Donna Ferguson, The Guardian; Forbidden love: the original Dorian Gray revealed, direct from Oscar Wilde’s pen
"It is the first time the original manuscript in Wilde’s own writing
has been published and demonstrates how he self-censored some of the
most romantic paragraphs. He tones down the more overt references to the
homoerotic nature of Basil Hallward’s relationship with Dorian,
crossing out his confession that “the world becomes young to me when I
hold his hand”.
Yet the manuscript also includes passages – later removed from the
novel we know today – that show how Wilde wanted to shock his Victorian
readers by openly writing about homosexual feelings. For example, this
declaration of love by Basil for Dorian on page 147: “It is quite true
that I have worshipped you with far more romance than a man should ever
give to a friend. Somehow I have never loved a woman… I quite admit that
I adored you madly, extravagantly, absurdly.”"
Saturday, September 15, 2018
How can we better serve LGBTQ journalists?; The Poynter Institute, September 14, 2018
Daniel Funke, The Poynter Institute; How can we better serve LGBTQ journalists?
"Striving to dismantle otherness in order to come up with
solutions to journalism’s biggest problems is a constant thread at
NLGJA. This year, one of the event’s main panels was made up almost entirely of people of color. There were sessions on how to cover the transgender community, telling stories about bisexuals and diversity and intersection. Some of the issues journalists highlighted include:
- Deadnaming transgender people in obituaries.
- A lack of sensitivity from newsroom leaders about stories that could potentially be triggering for reporters of diversity.
- Missing out on important local stories about the LGBTQ community because of national political coverage.
- A lack of support for journalists who experience trauma on assignment.
- Covering stories about transgender people that don’t involve death or hardship."
Thursday, September 13, 2018
NIPS | 2018: Thirty-second Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems; NIPS Code of Conduct
NIPS | 2018: Thirty-second Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems
[Kip Currier: Listening to a Getting Smart podcast, "AI4All Extends The Power of Artificial Intelligence to High School Girls", led me to Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS) and their NIPS Code of Conduct, which I've copied below]
"NIPS Code of Conduct
The open exchange of ideas, the freedom of thought and expression, and respectful scientific debate are central to the goals of this conference on machine learning; this requires a community and an environment that recognizes and respects the inherent worth of every person.
Who? All participants---attendees, organizers, reviewers, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers at our conference, workshops, and conference-sponsored social events---are required to agree with this code of conduct both during the event and on official communication channels, including social media. Organizers will enforce this code, and we expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe and productive environment for everybody.
Scope? The conference commits itself to providing an experience for all participants that is free from harassment, bullying, discrimination, and retaliation for all participants. This includes offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), politics, technology choices, or any other personal characteristics. Bullying, intimidation, personal attacks, harassment, sustained disruption of talks or other events, and behavior that interferes with another's full participation will not be tolerated. This includes sexual harassment, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome sexual attention, public vulgar exchanges, and diminutive characterizations, which are all unwelcome in this community.
Sponsors are equally subject to this Code of Conduct. In particular, sponsors should not use images, activities, or other materials that are of a sexual, racial, or otherwise offensive nature. Booth staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualized environment. This code applies both to official sponsors as well as any organization that uses the conference name as branding as part of its activities at or around the conference.
Outcomes? Participants asked by any member of the community to stop any such behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in such behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including: a formal or informal warning to the offender, expulsion from the conference with no refund, barring from participation in future conferences or their organization, reporting the incident to the offender’s local institution or funding agencies, or reporting the incident to local law enforcement. A response of "just joking" will not be accepted; behavior can be harassing without an intent to offend. If action is taken, an appeals process will be made available.
