text:
Тэг 'Brain'
Посмотреть все тэги
Keith Barry does brain magic
First, Keith Barry shows us how our brains can fool our bodies -- in a trick that works via podcast too. Then he involves the audience in some jaw-dropping (and even a bit dangerous) feats of brain magic.
Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation
Career analyst Dan Pink examines the puzzle of motivation, starting with a fact that social scientists know but most managers don't: Traditional rewards aren't always as effective as we think. Listen for illuminating stories -- and maybe, a way forward.
The surprising science of happiness
Dan Gilbert, author of "Stumbling on Happiness," challenges the idea that we'll be miserable if we don't get what we want. Our "psychological immune system" lets us feel truly happy even when things don't go as planned.
Your brain on video games
How do fast-paced video games affect the brain? Step into the lab with cognitive researcher Daphne Bavelier to hear surprising news about how video games, even action-packed shooter games, can help us learn, focus and, fascinatingly, multitask. (Filmed at TEDxCHUV.)
Listening to shame
Shame is an unspoken epidemic, the secret behind many forms of broken behavior. Brené Brown, whose earlier talk on vulnerability became a viral hit, explores what can happen when people confront their shame head-on. Her own humor, humanity and vulnerability shine through every word.
The brain in love
Why do we crave love so much, even to the point that we would die for it? To learn more about our very real, very physical need for romantic love, Helen Fisher and her research team took MRIs of people in love -- and people who had just been dumped.
Why we make bad decisions
Dan Gilbert presents research and data from his exploration of happiness -- sharing some surprising tests and experiments that you can also try on yourself. Watch through to the end for a sparkling Q&A with some familiar TED faces.
Feats of memory anyone can do
There are people who can quickly memorize lists of thousands of numbers, the order of all the cards in a deck (or ten!), and much more. Science writer Joshua Foer describes the technique -- called the memory palace -- and shows off its most remarkable feature: anyone can learn how to use it, including him.
What hallucination reveals about our minds
Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks brings our attention to Charles Bonnet syndrome -- when visually impaired people experience lucid hallucinations. He describes the experiences of his patients in heartwarming detail and walks us through the biology of this under-reported phenomenon.
The riddle of experience vs. memory
Using examples from vacations to colonoscopies, Nobel laureate and founder of behavioral economics Daniel Kahneman reveals how our "experiencing selves" and our "remembering selves" perceive happiness differently. This new insight has profound implications for economics, public policy -- and our own self-awareness.
Different ways of knowing
Daniel Tammet has linguistic, numerical and visual synesthesia -- meaning that his perception of words, numbers and colors are woven together into a new way of perceiving and understanding the world. The author of "Born on a Blue Day," Tammet shares his art and his passion for languages in this glimpse into his beautiful mind.
My son was a Columbine shooter. This is my story
Sue Klebold is the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two shooters who committed the Columbine High School massacre, murdering 12 students and a teacher. She's spent years excavating every detail of her family life, trying to understand what she could have done to prevent her son's violence. In this difficult, jarring talk, Klebold explores the intersection between
What's so funny about mental illness?
Diseases of the body garner sympathy, says comedian Ruby Wax -- except those of the brain. Why is that? With dazzling energy and humor, Wax, diagnosed a decade ago with clinical depression, urges us to put an end to the stigma of mental illness.
How we read each other's minds
Sensing the motives and feelings of others is a natural talent for humans. But how do we do it? Here, Rebecca Saxe shares fascinating lab work that uncovers how the brain thinks about other peoples' thoughts -- and judges their actions.
The optimism bias
Are we born to be optimistic, rather than realistic? Tali Sharot shares new research that suggests our brains are wired to look on the bright side -- and how that can be both dangerous and beneficial.
A brain in a supercomputer
Henry Markram says the mysteries of the mind can be solved -- soon. Mental illness, memory, perception: they're made of neurons and electric signals, and he plans to find them with a supercomputer that models all the brain's 100,000,000,000,000 synapses.
The quest to understand consciousness
Every morning we wake up and regain consciousness -- that is a marvelous fact -- but what exactly is it that we regain? Neuroscientist Antonio Damasio uses this simple question to give us a glimpse into how our brains create our sense of self.
What is so special about the human brain?
The human brain is puzzling -- it is curiously large given the size of our bodies, uses a tremendous amount of energy for its weight and has a bizarrely dense cerebral cortex. But: why? Neuroscientist Suzana Herculano-Houzel puts on her detective's cap and leads us through this mystery. By making "brain soup," she arrives at a startling conclusion.
The linguistic genius of babies
At TEDxRainier, Patricia Kuhl shares astonishing findings about how babies learn one language over another -- by listening to the humans around them and "taking statistics" on the sounds they need to know. Clever lab experiments (and brain scans) show how 6-month-old babies use sophisticated reasoning to understand their world.
How your "working memory" makes sense of the world
"Life comes at us very quickly, and what we need to do is take that amorphous flow of experience and somehow extract meaning from it." In this funny, enlightening talk, educational psychologist Peter Doolittle details the importance -- and limitations -- of your "working memory," that part of the brain that allows us to make sense of what's happening right now.
The mysterious workings of the adolescent brain
Why do teenagers seem so much more impulsive, so much less self-aware than grown-ups? Cognitive neuroscientist Sarah-Jayne Blakemore compares the prefrontal cortex in adolescents to that of adults, to show us how typically "teenage" behavior is caused by the growing and developing brain.
Exploring the mind of a killer
Psychopathic killers are the basis for some must-watch TV, but what really makes them tick? Neuroscientist Jim Fallon talks about brain scans and genetic analysis that may uncover the rotten wiring in the nature (and nurture) of murderers. In a too-strange-for-fiction twist, he shares a fascinating family history that makes his work chillingly personal.
A monkey that controls a robot with its thoughts. No, really.
Can we use our brains to directly control machines -- without requiring a body as the middleman? Miguel Nicolelis talks through an astonishing experiment, in which a clever monkey in the US learns to control a monkey avatar, and then a robot arm in Japan, purely with its thoughts. The research has big implications for quadraplegic people -- and maybe for all of
Trust, morality -- and oxytocin
What drives our desire to behave morally? Neuroeconomist Paul Zak shows why he believes oxytocin (he calls it "the moral molecule") is responsible for trust, empathy and other feelings that help build a stable society.
Human nature and the blank slate
Steven Pinker's book The Blank Slate argues that all humans are born with some innate traits. Here, Pinker talks about his thesis, and why some people found it incredibly upsetting.
How brain science will change computing
Treo creator Jeff Hawkins urges us to take a new look at the brain -- to see it not as a fast processor, but as a memory system that stores and plays back experiences to help us predict, intelligently, what will happen next.
The real reason for brains
Neuroscientist Daniel Wolpert starts from a surprising premise: the brain evolved, not to think or feel, but to control movement. In this entertaining, data-rich talk he gives us a glimpse into how the brain creates the grace and agility of human motion.
Ian Dunbar on dog-friendly dog training
Speaking at the 2007 EG conference, trainer Ian Dunbar asks us to see the world through the eyes of our beloved dogs. By knowing our pets' perspective, we can build their love and trust. It's a message that resonates well beyond the animal world.
Will our kids be a different species?
Throughout human evolution, multiple versions of humans co-existed. Could we be mid-upgrade now? At TEDxSummit, Juan Enriquez sweeps across time and space to bring us to the present moment -- and shows how technology is revealing evidence that suggests rapid evolution may be under way.
What do babies think?
"Babies and young children are like the R&D division of the human species," says psychologist Alison Gopnik. Her research explores the sophisticated intelligence-gathering and decision-making that babies are really doing when they play.
On being just crazy enough
At TED's Full Spectrum Auditions, comedian Joshua Walters, who's bipolar, walks the line between mental illness and mental "skillness." In this funny, thought-provoking talk, he asks: What's the right balance between medicating craziness away and riding the manic edge of creativity and drive?
Dan Ariely on our buggy moral code
Behavioral economist Dan Ariely studies the bugs in our moral code: the hidden reasons we think it's OK to cheat or steal (sometimes). Clever studies help make his point that we're predictably irrational -- and can be influenced in ways we can't grasp.
Can we build AI without losing control over it?
Scared of superintelligent AI? You should be, says neuroscientist and philosopher Sam Harris — and not just in some theoretical way. We're going to build superhuman machines, says Harris, but we haven't yet grappled with the problems associated with creating something that may treat us the way we treat ants.
The social animal
Tapping into the findings of his latest book, NYTimes columnist David Brooks unpacks new insights into human nature from the cognitive sciences -- insights with massive implications for economics and politics as well as our own self-knowledge. In a talk full of humor, he shows how you can't hope to understand humans as separate individuals making choices based on
