Illegal Immigration and US Economic Growth

Today, 10.2 million undocumented immigrants are living and working in communities across the United States.1 On average, they have lived in this country for 16 years and are parents, grandparents, and siblings to another 10.2 million family members.2 At the same time, it has been nearly 40 years since Congress has meaningfully reformed the U.S. immigration system, leaving a generation of individuals and their families vulnerable. 

Poll after poll has illustrated that the vast majority of Americans support putting undocumented immigrants on a pathway to citizenship. And as the nation emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic and looks toward the future, legalization is a key component of a just, equitable, and robust recovery.3

To download descriptions and the modeled impacts associated with four scenarios that would put undocumented immigrants on a pathway to legalization and citizenship, see the links below:

Scenario 1: All undocumented immigrants
Scenario 2: Undocumented immigrants working in essential roles
Scenario 3: Undocumented immigrants eligible for the American Dream and Promise Act
Scenario 4: Undocumented immigrants who are either essential workers or eligible for the American Dream and Promise Act

As the Biden administration and Congress craft their recovery legislation and consider how best to move the nation’s policies toward a more fair, humane, and workable immigration system, the Center for American Progress and the University of California, Davis’s Global Migration Center modeled the economic impacts of several proposals that are currently before Congress. 

Using an aggregate macro-growth simulation, the model illustrates the benefits to the whole nation from putting undocumented immigrants on a pathway to citizenship. Such legislation would increase productivity and wages—not just for those eligible for legalization, but for all American workers—create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and increase tax revenue.4

To help inform policymakers and advocates, this report looks at four potential scenarios where Congress grants a pathway to citizenship to: all undocumented immigrants; undocumented immigrants working in essential occupations; Dreamers and those eligible for Temporary Protected Status (TPS); and a combination of Dreamers, those eligible for TPS, and essential workers.5         READ MORE...

The SILENT MAJORITY are the Ones Who Get Hurt Financially

FORBES - HOW TO FIX INFLATION

1. One of the main tools The Fed uses to fix inflation is raising interest rates. This is an example of monetary policy.
2. The government can introduce fiscal policies to reduce inflation by increasing taxes or cutting spending.
3. The Fed has to be careful about raising interest rates because slowing down the economy can lead to hardship for many people.

The market had its worst day since June 2020 yesterday due to a bad inflation report. Prices all around us are increasing. And as frustrating as it is to hear about it so much, the reality of inflation is that we’re going to keep hearing about it and having to deal with it for some time to come.

Many experts have started to suggest a number of different ways to fix inflation. This leads us to one very important question, how? How do we battle inflation?

CAUSES OF INFLATION 2020-2022

• Government Stimulus Spending
• Increased Jobs and Increased Wages
• Demand outstripping Supply
• Deficit Financing of Government Spending
• Population Growth and Hoarding Supplies
• Supply Chain Issues Influencing Circulation

So...  here we are...  deeply involved  in an inflationary period of increased prices and a reduction of goods and services...

At this point in time, it is pointless to point the finger...  as there is plenty of blame to go around...  the issue that we currently face is, how in the hell do we get out of this inflationary period?

The answer is:

• We need to reduce consumption...
• We need to reduce spending...
• Government spending 
• Consumer spending
• We need to reduce the supply of money...
• Increase interest rates...
• Increase taxes...

To blame the Democrats or the Republicans is a waste of time...  Politics points the finger of blame for the sole purpose of winning elections...  this problem has gone beyond elections...  it has seeped into our future and how a majority of us are going to survive...

What we need to understand is that 20% of our population have enough money saved or in income to survive through any type of inflation without hardly ever noticing...

BUT, 80% of the population are the ones who get hurt financially...  It is this 80% that is responsible for electing our leaders.  We are easily influenced and we need to join together and stop this shit from happening again.  

We need to find a way to save ourselves!!!!

What's Wrong With Illegal Immigration?

The Costs of Illegal Immigration
By draining public funds, creating unfair competition for jobs with America’s least prepared workers and thereby lowering wages and working conditions, and by imposing unwanted strains on services designed to provide assistance to Americans, illegal immigration causes harm to Americans and legal residents.
Illegal Aliens’ Numbers are Large and Growing

FAIR estimates there are between 10-12 million illegal aliens residing in the country in 2005. According to the Census Bureau, there were an estimated 8.7 million illegal aliens living in the United States in 2000. According to the Migration Policy Institute, roughly 500,000 illegal aliens are added to that population every year. The immigration authorities also estimate that there are over one million temporary illegal aliens, such as seasonal workers, here at any given time. The population of illegal aliens would be higher, but in 1986 our government gave amnesty to nearly three million illegal aliens, allowing them to become legal members of our society, and we have allowed additional millions to gain amnesty through other loopholes.