Reporting? If you have concerns related to your inclusion at that conference, or observe someone else's difficulties, or have any other concerns related to inclusion, please contact the Diversity and Inclusion co-chairs. The Diversity and Inclusion co-chairs can be reached by email at diversity-chairs@lists.nips.cc, on Twitter at @InclusionInML or by telephone/wechat at a number to be announced shortly; conference volunteers will also have this contact information and can assist with connecting you to the co-chairs. Complaints and violations will be handled at the discretion of the Diversity & Inclusion co-chairs, general chair and the conference board. Reports made during the conference will be responded to in less than 24 hours; those at other times in less than two weeks. We are prepared and eager to help participants contact relevant help services, to escort them to a safe location, or to otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We gratefully accept feedback from the community on policy and actions; please contact us."
[Kip Currier: Listening to a Getting Smart podcast, "AI4All Extends The Power of Artificial Intelligence to High School Girls", led me to Neural Information Processing Systems (NIPS) and their NIPS Code of Conduct, which I've copied below]
"NIPS Code of Conduct
The open exchange of ideas, the freedom of thought and expression, and respectful scientific debate are central to the goals of this conference on machine learning; this requires a community and an environment that recognizes and respects the inherent worth of every person.
Who? All participants---attendees, organizers, reviewers, speakers, sponsors, and volunteers at our conference, workshops, and conference-sponsored social events---are required to agree with this code of conduct both during the event and on official communication channels, including social media. Organizers will enforce this code, and we expect cooperation from all participants to help ensure a safe and productive environment for everybody.
Scope? The conference commits itself to providing an experience for all participants that is free from harassment, bullying, discrimination, and retaliation for all participants. This includes offensive comments related to gender, gender identity and expression, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, ethnicity, religion (or lack thereof), politics, technology choices, or any other personal characteristics. Bullying, intimidation, personal attacks, harassment, sustained disruption of talks or other events, and behavior that interferes with another's full participation will not be tolerated. This includes sexual harassment, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, inappropriate physical contact, unwelcome sexual attention, public vulgar exchanges, and diminutive characterizations, which are all unwelcome in this community.
Sponsors are equally subject to this Code of Conduct. In particular, sponsors should not use images, activities, or other materials that are of a sexual, racial, or otherwise offensive nature. Booth staff (including volunteers) should not use sexualized clothing/uniforms/costumes, or otherwise create a sexualized environment. This code applies both to official sponsors as well as any organization that uses the conference name as branding as part of its activities at or around the conference.
Outcomes? Participants asked by any member of the community to stop any such behavior are expected to comply immediately. If a participant engages in such behavior, the conference organizers may take any action they deem appropriate, including: a formal or informal warning to the offender, expulsion from the conference with no refund, barring from participation in future conferences or their organization, reporting the incident to the offender’s local institution or funding agencies, or reporting the incident to local law enforcement. A response of "just joking" will not be accepted; behavior can be harassing without an intent to offend. If action is taken, an appeals process will be made available.
Reporting? If you have concerns related to your inclusion at that conference, or observe someone else's difficulties, or have any other concerns related to inclusion, please contact the Diversity and Inclusion co-chairs. The Diversity and Inclusion co-chairs can be reached by email at diversity-chairs@lists.nips.cc, on Twitter at @InclusionInML or by telephone/wechat at a number to be announced shortly; conference volunteers will also have this contact information and can assist with connecting you to the co-chairs. Complaints and violations will be handled at the discretion of the Diversity & Inclusion co-chairs, general chair and the conference board. Reports made during the conference will be responded to in less than 24 hours; those at other times in less than two weeks. We are prepared and eager to help participants contact relevant help services, to escort them to a safe location, or to otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to feel safe for the duration of the conference. We gratefully accept feedback from the community on policy and actions; please contact us."
AI4All Extends The Power of Artificial Intelligence to High School Girls; Getting Smart, March 1, 2018
Getting Smart Staff, Getting Smart; AI4All Extends The Power of Artificial Intelligence to High School Girls
"In 2015, Stanford’s Fei-Fei Li, Olga Russakovsky, and Rick Sommer started a summer camp to address the diversity crisis. The early programs, focused on high school girls, had incredible results including increased technical ability, connections to role models, and a sense of belonging in computer science and AI for participants.
