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Spotlight On The Swirl® Archive
October 29, 2011
Politics: Scales Tip Against ObamaCare
While the plurality of public opinion has been against ObamaCare for sometime, those numbers have finally grown into a majority. For the first time, most Americans have an unfavorable opinion of the massive federal health care legislation.
One of the reasons for the growing disenchantment is the collapse of ObamaCare’s long-term care provisions. Democrats promised that these provisions, known as CLASS, would be moneymakers, allowing over-all health care costs to fall. However, health insurance actuaries were certain from the outset that CLASS was a financially unsustainable PR scheme. The White House finally, sort-of, agreed and shelved it. The more we know, the more we don’t like.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal, Heritage
Economy: Economic Growth Too Slow
The Commerce Department reports that the U.S. economy grew by 2.5% in the third calendar quarter of this year. That rate is nearly double the 1.3% growth in the previous quarter and eclipses the anemic 0.9% average for the first six months of 2011. The third quarter growth is due to increases in both consumer spending and business investment.
But, the unemployment rate remains stagnant. While 2.5% may allay recession fears, it is far below the rate needed to kick-start the hiring machine. Predictably, the White House is using the third quarter growth as impetus for its jobs plan, which is standing logic on its head. The increase was not the result of government spending. Consumers and businesses are the motivation. For some people, some lessons are just hard to learn.
Check our sources: Fox News
Science: The Slacker Faithful
A couple of new studies suggest that those who believe in God are more likely to shirk their worldly responsibilities. More than ninety percent of the world’s population believe that God, or a spiritual power of some kind, exists or may exist. These beliefs tends to diminish some types of self-discipline such as pursuing goals. But, they also make you more resistant to temptation.
Even those without a belief in a spiritual power may be influenced by the contrary view of their neighbors. Non-believers who live in the U.S. are saturated with religious references and imagery that may impact their drive to succeed. Is resisting the temptation to work what religion is really about or have we screwed that up, too?
Check our sources: Live Science
Health: You Can Lead A Horse To Water
And you can also lead a reader to a label, but you can’t make her read it, even if her health depends on it. A new study from the University of Michigan reports on the percentage of shoppers who actually read content labels on groceries prior to purchase. The study also determines the amount of time spent reading and which part of the labels gets the most attention.
Turns out, only 33 percent of shoppers bother to read the labels. Of those, only 9 percent (or 3 percent of all shoppers) bother to check the calorie count. The study also reports that only 1 percent of those who read labels look at total fat, trans fat, sugar and serving size. Researchers conclude that human attention spans are just too short for a lot of detail in tiny print. Wow, and we wonder why obesity is growing to epidemic proportions.
Check our sources: Health News
Life: Best Horror Films
What better way to spend Halloween than watching a string of horror movies? But, out of the thousands made, which ones should you watch on the special day? After all, most of them are so much clichéd slasher gore that they couldn't give a nightmare to a nun. Lucky for you, Forbes has the answer.
The best horror movies ever made, in their respective subcategories, are: The Exorcist, Halloween (1978), [REC], The Thing (1982), The Ring, Poltergeist, The Howling, Alien and In The Mouth Of Madness. Honorable mention goes to The Mist, The Devils’ Backbone, 28 Days Later, Drag Me To Hell and The Omen. Have a great time scaring yourself to death.
Check our sources: Forbes
Animals: Microchip To The Rescue
In another case of microchip saves dog, Petey, a four-year old Jack Russell, made it safely home. Gone for three months, Petey was found five hundred miles away in the backyard of a dog loving homeowner. He took Petey to a local shelter where the dog was examined for a chip. Lucky for Peter, his human had one implanted several years earlier.
The reunion was especially joyous for 73-year old Jim Arrighi, Petey’s human. Jim’s wife died earlier this month from pulmonary disease. Petey is a happy slice of life that they shared together. In fact, Jim is convinced that the late Mrs. Arrighi, by then in heaven, sent Petey home. Who’s to say those chips don’t have angel's wings?
Check our sources: MSNBC
October 22, 2011
Politics: The Beat Goes On
For the second time in less than ten days, the Senate blocked attempts to pass Obama’s jobs bill or even a small part of it. When the $447 billion bill itself was blocked from consideration, Senate Democrats tried to get $35 billion for states. The money would have been earmarked for teachers and first responders, but no sale.
The defeat prevented a full debate on the measure, a required step before an up or down vote can be taken on the legislation. Getting to a full debate requires 60 votes. The most Democrats could muster was 50. While they hold a Senate majority, not every member of their ranks supported the attempt. The issue is whether more money to states can put a dent in our economic doldrums or is merely a heads-in-the-sand political gesture.
Check our sources: SF Gate
Economy: Europe's Shrinking Solutions
Unlike the ballooning debt of their spendthrift members, the EU’s options for solving that crisis are shrinking. After months of drawing board failures, hopes for a bold-stroke solution are fading. Tomorrow, the European Union will hold yet another summit to grapple with squabbles that frustrate the solution process. The largest areas of disagreement lie among the most important players, Germany, France and the European Central Bank.
Worse is the fact that, even if a financial meltdown is avoided now, the underlying causes of the crisis will take years to fix. And a fix that keeps the EU in tact may not be possible. There are limits to the solidarity that keeps the Union together and the financial crisis may break through them. The countries deepest in debt have no appetite for the necessary fiscal discipline. Those on which the EU is grounded can’t stomach indefinite financial sacrifices to bail them out. Has a familiar ring to it.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal
Science: Dooms Day Passes Unnoticed
Earlier this year, the octogenarian, Harold Camping, prophesied Judgment Day on May 21 and Dooms Day on October 21. Whether Judgment Day really happened on May 21 is hard to say, although Camping’s predicted earthquakes and destruction were absent. And, unless he was referring to the continued economic crisis gripping the world, Dooms Day was definitely a bust.
Camping and his followers have declined to speak to the media this time around. Last time, they not only talked to reporters, they put up huge Dooms Day signs on billboards and shouted about it from street corners. What a difference a disappointment makes. Seventy nine percent of Christians believe in an eventual apocalypse. They just don’t want it in their lifetimes.
Check our sources: Live Science
Health: Those Suicidal Thoughts
According to a new Centers for Disease Control study, eight million American adults contemplate suicide each year. Two million of them make plans to kill themselves. One million actually make the attempt. And 35,000, or less than 2 percent of those who think about it, succeed. That’s a pretty dismal success rate. For once,we're lucky success is not what it’s cracked up to be.
At one in fifteen, the state with the highest number of adults with suicidal thoughts is Utah. We’ll leave that one alone. The state with the lowest number of thinkers is Georgia with one in fifty. Rhode Island had the largest number of planners. Among population groups nation-wide, females, Caucasians and people under 30 are at greatest risk. So far, no one knows why or why rates vary between states.
