Standing Up To The Experts by Orlando Wood In a small room in Austin, Texas, a group of fifteen people are single-handedly deciding what is taught to the next generation of American children. The highly politicized fifteen-member Texas State Board of Education is currently going through the once-in-a-decade process of rewriting the teaching and textbook standards for its nearly 5 million schoolchildren. And when it comes to textbooks, what happens in Texas affects the whole nation. Texas is the nation’s largest textbook market. Over the course of the current review, the board has been focusing on infusing the school curriculum with broader conservative and religious themes. Simply put, our goal is to shed light on this important issue and the key players in this process -- we will explain their goals, explore the scope of their influence, and delve into the personal motivations behind their actions. In the time we’ve been working on this project, we’ve amassed over 200 hours of footage. This is where you come in… Thank you!
Why Carl Sagan is Truly Irreplaceable | Science| Smithsonian Magazine We live in Carl Sagan’s universe–awesomely vast, deeply humbling. It’s a universe that, as Sagan reminded us again and again, isn’t about us. We’re a granular element. Our presence may even be ephemeral—a flash of luminescence in a great dark ocean. Or perhaps we are here to stay, somehow finding a way to transcend our worst instincts and ancient hatreds, and eventually become a galactic species. We could even find others out there, the inhabitants of distant, highly advanced civilizations—the Old Ones, as Sagan might put it. No one has ever explained space, in all its bewildering glory, as well as Sagan did. He led a feverish existence, with multiple careers tumbling over one another, as if he knew he wouldn’t live to an old age. Now “Cosmos” is back, thanks largely to Seth MacFarlane, creator of TV’s “Family Guy” and a space buff since he was a kid, and Ann Druyan, Sagan’s widow. Space itself seemed different then. Things haven’t quite worked out as expected. “That’s here.
Ask Chris #81: Scooby-Doo and Secular Humanism Here at ComicsAlliance, we value our readership and are always open to what the masses of Internet readers have to say. That’s why every week, Senior Writer Chris Sims puts his comics culture knowledge to the test as he responds to your reader questions! Q: On Scooby-Doo, do you prefer the monsters to be real or people in costumes? — @heythisisbrian A: You know, as much as I tend to allow myself to be defined by my obsessions — and in this column, one in particular definitely springs to mind — I never really thought of myself as a big Scooby-Doo fan until pretty recently. I’m not sure how it happened. And the topic you asked about, Brian, is the one that I have the strongest feelings about. Don’t get me wrong, as I’m pretty sure the record will show, I love the supernatural as a storytelling element. I even get why it might be appealing to make the monsters real for Scooby and the Gang. And that would be great, if Scooby Doo was a cartoon about kids fighting monsters. To paraphrase G.K.
THRIVE Movie — An unconventional documentary that lifts the veil on what's REALLY going on in our world by following the money upstream -- uncovering the global consolidation of power in nearly every aspect of our lives THRIVE is an unconventional documentary that lifts the veil on what's REALLY going on in our world by following the money upstream -- uncovering the global consolidation of power in nearly every aspect of our lives. Weaving together breakthroughs in science, consciousness and activism, THRIVE offers real solutions, empowering us with unprecedented and bold strategies for reclaiming our lives and our future. INTERVIEWS in THRIVE Duane Elgin, Nassim Haramein, Steven Greer, Jack Kasher, Daniel Sheehan, Adam Trombly, Brian O'Leary, Vandana Shiva, John Gatto, Deepak Chopra, David Icke, Catherine Austin Fitts, G. "STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING, sit down, and watch this film! -Mark Heley, Blogger "THRIVE is more than a documentary relevant to the times. -Odyssey Magazine AVAILABLE in 27 LANGUAGES In order to make THRIVE accessible to a worldwide audience, the movie has been dubbed and subtitled in many additional languages: “Great! “THRIVE is more than a documentary relevant to the times.
New Evidence Shows How Russian Soldiers Executed Men in Bucha This article contains images of graphic violence. BUCHA, Ukraine — It is the last time the men would be seen alive: In two videos, Russian paratroopers march them at gunpoint along a street in Bucha, a suburb of Kyiv. Some of the Ukrainian captives are hunched over, holding the belts of those in front of them. Others have their hands over their heads. “Walk to the right, bitch,” one of the soldiers orders them. The videos, filmed on March 4 by a security camera and a witness in a nearby house and obtained by The New York Times, are the clearest evidence yet that the men were in the custody of Russian troops minutes before being executed. “Hostages are lying there, against the fence,” the person filming one of the videos says. The men are forced to the ground, including one wearing a distinctive bright blue hooded sweatshirt. The video ends. A drone video filmed a day later on March 5, also obtained by The Times, is the first visual evidence that confirms the eyewitness accounts. Mr. Mr.
