Friday, August 30, 2019
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Monday, August 26, 2019
Would you believe a Massachusetts high school began in 1645?
That is not a typo. Roxbury Latin, a private school for boys in grades 7 - 12, was started in 1645 and will soon be celebrating its 375th birthday. It is not a big school, only 300 students and it has a student-teacher ratio of 7-1. 38% are "boys of color." 36% of the students receive financial aid, the average being almost $25,000 (tuition is $34,550). 85% of the faculty have advanced degrees; a third have been here for 15 years or more. 100% of the graduates go on to college; 47% receive National Merit Scholar recognition.
Two of my sons attended the school.
Two of my sons attended the school.
Doing something about drugs
Most of us would admit that the "War on Drugs" has failed. The number of opioid users has grown. More of us die each year from overdoses than perished in the Vietnam, Afghan and Iraq wars combined. Our prisons are overloaded. Drug addiction has ripped apart families and stunted children’s futures. More than two million children in America live with a parent suffering from an illicit-drug dependency.
Portugal tried a different approach than war. It has decriminalized the possession of all drugs. Its overdose deaths plunged. Drug mortality rates in the United States are now about 50 times higher than in Portugal.
Seattle is trying a similar approach. Anyone caught here with a small amount (one gram or less) of drugs — even heroin — isn’t typically prosecuted. Instead, that person is steered toward social services to get help. Dealers still get arrested, but not ordinary users.
The social service program is known as LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion). Instead of simply arresting drug users for narcotics or prostitution, police officers watch for those who are nonviolent and want help, and divert them to social service programs and intensive case management. LEAD isn’t cheap — it costs about $350 per month per participant to provide case managers. But it is cheaper than jail, courts and costs associated with homelessness. One peer-reviewed study found that drug users assigned to LEAD were 58 percent less likely to be rearrested, compared with a control group. Participants were also almost twice as likely to have housing as they had been before entering LEAD, and 46 percent more likely to be employed or getting job training.
It's working so well that it is becoming the consensus preference among public health experts in the U.S. and abroad.
Portugal tried a different approach than war. It has decriminalized the possession of all drugs. Its overdose deaths plunged. Drug mortality rates in the United States are now about 50 times higher than in Portugal.
Seattle is trying a similar approach. Anyone caught here with a small amount (one gram or less) of drugs — even heroin — isn’t typically prosecuted. Instead, that person is steered toward social services to get help. Dealers still get arrested, but not ordinary users.
The social service program is known as LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion). Instead of simply arresting drug users for narcotics or prostitution, police officers watch for those who are nonviolent and want help, and divert them to social service programs and intensive case management. LEAD isn’t cheap — it costs about $350 per month per participant to provide case managers. But it is cheaper than jail, courts and costs associated with homelessness. One peer-reviewed study found that drug users assigned to LEAD were 58 percent less likely to be rearrested, compared with a control group. Participants were also almost twice as likely to have housing as they had been before entering LEAD, and 46 percent more likely to be employed or getting job training.
It's working so well that it is becoming the consensus preference among public health experts in the U.S. and abroad.
Sunday, August 25, 2019
United Students Achievers Program
About twenty years ago, the United Student Achievers Program was founded in Zimbabwe by an American, Rebecca Zeigler Mano, who married a native. The program identifies disadvantaged high school students of enormous promise and coaches them through applying to top-notch colleges outside of their country and steers them toward futures they never imagined.They provide students with the guidance necessary to apply to foreign colleges and also help with application fees and financial aid forms. Over 400 students have gone abroad to schools such as Stanford, Harvard, Yale, M.I.T., the University of Chicago, Duke, Pomona. Many went on to earn Ph.D.s. Many became physicians. Six won Rhodes scholarships.
Saturday, August 24, 2019
Friday, August 23, 2019
Thursday, August 22, 2019
This dime is worth more than 10 cents
It was minted in 1894 and is one of only 24 that were ever made. A Utah businessman paid $1.32 million for it last week at a Chicago coin auction. The businessman is working toward a collection that includes an example of every coin ever made by the US Mint from 1792 to the present.
From our Florida correspondent
Wednesday, August 21, 2019
The Deficit Grows
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released its latest estimate of the federal deficit through 2019. At $12.2 trillion it is about 7.5% higher than its May estimate. The report shows deficits averaging 4.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP) through the next decade, a significant increase from the 2.9 percent average over the past 50 years.
