Author Archives: bestpage

One Chart Shows How the Trump Tax Plan Will Totally Pay For Itself

by bestpage Posted on April 27, 2017

Mother Jones

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Here’s the first quick-and-dirty estimate of how much Donald Trump’s tax plan would cost. It comes from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget:

Oh please. This is a ridiculously pessimistic estimate because CRFB doesn’t account for the economic growth this tax plan will unleash. They estimate that productivity would need to grow 3.8 percent per year to make Trump’s plan pay for itself, something they scoff at. But that’s well within reason:

I don’t see a problem with that. Do you? Yes? That’s probably because you don’t believe in the power of the white American worker. That’s why you lefties lost the election.

Perhaps you sense that I’m taking this less than seriously. Guilty as charged. But if Trump himself doesn’t take his plans seriously, why should I?1

1Also, the eagle-eyed might have noticed that although the 1-page tax plan summary we got today was very similar to Trump’s campaign document, one thing was left out: it no longer claims to be revenue neutral. Funny how that works.

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One Chart Shows How the Trump Tax Plan Will Totally Pay For Itself

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World’s remotest inhabited island is looking to hire a farmer

by bestpage Posted on January 29, 2016

green4us

The Art of Raising a Puppy (Revised Edition) – Monks of New Skete

For more than thirty years the Monks of New Skete have been among America's most trusted authorities on dog training, canine behavior, and the animal/human bond. In their two now-classic bestsellers, How to be Your Dog's Best Friend and The Art of Raising a Puppy, the Monks draw on their experience as long-time breeders of […]

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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – Marie Kondo

This New York Times best-selling guide to decluttering your home from Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes readers step-by-step through her revolutionary KonMari Method for simplifying, organizing, and storing. Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles? Japanese cleaning consultant […]

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Spark Joy – Marie Kondo

Japanese decluttering guru Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up  has revolutionized homes—and lives—across the world. Now, Kondo presents an illustrated guide to her acclaimed KonMari Method, with step-by-step folding illustrations for everything from shirts to socks, plus drawings of perfectly organized drawers and closets. She also provides advice on frequently asked questions, such as whether to […]

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The Great Grisby – Mikita Brottman

A scholar, psychoanalyst, and cultural critic explores the multifaceted role dogs play in our world in this charming bestiary of dogs from literature, lore, and life. While gradually unveiling her eight-year love affair with her French bulldog, Grisby, Mikita Brottman ruminates on the singular bond between dogs and humans. Why do prevailing attitudes warn us […]

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Marley & Me – John Grogan

The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family and the wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life. Now with photos and new material

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The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up – Instaread

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo | Key Takeaways, Analysis & Review  Preview : The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing (2011) by Marie Kondo helps readers discard unnecessary items, reorganize their possessions, and properly store items in a home. The procedures Kondo developed for organization […]

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Life Hacks – Dan Marshall

Ever accidentally used your thumb as a hammer cushion while partaking in a spot of DIY? Do you become enraged at the uncontrollable bobbing of the straw in your aluminum can? Are you yearning to find a way to make your toilet paper roll tube enhance your music listening experience? These and dozens of other […]

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Inside of a Dog – Alexandra Horowitz

The bestselling book that asks what dogs know and how they think. The answers will surprise and delight you as Alexandra Horowitz, a cognitive scientist, explains how dogs perceive their daily worlds, each other, and that other quirky animal, the human. Horowitz introduces the reader to dogs’ perceptual and cognitive abilities and then draws a […]

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How to Raise the Perfect Dog – Cesar Millan & Melissa Jo Peltier

From the bestselling author and star of National Geographic Channel's Dog Whisperer , the only resource you’ll need for raising a happy, healthy dog. For the millions of people every year who consider bringing a puppy into their lives–as well as those who have already brought a dog home–Cesar Millan, the preeminent dog behavior expert, […]

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Before and After Getting Your Puppy – Ian Dunbar

From the legendary veterinarian, animal behaviorist, and dog trainer, Dr. Ian Dunbar, comes a practical and “dog friendly” instruction book for anyone bringing a new puppy into the home.

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World’s remotest inhabited island is looking to hire a farmer

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Contact: Cellist Leyla McCalla Channels the Poet Langston Hughes

by bestpage Posted on February 3, 2014

Mother Jones

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Leyla McCalla is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist (cello, banjo, guitar) who performed for several years with the Carolina Chocolate Drops. Out this week, her Kickstarter-funded debut solo album, Vari-Colored Songs: A Tribute to Langston Hughes, weaves together Hughes’ poetry, Haitian folk music, and her own original songs. The photo was shot in Harlem, across the street from Hughes’ home of 20 years, where McCalla spoke with Jacob Blickenstaff about why she chose Hughes as her muse. The following is in her words.

