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Friday, June 29, 2018

Notations On Our World (Special W-End Edition): On the #USHomelessProject

On the Road in Southern California 

We begin with this our team captured while on the road in Southern California.  It has also been quite a week but our team chose an excerpt of a dispatch by the team at CityLab about Homelessness as It has been quite a week in our World.    

As noted by the team at City Lab, "....Some 553,742 people experienced homelessness in January 2017, according to HUD’s 2017 Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress. That marked the first nationwide increase in seven years. The challenge is particularly acute in some of the largest and most expensive cities. New York and Los Angeles account for nearly a quarter of America’s homeless population, with L.A. reporting an astounding 26 percent increase in 2017, as CityLab reported in December.

CityLab has over the past several years joined this consortium to spotlight the expansive nature of homelessness. It’s growing. It’s pervasive. And it’s “intractable.”

That’s how the San Francisco Chronicle has described the problem in an ongoing and ambitious series on homelessness it hosts on its site. Audrey Cooper, the Chronicle’s editor in chief, wrote of the project this week:
Homelessness has always been a fraught issue in the Bay Area. So many of us know we haven’t done enough, while many others argue that we spend millions of dollars each year on ineffective or misguided programs. We should be able to have these informed and respectful debates: To what extent will we, as a community, help that man sleeping on the bench next to a lemonade stand? It is a responsibility of the media to intelligently provoke that dialogue, but it is up to you to do something about it.
Over the last year, CityLab has explored many potential solutions. The use of blockchain and other technologies to count and identify the homeless; the effectiveness of giving people access to running water; and efforts to rethink the design of homeless shelters. We have also confronted some of the changing politics. For one, new federal policies and proposals are rapidly trickling down to cities. For another, as some of the most expensive and unequal cities struggle with how to keep housing affordable, new questions are emerging about how much the largest corporations occupying those cities should contribute to that effort.

Nowhere was this more apparent than in Seattle, where a proposal to pass a so-called “head tax” to fund affordable housing and homelessness initiatives became the subject of intense conflict between city leaders and some of the largest corporations, most notably Amazon. A compromise tax that would have raised $47 million a year was passed unanimously by the Seattle City Council, to great celebration by city advocates. But it wasn’t long before Amazon and other Seattle corporations bankrolled an aggressive effort to revoke the tax through ballot initiative. It took less than a month for that effort to result in a repeal of that very same law by the council.

“[T]his is not a winnable battle at this time. The opposition has unlimited resources,” said Lisa Herbold, a council member who voted for the tax, and then for the repeal.

Was the tax the right solution? Many people didn’t think so. But its fate raises questions about whether any kind of bold action can survive, as the crisis rolls on. 

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

Notations From the Grid (Mid-Week Edition): On the Politics Front



MJ Hegar is running for Congress in Texas.   As this is an example of Democracy in Action, our team chose this for this weekly edition of "Notations From the Grid".   Please Enjoy!!

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Notations From the Grid (Special W-End Edition): On Success


As we hope all enjoy the Random Thughts Above (Form the Grid), Please enjoy the following Courtesy Success Magazine:

  1. Don’t worry.
    Anxiety is a natural and shared human feeling. But don’t let a disproportionate level of anxiety hold you back. Spend some time reflecting on how much you worry about things without addressing them.
    Read11 Subtle Signs of Anxiety You Might Not Notice
     
  2. Love thyself.
    Write down every negative thought you have today, and apologize to yourself for each one. Remind yourself that you have failed, but you are not a failure. A little self-compassion goes a long way.
    ReadI Spent 30 Days Practicing Self-Kindness—Here’s What I Learned
      
  3. Diversify.
    Focus on your strengths this week. If your job isn’t satisfying your entrepreneurial spirit, consider a side gig that plays to your talent and passion.
    Read3 Keys to Getting Motivated When You Feel Stuck
      
  4. Stretch yourself.
    Your worldview was molded by your parents, teachers, classmates and religious upbringing. This week, branch out to see the world from someone else’s perspective.
    ReadWhat I Learned About Myself After Sampling 6 Religions
      
  5. Suffer well.
    Reaching your goals doesn’t happen overnight. When you’re tired from working on the weekends, remind yourself this isn’t supposed to be easy.
    Read:  4 Tactics for Believing in Yourself

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Notations From the Grid (Weekly Edition): On Our World

Please enjoy this courtesy of the team at TED:

Talks to watch on a sleepy day in

Looking to unwind? Here are seven enlightening and rejuvenating TED talks for your day in. Watch »
7 TED Talks to choose from • Total run time 1:19:41

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Notations On Our World (Weekly Edition): On the State of Education in Our World

A window into how others manage education around the World: 

Notations On Our World (Special Weekly Edition): A Blast From the Past Courtesy @PeteSouza

In the spirit of our mission as we continue on the "Education Road", please enjoy these courtesy Pete Souza, the official photographer for the 44th President of the United States remembering The life & times of Barack Obama:





Sunday, June 10, 2018

Notations From the Grid (W-End Edition): A Window Into Our World

On Our World courtesy of the World Bank Group as we wish all a great Week....


Worker with fork pallet truck stacker in warehouse loading furniture panels. © Dmitry Kalinovsky/ Shutterstock
Global economic growth will remain robust at 3.1% in 2018 before slowing gradually over the next two years, the World Bank said. Read More »
Plastic straws are among the top items of marine plastics found around the world, and they’re generally not recyclable. © Kanittha Boon/Shutterstock
We are trying to break the addiction to plastics, and contribute to healthier lives and a healthier planet. This is what you can do to beat plastic pollution »
© Emily Bartels Bland/World Bank
With the start of the new hurricane season and storms becoming more frequent and more powerful, people in Dominica are determined to turn these challenges into an opportunity. Read their stories of resilience »

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Notations On Our World (Special Graduation Editon): As Graduation is Celebrated!!! :) :)


It is the dawn of the summer here in South Orange County as the Senior Graduating Class here in South Orange County and throughout are celebrating Graduation.    Our team chose the image above on how the possiblities can be as we extend congratulations to all and to thank all the teachers who have made such a profound difference in their lives.

We here at the Daily Outsider join in congratulating all the High School Graduates as they embark upon the adventure of a lifetime.    This is hereby presented to the Junior Class here at all our high schools as they are gearing up to embark upon College Applications!!






Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Notations From the Grid (Special Mid-Week Edition): June 6

June 6 is quite a day in America.   On this day, D-Day occurred.    We hereby present this from General Eisenhower as we honor all who served on that day and who serve on the front lines today:

This is also another solemn date as it is also the 50th anniversary of Senator Kennedy's assassination.    We wanted to share this to remember him on this date as we also hereby present this as he spoke in the aftermath of Dr. King's Assassination--we could not help but be moved by one of the most powerful 5 minutes ever as we hereby also present one witness to the day Robert Kennedy traveled the country for the last time: