It is with melancholy that I mark the passing of an old friend. This companion was in my home when my children were born. The friend clothed my family, delivered Christmas presents and even mowed my lawn. That's why I despaired when the news broke about the demise of iconic retailer Sears.
Our relationship began when I was a child. The arrival of the Sears Christmas Catalog in our home was met with shrieks of joy. My siblings and I pored over the toy section, dreaming of Santa Claus and Christmas morning. By Christmas day, the catalog was dog-eared and tattered from use.
After Princess Dianna and I were married, one of our initial purchases was a Kenmore washer and dryer. It survived two babies in the era before disposable diapers, chugging almost nonstop to clean cloth diapers. Those sturdy machines, like many Sears appliances, lasted 15 years.
I acquired my first lawn mower from Sears after buying my first home. The first set of tires I purchased came from Sears. When the battery died in my car, I made a trip to Sears for a DieHard. The first tool box and tools I owned were Sears' Craftsman. (I never did learn how to operate them.)
Sears products were the gold standard for reliability. If an appliance ever stopped working, there was a local store with a repair person to fix it. Even small towns had a Sears outlet. At the height of its retailing empire, there were nearly 1,000 Sears stores stretching from coast to coast.
The retail Goliath was born more than a century ago when a former railway station agent (Richard Sears) and a watchmaker (Alvah Roebuck) partnered together to become Sears, Roebuck and Company. They launched a catalog of watches and jewelry in 1888 and incorporated in 1893.
From those humble beginnings, Sears branched out from watches into a full blown retail company, offering clothes, appliances and products for cars. Its beloved catalog ballooned to 532 pages, serving as a consumer Bible. Not to mention that it was used as toilet paper in the era of outhouses.
The firm sold stock in 1906 in the first initial public offering for an American retail firm. The same year it opened a 40-acre logistics center in Chicago, then called the Seventh Wonder of the World by admiring business leaders. Sears became a symbol of America's burgeoning economic strength.
As consumers tastes changed, Sears altered its business model launching its first retail stores in the 1920's. By 1931, Sears stores surpassed the cherished catalog in sales and revenue. Sears introduced its own brands, including Craftsman, DieHard and Kenmore and began selling Allstate insurance.
These were the glory days when Sears topped $1 billion in sales in 1945, which equates to $14 billion in today's dollars. The company even debuted a mail-order automobile in 1952 manufactured by the Kaiser-Frazer Corporation. It was named the Allstate. A year later lagging sales caused its death.
By 1969, Sears claimed the title as the largest retailer in the world. To crown its achievement, the innovative company began construction on the world's tallest skyscraper, the 110-story Sears Tower, in Chicago. It was completed four years later, dominating the Windy City's skyline.
Like the soaring corporate building, Sears was rocketing into the retailing stratosphere. However, its meteoric rise in the world of retail became a giant bullseye for a teeming gaggle of competitors eager to enter the lucrative sector. Sears' leaders ignored the threat and embarked on a buying binge.
In the 1980's, Sears expanded into everything from stocks, real estate, credit cards to a pre-Web portal known as Prodigy. During this stage, the company lost focus on its core retailing business as an upstart competitor Walmart began to syphon customers with lower prices.
The downward spiral was officially recognized in 1991 when Walmart supplanted Sears as the nation's top selling retailer. The final chapter was written on October 15 when Sears Holdings Corporation filed for bankruptcy. The firm listed $6.9 billion in assets and $11.3 billion in liabilities.
Sears downfall is a cautionary tale for today's Herculean companies. No business is too big to fail. Sears reacted too slowly to competition, lost touch with its loyal customer base, expanded into businesses far afield from its core strength and failed to invest in its retail stores and product lines.
I admit, like many former Sears customers, I haven't peeked in one of its retail stores in decades. However, I still mourn its passing. Sears was part of my childhood and adulthood. Now that its gone, all that remains are cherished memories of trusted products that made our family's life better.
Rest in peace old friend.
Monday, October 22, 2018
Monday, October 15, 2018
Dogs Have A Nose For Detecting Cancer
Cancer researchers are finally going to the dogs. After decades of anecdotal evidence, studies now confirm that canines' keen sense of smell can detect cancer in humans. The challenge for scientists is to figure out how to harness dogs' ability to sniff out cancer to detect the disease in its earliest stages.
Over decades, many stories emerged about dogs discovering cancer in their owners. Scientists mostly dismissed the accounts because there was no research to validate the episodes. However, a growing number of studies have verified that trained dogs can indeed spot many types of cancer.
That finding doesn't surprise dog owners with first-hand experience with the phenomenon. For instance, a San Antonio woman noticed her golden retriever began drooping his head in her lap. He repeated this every day. The women went for a check up and was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
A Rochester, Minnesota, woman was studying for a university test when her golden retriever-St. Bernard mix-breed began nosing at her left side. The dog became agitated. When the woman wiped away the dog's slobber, she felt a lump. She was later diagnosed with breast cancer.
A Hollywood actress reported a similar experience with her German Shepherd. She discovered that she had breast cancer too. So what enables a dog to be able to sense the disease? The answer is dog gone simple. Canines have a nose for it.
Dogs have about 300 million odor receptors, compared to about six million for humans. They also are equipped with a second smelling apparatus, the vomeronasal organ. It has sensors near the back of the nasal cavity that detect certain chemical substances. But dogs have another advantage.
The section of the dog's brain devoted to analyzing smells is 40 times larger than a human's brain capacity. By some estimates, scientists claim that the dog's sense of smell may by 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than we lowly human beings.
Law enforcement officers may have been the first to employ dogs to sniff out illegal paraphernalia. They trained canines to find hidden drugs and contraband using their sense of smell. Dogs have been deployed by security and the military from airports to war zones to detect concealed bombs.
A few years ago scientists began investigating another application: using dogs to detect cancer in humans. Oncologists generally agree that cancer tumors emit unique odors, which cannot be recognized by humans or even the latest detection technology. Could dogs smell cancer?
