Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Obama Blames Conservative Media’s ‘Misinformation’ for Close Presidential Election | TheBlaze.com
Obama Blames Conservative Media’s ‘Misinformation’ for Close Presidential Election | TheBlaze.com:
"President Barack Obama says the campaign between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump wouldn’t even be close were it not for conservative media espousing “misinformation.”
Obama made the comment during a Democratic fundraiser attended by about 65 donors in New York City "
Obama made the comment during a Democratic fundraiser attended by about 65 donors in New York City "
To fight soda tax suit, Philadelphia budgets $1.6 million for lawyers
To fight soda tax suit, Philadelphia budgets $1.6 million for lawyers | City & State PA: "Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration has budgeted $1.6 million to fend off a legal challenge from the beverage industry to the city’s recently approved soda tax. Prominent lawyers Mark Aronchick and Ken Trujillo, both former city solicitors, were selected this week to represent the city in its defense.
“The contracts still aren’t final, but they’ve agreed on a rate,” said Kenney spokesperson Lauren Hitt, in an email.
“There is an $800,000 cap for both firms.
...Meanwhile, anti-tax opponents are grumbling that the selection of the two men constitutes a “no-bid” contract, and are alleging political influence is at play – even though no one would put their name next to the allegation.
...While acknowledging that the contract was not competitively bid out – professional services are exempt under city charter – the Kenney administration rebuffed questions about the lawyers’ selection..."
More than 800 immigrants mistakenly granted citizenship
More than 800 immigrants mistakenly granted citizenship:
"WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has mistakenly granted citizenship to at least 858 immigrants from countries of concern to national security or with high rates of immigration fraud who had pending deportation orders, according to an internal Homeland Security audit released Monday.
The Homeland Security Department's inspector general found that the immigrants used different names or birthdates to apply for citizenship with U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services and such discrepancies weren't caught because their fingerprints were missing from government databases.
...In an emailed statement, the Department of Homeland Security said the findings reflect what has long been a problem for immigration officials — old paper-based records containing fingerprint information that can't be searched electronically.
DHS says immigration officials are in the process of uploading these files and that officials will review "every file" identified as a case of possible fraud.
Roth's report said fingerprints are missing from federal databases for as many as 315,000 immigrants with final deportation orders or who are fugitive criminals.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not reviewed about 148,000 of those immigrants' files to add fingerprints to the digital record..."
"WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. government has mistakenly granted citizenship to at least 858 immigrants from countries of concern to national security or with high rates of immigration fraud who had pending deportation orders, according to an internal Homeland Security audit released Monday.
The Homeland Security Department's inspector general found that the immigrants used different names or birthdates to apply for citizenship with U.S.
Citizenship and Immigration Services and such discrepancies weren't caught because their fingerprints were missing from government databases.
...In an emailed statement, the Department of Homeland Security said the findings reflect what has long been a problem for immigration officials — old paper-based records containing fingerprint information that can't be searched electronically.DHS says immigration officials are in the process of uploading these files and that officials will review "every file" identified as a case of possible fraud.
Roth's report said fingerprints are missing from federal databases for as many as 315,000 immigrants with final deportation orders or who are fugitive criminals.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has not reviewed about 148,000 of those immigrants' files to add fingerprints to the digital record..."
Grim news from a French poll: One in four Muslims there is in "revolt" against secular laws
Grim news from a French poll: One in four Muslims there is in "revolt" against secular laws - Zip Dialog:
"There is some positive news in the survey.
"There is some positive news in the survey.
It shows that most Muslims accept restrictions on the public expression of religion, something France adopted in the nineteenth century to limit the power of the Catholic Church.
They call it “laïcité” and it is a central feature of the French constitution, which proclaims France to be a secular republic (Article 1).
Comment: The university-sponsored poll shows France’s policies of immigration and multicultural integration have failed, and failed dramatically.
That’s not just a problem in France.
This failure is a serious social problem in its own right, but it becomes far more serious when it is combined with the appeal of Islamic terrorism.
It reverberates across Europe...
Why do so many French Muslims reject secular laws?
The conventional sociological explanation is that they are marginalized and often poor.
