Individualizing Medicine 2017: Advancing Care Through Genomics

Expensive!

Trump Pledges $1 Million Donation to Harvey’s Victims - The New York Times

Let's give him a day or two to decide and then mercilessly insist that he make the donation without delay.

The Technology Our West Africa Bureau Chief Relies On - The New York Times

So much opportunity.

Bird Listener - Listen To The Live Sounds of Birds and Nature Indoors

I hope they make it!

Protesters in Durham Topple a Confederate Monument - The New York Times

I cannot condone destruction of public property. It's a crime and should be punished as such. The way to get rid of the offensive monument is to use the democratic tools that may be less exciting, but are the right way to correct wrongs, such as this statue.

Trump Attacks Merck Chief Kenneth Frazier for Quitting Advisory Panel - The New York Times

I am so ashamed to have to admit to people that this bad person is the President of the USA.

Tom Brokaw: Friends Across Barbed Wire and Politics - The New York Times

Change can be downright bad.

Terra Irish Cream Liqueur Specialists - Terra

Super!

An Ally Is Set to Execute Critics. Will Mr. Trump Be Silent? - The New York Times

TRUMP is turning the USA into an awful country, lacking principles and the backbone to stand up for what is clearly right.

Why Kids Can’t Write - The New York Times

Teach them to write well!

White House aide blasts CNN reporter for 'cosmopolitan bias' in bizarre exchange - POLITICO

Revolting.

La commission Européenne examine un possible cartel automobile allemand

Put them all in jail!

Hmm

Pieces like this often seem like they were conceived on a toilet.

NC public school enrollment falls as more choose other options | News & Observer

This is all very bad in every respect except for the ego of some parents. Well, it's not even "good" for that!

President Trump’s Contempt for the Rule of Law - The New York Times

A great editorial that is only shocking in its necessity.

The Immense, Eternal Footprint Humanity Leaves on Earth: Plastics - The New York Times

Among the world's most intractible problems, this is surely one we can improve dramatically starting right now.

Saudi Police Arrest Woman Who Wore Miniskirt in Online Video - The New York Times

Such hopeless people.

A Defender of the Constitution, With No Legal Right to Live Here - The New York Times

Why can't we get this right?

Hobbyism

Lots of meat here to consider.

Few Overseas Have Faith in Trump’s Leadership, Survey Finds - The New York Times

We are served so poorly by this man.

Pro-Trump group's health care offensive warns GOP senators to get in line - POLITICO

The work ahead to restore America post TRUMP is going to be immense.

A Cyberattack ‘the World Isn’t Ready For’ - The New York Times

Scary as Hell.

Is North Carolina the Future of American Politics? - The New York Times

Look forward to reading this.

Amazon Deal Intensifies Competition Among Food Sellers - The New York Times

It's hard to imagine a more exciting combination than Amazon, the Washington Post and Whole Foods!

Delta Air Lines and Bank of America Won’t Back Trump-Like ‘Julius Caesar’ - The New York Times

Great opportunity to speak up and express opinion toward these companies by what we buy and use - and tell that we are doing so because of this. It's hard not to have an opinion about this and each of us - regardless of whether it is support or opposition - ought to speak up with our pocketbooks.

nat turner descendants - Google Search

As to be expected, there is much more to the story.

Descendants of Nat Turner honored in Gary - Post-Tribune

I just saw the film and wondered about descendants.

Faith Salie: Too many exclamation points!!! - CBS News

She got it just right,

USA Today's I Am An American | #WeAreOneNation

Neat.

When America Barred Italians - The New York Times

Not to be forgotten, ever, by this Irishman.

Why Are These CEOs Still Standing With Trump on Climate? - The New York Times

What wimps.

Paris climate agreeement

Below is a list of the companies that appear to have signed on in favor of the Paris climate agreement, urging the President not to pull out. These are companies that will get my customer and investment support; the others will get only questions from me whenever I can leave them out of my life. Where are the others?
Those who signed:
Adobe (ADBE) 
Allianz (ALIZF) 
BP (BP) 
DuPont (DD) 
eBay (EBAY) 
General Mills (GIS) 
Hilton (HGV) 
Intel (INTC, Tech30) 
Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) 
Kellogg Company (K) 
Monsanto (MON) 
Royal Dutch Shell (RDSA) 
Salesforce (CRM, Tech30) 
Staples (SPLS) 
Symantec (SYMC) 
Tesla (TSLA) 
Dow Chemical Company (DOW) 
Tiffany & Co. (TIF) 
Unilever (UL)

Did the Turkish President’s Security Detail Attack Protesters in Washington? What the Video Shows - The New York Times

This is what a great newspaper does. We should all give thanks, and while doing that, ask the DC Police why no one has been charged?