Illegal Immigration Undermines Legal Immigration.
There is a list of several million eligible people waiting to be legally admitted as immigrants to our country; some of them have been on that list for many years waiting for one of the numerically limited visas to become available. Illegal immigration makes a mockery of those people’s adherence to the rules and of our country’s sovereignty.

Illegal immigration harms the American workforce
According to a study in 1996 of the costs of illegal immigration by Rice Univ. economist, Dr. Donald Huddle, illegal aliens were displacing roughly 730,000 American workers every year, at a cost of about $4.3 billion a year, and the supply of cheap labor depresses the wages and working conditions of the working poor. The approximate doubling of the illegal alien population since the time of that estimate means that the number of jobs lost to American workers and the costs of displacement would also likely have more than doubled.

Illegal Immigration is a Burden on the Taxpayer
The costs of illegal immigration to the taxpayer are numerous, but the largest costs are the education of their children, emergency medical care and incarceration for those arrested for crimes. Despite being ineligible, some illegal aliens also get welfare the same way they get jobs: with identity documents falsely identifying them as U.S. citizens. In addition, if they have U.S.-born children, they may collect welfare assistance in the name of those children. The annual net cost of illegal immigrants (after subtracting their tax payments) to the American taxpayer is likely to be more than $45 billion. Our study of the net fiscal “The Costs of Illegal Immigration to Californians” estimated the partial costs at $10.5 billion in that state alone.

The Number of Deportations is Low
Compared to the size of the illegal alien population, the number of annual deportations is shockingly small. In fiscal year 2003, only 186,151 aliens were formerly removed.1 Many of the deportees are caught by the police after they have committed a crime. In FY’03, 39,600 of the deported aliens fell in that category. The federal Bureau of Prisons estimates that nearly three-tenths of its prisoners are aliens.

Recent Improvements Have Not Solved the Problem
Although the number of deported illegal aliens is more than triple the average during the 1990s, we are only treading water in a rising tide. The Department of Homeland Security has no plan for identifying and removing the bulk of the illegal alien population, whose number continues to rise. Most illegal aliens remain safe from capture and deportation unless they are arrested for a crime.

Some Aspects of INS Enforcement are Getting Worse
Stung by criticism from companies about worksite raids, often accompanied by criticism from elected representatives, the immigration authorities instituted in 1998 an innovation called “the Phoenix Plan.” Instead of raiding a company, they informed it on the basis of a review of employment documents that they appeared to have hired illegal alien workers, giving the companies the opportunity to dismiss the workers. When this happened, the workers were free to simply walk away with their counterfeit identity documents to another employer. The interior immigration inspectors have only the resources to focus on a few large violators at a time, so most illegal alien workers — and the companies that employ them — get off scot-free.

Amnesty is Not the Answer
As millions of illegal aliens are allowed to remain here year after year, pressure rises from immigrant advocates to grant them amnesty. But this is the equivalent of pardoning criminals en masse because it is easier than capturing them. It encourages further illegal immigration and, by creating new “legal” immigrants out of old illegal ones, adds dramatically to the backlog of relatives abroad who apply for legal admission. It also adds to the costs to the taxpayer, because when illegal aliens are given legal residence, they become eligible for additional tax-funded services.

The answer is to deter further illegal immigration and to tackle the removal of the current illegal alien population by:

• Improving the security of personal identification systems and require verification of legal work status.
• Linking government databases on births, deaths, and immigration status.
• Tracking foreigners on temporary visas to assure they leave when required.
• Strengthening enforcement capabilities both on the border and in the interior of the country including the provision of more detention space for aliens pending deportation, and
• Developing additional cooperative federal-local immigration enforcement programs.

Critical to the success of the deterrence of further illegal immigration and reducing the current illegal alien population is single-minded support by our elected leaders for our immigration authorities in their law enforcement efforts.

Sources:
The Center for Immigration Studies, Don Huddle’s “The Net Costs of Immigration,” the INS Statistics Division.

