The "We Must Act Now" letter

Top economists signed this digital letter, We Must Act Now

Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, Reid Hoffman, entrepreneur and venture capitalist, and top economics sign digital letter warning the public about AI. 

The signers ask for "guardrails" to be placed on transformative AI technology. They recognize that AI could bring risks and "large-scale job displacement."  

The statement was posted on the Stanford Digital Economy Lab website. 

Read the letter Eric Schmidt, Reid Hoffman, and top economists signed warning about AI's threat to jobs

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has predicted AI will replace fifty percent of entry level white color jobs in the next five years. 

National University estimates that 300 million jobs could be lost due to AI, with at least 50 million of them being entry level jobs. 

While this is particularly troublesome for young job seekers looking for their first job, it is also troublesome for companies who will not be able to recruit talent 

Nature's Echo by Thomas Crowther

An inspiring new environmental book, Nature’s Echo, by Thomas Crowther will be hitting the shelves soon.

Some may remember Thomas Crowther’s name because it has been associated with the Trillion Tree Campaign. In this book, Nature’s Echo, he sets the record straight. His study and subsequent article in Nature never advocated simply planting new trees.

Growing trees in a plantation, without fostering and establishing an ecosystem, can lead to devastating results. He points to the 2017 Pedrogao Grande Fire, one of the worst fires in Portugal’s history, as an example.

The Pedrogao Grande fire raged in the region because of the cash crop of Eucalyptus trees, which burn faster and more easily than other trees. Once the trees were lit, they blazed faster and faster, a feedback loop that burned nearly 45,000 hectares of land.

Crowther fearlessly writes about the misinterpreted study and how it led to some corporations to start “greenwashing” by planting trees in an ill-advised way. Many scientists disavowed him after the Nature article. In the melee, Crowther’s exhortation of restoring and protecting existing forest land was lost. In addition, his message supporting indigenous communities who practice restorative farming techniques was not heard.

Nature’s Echo gives Crowther the chance to correct the record, but it offers readers even more — it offers hope. Crowther bravely shares that, after a diving accident, he had a pontine stroke. One of the consequences of the stroke was severe depression. Wrestling with depression helped him understand those who despair over climate change.

Despair, however, leads to inaction, the exact opposite of what humans collectively need to do to avert climate change. What is needed, he argues, is joyous involvement. Joyous involvement will create positive feedback loops. In other words, people who engage in climate solutions positively and enthusiastically will spread that enthusiasm to others.

What will turn the tide are healthy land practices, innovative farming like shade-grown coffee, fair trade, debt-for-nature swaps, and other programs that promote equality. Crowther believes that inequality and poverty lead to the misuse of nature and deforestation.

Equally important are regenerative innovations. Advances in battery technology are making it possible to store solar power. Batteries can now store enough energy to power microgrids e.g. Sonnen’s community batteries, Tesla’s Powerwall, and Enphase’s Microgrid.

Crowther mentions many more innovative solutions that could change the trajectory of climate change. Electric cars reached a tipping point in 2023. Electric trains, ships and aircraft will curb even more greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. Green building materials, mycelium-based insulation, and bioplastics will add to the positive momentum.

He argues that changing the current climate crisis will not be easy, but it can be done. Even though CO2 emissions exceed 44 billion tons each year, we cannot be “passive witnesses to planetary collapse.” We must act positively and joyously because conservation efforts will fail if they are burdensome. Lasting positive changes will not come from guilt, denial, or shame.

Be sure to follow this blog for more reviews. Enter your email in the follow.it in the top side of the right column. 

Happy 250th birthday, America

 America means so many different things to different people. Apple pie, hamburgers, hot dogs, baseball, Joe DiMaggio, Rin Tin Tin, Annie Oakley, Daniel Boone, Harriet Tubman, GIs, are all symbolic of some version of America.   

At this point in history, when everything is so divided, it's nice to put aside our differences and enjoy the fact that we are all here--in this grand tapestry called America. 

Seonag and the SeaWolves by M. Evan MacGriogair

Authors take the ordinary and make them extraordinary. Fiction pushes the boundaries, making the impossible seem possible.

