Government Chaos

The new administration has ushered in a period of chaos within the federal government thanks to unclear and not well-thought out executive orders. One rescinded a an executive order issued by President Biden that capped the cost of prescription medication. Fortunately, some caps were written into the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, such as a $35 co-pay cap on insulin.

In American politics, voters are caught in an our side vs. their side mentality. We shouldn't base our policy positions on those of the politicians we support. It should be the other way around.  It's not that Trump or Biden are always right. It's up to us to learn the issues and hold politicians accountable. Unless you work for a pharmaceutical company that profits from high prescription medication prices, we're all in favor on reasonable prices for our medication.

Likewise, this administration has put a freeze on communication between the CDC and NIH and the public. Not only that, but many of their basic functions have been frozen. We all can support funding research that helps cure or manage diseases. The private sector often isn't willing to face the risks of investing in these type of grants that are designed to help the public. Workers now can't do their jobs that directly contribute to benefitting Americans' health. With the freeze, the public can't get the information these agencies collect.

Information is never bad unless you have an inflexible ideology and that information disproves your beliefs.

There's nothing wrong with having ideological differences, but we all want lower prices and cures for cancer to be researched. This is why it's so important to understand the issues and hold politicians accountable when they remove price caps for prescription medicine or halt the function of key agencies that contribute so much to the health of society.

Transgenderism and Fear

Transgenderism was a major issue this past presidential campaign with President Trump running a national ad on the subject. In reality, unless you're a transgender person, this is a minor issue that doesn't affect virtually all Americans.

Estimates by the Williams Institute place the percentage of transgender people at 0.6%, which is about a half a percent or 1 in every 200 people or so. I don't know about you, but I don't see anywhere near 200 people a week.

Conservatives have been worried about transgender women playing women's sports. It's good that they're concerned about women's sports, but this a non-issue. NCAA President Charlie Baker, a former Republican governor of Massachusetts, estimated that there are fewer than ten transgender athletes in the NCAA. In 2022, Politico reported that there were only four transgender athletes competing in high school sports out of 85,000. Only one of the four competed in women's sports.

Regardless of which side you're on,  the question of transgender athletes is really only an issue for the tiniest fraction of Americans. The issue really only comes down to: is it fair one way or another? There are much bigger issues that the vast majority of Americans need to focus on.

Conservatives are also worried about transgender women going into women's bathrooms.  They see it as a safety issue. Of course, bad people don't need permission to do bad things. But let's look at the issue of violence and transgender people. While transgender people are not more likely to commit crimes, they are four times more like to be victims, according to the Williams Institute. According to Congress, the murder rate of transgender people has doubled in the last four years. So it's far more likely that the transgender woman in the bathroom will be a victim of a crime than will commit one.

While I wish we all had more compassion for one another, the reality is, for over 99% of Americans, the transgender issue doesn't impact them. It's a fear-mongering diversion tactic to avert our attention when the cap on our prescription medicine costs are lifted and our access to affordable disease therapy is removed.

The Fraught Issue of Abortion

Fundamentally, we need to understand that Americans of all political persuasions want what's best for America. We may not agree what that means or how to get there, but we want America to succeed.

On the issue of abortion, we all want the same thing: fewer abortions and lower infant mortality. We disagree on how to get there, whether it's a national ban, the decision of the states, or the individual's choice.

If we understand that we all want fewer abortions, we can then look at the data and see what works and what doesn't. Some of you might be yelling at your screen, "I don't want fewer abortions, I want no abortions!" Please understand that zero abortions equals fewer abortions, so we're all on the same page here.

In the 18 months after the Dobbs Supreme Court case that erased Roe v. Wade and sent the issue of abortion to the states, infant mortality has gone up 7% as compared to the previous 18 month period according to a paper published by the AMA. This doesn't feel right, but if we think about it logically, it makes sense. Most of the 7% of babies who died had congenital abnormalities or birth defects.

Confusingly, the number of abortions has risen 11% from 2020 (the last time there was comprehension statistics before the Dobbs decision) and 2023, according to the the Guttmacher Institute. It's at its highest since 2011. Dobbs may or may not be a reason for the increase, but importantly, the ruling, which has resulted in reduced access to abortion, hasn't had the desired effect on reducing the amount of abortions.