That question triggered a series of studies in the United States and abroad. Among the most exciting was an Italian study which showed that two German Shepherds analyzing urine samples from nearly 900 patients correctly identified cancerous specimens with almost 100 percent accuracy.
The findings generated headlines but also skepticism among some scientists, who can be stubbornly resistant to new ideas. They needed more convincing. Veterinarians came to the rescue. The Penn Vet Working Dog Center the University of Pennsylvania demonstrated the power of dog's nose.
Dogs at the center were trained using what they refer to as a "scent wheel"--a round table hung with bread-loaf sized, perforated steel boxes around the perimeter. The boxes are stuffed with odor samples. A few boxes include cancerous urine, tissue and blood samples.
If the dog smells cancer, it sits in front of the box. As part of the training, researchers put decoy boxes with blood samples that are noncancerous. After intensive training, the dogs learn to spot cancer with surprising accuracy. The demonstration convinced even some skeptics.
Other trials have quantified that dogs can be trained to sniff urine, blood and even biological samples to detect a range of cancers, including bladder, breast, colorectal, lung, ovarian, prostate and skin. Dogs can't identify the particular cancer, but do smell the presence of the disease.
Scientists are warming to the idea of training dogs to sniff cancer screening samples. However, the humans in the white lab coats consider it a logistical nightmare to train thousands of dogs. But what if a machine that could mimic a dog's sense of smell? There must be an app for that, right?
The Monell Chemical Senses Center, a nonprofit that collaborates with the University of Pennsylvania, has begun to tackle the issue of designing a computer chip with enough capacity to match the canine's olfactory ability. Scientists admit it it may be an impossible feat.
However, there are devices (i.e. electronic noses) that are already used in breath tests administered by law enforcement officers. Other devices have been engineered to detect one particular smell. But to be effective, the new technology must be able to distinguish hundreds of different smells.
In the future dogs, perhaps will work along side instrument-based cancer detectors. This approach may yield earlier detection for some cancers. If it does, dogs will no longer be just a human's best friend. Canines could be a humanity's best chance for surviving cancer.
Over decades, many stories emerged about dogs discovering cancer in their owners. Scientists mostly dismissed the accounts because there was no research to validate the episodes. However, a growing number of studies have verified that trained dogs can indeed spot many types of cancer.
That finding doesn't surprise dog owners with first-hand experience with the phenomenon. For instance, a San Antonio woman noticed her golden retriever began drooping his head in her lap. He repeated this every day. The women went for a check up and was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
A Rochester, Minnesota, woman was studying for a university test when her golden retriever-St. Bernard mix-breed began nosing at her left side. The dog became agitated. When the woman wiped away the dog's slobber, she felt a lump. She was later diagnosed with breast cancer.
A Hollywood actress reported a similar experience with her German Shepherd. She discovered that she had breast cancer too. So what enables a dog to be able to sense the disease? The answer is dog gone simple. Canines have a nose for it.
Dogs have about 300 million odor receptors, compared to about six million for humans. They also are equipped with a second smelling apparatus, the vomeronasal organ. It has sensors near the back of the nasal cavity that detect certain chemical substances. But dogs have another advantage.
The section of the dog's brain devoted to analyzing smells is 40 times larger than a human's brain capacity. By some estimates, scientists claim that the dog's sense of smell may by 10,000 to 100,000 times more sensitive than we lowly human beings.
Law enforcement officers may have been the first to employ dogs to sniff out illegal paraphernalia. They trained canines to find hidden drugs and contraband using their sense of smell. Dogs have been deployed by security and the military from airports to war zones to detect concealed bombs.
A few years ago scientists began investigating another application: using dogs to detect cancer in humans. Oncologists generally agree that cancer tumors emit unique odors, which cannot be recognized by humans or even the latest detection technology. Could dogs smell cancer?
That question triggered a series of studies in the United States and abroad. Among the most exciting was an Italian study which showed that two German Shepherds analyzing urine samples from nearly 900 patients correctly identified cancerous specimens with almost 100 percent accuracy.
The findings generated headlines but also skepticism among some scientists, who can be stubbornly resistant to new ideas. They needed more convincing. Veterinarians came to the rescue. The Penn Vet Working Dog Center the University of Pennsylvania demonstrated the power of dog's nose.
Dogs at the center were trained using what they refer to as a "scent wheel"--a round table hung with bread-loaf sized, perforated steel boxes around the perimeter. The boxes are stuffed with odor samples. A few boxes include cancerous urine, tissue and blood samples.
If the dog smells cancer, it sits in front of the box. As part of the training, researchers put decoy boxes with blood samples that are noncancerous. After intensive training, the dogs learn to spot cancer with surprising accuracy. The demonstration convinced even some skeptics.
Other trials have quantified that dogs can be trained to sniff urine, blood and even biological samples to detect a range of cancers, including bladder, breast, colorectal, lung, ovarian, prostate and skin. Dogs can't identify the particular cancer, but do smell the presence of the disease.
Scientists are warming to the idea of training dogs to sniff cancer screening samples. However, the humans in the white lab coats consider it a logistical nightmare to train thousands of dogs. But what if a machine that could mimic a dog's sense of smell? There must be an app for that, right?
The Monell Chemical Senses Center, a nonprofit that collaborates with the University of Pennsylvania, has begun to tackle the issue of designing a computer chip with enough capacity to match the canine's olfactory ability. Scientists admit it it may be an impossible feat.
However, there are devices (i.e. electronic noses) that are already used in breath tests administered by law enforcement officers. Other devices have been engineered to detect one particular smell. But to be effective, the new technology must be able to distinguish hundreds of different smells.
In the future dogs, perhaps will work along side instrument-based cancer detectors. This approach may yield earlier detection for some cancers. If it does, dogs will no longer be just a human's best friend. Canines could be a humanity's best chance for surviving cancer.
Monday, October 8, 2018
Born To Be The King: New Rules For America
Envision a dystopian America. The Constitution has been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. Congress has abolished the government. Angry mobs roam the streets. In desperation, America returns to its colonial roots and elects to be ruled by a king once again.