A monkey economy as irrational as ours
Laurie Santos looks for the roots of human irrationality by watching the way our primate relatives make decisions. A clever series of experiments in "monkeynomics" shows that some of the silly choices we make, monkeys make too.
The technology of the heart
His Holiness the Karmapa talks about how he was discovered to be the reincarnation of a revered figure in Tibetan Buddhism. In telling his story, he urges us to work on not just technology and design, but the technology and design of the heart. He is translated onstage by Tyler Dewar.
I am my connectome
Sebastian Seung is mapping a massively ambitious new model of the brain that focuses on the connections between each neuron. He calls it our "connectome," and it's as individual as our genome -- and understanding it could open a new way to understand our brains and our minds.
A map of the brain
How can we begin to understand the way the brain works? The same way we begin to understand a city: by making a map. In this visually stunning talk, Allan Jones shows how his team is mapping which genes are turned on in each tiny region, and how it all connects up.
Your brain is more than a bag of chemicals
Modern psychiatric drugs treat the chemistry of the whole brain, but neurobiologist David Anderson believes in a more nuanced view of how the brain functions. He illuminates new research that could lead to targeted psychiatric medications -- that work better and avoid side effects. How's he doing it? For a start, by making a bunch of fruit flies angry. (Filmed
How electroshock therapy changed me
Surgeon and author Sherwin Nuland discusses the development of electroshock therapy as a cure for severe, life-threatening depression -- including his own. It's a moving and heartfelt talk about relief, redemption and second chances.
Memes and "temes"
Susan Blackmore studies memes: ideas that replicate themselves from brain to brain like a virus. She makes a bold new argument: Humanity has spawned a new kind of meme, the teme, which spreads itself via technology -- and invents ways to keep itself alive
Why some people are more altruistic than others
Why do some people do selfless things, helping other people even at risk to their own well-being? Psychology researcher Abigail Marsh studies the motivations of people who do extremely altruistic acts, like donating a kidney to a complete stranger. Are their brains just different?
Michael Merzenich on re-wiring the brain
Neuroscientist Michael Merzenich looks at one of the secrets of the brain's incredible power: its ability to actively re-wire itself. He's researching ways to harness the brain's plasticity to enhance our skills and recover lost function.
Toward a new understanding of mental illness
Today, thanks to better early detection, there are 63% fewer deaths from heart disease than there were just a few decades ago. Thomas Insel, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health, wonders: Could we do the same for depression and schizophrenia? The first step in this new avenue of research, he says, is a crucial reframing: for us to stop thinking
Suddenly, my body
Poet, writer, activist Eve Ensler lived in her head. In this powerful talk from TEDWomen, she talks about her lifelong disconnection from her body -- and how two shocking events helped her to connect with the reality, the physicality of being human.
A light switch for neurons
Ed Boyden shows how, by inserting genes for light-sensitive proteins into brain cells, he can selectively activate or de-activate specific neurons with fiber-optic implants. With this unprecedented level of control, he's managed to cure mice of analogs of PTSD and certain forms of blindness. On the horizon: neural prosthetics. Session host Juan Enriquez leads a brief
Kwabena Boahen on a computer that works like the brain
Researcher Kwabena Boahen is looking for ways to mimic the brain's supercomputing powers in silicon -- because the messy, redundant processes inside our heads actually make for a small, light, superfast computer.
How your brain tells you where you are
How do you remember where you parked your car? How do you know if you're moving in the right direction? Neuroscientist Neil Burgess studies the neural mechanisms that map the space around us, and how they link to memory and imagination.
Could future devices read images from our brains?
As an expert on cutting-edge digital displays, Mary Lou Jepsen studies how to show our most creative ideas on screens. And as a brain surgery patient herself, she is driven to know more about the neural activity that underlies invention, creativity, thought. She meshes these two passions in a rather mind-blowing talk on two cutting-edge brain studies that might point
Your brain on improv
Musician and researcher Charles Limb wondered how the brain works during musical improvisation -- so he put jazz musicians and rappers in an fMRI to find out. What he and his team found has deep implications for our understanding of creativity of all kinds.
Inside the mind of a master procrastinator
Tim Urban knows that procrastination doesn't make sense, but he's never been able to shake his habit of waiting until the last minute to get things done. In this hilarious and insightful talk, Urban takes us on a journey through YouTube binges, Wikipedia rabbit holes and bouts of staring out the window — and encourages us to think harder about what we're really
Marvin Minsky on health and the human mind
Listen closely -- Marvin Minsky's arch, eclectic, charmingly offhand talk on health, overpopulation and the human mind is packed with subtlety: wit, wisdom and just an ounce of wily, is-he-joking? advice.
We can start winning the war against cancer
Learn about the latest advances in the war against cancer from Stanford researcher Adam de la Zerda, who's working on some cutting-edge techniques of his own. Using a remarkable imaging technology that illuminates cancer-seeking gold particles injected into the body, de la Zerda's lab hopes to light the way for surgeons to remove even the tiniest trace of deadly
Protecting the brain against concussion
In a lively talk from TEDxDU, neuropsychologist Kim Gorgens makes the case for better protecting our brains against the risk of concussion -- with a compelling pitch for putting helmets on kids.
Gregory Petsko on the coming neurological epidemic
Biochemist Gregory Petsko makes a convincing argument that, in the next 50 years, we'll see an epidemic of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer's, as the world population ages. His solution: more research into the brain and its functions.
A simple way to break a bad habit
Can we break bad habits by being more curious about them? Psychiatrist Judson Brewer studies the relationship between mindfulness and addiction — from smoking to overeating to all those other things we do even though we know they're bad for us. Learn more about the mechanism of habit development and discover a simple but profound tactic that might help you beat your
Daniel Goleman on compassion
Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, asks why we aren't more compassionate more of the time.
Could a drug prevent depression and PTSD?
The path to better medicine is paved with accidental yet revolutionary discoveries. In this well-told tale of how science happens, neuroscientist Rebecca Brachman shares news of a serendipitous breakthrough treatment that may prevent mental disorders like depression and PTSD from ever developing. And listen for an unexpected — and controversial — twist.
Your words may predict your future mental health
Can the way you speak and write today predict your future mental state, even the onset of psychosis? In this fascinating talk, neuroscientist Mariano Sigman reflects on ancient Greece and the origins of introspection to investigate how our words hint at our inner lives and details a word-mapping algorithm that could predict the development of schizophrenia. "We may be
How my mind came back to life — and no one knew
Imagine being unable to say, "I am hungry," "I am in pain," "thank you," or "I love you," — losing your ability to communicate, being trapped inside your body, surrounded by people yet utterly alone. For 13 long years, that was Martin Pistorius's reality. After contracting a brain infection at the age of twelve, Pistorius lost his ability to control his movements and
The brain may be able to repair itself — with help
Through treating everything from strokes to car accident traumas, neurosurgeon Jocelyne Bloch knows the brain's inability to repair itself all too well. But now, she suggests, she and her colleagues may have found the key to neural repair: Doublecortin-positive cells. Similar to stem cells, they are extremely adaptable and, when extracted from a brain, cultured and
Everything you hear on film is a lie
Sound design is built on deception — when you watch a movie or TV show, nearly all of the sounds you hear are fake. In this audio-rich talk, Tasos Frantzolas explores the role of sound in storytelling and demonstrates just how easily our brains are fooled by what we hear.
Don't fear superintelligent AI
New tech spawns new anxieties, says scientist and philosopher Grady Booch, but we don't need to be afraid an all-powerful, unfeeling AI. Booch allays our worst (sci-fi induced) fears about superintelligent computers by explaining how we'll teach, not program, them to share our human values. Rather than worry about an unlikely existential threat, he urges us to
What will humans look like in 100 years?
We can evolve bacteria, plants and animals — futurist Juan Enriquez asks: Is it ethical to evolve the human body? In a visionary talk that ranges from medieval prosthetics to present day neuroengineering and genetics, Enriquez sorts out the ethics associated with evolving humans and imagines the ways we'll have to transform our own bodies if we hope to explore and
How young blood might help reverse aging. Yes, really
Tony Wyss-Coray studies the impact of aging on the human body and brain. In this eye-opening talk, he shares new research from his Stanford lab and other teams which shows that a solution for some of the less great aspects of old age might actually lie within us all.
Clues to prehistoric times, found in blind cavefish
TED Fellow Prosanta Chakrabarty explores hidden parts of the world in search of new species of cave-dwelling fish. These subterranean creatures have developed fascinating adaptations, and they provide biological insights into blindness as well as geological clues about how the continents broke apart million of years ago. Contemplate deep time in this short talk.


