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

Thursday, September 24, 2020

Linkee-poo Thursday Sept 24

"As planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, some have been driven to explore desperate measures. One proposal put forward by the California-based non-profit Arctic Ice Project appears as daring as it is bizarre: to scatter a thin layer of reflective glass powder over parts of the Arctic, in an effort to protect it from the Sun’s rays and help ice grow back." Geoengineering raises its hoary head once again.

"California plans to ban the sale of new gasoline-powered passenger cars and trucks starting in 2035 as the top U.S. auto market shifts to electric vehicles to reduce climate-warming emissions, Governor Gavin Newsom said on Wednesday."

The chickens coming home to roost… "A mini-moon is on track to enter Earth's orbit and come as close as 27,000 miles away… However, rather than some asteroid that will orbit around the Earth, it may actually just be some old space junk that made its way back to our planet… Dr. Paul Chodas, the director of NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies, believes that the object, named Asteroid 2020 SO, is an old booster rocket from the 1960s."

"Marine biologists are astonished after a Cuvier’s beaked whale held its breath for nearly four hours during a deep dive. The unexpected observation shows there’s much to learn about these medium-sized whales… Scientists from Duke University and the Cascadia Research Collective recorded the unbelievable dive during field observations off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, in 2017. In the first of two epic dives, the Cuvier beaked whale, wearing tag ZcTag066, stayed underwater for nearly three hours. A week later, the whale outdid itself, holding its breath for a bewildering three hours and 42 minutes." That'll do, whale. That'll do.

"Once a fixture at the administration's coronavirus briefings, Dr. Deborah Birx has confided to aides and friends that she has become so unhappy with what she sees as her diminished role as coordinator of the White House coronavirus task force that she is not certain how much longer she can serve in her position, sources familiar with her thinking tell CNN… Birx has told people around her that she is 'distressed' with the direction of the task force, describing the situation inside the nation's response to the coronavirus as nightmarish." Now tell us how bending your will to Trump worked out for you. Again, with an authoritarian, eventually everyone is on the outside.

"COVID-19 cases recorded in the dashboard show a relatively small degree of spread among staff and students. The study looked at data collected from more than 550 schools across 46 states over a two-week period starting Aug. 31, with more than 300 schools maintaining some level of in-person classes… Researchers found 0.23 percent of students had confirmed or suspected cases of the virus, while the rate among educators was 0.51 percent." Okay, run the study for the first 2 weeks in October, you know, after the incubation period elapses, and then tell me. Also note this study is of "reported cases", not antibody testing on the students, teachers and staff.

"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet decided on Thursday to tighten Israel's coronavirus lockdown after he said a surge in infections was pushing the nation to 'the edge of the abyss.'"

"In the video, which was shared on Twitter, the officer says: 'If you go down there, if you choose to, there is a grassy area along the north side of the road. Those people who want to come down today to exercise your second amendment rights or your first amendment rights…' The woman in the video interjects 'we're not protesters,' to which the officer replies: 'Fantastic.'" The correct response, officer, is, "Then you might want to go home."

"Shortly before a 9 p.m. ET countywide curfew, there were reports of gunfire near one of the marches. Two of the responding officers were shot and had non-life-threatening wounds, Interim Police Chief Robert Schroeder told reporters. A suspect was in custody, he added." What still strikes me is that if the officers were responding to the shot fired by the boyfriend, how is it he escaped unharmed? Why do these officers still have guns? I appreciate the chaos of the situation, but the officers were prepared (they were the ones coming through the door), the officers have training and need to re-certify every year (at least in Ohio they do), but they were unable to hit the person who fired at them in close quarters and with emptying their handgun's magazines. So tell me this story again how these are good cops, because it seems they're grossly incompetent.

"Four individuals, including the partner of one of the victims of the deadly Kenosha, Wisconsin, shootings, have filed a lawsuit against Facebook, the suspected gunman Kyle Rittenhouse and two leaders of online groups."

"Traditional door-to-door trick or treating should be avoided this Halloween, under new national guidelines. But even with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's latest advice, Americans are still rallying to safely bring the spooky season to life. People are discovering new, creative ways to celebrate the occasion during the pandemic." Hey NPR, how about interviewing people who can't buy their kid one costume, let alone three. And all the pouty, "I'm so put out" comments… okay parents, have you got a plan to explain to their children why people close to them are very sick or dying? I think that might stress you out a little more.

This one is mostly for the "how clueless can you be this far into the pandemic" pot. "So, what can you do to keep your child in the spirit of spookiness on Saturday, October 31, 2020? We have 12 alternatives that aimed at keeping you more entertained and less creeped out about COVID-19… 1. Trick or Treat in Reverse: This one might take the whole neighborhood pitching! The kids can still get dressed up in their costumes, but instead of them going door-to-door, they can hang out in the front yard as neighbors walk or drive by and deliver candy!… 2. Trick or Treat Drive By: A lot of parents already drive their kiddos to Halloween hotspots. This allows the family to get dressed up and ride over to visit friends and family by honking, texting or giving shoutout upon arrival. Then, deliver some treats or tricks in costume to your fave folks!" Can anyone point out the flaws in this plan? Anyone? Bueller?

"The Labor Department reported Thursday that initial jobless claims for the week ending Sept. 19 came in at 870,000. Economists polled by Dow Jones expected first-time claims at 850,000, down slightly from the previous week’s 860,000… 'Bottom line, we have a mix of people going back to work because they are now greater incentivized to do so without the extra $600 per week and those that are still challenged in finding a job that matches their skills in this unfortunate pandemic landscape,' said Peter Boockvar, chief investment officer at Bleakley Advisory Group. He was referring to the expiration this summer of the $600 a week in supplemental benefits paid to people who lost their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic… New York and Georgia saw the biggest week-over-week increases in initial claims, the department said. Claims in New York jumped by more than 9,000 last week and first-time filers in Georgia rose by more than 6,000." Bottom line, if you have investments with Bleakley Advisory Group, time to pull out and move your accounts. Because apparently their CIO doesn't know shit.

