Welcome to Saturday's Potluck - Nov 12, 2022
“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso
Pharmacies were the first adapters of computerized records and payment transacti
Edit: (2.40 pm pacific standard time) such is fate - text appears to have disappeared. Exact text of diary has escaped my memory so simply added articles to publish in a timely manner
My writing must be getting redundant. The comments have touched on the subjects I had included in the article selections. Except this one.
Chinese military contractor to test flying skateboard Russia Times Nov 9, 2022
A Chinese defense contractor has said that it plans to hold the first human test of its flying skateboard next year, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Wednesday. The gadget will have both military and civilian applications, according to the Beijing Institute of Power Machinery.
The compact vertical take-off device is able to lift a person or a cargo of up to 100kg to an altitude of up to three kilometers. Powered by four micro-turbojet engines, it allows a person to travel at a speed of up to 150km/h or stand and hover in one place for ten minutes, according to promotional material seen by the paper.
The developer insists that operating the device, code-named SF-FB-30, would be “as simple as a skateboard.” Though it has to be noted that even riding a regular skateboard requires some training.
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Walgreens to acquire Summit Health clinics The Redmond Spokesman Nov 8, 2022
Summit Health, with clinics in Redmond, Bend and Sisters, has been acquired by Walgreens through its VillageMD company.
The sale of Summit Health and its partner company Summit Health-CityMD is worth close to $9 billion, according to an announcement by VillageMD, which is part of Walgreens. Summit has been part of Central Oregon’s health care landscape since 2018 and was formed through a partnership between Bend Memorial Clinic and Summit Health management.
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Walgreens’ VillageMD Buys Summit Health in $8.9 Billion Deal Retail Touchpoints Nov 11, 2022
Walgreens’ activities are part of the “medtail” movement that has been a strong industry trend for the past several years, and one that hasn’t been confined to pharmacy chains. Developments in 2022 alone include:
Amazon’s July 2022 acquisition of One Medical was only the latest move by the ecommerce giant into the medical area;
Dollar General signaled its interest in medtail with the August 2022 appointment of four new members to its healthcare advisory panel; and
In September 2022, CVS Health paid $8 billion to acquire Signify Health.
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UK's NHS Hires US 'Spy-Tech' Firm Palantir To Extract Patient Data Without Patient Consent Zerohedge Nov 8, 2022
The pretext for taking such a step is that researching and analyzing patients’ hospital data will help the NHS better understand and tackle the crisis in treatment waiting times resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. But the result will be yet more private-sector involvement in essential NHS processes. And in this case, the company being involved in those processes is one of the darkest in the tech universe.
A Highly Coveted PrizeThe NHS is the world’s seventh largest employer. And it is home to one of the richest repositories of patient data on the planet. “One of the great requirements for health tech is a single health database,” Damindu Jayaweera, head of technology research at UK investment bank Peel Hunt told Investors’ Chronicle. “There are only two places as far as I know that digitise the data of the whole population from birth to death… China and the UK.”
...
An Even Bigger PictureBut this is not just about the NHS. It is about our governments’ role as guardians of our most precious data, including our health and biometric information. As governments, central banks and global corporations trip over each other to rush into existence digital identity programs and central bank digital currencies, that role is set to grow exponentially (unless, of course, we can stop them in their tracks).
In the new digital age that is rapidly forming around us, citizens will be custodians of our own data. We will be the ones who get to decide which parts of our data get shared and with whom. At least that is what we are being told. But these are just words, and words can be hollow.
We have to judge our governments on their actions. And their actions to date — including NHS England’s decision to grant custodianship of NHS patients’ hospital data to Palantir without even informing patients, the US State Department’s decision to give intelligence and law enforcement agencies unfettered access to more than 145 million Americans’ personal data, and the US government’s plans to share the biometric data of its citizens with dozens of other governments — speak of a whole different reality.
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Pepe Escobar is once again contributing to Asia Times after 10 month absence.
