What Caught My Eye Today - Pandemics, Sainthood, Natural Disasters

Pandemics - A new SARS-like virus recently found in humans continues to spread, with the worldwide total now at 49 according to the World Health Organization. Yeah, yeah. I can hear the skepticism already. What's all the drama about? We're only talking about 49 people, right? Of the 49 known infections with the MERS-CoV virus, 27 have resulted in death. Point number one--this virus has a mortality rate of more than 55%. Coronaviruses cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to SARS, or Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, as well as a variety of animal diseases. It acts like a cold virus and attacks the respiratory system. Symptoms, which include fever and a cough, are severe and can lead to pneumonia and kidney failure.  There are currently no vaccines to protect against human coronavirus infection. Point number two--there is not treatment or cure for this thing that has killed more than half the people who have been diagnosed with it. Need I say more?

Sainthood - Pope Francis made Catholic history by canonizing more than 800 new saints in one day. Is it just me or does that sound like a lot of saints? I sure hope they don't plan on adding all 800 to the Litany of Saints. That bad boy is long enough already. The new saints were Italians from the port town of Otranto, which was overrun by the Ottoman Turkish army in 1480.  The townspeople barricaded themselves in the cathedral and refused to convert to Islam; males older than 15 were beheaded.  This is the sort of thing that happens when two parties cannot find any middle ground upon which to work out their differences. The decision to elevate the entire group to sainthood was made by Pope Benedict XVI on his last day in office and may strain relations between the Catholic Church and Muslims. I must confess when I started reading this article, it struck me as rather peculiar that Pope Francis would have instigated such a controversial gesture, but then when I saw that he was carrying out the final edicts of his predecessor, this made much more sense.

Natural Disasters - With summer just around the corner, you may be looking for suggestions for places to go on summer holiday.  For those of you who are keen to avoid international travel in favor of the safety of the United States, you might want to avoid some of these places that are rather prone to disasters. Some states find themselves in the cross-hairs of disaster far more than others. Presidents have declared nearly 2,000 major disasters in the 50 states and the District of Columbia over the past 60 years as of April 2013, but a mere 10 states have been responsible for a third of that total. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) these are the top states most at risk for a disaster declaration:

