Medea Benjamin points out ten ways that the Pentagon opposes any climate change solutions:
1.The U.S. military protects Big Oil and other extractive industries.
2. The Pentagon is the single largest institutional consumer of fossil fuels in the world.
3. The Pentagon monopolizes the funding we need to seriously address the climate crisis.
4. Military operations leave a toxic legacy in their wake.
5. Wars ravage fragile ecosystems that are crucial to sustaining human health and climate resiliency.
6. Climate change is a “threat multiplier” that makes already dangerous social and political situations even worse.
7. The U.S. sabotages international agreements addressing climate change and war.
8. Mass migration is fueled by both climate change and conflict, with migrants often facing militarized repression.
9. Militarized state violence is leveled against communities resisting corporate-led environmental destruction.
10. Climate change and nuclear war are both existential threats to the planet.
Saturday, September 28, 2019
"Stand Your Ground" may result in more homicides
That's what the research suggests. The law, which has passed in 30 states, causes more homicides and does not reduce violent crime.
Friday, September 27, 2019
Thursday, September 26, 2019
Arresting criminals
Dennis Turner, a school police officer in Orlando, arrested two dangerous criminals this week. One was arrested because she had a tantrum at school; we don't know why the other person was arrested. We ddo kow that both criminals were 6 years old.
The policy of the police department policy requires officers to get a supervisor’s approval when arresting anyone under age 12. Officer Turner did not. He has since been fired and the children were released.
The policy of the police department policy requires officers to get a supervisor’s approval when arresting anyone under age 12. Officer Turner did not. He has since been fired and the children were released.
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Our President
Read the previous post which is a column in the NY Times listing Donald Trump's frailties because this post is my understanding of Leonhardt's comments about Trump.
My comments are simple.
First of all, I assume that, by and large, Leonhardt's comments are factual. It is very hard to believe that any person responsible for these actions could be president of any democracy - or, your boss, your employee, your friend, your relative. Nixon may have been a tough person to be president, but he was not in Trump's league; yet he was convicted of impeachment.
I think Trump should be impeached before he brings us into WWIII, wrongs any more of our allies, does nothing about the climate or comes up with another unbelievable - and dastardly - action.
My comments are simple.
First of all, I assume that, by and large, Leonhardt's comments are factual. It is very hard to believe that any person responsible for these actions could be president of any democracy - or, your boss, your employee, your friend, your relative. Nixon may have been a tough person to be president, but he was not in Trump's league; yet he was convicted of impeachment.
I think Trump should be impeached before he brings us into WWIII, wrongs any more of our allies, does nothing about the climate or comes up with another unbelievable - and dastardly - action.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Trump's actions
The following is an article by David Leonhardt of the NY Times:
Sometimes it’s worth stepping back to look at the full picture.
He has pressured a foreign leader to interfere in the 2020 American presidential election.
He urged a foreign country to intervene in the 2016 presidential election.
He divulged classified information to foreign officials.
He publicly undermined American intelligence agents while standing next to a hostile foreign autocrat.
He hired a national security adviser who he knew had secretly worked as a foreign lobbyist.
He encourages foreign leaders to enrich him and his family by staying at his hotels.
He genuflects to murderous dictators.
He has alienated America’s closest allies.
He lied to the American people about his company’s business dealings in Russia.
He tells new lies virtually every week — about the economy, voter fraud, even the weather.
He spends hours on end watching television and days on end staying at resorts.
He often declines to read briefing books or perform other basic functions of a president’s job.
He has aides, as well as members of his own party in Congress, who mock him behind his back as unfit for office.
He has repeatedly denigrated a deceased United States senator who was a war hero.
He insulted a Gold Star family — the survivors of American troops killed in action.
He described white supremacists as “some very fine people.”
He told four women of color, all citizens and members of Congress, to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came.”
He made a joke about Pocahontas during a ceremony honoring Native American World War II veterans.
He launched his political career by falsely claiming that the first black president was not really American.
He launched his presidential campaign by describing Mexicans as “rapists.”
He has described women, variously, as “a dog,” “a pig” and “horseface,” as well as “bleeding badly from a facelift” and having “blood coming out of her wherever.”
He has been accused of sexual assault or misconduct by multiple women.
He enthusiastically campaigned for a Senate candidate who was accused of molesting multiple teenage girls.
He waved around his arms, while giving a speech, to ridicule a physically disabled person.
He has encouraged his supporters to commit violence against his political opponents.
He has called for his opponents and critics to be investigated and jailed.