Bamboo diplomacy: the China-SE Asia romance Asia Times Nov 10, 2022
First stop is Phnom Penh for the 25th China-ASEAN summit, the 25th ASEAN Plus Three (APT) summit, and the 17th East Asia Summit, all the way to Sunday.
Next week will be Bali for the Group of Twenty, followed by Bangkok for the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit.
No wonder the diplomatic spin across Southeast Asia is all about global governance entering the “Asia moment” – as coined by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. It’s a moment that may be set to last a century – and beyond.
...
All that fits the pattern of increasing China-Southeast Asia integration. Since 2020, ASEAN has been China’s largest trading partner. China has been ASEAN’s top trading partner since 2009. Total China-ASEAN trade reached $878 billion in 2021, up from $686 billion in 2020. It had been $9 billion in 1991. China-ASEAN investment was more than US$340 billion by last July, according to the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing.Interests particularly converge on deepening RCEP – the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the largest trade deal on the planet. That translates in practice as closer integration of supply chains, infrastructure connectivity and the building of a new international land-sea trade corridor.
...
It’s crucial to remember that Vietnam, Pakistan and Tanzania are all key partners in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). And the same applies to Germany: The Ruhr Valley is the privileged Belt and Road terminal in the European Union.
...
Beijing knows full well Singapore’s role as the essential Southeast Asian finance/tech node. Hence the signing of 19 bilateral deals, some related to high tech.But as far as optics go, the key visitor may have been Vietnam. Forget about their South China Sea tensions.
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In geopolitical terms, the 10-headed ASEAN hydra is a unique beast: a living lab of peaceful – civilizational – co-existence.Trade has always been the secret weapon. It has always been a two-way road between China and Southeast Asia. History tells us that the willingness of Southeast Asian rulers to submit – even if symbolically – to China explains the predominant Make Trade Not War ethos.
...
The bilateral relationships between China and each of the 10 members of ASEAN may carry their own particular complications. But there seems to be a consensus that no bilateral will determine the future of China-Southeast Asian relations.The discussions this week in Phnom Penh and next week in Bali and Bangkok suggest that Southeast Asia has ruled out either extreme: paying tribute or demonizing China.
Comments
Good morning potluckers
Something significant is happening in China
Yet not a word of it on western media
The plan calls for the government to build integrated communities at selected locations around the country
An integrated Community includes:
Community kitchens for elderly
Community Kindergarten
Community health clinics
Service centers etc
US should follow this example.
More at the link.
https://twitter.com/zhao_dashuai/status/1588802112464769024?ref_src=twsr...
This aligns well with President Xi's policy of building China into a modern, developed socialist state in all respects
question everything
That's a good idea.
Which is why the US will never adopt it. We have a bad habit of shunning other countries good ideas.
I'm great at multi-tasking. I can waste time, be unproductive, and procrastinate all at the same time.
Too true
Perhaps other independent nations on the Silk Road will adopt sensible policies too?
A great way to break the WEF capitalist chain.
cheers!
question everything
US blocks Chinese Solar Shipments
U.S. blocks more than 1,000 solar shipments over Chinese slave labor concerns
REUTERS
November 11, 2022 at 16:15 JST
https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14765928
I used to follow on youtube five or so westerners who have lived in China for extended periods, and visited Xinjiang who examined these reports of "slave labor" and genocide. They all found it was bs. Then there are series of articles from the Grayzone archives that question the dubious credentials and bias of the organizations and individuals who spread the reports of genocide and slave labor.
Years ago, I was critical of the Foxconn facilities operated by Taiwan on the mainland on behalf of Apple in China, likening the onerous work and living conditions to those in a prison or jail, long before this Uyghur genocide and Hong Kong "democracy movement" became the headline US/UK cause celebre. I was universally vilified by the Apple lovers who wouldn't hear of it. I seriously doubt that any significant number of Uyghurs are working in conditions worse than that, yet a different standard is applied.
