8 Years of Bush - Track Record

What 8 years of Bush-Cheney have done to our economy Harry Truman said, "No man should be allowed to be president who doesn't understand hogs." That's never been more true than it will be for the man or woman who walks into the White House on January 20, 2009. If you've ever entered an enclosed, industrialized hog facility where hundreds of fattening porcines live out their short lives, you know that the smell of pig excrement completely redefines "stink." This stench will knock you to your knees, sear your lungs and brain, and make you scream for mercy. For nearly eight years, the White House has been a confined hog pen for corporate porkers, right-wing ideologues, imperialists, autocrats, and other swinish mess-makers. America's next president must not only set a new direction but will also have to clean up the mess and eradicate the stink left by the Bushites. To help presidential contenders, congressional candidates and the rest of us get perspective on the odiferous legacy of the Bush-Cheney regime, the Lowdown is presenting a two-part factual accounting of the administration's achievements since 2001. This issue will feature Bush's domestic performance, and the May issue will highlight his international agenda. Hold your nose--and get out your scrubbers. The 3 biggest hits to the economy Bush's tax cuts for the rich have reduced annual tax revenue available for public needs by $300 billion each year. BushCheney's occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq has cost $700 billion, according to the Congressional Research Service. That's about $400 million a day. Nobel Prizewinning economist Joseph Stiglitz says the tab is well over $2 trillion when you add rehabilitation for injured vets, replacement of military hardware, and the value of things we could have produced (but didn't) with that money over the past seven years. Bushites have finished off the deregulation of banking that began in earnest during Bill Clinton's presidency. This ideological madness has caused the collapse of investment funds, banks, and the stock value of corporations that depend on them (which is to say most of Wall Street and much of the financial world), as well as a steep decline in the value of most homes in America and a sharp rise in the cost of living in them. Download this issue as an 11x17 poster! U.S. national debt $5.7 trillion $9.2 trillion* * Of which China holds IOUs worth $390 billion Real GDP growth over prior 8 years 4.09% 2.65% U.S. trade deficit per year $380 billion $759 billion Cost of imported consumer goods $1,147 billion $1,954 billion Value of consumer goods imported from China $102.3 billion $322 billion (in 2007 China became #1 source of U.S. imported consumer goods) Cost of one euro $1.01 $1.45 Cost of one ounce of gold $319 $892 U.S. budget surplus/deficit +$236 billion -$354 billion Bush says: "In the long run, Americans can be confident about our economic growth."(State of the Union speech 2008) The facts say: While the overall economy has grown, the wages of the average worker have not even kept up with inflation. Meanwhile, nearly five million more Americans have fallen into poverty since 2001. Corporate profits before tax $719.2 billion $1,769.5 billion Corporate profits after tax* $503.8 billion $1,351.9 billion* Pharmaceutical company profits (top 9) (top12)** $30 billion $80 billion Cost of imported consumer goods $1,147 billion $1,954 billion *Standard & Poor's 500 top corporations' profits more than doubled in the period 2001-2005 and reached 8.6% of Gross Domestic Product in 2006–the highest percentage of GDP on record. **Drug-companies' profits continue to be around 18.5% of their sales income, versus 3.1%for other top-500 companies. Net worth of the wealthiest 1% $186 billion $816 billion Number of billionaires 186 415 Their combined wealth $816 billion $3.5 trillion Average salary of top 500 corp CEOs in 2007 $15.2 million In 2006, buyout mogul Henry Kravis paid himself $51,400...an hour. Bush tax cuts to the top 1% 2001-2007 $546 billion The top 1% include many more Wall Street financiers than CEOs. The 25 highest-paid hedge-fund managers are earning more than the CEOs of the largest 500 companies combined. Several of these fund managers are taking home more than a billion dollars a year. And guess what? Democratic party campaigns get twice as much in contributions from hedge-fund types as do Republicans! EARNING Median pre-tax household income $49,158 $48,201 decrease for African American households under Bush $2,766 decrease for Asian American households $1,381 decrease for Hispanic households $1,043 decrease for white households $745 WORKING Salary of full-time minimum-wage earner in 2007 $12,168 Increase in productivity of American workers under Bush 18% Increase in real earnings of American workers under Bush 9% Total # manufacturing jobs 17.3 million 14.2 million National unemployment rate 3.5% 5% Number unemployed Americans 5.6 million 7.7 million Number including discouraged or underemployed 9.9 million 13.5 million LIVING Americans living in poverty 31.6 million 36.5 million Americans