Podcast 243

Halloween 1. The first of two podcasts for Halloween, 2014. Some developing stories catching Bob Davis’ interest as the media zeroes in on Election 2014 coverage. Now we’re scolding people for the Halloween costumes they’re wearing. Admittedly, most of today’s adults have never grown up and thus feel compelled to wear costumes for any and all occasions, whenever there is an opportunity. Yet now, the scolds are telling people Ebola Hazmat suits are ‘in bad taste’, those dressing up as ISIS terrorists ‘could be shot by police if ISIS terrorists were to dress up as ISIS terrorists’ (Editor’s Note: That one is really a stretch, but I did not make it up.) and Halloween displays with ‘severed heads’ are also in bad taste. Not to mention the criticism of young women’s increasingly sexy costumes as inappropriate, which if you are a single male is decidedly NOT inappropriate, but anyway. Hey people! It’s Halloween. It’s an offensive ‘holiday’ anyway. Can we give it a rest for 24 hours, and let people have some fun before they die of Ebola, or in a terror attack …or not? Meanwhile in the real world, the Centers For Disease Control has subtly let America know that Ebola can be transmitted through ‘water droplets’, which means yes, sneezing and coughing by an infected person could potentially infect someone else, and there would be no touching or ‘direct contact with bodily fluids’. Maybe this is why the US Military is quarantining personnel coming back from Ebola stricken areas in West Africa, for 21 days, no exceptions. A doctor in the Minneapolis and Saint Paul area writes in the Minneapolis Tribune this week, that in his experience symptoms are often difficult for doctors to connect with diseases, and people can be symptomatic before they have fevers, and not know it. Tom Combs also says there isn’t enough data yet to conclusively say that a quarantine isn’t just safe, and smart policy. He also says, people need to understand Quarantine is not punishment, nor incarceration. Quarantine is a way contain a disease and prevent its spread. Meanwhile, states are getting out in front of our intellectual-and-reluctant-to-act President. Louisiana sent letters to attendees to a topical disease forum in New Orleans, disinviting those who had been in West Africa in the last week, citing the need to protect the citizens of Louisiana. Hey! Some good economic news came out just in time for the election! How about that? 3.5 percent GDP growth in the 3rd Quarter. Most of it in the Government and Energy Sector. Oddly enough, Goldman now says that the US has dethroned OPEC and is now the New Oil Order. Falling prices for Gas is good, but this is not so good for investors in oil stocks, or countries that rely on oil revenues. (Editors Note: Take that suckers!) By the way … where’s your old crazy ‘peak oil’ uncle these days? The richest man in the world, Carlos Slim says 60 is the new 40, you shouldn’t retire and that soon people will work only 3 days a week. Machines work work 24/7, we’ll work 11 hour shifts and have more time for retraining and leisure. Finally, when was the last time you took a vacation? Why 5 weeks of vacation may soon become mandatory, and common. Sponsored by Depotstar

