Not meeting your goals – HuffPost

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I gave up daily vlogging recently. On January 1, 2017, I announced Id start uploading a video every single day. There was no end in mind. Some people have taken on this challenge and lasted days. Some people have lasted years. I lasted a little over 3 months.

The breaking point was a company meetup at Highrise, a simple CRM company I took over from Basecamp in 2014. Our meetup was just a handful of days. But those days were optimized to spend every minute possible together since were all working remotely the rest of the year.

There was a lot of great footage from the meetup, but I didnt have any time to edit fun stories together. Or think about pacing. Add music.

I shot YouTube live videos to at least get something out and keep my commitment to the daily vlog, but my YouTube stats started to tank.

So, I decided to focus on creating better videosones I thought could get the most likes and viewsfor each and every upload. My daily vlog became a barely weekly vlog. Sometimes Id get two videos done in a week. Sometimes none.

And I started disliking the project more and more.

On the first day of my Sophomore year in high school, there was a welcome students event in our auditorium. I was barely paying attention but heard my name called out. Ugh, whats this about? The dread became surprise and then elation when they announced I had the highest grade point average so far of our entire class of 400+ kids. Woah. I was not expecting that.

With this newfound ability to compete at having the highest grade point average, I just wanted to keep competing. Could I be my high school valedictorian in a few years?

That Sophomore year, I was in an AP (Advanced Placement) art class. For some reason the teachers and I did not get along. And I guess I didnt have much talent with the art assignments. It showed in my grade for the class. My hopes for valedictorian were evaporating. It felt awful.

Junior year rolled around, and work just got harder. More tough classes, even less time for school work with all the extracurricular activities I was doing. My goal of having the best grades got worse.

But then I started making better friends with this guy, Al Wyman. Al and I had known each other since basketball camp in grade school. When we found ourselves in the same ethics class Junior year, we began talking more and more.

Those talks changed something in me. Wed banter back and forth about the books we were reading (or supposed to be reading for class) from the likes of Herman Hesse or Camus. And I realized how much I enjoyed our chats about school work. Not the competition for grades. But the act of learning, debate, application.

Why was I so focused on grades, when I should be more focused on the act of education?

In that ethics class, there was a project about the famous Edward Hopper painting Nighthawks: Redraw the painting and write an essay of whose in our version and why.

I experimented with the idea that maybe I could just focus on learning and enjoying the experience instead of getting the best grade.

But there was a catch. There wasnt enough time to thoroughly tackle this project without pulling yet another all nighter. So I just didnt do it when the teacher wanted it done.

After the project was due, I finally had an opportunity to focus on getting the project done and give it my all, learning even more about the original painting, and about the people I felt interesting enough to belong in my version. I turned the project in a couple days later and felt great about what I had learned and produced.

What happened was kind of a surprise. The teacher took it, looking at me a bit quizzically. I said, Sorry I couldnt turn this in on time. But here is my work. I hope I can still get some credit for it.

A few days later he gave it back to me, with a great grade on iteven accounting for the points he took off for turning it in late.

It taught me a valuable lesson. I could still perform well without actually focusing on that as a goal. Really, I needed to take care of myself, and commit to a system of learning, not a goal of the best grades.

My time in highschool got so much better after that. There were multiple projects I started turning in late so I could get more sleep. And I learned so much more in the process.

I still ended up with a really high average when I graduated. I wasnt the valedictorian. I was close, but it didnt matter anymore. That last year and a half of high school was some of the best time of my life, and I got so much out of it.

If I look back at my career, the best moments are when I repeated what I did in high schoolfocus on systems, not goals. If I focused too much on where my startup would be when I wanted it to be there, I was miserable. When I focused on just showing up, learning as much as I could, delivering things our customers wanted on a regular basis, I enjoyed it, and we still got great results.

My first Y Combinator startup from 2006 didnt turn into the mega-success I had envisioned, but became an enjoyable ride that still propelled my career forward and turned into even better and brighter things for others as well.

I had a goal with Y Combinator in 2011 to create a Groupon-sized success. Again I became miserable. Until I instead focused on a system of creating things that met needs I understood well because I had them myself.

That led to Draft, simple writing and version control software. It wasnt the thing I envisioned making in 2011, but the system got me what Id call a pretty wild success.

Now I run Highrise. The founders of Basecamp handed me the reigns when they wanted to spin it off. That was never a goal. How could it be? No one could have made it an intention. But this system of showing up every day and creating new things regularly got me here.

Staring at my YouTube stats was a mistake. Theres so much to getting traction, and so much of it isnt under my control.

What I can focus on is showing up every day. Filming. Editing (when I can). Getting on camera. Trying to find a story from the day even if it doesnt work out.

I sure as hell enjoy it more. And I think I might still get great results. Maybe not what I envisioned at first. But it seems like things have a way of working themselves out.

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Not meeting your goals - HuffPost

Cognitive computing will bring increased intelligence to EHRs – ModernMedicine

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The typical electronic health record (EHR) system holds more information than any one person could analyze, as do all the medical journals and medical data repositories that exist.

But physicians could soon leverage all of that information to make better decisions, according to leading health IT experts, as EHRs and other healthcare software systems begin to incorporate cognitive computing.

Cognitive computing, a branch of artificial intelligence, harnesses self-learning systems, data mining, natural language processing and other technologies to analyze information, identify patterns and draw conclusions just as the human mind does, only on a vastly larger scale and speed.

The result will be computers that act more like virtual assistants than data-entry systems.

Cognitive computing will impact how we deliver care, it will impact clinical workflows and it will impact other spaces within the physician business as well, said Todd Evenson, MBA, chief operating officer at the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA).

Its able to identify outputs that a physician didnt necessarily think of, said Ian E. Hoffberg, applied innovation manager, health information systems, for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS).

Health IT experts offered a vision of how cognitive computing will work in a typical physicians office:

Task-automation software, known as a bot, could answer calls and take information, directing callers to the right person or to a computer system where the caller can upload health data to be analyzed; the system could alert staff to callers who need immediate attention based on the analysis.

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Cognitive computing will bring increased intelligence to EHRs - ModernMedicine

NHS to ban homeopathy and herbal medicine, as ‘misuse of … – Telegraph.co.uk

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The public rightly expects that the NHS will use every pound wisely, and today were taking practical action to free up funding to better spend on modern drugs and treatments.

Health officials said the NHS is spending around 545m a year on treatments which are available over the counter, though they do not expect to recoup all the funding.

The products include cough mixture and cold treatments, eye drops, laxatives and sun cream lotions.

And NHS bodies will be told not to pay for a number of specific treatments, such as omega 3 supplements, lidocaine plasters and fentanyl painkillers.

Health officials said the NHS is spending around 545m a year on treatments which are available over the counter, though they do not expect to recoup all the funding.

The consultation covers around 3,200 such prescription items.

Health officials said many of them were readily available and sold over the counter in pharmacies, supermarkets, petrol stations, corner shops and other retailers, often at a significantly lower price than the cost to the NHS.

Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS medical director, said: At a time when we need to find all the money we can for new, highly effective drugs we must ensure every pound is spent wisely. An honest, plain English conversation is required about what we should fund and what we should not.

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NHS to ban homeopathy and herbal medicine, as 'misuse of ... - Telegraph.co.uk

Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College Welcomes Class of 2021! – Touro College News

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Activities began with a class breakfast under warm, sunny skies outside the Medical Education Center at NYMC, and concluded in Rockefeller Preserve, where the rain had stopped just in time for a team-building hike. In between, students got down to the business of reviewing curriculum and technologies, meeting their faculty, picking up their scrubs, visiting the SIM lab, and learning about the Schools mission to prepare students to be skilled and dedicated oral healthcare practitioners.

You may have said why dentistry? Why Touro? asked Dr. Ronnie Myers, Dean of TouroCDM. Whether you will pursue a private pediatric practice or travel to Africa on a service trip, oral health is an integral part of general health.

High scorers

Dr. Myers and Dr. Ed Farkas, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs pointed out that the incoming class averaged 21 on the dental aptitude test (DAT) and were therefore among the top 10 percent of dental school applicants in the nation. Many of you had choices, and you chose us, said Dr. Farkas, who later described the Schools state-of-the-art digital dentistry workflow and pointed out that the Schools future dental clinic, scheduled to open this winter, has already received calls from patients wanting to receive treatment.

