"Robot escapes testing grounds, disturbs traffic in Russia"

RT News:  A robot escaped from a testing area in Perm, a city not far from the Urals, and made it on to a busy junction, baffling passersby, but also disturbing traffic.
   

“The robot was learning automatic movement algorithms on the testing ground, these functions will feature in the latest version of the Promobot.” The co-founder of the robot’s maker, Oleg Kivokurtsev, told ura.ru news agency. 

“Our engineer drove onto the testing ground and forgot to close the gates. So the robot escaped and went on his little adventure.” Kivokurtsev explained.

Video at the link

"What's a skill you've learned that has improved your daily life?"

Reddit best answers... 

Saying no to people. Don't feel bad about saying no, it's better than saying yes when you're not comfortable with doing something, and you don't make excuses on why you can't do something.

I've learned how to manage my time. I used to consistently run late, anywhere from 5-15 minutes, until I realized that racing around and still being late made me feel stressed and anxious (never mind the fact that being late all the time is disrespectful as fuck to everyone who has the decency to show up on time).
I spent some time really exploring how much time it takes to complete basic tasks. I started to pay attention to how much time it actually takes to get from point A to point B. I made it a priority to be early, and then gradually fine tuned the process until I was dialed in to arrive on time without being super early. I stopped making excuses for why I was late, and pretty soon I didn't have a reason to make excuses...Now I can be on autopilot and still be where I need to be, with all of my tasks completed, with about 5 minutes to spare.
Being on time is a habit, just like being late is. It's a much less stressful and more pleasant habit to have though.

Letting people finish their sentences before I start mine. Conversations flow like gravy.

Clean as you go. It's such a tiny, simple thing but is such a huge departure from how most people live their lives it's tough to get into. People always comment now that I'm super clean and tidy, just because I wipe up a few drips of coffee that spill from my cup as soon as it happens.
But it is SO much nicer and comfortable living in a clean place, where you basically just put things away when you're done with them, instead of letting grime and clutter build up for a week or two and cleaning it all at once.

Think twice before speaking.

Delayed gratification.
I don't rush to buy the new hot thing, and after I sleep on it I usually realize I have a decent slightly-used thing already. Or, I realize it makes sense to get the new thing. But taking the emotional rush of impulse buying off the table has been tremendously good for my financial well-being.
I think delayed gratification also helps in not feeling entitled. Waiting isn't inherently bad. It isn't an injustice. It's just waiting; we all do it. Wait your turn.

Cooking. Nothing fancy, but I can make a healthy meal from scratch without fuss.

New Orleans principal pays outstanding students cash

At Edna Karr High School, Principal Harold Clay believes that a little change can go a long way. It’s his belief that academics are the real key to success and he annually awards cash prizes to kids who excel in the classroom.

Friday, was no exception. Clay handed out $100 bills to 33 students who had GPAs of 4.0 or higher. “When kids are focused on iPhones and Jordans, I’m saying to focus on your education and I’m going to compensate you for it.”

The message seems to have gotten across to many of those who were honored Friday.

“If you work hard in the class room someone is going to take notice, someone’s going to take heed of what you’re doing” said Karr senior Korey Finnie.

The highest achievers weren’t the only winners of the day. Nearly 400 Karr students were honored for having GPA of at least 3.5. Some were even given sports style varsity jackets and patches. “Last year I didn’t get one and I was pretty mad about It and this year I worked really hard to get it because I really wanted one” said Karr student Eyrie Toliver.

Principal Clay says he wants academics to be honored the same way as if you achieve on the basketball court so for a big time basketball player they have a signing day.
Friday was like assigning day for academic excellence. (video at the link)

NYT Op-Ed: "The New History Wars"

"Last month, the College Board released a revised “curriculum framework” to help high school teachers prepare students for the Advanced Placement test in United States history. Like the college courses the test is supposed to mirror, the A.P. course calls for a dialogue with the past — learning how to ask historical questions, interpret documents and reflect both appreciatively and critically on history."

Navigating the tension between patriotic inspiration and historical thinking, between respectful veneration and critical engagement, is an especially difficult task, made even more complicated by a marked shift in the very composition of “we the people.” This fall, whites will constitute a minority of public-school students in the United States. “Our” past is now more diverse than we once thought, whether we like it or not.

It turns out that some Americans don’t like it. A member of the Texas State Board of Education has accused the College Board of “promoting among our students a disdain for American principles and a lack of knowledge of major American achievements,” like those of the founding fathers and of the generals who fought in the Civil War and World War II. The Republican National Committee says the framework offers “a radically revisionist view” that “emphasizes negative aspects of our nation’s history.” Stanley Kurtz, in National Review, called it “an attempt to hijack the teaching of U.S. history on behalf of a leftist political and ideological perspective.”