See You in the Cosmos 2017 juvenile novel by Jack Cheng Cheng composed the initial idea for the novel in 2012, after seeing a photo of the Pale Blue Dot, and was further inspired by a road trip he took in 2013. Although it was published as children's literature, the book handles themes including sex, violence, and mental illness. The novel was received positively, and won or was nominated for several accolades. Alex's characterization were praised, with the narrative style getting more mixed reviews. Background[edit] Jack (born Yuan)[note 1] Cheng was born in Shanghai, China, in around 1984, and immigrated to Troy, Michigan, when he was five, with his younger brother. Cheng researched topics of social work and child protective services, some of the main plot points of the novel, with the help of several friends. Although he is an Asian-American, Cheng did not create the novel based on Asian-American representation. Plot[edit] Per Ancestry.com, Alex's dad Joseph David Petroski is located in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Irreverent atheists crowdsource charitable giving close dialog Artificial intelligence positioned to be a game-changer The following script is from “Artificial Intelligence,” which aired on Oct. 9, 2016. Charlie Rose is the correspondent. Nichole Marks, producer. The search to improve and eventually perfect artificial intelligence is driving the research labs of some of the most advanced and best-known American corporations. In the past few years, artificial intelligence -- or A.I. -- has taken a big leap -- making important strides in areas like medicine and military technology. It was, for decades, primitive technology. The technology is so promising that IBM has staked its 105-year-old reputation on its version of artificial intelligence called Watson -- one of the most sophisticated computing systems ever built. John Kelly, is the head of research at IBM and the godfather of Watson. Charlie Rose: Oh, here we are. John Kelly: Here we are. Charlie Rose: You can feel the heat already. Charlie Rose: Tell me about Watson’s intelligence. John Kelly: So it has no inherent intelligence as it starts.
How Lola Omolola started FIN, a private Facebook group with 1.7 million members | by Bailey Richardson | People & Company Bailey Richardson: How did you realize you needed to reach other Nigerian women? Lola Omolola: My story didn’t start the day I hit “create group” on Facebook at all. I had to go through a personal awakening first. I was only 11 when I first woke up to the fact that my experience of the world as a woman was different from my brother’s experience. BR: What happened when you were 11 years old? LO: There was a party at our family house. I said, “Okay Dad.” I’d tell them I couldn’t because my Dad told me to study. This was the first day it occurred to me that the expectations placed on me are absolutely different from those on my brother. BR: Describe the moment you decided to start a Facebook group. LO: In 2014, I turned on the news here in Chicago. Whenever I turned on the radio and TV following that event, everyone wanted to talk about terrorism, saying terrorism was responsible for what happened. It was a structural woman’s issue. BR: How did you prepare the FIN Facebook page to go live?
Voyager Golden Record Two phonograph records on board Voyager spacecraft Cover of the Voyager Golden Record The golden record's location on Voyager (middle-bottom-left) The Voyager Golden Records are two identical phonograph records which were included aboard the two Voyager spacecraft launched in 1977.[1] The records contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth, and are intended for any intelligent extraterrestrial life form who may find them. The records are a time capsule. Although neither Voyager spacecraft is heading toward any particular star, Voyager 1 will pass within 1.6 light-years' distance of the star Gliese 445, currently in the constellation Camelopardalis, in about 40,000 years.[2] Carl Sagan noted that "The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced space-faring civilizations in interstellar space, but the launching of this 'bottle' into the cosmic 'ocean' says something very hopeful about life on this planet Disc one
Judith Jarvis Thomson: A Defense of Abortion Judith Jarvis Thomson: A Defense of Abortion From Philosophy & Public Affairs, Vol. 1, no. 1 (Fall 1971). (Reprinted in "Intervention and Reflection: Basic Issues in Medical Ethics," 5th ed., ed. Most opposition to abortion relies on the premise that the fetus is a human being, a person, from the moment of conception. I am inclined to agree, however, that the prospects for "drawing a line" in the development of the fetus look dim. I propose, then, that we grant that the fetus is a person from the moment of conception. It sounds plausible. In this case, of course, you were kidnapped, you didn't volunteer for the operation that plugged the violinist into your kidneys. Nor do they make an exception for a case in which the mother has to spend the nine months of her pregnancy in bed. Some won't even make an exception for a case in which continuation of the pregnancy is likely to shorten the mother's life, they regard abortion as impermissible even to save the mother's life.
sans titre La paroisse Saint-Laurent occupe, entre le faubourg Poissonnière et le faubourg du Temple, la dépression située entre la butte Montmartre et les buttes Chaumont (col de La Chapelle) par où passent les routes de Saint-Denis, de Senlis et de Meaux, chemins très anciens de Paris au Nord et à l’Est du pays. Ces routes franchissaient les marais occupant l’ancien bras de la Seine qui furent petit à petit, à partir du XIIe siècle, drainés et mis en culture. Le grand égout (rues du Château d’Eau et des Petites Ecuries), doublé plus au nord par le fossé Sainte-Opportune (rue des Vinaigriers, rue de Paradis) permet d’assainir ces marais qui deviennent des « coutures » ou « courtilles », terres riches de jardins et de cultures maraîchères. En 1604, des Franciscains réformés, dits Récollets, font construire un couvent rue du faubourg Saint-Martin. La Maison de Saint-Lazare et la congrégation de la Mission. Les embarcadères (1) 99 à 105 rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, ces immeubles existent toujours.
#ShowYourLocalStripes What is #ShowYourLocalStripes ShowYourLocalStripes demonstrates, as simply as possible, how the climate is warming up. It draws inspiration from the original #showyourstripes movement by Ed Hawkins, but with a strong emphasis on local warming trends. Climate change is a real issue; however, we often believe it doesn't affect us - that it's happening somewhere other than where we live. ShowYourLocalStripes is a global call to action: climate change impacts everyone! What do the graphs show? Red stripes indicate that average yearly temperatures are above the mean, while blue stripes indicate lower temperatures. Can I share these graphs? Absolutely! Why clothing? Now that you know the climate is warming up, why not let everyone know with a touch of fashion? Can I order more than 1 item? Yes - just add different items to your cart. How can I get in touch with someone? Feel free to send me an email or a message, and let's have a conversation.