In the Schools expansive testing center, faculty members discussed classes in microbiology, immunology, radiology and prosthodontics. The beauty of dentistry, said Dr. Bert Goldfinger is it allows you to pursue any combination of specialties.

Dr. Edward Halperin, Chancellor of New York Medical College, described the kinship between Touro College and New York Medical College in their mission to help the underserved.

It was very much in the DNA of NYMC to care about the poor, the black community, and those marginalized in society, and its very much the same about Touro, fulfilling the Jewish mission to serve society and to be inclusive. Thats who we are, thats what we do here, he said.

Alyson Brennan, president of the local chapter of the American Student Dental Association, encouraged the new D1s to get involved in extra-curricular activities. Youre going to have to relax, she said adding that the academic and clinical requirements of dental school are intense. You will cry maybe twice!

Morgan Atanasio, President of TouroCDMs Student Government Association spoke about the various clubs and organizations that students could join, and encouraged everyone to figure out your learning style and how to organize yourself. She said its important to get involved in leadership because as practicing dentists, you will be leaders in your own communities.

In his introduction, Dr. Jay Goldsmith, founding dean and Dean Emeritus of the School, summed up TouroCDMs commitment to providing an outstanding dental education. Its not just what we require. Its what the profession requires. Its exciting, its interesting, and today, its a whole new field.

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Touro College of Dental Medicine at New York Medical College Welcomes Class of 2021! - Touro College News

Study Shows Psychedelic Plant Medicine Ayahuasca Can Stimulates The Birth Of New Brain Cells – Collective Evolution

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Collective Evolution
Study Shows Psychedelic Plant Medicine Ayahuasca Can Stimulates The Birth Of New Brain Cells
Collective Evolution
This is truly a plant medicine with the potential to heal countless people, and it is my hope that studies like this will prompt lawmakers and officials to lighten the strict laws that govern ayahuasca's use, as it's currently a Schedule One drug under ...

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Study Shows Psychedelic Plant Medicine Ayahuasca Can Stimulates The Birth Of New Brain Cells - Collective Evolution

Hospital introduces pulmonary and sleep medicine physician – Effingham Daily News

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HSHS Medical Group announced Manjeshwar Prabhu, MD, internal, pulmonary and sleep medicine physician, will be seeing patients in Effingham on the first and third Monday of each month. Prabhu will now see patients at 900 West Temple Avenue, Effingham.

While his pulmonology specialty will concentrate on diseases involving the respiratory tract, Prabhus proficiency in sleep medicine will help patients sleep better as he performs the diagnosis and therapy of sleep disturbances and disorders.

Services include diagnosis and treatment of a full spectrum of disorders, including patients who have COPD, asthma, or bronchitis.

Prabhu earned his medical degree from Madras Medical College in Chennai, India. He then trained in England and Scotland and obtained Membership of the Royal Colleges of Physicians (MRCP) certification. He additionally completed a pulmonary fellowship at the University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada. He is board certified in internal medicine, pulmonary medicine and sleep medicine.

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Hospital introduces pulmonary and sleep medicine physician - Effingham Daily News

USC moves to fire, ban from campus former medical school dean over ‘egregious behavior’ – Los Angeles Times

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Faced with mounting questions and anger on campus, USC announced Friday that it was hiring an ex-federal prosecutor to investigate a report by The Times that the former dean of the universitys medical school associated with criminals and drug abusers and used methamphetamine and other drugs with them.

We are outraged and disgusted by this individuals behavior, USC President C.L. Max Nikias said in a letter to the campus community, referring to Dr. Carmen A. Puliafito, former dean of the Keck School of Medicine.

USC officials said they had begun the process to strip Puliafito of his faculty tenure and terminate him. In a separate letter to the faculty, Provost Michael W. Quick said the university had just learned about egregious behavior on the part of the former dean concerning substance abuse activities with people who arent affiliated with USC.

The statements by USCs top officials were much more strongly worded than comments they made earlier in the week.

Paul Pringle, Harriet Ryan, Adam Elmahrek, Matt Hamilton and Sarah Parvini

Photos and video show then-head of Keck School of Medicine partying with criminals and drug-users.

Photos and video show then-head of Keck School of Medicine partying with criminals and drug-users. (Paul Pringle, Harriet Ryan, Adam Elmahrek, Matt Hamilton and Sarah Parvini)

Quick said that shift was due to evidence officials reviewed Friday.

This was the first time we saw such information first-hand, Quick wrote. It is extremely troubling and we need to take serious action.

He did not reveal the evidence or say how it was different from the detailed account of Puliafitos behavior published in The Times on Monday.

Puliafito is barred from our campuses and any association with USC, including attending or participating in university events, the provost said.

Puliafito had continued to represent USC in public as recently as Saturday, when he spoke at a medical education seminar in Pasadena sponsored by the Keck School.

The Times report said that Puliafito used drugs with a circle of much younger people while leading the medical school.

It is crucial that we understand how these events occurred, Nikias said in his letter.

The universitys investigation will be overseen by Debra Wong Yang, a partner at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in Los Angeles and a former member of the Los Angeles Police Commission.

Yang represented USC when it faced a wrongful-death lawsuit filed against USC in 2012 by the parents of two graduate students who were slain off-campus. The suit was dismissed in 2013.

Yangs profile page on the Gibson Dunn website says she has worked as an adjunct professor for USCs Gould School of Law. It does not say when she taught there. She did not immediately respond to an interview request.

The law firm has close ties to USC. Its managing partner, Kenneth M. Doran, is a graduate of the USC law school and a former chairman of its board of councilors. He has also been a prominent fundraiser for the school. Gibson Dunn was cited in USC Law magazine in 2009 for achieving 100% participation by its lawyers in a fundraising drive. Of 28 law firms cited for their generosity, Gibson Dunn had the most USC alumni, with more than 30, according to the magazine.

Nikias said that Yang would conduct a thorough investigation into the details of Carmen Puliafitos conduct, the universitys response, as well as our existing policies and procedures.

All of us must cooperate fully and swiftly with the investigation, the letter said. It is critical we understand how and why this happened so we can do everything possible to improve our ability to prevent something like this from happening again.

Nikias said Yang would present findings and recommendations to the executive committee of the USC board of trustees. He did not say whether the findings would be made public.

Nikias has declined interview requests by The Times, and did not respond to written questions addressing how USC handled the Puliafito affair.

On Monday, when The Times lengthy investigation was published, USC announced that Puliafito, 66, had been placed on leave from his positions as a faculty member and Keck eye surgeon, and was no longer seeing patients.

Puliafito, who led the medical school for nearly a decade, resigned his $1.1-million-a-year deans post in March 2016, in the middle of the spring term, saying he wanted to explore outside opportunities.

He did not mention that three weeks earlier, a 21-year-old woman had overdosed in his presence in a Pasadena hotel room. The woman was rushed to a hospital, where she recovered. Police found methamphetamine in the hotel room, according to a police report, but made no arrests.

A tip about the episode prompted The Times to investigate. The newspaper interviewed six people who said they partied and used drugs with Puliafito in Pasadena, Huntington Beach and Las Vegas, as well as at USC. They ranged in age from the late teens to late 30s. None were USC students.

Members of the group captured their exploits in photos and videos shot in 2015 and 2016.

Steve Lopez: USC bosses flunk the leadership test amid shocking allegations about former medical school dean

In one video, a tuxedo-clad Puliafito displays an orange pill on his tongue and says into the camera, Thought Id take an ecstasy before the ball. Then he swallows the pill.

In another, Puliafito uses a butane torch to heat a large glass pipe outfitted for methamphetamine use. He inhales and then unleashes a thick plume of white smoke. Seated next to him on a sofa, a young woman appears to smoke heroin from a piece of heated foil.

On Wednesday, the current medical school dean addressed angry students.

These allegations, if they are true, they are horrible and despicable, Dr. Rohit Varma told the gathering of scores of medical scholars and graduate students at the Keck School of Medicine in Boyle Heights.

Hes a man who had a brilliant career, all gone down the drain, Varma said. Im standing in this place where my predecessor now has this taint. ... It is sad.

He also said that Puliafito had sought treatment in the past for alcoholism, but that the allegations in the article that he used drugs came as a complete shock to us.

