Clipmarks | jklugman's clips

Lobbyists push EPA around

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:07:56 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

For most pollutants, there's a pro-pollution lobby (the coal industry, the oil industry, the semiconductor industry, whatever). But there's no pro-radon lobby: radon is a natural pollutant. As a result of this lack of counterpressure, there's a tendency to overstate the radon risk. To put it another way, when the EPA is pushing everybody to measure their house for radon, they're pushing at an open door.

Tags: who-rules-america, environment, epa

Glenn Greenwald comments on Sue Myrick's calls for an investigation of CAIR

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 14:18:29 GMT

clipped by: enbar
clipper's remarks: I don't know the full context of this, but it's something I'd like to learn more about.

Clip Source: www.salon.com

Glenn Greenwald

GOP House members call for investigation of Muslim political activity

A group of House Republicans is calling for an investigation into whether a leading American Muslim advocacy group tried to "spy" on congressional offices by placing interns on key security committees.

Rep. Sue Myrick, North Carolina Republican, cited an internal January 2007 memo in which the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) discussed placing Muslim interns on Capitol Hill to "focus on influencing congressmen responsible for policy that directly impacts the American Muslim community."

That's consistent with what virtually every political advocacy group in the nation does; it's normally called activism and democracy. But because, in this case, it's a group of Muslims who are doing this, these House Republicans are depicting it as some sort of nefarious espionage plot against the U.S. that demands a criminal investigation.

Tags: activism, conservatives, gwot, islam, pluralism, politics, possible_blog_post, religion

Is bicycling safer than driving?

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:43:24 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks: On this forum, a participant misuses statistics to show that bicycling is safer than driving. These statistics do not prove anything about the inherent safety of either mode of transportation.

(the first comment is a sarcastic response by an anti-bicyclist commenting on a Philadelphia bicyclist who got critically injured by a car on a busy intersection).

Clip Source: www.philadelphiaspeaks.com

I am so confused. I just can't imagine why anyone would think that riding a bike in the city is dangerous. The bike rider's injurys may be serious but they can't be as bad as the poor guy driving the truck.

It isn't, compared to driving a car. 43,443 Americans were killed in auto accidents in 2005 versus 784 cyclists.

Tags: bicycling, teaching-statistics, statistics-teaching, rates, comparisons, denominator

State Report: Philadelphia swim club discriminated against black children

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:40:13 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks: Earlier this summer, a dispute between an affluent, white-dominated suburban private swim club and a camp serving minority children caught the attention of the national news. The camp accused the club of refusing to serve the kids because of members' racial bias. A state report just released bears out the club's claims. In e-mails complaining about the camp's visit, members expressed "racial animus" and "racially coded comments".

Clip Source: www.printthis.clickability.com

The most detailed account to date of the dispute at the Valley Club came to light Tuesday as a state agency's investigators concluded that the Montgomery County swim club had engaged in racial discrimination, and called for the club to pay a penalty of up to $50,000.

Less than an hour into the visit, a student returning to the pool from a concession stand heard a woman say, "What are all of these black kids doing here?"

The same child reported hearing the woman say, "I am scared they might do something to my child."

The woman, Michelle Flynn

Flynn wrote in a group e-mail that she was "very upset" at the state of the pool.

"This is not the community where these kids live," Flynn wrote at 9:45 p.m., six hours after the Creative Steps arrival. ". . . I don't feel comfortable with my children even going to the bathroom during this time."

Tags: philadelphia, racism, discrimination

Pray That You Have Insurance

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:52:44 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

Clip Source: www.chicagotribune.com

WASHINGTON -- I am sitting here, filled with a disbelief so profound about those of my fellow citizens who don't seem to believe that we are in the grasp of horrendous health-care and insurance problems that I could scream, were not so many others screaming!

Two years ago, out of nowhere, I came down with tongue cancer,

Everything was going quite well until, a year ago, my insurance company canceled me. It had obviously stayed up nights searching out a reason to rid itself of this tiresome journalist, and it found I was actually an independent contractor and not a regular employee.

But thank God there was Medicare.

Now I have to say that Medicare has been extremely efficient.

I sit here wondering whether those who are so perfervidly against government-run alternative health insurance care at all about those of us whom the private health-care system has treated with such errant and selfish shabbiness. Who knows? Maybe next time it will be one of them.

Tags: health-insurance, healthcare, health-care

Firm cancels health insurance after girl gets celiac disease

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 01:32:51 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

Clip Source: www.chicagotribune.com

When 17-year-old Brianna Rice was diagnosed with celiac disease in February, she had health insurance.

She doesn't now.

In the months that followed her diagnosis, her insurance company, American Community Mutual Insurance, combed through her medical records and ruled that her parents lied on her application last year.

In May, American Community not only canceled her policy, but also rescinded coverage all the way back to the day it started -- Nov. 1.

Her parents, Dale and Pat Rice of Deerfield, insist they were truthful on Brianna's application and say the insurance company is trying to back out of covering their daughter because of the February diagnosis.

The family's situation shows just how quickly health insurance problems can lead to financial ruin. With their daughter's unpaid medical bills exceeding $20,000 and mounting, the Rices fear losing their home. Pat Rice said she cashed in some of her retirement account to pay bills.