I'm reminded of this once again while reading the fabulous TOR short story by M. Evan MacGriogair, "Seonag and the SeaWolves."

Wolves became extinct in Scotland in the 17th century. They were never known to be sea creatures. In this story, "Seonag and the SeaWolves" wolves inhabit a mystical, unreachable island.  

MacGriogair frames the story as a bard telling a tale. This perfectly sets up the tale as either a true story, a fable, or something in-between. 

Seonag is herself a woman who exists between boundaries. People whisper about her and say she is "not of this world." The bard knows that Seonag is an outcast, yet he obviously admires her.

Choosing not to emigrate with her parents to Canada, Seonag becomes even more vulnerable to those who would malign her. "Why do you hate me?" she asks one of the main antagonists, Domhnall Geur. He offers no explanation. 

A woman like her, who has no parents or husband, is a threat. She is likened to a Kelpie, the water spirit who drowns unsuspecting people in lochs. Deeply suspicious of her, Domhnall insists that Seonag will become a criminal who steal farmers crops. 

The bard, however, wants to help Seonag, so he tells her about the sea wolves. He gives her these strange instructions, which seem to be sending her to her death, "You will go west, into the water, and swim until you can't see land." He tells her she must keep swimming until she hears the sea wolves. 

Domhnall, who follows her in a boat, wants to rid the island of all the wolves. Callum, the son of the bard, has also followed her. He functions mainly as an observer who stumbles upon the surprising reversal.

Though he intends to abduct and victimize her, Domhnall becomes rooted to the earth. The hunter who victimizes and preys on others has become powerless. Seonag, who was just an ordinary woman, becomes extraordinary. 

Tor published this short story by M. Evan MacGriogair without DRM (digital rights management). 

https://reactormag.com/seonag-and-the-seawolves-m-e-macgriogair/

Design Happy: Colorful Homes for the Modern Family by Betsy Wentz

 

Design Happy: Colorful Homes for the Modern Family by Betsy Wentz.

In Design Happy, Wentz gives readers valuable professional tips and design lessons while detailing renovations of twelve homes. Many of the houses are from an affluent area in Pennsylvania but some are vacation homes. In each of these homes Wentz brings vibrant colors e.g., fuchsia, kiwi, turquoise, and citron. The colors, however, flow naturally from a carefully orchestrated plan she makes with clients.

Though she loves bold colors Wentz always starts with something the client loves—a color, a rug, or a piece of art. In the Rabbit Hill house, for instance, she chooses design palette from the colors of the client’s existing art collection. In the Bunker Hill home, she uses a client’s album collection for inspiration.

In addition to beauty, Wentz’s designs are functional. She chooses vinyl wall coverings in colorful patterns or grass textures for their durability. Vintage rugs provide softness and color, especially when she has them vegetable dyed for a startling effect. She employs pops of color except for bedrooms where colors tend to me more muted. Walking space is an important part of her designs as well.

Readers can learn much from Wentz’s book even if these homes and renovations are beyond their budget. A complete list of sources for furnishings and textiles is included.

Start Here: Draw: 50 Ways to be an Artist Without Really Trying. by Moira Clinch.

 Start Here: Draw gives beginning artists prompts and easy, non-intimidating exercises that help beginners build skills. Using a variety of strokes and shapes, Clinch covers the basics while also giving tips on using various types of media. Many of the exercises are experimental and fun like fingerprint characters, pixel pets, print collages, mug and mouse pad designs. 

Moira explains how to use different mediums, even digital formats, for different effects.  Stressing that quirkiness and imperfection add to the character of a piece, Clinch offers timeless advice. 

When layering colored paper in a collage, for instance, she advises to let some of the original background show. Tips for achieving two-point and three-point point perspectives are presented clearly and concisely. 

In the last part of the book Moira covers drawing figures and portraits. She even offers advice on how to get family and friends to sit for portraits. 

Filled with valuable takeaways, Start Here: Draw shines in the last portion of the book where readers learn how to make projects for friends or keepsakes for the home.