He uses a phrase popular with dictators — “the enemy of the people” — to describe journalists.
He attempts to undermine any independent source of information that he does not like, including judges, scientists, journalists, election officials, the F.B.I., the C.I.A., the Congressional Budget Office and the National Weather Service.
He has tried to harass the chairman of the Federal Reserve into lowering interest rates.
He said that a judge could not be objective because of his Mexican heritage.
He obstructed justice by trying to influence an investigation into his presidential campaign.
He violated federal law by directing his lawyer to pay $280,000 in hush money to cover up two apparent extramarital affairs.
He made his fortune partly through wide-scale financial fraud.
He has refused to release his tax returns.
He falsely accused his predecessor of wiretapping him.
He claimed that federal law-enforcement agents and prosecutors regularly fabricated evidence, thereby damaging the credibility of criminal investigations across the country.
He has ordered children to be physically separated from their parents.
He has suggested that America is no different from or better than Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
He has called America a “hellhole.”
He is the president of the United States, and he is a threat to virtually everything that the United States should stand for.
Sometimes it’s worth stepping back to look at the full picture.
He has pressured a foreign leader to interfere in the 2020 American presidential election.
He urged a foreign country to intervene in the 2016 presidential election.
He divulged classified information to foreign officials.
He publicly undermined American intelligence agents while standing next to a hostile foreign autocrat.
He hired a national security adviser who he knew had secretly worked as a foreign lobbyist.
He encourages foreign leaders to enrich him and his family by staying at his hotels.
He genuflects to murderous dictators.
He has alienated America’s closest allies.
He lied to the American people about his company’s business dealings in Russia.
He tells new lies virtually every week — about the economy, voter fraud, even the weather.
He spends hours on end watching television and days on end staying at resorts.
He often declines to read briefing books or perform other basic functions of a president’s job.
He has aides, as well as members of his own party in Congress, who mock him behind his back as unfit for office.
He has repeatedly denigrated a deceased United States senator who was a war hero.
He insulted a Gold Star family — the survivors of American troops killed in action.
He described white supremacists as “some very fine people.”
He told four women of color, all citizens and members of Congress, to “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came.”
He made a joke about Pocahontas during a ceremony honoring Native American World War II veterans.
He launched his political career by falsely claiming that the first black president was not really American.
He launched his presidential campaign by describing Mexicans as “rapists.”
He has described women, variously, as “a dog,” “a pig” and “horseface,” as well as “bleeding badly from a facelift” and having “blood coming out of her wherever.”
He has been accused of sexual assault or misconduct by multiple women.
He enthusiastically campaigned for a Senate candidate who was accused of molesting multiple teenage girls.
He waved around his arms, while giving a speech, to ridicule a physically disabled person.
He has encouraged his supporters to commit violence against his political opponents.
He has called for his opponents and critics to be investigated and jailed.
He uses a phrase popular with dictators — “the enemy of the people” — to describe journalists.
He attempts to undermine any independent source of information that he does not like, including judges, scientists, journalists, election officials, the F.B.I., the C.I.A., the Congressional Budget Office and the National Weather Service.
He has tried to harass the chairman of the Federal Reserve into lowering interest rates.
He said that a judge could not be objective because of his Mexican heritage.
He obstructed justice by trying to influence an investigation into his presidential campaign.
He violated federal law by directing his lawyer to pay $280,000 in hush money to cover up two apparent extramarital affairs.
He made his fortune partly through wide-scale financial fraud.
He has refused to release his tax returns.
He falsely accused his predecessor of wiretapping him.
He claimed that federal law-enforcement agents and prosecutors regularly fabricated evidence, thereby damaging the credibility of criminal investigations across the country.
He has ordered children to be physically separated from their parents.
He has suggested that America is no different from or better than Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
He has called America a “hellhole.”
He is the president of the United States, and he is a threat to virtually everything that the United States should stand for.
Friday, September 20, 2019
Thursday, September 19, 2019
Liquidity of the stock market
It was not too good a few days ago. It got so bad that the major Wall Street banks could not, or would not, handle the demand for loans called overnight repurchase agreements (repos). The Federal Reserve Bank of New York had to jump in and infuse $128 billion into the repo market, even though the four largest banks on Wall Street hold more than $5.45 trillion in deposits when only $53 billion was needed to cover the overnight loans.
Shades of The Great Recession?
Shades of The Great Recession?
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
Data security problems with .....
