-
Crime: Ex-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s company accused of fraud
Source: Jack Dorsey's Block shares plunge after Hindenburg report on fraud Some estimates ranged from 40-75% of accounts on the…
Continue reading »
-
The “Lily Collins” Facebook hack is still underway
Facebook has no control over the hack. It's being blamed on a Google Chrome extension - but I don't use…
Continue reading »
-
How did a 2FA protected Facebook account get hacked?
Through a mistake in Facebook's account management that enabled a hacker to attach a victim's phone number (linked to the…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Federal Reserve interest rates over time
This chart illustrates how the Fed got way behind on interest rates, will a crushing rapid rate hike sequence. The…
Continue reading »
-
Public health oops: Excessive cleaning may have caused health problems
We now know that the extra cleaning was unlikely to have helped limit the spread of Covid-19, but it did…
Continue reading »
-
DPReview.com is dead
Amazon will shut down DPReview on April 10, 2023. Content will go read only until they eventually take it offline.…
Continue reading »
-
Social: The Metaverse is dead
There will be no press release, no big announcement, as he would have to acknowledge that he was wrong. But make…
Continue reading »
-
Published in Nature: “Political endorsements can affect scientific credibility”
In 2020, Nature endorsed Joe Biden in the US presidential election. A survey finds that viewing the endorsement did not…
Continue reading »
-
Facebook destroyed my Facebook account
This morning I received a bizarre email, addressed to my email address but with someone else's name and photo: The…
Continue reading »
-
“Long COVID: The truth about it is emerging, and it’s not what we thought.”
The flood of patients never materialized. Why? Source: Long COVID: The truth about it is emerging, and it’s not what…
Continue reading »
-
Moral hazard: Insure all bank deposits?
The federal government should expand its guarantee to all bank deposits regardless of size in order to slow bank runs,…
Continue reading »
-
More tech layoffs
Amazon will lay off 9,000 more employees, CEO Andy Jassy said in a memo to staff Monday. Source: Amazon layoffs:…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: NY Times-“The evidence that high inflation is coming is weak”.
It takes a special kind of expert to be wrong more often than a coin flip. Here, the NY Times…
Continue reading »
-
Health care: “Most headache-related brain scans aren’t needed”
Brain MRI's are said to have little value in treating patients with headaches - but we do ever more of…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Automation: “Banks turn to automation to realize efficiency gains”
Automation will increasingly support customer experience improvements, product releases and other client-relations objectives, analysts said. Source: Banks turn to automation…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Will automation solve the labor shortage?
Peter Zeihan suggests perhaps, maybe, kinda, we hope'ish that automation may help with labor shortages. Some think automation is hard…
Continue reading »
-
Business, Demographics: TechCos might drop 4-year degree requirement
She believes the mismatch is two-fold: the time it takes to hire is too long, and hiring overlooks underrepresented groups.…
Continue reading »
-
Idiocy: The Post of the Day
Am thinking of making this topic a regular feature - but there are not enough days in the year and…
Continue reading »
-
The Academic-Media-Public Health Industrial Complex
The trio worked together to suppress true information - specifically to suppress facts they knew to be true but preferred…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Czech is why we must all wear cloth face masks
March 2020 In the spring of 2020, Covid case counts were low in the Czech Republic. A native writer from…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: University opens up senior housing for age 65+
Combining the amenities of college life with the wallets and activity desires of older adults. Source: Retiring to college at…
Continue reading »
-
Business Oops: How could anyone have seen SVB’s collapse coming?
https://twitter.com/RagingVentures/status/1615826088038473733?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1615826088038473733%7Ctwgr%5E4bafb7bbdef42defdc1881615f624c528dc0bba6%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ffortune.com%2F2023%2F03%2F10%2Fsilicon-valley-bank-svb-short-seller-william-martin-twitter-2-months%2F Raging Ventures saw it coming and posted the details on Twitter on January 18, 2023, two months in advance…
Continue reading »
-
Business, Economy: Google won’t honor previous commitments to some laid off workers
Google's employee motto used to be "Don't be evil". They dropped that a few years ago and have not looked…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Economy: Subscriptions everywhere
In a low fertility rate, declining population growth and eventually shrinkage, businesses can no longer depend on the traditional expanding…
Continue reading »
-
Software-> Very nice: “Python-based compiler achieves orders-of-magnitude speedups”
Codon is a new tool that compiles Python code to run it more efficiently and effectively while allowing for customization…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: School closures
KUOW - Bellevue School Board to vote on school closures DPS recommends closing 3 DPS schools this year as enrollment…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: American colleges in crisis
Source: American colleges in crisis with enrollment decline largest on record | Fortune What first looked like a pandemic blip has turned…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Colleges ending some humanities offerings
Two linked Minnesota Roman Catholic institutions are reducing language and other humanities offerings, including nixing all its ancient Greek and…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: High school to close due to enrollment decline
Bishop Connolly High School will close for good at the end of the school year due to a continued drop…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Downtown office vacancy rates
Portland 26% San Francisco - 25.5% Minneapolis 23% Detroit 23% Atlanta 21% Houston 22% Dallas 21% Nashville 21% Austin 19%…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: “Trust in public health shattered”
Am surprised its only half: Trust in public health has been shattered—half of America has lost faith in the scientific…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: “Too big to fail” is back
And just like that, it's back: SVB, Signature bank failures: Yellen says only uninsured deposits at banks deemed a systemic…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: ‘Microcredentials’ and certifications may replace college degrees
As the young cohort shrinks due to our longstanding low fertility rate, the endless supply of new college students -…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Oregon acknowledges most people cannot afford EVs, but is suspending state’s EV subsidy
Cognitive dissonance? Everyone must buy an EV but they are too expensive so must be subsided by other people's taxes.…
Continue reading »
-
AI: Demand for reporters who can write stories sourced to social media posts just collapsed
Microsoft is pitching the Copilot features as being more powerful than simply being “OpenAI’s ChatGPT embedded into Microsoft 365,” the…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: France raises retirement age from 62 to 64
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday resorted to using special constitutional powers to push his plan to raise the retirement…
Continue reading »
-
Today is the 3rd annual “15 days to flatten the curve” National Holiday
Today is the 3rd annual "15 days to flatten the curve" National Holiday. Most people celebrate it on March 15,…
Continue reading »
-
Business: With new layoffs, Meta will have laid off 25% of its workforce
I'm so old, I remember months ago when we needed to import more temporary tech workers from abroad - ahhhh,…
Continue reading »
-
Mission Creep: What happened to public health?
Dating to the 1700s and earlier the roots of public health had been the noblest of endeavors, doctors and engineers…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Experts said we would happily live with Covid restrictions for eternity
Most articles I read during the pandemic crowed that the bulk of humanity was ready to embrace a constricted life…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: Lack of experienced crews may play role in recent aviation incidents
There have been a lot of well publicized (and far more, not publicized) aviation "near miss" incidents in recent months.…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Meta/Facebook/IG to lay off 10,000, cancel 5,000 job openings
The alleged shortage of tech workers is resolving itself. Meta layoffs: 10,000 more workers to be cut in restructuring (cnbc.com)…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “The winter COVID wave that wasn’t”
Despite projections the U.S. could see more than 100 million COVID-19 cases this fall and winter, the country did not…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Official says Japan may “disappear” due to the population decline
An advisor to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has expressed fear that Japan will cease to exist if birthrates continue…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “Zeynep Tufekci Keeps Getting the Big Things Right – The New York Times”
The NY Times relied upon a software engineer who retrained in sociology to study the intersection of technology and society…
Continue reading »
-
Banking: What happens next in SVB fallout?
SVB depositors will probably be bailed out by the taxpayers because SVB will be labeled "Too Big To Fail". (UPDATE…
Continue reading »
-
Expert Follow up: Prof. Zeynup Tufekci’s 2020 Covid forecasts
By the time it was over, Slovakia had the 11th highest mortality rate in the world. But to her, in…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Will a lot of Tesla’s go on the used market soon?
The Tesla driving tech startup crowd that just lost their cash in the SVB bank failure might be putting their…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Forbes says SVB one of America’s Best Banks
And did this just 3 days before the bank collapsed. Experts rule! Seems likely that SVB will be declared "Too…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Amazon Prime Air drone deliveries a fiasco
Amazon blames the FAA but the reality is the technology has not yet proven itself as effective and safe. Source:…
Continue reading »
-
That didn’t take long: Because it’s “different this time”
As soon as you hear the words "but it's different this time", it's time to sell everything: Silicon Valley Bank…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up, Economy: How to turn $320/share into $0/share using this one weird trick
The trick is to listen to Jim Cramer - who pushed SVB stock just a month ago. Today the company…
Continue reading »
-
Autos: Average new car price $45,000+, and sells above list price
I am so old, I remember a year ago when inflation would be mild and temporary - the good 'ol…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: New Pfizer drug doesn’t work on 76% of patients?
Among the 1,405 people who participated in the trial between October 2020 and August 2021, about 24% of those who…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: How high interest rates and digital currency collapse has led to a bank run
This could get ugly very quickly: At Silvergate the problem was a run on deposits that began last year, when…
Continue reading »
-
Stanford University and others sought massive censorship of Internet content
The Virality Project is part of the Stanford Internet Observatory which trolled the Internet looking for "misinformation" and "disinformation" -…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: How worker shortages are affecting everyone
A good Bloomberg article on the labor shortage, the demographic problem shrinking our labor pool, and the reality of what…
Continue reading »
-
Bill Gates: Telling people to live in the dark and not eat meat will not solve climate change
It’s unrealistic to expect climate change to be meaningfully mitigated by expecting global demand for energy to drop significantly or…
Continue reading »
-
Tech: Is interest in VR helmets waning?
Meanwhile, he acknowledged that the current Quest is struggling to keep new users engaged. “Right now, we’re on our third…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: General Motors planning to downsize large number of workers
https://twitter.com/dylandulberg/status/1633837276437565446/
Continue reading »
-
Public health and political officials accountable?
In April 2020, we wrote: 'Lockdown is going to bankrupt all of us and our descendants and is unlikely at…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: The inability to build new electric transmission lines
The inability to construct new, large electric transmission lines over hundreds of miles hampers the ability to use "Green energy"…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Business raising prices arbitrarily, because they can; using “inflation story” as a cover
He had the idea long before Covid upended supply chains, realizing he could quickly push through price increases when news…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: What happened to Tomás Pueyo? He’s back
In early March of 2020, Tomas Pueyo wrote a post that argued in favor of school closures and strict lockdowns…
Continue reading »
-
Brain injuries: “A third of all brain injuries go unreported – NZ Herald”
The likelihood of having a second concussion is high and damage can be cumulative. So even if the number one…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Public health fan group wants the public health emergency to continue forever
Socialist public health fan group is demanding the public health emergency remain in place forever and DEMANDS (capital letters!) a…
Continue reading »
-
Climate oops: Those pushing ban on gas stoves serving own business interests
Founders of Rewiring America, an environmental advocacy dark money group pushing to regulate and ban natural gas-powered stoves, have a…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Only the elite will afford to fly – American Air to match Delta’s new high pay scales
Last week, Delta became the first of the biggest U.S. airlines to reach a new contract with its pilots, inking…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Average price of cars skyrocket – because automakers have stopped making lower end cars
Apparently customers want only expensive, high-end, oversized, luxury cars now? Lower-end vehicles are more costly and less available than they…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: NYC Mayor wants shoppers to remove their masks
Who could have seen this coming? It's a mystery ... New York City Mayor Eric Adams called on shop owners…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: 38% inflation in two years
Two years ago, my hair cut cost $18. Today it costs $25. That's a 38% price increase in 2 years.…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Inflation Adjusted Housing Prices
Inflation-Adjusted Housing Prices show that housing prices don't "always go up" giving an unbiased look w/o inflation clouding the picture.…
Continue reading »
-
Software: Dark patterns in UI design
Gee, see anything unusual in this user interface prompt at a web site I just visited?
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: How public health fooled America
This column was published in November 2021. Looking back, everything said in the column proved to be true. Source: How…
Continue reading »
-
Elon Musk reveals former employee’s private medical information
And in his Twitter exchange, Musk mocks the disabled. https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1633011448459964417?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1633016157568651264%7Ctwgr%5Edba4534f9f0a75b7f3a0261394d533d03dab08e6%7Ctwcon%5Es2_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fgizmodo.com%2Fembed%2Finset%2Fiframe%3Fid%3Dtwitter-1633016157568651264autosize%3D1 Apparently, Musk has not heard of voice-to-text systems. I wonder…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “No Snow” California coming
A year ago: A 'no snow' California could come sooner than you think - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com) A year…
Continue reading »
-
Software: Microsoft adds ChatGPT to no-code/low-code software creation tools
Microsoft Corp on Monday bundled the technology behind ChatGPT with its Power Platform that allows users to develop applications with…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Businesses pushing “premiumization” to squeeze more from customers
They are doing a mix of practices attempting to persuade you that their products or services are a "premium" offering…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Many confused by media disinformation
https://twitter.com/texasrunnerDFW/status/1632181048657281028 First, it's the fertility rate issue - 75% of the world's population lives in countries where the fertility rate…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Percent of teens who work at jobs
In about 1979, about 60% of teens held a job (age 16-19). This fell to 35% by 2019 and is…
Continue reading »
-
What’s old is new again: “Working Weekends is New Normal For Tech Layoff Survivors”
Back in the 1980s, tech companies promoted something called "flex time" - meaning you could, allegedly, set your own start…
Continue reading »
-
Brain injuries: Long-Term Cognitive Deficits Seen With Traumatic Brain Injury
I should not even be functional: The researchers found that people who reported three or more concussions had significantly worse…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Tesla thinking of entering residential heat pump business
I already have one for electric heating at our home: What Is a Heat Pump? Why Elon Musk Wants Tesla…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Security guards replaced by autonomous robots
Robot security guards are patrolling office hallways, spotting problems and telling jokes. Source: Security robots are starting to replace human…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: “Deploy the new variant”
https://twitter.com/MichaelPSenger/status/1632150149811273728
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Tracked cell phones and used stake outs to shut down churches
https://twitter.com/davidzweig/status/1632405066761007107 See the links at the right of this page for the many dozens of Court rulings against public health…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Owning a house is a hedge against inflation
Source: Why AI Won't Cause Unemployment - Marc Andreessen Substack It is interesting to see that hospitals, colleges dominated by…
Continue reading »
-
Brain injuries: Brain injuries frequently neglected in treatment
"That being said, there are some wonderful medical providers, therapy providers who thoroughly understand brain injury. I work with colleagues…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: ChatGPT is automating software development
Yes, ChatGPT can generate software solutions. I have used this feature, so far only as a demo/test of what it…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: New York Times notices the population birth rate issue
Even more shocking - the NY Times notices that all the government programs to increase birth rates have not worked:…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Vaccinated and boosted, TV personality gets Covid for the third time
The TODAY co-anchor did not continue on the show on Feb. 28 after testing positive. Source: Savannah Guthrie Tests Positive…
Continue reading »
-
Brain injuries: “Power Slap League: a brutal ‘sport’ that may leave contestants with brain damage”
Power Slap - There is nothing entertaining or sportsman-like about this atrocity. Dana White is the definition of fucking asshole,…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: About 100% of US population now has some degree of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2
This is from the NIH - indicating that today essentially the entire population has some form of antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Robotic nursing assistant
https://twitter.com/HumanVsMachine/status/1632091609243197444
Continue reading »
-
Climate oops: “When scientific integrity is undermined in pursuit of financial and political gain”
Apparently, many climate experts have financial conflicts while dispensing allegedly independent advice - pretty much like the financial conflicts that…
Continue reading »
-
Healthcare: Avoiding the elephant in in plain sight ->”Why Do So Many Men Avoid Doctor’s Visits?”
This NY Times report misses the obvious elephant standing in the middle of the room: Why Do So Many Men…
Continue reading »
-
Climate oops: “Electric vehicle drivers get candid about charging: ‘Logistical nightmare'” – ABC News
Charging an electric vehicle on the go is neither easy nor fast. Source: Electric vehicle drivers get candid about charging:…
Continue reading »
-
Public Death: “U.K. Briefly Mulled Killing All Pet Cats to Stop COVID-19”
Public health at work: “Can you imagine what would have happened?" former deputy health minister Lord Bethell told Channel 4.…
Continue reading »
-
Brain injuries: My story – Brain Injury Awareness Month #BrainInjuryAwareness #BrainInjuryAwarenessMonth #MoreThanMyBrainInjury
March is Brain Injury Awareness Month Until 2018, I knew nothing about brain injuries and suspect you know nothing about…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Washington School Districts setting up to lay off staff
Larry Delaney, President of the Washington Education Association, said the expiration of those funds is just one of the many…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Poland’s fertility rate collapses to 1.4
According to Euronews, the Polish birth rate has fallen by 40% since 1993, with the official rate resting at 1.4…
Continue reading »
-
Climate oops: Over 30 feet (10 m) of climate change falls on Lake Tahoe area
Source: Snowfall Tracker Lake Tahoe | Palisades Tahoe One of the problems for the media is they have turned every…
Continue reading »
-
Brain injuries: What is a brain injury?
To learn more about brain injuries and the effects they may have on patients and their families, please see this…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Within a few years, 1 in 3 Canadian residents will be immigrants
All told, the above-outlined reasons for immigration growth have created a country where immigrants make up 23% of Canada’s total…
Continue reading »
-
Basically normal:”60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck”
Source: Amid stubborn inflation, 60% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck Which is much the same as it is every…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Foreign-born US population grows sharply
The Census Bureau’s monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) shows that the total foreign-born or immigrant population (legal and illegal) in…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: Delta pilots approve new contract with 34% raises
The era of cheap air travel has passed: Delta Air Lines pilots on Wednesday approved a new contract that includes…
Continue reading »
-
Brain injuries: March is Brain Injury Awareness Month
Brain Injury Awareness Month provides an opportunity to educate everyone from children and teens to adults and seniors about ways…
Continue reading »
-
Immigration: An overwhelming majority of Americans have close immigrant ties
According to 20-year old Gallup poll of those age 18+: 7% of adults surveyed said they were an immigrant 18%…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Elon Musk will never again be the richest person in the world
Six weeks ago: Elon Musk May Never Be the World’s Richest Person Again (bloomberg.com) Today: Elon Musk is the richest…
Continue reading »
-
Experts: Why Experts are Almost Always Wrong
Source: Why Experts are Almost Always Wrong | Smart News| Smithsonian Magazine Expert prediction accuracy is often worse than if…
Continue reading »
-
Ukraine: The UK is awesome in its assistance to Ukrainian war refugees
Over 200,000 Ukrainian refugees offered new start by big-hearted Britons Source: Over 200,000 Ukrainian refugees offered new start by big-hearted…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Gigantic EV SUVs worse for environment than their gas counterparts
But as a recent article in the New York Times points out, bigger EVs have more embedded carbon emissions than…
Continue reading »
-
Wow: HMD’s new Nokia phone is designed for DIY home repair
An idea so crazy it might sell! With spares and tools coming from iFixit, no less .... The Nokia G22 is one…
Continue reading »
-
Climate oops: South Pacific atolls increased their land area
The long-term persistence of atoll islands is under threat due to continued sea level rise driven by anthropogenic climate change.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Economy: “We’re Getting Older, and the Labor Market Shows It” says the Fed
Looks like they have noticed the problem: An aging population is a big reason for the worker shortage that's helped…
Continue reading »
-
Dueling public health experts: “Not enough data to support multiple annual COVID boosters”
This week: There is not sufficient evidence to recommend more than one COVID-19 booster shot a year for older people…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: WSJ says some US government agencies now think Covid came from lab leak in China
This week: I do not (yet) subscribe to the WSJ so cannot see the full text. Besides, next week there…
Continue reading »
-
Business, Software: Some companies already using ChatGPT to replace workers
Companies are already replacing workers with ChatGPT | Fortune
Continue reading »
-
Public Health: Netherlands declares Covid pandemic over, now endemic
Read the whole thread https://twitter.com/Marc_Veld/status/1629076698791649280
Continue reading »
-
EVs: “Honda To Begin U.S. Production of Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles in 2024”
Slightly old news but seriously interesting: Honda today [Nov 30 2022] announced that it will produce an all-new hydrogen fuel…
Continue reading »
-
Climate oops: “U.S. corn-based ethanol worse for the climate than gasoline”
Corn-based ethanol, which for years has been mixed in huge quantities into gasoline sold at U.S. pumps, is likely a…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “Forecasters predicted a trace of snow, then Portland set an 80-year record”
Yet another triumphant success of models: Forecasters predicted a trace of snow, then Portland set an 80-year record. What happened?…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: “The American climate migration has already begun”
Fiction news site The Guardian is almost as funny as The Onion: In the aftermath of climate disasters, as victims…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Boston schools hire 1,400 new staff as enrollment falls by 8,000
It smells like bad managers or simple corruption: In a period when enrollment has declined by almost 8,000 students, BPS…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Seattle considers closing schools amidst dropping enrollments
To save money and provide more resources to students, Seattle Public Schools may need to close some schools in the…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Wisconsin school districts may close schools amid declining enrollments
As Evers seeks billions for schools, some districts look to close schools amid declining aid and enrollment Source: As Evers…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: St Louis area school enrollment continues to fall
The inability to account for thousands of children will impact the stability of the region and the workforce, experts said.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Denver making plans to close 15 schools
The Denver district’s latest plan to address declining enrollment is broader than an ultimately rejected proposal to close 10 schools…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: South Korea’s fertility rate falls even more
South Korea has the lowest fertility rate in the world - and its falling. Like many countries, their fertility rate…
Continue reading »
-
Skepticism: Why We Need to Think for Ourselves
Vikram Mansharamani, a lecturer at Harvard University with several degrees in multiple disciplines and author of Think for Yourself: Restoring…
Continue reading »
-
It will fit in our phone: Future may have personal Chat bot AI assistants
More control over your data and your own personal A.I. assistant. They are part of the vision of the future…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: Cascade Natural Gas asks 2,500 Bend, Redmond customers to curb use
Cascade Natural Gas outages affecting dozens of Bend and Redmond customers during a cold snap late last month have prompted…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: 11 inches of global warming falls on Portland, OR, 2nd snowiest since 1943
Since record-keeping at the airport began in 1939, the greatest snowfall in a day was 14.4 inches in 1943. Source:…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Estimated 95% of US population has now had Covid
By early 2022, about 95% of Americans had contracted COVID despite the harsh countermeasures. A John Hopkins University meta-analysis concluded…
Continue reading »
-
Drones: Recreational drone pilots can now get authorization for night flight in controlled airspace
Starting on February 20 Recreational Flyers may request an airspace authorization to operate in controlled airspace at night through LAANC…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: It’s a mystery “More colleges to close”
Even as college applications surge, a number of institutions are in financial jeopardy. Source: More colleges to close even as…
Continue reading »
-
Software: How does ChatGPT work, behind the user interface?
Stephen Wolfram explores the broader picture of what's going on inside ChatGPT and why it produces meaningful text. Discusses models,…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Authoritarianism is Necessary
When dueling celebrity epidemiologists met social media, a catastrophe occurred: a complete loss of trust in science itself.
Continue reading »
-
Bogus Legal Claims in Unsolicited Email
Someone mistyped an email address - probably leaving out a middle initial - and it ended up in my in…
Continue reading »
-
Stupidity: We “literally did nothing to stop the infection from spreading”
This is what counts as our brilliant technocratic overloads: If only we had been more like China ... We did…
Continue reading »
-
Brain injuries: Seven years of treatment later…
She kept her brain injury a secret… until she couldn’t. Source: This Professional Speaker & Auctioneer Couldn't Talk Her Way…
Continue reading »
-
Remote work: Amazon asks staff to return to office 3 days/week
Amazon Shelves Fully Remote Work, Requests Staff Return to Office | PCMag Many companies have made similar changes to their…
Continue reading »
-
AI: Chat bot goes off the rails, calls reporter Hitler
Source: Is Bing too belligerent? Microsoft looks to tame AI chatbot | AP News Chat bot compares AP reporter to…
Continue reading »
-
Wrong: “They’re also at altitudes that could effect [sic] the safety of civilian air traffic”
“In the wake of that … the military fine-tunes their radar parameters to see more and of course they’re finding…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine culture: How quitting caffeine helped this person
Do you want to know what effect quitting caffeine had on me? When I quit drinking caffeine, my life changed…
Continue reading »
-
NORAD made a fool of itself
USAF shot down a $13 32 inch balloon with a 10 oz payload, launched legally under pico-balloon rules, and which…
Continue reading »
-
Software: Meta/Facebook gives 7,000 workers poor performance reviews
Zuckerburg appears to be planning to lay off another 10% of the workforce: Thousands of employees at Facebook parent company…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: More school enrollment declines
13 Investigates found there are 20,724 fewer students enrolled at HISD now compared to when the pandemic hit, leading to…
Continue reading »
-
International: How Global Are We?
I have updated this post with new information - about 1 in 4 US STEM workers were born abroad. In…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine Culture: Canadian government acknowledges dangers of coffee consumption
After the country’s health officials released new guidance that having over two drinks a week can be a health detriment, now…
Continue reading »
-
Everything you think you know is wrong
These bad think thoughts used to be called conspiracy theories - now they are mainstream Science: Humanity Will Reach Its…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: NORAD and USAF shoot down hobby balloons
Although the club is not pointing fingers, there are suspicions among other prominent members of the small, pico-ballooning enthusiasts community.…
Continue reading »
-
Education and Demographics: Alaska drops college degree requirement for most jobs
Source: Alaska governor drops college degree requirement for most state jobs to fight worker shortage Alaska becomes another state announcing…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Fewer kids because of fear
“It’s hard to have children in the United States right now,” said Hayford, who is also director of Ohio State’s…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: The intermittent power problem of wind and solar
During various periods of the year, there may be little solar and wind available over large areas. The proposed solution…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Disease model projection, March 17, 2020
In the first 3 months, Neil Ferguson's disease model projected: 4-8% of all Americans over age 70 will die. We…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: Are climate lockdowns coming?
This report from the University of California suggests that climate lockdowns are the goal - lots fewer cars, moving everyone…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: “We went too far with Covid restrictions” – Germany
Some Covid restrictions were “idiocy” and lengthy school closures were an "unnecessary mistake”, Germany’s lockdown chief has admitted. Karl Lauterbach,…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine culture: Now at 5 and 1/2 weeks post caffeine
Now at 5 and 1/2 weeks, I continue to have occasional bouts of intense fatigue come over me and have…
Continue reading »
-
Sofware AI: Where ChatGPT came from
OpenAI’s breakout hit was an overnight sensation—but it is built on decades of research. Source: ChatGPT is everywhere. Here's where…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Seattle considering closing schools
They mostly try to blame everything except demographics for enrollment declines: Seattle education officials are considering closing some public schools…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Carl’s Jr turns to automated systems
Source: ‘They asked for 20$ an hour and Carl’s Jr said bet’: Carl’s Jr. customer orders meal via A.I. assistant…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Lots of automation showing up in restaurants
https://twitter.com/ChefGruel/status/1623062626145288192 The $15 minimum wage, now $20 per hour demands, has led to the inevitable acceleration of restaurant automation. Also,…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Fed to seek even higher target interest rates?
I wonder if they understand that the labor shortage - hence low unemployment - is due to demographic issues? This…
Continue reading »
-
Musk was right: Many tech companies slashing bloated middle management layers
Elon Musk took much heat for gutting Twitter last fall. But as some suggested, if that worked for him, you…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: 3 vax prevents infection and transmission & with masks, risk is near zero
Let's preserve this for posterity. He's an MD, MPH. Trust the Experts. As usual, the public health experts were wrong.…
Continue reading »
-
Stupidity: AMC Theatres to Price Movie Tickets Based on Seat Location
This is seriously stupid: At your next visit to AMC Theatres, getting a prime seat may cost you a little…
Continue reading »
-
Brain injuries: Brain injuries and long-term risks
There are about 100 things wrong with this news report including this misleading summary but at least it gives more…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The Swiss get it – “Demographic shifts cause Swiss labour market crunch”
They are not blaming Covid - it's the declining fertility rate: Switzerland's ageing population and changing lifestyles are profoundly transforming…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: We flattened the curve but not in the way intended
The growth curve of deaths was not far from a steady line, upwards. We did lock downs. We did masks.…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “…no question … Czech Republic’s remarkable progress … was the result of requiring an entire society to wear face masks.”
July 2020: There is no question that the Czech Republic's remarkable progress on COVID-19 was the result of requiring an…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: If people don’t get the bivalent booster, Covid will skyrocket in early 2023
Look at this chart from the White House on October 11, 2023: Source: Biden administration extends COVID public health emergency…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine Culture: Caffeine plays a role in osteoarthritis
Caffeine, a Risk Factor for Osteoarthritis and Longitudinal Bone Growth Inhibition María Guillán-Fresco 1, Eloi Franco-Trepat 1, Ana Alonso-Pérez 1, Alberto Jorge-Mora 1, Miriam López-Fagúndez 1, Andrés Pazos-Pérez 1, Oreste Gualillo 2, Rodolfo Gómez 1…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “Declining enrollments” hitting near everywhere, impacting public schools and colleges
Schools and colleges are closing throughout the country due to declining enrollments. The trend is now accelerating due to the…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Households w/o kids
State of US Population and Death Statistics| 2023 State of the Union Facts (usafacts.org)
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “Which states are the most educated? – USAFacts”
This is about the same percent that had a Bachelor degree in the early 1970s. About 14% of Americans 25…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: MightyFly’s autonomous drone carries up to 100 lbs/45 kg
Carrying up to 96 small USPS packages in its internal cargo bay, the new Cento needs nothing more than two…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Unemployment hits 53 year low
Source: Jobs report January 2023: Payrolls increased by 517,000, unemployment rate at 53-year low Reminder - the new entrant cohort…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: “How quickly does COVID immunity fade?”
