Jerome Powell has thrown himself, all guns blazing, into saving the nation's economy from the grips of the coronavirus recession. And yet the White House heaps ridicule on him. Last week, top White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Powell had "probably the worst bedside manner of any Fed chairman in history. ... The old joke in the marketing thing is, if Jay Powell was going to market sushi, he'd sell it as cold, dead fish." And top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Powell needed to lighten up a little: "You know, a smile now and then. ... I'll talk with him, and we'll have some media training at some point." The scornful comments came after the stock market went into a tailspin last week when Powell shared his view on where the U.S. economy is heading. He pointed out that even as people were returning to their jobs, the country is "still going to face, probably, an extended period where it will be difficult for many people to find work." His warning, combined with

Downticket Democrats highlights candidates for the House of Representatives and state legislatures in competitive districts, making it easy to donate for maximum impact.

Donations to House and state candidates can have a much bigger impact than donations to presidential and Senate campaigns. This site helps you find candidates by state or rating (toss-up, lean Democrat, or lean Republican), and offers lots of ways to donate, from links to the candidates' campaigns to featured slates that let you donate to several at once. All the data comes from MeFite Michal Migurski; he sources it from Sister District, Cook, and other reliable sources. He supplies the links and maps, as well. I was inspired to put together a quick website when Mike posted this:

I've started running a Downticket Dems bot on Bluesky (link) and Fedi (link) focused exclusively on D candidates in and near districts that Cook Political Report defines as competitive. Follow and donate!

For the past almost 40 years, Treb Heining has engineered the balloon drops at every Republican National Convention and most Democratic National Conventions. I photographed how he and his team inflated and then dropped 100,000 balloons on the final night of the RNC this year in Milwaukee.

This is a story I'd been wanting to do since I noticed the balloons suspended from the ceiling during the 2016 conventions. I though, "Huh, there's got to be a story behind these balloons." What I found was Treb Heining, who got his start in balloons at age 15 selling balloons on foot at Disneyland. Heining went on to invent the balloon arch and built a balloon decorating business that now spans the globe. He invented the Glasshouse Balloon, a clear balloon surrounding the Mickey-shaped balloon sold at Disney resorts worldwide. And he's been in charge of the balloon drops at every RNC since 1988 and most DNCs since then (he was not involved in the 2004 DNC failure). He's also been in charge of the Times Square New Year's Eve confetti drop for more than 30 years and engineered balloon events at Super Bowls and Olympics opening ceremonies. For the conventions, Heining and a team of balloon decoration professionals and some local volunteers spend a couple days before the convention inflating and tying approximately 100,000 balloons by hand, putting them into giant net bags, and rigging them to the ceiling of the arena. Then, after the final speech on the last day of the convention, the balloons are dropped onto the delegates. I pitched this story to Bloomberg Businessweek in 2020, but the conventions were initially cancelled and then held in a modified form without balloon drops, so the story was killed. I pitched it again for this year, and it all worked out. Here's the Businessweek piece online and the larger edit with some videos and animated gifs on my website.

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A 6-page guide for research-group leaders in academia, providing concrete suggestions to make labs more welcoming and accessible to autistic students and postdocs. Written by a late-diagnosed autistic academic.

Contents: 1. Dispel your misconceptions. 2. Communicate clearly. 3. Check the sensory environment. 4. Be aware of different cognitive profiles. 5. Model inclusivity to your group.

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By Satan's forelock, it's Jabo's Annual Halloween Cartoon 2024. Not much to be scared about this year, amirite? So this year I've just drawn up my favorite cartoon scalawags mixed in with a liberal dose of tales about THE END OF THE WORLD! Nuthin' special and no worries about HOW WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE. Enjoy!

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Bronson Scott’s new single, “Mistakes,” is the anthem for anyone who's ever wrestled with regret and wondered what life would look like without a few of their bad decisions. Scott…

Residents in Richmond’s District 5 are calling for investment in arts and culture from their city leaders. And, in a new episode of Book It, the power of stories in medicine.

There are over 400 prophecies in the Old Testament that foretold the coming of Jesus. This message is about the ones that specifically deal with His coming as a child.

There is power in words. Words can bring life, and words can bring death. God wants us to speak words of encouragement.