The government can move slowly
Especially when regulating Wall Street is involved. Take, for instance, the Volcker Rule (part of Dodd-Frank), which stated "a banking entity shall not—(A) engage in proprietary trading; or (B) acquire or retain any equity, partnership, or other ownership interest in or sponsor a hedge fund or a private equity fund.”
Well, Dodd-Frank was signed into law on July 21, 2010 but Federal regulators did not provide their interpretation on how the rule should be implemented until December 2013, indicating at that time that Wall Street had until July 21, 2015 to fully implement the rule. Then the Federal Reserve granted banks an extension until July 21, 2017 to bring their hedge funds and private equity funds into compliance.
Now, the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) want to “simplify” the Volcker Rule’s ban on proprietary trading at Wall Street banks by giving banks more leeway in terms of trading activity and simplifying how banks can tell if that trading is permitted by law.
Well, Dodd-Frank was signed into law on July 21, 2010 but Federal regulators did not provide their interpretation on how the rule should be implemented until December 2013, indicating at that time that Wall Street had until July 21, 2015 to fully implement the rule. Then the Federal Reserve granted banks an extension until July 21, 2017 to bring their hedge funds and private equity funds into compliance.
Now, the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) want to “simplify” the Volcker Rule’s ban on proprietary trading at Wall Street banks by giving banks more leeway in terms of trading activity and simplifying how banks can tell if that trading is permitted by law.
Sand can be expensive
That is if it's taken from a beach in Italy. The latest sand theft was committed by two French citizens. They wanted a memory of the good time they had on a beach in Sardinia so they poured white sand into 14 plastic bottles and put them in the trunk of their SUV. They were caught on a ferry en route to France. They were charged with theft under aggravated circumstance for having stolen from a public beach. They face between one and six years of jail time plus a fine of up to $3,300.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
Job Training that Works
Project Quest has been helping San Antonio residents find good jobs for twenty-seven years. Studies have shown that Quest does a much better job than its peers. Quest graduates consistently earn $5,000 more annually, while earnings gains from training programs typically fade over time.
It doesn’t do the training itself. Instead, it places 300 to 400 students each year with local community colleges and other schools where participants can complete degrees in health care and nursing, information technology and other fields where salaries and demand is high but qualified candidates are few.
Quest provides half the cost of tuition and also helps with rent and utilities when necessary. It provides transportation help like bus passes for students in need. Nearly half of Project Quest’s enrollees have children, so there’s financial assistance for child care as well. Quest spends about $11,000 per trainee, offering intensive coaching and financial help.
Participants are required to attend weekly V.I.P. (Vision, Initiative and Perseverance) sessions with Quest coaches, where they provide progress reports on classes and go over the ups and downs they experience. There are lessons in subjects like time management as well as advice on navigating coursework and college-level classes. The V.I.P. sessions also provide moments where students who are struggling can seek out support from their comrades and their coaches.
Typical trainees spend 18 months in the program, and as graduation nears, they are walked through mock job interviews and learn how to prepare a résumé and pitch themselves to employers. The coaching continues after students finish the program and start new jobs.
It doesn’t do the training itself. Instead, it places 300 to 400 students each year with local community colleges and other schools where participants can complete degrees in health care and nursing, information technology and other fields where salaries and demand is high but qualified candidates are few.
Quest provides half the cost of tuition and also helps with rent and utilities when necessary. It provides transportation help like bus passes for students in need. Nearly half of Project Quest’s enrollees have children, so there’s financial assistance for child care as well. Quest spends about $11,000 per trainee, offering intensive coaching and financial help.
Participants are required to attend weekly V.I.P. (Vision, Initiative and Perseverance) sessions with Quest coaches, where they provide progress reports on classes and go over the ups and downs they experience. There are lessons in subjects like time management as well as advice on navigating coursework and college-level classes. The V.I.P. sessions also provide moments where students who are struggling can seek out support from their comrades and their coaches.
Typical trainees spend 18 months in the program, and as graduation nears, they are walked through mock job interviews and learn how to prepare a résumé and pitch themselves to employers. The coaching continues after students finish the program and start new jobs.