At the meeting on the Keck campus, students some wearing hospital scrubs said university administrators should have known more about Puliafitos troubling behavior, including reports that he appeared drunk or otherwise intoxicated at campus events. One woman said that it seems shocking that no one has been able to figure anything out in the last 10 years. ... People are now going to be questioning our professionalism.

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USC moves to fire, ban from campus former medical school dean over 'egregious behavior' - Los Angeles Times

Med School grad to trade scrubs for space suit | Harvard Gazette – Harvard Gazette

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Jonny Kim was in the grocery store when the call came: He would have to exchange his emergency room scrubs for a space suit.

I was happy, jubilated, excited all these emotions, Kim said. My wife was there. I told her and she was jumping up and down in the grocery store. So we looked silly. I was about to pay for the food.

Kim, a 2016 Harvard Medical School(HMS) graduate, was one of a dozen candidates picked by NASA in June for its next astronaut class. A year into a four-year residency at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Kim will put his medical career on hold so he can learn to fly a plane, spacewalk, operate the International Space Stations robotic arm, and master other skills NASA considers essential.

This isnt the first time Kim has exchanged one high-pressure career for another. Before going on inactive reserve to pursue his medical training, he was a Navy SEAL with more than 100 combat missions under his belt. His military honors include a Silver Star and a Bronze Star.

Why wouldnt NASA want him? said David Brown, head of MGHs Department of Emergency Medicine and MGH Trustees Professor of Emergency Medicine at HMS. We wanted him. Harvard Medical School wanted him. Everyone wanted him.

Kim, 33, has come a long way from the shyness and small dreams of his Los Angeles youth. Buffeted by family instability and a difficult time at school, he didnt see in himself the qualities he admired in others: the courage of the astronauts whose posters adorned his walls, the quiet professionalism and odds-defying determination of the Special Forces. As high school graduation neared, it seemed only a radical step could get him off the road to nowhere. So he enlisted in the Navy and asked to become a member of one of its elite SEAL teams. The recruiter could promise only the chance to try. For Kim that was enough.

I didnt like the person I was growing up to become, he said. I needed to find myself and my identity. And for me, getting out of my comfort zone, getting away from the people I grew up with, and finding adventure, that was my odyssey, and it was the best decision I ever made.

SEAL training was just as tough as advertised, Kim said. He considered quitting during hell week, a five-day stretch of near continuous training in cold, wet conditions.

They let us sleep for a couple of hours in nice sleeping bags, one of only two naps you get in five days of training, Kim said. And when youre snuggled up in this warm sleeping bag and they wake you up and immediately make you go in the frigid ocean, it was the closest I ever came to quitting. I had that taste of comfort, and then it was taken away from you. The cold was magnified because your bodys so broken. When youre exercising, you can push through the pain. When youre cold, youre just by yourself.

Once past the initial phase, Kim had additional training that prepared him for service as a navigator, sniper, point man, and combat medic. Combat was inevitably very different from what he envisioned as a high school recruit, and Kim said he still feels a duty to close friends killed in fighting.

I dont watch a lot of war films and documentaries anymore, he said. Losing a lot of good friends galvanized me and made a lot of my remaining teammates make sure we made our lives worthwhile. I still, to this day, every day, think of all the good people who didnt get a chance to come home. I try to make up for the lives and positive [impact] they would have had if they were alive.

Kim traces his interest in becoming a doctor to a day in 2006 in Ramadi, Iraq, when he was serving as a medic and two close friends were shot. Both eventually died. Kim treated one in the field.

He had a pretty grave wound to the face, Kim said. It was one of the worst feelings of helplessness. There wasnt much I could do, just make sure his bleeding wasnt obstructing his airway, making sure he was positioned well. He needed a surgeon. He needed a physician and I did eventually get him to one, but that feeling of helplessness was very profound for me.

The doctors and nurses who worked on his friend made a lasting impression on Kim. Three years later, in 2009, having joined a Navy program through which enlisted personnel can be commissioned as officers, he left for undergraduate studies at the University of San Diego, with the intention of ultimately going to medical school.

He earned a bachelors degree in math in three years the Navy required full course loads during the academic year plus summer school and then, in 2012, arrived at Harvard Medical School.

Among the people he met early in his HMS career was Assistant Professor of Neurobiology David Cardozo, associate dean for basic graduate studies, who served in the Royal Canadian Navy and acts as an informal mentor for veterans on campus. The Medical Schools community of veterans is small, numbering about 20 at any one time. Students with special operations backgrounds are even fewer. Though Kim was one of the Schools most decorated veterans, Cardozo was struck by how modest he was.

Hes the steadiest person you could imagine, Cardozo said. Hes very gifted and he has a depth of character thats unequaled. He did wonderfully here.

During his third year at HMS, Kim entered a mentoring program and met Brown, who heads the hospitals Emergency Department. After graduating, Kim decided to specialize in emergency medicine and joined the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency, a cooperative program between MGH and Brigham and Womens Hospital.

Kim wasnt expecting to go to astronaut school not yet, at least. He joined more than 18,000 other applicants for the NASA class recruited every four years as a first step, hoping to improve his chances in the next selection process, once his medical training was complete.

So we were all surprised and thrilled when he was selected, but not really all that surprised, Brown said. Hes just a remarkable young man incredibly committed, absolutely unafraid.

Kim said hes ready for whatever NASA asks. Due in Houston in late August, he recently left the residency program to prepare for the move with his wife and children.

Im going to be a student at the bottom of another totem pole trying to learn as much information as possible, he said. Im excited for the adventure. I think itll be another occupation where I say, I cant believe Im getting paid for doing this.

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Med School grad to trade scrubs for space suit | Harvard Gazette - Harvard Gazette

Comcast And Liberty Global Invest In Integrate’s Demand MarTech – Seeking Alpha

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Quick Take

Media giants Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) and Liberty Global (LBTYA) have participated in the latest financing round of $8 million for marketing technology company Integrate.

Integrate has developed an industry-leading top of funnel demand orchestration software program that enterprises use to more efficiently manage and prioritize their lead generation and sales processes.

Comcast and Liberty are both active investors in startup companies that promise to have a positive impact on their business operations, and I expect to see that investment pace continue for the foreseeable future.

Investee Company

Phoenix, Arizona-based Integrate was founded in 2010 to create software that improves top-of-funnel pipeline prioritization for marketers.

Management is headed by co-founder and CEO Jeremy Bloom, who was previously founded Wish of a Lifetime.

Below is a brief video about Integrates demand orchestration system:

(Source: Integrate Inc)

The value of Integrates system is that it enables management of outbound marketing campaigns to operate at a granular level, so customers can rank and prioritize lead development.

The companys data then integrates into major CRM applications allowing companies to use their existing workflows more efficiently:

(Source: Integrate)

Major integration partners include Oracle (ORCL), Salesforce (CRM), Microsoft (MSFT), Tibco, Marketo and others.

Investors in the current Series D round were led by Iron Gate Capital, Foundry Group and Forte Ventures, and included new investor Chestnut Street Ventures.

Comcast and Liberty had previously invested in Integrates Series B and C rounds and returned to continue their support.

Investment Terms and Rationale

Valuation in the round wasnt disclosed; With the current $8 million funding, Integrate has raised a total of $35 million since inception.

So, why are the likes of Comcast and Liberty so interested in Integrate?

Integrate is focused on the top of B2B demand generation with its demand orchestration system that brings increased automation to this neglected part of the enterprise marketing stack.

As Integrates founder and CEO Jeremy Bloom stated in the deal announcement,

When I founded Integrate, I knew that the marketing technology industry was going through a transformation that would lead to increased automation and the need to scale demand to meet marketing's revenue contribution mandate. Today, this transformation is only accelerating. The relentless focus B2B marketers must place on building the top of the funnel is driving more value in the sales pipeline. Integrate's latest fundraise ensures we continue to innovate our offering and further invest in our customers' success. [Italics mine]

Both Comcast and Liberty have significant advertising marketing operations, so their investment in Integrate is well within their scope of MarTech activities.

Integrates solution is an industry-leading system for the top of the sales funnel, and both Comcast and Liberty have been early investors and users, with the ability to act as marquee customer testimonials to help Integrate penetrate other market verticals.

