Bob Woodward’s Fear: A Review

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I have read Bob Woodward’s book on the Trump presidency, titled Fear: Trump in the White House, so you don’t have to. If you have paid reasonably close attention to the fake news — the Washington Post, the New York Times, CNN and the like — for the past year and a half, you know pretty much everything that’s in the book, except for the cuss words.

If you’re remembering Woodward’s (and Bernstein’s) Nixon-killing book All the President’s Men, forget it. Here there are no mysterious characters such as Deep Throat, no life lessons such as “follow the money,” and above all, no satisfying conclusion. In fact, there is nothing at all satisfying about this book. On the contrary, it’s like reading an account of the Zombie Apocalypse in which the zombies have won and are governing the country, and you realize it’s not fiction. This is not your worst dream ever, from which you will shortly awaken, it is your new life. Continue reading →

Scientists to UN: Count Your Losses

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Yet another contribution of a recent scientific report to the United Nations [See Scientists to UN: Brace for Impact] is to highlight a massive blind spot in modern thinking about how economies work. Economies cannot be understood, says the report, nor can their behavior be predicted, when no one takes into account their real costs. In the words of the report: “the economic models which inform political decision-making in rich countries almost completely disregard the energetic and material dimensions of the economy.” Continue reading →

Scientists to UN: Brace for Impact

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It’s been pump and burn for two and a half centuries. Now the bills are coming due, and there’s no way to pay them.

The Secretary-General of the United Nations commissioned a world class group of biophysicists to contribute a background report for the forthcoming UN Global Sustainable Development Report. To paraphrase what the scientists told the UN: Brace for Impact.

A longer version of what they said is that the modern world is besieged by myriad existential problems, all of which share two characteristics: their root cause is our mishandling of fossil fuels; and they cannot be solved by the world’s existing economic and political institutions. These ideas will not be new or strange to denizens of The Daily Impact, but it is new to see them expressed in such uncompromising terms by so lofty a scientific group. Continue reading →

Paul Manafort, Roger Stone, and Me

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It remains to be seen what additional services Robert Mueller will do for his country, but he has performed a great one for me personally: what has come to light about Roger Stone and Paul Manafort, as a result of the Mueller investigation,  has explained a big chunk of my life that was previously obscure to me. I realize this is a revelation that is of interest to no one but myself, but it is a revelation to me, and I’m going to write about it. So there. My blog.

During the 1970s I was rising steadily in the ranks of operatives in the Republican Party. I had consulted for a number of congressional campaigns; had managed a campaign for U.S. Senate in Virginia (for a newcomer whose goal was not victory — we were running against Elizabeth Taylor’s husband, for crying out loud — but statewide credentials); I had been given (too much) credit for engineering an upset victory in a race for mayor of Akron, Ohio; had parachuted in to the Iowa precinct caucuses campaign with a team trying to resuscitate Howard Baker’s anemic presidential campaign; and had afterward been appointed manager of two states for him during what remained of his truncated campaign. Continue reading →

This Study Explains Everything. Even Trump.

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Bad enough that air such as Beijing’s makes you feel sick. Did you know it also makes you dumb?

A large new study conducted in China by an international team of researchers has found that exposure to polluted air reduces intelligence. Not by a little, but by a lot. The study found that exposure to seriously tainted air — the kind that is breathed by 95% of the world’s population — is associated with a subsequent, significant drop in test scores for proficiency in language and arithmetic.

As reported almost nowhere in the corporate media, but in full by the Guardian of London:

“Polluted air can cause everyone to reduce their level of education by one year, which is huge,” said Xi Chen at Yale School of Public Health in the US, a member of the research team. “But we know the effect is worse for the elderly, especially those over 64, and for men, and for those with low education. If we calculate [the loss] for those, it may be a few years of education.”

Continue reading →

Essential Home Repairs

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Home repairs are an inevitable part of homeownership, requiring attention to ensure the longevity and safety of your property. From minor fixes to major renovations, addressing issues promptly can save you time, money, and stress in the long run.

One of the most common home repairs is fixing leaky faucets and pipes. Even a small drip can waste gallons of water and lead to water damage if left unchecked. Repairing leaks promptly not only conserves water but also prevents potential structural damage to your home.

Another essential repair is maintaining your HVAC system (Learn More here). Regularly servicing your heating and cooling units can improve efficiency, reduce energy costs, and extend the lifespan of your equipment. Neglecting HVAC maintenance can result in costly repairs or even complete system failure, especially during extreme weather conditions (learn more about repairs here). You can learn more about HVAC systems by consulting professionals such as the ones found at sites like https://www.performanceacoftx.com/ or https://chilltexllc.com/. You may also visit sites like https://mullinsmechanical.com/ for additional guidance.