A new nonprofit, AI4ALL, was formed last year to extend access to summer programs like the one launched by Li, Russakovsky, and Sommer–beginning with Stanford, Carnegie Mellon University, Berkeley, Princeton, Boston University, and Simon Fraser.
The mission of AI4ALL, according to Posner, is to increase diversity and inclusion in the field and to make sure the benefits are widely shared by democratizing access to tools and involveing [sic] diverse voices in the field."
"In 2015, Stanford’s Fei-Fei Li, Olga Russakovsky, and Rick Sommer started a summer camp to address the diversity crisis. The early programs, focused on high school girls, had incredible results including increased technical ability, connections to role models, and a sense of belonging in computer science and AI for participants.
A new nonprofit, AI4ALL, was formed last year to extend access to summer programs like the one launched by Li, Russakovsky, and Sommer–beginning with Stanford, Carnegie Mellon University, Berkeley, Princeton, Boston University, and Simon Fraser.
The mission of AI4ALL, according to Posner, is to increase diversity and inclusion in the field and to make sure the benefits are widely shared by democratizing access to tools and involveing [sic] diverse voices in the field."
Let's Talk About AI Ethics; We're On A Deadline; Forbes, September 13, 2018
Tom Vander Ark, Forbes; Let's Talk About AI Ethics; We're On A Deadline
"In Pittsburgh, the Montour School District launched America's First Public School AI Program.
Justin Aglio, director of academic achievement and innovation, is working with MIT on an open source middle school AI Ethics Curriculum that will develop students’ ethical thinking abilities in the domain of artificial intelligence. In addition to learning computer science fundamentals, students will also learn how professions such as designers, social scientists, or philosophers contribute to the ethical design of AI systems.”
AI4ALL is creating a national network of university computer science departments connecting with high school students.
Why secondary schools as the hub of community conversations? Every secondary school student should be studying the implications of AI--it’s the most important change force that will shape their careers, social networks, and communities. And what better way to learn than to host conversations that explore what’s going on, what it means, and how to prepare (see a SXSWedu conversation using this framework)?
It’s time to #AskAboutAI. It’s time for secondary schools to become the hub of community conversations about the ethics and opportunities of our time. We’re on a deadline."
"In Pittsburgh, the Montour School District launched America's First Public School AI Program.
Justin Aglio, director of academic achievement and innovation, is working with MIT on an open source middle school AI Ethics Curriculum that will develop students’ ethical thinking abilities in the domain of artificial intelligence. In addition to learning computer science fundamentals, students will also learn how professions such as designers, social scientists, or philosophers contribute to the ethical design of AI systems.”
AI4ALL is creating a national network of university computer science departments connecting with high school students.
Why secondary schools as the hub of community conversations? Every secondary school student should be studying the implications of AI--it’s the most important change force that will shape their careers, social networks, and communities. And what better way to learn than to host conversations that explore what’s going on, what it means, and how to prepare (see a SXSWedu conversation using this framework)?
It’s time to #AskAboutAI. It’s time for secondary schools to become the hub of community conversations about the ethics and opportunities of our time. We’re on a deadline."
Thursday, September 6, 2018
Law dean plans to promote inclusivity as one of her top priorities; University of Pittsburgh: University Times, September 5, 2018
Donovan Harrell, University of Pittsburgh: University Times;
"As the fall 2018 semester begins, Amy J. Wildermuth has been adjusting to her new position as dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law...
What are some of your goals for your first semester?
The first thing is to be a good listener. I really want to listen and learn as much as I can about this place, and I learn something new every day. When I think about listening and learning, I mean not just in the law school, but at the university level, in the community —especially with our alums and the practicing bar.
One of the big interests of the law school moving forward is inclusive excellence. And we are looking for a person to fill our … equity and inclusive excellence directorship. We are beginning to incorporate more education and training on inclusive excellence for everyone in this building. It's a very big priority for us. It's a passion of mine."