[1] 2003 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, September 2004, Department of Homeland Security. In addition, another 887,115 persons were offered and accepted voluntary departure in lieu of deportation.

The Crisis in America -- Weak Minded Americans

We have a crisis here in America and a choice on which crisis we want to address first...

Inflation

Illegal Immigration

Illegal Drugs

Crime and Violence

War on Pretroleum Crude Oil

 

As Americans, we have a choice on which one we want to address first as well as a choice of not addressing any of these at all...  it is our choice and we make that choice with our VOTES...

Our current situation reminds me of the advertising I saw a few years ago encouraging us to eat more and more food...  and, then once we got obese, the commercials focused on weight loss...  Americans were influenced by both those commercials...

This tells me how easily the general public can be manipulated by unorthodox people who claim to be leading us...  but, what are they leading us into?

China makes the Fentanyl and the Mexican Drug Cartels bring it across the border and into the USA and Americans buy the drugs as if they are buying candy.

Again, how easily Americans are influenced...

• The Mexican Cartels take advantage of weak minded Americans
• The Democrats takes advantage of weak minded Americans
• Social Media takes advantage of weak minded Americans
• Marketing Execs take advantage of weak minded Americans

Root Causes of Illegal Immigration - US/Mexico Border Crisis

As Vice President Kamala Harris' endeavor to solve the "root causes" of the border crisis, one Texas Republican congressman told Fox News that Democrats at best pay lip service to the illegal immigrant deluge, while arguing that those who blame Republicans are lying.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw of suburban Houston told "The Story" Thursday it is frustrating to watch the Biden administration take actions to stop local and state officials from securing the border while they seem to do nothing.

He pointed to a legal complaint from the Justice Department claiming Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's installation of shipping containers as a makeshift border wall lacks proper permitting and is "damaging the United States."

"So it seems that if the Biden administration is upset about the governor of one of our states putting shipping containers on federal land, you would also think that the president would be upset about an infringement on federal land in general, say, at our international borders," Crenshaw said.


"So they go through all this effort to attack a fellow American, Governor Ducey of Arizona because he's actually building a wall in his state. They go through all this effort to dismantle this and stop this effort, but they go through they put no effort into actually preventing illegal immigration [or] disincentivizing it."

Crenshaw noted Arizona lacks a water border with Mexico, making illegal immigration even easier than it has been shown to be in his own state.  READ MORE...

End of 2022 - End of Trump

The Democrats spent 4 years investigating Trump during his 4 years as President then spent the first 2 years of the Biden Administration continuing to find ways to discredit him.  The Biden Administration spent the first 2 years of their reign blamming everything negative on Trump and the MAGA Republicans...

And yet, the Trump adminstration accomplished stuff that NO OTHER presidential administration has ever accomplished before...

So, why all this hatred of Trump?

• Covid was blamed on Trump
• Inflation was blamed on Trump
• Increase in illegal immigration was blamed on Trump
• Censorship of conservatives by Twitter was blamed on Trump
• Russian invasion of Ukraine was blamed on Trump
• Increased gasoline prices was blamed on Trump
• Supply chain shortages was blamed on Trump
• Racism in the US was blamed on Trump
• The need for CRT in schools was blamed of Trump
• White Supremacy was blamed on Trump
• Jan 6 riot was blamed on Trump and recommended DOJ indicments

Why is Trump seen as so evil?

Why is Trump feared so much?

Fearing Trump reminds me of illegal drugs coming into the US from China via the Mexican Drug Cartels...  Illegal drugs entering the US are increasing...  that means the supply of illegal drugs has increased...  simply put, if the demand increases then the supply must increase as well otherwise the price increases and people buy less.

Why is the demand for illegal drugs increasing here in the US?

Isn't that more important than trying to keep Trump from running for President again.  Even with Trump declaring to run, DeSantis will beat him in the primary...  so, will the Dems try to discredit DeSantis next?And, who will they start blaming for their problems?

UNLESS...  the Dems think they can continue to use abortion as their weapon in two years....

Forgetting all about:

• Inflation
• Immigration
• War on gasoline
• Growth of China
• Crime and Violence
• Increased Drug Addicts
• Racism and CRT Education

 

Flying Birds

 

Hey Jude

 

The Beatles

The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and popular music's recognition as an art form. 

Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock 'n' roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways; the band also explored music styles ranging from folk and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock. As pioneers in recording, songwriting and artistic presentation, the Beatles revolutionised many aspects of the music industry and were often publicised as leaders of the era's youth and sociocultural movements.