Flowers for All by Susan McCleary

 

Susan McCleary presents thirty accessible flower projects that can spread joy. The simplest projects involve gathering flowers from your own yard, farmer’s market, grocery store, or flower farms. Since she eschews floral foam and uses reusable materials her designs are environment friendly. The tools she recommends are practical and simple e.g. floral frogs, floral wire, and snipping tools. The projects described in “Flowers for Me,” are the simplest and grow progressively more complex in “Flowers for Friends” and “Flowers for All.”

In the latter half of the book McCleary, an expert on wearable florals, presents semi-advanced projects. For instance, there is a bridal bouquet that can also be worn as a headpiece and earrings made of fresh daffodils and floral wire. Unlike many floral designers, McLeary uses herbs and the occasional fruit and vegetable in her design. Even more advanced projects instruct readers how to create impressive centerpieces, flower canopies, and towers.

What is great about McCleary’s book is that it stresses the benefits of flower arrangements in a clear, approachable way. Designs are welcoming, accessible, and mindful of the environment. From the simple to moderately complex, these projects offer something for everyone.

Rin-Tin-Tin

In Rin Tin Tin, Susan Orleans writes, as usual, about obsession. She writes not only about the dog star himself but also about how industries--specifically the film industry--can turn on its stars. 

Rin Tin Tin was explosive force of goodness--heroic, loyal, and brave--who would make people fortunes. He would also, through no fault of his own, cause people to lose fortunes.

Lee Duncan rescued the puppy that would become Rin Tin Tin on a WWI battlefield in France. Convincing his superiors to let him take the puppy home to the US, Lee embarked on a journey that would change his life, the dog's, and the world.

Rin Tin Tin in A Dog of the Regiment

When Duncan took Rin Tin Tin to Hollywood, the dog not only saved Warner Brother's studios from bankruptcy, he also became its highest paid actor. Other dog stars achieved fame during the silent film era, but Rin Tin Tin was the most revered and adored. 

When talkies came out, though, Duncan and Rin Tin Tin lost their elusive contract and film deal.  Rin Tin Tin worked for a less lucrative film company before he died in 1932.

After Rin Tin Tin's death, Duncan made one of Rin's puppies the new Rin Tin Tin. Duncan put Rin's son in movies, but he lacked some of the old Rin's spark. In 1934, Rin Tin Tin Jr. made 1/3 of what he had made in Old Rin's heyday.

Rin Tin Tin, Jr in 1936

The could have been the end of the story but Lee knew "there would always be a Rin Tin Tin." Lee was right. Rin Tin Tin III starred in The Return of Rin Tin Tin. Rin Tin Tin IV would have a nominal role in beloved television series, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin which became a huge hit and one of the most popular television shows in the world. 

Rin Tin Tin in The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin

Rin Tin Tin IV only played a symbolic role while another dog did most of the acting. Duncan's ability to train top dogs was diminishing, leaving others eager to step in. 

Orleans' describes another tragic figure in her book, Bert Leonard. His story also moves from rags to riches to rags. His obsession to tell stories made him a successful Hollywood producer, but his obsession with Rin Tin Tin would undo him. 

Bert's concept for the show, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, was inspired by a visit to a Hollywood shooting location, Corrigan Movie Ranch, that was used to film Westerns. The show was, thus, set in the 1870s, about a boy, a dog, and U.S. cavalry troop at Fort Apache. 

Although Bert had many other successful projects, he never wanted to give up rights to Rin Tin Tin. During the 1960s and 1970s television changed, but Bert was still steadfastly loyal to Rin Tin Tin. Another problem was that Bert was incredibly argumentative with executives at film studios.

Whatever the exact reasons, Bert had a tragic end. He died nearly penniless, but he was still attached to an idea he had with Lee. He wanted to create a movie about Lee's life and his transformative relationship with Rin Tin Tin.

That movie never came to be. A movie, Finding Rin Tin Tin (2017) is the closest to retelling Lee's story. Finding Rin Tin Tin was developed years after Bert died. The movie is only loosely based on Lee's life and it was not a commercial success.  

