Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

You are what you (and your gut microbiome) eat

Your diet doesn’t just feed you, it also feeds the bacteria that live in your gut. And metabolites from these bacteria can influence not only your metabolism but your risk of depression and dementia. How can you cultivate a healthy gut microbiome to maximize the benefits and minimize the harm due to these minute colonists? […]

Is bird flu the next COVID?

Despite the breathless paranoia, the most likely source of SARS-CoV-19 was from an infected animal in the Wuhan wet market. Deadly viruses can move from animals to humans. That’s the most likely source of HIV—SIV transmitted via bushmeat. Same with the “Spanish Flu” that probably began in Iowa pig farms. Bats are thought to be […]

2024 year end Coronavirus dashboard: the year COVID-19 turned into the flu

 – by New Deal democrat A year ago I said that I would only update information about the state of COVID-19 if there was something significant to report. And as of the end of the year 2024 there is: deaths from COVID in 2024 have fallen to the point where they are equivalent to the upper […]

Shadow Cabinet

A Positive Form of Opposition Thinking about… I like this by Tim Snyder When I moved to Great Britain to study, I found the politics very exciting. The parliamentary system was different, so that new elections immediately led to new governments. The press was excellent but political, so that one could read the newspapers and […]

Late November US Unemployment Report

Overall, the November report was good. Unemployment was up 1 tenth. Participation Rate dropped a tenth. PR has been hovering about the same for months. What you are looking at is what The Fed has done with higher Fed Rates. As the Fed Rates drop, U-3 will pickup. We are on the right path. It […]

Monday is the Big Day

The next couple of years should be interesting as people wake up and realize what they did to themselves. Read on . . . The last time a presidential vote was certified, the losing incumbent attempted a coup against the United States. We must never forget his treachery. A day that shall live in infamy, […]

Construction Spending Statistics

Press Release: January 2, 2025 — The U.S. Census Bureau announced the following value put in place construction statistics for November 2024: Total Construction Construction spending during November 2024 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,152.6 billion, virtually unchanged from (±1.0 percent)* the revised October estimate of $2,152.3 billion. The November figure […]

Veterans Administration Spending is 3.5% of all Federal Spending

The Department of Veterans Affairs spent $301 billion in fiscal year 2023, a 70% increase over the past decade. It is one of the smallest expenditures of the US budget. Just some brief factual data. How much does the VA spend? USAFacts The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the fifth-largest spender amongst federal agencies, […]