Your writer is retired, has plenty of free time, so I am anointed The King. Why me, you ask? I have a regal surname. My ancestors migrated from France. Roi was the original spelling of the family surname. The word means "king" in French. That settles the issue of legitimacy. Get over it.
With my coronation looming, I am outfitted with a jeweled crown and purple silk robes flecked with 14K gold and ascend to my throne in Bald Knob, Arkansas. After entertaining my fawning court with tales of my golfing prowess, I turn to serious royal business.
My subjects are anxious to know what I consider the priorities for America, the greatest nation on Earth. I consult my astrologist and a couple of former Enron executives. I scale a mountain seeking solace and wisdom, sitting alone gazing at the stars and watching funny cat videos on my iPhone.
After forty days, I return to my anxious Earthly subjects and issue the following decrees that will greatly remake America:
1. Tea Spoons Are Required In Every Restaurant. Too many eating establishments serve ice tea with a plastic straw. No tea spoon to stir in the artificial sweetener. A straw is no substitute for a thin, long spoon. Stirring with a fork or knife is gauche. Where have all the tea spoons gone? Why is there a shortage in restaurants? A special prosecutor will be appointed to find the answers.
2. No Subject Is Allowed To Use the Phrase 'No Problem.' Your King has grown weary of hearing those two words. Compliment a restaurant waiter for the service and he will answer: "No problem." Tell a dental hygienist your appreciate the cleaning and she likely will say: "No problem." This is a problem. The correct answer is "THANK YOU." When did "No Problem" enter the lexicon as a substitute for a simple "Thank you?" Getting rid of 'No Problem" will be no problem for your King.
3. All Men's Slacks Must Be Made With Elastic Waistbands. Nothing chafes your King more than having to pay a tailor to let out his slacks after every meal of a burger, fries and a milkshake. Then after a couple weeks of diet and exercise, the pants need to be taken up. This back-and-forth fluctuation in waist size costs thousands of dollars each year. Elastic waistbands are as American as bottled water or tofu. No pants can be sold without elastic waistbands. It's a weighty decision
4. No Plastic Tops Will be Permitted on Pharmacy Prescription Bottles: After a certain number of birthdays, many of my loyal subjects complain they can no longer open their medication bottles. The damn caps are senior proof. You need a pair of pliers and a blowtorch to remove the plastic top so you can gulp your medication. Pharmacies will now be required to give seniors pill bottles with no tops. No problem, right? Thank you.
5. Barbecue Will Be Added To the Food Guide Pyramid. The Department of Agriculture erred by not including barbecued meat as essential to a healthy diet. Because of the agency's oversight, many people are made to suffer unnecessary guilt when consuming heaps of barbecued ribs and beef brisket. The new Food Guide Pyramid will suggest every individual requires at least two servings of barbecue each day. By the way, this explains why men need elastic waistbands.
6. All Cars Must Be Equipped With Texting Sensors. Every state in the union has laws that make texting and driving a violation. Problem is no one enforces it. Millions of drivers can been seen every day with their wireless device propped on the steering wheel, both thumbs tapping the screen. This dangerous situation requires stern measures. This edict will require car manufacturers to retrofit their vehicles with sensors that trigger an explosion if the driver is texting. The blast will blow off the driver's thumbs but he or she will be otherwise unharmed. This is a thumbs up winner.
7. No Person Will Be Allowed To Hold Up The Line At Any Public Place. This order applies to grocery stores, banks, the post office, Department of Motor Vehicles and retail stores. My subjects waste too much time standing in line when they could be home texting or eating barbecue. Persons who knowingly hold up a line of fellow citizens while they fish for grocery coupons or a credit card, ask the postmaster for a single stamp or return clothes to the rack after the cashier rings up the sale will be guillotined. I will not put my neck on the line for those who ignore this edict.
8. Bradley Cooper Movies Will Be Outlawed. Face it, actor Bradley Cooper is a man-hunk. He takes off his shirt in a lot of movies to show off his chiseled physique. It intimidates your king and makes his queen's legs quiver. Conversely when the king strips off his shirt, the queen giggles. Removing the actor's image will make men, including The King, feel better about their lumpy bodies.
Clearly, being king is no laughing matter. There are life-or-death issues that require royal solutions. Now, if someone could just find my crown. Shockingly, I misplaced it in one of the 50 rooms in my palace. Surely, a humble subject can develop an app to locate it. Let's hope she has both thumbs.
Your writer is retired, has plenty of free time, so I am anointed The King. Why me, you ask? I have a regal surname. My ancestors migrated from France. Roi was the original spelling of the family surname. The word means "king" in French. That settles the issue of legitimacy. Get over it.
With my coronation looming, I am outfitted with a jeweled crown and purple silk robes flecked with 14K gold and ascend to my throne in Bald Knob, Arkansas. After entertaining my fawning court with tales of my golfing prowess, I turn to serious royal business.
My subjects are anxious to know what I consider the priorities for America, the greatest nation on Earth. I consult my astrologist and a couple of former Enron executives. I scale a mountain seeking solace and wisdom, sitting alone gazing at the stars and watching funny cat videos on my iPhone.
After forty days, I return to my anxious Earthly subjects and issue the following decrees that will greatly remake America:
1. Tea Spoons Are Required In Every Restaurant. Too many eating establishments serve ice tea with a plastic straw. No tea spoon to stir in the artificial sweetener. A straw is no substitute for a thin, long spoon. Stirring with a fork or knife is gauche. Where have all the tea spoons gone? Why is there a shortage in restaurants? A special prosecutor will be appointed to find the answers.
2. No Subject Is Allowed To Use the Phrase 'No Problem.' Your King has grown weary of hearing those two words. Compliment a restaurant waiter for the service and he will answer: "No problem." Tell a dental hygienist your appreciate the cleaning and she likely will say: "No problem." This is a problem. The correct answer is "THANK YOU." When did "No Problem" enter the lexicon as a substitute for a simple "Thank you?" Getting rid of 'No Problem" will be no problem for your King.
