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February 11, 2010
Fiscal Situation: A Cross-Country Perspective
Torsten Slok has a whole set of interesting pictures, two of which are particularly relevant in thinking about the US fiscal situation as compared to other advanced countries.
Gross debt as a share of GDP. Source: personal communication/Torsten Slok, based on IMF WEO data.
Structural budget deficit as a share of GDP. Source: personal communication/Torsten Slok, based on IMF WEO data.
Posted by Menzie Chinn at February 11, 2010 05:37 PM
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You are leaving out the unfunded social security and medicare liabilities. The ratio looks much worse when you include this.
Posted by: T-Dub at February 11, 2010 06:20 PM
Menzie, no offense, but you have an affinity for "data" which supports your preconceived notions.
The first graph is downright silly. Not particularly high, because others are higher? That was the hard-nosed reasoning used back in 1999 to explain why dot-com A was fairly valued. You see, dot-coms B and C had even higher valuations!
Two constituencies have made themselves heard over the last couple months on the matter: the people who buy the debt and the people who will ultimately have to pay the debt, the taxpayers.
Neither you nor Krugman, or any number of other bloggers, are going to convince the the buyers to not ask hard questions, nor will you convince taxpayers that the future repayments will be painless. Some people would rather take the pain now, rather than stretch it out over thirty years.
I'm a liberal Democrat, but this "deficit is painless" nonsense is way over-the-top. If you want to make the argument that more stimulus is needed, you had better take a more nuanced approach.
Posted by: Bob_in_MA at February 11, 2010 07:04 PM
In the movie (and accompanying book) "IOUSA", David Walker has a great line about such comparisons: "It's like being the best looking horse at the glue factory."
Posted by: Brooks at February 11, 2010 07:25 PM
I should add (to state what should be obvious) that what really matters is not the current deficits and debt/GDP level, but long-term projections, the drivers thereof, and the risk and cost of delaying the sacrifices needed to shift to a sustainable course.
Posted by: Brooks at February 11, 2010 07:40 PM
Bob_in_MA: If you read my posts in this category, you'd see I am quite worried about the long term deficit prospects.
Posted by: Menzie Chinn at February 11, 2010 07:52 PM
Current position of def/gdp or debt/gdp isn't really the argument people who are concerned about US fiscal policy would make. It's the projection to 2020 that seems to concern them. Do we have these data with 10-year projections? I would find that more enlightening.
Posted by: kbanaian at February 11, 2010 08:27 PM
A feckless effort to soothe us from the Keynsian believers in free lunches.
Observe that all but Australia have an upward trajectory. All are currently paying artificially low interest rates that cannot endure.
The US's is understated as T-Dub notes. Add the half a trillion that was borrowed off budget this year & next. Also the liabilities of Fannie, Freddie, FDIC, Pension Guaranty, GMAC, etc. that are daily growing.
Reinhardt & Rogoff conclude that when a country's public debt exceeds 90% of GDP, its economic growth rate slows by 1%. The trajectories in the 1st chart are very likely to steepen. We'll remember that Menzie assured us it was no big deal.
Posted by: bryce at February 11, 2010 08:50 PM
I'd like to point out to the other commenters that, if you look closely at the first chart, you'll see that Japan has, for about 12 years already, had a debt-to-GDP ratio that exceeded what the US is projected to have in 2011. Japan has had a lot of pain, but none of it has been the result of excessive public debt (except to the extent that such debt restrained Japan from taking on even more debt, which might have mitigated the pain). Nor have the Japanese government's creditors suffered major losses.
I'd also like to point out that taxpayers seldom have to repay debt, because, even when the initial debt ratio is quite large, subsequent growth makes it possible to reduce the ratio without reducing the absolute amount of debt.
And I'd also like to point out that some of the largest buyers of US debt are motivated primarily by an intention to keep the dollar strong rather than by an intention to preserve the value of their investment. (Moreover, a reduction in the deficit would weaken the US economy, thereby weakening the dollar, thereby requiring China to buy even more US debt in order to prevent the Renmenbi from appreciating against it.)
Posted by: Andy Harless at February 11, 2010 09:04 PM
When attempting to conduct an analysis of a flawed and broken system one must remember there are only lies, damned lies, and statistics. What we have in America is the classic rate trap that results when one fights the proverbial invisible hand which is code for greedy bankers somewhere.
I strongly caution against drawing conclusions from limited data sets that reek of manipulation. I think the books are cooked.
Japan still has account receivables, a trade surplus, good production & manufacturing capabilities and most importantly, cash on hard.
70% or so of the US economy is based on consumption. The consumer has clearly decided to address debt rather than consuming thus creating a pseudo socialists paradox that by its very nature makes saving good and bad at the same time. The government has broken America with their constant meddling and now seeks complete deindustrialization. Green, hog wash. The fools want green derivatives as if 639 Trillion in derivatives on the books is not enough. A fool is always on the backside of those trades and that shoe has yet to drop and drop it will. America is in managed bankruptcy.
Today a real estate journal indicated that an additional 1.4 trillion in commercial defaults are anticipated. While on the residential side between 3 and 3.4 million foreclosures at an average $180, ooo.oo price point will occur in the coming year. I understand Fanny and Freddie require additional liquidity to the tune of 800 Billion to 1 Trillion dollars. China, Japan, and
Deutschland all are holders of significant treasury issues, another 1.8 to 2.8 Trillion.
Was it not for our complete economic inter-dependence I believe there would be incremental selling today. Then there are the more creative bonds and special instruments, we will not go there as I see nothing that interests me and I do not know what Greenspan was thinking when he unleased this nonsense. I am confident that all agree to some degree that when foreigners are unable to support the house of cards it will fall. How far and how fast, that is as yet indeterminate.
The current leakage of perceived wealth-- well, it would frighten even the most useful of the useful idiots. And for the icing on the pie we have the unfunded public and private union liabilities. Who are public unions being protected from I ask, tax payers I suppose? Soon they may require protection as I am witnessing emotions from this country never witnessed by most. I digress.
All programs in America are unsustainable to the point of insanity and I believe them responsible for the current distrust simmering in the backdrop. Young people need to aware and take back their future and stop their sheepish o-baaaaaaa-ma chanting as it reminds one of a very terrible time in history.
I am certain of this. The richest poor people on the planet will be deemed as economically insignificant and therefore expendable for what will be regarded as a greater good. Soon I fear the states wards shall learn what real poverty is. For them, the gravity of the coming hunger and desperate times is inconceivable.
Remember: Deficit spending is nothing more than governmental confiscation and transfer of wealth which in turn retards long term economic prospects and inhibits risk taking by producers and/or builders. It is useful for short durations, not decades.
View America as a giant space ship that is about to crash on a strange and savage land. SHOULD THE VESSELS COMMANDER TRY TO STAY IN SPACE AND REPAIR HIS FATLLY FLAWED CRAFT OR SHALL HE HALT HIS DOOMED VOYAGE IMMEDIATELY, CRASH, SAVE HIS MOST VALUED ASSET; THE PEOPLE, AND BEGIN ANNEW? This I believe is the choice that must be made sooner than later.
The countrys population having decreased by seven percent will and is affecting those states along the southern border, most models clearly dismiss that. I admit to there being some cost savings so it may be a washout.
For me the question is: What would the Austrian school of economic thought and Hayek do?
I think he would want us to take the medicine (yesterday), limit inefficient government spending, cut spending by half and limit circulation. Above all he would encourage us to embrace individualism exceptionalism to unleash the obvious and escape "the road to serfdom" that draws nearer to reality with each passing day . Austrians do cruel math and let real data speak for itself.
I see a severe swing as markets correct and adjust for the coming currency devaluation. I just hope America avoids another war. It is as though human life is but a commodity traded amongst nations usually pretending to share a commonality in interests. History is the key to cheating trends. Guten Nacht: look at 1920 for your answers.
Posted by: Edward at February 12, 2010 01:01 AM
To echo Andy's point. Interest rates in all of the countries, except Greece are quite low.Mr. market does ot think that the current expected trajectory is worisome.
Posted by: rana at February 12, 2010 04:19 AM
comparing public debt to GDP is an apples and oranges comparison: public debt is compared to predominantly private production. public+private debt to GDP is a more meaningful comparison, or public debt to tax revenues less government outlays. let's make another clear distinction here as well: in some countries there are public companies that actually produce and do not simply redistribute tax collections and count this activity towards GDP.
Posted by: baychev at February 12, 2010 04:23 AM
In the micro world,any mature corporation in a mature cycle,with long term debt representing 100 % of its revenues or incomes may likely see its debts rated junks,its bonds prices faliing, its interest rates going very high up.
Derivatives may make wonder until there is no cash available for these instruments and therefore no liquidity. There are no and cannot be, good and bad derivatives in accordance with government trend wishes.
ECB monthly bulletin January 2010 M3 p 27
Posted by: ppcm at February 12, 2010 04:51 AM
The U.S. government is busy hoovering up private credit as fast as it can. Rogoff showed that credit cycles lead to sovereign debt cycles because of that very dynamic. Yet you present government debt to GDP without referencing record, 350%-of-GDP total credit! What has happened since 2007? The U.S. government has all but assumed the debt of the GSE's and guaranteed about 60% of the short term liabilities of the banking system (TBTF). Neither of these can be found on your public debt to GDP graphs. And if you believe GSE debt is backed by collateral, then you've never heard the words "principal forgiveness" or "rent-to-own" uttered by Congressmen.
If you think it is done assuming private credit, you must be very optimistic about the pace of this recovery.
Posted by: David Pearsom at February 12, 2010 06:19 AM
-Japan has had a high domestic savings rate. The situation of the U.S. is more similar to countries with chronically low private savings. Needless to say, these can be found in Latin America.
-Total credit to GDP matters because it acts as a brake on growth as consumers and firms (small businesses and financial, in this case) de-lever. The problem with the "hockey stick" approach to debt reduction is that most times times growth materializes to save the day, but some times it doesn't, and when it doesn't, the situation is quite dire. So you have a small probability of a very large problem. Most economists deal with this issue by ignoring it, or by proposing that nominal GDP can drag RGDP up with it.
-the motivation to keep the dollar strong stems from a desire to tap into external demand for production surpluses created by too-high investment. If tapping that external demand no longer works, then these countries will face the need to amp-up domestic final demand to maintain employment. The best and easiest way to do that is to revalue the currency. For that, the U.S. would get some export benefit and a great deal of interest rate pain.
Posted by: David Pearson at February 12, 2010 06:28 AM
T-Dub and kbanaian are right. Let's add in unfunded pension and medical liabilities and run this forward to 2020. Still think "Don't worry, be happy," Menzie?
How many of these other countries have Ponzi schemes instead of actual assets for their national pension plans? I know Canada has real assets in a real fund.
Posted by: W.C. Varones at February 12, 2010 07:12 AM
Some people use the term "sovereign debt crisis", rather than words like "not particularly high", or "not unusual". They have more of a view that 9 big bums on a maxed out credit card is "not OK".
Anyone evaluating credit risk is supposed to look at the entity's ability to pay, not compare them with other poor credit risks. Or in the case of soveriegns, the ability to inflate away the payments with their printing press powers. With soveriegns, the only other places to get it is personal and corporate tax increases. So total debt load across all levels is what really matters, because they can't tax it if there is no extra to get.
And the US does NOT EQUAL Japan. Japan is a net exporter of capital, and until recently was a net exporter of products. The US is very much different on these counts.
And if you have been reading the news the past few years, China is of two minds about sending money to the US it may not get back in whole in order to peg the RMB to the dollar. And the US is of two minds about sending China the US economy so that we can borrow the USG to solvency. How many years this can last is anyone's guess, but I'm pretty sure I'll live long enough to see it change.
"Mr. Market" has been taken hostage by worldwide massive central bank monetary easing, and if you try to read anything into interest rates about what "Mr. Market" really thinks, you will be off by light years. Not to mention one of our financial innovations from our esteemed investment banks is you can buy insurance against sovereign default (CDS) now, which also helps keep interest rates down. If you believe this situation is somehow different than AIG on steroids.
Add to the liabilities of Fannie, Freddie, FDIC, Pension Guaranty, GMAC, FDIC backed loans to banks (not included in the above USG debt numbers), the USG relaxed mark-to-market rules which make previously insolvent banks look solvent for now. But then everyone knows more RE and CRE defaults are coming, and more bailouts or FDIC closures are on the way.
And if anyone thinks inflation is a painless way out of the debt, I can only assume they were born in the '90s or later, or maybe have confidence in keeping their government job and its implicit COLA wage contract, backed by the "full faith and credit" of the Fed printing press. But if debt service costs double or triple due to inflation rising, better rethink the safety of the government job.
Posted by: Cedric Regula at February 12, 2010 07:25 AM
Menzie, your self-defense at 07:52 PM lends credence to your critics who accuse you of being a partisan Democrat more than an economist.
Your posts in that category are a series of pot shots at George W. Bush, even those posts written long after Bush was out of office.
Like Krugman, you hate deficits when you can pin them on Republicans, but you never criticize Democrat deficits.
Posted by: W.C. Varones at February 12, 2010 07:26 AM
Are FHA, Fannie and Freddie included? Negative $trillions, baby, negative $trillions.
Posted by: JamesD at February 12, 2010 07:51 AM
Here's a timely analysis from SocGen, one in the NOT OK crowd, posted at Zero Hedge. At the end of the article he addresses the impact of the "off balance sheet" sovereign liabilities.
Posted by: Cedric Regula at February 12, 2010 08:07 AM
OK, I give. Since people have a short memory, take a look at this post on unfunded liabilities. Note the $8.7 trillion item under Medicare Part D. Where were you guys back then?
Posted by: Menzie Chinn at February 12, 2010 08:41 AM
I have no partisan axe to grind, but regarding your commentary on Medicare Part D, isn't it the case that what was passed by the Republican-controlled Congress was and signed by the president was LESS costly than what Democrats were seeking (and what candidate Gore had advocated)?
Posted by: Brooks at February 12, 2010 09:07 AM
Brooks: I believe there were even lower cost options abounding, including means-testing benefits. My point was that I was highlighting unfunded and contingent liabilities long before it was "fashionable" -- at least among this group of commentators. If I may be so presumptuous, let me advertise two academic papers, Chinn, Dooley, Shrestha (1999) and Chinn and Kletzer (2001) (and in a blog context here, in 2007).
You might recall how remarkable the episode was -- voting was kept open for hours past regular time, so that Republican leadership could obtain the passing votes.
Posted by: Menzie Chinn at February 12, 2010 09:49 AM
You're making my point again, Menzie. You attacked Republican deficits/debt in 2007.
And on Obama's unprecedented trillion-plus-dollar deficits? Silence.
Posted by: W.C. Varones at February 12, 2010 10:00 AM
The point of highlighting the missing liabilities was that these graphs do not provide an apples to apples comparison across countries. The graph is highly misleading in that these liabilities are multiples of the explicit government debt. Many countries have these liabilities either funded or "on the balance sheet" or both. This graph might as well have been a comparison of Enron to other plain vanilla electric utilities.
Posted by: T-Dub at February 12, 2010 10:04 AM
With all due respect, you didn't answer my question, so I'll ask again:
(1) Isn't it the case that what was passed by the Republican-controlled Congress was and signed by the president was LESS costly than what Democrats were seeking (and what candidate Gore had advocated)?
I ask because Republicans expressing concerns about our medium/long-term fiscal imbalance are often criticized from the left for hypocrisy on the basis that a large, unfunded liability (not even offset in the budget) was created under a Republican-controlled Congress and signed by a Republican president. But it seems that Republicans essentially took a middle course of creating an expensive, unfunded entitlement, largely under political pressure due to Democrats seeking an even more expensive, unfunded entitlement (and thus scoring easy points with the powerful seniors segment and putting themselves in a position to exploit their even less fiscally irresponsible proposal(s) to beat Republicans in subsequent elections with more votes from seniors).
So, while certainly those Republicans can be criticized for the fiscal irresponsibility of that action by those who wanted (or wouldn't have wanted) a less costly entitlement or no such entitlement at all, it doesn't seem to make sense for criticism to come from those (Democrats/liberals) who wanted (or would have wanted) an even more costly and even less fiscally responsible version of that entitlement. (2) Do you agree?
As for means testing that entitlement, it seems that Republicans generally supported it, and that, while some Democrats came around to it, there was significant Democratic opposition.
Washington Post, Jun 28, 2003:
the House includes limits on drug subsidies for more affluent Medicare recipients, a change Democrats say would undermine Medicare's universality and move it toward a welfare approach. The Senate includes no such language, and Kennedy's filibuster threat on a different means-test issue provided a preview of struggles that are likely to occur over income limits during the House-Senate conference. Both [Bill Frist] and Hastert said yesterday that they want some means testing in the bill's final version. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/352723761.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jun+28%2C+2003&author=Helen+Dewar++and+Amy+Goldstein&pub=The+Washington+Post&edition=&startpage=A.01&desc=Medicare+Expansion+Reaches+Last+Hurdle%3B+House+Vote+Sends+Drug+Benefit+Plan+To+Hill+Negotiators
Also related: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/06/us/medicare-plan-raises-the-cost-for-the-affluent.html?scp=1&sq=Medicare+prescription+drug++%22means-test%22&st=nyt
Posted by: Brooks at February 12, 2010 10:29 AM
Brooks: I have no partisan axe to grind, but regarding your commentary on Medicare Part D, isn't it the case that what was passed by the Republican-controlled Congress was and signed by the president was LESS costly than what Democrats were seeking (and what candidate Gore had advocated)?
Absolutely not. The Republican bill took trillions of dollars of government revenues and then passed it through the hands of insurers in the form of subsidies to make sure that they could rake off a portion of the take. This was entirely unnecessary and most inefficient. Medicare already had a very low cost, efficient insurance administration mechanism. Giving the subsidies to private insurers was simply a looting of the treasury for the benefit of insurers. Direct administration by Medicare would have been much cheaper.
Second, the Republican bill forbid by law the government from negotiating with pharmaceutical companies on drug prices. You can't control costs if you can't negotiate prices. In this case, the looting was by pharmaceutical companies.
Add to that the fact that the chief architect of the bill was a health industry lobbyist appointed by Bush to be director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Two weeks after the bill passed, Scully was back lobbying for the health care industry, perhaps a record for the revolving door. He was already negotiating for a job with the people benefiting from the bill before the bill even passed.
