In The News (10/06/2017)

Bad News For Bees (and us)
Most could give a thought less about honeybees--BUT WE SHOULD. Here's why.

The AP is reporting "When researchers collected honey samples from around the world, they found that three-quarters of them had a common type of pesticide suspected of playing a role in the decline of bees."

Less pollination means less crops. Less crops mean less food and higher prices. Additionally I don't think it's a great idea for humans to consume honey containing even the smallest amounts of pesticides.

Speaking of bees, Phys.org is reporting part of the hurricane Maria aftermath left behind in Puerto Rico are the "bees flying around, disoriented, searching for flowers to pollinate. The trees have no leaves and once-lush mountains are a mass of dry branches. Hurricane Maria not only destroyed Puerto Rico's infrastructure, it also wreaked havoc on the environment, disrupting the island's entire ecosystem.

Hence what bees weren't carried out to sea by the winds are left struggling to stay alive. Again no bees--no food agriculture. As if crop losses weren't bad enough. And it's not just the bees. Other farm animals and wildlife in the eco chain who depend on plants are struggling. These are things we don't think about and media hasn't mentioned them either.


Speaking of Puerto Rico
FEMA had been listing the current recovery conditions. They removed the list for some reason. Fortunately people seeking information on the recovery the government of Puerto Rico has created it's own status list online. At the time of this writing the site indicates only 10.7% of the electricity has been restored. Good news is about 78.18% of the gasoline stations are up and running. 73.03% of the grocery stores although communications restoration still remains from 15.4% to 42%.


Foreign Trade: Sticking It To Yourself
The Trump administration wants to slap Canada's Bombardier airplane manufacturer with a duty tax of 220%. According to Reuters "Boeing has accused Bombardier of receiving taxpayer subsidies that allowed it to sell the CSeries in the United States at prices below cost.

Indeed that might be bad for Boeing's bottom-line. However it's going to put the screws to 800 other suppliers spread out in 47 states here in the U.S. since Bombardier pays $2.4 billion to them for making their parts. The implications should be obvious.

What shall become of the suppliers after Bombardier decides to take it's business elsewhere? What about the loss of taxes these U.S. suppliers are currently paying to the feds, state and local governments? Does this mean the federal government gets to pocket all the tariff money for itself? Does anyone seriously believe they'll share that money? Nay. Instead states and local governments will not only be stuck with tax loses but have to come up with unemployment for workers who could lose their jobs.

By risking the taking away of good paying American jobs I don't see how this would make MAGA. I thought we were suppose to encourage U.S. manufacturing. Not scare it away.

UPDATE
Looks like Boeing got a little gravy of it's own'The Daily Beast'--"In 2011 the World Trade Organization ruled that over the years Boeing had received between $3 billion and $4 billion in local, state, and federal support for each of its commercial jet programs. And analysts have calculated that more than 300 Boeing 787 Dreamliners were sold for at least $25 million below cost when the program’s huge cost overruns are accounted for. More recently, Boeing gave United Airlines a 70 percent discount on an order for the smallest of the 737 family of jets—specifically to persuade United not to order the Bombardier C Series."


Does This 'Jeopardy' Contestant Have A System?
As of Thursday night this quirky champ won over $300,000. NPR--"He doesn't own a television but nonetheless found ways to watch "hundreds upon hundreds of episodes" of the game show in preparation for his first appearance. "I'm not going to say that there's a system or a code, but if you watch enough, you'll start seeing things repeat," he says."

I've watched it for years and the only "repeats" I come up with are "repeatedly" the wrong answers. I use to have a mind with good memory. Problem is now I can't remember where I left it. The one I have now is like a steel trap. Once something goes in--it never comes out :-)


The Los Vegas Shooter
'The New York Daily News. Kellyanne Conway says it's Obama's fault. "I did note... it was President Obama’s ATF — the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms — in 2010 that decided not to regulate this device,” Conway said."

Yeah like that wouldn't have gone over like a lead balloon. In two shakes flat the NRA would have him in court. The Republicans in congress would have null and voided it faster then you could say Rumpelstiltskin. Besides he hasn't been the President since ten months ago.

One of the things I noticed is how everyone seems baffled by what this shooter's motives were. If only he were a Muslim or foreign born. I bet they'd assume what his motives were wrapping it up in a heartbeat. Conservative media would be all over this like ants on honey. The problem here is everyone is looking for a sane reason why someone would do something insane. Well good luck with that. That's why they call them insane acts. There's no sane explanation for them.

Here's what I believe. Insane people will always try and justify what they do. We've seen killers blame voices in their head. Others blame their deeds on temporary insanity due to passions, on drugs they were taking or some sort of revolt against government. I don't see why we continue to classify their actions as proof they represent some group. Take for example Timothy McVeigh (a Roman Catholic) when he went nuts against the government. Did we declare Catholics posed a terrorist threat? No--of course not because nuts are nuts. Religion is just another excuse crazy people will come up with trying to justify their actions (even unto themselves)..

When it comes to these lone wolf mass killings--they all have something in common. There's something wrong with them in the head. They each are filled with internalized hatred. There can be no rational explanation for the existence of evil. There will be always those trying to find reasonable explanations when there are none. This shooter is no different.


If You're Heading Up To Jim Thorpe...
There's been a rockslide along Route 209. The highway will be closed for cleanup and repairs beginning Tuesday October 10, 2017 Monday thru Friday 9 AM till 2 PM. Work is expected to take 3 weeks. Further details can be found at 'Skook News'


Do For Profit Schools Have An Advantage?
Propublica--"OLUMBUS, Ohio — Last school year, Ohio’s cash-strapped education department paid Capital High $1.4 million in taxpayer dollars to teach students on the verge of dropping out... In one room, empty chairs faced 25 blank computer monitors. Just three students sat in a science lab down the hall, and nine more in an unlit classroom, including one youth who sprawled out, head down, sleeping."

Propublica also reported a student -"in Cape Coral, Florida... didn’t realize the for-profit charter school would also be a source of income: a $25 gift card each time she persuaded a new student to enroll. “I referred almost all of my friends,” said [the student] 17, who earned three gift cards. She also won a Valentine’s Day teddy bear in a raffle for sharing one of the school’s Facebook posts. Such incentives are rampant among for-profit operators of public alternative high schools."

Really--Is this the best use of taxpayers school dollars?

If these schools can afford to award prizes and still manage to make money--I can't imagine how they weren't cutting corners somewhere.