I am so old, I remember when The Expertstm said natural immunity did not exist (which never made any sense):…
Continue reading »
-
Good news: Heart disease and cancer deaths have declined over time
Source: Heart Disease and Cancer Deaths — Trends and Projections in the United States, 1969–2020
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “China will lose half its population by the end of the century”
Fewer children = fewer workers = a shrinking economy. China's declining population will have catastrophic ripple effects on the global…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: How ChatGPT says we should address the labor shortage and low fertility rate
I was pleasantly surprised to see it add #6 to the list. I would also add "business process efficiency improvements".…
Continue reading »
-
Brain injuries: “Three or more concussions add up to long-term cognitive problems”
Multiple concussions in a lifetime were shown to affect the ability to plan and pay attention, though research also underlined…
Continue reading »
-
Trust the Experts: “It’s Time for the Scientific Community to Admit We Were Wrong About COVID and It Cost Lives”
Intellectual elitism, credentialism, and classism must end. Restoring trust in public health—and our democracy—depends on it. Source: It's Time for…
Continue reading »
-
Trust the Experts! “You Must Not ‘Do Your Own Research’ When It Comes To Science”
Yet another Expert tells us how to think. We are to Trust the Experts. Thinking on our own is wrong,…
Continue reading »
-
International: The History of Starbucks
Starbucks began by purchasing roasted beans from Peets Coffee and Teas. Peets was founded by Dutch immigrant Alfred Peets. Years…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Population growth (or shrinkage) matters to business but varies based on type of business
Each business needs to focus on how the fertility rate decline and changing demographics (older population, fewer young people) impacts…
Continue reading »
-
Software: “40% of software engineers born outside the United States”
"Some 40% of software engineers in the country are born outside the US,..." Chicago Seeks Laid Off Tech Workers With…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Electric vehicles more expensive to fuel than gas-powered cars at end of 2022
Interesting - it's now cheaper to "refuel" an ICE car than an EV. Of course, gas prices will fluctuate, probably…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Aging planet
The Guardian propaganda rag notices the fertility rate problem and proposes a socialist solution that has already been proven not…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: EVTOLS may replace helicopters in near future
This is a fascinating story - EVTOLS - which sort of take the concept of a quad copter to an…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Employers should nuke the bachelor’s degree requirement
Am thinking we are at peak or past peak higher education due to the population demographics: A critical way employers…
Continue reading »
-
Tech: While Meta spent billions on VR “metaverse”, ChatGPT snuck up on everyone
FB/Meta has been spending billions on a VR metaverse concept that nearly no "real people" have much interest in. Meanwhile,…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine culture: Does Coffee help you lose weight?
While black coffee has basically zero calories, few people dirnk black coffee today. Instead, it is coffee drinks with dairy…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: “61% chance of a recession”
Hah hah - 61%, not 52%, not 67%, but 61%! "There’s a 61% chance of recession this year, economists say—what…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Viral interference stopped the flu during Covid, say researchers
So - apparently masks did not stop influenza then? “Looking back over the past couple of years, I’m pretty confident…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine culture: Caffeine and blood pressure
Define "cup"? Drinking two or more daily cups of coffee is associated with roughly twice the risk of a premature…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine culture: “App Tells You How Much You Need”
Department of Defense researchers say they have identified an algorithm for the optimal caffeine dosing and drugging schedule for everyone.
Continue reading »
-
Emerging Tech: “How ChatGPT Hijacks Democracy”
Agree with this - but it is even worse than what they describe: But for all the consternation over the…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine culture: Even “fruity” drinks at Starbucks contain caffeine
Starbucks "Refreshers", which are marketed as a fruit drink, have 45 mg of added caffeine.
Continue reading »
-
Emerging Tech: New low cost method of removing CO2 from factory emissions
Scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Lab have developed a technique that can pull carbon dioxide out of a factory…
Continue reading »
-
True: Bill Gates – “‘Better to be born 20 years from now…than any time in the past’”
I am currently reading Superabundance. The authors point out that by virtually every measure you can come up with, we…
Continue reading »
-
Business, Tech: Microsoft said to layoff workers in “key VR” teams
Source: Microsoft Layoffs Reportedly Hit Key VR and Metaverse Teams – Metaverse Bitcoin News
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine culture: Caffeine withdrawal
Recently, I had daily migraines and extraordinarily high blood pressure spikes. The cause appears to have been coffee.
Continue reading »
-
Censorship: Bloomberg supports censoring social media
The bill aims to protect under-18s from harmful content; so if regulators find that Instagram has been steering British kids toward material…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: “Study of airplane wastewater shows COVID-19 travel restrictions failed”
Did any NPI public health did work sustainably? Anywhere? This was when you had to be vaccinated and test negative…
Continue reading »
-
Business: “Microsoft announces new investment in ChatGPT” – this is the 21st century Gold Rush
OpenAI works closely with Microsoft’s cloud service Azure. In July 2019, Microsoft backed OpenAI with $1 billion, and the investment made…
Continue reading »
-
Tech: Consumers lack interest in VR
A total of 61% non-users say they are not interested in trying VR. Why is VR growth so slow despite…
Continue reading »
-
Public health hilarity: “Has California avoided another devastating winter COVID wave?”
The holiday superspreader meme was wrong (as all expert projections have been). This was due to "the power of the…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “Japan PM says country on the brink over falling birth rate – BBC News”
Fumio Kishida says Japan is on the verge of not being able to function. Source: Japan PM says country on…
Continue reading »
-
2nd Follow Up: RSV, Flu and Covid all trending downwards
A rough respiratory virus season in the US appears to be easing, as three major respiratory viruses that have battered…
Continue reading »
-
Tech: Media confusion on H-1B visas among widespread tech job layoffs
Between Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Alphabet (Google), about 100,000 workers were just laid off. I'm so old, l remember last week (Jan…
Continue reading »
-
Tech: Microsoft splurges at Davos day before laying off 10,000 workers
Stung! Sting reportedly played elite Microsoft event as layoffs loomed | The Seattle Times But Microsoft might have strayed off…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: “25% of the US National Debt Incurred During Trump Administration”
This financial disaster was due to public health "Experts" who thought they could shut down the world with ineffective NPIs…
Continue reading »
-
Tech: The VR metaverse workplace doesn’t actually work
Anyone who has used VR is aware of these problems: "I am totally immersed in the metaverse, have a big…
Continue reading »
-
ACA has failed: “Americans put off health care because of cost”
Our ACA policy deductible rose to $17,600 this year. It is no longer conventional insurance but an extremely high-priced catastrophic…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Understanding How the Federal Reserve Creates Money
Does the Fed Print Money? No. The actual printing of paper money is handled by the Treasury Department's Bureau of…
Continue reading »
-
Cryptocurrency: CoinDesk may be going up for sale
Wanna buy some digital tulips? The cryptocurrency space is becoming a bonfire of failing businesses. Source: CoinDesk engages Lazard to…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Oregon public school enrollment plunges
They've blamed Covid school closures, more students being home schooled, more students going to "virtual schools" but ... The full…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine culture: I had no idea how many foods contain added caffeine
Many do disclose they contain added caffeine, fortunately, so those who are caffeine sensitive can avoid their products. My guess…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine Culture: Death Wish Coffee
But hey, it has zero sugar so it's all good! How Much Caffeine in Death Wish Coffee The caffeine content in…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine Culture: Could more people treat high BP by eliminating coffee?
That is about 38% of all U.S. adults: An estimated 103 million U.S. adults have high blood pressure, according to…
Continue reading »
-
Environmental Insanity: Company wants you to ship them your compostable food waste
A new green tech startup wants us to rethink what we do with our banana peels, pepper tops and other…
Continue reading »
-
Future Follow up: 2023 will be a ‘roaring bull market’
Says Ken Fisher of Fisher Investments: 2023 will be like 1967's 'roaring bull market': Billionaire investor Note - Fisher Investments…
Continue reading »
-
The rental society: “Sony And Honda To Lease The Afeela EV”
According to Electrek, Sony and Honda plan to lease or provide subscriptions to the upcoming Afeela EV. That said, they…
Continue reading »
-
Imagine a world when the AI goes offline
And note ChatGPT's directive to "grab a coffee" and enjoy some caffeine poisoning.
Continue reading »
-
Business: Microsoft laying off 10,000 employees
Productivity was also cited as an issue at Google and Facebook when they announced layoffs: “Every one of us and…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “Will Thanksgiving make a bad season of respiratory illness even worse?”
The Experts' Prediction: As the holiday approaches, infectious disease specialists are bracing for the possibility that big family get-togethers and…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Population Under Age 18 Declined Last Decade
By comparison, the younger population under age 18 numbered 73.1 million, or 22.1% of the U.S. population in 2020, a…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine Culture: Caffeine’s environmental degradation
Here in the U.S. it is estimated that 420 million cups of coffee are consumed every day. Many of those…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine Culture: Public health dropped the ball on caffeine induced health problems
From the FDA's own web page: For healthy adults, the FDA has cited 400 milligrams a day—that's about four or…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: China’s population has begun to shrink
Deaths outnumbered births last year for the first time in six decades. Experts see major implications for China, its economy…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation, Climate: “The rich should pay higher fares to clean up aviation”
Oddly enough, the goal is that only the elite will be permitted to fly - while telling everyone else to…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: “Exercise Helps Blunt the Effects of Covid-19”
This is why my state closed the local parks and rec gym, locked the gates to the high school fields…
Continue reading »
-
Blow it up!: Dead whale washes ashore on Oregon coast
Oregon has experience blowing up whale carcasses: Dead whale washes up on Oregon coast at Fort Stevens State Park |…
Continue reading »
-
Caffeine Culture: Why many studies on coffee health effects are worthless – and misleading
I am not exaggerating when I say that coffee nearly killed me. This is the first post on the topic…
Continue reading »
-
Public health, loss of trust: Moderna hid data from vaccine regulators
How to erase all trust in public health and pharma using this one weird trick: Some vaccine advisers to the…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Oregon Community College Enrollment Continues to Decline
This might be why? Look at the population of the age 15-19, and 20-24 groups. Sources: Oregon community college enrollment…
Continue reading »
-
Geopolitics: The natural state of the world might not be the mostly peaceful past decades
“Polarization permeates our world, whether in domestic politics or interstate relations,” S. Jaishankar, the Indian minister of external affairs, wrote…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Mozilla/Firefox shuts its Portland Office in favor of mostly remote working
Mozilla has closed its Portland office, shutting down after a decade of operation in the Pearl District as workers shift…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: NTSB head says EVs weigh so much as to cause a safety hazard
EVs way much more than their equivalent gas vehicles. The GMC Hummer EV weighs 9,000 pounds. The Ford F-150 EV…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: According to Bloomberg, 2 IT contractors broke the FAA’s NOTAMS database
According to Bloomberg, two IT contract staff made changes to the live NOTAMS database, causing the data to become corrupted.…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “Respiratory viruses could surge following the holidays, public health experts warn”
The experts could not get a 2-week disease projection correct. Scary expert projections of even the near future turn out…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: UN says countries must prepare for aging populations
All countries need new social and economic policies to prepare for the reality of an aging world now, the United…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Inflation is a wealth tax on everyone
Here's the inflation breakdown for December 2022 — in one chart (cnbc.com) Sen. Warren does not understand we already have…
Continue reading »
-
Software: IT systems backup failure may be cause of FAA NOTAMS outage
The current "acting" head of the FAA is, in fact, highly qualified. The Senate has not, however, approved the individual…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Starbucks wants workers back in the office at least 3 days per week
The remote work stuff is being gradually undone: Starbucks corporate employees will be returning to the office at least three…
Continue reading »
-
Environment: Do sandbags work to provide protection?
California has seen heavy rains, leading to flooding. Many cities have offered 10 to 20 sand bags per home. Does…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: China’s Covid deaths forecast to hit 1.5 million by April
If we had only been more like China, we would have ended Covid in just 15 days! The company is…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “Are demographics destiny?”
https://youtu.be/BBojlrrLneQ For many reasons, but especially due to the decrease in the fertility rate, we will see much more immigration…
Continue reading »
-
Tech sector labor abundance? “Salesforce CEO Benioff still blasts worker productivity”
Days after sacking a tenth of Salesforce’s staff, CEO Marc Benioff is continuing his apparent crusade against remote workers and…
Continue reading »
-
NOTAM: FAA halts all aircraft departures after FAA system outage
Source: Some flights resume after FAA halts U.S. departures to fix system outage The previously named NOTAMS, renamed to Notices…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Interesting age trends
This shows why the world's population is eventually shrinking:
Continue reading »
-
They should wear a mask: “COVID-19 is more widespread in animals than we thought”
From lions and tigers to big hairy armadillos, a growing number of animals have been infected with the coronavirus. Here’s…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Tech salaries versus home prices in SF Bay area
According to Comprehensive.io, a website that monitors the posted salary ranges of tech companies, tech companies with positions available in California…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Visualizing the Changing World Population, by Country
These charts highlight the changing world population between 2022 and 2050, showing which countries are growing—and shrinking—the fastest. Source: Visualizing…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Odd way to fund raise via trickery
I am starting posts on business practices, both good and bad. Here is an example of dishonest business practices. I…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: France proposing to raise retirement age
A new pension reform proposal was presented Tuesday that included plans to raise France’s retirement age — which is expected…
Continue reading »
-
Not true: “Round-the-Clock Clean Power Doesn’t Cost a Fortune, Study Shows – Bloomberg”
Unfortunately, this Bloomberg report is fake news when they left out a critical limitation from the underlying paper: California power…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: How many EV chargers needed in the U.S.
Level 1 is 110v and fully charges your EV in a day or two (if battery is very low) Level…
Continue reading »
-
Environment: Administration getting set to ban gas stoves and ovens
The stoves, which are used in about 40 percent of homes in the U.S., emit pollutants including nitrogen dioxide, carbon…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Remote work options becoming curtailed
Disney CEO Bob Iger told hybrid employees on Monday they must return to corporate offices four days a week starting…
Continue reading »
-
Personal finance: Excellent advice about buying a home
Lots of good examples in here: "It'll Cost Us $100K To Make It 'Legal'": Homeowners Are Sharing The Entirely Avoidable…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Business: The Growth of Planned Obsolescence
Fast-forward a handful of decades, and now several generations of people are conditioned to buy the new thing and to…
Continue reading »
-
How health insurance may have made health care more expensive
Our overpriced ACA policy for 2023 has a deductible of $17,600. I kid you not. The average deductible for an…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Media begins push for more immigration to the U.S.
The labor shortage is a long-term trend due to low fertility rates. Eeconomists think the solution is "more immigration", even…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “Slower growth in the working-age population”
"These excess retirements might now account for more than 2 million of the 31/2 million shortfall in the labor force."…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Most of the world is pretty empty
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Everyone has now had Covid or will shortly, regardless of “caution”
Essentially, everyone in the country is at risk for infection now, even if they're super careful, up to date on…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: A contrary perspective
https://youtu.be/Qf85EuQKWeQ Many challenging issues for EVs to replace today's ICE vehicles. I think many of these challenges can and will…
Continue reading »
-
Transportation: Oregon plans per mile vehicle usage fee, and to track all vehicles
Except I can and do turn off my cell phone: Another concern of Oregonians, according to Rep. Lively, is privacy.…
Continue reading »
-
Business: FTC proposes to ban non-compete agreements
The Federal Trade Commission is proposing a new rule that would prevent employers from imposing noncompete clauses for workers that…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The World’s Happiest Country nonsense
As explained in excruciating detail here, the World's Happiest Country metric does not measure anyone's happiness. Instead, it collects some…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Most restaurants investing in automation
Restaurant chains experimented with automation this year as the labor crunch pressured their profits. Source: Restaurant chains are investing in…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Education loan forgiveness, college tuition inflation
Demographics, fewer young people, demand for labor and higher salaries may result in fewer young people compelled to take out…
Continue reading »
-
Followup: Economic forecasts were wrong, like most expert forecasts
As inflation surged over the last two years, the Fed and leading private-sector forecasters were persistently behind the curve, seeing…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Paul Ehrlich argues science is wrong and peer review doesn’t work
He's been wrong about essentially everything - just read the comments to his own post. But defends himself by "name…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: WEF wants to end private ownership, wants everyone to rent
To enable a broader transition from ownership to usership, the way we design things and systems need to change too.…
Continue reading »
-
Today is day #1066 of 15 days to flatten the curve and we get this …
We just need to lock down harder and longer, say the "experts": That person self identifies as a professor. Reuters.com…
Continue reading »
-
Social: FCC Commissioner wants to ban TikTok in the U.S.
“If you look at the history of TikTok’s malign data flows and its misleading representations, I don’t see a path…
Continue reading »
-
Server outage
The server was down for a bit the prior day or two. The virtual server runs several wordpress blogs -…
Continue reading »
-
Global: Russia’s situation with Ukraine
Lots more complexity to this story than we see from the usual media coverage. Fascinating look at the trade and…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “the great demographic implosion”
This 25-minute video is a good overview of the demographic challenges we face. The media spends about 1000x more time…
Continue reading »
-
Global: Is the world “de-globalizing” now?
Covid, and then Russia's war on everyone, have led to numerous changes in global trade. Some argue that the multi-decade…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Will you do this for the rest of your life?
The "People's CDC" is a group that claims to implement what they think the CDC should be doing. Would you…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: China has 99.8% mask wearing compliance
You may have noticed Covid is burning through the population of China after their non-sustainable ZeroCovid strategy was failing. About…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Was public health honest about anything?
China, after ending its non-sustainable ZeroCovid strategy, is now having a massive outbreak of Covid. That's interesting: China also has…
Continue reading »
-
Dueling experts: New Covid variant risk low, or high, or whatever
Dueling experts: Risk of a dangerous new Covid variant in China is ‘quite low,’ U.S. health expert says (nbcnews.com) COVID…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Dan Price and Gravity Payments perhaps not what it seemed
Famous for setting an employee base salary of $70,000/year, Gravity Payments was perhaps not what it seemed: But, in interviews…
Continue reading »
-
It’s official: NPIs cannot stop the spread of Covid, but might delay it a little
Up to 90% of the US population has had Covid by now, say some official estimates. Hard to understand what…
Continue reading »
-
Autos: New Law mandates “kill switch” on all new vehicles sold in 2027
Law Will Install Kill Switches In All New Cars for all new vehicles sold beginning in 2027. Requires that vehicles…
Continue reading »
-
Emerging tech: Indoor farming businesses collapsing
These companies promised a revolutionary way to deliver fresh food to cities. It turns out that’s very expensive. Source: Vertical…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “Value of graduate degrees is going down”
Yep: Another report from the New York Post suggests that students are pursuing graduate degrees to distinguish themselves in the job market. With degree…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Virtue signalers now wish to sell their Teslas
Because of the recent revelation of Elon Musk’s political views — all of which I abhor — I’m starting to…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “Biden Declares Success in Beating Pandemic in July 4 Speech”
July 4, 2021: A triumphant President Joe Biden all but announced an end to the pandemic in the U.S. on…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Winter battery capacity and need for more charging
No biggie - on your cross-country travels you can just spend more time sitting in your car, charging, during the…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: “Blackouts in US South Preceded by Reliance on Electric Heating in Winter”
The states hit hardest by blackouts in last week’s winter storm have significantly increased reliance on heating homes with electricity…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Norwegian EV battery industry to affect overall electrical capacity
Batterimarkedet i Europa er i ferd med å ta av. Norge trenger å satse kraft, kroner og kompetanse for å…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Norway Court drops charges against individual flying a drone over Svalbard
In response to Russia's war on Ukraine, Norway banned Russian aircraft from flying over Norway, or the operation of non-Russian…
Continue reading »
-
Economy, public health: Public Health should not have unilateral rule making power
But as real-world data came in from places other than China the excuses for poor decisions become thinner, and the…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: wage growth stalled in the ’70s and ’80s
Each side of this mostly friendly argument has a strength and a weakness. The difficulty of the wage-stagnation theory is…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: So instead of R-0=18, R-0=9?
This might not be the improvement you think it is: Some estimate recent Covid variants have an R-0 value of…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Decade of low economic growth, primarily due to public health incompetence
Public health's NPIs were ineffective and unsustainable but at least they crashed the global economy: “I think that we are…
Continue reading »
-
Economy, demographics: Inflation seen dropping to 3% range by end of 2023
Agree: U.S. core inflation will have a "3-handle" and will be trending down in December 2023, said Adam Posen, the…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The end of “everyone needs to go to college”?
The labor shortage is a long-term trend, not a short-term problem. This shortage is caused by smaller cohorts of new…
Continue reading »
-
US government attempted to control online speech about Covid topics
Twitter censored online speech about Covid topics. 100% of what most of us see is selectively reported, edited, hidden, then…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: “Americans’ personal savings have plunged to a staggering $520 billion — from $4.85 trillion”
Without context, this headline is so misleading as to be a fake news story, a lie at best. It fell…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: China stops publishing Covid case numbers
If only we had been more like China, we would have crushed this in just two weeks ... China stops…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Utilities start turning off the power
On the coldest days of the year, major U.S. utilities are switching off the power in rolling blackouts: As extreme…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: After 2 years of media spin “if only we were more like China” – oh, surprise, China lies!
China’s murky statistics are fueling widespread public distrust. Its narrow definition of Covid deaths “will very much underestimate the true…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Less demand for college degrees
‘Instead of focusing on demonstrated competence, the focus too often has been on a piece of paper,’ Utah governor stated…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: The purpose of public health policies was to enlarge authoritarian governments
In the pandemic’s bewildering early days, millions worldwide believed government officials who said they needed confidential data for new tech…
Continue reading »
-
Public Health: If only we had 15 days to flatten the curve …
Nature seems to be arguing that we return to those hugely successful NPIs like lock downs and masks, which stopped…
Continue reading »
-
China Covid Cases Surge Infecting 37 Million People a Day, According to Estimate – Bloomberg
If only China had locked down more like, you know, China, they could have flattened the curve in just 15…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Expert prediction on monkeypox
I'm so old, I remember months ago when monkeypox would take over the world and we would all die. "Expert"…
Continue reading »
-
Crypto: Crypto continues to melt down
Tulips might have been a better investment in their heyday: “Many Americans are coming to realize that cryptocurrency is just…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: China Covid death counts cannot be compared to other countries
Oh: Deaths that occur in patients with pre-existing illnesses are not counted as COVID-19 deaths, said Wang Guiqiang, the head…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Oregon’s population shrinks
Oregon’s population dropped in 2022 for the first time in decades, according to new estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau.…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: China may be seeing 5,000 Covid deaths/day
If only we had been more like China, we would have flattened the curve in just 15 days! China is…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Tesla offers $7,500 discount on some EVs
Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) is offering $7,500 discounts on Model 3 and Model Y electric vehicles delivered in the United States…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Automation: McDonald’s adds more automation to new restaurant form factor concept
The fast-food giant is trying an idea that Starbucks has already been successful with. Source: McDonald's Launches a Whole New…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Business, Automation: “Krispy Kreme Outlines Plans to Automate Doughnut Production”
This is how businesses will address the long-term labor shortage: The doughnut maker plans to save $2 million annually by…
Continue reading »
-
International: How Global Are We? More than you may have thought!
In the U.S., and most of the world, our societies are amazingly global, with widespread travel and trade between countries,…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: CDC says unintended consequence of lockdowns led to increase in Strep A, flu and RSV
CDC now thinks lockdowns and ineffective NPIs are the cause of today's rise in Step A, flu and RSV cases…
Continue reading »
-
EVs, Government: They cannot deliver our mail but at least they can spend a lot on EVs!
The U.S. Postal Service said Tuesday that it intends to purchase at least 66,000 electric delivery vehicles as part of…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Reality sets in, sales likely to be less than originally expected due to high prices
For the U.S., the median expectation for EV sales was 35% of the new vehicle market by 2030 — down…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, International: Indians taking on many leadership roles in U.S. businesses
India has 5 times more people in the critical 20-29 age bracket. Stated another way, the top 20% of the…
Continue reading »
-
Business, Economy: Government benefits programs exceed median income in several states
In 14 states, unemployment benefits and ACA subsidies for a family of four with two people not working amounts to…
Continue reading »
-
More good news: life expectancy up, poverty way down, literacy widespread
Am expecting this blog to be censored and thrown offline very soon. Passing along good news is forbidden. The estimated…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Now it’s a “septa-demic”!
When "triple demic" and "tri-demic" were not scary enough! According to Dr. Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine, there…
Continue reading »
-
Mass extinction: The answer to life, the universe and everything is 42
Earth could lose 10 per cent of all plant and animal species by 2050, rising to 27 per cent by 2100,…
Continue reading »
-
Economy, Climate: The Four Pillars of Modern Civilization
Four materials rank highest on the scale of necessity, forming what I have called the four pillars of modern civilization:…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: Lots of good news
Note - it is potentially illegal and a crime against humanity to present news items that may appear to be…
Continue reading »
-
Healthcare: Getting billed for email questions to your doctor
Not me - I have a Direct Primary Care doctor: WASHINGTON (AP) — The next time you message your doctor…
Continue reading »
-
Business: “Tipping” at businesses is out of control
At some businesses visited in the past 3 months, a 25% tip was implied as standard. This is getting out…
Continue reading »
-
Education: Advanced Placement (AP) courses now seen as evil
AP is thriving in Florida. That’s not a good thing. Source: Florida and Advanced Placement: Why the state has so…
Continue reading »
-
Social media: Twitter Blue Checks to be given pseudo censorship power over other’s tweets
Elite tweeters will be given greater weight in signaling the Twitter algorithm as to who should be shadow banned, pseudo…
Continue reading »
-
Comedy: 15 days to flatten the curve is back!
In Dec 2022 we are back to "just 15 days to flatten the curve!" Then just dogs, cats, deer and…
Continue reading »
-
Education, Demographics: Some colleges now cutting tuition
The increasing size of each new generation, and a push for ever more to attend schooling enabled colleges to continuously…
Continue reading »
-
Healthcare: “Out-of-pocket health spending rises at highest rate since 1985”
The "experts" assured us the ACA would fix this. In fact, our premiums would be 4x greater in 2023 than…
Continue reading »
-
Hospital staff shortages self-inflicted
But a New York Times investigation has found that hospitals helped lay the groundwork for the labor crisis long before…
Continue reading »
-
Crypto: Regulator says crypto markets have massive fraud
The crypto currency market is rife with fraud, failures to comply with existing laws and big swings in volatility, but…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Ford raisings F-150 EV price by 40% since spring of 2021
The new price of the F-150 Lightning Pro, an entry-level model meant for commercial and business customers, will be $55,974…
Continue reading »
-
Politics: Wha????
Huh? (Not a spoof either - this is real)
Continue reading »
-
Energy: California and Midwest electrical grids may be unable to meet power demand
In the Midwestern states and Ontario, more power generation is being retired than is being added back online, NERC’s Mark Olson told…
Continue reading »
-
Economics: Fed blew a bubble
Or perhaps we should say our current high inflation was created by public health pandemic policies that did not even…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: China gives up counting asymptomatic Covid cases
If only China had been more like China and taken Covid seriously, this would never have happened: But for a…
Continue reading »
-
Washington proposes mandatory 2.5 cents per mile vehicle fees
Washington drivers would pay 2.5 cents per mile under recommendation | kgw.com Vehicles could pay by the odometer reading or…
Continue reading »
-
Politics: “Here’s how health insurance is helping to cool inflation”
They admit it's a lie: Health insurance prices deflated in October and November, in an environment of high inflation for…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: “China’s Covid spike not due to lifting of restrictions, WHO director says”
It only takes a tiny bit of logical thinking to understand why this was the eventual and natural outcome of…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up – No: “Inflation Forecasts Were Wrong Last Year. Should We Believe Them Now?”
Models making long range predictions are mostly wrong, all the time. Why do we give them any credence? Go back…
Continue reading »
-
International: How many Americans have lived abroad at some point?
I previously estimated between 1 in 4 and 1 in 3 have lived abroad at some point in their life.…
Continue reading »
-
When does a high-deductible health plan make sense?
Never, but when you are on a ACA market place plan, it's basically your only choice: When does a high-deductible…
Continue reading »
-
Part 2: Climate Hypocrites
Part 1 has been extended to Part 2. Part 1 grew larger than Wordpress can accommodate in a single post,…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Twitter will break in coming weeks
Nov 8, 2022: One insider says the company’s current staffing isn’t able to sustain the platform. Source: Here’s how a…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: What Languages Do We Speak in the United States?