#10 Missouri: The Show-Me State has been shown disastrous weather in every month of the year: severe snow and ice storms in winter, tornadoes during the spring, summer and fall, and flooding at virtually any time. Major disaster declarations since 1953: 53
I get that Missouri is home to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis and the spectacle that is Branson, but seriously, what exactly is there to "show me" in Missouri?
#9 Arkansas: Arkansas has been walloped by heavy rain, snow, ice, tornadoes and flooding over the years and has even taken poundings from tropical storm systems, though it's not a coastal state. In 2008, storms and tornadoes associated with Hurricane Gustav littered streets with debris, damaged buildings, roads and bridges, and knocked out electric cooperatives. Major disaster declarations since 1953: 54
So not only does Arkansas get whacked by tropical storms, hurricanes and tornadoes, but it gets clobbered by most of its SEC rivals in college football. It almost makes you feel sorry for them...almost.
#8 Kentucky: The disaster roster in Kentucky has included landslides, mudslides and rock slides, along with flooding and tornadoes. The state was ripped up in 2008 by the remnants of Hurricane Ike. Another major disaster declaration involved a record snowfall in late 2004, and yet another stemmed from a 1981 series of chemical explosions in the Louisville sewers. Major disaster declarations since 1953: 56.
On the bright side, Kentucky has some great bourbon and has some pretty good college basketball programs.
#7 Alabama: This Gulf Coast state has been battered by hurricanes, including Isaac in 2012, Gustav in 2008, Katrina and Dennis in 2005, and Ivan in 2004. But tornadoes in April 2011 rivaled the hurricanes for destructive power, lashing the state with winds that exceeded 210 mph and leaving about 250 people dead and an estimated $1.5 billion in damage. Major disaster declarations since 1953: 57.
Is it just me or is the gulf coast pretty much a death trap?  Check out #6 and #5 on the countdown...
#6 Louisiana: It has taken Louisiana years to recover from Hurricane Katrina, the now-legendary 2005 storm that government officials say killed nearly 1,000 residents and caused tens of billions of dollars in damage. The Gulf state has been visited by numerous hurricanes including 1969's Camille, a Category 5 storm that came ashore with 190 mph winds. By comparison, Katrina was "only" a Category 3 on the wind scale. Major disaster declarations since 1953: 60.
Yeah, but they have a wicked good time with that Mardi Gras deal, don't they?
#5 Florida: The Sunshine State has been pummeled by dozens of tropical storm systems since the 1950s -- none worse than Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The Category 5 hurricane with gusts of more than 200 mph held the title as the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history until Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Severe freezes have been disastrous for Florida farming on multiple occasions. Major disaster declarations since 1953: 65.
In fairness, the Hurricane State doesn't sound quite as inviting does it?
#4 New York: Across its empire that stretches from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast, New York has been lashed by everything from blizzards to tropical storms. In 2012, Superstorm Sandy killed nearly 50 in the state and caused more than $40 billion in damage. New York also received disaster declarations for the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that destroyed the World Trade Center and an earlier bombing in the complex's garage. Major disaster declarations since 1953: 67.
Maybe that's why those of us who don't live in New York, think that New Yorkers can be kind of mean.  With all that they've gone through, I can sort of see why. Don't get me wrong, they're still mean, but I get it now.
#3 Oklahoma: The recent monster tornado that blasted through the Oklahoma City suburbs is only the latest devastating storm to hit a state that recorded an average of 55 twisters per year since 1950. The worst tornado in recent history struck near Oklahoma City in May 1999 with unprecedented winds in excess of 300 mph that killed 36 people. Oklahoma also has endured severe winter storms, wildfires, floods and the 1995 terrorist bombing that killed 168 people at the Oklahoma City federal building. Major disaster declarations since 1953: 73.
With all the stuff that has happen in Oklahoma, maybe it might be time to consider relocating to a more hospitable location.
#2 California: The nation's most populous state also is one of the most disaster-prone thanks to wildfires, landslides, flooding, winter storms, severe freeze and even tsunami waves. But earthquakes are the disaster perhaps most closely associated with California. The worst in recent years have included a magnitude-6.9 quake near San Francisco in 1989 that killed 63 and a magnitude-6.7 quake in Southern California in 1994 that killed 61. Major disaster declarations since 1953: 78.
Heck, I live here. Clearly I'm too dumb or ignorant to know better.
#1 Texas: Within Texas' nearly 267,000 square miles (second only to Alaska in size), at least one major disaster is declared nearly every calendar year. The Lone Star State has dealt with tornadoes, floods, wildfires and fairly frequent coastal hurricanes. One of the deadliest and costliest in recent decades was Hurricane Celia, which tore up Corpus Christi in 1970. The storm left 13 dead and destroyed millions of dollars' worth of property. Major disaster declarations since 1953: 86.
After the Gulf Coast, I'm thinking the Mid West is not particularly appealing either.

What Caught My Eye Today - Venezuela, Congo, Potpourri

Fred's Note:  Just got back from two weeks of rest and recreation. While sipping on mai tais and enjoying all that the beautiful island of Oahu have to offer, I managed to squeeze in a little light reading, some of which I now share with you. 

Venezuela - First milk, butter, coffee and cornmeal ran short. Now Venezuela is running out of the most basic of necessities — toilet paper. Seriously, if you don't believe me, do an Internet search on "Venezuela toilet paper shortage". Blaming political opponents for the shortfall, as it does for other shortages, the embattled socialist government says it will import 50 million rolls to boost supplies. Clearly this is another feeble attempt by those dreaded American imperialists to undermine the Venezuelan people. Economists say Venezuela's shortages stem from price controls meant to make basic goods available to the poorest parts of society and the government's controls on foreign currency. Many factories operate at half capacity because the currency controls make it hard for them to pay for imported parts and materials. Business leaders say some companies verge on bankruptcy because they cannot extend lines of credit with foreign suppliers. The government this week announced it would import 760,000 tons of food and 50 million rolls of toilet paper. The Commerce Minister blamed the shortage of toilet tissue on "excessive demand" built up as a result of "a media campaign that has been generated to disrupt the country." Yeah, yeah, blame the media, blame the U.S., blame anyone but yourselves.  Dude, you have no toilet paper! How does something like that even happen?  At any rate, I did some checking, and it seems Venezuela is home to almost 30.3 million people.  50 million rolls of toilet paper amounts to less than 2 rolls per person.  Perhaps I am more regular than the average guy, but I burn through about a roll a week.  That 50 million ain't going to bridge the gap for very long.  

