when it comes to corruption, according to Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2018. The index ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and business people. We rank below Luxembourg, Estonia and France.
Zoe Reiter, Acting Representative to the U.S. at Transparency International said this about the report:
“A four point drop in the CPI score is a red flag and comes at a time when the US is experiencing threats to its system of checks and balances, as well as an erosion of ethical norms at the highest levels of power. If this trend continues, it would indicate a serious corruption problem in a country that has taken a lead on the issue globally. This is a bipartisan issue that requires a bipartisan solution.”
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Monday, January 28, 2019
$11 billion down the drain
That's what CBO estimates was the result of reduced economic activity caused by the shutdown. GDP in the fourth quarter of 2018 was down by $3 billion and $8 billion in the first quarter of 2019.
What will an emergency shutdown cost us?
What will an emergency shutdown cost us?
Sunday, January 27, 2019
16 and speaking strongly about climate change
Greta Thunberg is a 16-year-old Swedish student who is really pushing our leaders to act about climate change. Every Friday she stands impatiently on the threshold of powerful institutions making the case for zero carbon. She has convinced 100,000 fellow teens around the world to follow her example in striking for the climate.
“At Davos, people like to talk about success, but financial success has come with a price tag, and on the climate we have failed. And unless we recognize the failures of our system, there will be unspoken suffering.”
She was able to make a presentation to the World Economic Forum.
Was this a PR bit by the Forum? Or, will some thing really happen?
Thanks to a fellow Duncaster resident for making me aware of Thunberg's work.
“At Davos, people like to talk about success, but financial success has come with a price tag, and on the climate we have failed. And unless we recognize the failures of our system, there will be unspoken suffering.”
She was able to make a presentation to the World Economic Forum.
Was this a PR bit by the Forum? Or, will some thing really happen?
Thanks to a fellow Duncaster resident for making me aware of Thunberg's work.
Dog earns a master's degree
Clarkson University just awarded a Master's degree to Griffin Hawley, a Golden Retriever. He happens to be a service dog of another graduate, a woman.
This is not the first time Clarkson has done this. Their raison d'etre:
Clarkson University welcomes service animals trained to assist people in all aspects of education, research, and campus life. The Board of Trustees recognized that Griffin has demonstrated extraordinary effort, steadfast commitment, and diligent dedication to the wellbeing and student success of his owner Brittany. The two have pursued 100% together a graduate degree in Occupational Therapy attending all the same classes, lectures, faculty appointments, group study sessions, social activities, research projects, and clinical experiences, fully making Griffin an equal member of the Clarkson Golden Knights family.
This is not the first time Clarkson has done this. Their raison d'etre:
Clarkson University welcomes service animals trained to assist people in all aspects of education, research, and campus life. The Board of Trustees recognized that Griffin has demonstrated extraordinary effort, steadfast commitment, and diligent dedication to the wellbeing and student success of his owner Brittany. The two have pursued 100% together a graduate degree in Occupational Therapy attending all the same classes, lectures, faculty appointments, group study sessions, social activities, research projects, and clinical experiences, fully making Griffin an equal member of the Clarkson Golden Knights family.
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Friday, January 25, 2019
Should we start to worry about the economy?
Significant housing declines have foreshadowed nine of the 11 post-World War II recessions in the US. In December, US existing-home sales declined to 4.99 million, 10.3% below the mark from the year-ago period, according to data released earlier this week by the National Association of Realtors. That's the steepest decline in more than seven years, and it followed year-over-year declines of 7.8% in November and 5.1% in October. Home sales dropped in every month in 2018 except February, but the trend grew more aggressive in the final quarter of the year.
Some banks are showing problems. At Wells Fargo, mortgage-banking income fell by 50%, to $467 million, in the fourth quarter, while originations declined by 28%, to $38 billion. JPMorgan saw mortgage income fall to $203 million, a 46% drop from the same period last year. Originations fell by 30%, to $17.2 billion.
Some banks are showing problems. At Wells Fargo, mortgage-banking income fell by 50%, to $467 million, in the fourth quarter, while originations declined by 28%, to $38 billion. JPMorgan saw mortgage income fall to $203 million, a 46% drop from the same period last year. Originations fell by 30%, to $17.2 billion.