Funeral for a Glacier
This week Icelanders held a funeral service for the Okjokull glacier, which is shown below:
About 100 people attended the service, which was held at a volcano. Poems were recited. Political speeches made. Moments of silence held. A plaque embedded.
The glacier used to stretch six square miles. Residents reminisced about drinking pure water thousands of years old from the glacier.
About 100 people attended the service, which was held at a volcano. Poems were recited. Political speeches made. Moments of silence held. A plaque embedded.
The glacier used to stretch six square miles. Residents reminisced about drinking pure water thousands of years old from the glacier.
Sunday, August 18, 2019
Alaska is burning more than ever
Scientists have shown that fires in the far North are becoming bigger, hotter and more frequent. With the number of trees burning, older conifers are losing ground to younger deciduous trees, altering whole ecosystems. Also, the torched trees are releasing carbon, along with soils rich in dead plant matter that are burning more deeply than in the past. The fires are reducing older-growth forest in favor of young vegetation, and pouring more carbon into the atmosphere at a time when carbon dioxide concentrations are setting new records.
Friday, August 16, 2019
Thursday, August 15, 2019
How small a mind has Trump?
Here's a Twitter bit this week:
It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2019
This is in regard to U.S. two congresswomen, Representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. They are the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. Mr. Netanyahu agrees with Trump supposedly because they support the “boycott activities against Israel”
It would show great weakness if Israel allowed Rep. Omar and Rep.Tlaib to visit. They hate Israel & all Jewish people, & there is nothing that can be said or done to change their minds. Minnesota and Michigan will have a hard time putting them back in office. They are a disgrace! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 15, 2019
This is in regard to U.S. two congresswomen, Representatives Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ilhan Omar of Minnesota. They are the first two Muslim women elected to Congress. Mr. Netanyahu agrees with Trump supposedly because they support the “boycott activities against Israel”
Tuesday, August 13, 2019
Trump and endangered species
Apparently, his administration doesn't like them. Why else would they decide to change how the Endangered Species Act is interpreted. We've had the act since 1973. It’s been credited with helping the rebound of the bald eagle, the grizzly bear, the humpback whale, and many other species living throughout the US and in its waterways. About 83 percent of Americans according to an Ohio State University poll approve of the act the way it is. And it works: According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the act has prevented the “extinction of 99 percent of the species it protects.”
One area of change concerns the effect of time. The administration states, “The Services will describe the foreseeable future on a case-by-case basis.” The effects of climate change that may occur several decades from now are not to be considered. Another concerns the importance of scientific findings. Until now, the agencies that enforce the act have had to base their decisions of whether to protect a species solely on scientific data, “without reference to possible economic or other impacts of such determination.” The administration now says “The Act does not prohibit the [government] from compiling economic information or presenting that information to the public.”
One area of change concerns the effect of time. The administration states, “The Services will describe the foreseeable future on a case-by-case basis.” The effects of climate change that may occur several decades from now are not to be considered. Another concerns the importance of scientific findings. Until now, the agencies that enforce the act have had to base their decisions of whether to protect a species solely on scientific data, “without reference to possible economic or other impacts of such determination.” The administration now says “The Act does not prohibit the [government] from compiling economic information or presenting that information to the public.”
It used to be called Vanity Fair when I was a reader
And it is still called that. But when I was a reader 20 years ago, it didn't weigh a pound nor contain almost 200 pages (half or more of which are ads). Some of the articles were about fashion, but there were many about serious subjects. I made the mistake a few months ago of succumbing to a subscription offer. I don't think I've completely read one article. With the current issue there is nothing for me to read. Should I renew my subscription?
Monday, August 12, 2019
Try this
Simone Biles is the first woman in history to land a triple double on her floor routine at the 2019 U.S. Gymnastics Championships.
Work and Millenials
I find that this does not apply to we 20th century workers. If we were lucky and loved our work (as is true of most people I know), we did not have to go to the extremes pictured here.
Stiglitz sees trouble ahead
Here are some of Joseph Stiglitz's current thoughts:
"Second-quarter growth plummeted to 2.1%.
Average hours worked in manufacturing in July sank to the lowest level since 2011.
Real wages are only slightly above their level a decade ago, before the Great Recession.
Real investment as a percentage of GDP is well below levels in the late 1990s, despite a tax cut allegedly intended to spur business spending, but which was used mainly to finance share buybacks instead."
