Time to reflect…
The unemployment rate is below 4%.
Black and Hispanic unemployment are at an all time lows
Wages have started to creep up.
And, according to a recent Harris poll, blue collar job satisfaction is over 80%.
Thanks to all who do the heavy lifting so that I can sit back and enjoy my retirement.
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Follow on Twitter @KenHoma
#HomaFiles
This week, we’ve been highlighting China’s 9 Principles for Replacing America as the Global Superpower
- Don’t provoke a powerful adversary.
- Turn your opponent’s house on itself.
- Be patient to achieve victory.
- Steal your opponent’s ideas and technology.
- Target an enemy’s weak points rather than relying on an accumulation of brute strength.
- Beware political states that have a dominant influence or authority over others.
- Deceive others into doing your bidding for you.
- Establish and employ metrics for measuring your status relative to other potential challengers.
- Maintain a deeply ingrained sense of paranoia.These principles are excerpted from a book titled The Hundred Year Marathon: China’s Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower by Michael Pillsbury.
Principle #1 – Don’t provoke a powerful adversary – was evident this week in the apparent escalation in the tariff dispute.
Let’s recap the bidding….
This week, we’ve been highlighting China’s 9 Principles for Replacing America as the Global Superpower
- Don’t provoke a powerful adversary.
- Turn your opponent’s house on itself.
- Be patient to achieve victory.
- Steal your opponent’s ideas and technology.
- Target an enemy’s weak points rather than relying on an accumulation of brute strength.
- Beware political states that have a dominant influence or authority over others.
- Deceive others into doing your bidding for you.
- Establish and employ metrics for measuring your status relative to other potential challengers.
- Maintain a deeply ingrained sense of paranoia.
Note these principles are excerpted from a book titled The Hundred Year Marathon: China’s Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower by Michael Pillsbury.
Quite an appropriate title given CNBC’s observation regarding the current escalation in the tariff dispute.
Let’s dig a little deeper…
Earlier this week, we outlined China’s 9 Principles for Replacing America as the Global Superpower
- Don’t provoke a powerful adversary.
- Turn your opponent’s house on itself.
- Be patient to achieve victory.
- Steal your opponent’s ideas and technology.
- Target an enemy’s weak points rather than relying on an accumulation of brute strength.
- Beware political states that have a dominant influence or authority over others.
- Deceive others into doing your bidding for you.
- Establish and employ metrics for measuring your status relative to other potential challengers.
- Maintain a deeply ingrained sense of paranoia.
Excerpted from The Hundred Year Marathon: China’s Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower by Michael Pillsbury.
Today, let’s focus on #4 — Steal your opponent’s ideas and technology — and drill down on … the Chinese theft of intellectual property..
Yesterday, we outlined China’s 9 Principles for Replacing America as the Global Superpower … excerpted from The Hundred Year Marathon: China’s Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower by Michael Pillsbury.
- Don’t provoke a powerful adversary.
- Turn your opponent’s house on itself.
- Be patient to achieve victory.
- Steal your opponent’s ideas and technology.
- Target an enemy’s weak points rather than relying on an accumulation of brute strength.
- Beware political states that have a dominant influence or authority over others.
- Deceive others into doing your bidding for you.
- Establish and employ metrics for measuring your status relative to other potential challengers.
- Maintain a deeply ingrained sense of paranoia.
Today, let’s focus on #5 and drill down on the Chinese cyber-threat.
Michael Pillsbury nails the point in his book …
Keep that in mind during the escalating tariff war … there’s a higher purpose.
============
One of my summer reads has been The Hundred Year Marathon: China’s Strategy to Replace America as the Global Superpower by Michael Pillsbury.
Pillsbury is a bona fide China expert, having served 8 administrations in a variety of high-level positions in the state and defense departments and having worked for heralded think tanks, including RAND and the Hudson Institute.
Note: To me, the guy seems very credible since (a) he footnotes every major point with compelling source documentation, and (b) he is very self-effacing – often pointing out the mistakes that he had made in his China analyses.
As the title indicates, Pillsbury concludes that China is about midway through a 100-year strategy to replace the U.S. as the global superpower…
… while others seem to just tread water?
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Interesting study reported in the NY Times
The rich really are getting richer … growing net worth faster than those on lower wealth rungs.