Why waste a day with perfect weather in december on being inside all day? Why not enjoy the rare opportunity to enjoy the sunshine? Because indoors we had lots of books and the sunrays from outside created just the perfect light to take some pictures. And a lot of old books, some of them from the 19th century. In one of them I found a flower. In others we could find random notes and scribbles. Some books had beautiful covers, were bound in leather and the pages were covered in exquisite ornamentations.
Two girls with cameras and about 5 boxes filled with books. What a wonderful combination! Most books were unsorted collections from various inheritances. Every box contained a new story about a new person. One person who collected books about travelling. One person who had a faible for historical novels. A person who had collected various doctoral dissertations about the flexibility and charateristics of plywood.
Did you like this post? Please leave a comment!
Hat ein bisschen was von Harry Potter, die Szene.
Die Fotos scheinen sehr träumerisch, fast unwirklich. Sehr schön eingefangen!


It's the end of the movie, and the scene cuts all the way back to the beginning, where the boy and the girl spend their first day together. I've seen the movie, I know they end up together, at least in a way; I know how they feel about each other, I know how it ends. But all I can think, when I see them laughing and running in the tall wild grass up on that windy hill, is this–this is the beginning of their something.
Until now, I never quite understood what my friend said, all the way on a little island in the middle of the ocean, just two kids enjoying being wild and free and navigating the world all on our own, reveling in the little mistakes and trip ups we made along the way. She said that labels are overrated–what's the point of labeling a relationship as something, when it is what it is anyway? Good communication she said, that's what's important. Ah, I said, nodding. Yes, I see. That makes sense. But it didn't really. Two people either were something solid and particular or they weren't… I didn't see the point of avoiding clarification. It felt dangerous otherwise, communication or not.
But now–I've got my own something. It's amazing and wild and precious and magical and sweet and gentle and messy and oh so darn hard and even more comfortable. It's belonging and giggles and a bit fragile and determination. It's living and warm and always changing yet always somehow the same. It's a person. It's something that began when I didn't even know it was beginning and when I wasn't even expecting it and now I just don't want to even imagine myself without it and I don't even know what that would be like and yet at the same time I do know and it's too awful to think about yet I know that we'd be okay at the same time, somehow, someway, even though it doesn't feel like that–and gosh darn it, all I know is that this something is part of my heart and I don't want to lose it.
The boy and the girl in this movie–their something inspired me. They didn't try to label it. Yes, it was messy and even dangerous–they definitely should have defined it more, contained it more. But in some ways, their 'we' reminded me of our 'us.' They were best friends, and something more. They were together, and yet not. But they always fought for each other, even through the years, and in the end, their something ended up working out, even if it wasn't in the way they thought it would. They just remained dedicated to their something, without thinking too hard about what it should be, and just focused on what was. What is. They focused on "Whatever happens tomorrow, we had today." Gosh I'm trying… I'm trying not to squeeze the darn life out of today because I'm terrified of tomorrow. I have to remember that today is good, and just live in it and be ridiculously joyful in it, without breaking all my rules somehow. I have to make as many beautiful and bright memories as I can without being painfully conscious of the fact that I'm making them, that one day they will just be memories–tomorrow in fact. But today, today, today–gosh, Jesus, I am so thankful I have today. Help me live it right.
"Listen, listen. Nothing truly good was ever easy," the boy said to the girl. Listen, listen, I'm listening. I'll try to walk it out, balance the curb, toes pointed, eyes straight ahead, feeling my way through the bumps and dips, alive to the world… focusing on the person holding my hand, keeping me balanced. Focusing on that grip, not worrying about when it will let go of me, and when he does, whether we will ever hold tight to each other again.
When we hugged back in November, I didn't realize that it was the beginning of my something. That the moment would change my next year and even my very self forever. I didn't realize 'we' would become so much a part of my vocabulary and my way of thinking. I didn't realize that I'd finally have a something. And as crazy and hard and scary and beautiful and wondrous as it is–I want to thank you. I wouldn't want it any other way. Thank you for being just that–my something. And I am so so grateful, that we have today to live it.
Nor would ever want to.
We piled into the vans on a cold, grey Saturday morning, friends and strangers alike, most having no idea of the journey ahead of us. Some of us expected to come back changed, and others of us did not–but West Virginia was about to work her untamed magic on us regardless.
Slumber filled car rides turned to noses plastered to chilly windows as the miles wheeled by, passengers staring quietly at the blue mountainscape that scudded past. The road wound up and down, sideways and through, over and dipping softly beneath, depositing us deep into the heart of the wild and wonderful… into a scraggle of unloved houses with flaking white paint and sagging porches.
The community center of BCPIA became our home for the first half of the week–the sprawling hallways covered in children's scrawled names and the artwork of pondering volunteers of years past and the quirky warmth of mismatched armchairs and cramped bunk rooms welcomed us in. Sounds of pattering feet skipping through the halls and coal-black footprints in the showers began to add to the layers of memories that richen the air and dust the baseboards along with the buzzing bodies of millions of ladybugs. Three-hour chicken pot pie pans and nighttime tea adventures added to the flavor and rhythm of living life with twenty-two other human beings, sleeping in the same room, eating off the same dishes, and hearing the same stories of love and betrayal from folk with the lilt of the mountains humming in their speech.
From learning about Joel's hydroponics, losing ourselves in Marsha's time-machine stories by the lake, or dancing the night away to Chester's rollicking music, we immersed ourselves deeper into the land and culture the people of Appalachia hold so dear. We piled onto mattresses in front of a VCR and an old boxy TV and cried for the plight of a small boy with dreams brighter and higher than the mines as we watched October Sky and rose the next morning to blast away pieces of concrete stairs with a sledgehammer, all feeling like mini Thor's.
As the days accumulated, the exhaustion built. Eyelids grew heavy and heads dropped to friends' shoulders. Unplanned naps became almost planned for, and appetites burgeoned as blankets and raincoats became constant companions to shield against wind and storm. Yet even as hearts grew wiser and heavier with knowledge, and minds became chock full of information and calculation, and hearts stretched further with all the emotion they could carry, laughter and mischief still glimmered in eyes and echoed around the halls, and the night was full of sneaking footsteps on creaking stairs and the snores and exasperated giggles of a new family, bonded together through an experience that had never been expected, and some never thought they'd have.
Waiting for you is like waiting for a flower to bloom.
That you believe in Spring.
You want It to be real too.
So many other things can be.
At waiting for things to grow.
That has awakened to It's warm touch.
That it will fix you too.
You tell me not to wait.
And are scared that Spring won't come.
When I write about love, it's a complicated thing.
I'm not talking about a crush, or a fleeting friendship or obsession… I'm talking about love. Whether romantic love or friendship love or family love. Just love.
It's hard. It's beautiful. It's messy. It's darn complicated. It's so so good. It can take you to towers of happiness or holes of sadness. Often it does both.
Falling in love… what is that even? 'Falling' is accurate… one day you're walking along, and then you're suddenly moving faster and you're not sure why, and then you accelerate and accelerate without even trying until all of a sudden you realize you're falling, falling toward something that reaches out to catch you, but all the same you're afraid that you'll miss it. How do you even know you're falling in love? How do you know you're not just falling? Or that you're even moving at all? What I think–you don't. You don't know. You don't know until you've been caught and everything is okay and the world is right and the sun is brighter than you've ever seen it. So when you're falling, tumbling through the air with a dropping feeling in your stomach that's equal parts excitement and fear, you just have to shut your eyes tight and hope that a certain someone will be there to catch you. Falling into love would be a better phrase. Yes, that's it. Falling into love.
So much of love is trust. Trust in yourself. Trust in the person waiting to catch you. Trust in Jesus. No matter the situation, this is true. But the more complicated it is, the more this is true. The more trust is needed, in greater measure and fiercer strength. A simultaneous holding onto someone tighter than you ever have held anything before and also an uncurling of the fingers, an opening of the fists, palms flat and open, saying I trust that this good thing won't run away from me. A trust that this whole crazy thing is going to work out, somehow, someway.
Yet an even crazier realization–you can hurt someone through love, even mutual love, sometimes especially through mutual love. When there's something between you, love can push you harder and harder into that wall until you feel the hard diamond cold impressed on your skin and aching deep within your bones. Yet I'd much rather be hurt by love than not have it, the belonging and home and warmth and reassurance and hope and just pure joy it brings. And any wall can be moved. Any wall. No matter how freaking tall or wide or hard or dark it is… as long as you can still feel the person on the other side, you can break through or climb over or tunnel under. Don't stop believing that, even for a second. Never ever ever. Because that's what makes us human, that what makes life worth living–that will to fight for love and keep on loving no matter the cost. That's what love truly is–determination to belong with someone no matter what, just because they are them and you are you. What a simple, blazing strong, most wonderful thing. What a thing to call mine, home, a flame in my heart to keep me burning all my days.
Jesus, give me the wisdom to love the right way. Jesus, give me the bravery to follow hard after the truth. Jesus, give me strength even when it hurts. Jesus, help me trust that you're the God of miracles.


text:
package org.apache.droids.examples;

import java.util.Queue;
import org.apache.droids.api.Handler;
import org.apache.droids.api.Link;
import org.apache.droids.api.TaskMaster;
import org.apache.droids.api.Worker;
import org.apache.droids.examples.handler.ExceptionReportHandler;
import org.apache.droids.robot.crawler.CrawlingDroid;
import org.apache.droids.robot.crawler.CrawlingWorker;

public class ExceptionCrawlingDroid extends CrawlingDroid {

	public ExceptionCrawlingDroid(Queue<Link> queue, TaskMaster<Link> taskMaster) {
		super(queue, taskMaster);
	}

	@Override
	public Worker<Link> getNewWorker() {
		final CrawlingWorker worker = new CrawlingWorker(this);
		Handler testHandler = new ExceptionReportHandler();
		worker.setHandlerFactory(DroidsFactory
				.createDefaultHandlerFactory(testHandler));
		return worker;
	}