John was overwhelmed by shame. He couldn’t shake his addictions and felt alone and helpless. Your gifts lead the broken into the healing arms of our loving heavenly Father. Thank you for sharing!

If "our chastisements are our promotions," and if that which is gained after many a struggle is a full weighted blessing, and if "our heavenly Father measures and weighs every trial before He permits it to come upon" us... then everything we go through is worth it for now, and for eternity ! (C. Spurgeon, OHC, 323.) Let us then show the world that our God is worth ten thousand worlds to us (C. Spurgeon); that His Word is the maximum; that His Law is our delight; that despite not understanding everything, we keep faith, because everything is worth it, because nothing is above Him - because we will see God's smiling face in Heaven ! Tune in now to learn more with us, about the attacks on God's beautiful Word, about how to keep the Ten Commandments and much more ! 1.- Please explain Revelation 11 verses 11-14. 2.- Did Jesus use the lunar calendar to keep Sabbath ? 3.- Has the latter rain happened yet? 4.- Will you please explain the verse that describes Jesus' Second Coming and how "every eye will see Him"? 5.- Can mentally challenged individuals go be forgiven ? 6.- Is God the Lake of Fire mentioned in the book of Revelation ? 7.- Will we see God when we get to Heaven ? 8.- How do you keep the Ten Commandments ? 9.- Is it Biblically okay to be cremated ? 10.- What does the human brain lack, that we cannot understand God ? 11.- Is it okay for a Christian to take yoga classes ? 12.- Was Satan in the presence of God when he was talking to Job ? 13.- What happened to Enoch after God took him to Heaven ? 14.- Will you please explain Revelation 1 verse 7 ? 15.- Were the Ten Commandments written on blue sapphire stone ? 16.- Will you please explain who the King of the North and the King of the South are and what they represent ? 17.- What is taking place in Psalm 2 verse 7 and Hebrews 5 verse 5 ? 18.- What is the best response when someone asks if we are saved ? 19.- Did God create sin according to Isaiah 45 verse 7 ? 20.- Do we know how many fallen angels there are ? 21.- Is Michael the Archangel Jesus ? If so, what are the scriptures to support this ? 22.- Where did Melchizedek come from ? Is He God ? 23.- What is the delusion that God speaks about in 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 11 ?

God has permitted a flood of light to be poured upon the world in discoveries in science. But even the greatest minds, if not guided by the Word of God, become bewildered in their attempts to investigate the relations of science and revelation, (HF, 322). Knowledge has increased exponentially more in the last 100 years than in all of the history of man combined ! Could this be a sign ? Look at where we are and what we are doing... In all regards, may we let our Father and Lord lead the way as this world's time expires. Tune in and study with us about Armageddon and its timeline. We'll also discuss the Second Coming, the first and second deaths described in the Bible, and very importantly, why the Sabbath is still to be observed today. 1.- Are the Armageddons referenced in Revelation chapters 16 and 20 the same event or different ? 2.- How can we know that Sabbath is Saturday ? 3.- Is Enoch really still alive ? 4.- Is using the name "Jesus" wrong since His name in Hebrew was different ? 5.- Why do I go to church on Sunday if Sunday is Resurrection Day ? 6.- How will every eye see Jesus' return if I'm blind ? 7.- Will you please explain why God permitted Jacob to build pillars when Scripture states that it is forbidden ? 8.- Were Adam and Eve created before Sabbath ? and when exactly was their wedding ? 9.- What does Deuteronomy 14 verse 26 mean ? 10.- Are the seven trumpets past, current or future events ? 11.- What would it mean if the River Euphrates dried up before the seven last plagues begin ? 12.- Will you please explain the “sin unto death” mentioned in 1 John 5 verse 16 ? 13.- Would dairy and eggs be considered vegetarian ? 14.- Can we actually rebuke demons through reading Scripture and prayer ? 15.- Why don't Seventh-day Adventists believe in speaking in tongues and dancing ? 16.- In regards to the second death, the Bible says God will send down fire. Is the fire literal, and are angels susceptible to it ? 17.- Is it okay to lend to people your tithe, if you do not have any cash to lend them ? 18.- Is it alright to read the Book of Enoch ? 19.- What does the Bible mean when it says, "and as many as have been appointed to eternal life believed"? Does that mean that God chooses who is saved and who is lost ?

