California wildfires pale in comparison to those in Australia in terms of surface area and duration. (I think California has more damage to residences and buildings.) But this article describes a truly frightening problem Down Under. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/nov/12/australia-fires-rage-out-of-control-catastrophic-day? (click thru for additional videos and maps) Australia fires could be out of control for months, says fire … Continue reading Remember wildfires are a global problem
Month: November 2019
Tables may soon allow taking a smaller mandatory distribution from your IRA
This will be a bit geeky and dense. Most IRA owners are taking more out of their accounts each year than required by the minimum mandatory distribution (MRD) rules. The MRD tables were calculated to ensure that an IRA balance would last for life. Problem(?) is that, in general, we have been living longer so … Continue reading Tables may soon allow taking a smaller mandatory distribution from your IRA
Small business Saturday
I'm one of the many people who haven't quite learned that Small Business Saturday is the Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend. So now I know and can join the 70% who are already aware. Obviously there's room for growth. For me, this is a local version of Etsy on-line where I can touch and look at … Continue reading Small business Saturday
Goldman Sachs may have bought into a gender discrimination case with its Apple Card
This story contains a number of tweets, including a few by Steve Wozniak, that claim that Goldman Sachs has been using methodology to determine credit limits for the Apple Card that is massively skewed against female applicants. The fact patterns presented -- of couples in community property states where the wife had a far better … Continue reading Goldman Sachs may have bought into a gender discrimination case with its Apple Card
Creative use of Fukushima
With all of the damage, some of it global by air and water, caused by Fukushima's nuclear disaster, some creative soul has come up with the perfect use of the uninhabitable area -- use it to provide renewable energy. What a great idea! https://e360.yale.edu/digest/fukushima-to-be-transformed-into-renewable-energy-hub E360 Digest November 11, 2019 Fukushima to be Transformed into Renewable … Continue reading Creative use of Fukushima
Drones can create a forest in a day
From my friend Kevin Land at Aqua Design Innovations (the maker of the rather neat Ecoqube C, a small but well set-up aquarium): If you've paid attention to news recently, you'll know that our forests are being decimated...Increasing demand for tree-based products and climate change has led to a massive increase of carbon emissions, making … Continue reading Drones can create a forest in a day
Link to WA Post explaining all of the new streaming possibilities
This is chock full of details about the numerous ways you can (a) go broke, (b) see lots of streaming content. Enjoy. https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/entertainment/new-streaming-services-2019/
Want to clear out your sinuses? Use a neti pot
The neti pots pictured in this article are one method of flushing your sinuses. Personally, I found it easier to use a bottle that pushes the water thru one nostril without my having to figure out how to lay my head sideways. The Neil-Med that I use is pictured at the end of the article. … Continue reading Want to clear out your sinuses? Use a neti pot
Global producers are behind the huge fires in Indonesia — speak up!
As so often turns out to be the case, the unsustainable and unethical sourcing of palm oil continues to be a problem even for global brands that are trying to be environmentally sound. Consumers need to speak up with their mouths and their feet by refusing to buy products listing palm oil as an ingredient … Continue reading Global producers are behind the huge fires in Indonesia — speak up!
For those who enjoy statistics, a few about iPhones and Android phones
A survey suggests that 25% of U.S. Apple customers own an Apple TV. -- Frankly, that's higher than I would have thought before it began to be impossible to stream video directly from my TV without an intermediate device. Now, you almost have to own a streaming device as well as your TV, cable box, … Continue reading For those who enjoy statistics, a few about iPhones and Android phones
And how wealthy are the top 3 billionaires in the U.S.? How about the top 1%? Or baby boomers?
Turns out Bernie Sanders claim about the concentration of wealth among the billionaires in the U.S. understates how skewed the situation is. I don't intend to belabor the stratification issue much so am including three articles which approach the wealth issue differently. If I get a lot of feedback, I'll post more on the issue … Continue reading And how wealthy are the top 3 billionaires in the U.S.? How about the top 1%? Or baby boomers?
What would members of the military prefer to hearing “thank you for your service”?
The suggestions are excellent. "Thank you for your service" sounds mechanical these days. Why not ask them where they served, what they did, and where they're from? https://www.newsweek.com/veterans-thank-you-service-veterans-day-support-1470776 VETERANS 'UNCOMFORTABLE' WITH 'THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE,' ASK FOR MORE CIVILIAN SUPPORT THIS VETERANS DAY BY TAREQ HADDAD ON 11/9/19 AT 6:52 AM EST00:39 Almost half of U.S. … Continue reading What would members of the military prefer to hearing “thank you for your service”?
Abycats' Thoughts 