Choosing the Safest Aircraft

AOL News reports Inspectors find damage in 3 more Southwest jets after one was forced to make a harrowing emergency landing.

In the last two summers we flew to Toronto, Ontario, Canada from Los Angeles, California non-stop on American Airlines. The plane is a Boeing 738 (also called a 737-800). The Southwest Airlines plane that developed a 1’ by 5’ hole in the ceiling is a 737 (older 737-300 model). So the question is: How safe are these planes? The answer is there are over 6,000 Boeing 737 aircraft around the world and they are still delivering more. I found one aircraft web site that contends a 737 is taking off somewhere every 2.2 seconds. That claim seems rather unreasonable but the planes are certainly well used with few complaints.

According to Wikipedia 737s take of every 5 seconds. The 737 is operated by more than 500 airlines, flying to 1,200 destinations in 190 countries. With over 8,000 aircraft ordered, over 6,000 delivered, and over 4,500 still in service, at any given time there are on average 1,250 airborne worldwide at any one time. There have been 4097 fatalities as of May 2010.

The Airbus A320 family is the European competitor to the 737. It was not introduced until 20 years after the first 737. Total fatalities are 795 as of July 2010. That is something to think about!

Stock Rally Will End In Tears

In January 2010 we all saw the stock market dip, rise and dive. At the end of the month there was no appreciable change from January 1. I offered the historic fact that January’s are a worthwhile bell weather forecaster of the entire year. I was wrong and the market grew dramatically month after month. I threw in the towel in December 2010 and joined the obvious surge in stock market values. The decision was reinforced this past January. However, I have continued to be sceptical because I see no reason for optimism in the United States. Brazil, China, and India are growing because the West has outsourced its manufacturing.

David Rosenberg of the Financial Times supports my view with some valuable observations.

There’s no denying we’re in the midst of an “incredible” stock-market rally, said David Rosenberg. But that doesn’t mean we’re in a bull market. Genuine bull markets are preceded by demographic shifts or technological advances that promote rapid, sustained growth in productivity and capital assets. The 1949-66 bull market was spurred by “a baby boom that would unleash years of tremendously strong demand growth.” The 1982-2000 bull run was powered by “a wave of innovation” that brought us the mainframe, the personal computer, the Internet, and the smartphone. By contrast, the “bear-market rally” of 2003-07 was fueled by “phony wealth generated by a nonproductive asset called housing,” with a dubious assist from “widespread financial engineering.” Likewise, the current rally doesn’t owe its existence to the iPad or Facebook. They’re “fun,” but they haven’t revolutionized productivity. What has fueled the rally is “unprecedented monetary and fiscal stimulus.” Granted, it’s tough to sit out a rally that has seen “the market surge more than 90 percent.” But “it is much, much tougher to actually experience a correction in the other direction.”

Photo credit: http://photobucket.com/images/crying/?sortby=sevendaysview#!cpZZ2QQtppZZ16

4G Wireless – We Are Not There Yet

The ads on television are daily and almost non-stop. AT&T and Verizon Wireless have been bombarding everyone about their new 4G networks that you need and they can supply.

The questions are what the heck is 4G and do I really need this?

Ezinemark.com offers this explanation posted Jan 31, 2011
This label which, in a simple explanation, stands for the ‘fourth generation’ of mobile technology has a multitude of definitions behind it. Having no singular predetermined industry standard has made it hard to put numbers and labels on exactly how much faster different plans will be. Each provider might be using a different method or source for the network (such as LTE or WiMax) but the basic idea is that the speed is far faster than old 3g networks. As many will remember 3g wireless networks took people from being able to access basic internet and basic information to being able to use images, videos and other media right from their phones. The 3g wireless networks are what allowed people to access basic internet, social networking websites, email and more from their mobile phones or mobile internet devices. Now, 4g wireless internet will allow them to use not only their mobile phones but their notebook or laptop computers to use the full range of internet functions they would on a home, school or office full terrestrial broadband connection only while on the go!

This was posted by money.cnn on Feb 23, 2010
Despite claims from mobile phone carriers, the next generation of mobile technology, or 4G, will only be slightly faster than current 3G speeds, at least initially.

Massive costs, soaring consumer demand for data and the logistical nightmare of setting up tens of thousands of new cell sites will prevent 4G technology from reaching its promised speeds for years, according to carriers and wireless experts.

True 4G must generate speeds of at least 100 megabits per second, according to the International Telecommunication Union. Current 3G technology offers speeds of up to 2 megabits per second and broadband delivers 5 megabits per second to the average U.S. household.

April Fools’ Jokes

Just say any of these things to your family.

The maple syrup’s full of ants.

A cat just chased a mouse into the house through our doggy door. (I actually used this one).

A mouse is creeping on the shelf.

Is that a spider on your back?

I ate the whole pie by myself.

The kitchen sink just overflowed.

The toilet just overflowed. (ours has risen to the brim)

A flash flood washed away the school.

I threw your blanket in the trash.

Health Insurers Break Profit Records

First of all let’s be clear about one fact. Health insurance companies are “for profit” businesses. Here is a list of largest health insurers in the United States. They operate in most large metropolitan areas using different names and are incorporated separately. I believe that is done to hide their actual profits.

Blue Cross

CIGNA

Blue Shield

Aetna

Health Net

United Healthcare

Humana

Pacificare

California’s Department of Insurance does not have the power to control the rates that health insurers charge. The best that the department can do is strong arm the insurance companies to keep rate increases at a modest level.

The insurance companies have found a way to obtain the rates they want to charge without facing regulation of their rates. They announce to the subscribers and the media their plans to increase rates by 25% to 35%. Everyone screams “thieves” and the Department of Insurance says they will conduct a “review.” After that “review” is completed the insurance companies agree to raise their rates by 9% to 10% which is the rate increase they really wanted. The public is relieved that the increase was not the feared 25% to 35%.

