text:
On the whole it has enormously contributed to our rising wages, our collective rising standard of living and the creation of more and more professional jobs which in turn have required higher and higher skills sets which in turn also have often provided enormous psychic pleasure for the workers through the intellectual stimulation provided by such work (it's probably also fair to say that such required rising skill sets and often consequential stress have also lead to insomnia, ulcers, GERD and so forth if we are willing to honestly consider the downside of this).
However, over the last two decades all of these separate trend lines (digitization, automation, mechanization and roboticization) have been converging and soon they will completely converge as they hit an aggregate inflection point which will first consume and then destroy far, far more jobs than will be created going forward. Simultaneously this will set a new, extremely high bar for those that seek any employment, thus, breaking the old knowledge-employment paradigm we've experienced and, for the most part, enjoyed to our benefit in the past.
This means that going forward, even more so than now, there will be huge differences in the skill sets required between those who are deemed employable-desirable, those deemed employable if one hold's their nose and those are who are deemed unemployable.
Being "good enough" will no longer be enough.
In fact, with the current and accelerating fierce global competition for jobs found today, being "good enough" is not enough and, in fact, it hasn't been enough to secure employment in most professional fields since the 2008 financial implosion. Worse, this competition is only becoming more severe and more fierce with each passing year.
This aggregate inflection point will also enable those who possess in-demand knowledge or very specialized skills to make or earn large sums of money, while those who are only marginally or barely employed or employable will be forced to fight it out for table scraps among huge masses, huge throngs of people who possess fungible, non-differentiated and completely commoditized skills and abilities.
The resultant fierce competition will, of course, quickly and brutally drive down the wages of the few workers in the fungible skills category who are even lucky enough to be employed. Meanwhile, the unemployable will be relegated to a lifetime of unemployment save for any work they can land through "make work" charity gigs or the perennial government "make work programs" such as making or maintaining trails in national parks or picking up trash along the freeway.
Coincidentally and perhaps fortuitously, Computerworld recently ran an article titled, One in three jobs will be taken by software or robots by 2025 in which the well-known research group, Gartner, predicted that technologies such as robots and drones will replace about a third of all workers by 2025.
Now, depending on your point of view, this prediction may strike you as provocative, thought-provoking or perhaps just plain laughable.
(As an aside, if you are one of the persons who finds this to be laughable, why not do yourself a favor and save or print out this article. Then in the near future you can use it to wipe away your tears or the tears of your kids, your grand kids or your friends who will soon discover that their just "good enough skills" or worse, fungible/commoditized skills are not viable, not demanded in the job market at hand.)
While we can haggle over the specific numbers, the regions, the industries and the job functions which are or which will be most affected by this as well as the estimated time frames (short-term, mid-term and long-term) before most of us will feel this convergence, we need to be aware that at some point this aggregated inflection point will take a huge bite out of our own employment prospects and/or brutally drive down our wages. The fact remains that this trend of convergence and automation is most certainly happening right now, it's been happening for some time and it's only going to continue to accelerate in the near future and well beyond that.
And to be crystal clear, the trend we speak of is the ever accelerating wave, the ever accelerating assault which is digitizating, automating, mechanizing and roboticizing you right out of a job.
Your job.
My job.
Everyone's job.
This will continue until we may eventually find that most of our neighbors, perhaps even most members of our immediate family are adversely affected or simply unemployed.
Therefore, unless, unless, we take very clear, strategic, fast and decisive action to fully and completely understand what it is we face and are facing, why we face it and unless and until we resolve to improve ourselves to the new level and levels required to be competitive against these inexorable forces both our earnings potential as well as our very employability, our employment prospects are at risk, are in grave danger.
Although this may well be shocking for some, if not many, I'd like to think that for regular reader's of this blog this line of thought and discussion is really nothing new. It may be more complete and deep but really nothing new than our previous discussions.
In fact, you may well remember some of our earlier discussions regarding which can be found here (Our Robotic Future Accelerates) and here (How To Jump-Start Your Career In Japan (or Anywhere Else)). These are just two examples of many.
To quickly summarize and bring everyone up speed on those earlier discussions, we considered and analyzed what several aspects of the (local and global) job market will look in the near future (as we approach 2020 and 2025), and how that will affect both currently employed workers as well as those who are now or will be seeking employment.
Now, it can be expected and even predicted that naysayers, especially those who have studied economic and technological history, will immediately point to previous technological revolutions or economic tectonic shifts such as those found in the Agricultural Revolution, the First Industrial Revolution, the Second Industrial Revolution, the Information Age and so on. Specifically, they'll point to the empirical evidence which clearly shows, and demonstrates without a doubt, that although in the short term certain industries suffered (or even entire economies suffered), in aggregate, the long-term net gains from these economic revolutions and technological tectonic shifts were always producing greater wealth while fostering the development of more "better jobs" which paid better wages and benefits although these new jobs also required more skills and training to perform properly (or even to qualify for).
Although I don't disagree with this analysis for past economic and technological revolutions, I am here to tell you , right now, that this time it's different.
This time it's very different.
And here's why.
If we look at certain jobs in the past, say prior to the first Industrial Revolution, most everyone was involved in some sort of agricultural activity like farming or animal husbandry. Sure there were tailors, sword makers, prostitutes and cobblers but by and large agricultural focused work was crucial to the economy as well as the survival or individuals and their immediate or extended families or loved ones. And even before that or concurrently with that, some type of hunting, gathering, foraging or combination thereof was critical as well and for the same reasons.
Within the agricultural field, skills varied as did access to planting knowledge, crop rotation schedules or even the importance of it. Equally as varied was the work ethic of the individuals involved. And just as today, there were certainly a range of persons some of whom were super motivated people, some of whom were lazy people while still others might be characterized as "work an honest day for an honest wage" sort of people (aka "work to live, don't live to work").
As the industrial revolution spun up and took hold, it was the marginally productive workers who were the first to be attracted to or forced to take these new industrial jobs -- these factory jobs included mining jobs, laying railroad tracks driving or servicing a steam locomotive or building or maintaining a steam boiler and so on.
During the First Industrial Revolution we can see that for those moving off the land and into the industrial based jobs, they most often easily had sufficient skills to do so as the leap or jump, the gap in skills possessed of the agricultural worker to skills required for the industrial worker was non-existent at best or at worst was very, very minuscule as to be meaningless (see figure 1) .
In fact, in some cases moving from the old, technological obsolete occupation to the new occupation required no new skills. It was simply a slam-dunk, direct transfer of skills or in some cases it may even have actually required fewer skills (see figure 3).
They make one's transportation, either a horse, mule, donkey or automobile move forward and accelerate.
And while the production of gas pedals (accelerators) may have taken take a bit more skill in some cases (or even fewer skills in others) the fact remains that there was really nothing about making gas pedals that a former buggy whip factory worker would have found difficult let alone insurmountable (see figure 4).
And from here on out this is where the job market in general, and the employability of specific people, and skill sets in particular, goes absolutely haywire.
Bonkers may be a better word.
Huge gaps have already arisen in the required knowledge and requisite skill sets that determine who is gainfully employed, who is categorized as a member of the working poor and who is a tagged, bagged and warehoused as completely unemployable.
Already today, huge gaps exist in the acquisition of these requisite skills and in their subsequent monetizability. These skills and the monetization of these skills (by the employer) determines who is employed and unemployed and for the employed it determines what level of total compensation they can command, negotiate or dictate.
This trend, these gaps, and the resultant gap between the wages commanded will continue to quicken, widen and deepen.
And yet if we were to look back at the early days of the Information Age (1970's through 1990's) we can see that given an occupation such as a Taxi Driver or Delivery Driver a huge jump in skills and intellect were required to earn even an entry level position as a basic technology worker, say for technology work writing Cobol programs or just administering a mainframe, minicomputer or a pool of workstations.
And although the skills required to enter the early Information Age were perhaps an order or two of magnitude greater than what was required to be a Taxi Driver or Delivery Driver, the required skills needed to enter the information age as a Cobol programmer or system administrator (sys admin) were completely, absolutely and utterly laughable compared to what is required today to be even marginally employable the IT industry let alone what is required to land and hold a good job at what is considered a strong technology producing or technology-based firm like Google, Oracle, SalesForce, Facebook and so on. (see figure 5).
So given all of these benefits as well as the fact that it was so relatively easy to obtain the skills needed to land such plum jobs, why didn't all (or even most) the Taxi Drivers or Delivery Drivers just skill-up and become Cobol programmers?
What's the reason?Anyone want to venture a guess?
Was it because they just loved driving a cab or delivery truck too much?
Was it because they knew they could do the tech job but they didn't feel comfortable or were afraid to be paid vastly more money for this programming work?
Or was it because the prospect of having a superior career path complete with a Golden Career Path laid at their feet was just too much to take, too scary or too overwhelming?
Or could the explanation simply be that they were lacking not just the proper attitude and motivation to get the requisite skills such a job and career change dictated but that they further lacked the intellectual aptitude to do so?
Now, of course, many will simply blame the public school system for not teaching these skills (I can hear the complainers and perpetual excuse makers now) but such an excuse isn't good enough (and I'm not buying it). And even if it were the public school system that was "at fault" or "behind" who suffers from this? And can you ever tell me or point to a time when the public school system wasn't behind the curve?
In fact, the only time I think the public school system wasn't behind the curve was when it was churning out templated factory workers to work in the high-volume pre- and post-world war "stamp and assemble economy".
I do want to be clear.
The reason I ask this question, these questions, is not to hurt someone's feelings or denigrate anyone's job, occupation or career. No. Not at all. All jobs have value and all workers that do their work have dignity and honor and I respect that.
The underlying reason, in fact, the root cause of my questions and questioning is driven by the pundits who see this relentless onslaught of robots, software algorithms, automation and mechanization, which is consuming and now destroying a huge percentage of the manual and lower-level jobs currently in existence, as not just our collective future but they see it as a very good thing.
They see it as something to be lauded and applauded.
They see this destruction of these jobs as something which will "free" up these currently or formerly "repressed" laborers from their current "drudgery" and which will enable them to do "greater things", to supposedly take on work which is far more challenging in terms of the creative, psychological, emotional or intellectual skill sets than their current work now requires of them.
These pundits further believe that by "freeing" these workers from their "wage slave" jobs (i.e., trading time for money) and their apparently "miserable existences", these workers will then be able quickly and effortlessly "move upstream" in their skill sets to such an extent that these workers will simultaneously be moving up Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs towards Self-Actualization as well as much higher total compensation.
In theory, the pundits are most probably correct about all of this, that the workers could skill up, they could learn, they could earn far, far great salaries and they could move towards self-actualization.
And personally, I wish they were correct in that.
Imagine if all humans strove to reach their true potential. Imagine the benefit to mankind of what we could collectively accomplish if everyone were truly working to their God-given capacities.
Image if all the time now endlessly spent watching tv shows, perusing youtube, playing video game or chasing skirts in a bar could be collected or reclaimed and then applied to producing and creating rather than simply consuming, criticizing and complaining.
That would be close to nirvana in my mind.
But in reality, the pundits are nowhere near correct.
In fact, the pundits are dangerously incorrect on this topic. This is especially true given the current, and dare I say sorry, state of the current skill sets and knowledge possessed by the very persons who will be most negatively, most adversely, most tragically affected by this coming onslaught of mechanization and job market changes.
If you then couple this aforementioned reality with these folk's seemingly weak attitude and aptitude to pick up all of the new skills and knowledge they need, right now at this moment, to just have even the smallest hope of gaining employment in any of these "higher level jobs", this knowledge work, it quickly becomes painfully and tragically clear, it becomes abundantly clear that the promise these pundits offer is not just sorely and dangerously mismatched with the reality of the situation at hand but grossly unfit for consumption.