Langston Hughes is a focal point in my life, and inspired me to pursue a creative path. I read both of his autobiographies. One is called The Big Sea, and the other is I Wonder as I Wander. The Big Sea is about his early life as an artist, his childhood and upbringing.

Hughes has all these different layers of artistry. His voice was so simple, but it encompasses so many issues and subtleties of our culture. He’s the Duke Ellington of words—painting the most incredible portraits with simple musical ideas that just come together in amazing ways. I feel like he does that with concepts, words, and color in his language. I Wonder as I Wander starts in Haiti. It was interesting to me that he traveled so much, and that that was such a big part of his work. I think it’s under-acknowledged and it made me realize that being an artist is hard work. He wasn’t just sitting in Harlem writing poems all day, you know?

He connected with a Haitian writer named Jacques Roumain. Through him, Hughes was exposed to this pan-Africanism—black culture in a more universal way—and I think it was eye-opening for him to realize that black culture wasn’t just of the United States, but that it existed everywhere.

That resonated with me. My family’s from Haiti. I’ve been exposed to the culture of black America, I’ve lived in Africa, and even from recently going to Europe I have a better understanding of the racial relations in places like France and the UK. I feel like the work that he started continues today. It was really important to acknowledge that through this album.

Finding the sound was a pretty intuitive process. I followed my ear: What I heard is what I tried to make happen. I heard the arrangements as sparse, and wanted to focus on bringing the words to the forefront. I heard steel guitar, which has a dreamy, otherworldliness to it that echoes a dreamy quality in the poems.

I’ll usually pick up an instrument as I read through a poem. I’ll use GarageBand to flesh out some ideas and try different things, but the connection that I feel is pretty immediate. With “Heart of Gold.” I just played that A minor and C9 chord for a while, and then was playing it in 5/4 time—I can’t remember how it really happened.

The original title for the poem was “Vari-Colored Song,” but I had always called it “Heart of Gold.” When it was time to name the album, a friend asked if it’s too weird to call it “a tribute to Langston Hughes?” and I said, “No, I think that makes it stronger,” and then I thought, what about Vari-Colored Songs for the title? I felt like there were so many different things happening in the record, and I felt like conceptually the strongest way to tie it all together was to continue to use his words.

“Contact” is an occasional series of artist portraits and interviews by Jacob Blickenstaff.

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Contact: Cellist Leyla McCalla Channels the Poet Langston Hughes

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Are Fitbit, Nike, and Garmin Planning to Sell Your Personal Fitness Data?

by bestpage Posted on January 31, 2014

Mother Jones

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Lately, fitness-minded Americans have started wearing sporty wrist-band devices that track tons of data: Weight, mile splits, steps taken per day, sleep quality, sexual activity, calories burned—sometimes, even GPS location. People use this data to keep track of their health, and are able send the information to various websites and apps. But this sensitive, personal data could end up in the hands of corporations looking to target these users with advertising, get credit ratings, or determine insurance rates. In other words, that device could start spying on you—and the Federal Trade Commission is worried.

“Health data from a woman’s connected device, may be collected and then sold to data brokers and other companies she does not know exist,” Jessica Rich, director of the Bureau for Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission, said in a speech on Tuesday for Data Privacy Day. “These companies could use her information to market other products and services to her; make decisions about her eligibility for credit, employment, or insurance; and share with yet other companies. And many of these companies may not maintain reasonable safeguards to protect the data they maintain about her.”

Several major US-based fitness device companies contacted by Mother Jones—Fitbit, Garmin, and Nike—say they don’t sell personally identifiable information collected from fitness devices. But privacy advocates warn that the policies of these firms could allow them to sell data, if they ever choose to do so.

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Are Fitbit, Nike, and Garmin Planning to Sell Your Personal Fitness Data?

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Am I Really Ambi-Cognitive?

by bestpage Posted on November 13, 2013

Mother Jones

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Megan McArdle just made me waste 30 seconds on a test that’s designed to show whether I’m left or right brained. The answer, supposedly, is that I use both sides equally, which strikes me as fairly unlikely. I’m also suspicious of the test. One question asks, “Put your hand on your head. Which hand did you use?” Well, I used my left hand, but that’s because my right hand was on the mouse. So does that count?

But forget the kvetching. Here’s one question that perplexed me: “Look at an object and close one eye. Which eye is still open?” I did that, and my right eye was open. But just as I clicked that answer, I realized something was wrong. I’m left eyed. When I look through a camera viewfinder, for example, I always use my left eye. Using my right eye would feel as awkward as using my left hand to write.

But, in fact, if I just close an eye to look at something in the distance, I do indeed close my left eye and use my right eye. I just tried this a few times, and it turns out there are two reasons for this. First, I have better control over my left eye muscles, so closing my left eye is a little easier than closing my right eye. Second, my right eye seems more comfortable to use, even though I’m wearing glasses that correct both eyes to 20/20.

