Friday, July 31, 2020

“Not Trumpistan”

Déjà vu all over again: end of the month and end on the week without internet.
After full-throated moaning about being hours behind the latest news, one accepts the temporary absence and finds something else to do. A refreshing break….
(c) Illustration by Victor Juhasz for Rolling Stone
 (c) Illustration by Victor Juhasz
for Rolling Stone
Click to enlarge

News blues…

Donald J Trump Tweets his idea of delaying the election: 
With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???
Masters of under-statement – and Trump allies - respond:
  • Lindsey Graham, "I don't think that's a particularly good idea."
  • Majority Whip Sen. John Thune: "I think that's probably a statement that gets some press attention, but I doubt it gets any serious traction.”
  • Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell: "I think we've had elections every November since about 1788, and I expect that will be the case again this year," he said. 
  • Republican Sen. Thom Tillis: "The election is going to happen in November period."
  • Republican Sen. Ted Cruz:  "Election fraud is a serious problem we need to stop it and fight it, but no the election should not be delayed."
  • GOP Sen. Marco Rubio: "I wish he hadn't said that, but it's not going to change: We are going to have an election in November and people should have confidence in it."
  • Senate Finance Committee chairman Chuck Grassley: "All I can say is that, it doesn't matter what one individual in this country says. We still are a country based on the rule of law. And we must follow the law until either the Constitution is changed or until the law is changed."
  • Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming: "No, we're not going to delay the election… We're going to have the election completed and voting completed by Election Day."
  • GOP Rep. Dusty Johnson of South Dakota: "Moving Election Day would seriously jeopardize the legitimacy of the election. Federal, state and local officials need to continue to work hard to ensure that Americans can vote safely whether by voting early or on November 3." 
Trying to change direction when he’s under fire is Trump’s go to MO (modus operandi). It’s worked well for him in the past, but there are signs the public – including Republicans – are onto his strategy. 
The Lincoln Project:
Memories 2  (0:57 mins) 
Meidas Touch:
Nobody likes Trump  (0:37 mins)

Healthy futures anyone?

An effort to educate and support peoples' effort toward sustainable living.
Terms and definitions: The Sustainable Development Index (SDI)
… measures the ecological efficiency of human development, recognizing that development must be achieved within planetary boundaries. It was created to update the Human Development Index (HDI) for the ecological realities of the Anthropocene. 
The SDI starts with each nation’s human development score (life expectancy, education and income) and divides it by their ecological overshoot: the extent to which consumption-based CO2 emissions and material footprint exceed per-capita shares of planetary boundaries. Countries that achieve relatively high human development while remaining within or near planetary boundaries rise to the top. 
See SDI results for 2015, the most recent year of complete data. While some countries score reasonably well, none reach over 0.9. South Africa is 57 on a list of 164 countries while US is 160.
Sustainable development goals – SDGs – also known as the Global Goals, 
…adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity by 2030.
The 17 SDGs are integrated  — that is, recognize that action in one area will affect outcomes in others, and that development must balance social, economic and environmental sustainability…. Everyone is needed to reach these ambitious targets. The creativity, knowhow, technology, and financial resources from all of society is necessary to achieve the SDGs in every context. 
Focus on Norway.  Norway ranks high on SDI in terms of global implementation of the SDGs. 
From the school curriculum to the initiatives for recycling and the cross-industry struggle to keep the air, the seas and nature as free from pollution as possible, every aspect of life is imbued with a need to go greener. 10 Ways Norway Is Contributing to an Environmentally Friendly Planet  

Meanwhile, back at the ranch…

South Africans talk of “the CCMA” as the bugaboo of South African employers, particularly employers with long-term employees. Since one of my mother’s two long-term domestic workers is spreading false rumors that I am “going to throw her out of her job and into the street”, I researched CCMA. 
The website was no help in unpacking the acronym, but Google defined it as, “Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA). 
CCMA is “a dispute resolution body established in terms of the Labour Relations Act, 66 of 1995 ….” 
If a dispute exists (none exists here, far as I’m concerned) dispute resolution is a good thing. Isn’t it? 
Apparently, CCMA has the reputation for bias – toward employees and against employers. 
I believe in fairness and recognition of all parties to obtain justice. 
Should be interesting as the saga continues….



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