Monday, February 18, 2013

@13:00, 2/17/13

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1
Arts

Going With the Flow

The Netherlands has held back the sea for centuries; now it is letting it in, as the Dutch realize they are facing a losing battle.
Floods; Infrastructure (Public Works); Water; Levees and Dams; Rivers; Reservoirs; 

The Netherlands are looking a few years ahead.  There will be storms in that period.  When the sea rises six feet their measures will not work.
That will happen here and there.  A three foot surge of a high tide then will give us Sandy levels.  That will happen several times a year.

We need the buy-out.  We will need more of them.
 
2
U.S.

A New Medal Honors Drone Pilots and Computer Experts

The announcement by the departing defense secretary, Leon E. Panetta, of the Distinguished Warfare Medal recognized the changing nature of warfare.
Awards, Decorations and Honors; United States Defense and Military Forces; Drones (Pilotless Planes); Cyberwarfare; 

The problem if any is the single rank order of military medals.

This medal belongs in a separate line of honor.
 
3
Magazine

Such a Chowder!

Straight from the appetizing counter, a smoked-salmon chowder that tastes of old New York.
Cooking and Cookbooks; Seafood; Soups; 

Not that old.  
Try an oyster chowder.
I have no need to be kosher.

Advertisement
4
Opinion

Why Gender Equality Stalled

Betty Friedan prompted a revolution in attitudes. But our system still favors old stereotypes.
Working Hours; Women and Girls; Women's Rights; Parenting; Work-Life Balance; 

Stalled is the wrong concept.  Sabotage is closer to the situation.
5
Magazine

Does My Bargain-Hunting Hurt Those in Need?

A thrift-store thrill seeker and a gym-rat neighbor.
Ethics (Personal); Thrift Shops; Shopping and Retail; Ethicist, The (Times Column); 
Stock is almost never the problem for a thrift shop.  Buy without guilt.
When space is a problem send the excess to them.
Due diligence is the duty of the buyer.
 
6
Magazine

Tammy Duckworth’s Deadly Hot Cocoa

The congresswoman and Iraq vet on her political battles and women in combat.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder; United States Politics and Government; Veterans;

Yes. 
If you can do the job and want to, go and do it.  
Use the tools that help. 

7
Magazine

Sudden-Onset Madness

After a fall came the hallucinations.
Tests (Medical); Depression (Mental); Mental Health and Disorders; 

Good catch.  Record transfers are a vital part of care.
8
N.Y. / Region

The Week in Pictures for Feb. 15

Subjects include a gigantic Northeast snowstorm, Senator Frank R. Lautenberg's retirement announcement and the Westminster Dog Show at Madison Square Garden.
Elections, Mayors; Snow and Snowstorms; Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show; 

Lots of snow.
 
9
Business Day

Robo-Signing Fraud Case Is Settled

The settlement ends what the Justice Department called Lender Processing Services’ involvement in a scheme to file more than 1 million fraudulently signed mortgage documents.
Foreclosures; Mortgages; 

There are still over a million defaulted loans to resolve.
 
10
Movies

Still Too Good, Too Bad or Invisible

Several of this year’s Oscar-nominated films raise the age-old question of whether white filmmakers are ready to grant agency to black characters.
Movies; Blacks; Race and Ethnicity; Academy Awards (Oscars); Discrimination; Actors and Actresses; 

Nelson George loves and cares about film.
He may not understand film as commercial art.  
Very little film is made as art.  
It is a venture capital business.  
The money people expect the best possible return on their investment.
If they are not pleased there is no next time for that team.

11
Business Day

So Why Are You at Your Desk on a Sunday?

Daniel T. Hendrix, the head of a carpet tile company, says a former boss taught him a valuable lesson about delegating duties — and finding a work-life balance.
Executives and Management (Theory); Work-Life Balance; Hiring and Promotion; 

This is not my experience.
A boss like this would be gold.
 
12
Opinion

The Health Benefits That Cut Your Pay

Many Americans might not understand that the largest effect of our health care system is to reduce the amount of money they actually take home.
Health Insurance and Managed Care; Reform and Reorganization; Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (2010); Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates); Wages and Salaries; Medicare; Medicaid; 

The money goes into the insurance business.  lets get rid of these vultures.
Medicare for all.  Negotiate the price of pharmaceuticals. Test for effectiveness.  Just stop whinging and do it.