Led by primary songwriters Lennon and McCartney, the Beatles evolved from Lennon's previous group, the Quarrymen, and built their reputation playing clubs in Liverpool and Hamburg over three years from 1960, initially with Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass. The core trio of Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, together since 1958, went through a succession of drummers, including Pete Best, before asking Starr to join them in 1962. 

Manager Brian Epstein moulded them into a professional act, and producer George Martin guided and developed their recordings, greatly expanding their domestic success after signing to EMI Records and achieving their first hit, "Love Me Do", in late 1962. As their popularity grew into the intense fan frenzy dubbed "Beatlemania", the band acquired the nickname "the Fab Four", with Epstein, Martin or another member of the band's entourage sometimes informally referred to as a "fifth Beatle".

By early 1964, the Beatles were international stars and had achieved unprecedented levels of critical and commercial success. They became a leading force in Britain's cultural resurgence, ushering in the British Invasion of the United States pop market, and soon made their film debut with A Hard Day's Night (1964). A growing desire to refine their studio efforts, coupled with the untenable nature of their concert tours, led to the band's retirement from live performances in 1966. 

At this time, they produced records of greater sophistication, including the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967), and enjoyed further commercial success with The Beatles (also known as "the White Album", 1968) and Abbey Road (1969). 

The success of these records heralded the album era, as albums became the dominant form of record consumption over singles; they also increased public interest in psychedelic drugs and Eastern spirituality, and furthered advancements in electronic music, album art and music videos. 

In 1968, they founded Apple Corps, a multi-armed multimedia corporation that continues to oversee projects related to the band's legacy. After the group's break-up in 1970, all principal former members enjoyed success as solo artists and some partial reunions have occurred. Lennon was murdered in 1980 and Harrison died of lung cancer in 2001. McCartney and Starr remain musically active.  SOURCE:  Wikipedia

The UK is Famous for What?

ENGLAND is famous for many things - David Beckham, Fish and Chips, Big Ben, Red Buses, black cabs, Oasis, Blur, the Beatles, London and tea.

England is famous for its long history.

England is famous for its Royal Family.
(Find out more about our Royal Family )

England is famous for its Castles and Historic houses
Windsor Castle is the oldest royal residence still in use.

England is famous for its educational institutes. It has some of the most famous universities of the world like Oxford, Cambridge and London universities.

England is famous for some of the world’s greatest pop stars - the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Queen, Phil Collins, the Spice Girls and Oasis.
(Find out more about our music)

England is famous for William Shakespeare. Hamlet,
Othello, and Romeo and Juliet were written by him.

England is famous for its green hills and fertile lowlands.
(Find out more about the land)

England is famous for its rain and the lush green of its countryside
(Find out more about the Climate)

England is famous for its breakfasts.
(Find out more about the food)

England is famous for its creams and butters and for its delicious cheeses: Stilton, Cheshire, double Gloucester, red Leicester, and cheddar.
(Find out more about our cheeses)

England is famous for its strawberries

England is famous for its pubs. (English pubs are a part of everyday life here. They're pretty much a community gathering place. Many people go there to watch a football game, play pool or just have a beer.)
(Find out more about our Pubs)

England is famous for Wimbledon.
(Find out more about Wimbledon and other sports)

England is famous for an ancient circle called Stonehenge.
It is the most important prehistoric monument in England.
(Find out more about our landmarks)

England is famous for for Big Ben
(Find out more about our landmarks)

England is famous for the legend of Robin Hood, Sherwood Forest and its notorious sheriff.

What to see in the UK

1. Tower of London




The top spot goes to the Tower of London, one of the world’s most famous fortresses and home to the priceless Crown Jewels. Built as a royal residence and prison nearly 1,000 years ago, there are some fascinating stories within its walls.

Visitors today can take a guided tour from the famous Beefeaters, witness the centuries-old Ceremony of the Keys, which takes place daily, and learn about the Tower’s more unusual ex-inhabitants - including a polar bear…

2. Westminster Abbey




Second on the list is one of London’s most picturesque sightseeing spots, Westminster Abbey – the venue of the most famous wedding of 2011!

Trace the final footsteps of Kate Middleton before she became the Duchess of Cambridge, admire the renowned Gothic architecture, and marvel at the Abbey’s beautiful memorials to history’s great kings and queens.