The number of people who spoke a language other than English at home nearly tripled from 1980 to 2019, but…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Fertility rate decline and impact on state budgets
Process efficiency improvements and automation are essential to addressing this, but will states embrace real solutions? When the economy takes…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Europe’s shrinking population
By 2050, according to the UN, populations will be in decline in more than half Europe’s 52 countries, including Italy,…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “The labor shortage could last for years”
Correct:The world is aging faster and allowing less immigration. It all adds up to a shrinking workforce population, Indeed and…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: More school closures due to declining population
The Granite School District Board of Education voted unanimously on Dec. 6 to close three elementary schools. Twin Peaks, Spring…
Continue reading »
-
Crime, Fraud: “The GRE is no longer useful in evaluating students for graduate school”
The Graduate Record Exam or GRE is a standardized exam produced by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) organization, to judge…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: U.S. Carbon emissions since 1990
U.S. Carbon (CO2) Emissions 1990-2022 | MacroTrends More here. And emissions by U.S. state (from EPA) - Excel spreadsheet format.
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Most of China’s population will get Covid-19
The vast majority of China’s population may eventually contract Covid-19, a senior health-policy adviser warned, as Beijing makes concerted steps…
Continue reading »
-
Business: “thaw and eat” foods
Does anyone still cook real food, from raw ingredients?
Continue reading »
-
Social media: FB’s censorship program under fire for granting favors to the elite
It's nice to be a member of the global elite and have special privileges: Under the program, Meta maintains a…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “Who Will Care for ‘Kinless’ Seniors?”
This issue is going to become worse due to the large block of young adults who have decided to have…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Mission creep as CDC recommends masks – forever – for all viruses
The CDC director said the agency is considering expanding its system of Covid community levels to take into account other…
Continue reading »
-
Cryptocurrency, Climate: Crypto mining uses massive amounts of electricity
Cryptocurrencies are an energy hog, and are mostly powered by fossil fuel generators, depending on location: Buildings used to house…
Continue reading »
-
Why it is a good idea to ignore expert predictions
Adjacent headlines on CNBC this morning
Continue reading »
-
Public health believes you are stupid
Actual alert from Los Angeles Public Health. It's wintertime. And for LA, that brings cooler temperatures, and you need to…
Continue reading »
-
Arrogance is not a good public relations strategy
I suspect all of us can describe situations when experts were wrong, really wrong - and it was up to…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: CDC out of touch with the real world, finds report
78% of CDC staff work from home/remotely unlike in the real world where people must do in person work. Source:…
Continue reading »
-
Public Health: Why community use of masks does not work to stop the spread of highly contagious diseases
If you wear a mask, you must wear a mask that actually works, wear it properly and handle and dispose…
Continue reading »
-
Crypto, Finance: Bankman-Fried and most everyone connected to him may have been scammers, say some
But critics say Sam Bankman-Fried’s collapse shows that the movement was always morally compromised — “a con,” as author Anand…
Continue reading »
-
Finance: New York bans bitcoin mining running on fossil fuels
New York governor signs law banning certain bitcoin mining operations that run on carbon-based power sources. Source: New York governor…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Wow
The pandemic of really bad analogies may never end - Even a brain injured idiot like me can figure out…
Continue reading »
-
Public Health: US Sec of HHS says vaccines only good for 2 months of protection?
Secretary Xavier Becerra on Twitter: "An updated COVID vaccine can help protect you from the worst outcomes of COVID. If…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Are retiring Baby Boomer’s causing inflation?
Simplistic perspective: Fewer people working because they have elected to retire makes it more difficult to cure the economy's supply-demand…
Continue reading »
-
American EVs reduced gasoline consumption by just 0.54% in 2021 | Ars Technica
There are too few EVs and hybrids at this point to make generalized future projections about gas consumption. Most EVs,…
Continue reading »
-
Smart phones: Google used fake testimonial ads to sell Pixel 4 phones
Google has settled with 6 of 7 states, and the FTC for running fake testimonial ads featuring "influencers" - who…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: China’s “ZeroCovid” strategy can not work forever
The strict policies saved lives, but cannot be sustained, said Ali Mokdad, a professor of health metrics sciences at the…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Labor, Health: UK NHS should consider using robots to address labor shortage
Health Secretary says the risk of introducing technology needs to be judged against the impact staff shortages have on the…
Continue reading »
-
EVs, Business, Climate: Domino’s to deliver pizza via EV
Delivery of a single meal to a home is inefficient and an EV doesn't improve that much - but at…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Education: “Employers rethink need for college degrees”
Companies such as Walmart and Delta Air Lines and Maryland’s state government have reduced requirements for some positions and shifted…
Continue reading »
-
Space: “most profound chapter in human history is the industrial revolution happening in” Low Earth Orbit
Agree with this: As I wrote in The Washington Post recently, the most profound chapter in human history is the industrial revolution happening…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Omicron boosters aren’t very effective against mild illness
The vaccines did not live up to their sales pitch claims: The CDC, in a real-world study, found the omicron…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Automation is developed in response to aging workforce
Bingo You might think robots and other forms of workplace automation gain traction due to intrinsic advances in technology --…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Harvard Business Review – “The Global Population Is Aging”
This is spot on: According to the latest UN reports, two-thirds of the global population live in countries with below-replacement…
Continue reading »
-
Automation, Demographics: “Automated Farms Are Coming”
Automation is here and growing rapidly: Research company Brandessence predicts that the market for autonomous farm equipment will reach $155…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: The clothing industry produces more carbon dioxide than air travel plus shipping, combined
So of course, the climate activists proposed we largely ban air travel. Because. Today, in fact, fashion accounts for up…
Continue reading »
-
Prep’ing the ground for more drone regulations
https://3d.coldstreams.com/2022/11/24/preping-for-more-drone-regulations-senators-alarmed-over-potential-chinese-drone-spy-threat/ Back in 2018-2019, the media was flooded with stories about alleged dangerous drone flights and sightings; I suspect these…
Continue reading »
-
We already do: “Consider making less food and composting leftovers this Thanksgiving : NPR”
We already compost all food waste from prep and any unusable leftovers (not much of that): By composting leftovers, a…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The push for more immigrants to the U.S. has started
From the demographics, the U.S. fertility rate has been below replacement level for most of the years since 1972. We…
Continue reading »
-
Crypto, Crime: FTX and “Effective Altruism”
Instead, MacAskill is the thinker perhaps most associated with the moral philosophy known as “effective altruism,” which was profoundly influential…
Continue reading »
-
Emerging Tech: Are we now “Beyond Beyond Meat”?
https://twitter.com/ndcarson/status/1595145358723911680 As noted here previously, they were marketing fake "meat" to meat consumers, in the meat department, at twice or…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Another look at the self correcting “baby boom” bulge of 1958-1961
The U.S. fertility rate has been below replacement level for most of the past 50+ years. The U.S. population increased…
Continue reading »
-
Social: The future of Twitter?
The U.S. government is discussing banning or limiting use of TikTok over alleged national security fears and data privacy -…
Continue reading »
-
Crypto: Just over half of Bitcoin addresses now at a loss
Just over 51%, or 24.6 million addresses of the total 47.9 million, are below purchase price on their investments, according…
Continue reading »
-
Finance: Who are the people behind the FTX collapse?
Bankman-Fried was worshiped by much of the media when skepticism might have been better: Is Sam Bankman-Fried, the disheveled, media-hungry…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Domino’s® to use Chevy Bolt® Electric Vehicles for delivery
Great application for EVs - local deliveries. Source: Crwe World | Domino's® to Roll Out Nationwide Fleet of 800 Chevy…
Continue reading »
-
Policy: Academic research finds the elite really do rule the world
Multivariate analysis indicates that economic elites and organized groups representing business interests have substantial independent impacts on U.S. government policy,…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: With low fertility rate leading to a labor shortage, immigration will become a big issue
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made some startling admissions last week about his immigration views: “We have a population that…
Continue reading »
-
Drones: FAA to test using Broadcast Remote ID as a Network ID system
The FAA's original remote ID proposal for R/C model aircraft would have required that all model aircraft transmit their position…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: Bloomberg reports that “Carbon offsets” are still a big scam
For more than a decade, Credit Suisse Group AG has claimed to be “carbon neutral” in its operations. Every gleaming…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Is there any field that doesn’t have a labor shortage?
The staffing shortages extend beyond physicians and nurses, and include technicians, respiratory therapists and other hard-to-fill jobs, Klibanski said. Source:…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: How climate issues will really be addressed
Voluntarily. Mostly. By people doing what we've done: Replaced old attic insulation with R-60 (higher than that actually) Upgrading old…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Governor adds RSV and flu to Covid emergency declaration
This is how regulatory expansion happens - "mission creep" as agencies gradually broaden their powers and domains: Today, Governor Polis…
Continue reading »
-
Public health follow up: Feigl-Ding’s Mother of God fear mongering Covid variants
Prediction: Actual: The blue line is Feigl-Ding's prediction for Covid cases. The black line is what has actually happened combing…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: Airlines pushing to allow single pilot airline flights
Airlines and regulators are pushing to have just one pilot in the cockpit of passenger jets instead of two. It…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: 76% of US airports have seen reduced air service due to pilot shortage
The Regional Airline Association (RAA), which represents the airlines that provide 43% of scheduled passenger flights in the U.S. and…
Continue reading »
-
Tech: Meta’s AI-backed language system taken off line after 3 days
Galactica is an AI system designed to analyze and summarize science papers. Meta says it's better than a search engine.…
Continue reading »
-
Finance: How did the grand cryptocurrency con happen? “Hero worship”
And while SBF’s FTX takes the cake for crypto’s biggest con in dollar terms, it’s noteworthy how many other conmen…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Layoffs may be primary way for tech companies to address profits
Literally tens of billions spent on projects that have yet to deliver: Investors are particularly irritated about what one might…
Continue reading »
-
You have not been in tech long enough: “I’ve been a licensed psychotherapist in Silicon Valley for the past decade, and I’ve never witnessed such an atmosphere of panic and insecurity amid the massive tech layoffs”
Annie Wright, who runs boutique trauma therapy center in the Bay Area, talks about what she's seeing amid the massive…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Tech workers might be migrating to “climate” tech businesses
Tech is shedding jobs, and in places, shedding luster. Climate is expanding, and so are its human capital needs. If this…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Up to 1 in 3 Paxlovid treated Covid patients had rebound symptoms
July 2022: Biden’s repeat Covid is due to Paxlovid rebound. Experts insist recurrences are rare. (nbcnews.com) November 2022: You're MORE…
Continue reading »
-
Finance: How did FTX happen?
And that's where the danger comes in. Because it's not just hypocritical to act like capitalist accumulation is altruism. It's…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: Computer model says we need to mostly end long distance air travel
A new report released during COP27 reveals that only one scenario could possibly reduce emissions in time. Source: Bloomberg -…
Continue reading »
-
Management: Musk seems to be telling his best staff to plan on leaving
He’s telling his best remaining people that they can either sign a loyalty oath pledging to work epic hours under…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: We must mandate mask wearing forever, no exceptions
This is the only way forward. You must wear a 100% effective mask, 24 x 7, including at home, for…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Not all countries can drop gas vehicles so soon
Toyoda and other company executives have said all-electric vehicles aren’t viable for many drivers – especially in the foreseeable future…
Continue reading »
-
Space: Successful launch of Artemis I to lunar orbit
Source: Artemis I mission takes flight in historic leap forward for NASA's moon program - KTVZ
Continue reading »
-
Finance: “Bitcoin is fifth-biggest crash of all time” says B of A
Bitcoin has dropped 77% from its trading peak in November of last year to the latest blizzard of the crypto…
Continue reading »
-
Create an Access Control List to Block Countries or Continents
If you run a web server or Wordpress blog and want to block a country, like say, Russia, from having…
Continue reading »
-
Social media: FBI accuses TikTok of being a Weapon of Mass Distraction
FBI Director Christopher Wray assured lawmakers that "it is certainly something that's on our radar and we share your concerns."…
Continue reading »
-
Finance: Crypto currency lender BlockFi may file for bankruptcy
Fallout from the collapse of FTX appears to be spreading as companies struggle with falling token prices and a liquidity…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Sperm counts collapse world-wide
Finding is bad news for fertility and men’s health, says co-author Prof. Hagai Levine, adding that if the decline continues,…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Consumer Reports says EVs 2nd least reliable category of vehicles
The second least reliable category is Electric Vehicles (cars and SUVs) with an average predicted reliability of 36. Source: Who…
Continue reading »
-
Software: Netherlands wants to regulate AI algorithms used by government agencies
This applies to software systems used by "public bodies" in The Netherlands. Of course, since the same software is often…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “The world has reached 8 billion people — but soon we’ll hit a decline we’ll never reverse”
This week, the world's population ticks over a historic milestone. But in the next century, society will be reshaped dramatically — and…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Worst Time to Buy a Home in a Generation
US consumers are seeing home buying conditions at their worst in a generation as mortgage rates soar in response to…
Continue reading »
-
Education: Best and worst college degrees?
Graduates entering the workforce with good career prospects and high starting salaries are the most satisfied with their major, according…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: College degree maybe becoming less important
Some experts say the value of a bachelor’s degree is fading and more emphasis should be directed toward career training.…
Continue reading »
-
Public health, Follow up: Yet another superspreader event that didn’t
FanX, a "comic con" like fan event, had up to 125,000 attendees over 3 days at the Salt Palace convention…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Government incentives that add to labor shortages
Even before the pandemic hit, growing public aid programs undermined employment by offering open-ended assistance to men capable of working.…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: 60% of world’s population had had Covid by September 2021
Stated another way, our NPI mitigations did nothing: About 3 out of every 5 human beings carried antibodies against COVID-19…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Public health “emergency declaration” made permanent
They renew it every 90 days. It's no longer about disease management. Source: U.S. extending Covid public health emergency through…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Facebook’s massive bloat
The coddled kids at FB are upset: The parent company of Facebook informed its employees it would be cutting down…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Economist Nouriel Roubini “thinks the world’s failure to have enough children will end ‘centuries of social progress’”
Advanced economies have a problem: Many workers are approaching advanced and retirement age, especially in Japan and Europe but also…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: Some nations must develop fossil fuel resources
Head is spinning African nations must be allowed to develop fossil fuel resources to help lift their people out of…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: WHO reports 90% drop in global COVID-19 deaths since February
The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday that there has been a 90% drop in global COVID-19 deaths…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Crypto currencies lost $2+ Trillion in past 12 months
In the 12 months since bitcoin peaked at over $68,000, the crypto trade has unwound, sending many coins to zero…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Universities are slowly noticing the fertility rate issues. Kind of.
Most higher ed leaders are all too aware that some of the shifts—such as a decline in students entering college…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: EV buyers less satisfied with the overall buying process
Buying a new car has always been a strange experience not, typically focused on the customer: Results from the survey…
Continue reading »
-
Tech: Not good for repeat sales, though – “Oculus founder claims he made a VR headset that actually kills you”
The founder of virtual reality (VR) firm Oculus claims he has designed a new headset that can kill you in…
Continue reading »
-
Idiocy: All the experts who did “everything right” got Covid, but we expect 6 and 9 year olds to be more successful
The mask force is strong with this one: Dr. Betty Choi, a pediatrician, children’s book author and mother of two…
Continue reading »
-
International: Business: KFC encourages German customers to “treat yourself” on Kristallnacht
This is why businesses desperately need workers with broader global understanding - this is tone deaf beyond words: KFC apologized…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Twitter ends remote work
And just like that, the short life of remote work options: New Twitter Inc. owner Elon Musk emailed his workers…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Beyond Profits
Beyond Meat reported a wider-than-expected loss as demand for its meat substitutes tumbled. Source: Beyond Meat (BYND) Q3 2022 earnings…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Tax credit subsidies for EV buyers turned into subsidies for manufacturers – not buyers
This is what happens with subsidies - they end up as a subsidy to the manufacturer who raises prices roughly…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Are Republicans living in a world that no longer exists?
Republicans were expected to have strong results in the mid-term national elections - particularly during a time of high inflation,…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Meta (Facebook, IG) lays off over 11,000 workers
Think social media has peaked Meta is laying off 13% of its staff, or more than 11,000 employees, CEO Mark…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: How to make homes cost more – The Netherlands will give home purchase subsidies up to €75,000
Finally, a win for first-time home buyers; the Netherlands may soon offer a subsidy of up to €75,000 to help…
Continue reading »
-
Mental health: Media and public health destroyed the mental health of young adults?
Three-quarters of these Americans, all under the age of 25, say the pandemic negatively impacted their mental health, with many…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: 8 billion population
"We've reached a stage in the world where the majority of countries and the majority of people in this world…
Continue reading »
-
Models: Company claims it can accurately predict wildfire risk
"Models" - this is a model whose input includes the output from other unproven models: Nobody can predict the future,…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Economy: It’s a mystery why so few young workers
Economists are missing the elephant in the room: Where are all the missing workers? Well, it’s not workers in their…
Continue reading »
-
Disasters: It’s now hip to be a prepper
"Prepping" now means that you should buy highly manufactured freeze dried "food": Once the domain of end-of-timers and right-wing radicals,…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, International: “Immigration Privilege” is Real
Most of us do not have an option of moving to another country - yet being "international" and globalized is…
Continue reading »
-
Environment: How much greenhouse gases are reduced by switching to personal electric vehicles?
Not much, surprisingly. Source: Fast Facts on Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emissions | US EPA Transportation (all types) accounts for 27%…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: The real reason the U.S. has a pilot shortage?
Mentour pilot explains the background to the U.S. pilot shortage - and it may come down to union rules: https://youtu.be/oYM8dG-ZGRo…
Continue reading »
-
Twitter: Media has meltdown over proposal to charge a fee for “Blue check”
Much of the media is having a meltdown over Twitter's proposal to charge users for a Blue Check verified account.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: What happened to Halloween Trick or Treating?
For those of us growing up in the 1960s (or perhaps the 1950s), Halloween was a big event. Our streets…
Continue reading »
-
Business, Demographics: Home buyers moving to small towns and rural areas
This occurs as more workers do remote work and no longer need to be in the big city office. Smaller…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: True -> “The Global War for Young Talent Will Shape the Future | Time”
Meanwhile, most of the population is stuck on the Population Bomb meme that was wrong the day it was published…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Economy: Germany’s labor shortage may lead to worse inflationary pressures
Germany's fertility rate is 1.6: The labor shortage is magnifying the pressure. With workers in high demand and inflation jumping…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Economy: Demographics now key driver of global economy
Ibbitson, 67, said over the next several decades that demographics will be the key driver of the global economy as…
Continue reading »
-
Healthcare: “Crushing surge in health care costs next year”
All signs point to a crushing surge in health care costs for patients and employers next year — and that…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Fed approves another 0.75-point interest hike – with more to come
Source: Fed approves 0.75-point hike to take rates to highest since 2008 and hints at change in policy ahead 30-year…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Use of Novavax suspended in Sweden for those under age 30
The concern is that the incidence of myocarditis due to vaccine administration is considered too high in the younger age…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Oil and natural gas prices could rise sharply in 2023
The problem is Europe's storage capacity was mostly filled up before the sanctions against Russia. In 2023, there may be…
Continue reading »
-
Policy: FCC Commissioner says U.S. should ban all use of TikTok
Source: Interview: FCC commissioner says government should ban TikTok
Continue reading »
-
Business, Energy: “Biden threatens oil companies with ‘higher tax’ if they don’t increase production”
President Biden on Monday warned that oil companies would face a “higher tax” on their excess profits if they don’t…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: CDC abandons use of “case” disease models
In October 2022, we have an update from the CDC - the CDC is discontinuing publishing "case" disease models due…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Remember monkeypox?
I'm so old, I remember when an expert predicted everyone would have Monkeypox by July: Follow up: Monkeypox projection made…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Meta/Facebook collapsing
Share price fell to $93/share today and appears to remain in free fall from its peak of $384/share in September…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: They did everything right but got Covid anyway …
The CDC Director contracted Covid one month after receiving her bivalent booster shot (likely her 4th or 5th booster). Like…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Due to abortion laws, many young men choosing sterilization procedures
In the US, some young men report that legal changes to reproductive rights have catalysed them to opt for vasectomies.…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Partially wind powered coal carrying cargo ship (?)
Drops typical fuel usage from 500,000 Liters to 475,000 liters - so it can carry coal. What? This is confusing.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Key school district in Silicon Valley sees enrollment declines
Guess it is a mystery why this happening: Santa Clara Unified and school districts all over the Country are concerned…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The diversity of languages in the U.S. due to immigration
Contrary to what some Americans seem to believe, the United States historically has been a polyglot nation containing a diverse…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: History of Federal immigration laws from 1917 on
Good grief By the 1920’s, nearly one-third of the American population consisted of immigrants and their families. The birthrate among…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Both Ukraine and Russia’s populations are in long term collapse
According to the World Bank, Ukraine’s 2020 birth rate was 1.22 children per 1,000 woman, one of the world’s lowest.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Alaska schools see declining enrollment because of declining birth rates
ASD Superintendent Jharrett Bryantt specifically cited the declining community birthrate as one of the factors. ASD CFO Jim Anderson defended the cuts saying that…
Continue reading »
-
Politics: This is bad – attack on Paul Pelosi
The attacker: Depape is known by some to be "out of touch [with] reality," according to CNN. The network also…
Continue reading »
-
Health: “Employer healthcare premiums hold steady”
Our 2023 individual market ACA "Bronze" insurance policy premium will be $1,924 per month with a $17,400 annual deductible for…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Peak middle class wealth declined since March
Source: Inflation Has Middle Class Americans Worried About Economy Ahead (Subscription required) Economic conditions can have an impact on the…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Meta (Facebook) share price crashes
META: 100.03 -29.79 (-22.95%) (cnbc.com) Update: It's now below $99/share. In tech, compensation often includes significant shares. This has to…
Continue reading »
-
Health: Cycling head injuries are a low probability but high-risk event
Head injuries are a low probability but very high-risk event when bicycling or motorcycling or even skateboarding. Much is made…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Robot gardener illustrates robotic capabilities
Click through to watch the short video: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/interestingengineering_let-this-robot-gardener-do-the-hard-work-activity-6991060844142858240--p-M Automation is rapidly becoming capable of doing many tasks previously thought too…
Continue reading »
-
Business: About 45% of workers are remote or hybrid office/remote
These patterns have leveled out, the researchers found, with about 15% of all Americans working fully remotely, 30% maintaining hybrid…
Continue reading »
-
Business, Economy: Earnings Reports
We are seeing slowdowns in earnings reports from many companies, plus announcements of layoffs. I suspect we are in a…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: U.S. Army cannot meet recruitment goals
The tight job market is hurting Army recruitment of young Americans, compounding health concerns and wariness about serving after decades…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Opinion poll finds most think next generations will have worse economic times (and they are wrong)
An opinion poll is a measure of contemporary propaganda success, thus, this is expected after the onslaught of bad news:…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: How many workers earn minimum wage?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, not so many - which is a surprise: Age. Minimum wage workers…
Continue reading »
-
EV: Lack of charging spots at multi-unit dwellings
EVs are soaring in popularity amid tax incentives and high gas prices, but how and where to charge up remains…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Can policies encourage larger families? No.
The technocratic elite (often socialists and democratic Marxists) frequently say we need more social benefits to encourage families. The problem…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: College Enrollment declines continue
No mention - at all - about the decline in the number of young students due to population demographics: While…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Kansas City Public Schools closing schools
The low birth rates are becoming obvious in various parts of the U.S. Facing declining enrollment, the district is proposing…
Continue reading »
-
RT news presenter says Ukraine children should be drowned and burned, and elderly women want to be raped by Russian soldiers
How not to do a propaganda operation ... ...RT.... presenter said Ukrainian children who considered the Russians as occupiers under…
Continue reading »
-
Business: The end of remote work may be near?
Wow - remote work didn't last long: Over 50% of CEOs say they’re considering cutting jobs over the next 6…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Fertility Rate in South Korea
South Korea's fertility rate is the lowest in the world at 0.8.
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: As of 2017, about 50 million residents of the U.S. were born in another country
In 2017, 49,780,000 people living in United States were born in other countries. Source: Global Migration Map: Origins and Destinations,…
Continue reading »
-
Public Health: The “Experts” who did everything right and still got Covid
World class experts in avoiding Covid all eventually got Covid - from Dr Fauci, CDC Director Wallensky, HHS Director, Yale…
Continue reading »
-
Elon Musk suggests 18-24 month long recession looming
Periodic downturns help to cleanse the economy of companies that do not deserve to live on, according to the Tesla…
Continue reading »
-
Business: AirBnb rentals have become intolerable to many customers
“They also expect you to clean dishes, throw the garbage, do laundry. Should I also cook 3 course meal before…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: Battery tech for electric airliners does not exist
Current battery tech to power electric aircraft have insufficient energy density to make electric passenger airline flights realistic. Plus: Reserve…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Why “Boomers” and “Millennials” view immigration differently
This post was originally written two weeks ago. I have updated with new information and charts that help explain why…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Dr Doom predicts disaster, in detail
See the long column to see why Dr Doom predicts economic disaster: We're Heading for a Stagflationary Crisis Unlike Anything…
Continue reading »
-
Emerging Tech: Swarms of low cost drones said to be future of warfare
‘Kamikaze’ drones are relatively cheap and can be deployed by the dozens, raising fear among civilian populations. Source: Mass drone…
Continue reading »
-
Drones: Norway says ‘foreign intelligence’ behind drone flights
Svalbard is an island in the Arctic, and home to the most northern city in the world. There's not much…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: Sunderland, UK permanently cancels huge airshow
The city of Sunderland has canceled the Sunderland Airshow, permanently, saying this is done due to climate change. The annual…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: In general, every generation will do better than prior generations
That quote below sounds profound until you realize per history most people's lives have gotten better over time. Data documents…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: We are on day #964 of 15 days to flatten the curve, and why this will never end
We are on day #964 of 15 days to flatten the curve - and why the public health emergency can…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: How not to market a vaccine booster shot
They don't know, they merely "believe"? U.S. health officials believe Pfizer and Moderna’s updated boosters will provide stronger protection against…
Continue reading »
-
Tech: Meta’s metaverse is virtually nowhere
Source: How many more warning signs does Mark Zuckerberg need to see before he pulls the plug on his metaverse?…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: MSU Billings enrollment down
We are seeing many colleges and universities reporting a decline in enrollment. Some of this may be due to prior…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Why populations are shrinking in rural America
Rural areas are becoming older because their existing populations are aging in place, and few young adults are moving in…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Russia’s population is cratering
Emigration, war and a plunging birth rate form a ‘perfect storm’ Source: Russia’s population is in historic decline from emigration,…
Continue reading »
-
Education, Business, Health care: US Needs More Nurses
Economists say to solve this problem with more immigration. Left out is that 90% of the US nursing profession is…
Continue reading »
-
Education: Average pay by education level
This is an average for everyone in each category. This should NOT be read as saying you'll make $80,000 per…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Calls for all those over 50 to get Covid bivalent booster ASAP
Dr. Ashish Jha, head of the White House Covid taskforce, said everyone older than 50 and senior citizens in particular…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons/Safeway will not result in lower prices
It might result in higher profits, but not lower prices for consumers. Their goal is to turn grocery shopping into…
Continue reading »
-
Health care: The corruption of the entire health care industrial complex
Hospitals generate excess "emergency service" bills for routine births: Hospitals squeeze excessive emergency room charges from routine births - oregonlive.com…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Germany to burn 800 million unused face masks
In early 2021, the world was consuming 3 million disposable face masks PER MINUTE. That means 180 million face masks…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Industrial and service robot usage growing rapidly
Robots are spreading at a record pace, from their traditional strongholds like making automobiles into nearly every other human endeavor.…
Continue reading »
-
Climate: Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil are authoritarian, anti-democracy groups
Activists say their goal is for just 3.5% of the population to engage in "civil disobedience" as that will be…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Education: Universities faced with enrollment declines
Enrollment declines and underfunding have hit the higher education system hard. A number of colleges are in financial jeopardy. Source:…
Continue reading »
-
Education, Public health: Schools were closed during Covid-19 to force parents to work from home
This is in the Netherlands -public health lied about everything: “This report confirms that the school closures were also taken…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Due to declining enrollment, Kansas City Public Schools considers closing schools
Faced with declining enrollment and aging buildings, Kansas City Public Schools is considering closing 10 schools as part of its…
Continue reading »
-
Emerging Tech: Google’s Project Starline Google’s Holographic Video Chat
This has much utility in the business space, and longer term, even in the home. And more practical than Meta's…
Continue reading »
-
Public Health: Did Pfizer claim its vaccine would prevent Covid-19? Yes.