Orleans does a wonderful job explaining the magic behind the original Rin Tin Tin's success. Before Lee Duncan and his wonder dog, no one trained dogs the way they do now. Dogs were mostly ranch animals. Those who watched the original silent films, believed in Rin Tin Tin's loyalty, bravery, and genius. Like Lee had predicted, old Rin's legacy would live on.    

All of Rin Tin Tin's successors merge into one in the Duncan's mind: 

   "Lee knew that he had created something that meant more than any individual dog or moment--something with a kind of elastic reality. The intensity of his connection with old Rin was so special that all the dogs that followed merged in Lee's mind into one dog--one vessel for containing and carrying forward what old Rin had begun."

Orlean's book on Rin Tin Tin is an award-winning best-selling book, that is as much a biography as it is a critique of popular culture, the television and movie industries. Much of the events happen by coincidence, chance, or miracles, like the chance meeting of a soldier and a puppy on a French battlefield or the surprising success that Lee finds when he brings that same dog to Hollywood.

Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean – review | Film books | The Guardian

How to be a GirlBoss

 

I remember seeing Girlboss in the library and wanting to read it. However, despite what many think, librarians do not spend all their time reading. In fact, most of the time, I would defer reading popular books because they had too many holds. The number of holds a book signifies its popularity. Holds means someone is waiting on a list to read it.

That’s why I was surprised to find a video on Giant Ideas, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5zW9h8vS8U. The video from Giant Ideas features an interview with NastyGal founder, Sophia Amoruso.

GirlBoss is also a comedy series loosely based on her life.    

Amoruso began a vintage clothing shop on eBay that grew exponentially until she was kicked off the site in 2008. By 2014, she had her own brick-and-mortar shop.  That was only the beginning of her career rise.

She became a wildly successful CEO of NastyGal. Amoruso’s company was worth 250 million at its peak.   

In 2016, the company filed for bankruptcy, yet Amoruso’s business career continues to flourish with the success of her foundation, the GirlBoss Foundation and Business Class.   

The GirlBoss Foundation helps women start companies by offering grants to qualified individuals. Business Class teaches the art of entrepreneurship.

The Horses Who Made Me: The Journey to a Horsemanship Philosophy

Former French international dressage competitor, Alizee Froment, profiles the equines that shaped her life—from her childhood Shetland pony to the horse that she calls her "heart," Mistral. The stallion not only helped her achieve success in the competitive world of dressage but also altered the course of her life. Though horsemanship was always a passion, Froment was not initially drawn to competition. 

Two horses from her childhood, Shapati and Kazan, taught her that a horse could fly. At 12, she is asked to join the French Equestrian Training Camp. Plagued with self-doubt, the author drops equestrian training for acting at 16. While she nearly gives up her dream, two remarkable events occur. Froment finds Mistral—a horse that she wholeheartedly believes in—and she finds a mentor who scouts her for dressage. 

With Mistral, Froment becomes proficient in dressage and competes at the highest levels. She represents France at the European championships, achieves worldwide success, and finds a way to combine horsemanship with showmanship, developing and performing equestrian shows throughout Europe that showcase dressage, liberty work, and elaborate costuming.

This title introduces readers to the competitive and risky field of equestrianism. In addition to being a great memoir for animal lovers, it will inspire anyone who faces seemingly insurmountable career obstacles.

History of Bees by Maja Lunde

 

Divided into three sections, this dystopian novel looks at beekeeping from three different vantage points–Victorian England, America circa 2007, and China circa 2098.

 While ostensibly focusing on bees, the novel examines the tensions that exist between family members, especially fathers and sons. This is true for the Victorian century beekeeper, William, and his son, Edmund, and in his American descendants, George, and his son, Tom circa 2007.

 The sons in each case want nothing to do with father’s dream of harvesting honey and raising bees. William Savage is not only estranged from his son but also becomes more and more alienated from his mentor, Rahm. The only child who understands William’s dream is Charlotte yet he coldly dismisses her achievements. She is the wrong gender.

