Linkee-poo it checking his back for a knife

"The national organizers called for a 17-minute walkout at 10 a.m. local time in every time zone… But the actual details of the protest varied from school to school." I hope the kids can keep it up, or at least keep that fever of activism as they graduate and grow older.

Goblin markets. (Grokked from Terri Windling)

"People might not think of winter as a fruitful season for foraging wild edibles, but nutritionist and expert forager Debbie Naha says there's actually a lot out there that you can find year round." The video, while educational, is produced in a way that makes it annoying.

Remember all the High Sierra snow they were celebrating last year? "In California, Colorado, and across the Southwest, the snowfall has ranked among the lowest on record. The last four months have also been among the warmest throughout most of the region, according to a report out last week. Parts of eight states are already under 'extreme' drought conditions." Good thing climate change isn't real or this might be a serious problem. Have I mentioned how South Africa is getting closer to Day Zero (when they run out of potable water)? California is the 6th largest economy in the world. While conservatives would love to see it collapse, the ripple effect through our economy (and the world economy) will make 2007-2009 look like a picnic. (Grokked from Paolo Bacigalupi)

Canada shows us up again. "Viola Desmond, known as the Canadian Rosa Parks, has been named as the first black person and first non-royal woman to be featured on regular Canadian currency."

"Using their ransomware, the researchers also proved that an attacker could go beyond simply disabling the robots. Apa explained how an attacker could load ransomware onto a robot and then display profane images or issue derogatory remarks to customers. If not addressed these types of attacks could be used to weaken consumer trust in companies that use the robots for services." Makes those Hollanders throwing their wooden shoes into the fabric mills look kinda quaint. (Grokked from Paolo Bacigalupi)

"A startup is claiming that it can invent a technology that can immortalize the human brain by digitally uploading its content into the cloud. However, in order for your mind to live forever, you have to die first… Nectome hopes that it can demonstrate a fully uploaded simulation of 'a biological neural network' sometime around 2024." One, it's a scam, not so much to sign up people, but to get startup capital. Their "process" isn't much more sophisticated than cryogenic freezing of your head (which frankly, probably has a better chance of you being "uploaded" into a computer later). But lets say, just for shits and giggles, they're on to something. That their process can somehow capture your consciousness by mapping your neurons (as that appears to be what they're attempting to do, note that even this is not technically possible right now). At this time and for the projected near future, there is no viable computer system that can run your consciousness. The brain is not a computer. It's just compared to a computer because that's the closest analogy we can make (the brain was once compared to railroads, to the telegraph, and to the telephone system) and the most sophisticated machine we have.

"Elizabeth Holmes, the 34-year-old founder and CEO of the health technology company Theranos, had a compelling story of dropping out of college to launch a multibillion-dollar Silicon Valley venture to revolutionize the blood-testing industry… But on Wednesday, the Securities and Exchange Commission accused the company, Holmes and its former President Ramesh 'Sunny' Balwani of "an elaborate, years-long fraud in which they exaggerated or made false statements about the company's technology, business, and financial performance" to raise more than $700 million from investors."

"As of a new paper's release today… the phenomenon has been dubbed STEVE… short for 'Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement.'… According to the new work, the distinctive ribbon of purple light with green accents — which can occur at lower latitudes than normal auroras do — gives scientists a glimpse into the interactions of Earth's magnetic field and upper atmosphere." The International Secret Cabal of Steves strikes again.

"Scott’s telomeres (endcaps of chromosomes that shorten as one ages) actually became significantly longer in space. While this finding was presented in 2017, the team verified this unexpected change with multiple assays and genomics testing. Additionally, a new finding is that the majority of those telomeres shortened within two days of Scott’s return to Earth." Whelp, so much for going to space as a longevity project.

Early reports are often wrong. "Police say a teacher in California accidentally fired his gun in a classroom, injuring three students." It's now 3 students. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)

"A report released this month by UNICEF has been cause for celebration in India, the country with the highest number of child marriages in South Asia each year. According to the newly released data, the annual number of child marriages in the country has dropped by nearly half in the last decade." But there might be some problems with the report and the numbers might not be what they appear to be. And before you waggle fingers, remember the Family Foundation blocked the Tennessee law outlawing underage marriages and many US states still allow them.

"The U.S. is one of the only countries in the world that lets private individuals own the minerals under their land, a policy that dates to the founding fathers as they sought to elevate private interests over those of the British Crown… But as U.S. production reaches record levels… a complex web of laws and court rulings is evolving over how these royalties are distributed. That's creating vast differences in how much money property owners actually get, and prompting a number of lawsuits accusing energy companies of shortchanging them."

"How many opioid overdoses are suicides?" That's a question I've been asking for years as someone who sees patients after their overdose. I'm somewhat certain a whole lot more overdoses are suicide attempts.

"Relatives say the teen had gone to an urgent care clinic a few weeks ago complaining of cold symptoms and a headache. Doctors reportedly diagnosed Brumley with a 'viral infection' expected to run its course without intervention." The sinus infection invaded his brain and he died. What I'm wondering is why they didn't do a CT scan for either of his ER trips. Yes, I've seen this. Early on it's easy to dismiss as just the flu or a cold. But these things can develop into more serious conditions. And yes, an infection can break though the facial bones and attack the brain.

