Bitchin Dave's Newsletter - April 29th
As many of you know, I volunteer fairly regularly at the local food bank. When I volunteered last week, the coordinator made a point of telling us that the donations are trending downward, while the need continues to rise. She noted that the current political climate just exacerbates the situation. She reminded us that there are only about 200 major food banks across the country, which puts a lot of pressure on these banks. And then over the weekend, I got a plea for a financial contribution. I'm more than happy to promote this cause. It's a really good one! ---------- Forwarded message --------- I hope this note finds you well!
Many of our Feeding South Florida partners and friends have been asking how we're doing in the midst of so much uncertainty and challenges in our government. The truth is, we're feeling the strain and experiencing unexpected gaps, and so are the individuals and families we serve. We've already absorbed serious setbacks:
Across South Florida, the challenges are mounting. Families are being hit from every angle—rising costs, unexpected layoffs, and shrinking safety nets. Parents who were working just weeks ago are now struggling to put food on the table. Seniors on fixed incomes are choosing between groceries and medicine. And children are feeling it in ways they shouldn't have to.
All while the government resources that once helped sustain our hunger relief efforts are caught in a web of delays, cuts, and shifting priorities. We're doing everything we can to bridge the gap, but we cannot do it alone. Your support right now means the difference between food on the table or going without. It keeps our trucks on the road, our shelves stocked, and our response strong—even when the systems designed to help fall short. Help us Bridge the Gap with a special gift:
Please give what you can—because families are counting on us now more than ever. Make your contribution here: feedingsouthflorida.org/donate. If you'd like to make your contribution through another source (donor advised funds, check, credit card, etc.), please let me know. Thank you .
Sincerely,
ALLYSON VAULX O: 954.518.1818 x1852 C: 219.746.3309
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Funding education At the Federal level, there is an admittedly half-assed plan to do away with the department of education. The net result is that there would be limited, or perhaps no, funds that are sent from the federal government to the states; this money ensures that the education offered will be "excellent" … Meanwhile in the state of Florida, there is a proposal to do away with property taxes, which are used for some services, and most importantly, education. Florida has no state income tax. The only other sources of direct revenue are highway tolling, and sales tax. Highway tolls do pay for a lot of things - but not education. And don't look to sales tax, as there's also a proposal to *lower* the rate, meaning there will be less revenue for everything. So Florida schools will be funded … how, exactly? I imagine the only viable option, for those that can afford it, will be some form of private school (that doesn't have to adhere to a curriculum, and surely will weed out anyone who doesn't "fit in"). And for everyone else, there will be some crappy, overcrowded schools that won't be able to provide transportation or pay for teachers. But, hey, not to worry, because the state has plans to allow anyone to teach, to pay below minimum wage for "certain jobs" (teaching is not among them - for now), and to allow children to work. Maybe they can just let students teach the class! This is insanity. Who needs an edumacation anyway?
The idea of a Natrium power source isn't new, but it's always been somewhat theoretical until recently. The concept is to create a nuclear reactor and use liquid sodium to cool the materials, rather than water. This would have two benefits: it would increase energy production and decrease the risk of an accident. They're building a power plant in Wyoming, in order to test this out. I look forward to seeing how this works out. And by the way, the article notes that Bill Gates thinks this is a good direction for the future of energy. I just wanted to point out that Gates is smarter than Elon is; so I can at least accept that through independent thought he might have some idea what he's talking about. But maybe that's just me. https://jasondeegan.com/bill-gates-argues-that-the-future-of-energy-isnt-in-renewables-or-fusion-but-in-natrium/ |
Sergey Brin - one of Google's cofounders - waxed poetic recently. Oh wait. It's not poetic. It's idiotic. "I recommend being in the office at least every weekday," Which I think means people can and should work weekends? "60 hours a week is the sweet spot of productivity, [A] number of folks work less than 60 hours and a small number put in the bare minimum to get by... This last group is not only unproductive but also can be highly demoralizing to everyone else." So he wants to be a leader in AI and to get there, he'll abuse his employees. Who, maybe, will get an attaboy for their work? And he'll make billions.
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Dr Buhler (there's a "Ferris Buehler's Day Off" joke in here somewhere) thinks he has found a new force that allows for a rocket drive system that has no propellant. "Essentially, what we've discovered is that systems that contain an asymmetry in either electrostatic pressure or some kind of electrostatic divergent field can give a system of a center of mass a non-zero force component. "So, what that basically means is that there's some underlying physics that can essentially place force on an object should those two constraints be met." Personally, I'm learning toward this being poppycock. But I am willing to keep an open mind and see if there's any merit to what he's saying. |
Abigail Disney (grand daughter of Roy O. Disney) has been a very vocal critic of the way the Disney company has been run. And now she is setting her sights on billionaires."The need to tax rich people like me has never been so dire. World leaders have a chance to raise taxes for rich people like me. I'm begging them to take it. Extreme wealth concentration in the hands of a few oligarchs is a threat to democracy the world over." https://finance.yahoo.com/news/disney-heiress-says-billionaire-t-173348468.html |
Here's a look at how scientists are developing a better means of transmitting power with less loss, over longer distances, by using different materials and configurations of those materials.
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journalism is built on judgment calls. Reporters constantly make choices that reflect their personal and institutional values. Pretending otherwise only feeds distrust. https://blog.medium.com/the-myth-of-neutral-reporting-39f16871c99b |
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