And yet, I still use my left eye for a camera viewfinder (or a microscope or a telescope or anything similar), and I always have. That’s kind of weird. I wonder what accounts for it?

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Am I Really Ambi-Cognitive?

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California Passes Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, Sort Of

by bestpage Posted on September 27, 2013

Mother Jones

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Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law the California Domestic Worker Bill of Rights yesterday, making California only the third state in the country to adopt such legislation. But despite its celebration as a policy victory by advocates, the law might more aptly be called the California Domestic Worker Bill of Right, after it was watered down to only include overtime protections.

Also see: “Charts: 4 Reasons Why the White House’s Domestic-Worker Protections Matter”

The law now reads that a domestic work employee “shall not be employed more than nine hours in any workday or more than 45 hours in any workweek unless the employee receives one and one-half times the employee’s regular rate of pay” for all overtime hours worked. Hour protections are, without a doubt, an important gain for domestic workers, who “are prone to be overworked on a weekly and daily basis,” according to Sarah Leberstein, an attorney at the National Employment Law Project.

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California Passes Domestic Worker Bill of Rights, Sort Of

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Can’t afford a Tesla? Rent one in California

by bestpage Posted on September 26, 2013

Can’t afford a Tesla? Rent one in California

By

Tesla MotorsCan’t afford to buy a Telsa Roadster? Head over to California and rent one.

Next time you’re visiting California, you can race along famous Highway 1 without making a sound: Hertz is adding electric vehicles manufactured by Silicon Valley-based Tesla Motors to its fleet. (Catch: You can only rent them from San Francisco and Los Angeles.)

You might want to book in advance, though. Hertz is starting with just five vehicles and two models: the Model S sedan and the Roadster.

Rentals start at $500 a day, plus extra for mileage over 75. From CNN:

“[S]hould customer demand warrant it, we will consider expanding availability to other locations,” Hertz spokeswoman Paula Rivera said in an email. …

The plug-in Model S has garnered rave reviews in recent months. It aced its first crash test last month, and Consumer Reports called the Model S the best car it had ever tested.

A Tesla spokeswoman said the automaker had “seen interest from rental car companies and fleet buyers who want to provide their customers access to a high-performance sedan, which also happens to be electric.”

You can be sure that a car has gone mainstream once Hertz offers it — though it should be noted that the Teslas are being offered through the company’s ”Dream Cars” line, which also offers Ferraris. But at least dream plug-ins are one step closer to becoming standard fare at rental car outlets across the country.

John Upton is a science fan and green news boffin who tweets, posts articles to Facebook, and blogs about ecology. He welcomes reader questions, tips, and incoherent rants: johnupton@gmail.com.Find this article interesting? Donate now to support our work.Read more: Business & Technology

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Can’t afford a Tesla? Rent one in California

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What If We Never Run Out of Oil?

by bestpage Posted on May 3, 2013

Mother Jones

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This story first appeared in The Atlantic and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration.

As the great research ship Chikyu left Shimizu in January to mine the explosive ice beneath the Philippine Sea, chances are good that not one of the scientists aboard realized they might be closing the door on Winston Churchill’s world. Their lack of knowledge is unsurprising; beyond the ranks of petroleum-industry historians, Churchill’s outsize role in the history of energy is insufficiently appreciated.

Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty in 1911. With characteristic vigor and verve, he set about modernizing the Royal Navy, jewel of the empire. The revamped fleet, he proclaimed, should be fueled with oil, rather than coal—a decision that continues to reverberate in the present. Burning a pound of fuel oil produces about twice as much energy as burning a pound of coal. Because of this greater energy density, oil could push ships faster and farther than coal could.

Churchill’s proposal led to emphatic dispute. The United Kingdom had lots of coal but next to no oil. At the time, the United States produced almost two-thirds of the world’s petroleum; Russia produced another fifth. Both were allies of Great Britain. Nonetheless, Whitehall was uneasy about the prospect of the Navy’s falling under the thumb of foreign entities, even if friendly. The solution, Churchill told Parliament in 1913, was for Britons to become “the owners, or at any rate, the controllers at the source of at least a proportion of the supply of natural oil which we require.” Spurred by the Admiralty, the U.K. soon bought 51 percent of what is now British Petroleum, which had rights to oil “at the source”: Iran (then known as Persia). The concessions’ terms were so unpopular in Iran that they helped spark a revolution. London worked to suppress it. Then, to prevent further disruptions, Britain enmeshed itself ever more deeply in the Middle East, working to install new shahs in Iran and carve Iraq out of the collapsing Ottoman Empire.

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What If We Never Run Out of Oil?

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