with the basics of dance, try Short’s free 10-minute dance masterclass routines on YouTube. They’re beautifully shot as he teaches a group of students a few moves. You can see the variations people bring, and how a non-perfect dancer performs the same move as Short, which can be a confidence booster if you’re struggling. Plus, they also serve as free live workout classes at home to get fit.
Adults get conscious about how to dance correctly. But kids? Man, kids are uninhibited and joyful when they get to shake a leg. You can actually start them off at an early age, build up their confidence and skills.
Dance Parent 101 is all about teaching children the basics of dancing through online resources and maybe learning a thing or two along the way.
Blogger Samantha was a professional dancer and tutor. As a mom to two dancer kids, she put together this website that will help children learn dancing even in your home.
You’ll find how to build locomotive skills in toddlers, the basics of dancing for children, ballet tutorials, dancing for teens, fitness workouts for kids, and a whole lot more.
Dance Parent 101 is a repository of useful information for parents of dancers. And you know what? If your child is learning at home, why don’t you join them to pick up a few steps, get fitter, and most importantly, bond with your kid.
Dancing and music go hand in hand. Just like you can learn to dance online for free, you can also learn to play music online for free. This includes instruments like the guitar or harmonica, or you can work without equipment to learn to beatbox or sing with the help of online classes. It’s all among the musical skills you can learn online with or without instruments.
Read the full article: 5 Easy and Engaging Ways to Learn How to Dance Online for Free
In March, the week America first started taking coronavirus seriously, a 2017 CDC guide about pandemic-appropriate facial hair resurfaced. Initially, I brushed off the graphic, which advised shaving my beard because it could interfere with the proper fit of a face mask—at the time, we weren’t supposed to be wearing…
Here are two lists of e-books being made freely available on-line. Please add more in the comments!
PublicBooks.org's Public Books Database
This is a list of academic presses making their books and research freely available.
Jim C. Hines' list of Free and Legal Science Fiction and Fantasy
Hines has collected a list of authors providing their work online for free.
Naturally, your public library is a great resource and the Libby app is my best friend for e-books. We will also find that the public library gives incredible access to movies, music, and periodicals via the series of tubes we all know and love.
Bad news: Your brain reaches its peak performance sometime before you turn 26, and it's all downhill from there. Good news: At any age, training with brain exercises has big-time benefits. Better news? The Ultimate Memory Mastery Bundle hooks you up with 20 hours of proven psychology and neuroscience techniques to boost your brain and improve memory.
Not impressed? Know this: Improving your memory can improve multiple aspects of your life, both right now and into your senior years. Having a good memory will help you...
With the Ultimate Memory Mastery Bundle, you'll get 7 courses teaching simple yet powerful techniques to strengthen your memory, effortlessly recall information, and reduce the amount of time it takes to memorize something. You'll find actionable, easy-to-apply concepts and activities that can be used immediately—methods that are tested and used by memory experts, including basic mnemonic systems.
Including 7 hours of content from the psychologist who founded the Brain Academy, you'll learn dual brain theory, brain systems and neurochemicals, the psychology of memory, the history of memory training, and the memory formation process. There's even a course dedicated to how to rewire your brain via neuroplasticity and one focused on how to apply the Neurocognitive and Behavioral Approach to your everyday life.
Great for beginners but also featuring advanced topics, the 222 lessons in the Ultimate Memory Mastery Bundle are available for a mere $19.99. It seems like a no-brainer.
I first came across the concept of Rapid Serial Visual Presentation (RSVP) about 15 years ago. It takes a block of text and presents it one word at a time in a rapid sequence in a fixed location on the screen. Since I don’t have to scan the text back and forth across the screen, I can read faster without sacrificing comprehension. Spreed is my RSVP Chrome Extension of choice. I’ve been using for the past 6+ years. I normally have my rate set to 550 WPM, but it’s easy (and sometimes necessary) to change depending on the complexity of the text. I also use the Paste Text into Spreed function to read content from PDFs and other documents on my computer. You can, of course, customize the font, color, speed… to suit your own taste.
-- Dave Cortright
Spreed ($0+)
nealteamThanks Obama.
Global Week in Review
An exploration in citizen continuing education.
11 Threats, 12 Policies, 12 Players in One Place
The weekly report will be a subscription report costing $11 per month, paid monthly. It can be cancelled at any time.
The report will be delivered as a PDF via email. While that will make it easy for people to share it is my hope that those receiving sample copies will choose to themselves subscribe.
Below is the subscription button (credit cards accepted as well as PayPal) and a sample report.
SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL WEEK IN REVIEW| Enter email in box below & click button |
Global Week in Review
An exploration in citizen continuing education.
Week Ending Saturday, 9 March 2019
Threats
CVh
Players
Threats
Poverty
2019-03-09 Iranian Daily Asia Experts say China’s anti-poverty drive helpful for other countries
2019-03-07 China Military Xi stresses perseverance in fight against poverty
2019-03-06 The Hindu Opposition trying to remove me, while I am trying to remove terrorism, poverty: Modi
2019-03-05 ECNS Li Keqiang: China to forge ahead with fight against poverty
2019-03-03 Indian Express Poverty to vulnerability: Rethinking social protection
2019-03-02 Haaretz Opioid crisis engulfs Gaza as poverty soars
Infectious Disease
2019-03-08 ContagionLive Top Infectious Disease News of the Week—March 3,2019
2019-03-08 The Atlantic Medieval Diseases Are Infecting California’s Homeless
2019-03-03 WCAI The Paradox of Declining Infectious Diseases
Environmental Degradation
2019-03-09 XinhuaNet UNEP plans to create big data platform on environment
Inter-State Conflict
2019-03-09 The Hindu BJP turning Kashmir into a theatre of war: Mehbooba Mufti
2019-03-09 Jerusalem Post Liberman: In two years the situation will be worse than the Yom Kippur war
2019-03-08, Haaretz The Assad regime won Syria’s civil war. Can it survive an Israeli attack?
