Sorry folks, but I’m all ahead of all things Frozen 2 for the kids. Tickets bought. Songs already memorized (as much as possible). I’m fired up and ready.I’ll tell you though … this line nails so many things. It’s beautiful.
Elsa: “You can’t just follow me into fire!
“Anna: “Then don’t run into fire!” #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for Disney. And these movies about strong women and strong female bonds.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful
I’m doing some interesting research for an organization I’m helping on the voter participation side. As I worked on some positioning materials, I got pulled down a rabbit hole of data comparing poverty and progress and rates going back to 2007 (pre-recession). What I found helped me take a step back.
The progress we’ve made against poverty is worth paying attention to. Not just since 2007, or since 2014 — but since Donald Trump has come into office. At this juncture, and certainly by 2018, the impacts on our economy have some results borne of Donald Trump’s hand and policies and administration. As we flare up on the heels of last night’s election with what is certain to be a heated 12 months leading up to the 2020 election … I hope we can acknowledge any specific policies and benefits that have been had from all sides before casting our vote. There is progress, merit, and momentum outside of ideology that is worthy of being documented, studied, and even, carried forward
.#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for some of the progress shown below. It’s not nearly enough. One life subjected to poverty is one, entire life. One whole life. One whole human experience. That’s an unbearable thought for me. But also, progress to perfecting how we address the totality of the human condition.
The official poverty rate in 2018 was 11.8 percent, down 0.5 percentage points from 12.3 percent in 2017. This is the fourth consecutive annual decline in poverty. Since 2014, the poverty rate has fallen 3.0 percentage points, from 14.8 percent to 11.8 percent.
In 2018, for the first time in 11 years, the official poverty rate was significantly lower than 2007, the year before the most recent recession.
In 2018, there were 38.1 million people in poverty, approximately 1.4 million fewer people than 2017.Between 2017 and 2018, poverty rates for children under age 18 decreased 1.2 percentage points from 17.4 percent to 16.2 percent. Poverty rates decreased 0.4 percentage points for adults aged 18 to 64, from 11.1 percent to 10.7 percent. The poverty rate for those aged 65 and older (9.7 percent) was not statistically different from 2017.
From 2017 to 2018, the poverty rate decreased for non-Hispanic Whites; females; native-born people; people living in the Northeast, Midwest, and West; people living inside metropolitan statistical areas and principal cities; people without a disability; those with some college education; people in families; and people in female householder families.
Between 2017 and 2018, people aged 25 and older without a high school diploma was the only examined group to experience an increase in their poverty rate. Among this group, the poverty rate increased 1.4 percentage points, to 25.9 percent, but the number in poverty was not statistically different from 2017.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful
Was in a conversation about 2020 and politics and someone said “this is going nowhere” and in my head I said “one last time let’s go there” because somehow, Paolo Nutini’s magical song from 2006 jumped into my head.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for the connections our mind makes for us, bringing me all the way back here. To this song.
He was 19 when he created this. When I was 19 I had barely created memories, let alone anything memorable.
How did politics get me to Paolo Nutini?
The beauty of words phrases and stories I guess?
What he did with those two sentences dances on my mind, my tongue, and depending on the moment, my heart. “Sure I can accept that we’re going nowhere
But one last time, let’s go there”
Applies to so many things? Like in this case the spark that was politics in the US but wow, so many things.
https://youtu.be/Dq3ZxMAZBXkAs for Last Requests … maybe let’s have less of them. Let’s not give up on things we think are going nowhere. Sometimes, we just have to give them one last chance to go and get there.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful
Wow. I haven’t felt addicted to a song like this maybe since MGMT Electric Feel which took me back to all good things Prince (kind of excited to read the memoir that ain’t a memoir that’s all good). Or maybe, Childish Gambino and Redbone?
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for poetic, rhythmic, rhyming flow. I needed this especially after guiltily listening to Kanye’s new stuff (and ok, his flow is beautiful, as beautiful as he is offensively bad … but musically, there’s some beauty there).
This takes me back to DeLa Soul which is … you know, amazing, but especially on a Saturday in roller skates. Yessir.
