Note - You can read this as well as other posts here.
MASGA
Iām reposting from a previous note - one of Republican Trumpās recent Executive Orders/Whims was to repeal a Biden directive that limited bathroom shower flow to conserve water. The White House fact sheet said it was to Make Americaās Showers Great Again (MASGA). While signing the order, Trump said that it was "ridiculous" he had to stand under the water for 15 minutes for his "beautiful" hair to get wet. Itās hard to tell if heās serious at times.
Tariffs
In tariff news - and thereās always a lot - a few days ago, the market took a dive after Trump announced a wide slate of reciprocal tariffs. Rather than express any concern or accountability, he simply posted online that it was a āgood time to buyā. Then he paused most of the tariffs and the market rebounded, so he was right. A group of Senate Democrats have asked the SEC to open an investigation into potential securities law violations. That's a good point, but it's not likely to succeed, given Trumpās influence.
And Amazon is reacting to the tariffs against China - since 70% of their products are sourced from there. They have cancelled a number of orders, likely in the hope that cooler/smarter heads will prevail and a compromise will be reached.
Coffee
Pour-over coffee: Mixing by a water jet impinging on a granular bed with avalanche dynamics. A group ofĀ researchers variedĀ the height and speed of the pour and determined that the best results came from a āslowā pour from a goose-neck type kettle, gradually increasing the height to about 11 inches. āBestā meaning optimum flavour, while using 10% less coffee, so cheaper too. I was already doing this, plus wetting the grounds first for a better ābloomā. Check out these other breewing suggestions, via The Guardian.
Basic Income
A recent experiment in Germany looked at the effect of giving people an additional basic monthly income of 1200 euros. The study examined the effect on their work ethic, and found they tended to continue working full time.
The recipients chosen were aged 21-40, living alone, and already had jobs paying 1100-2600 euros a month. They were found to be more likely than the control group to change jobs or enrol in further education, and reported greater satisfaction in their working life, taking advantage of the increased economic security. They claimed to have a greater sense of autonomy, of more freedom, and felt their lives were more valuable and meaningful. So sometimes money can buy happiness.
Each time that governments have applied tariffs on goods and services, it has opened the door to corruption. Large companies have the funds to buy their way into exemptions. This has begun with Trump who has exempted smartphones and computers. Interesting that the makers of those products contributed megabucks to the Trump inauguration fund.