A Statistic that an Ordinary Person just does not Think About

 

Photo: WWII Museum

My grandfather (maternal) was a proud U.S. Marine until he was laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetary a few years ago.  Each morning he was up early for a shave and cigarette along with a shower and then off to breakfast.  The breakfast routine was not from the military but from his Mother raising him in hotel rooms early on in life.  As she was a wedding/event planner for high-end hotels in Los Angeles.

One of the most interesting stories that my grandfather shared with me traveling back from Iwo Jima was being stuck in the lower ship levels with African American soldiers -- fellow marines.  He was not much of a gambler but was respected for the wounds in a battle that he had received.  Therefore, he survived a rough few weeks as the only white male in a lower deck with minority leadership.

At first sight, he remarked to his white sergeants ... "I will die down there" due to the segregated environments at the time.  My grandfather was a loving (freemason) with a heart the size of planet Earth.  As I mentioned, he thought that the trip was unsurvivable due to segregation.  One afternoon, he got to leave the ship to go to a 'freemason' ceremony.  Don't ask me how he got this permission. 

He asked his fellow deck mates what they would like him to bring them if possible.  He managed to sneak on some liquor and pineapple juice aboard.  For this, he was welcome in an unwelcoming environment due to the racial segregation at the time.  He has never held a racist bone in his body.

Why do I bring this up now?  

Aside from the racial tensions across America, I read a story in The New York Times which blew my mind.  The story is titled "The Few, the Proud, the White: The Marine Corps Balks at Promoting Generals of Color" which is centered around the fact that the U.S. Marine Corp is the only force that has not had a minority in a top leadership position in it's entire existence.  What?

The story is written around the potential promotion of Col. Anthony Henderson who has received more than enough accommodations to become a 'General' in the system.  Surprisingly enough, the U.S. Marines have given one-, two-, and three-star General to minorities.  But exclusively in positions that would be a ceiling for the soldiers.  Meaning that the top of their careers had been met.  No further promotion was possible.

The sneaky nature of promotions in the military often results in resentments among soldiers.  Very often soldiers will point out the disparity between soldiers of different caliber who are promoted that do not necessarily deserve the promotion but receive one due to 'affirmative action' -- the silent and invisible equalizer.  Although, that is often not the case, but hard to accept for either side.   The last two sentences are directly from my time serving in the United States Air Force.  

I watched the promotion pass different people on by.  Rumors circulated and are often left to circulate among soldiers.  The last lawsuit any military service needs is a discrimination lawsuit.  Racial issues are tightly controlled in the military services.  And rightfully so.  Service before self.

Conclusion:

With that being said, the fact that a minority has never attained a top leadership role in the U.S. Marines is surprising and disturbing to say the least.  I am sure that there have been more qualified minority soldiers in the past.  What the exact reason is we might never know?  But I strongly suspect that the issue of race looms large in leadership roles.

Which is surprising to me since General Colin Powell is an example of a stellar leader both in Military and Civilian leadership roles?  I will say something that I thought that I would not ever say: Come on Marines catch up with current times.

Protest Over Unarmed Black Man Takes Place While White Young Male Shoots Two And Walks Past Police Holding A Gun

 

Photo: Revolt TV

Last week, a black man named Jacob Blake was shot by a police officer.  A shooting that stirred up protests in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  And rightly so were the protests over another killing of a black man.  Why?  Even more surprising were the armed unofficial militia civilians who showed up to help police.  How is that possible?  To have armed residents show up and help police protests over racial killings seems like a recipe for a disaster.  And a disaster that was to become a greater disaster.

My eyes almost popped out of my head when I saw the image of Kyle Rittenhouse on the screen holding an automatic assault weapon.  Further, after protesters tried to disarm this young man, he turns and shoots two of them.  Oh my goodness -- what madness this was.  On top of all this craziness, after shooting two innocent protesters, he walks by police cruisers who are managing protesters with a rifle hanging off of him.  The video is shown below -- watch it, please.

Wow!

Now, in the first hyperlink above, the story does include the multiple charges faced by Mr. Rittenhouse in the coming days.  Included is the fact that he was bullied early on in school.  So harshly that his mother decided to pursue a restriction order from the court.  My question is why was this kid allowed to engage with weapons at all?  Second, why was this kid allowed to pursue law enforcement as a hobby or a young volunteer career given this past?  He seems to be prone to an outburst.

An outburst that has now resulted in the death of two innocent people.  People who were trying to disarm a child with an assault rifle.  What has the world come to?  The child needs help and should not be allowed to own a gun for a long time (if ever).