2019-03-07 National Interest Is Trump Heading Toward War with Iran?
2019-03-07 The Economist India’s government is intensifying a failed strategy in Kashmir
2019-03-07 Pravda The Recolonization of Latin America and the War on Venezuela
2019-03-06 USA Today Are we headed for a second Cold War with China, Russia? Not likely
2019-03-06, Rising Kashmir Talks with Taliban focus on four key issues to end the Afghan war: US
2019-03-05 Rising Kashmir Northern army commander reviews Kashmir’s security scenario
2019-03-05 The Independent US generals and politicians ‘thinking about possibility of nuclear war’, Russia’s ambassador to Washington says – The Independent
2019-03-04 Outlook India Neither India Nor Pakistan Is Really Prepared To Fight A Conventional War
2019-03-04, Freepress Journal Pakistan will not hesitate to go nuclear in war with India: Punjab CM Amarinder Singh
2019-03-04, Al Jazeera India-Pakistan tensions: Who won the war of perceptions?
Civil War
2019-03-07 American Greatness The Democrats Civil War Begins
2019-03-06 Iran Daily Iran hails Iraq’s security situation after Daesh defeat
2019-03-05 Russia Insider American Civil War 2: US Media Will Have Only Itself to Blame if All Hell Breaks Loose
2019-03-02 Washington Post In America, talk turns to something not spoken of for 150 years: Civil war
Genocide
2019-03-08 New York Post Amazon tribe accuses Brazilian military of genocide
2019-03-08 Al Jazeera Amazon ‘genocide’: Brazil tribe waits for compensation
2019-03-08 Breaking Defense Genocide Swarms & Assassin Drones: The Case For Banning Lethal AI
2019-03-06 US News & World Report Lawsuit Against Germany Over Namibian Genocide Is Dismissed in New York
2019-03-05 Phys.Org Forced sterilizations of Indigenous women: One more act of genocide (Canada)
Other Atrocities (e.g. Human Trafficking, Pedophilia)
2019-03-09 News-Herald (Kentucky) Forum speakers: Human trafficking no longer far away issue
2019-03-07 Miami Herald Shedding light on human trafficking in massage parlors
2019-03-06 Agence France-Presse ICC team probes Rohingya atrocities in Bangladesh
2019-03-06 Vanity Fair Michael Jackson Is Slowly Being Removed from Radio
2019-03-06 Men’s Journal How Photojournalist Essa al-Ragehi Exposed the Atrocities in Yemen
Proliferation
2019-03-08 QZ The last thing India and Pakistan need right now is a mushroom cloud
2019-03-08 The Hill After Warsaw and the IAEA meeting, what’s next for Washington on Tehran’s nuclear file?
2019-03-07 Voice of America Syria Rejects Watchdog Report on Chemical Weapons Use
2019-03-07 Radio New Zealand UK petition calls for West Papua chemical weapons investigation
2019-03-06 DBKNews Nuclear weapons are an inevitable part of our future
2019-03-06 The Nation A case for nuclear proliferation
2019-03-06 Defence Connect Flinders Uni, Canadian partnership to combat biological weapons
Terrorism
2019-03-09 Axios Domestic terrorism suspects arrested more than al-Qaeda or ISIS (USA)
2019-03-07 Independent UK More white people arrested on suspicion of terrorism than Asian people last year, figures show
2019-03-07 New York Times U.S. Peace Talks With Taliban Trip Over a Big Question: What Is Terrorism?
2019-03-07 Bejing Philippines, Malaysia Pledge Cooperation against Terrorism
2019-03-06 Press TV Iran US using terrorism as tool to achieve goals: SNSC
2019-03-06, Meduza-Russia Vladimir Putin says terrorism-related crimes in Russia have declined 110-fold in the past decade. Published statistics say he’s wrong.