Law dean plans to promote inclusivity as one of her top priorities
"As the fall 2018 semester begins, Amy J. Wildermuth has been adjusting to her new position as dean of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law...
What are some of your goals for your first semester?
The first thing is to be a good listener. I really want to listen and learn as much as I can about this place, and I learn something new every day. When I think about listening and learning, I mean not just in the law school, but at the university level, in the community —especially with our alums and the practicing bar.
One of the big interests of the law school moving forward is inclusive excellence. And we are looking for a person to fill our … equity and inclusive excellence directorship. We are beginning to incorporate more education and training on inclusive excellence for everyone in this building. It's a very big priority for us. It's a passion of mine."
Saturday, September 1, 2018
Letter to the Editor: "Get the Facts on Readers", Emailed to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Kip Currier, September 1, 2018
[Kip
Currier: I'm copying below a Letter to the Editor--titled "Get the
Facts on Readers"--that I emailed today (September 1, 2018) to The
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. For additional background, see this story.]
Get the Facts on
Readers
Dear Editor,
The Post-Gazette is running a multi-platform ad campaign
that weaponizes variations of the line “I will never go digital” to make fun
of older readers, depicted as fuddy-duddy Luddites. In one particularly
offensive TV spot, a digitally-savvy granddaughter openly mocks her grandmother
who prefers print.
Research refutes the ageist “messages” in the P-G’s divisive
marketing campaign. Many adult U.S. readers—of all ages—are hybrid readers who want the choice of information in both print and digital formats.
As evidence, take a look at some of the key findings from a Jan.
3-10, 2018 national survey of 2,002 U.S. adults, reported by the
well-respected, non-partisan Pew Research Center:
Despite some growth in certain digital formats, it remains the case that relatively few Americans consume digital books (which include audiobooks and e-books) to the exclusion of print. Some 39% of Americans say they read only print books, while 29% read in these digital formats and also read print books.
And the coup de grace
to the P-G’s graceless stereotyping:
Some demographic groups are more likely than others to be digital-only book readers, but in general this behavior is relatively rare across a wide range of demographics. For example, 10% of 18- to 29-year-olds only read books in digital formats, compared with 5% of those ages 50-64 and 4% of those 65 and older.
The P-G’s preening effort to digitally divide users borders on farce, given that P-G
writers and staff repeatedly concede the deplorable state of the newspaper’s
digital search and archival features.
The P-G’s tagline is “One
of America’s Great Newspapers”. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons,
that tagline is not supported by facts. So, here’s a “message” for P-G
ownership:
Hire some of the Pittsburgh region’s highly educated information professionals to help the P-G become a bona fide leader in print and digital content, search, and delivery. Give the Pittsburgh region a truly great newspaper that inclusively serves and respects all of its readers and residents.
James “Kip”
Currier
Mt. Lebanon
Post-Gazette Is Going Digital, At Least On Some Days, With An Ad Campaign That Is Raising Eyebrows; KDKA 2 CBS Pittsburgh, August 22, 2018
Jon Delano, KDKA 2 CBS Pittsburgh; Post-Gazette Is Going Digital, At Least On Some Days, With An Ad Campaign That Is Raising Eyebrows
"The PG has billboards up around town and television ads on-air, featuring those who say they will never go digital.
One TV advertisement: “PGe and PG NewsSlide, who the bleep needs them. Last time I went on line they tried to track my cookies. They’ll never get my cookie recipe.”
Another TV advertisement: “Now they’re telling me PG is going digital. They can stick their digital. I’m not doing that.”
“It’s a little insensitive to the readers who really are connected to print, who really depend on print,” said [Andrew] Conte [director of Point Park University’s Center for Media Innovation].
Not true, says [Allan] Block [chairman of Block Communications that owns the PG]."
"The PG has billboards up around town and television ads on-air, featuring those who say they will never go digital.
One TV advertisement: “PGe and PG NewsSlide, who the bleep needs them. Last time I went on line they tried to track my cookies. They’ll never get my cookie recipe.”
