Why invest your retirement savings in real estate whose value is certain to decrease?

My friends who are planning to retire to Florida or to places like Las Vegas or the dryer parts of California simply confound me. Global warming and climate change are already here. This article from Axios addresses the fairly narrow point that land bought in areas subject to flooding (or I would add, subject to … Continue reading Why invest your retirement savings in real estate whose value is certain to decrease? →

Environmental regulations and protections can be destroyed by just ignoring them

https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/what-happens-when-the-government-stops-doing-its-job/2018/08/10/74cc7a52-9b53-11e8-8d5e-c6c594024954_story.html What happens when the government stops doing its job? Trump wants to roll back regulations. But his administration may have an even greater impact by just ignoring them. (Ellen Weinstein for The Washington Post) By Steven Mufson, Reporter August 10, 2018 It took almost two years for two dozen officials at the Consumer Financial … Continue reading Environmental regulations and protections can be destroyed by just ignoring them →

"Steakhouse syndrome" or choking on your food is major health risk, particularly for older people. I've been surprised by the number of people who are dealing with it after mentioning the topic in casual conversation. https://www.nextavenue.org/dangerous-syndrome-no-one-talks/? A Dangerous Health Problem No One Talks About The risk increases with age, but there are ways to prevent … Continue reading Choking is a major mortality risk for older people, but there are ways of dealing with it →

"Fast Food Nation" was first published in 2001 during the relatively early days of focusing on the environmental and human costs of factory farming and other bulk production of food. Eric Schlosser focused on both. By the time I'd finished his book the first time, I'd decided to never again eat in a restaurant with … Continue reading “Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal” by Eric Schlosser (books that matter to me) →

This is by one of the litigants but states the issues pretty clearly. http://www.gothamgazette.com/opinion/7876-unraveling-the-new-york-nuclear-subsidy-scam Unraveling the New York Nuclear Subsidy Scam Tim Judson (Photo via the Governor's Office) Across the country, nuclear plant owners are insisting states and the federal government approve billion-dollar subsidies to bail them out -- even if they’re profitable. In its … Continue reading Issues behind the New York nuclear subsidy fight →

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/10/books/review/from-the-corner-of-the-oval-beck-dorey-stein-white-house-memoir.html A White House Memoir That’s Equal Parts C-Span and ‘Sex and the City’ July 10, 2018 Beck Dorey-SteinLawrence Jackson FROM THE CORNER OF THE OVAL A Memoir By Beck Dorey-Stein 338 pp. Spiegel & Grau. $28. The first time I walked into the Oval Office, my knees buckled. My boss, Bill Clinton, had just … Continue reading Exact, factual transcription of Presidential history as it takes place has always been par for the course till now →

Given the unlimited liability that debit card holders bear for unreported losses, this feature seems to have been a long time coming, but I am suitably grateful -- or I would be, if I had a debit card. https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/misplace-your-credit-or-debit-card-just-turn-it-while-n902266 Misplace your credit or debit card? Just turn it off for a while "It’s way better … Continue reading New feature on many credit cards — turn it off for up to a week →

https://www.ecowatch.com/thermokarst-permafrost-methane-emissions-2598738136.html? Olivia Rosane Aug. 24, 2018 03:11PM EST Frozen methane bubbles in a thermokarst lake in Alaska. Miriam Jones / USGS Fast-Melting Lakes Could Increase Permafrost Emissions 118 Percent Scientists may need to more than double their assessment of how much carbon dioxide and methane thawing Arctic permafrost will release into the atmosphere this century, according to a study published … Continue reading As if the release of methane from permafrost wasn’t enough of a problem…. →

I enjoyed the movie of the book "The English Patient" but, despite multiple readings, simply am not enamored of the book. Nonetheless, it recently won the Golden Man Booker as the favorite winner for the last 50 years. That'll show me https://www.theguardian.com/books/2018/jul/09/michael-ondaatje-interview-the-english-patient-golden-booker?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other for photos and the movie trailer Interview ‘It's the book that gave me freedom’: … Continue reading Michael Ondaatje interview about “The English Patient,” a much-loved book →

https://ebookfriendly.com/best-kindle-books-all-time-ultimate-list/ The ultimate guide to best Kindle books of all time by PIOTR KOWALCZYK PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 15, 2018 137 If you purchase an item through this post, we may get a small affiliate commission. Details We are excited to share an extensive set of rankings and comparisons presenting the best Kindle books released since 2007. It’s over ten years … Continue reading eBookfriendly.com’s huge set of lists of Amazon Kindle’s best, including Unlimited →

Service dogs provide valuable assistance to those with post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injuries. (I am specifically not referring to therapy animals which are often untrained and not providing essential benefits other than companionship.) Furthermore those benefits are provided at relatively minimal cost to the healthcare system compared to traditional visits to or by … Continue reading Another study confirming the benefits to military veterans with PTSD or TBI of having a trained service dog in their lives →

It's simply common sense to buy refurbished Apple and Amazon Kindle devices if they're not about to go on deep discount (yay Amazon Prime day!) Here's a link to some of the best buys available now. The Apple Store IOS app makes it easy to access these but it's not much more difficult on the … Continue reading Refurbished Apple and Amazon Kindle devices are priced to sell and carry the same warranties as new →