Linkee-poo on a Thursday

The Good Fight's animated guide to impeachment in the style of School House Rock (song by Jonathan Coulton). (Grokked from John)

"Unilever, the consumer goods giant, is among companies using AI technology to analyse the language, tone and facial expressions of candidates when they are asked a set of identical job questions which they film on their mobile phone or laptop." Worst timeline ever. So I wonder if they ever do an audit on the people they "pass" through. You know, to see if they're all white, middle-class, etc? Probably not. Also, I love how they've based their algorithms on "successful candidates". Really? How did that work out with this new technology? (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)

"The fear is that thousands of workers in the United States who create countertops out of what's known as 'engineered stone' may be inhaling dangerous amounts of lung-damaging silica dust, because engineered stone is mostly made of the mineral silica." Silica dust is a known problem.

"He may be an outlier, still working at 89, but statistics show that there may be more people like him in the near future. About 1 in 4 adults age 65 and older is now in the workforce. That number is expected to increase, making it the fastest-growing group of workers in the country." Retire and let the next generation have a chance (that's actually why we have "retirement" in the first place). "Meanwhile, roughly half of private sector employers offer no retirement plans at all. That's one of the reasons about a quarter of retirees get 90% or more of their income from Social Security." It was only ever supposed to be less than 50%. Retirement, however, is out of reach of many. And for many more retirement means poverty. But here's another tip, if you are able to retire start planning about a decade before you reach that age. Have a plan for what you'll do, where your money will come from, how you expect to live. I've seen lots of people die just after retirement, underlying health issues cropped up when they suddenly became more sedentary.

"Walmart Inc (WMT.N) said on Thursday it will begin several healthcare pilot programs for its U.S. employees starting Jan. 1 as it looks for ways to cut healthcare costs - one of the largest expenses for the retailer after wages." Uh, sure. So, company doctor, limited provider lists, and "education." That'll work. Also, they're not "new".

"It's hard to imagine a more boring (and dreaded) word than "mortgage." But if you know where to look, you might find a mortgage that will save you thousands of dollars a year or discover that you qualify for a loan when you didn't think you could — and that's exciting. You might even find free money to help with a down payment."

So when you hear that canard about "farmers being good stewards of the land", just remember this. "Farmers have pumped so much water that in some places, the water table has fallen by more than a hundred feet. The water is now so deep underground that it can't flow into streams and rivers anymore. Streams dry up, and as a result, fish and plants and birds around those streams also disappear." Farmers of business men who grow crops and raise animals for money. They are slightly better business people because their horizon is anywhere from 4 months (a growing season) to a few years (fruit, wine, tree nuts, etc), which is longer than the 1 day to 3 month business cycle everywhere else. Poor farming practices brought about the Great Dust Bowl, have silted up some rivers, create the "dead zone" in the Gulf of Mexico, are responsible for the toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie, and the list goes on. So when they say, "We know how to manage our land", imagine me giving a giant raspberry. Most have no clue and are only focused on making their loan payments and paying bills.

"Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger was sentenced on Wednesday to serve 10 years in prison for the fatal 2018 killing of an innocent man she shot when she mistakenly entered his apartment believing it was her own… But in a remarkable act of kindness, the brother of the victim took the witness stand and spoke directly to Guyger, saying, 'I love you like anyone else,' and later hugged her in the courtroom before she was led off to prison."

"A judge has ruled that a Philadelphia nonprofit group's plan to open the first site in the U.S. where people can use illegal opioids under medical supervision does not violate federal drug laws, delivering a major setback to Justice Department lawyers who launched a legal challenge to block the facility." Good.

"The Trump administration is moving to collect DNA samples from hundreds of thousands of people booked into federal immigration custody each year and to enter the results into a national criminal database, an immense expansion of the use of technology to enforce the nation’s immigration laws." Not a good idea.

"The Trump administration ratcheted up its feud with California on Wednesday as the Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice accusing San Francisco of violating the federal Clean Water Act."

"Hong Kong's government is set to announce a ban on wearing face masks at public gatherings, local media report… Officials plan to use emergency legislation dating from the colonial era to invoke the measure, aimed at quelling anti-government protests."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island… "North Korea said on Thursday it had successfully test-fired a new submarine-launched ballistic missile from sea to contain external threats and bolster self-defence, ahead of fresh nuclear talks with the United States."

"St. Clare's ran into financial problems, and in 2008 it was folded into a larger hospital system. Workers like Bradley say they were told not to worry — the pension fund would still be there for them. But for Bradley and others, it won't be there." Ah, the old "raid the pension fund" gambit is back. This happened to my Mom twice (I'm looking at you, now Senator Rick Scott, you can fuck off and die for all I care). And I know a lot of friends who have the same problem. And don't think because you have a 401(k) or some other employer run retirement plan that you're immune. You've got to watch your deposits, watch where the money is invested and who has access to it. And this is why we have Social Security. It wasn't meant to do all the work, but it's never been "just 33%" (as the lawmakers and financial planners think about it).

How go the Trade Wars? "The US has been given the go-ahead to impose tariffs on $7.5bn (£6.1bn) of goods it imports from the EU." Ah, I see we're picking new fights. Actually it's an old fight, but the Trump administration is choosing this path (over others) and going from threatening to escalating.

How goes Brexit? "The plan, outlined in a seven-page document, would see Northern Ireland stay in the European single market for goods, but leave the customs union - resulting in new customs checks." How would that work, exactly?

In case you were wondering what all the kids are talking about with "moots" and snakes and stuff. "President Trump made building a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico a cornerstone of his 2016 presidential campaign. But when, after the election, efforts to build the wall stalled, he turned to other possible options — including constructing a trench filled with snakes and alligators — according to a forthcoming book."

"House investigators are looking into an allegation that groups — including at least one foreign government — tried to ingratiate themselves to President Donald Trump by booking rooms at his hotels but never staying in them." And that's why keeping you business was a bad idea, Sparky. And if it was by your request or not, it could still be a crime. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)

"The Trump campaign and the Republican National Committee took in a huge haul in the third quarter, which ended Monday — a combined $125 million… This means that this year alone, they've raised more than $300 million — double the total that then-President Obama and the Democratic Party had raised at this point in 2011 on Obama's way to a successful reelection bid."

"President Trump launched a broadside against Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Calif.) at a joint news conference Wednesday afternoon with the president of Finland, after the House Intelligence Committee chairman warned the White House that 'we’re not fooling around' on the impeachment inquiry." The "stable genius" facade cracks (not that it was fully there to begin with). Okay, so why would the State Department inspector general be able to find those folders full of conspiracy theories about the Bidens? That's election materials. It shouldn't be on anyone's government office desk, unless they're breaking election rules. Good thing the FEC doesn't have a quorum, eh?

"House Democrats are set to launch a new phase of their impeachment inquiry on Thursday when former Ambassador Kurt Volker, until recently a top State Department representative to Ukraine, is scheduled to meet with investigators."

"Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is canceling presidential campaign events 'until further' notice following a heart procedure, campaign senior adviser Jeff Weaver said Wednesday morning." I don't expect him to drop out of the race, but he's done.