Check our sources: Health News
Life: The American Dream
In the good old days, the American dream was a house with a white picket fence. Today, it’s a condo. Construction of multifamily homes such as condominiums and apartments rose a whopping 51 percent last month as demand for rentals continues to climb. The September increase was the largest in three years.
Economists attribute the rental boom to the state of the housing market. People are not ready to assume the downside risk of homeownership even with the cheap loan costs. Despite the glut in foreclosures, most of those houses are not in the rental market. A condo may not be the historical dream, but it’s difficult to default on a mortgage when you don’t have one.
Check our sources: USA Today
Animals: Mouth-to-Snout
Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is a technique commonly used to jump start a human’s breathing. But, mouth-to-snout is not nearly as common. In fact, before he actually tried it, firefighter Jamie Giese had only seen it on TV and in newspaper photos, which, apparently, was good enough.
Giese and his fellow firefighters responded to a blazing house alarm in Wasau, Wisconsin where they found an unconscious Labrador retriever. Giese carried the dog outside. He initially believed that the animal had expired. However, when the dog appeared to struggle for air, Giese did the mouth-to-snout maneuver. It worked and seven-year old Koda is breathing like a champ to this very day.
Check our sources: MSNBC
October 15, 2011
Politics: Debt Panel Punched by Politics
The congressional debt-cutting subcommittee was inundated with suggestions this week. Unfortunately, most of them were pushing for areas to leave alone. And most of them were from other members of congress.
For example, Democrats want the pruning shears to bypass Social Security and other social programs. Their answer, of course, is to raise taxes. Republicans prefer cuts in Medicare spending while rejecting tax increases. Both sides warned against defense spending reductions. In other words, the Committee got no helpful suggestions, just more of the political posturing the rest of us have been subjected to for months.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal
Economy: War on Free Enterprise Escalates
Jesse Jackson Jr. has entered Obama’s war for government control of wealth, on the government’s side of course. The Illinois Democrat proposed a plan this week to solve the unemployment problem and the financial difficulties of our states and cities. The government should simply hire all 15 million jobless residents and pay off the debts of all financially distressed states and cities.
The newly hired would earn $40,000 per year for the next five years at a cost of $3 trillion. The distressed states and cities would get a clean bill of financial health for an additional, and modest by comparison, $204 billion. Fortunately, for the sake of sanity and how things really work, not even Democrats are behind this one.
Check our sources: Fox News
Science: Better the Neighbor You Know
One of the primary methods used by conservationists in their fight to preserve animals from extinction is relocation. They simply move the critters to safer habitats far from man’s intrusion. But, it turns out that relocation is a challenge in itself. Done wrongly, it can also lead to the extinction of those the conservationists are trying to save.
This week another relocation issue cropped up. Namely, moving animals individually rather than in familiar groups negatively impacts their survival rate. In studying the success of relocating kangaroo rats, conservationists observed that keeping “neighborhoods” in tact worked a lot better than putting individuals in new groups. This is true even though the rats spend most of their time defending themselves against attack from these same neighbors. Even in the animal world, better the devil you know.
Check our sources: Science News
Health: Silly Claim Debunked
In the “whoever believed this one, anyway?” category, health experts this week finally debunked the claim that ingesting flaxseed cools hot flashes. The claim was great for the flaxseed industry and all of the food products manufactured with the seeds. But, a new clinical study documents their complete irrelevance in easing menopausal hot flashes.
188 women were included in the study. One-third, chosen at random, ate one flaxseed bar daily. Others ate flax-free “placebo” bars. Over a six-week period, one-third of the women in each group experienced the identical reduction in the intensity of their hot flashes. Researchers conclude that flaxseed helps not at all in cooling the flashes. A previous study by the Mayo Clinic suggested that flaxseed did help but that study did not include a placebo group. Sometimes it's better to just skip the Mayo.
Check our sources: Health News
Life: Dismantling Obamacare
The Obama Administration has joined the anti-Obamacare team by “indefinitely suspending” one of the massive healthcare bill’s key features. CLASS, the long-term care entitlement, is being put on the back shelf. The reason? Even for Obama, it’s way too expensive to finance.
CLASS was a voluntary option. It would have collected modest annual premiums from people in exchange for limited long-term care. Most insurance actuaries who reviewed it back in 2009 predicted financial failure. Democrat Senator Kent Conrad (S.D.) characterized the program as a Ponzi scheme of Bernie Madoff proportions. The problem is that long-term care is too costly for the low premiums Obama promised. To succeed, every American would have to “volunteer” for the program, which would inevitably suffer from increasingly expensive premiums.
Check our sources: Forbes
Animals: Dogs to the Rescue
Dogs originally trained to sniff out drugs or explosives are now working to save South Korea’s most important cultural edifices. The Country’s historic palaces and temples are constructed mainly of wood, which means termites just love them. And the pests are busy wreaking havoc.
Dogs to the rescue. The canines have been repurposed to sniff out termites invisible to the naked eye before the pests can do significant damage. It takes two dogs with their trainers only two-to-three hours to sniff out an entire palace. Without the dogs, finding terminates in the same building could take days. To avoid harming the wood, the dogs do not scratch the areas of infestation. They merely sit at attention, staring at the spot.
Check our sources: Yahoo News
October 8, 2011
Politics: The More They Stay The Same
According to White House email, an Obama fundraiser and Energy Department “advisor” was too cozy with the now-bankrupt clean energy company, Solyndra. A former Energy Department official, Steve Spinner was supposed to recuse himself from the selection process that awarded $500 million to the company. His wife is an attorney with the law firm that represented Solyndra, which is now under investigation by the FBI.
Apparently, Spinner was not officially part of the selection process. But, for unknown reasons, he was allowed to “monitor” the progress of Solyndra’s loan application as it wound its way through the Energy Department. His monitoring consisted of successfully pressing for Solyndra’s loan approval. His wife’s law firm earned $2.4 million in federal payouts while representing the company. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Check our sources: Los Angeles Times
Economy: Not Enough Jobs, Yet
According to the Labor Department, 103,000 new jobs were added in September, which is better than expected. But, employers need to add 125,00 per month just to keep pace with population growth. To actually make a dent in the 9.1% unemployment rate, at least 200,000 jobs must be added monthly.
The September jobs increase did ease the rampant fear of a second Great Recession. But, it did nothing to shore up an economy with an utterly anemic growth rate. Republican presidential hopefuls point to the continuing economic woes as evidence of Obama’s incompetence. And, the White House admits the unemployment rate is unacceptable. The Administration’s counter is the Obama jobs plan, which, so far, has failed to gain traction among either Republicans or Democrats in Congress.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal
Science: If It's Not One Thing
Try as we might to be good citizens of the earth, it’s just too easy to pollute the oceans. Turns out, we don’t even have to live anywhere near those huge bodies of water to dirty them up. All you need is a washing machine and some polyester clothes. And polyester is everywhere. The plastic fabric is used to make fleeces, shirts, pants, furniture and blankets, among other items.
