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Thursday, May 30, 2013

Texas Legislators' Weak Ethics

"... banned is a requirement that elected officials publicly disclose any interest they hold in government contracts. Politicians’ financial-disclosure statements also will not be posted online for easy access by the public ... in Senate Bill 219 that is going to Gov. Rick Perry’s desk."

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/senate-passes-final-version-of-ethics-overhaulnew-/nX4Dt/

Reshoring Beginning To Replace Offshoring

Increasing manufacturing, labor and shipping costs are causing factories to be
moved back to the USA more and more. Other factors are also involved:
Owners are tired of having to wait for slow moving container ships;
a weaker dollar has made foreign-made goods more expensive;
USA companies are becoming increasingly robotic.

The cost of manufacturing in China and the USA will soon be much more equal.

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/made-usa-back-style-small-businesses

N. Korean Military: biggest in world (per capita)

On a per capita basis, North Korea is the most heavily militarized country in the
world, with 49 military personnel for every 1,000 residents. Israel has
23 per 1,000. The USA has 5.5 per 1,000. China has 1.7 per.

http://www.politifact.com/rhode-island/statements/2013/may/10/jack-reed/sen-jack-reed-says-capita-north-korea-has-one-worl/

My Comment:
Since it was North Korea that invaded South Korea on the first place over 60
years ago and has remained a bellicose and extremely repressive
"hereditary totalitarian dictatorship", it would be foolish to ignore
the growing threat. Especially since China is less and less able to
influence their "psychotic stepchild".

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

DentaTreat Your Dogs' Teeth

I inherited an elderly Chihuahua with bad breath and very badly plaqued teeth. Fortunately, I was already familiar with DentaTreat --- a powdered cheese product that you simply sprinkle on the dogs' dry food. After two months, her teeth are almost white and her breath is normal dog breath. I predict normal looking teeth within another month and this means she won't lose her chompers.

Our Cairn Terrier used to have to have her teeth cleaned at the vet annually. But once DentaTreat came along, no more vet bills for that. All of my other dogs had had clean teeth from chewing bones and sticks, so this had been a new experience.
Read more by googling "DentaTreat".

http://www.wysong.net/products/dentatreat-dog-cat-supplement.php

Climate Change Basis

Since 1896, scientists have been puzzling about how much of a
temperature increase on Earth would occur if carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere doubled. This "climate sensitivity number", based on the
doubling of CO2, is predicted to be as low as 3 degrees F. by the few
optimists and as high as 8 degrees F. by the pessimists. Most believe
that the increase will be about 5 degrees F. overall.

As an'overall' average for the entire planet's surface, five degrees may not
seem like much; but, if you account that the ocean covers 70% of the
surface and yields less than a five degree increase, it highlights the
fact that the land temperatures will increase proportionately more (and
the poles will increase the most).

All this long term climate change is based on a doubling of CO2. Note that temperature lags behind
CO2 increases. At the present rate of CO2 increases
and the laggardly human response to correct this, we're looking at
eventual tripling or quadrupling of CO2. No computer model can predict
what will happen then.
http://www.google.com/search?q=co2+increase+temperature+change&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=GeqjUaCxD8TeqQHw2YDABQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=320&bih=416#biv=i%7C2%3Bd%7COeFYHz0vSs0XHM%3A

Chart:
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/science/what-will-a-doubling-of-carbon-dioxide-mean-for-climate.html

Friday, May 17, 2013

Do Pessimists Live Longer?

The more people underestimate their future life satisfaction, the less likely they are to die early or become disabled. Pessimism about the future may encourage people to live more carefully. This holds true for all classes of people.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mobileweb/2013/02/28/pessimists-live-longer-lives-study_n_2781598.html

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Resistance Is NOT Futile

There is a black ant that raids an amber colored ants' broods and steals their young brood ants to then serve as slaves raising the young of the black ants. The lives of these slave ants are seemingly at an evolutionary dead end for their species.  That is until it was realized that the slave ants were "turning the tables" on their masters by neglecting and killing the black ants' young in the process of supposedly caring for them. The mortality rate for black brood ants is 60% where slave ants are the caregivers; but, where black ant colonies do not use slave ants, the mortality rate is only 20%. Thus, it seems that while mutinous ant slaves may not be able to save themselves, by rebelling they reduce the number of slave masters who prey on nearby relatives.                                             

http://discovermagazine.com/2013/may/05-how-ant-slaves-overthrow-their-masters#.UYcIHVGtYt4