Roof repairs are also crucial for protecting your home from the elements. Damaged or missing shingles, leaks, and sagging areas should be addressed promptly to prevent water infiltration and structural damage. Regular inspections and repairs can help prolong the life of your roof and prevent costly water damage repairs down the line.

Electrical issues pose a significant safety risk and should be addressed by a qualified electrician. Common electrical repairs include fixing faulty outlets, replacing outdated wiring, and upgrading circuit breakers. Ignoring electrical problems can lead to electrical fires and endanger the occupants of your home.

Additionally, addressing foundation issues promptly is essential for maintaining the structural integrity of your home. Cracks in the foundation, uneven floors, and doors that stick can indicate underlying foundation problems that need to be addressed by a professional.

In conclusion, staying on top of home repairs is essential for preserving the value and safety of your property. Whether it’s fixing leaks, maintaining HVAC systems, repairing roofs, addressing electrical issues, or addressing foundation problems, addressing these issues promptly can save you time, money, and stress in the long run. Regular maintenance and timely repairs are key to ensuring your home remains a safe and comfortable place to live for years to come.

Artificial Intelligence Is Artificial

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IBM’s artificial intelligence avatar, Watson, won at Jeopardy in 2011, then of course went on to cure cancer. Oh, wait….

These days, if you want access to serious money — a grant to study something , a raise in salary to the altitude of a CEO, or a successful sale of stock at bloated prices — to pull any of these things off  you gotta have bling. Not the kind you wear on your wrist, but the kind you spout from your mouth. If you know how to rap excitingly about the Next Big Thing, hundred-dollar bills will find their way to you like pigeons coming home for the night. But if all you want to talk about is making a quality product and treating people right, you better get on welfare quick. Continue reading →

New Rule: If It’s Industrial Food, Don’t Eat It

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I knew I shouldn’t have eaten those honey-garlic-onion-cracked pepper-mustard-sea salt fizbos. But damn they were good.

Everything done to industrialize a product — to mass-produce it in large numbers, minimize the unit cost of production, maximize cash profits –at the same time concentrates risk of harm. The profit, however, is immediate, while the risks are almost always delayed, and this fact skews the judgment of the people involved. They come to believe that a healthy profit in hand today is worth any number of sick people down the road tomorrow or the day after. Industrial food is certainly no exception.

Scaling up food production requires the handling of plants and animals in enormous numbers, subjecting them to numerous chemical and mechanical processes performed by regiments of people using battalions of machines. Every chemical, process, person and machine presents multiple opportunities for contamination, a delayed risk for the eventual consumer of the product. Indications are that the risks are getting worse, fast. Continue reading →

Donald Trump’s Last Day at Work: A Fable

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This is a story, boys and girls, about how Donald Trump’s world could end — not with a bang, but a whimper. These are not like the crimes you and I make, or the defense and injury law firm practicing Rosemead receives. There are a lot more. 

It’s a balmy September day in Washington when John Kelly bursts into the oval office to blurt, “Mr. President, Robert Mueller is here. He wants to speak with you.”

“What?” says the president. “We told him I don’t have to talk to him. I’m the President. He can’t make me.”

“Yes sir. He doesn’t want to discuss the investigation, He says it’s over. It’s shutting down today, and he’s here to say goodbye.”

“Oh. Good. Well, then, bring him in.” Continue reading →

Gross Domestic Persuasion

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The brainwashing of America is just about complete, and it will soon be time to rinse and repeat. The latest load of suds to be applied to the task is the announcement that the gross domestic product  — the value of all the goods and services produced in the country — grew at a rate of 4.1% during the second quarter of this year. The Industrial Hallelujah Chorus is in full-throated harmony, with every politician and pundit in the land agreeing that this is a very good thing, and competing with each other to invent ever-more-effusive ways to describe the economy — “booming” is just about everybody’s favorite.

The Tweeter in Chief has taken more than 100 per cent credit (as only he can do) for what he described as “amazing,” “historic” numbers. They’re not amazing, they’re not historic, and they’re not really numbers — to call them numbers suggests that they are data, and they are not. What was released Friday was the first guesstimate of a sampling of Wall Street economists of what they thought the economy might have done in the second quarter. Their guesstimates were then averaged, seasonally adjusted, tweaked for inflation, annualized, pasteurized, homogenized, whipped, shaped and polished until the magic number materialized. Continue reading →