Read: How we can “Curb…Pandemics”

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Read: “We can curb potential pandemics by investing in prevention tactics | TheHill”

Ultimately, the most effective way to curb a potential pandemic is to invest in prevention tactics. We know what works: CDC investments in stronger surveillance systems, laboratory networks, and bio-containment capabilities helped West Africa stem Ebola in 2014. The World Bank says a severe pandemic could cost up to $3 trillion. Preparedness costs, on the other hand, are roughly $4.5 billion annually — globally, that is just 65 cents per person per year.

Source: We can curb potential pandemics by investing in prevention tactics | TheHill

I’m Sleeping Outside to Support Homeless Youth! Will you help me?

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In 48 Hours I’m Sleeping Outside to Support Homeless Youth! Will you help me by donating? All proceeds raised go directly to Covenant House Pennsylvania Homeless Youth programs and allows us to show solidarity with the millions of homeless youth around the world.

Why should you Donate?

The money you donate goes directly to help homeless children.Covenant House PA is completely privately funded and every dollar raised provides food, shelter, immediate crisis care, and essential services like education and job training to homeless youth in facilities like:

  • 76 bed Crisis Center in Germantown, PA
  • 20 bed Rites of Passage transitional living home (for those aged out of foster care – 18 to 24 years of age) in Kensington, PA
  • 10 bed Sanctuary Program in York, PA

When you support my “Sleep Out”, you help us keep the lights on and doors open for the thousands of kids who seek help each year.

How can I Donate?

If you can give $5, $25, $50, $100 or more it all helps and all donations are tax deductible.
To donate online (credit/debit card):
go to https://luimbe.com/sleepout and click the button that reads “support me”
To donate in person (check, cash): I will enter your donations online on the spot.
Can’t Donate? if you can’t donate, please pass this along to 3 other brothers, friends or family who are not on this list.

March Madness! $1 Donated = $2 for Homeless Youth

Every dollar is matched.when you donate online between 7:00 PM tonight (March 20, 2019) and 7:00 PM the day of the Sleep Out (Friday March 22nd, 2019)What does that mean?

  • Give $25 + $25 Match = $50 goes to Covenant House PA.
  • Give $50 + $50 Match = $100 goes to Covenant House PA
  • Give $500 + $500 Match = $1000 goes to Covenant House PA

If you can, please support my fundraising effort!   
Thank You!

Tonight: I’m Sleeping Out to Support Homeless Youth!

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I’m Sleeping out to Support Homeless Youth!

Tonight, Friday March 23rd, I will be sleeping outside to raise money for Covenant House PA Youth Shelters and I’m asking for your support.
Covenant House serves youth that have lost their only parent or guardian, have runaway to escape abuse and neglect, are suffering with mental illness, have been kicked out because of teen pregnancy or to escape traffickers. Covenant House is one of the few programs that provides shelter and food, onsite medical care, job training, education services, identity recovery, counseling and spiritual services to homeless youth. They show each young person absolute respect and unconditional love, and work with them to create a plan that helps them move from homelessness to independence.
You can make a tax deductible donation:
If you’ve donated and want to make sure your money is keeping me outside in the 30°F weather, you can use the Instagram hashtag: #CHSleepOut and #SleepMoney and you will see proof.
If you can’t donate, please pass this on to some of your friends
I’ve answered some frequently asked questions below. Email me at me@luimbedotcom-3f0670.ingress-earth.ewp.live if you have any additional questions.

#DNCinPhilly: Contrast with Cleveland

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The RNC has been disqualifying event for me since 2008 when Sarah Palin got up to speak. It was ideologically inconsistent and reductive view of the American experience. It proved to be the most coherent thing she would ever say under the national spotlight. Pundits quickly fell out of love with her the more it became evident she was a disqualifying pick for VP. Every Republican ticket from that point on has tapped her at one point or another to pitch in and it’s a bigger disaster every time.

I can see a Republican saying Romney and Paul Ryan would do just fine for them.

This year’s RNC, this year has to be a deal breaker for anyone who is sane. The deal breaker is not just Donald Trump. It’s the awful speakers. It’s the tepid endorsements or non-endorsements. It’s the way most Republicans in close races stayed away from the convention. It’s the adversarial, divisive and fearful tone. It’s the ridiculous self congratulation over the first openly gay person (who happens to be a billionaire) addressing the RNC for the first time…in 2016.

A friend of mine said this last night as we watched Hillary Clinton accept the Democratic nomination: no living President supports the Republican nominee for that office. Even George W. doesn’t think he has what it takes. Cleveland was a deal breaker.

#DNCinPhilly: Never Been Here Before

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I was seriously irked by the three young Sanders delegates (new members of the power elite) who at their first DNC’s were still on the fence or never going to support HRC. Then I realized these 20 some year olds weren’t old enough to remember “Gore Bush Same diff” theme, championed by Green Party Candidate Ralph Nader, during the 2000 campaign that brought us the first four years of GW’s sub par administration.

It would do some of us olders to remember that before we say “wtf” to the youngins: that they have never been here before.

