Linkee-poo Wednesday

So, there is this. "How to deal with the end of the world: first, recognize that everyone’s world is ending all the time… Then, take note: in fact, lambkins, we will live. All despite ourselves, we will live—and be irrevocably changed, as we have irrevocably changed the world." I appreciate the optimism and enthralling nature of someone with a fresh degree and purpose. But (and you knew there would be) this is the exact problem. Humans think they'll win. I debated a long time about responding to this and where I should respond. Trust me when I say, I made the choice to not hurt people because they don't deserve it. But this is wrong. There has always been a non-zero chance of human extinction (don't believe me, go ask the dinosaurs, rulers of the planet). Hell, it is our destiny to die out as a species (points to the whole biological history of the world, mentions the variable "L" in the Drake equation). The only question is when, and will we be something else when it happens (don't believe me, go ask the dinosaurs, rulers of the planet). This is the arrogance of the anti-Darwinists and the young-Earthers, that humans are somehow special and outside of nature. We're not, lambkins. Not by a long shot. Don't believe me? Sure, change your blood pH to 7.0 or 8.0 and see how long you survive. We are not just star dust and farts, flesh and blood. We are animals. There is nothing special about us. Believe in the divine spark, that splinter of the eternal, but make sure you eat a balanced breakfast first and keep hydrated. We are far removed from subsistence, but we haven't severed it, we just have it delivered now. We depend on food, clean water, a certain temperature range, a specific salinity and pH. And all of those are dependent on a long chain of fellow organisms on this planet. Sure, we can fake it, for a time (hell, in one China province they bring in temporary workers to pollenate the peach trees because all the bees are dead). If wheat won't grow let them eat kale! But what happens when only bracken will grow. What happens when the very base of all life on this planet (waves to the legions of prokaryotes and simple eukaryotes that make higher life possible) goes belly-up? Sure, you can survive for a time on grass and bark soup, but you can't raise the next generation on it. The unequivocally true lesson of biology is this, once you run out of nests to soil, it's all gonna back up and choke you. Are we clever? Yes. But we've already cheated Maslow 3 times. It's becoming clearer we won't get a 4th reprieve. Now this world, life in general, sure it will go on. But it's far from certain that we will and the odds that humans will go extinct are no longer lottery long-shot chances. When I say, "We're boned" I'm making funny, but I'm not cracking a joke. There is no longer a chance to avoid "dramatic" changes in our world. There is only a chance to save our changed selves. (Grokked from Fran Wilde)

"The hardest decisions people have to make at the worst moments of their lives, and the pro-liars of the anti-choice movement are turning angels of bittersweet mercy into demons of death, at a risk of horrific violence and for cheap political gain." A tweet thread about difficult conversations and the value they add to people's lives. Letting someone you love go is a hard choice. But it's one you need to be prepared for. I've seen it for babies and the elderly, but the hardest are the kids in the middle. I met a patient and their Mom for an outpatient exam only to see them a month later in the ICU. That was hellahard. There was a moment between the Mom and I after I took the x-ray in the ICU. I can't even imagine all she was going through. That moment nearly broke me from just a little slice of it I experienced. To have the government interfere with, "You must…" gets an instant and unequivocal "Fuck off" from me. (Grokked from Seanan McGuire)

"One fifth of the representatives in the (Ohio State) House have signed on to a bill sponsored by Republican John Becker that would prohibit most insurance companies from offering coverage for abortion services." They already passed the "heart-beat" bill. This again is a demonstration that it's not about abortion, it's about rolling back the sexual revolution. It's about punishing women.

"60% of U.S. deaths from pregnancy-related complications were found to be preventable, the CDC announced Tuesday."

"The U.K. has gone more than five days without burning coal, the longest streak the country has managed without burning the fuel since the Industrial Revolution." (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)

"Nuclear power plants are so big, complicated and expensive to build that more are shutting down than opening up. An Oregon company, NuScale Power, wants to change that trend by building nuclear plants that are the opposite of existing ones: smaller, simpler and cheaper."

Meanwhile, in Ohio, "The legislation originally proposed charging residential ratepayers $2.50 on their monthly electric bill to support subsidies, most of which would go to nuclear plants… The revised language, proposed in a subcommittee, would charge ratepayers 50-cents for the first year, continue the energy efficiency costs until the end of 2020, then raise that rate to $2.50 in 2021." You know, after the next general election. Our "free market" conservatives are going to tax everyone in the state to keep nuclear power still running (in NE Ohio two of the most troublesome reactors, you might remember the hole discovered in the roof of one of them about a decade ago, are still producing power).