3. All Men's Slacks Must Be Made With Elastic Waistbands. Nothing chafes your King more than having to pay a tailor to let out his slacks after every meal of a burger, fries and a milkshake. Then after a couple weeks of diet and exercise, the pants need to be taken up. This back-and-forth fluctuation in waist size costs thousands of dollars each year. Elastic waistbands are as American as bottled water or tofu. No pants can be sold without elastic waistbands. It's a weighty decision
4. No Plastic Tops Will be Permitted on Pharmacy Prescription Bottles: After a certain number of birthdays, many of my loyal subjects complain they can no longer open their medication bottles. The damn caps are senior proof. You need a pair of pliers and a blowtorch to remove the plastic top so you can gulp your medication. Pharmacies will now be required to give seniors pill bottles with no tops. No problem, right? Thank you.
5. Barbecue Will Be Added To the Food Guide Pyramid. The Department of Agriculture erred by not including barbecued meat as essential to a healthy diet. Because of the agency's oversight, many people are made to suffer unnecessary guilt when consuming heaps of barbecued ribs and beef brisket. The new Food Guide Pyramid will suggest every individual requires at least two servings of barbecue each day. By the way, this explains why men need elastic waistbands.
6. All Cars Must Be Equipped With Texting Sensors. Every state in the union has laws that make texting and driving a violation. Problem is no one enforces it. Millions of drivers can been seen every day with their wireless device propped on the steering wheel, both thumbs tapping the screen. This dangerous situation requires stern measures. This edict will require car manufacturers to retrofit their vehicles with sensors that trigger an explosion if the driver is texting. The blast will blow off the driver's thumbs but he or she will be otherwise unharmed. This is a thumbs up winner.
7. No Person Will Be Allowed To Hold Up The Line At Any Public Place. This order applies to grocery stores, banks, the post office, Department of Motor Vehicles and retail stores. My subjects waste too much time standing in line when they could be home texting or eating barbecue. Persons who knowingly hold up a line of fellow citizens while they fish for grocery coupons or a credit card, ask the postmaster for a single stamp or return clothes to the rack after the cashier rings up the sale will be guillotined. I will not put my neck on the line for those who ignore this edict.
8. Bradley Cooper Movies Will Be Outlawed. Face it, actor Bradley Cooper is a man-hunk. He takes off his shirt in a lot of movies to show off his chiseled physique. It intimidates your king and makes his queen's legs quiver. Conversely when the king strips off his shirt, the queen giggles. Removing the actor's image will make men, including The King, feel better about their lumpy bodies.
Clearly, being king is no laughing matter. There are life-or-death issues that require royal solutions. Now, if someone could just find my crown. Shockingly, I misplaced it in one of the 50 rooms in my palace. Surely, a humble subject can develop an app to locate it. Let's hope she has both thumbs.
Sunday, September 30, 2018
Washington: No Town For A Fair Hearing
Fairness, decency and decorum were nowhere to be found in the halls of the Senate building in Washington last week. Those principles were shredded in the name of partisan politics. The conduct of some senators turned a serious subject, sexual misconduct, into a farcical circus.
No matter whether you believe Christine Blasey Ford or Judge Brett Kavanaugh, everyone should be chagrined by what they witnessed during the Senate Judiciary hearings. Instead of collegial etiquette, they were treated to political grandstanding, bickering and backbiting What a national disgrace.
Normally, confirmation hearings are somber and sober affairs even in the worst nomination battles. But not this time. On opening day, 70 screaming, unruly hecklers were arrested for interrupting the proceedings. The unprecedented rowdiness set the tone for the remainder of the hearings.
The so-called protest was orchestrated by Democrat activists. Several were caught on camera paying the demonstrators. Each person who showed up was paid $50 to disrupt the hearing, received free breakfast, lunch and was given money for bail, according to news sources. It was a blatant charade.
Despite the obvious theatrics, California's Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein praised the protesters for their outburst against the nominee. Senator Feinstein, 85 years old and seeking another six-year term, should have condemned the outrageous behavior. But she was just warming up for her hit job.
After days of contentious hearings, it was clear Judge Kavanaugh had emerged unscathed. That is when Senator Feinstein sucker punched the nominee with allegations of sexual misconduct. She had kept the allegation secret since July, hiding the information from Republicans and Judge Kavanaugh.
In spite of denials, Senator Feinstein or her proxy leaked the sexual abuse charges to news outlets. No one else had knowledge of the bombshell. She knew the salacious details would ignite a media frenzy that would put her in the national spotlight and boost her campaign. Shameless political pandering.
Judge Kavanaugh and Republicans were caught flat-footed. The nominee and Senator Feinstein huddled privately prior to the hearings. Never once was the issue of sexual assault raised during the meeting. Her scheme was to back stab the judge and torpedo the nomination. Fair play be damned.
Once the alleged victim's story was made public, it was a matter of time before two unsubstantiated charges followed. It was obvious to all but the most partisan Democrat these were orchestrated to create a narrative that Judge Kavanaugh is a serial abuser. Yell rapist enough times and it sticks.
The stories of abuse have a couple of things in common. The alleged incidents happened 32-36 years ago. There are no corroborating witnesses or sworn testimony to support the charges Democrats cared nothing about the presumption of innocence. Women should be believed, they bellowed.
Every victim--male or female--has a right to be heard. But in America, allegations are just that--allegations--until proven. Democrats tried to turn the country's standard of due process on its head. As a result, the hearings devolved into a Kangaroo Court with the accused convicted by the mob.
Democrats attempted to justify their lack of fairness by comparing the hearings to a job interview. Really? Please raise your hand if you have ever been on a job interview where you were unexpectedly confronted by a sexual abuse charge? Waiting. Still waiting for a show of hands.
As a delay tactic, the Democrats brayed for an FBI investigation. Senator Feinstein in July could have demanded and been granted an FBI inquiry the moment she received Ms. Ford's letter. Why didn't she? The senator contends she wanted to honor Ms. Ford's request for confidentiality.