Eat more carbs
You may be hearing that in the future. In Okinawa they have a high ratio of carbohydrates to protein (10:1) in their diet. Yet, they have the longest life expectancy of anyone on Earth and the vast majority of those years are lived in remarkably good health too. For every 100,000 inhabitants, Okinawa has 68 centenarians – more than three times the numbers found in US populations of the same size. Even by the standards of Japan, Okinawans are remarkable, with a 40% greater chance of living to 100 than other Japanese people.
Some studies have shown that a low protein, high carbohydrate diet sets off various physiological responses that protect us from various age-related illnesses – including cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease. And the Okinawan Ratio may achieve the optimal dietary balance to achieve those effects.
The typical Okinawan centenarian appeared to be free of the typical signs of cardiovascular disease, without the build-up of the hard “calcified” plaques around the arteries that can lead to heart failure. Okinawa’s oldest residents also have far lower rates of cancer, diabetes and dementia than other ageing populations.
They have a relatively rare gene variant - APOE4 - which decreases the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s. They may also be more likely to carry a protective variant of the FOXO3 gene involved in regulating metabolism and cell growth. This results in a shorter stature but also appears to reduce the risk of various age-related diseases, including cancer.
Okinawans are less likely to smoke than most populations, and since they worked predominantly in agriculture and fishing, they were also physically active. Their tight-knit communities also help the residents to maintain an active social life into old age. Social connection has also been shown to improve health and longevity by reducing the body’s stress responses to challenging events. (Loneliness, in contrast, has been shown to be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.)
Although they do eat pork, fish and other meats, these are typically a small component of their overall consumption, which is mostly plant-based foods.
The traditional Okinawan diet is therefore dense in the essential vitamins and minerals - including anti-oxidants - but also low in calories. Particularly in the past, before fast food entered the islands, the average Okinawan ate around 11% fewer calories than the normal recommended consumption for a healthy adult.
Some studies have shown that a low protein, high carbohydrate diet sets off various physiological responses that protect us from various age-related illnesses – including cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer’s disease. And the Okinawan Ratio may achieve the optimal dietary balance to achieve those effects.
The typical Okinawan centenarian appeared to be free of the typical signs of cardiovascular disease, without the build-up of the hard “calcified” plaques around the arteries that can lead to heart failure. Okinawa’s oldest residents also have far lower rates of cancer, diabetes and dementia than other ageing populations.
They have a relatively rare gene variant - APOE4 - which decreases the risk of heart disease and Alzheimer’s. They may also be more likely to carry a protective variant of the FOXO3 gene involved in regulating metabolism and cell growth. This results in a shorter stature but also appears to reduce the risk of various age-related diseases, including cancer.
Okinawans are less likely to smoke than most populations, and since they worked predominantly in agriculture and fishing, they were also physically active. Their tight-knit communities also help the residents to maintain an active social life into old age. Social connection has also been shown to improve health and longevity by reducing the body’s stress responses to challenging events. (Loneliness, in contrast, has been shown to be as harmful as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.)
Although they do eat pork, fish and other meats, these are typically a small component of their overall consumption, which is mostly plant-based foods.
The traditional Okinawan diet is therefore dense in the essential vitamins and minerals - including anti-oxidants - but also low in calories. Particularly in the past, before fast food entered the islands, the average Okinawan ate around 11% fewer calories than the normal recommended consumption for a healthy adult.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Americans crossing the Mexican border
6,000 Americans cross the border from Yuma to the Mexican town of Los Algodones. They are seeking mainly dental care,but also vision care and prescription drugs. And they get it in Los Algodones, where there are more dentists per capita than anywhere else in the world.
Approximately 74 million people in the US (nearly a quarter of the population) have no dental insurance, according to the National Association of Dental Plans. Most dental plans don’t cover much at all beyond regular check-ups, cleaning, X-rays and fillings. Beyond that, patients are expected to fork over much of the cost of large but common procedures like crowns, root canals and implants. Dental plans also generally pay a maximum of $1,500 annually, a number that’s hardly changed in 50 years. And $1,500 doesn’t go far when you consider the cost of major dental work. The cost of a single crown can be as much as $2,000 and the cost of an implant can run $5,000 a tooth.