Consider the inconvenient fact that if these Taxi Drivers and Delivery Drivers couldn't muster themselves to acquire the basic skills needed to move intellectually upstream, even when it meant simply learning basic languages like Cobol or Fortran, how the heck can we ever expect them to be able to do it now that the employment requirements in the same field are so massive and getting higher by the year? (see figure 6)
Talk to just about any in-demand knowledge worker and you'll find that they all devote huge amounts of their time, energy and resources to the task of trying to stay relevant and current. They constantly work to acquire new skills, knowledge, apply new techniques, take new classes and earn new certifications.
Among this group, it's not unique. It's not even special.
It's simply a given. An expected reality.
The fact is that given the state of not just our "official" educational system (primary, secondary or college or university) but more importantly the general public's attitude towards identifying and acquiring monetizable skillsets as well as developing the aptitude needed to efficiently and effectively acquire it, all of this "move upstream to a world of knowledge, creativity and intellectual challenges" talk is really just a delirious and dangerous hallucinatory dream.
Think about it. Carefully.
Do you doubt any of this? Okay, let's just take a quick survey and kick the tires a bit.
How creative are the workers you personally know? The people you personally know? The neighbors you personally know? How many taxi drivers, delivery drivers, factory workers, heck, even knowledge workers like accountants or lab techs, do you personally know who have written books, created podcasts, written software, produced songs or participated in an art exhibition let alone organized their own showing?
I feel safe betting that the answer is very, very few to absolutely none.
So pray tell me how are these people going to successfully make this painful, costly and treacherous transition in skill sets and knowledge? And remember with everything coming down at once (from factory automation, machine vision, digitization of data, machine-to-machine (M2M) applications, the Internet of Things, the semantic web, autonomous vehicles, enhanced mechanization and roboticization) we can expect huge swaths of jobs to be slashed and then eliminated very, very quickly while the competition for the remaining jobs is driven sky high.
Then entire Econ 101 and realize that there will be massive downward pressure on the wages of these jobs.
If you are one of the folks who thinks my predictions about the unprecedented number and types of jobs which are first to be decimated and then eliminated, well, just take a quick gander at this short list I put together.
Feel free to click on the links for some short videos or in some cases a short article laying it all out.
Jobs Currently The Sights of Robots & About To Be Roboticized:
- Taxi drivers
- Delivery drivers
- Long haul truck drivers
- Warehouse workers
- Factory workers
- Janitors
- Security guards
- Police officers
- Soldiers
- Commercial Pilots
- Cargo Pilots
- Military Pilots
- Bartenders
- Maids
- Food prep workers
- Ticket Takers
- Cashiers
- Miners
- Train Conductors
- Accountants
And it just goes on and on and on.
Remember, these are just a few of the applications I picked. There are literally hundreds and hundreds that I didn't list including robotic surgery, robotic lovers, robotic nannies and so on. Also remember that these are just a handful of the companies working on any one fields or on any one of these applications.
In reality, there are dozens of companies all around the world who are working to improve the sensors, the software algorithms, the energy sources and the electro-mechanical mechanisms in just any one field or application. In total there are hundreds and hundreds of these again to consider. I have only just very barely scratched the surface.
And as the industry grows and matures there will be even more market entrants producing this automation and roboticization technology.
I would also add that while it is just seems so easy to laugh at or pooh-pooh this current generation of robots as being too slow, too clumsy or just lame, you need to remember that this industry is still in a very, very nascent state and the market for robots is still emerging.
However, with the amount and quality of scientific brain power and electronic computing power available coupled with the literally "obscene" profits that the winners in this space are expected to make (and the economic signaling value of that), it is only a matter of time (10 to 15 years max) until you may well be working next to a robot or all robots or being served by one either in a restaurant, delivering your room service or placing chocolates on your pillow before giving your turndown service at the ritzy hotel you are staying at on your business trip.
And please note, that by robot I don't mean the ancient "caged robots" we are used to seeing on the Discovery Channel or television commercials that just did the welding or other very simple work on automotive assembly lines. I'm talking about modern, agile and often autonomous or nearly so robots.
"The future is already here – it's just not evenly distributed."
- William Gibson
That's right, the future is all around us. But it might not be clear to you yet. For example, if we consider M2M (Machine to Machine) infrastructure, this may well be invisible to you unless you work for a communication company like Vodafone or a supplier of the technology. If we are talking about automotive robots or machine vision, this may again be invisible to you unless you work in the field.
And on and on it goes.
In other cases, if you do look at it, you won't "see" it, because there won't be sufficient "density of deployment" to catch your attention, even if you do look at it.
And this is because, initially, you won't see an entire city of all of these robots. Or even enough of any particular robotic application.
Rather you'll see the bartender robots in parts of New York City, you'll see the security robot in a jewelry store in Chicago, you'll see the food prep robot working in a hospital cafeteria in Los Angeles. You'll come across the janitorial robot roaming the halls of a prestigious university in Europe. These robots will be scattered across different industries, applications, states and countries, thus, making the immediate impact extremely easy to miss until it's right on top of us. And yet we must keep in mind this:
"We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run."
- Ray Amaro
On the somewhat bright side, in the short run and even perhaps through 2025 or 2030, there will still be some workers in warehouses, some security guards and so on.
In fact, there may always still be some humans in those fields or many fields.
Yet, it is an absolute certainty that the absolute numbers of people employed in these fields will be an extremely small fraction of the numbers that used to be employed in these field while the competition for the few human jobs which do remain in these fields will be even higher and more fiercely ferocious than ever. Moreover, the actual requirements for said jobs in these fields will continue to rise dramatically while downward pressure on the wages offered will intensify.
Very soon being able to sit at a desk and watch a security camera video feed or being able to make an occasional foot patrol will no longer be enough to land a simple security job, let alone hold it for any reasonable amount of time.
Nope. You'll need much, much more skill and knowledge than that.
You may need years of management experience of people (this will be true for all of the people who remain in these jobs) vendors, projects and budgets. You may need to write programs or troubleshoot the software for the robots -- this may be the technical equivalent in the future as writing a formula or making a macro in Microsoft Excel is today.
If you can't do these things, well, you may find yourself most unwelcome in that field and 100% unemployed.
And this is just one example.
To see where we are now, and how fast we are moving to the future I have shared with you, it's very helpful to consider the very near past and where we came from.
The first video below is footage of a Ford auto factory, circa 1949 and it shows the assembly of very simple, very non-complex automobiles compared to the high complexity automobiles today. Remember today's automobiles are primarily constructed of a unibody and they have extremely narrow tolerances which require high precision wields and assembly work.
In the second video footage, which was taken in 2012, we see a modern Ford auto factory. Does anything strike you as very, very different in this second video?
Ford Factory 1949: Automobiles Being Assembled
Jobs are about to become very, very scarce, especially jobs that pay a solid wage.
Now, before you say that all of this is patently unfair and that companies somehow should and need to hire more people and/or create more jobs, let me set you straight.
Businesses don't create jobs, they are not in the business of creating jobs.
As Peter Drucker observed many years ago:
The purpose of business is to create and keep customers.
That's it. Period.
And before you tell me or before you blurt out that the poor Taxi Driver in question, whom we have so bullied here, could actually do the work and gain the knowledge required for these modern tech jobs but can't because he or she either doesn't have the money to go back to school, I'll tell you that the Taxi Driver doesn't need to go to school as he or she could learn all they need from free online.
There are countless free resources on the internet in these areas. These range from Khan Academy to Open Source Software to online websites that tutor and teach you (self-directed and self-paced) how to program or develop software in any number of languages
If you then go on to tell me that, well, the Taxi Driver doesn't have time to learn all of this using the online resources talked about, I would then ask you how does he or she find the time to watch the SF Giants, Boston Red Sox, Nascar or just hang out in the bar with friends?
If you then tell me that the Taxi Driver needs to rest and can't be learning all the time then I'll tell you, straight out, they cannot now and cannot never expect to make it in tech because in tech you must be a lifelong learner to make it. You need to be devoted.
And soon every job will be tech. Every job will be "intellectually upstream".
The fact is, tech (like so many other industries and/or functional areas today), moves extremely fast and it's only accelerating. There's no slowing down. There's no going back.
And if you don't find a lifetime learner's program to be kosher then don't even waste your time trying to get in. Instead try to find a comfortable room in the Government Unemployment Warehouses (GUW) which will most certainly be constructed by robots to house the unemployed and unemployable.
In addition, if you tell me that the Taxi Driver needs a teacher to hold his or her hand to learn or that he or she doesn't know how to use a basic search engine to find this information, well, again that is just immediate proof and a litmus test that he or she won't ever make it in tech because not only does tech require an attitude and disposition which favors intellectual curiosity and life time learning but it requires a person be a self starter.
All the skills and technologies one needs to get a foothold in or even thrive in the tech market and industry exists right now for free.
From the software (Python, PHP, Linux, BSD, Javascript, MySql, Java and on and on) to the online learning of how to program in various languages to advanced support and industry communities to help you along, it's all there.
Again all of this is not an effort to belittle or pummel Taxi Drivers, Manual Laborers, Cashiers or even customer service or tech support people or another group of workers mentioned or not mentioned in this article.
Rather it's a brutally honest effort to expose the lie that "this new tech revolution is going to be great for laborers" and that this "new tech revolution is no different from any other".
Anyone that tells you that is either (a) stupid, (b) incompetent, (c) a liar or some combination thereof.
It isn't going to be great. And it's 100% different.
The purpose of this is to expose the lie that there's a place for all or at least a place for the majority of these soon to be displaced workers in the new economy which we will all face soon enough.
And it's a lie because there isn't a place. And there isn't a place because the public schools (private as well) will never change in time if at ever. And the people who most need these changes and skills are the very ones with the lowest attitude and motivation to take the action and learn. There are also most often the ones with the lowest or weakest aptitude to do so and least likely to make the massive, required changes in their life - no more bars, no television, throw away video games, turn off the ball game.
This is not a value judgement but an observation.
What is needed is the ability and propensity to read. Study. Apply. Make mistakes. Improve. Learn. Rinse & Repeat.
This is probably politically incorrect which is exactly why you won't read of it in many other places and exactly why it's true. Political correct was primarily developed to defend lies while suppressing truths.
Much of the impetus to replace humans with machines and/or software comes right down to ROI and legal exposure. All of the current government regulations and taxes on the books make human workers extremely expensive as does having to contend with labor unions, civil complaints, the legal exposure from possible sexual harassment or power harassment (which by the way, your firm could be liable for even if no one in your firm engages in such behavior. It only takes an outside contractor, vendor or even key client to do this to one of your employees on your premises or even their own while your employee is there).
With robots these worries, fears, costs, legal liabilities and exposure are all a thing of the distant past. Mostly certainly, we'll see the same thing happening the fast food industry as workers and labor unions try and push for a $15 USD per hour minimum wage which is not economically viable.
Expect to see the introduction of automated ordering and cash handling systems and robots (Baxter, etc.) who can assembly burgers, sandwiches or even throw pizza pies.
And never forget that these systems and robots never get sick, never file worker's comp claims, they don't sexually harass or power harass others (so the legal exposure is low to non-existent), they don't complain, they don't steal, they don't embezzle, they don't unionize, they don't strike and they don't get tired.
Even more importantly, they can learn quickly by downloading new programs or in some cases they can be programmed much like the old macro recorders in spreadsheets whereby an operator simply moves the robots arms, legs, etc. in the desired directions or sequence and it is recorded for later playback.
Those playback scripts or recordings can then be edited, combined or reused in a library of programs.
In addition, these programs and this knowledge is also immediately accessible by all robots within a community, between communities and even intergenerationally.
Therefore, there are never any "entry level" robots. All robots on the job begin at the highest level of seniority, knowledge and expertise as the most senior and knowledgeable robot already on the job or who has already done the job.
But what will and what can all of these displaced workers do for a living, for an occupation?
We'll talk about all of this in future blog posts but for now the operative concept is Future Proof.
You and/or your children need to Future Proof yourself starting now.
We've discussed this before but we'll get into more detail of exactly what this means, what you should be doing and how to do it.
Until then, thanks for joining us!