That’s surely part of the answer.
But so is another issue that is rarely discussed in polite society.
The Muslim world never went through the long, painful process of limiting religious institutions’ control over the state.
In the Christian West, that process began in the 11th century, with the Investiture Controversy between Pope Gregory VII and Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV.
It continued for centuries and gradually became a common feature of all constitutional governments in the West...
In the Islamic world, by contrast, religious authorities dominated the state from the Prophet onward. There is no textual warrant for their separation or for the dominate role of man-made law (what we in the West call “positive law.”)
That’s the whole point of ISIS saying it will restore the Caliphate, in which religious rulers dominate society and all law is Sharia..."
Suspected Bomber Charged With Five Counts of ‘Attempted Murder of a Law Enforcement Officer’ | TheBlaze.com
"Suspected New York, New Jersey bomber Ahmad Khan Rahami was charged Monday with five counts of “attempted murder of a law enforcement officer,” according to a statement from the Union County, New Jersey Prosecutor’s office."
Should Michigan Cities Be Allowed to Ban Pit Bulls?
Should Michigan Cities Be Allowed to Ban Pit Bulls? [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"The Legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit local governments from banning people from owning pit bulls.
Senate Bill 239, sponsored by Sen. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc Township, has passed the Senate and is being considered in the House.
According to the Detroit Free Press, 26 towns have enacted ordinances that restrict pit bulls and 14 outright ban them and other dog breeds.
It’s true that pit bulls harm more people than any other type of dog.
According to one report, they have killed a total of 233 people since 1982.
That makes them about 40 percent more likely to kill than Rottweilers — though, when the number of deaths is adjusted to reflect the number of each breed, huskies are actually far more dangerous.
Other studies have a slightly higher estimate, with approximately 19 people per year dying because of dogs.
But the question is whether pit bulls are dangerous enough that governments should ban them.
While the breed often makes the news, the number of injuries and deaths they cause is still very small.
Evidence suggests that pit bulls are not more inherently dangerous than some other types of dogs.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the federal Centers for Disease Control are both opposed to breed-specific legislation because studies show them to be ineffective and harmful.
Other research suggests that while pit bulls are aggressive, other breeds are even more hostile.
In other words, pit bulls are only more dangerous because they are bred that way by their owners, meaning local bans just encourage people to train other types of dogs to be violent.
Many cities have ordinances that restrict residents from having any dog that is dangerous or out of their control.
This policy is much better than a specific ban on pit bulls or other breeds."
"The Legislature is considering a bill that would prohibit local governments from banning people from owning pit bulls.
Senate Bill 239, sponsored by Sen. Dave Robertson, R-Grand Blanc Township, has passed the Senate and is being considered in the House.According to the Detroit Free Press, 26 towns have enacted ordinances that restrict pit bulls and 14 outright ban them and other dog breeds.
It’s true that pit bulls harm more people than any other type of dog.
According to one report, they have killed a total of 233 people since 1982.
That makes them about 40 percent more likely to kill than Rottweilers — though, when the number of deaths is adjusted to reflect the number of each breed, huskies are actually far more dangerous.
Other studies have a slightly higher estimate, with approximately 19 people per year dying because of dogs.
But the question is whether pit bulls are dangerous enough that governments should ban them.
While the breed often makes the news, the number of injuries and deaths they cause is still very small.
Evidence suggests that pit bulls are not more inherently dangerous than some other types of dogs.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the federal Centers for Disease Control are both opposed to breed-specific legislation because studies show them to be ineffective and harmful.
Other research suggests that while pit bulls are aggressive, other breeds are even more hostile.
In other words, pit bulls are only more dangerous because they are bred that way by their owners, meaning local bans just encourage people to train other types of dogs to be violent.
Many cities have ordinances that restrict residents from having any dog that is dangerous or out of their control.
This policy is much better than a specific ban on pit bulls or other breeds."
History for September 20
History for September 20 - On-This-Day.com
Upton Sinclair 1878, Dr. Joyce Brothers 1928, Anne Meara 1929 - Actress, comdian
Sophia Loren 1934 - Actress, Gary Cole 1957 - Actor, Crispin Glover 1964
1881 - Chester A. Arthur became the 21st president of the U.S. President James A. Garfield had died the day before.