Her claim is not credible since the story including Ms. Ford's name was surreptitiously leaked to the media. Additionally, the committee chairman offered to fly to California to interview Ms. Ford privately. The invitation was declined. Senator Feinstein wanted to engineer a spectacle.
At the eleventh hour the committee majority agreed to ask the FBI to investigate the matter. Democrats know this a red herring. The FBI will interview the judge, Ms. Ford and witnesses. That's it. The agency will NOT issue an opinion or evaluate the truthfulness of statements.
Democrats know full well the FBI's role. This is just another stall tactic. Expect Democrats to claim a one-week investigation is not long enough. Anticipate more baseless allegations to drip...drip..drip into the overflowing bucket of media slime.
Democrats announced minutes after Judge Kavanaugh was chosen for the high court that his nomination was dead on arrival. Party financial backers and their liberal base demanded it after Judge Neil Gorsuch won Senate approval. Democrats have every right to vote against this nominee.
But Democrats have no right to irreparably damage a once collaborative process of advice and consent for political gain. The have perpetrated an injustice on both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh. The Democrat Party will one day reap what it has sown. That day can't arrive soon enough.
Democrats attempted to justify their lack of fairness by comparing the hearings to a job interview. Really? Please raise your hand if you have ever been on a job interview where you were unexpectedly confronted by a sexual abuse charge? Waiting. Still waiting for a show of hands.
As a delay tactic, the Democrats brayed for an FBI investigation. Senator Feinstein in July could have demanded and been granted an FBI inquiry the moment she received Ms. Ford's letter. Why didn't she? The senator contends she wanted to honor Ms. Ford's request for confidentiality.
Her claim is not credible since the story including Ms. Ford's name was surreptitiously leaked to the media. Additionally, the committee chairman offered to fly to California to interview Ms. Ford privately. The invitation was declined. Senator Feinstein wanted to engineer a spectacle.
At the eleventh hour the committee majority agreed to ask the FBI to investigate the matter. Democrats know this a red herring. The FBI will interview the judge, Ms. Ford and witnesses. That's it. The agency will NOT issue an opinion or evaluate the truthfulness of statements.
Democrats know full well the FBI's role. This is just another stall tactic. Expect Democrats to claim a one-week investigation is not long enough. Anticipate more baseless allegations to drip...drip..drip into the overflowing bucket of media slime.
Democrats announced minutes after Judge Kavanaugh was chosen for the high court that his nomination was dead on arrival. Party financial backers and their liberal base demanded it after Judge Neil Gorsuch won Senate approval. Democrats have every right to vote against this nominee.
But Democrats have no right to irreparably damage a once collaborative process of advice and consent for political gain. The have perpetrated an injustice on both Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh. The Democrat Party will one day reap what it has sown. That day can't arrive soon enough.
Monday, September 24, 2018
China: Top Threat To American Secuity
Russia, Russia, Russia. Americans have been spoon-fed a diet of news about Russian election interference, cyber attacks and military incursions. As a result of the frenzied coverage, most people are convinced Russia is the chief menace to America. However, China stands as a far greater threat.
China's aggressive military spending, its extensive cyber spy network and its burgeoning economic dominance make the nation of 1.3 billion people a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future. The Asian superpower dwarfs Russia economically, technologically and militarily.
While Russian hackers have intruded computer networks, no country has compromised U.S. government and business security to the extent of the Chinese. Most experts agree the Chinese have stolen more secrets than Russia to the detriment of America's security and industry.
Just this year a Chinese government hacker invaded the computers of a Navy contractor, stealing massive amounts of highly sensitive data related to undersea warfare. The theft included secret plans for the development of a supersonic anti-ship missile for deployment on Navy submarines.
Website Security Today concluded that China is the number one culprit in stealing business intellectual property of U.S. companies. By some estimates, countries pillage almost $600 million in American intellectual property annually. Most of that economic damage is perpetrated by China.
Four in ten cyber attacks on American government agencies, defense and high-tech companies originate or can be traced back to China. While Russia and North Korea are also prowling cyber space, the Chinese have been the most active and most successful in hijacking America's secrets.
Economically, China ranks second only to the United States. China's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a measure of economic output, is $24 trillion. However, many economic experts believe China has already surpassed America if the statistics are adjusted for purchasing power.
China's manufacturing output overtook the U.S. almost a decade ago. Its exports are more than a third-larger than America. Since 1978 when China initiated economic reforms, the GDP has grown tenfold. The country has a work force of 806 million people, compared to 129 million for the U.S.
China's economy is averaging almost seven percent real growth per year. The annual growth rate from 2015 to 2017 was 6.9 percent, 6.7 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively. During the same period, U.S. growth averaged less than three percent. Russia's economy was virtually flat by comparison.
The China boom has allowed the nation to expand its global influence by investing in virtually every country worldwide. By CIA estimates, China had direct foreign investment of $1.34 trillion in 2017. These investments purchase political and economic influence in a host of nations.
Using its new economic wealth, China has pumped up its defense budget. Today its military spending is almost four times larger than Russia. The Chinese are producing more weapons, buying the latest military technology and increasing defense research and development.
Even increased military spending by America will not close the gap soon. That's because about one-half of America's defense budget goes to military personnel. By comparison, soldiers' pay makes up a tiny portion of the military budget for China. The lion's share goes to purchasing new weaponry.
China already boasts a powerful military and it is expanding rapidly. The Chinese are building more aerial combat fighters, attack submarines, destroyers and are developing a super carrier for its Navy. According to the CIA, China ranks first worldwide in combat aircraft, battle tanks and submarines.
While Russia has interfered in Ukraine and Syria, the Chinese have been on an island-building spree in the South China Sea to spread its military footprint. China has constructed port facilities, military buildings and airstrips on the man-made islands located more than 500 miles from the mainland.
The island buildup has become a major point of contention between the U.S. and China. The installations pose a potential threat to about $1.2 trillion in bilateral trade that flows through the South China sea. The islands also enable sustained Chinese air and sea patrols far from its border.