Transnational Crime
2019-03-08 The Diplomat Examining Crime and Terrorism Along China’s Belt and Road
2019-03-08 7th Space USA: Justice Department Coordinates Largest-Ever Nationwide Elder Fraud Sweep
2019-03-07 Associated Press The Latest: War crime reports (by migrants) not investigated in Germany
Policies
Agriculture
2019-03-09 Consortium News Africa’s Sovereignty Over Food
2019-03-09 Newton County Times United States wins WTO dispute finding China provides excessive government support to its grain producers
2019-03-08 Public News Service Report Calls Biofuels Standard an Environmental Disaster
2019-03-08 IEG Policy EU agriculture policy diary (March 11-15): CAP reform, spirit drinks, UTPs
2019-03-05 Bejing Laos, Chinese firm cooperating in clean agriculture
2019-03-05 Indian Financial Farmers wait for ‘acche din’ as agriculture growth slows down to 2.7% 2019-03-02 Washington Times US ambassador to UK slams critics of American agriculture
Diplomacy
2019-03-09 The Guardian UK Trump’s private talks with Putin may contain clues to his Russia romance
2019-03-09 Bejing Walking a Chinese tightrope: Kazakh quiet diplomacy produces limited results – Modern Diplomacy
2019-03-09, Outlook India India Pursues Vigorous Diplomacy To Make Pakistan Act On Terror
2019-03-09 ECNS At new starting point, China’s diplomacy brings certainty to uncertain world
2019-03-08 Iran Daily How Trump can forge a new path towards diplomacy with Iran
2019-03-08 Moscow Times U.S. Says It’s Working With EU to Thwart Russia on Balkans
2019-03-07 NPR A Dark View Of Russia From U.S. NATO Commander
2019-03-07 Iranian Daily Iran, Russia examine legal mechanisms to confront sanction
2019-03-05 Moscow Times Trump Extends U.S. Sanctions Against Russia Over Crimea
2019-03-05 Indian Express Kim Jong Un returns home after failed nuclear diplomacy with Trump
2019-03-04 ECNS Russia says ready to talk with U.S. on Venezuela stalemate
2019-03-03 Washington Times US, South Korea end spring military drills to back diplomacy
Economy
2019-03-06 ECNS Banks should focus on real investment to support the economy
2019-03-06 Press TV Iran Economy ministers of Iran, Azerbaijan meet in Tehran
2019-03-06 ECNS Time to discard growth rate fetish for China’s economy
2019-03-06 Singapore News What a Singapore Strait traffic jam says about the world economy
2019-03-06 Times of China US car tariffs would have ‘bigger effect’ on global economy than US-China trade war, says WTO economist
2019-03-05 Indian Financial China’s economy slows down: Here’s how it is affecting the world
2019-03-05 ECNS Premier admits severe challenges in China’s economy
2019-03-04 War News Canada’s Economy Has Stopped Growing, But No One Is Talking About It
2019-03-04, Google News Erdogan Tries to Ease the Pain of Turkey’s Bad Economy. It’s Still Hurting. – The New York Times
Education
2019-03-09 Forbes Democratic Governors Move To Restrict School Choice, While Tennessee’s Governor Looks To Expand It
2019-03-08 The Atlantic Congress Might Finally Overhaul Higher Education
2019-03-08 Breitbart Parker: AOC’s Policies Are an Indictment of American Economic Education
2019-03-07 Vox Progressives want to go further than tuition-free college — here’s their proposal to make it debt-free
2019-03-06, Singapore News How secondary education will work in Singapore once current streaming system is phased out
2019-03-04 Education Next What Do Racial and Ethnic Wealth Gaps Mean for Student Loan Policy?
2019-03-03 Indian Express Kashmir needs a robust education system, an honest conversation
2019-03-03, Miami Herald Ron DeSantis may finish the K-12 education transformation that Jeb Bush started
Energy
2019-03-09 The New Federalist EU Innovation and energy transition, a winning combination for European industry
2019-03-09 Sputnik Venezuelan Media Report New Electricity Outages as Caracas Blames US Energy War
2019-03-07 Bejing Bosnia Gives Green Light To Controversial Chinese Energy Loan
2019-03-06 The Guardian UK Australia’s energy policy is a tangled mess built on a foundation of lies
2019-03-04 Vox Europe’s renewable energy policy is built on burning American trees
Family
2019-03-09 The Quint India RSS stresses importance of family system
2019-03-09 Raw Story In another blow to Trump, judge rules in favor of ACLU in family separation case
2019-03-08 Hungary Today Survey: Vast Majority Supports Government’s Family Policy
2019-03-04 Brookings Where’s the glue? Policies to close the family gap
Health
2019-03-09 The Hindu Health dept. issues chickenpox alert
2019-03-08 New York Times Trump Administration Targets ‘Secretive Nature’ of Health Care Pricing
2019-03-08 WNPR Connecticut Lawmakers Unveil A Public Option Health Plan
2019-03-07 Miami Herald Is a national health plan a by-product of the Green New Deal?
2019-03-07 Miami Herald Former CPA and chairman of Public Health Trust sent to prison for three-plus years
2019-03-07 USA Today Rich kids like me get great mental health care. With Medicare for All, others can, too
2019-03-06 Washington Times Let states experiment on health care
2019-03-06 AJCM Making Sense of Changes in Healthcare: Lessons From the Academy Health National Health Policy Conference
Immigration
2019-03-09 Market Watch Judge calls Trump administration push for citizenship question on census forms arbitrary, capricious and a threat to democracy
2019-03-07 The Texas Tribune How one migrant family got caught between smugglers, the cartel and Trump’s zero-tolerance policy
2019-03-07 WBUR Kirstjen Nielsen And The Dehumanization Of Immigrant Children
2019-03-06 Miami Times House Democrats tie DACA and TPS together in latest immigration push
2019-03-05 USA Today Trump immigration policy under scrutiny at four simultaneous congressional hearings
2019-03-04 Associated Press Federal Law Enforcement Grants Flow Despite Trump Threats To ‘Sanctuary’ Cities
Justice
2019-03-09 NBC News Pete Buttigieg wants ‘intergenerational justice.’ What’s that?
2019-03-09 OPB.org Democratic Lawmakers Speak On Restorative Justice In Cannabis Crimes
2019-03-09 The Daily Caller FITZGIBBONS: America’s Dual-Justice System Grants Immunity To Ocasio-Cortez
2019-03-09 The Atlantic 6 Reasons Paul Manafort Got Off So Lightly
2019-03-08 Reno Gazette Journal Lawmakers, lawyers clash over sprawling criminal justice reform bill
2019-03-06 New York Times Justice Dept. to Step Up Enforcement of Foreign Influence Laws
2019-03-06 ECNS Trump nominates female Asian American prosecutor as No.3 at Justice Department
2019-03-05 USA Today I vetted judges and senior Justice officials and never came across anyone like Jared Kushner
2019-03-03 Jerusalem Post House Committee investigating possible obstruction of justice by Trump
Security
2019-03-09 Indian Express UN Security Council reform process “contentious” issue: General Assembly Prez
2019-03-08 Los Angeles Times One reason for Trump’s foreign policy fiascoes — his National Security Council is broken
2019-03-08 Just Security Homeland Security’s Intelligence Overreach: Two Cases Illustrate Risks to Civil Society
2019-03-08 Technode Briefing: Germany to tighten security on 5G equipment to avoid Huawei ban
2019—3-07 Associated Press US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen testifies border crisis is not manufactured
2019-03-07 Politico McSally says sexual assault in the military threatens national security
2019-03-07 Rand Strategic Rethink: America’s Security Deficit
2019-03-07 Kuala Lampur Will national security concerns end the globalisation of technology?
