The structure of this blog

I have several blog posts that are at the top of my blog for extended periods of time, because I believe they are of continuing usefulness. So when you look at my blog, the fact that the first few are the same doesn't mean I haven't updated the blog recently.

Welfare Religion

I wrote this song after my experiences working with people who bragged about being "born again". It didn't keep them from being mean dishonest liars. I started asking them how being "born again" had changed how they treated other people. Not a single one said it had any effect. They ALL looked puzzled at the idea. They admitted it hadn't, but said it made them feel so good.

The on-line book "The Authoritarians" refers to Dietrich Bonhoeffer's coining of the phrase "cheap grace", in chapter 4:
http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/%7Ealtemey/
"Cheap Grace. Unfortunately, fundamentalist Protestantism may directly promote hypocrisy among its members through one of its major theological principles: that if one accepts Jesus as a personal savior and asks for the forgiveness of one’s sins, one will be saved. But a lot depends on what “accepts” means. Is one’s life transformed? Do good works increase? Is the born-again person more like Jesus, holier? That would be all to the good. But because of some evangelist preachers, the interpretation has grown that all “accepts” means is a one-time verbal commitment. You say the magic words and you go to heaven, no matter what kind of life you lead afterwards. Many have thought that a pretty sweet deal. You’ve conned a free pass through the Pearly Gates from the Almighty and you can sin and debauch all you want for the rest of your life. "

A nifty phrase. It describes what my poem/song "Welfare Religion" is about. And I have incorporated it into the song.
If you read the Bible, you know that is not what Jesus said. Eg., Matthew 25.

When sung, the last verse is the chorus.


Welfare Religion
copyright Patricia M. Shannon 1996

What would Jesus think if He came to earth today?
Do you think He would be happy with all the folks who say:
"I am saved, alleluia, and I'll live forever more".
But they would never think of giving comfort to the poor.

They say they believe in Jesus and the Bible is all true,
but they ignore what He did say in Chapter 25 of Matthew:
What you do for the less fortunate, you've done it unto Me,
and where you go after you're dead depends upon your deeds.

They say "I feel so good because I have been born again.
And what's that got to do with how I treat my fellow men?
Jesus loves me, this I know, He loves only myself;
it's true, because He doesn't care how I treat anybody else.

I believe in Jesus, no need to change my ways,
just massage His ego once or twice a day.
I believe in Jesus, all it takes is that cheap grace,
to get me into heaven, the perfect welfare state.

The Mathematics of Inequality

 

 

Mathematical analysis shows that without redistribution, wealth becomes increasingly more concentrated, and inequality grows until almost all assets are held by an extremely small percent of people.  History shows this analysis is accurate.   I first saw such an analysis years ago, I believe in Scientific American in the winter in 1990, 1991, or 1992. I haven't been able to find the article in the Scientific archives, because they don't have good enough descriptions for the column where it would have appeared. I bought several articles I hoped would be the right one, but didn't find it. Luckily, there were finally some more recent analyses I was able to reference in my blog.

 

https://now.tufts.edu/articles/mathematics-inequality

By Taylor McNeil
October 12, 2017

Seven years ago, the combined wealth of 388 billionaires equaled that of the poorest half of humanity, according to Oxfam International. This past January the equation was even more unbalanced: it took only eight billionaires, marking an unmistakable march toward increased concentration of wealth. Today that number has been reduced to five billionaires.

Trying to understand such growing inequality is usually the purview of economists, but Bruce Boghosian, a professor of mathematics, thinks he has found another explanation—and a warning.

Using a mathematical model devised to mimic a simplified version of the free market, he and colleagues are finding that, without redistribution, wealth becomes increasingly more concentrated, and inequality grows until almost all assets are held by an extremely small percent of people.

•••••

It’s easy to imagine how wealth-attained advantage works in real life. “The people with that advantage receive better returns on their investments, lower interest rates on loans, and better financial advice,” said Boghosian. “Conversely, as Barbara Ehrenreich famously observed, it is expensive to be poor. If you are working two jobs, you don’t have time to shop for the best bargains. If you can’t afford the security deposit demanded by most landlords, you may end up staying in a motel at inflated prices.”