Sadly, the maternal mortality rate is 7% higher in states that have restricted abortion access, according to a Tulane University study. The more restrictive the policy, the chances the mother dies increases dramatically.

So the current policy of states determining abortion rights has caused a higher death rate for babies and mothers and resulted in more abortions. We certainly don't want the government to police our morals, so let's take a look at better ways to get what we all want: fewer abortions,

We need to address the root causes for why abortions take place. Increased access to contraception and better sex education are two practical and obvious ways. More fundamental is to address the pervasive issue of poverty. An increased standard of living and improved safety net will make abortions less necessary. Reducing poverty is a giant issue, but it's one that will have the consequence of reducing abortion, something our post-Dobbs reality has failed to do.

The Department of Government Efficiency Instantly Kills Promise

The advisory committee, called the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is a good idea led by successful businesspeople Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. Unfortunately, the pair is hellbent on haranguing federal workers and committed to blanket policies of rolling back "federal regulations," buzzwords that could mean anything.

The government has some inefficient regulations. At NIH, HR decides which scientists are qualified to be certified instead of the scientists who actually know the science. That's inefficient and the kid of stuff that should be changed. 

Most federal workers take pay cuts to work for the government out of duty to country and belief in a noble cause. Some do take advantage of the job security and don't carry their weight. It can be hard to get rid of them. The president, however, shouldn't have that authority, but their apolitical direct bosses should. The government, of course, doesn't want to be tied up in ongoing litigation, but empowering those managers is one way to make the government more efficient.

Instead, Musk and Ramaswamy have called for federal workers to go back to the office five days a week. This is the opposite of the supposed innovative ideas one would believe they'd bring to the table. A recent study by Nicholas Bloom argues that a hybrid system is far more effective and efficient than forcing workers into the office five days a week. The report states, "[H]ybrid working improved job satisfaction and reduced quit rates by one-third. The reduction in quit rates was significant for non-managers, female employees and those with long commutes."

Musk and Ramaswamy don't seem to be interested in actually making government more efficient. They want to force essential workers out by making their jobs more difficult and less enjoyable. The problem is the U.S. government, despite its faults and bad reputation, does a tremendous amount for its citizens. Michael Lewis, in his book The Fifth Risk, explains what different agencies actually do and how that helps Americans and saves lives.

DOGE, which is not an actual government agency, seems set up to be a missed opportunity. The workers themselves should be surveyed for the inefficiencies with which they have to deal and those inefficient regulations can then addressed, not a heavy-handed approach from a couple of ideological outsiders. 

Trump and an Uninformed Electorate

A twenty year old, mostly dormant blog isn't going to slow Trump's march towards turning this country into his own personal fiefdom at the expense of all Americans, including his supporters. But it might help me process what has happened.

Why did Donald Trump win, even after inciting an insurrection, being convicted of felonies, facing two impeachments, and all his other excesses? It was combination of factors with one that stands out above all the rest.

There is a segment of voters who would've voted for a Democrat who wasn't a woman or of black and Indian descent. It might have been large enough to swing the election. Kamala Harris was also at a significant disadvantage jumping in the race three months before the election. Trump has been running for nine years, which makes it harder for others to define him. Harris, who ran as a centrist, was more easily defined as a radical leftist by Trump. Both points suggest it would've been wiser for the Democrats to stay with Biden, who actually won the primary, than to switch to Harris. Biden may not have won, but he wouldn't have done any worse.

The biggest issue is with the electorate. There are far too many low information voters. That allows Trump to get away his constantly lying. Voters don't know enough not to believe him. It enabled Trump to define Harris as a radical leftist despite all evidence to the contrary. Trump can play on people's fears about trans athletes and illegal immigrants, who don't have any impact on the lives of almost every American. Rural and suburban dwellers fear cities even though crime is way down.

Most Americans don't even know how the government or the economy works. So if the price of eggs rises, they believe the president is at fault. Yet, when policy makers work to deregulate water safety and people develop diseases and die as a result, they can't comprehend the government's impact.

Fundamentally, the electorate needs to become more knowledgeable at the very moment it's becoming much less so. This is the main issue that needs to be solved.

Top 10 NBA Players

Top 10 NBA Players 1

 Top 10 NBA Players Now

While this list consists of the top 10 players now, the past is taken to account, but it is not a list of the best players who happen to be active. Previous ranks posted on June 27, 2023.

.

