The Homeless Crisis(ˈkrīsis) Is Getting Worse in America’s Richest Cities

A toxic(ˈtäksik) combination(ˌkämbəˈnāSHən) of slow wage(wāj) growth and skyrocketing(ˈskīˌräkit) rents has put housing out of reach for a greater number of people.

By Noah(ˈnōə) Buhayar and Esmé E Deprez

It was just after 10 p.m. on an overcast September night in Los Angeles, and L. was tired(tīrd) from a long day of class prep(prep), teaching, and grading(grād) papers. So the 57-year-old anthropology(ˌanTHrəˈpäləjē) professor(prəˈfesər) fed(fed) her Chihuahua(CHəˈwäwə)-dachshund(ˈdäksənd) mix(miks) a freeze(frēz)-dried(drī) chicken strip(strip), swapped(swäp) her cigarette(ˈsigəˌret,ˌsigəˈret) trousers(ˈtrouzərz) for stretchy(ˈstreCHē) black yoga(ˈyōgə) pants(pants), and began to unfold(ˌənˈfōld) a set of white sheets and a beige(bāZH) cotton(ˈkätn) blanket(ˈblaNGkit) to make up her bed.

But first she had to recline(riˈklīn) the passenger(ˈpasinjər) seat(sēt) of her 2015 Nissan Leaf(lēf) as far as it would go—that being her bed in the parking lot she’d called home for almost three months. The Late Show with Stephen(ˈstēvən) Colbert(ō) was playing on her iPad as she drifted(drift) off for another night. “Like sleeping on an airplane—but not in first class,” she said. That was in part by design. “I don’t want to get more comfortable. I want to get out of here.”

L., who asked to go by her middle initial(iˈniSHəl) for fear of losing her job, couldn’t afford(əˈfôrd) her apartment earlier this year after failing to cobble(ˈkäbəl) together enough teaching assignments(əˈsīnmənt) at two community(kəˈmyo͞onitē) colleges(ˈkälij). By July she’d exhausted(igˈzôstid) her savings and turned to a local nonprofit(ˈnänˈpräfit) called Safe Parking L.A., which outfits a handful of lots around the city with security(siˈkyo͝oritē) guards, port-a-potties(ˈpätē), Wi-Fi, and solar(ˈsōlər)-powered electrical(əˈlektrək(ə)l) chargers(ˈCHärjər). Sleeping in her car would allow her to save for a deposit(dəˈpäzət) on an apartment. On that night in late September, under basketball(ˈbaskitˌbôl) hoops owned by an Episcopal(əˈpiskəpəl) church(CHərCH) in Koreatown(kəˈrēə), she was one of 16 people in 12 vehicles(ˈvēəkəl,ˈvēˌhikəl). Ten of them were female(ˈfēˌmāl), two were children, and half were employed(əmˈploi).

…
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2018-11-20/the-homeless-crisis-is-getting-worse-in-america-s-richest-cities

How to Simplify(ˈsimpləˌfī) the Holidays(ˈhäləˌdā)

By Leo Babauta

Today, millions of people will be shopping, and the gift-shopping spree(sprē) that is the holiday season will continue for a good month.

…

What would happen if we decided(dəˈsīdəd) to become radicals(ˈradikəl), and simplified the holidays? What would happen if we bucked(bək) the consumerist(kənˈso͞omərəst) traditions, and got down to the essentials(əˈsen(t)SHəl)?

…

Once we remember the essentials, we can start to simplify. Here are some ideas for simplifying:

Remember what’s essential.

Limit shopping as much as possible.

Talk to your family about alternatives(ôlˈtərnədiv).

Make a list of the traditions you love, and those that you don’t love.

Start to let go of the non-essential.

Build a simple holiday around what matters to you.

Find the joy of giving in other ways.

Say no to the craziness(ˈkrāzēnəs) to say yes to the essentials.
…
https://zenhabits.net/simplify-holidays/

Why I refuse to have the internet in my home

By Pasquale Casullo

Confession(kənˈfeSHən): My home is internet-less, by choice. And it is bliss(blis). I have neither a modem(ˈmōdəm,ˈmōˌdem) nor a data(ˈdatə,ˈdātə) plan for my cellular(ˈselyələr) phone, which makes it easy to disconnect. Just as dipping into a piping(ˈpīpiNG)-hot bubble(ˈbəbəl)-bath requires a strong constitution(ˌkänstəˈt(y)o͞oSHən), so does going without home WiFi. But, once in, it is a soothing(ˈso͞oT͟HiNG), relaxing experience.