Summary This week, a Pfizer executive, testifying in the European Parliament, was asked if Pfizer tested their vaccine in regard…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Education: Premium pay for Masters degrees falls
Salaries for Master's Degrees: Income Gap Narrows With Raises for Bachelor's - Bloomberg From population demographics, the cohort of young…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Kroger to buy Albertsons
Kroger is the second-largest grocer by market share in the United States, behind Walmart, and Albertsons is fourth, after Costco.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Generation “Jones” – the generation that followed the “Baby Boomers”
This is a repost of a 2016 blog entry on how the less known "Generation Jones" followed the "Baby Boomers".…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: “Banks turn to automation”
It is about becoming more efficient, less labor intensive: Large banks including Truist, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo emphasized that…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Why non-pharmaceutical interventions do not work
All of the non-pharmaceutical interventions were effectively useless: At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 40% of Americans…
Continue reading »
-
Health: The incidence of TBI/Traumatic Brain Injury
5.5 million Americans are disabled due to a brain injury. Nearly 3 million people visited an ED for TBI-related injuries…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Automation puts most jobs at risk, in some communities
Hospitality, personal services, manufacturing and production, back office and logistics jobs are all at above-average risk of automation, according to…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: “Low-Code Software: A Launchpad for Robotic Process Automation”
"Low code" is a way to develop applications - or control systems - and to accelerate development of automation solutions.…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: 2015 forecast for VR virtual reality market to hit $150 Billion by 2020
2015 Forecast: Augmented And Virtual Reality To Hit $150 Billion, Disrupting Mobile By 2020 | TechCrunch 2022 Forecast: Virtual and…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The aging EU population in a chart
2021 versus 2100 population distribution. More old folks, fewer young folks. Source: Visualizing The European Union's Aging Population by 2100
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Dr Doom says “Stock markets will drop another 40%”
He has been known as Dr. Doom for over a dozen years now. The debt crisis is here, Nouriel Roubini…
Continue reading »
-
Science: Many researchers cannot reproduce their own or other’s experimental results
This seems like a bit of a problem: More than 70% of researchers have tried and failed to reproduce another…
Continue reading »
-
Robotics: Robotics packaging systems can now work safely, side-by-side, with humans
These safety features open new opportunities to deploy robotic automation systems, side by side with human workers, so each can…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Business: Labor shortage pushes manufacturer to build advanced smart factor
aiwan's ASE Technology Holding Co Ltd (3711.TW), one of the world's largest semiconductor testing and packaging firms, said on Wednesday…
Continue reading »
-
Media, economy: “Majority of Americans now doubt attainability of generation-to-generation upward mobility”
This assessment will prove false within a few years, of course but it fits the meme of the day of…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: “Living paycheck to paycheck” has not changed much
These 2022 news headline sound bad until you look at context - over time, the numbers stay much the same…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Some states lose population, some gain population
Nearly 125,000 Illinoisans Went Looking For A New State To Live InIllinois isn't alone in losing people to other states,…
Continue reading »
-
Education: Humanities grads dropped by 50+% from 2010 to 2020
The linked post is, to some extent, trying to explain why there seems to be an increase in political activism.…
Continue reading »
-
Environment: Per Capita CO2 emissions over time for 5 countries
It is interesting that the per capita peak was in the 1960s. (1) [OC] The world's biggest polluters based on…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: The Soviet economy will overtake the U.S. economy between 1984 and 1997
Samuelson was 100% wrong. For decades, since its 1961 edition, students of economics had read in Paul Samuelson’s textbook the…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: More Americans plan to wear a “mask” than get an influenza vaccination
Public health messaging is a fiasco. Many Americans believe masks, which have failed to control the community spread of Covid-19…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Up to 20% of legal registered voters in some states are legal immigrants
Source: Midterms 2022: The Changing Demographics of the Electorate In addition to many other factors, this change in population demographics…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Media: Population trends in the U.S. and California
The pop media seldom does good reporting on the population demographics issue. This report, though, from the Orange County Register,…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Automation in modular home construction
Architect Belinda Carr tours a modular home construction factory in Switzerland, showing how automation improves efficiency, accuracy and quality, safety…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Is range the main criteria to be concerned about? No.
Source: The truth about electric car range: how far an EV will really go on a full charge While good…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The demographics of Czechia
The immigration solution that works for some (but not all) countries: However, the fact that Czechia’s population is now bigger…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Economy: Effects of lower fertility rates on global economy
This article is spot on. Most developed economies have been graying, thanks to low birth rates and rising life expectancy.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The next generation after the “millennials” will be smaller than the “millennial” generation
Among millennials, especially, the fertility rate is very low. Between 2007 and 2012, the birth rate among Americans who came…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Why some might not support immigration
This text appears in the book Empty Planet (highly recommended): A 2016 Pew Research poll showed that 60 percent of…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “The aging population”
"The world is aging" is a correct and true statement but I suspect it is misleading to most readers (see…
Continue reading »
-
Global: How much global travel was done in 1954?
Amongst heads of companies in 1954: 93% of large company CEOs had traveled internationally 89% of mid-size firm CEOs 86%…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Canada sees fastest population increase in 65 years – almost all due to immigration
Canada’s population grew at the fastest pace since around the height of the baby boom, with immigration responsible for nearly…
Continue reading »
-
Economy, Business: Did the labor shortage just vanish?
Creating a recession is another way to address a labor shortage, perhaps:
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Beef consumption linked with less depression
Nutrition studies are notorious for problems with self-reported data, correlation without causation, and even cherry picking so ... ‘We found…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Demographics of who gets hepatitis have changed dramatically
I had hepatitis in May of 2022: Hepatitis A is no longer mainly a travel and food-related infection, as the…
Continue reading »
-
Automation may make inbound sales reps obsolete
As we enter post-pandemic reality, a downturn in the economy, and, in tech, businesses are reassessing resources to take advantage…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Strong growth seen in office automation, robotics firms
And these are not just the obvious mechatronics robots but now software tools that automate worked previously done by white…
Continue reading »
-
EVs, Energy: Electric charging systems might not be so practical, says expert
Charging takes too long, "fast charging" is expensive, and even with the Federal build out, a lot of places still…
Continue reading »
-
Global: Prevalence of International Travel
Summary All adults travel experience: 71% of all U.S. adults have traveled internationally at some point in their lives (Wow!…
Continue reading »
-
Security: Australian telco Optus security breach impacts 40% of Australians
Someone stole personal identity data on all customers of Optus and began posting it online. Optus apparently required substantial personal…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Norway does not recommend new Covid boosters for healthy individuals under age 65
To add to the public health messaging confusion this is, of course, different than the CDC's recommendation: The Norwegian Institute…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: United CEO says pilot shortage will impact air travel for 5 or more years
“The pilot shortage for the industry is real, and most airlines are simply not going to be able to realize…
Continue reading »
-
Humor: The funniest thing you will read today, or tomorrow, …
The Onion files a friend of the Court brief to the US Supreme Court. Die laughing.
Continue reading »
-
Parody? If you ever get sick again, of anything, after having Covid, then you have long Covid
Tweet Unfortunately, she doubled down on that claim; it's not parody.
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The loss of languages
As our population demographics evolve, we lose about 25 languages each year. About 1.2 billion people speak Mandarin or Cantonese…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Long term impacts of China’s “one child” policy
Beginning in 2023, China is expected to start shrinking. This is a long-term issue that will continue the rest of…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Are we headed into a Great Depression 2.0?
Protectionism, sky-high energy prices in Europe, manufacturing scaling back due to lack of affordable energy and countries holding massive amounts…
Continue reading »
-
Environment: The US throws away over 2,000 clothing items – every second
The fashion industry, which relies heavily on fossil fuels for production of polyester fabrics, accounts for 10% of global carbon…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Covid-19 pandemic ended in South Africa due to widespread immunity
https://twitter.com/pieterstreicher/status/1575756741488222210 And KEY POINT: While an earlier vaccine rollout could have saved many lives (est. 70k) from the Delta variant,…
Continue reading »
-
Finance: Are you saving too much for retirement? Probably.
Previously: NBER research paper finds college educated workers should postpone saving for retirement until they are older – ColdstreamsPossibly: “Are…
Continue reading »
-
Global: Putin’s speech
This seems like a good summary of Putin's speech: https://twitter.com/KonstantinKisin/status/1575853684852150272 As I do not speak Russian, I cannot verify the…
Continue reading »
-
Business: What would encourage workers to come back into the office?
After 2+ years of many white-collar workers working from home full or part time, what would encourage them to come…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Media: “Staggering visualization shows the world’s population at 8 billion”
The reporter is 100% unaware of the global decline in fertility rates and as a consequence writes a scary headline…
Continue reading »
-
Environment: Another example of carbon credit fraud
According to DEQ, TTS Charging falsely claimed more than 16,000 in credits in June, alleging it dispensed nearly 15 million…
Continue reading »
-
Public Health: Public Health lacks self-awareness
Public health has often said, in so many words, if we'd been more like China we would have stopped Covid,…
Continue reading »
-
Life: Minimalism is Still Dead
Minimalism is the practice of decluttering one's life - and many adherents took it to extremes, limiting themselves to owning…
Continue reading »
-
International: Russia’s IT sector decimated as staff flee the country
Russian IT professionals are moving abroad en masse to avoid military mobilisation, industry leaders have warned, despite official assurances that…
Continue reading »
-
Science: Was Hurricane Ian caused by human induced climate change?
Many media stories and talking heads on TV say Hurricane Ian's destruction is a symptom of human-induced climate change, and…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Energy situation in EU may result in mobile phone blackouts
This is probably true: https://twitter.com/thesiriusreport/status/1575432761292341248 Some countries have announced plans to implement blackouts during parts of the winter months. Typical…
Continue reading »
-
Health: Our brain “re-wires” after about age 40
“Older adults tend to show less flexible thinking, such as forming new concepts and abstract thinking, lower response inhibition, as…
Continue reading »
-
Environment: Solutions need to be sustainable and not lead to a lower quality of life
During the pandemic, public health was quick to institute numerous restrictions on our lives - restrictions that their own prior…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: DocuSign lays off 9% of staff
The layoffs will cost the company $30 million to $40 million. Source: San Francisco tech company DocuSign lays off hundreds…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Some animal populations are rising
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Oregon’s first grid scale battery bank set up
At the Oregon plant, massive lithium batteries will store up to 120 megawatt-hours of power generated by the 300-megawatt wind…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Meta->Facebook, Instagram, etc, said to be preparing for downsizing
Sounds like layoffs may be in their future - this is from a Bloomberg reporter https://twitter.com/KurtWagner8/status/1575552346708267008 Share price is now…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Chipotle testing automated tortilla chip making machine for restaurants
Duh: A Chipotle restaurant in California will test a robot to make its chips to combat a minimum wage bill…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Germany, Austria, Netherlands increase coal burning
Germany shut down most of its nuclear power plants because ... Their leadership is stupid. The result is an increase…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: Electric Passenger Plane prototype makes first flight at Moses Lake, WA
Source: Prototype electric airplane takes first flight in Washington state - oregonlive.com
Continue reading »
-
Economy: 57% of surveyed American adults think U.S. will be in 1930s Great Depression event soon
This is what happens when you turn over life to public health technocratic elite who had no understanding of the…
Continue reading »
-
Global: Having global skills is essential for a tech career
Microsoft sent me a job ad for a Program Manager, posted on LinkedIn. I clicked through to read the description,…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Chicago Public Schools enrollment declined by over 20% in past ten years
Preliminary data shows the school district is down to 321,000 students this year. Chicago has lost about 82,000 students over…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: “Rebuilding Stronger” as schools are closed
With a fun propaganda campaign, Indianapolis is seeing school closures due to declining enrollments - they call the closures "Rebuilding…
Continue reading »
-
Business, Global: Global trade expected to increase
Trade is expected to grow slightly faster in 2022 and 2023 than it did in the previous decade, despite the…
Continue reading »
-
Social media: What if LinkedIn’s algorithm affected the type of job you got?
In a series of micro-experiments that it later analyzed with other experts, it found that people were more likely to…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: This is why Putin wants to annex Ukraine – for the people
Russia's population has been dropping for years. With Putin's war underway, skilled workers are fleeing Russia, and now with his…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Big change in U.S. real estate market offers to buy
Source: Multiple Offers Ease as Affordability Is Further Eroded
Continue reading »
-
Energy: US electric bills rising
While U.S. residential electricity costs aren’t as high as in Europe, prices will rise Source: Why Your Electric Bill Will…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: [In the UK –>] “Electric car drivers hit by 42% hike in price of public chargers:
Electric car drivers hit by 42% hike in price of public chargers - The RAC said the cost of using…
Continue reading »
-
Innovation: Robotics is happening far faster than most realize
We are going to see advanced automation via even humanoid robots. This is an amazing bit of engineering. Last Saturday…
Continue reading »
-
Finance: Inflation as a wealth tax on all, to cut Federal debt
For all the attention that soaring inflation has gotten this year, one of its most surprising direct offshoots has gone…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Tech’s “up or out” culture
Meta, parent of FB and IG, is putting some workers on a "30 day list" during which they can try…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: EV charging will need to be done during the day, not at night
As California (and some other utilities) become reliant on unreliable wind and solar PV power, a study says that EV…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: WA State employees to be paid $1000 bonus for getting Covid booster shot
Good God, this is insane: Under a tentative deal Washington state employees would get $1,000 bonuses for receiving a COVID-19…
Continue reading »
-
Food: Will Beyond Meat survive?
The product was marketed all wrong, as explained here: But when the inflation hit, omnivorous shoppers balked at spending $8.35…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Anchorage school district considering school closures
The fertility rate in Alaska is 1.8 and has been steadily dropping for years. There are 18 Anchorage schools with…
Continue reading »
-
If you are not global you won’t be working in tech?
Tonight, Microsoft showed me a LinkedIn ad for a position. I clicked through to read the description. Below that, they…
Continue reading »
-
Work: Too much free time might be a dreadful thing
We've all been there – feeling like we never have enough free time. Turns out, that might actually be for…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: U.S. Christian majority to be minority in 2070
Christians could fall below 50% of the U.S. population by 2070 if recent trends continue. Source: America's Christian majority could…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Social Security’s full benefits retirement age is 70
Interesting discussion - most people think "retirement" is somewhere from age 62 to 68 and few would say age 70.…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: Flying car start up Kittyhawk, shutting down
No explanation provided. Just 3 weeks ago, they posted a thank you to the 7 new hires that would be…
Continue reading »
-
Air travel: Cost to leave Russia increases by 5-9x as Putin escalates his war
The cost of flights departing from Moscow skyrocketed after Vladimir Putin announced a “partial military mobilization” in a televised address.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics:U.S. Fertility rate from 1800-2020
The U.S. fertility rate has been collapsing since 1800. The "baby boom" was a self-correcting anomaly. The impact of this…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The demographic time bomb set to detonate soon
The linked article below notes the problem and is optimistic we can embrace necessary changes to accommodate this demographic time…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Age distribution in Russia
Russia launched a de facto war against Ukraine in 2022. Their military forces have proven inept, compared to what we…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Population pyramid, U.S. 2022
Here's another view of the U.S. population pyramid, this one in 5-year buckets. This makes the labor shortage issues even…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Hertz car rental to buy GM EVs starting in 2023
Hertz is buying Bolt EVs and EUVs, starting in early 2023, and will then expand to other future models. Source:…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Self checkouts to increase to combat labor shortage
Self-checkout requires just 10% the amount of labor of staffed checked out lines: Despite the fact that self-checkout systems can…
Continue reading »
-
Environment: Most coastal cities have areas sinking faster than sea level is rising
They are sinking many times faster than sea level is rising: 44 of the 48 most populous coastal cities have…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Your life is about to get more expensive
The U.N. secretary general said Tuesday that developed economies should impose an extra tax on the profits of fossil fuel…
Continue reading »
-
Food: Beyond Meat COO is alleged cannibal
One cannot make this up: Beyond Meat Chief Operating Officer Doug Ramsey was arrested Saturday after allegedly biting a man's…
Continue reading »
-
Global: Why you must have international experience
100% of my colleagues who had international experience moved up - global experience is now a requirement. Because of this,…
Continue reading »
-
Public health emergency declaration to continue forever
They don't even pretend - this is straight up lying: “Now is not the time to eliminate these vital flexibilities,”…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Percent of children vaccinated for diseases
Source: FastStats - Immunization Some of these students will "catch up" by the age of 5, when they enter school…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The U-Haul Index
U-Haul publishes an annual list of where it's rental truck demand is - basically from somewhere to somewhere else. Here's…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: There is no such thing as an affordable EV
Most EVs are sold for one-third more than their base sticker price - there is no such thing as an…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Should you get a Covid booster and when should you get it?
This is a fantastic, detailed, yet easy to read Q&A about Covid-19 boosters - highly recommended: Updated COVID-19 Boosters FAQ…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: WaPo blames “race” for Oakland CA school closures
Oakland is closing public schools, a precise and grim measure of a city’s health. In the case of this proud…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Investment advisors see the decline and what it means
The world’s population continues to grow, but the pace of growth has slowed to a rate of under one percent,…
Continue reading »
-
Energy, Cars: “Automatic Stop & Start Technology”
Since I drive older cars, I did not know about this: Stop & Start Technology automatically stops and starts your…
Continue reading »
-
EVs: Li-Ion tech will never reach low enough price points
The solution for delivering affordable EVs competitive with gas cars will depend on new battery tech that is not yet…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Costs likely to shoot up this winter
Energy is a global market and actions undertaken in Europe will have impacts in the U.S. A potential spike in…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: 2022 PNW Fire Season “potential to be worse than last year”
July 28, 2022 - PNW fire season "to be worse than last year" What to expect this fire season Grant…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: This Letter to the Editor gets it
According to the Pew Research Center the birth rate in the US has been on a continual decline since 1964.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Proposal to allow teens age 13 and up to work
Teens as young as 13 could soon be making coffees and packing groceries, as part of a proposal by the…
Continue reading »
-
Transportation: EV’s cost too much and prices are rising
The average price of an EV in August was $61,955, up 7.8% from $57,472 in August 2021, according to Edmunds.com.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The political hurdles to solving labor shortages with immigration
As we know, the U.S. fertility rate has been below the population replacement level for decades. This is true of…
Continue reading »
-
Environment: After 200k miles, an EV’s lifetime carbon emissions are 28% less than gas car
The link is a fair analysis of the overall lifecycle carbon output of an EV versus a gas-powered car: How…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: FedEx sees global recession
Source: FedEx warns of looming global recession Worth listening to FedEx on this point. They are a global logistics company…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Labor shortage all over Europe
Source: Labour shortages felt all over Europe – EURACTIV.com All countries, basically. This report, though, fails to mention the fertility…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: How some job ads intentionally discriminate against those age 40+
Employers insert descriptive words and phrases into job ads that lead to fewer applicants over age 40. Some word choices…
Continue reading »
-
Social: YouTube now forcing 5-10 ads at start of videos
YouTube has started showing as many as 10 unskippable ads in a single video for some users, as it appears…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Role of Marriage and Education in fertility rates
Source: The Decline in Fertility: The Role of Marriage and Education — Penn Wharton Budget Model As of 2019, about…
Continue reading »
-
Security: All of Uber’s information systems hacked
An Uber employee fell for this old phishing trick: The person who claimed responsibility for the hack told The New…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Decline in births leads to closing obstetric hospital units
The decline in births is causing some smaller hospitals to consider closing their obstetrics units. Research suggests they begin to…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The pilot shortage (and mechanics and air traffic controllers …)
Watch the video. It's a shortage across multiple job functions, not just pilots. Why the U.S. is running out of…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The demographic time bomb is ticking
In 2030, America will experience a demographic turning point when all baby boomers will be older than 65. That will equal one…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: We were wrong about the economy, say the “experts”
To be fair, the "experts" have been wrong about almost everything the past two and half years. It's known as…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Number of children living in poverty drops sharply
Government poverty-reduction programs were decisive. Source: America's successful war on poverty Part of it (but not all of it) might…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The Death of Halloween Trick or Treating
Last fall (2021), we thought we'd see a return of trick or treating after prior years' Covid restrictions. We had…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Declining youth enrollment leads to more school closures
The declining youth population in the U.S. is already leading to tough decisions about closing elementary schools. In a few…
Continue reading »
-
Policy: Rule by technocratic elite
Technocracy privileges the opinions and viewpoints of technical experts, exalting them into a kind of aristocracy, while marginalizing the opinions…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Fewer people attending college
There are multiple factors at play here: There are 4 million fewer college students than there were a decade ago.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: The world’s working age population peaked in 2012
The working-age population historically drives the economy. According to a report by the World Bank, the world’s working-age population peaked…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: Fertility rates have been decreasing globally for 25-60 years
For the last 50 years, fertility rates have decreased worldwide, due to women's empowerment, lower child mortality and increased cost…
Continue reading »
-
Finance: Beyond Meat’s share price in long decline
Beyond Meat hit a high of $194.95 but now trades at about $22/share. BYND Stock Price | Beyond Meat Inc.…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Dow down 1,200 points, NASDAQ down over 600
Just days ago, Biden was emphasizing that his policies (he says) are driving the economy forward and controlling inflation. Today,…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Productivity has fallen sharply this year
Productivity, measured as nonfarm business employee output per house, also fell in both quarters, decreasing by 7.4% and 4.6% quarter-on-quarter. These…
Continue reading »
-
Finance: Meta (Facebook) shares have cratered
When your business is advertising and operating a frictionless platform for propaganda messaging it might be that even its network…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: By 2030, 25% of all workers will be over 55 years old
In a world where population demographics is shifting to a surplus of older workers and a significant shortage of younger…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: 336 GW of “solar capacity”
What does this mean? US solar capacity is expected to grow from 129 GW today to 336 GW by 2027,…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: VT farmers pairing saffron and solar panels
I sure didn't see this one coming: A study released this year found that the crop grows well when planted…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics, Media: BBC acknowledges fertility rate decline, kind of
Lots of scary information about overpopulation - until you reach page 10 of this 22-page BBC report when, oh, by…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Transparent solar PV panels?
Fascinating idea - but does not say if these are cost effective with conventional panels or not. Will look forward…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Should we switch to 4-day work weeks?
I do not yet understand the details on this: It is the latest example of a growing global movement to…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Using hot water tanks to store energy
This makes a lot of sense: Hot water systems are important and are one of the most basic energy storage…
Continue reading »
-
Global: Overseas experience for older workers?
If you have an interest in developing global skills, do it in your 20s or 30s as opportunities diminish as…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: One third of gym users have not returned after Covid shutdowns
Nearly one-third of gym-goers say they have not returned to their workout facility.For those that haven’t returned, 27 percent said…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics: China’s population challenges
But China also faces long-term challenges that won’t go away, beginning with an onrushing demographic decline.The United Nations projects that…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: Ten pages of Covid rules for a Nov 2022 event
Ten single spaced pages of Covid restrictions to attend a "con"-like event in mid-November 2022! Kumoricon » COVID-19 Expectations for…
Continue reading »
-
Business: Restaurants closing dining rooms in favor of “food to go”
Customers consuming food or beverage on site has dropped so much that many "fast food" services are closing their dining…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Walmart offering delivery via drone in select markets
Today we’re announcing we’ll be expanding our DroneUp delivery network to 34 sites by the end the year, providing the…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Warehouses shifting from labor to automation
Traditionally, warehouses and distribution centers have been labor-intensive operation centers with a large number of employees moving inventory to the…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Zipline offers compelling delivery solution in hard to reach areas
Zipline offers a compelling, high value density delivery service in remote areas, so far demonstrated and operational in some countries…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 56: Canada blames retirees for labor shortage
More than a year after the Great Resignation took hold in the United States, Canada is grappling with its own…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 55: Some propose eliminating “investor visas”
Many countries have investor visas that enable individuals to make an investment in a country, and in exchange, receive residency,…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Fast food outlets dropping sit down service, becoming take out only
Name a fast-food restaurant and the odds are the company has recently developed a branch without any restaurant at all.…
Continue reading »
-
Education: Will higher education providers compete?
In about 2 years, the big population decline now in effect at about age 17 and below will become the…
Continue reading »
-
Economy: Household wealth down about 21%
The 20.9% estimated includes loss in direct value and loss in purchasing power due to inflation: Americans are feeling poorer…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Restaurants turn to AI voice bots to take phone orders
More casual-dining restaurants and takeout joints are dispensing with direct phone lines, opting instead to divert customer calls to voice…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 54: Economist argues for expansion of immigration to the U.S.
He acknowledges the root cause: It’s hard for the government to increase the share of adults who are working, and…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 53: Automation in Warehouse and Distribution Centers
Automation offers significant benefits to employers struggling to adequately staff warehouse environments. In addition to reducing the need for labor…
Continue reading »
-
Transportation: Should more people be riding bikes?
Read an item this morning promoting more people to ride bikes to work and to stores. Which reminded me of…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Oregon utilities announced power cutoffs
I am so old, I remember when the U.S. had actual infrastructure to support modern life. Oh well. Several Oregon…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Robotic, automatic food delivery coming to homes in California and Texas
As the population of younger, new workers declines, as labor becomes more expensive, automation will replace much that we thought…
Continue reading »
-
Health: New hard hat design reduces rotational brain injuries
This is good: The latest generation of hard hats are designed to cushion the brain during an impact by absorbing…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 52: Animated population changes since 1900
This is brilliant. Watch the video clip. Best viewed on Reddit --> here. https://www.reddit.com/r/dataisbeautiful/comments/wy4gax/usa_demographic_composition_19002020_oc/
Continue reading »
-
International: “London Bridge is down.”
Source: Queen Elizabeth II has died - BBC News
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 51: Treasury Secretary calls for free college and subsidized child care
Sec. Yellin, who said a year ago that inflation would be mild and temporary, promotes free college and subsidized childcare…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 50: US States and Territories, by fertility rate
2.1 is the population replacement rate. The U.S. as a whole is about 1.63, above, but 1.78 by others' estimates.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 49: Sen Romney proposes paying Americans to have babies
My own state has a 2020 fertility rate of 1.39. Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney introduced the Family Security Act.…
Continue reading »
-
Aviation: United Airlines places order for “200 electric air taxis”
The carrier said Thursday that it agreed to buy 200 electric air taxis from Eve Air Mobility, an Embraer-backed startup,…
Continue reading »
-
EV: 2024 Chevy Equinox EV to start at US$30,000
The all-electric Chevrolet Equinox EV is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. next fall, starting at around $30,000.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 48: Germany to expand visas for skilled foreign workers
But open only to those under age 36: Skilled workers from around the world could find it easier to live…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Solar PV produced 12% of EU power this summer
And should increase year over year each of the next ten years: Solar power generation rose 28% in the summer…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Fast food burger flippers already automated
https://twitter.com/econprof_mathur/status/1566438353804951553 When I have been in fast food outlets, I see that most employ 6 to 10 staff. Depends on…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Laser system removes weeds from field
Watch: https://twitter.com/carbon_robotics/status/1567294796217327617 Lots more automation to come as the population decline is addressed through increased mechanization and decreased need for…
Continue reading »
-
Wireless: Apple’s iPhone 14 to support satellite-based text messaging
Source: Apple’s satellite plans just sent this stock on a wild ride The iPhone 14 will support text messaging via…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 47: Educational Attainment
As of the mid-1960s, only about 1/2 of adults had completed high school and about 1 in 13 had completed…
Continue reading »
-
Demographic 46: WaPo says we must import far more immigrants
WaPo says the U.S. must import vast numbers of immigrants to contend with the birth rate decline. They then do…
Continue reading »
-
Automation: Robots restocking shelves in Japan
Automation is how the declining population's labor shortage problem will be addressed: A robotics company is installing restocking robots in…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 45: Numerous countries seek to import tech workers
Many blame past Covid restrictions but they all know it's due to the declining younger population due to declining fertility…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 44: Labor Secretary says we need more immigration
The decline in birth rates has been underway for 20-30 years, depending on the country. Every country says they hope…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 43: Automation becomes essential in warehouse/distribution industry
Along with many warehouse laborers permanently leaving the field due to a multitude of factors including reskilling, pandemic-related illness and…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 42: Median age to give birth is now 30
My Mom was 41 years old when I was born at tail end of "baby boom"L While fertility rates dropped…
Continue reading »
-
Possibly: “Are you saving more than you need for retirement?”
As previously reported, most professionals and college educated are over saving for their retirement years, and in so doing, are…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 41: California forecasts continued public school enrollment declines
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Department of Finance projected a 7% decrease in California public school enrollment between…
Continue reading »
-
EV: California’s future oil shutdown is challenging
Reconciling ambitions for carbon neutrality with continuing dependence on fuel poses a big problem for the state’s refineries and policy…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 40: “Bermuda Is Facing A Demographic Crisis” –
“Bermuda is facing a demographic crisis” and “the prospect of Bermuda’s declining and aging population in the coming years raises…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 39: “Lower Labor Force Participation Rates and Slower Population Growth Pose Challenges”-Federal Reserve
As the nation recovers from the pandemic-induced recession, finding workers to fill job openings has been a headwind for many…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 38: “Most of Alaska faces population decline as birth rates plummet”
With fewer Alaskans choosing to have children the state’s population is expected to begin a decades-long decline in most areas.…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 37: What does “Aging population” actually mean?
I have seen this phrase "aging population" appear in the media for years, probably decades. It's confusing as it applies…
Continue reading »
-
36-Demographics: Differences of Young versus Old – and how to pay for it?
