Generally not much in the way of outdoor work got done over the weekend.
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Back in the days of the so-called Robber Barons, many of those moneyed people gave great sums of their cash to all kinds of charities and philanthropic organizations, built libraries, hospitals, churches, schools, colleges, orphanages, and a host of other socially significant institutions. While some had inherited their wealth, most earned it, starting with nothing and becoming captains of industry. They were ruthless, not letting anything or anyone stand in the way of their success. But they also understood that financial success alone would not make them memorable, hence their philanthropy.
But what of today's 'Captains of Industry'? Have the followed their in their predecessors' footsteps, or have they taken a different path?
Unfortunately, they are not like those who went before them. They are far worse than the robber barons were at their worst, and are unapologetic about their forays into politics, social engineering, and dare I say, their intolerant totalitarian bent.
Now from San Francisco to Washington and Brussels, the tech oligarchs are something less attractive: a fearsome threat whose ambition s to control our future politics, media, and commerce seem without limits. Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, and Uber may be improving our lives in many ways, but they also are disrupting old industries—and the lives of the many thousands of people employed by them. And as the tech boom has expanded, these individuals and companies have gathered economic resources to match their ambitions.In this case their definition of stupid people is “those who are not us.” It allows them to do things and take actions that hurt millions because, after all, those millions are “not us”, and therefore don't count.
And as their fortunes have ballooned, so has their hubris. They see themselves as somehow better than the scum of Wall Street or the trolls in Houston or Detroit. It’s their intelligence, not just their money, that makes them the proper global rulers. In their contempt for the less cognitively gifted, they are waging what The Atlantic recently called “a war on stupid people.”
That's going to come back to haunt them as it always does because even though they are 'smart', they aren't wise. Without that wisdom they create the conditions of their own downfall.
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This could certainly create a constitutional crisis.
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As if the above isn't enough, there's also a question about Hillary's health.
One possible ailment that might explain a series of health issues she's dealt with over the past few years is Parkinson's Disease.
Hillary Clinton (HRC) has suffered a variety of health issues. Unfortunately, she has declined to make her medical records public. In July of 2015 her personal physician released a letter asserting her “excellent physical condition.” Unfortunately, multiple later episodes recorded on video strongly suggest that the content of the letter is incorrect. This discussion is designed to sort through the known facts and propose a possible medical explanation for these events. In keeping with Occam’s Razor, a single explanation that covers everything is preferred.Having a relative who suffers from Parkinson's, I have to agree that it's quite possible HRC may also have that ailment, and it's only going to get worse. What many don't know is that PD can also affect mental processes, so having a leader who has this condition is not a good thing.
--snip--
The 2009 fall where HRC broke her elbow suggests that she had working protective reflexes, and her arm took the brunt of the fall. But three years later, she had a catastrophic fall where her reflexes were unable to help her. It is notable that this fall took place at home, where she would have been unstressed and in a familiar setting. Failing reflexes are common in PD. Poor balance is also common in PD, and a fall without working protective reflexes is a prescription for head injury. Her subsequent concerns with transverse sinus thrombosis are plausibly related to the fall. Her need for fresnel lens glasses also fits with post-concussion syndrome.
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Skip over at Granite Grok shows us this little gem that more parents with school-aged kids should read and take to heart. I think it would solve a good portion of the problems school kids have with the course work at their schools.
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This was a shorter post than I thought it would be. I ended up making a trip to southwestern New Hampshire with the missus and the WP Mom to meet up with some cousins we hadn't seen in over a year. All work at The Manse (and on this post) was put aside in order to make the trip, hence the abbreviated post.
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And that's the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where we're back into the three H's (Hot, Hazy, Humid), we're preparing for the Timberman Triathlon next weekend, and where our clandar is quickly running out of summer days.