Doris Day, and so it goes.
The Shirley Exception fallacy. For the saved, all is pure. (Grokked from Xopher Halftongue)
"Each year National Geographic opens its creative doors to highlight talented photographers from around the world through the National Geographic Travel Photo Contest and similar competitions." (Grokked from Jim Hines)
"Earlier this week reports came out that the Warwick School District in Rhode Island was about to implement a policy that students who had outstanding school lunch debt would only be served sunflower seed butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch… The fact that schools are squeezed for debt, and would have to sink to shaming kids and their families is a sad state of affairs… After the blowback from this policy decision crossed the country, the Warwick School District announced on Wednesday that they were reversing course on the jelly sandwich policy, telling CBS News that they had collected around $14,000 from parents with outstanding debts… On Thursday, the Warwick School District got some even better news as the founder and CEO of Chobani Yogurt, Hamdi Ulukaya, announced that his company would be paying off and covering the expenses for these students." Thank you Hamadi Ulakaya. As our government fails the people it's heartening to see good corporate citizens coming to the rescue. I'm proud to be a customer. (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"For the first time in human history — not recorded history, but since humans have existed on Earth — carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has topped 415 parts per million, reaching 415.26 parts per million, according to sensors at the Mauna Loa Observatory, a research outpost of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency." We're boned.
"And a new study finds that people spend about 52 minutes per day, on average, talking to someone about someone else who is not present… But here's the surprise: Despite the assumption that most gossip is trash talk, the study finds that the vast majority of gossip is nonjudgmental chitchat."
"A Massachusetts man allegedly stabbed two hikers on the Appalachian Trail, killing one, injuring the other… James Louis Jordan, 30, was arrested Saturday after attacking a male and female hiker with a large knife. He’s been charged with murder and assault with intent to murder." Not word about banjo music.
The problem with armed security guards in the school. "Detectives are investigating whether a private security guard at STEM School Highlands Ranch fired on a Douglas County sheriff’s deputy who was responding to this week’s deadly school shooting, a law enforcement source told The Denver Post on Thursday… Investigators also are trying to determine whether the trajectory of the bullet indicates the guard may have struck and injured a student, the source said." Actually this is the problem with "citizen responders" in general. But to be fair, it's also an ever present problem with armed response, including police. Sometimes. (Grokked in a roundabout way from Xopher Halftounge)
"Almost two-thirds of millennials say they’re living paycheck to paycheck and only 38% feel financially stable, according to a new survey from Charles Schwab." I'm sure it's because of all the avocado toast.
Also more info from that Charles Schwab survey… "Merely having a net worth of $1 million, it seems, doesn’t mean you’re wealthy. In Charles Schwab’s annual Modern Wealth Survey, the amount people said it took to be considered rich averaged out to $2.3 million. That, the company said, is 'more than 20 times the actual median net worth of U.S. households.'"
Sure, there's a lot of resources for starting up a company, but what about when you realize the company is going to go bust? "Consider just a few of the things that you might have to do if you're closing down a startup: notify investors, let go of employees, figure out severance pay, find a lawyer to push through dissolution paperwork, pay outstanding debts, cancel credit cards and close social media accounts. You also have to figure out how to value your firm's assets, Edgecliffe-Johnson says, which can be tricky when those aren't computers and pens, but data, clients, brand and other intangibles." Nobody knows you when you're down and out.
"Prosecutors in Sweden reopened a rape case against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, a month after he was forcibly removed from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London and after a U.S. extradition request over computer hacking charges." Wow, that was totally (not) unexpected. But the thing is, Sweden's claim on Assange will take precedence because it was first.
How go the Trade Wars? "Global equities fell on Monday after their worst week of 2019, as hopes of an imminent U.S.-China trade deal were crushed and neither side showed a willingness to budge, raising fears of a fresh round of tit-for-tat tariffs."
"China is imposing new retaliatory tariffs on $60 billion worth of U.S. goods, days after the Trump administration said it would impose higher tariffs on $200 billion in Chinese goods on Friday morning."
"U.S. stocks moved sharply lower Monday on Wall Street and extended the market’s slide into a second week as investors seek shelter from an escalating trade war between the U.S. and China." As I write this the DJI is down over 500 points.
"As the European Parliament elections near -- between May 23 and May 26 -- one of the biggest challenges facing MEPs is communicating to voters what they actually do."
"A set of tiered public plans will cover standard services and are expected to be up to 10% cheaper than comparable private insurance, thanks in part to savings from a cap on rates paid to providers. But unlike existing government-managed plans, Washington’s public plans are set to be available to all residents regardless of income by 2021."
"Top Republicans are hunting district-by-district for just the right candidates — women and minorities in many cases — to help them recapture the House six months after a political tidal wave swept Democrats into control of the most diverse majority in history." Keep looking guys, I know you'll find some.
"A GOP state lawmaker who recently gave an impassioned speech about being raped as a 16 year old says she feels attacked after a Republican colleague passed out literature describing rape as a “misdeed of the parent” that doesn’t justify having an abortion." Dear conservative minorities, women, Asian, African-American, and LGBTQ people, I know you think you're showing that conservatism isn't bigoted or misogynistic or phobic, but understand that you're just giving them cover and as soon as they can or if you step out of line before that, they will throw you under the bus. They're just not that into you. Understand, this woman legislator is "pro-life", she voted for the original bill. She was trying to show why there should be exceptions for rape and incest. But because she bucked the line, others felt they could discard her. Now they want to "take it off-line" where they can assure everybody that they're respected and understood and the language used in the pamphlet that was passed around was "poorly worded" and wasn't a personal attach on her, but they won't grant exceptions for rape or incest and she'll just have to accept that because there's a bigger issue here. (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"Russian President Vladimir Putin was on skates taking a victory lap around an ice rink after scoring a slew of goals in an exhibition match — when he tripped and fell flat on his face." Yes, I'm only including it here because I can be petty (waves to my Russian friends).
"U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will make his first trip to Russia this week, arriving in the city of Sochi on Tuesday where he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov." Because apparently it's now okay to start up communications again. But also noted for this, "Ahead of the trip, the State Department pulled at least one punch. Spokesperson Morgan Ortagus released a statement Thursday that praised the conviction of two Russian intelligence officers in Montenegro as 'a clear victory for the rule of law, laying bare Russia's brazen attempt to undermine the sovereignty of an independent European nation.'… But the next day, the official statement disappeared from the department's website. The State Department declined to comment, but Foreign Policy magazine reported that the statement was released by mistake against Pompeo's wishes."
"As Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 presidential election was concluding, Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump’s personal attorney for the probe and other legal woes, landed a new client: the Kingdom of Bahrain." I'm sure he can totally separate and compartmentalize his work. Like he's shown so well in the past. "While the Bahraini government was enlisting Giuliani for help with its police force, it was also attempting to influence Trump administration policy."
"If House Democrats ultimately begin impeachment proceedings against President Trump, last week will be remembered as one of the pivotal turning points."
"The executive branch and the legislative branch are deadlocked. The House could vote soon about whether to hold the attorney general — and maybe others — in contempt of Congress."
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