text:
Sorry if this is perhaps the wrong topic to post this in or you've been asked this a lot, but is it allowed to use your voices for public videos etc. as long as it does not get monetized? I need to know.
*Oh, and do you need to credit the voices, too?

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I love cookbooks. LOVE cookbooks. But adding one more to an already bursting-at-the-seams assortment hardly seems necessary in my case. That said, when invited to be a part of the virtual book tour with the chance to get a pre-launch sneak peek at the new book Trophy Cupcakes & Parties! by Jennifer Shea of famed Seattle cupcakery Trophy, I mean, I had to at least look! Right? (Um, yeah!) Well, this freshman entry into my cookbook collection catapulted straight toward the top of the senior class, kids. Lemme tell ya. And that is because it is so much more than just a cookbook.
They always say that the best tools in the kitchen are typically the ones that perform beyond one function and that's precisely why that little beauty of a book up there will remain a keeper. Aside from the fact that it's a visual treat to peruse through, and that there are cupcake recipes aplenty (and you know papa knows his way 'round a cupcake), it has inspiration galore for throwing a fantastic fête. There are lots of wonderful party theme offerings but Jennifer also gives you the tools to generate your own celebratory ideas with her "Truly Terrific Theme Generator" worksheet. And I love that she is encouraging her readers to not simply do as she does but do as you would do - with some Trophy-style flair! (With the idea of initially just testing a recipe, I got all sorts of inspired to get my party craft on, too! Keep reading!)
Now, y'all know that your uncle loves to get his bake on and I'm no stranger to gittin' cupcakey wid it. So, the first thing I had to test out was a cupcake recipe and I immediately went for the Pink Champagne Cupcakes. Pink? Champagne? Cupcakes? DUH! Bubbles and baking are so up my alley! Following the recipe was easy-breezy and, no lie, the final results were damn tasty (to celebrate the official day of the book launch, I'll be posting the recipe on Tuesday, September 24th). Plus, I also gave a go at trying out one of the piping techniques outlined in the book - the "Vintage Ruffle" - and I'd say the results are pretty pleasing, don't you think? (Is it wrong for me to be winking and making a kiss face at myself in the mirror right now? Okay. Let's forget I mentioned that and keep reading.)
Just looking at the pages of the book and I totally busted out my party crafty! With cupcakes baking in the oven, I was digging through my stash of crafting supplies - papers, ribbons, circular paper punches, and, yes, the glue gun - to set the stage for my party. (A pretend party, admittedly, but the cats seemed to have a good time.) In a surprisingly short amount of time, I had created my own color-coordinated confetti and garlands along with the cupcake liner award ribbons (up above) that are featured in the book. Super cute, eh?! And so simple for such spectacular results! Part of Jennifer's philosophy is "make every day a party" and putting her book to the test proved how easy it is to make that possible. Cheers to that!
Book Tour for more fun stuff and sneak peeks!
Shop Sweet Things • Sacramento Street • Coco+Kelley


