Jeffrey Rose
vegasmuse@gmail.com
Life in the time of more and hotter heat waves…
The hot sidewalks of Las Vegas
June 30, 2024
Too many old people:
Our local newspaper had an article about a new Buc-ees being the closest to Las Vegas...in Buckeye, AZ, about 300 miles away. I'm pretty sure that there are better sandwiches closer. I've notice I'm hardly watching even the public television news hour lately. Political reporting is boring me. I guess I'm not their market. My dental office called me to change my next hygienist appointment. It seems that my most favorite, most excellent hygienist has retired. This is after my dentist sold his practice to become a full-time grandpa. I guess I need a new dental office on my side of town. What a pain. Thursday afternoon the HOA board had a come-to-Jesus phone call with our new property manager who had fired us. We had not been living up to their standards, were not profitable, and were in danger of being taken over by the county. Pretty much broke, we have to cut all fat, then some muscle and bone from the budget and stop micromanaging. But we have a plan and a three-month probation. I was afraid that I would have to move. Watching the debate? What will I learn? Instead, I had a dinner with two business friends from Dallas at Raku, a small plate Japanese restaurant in my neighborhood. Not a word was spoken about politics. I don't know how much it ended up costing, but was one of the best meals I've had in memory. I blew my gout diet all to hell, but it was worth it. As far as I'm concerned, I won the debate.
Floods and fires. Earthquakes and storms. Heat and drought. If you think it can't get any worse, think again. Ignoring the inevitable won't work for long. With climate change, this time it may be different. A presidential debate between two old white men? Guess who attacked the moderators before the debate? Admittedly, I had decided not to use up two hours of my life watching the debate. I did listen to a thoughtful wrap-up by BBC journalists several hours later. The consensus was that Trump lied his way through without answering the actual questions. His supporters are jubilant. Biden, even after weeks of preparation, did the opposite of rising to the occasion. His supporters, except for the die hard, are questioning his ability for four more years. Jon Stewart talked about finding a real estate agent in New Zealand. Biden said he thought he had done well, which is really scary. His performance was so bad that he had to admit that he is old and not a good debater anymore. As I'm not in favor of either of them becoming the next US president. Harris or Newsom don't excite me. I'm glad that I'm old and that the US inertia is massive. Julian Assange totally skated the accusations that he was a sexual predator. He endangered the lives of US troops, so why are the MAGA people supporting him? Supported by their government, few Israeli ultra-Orthodox men work, serve in the military, or pay taxes so why do they seem to control the government? If you are an American going to Russia, China, North Korea, Iran, Thailand, or any other country that likes to put foreigners behind bars, expect the worst and don't be surprised if it happens. If you think nothing can happen to you, be my guest. I can't understand how Russia has the gall to blow up civilians in Ukraine, but complain bitterly if Ukraine uses US or EU munitions to blow up Russian infrastructure. I like the fact that the International Olympic Committee has official observer status at the United Nations. Cops who abuse children should not be cops. Don't finance your summer vacation with debt. Don't try to unbox a 220#, 115-inch television by yourself. Better yet, don't buy a 115-inch television. If you think homeowners insurance is just soaring in Texas and Florida, think again.
A good photo is about cropping:
The president pardoned about 2,000 veterans, convicted over a 60-year period for engaging in gay sex, allowing them to receive veteran benefits but not clearing their record. House Republicans advanced a bill cutting funding to the justice department to punish the agency for unfairly targeting Trump. I guess Republicans no longer support law enforcement. A conservative group backed by the Heritage Foundation is gathering names of government officials who might try to obstruct the Trump agenda. The Heritage Foundation is calling these government officials, “anti-American bad actors.” Civil servants are required to take an oath to the Constitution, not to the president. Trump allies are testing plans to block election results that don't favor their candidate.
The US surgeon general has declared gun violence a public health crisis so I guess drug companies can start working on a gun-violence vaccine. The justice department cut a plea deal with Julian Assange where he pleaded guilty with prison time reduced to time served. Assange, not a sympathetic person, is now in Australia. The IRS has a backlog of 50,000 identity theft fraud cases. It's taking almost two years for victims to get restitution. Republicans are using this fact to try to cut more from the IRS budget. A family from Naples, Florida filed an $80,000 claim against NASA for damages caused to their house by a NASA battery pack jettisoned from the International Space Station. There is currently no mechanism for a US citizen to submit a claim for damages caused by the US government. The Washington Post reports that, since 2015, the US Postal Service has received 60,000 requests from federal agents and police to monitor the outside of mail with about 97% of the requests approved. A court order is required to open mail. Lots of supreme court decisions came down last week. The supreme court ruled that the government can squash conservative postings in social media if they are patently untrue. The justices blocked the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan that protected the Sackler family. By narrowly defining corruption, the justices (the usual 6-3) have weakened public corruption laws. Public officials can now accept money or presents as long as they are paid after they do services for those who pay them. They invalidated the SEC's use of in-house legal tribunals to disciplinary those they believe committed fraud. The court court temporarily allowed a lower court decision allowing Idaho hospitals that receive federal funds to perform emergency abortions to stabilize patients. The court temporarily put on hold the administration plan to curtail air pollution that drifts across state lines. A ban on homeless camping doesn't violate the Constitution. Overturning 40 years of precedent, the conservative six of the court curtailed the power of government regulating agencies to regulate. That could lead to the weakening or outright elimination of thousands of rules in virtually every regulatory sector as judges will now overrule scientists on science. They said that the justice department improperly charged 350 participants in the January 6 riots with obstructing or impeding an official proceeding because they didn't destroy any government documents. Causing congress to evacuate the capital to obstruct the certification of the election, a government proceeding, isn't illegal. The New York Times reports that a study by a Naval laboratory of the brains of eight Navy SEALS who committed suicide found that all of them had blast damage from using their own weapons in training. None had been wounded by the enemy. The lab never informed SEAL or Naval leadership.