Meanwhile, on Bullshit Mountain… "The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment aid rose slightly last week to 870,000, a historically high figure that shows that the viral pandemic is still squeezing restaurants, airlines, hotels and many other businesses six months after it first erupted… The figure coincides with evidence that some newly laid-off Americans are facing delays in receiving unemployment benefits as state agencies intensify efforts to combat fraudulent applications and clear their pipelines of a backlog of jobless claims." Notice Fox doesn't who who those economists are who are saying the numbers are inflated (or what they're basing their claim on).

"U.K. Finance Minister Rishi Sunak has announced a new emergency package of measures to contain unemployment, replacing the country’s furlough scheme which is due to expire next month… The Job Support Scheme will directly top up the wages of employees working fewer hours due to suppressed business demand, enabling workers to keep their jobs on shorter hours rather than being made redundant. It will run for six months from November."

"The bookkeeper who handled their payroll allegedly embezzled their money and injected it into a notorious scheme used by crime bosses, terrorist financiers, and drug cartels. The participants laundered $10 billion of illicit money into nice clean cash… It all happened with the help of Deutsche Bank, Germany’s biggest financial institution and one of the biggest lenders to Donald Trump. But when the enormous scandal broke, Deutsche blamed it on a few middle-level staffers in its Moscow office, paid a fine, and got back to business… The FinCEN Files investigation reveals that Deutsche managers, including top executives, had direct knowledge for years of serious failings that left the bank vulnerable to money launderers. Documents show two warnings sent to committees that included Paul Achleitner, Deutsche’s chair, and one sent to the bank's supervisory board."

"The US Senate failed to agree on language for a resolution honoring the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a sign of how divided the chamber is over the Supreme Court vacancy… Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer tried to pass a resolution by unanimous consent Tuesday to commemorate the liberal icon's life and legacy, but with language that Ginsburg's seat not be filled until the next president is sworn in." The battle of the quotes.

"Before President Donald Trump has even announced his Supreme Court pick, conservatives are fighting to make the conservative Christian views of one of the leading contenders, 7th Circuit Judge Amy Coney Barrett, off-limits in any potential confirmation hearing… Some critics of Barrett are invoking 'The Handmaid’s Tale,' a dystopian feminist novel in which conservative Christians have stripped away women’s rights, as a symbol of their fear that her conservative religious beliefs could reshape American society. Supporters are raising claims of anti-Catholic bigotry, both in response to the critics and in anticipation what they say would be the onslaught to come if Barrett were nominated." Anti-Catholic bias… sure, sure. Say, tell me how many SCOTUS justices are Catholic? There are four. Five counting Gorsuch was raised Catholic, but now attends the Episcopalian Church.

Putting away childish things, a Stonkettle post.

"Local elections used to be a low-key affair in Blue Hill, Maine. So residents of the small town were shocked, in 2010, when a candidate for the Maine State Senate was targeted by a flood of negative ads… We trace the money back to a Republican strategist named Chris Jankowski who hatched a scheme to reshape national politics for a bargain. The strategy was called the Redistricting Majority Project, or 'REDMAP.'" The Planet Money podcast on the project that reshaped congressional districting and gave the GOP a majority control in many state houses even as they lost the overall vote.

"Voters in a number of swing states this November will have more leeway in getting their mail ballots back in time to count, should rule changes announced in the past week hold up to legal challenges. But the changes could delay the reporting of election results and possibly set up court fights down the line."

"With less than six weeks to go before Election Day, and with over 250 COVID-related election lawsuits filed across 45 states, the litigation strategy of the Trump campaign and its allies has become clear: try to block the expansion of mail-in balloting whenever possible and, in a few key states, create enough chaos in the system and legal and political uncertainty in the results that the Supreme Court, Congress, or Republican legislatures can throw the election to Trump if the outcome is at all close or in doubt. It’s a Hail Mary, but in a close enough election, we cannot count the possibility out. I’ve never been more worried about American democracy than I am right now."

"President Donald Trump on Wednesday would not commit to providing a peaceful transition of power after Election Day, lending further fuel to concerns he may not relinquish his office should he lose in November… 'Well, we're going to have to see what happens," Trump said when asked whether he'd commit to a peaceful transition, one of the cornerstones of American democracy.' Trump has no respect for America, it's traditions, and the political process.

"Now the Trump campaign is said to be considering another, even more outrageous approach: In a thorough and deeply disconcerting piece about the constitutional crisis that may await us between November 3 and the inauguration in January, the Atlantic’s Barton Gellman reports that the Trump campaign has been discussing 'contingency plans to bypass the election results and appoint local electors in battleground states where Republicans hold the legislative majority.' Citing the president’s baseless claims of fraud, Team Trump could ask GOP-controlled state governments to choose electors, completely ignoring an unfavorable or uncertain popular vote, state and national Republican sources told Gellman."

"Donald Trump will face Joe Biden within days for the first of three presidential debates, and some of the president’s supporters are already bracing for a humiliating loss… White House allies, Republican donors and some of Trump’s closest advisers worry that a recent, frenzied push by his top lieutenants to portray Biden as a seasoned debater — with the goal of raising expectations for the Democratic presidential nominee — is too late and too disingenuous to have an impact when the two meet on the debate stage next Tuesday." And Sean Spicer finally tells the truth, the outcome of the debate won't move the numbers much.

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