Scully, under orders from the White House, also illegally threatened to fire the chief actuary for Medicare, Richard Foster, if he disclosed to Congress that cost estimates for the bill greatly exceeded the numbers that the White House was publicly releasing. If the real costs had been disclosed, it is unlikely the bill would have passed.
Medicare Part D without a doubt was one of the most craven, corrupt and expensive pieces of legislation to pass in recent history. Its purpose was to get Bush re-elected in 2004 and the mechanism involved transferring trillions in government revenues to political allies in private insurance and pharmaceuticals. As a two-fer, it was brilliant.
Posted by: Joseph at February 12, 2010 10:59 AM
Typo correction: In my 10:29 comment, I meant to say:
"So, while certainly those Republicans can be criticized for the fiscal irresponsibility of that action by those who wanted (or would have wanted) a less costly entitlement..."
Posted by: Brooks at February 12, 2010 11:56 AM
You bring up an important point regarding negotiating drug prices and the apparent (unfortunately legal) corruption that seems to have occurred via the revolving door -- by the way, you didn't mention Billy Tauzin, who should be included in that discussion.
That said, the fact (I assume it's fact) that negotiating drug prices would have brought down costs does not equate to the legislation that Republicans sought and the legislation that was enacted costing as much (let alone more) than what Democrats favored. If you have information to the contrary, please let me know, but I think the Democrats favored a version that would have cost significantly more overall.
Posted by: Brooks at February 12, 2010 12:09 PM
The dooooooomers here are surpassing those at Calculated Risk. Keep up the good work guys.
Posted by: dilbert dogbert at February 12, 2010 12:13 PM
By the way, does anybody recall my post three days prior to this post?
In any case, CR says it better than I do...
Posted by: Menzie Chinn at February 12, 2010 12:15 PM
And I should add that, were it not for the political pressure from the Democrats seeking such legislation in general (the threat of Democrats' gaining a large[er] chunk of the senior vote), it's not at all clear that such legislation would have occurred at all. As I recall, it was something Democrats had pushed for, and Al Gore trumpeted, and Republicans were responding with some lesser benefit at lesser cost to try to avoid getting whacked via the senior vote.
Posted by: Brooks at February 12, 2010 12:50 PM
It seems that opposition to means testing was at least mainly from Democrats (see my earlier comment and excerpt from article) and Democrats fought against the "donut hole" in drug coverage (without that coverage gap, cost would obviously be higher). I think those factors (even without others that the Democrats may have favored) probably substantially outweigh the likely savings from drug price negotiation. I searched a bit for dollar figures in articles, CBO's site, but haven't gotten anything good (yet). Maybe I'll search more later. I'd welcome anyone else's information.
Posted by: Brooks at February 12, 2010 12:57 PM
>> By the way, does anybody recall my post three days prior to this post?
Oh, yes, we recall. You managed to say "Bush" twice in the first sentence. And again while focusing on taxes you neglect to even mention spending.
You're still making my case.
Posted by: W.C. Varones at February 12, 2010 01:58 PM
The fiscal situation of the U.S. Government is going from ugly to uglier...
FWIW, my thoughts
Posted by: Michael Pollaro at February 12, 2010 04:58 PM
Menzie and David Pearson et al. The whole discussion here is senseless if you understand the nature of the monetary system. The fact is that debt issuance is voluntary and need not be done at all. US law makes the govt issue debts due to ideological reasons connected to the gold standard. I think you guys should start getting your reserve accounting right and understand bow banking systems and flow of funds work before wasting endless time in writing papers and blogs that "describe" the economy. For starters it will do you good if you start engaging the Modern Monetary theory crowd operation out of the Levy Institute. UMKC and University of New Castle Australia. I seriously wish you can all leave your arrogance out and start from scratch although I have a gut feeling the chances of that happening is close to zilch. Thanks Econrebel 77
Posted by: Econrebel at February 12, 2010 05:04 PM
Brooks: And I should add that, were it not for the political pressure from the Democrats seeking such legislation in general (the threat of Democrats' gaining a large[er] chunk of the senior vote), it's not at all clear that such legislation would have occurred at all.
What! The Democrats made the Republicans pass a corrupt, expensive handout to health insurers and pharmaceutical companies? The Republicans had a majority in congress. Bush announced the plan in July, 2001 when he had been in office less 6 months. All the Democrats voted against it. The White House had to lie to their own delegation about the cost. The Republican speaker of the house had to hold the voting open for an unprecedented three hours because they couldn't get enough votes to pass. Tom Delay offered a $100,000 bribe on the floor of the House to the campaign fund of one Republican congressman's son to get the necessary votes. Democrats made them pass the bill?! It's all their fault? Do you realize how foolish that sounds?
You should also realize that PAYGO rules were in place throughout the 1990s (Clinton administration) and expired in 2002 despite Democratic efforts to renew them. The expiration of the PAYGO rules were what allowed the Republicans to pass the unfunded Medicare bill and the unfunded tax cuts of 2003. Hey, but at least the PAYGO rules were reinstated just in time for the Obama administration.
The idea that conservatives are fiscally responsible has been permanently demolished. Just today the Republicans refused to approve a jobs bill that doesn't include deficit increasing tax breaks for dead people. One can't be serious about deficits and at the same time say that the most important issue is tax breaks for dead people. Republicans only pet issue is tax cuts no matter what, and deficits be damned.
Posted by: Joseph at February 12, 2010 07:09 PM
The last bunch of Republicans in Congress was not conservative.
That doesn't mean there are no fiscal conservatives. The Tea Party movement will elect a handful of real fiscal conservatives this November, and a lot of other Congressional Republicans and Democrats will re-discover fiscal conservatism after the massacre they see at the polls.
Viva la revolucion!
Posted by: W.C. Varones at February 12, 2010 08:26 PM
I think the argument draws the wrong conclusion.
US debts aren't bad compared to other western developed countries.
Is like saying my alchol consumption isn't too much when compared to the drinking habits of my alcholic freinds.
Everyone of those countries is sliding into or is insolvent.
Talk about wrong conclusion. It should be we aren't on the path to European insovency but we are there!!!
Posted by: Kevin at February 13, 2010 08:29 AM
You really should take a deep breath, separate partisan rhetoric from analysis, and engage in the latter rationally.
First, let me be clear that I do not regard either W Bush or Congressional Republicans in those Congresses to be anything anywhere close to fiscally responsible. Same for Democrats. And the same for both today. As is generally the case, Congressional Republicans want to tax too little and spend too much, and Congressional Democrats want to tax a bit more but also spend more, and neither comes anywhere close to addressing our long-term fiscal imbalance despite universal agreement that we are on an unsustainable path. Similarly (perhaps to a lesser degree), most conservatives and most liberals lack seriousness on this issue; they both generally underestimate the necessary total scale of sacrifices and the adverse impact of heavily skewing a "solution" per the extremes of their respective ideologies, and both generally overestimate the political plausibility of their respective ideal, ideologically extreme "solutions" (and I'd include those tea partiers in all of the above, and add that they strike me as populist bunch most of whom combine anger and volume with cluelessness and an ironic sense of superior insight). So I'm not here as either an ideological or party partisan, just trying to make an unbiased, honest assessment.
Now then, with regard to the politics surrounding the creation of Medicare Part D and the particulars, I'm saying that in the years leading up to and including passage, Democrats were essentially on offense and Republicans on defense. For years, Democrats were drivers of the effort to add the prescription drug benefit, and then sought to make that benefit more generous to beneficiaries and more costly overall than Republicans would have liked. Candidate Al Gore pushed the issue, and candidate Bush responded with his own plan in response to that political pressure, and even then Bush's plan was substantially less expensive. In the 2003 debate, Democrats were the main opposition to means testing and the "doughnut hole" gap in coverage, and wanted a more costly entitlement (and I'd be surprised if savings from drug price negotiation would have offset absence of means testing, avoidance of a coverage gap, and any other areas of additional spending on this benefit favored by Democrats).
You write:
The White House had to lie to their own delegation about the cost...Democrats made them pass the bill?! It's all their fault? Do you realize how foolish that sounds?
Actually, what sounds foolish is the argument you just presented. You are asserting (1) that Congressional Republicans would have wanted a prescription drug benefit as much as Democrats even if there hadn't been political pressure created by the Democrats, and that they wanted a higher cost version than the Democrats wanted, and (2) that the only way to get sufficient votes from Congressional Republicans was to dishonestly claim it would cost less than it actually would. Perhaps you should make up your mind between contending that Congressional Republicans wanted to spend more vs. contending that they strongly objected to spending nearly as much as Bush's plan would cost. I realize you are asserting that Republicans wanted to spend more via absence of drug price negotiation and greater role for private insurers rather than spending more on the benefit, but there still seems to be an inconsistency between your two assertions above regarding their price-sensitivity vis a vis the total cost.
Re: Bush announced the plan in July, 2001 when he had been in office less 6 months. All the Democrats voted against it.
Although I haven't researched it, hopefully I don't have to explain to you that Democrats voting against a particular version of legislation for some initiative doesn't mean they oppose that initiative generally or even that they want to scale it down in scope or cost. If you can provide a link or two to some substantiation of an assertion that they voted against it because it would cost too much, please do. Otherwise, there's no reason to presume it.
Re: You should also realize that PAYGO rules were in place throughout the 1990s (Clinton administration) and expired in 2002 despite Democratic efforts to renew them. The expiration of the PAYGO rules were what allowed the Republicans to pass the unfunded Medicare bill and the unfunded tax cuts of 2003. Hey, but at least the PAYGO rules were reinstated just in time for the Obama administration.
Sure, PAYGO was recklessly abandoned by the Republican-controlled Congress, and it enabled even more irresponsible spending (and commitments to subsequent spending) than would have otherwise occurred. As for the new PAYGO, hopefully you realize that it exempts policies that contribute enormously to our projected fiscal imbalance (in addition to all discretionary spending, this new version of PAYGO exempts Bush tax cuts, AMT and Medicare "doc fix"). To borrow a phrase from Oldsmobile, "It's not your father's PAYGO".
Re: Republicans only pet issue is tax cuts no matter what, and deficits be damned.
I have long complained that those who want tax cuts anytime, all the time, without sufficient (if any) regard for our fiscal imbalance, have hijacked the label "fiscal conservative".
Posted by: Brooks at February 13, 2010 09:14 AM
As for long term accumulation of public debt, yes, it is true that the US debt/GDP ratio has not yet reached levels that would normally be considered dangerous. However, this is not a normal situation. The US like most developed countries has a severe long-term fiscal problem staring it in the face, stemming from the aging population and the increasing burden of old-age benefits. That's why it's grossly irresponsible of the US and other developed country governments to be piling up debt now, just before that "greying population effect" starts to get serious.
What both of these charts miss, and what Menzie seems to always downplay or ignore, are the immediate effects of federal borrowing on the economy. Total Treasury sales to the public (net of Fed purchases and sales) were about $150b in 2006, $270b in 2007, $1.5 trillion in 2008, $1.14 trillion in 2009, and are expected to hit a new record upwards of $1.8 trillion in 2010. (Those are calendar years, not fiscal).
In 2008, it was unusually easily to sell Treasuries as globally investors were cashing out of almost everything else. In 2009, the Fed stimulated demand by creating and lending out more than $1 trillion of long-term money. That can't be sustained, but this administration keeps coming up with new measures to widen the deficit. As the Fed keeps reiterating that it will stop its rapid money creation after March, the looming prospect of gigantic and growing Treasury borrowing unsupported by monetary stimulus weighs heavily on global financial markets.
Posted by: Tom at February 13, 2010 01:11 PM
The only thing I want to add to the above torrent of views is a defense of Keynes. He said that deficit spending was justified only in times of a recession. Government surpluses were required at all other times - so as to be able to run a deficit when needed.
No economists, regardless of theoretic leanings, can justify piling up governmental debt during "normal" times.
Governmental debt during normal times is created when leaders want to spend money on something that they think is more important than creating a fiscal surplus. I will inject a partisan note here by saying that Ronald Reagan was the first president to break the tradition of stepping back from continous expanding fiscal deficits. The first Bush tried to retrive that noble tradition but he was pillored for his actions. Bill Clinton was no better. He was positively giddy when discussing all the spending he wanted to do with the fiscal surplus that appeared when speculation increased stock market values in the period 1997 - 2000.
Posted by: ReformerRay at February 13, 2010 06:57 PM
Actually, Clinton was by far the best president of recent decades on fiscal balance, but even he never ran a real surplus. His "surpluses" were before debt service.
Posted by: Tom at February 14, 2010 02:52 AM
"I think you guys should start getting your reserve accounting right and understand bow banking systems and flow of funds work before wasting endless time in writing papers and blogs that "describe" the economy. For starters it will do you good if you start engaging the Modern Monetary theory crowd operation out of the Levy Institute. UMKC and University of New Castle Australia. I seriously wish you can all leave your arrogance out and start from scratch although I have a gut feeling the chances of that happening is close to zilch. Thanks Econrebel 77"
No thanks. I have a counter proposal. You should move out of your parents' basement, get a job, and open a checking account. You will find out that after a few decades you will learn much about how the economy works. I am also quite certain you will never hear the term "monetary policy" uttered by your employer, or even your bank.
Posted by: Cedric Regula at February 14, 2010 05:20 AM
Can't we all just make the minimum payment and get along?
Posted by: John at February 14, 2010 01:18 PM
Problem solving requires both policy and politics. Anyone on this thread interested in focusing on both?
Posted by: rich at February 15, 2010 11:40 PM
As a non economist, I find the current financial condition of the U.S. very discouraging. Right now, it seems to me we have a real need to bring more discipline to the budgeting process.
Nothing has alarmed me more recently than reading the details of the Obama budget in the New York Times which projects a deficit that will grow to 11 percent of our total economic output in 2011. Additionally, the budget projections suggest deficits will NOT return to sustainable levels over the next ten years, but by 2019 are expected to rise sharply to more than 5 percent of the gross domestic product. This outlook, following the Republican administration�s spending spree in the latter years of their term without any efforts to pay for those increases, is a severe indictment of our political leaders.
[edited for length -- MDC]
The country�s situation is serious and calls for a fundamental change in the way the government budgets. Without knowledge of the constitutional or legal issues involved, I would like to see a top down budget process where the public takes a one time, binding vote to set the country�s budget number and budget deficit ceiling for 2011. The 2011 budget number could not be less than the 2010 budget.
Economists say budget deficits should not consistently exceed 3 percent. However, the administration�s budget projections call for 3.6 percent each year for the next 10 years.
The public vote would bind the administration and congress to reduce the deficit below 3 percent by the end of 2013 and three years after that, reduce it further to 2.5 percent. Thereafter, future administrations would be bound to deficits of no more than 2.5 percent. The only program exempt from the resulting cuts would be National Security which should include NASA.
For example, in 2011 the National Security budget is approximately $782 billion and Iran threatens the Persian Gulf prompting the United States to take action to forestall their aggression at a cost of $100 billion. When the administration prepares the 2012 National Security budget, it would use the $782 billion figure for the 2011 deficit calculation rather than $882 billion.
If the politicians don�t have the will to take action and they fail to meet these financial accountability goals, there would be consequences. The voters would become engaged. If the deficit has not been reduced to less than 3 percent by the end of 2013, the Democrats would present a set of budget cutting options, as would the Republicans, and a public vote taken on which plan to adopt. If neither plan receives a majority vote, the parties would submit revised plans. The same process will be used again if the 2.5 percent deficit goal is not achieved by the end of 2016.
Posted by: John Riley at February 16, 2010 08:33 AM
Terrific post MC. Perspective is needed.
I'm a little concerned by all this partisan bashing. (Shades of polarized Americans bitching at each other, late and post-Vietnam War.) Folks, face the reality. The former regime propelled the USA to the status of foremost terrorist nation-state in the early 21st century and in the process dealt US hegemony a severe blow. The Israelis signaled very clearly in late 2008 with their assault on Gaza that the current US regime is a paper tiger. The security-destroying and wealth-hemorrhaging policies of military occupation continue under President Obama.
Is this a Democrat versus Republican thing? No. Of course not. The Democrats have been just as or more supportive of Israeli violent colonialism--the salient fly in the ointment that drove the Sept. 11th attacks--over the years.
Killing civilians and taking their property worked out great for a number of western powers in the 18th and 19th centuries. In the post-war period, the violent colonialism cost-benefit equation no longer looks so inviting. (Ask the French.) I would urge everybody to look at US colonial entitlement attitudes as a critical but non-partisan problem. That entitlement includes cheap energy, low-density suburbs and detached homes, ideally larger than 3,000 square feet.
To both partisan Democrats and Republicans: Your excise taxes on fossil fuels are the lowest in the rich, OECD program. Get with the program. The US Mid-East energy security program is a multi-trillion dollar failure, and makes you look like monsters in the eyes of much of the globe.
Posted by: GNP at February 16, 2010 09:24 AM
GNP says a lot of correct stuff. T-Dub makes an excellent point - we never had a budget surplus, properly measured. Are unfunded liabilities as high in the other countries? If not, the comparisons are worse than useless, they are misleading. The point is also well taken that a more relevant measure is total debt to GDP, rather than only federal debt to GDP. Which brings to mind another point. U.S. states usually cannot run deficits. Is the same generally true for sub-national jurisdictions abroad? If not, even discounting the issue of unfunded liabilities, we don't have a good comparison of government debts. Finally, the comparisons should take account of the externally owed part of the debts. It makes a big difference if we owe the debt to ourselves or to others.
Posted by: don at February 17, 2010 04:22 PM
I will believe Republicans are serious about the debt when they actually address the explosion in Defense Spending between 2000 and 2008.
But they never do.
In 2000 Defense spending was $294 Billion. IN FY2009 it was $661 Billion. No component of Federal Spending came close to matching the size of the increase in defense spending. In fact, the scale of these increases far exceeds the projected spending on Obama's Health Care Plan AND the stimulus package COMBINED. On top of the budget for new Jet Fighter (projected to cost 600 Billion alone), and you have to ask why any serious conversation about the budget does not begin with Defense.
But then the GOP has never been serious about the budget, and never will be.
Posted by: fladem at March 8, 2010 06:43 PM


