mercury in light bulbs

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/08/060811191845.htm
http://www.sciencedaily.com/upi/index.php?feed=Science&article=UPI-1-20060816-12003400-bc-ageofautism.xml

One of my kitchen light bulbs went out the other day, the main one, over the sink. When I went to buy a new one, I wanted to be environmentally friendly, so I started to get one of the compact flourescent spiral bulbs that fit in a regular light socket. I was reading the back label before I bought it, and what did I see. It contained mercury, and when it was worn out, needed to be disposed of properly. Now, how is that to be done? And how many consumers will even read the label, or worry about how to dispose of it if they do. It's safe to say very few. They've stopped making mercury thermometers, because it's such a dangerous substance. So now they are putting it in light bulbs that are marketed as being environmentally friendly. I bought a different type of light bulb which is supposedly more energy efficient than normal ones, but didn't have a warning label. Since both were made by the same company, hopefully that means the one I bought is indeed less dangerous.

Teens and the cancer vaccine

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/01/060103182708.htm

Teens Unaware Of Sexually Transmitted Diseases Until They Catch One, Carnegie Mellon Study Finds

Some radical right-wing Christians oppose the newly released vaccine that helps protect against most cervical cancer. They think it will encourage pre-marital sex. This just doesn't compute. For one thing, most people of any age, and especially young people, have no idea that a virus is responsible for most cervical cancer. For another, teenagers are even less likely to feel themselves at risk than adults. To risk your child's life because of wishful thinking seems pretty warped and unloving to me.

When positive thinking is not positive

http://www.newsdaily.com/TopNews/UPI-1-20060728-12535900-bc-us-heat.xml

Los Angeles officials never expected electricity demand would reach the levels it did during the recent heat wave, the Los Angeles Times says....Interviews and documents show the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power overestimated the quality of its equipment while underestimating how much power would be needed

Second Chinese city orders mass dog slaughter

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14181622/

misleading weather statistics

I heard on the radio a couple of weeks ago that the hottest part of the year is usually the third week in July. Then I saw a graph on the internet, or maybe it was the Atlanta newspaper, of average highs and lows for each month, and the bars for July and August looked the same, which would go along with the turning point being near the end of July or beginning of August.

But it didn't seem right to me. It seemed to me that the hottest time was usually in August. Well, now August is here, and I see what the situation is. The highs and lows may be similar (although the lows still seem to be getting a warmer). But the big difference is that it is staying warmer much later at night. So while the average of the highs, and the average of the lows, might be similar for the two months, if you take an average of hourly temperatures, I bet August would be clearly hotter.

And it's getting worse:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14165332/

America in recent years has been sweltering through three times more than its normal share of extra-hot summer nights, government weather records show.

But it is not surprising because climate models, used to forecast global warming, have been predicting this trend for more than 20 years, said Jerry Mahlman, a climate scientist at National Center for Atmospheric Research and a top federal climate modeler.

One reason global warming is suspected in summer-night temperatures is that daytime air pollution slightly counteracts warming but is not as prevalent at night, said Bill Chameides, a climate scientist for the advocacy group Environmental Defense.

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what effect does war have on unemployment rate?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14166140/
Weekly U.S. jobless claims climb
The report also showed that the number of people continuing to collect unemployment benefits rose by 11,000 to 2.480 million for the week ending July 22
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14183758/
Unemployment rate hits five-month high
For the last 12 months, wages have gone up 3.8 percent. But those wage gains are still trailing inflation, economists said.

Of course, many are still saying everything is really fine.
What I have not seen is what the unemployment rate would be if so we didn't have a bunch of reservists and national guards in Iraq. Of course, w/o the war in Iraq, there would be less government spending, so that would also affect the economy.

afraid to get a flag

Last year, I worked at a booth at the Gwinnett County (Georgia) fair. We were giving out small American flags for free. One lady said she would like a flag, but was afraid to get one because of not knowing what to do when it wore out!

How pitiful, that conservatives have intimidated people from getting a flag.

