What's Really Propping Up The Economy
This is a very interesting, and well documented article on the silent boom in the health care industry.
Take away health-care hiring in the U.S., and quicker than you can say cardiac bypass, the U.S. unemployment rate would be 1 to 2 percentage points higher.Almost invisibly, health care has become the main American job program for the 21st century, replacing, at least for the moment, all the other industries that are vanishing from the landscape. With more than $2 trillion in spending -- half public, half private -- health care is propping up local job markets in the Northeast, Midwest, and South, the regions hit hardest by globalization and the collapse of manufacturing (map).Health care is highly labor intensive, so most of that $2 trillion ends up in the pockets of workers. And at least so far, there's little leakage abroad in terms of patient care. "Health care is all home-produced," says Princeton University economist and health-care expert Uwe Reinhardt. The good news is that if the housing market falls into a deep swoon, health care could provide enough new jobs to prevent a wider recession. In August, health-services employment rose by 35,000, double the increase in construction and far outstripping any other sector.
via /.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Sunday, September 17, 2006
THERECORD.COM | INSIDER | World leaders need code of behaviour, retired general says
THERECORD.COM INSIDER World leaders need code of behaviour, retired general says
Yes, I'm blogging a lot about Wes Clark. I think you'll have to get use to it. No, I'm not endorsing him for president. We don't even know if he'll run, yet. But I agree with what I hear him saying. It gives me hope for the future, and inspires me to find ways to help bring that better future about. So I'm going to share those quotes with you. Because, yes there are other people saying all of this, but I believe there is a certain clout when he says it. This is from his keynote speach at the Centre for International Governance Innovation's second annual conference focused on the world's largest growth economies, including China and India, and issues facing fragile states., yesterday.
"We all understand that when war starts between two states, it should be stopped," he said. "But when states collapse, do we know how pragmatically to intervene?
"Can you live on a small, crowded planet and tolerate not only the inequities, but the injustices and the crimes that occur in some places in the world without being affected and infected by it?"
After the soldiers get control of a troubled country, Clark said, there should be equal priority on a force of non-military people "who go with the guys with the guns" to spur rebuilding and create stability.
"Somehow after 15 years of the post-Cold War, we've been unable to package those missions, whether it's in NATO or the United Nations," he said.
"I can't understand it. We've got to fix it."
Oh, and on another note, I just found out that Wes's job before his 2004 bid for the Democratic nomination, was as CEO for Wavecrest Laboratories, makers of the Tidalforce electric bike, among other EV projects. I just knew I liked this guy.
Yes, I'm blogging a lot about Wes Clark. I think you'll have to get use to it. No, I'm not endorsing him for president. We don't even know if he'll run, yet. But I agree with what I hear him saying. It gives me hope for the future, and inspires me to find ways to help bring that better future about. So I'm going to share those quotes with you. Because, yes there are other people saying all of this, but I believe there is a certain clout when he says it. This is from his keynote speach at the Centre for International Governance Innovation's second annual conference focused on the world's largest growth economies, including China and India, and issues facing fragile states., yesterday.
"We all understand that when war starts between two states, it should be stopped," he said. "But when states collapse, do we know how pragmatically to intervene?
"Can you live on a small, crowded planet and tolerate not only the inequities, but the injustices and the crimes that occur in some places in the world without being affected and infected by it?"
After the soldiers get control of a troubled country, Clark said, there should be equal priority on a force of non-military people "who go with the guys with the guns" to spur rebuilding and create stability.
"Somehow after 15 years of the post-Cold War, we've been unable to package those missions, whether it's in NATO or the United Nations," he said.
"I can't understand it. We've got to fix it."
Oh, and on another note, I just found out that Wes's job before his 2004 bid for the Democratic nomination, was as CEO for Wavecrest Laboratories, makers of the Tidalforce electric bike, among other EV projects. I just knew I liked this guy.
The Geek Chic not too Meek to Freak
TimesDispatch.com Heck on Wheels: Governor's Commission on Outlaw Moped Gangs: Final Report
Ok so this is like 16 months old but it is hilarious as all get out, and is approved by the Dragon for the comedic enjoyment of Homo Sapiens Sapiens ages 12 and up.
Operating on the fringes, weaving in and out of traffic with reckless disregard for their own safety and the safety of others, these moped mafiosi belong to a loose network of organizations that converge every year in New York for "Gotham Rally." The gathering, which brings together members from rival scooter groups, includes all the ingredients for a potentially explosive situation.
Although billed as an opportunity for scooter riders to show off their custom-made and modified "scoots," Gotham Rally is, for all practical purposes, a two-day bacchanalia of sexual innuendo, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and lite rock-'n'-roll. Though the event has not yet achieved the notorious reputation of the motorcycle "Bike Weeks" in Daytona, Sturgis, and Laconia, participants sometimes stay out drinking until 7 p.m., and each evening culminates in a "wet sweatshirt competition," fueled by white zinfandel and pousse-cafés, in which women compete for cash prizes by flashing their midriffs.
ALTHOUGH ONCE considered merely quirky or romantic rebels -- an image popularized by movies such as "Roman Holiday" and "Amelie" -- members of moped gangs sometimes engage in hard-core criminal activity (e.g., riding on the sidewalk, flouting helmet laws) and have developed increasingly sophisticated means of thwarting or evading law-enforcement. These include, but are not limited to, affixing license plates to their vehicles with Velcro, in order to enable easy removal and permit scootophiles to park their scooters in loading zones, bus stops, and other off-limits areas with impunity. Scooter gangs now include not only construction workers and florists but also lawyers, accountants, and diversity-workshop facilitators, which makes it possible for them to cloak their operations with a facade of respectability.