The young tend to spend more on products. Think of buying a home and then needing to (eventually) add furnishings,…
Continue reading »
-
35-Demographics: Huge social benefits programs do not increase fertility rates
Nonsense - this issue is global and not just the U.S.: The most important reason for America’s deepening baby bust…
Continue reading »
-
34-Demographics: Emerging Europe’s population may decline to early 1900s levels over coming century
Source: bne IntelliNews - Population decline to take Emerging Europe back to the early 20th century
Continue reading »
-
22-Demographics: An important reason to develop international skills
I added a big update to this post so adding this link as a new, updated quick look: 22-Demographics: An…
Continue reading »
-
Public health: They did everything right but still got Covid
Why mitigations and lockdowns were mostly useless: For more than two years I basically lived like a hermit to avoid…
Continue reading »
-
Media notices disease model projections mostly worthless
Predictions about the pandemic rarely age well. In the United States, the pandemic appeared to be winding down in May…
Continue reading »
-
33-Demographics: Shortage of health care workers
This is all over the country: Similar scenarios are playing out all over Oregon. A lack of qualified healthcare workers,…
Continue reading »
-
32-Demographics: India schools see decline in enrollment
Schools in India also seeing a decline in enrollment due to decline in births: According to the study, enrollment is…
Continue reading »
-
31-Demographics: Media catching on to the population decline
The Demographic Outlook: 2022 to 2052 | Congressional Budget Office (cbo.gov) White and youth population losses contributed most to the…
Continue reading »
-
30-Demographics: Where the next babies will be born in 2022
This graphic paints a picture of the world's population, showing which countries are most likely to welcome the next 1,000…
Continue reading »
-
29-Demographics: “slowing population growth, not pandemic, at the root of U.S. worker shortage “
And just like that, UC Riverside researchers are saying the same thing as this blog: Supply chain struggles have been…
Continue reading »
-
28-Demographics: Is the decline good or bad?
Is the decline in the global fertility rate a good thing or a bad thing? Perhaps it is neither -…
Continue reading »
-
27-Demographics: Australia seeks more immigrants to solve worker shortage
They blame the pandemic but ignore the other problem - Australia's fertility rate is less than 1.8, meaning negative population…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Monkeypox cases to hit 100,000 in August
First, we have this forecast from May which projected that everyone in the world would have monkeypox by the end…
Continue reading »
-
X-Plane 12 pre-release video trailer
Wow. The Cirrus SR22 in X-Plane 12 – Official Trailer - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlwnR0KhpJc
Continue reading »
-
The college education trap
Most of the "return on investment" value of a college education goes to "people who come from affluent families and…
Continue reading »
-
26-Demographics: Percent that speak other than English, at home
From the United States Census[1] Percent of Population that spoke a language other than English at home: 1975: 5.71980: 11%1990:…
Continue reading »
-
25- Demographics: Pandemic policy effects on students may last decades
Just as WW2 impacted population demographics and age distributions up to the present, the policies (most of which did not…
Continue reading »
-
IRS to track payment of taxes if you earn more than $600 in revenue selling used stuff online
Source: Why new IRS rules will be an absolute disaster for casual eBay users EBay and others will have to…
Continue reading »
-
24-Demographics: Portugal introduces new visa to address worker shortage
“For the promotion of orderly and regulated safe migration and in the fight against the shortage of manpower, a new…
Continue reading »
-
23-Demographics: Another University acknowledges fewer students
The University of Portland sees 21% of students who had made down payments for fall enrollment - disenroll. The university…
Continue reading »
-
22-Demographics: An important reason to develop international skills
We usually think of international skills as being applied when we head to other countries. But in fact, global skills…
Continue reading »
-
21- Demographics: Military recruiting hits demographic wall too
Military struggling to find new troops as fewer young Americans are willing or able to serve. Source: Military struggling to…
Continue reading »
-
20-Demographics: Immigration now largest component of U.S. population growth
Interesting figures - overall, just under 15% of the U.S. population was born elsewhere but note this: About 1 in…
Continue reading »
-
Part 19 – Population Demographics: In 20 years, 100% of U.S. population growth will come from immigration
Almost all U.S. population growth over next 20 years will come from immigration, and after 20 years, 100% will come…
Continue reading »
-
After banning sales of gas vehicles in 2035, California tells residents not to charge EVs
The optics on this look sort of bad: The California Air Resources Board recently approved a rule to require all…
Continue reading »
-
Part 18 – Population Demographics: CNN says population will not collapse
CNN explains that experts say the population is not collapsing but then goes on to say the opposite in most…
Continue reading »
-
How to pretend you are saving money by purchasing Electric Buses
At first glance, this sounds good - high upfront costs but dramatic savings in operational/variable costs: From the PGE site,…
Continue reading »
-
Panera Bread testing voice recognition tech for drive thru orders
Automation will place increasingly large roles in fast food services: Two Panera Bread locations in upstate New York are testing…
Continue reading »
-
Cell phone service via satellite
Many companies are seeking to do this, including the announced SpaceX/T-Mobile partnership: Satellite companies are rushing to connect our phones…
Continue reading »
-
Converting irrigation canals to pipes can turn them into electricity generators too
This is very cool: if you can funnel enough water volume into a pipe, and then run that pipe into…
Continue reading »
-
Part 17 – Population demographics: “Companies welcoming refugees” to fill positions
Tent Partnership for Refugees, a nonprofit founded by Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya, helps people displaced by conflict or persecution—and the…
Continue reading »
-
Turning the electrical power model inside out with bi-directional charging
EV batteries can act as utility power batteries. If lots of EVs do this, they can represent a size-able battery…
Continue reading »
-
Europe’s energy shortage may last for many winters
European oil major Shell Plc cautioned that Europe may have to brace for a string of winters with exorbitant power…
Continue reading »
-
Most EVs in 2023 will not qualify for the new $7,500 EV tax credit
Most EVs will not meet the "made in North America" requirements to qualify for tax credits during 2023 and the…
Continue reading »
-
Do politicians believe EVs are worse than gas vehicles, and believe customers do not want EVs?
In typical markets, the better value product wins - because customers like the features, the price and relative delivered for…
Continue reading »
-
Part 16 – Population Demographics: Growth of elderly working population in U.S.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of people over 75 years old in the labor force is…
Continue reading »
-
The difficulties of getting a Tesla EV repaired
The complaints point to all sorts of problems with the experience of owning a Tesla vehicle, including an inadequate number…
Continue reading »
-
Demographics 15: “The Unexpected Future”
The "experts" who predict the future were wrong again: We are entering an unanticipated reality—an era of slow population growth…
Continue reading »
-
Part 14 – Population Demographics: “America’s Demographic Winter”
Population growth is slowing or reversing just about everywhere in the country. That has enormous implications for our future economy…
Continue reading »
-
Part 13 – Population Demographics: Universities to seek more international students
College officials are preparing to welcome a pair of students from the African country to the downtown campus in the…
Continue reading »
-
Part 12 – Population Demographics: Higher Education Does Not Get It
Wonder why? College enrollment is down nationwide, from about 17 million in 2020 to 15.9 million in the latest data…
Continue reading »
-
Part 11 – Population Demographics: Pennsylvania sees drop in college-aged population
The bigger issue for Pennsylvania higher education is its ability to attract students while the college-aged population in the commonwealth…
Continue reading »
-
Part 10 – Population Demographics: The shrinking population story is gaining traction
A Google news search shows numerous headlines raising awareness of the shrinking population. Apparently, this is becoming mainstream. I have…
Continue reading »
-
How social media should handle “misinformation” content moderation
Currently, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube apply heavy handed censorship to user created content. Twitter, and Youtube, have both sanctioned, even…
Continue reading »
-
Part 9 – Population Demographics: “Pilot shortage prompts proposals to raise retirement age, lower training hours. : NPR”
So to address the shortage, some in the industry and in Congress are calling for some big changes. Among them…
Continue reading »
-
This is a very big deal: SpaceX and T-Mobile team up to use Starlink satellites
Existing T-Mobile phones should have access to text messaging capabilities in remote areas, routed via Starlink satellites. The satellites to…
Continue reading »
-
So much for that EV tax credit: Ford announces more EV price hikes
Ford Motor is hiking the starting prices of its electric Mustang Mach-E crossover by more than $8,000 for some models,…
Continue reading »
-
Part 8 – Population Demographics: Fully automated restaurant eliminates labor
Fully-autonomous restaurant Mezli will open on August 28 in San Franciso. Its co-founder and CEO hopes the new robot-powered eatery…
Continue reading »
-
Fed Chair says inflation and high interest rates to continue
I am so old; I remember just a year ago when the "experts" said inflation was going to be mild…
Continue reading »
-
Part 7 – Population Demographics: Fertility rates in sharp decline globally
(Part 5 has not yet been finished) Korea's fertility rate is now 0.81 and the country's population will be cut…
Continue reading »
-
Areas in China shut down EV charging
Wonder how California will handle these issues too - particularly with summertime power shut offs to stop forest fires: China’s…
Continue reading »
-
Part 6 – Population Demographics: Walmart
(Parts 4 and 5 are still in progress and editing) Today I stopped at Walmart to pick up some groceries.…
Continue reading »
-
Student Debt Relief
Read the full thread from economist, Former Treasury Secretary and former president of Harvard University. https://twitter.com/LHSummers/status/1561701542591356931 Biden's actions, per other…
Continue reading »
-
Part 3 – Population Demographics: Honey, I shrunk the U.S. population
The U.S. fertility rate today is 1.78. A rate of 2.1 is needed to maintain the population at its current…
Continue reading »
-
Major U.S. airlines aim for 85% of 2019 capacity, as of Fall 2022
The major airlines have scheduled 574,489 departures in October and 555,515 in November, according to recent data from Airline Data…
Continue reading »
-
Most major startups had immigrant founders
I have been doing a LOT of studying on the importance of global thinking, for more than a year. This…
Continue reading »
-
J.D. Power study finds issues with EV charging
Tesla chargers seem to rank the highest: Stations need to be added to areas where there are currently gaps in…
Continue reading »
-
Energy disaster in Europe may last a decade
The next “5 to 10 winters will be difficult,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo warned on Monday as energy…
Continue reading »
-
Bank Australia will no longer issue loans for gas powered vehicles
I wonder what their EV charging infrastructure looks like? In a statement Friday, Bank Australia said it would scrap loans…
Continue reading »
-
I already do: Should we recycle urine as a nitrogen fertilizer?
My house is on a septic system. Recycled urine is why my backyard grass is striped with intense green sections!…
Continue reading »
-
Why politicians think everything can be solved with a government program
I started my career with a B.S. in computer science and worked for software (mostly) companies during most of my…
Continue reading »
-
Manufactured fake meat industry’s growth stumbles
Market growth is now stagnant or shrinking: “The industry in general is struggling, and Beyond isn’t helping,” Rupesh Parikh, senior…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Over 650,000 attend EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, WI. Covid-19 cases fell.
Oddly, no one predicted this to be a super spreader event - yet a similar size event in Sturgis SD…
Continue reading »
-
Beef prices set to rise
Source: Ranchers Put More Cattle In Feedlots as Drought Cooks Pastures - Bloomberg (Paid subscription required) Beef prices are set…
Continue reading »
-
Brain drain: Millions of mostly well-educated Russians have left the country
Side effects of Putin's war: ‘We realized that there’s no way we can return’: Russia’s best and brightest are leaving…
Continue reading »
-
Ethics and Integrity: White House Climate advisor sanctioned for unethical conduct
The National Academy of Sciences has barred Jane Lubchenco, a key White House climate aide, from involvement in NAS publications…
Continue reading »
-
Chart of Electric Cars: Bloomberg’s Guide to Green EVs
This is an excellent chart showing EVs and various criteria such as charging rate in terms of miles per minute.…
Continue reading »
-
Interesting: Tax Burden by State
Comprehensive table examines taxes, by state, taking into account property, income, sales and other taxes. Source: Tax Burden by State…
Continue reading »
-
Early: When do CEOs wake up in the morning?
People who suffer from sleep disorders[1] probably not welcome in the executive suites: Specifically, here are the survey’s most popular…
Continue reading »
-
Part 2 – Population Demographics: Another way to see the population problem
The following chart shows the rate of the growth of the young, working age, and elderly population (65+). Looking at…
Continue reading »
-
As of July, over 80% of US population has had Covid
We estimate that 82% of people in US have been infected at least once as of July 11(Figure 6.1). 102_briefing_United_States_of_America_8.pdf…
Continue reading »
-
Part 1 – Population Demographics: The decline in the U.S. workforce
We have very low unemployment and there is a shortage of workers. Typically, this is blamed on Covid-19 and/or pandemic…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: San Diego Comic-Con 2022 – A Super Spreader For Comic Creators?
Pundits said San Diego Comic Con 2022 was a super spreader event. Source: San Diego Comic-Con 2022 - A Super…
Continue reading »
-
Why community use of “masks” does not stop the spread of Covid-19
This is the calculation I did months ago. But I am brain injured idiot, so what do I know? Read…
Continue reading »
-
Taxpayer subsidized semiconductor production
"Free trade" used to be the buzzword of the day, now we are returning to less free trade.
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: OHSU predicts hospitalizations to peak around 220 in June
OHSU Health roles (Interesting - that now goes to a dead link - let's hide the error.) A later revision…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Omicron variant may bring second-largest US Covid wave
Source: ‘Headed in a bad direction’: Omicron variant may bring second-largest US Covid wave Wrong again. Cases Deaths
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “BA.5 doesn’t give a shit about your vaccines or your prior COVID”
https://twitter.com/grahamwalker/status/1546858498805313536 Reality August 12, 2022 - WRONG AGAIN
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: BA.5 will be the ‘worst’ subvariant yet
July 11, 2022 Source: COVID-19: Doctors explain 5 reasons why omicron's BA.5 will be the 'worst' subvariant yet - ABC7…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Winter Surge Forecast in South Africa
The Expertstm predicted a winter seasonal surge in South Africa. Reality (June 23, 2022) They made no changes to public…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “vaccinated people do not carry the virus, don’t get sick”, vaccination leads to “dead ends” for virus infections
2021 when the vaccine was widely available and you should get the vaccine: CDC chief Rochelle Walensky said earlier this…
Continue reading »
-
Oops: “Windows 11 Encryption May Damage Data”
Microsoft has detailed a serious bug in Windows 11 and Windows Server 2022. Due to the issues outlined in Knowledge…
Continue reading »
-
Junk Science, they had no control group: “Masked, Vaccinated Students Didn’t Catch Covid in Classrooms”
Vaccinated and masked college students had virtually no chance of catching Covid-19 in the classroom last fall, according to a…
Continue reading »
-
Free trade is so 1990s: Most EVs won’t qualify for EV tax credits
Manchin’s office declined to comment. He told reporters last week that he wants automakers to “get aggressive and make sure…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Great Barrier Reef is dying due to climate change, until it sees greatest coral cover in 36 years
April 2019: Global warming has caused such extensive damage to the Great Barrier Reef that scientists say its coral may…
Continue reading »
-
I had this question too: What is % benefit of mask wearing to someone who is vaxxed and has had Covid?
This person asks about prior infection, and not tripled vaxxed + Covid infection. If you are triple or quadruple vaxxed,…
Continue reading »
-
Great example of randomness of Covid protection rules
A huge event in Chicago (C2E2) run by Reed Pop Entertainment on Aug 5-7, where community Covid risk is HIGH,…
Continue reading »
-
CNN publishes fake opinion column
This is a lie and CNN fell for it:But the decisions of some parents not to vaccinate their children don't…
Continue reading »
-
Book publishers seek to tax the used book market, may use NFTs
Pearson's CEO Andy Bird told reporters moving to the blockchain and NFTs would allow the textbook publisher to get sales…
Continue reading »
-
Good: vaccinated, boosted and had Covid?
If you’re generally healthy, fully vaccinated and boosted and have recently recovered from a breakthrough infection, you are currently about…
Continue reading »
-
Cool! CDC says Covid can be used to treat TBI, anxiety and depression in children
And to treat asthma in ages 12-17 or chronic kidney disease among 2-4 year olds! Is there anything Covid can't…
Continue reading »
-
Sun’s Upcoming Peak of Sunspot and Solar Flare Activity Could Set Records – CNET
I am not a fan of massive modeling exercises to predict the future - as documented on this blog the…
Continue reading »
-
I had just two: “Which Vaccines Did I Get As a Kid? Polio, Measles, Tetanus and 13 More”
Kids in the US typically get vaccinated against 16 diseases by the time they're grown. Protection ranges from 6 months…
Continue reading »
-
Perhaps the most important Tweets I have ever read on Twitter
I am cutting back use of Twitter as most of the stuff there is garbage, increasingly from hysterical people living…
Continue reading »
-
College student loan forgiveness has little to do with loans
The goal is that college tuition be free and 100% socialized. Once other taxpayers pay off the loans of the…
Continue reading »
-
Restaurants using robotic cooking systems
As I have been predicting for several years: Robots have been making their way into kitchens nationwide as the technology…
Continue reading »
-
Twitter is out of control
Twitter is filled with posts all saying the same words suggesting a bot net attack: And then this, which I've…
Continue reading »
-
Car makers want all cars to be rented by the month
BMW starts selling heated seat subscriptions for $18 a month - The Verge Customer ownership does not optimize continuing revenue.…
Continue reading »
-
Inflation will be mild and temporary, said the experts: “Inflation rose 9.1% in June, even more than expected”
Expertise has committed mass suicide the past 2 1/2 years. Mild and temporary. Right. The consumer price index, soared 9.1%…
Continue reading »
-
The incredible shrinking product sizes
I'm so old, I remember when our technocratic elite said it would be just 15 days to flatten the curve.…
Continue reading »
-
The incredible shrinking city of San Francisco
From April 2020 to July 2021, the city lost nearly 7% of its population, going from 873,965 to 815,201 residents…
Continue reading »
-
Massive telecom outage cripples Canada on July 7-8
"We're talking about moving into the Metaverse. We're still in the dinoverse unfortunately, and this is pretty bad for Canada…
Continue reading »
-
Self-inflicted problem: Semiconductor industry can’t find enough electronics engineers
Pay and job security has not been the greatest for some in the EE field. While the global chip shortage…
Continue reading »
-
93-95% of US will eventually have gotten Covid
"They’re as transmissible as measles which is one of the most contagious viruses out there. I think most people can…
Continue reading »
-
Calling bullshit on this: NetZero life by 2030?
The year is 2030. Thanks to accelerated cross-sector innovation, low-carbon lifestyles have become the norm. We enjoy energy-efficient homes attuned…
Continue reading »
-
EU to require speed limit alerts in cars
Mine already does this - it's a Garmin map/navigation unit and it beeps if we go X miles an hour…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up in fall of 2022: “Get Ready for the Forever Plague | The Tyee” – a wonderful work of fiction writing?
The theory espoused by the Tyee writer is disconnected from immunological science. He says: Public health officials’ COVID complacency has…
Continue reading »
-
During the pandemic, government spending rose to one-third of personal income, before declining
Source Transfer payments are payment made without a contemporary and corresponding delivery of a good or service. In other words,…
Continue reading »
-
Zoning changes: Goal is to make U.S. cities similar to old European cities
At the core of this housing supply action plan is a federal push to budge local zoning codes that restrict…
Continue reading »
-
Prices paid to health care providers by insurers about to become public information
Everyone will know everyone else's business: for example, how much insurers Aetna and Humana pay the same surgery center for…
Continue reading »
-
Short product life: why I switched from Mac to Windows-based PCs
Over the years I owned an original Mac notebook (1999 time frame), a dual processor G4 desktop, and later 2…
Continue reading »
-
This is America – Happy Independence Day
This, below, is America, not the constant drumbeat of horrible, terrible scary news trumpeted by the media as they seek…
Continue reading »
-
Cryptocurrencies lose huge values in June 2022
Bitcoin just finished its worst month on record, losing more than 38% of its value in June, as of Thursday afternoon. Ether, the…
Continue reading »
-
By age 23, climate/fossil fuels protester has spent 5 years traveling the world to exotic locations
The female protestor who sparked fury today when she glued herself to priceless artwork in the National Gallery has been…
Continue reading »
-
Many cryptocurrencies have crashed
DAPS Coin, this morning from Coinbase. Cryptocurrency and block chain makes sense to me, for many applications, including security and…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Monkeypox projection made May 24, 2022
May 24, 2022: Forecast for monkeypox case growth to 300 million by end of June 2022 and everyone on the…
Continue reading »
-
Legal Problems with Drone Detection and Defense Systems
Trying to stop bad drones? This article dives into the different types of counter drone systems (drone jammer, anti-drone gun,…
Continue reading »
-
That is high priced EV charging
Fast charging for a fee I stopped at a different station the next day to try fee-based fast charging using…
Continue reading »
-
Fascinating: SARS-CoV-2 appears to rely on body fat to cause disease
This lab finding could explain why some have bad outcomes with Covid-19: The virus that causes COVID-19 undertakes a massive…
Continue reading »
-
“IBM settles age discrimination case that sought top execs’ emails”
Rather than enable damaging email correspondence to become part of the public record, IBM settles age discrimination case that sought…
Continue reading »
-
Most posts on public health and Covid have been taken offline, made private
Today I saw a social media post from a professional health care provider upset over a SCOTUS decision this past…
Continue reading »
-
Safety Culture
I was recently in another western country and noticed the lack of "safety culture" there. After my return, I saw…
Continue reading »
-
You don’t like how the country is going: Can you just pack up and move to another country?
Generally, no, you cannot. After the SCOTUS ruling on abortion, online forums are filled with people saying this is no…
Continue reading »
-
SkyWest finds clever work around to serve smaller towns
None of this should be necessary but it is what it is due to government bureaucratic regulations. Will remove seats…
Continue reading »
-
Only about 1 in 5 engineering degrees go to women
Of all the fields in STEM – or science, technology, engineering and mathematics – the engineering workforce has the lowest…
Continue reading »
-
Image media more important than ever
You may have noticed that TikTok's short videos have taken over the social media world. Youtube is doing #Shorts. IG…
Continue reading »
-
Heh – my thoughts on Twitter too
Continue reading »
-
NERC says the U.S. will have insufficient electricity supply this summer
Says electrical generation capacity is now 2.3% less than in 2021 and various parts of the U.S. will run out…
Continue reading »
-
Twitter is full of people showing they are idiots
It is a mystery why so many use Twitter to prove they are idiots. In recent days, tweets like the…
Continue reading »
-
What does “surge” even mean?
Media redefines the term "surge" - I guess. Says we are now having a "surge" in new cases of Covid.…
Continue reading »
-
Why are voluntarily education debts a higher priority to forgive than involuntary health care debts?
We paid off a $20k medical debt - the hospital accepted a negotiated payment from our group payer, but then…
Continue reading »
-
Well done: Injured mountain climber rescued
Rescues like this are a weekly occurrence here. The climber had a sleeping bag and tent and stayed safely in…
Continue reading »
-
Germany shut down its nuclear plants and replaced them with coal plants
Face plant. Germany says it will compensate for a cut in Russian gas supply by increasing the burning of coal…
Continue reading »
-
June 20 2022: Still running our wood pellet stove
2022 has been the year without a spring. We are still running our wood pellet stove to heat our home…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Two months after airline mask mandate dropped
Numerous experts predicted a massive increase in "cases" due to the end of the airline mask mandate. The "increase" that…
Continue reading »
-
Scarce posting
The past 7 weeks have been most unusual for me: Had hepatitisHad a routine, pre-scheduled colonoscopy exam under general anesthesia,…
Continue reading »
-
Hotels seek to adopt automation, and unbundled services
Hotels look to automate check in, make requests for towels, etc, into an app or text message - generally reduce…
Continue reading »
-
Good thing we don’t have inflation: EPA makes your gas mileage go down and food cost more
The Environmental Protection Agency said it would set the 2022 levels for corn-based ethanol blended into gasoline at 15 billion…
Continue reading »
-
The Star Trek Transporter must be close at hand
Even if you're enjoying gloriously fast broadband at home wherever you live in the world, you're still going to be…
Continue reading »
-
27% of EV charging stations sampled in Northern California study did not work
The team discovered only 73% of the charging equipment worked. Problems included non-working screens, payment system failures, network failures and…
Continue reading »
-
Bleak future for car dealers
On Wednesday, [Ford CEO] Farley said that he wants the company's EVs to be sold online-only, with no dealer markups…
Continue reading »
-
The Social Media Doc and Science Army has ruined our trust
I looked at Twitter again today. Nothing's changed. What a sad swamp. Every day, there are "experts" name-calling and bashing…
Continue reading »
-
Corinthian Colleges students get loan relief
Corinthian actively defrauded students, targeting those with little income and resources. Corinthian Colleges collapsed in 2015. Now, the action will…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Region could suffer another 700,000 Covid deaths by spring
November 23, 2021: The continent is facing a surge of infection which has led to a lockdown in Austria and…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: ‘We should assume within 90 days, Putin will have Ukraine,’ says retired Gen. Barry McCaffrey … on Feb 24
Retired four-star General Barry McCaffrey joins 'Power Lunch' to discuss how he assesses the latest Russian offensive move into Ukraine,…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “Emory infectious disease expert on COVID-19 mask ruling: we may see rise in cases”
The country may soon see a rise in COVID-19 infections now that airlines have made masks optional. That’s according to…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Health Experts Say This Years [2021-22] Flu Season Could Overwhelm Hospitals
Expert Opinion, September 2021 "The possibility of a 'twindemic' is pretty real this year," said Brian Dixon, the director of…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “Ukraine conflict could spark surges of covid, polio, other diseases, say experts”
Wrong again. As many as 5 million people could flee the country in coming weeks, a movement that some health…
Continue reading »
-
Whoa – huge price cut on Bolt EV
GM cut the price of the Bolt EV by $5,900 compared with the 2022 model year, with a starting price…
Continue reading »
-
The U.S. Already Has a Wealth tax: It’s called inflation
Our very elevated inflation rate is a wealth tax on cash assets, and on other assets too that do not…
Continue reading »
-
International: UK offers visas to grads of top universities
Graduates from the top 50 non-UK universities can apply to come to the UK through a new visa scheme. ....…
Continue reading »
-
Stacker | Data driven news
Just discovered this news source: Stacker | Expert analysis, digestible stories They derive much content from analyzing data. I like…
Continue reading »
-
California’s boondoggle train to no where
14 years into the original 500-mile-high speed rail line to be built by 2020 it is now down to 172…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Joggers and cyclists should wear masks
In January 2021, a professor of primary care health sciences at the University of Oxford said that joggers and cyclists…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Hunga-Tonga Won’t Effect Weather or Climate
January 2022: Explosive Hunga-Tonga volcano will not affect climate Scientists have long known that large volcanic eruptions can have an…
Continue reading »
-
Chili’s restaurants adding semi-autonomous robots
Have discussed this topic many times in the past - automation is coming to the restaurant industry. Self-order kiosks, self-order…
Continue reading »
-
“Advocates” whine about not getting more “free” handouts from the government
Advocates expressed anger and disappointment on Friday in response to news that the Biden administration is leaning toward forgiving $10,000…
Continue reading »
-
Good news: April inflation rate at +4.9% YoY
The Fed's preferred inflation gauge rose 4.9% in April from a year ago, a still-elevated level that nonetheless indicated that…
Continue reading »
-
Congratulations college grads!
Pride and gratitude topped the myriad emotions that washed over Gonzaga University’s Commencement ceremonies Saturday and Sunday. The jubilation was…
Continue reading »
-
Elon musk correctly says world population is relatively concentrated
Elon Musk is correct here: https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1529645883280834561 To illustrate, it is said that the U.S. population uses about 7% of the…
Continue reading »
-
First Quarter GDP decline
The U.S. economic contraction to start the year was worse than expected as weak business and private investment failed to…
Continue reading »
-
Lost the side bar links
I had a failed software update on one of my other blogs. While I did fix that failure, I inadvertently…
Continue reading »
-
Climate hypocrites: The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland
An estimated 1,500 private jet flights by the global elite were used to attend the conference, plus private helicopter shuttles…
Continue reading »
-
Drone delivery services will be used to conduct close-in surveillance
The intrigue: Walmart and DroneUp will offset the cost of delivery with revenue from other drone-related services, such as insurance inspections,…
Continue reading »
-
Britain may see about 100% rise in household energy costs this year
I'm so old, I remember a year ago when the experts said inflation would be modest and temporary: Ofgem said…
Continue reading »
-
Global elite intend to measure your individual carbon footprint
The global elite jet set, currently at Davos, Switzerland via private jet (an estimated 1,500 private jet flights), plan to…
Continue reading »
-
Oxfam proposes wealth tax on anyone with $1 million or more in assets
Oxfam added that an annual wealth tax on millionaires of two per cent, and five per cent for billionaires, could…
Continue reading »
-
I must have “Long Hepatitis”
Covid-19 has a side effect causing people to post long threads on Twitter about Long Covid. https://twitter.com/SBLitAgent/status/1528368646388695040 The thread roughly…
Continue reading »
-
Carbon offsets are a massive con
Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at environmental organization Friends of the Earth, previously described carbon offsetting as…
Continue reading »
-
Oh: Huge New Mexico wildland fire was started by the USFS
500 square miles so far, with estimates it may reach 1,000 to 1,500 square miles. Northern New Mexico's still raging…
Continue reading »
-
Interesting idea: “The future of the office could look like a Starbucks”
Very interesting concept: One tech CEO wants remote offices to resemble employee-only coffee shops. Source: The future of the office…
Continue reading »
-
Dueling experts, Part 2
This is the state of modern scientific discourse - sliming anyone you disagree with and engage in name calling, rather…
Continue reading »
-
Hepatitis, a colonscopy exam, past TBI and a neighbor running a tractor 2 days straight
Until a week ago, I was fighting hepatitis of unknown origin. Blood tests last Thursday show the infection has gone…
Continue reading »
-
Not good: EV battery costs expected to rise by 22% over next several years
The average price of an EV today is about USD$60,000 with batteries being the largest single component. E Source estimates…
Continue reading »
-
Obamacare premiums poised to return to outrageous prices in 2023
In West Virginia, Obamacare premiums would spike $1,536 on average if stimulus aid expires. Source: West Virginians will see the…
Continue reading »
-
Microsoft CEO says pay increases coming – but not for all
Nadella told employees that the company is “nearly doubling the global merit budget” and allocating more money to people early…
Continue reading »
-
Eurovision 2022 Winner
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiEGVYOruLk&list=PLmWYEDTNOGULG6eg0zgzvRercwqRP6mII https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8Z51no1TD0
Continue reading »
-
Incredible take down of India-based call center scammers
This was incredible - and the results even more so. In the past 4 days, this video has been watched…
Continue reading »
-
How many people visit ski resorts each year in the U.S.?