Another TV advertisement: “Now they’re telling me PG is going digital. They can stick their digital. I’m not doing that.”
“It’s a little insensitive to the readers who really are connected to print, who really depend on print,” said [Andrew] Conte [director of Point Park University’s Center for Media Innovation].
Not true, says [Allan] Block [chairman of Block Communications that owns the PG]."
How to honor John McCain’s memory; The Washington Post, August 31, 2018
Ken Burns, The Washington Post;
"[John McCain] realized we could learn from these stories. But, as with all stories, you have to be willing to listen. In a world where considering opposing views seems increasingly endangered, you can honor the memory of John McCain by stopping to hear the stories of others."
How to honor John McCain’s memory
"[John McCain] realized we could learn from these stories. But, as with all stories, you have to be willing to listen. In a world where considering opposing views seems increasingly endangered, you can honor the memory of John McCain by stopping to hear the stories of others."
Thursday, August 30, 2018
Honoring All Expertise: Social Responsibility and Ethics in Tech: featuring Kathy Pham & Friends from the Berkman Klein Community; Berkman Klein Luncheon Series, Harvard University, April 17, 2018
[Video] Berkman Klein Luncheon Series, Harvard University;
Honoring All Expertise: Social Responsibility and Ethics in Tech:
"The Ethical Tech Working Group at the Berkman Klein Center will host a series of lighting [sic] talks exploring social responsibility and ethics in tech. Speakers will draw on their perspectives as computer scientists, critical race and gender scholars, designers, ethnographers, historians, lawyers, political scientists, and philosophers to share reflections on what it will take to build more publicly-accountable technologies and how to bridge diverse expertise from across industry and academia to get there."
[Kip Currier: One of the speakers in this video is Ben Green, Computer Science PhD Student, Harvard University. His talk is titled "Travails in CS Academia".]
Honoring All Expertise: Social Responsibility and Ethics in Tech:
featuring Kathy Pham & Friends from the Berkman Klein Community
"The Ethical Tech Working Group at the Berkman Klein Center will host a series of lighting [sic] talks exploring social responsibility and ethics in tech. Speakers will draw on their perspectives as computer scientists, critical race and gender scholars, designers, ethnographers, historians, lawyers, political scientists, and philosophers to share reflections on what it will take to build more publicly-accountable technologies and how to bridge diverse expertise from across industry and academia to get there."
[Kip Currier: One of the speakers in this video is Ben Green, Computer Science PhD Student, Harvard University. His talk is titled "Travails in CS Academia".]
Ben Green quote:
[8:46 in video] "What was particularly disturbing for me as I entered the [computer science] field was to see the actual dismissal of non-technical voices and non-technical perspectives in the field.
I had one experience where I heard a fellow graduate student of mine scoff at the idea of a social scientist being an actual scientist. And I had several conversations with faculty members in the department where they told me that the work that I wanted to do that was socially- and policy-minded was not computer science and wasn't worth doing."
Wednesday, August 29, 2018
Southerners Tore Down Silent Sam. Now Northerners Need to Tear Down Confederate Flags.; HuffPost, August 29, 2018
Alex Pareene, HuffPost; Southerners Tore Down Silent Sam. Now Northerners Need to Tear Down Confederate Flags.
"At a certain point, we stopped telling ourselves about how we freed the United States."
"At a certain point, we stopped telling ourselves about how we freed the United States."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: what sports have taught me about race in America; The Guardian, August 28, 2018
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, The Guardian;
"Athletes who speak out are proclaiming their loyalty to a constitution that demands equality and inclusiveness, not to the government officials who try to undermine those ideals by silencing its critics."
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: what sports have taught me about race in America
"Athletes who speak out are proclaiming their loyalty to a constitution that demands equality and inclusiveness, not to the government officials who try to undermine those ideals by silencing its critics."
