Weekly News Recap: August 30, 2019

Weekly News Recap: August 30, 2019

Barbie introduced two new dolls to their Inspiring Women series on Monday: Sally Ride and Rosa Parks.

The time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time. — Bertrand Russell

This week's highlights

  • A salute 52 years in the making #NotADryEye
  • Three great events to consider attending #Beakerhead #Lumen #PennyBurk
  • Federal investments in the arts and in international education #ElectionTime
  • Calgary's new Central Library one of Time Magazine's Best of 2019 #WowJustWOW
  • Mark Tewksbury is honoured and a new dean of engineering joins Carleton #AwardsAndAppointments
  • Unwinding, napping, and protecting your downtime #LifeHacks
  • Living in the matrix and using snail charts #UncommonKnowledge
  • Neil Young gets cranky, Garth Brooks gets an award, and David Koch passes #Personalities
  • The Sacklers own up (and put up) and the Epstein saga continues #Controversy
  • Buh bye Lil Nas X, hello Billie Eilish #PopTrends
  • The existential threat to fundraising #Exodus
  • A report on leadership styles in fundraising #CanadianResearch
  • Leonardo gives $5 million to the Amazon and the University of Houston gets a $50 million anonymous gift #LargeGifts
  • And so much more...

In silent memory

  • Jackson Proskow: Dallas airport passengers silently salute the return of a fallen hero (Global News) Thank you for your service Col. Knight. "As Flight 1220 from Oakland taxied toward the jet bridge, two airport firetrucks provided a sombre water salute while the ground crew stood in formation. We all watched silently as the flag-draped casket was unloaded from the cargo hold, met by what we could only assume to be Col. Knight’s family and a military guard." 8/8/19

Events

  • Penelope Burk - What Donors are Saying About Bequest Potential (CAGP) CALGARY STORY "The majority of donors with bequests don’t tell you that they have named you in their wills. So how do you steward them if you don’t know who they are? And, what is the real potential among your other donors who could become planned gift donors if they got what they needed?" Join Penelope as she talks about this and more on September 18th, 8:00am to 11:45am at the Calgary Zoo. Register here. August 2019

  • THE SPECTACLE (Beakerhead) CALGARY STORY Can't Wait! "Fire-breathing monsters, roaming engineered contraptions, glowing fashion, surprising entertainment, inventions of mammoth proportion, food, drink and more madness!" September 21, 2019 | 5-11 pm | Prince's Island Park. Get tickets here. August 2019

  • The Most Scientific Cocktail Party You’ll Ever Attend is Coming up on September 26 at Telus World of Science (YEG Date) EDMONTON STORY "Mark your calendars for September 26th, for the most scientific cocktail party you’ll ever attend. Telus World of Science is hosting LUMEN: Where Science Meets Cocktails, an 18+ night out of science demonstrations, cocktails, food and burlesque. It’s your chance to explore the galleries, catch performances and demonstrations, eat and drink." Get tickets here. 8/20/19

News

  • 'Staggering numbers' set new attendance record for Edmonton's Fringe theatre festival (CBC) EDMONTON STORY As a former board member with the Edmonton Fringe Festival, this warms my hear. Well done all. "Organizers of the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival report a record 147,358 tickets were purchased during this year's edition of the event, generating $1.4 million for participating artists. 'The staggering numbers land total box office revenue at $1.72 million,' states a release issued Monday, adding that amount was an 18 per cent increase from 2018." 8/26/19

  • Rosa Parks And Sally Ride Are Getting Their Very Own Barbies (HuffPost) These amazing Barbies join Katherine Johnson, Frida Kahlo and Amelia Earhart as Mattel continues to do good with this iconic line. "The company announced on Monday that the two iconic women are the newest additions to Barbie’s Inspiring Women series. Parks, a famed civil rights activist, and Ride, the first American woman and youngest American to travel to space, will each come with educational information about their historic contributions so that children can learn while playing." 8/26/19

  • Liberals pledge $4M in funding for arts and culture in Alberta (Globe News) ALBERTA STORY Woot! "[Edmonton-Centre] MP Randy Boissonnault said his government was committing just over $4 million to 47 different arts and cultural organizations across the province." 8/25/19

  • Banff's new welcome sign attracts so many tourists that traffic gets majorly backed up (CBC) BANFF STORY We love this sign but...it can be a bit of a traffic jam. "The new sign, meant to celebrate the mountain town of Banff, has worked a little too well. The Alberta community installed a new welcome sign, with large letters spelling out its name, at its west entrance two years ago. It drew so much attention, with drivers pulling over their vehicles to take photos, that traffic has become quite congested." 8/24/19

  • Central Library named to Time magazine's World's Greatest Places (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY Boom! How great is this! "Calgary’s Central Library received international acclaim Thursday from one of North America’s most influential publications, Time magazine, with a mention in its top 100 World’s Greatest Places of 2019." 8/22/19

