Beyond Lebanon With Edwina and Richart via Grant Burge
“With unemployment at over a decade low, wages at all-time highs, and poverty on the decline, the U.S. economy is flourishing — or so it would seem. For Americans struggling financially it can be difficult to feel encouraged by such optimistic reports. It is a common complaint among ordinary Americans and economists alike: economic measures might be indicative of overall economic performance but rarely connect to the lived experiences of Americans. For example, while the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, most agree this is not a livable wage. The Economic Policy Institute, a non profit think tank, calculated the income families need to secure a modest, yet adequate standard of living in counties and metro areas across the United States. Americans entering the workforce or starting a family have thousands of cities to choose from — and some are more expensive places than others. In order to illustrate what it looks like to live in the most and least expensive places, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed monthly living expenses from EPI’s family budget calculator in the most expensive metro areas based on the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ regional price parities. According to the EPI, compared with federal measures of poverty, its family budgets provide a more accurate and complete measure of economic security in America. In an email to 24/7 Wall St., EPI research assistant Zane Mokhiber explained, “Wherever housing and childcare is expensive, cities are expensive, and vice versa.” By contrast, food, transportation, and health care costs tend to be relatively uniform across the the nation’s major cities.
Sydney on-demand bus trial 'absolute debacle'
"A 3km bus journey, that costs passengers just $3.10 each, is being subsidised by the taxpayer by a staggering $2000 per person, government data has revealed." (news.com.au)
SA Health congratulates staff on failing to fill mental health vacancies
"An SA Health manager has congratulated colleagues on failing to fill vacant positions in a southern area mental health service which has been described as being in crisis due to staff shortages." (InDaily)
Sitzfleisch: the German concept to get more work done
"Angela Merkel has it in abundance – how do you cultivate this crucial skill?" (BBC)
11 September 2018, Rome – “New evidence continues to signal that the number of hungry people in the world is growing, reaching 821 million in 2017 or one in every nine people, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2018 released today. Limited progress is also being made in addressing the multiple forms of malnutrition, ranging from child stunting to adult obesity, putting the health of hundreds of millions of people at risk. Hunger has been on the rise over the past three years, returning to levels from a decade ago. This reversal in progress sends a clear warning that more must be done and urgently if the Sustainable Development Goal of Zero Hunger is to be achieved by 2030. The situation is worsening in South America and most regions of Africa, while the decreasing trend in undernourishment that characterized Asia seems to be slowing down significantly. The annual UN report found that climate variability affecting rainfall patterns and agricultural seasons, and climate extremes such as droughts and floods, are among the key drivers behind the rise in hunger, together with conflict and economic slowdowns…”
“In light of recently turning 20 years old, Google reigns as one of today’s tech giants. The company has two main ways of collecting user data: active and passive. Active tracking is usually consciously understood by the user, such as signing into a range of accounts (YouTube, Google Search, Gmail, etc.). Passive data collection, however, can possibly occur without the user’s knowledge, which comes in the form of publisher tools, applications, and advertiser tools. A study, conducted by Professor of Computer Science at Vanderbilt University Douglas C. Schmidt and his team, provides a comprehensive overview of Google’s collection methods and exactly what information it accumulates. Highlighting just a few findings, the Android OS platform helps Google gather user details (name, birthdate, zip code, and sometimes credit card information), location coordinates, and phone activity.
The Falling Man. An unforgettable story. By Tom Junod. Sep 9, 2016. “Do you remember this photograph? In the United States, people have taken pains to banish it from the record of September 11, 2001. The story behind it, though, and the search for the man pictured in it, are our most intimate connection to the horror of that day.”
“In the picture, he departs from this earth like an arrow. Although he has not chosen his fate, he appears to have, in his last instants of life, embraced it. If he were not falling, he might very well be flying. He appears relaxed, hurtling through the air. He appears comfortable in the grip of unimaginable motion. He does not appear intimidated by gravity’s divine suction or by what awaits him. His arms are by his side, only slightly outriggered. His left leg is bent at the knee, almost casually.
Wentworth byelection set for October 20 (Sydney Opera House's Birthday) and someone's wedding anniversary ...
Voters in former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull's seat of Wentworth will go to the polls on October 20.