Category: Society

Cryptocurrency is a Singularly Bad Idea

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Unregulated, No Standards Currency. What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

 

 

A Bad Idea Goes Global .

I have watched with some fascination, and concern, the spread of cryptocurrencies. Once the purview of financial oddballs and anarchists, cryptocurrency has become much more mainstream in recent years. Some large banks are dealing in this domain now and use of this currency has become global. Just this week Facebook announced its own cryptocurrency. This latest entry may be somewhat different – it feels almost as much like a bank as a currency – but time will tell.

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A Different Way to Look at Impeachment

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Look at this Through Three Lenses for a Clearer View

To Impeach or Not to Impeach?

You may have heard the occasional comment these days on the subject of impeach or don’t impeach. It is increasingly the topic du jour, and not only among political types.

It is useful to consider all this through three different, but interrelated, “lenses.” This analysis could work with either pro or anti Trump types, if they are willing to be honest about the process. I know, that is a dubious start point right there,

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Time for Some Amazing Science. News You Should Know About

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Part of our “Hey! Look at That!” Series.

It’s Friday. Let’s take a short break from you-know-who’s latest Twitter temper tantrum. Let’s ignore from political gridlock for a day. Be gone, gloom and doom news. Heck, if we take an hour or so off, we might find we have gained a couple more presidential candidates!

Today I offer short summaries and hot links to some amazing stories in science and medicine. Some fascinating and encouraging things are happening all around us folks. Let’s take a look, shall we?

First, a Few Health Notes

A Blockbuster Gene Therapy: A harbinger of things to come (with a price).

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Is Nature Striking Back? Are We Getting a Message?

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Some Interesting Things are Happening on This Planet.

Those of a certain age will remember a very popular TV commercial some years ago. In that commercial, a man offers Mother Nature a taste of something. She tries it and says, “Ah, yes, that is my natural, sweet butter.” To which the man replies, “Fooled you, Mother Nature. It’s [Brand X] margarine.” An angry Mother Nature says, “It’s not nice to fool with Mother Nature,” as a terrible storm begins.

A Warning?

Sometimes it seems like we are living in that commercial.

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Two Tax Proposals Lead to Very Different Visions of America- Pay Attention

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Two Very Different Models are in Play. The Differences in Effects are Overwhelming

 

A Tale of Two Taxes

No one especially likes to talk about taxes. Politicians really, really don’t like to talk about them. Only if it is to say they think they can reduce them or make them fairer are they willing to talk. But taxes are a necessary reality, and how they are devised is important. We have two models under national discussion that could not be more different. We should take note.

Tariffs are Taxes

First,

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D Day – The Power of Planning, Commitment, and Courage

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Few Events in Human History Call Out to Us with Such Clarity as What is Important

The 70th anniversary of D Day is almost upon us. The celebration that occurs every five years will take place this Thursday in France. I cringe at what Donald Trump may do or fail to do at this most sacred of human consecrations. I take comfort knowing the examples of D Day will long outlive this human aberration in our history.

D Day has a special meaning for me. I was the coordinator for airborne operations at the 40th anniversary of D Day.

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Where You Live is in Your DNA

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 In Ways Not Always Obvious, Where We Live Shapes Our World View

When I was in high school (a very long time ago), I eagerly signed up for a course in political geography. I was sorely disappointed that the course never took off. Out of a student body of hundreds, we could not find 10 or 12 students who thought this might be a useful field of study. Most people thought technology had made geography irrelevant.

Technology has freed us from much of the limits of geography. That was true when the telegraph spanned the West.

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It’s Easy to Forget the Remarkable, Good People Among Us

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Four Recent Documentaries Remind Us There is Reason for Hope and Celebration

 

Lights at the End of the Tunnel

More days than not, we see and read a lot that leaves us discouraged. Our fellow human beings leave a lot to be desired, it would seem (present company excluded, of course…). But that is only part of the story. It is a good and healthy thing to be reminded that there are near angels among us.

Four documentaries have come out recently that do a splendid job of reminding us of that fact.

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Are You Sure You Know Who is Most Electable?

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History Tells Us We are Not Very Good at Recognizing the Ideal Candidate

A majority of Democrats are most focused on having a candidate that can defeat Donald Trump. They would support a candidate not aligned with their views if that person is the most electable. That is a mature, even a noble position. It is one we could all aspire to ourselves. But knowing who that is may be a tougher task than many would expect. Take a look at recent history, and the current roster of candidates on the Democratic side.

What Does Recent History Teach Us?

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Are You Willing to Commit to Proximity and Presence?

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Two Very Different Events Brought Home Lessons on How We Connect

 I had the opportunity recently to attend two very different events. Different, but both highlighted how we connect – or fail to connect – with each other. The thread of connection reminded me how important human communication can be. If you doubt that, take a look around at our national conversations today. Still think we are doing OK? Yeah, me neither.

Let’s Get Close

The first event was a presentation by a well-known social activist. This is a man who has done a lot of good in the world.

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