Ok so this is like 16 months old but it is hilarious as all get out, and is approved by the Dragon for the comedic enjoyment of Homo Sapiens Sapiens ages 12 and up.
Operating on the fringes, weaving in and out of traffic with reckless disregard for their own safety and the safety of others, these moped mafiosi belong to a loose network of organizations that converge every year in New York for "Gotham Rally." The gathering, which brings together members from rival scooter groups, includes all the ingredients for a potentially explosive situation.
Although billed as an opportunity for scooter riders to show off their custom-made and modified "scoots," Gotham Rally is, for all practical purposes, a two-day bacchanalia of sexual innuendo, cholesterol-lowering drugs, and lite rock-'n'-roll. Though the event has not yet achieved the notorious reputation of the motorcycle "Bike Weeks" in Daytona, Sturgis, and Laconia, participants sometimes stay out drinking until 7 p.m., and each evening culminates in a "wet sweatshirt competition," fueled by white zinfandel and pousse-cafés, in which women compete for cash prizes by flashing their midriffs.
ALTHOUGH ONCE considered merely quirky or romantic rebels -- an image popularized by movies such as "Roman Holiday" and "Amelie" -- members of moped gangs sometimes engage in hard-core criminal activity (e.g., riding on the sidewalk, flouting helmet laws) and have developed increasingly sophisticated means of thwarting or evading law-enforcement. These include, but are not limited to, affixing license plates to their vehicles with Velcro, in order to enable easy removal and permit scootophiles to park their scooters in loading zones, bus stops, and other off-limits areas with impunity. Scooter gangs now include not only construction workers and florists but also lawyers, accountants, and diversity-workshop facilitators, which makes it possible for them to cloak their operations with a facade of respectability.
Hugh Jackman Wolverine movie
Wolverine (film) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Well, I'm sure the serious comicbook geeks have been all over this already. But for those of you who were unaware...
The film has been hinted to be a prequel adaptation of Chris Claremont's and Frank Miller's Wolverine limited series.
Well, I'm sure the serious comicbook geeks have been all over this already. But for those of you who were unaware...
The film has been hinted to be a prequel adaptation of Chris Claremont's and Frank Miller's Wolverine limited series.
Vote Today for the Next President of the United States
Vote Today for the Next President of the United States
Yes, this is one of those cheesey polling sites that dwells at about the same evolutionary internet level as those "punch the monkey win an iPod" banner ads. And even a reputable poll performed two years before the election is dubious at best. So with all those disclaimers and caveats, we can at least derive some entertainment value from this.
Out of 24 potential candidates from both the major parties, Clark is the current front runner with 16% of the vote (326 out of 2026 cast.) The second runner-up is Massachusetts governor, Republican Mitt Romney, with 13% of the vote (273 votes.)
Remember, this is purely for entertainment.
Yes, this is one of those cheesey polling sites that dwells at about the same evolutionary internet level as those "punch the monkey win an iPod" banner ads. And even a reputable poll performed two years before the election is dubious at best. So with all those disclaimers and caveats, we can at least derive some entertainment value from this.
Out of 24 potential candidates from both the major parties, Clark is the current front runner with 16% of the vote (326 out of 2026 cast.) The second runner-up is Massachusetts governor, Republican Mitt Romney, with 13% of the vote (273 votes.)
Remember, this is purely for entertainment.
Electric and Biodiesel Harleys
JS Online:The hog that hums
This article from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profiles a couple of different alternative fuel tinkerers who are committing that ultimate sacrilege, muting the trademark Harley sound. Heck, if I could get an electric Harley, stuffed into the scooter hawg custom frame, I might actually consider owning a Harley. (Yes, I know, I blaspheme, a biker must be a rebel, a non-conformfist who rides the same bike as every other biker.) There are some good ideas in this story, though. Like the guy who runs a biodiesel generator in a sidecar. I'm surprised I haven't seen that, or an electric Harley trike before.
... Hmmm... Electric Harley Scooter Trike... with a camper trailer covered in solar panels, with base 1 foot deep with batteries...
Carl Vogel of Long Island, N.Y., says forget the sound. He has modified a Harley-Davidson chassis so that it houses 560 pounds of lead-acid batteries and an electric motor - capable of reaching 85 mph, but sounding like an electric golf cart.
Vogel, an inventor-entrepreneur with a passion for alternative fuels, said he was afraid that other Harley enthusiasts would snub his bike because it was so odd. It resembles a regular motorcycle, but the lack of a gasoline engine, and the electric solar panel behind the seat, are immediate signs that it's a very different animal.
via TreeHugger
Wireless Brakelight System
Wireless Brakelight System
Another jewel from hanging with the bikers at the Motorcycle Safety Class. This is a system consisting of an LED brakelight replacement bulb that has a wireless transmitter. Everytime you brake it is transmitted to an adhesive strip of LED's, probably best stuck to your helmet. With all new cars now having those rear-window brakelights, I bet the average cager would notice this a lot quicker than they would your normal brakelight. Having once been rearended at a stoplight, I can tell you this is one $40 safety device that just might save you the cost of a new bike (amongst other things.)
Another jewel from hanging with the bikers at the Motorcycle Safety Class. This is a system consisting of an LED brakelight replacement bulb that has a wireless transmitter. Everytime you brake it is transmitted to an adhesive strip of LED's, probably best stuck to your helmet. With all new cars now having those rear-window brakelights, I bet the average cager would notice this a lot quicker than they would your normal brakelight. Having once been rearended at a stoplight, I can tell you this is one $40 safety device that just might save you the cost of a new bike (amongst other things.)
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