text:
Deleting by query
Delete by query no longer accepts wildcard queries, including queries that match all documents (for example, <delete><query>*:*</query></delete>
Instead, use the CQL TRUNCATE command.
Delete by query supports deleting data based on search criteria. After you issue a delete by query, documents start getting deleted immediately and deletions continue until all documents are removed. For example, you can delete the data that you inserted using this command:
curl http://localhost:8983/solr/mykeyspace.mysolr/update --data '<delete><query>color:red</query></delete>' -H 'Content-type:text/xml; charset=utf-8'
Using &allowPartialDeletes
parameter set to false (default) prevents deletes if a node is down.
Using &allowPartialDeletes
set to true causes the delete to fail if a node is down and the delete does not meet a consistency level of quorum.
Delete by queries using : are an exception to these rules.
These queries issue a truncate, which requires all nodes to be up in order to succeed.
Best practices
DataStax recommends that queries for delete-by-query operations touch columns that are not updated. For example, a column that is not updated is one of the elements of a compound primary key.
Delete by query problem example
The following workflow demonstrates that not following this best practice is problematic:
When a search coordinator receives a delete-by-query request, the request is forwarded to every node in the search datacenter.
At each search node, the query is run locally to identify the candidates for deletion, and then the LOCAL_ONE consistency level deletes the queries for each of those candidates.
When those database deletes are perceived at the appropriate nodes across the cluster, the records are deleted from the search index.
For example, in a certificates table, each certificate has a date of issue that is a timestamp. When a certificate is renewed, the new issue date is written to the row, and that write is propagated to all replicas. In this example, let's assume that one replica misses it. If you run a periodic delete-by-query that removes all of the certificates with issue dates older than a specified date, unintended consequences occur when the replica that just missed the write with the "certificate renewal" matches the delete query. The certificate is deleted across the entire cluster, on all datacenters making that delete unrecoverable.


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Megachurches Targeted for Pro-Gay Campaign
Two homosexual groups plan to launch a national campaign targeting the most influential megachurches and its leaders in an attempt to change their views on gays and lesbians.
Soulforce, which promotes "pro-gay" interpretations of Scripture, and COLAGE (Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere) are currently recruiting LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) parents and their children along with other supporters for "The American Family Outing" in 2008. Selected families will visit six major megachurches to "educate" the public on the issue of homosexuality.
"Through our visibility we hope to peacefully challenge the false stereotypes about LGBT people and same-gender families, and educate the public through authentic and personal conversations - real parents sharing their stories and describing the hurtful effects of prejudice and religious condemnation," said a statement describing the national campaign, which will run from Mother's Day weekend in May through Father's Day weekend in June.
Churches being targeted are those led by Joel Osteen, Bishop T.D. Jakes, Dr. Rick Warren, Bishop Harry Jackson, Jr., Bill Hybels and Bishop Eddie Long. Along with most Christian leaders, all have expressed to some degree an opposition to the homosexual lifestyle.
Soulforce contends that these younger generation evangelical leaders "are striving to change the tone of the national political debate with messaging that is less punitive, therefore making religion-based discrimination seem more palatable to the mainstream American public."
The upcoming campaign comes at a time when more evangelical churches are showing compassion toward the homosexual community. While still rejecting homosexual behavior as sin, Christians are increasingly welcoming and loving homosexuals, departing from the hateful and homophobic labels often attached to churches.
Still, churches continue to struggle with the issue of homosexuality in a culture that is more open to gay and lesbian lifestyles.
Participants of The American Family Outing plan to attend a worship service at each of the megachurches and also request time for panel discussions and a chance to engage in informal conversations with congregants of the churches.
Before the visits, 40 recruited families are required to attend a weekend of training in Austin, Texas, in February to prepare for theological dialogue and nonviolent direct action.


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MAGIC VALLEY, Idaho — When Masoud Ghotbi was growing up in Iran,he decided to learn English after seeing how many English-speaking tourists were visiting his hometown.
"So, I tried to learn and communicate with these people and get familiar with other cultures and see what other people think about Persian culture and the history of Iran," Ghotbi said.
After becoming fluent in English, Ghotbi decided to teach English to others in Iran. This led him to write a book to help other Persian-speaking refugees in the Magic Valley learn English.
"So, from the time that I saw the situation, I found that some people need to learn English. I thought, why not? Put all your experiences together and I had good experiences for that and I had a good background for that," Ghotbi said.
Ghotbi began writing his book in 2013. He says he wrote it strictly from his own experiences but added recommendations from others throughout the years.
"This book is a complete experience of probably 20 years of me teaching English and learning English and having lots of experiences in different schools," Ghotbi said.
The English Language Center in Boise works with the Idaho Office of Refugees to help refugees resettling into Idaho through the process of learning English. Currently, they have around 100 refugees enrolled in their English learning program, which they say is lower than average.
"Numbers have been lower than normal because of the COVID-19 pandemic and with the previous administration lowering the number of refugees that could come into the United States, we've seen a drop every year," said Chelsea Jordan, Program Manager for the English Language Center.
But they say learning English is an essential point of access for these refugees.
"If you know how to speak the language or you can converse and be understood in the language of the place you're in, you're at a completely higher advantage than someone who doesn't. Even something as simple as talking to somebody at the grocery store can be something that is empowering," Jordan said.
When Ghotbi resettled in the Magic Valley back in 2016, he said he used his English skills to help other refugees who didn't speak the language.
"Immediately, I started helping other refugees with translation or interpreting and I'd like to be a court interpreter as well but I've been busy with my taxi company this last year, so I tried to put it aside," Ghotbi said.
He says he is proud to be able to help other refugees through the process of learning English and hopes to continue to help more people.
"Being positive is always something you can say you're proud of yourself," Ghotbi said.
To learn more about his book and purchase it, you can view it on Amazon.
This story was originally published by Stephanie Garibay at KIVI.