13
Opinion

The End of a Catholic Moment

Both Republicans and Democrats are losing interest in the church’s ideas.
Liberalism (US Politics); Conservatism (US Politics); Sex Crimes; Priests; 

Ross Douthat finds that it is time to resign.
His fantasy has collapsed.
The world is a better place.
 
14
Real Estate

Reducing Your Carbon Footprint

Energy-saving strategies are often free or inexpensive, and technology makes it easier to follow through on advice.
Energy Efficiency; Real Estate and Housing (Residential); Greenhouse Gas Emissions; 

There is a great deal that can be done.
Balancing  carbon saved against creature comfort and cost, present and future is not so easy.  Then there is historical preservation to flavor the mix.
15
N.Y. / Region

Some ‘Affordable’ Units Too Costly, Report Says

About two-thirds of the city’s recently developed units were found to require occupants to have minimum income levels that were higher than median incomes in the areas.
Affordable Housing; Public and Subsidized Housing; Renting and Leasing (Real Estate); Real Estate and Housing (Residential); 

To a landlord all rental units are luxury units.
I have found no way to keep "affordable" units affordable twice.
 
16
World

Some Chinese Are Souring on Being North Korea’s Best Friend

The sense of fraternity appears to be souring as ordinary people express anxiety about possible fallout from North Korea’s nuclear test last Tuesday.
International Relations; Nuclear Tests; Friendship; 

China looks to be suffering from a domino theory.
 
17
N.Y. / Region

Booker Assails an Attack and Those Who Kept Silent

Mayor Cory A. Booker of Newark denounced those who witnessed the whipping of a man in August, or saw a video of it, and did nothing.
Assaults; Video Recordings and Downloads; Speeches and Statements; 

The purpose of Newark is an open question.

18
Business Day

Seeking Growth, Nurses’ Union Links to Teachers’ Union

The National Federation of Nurses expects to gain more political clout and money by affiliating with the American Federation of Teachers.
Organized Labor; Nursing and Nurses; 

The internal politics of organized labor are beyond me.
 There must be a countervailing force against management.
 
19
U.S.

Lavish Lifestyle of a Lawmaker Yields Federal Charges

Documents said Jesse L. Jackson Jr., the former Illinois congressman, used about $750,000 in campaign funds to buy items like a Michael Jackson fedora.
Corruption (Institutional); Campaign Finance; 

"A government of law and not of men."
Sad.

20
U.S.

The White House Continues Working on Immigration Legislation of Its Own

Aides are working on a bill that would offer illegal immigrants a pathway to citizenship — a measure intended as a backup in case a bipartisan effort by Congress stalls.
Law and Legislation; Immigration and Emigration; Citizenship and Naturalization; Illegal Immigrants; United States Politics and Government; 

No action will be taken by congress as long as the GOP can block such action.


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@15:25



18
Business Day

Cabernet and Jerky, in the Same Sentence

Jon Sebastiani, in the fourth generation of a Sonoma Valley wine family, sees his new company, Krave Jerky, as a way to change attitudes about a snack food.
Meat; Snack Foods; New Models, Design and Products; Advertising and Marketing; 

I would buy it but have no desire to make it or to sell it.

The fresh vegetable business is tough enough.
 
19
Opinion

Japan's Pollution Diet

Japan was once as polluted as China is today. Now it's among the world's cleanest advanced economies. How did it do it?
Air Pollution; Economic Conditions and Trends; Recycling of Waste Materials; Sustainable Living; 

Cute pun.  The article is a quick popular review without much digging into the topic.  
Most of Peking's air pollution is coal smoke I suspect.  Building out a gas infrastructure will take time.  They will probably go directly to electricity.
Power plant coal combustion can be better controlled.  Fission power is cleaner and carbon free.  Copper demand will be high for years.

20
N.Y. / Region

LIPA Customers Are the Most Dissatisfied in the Country, a Study Says

A survey of utility customers, the first since Hurricane Sandy, shows that, as a group, businesses in the Northeast lost a lot of faith in their power providers last year.
Customer Relations; Hurricane Sandy (2012); 

Just noise.  These operations need more linesmen and tree trimmers.





















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