Dental work in Mexico is on average two-thirds less than in the US and customers may save 80 percent or more on some costly operations. Those savings derive partially from Mexico’s less expensive real estate and labor costs, but also, Mexico’s dentists don’t graduate with a ton of student debt.
Approximately 74 million people in the US (nearly a quarter of the population) have no dental insurance, according to the National Association of Dental Plans. Most dental plans don’t cover much at all beyond regular check-ups, cleaning, X-rays and fillings. Beyond that, patients are expected to fork over much of the cost of large but common procedures like crowns, root canals and implants. Dental plans also generally pay a maximum of $1,500 annually, a number that’s hardly changed in 50 years. And $1,500 doesn’t go far when you consider the cost of major dental work. The cost of a single crown can be as much as $2,000 and the cost of an implant can run $5,000 a tooth.
Dental work in Mexico is on average two-thirds less than in the US and customers may save 80 percent or more on some costly operations. Those savings derive partially from Mexico’s less expensive real estate and labor costs, but also, Mexico’s dentists don’t graduate with a ton of student debt.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Monday, January 21, 2019
Oxfam's latest report
The planet’s richest people saw their fortunes soar by $2.5 billion per day last year as the world’s poorest lost wealth.
26 billionaires now own as much wealth as the world’s poorest 3.8 billion people combined.
The number of billionaires has doubled since the global financial crisis of 2008, even as average families have struggled mightily to recover.
The wealth of the world’s poorest fell by $500 million each day in 2018—an overall decline of 11 percent.
26 billionaires now own as much wealth as the world’s poorest 3.8 billion people combined.
The number of billionaires has doubled since the global financial crisis of 2008, even as average families have struggled mightily to recover.
The wealth of the world’s poorest fell by $500 million each day in 2018—an overall decline of 11 percent.
Saturday, January 19, 2019
Decline of the empire
Every empire eventually fails. Does the quality of the leaders have anything to do with failure? Do you think our leaders can prevent our failure?
Friday, January 18, 2019
Is the world ending?
Listening to the tv you might think so. A storm is forecasted to be on its way here on Sunday. And it is pitched as though we in New England have never experienced such a storm. I think the storm caused by the government shutdown or the possibility of Trump's telling Cohen to lie to Congress is much more severe.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Monday, January 14, 2019
He also likes mercury
Sunday I wrote a brief post questioning Andrew Wheeler's, the head of the EPA, liking of hamburgers. It looks as though he also likes mercury. which is a quite dangerous pollutant. Most of our mercury comes from the smokestacks of electric companies using coal. In 2012, the EPA took steps to lower the production of mercury by causing power plants to use 'scrubbers' to remove mercury from the emissions before they leave the smokestack. Since the rule went into effect, electric companies have cut mercury emissions by nearly 90 percent, according to the Edison Electric Institute, an industry group.
Mr. Wheeler wants to change this rule by rewriting the way costs and benefits are evaluated. Surprisingly, the nation’s electric utility industry is siding with the EPA since the industry found that implementation cost far less than they had anticipated. Further, since the rule was finalized, the science documenting the severe health impacts of mercury has become even stronger. New studies show that the quantified benefits of reducing mercury are now in the billions of dollars; a study published in the journal Environmental Health in 2017 estimated that the societal costs associated with the neurocognitive deficits from methylmercury exposure in the United States that year was $4.8 billion.
Mr. Wheeler wants to change this rule by rewriting the way costs and benefits are evaluated. Surprisingly, the nation’s electric utility industry is siding with the EPA since the industry found that implementation cost far less than they had anticipated. Further, since the rule was finalized, the science documenting the severe health impacts of mercury has become even stronger. New studies show that the quantified benefits of reducing mercury are now in the billions of dollars; a study published in the journal Environmental Health in 2017 estimated that the societal costs associated with the neurocognitive deficits from methylmercury exposure in the United States that year was $4.8 billion.
Our president
You really should read this article by Annie Lowrey in the Atlantic.
The president owns a business.
The president owns a business entity composed of roughly 500 other business entities.
The president owns a business entity that he no longer controls, but his sons do.
The president owns a business entity set up to allow him to withdraw funds “at his request.”
The president owns a business entity designed to reduce his tax burden, shift risk, and maximize profits. There is no independent public accounting of the machinations of this business entity, nor do his sons and other company managers answer to a White House ethics board. The company remains a company, meant to make money for the president.