I am a 31-year-old writer – not, as you may be thinking, a curmudgeon(kərˈməjən) fearful of technology. I take pleasure(ˈpleZHər) in explaining(ikˈsplān), “I’d rather spend that money on gin(jin) than a telecom(ˈteləˌkäm) service contract.”

I am not attempting to escape(əˈskāp) cold, harsh(härSH) reality through isolation(ˌīsəˈlāSHən). I devour(dəˈvou(ə)r) newspapers daily (in print, preferably(ˈpref(ə)rəblē)), keep a radio tuned(t(y)o͞on) to the CBC for the hourly news broadcasts, and am always reachable(ˈrēCHəb(ə)l) by text, telephone and, for someone who desires(dəˈzī(ə)r) an in-person interaction(ˌin(t)ərˈakSH(ə)n), visits can be arranged(əˈrānj).

Don’t think this has to anything do with JOMO (joy of missing out) or going on a fruitless(ˈfro͞otləs) “social-media cleanse(klenz)” either. I sometimes find myself asking: “What is it, exactly, everyone does on the internet all day?” Not having internet access(ˈakˌses) at home isn’t as uncommon(ˌənˈkämən) as you may believe; I’d venture(ˈvenCHər) it is what we’re all thinking about but are afraid to commit to – such as deciding not to keep up with the Karadashians.

“I went to the woods, because I wanted to live deliberately(dəˈlib(ə)rətlē). … I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow(ˈmarō) of life,” so went Henry(ˈhenrē) David(ˈdāvid) Thoreau(THəˈrō, THôˈrō, ˈTHôrō), proponent(prəˈpōnənt) of living simply in mostly natural surroundings, in his book Walden. A good point, that: The world shimmers(ˈSHimər) greatly in comparison(kəmˈparəsən) to the world wide web, with no purposeless(ˈpərpəslis) dilly(ˈdilē)-dallying(ˈdalē).

…
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-why-i-refuse-to-have-the-internet-in-my-home/

Breathing(ˈbrēT͟HiNG) Through the Nose May Offer Unique Brain(brān) Benefits

By Gretchen Reynolds(rā)

Folklore(ˈfōkˌlôr), spiritual(ˈspiriCHo͞oəl) traditions(trəˈdiSHən) and even mothers have for ages drawn(drôn) an implicit(imˈplisit) connection between respiration(ˌrespəˈrāSHən) and state(stāt) of mind: Breathe in deeply through your nose, we are told, to clarify(ˈklarəˌfī) thoughts, achieve serenity(səˈrenədē), defuse(diˈfyo͞oz) tantrums(ˈtantrəm). There isn’t a lot of scientific evidence to back up these ideas, but a growing number of experiments(ikˈsperəmənt) have been looking at the influence that breathing has on our cognition(ˌkägˈniSHən). In October, a study in The Journal(ˈjərnl) of Neuroscience(ˌn(y)o͝orōˈsīəns) considered the relationship between memory and how we breathe.

Recognizing odors(ˈōdər) is a key survival(sərˈvīvəl) mechanism(ˈmekəˌnizəm) for most creatures(ˈkrēCHər) — including humans, of course. This is why neuroscientists believe the links between thinking and breathing were early evolutionary(ˌevəˈlo͞oSHəˌnerē) adaptations(ˌadapˈtāSHən). Studies have shown that when rodents(ˈrōdnt) sniff(snif), the flow(flō) of even odorless air initiates(iˈniSHēˌāt) brain activity by stimulating(ˈstimyəˌlātiNG) neurons(ˈn(y)o͝orän
) in what’s called the olfactory(älˈfakt(ə)rē,ōl-) bulb(bəlb), which then signal the hippocampus(ˌhipəˈkampəs), a part of the brain involved in the creation and storage of memories. For the October study, researchers at the Karolinska Institute(ˈinstəˌt(y)o͞ot) in Stockholm(ˈstäkˌhō(l)m), Sweden(ˈswēdn), and other institutions(ˌinstəˈt(y)o͞oSH(ə)n) conducted an experiment to see whether something similar(ˈsimələr) happens to us if we breathe through our mouths.