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Hot answers tagged suspend
With Linux, you could use kexec jump to transfer control completely to another kernel (ie, your program). Of course, with great power comes great responsibility - it is entirely up to you to service interrupts, and avoid corrupting the old kernel's memory. You'll end up having to write your own OS kernel to do this. Also, the transfer of control takes quite ...
select *
from sys.dm_exec_requests r
join sys.dm_os_tasks t on r.session_id = t.session_id
where r.session_id = <spid of create index>;
This will show not only the status of the request, but also all the tasks spawned by the request. An online CREATE INDEX may spawn parallel threads and will suspend itself until they're finish.
OmniThreadLibrary can definitely help you here. Test 5 from the OTL distribution should help you started.
In this demo, "Start" button creates the thread and sets some parameters and timer (which you can remove in your code if not needed). "Change message" sends a message to the thread and this message is processed in thread's OMChangeMessage method. ...
The easy solution is to fix your logic and don't call Resume() when you are not Suspended().
But the Resume/Suspend API is indeed deprecated, take a look at, for example:
1) Monitor, Wait() and Pulse()
2) AutoResetEvent or ManualResetEvent, Set() and WaitOne()
The static class Monitor is a little easier to use and integrates with lock() {} , but a ...
the problem is here:
p2.cont = true;
You are doing p2.notify() when you haven't got a lock on p2 (you must hold the monitor to call notify on it). Change synchronized(p1) to synchronized(p2). Additionally, you need to reverse the other synchronized clause as well which is also faulty. So, as an example:
The wait type "Async_Network_IO" means that its waiting for the client to retrieve the result set as SQL Server's network buffer is full. Why your client isn't picking up the data in a timely manner I can't say.
The other case it can happen is with linked servers when SQL Server is querying a remote table, in this case SQL Server is waiting for the remote ...
Unfortuantely there's no mechanism to do what you want - opening an audio stream prevents power state transitions as does opening a file up over the network and any one of a number of other things.
This is a function of the audio driver (portcls.sys) and not WASAPI and is not a new behavior for Vista - I believe that XP and Win2K had similar behaviors ...
I'd recommend the following implementation of TthrdQueue:
TthrdQueue = class(TThread)
FEvent: THandle;
procedure Execute; override;
procedure MyResume;
procedure TthrdQueue.MyResume;
procedure TthrdQueue.Execute;
FEvent:= CreateEvent(nil,
Indeed, suspending or stopping threads at random points is an unsafe idea, which is why these methods are deprecated.
The best you can do in my opinion is to have fixed points of pausing in your thread's run method and stopping there using wait:
class ThreadTask implements Runnable {
private volatile boolean paused;
private final Object signal = ...
I hope i help.
Android is based on Linux, so the base is more or less same as that of Linux Suspend Resume.
There are few additional functionality, most important being Wakelocks and Early Suspend which are added to make the mobiles, PDA more power efficient as they have limited battery.
Now let us start with what you are asking:
As soon as ...
I've come across this before and usually seen people do this:
private bool isMassUpdate;
public void Check1_Check(object sender, EventArgs e)
do some stuff
You can also detach and reattach the event handlers, however, I'm told this can be a source of memory leaks.
EDIT: Info on memory leaks ...
Did you do a clean build, delete the app from both the simulator and the device, and re-install? That's the only key that affects it. Also, make sure you are building with base SDK set to iOS 4.0.
UIApplicationExitsOnSuspend (Boolean - iOS) specifies that the application should be terminated rather than moved to the background when it is quit. ...
I strongly advise to not put this kind of timing logic inside your orchestrations. But if you need it, you'll want to use the Delay shape, which effectively pauses the processing for a specified duration.
By contrast, the Suspend shape is used to administratively suspend the orchestration in the message box, so that it could potentially be resumed at a ...
You can protect the page containing address of interest with VirtualProtect and PAGE_GUARD or other options and have an exception hit on address write. Such exception can be handled by unhandled exception filter (it depends, the application might be handling it itself), or by out of process debugger application, such as well known debugger or custom ...
Starting a thread without having a reliable way to terminate it is a bad practice. Suspend/Abort are one of those unreliable ways to terminate a thread because you may terminate a thread in a state that corrupts your entire program and you have no way to avoid it from happening.
You can see how to kill a thread safely here: Killing a thread (C#)
If the ...
It doesn't mean anything special, a suspended transaction is just a transaction that is temporarily not used for inserts, updates, commit or rollback, because a new transaction should be created due to the specified propagation properties, and only one transaction can be active at the same time.
Basically there are two transaction models: the nested and ...
ManualResetEvent mrse = new ManualResetEvent(false);
public void run()
Thread.Sleep(2000); . .
public void Resume()
public void Pause()
I found sourcecode on the xda-developers forum that explains what to do, and it works as thought. The main points are:
Set the device to send a notification when going into "unattended" mode. This is done with PowerPolicyNotify(PPN_UNATTENDEDMODE, TRUE)
For every device that you need during unattended mode, call SetPowerRequirement(L"gpd0:", D0, ...
What I do in these cases instead of having a boolean value that suspends events, I use a counter. When the count is > 0, then suspend events, when the count = 0, then resume events. This helps with the problem if I have multiple things that could request a suspension of events.
The other useful thing is if I need to suspend events in a block, I create a ...
As far as I know you are correct that you can't detect when a device goes into suspend mode, only when it comes out using the CeRunAppAtEvent API.
A better approach to the problem is to try to prevent the device from suspending around critical parts of your code.
There are kind-of two ways to do this depending on how your application runs. If it runs as ...
The best way to avoid being labeled as a spammer is to not send spam emails. Emailing random people and asking them to visit your website and fill out a form is spam, plain and simple.
I would suggest finding a less evil way of getting hits on a website like a Google Adwords campaign.
Also, for your convenience, I have included the first link in my google ...
Instead of suspending the thread, make it sleep. Make it block on some waitable handle, and when the handle becomes signalled, the thread will wake up.
You have many options for waitable objects, including events, mutex objects, semaphores, message queues, pipes.
Suppose you choose to use an event. Make it an auto-reset event. When the queue is empty, call ...
There is a library to allow implementation of producer-consumer queue in Delphi using condition variables. This scenario is actually the example discussed.
The classic example of condition
variables is the producer/consumer
problem. One or more threads called
producers produce items and add them
to a queue. Consumers (other threads)
consume ...
"Suspending" the while loop is not the right approach. Instead, your spell checking algorithm should be parameterized so that you can specify where to begin (in the same way that indexOf offers an overload that allows you to specify where the search should start).
Then, where you currently have the comment suspend loop until "next" button is pressed, you ...
Add an event filter to check for the activate and deactivate events. From the QEvent documentation:
QEvent::ApplicationActivate 121 The application has been made available to the user.
QEvent::ApplicationDeactivate 122 The application has been suspended, and is unavailable to the user.
MainWindow::MainWindow(QWidget *parent) :
There is no alternative with the same functionality, AFAIK. I am not sure if the problems with an OS Suspend() could be worked around within the language/libraries, but no attempt has been made to do so, so maybe it's too difficult or even sensibly impossible.
Until such an alernative exists, you are reduced to polling for a suspend flag and then waiting ...
The apps that are using the most memory are terminated first in the background. So the likely cause is that your app is consuming more memory than you think it is. I'd start with ensuring that your memory is being managed correctly.
Apple - App States and Multitasking
Ah, do you mean the App Pool as stopped because of the timeout configuration? This is a different state to the web site remember? Well, certainly, you could change the settings so it doesn't recycle, but you could also try using code like this;
First, add a reference to \Windows\System32\inetsrv\Microsoft.Web.Administration.dll, then;
using System;
using ...
In Bash, when you place a job into the background (using CTRL+Z or &) it does not wait for the job to finish, and gives an exit code of zero (success). That much you have observed, and it is documented in the man pages.
The behaviour of logical "AND", &&, is that it tests from left-to right. Each part must be successful, so if the first is ...
Maybe I am overlooking something, but a "function that stops [...] and restarts after a couple of seconds" sounds like sleep() to me. Let the OS do the timing instead of re-inventing the wheel.
Or is there any reason you can't post some message to the main thread? In this simple use case maybe even via a single mutex would be enough. Set the mutex from ...
Only top voted, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible


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I saw a fellow runner post a note recently that they were on pace to meet their 500 mi goal in 2011 with 125 or so mi in the first quarter. I wasn't sure where I stood, so I decided to look.
Jan: 65.04
Feb: 51.66
Mar: 59.24
That's 175 miles, on pace for 700 miles this year.
Considering that I ended up with 592mi all of last year, and 603 in my first year of running, that's quite a change.
I don't know if I will get there, and not sure that I want to run that much, but the 50-60mi/month seems like a good pace for me now.
Monday, April 11, 2011
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36 CFR 1260.1 - What is the purpose of this part?
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§ 1260.1
What is the purpose of this part?
This part defines the responsibilities of NARA and other Federal agencies for declassification of classified national security information in the holdings of NARA.
This part also describes NARA's procedures for:
Regulations for researchers who wish to request access to materials containing classified national security information are found in 36 CFR part 1256.
Title 36 published on 2012-07-01
no entries appear in the Federal Register after this date.
This is a list of United States Code sections, Statutes at Large, Public Laws, and Presidential Documents, which provide rulemaking authority for this CFR Part.
This list is taken from the Parallel Table of Authorities and Rules provided by GPO [Government Printing Office].
It is not guaranteed to be accurate or up-to-date, though we do refresh the database weekly. More limitations on accuracy are described at the GPO site.
Executive Order ... 12356
Executive Order ... 12958
Executive Order ... 13142
Executive Order ... 13292