Did you know? Charles Dickens, Sir Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin are among the 3,000 famous figures buried at Westminster Abbey.

3. Kew Gardens




Kew Gardens is one of the world’s most renowned botanical gardens, and it’s easy to see why. The huge World Heritage site is a wonderland, home to millions of exotic and rare plants.

Visitors can explore a treetop walkway, discover carnivorous plants and see trees like no other, such as the captivating Madagascan baobab. It’s also possible to visit Kew Palace, where you can walk around a royal kitchen and a nature reserve adored by the British royal family.

4. St Paul’s Cathedral




The iconic cathedral has witnessed many significant events in Britain’s history, including the state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill and the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

A visit to St Paul’s Cathedral offers 1,200 years of history as well as the chance to climb the 237 steps to the top of the spectacular Dome. On your way up, you can witness the Whispering Gallery, where a whisper can be heard from 100 feet away, before admiring stunning views of London’s skyline.

5. Chester Zoo




Chester Zoo houses the largest Orangutan exhibit in Europe and the most extensive zoo-based butterfly house in the UK.

Not only is it home to 11,000 animals - including some of the world’s most endangered species - there are also 110 acres of award-winning gardens to explore. Visit a Himalayan rock garden, play some mini golf, or get your face painted like your favourite animal.

6. Windermere Boat Cruises, Bowness




Set within the outstanding beauty of the Lake District National Park, Lake Windermere is the most popular tourist destination in Cumbria.

Peaceful, wild and surrounded by misty mountains, Windermere is Britain’s largest natural lake. Its surface is dotted with boats all year round - what better way to take in the exceptional scenery than with a tranquil cruise?

7. Flamingo Land Theme Park and Zoo, Yorkshire




With rides, a zoo, live entertainment and a variety of restaurants and bars, Flamingo Land is suitable for just about everyone!

Over 140 species live at the zoo, including red pandas and penguins, while the theme park has rides for the whole family; a perfect two-in-one day out.

Why is it called Flamingo Land? The graceful pink birds were some of the park’s first inhabitants, and today it champions a successful conservation programme for them.


8. Stonehenge




Part of an UNESCO World Heritage Site, Stonehenge is one of Britain’s most famous sightseeing spots.

Believed to date from as far back as 3000BC, historians are still baffled by how the huge slabs of Stonehenge were transported. Weighing up to 50 tons each, it would’ve taken 600 men to move just one.

But what is it?! No one has managed to answer that question with 100% certainty, and the mystery of the stones can certainly draw a crowd.

9. London Zoo




Over 12,000 animals live at London Zoo, including tigers, lions, gorillas and over 100 penguins. The zoo borders London’s leafy Regents Park and is known for its enigmatic lion enclosure, but there’s plenty more to do and see.

You can attend daily feeding sessions of tigers, penguins and llamas, to name a few, and get up close and personal with rare wildlife and beautiful butterflies in the butterfly house.

10. Drayton Manor Theme Park




This 280 acre theme park is home to 5 rollercoasters, 7 themed lands, water rides, thrill rides and plenty more for all the family. It’s the park’s reputation as the perfect family theme park that has earned it a spot on the top ten.

The park is located on the outskirts of Birmingham. Be sure to pay a visit if you’re looking for a good old-fashioned theme park day out!

All About UK

United Kingdom, island country located off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe. The United Kingdom comprises the whole of the island of Great Britain—which contains England, Wales, and Scotland—as well as the northern portion of the island of Ireland. The name Britain is sometimes used to refer to the United Kingdom as a whole. 

The capital is London, which is among the world’s leading commercial, financial, and cultural centres. Other major cities include Birmingham, Liverpool, and Manchester in England, Belfast and Londonderry in Northern Ireland, Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, and Swansea and Cardiff in Wales.

The origins of the United Kingdom can be traced to the time of the Anglo-Saxon king Athelstan, who in the early 10th century CE secured the allegiance of neighbouring Celtic kingdoms and became “the first to rule what previously many kings shared between them,” in the words of a contemporary chronicle. 

Through subsequent conquest over the following centuries, kingdoms lying farther afield came under English dominion. Wales, a congeries of Celtic kingdoms lying in Great Britain’s southwest, was formally united with England by the Acts of Union of 1536 and 1542. Scotland, ruled from London since 1603, formally was joined with England and Wales in 1707 to form the United Kingdom of Great Britain. (The adjective “British” came into use at this time to refer to all the kingdom’s peoples.) 