"America should be in a boom, with three enormous fiscal-stimulus measures in the past three years. The 2017 tax cut, which mainly benefited billionaires and corporations, added some $1.5-2 trillion to the ten-year deficit. An almost $300 billion increase in expenditures over two years averted a government shutdown in 2018. And at the end of July, a new agreement to avoid another shutdown added another $320 billion of spending. If it takes trillion-dollar annual deficits to keep the US economy going in good times, what will it take when things are not so rosy?"
"Second-quarter growth plummeted to 2.1%.
Average hours worked in manufacturing in July sank to the lowest level since 2011.
Real wages are only slightly above their level a decade ago, before the Great Recession.
Real investment as a percentage of GDP is well below levels in the late 1990s, despite a tax cut allegedly intended to spur business spending, but which was used mainly to finance share buybacks instead."
"America should be in a boom, with three enormous fiscal-stimulus measures in the past three years. The 2017 tax cut, which mainly benefited billionaires and corporations, added some $1.5-2 trillion to the ten-year deficit. An almost $300 billion increase in expenditures over two years averted a government shutdown in 2018. And at the end of July, a new agreement to avoid another shutdown added another $320 billion of spending. If it takes trillion-dollar annual deficits to keep the US economy going in good times, what will it take when things are not so rosy?"
Sunday, August 11, 2019
Malaysia Indicts Goldman Sachs Executives
In 2012 and 2013 Malaysia hired Goldman Sachs to underwrite a Malaysia state development fund, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). Goldman collected $600 million in fees from the $6.5 billion it raised. Apparently, that wasn't enough for some Goldman people. Malaysia claims that $4.5 billion in 1MDB funds have gone missing, of which at least $2.7 billion was stolen.
The Attorney General in Malaysia has indicted 17 of its former and current Goldman executives. This is not the first time Malaysia has done this; last December it filed charges in the same matter against three Goldman Sachs subsidiaries and two former Goldman employees.
Why haven't we moved against Goldman in this matter? On November 1 of last year, the Justice Department announced charges against former Goldman employees Tim Leissner and Roger Ng and a financier involved in the dealings, Jho Low. But the Justice Department did not bring charges against any of the three units of Goldman Sachs that were involved.
Why haven't we moved against Goldman in this matter? On November 1 of last year, the Justice Department announced charges against former Goldman employees Tim Leissner and Roger Ng and a financier involved in the dealings, Jho Low. But the Justice Department did not bring charges against any of the three units of Goldman Sachs that were involved.
Thursday, August 08, 2019
We all make mistakes
As you have probably gathered, I am not a Trump fan. Some of the sites I frequent are up in arms over a tweet by Ivanka Trump about last weekend's shootings in Chicago. Here's what she wrote:
"With 7 dead and 52 wounded near a playground in the Windy City- and little national outrage or media coverage- we mustn’t become numb to the violence faced by inner city communities every day."
Okay, she made a mistake in the number (52 vs. 55) and the location (near a playground vs. all over the city). Are these serious mistakes? I don't think so. Why the brouhaha? She did mention the lack of media coverage, which says a lot.
If we're going to escape our declining spiral, we have to focus on the important not the trivial.
"With 7 dead and 52 wounded near a playground in the Windy City- and little national outrage or media coverage- we mustn’t become numb to the violence faced by inner city communities every day."
Okay, she made a mistake in the number (52 vs. 55) and the location (near a playground vs. all over the city). Are these serious mistakes? I don't think so. Why the brouhaha? She did mention the lack of media coverage, which says a lot.
If we're going to escape our declining spiral, we have to focus on the important not the trivial.
I'm glad I'm old
The UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate has issued a frightening report. Our land and water resources are being exploited at “unprecedented rates”. Combine this with the effects of climate change and you've got a situation where having enough food and water will be a major problem.
The current situation is not good as we have exploited our food and water resources so much already that a half-billion people already live in places turning into desert, and soil is being lost between 10 and 100 times faster than it is forming. More than 10 percent of the world’s population remains undernourished.
The current situation is not good as we have exploited our food and water resources so much already that a half-billion people already live in places turning into desert, and soil is being lost between 10 and 100 times faster than it is forming. More than 10 percent of the world’s population remains undernourished.