  • Learning abroad: Ottawa spending $148M on international student strategy (Edmonton Jounal) CANADIAN STORY Nice move Canada! "Minister of International Trade Diversification Jim Carr arrived in Edmonton [...] at the University of Alberta to re-announce the federal government’s nearly $148-million over five years spending commitment on an international education strategy. The cash will be rolled out starting in 2019-20 at $8-million per year." 8/22/19

  • Calgary arts groups still waiting for funding after November budget increase (Calgary Herald) CALGARY STORY :-( "Calgary Arts Development has not dispersed additional funds to arts groups despite its budget increasing by $5 million in November." 8/22/19

  • Pembina to buy Kinder Morgan Canada, U.S. portion of Cochin pipeline for $4.35 billion (Financial Post) CALGARY STORY A nice little 'Kinder Surprise' for shareholders. "Pembina Pipeline Corp. increased its bet on the future of Canada’s turbulent oilsands industry, agreeing to buy Kinder Morgan Inc.’s Canadian unit and the U.S. portion of a key pipeline for about $4.35 billion (US$3.3 billion)." 8/21/19

  • Olympic gold medallist Mark Tewksbury to be awarded with Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award (Calgary Herald) CANADIAN STORY Mark, you are such an inspiration. Congrats! "In a 'full-circle moment,' Tewksbury will be presented with the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Gender Equality next month by the Muhammad Ali Center for his leadership and activism in the international sports community." 8/21/19

  • New Engineering Dean Embracing Change and Collaboration (Carleton University) OTTAWA STORY Dr. Kostiuk was a prof of mine when I was in engineering school. Congratulations Larry! "Higher education, like much of the world, has entered a period of rapid change. Traditional approaches to teaching and research need to evolve to better equip students and professors with the tools they need to tackle the planet’s most pressing problems. As part of this shift, individual faculties and departments at every university must examine how they operate and how they can become more effective. At Carleton University, the Faculty of Engineering and Design’s new dean, Larry Kostiuk, is prepared to take on this challenge — and he’s hopeful about all of the new directions and discoveries that could emerge." 8/21/19

  • Londoners rally for drop-in coffee shop (Londoner) LONDON STORY Community is where it's at. "A public appeal for funds to renovate the London Coffee House, a casual gathering place for London’s most vulnerable, is generating a community-wide response that’s leaving fundraisers overwhelmed by generosity." 8/20/19

  • Alberta faces 'mild recession in 2019' due largely to pipeline uncertainty, Conference Board forecasts (CBC) ALBERTA STORY Ugh. "The Conference Board of Canada now predicts that Alberta's economy will shrink by 0.8 per cent this year, in large part due to uncertainty regarding pipelines." 8/20/19

  • Prince George hotel demolished to make way for new downtown pool (CBC) PRINCE GEORGE STORY Growing up in Prince George, going swimming at this (the old pool) with friends was a large part of my teenage experience. "A hotel in downtown Prince George, B.C., is being demolished to make way for a new $35-million swimming pool to replace an aging pool located across the street. The existing city-owned Four Seasons Leisure Pool is almost half a century old and showing its age." 8/20/19

  • Environmental groups can still talk climate change during election, says Canada's chief electoral officer (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Whew! We needed some clarification. "Canada's chief electoral officer issued a public statement today assuring environmental organizations that they're free to promote action to fight climate change during the fall federal election without falling afoul of the Canada Elections Act." 8/20/19

  • The ROM's new outdoor plaza and performance space is opening this month (Toronto Urbanized) TORONTO STORY Exciting! Can't wait to visit. Congrats to the Rom and to Toronto. "The Royal Ontario Museum is just about ready to open its new outdoor plaza and performance space that’s set along Yorkville’s Bloor Street." 8/16/19

Seven life and career hacks -- one for each day of the week

  1. How to Use Your Calendar to Make Every Day Your Ideal Day (The Forge) I have been doing this for years. One of my Google Calendars is named "Perfect Day". I have not however ever had the courage to do the "Full Bonsai". 8/27/19

  2. Why Napping Is Good for You, According to Science (elemental+) I love naps. I hate ending one feeling groggy. Maybe I need to take a shorter nap... 8/19/19

  3. Forget motivation — how to succeed (even when you’re ready to quit) (The Startup) Habits and why they are more important than motivation. 8/16/19

  4. This Is How to Survive Productivity and Win at Life (Personal Growth) John likes to read to unwind and to find new connections with the world. I do as well. Lots of other great insights here as well including 'low-bandwidth chatter'. 8/13/19

  5. Protect your downtime: why recovery is the key to resilience (The Startup) I am so very bad at this. I rest but I do not recover. 8/4/19

  6. The Art of Waking Up Earlier Than Everyone Else (Human Parts) More than a productivity hack. 7/12/19

  7. 35 Powerful Habits to Supercharge every Area of your Life (Productivity) As we head back into the thick of it after a too-short summer, here is an excellent list of reminders on how to make your fall awesome. 5/13/18

Uncommon knowledge

Opinion

  • Neil Young’s Lonely Quest to Save Music (New York Times) Cranky or not, this guy is a legend. "Neil Young is crankier than a hermit being stung by bees. He hates Spotify. He hates Facebook. He hates Apple. He hates Steve Jobs. He hates what digital technology is doing to music. " 8/20/19