going hungry according to USDA 31 million 38.2 million Cost of a gallon of milk $3 $3.79 Cost of a loaf of bread $.98 $1.32 Rent, 2-bedroom home, Los Angeles (month) $1,658 $2,229 Rent, 1-bedroom home, Boston (month) $1,453 $2,000 Total consumer credit debt $7.65 trillion $12.8 trillion Personal savings rate +2.3% -0.5% HOMEOWNERS & RENTERS Increase in number of home foreclosures from 2006 68% Households currently at high risk of foreclosure 2 million Households paying more than half their income for housing 13 million Households unable to afford even the lowest-priced home rentals in the U.S. 2.8 million While military spending has grown 7.5% since Bush took office, spending on almost all domestic discretionary programs has been cut. "Discretionary" means that Congress and the administration can decide, year by year, how much each program deserves. Under BushCheney, that means less of anything that serves the common good, like (in order of size) education, highways and other ground transportation, housing assistance, biomedical research, federal law enforcement, public-health services, regulation of air traffic, and space flight. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities has tracked federal spending over the course of BushCheney's reign of error and concludes that almost all of these programs have shrunk when measured in relation to the growth of the economy as a whole. The Center reports that outlays to mandated federal programs--Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid--have declined 2.4%, while discretionary programs have been cut by 3.7%. The World Health Organization ranks U.S. health care 37th in the world, behind France (1), Singapore (6), Japan (10), United Kingdom (18), Colombia (22), and Costa Rica (36). Of six nations studied by the New York-based commonwealth Fund--Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States-- the U.S. ranks last. Americans without health insurance 38.4 million 46.9 million Children without health insurance 8.7 million African American households uninsured 20.5% Asian American households uninsured 15.5% Hispanic households uninsured 34.1% White households uninsured 10.8% Cost of family health insurance per year $6,230 $12,106 Cost of family health insurance per month $519 $1,009 FOOD SAFETY Number of shipments of agricultural imports 4.5 million 9 million Number of U.S. FDA inspectors of imports 3,500 3,488 Percentage of imported food inspected by FDA 1.3% Bush says: "We have increased funding for veterans by more than 95 percent." (State of the Union speech 2008) THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH SAYS: In 2004 nearly 1.8 million veterans were uninsured and unable to get care in veterans' facilities. An additional 3.8 million members of their households were also uninsured and ineligible for VA care. No new study has been done since 2004 but things have only gotten worse. Bush says: "a new $300 million program called Pell Grants for Kids [will] help liberate poor children trapped in failing public schools." Bush's Pell Grants for Kids is a plan to shift government funding from public schools to private schools, mostly Christian schools. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) says: the average adjusted school mean for Conservative Christian schools "in reading was not significantly different from that of public schools. In mathematics, the average adjusted school mean for Conservative Christian schools was significantly lower than that of public schools." Average cost/year at a public 4-year college $8,400 $13,000 Average cost/year at a private 4-year college $22,000 $29,000 Average debt shouldered by college graduates $12,000 $21,000 Gap between maximum federal Pell Grant and cost of a 4-year degree in a public school $5,282 $8,746 Bush says: "We reaffirm our pledge to help them build stronger and better than before." (State of the Union speech 2008) THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU SAYS: "Almost 40% of the people displaced from New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina [lived] below the poverty line last year," and "nearly a third of those who fled the hurricane could not find jobs last year, and thousands more [had given up] trying." Average price of a gallon of home-heating oil $1.40 $3.39 Average price of a gallon of gas $1.47 $3.14 Portion of our liquid fuels imported 52.75% 60.38% Gap between maximum federal Pell Grant and cost of a 4-year degree in a public school $7.9 billion $36.1 billion ...deals with the housing crisis by proposing to: Cut the number of housing vouchers that help very poor people pay their rent by 100,000. Cut the budget for housing for poor elderly people by 27%. Cut the budget for housing for people with disabilities by 32%. Cut the fund for repair and maintenance of public housing by 17% and eliminate funding to repair public housing damaged by natural disasters. Cut the lead-hazard reduction funds by 20%. Cut the block grants to cities and states for housing and community-development programs by 18%. Cut low-income energy assistance by 20%. Download this issue as an 11x17 poster!