... independent radiologists, medical imaging centers or archiving services. There are a ton of X-rays, MRIs and CT scans that you can look at on the web even if you are not a computer genius. ProPublica thinks that you could look at the records of more than 5 million patients in the U.S. and millions more around the world as many medical data centers are unprotected by passwords or basic security precautions. In some cases, a snoop could use free software programs — or just a typical web browser — to view the images and private data.
ProPublica found that you could access 187 servers in the U.S.that are used in doctors’ offices, medical-imaging centers and mobile X-ray services. One study found that more than 13.7 million medical tests in the U.S. were available online, including more than 400,000 in which X-rays and other images could be downloaded.
ProPublica found that you could access 187 servers in the U.S.that are used in doctors’ offices, medical-imaging centers and mobile X-ray services. One study found that more than 13.7 million medical tests in the U.S. were available online, including more than 400,000 in which X-rays and other images could be downloaded.
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
JPMorgan Chase traders accused of racketeering
Three traders at JPMorgan Chase, were indicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act or RICO. They are accused of rigging the gold, silver and other precious metals markets from approximately May 2008 to August 2016. One of the traders was a Managing Director at the bank and the head of its Global Precious Metals Desk.
Indicting JPMorgan Chase is not new. Here are just a few examples going back a few years:
In October 2012, JPMorgan Chase paid $1.2 billion to settle claims that it, along with other banks, conspired to set the price of credit and debit card interchange fees.
In September 2013, JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $80 million in fines and $309 million in refunds to customers whom the Bank billed for credit monitoring services that the Bank never provided.
On November 15, 2013, JPMorgan Chase announced that it had agreed to pay $4.5 billion to settle claims that it defrauded investors in mortgage-backed securities in the time period between 2005—2008.
On December 13, 2013, JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay 79.9 million Euros to settle claims of the European Commission relating to illegal rigging of benchmark interest rates.
In July 2013, JPMorgan Chase paid $410 million to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to settle claims of bidding manipulation of California and Midwest electricity markets.
On November 19, 2013, JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $13 billion to settle claims by the Department of Justice, the FDIC, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the States of California, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York, and to consumers, relating to fraudulent practices with respect to mortgage-backed securities.
Indicting JPMorgan Chase is not new. Here are just a few examples going back a few years:
In October 2012, JPMorgan Chase paid $1.2 billion to settle claims that it, along with other banks, conspired to set the price of credit and debit card interchange fees.
In September 2013, JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $80 million in fines and $309 million in refunds to customers whom the Bank billed for credit monitoring services that the Bank never provided.
On November 15, 2013, JPMorgan Chase announced that it had agreed to pay $4.5 billion to settle claims that it defrauded investors in mortgage-backed securities in the time period between 2005—2008.
On December 13, 2013, JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay 79.9 million Euros to settle claims of the European Commission relating to illegal rigging of benchmark interest rates.
In July 2013, JPMorgan Chase paid $410 million to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to settle claims of bidding manipulation of California and Midwest electricity markets.
On November 19, 2013, JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $13 billion to settle claims by the Department of Justice, the FDIC, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the States of California, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts and New York, and to consumers, relating to fraudulent practices with respect to mortgage-backed securities.
Is Israel spying on us?
Politico says it is. Apparently some "former senior officials" told Politico that we found cellphone surveillance devices near the White House and other sensitive locations around Washington. But it seems as though nothing has been done or said to Israel about it.
True or false?
True or false?
Be careful in choosing sides
That's essentially Andrew Bacevich's warning. He recounts our support of Hussein in the Iran-Iraq war. He feels we're doing the same thing with the conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia that is taking place in Yemen today. And, it does not serve our interests despite the fact that "a series of administrations have indulged the fantasy that the direct or indirect application of military power can somehow restore stability to the gulf."
He thinks that neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia should be supported. While Iran may well qualify as America’s “enemy,” Saudi Arabia is not a “friend.”
"Power confers choice, and the United States should exercise it. We can begin to do so by recognizing that Saudi Arabia’s folly need not be our problem."
He thinks that neither Iran nor Saudi Arabia should be supported. While Iran may well qualify as America’s “enemy,” Saudi Arabia is not a “friend.”
"Power confers choice, and the United States should exercise it. We can begin to do so by recognizing that Saudi Arabia’s folly need not be our problem."
Monday, September 16, 2019
Uterine Prolapse is a term I had never heard of
But it has become fairly common in eastern Ukraine, where the stress level is quite high and women carry heavy objects up many staircases. This is the result of the five-year conflict in eastern Ukraine between opposing Ukrainian government forces and separatists backed by Russia. What is Uterine Prolapse? It's when the uterus slips down the vagina, sometimes falling out entirely.