Podcast 235

Walk and Talk. Review of last week’s Ebola and political news, on an evening neighborhood walk, during a perfect fall night in the Upper Midwest. What’s the first thing you thought about when you woke up today? How about the difference in being born during this time, or perhaps 1418? (Editor’s Note: Yes, this is the first thing I thought about when I woke up the day I did this podcast. Who knows where that came from!). The 1400’s? Probably not a great era to be born in no matter what your station in life; Peasant, or Royal. Life expectancy? Between 20 and 35 years. Probably the best place to live? A united China, at the dawn of the Ming Dynasty, in that era. 1400’s was also the peak of the North American Indians. While we can be concerned about the medieval things that happen in our time; Beheadings, the spread of Ebola and the fear associated with both, all other measurements of life these days compared to say, 1418 are much more desirable. Speaking of Ebola. At the suggestion of Republican Senator John McCain, President Obama has appointed an Ebola Czar. Now everyone is upset that the Ebola Czar isn’t a General. Really? How can moderate Republicans like McCain go around talking about ‘smaller government’ when their best suggestion on how to handle Ebola is more government? How did that work out with The Department of Homeland Security after 9/11. The President oversees the Defense Department, NIH, the CDC and has a Surgeon General. What about Obama being the Ebola Czar since he’s responsible. Minnesota’s Republican Senate Candidate Mike McFadden finally hits a home run by advocating a travel ban, while Senator Al Franken wants to think about it some more. Meanwhile, the President tells America not to ‘panic’. Who’s in charge? According to the New York Times, President Obama is privately ‘livid’ that apparently no one is. Message to the President: “Pssst…Sir…uh…You’re in charge!”. Additional thoughts on the President’s no drama process. Maybe he just doesn’t want to do what anyone else wants to do, and uses ‘process’ as an excuse. Philosophically, he doesn’t believe the US is exceptional, blames European Colonialism for the problems of the world, and hews pretty much to the progressive belief in expanding government … particularly the Federal Government, and actually the executive branch of the federal government. Houston, we have a problem. We have a bad president, and if we can make it to January 20th 2017, we’ll have a new one. Hopefully someone who has had executive experience as Governor and not another former Senator, and please no more community organizers! Finally, the political ‘moneyballers’ continue to predict a Republican Wave, for the election on November 4th, 2014 and then take back the prediction. What’s the difference between political scientists, television personalities and writers who know how to use excel? Political scientists concentrate on real voting data, historically, and use poll data sparingly. We won’t know what will happen in this election, until at least November 4th, 2014 — late into the evening. Sponsored by XGovernmentcars

Podcast 233

Ebola. “Ebola”, a word that may soon become synonymous with “Government Failure”. Does the US Government’s response to two Dallas health care workers contracting the Ebola virus make you feel more, or less confident in government. Breaking news these days provokes questions on what heavily funded government agencies are doing with our tax dollars … because they sure don’t seem to be protecting us from Ebola. Turns out the second Dallas health care worker to be infected, Amber Vinson, told the CDC she had a slight fever before boarding a flight from Cleveland to Dallas, and the CDC said, ‘Yeah, go ahead’. Turns out the CDC procedures for containing the disease at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas were not only inadequate, according to Doctors Without Borders — the organization most experienced at containing the Ebola Virus — the CDC’s guidelines for containing Ebola are flat out wrong. What is CDC director Friedman’s response? In 20/20 hindsight, we could have done better. Huh? Meanwhile, President Obama’s Ebola conference went well into the evening, and something tells us they weren’t talking about the Phoenix Suns or the Lakers basketball teams. The president wants Governors to know they can call out the national guard, and that the federal government wants to help them. Is it Halloween yet? Because that is a pretty scary thought! Is this making you feel better about the government’s response to Ebola? By the way, suddenly, President Obama thinks appointing an Ebola Czar might be a good idea, and he isn’t philosophically ‘opposed’ to a travel ban, he was just advised not to order one. Wait, is that a bus coming? Because it sure looks like someone will be thrown under it soon. First name that pops up? CDC director Tom Freidmen. Meanwhile people from Ebola stricken countries in West Africa have just been told the President is considering a travel ban. Think they’ll jump on planes to get in before that ban goes into effect? Let’s get real; The President could order a travel ban instantly, with no warning, and he only needs his phone, not even the pen. Kenya and Nigeria, instituted travel bans weeks ago and credit those bans with saving their countries from infection, but somehow its not a good idea for the US. Meanwhile the CDC gets 7 Billion dollars a year from American taxpayers and at least 200 million from private donors in the Atlanta area. The agency spends millions trying to get states to pass mandatory motorcycle helmet laws, monitoring video game and TV ‘violence’, creating so called ‘injury centers’ that regulate – wait for it – playground equipment, lobbying for gun control efforts, and pushing ‘social norming’ in government schools. But, apparently not fighting Ebola or Enterovirus D68. Houston, we have a problem. Our government doesn’t work very well and its costing Americans an arm and a leg. What do we need to do to fix this mess and get the government out of people’s personal lives, and back to doing what it is constitutionally mandated to do. Sponsored by Sedation and Implant Dentistry of Saint Paul