SHORT TAKES ON THE DRIFTING WRECKAGE – AT 11:58 P.M. ET: 

WELL, IT'S DIFFERENT – FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES:   RICHMOND, Va. — Donald J. Trump has some ideas for how to jazz up the Republican National Convention, and he previewed one at a rally here on Friday evening: a “winner’s evening” of sports celebrities and champions addressing the convention rather than politicians.  “We’re going to do it a little different, if it’s O.K.,” he told the crowd. “I’m thinking about getting some of the great sports people who like me a lot.”  Well, yeah, it's different.  But he's trying to show that he can be president, and I wonder whether presenting the best third baseman or the best shot putter really does the job.

WE ARE OBSOLETE – FROM DIGITAL TRENDS:   If you have yet to see a robot patrolling a parking lot or moving along the sidewalk, don’t feel left out. Security, surveillance, hospitality, and delivery robots aren’t a common sight, but it won’t be long before they are. Robots are already on the job providing extra service and security in a growing variety and number of locations, according to the MIT Technology Review.
Silicon Valley startup Knightscope, Inc. has two mobile surveillance and security robots, called the K3 and K5. The company refers to them as Autonomous Data Machines, or ADMs, because as the robots make their rounds, they can either follow prescribed paths or just wander within a determined area. While on the move, the robots continuously collect and transmit more than 90 terabytes of data per year.  Next, a robot president of the United States, which would be a major improvement over the choices we're given this year.  I want a commander-in-chief with flashing lights.

NO SHOCK HERE – FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER:   According to Chad Aldeman of Bellwether Education Partners, 10 states spend more on government employee pensions than on all public colleges and universities combined: California, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oregon and Pennsylvania.  According to the Cook Political Report, eight of those 10 states lean Democratic.  "Like the insatiable Pac-Man, pensions are eating further and further into state and local education budgets, eating up dollars that could be spent on lots of other things," Aldeman says. "That's true for all public services, but higher education is uniquely harmed by rising pension costs." He says these 10 states are "near the bottom of the list in terms of responsibly funding their pension plans."  The civil service used to place where people accepted lower economic rewards in exchange for stability and the chance to help society.  Now, for many, it's a business.  And public-service unions exist to serve their members, not the public interest. 

June 11,  2016