text:
- December 19, 2009
- 5:42 p.m.
- Suggest removal
- Reply to this post
nm718 writes:
It's laughable to me how many people are willing to demean Coach Cal when you all know d**m good and well that if he wanted to return and coach Memphis again, there would be a line a mile long waiting to worship at his feet just like before.
It's funny how everyone around here only questions his ethics and talks bad about him now that he's winning for someone else.
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text:
August 16, 1999 |
NewsHour correspondent Tom Bearden examines the response to the Columbine High School's latest safety precautions and how the community is coping with the traumatic effects of the shootings. |
MIKE SHEEHAN, Student Body President, Columbine High School: Good morning, Columbine! TOM BEARDEN: Columbine High's first day of the new school year began with a rally. MIKE SHEEHAN: Although we were surrounded by terror and destruction, we still stood strong. We have prevailed. We have overcome. Each of us is the spirit of Columbine. Welcome home, rebels! |
"Take Back the School" | ||||||||||||||||||||
TOM BEARDEN: The theme was "Take Back the School." FRANK DeANGELIS, Principal, Columbine High School: I challenge you to make new friends. I would encourage you to eat lunch with someone you do not know. You go up, you talk to someone you've never met. I think that it is so important that everyone feels a part of the Columbine family. At this time let's cut the ribbon and raise the flag; it's time to begin classes. We are back! (cheers and applause) TOM BEARDEN: But the memories of the hail of gunfire that came from
Eric Harris and Dillon TOM BEARDEN: What kind of thoughts will go through your mind when you walk through those doors? ELIZABETH LEE: I don't know. REBECCA LEE: I'll probably be like watching everybody else's reaction to see what they'll do. I think most people will be uptight about it all, going back to school, and then after a couple of weeks they'll stop and they'll just get on with their life. ELIZABETH LEE: I'll be nervous because on that day it was all normal, no one expected anything, and you're not going to expect anything at school, but now you do. And so you're going to definitely be nervous about what's going to happen. TOM BEARDEN: Columbine will be a different place from this day forward. There are 16 additional surveillance cameras. Five armed security guards will patrol the grounds 24 hours a day for at least a month after school begins; access to the school will be limited to just five doors; there will be a new keyless entry system for after-hours access; and students and staff will be required to wear I.D. badges at all times. The Salerno family, whose daughter Laurel and her friend Matt Houck will be sophomores, think school officials are on the right track. DIANE SALERNO: It is really hard to send your kid off to school after something like this has happened. And just knowing there is more of an adult presence in the school, that there are more people there that might be able to help them and protect them makes me feel better. CHARLES SALERNO: And there is certainly going to be more adults within the school, teachers, personnel, and the security forces, themselves. They are going to have a more judicious eye on what is going on and a more proactive, preventative role than before. There is a realization that this is not the end-all answer. |
Helping students feel safe | ||||||||||||||||||||
TOM BEARDEN: Laurel thinks her classmates will be more comfortable knowing the measures are in place. LAUREL SALERNO: I think that the security precautions are adequate, I think they are pretty good. The security cameras that have been added, I think that will help a little bit. And I think that will help the student body to feel safer. TOM BEARDEN: But not everyone agrees. Elizabeth and Rebecca Lee's mother thinks security can be taken too far. RACHEL
LEE: I've heard kids say that they're afraid that schools are going
to be like a jail, like a prison. I think if you tell a child, you have
to wear something on you that shows you who you are, I think it does
a lot to create TOM BEARDEN: Jefferson County School Superintendent Jane Hammond says she doesn't want the school to become a prison either. JANE HAMMOND, Jefferson County School Superintendent: We will have additional supervision and supports for the students, but we're not interested in making it a prison or a fortress. We want our kids to feel like it's a safe environment and to make it as safe as we can. But even in a prison, bad things can happen. TOM BEARDEN: Last week, a special task force told the school board that some of Columbine's new security measures ought be considered for all of the district's high schools and middle schools. But some board members have doubts. DAVE DiGIOCOMO, Jefferson County School Board Member: Is this a knee-jerk reaction where we say that we have to do something because we're in trauma over this -- we have to do something because we have a public clamoring for it? Or are we really doing this because it is reasonable or necessary for the protection of young people in our schools? |
Will other schools follow Columbine's lead? | ||||||||||||||||||||
SERGIO GONZALEZ, Columbine Student: We don't know if all of these things would have stopped Eric and Dylan from doing what they had done. But, that doesn't stop us from trying to make decisions that can change our schools because we're living in a new era and a new time and students, especially myself, we know that now. TOM BEARDEN: The school board will decide on Thursday whether to increase security at other schools. Superintendent Hammond hopes the board can strike a balance between security and learning. JANE HAMMOND: We must have schools that feel safe to the kids and to the community. But we also have to focus on learning. And we don't want to have just safe schools, but we want to have safe schools where students can learn. And so it's a balance how much time, resource, and energy goes to safety, how much goes to increasing student learning. TOM BEARDEN: Elizabeth and Rebecca's father, State Representative Don Lee, thinks too much focus on security is shortsighted. He started his own community task force after the shooting. The group of more than 50 parents and students are calling for what they term cultural changes in the district. Rep. Lee says a new moral code, one that might include posting the Ten Commandments in classrooms, is part of the answer. DON LEE: We feel that there has to be a, a real change of the community, not just buy some things and walk away. We feel that the change has to be a cultural one, both in the community environment and the school environment. TOM BEARDEN: His group has proposed a stricter dress code, and wants to pass legislation that will give parents access to a list of books their kids check out of the school library -- access they don't have now. The school system has pursued other measures in response to the murders. Last April some students said athletes had harassed outcast students like Harris and Klebold. In response, the school administration has required coaches to attend seminars like this one, which are supposed to teach them how to identify and deal with bullying by their athletes. BILL KOWALSKI, Lawyer, Jefferson County: That is the perception being created when the friends of the shooters report that they hated the jocks. They were looking to shoot the jocks. Why? Because they were the ones who picked on us. That is why it is so important for the coaches to hear this message. You have got to encourage your athletes to talk to you about these issues. You have got to be prepared to listen to them. You have got to assure the athletes and the students in your schools that if they engage in these discussions with you, if they tell us what's going on, we will do something about it. |
Are jocks to blame? | ||||||||||||||||||||
TOM BEARDEN: Some coaches felt that athletes were being unfairly blamed for the actions of others. JIM SMITH, Head Football Coach, Jefferson High School: There is a perception out there of what goes on in High School Athletics and I think it is a lot different that what really goes on. JIM BRATTON, Football Coach, Standley Lake High School: The term "jock" in school vernacular anymore is not just kids that play sports. Jock is anybody that is mainstream; anybody that's part of the system, that doesn't fight the system is a jock. Anybody that dresses in a normal accepted way by adults is a jock. You are not a jock if you buck the system, if you fight the system. So the term "jock" has taken on a much broader meaning than it did for you and me. REPORTER: Is it an easy scapegoat? I mean, is it an easy way to - JIM BRATTON: Oh, yes. I was the dean of students for two and a half years at another school. And they would say, well, this jock is picking on me. I'd talk to the kid and he was drama kid or he was band kid. So it had nothing to do with athletics. So I think the term "jock" and athletics has become synonymous -- but in our students' mind they are not; they're different. TOM BEARDEN: Meanwhile, other public and private agencies are trying
to help students cope with the tragedy. PASTOR DAVE McPHERSON, West Bowles Community Church: Make sure that every time they throw something a little goofy, you guys let out a big roar.
PASTOR DAVE McPHERSON: I've had a few kids say that they don't want to go back and I've heard that home school enrollment has gone up and things like that. I don't think that is really true with Columbine kids. I think they do want to go back. That's their school and they don't want to give up. I mean they see this as something that they really do want to fight for. That's their school. They don't want to go to Chatville or Bear Creek or these other schools. |
Healing the emotional scars | ||||||||||||||||||||
TOM BEARDEN: Last night, McPherson and the group discussed how to cope with issues raised by the tragedy. PASTOR DAVE McPHERSON: Are we trying to say that these two guys were absolutely hopeless? Of course not. There are Erics and Dylans in here; they could have easily gone the same path. But we believe that maybe we have found something. Talk about that. How are you going to reach out to an Eric and a Dylan in your school? YOUNG GIRL: Become more personable with them, befriend them on a more personable level and make sure they know that someone cares about them. ANOTHER YOUNG GIRL: You totally have to want to talk to them. You never go up to someone and be like, I feel sorry for you that is why I am talking to you. TOM BEARDEN: Laurel Salerno and her friend Matt Houck are convinced they can take back their school, and even think it'll be a better place in the future. LAUREL SALERNO: I think the students at Columbine are more like a family now. And I think we are going to be a lot more careful about what we say to each other. And we are just going to watch what people say. You know, if there's something that's eerie, I think kids will, you know, call a hotline. And so I think measures are going to be taken more seriously, yet we are all going to be more like a family. MATT HOUCK: I think we will have a lot more respect for each other and just be a lot nicer to each other. I mean we are still going to have our own little cliques because nothing is going to stop that - because that is just how we feel. But I think if there is different cliques that we will still be nice and we won't just blow them off in the halls. We will be able to say hi and just be courteous to them and just have a lot more respect for each other. TOM BEARDEN: Do you think there will be fewer outcasts? MATT HOUCK: I think so, yes. And I don't want to make it sound like now we will be nice to them because we are afraid of them or something. It is not like that. TOM BEARDEN: And so some two thousand Colorado High school kids return to a freshly repaired building and try to move on after the worst incident of school violence in American history -- even as the national debate continues over how to keep it from happening again somewhere else. |
| ||||
Support the kind of journalism done by the NewsHour...Become a member of your local PBS station. |