The model tracks the data with remarkable accuracy, he said.

•••••

Putting aside ethical issues of growing inequality, it can also create an unhealthy economy, Boghosian said. “That’s because when wealth concentrates and the middle class is depleted too much, you may get very wealthy industrialists, very wealthy manufacturers, but to whom do they sell their products? It locks up the economy,” he said.

•••••

https://www.austms.org.au/Jobs/Library4.html

THE MATHEMATICS OF INEQUALITY

By Mark Buchanan
reprinted from The Australian Financial Review
September 2002
(originally in New Statesman)

•••••

Even if everyone starts out equally, and they remain equally adept at choosing investments, differences in investment luck will cause some people to accumulate more wealth than others. Those who are lucky will tend to invest more, and so have a chance to make greater gains still. Hence, a string of positive returns builds a person's wealth not merely by addition but by multiplication, as each subsequent gain grows ever bigger. This is enough, even in a world of equals where returns on investment are entirely random, to stir up huge disparities of wealth in the population.

•••••

Pseudo-Patriots

Pseudo-Patriots

copyright Patricia M. Shannon 1996

They say that they are patriots because they love to wave the flag,
but they throw their trash along the road, and pour used oil down the drain.
They say that they are patriots because the pledge they love to say,
but they never bother to turn out the lights when they go home for the day.

How can we be patriots and not do all we can
to protect the earth upon which all our lives depend?
How can we be patriots and not help our fellow men?
What else is a country, but its people and its land?

They say that they are patriots because, they will always choose
to vote to build more prisons, while cutting funding for our schools.
They say that they are patriots, Star Spangled Banner they do sing,
but to their big gas-guzzlers they selfishly do cling.

How can we be patriots and not do all we can
to prevent the earth from turning into barren sands?
How can we be patriots and not lend a helping hand?
What else is a country, but its people and its land?

They say that they are patriots, because it fills them with such glee
to send our young folks overseas to be killed by enemies.
They say that they are patriots, but they would never think
to tutor some poor kids to help them stay out of the clink.

How can we be patriots and not do all we can
to protect the earth upon which all our lives depend?
How can we be patriots and not help our fellow men?
What else is a country, but its people and its land?

A country's not a piece of cloth, or words we say by rote;
a country's not a song we sing before we watch a sport.
And love's not just a feeling, it's something that we do,
every day, in every way, in everything we choose.

Beryl becomes extremely rare June hurricane east of the Caribbean

 https://bmcnoldy.blogspot.com/2024/06/beryl-becomes-extremely-rare-june.html?m=1

July 29, 2024

There has been just one hurricane formation east of the Caribbean in June, and that was during the all-time record-breaking hurricane season of 1933. So to say this is extremely rare (and troubling) is an understatement.

Trump's promises to oil companies

 Washington Post -As Donald Trump sat with some of the country’s top oil executives at his Mar-a-Lago Club last month, one executive complained about how they continued to face burdensome environmental regulations despite spending $400 million to lobby the Biden administration in the last year.

Trump’s response stunned several of the executives in the room overlooking the ocean: You all are wealthy enough, he said, that you should raise $1 billion to return me to the White House. At the dinner, he vowed to immediately reverse dozens of President Biden’s environmental rules and policies and stop new ones from being enacted, according to people with knowledge of the meeting, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe a private conversation.

Giving $1 billion would be a “deal,” Trump said, because of the taxation and regulation they would avoid thanks to him, according to the people.

Trump’s remarkably blunt and transactional pitch reveals how the former president is targeting the oil industry to finance his reelection bid. At the same time, he has turned to the industry to help shape his environmental agenda for a second term, including the rollbacks of some of Biden’s signature achievements on clean energy and electric vehicles.

Hunger Walk song - sheet music on-line

Lyrics for "Hunger Walk" are below.
Below that is the lyrics with chord names.