What’s wrong with washing it? Polyester clothes shed plastic fibers while in the washing machine. Those fibers wash down the drain, zip through water treatment plants and end up in the oceans. This type of pollution is emerging all over the world, not just on the U.S. side of the seas. Once the plastic is in the water, it can be ingested by marine life. The problem grows with each passing wash day.
Check our sources: Science News For Kids
Health: Worse Than Believed
Everyone knows it’s dangerous to text while driving. We just didn’t know how dangerous. Until now. According to a new study, texting doesn’t merely divert attention away from the road. It doubles the driver’s reaction time to events unfolding in front of him or her. For example, non-texting drivers react in one or two seconds to a flashing yellow light. Texting drivers take three to four seconds to react.
Reaction is slowed for texting drivers whether they are writing or reading. Texting drivers are also less able to stay in their lanes or maintain a constant speed. One in five drivers admits to texting behind the wheel. The U.S. Transportation statistics indicate that distracted drivers contribute to as much as 20 percent of all fatal crashes. And cell phones are the primary cause of driver distractions.
Check our sources: Health News
Life: Message In A Bottle
Fourteen years after being dumped into the ocean, a bottle with a message washed up on an Australian shore. The dump point was a cruise ship sailing a mere 6,000 miles away. The dumper was on a 102-day cruise from San Diego to Fort Lauderdale. The route took the ship across the equator.
At that point, 67-year old George Tereshkovich put his business card into a bottle and tossed it overboard. It also included a written promise to pay the finder $5. The couple that found the bottle was able to decipher the note and the address on the business card. After only a few attempts, they located Tereshkovich. And, they got their $5 reward, plus an increase for inflation.
Check our sources: Live Science
Animals: Strange Bedfellows
This week’s entry in the strange bedfellows category is a baby duck and his up close and personal relationship with a gorilla. The huge ape and tiny fowl shared a log at the Bronx Zoo in New York until zookeepers removed the duck. While they were together, the pair created quite a commotion as visitors to the Zoo noticed them. The duck entered the gorilla’s enclosure through the bars.
As the duckling waddled around the enclosure, the gorilla watched in apparent bemusement, alternating between backing off and inspecting it with curiosity. Although gorillas are portrayed as vicious killers in movies, in life they are shy, peaceful vegetarians. This 15-year-old female ape was no exception.
Check our sources: Today
October 1, 2011
Politics: Obamacare Entitlement Unfundable
In yet another triumph of politics over common sense, Obamacare created an entitlement that has no realistic funding source, not even the taxpayer. The entitlement would add in-home services for the disabled but, under the legislation, it must be self-sustaining. This means that it cannot add to the annual deficit like, for example, Medicare does.
While on the Congressional drawing board, it looked like a fantastic idea, but, in the light of day, it’s a non-starter. Why? Because the new freebie has no funding source except higher premiums. The problem with that is, of course, people are unlikely to pay a large enough premium to sign up for a non-essential service. Politicians on both sides of the aisle and in the Administration agree on this one so it’s back to that dim drawing board. And they want to control your wealth...
Check our sources: Fox News
Economy: Deficiency Judgments Stick
Forty-one states and the District of Columbia allow lenders to sue homeowners for loan obligations after the houses that secured them are sold. In these jurisdictions, homeowners are liable for the amounts of the loans that were not satisfied from the sale of the houses that bore the mortgages.
In a seven-state study, the average amount of the foreclosure shortfall is $100,000. Given the thousands of foreclosures that occur each year, lenders can’t afford to let defaulting (former) homeowners off the financial hook. This means that people in these locations are not free to “walk away” from their obligations because their debt walks with them. At least until it is either completely satisfied or they file for bankruptcy relief.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal
Science: Brains & Faces
In yet another example of how little we know about our brains, scientists are puzzled by how they react to faces. In a study of epilepsy patients, brains responded strongest to full faces, less strongly to barely visible faces and even weaker to faces in between. This counterintuitive result has our experts scratching their heads.
What did the researchers learn from the study? The most they could decipher is that the amygdala, previously believed to be the fear response center, also plays a role in facial recognition. They hypothesize that whole faces are preferred because full views enable us to recognize individuals amid a sea of faces. But why barely discernable faces provide a greater response than more discernable, but less than full, faces, is a total mystery. We do recognize that, in many respects, science remains a primitive guessing game.
Check our sources: Live Science
Health: Brains & Fish Oil
One of the many old wives tales is the one about getting smarter from eating fish. Today, it’s fish oil, but the tale is otherwise the same. And, there is scientific support for it, depending on the age of the individual getting the fish oil. If you’re a fetus when mom takes the supplements, your brain development is improved. But, if you’re at least 6 years old, the good old womb days are done, as are the fish oil benefits.
In a just-published study, a group of women in Spain were given fish oil pills in the second half of their pregnancies. Six years later, 154 of the children were administered intelligence tests. Their scores were similar. But, this study is not definitive. Others document the beneficial effect of the fatty acid, DHA, which is found in fish and other sources. Mothers who ingest DHA for long periods before their pregnancies seem to have smarter kids. So, perhaps the lesson is that last minute supplementation is not a cure-all, but it is a slippery subject.
Check our sources: Health News
Life: Too Young for the Tour?
The Ladies Professional Golf Association granted an age waiver to 16 year-old Lexi Thomson so she could join the Tour. The teen-age phenom proved her mettle two weeks ago when she bested a strong field by five strokes. But, it takes more than birdies to play professional golf. It also requires a maturity level usually not found even in 18 year-olds, which is the official entry-level age.
But, Tour officials determined that Thompson qualifies in that regard as well. Or, maybe she’s the marketing boost the LPGA desperately needs. Either way, her education and social life won’t suffer. She is home-schooled so she won’t miss a high school prom. But, other youngsters who preceded her on the Tour, such as Michele Wie, have traveled rocky roads. It remains to be seen whether Thompson’s sojourn will be as rough.
Check our sources: USA Today
Animals: Hero Dog Awards
The American Humane Association’s inaugural Hero Dog Awards is this evening in Beverly Hills. Eight dogs are vying for the top honor. These finalists include amazing dogs who have devoted their lives to the care and safety of humans. Zurich is a Labrador who diligently cares for a woman who can no longer walk or speak. Sadie, a K-9 and arson dog, has worked hundreds of fires and helped in the apprehension of numerous felons.
Roselle, a guide dog, calmly led her handler down 1,463 stair steps in the World Trade Center on September 11, undeterred by falling debris and dust. Ricochet helps special-needs children and adults by surfing with them. And the short list goes on. If you can’t make the festivities tonight, don’t worry. They will be televised on the Hallmark Channel on November 11. Check your local listings for the broadcast time in your area.