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September 14CONSTANTINE was still wavering between Christianity and idolatry when a luminous cross appeared to him in the heavens, bearing the inscription, "In this sign shalt thou conquer." He became a Christian, and triumphed over his enemies, who were at the same time the enemies of the Faith. A few years later, his saintly mother having found the cross on which Our Saviour suffered, the feast of the " Exaltation" was established in the Church; but it was only at a later period still, namely, after the Emperor Heraclius had achieved three great and wondrous victories over Chosroes, King of Persia, who had possessed himself of the holy and precious relic, that this festival took a more general extension, and was invested with a higher character of solemnity. The feast of the "Finding" was thereupon instituted, in memory of the discovery made by St. Helena; and that of the "Exaltation" was reserved to celebrate the triumphs of Heraclius. The greatest power of the Catholic world was at that time centred in the Empire of the East, and was verging toward its ruin, when God put forth His hand to save it: the re-establishment of the great cross at Jerusalem was the sure pledge thereof. This great event occurred in 629. Reflection.—Herein is found the accomplishment of the Saviour's word: "If I be lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to Myself." Source: http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/lots/ The above text was published in April 2017. Read about lives of other saints
Recommend this page to your friend! |


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This great meme is hosted by BookJourney(.wordpress.com) This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!
I love being a part of this and I hope you do too! As part of this weekly meme I love to encourage you all to go and visit the others participating in this meme.
**You do not have to have a blog to participate!**
I think I did well in what I accomplished recently. I enjoyed for the most part what I read, and I am looking forward to what I am reading this week. I hope to take it slow at some point and get started on some of my books on my shelf that are calling my name as well as the books from the library that are on my nightstand...
I read and reviewed a book Daddy's Home by A. K. Alexander (click here to read the review)
I read and reviewed The Lover and The Madman by Joe K. (review)
I did three, yes three(one, two, three) well two book features and a blurb...different book features along with a review and giveaway for Life in Death by Harlow Coban
I also read and reviewed The Priest and the Peaches. I really liked The Priest and the Peaches and am really looking forward to the next book:)
Also, my book group, The Parchment Society read The Postmistress by Sarah Blake this past month (review will be up later)..Gotta say, I love the cover to The Postmistress!
This week I will now be reading
Pulled by Amy Lichtenhan for review
Kiss Me Slowly by Amber Lea Easton for review
And this months read for The Parchment Society is
The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. I am really looking forward to all three but especially my book group read:))
And that is all for this week. Pretty light this week which is a good this because Hubby and I are staying with my mother for a couple weeks since she is having surgery in a couple days so between taking care of her and the house and my daughter, my days will be plenty full so by days end I will be saying yes to a coffee and reading break:)
Have you read any of these book? Which one(s) sticks out to you the most?
Happy reading week everyone!


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Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1756-1963 or use the U.S. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Chronicling America is sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Humanities external link and the Library of Congress. Learn more
The Morning sun., April 28, 1907, Image 2
About The Morning sun. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1907-19??
Image provided by: University of Florida


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Chill The Fuck Out (7x7) Wooden Sign - William Rae Designs
Regular price $25.00
Unit price per
This sign fits perfectly on a desk or a shelf.
The Deets:
- Dimensions are: 7" wide by 7" long.
- Design is silk screened onto painted MDF
- Framed with stained pine wood
- Keyhole hanger is set into the back for flush and easy hanging


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But what a brilliant novel.
Many reviewers of Matterhorn have begun their acclaim with some variation of "I'm not normally a fan of war novels, but I loved this." They're right on the mark — my sentiments exactly. True, this a war novel to the core — there's blood, guts and gruesomeness. But it's a novel that also moves beyond the theater of war and the Xs and Os to examine other themes of more universal appeal, like race relations, guilt, despair, fear, friendship, and importantly, the pros and cons of ambition.
But it's the characters that make this story. There's the seemingly fearless Vancouver who always volunteers for point on patrols, the 23-year-old First Lieutenant Fitch who is unable to extricate himself from the doghouse of his commanding officer, the platoon leader Goodwin who calls everyone Jack because "it's easier than remembering his name," the executive officer Hawke who becomes fast friends with Mellas, and Cassidy, the racist lifer who draws the ongoing ire of the black Marines.
Marlantes |
And so we follow these Marines through the bush and watch as they encounter ever-increasing hardships. Just when you think it couldn't possibly get worse, it does. And then it gets worse again. The opening scene in the novel sets the tone. Lieutenant Mellas has just arrived on Matterhorn (a fictional hill near the Laotian border) to begin his tour commanding a platoon, and one of his squad leaders has to be medevaced back to base because he has a leech stuck in his urethra. Then, there are the never-ending, nerve-shattering patrols through the jungle, a week-long forced marches in the rain with no food, a soldier attacked by a tiger, and finally, the actual combat itself.
All of this adds up to a novel that, while horrific, is still immensely readable — even for the squeamish. It's universal. It's intense. And it's absolutely absorbing. Marlantes, a decorated Vietnam veteran himself, wrote this novel over the course of 30 years. The polish shows. This has classic potential. Highly recommended!


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MOKPO, South Korea (AP) — The aroma of one of South Korea's most popular delicacies is regularly compared to rotting garbage and filthy bathrooms. And that's by fans.
The unusual dish is typically made by taking dozens of fresh skate, a cartilage-rich fish that looks like a stingray, stacking them up in a walk-in refrigerator and waiting. Up to a month in some cases.
"You know when it's done by the smell," said Kang Han-joo, co-owner of a seafood store in the bustling fish market of Mokpo, a port city on the southwestern tip of the Korean Peninsula, a region that's considered the food's spiritual home. As Kang spoke, he sliced small, stinking, glistening dark-pink fish steaks with a large knife and laid them in plastic foam boxes for shipment to customers around South Korea.
The smell of the fish, called hongeo in Korean and usually eaten uncooked, is unmistakable, unavoidable and a deal-breaker for many. A profound, pungent stink of ammonia radiates from the animal after it's been ripening for weeks. First-timers often squeeze their eyes shut as they chew. Tears stream down the cheeks. The throat constricts with the effort of swallowing.
Kang notes, in a dramatic understatement: "When it's fermented a long time, the smell becomes deeper."
Americans are still getting used to gentler fermented Asian foods — spicy Korean kimchi and Japanese miso, for example — yet many South Koreans claim a love, an addiction even, for this extreme form of fermentation. Restaurants specializing in the fish can be found throughout the country. One online hongeo appreciation society boasts more than 1,300 members.
"Some people start to crave it as soon as they smell the ammonia," said Shin Jin-woo, a seafood store worker in Mokpo. "There's no need to advertise how intense the smell is. Everyone already knows."
Shin's store has two fermentation refrigerators. Walk into one and a blast of ammonia burns the eyes, the nose and sinuses, the tongue, throat and lungs. Skate are fermented up to 15 days in the first refrigerator, where the temperature is 2.5 degrees C (36.5 F), and up to another 15 days in the second at 1 C (34 F).
Shops in Mokpo custom-ferment the fish and ship the results to restaurants and hongeo fans around South Korea.
The vast majority of the more than 11,000 tons of hongeo consumed in the country comes not from South Korean-caught fish but from cheaper frozen imports. Shop owners thaw and clean the imported fish, which can cost up to five times less than the local version, and place the hongeo in refrigerators to ferment.
Hongeo's history is murky, but it emerged in the days before refrigeration, when food that could keep for a long time without rotting was prized. Someone — maybe a fisherman on a long voyage or a clever, hungry or desperate farmer — discovered that skate didn't spoil as easily as other fish and a dish was born.
Shop owners say the traditional method of making hongeo is to put the fish on a bed of hay in a clay pot, pile more hay on top and leave it.
Learning to love, or at least tolerate, what many consider the smelliest fish in Asia takes perseverance. Fans commonly say that if you try it four times, you'll be hooked. Nonfans may be mystified by how anyone could meet that threshold.
"It's a freaking punch in the face," said Joe McPherson, the founder of ZenKimchi, a Korean food blog, and an eventual devotee of the fish. "Like everyone else, I gagged the first time."
Natives of the southwest say hongeo should be eaten plain. They sometimes complain that the copious garnishes provided at restaurants disguise the taste and smell.
Most first-timers, however, tend to embrace all the extras they can, creating a hongeo "sandwhich" with garnishes that can include red pepper paste, salty mini shrimp, raw garlic, chili salt, slices of fatty boiled pork and some extraordinarily strong kimchi.
Even with "some of the most powerful flavors in the world to put up against it ... it does not cover up the flavor at all," McPherson said.
The extremely chewy texture — spongy flesh and hard cartilage — also makes for tough swallowing. And the smell of ammonia is so powerful it lingers for hours on clothes, skin and hair.
The second time, if there is one, is usually a little better.
One trick is to inhale through the mouth and exhale through the nose while eating. This helps fight the smell some and also intensifies a surprising tingling and cooling — almost minty — sensation in the mouth, throat and face.
There are various theories explaining the food's popularity. Some Koreans describe their craving as similar to the desire for a cigarette: You want it despite its obvious negatives. McPherson says the fish is also valued for its interesting texture and the sensation it produces in the mouth — two things that can be as important to Koreans as flavor. There's also something convivial about hongeo restaurants, where large amounts of strong Korean booze are as ubiquitous as the fish.
Still, while some Korean restaurants in the United States serve hongeo, it's unlikely to catch on except "in hardcore foodie circles," McPherson said. "I can see maybe college fraternities hazing their freshmen with this, but it's very much a 'dare' food. Like live octopus."
AP writer Jung-yoon Choi contributed to this story.


