A little bit of Austrian economics. Expansion of cheap money leads to poor utilisation of resources. This leads to bubbles. They crash. People suffer.

In Ireland’s case, this was bought on because, as part of the Euro, they were treated as conservative manufactories somewhere in Silesia instead of property developers.

Watch and weep.

Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis.

I am aware that the Herald is biased, but this is a problem that cannot go away. One of the problems is that the protocol one has depends on adequate numbers of people being trained.

THE PROBLEM

* New Zealand has 0.35 fulltime-equivalent diabetes physicians for every 100,000 people.

* Britain’s colleges of physicians recommend a level of 0.8 in 100,000.

* Some district health boards are trimming their specialist diabetes services, or are planning to do so.

* The prevalence of diabetes is increasing by more than 8 per cent a year.

via Diabetes epidemic puts strain on eye screening – National – NZ Herald News.

One of the solutions proposed is “to allow diabetes nurses to prescribe some drugs”. The problem, particularly with type II, is that you need to monitor and control blood pressure, cholesterol level, weight and diabetes. Most diabetic medications make you gain weight. Many antihypertensives can make you tired (Beta blockers, thiazides….). With the exception of metformin, all the oral hypoglycaemics are associated with weight gain.

I have Type I/II diabetes: I pay my GP to monitor me and I visit a private endocrinologist. I have seen an opthalmologist all my life, who screens my eyes. I go to a gym which specialises in creaky old ex athletes who have had multiple injuries. At the moment I am under control on oral medications, and I hope to remain so until the new continuous monitoring pumps are available

All this is done in private — the total cost to me is under $4000  a year. But I do this meticulously because I have teenage boys I have to raise.

I can do this in private. I will not trust the public system, which has limited to no confidentiality, and is in effect swamped (so only those who are severely ill or are actively unpleasant get treatment).

In effect, this epidemic is leading to a two-tier medical system, with good outcomes to those who make their health a priority.

One of the problems with coal mining is that there is inevitably a chance that gas will leak from the rock. Methane and electricity — which is what all our networks require — do not play nicely.

The Pikes River mine starts outside conservation land and tunnels under it. The government, because of the green lobby, has not allowed the mine to set up any shafts or bases inside the conservation estate.

We now have a situation where we cannot get rescuers to the mine. And… the churches are standing up to help. I am not, repeat not, seeing Greenpeace offering condolences to these families.

This waiting is excruciating.

In the evening church services are held, to offer both hope and solace to the townsfolk.

At the Holy Trinity Anglican Church, only 25 or so here are regulars – the other 90-odd packing the church are seeking spiritual help at this time of uncertainty.

Archdeacon Robin Kingston tells the congregation “if there’s one thing we’re going to need, it’s strength and unity”.

If the outcome is good, he says, it will be very easy to celebrate. But if the outcome is not so good, people will need all the energy they can get.

There is nothing people can do while waiting but talk and share and hug.

If ever there was a time for faith, this was it, he said.

Outside the church a parishioner listened through the glass doors, directing latecomers inside.

It’s a small town, he said, only about 8000 people. But everyone knows someone in the mine or someone related to them.

The town has had tragedies before though.

The last big disaster was the Strongman mine in 1967 where 19 people died.

There is still hope but people who work in the area say there is no way the Pike River miners are alive.

A local whispers then looks away.

“It’s just not going to happen.”

via Faith, hope and the media hordes – Pike River mine blast – NZ Herald News.

The excellent Haley dropped this into a conversation,

Lover of Wisdom, the Left Behind books are an insult to the craft of writing and to anyone boasting an intellect higher than that of a slug. Oh, wait, I shouldn’t have said that…Christians are never to criticize the heartfelt work product of other Christians, after all….

I have a low taste in Literature. I enjoy John Ringo. I even enjoy Vince Flynn. But LLa Haye is awful.

via Harry Potter got it wrong. « Haleys Halo.

My church, like most of the reformed church, follows the revised common lectionary. Today is the last day of the church calendar” next Sunday is the first day of Advent.

For the last 85 years, this Sunday has been celebrated as Christ the King. We remind ourselves that Christ will triumph, and his wishes will be completed.

Today, the teaching elder said that we need to work at completing the will of God in ourselves. We need to pay attention to ourselves. For we look at the world… and the second half of this text applies:

Psalm 108

1My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;
I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul!

2Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn.

3I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples,
and I will sing praises to you among the nations.

4For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens,
and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

5Be exalted, O God,above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth.

6Give victory with your right hand, and answer me, so that those whom you love may be rescued.

7God has promised in his sanctuary: “With exultation I will divide up Shechem, and portion out the Vale of Succoth.

8Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine; Ephraim is my helmet; Judah is my sceptre.

9Moab is my wash-basin; on Edom I hurl my shoe; over Philistia I shout in triumph.”

10Who will bring me to the fortified city? Who will lead me to Edom?