Wednesday, August 22, 2018
Kelly Marie Tran: I Won’t Be Marginalized by Online Harassment; The New York Times, August 21, 2018
Kelly Marie Tran, The New York Times; Kelly Marie Tran: I Won’t Be Marginalized by Online Harassment
"Editors’ note: The actress deleted her Instagram posts this summer in response to online harassment. Here she speaks out for the first time...
My real name is Loan. And I am just getting started."
"Editors’ note: The actress deleted her Instagram posts this summer in response to online harassment. Here she speaks out for the first time...
"I want to live in a world where children
of color don’t spend their entire adolescence wishing to be white. I
want to live in a world where women are not subjected to scrutiny for
their appearance, or their actions, or their general existence. I want
to live in a world where people of all races, religions, socioeconomic
classes, sexual orientations, gender identities and abilities are seen
as what they have always been: human beings.
This is the world I want to live in. And this is the world that I will continue to work toward.
These
are the thoughts that run through my head every time I pick up a script
or a screenplay or a book. I know the opportunity given to me is rare. I
know that I now belong to a small group of privileged people who get to
tell stories for a living, stories that are heard and seen and digested
by a world that for so long has tasted only one thing. I know how
important that is. And I am not giving up.
You might know me as Kelly.
I am the first woman of color to have a leading role in a “Star Wars” movie.
I am the first Asian woman to appear on the cover of Vanity Fair.
All Eyes on the Presidency; The Atlantic, August 22, 2018
Adam Serwer, The Atlantic; All Eyes on the Presidency
"Manafort and Cohen may see prison time. But even if they are held to account, no one should be under the illusion that the outcomes of their cases on Tuesday legitimize a system of justice in which wealthy people who commit financial crimes can fully expect to get away with them. Trump did not create the rot in this system. He has merely made it obvious."
"Manafort and Cohen may see prison time. But even if they are held to account, no one should be under the illusion that the outcomes of their cases on Tuesday legitimize a system of justice in which wealthy people who commit financial crimes can fully expect to get away with them. Trump did not create the rot in this system. He has merely made it obvious."
Saturday, August 18, 2018
What Are “Ethics in Design”?; Slate, August 13, 2018
Victoria, Sgarro, Slate; What Are “Ethics in Design”?
"Examples of product design that fail on the ethics front are all too easy to find—like news feeds promoting fake news, ride-hailing companies psychologically exploiting workers, and virtual home assistants perpetuating negative gender stereotypes. It’s not that product designers don’t care about the ethical ramifications of their work—far from it. It’s that, too often, they assume that such considerations fall outside of their job description
Mike Monteiro, co-founder and design director of Mule Design and author of the influential essay “A Designer’s Code of Ethics,” says that this ignorance has become an issue with the rapid change in scope of design over the past decade. “Designers have been running fast and free with no ethical guidelines,” he told me. “And that was fine when we were designing posters and sites for movies. But now design is interpersonal relationships on social media, health care, financial data traveling everywhere, the difference between verified journalism and fake news. And this is dangerous.”
Increasingly, though, the industry is taking ethics seriously. Every year at SXSW, John Maeda, the global head of computational design and inclusion at Automattic, presents the “Design in Tech Report,” which serves as a kind of State of the Union on design in technology. This year, Maeda focused on inclusion as the future of design. Maeda defines inclusive design as designing products for a broader audience—whether that’s people with disabilities, people living outside of the U.S., people of color, or older people. On his list of “the top 10 most critical issues and challenges currently facing design,” “ethics in design” came in third, behind “design not having a ‘seat at the table’ ” (No. 1), and “diversity in design and tech” (No. 2)."
"Examples of product design that fail on the ethics front are all too easy to find—like news feeds promoting fake news, ride-hailing companies psychologically exploiting workers, and virtual home assistants perpetuating negative gender stereotypes. It’s not that product designers don’t care about the ethical ramifications of their work—far from it. It’s that, too often, they assume that such considerations fall outside of their job description
Mike Monteiro, co-founder and design director of Mule Design and author of the influential essay “A Designer’s Code of Ethics,” says that this ignorance has become an issue with the rapid change in scope of design over the past decade. “Designers have been running fast and free with no ethical guidelines,” he told me. “And that was fine when we were designing posters and sites for movies. But now design is interpersonal relationships on social media, health care, financial data traveling everywhere, the difference between verified journalism and fake news. And this is dangerous.”