In the last time period, which takes place in China, bees and other pollinators are extinct. Their absence which leaves a void in the world further alienates family members. Without bees, everyone is undernourished and forced to work long hours hand painting pollen onto flowers.

In this horrific time, parents can only see their children one day a week. Children are forced to leave school and work as pollinators at younger and younger ages. Tao and Kuan can barely speak to each other, especially after their son disappears. Tao leaves her husband and goes off into unsafe areas of Beijing in search of her child, Wei-Wen.

Tied into all three stories is The History of the Bees, a book written by Thomas Savage who is distantly related to the Victorian bee keeper. Tao read the book and insists that the leader of the Committee, Li Xiara, read it as well.

The army and Chinese government finds a new colony of bees near the site where Wei-Wen goes missing. Knowing and acknowledging the past, however, is necessary before they can move forward. Tao’s boy becomes a symbol of hope.

What is fascinating is the way Lunde compares the disappearance of bees, also known as colony collapse disorder, with the disintegration of family and natural bonds. This is a chilling speculative novel about what may happen if red flags about pollinators and the climate are ignored.

FIFA madness

Some fans are paying more than $2,000 to see the FIFA games in person.

Others are watching on TV and maybe buying a memorable item. Even CVS has FIFA World Cup items for sale, including FIFA turnover chains. 

Developed by Manny Diaz of the Miami Hurricanes' defense team, the turnover chain was designed to boost the Miami team's morale. 

A turnover chain is now widely used in other sports to award standout defensive plays. 

The 2026 FIFA is a historical event because for the first time there will be 48 teams instead of 32. 

The games will be hosted in 16 cities across North America. 

For more information, choose FIFA World Cup: The Official Guide. 

MIT to Close Its Libraries

  

Source: https://libraries.mit.edu

MIT announced the closing of the Barker and Dewey Libraries this Spring. MIT cites a 300-million-dollar shortfall. The Rotch Library is not yet closed, but it is also expected to close.

The change is visible on the Barker website. Their website states, “As of March 30^th, 2026, Barker Library stacks and service desk are closed.” 

The website also states that its numerous study rooms will remain open and that the libraries’ collections will be available by request. 

The library collection will become closed stacks, with only its significantly reduced library staff having access. 

The Dewey Library will be shut down in June 2026. Due to budget constraints, MIT will also gradually reduce its funding of the Wunsch Conservation Lab. The Wunsch Conservation Lab preserves and archives materials. 

The libraries’ closing is consistent with the view that digital materials can and should replace physical copies of works.  According to The Tech, MIT believes library staff cuts and library closings are necessary because MIT is a “digital first” university.

Without a doubt, MIT is well known for its digital collection. MIT Libraries have 478 online databases and 55,000 electronic titles. According to MIT Technology Review, the libraries hold 13.1 digital items comprising 9.3 terabytes of memory.

Elizabeth Cavicci, researcher and alumna, strongly denounced the decision to close three of the university’s libraries. In MIT’s faculty newsletter, she writes that the closing “demonstrates a significant retreat from…commitment to truth and knowledge.”

Though she and many others are opposed to the plan, their objections were not heard.

MIT is one of the U.S.’s premier research institutions. Undoubtedly, other institutions will follow suit.

Data Literacy for Everyone

                 Photo by Conny Schneider on Unsplash 

Data Literacy is the ability to read, analyze and communicate with data. 

The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis free course is a wonderful way to get up to speed on data literacy. This course is for librarians, educators, and anyone interested in learning more about Data Literacy. 

The "Data Literacy for Librarians" course explains how to effectively use FRED.

Download data easily from a graph or FRED map, create a data list, or publish a data list. 

Data Literacy for Librarians. Free Course. 

Data Literacy for Librarians - Credly

Thank You For Your Service

Thank You For Your Service by David Finkel

David Finkel takes a dark topic, soldiers returning from duty with PSTD and other injuries, and turns it into something starkly beautiful. The book is filled with haunting stories.

For instance, James Doster makes a fateful decision. Doster gives Adam Schumann his chance to Skype his family because he feels Schumann needs the time more than he does.