Over the last ten years (excluding Covid years) about 10 million people or about 3% of the total US population…
Continue reading »
-
As airfares skyrocket, bookings fell 17% March to April
Domestic fares continued to surpass 2019 levels due to a rebound in demand and more expensive fuel this year. Source:…
Continue reading »
-
Wholesale inflation rose 11% in April
Producer prices were expected to increase 0.5% in April, according to economists surveyed by Dow Jones. Source: Wholesale inflation rose…
Continue reading »
-
Another Cryptocurrency falls to near zero
Luna, the sister cryptocurrency of controversial stablecoin TerraUSD, has collapsed to nearly $0. TerraUSD, or UST, has been dragged into…
Continue reading »
-
Google introduces future AR real time language glasses translator
Very interesting concept video. https://twitter.com/verge/status/1524467655767470080
Continue reading »
-
Cryptocurrency heart aches
Suicide hotline numbers pinned to top of popular crypto forum Source: ‘I lost my life savings’: Terra Luna cryptocurrency collapses…
Continue reading »
-
Inflation: 8.3% YoY
I am so old, I remember only a year ago when the experts said inflation would be mild and temporary...…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Lifting airline mask mandates “horrifies health experts”
April 27, 2022: Lifting of Covid mask mandate on US transportation horrifies health experts | Airline industry | The Guardian…
Continue reading »
-
1 in 4 CA Bay Area EV chargers found not to be working
A study of public electric-vehicle stations in California's Bay Area found that only 72.5% of chargers were operational. California has…
Continue reading »
-
Russian TV, Rutube hacked on Victory Day
Users of smart televisions and some digital platforms in Russia reported seeing an anti-Ukraine-war message on their screens. Source: Russian…
Continue reading »
-
“Never again” lasted only 77 years
He said: 'Our "never again" lasted only 77 years.' Source: Ukrainian president Zelensky says 'evil is reborn' as Europe marks…
Continue reading »
-
Should you buy cryptocurrencies?
My thoughts, from the very beginning: https://www.tiktok.com/@grahamcweaver/video/7094741351593610542?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Cryptocurrencies/digital currencies have important roles to play. This video sets expectations correctly -…
Continue reading »
-
Just days ago, California boasted of being 100% renewable … for 2 minutes …
May 4th 2022: California renewable energy: State ran nearly 100% on renewables (for 2 minutes) May 8th 2022: (Reuters) -…
Continue reading »
-
The end of passwords?
Interesting ideas: Instead of a password, devices could look for your phone over Bluetooth. Source: Apple, Google, and Microsoft want…
Continue reading »
-
Biden asks Congress to issue visas to any Russians with Masters or PhD in any STEM field
The request, if enacted, would allow Russians with a masters or doctoral degree in the fields of science, technology, engineering…
Continue reading »
-
Young take on excess debts with “buy now, pay later”
Don't worry - in a few years, President Ocasio-Cortez will cancel these debts too! 'Buy now, pay later' sends TikTok…
Continue reading »
-
Oppressive: “CDC Tracked Millions of Phones to See If Americans Followed COVID Lockdown Orders”
Newly released documents showed the CDC planned to use phone location data to monitor schools and churches, and wanted to…
Continue reading »
-
Fed likely setting up to heavily regulate model aircraft
Last week, the White House announced it wants Congress to act on new laws that would permit increased monitoring and…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Utah’s case numbers to quadruple, says model
August 5, 2021 Projection -> Cases to quadruple by October in UtahVaccination and masks are key to keeping children safe…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Nebraska Garth Books Concert in August 2021
This was forecast to be a superspreader event. https://twitter.com/vickilynn07/status/1426723615542759424 Like all such forecasts, this one was completely wrong. I marked…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: We won’t have enough pediatric hospital beds for Covid patients
Projection from December 2021: https://twitter.com/DataDrivenMD/status/1473083518808821761 Actual Result There were a few states that had high numbers of pediatric patients (many…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Unlikely to see variants that spread faster than Delta
October 2021: Graven said he’s also preparing for the possibility of another variant. “There will be a day where some…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up “The [2021] fire season is going to be worse than last year”
“This [2021] fire season is going to be worse than last year,” the vice president said. Source: Harris drops by…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: 1 million deaths in India by August 2021 – Coldstreams Business and Tech
As noted in my previous follow up on this failed projection, as of Nov 2021, there had been 459,000 total…
Continue reading »
-
Hybrid and electric car owners see extra taxes and fees due to high fuel efficiency
30 states now are hitting hybrid and electric owners with annual fees, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures,…
Continue reading »
-
Two electric buses burn up
There's kind of, sort of, a problem with electric vehicles catching fire. Dozens of electric buses will be taken off…
Continue reading »
-
Green power in California not as green as it looked: State imports much electricity from other states
Note - that's 2013-2017. The mix may have changed in 2018-2022. But it seems likely this is a real issue…
Continue reading »
-
Surely, mitigations and masks were super effective: “EU estimates up to 80% of population has had COVID”
Source: EU estimates up to 80% of population has had COVID
Continue reading »
-
Automation in fast food delivery: Chipotle
Source: Chipotle staffing back at pre-pandemic levels, company is exploring automation, CEO says As noted here many times in the…
Continue reading »
-
The “dueling experts” problem
Every day during the pandemic there are dueling "experts". If the public is confused about inconsistent, contradictory and incoherent messaging,…
Continue reading »
-
Why inflation is out of control?: “80% of All US Dollars in Existence Have Been Printed in Just the Last Two Years”
If you want to know the scope of the fiscal nightmare approaching, realize that since January 2020, the United States…
Continue reading »
-
So much for mitigation measures: “More than half of Americans have had COVID infections”
Following the record surge in COVID-19 cases during the Omicron-driven wave, some 58% of the U.S. population overall and more…
Continue reading »
-
Microsoft’s new laptop designed to be opened up
While not yet a perfect solution, Microsoft has released a video showing how to open up the Microsoft Surface Laptop…
Continue reading »
-
Wow: University of Washington develops 2nd generation Covid vaccine, will distribute royalty free too
Impressive:The University of Washington has developed a COVID vaccine and will soon have it shipped overseas for use. Source: University…
Continue reading »
-
Red Bull ‘plane swap’ stunt violated FAA rules and crashed the plane
They should have hired Trevor Jacob for this! Pilots Luke Aikins and Andy Farrington were unable to complete the never-before-seen…
Continue reading »
-
GM to end Spark EV battery pack replacements
To say the least: Putting vehicle owners in a tough position Source: GM reportedly stops providing battery pack replacements for…
Continue reading »
-
Canada eliminates Covid test requirements, quarantine plan, for inbound vaccinated travelers
However, pre-entry COVID-19 tests will still be required for partially vaccinated or unvaccinated travellers ages 12 and older who are…
Continue reading »
-
EU likely to mandate USB-C charging for all electronic devices
Would apply to phones, notebook computers, cameras and more: The EU is working to standardize device chargers in an effort…
Continue reading »
-
VR becomes pricey: “Prescription lens inserts for VR headsets”
As I previously noted, VR headsets are difficult to use for those who need eyesight corrective lenses, especially those who…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: CDC projects peak of Omicron in January or April of 2022
Modeled scenarios with faster relative growth rates (of Omicron as compared to Delta) indicate that a large surge of infections…
Continue reading »
-
Generation Jones: Born 1955–1964
Good summary: Why People Born 1955–1964 Aren’t Baby Boomers | by Nichola Scurry | Atta Girl | Medium "Baby boom"…
Continue reading »
-
Few EV charging options for those living in multi-unit dwellings
Congested cities often have the fewest places to charge EVs. Source: Startups try to make it easier to charge electric…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Disease modeling for Ontario, Canada
Another moment in accurate disease model projections: When Ontario lifted public health protective measures in March, the expectation was that…
Continue reading »
-
NY gas utility proposes using methane and hydrogen gas to replace natural gas heating
Avoids using carbon-based gas for heating, enables using existing furnaces thereby saving huge costs for homeowners, and enables dual heating…
Continue reading »
-
Energy: Use abandoned oil wells for geothermal?
It may be possible to use existing but no longer used oil and gas wells to tap underground geothermal heat…
Continue reading »
-
Good: Government sues HobbyKing over sale of illegal RC transmitters
The U.S. government Thursday filed a civil action in federal court in Portland against drone distributor HobbyKing to collect a…
Continue reading »
-
“Tech” companies turn to apprenticeships
When you hear the word "tech" in the news, it almost always, as in this article, means "software". Not sure…
Continue reading »
-
Amazon to add 5% inflation surcharge to 3rd party sellers who use Amazon fulfillment
Experts said inflation was to be mild and temporary. Amazon on Wednesday added a 5% fuel and inflation surcharge for…
Continue reading »
-
Children should be screened for anxiety at age 8
It was not the pandemic but the policies issued by public health officials who fixated on a single disease: All…
Continue reading »
-
Stupid: Biden approves E15 ethanol to lower gas prices by 5 to 10 cents per gallon
This is stupid: Joe Biden will announce Tuesday that his administration will lift the summertime ban on E15 gasoline to…
Continue reading »
-
Alaska Airlines to retire all Q400 turboprops by end of 2023
Sad to hear this: Alaska Airlines has announced that by the end of 2023, the Seattle-based carrier’s fleet will consist…
Continue reading »
-
Hilarious review of Google’s information collection
https://www.tiktok.com/@beachlawyerpaul/video/7082975740295269675?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc
Continue reading »
-
Why go to college? :” Walmart to Pay In-House Truckers Up to $110,000″
Serious question - why invest so much in a 4-year degree that probably starts at far less and which has…
Continue reading »
-
Economics “experts” were just as wrong as the epidemiology “experts”
Epidemiologists have been wrong about most everything pandemic related. The economists who said the government could print money without worrying…
Continue reading »
-
Nuclear fusion created through super high-speed impact
First Light Fusion, a spin-out from the University of Oxford, has confirmed that it has achieved fusion through a technique…
Continue reading »
-
Probably: Government spending the cause of inflation?
The US government issued more stimulus money than needed. When economic output fell by $2.3T, the government spent $3 trillion…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “Feb 1, 2022 – Infections will rise in Norway”
On Feb 1, 2022, the Chief of Norway's National Institute of Public Health said that "infections will rise when restrictions…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “Oregon predicts staggering omicron infections, hospitalizations”
Follow up on Oregon's OHSU disease models for Omicron. Like nearly all models, this was wrong, off in space, as…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “Trucker protest could become a superspreader event”
Like nearly all forecasts that predicted an event would be a "superspreader" for Covid, this one in Canada was wrong,…
Continue reading »
-
In February 2022, average EV price tag was $64,685
The median price of an EV in February 2022 was $64,685.
Continue reading »
-
Russian Troops Suffer ‘Acute Radiation Sickness’ After Digging Chernobyl Trenches
Hundreds of Russian soldiers have fled the Chernobyl area after digging trenches into highly contaminated radioactive soil within a "do…
Continue reading »
-
Large study finds no links between cell phone use and brain tumors
Large study finds no evidence that cellular phone usage causes brain tumors. This more than a decade after prominent public…
Continue reading »
-
Oh my: “‘Long concussion’ plagues 1 in 4 kids after even a mild head injury”
Mild childhood head and brain injuries can have long term effects. I know - I've had several TBIs.
Continue reading »
-
Governments want to make “Daylight Saving Time” permanent, but Standard Time may make more sense
The Science appears to support making Standard Time, not Daylight Saving Time, permanent. Of course, governments are passing laws to…
Continue reading »
-
Inflation trend
Many pundits blame oil price hikes after Russia's invasion of Ukraine for the sharp increase in inflation. This chart shows…
Continue reading »
-
“Inflation is raging”
I'm so old, I remember when the experts said inflation was to be mild and to be short lived... :Fed…
Continue reading »
-
Hackers create online tool to send SMS, Email, WhatsApp to random people in Russia
The intent is to send direct messages to people in Russia informing them of what is happening in Ukraine.
Continue reading »
-
VW did not think this through: VW ID.4 charging port location
Source: 2022 ID.4 See the problem? I'll give a hint: The ID.4 is rated to tow 2,700 pounds. Don't see…
Continue reading »
-
‘Anonymous’ achieves wide success in cyber attacks in Russia
Hacked databases Of 100 Russian databases that were analyzed, 92 had been compromised, said Fowler. They belonged to retailers, Russian…
Continue reading »
-
They say ordinary Russians do not support the war
And then we see this: Famed Russian pianist Boris Berezovsky has shocked the classical world after calling for pressure to…
Continue reading »
-
Journalists fret over saving for retirement
Newer research suggests many of us with decent incomes "over saved" for future retirement options that may never happen. I…
Continue reading »
-
EVs becoming less affordable
Tesla, Rivian have raised prices, as has a major battery maker. Source: Tesla Is Not the Only Auto Maker Raising…
Continue reading »
-
May be inflation is greater than you think it is
This could be due to measurement error - and perhaps inflation (de-valuing of the dollar) really is that bad: Rosenberg:…
Continue reading »
-
“Inflation is temporary:” Tesla raises prices across entire range
Elon Musk warned this week that Tesla faced ‘significant recent inflation pressure’ Source: Tesla raises prices across entire range, with…
Continue reading »
-
Starbucks to market test ChargePoint EV chargers at selected stores
Have long thought Starbucks, fast food and restaurants make the perfect locations for EV charging: Volvo will install fast chargers…
Continue reading »
-
Tesla now installing pre-fab EV charging stations in record time
Tesla has released footage unveiling its pre-fabricated system to deploy new Supercharger stations in record time. This new one in…
Continue reading »
-
Global conflict: Nothing has changed in thousands of years
WASHINGTON — The war in Ukraine has prompted the biggest rethinking of American foreign policy since the Sept. 11, 2001,…
Continue reading »
-
28 countries with compulsory military service
Source: These 28 countries have compulsory military service - Best Citizenships How many countries in the world conscript women? Just…
Continue reading »
-
300+ western companies have left Russia, with may be 30 still remaining
Source: Over 300 Companies Have Withdrawn from Russia—But Some Remain | Yale School of Management
Continue reading »
-
Russian stock markets to remain closed for a 3rd week
Russia's central bank on Saturday said it has decided not to reopen stock market trading on the Moscow Exchange from…
Continue reading »
-
The problem with lack of true fast DC charging infrastructure
Good luck finding a non-Tesla 350 kW DCFC. While the Hyundai Ioniq 5 isn’t the king of range in its…
Continue reading »
-
EV power inefficiencies coming under challenge
A measure of an EV's energy efficiency is to look at how many miles it can travel on 1 KWH…
Continue reading »
-
End of globalized world: Countries looking to end investment visas
Sweeping sanctions against Putin's oligarchs has led governments to limit and in some cases end their lucrative pay-for-passport programs. Source:…
Continue reading »
-
Proposal to socialize energy company profits
But only the profits and not the expenses: The plan would also establish a quarterly payment program to provide direct…
Continue reading »
-
Is the globalization model now broken?
Seems lots of people are now asking this: But in only two short weeks, new questions have arisen as to…
Continue reading »
-
The 3-decade long push for globalization of trade may be coming to an end, and changing
Postwar vision of harmonious world trade was already under pressure; invasion of Ukraine risks further economic fragmentation. Source: Economic Blacklist…
Continue reading »
-
BBC World Service Revives Shortwave to Russia, Ukraine
But how many people still have shortwave radio receivers available? The BBC World Service is turning to shortwave to deliver…
Continue reading »
-
Paycheck Protection Program spent about $1/4 million on each “saved job”
And the top 20% of households received about 85% of the benefits. The PPP was launched by the Trump administration…
Continue reading »
-
Anonymous steals 800 GB of emails, documents from Roskomnadzor, Russia’s Internet censor
Best’s Wikileaks-esque entity published what it claimed was a huge trove of files stolen by a member of the Anonymous…
Continue reading »
-
“Temporary” of course: 7.9% February inflation highest in 40 years
The consumer price index for February was expected to rise 7.8% over the past year, according to Dow Jones estimates.…
Continue reading »
-
Evidence free rule making: U.S. extends airplane mask mandate through April 18
The U.S. is extending a requirement that masks are worn on planes, trains and other forms of transportation until the…
Continue reading »
-
Tesla provides free EV charging to Ukrainian refugees, will pay salaries of Ukrainians called up to service, worked with SpaceX to build Starlink solutions and Powerwall batteries
For any Tesla employees who is a Ukrainian national and has been asked to return to Ukraine for active duty…
Continue reading »
-
Funniest video you’ll see today
NBC Today show "reporter" tells us how to improve our gas mileage - but in the clip, she is doing…
Continue reading »
-
Russia’s civilian aviation sector wiped out
Besides flight bans over Europe and North America, the overwhelming majority of Russia's airline jet fleet is leased from western…
Continue reading »
-
Was Russia funding shut downs of US oil production?
In 2017, US Senators accused Russia of interfering in US energy markets by secretly funding U.S. environmental activist groups. A…
Continue reading »
-
I’m so old, I remember when inflation was going to be brief and temporary
I'm so old I remember when our political leadership lied to us a year ago and insisted inflation would be…
Continue reading »
-
Ukranian National Anthem by the Metropolitan Opera
https://youtu.be/mUfwy3f3R4s
Continue reading »
-
Anonymous hacked 3 Russian TV channels and put up Ukrainian videos
Anonymous, the "hactivist" collective movement, claimed credit Sunday for taking over multiple television and streaming channels in Russia to broadcast…
Continue reading »
-
One of Russia’s Internet backbone providers disconnects Russia service
It's not the only backbone connection but it is a large one: Russian Internet Takes a Hit as Cogent Disconnects…
Continue reading »
-
Russia may be planning to disconnect from the global Internet
https://twitter.com/nexta_tv/status/1500553480548892679
Continue reading »
-
U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Russia: Level 4 – Do Not Travel – Americans should leave Russia immediately
Do not travel to Russia due to the unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces in Ukraine, the potential for harassment against…
Continue reading »
-
Germany spent years developing a dependence on Russia’s energy supplies
2/3ds of Germany's energy supply comes from Russia. For years, the U.S. warned Germany of building up a dangerous energy…
Continue reading »
-
I see big problems (pun intended): Apple to create “contact lens” VR
See below for why I do not buy this: According to MacRumors, Apple is in the process of designing high-tech…
Continue reading »
-
Numerous “connected” cars will lose service due to 3G shutdown
Cell phone service providers are shutting down their older 3G services - which means a lot of devices that relied…
Continue reading »
-
The business risk of outsourcing software development to Ukraine
There are roughly 250,000 technology professionals in the country. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine imperils many of their lives. It has…
Continue reading »
-
Russian communications alleged to be a mess
Read the thread below, for details. Short summary Russia military is not using encrypted digital radios but unencrypted analog radios…
Continue reading »
-
Russia could be kicked off the Internet
The global internet domain nonprofit known as ICANN confirmed Tuesday that it has received a letter from the Ukrainian government…
Continue reading »
-
Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline may be bankrupt
The Swiss-based company building the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline from Russia to Germany has fired all 106 staff after…
Continue reading »
-
Microsoft halts cyberattack on Ukrainian infrastructure – in mere hours
Last Wednesday, a few hours before Russian tanks began rolling into Ukraine, alarms went off inside Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence Center,…
Continue reading »
-
Russian Farm Girl has the most sensible comments on the war
She points out her Dad is Belarusian and Polish and her Mom is mostly Ukrainian, and they all live on…
Continue reading »
-
Part 1: Climate Hypocrites
Link to Part 2: Climate Hypocrites (there is more!) When the pandemic began in early 2020, I thought it likely…
Continue reading »
-
RIA Novosti autopublished an article dated Feb 26th that “Ukraine has returned to Russia”
"Ukraine has returned to Russia," the article, which ran on RIA Novosti and has since been taken down, said. Source:…
Continue reading »
-
Anonymous hacks Russian web sites, puts up anti-war text and information on Russian soldiers killed
Multiple Russian state-run media outlets were hacked across the country to display anti-war messages and Russia's war dead, as President…
Continue reading »
-
Internal data of Russian cybercriminal gang released to web
One of the world’s most successful ransomware groups is reeling from a massive dump of its own internal data after…
Continue reading »
-
TikTok to allow up to 10 minute long videos
It previously bumped up the time limit from 60 seconds to three minutes in July.. Source: TikTok is extending the…
Continue reading »
-
Seriously: In the event of a nuclear attack, the US government advises you to wear a cloth facial covering to prevent Covid
Nuclear Explosion Nuclear explosions can cause significant damage and casualties from blast, heat, and radiation but you can keep your…
Continue reading »
-
Anonymous takes aim at the Russian government
https://www.tiktok.com/@person2850/video/7068858411428908293?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc&web_id7068063158485059077
Continue reading »
-
“Vladimir Hitler” threatens Finland
https://twitter.com/mfa_russia/status/1497234734765780997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1497234734765780997%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2022%2F02%2F25%2Frussia-ukraine-news-us-europe-impose-sanctions-as-attack-continues.html
Continue reading »
-
Sanctions: Russia attacks Ukraine
There is little any of us, as individuals, can do to affect Russia's invasion of Ukraine. All I can do…
Continue reading »
-
Hydrogen fueled airliners?
Airbus said it plans to test a hydrogen-powered engine on a modified A380 by the middle of the decade, in…
Continue reading »
-
Why the CDC is useless
An essay by a mathematical biologist on why the CDC has lost its way and is now, basically, a useless…
Continue reading »
-
India Central Bank official labels cryptocurrencies as a “Ponzi scheme”
A top official of India's central bank has compared cryptocurrency to "Ponzi scheme" and suggested an outright ban in its…
Continue reading »
-
GM to resume manufacturing the Bolt EV and EUV
General Motors says it will start making Chevrolet Bolt electric vehicles again in early April after an eight-month pause due…
Continue reading »
-
“Wholesale prices rise 1% in January, up near-record 9.7% over the past year”
It's okay. We can print however much money we need, say the experts: The producer price index was expected to…
Continue reading »
-
Whoa: “Android 13 lets you run Windows 11” on your device
I was not expecting this! A new virtualization mainline module makes the process much more efficient and standardized Source: Android…
Continue reading »
-
EU to mandate user replaceable batteries in consumer electronics
You may have noticed that while you can change a battery in your DSLR camera, you cannot change a battery…
Continue reading »
-
2 downhill skiers die, back to back days, due to head injuries
Both were wearing helmets and both suffered fatal head injuries at the ski resort. For the second time in two…
Continue reading »
-
Just a guess on Ukraine and Taiwan
If Russia invades Ukraine, I suspect this is part of an eventual plan by China to take or re-take Taiwan,…
Continue reading »
-
NFT trading market suspends sales due to fraud
The platform which sold an NFT of Jack Dorsey's first tweet for $2.9 million has halted most transactions because people…
Continue reading »
-
IBM has an age discrimination problem
IBM executives discussed in emails how to force out older workers and derided them as “Dinobabies” who should be made…
Continue reading »
-
Experts: “Err on the side of caution with head trauma”
Nice - the experts blame the public for not taking head injuries seriously: Bob Saget’s death — the result of…
Continue reading »
-
What a surprise: 7.5% annualized inflation rate
February 10, 2022: Inflation surges 7.5%February 20, 2022: Inflation eroded pay by 1.7% over the past year Remember all those…
Continue reading »
-
Radios in some Mazda cars bricked by errant broadcast from KUOW-FM
Software in the radio hangs in the radio boot process upon encountered an errant image sent by KUOW-FM. Apparently the…
Continue reading »
-
Why converting to ZeroCarbon in a short time frame is not possible
I am skeptical of politicians and climate change enthusiasts who propose we completely eliminate all fossil fuels in - select…
Continue reading »
-
BP sees profitability in EV charging business
Says EV charging can have a business model on par with gas service stations.