The Federal Reserve chair, Jerome Powell, and his counterparts in Britain and the European Union spoke at a conference in Portugal.

The decision followed a landmark 2020 decision that said much of eastern Oklahoma falls within an Indian reservation, limiting the authority of state prosecutors.

Cassidy Hutchinson, a former aide to Mr. Meadows, the White House chief of staff in the Trump administration, described him as scrolling through his phone as rioters approached the Capitol.

Roughly half of those surveyed say they are worse off financially than a year ago, and most disapprove of President Biden’s handling of inflation.

Thomas Windom, a little-known federal prosecutor, is overseeing key elements of the Justice Department’s intensifying investigation into efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.

What does it mean when God says "I will open up the windows of heaven", speaking of tithes and offerings. Is that still valid today?

In the last days on this earth the devil is going to tell us to change one of God's commandments. We are going to have to choose between obeying God and obeying men.

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http://www.musicxray.com/xrays/2672469 Carolyn202 - Ain't Gonna Bring Me Down

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Updated at 5:45 p.m. ET President Trump dismissed outrage over police killings, saying Tuesday that "more white people" are killed by police than Black people. "So are white people!" Trump said when asked in an interview with CBS News about why so many African Americans have been killed at the hands of police. "So are white people! What a terrible question to ask." Trump added that "more white people, by the way" are killed by police than Black people. More white people may be killed by police annually, but Black Americans are killed at a far higher rate. According to a database of police shootings since 2015 compiled by the Washington Post , 1,301 Black people have been killed by the police in the past five and a half years; 2,495 white people were killed. But, importantly, African Americans, who make up a far smaller portion of the total population than whites, are killed at a rate more than twice that of whites. In another comment also sure to inflame racial tension, Trump said that

John was overwhelmed by shame. He couldn’t shake his addictions and felt alone and helpless. But through your gifts, he heard God calling to his heart. Watching Amazing Facts on TV, John was drawn back to God and church, where he found the courage and strength to finally break free of sinful habits. You can call to more despairing hearts when you support God’s work through Amazing Facts evangelistic media. Your gifts lead the broken into the healing arms of our loving heavenly Father. Thank you for sharing!

image via pixabay.com

my inbox's thousands of unread emails could achieve sentience and I still wouldn't care about it — scruss. People are talking about how they handle their emails in response to Well I never's Ask Me post, "What's in your email inbox?"

The New York Times Building photo by Ajay Suresh from New York, NY, USA - New York Times Building - Bottom Portion

The NYT Tech Guild is on strike, which means NYT Games (and Cooking) are behind the picket line. But never fear! Mefites needing their puzzle fix can find Wordle alternatives in this Ask Me thread and the secret word game Letroso, plus, for more fun, be sure to check out Catfishing (Wikipedia category guessing game) by Mefi's own Klipspringer, and Gisnep (quote guessing game) by Metafilter's own ironicsans.

Nilay Patel returns to the show to discuss this week’s House antitrust hearing featuring testimony from Tim Cook, Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, and Mark Zuckerberg.

Special guest: the one and only Joanna Stern. Topics: new iMacs, Touch ID vs. Face ID, remote controls, surveillance advertising, and people who want to make everything a video call when a good old-fashioned voice call would do.

Jason Snell returns to the show to talk about the new 10th-gen iPad and M2 iPads Pro.

Craig Hockenberry returns to the show to talk about the demise of third-party Twitter clients, the overall Twitter shitshow, touchscreens on the Mac, and the perils of autocorrect when you have a clever username.

What does it mean when God says "I will open up the windows of heaven", speaking of tithes and offerings. Is that still valid today?

In the last days on this earth the devil is going to tell us to change one of God's commandments. We are going to have to choose between obeying God and obeying men.

Ive been making music for couple of years now but still cant figure out why my mix doesnt sound professional. Im I doing something wrong? This is the link to my tracks http://www.ourmedia.org/node/300488 Someone please help me out.