But then, in Ohio, "Business groups are blasting the House version of the budget for a change it makes to a controversial tax deduction – the one that allows many small businesses to take the first quarter million dollars of their income tax free… Tony Long at the Ohio Chamber of Commerce said the deduction was meant to equalize tax payments by different kinds of small businesses, but he thinks it’s also created jobs… 'I think there has been economic activity around that. It’s just hard to quantify,' Long said." Let me translate that last statement, bullshit, bullshit, and more bullshit.

"Iran will partially withdraw from a landmark nuclear deal signed with six other nations in 2015, amid heightened pressure from the United States in recent weeks… President Hassan Rouhani said in a televised speech Wednesday that Iran would reduce its "commitments" to the deal, but would not fully withdraw." Shocked, not shocked about this. Wheel Benjamin Netanyahu out again to make his boogyman speeches.

"Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an unannounced trip to Iraq on Tuesday after abruptly canceling a planned trip to Berlin amid escalating tensions with Iran."

"One student is dead and eight others injured after two of their classmates opened fire at a suburban Denver STEM school on Tuesday." I guess it's too early to talk about gun control, again.

"Denver voters on Tuesday appeared to reject a ballot initiative that would have effectively decriminalized the psychedelic substance in 'magic mushrooms' and made the city the first in the United States to take that step."

"Faking a protest would also mesh with (Jacob) Wohl’s previous attempts to gin up controversy: he submitted an alleged death threat to Minneapolis police in March, which was quickly discovered to have been made via a fake Twitter account he managed." What if we threw a protest and nobody showed up. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)

"Nearly four years after Sandra Bland was pulled over by a Texas state trooper, arrested and put in a jail cell where she was found dead days later, a cellphone video that Bland took of her traffic stop has surfaced."

Look, real voter fraud… oh wait, it's just the Republicans again. "A staffer of former Rep. Scott Taylor (R-VA) was indicted Monday on charges that she gave fake petition signatures to officials in an attempt to get a third-party candidate on the ballot. The goal was to pull votes away from Taylor’s Democratic opponent. Instead, it backfired, The Virginian-Pilot reported." (Grokked from Joy Reid)

"Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told The Associated Press the administration is finalizing regulations that will require drug companies to disclose list prices of medications costing more than $35 for a month’s supply." Expect it to be tucked in with the litany of side effects (like death). This looks like they're doing something, but they're not. It won't change a fucking thing because they'll also say, "you only have your copay" or something like that. Like, "only $10 with certain insurance plans."

"Falwell, president of Liberty University, one of the world’s largest Christian universities, said someone had come into possession of what Cohen described as racy 'personal' photographs — the sort that would typically be kept 'between husband and wife,' Cohen said in the taped conversation… According to a source familiar with Cohen’s thinking, the person who possessed the photos destroyed them after Cohen intervened on the Falwells’ behalf… The Falwells, through a lawyer, declined to comment for this article." Can't say I'm surprised. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)

"'You always wanted to show losses for tax purposes....almost all real estate developers did – and often re-negotiate with banks, it was sport,' Trump says in early morning tweets… The Times also said Trump apparently lost more money than any other individual taxpayer in the U.S., based on its analysis of data the IRS has compiled on people earning large incomes." Some people play basketball, some people play lacrosse, the president loses money for fun. Considering the president actually threaded his tweet response demonstrates that he didn't write it.

"The Trump administration says it is blocking former White House counsel Don McGahn from turning over documents requested by the House Judiciary Committee, escalating the standoff between the president and congressional Democrats." So transparent, nothing to hide. Dear Congress, make the president invoke Executive Privilege. So far with this, and with a lot of other testimony, it's only been, "the president may invoke privilege." Force him to make the decision. Because then you have an argument on if such information can be covered by Executive Privilege, which it might not be. But until he actually declares privilege it's all smoke and mirrors.

"Brian Rabbitt’s role reveals the carousel nature of the Russia probe, which has seen key players switching positions over the last two years."

So, reports are the Trump administration is claiming executive privilege over the full Mueller Report. Um, guys, you've already released it (in redacted form). IANAL, but IIRC that means that 1) the cat is out of the bag and 2) you can't claim privilege now, but 3) means this will go to court. This is why, when your lawyer advises you to "Take the 5th", they will tell you to answer any and every question with, "Under the advice of my lawyer, I am invoking my 5th Amendment Right…" Because, if you answer even an innocuous question, that can be the legal lever for them to say you've waived your 5th Amendment Rights.