By Neil Rubenstein
Observer Columnist
China’s navy now has a submarine fleet larger than that of the United States, according to a U.S. Admiral’s statement on February 25. “Their submarine force has grown over a tremendous rate,” Vice Admiral Joseph Mulloy told the House Armed Service Committee’s Sea Power and Projection Force Subcommittee.
“They now have more diesel and nuclear attack subs than we have. They are producing some fairly amazing subs,” the admiral said. The Chinese have now had three deployments in the Indian Ocean. The U.S. Navy knows they are out-experimenting us and want to be in the world of advanced submarines.
For those who missed the Russian government’s announcement in March that it was officially withdrawing from the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, many of us remember it was signed in 1990 and limited the numbers of troops, tanks, aircraft and other non-nuclear military assets that can be deployed in Europe. Before long the European countries will form a single army to hold back the Russian threat.
Can you believe on February 25 Iran blew up a replica of an American carrier on a military exercise in the Strait of Hormuz?
Are you a person with millions of dollars that you would rather not tell Uncle Sam about? The Swiss are great at hiding trillions from their tax collectors. Take a glance at Bloomberg Businessweek (April 20, 2015 – April 26, 2015), Page 65 for an eye-opening article by Jesse Drucker. Our CPA told us at our very first consultation years ago, “Please don’t ask me unless you have a receipt.”
Jay, the world’s best postman, must sigh when he delivers all the magazines we get every month. The May 2015 National Geographic has a two-page spread on the dairy industry in China. Can you believe it takes 1,182 gallons of water to produce one gallon of milk?
Within a year or two a genetically engineered potato may be at our local supermarket.
Would you believe satellite technology is helping farmers grow crops more efficiently? Images taken from space provide farmers the data to be more precise about the amount of seeds, water and fertilizer they will need on every acre of farmland to grow food more sustainably.
Mother was right when she said, “Neil, eat your spinach.” Spinach is available year-round, but it’s especially sweet and tender in the late spring; however, there is a problem many of us have in choosing cooked versus raw. Raw spinach has 33 percent more folate and 187 percent more vitamin C than cooked. On the other hand, cooked provides 32 percent more iron and nearly 40 percent more calcium.
Plans to build the National Desert Storm War Memorial are moving forward after President Obama signed legislation in December 2014 authorizing federal land to be set aside for construction in Washington, DC. Supporters can now seek private donations to cover the cost of the memorial, as the bill prohibits the use of federal funds. Some of us knew of the 24 steps involved in creating a memorial in the Nation’s Capital, a process that takes too long.
Does anybody recall the verdict of the under-inflated footballs used on January 18, 2015 in the AFC Championship game between the New England Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts? The Patriots denied any knowledge of wrongdoing. Do you think I believe that???
It’s unbelievable but true, heart disease kills one woman every minute and more women than all cancers combined, yet misdiagnoses are still more likely for females. Learn about ladies’ unique symptoms and risk factors at fighttheladykiller.org.
Researchers at Kansas State University found recently that eating three medium size beets or drinking 16 oz. of beet juice increases blood flow to muscles by 38 percent. A boost this big can lower high blood pressure and improve mobility in people. Adding beets to your daily diet may prevent future heart issues, researchers say.
Did you know fresh or frozen cherries can lower cholesterol? Or that hazelnuts have a compound that helps to reduce LDL cholesterol absorption”
If you had $100 million would you put it into a Manhattan penthouse? Someone did and set the record recently for the most expensive two-story apartment purchase in New York or, as it likes to be called, The Big Apple.
My question of the week is, “If the members of the police department spend so much time at the firing range located in their headquarters on Duquesne, why can’t they practice shooting to disable, not to kill? I’ve been saying this for years and maybe someone will hear me.
About one in 25 patients who visited a U.S. hospital in 2011 developed a hospital-acquired infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and about 75,000 died as a result.
As of December 20, 2014 Taiwan’s unemployment rate was 3.88 percent.
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