Check our sources: MSNBC
September 24, 2011
Politics: Palestinians Seek Statehood
In yet another attempt at international recognition, the Palestinians this week sought statehood approval from the U.N. The U.S. vows to veto any such action by the international body acting alone. The Palestinians claim the territory that includes the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem. The move to seek U.N. approval is a unilateral attempt to get passed two decades of negotiations stymied by too much violence.
Trying to capitalize on the “Arab Spring”, the Palestinians characterize their drive for statehood as the “Palestinian Spring”. In response, the U.S., the U.N., the EU and the Russians urged Israel and the Palestinians to return to the negotiation table. No progress will be made without a negotiated agreement between those peoples on territorial divisions and security. Good luck.
Check our sources: ABC News
Economy: Dow Way Down
Suffering its worst seven-day decline in almost exactly two years, the Dow finished the week down 6.4 percent. Unabated fears of a Greek default and the U.S. economy slipping into a double dip triggered the loses. This week’s dive is the 6th steepest in the Dow’s 115-year history.
There is almost no confidence in the market right now. Most investors are sitting on the sidelines, waiting for something to happen. They aren’t sure what it might be or where it might come from, but the feelings on both counts are all negative. The only good news is that it’s too early for the September jobs report.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal
Science: Einstein Wrong?
Does anything travel faster than the speed of light? According to Alfred Einstein, no way. But, according to an anomalous occurrence this week at CERN, the physicist might just be wrong. And that would turn science on its head.
CERN, the world’s largest physics lab, produced results that suggest subatomic particles have gone faster than the speed of light. The scientists involved in the ‘discovery’ presented their work for evaluation by the scientific community. Much of modern physics is based on Einstein’s theory that the speed of light is the Universe’s maximum speed limit. If he’s wrong, it will be back to square one for theoretical physicists.
Check our sources: BBC
Health: It's Not The Distance
People often associate calories burned with distance. For example, the claim is often made that walking a mile and running a miles consumes the same amount of calories. But, since running is faster, it burns more calories in the same time period than walking. But, it turns out, this analysis is wrong.
The amount of calories burned depends on the rate of exertion, its duration, how much the performer weighs and his/her fitness level. Distance is not part of the equation. Regardless of weight or fitness level, the more vigorous the exercise the more calories consumed per unit of exercise time. But, heavier people and those who are less fit burn more calories at the same exercise intensity than lighter, fitter people. And that is at least some incentive to get started down Exercise Road.
Check our sources: CNN
Life: America's Ten Best
Businessweek has issued its annual list of America’s best, well-rounded cities. The winners fall along our coastlines, both East and West, with not a single Midwest city in the top ten. The rankings were based on many factors: the quality of life, school scores, the number of higher education institutions, cultural amenities, amount of green space and the presence of professional sports teams.
The cities are medium to large with populations that range from 206,405 to 1,297,618. Waterfront cities dominated the selection, with California represented by 30 percent of the slots. In reverse order, the top ten are: Anchorage, San Francisco, VA Beach, San Diego, D.C., Irvine, Scottsdale, Honolulu, Arlington and, at the apex, Raleigh.
Check our sources: Health News
Animals: And The Hambone Goes To...
The winner and runners up for the third annual Hambone award have been named. The prize is given to the pet with the most unusual pet insurance claim of the year. The pet insurance company, VPI, makes the determination. The prize is named for the dog who ate an entire ham while accidently locked inside a fridge. This year is no different than years past. There were several interesting claims to consider.
The second runner up is Stella Artois, the black lab, for dumpster diving her way to the ER. She came up from one of her dives with a green bean can embedded in her mouth. Ouch. First runner up is Chico the Chihuahua, who survived a tight squeeze from a Great Horned Owl’s talons. The winner is Harley, the pug who ingested one hundred rocks and then eliminated them in the usual way. Harley received a bronze trophy in the shape of a hambone and a swag bag of truly eatable delights.
Check our sources: VPI Hambone Award
September 17, 2011
Politics: 'Ponzi' Pros & Cons
Rick Perry’s characterization of Social Security as a Ponzi scheme has had two expected results. Conservatives, who agree that the entitlement program is unsustainable in its present form, support the claim. But, Independents, who believe that Perry wants to end the program completely, do not.
The reaction to Perry’s Ponzi remarks is a good bellwether of the road ahead for his campaign. Because he takes firm positions on issues, and because of his record, people often read into his statements meanings that may not be intended. So, he must be clear as well as firm in his messaging. In this case, of course, he’s wrong. Social Security is not a Ponzi scheme because taxpayers are always there to make up the increasing shortfall, which should be its ultimate undoing.
Check our sources: Politico
Economy: Pot Calls Kettle Black
In an ill-received warning, U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner sharply criticized European nations for teetering on the brink of debt disaster. He scolded them for not taking bolder action to cure their debt woes. But, with the U.S. lurching along the same cliff and still refusing to enact meaningful debt reduction, Geithner stirred more resentment than positive action.
Europe’s circumstances are dire. The economically stronger countries are weary of supporting those that dug very deep fiscal holes with no ability to crawl out on their own. The threat to European economic stability lies in the exposure of its banking system, which has lent billions to countries now unable to repay them. If the banks fail because the debtor countries default, the fallout will wreak economic havoc on the strong and the weak alike. Europe seems to have little choice but to keep bailing.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal
Science: Eyes Are Iffy Witnesses
Science has informed us for some time now that our eyes often deceive us. We’ve heard how eyewitness testimony, once believed to be the best kind, is really much less reliable than circumstantial evidence. That perception has been reinforced by years of watching various CSI shows on television. And now we have even more reason to doubt what our eyes tell us.
In a study from the University of Glasgow in Scotland, participants were shown different photos of the same stranger. Each photo showed the man’s face from a different angle. Participants identified the individual in different photos as different people. At the same time, they could reliably identify photos of people they knew despite different lighting conditions, facial expressions and angles. Seeing may be believing, but perception is simply one area where the eyes do not have it.
Check our sources: Science News
Health: The Color Dye Is Cast
The notion about the color of food being an important indicator of its beneficial value is back in vogue. Or, maybe it never left. According to a new 10-year study on stroke risk and prevention, eating white-fleshed fruits and vegetables, such as apples and cauliflower, is a preventative. O.k., not one hundred percent preventative, but eating an apple a day reduces stroke risk by fifty percent.
The study focused on the color of fruits and vegetables. It included 20,069 adult participants with no cardiovascular disease when the study began. The color groups were green, including lettuces and dark leafy veggies; orange/yellow, such as citrus; red/purple, which were mainly vegetables; and white. Only the white color varieties had the benefit of stroke risk reduction. But, before you rush out and buy a case of potato chips, potatoes aren’t included as a white vegetable. They’re just good old fashioned, and unhealthy, starch.