In addition, the Chinese are the main sponsor for the rogue regime in nuclear-armed North Korea. Without China's purchase of North Korean coal and other products, the dictatorship would collapse. No wonder Kim Jong Un doesn't mind kissing the ring of China's benevolent leader Xi Jinping.
Russia, under Vladimir Putin, will always be on the threat radar. But China represents the bigger challenge because of its growing military, economic and foreign influence. The Chinese goal is to become the world's top superpower. If achieved, American and global security will be at risk.
China's aggressive military spending, its extensive cyber spy network and its burgeoning economic dominance make the nation of 1.3 billion people a force to be reckoned with for the foreseeable future. The Asian superpower dwarfs Russia economically, technologically and militarily.
While Russian hackers have intruded computer networks, no country has compromised U.S. government and business security to the extent of the Chinese. Most experts agree the Chinese have stolen more secrets than Russia to the detriment of America's security and industry.
Just this year a Chinese government hacker invaded the computers of a Navy contractor, stealing massive amounts of highly sensitive data related to undersea warfare. The theft included secret plans for the development of a supersonic anti-ship missile for deployment on Navy submarines.
Website Security Today concluded that China is the number one culprit in stealing business intellectual property of U.S. companies. By some estimates, countries pillage almost $600 million in American intellectual property annually. Most of that economic damage is perpetrated by China.
Four in ten cyber attacks on American government agencies, defense and high-tech companies originate or can be traced back to China. While Russia and North Korea are also prowling cyber space, the Chinese have been the most active and most successful in hijacking America's secrets.
Economically, China ranks second only to the United States. China's Gross Domestic Product (GDP), a measure of economic output, is $24 trillion. However, many economic experts believe China has already surpassed America if the statistics are adjusted for purchasing power.
China's manufacturing output overtook the U.S. almost a decade ago. Its exports are more than a third-larger than America. Since 1978 when China initiated economic reforms, the GDP has grown tenfold. The country has a work force of 806 million people, compared to 129 million for the U.S.
China's economy is averaging almost seven percent real growth per year. The annual growth rate from 2015 to 2017 was 6.9 percent, 6.7 percent and 6.9 percent, respectively. During the same period, U.S. growth averaged less than three percent. Russia's economy was virtually flat by comparison.
The China boom has allowed the nation to expand its global influence by investing in virtually every country worldwide. By CIA estimates, China had direct foreign investment of $1.34 trillion in 2017. These investments purchase political and economic influence in a host of nations.
Using its new economic wealth, China has pumped up its defense budget. Today its military spending is almost four times larger than Russia. The Chinese are producing more weapons, buying the latest military technology and increasing defense research and development.
Even increased military spending by America will not close the gap soon. That's because about one-half of America's defense budget goes to military personnel. By comparison, soldiers' pay makes up a tiny portion of the military budget for China. The lion's share goes to purchasing new weaponry.
China already boasts a powerful military and it is expanding rapidly. The Chinese are building more aerial combat fighters, attack submarines, destroyers and are developing a super carrier for its Navy. According to the CIA, China ranks first worldwide in combat aircraft, battle tanks and submarines.
While Russia has interfered in Ukraine and Syria, the Chinese have been on an island-building spree in the South China Sea to spread its military footprint. China has constructed port facilities, military buildings and airstrips on the man-made islands located more than 500 miles from the mainland.
The island buildup has become a major point of contention between the U.S. and China. The installations pose a potential threat to about $1.2 trillion in bilateral trade that flows through the South China sea. The islands also enable sustained Chinese air and sea patrols far from its border.
In addition, the Chinese are the main sponsor for the rogue regime in nuclear-armed North Korea. Without China's purchase of North Korean coal and other products, the dictatorship would collapse. No wonder Kim Jong Un doesn't mind kissing the ring of China's benevolent leader Xi Jinping.
Russia, under Vladimir Putin, will always be on the threat radar. But China represents the bigger challenge because of its growing military, economic and foreign influence. The Chinese goal is to become the world's top superpower. If achieved, American and global security will be at risk.
Monday, September 10, 2018
Immigration: The Changing Face of America
Americans are deluged daily with tearful stories and alarming statistics about illegal immigration. It creates a perception that most immigrants come to the country by sneaking across the border. This narrative obfuscates the reality that the overwhelming majority of immigrants arrive here legally.
Activists and the politicians claim oppressive waiting requirements, high costs and excessive paperwork 'force' newcomers to skip the legal process. That's baloney. The majority of foreign-born immigrants (75%) in this country played by the rules and survived these pseudo barriers.
The truth is America's process for accepting immigrants is less stringent than many countries. Foreign-born individuals who wish to live in the United States have a straight forward path to lawfully enter the country. While it requires diligence, it is not overly burdensome.
Without diving into the weeds, the procedure begins with an application for a visa or green card, the first step toward becoming a lawful permanent resident. Visas are available for immigrants with family members or relatives residing in the U.S. Businesses also sponsor visas for immigrants.
After living in the country for five years as a legal resident, foreign-born nationals can apply for citizenship. Each circumstance is different, but it can take anywhere from six months up to two years to complete the naturalization process and earn citizenship. The cost is about $725.
If that process is so cumbersome, how do critics explain the fact that the U.S. welcomes approximately 680,000 new citizens during naturalization ceremonies every single year? And applications for citizenship are increasing. There were 239,628 requests in the most recent quarter.
Despite spurious complaints about the process, America remains the top destination for immigrants worldwide since at least 1960. One-fifth of the world's immigrants today live in this country. That evidence suggests America's immigration rules are not a deterrent to foreigners.
According to Current Population Survey (CPS) , more than 43.7 million immigrants resided in the United States in 2016, accounting for 13.5 percent of the total population estimated at 323.1 million. The foreign-born population increased by 449,000 from 2015 to 2016.