The 100% guaranteed way to get your bedroom mixes to sound more professional (and by far the most expensive) is to spend time in a recording studio. Take the raw tracks to something you want to mix, import it into their ProTools setup (or whatever they use) and have a pro engineer (must be a talkative, friendly one, not a grumpy, cynical one) to mix it. ASK A BILLION questions, be a dork and write stuff down if you have to. The worst case scenario is that after 2/3 hours at least you'll know what questions to ask of Google or at the local tech book store. The best case is that your music impresses the engineer and he/she becomes a pseudo mentor for you. Engineering is by far my weakest area (along with playing in tune and in time) so everything that follows is said that caveat: I have found that going cheap on mastering tools (compression, limiters, eq) hurts bedroom mixes a lot. Money I've spent on the top utilities there (I use Waves) dwarfs all my other plugins put together by an order of magnitude. (Reason's mastering suite is pretty good so you may be covered there; although I've applied Waves L2 to mixes done after the 'final' Reason mixdown and there's no question there was a marked improvement in pro-sheen.) I have found tweakheadz site very useful, especially their mixing 101 page. Finally I have been told (and have experienced it myself) that posting often to ccM and asking for real, brutal reviews and feedback has helped a lot of people. I, for one, am very, very embarrassed by several of my uploads from 2 years ago here, while only very embarrassed by more recent ones; all strictly due to people hearing stuff I didn't.

that sounds good. ill look for a studio near my place. at the end you said that the comments from ccmixer is very useful but what shall i do if i want a brutal review of my own original mix? because on ccmixer i can only upload remixes or samples or separate tracks.

being a remix site and short on resources we can't handle original material. so, er, get remixing... ;)

my buddy des has a great blog he runs that can surely help almost anyone here with improving their production. http://www.hometracked.com/ also, his music is worth checking out, just so you can see that he knows what he's talking about. des is a great guy and a really excellent artist. http://www.deshead.com/

U need to have a good pair of monitors, headphones will not do at all! I agree with Fourstones, Waves is a very good suite. I use it within SoundForge and it really does help in cleaning up the frequencies. My mixes really improved when I had monitor speakers included in the set up. Experiment and let me know, I'll give u some quality feedback, no holds, sometimes the truth hurts! LOL! EZ m8 Morr

The best thing I can say is: learn about sound. Learn about frequencies, which ones sound like what and do what to the overall mix. Whether or not to use a low or high pass filter on something. Fiddle with EQs for hours. And more importantly, get criticism. It's the easiest way to learn what sound to look out for, and such. And most importantly of all: Practice. Mix till your ears bleed. (from the time spent listening to the same song, not due to the terrible mix :P) Mixing is one of my strong suits, but most of it is just being able to hear the song, and make the adjustments that I want, to be able to make the necessary changes and just know what needs to be done.

bravo!

That's a very good point- I started with a Mac LC, EZVision and an M1, with the only audio manipulation being Hypercard. I got good at customizing patches and finding seamless loop points manually just to get what I could out of what I had, with mastering being 1/4"-to-RCA from the headphone jack on the M1 to AUX IN on the cassette player, or the same thing with 1/8" adapter for the 'puter sound files. Then I'd record and bounce these cassette tracks to my 4-track, with final routing from 4-track's headphone-out back to the cassette. Ugly stuff, but that's what I had to work with...

This is a very good point. I think that it's easy to keep adding new gear, and thus miss the richness of existing gear and software. I like to work with more limited software sometimes, so that I can feel as if I am exploiting it to its fullness.

Ive been making music for couple of years now but still cant figure out why my mix doesnt sound professional. Im I doing something wrong? This is the link to my tracks http://www.ourmedia.org/node/300488 Someone please help me out. The first thing I noticed was the lack of higher frequencies in your mix... My mixes always end up being bass heavy (because I suck horribly) so I can see we both have the same problem... There's is (however) an over-abundance of frequency-fighting in your track... A lot of distorted things competing for my attention (at least in my ears). Dunno if any of this has been helpful, but we could all learn things...so hopefully you'll have advice for me in the future ;-) Good luck, and we me luck too! -Joel

This is a useful thread. Im just in the middle of mixing a new ccmixter-based song and its just not coming together for me. The tweakheadz and hometracked sites are great. A couple other useful sites: tips and techniques at gearslutz - http://www.gearslutz.com/board/tips-techniques/168409-tips-techniques.html ; Live tips - http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=27120 ; general EQ reference - http://www.idmforums.com/showthread.php?t=11466 Im definitely going to get the mix Im working on up here, I need some blunt advice.

OK, I uploaded Hollywood Picture Book (feat Calendar Girl and Kaer Trouz) and entered a pluggy plug for comments over this weekend.