Friday, May 9, 2014

@9:30, 5/9/14

|



1
N.Y. / Region

Ex-Official of Port Agency to Rebuff State Inquiry

The former chairman of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey will cease cooperating with the legislative investigation surrounding the George Washington Bridge.
Subpoenas 

The legislature is hunting Chris Christie.
The former chair of the Port Authority was his creature.
 
2
U.S.

Rhode Island: Circus Accident Linked to Metal Fastener

Fire officials in Providence said an accident that injured nine performers with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus on Sunday apparently occurred when a metal fastener snapped.
Circuses; Accidents and Safety; Falls 

The forensic analysis will take months.
I doubt the engineering was faulty.  It may be Chinese manufacture or simple accident. 
I tend to use a knot.  
I find falls frightening.

3
Opinion

The Fervor for Great Books and Big Ideas Isn’t Dead

Readers including Christopher B. Nelson of St. John’s College respond to a column by David Brooks.
Books and Literature; Social Conditions and Trends 

The game needs an edit.  
Culture has changed and continues to change.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_books
 
4
N.Y. / Region

For ‘Cleopatra’s Needle,’ a Cleaning to Last 500 Years

Workers are using a laser on the 3,500-year-old Egyptian obelisk, which has stood in Central Park since 1881.
Monuments and Memorials (Structures); Egyptian Civilization; Restoration and Renovation 

A reasonable story on a noteworthy event.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_Stewart_Gardner

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isabella_Stewart_Gardner_Museum

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation-restoration

Mrs. Gardener did not like it and attempted to forbid restoration.

Art should be allowed to change with time and use.
 
5
Business Day

Steve Jobs Defied Convention, and Perhaps the Law

Mr. Jobs’s conduct is a reminder that the difference between genius and potentially criminal behavior can be a fine line.
Antitrust Laws and Competition Issues 

Actions against Stephen P. Jobs are now moot.
I am not concerned.  I keep my nose clean.
 
6
Sports

For U.S. Cities, a 2024 Olympic Competition

A look at which American cities might appeal to International Olympic Committee voters for the Summer Games in 2024, the soonest the United States can host the event.
Olympic Games (2024) 

Pure speculation. 
I am amazed how little I care.

Boston is a good place.  The problems are no greater than other venues.

7
Science

Antibiotic-Resistant Germs, Lying in Wait Everywhere

A study finds that genes that let bacteria survive drugs intended to wipe them out are widespread, even in the most isolated parts of the planet.
Antibiotics; Bacteria; Genetics and Heredity; Microbiology 

Nice to know.  
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacteriophage
 
8
World

U.S. Signs New Lease to Keep Strategic Military Installation in the Horn of Africa

The American base in Djibouti, Camp Lemonnier, has served as a hub for counterterrorism operations and training.
United States International Relations; Military Bases and Installations; United States Defense and Military Forces; Drones (Pilotless Planes) 

I would have agreed if I had been asked.
 
9
U.S.

When Hitting ‘Find My iPhone’ Takes You to a Thief’s Doorstep

Using GPS tracking apps, more people are taking the law into their own hands to recover stolen smartphones, a trend that has law enforcement officials concerned.
Mobile Applications; Global Positioning System; Robberies and Thefts; Smartphones 

Send the cops.  
There should be a less punitive service for this kind of educational problem.
 
10
Your Money

Billions Not Required for Angel Investing

A new book argues that more people can and should become angel investors, but that they must expect plenty of failures along with the rare big win.
Personal Finances; Venture Capital; Start-ups; Entrepreneurship; Books and Literature 

The risk is not acceptable for most of us.  
There are venture capital funds to spread the risk and the return.
I might use one.  I am reluctant to do that.

11
U.S.

Bill H. Dana, Pilot Who Outflew Bullets And Touched Space for NASA, Dies at 83

Mr. Dana flew the X-15 rocket plane at record supersonic speeds and tested many of the most innovative and dangerous aircraft ever developed.
Rocket Science and Propulsion; Deaths (Obituaries); Military Aircraft; Space and Astronomy 

Obit. on line.  Google finds it.

Test pilot positions never appealed to me.
 
12
U.S.

Seattle Mayor Details Plan for $15 Minimum Wage

Ed Murray presented what he described as an imperfect but workable plan to increase the city’s minimum wage to $15 an hour, more than twice the federal minimum wage.
Minimum Wage 

It should pass.
13
U.S.

In California, Spigots Start Draining Pockets

To encourage conservation, districts have been rationing water and imposing fines that will quickly double, triple or quadruple typical water bills. But doing so may violate state law.
Water; Conservation of Resources; Drought 
The price of water should be high and in accord with the marginal cost.
That means progressive pricing.
 
14
Business Day

Some E-Cigarettes Deliver a Puff of Carcinogens

New research suggests that some e-cigarettes get so hot that they can produce a carcinogenic byproduct.
Smoking and Tobacco; E-Cigarettes; Research; Hazardous and Toxic Substances; Series 

Yes.  Avoid them.
 
15
U.S.

Sotomayor Finds Her Voice Among Justices

Justice Sonia Sotomayor has emerged as an increasingly confident figure on the Supreme Court, staking out positions that have led to testy exchanges with colleagues across the ideological spectrum.
Race and Ethnicity; Affirmative Action; Colleges and Universities; Admissions Standards 

Good.
 
16
Opinion

Privacy in the Digital Age

The American Civil Liberties Union and a visiting fellow at the Heritage Foundation respond to an editorial.
Fourth Amendment (US Constitution); Cloud Computing; Search and Seizure; Computers and the Internet; Law and Legislation 

Agreed.
 
17
U.S.

Outside Spending Enters Arena of Judicial Races

A costly and fierce primary shows how the revolution in financing political campaigns has entered what was the quieter arena of judicial elections.
Elections, Courts and the Judiciary; Political Advertising; Campaign Finance; Political Action Committees; Supreme Courts (State) 

This is not proper.
 
18
Magazine

Inequality Has Been Going On Forever ... but That Doesn’t Mean It’s Inevitable

We have been living with rising income inequality for so long that it has come to seem inevitable. It doesn’t have to be.
Income Inequality; United States Economy; Income; Education (K-12); Books and Literature 

yes.
 
19
N.Y. / Region

Taxpayers’ Bill in Bridge Inquiry Soars

The cost to New Jersey taxpayers for Gov. Chris Christie’s internal inquiry into lane closings at the George Washington Bridge is likely to reach several million dollars, outpacing early estimates.

It is Christie's bill.

20
Business Day

Toyota Forecasts Drop in Profit for Fiscal Year

The Japanese automaker, which has led the world in sales, reported record profit but said that net profit for the next year would be down about 2 percent.
Economic Conditions and Trends; Company Reports 

An honest view.


I may be late.

|

No comments:

Post a Comment