Conservatives are trying to get an constitutional amendment passed against desecrating the American flag. Suppose it passes. Does that mean that when my t-shirt with a picture of the flag gets worn out, I'll have worry about how to dispose of it. Will that mean the end of U.S. postage stamps with a picture of the flag. After all, they get stamped. If we get a letter with a flag stamp, will we get in trouble if we throw it away?

whence Chris

Since my nephew lives in south Florida, I'm glad to see Chris is weakening, rather than increasing to a hurricane by the time it reaches Florida.
I hope the warm water south of the west half of Cuba doesn't strengthen it again. (See infrared photos at http://www.wunderground.com/ ) What I hope is that it brings us some much-needed rain in Atlanta w/o devasting other places first.

Aug. 4
I read that Chris is breaking down because of wind shears. I hope it will be weak enough when it hits that warm water off Cuba that it won't revive to a dangerous state.

Massachusetts health insurance

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=48258&nfid=rssfeeds

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12156882/
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The law, enacted in April after the Massachusetts Legislature overrode vetoes by Gov. Mitt Romney (R), requires all state residents to purchase health insurance by July 1, 2007. In addition, among other provisions, the law will require employers in the state with 11 or more employees to provide coverage for workers or pay an annual fee of $295 per worker; establish a low-cost, state subsidized health insurance program for residents with annual incomes less than 300% of the federal poverty level; and expand Medicaid coverage for state residents

The state’s poorest — single adults making $9,500 or less a year — will have access to health coverage with no premiums or deductibles.
Those living at up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level, or about $48,000 for a family of three, will be able to get health coverage on a sliding scale, also with no deductibles....Individuals deemed able but unwilling to purchase health care could face fines of more than $1,000 a year by the state if they don’t get insurance.

I wonder if the lawmakers passed this bill because they wanted to help their citizens, or to save taxpayer money on emergency medical care. Apparently, if someone has a large expense, like a large car or house repair bill, and can't pay their medical insurance, they will be fined. What happens if they can't pay the fine? The news articles on this bill really leave a lot of questions.

Human hubris

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/03/060303023647.htm

This is about an article about cooperation between chimpanzees, by Alicia Melis and co-authors from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany . Near the end, there is the following quote by Melis.

"Hopefully, future studies can show us what it is that makes human cooperation so unique."

This is typical of us humans. The researchers assume that we are unique, and attempt to find ways to prove it. Is this a sign of insecurity or arrogance?

Hunger Walk song

I started writing this song when I was walking in an Atlanta Hunger Walk. It just started coming into my mind, and turned out to be to the tune of the Thanksgiving song "Come, Ye Thankful People Come". I thought it was neat that this song about the hungry is to a tune of thanksgiving for those who have enough.
I give permission for it to be used on behalf of non-sectarian community food banks. If you print the words, please include the copyright information.
I have inserted a "~" to indicate a syllable that is slurred over more than one note. I have included alternative wording so it can be used at events other than walks.

Hunger Walk

copyright 1994 Patricia M. Shannon

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.

Chinese county clubs to death 50,000 dogs

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14139027/

The killings prompted calls for a boycott of Chinese products from the activist group People For the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

I've already been avoiding buying items from China because of human rights abuses, when possible. This outrageousness will strengthen my efforts.

Sulfur to slow down global warming?

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/07/060727180326.htm

http://www.livescience.com/environment/060727_inject_sulfur.html

Injecting sulfur into the atmosphere to slow down global warming is worthy of serious consideration, according to Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego.
...He adds that his experiment should only be used as an emergency measure: “the possibility of the albedo enhancement scheme should not be used to justify inadequate climate policies but merely to create a possibility to combat potentially drastic climate heating.”

But it is easy to predict that some people will use it to justify inadequate climate policies. And what are the side effects? Eg., will this sulfur end up as acid rain when it falls back to earth on forest fires?

Digital TV coming

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10563834/

Legislation passed by the Senate ... would require broadcasters to end their traditional analog transmissions by Feb. 17, 2009, and send their signals digitally.
...Under the converter box program, consumers with analog sets would be able to request two, $40 coupons to help buy the set-top boxes, which are expected to cost $50 to $60 each.Democratic lawmakers and consumer groups say that the $1.5 billion would fall far short of helping pay for every set eligible for a converter box.
...There is no income cap for those who may request the coupons. GOP supporters such as the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, have said that lawmakers do not expect to subsidize wealthier homes.