… and, there’s a logical reason why.
Yesterday we reported survey results from Schwab and the WSJ that pegged the threshold for being classified as “rich” or “wealthy” at about $2.5 million.
Just being a millionaire doesn’t make the cut any more.
Source: NY Times
OK, so how many households do make the cut?
Several years ago I asked a colleague “What do you need to retire?”
His answer: “$5 million and playmates.”
Playmates?
What he meant was having enough leisure-time folks to hang out with during the day.
So, about the “magic number” …
Recent reports are that Trump is mulling the idea of the U.S. buying Greenland from Denmark.
Rationale: Strategic military locale, rich resources, historical legacy.
True or illusory, got me wondering whether Trump has his eye on the wrong target.
Some friends & family recently tripped to Iceland.
They loved it, but remarked “it was pretty cold”.
I asserted that you waive you right to carp about chilliness when you choose to go to a place called “Iceland”.
After chuckling, I said “sounds to me like a branding issue” … and, my friends said “that’s right … and there’s a story about the naming of Iceland and Greenland.”
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Digging a bit, here’s the story that I’ve been able to piece together …
Recent studies indicate benefits from fasting … and, breakfast may be on the chopping block.
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From the WSJ
For years, conventional wisdom has been “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and supper like a pauper.”
But, recent research suggests that intermittent fasting (aka. time-restricted eating) may be a better route to weight loss and improved health .
Specifically, some doctors are advising patients to omit either dinner or breakfast, so that they don’t ingest any food for at least 14 hours at a stretch.
Here’s why…
For years, my wife has been justifiably complaining about how dishwasher performance has gotten way worse because of goofy environmental rules enacted by the Feds.
Ostensibly, DOE rules were put in place to reduce energy and water consumption.
While well-intended (maybe) , from the get-go, consumers started complaining that dishwashers made under the new rules don’t clean very well — dishes come out dirty and smelly … and take forever to run … often requiring follow-on runs to finish the job.
DOE itself has acknowledged this is caused by its regulations, saying: “To help compensate for the negative impact on cleaning performance associated with decreasing water use and water temperature, manufacturers will typically increase the cycle time.” Source
The news: help may be on the way….
Answer: For sure, the TCJA put downward pressure on home values … how much depends on a home’s value before deduction caps were put in place.
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In a prior post, we started thinking about this question (since nobody else seems to have landed on the issue) … and took a stab at estimating the isolated impact of the TCJA’s cap on the mortgage interest deduction.
A couple of readers asked (1) What about the impact of the SALT deductions cap?, and (2) Can you work through a example from start to finish … as simply as possible?
Always aiming to please my loyal readers, here’s a try at answering both inquiries with a simple(?) example….
For 2 years, I’ve been “punishing” Olive Garden for sleazy practice of adding $2 to my bill for the tablet computer that was on our table — even though we didn’t use it!
For the gory details (and a great read), see these prior posts:
I ended my personal boycott because I had the taste for Olive Garden bread sticks, not because the restaurant chain just announced a special promotion: the Olive Garden ““Lifetime Pasta Pass”.
The deal: Shell out $400 and you’re entitled to “a lifetime of unlimited servings of pastas, sauces, and toppings. Plus unlimited soup or salad and breadsticks.”
Of course, there are some small print restrictions and and plenty of fodder for belly laughs …
Controversial topic, so we’ll stick to the numbers…
Everybody knows that Obama’s words eased the racial divide … and that Trump’s words are blowing the gap wide open
Right?
Well, according to Gallup, that’s only partially right…
Analyzing Census Bureau data, economist Mark Perry concludes:
The “middle-class is disappearing” as we hear all the time, but it’s because middle-income households in the US are gradually moving up to higher-income groups, and not down into lower-income groups.
That conclusion is way different than we’ve been hearing from Dem Presidential candidates … and the mainstream media.
So, let’s dig a little deeper…
Last week — following Trump’s tweet calling out Baltimore — we reminded readers that: Once upon a time, Baltimore was thriving…
Noting former mayor William Donald Schaefer’s positive leadership and attention to detail, concluded:
imagine a mega-initiative to clean-up the inner city — haul away the garbage (and maybe some of the rats).
Hire Baltimore’s notorious squeegee boys (and other unemployed residents) to attack the problem.