“...where I go, there will always be pigeons.”:
It's been ten years since the Bundy's armed standoff in Nevada. The family's cattle are still grazing on public land. The family is still not paying the government. Is that welfare or theft? California managed to go from a $100 billion budget surplus to a $47 billion shortfall in only two years. Through June 27, wildfires have burned more than 112,000 acres in California. The 5-year average is less than 20,500 acres. Lightning ignited several more wildfires around Fresno. Los Angeles has designated the house where Marilyn Monroe lived and died as a historical landmark, to the chagrin of the current owners who wants to tear it down and combine the lot with their property next door. The entire membership of the Bakersfield Hells Angel chapter was arrested in a kidnapping, robbery, and assault probe. There are now 33 cities in the San Francisco Bay Area where the average house is at least $2 million. Iowa's supreme court approved a six-week abortion ban. After Texas passed its almost total abortion ban in 2021, infant deaths are up 12.9% (vs. 1.8% for the rest of the US). Two years later, the former Uvalde school district police chief was indicted for his botched shooting response. Texas added more Hispanic, Black, and Asian residents in 2023 than any other state. Oklahoma's state superintendent of education directed all public schools to teach the bible, further blurring the line between church and state. The Ten Commandments that will be required to be taught in Alabama schools aren't from the ancient Hebrew texts but are from the relatively recent King James Bible generally associated with protestants. Newbern, Alabama hasn't had a local election since 1965. In the mostly black town, the white mayors named their white successors. After being elected in 2020, a black man finally will be able to take office as mayor. Norfolk Southern Railroad made a lot of mistakes that caused major death and damage in and around East Palestine, Ohio last year, mistakes that will cost the railroad over $1 billion. Don't worry about the railroads because their lobbying congress killed any new laws to strengthen safety standards. A wild flamingo is holding court among swans in a pond in East Hampton, New York. A Vermont state trooper's disorderly conduct arrest of a man for giving the trooper the finger has cost the state a $175,000 settlement. The container ship Dali left Baltimore Harbor on Monday, on its way to Norfolk. The bridge it destroyed is projected to be rebuilt by 2028 at a cost of around $1.9 billion. The ship's owner wants to cap its damages at $43 million. Florida governor DeSantis vetoed all arts grants in the next budget.
Brazil's supreme court ruled to decriminalize the possession of marijuana for personal use. Bolivia had suspicious coup-like Army maneuvers in its capital on Wednesday. If it was a coup, apparently it didn't work. A general was arrested with 20 others (so far). Tropical storm Beryl, now a hurricane heading toward Barbados, is looking to hit the islands in the Eastern Caribbean as a “very dangerous” Category 3 or 4 hurricane. The first of a hoped-for 2,500 foreign policemen have landed in Haiti. With an election looming in the UK on July 4, the currently ruling Conservative Party is only leading among voters older than age 65. Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte has been chosen to be the new secretary general of NATO. Ukrainian president Zelensky sacked a top general after accusations of incompetence. Gunmen attacked two churches, two synagogues, and a police station in Dagestan, Russia. Police officers, “several civilians”, an elderly priest, and five gunmen were killed. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Russia's former defense minister and its chief of general staff for suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine.