Both Comcast and Liberty Global have been active investors in startup companies, although Comcast has made many more investments over the past five years, as the Excel spreadsheets indicate below,

(Source: VentureDeal)

In the coming quarters, I expect to see continued busy investment pace for Comcast and less so for Liberty Global, as they both grapple with challenges and opportunities in the media and telecom industries.

I write about M&A deals, public company investments in technology startups, and IPOs. Click the Follow button next to my name at the top or bottom of this article if you want to receive future articles automatically.

Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.

I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

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Comcast And Liberty Global Invest In Integrate's Demand MarTech - Seeking Alpha

‘Life,’ ‘Liberty,’ ‘The Pursuit of Happiness’ are the Broadway experience in Montana – The Missoulian

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From Broadway to bluegrass, every genre of music will be represented in a trilogy of shows being put on this summer by the Alpine Theatre Project.

The shows, Life, Liberty and The Pursuit of Happiness dont need to be seen in any particular order, though NKenge, one of the shows performers, encourages people to come to all three.

The shows are all based on different themes. Life uses Broadway hits to take audience on a journey from birth to death. Liberty celebrates moments in American history that shaped America, starting with the American Revolution, on through wars in which America, and then battles fought within the country, such as the struggle for civil rights. Finally, The Pursuit of Happiness uses song and dance from around the world to highlight the similar themes in music in all cultures.

They are all part of the bigger picture, NKenge said.

In the past, the project has put on shows like Chicago and Little Shop of Horrors, but something built from the ground up like this can be really exciting for performers, NKenge said.

When someone goes to New York they might see five different Broadway shows in a week, NKenge said. Were taking all those shows and morphing them into one Broadway experience.

NKenge has performed in Broadway's "Motown: The Musical," and starred in The Genius of Ray Charles in Londons West End. This is her third season performing with the project, and marks the debut of her 2-year-old daughter, Jahzara Martina, who has a small role at the end of The Pursuit of Happiness. As a parent, getting to be onstage for her daughters first performance was cool, she said.

All shows at 8 p.m. in the Whitefish Performing Arts Center:

"Life The Broadway Experience," through Saturday, July 29, 8 p.m.

"Liberty The American Experience," throughThursday, July 27

"The Pursuit of Happiness The Global Experience," through Friday, July 28

People who plan to go to all three can get a 20 percent discount on tickets. For tickets, call the Alpine Theatre Project box office at406-862-7469.

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'Life,' 'Liberty,' 'The Pursuit of Happiness' are the Broadway experience in Montana - The Missoulian

Release the Hyra: Libertarian Party Candidate Is Challenging Northam and Gillespie in Governor’s Race – AltDaily

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Ralph Northam and Ed Gillespie won their parties respective primaries in June and are campaigning fiercely to be Virginias next governor. But theyre not the only candidates in the race.

The Libertarian Party of Virginia hosted a special convention in May and nominated Cliff Hyra, a 34-year-old patent attorney who lives in Mechanicsville with his wife and three children. After meeting the states petition requirements, Hyra recently officially announced his candidacy and will be a third option on the ballot in November.

AltDaily had the chance to ask him a few questions by phone.

AltDaily: Youve said you became a Libertarian in college. Can you elaborate on that?

Cliff Hyra: Sure. I guess when I was a kid I considered myself a Democrat, but I just started to be exposed to more of the idea of freedom. I started reading a little bit of [Friedrich] Hayek and [Ayn] Rand and [Milton] Friedmanstarted to get interested in the idea that even if you disagree with what somebodys doing, it may be better if everybody leaves each other alone, as long as theyre not harming anybody. So that began my journey to Libertarianism, and I think it crystallized for me in law school. I went to George Mason, and its known for its economics and maybe more Libertarian bent. I had some excellent professors like Don Boudreaux and Tyler Cowen, who are pretty well-known Libertarian thinkers, and I think they added to that idea of personal freedom and libertythe idea that Libertarianism really has a lot of solutions to real-world problems. The evidence shows that Libertarian economic solutions are very successful. So since then, Ive been voting Libertarian for my entire adult life.

And youve got a ready response for anyone who points out that you dont have any legislative experience?

Yes. About a quarter of sitting governors havent held any prior elected office, so its not unusual to go straight into the state executive position without previous political experience. Im a business owner and life-long resident of Virginia. Im a family man. I have three children and another one on the wayso Im very familiar with the problems that people face here in Virginia.

Ralph Northam and Ed Gillespie have raised more than $11 million combined. Whats your strategy for competing against the major parties?

You know, you can do very well working with a smaller budget. Its all about getting your message out there, so any way that we can do that: traveling around the state and meeting with different groups, trying to do as much media as possible, targeted ad spending.

Fundamentally, its about the ideas. Even in the last presidential election, when ideas got people really excitedeither in a positive or a negative waythey really got a lot of exposure, even without spending a lot of money. That race was quite different than this one, but even so, theres a lot of opportunities when youre pushing ideas that people are interested in.

Whats the status of you getting into any of the planned debates?

I have not been invited to any of the debates Theyve said, Well, these are our standards for getting in, but theyre quite subjective.

Ive heard that Ralph Northam claims that hes open to my participation in the debates. Ed Gillespies camp, theyve stated that theyre not open to it. Im not sure, really, what theyre afraid of, but I think people would really be well-served by participation of a third party.

Ive listened a lot to what the other candidates have said, and too much of what theyre talking about is just political gotchatrying to score points on the other side. Even looking at their websites, they have a lot of nice goal statements, but they dont really talk much about how to get there. I think it would be great for me to be in the debate and forcing the other candidates to respond to some of these policy proposals and say where they stand. At this stage, we havent seen any evidence that were going to get that. Were certainly working with the debate sponsors and the other candidates to do everything we can to get in the debates, but we havent seen much positive progress so far.

You grew up in northern Virginia, you went to college at Virginia Tech, and you live outside Richmond now. It seems like you could draw support from a lot of parts of the state. Im wondering: How well do you know Hampton Roads, and do you have any campaign stops planned here?

Hampton Roads is one of the first places that I visited after I announced that I was planning to run, and I visited with several groups down there. Ive never lived there or worked there, but I know a lot of people down there, and I certainly plan to come back again and again over the course of the campaign and get to know as many people and voters groups down there as I can.

Every locality has their own issues. As Ive learned down in Hampton Roads, you guys dont like tolls too much! I think there was one specific project that was handled very poorly. In other areas of the state, theyve been handled a little bit better, and theyve worked out much betterespecially some of the HOT lanes that run between northern Virginia and closer to where I am nowtheyve been really successful. Each area has its unique issues, and Im certainly committed to getting out to every location in the state and addressing the peoples concerns.

One of the tenets of your campaign is civility and respect. I wonder if you could say at least one positive thing about your opponents?

I think that Northamhes making some of the right noises about drug legalization. For example, hes come out in favor of decriminalization of marijuana. Im certainly partial to that. On Gillespies side, hes come out and recognized that theres a need for tax reform in the statethat we have a really absurd state income tax. Its never been cut; the brackets havent been adjusted in over 50 years. He recognizes theres something to be done there. I think both of them fall short on their ideas in both areas. I would go much further than them in both cases.

Its very easy for me, honestly, as a Libertarian, to look at good things on each side because Im not really a left-right kind of guy. I recognize that theres good ideas on both sides, and thats one of the advantages that I would have as a governor: the ability to pick and choose the right solutions from either side of the aisle and work with whoever I need to to get that done without the worry that I have to satisfy other people in my party.

I see a lot of positive positions on both the left and the right. Im not interested so much in partisanship, but just really arriving at the right answer and looking at what people have done in other states, trying to be more innovative and adopting some of the best practices that have already been found to work. We could have the same good results here in Virginia if there was the political will for it.

You and your wife are expecting your fourth child in August. How does she feel about you campaigning with a newborn baby in your lives?

Well, that was the first thing I did when considering runningwas talk to her about what she thought. She was all in favor of it. Shes always been very supportive of everything that Ive done, and shes really amazing and a wonderful wife. When I started my law practice, she was very supportive of that, and we were just expecting our first child at the time. It was really as the recession was just getting started. I had planned it ahead of that, and then the economy kept getting worse and worse. She said, No problem. I have confidence in you. Go out and do it. And I did. Thats the wonderful thing about her. Shes really strong. Shes great with the kids, and we have a lot of family close by. Im sure it wont be the easiest thing weve ever done, but if you dont challenge yourself, you dont grow.