…

The men and women were consistently much better at recognizing smells if they breathed through their noses during the quiet(ˈkwīət) hour. Mouth breathing resulted in fuzzier(ˈfəzē) recall and more incorrect(ˌinkəˈrekt) answers.

…
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/20/well/mind/breathing-through-the-nose-may-offer-unique-brain-benefits.html

Pet(pet) owners who force their cats to be vegan(ˈvēgən) could risk(risk) breaking the law(lô)

By Oscar(ˈäskər) Quine(kwīn)

Cat owners have been advised(ədˈvīzd) they could risk breaking the law if they force their pets into veganism(ˈviɡənɪzəm).

One in six pet food suppliers(səˈplī(ə)r) has branched out into supplying vegan or vegetarian(ˌvejəˈterēən) food for animals as owners embraced(əmˈbrās) the new trend(trend) over ethical(ˈeTHikəl) concerns(kənˈsərn) with meat(mēt) diets(ˈdī-it).

But yesterday the RSPCA said cats could become seriously(ˈsi(ə)rēəslē) ill(il) if given exclusively(ikˈsklo͞osəvlē) plant(plant)-based diets and owners could run the risk of getting a criminal(ˈkrimənl) record.

A spokesman(ˈspōksmən
) said while dogs were omnivores(ˈämnəˌvôr) and could theoretically(THēəˈredək(ə)lē) survive(sərˈvīv) on a vegetarian diet, cats were carnivores(ˈkärnəˌvôr) and needed meat.

They pointed out: “Under the Animal Welfare(ˈwelˌfe(ə)r) Act, the law requires an owner to take reasonable(ˈrēz(ə)nəbəl) steps to ensure that all the pet’s needs are met.

“This includes a healthy(ˈhelTHē) diet, as well as providing suitable(ˈso͞otəbəl) living conditions, ability to behave normally, appropriate(əˈprōprēət) company and protection from pain(pān), suffering(ˈsəf(ə)riNG
), injury(ˈinjərē) and disease(dəˈzēz).”

In the worst cases where cats are so malnourished(malˈnəriSHt), guidelines(ˈgīdˌlīn) say owners could face a hefty(ˈheftē) fine or even a jail(jāl ) sentence(ˈsentns) if convicted(kənˈvikt) under the Animal Welfare Act.

The warning comes after the National Pet Show in Birmingham(ˈbərmiNGˌham) earlier this month showcased the latest in vegan pet food and non-meat alternatives(ôlˈtərnədiv), as owners look to spread(spred) their ethical(ˈeTHikəl) diets onto their pets too.

…
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/11/23/pet-owners-feed-cats-vegan-diet-could-face-prosecution/

Understanding Human Relationships(rəˈlāSH(ə)nˌSHip)

By Steve Pavlina

One of the most important relationship lessons I learned was this: The relationships we have with other people are projections of the relationships we have within ourselves(ou(ə)rˈselvz,är-). Our external relationships and our internal relationships are in fact the same relationships. They only seem different because we look at them through different lenses(lenz).

Let’s consider why this is true. Where do all your relationships exist(igˈzist)? They exist in your thoughts(thoughts). Your relationship with another person is whatever you imagine(iˈmajən) it to be. Whether(ˈ(h)weT͟Hər) you love someone or hate(hāt) someone, you’re right. Now the other person may have a completely different relationship to you, but understand that your representation(-zən-,ˌrepriˌzenˈtāSHən) of what someone else thinks of you is also part of your thoughts. So your relationship with someone includes what you think of that person and what you believe s/he thinks of you. You can complicate(ˈkämpləˌkāt) it further(ˈfərT͟Hər) by imagining what the other person thinks you think of him/her, but ultimately(ˈəltəmitlē) those internal representations are all you have.

Even if your relationships exist in some objective(əbˈjektiv) reality independent of your thoughts, you never have access to the objective viewpoint. You’re always viewing(ˈvyo͞oiNG) your relationships through the lens of your own consciousness(ˈkänCHəsnəs). The closest you can get to being objective is to imagine being objective, but that is in no way the same thing as true objectivity. That’s because the act of observation(ˌäbzərˈvāSHən) requires a conscious(ˈkänCHəs) observer(əbˈzərvər), which is subjective by its very nature.