Big Oil is Ousted From the S&P 500 after a 92 Year Run

Photo: PRI

Opponents of the Green New Deal produced by Senators Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez point to the current demand for oil by the world.  How is the world going to transition into renewable energy?  This will not happen overnight.  In the past few years, I have written (or pointed out in blog posts), that a slow transition is occurring in big oil companies toward the renewable energy movement.  

Big oil is slowly investing in the renewable energy sectors as technology is developed, which is dependable at scale (see past posts).  Further, divestment on the part of large investment firms has turned to look into sustainable investments that translate into renewable investments.  Change is occurring at a slow pace.  Which is sufficient for the moment.

Recently, a whole different indicator has occurred, which should stand as yet another pillar of change toward renewable energy.  As the world realizes that renewable (i.e., sustainable) energy will play a larger role in the long term future, consumer demand is driving sizeable corporate investment.  Not only that, but this week also marks the end of a 92 year run by Exxon Mobile on the S&P 500 stock market index.  

What?

Indeed it is.  The shift in perspective of outlook toward a more sustainable world has caused an actual big oil corporation to be removed from a broad stock index.  The news is merely incredible.  The reasoning is that the newly added tech stock more closely resembles the 'new economy.'  

Nothing more needs to be said, except: The world is changing.  Where will your investments and standing be during and after the transition?  Stuck in the past?  Or helping to usher in the new future?  The news is exciting and welcome, given the amount of gloomy and depressing news that has emerged lately surrounding the Coronavirus.

Related Blog Posts

Big Oil Company BP Vows to Produce 40% Less Oil by 2030

Who Is Going To Pay For Ignoring Climate Change While Building Infrastructure In The U.S.?

EPA Mercury Rule is Changed Due to New Cost-Benefit Analysis

Coal Companies Are Dying Despite Efforts By Trump To Keep Open

 Thought: Sustainable Practices Should Not Be Competitive But Open Sourced For All

Where Are The Restrooms?

 

Photo by Buchen WANG on Unsplash

Where have I been? Why haven’t I written a blog post lately? It turns out that I had a son recently. Yes, I am a first-time father. The feeling is indescribable. Sleepless nights, feedings, changing diapers — the best of the best. I love it honestly. But life is not always great.

In the current post, I want to tell of recent experience (a surgery) for our child (newborn baby) during the COVID-19 pandemic. It turns out. The situation was exacerbated by the lack of toilets open to society.

Albert is born

When our son was born — Albert — on March 14th of this year, he had a hernia. After a few days of always running around to see different doctors, a pediatric surgeon said that due to the COVID-19 crisis, all elective surgeries are canceled until further notice.

Albert is now five months old. Over the past four months, my wife and I have been dealing with Albert’s hernia. Albert was born with a hernia that resulted from his abdomen wall not closing correctly. The hole did not close properly after the right testicle drops.

This type of hernia occurs in 2% of the population in boys. Ironically, I, too, had a hernia as a child. A hernia is not passed on by a genetic trait.

Surgery time!

Amid the changing times in society with the recurring rise in the COVID-19 virus pandemic, carrying about in the world is entirely different. Not only is social distancing a common practice, frequent cleaning of conveyor belts in grocery store lines along with sanitizing becoming a commonplace.

On top of the additional responsibilities of store employees, most businesses have shut down there restrooms. From Starbucks to McDonald’s, yellow tape surrounds bathrooms — which makes them appear like crime scenes. Also, this presents a significant problem for customers looking to use the restroom.

In Los Angeles County, grocery stores are supposed to offer restrooms to all customers. What has transpired is that grocery stores are diversified in their ability to provide restroom access to the public. What do I mean by this?

Certain grocery stores are requiring customers to purchase products to access the restroom code, which is discriminatory and illegal. What about homeless people? What about those residents who do not have money to pay to use the restroom? This is a significant problem.

Returning to the day of my son’s surgery in July. We arrived early on the day of the procedure — at 5 a.m. He was not admitted until 6:30 a.m. — after a series of room changes due to COVID-19 security. On top of all of the security concerns within the hospital came that outside.

As I mentioned earlier, the grocery stores were not allowing customers (non-paying) to use the restrooms. Additionally, each patient had to be admitted by themselves — unless under 18 years of age. My wife was able to sit with Albert (4 months old) before and after his procedure. At the same time, I was stuck waiting out in the car in the parking lot.

My anxiety was raised through the roof without access to a restroom. I ended up driving home to use the bathroom — which took a 1-hour long trip. An unnecessary trip had the toilet been unlocked in the grocery store.

Where are all of the people going to the bathroom

While sitting in the car, wondering when my baby boy would be released from the hospital, I could not help but consider others besides myself. Where are other people going to use the restroom? I might not have the best bladder, but I certainly do not have the worst?

