The Obama failure: senior citizens increasingly relying on food pantries

Why is this Obama's failure? There's little doubt that the current economic condition is a direct result of the GOP policies that were implemented with the Clinton economic team, including Larry Summers. Obama obviously had nothing to do with that. Where he is responsible though is hiring Summers and that right wing group to steer the economy. Obama has ignored the liberal economists over and over. Instead, he has bought into the Wall Street view of the world. He talks a big story and yes, we hear his outrage. After a while though, shouldn't he step up and quit the talking and do something to stop the feeding frenzy? We can't afford both and there's little to suggest the Wall Street bailout was appreciated or respected.

Is it ethical and morally acceptable to maintain the posh Wall Street lifestyle when we are seeing so many Americans falling so far behind? The moral compass in this White House doesn't look significantly different from the Bush years and that is indeed a serious disappointment. Obama is sadly in as much of a bubble as George W. Bush. The apologists always like to blame Geithner (who deserves blame) for everything but he's not the president, is he? There's still time to get back on track but it's disappearing quickly.

The number of seniors living alone who seek help from food pantries in the U.S. increased 81 percent to 408,000 in 2008, compared to 225,000 in 2006, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Overall, 4.7 million households used American food pantries in 2008, compared to about 3.7 million in 2006.

"Seniors thought they were OK, but they're not OK," said Virginia Skinner, director of Development at The Association of Arizona Food Banks in Phoenix, citing the downturn in the area's housing market.

Catholic Charities USA, which has 170 agencies across the country helping the needy, issued a 2009 third-quarter report that found a 54 percent increase in requests for food and services from seniors nationwide compared to the same period last year.

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Arctic ice conditions much worse than satellite images suggested

Somehow, the anti-science crowd in the US can't recognize that there is a problem. Ignorance is bliss for the teabaggers.

University of Manitoba researcher David Barber said experts around the world believed the ice was recovering because satellite images showed it expanding, but the thick, multiyear frozen sheets have been replaced by thin ice that cannot support the weight of a polar bear.

"Polar bears are being restricted to a small fringe of where this multiyear sea ice is. As we went further and further north, we saw less and less polar bears because this ice wasn't even strong enough for the polar bears to stand on," said Barber, who returned from an expedition to the Beaufort Sea in September.

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Krugman on taxing speculators

He's for it. Geithner is against it. Read the rest of this post...

Does 'cash for appliances' make sense?

On the heals of the 'cash for clunkers' campaign that boosted car sales, the administration is now looking at a new program to boost the energy efficiency of American households. It's an ugly truth that US households are among the least efficient in the industrialized world. Even using the best numbers, US households use at least twice the amount of energy as their UK counterparts. Part of the reason is that energy costs in the US are dramatically less than other industrialized countries. Part of it also has to do with the manufacturers (such as GE) who have made few technical advancements in decades. US appliances are big and bulky and energy pigs. (And what gives with US washers and dryers that destroy clothes in no time?)

Using the "Betty Crocker" Easy-Bake style ovens and appliances over here can be annoying around this time of the year when they barely can squeeze in 15 pound turkey (and nothing else) but then again, so can writing a check to pay for the energy. On the one hand, it seems ridiculous to positively reward the appliance industry who has been a big part of the problem. It's questionable how many appliances are even made in the US as well. At least with the 'cash for clunkers' program the Japanese cars were often coming from the US factories. On the other hand, if this is what it takes to bring US households into the modern world with energy efficiency, maybe it makes sense.

On the heels of its ballyhooed "Cash for Clunkers" program for cars, the federal government is expected to finalize details in the coming weeks of another tax-supported shopping extravaganza, known as "Cash for Appliances."

Supported by $300 million from the economic stimulus, the program will offer rebates to consumers who buy energy-efficient refrigerators, dishwashers, air conditioners and other appliances to replace their older models.

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Please don't pass health care reform, lest we be healthier and have more

From conservative economist Greg Mankiw:

Put simply, the healthcare reform bill would make the United States more like western Europe. That may mean more security about healthcare, but it also means that future generations of Americans will likely spend more time enjoying leisure.

Yeah, wouldn't want that to happen. Read the rest of this post...

Blue Cross sends another love letter to its members

From a friend:

The day after Thanksgiving and I get a " Love Letter " in the mail from the crooks at Blue Shield of CaLeeforneah

A notification to announce that as of 1-1-2010 :

" Blue Shield will no longer reinstate policies that are cancelled for nonpayment of premiums. This means that if your premiums are not paid in full and received by the due date, your policy will be cancelled and you will need to re-apply for coverage."

Translation of the attached 4 page updated endorsement language :

* If your check is received just one minute late TOO F'G BAD - YOUR POLICY IS CANCELLED!

* No more Grace period! (currently they allow 2 grace periods for late payments in a 12 month window...)

* If we do reinstate you guess what - it'll be at a far higher rate MOFO, Don't like that, cry me a river BEOTCH!

Yet another f-you to the American body politic. The middle class gets screwed again while our Jimmy Carter in the White House continues his sad, tragic metamorphosis into Bill Clinton Redux.

I pay my invoice within 48 hours of receiving the invoice and I double check 4-6 biz days later to make sure the check was cleared....but I imagine in the almost real world unemployment in CA of close to 20% loads of people are struggling to make the monthly payments this is another outrageous backstabbing.

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Saturday Morning Open Thread

Pet day is over. I'm expecting a slow weekend, news-wise, with everyone still home for the extended holiday. I avoided the stores yesterday - have never been much of a Black Friday kind of guy. My sister and her family usually go to downtown Chicago the day after Christmas and get their sales shopping done then. It's fun, I've gone with them before, we sometimes hit the Lincoln Park Zoo too, which is lit up nicely with Christmas lights (though it's usually FREEZING). Did anyone brave the stores yesterday? How big were the discounts, were people shopping and buying? Read the rest of this post...

If anyone is looking for some relaxation and simple fun

This might not be for you. I don't know how the heck this guy does it but he's amazing. Crazy, but still pretty impressive. Here's another video of him going down the Grimselpass which is over 7,000 feet. Yikes. I think I'll stick to my walks around town and bike rides along the Marne. Read the rest of this post...

H1N1 mutations spreading

As many have often suggested, H1N1 by itself is a problem though it is impacting far fewer people than the normal flu. The concern though has always been about the H1N1 mutating and running out of control. With the H1N1 flu mutating, doctors have to be a bit more concerned. Here in Paris, a friend of a friend has been staying at the hospital with their teenager son who had to be hospitalized. What started as the H1N1 flu then became double pneumonia and he has been in intensive care. Even now his state is quite delicate. He is now in quarantine because he has so many abscesses in his lungs and could pick up anything and potentially die. This from an otherwise healthy teenage kid.

The Norwegian report a week ago has since spread including to China and also in France where people have died from the mutation. Read the rest of this post...