}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Afghanistan? That Is Now The Afghans' Problem!
The Taliban have been in power for four months. They plunged Afghanistan into several catastrophes, but the West is no longer paying close attention. That will take revenge.
Since the Taliban took Kabul on August 15, 2021 and thus became rulers of Afghanistan, they have promised the world to respect human rights, to give women space in society, to include minorities, to allow cultural activities, to guarantee freedom of the press and for peace within themselves Country to worry.
They say this because they want to reassure the world community. After all, as the rulers of Afghanistan, you are dependent on international financial aid. But there are people in Europe and America who believe the Taliban that they have moderated themselves over the past 20 years and will do better now.
But why should the Taliban do that, having just won a brilliant military victory over the West after twenty years of war? The loser cannot tell the winner what to do and what values to represent.
Anti-vaccine Protesters
And the Taliban know: After this bloody and costly defeat, the West wants to forget Afghanistan as quickly as possible, and does not want to listen and look so closely in order to be able to give in to the illusion that Afghanistan has nothing to do with it.
But that's not how it works. These days Afghanistan is experiencing several disasters at once, which sooner or later will have an impact far beyond Afghanistan.
Almost every week journalists posted videos on social networks, showing how sometimes a man, sometimes a woman, sometimes a couple is stoned. The delinquents are buried up to their hips, sometimes they kneel on the ground with their legs tied up, and then men nearby grab stones and throw them at these people until they lie there motionless and bloody.
Often hundreds of people stand at the scene of the atrocities and watch as if it were a civilized, acceptable way of dealing with people. The offenses that the victims are accused of are sometimes an illegitimate relationship, sometimes homosexuality, sometimes something else that does not fit into the backward worldview of the Taliban. It is difficult to check how current these videos are. But my friends say that their contacts in different regions confirm these executions.
Women have long since disappeared from public space. Women are no longer allowed to go to work or to universities, girls in most regions are no longer allowed to go to schools - and if so, then only up to fourth grade. Protests by courageous women against the new rulers no longer get the attention they deserve. Journalists who were allowed to appear on the screen in August to show that this time everything will be different than in the 1990s, when the Taliban ruled Afghanistan for the first time, have long since lost their jobs. Many of them have fled abroad. Female judges and prosecutors have been sent home; not a single woman is in the government.
Extensive Powers Of Saudi Crown Prince
Likewise, ethnic minorities such as the Shiite Hazaras are not represented. Only those who belong to the Taliban are included in the power structures. The soldiers of the Afghan army, who fought alongside NATO against the Taliban, were fired, murdered, many fled abroad, some defected to the Taliban.
Journalists who dare to ask critical questions, or who appear even in the slightest insubordinate, are threatened, beaten, thrown in jail or killed. The freedom of the press, which has hardly existed in a country that has been at war for more than four decades, has been weakened again. The Taliban, who destroyed several centuries-old Buddha statues in the province of Bamiyan in March 2001, certainly do not allow art and culture apart from their archaic Islamist cultural ideas.
It all happens in a country that has one of the youngest populations in the world. 40 percent of people are under 14 years old, just under three percent over 65 years of age. Is it surprising that hundreds of thousands of Afghans are on the run in search of a better future? Not only do the thousands of local workers who have worked for NATO troops, want to leave the country, but many more people. On Monday, 273 students from the Afghanistan National Institute of Music and their families landed in Lisbon.
They received asylum and now want to establish their school in Portugal, in the hope of being able to return to Afghanistan at some point in the future.
Torture, murder, kidnapping
Four months after taking power, it is clear that the Taliban have kept none of their promises. They torture, murder, kidnap. Most of it is not documented or reported, almost none of it is penalized. Even the promise that there will be no more terrorist threat from Afghan soil, as it did on September 11, 2001, is unlikely to be kept: the terrorist networks Islamic State and Al Qaeda have long been in the process of strengthening their foundations in Afghanistan and young warriors to recruit. The Taliban are fighting these organizations, not because they consider their ideology or their actions to be wrong, but because they see them as competition. Even those terrorism experts who are not prone to alarmism say it is a matter of time before violence starts again from these groups.
Vladimir The Great!
The economically disastrous situation drives many people into the arms of extremists, who at least guarantee people a regular salary and a warm meal a day. More than 90 percent of all people in Afghanistan now live in poverty, and the trend is rising, as the United Nations has warned. More than half of the population suffers from hunger, partly because the harvests were poor this year due to the drought. In concrete figures: around 14 million people in Afghanistan do not have enough to eat, 3.4 million children are malnourished. Infant mortality is increasing dramatically and parents are selling their children as labor to ensure their survival, reports the World Food Program. The corona pandemic, a writer is hardly perceived as a problem anymore because violence, poverty, hunger and lack of freedom are perceived much more immediately than much larger crises. "When it comes to Corona, many people say: Then you die of the disease," he writes to me.
"Grace and Compassion"?
And what are the Taliban, i.e. the government officials, doing? More prayers, more severe punishment of critics, stimulating drug trafficking, confiscation of valuables and sales of abandoned US weapons. And because they know that no one is looking very closely, the incumbent Foreign Minister of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, says he is asking "the US and the West for mercy and compassion". They may release frozen $ 10 billion in payments to help the "millions of people in need" in Afghanistan. Only a little later, the spokesman for the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan", Zabiullah Mujahid, announced that the political model of neighboring Pakistan did not represent an "Islamic system" - at a time when Taliban allies in Pakistan were breaking the ceasefire and launching attacks on the Pakistani military.
Mercy and compassion for the hungry and suffering in Afghanistan? Certainly. But for the Taliban? For a group of an estimated 100,000 men who have taken an entire country of almost 39 million people hostage and trample on basic rights? It is a dilemma: in order to be able to help people, you have to rely on cooperation with the Taliban - and yet every accommodation will strengthen the extremists.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Hans Raj Dogra (died August 1999) was an Indian politician and member of the Indian National Congress . Dogra was a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly from Doda constituency in 1972.

References

People from Jammu
Dogra people
Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu & Kashmir National Conference politicians
Jammu and Kashmir MLAs 1996–2002
1931 births
2005 deaths

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


ISEA2016 au Think Tank, Innovation Tower, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
In the past few decades, the intensity of the transformational forces that disrupt the "urban condition" has called into question the claims to control and stability upon which the ambitions of the urbanist project have traditionally been based. This state of things is not without repercussions on the ways of imagining, theorizing and putting into practice urbanism and the territorial project. If the relation to fluxes can be operated by the action of bigscale architectural infrastructures, the deployment of a constellation of urban microelements would constitute another way of thinking and implementing the idea of infrastructure as an equipment that is atomised, reticular, open and malleable. An ultralight approach to urbanism reframes the role and ambition of microintervention in the urban project as a strategic territorial vector of action. What was usually belittled or simply not even seen by the conventional architecture and urbanism approaches– the very small, the moving, the informal : the "plankton" – thus regains a new informative and operational value to imagine territorial intervention. "Plankton" not as a cluster of indistinct, apathetic and passive organisms, but rather as a virtually multitude of small devices meant to facilitate varied performances and uses, a moving myriad for a creative colonization of the spatial and temporal potentials of the urban landscape.
ConcreteCITY focuses on the imagination of urban sites, their materiality, usage and memory. By interfering with what is normally a given "state" of operations, the intervention reveals an "augmented everyday soundtrack" leaving the field open to exploring the potential of the sounds of the city, the interaction with urban spaces and objects and the diverse interpretations of what surrounds us. ConcreteCity reveals itself as a sonic experience of i nexplicable beauty, evoking the Sharawadji effect.


Collect, organize, and present information for annual contracts such as employee benefits, vendor contracts, commercial insurance policies, etc.
FiveWows, LLC is not licensed or certified in Human Resources. We recommend contacting an attorney or Human Resource Professional regarding the legality of company documents. FiveWows, LLC is not responsible, or liable, for any claims, loss or damage resulting from the business relationship created with the Client.
*All changes, updates, and documents are to be provided by Client.
Client is responsible for set up and fees associated with the maintenance of their accounts.
Take advantage of FiveWows Human Resource services today!


Through the SGA, men have the opportunity to not only play different formats through the weekly events but will also be able to socialize with the various members of the SGA. The cost for the 2018 SGA is $45 per person (exclusive of daily golf fees) and will shotgun start each Thursday morning at 8:30 am.
Open registration for new members begins March 1st. For additional details about our Senior Golf Association, please call Dave Johns or Kelly Adams at 540-442-6502 or email David.Johns@harrisonburgva.gov or kelly.adams@harrisonburgva.gov.


text:
Backwardness is a lack of progress by a person or group to some perceived cultural norm of advancement, such as for example traditional societies relative to modern scientific and technologically advanced industrialized societies.

Gerschenkron's model
The backwardness model is a theory of economic growth created by Alexander Gerschenkron. The model postulates that the more backward an economy is at the outset of economic development, the more likely certain conditions are to occur:

Special institutions, including banks or the state, will be necessary to properly channel physical capital and human capital to industries.
There will be an emphasis on the production of producer goods rather than consumer goods.
There will be an emphasis on capital-intensive production rather than labor-intensive production.
There will be a great scale of production and enterprise.
There will be a reliance on borrowed rather than local technologies.
The role of the agricultural sector, as a market for new industries, will be small.
There will be a reliance on productivity growth.

The backwardness model is often contrasted with the Rostovian take-off model developed by W.W. Rostow, which presents a more linear and structuralist model of economic growth, planning it out in defined stages. The two models are not mutually exclusive, however, and many countries appear to follow both models rather adequately.

Veblen

Thorstein Veblen's 1915 Imperial Germany and the Industrial Revolution is an extended essay comparing the United Kingdom and Germany, and concluding that the slowing of growth in Britain and the rapid advances in Germany were due to the "penalty of taking the lead".

British industry worked out, in a context of small competing firms, the best ways to produce efficiently. Germany's backwardness gave it an advantage in that the best practice could be adopted in large-scale firms.