1953 - Jimmy Stewart debuted on the radio western "The Six Shooter" on NBC.
1955 - "You'll Never Be Rich" premiered on CBS-TV. The name was changed less than two months later to "The Phil Silvers Show."
1962 - James Meredith, a black student, was blocked from enrolling at the University of Mississippi by Governor Ross R. Barnett. Meredith was later admitted.
1967 - The ocean liner Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) was launched. It went out of service on November 27, 2008.
1984 - "The Cosby Show" premiered on NBC-TV.
1992 - French voters approved the Maastricht Treaty.
Monday, September 19, 2016
VA hospital may have infected 1,800 veterans with HIV - CNN.com
"(CNN) -- A Missouri VA hospital is under fire because it may have exposed more than 1,800 veterans to life-threatening diseases such as hepatitis and HIV."
The History of U.S. Government Spending, Revenue, and Debt (1790-2015)
The History of U.S. Government Spending, Revenue, and Debt (1790-2015) - Metrocosm:
"Through most of its history, the federal government did not have the power to tax incomes.
How was it funded before the income tax?
Today’s national debt is big by historical standards, but it has been bigger.
When was the country’s deepest debt, and how long did it take to pay back?
From the time it was founded until relatively recently, the U.S. government consistently spent about 3% of GDP each year.
Today, the government spends roughly 20% of GDP per year. Where is all that extra money going?
A look through the history of U.S. government finances reveals some surprising facts.
Scroll down to see how U.S. taxes, spending, and debt have evolved from 1790 to today."
Much more at link!
"Through most of its history, the federal government did not have the power to tax incomes.
How was it funded before the income tax?
Today’s national debt is big by historical standards, but it has been bigger.When was the country’s deepest debt, and how long did it take to pay back?
From the time it was founded until relatively recently, the U.S. government consistently spent about 3% of GDP each year.
Today, the government spends roughly 20% of GDP per year. Where is all that extra money going?
A look through the history of U.S. government finances reveals some surprising facts.
Scroll down to see how U.S. taxes, spending, and debt have evolved from 1790 to today."
Much more at link!
A Candidate's Death Could Delay or Eliminate the Presidential Election
A Candidate's Death Could Delay or Eliminate the Presidential Election | US News:
"The presidential election could be delayed or scrapped altogether if conspiracy theories become predictive and a candidate dies or drops out before Nov. 8.
The perhaps equally startling alternative, if there's enough time: Small groups of people hand-picking a replacement pursuant to obscure party rules.
The scenarios have been seriously considered by few outside of the legal community and likely are too morbid for polite discussion in politically mixed company.
But prominent law professors have pondered the effects and possible ways to address a late-date vacancy.
"There's nothing in the Constitution which requires a popular election for the electors serving in the Electoral College," says John Nagle, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, meaning the body that officially elects presidents could convene without the general public voting.
"It's up to each state legislature to decide how they want to choose the state's electors," Nagle says.
"It may be a situation in which the fact that we have an Electoral College, rather than direct voting for presidential candidates, may prove to be helpful."
Both major parties do have rules for presidential ticket replacements, however, and Congress has the power to change the election date under Article II of the Constitution, which allows federal lawmakers to set dates for the selection of presidential electors and when those electors will vote.
But Congress would be up against a de facto December deadline, as the Constitution's 20th Amendment requires that congressional terms expire Jan. 3 and presidential terms on Jan. 20. Though it's conceivable to split legislative and presidential elections, they generally happen at the same time. And if the entire general election were to be moved after Jan. 3, Congress effectively would have voted themselves out of office.
Yale Law School professor Akhil Reed Amar considers in a 1994 article in the Arkansas Law Review the possibility of a special presidential election being pushed to after Jan. 20, with the speaker of the House serving as acting president until an election could pick "a real president for the remainder of the term."
...Amar recommends an up to four-week postponement of Election Day if a candidate dies just before voting, or even if there's a major terrorist attack.
