Remember kids: Crypto is a grift in both theory and practice. Its backers promise high returns on a product that has no economic or real-world value.
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By Dr. Susan J. Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics: “Measles is the most contagious infectious disease in people. The only way to prevent it is with the measles vaccine.”
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As simple as Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood looked and sounded, every detail in it was the product of a tremendously careful, academically-informed process. I read an article that ‘splained how Rogers would go carefully over every word of his show, so as not to scare or confuse children.
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A note from history: Republican Ronald Reagan swept into the presidency in 1980 pledging to cut government, but when he left eight years later, its size had increased. – Well, maybe its like George HW Bush’s pledge of “no new taxes,” then he did just that.
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This what a five-digit zip code digits stand for:
The first digit represents a broad geographical area, from 0 in the Northeast to 9 in the West; the following two digits designate the code of a central post office facility in that region; and the last two digits represent small post offices or postal zones.
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Musk accused Arizona Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly, a former fighter pilot and astronaut, of being a traitor for visiting Ukraine. So its clear Trusk is pro Russia now?
Mark Kelly is a graduate of the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy, as I am, so you can image what I think of that!
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Antarctica holds about 90% of the Earth’s ice and 70% of Earth’s fresh water. — FactRetriever.com
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Trump claims Biden left him an economic mess, but the truth is: What Biden actually left was tamed inflation, steady economic expansion and an unprecedented period of job growth, with a record 16 million jobs created in just one presidential term.
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In a CNN article on children’s health: Children should try to meet their daily fruit recruitment by eating whole fruit, not by drinking juice. A doc told me long ago to stay away from orange juice – too much “fast sugar” he said.
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We have come to this? A Texas family on their way to an emergency medical check-up for their 10-year-old daughter, who is recovering from brain cancer, was detained by immigration authorities and hastily deported to Mexico last month. – They took the whole family including four other children. The child who is the patient was here legally.
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“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” – Chinese Proverb
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Most/all of you know that I navigated ocean-going ships for years, and might wonder about the ship collision off the east coast of England. Yes, I have been in those waters many times. Hitting an anchored ship is like hitting a parked car when you are driving. Most of the time, you are 100% at fault. The only way it is not 100% might be if the anchored ship was not displaying the proper “I am anchored” signals. No mention of that in anything I have read. Very difficult for me to think that the container ship might have been at full speed and no one on the bridge!
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I have begun to listen to my first audio book, Murder on the Rocks, on Apple books. You need an Apple device to do that, like an iPhone or an iPad. It is $4.99 to download. What made me happy was the voice and how “it” knows to pause when reading dialogue and the speaker changes, things like that. Still, I wonder about how many people could lose jobs as AI continues to get better at imitating voices and humans.
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I get email from Robert Reich. He says there are five signs of a dictator:
- Change military leaders.
- Control/ignore courts.
- Intimidate/control legislature
- Attack media
- Censor universities.
Trump/Musk, perhaps call “it” Trusk now? Check all five.
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This won’t hurt Muskrat much but:
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) said Friday he plans to get rid of his Tesla car over “a**hole” billionaire Elon Musk’s mass firings of civil servants. And: “Talking about slashing Social Security, cutting health care benefits for poor people, for seniors,” Kelly continued. “It’s one bad thing after the next. He’s firing veterans. I’m a veteran.”– I like this.
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We’ve all heard/read about the Romans “bread and circuses,” but they took bread making most seriously. I saw this: “Just before putting bread in the oven, ancient Roman bakers would often place a bronze stamp on top of the dough, which would leave an indent as it baked. The symbol it left behind would identify the baker behind the loaf, similar to a maker’s mark on fine ceramics. Bakers at the time typically shared ovens — in-home ovens were a fire hazard — so using a stamp helped bakers keep track of their products and pick up the right loaf once the bread was done. It was important to keep track of your bread not just for professional reputation, but for legal reasons, too. Bread was strictly regulated in ancient Rome, and government officials would inspect the weight, size, and cost of the finished products to prevent fraud.”
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Almost every economist will tell you that tariffs make nations less prosperous. During Trump’s first term, studies showed that his tariffs hurt consumers. – MSNBC
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Weird: We have professional grade ant bait here, that we have used a couple of times, to good effect. It is made by the Bayer Company — yes, the same co. that makes baby aspirin! Hopefully not made at the same factory!
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Dr. Mehmet Oz, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), declined to say he would commit to opposing cuts to Medicaid. He also said the president would never do something against the law, so he would not have to decide between what Trump wants, and the law. Really?
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College BB fans: Watching Duke vs. NC now in their tournament (3/14). Duke up 21 at the half, playing without two of their best players. Lookout, March Madness! Also: what’s the deal with all the assistant coaches? One announcer talked about a “point guard coach.” Are you kidding me? Six or more assistants for a team of 12 players? Update: 4 minutes to go and UC is within 6! Final update: UNC lost essentially by a lane violation call with 4 seconds left. The shot went in and would have tied the game. But one NC player put his foot in the lane before the shot – but drew it back behind the line before the shot! I dunno if I have ever seen a ref call that. I suppose he was technically correct; I did not read otherwise.
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Me and others: Putin plays Trump like a fiddle.
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The DOGE Dept. is not really a department, and has no legal authority to fire people, or do anything. The problem might be if the 6-3 Supreme Court says it is real.
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How’s the mass deportation going? This: A recent report suggested ICE agents had deported fewer immigrants in February than they had the same month a year prior during the previous administration under Joe Biden – 11,000 in February 2025, compared to 12,000 in February 2024 – according to NBC News.
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We went to our favorite Indian resort/casino in the hills for a couple of days. Tonight, I am having leftovers from their Hell’s Kitchen – filet mignon and pureed potatoes, with a stick of carrot. Poor me.
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All take care,
Kevin
Blog: If I understand this 
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