Gongol.com Archives: 2014 Weekly Archives
Brian Gongol



The United States of America Peace requires strength; strength requires discipline
A rule of life that shouldn't be overlooked on any scale. Individuals need to be disciplined and strong in order to live without fear of others. Nations have to be disciplined and strong in order to live peacefully in the world. And a corollary: One cannot be merciful without first being strong.

Humor and Good News A helpful guide to cousins, cousins-removed, and the like

Business and Finance OPEC decides against production cuts
And the practical effect is essentially the same as imposing economic sanctions on the United States (and the rest of North America), which has roared ahead with production from non-traditional oil sources into a leading position in the global petroleum market

Business and Finance Private nostalgia should rarely be funded by the public purse
Food for thought next time someone expects taxpayers to pick up the tab for something they want, "just because"

Agriculture Efforts being undertaken in Illinois to promote cover crops

Broadcasting Radio notes - The Brian Gongol Show on WHO Radio - November 30, 2014



Humor and Good News "Dignity, not dependency, is the ultimate gift."
If your charity isn't of the "teach a man to fish" variety, it's probably misplaced

News If there's rail-freight gridlock, the problem probably started in Chicago

Computers and the Internet Microsoft buys out an email startup

News Chris Rock's unvarnished take on the world today
He's not right about everything (who is?), but he has some important things to say

Weather and Disasters Averages don't tell the whole story
As we enter the winter of 2014, it's worth noting that 2013 ended up "normal", on average, but was made up of a lot of extremes

Water News Water affects economic growth everywhere



The United States of America Rob Portman won't run for the White House in 2016
The Ohio Senator wants to return to the Senate. Nothing wrong with that; he's a generally good influence on Republican politics.

Computers and the Internet Sony gets hit by a serious cyberattack
It's not clear from where the attack came (though North Korea is on the list of suspects)

Business and Finance British households are now spending more than they're earning (on average, of course)

News New Wrigley Field will have two fewer video boards than originally planned
Renovations are long overdue -- the structure itself is in dire need of care. But the plans included a few too many new signs for comfort, so it's good to hear that they're scaling back.

Broadcasting "Dangermouse" is coming back to television



News Omaha is converting a closed Borders bookstore into a digital public library

News The fight for basic respect for women in India

Business and Finance How absurd is the new condominum tower on New York's Park Avenue?

The United States of America Secretary Hagel's parting shot as he's kicked out of the DoD

Business and Finance Chicago city council sets a $13/hour minimum wage to begin in 2019



News Three ways to defeat ISIS/ISIL/Al-Qaeda-Land

Business and Finance President Obama chases employers over wage stagnation

Business and Finance There's a shortage of qualified workers in the marketplace

Business and Finance Is anyone really satisfied with government regulation of taxicab service?

Computers and the Internet "Gagnam Style" broke YouTube's counters



Computers and the Internet You have to own your digital identity in the 21st Century
Ashton Carter, the President's nominee for Secretary of Defense, apparently didn't have his own Twitter account prior to his name making it to the forefront of the news. And that let an impostor take over. No real harm comes of it for now, because the hoax was only mild. But it's a silly oversight for a high-profile official in the 21st Century. If something you own and control doesn't come up as the very first thing when you run a search for your own name (on Google or another search engine), then you have work to do.

Broadcasting A time for two anchors
(Video) Brian Williams can be quite funny, and brings a highly relatable personality to television news. But when things get rough, it's Scott Pelley you really want at the anchor desk. CBS's front man is all business, all the time.

Threats and Hazards Too many ambassadors are political awardees -- not professional diplomats
At a time when the State Department has been showing less competence than usual (over situations like Syria, Turkey, Ukraine, and Russia, to name a few)

Threats and Hazards Another long war ahead
Secretary of State Kerry says it's going to take years to fight the Al Qaeda splinter group that's taken territory in Syria and Iraq

Computers and the Internet The Department of Defense now regards Facebook as a tool of war -- for the enemy
And their security advice, while a little clunky, isn't bad for civilians to follow



Threats and Hazards Under attack by barbarians
It will not be enough to defeat ISIS/ISIL/QSIL/Al Qaeda in a conventional martial sense. The ideology must also be driven into the ground, such that nobody ever perceives it as a viable one again.

Health "Good behavior in older siblings can be as contagious as bad"

Aviation News Fire risk from air shipment of batteries

Computers and the Internet Uber arrives in Cedar Rapids

Humor and Good News Sometimes the make-good is better than never having made a mistake at all
Arby's finds a very funny way of fixing an oversight in their deal with Pepsi