2019-03-05 Telangana Today Facebook’s security lapse
2019-03-04 Just Security Counterterrorism and Homeland Security Are Not the Same Thing
Society
2019-03-08 The Telegraph UK From Facebook to Amazon, our digital habits are destroying society
2019-03-07 Daniel Mitchell Blog Individualism and Society
2019-03-06 Iranian Daily Singapore, world’s second-fastest aging society, to up retirement age
2019-03-05 USA Today Facebook, YouTube and social media are failing society. Pull their ads until they change.
2019-03-05 History News Hour Can Artists Remake Society?
Water
2019-03-09 PBS Water costs balloon in cities along the Great Lakes
2019-03-08 Hackaday Graphene Desalinates Sea Water
2019-03-08 American Rivers How the Clean Water Act could become a Dirty Water Rule
2019-03-08 Raw Story Eight years on, water woes threaten Fukushima cleanup
2019-03-06 ECNS New hydrological model developed for water prediction
2019-03-06 National Geographic India is in a historic water crisis. Will diverting 30 rivers solve it?
2019-03-04 South China Morning Post Gone glaciers: ‘Asia’s water tower’ is in danger
2019-03-04 ECNS Chinese scientists develop new material for water purification
Countries
Brazil
2019-03-09 CNBC Brazil’s Bolsonaro set to visit Trump on March 19 to discuss turmoil in Venezuela: White House
2019-03-07 Mercopress Argentina and Brazil markets open Wednesday with steep losses
2019-03-06 Mercopress Brazil posts a fiscal surplus in January, but public finances remain fragile
2019-03-05 Forbes Brazil Bounces Back With A Slew Of New Billionaires
China
2019-03-09 Scroll.in Why ambitious China and isolated Saudi Arabia have found a common ally in Pakistan
2019-03-09 Iran Daily Solid waste imports into China continue to decline
2019-03-09 War News U.S. Keeps Losing Simulated Wars With Russia And China
2019-03-09 War News China Is Worried That President Trump May Walk Away From A Trade Deal When He Holds His Summit With Chinese President Xi
2019-03-09 China Digital Times Huawei and the Law, in U.S. and China
2019-03-09 Times of China China set to vote on new law aimed at levelling playing field for foreign investors
2019-03-08 ECNS China-Africa cooperation grows into towering tree: FM
2019-03-08 ECNS Latin American countries’ rights to develop relations with China must be respected: FM
2019-03-08 Google News China Laughs as U.S. Tries to Stop Italy From Joining One Belt, One Road Plan – Newsweek
2019-03-08 BBC China exports saw biggest fall in three years in February
2019-03-08 South China Morning Post Malaysian Prime Minister says the country is now closer to China than US
2019-03-06 Russia Insider US, China Compete to Build World’s First Nationwide Cyber-Gulag
2019-03-06 Bejing Russia to train over 100 Chinese servicemen for second 2nd regiment of S-400: TASS
2019-03-06 Reuters Bachelet presses China for U.N. access to Xinjiang’s Uighurs
India
2019-03-09, Scroll.in By design and delusion, the project to radicalise Hindu India gains momentum
2019-03-08 CNBC Two factors India investors should watch out for
2019-03-08 India Today India, Russia sign USD 3 billion deal for nuclear-powered attack submarine for Indian Navy
2019-03-05 Fortune It Looks Like Trump Has New Trade War Foes: India and Turkey
Indonesia
2019-03-08 Bensinga Indonesia and Australia sign new free trade agreement
2019-03-06 Asian Review US move to end India trade benefit rattles Indonesia and Thailand
Iran
2019-03-09 Iran Daily US policy toward Iran isn’t working
2019-03-09 Iran Daily Iran, Syria sign academic cooperation deal
2019-03-09 Iran Daily Iran-Iraq annual trade aimed at $20b
2019-03-09 Iran Daily Iran, Turkey offer cooperation for Pakistan railway: Minister
2019-03-09 Iran Daily Official: Iran can find ways to sell oil in defiance of US sanctions
2019-03-06 Press TV Iran Iran, Russia review ways to widen economic relations
Israel
2019-03-09 Sputnik S. Africa-Israel Tensions Simmer as Pretoria Preps to Downgrade Embassy Status
2019-03-08 Washington Times Kuwait: Many in UN oppose Israel action on Palestinian taxes
2019-03-08 Haaretz Hamas knows now is the best time to pressure Israel into concessions
2019-03-08 Haaretz A botched Gaza raid may rewrite how Israel runs its special operations
2019-03-08, Haaretz Ilhan who? In Israel, nobody knows or cares about the Omar anti-Semitism controversy
2019-03-07 Iran Daily American public support for Israel hits decade low: Gallup poll
2019-03-06 Haaretz Israel and Jordan in talks to solve Temple Mount crisis
Korea
2019-03-09 Washington Post Satellite images suggest North Korea planned space launch even before Hanoi
2019-03-09 Voice of America South Korea Proposes Rain Project with China to Cut Pollution
2019-03-08 USA Today South Korea, US sign deal on Seoul paying more for US military
2019-03-08 The Diplomat South Korea’s New Internet Controls Spark Controversy
2019-03-07 Coin Telegraph South Korea Establishes Special Task Force to Prevent Cryptocurrency-Related Crimes
Palestine
2019-03-09 Malay Mail Create Palestine caucus in parliament, says Zuraida
2019-03-08 AA Turkey US plan to give some of East J’lem to Palestine: Report
