#bordercrisis #asylum #concentrationcamp Most of us think of a concentration camp as a place where Jews, Poles, Gypsies, Serbs, and general undesirables, were sent during World War II. We picture (or try not to) the horrendous conditions in which these humans were placed during these trying times. We also tend to think of them as a holding point for what the Nazis referred as the "final solution". However, few of us realize those were not the first camps of human concentration mankind created. That award would go to...

#judges #election2020 #courtsystem Back in May, I wrote about how we're so focused on the immediate news and are completely missing out on the long-lasting changes the Republicans and the Trump administration are perpetrating in the background. The most impactful and least talked about is how our Federal Court system is being shaped for decades to come. The most recent episode from NPR's Embedded show is taking a look at the very real implications of our missing the forest for the trees. Though the show is focusing on...

Complexity is something with which we have a love-hate relationship. We love the challenges complex problems bring. And equally, due to their inherit ambiguity, we hate them. Complex problems, unlike those which are complicated, must be managed and mitigated rather than fully resolved. The real world is complex. It is full of inputs and outputs which we don't fully understand. Take the story of a farmer that wanted to get in better sync with our environment. By its very definition, farming was one of our first and most...

#fda #drugs #elderly One of the most important jobs our various Federal agencies provide is public safety. For example, the EPA is charged with making sure we have clean air and drinking water. The FAA with providing safe air travel. And the FDA is charged with providing Americans with safe food and drugs. When a new drug is created (not a generic), it goes through a lengthy approval process at the FDA. There are many phases to bring a new drug to market, from the initial viability of...

#evangelicals #trump #2020Election I've written a few articles here on religion, one about its possible genesis and another on the power it has over our decisions and choices. Today I was listening to a new episode from Throughline (below) where their focus was on the birth of what we have come to know as religious evangelicals in the US. To be fair, the word refers to anyone that preaches and follows a Christian faith (there are various denominations), and seeks to convert others in the process. Which means...

Generic medication can be a life-saver for a lot of people who cannot afford to purchase their brand-name counterpart. In a recent article, we talked about the cost of medication in the US in comparison to other developed countries. We wanted to follow that up with a recent episode of Fresh Air. In this episode, they spoke to journalist Katherine Eban about her new book, Bottle of Lies. In the book, Eban illustrates the many safety failures we have suffered at the hands of corporate greed and federal...

Everyone with and without kids has watched Nemo. It's a great movie with plenty of adult comedy thrown in to make it enjoyable for the whole family. Like all kids movies, it shows a very idealistic way of the world, with a few exceptions. GetYarn.io One of those exceptions is a scene where the neighborhood bird comes to the dentist office to catch up with the fish on the day's news. Suddenly it notices Nemo and realizes he's a new addition to the tank. Nemo is introduced as...

Have you ever wondered where the idea of God came from? Why certain religions have survived while others have not? Or whether or not religious beliefs have a direct impact to the betterment of our society? There are three main religions on Earth; Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. Together, those three religions envelop about 70% of the world's population. Even in an era of so much technological and scientific innovation (we recently saw a black hole for the first time), religion remains a very important part of the fabric...

If you are not vaccinated for measles in New York City you will have two options; vaccinate or face a fine. New York City has declared the outbreak of measles a public health emergency. Measles are back in the United States. According to the CDC, in 2018 there were 372 cases reported. The virus has spread so quickly, that as of April 26 the number of cases reported were close to double those of 2018 (704). If the virus continues to spread at its current velocity we can...

It's in the bible. At least according to a bible-thumper in an interview in a recent episode from This American Life. The episode is a re-run from 2016 which focuses on the struggles of fat people living in the US. The full episode is great and I recommend you listen it, but the highlight for me was the 4th act. The 4th act is about a weight-loss Christian movement from the 1970s. The reporter, Daniel Engber, reports about guidelines set by the Oral Roberts University for fat people....