…
https://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2007/01/understanding-human-relationships/

Newsworthy(ˈn(y)o͞ozˌwərT͟Hē)
NEWSWORTHY

INT: A NEWS STATION(ˈstāSHən)

CORRINE, a news anchor(ˈaNGkər), is reading off the day’s events to the camera

CORRINE

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen(ˈjen(t)lmən), and welcome to KWX news. I’m your host, Corrine Dewar(ˈd(y)o͞owər).

Today, June(jo͞on) 23rd, is notable(ˈnōtəbəl) for a number of major(ˈmājər) events happening around the world in countries most viewers have never heard of. Accordingly, they don’t matter to this news program, and probably won’t be featured(ˈfēCHər) here until one of them attacks us, buys us, or makes an adorable(əˈdôrəbəl) video of a cat trying to play the piano(pēˈanō,pēˈänō).

Today, as with yesterday, June 22nd, crime(krīm) is on the general(ˈjenərəl) downswing(ˈdounˌswiNG), a trend(trend) that started sometime after the colonial(-nēəl,kəˈlōnyəl) period(ˈpi(ə)rēəd) in the continental(ˌkäntnˈentl) United States. In response, we have found four to five shocking(ˈSHäkiNG) incidents(ˈinsəd(ə)nt) of horrific(həˈrifik) violence(ˈvī(ə)ləns) to convince(kənˈvins) you that you will die if you ever choose to ride(rīd) the bus.

A breaking news story has just been handed to me, notifying me that this story has already been extensively(ikˈstensəvlē) covered by online sources, and that not only is it not breaking, but shards of it have already been ground underfoot into a light powder(ˈpoudər). To voice your opinion(əˈpinyən) on this breaking news, please visit our website or “tweet” it in the general direction of our broadcasting company.

In sports, we spoke to a famous athlete(ˈaTHˌlēt) and asked him to respond without using the words “uh(ə,əN),” “crazy,” “like,” “y’know,” or “really good.” While we’re waiting, let’s take a look at entertainment(ˌen(t)ərˈtānmənt).

In celebrity(səˈlebrədē) news tonight, actors are good at acting and musicians can often sing well, or even passably(ˈpasəblē). They also have opinions on things and relationships with each other and other people. We here at KWX wouldn’t know anything about any of this, because we are a news station.

Finally, here is a heartwarming(ˈhärtˌwôrmiNG) clip(klip) of a baby doing something inane(iˈnān) yet adorable(əˈdôrəbəl). Although you’ve already watched it online, we’re going to play it again here in its entirety(-ˈtīritē,enˈtī(ə)rtē).

That’s our news for tonight. This is Corrine Dewar, signing(ˈsīniNG) off.

https://www.instantmonologues.com/preview/Newsworthy

Why You’re Probably Training Your Cat All Wrong

Yes, they’re independent and willful, but felines(ˈfēˌlīn) can be taught certain(ˈsərtn) behaviors—to the benefit of both cat and human.

By Linda Lombardi(lämˈbärdē, ˌləm-)

Training has always been part of the deal when you own a dog, though methods have changed a lot over the generations. Cats are a different story—but they shouldn’t be.

“People don’t traditionally train cats because they think of cats as … independent and full of free will,” says Sarah(ˈse(ə)rə) Ellis, co-author of The Trainable Cat.

“What they don’t realize, though, is that they are subconsciously(səbˈkänSHəslē) training their cats on a daily basis(ˈbāsis).”

The bad news is that you’re often training your cat to do the opposite(ˈäpəzit) of what you want. How many times have you yelled “No!” and run over to scoop(sko͞op) your cat off the kitchen(ˈkiCHən) counter? And yet, it never seems to learn. There’s a reason for that.

You think you’re scolding(ˈskōldiNG), but you’re “inadvertently(ˌinədˈvərtntli) giving the cat attention, which, in the cat’s mind, is better than nothing, and so it’s rewarding,” says Mikel(mikīl) Delgado(delgädō), a postdoctoral(pōstˈdäktərəl) fellow at the School of Veterinary(ˈvet(ə)rəˌnerē) Medicine(ˈmedəsən) at University of California(ˌkaləˈfôrnyə), Davis(ˈdāvis).