Check our sources: Health News
Life: Summer's Best, Worse Movies
Fifty-eight movies debuted this summer. Only critics and people with absolutely nothing else to do and no brain cells to burn went to see them all. The genres ranged from movies for the kiddies to deeply meaningful foreign films or so we’re told. Based on at least 100 reviews, a sampling of the worst-to-best movies of this waning season includes:
At the bottom: “Dylan Dog: Dead of the Night” a horror/comedy film that was merely laughable rather than funny. Somewhere in the middle: “Hobo With a Shotgun”, a gory thriller about, yes, a hobo and “Our Idiot Brother”, about an idiot brother. At the top, unsurprisingly: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2”, the final installment in the film series featuring the J.K. Rowling protagonist. Sadly, from this list of movies, summer blockbusters just aren’t what they used to be.
Check our sources: Rotten Tomatoes
Animals: In The Chips
The importance of microchipping pets was reinforced recently when a cat, gone for five years, was reunited with her family. The cat, named Willow, lived with her family in Broomfield, Colorado. One day, she simply disappeared. Five years later, she was taken to an animal shelter in Manhattan, where the chip was discovered. The story of her sojourn is a little sketchy. Apparently, a New Yorker found her on a Broomfield street and took her across country. After that, the story fades.
Fortunately for Willow, her Colorado family kept its address updated in the microchip registry. When the cat was found, her family was living in Boulder but the shelter located them with one phone call. Microchips are about the size of a grain of rice, implanting them is painless and without them lost pets are most often gone for life. The chips are great security for very little cost. They seem like a true no-brainer.
Check our sources: MSNBC
September 10, 2011
Politics: Jobs Plan Hits The Road
In a bizarre move, President Obama took his jobs pitch on the road to the University of Richmond on Friday. He implored the students to pressure lawmakers into supporting his package of tax cuts and $450 billion in “stimulus” spending. Obama urged his audience to post messages on Facebook and even use carrier pigeons to get the word out.
Unfortunately, the President did not offer a plan to pay for the stimulus, which is a smaller version of the 2009 package. Most of it will go to state and local governments and additional infrastructure projects. Obama did promise to reveal a deficit reduction plan next week. In that regard, his only comment is that people have to pay their “fair share”, which is his euphemism for a tax increase. He refuses to understand the counterproductive effect of increasing taxes during a recession. So, don’t look for positive results from his jobs proposal or the deficit reduction plan.
Check our sources: Washington Times
Economy: Jobs Plan Drops Market
Spurred by bad news on the European front and concerns over Obama’s jobs plan, the Dow Jones closed over 300 points lower on Friday. The close was the fifth drop in the last six sessions. All 30 Dow components closed in the red. Regarding Europe, the Market fears the increasing possibility of a Greek default. The effect on the global economy weighs on investor sentiment.
Bank of America’s shares fell 22 cents on Friday. Bank executives are considering 40,000 job cuts as part of the first wave of restructuring. The news came after Obama’s jobs speech. Businesses and investors are assessing whether the stimulus package is likely to have a positive effect and whether Congress will pass it. Congress has to do something, but what that turns out to be remains to be seen.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal
Science: Hollywood Joins Vaccine War
In the movie, “Contagion”, opening in theaters this weekend, Hollywood joins the vaccine wars. It enters on the side of vaccines against the currently popular homeopathic remedies. As expected, “Contagion” is over-the-top in its ripping of the anti-vaccine set. In the film, the hero is an epidemiologist tracking a contagious disease as it spreads around the world. The antagonist is an anti-vaccine activist and conspiracy theory blogger who tries to convince people that vaccines are harmful.
In real life, doubts and conspiracies swirl around vaccines for a variety of reasons, some valid, others not so much. One reason for the growth of anti-vaccine sentiment is the inability of science to prove the efficacy of vaccines on an individual basis. Even people who receive vaccines may get the disease. The effectiveness of the treatment is proven from studies of large groups of people and that’s not comforting enough for many.
Check our sources: Live Science
Health: And Then There Are The Kids
Speaking of vaccines, for kids the hot top is over vaccination. A new study is adding fuel to that fire. It suggests that three doses of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine are more than necessary. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the U.S. About fifty percent of sexually active people contract genital HPV at some time in their lives. In females, HPV can lead to cervical cancer.
Both the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend a course of three vaccinations for girls, beginning as early as age nine. However, the study, published this week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, states that two dosages are as effective as three. The study is the first to challenge conventional wisdom and even suggests that one dose may be sufficient. If the lower dosage is adequate, it could alleviate the hesitancy parents often have in allowing their daughters to be vaccinated. Poorer countries could also afford the treatment. Stay tuned for additional studies on the issue.
Check our sources: Health News
Life: Flight 93 Passengers Remembered
Ten years ago tomorrow at 8:42 a.m. EDT, United Airlines’ Flight 93 left Newark en route to San Francisco. The flight ended eighty-eight minutes later in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all on board. By the time Flight 93 took off that morning, Flight 11 was three minutes away from slamming into the South Tower. Flight 175 was eleven minutes from the North Tower. Flight 77, which would crash into the Pentagon sixty-one minutes after 93 took off, was nine minutes from being hijacked.
The Flight 93 passengers, realizing that their plane was also intended as a weapon, revolted against their hijackers 29 minutes after being commandeered. The crash in the field was the result. It cost the passengers their lives but saved those of many others. For the stories of each of the forty passengers who became heroes over Pennsylvania that day, please read our source.
Check our sources: Discovery News
Animals: The Problem With Rich Pets
We are sometimes admonished not to forget our pets in our wills and trusts lest the animals end up in shelters after we pass. However, some pet bequests create problems of their own. According to a study performed by Washington University School of Law, between twelve and twenty-seven percent of pet owners provide bequests for their pets.
That’s all well and good except that the law concerning pet bequests is still evolving. So, in order for pets to receive the benefit of their owners’ intentions, the legal documents must be drafted with care. They should name pet caretakers who are willing to comply with the terms of the bequest. If a final resting place is specified for the pet, lawyers should make sure it accepts animal remains. And then there’s the question of what happens to the money if it lasts longer than the pet. There’s no substitute for tight legal draftsmanship, except maybe immortality. But, only maybe.
Check our sources: Yahoo
September 3, 2011
Politics: Turkey Roasts Israel
In a fit of pique, Turkey sent the Israeli ambassador in Ankara packing this week. The Turks are upset over Israel’s refusal to apologize for the deaths of nine Turkish citizens in May 2010. The nine were killed when a Turkish ship tried to run Israel’s blockade of the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. The ship was allegedly carrying humanitarian supplies for the Palestinians.
Israeli commandos boarded the vessel and a skirmish broke out. Israel has agreed to pay compensation for the deaths and is willing to express regret for the loss of life. However, Turkey demands a formal apology. Also this week, the United Nations ruled the Israeli blockade legal and found that the commandos killed the Turks in self-defense. Nevertheless, Turkey has vowed legal action.