It wouldn’t fix all of Baltimore’s problems, but it would be a conspicuous step forward.
Well, the city administration didn’t rally the notorious squeegee boys (nor anybody else, as near as we can tell).
But, some people did step up…
Hint: Medicare For All would eliminate it and nobody seems to be talking about it.
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Anybody remember the Simpson-Bowles Report?
It was commissioned by President Obama shortly after he was first elected … reported out in 2010 … and trash-canned shortly thereafter … since it predictably recommended spending cuts and tax increases.
According to Simpson-Bowles, the “biggest“Federal tax break” is ….
After paying Medicare taxes for years, weren’t the benefits supposed to be free?
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Yesterday, we argued that Medicare’s payroll taxes can thought of as a mega-joining fee … or, as prepaid premiums that amortize to the equivalent of $10,000 per year over a retiree’s post-65 life span.
See Ouch: The (personal) economics of Medicare payroll taxes
And, we pointed out that the prepaid premiums are just the tip of the iceberg.
Once retired, the Feds collects additional annual Medicare premiums.
This may surprise pre-retirement folks who think that they pay in during their working years, but then get “free” healthcare insurance when they retire.
![image_thumb[3]](https://homafiles.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/image_thumb3.png "image_thumb[3]")
After
Today, let’s take a look at Medicare premiums…
Last week the WSJ ran a piece calling him “Trump: A Brawler for Democracy” .
That calls for a reprise of a HomaFiles post from August 2015 … way ahead of its time !
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Trump: Inspired by the 1972 Cuban Olympic boxing team?
Many of you may be too young to have witnessed and remember, but…
In the 1972 Olympics, the polished U.S. boxing team was predicted to sweep the competition.
But, something happened on the way to the medals’ platform that shocked the sporting world.
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Here’s the story and why Trump’s first days in office jogged my memory of the 1972 Olympics …
Over the years, I’ve anteed about $250,000 into the Medicare tax kitty.
And, you may have thrown in more than you think!
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Motivated by Medicare for All hype coming from far-left-leaning Dems presidential candidates, I finally took a serious look at the buckos that I’ve thrown into the Medicare kitty over the years.
I’d like to say that I was surprised, but I really wasn’t.
Here are the details…
Anybody remember Mayor William Donald Schaefer? Tom Peters does…
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Baltimore has gotten a lot of attention this week … with Pres. Trump indelicately singling the city out as a poster child of inner-city blight and political malfeasance.
It wasn’t always so.
We lived in suburban Baltimore County for 10 years … starting in 1990.
The city had its issues, but they seemed to be under control.
Why?
“Excellence” guru Tom Peters credits the leadership of a William Donald Schaefer.
Who?
But, this time, it was Kamala that got Kamala-ed.
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On balance the debate was pretty boring and uninformative.
The gang of many tried to pile on Biden
Joe was wobbly and a bit tired … but fended off the punches … often by putting up his strategic ObamaShield … saying implicitly: “If you attack me, you’re attacking Barack”.
For example, did you notice how Joe hung with “ObamaCare” … but other candidates kept referring to the “Affordable Care Act”?
I expect that’ll be Biden’s go forward strategy: wrap himself with an Obama cloak … and trade on borrowed adulation.
Basically, I think Biden played to a tie.
The bigger story last night was Tulsi Gabbard taking Kamala Harris to the hoop…
Anybody remember his debate against Paul Ryan?
==============
Most (all?) pundits seem to agree that Kamala Harris got the best of Joe Biden in the first debate … by getting in his face on busing and, in doing so, hit him with a veiled accusation of racism.
Biden’s response was weak … truncated by his throwing in the towel with “I see that my time is up.”
On the campaign trail, Biden has been telling supporters (and fat cat donors) that he’s going to up his game in the second debates.:
His chest-pounding is eliciting a lot of “yeah, right” reactions….
A politically expedient strategy to neutralize a potential Biden advantage.
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According to the far-left leaning Daily Beast …
The idea that the Obama legacy would be anything other than a massive positive for Biden … has been treated as indisputable within Democratic circles.
But in recent weeks, the Democratic frontrunner has had that legacy used against him, with his competitors pointing the to shortcomings of the last Democratic administration.