Throughout the pandemic, my wife and I have gone on a couple of excursions out of town, without staying in a hotel overnight. One overarching observation was that there are no restrooms available for those who want to leave their houses. Again, where are these people I see outside using the bathroom? I am genuinely confounded by the idea of no restrooms and people outside of their houses.

Conclusion

I may never know the answer to my question. But I will continue to wonder. Further, I will continue to ask others around me where they are seeking out a restroom when leaving their houses. Yes, the question may be awkward. The answer could entail a public health hazard. That is if everyone is using the space outside locked facilities.

The availability of restrooms is a problem for those who wish to leave their houses during the pandemic. Life is not the same. Before you go out of the house, think twice about the restroom. The small things count.

CEO of 'My Pillow' Pushes A COVID-19 Cure With No Scientific Evidence?

 

Photo:  Washington Post

The CEO of 'My Pillow' Mike Lindell has been cozying up to President Trump over the last few years.  Now, in the midst of a pandemic, Mr. Lindell has decided to push an agenda offering a 'miracle solution' to COVID-19.  The solution is reputed and questioned by CNN Anchor Anderson Cooper last week:

There is absolutely no scientific evidence that a pillow can cure COVID-19.  Do not believe this man.  As we get closer to the election of 2020 for a new president, we can expect to hear even more outrageous claims.  The stock market has already been fluctuating quite largely due to supposed cures and possible positive clinical trial evidence surrounding COVID-19 cures.

There is no doubt that we are in a storm with the COVID pandemic.  Although, given the crisis, now is definitely not the time to discount real and evidence-supported science.  Read the science before believing snake oil salesmen like CEO Mike Lindell.

Wisconsin Farmers Still Split With Supporting Trump?

 

Photo: The New Yorker

Earlier this week, a blog post appeared on this site discussing the hit to farmers that the Trump administration has been dealing over the last few years. Farmers across America have been bearing the brunt of a prolonged trade war with China.  Although, the problems with trade and farming have been around for decades.  Increasingly over the last, these problems have gotten worse.

Just yesterday, I was reading an article in The New Yorker titled "How Suffering Farmers May Determine Trump’s Fate" and could not think about the staggering statistics about the loss of farms in the state of Wisconsin:

Wisconsin has seven thousand dairy farms, roughly half the number that it had a decade ago. Yet the number of cows has remained constant, because of consolidation and the proliferation of factory dairy farms, some of which have herds of more than five thousand cows.

The statistic centered around loss was devastating to me.  I am astounded by the fact that farmers are willing to accept the loss of farms as acceptable. In the same article, there was a discussion of suicide and depression among farmers about the loss of business or converting their crops from cows. 

Additionally, the lead farmer interviewed for the article had this to say about supporting President Trump during the 2016 election:

For Volenec, Trump’s appeal vanished almost immediately. “If I had known the things I know about him now, I wouldn’t have voted for him,” he said, when I visited him at his farm in February. As Trump’s trade wars escalated, Volenec’s problems worsened.

This is the reality of our nation's farmers who put food on the table at which you and I eat at.  The suffering is staggering.  Add into the mix the pandemic.  Change is on the horizon.  Change that is meaningful to promote health to an unhealthy nation that is run by a disorganized and chaotic White House.

What amazed me most about the article was the unwavering support of some mentioned for President Trump.  The time has come to wake up and change.

Watch This Interview With A Former Trump Staffer Before You Vote In The Election

 

Photo: Occupy Democrats

Another defector of the Trump administration has spoken out about the known truths of President Trump.  I did not personally vote for President Trump.  With that, I will say that, in the beginning of the Trump administration, I had high hopes for great spending on rebuilding infrastructure across America.  Especially, since what was known of then Candidate Trump was his impeccable business acumen.

In the 3.5 years since the American people have learned a sad truth.  The optimism surrounding a new president (that is an outsider) has faded away quickly.  Our country finds itself in a trade war with China along with a pandemic which has frozen the economy by sending people home from work.  People cannot work.  Unemployment is going to rise.  Children cannot return to school.  Who is going to monitor children left at home if parents are allowed to return to school?

We (as Americans) have no leadership up in the White House.  That is an unfortunate truth.  Read a few books about the former staff of the current administration and the picture will become very clear.  We are in danger.  Don't take my words for this truth.  Listen to a former Trump administration Department of Homeland Security employee on CNN by Anchor Jake Tapper shown below:

Wow!  This is information that is needed before hitting the polls and deciding the direction that America is led into the future.  If you are not satisfied with the current status quo of the nation, go change the situation next election in November.  Exercise the right to vote!