Ireland came under English control during the 1600s and was formally united with Great Britain through the Act of Union of 1800. The republic of Ireland gained its independence in 1922, but six of Ulster’s nine counties remained part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland. Relations between these constituent states and England have been marked by controversy and, at times, open rebellion and even warfare. 

These tensions relaxed somewhat during the late 20th century, when devolved assemblies were introduced in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Nonetheless, even with the establishment of a power-sharing assembly after referenda in both Northern Ireland and the Irish republic, relations between Northern Ireland’s unionists (who favour continued British sovereignty over Northern Ireland) and nationalists (who favour unification with the republic of Ireland) remained tense into the 21st century.  READ MORE...

Changing His Mind

 

Rolling Downhill and Uphill

Proud To Be Who I Am

In 1947, my mother gave birth to me in Raleigh, NC, so, I am considered an authentic TARHEEL...  as well as an authentic SOUTHERNER...

From 1969 through 1974, I was in the US Navy so I am considered to be an authentic VETERAN of the Vietnam War...  and, the GI Bill paid for my college education including graduate school, all but $500...

From 1968 through 2015, I worked in the US Marketplace in a variety of positions in the southern part of the USA for 47 years...  and, for another 5 years, I taught evening business classes to students attending a university in Knoxville.  I taught not because I needed the money but because I really enjoyed teaching.

In 2015, my second wife and I retired.  I was 67 and she was 62 and we both had both good and bad experiences during our working careers down here in the southern part of the USA.

From 1990 until 2015, I was Owner/President of Quest Training, Inc., a sub chapter S corp that focused on industrial training, specifically quality management, ISO9000/2000 standards, process improvement, statistical problem solving, strategic planning, and project management.  As a sub chapter S corp, I was allowed to flow my personal/family income through the company which reduced our tax burden substantially each year, even after paying CPA fees.

I earned a BA and an MBA and could have relocated to the north where I could have received a large salary commensurate with my education, but I decided not to do this because I did not want to experience all the BS that is prevelent in the northern part of our country...  not to mention that is much colder up north than it is down south.  Lots of people, lots of vehicles, lots of time standing in lines or waiting in traffic jams or accidents, lots of crime and violence, and just a personality attitude around which I had no desire to be.

Consequently, my income was never that much, forcing me to save more than I would have anticipated for my retirement.  As a result of all that saving, I have more than enough money to pay our expenses for the next 20-30 years, knowing I will not live much more than 20 years, if that long.

My quality of life is frugal and I am living just as well off as I was when I was working...  which I consider to be an accomplishment.

I cannot imagine living anywhere else.

Germany, European Union, and Twitter

A senior German official said on Thursday Twitter should join other tech firms in being directly monitored by the European Commission, saying the company’s erratic behaviour under new owner Elon Musk posed a threat to free speech.

Sven Giegold, the state secretary in charge of competition policy at Germany’s economy ministry, pointed to Twitter’s abrupt suspension of journalists’ accounts and restrictions on the access to some links.

In a letter to two European Commissioners, Giegold called on the EU to launch an investigation and said the Commission should act to prevent what he called Twitter’s “anti-competitive behaviour”.

Twitter did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The European Commission confirmed receiving the letter and said it would reply in due course, adding that it was following the developments at Twitter closely.

“General terms and conditions that change almost every hour, erratic justifications for extensive restrictions on links and the blocking of journalists threaten freedom of competition and pose a risk to freedom of expression, information and the press,” Giegold wrote on Twitter, while sharing his letter.  READ MORE...

Same O... Same O

The US of A, at least for the forseeable future, is the best place in the world to live...

Why is that?

Mainly because of the freedoms and opportunities that we enjoy that the rest of the world does not enjoy...

The other reason, I would suspect is our quality of life that again is not experienced throughout the rest of the world.

HOWEVER, that quality of life is changing because of inflation, increasing gas prices, cost of healthcare, cost of vacations, cost of food...  then, you add in all the crime and violence that is taking place all over the US of A, and many people no longer want to visit many of our great cities like:  New York City, Washington DC, Atlanta, St. Louis, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Vegas, Portland, etc.

The other issue that is beginning to bother many people is the number of illegal immigrants that are coming across our borders...  telling us with their actions that they DO NOT RESPECT OUR LAWS...  it is a subtle message, but a message nonetheless.  If they do not respect our immigration laws, then what other laws will they disrespect?