On issues ranging from immigration to health care and foreign policy, the 2020 candidates have been increasingly critical in their public assessments of the Obama administration.
More specifically….
Prior to Round 2 of the debates, he says: Dems may be handing Trump his re-election.
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Back in 2005, Thomas Friedman’s book “The World is Flat” did much to legitimize and promote globalization.
For better or for worse, the book had undeniable impact … becoming a bible of sorts and playbook for globalization.
Since “Flat World”, Friedman veered far left and didn’t say much that I agreed with.
That is, until last week…
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In an NY Times opinion piece, Friedman observed:
“A lot of Americans were shocked by some of the things they heard (during the recent democratic presidential debates). I was shocked, too.”
What shocked him?
I was shocked that so many candidates in the party whose nominee I was planning to support want to get rid of the private health insurance covering some 250 million Americans and have “Medicare for all” instead. I think we should strengthen Obamacare and eventually add a public option.
I was shocked that so many were ready to decriminalize illegal entry into our country. I think people should have to ring the doorbell before they enter my house or my country.
I was shocked at all those hands raised in support of providing comprehensive health coverage to undocumented immigrants. I think promises we’ve made to our fellow Americans should take priority, like to veterans in need of better health care.
And I was shocked by front-runner Joe Biden’s feeble response to the attack from Kamala Harris — and to the more extreme ideas promoted by those to his left.
Couldn’t have said it better myself, Tommy.
And, what does Friedman conclude?
A racist, divisive, climate-change-denying, woman-abusing jerk who is our president is going to get re-elected
Ouch!
And his remedy for the Dems:
Dear Democrats:
This is not complicated! Just nominate a decent, sane person, one committed to reunifying the country and creating more good jobs.
Hmmm.
Ironic that the guy who championed the migration of “good” American jobs to low cost labor markets is now championing the creation of good jobs.
As Forrest Gump would say: “What goes around, comes around.”
============
Follow on Twitter @KenHoma
#HomaFiles
… and, what are the implications?
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I think that it was clear to any reasonably objective person that Mueller was testifying under what’s called “diminished capacity.”
For the record my mother fought a 20 year battle against dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, so I’m both sympathetic and — while I have no medical credentials whatsoever — I’m reasonably well-versed in the symptomology and terminology.
Said differently, I’m sympathetic to Mueller and not just trying to take a cheap shot.
In my opinion, his symptoms weren’t a spontaneous response to the stress of testifying, but more likely, reflected an accumulative progression over time.
If I’m right, that conclusion raises major questions and implications…
Yep, being retired, I watched most of Mueller’s testimony live yesterday.
I agree with David Axlerod’s assessment: painful.
This morning, I flipped between CNN and MSNBC.
Their storyline: Great fodder for the impeachment cannon … poor optics … Republicans were disrespectful to Viet Nam war vet.
But, even they were admitting that Dems – who were reportedly aware of Mueller’s “challenges – share “some” blame for contriving yesterday’s sad spectacle.
Here are my morning after takeaways…
Reason #16: Pretending that the 1930s didn’t exist.
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For the record: I’m neither a denier nor a zealot … so, according to British writer (& phrase-coiner) Matt Ridley, I’m a “lukewarmer”.
============
During a recent DC heatwave, we did some historical data-digging.
Among the conclusions that we drew was that it was pretty damn hot during the 1930s … when SUVs didn’t roam the earth and factories were operating.at Great Depression levels
Heatwaves in the 1930s lasted longer in the 1930s (over 10 days then vs. less than 7 recently) … and hit higher temperatures (101 degrees then vs. 99 degrees recently).
And, based on a WeatherFacts analysis, “19 (38%) of the 50 U.S. states recorded their (current standing) hottest temperatures in the 1930s.”
More broadly, only 13 states have recorded their highest temperatures since 1940 … and, only South Carolina has set its record in this decade.
Hmmm.
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So, is the globe really warming?
I guess it depends on:
(1) What’s your starting point
(2) What parts of history you flat out ignore
(3) How much you dink with the data … See Dinking with the data
(4) Where you take your temperature readings and how you combine them into a “global metric” … See What’s the earth’s temperature?