Congo - According to Save the Children, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the worst place in the world to give birth. Who'd have guessed...I mean besides everyone? One in 30 Congolese women dies from complications associated with childbirth, and tens of thousands of the have been impregnated through rape by militants or soldiers. The rankings are based on the rates of maternal death and infant death, as well as general health care and the economic status of mothers. Finland ranked as the best nation to give birth, followed by Sweden and Norway. The U.S. ranked 30th and has the industrialized world's highest death rate for newborns.  Congolese women live under the worst circumstances imaginable. My question is this--what excuse does the U.S. have for ranking so poorly among its peer group?

Potpourri -

• Presidential Campaigns - At least 14 former presidential candidates still have more than $100,000 in outstanding campaign debt. The most delinquent candidate is Republican Newt Gingrich, who owes $4.6 million from the last election, followed by perennial also-ran Lyndon LaRouche. President Obama still owes $3.1 million. Two observations. First, for Newt Gingrich and Lyndon LaRouche, where is the motivation to pay this debt back? They lost in spectacular fashion...repeatedly. What else could possible be worse? As for Obama, I'm not sure I'd worry too much about is ability to make good. $3.1 million is probably a royalty check from a post presidential memoir or a speaking engagement at some private corporate retreat.
• Jurisprudence - Since the financial crisis began in 2008, the U.S. has secured just two convictions against senior bankers. More than 800 bankers were jailed as a result of the savings-and-loan crisis in the 1980s. Two?  That's almost worse than none at all. At least if there were no convictions, one could argue that we never attempted to seek an convictions. This suggests that we are either incompetent or just don't care that we were pillaged by the financial industry. Either way, it's a sad commentary.
• Guantanamo - At $900,000 per inmate per year, Guantanamo Bay is the world's most expensive prison. By comparison, super-maximum-security prisons in the U.S. spend about $60,000 to $70,000 to house their inmates, while the average annual cost across all federal prisons is about $30,000. Here's an interesting little factoid. According to the Census Bureau, 52% of the U.S. population earned less than $30,000. What does it say about allocation of limited resources, when the prison population has more spent on it, than more than half the population that has committed no crimes?
• Strategy - At its core, strategy should provide a guide for using available resources to achieve realistic objectives. Strategy is about setting priorities, and not everything can be a top priority.  I was catching up on some back issues of Foreign Affairs (like I said earlier, I did some light reading), and found these two statements rather eye catching.  How many issues could we avoid or, at the very least, mitigate if we spent a little time looking at the big picture?

Did You Know? #28

Which teams make up the Original Six in the National Hockey League?

The Original six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League (NHL) for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. All of the Original Six are still active franchises in the league. The 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs mark the first time since 1996 that every Original Six team has advanced to the playoffs in the same year.

What Caught My Eye Today - Internet, Helium, Abstinence

Internet - Twenty years ago, researchers renounced the right to patent the World Wide Web.  Taking a stand for the greater good, or just plain stupid? I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions. Officials at CERN, the European research center where the Web was invented, wrote: "CERN relinquishes all intellectual property to this code, both source and binary form and permission is granted for anyone to use, duplicate, modify and redistribute it." It's a dull sentence from a dull document. But that document marks the moment when the World Wide Web entered the public domain — a moment that was central to creating the Web as we know it today. If you ask me, this moment also shows that brilliant scientific minds don't always make brilliant business decisions. This begs the question, could the Web have been patented? According to some intellectual property experts, it is entirely possible that the Web could have been patented. A patent right could have changed the course of innovation from the decentralized Internet model to a centralized information superhighway model. I think, if you read between the lines, the question raised here is whether or not the course of innovation would have been greater or smaller if patent protection had been afforded to CERN or anyone else for that matter. I have no doubt that the Internet certainly would be a lot more expensive to access if someone did hold a patent on it.  Heck, I certainly would have cashed in on it if the opportunity presented itself to me. Given that, it does seem worth pausing to appreciate the moment when a group of researchers renounced their intellectual property rights to patent and gave the World Wide Web to the world.  If it was up to me, I would probably go with "ponder the absurdity of..." But okay, "appreciate" works too.