Continue reading »
-
World bows to global elite: Rotterdam to temporarily dismantle historic bridge so Jeff Bezo’s yacht can fit through
The global elite get everything and ignore all rules: A massive steel bridge in Rotterdam is to be partly demolished…
Continue reading »
-
Speaker of British House of Commons suggests Covid lockdowns were a dry run for climate lockdowns
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the (British) House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle told a gathering of counterparts from some…
Continue reading »
-
Covid predictions? These experts are done with them
Covid predictions? These experts are done with them As this blog has documented, disease models provided little useful information. Their…
Continue reading »
-
My goodness: I had the worst pre-k to K-12 education
In the past few days, I discovered some things about my past. I had not realized until now, just how…
Continue reading »
-
Electric Rail Freight Cars
Culver City, Calif.-based Parallel Systems is testing autonomous battery-electric railcars for short-haul freight operations, and has raised $49.55 million in…
Continue reading »
-
Trevor Jacob and his plane crash
Trevor Jacob competed in the 2014 Winter Olympics on snowboard. Since then he appears to have made his living producing…
Continue reading »
-
Kharma: What goes around comes around
About 20 years ago, today's BigTech companies argued that Microsoft was favoring their own products (Internet Explorer) and the entire…
Continue reading »
-
IRS to start collecting photos of taxpayers
UPDATE FEB 7 - 2022: IRS abandons plan to use facial recognition to access one's tax records. The collection will…
Continue reading »
-
Government IT fails again: Apartment dwellers can’t order “free Covid tests”
The new web site for ordering free Covid rapid tests limits tests kits to 4 kits per residential address. People…
Continue reading »
-
Some foreign airlines cancel service to US over “5G” interference to aircraft systems
ANA, Japan Airlines and Emirates were among the carriers that canceled flights over concerns that new 5G service could interfere…
Continue reading »
-
Some states have minimum required speeds though: “For Maximum EV Efficiency, Stick to 25 Miles an Hour”
For Maximum EV Efficiency, Stick to 25 Miles an Hour, Ignore Angry Drivers Source: For Maximum EV Efficiency, Stick to…
Continue reading »
-
Electric cars appears to create sales tax boom for states
Many are priced in the $70,000 to $100,000 (or even higher) price range. If EVs sell in quantities - government…
Continue reading »
-
Hypocrites Part 2: The Elite who ignore their own public health orders
Part 1 reached 120 single spaced pages in length and is no longer editable in Wordpress. Back in early 2020,…
Continue reading »
-
Investigation: How TikTok’s Algorithm Figures Out Your Deepest Desires
Watch the video at the link. A Wall Street Journal investigation found that TikTok only needs one important piece of…
Continue reading »
-
Federal unemployment rate now 3.9%
In January 2022, politicians are seeking a continued ban on evictions of those not paying rent. Depending on where you…
Continue reading »
-
Public health messaging remains inconsistent, contradictory, confusing and incoherent
As you may know "experts" who previously told everyone to wear cloth facial coverings now say everyone - including children…
Continue reading »
-
Apple said to intimidate Android users to adopt iPhone, via clever peer pressure propaganda
The use of green and blue to show whether a message to a user is made through iMessage or via…
Continue reading »
-
GM announces EV plan details
GM made headlines at CES with announcements of new EVs, progress on autonomous vehicles and thousands of orders for its…
Continue reading »
-
“Drone Soccer” League competition coming to high school programs
With modified quadcopter "drones": This full-contact team sport helps high schools adopt drone education. Source: U.S. Drone Soccer Launches National…
Continue reading »
-
General Motors shipped just 26 EVs in Q4 2021
The Chevy Bolt has been stuck on hold due to the battery fiasco. Sounds like Bolt shipments might not resume…
Continue reading »
-
Pluton security for future Windows PCs
Pluton is a security tech to be embedded inside future CPUs. A bit like moving the Trusted Platform Module (TPM)…
Continue reading »
-
65% of new car sales in Norway are electric BUT …
Electric cars made up nearly two thirds of Norway's new sales in 2021, with Tesla the top selling automobile brand…
Continue reading »
-
China scans western web sites and social media as part of surveillance network
Including this blog: Hundreds of projects launched since 2020 show that Chinese police, state media and the military are gathering…
Continue reading »
-
Hypocrites Part 1: The Elite who ignore their own public health orders
None of the elite leaders and public health "experts" believe their own rules and guidance. There is a field of…
Continue reading »
-
CES cuts one day from event
Show Will Close One Day Early on Jan. 7th at 6 p.m. Source: CES to Open With 2200+ In-Person Exhibitors
Continue reading »
-
Follow up on Czechia: “no question” their success was due to face masks
I save bookmarks of past forecasts for future follow up. Steven Kashkett of USA Today claimed in July of 2020…
Continue reading »
-
Hyundai closes ICE development R&D Center
Source: Hyundai shutters engine development in shift to electric and hydrogen vehicles
Continue reading »
-
Many EVs suffer -20% to -30% range loss at 32 degrees F
All electric cars experience some degree of range loss in cold weather. For EV owners in colder winter climates, daily…
Continue reading »
-
Carbon credits burned up in CA, OR fires
Researchers say trees set aside as part of cap-and-trade system are releasing carbon as they burn in fires that are…
Continue reading »
-
Others question the fundamentals of “the metaverse”
Mark Zuckerberg thinks we all want to live in a virtual world of interactive experiences, wearing VR helmets or futuristic…
Continue reading »
-
Up to half the population may require a VR prescription to use VR
Each user would then need their own VR headset and sharing headsets might be difficult? Virtual-reality headsets tend to leave…
Continue reading »
-
CES 2022 Update
The CES 2022 technology conference is pressing ahead with an in-person show in Las Vegas next week despite the Covid…
Continue reading »
-
VR headset/glasses makers remain out of touch with Reality
This happens when they assume that anyone over age 45 is not a customer for VR - these VR glasses…
Continue reading »
-
Facebook introduces virtual groping
This is a very bad idea: A beta tester has claimed she was virtually “groped” in the metaverse VR platform…
Continue reading »
-
The Metaverse Land Rush Is an Illusion | WIRED
The “real estate of the future” is plagued by buggy software, empty servers, and huge opportunities for abuse. .... In…
Continue reading »
-
Intel seeking to open huge chip factories in the EU
These things usually come down to which country can offer the best tax break bribes available only to really big…
Continue reading »
-
CES 2022 will be safe to attend as there will not be anyone there
The annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is kind of falling apart. Again. Twitter, Meta/Facebook, T-Mobile, General Motors, Google, Lenovo, AT&T,…
Continue reading »
-
Trend in air cargo pricing to/from US and Asia
Source: Air freight prices to and from Asia | FRED Blog
Continue reading »
-
The U.S. is falling behind in international “transversal” skills
There's a term called "transversal" skills - referring to one's ability to be 21st century forward thinking, to understand other…
Continue reading »
-
UK SAGE Disease Modeler only models worst case scenarios
Hmmmmm: My Twitter conversation with the chairman of the Sage Covid modelling committee | The Spectator This UK disease modeler…
Continue reading »
-
U.S. to experience electric grid reliability problems over next ten years
The organization responsible for North American electric reliability said on Friday that several parts of the United States could face…
Continue reading »
-
My thought too: “Bitcoin ‘may not last that much longer,’ academic warns”
Bitcoin is computationally intensive - which translates into enormous consumption of electricity. There are now hundreds of competing cryptocurrencies, many…
Continue reading »
-
Inflation highest in almost 40 years
Prices for American consumers are rising at their fastest annual rate since June 1982.The consumer price index (CPI) rose 6.8%…
Continue reading »
-
Half of the U.S. population has had Covid-19
The CDC estimates about half of the U.S. population had had Covid-19 from Feb 2020 to Sep 2021. Source: Estimated…
Continue reading »
-
People are losing interest in Instagram
The photo-sharing app has quietly rolled out a pop-up notice prompting users to “try a new account.” Can a fresh…
Continue reading »
-
Ouch: GM Bolt production will not resume until after JAnuary
This has been quite a fiasco for everyone involved: GM won't restart Bolt production until the end of January at…
Continue reading »
-
Hubsan Zino Mini SE Drone
I bought a Hubsan Zino Mini SE Drone. This is a <250 gram quadcopter with 4k/30p video ability. Tiny! Just…
Continue reading »
-
Study finds automated license plate readers are ineffective
"Analyzing sixteen years of stolen vehicle numbers from Piedmont, California—a “super user” of ALPRs—this report finds no statistical evidence that…
Continue reading »
-
Omicron travel bans make no sense
I made this chart on Nov 30th Dec 1st, and it is up to date as of that day. As…
Continue reading »
-
I switched to Microsoft Edge browser – and I like it
For a long time I used Mozilla Firefox. Firefox has noticeable impacts on the battery life of my notebook computer…
Continue reading »
-
New web site user interface and layout
Got tired of the black background and desired something more appealing. Will see how this goes! Image by James Osborne…
Continue reading »
-
New blog: Travel and Global Thinking
I started a new blog on travel topics - the layout, appearance and content is very different from this blog.…
Continue reading »
-
Gravity-based utility scale electric “battery” systems
https://youtu.be/WCawtiU4o1o Image by ELG21 from Pixabay
Continue reading »
-
The job age discrimination problem and contemporary worker shortage
Many people over age 50-55 were furloughed or cut in layoffs during the pandemic. Many have found it difficult to…
Continue reading »
-
Amazon’s Fake Review problem
What percentage of reviews on Amazon are fake? According to the 2018 findings on Amazon, the category of products that…
Continue reading »
-
Risk of high inflation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y4kKQEWBTQ A friend just emailed: The M2 money supply is up by over +39% since the start of the pandemic.…
Continue reading »
-
Covid: Face masks now mandated inside private homes in California County
Indoor mask mandate in effect in Santa Cruz Co.An indoor mask mandate is now in effect in Santa Cruz County…
Continue reading »
-
Why you can never write bad reviews – and why user reviews are meaningless
Source: Granny, 63, and granddaughter, 6, are kicked out of hotel by POLICE after she gave bad review | Daily…
Continue reading »
-
Writing off trillions of $s in assets
I have been wondering about this: Write-downs of power plants, auto factories and fossil-fuel reserves could cause big losses in…
Continue reading »
-
Consumer Reports survey finds EVs rank mostly poorly in reliability
"...all-electric SUVs are the lowest-ranking category, with an overall reliability of below average. A popular belief is that because electric…
Continue reading »
-
This is huge: CVS to close up to about 10% of stores, shift to online sales, health services in stores
This is a huge strategic shift as CVS announces it will gradually close 10% of its stores, as sales increasingly…
Continue reading »
-
Interesting: Starbucks/Amazon open “pick up cafes” in NY
Likely reduces labor costs a bit more, may speed up product delivery into customer hands: Starbucks is opening a pick-up…
Continue reading »
-
Apple announces it will support DIY repair of some Apple devices
Apple made self repair, or even repair by technicians not authorized by Apple, difficult or impossible. Apple announced a reversal…
Continue reading »
-
The Strawman defense of EV battery fires
EV battery experts also underscore that fires in electric vehicles occur at lower levels than gasoline cars. For example, Abuelsamid…
Continue reading »
-
Pursing an MBA overseas likely best if you also intend to work there
One of the main reasons why people pursue an MBA is to gain access to a diverse and expansive network.…
Continue reading »
-
Online university education for global leadership training
Students from a large list of university programs can now take courses where group projects are done across time zones,…
Continue reading »
-
Obviously, college tuition needs to be much higher 🙂
One can imagine college administrators using this to justify tuition hikes: Not only do cheaper universities lead to lower average…
Continue reading »
-
The worker shortage
U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Friday that labor force participation was "quite depressed" compared to pre-pandemic levels. Source:…
Continue reading »
-
High inflation hits food
The Death of Expertise: The experts assured us inflation was not a problem and just temporary. A year ago. Take…
Continue reading »
-
Electric utilities say they can handle the charging of EV vehicles
EVs will be one of the best growth opportunities for electric utilities in decades: The increasing popularity of electric vehicles…
Continue reading »
-
Hmmm: Virtual influencers seen to be huge marketing opportunity
Computer generated social media influencers: Sporting neon hair and flawless skin, Bangkok Naughty Boo is one of a new generation…
Continue reading »
-
Business travel to recover slowly
Business travel spending this year will likely rise 14% from 2020 to $754 billion, slower than the 21% year-over-year increase…
Continue reading »
-
Foreign students returning to U.S. colleges
Source: Foreign students returning to US, but below pre-COVID levels NYU has admitted over 17,000 international students for 2021-22.University of…
Continue reading »
-
Royal Dutch Shell moves HQ out of the Netherlands, drops “Royal Dutch” from company name
Royal Dutch Shell said on Monday it would scrap its dual share structure and move its head office to Britain…
Continue reading »
-
Neat: Tesla installing Starlink Internet service at Tesla charging systems, likely set for use by EV owners over WiFi
Tesla has started to deploy Starlink antennas at Supercharger stations in an apparent effort to offer satellite-based internet to owners…
Continue reading »
-
Looks like it: Is flight shaming the new minimalism?
"Flight shaming" is a fad out of Europe, where residents vow to not use air travel in favor of cars,…
Continue reading »
-
Future travel will cost more, be limited to the well off
Major ski area to begin charging a $25 per day parking reservation fee for all weekends and holidays, to reduce…
Continue reading »
-
ICOM America Says Icom to ship ID-52 in December
Of interest to Amateur Radio operators: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWLp8thps-I/ The Icom ID-52 digital radio transceiver was originally going to ship in early…
Continue reading »
-
Ever hear of Zoom? : “COP26 may be the ‘highest emitting United Nations environmental summit so far'”
According to estimates from professional services firm Arup, the COP26 climate summit held in Glasgow, U.K. over the last two…
Continue reading »
-
Minimalism is Dead
3 to 5 years back, or so, there was peak interest in "minimalism". Not only is "minimalism" dead but it…
Continue reading »
-
Iceland announces “The IcelandVerse”
It's like a world where everything is surprisingly real 🙂 https://youtu.be/enMwwQy_noI Saw this last night and had me laughing out…
Continue reading »
-
No inflation to see here: Consumer prices rise the most in over 30 years
Annual CPI: 6.2% Source: Consumer prices see largest year-over-year spike since November 1990 Some private economists are estimating "real inflation"…
Continue reading »
-
Twitter starts fee-based subscription service
The subscription product includes special features reserved for Twitter power users, such as the ability to undo a tweet or…
Continue reading »
-
Annualized: Wholesale prices rose 8.6% year over year in October
The experts assure us this is not really a problem, is minor or temporary or something: Wholesale prices rose 8.6%…
Continue reading »
-
Future cars will not start if you have been drinking alcohol
Source: Infrastructure bill mandates new technology to prevent drunk driving — here's how it would work - MarketWatch I do…
Continue reading »
-
Apple to restrict major iPhone 13 repairs to Apple services only
Stripping iPhone 13 models down, what iFixit discovered is that Apple has added a small chip (“about the size of…
Continue reading »
-
EV range drops in cold weather
EV range drops, sometimes quite a bit, in cold weather. Temperature effects the battery chemistry, use of electric heating inside…
Continue reading »
-
Teleworking trends
Stated another way, about 70% of workers need to go into offices. Only about a third of all workers have…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up from February 2021: “And there you go: Pandemic should end by mid-year”
This forecast did not age well: And there you go: Pandemic should end by mid-year | Coldstreams Business and Tech
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “The epidemiologists Strike Back: Revenge of the Models Episode III”
In February, as cases were falling rapidly, the disease modelers projected a large rise in daily new cases starting as…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “We’ll Have Herd Immunity by April” – 2021
This did not age well: We’ll Have Herd Immunity by April – WSJ | Coldstreams Business and Tech
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: 1 million deaths in India by August
I forgot to follow up on Eric Feigl-Ding, PhD's typical fear mongering posts from earlier this year. He shared a…
Continue reading »
-
Returning this blog to tech and biz focus?
Other than some "follow ups" on prior predictions for the pandemic, I think I have logged everything I wanted to…
Continue reading »
-
Microsoft Ignite conference does parody of “Woke-ism”, or something
Speakers at the Microsoft Ignite technical conference introduced themselves by specifying their gender, ethnicity, appearance and personal pronouns, seemingly in…
Continue reading »
-
Another super spreader prediction that failed: School re-openings this fall
A few months back experts said opening schools would be a super spreader event. For the most part, like all…
Continue reading »
-
Losing the narrative: Climate change causes inflation
Or something: Bank of Canada plans to keep eye on climate change impact on inflation | The Star
Continue reading »
-
Scam that can hit anyone: Fake Craigslist ads of the house you live in
Can you find a deal on Craigslist vacation rentals? Maybe. Resident of a seaside community has a couple show up…
Continue reading »
-
Someone’s Epic Halloween Yard Decoration
Continue reading »
-
No inflation here, nope: Mondelez to raise prices by 7% in 2022
Oreo cookies, Ritz crackers and Sour Patch Kids will be more expensive in 2022, Mondelez CEO Dirk Van de Put…
Continue reading »
-
Muriel Lezak, brain injury expert who helped establish the field of neuropsychology, passed away at age 94
Source: Muriel Lezak, Portland’s pioneering neuropsychologist and brain-injury expert, dies at 94 - oregonlive.com Having dealt with a 5" skull…
Continue reading »
-
Covid policies around the country
A majority of states do not require school students to wear face masks in school.A majority of states have ended…
Continue reading »
-
Hypocrite: Prince Charles warns Glasgow summit is last chance to save planet
Source: G-20: Prince Charles warns Glasgow summit is last chance to save planet Back on planet reality: Prince Charles tells…
Continue reading »
-
Sounds just like inept Covid messaging: “Elites Are Using Climate Hysteria to Immiserate the Working Class”
No kidding: Increasingly, even climate scientists are noting that the constant, and often poorly supported doomsaying threaten the credibility of…
Continue reading »
-
Expedia has good info on when to book flights, what days to travel
Source: Expedia releases 2022 travel hacks including the best time to book airfare and hotels Buy your tickets on Sunday,…
Continue reading »
-
Media perplexed why people do not want to get vaccinated
While running endless stories about side effects, alleged deaths, deaths of the fully vaccinated who got Covid, and then run…
Continue reading »
-
Fake Reviews and Fake Products on Amazon
Fake Reviews I get email spam like the following - soliciting my purchase of an Amazon product, whose price will…
Continue reading »
-
What? Government spending will lower inflation
She just disqualified her self - it does not work this way - at all: Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: 2021 Fire Season
Some forecasts in early summer suggested the U.S. would experience its worse fire season on record. This is a follow…
Continue reading »
-
Staglation: Inflation eating economic gains
"Experts" assured us inflation would be minor and temporary. A year ago. Data indicates high inflation and hints the economy…
Continue reading »
-
Two Chevy Bolts bricked by DCFC “fast charge” station interaction
A very detailed write up of what occurred to TWO Bolts at the same DCFC: Stranded: Greenlots DCFC induces "Conditions…
Continue reading »
-
The “labor shortage” may be self inflicted due to child care/Covid issues
Labor shortages may be the most intractable of the cost risks that U.S. companies faced in the latest quarter, and…
Continue reading »
-
Facebook wants to re-focus on younger users, “Ditch older users”
Source: Facebook wants to re-focus on younger users – Social Panic Facebook sees TikTok-like platforms as having a better strategy.…
Continue reading »
-
Bolt EV too: LGE’s battery design for Ford Mach-E, Chevy Bolt said to have weaknesses
As the Mach-E module section detail above illustrates, the Mach-E’s module architecture apparently contains a significant thermal design weakness – the…
Continue reading »
-
LOL: Hah Hah Hah Hah Hah Hah Hah Hah Hah Too Hilarious!
Source If, throughout the pandemic, the "experts" had simply said, "We don't know" or "there is much uncertainty" they would…
Continue reading »
-
Air travel may get much more expensive, or could be limited only to the elite
Aviation could face a historic rupture in its growth trajectory as it grapples with pressures to reduce its impact on…
Continue reading »
-
Costs of charging an EV
Study says EV charging can exceed costs of fueling costs: The study has four major findings: There are four additional…
Continue reading »
-
“Experts” admit they don’t know – about time
THIS is what they should have said in the spring of 2020 instead of speaking from positions of authority and…
Continue reading »
-
Google to remove YouTube apps from Roku
After a months-long fight between Roku and YouTube's parent company Google, Google announced Thursday that it would no longer allow…
Continue reading »
-
262 days in lock down
Australia detained 5 million people for 262 days: SYDNEY, Oct 21 (Reuters) - Millions in Melbourne are readying to come…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Experts predict up to 400,000 more hospitalizations due to influenza this winter
Expert Prediction October 20, 2021: "It's going to be bad." A new study says this upcoming flu season will be…
Continue reading »
-
California sea ports among least efficient in the world
Have you noticed that the media is incapable of using the word infrastructure without prefacing it "crumbling"? English should be…
Continue reading »
-
Inflation: United Airlines says expect higher ticket prices
United CEO Scott Kirby says jet fuel prices generally rise as demand climbs. Source: United Airlines CEO says to expect…
Continue reading »
-
Auto makers might drop AM/FM/HD radios from future vehicles
Tesla has dropped AM/FM radios from cars, effectively. If you have an older Tesla and do the $1500 "infotainment" upgrade,…
Continue reading »
-
But they said inflation is not a problem: Food prices to rise 10% within 60 days?
John Catsimatidis, the billionaire supermarket owner of Gristedes and D’Agostino Foods, warned that food giants such as Nabisco, PepsiCo, and…
Continue reading »
-
Academics say yes: Is US already in a recession?
America has already slipped into a recession that could be as bad as the 2008 financial meltdown according to key…
Continue reading »
-
Inflation: “Rising prices and empty store shelves spell grave political danger…”
I am so old, I remember a few months back when experts said we did not need to worry about…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Another superspreader forecast collapses
"I don't think it's smart," Fauci said during a CNN interview after he was shown pictures of college football stadiums…
Continue reading »
-
Good! “Oregon ‘herd immunity’ against COVID-19 delta variant should arrive in late December”
OHSU says “about 22% of Oregonians are still vulnerable to infection” from the delta variant.The effects of herd immunity for…
Continue reading »
-
Adopting Scandinavian social benefits and taxes in the U.S. | Coldstreams Business and Tech
Back in May 2021, I showed how the U.S. is proposing to adopt Scandinavian social benefits and taxation: Adopting Scandinavian…
Continue reading »
-
“Researchers show Facebook’s ad tools can target a single user”
A new research paper written by a team of academics and computer scientists from Spain and Austria has demonstrated that…
Continue reading »
-
Many Android smart phones are spying on you and your data
Google sends large amounts of obfuscated data from your phone to Google - no one knows what Google is collecting:…
Continue reading »
-
California, already short of electricity, is faced with more shortages as they shut power plants
The State is short of the power demanded during some summer periods. Under state de-carboning rules, they are shutting gas…
Continue reading »
-
Not good: Head of large China manufacturer says chip shortage could last 2-3 more years
The global chip shortage could persist for another 2 to 3 years, says the president of Hisense, one of China's…
Continue reading »
-
No it isn’t: Missouri governor says viewing HTML source code containing private data the state published on every page, is a crime
Republican Gov. Mike Parson on Thursday condemned one of Missouri’s largest newspapers for exposing a flaw in a state database…
Continue reading »
-
Gallup poll: “Americans Revert to Favoring Reduced Government Role”
Likely an effect of authoritarian rule the past 19 months: Americans once again say the government is doing too many…
Continue reading »
-
California’s port shipping container problem may be self inflicted wound
California passed it's AB5 law that changed the classification of many workers from independent contractors to being required to be…
Continue reading »
-
How many workers on the job at a typical fast food restaurant?
While waiting for an order to be fulfilled, I count the number of staff working at fast food restaurants, espresso…
Continue reading »
-
Short video explaining what it takes to become a commercial ATP pilot
https://www.tiktok.com/@torpilot1/video/7014622502987123973?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=7018232535068067333&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0 A lot of studying. A lot of hours flying aircraft.
Continue reading »
-
There is no inflation, I tell you: “Heating bills set to soar as inflation hits energy prices”
But the experts tell us there's not much inflation and even if there were, it's just momentary. We can print…
Continue reading »
-
This sure looks like the goal is to control the people
This Nature item advocates taxing EVs by weight, saying because batteries are heavy, models say EVs will result in more…
Continue reading »
-
But they assured us there is none: “Inflation gauge should be hot again in September and for months ahead”
I'm so old, I remember when the government officials assured us they can print as much money as needed and…
Continue reading »
-
Should “The algorithm” be regulated by the government?
Some think the government should regulate "The algorithm": Whistleblower Frances Haugen says the software that decides what we see in…
Continue reading »
-
October 12, 2021: OHA stills says wear a cloth face covering, avoid using masks that actually might work
Public health remains stuck in the dark ages, about 200 years ago. As of October 12, 2012, Oregon Health Authority…
Continue reading »
-
About Half of millennials meet definition of “Super Savers”
Principal defines these Super Savers as people saving either 90% of the maximum in their retirement plan — such as…
Continue reading »
-
Post-pandemic, corporate training likely to stick with e-learning methods
During the pandemic, many corporations moved to online training programs - doing away with offline education seminars, workshops, conference sessions.…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up in 2022: The Christmas and Thanksgiving “superspreader” forecasts
I have seen forecasts that Halloween will be a superspreader so of course, Thanksgiving and Christmas are back on the…
Continue reading »
-
Yet another superspreader forecast crashed and burned
Disease model forecasts make astrology look reliable: In the final weeks of this summer, with Covid-19 cases soaring and the…
Continue reading »
-
Yet another superspreader event that wasn’t
It's as if Crying Wolf at every opportunity has backfired and absolutely no one is going to pay attention to…
Continue reading »
-
Another super spreader model fail
Disease models are essentially useless. Their primary value is to issue scary forecasts, that are wrong. Even when correct, they…
Continue reading »
-
Oops: All your Twitch belongs to us
An anonymous hacker claims to have leaked the entirety of Twitch, including its source code and user payout information. The…
Continue reading »
-
Long lasting fire retardant approved for use against wildfires
Neat! The U.S. Forest Service approved Perimeter Solutions’ fire retardant that’s intended to be used as a preventative measure and…
Continue reading »
-
Another “superspreader” forecast falls flat
Re-opening of public schools was going to cause a mass increase in "positive cases". Like nearly all super spreader predictions,…
Continue reading »
-
Feds order Google to turn over contact info of anyone who uses certain search terms
The U.S. government is secretly ordering Google to provide data on anyone typing in certain search terms, an accidentally unsealed…
Continue reading »
-
HR resume robot scanners may be eliminating 27 million potential workers, says Harvard study
This may explain part of the "worker shortage" - much of it may be a self inflicted shortage created by…
Continue reading »
-
“Workers Who Maintain Supply Chains Warn of Worldwide ‘System Collapse’”
No one in public health has a clue how a "supply chain" works: Several industry groups have warned world leaders…
Continue reading »
-
What ever happened to “clip on” sunglasses for prescription eye wear?
I am fortunate to have good eyesight. However, I do have a distance vision set of eye glasses; I am…
Continue reading »
-
Fantastic: Researcher Trevor Bedford receives MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant
Bedford has just been named a MacArthur Fellow and was also awarded a $9 million, 7-year grant from the Howard…
Continue reading »
-
Companies warn of price hikes
Is this temporary supply/demand bottlenecks or is it longer term inflation? Shipping bottlenecks that have led to rising freight costs…
Continue reading »
-
Good: More medications to treat Covid-19 may be available in early 2022 (if they pass trials)
At least three promising antivirals that could prevent symptoms and limit transmission of Covid-19 are in clinical trials. Source: A…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “Surge expected after labor day”
Leading up to Labor Day weekend (Sep 4, 5 and 6), the "experts" warned us of a "Surge expected after…
Continue reading »
-
Well: “Models Predict A Steady Decline In COVID Cases Through March”
My state's health and science university issued a report in late August projecting that by the end of 2021, about…
Continue reading »
-
How the elite travel in a Covid world: Book two trips and cancel one
Sophisticated global travelers now book two trips around the same time - just in case Covid restrictions cancel one of…
Continue reading »
-
“Flight shaming”: Global travel should be banned.
https://twitter.com/thenation/status/1440413526728740871 Saving the planet requires that we stop gaping and gawking at travel blogs and vacation selfies. Instead, everyone who…
Continue reading »
-
We tried 200 covid-19 vaccines so you don’t have to! | Coldstreams Business and Tech
I wrote this in August of 2020 as a joke - it was satire and parody of news headlines. Sadly,…
Continue reading »
-
GM to start replacing Chevy Bolt fire batteries in mid-October
The process of replacing batteries may take many months: GM expects to begin replacing battery modules in recalled Chevrolet Bolt…
Continue reading »
-
Should you get rid of Windows 10 passwords?
Microsoft's new approach is to rely (mostly) upon an Authenticator app on your phone. Whether this is important depends on…
Continue reading »
-
Cool: “Elon Musk pledges $50 million to Inspiration4 fundraiser for St. Jude” Hospital
They raised $210 million so far SpaceX CEO Elon Musk helped achieve the St. Jude fundraising goal of the Inspiration4…
Continue reading »
-
“Boston Dynamics’ Spot becomes robotic watchdog for Hyundai”
Boston Dynamics is the SpaceX of robotics: Hyundai will have Spot help with safety operations at one of its plants…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Fiegl-Ding says UK is killing people
Fiegl-Ding's claim did not age well. In mid-July, Eric Feigl-Ding, a nutritionist who fashioned himself as an epidemiologist, said the…
Continue reading »
-
Fully vaccinated marathon runners mandated to wear masks, outdoors
Fully vaccinated marathon runners mandated to wear face masks - outdoors - for about one-third of a marathon. Because Trust…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up from July 2021: In Australia “Lockdowns work and we have no alternative”
Photo is of Australian government mandatory quarantine facility camp near Darwin: Source: Covid-19: Lockdowns work and we have no alternative…
Continue reading »
-
GM shoots their Bolt EV in the head
Another Chevy Bolt EV caught fire this week. This seems to be GM's response: General Motors Co. urged some owners…
Continue reading »
-
Where does the U.S. stand on vaccination relative to other countries?
Here in the U.S. we get see much news blaming too many unvaccinated for the Delta wave of the pandemic.…
Continue reading »
-
Facebook’s algorithms promote posts featuring “outrage” and “sensationalism”, leading to more outrage and divisiveness
Facebook curates your "news feed". FB promotes posts that have likes, comments or shares, or which are from people you…
Continue reading »
-
Lying about the ACA
February 2021 ACA policy enrollment - 11.3 million: Overall, 31 million people were enrolled in marketplace or Medicaid expansion coverage…
Continue reading »
-
It’s all mask theater, 24 x 7
https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1437884711930515456 At the national 9/11 ceremony on Saturday, the politicians were all milling about, out doors, no masks, chatting with…
Continue reading »
-
Duh: “The tiered restrictions enforced in November 2020 did not impact the epidemiology of the second wave of COVID-19 in Italy”
(Original text had no paragraph breaks - I've added them to improve readability. TL;DR Summary: Public health mitigation measures did…
Continue reading »
-
Online coding school lays off most staff
"Coding" school "boot camps" have become popular. The programs, often six months or so in length, promise to train students…
Continue reading »
-
The goal is Denmark level taxes in the U.S.
I wrote about this last May. In Denmark, most workers pay 40% to 70% of their annual income as taxes;…
Continue reading »
-
Post pandemic EU air travel prices to rise sharply
As I predicted long ago "I think there will be a dramatic recovery in holiday tourism within Europe next year,"…
Continue reading »
-
Perspective: More children shot in Chicago so far this year than have died nationwide of Covid-19
The CDC reported that 214 children 17-years old or younger have died of COVID-19 nationwide so far this year —…
Continue reading »
-
EV battery packs might be made to last much longer
Toyota's upcoming EV, prefaced by the bZ4X Concept, is said to retain 90 percent of its initial battery capacity after…
Continue reading »
-
Stimulus checks forever
Stimulus checks forever some lawmakers are pushing for a fourth round of stimulus aid that would effectively send recurring payments…
Continue reading »
-
Congress proposes law that subsidies EVs forever
The proposal will give Detroit's Big Three automakers a big competitive edge and has drawn criticism from foreign automakers like…
Continue reading »
-
Oops: This tweet did not go over well
https://twitter.com/OHAOregon/status/1436704847554879488 Click through and read the comments. Seems the public has figured out that N95s likely work, surgical masks have…
Continue reading »
-
People are giving up on public health mandates
The end of sustainable mandates But it appeared that more than three-fourths of fairgoers weren’t wearing masks outdoors, where they…
Continue reading »
-
Dueling Experts: Risks of vaxxed break through cases
The Times report stated the odds of a fully vaccinated person contracting COVID-19 on a given day are 1 in…
Continue reading »
-
Kinsa Covid Forecast for a Week From Now
The Delta variant cycle has peaked. This has nothing to do with mitigation measures, many of which were put in…
Continue reading »
-
California banning New gas powered lawn mowers and leaf blowers
Source: CA moves to end sale of gas powered lawn mowers, leaf blowers | The Sacramento Bee Switching to EV…
Continue reading »
-
Did not age well: Biden-Covid vaccination in US will not be mandatory
As of today, vaccination is Federally mandated via proxy. This did not age well: Joe Biden: Covid vaccination in US…
Continue reading »
-
Another Chevy Bolt EV spontaneously combusts
Unplugged, sitting in a parking lot, the burning vehicle also destroyed the two adjoining vehicles including a Maserati. Early Monday…
Continue reading »
-
Australia is insane
"Roadmap to Freedom". https://twitter.com/NSWHealth/status/1435774751847305222 The conspiracy theorists appear to have been correct all along. Geesh.