The possible last-minute replacement of a candidate attracts some cyclical coverage, but this year the scenario would play out after consistent conjecture about the health of Democrat Hillary Clinton and possible hidden agenda of Republican Donald Trump..."
Lots of options and confusion here.
Read on!
"The presidential election could be delayed or scrapped altogether if conspiracy theories become predictive and a candidate dies or drops out before Nov. 8.
The perhaps equally startling alternative, if there's enough time: Small groups of people hand-picking a replacement pursuant to obscure party rules.
The scenarios have been seriously considered by few outside of the legal community and likely are too morbid for polite discussion in politically mixed company.
But prominent law professors have pondered the effects and possible ways to address a late-date vacancy.
"There's nothing in the Constitution which requires a popular election for the electors serving in the Electoral College," says John Nagle, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame, meaning the body that officially elects presidents could convene without the general public voting.
"It's up to each state legislature to decide how they want to choose the state's electors," Nagle says.
Both major parties do have rules for presidential ticket replacements, however, and Congress has the power to change the election date under Article II of the Constitution, which allows federal lawmakers to set dates for the selection of presidential electors and when those electors will vote.
But Congress would be up against a de facto December deadline, as the Constitution's 20th Amendment requires that congressional terms expire Jan. 3 and presidential terms on Jan. 20. Though it's conceivable to split legislative and presidential elections, they generally happen at the same time. And if the entire general election were to be moved after Jan. 3, Congress effectively would have voted themselves out of office.
Yale Law School professor Akhil Reed Amar considers in a 1994 article in the Arkansas Law Review the possibility of a special presidential election being pushed to after Jan. 20, with the speaker of the House serving as acting president until an election could pick "a real president for the remainder of the term."
...Amar recommends an up to four-week postponement of Election Day if a candidate dies just before voting, or even if there's a major terrorist attack.
The possible last-minute replacement of a candidate attracts some cyclical coverage, but this year the scenario would play out after consistent conjecture about the health of Democrat Hillary Clinton and possible hidden agenda of Republican Donald Trump..."
Lots of options and confusion here.
Read on!
The liberal establishment’s Clinton obsession is blowing up in its face | New York Post
The liberal establishment’s Clinton obsession is blowing up in its face | New York Post:
"Hey, Democrats, where were you? Hey liberals, where were you? The potential train wreck that is the Hillary Clinton candidacy didn’t just become evident last week when ill-chosen words about 25 million “deplorables” and a public near-collapse tanked her polls to make this a tied presidential race.
No, Democrats and liberals, the possibility of Hillary crashing and burning was there from the outset of her candidacy. And yet you stood there and let it happen."
No, Democrats and liberals, the possibility of Hillary crashing and burning was there from the outset of her candidacy. And yet you stood there and let it happen."
DTE CEO's concern: Energy reserve margin
DTE CEO's concern: Energy reserve margin - Crain's Detroit Business"Gerry Anderson believes Michigan's electric industry is at the start of a fundamental shift in the way power is produced and delivered.
Anderson, chairman and CEO of Detroit-based DTE Energy Co., and other Michigan utility executives are warning policymakers of an approaching problem:
...He referred to a recent projection by the Midwest's grid operator, called the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, or MISO, that predicts the region's electricity reserves could fall short of a recommended 15 percent by 2018 and continue sliding through 2026.
Yet MISO's projection does not include plans for any new power plants.
...Anderson's point, though, is that it takes utilities at least four years — if not longer — to plan for a new power plant..."
Math is hard-----Muskegon revives street light assessment idea, this time for LED fixtures
Muskegon revives street light assessment idea, this time for LED fixtures | MLive.com:
OK.
City experts promise $355,000/yr savings with new lights.
Also promised cost of conversion to new lights is $2.73 million.
Let's see $2.73 million/$355 thousand=7.69 year payoff.
Why is an assessment needed?
The promised savings pay the entire bill in 8 or so years!
Something stinks in city hall.
Again!
************************************************************************
"...The city currently pays about $585,000 per year for its approximately 2,900 high pressure sodium vapor lights, according to city figures.
That cost would drop to about $230,000 with a two-year phase-in of LED fixtures, or $243,000 with a five-year phase-in.