Further reading

References

Economics models


Ohio has earned the dubious reputation of becoming a hot spot for bloodsucking bed bugs. That's not the type of reputation any state wants as it negatively impacts business owners, residents, and travelers.
The word "epidemic" is being used frequently to describe the current situation in Ohio. While bed bug infestations occur around the United States, some of the northeastern cities in Ohio have taken on epic proportions of these wily and secretive pests.
Dayton, Columbus, Canton, and Akron are a few of the hardest hit cities and nowhere is immune. Bed bugs have been spotted in schools, doctor offices, and retail stores, just to name a few.
Bed bugs are adept at moving from location to location. Signs of bed bugs, besides the itchy bites, include the yellow skins these pests have shed, and dark stains on sheets, comforters, and mattresses. They hide in dark secure places such as between couch cushions, inside crevices along baseboards, stored boxes, backpacks, and even loose wallpaper.
If you want to avoid being known as the "hottest ticket in town" for bed bugs, get NJ pest control professionals involved. Their expert knowledge and bed bug savvy techniques can ensure a bed-bug-free environment. For an inspection and plan of action, contact Stern Environmental to schedule one of our NJ pest control technicians to give your home the once-over for finding potential pesky problems.
Come Hear All the Recent Facts and Ways to Fight Bed Bugs at the November 27th Summit!
NJ pest control professionals who want to learn more about bed bugs can do so at the upcoming Global Bed Bug Summit. The event takes place at the Sheraton Denver Downtown in Colorado November 27-29, 2018.
The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) is hosting the Summit and has plenty of activities scheduled. There will be industry experts discussing and showing some of the latest innovative information relating to bed bug research.
The Summit will also have a variety of exhibits where you will have access to pest management professionals displaying new techniques and products relating to handling the threat of bed bugs.
On Tuesday, November 27th, The Colorado Pest Control Association will be in town for the Fall Conference held annually. Attendees of the Global Bed Bug Summit are invited to attend and take advantage of gaining more knowledge as well as listening to keynote speaker, Ryan Avery.
The Sheraton Denver Downtown is conveniently located near dining, shopping, and entertainment. From the NPMA website, you can make reservations at the hotel. Reservations made by November 2, 2018, pay $149 per night with the group rate.
At Stern Environmental, our NJ pest control specialists are up-to-date on bed bug news and technology. Whether you have a few bed bugs or a serious infestation, our staff is knowledgeable and has the experience and sophisticated equipment to rid your home of pests. Call today.
Even Mickey Mouse isn't immune to bed bugs as a New York couple staying at the Disney Vero Beach Resort can attest to. According to Kevin Hamedi and Allyson Masciotti-Hamedi, their room was infested with the bloodsucking pests.
Bed bugs are notorious travelers and with more people crisscrossing the globe, there has been an increase in bed bug activity infiltrating modes of transportation, dining venues, and hotels and resorts.
This couple filed suit against the Disney Company stating that they had failed in their obligations to provide precautions.
While bed bugs are a nuisance, there is no evidence these pests carry disease. They hide in dark warm places and venture out of their hiding places in search of warm-blooded food, which is you and your sleeping family.
Bed bugs do not discriminate and will make their home in a 5-star resort as easily as a budget-friendly motel.
Their bites can create red itchy welts and for some the bite can cause an allergic reaction.
For the most part, over-the-counter products won't take the bite out of bed bugs. When they create an infestation, NYC bed bug specialists are needed to eliminate them quickly and efficiently with the right tools and treatments.
Need professional NYC bed bug specialists to take care of your infestation? Contact Stern Environmental Group to schedule an inspection and the best course of action to send bed bugs packing.
Over the last few months, the name AirBnB has become synonymous with bed bug infestations. This is much to the chagrin of the company and their hosts, particularly in New York City. It appears that there is a link between bed bugs and AirBnB, but it's not easy to determine what this really means. As your NYC bed bug specialists, we feel that it's important to get to the bottom of this problem.
Should Travelers Avoid AirBnB in NYC?
That's a great question. AirBnB has become popular among travelers to the Big Apple because it's affordable. However, people who choose this company for lodging may end up bringing home bed bugs.
The people who host for AirBnB in NYC aren't easy to talk to about this problem. They don't want to discuss bed bugs with anyone, or their affiliation with AirBnB. This is because they're illegally renting out their apartments.
Maybe you've recently traveled to New York City and stayed in an AirBnB location. If you think you may have brought bed bugs home with you, you need to get professional help to tackle this problem. At Stern Environmental, we use only the best methods of bed bug treatment available.
Bed bugs are not a problem to take on by yourself. Contact us today for an inspection and our expert bed bug treatment services.


On July 4th I stepped into the jungle wilderness that had become my yard and began to engage in what I can accurately call one of my least favorite parts of adulthood. For several hours in the heat and dirt and humidity I did yard work. Having been in school almost constantly since the first week of March I can say that I understate the issue when I tell you that there were some things to do. But I did it, loathing every second, until things were somewhat under control.
As she went on her way, back to the important business of being four years old on a sunny summer day, I began to think. I thought more about her perspective and WHY she said what she said, than WHAT she said.
She, at four, understood the role of a Father far better than I, at thirty-five, had the ability to. It never crossed her mind that daddy might be working like a rented mule because if his retired neighbor puts in a water-feature the pressure will drive daddy over the edge of sanity. She didn't think that maybe mommy would like to walk into the backyard without feeling like she needs to begin harvesting something. She didn't even think that maybe that's just what grown ups do…they "work the land". No, from her perspective, the reason daddy did all of this was probably for her. Why else would he do it?
I am theologically aware of most of the implications of the Incarnation, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension. I can outline the book of John with bent toward the claims of Christ or the theaters that his proofs were based in or simply from the structure of the text. I have no problem reading complex and scholarly works by men far smarter than I about why God did all the things He did. But at the end of those wide and broad strokes of right doctrine and systematic theology and soteriological implications and pneumatalogical inferences and any other Christian vocabulary that can make us think we have found the end of the Gospel rainbow…at the end of it all is one remarkably simply truth: God did it all because He loves us. Don't argue with me about Him doing what He does for His own glory, I agree. Don't initiate dialogue that demands point/counter-point regarding fulfillment of prophecy and the necessary implications of His character, I am wholeheartedly on board. And to be honest there are times and places for those things, they are needed.