Continue reading »
-
Should all of your bank deposits and withdrawals be reported to the IRS?
President Biden has proposed that all personal bank records be turned over to the IRS every year. Really. Specifically, the…
Continue reading »
-
Tesla to use fricken’ lasers to clean windshields
Tesla has actually managed to obtain a patent on its wild idea to use lasers to clean debris off of…
Continue reading »
-
Record high number of job openings
In a earlier universe, this would be considered good news. Today, the news focuses on millions losing unemployment benefits. Meanwhile…
Continue reading »
-
The ineffectiveness of public health mitigations in one chart
Oregon Health and Science University projects that by the end of 2021, nearly 60% of all Oregon residents will have…
Continue reading »
-
Leakage: why people are more likely to get infected at home
Study in Israel found health care workers are more likely to become infected with Covid-19 in the home, than at…
Continue reading »
-
No, this can’t be real
But apparently it is. Red Bull flying - through 2.4 km of roadway tunnels. Insane. Need to watch on FB,…
Continue reading »
-
Half of US business travellers likely to cancel existing trips
Business travel is taking a hit as the number of Covid19 cases climbs across the US, a major new study…
Continue reading »
-
That Bangladesh mask study…
The media concluded the as yet unpublished study proves masks work, even cloth masks that the CDC and public health…
Continue reading »
-
I edit old posts
Making this a "sticky" post at the top. From time to time, I edit old posts, typically to: Reduce wordiness…
Continue reading »
-
Joseph McCarthy strikes medicine now
We will now silence those who engage in double wrong think. If you don't know about Sen. Joseph McCarthy you…
Continue reading »
-
Oh: CDC says 83% of Americans now have antibodies to Covid-19
https://twitter.com/CDCgov/status/1433517047577726991 The 83% refers to the percent of adults who have antibodies - which could come from vaccination or having…
Continue reading »
-
The best online resource for tracking Covid
Probably the single best online resource for tracking Covid. Up-to-date estimates of key covid-19 metrics for your county or state…
Continue reading »
-
Postal service short staffed, not delivering mail
On several occasions recently, we've had tracked mail items that, late in the day, are marked "DELIVERY EXCEPTION - UNABLE…
Continue reading »
-
“Credentialism” is an old argumentative form
Credentialism is a form of the Appeal to Authority argumentative form. This is considered one of the worst forms of…
Continue reading »
-
Probably not: iPhone 13 video calls while at sea?
If the latest speculation from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo is true, it means you could make calls from the mountain or…
Continue reading »
-
Just like last year? “Twindemic” forecast for winter 2021/22
They made this exact same forecast for last winter too and it didn't happen: COVID-19 and the flu may hit…
Continue reading »
-
Climate Change to Be Treated as Public-Health Issue
So it will be managed as competently as Covid-19? The new federal office—designed to address what the White House says…
Continue reading »
-
Another Lithium-ion battery pack fire, burns down garage
This one was not an EV but a portable stand alone Li-ion battery pack. The failure of a charging portable…
Continue reading »
-
More evidence mitigations did not matter: “One third of Americans were infected with COVID-19 by end of 2020”
Nearly one-third of the entire U.S. population had been infected with COVID-19 by the end of 2020 — a much…
Continue reading »
-
This makes sense – not
Governor Gavin Newsom Campaign Rally - Stop the Republican Recall Car Rally THIS IS A CAR RALLY Location: Parking lot…
Continue reading »
-
LG at center of EV vehicle battery fires
Investors and analysts are so focused on the steep cost of recalls for carmakers that they haven’t considered the role of…
Continue reading »
-
NY Covid-19 death count rises by 12,000
Cuomo had lied about the deaths due to Covid: New York now reports nearly 55,400 people have died of COVID-19…
Continue reading »
-
Airlines now specify what type of mask you may wear on board
The rules are mostly random except everyone now bans bandanas and balaclavas, which the CDC loudly endorsed in April of…
Continue reading »
-
Delta variant could end up ‘running out of people to infect’ by end of year
This is UW IHME so take it with a grain of salt: The latest modeling from the IHME indicates that…
Continue reading »
-
‘HOAs are basically neighborhood tyranny systems’
True: ‘HOAs are basically neighborhood tyranny systems’ — why people are blasting homeowner’s associations on Twitter - MarketWatch I have…
Continue reading »
-
The Chevy Bolt EV is now dead
GM issues third recall for the Bolt, now including batteries up through the 2022 model year - in other words,…
Continue reading »
-
Ivan Illich. Medical Nemesis. Chapter 1: The Epidemics of Modern Medicine
From the 1976 book "Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of Health", by Ivan Illich. He spoke numerous languages, traveled extensively and…
Continue reading »
-
Dueling experts: “Covid booster shots: Scientists blast U.S. move as premature”
Scientists sharply criticized the Biden administration’s push to widely distribute Covid booster shots, saying the data provided by U.S. officials…
Continue reading »
-
No: “Can health insurance companies charge the unvaccinated higher premiums?”
Over the past two weeks I saw news reports quoting "experts" saying that people would be charged more for health…
Continue reading »
-
More than a third of Lassen Volcanic National Park has been torched
I visited this park often as a child, and have been back as an adult several times. Have cross country…
Continue reading »
-
Face masks for the next 25 years?
To understand, one only has to look at the poliovirus vaccine that was invented in the 1950s. Distribution started in…
Continue reading »
-
Joe Biden: Covid vaccination in US will not be mandatory – BBC News
That statement did not age well. As long as you do not need to work, need to visit restaurants, gyms,…
Continue reading »
-
Gibberish: Vaccines work so well you must wear a mask outdoors and you desperately need to get a booster shot ASAP
Public health messaging remains incoherent: July and September 2020: Masks are more effective than vaccines - CDC Director Robert Redfield2020…
Continue reading »
-
Finnair bans cloth facial coverings
Finnair, one of the largest airlines in Finland, has announced that since August 16, fabric masks will no longer be…
Continue reading »
-
NO: Put decision-making entirely in hands of health care leaders
NO, ABSOLUTELY NOT: Bersin’s idea is to remove the politicians from the decision-making entirely and put it in the hands…
Continue reading »
-
Hotel occupancy rates said to be plummeting
According to internal sources, hotel occupancy on Disney property was expected to be at 93% this upcoming weekend. It is…
Continue reading »
-
Experts declare cloth facial coverings mostly useless
Experts warn it's time to invest in higher-quality masks with a tight fit in the wake of the Delta variant,…
Continue reading »
-
National Park Service mandates #MasksForAll, including Vaxxed, outdoors
The mandate pertains to both vaccinated and unvaccinated visitors. Any time you are within six feet of someone else, outdoors,…
Continue reading »
-
Next up: A push to ban air travel
Air travelers create a lot of greenhouse gas emissions that mostly harm other, less well-to-do people. Source: Opinion: Big Tech…
Continue reading »
-
Lake Wobegon is a real place
NHS public health directs teams to put plans in place to ensure everyone is above average.
Continue reading »
-
I’m so old, I remember months ago …
... when states reported Covid related data on a daily basis. Fortunately, Covid is no longer an emergency so many…
Continue reading »
-
What does it mean when …
What does it mean when the "most powerful nation on earth" loses a war to Afghanistan? Think about that.
Continue reading »
-
Imagine a world where …
Imagine a society where one group of people is blamed for all the society's current ills. Imagine a society where…
Continue reading »
-
Condemnation of the CDC’s lack of data collection
I have seen numerous doctors express frustration that the CDC does not collect important data, which is often collected in…
Continue reading »
-
Perfect description of our Covid dystopia
Touches on why our mitigations seem pointless. Read the whole thread. https://twitter.com/julianlewis2012/status/1426626045344686080
Continue reading »
-
Job Seekers May Need To Show Proof Of Vaccination To Apply For Positions
For now, job postings that demand vaccination requirements represent only a small percentage of the total listings. However, the trend,…
Continue reading »
-
Apple’s plan to scan iPhones and Macs for child abuse can be used to frame people
Someone who wishes to frame you can set up a anonymous email account and email illicit photos to you. Apple…
Continue reading »
-
35% of Covid cases may be asymptomatic
Now an analysis by a group of US medical researchers on more than 350 studies has found just over 35…
Continue reading »
-
An Australian travels to Europe during Covid
Some in the U.S. think the U.S. would be so much better off if we had only been like Australia:…
Continue reading »
-
COVID Charts Quiz: Test your knowledge of how Covid mitigations worked
This is brilliant - well done. Test your knowledge of how government interventions affected the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: COVID Charts…
Continue reading »
-
Your “booster” shot is probably coming in a few months
U.S. Preparing Plan to Offer Vaccine Boosters, Perhaps By Fall Says it will just be a 3rd shot of the…
Continue reading »
-
Wait a few months: “Why the White House is reportedly wary of a vaccine mandate for interstate travel”
I'm so old, I remember a few months ago when mandated vaccinations and vaccine passports would never happen in the…
Continue reading »
-
Random correlations are not science conclusions
About as weak a study as you can find: Link between wildfires and COVID cases established. This poor quality paper…
Continue reading »
-
Parody: “Counterfeit COVID-19 vaccination cards bound for New Orleans seized by U.S. Customs”
The level of idiocy in the country is amazing. Last spring you could download the PDF file from official government…
Continue reading »
-
Snopes shot itself in the head
The fact checking site never fact checked itself - as their co-founder plagiarized dozens of articles and wrote fake content…
Continue reading »
-
Hope: Delta is last wave, probably over by November
“You’re going to see the delta wave course through probably between late September through October,” Gottlieb said. “Hopefully we’ll be…
Continue reading »
-
Good modeling report from OHSU
If you have read this blog you know that I view most disease models as on par with astrology. I…
Continue reading »
-
Another superspreader event that did not spread
Chicago health officials on Thursday reported 203 cases of COVID-19 connected to Lollapalooza, casting it as a number that was…
Continue reading »
-
Fail: Oregon’s public health guessed wrong
Six weeks ago today, the governor held a ceremony to reopen. Now she'll announce details of a new statewide mask…
Continue reading »
-
California to use fossil fuels for peaking
Who would have expected 100% renewable might not yet be ready to power a state 24 x 7 x 365?…
Continue reading »
-
Another Biden advisor says cloth masks “are not good enough”
Biden advisor Emanuel now says cloth masks don't work. https://twitter.com/tomselliott/status/1425507067457064965 What does it say about the skill of the experts…
Continue reading »
-
Vaccinations almost certain to be mandatory for most
Employer Mandates Government officials have made clear they want employers to mandate vaccinations and many are already doing so, with…
Continue reading »
-
Low code: The end of software engineering for apps?
Application development tools haven been improving for decades and are to the point where many applications no longer require the…
Continue reading »
-
Vaccine hesitancy by education level
Source: The most vaccine-hesitant group of all? PhDs - The Post (That's a UK based news service). Not the split…
Continue reading »
-
Firefox adds a cookie-delete feature
New features build on Total Cookie Protection, simplifying privacy management. Source: Today’s Firefox 91 release adds new site-wide cookie-clearing action…
Continue reading »
-
NSA gives secret $10B contract to Amazon
Imagine Amazon will data mine the NSA repository to figure out how to market more stuff to all of us:…
Continue reading »
-
Delta variant: Which face masks can stop it?
Well, not random bits of cloth facial coverings, the experts are now saying: Which masks should you not wear? It…
Continue reading »
-
CDC recommends shaving of beards
Certain types of facial hair, like beards, can make mask fitting difficult. Masks that fit well protect you better. To…
Continue reading »
-
I do not post on politics much
Since the 1960s, the New Left has argued that we can’t solve any of our major problems until we overthrow…
Continue reading »
-
Oregon announces statewide mask mandates for all vaccinated persons
It's Shroedinger's Vaccine: They both work and do not work simultaneously! We are now at day #528 of 15-days to…
Continue reading »
-
Twitter photo cropping algorithm remains biased to white, young, fit people
Twitter’s image cropping algorithm prefers younger, slimmer faces with lighter skin, an investigation into algorithmic bias at the company has…
Continue reading »
-
Time to start hoarding again
Yesterday, I completed a long cross country driving trip. On the last day, we encountered a restaurant that had just…
Continue reading »
-
Blame the people
This is what happens when "experts" are completely disconnected from real people and real lives: https://twitter.com/Adam_Creighton/status/1423232417339412482?s=20 As someone else said…
Continue reading »
-
Australia’s grid-scale “Big Battery” suffers fire, burning for 3 days
About 150 firefighters and more than 30 fire trucks and support vehicles were at the blaze over the weekend as…
Continue reading »
-
Amazon’s drone-based package delivery business said to be collapsing
The program is said to be in disarray; its unclear if the technology can actually work in the real world…
Continue reading »
-
DHL to adopt Eviation’s electric cargo planes
Source: The shipping company DHL is the first customer for Eviation's electric cargo planes
Continue reading »
-
Oops: While they slept, their Tesla burned
EV enthusiasts like to say that EVs catch fire 1/10th as often as gas vehicle fires. But gas vehicles do…
Continue reading »
-
NYC announces vaccine passport mandates
But they totally forgot about children under age 12 who cannot be vaccinated. Typical of public health. https://twitter.com/EisenPress/status/1422605373920399360
Continue reading »
-
More consistency!
Good to know. Or something.
Continue reading »
-
Axios notes the confusing messaging from public health experts
Trust has been lost: "The Biden administration's handling of the Delta surge has left Americans confused and frustrated, fueling media…
Continue reading »
-
52 billion face masks were thrown away in 2020
Good thing this environmental degradation was for a good cause - it stopped Covid dead in its tracks! https://twitter.com/LizAnnSonders/status/1422233985976000517
Continue reading »
-
Why it’s the end of the road for petrol stations – BBC News
There are two aspects to this issue: (1) Many gas/petrol stations will disappear and it seems likely that many do…
Continue reading »
-
Heh – Company CEO favors tax on his competitors
Laughable: The founder of the world's biggest plant-based meat company has suggested that a tax on meat could help tackle…
Continue reading »
-
Media remains innumerate
Yep. https://twitter.com/AlastairMcA30/status/1421322905053392901
Continue reading »
-
Charging a non-Tesla EV on a long trip can be a challenge
How an EV drive from Boston to New York in a non-Tesla car turned into a nightmare Source: EV charging…
Continue reading »
-
Masks for vaccinated people are ‘mostly about protecting the unvaccinated’ says NIH Director
Confusing messaging, again: The Director of the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Francis Collins, acknowledged that new COVID-19 restrictions are…
Continue reading »
-
Remember that shortage of software developers?
Low-code platforms allow ordinary people to develop extraordinary apps that solve everyday business problems. Source: The untapped potential of citizen…
Continue reading »
-
Magnetized concrete that charges EVs as they drive over the surface?
Not yet sure how this works - article does not give sufficient detail: Indiana is testing a new type of…
Continue reading »
-
Australia’s smart phone contact tracing app found 17 potential “cases”
The Australian government says its COVIDSafe app identified 2,827 potential close contacts from 37,668 encounters in NSW and Victoria. Only…
Continue reading »
-
Did you know that Covid can tell the difference between a wedding and a funeral attendee?
Amazing - SARS-CoV-2 doesn't target funeral attendees, only targets wedding attendees. Can weddings go ahead? People are not allowed to…
Continue reading »
-
Six US States ban the sale of high end gaming computers because “climate change”
My house is powered by solar photovoltaic panels - why should my use of a gaming PC be prohibited? I…
Continue reading »
-
GM’s EV1 Invented Many Technologies back in the mid-1990s that are now standard on EVs
On the EV1 were many industry firsts and many widely used today in both ICE and EV vehicles. Among the…
Continue reading »
-
Boston Dynamics Robots are Amazing
https://twitter.com/ValaAfshar/status/1416459344342831112
Continue reading »
-
First Public Manned eVTOL Demonstration Flights at EAA AirVenture 2021
This will be interesting: EAA AirVenture -- OPENER, a pioneer of electric aerial vehicles for consumer travel, today announced the…
Continue reading »
-
Very cool: “Elon Musk says Tesla will open Superchargers to other cars in 2021
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said Tuesday that the company's network of DC fast-charging stations for its electric vehicles, also known as…
Continue reading »
-
Strava fitness tracking app grew during pandemic
Strava, a fitness tracking app created by two former Harvard University rowers, has more than 86 million users and saw…
Continue reading »
-
Hmmmm: “Apple removes Fakespot from App Store after Amazon complains”
Like all social media with user generated content, Amazon's reviews have tons of fake reviews: Apple has removed Fakespot, a…
Continue reading »
-
Greenland halts new oil exploration to combat climate change
Source: Greenland halts new oil exploration to combat climate change and focus on sustainable development - CBS News Reality: There…
Continue reading »
-
Windows 365 – cloud-based
Perhaps for those with genuine high speed, affordable network connections Windows 365-cloud-based computing has value. For those lacking such connections,…
Continue reading »
-
GM issues second recall of Chevy Bolt EVs after vehicles catch fire
GM said officials with the automaker and LG Energy Solution, which supplies the battery cells, have identified a second "rare…
Continue reading »
-
NZ air carrier sees electric aircraft for regional, smaller aircraft flights
Sounds Air is looking replace small aircraft, on shorter regional routes, with electric powered aircraft. Notes that maintenance costs will…
Continue reading »
-
That’s fast: “Japan breaks internet speed record with a 319Tbps data transfer”
Japanese researchers have broken an internet speed record by transferring data at 319Tbps — nearly twice as fast as last…
Continue reading »
-
Interesting comments
I recently saw social media comments from a virologist who noted that eventually - nearly everyone in the world will…
Continue reading »
-
Confusion over “cloth face coverings” versus effective N95s continues
In March of 2020, public health told us that wearing medical grade face masks did not work when used by…
Continue reading »
-
A year ago, I said smart phone tracing apps had numerous problems and were not suited for contact detection … then this happened
Last week, the UK contact dection phone system "pinged" one half million residents who were then forced into isolation for…
Continue reading »
-
Ravn Alaska to use electric aircraft perhaps by 2025
For short flights of 100 to 500 miles with 9 passengers. Ravn Alaska said it will buy 50 electric planes…
Continue reading »
-
Should public health be permitted to operate without democratic oversight?
For 18 months, many of us have lived under a "state of emergency" during which public health "experts" suspended civil…
Continue reading »
-
Scapegoats: “Biden blasts social media after Facebook” misinformation
Public disappointed with government's response to Covid-19, thus, must find a target to blame. White House disappointed with social networks'…
Continue reading »
-
Has he heard of Starlink? “Virginia Gov. Northam announces plan for universal broadband by 2024”
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, a Democrat, announced Friday that the commonwealth will invest $700 million of federal funds to provide…
Continue reading »
-
United and Mesa Airlines to use electric aircraft as soon as 2026
"United Airlines Ventures (UAV) announced today it, along with Breakthrough Energy Ventures (BEV) and Mesa Airlines, has invested in electric aircraft…
Continue reading »
-
ROI was likely high: “Internet service providers spent $230M on lobbying”
The Return on Investment was obvious to them: Internet service providers and their trade associations spent more than $230 million…
Continue reading »
-
Wow – what a heart tugging story – well worth reading
Cranbrook, BC is one of my favorite small towns. And after this, it still is 🙂 But then, as he…
Continue reading »
-
Yikes: Another serious print spooler security flaw in Windows
The third serious Windows print flaw in 5 weeks prompts new Microsoft warning. Source: Disable the Windows print spooler to…
Continue reading »
-
Anti-Scam hobbyists taking down India-based scam call centers
There are numerous videos on Youtube of anti-scam hobbyists successfully scamming or destroying scam call centers in India. This video…
Continue reading »
-
Electric vehicles are not a panacea to controlling climate
Read the whole thing: Opinion: The unintended harm of subsidizing electric vehicles and charging stations - MarketWatch
Continue reading »
-
Tesla upgrading Supercharger network to 300 kW
This work with Tesla vehicles designed to charge at the 300 KWH rate. Regardless, the Tesla charging network is a…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: “How Cuba Beat the Pandemic”
April 9, 2021: How Cuba Beat the Pandemic: From Developing New Vaccines to Sending Doctors Overseas to Help Others |…
Continue reading »
-
Chevy Bolt EV with “fix” to prevent battery fires, catches fire
There are now two of the "fixed" (post recall) Chevy Bolt TVs that have caught fire. Previously GM said there…
Continue reading »
-
PPI up 7.1%, Annual deficit to reach $3.7 Trillion
The Producer Price Index (PPI) was u 7.1% year over year. On a 12-month total basis, the deficit posted $2.6…
Continue reading »
-
Surge in uses of the word “Surge” in newspaper headlines
As of July 13th, "surge" is the media's favorite new all purpose scary sounding word - surge in Covid cases,…
Continue reading »
-
Awesome and innovative light aircraft design
Go down through the whole thread to see photos (mostly captures from Microsoft Flight Simulator). Very clever design here from…
Continue reading »
-
Taleb says bitcoin effectively worth zero
People also conflate the success of bitcoin as a digital currency with the success of bitcoin as a speculative investment.…
Continue reading »
-
Inflation is inflating: “Inflation climbs higher than expected”
The consumer price index was expected to increase 5% year over year in June, according to economists surveyed by Dow…
Continue reading »
-
Are 3d-printed houses a gimmick?
Sounds like it. https://youtu.be/sz1LM9kwRLY
Continue reading »
-
Cutting back
Over a week ago, I stopped logging my state's Covid-19 data and doing my own analysis. The state discontinued releasing…
Continue reading »
-
Tech company non-compete mandates targeted by Biden admin
Source: “Bad mergers” and noncompete clauses targeted in Biden executive order | Ars Technica One company I worked for handed…
Continue reading »
-
When will air travel – including international – come back?
United Airlines CEO: Kirby stated that personal travel has rebounded and leisure travel has "more than 100 percent recovered." The…
Continue reading »
-
Up to 90% of UK adults have Covid-19 antibodies
This does not distinguish between those with vaccination immunity and natural immunity - just that they are shown to have…
Continue reading »
-
15-days to flatten the curve was 18 months
Following nearly a year and a half of sheltering in place, Oregon reopened for business on June 30. Source: What…
Continue reading »
-
Wow: “He Thinks He’s Untouchable”
Wow. This is old news I did not know about until now. Michael Katze, famous for his studies of Ebola…
Continue reading »
-
If you are able to do so, please get vaccinated
If you are able to be vaccinated, please do so soon. If you are able to be vaccinated, there is…
Continue reading »
-
IBM Unveils World’s First 2 Nanometer Chip Technology
Missed this item from last May - this is amazing: IBM Unveils World's First 2 Nanometer Chip Technology, Opening a…
Continue reading »
-
Canada’s smart phone Covid-19 tracking app found to be mostly worthless
I pointed out in the spring of 2020, and several times since then, that smartphone based Covid-19 tracking apps were…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Post Memorial Day Surge in cases?
Back around Memorial Day, the "experts" predicted yet another "surge in new cases": Follow up in mid June: Post holiday…
Continue reading »
-
Google VP to work remotely from New Zealand while regular staff denied remote work options
The rancor intensified last week, when Urs Hölzle, one of the company's longest-tenured and most senior executives, announced plans to…
Continue reading »
-
Chinese app publisher limits children’s use of games at night via facial recognition
Bad feeling about this - we seem to be gradually adopting all of these methods in the West, over time.…
Continue reading »
-
Facebook says most app usage on iOS and Android is of pre-installed apps
The majority of apps used by iPhone and Android users are made by Apple and Google, according to a study…
Continue reading »
-
OnePlus phones throttle app performance
To reduce battery power demand, OnePlus phones are, without user permission, prohibiting hundreds of apps from running on the faster…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up: Washington’s 2021 wildfire season could be as damaging as worst in state history, analyst says
This summer's (2021) fire season could be as bad as the wildfire season of 2015, which was the worst season…
Continue reading »
-
Awkward: Hacker’s ransomware attack code avoided computers set to use Cyrillic languages
Trustwave said the ransomware "avoids systems that have default languages from what was the USSR region. This includes Russian, Ukrainian,…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up on travel bans: US banned travel from India on May 4th to stop the “Delta” variant
May 4, 2021 - after Delta variant cases increase in India: The United States is closing off non-essential travel from…
Continue reading »
-
Executive Order on “right to repair” may have broader “ripple” effects
US President Joe Biden will soon sign an executive order that will give farmers the right to repair their own…
Continue reading »
-
YouTube’s AI-based video recommendations skew, obviously, to what results in more views
The goal of Youtube, obviously, is to increase the percent of time you spend watching Youtube, and their ads every…
Continue reading »
-
AMD, Nvidia GPUs seeing price drops
Prices for graphic cards (GPUs) have skyrocketed this past year. The shortage of the cards appears to have been caused…
Continue reading »
-
Follow up in 2022: Winter flu season could be big, experts warn
That's what they said about winter 2020/2021 too - how did that projection turn out? now health experts are warning…
Continue reading »
-
Pilobulus
This outside my usual interests but just saw that the dance company Pilobulus was in the news. In my tech…
Continue reading »
-
Amazing: 2,000 robots in a grocery store system pack for customer pickup orders
https://youtu.be/ssZ_8cqfBlE
Continue reading »
-
Business replaces software developers with internal “citizen” low-code/no-code software development
They expect 70% of applications to be developed by their internal users rather than software specialists: We started with our…
Continue reading »
-
Criminals encrypted 1 million devices in $70 million ransomware attack
When these attacks become so large, at some point this will be seen a declaration of war, no different than…
Continue reading »
-
Lidar versus visual processing for automated driving
Lidar, or laser-based radar, is a key enabling technology for most auto makers’ self-driving cars. Lidar is good at identifying…
Continue reading »
-
U.S. advanced computing tech said to be falling to China’s progress
The head of a top American defence contractor has warned that US capability in advanced computing has “shrunk to an…
Continue reading »
-
The Field of Computer Science, summarized
This a great 11 minute video summarizing the breadth of the fields of computer science and computer engineering. There is…
Continue reading »
-
1000s of companies, world wide, may have been impacted by this ransom-ware attack
Sweden's Coop grocery store chain had to shut all 800 retail stores after the attack: The number of victims affected…
Continue reading »
-
Surfside Condo Wreckage Hints at First Signs of Possible Construction Flaw
The politicians said the collapse was due to climate change: Engineers who have visited or examined photos of the wreckage…
Continue reading »
-
Historical context for this pandemic
https://twitter.com/james_e_baldwin/status/1411752212716474378 The above author is a Lecturer in history at the Royal Holloway University of London. The '68 pandemic had…
Continue reading »
-
Pandemic Fears: When the ‘availability heuristic’ meets ‘belief bias’
The scientists and epidemiologists directing COVID policy claim there is substantial evidence to support mitigation policies, such as social distancing,…
Continue reading »
-
Happy Birthday
But note that Twitter thinks "Dear America" requires translation. I selected the option and Twitter said this means, when translated…
Continue reading »
-
With the pandemic over, what’s next?
It is too early to tell where the epicurve goes next. If it follows the pattern in some other countries…
Continue reading »
-
Experts fear we will run out of greek letters before we run out of variants
Now up to the Lambda variant. Models from IHME and ICL suggest we will run out of Greek letters before…
Continue reading »
-
Google Android feature will support Covid-19 vaccination records
But U.S. residents might not have a way to prove their vaccination status as most states and the Federal government…
Continue reading »
-
Do you suffer from Long Covid? You may and not even realize it
(Paraphrased as seen on social media) If you suffer from depression, lack of motivation, irritability, bursts of anger, fear and…
Continue reading »
-
Ending my own data analysis
As of this weekend, the Oregon Health Authority will no longer provide Covid test and body count data on the…
Continue reading »
-
Please get vaccinated against Covid-19
If you are able to do so, please get vaccinated against Covid-19. Vaccine and vaccination clinics are both widely available…
Continue reading »
-
If you have a passport, you may not apply for a Real ID in my state
The mandate for authenticated identify documents came after 9/11 - 20 years ago. Some states, like mine, took their time…
Continue reading »
-
Summer air travel said to be a mess
Taxpayers gave airlines about $300,000 per employee. The Times analysis finds that the money's primary use was bolstering airline share…
Continue reading »
-
Economist shows correlation between economists and idiots
https://twitter.com/MichaelRStrain/status/1410365341188997121 R^2 = 0.25. This is not a correlation. In case he deletes the chart
Continue reading »
-
Instagram no longer intended for photo sharing
Facebook’s head of Instagram said the service plans to start showing users full-screen, recommended videos in their feeds. “We’re no…
Continue reading »
-
Number of People With Master’s and Doctoral Degrees Doubles Since 2000
Stunning: 35% of those age 25-64 now have at least a 4-year degree. About 13.1 percent of U.S. adults had…
Continue reading »
-
Ignoring the Olympics
It is weird that some think the purpose of the Olympics should be political messaging. American Olympians criticized the International…
Continue reading »
-
It’s called density altitude: “Too hot to fly at Portland International Airport?”
An aircraft's performance is determined by density altitude. At a high altitude airport, the air is less dense. At a…
Continue reading »
-
California residents asked to avoid charging EVs
To avoid power grid demand problems, residents are asked to please charge EVs early in the day and avoid doing…
Continue reading »
-
Why is temperature data so random?
The randomne