John Fea at the Way of Improvement blog sponsors this post on divisions within America. Zack Beauchamp at Vox has this post on the ills of our democracy.
Personally I don't buy the crisis talk. I remember the divisions in the country in the 1950's and the 1960's and the 1970's and.... Notably in the late 60's and early 70's we had riots and terrorist bombings, not to mention our strongest third party movement in a long time. We survived, and I'm sure we will continue to survive. Trump will leave office on or before Jan 20, 2025. I hope we elect a Democrat in 2020 who will lower the tensions and revive many of the norms which he has broken. But if we have to live through another 4+ years, we'll survive.
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
The Importance of Heritage: Klobuchar
IIRC Hubert Humphrey was called a "happy warrior" which turns out to be a poem by Wordsworth
The label has been applied to others, notably Al Smith by FDR, but Googling "happy warrior" and "Humbert Humphrey" has 285,000 hits.
Because the voting age was 21, I couldn't vote in 1960, but Humphrey was my candidate. He made perhaps the most important political speech ever in the 1948 Democratic convention, one on behalf of civil rights and one which meant the exodus from the convention of the Dixiecrats who ended with Strom Thurmond as their candidate.
Once elected senator he was a stalwart for liberal causes through the 1950's, serving as a bridge between LBJ and the liberals, being active in many causes.
After Humphrey Walter Mondale and then Paul Wellstone continued the heritage of Minnesota liberalism in the Senate.
Klobuchar worked as an intern for Mondale, who has been a mentor to her since. And Wellstone encouraged her first run for office.
The label has been applied to others, notably Al Smith by FDR, but Googling "happy warrior" and "Humbert Humphrey" has 285,000 hits.
Because the voting age was 21, I couldn't vote in 1960, but Humphrey was my candidate. He made perhaps the most important political speech ever in the 1948 Democratic convention, one on behalf of civil rights and one which meant the exodus from the convention of the Dixiecrats who ended with Strom Thurmond as their candidate.
Once elected senator he was a stalwart for liberal causes through the 1950's, serving as a bridge between LBJ and the liberals, being active in many causes.
After Humphrey Walter Mondale and then Paul Wellstone continued the heritage of Minnesota liberalism in the Senate.
Klobuchar worked as an intern for Mondale, who has been a mentor to her since. And Wellstone encouraged her first run for office.
Monday, February 10, 2020
The Marvels of Modern Medicine
I've some loss of hearing, so have been using hearing aids for about a year. I don't wear them all the time, mostly when going out or watching movies. By themselves they are a marvel, small enough to fit inside the ear. The inside the ear bit is complicated--a tube, a little jobbie which fits into the tube but can be replaced when it gets clogged with earwax, and a rubber/plastic shield which fits over the jobbie which seems also to protect against earwas.
Anyhow I've used the aids often enough that I've had to replace the shield and the jobbie a couple times. But two weeks ago a confluence of errors,including failing to test that the shield was securely attached, meant that the shield came off and was stuck way inside my ear. Uncomfortable.
Anyhow after some days in denial, I went to the doctors. My internist wasn't able to reach it, so I got a referral to an EMT specialist. He had this machine connected to a TV screen so when he inserted his implement into my ear both he and eye could see the shield inside the ear canal. No sooner had I realized what I was seeing than he'd grabbed the shield with the implement and removed it. Total elapsed time < 1 minute.
I don't know how economists account for such improvements in productivity.
Anyhow I've used the aids often enough that I've had to replace the shield and the jobbie a couple times. But two weeks ago a confluence of errors,including failing to test that the shield was securely attached, meant that the shield came off and was stuck way inside my ear. Uncomfortable.
Anyhow after some days in denial, I went to the doctors. My internist wasn't able to reach it, so I got a referral to an EMT specialist. He had this machine connected to a TV screen so when he inserted his implement into my ear both he and eye could see the shield inside the ear canal. No sooner had I realized what I was seeing than he'd grabbed the shield with the implement and removed it. Total elapsed time < 1 minute.
I don't know how economists account for such improvements in productivity.
Sunday, February 09, 2020
Another View of Automated Indoor Growing
For some reason I feel more kindly to the operation in this article than I do the one in my previous post.
Why?
For one reason, the farm described is in a warehouse, one story, not multiple stories. My guess is then that the cost for the building/real estate is lower per plant. Might not be true but that's my take.
Another reason, the operation is described as experimenting, learning from failure.
A third reason, admission of problems, such as using cameras to monitor the health of plants is not always a replacement for eyeballs on the plants.