text:
Stories About Urbanism, Adaptation, and Resilience
The Olde Country
My great grandparents arrived in America over a century ago from Sicily. They were dirt poor, uneducated, swarthy, and considered undesirable by the ruling Protestant standard of the day. Sicilians weren't much liked by other Italians to the north back home either. They wandered the country from Alabama to Chicago and eventually settled in Boerum Hill, Brooklyn.
This is the church where members of my family were married, baptized, and eulogized. In the days of the Great Depression in the 1930s my great grandparents raised ten children in a one bedroom apartment with a toilet down the hall they shared with other families. The bathtub was in the kitchen. Water was heated on the stove. In order to help pay the rent they took on boarders – yes, in the same one bedroom apartment – and my great grandmother had to cook for them and do their laundry by hand along with all her other responsibilities. My great grandfather lost both his legs while on the job at the railroads. He was fired for being careless. No pension. No Social Security. No nothing. He had to buy his own wooden legs. Afterward he sold things from a pushcart on the street to earn money.
The Boerum Hill of the 1940s and early 50s was slightly better. The economy had improved, the working class was able to more easily provide for essentials, and new government programs had created a partial safety net. My maternal grandfather had multiple sclerosis and died when my mother was six years old. After that things went from one kind of bad to another. They moved to live with relatives in Hialeah, Florida and later migrated to Los Angeles with other relatives. That's one benefit of having nine siblings and an endless supply of cousins.
The thing that fascinates me about Boerum Hill is the way the neighborhood remained largely the same physically for nearly two centuries, but experienced wild demographic and economic pendulum swings. Beginning in the 1840s wealthy families built grand single family homes and luxury apartment buildings on what had been an old Dutch farm belonging to the Boerum family. Poor people don't build elegant four story brick row houses with intricately carved doors and stone architectural details. And no landlord ever builds such places for low rent inhabitants. The place had declined spectacularly by the time my immigrant ancestors arrive. Otherwise they would have been priced out. As it happens, property owners could subdivide a grand old home into a dozen cramped apartments and get them to cash flow by sheer volume and deferred maintenance.
The raft of policies collectively called the G.I. Bill that were signed in to law by President Roosevelt near the end of World War II created an artificial middle class out of the same impoverished immigrant stock that had once occupied tenement buildings. The Irish, Greeks, Jews, Slavs, and Italians didn't change. Instead, the nature of our national institutions shifted in such a way as to more completely fold them in to the fabric of society. As that freshly minted middle class migrated to the newly built suburbs an economic and cultural vacuum was left behind in the older urban neighborhoods. That vacuum in Boerum Hill was filled by the segments of the population that were intentionally excluded from the post war boom. As my elderly relatives used to say, the old neighborhood got very dark.
By the early 1970s Boerum Hill had hit bottom and it stayed there until the late 1990s. The underclass was largely ignored by the authorities, the schools and public parks were left to fester, and landlords had no incentive to do much of anything with their properties except extract rents from whoever might pay.
Today Boerum Hill is the most expensive neighborhood in New York City outside of Manhattan. It was rediscovered by the kinds of people who can afford to spend several million dollars on a charming old brick row house, gut renovate it, and bring it back to its 1800s charm, give or take some mod cons. Local shops and restaurants now cater to an upscale crowd in the same buildings that once stood boarded up. The neighborhood has come full circle, complete with private Montessori schools and artisanal craft beers. My great grandparents would be mystified – and completely priced out.
This isn't a story about the Triumph of the City. New York is New York. It's its own special weird kind of place that doesn't necessarily translate to downtown Peoria, Fresno, or Harrisburg. But the ups and downs of Boerum Hill provides a kind of natural experiment. Over time… things change. And the change comes for reasons and in ways no one can ever entirely predict. The exclusive gated communities of North Dallas may persevere, or they might not. The semi abandoned slums of Detroit may fester forever. But it ain't necessarily so…
I'm an amateur architecture buff with a passionate interest in where and how we all live and occupy the landscape, from small rural towns to skyscrapers and everything in between. I travel often, conduct interviews with people of interest, and gather photos and video of places worth talking about. The good, the bad, and the ugly - it's all fascinating to me.	View all posts by Johnny
Categories UncategorizedTags Boerum Hill, Brooklyn, G.I. Bill, Gentrification, High property values, High rents, Immigrant housing, Incremental urbanism, Individual response, New York, Overcrowding, Post War boom, Substandard housing, Suburban migration, Tenements, Traditional Urbanism, Urban decay, Urban decline, Working class neighborhoods23 Comments
23 thoughts on "The Olde Country"
daodow says:
Wedgewood stove in that kitchen. Geometric patterned curtains. Groovy linoleum. Googie-ish Formica table. A lot of your grandmother's tableau could be repurposed today on the show "Best Room Wins".
larrylittlefield says:
"Poor people don't build elegant four story brick row houses with intricately carved doors and stone architectural details. And no landlord ever builds such places for low rent inhabitants."
Here's the thing about 100 to 150 years ago. I'll bet the tenement hellhole your ancestors lived in had a masonry facade, masonry lintels, stone architectural details, and an impressive door. Even for poor people! But with as little money as possible spent on the inside.
Whereas 1980s-1990s houses had as little money as possible spent on the facade, but all kinds of bucks spent on the interior and sheer square footage.
It's amazing how much the square footage per family has increased in the last couple generations years. I was recently looking at some census data about here in Milwaukee. The population peaked in 1960 at 741K & has fallen almost 150K people since. What's interesting is that in 1960 there were 230K households. And today, there are 230K households.
Also around 1960, we stopped putting using lead service lines & we know today that 46% of properties in the city have them. Some were replaced along the way, but I think it's reasonable proxy to say the city roughly doubled it's built environment in the last 60 years.
So same number of households but markedly smaller, all using twice as much square footage, all in ~60 years. AND most would call the city's sea of 1920s bungalows & walk-up apartment buildings as inadequately small by today's standards. I'm sure someone has analyzed it, but I would guess that the typical American is using 3-4 times as much square footage as pre-war.
Brent D says:
I couldn't help but notice the small note about North Dallas. I live in that area and have been tracking "texas teardowns" the past few years, which have greatly accelerated in pace in this area of Dallas. Makes for great pictures of new/old and before/after. If you're ever in the area let me know and I'll give you a tour.
Lathechuck says:
This is off-topic for today, but you might be interested: Look into "Pineland Prairie", a 3400-acre mixed-use real-estate development starting to take shape near Palm City, Florida. It was featured in a long piece in the Washington Post a week or two ago. The piece was long and "glowing", but there was no hint of possible difficulties due to rising sea level. Wikipedia says that the elevation of Palm City is 7 feet. That's not much of a storm surge now, and it's not going to get better any time soon.
Funny. My next post is about Florida…
That's some solid peasant stock you come from there. I've got Sicilian ancestors as well, via Buffalo. What's interesting is the way the melting pot worked back then. I'm not sure whether it was voluntary assimilation, but my last name became anglicized over time, a fact which I discovered one day in Italian 101 when my Professoressa politely informed my that I'd been pronouncing and spelling my surname "wrong" all these years.
I started pronouncing it correctly, but it never quite stuck. Through intermarriage, I also have German speaking Catholics, Anglo Canadians and White Southerners in my family tree. The Southern branch is by far the oldest, with one English Quaker ancestor landing in Philly in the 1600s. Offspring of that family drifted South into North Carolina & Georgia as the frontier opened up, with one of them joining the land rush into Oklahoma in the late 1800s. Then one of his grandkids (my grandfather) took the leap to California after WWII…
Oops, sorry for the novel. I find this stuff interesting. Point is, genealogy is fun but being an American can get pretty complicated if you try to stick to your hyphenated identity for more than a generation. The same might true of neighborhoods?
Being Sicilian is already complicated enough even before arriving in the New World. Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Scandinavians, Turks… Everyone passed through over the centuries. I had my DNA tested and half the planet lit up.
I've had DNA test(s) too. The reason half the planet lit up could be because Sicily is complicated or (more likely) because these tests are bogus, at least from a consumer point of view. My tests came back with wildly different results. I mean, they all showed me that I was European but one had me at 50% Scandinavian and another had me at 20% Turkish and so on. People will generally take one test and begin drawing conclusions. Please don't do that. They're very blunt instruments.
They may improve over time, but for now the only thing they're good for is for Elizabeth Warren type test, where you're trying to see if you have any ancestry from a very different population. Otherwise, if you're reading this and considering one of those tests, please save your money and what you have left of your privacy.
I moved outside of NYC (to Woodcliff Lake, NJ) in 1979 and we used to go into "the city" which was exhilirating but also quite frightening.
If you drove too far over the George Washington Bridge you would end up in the burned out South Bronx, and if your car broke down on the West Side Highway at 145th St., good luck for you. Brooklyn was only "gentrified" in Brooklyn Heights, and the trains were an abomination everywhere. In Times Square, you would see pidgeons, porn, XXX theaters and the best place was The Port Authority.
A friend of my parents worked as an executive at a trucking firm in the W. 30s. He told my father and mother they should buy (with their friend) a small one bedroom apartment for $30,000 in Chelsea. My parents never went into it.
I don't think any of us forty years ago would have imagined that every square of inch of NYC, from Harlem to Flatbush to Staten Island to Riverdale would be considered "prime" real estate and that one could have retired comfortably by merely owning a one bedroom apartment in West Chelsea.
But, like you, I draw the same conclusion that what looks perfect and insurmountably prosperous now could be swept into decline or even poverty by forces beyond our control. Who's to say what massive flood, nuclear war, stock market meltdown, or even a measles epidemic could do to prosperous, restored, tidy Brooklyn?
The possible decline of a currently prosperous place is one side of the coin. Turn that coin over and you might see a forgotten under appreciated place that will rise in value and importance in the future. The tricky bit is figuring out which is which…
The brick and stone houses of Boerum Hill were built to last 200+ years and have already lasted over 150 years and still look great if the photos are any indication.
I have my doubts that anything we have built in the last several decades will still be functioning in any recognizable form in 150 years. The places will still be there. the structures? At least the smaller scale stuff? I think not so much.
The thing I have learned the most from reading the Strong Towns blog is how towns and neighborhoods used to evolve organically whereas today they are built to completion from the start and then have nothing left to do but slowly slide into decay. I think about that a lot when I drive around my own suburb and wonder what if anything we are building today will ever last.
Arnie Kriegbaum (@mimizhusband) says:
yes. city leadership is almost always old people that are trying to prop up their town using 50-70 year old ideas. only when government completely ignores something can it manage to regain life
capitalistroader1 says:
"The Irish, Greeks, Jews, Slavs, and Italians didn't change. Instead, the nature of our national institutions shifted in such a way as to more completely fold them in to the fabric of society."
The flurry of new immigration restrictions of the 1920s reduced the supply of workers such that the demand for those Irish, Greek, Jew, Slav, and Italian workers increased to the point that employers had no choice but to pay them prevailing wages. I don't think it's well known just how much immigration was reduced back then, and how much those restrictions forced assimilation and acceptance of those groups. They were no longer Irish, Greeks, Jews, Slavs, and Italians; they were Americans:
Padmé Amidala, Nb (@Cererean) says:
It's very interesting that the current foreign-born share is close to what it was when America last brought in very strict immigration restrictions.
But the last time, it was that high for 50 years, 1860-1910. We've only just arrived back at that level for the past couple of years.
Cycles. Beginnings, middles, and ends…
Sounds like a decent argument for restricting immigration now, although of course we'd want the assimilation to be more humane than it was back then. Too bad we can't have any nuance in the debate nowadays. The way the debate is presented, one's preferred immigration policy either offers sanctuary to murderers or kills kids in the desert. There's no third way.
Our current bipartisan dilemma involves an internal conflict between and within each end of the political spectrum.
Republicans love an endless supply of cheap, malleable, disposable labor to keep business costs down. Illegal immigrants by definition have no right to complain about anything because they broke the law entering the country. Latin and Asian immigrants are effectively the new Negroes. And because they're tawny a serious chunk of the population has no sympathy for their plight. So management can squeeze them as much as they want without consequences.
But Republicans have aligned themselves with a social base that wants the America population to remain White and Christian. That base is beginning to push back and now has a champion in the White House.
Democrats similarly are conflicted. The base demands social justice, dignity, and human rights, but the more immigrants of any kind that arrive the less labor is worth. Democrats have historically defended labor issues but that brand is essentially worthless now and in the shadow of the culture wars.
We've reached a tipping point and things will be resolved in a messy and irrational manner with lots of bad turns all around. Fun!
3rd and 4th parties, here we come!
Rg says:
Life was very hard and it wasn't so long ago. My Dad was born in 1921 and lived through the Depression. He was the second oldest of eleven kids and his Dad (a WWI vet) died when we was 13. There wasn't a safety net at all except that his mother did get a small VA widow benefit. They lived in the country and with advice from neighbors were able to keep farming with their mule and plow. My Dad could sometimes get work helping on someone else's farm doing things like chopping cotton stalks in the fall. They also hunted squirrels and rabbits, and scavenged the woods for food like muscadines, locust (the plant), etc.
They lived in the South, and had no air conditioning or window screens. In the summer, the windows were open all night to cool the house. My Dad would lay sweating in the bed and hear the dog jump in the window from the porch and back out again. He once told me "I'm rich enough now that I don't have to live with a dog in the house."
And then I look at the current entitlement environment and I just have to shake my head.
eremophila says:
Yes, I've seen similar but less dramatic changes in my home city of Adelaide. When many people live in a small space, they learn to negotiate. Modern families insist on separate bedrooms for each child and even individual bathrooms. No wonder the child grows up self centred.
My own parents went through the great depression of the 30's and the post war housing shortage, so I grew up with their stories. After a boom time, affordable housing is again an issue.
As the title of another post has it, "The Real Estate Pendulum of History".
Yes, New York is New York, but the old central city of most US cities have similar stories. They went through a long slide and similar decline in desirability post WW2. It continued up through the "urban pioneer" period that started in the late 70s. Now inner urban and streetcar suburban neighborhoods are cool again.
Leave a Reply to daodow Cancel reply
Previous Previous post: Levittown
Next Next post: Hialeah
Belle Reve
The Golden Horseshoe
The Actuarial Table
Johnny on Американская Хрущевка
Nick_Adams on Американская Хрущевка
Mrs. Reily on Американская Хрущевка
Aaron Renn
Accessory Dwelling Unit
Baksheesh
Chicago Hot Dogs
Chuck Marohn
Congress for New Urbanism
Congress fro New Urbanism
Desert lifestyle
Desert Sprawl
Drachma
Efficient city services
Exurban fringe
Faircompanies.com
Gary Chang
Granary Row
James Alfandre
Jeff Tyler
Jeff White
Kentlands Initiative
Long commute time
Pavement to plaza
Pedestrian Culture
Pedestrian Plaza
production vs. consumption
Protohaus
Protostoga
Real estate crash 2008
Rishi Kumar
Root Simple
Stealth Bomber
Suburban Adaptation
Suburban Failure
suburban permaculture
Suburban Sprawl
Sudentenland
Sunset Triangle Plaza
The Barlow
The Great Recession
The Growing Home
Traditional Urbanism
Urban density
Waste heat capture