Check our sources: Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Economy: Zero Jobs Growth
For the first time since 1945, the US experienced a month with no net job creation. Experts were surprised at the dismal report. They had predicted an addition of 70,000 new jobs in August. But, they’ve been surprised more often than not since the Great Recession supposedly ended more than two years ago. The unemployment rate remains at 9.1%.
The Labor Department also revised downward the job growth numbers for June and July. In June, only 20,000 jobs were created, down from the 46,000 first reported. In July, the number of new jobs was 85,000 rather than the 117,000 reported earlier. Companies with their bottom lines still in the black are hesitant to hire. They fear a second recession. And they aren’t alone.
Check our sources: BBC
Science: No Good News For Obesity
The news about the effects of obesity never gets better. This week, two studies were published that continue the bad news trend. Obesity can trigger inflammation in the fat cells just below the skin that makes body fat toxic. Kind of like a weapon of mass destruction except the mass is you and its you that’s getting destroyed by it.
The toxicity creates an environment for the development of both diabetes and heart disease and we know what that means. The studies also revealed that all types of body fat can be dangerous, not just the deep fat of previous research focus. Until the studies were published this week, scientists assumed that subcutaneous fat was harmless. But, not if you’re obese. For you, all fat is bad.
Check our sources: Science News
Health: Getting Kids To Love Exercise
In the fight against childhood obesity, getting kids to exercise is a powerful weapon. But, how is it done? Like anything we do, the more we like it, the more we do it. So, the key to getting kids to exercise is to get them to love it. And, like most good things children learn, the loving exercise lessons begin at home.
Getting kids to really love something so that they do it often, without parental prompting, is a lesson in itself. Don’t bribe them to exercise or put it on their chores’ list. Don’t leave it to instructors of exercise classes. Start with being a good role model and exercise yourself – with enthusiasm and joy, not dread and drudgery. Use exercise as a reward, not a punishment. And make it a happy and special family activity. The kids will be off and exercising on their own before you know it.
Check our sources: Health News
Life: Honesty Pays, Just Not As Much
A charity event raffled tickets for a chance to win $50,000 by shooting a hockey puck through a barely big-enough hole 89 feet distant. A father bought a ticket for one of his 11-year old twin sons, writing his son’s name on the entry form. But, just before the drawing, the son with his name on the ticket left the arena with pals. The kid gave his ticket to his twin brother. Sure enough, the kid’s ticket was drawn. So, the twin took the shot. And made it.
The next day, the family came forward and admitted that it was the twin, rather than the contest entrant, who performed the feat. The event promoters thought about it for a while and finally decided that the raffle rules were violated and denied the prize. But, they also donated $20,000 in the name of the brothers to youth hockey in their home state. The question a lot of people had was why the parents allowed their sons to claim the prize even for one day. Turns out, it was the kids who felt badly and got the parents to ‘fess up.At least one example of the "child shall lead them" thing.
Check our sources: AOL
Animals: Those Clever Dolphins
A couple of years ago, scientists came up with the idea that dolphins are the second-smartest air-breathers on the planet. I guess they still think humans are at the top of that list. Anyway, a recent observation of dolphin behavior has reinforced the belief in the superior intelligence of the species.
A group of bottlenose dolphins in Australia has created a two-fer tool, one that both catches fish and serves as the serving dish. The dolphins use a conch to collect yummy fish and then bring it to the surface where they shake the conch with their beaks. The fish trapped inside drop into the open dolphin mouths. Pretty clever. What’s even more clever is that other dolphins who observe the behavior adopt it. This so-called "horizontal spread" of behavior is the first ever documented in species other than humans.
Check our sources: Discovery News
August 27, 2011
Politics: Perry Pulls Ahead
With his campaign still in its infancy, Rick Perry has zoomed past Mitt Romney as the Republican frontrunner in the race for the presidential nomination. Polls show Perry with a double-digit lead over the former Massachusetts Governor. The Texan shows no signs of slowing down as he continues his attack on his GOP rival.
Meanwhile, Romney mostly ignores Perry and continues his attacks on President Obama, a target more to Mitt’s liking. In fact, Romney has always shied away from criticizing fellow Republicans. He might be looking down the road to having one of them as his 2012 running mate. Or, he just may not have the stomach for an intra-party fight. If that’s the case, don’t look for him to be on the GOP ticket next year.
Check our sources: Fox News
Economy: No News Is No News
With the economy continuing it’s stall out, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke pledged persistent efforts to get it going again. Unfortunately, he was not specific about what the Fed will, or even can, do to kick start it. He also failed to give a date for the Fed’s next supportive move. About all it has done in the past is keep interest rates at virtual ground zero.
In the much-anticipated speech, Bernanke only said that he would have more to say next month on actions the Fed might take. The Dow’s response was mixed. In related news, GDP growth continues to disappoint. The Commerce Department revised downward the rate of GDP growth in the second quarter from 1.3 percent to a single percent. That dismal performance followed on the heels of the abysmal 0.4 percent first quarter growth rate. And they insist we aren’t in a recession again.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal
Science: Still Primitive After All These Years
In case you think the human race has advanced past our primitive years, think again. According to new research, 20 percent of all major civil conflicts since 1950 are linked to El Nino conditions. We aren’t talking climate change here. We are referring to cyclic weather events. El Ninos are periods of warming in surface waters of the central equatorial Pacific lasting one year or longer.
The researchers define “major” as a conflict between a government and other parties that cost at least 25 lives. The study finds that El Ninos tend to cause droughts, torrential rains and other weather conditions that can devastate crops. Loss of crops leads to food shortages, high unemployment and a lot of civil unrest. The study is based on the analysis of 234 conflicts in 175 nations that occurred between 1950 and 2004.
Check our sources: Science News
Health: Anti Antibiotics
We’ve heard for years that taking too many antibiotics create immune bacteria. A new study finds that overdosing on the drugs has another problem. It harms good bacteria and has the potential for changing our entire bacterial makeup. The ingestion of too many antibiotics can promote the development of type 1 diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease and allergies by destroying protective bacteria.
The most common use of antibiotics is in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. They can also be used to treat minor discomforts and aid in the healing of minor wounds. But, overuse results in the diminished effectiveness of the drugs. For decades, doctors have over-prescribed antibiotics in the belief that there are no harmful side-effects. We now know this thinking is wrong. The solution is to prescribe the drugs only when necessary and not as a preventative panacea.
Check our sources: Health News
Life: Sweet On Rice
How would you like Moammar Gaddafi as your secret admirer? You’d probably pass, but former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, doesn’t have that option. According to photo albums discovered by Libyan rebels rummaging through Gaddafi’s compound this week, Rice was a special favorite of the long-time dictator.