Savings over 15 years are estimated at between $5.1 million and $5.9 million depending on a 2-year or 5-year phase in.
City staff is suggesting an $18 assessment for 10 years for each property owner in the city.
...The $18 assessment would raise an estimated $272,985 per year, according to city estimates.
The cost of converting to LED lights is estimated at $2.73 million.
Last October, a divided commission, on a 3-3 vote, rejected a $26-per year assessment to offset sodium vapor lighting costs.
This year's plan is more proactive and aimed at a long-term reduction in the city's costs, most commissioners agreed..."
OK.
City experts promise $355,000/yr savings with new lights.
Also promised cost of conversion to new lights is $2.73 million.
Let's see $2.73 million/$355 thousand=7.69 year payoff.
Why is an assessment needed?
The promised savings pay the entire bill in 8 or so years!
Something stinks in city hall.
Again!
************************************************************************
"...The city currently pays about $585,000 per year for its approximately 2,900 high pressure sodium vapor lights, according to city figures.That cost would drop to about $230,000 with a two-year phase-in of LED fixtures, or $243,000 with a five-year phase-in.
Savings over 15 years are estimated at between $5.1 million and $5.9 million depending on a 2-year or 5-year phase in.
City staff is suggesting an $18 assessment for 10 years for each property owner in the city.
...The $18 assessment would raise an estimated $272,985 per year, according to city estimates.
The cost of converting to LED lights is estimated at $2.73 million.
Last October, a divided commission, on a 3-3 vote, rejected a $26-per year assessment to offset sodium vapor lighting costs.
This year's plan is more proactive and aimed at a long-term reduction in the city's costs, most commissioners agreed..."
Dallas cop files lawsuit against Black Lives Matter, Obama | Fox News
Dallas cop files lawsuit against Black Lives Matter, Obama | Fox News:
"A Dallas Police sergeant filed a lawsuit on Friday against Black Lives Matter and its supporters, alleging the group is inciting a race war.
Sgt. Demetrick Pennie, a 17-year veteran of the force, is seeking between $500 million and $1.5 billion in the complaint filed in federal court, the Dallas Morning News reported.
The defendants in the class-action suit include Black Lives Matter; President Obama; Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton; the Rev. Al Sharpton; Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and billionaire activist George Soros."
"A Dallas Police sergeant filed a lawsuit on Friday against Black Lives Matter and its supporters, alleging the group is inciting a race war.
Sgt. Demetrick Pennie, a 17-year veteran of the force, is seeking between $500 million and $1.5 billion in the complaint filed in federal court, the Dallas Morning News reported.
The defendants in the class-action suit include Black Lives Matter; President Obama; Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton; the Rev. Al Sharpton; Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan and billionaire activist George Soros."
NYC Kills Public Internet Kiosks Because Public Uses Them for Porn
NYC Kills Public Internet Kiosks Because Public Uses Them for Porn | PJ Media:
"New York City thought it was stepping into the 21st century when it launched its public internet kiosks.
They envisioned yet another "free" public service being used for good and noble purposes. After all, the internet makes so many amazing things possible, right?
"New York City thought it was stepping into the 21st century when it launched its public internet kiosks.
They envisioned yet another "free" public service being used for good and noble purposes. After all, the internet makes so many amazing things possible, right?
Unfortunately, the folks of NYC forgot that the public -- who were taxed to pay for the "free" internet -- is made up of people.
They used the internet for their own purposes, and those purposes weren't what the city envisioned:
They used the internet for their own purposes, and those purposes weren't what the city envisioned:Eight months after the appearance of the first LinkNYC hubs, which are -- or were -- internet kiosks meant to help bring the Big Apple into the 21st Century, the city has taken a step back.Some of these kiosks were not used to “save data on their mobile plans, call relatives across the country, and get a much-needed quick charge” as they were originally intended. Instead, they were used to watch pornography.
And this is shocking ... how?
Point me to any Democratic Party, taxpayer-funded project for "community enhancement," I'll point you to the new local hotspot for pervs or addicts.
Brand new park by the river?
Brand new site for drug addicts and dealers.