2019-03-07 Haaretz Israel Forces Palestinian to Raze His and His Daughter’s Homes With His Own Hands
2019-03-05 ECNS Iraqi, Palestinian presidents discuss boosting ties, supporting Palestine
2019-03-03 Haaretz For Arab regimes, Palestine is old news. Now, it’s all about Iran
Russia
2019-03-07 Bejing Six Steps Russia Is Taking Toward Restricting Its Internet
2019-03-07 Moscow Times Russia Compromised 600 Foreign Spies in 2018, Putin Says
2019-03-07 Moscow Times Russia Passes Legislation Banning ‘Disrespect’ of Authorities and ‘Fake News’
2019-03-07 Moscow Times Female Naval Cadets Say Russia Not Ready for Women in Combat Roles
2019-03-07 Meduza-Russia The Real Russia. Today. Russian Internet censorship becomes ‘instantaneous,’ condemning Stalin to Hell, and correcting Putin’s numbers
2019-03-06 Russia-Insider Russia Has The Fastest Hackers
2019-03-06 Russia-Insider Russia Sells Top-Notch S-400 Missiles to Qatar; Saudis Enraged
2019-03-06 Moscow Times Sea Ice Between Alaska And Russia Shrinks at Record Rate in Middle of Winter
Syria
2019-03-09 The Guardian UK Those responsible for Syria’s agony must be brought to book, starting at the top
2019-03-09 First Post India More civilians leave Islamic State’s Syria enclave, delaying final assault
2019-03-09 Iran Daily Iran, Syria sign academic cooperation deal
2019-03-09 Haaretz Burned vehicles, abandoned tents and weapons left behind by ISIS militants in Syria
2019-03-09 Haaretz How Assad defied the odds, won in Syria and pushed the U.S. out
2019-03-07 Bejing Multilateral talks on crisis in Syria held in Tehran
2019-03-07 Bejing Syria Focus of Iran’s Talks with China, Russia, Germany in Tehran
2019-03-07 Haaretz Syria slams watchdog report saying it used chemical weapon in Douma attack
Turkey
2019-03-09 Defense Blog Russia claims process of S-400 delivery to Turkey goes very smoothly
2019-03-09 Today Online Germany tightens travel advice on Turkey
2019-03-09 Hurriyet Daily News Turkey eyes increasing health tourism revenues fivefold by 2030: Minister
2019-03-08 Moscow Times Turkey and U.S. Head for Showdown Over Russian Missile Contracts
2019-03-06 Sputnik European Commission Candidate Insists ‘Turkey Cannot Be EU Member’
Venezuela
2019-03-09 Indian Express As blackout eases, Venezuela braces for rival rallies
2019-03-09 Al Jazeera Venezuela in crisis: All the latest updates
2019-03-08 New York Times Russia Stands With Maduro (While Hedging Its Bets)
2019-03-08 Iran Daily Venezuela plunges into darkness after major dam ‘sabotage’
2019-03-08 Google News Venezuela must pay Conoco over $8 billion: World Bank – Reuters
2019-03-07 Washington Times White House steps up pressure on Nicolas Maduro’s regime in Venezuela by revoking visas
2019-03-07 Pravda The Recolonization of Latin America and the War on Venezuela
DOC (9 Pages): 20190309 Week in Review
If you sign all or most of your emails the same way, you can create an email signature. It shows professionalism in business communications and acts as a digital business card. A well-designed email signature can also serve as a promotional tool for just about anything, like a business, website, blog, or a book.
We’ve discussed how to add an email signature in Outlook for the desktop. But what if you use the Microsoft Outlook Web App in Office 365? In this article, we’ll show you how to add, insert, and change your signature in the Outlook Web App in Office 365.
To access Microsoft Outlook online, go to Microsoft’s Office site and sign in using your personal Microsoft account. Or you can log in with your business or school Microsoft account.
Then, click Outlook under Apps.
Click the Settings gear icon in the upper-right corner of the window.
Then, click View all Outlook settings at the bottom of the Settings pane.
On the Settings screen, click Mail in the left pane. Then, click Compose and reply in the middle pane.
The Email signature box has a toolbar at the top that allows you to format your signature. You can make the text bold, italic, or underlined, and also change the size and alignment of the text.
When we tested the formatting toolbar, it applied the formatting we selected at the beginning of the signature, no matter where the cursor was. So you may have to put your formatted text at the beginning of your signature and then copy and paste it to where you want it.
Enter the text you want in your signature in the Email signature box.
The Outlook Web App does not allow you to insert an image file in your signature. But you can copy an image from another program and paste it into your signature. Any text or images you paste are inserted at the cursor, not at the beginning of the signature, like with the formatting we discussed in the previous step.
Alternatively, you can use a free email generator app to design one and paste it here.
There are two options for automatically including your signature in emails:
Because there’s only one signature allowed in the Outlook Web App, the signature is the same for new emails and for replies and forwarded messages. The Outlook desktop app allows you to have different signatures for replies and new emails.