The president is still heavily invested in any number of industries his government regulates, including real estate, tourism, and hospitality. The president passed tax cuts with specific carve-outs for real-estate developers.
The president’s company operates a hotel just a few blocks from the White House. Foreign dignitaries have spent thousands of dollars there, as has his inaugural committee, as have Republican politicians and lobbyists, though there is no complete and transparent accounting available. This translates into additional profits for the president.
The president’s company manages, owns, or operates numerous other hotels. Government agencies have spent thousands of dollars staying at them during his presidency, enriching the president with revenue collected from taxpayers.
The president’s organization has said it donates the profits from “foreign government patronage” at those hotels. It has not identified its customers or provided a detailed accounting of how and how much money it has made from foreign patrons.
Throughout his time in the White House, the president has continued to own shares in a number of individual companies, including Halliburton and Apple. His government taxes and regulates those firms.
The president has business interests in countries around the globe, countries with which he sets trade, security, economic, and diplomatic relations. These include the United Arab Emirates, Canada, India, and Turkey.
The president owns a Florida resort and social club that has become his Camp David. The social club has raised membership prices and sold tickets to events with the promise of access to the president.
The president runs a personal charity. The New York attorney general said she found a “shocking pattern of illegality” there, “including unlawful coordination with the Trump presidential campaign, repeated and willful self-dealing, and much more.” The charity is now dissolving.
The president runs a now-dissolving personal charity that for years donated to other charities, many of them seemingly linked to the president or his businesses. Its largest gift went to restore a fountain outside one of the president’s hotels, and its smallest appears to have paid for one of his sons’ Boy Scouts dues.
The president seeded his investments with inheritances from his father. The president committed tax fraud when inheriting his father’s fortune, an exhaustive New York Times investigation found.
The president’s real-estate projects are alleged or have been found to have misled investors and potential investors. That includes projects in the Dominican Republic, Canada, Panama, and the United States.
The president and his staff members have promoted the president’s personal brand dozens of times.
The president has not sold off controversial investments, foreign investments, investments in industries he now regulates, or investments in businesses that receive payments from the United States government or foreign governments. He is the first modern president to decline to do so.
The president has not put his investments in a blind trust. He is the first modern president with substantial financial interests to decline to do so.
The president has never released his tax returns. He is the first modern president to decline to do so.
He's at it again
John Bolton is trying to foment war. Something he's been doing for most of his career. This time it's war with Iran. The Wall Street Journal reported that he "asked the Pentagon to provide the White House with military options to strike Iran last year, generating concern at the Pentagon and State Department."
Trump is also after Iran. He has ditched the Iran nuclear deal—formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—and reimposed economic sanctions.
My biggest fear re Trump is that he will start another war.
Trump is also after Iran. He has ditched the Iran nuclear deal—formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA)—and reimposed economic sanctions.
My biggest fear re Trump is that he will start another war.
Sunday, January 13, 2019
Saturday, January 12, 2019
He likes hamburgers
The new head of the EPA, Andrew Wheeler, is an investor in Upshur Burger Concepts, which runs a hamburger joint, Lucky Buns, in D.C. The restaurant allows him to have up to $2,000 per month in free hamburgers, as they do with all of their investors. But why didn't Wheeler disclose this investment in his nominee financial disclosure report?
Is there something about being head of the EPA that makes you do stupid things, ala Scott Pruitt?
Another poor score
That is the U.S. did not do well in the 2018 edition of The Economist Intelligence Unit's Democracy Index. The index is based on 60 indicators spanning five interrelated categories: electoral process and pluralism; civil liberties; the functioning of government; political participation; and political culture. Each category gets a 0-10 score, with the final score being the average of those five.
Our score of 7.96 put is in 25th place. The leaders were Norway, Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand, and Denmark. They were declared "full democracies.
Our score of 7.96 put is in 25th place. The leaders were Norway, Iceland, Sweden, New Zealand, and Denmark. They were declared "full democracies.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Are monarch butterflies disappearing?
It looks that way according to a study by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, a nonprofit group that conducts a yearly census of the western monarch. Their study concluded that the population decreased by 86 percent from the previous year. This goes along with the fact that, since the 1980s, the total population has decreased 97 percent.