Tags: health-insurance, american community mutual insurance, corporate-malfeasance, healthcare, health-care

US Govt' National Debt under the different administrations

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:38:33 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

Clip Source: yglesias.thinkprogress.org

Tags: conservatives, hypocrisy, republicans

I Chronciles 13: 7-9 - The Death of Uzza

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 04:43:52 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

Clip Source: www.mechon-mamre.org

7 And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, [and brought it] out of the house of Abinadab; and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart. 8 And David and all Israel played before God with all their might; even with songs, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. 9 And when they came unto the threshing-floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark; for the oxen stumbled. 10 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and He smote him, because he put forth his hand to the ark; and there he died before God. 11 And David was displeased, because the LORD had broken forth upon Uzza; and that place was called Perez-uzza unto this day.

Tags: religion, bible, judaism, kethuvim, chronicles

How dangerous is cheerleading? No one knows.

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:31:39 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

Clip Source: online.wsj.com

Cheerleading accounts for 65% of all female catastrophic injuries in high school and college, according to the University of North Carolina's National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research. The Consumer Product Safety Commission says the number of injuries from cheerleading accidents has more than quadrupled in 25 years. Another report put the number of cheerleader emergency room visits in 2007 at 26,786.

Risk-assessment experts say it's hard to get a handle on the perils of cheerleading. For one thing, nobody knows how many cheerleaders there are. Estimates say there are about 400,000 public high school cheerleaders, but the NCAA doesn't track participation (it's not considered a sport) and the number of cheerleaders on private teams isn't known.

Tags: teaching-statistics, statistics-teaching, denominator, percentages, social problem, social-problems

The American Ruling Class, 2008

Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:35:38 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

Clip Source: www.washingtonmonthly.com

WHICH GUY HAS 'NO CLUE'?.... Matt Latimer, a former Bush speechwriter, has a new book coming out, featuring some provocative behind-the-scenes insights from the confused and mismanaged White House. The published excerpts are already causing a bit of a stir.

Later, Bush rehearsed an address he was going to deliver the country, and was annoyed that his speechwriters hadn't included language about the government plan to "buy low and sell high." Aides tried to explain to the president that he misunderstood his own plan. At that point, Latimer said, "the president was momentarily speechless. He threw up his hands in frustration."

Bush asked his staff, "Why did I sign on to this proposal if I don't understand what it does?"

Tags: bush administration, incompetence

Americans lost ground under Bush

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:46:35 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks: Ronald Brownstein on latest Census Bureau report about poverty and health insurance.

Clip Source: politics.theatlantic.com

Thursday's annual Census Bureau report on income, poverty and access to health care-the Bureau's principal report card on the well-being of average Americans-closes the books on the economic record of George W. Bush.

On every major measurement, the Census Bureau report shows that the country lost ground during Bush's two terms. While Bush was in office, the median household income declined, poverty increased, childhood poverty increased even more, and the number of Americans without health insurance spiked. By contrast, the country's condition improved on each of those measures during Bill Clinton's two terms, often substantially.

Tags: bush administration, health-care, healthcare, health-insurance, poverty, income, well-being

Fears of an Islamic Europe

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:13:22 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

Clip Source: twitter.com

Honestly the people who fear Europe is going to be "Islamized" are stupid. Europe cannot even be Christianized. Just ask the Pope.

Tags: islam, europe, immigration, xenophobia

Sarah Palin's death panel wish

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:06:43 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

Clip Source: alaskadispatch.com

OPINION: Sarah Palin, the very same one who declared April 16, 2008 "Health Decisions Day" in Alaska to encourage more citizens to talk to their health care providers about "advanced directives," is at it again with the death panels.

Tags: sarah palin, hypocrisy, healthcare, health-care

Why Doesn't Capitalism Flow to Poor Countries?

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:55:48 GMT

clipped by: jklugman

Clip Source: muse.jhu.edu

Rafael Di Tella

Robert MacCulloch

Brookings Papers on Economic Activity - 2009, Number 1, pp. 285-321

We show that capitalism is far from common around the world. Outside a small group of rich countries, heavy regulation of business, leftist rhetoric, and interventionist beliefs flourish. We relate these phenomena to the presence of corruption, with causality running in both directions. The paper presents evidence that, within a country, those who perceive widespread corruption also tend to demand more regulation. As regulation is held constant within a country, this finding is hard to explain if one assumes that causality runs only from regulation to corruption. We also find that over time, increases in corruption in a country precede increases in left-wing voting.

Tags: development, capitalism, free-market

Do Tax Cuts Starve the Beast? No.

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:52:31 GMT

clipped by: jklugman
clipper's remarks:

indeed, the point estimates suggest that tax cuts increase spending. The results also indicate that the main effect of tax cuts on the government budget is to induce subsequent legislated tax increases. Examination of four episodes of major tax cuts reinforces these conclusions.

Clip Source: muse.jhu.edu

Christina D. Romer

David H. Romer

Brookings Papers on Economic Activity - 2009, Number 1, pp. 139-200

The hypothesis that decreases in taxes reduce future government spending is often cited as a reason for cutting taxes.

this paper examines the behavior of government expenditure following legislated tax changes that narrative sources suggest are largely uncorrelated with other factors affecting spending. The results provide no support for the hypothesis that tax cuts restrain government spending; indeed, the point estimates suggest that tax cuts increase spending. The results also indicate that the main effect of tax cuts on the government budget is to induce subsequent legislated tax increases. Examination of four episodes of major tax cuts reinforces these conclusions.

Tags: taxes, taxation