Heard where? On a Bose headset commercial. All good. I’m good.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful
I love hops. Chewing on them. Pickling them. Forcing beer back through them. Overpowering my palate with them. I love them.
I love drinking liquids. Coffee and tea. Beer wine and booze. Doesn’t matter. I love it. But the past few months I’m trying hard to find alternatives and have dove into everything from Kin Euphorics to CLEAN Cause. Solid. Great. But they didn’t scratch the itch for a complex, floral, fragrant drink without the sugary backlash or alcoholic hangover.
I found a dream come true a few weeks ago. I’m throwing these back 2-3 a day when I have them and they’re magical. Open “The Really Hoppy One” and I ASSURE you the nose will carry you to your favorite session IPA.
Fight me.
Thanks to the Hoplark HopTea squad. This is a new category and I’m heads over ABV in love. I’m buying a house so I can buy a fridge so I can then buy a second fridge and dedicate it to HopTea.
Available at every Whole Foods Market. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful I tripped and fell into a taste and the rest is hist—future.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful
Nir Eyal’s book is next on my list. I just enjoy and appreciate how he thinks and what he thinks about. He’s been deeply personally involved in the promotion of his new book Indistractable.
If you’ve read anything I’ve written or heard me speak over the past 2 years you know how much I value attention more and more. His work delivers on that hypothesis value and observation in a powerful way.
Read it: Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life https://www.amazon.com/…/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i…
He posted this quote today. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for the great new work some of today’s thinker and writers are producing. He also seems to be a pretty good guy.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful
Last weekend we celebrated my Mama’s birthday. He turned 60. His heart and spirit has held firm in his early 20’s since I first met him.
On his special day he bought gifts for our kids. Books. A funny flying drone.
And then today he sent over these; gifts for the rest of us. Pictures of our son.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for these pics, this boy … and the amazing love my Mamas have always showered me with now extending to the next generation.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful
I was able to catch up on the Rock and Roll HoF nominees while at the airport yesterday. Janet Jackson’s plea last year to increase diversity seems to have been heard, a little. While working through a podcast covering the nominees and projections for who’s in, who’s in first ballot (Biggie), I found few surprises. But I was surprised when the conversation turned to Dave Matthews Band.
How could their be any doubt?
You may not like them. But that’s music. This is the Hall of Fame and they are one of the oat consistently successful and famous bands of my lifetime. Sales. Tours. Memorable songs.
And then they played this. And I haven’t stopped singing it for what’s now 27 hours. #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for the list below. But tonight, I’m singing American Baby until my eyelids droop to close.
Why?
Do you remember when this song was written? Why it was written?
Feels kinda relevant today in the US to me.
“Matthews wrote this song the day after George W. Bush won re-election for US president in 2004. Matthews did not support Bush, and was encouraging others with his views not to give up hope. He told Rolling Stone: “The inspiration to that song, in part, is that we shouldn’t lose sight of ourselves or of what makes this country great while we’re fighting over how to defend it.”
“I’m very much in love with this country,” Matthews, who was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, added. “I certainly consider myself liberal, which to me just means that I want to embrace the differences between people, as well as the similarities, because I think that’s what makes us spectacular. America has a lot of bitter past and a lot of suffering in a short period of time. It’s got a lot of young ghosts and still-open wounds, but there’s a magic in America that I love, and that’s one of the reasons I feel so strongly about speaking my mind. I’ll fight in my way for America.”
The video is gold.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful
This is the best breakfast sandwich I’ve ever had. The biscuit is wonderful. Buttery. Salty. Savory. And peppery! While the egg is perfectly cooked and framed and balanced (I love how clean this sandwich is around the edges; it means every layer and ingredient was thoughtfully added and deliberately set.) It’s just wonderful.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful this was waiting on the other side of that 345am wake up and 6am flight.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful
Wow. I love what Ambrosia For Heads has done for my days. It’s the only place to turn for hip hop scoop. And even within that magic #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for moments like this. That bring a forgotten voice back into a noisy scene and bring a clear smile to a gray-flecked face. Leggo Chubb Rock. Treat ‘Em Right still hangs as a mantra and a method for livin’. This joint is ’nuff said.
Filed under #iamgrateful #iamthankful
Suneet Bhatt 