It looks that part of the problem is the decline in the availability of milkweed, the monarch's favorite food. This has happened because of pesticide use and urban development, as well as the droughts that have afected Calfornia since 2011.
It looks that part of the problem is the decline in the availability of milkweed, the monarch's favorite food. This has happened because of pesticide use and urban development, as well as the droughts that have afected Calfornia since 2011.
Tuesday, January 08, 2019
Glad I'm not a brewer of craft beer
One section of the Treasury Department is the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. One of its tasks is to review labels on cans, bottles, and kegs of all wine, malt beverages, beer, and distilled spirits in the United States, ensuring they carry information like the alcohol content by volume and the Surgeon General’s warning. Well, the shutdown has prevented this from happening.
There are thousands of new beers introduced in most years. Normally, the labels are approved within three weeks of submission; selling can begin. And the brewer can start getting back some money on his investment. But now who knows when, if ever, the beer will be on the market?
There are thousands of new beers introduced in most years. Normally, the labels are approved within three weeks of submission; selling can begin. And the brewer can start getting back some money on his investment. But now who knows when, if ever, the beer will be on the market?
Monday, January 07, 2019
Glad I'm not a government contract worker
Regular government workers will eventually get paid for this shutdown period. Government contractors will not and it is estimated there are about 4,100,000 of them. (per NPR Morning Edition today.)
Sunday, January 06, 2019
Glad I don't need food stamps
If I was one of the 38 million who do, I'd worry about next month. If the shutdown continues into February, it's unlikely that I'll receive my stamps.
Friday, January 04, 2019
Glad I'm not flying
The TSA is reporting an increasing amount of employees calling in sick. At JFK 170 called in each day so far this week. At Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, employee call outs increased between 200 and 300 percent. These employees are among those not being paid.
Is this the beginning of a major campaign?
Is this the beginning of a major campaign?
Hell on our borders
I've written several times about the horrors of Gaza. Living there is living in hell on earth. Well, it now looks like hell has come to North America. As described by Francisco Cantu, who once worked for the Border Patrol, it is hard to imagine life there. You're living in a military zone where everything is surveilled. Laws and rights are applied differently there than in any other part of the country.
"At immigration checkpoints between distant desert towns, automated cameras snap mugshots of you behind the wheel, and uniformed agents nod at drivers with light skin, waving them on to “have a nice day,” while requiring those who are darker to prove their status, to explain their presence, and, often, to step out of their vehicles while agents rummage through their belongings and invite drug-sniffing dogs to crawl across their car seats. On the open highway, you pass multitudes of green-striped border patrol vehicles driving in either direction, often too many to keep count. Signs warn of “Danger” and advise “Travel Not Recommended,” cautioning travelers that “Smuggling and Illegal Immigration May Be Encountered in This Area” or “Visitors May Encounter Armed Criminals and Smuggling Vehicles Traveling at High Rates of Speed.” Observation towers and trucks equipped with radar and infrared cameras can be seen stationed upon surrounding hilltops, monitoring the desert in every direction. Away from roads, if you are bold enough to go hiking on desert trails, you might encounter low-flying helicopters overhead, reporting your location to nearby agents."
"At immigration checkpoints between distant desert towns, automated cameras snap mugshots of you behind the wheel, and uniformed agents nod at drivers with light skin, waving them on to “have a nice day,” while requiring those who are darker to prove their status, to explain their presence, and, often, to step out of their vehicles while agents rummage through their belongings and invite drug-sniffing dogs to crawl across their car seats. On the open highway, you pass multitudes of green-striped border patrol vehicles driving in either direction, often too many to keep count. Signs warn of “Danger” and advise “Travel Not Recommended,” cautioning travelers that “Smuggling and Illegal Immigration May Be Encountered in This Area” or “Visitors May Encounter Armed Criminals and Smuggling Vehicles Traveling at High Rates of Speed.” Observation towers and trucks equipped with radar and infrared cameras can be seen stationed upon surrounding hilltops, monitoring the desert in every direction. Away from roads, if you are bold enough to go hiking on desert trails, you might encounter low-flying helicopters overhead, reporting your location to nearby agents."
Wednesday, January 02, 2019
Starlings in Israel
The shapes moving in the sky are really birds. Every year starlings from Russia and Eastern Europe winter in Israel.
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