We bring you the TBB Best of Web links: We revisit an older post about North Korea reality and who we are dealing with, we meet the guy who alone brought us the Theranos fraud expose, we bring you some facts about the controversial debt issue, we learn more about the sorry state of mental health in prisons and more!
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20 Things I Learned While I Was in North Korea
Before you get way too excited about the “amazing” deal Donald Trump did with the Kim dude, lets not forget what freaks these North Koreans are! And thanks Donnie for looking like a moron treating this freak like an equal and saluting one of his murderous generals and therefore becoming one of their propaganda props for another generation…
Must read if you want to learn more about North Korea. Yes it is five years old but so worth it!
The Reporter Who Took Down a Unicorn
This is about the Theranos fraud and I am so glad to see that the two perpetrators have finally been indicted. I always wondered what took so long. I guess it is never too late. Thanks to this reporter who did not fall for the BS like so many others! And this is why you need a free press to keep people accountable!
What a great read!
The Great Outdoors
Another day at the office, thank you NASA!
What an amazing photo!
Time To Not Freak Out About Debt Again
Remember after the financial crisis so many were freaking out about how Obama’s crazy borrowing was going to lead us to ruin and this was the beginning of the worst bear market ever and you were crazy for investing in stocks in that environment? Well, if you are still in the sidelines…what can I say? Maybe you need a new financial advisor. Lol on you.
Anyway, this is some really educational stuff on this controversial subject.
Summary: Debt is a perennial worry. It’s a natural human tendency is to think of debt as bad, that by incurring debt we are living beyond our means. But much of what you hear about debt in the US is hyperbole. Here are the facts:
Household debt has fallen in the aftermath of the Great Recession: on a per capita basis, it’s back to the same level as 14 years ago. Households’ debt relative to their net worth is as low now as in 1985. For all the consternation about the threat posed by student loans, their default rates are actually falling.
Corporate leverage today is not materially different than it was in 1993 or 2003, i.e., early in two expansion cycles. The delinquency rate on corporate loans is lower than at any time during the prior three expansion cycles. High yield spreads are falling and default rates are well below average.
The “tax reform” bill signed in 2017 is forecast to further expand the federal debt. But examples from around the world do not show a strong correlation between federal debt and economic growth over the next 5-10 years. For all the hand wringing about high federal debt, the interest cost of that debt is just 1.3% of GDP, as low as during the halcyon days of Eisenhower and Elvis.
Inside Attica Correctional Facility and How Prisons Deal With Mental Health
I am not going to post ridiculous clickbait headlines here to trick you. But, make no mistake, this article will shock you. It shocked me!
Our mental-health-care system is broken. Ten of every eleven psychiatric patients housed by the government are incarcerated. Here’s what this crisis looks like from the inside—a series of lost lives and a few rare victories—as reported by a prisoner-journalist.
Nearly four hundred thousand of 2.2 million prisoners nationwide have a psychiatric diagnosis. Compare that with the thirty-eight thousand patients that the country’s state-run psych hospitals can accommodate. The math is as easy as it is shocking: Ten out of every eleven psychiatric patients housed by the government are behind bars.
Soccer Fields Around The World
Every four years I catch World Cup Fever like so many others around the world! The first few days of the tournament have been amazing!
One of the most appealing aspects of soccer is its simplicity—a ball, some open space, goal markers, and you can play. As the 2018 World Cup kicks off in Russia, with matches held in massive modern arenas, here is a look at the beautiful game in action in some smaller and more unusual venues around the world, including pitches built on a glacier, on a beach, floating in a river, made of straw, on a rooftop, and more.
And I leave you with this…
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Great story about the unicorn and the reporter. It will be interesting to find out why the criminal justice system was so slow.
I think the reason is that Theranos was not a public company…so they really had dot their i’s and cross their t’s to make the charges stick. She will fight them, not seeing her settle. I guess we will find out within a few years at best.
Silver again! Great links, George…. keep those North Korea articles coming!
Needed reminder what they are really like!
Well done Mexico. I am concerned that Mexico is now in 7th heaven and may completely underestimate Sweden and South Korea. If Mexico doesn’t beat (or tie) South Korea in their next game, Sweden may eliminate them. Can this Mexican team win when they are forced to have 60-70% possession and almost no counterattacks?
7th heaven. Cloud 9. La la land. I am so happy for them. Over on Twitter…I tweeted “Je suis Mexican” 🙂
We will find out in the next game. I think the Mexicans showed they are very hungry and will not take the Koreans lightly and will beat them. I think they have matured enough to realize nothing has been won just yet…
The Germans must beat Sweden. End of story. Or they are likely going home, sad! #notreally
Tried to see if your credit card link would come up with either of the 2 cards Im after. Nada. (In general, I wonder if they suggest waaaaay less cards now than what they used to, or if my wife and I just dont “match” enough any longer.) Anyways, we are trying, Ol’ boy!
