For more than 150 years, first Negroes, then Blacks, then African Americans have been told the same thing: just wait, it will get better. The Massachusetts 54th, the first African American regiment, fought not just to end slavery, but also for the promise of a better life. Freed slaves were promised "40 acres and a … Continue reading I Will Not Turn the Other Cheek
RestoreDignity
The Whole World is Watching?
I've been to protests where that was the chant: "The whole world is watching". But this time? That's not right. The whole world is joining. Paris. London. Cape Town. Hong Kong. Kolkata. Jerusalem. Berlin. Athens. Last night, in Bristol England, protestors tore down a statue of a slave trader and threw it in the river. … Continue reading The Whole World is Watching?
An Update re: David
I posted the words below as an update on Facebook. As a preface, if I believed that any of you would be offended, well, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't be a subscriber! I live in Melrose, MA. Friday I stood out with a sign that said "I Can't Breathe #BLM". Today I held "Racism is … Continue reading An Update re: David
Let the Gaslighting Begin
Today I listened to the President explain that all was good with the "reopening", that, of course, he was right. His evidence? That the number of reported new cases of COVID-19 is trending down. Except.... Economists look at statistics in one of three ways, leading, coincident, or trailing. Leading statistics tell us what is going … Continue reading Let the Gaslighting Begin
When Will This End?
That is the enduring question in this time of the COVID19 pandemic. When will this end? As I've said in prior writings, I am not an epidemiologist, I am only someone who follows the data and extrapolates from the facts. As Dr. Fauci has replied, and I agree, the answer is "it depends". The part … Continue reading When Will This End?
False Equivalencies
Some conservative commentators have offered that we should do nothing about COVID19 because, after all, people die every year in automobile accidents (or from cancer or otherwise, the list goes on). So what's the big deal? People die. Dr. Fauci dismissed this as a "false equivalency". He's right. There is no comparison between the two … Continue reading False Equivalencies
Early Detection and Aggressive Treatment
To be clear, I'm not an epidemiologist. What I am is someone who can see patterns in data, who can analyze structures and relationships. And what I see is to beat COVID19, the two things that matter most, are early detection and aggressive treatment. Nancy Pelosi said the following: "His denial at the beginning was … Continue reading Early Detection and Aggressive Treatment
A Quote for Trying Times
I just heard this on the BBC: There is a crack, a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. - Leonard Cohen #restoredignity
Cut the Payroll Tax?
The President is advocating cutting the "payroll" tax through the end of the year, possibly permanently. What he's leaving out is what this means. In the US the payroll tax is generally meant to mean two things: the taxes we pay to fund Social Security and Medicare. There are two components, the amounts deducted from … Continue reading Cut the Payroll Tax?
Bloomberg and the News
I can't speak to what Michael Bloomberg may have personally done when it comes to sexual harassment, either fighting it or being part of it. I wasn't there and have never met the man. What I can speak to is "Wall Street" culture. While I've never worked on "the street", I have worked with financial … Continue reading Bloomberg and the News