Living conditions in this area are pretty bad. Corpses are stored without refrigeration. Forty residents share one shower and one toilet. Some live in a 25-square-feet room, a former broom closet. Infrastructure is damaged. The government is doing nothing. Water from the tap is green, smells like a river and sometimes carries algae and little fish.
Living conditions in this area are pretty bad. Corpses are stored without refrigeration. Forty residents share one shower and one toilet. Some live in a 25-square-feet room, a former broom closet. Infrastructure is damaged. The government is doing nothing. Water from the tap is green, smells like a river and sometimes carries algae and little fish.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
3 people have more money than 50% of the population
Bill Gates - $105.4 billion
Jeff Bezos - $114.6 billion
Warren Buffet - $83.4 billion
That adds up to $303.4 billion.
What do the bottom 160 million Americans have? $245 billion, or $58.4 billion less.
Jeff Bezos - $114.6 billion
Warren Buffet - $83.4 billion
That adds up to $303.4 billion.
What do the bottom 160 million Americans have? $245 billion, or $58.4 billion less.
Thursday, September 12, 2019
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Thoughts re 9/11
If you're like me, you had no idea that the world would change after you went to bed on September 10, 2001. Change it did, but not for the better.
That day was the first time in 70 years I thought again about the possibility of a city in the U.S. being bombed. I worried about my son who lived in New York and as a subway rider worked near the bomb center. A sister had just finished a trip to Italy and was on her way home. I had to drive to Canada in a day or two.
To me, the beginning of the 21st century marked the start of our decline from being the leader of the world. The unity that existed then has faded away. The quality of our leaders is almost laughable. Our military is in more than 100 countries of the world, although it has not won a war since 1945. There's lots more wrong, but why repeat the obvious.
That day was the first time in 70 years I thought again about the possibility of a city in the U.S. being bombed. I worried about my son who lived in New York and as a subway rider worked near the bomb center. A sister had just finished a trip to Italy and was on her way home. I had to drive to Canada in a day or two.
To me, the beginning of the 21st century marked the start of our decline from being the leader of the world. The unity that existed then has faded away. The quality of our leaders is almost laughable. Our military is in more than 100 countries of the world, although it has not won a war since 1945. There's lots more wrong, but why repeat the obvious.
Tuesday, September 10, 2019
Paying travel costs
The Department of Defense does not do that great a job. From 2016 through 2018 it processed over $965 million in improper payments that should not have been made or were made in an incorrect amount to service members and civilian employees. That is 5.3% of the $18.3 billion it spent on traveli that time period.
In October 2016, DOD established a Remediation Plan to reduce improper travel payments and a committee to monitor implementation of the plan at 10 DOD components. As of March 2019, only 4 of the 9 components that responded to GAO's survey had completed all of the plan's requirements.
In October 2016, DOD established a Remediation Plan to reduce improper travel payments and a committee to monitor implementation of the plan at 10 DOD components. As of March 2019, only 4 of the 9 components that responded to GAO's survey had completed all of the plan's requirements.
I find it hard to understand
The Washington Post asserts that "Over six years ending in June 2018, University of Virginia Health System the health system and its doctors sued former patients more than 36,000 times for over $106 million, seizing wages and bank accounts, putting liens on property and homes and forcing families into bankruptcy, a Kaiser Health News analysis has found."
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore has sued roughly 240 patients a year on average since 2009. Yale New Haven Health System files liens only if a bill is over $10,000, and then only if the property is worth at least $300,00. Inova Health does not file liens on patient homes or garnish wages. Tenet Healthcare, a national, for-profit chain whose stock trades on Wall Street,
Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore has sued roughly 240 patients a year on average since 2009. Yale New Haven Health System files liens only if a bill is over $10,000, and then only if the property is worth at least $300,00. Inova Health does not file liens on patient homes or garnish wages. Tenet Healthcare, a national, for-profit chain whose stock trades on Wall Street,
Lobsters come in different colors
Here's the latest one from Maine. It's half black and half red.
Here are some more from the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries.
Courtesy of our Florida correspondent
Here are some more from the Maine Center for Coastal Fisheries.
Courtesy of our Florida correspondent
An interesting observation
Pam Martens of Wall Street on Parade points out that, despite the market setting new highs every so often, the moves are relatively negligible on a percentage basis. The latest high of 26,797.46 is a rise of 180.75 points, or less than a one percent move, in 19 months. That’s not exactly the stuff that retirement dreams are built on.