This song may be sung for free in support of food programs that serve the needy on a non-sectarian basis


Sheet music with melody and chord names is at:
https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B70WsnjzVKW-N2Q5ODFiZTItYjIyMS00ODA3LWIxNTUtNTdjODZhMDZlZmM0




Hunger Walk Song
copyright 1994 Patricia M. Shannon
to the tune of the hymn Come Ye Thankful People, Come

Join us on the Hunger Walk/Drive,
share the love and joy we feel,
as we walk/work together for
those who are in present need.
We can make a difference,
when we work toge~ther;
as you help us reach our goal,
you will also feed your soul.

Let's give thanks to all our friends,
who give of their time and pay,
in the groups that work so hard
to make sure no one does starve.
We can never know just when
we will need a helping hand,
our support will help ensure,
community food banks will endure.

Many children in our land
often suffer hunger pains;
it can stunt the healthy growth
of their body and their brains.
Children are the fu~ture;
they need more than just a song;
when we help to nourish them,
we help to keep our country strong.


Hunger Walk Song page 1
copyright 1994 Patricia M. Shannon
to the tune of the hymn Come Ye Thankful People, Come

Patricia M. Shannon
patricia_shan8@hotmail.com
www.reverbnation.com/patriciashannon
www.patriciashannon.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/patricia.shannon


(Verse 1)
F C F Dm C F
Join us on the Hunger Walk/Drive,

F C F Dm Gm A
share the love and joy we feel,

Dm Gm C F
as we walk/work together for

F Bdim C Dm C G Bdim C
those who are in present need.

C C7 F C F
We can make a difference,

F F7 Bb Adim Bb
when we work to-ge- ther;

D Gm C F
as you help us reach our goal,

Bb F Dm F C C7 F
you will also feed your soul.


Hunger Walk Song page 2

(Verse 2)
F C F Dm C F
Let's give thanks to all our friends,

F C F Dm Gm A
who give of their time and pay,

Dm G C F
in the groups that work so hard

F Bdim C Dm C G Bdim C
to make sure no one does starve.

C C7 F C F
We can never know just when

F F7 Bb Adim Bb
we will need a helping hand,

D Gm C F
our support will help ensure,

F Bb F Dm F C C7 F
community food banks will endure.


Hunger Walk Song page 2


(Verse 3)
F C F Dm C F
Many children in our land

F C F Dm Gm A
often suffer hunger pains;

Dm Gm C F
it can stunt the healthy growth

F Bdim C Dm C G Bdim C
of their bodies and their brains.

C C7 F C F
Children are the future;

F F7 Bb Adim Bb
they need more than just a song;

D Gm C F
when we help to nourish them,

F Bb F Dm F C C7 F
we help to keep our country strong.

Feed and Freeze

 

I wrote this song after reading a few years ago that there are children in our country who routinely lose weight in the winter because their families cannot afford both enough food and heat. And of course people need more food when they are cold.

Feed and Freeze
copyright 2001 Patricia M. Shannon

(chorus)
If I feed my my children, they will freeze
'cause the gas bill is so high.
When they say "Mama, mama, can I have some food",
sometimes I just break down and cry,
sometimes I just break down and cry.

(verse)
They don't understand that I don't have enough food
for them to have their fill.
I have to pay the heating bill
'cause it's cold enough to kill;
it's cold enough to kill;

We turn the thermostat way down
and wear a lot of clothes.
We hang out at the Waffle House,
but the heating bill just grows and grows,
the heating bill just grows.

(chorus)

They say you'll be a big success
if you work really hard.
But I slave all day at the fast food place
and the minimum wage is my reward,
the minimum's my reward

They say they can't pay anymore,
the economy's too slow;
Profits are down, but they gave a raise
and a bonus to the CEO;
a big bonus to the CEO.

(chorus)

Trump traitor

 

Judge Cannon put witnesses against Trump in danger

 Judge Cannon is the district court judge in the Trump classified documents case. She was appointed by Trump. This is info on her recent actions that put witnesses in danger.

From Twitter, Ben Meiselas @meiselasb

Feb. 9, 2024

Moments ago, Judge Cannon just made a very dangerous ruling and we cannot let it slip under the radar. 

I am sure Jack Smith’s team is working feverishly on a response right now. 