To illustrate the dramatic growth, in 1970 immigrants represented 4.7 percent of the population. By 2000, the proportion of immigrants reached 11.1 percent of America's residents. That means the number of immigrants living in the U.S. has zoomed upward 78 percent in the last 46 years.
Mexican nationals are the largest slice of the immigrant population pie chart with 26 percent. There are an estimated 11.6 million Mexican immigrants living in the country. However, the percentage of Mexicans is lower than the peak of 30 percent in 2000 as more nationals arrive from other countries.
For example, India was the leading country of origin in 2016 with 175,100 individuals entering America. China and Hong Kong followed with 160,200 immigrants. Mexico was third on the list with 54,700. Cuba ranked fourth with 46,600. About 1.5 million foreign nationals arrived in 2016.
While Mexicans outnumber other immigrant populations, a glacial shift is occurring below the surface. Indians now comprise nearly six percent of immigrants with Chinese (including Hong Kong) representing five percent. Filipinos are at four percent with Cubans and Vietnamese close behind.
Many immigrant adults today are better educated than their American counterparts. For instance, 51 percent of Asians have at least a college bachelor's degree, compared to 31 percent for the total U.S. adult population. By comparison, only six percent of Mexican immigrants have a college degree.
A Pew Research Center analysis found that immigrants accounted for nearly one-fourth (23%) of babies born in the United States, yet represent only 13.5 percent of the population. This baby boom is driving overall population growth. Without immigrants, the U.S. birth rate would be declining.
If current trends hold, immigrants and their descendants are projected to account for 88 percent of the population growth through 2065. Those figures underscore the importance of legal immigrants to the vibrancy of the American economy, boosting the labor pool and increasing economic activity.
Many of the new arrivals are doing better financially too, especially those from Asia and India. A Pew Research analysis found that Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino and Indian immigrants have fewer family members living below the poverty line than those from Mexico and Central America.
Immigrants have been a positive force throughout American history. That remains true today. The media should extol the inspiring stories of successful legal immigrants instead of spotlighting only illegals. America's face is changing. And that is good news that should be celebrated.
Activists and the politicians claim oppressive waiting requirements, high costs and excessive paperwork 'force' newcomers to skip the legal process. That's baloney. The majority of foreign-born immigrants (75%) in this country played by the rules and survived these pseudo barriers.
The truth is America's process for accepting immigrants is less stringent than many countries. Foreign-born individuals who wish to live in the United States have a straight forward path to lawfully enter the country. While it requires diligence, it is not overly burdensome.
Without diving into the weeds, the procedure begins with an application for a visa or green card, the first step toward becoming a lawful permanent resident. Visas are available for immigrants with family members or relatives residing in the U.S. Businesses also sponsor visas for immigrants.
After living in the country for five years as a legal resident, foreign-born nationals can apply for citizenship. Each circumstance is different, but it can take anywhere from six months up to two years to complete the naturalization process and earn citizenship. The cost is about $725.
If that process is so cumbersome, how do critics explain the fact that the U.S. welcomes approximately 680,000 new citizens during naturalization ceremonies every single year? And applications for citizenship are increasing. There were 239,628 requests in the most recent quarter.
Despite spurious complaints about the process, America remains the top destination for immigrants worldwide since at least 1960. One-fifth of the world's immigrants today live in this country. That evidence suggests America's immigration rules are not a deterrent to foreigners.
According to Current Population Survey (CPS) , more than 43.7 million immigrants resided in the United States in 2016, accounting for 13.5 percent of the total population estimated at 323.1 million. The foreign-born population increased by 449,000 from 2015 to 2016.
To illustrate the dramatic growth, in 1970 immigrants represented 4.7 percent of the population. By 2000, the proportion of immigrants reached 11.1 percent of America's residents. That means the number of immigrants living in the U.S. has zoomed upward 78 percent in the last 46 years.
Mexican nationals are the largest slice of the immigrant population pie chart with 26 percent. There are an estimated 11.6 million Mexican immigrants living in the country. However, the percentage of Mexicans is lower than the peak of 30 percent in 2000 as more nationals arrive from other countries.
For example, India was the leading country of origin in 2016 with 175,100 individuals entering America. China and Hong Kong followed with 160,200 immigrants. Mexico was third on the list with 54,700. Cuba ranked fourth with 46,600. About 1.5 million foreign nationals arrived in 2016.
While Mexicans outnumber other immigrant populations, a glacial shift is occurring below the surface. Indians now comprise nearly six percent of immigrants with Chinese (including Hong Kong) representing five percent. Filipinos are at four percent with Cubans and Vietnamese close behind.
Many immigrant adults today are better educated than their American counterparts. For instance, 51 percent of Asians have at least a college bachelor's degree, compared to 31 percent for the total U.S. adult population. By comparison, only six percent of Mexican immigrants have a college degree.
A Pew Research Center analysis found that immigrants accounted for nearly one-fourth (23%) of babies born in the United States, yet represent only 13.5 percent of the population. This baby boom is driving overall population growth. Without immigrants, the U.S. birth rate would be declining.
If current trends hold, immigrants and their descendants are projected to account for 88 percent of the population growth through 2065. Those figures underscore the importance of legal immigrants to the vibrancy of the American economy, boosting the labor pool and increasing economic activity.
Many of the new arrivals are doing better financially too, especially those from Asia and India. A Pew Research analysis found that Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino and Indian immigrants have fewer family members living below the poverty line than those from Mexico and Central America.
Immigrants have been a positive force throughout American history. That remains true today. The media should extol the inspiring stories of successful legal immigrants instead of spotlighting only illegals. America's face is changing. And that is good news that should be celebrated.
Monday, September 3, 2018
How We Can Insure World Peace
Who doesn't favor World Peace? Beauty queens, pacifists, politicians, preachers and even proctologists clamor for earthly bliss. Everyone claims they desire tranquility, a world free of strife. We daydream of the human race holding hands around a blazing campfire signing Kumbaya.
Not going to happen. Forget North Korea, China, Russia or the mullahs in Iran making nice with any nation. Peace starts at home. How many families do you know where everyone gets along? I thought so. Why do we think World Peace is attainable when blood feuds exist in families?