And Happy Father’s day! Great World Cup so far!
Which cards?
Are you using the “Card Issuer” link at the top and then clicking on the “Bank” or “Visa'” or “Mastercard”?
I am at 6 conversions (one mine) for the month so far. If not 10, I am out and this blog gets “enhanced” to realign the hoursspentonit denominator, sad!
Thanks for trying!
Citi premier or chase ritz are the 2 im looking at.
Citi doesnt seem to be a participant and chase ritz doesnt show (although other chase cards *are* showing)
I see the Citi Premier at 50k. Is there a better offer?
Need to use the CARD ISSUER link on top and then ” Citi”.
I have never seen the RC card in my links.
OKay, i was using your link at the bottom instead of creditcards.com so I found the citi premier and tried it. Went to “pending”….
“at the bottom” –> “for cardsmatch”
Meh, whatever we’ve been doing with N Korea hasn’t worked for longer than I’ve been alive, may as well try a different approach. It may not work either but worth a shot I guess.
I’m not a Trump fan or defender by any means but honest I don’t understand the angst over the salute? Returning the salute of an officer from another country’s army isn’t wrong, in fact it’s part of military customs and courtesies – even to an officer from an opposing army when outside of combat situations. The general saluted first which is appropriate and indicates the general viewing Trump as senior to him – the opposite would have been a faux pas. Clearly Trump hadn’t been prepared by his protocol office and he looked awkward, but there wasn’t anything inappropriate about it.
I recall Obama bowing, even initiating on his own, to some Middle Eastern ruler(s)? Some folks were up in arms about that from the other side, too. I know less about the etiquette of that situation than military salutes, but it sounded like that was arguably inappropriate. Even so, I didn’t see getting up in arms over that either – Obama’s protocol office let him down there, too, but people make social mistakes, even national leaders.
I don’t know, the US is inconsistent about when it does, and doesn’t, interact with countries due to their leadership being murderous human rights abusers…e.g., Cuba is almost off limits but Saudi Arabia is OK?, etc, etc. I’m honestly not sure what the right answer is. In any case, no one with any power cares what my opinion is, so I try not to think about it all too much – enough problems in my own personal life! lol!
Nice set of articles as usual!
We can debate this for hours…
Just two points:
This was staged to get the moron to salute back and use it for…propaganda purposes.
Read some of the moron’s tweets how he was howling against Obama for talking to dictators while in power (including NK) and the even more ridiculous shit he spewed when that poor kid who made a stupid mistake was brought back as a vegetable, he was screaming that they tortured him. And we can go on and on…
The moron thinks he solved the nuke problem and they will now give it up. LOL.
Serbia 1 – Costa Rica 0
Two strong teams went at each other. It took a single brilliant perfectly placed direct kick to win it. Costa Rica did not appear to be good in the opponents’ area. And now they have a hill to climb.
Germany 0 – Mexico 1
The game of the day! Mexico had a fantastic game, clearly so hungry to win it! Germany clearly underestimated them and just did not have the required spark and clear mind to break them down. Which is very uncharacteristic for German teams! Now they must win their other two games or they are in trouble! If the Mexicans come down from Cloud 9 and do not commit suicide by losing to the Koreans they should advance! Such a huge historic win for them, beating the defending champs in Europe! And they should have scored more goals. What a great game to watch!
Brazi 1 – Switzerland 1
I thought Switzerland was going to win actually. I do not think a tie is a surprise here. At all. And you could see it coming when Brazil brought its game to a lower gear after scoring thinking the game is in the bag. One of the prettiest goals scored so far in the World Cup for sure. And the tying goal was a clear foul. Hate the inconsistencies in the box, one time you get a PK and the other nothing…and you get no instant replay review when it involve a goal and possible offensive foul. What??
The big guns Argentina, Germany and Brazil starting off really slow…Will this continue? Probably not…
This has been the best World Cup so far imho. No sleepwalking and doing barely enough in the first round like Italy used to do. Teams GO AT IT hard now, the first 3 points are yuge! And the atmosphere has been great too! And no 0-0 games yet 🙂
I have been summoned to Washington! (Currently in a Starbucks at the Harbour.) But I honestly don’t know who else has been summoned ……
My life has gone a bit Agatha Christie 🙂
Summoned?
I know attorneys if you need one 🙂
Good luck to England against Tunisia!