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Composition and Nutrition|
Main Flavour:
Cattlehide 84%, Rice Powder 12%, Ash 3.5-4%, Red Colour Add 0.01%, Yellow Colour Add 0.01%, Brown Colour Add 0.01%. Contains EEC Permitted Colourant.
Protein 72%, Fat 1%, Ash 1.3%, Moisture 15%.
Feeding Guide (approximate per day)
Feed as a treat or reward anytime as part of a balanced diet. Always provide plenty of fresh water for your pet.


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2010 North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show from Michael Wendell on Vimeo.
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BLK201 1966 B-Body Distribution Block - ImpalaTee Block - Brass 4 Port Valve Front Drum - Rear Drum Brass Valve Notes:
1965-66 cars all had a single master cylinder with drum brakes. There was no proportional valve and no disc brakes available in these years. The tee block that mounted to the frame served as the distribution block. When converting to disc brakes, the system will need a proportioning valve. This aftermarket valve mounts on the frame similar to the 1964-66 cars or on a bracket below the master. 1967-70 cars all had a dual master cylinder, and 1967 was the first year for disc brakes. If the car had drum brakes, there was a distribution block with a built-in brake warning switch. If the car had factory disc brakes, it used the drum distribution block in conjunction with a disc brake hold-off valve, which made the disc cars a 2 part valve. For disc brake conversions, replacement aftermarket 1 piece valves are available, see listing. |


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Population: 1.2 million
Average Precipitation High: 315-320 (October)
Average Precipitation Low: <5 (May-Sept)
Currency Used: Jordanian Dinar (JOD)
· Capital
· 40km North East
of the Dead Sea
· Commerical, Industrial,
and Administrative Centre
of Jordan.
· Industries include
the manufacture of textiles,
tobacco products, dry batteries,
leather products,
tiles, and cement and the
processing of flour and
other food products.
· A government-operated
rail line, formerly part of Al
Hijaz (the Hejaz) Railway,
links Amman with
Damascus, Syria, to the
north. The city is also
served by Amman International
· Became the capital
of newly independent Jordan
in 1946.