Anyone Gen X or Older can f*ck off, but the Millenials came with wildly outsized expectations of the convention process. On social media and in fever pitched faux revolutionary meetings, i am sure they were being told by oldheads who had never been to a DNC that Roberts Rules of Order would open up a portal back in time that would allow them to get Bernie to the nomination.

We should, it’s tough to, try to convince them to embrace pragmatism in absence of their original hope.

Dressers v Guns

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Ikea is recalling 29 million chests and dressers that can easily tip over and trap children underneath. Six children have been killed and three dozen others injured in the past 27 years, and federal safety officials on Tuesday urged consumers to take immediate action.

Source: Ikea Recalls Dresser Cited In Deaths Of Three Toddlers

This Ikea recall is due to just over one (1) per year violent incident due to faulty design 1 for the 27 years this line of furniture has been available.

Since 23 toddlers have shot that many people between January 1 and May 1, 2016, it’s safe to say more toddlers will be involved in gun violence in 2016 than this dresser has seriously hurt or killed over 27 years.

1. Really, we avoid any dressers that require mooring against the wall whenever possible. It’s a reasonable expectation to assume that most people assemble a dresser and assume it’s free standing.

“It is very unjust”

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“The Benghazi Mission was understaffed. We know that now,” Stevens said. “But, again, Chris knew that. It wasn’t a secret to him. He decided to take the risk to go there. It is not something they did to him. It is something he took on himself.”Stevens, the chief of pediatric rheumatology at Seattle Children’s Hospital, also told the magazine Clinton has taken “full responsibility” for the tragedy and she doesn’t “see any usefulness in continuing to criticize [Clinton]. It is very unjust.”

Source: Slain Ambassador Chris Steven’s Sister Speaks Out: ‘I Do Not Blame’ Clinton

watcher on the wall

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I agree with Matt Bruenig number one partisan argument for the democratic party’s nominee is to keep the opposing party’s compatriots from implementing disastrous policies for the next 10 years and enabling a far right supreme court to uphold these actions for a generation.

Number two argument is to rebuild the 50 state strategy to actually enable state leaders above all…

the outrage caucus says all media is liberal media

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Republican candidates are spending a lot of time attacking the not at all liberal rags the Wall Street Journal, CNBC and Politico.

Ben Carson’s campaign manager tried to pour more cold water on Politico Monday afternoon but ended up incorrectly accusing the news outlet of retracting its report on the Republican presidential frontrunner’s murky history with West Point.

Source: Politico Hits Back At Carson Camp: No, We Didn’t Retract The Story
Most media outlets are responding to these protests against their campaign coverage instead of pointing out the Republican candidates disqualifying policy positions. This is a strategy that benefits every Republican candidate during the primary season and the likely Republican voter (the base) loves the “conservative patriot & voters versus the lying awful evil liberal media” framing.

“Thousands of Philly students still without permanent teachers” by @newskag

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The private contractor hired to find subs at minimum wage has failed. (h/t Atrios)

Seven weeks into the school year, thousands of Philadelphia school children have yet to be assigned permanent teachers.On top of a substitute-teaching predicament that leaves hundreds of jobs unfilled every day, the Philadelphia School District – with 190 vacancies – has created a crisis, “either through neglect or incompetence,” union president Jerry Jordan said Monday.

Source: Thousands of Philly students still without permanent teachers

Militarized Center City doesn’t spur business

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The military took Rittenhouse Square First

The military took Rittenhouse Square First (Courtesy J. Val)

One big misconception about the Papal Visit and World Families Week was that it would be like Made in America festival or Live 8, a bunch of celebrants descending upon a city with disposable income to see their favorite artist or to be part of a pop culture spectacle. That’s not this. This was people with kids, grand parents and friends who believe the Pope is their heavenly ordained religious leader.

That means Churches organized a lot of this. One thing that Churches do is host modestly and that means people get fed and sent off with some water and/or food if the parishioners can help it and make sure there are places for people to rest if they need it. Catholic parishes staged and hosted volunteers and visitors. To start their days they would walk towards the papal militarized zone (PMZ) (the “box” constantly surrounded by metal fences, National Guardsmen, TSA, Secret Service, Police and other law enforcement agents for 4 days). They streamed past pop-up street vendors with bootleg Pope memorabilia and water bottles. The hottest items were official items from Sunday’s mass and official passes to get into the PMZ.

Restaurateurs like Stephen Starr were extremely upset with the negative revenue impact of the weekend, but the family of five coming to see Pope Francis probably didn’t put his upscale eateries on their list of things to do. People weren’t streaming out of the house drunk to head to the parkway, they are heading out of churches, guest houses and friends extra bedrooms and given some water and snacks to take with them and a time for dinner or late evening meal.

Most of us non-catholic foodies, fantasy football owners, drinkers, revelers and par-tiers stayed on our sides of the PMZ which meant rooftop parties, watching the game at local bars, catching up on fall cleaning, or even you know. Rittenhouse Square was dead by Wednesday.

Once Aramark got involved and began monopolizing supply for the event there was even less opportunity for the fine restaurants occupied by federal, state and local law enforcement. The best move was just to take the loss this weekend and close their doors and take it up with their city council representative or congress person.