You just announced your candidacy in the last two weeks. Youve got about 1,200 likes on Facebook and $28,000 in the bank. If we talk again in October, where do you think youll beor where do you hope to be with your campaign?

The skys the limit. Im running the campaign to win it. I think thats importantthat you set out with that goal in mind. Realistically, I understand that the chances of that are low. At the same time, weve seen how things can snowball. Again, even with the election last year: very unexpected, very surprising. Never say never.

If its not the year that happens, another great thing would be if we could hit 10 percent vote mark, which it looked like Rob Sarvis was going to hit for a while back in 2013 and got pretty close to it. If we can build on some of that momentum, hit that 10 percent markthats kind of the magic number for the Libertarian Partythat would give us automatic ballot access as a major party for the next four years.

That would be really good both for Libertarians, of course, but also for the people of Virginia. Theres a lot of racesespecially at the state levelthat are uncontested. I think at least 70 percent of races are uncontested, so you dont even have a choice. Wed love to field candidates in all those races and give people a choice, an alternative, but because we dont have the automatic ballot access, its really difficult to get on the ballot. We have to get so many petitions signed and so forth. So that would be a major milestone if we could reach that 10 percent level of support.

Even if the level of support isnt that high, if I can affect the debate, if I can force the other candidates to talk about some of these issues that I think are really important and that they seem to be shying away from, thatll be a success as well.

Im hoping that we do talk againmaybe in a couple monthsand we can focus more on the issues. For now, maybe you could summarize your ideas on tax reform?

Sure. As I was mentioning, Virginias taxes are really unusual. We hit our top rate at only $17,000 of income per year, so somebody whos making $30,000 in Virginia is paying more than double the state income tax that someone would pay in California. Californias, of course, well known as one of the highest tax states in the nation, if not the highest. My proposal would be to exempt the first $60,000 of household income from the state income tax. Thats $3,000 back in the pockets of the average family each year. The average family would pay no state income tax. Of course, people could do so much with that money, investing in themselves, their children, their businesses, their futures. Thats the crux of that.

Some of the other reforms Im talking about help to deal with the fiscal impact, although the fiscal impact of that cut is really muted compared to the positive impact on peoples lives because its well-targeted at the people who are paying the most disproportionate amount under the current tax system.

How does that work mathematically to be revenue-neutral? Do you tax higher incomes at a higher rate?

Im not proposing increasing any taxes. Im proposing to pay for the cut out of spending. Theres a lot of low-hanging fruit in Virginia where were spending money, and were really not getting anything back in return.

One of the issues that I like to talk about a lot is criminal justice. Elsewhere in the country, drug arrests are going down a lot, along with violent crimes and property crimes. Here in Virginia, weve had the same thing: Violent and property crimes have been going down, which is wonderful, but drug arrests have been going the opposite direction; theyve been going way up. Theyve about doubled in the last 15 years, to the point where were arresting about 3,000 Virginians for drug crimes each year60 percent of them for marijuana, 80 percent of those for just possession. It costs quite a lot of money just in direct costsover $25,000 a yearto incarcerate one person. This is for something that is legal in 29 other states and the District of Columbia. It has a really disproportionate impact on some of the African-American, disadvantaged communities here in Virginia.

We would actually be better off taking that money and setting it on firebecause at least we wouldnt be making things worse. Its not only not benefiting us in any way, its actually making things worse. Youre taking people away from their families and from their jobs, so the total impact on the economy is actually much greater than that. Thats something that we can cut, and not only will it not harm anybody, but actually by cuttingby decriminalizing marijuana and hopefully legalizing itwe can generate additional tax revenue. We can make peoples lives better.

Theres a lot of areas we can cut without having to make a cut to state services, just by making the state government more innovative, more inclusive, and focusing on those areas where its benefiting all Virginians and having respect for them and leaving them to make their own decisions, make their own choices in their own lives, as long as theyre not hurting anybody else.

What else do you want people to know about you?

One of the other issues that Im pushing is school choice. Were widely recognized to have one of the very worst charter school systems in the entire country. We recently had a bill vetoed in May that would have been a real good start there. I think there are some other states where weve seen tremendous progress. We can have the same benefits here in Virginia if we had the political willif we had the right person in the governors office.

And also healthcare. Theres a limit to what we can do here in Virginia, but we can start by introducing more choice, more competition, getting rid of bad regulations. We can increase access and reduce costs.

If anybodys interested in the ideas that Im putting forward, I would encourage them to learn more at my website: CliffHyra.com. They can sign up for the email newsletter. They can check out some of my upcoming events on Facebook. I hope to meet everybody out on the campaign trail in the coming days.

comments

Jim Roberts lives in Norfolk with his wife and two children. He grew up in Virginia Beach, earned degrees at Virginia Tech and William and Mary, and works in corporate communications at Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Link:

Release the Hyra: Libertarian Party Candidate Is Challenging Northam and Gillespie in Governor's Race - AltDaily

Greg Gutfeld: Trump Turned Liberals Into Dean Wormer [Podcast] – Reason (blog)

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"Conservatives and libertarians were always portrayed as the shrill and unhappy guys, and the left and liberals were always the people who are having fun," says Greg Gutfeld, host of Fox News' The Greg Gutfeld Show, co-host of The Five, former host of Red Eye, bestselling author, and Reason magazine intern reject.

"What you're seeing now is a lot more fun on the libertarian and right side than you've ever seen on the left."

Gutfeld sat down with Reason's Nick Gillespie to discuss his "ugly libertarianism," Donald Trump's love of Red Eye, why he was excited about the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, and why Trump's comments on the campaign trail were best understood in the context of a Comedy Central roast.

The interview took place on stage at Freedom Fest 2017, an annual gathering for libertarians in Las Vegas.

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Audio post-production by Ian Keyser.

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Greg Gutfeld: Trump Turned Liberals Into Dean Wormer [Podcast] - Reason (blog)

Meet the Atheist Libertarian Running for Senate as a Republican – Patheos (blog)

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You may have heard the name Austin Petersen before, but if you havent youre probably going to soon. Hes a libertarian activist who has identified himself as an atheist and he recently announced hes running for Senate as a Republican.

Petersen is probably most well known for being the runner-up for the Libertarian Partys nomination for President of the United States in 2016, losing only to Gary Johnson. Earlier this month, however, he said hes running for Senate in Missouri as a Republican (despite his lack of faith).

I interviewed Petersen to ask him about how he plans to court evangelical republicans as a non-believer, his views on separation of church and state, and his move to distance himself from the word atheism.

McAfee: You are a non-believer, which makes you rare in U.S. politics and even rarer in the Republican party. Do you ever worry about surveys that show many Americans wont vote for atheists because of negative stigma attached to non-belief (they think were immoral even compared to rapists)? Some polls, like this one, give us hope but still paint a bleak picture.

Petersen: For the record, I am agnostic I claim neither faith nor disbelief in God. When it comes to Gods existence, I dont know. But to answer your question, yes, the surveys worry me. That said, I refuse to lie to people just to get them to like, or hopefully vote for, me. It seems unfair to ask someone to put me into a position of public trust by betraying that trust. Whats more, even though I make no claim to know about the existence of God, I share a great deal in common with people of faith. I wholeheartedly believe in freedom of religion, and will support peoples right to practice the faith of their choosing without interference. I also share a belief that life begins with conception and ends with natural death, that life trumps choice and that all lives at all stages have a right to liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

McAfee: Interesting. You have repeatedly identified as an atheist (that means you dont actively believe not that you KNOW there is no god). Are you saying that label no longer applies?

Petersen: Its a good question. Ive often conflated the two terms in the past, so Im happy to clarify now. Im an agnostic. I dont actively believe in God, but Im open to the possibility that he may exist. Ultimately, I dont think you can really know either way. What I do know, however, is that its the duty of the government and the duty of its leaders to protect the right of an individual to believe and practice as he or she sees fit.

McAfee: Do you think a lot of fundamentally religious people will vote for you, despite your public atheism, or that youll have to capture more of the less devout voters? Im sure you are aware of the stereotypes about atheists, including that we are actually Satanists, so feel free to address those.