Philanthropic personalities

  • GARTH BROOKS TO RECEIVE INAUGURAL “GEORGE H.W. BUSH AWARD” FOR PHILANTHROPY (975 Country) Congrats! Well deserved. "It was announced that Garth Brooks will receive the inaugural George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award for Caring and Compassion. Points of Light is a global nonprofit dedicated to accelerating people-powered change, created the award to honor outstanding individuals who advance solutions to the world’s toughest challenges and exemplify the extraordinary traits of its late founder and the 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush." 8/26/19

  • David Koch spent billions giving back to charity, here’s where it all went (Fox Business) "He was a man with a big wallet, but also a big heart. He even referred to himself as a 'sugar daddy' for charitable causes." 8/24/19

Philanthropic controversy

  • Sacklers Would Give Up Ownership of Purdue Pharma Under Settlement Proposal (New York Times) "The Sackler family would give up ownership of Purdue Pharma, the company blamed for much of the opioid epidemic, and pay $3 billion of their own money under terms of a settlement proposal to resolve thousands of federal and state lawsuits, according to a person familiar with the negotiations." 8/28/19

  • Mount Sinai to donate Epstein money to charity (Yahoo Finance) "Mount Sinai Health System said [...] that it will make a charitable contribution equivalent to the money it received from convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The money will go to an organization focused on preventing human trafficking and sexual exploitation, and toward the health system’s own program Sexual Assault and Violence intervention program, which provides immediate treatment and counseling to sexual assault survivors." 8/24/19

  • Millarville woman says she is receiving threats following unsuccessful house contest (Calgary Herald) MILLARVILLE STORY "An unsuccessful house giveaway contest for a $1.5-million home in Millarville has led to intimidating emails and social media comments, some of them threatening death, claims homeowner Alla Wagner." 8/24/19

  • Word of Jeffrey Epstein's $200K donation causes senior MIT lab staffer to resign (USA Today) "A senior employee of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Media Lab says he plans to resign over revelations the lab took money from Jeffrey Epstein. Ethan Zuckerman, director of the lab's Center for Civic Media, says director Joi Ito failed to disclose the deceased financier's funding of the research center as well as money Ito accepted for personal investments in tech." 8/21/19

Trends and shifts

  • The machine always wins: what drives our addiction to social media (The Guardian) Let's see: 1 part dopamine, 2 parts social isolation...(hey, I am as guilty as anyone). "Social media was supposed to liberate us, but for many people it has proved addictive, punishing and toxic. What keeps us hooked?" 8/23/19

  • Billie Eilish's "Bad Guy" Has Officially Dethroned Lil Nas X's "Old Town Road" On The Billboard Hot 100 (Buzzfeed) My daughter and her friends predicted this. "'Bad Guy' by rising pop star Billie Eilish rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 [...]. It dethroned Lil Nas X's 'Old Town Road,' which managed to stay atop the chart for an impressive and unprecedented 19 weeks." 8/19/19

  • Why Are We Facing a Fundraiser Exodus? (Fired Up Fundraising) Gail Perry shares her opinions on why. And she is right on the money. Personally, I feel this is the existential threat to fundraising. "Are fundraisers ready to leave their jobs? Are we really facing a future fundraiser exodus? This week’s big news is a new survey of fundraisers conducted by the Harris Poll for AFP and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The survey found that over 51% of all respondents said that they were planning to leave their current job within two years." August 2019

  • High Fundraiser Turnover Rate Remains a Problem (Michael Rosen Says...) "As I see it, with the benefit of four decades of experience, the biggest ongoing problem with fundraiser retention is a near complete lack of will, on the part of nonprofit boards and C-level staff, to fix the situation. If that nonprofit cultural flaw remains unaddressed, those working in the nonprofit sector will likely continue having the same conversation over the next four decades." August 2019

Reports and studies

  • Tuesday is the most productive day of the week, survey finds (CBC) CANADIAN STORY Yep, Monday's and Friday's are not my most productive days. "Get set to cross those tasks off your to-do list: Tuesday is the most productive day of the week. A new survey conducted on behalf of staffing firm Accountemps suggests that 35 per cent of survey respondents say their productivity peaks on Tuesdays." 8/27/19

  • Optimism may hold secret to longer life, study suggests (The Guardian) I need to become more optimistic. "Seeing the glass as half full may mean a longer life, according to research suggesting that optimists not only live longer in general, but have a better chance of reaching 85 or older." 8/26/19

  • Leadership Styles in the Canadian Nonprofit Sector (AFP Global) CANADIAN STORY "Written by Mikhael Bornstein, MA, CFRE, [...] the survey offers a glimpse into how sector employees perceive their leaders, how leadership style impacts their career choices and how it might affect fundraising costs. [...] Mikhael identifies a number of different leadership development opportunities in the report [...] and there are many others that will help you develop your ability to motivate, serve, and empower those around you. [Fundraisers] should invest in their development as leaders." 8/15/19

Large gifts

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