11Have you not rejected us, O God? You do not go out, O God, with our armies.

12O grant us help against the foe, for human help is worthless.

13With God we shall do valiantly; it is he who will tread down our foes.

via Daily Lectionary Readings — Devotions and Readings — Ministries & Programs — GAMC.

At the moment the world is bleeding and suffering. There have been Christians martyred in Ireq, and there is genocide against believers in sub-Saharan Africa.

In times of trouble, we are ordered not to be dismayed.

1 Peter 3

¹³Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? ¹⁴But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear, and do not be intimidated, ¹⁵but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; ¹⁶yet do it with gentleness and reverence. Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. ¹⁷For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil

I believe that there will be an accounting for our actions as people, as communities and as nations. Throughout Revelations the statement “You are Just” is mentioned. Over and Over. And (Since I am reformed) I consider that the only reason we can talk to Christ at all is because he graciously took our place and punishment, individually and corporately. Jesus did not promise us prosperity. And Peter’s comments about continuing to do good and keep our conscience clean — regardless of what our community or nation is doing — is correct.

But… to reflect G_d may lead to accusation, imprisonment, loss of family and possessions — and death. Martyrdom and persecution are not merely historic anomalies — for our Arab and African brothers and sisters they are daily reality. We should praise God for the fact we live in a state where we can talk and worship freely, being aware that each generation has to defend these freedoms from those who consider that all speech should be appropriate to the fluctuating fashions of the chattering class.

The idea of Catholicism is one of universiality. It is an acceptance of the imperfections of human beings and that James was talking to beleives when he confronted ambition and pride.

James 3

13Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and false to the truth. 15Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. 17But the wisdom from above is first pure

via Daily Lectionary Readings — Devotions and Readings — Ministries & Programs — GAMC.

If we take this seriously, most orthodox, roman and reformed churches are catholic. There is an acceptance that the people running them include those who are very flawed and sinful. But the church continues on: in part because the church insists that these words are read. And preached upon, which allows the Spirit to convict us, leading to a change in us.

The error here is one the Anabaptist stream makes — that we can separate out, in this life, and have a church only of believers. (I am ignoring the heresies from Gnosticism to Catharism to the Holiness movement that state we can be without sin if we have sufficient knowledge).

We should not fight or have disputes. However, in this fallen we ar times have to defend the truth. What we have to be aware of is that we can move into a position where we are talking from pride, from anger. And that can lead to us falling into error.

The first of these videos is a cartoon video that skewers bernacke.

Now Nasim Taleb finishes Trashing helicopter Ben. Printing Money is not an answer. You cannot solve a risk problem by risky methods.

This is not a good time.

Shiny happy people, of one mind, destroying the other… is collectivism. In this, both the left and right can be collectivist. Fasism is, correctly defined as working in unity.

The essence of fascism is not moustache-twirling fellows yelling and marching – or even that one video of paper-pushing flaboid Ferdy MooMoo’s In Mala Fide’s childhood. It’s the smiley face, the happy team striving against the bad guy (found in almost any action movie or 80s cartoon), the “we all agree and are nice friends, except that One Loserly Yet Wicked Source of All Evil that must be dealt with” – it’s inherent to human nature and nice leftists, like nice elementary school kids, are some of its finest practitioners.

via Escapist.

Trouble is that this does not allow badthink. Badthink is seen as not belonging to the group. And this is punished, particularly by the left, for they have not graduated from the schoolyard.

This comes from a fairly nasty discussion on how the personnel departments in US big corporations — who are flooded with job offers, are using the “impossible list tactic”.  To find people who have lied to jump through hoops, or people who (as in the modern Dating laws) deliberately break social conventions to cut through the noise.

The comment is quite correct, in my experience. But then, I tend to talk to the people who make decisions and then apply for jobs. And I like my current job.

The real underlying problem with HR is that they are overstaffed, underutilized, liberal arts majors. Frankly, they have no real purpose in the company except:

1. Ensure employee paperwork (tax forms, 401ks, etc…) are completed and filed correctly

2. Ensure that any managerial actions are done in accordance with legal and company policies. If they are going to discipline an employee, make sure it does not rebound on the company.

3. Answer the occasional question about company employment policy.

-and-

that is essentially it.

For most companies, the proper ratio of HR to employee should be something like 1:150.

That’s right. A single HR employee should be able to handle 150 or more employees. (Now, if they include payroll and timekeeping in HR, that is something different.)

The root cause of the HR problem is they have too many employees and not enough work. Net result, they ingratiate themselves into everyone else’s business in an attempt to demonstrate their value.

To the overall detriment of the company I might add.

via Captain Capitalism: How the Female “Romantic Wish List” for Men Corrupts the Functionality of HR.

The correct attitude to HR is “smile and wave”. Don’t read their emails. DO what his needed. Use them to protect you if you have dismiss someone. And back those you supervise on the small stuff.