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12:10 PM

How Long-Lasting Will Be the Impact of Today's Great Scholars

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St. Thomas Aquinas

January 28 is the day that commemorates Thomas Aquinas, the medieval philosopher and scholar, recognized as a Doctor of the Catholic Church.

In philosophy, his commentaries on Aristotle are probably his best known work. In theology, his Summa Theologica may be the most influential tract of the medieval period.

Pope Pius X who ruled the Catholic Church for 11 years in the first half on the 20th century cautioned that the teachings on the modern church could not be understudied unless viewed through the philosophical prism of Thomas's major theses.

The work of whom among us in any field will have an impact that lasts for a half-millennium. Where is today's Aquinas.
12:41 PM

Observing the Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Observing the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.

There are a number of meaningful ways to observe the day dedicated to a modern American hero. Here are just a few.

1. Visit a bookstore or public library to pick up a copy of Dr. King’s biography or a biographical video and read or watch it.

2. Participate in a walk or march for peace. Dr. King was the apostle of non-violence. To commemorate his legacy of non-violence, many communities hold walks or marches which recall Dr. King’s participation in the 1965 march for racial equality and justice from Selma, Ala. to the state capital of Montgomery.

3. Participate in the national day of service on January 18th. This annual event is timed to coincide with the national holiday dedicate to Dr. King and established by President Ronald Reagan. Most communities schedule service events in which you can participate. Look for one.

4. Attend a church service in honor of Dr. King. At a time when America needed spiritual guidance Martin Luther King, Jr. was America’s pastor. Contact houses of worship in your community to see what they have planned. America is again in need of spiritual guidance. Perhaps Dr. King will again pastor us on January 18th.

Many thanks to Latin Times for its lead on this important subject. http://www.latintimes.com/4-ways-celebrate-martin-luther-king-jr-day-2016-146016.


10:11 AM

Midnight on the Square: New Year’s Eve Small Town-style

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New Year’s Eve Small Town-style. http://midnightinthesquare.com/ We celebrated NYE in Kennett Square, Pa. http://www.kennettsq.org/

Kennett bills itself as the Mushroom Capital of the World because nearby farms produce over a million pounds of the highly prized fungi annually. http://abc27.com/2015/12/24/touring-kennett-square-the-mushroom-capital-of-the-world/ So it was appropriate that the community celebrate the dawn of 2017 by raising and lowering a giant stainless steel and crystal mushroom.

Next year forget about bucking the crowd in that little place called Times Square, which bills itself as the Crossroad of the World. Instead, check your GPS and find your way to Kennett Square, Pa. and spend the New Year holiday with a few thousand new friends from small town America and bring some fresh ‘shrooms home to the family.

In the alternative, forget about sitting on the couch all New Year’s Eve like a mushroom, watching TV and waiting for the fancy-schmacy crystal ball to drop in Times Square. 

Get out and ring in the new year in a small town near you. There are thousands of Kennett Squares throughout the country that celebrate the new year in local fashion. Usually in a way that also celebrates local industry, history, or culture.


For example, Port Clinton, Oh. which is located on the shore of Lake Erie, a thriving fresh water fishery famous for its plentiful walleye population, raises and drops a giant replica of a walleye. http://www.wtol.com/story/34150775/port-clinton-new-years-eve-walleye-drop-celebrates-20th-anniversary
12:21 PM

A New Generation of Legos for a New Generation of Kids

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A New Generation of Legos for a New Generation of Kids

Lego A/S has unveiled Lego Boost, the latest iteration of the classic childhood building blocks, or bricks as the multi-colored toys are called.

According to reports, the Boost product uses motors, sensors, and simple computer coding to bring the Lego creation to life.

Kids can choose between 5 versions: a robot, a cat, a space rover, a factory, or a guitar.

Most of the kit resembles previous Lego kits, but also include a “move hub” which contains a computer, a wireless chip and a tilt sensor.

Lego takes another step forward in order to operate the Boost creation. Boost connects to a tablet at launch via an app. The app shows how to build simple code which make the Lego creation respond to stimuli or do a preordained set of movements.


It is hoped that dynamic, interactive toys like Boost will help inspire kids to forego static activity like watching TV or playing on the computer  

3:16 PM

Personal Finance Resolutions for 2017

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Today, for those of us in the 45 percent of the American population that is striving to keep New Year’s resolutions, The Lobster, given his focus on financial issues, offers the following bit of info, courtesy of our friends at WalletHub who publish The 10 Financial Resolutions for 2017.

The Top Ten personal finance resolutions for 2017 are

Thoroughly review your credit report and sign up for credit monitoring 
Pay bills right after receiving your paycheck
Repay 20% of your credit card debt
Use different credit cards for everyday purchases & Another for Debt.
Add One Month’s Pay to Your Emergency Fund
Improve Your credit score by 20 points
Ace WalletHub’s Course in Financial Literacy (www.wallethub.com)
Focus on Your Physical Health
Make a Realistic Budget and Stick to It
Look for a Better Job. (More on That in a Few Days)


WalletHub used a panel of personal finance experts to assemble this list. For more information on the resolutions click here.
12:45 PM

Are you looking for love in the New Year

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Are you looking for love in the New Year

If so, check out a new survey, The Best Cities for Singles, offered by our friends at WalletHub. According to the survey the best U.S. city for the single lifestyle is San Francisco. 

There is a large audience for this information says the survey because statistically 109 million adults in the US are single. That is 45 percent of the adult American population.

In assembling the results, WalletHub examined 150 of the most populated American cities with respect to 29 key indicators of compatibility with the Single But Looking lifestyle. These factors included the “Share of Single Population” and “Nightlife Options per Capita.

Cities were evaluated across 3 dimensions: Dating Economics, Romance & Fun, and Dating Opportunities.

The 29 key metrics by which these three dimensions were evaluate included such factors as: the costs of restaurant meals and taxi rides, the median household income, job growth, number of attractions per capita, weather (I note that 9 of the first 10 cities are warm-weather locations), share of single population, and singles gender balance.


For more information, including the complete list of cities, the complete methodology used to evaluate cities, and an opportunity to get expert advice from a panel of experts in five areas of single lifestyle:  financial advice for singles, a summary of what singles should look for in choosing a city in which to live, tips for dating on a budget, the economic impact of the singles population on a city, what should cities do to make cities more attractive to singles. The last two categories are for you urban planners out there on the single-but-looking survey visit wallet hub.com.