Because he earned Doster's spot, Schumann misses a mission that blows up Doster's Humvee. Adam feels horribly guilty. He was the one, after all, who was best at spotting bombs.

Michael Emory, shot in the head, is paralyzed down the left the side. Adam rescued him by carrying him down a flight of stairs. Emory keeps his helmet and uses it as a Halloween candy bowl.

Then there's Tausolo Aietti who sees the soldier he didn't save every night in his nightmares.

Written in a frank, engaging style, Thank You For Your Service is incredibly moving. 

 
Thank You for Your Service was made into a 2017 film by director, Jason Hall. 

David Finkel describes his writing process in niemanreports.org

https://niemanreports.org/david-finkel-and-the-art-of-immersion-reporting/

Free job training--Job Skill Share

According to CNBC, students are replacing college degrees with online certificates in increasing numbers. 

Certifications vary widely in terms of cost and completion time.

So, the critical question to ask yourself is--which one to choose?

First, find websites that rank certification programs like JobCertifications.com. Best Job Certification Programs | JobCertifications.com lists job certifications that teach in-demand skills. 

U.S. News has started ranking certification programs, 20 Certification Programs for Careers That Pay Well | Careers | U.S. News.

Job Skill Share, Job skills for IT Professionals - IT Skills Training, offers FREE training for a three-month trial period. This is one of the longest free trial periods I have seen. Job Skill Share's certifications are all IT-related. 

Sources:

More students are forgoing four-year college, new reports show

Hubspot for Beginners--Contact Forms and Quick Reports

Thalita Milan also explains how to create and customize contact  forms in "Hubspot for Beginners." 

She demonstrates how to use "Quick" and "Advanced Filters" to create simple reports.

She also explains when it's better to use "Segments and Lists" rather than reports. Unlike reports, lists can be "active," which  causes items to be dynamically added to the list.  

Record customization gives users control over what is included in records. 

She explains how to best use Hubspot's built in Ai feature, Breeze. 

Hubspot for Beginners Part 1.

Hubspot for Beginners Part 2. 

Scarborough Faire for Family Fun

 

There’s still time to go to the Scarborough Faire in Waxahachie, TX.  Themed weekends began on April 4 and will continue through May 25. I went during the “Celtic weekend,” where I encountered several fair goers dressed in kilts. 

Plenty of other themed weekends, e.g., “Flights of Fantasy” and “Legends of the High Seas,” are available.

At the Scarborough Faire, there’s something for everyone--jousting, live performances, crafting, and tarot reading. Fairgoers can rent costumes, have their faces painted, or have their hair braided.

The tagline on the Scarborough website says, “Step Back in Time,” but it’s really an immersion in a cosplaying fantasy world. I saw someone dressed as the Goblin in Labyrinth. He had his hair styled like David Bowie in the film and wore leather pants.

Someone called out, “You’re not taking my baby brother.” He smiled and played along. “We’ll see about that,” he said.

Everyone had their own vibe. Some came in suits of armor, Renaissance gowns, and other typical costumes, but still others dressed however they wanted.

Hubspot for Beginners--Importing Data

Hubspot for Beginners by Thalita Milan. Part 2. 

Milan's class "Hubspot for Beginners" on Udemy provides simple steps for importing data objects e.g., such as contact lists.

Milan explains that HubSpot will tell users if it locates errors while mapping data. 

She also advises to give the import a name. 

If you're using a free account, you will be limited to 1,000 contacts. 

Use the import data process to create and update contacts or any other data objects. 

 https://medium.com/@chantal.walvoord

Hubspot for Beginners. Part 1. 

HubSpot For Beginners--Master the Basics in a Few Hours

HubSpot for Beginners--Master the Basics by Thalita Milan is a great introductory course that can be found on Udemy. 

In this course, Milan discusses how to create a free account and how to use basic features e.g. manage contacts, manage marketing strategies, and follow up on leads.

She briefly introduces Hubspot's Ai layer, Breeze. She also covers GDPR compliance settings. 

Thalita Milan

Hubspot for Beginners Part 2.