Sugar Alternatives

Five Alternatives to Sugar

While the South Beach Diet® suggests you eliminate sugary products (because they increase blood sugar levels, which may lead to cravings), we never want you to feel deprived. If you're in the mood for something sweet, you can happily enjoy a treat (like a rich-tasting, no-sugar-added fudgsicle) made with a sugar substitute. Unlike regular sugar, sugar substitutes are calorie-free, and consuming them does not lead to an increase in blood sugar levels. Here's a look at some common sugar substitutes that are approved for all Phases of the South Beach Diet®:

• Sucralose: At 600 times sweeter than table sugar, sucralose is the sweetest of all artificial sweeteners. It is used to produce low- or no-calorie frozen and gelatin desserts, beverages, and gum. In addition to being heat stable, sucralose has the advantage of measuring like sugar, so it's a good substitute for sugar in baked goods. There are over 110 studies on sucralose that verify it's safe for consumers.
• Aspartame: Aspartame is 200 times sweeter than sugar, and it has a wide variety of uses — from sweetening whole-grain cereals (Phase 2) to sweetening cold beverages like iced tea. Manufacturers use aspartame in chewing gum, beverages, and desserts. Since aspartame loses some of its sweetness during extreme heat exposure, it's best to cook or bake with it only when recipes have been specifically designed by aspartame manufacturers. Aspartame is the most extensively researched sugar substitute on the market, so consumers can be confident that it's safe. However, certain people, including those with phenylketonuria (a rare metabolic disease), pregnant women, and those with advanced liver disease, are urged to avoid it.
• Saccharin: Frequently found in baked goods and diet soda, saccharin is the sugar substitute with the longest history. Saccharin is heat stable, so it's an acceptable choice for cooking and baking. It's also commonly consumed as a sweetener for coffee and tea. While there has been concern over a possible link between saccharin and stomach cancer, this suspicion has not been proven in scientific studies.
• Acesulfame K: Acesulfame K , also known as acesulfame potassium, was approved by the FDA in 1988. It's 200 times sweeter than sugar, and manufacturers often use it in combination with aspartame in candies, baked goods, beverages, and frozen desserts. At home, you can use acesulfame K in both hot and cold beverages. More than 90 studies involving the use of acesulfame K document its safety.
• Sugar alcohols: Sugar alcohols provide sweetness and texture similar to sugar, but they contain fewer calories and they don't impact blood sugar levels. You can identify the many different sugar alcohols available by looking in the ingredient list for words ending in "ol," such as mannitol and sorbitol. The main concern with sugar alcohols is the laxative effect they can produce. Some people are more sensitive to this effect than others, so take note of your reaction to foods that contain sugar alcohols. The limit on Sweet Treats (75 to 100 calories daily) should also help reduce any unpleasant side effects.

Firefox 3

Firefox 3 goes on a diet, eats less memory than IE and Opera

By Ryan Paul | Published: March 17, 2008 - 10:05AM CT

In our recent coverage of the Firefox 3 beta releases (1, 2, 3, 4), we have noted performance improvements and a significant reduction in memory consumption relative to Firefox 2. The enormous amount of effort that developers invested in boosting resource efficiency for Firefox 3 has paid off, and the results are very apparent during day-to-day use.

During intensive browsing with approximately 50 tabs, I have found that Firefox 3 generally consumes less than half of the memory used by Firefox 2.0.0.12. Firefox 3 is also snappier and more responsive when switching between tabs and performing other operations that typically lag in Firefox 2.0.0.12 when the browser is experiencing heavy load.

Mozilla developer Stuart Parmenter has written an overview of the tactics that were used to reduce Firefox's memory footprint and also reveals the results of a memory benchmark he performed to compare Firefox 3 with other browsers. The memory benchmark, which uses the Talos framework and was conducted on Windows Vista, replicates real-world usage patterns by automatically cycling pages through browser windows and then closing them. Firefox 3 used less memory than Firefox 2, Internet Explorer, and Opera, and it also freed more memory than the other browsers when pages were closed. Safari 3 and Internet Explorer 8 could not be benchmarked because they crashed during the test.

