Imagine a city that offers the elderly opportunities where physical and mental disabilities are not an obstacle, where you can live your final years with grace and dignity? That is what is being proposed in Valdivia, in southern Chile. And if it works they hope to expend it to the rest of the country. Chile not only has a problem with the percentage of its population Continue reading “Age Friendly Cities”
Category: Governance
Airline Seats Size And Safety
It’s well known that airplane seats are getting smaller and are projected to get smaller still—that is if airlines have their way. But consumers are at last beginning to speak up. Earlier this year American airlines was planning to redesign its cabin where a few seats would have a 29 inch pitch. After what a New York Times’ article called a “rash of complaints” Continue reading “Airline Seats Size And Safety”
Google and Facebook–The Issue of Size
In the wake of the discovery that Russians bought ads on social media while trying to further divide the US electorate, several, including the authors of an article in The Guardian, find the description of companies as large as Google and Facebook by Louisiana senator John Kennedy very apt. During the senate hearing exploring the role these companies had in the Russian ads, Kennedy said that the corporations know too much about us and too little about themselves. The authors of the article quote him, “If the CEO came to you… and said I want to know everything about Senator Graham… You could do that, couldn’t you?” and Kennedy continued that on the other hand, “You don’t have the ability to know who every one of your advertisers is, do you?” Leaving aside other issues, and addressing their size, the article’s authors recommend that Continue reading “Google and Facebook–The Issue of Size”
Cancer Drugs For Africa
Two drug companies, Pfizer based in New York and Cipla based in Mumbai have promised to provide cancer drugs for several African countries at rock bottom prices, meaning prices where the companies would not be making any money, but would not be losing money either. There are only 16 drugs involved and 6 countries so far, but the deal is seen as one that will save many lives. Cancer in Africa has been growing, and 450,000 die every year for lack of care. By 2030 this number is projected to be one million. The agreement also includes top American oncologists devising treatment program guidelines Continue reading “Cancer Drugs For Africa”