Here are the week's topics: robots, again; getting to Denver International Airport; Keillor on life; coming to America; our long standing anti-Muslim bias; insurance; Olympic inclusiveness; after the Olympics, what?'; statistics and conclusions; NPR tidbits; a final anniversary and very fond remembrance;

Robot worry? Stephen Pearlstein says the robotics revolution may not be as "bad" as his colleague David Ignatius thinks. (See last week's blog entry) He thinks the robotics revolution will spawn other jobs, though one has to wonder about the wages paid by these alternatives.
     Columnist Robert Samuelson also believes that the robot-worries are overblown. Like Pearlstein, he talks about the jobs that are likely to be created. Similarly, though, he gives no assurance that the new jobs will anything but "temporary, part-time, and/or barely above living wage" positions. No one writes about training the plumber or electrician or carpenter you may need to call tomorrow.

Denver's RTD. The new "A" Line was supposed to whisk air travelers from downtown to Denver International Airport. Other RTD segments have been opened with relatively few disruptions, largely because prior to opening each new route, RTD ran literally hundreds of "test" trips. For whatever reason, delayed/disrupted air travelers are no doubt wondering "what's up" with the "A" Line? Who did not get what right? Too hurried construction?

Life after Lake Woebegone. Having retired from his weekly radio program, Garrison Keillor has found time for column writing. In his latest epistle, "Make the most of your brief time on earth," he says tongue-in-cheek, "Life is good if you have your health and not all bad even if you don’t, which is sometimes forgotten in an election year, what with the high-pitched oratory on behalf of the embittered rich and people with ingrown toenails and what not."
     Then he is off and running with other anecdotes from his neck of the woods. Sure beats the latest depressing story about Donald, Hillary, et. al.

 Chinese tourists in the US. Early on the authors of "Two Chinese retirees win hearts on epic American road trip" ask can you to imagine filling out a form that is written entirely in Chinese and finding your way for 4,000+ miles with only Chinese language road signs (and distances in kilometers). These intrepid travelers became well known to their countrymen back in China with stories like “Couple prove age no barrier to globe-trotting.” (a China Daily headline) Or "What a great couple!" (on Weibo, the Chinese social media site.) "I wish I could be like them when I’m old!"
     So, just where is your next trip?

America and Islam. In a recent Washington Post op-ed column, Khaled Beydoun notes that America's love-hate relationship with Islam is not new. "The Naturalization Act of 1790, which limited citizenship to “any alien, being a free white person,” drastically restricted the ability of Muslims to become citizens." Indeed, that phrase "free white person" was at the heart of much racial and religious controversy, including an 1891 Supreme Court decision which noted “the intense hostility of the people of Moslem faith to all other sects, and particularly to Christians.”
    As late at 1942, the Supreme Court held (In Re Ahmed Hassan,), “It cannot be expected that as a class they [meaning Arabs, a term used synonymously [sic] with Muslims at the time] would readily intermarry with our population and be assimilated into our civilization.” Beydoun writes that only in 1944, did the Court "grant naturalization to an Arab-born Muslim was for a Saudi man, in Ex Parte Mohriez, in 1944 — and, even then, based only on the finding that Arabs should be considered part of “the white race.” (emphasis added)
     Did this then amount to a blanket assertion of Trump's current call for "extreme vetting?" ¿ Quien sabe?
     FYI. Khaled A. Beydoun is an associate professor at the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and an affiliate faculty member at University of California at Berkeley.

Health and other insurances.  No pun intended, but the "health" of the insurance industry is coming under close scrutiny. Are multiple, severe disasters stretching the industry too thin? Insurance is, after all, a capitalistic, for-profit enterprise. Note three current examples: the extreme flooding in Louisiana, the burgeoning wild fires in across California, and now the announcement that two major health insurance companies are largely withdrawing from "Omama care's" insurance healthcare exchanges.
     Regarding the last item.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona said in June that it would withdraw from Pinal County and Maricopa County, in the wake of steep losses, but maintain its exchange presence in the remainder of the state. The nonprofit had said in June that it stayed in more-rural counties partly because it "couldn't overlook that several counties would have no options or very limited access if we didn't find a way to stay in the market."

Olympic events. Too many? Too few? Some things change (numbers), some not so much (purpose).  The number of events has increase dramatically, due largely, I think, to a demand for inclusiveness - gymnastics and rythmatic gymnastics. At this very moment (Saturday morning), rhythmic gymnastics is holding forth. Earlier there was synchronized swimming and synchronized diving. Can synchronized tiddlywinks be far behind?
    Yes, the original games had very few contests, though as Wikipedia relates, even those ancient games had nation-state, religious, and artistic overtones.

During the [ancient]celebration of the games, an Olympic Truce was enacted so that athletes could travel from their cities to the games in safety. The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns. The games became a political tool used by city-states to assert dominance over their rivals. Politicians would announce political alliances at the games, and in times of war, priests would offer sacrifices to the gods for victory. The games were also used to help spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean. The Olympics also featured religious celebrations and artistic competitions. The statue of Zeus at Olympia was counted as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Sculptors and poets would congregate each olympiad to display their works of art to

Post-Olympic trauma. What happens when you no longer have to train? You probably have not considered the bewilderment a world class athlete faces when a determined, long-term training regime suddenly ends and more mundane, everyday life begins. Here is that story.

Statistics and possible conclusions. These crime statistics might not be as startling and controversial were they not about today's criminal activity. Nevertheless, a careful reading clearly indicates how statistics can be very informing. It is all up to the user.

Homeless but doggedly determined. For years, eighty year-old Wanda Witter was homeless in Washington, D. C., all the while maintaining that she was owed approximately $100,00 in back Social Security funds. Thanks to friendly, persistent social worker, Julie Turner, and a pro bono lawyer, she has finally proven her point; the check is in the mail, so to speak.

NPR factoids. Here is a new addition to the blog, hopefully weekly. Like many others, my car radio is usually tuned to the local NPR station and I have also been known to turn off the car, at home or in a parking lot to "finish" an interesting/insightful story. 
     So we begin this new feature with the tidbit for August 22nd about photoelectric panels. I was interested because I have photoelectric panels on my roof which lower my bill. But, on to a larger picture. On a sunny day in Hawaii, the combined output of the many solar panels in all eight major islands actually exceeds the state's total electricity needs. Way to go, HI!

August 25, 1916. What have you learned from watching CBS's Sunday Morning program? This Sunday, August 21st, I was reminded that my mother was three years old when the National Park Service (NPS) was created in August, 1916. Certainly, I had seen/heard more than a few mentions of this year being the centenary of the NPS, but I did not realize the specific date had a special significance for my family, August 25, 1916. Happy Birthday, Helen Easter (McMahan, Abell, Magruder)!

Thank you for reading. Have a pleasant week.