#83 – Keep Maui in Your Prayers – Info in Bits & Pieces

UPDATE on MAUI FIRES
The official death count from the Maui fires is 114 presently. Many fear that more have died, possibly 480, as more bodybags and mobile morgues set up.

ADVICE
Three things everyone should do:
(1) Conduct your life with integrity and honesty.
(2) Act from a pure heart in all you do.
(3) Speak truth into your heart.

Three things everyone should not do:
(1) Don’t slander or lie about another behind their back.
(2) Do no evil to your neighbor, causing harm or trouble.
(3) Don’t bring up current or past disgraces to shame someone.

NEWS BITS

Confidence in the U.S. military has fallen to its lowest point in more than 25 years, according to a new poll by Gallup.

China Imposes Export Controls on 2 Metals
The two metals are germanium and gallium. China produces 60% of the world’s germanium and about 90% of the world’s gallium. Both metals are predominantly used in electronics.

Growing Number of US Banks Tightening Credit Standards
The tightening affects consumers and businesses, according to a July survey conducted by the Federal Reserve.

13 PERCENT
First-time homebuyers need to earn $64,500 per year to afford a typical U.S. “starter” home – a $7,200 or 13% increase from 2022, according to Redfin, a residential real estate brokerage.

Connecticut to Ban New Gas-Powered Cars by 2025
Governor Ned Lamont, a Democrat, announced the draft regulations on June 26. Critics said that the move will hurt consumers by forcing them to buy more expensive electric vehicles.

22.86% DECREASE
Target’s market capitalization as of August 16, 2023, was 22.86% less than one year before. Many speculate that the decrease was related to the retailer’s Pride merchandise line.

40 PERCENT
Among the about one million Americans diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, about 40% aren’t seeing a neurologist, according to an analysis of Medicare data.

75 PERCENT
of American adults have a heart age surpassing their actual age., according to the CDC. Exercise keeps the heart young and ready to pump the blood you need to nourish your brain and body. The average New York City adult’s heart is six years older than his or her actual age.

3,000 CARS
An electric car is believed to have caused a blaze aboard a cargo ship that was carrying almost 3,000 vehicles off the Netherlands.

QUOTES

“There is no such thing as a ‘private company’ in China.”
~~~ Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WIS.) on the risks of U.S. companies doing business in China

TIME
“Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity.”
~~~ Henry Van Dyke

TIME
”Time is our most valuable asset, yet we tend to waste it, kill it, and spend it rather than invest it.”
~~~ Jim Rohn

TIME
“You are always free to choose what you do first, what you do second, and what you do not do at all.”
~~~ Brian Tracy

SPEECH
The tongue is not steel, but it cuts, and its wounds are very hard to heal. Its worst wounds are not with its edge to our face but with its back when our heads are turned.
~~~ The Treasury of David

“Your Imagination is your preview of life’s coming attractions.”
~~~ Albert Einstein

THINKING
”The significant problems we have cannot be solved at the same level of thinking with which we created them.”
~~~ Albert Einstein

CULTURE
”If we want to feel like worthwhile contributors to society, then we must put our chins up, embrace what life throws at us without complaining, and roll up our sleeves.”
~~~ Annie Holmquist, Annie’s Attic on Substack

CDC Statement
”We anticipate that COVID will become similar to flu shots, where it is going to be you get your annual flu shot and you get your annual COVID shot.”
~~~ Dr. Mandy Cohen, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in an interview with Spectrum News.
You can get your mRNA doses with both flu & Covid shots annually. Oh, joy!

Info in Bits & Pieces