Petersen: I think theyll vote for me. First, because they have before and second, because theyre telling me they will again. The fact is, much of my support base comes from conservative Christians. They generally say they support me because they prefer an honest agnostic to a dishonest believer. Also, the election of Donald Trump indicates that people are less interested in electing a man of the cloth than they are a man of the people.

There are atheists and agnostics that dont care for me much because my beliefs conflict with their own. Thats okay. Ultimately, I will defend the rights of everyone, regardless of whether they have faith or not. Conservative Christians know this because I have demonstrated it publicly and laid my reputation on the line by defending their religious liberty in public debates and forums.

McAfee: Like you, Im an agnostic atheist. In other words, I dont claim to know if any gods exist and I dont actively believe in any. Do you think its a closed-minded position for anyone, believers and atheists alike, to proclaim they know with certainty?

Petersen: Just to be clear, I dont claim to know if God exists and I dont actively believe in Him but I dont actively disbelieve in Him either I just dont know. Thats the honest truth of it. We all could claim closed-mindedness toward those that dont think like we do. But ultimately, like Thomas Jefferson said, it neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg. What does pick my pocket? Government.

McAfee: You say you are an atheist who is pro-life, and thats great, but you have also said women have a choice as to whether or not they get pregnant. Do you legitimately believe that pregnancy is always a choice?

Petersen: One hundred percent of the time? No. But that is such an infinitesimally small amount of the overall abortions that its frequently used to then justify all other abortions. Even pro-choice Governor Gary Johnson signed a bill that banned partial-birth abortions in New Mexico, so at some point we must admit we are dehumanizing the unborn. It is a human. Do all humans deserve the same rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Absolutely. If we found a cluster of cells on Mars, scientists would say thats evidence of life. So then why is the unborn cluster of human cells not?

McAfee: On that same subject: Youve said you would be an elected official who would fight for pro-life issues, and you defined abortion as murder in the same sentence. That mentality could set the U.S. back to the 1950s in terms of health care, and could be seen as an overreach of governmental authority. As a former libertarian and current republican, how can you justify that government interference?

Petersen: Current libertarian, current Republican. If government is to exist, it must be limited to securing life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Without life, there is no liberty. How can humanity become a galactic civilization, reaching to the stars to expand and grow, if we do not respect the evolutionary processes of the continuation of our species? If we are not pro-life as a culture and a people, then what is the opposite? If there is no afterlife, then this life is the most precious thing we have. How can we deny to others the lives that we now live? How can we not grant the gift of life to those millions of potential humans who could become scientists, doctors and lawyers?

McAfee: Religious freedom laws have been very controversial, and I loved your question to Gary Johnson on whether a Jewish baker should be forced to bake a cake for a Nazi. To follow on that, can you clarify your beliefs here? Do you, for instance, believe a white baker should be able to reject the business of a black man because of his racial differences?

Petersen: I believe any person should be able to refuse to hand over their private property to anyone for any reason. That being said, Im not interested in going back and overturning the Civil Rights Act. I think the best way forward is to find a way to respect the religious beliefs of our fellow citizens. Religious freedom acts have been passed on the state and federal levels, and I support them.

McAfee: Do you think atheists and other freethinker groups should be less confrontational when it comes to minor violations of separation of church and state? For instance, how would you react to a statute depicting the Ten Commandments placed on government property?

Petersen: Yes, I absolutely do. I roll my eyes at people who think we are somehow having some sort of victory because we removed In God We Trust from money when there are so many other substantive issues that actually affect peoples lives. However, if youre putting up any new religious monuments on public property, all religions or non-religions ought to have equal access to display theirs as well.

McAfee: I am not as concerned about who bakes cakes for whom as I am about religious freedom laws that actually kill children. If you dont know what I mean, Im talking about the handful of states with extreme religious freedom laws allowing parents to literally get away with murder when they use faith healing instead of medicine to treat their terminally ill children. One particularly notable case comes out of Idaho, where more children die due to faith-based neglect than anywhere else. What is your position on these laws, which give special treatment to religious people in a way we wouldnt tolerate if it were another country?

Petersen: The law of the land is the Constitution, and we are all governed by it. No other law is higher. Not Sharia, not the Old Testament, not the Tao Te Ching. No one has the right to harm anyone in the name of religion or in the name of non-religion, as the Communists did in the Soviet Union. I wouldnt be consistently pro-life if I didnt believe that the government had the right to intervene and protect children from being neglected.

McAfee: Personally, I see secularization as beneficial for religions (who dont want the government involved in their worship) as well as for people who dont want religious influences to run their state. Do you value separation of church and state, and recognize that our founders intended to keep these two entities apart for good reasons?

Petersen: Constitutionally, there is no technical separation of church and state. Rather, there is freedom from the establishment of a state religion. Originally, some founders thought this meant that the federal government could not establish a religion, but the states might. Since the Reconstruction Era amendments, however, this has shifted and now the states may not do so. And many state constitutions already have a clause similar to the federal governments.

I agree with James Madison, who wrote, We are teaching the world the great truth that governments do better without kings and nobles than with them. The merit will be doubled by the other lesson that religion flourishes in greater purity, without than with the aid of government.

And my greatest inspiration on the issue, which I would have liked to have seen written word-for-word into the Constitution if it had been expedient, comes from Thomas Jeffersons Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom: Be it enactedthat no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of Religion

McAfee: Separation of church and state is important to me, and many of my readers, but science issues are perhaps even more crucial. Do you accept the scientific consensus on things like the helpfulness of vaccines, evolution, and climate change influenced in part by humans?

Petersen: I certainly accept it on vaccines and evolution. I am agnostic on the issue of climate change, because climate science relies on predictions. Since predictions have generally the same accuracy rate as astrologers and psychics, I think we ought to get along with our business and avoid centralizing economic planning into the hands of a few self-interested bureaucrats in Washington D.C. If climate change is real, and it very well could be, then progress via industrial capitalism will be the solution. The cause is also the cure.

McAfee: You seem like a rational person. How much of a role do you give to science in your decision-making? Do you check peer-reviewed papers or rely on your instinct?

Petersen: I do check peer-reviewed papers. Im fully willing to change my mind when evidence conflicts with my worldview. Yes, I do have my ideas, but I try to avoid confirming my biases if at all possible. Im open-minded. I like being proven wrong, because even though your ego takes a blow, you learn something, and I love to keep learning and growing intellectually.

McAfee: I couldnt agree more on being proven wrong. Is there anything else youd like to add to this?

Petersen: Theres a reason that the First Amendment comes first. Being able to choose your own religion or choose to not have any religion at all! is a vital part of our inherent liberties as rational human beings. Im committed to preserving liberty above all else, and that includes protecting the freedom of an individuals conscience and intelligence on matters of belief. If elected, I will certainly do this and not only for people I agree with, but also (and especially) for those whose views differ from my own.

Overall, Petersen is an interesting candidate. I dont blame him for avoiding the word atheist, although its worth noting he has repeatedly called himself an atheist and has even called Christianity as the violent cousin of Islam and as the Cult of Christ. So, what do you all think? Would you vote for him?

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Meet the Atheist Libertarian Running for Senate as a Republican - Patheos (blog)

Libertarian gubernatorial candidate calls for ‘real changes’ – Southernminn.com

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CEDAR RAPIDS The politics-as-usual approach to state government by Republicans and Democrats is unsustainable and hurting vulnerable Iowans, according to Jake Porter, a Libertarian who is joining the race for governor.

Were having this huge budget crisis, and I dont see other candidates proposing real changes, Porter said Tuesday.

Instead, Statehouse lawmakers and the governor are using the budget as a weapon, according to Porter, who will formally announce his candidacy on The Simon Conway Show on WHO Radio between 4 and 7 p.m. Thursday.

Theyve decided were having a budget crisis, so were going to cut the services people use most, whether its mental health services, sexual abuse hotlines, domestic abuse shelters (or) hearing aids for kids, Porter said.

Theyre not actually going after any of the waste that could easily be cut. Theyre going after the things that are going to hurt the most people, probably as an excuse to raise the sales tax next year.

Porter, 29, a Council Bluffs business consultant long active in the Libertarian Party, previously ran for secretary of state. He thinks his views and priorities are more closely aligned with voters than either the Democratic or Republican platform.

