FYI December 08, 2019

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On This Day

1927 – The Brookings Institution, one of the United States’ oldest think tanks, is founded through the merger of three organizations that had been created by philanthropist Robert S. Brookings.
The Brookings Institution is an American research group founded in 1916 on Think Tank Row in Washington, D.C.[2] It conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and global economy and economic development.[3][4] Its stated mission is to “provide innovative and practical recommendations that advance three broad goals: strengthen American democracy; foster the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity of all Americans; and secure a more open, safe, prosperous, and cooperative international system.”[2]

Brookings has five research programs at its Washington, D.C. campus (Economic Studies,[5] Foreign Policy,[6] Governance Studies,[7] Global Economy and Development,[8] and Metropolitan Policy)[9] and three international centers based in Doha, Qatar (Brookings Doha Center);[10] Beijing, China (Brookings-Tsinghua Center for Public Policy);[11] and New Delhi, India (Brookings India).[12]

The University of Pennsylvania’s Global Go To Think Tank Index Report has named Brookings “Think Tank of the Year” and “Top Think Tank in the World” every year since 2008.[13] The Economist describes Brookings as “perhaps America’s most prestigious think-tank”.[14]

Brookings states that its staff “represent diverse points of view” and describes itself as non-partisan,[2][15] and various media outlets have alternately described Brookings as “conservative”,[16] “centrist”[17] or “liberal”.[18] An academic analysis of Congressional records from 1993 to 2002 found that Brookings was referred to by conservative politicians almost as frequently as liberal politicians, earning a score of 53 on a 1–100 scale with 100 representing the most liberal score.[19] The same study found Brookings to be the most frequently cited think tank by the U.S. media and politicians.[19]

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Born On This Day

1919 – Kateryna Yushchenko, Ukrainian computer scientist and academic (d. 2001)
Kateryna Lohvynivna Yushchenko (Ukrainian: Катерина Логвинівна Ющенко, Russian: Екатерина Логвиновна Ющенко, December 8, 1919, Chigirin – died August 15, 2001) was a Ukrainian computer and information research scientist, corresponding member of USSR Academy of Sciences (1976),[1] and member of The International Academy of Computer Science.[2] She developed one of the world’s first high-level languages with indirect address in programming, called the Address programming language. Over the period of her academic career, Yushchenko supervised 45 Ph.D students. Further professional achievements include Yushchenko being awarded two USSR State Prizes, The USSR Council of Ministers Prize, The Academician Glushkov Prize, and The Order of Princess Olga. Yushchenko was the first woman in the USSR to become a Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences in programming.

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FYI

By Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair: Caroll Spinney, Sesame Street Puppeteer, Dies at Age 85 The voice of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch goes silent.
 
 
By Robert D. McFadden, The New York Times: Caroll Spinney, Big Bird’s Alter Ego on ‘Sesame Street,’ Is Dead at 85 Besides the sweet-natured giant yellow bird, he also played the misanthropic bellyacher Oscar the Grouch.
 
 
 
 
Kings River Life: “Owl Be Home for Christmas By Donna Andrews: Review/Giveaway/Podcast” from Kings River Life Magazine, plus 11 more
 
 
 
 
Maria Popova’s Brain Pickings: The Fate of Fausto: Oliver Jeffers’s Lovely Painted Fable About the Absurdity of Greed and the Existential Triumph of Enoughness, Inspired by Vonnegut
 
 
 
 
The Passive Voice: The Author of ‘Simple Abundance’ Has Some New Advice for You and more ->
 
 
 
 
BY Zachary Crockett, The Hustle: Why some of America’s top CEOs take a $1 salary A number of high-profile execs have reduced their paycheck to a single dollar. But the gesture isn’t as altruistic as it seems.
 
 
 
 
American Thinker: Six Months at an Amazon Fulfillment Center; Veteran Spy Novelist John Le Carré Takes On Brexit in His Latest and more ->
 
 
 
 
Fast Company Compass: The days of threatening your cable company with cord cutting to get a cheaper rate are over; Apple just bought the first-ever batch of carbon-free aluminum and more ->
 
 
 
 
Kathryn’s Report: Aerodynamic Stall/Spin: Cessna 550 Citation II, N941JM; accident occurred November 30, 2018 at Hector International Airport (KFAR), Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota; Loss of Engine Power (Partial): Cessna 172 Skyhawk, N7207A; accident occurred November 27, 2018 in Whittier, Alaska and more ->
 
 
 
 
Steven Savage: Shhhh! Stealth launch of my book . . .
 
 
 
 

Recipes

By msjbud: Chocolate Peanut Butter Ritz Cookies
 
 
By FOOD by Lyds: Christmas Sugar Cookies Recipe
 
 
Perfectly DeStressed: Sangria Gift Jar