Judge Cannon just ordered that by tomorrow February 10, Jack Smith provide Trump with information about the death threats against a confidential witness in the Mar-A-Lago document case which Cannon previously allowed Jack Smith to file ex parte (meaning Trump can’t see it) and under seal (meaning the public can’t see it) as part of his motion for reconsideration where Cannon applied a wrong legal standard and where she ordered dozens of confidential witnesses and their statements in the case be made public. 

Here is the sequence of events:

February 6 - Cannon makes a ruling to make the names of confidential witnesses and confidential info public (doc 283)

-February 7 Wednesday Jack Smith makes a filing (doc 289) saying we are going to file a motion for reconsideration of your ruling about making confidential witnesses public and to file that motion for reconsideration we want to show you an exhibit that shows the types of death threats against witnesses but since there is an ON GOING CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION in the threats we CAN ONLY show it you as the judge and not Defendant (they may be the culprit) so we need to file it EX PARTE (only to the you the judge and not Trump) and under seal (NOT PUBLIC)

-Feb 8 Thursday (doc 293) Cannon says Jack Smith can file the document ex parte and under seal as part of your motion for reconsideration of my prior order (doc 283). 

-Feb 8 Thursday (doc 294) Jack Smith files his motion for reconsideration as he said he would and filed that exhibit that shows the threats to witnesses as doc 296. 

-Feb 9, moments ago, Cannon orders Jack Smith to turn over that ex parte and under seal document to Trump by February 10, effectively imperiling the safety of witness and intentionally compromising the DOJ investigation!

You might be eligible for free tax preparation

 

I'm working on my Tax-Aide certification.

If you have tried to get your taxes done for free by Tax-Aide, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA), or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) in the past but were out of scope, you might be eligible now because the scope often expands as training is developed for new things.

Devastating drought in Amazon result of climate crisis, study shows

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/24/devastating-drought-in-amazon-result-of-climate-crisis-study-shows

 

@dpcarrington
Wed 24 Jan 2024 12.00 EST

 

The climate crisis turned the drought that struck the Amazon rainforest in 2023 into a devastating event, a study has found.

The drought was the worst recorded in many places and hit the maximum “exceptional” level on the scientific scale. Without planet-warming emissions from the burning of oil, gas and coal, the drought would have been far less extreme, the analysis found.

It also showed the drought was made 30 times more likely to happen by global heating. The return of the natural El Niño climate phenomenon is associated with drier conditions but played only a small role, the scientists said.

The climate crisis is supercharging extreme weather across the planet, but the extreme Amazon drought is a stark and worrying example because the rainforest is already thought to be close to a tipping point into a drier state. This would result in a mass die-off of trees in the world’s most important store of carbon on land, releasing large amounts of CO2 and driving global temperatures even higher.

Millions of people in the Amazon have been affected by the drought, with some rivers at their lowest levels for more than a century. There have been drinking water shortages, failed crops and power cuts, as hydroelectric plants dried up. The drought also worsened wildfires and high water temperatures were linked to a mass mortality of river life, including the deaths of more than 150 endangered pink river dolphins in a single week.

-----

 

Media hyping Trump

 Jan. 16, 2024

AP news, CBS, & NBC apps all are reporting Trump won a commanding first place in the Iowa caucus last night, but didn't give his percentage. NPR radio did say he won half, NY Times at the beginning of their article gave % for each candidate. Trump got 51%, so almost half voted for another candidate.

Extreme weather more coomon

 

Climate disruption is making many climate extremes happen more often and more extreme. Citing previous extreme weather as "proof" there is no change is like saying covid doesn't cause increased deaths because people have always died.

Woman who had a miscarriage is now charged with abusing a corpse

Because, like many women who miscarry, she passed it while on the toilet and didn't fish it out.




https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2023/12/19/us/brittany-watts-miscarriage-criminal-charge/index.html




An Ohio woman who had sought treatment at a hospital before suffering a miscarriage and passing her nonviable fetus in her bathroom now faces a criminal charge, her attorney told CNN.

Brittany Watts, 33, of Warren, has been charged with felony abuse of a corpse, Trumbull County court records show.

-----