Wednesday, August 07, 2019
Deciding what is newsworthy
The media has been filled with tales about events at El Paso and Dayton this weekend. Yet, this weekend in Chicago left 55 people as victims of shootings. But, I've seen almost nothing about it.
Was that because only seven died? Or, was it because most shootings were gang-related? Thus, in the words of the police superintendent, “Some of our victims have quite honestly been less than forthcoming in cooperating with us.” Or, was it because racism was seemingly not a factor in the shootings?
Was that because only seven died? Or, was it because most shootings were gang-related? Thus, in the words of the police superintendent, “Some of our victims have quite honestly been less than forthcoming in cooperating with us.” Or, was it because racism was seemingly not a factor in the shootings?
Tuesday, August 06, 2019
How's your water supply?
For a quarter of the world's population it's not good; they are running out of water. The World Resources Institute reported that 17 countries around the world are currently under extremely high water stress, meaning they are using almost all the water they have. The cities at greatest risk are Los Angeles, Mexico City, New Delhi, Sao Paulo and Chennai
Climate change is not making things better. As rainfall becomes more erratic, the water supply becomes less reliable. At the same time, as the days grow hotter, more water evaporates from reservoirs just as demand for water increases.
The Institute is urging cities to plug leaks in the water distribution system. Recycle wastewater. Harvest rain. Clean up lakes and wetlands. Restore old wells.
Climate change is not making things better. As rainfall becomes more erratic, the water supply becomes less reliable. At the same time, as the days grow hotter, more water evaporates from reservoirs just as demand for water increases.
The Institute is urging cities to plug leaks in the water distribution system. Recycle wastewater. Harvest rain. Clean up lakes and wetlands. Restore old wells.
Monday, August 05, 2019
We lead the world...
...in owning guns. We own nearly half (estimated at 393 million) of the world’s guns. There are approximately 120 firearms for every 100 U.S. residents. It is the largest civilian-owned stock of guns in the world.
More than 40% of U.S. adults live in a household with at least one gun. About half of all civilian-owned guns in the U.S. are owned by just 3% of U.S. adults. These gun owners have an average of 17 guns each. Most other gun owners average about three guns at home.
More than 40% of U.S. adults live in a household with at least one gun. About half of all civilian-owned guns in the U.S. are owned by just 3% of U.S. adults. These gun owners have an average of 17 guns each. Most other gun owners average about three guns at home.
Sunday, August 04, 2019
From Nestor Ramos of the Boston Globe
Do you agree with him?
" It is past time to admit that this is precisely who we are: a nation that willingly trades the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians for unencumbered access to the weapons best suited to slaughter them. Only when we come to terms with that fact — when we, our public officials and ourselves, stop deluding one another about it — will we have a chance to change it. Until then, this is who we are: the land of the free and the home of the dead."
" It is past time to admit that this is precisely who we are: a nation that willingly trades the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians for unencumbered access to the weapons best suited to slaughter them. Only when we come to terms with that fact — when we, our public officials and ourselves, stop deluding one another about it — will we have a chance to change it. Until then, this is who we are: the land of the free and the home of the dead."
What has America become
So far this year, there have been at least 32 mass killings (defined by the Justice Department as three or more killings in a single episode) in this country. In the last 24 hours, twenty-nine people were killed and many more wounded. The 32 killings average out to four a month or one a week. Most of the killings were done by one person as an expression of his hatred of some of us.
Yes, these killers must be insane in some way. And, probably they had little trouble buying guns and ammunition. But, maybe, better regulations may have stopped one of them.
Yes, these killers must be insane in some way. And, probably they had little trouble buying guns and ammunition. But, maybe, better regulations may have stopped one of them.
Saturday, August 03, 2019
Electrocuting fish
The electrocuter is the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. The fish are not killed, they are stunned. The plan is to study living fish.
Friday, August 02, 2019
A few too many teeth
Would you believe that you were looking at a jaw that held 526 teeth? To quote the surgeon who removed them from a 7-year-old boy in India, "There were a total of 526 teeth ranging from 0.1 millimeters (.004 inches) to 15 millimeters (0.6 inches). Even the smallest piece had a crown, root and enamel coat indicating it was a tooth." The teeth were in what the doctors call a sac.
Thursday, August 01, 2019
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