Linkee-poo is back at it

Need an icon? The Noun Project. Eh. (Grokked from John)

Darwinism in action. "They show people in parts of the U.S. hit by the polar vortex and record low temperatures throwing hot water into the air and watching it turn to ice crystals in the freezing air… But hospitals are warning that the challenge has led to those taking part suffering serious burns, as the wind blew boiling water back onto them." Look, boiling water is dangerous. I appreciate the DIY attitude, but seriously this kind of thing shouldn't be done without precautions, the first of which is understanding that boiling water is dangerous.

"SpaceX CEO Elon Musk says the company’s Raptor engine, meant to power Starship and Super Heavy, has surpassed a rocketry record held by Russian scientists and engineers for more than two decades." Not so fast there, Bucky. The Russian RD-180 has been actually launching payloads into space and SpaceX's Raptor is still on the test bench.

"SpaceX is gearing up for a big human-spaceflight milestone… Elon Musk's company aims to fly the first demonstration mission of its Crew Dragon capsule to the International Space Station (ISS) on March 2… This flight, known as Demo-1, will be uncrewed."

"Insect populations are declining precipitously worldwide due to pesticide use and other factors, with a potentially "catastrophic" effect on the planet, a study has warned… More than 40% of insect species could become extinct in the next few decades, according to the 'Worldwide decline of the entomofauna: A review of its drivers' report, published in the journal Biological Conservation." We're boned.

For those people who think the anti-science mentality of the right only extends to global warming and abortion, I offer this. "Fox News host Pete Hegseth explained on Sunday that he doesn’t wash his hands because 'germs are not a real thing.'" I would suggest avoiding the communal bowl of M&M's in the Fox News green room. (Grokked from Jim Wright)

"These stories highlight additional problems with exaggerating the importance of 1619 (as the start of African slavery in the Americas)." (Grokked from Patrick Nielsen Hayden)

"The chef has made a name for himself on the local and national culinary scenes, both for his widely praised farm-to-fork menus and for his leadership on causes such as homelessness and domestic violence. Now, he's channeling some of his energy into suicide prevention." Chef activists seems to be a thing these days.

The stories we tell ourselves, about how families who suffer tragedies must be strong and forge ahead. "The Schentrups' activism is overlaid with the daily struggles of just getting through another day without their daughter. Reminders of Carmen are prominent throughout their home: here, a photo of her striking a sassy pose in her homecoming dress. There, a photo of her in the graduation cap and gown she would never get to wear." Not everyone can be, not everyone should be. And sometimes the peer-pressure to behave in "socially accepted" ways can be too much. Everyone's pain is their own.

"Russian authorities and major internet providers are planning to disconnect the country from the internet as part of a planned experiment, Russian news agency RosBiznesKonsalting (RBK) reported last week… In addition, Russian telecom firms would also have to install 'technical means' to re-route all Russian internet traffic to exchange points approved or managed by Roskomnazor, Russia's telecom watchdog." I'll miss our Russian friends.

How goes Brexit? "Brexit uncertainty dragged U.K. investment to its worst slump since the financial crisis, leaving the economy with barely any momentum."

"Asian stocks were mostly higher on Monday as traders watched for developments on a fresh round of trade talks between American and Chinese officials in Beijing this week. Markets in China and Taiwan, reopening after a weeklong Lunar New Year break, posted broad gains." Let's see how long that lasts.

Let's give rich people even more money, because their job creators and will help the rising-tide economy lift all boats. "By year-end, most of the nation’s largest lenders met or exceeded their initial predictions for tax savings. On average, the banks saw their effective tax rates fall below 19 percent from the roughly 28 percent they paid in 2016. And while the breaks set off a gusher of payouts to shareholders, firms cut thousands of jobs and saw their lending growth slow." It's almost as if it were a long-term grift the entire time. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)

"From the looks of it, GOP politicians got what they wanted, too. From the time the tax bill was first introduced on Nov. 2, 2017, until the end of the year, a 60-day period, dozens of billionaires and millionaires dramatically boosted their political contributions unlike they had in past years, giving a total of $31.1 million in that two months, a Center for Public Integrity analysis of data from the Center for Responsive Politics found." Everybody got what they wanted, except for the majority of people who weren't watching or caring. And now you know why AOC scares the hell out of them. "Such giving is not unusual, said Thomas Stratmann, a professor at George Mason University who has shown how contributions to lawmakers from PACs are aimed at encouraging them to vote for a bill or to reward them for passing it." But I'm sure this SCOTUS wouldn't consider that quid-pro-quo. (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)

"The top US commander in the war against ISIS aligned himself Sunday with the US intelligence community assessment that there are 'tens of thousands' of ISIS fighters spread across Syria and Iraq." I'm sure they'll all fade into the background, peacefully, once the president tells them we've won.

"California Gov. Gavin Newsom will announce plans Monday to pull back all members of the National Guard who have been deployed to the border with Mexico, saying the state would not be part of the Trump administration's 'manufactured crisis.'"

"America could be sliding toward a new government shutdown and President Donald Trump may face a fateful choice over his border wall as another knife-edge week opens in Washington." Anyone surprised? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? All because the GOP wants to keep locking up people, and paying their friends to do it.