Brand new site for drug addicts and dealers.
Shiny new public restrooms on Sunday?
Filthy "communal prostitution center" by Saturday.
Filthy "communal prostitution center" by Saturday.
With the kiosks, the official blame from New York City was directed at homeless people, who were unable to watch porn at home for obvious reasons:
Per an announcement from the LinkNYC team, “We … know that some users have been monopolizing the Link tablets and using them inappropriately, preventing others from being able to use them while frustrating the residents and businesses around them. The kiosks were never intended for anyone’s extended, personal use and we want to ensure that Links are accessible and a welcome addition to New York City neighborhoods.” Which, as it turns out, they were not, particularly along Manhattan’s 8th Avenue, where abuse of the kiosks was particularly rampant.
The decision was released shortly after Motherboard published its own report examining the prevalence of homeless men stationing themselves in front of the LinkNYC hubs to use the internet. Evidently, the hubs have also become hotspots for public drinking and drug use— the opposite of the hubs’ original intention to “improve the quality of life.”
You'd think New York City -- er, Democrats -- would understand by now that this was a real likelihood.
How a pension deal went wrong and cost California taxpayers billions - Los Angeles Times
How a pension deal went wrong and cost California taxpayers billions - Los Angeles Times:
"It was a deal that wasn’t supposed to cost taxpayers an extra dime.
Now the state’s annual tab is in the billions, and the cost keeps climbing.
With the stroke of a pen, California Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation that gave prison guards, park rangers, Cal State professors and other state employees the kind of retirement security normally reserved for the wealthy.
More than 200,000 civil servants became eligible to retire at 55 — and in many cases collect more than half their highest salary for life.
California Highway Patrol officers could retire at 50 and receive as much as 90% of their peak pay for as long as they lived.
Proponents sold the measure in 1999 with the promise that it would impose no new costs on California taxpayers.
The state employees’ pension fund, they said, would grow fast enough to pay the bill in full.
They were off — by billions of dollars — and taxpayers will bear the consequences for decades to come.
This year, state employee pensions will cost taxpayers $5.4 billion, according to the Department of Finance.
That’s more than the state will spend on environmental protection, fighting wildfires and the emergency response to the drought combined.
And it’s more than 30 times what the state paid for retirement benefits in 2000, before the effects of the new pension law, SB 400, had kicked in, according to data from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System..."
"It was a deal that wasn’t supposed to cost taxpayers an extra dime.
Now the state’s annual tab is in the billions, and the cost keeps climbing.
With the stroke of a pen, California Gov. Gray Davis signed legislation that gave prison guards, park rangers, Cal State professors and other state employees the kind of retirement security normally reserved for the wealthy.
More than 200,000 civil servants became eligible to retire at 55 — and in many cases collect more than half their highest salary for life.
California Highway Patrol officers could retire at 50 and receive as much as 90% of their peak pay for as long as they lived.Proponents sold the measure in 1999 with the promise that it would impose no new costs on California taxpayers.
The state employees’ pension fund, they said, would grow fast enough to pay the bill in full.
They were off — by billions of dollars — and taxpayers will bear the consequences for decades to come.
This year, state employee pensions will cost taxpayers $5.4 billion, according to the Department of Finance.
That’s more than the state will spend on environmental protection, fighting wildfires and the emergency response to the drought combined.
And it’s more than 30 times what the state paid for retirement benefits in 2000, before the effects of the new pension law, SB 400, had kicked in, according to data from the California Public Employees’ Retirement System..."
Why Are Haiti's Coffee Trees So Tall?
Why Are Haiti's Coffee Trees So Tall? - Reason.com:
"...In Haiti, coffee grows on trees.
Well, technically all coffee grows on trees.
The brown beans that go into making your morning cup are actually the dried and roasted seeds of a small red fruit from a tropical tree.
But on the better-managed coffee farms found in much of Central and South America, the plants are rarely allowed to grow much taller than a man.
This channels the nutrients and energy that plants gather from the sun and soil toward producing beans, which make money, instead of wasting resources sprouting too many woody trunks and branches.
As most coffee is harvested by hand, keeping trees short also means that pickers can easily reach the fruits.