Click Save and click the X in the upper-right corner to close the Compose and reply dialog box.
If you use both the Outlook Web App and the Outlook desktop app, a signature created in one will not be available in the other. You must create a signature separately in each app. The web app only allows you to create one signature. But you can create one default signature and multiple alternative signatures in the Outlook desktop app.
If you selected to automatically insert your signature into all new emails, you’ll see your signature in the message body when you click New message.
If you chose not to automatically add your signature to all your email messages in the Outlook Web App, you can manually add it by clicking the menu button at the top of an email and selecting Insert Signature.
The signature is inserted into the email message and the cursor is placed at the beginning of the message body. Just don’t forget to add the recipient(s) and a subject line.
To change your signature in the Outlook Web App in Office 365, simply go back to the Compose and reply screen in the Settings and change the content in the Email signature box.
Your revised signature will be inserted in all new emails, replies, and forwards from this point on.
Email signatures allow you to easily and quickly make a good personal or professional impression, personally. Just make sure you don’t make the wrong impression with your email signature.
Read the full article: How to Add an Email Signature in Microsoft Office 365
Below the fold: John Kasich on CNN “John McCain was executed.”
Los Angeles Unified School District has lost 245,000 students over the last 15 years. Officials frequently claim charter schools are taking students and causing LAUSD's budget crisis in the process. But a new report shows the district's spending, including its hiring of more administrators as enrollment drops, is to blame.
A new Reason Foundation study finds only 35 percent of LAUSD's enrollment decline over the past 15 years is due to students going to charter schools. In fact, as the district continues to lose students—losing 55,000 since 2013—a smaller percentage of the loss can be attributed to charter school students. Only 13 percent of the district's enrollment loss for 2017-18 stemmed from students choosing charters.
In the last five years, LAUSD's K-12 student enrollment dropped by nearly 10 percent and the number of teachers decreased by more than 5 percent. According to the California Department of Education, LAUSD's per-student revenue went up 33 percent between FY 2012 and FY 2016 so LAUSD should have had more revenue to spend on fewer students.
But, even as it was losing students, the number of total LAUSD employees grew by 5 percent over the last five years, primarily thanks to a nearly 16 percent increase in administrators.
Additionally, the costs of the district's employee benefits have increased 44 percent since 2014. And its spending on outside consulting services rose by 110 percent since 2014. As a result of these decisions, LAUSD's long-term debt liability, which was $8 billion in 2007, tripled to $25 billion by 2017.
Just as troubling, the new Reason study finds that just four years from now, in 2022, the district's spending on pensions, health care, and special education programs will be eating up over 57 percent LAUSD's main operational funding before a single dollar is spent on a regular school program.
A growing number of families across Southern California rightly view charter schools as a high-quality option. They should not be scapegoated for LAUSD's financial troubles because they sought-out high-performing schools for their children. Los Angeles' public charter school students are outperforming students in LAUSD's traditional schools. For example, on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation's Report Card, 8th-grade students in public charter schools outscored LAUSD students in traditional public schools by 26 points in reading and 28 points in math.
Southern California charter schools are also putting their students on a significantly better path to pursue college. Whereas less than half of LAUSD's traditional public-school students in the class of 2015 had passed their A–G requirements—the courses needed to enroll in University of California and California State University system schools—85 percent of Los Angeles charter students completed these courses. Just 13 percent of LAUSD students were accepted to the UC system in 2013 compared to the 20 percent of Los Angeles charter students who earned admission to UC schools.
It makes sense for parents and students to choose charter schools that are outperforming LAUSD in almost every measure, and it won't be surprising if more and more parents select charter schools in years to come. Additionally, the state's Department of Finance projects that over the next decade Los Angeles County will lose another 119,000 K-12 students, more than any other county in California.
LAUSD is going to have to stop blaming its fiscal situation on charter schools and start addressing the root causes of its own financial woes: spending more than it takes in, in large part due to long-term pension and health care costs, and its insistence on increasing staffing levels even though there are fewer students to serve.
LAUSD is going to have to right-size itself—closing some schools and reducing administrative positions to align with falling enrollment. The fiscal crisis will also force it to implement reforms that reduce long-term pension and health care costs Ultimately, the district will have to prioritize and focus on its core mission: educating kids, not providing jobs and retirement income to administrators.
Lisa Snell is director of education policy at Reason Foundation and co-author of the new study "A 2018 Evaluation of LAUSD's Fiscal Outlook."
The federal government's latest financial statements came out last week and they paint a dire picture of our nation's fiscal health. It's not just the annual deficit, which is too large and growing. The new report shows trillions in long-term liabilities that could burden the country for years to come. And it suggests that financial management in large government agencies, like the Department of Defense, is appallingly poor.
The federal government reports assets of $3.5 trillion and liabilities of $23.9 trillion yielding a negative net position of $20.4 trillion. Although this last amount is similar in size to the national debt, net worth is conceptually different.
Federal audited financial statements use accrual accounting, which means that obligations are recognized as they are incurred. For example, the $23.9 trillion in liabilities includes $7.7 trillion in veterans benefits and retirement benefits earned by federal civilian employees. Another $200 trillion in liabilities arise from various guarantees the government has made, including its commitment to backstop private pension plans—many of which are becoming insolvent.
But the biggest federal liabilities of all do not appear on the government's balance sheet. According to a supplemental schedule, the federal government has $49 trillion in Social Security and Medicare liabilities. Although these retirement obligations are just as politically sacrosanct as federal employee pensions and federal guarantees for private pension systems, they receive very different accounting treatment. If these obligations were placed on balance sheet where they belong, the government's negative net position (i.e., its unfunded debt) would balloon to $69 trillion—well over triple the nation's $19 trillion gross domestic product.
