I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
And so the days float through my eyes
But still the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They're quite aware of what they're goin' through

Friday, June 26, 2020

Linkee-poo Friday

Jason Sandford wraps up several of the ongoing revelations (harassment) and happenings in the SF/F world that have been roiling in the social media. There are several times I left a conversation/meeting wondering if how I was acting, or a joke I said, was within bounds. And I worry about it. And then I read the actions of these guys and think, "At least I didn't do THAT."

"Dust lofted into the air by a few dust storms across Africa has made the 5,000-mile journey across the Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, and now on Thursday into the United States."

"'The Big Bang Theory' actor Mayim Bialik is teaming with DC Entertainment on a project that joins superhero power to the power of science." Unfortunately you have to get to the last sentence before they actually say that Ms. Bialik is a neuroscientist. And while they don't say it in the article, it's actually Dr. Bialik.

"Three research institutions in Seattle have joined forces to study how Alzheimer's disease takes root in the brain… The consortium will create a new research center at the Allen Institute for Brain Science to study tissue from brains donated by people who died with Alzheimer's."

"The studies were published this month on the preprint server bioRxiv, and have not yet been peer-reviewed. But taken together, they give scientists a good look at what some say is an underappreciated risk of CRISPR–Cas9 editing. Previous experiments have revealed that the tool can make ‘off target’ gene mutations far from the target site, but the nearby changes identified in the latest studies can be missed by standard assessment methods." Yes, when you hear about how "precise" our DNA editing tools are, understand this is a qualitative statement comparing previous methods with the new.

"With numbers spiking across Southern states, the United States set a daily record for new COVID-19 cases Thursday in a return to figures not seen since late April."

Today in Capt. Obvious revelations… "With infection numbers rising in more than 30 states, the US set a daily record for new coronavirus cases. And federal health officials warned that the number of people who've been infected is vastly undercounted."

"Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Friday that he will roll back some of the state’s reopening as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to rise." Closing the barn doors after all the horses have gotten out.

"The NFL has canceled the Hall of Fame game that traditionally opens the preseason and is delaying the 2020 induction ceremonies for a year because of the coronavirus pandemic." As someone who went to high school in Canton and marched in 4 HoF parades (in a wool uniform, this was before lighter uniforms because acceptable), let me say holy shit.

"Former Vice President Joe Biden said in a Thursday television interview he would require wearing face masks in public to prevent the spread of the coronavirus… Asked by Pittsburgh CBS affiliate KDKA what he would do to help halt the surge in coronavirus cases, Biden said he would 'go back to making sure that everyone had masks.'"

Hello fellow kids. "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is considering tapping social media platform TikTok to encourage more young Americans to practice public health precautions as coronavirus cases surge among younger people, officials said Thursday." Gots ta reach the youth so we're going to the Tik-Tok.

"Spikes in coronavirus cases abroad should act as a warning to Britons who flout social distancing rules, Boris Johnson has said… The PM said crowded scenes on Bournemouth beach on Thursday suggested people needed to understand that too much mingling could set the UK back."

"In a filing with the U.S. Supreme Court, the Trump administration has reaffirmed its position that the Affordable Care Act in its entirety is illegal because Congress eliminated the individual tax penalty for failing to purchase medical insurance." Yes, they are still trying to take your healthcare protections away. No, they don't have a replacement.

"Short-term health plans routinely refuse to pay the costs of treating beneficiaries, but have seen a surge in enrollment as a result of Trump administration policies, according to a new report released Thursday from House Democrats." Next up, water is wet.

"The outcry has reverberated for weeks online and at demonstrations nationwide: Arrest the cops who killed Breonna Taylor."

"Police in America’s biggest cities are failing to meet even the most basic international human rights standards governing the use of lethal force, a new study from the University of Chicago has found… Researchers in the university’s law school put the lethal use-of-force policies of police in the 20 largest US cities under the microscope. They found not a single police department was operating under guidelines that are compliant with the minimum standards laid out under international human rights laws."

"City Hall officials announced Wednesday that the 'Black Lives Matter' rallying cry would be painted in bold letters on the street in front of the president's midtown skyscraper." Unfortunately Trump has already declared he's moving to Florida.

"Declaring 'the noose was real,' NASCAR officials on Thursday released a photo of the rope found in the garage stall of Black driver Bubba Wallace that prompted a federal investigation that determined it had been there since last October."

"The Federal Reserve and four other regulatory agencies announced on Thursday that they have finalized a rule that will ease restrictions curtailing the ability of banks to make investments in such areas as hedge funds." 2008 was more than a decade ago. We can't be expected to remember that far back.

"For those managing to hang onto a job right now, there are threads of hope as financial services giant Fidelity points out that employers look largely dedicated to those vital 401(k) matches. A survey of 302 attendees representing companies whose plans are managed by Fidelity found that 82% aren’t considering any match reduction or suspension to plans. Fidelity manages 29% of the nation’s 401(k) or 403b plans." Yeah, the hospital has rolled back matching for "the foreseeable future."

"U.S. consumer spending rebounded by the most on record in May, but the gains are not likely to be sustainable, with income dropping and expected to decline further as millions lose their unemployment checks starting next month."

"Kosovan President Hashim Thaci has been indicted for war crimes allegedly committed during the Kosovo conflict in the late 1990s, leading him to cancel a planned trip to the White House this weekend for talks with Serbian leaders."

"The Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation on Thursday to expand the authority of the Justice Department inspector general over opposition from Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and the Department of Justice (DOJ)… The committee voted 21-1 on the legislation, which would give the DOJ watchdog the authority to investigate attorneys within the department. Graham was the only senator to vote against the measure."

"The Trump administration on Thursday moved forward with a policy ordering public schools across the U.S. to share coronavirus relief funding with private schools at a higher rate than federal law typically requires." Because why wouldn't they.

"Noting that Bolton, a former US ambassador to the UN, is an 'international negotiator,' Colbert said: 'How could you be naive? You've dealt with the worst people in the world.'… 'You've really insulted me now by calling me naive,' Bolton said." Because John Bolton is historically very bad at everything he does. He thought he could use Trump. But Bolton is not very good at getting things done. All he has is his hate.

"The incident is far from the only time the Trump campaign’s outreach and White House’s policies have clashed. Trump has advanced policies, gone off script in interviews or lashed out on Twitter in ways that contradict his own campaign’s attempts to slice into the Democrats’ advantages with African Americans, Asian Americans and Hispanics." And this is apparently surprising. The problem isn't "coordination", the problem is the president.

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