In Haiti, however, it's not out of the ordinary to find 20-foot-tall coffee plants.
...In fact, it is a sign of how long the country has been in crisis: Coffee is known as one of the best cash crops for a tropical farmer, especially one with a small plot of land who has few resources beyond hand tools, organic fertilizers, and sweat.
The majority of Haitians are farmers, and for the foreseeable future agriculture will remain the default economic backbone for the roughly six million people who live in rural districts.
Yet Haitian farmers put almost no energy into tending the small coffee groves that their fathers planted.
The average yield in Haiti is now just a third of the Central American average..."
"...In Haiti, coffee grows on trees.
Well, technically all coffee grows on trees.
The brown beans that go into making your morning cup are actually the dried and roasted seeds of a small red fruit from a tropical tree.
But on the better-managed coffee farms found in much of Central and South America, the plants are rarely allowed to grow much taller than a man.
As most coffee is harvested by hand, keeping trees short also means that pickers can easily reach the fruits.
In Haiti, however, it's not out of the ordinary to find 20-foot-tall coffee plants.
...In fact, it is a sign of how long the country has been in crisis: Coffee is known as one of the best cash crops for a tropical farmer, especially one with a small plot of land who has few resources beyond hand tools, organic fertilizers, and sweat.
The majority of Haitians are farmers, and for the foreseeable future agriculture will remain the default economic backbone for the roughly six million people who live in rural districts.
Yet Haitian farmers put almost no energy into tending the small coffee groves that their fathers planted.
The average yield in Haiti is now just a third of the Central American average..."
Killing of disabled girl “wholly inappropriate” and “extremely troubling” says Autism group – Daily Records
Killing of disabled girl “wholly inappropriate” and “extremely troubling” says Autism group – Daily Records:
"The euthanasia of Nancy Fitzmaurice, a severely disabled child who was not dying, has made international waves with disability advocates especially outraged. Nancy’s mother had requested that her daughter be killed and was granted approval by the British legal system. While the 12-year-old Nancy had significant disabilities, she was able to breathe on her own and did not require life support.
Following the starving of Nancy through the withholding of fluids, the Autism Self Advocacy Network [ASAN] has released a statement slamming this decision, calling it “troubling” and “concerning”.
They said that:"
"The euthanasia of Nancy Fitzmaurice, a severely disabled child who was not dying, has made international waves with disability advocates especially outraged. Nancy’s mother had requested that her daughter be killed and was granted approval by the British legal system. While the 12-year-old Nancy had significant disabilities, she was able to breathe on her own and did not require life support.
Following the starving of Nancy through the withholding of fluids, the Autism Self Advocacy Network [ASAN] has released a statement slamming this decision, calling it “troubling” and “concerning”.
They said that:"
France Bans All Plastic Dishware Starting in 2020
France Bans All Plastic Dishware Starting in 2020:
"The Associated Press reports that France has enacted a ban on all plastic dishes, cups, and utensils. The ban goes into effect in 2020, after which all disposable utensils and dishes must be made of biological, rather than petroleum-based, material.
Organizations representing packaging manufacturers are fighting the ban, saying that it violates European Union commerce rules.
The ban follows a similar French ban on plastic bags.
Moves against disposable plastic good have slowly gained momentum on the back of environmental concerns.
...Another possible wrinkle for the law is that it mandates disposables must be compostable at home.
But many currently available plant-based goods only claim that they are compostable in industrial facilities, which generally reach higher temperatures than home composters..."
"The Associated Press reports that France has enacted a ban on all plastic dishes, cups, and utensils. The ban goes into effect in 2020, after which all disposable utensils and dishes must be made of biological, rather than petroleum-based, material.
Organizations representing packaging manufacturers are fighting the ban, saying that it violates European Union commerce rules.The ban follows a similar French ban on plastic bags.
Moves against disposable plastic good have slowly gained momentum on the back of environmental concerns.
...Another possible wrinkle for the law is that it mandates disposables must be compostable at home.
But many currently available plant-based goods only claim that they are compostable in industrial facilities, which generally reach higher temperatures than home composters..."
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