February 8

Found this early this morning. For decades we have sent our garbage to developing countries. Now one of our territories is sending their waste to us. Another sign of our descent into banana republic status.

Reviewing the Boeing situation I thought of a parallel: Pharma. How often have we seen new drugs approved by the FDA, heavily advertised and then suddenly pulled because "after market" reports revealed consequential side effects? Quite often over the last 20 years. Industries of all kinds now consider customers to be guinea pigs. Companies make as much money as they until enough guinea pigs suffer spectacularly and then they pull the product--unless they can convince the regulators to decide that the worth of the product exceeds the worth of the guinea pigs.

Naked Capitalism posted this item today. Each time the current administration gets involved in anything I always ask who expects to profit to what extent and who will be hurt. But something else caught my attention: Greer's description of the so called experts reception of individuals describing their symptoms upon consuming MSG. Basically their testimonies were dismissed as imaginary, hysterical, not at all real. Politicians evidently have the same response to anyone claiming harm from projects and enterprises which benefits them or their true masters.

I live about 40 miles south of the time of Lake Michigan and have been seeing stories on our news outlets about the devastation the high lake water levels have caused this year. And the Illinois-Indiana shoreline isn't alone.

Australia is also experiencing flooding rains. On the one hand the rains is a welcome aid in extinguishing some of the wildfires. On the other, the fires came after a two-year drought which didn't help the ground absorb the massive amount of water On a similar note a blogger I follow who lives well south and east of us wrote about flooding that is worse than any they have seen in all the time she and her husband have lived on their property. They had to wade out through water topping their boots to get their buck goats to a drier area. They have never had the goat paddocks flood before.