Helium - The U.S. House of Representatives agreed to delay the closure of the Federal Helium Reserve (Seriously, there is a strategic reserve of helium?), on a vote of 394 to 1, amid fears of a potential shortage of the inert, lighter-than-air gas.  Now this, my friends, is a moment to appreciate -- an issue that found not just bi-partisan support, but overwhelming so, in Congress. The Texas-based reserve contains a third of the world's helium supply, which is sold off by the government to U.S. companies that use it in everything from MRI machines to party balloons.  In 1996, Congress voted to close the program, hoping the private section would move in and take over, but companies have been put off by the high operational costs, leaving the prospect of a supply gap. I'm veering a bit off course here (gee, that never happens), but this sort of thing strikes a nerve with me.  Time and time again, government is blasted for overreaching its boundaries and infringing on the rights of individuals and private enterprise.  Here is a case, where government is trying to cede control back to the private sector and can't, because the private sector thinks it is too expensive. Private enterprise shouldn't be allowed to cherry pick what it thinks it can profit from and leave the government to foot the bill for everything else.  That just ain't right, people.

Due to the subject matter, this last item is intended for mature readers only.  But seeing as I probably don't have of those, go ahead and read it anyway.

Abstinence - There is a burgeoning movement among young men who have sworn off both Internet porn and masturbation. Let's assume for the moment, that these upstanding lads are actually telling the truth here. You know the old adage -- 90% of men masturbate while the other 10% lie about it. They contend that online porn conditions men to want constant variety and requires them to experience increasingly heightened stimuli to feel aroused. Yeah, that is a big problem.  I cannot tell you how many times my partner has complained about too much variety or being stimulated too much. Moreover, men who engage in too much masturbation, or "fapping," can't  perform when they find themselves with real women. Can someone please explain to me how you get "fapping" out of "masturbation"?  "Chaffing" I totally get, but "fapping"? Practicing "fapstinence"  enables them to conserve their vital energies, and thus makes them more confident with real women, and more masculine in general. To each his own, I say.  However, I'm not sure abstinence will necessarily contribute to conservation of vital energies (there's a fascinating euphemism, if ever I heard one). We males have all had our dry spells, whether self-imposed or not.  Admittedly, I'm speaking from personal experience, but when that watershed moment finally ends my drought, there is very little conservation going on.

What Caught My Eye Today - Mars, Netherlands, Olympics, Space Travel

Mars - At least 20,000 really adventurous people have applied for a crack at a permanent trip to Mars. Permanent trip? I wonder what they mean by "permanent".  After only a week, submissions to the Mars One project are pouring in -- 600 from China alone. The lucky chosen colonists -- who must be at least 18 years old, be 157 cm (roughly 5-foot-2) tall, and have 20/20 vision -- will then endure six to eight years of training and will be grouped into teams of four, who will train together in simulated living conditions of Mars. I have a slightly different perspective on the term "lucky".  Winning a Powerball drawing--I would consider that lucky.  Getting chosen to subject oneself to eight years of training in a hostile environment--in my world, that would be classified as a never-ending nightmare. The one-way ticket to the red planet, offered by the Dutch organization Mars One, won't be available until 2023. Did they say one-way?  You got through all that work to get to Mars, and they are just going to leave you there? And 20,000 have already signed on to volunteer for this? I must be missing something here.  Mars One intends to fund this decade-long endeavor, at an estimated cost of $6 billion, by involving the whole world as the audience of an interactive, televised broadcast of every aspect of this mission, from the astronaut selections and their preparations to the arrival on Mars and their lives on the Red Planet. Oh, I get it. you get to be on TV.  That totally makes this worth it.

Speaking of the Dutch...