He wants to make medical cannabis available, restore voting rights for felons who have served their time, end corporate welfare, return Medicaid to its pre-privatization status and phase out the state sales tax.

He opposes corporate welfare on libertarian principles. Its wrong, Porter said, to ask Iowans to pay millions of dollars to financially sound corporations. He singled out the Research Activities Credit that refunds tax money to corporations even if they have no tax liability.

Theyve put the tax bill on the smallest Iowans and smallest companies, he said. I dont think the state should favor one business over another.

Porter called turning over Medicaid management to private companies an example of big government cronyism by former Gov. Terry Branstads administration. He would return management responsibility to the Department of Human Services and then make improvements.

The state has messed around for far too long while people who could benefit from medical cannabis have suffered, Porter said. While he would favor legalization of marijuana for recreational use, I dont think the Legislature is going to pass that.

Despite the changes the Legislature has made, current law makes it difficult, nearly impossible, for Iowans who need cannabidiol to get it, he said.

As a Libertarian, Porter said, he would have the advantage of being able to work with and around the major political parties by using the governors bully pulpit to open a dialogue with voters and pressure lawmakers to act on his priorities.

As governor, you can go around and talk about issues and you can pound the issues until (lawmakers) basically have to do something about it, he said.

Porter said his campaign website, jakeporter.org, will go live Thursday afternoon.

More here:

Libertarian gubernatorial candidate calls for 'real changes' - Southernminn.com

Barron: Third-party movement stalled – Casper Star-Tribune Online

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Ive always been interested in third political parties because of the wrench they can toss in an election even if they cannot win it.

The potential has always existed that a third-party candidate, like Ross Perot or Ralph Nader, could sway the outcome of an election. They could be spoilers, too.

Wyomings third-party movement seemed ripe after Taylor Haynes, did so well in the 2010 governors election.

But it hasnt gained much traction.

Haynes, a rancher and retired physician, was a write-in candidate for governor. He had the support of the tea party and the new Constitution Party.

He received nearly 14,000 votes to come in third in the general election for governor.

With 7 percent of the vote, Haynes outpolled libertarian gubernatorial candidate Mike Wheeler of Casper, who received 5,362 votes.

After the election, Wheeler said he expected some Libertarian Party members to defect and start another third party.

That is what happened. The new Constitution Party gained ballot access as a minor party for the 2012 election cycle through a petition campaign.

Don Wills, a former Libertarian Party president, led the support for the Constitutional Party.

The Wyoming Libertarian Party, Wheeler said, suffers because the national Libertarian Party has such a stigma for its positions on legalizing drugs. National party members, he said, are considered anarchists.

The Wyoming Libertarian Party (WLP) has been active in Wyoming for years.

In the 2014 general election, when the five elected state offices were up for grabs, the WLP was on the ballot with candidates for governor and secretary of state as well as for U.S. senator and U.S. representative.

The party had no legislative candidates in 2014 or 2016.

In 2016, the Libertarians had a candidate for president, Gary Johnson, and one for U.S. representative.

Johnson was expected to do exceptionally well, but it didnt happen.

A former member of the Wyoming Libertarian Party, Barry Turner of Cody said Johnson and the previous libertarian candidate for president, Bob Barr, were basically Republicans.

He said he would like to see the national party come up with a genuine libertarian candidate for president.

Wyoming has often been called a libertarian-type state for the philosophy of many residents in favor of limited government and a general live-and-let-live attitude.

That political inclination hasnt been reflected at the polls, however.

The loose-knit tea party and the Trump phenomena has siphoned off voters to the Republican Party.

The Wyoming Constitution Party has picked up votes that previously would have gone to Libertarian candidates.

The Libertarian Party members, nationally and in Wyoming, moreover, have wrangled over their basic philosophies, such as the degree of resistance to government and taxes.

In Wyoming they have struggled in recent years just to keep the party going.

Despite all the inner conflicts, the WLP has grown substantially over the last decade. In 2006, only 452 residents identified themselves as libertarians. In July 2017, the number of registered libertarians totaled 2,389, according to the secretary of states office.

This compares with 797 members of the Constitution Party, 176,336 Republicans, 47,125 Democrats and 35,973 unaffiliated.

The national Libertarian Party also experienced growth in registration but not in votes at the polls.

The percentage of the American public that identifies as libertarian has steadily increased over the last few years.

A survey by Gallup showed that 27 percent of respondents identified themselves as libertarians, a new high.

Yet they cannot shake their image as a fringe party with some wacky ideas.

Johnsons campaign didnt help. The candidate couldnt explain the significance of Aleppo, Syria, in foreign affairs or identify a world leader he admired.

The libertarians marred their image as a serious political party by their weird silliness at their national convention, according to published sources.

They also were hurt by lack of coverage by the news media, which was focused on the Republican and Democratic candidates for president.

The Wyoming Libertarian Party, meanwhile, has a new president: Howard Kit Carson of Cheyenne. He was the partys candidate for secretary of state in 2014.

Carson said last week that he and other members are working on a platform that the people need to see.

Well find out more about that later.

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Barron: Third-party movement stalled - Casper Star-Tribune Online

Florida Islands – List of Islands in Florida

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Florida islands may not be the states biggest tourist draw, as when many people think of the Sunshine State, they often think of Orlando and Miami. However, beyond these popular destinations, there are also Florida Islands that are worth a visit, particularly if you want to see some of the states best beaches. From the serene Florida Keys to islands on the Gulf Coast like Sanibel Island or Marco Island, there are many ways to enjoy the island life without the hassle of flying to the Caribbean. There is no passport or line at immigration to enjoy these islands, and they deliver every ounce of sun, sand, and surf that you will be looking for in island vacation spots.

A list of islands in Florida is lengthier than some people may think. The Florida Keys alone take up a significant portion of this list, as there are many small islands beyond the well-known Key West, Key Largo, and Islamorada. To explore these Florida Islands many travelers start out in Miami. The drive from Miami to the end of the Florida Keys, in Key West, takes just over three hours and is filled with spectacular views. If youre interested in boating, fishing, and a relaxed atmosphere, the Keys will be perfect for you. On the other hand, the best Florida Island beach isnt located in the Keys. Many of the beaches are small and rocky, and this section of Florida lacks the wide, sandy beaches that many travelers crave.

Beyond the Florida Keys, a list of islands in Florida also includes options along the Gulf Coast. These destinations are popular for their convenience, the availability of affordable flights, all inclusive packages, and even vacation rentals. From Sanibel Island to Marco Island, islands along the Gulf Coast provide a sunny escape from a cold northern winter without having to travel too far. There is a range of accommodation to choose from on these islands. Whether you are looking for a big resort with every imaginable amenity or a small vacation rental on a quiet beach, youll find it along the Gulf Coast.

Some travelers will be surprised to learn that the best Florida Island beach is located near Miami, which sometimes has more a reputation for its parties and great restaurants. While the Florida Keys are mostly rocky, Key Biscayne and Miami Beach both offer wide, sandy beaches. Many visitors to Florida have never heard of Key Biscayne, and this beach has remained largely a local secret. You will need a rental car to reach Key Biscayne, although there are also island hotels and resorts that are beautiful and worth a stay. While Miami Beach offers a wide, crowded stretch of beach with no cover from the sun, Key Biscayne is dotted with palm trees where you can spend a lazy afternoon reading a novel or having a family picnic.

Other popular Florida Islands include Captiva Island, Hutchinson Island, and Santa Rosa Island. The best Florida island beach might just be the one where you encounter the best deal. Throughout the winter and beyond, resorts in Florida offer last minute deals, all inclusive packages, and more to entice people to the sunshine state. The value might be so fantastic that you find yourself throwing away your list of islands in Florida and following the best deal. This will also help you to discover new places in Florida that you may wind up visiting year after year!

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Florida Islands - List of Islands in Florida

Iceland drilling project aims to unearth how islands form – Nature.com

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Sigurdur Thorarinsson/Arctic-Images.com

People inspect Surtsey in 1963, just after it emerged from the ocean.

Geologists and biologists are about to pierce one of the worlds youngest islands: tiny Surtsey, which was formed by a series of volcanic eruptions off Iceland's southwestern coast between 1963 and 1967. Next month, the team plans to drill two holes into Surtseys heart, to explore how warm volcanic rock, cold seawater and subterranean microbes interact1.