The conditions of the Uyghur population are much improved from that in the recent past, as the Chinese government has taken measures to eliminate the illiteracy, unemployment and poverty of this ethnic group in the autonomous region to lessen the appeal of radical Islamic separatists and terrorists. The Uyghur population has gone up, the standard of living is improved, Uyghur stores, mosques, language and books are readily available. The millions in prison and slave labor allegations promulgated by western media and government are propaganda in my judgement. The sanctions on solar products produced in Xinjiang are similar in nature to the sanctions on Xinjiang cotton because they are highly competitive in the world markets. The goal is to damage Chinese competitiveness in world markets by any means possible. Incidentally, such sanctions damage Uyghur economic interests rather than helping them.
語必忠信 行必正直
Like most of the US sanctions imposed
their intended impact is off the mark.
Yes, we need reasonably priced solar panels.
And yes, the Uighur people will suffer with us.
If the US commerce department wants to do a
scattershot, perhaps they should consider who
is being hit?
question everything
Millions in prison and slave labor sounds like
the US is projecting again. We have millions in prison and a thriving prisoner slave labor industry. I doubt China is anywhere near as bad as the US.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Bing a dyed-in-the-wool CT
, who wants to bet me that the powers behind this boycott is our fossil fuel industry backed by our most wonderful financial industry and cheered on by our media industry
and using "their" unlimited credit card to fund this whole business?
BTW, everyone with an intellect measured above room temperature knows that "our" fed is using our promisory note (which we didn't get a chance to read) to back that credit card.
And the icing on their cake? Their spending is tax deductible.
But we're doing it for patriotic reasons, money doesn't enter into it./s
Here’s the Twit thread
Looks like China is expanding their communistic ways that Americans accuse them of….wait wut?
Both Russia and China have been working on lifting their people out of poverty. Guess what’s happening here in the land of the brave and free? How many decades has Pelosi ran on universal health care and has stilled failed to deliver on it? Hey remember when Obama ran on that and then kicked the single payer advocates out of the room and when he finally wrote up his hideously flawed ACA he put an insurance rep in charge of it? Dem voters don’t seem to care that democrats keep betraying them because they even voted for Biden who promised to veto Medicare for all if it somehow passed congress. Sadly too many people still say that we are thee BEST country in the world!
I have seen some rumblings along this line
, I think Rhode Island?
Coincidentally my wife and I sold our property (aka velvet chains) in the midwest and joined the ranks of the rental contingent. And there the fun begins.
We're not bothered that much by the cost of rentals, concerned most definitely, but we each have a comfortable pension. The big problem is finding a rental. If seems there are very few options for those of us who are still physically capable but in need of services. For example, my wife no longer drives and has difficulty planning and preparing meals. Thankfully I am still able but time isn't on my side.
We looked into the over-55 choices and found basically 2 options in this area. A hybrid hospital-like environment where in effect our lifestyle is managed by the apartment(?) and an income restricted independent living environment. We're not ready to abandon our indpendence in the first case and have too much income to qualify for the second case.
We are therefore sentenced to a life surrounded by gen-Z and millenials. BTW, the silvertop discrimination is a most definite reality.
This community idea would be awesome. Thanks very much for the posting.
What I liked about the Chinese approach
Is the fact that all of these services are within walking distance.
The senior living arrangements here in RI are dependent on
shuttles, as basics like grocery, apothecaries and hygiene products
are all 'up the street'. Which is fine, if the little busses run on a regular
schedule. The problem here, as in most places, there are fewer available
drivers who care to be on call for minimum wage. So the care facilities
are held ransom by corporate stinginess. Hiring staff would not be an
issue if a living wage was offered.
Wish you luck with your search. We used church based facilities in MN
for our elders in a relatively good resultant outcome.
question everything
Censorship and narrative control is the amerikan way
DuckDuckGo joins the darkside
I never knew that the term "Never Again" only pertained to
those born Jewish
"Antisemite used to be someone who didn't like Jews
now it's someone who Jews don't like"
Heard from Margaret Kimberley
Just removed the duck from my search list
Now only use Qwant.
And about the ministry of truth ..
seems it is still running away from
the public eye.
question everything
DuckDuckGo -- Gone.