Think about it. It's Thanksgiving and two bald uncles, your peevish parents and a few aunts are perched at the dinner table waiting to carve the turkey. Instead they began slicing up each other over hurt feelings from three decades ago. Families hold onto to grudges like a drumstick.
These people are related for goodness sake. They are supposed to share some common DNA. Perhaps, a few character traits or Elephantine ears like Uncle Neanderthal. Bloodlines don't matter when families huddle in the same room for more than a few minutes. Turbulence ensues.
Remember when your cousin Billy Bob called you fat and ugly? That was 33 years ago. And now you are svelte and tanned and sport a new face lift. Shouldn't that relieve the sting? No way. You suffered through high school and college. Now it's payback time.
Tragically, family conflicts have been with us since the dawn of humanity. Grab your bible and flip to Genesis, Chapter 4, verses 1-16. Cain, the first born son of Adam and Eve, becomes enraged with his brother Abel and murders him. Jealousy was Cain's downfall and much of humanity's.
Know any families where siblings are jealous of each other? Just pray they are not packing heat at the next family Christmas social. I know your brother appears docile. But after a few toddies, he flings a tumbler of gin at you and gripes about how Mom always liked you better. Better duck!
Dysfunctional families are the norm today. Grown ups can't move pass the emotional stress of Dad's tongue lashing about their choices in teenage boyfriends. Must have felt like the end of the world 20 years ago. News flash: Parents makes mistakes, too. Your pity parties are boring.
Today families are even more complicated with divorce and same gender marriages. Imagine being told your mother is your dad and your aunt is your biological mother. Urge your children and grand kids to pursue careers in psychiatry. There is a fortune to be made. Lifetime financial security.
Add to this blended mix the toxic nature of politics and family. Any talk of political issues or figures ignites a fiery kitchen debate with your sister-in-law Susie Mae. Before too long, you are shaking fingers at each other and digging deep into your vocabulary for pithy insults.
Those kind of heated arguments lead to estrangement. You decide to no longer speak to ancient Uncle Frankenbeans. When he calls, hang up. Dispatch a note telling him that you no longer plan to attend his funeral. Find someone else to read from Paul's gospel about peace at the church service.
Yet people still wonder: "Why can't we just get along?" Really? Isn't it obvious? Humans are an emotional tribe. The truth is that we are 98 percent emotions and about two percent rational thinking. Emotion never healed a personal wound. Bitterness creates feelings of lasting resentment.
My advice is to stop pining for World Peace. You will be happier just knowing it is an impossible fantasy. It won't happen until every family on the globe is reconciled, contented and grateful for each member of the circle. The chances of that occurring are one in 7.6 billion (the world's population).
If you really want World Peace, sow seeds of harmony in your family. Forgive those who have hurt you. Apologize to those you have harmed. Love those who are unlovable. Assign the past to the past. That will make the world a better place. And you will be better off too.
Not going to happen. Forget North Korea, China, Russia or the mullahs in Iran making nice with any nation. Peace starts at home. How many families do you know where everyone gets along? I thought so. Why do we think World Peace is attainable when blood feuds exist in families?
Think about it. It's Thanksgiving and two bald uncles, your peevish parents and a few aunts are perched at the dinner table waiting to carve the turkey. Instead they began slicing up each other over hurt feelings from three decades ago. Families hold onto to grudges like a drumstick.
These people are related for goodness sake. They are supposed to share some common DNA. Perhaps, a few character traits or Elephantine ears like Uncle Neanderthal. Bloodlines don't matter when families huddle in the same room for more than a few minutes. Turbulence ensues.
Remember when your cousin Billy Bob called you fat and ugly? That was 33 years ago. And now you are svelte and tanned and sport a new face lift. Shouldn't that relieve the sting? No way. You suffered through high school and college. Now it's payback time.
Tragically, family conflicts have been with us since the dawn of humanity. Grab your bible and flip to Genesis, Chapter 4, verses 1-16. Cain, the first born son of Adam and Eve, becomes enraged with his brother Abel and murders him. Jealousy was Cain's downfall and much of humanity's.
Know any families where siblings are jealous of each other? Just pray they are not packing heat at the next family Christmas social. I know your brother appears docile. But after a few toddies, he flings a tumbler of gin at you and gripes about how Mom always liked you better. Better duck!
Dysfunctional families are the norm today. Grown ups can't move pass the emotional stress of Dad's tongue lashing about their choices in teenage boyfriends. Must have felt like the end of the world 20 years ago. News flash: Parents makes mistakes, too. Your pity parties are boring.
Today families are even more complicated with divorce and same gender marriages. Imagine being told your mother is your dad and your aunt is your biological mother. Urge your children and grand kids to pursue careers in psychiatry. There is a fortune to be made. Lifetime financial security.
Add to this blended mix the toxic nature of politics and family. Any talk of political issues or figures ignites a fiery kitchen debate with your sister-in-law Susie Mae. Before too long, you are shaking fingers at each other and digging deep into your vocabulary for pithy insults.
Those kind of heated arguments lead to estrangement. You decide to no longer speak to ancient Uncle Frankenbeans. When he calls, hang up. Dispatch a note telling him that you no longer plan to attend his funeral. Find someone else to read from Paul's gospel about peace at the church service.
Yet people still wonder: "Why can't we just get along?" Really? Isn't it obvious? Humans are an emotional tribe. The truth is that we are 98 percent emotions and about two percent rational thinking. Emotion never healed a personal wound. Bitterness creates feelings of lasting resentment.
My advice is to stop pining for World Peace. You will be happier just knowing it is an impossible fantasy. It won't happen until every family on the globe is reconciled, contented and grateful for each member of the circle. The chances of that occurring are one in 7.6 billion (the world's population).
If you really want World Peace, sow seeds of harmony in your family. Forgive those who have hurt you. Apologize to those you have harmed. Love those who are unlovable. Assign the past to the past. That will make the world a better place. And you will be better off too.
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