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Being engaged in church is about more than merely attending Sunday services.
We want to be a church unchurched people love to attend. In order to be that kind of church, we need the help of people who share our passion for leading people to love God and love people.
If you share that passion, you can fully engage in the life of the church by doing four things: Connect. Serve. Invite. Give.
Growing spiritually doesn't happen when we know what Jesus says. It happens when we apply what he says. Application happens best within the context of community. To grow spiritually, you have to be connected relationally.
We believe when people engage in service, it leads to life change. Whether you serve on a ministry team in our church, in our community, or in the world, God calls us to serve one another.
We believe it's vital that as we become fully engaged in church, we invest in unchurched people in our lives. And as we invest in relationships, we would invite friends to church.
Thanks for your interest in supporting the ministries of Discovery Church. Your financial support enables us to create environments both locally and globally. For your convenience we provide several different ways for you to give.


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Presented by Jon Robertson
A hotter-than-expected inflation report sent stocks sharply lower last week as investors faced the prospect of more aggressive interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve for perhaps a longer period. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 4.13%, while the Standard & Poor's 500 lost 4.77%. The Nasdaq Composite index dropped 5.48% for the week. The MSCI EAFE index, which tracks developed overseas stock markets, dipped 1.78%.1,2,3 |
Inflation Deflates Markets Stocks suffered their worst day in more than two years last Tuesday as markets were caught off-guard by a higher-than-anticipated August inflation report. Markets expected the August report to show a substantial cooling of inflation, potentially allowing the Fed to ease up on interest rate hikes. Instead, the elevated inflation number not only undercut those easing hopes but raised the possibility of a more significant rate hike. On Tuesday, traders assigned a 28% probability of a 100 basis point hike, from a 0% chance just the day before. Price action remained choppy for the remainder of the week, closing the week with additional losses as a global package-delivery company warned of a worldwide recession.4 August CPI DisappointsAugust's Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 8.3% from a year ago, showing a continued deceleration in price increases (July's CPI was 8.5%, and June's was 9.1%). Despite moderating price increases, traders were disappointed, given the general expectation of a more substantial slowdown in inflation.5 Core inflation (excluding food and energy) was particularly alarming to investors, which jumped 6.3% year-over-year. That number was well above the 5.9% rate from June and July. From the market's perspective, sufficient inflationary pressures exist for the Fed to maintain its hawkish interest rate policy for possibly longer than investors had hoped.6 This Week: Key Economic DataTuesday: Housing Starts. Wednesday: Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) Meeting Announcement. Existing Home Sales. Thursday: Index of Leading Economic Indicators. Jobless Claims. Friday: Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) Composite. Source: Econoday, September 16, 2022 This Week: Companies Reporting EarningsMonday: AutoZone, Inc. (AZO). Wednesday: General Mills, Inc. (GIS). Thursday: Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST), FedEx Corporation (FDX), Lennar Corporation (LEN). Source: Zacks, September 16, 2022 |
"There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly." – Buckminster Fuller |
How to Find Tax Help in Other LanguagesThe IRS currently translates important and helpful tax information in seven languages, including:
Some multilingual resources include The Taxpayer Bill of Rights, important filing information, e-file resources, forms and publications, and the IRS2Go mobile app. For access to information in these languages, taxpayers can click on the English dropdown tab in the top menu bar on the IRS.gov home page. The dropdown will list the other languages a taxpayer can choose to view IRS.gov pages. In addition, the IRS also offers interpreter services in more than 350 languages. *This information is not intended to substitute for specific individualized tax advice. We suggest you discuss your specific tax issues with a qualified tax professional. Tip adapted from IRS.gov7 |
What is Pickleball?Pickleball has taken the world by storm, and for a good reason! The game is easy to play, it's great exercise, and you can play at many different levels. Pickleball combines tennis, ping pong, and badminton elements to create an addicting and fun sport. To play, you hit a Wiffle ball (a plastic ball with holes) with a paddle on a badminton-sized court. There are some unique rules to pickleball, but overall, it has simple gameplay and is super fun. If you want to start playing pickleball, check out your local parks and tennis courts! More and more areas offer open play, rec leagues, and lessons for players of all levels. Tip adapted from USA Pickleball8 |
We all have one, and even though it often demands an answer, it offers no question. What is this everyday item? Last week's riddle: Gerald Ford was our 38th President, but he was actually the 37th man to take the job. Why was that? Riddle answer: Grover Cleveland was both the 22nd and 24th President of the U.S.; he served two non-consecutive terms. |
Azenhas do Mar, Lisbon District, Portugal |
Footnotes and Sources
2. The Wall Street Journal, September 16, 2022 3. The Wall Street Journal, September 16, 2022 4. The Wall Street Journal, September 13, 2022 5. The Wall Street Journal, September 13, 2022 6. The Wall Street Journal, September 13, 2022 7. IRS.gov, March 16, 2022 8. USAPickleball.org, May 26, 2022 |
Investing involves risks, and investment decisions should be based on your own goals, time horizon, and tolerance for risk. The return and principal value of investments will fluctuate as market conditions change. When sold, investments may be worth more or less than their original cost. The forecasts or forward-looking statements are based on assumptions, may not materialize, and are subject to revision without notice. The market indexes discussed are unmanaged, and generally, considered representative of their respective markets. Index performance is not indicative of the past performance of a particular investment. Indexes do not incur management fees, costs, and expenses. Individuals cannot directly invest in unmanaged indexes. Past performance does not guarantee future results. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is an unmanaged index that is generally considered representative of large-capitalization companies on the U.S. stock market. Nasdaq Composite is an index of the common stocks and similar securities listed on the NASDAQ stock market and is considered a broad indicator of the performance of technology and growth companies. The MSCI EAFE Index was created by Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) and serves as a benchmark of the performance of major international equity markets, as represented by 21 major MSCI indexes from Europe, Australia, and Southeast Asia. The S&P 500 Composite Index is an unmanaged group of securities that are considered to be representative of the stock market in general. U.S. Treasury Notes are guaranteed by the federal government as to the timely payment of principal and interest. However, if you sell a Treasury Note prior to maturity, it may be worth more or less than the original price paid. Fixed income investments are subject to various risks including changes in interest rates, credit quality, inflation risk, market valuations, prepayments, corporate events, tax ramifications and other factors. International investments carry additional risks, which include differences in financial reporting standards, currency exchange rates, political risks unique to a specific country, foreign taxes and regulations, and the potential for illiquid markets. These factors may result in greater share price volatility. Please consult your financial professional for additional information. This content is developed from sources believed to be providing accurate information. The information in this material is not intended as tax or legal advice. Please consult legal or tax professionals for specific information regarding your individual situation. This material was developed and produced by FMG Suite to provide information on a topic that may be of interest. FMG is not affiliated with the named representative, financial professional, Registered Investment Advisor, Broker-Dealer, nor state- or SEC-registered investment advisory firm. The opinions expressed and material provided are for general information, and they should not be considered a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. Copyright 2022 FMG Suite. |