Netherlands - Millions of Dutch people dressed in orange flocked to celebrations around the Netherlands in honor of a once-in-a-generation milestone for the country's ruling House of Orange-Nassau: after a 33-year reign, Queen Beatrix abdicated in favor of her eldest son, Willem-Alexander. At 46, King Willem-Alexander is the youngest monarch in Europe and the first Dutch king in 123 years. In case you were wondering, a queen had been in charge of the royal household all these many years. If you ask me, a queen will probably still be in charge of things in more of a "behind the scenes" sort of way. While many are skeptical that the new king can make a difference where politicians have failed, the celebrations provided a welcome change from the humdrum of everyday life, and the popularity of the royal house itself is not in doubt. Nothing takes one's mind off the worries of the world, like a little over indulgence courtesy of a royal family.  A recent poll showed that 78% of the Dutch population supports the monarchy. One criticism of the royal house is that it is too expensive, especially in difficult economic times. It has been estimated that it costs $52 million a year to maintain the monarchy, slightly more than taxpayers' support for Britain's House of Windsor. Really?  I would have though that the legal retainers that the House of Windsor has to keep its royals out of the limelight would have easily topped $52 million. Clearly not. The difficulties facing the Dutch should be kept in perspective. Per-capita incomes remain high, the United Nations says Dutch children are the world's happiest, on average, and the country retains its triple A credit rating. Talk about an embarrassment of riches.

Olympics - As they mount a longshot bid to host the 2024 Summer Olympics, San Diego and Tijuana are playing down their shortcomings by playing up a new spirit of cross-border civic pride. What shortcomings? This totally sounds like a match made in heaven. The cross-border bid comes as many American tourists shun Tijuana, even as its restaurant and arts scene flourishes. High-profile displays of drug-fueled violence, like beheadings and shootouts, remain high in parts of Mexico but they have all but stopped in Tijuana. That's right my friends, beheadings.  One cannot help but ponder the phrase, "all but stopped" in the context of beheadings. "Oh sure, we had loads last year, but this year only a few."  Is that supposed to make one feel better about going to Tijuana. I don't car how good the food is; I'm sort of attached to my head and would like to keep it that way. The U.S. Olympic Committee is talking to 10 cities about a possible bid, including San Diego-Tijuana and said the cross-border proposal it would "have its challenges." You mean besides that whole beheading and shootout thing? The International Olympic Committee does not allow for bordering countries to host Summer Games, an apparently insurmountable hurdle unless the charter is changed. The USOC has said it will decide by the end of 2014 whether to submit a bid. Los Angeles — host of the 1984 and 1932 Summer Games — Philadelphia and Tulsa, Oklahoma, have also expressed interest and New York and San Francisco are possible contenders.

Space Travel - NASA announced its latest contract with the Russian Space Agency. The $424 million represents flights to and from the International Space Station aboard Russian Soyuz spacecraft, as well as training, for six astronauts in 2016 and the first half of 2017. That's $70.6 million per seat — well above the previous price tag of about $65 million. One assumes that for that $70.6 million you get extra leg room, a free checked bag and all the cheap booze you can drink. Russia currently provides the only means of getting people to and from the space station, and its ticket prices have soared with each new contract. Don't give Russia such a hard time here. No one, certainly not Russia, told the U.S. to shelve its space shuttle program before it had replacement ready to put into service.  Heck, if I were the Russians, I'd totally take advantage of the opportunity presented to me. Who wouldn't?  Several U.S. companies are working on rockets and spacecraft to launch Americans from U.S. soil. But that's still a few years away. The ability to launch crews into orbit from America ended with NASA's shuttle program in 2011. The six seats included in the latest Russian contract covers not only Americans, but European, Canadian or Japanese astronauts under barter agreements between NASA and those countries. So that $70.6 million seat might not even go to the guys paying the bill. Is this a great deal or what?

Did You Know #27

What is the most valuable company?

Based on market capitalization (as of Apr 4, 2013), Exxon Mobil Corporation is the most valuable corporation at $410 billion.  The top ten companies are:

1. Exxon Mobil - $410 billion
2. Apple - $405.6 billion
3. Google - $264.9 billion
4. Berkshire Hathaway - $258.1 billion
5. Wal-Mart Stores - $254.2 billion
6. General Electric - $241.2 billion
7. Microsoft Corporation - $240.4 billion
8. International Business Machines: $240.3 billion
9. PetroChina: $236.9 billion
10. Chevron - $230.5 billion

Nine of the top ten are based in the United States while one, PetroChina, is based in China. Four are tech, three energy, and one each are retail, diversified, and a holding company.