Increasingly, though, the industry is taking ethics seriously. Every year at SXSW, John Maeda, the global head of computational design and inclusion at Automattic, presents the “Design in Tech Report,” which serves as a kind of State of the Union on design in technology. This year, Maeda focused on inclusion as the future of design. Maeda defines inclusive design as designing products for a broader audience—whether that’s people with disabilities, people living outside of the U.S., people of color, or older people. On his list of “the top 10 most critical issues and challenges currently facing design,” “ethics in design” came in third, behind “design not having a ‘seat at the table’ ” (No. 1), and “diversity in design and tech” (No. 2)."
Monday, August 6, 2018
A conversation with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the 2018 Trademark Expo; Director's Forum: A Blog from USPTO's Leadership, August 6, 2018
Guest blog by Linda Hosler, Deputy Program Manager for USPTO partnerships;
A conversation with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the 2018 Trademark Expo
"On July 27 and 28, guests poured in to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to participate in the 2018 National Trademark Exposition. This free biennial event supports the USPTO’s mission of educating the public about the vital role intellectual property protections—in this case trademarks— play in our increasingly competitive global marketplace. More than twenty exhibitors, including government entities, non-profits, small businesses, and corporations from all over the country provided thought-provoking interactive displays and educational workshops.
Keynoting at this year’s expo was NBA All-Star, author, and entrepreneur, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I had the opportunity to sit down with Abdul-Jabbar to find out what made him the industry giant he is today—not surprisingly, it is much more than his 7 foot 2 inch stature."
A conversation with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the 2018 Trademark Expo
"On July 27 and 28, guests poured in to the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History to participate in the 2018 National Trademark Exposition. This free biennial event supports the USPTO’s mission of educating the public about the vital role intellectual property protections—in this case trademarks— play in our increasingly competitive global marketplace. More than twenty exhibitors, including government entities, non-profits, small businesses, and corporations from all over the country provided thought-provoking interactive displays and educational workshops.
Keynoting at this year’s expo was NBA All-Star, author, and entrepreneur, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I had the opportunity to sit down with Abdul-Jabbar to find out what made him the industry giant he is today—not surprisingly, it is much more than his 7 foot 2 inch stature."
Wednesday, August 1, 2018
'Peanuts' First Black Character Franklin Turns 50; NPR, July 30, 2018
Cecilia Lei and James Delahoussaye, NPR; 'Peanuts' First Black Character Franklin Turns 50
"It was especially defining for a 6-year-old Robb Armstrong, author of Fearless: A Cartoonist's Guide to Life and creator of JumpStart, one of the most widely syndicated black comic strips ever.
"1968 is a very vivid year for me," Armstrong told NPR's Renee Montagne in an interview for Weekend Edition. Two months after King was killed, Bobby Kennedy was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Armstrong's older brother also died that year, just 30 days before Franklin's debut.
For Armstrong, a young black boy who declared to his mother at the age of 3 that he was going to be a cartoonist, Franklin's inclusion was extraordinary."
"It was especially defining for a 6-year-old Robb Armstrong, author of Fearless: A Cartoonist's Guide to Life and creator of JumpStart, one of the most widely syndicated black comic strips ever.
"1968 is a very vivid year for me," Armstrong told NPR's Renee Montagne in an interview for Weekend Edition. Two months after King was killed, Bobby Kennedy was assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles. Armstrong's older brother also died that year, just 30 days before Franklin's debut.
For Armstrong, a young black boy who declared to his mother at the age of 3 that he was going to be a cartoonist, Franklin's inclusion was extraordinary."