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In one view, she's a saint who fought at great personal sacrifice for an unborn child whose own parents did not want her to live. In another view, she recklessly absconded with someone else's child and brought into the world a baby who faces serious medical challenges when that wasn't her decision to make.
Kelley knows some people hate her.
She's blogged about Baby S., and many readers, especially other surrogates, have attacked her.
"I can't tell you how many people told me that I was bad, that I was wrong, that I should go have an abortion, that I would be damned to hell," she said.
In the end, she feels like she did the right thing.
"No one else was feeling this pregnancy the way that I was. No one else could feel her kicking and moving around inside," she said. "I knew from the beginning that this little girl had an amazing fighting spirit, and whatever challenges were thrown at her, she would go at them with every ounce of spirit that she could possibly have."
"No matter what anybody told me, I became her mother."
Check out the latest news from CNN.com


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Date: Wednesday 30 May 2012
- Spain on the brink after central bank governor resigns
- Italy fails to hit target at bond auction
- Anti-bailout party leading opinion polls in Greece
Dax-30: -1.81%
Stoxx 600: -1.55%
Cac-40: -2.24%
Ibex 35: -2.58%
The terrors of last winter are with us again as the resignation of the Governor of the Bank of Spain and a failed Italian debt auction saw markets throughout Europe plunge.
Bank of Spain Governor Miguel Angel Fernandez Ordonez resigned, before the end of his term, as criticism mounted of his handling of the nationalisation of the countrys third largest lender, Bankia.
Bankia could well be the bank that sinks Spain, where losses in the property and mortgage sector are thought to be around 140bn. The Financial Times reported the European Central Bank refused a scheme where Spain would issue new bonds, give them to Bankia, which would then in turn hand them over to the ECB as a swap for cash.
The FTs report has since been denied but Bankia shares closed down 9%. The essential problem is that the Spanish government may not be able to support all the competing claims on its resources, both from the banking sector and the heavily indebted regional governments.
Italy meanwhile is feeling the backdraft from Spanish woes. The country had aimed to sell 6.25bn in five- and ten-year bonds today, it only shifted 5.73bn - both maturities went at higher interest rates than at a similar auction last month.
An opinion poll in Greece appeared to show the left-wing, anti-bailout party Syriza ahead of pro-bailout New Democracy as the country gears up for elections in June following an inconclusive vote earlier this month.
More grim news on the corporate front. The benchmark Stoxx 600 fell 1.55% today with basic resources stocks down as both copper and oil prices dropped.
German chemicals giant BASF fell 2% after what its Chief Executive described as a lack of dynamism in Asia.
Europes biggest oil firm Royal Dutch Shell dropped 1.5% as futures contracts on a barrel of Brent crude dropped 2.9%.
The euro is having a torrid time, by 16:54 in London it was down 0.8% against the dollar at $1.2402
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ALM Properties, Inc.
Page printed from: Corporate Counsel
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Profile: Managing UpCorporate Counsel 2013-05-01 00:00:00.0 It may sound like a big jump from an in-house job at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to the general counsel position at Vanderbilt University, but AUDREY ANDERSON sees a surprising degree of overlap between the two. In both law departments, lawyers have an opportunity to get united behind a mission, says Anderson, something thats broader than just the bottom line for shareholders. After three-and-a-half years as deputy GC for the federal agency, she took over as the Nashville schools top lawyer in early March. Before joining DHS, Anderson spent 17 years as a litigator at Washington, D.C.based firm Hogan & Hartson (now Hogan Lovells). She honed her skills at the firm, but says it was her time at DHS that showed her that she could advise clients on subjects beyond her particular expertise. When I arrived at DHS, I knew very little about the substantive areas of law that I had to advise on there, she says. Anderson quickly learned to extract information from the true experts and translate that into actionable advice for her department leaders. That skill will be very useful for me at Vanderbilt, because the university and its medical center have such a wide variety of things that we have to advise on, says the new GC. Theres no way that any one person could be an expert in all of the different areas where advice is required. Anderson does have some prior experience with higher education: At Hogan, she worked closely with lawyers whose clients included colleges and universities. Anderson also taught appellate advocacy as an adjunct professor at American Universitys Washington College of Law from 2006 to 2007. As general counsel, Anderson replaces DAVID WILLIAMS II, who will stay on at the university as athletics director and vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs. The new legal chief will oversee a department of 12 lawyers. Anderson credits her time at DHS with teaching her leadership skills: At Hogan, I thought I knew how to be a good manager, but there was no one person who looked to me as their only boss. At the agency, Anderson had a team relying on her to make decisions that affected their work lives every day. Anderson earned her bachelors degree in economics from Northwestern University in 1985 and her J.D. from the University of Michigan in 1990. After graduation, she clerked for U.S. District Judge Harold Greene, whose approach to lawyering shaped her own. At the district level, she says, judges need to be able to make decisions very quickly. That was where I really learned that the best advice I can give right now is immeasurably better than the perfect answer tomorrow, she says. Anderson subsequently clerked for Chief Justice William Rehnquist of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1991 to 1992. |


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The Beatles
50 Years Ago: The Beatles Record 'From Me To You'
On March 5, 1963, the Beatles began recording sessions that would yield their third single, 'From Me To You.' That afternoon, the band ran through seven takes of the tune. Written just a few days prior to the session, 'From Me To You' found the songwriting team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney moving forward.
47 Years Ago: John Lennon "More Popular Than Jesus" Story Is Published
On March 4, 1966, an article appeared in the London Evening Standard that would cause an uproar and ripple for some time. Journalist Maureen Cleave was doing a series entitled 'How Does a Beatle Live?' and her encounter with John Lennon provided controversy that spread far beyond the London paper.
Songwriter Diane Lampert Dead at 88
Diane Lampert, the prolific pop songwriter whose extensive list of credits included songs recorded by the Beatles and Harry Nilsson, has passed away at the age of 88 after suffering heart failure in a Manhattan hospital.
Beatles 'Abbey Road' Cover Used for Traffic Safety Campaign
New Cookbook Pays Tribute to Beatles' Golden Anniversary
Good news, Beatles fans: While you're reflecting on the passage of a half-century since the release of the band's first LP, you can celebrate the band's groundbreaking music by baking all the meals listed in a brand new Beatles-inspired cookbook.
45 Years Ago: The Beatles Arrive In Rishikesh, India To Study With The Maharishi
50 Years Ago: The Beatles Record (Most of) the 'Please Please Me' Album in 13 Hours
The notion of artists taking their time in the studio has become so ingrained in the recording process that it's hard to believe that musicians used to bang out killer albums in a hurry. There is perhaps no more famous example of that than the Beatles debut album, 'Please Please Me,' the bulk of which was recorded in less than 13 hours on Feb. 11, 1963.
49 Years Ago: The Beatles Land in America
In October 1963, the word "Beatlemania" was coined in Britain to describe the reactions of screaming young girls every time they heard the Beatles' music, either in performance or on the radio. On Feb. 7, 1964, the U.S. got its first proper taste of Beatlemania, as the group arrived in America for the first time.
55 Years Ago: George Harrison Joins John Lennon and Paul McCartney in the Quarry Men
The third part of the equation that would become the Beatles fell into place on Feb. 6, 1958. George Harrison joined the Quarry Men, the John Lennon-led group that Paul McCartney had joined as a second guitarist and singer the previous summer.
Multiple John Lennons Involved in Brazilian Crime Wave
John Lennon was known for having more than his fair share of brushes with the law while he was alive, but this is ridiculous.
The Flaming Lips Cover the Beatles' 'All You Need Is Love'
Although they have a deserved reputation as one of indie rock's weirdest bands, the Flaming Lips have a classic rock heart. Literally. Just in time for Valentine's Day, they have released a limited edition 15-song mix, 'Songs of Love,' which closes with a cover of the Beatles' 'All You Need Is Love.'