As the accompanying chart shows, the federal government's net position has been deteriorating throughout the 21st century. The only apparent bright spot occurred in 2010 when actuaries bumped down Medicare liabilities amidst optimism about Obamacare's prospects for reining in medical costs—a hope that has not fully panned out. The big spike between 2003 and 2004 was largely the result of George W. Bush's unfunded Medicare prescription drug benefit.
Although the government's fiscal year 2017 deficit was an already alarming $666 billion, its balance sheet net position worsened by over $1.1 trillion. Social insurance obligations increased a further $2.3 trillion. So, while the government added less than $700 billion in red ink during fiscal year 2017 on a cash basis, the total bleeding in accrual terms was closer to $3.4 trillion. Just as accountants and regulators insist that corporations use accrual accounting to properly inform investors about their financial condition, we should have similar expectations for sovereigns such as the federal government.
Even worse, the chart doesn't include all federal liabilities. Government financial statements exclude $5 trillion in outstanding mortgage backed securities issued by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. These Government Sponsored Enterprises (GSEs) were placed under federal conservatorship during the financial crisis. Although the federal government owns 79.9% of each of these entities and would undoubtedly cover any shortfalls they experience with taxpayer money (as they did in 2008), their liabilities are not consolidated onto the federal government's balance sheet.
Finally, it is worth noting that the 2017 federal financial statements—incomplete as they are—received a negative audit opinion, as they do every year. Specifically, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) acting in its role as the federal government's CPA concluded:
The federal government is not able to demonstrate the reliability of significant portions of the accompanying accrual-based consolidated financial statements as of and for the fiscal years ended September 30, 2017, and 2016, principally resulting from limitations related to certain material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting and other limitations affecting the reliability of these financial statements.
The GAO reported favorable opinions for most of the federal departments it reviewed, but the Department of Defense (DOD) remains problematic. The GAO found weaknesses in the DOD's cost reporting and its accounting for plant, property and equipment.
These findings invite the question of whether the DOD can effectively manage all the new money Congress and the Administration are giving it. If Pentagon accountants don't really know what the department owns and can't document what the military establishment is spending, what assurance do we have that all the extra tax money it is about to receive won't be wasted?
It is unfortunate that each year's federal financial statements do not receive more attention. Any company reporting results like those the government reported last week would face liquidation. Any state or local government reporting such a lopsided balance sheet would lose access to the municipal bond market. While the federal government enjoys a special status because it can lean on the Federal Reserve to buy its bonds with newly created money, that money printing capability can only go so far.
If the bleeding doesn't stop, we should expect investors in Tresasury securities to demand higher rates as the perceived risk of not being paid on time, in full and with uninflated dollars increases. With over $14 trillion in publicly held debt already on the books and trillions more being added in the coming years, federal interest costs will mount placing added pressure on the budget. At some point, the nation could face a sovereign debt crisis with serious global consequences.
“Education is supposed to juice your curiosity, not diminish or sate it.”
– Walter Isaacson
Walter Isaacson (@WalterIsaacson) is a professor at Tulane University, and the president and CEO of The Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan educational and policy studies institute based in Washington, DC. He has been the chairman and CEO of CNN and the editor of TIME magazine. He is the author of many biographies I have recommended, including The Innovators, Steve Jobs, Einstein: His Life and Universe, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, Kissinger: A Biography, and his most recent, Leonardo da Vinci.
In this episode, you learn life lessons and tactics from Steve Jobs, Ben Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, and more. Walter ties it all together beautifully.
We had a lot of fun in this conversation, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
Want to hear another podcast with incredible life advice? — In this episode, I talk with Adam Robinson, Ramit Sethi, and Josh Waitzkin and discuss a variety of topics on business, wealth, and happiness (stream below or right-click here to download):
This podcast is brought to you by 99Designs, the world’s largest marketplace of graphic designers. I have used them for years to create some amazing designs. When your business needs a logo, website design, business card, or anything you can imagine, check out 99Designs.
I used them to rapid prototype the cover for The Tao of Seneca, and I’ve also had them help with display advertising and illustrations. If you want a more personalized approach, I recommend their 1-on-1 service. You get original designs from designers around the world. The best part? You provide your feedback, and then you end up with a product that you’re happy with or your money back. Click this link and get a free $99 upgrade. Give it a test run…
This podcast is also brought to you by Shopify. With the help of Shopify, many readers of my blog — first-time business owners — have ended up making millions of dollars each with their side gigs. Back in 2009, I helped create Shopify’s Build a Business, which is now the world’s largest entrepreneurship competition.
The goal of this competition is to entice would-be entrepreneurs to get off the couch and make things happen, and all you have to do to qualify is open a store on Shopify and start selling. Top sellers in each category then have the exclusive opportunity to learn from mentors and experts like Tony Robbins, Daymond John, Seth Godin, Sir Richard Branson, and me a location like Oheka (aka Gatsby’s) Castle or Necker Island.
Listeners to this show can go to shopify.com/tim to sign up for a free, 30-day trial and get access to video courses that will help you get started. Check it out at shopify.com/tim today!
QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.
Scroll below for links and show notes…
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We have hired an editor to edit the Cool Tools podcast. It costs us $300 a month. So far, Cool Tools listeners have pledged $288 a month to the podcast. Please consider supporting us on Patreon. We have nice rewards for people who contribute! – MF
Our guest this week is Rebecca Romney. Rebecca is a rare book dealer at Honey & Wax Booksellers in Brooklyn. She got her start with Bauman Rare Books, managing their Las Vegas gallery. She is known for her appearances on the HISTORY Channel’s show Pawn Stars, where she evaluates books as the show’s only female expert. She recently published a book on books called Printer’s Error: Irreverent Stories from Book History with HarperCollins.