There are several things easy to predict:

1) If an income cap is not instituted, wealthier homes will grab up the converter coupons, resulting in not enough for the poor. Even if Congress decides to allocate enough funds and safegurads to provide for a converter for every poor family, they will probably not institute an effective information system, and many of the poor will not know about the program, or will not know have the means to get the coupons.

2) Crime will go up. The poor depend heavily on TV for their entertainment. They can watch it in the relative safety of their homes. It costs less to buy and operate than a car, which many poor people don't have. In many parts of the country, they don't even have access to public transportation. Once they have paid for a used TV, or paid off the layaway cost, has negligible costs.
For a minority, this will lead directly to crime, to steal a converter or digital TV or acquire the money to do so. Mostly, crime will increase because a few will steal large numbers of converters to sell cheaply to the more honest poor people.

Let the punishment fit the crime

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13955493/from/RS.3/

In regards to the Boston Big Dig tunnel that is falling apart because of poor construction and materials, which came to light when part of the ceiling fell down on a car and killed a passenger:

Attorney General Tom Reilly has also launched a criminal investigation into the construction to determine if involuntary manslaughter charges are warranted.

It seems to me that involuntary manslaughter is too light a charge if it is found that inferior materials were knowingly used in order to improve profits.

economic results corrected downward

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14074254/page/2/

updated 10:18 a.m. ET, Fri., July. 28, 2006
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Along with the latest GDP report, the government issued annual revisions that showed economic growth was slightly less than previously estimated for 2003, 2004 and 2005.
...
As a result, the economy last year grew by 3.2 percent, rather than 3.5 percent. In 2004, economic activity expanded by 3.9 percent, instead of 4.2 percent. And in 2003, the economy’s growth was 2.5 percent, versus 2.7 percent.

Wealthy Republican politicians and financial people keep saying they don't understand why the public pessimistic in spite of all the reports of a rosy economy. As has been noted, much of this is due to the fact that the rosy economy has benefitted only a small percentage of the super-rich.
Now we find that the economy was not really as rosy as some thought; so the public was right.

childhood roots of conservatism

http://www.seedmagazine.com/news/2006/04/predicting_politics.php

http://www.wam.umd.edu/~hannahk/bulletin.pdf

A study published late last year in the Journal of Research in Personality reported a link between certain childhood personality traits and adult political orientation in a test group followed over two decades. As nursery schoolers, the future conservatives were described as easily victimized, indecisive, rigid, fearful and inhibited. The budding liberals were described as self-reliant, prone to developing close relationships, energetic and somewhat dominating.

I read a study several years ago of adopted children that found evidence of a inherited component to conservatism.
I have a disagreement with some comments on the research study in the second link I gave. They talked about left-wingers in totalitarian regimes. I would say that if a regime is totalitarian, it is not liberal, regardless of what it calls itself. President Lincoln is said to have commented "How many legs does a horse have if you call a tail a leg? Four, calling a tail a leg doesn't make it a leg."

welfare by any other name

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060728/ap_on_re_us/hurricanes_relief_delays;_ylt=Am7hwTW27f4bDfhw7V2DOUes0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA3OTB1amhuBHNlYwNtdHM-
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Shortsighted planning and faulty computer equipment led to long delays by the Small Business Administration in approving loans to companies that were slammed by Gulf Coast hurricanes last year, congressional investigators say.

In my experience, small business owners are usually Republican. The Federal government is currently dominated by Republicans. These people don't believe government should help the disadvantaged - unless, of course, they are the ones who become disadvantaged.

? lowest bidder

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14057746/

I wonder if the Massachusetts Turnpike that is falling apart was built by the lowest bidder? In such projects, if the lowest bidder is chosen, it may result in unacceptable work. On the other hand, if the project is not required to choose the lowest bidder, it increases the possibility of graft and/or favoritism. I would expect this would be the case whether it be a government or private project.

our government hides cancer risk

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14064165/

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Growing scientific evidence suggests the most widespread industrial contaminant in drinking water — a solvent used in adhesives, paint and spot removers — can cause cancer in people....TCE, which is also widely used to remove grease from metal parts in airplanes and to clean fuel lines at missile sites, is known to cause cancer in some laboratory animals. EPA was blocked from elevating its assessment of the chemical's risks in people by the Defense Department, Energy Department and NASA, all of which have sites polluted with it.

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