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Man United must raise their game on all fronts
LONDON - David Moyes can take solace in avoiding another home defeat and a 51-year low but his Manchester United side will have to raise their game considerably if they are to go much further in the Champions League.
Recent Sports News
Ronaldo sets record, Leverkusen, Olympiakos into last 16
LONDON - Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo set a Champions League group phase scoring record on Tuesday as Bayer Leverkusen and Olympiakos Piraeus reached the last 16 and snow forced Galatasaray's match with Juventus to be abandoned.
McLaren and Force India to miss Bahrain tyre test
LONDON - Only four teams will take part in next week's Pirelli Formula One tyre test in Bahrain after McLaren and Force India said on Wednesday they would not be attending.
Milan get much-needed boost with Honda move
- Japan playmaker Keisuke Honda will leave CSKA Moscow to join AC Milan in January, the Serie A club said on Wednesday.
Taylor scores ton to hold together NZ innings
WELLINGTON - Ross Taylor was in the best mindset of his life after he scored his 10th test century and surpassed 4,000 career runs to anchor New Zealand's 307 for six against the West Indies on Wednesday.
Time for England to stand up and fight, says Prior
SYDNEY - The time for mincing words and looking for positives in defeat are over and England have no choice but to stand up and fight to save the Ashes, wicketkeeper Matt Prior said on Wednesday.
Magnus Carlsen dethrones Viswanathan Anand as world chess champion
World number one Magnus Carlsen toppled local favourite Viswanathan Anand in Chennai to add the world championship title to his already impressive resume on Friday.
World Cup stadium collapse
A crane collapses at the stadium hosting the opening match of next year's World Cup, renewing questions about whether Brazil will be ready to host the event on time.


text: A welcome half term "chill out" break with our two children following a hectic business schedule. Although very close to the motorway and the city of Limoges, this is a beautiful and peaceful establishment in the middle of very pleasant countryside. The proprietor and her family were very welcoming, friendly and exceptionally helpful at all times. On simply asking for... More


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Students Told They Can't Pass Out Constitution on Constitution Day
September 20, 2013
The Washington Free Beacon
Administrators and campus security told students at California's Modesto Junior College that they could not hand out copies of the Constitution to fellow students on Constitution Day.
The attempt by Megan Rainwater and Robert Van Tuinen to hand out copies of the Constitution was shut down on Tuesday by campus officials. They were told they would only be able to pass out the Constitution in the college's free speech zone, and only after scheduling it ahead of time.
In the exchange that was captured on video, a campus police officer approaches the students and tells them to stop handing out the Constitution.
"Why are there rules tied to my free speech?" Van Tuinen asks the officer.
The officer responds that there is a "process" he has to go through.
Both Van Tuinen and the officer then proceed to the Student Center. He is then told by an administrator that the college has a "time, place, and manner."
"And that's the free speech area, and the free speech area is over there in front of the student center, in that little cement area. That's the time, place, and manner free speech area for anybody that's going to be on campus, which comes through my office, and they would need to fill out an application," she told Van Tuinen.
The administrator then said she would need a photo of his ID, and he would need to read the guidelines and procedures. "We're not telling you you can't, you just need to follow the guidelines," the administrator says.
Van Tuinen was then was referred to the vice president of Student Services.
Van Tuinen said he was "very surprised" at being told he couldn't hand out copies of the Constitution this week.
"The Constitution is the highest law in the land-it allows me to talk to fellow students," he said.
According to Van Tuinen, he gave away around 50 copies before he was shut down. He said he "didn't know" about the restrictions nor did he "plan to get shut down." He indicated that he didn't fill out the paperwork because he thought it applied to holding events, and he was just handing out copies.
"The idea that I can't pass out Constitutions is really ridiculous," Van Tuinen said. Other students he has spoken to and who have seen the video are confused about the college's actions, according to Van Tuinen.
"What the school did is just plain wrong," he said.
The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education agreed with Van Tuinen.
"The video of Modesto Junior College police and administrators stubbornly denying a public college student's right to freely pass out pamphlets to fellow students-copies of the Constitution, no less!-should send a chill down the spine of every American," said Robert Shibley, senior vice president of FIRE.
The organization has written to Modesto Junior College President Jill Stearns demanding the school's policy be rescinded immediately.
"That students at MJC, a public institution bound by the First Amendment, were prohibited from distributing copies of the Constitution on campus-on a day created to celebrate the Constitution, no less-is profoundly offensive to the First Amendment and shocking to the conscience," the letter states.
FIRE's letter told Stearns that the college's actions are unconstitutional.
"To be clear: MJC's requirement that students request permission to distribute printed materials on campus is unconstitutional. Its requirement that such requests be submitted a minimum of five business days in advance is unconstitutional. Finally, its exile of all approved campus expression to a single small area of the campus is unconstitutional," the letter stated.
Stearns did not respond to a request for comment.
Shibley said Modesto Junior College is clearly in the wrong. "Your right to engage in free speech in this country is not contingent on the contents of some bureaucrat's binder, and the fact that two people on campus are currently speaking their minds doesn't mean you can't," said Shibley.
"Virtually everything that Modesto Junior College could do wrong, it did do wrong. It sent police to enforce an unconstitutional rule, said that students could not freely distribute literature, placed a waiting period on free speech, produced an artificial scarcity of room for free speech with a tiny 'free speech area,' and limited the number of speakers on campus to two at a time," Shibley said.
Calling it "outrageous from start to finish," Shibley said, "every single person at Modesto responsible for enforcing this policy should have known better."
Van Tuinen said he doesn't foresee handing out any other material for a while but does plan on forming a chapter of Young Americans for Liberty at the college.
View this article at The Washington Free Beacon.


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Harvard University is returning a controversial $2.5 million gift to its donor, the president of the United Arab Emirates.
Harvard said in a statement Monday that the president, Sheik Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, recently asked to withdraw the gift, which was to endow a chair in Islamic religious studies, before it was subjected to a formal deliberation this summer by the university.
Abdulla Alsaboosi, a spokesman at the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Washington, said negotiations between the university and Sheik Zayed's representatives had been going on for several months. ''The negotiations were conducted in an atmosphere of cordiality and mutual respect,'' Mr. Alsaboosi said, ''but in the end, since no decision was taken by the university, we felt regretfully that we had no option but to retract the gift.''
Students and Jewish organizations had criticized the Harvard Divinity School for accepting the donation, which was made in 2000, because they objected to the sheik's support for a policy research organization, the Zayed International Center for Coordination and Follow-Up in Abu Dhabi, one of the seven states in the United Arab Emirates.


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Blackhawk Tactical has a new tuckable holster that they were showing off at the SHOT Show. It uses a mix of leather and Kydex and uses a three slot design for belt wear, which isremovablefor wearing inside the pants. It also features tension adjustable retention and a trigger guard, along with a 'shirt shield' to help prevent sweat from getting near your weapon. This holster definitely shows some promise. We'll keep you update with a release date. Most of the new Blackhawk holsters are coming out in the next few months, so I would assume this will be in the same time frame.
Constructed of premium leather and durable Kydex, this holster combines the benefits of threeholsters in one, giving you the option of inside-the-waistband, tuckable or belt-mounted wear.No matter how you choose to wear it, each design will contour to your body for exceptionalcomfort and concealment.
For our 7th gift idea, we have the Galco Underwraps holster. This bellyband holster fits up under your shirt along your belly, and features universal fits which supports almost every weapon. Supporting up to two weapons, and with pockets for accessories, flashlights or magazines, the Underwraps makes a great gift for anybody who likes to carry a weapon off duty.
The Underwraps quite possibly packs more options than any other holster on the market today!
Galco's update of the traditional bellyband allows concealed carry of multiple weapons and accessories around your midsection, in an infinite variety of configurations. The UnderWraps also enables you to make instant additions and changes to your rig. Two leather holster pockets facilitate stable positioning of one or two firearms simultaneously, while two accessory pockets accommodate badge, cuffs, ammo-you name it!
The UnderWraps can be worn like a traditional bellyband (low on your waistline, partially under your beltline or just above it), or it can be worn around your trunk mid-section (solar plexus area). The two handgun pockets are made of leather to extend the service life of the holsters, and stabilize your firearms in the precise position and angle you prefer. Two elastic utility pockets add an even greater number of possibilities.
The UnderWraps accommodates both right and left hand draw, strong side, crossdraw, small of back and kidney carry, with butt-forward and barrel-forward cants. It can accommodate one or two firearms, spare ammunition, handcuffs, badge, flashlight, tactical knife, wallet, and much, much more! The UnderWraps is constructed of heavy duty elastic and is a full 4″ wide.
Made to fit most semiautomatic pistols and double-action revolvers, the UnderWraps is ambidextrous and available in khaki or black. Four sizes are available to fit almost any gun carrier: SM (30″-34″) MED (36″-40″) LG (42″-46″) XL (48″-52″).
As part of our25 Gift Ideas for Christmaspromotion, we are going to be posting a new gift idea for your favorite police officer, fire fighter, EMT or military service member each day starting from Black Friday (November 23rd) through December 17th.
... (read more)


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Archives Wednesday, April 21, 2010 Internet Life
FRANKLIN INSTITUTE IS COOL. The times we live in. Mrs. CP found
this, no doubt because we have a red-tailed hawk family that nests in our
yard year after year. We watch them fly in with the nest makings
for days every spring, but we never get to see what's showing on the
Internet now -- the live 24/7 process of hatching eggs and caring for
the young.People talk a lot about the downside of technology's virtual thrills, but that's only part of the story. I'm amazed that this supposedly unreal and soul-destroying electronic universe can leap the gap between our bay window and the natural drama unfolding invisibly a hundred yards away. The race of mankind has its faults, to be sure, but it is also capable of extraordinary wonders. |
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