All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Black adults outpace White peers in accepting COVID vaccine | CIDRAP

When the study began, about 38% of Black and 28% of White participants were vaccine-hesitant, but by June, 26% of Black and 27% of White participants were reluctant. Similarly, the belief that the vaccines were necessary rose more among Black than White participants in March and April.

Beliefs that COVID-19 vaccines are safe, effective, and necessary were positively tied to intention to vaccinate, and there was no evidence that these associations varied by race.

The study authors noted that lower levels of vaccine uptake among Black populations are often attributed to vaccine hesitancy but may actually be due to access factors, such as distant vaccination sites, lack of transportation, and rigid work hours.

Source: Black adults outpace White peers in accepting COVID vaccine | CIDRAP

La Tierra

Santiago Galicia Rojon Serrallonga

SANTIAGO GALICIA ROJON SERRALLONGA

Derechos reservados conforme a la ley/ Copyright

Era un pedazo de cielo, un trozo de paraíso, con el éter que fluía en todo, con el agua que corría etérea, con el viento que acariciaba suave o intensamente, con el fuego que calentaba y con la tierra de la que brotaban los colores, las formas, los sabores y las fragancias. Parecía, entonces, un milagro, un destello del infinito dentro de la realidad y del sueño de la temporalidad. La Tierra estaba diseñada para hacer una escala inolvidable durante la travesía hacia el hogar eterno. Alguien, y muchos más, la convirtieron en basurero al sentirse sus propietarios. Todos se adueñaron de porciones, alrededor del mundo, hasta que olvidaron devolverle su sentido natural. Simplemente, la Tierra fue herida con perforaciones y la sustracción de sus tesoros, matizada de tonalidades ficticias y cubierta de concreto, plástico y asfalto. Le arrebataron…

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Un poema silencioso, un texto callado

Santiago Galicia Rojon Serrallonga

SANTIAGO GALICIA ROJONSERRALLONGA

Derechos reservados conforme a la ley/ Copyright

Hay silencios que, a veces, parecen sepulturas, hondos vacíos que callan todo, carentes de epitafios y de nombres; pero también existen sigilos que dicen tanto, a pesar de la inexistencia de palabras. Hoy recurro a tales silencios, y lo hago con la intención de que hasta usted lleguen y los escuche desde su interior. Son pausas, este día, en las que, al no trazar letras, al evitar sonidos, compongo un poema inspirado en usted, un texto inusual que le confiese mi plan de cultivar orquídeas, rosas y tulipanes para regalarle, cada amanecer, pétalos cargados de gotas del rocío, suspiros y una historia irrepetible con la locura de un amor que no se puede ocultar. Hay silencios que de improviso aparecen cuando uno escribe, espacios que quedan al descubierto, en los que caben su nombre y el mío, con todo…

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Mark Cuban on His Online Pharmacy: ‘Our KPI is How Much We Can Reduce the Stress of Our Patients’ – Slashdot

The Cost Plus Drug Company aims very simply to provide as many common medications as possible in generic form at as low a price as possible. All cash, no IP deals, no insurance companies — just buy pills for what they cost to make, plus 15 percent to cover overhead. Asked about ROI, Cuban admitted there isn’t much to speak of, by design. “I want to be above break even while maximizing the number of people who can afford their medications,” he said. “Shoot. I would be happy if we can make a little, but push pricing of generics sold elsewhere down significantly. Our challenge is to keep pushing prices lower,” not compete with anyone, he continued. “Our KPI is how much we can reduce the stress of our patients who buy generic meds. When people save a lot of money on their medications, they often will tell others they know that have the same challenges. That word of mouth impacts our growth the most.”

Source: Mark Cuban on His Online Pharmacy: ‘Our KPI is How Much We Can Reduce the Stress of Our Patients’ – Slashdot

Covid and the Worker Shortage

CRAIN'S COMMENTS

In prior posts, I’ve presented information about how Covid is impacting the size of the workforce in the US and contributing to supply chain disruptions and inflation.

This week, the Brookings Institute offers additional insights which are worth attention;

  • 15% of the worker shortage in the US is due to Long Covid, that is people suffering from long term symptoms who are partially or fully disabled by those symptoms.
    • A rough estimate is that 1.1 million workers have not worked at all in the past year due to suffering from Long Covid.
    • A substantial portion of those trying to work through the illness have needed to reduce their work hours. The reduced hours are the equivalent of 500,000 full time workers.
    • This makes the total impact of Long Covid equivalent to the loss of 1.6 million workers. That is 15% of the total unfilled jobs.

  • Government agencies have failed to…

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Day 49/67: Five Month GED, History, Interest, and financial language learning

Context, Thought, and Learning: ShiraDest Offers Project Do Better

      How can you determine what the cost of a student loan, or a mortgage, might be, in 20 years, and what might interest rates have to do with that?   What might the difference be between simple interest, compound interest, the prime rate, and other types of interest rates?  

And why should we all care?  All of these questions are part of learning the language of finance, which every Adult needs to understand, even if one does not wish to participate in all parts of the system.

You might get a start, or a refresher, on the mathematics for that in the lesson below…

 Middle of week 13/18
Day 49 Lesson Plan
Grammar: parallel structure in sentences
Math: Simple Interest
Today’s history reading
Day 49 Exit Ticket
(Day 48 … Day 50)

Bernanke drew some more parallels between then and now:

” I thought that I would speak…

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White nationalists are flocking to the US anti-abortion movement | Moira Donegan | The Guardian

Like last year, this year’s March for Life featured an appearance by Patriot Front, a white nationalist group that wears a uniform of balaclavas and khakis. The group, which also marched at a Chicago March for Life demonstration earlier this month, silently handed out cards to members of the press who tried to ask them questions. “America belongs to its fathers, and it is owed to its sons,” the cards read. “The restoration of American sovereignty must follow the restoration of the American Family.”

Explicit white nationalism, and an emphasis on conscripting white women into reproduction, is not a fringe element of the anti-choice movement. Associations between white supremacist groups and anti-abortion forces are robust and longstanding. In addition to Patriot Front, groups like the white nationalist Aryan Nations and the neo-Nazi Traditionalist Worker party have also lent support to the anti-abortion movement. These groups see stopping abortion as part of a broader project to ensure white hegemony in addition to women’s subordination. Tim Bishop, of the Aryan Nations, noted that “Lots of our people join [anti-choice organizations] … It’s part of our Holy War for the pure Aryan race.” That the growing white nationalist movement would be focused on attacking women’s rights is maybe to be expected: research has long established that recruitment to the alt-right happens largely among men with grievances against feminism, and that misogyny is usually the first form of rightwing radicalization.

Source: White nationalists are flocking to the US anti-abortion movement | Moira Donegan | The Guardian