An even bigger issue are all the illegal drugs that are coming across our borders and what will be the healthcare impact of all those drugs, not the mention all the deaths from those drugs.

Why are Americans buying more and more and more drugs???

Supplies only increase when there is an increase in demand.

Americans are destroying themselves...     

Third Term Begins with Problems

Shortly after President Xi Jinping took power in 2012, he outlined his “Chinese Dream” for national rejuvenation. A decade later, he’s entering his most challenging period yet for turning that vision into reality.

The Chinese leader emerged from the Communist Party’s secretive summer retreat on the Yellow Sea this week facing mounting problems at home and abroad. Xi has just a few months to make sure they don’t overshadow his greatest achievement yet: securing a precedent-breaking third term as leader at a party congress later this year.

With economic growth forecasts being slashed, Covid cases rising to a three-month high and the US pushing back over Taiwan, each week seems to bring a new crisis. That’s left Xi focused on reining-in risks and trying to project stability, rather than promoting his achievements and marching toward a coronation.  READ MORE...

Time Moves Forward - Never Backwards

Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future.It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to compare the duration of events or the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change of quantities in material reality or in the conscious experience. Time is often referred to as a fourth dimension, along with three spatial dimensions.

Time has long been an important subject of study in religion, philosophy, and science, but defining it in a manner applicable to all fields without circularity has consistently eluded scholars.  Nevertheless, diverse fields such as business, industry, sports, the sciences, and the performing arts all incorporate some notion of time into their respective measuring systems.  SOURCE:  Wikipedia

All of us will get older each day...  not younger...  and there is a possibiity that our views on life will change as we get older, but the odds are what we believe earlier we will always believe...  Not sure why that happens other than we just do not want to be aware of the world around us...  taking our existence for granted...  and making the assumption that someone will always be taking acare of us.

When Einstein was alive, he said time was relative...  although, he also referred to it as space time and that space time or the fabric of space time was curved and warped which was one of the reasons we had gravity.  But, more importantly, space time continues until it curves back in on itself and the end of time merges back with the beginning of time...  that point in time, is referred to as a singularity.

Life is a circle or a ring a space time.  It is also believed that all points in time happen at the same time so that the past, present, and future are all happening simultaneously as we move through space time.  So, what happens to the time that we left or continue to leave each nanosecond of our existence?  I can see what I typed a second ago as it is still on the screen but my body has still gotten older and has gradually changed.

Another interesting fact of life is that spacetime seems to move faster the older we become.  Our days seem shorter and move by quicker.  And, when we get in our 70s we begin to see this transition and realize that most of our life is gone and there are only 1-2 decades left for us.  Our views on life change and we see life around us differently...  However, this does not happen to everyone...  Many people don't reflect on this transition at all...  we are just oblivious to space time.

Heating Differently

“We are six in the family, we have a house of 200 square meters and, at the moment, we put the central thermostat at 15°C maximum“. In the living room of Geoffrey Van Moeseke, in Louvain-la-Neuve, in central Belgium, the thermometer reads 14.5°C. Outside, the temperatures are negative. 

Despite the frost, we sees through the large windows of his living room, he assures that he does not feel the cold.For the third year in a row, the engineer applies to his home the principles of the SlowHeat project – “slow heating” – for which he is both a researcher and a guinea pig.

This research project, coordinated by the University of Louvain, involves four researchers and around twenty citizens. The idea is simple: “Heat the bodies, not the walls”. In other words, look for back-up solutions that allow local heating while spending much less energy than with central heating. 

First reflex advocated by researchers? Adapt your wardrobe! “Currently, I’m wearing a cotton sweater, quite classic, over which I have an old, fairly warm vest. Underneath, I still have two layers: a T-shirt and technical sports clothing, exterior, which really brings a quality“, he explains.

For the feet, socks and “old stuffed slippers which are extremely warm”. Second advice: favor electric radiant heaters. Geoffrey Van Moeseke owns two of them, which he lights one to two hours a day: one in the living room, the other in his eldest son’s bedroom, the coldest room in the house – the average temperature exceeds rarely 12°C. 

This radiant panel – table placed on the desk – emits powerful heat quickly. On their site, the researchers also recommend the electric heating cap whose purchase is “paid for in a month”, they assure. Facing the computer, some of them use heated mouse pads.  READ MORE...