A fourth reason, the writer notes the cost differential and ask why people should pay the difference. That's key to me. I'm not convinced that simply better taste and fresher produce is going to be enough. Maybe it will be; after all the Fuji apple has gained market share replacing the Red Delicious as a standard apple.
Why?
For one reason, the farm described is in a warehouse, one story, not multiple stories. My guess is then that the cost for the building/real estate is lower per plant. Might not be true but that's my take.
Another reason, the operation is described as experimenting, learning from failure.
A third reason, admission of problems, such as using cameras to monitor the health of plants is not always a replacement for eyeballs on the plants.
A fourth reason, the writer notes the cost differential and ask why people should pay the difference. That's key to me. I'm not convinced that simply better taste and fresher produce is going to be enough. Maybe it will be; after all the Fuji apple has gained market share replacing the Red Delicious as a standard apple.
Friday, February 07, 2020
Another Vertical Farm Dream
A dream by Framlab described in this piece promising to turn Brooklyn into an agricultural community.
My problem with the outline: it completely omits any discussion of people, at least the people who are supposed to do the work of tending the farm. Apparently AI is supposed to do it all. Not going to happen, they'll need a minimum crew. And there's no discussion of marketing the produce (greens)--maybe it's supposed to be a grow your own operation. Again, I don't think it's going to happen.
"Vertical farming" or at least hydroponics paired with AI can accomplish a lot, but not what's described here.
My problem with the outline: it completely omits any discussion of people, at least the people who are supposed to do the work of tending the farm. Apparently AI is supposed to do it all. Not going to happen, they'll need a minimum crew. And there's no discussion of marketing the produce (greens)--maybe it's supposed to be a grow your own operation. Again, I don't think it's going to happen.
"Vertical farming" or at least hydroponics paired with AI can accomplish a lot, but not what's described here.
Thursday, February 06, 2020
Was President Wilson Really Bad?
Since my college days the reputation of President Wilson has collapsed, mostly because his racism has gained attention.
But I'm puzzled by a note in the papers this morning--the 1917 Immigration Act, very exclusionist, was passed today over Wilson's veto. I wonder why he vetoed it.
[Update below]
Through the magic of the Internet:
From wikipedia:
" This act added to and consolidated the list of undesirables banned from entering the country, including: alcoholics, anarchists, contract laborers, criminals, convicts, epileptics, "feebleminded persons," "idiots," "illiterates," "imbeciles," "insane persons," "paupers," "persons afflicted with contagious disease," "persons being mentally or physically defective," "persons with constitutional psychopathic inferiority," "political radicals," polygamists, prostitutes, and vagrants.[17]
To contain the so-called "Yellow Peril," the Immigration Act of 1917 established the "Asiatic barred zone" (shown in green), from which the U.S. admitted no immigrants.
Map showing Asiatic zone prescribed in section three of Immigration Act, the natives of which are excluded from the United State, with certain exceptions
For the first time, an immigration law of the U.S. affected European immigration, with the provision barring all immigrants over the age of sixteen who were illiterate. Literacy was defined as the ability to read 30–40 words of their own language from an ordinary text.[3] The act reaffirmed the ban on contracted labor, but made a provision for temporary labor. This allowed laborers to obtain temporary permits because they were inadmissible as immigrants. The waiver program allowed continued recruitment of Mexican agricultural and railroad workers.[18] Legal interpretation on the terms "mentally defective" and "persons with constitutional psychopathic inferiority" effectively included a ban on homosexual immigrants who admitted their sexual orientation.[19]
One section of the law designated an "Asiatic barred zone" from which people could not immigrate, including much of Asia and the Pacific Islands
But I'm puzzled by a note in the papers this morning--the 1917 Immigration Act, very exclusionist, was passed today over Wilson's veto. I wonder why he vetoed it.
[Update below]
Through the magic of the Internet:
"In two particulars of vital consequence this bill embodies a radical departure from the traditional and long-established policy of this country, a policy in which our people have conceived the very character of their Government to be expressed, the very mission and spirit of the Nation in respect of its relations to the peoples of the world outside their borders. It seeks to all but close entirely the gates of asylum which have always been open to those who could find nowhere else the right and opportunity of constitutional agitation for what they conceived to be the natural and inalienable rights of men; and it excludes those to whom the opportunities of elementary education have been denied, without regard to their character, their purposes, or their natural capacity."