Subscribe to the Cool Tools Show on iTunes | RSS | Transcript | Download MP3 | See all the Cool Tools Show posts on a single page
Show notes:
Mylar Film Rolls
“This is an archival uncoated polyester film used by antiquarian book dealers, librarians, and archivists to add a layer of protection to an object for storage or handling. It’s added to dust jackets, cut into sleeves to tuck in individual sheets of paper, etc. “Archival” is a key word here — you have to watch where you’re storing items long term, as high acid content will deteriorate the item over time. This is why taping your books with standard Scotch tape or whatever is so bad — the acid content will eat away at the paper!”
Cliplight (both LED and UV)
“In order to see clearly the watermarks and chain lines of a book printed on handmade paper (generally before 1800CE), you need to backlight the paper. Watermarks and chain lines are important evidence of how to identify a book — its format, any repairs, when it was printed, whether it has been messed with by an unscrupulous seller, etc. I use the UV light for things like offsetting of ink that’s normally invisible to our eyes.”
Magnifiers
“A good old jeweler’s loupe is great, and I will occasionally use a microscope. But I also use a tool called the Optic given to me by a friend whose business solely relates to autograph authentication. According to him (frankly, I have no idea if this is true), it was developed by the military and used in tanks in Desert Storm, meant to enhance their infrared. What’s cool about the Optic is that it brightens the picture, which offers added clarity.”
White Gloves — The “Anti” Cool Tool
“I would love to take a moment to debunk the myth that I should be wearing white gloves when I handle printed books. From the British Library to the Houghton, none of the major conservators and rare book curators recommend these. And for good reason: with gloves, you lose your tactile sensitivity and are much more likely to damage the book while handling it. Just wash your hands first and you’re fine.”
National Geographic's Travel Photographer of the Year Contest has announced the 2017 winner, and the grand prize went to Sergio Tapiro Velasco for this otherworldly shot of Mexico's Colima volcano erupting at night. (more…)
Shawn Stevenson, host of The Model Health podcast said, “In the lab, they found anti-depressants in the New York City water system.”
Anti-depressants!
Ok, no problem. I’ll drink tap water. Save on therapy costs. In NYC everyone has to go to therapy. It’s a requirement. “This week my therapist said…”
“There’s also these other chemicals in water..” and he was about to list them for me.
“No no no,” I said. “Shhhh!” I put my hands on my ears. “I’m good. Don’t need to know more.”
Shawn is obsessed with health. Every week he interviews the best people in the world on health. He’s interviewed hundreds.
And now I get to ask him for this BEST advice. Don’t abuse what he tells you, James!
Shawn was 200lbs overweight. He could barely get from room to room before collapsing with exhaustion and pain.
He was diagnosed with an incurable spinal condition called degenerative disc disease.
His spine was deteriorating to nothing. The way an old person leans over and over until they collapse dead.
“You have the spine of an 80 year old,” the doctor told him.
“The doctors told me to wear a back brace. I kept getting worse. The doctors kept telling me nothing could be done. I was losing hope. Losing the will to live.”
So he chose himself. He CHOSE his health.
He studied every aspect of health. He created the #1 podcast on health, The Model Health Show.
He read everything he could. He changed his diet. His doctors told him don’t bother. He exercised. His doctors said it won’t help.
“You’re going to die of this.”
When he came on my podcast, he looked like a man in perfect health. He was muscular, glowed with health, had energy. He was something maybe I will never say.
“I’m feeling great every day,” he told me.
And then he started dropping the most amazing health tips on me. I felt overwhelmed. Do I have the discipline to do all of this?
I’ve had many health experts on my podcast. If you don’t have physical health, it’s 1000 times harder to be a success.
The body feeds the mind and the heart. The body reduces stress. The body contains the basics for everything you want to do in life.
You are alive in your whole body. Not just your brain. Not just in your bank account. The entire body has to be nourished and loved.
For some strange reason he asked me to be on his show as well. I was really grateful he wanted to talk to me about how my own lifestyle improved my health.
But more importantly, he came on my show and I was able to drill HIM with questions.
Not that all doctors are bad. But I couldn’t believe some of the things Shawn had to tell me.
I list some of them on this infographic. I already thought I knew things about sleep, water, movement, exercise.
I thought I already knew things about how health worked. About how health led to success.
But he broke it down one step further.
I needed that. I now live by it (we actually recorded this podcast about two months ago) and the results have given me enough energy to create new opportunities in my life that I would not have been able to do before.
I have a formula now: 1% more health equals 100 more possible opportunities.
Shawn! I’m grateful you broke your stupid hip when you were 20 and got Spinal Degenerative Whatever and gained 5000 pounds.
I’m grateful the doctors told you you were going to rot and die. I’m so happy you collapsed, half dead, under the weight of your own bloated body.
I’m really happy you almost died.
Just don’t do it again.
Links and Resources:
Also Mentioned:
The post Ep 243: Shawn Stevenson – The 9 Rules of Health to Make it to 99 appeared first on Altucher Confidential.
A fantastic Cello cover of Chariots of Fire, originally by Vangelis, by the duo from 2CELLOS. Enjoy!
[2Cellos]
The post A Gorgeous CELLO cover of Chariots of Fire by 2CELLOS [Video] appeared first on Geeks are Sexy Technology News.