The results of this experiment, which others have been able to consistently reproduce using the same tools, represent a big victory for Firefox, which has previously faced widespread criticism for its high memory consumption. To achieve that victory, developers approached the problem from many different angles. To reduce memory fragmentation, the developers attempted to minimize the total number of memory allocations, particularly during startup. The developers also adopted FreeBSD's jemalloc allocator, which helped reduce fragmentation and improve performance.

Another big improvement is the new XPCOM cycle collector, which automatically detects unused objects that are persisting as a result of mutual references. Parmenter notes that the cycle collector has notable implications for extensions because it will be able to proactively eliminate certain kinds of memory leaks introduced by Firefox extensions that manipulate Firefox's internals. Caching behavior has also been improved so that it is less wasteful, and decompressed image data is no longer stored.

Mozilla evangelist Christopher Blizzard, who also wrote about the memory improvements, offers readers another insightful take-home message: the small memory footprint in the latest Firefox 3 beta, he says, is proof that Firefox is ready for mobile environments. "What it shows to anyone who looks is that we're able to hit the kinds of memory and performance requirements that mobile platforms demand," wrote Blizzard. "Users who use our software on mobile devices can expect web sites that just work, access to add-ons all balanced against the hardware limits imposed by mobile devices. In essence, we can bring that no compromises approach to mobile, just as we've done it with the desktop."

The upcoming Firefox 3 release has much to offer in addition to a smaller memory footprint, including an improved user interface, new themes that increase visual platform integration, a completely revamped bookmark and history system that uses an SQLite database, a Cairo-based rendering backend, full-page zoom, support for JavaScript 1.8, and many other new features. These improvements will likely continue to push Firefox's climbing market share.

The Web in Charts—Google vs. Microsoft-Yahoo vs. China

The Web in Charts—Google vs. Microsoft-Yahoo vs. China

via TechCrunch by Erick Schonfeld on 3/18/08

Today more than ever, the Web is a global game. Below are charts from a new State of the Internet report from comScore that paints a picture of global competition on the Web.

In 1996, two thirds of all people online (66 percent) lived in the U.S. By last October, that had completely flipped, with 77 percent of the online population living in the rest of the world and only 23 percent in the U.S. The U.S. still has the largest total number of Web surfers (162 million a month), but China is catching up fast (with 96 million):

In China, homegrown sites such as TenCent, Baidu and Sina all reach more native Web surfers than Microsoft, Google, or Yahoo:

In fact, the leading Websites in many big markets such as Russia, Japan, and South Korea tend to be homegrown as well:

Social networks are the fastest-growing category of sites (nearly 60 percent annually), but they still lag in terms of penetration (less than 40 percent) behind photo sites, entertainment sites, search, and portals:

The fastest growing of all social networks, of course, has been Facebook, which jumped from the second pack to where it is now running neck-and-neck with MySpace:

Drilling down into search, Google still dominates with 62 percent share worldwide:

And it dominates search even more in other countries than it does in the U.S., where it only commands a 53 percent market share (compared to above 90 percent in parts of Europe and Latin America):

Looking at the efficiency of its search ads, Google puts up an ad against only about half of its searches, whereas Yahoo puts up an ad 75 percent of the time. Yet for those searches where an ad is shown, Google gets 0.24 paid click per search compared to 0.18 for Yahoo and 0.14 for Microsoft. (Search advertising on AOL and Ask are also powered by Google and they show the same or better clickthrough rates).

For display ads, Yahoo and MySpace control the most market share, with 19 and 15 percent each, respectively. (Microsoft comes in a distant third with 6.6 percent):

The report also gives an estimate of the unduplicated reach of Microsoft and Yahoo. A combined Microsoft-Yahoo would have 173 million unique visitors a month across the globe, a 10 percent share of all page views, 32 percent share of search, and 24 percent share of display ads:

Both Microsoft and Yahoo each have about 260 million Webmail users (with duplication), with Google's Gmail bringing up third place with 87 million (no wonder Google execs keep bringing up market concentration concerns in relation to mail and instant messaging):

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