Thursday, July 12, 2018
OIF Responds to Library Bill of Rights Meeting Room Amendment; American Libraries, July 10, 2018
American Libraries;
OIF Responds to Library Bill of Rights Meeting Room Amendment
"“As cited in the interpretation, there are two prominent cases addressing public library meeting rooms. One involved religion. One involved a white supremacist group. In both cases, the library prohibiting the groups use of space lost lawsuits and were forced to change their policies.
“The Library Bill of Rights Meeting Room amendment should serve as a catalyst for library staff to review or establish policies with assistance from their legal counsel. We encourage libraries to adopt policies that govern meeting space use while meeting the needs of the community that they serve.
“Library staff in need of meeting room best practices may access a variety of free resources through OIF’s Meeting Rooms, Exhibit Spaces, and Programs, which offers strategies and resources for libraries to address community concerns and prepare for potentially controversial library-initiated events. Also, ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services has an excellent set of resources on responding to all kinds of challenges related to diversity. Additional resources are available via the OIF blog."
Friday, July 6, 2018
Iceman Came Out. Now He’s Coming Back in His Own Series.; The New York Times, June 28, 2018
George Gene Gustines, The New York Times; Iceman Came Out. Now He’s Coming Back in His Own Series.
"What is next for Iceman?
I’m
really excited that we’re coming back with a new No. 1. This is going
to be a great way to invite readers to celebrate with us. Iceman is
going to be thinking about how he can help other people and use his
mutant power to be the best he can be. He’s going to be up against some
pretty big bad guys. In the first issue he’s preventing the next “Mutant
Massacre” with Bishop, another X-Man.
We’re
also going to see a lot of the previous cast but played out in
different ways. Bobby’s relationship with his parents will not be as
fraught. He reached a level of peace that you can get to — even with
parents like his. We’re going to see his dating life. It’s just going to
be such a breath of fresh air to see him really stretch his arms out
and have fun.
You mentioned there would be some community outreach too.
The
reason I love X-Men books is that they speak so much to people who
identify as other. We’re going to be seeing Bobby trying to figure out
how he can be a shining beacon to the gay community. That’s where me and
Bobby Drake are alike: How do you take this platform and try to do
something meaningful? That’s something I want all readers to think
about: How can you make a difference in your world? I feel super proud
of the story I’ve crafted with all those things in mind."
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Equity pending: Why so few women receive patents; The Christian Science Monitor, July 2, 2018
E'oin O'Carroll, The Christian Science Monitor; Equity pending: Why so few women receive patents
"The causes for the gender gap are varied and complex, but much of it can be explained by women’s underrepresentation in patent-intensive jobs, particularly engineering. Research shows women make up roughly 20 percent of graduates from engineering schools, but hold less than 15 percent of engineering jobs. Female engineering grads are not entering the field at the same rate as their male counterparts, and they are leaving in far greater numbers.
“It’s the climate,” says Nadya Fouad, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “The organizational environment is very unforgiving.”
Professor Fouad, who spent three years surveying women with engineering degrees about their career choices, cites inflexible schedules, a lack of opportunities for advancement, and incivility toward women. “It’s not the women’s fault,” she says, noting that she found no difference in levels of confidence in those who stayed and those who left.
Other barriers women face are an absence of supportive social networks and implicit bias on the part of venture capitalists."
"The causes for the gender gap are varied and complex, but much of it can be explained by women’s underrepresentation in patent-intensive jobs, particularly engineering. Research shows women make up roughly 20 percent of graduates from engineering schools, but hold less than 15 percent of engineering jobs. Female engineering grads are not entering the field at the same rate as their male counterparts, and they are leaving in far greater numbers.
“It’s the climate,” says Nadya Fouad, a professor of educational psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. “The organizational environment is very unforgiving.”
Professor Fouad, who spent three years surveying women with engineering degrees about their career choices, cites inflexible schedules, a lack of opportunities for advancement, and incivility toward women. “It’s not the women’s fault,” she says, noting that she found no difference in levels of confidence in those who stayed and those who left.
Other barriers women face are an absence of supportive social networks and implicit bias on the part of venture capitalists."
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