It will be the most detailed look ever at the guts of a newly born oceanic island. Surtsey is our best bet at getting a detailed picture of this type of volcanic activity how ocean islands start to form, says Magns Gumundsson, a volcanologist at the University of Iceland in Reykjavik.

The results could help to explain how hydrothermal minerals strengthened the islands rock, enabling it to withstand the pounding of the North Atlantic Ocean. Engineers might be able to use those secrets to produce stronger concrete.

And deep within Surtsey, scientists plan to learn more about how buried microbes munch on rock, extracting energy from minerals and hot fluids. If we can address this, we will get a lot closer to answering what role the deep crustal biosphere plays in maintaining and shaping our present-day environment, says Steffen Jrgensen, a geomicrobiologist at the University of Bergen in Norway.

One of the two holes will parallel a 181-metre-deep hole drilled in 1979, allowing scientists to compare how microbial populations change over time. The second hole will go in at an angle, to explore the hot water percolating through a network of cracks within the volcanic craters that make up Surtsey. If all goes well, both holes will penetrate into the original sea floor, as it stood before the 1960s eruptions, about 190 metres down.

At just 1.3 square kilometres, Surtsey is a natural laboratory for researchers to study the biogeographic evolution of newborn islands as they are seeded by plants and colonized by seabirds. It is a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage site, set aside strictly for science. This is one of the most pristine environments on Earth, says Marie Jackson, a geologist at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City and principal investigator for the US$1.4-million project, which is supported in part by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program.

On 28 July, Icelands coast guard plans to begin moving 60 tonnes of drilling equipment and other supplies to Surtsey, over the course of some 100 helicopter flights. This is the most complicated logistics operation Ive taken part in, says Gumundsson. Strict environmental regulations require all waste to be removed from the island, including the sterilized seawater that functions as drilling fluid. Only 12 people will be allowed on Surtsey at any given time, even as drilling proceeds 24 hours a day. Others will stay on the neighbouring island of Heimy, where a warehouse will temporarily be repurposed into a core-analysis lab.

Microbiologists have continued to monitor the 1979 hole, where the maximum temperature has slowly cooled from 140 C to about 130 C (see Going deep). It is now rife with a host of microorganisms that are probably indigenous to Surtsey, says Vigg Marteinsson, a microbiologist at the Mats food- and biotechnology-research institute in Reykjavik2. These organisms are thought to have colonized the rock from the seawater below, protected from contamination from above by scorching rock. Marteinsson expects to find similar types of microbe, including bacteria, archaea and viruses, in the new hole.

After the new hole is drilled, engineers will lower five incubation chambers to different depths. These will remain in place for a year before they are retrieved so that researchers can determine what organisms colonize them. Monitoring what microbes move in, and how quickly, will offer scientists an unprecedented chance to study how the deep biosphere evolves in space and time, Marteinsson says.

Meanwhile, geologists and volcanologists on the team will be investigating the second, angled hole. That will allow us to reconstruct the way subsurface layers are connected what we call the structure of the volcano, says Jocelyn McPhie, a geologist at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, Australia.

The drilling should reveal the earliest stages of the Surtsey eruption before it broke the surface of the ocean in November 1963, catching the attention of the cook aboard a passing fishing vessel. In the mix of seawater and heat, hydrothermal minerals formed within the volcanic rock. This made the rock less porous and helped to buttress it against erosion from waves. The drill core should reveal how these minerals were created over time, Jackson says, and modern scientists might be able to take hints from this process to build stronger concrete for structures such as nuclear-waste containers.

Thus strengthened, Surtseys core is likely to remain an island for thousands of years, says Gumundsson. Thats in stark contrast to many volcanic islands, such as one that appeared near Tonga in 2014 but has already eroded by 40%3. Because the vast majority of these islands disappear, we most likely substantially underestimate the number and volume of eruptions occurring at or just below sea level in the ocean, and hence the associated volcanic risk, says Nico Fournier, a volcanologist with the GNS Science research institute in Taupo, New Zealand.

Whatever comes out of the Surtsey drilling, it should dramatically advance the snapshot gleaned from the 1979 project, says James Moore, an emeritus geologist with the US Geological Survey in Menlo Park, California, who was a leader of the earlier effort. We made a lot of estimates that are going to be tested now, he says. It feels wonderful.

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Iceland drilling project aims to unearth how islands form - Nature.com

Sen. Positive Nelson Wants to Bring Medical Cannabis to the Virgin Islands – Leafly

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A senator in the US Virgin Islands is trying to bring medical marijuana to the islands.

Sen. Terrance Positive Nelson announced Thursday that he has submitted a medical marijuana legalization bill to the Legislature, according to the Virgin Island Consortium, which reports that the move has broad support in the US territory.

Its the second time Nelson has submitted a medical marijuana bill. In 2014 he introduced a measure that also had majority support in the islands. However, then-Attorney General Claude Walker warned at the time that passing a law legalizing medical cannabis would put the islands in a precarious position with the federal government. Lawmakers ultimately scrapped the bill after a number of public forums and legislative hearings.

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The new measure has been reviewed by policy advisors, industry leaders and others to ensure that we have a solid and comprehensive product, Nelson said, according to the Consortiums report. We also included the pertinent changes made by various senators that surfaced last year when the measure was heard in the Committee on Health, Hospital and Human Services.

Nelson said he reintroduced the bill to fulfill his obligation as a policymaker to the people of the Virgin Islands, who originally supported the 2014 legalization push.

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The new bill, would allow islanders to possess up to four ounces of cannabis. It would create a system of testing facilities, production facilities, and dispensaries, and patients would be issued registry identification cards.

Homegrow would also be permitted, with a cardholder able to cultivate up to 12 plants, mature or immature.

Medical conditions that would qualify for medical marijuana include the following:

cancer glaucoma HIV/AIDS hepatitis C amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Crohns disease ulcerative colitis Alzheimers disease post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) traumatic brain injury hospice care Parkinsons disease Huntingtons disease arthritis diabetes chronic pain neuropathic pain muscle spasms

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Sen. Positive Nelson Wants to Bring Medical Cannabis to the Virgin Islands - Leafly

How a Small Island Nation Is Working to Protect Its Ocean in the Face of Climate Change – Pacific Standard

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Pacific Standard
How a Small Island Nation Is Working to Protect Its Ocean in the Face of Climate Change
Pacific Standard
The small Pacific nation of the Cook Islands passed legislation last week to create one of the world's largest ocean preserves. The preserve is named Marae Moana, which translates loosely to "sacred ocean" in the Maori language. It covers the entirety ...

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How a Small Island Nation Is Working to Protect Its Ocean in the Face of Climate Change - Pacific Standard

Verify: Are heat islands real? – 13WMAZ

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VERIFY: Are heat islands real?

Courteney Jacobazzi, WMAZ 6:23 PM. EDT July 21, 2017

(Photo: Wade, Jakie)

Macon's brick buildings boil under the sun each day, and people are feeling the heat.

Macon may be landlocked, but can it actually be an island?

Courteney Jacobazzi verifiedif the phenomenon of heat islands is a true threat. She spoke with Meteorologist Matt Daniel and Director of Macon-BibbParks and Beautification, Sam Kitchens.

Matt Daniel explains the concept of a heat island.

"Shortwave radiation from the sun hits the ground and usually, in most instances, at nighttime, you get longwave radiation. That radiation from the ground that gets absorbed goes back out into the sky and into space, but when you have a lot of big buildings, those buildings can actually trap the heat from that day."

He also compares metro and rural area temperatures.

"You might see metro Atlanta with temperatures in the mid 70s and then if you go outside of that, you might see temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. So you can see a huge span because all of those buildings actually trap the heat. "

Buildings such as brick buildings, which line the streets of downtown Macon, trap rather than reflect heat.

It's verified, heat islands are real. They can, however, be tamed by replacing the blacktop with more green.

Sam Kitchens from Macon-BibbParks and Beautification says the city is being proactive.

"We're always looking for opportunities to create green spaces and parks. We also have an initiative to plant at least 250 trees a year due to construction, damaged trees, diseased trees, trees that were caught in storms."

2017 WMAZ-TV

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Verify: Are heat islands real? - 13WMAZ