Mr. Selestine Some joined the Board of Directors of Akiba Commercial Bank in the year 2011. He has been working with PPF Pensions Fund as Manager responsible for Investment, since year 2010. He is a holder of Master Degree in Business Administration (Finance) from the University of Dar es Salaam and Bachelor of Commerce- (Accounting) from the University of Dar es Salaam. He is registered by the National Board of Accountant and Auditors (NBAA) as Associate Certified Public Accountant (ACPA-T) and also accredited by the Tanzania Institute of Bankers (TIOB) as Certified Professional Banker (CPB).
Mr. Selestine Some has 14 years working experience in the financial Sector. Before joining PPF Pensions Fund in the year 2010, he has worked with the Bank of Tanzania as Bank Examiner from the year 2004 to 2010. He has also worked with CRDB Bank in the year 2001. Apart from his working experience in the financial sector he is currently acting as interim Chief Executive Officer of Karanga Leather Industries Co Ltd and is sitting in the technical team of Watumishi Housing Company Ltd.


text:
Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy
Executives-in-Residence
Policy Fellows
Message from our Executive Director
Graduate Programs on Campus
Doctor of Philosophy In Public Policy
Doctor of Philosophy in Applied Economics (Collaborative Program)
Graduate Programs - online
Joint Master of Governance and Entrepreneurship in Northern and Indigenous Areas
Master of Northern Governance and Development
Masters/Graduate Certificates
Economic Analysis for Public Policy Certificate
Health Systems Management Certificate
Public Management Certificate
Public Policy Analysis Certificate
Social Economy and Co-operatives Certificate
Non-Profit Management Certificate
Public Sector Governance Program
Policy Workshops
2018 Indigenous Governance Symposium
Areas of Research Priority
Innovation, Science and Technology Policy
Social Policy and Inequality
Canadian Centre for the Study of Co-operatives
Centre for the Study of Science and Innovation Policy
Indigenous Peoples' Health Research Centre
JSGS Policy Brief
Course Curriculums
Capstone Portfolio Project
Useful Links and Documents
Learning Through Experience
Executive Internships
Case Competitions
IPAC Student Essay Competition
Policy Research Poster Competition
JSGS Student Association
Policy Shop
New Alumni Resources
Event Registration Guidelines
Featured Lecture Series
Shop JSGS
Marc-André Pigeon PhD, MA, BA Assistant Professor, JSGS U of S campus; Director and Strategic Research Fellow, Centre for the Study of Co-operatives, U of S
Assistant Professor, Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan; Director and Strategic Research Fellow, Centre for the Study of Co-operatives
marc-andre.pigeon@usask.ca
Room 188 - 101 Diefenbaker Place, Saskatoon, Canada S7N 5B8
Behavioural economics and psychology
Money, banking and the financial sector
Fiscal and monetary policy
Marc-André Pigeon is an Assistant Professor in the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy, University of Saskatchewan campus, and the Director of the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives. He holds a PhD in Mass Communications from Carleton University and has worked in a number of economics and policy-related positions, most recently as assistant vice-president of public policy at the Canadian Credit Union Association. He has also served as interim-vice president of government relations at CCUA, as a special advisor and senior project leader at the federal Department of Finance, and as lead analyst on several federal Parliamentary committees including the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, the Standing Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce, and the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Forestry. Dr. Pigeon also worked as an economic researcher at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College and started his career as a financial journalist at Bloomberg Business News.
Dr. Pigeon's academic background is in economics as well as communications studies (including journalism), having studied at Carleton University, the University of Ottawa and New School University in New York City. His research interests include the study of co-operatives, behavioural economics/psychology, income distribution, money and banking, and fiscal and monetary policy.
Download Marc-André Pigeon's CV.
PhD, Carleton University
MA, Ottawa University
BA, Carleton University
Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Ottawa University Admissions, and Ottawa University Excellence Scholarships, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Scholarship.
Refereed Articles
"Did the Clinton Rising Tide Raise all Boats? Job Opportunity for the Less Skilled," Journal of Economic Issues, Volume XXXIV, No. 4, (December 2000, co-authored with L. Randall Wray).
"Can Penal Keynesianism Replace Military Keynesianism? An Analysis of Society's Newest 'Solution" for the Hard to Employ and a Proposal for a More Humane Alternative," Social Justice, 27 (Summer 2000, co-authored with L. Randall Wray).
Non-Refereed Articles
"Canadian Credit Union Perspectives on Marketplace Lending: New Approaches from Day One," Filene Research Institute (with Indie Madar and Sean Goebey, University of Waterloo), fall 2017.
"Nudging our Way Forward One Decision at a Time," Policy Options, June 2013.
"Data Access, Availability, Access and Aspirations: A Credit Union Story," Journal of Co-operative Accounting and Reporting, Summer 2012.
"It Happened but not Again: A Minskian Analysis of Japan's Lost Decade (And Some Thoughts on the Parallels with Recent Events in the U.S. and Canada)," Levy Working Paper No. 303 and 1st prize winner in the Progressive Economics Forum 2000 Canada-wide essay contest.
"Down and Out in the United States: An Inside Look at the Out of the Labor Force Population," Public Policy Brief no. 54, 1999, The Jerome Levy Economics Institute (co-authored with L. Randall Wray).
"Demand Constraint and Economic Growth," Working Paper No. 269, 1999, The Jerome Levy Economics Institute (co-authored with L. Randall Wray).
"The Latest Case for an Employer of Last Resort," Challenge: The Magazine of Economic Affairs, May-June 1999, pp. 14-33 (co-authored with L. Randall Wray).
"The Wizards of Oz: Monetary Policy, Business Media and Financialization: Linkages and Consequences," in Dwayne Winseck and Dal Yong Jin, eds., Media Political Economies: Hierarchies, Markets, and Finance in the Global Media Industries, 2011, Bloomsbury Academic.
"Interest Rate Policy at the Bank of Canada: Setting the Agenda," in Marc Lavoie and Mario Seccareccia, eds., Central Banking and the Modern World: Alternative Perspectives, 2002, pp. 112 - 127, Edward Elgar.
Select (Publicly Available) Policy Publications
Standing Committee on Public Accounts
"Education Program and Post-Secondary Student Support," 2005.
Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee
"Understanding Freefall : The Challenge of the Rural Poor," 2008.
"Beyond freefall : halting rural poverty," Senate Agriculture and Forestry Committee, 2006.
Senate Banking, Trade and Commerce Committee
"Transparency, Balance and Choice: Canada's Credit Card and Debit Card System," 2009
Task Force on Financial Literacy
"Leveraging Excellence: Charting a course of action to strengthen financial literacy in Canada, 2010.
"What We Heard," 2009.


text:
2018 Election Roundup with article links to each race
Barton County 2018 unofficial election results
Democrat Kelly defeats Kobach in governor's race
Brother and sister donate fathers memorial to Almost Home
From left to right are Sean Miller, Leilani Schenkel and Kim Miller-Sneath. The Miller family is presenting a $10,000 check to Schenkel, executive director of Almost Home Inc.
Updated: Feb. 19, 2015, 10:09 a.m.
Two local siblings wanted to donate their dad's memorial fund to a place that would do the most good for families trying to do the best for their terminally ill loved ones. They found such a place at Almost Home Inc., 1919 Van Buren.
The sister and brother decided on the non-profit entity after learning more about its residential, respite and hospice services, said Kim Sneath-Miller, daughter of Tim Miller. Tim passed away in 2012.
Kim and her brother, Sean, recently donated $10,000 to Almost Home in honor of their father. They and many others contributed to the fund, which was saved in a bank account until the right moment.
"We know he would be pleased, humbled and proud with this decision," Kim said, referring to her dad. "This was a long-overdue and much-needed facility in Great Bend. We wish it had been available when dad was in need of a place for hospice care."
Almost Home has two rooms designated for hospice patients, and it contracts with other agencies to provide the specialized care on-site. The rest of the remodeled home is devoted to full-time and part-time residential care, as well as respite services for caregivers.
"Most people never think their family will need a facility such as Almost Home," Kim commented. "But you just don't know; it is a great comfort that it is here if you need it. Almost Home gives its residents peace of mind, dignity and privacy, which would be difficult for families to maintain without help."
Sean noted the memorial donation is a great way to honor his dad's memory.
"He was always very giving to the community and other people," Sean said. "He would have been on the front row of this effort.
"Almost Home is truly a blessing," he continued. "The staff helps the family, not just the patient. I cannot say enough about how they make you feel right at home in this close-to-home residence."
Leilani Schenkel, Almost Home operator and executive director, said Almost Home is pleased to receive the contribution.
"We are honored the Miller family chose Almost Home to receive this donation in memory of Tim," Schenkel said. "The members of our board of directors all agree that this memorial donation will allow Almost Home to help provide end-of-life care to those who do not have the financial ability to pay for the services completely on their own."


Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves his neighbor fulfills the law…love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.
In looking up what it means to "owe" the cross references refer both to debts and to collateral, to holding a security deposit. I think here that Paul is not referring to a monetary debt, rather a spiritual or moral debt. We are not to hold back from doing something good for one another. When we love someone, we will withhold nothing from them. We will go out of our way to please them, to help them, even to the setting aside of our own personal needs at times.
I believe that we are not to let an opportunity to show our love to one another slip by. God considers that a debt. The Catholic Church calls it a "sin of omission".
I pray that my eyes may be opened to see what my brothers and sisters need and, if it is possible, that I might provide for that need. Many in the church are hurting or in need of help. If we would help one another the way we are taught by the Word, this present world situation would be of no consequence to believers.


text:
Baptist Life
Nov. 01, 2021 10:04 AM EST
Editorial Roundup: Iowa
De Moines Register. Oct. 30, 2021.
Editorial: Confronted by state inaction, voters can help Polk County invest in conservation and recreation
Polk County's plan to build on a successful borrowing program for conservation and recreation would directly benefit the property tax payers who foot the bill, along with the rest of the county's residents and many visitors. Voters should mark "yes" on their ballots Nov. 2.
For nine years, the county has been using money from the earlier $50 million Water & Land Legacy bonding to snatch up land for parks, flood control, water quality initiatives and more. It spent money on a stunning transformation of Easter Lake and on the Jester Park Nature Center. The investments helped to attract over $41 million in grants and other contributions to do even more.
That borrowing is not yet paid off. But the roster of worthwhile spending that Polk County Conservation and other groups could undertake after issuing new bonds is long. The Iowa Confluence Water Trails project would get a $15 million infusion. Plans to overhaul the now-county-owned Sleepy Hollow Sports Park could move along, as could years of work to address flood dangers in the Fourmile Creek watershed, as Des Moines neighborhoods experienced in 2018.
It's all vitally important spending, and simultaneously not nearly enough. Alongside some truly local matters, Polk County is taking on pieces of what state government will not. Iowa voters over a decade ago approved dedicating a portion of revenue from the next state sales tax increase to a conservation trust fund. In a decade, the Legislature has not seen fit to raise the tax, to pass tougher laws to reduce pollution, or to appropriate money for conservation on a scale anywhere near what's required by our state's disgusting waters and Iowans' exposure to natural disasters.
To the contrary, Republican leaders say the current $1.2 billion budget surplus should be used to lower income and other taxes. Again.
For what it's worth, an editorial writer asked Chris Jones, a research engineer at the University of Iowa, what one-time expenditure with surplus money would have the biggest effect. Jones said, "The No. 1 best thing we could do is buy land," taking out of production flood plain acres that routinely ship pollutants downstream and into the Gulf of Mexico. "If I had the money, that's what I would do."
The money Iowa residents and businesses pocket from the likely inevitable tax cuts won't be used to mitigate flood risks. It won't be used to idle land and restore wildlife populations. It certainly won't go toward equipment to test for contaminants in public waters. It probably won't be used to build and maintain spaces where families can spend a relaxing afternoon or weekend for free.
Those things are the government's job. Polk and Dubuque county officials are answering the call this fall by putting borrowing measures before voters.
The owner of a median-value property in Polk County, around $200,000, would pay about $11 annually toward the bond — a little more than a movie ticket.
Property owners will reap savings on water rates if water providers don't have to spend as much on drawing and purifying water. And they'll enjoy harder-to-quantify benefits: getting back places to go for fun, such as the Water Trails, and building a more inviting community that attracts new businesses and neighbors.
As in 2012, interest rates are favorable. Taxpayers of Central Iowa, an organization that monitors and evaluates government spending with skepticism, has endorsed the bond vote. In a fact sheet shared locally, it says that the projects appear to be worthy and that borrowing is probably the best way to obtain the money to spend on them.
This is not a close call. Polk County wants permission, and a modest contribution from property owners, to wisely spend money on projects that won't get done any other way and will deliver either a financial return on investment, considerable benefits to the community as a whole, or both. Vote yes.
Sioux City Journal. Oct. 31, 2021.
Editorial: Welcome Afghan refugees when they arrive in Siouxland
Somewhere, Robert Ray is smiling.
The late Iowa governor was a leader in the 1970s in opening the state's doors to refugees from war-torn Southeast Asia.
He responded to a call from President Gerald Ford, asking states to provide new homes to people who were looking for a safe place to live and work.
Those refugees became productive, contributing members of society and showed naysayers those seeking a life in the United States weren't coming to live out their worst fears. Many of the newcomers settled in the Sioux City area, landing jobs in the meatpacking industry and other businesses.
Ray was praised for making his state a welcoming home. His response: "We really only had two choices: We could either turn our backs as countless others suffered and died or we could extend a hand to help and, in doing so, prevent tragic loss of innocent lives."
Once again, Iowans have been asked to step up and, this week, local agencies said up to 150 Afghan refugees could be calling Siouxland home.
That's good news on several fronts. Iowa can enforce its reputation as a welcoming state and it can begin filling those jobs that have been vacant since the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on businesses.
The refugees are American allies who aided our country's war effort and were vulnerable under Taliban rule, according to Alejandro Mayorkas, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. They want to be here. They want to lead productive lives.
Because there is a language barrier and an affordable housing shortage, there will be hurdles. But local agencies – like the Mary J. Treglia Community House and Lutheran Services in Iowa – have pledged to help find jobs, housing and, for younger refugees, a workable transition into our schools.
Also in tow: The Iowa National Guard and the 185th Air Refueling Wing. They'll be assigned to an undisclosed location in the United States to help with Operation Allies Welcome.
Then, once the Afghans arrive, it's our turn to show how good we, as Iowans, can be.
Talk to folks who benefited when Ray stepped up nearly 50 years ago and they'll tell you it was a win/win for everyone.
Opportunity is knocking. Once again, we have a chance to demonstrate the door is open to a brighter future.
Quad-City Times. Oct. 31, 2021.
Editorial: We must get better
These days, news comes at us like a gusher. From the national, state and local level, it's hard to figure out what to focus on.
We have one suggestion: last week's release of the 2021 Community Health Assessment for the Quad-City area.
The results presented by the Quad City Health Initiative were pretty stark: we're failing in comparison to our peers statewide and across the country in a wide variety of areas measuring overall health and wellness.
This was true even before the pandemic, but as with much of our world, Covid has only exacerbated the difficulties people are having. And the economic disparities and inequalities that exist in our community make matters even worse.
One of the more striking findings is that, by our own admission, our health is getting worse.
Nearly 25% (24.8%) of people surveyed by the authors of the assessment rated their health "fair" or "poor," a sharp increase from three years ago when that figure was 19.3%. By comparison, those figures for the state of Illinois and Iowa are 17.7% and 14.4%, respectively.
The assessment included a community survey of 1,150 people in Scott, Rock Island and Muscatine counties.
We also see our mental health deteriorating. Since the pandemic, 25.6% reported their mental health had worsened. This, in an area where, according to the report, nearly 31% have been diagnosed with some kind of depressive disorder. (This includes depression, major depression, dysthymia or minor depression.)
The community health assessment, which is conducted periodically by county health departments and area health care providers, also includes secondary data analysis and input from focus groups.
The report says there are a number of areas needing improvement – from heart disease, obesity, mental health, diabetes, access to care, crime and cancer, among others. A new concern that appeared on this year's list was respiratory disease.
It's not all bad news. The surveys have shown improvement in smoking, older adults getting flu vaccinations and access to health care.
Still, it wasn't an encouraging report.
From here, the stakeholders will focus on three areas of concentrations (in 2018, they were nutrition, physical activity and weight; access to healthcare; and mental health). Then they will update community health improvement plans.
It strikes us that local government leaders trying to figure out how to spend Covid relief money might also take a hard look at this report, if they haven't already.
The pandemic's impact can be clearly seen in this assessment, and we can think of no better area to devote the additional resources the federal government provided to help us recover from its impact.
It's true that some local governments have already made decisions on how to spend the money, and some have — and are — considering health and well-being. But just as we've seen a lot of money go to infrastructure, we also believe that physical well-being must be addressed, too. This assessment is a good guide for what needs fixing.
One finding from focus groups that were a part of the assessment was this: people need help navigating complex healthcare systems. For many, that is the first step to getting better, and it's apparent that door still isn't open for everybody. (The report said nearly 43% of people reported some difficulty or delay in getting health care services in the past year.) Improving our ability to open that door, it seems to us, would be a significant step forward and could be a likely area for investment.
But there are plenty of other areas needing improvement, too.
Daniel Joiner, diversity and community impact officer for UnityPoint Health-Trinity, said, "this report is the foundation of how the community can improve its overall health."
It is in the public interest that we do that. To some extent, this is an individual responsibility. But our community can come together to lend assistance, especially to those who are the most vulnerable, and who were hit hardest by the pandemic.
We encourage everybody in our community to take note of this report. It is a sober, and much-needed, assessment of our community's health and well-being.
Now, we must figure out how to get better.
Municipal governments
Recessions and depressions
Political refugees
Iowa state government
Alejandro Mayorkas
More Stories from Kentucky Today