In a 2007 Al-Jazeera interview, Gaddafi expressed his love for Rice. While her friends call her “Condi”, Gaddafi referred to Rice as “Leezza”. Regardless, his feelings for her might explain his move to get rid of weapons of mass destruction and mend fences with the West. We can be thankful for that and even more thankful for his ouster this week at the hands of the rebels.
Check our sources: USA Today
Animals: Natural Disaster Predictors?
With this week’s earthquake rocking the East Coast, animals’ purported ability to sense natural disasters is back in the news. When the tsunami hit Sri Lanka in 2005, the media reported dozens of stories of local animals fleeing to safety ahead of the first wave. And it was animals of all kinds, like dogs, flamingos, elephants and other zoo animals.
After the 5.8 quake struck this week, the National Zoo at the Smithsonian issued a report on the pre-shake behavior of animals in its care. Gorillas abandoned their food and moved to higher ground. Lemurs shrieked. Monkeys howled. Elks were alarmed. Snakes writhed. Why? We’re not sure. They may detect seismic vibrations or hear sounds outside the human range of hearing. Or, they might be more in touch with nature. Which may be the trick to emulating their senses. Come to ours.
Check our sources: WNYC
August 20, 2011
Politics: Healthcare Bitten by Politics Bug
When the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals struck down Obamacare’s individual mandate as unconstitutional, it raised up a thorny issue for the Administration. The healthcare law is headed to the U.S. Supreme Court because of conflicting rulings at the Federal appellate court level. But, as in comedy, timing in politics is everything. Obama’s re-election campaign is already bogged down in nothing but bad news. Things would get immeasurably worse if the Highest Court in the land invalidated the nation’s healthcare law in the near term.
What’s a political president to do? Slow roll the issue so it doesn’t see the light of a Supreme Court day until after the 2012 election. Even if the High Court left the rest of the law intact, invalidating the individual mandate would sound the death knell for the landmark legislation. It would be back to the drawing board for Congress. Given the current political climate, Obamacare would be a thing of the past. If that happens before November 2012, so will its namesake’s term in office.
Check our sources: Fox News
Economy: Dow Swamped by Choppy Seas
For the past four weeks, the Dow has been on a wild ride, finishing in the red in each of them. In the last two days of this week, it fell over 5 percent. It is down 11 percent for the month and over 6% for the year. The impetus for the various falls is two-fold: the chronic gloom and doom over the U.S. economy and Europe’s debt woes.
The fear for the U.S. economy is that it is slipping gradually, but inexorably, into a second recession. A stream of data poured in this week that point to an economic slowdown. Across The Pond, European banks are in worse financial shape than previously believed. Much more unwelcomed news and a double dip is inevitable. Meanwhile, investment in gold futures is up. When in doubt, put your money in precious metals.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal
Science: Lost in the Periphery
Science doesn’t have a good handle on how human brains cull the flood of visual information constantly streaming into our eyes. But, things are looking up. A new study found that it’s not as complicated as it seems. We’re simply not masters of perception. We stem the tide of information by mostly ignoring our peripheral vision.
The study tested the human powers of observation. It found that we are oblivious to events occurring on the periphery of our vision. Things like a woman’s face dissolving into a fountain, a stroller turning into a blob and windows melding into trees were overlooked. In ignoring the extraneous, the brain is giving us information that we need and discarding that which we don’t need. Seems risky but so far, so good.
Check our sources: Science News
Health: Sniffing Out Disease
The olfactory sense in dogs may be a lifesaver for humans suffering from early stages of lung cancer. A study published in the European Respiratory Journal found that four dogs were 71 percent accurate in detecting the cancer. They included two German shepherds, an Australian shepherd and a Labrador. The dogs detected the disease by sniffing breath samples from 220 volunteers, less than 25 percent of whom had lung cancer.
After nine months of training, the dogs learned to sniff the samples and sit down in front of those with the smell of lung cancer. Canines can detect developing cancer much earlier than the human medical profession, which vastly improves the chances of survival for sufferers. Someday, we may be able to duplicate this ability electronically. Right after we understand how the dogs’ do it.
Check our sources: Health News
Life: Deep Throat Commemorated
Watergate’s ‘Deep Throat’ parking garage got a historical marker this week. The garage, located in Rosslyn, Virginia, was the site of six meetings between the confidential informant and Bob Woodward of the Washington Post. The rendezvous occurred over a thirteen-month period from October 1972 to November 1973. ‘Deep Throat’ revealed himself to the world in 2005. He was Mark Felt, Deputy Director of the FBI, who died in 2008.
According to historians, the information on the marker contains several historical errors. The first one pertains to the date the marker was erected. It lists the momentous occasion as 2008. Oops. The next is that it credits ‘Deep Throat’ with imparting more information than he actually did. But, there’s no denying that Richard Nixon resigned the presidency because of the scandal. And the marker does draw tourists. Isn’t that the real point?
Check our sources: USA Today
Animals: Aha! A Footstool Moment
Elephants are usually thought of as wise and having really good memories. Now they are also known for their problem solving ability, a skill not previously attributed to them. A young Asian elephant in the National Zoo used a cube as a footstool to reach a cluster of fruit on a hanging branch.
The elephant, named Kandula, performed the feat repeatedly over the course of several days using both the cube and a tire. The inspiration came without any trial and error. The elephant simply performed the task in a single try. Only a few species, including humans, crows and chimpanzees, among others, have demonstrated spontaneous insight. Kandula’s was one small step for elephants and a huge leap in problem solving for elephant kind.
Check our sources: National Geographic
August 13, 2011
Politics: Obamacare Takes Another Hit
The U.S. Appeals Court for the Eleventh Circuit struck down Obamacare’s “individual mandate” provision as unconstitutional. The decision issued in a suit brought by 26 states against the enforceability of the federal health care law. The lower court invalidated the entire law but the Circuit Court restricted its ruling to the individual mandate.
According to the Appellate ruling, the mandate exceeds Congressional authority to regulate interstate commerce. Allowing the mandate would grant Congress unlimited power to regulate anything and everything. The ruling places two Federal Circuit Courts in conflict on the issue, which virtually guarantees Supreme Court Review, as if that wasn’t going to happen anyway.
Check our sources: NPR
Economy: Unions Go Postal
O.k., that’s a Fox headline but it’s too good to pass up. The two largest Postal Service unions are reacting strongly, and negatively, to USPS downsizing and cost cutting proposals made this week. The proposals would cut up to 120,000 employees and replace the current federal health plan with a new program of lesser benefits.
For the second year in a row, the Post Office will loose at least $8 billion. In the past four, the Post Office has cut 110,000 jobs. The Internet and the decline in mail advertising have severely impacted revenue. Whether the layoffs will occur is up to Congress. If it doesn’t act and losses continue, the Post Office won’t be able to make a payment due in September because its borrowing limit has been reached. Sound familiar?