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See all 16 Reasons why I’m lukewarm on climate change …
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Follow on Twitter @KenHoma
#HomaFiles
I’m neither a denier nor a zealot … so, according to British writer (& phrase-coiner) Matt Ridley, I’m a “lukewarmer”.
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For the record, here are 16 reasons that I’m a lukewarmer … with links to the prior posts:
1. Unsettling science From “Ice Age” to “Global Warming” to “18-year Pause” to“Climate Change”.
2. Expired doomsday predictions By 2016, NYC would be swamped, Polar bears would be extinct, etc.
3. The “97% of scientists” baloney Oft-repeated doesn’t make it true – here’s the real story
4. Dinking with the data Temperature data “adjusted” by the NOAA eliminated the 18-year pause and bolstered the global warming case
5. Temperature readings – plus or minus Bottom line: thermometers weren’t very precise in the old days … and still have wide variances
6. What’s the earth’s temperature? It depends on the mix of reporting locations and an array of factors at each of them
7. The Climategate Emails Climate scientists were exposed hiding exculpatory data for political purposes
8. Low on American’s worry list Folks will nod that it’s probably getting warmer, but have more urgent matters to worry about (like keeping their jobs or getting healthcare)
9. Seen a Volt recently? Obama vowed a million EVs by now – where are the “believers”?
10. Letting the perps walk For all practical purposes, the Paris Accords gave the world’s worst polluters – India & China – a free pass.
11. Celebs who “Never let a serious crisis go to waste.” In the aftermath of a flood or hurricane, you can count on celebrities coming forth to bellow “I told you so” …. even if the facts and the science say otherwise. You see, science – and its relevance – is always malleable to the cause..
12. When is weather “climate”… and when is it just “weather”? The short answer: hot spells are “climate”; cold spells are just dismissed as “weather”.
13. The “moral license” that “believers” carry in their wallets. A rationale for the classic “do as I say, not as I do”
14. Climate change zealots are piss-poor marketers. “The promotional efforts of the climate catastrophists have lacked the cornerstones of effective persuasion: clarity, credibility, and empathy.”
15. Did Paris just pull out of the “Paris Accords”? Macron enacted a gas tax … then retreated when the mass of working folks objected.
16. Pretending that the 1930s didn’t exist … even though heatwaves were worse then and many states recorded all-time high temperatures in the 1930s
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And, my advice to climate change advocates:
(1) “Re-brand” the cause to fighting pollution — people can relate to that and it gets to the same end-point
(2) Stop the incredible (i.e. not credible) scare tactics
(3) Walk-the-talk … dampen the hypocrisy
(4) Keep an open mind … sorry guys, the science isn’t really settled yet
==========
Follow on Twitter @KenHoma
#HomaFiles
Good thing we’re not living in the 1930s
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Yesterday, we posted the 10 hottest days recorded in my locale — Washington, DC.
The key conclusions: (1) last weekend’s 99 degree reading doesn’t come close to making the list (2) no days since 2012 made the list (3) it was pretty damn hot in the 1930s.
Here’s some more confirming evidence on that last point from WeatherFacts:
In the 1930s, there were more heatwaves and, on average, each heatwave lasted for a historically long duration.
In the 1930s, heatwaves lasted over 10 days …. nowadays, they’re less than a week.
“Yeah Ken, but heatwaves these days are way hotter than the were a hundred years ago.”
Not so, mes amies…
Put them in a historical context.
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No denying it … it was really hot his weekend.
High temperatures hit 97 on Friday and 99 on Sunday Source
So predictably, I’ve been hearing that the weekend temps prove that there’s global warming.
Before jumping to that conclusion, it helps to resort to data and put the weekend heat in a historical perspective….
Worst case answer: About $50,000.
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First, a couple of disclaimers …
1) I’m not a tax accountant or lawyer … so, nothing I say should be construed to be financial or tax advice.
2) Philosophically, I’ve always thought the income tax deduction for mortgage interest should be shelved.
Note: That philosophical principle certainly never stopped me from claiming my allowed tax deductions for my home mortgages.
OK, let’s get started…
Since Joe Biden is hanging his hat (for now) on expanding ObamaCare (rather than signing up for the other candidates’ Medicare for All (MFA), let’s flashback to a prior post and inject some facts.
In 2016 (Obama’s last year in office), employees paid $11,000 out-of-pocket for healthcare … up $2,500 since 2012.
