#MakeAmericaSmartAgain -narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass was mentioned yesterday, but have you read his autobiography? You can understand who the man was in his own words. And best of all you can read it online - for free - at the Gutenberg project. 

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/23/23-h/23-h.htm

Or you can download his later autobiography about the war and life afterward at archive.org: the life and times of Frederick Douglass 

https://archive.org/details/lifetimesoffrede1881doug

#MakeAmericaSmartAgain First Look at Findings of NASA Twins Study | NASA

This is what's great about scientific discovery. NASA took advantage of having a pair of twins in the program so they could learn more about how space affects humans.

And certainly, this is just the beginning. There is the possibility that we could learn more about the overall human body and how it responds - and how we can make things better for humans.

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/how-stressful-will-a-trip-to-mars-be-on-the-human-body-we-now-have-a-peek-into-what-the-nasa

Refugee screening.

I think most people simply don't understand the process, the work, and yes the vetting of individuals seeking to come to the US.

Let me sum up. I think many just assume that it works like this: You're living in a country that becomes unstable. You pack up your belongings and fly to the US, perhaps we even fly you here on a magic carpet. You get to immigration and they usher you in and give you a place to live, money, food stamps, and whatever you need! It's magical.

Except that from most countries, you need a visa to come to the US. Good luck with that in many cases. Visas are granted in blocks and quotas and vary from place to place. And the state department monitors developments around the world and updates its policies regularly.

Say you manage to get a flight and come here with no visa, and head to customs. Question one is about your intention, and based on your passport, you likely would be sent to a detention camp. And welcome to legal limbo.

And realistically, how many foreign nationals can afford to get out and make their way to the US, or could even find passage.

No. For the vast majority, they enter the refugee program. The state department assembled this guide to help you understand how complex it is.

And from some regions, there can be even more vetting. It's harder than this. And we're talking months - or even years - before you can get here.

So shutting down 7 countries to allow for more vetting - or whatever nonsense is spewed - is just a load of crap.

Could the process be improved? Sure it could. Is it perfect? No. But it allows for a fair process.

https://www.state.gov/documents/organization/266671.pdf

women's march sign

Ha 

 

#MakeAmericaSmartAgain. Andrew Wakefield claims “natural Herd Immunity” is better than anything vaccines can do, never mind all that suffering – Respectful Insolence

Rational thought on getting vaccinated. http://scienceblogs.com/insolence/2016/05/31/andrew-wakefield-claims-natural-herd-immunity-is-better-than-anything-vaccines-can-do-never-mind-all-that-suffering/

#MakeAmericaSmartAgain. There are facts. And there are not facts

There is no such thing as "alternative facts. "Those are commonly called "misconceptions" or "lies."

#MakeAmericaSmartAgain NASAs forgotten rocket girls

I haven't had a chance to catch Hidden Figures (Disneys movie about women, particularly women of color) who helped the space program. But I look forward to it. 

I understand it's relatively accurate, but if you want to learn more about these amazing women, here's a good starting point. 

They did so much for the space race and ultimately got so little credit. Not that it's about credit. They did it - as most people at nasa do - for a greater purpose. 

https://thinkprogress.org/the-incredible-story-of-nasas-forgotten-rocket-girls-5ece05972989#.8ikpozqqp