Mapping 50 Years of Melting Ice in Glacier National Park - The New York Times

Terrifying.

Erdogan Security Forces Launch ‘Brutal Attack’ on Washington Protesters, Officials Say - The New York Times

This merits relentless attention.

In Video, Erdogan Watches as His Guards Clash With Protesters - The New York Times

It's unconscienable that he was not officially rebuked for this by the US Government, including the city of Washington, DC.

Turkey’s Mr. Erdogan Does Not Get His Way - The New York Times

Let's hope that this happens a lot!

Turkey

We should withdraw all landing rights for Turkish Airlines in the US until a formal apology is issued and the bodyguards are returned to the US for trial. If that results in canceled US airline flights to Turkey it is a tiny societal price to pay for the protection of such fundamental rights and liberties. We cannot allow this to plass with a wet noodle slap on the wrist.

Tillerson: It’s Time to Restore ‘Balance’ With Other Countries - The New York Times

Reason enough to abhor the TRUMP administration.

Say hello to President Mike Pence | IrishCentral.com

He has it right, alas.

A Whistle-Blower Tells of Health Insurers Bilking Medicare - The New York Times

There really is a lot of waste and bad service.

One Columnist On The Foolproof Customer Service Trick | Here & Now

Worth a listen!

Yo-Yo Ma, Chris Thile And Edgar Meyer Put Their Spin On Bach | Here & Now

I love this sort of music!

Young, Idealistic but Determined, Slovaks Lead Anticorruption Crusade - The New York Times

To be admired, I think!

Review: Jacobs and Moses Star in ‘Citizen Jane: Battle for the City’ - The New York Times

Want to see this!

A Stronger Transit Web, on the Water - The New York Times

Bravo, but we need the same attention paid to pedestrians. A pedestrian web on foot?

Stripped Village Homes Expose a Hollowing Out of France’s Heritage - The New York Times

A Joinville I do not know.

Trillions of Plastic Bits, Swept Up by Current, Are Littering Arctic Waters - The New York Times

We should all be so ashamed and, more important, we should all do something about this. Both at home and in business and on the web. Increase the guilt when it comes to discarded plastic, anywhere!

First: Aid – Conscience Magazine

Very nice, but I am hardly a disinterested reader!

A Positive Outlook May Be Good for Your Health - The New York Times

This, too!

Turning Negative Thinkers Into Positive Ones - The New York Times

Makes so much sense!

The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia

Don't we all expect to be manipulated, mentally, all the time?

Why Is This Hate Different From All Other Hate? - The New York Times

I think she is on the right track here. It is refreshing, if I read this correctly, to find anti-semitisim put in its proper place as just one of the many pieces of the awful discriminaiton pie we are witnessing int he US and around the world.

Those Indecipherable Medical Bills? They’re One Reason Health Care Costs So Much. - The New York Times

My concern with this is that patients are simply precluded by all this from playing a meaningful role in the management of their health care.

- Actu - Télématin - France 2

Important for us all to understand better!

Equality

There sure is a lot of meat here.

‘I Am an American Because of Him’: The Journey of Pence’s Irish Grandfather - The New York Times

There is a difference between playing by the rules, and the laws, and not.

Irish Premier Uses St. Patrick’s Day Ritual to Lecture Trump on Immigration - The New York Times

I am fearful that this impressive performance fell on a deaf audience of one.

Irish Premier Uses St. Patrick’s Day Ritual to Lecture Trump on Immigration - The New York Times

I am fearful that this impressive performance fell on a deaf audience of one..

Christopher GRAY

Sorry that I did not pay more attention over all those years.

Steve King, Hurling Insults at Immigrants, Is Rebuked by His Own Party - The New York Times

Obnoxiousness keeps scraping the bottom of the barrel.

I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it: My Shop: Why did the chicken restaurant cross the road? - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-39230746

I saw this on the BBC and thought you should see it: World wide web creator Tim Berners-Lee targets fake news - http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-39246810

Facebook’s Zuckerberg, Bucking Tide, Takes Public Stand Against Isolationism - The New York Times

Good move.

Hyphen-Nation - NYTimes.com

Great piece.

Reinvention

Hundreds of years ago, someone in what is now Germany, I think, came up with a great idea and executed on it. The need to be filled was getting a thing from point A to point B without taking it there yourself. The answer was a postal service. We have come a long way since then but have reached not a simple turn in the road, but a full U-turn.

This clip - available online only in France - talks about the problem of dealing with so many orders on the internet, and how stores are confronted with the challenge of how best to get the purchased products (and services) to the cusotmer. The example cited is the store FNAC, a chain carrying many different products, mostly oriented toward technology.