She asks why corporate media does not report what this new high means as a percentage return year over year, year-to-date, or for any period of time. Is it because almost all corporate media outlets have corporate parents with publicly traded stock?
She asks why corporate media does not report what this new high means as a percentage return year over year, year-to-date, or for any period of time. Is it because almost all corporate media outlets have corporate parents with publicly traded stock?
Artificial intelligence comes to religion
The video shows Mindar, a Buddhist priest, in action. He can deliver sermons and move around to interface with worshippers. But he is not yet powered by AI; he recites the same preprogrammed sermon about the Heart Sutra over and over. Its creators are attempting to reignite people’s passion for their faith in a country where religious affiliation is on the decline. They do plan to give it machine-learning capabilities.
Buddhists are not alone in autmating. In 2017, Indians rolled out a robot that performs the Hindu aarti ritual, which involves moving a light round and round in front of a deity. That same year, Germany’s Protestant Church created a robot called BlessU-2 that gave pre-programmed blessings to over 10,000 people.
Monday, September 09, 2019
Saturday, September 07, 2019
JPMorgan Chase makes the news
From Wall Street on Parade:
'If your bank is under a criminal probe for potentially rigging gold and silver markets, it doesn’t help your case to have $50 million in fake gold bars sitting in your vaults. Nonetheless, this is what Reuters reported last week:
“In the last three years, bars worth at least $50 million stamped with Swiss refinery logos, but not actually produced by those facilities, have been identified by all four of Switzerland’s leading gold refiners and found in the vaults of JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the major banks at the heart of the market in bullion, said senior executives at gold refineries, banks and other industry sources.”
Last month there was another bizarre story making the wires about JPMorgan Chase owning a ship that was raided and found to contain 20 tons of cocaine. (See With Three Felony Counts Already, Did JPMorgan Chase Really Need to Own a Ship Containing 20 Tons of Cocaine?)
Then there was that rash of deaths among its technology workers with another bizarre one occurring in March of this year; its nesting doll frauds involving Bernie Madoff; its gambles in wild derivatives in London using deposits from its Federally insured bank; the book about its likeness to the Gambino crime family by two trial lawyers, and on and on.
Some folks might be inclined to think at this point that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, there’s a very good chance it’s not a swan."
'If your bank is under a criminal probe for potentially rigging gold and silver markets, it doesn’t help your case to have $50 million in fake gold bars sitting in your vaults. Nonetheless, this is what Reuters reported last week:
“In the last three years, bars worth at least $50 million stamped with Swiss refinery logos, but not actually produced by those facilities, have been identified by all four of Switzerland’s leading gold refiners and found in the vaults of JPMorgan Chase & Co., one of the major banks at the heart of the market in bullion, said senior executives at gold refineries, banks and other industry sources.”
Last month there was another bizarre story making the wires about JPMorgan Chase owning a ship that was raided and found to contain 20 tons of cocaine. (See With Three Felony Counts Already, Did JPMorgan Chase Really Need to Own a Ship Containing 20 Tons of Cocaine?)
Then there was that rash of deaths among its technology workers with another bizarre one occurring in March of this year; its nesting doll frauds involving Bernie Madoff; its gambles in wild derivatives in London using deposits from its Federally insured bank; the book about its likeness to the Gambino crime family by two trial lawyers, and on and on.
Some folks might be inclined to think at this point that if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, there’s a very good chance it’s not a swan."
Thursday, September 05, 2019
Wednesday, September 04, 2019
Why do more cops commit suicide?
A 2018 nationwide study found more law enforcement officers in the U.S. died by suicide than in the line of duty. Why? They are at a higher risk of suicide than in any other profession due to a combination of the intense stress, pressure to conceal emotional distress and easy access to deadly weapons.
More cops per capita (17 out of 100,00) commit suicide than the general population (13 out of 100,000). The pattern holds in other countries where the cops are armed; in France the suicide rate is 36% higher among police than the general population. However, in England where the cops are not armed, about 23 officers took their own lives in the UK between 2015 and 2017.
More cops per capita (17 out of 100,00) commit suicide than the general population (13 out of 100,000). The pattern holds in other countries where the cops are armed; in France the suicide rate is 36% higher among police than the general population. However, in England where the cops are not armed, about 23 officers took their own lives in the UK between 2015 and 2017.
Monday, September 02, 2019
Fireworks can be fatal
Joana Sainz Garcia was dancing on stage before a thousand people at a venue near Madrid when a stage pyrotechnic device (a firework) exploded near her, knocking her unconscious. She died on the spot.
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