From wikipedia:
" This act added to and consolidated the list of undesirables banned from entering the country, including: alcoholics, anarchists, contract laborers, criminals, convicts, epileptics, "feebleminded persons," "idiots," "illiterates," "imbeciles," "insane persons," "paupers," "persons afflicted with contagious disease," "persons being mentally or physically defective," "persons with constitutional psychopathic inferiority," "political radicals," polygamists, prostitutes, and vagrants.[17]
To contain the so-called "Yellow Peril," the Immigration Act of 1917 established the "Asiatic barred zone" (shown in green), from which the U.S. admitted no immigrants.
Map showing Asiatic zone prescribed in section three of Immigration Act, the natives of which are excluded from the United State, with certain exceptions
For the first time, an immigration law of the U.S. affected European immigration, with the provision barring all immigrants over the age of sixteen who were illiterate. Literacy was defined as the ability to read 30–40 words of their own language from an ordinary text.[3] The act reaffirmed the ban on contracted labor, but made a provision for temporary labor. This allowed laborers to obtain temporary permits because they were inadmissible as immigrants. The waiver program allowed continued recruitment of Mexican agricultural and railroad workers.[18] Legal interpretation on the terms "mentally defective" and "persons with constitutional psychopathic inferiority" effectively included a ban on homosexual immigrants who admitted their sexual orientation.[19]
One section of the law designated an "Asiatic barred zone" from which people could not immigrate, including much of Asia and the Pacific Islands
Wednesday, February 05, 2020
(Wall) Maintenance Is Never Sexy
That goes for Trump's wall, as well. Among the items mentioned in the article are:
- Painting (Trump wants it black, not rust).
- Repairing sabotage--quite expensive because you need a crew and access to reweld.
- Maintaining roads for access and electronics. It's not clear to me what sort of electronics are involved and how durable they might be.
- Storm gates to allow storm water to flood arroyos. The gates have to be raised during storm season and monitored for people going underneath them.
- Undermined foundations. Downpours can work to erode dirt from around the foundations, leading to collapse.
The article says DHS isn't providing estimates on the maintenance costs. It has a quote predicting in 20 years or so it will be a rusting relict in the desert.
I can readily believe if and when we get immigration legislation and the situation in the Northern Triangle of Central America settles down Congress won't be eager to appropriate money for maintenance. That fits with one lesson I learned in government--maintenance isn't sexy--it doesn't get management attention, you don't get medals for it, you don't get money or people to do it.
Tuesday, February 04, 2020
Bloomberg's Helping Trump
News today that Bloomberg is increasing his campaign staff to 2,000 people. Does he realize that the money he's spending on his campaign is simply helping Trump to boast of the state of the economy?
Monday, February 03, 2020
Adjusting to Innovation--Dentists
When I grew up I only saw the dentist as couple times. Then a dentist in the Army filled a small cavity, and I went years/decades before I started seeing a dentist regularly. Then he retired and I finally made connections with a Reston dentist. After a few years she sold her practice to a new dentist.
Anyhow, for the first 70 years of my life, I was used being given a paper cup of water to sip and then spit out as the session went on. When I started with the Reston dentist she had a setup with a flow of water in one tube and a suction tube to drain it out. That's new and difficult for me to adjust to. The new dentist tells me to close my lips periodically, which I don't remember his predecessor doing. Somehow I get the feeling that a kid in the dentist's office for the first time would have a structured explanation of what's going on. But because I'm old and perhaps because the dentist is assuming that I've had previous experience/training they skip that step with me.
The other new thing is flat screen TV to watch. Not that I can take advantage--my eyesight isn't that good, the dentist is often obscuring my sight, and I've no idea of what I might want. I wonder how many of the patients really get any benefit from it, versus it's being a signal of quality?
Anyhow, for the first 70 years of my life, I was used being given a paper cup of water to sip and then spit out as the session went on. When I started with the Reston dentist she had a setup with a flow of water in one tube and a suction tube to drain it out. That's new and difficult for me to adjust to. The new dentist tells me to close my lips periodically, which I don't remember his predecessor doing. Somehow I get the feeling that a kid in the dentist's office for the first time would have a structured explanation of what's going on. But because I'm old and perhaps because the dentist is assuming that I've had previous experience/training they skip that step with me.
The other new thing is flat screen TV to watch. Not that I can take advantage--my eyesight isn't that good, the dentist is often obscuring my sight, and I've no idea of what I might want. I wonder how many of the patients really get any benefit from it, versus it's being a signal of quality?
Sunday, February 02, 2020
Driverless Cars for the Disabled
An article today in the papers on someone working on driverless cars for the disabled. It seems to me quite possible such cars will fill niche spots, long belong they become widely usable.
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