I've supported DuckDuckGo for years, but I will not put up with built-in censorship from them any more than I do sites such as Google.
Suggestions for a replacement search engine are welcome...
I’m in the process of transitioning to Brave.
It’s lacking in some conveniences and integration that integrated OS browsers and search engines offer, but is otherwise able to do what needs to be done competently. It will be interesting how long it can resist the Borg and Mr. Smith, to mix a couple of metaphors.
“ …and when we destroy nature, we diminish our capacity to sense the divine,and understand who God is, and what our own potential is and duties are as human beings.- RFK jr. 8/26/2024
Good morning, yall!
Well, actually, good afternoon. Sleeping in does that.
So, as I get older, I am becoming more sensitive to hot and cold weather. August, with high humidity, made an indoor person out of me. Now, here comes the near freeze temperatures, with high humidity, and I dug my ski pants out of the closet. I bought them for a Christmas tour on the Danube years ago, haven't worn them since. They may get some wear this weekend.
I still haven't reconciled the pre-election polling with the election results. I was prepared for a Democrat wipe out, but this is all I got:
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Ah great tune, well remembered from High School,
especially dances if one tried to keep with the beat. Good workout. I remember a couple of decades ago some youngster deciding to try book-learned aerobics asked what I thought would be a good tune for it and I suggested wipeout. Once they tracked it down and listened to it they weren't in the least amused. Heh.
be well, stay warm, and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Your youngster should have taken your advice.
Dancing to that wild song is a workout.
We did pull out "the binky", a heavy fleece blanket I caught at some clearance sale at the grocery store. It obviously catered to the Hispanic crowd. It is the Madonna and Baby Jeebus at her feet, and now, over ours.
A friend moved from one house to another, had no need for a portable space heater, so she gave it to me. I have it on the porch, can now sit outside, watch birds or stars and planets in some warmth.
It's just all good, friend. All good.
Hope you are being infused with magical potions that make you feel like a trillion dollars!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Don't have any equivalent, just an assortment of cold
weather tops, including a massive mountain parka that is good to minus 40 something some hellacious socks and down booties, and plain old sweat pants with wind/rain shell pants over and assorted weights of gloves. Legs are the weakest link, but it doesn't ever get super cold at home anyway.
The elixir has generally brightened my days, thanks.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
There was a Gander Mountain store
about an hour away. It closed a few years ago, unfortunately. The store catered to outdoors activities, especially skiing and hunting. I had a knowledgeable store employee who helped me select all clothing, snow boots, thermal gloves, a wool lined beany, thermal underwear, and a ski parka with a zip in liner that allows me to go from 60 deg. to zero. I do wear that a lot.
One thing he talked me out of buying was wool socks. He advised that cotton socks would allow breathing, prevent my feet from sweating. Sweaty feet cause frostbite.
I infuse beer. Probably not as high quality as your cocktail, but it works beautifully!
Take care, friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Gander Mtn was cool, I recall a couple in the vicinity.
Ages ago there was a local Eddie Bauer which is where I got my mountain parka. Everything else except an antique Orvis down vest is from the local REI. The bay area is cool in that regard, lots of ski, cycling and mountain climbing enthusiasts, so lots of places catering to outdoor activities including extreme stuff. Last time I was at REI I overheard a customer talking to a helper about a mid layer upgrade which he would need for his "next expedition".
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Yeah, REI is really good.
Academy Outdoors used to be good, but it has trended toward athletic clothing for gym workouts, cycling, jogging, and a few fishing items of clothing.
I can shop a better selection of Columbia brand clothing at Kohl's than Academy.
Take care, friend!
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981
Afternoon...
Oops SOE, looks like the internet minions ate your essay. I hate when that happens. I had an episode this week with the upcoming WW. Shit happens. Plus I'm not very tech savvy.
I'm recovering nicely (better than I would have thought) from a pretty good fall off a ladder. I hate it when reality slaps me in the face reminding me I'm not 6' tall and bullet proof. (At last I'm still 6' tall.) Body and ego bruised and battered, but sure could have been worse...like a broken neck or back. (I'm driven to look at the good side.)