#	David (PR)	Mike (Previous Rank)
1	Jokic (2)	Jokic (1)
2	Antetokounmpo (1)	Embiid (2)
3	Embiid (3)	Doncic (6)
4	Doncic (4)	Antetokounmpo (3)
5	Tatum (7)	Gilgeous-Alexander (10)
6	Gilgeous-Alexander (NR)	Durant (8)
7	Brunson (NR)	LeBron (7)
8	A. Davis (NR)	Tatum (4)
9	LeBron (8)	Curry (NR)
10	Durant (10)	Brunson (NR)

Top 10 NBA Careers Among Active Players
You're making a list of the ten best players in NBA history, but there's one caveat; you can only include players who played during the 2021-22 season (injuries excepted). These are our choices, taking the players' entire careers into account. Previous ranks posted on June 27, 2023.

#	David (PR)	Mike (Previous Rank)
1	LeBron (1)	LeBron (1)
2	Curry (2)	Durant (2)
3	Durant (3)	Curry (4)
4	Antetokounmpo (6)	Paul (3)
5	Jokic (7)	Harden (5)
6	Westbrook (4)	Antetokounmpo (6)
7	Harden  (5)	Jokic (7)
8	Paul (8)	Westbrook (8)
9	A. Davis (NR)	A. Davis (9)
10	Kawhi (9)	Kawhi (10)

Top 10 NBA Franchise Players
This list is about which players you would pick to start a franchise right now. They must have played in an NBA game. Previous ranks posted on June 27, 2023.

#	David (PR)	Mike (Previous Rank)
1	Doncic (1)	Wemby (NR)
2	Wemby (NR)	Doncic (1)
3	Gilgeous-Alexander (3)	Gilgeous-Alexander (6)
4	Antetokounmpo (4)	Jokic (2)
5	Jokic (5)	Antetokounmpo  (4)
6	Tatum (2)	Embiid  (5)
7	A. Edwards (NR)	Tatum (3)
8	Haliburton (6)	Brunson (NR)
9	Maxey (NR)	Haliburton (7)
10	Jalen Williams (NR)	Sabonis (NR)

Top 10 NBA Players

 Top 10 NBA Players Now

While this list consists of the top 10 players now, the past is taken to account, but it is not a list of the best players who happen to be active. Previous ranks posted on June 28, 2022.

.

#	David (PR)	Mike (Previous Rank)
1	Antetokounmpo (1)	Jokic (5)
2	Jokic (2)	Embiid (3)
3	Embiid (7)	Antetokounmpo (2)
4	Doncic (5)	Tatum (4)
5	J. Butler (10)	Harden (NR)
6	Curry (2)	Doncic (4)
7	Tatum (NR)	LeBron (5)
8	LeBron (3)	Durant (8)
9	Do. Mitchell (NR)	J. Butler(NR)
10	Durant (6)	Gilgeous-Alexander (NR)

Top 10 NBA Careers Among Active Players
You're making a list of the ten best players in NBA history, but there's one caveat; you can only include players who played during the 2021-22 season (injuries excepted). These are our choices, taking the players' entire careers into account. Previous ranks posted on June 28, 2022.

#	David (PR)	Mike (Previous Rank)
1	LeBron (1)	LeBron (1)
2	Curry (2)	Durant (2)
3	Durant (3)	Paul (3)
4	Westbrook (4)	Curry (4)
5	Harden (5)	Harden (5)
6	Antetokounmpo (6)	Antetokounmpo (NR)
7	Jokic (10)	Jokic (NR)
8	Paul (7)	Westbrook (6)
9	Kawhi (9)	A. Davis (8)
10	J. Butler (NR)	Kawhi (9)

Top 10 NBA Franchise Players
This list is about which players you would pick to start a franchise right now. They must have played in an NBA game. Previous ranks posted on June 28, 2022.

#	David (PR)	Mike (Previous Rank)
1	Doncic (1)	Doncic (1)
2	Tatum (6)	Jokic (2)
3	Gilgeous-Alexander (NR)	Tatum (4)
4	Antetokounmpo (2)	Antetokounmpo  (3)
5	Jokic (3)	Embiid  (5)
6	Haliburton  (NR)	Gilgeous-Alexander (NR)
7	Adebayo (7)	Haliburton (NR)
8	E. Mobley (NR)	Do. Mitchell (9)
9	D. Fox (NR)	E. Mobley (NR)
10	La. Ball (8)	Zion (NR)

Museum and Souveniers

It was raining in the morning so we ordered breakfast. My bagel and pastrami sandwich was very good. When it stopped raining we went to the National Museum of Scotland again.