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Milliman – a well-regarded actuarial consulting” firm – has published an annual recap of healthcare spending since 2001.
The Milliman Medical Index tracks the total costs of providing health care to an average family of four covered by an employer-sponsored “preferred provider plan” … that’s about 155 million employees and their dependents.
The total includes the health insurance premiums paid by both the employer and the employee, as well as the actual expenditures for health care paid by the insurance plan and out of pocket by the insured family.
The big news: In 2016, the average healthcare costs for a family of 4 surpassed $25,000 for the first time … the $25,826 is triple the cost to provide health care for the same family in 2001 … and up about $5,000 since 2012.
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The bad(est) news is the increased proportion of the healthcare costs being shouldered by individual employees …
Where have I heard that one before?
===============
Joe Biden’s first presidential run in 1988 cratered amid multiple instances of plagiarism. Source
So, you’d think that he would have learned his lesson and stayed squeaky clean in the 2020 campaign.
Not so …
Countering the ultra-liberals Medicare for All (MFA), decided to reprise Obama’s infamous healthcare line.
So, what’s the rub?
Unforced error or political brilliance?
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These days — with the S&P over 3,000 and all politicians proving to be incompetent idiots — I’m finding politics decreasingly interesting, save for its entertainment value.
And, there’s plenty of that, for sue.
Cue Trump’s shocking (?) weekend tweet … and the nationally televised press conference by the self-named “Squad”.
Let’s run through that …
After a week of World Cup celebration, let’s shift gears and take a walk down down memory lane … to another USA sports achievement.
In 1980, the US men’s Olympic hockey team clawed its way towards a gold medal with a game against the heavily-favored Soviet Union.
The Soviet team had won gold medals in each of the the four previous Winter Olympics.
In a “friendly” game a few days before the start of the Olympics, the Soviets manhandled the U.S.A. team 10-3.
Suffice it to say that things didn’t look good for the Americans.
That is, until the miracle happened…
Yesterday, we posted how it may be possible to create a facial image (called a phenotype) from DNA … and bounce it against DMV photo files to ID suspects and witnesses.
And, we’ve previously posted how facial recognition has been gaining traction at airports, in some schools, on Chinese streets and even in some amusement parks.
Recently, NY Gov. Cuomo announced that cameras with facial recognition software were being installed to spot criminals in some of the state’s traffic tunnels, bridges and other choke points.
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More specifically…
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Gov. Cuomo revealed that facial-recognition cameras were already in place at bridge and tunnel toll plazas across the state.
The cameras scan drivers’ faces and feed them into databases to catch suspected criminals.
“We are now moving to facial-recognition technology which takes it to a whole new level, where it can see the face of the person in the car and run that technology against databases.”
When a match is made, an alarm is triggered for follow-up by law enforcement.
In China, images are posted to real-time digital billboards to shame perps.
My hunch: This is less of a tool to nab petty offenders … more intended to deter or snag terrorists.
That would make it a big idea.
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Of course, civil libertarians oppose the use of facial recognition as an invasion of privacy … and claim that facial recognition is unreliable for children and “persons of color”.
The former is true since kids’ facial structures change rapidly as they age and grow … but, kids don’t drive, right?
The claim that facial recognition isn’t accurate for persons of color is a headscratcher.
Think about it for a minute or two…
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Follow on Twitter @KenHoma
#HomaFiles
Police have long had access to fingerprint and DNA data bases … usually ‘populated’ by criminals and suspects.
On occasion, crime scene DNA samples have been matched to genealogical traits directly or indirectly — by honing in on family member DNA profiles.
Increasingly, facial recognition is being used to track down suspects and potential witnesses.
There have 2 recently revealed advances on the facial recognition front that have moved the technology to a higher and more controversial level.
That’s the question that I posed to a few friends recently … prompted by the World’s Cup excitement and bruhaha over player pay.
I set the over-under at 1 … and, if you had bet the under, you would have won.
Assuming that I drew a bad, non-projectible sample, I checked out attendance numbers for the U.S. pro soccer leagues.
Some surprised me…
Lots of chatter about soccer’s gender gap in earnings … most of the analyses I’ve read are pretty confusing … lots of apples being compared to oranges.