The G20 next week (11/15-16) will be interesting as the new balance of power shifts. The G7 will not be happy is my guess. Subtract them out you end up with BRICS+.
PS thanks for the Qwant suggestion as a search engine. I've also used https://presearch.com/ Sure am disappointed in the duck.
Thanks for the OT!
“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Thanks for the feedback - so glad healing well
I am just under 5' 4' and reach from a ladder is so limited it is not worth stretching out too far. Straight up, straight down, move 3 feet and repeat. If I am concerned have a spotter to hold the ladder.
Just a side note from an old pharmacology class. Humans and Guinea pigs do not produce their own Vitamin C. Nearly all other mammals do and self production goes up after tissue injuries during the healing process, then production reduces to baseline.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Hola SOE. Surprised and not sure about pharmacies
and computerized records. I recall some rooms full of huge machinery and paper-tape readers for input back around late 50s and early sixties, but cannot swear if they were for data or research. I do remember the computer center at Cal around 64, also a huge room full of machines, used for 1) student records, 2) computer programming classes, 2) Seismology Lab records, mostly accessed via punch cards but also a couple of terminals hid in a basement. I can't imagine most pharmacies plonking down for all that hardware back in those days, I mean, it was a mainframe world back then.
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Fortran and Watfive?
were the nemesis at the university with punch cards and whatnot
when in engineering. the good thing was a C grade was the lowest
given, so I passed. Ha
question everything
Fortran and BC Algol 64 for me, once
I went to get my output from a class problem and some doofus handed me a weeks data from the seismology department by mistake, which I didn't discover until I had lugged it home in the rain under my jacket. Wats Watfive?
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Just a handful across the nation
Surprising what a dedicated hobbyist with funding from a business can do to move an industry forward technologically. There were dedicated rooms for the computer systems. Most pharmacy chains built their original software in-house. Still a few of the systems developed by independent pharmacists are major pharmacy software provider today. Then between 1996 and 2008 an influx of systems developed and backed by investment groups flooded the market niche. Focus was no longer clinical improvement for patient, but maximizing profit potential. Now we are seeing those software and data collections merging across all medical disciplines and combining with other consumer, personal and government data sources.
Still yourself, deep water can absorb many disturbances with minimal reaction.
--When the opening appears release yourself.
Got it. surprising. thanks for the info. n/t
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Oh my
Heh - We made skateboards out of 1X4 and clamp on
skates that we had outgrown and taught ourselves how to ride them, lots of us, no lessons needed, no matter what the author or promoter or inventor says. However
is clearly not designed for USians. At 6'4' I go around 210-220 depending on time of year so that damned thing would scrape every bump in the ground, and, based on visual observations, I am not on the heavy end of our citizenry.
Glad that pepe is back at AT
be well and have a good one
That, in its essence, is fascism--ownership of government by an individual, by a group, or by any other controlling private power. -- Franklin D. Roosevelt --
Well this doesn’t look good for democrats
Remember that Ukraine lobbyists spent a lot of money to get Hillary elected and that democrats have been up to their eyeballs in corruption in Ukraine since Obama’s coup in 2014. Some democrats either had weapons companies in Ukraine or were involved with them somehow. It’s been a long time since I’ve written about this and I’ve forgotten the details. Adam Schiff was one as was Pelosi. And remember that a lot of the impeachment witnesses came from Ukraine or had been working there and had close ties to democrats. I’m betting that Lindsay Graham's fingers aren’t clean either. How about the Clinton foundation?
Stay tuned this might get sticky. See the article for where the money went and to which democrats and organization pacs.
Oh oh…this doesn’t look good.
So what?
Democrats have held all branches of government for the last 2 years and what did they do with it? They let the rotating villain block their agenda and we got squat. Plus they let the parliamentarian block everything that would have helped the working class.
Again it’s usual for the party in power to lose both houses and yet we’re supposed to believe that Biden bucked that history? Please!
Here’s what they could have done when they did…