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4 Interview with Gabriel Higginbotham, Open Oregon State
Gabriel Higginbotham, IT consultant and recent-former student Open Oregon State
Gabe Higginbotham worked as a student project assistant on open textbooks for two years at Open Oregon State. He received his B.S. in Business Information Systems at Oregon State in early 2017. Currently, he works as an IT consultant for OOS. In fall 2018, he will go to grad school abroad to study Human Computer Interaction Design. In his career, he plans to continue contributing to the open education field.
Tell us about the role you played in open textbook creation at Open Oregon State.
I have been involved with the creation of roughly 10 textbooks at Open Oregon State, including A Primer for Computational Biology (set to go to print soon!), Introduction to Permaculture and Introduction to Microbiology.
I worked on converting professors' texts (either Word or LaTeX) to HTML.
Some of our books were created from materials used in online courses, others were LaTeX books that became online books to increase their availability.
I also designed the books (using CSS) to cater to either the needs of the professor or the purposes of the book. I learned HTML, CSS, and LaTeX on the job, and was one of the first student workers in the department.
Books at Open Oregon State are created using PressBooks, a WordPress plugin. We use some other multimedia tools including video and, more recently, H5P. We also use a number of WordPress plugins such as a glossary, code highlighter, and broken link checker.
When I was first hired, I was tasked with making a list of open textbooks available online. I also found replacement materials that professors could use in courses. Over the course of a few months I made an Excel spreadsheet of 4,500 open textbooks available on the web, and this list is continually growing!
What did you learn and what skills did you acquire in the process?
As a student in information systems, learning HTML and CSS in my position were particularly useful as an introduction to programming before entering my actual programming courses. The tasks of my position allowed me to navigate the process of problem solving in a relatively risk-free environment. Conversely, my courses often introduced me to techniques and tools I could use in my position with open textbooks. For example, learning PHP in my programming course allowed me to edit a WordPress plugin to meet the unique needs of a particular programming textbook.
Troubleshooting design issues in my position introduced me to platforms such as Stackoverflow and GitHub, where I could interact with other contributors and find solutions to problems I came across. I was able to apply the solutions in one problem to a similar context in another problem, often with a creative and unique approach. These proved vital in my courses later on, where I would encounter more complex problems such as querying databases and creating UIs.
My position was also beneficial in the realm of project management. Working on a number of distinct textbooks with different needs, stakeholders, contributors, and deadlines improved my ability to estimate task times and switch back-and-forth between various tasks and requests. This was useful and applicable in my courses, where I had very different projects that demanded varying levels of attention. I needed to allocate my resources to succeed in my courses as efficiently as possible.
Researching open materials for my position in turn made me more adept at finding free learning resources to augment my own course materials. Where other students may have paid for supplementary course materials, I could find suitable free resources, saving me hundreds of dollars on my undergrad degree. Most students I encountered had no idea such materials existed.
What do you see as processes or practices that lend themselves to best success when faculty and students work on these projects?
Communication is key when creating open textbooks. It's imperative that students (or any other contributors) understand the purpose and needs of the finished book. Everyone must be on the same page or there will be a lot of duplicate or superfluous work. Checking in with professors, faculty, and other student workers can ensure that nothing falls between the cracks. A task management system such as Basecamp or Asana may be useful to create project milestones and allocate work. This is more important as a team increases in size. Open Oregon State did not take full advantage of a task management system, but there were only about five student workers at any given time.
A cohesive "vision" for the department may help limit the scope of certain books that may require special attention (in my experience, these include math-based or programming books). This "vision" may need to develop over time and can include strategic intentions for both content and style. Since open textbook programs (and the open textbook industry in general) are relatively new for most universities, I believe this process is still in its infancy. A few standouts have emerged including BCcampus and the University of Minnesota. These are definitely models to follow for the establishment of new open textbook departments. I believe that OSU is emerging as an exemplary model.
It is imperative that the knowledge gained from students workers not be lost when they leave or graduate. There is a substantial learning curve that comes along with being hired in any position. Using previous student workers' perspectives and experiences to train new hires can not only speed up book production, but create a more cohesive body of work and culture within the department. I cannot stress enough how important I believe this legacy knowledge is.
Fostering a collaborative and open environment is vital for student workers to thrive and find creative solutions to complex problems. Create a space where students can work together and share input; this keeps them motivated and engaged when design work gets tedious. I was lucky to have a patient and open boss at Open Oregon State who listened to my ideas and considered my advice when making decisions. I would suggest that other open textbook department heads do the same: consider the opinions of your students workers. They have the perspective of both a student and a faculty member.
What are some key challenges and considerations you would like to see addressed in such projects?
For professors generously contributing content to open textbooks, they must be made aware of the limitations that certain platforms may have. For example, an HTML environment will not have the same cross-referencing or indexing capabilities as a LaTeX environment will. Illuminating these limitations from the start will prevent unnecessary work and avoid disappointment as the book progresses. However, the advantages and rewards of an open book must be emphasized over any potential shortcomings that may present themselves.
The interactivity and availability of supplementary materials must increase as more textbooks are developed. I believe this is one of the main hesitancies of professors in adopting an open textbook for their course. As the trust in open materials gains momentum over time, ability to replace existing materials in courses with minimal effort and exceeded expectations will prove to be essential.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Students' input is most essential, but can often be overlooked! I would like to see more projects emerge that aim to share the best practices of student workers, both within and across universities.
I would like to thank the Director of Open Oregon State Dianna Fisher for giving me the opportunity to learn and grow in this position. Her guidance, support, and willingness to allow me to take on new challenges provided a fulfilling environment for my first job.


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Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet leader who helped end the Cold War, has died at 91. Gorbachev ushered in a new era of free speech in the Soviet Union, implemented new democratic reforms and negotiated a reduction in nuclear warheads with the U.S. He was celebrated abroad for his achievements, and he received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. But Gorbachev's legacy at home is complicated because of his role in the collapse of the Soviet Union. Here to help us remember his legacy is Thomas Graham of the Council on Foreign Relations. He worked at the U.S. embassy in Moscow during the late Soviet period and joins us now. Welcome.
THOMAS GRAHAM: Glad to be with you.
CHANG: Glad to have you. So Gorbachev was someone who struck Western leaders as a person they could do business with, especially former President Reagan, who began meeting with Gorbachev back in 1985. I'm wondering, in your mind, what did all their years of face-to-face meetings do to bring the U.S. and Soviet Union closer to the end of the Cold War? How do you see it?
GRAHAM: Well, I mean, there was tremendous personal rapport between the two presidents. I think they both shared a genuine abhorrence of the prospect of nuclear war, and that was really the foundation of their working together. They wanted to find a way to bring the weapons under control to reduce the burden that they placed on societies, and that carried them through extraordinary high-level meetings in the 1980s. That eventually led to an agreement to eliminate the intermediate-range nuclear forces globally, but particularly in Europe, and also set them on the path to major reductions in strategic weapons.
CHANG: Well, as we mentioned, despite Gorbachev's achievements - you know, opening up the Soviet Union, negotiating with the West - he struggled politically at home. Can you explain why that was?
GRAHAM: Well, in part because he was undertaking extraordinary reforms - moving the country away from a communist system to a more open system. I think he also suffered because he had a general sense of the direction in which he wanted to move, but no real concrete plan. So he was improvising as we went along, and that made it very difficult for him to explain to the population - to the elites - where they were going to go, where they were going to end up, how this was all going to fit together in the end. And then he tried to maintain balance between those forces that were opposed to reform and those forces that wanted to move more rapidly in a reformist direction, and he never managed the politics of that. He maintained himself as a centrist, but the center in the Soviet political system quickly faded away in the late 1980s.
CHANG: I am curious - what strikes you now about the timing of his death? I mean, in your view, what is the significance of his passing in this moment, as Russia is more isolated than it ever has been since Gorbachev and Reagan first began talking in the 1980s?
GRAHAM: Well, it is, I think, somewhat sort of tragic that - you know, that we don't understand what Gorbachev was trying to do back in the 1980s - that he wasn't an extraordinary sort of Russian leader or Soviet leader, who did believe that it was possible to build enduring, constructive relations with the United States and set out to do that because he thought it was good for his country, as well as for the United States in the world more generally. And it's - I think it's unfortunate that he has had such a poor reputation in his own country - thought of many as a person who destroyed the Soviet Union as opposed to a person who had a grand vision for how his country's people could live better and how that would have beneficial impact for the entire world order.
CHANG: Thomas Graham is a distinguished fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. Thank you very much for joining us today.
GRAHAM: You're certainly welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.