After legislators passed an unpopular tax increase, protesters set fire to the Kenyan parliament building. The fire was soon put out. Police were firing live ammunition, killing at least 23. The president backed down, sending the tax increase back to parliament. It was the same day that 400 Kenyan police landed in Haiti to help restore order there. We learn that 83% of the 1,300 estimated pilgrims who died at Hajj were “unauthorized” pilgrims. The war in Gaza is eight month old with no end in sight. Houthi rebels continue to threaten vital shipping routes. Dubai is going to spend $8.2 billion to upgrade its rainwater drainage system after an April storm, the heaviest in 75 years, that caused flooding. Iran had a presidential election on Friday, pretty much ignored in the Great Satan. The record low turnout of the Iranian presidential election gave voters the choice of two establishment candidates in a runoff this Friday. A law allowing a 10-year prison sentence for hijab violations is awaiting approval by Iran's Guardian Council. Part of the roof of a newly renovated terminal of the Delhi international airport collapsed after the city was hit by almost six inches of monsoon rain in three hours. Four Sri Lankan fishermen are dead after drinking what they hoped was alcohol from unlabeled bottles found while they were at sea. A fire at a lithium battery factory in South Korea with at least 22 workers killed, mostly Chinese migrant laborers. Chinese police, prosecutors, and courts have a 99% conviction rate, probably aided by the ability to torture suspects and witnesses. About five pounds of moon rocks mined by a Chinese rocket from the back side of the moon arrived back on earth. Wool prices have dropped from AU$20 in 2019 to AU$11 in Australia, a serious problem for the country responsible for 80% of the superfine wool fiber that goes into garments.
...a river runs through it:
A survey by Revenue Builders found that 30% of companies surveyed have fake job postings to make their employees think the companies are growing and that help for them is on the way. Caused by a series of human and natural disasters, world shipping prices have soared, straining the global supply chain and threatening the retail holiday season. Ship transits through the Suez Canal were down 80% in May. No one knows how long the disruptions will last. According to a Deloitte survey, 90% of C-suite executives believe their company promotes worker well-being. Only 60% of their employees agree. Amazon Prime days will be July 16-17. US airfares have fallen 19% (after being adjusted for inflation) from pre-COVID levels. Skytrax named Qatar as the world's best airline with Singapore Airlines a close second. Delta, at #21, was named the best airline in North America. Globally, airlines collected more than $33 billion in bag checking and carry-on fees. Airlines sued the government for forcing them to divulge the fees before reservations are made. Bloomberg reports that SpaceX is selling shares to insiders at a $210 billion valuation. Postcrash repair kockoff airbags are a thing. Volkswagen, needing some decent EV software, will invest $1 billion in cash-bleeding Rivian now and $3 billion more within two years. The Tesla Cyberturck, delivered since last November, suffered two recalls in one day last week, four in five months. Private equity firm Ten Oaks abruptly shut down its US Logistics Solutions, not even giving its 2,000 workers their final paychecks. Walgreens plans to close about 25% of its stores. Nike shares dropped 20% ($28 billion) on a weak sales forecast. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences invited 487 to join its ranks this year. The new publisher of the Washington Post is finding it difficult to escape his Murdoch tabloid past where, apparently, anything goes. Under pressure from conservative activists, Tractor Supply Company announced it would cut diversity-focused positions and stop supporting LGBTQ initiatives.
Popeye is scheduled to enter the public domain in 2025 and Betty Boop in 2026. A basic black Birkin handbag is $11,400 before tax at a Hermes store. A pair of blue suede shoes worn by Elvis Presley sold in the UK for about $150,000. Items from Vivienne Westwood's personal wardrobe and collection sold for $588,000 at Christie's. After taking the first three Stanley Cup games, the Florida panthers finally won the seventh game. Fifty-five of 69 Power Five conference schools sell alcohol in the public sections of their stadiums. What could go wrong? Tennessee beat Texas A&M for its first baseball national title. The LA Lakers drafted LeBron James' son, 55th pick overall, to ensure that his free agent father wouldn't leave the team. India defeated South Africa to win the T20 Cricket World Cup.
Just say no:
Crystals with purported healing powers are an A-list thing. Pizza in the United States is better than ever...way better...and everywhere. Women can wear skirts as short or long as they feel comfortable with. Vogue Germany's latest cover features 102-year-old Margot Friedlander, a Holocaust surviver. An open bottle of liquor doesn't last forever. There are more than 1,850 chess grandmasters (titles for life) worldwide. Maybe there should be a new title, “uber grandmaster” or “grandermaster”. The Post Office is releasing a forever stamp honoring the late Alex Trebek. A US bankruptcy court trustee is planning to liquidate Alex Jones' Infowars platform to help pay for his $1.5 billion judgments from calling the Sandy Hook shootings a hoax. Song and mystery writer, front man of one of the best bar bands ever, humorist, and sometime politician, Kinky Friedman (Richard Samet Friedman) has died at age 79. “They Ain't Making Jews like Kinky Friedman Anymore”
Drinking alcohol seems to be bad for you. Drinking alcohol while flying seems to be worse for you. A new study found that taking a daily multivitamin does not help you live longer, though it may help your quality of life. Scientists still do not agree whether fish oil (omega-3) capsules are beneficial to heart health. Consider the Mediterranean diet instead. The FDA says that pasteurization kills bird flu. White noise machines, if set at the highest volume, can cause permanent hearing loss. April through July is the time of “avocado hand” injuries to the hand holding the avocados. It's safer to spoon the pit out. If you're visiting Death Valley in the summer, note that ambulance helicopters can't get off the ground if the temperature is over 120 degrees F. A new study found that insecticides had the biggest effect on the size and diversity of butterfly populations in the US Midwest.