"White nationalist Matthew Heimbach was arrested this week for assaulting his wife and her stepfather, who also happened to be his hate group's chief spokesman." He seems nice. Whelp, so much for that suspended jail sentence. (Grokked from John)

Race in America, "'When people talked about it, it was often the notion of suddenly being outnumbered — that's a word that I heard over and over and over again. Going to the doctor's office and suddenly looking around and realizing that everybody else is Hispanic. Going to the local Wal-Mart ... and realizing that, "boy, the things they're selling in the produce aisle are different," or "there's a whole aisle where everything is in two languages, and I never noticed that before." ... "Suddenly it feels like this community that I knew so well" — so what they were saying is that they don't feel like it's "theirs" anymore…" It's all about fear.

"A man who registered as a Green Party candidate for Montana’s U.S. Senate race was on the state Republican Party’s payroll and heads a newly formed anti-tax group, according to a review of election documents… Timothy Adams filed as a challenger Monday against Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, who faces a tough re-election campaign, in a race where a Green Party candidate could siphon votes from the Democrat." I'm sure it's all legit and above board. I mean, the GOP wouldn't stoop to such underhanded tactics as running a red herring candidate? Say, remember when Jill Stein went the Russia and sat at the same table as Putin and Michael Flynn? Remember when Nader sucked away votes in Florida? Fuck the Green Party. Yeah, yeah, read my timeline and you'll see I agree with much of the Green Party platform, but you've been had by stooges. Talk to the hand. We'll get our third party out of the implosion of the GOP. (Grokked from Katheryn Cramer)

"Attorney General Jeff Sessions is reviewing a recommendation to fire the former F.B.I. deputy director, Andrew G. McCabe, just days before he is scheduled to retire on Sunday, people briefed on the matter said. Mr. McCabe was a frequent target of attack from President Trump, who taunted him both publicly and privately." That's how petty our President can be. Note that, "Mr. McCabe has described himself to friends as a lifelong Republican voter." To other Republicans, you're only useful so long as you toe the line. One step over, one missed chance at a full-throated defense of the ideology, and under the bus you go. (Grokked from Katheryn Cramer)

"During his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border near San Diego, President Donald Trump made this confounding claim: 'The state of California is begging us to build walls' along the border." Yet another pants on fire rating for the president.

"The U.K. is expelling 23 Russian diplomats as punishment for a chemical weapons attack that took place in England. Prime Minister Theresa May has said Russia was likely behind the poisoning of a former Russian spy who, along with his daughter, was exposed to a lethal nerve agent that was developed in Russia." A first step.

"'We may even have a "space force,"' he added. 'Develop another one: We have the Air Force, we'll have the space force.'" Um, Mr. President, we 1) already have a Space Command, it's a part of the Air Force, 2) we shouldn't militarize space (in fact, we've signed a few treaties that say we won't), and 3) why do idiots always want to militarize space?

So Trump stated the other day about imposing the death penalty for drug dealers (or at least everyone thought he was talking about the dealers). It's not a new idea, and it's completely wrong headed. Case in point (and probably where he got the idea): "Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whose war on drugs has resulted in the deaths of over 12,000 people allegedly using and dealing drugs, has announced that the country will withdraw from the establishing treaty of the International Criminal Court… His statement comes about a month after the ICC launched a preliminary investigation into those deaths." Now Duterte is wanted because of his super legal killings (which he may or may not have committed himself). SO far no report of that, but remember this president also talked about "taking the guns and getting to due process later." That's the old "shoot them now, ask questions later" rhetoric the right loves. The problem with vigilante justice is it never stays focused, the scope always grows, and you create more people who feel free to operate outside the constraint of law.

The president is woefully unprepared, and that's the way he likes it. "Donald Trump bragged that he made up facts in a meeting with the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, according to an audio recording obtained by the Washington Post… The US president – notorious for making false claims on countless issues – admitted he told Trudeau that America has a trade deficit with its neighbour when he 'had no idea' if that was true." Unfortunately his base will never believe it. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

And then there's this. "'The young man last night that ran, he said, "Oh, I’m like Trump. Second Amendment, everything. I love the tax cuts, everything." He ran on that basis,' Trump said. 'He ran on a campaign that said very nice things about me. I said, "Is he a Republican? He sounds like a Republican to me."'" The president has no concept of reality except for the world he makes up in his own head. (Grokked from Katheryn Cramer)

And "'It’s the bowling ball test. They take a bowling ball from 20 feet up in the air and drop it on the hood of the car,' Trump said of Japan. 'If the hood dents, the car doesn’t qualify. It’s horrible,' he said. It was unclear what he was talking about." (Grokked from Elizabeth Bear)

"Two members of President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee have been convicted of financial crimes, and a third — the committee’s treasurer — was an unindicted co-conspirator in an accounting fraud." The crimes didn't involve the inauguration, but there's some irregularities in the committee's records. And the inauguration set a record for the money raised. (Grokked from Joy Reid)

"President Donald Trump's lawyer, John Dowd, contributed more money last year to the president's re-election campaign than is legally permissible." He seems smart. (Grokked from Katheyrn Cramer)