So, let’s step back and ask a more basic question: how much did each of the women players earn for winning Le Coupe du Monde Femme?
Let’s work through the numbers…
5 point surge in past couple of months.
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If it were Rasmussen, we’d have to dismiss it as right-side bias, but this is an ABC-Washington Post Survey that’s reporting that despite a constant barrage of negative media coverage and a majority feeling that he acts unpresidential:
Aided by a strong economy and perceptions that he has dealt with it effectively, President Trump’s approval rating has risen to the highest point of his presidency.
Specifically, his approval has gone from 42% in April to 47% in July … a 5-point gain.
He’s still underwater by 3 points — 47% to 50% … but that gap has closed from the 12 point deficit in April) 42% to 54%).
How can this possibly be?
For disrespecting a veteran’s organization.
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First, a bit of background.
I don’t trust most charities — especially the larger ones that invariably waste money on executive perks or glitzy marketing campaigns instead of their primary missions.
So these days, I channel the bulk of my donations to healthcare organizations run by well-intentioned nuns and small veteran’s groups run by true believers.
One of my current favorites is the Catch A Lift Fund (officially,the Christopher Coffland Memorial Fund, 27-3901149).
In their words: “The Catch A Lift Fund has helped thousands of post 9/11 combat wounded veterans regain their mental and physical health through gym memberships, in home gym equipment, personalized fitness and nutrition programs and a peer support network.”
Over 90% on donations go directly to support CAL’s mission, which has a track record on undeniable success helping to rehabilitate injured vets.
So, what’s my beef with Fox News?
They dropped a couple of doozies during last weeks debate…
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I went cool turkey (<= that’s not quite “cold turkey”, but pretty close) away from cable news while at the beach.
On return, I jumped off the wagon by watching parts of the Democratic debates.
I was expecting entertainment value … and I wasn’t disappointed.
Reminded me of the old Happy Days tv series that – among other things – coined the the phrase “jumping the shark”.
Ratings were slipping, so they had Fonzie (Henry Winkler) jump a shark while water skiing … hoping (but failing) to generate some ratings-boosting buzz.
So now, according to Wikipedia:
Jumping the shark is the moment when something that was once popular that no longer warrants the attention it previously received makes an attempt at publicity, which only serves to highlight its irrelevance..
How does that apply to the Dem debates?
Easing back into the “real” world with a couple of takeaways from beach week…
1) While a dying breed, there are still families. It’s fun being with your’s … and fun watching other families have fun … especially multi-generational families (<= grandparent bias).
2) Kids grow up quickly.
Taking a break … back next week.
Bethany Beach, Delaware
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Follow on Twitter @KenHoma
#HomaFiles
Interesting study reported in The Atlantic …
A pair of psychologists – Betty Hart and Todd Risley – got curious about why some 3 and 4 year old kids are more academically ready than others.
“They devised a novel (and exhaustive) methodology: for more than three years, they sampled the actual words spoken to young children from 42 families at 3 different socioeconomic levels: (1) welfare homes, (2) working-class homes, and (3) professionals’ homes. Then they tallied the quantity and quality of the words spoken to the kids. “
The results were – in the words of the researchers – “astounding”…
Well, not actually Dilbert … rather Dilbert’s author Scott Adams.
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With all of the MSM “Trump is a wild & crazy guy” hysteria … fever-pitched during the Mexican “play or pay” negotiations … I was reminded of a prior (and once again timely) post.
During the Presidential campaign, Adams hit the nail on the head on his Dilbert blog, …
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Adams observed that, during the campaign, , Hillary’s constant refrain that we can’t have a loose cannon in the White House. Of course, Dems and the MSM have kept that notion front-burnered for the past 2-1/2 years.
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Adam’s cut to the chase on on “Dangerous Trump”:
Quick: Name the last book you read.
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That’s the simple question Jimmy Kimmel asked people on the street.
The results are predictable … most choked on the question.
You can view the 2-minute clip below … or just take my word for it.
What the heck is going on?
According to NextGov:
Mobility in the United States has fallen to record lows.
In 1985, nearly 20 percent of Americans had changed their residence within the preceding 12 months, but by 2018, fewer than ten percent had.
That’s the lowest level since 1948, when the Census Bureau first started tracking mobility.
What’s going on?
The Homa Files 