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So what was your favorite night to sit down and watch TV? Were you amped up on Thursdays for NBC's Must See TV? Or did you sit down on Fridays for ABC's TGIF? TV shows between the 80s and 90s are still considered some of the best of all time. Heck, with shows like Seinfeld, Friends, Fraiser, Golden Girls, M.A.S.H., Cheers and so many more… they're not wrong. So because we like to take trips down memory lane we've put together a list of 26 graphic tees from 80s and 90s TV shows that will have you feeling incredibly nostalgic.
TV Shows like many of the ones mentioned above have given us a plethora of pop-culture references and good memories. We hope these graphic tees from 80s and 90s TV shows gives you some major nostalgia like it did us, and maybe even convinces you go back and rewatch some of your favorite moments from these classic shows.
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Image: Forecast high temperatures for August 29, from National Weather Service
For other record temperatures in Texas and elsewhere, see:
Record Heat
Record Cold
It was still hot in south-central Texas on Friday, but temperatures failed to reach the century mark for a change in San Antonio and Austin. The highs for August 28:
Austin/Mabry 98°This is only the third time this month that the temperature has failed to reach 100° at Austin. Temperatures are once again forecast to be in the upper 90s in the region on Saturday.
Austin/Bergstrom 97°
San Antonio 97°
Del Rio 98°


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Born in Japan / Works in Brooklyn, NY
Ayane Kurai paints from the soul, rendering her subjects into soft abstraction. Painting is the most accurate form of her self expression. Marrying physical and mental she is able to emote with the world through her art. Ayane uses all senses available to her when working, combining all aspects of her subject to create a work that most accurately embodies everything about it.
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An airline ticket is a document or electronic file, issued by an airline or a journey agency , that confirms that an individual is entitled to a seat on a flight on an plane. Whether you wish to catch a live performance in a bustling metropolis or take in the sun in a warm-climate locale, our low cost costs allow you to see the perfect of the States with money to spare. There is mainly no motive to shell out full airplane fares when there are very good low cost provides by several travel businesses. Some of the added prices it's possible you'll find when reserving a ticket.
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The airline ticket may be one of two sorts: a paper ticket, which includes coupons or vouchers; and an digital ticket (commonly known as an e-ticket). Flying out Friday night and coming residence Sunday afternoon seems like the perfect plan – and don't the airlines realize it! Inform us the place you are flying from for trip zero. Tell us where you are flying to for journey zero. Enter your date for trip 0 in this format: 1. Tell us the place you're flying from.


text: Adam Levine is a Chicago based comic, writer and sports taker originally from Columbus, OH. Born to two Jewish doctors, Adam opted out of the family business and chose to pursue stand up. After all, laughter is the best medicine. Adam has performed at The Laugh Factory, Flappers, Zanies, Columbus Funnybone, Madison Comedy Week and all across the country from San Francisco to Denver to an entertainment venue on State Route 15 in Ohio. Adam's short film, which he wrote, acted and produced, Jokes from my Father, placed Honorable Mention at the 2018 Columbus Jewish Film Festival Short Film Competition. Adam currently works for BallotReady and Captain and is a graduate of The Ohio State University.


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Benefits of taking BCAAs in DIESEL DIVA XXX:
- Preserve lean muscle mass while dieting (1) - Increase strength gains while dieting (1) - May improve insulin resistance (2) - Enhanced protein synthesis (3) - (Leucine) Promotes fatty acid conversion in fat cells to CO2 and water (3) - (Leucine) May slow muscle loss in older adults (3) - (Leucine) Anti-catabolic (prevent muscle loss) properties while inactive (resting) (4) (5) - Fights muscle damage by decreasing CK and LDH enzymes post workout (6) - Helps block the feeling of fatigue by reducing levels of tryptophan during exercise (7)(10)(11) - Slows exercise induced BCAA catabolism which happens when fatty acid usage increases (when you increase fat burning) (8) - Decreases the rest time needed to perform at max effort (MVC) (9)
- Dissolves instantly and completely in a shaker bottle - Dissolves in a cup of liquid if stirred with a fork - No artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners - Added benefit of ATP boosters - Best tasting naturally sweetened BCAAs available - Low in sodium (~12 mg per serving) - Smooth refreshing taste - Made with real fruit flavors - Creatine free - Stimulant free - 100% free of banned substances - 100% legal worldwide - No "itchy skin crawling" Beta-Alanine tingles - Noticeably better muscle recovery - Magnesium Malate for enhanced endurance and water balance - Contains ultra premium Himalayan Pink Sea Salt- NON-GMO Fructose - Helps with muscle weakness during fasted training- Reduces muscle cramps and twitching post-workout- Vegan Friendly Fermented BCAAs and Glutamine
FINALLY! GET DIESEL Natural BCAAs
After literally over a year of formula development and flavor testing, GET DIESEL has created DIESELADE: The best tasting, all natural, BCAA product in existence. What are BCAAs and why take them? BCAAs increase protein synthesis (the rate you build muscle) and have become popular for their lean muscle preserving effects during cardio and weight training. BCAAs have been shown to increase the fat burning process.
Why DIESELADE? There are two main problems with traditional BCAAs. One, they typically do not dissolve in water: DIESELADE however is made using ultra-premium, highly soluble BCAAs that dissolve completely with a few shakes in a shaker bottle. The 2nd problem with BCAAs is they taste HORRIBLE! Think of chewing aspirin and washing it down with Aloe Vera juice! For this reason companies have to use heavy doses of artificial flavors and sweeteners such as Acesulfame Potassium (Ace-K) and Sucralose to flavor them. Additionally as with most sports supplements they are heavily colored with artificial colors. This is why most BCAA products taste like melted candy with extra sugar and give most users headaches or make you feel sick to your stomach.
What about the smell? Dieselade smells like a fresh all natural product because it contains all natural ingredients and real fruit flavors. Our BCAAs are fermented and vegan friendly which is why they do not smell like ammonia or chemicals like most BCAA products. The ones that do not specify they are fermented are manufactured from a chemical heavy process that produces that horrible smell.
DIESELADE contains no artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners. Other manufactures like to highlight points such as "sugar free, low in calories" even go as far to mention their aminos are plant based...but the product is full of sucralose, ace-k, artificial colors and artificial flavors. You wouldn't eat an artificially sweetened and artificially flavored banana or apple would you? Typically consumers over look how my "junk" is in their BCAAs/supplements because they assume all supplements are good for you, but that's not the case. Expect the same quality from your supplements that you expect from your food.
DIESELADE gives you more than just BCAAs. You also get electrolytes, and ATP energy promoters such as D-Ribose and Magnesium Malate. Dieselade also contains L-Glutamine which also boost the anti-catabolic effects of BCAAs, but there are also studies that say you waste a lot of BCAAs trying to manufacture L-Glutamine during periods of stress on the body such as high intensity training, and during post-workout recovery. Not only is this the hands down best BCAA product you can purchase (performance wise), it is definitely the best tasting natural BCAA product on earth!
Health Canada Approved. To date, Dieselade is the only 100% all natural BCAA product approved by Health Canada. What this means is Dieselade has undergone the lengthy process of being reviewed by Health Canada, the equivalent of the United States FDA. The difference is in America, supplements are not approved, so their labels, claims, dosages and directions for use are not strictly regulated. There are strict guidelines, but they are not "required" to be sold or strictly regulated. With a Health Canada approved supplement, you can rest assure a government health agency has approved the ingredients, claims, dosage and directions for use. Dieselade is made in the USA.
More information can be found at at getdiesel.com http://www.getdiesel.com/#!dieselade---bcaa/v851f
and Dieselade.comChuck Diesel, MBA founder GET DIESEL NUTRITION


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Business & Legal Issues
Understanding the business of writing is an essential writing skill for any writer. No matter how good you are at knowing how to write a short story or outline a novel, if you don't understand the writing business your chances of getting published are slim. Whether it's about how to find a literary agent or publisher, how to marketing your book, how to deal with copyright & legal issues in writing, or how to sell a book, our books on the writing business are a must-read.