Executives and shareholders of the five biggest for-profit health insurers, UnitedHealth Group Inc., WellPoint Inc., Aetna Inc., Humana Inc., and Cigna Corp., enjoyed combined profit of $12.2 billion in 2009, up 56 percent from the previous year. It was the best year ever for Big Insurance.

Imagine a society where no company earns a profit providing health care. The immediate impact would be a savings of $12.2 billion just by eliminating the “for profit” insurance companies. I wonder how many hospitals and other providers are “for profit.” While that amount won’t solve all the problems of high health care costs it is a beginning.

Muslim Girl, 14, Lashed to Death for Adultery

Despite her mother proclaiming her innocence, Bangladeshi 14-year-old Hena Akhter was convicted of adultery, and, according to Sharia Law, sentenced to 101 lashes. She dropped after 70, and was taken to a hospital, where she died one week later. Initially, an autopsy report deemed her death a suicide, but a further investigation has uncovered some chilling details. Growing up in a shared hut in rural Shariatpur, Hena was repeatedly harassed by her 42-year-old cousin, Mahbub Khan. One night, according to Hena’s sister, Khan beat and raped her, and when his wife intervened, she dragged the teenage girl back to their hut and trampled her on the floor. The next day, the imam ordered a fatwa, sentencing the couple to an illicit relationship. Khan only ended up receiving a few lashes, unlike Hena. After Hena’s severely beaten body was exhumed and doctors confirmed she died of internal bleeding, authorities launched an investigation, charging the doctors on Monday for Hena’s “false post-mortem report,” and then arresting several people, including Khan, in connection with Hena’s death.

Read it at CNN

Only 74 Miles Of Pipeline needed !!! THE MEDIA DIDN’T TELL US THIS …

This icon is definitely a real eye opener – Representative Don Young-Alaska is talking about the oil in Alaska. He has a bill #6107

up for vote…………and as usual Congress will probably sleep right through it. Of course the environmentalists oppose additional drilling in Alaska even though it has been accomplished without harming anything. Please watch this.

President Obama’s Libya Speech

The president’s speech did not clarify his views with a clear understandable policy. Commentators could not understand his plans for Libya nor his plan for other nations that are in turmoil.

While I believe it is a wonderful idea to help oppressed people around the world gain their freedom, President Obama’s speech left too many unanswered questions.

The leading question is: What is the criteria for involving the United States in the internal activities of another nation?

Second is the question of how does the United States define victory?

Even as this comment is being posted there are demonstrations and killing of civilians in Syria, Bahrain, Yemen, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Congo, and the Ivory Coast. Why isn’t the United States acting to protect those demonstrating civilians? The president did not answer with the needed clarity.

Look at these words from his speech. I believe these words were not only a message to the American people. They were words to both friends and enemies. I underlined a critical point below that seems to imply we will aid Libyan rebels.

the United States of America anchor of global security and advocate for human freedom. …our interests and values are at stake

tyrant – Moammar Gaddafi. Americans who were killed by Libyan agents.

Faced with this opposition, Gaddafi began attacking his people. I said that he needed to step down from power.

Gaddafi chose … military campaign against the Libyan people.

brutal repression and a looming humanitarian crisis

Gaddafi declared that he would show “no mercy” to his own people. … In the past, we had seen him hang civilians in the streets, and kill over a thousand people in a single day.

It was not in our national interest to let that happen.

Gaddafi has not yet stepped down from power, and until he does, Libya will remain dangerous. Moreover, even after Gaddafi does leave power, forty years of tyranny has left Libya fractured and without strong civil institutions.

To brush aside America’s responsibility as a leader and – more profoundly – our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are. … And as President, I refused to wait for the images of slaughter and mass graves before taking action.

I, along with many other world leaders, have embraced that goal, and will actively pursue it through nonmilitary means.

We will deny the regime arms, cut off its supply of cash, assist the opposition, and work with other nations to hasten the day when Gaddafi leaves power.

Progress will be uneven, and change will come differently in different countries. There are places, like Egypt, where this change will inspire us and raise our hopes. And there will be places, like Iran, where change is fiercely suppressed. The dark forces of civil conflict and sectarian war will have to be averted, and difficult political and economic concerns addressed.

The United States will not be able to dictate the pace and scope of this change. Only the people of the region can do that.

Medicare Cost Rise means No Social Security COLA

This summary from an AP report means that every senior relying on Social Security as their primary income source will have to continue looking for new ways to reduce their spending.

Millions of retired and disabled people in the United States had better brace for another year with no increase in Social Security payments.

The government is projecting a slight cost-of-living adjustment for Social Security benefits next year, the first increase since 2009. But for most beneficiaries, rising Medicare premiums threaten to wipe out any increase in payments, leaving them without a raise for a third straight year.

Older people might feel they are falling behind because they haven’t had a raise since 2009, but many are benefiting, said Andrew Biggs, a former deputy commissioner of the Social Security Administration who is now a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute.

Consumer prices dropped, but Social Security benefits didn’t drop, Biggs said. At the same time, health care costs went up, but Part B premiums stayed the same for most beneficiaries.

They are better off because of that,” Biggs said. “Somebody else is paying for a greater share of their health care. This will get me hate mail, obviously. But it is what it is.”

Next year, the trustees who oversee the Social Security project a 1.2 percent COLA. President Barack Obama, in his spending proposal for the budget year that begins Oct. 1, projects a COLA of 0.9 percent. The average monthly payment is $1,077, so either way, the typical increase is projected to be between $10 and $13.