It’s a basic(basic) principle of training: If a behavior results in something the animal likes, it’ll do it again.

So, stop letting that principle work against you and get it to work for you instead. “Reward(riˈwôrd) what you like and ignore what you don’t like,” says Delgado.

…
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/animals-cats-training-pets/

Sacred(ˈsākrid) Bow(bou,bō): An Intentional(inˈten(t)SH(ə)n(ə)l) Way to Close Out the Year & Start the New Year

By Leo Babauta

We’re entering the last month of the year, and it can be a crazy, shopping-filled, party spree(sprē) of a month for many people.

Or it can be a simpler, more mindful period(ˈpi(ə)rēəd) of closing out the year and getting ready for the coming year.

I’d like to invite(inˈvīt) you to a monthlong process that I’m calling Sacred Bow: An Intentional Way to Close Out the Year & Start the New Year.

What will this process be? Here’s how I envision(enˈviZHən) Sacred Bow:

Review: Spend the first week reviewing your year so far, noting your accomplishments(əˈkämpliSHmənt) and big events, taking notes on what you’ve learned and what you’ve struggled with, seeing where you’ve dropped the ball and where you could grow.

Let Go: Reflect on what you’d like to let go of moving forward, what you’ve been holding onto that’s not serving you. This is a releasing(riˈlēs) of baggage(ˈbagij) and struggles. Spend a few days practicing(ˈpraktəs) letting go, so that we can be clear for the new year.

Set Intentions for the Next Year: What loving and purposeful intentions would you like to set going into the new year? What would you like to create? Who would you like to be? How do you want to practice? This is taking a Big Picture look at the coming year, and setting some general intentions (and holding them without attachment(əˈtaCHmənt)).

Create a Plan: Now we’re going to make a monthly, weekly and daily plan. It doesn’t have to be incredibly(inˈkredəblē) detailed — just create structure so that we can flexibly move into our intentions, so that we can remember the intentions, so that we can keep checking back in with them. So that we can bring focus, as if this might be the last year of our lives.

That’s the process. It’s a process of reviewing and letting go, so that we can learn from the last year but not hold onto that which is no longer serving us. It’s a process of looking forward, mindfully, and creating a plan to be intentional about how we spend the next year of our lives.

…
https://zenhabits.net/sacred-bow/

The art of selfishness(ˈselfiSHnəs)

By Derek Sivers

David(ˈdāvid) grew up in St. Louis(ˈlo͞o-is,ˈlo͞o-ē), Missouri(-ˈzo͝orə,məˈzo͝orē), USA, with five brothers and sisters.

When he was 18, he got accepted to a very prestigious(-ˈstē-,preˈstijəs) art school in Vienna(vēˈenə). Vienna! This was his dream come true! He had wanted this so badly, but never thought he’d actually get accepted. This was an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

But his mother was on her death bed. An undiagnosable(ˌdīəɡˈnōs) illness(ˈilnis) seemed like it was going to take her at any time. All of her children were visiting her every day.

When he mentioned that he got accepted to the art school in Vienna, everyone said, “Well of course you can’t go! You need to stay here with your mother during her final days!”

He was very conflicted(ˈkänˌflikt) and felt horrible(ˈhär-,ˈhôrəbəl) about this, but still felt that he had to accept the offer. So he moved to Vienna.

His mother disowned(disˈōn) him. His brothers and sisters screamed about his selfishness, and didn’t speak to him for years. Everybody told him what a horrible person he was.

David told his story at the age of 38 and said, “And now, 20 years later, my mother is still alive. I’ve followed my dreams, had a great career(kəˈri(ə)r) and an amazing life, while my brothers and sisters have given up their whole lives to stay by my mother’s bed, still to this day.”

—

The David in this story is David Seabury(ˈberē), who changed thousands of people’s lives. It’s from his book “The Art of Selfishness”, which I found on my grandmother’s bookshelf(ˈbo͝okˌSHelf) when I was 18. I’ve thought about it constantly since then. I’ll have more to say about it soon, so I’m posting it now to refer(riˈfər) to later(ˈlādər).

https://sivers.org/aos