Check our sources: Fox News
Science: Facial Recognition Faces Challenges
The riots rocking Great Britain present a unique opportunity, and challenge, for facial recognition technology. In order to identify rioters, British law enforcement is feeding photo images into its updated face-matching program. The software will help find those suspected of involvement in the worst unrest London has suffered in a generation.
Even so, facial recognition will only be a small part of the identification process. The public is so enraged at the rioters that people are coming forward in relatively large numbers to finger those responsible for the widespread destruction. The police have also uploaded two dozen photos to the Flickr website. The photo pages already have over 400,000 hits. Good old fashion police work is also getting results. Several officers have i.d.ed suspects as people they’ve arrested in the past.
Check our sources: MSNBC
Health: More Reasons not to Smoke
As if we needed any more of them, two new studies have come up with three additional reasons to quit smoking or never start. Turns out, smoking first thing in the morning significantly increases the risk of developing lung, head and neck cancers. Makes you want to get up and light up.
The Penn State College of Medicine found that indulging within 30 minutes of waking increases the risk of head and neck cancer by 59 percent. The risk of developing lung cancer increases by a whopping 79 percent over waiting a mere 30 minutes more to inhale. Scientists have no explanation for the increased risks other than those who can’t wait even 30 minutes for their first hit are way too addicted. So, if you want your life to go up in smoke even faster, light up early and often.
Check our sources: Health News
Life: Nuptials Nixed
Despite an Internet petition signed by over 7,000 people, Bert and Ernie, the Sesame Street characters, will not wed. Or lip lock. Or even hold hands, although they do share a house and a bedroom on the hit TV show. Their living arrangement has encouraged speculation among some that the characters are gay. Based on this belief, the petition supporters are encouraging Sesame Street to use the Muppets as positive role models for LGBT children.
However, Sesame Workshop, the entity behind the TV show, insists that Bert and Ernie are just friends. They were created to teach preschoolers that people can be very good friends with those who are different than themselves. Moreover, while the two Muppets are identified as male and possess human characteristics, they do not have a sexual orientation. Let’s hope this one is now put to rest.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal
Animals: So, You Wanna Read Better?
If your child wants to be a better reader, get a dog. Not that improved reading is the only reason to grace your child’s life with a furry companion, but it is one side benefit. How will Fido help with the A, B, C’s? Just read out loud to him or her. Reading to the canine member of the family makes for a better reader.
Why? Dog are great listeners. They’re nonjudgmental and silently appreciative of the attention. These traits turn a challenging task into a positive exchange, which helps to boost kids confidence. It also increases their ability and desire to read. After reading is conquered, dogs can help in college, too, as well as in other environments. They can calm the panic that accompanies midterms, still the fears of hospital tests and even ease the anxiety of PTSD. Pets are not only good to us, they’re good for us, too.
Check our sources: ABC News
August 6, 2011
Politics: Follow the Money
People with big money are giving big to President Obama and Mitt Romney, the top two presidential candidates. With the individual donor limit of $2,500, how are they doing it? By first maxing out that contribution and then giving all they want to election PACs for the candidates. About half the money donated so far this year to Romney’s PAC has come from individuals who also contributed the maximum of $2,500. In Obama’s case, the vast majority of PAC donors also gave the individual limit.
How big a deal is this? It allows the richest contributors to back their candidates with unlimited resources. For example, four wealthy Obama contributors maxed out their individual contributions and then gave a combined total of $2.6 million to his PAC. Similar contributions have been donated to Romney’s PAC. According to Obama’s people, these gifts may violate the spirit of the campaign laws, but victory requires it. After all, no price is too high for successfully perverting our system of democracy.
Check our sources: ABC News
Economy: U.S. Credit Rating Downgraded
For the first time in U.S. history, Standard & Poor’s downgraded our credit rating. The triple-A rating that the U.S. held for 70 years is now AA+. This means that U.S. Treasury debt is no longer among the safest investments in the world. As of now, more than one dozen countries are better investment bets that we are.
The ratings firm action was the result of the debt ceiling legislation negotiated by Congress and the White House this week. It failed miserably to address the chronic debt problems facing this country. Unfortunately for all of us, the politicians currently in power have no stomach for facing the problems they’ve created let alone developing sound fiscal solutions. The only question now is who will win the next race – us to oust the current bunch or them to destroy what’s left.
Check our sources: Wall Street Journal
Science: Why We Hate Some Names
Just for the fun of it, the U.S. Social Security Administration keeps a list of the most popular baby names each year. The cost of this little exercise is probably too small to impact our ginormous Social Security shortfall, but that’s another story. Unfortunately, no government agency keeps track of the most hated baby names let alone why we don’t like them.
A recent informal survey found some of the reasons. Familiarity breeds contempt. So names that were once popular are now despised because of overuse. Then there are the gender-bender names that were once masculine but have become feminine, like Madison and Addison. Don’t give your son one of those monikers. Ordinary names aren’t high on the loved list, either, because we’re too unconventional. The best advice is to go with whatever name you like for your offspring. He or she can always change it.
Check our sources: Live Science
Health: I'll Still Love You in the Morning
According to a new study, the current dating trend for young Americans shows a clear preference for short-term rather than long-term relationships. “Stayover” relationships provide an easy out when the romance goes stale. They also avoid those messy entanglements of living together or, worse, getting married.
But, stayovers aren’t as brief as they sound. The dating couple spends three or four nights together and then apart for the rest of the week. Many young people are opting to complete their education and getting started in their careers before settling down. Stayovers fill a social need without the baggage that longer-term relationships generate. Whatever.
Check our sources: Feed My Science
Life: In the 'Hood
Most of us should be very thankful if we’re lucky enough to have normal people as neighbors because many do not. Take the fellow in Australia who used a chain saw to carve a four-foot sculpture of a hand flipping the bird. And then sat it on his front lawn in a highly visible location. The hand is turned the wrong way so it’s giving him the finger. But, still.
Turns out he’s been a real sweetheart in his community for quite a while. He’s head butted one neighbor and shoulder-barged another. And, among other things, he’s used the hot air of a leaf blower to chase off a couple on his block. He’s the neighbor from hell according to one resident who is too frightened to be named. Be glad he’s not yours.
Check our sources: AOL
Animals: Rare Bear Attack
Yesterday, a polar bear in Norway killed a teen age British tourist and injured four others in what’s been described as a rare attack. But, it is the second year in a row that a visitor to the same region has been attacked by a polar bear. Even so, in the 125 years preceding 2008, the bears only killed eight people in Canada and Alaska.
The reasons for the small number of attacks are well-known. First, just not that many humans wander into polar bear territory. Second, when they do, they are pretty high risk targets for the bears. For example, the visitor attacked in the first Norwegian incident was saved when travelling companions shot and killed the bear. Seals are fatter and don’t carry guns. Attacks on humans, when they do happen, are usually motivated by a desire to protect cubs or just plain hunger.
Check our sources: Discovery
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