In order to help customers and encourage them to pick up purchases in the store, the customers receive a number and a code on their phones after purchase. That takes them to the door of a box in the FNAC store wall where using code opens the door and, voila, the purchase is at hand.

Sort of makes me think of how mailboxes in post offices used to work, non? Haven't we sped ahead and made a U-turn?

California Farmers Backed Trump, but Now Fear Losing Field Workers - The New York Times

This group is going to grow.

Trump falsely accuses senator of misrepresenting Gorsuch criticism - CNNPolitics.com

Do we have to fall to TRUMP's level and answer things like this with facts about TRUMP lies? Why should we allow him to send us that low?

Trump Calls Hearing on Immigration Ban ‘Disgraceful’ - The New York Times

One has to question his sanity.

President OBAMA and Vice President BIDEN

Good for them!

Betsy DeVos Confirmed as Education Secretary; Pence Breaks Tie - The New York Times

It just gets worse and worse...

NC Attorney General Josh Stein joins other AGs in lawsuit against Trump immigration ban | News & Observer

Super!

9th Circuit Court of Appeals to hear challenge to Trump's ban Tuesday - CNNPolitics.com

Where is North Carolina????????????

‘So-Called’ Judge Criticized by Trump Is Known as a Mainstream Republican - The New York Times

Pretty strong words from a so-called President.

WeTree presents We Tree — KissKissBankBank

This is great, but we all should plant a tree somewhere once/week!

Surely there is one good Republican US Senator in addition to Sens COLLINS and MURKOWSKI?

Find her/him!

Quebec’s Response to Hate: More Tolerance - The New York Times

North American sanity and heart.

I'm at a loss for words

What is worse than despicable?

Uneasy About the Future, Readers Turn to Dystopian Classics - The New York Times

Makes you want to read again!

Profound Weekend in January 2017 - YouTube

Wonderful!

We Are Dissidents; We Are Legion - The New York Times

We'll see soon enough.

After the US, far right says 2017 will be the year Europe wakes up | World news | The Guardian

We have to keep a global perspective on all of this as the fringe is weaving itself together.

Carla Hayden Thinks Libraries Are a Key to Freedom - The New York Times

Super!

Rohrsbach test!

I love the idea of asking readers how they react to this! One can see almost anything!

Transcript And Analysis: President Trump's Inauguration Speech : NPR

An important contribution to understanding the message.

Germany’s Extreme Right Challenges Guilt Over Nazi Past - The New York Times

There is so much worry today.

How Chickens Shifted From Sacred To Diet Staple : NPR

Great story.

How The Systemic Segregation Of Schools Is Maintained By 'Individual Choices' : NPR Ed : NPR

I could not agree more!

Illinois Congressman: Poverty Plays A Large Role In Chicago Gun Violence : NPR

I want to write more about this in support of his point that there are just too many guns.

‘James Bond of Philanthropy’ Gives Away the Last of His Fortune - The New York Times

I think he accomplished great things and saw all of them happen while still alive!

Only one editor defended the Irish in the era of “No Irish Need Apply” | IrishCentral.com

Good for him!

To Make the World Better, Think Small - The New York Times

This makes a lot of sense.

How to Know What Donald Trump Really Cares About: Look at What He’s Insulting - The New York Times

Really well done.

Why I Will Not Cast My Electoral Vote for Donald Trump - The New York Times

I admire his courage.

NC elector: People want me to change my vote, but I'll vote Trump :: WRAL.com

We surely need a better system.

‘Saturday Night Live’ and Trump Spar Once Again - The New York Times

Let the rough and tumble begin! (And cry a lot!)

Apologizing

I am going to start a little essay here on the decline of apologies in everyday life - especially as a customer of something.....
--
Yesterday, I called the Herald-Sun to say that we had not received our paper for two days. I had gotten a phone message that our card did not "go through", so I mentioned this. After giving the woman my credit card, she said I could not do this - i.e., give her my card number. So I asked to be transferred to someone who could resolve this and please don't send me to someone's voice mail. She could not do that either, she said. Not once in this whole exchange did she utter the words, "I am sorry for your inconvenience" until I noted that she had not said this. Grudgingly, she mouthed the words, almost as though she was saying them for the first time!

The Economics For And Against Trump's Infrastructure Plan | Here & Now

Great stuff.

Fidel Castro’s Sister, an Outspoken Critic, Takes No Joy in His Death - The New York Times

I feel for her and agree with her fully. The expressions of glee and joy are repulsive, much moreso this week then the man himself had been to so many. Let us respect life and lament its passing regardless of who it is or was.

Trump and Pence vs. ‘Hamilton’ cast: A collision of two Americas - The Washington Post

I think this will mark a sad but unavoidable point in the TRUMP presidency. It is sad because he had so many options of how to respond. Unavoidable because to suppress speech is to flame it.