This was Candace's first time. She was very excited to see Dolly, the cloned sheep. The kids played their games again while I ran around the museum checking out the other exhibits. I saw all the Scottish exhibits. There was a menorah in one display dedicated to the diversity of Scotland in the 21st century.

We left the museum and Tali started to whine. We got the kids drinks and then went to get souvenirs. That was a long expensive frustrating process. Then we got some hand pies. Tali started have a meltdown. We bought some treats. That wasn't good enough. We got back to the hotel just before it rained again.

We watched out game shows, The Tipping Point and The Chase. It was hard.to put the kids down and the weren't behaving great. Abie became sad that we were going home tomorrow. He said he really enjoyed his time here.

Garden and Dean

We got a late start and everyone was grumpy because they were hungry. We ate at an Italian chain restaurant and the kids really liked it. Candace liked her fancy pizza as well.

We made the long walk to the Botanical Gardens. I had a panic attack on Dean Bridge. It's not a scary bridge, but I peaked over and my fear of heights took over. In eroding park gave us nice views of the city. The Botanic Gardens were a nice place, a little too commercial for my liking.

We searched for treats, but Edinburgh is a little weird. Some places close early and others open late. So you find a great place online and it's invariably closed. Candace got some coffee and we searched for Dean village.

My feet and legs were aching and the sidewalk situation was not good for Candace's scooter. I've seen people who use wheelchairs here and it must be very frustrating for them. Edinburgh infantilizes disabled people. Candace has lost some independence. At home or even during our Brisbane trip, she was completely independent. Edinburgh has been very rough in that regard.

It was too difficult to get the scooter down to the iconic view of Dean village. It was nice, but felt like many European cities. We went back to the hotel and ordered some Japanese food. The chicken was good, but the beef was the worst I've ever had.

Football in the Rain

 Today was the last day of Canada's conference. The kids and I went to a used bookstore. Then we saw the statue of the great Scottish boxer Ken Buchanan. We got some pizza and went to see a Hibs soccer game.

The crowd was 16,334, so it's not the biggest stadium. It had more of a minor league feel. It took me a while to figure out how to scan the ticket because I'm an idiot. I scanned Tali and she pushed the gate to go through. I scanned Abie's  but he didn't pushed the gate fast enough and it locked. I did my ticket and tried to get Abie through but we didn't do it fast enough.

This was a floor to top of the doorway rotating gate, so Tali couldn't come out and we couldn't go in. I scanned the tickets again and they were declined. I told Tali to wait right there. Abie and I ran to the handicap ticket taker and told him what happened. The tickets were declined again and he told me to go to support nearby. So I ran there and told her what happened. She reset the tickets and told me to go first. I did, but then the gate got stuck with Abe's ticket. A couple of tries later he got in. We ran over to Tali who was waiting by the gate. She told me later she was just a little scared.

The kids didn't really pay attention to the game. We were in the front row in the corner. Hibs was up 2-0 at the half. The kids wanted food, but I wanted to wait until the second half. Turns out the food stalls close after halftime so they were pissed at me.

In the second half, one middle aged man maybe had too much to drink and kept yelling fucking every third word. His accent was so strong I could only make out "fucking" and the occasional "cunt." I couldn't understand anything else he was saying. I was hoping the kids couldn't either, but they heard all the fuckings being dropped. The constant f bombs spread. Soon everyone near us started tossing them around.

At the end, the other team scored a cheap goal and the lead shrank to 2-1. After some nervous moments, Hubs pulled it out 2-1 just as the rain picked up.

We made it to another book store where I got some books on Scotland for us, drawing much ire from the kids who wanted books we can get anywhere. Then we made the long walk back to our area and the rain pelted us. The kids have effective rain jackets. I have a fleece that does well in the rain, but had left it in the room next door during the power outage fiasco. The fleece I had on attracts rain, so I was soaked.

We got takeaway for dinner and brought it to the hotel, hoping the paper bags of books and dinner wouldn't disintegrate in the rain. Luckily they didn't and we ate dinner in the hotel room.