Way too much to read today before noon, and too much to hold off until tomorrow.
"So, for various reasons, I'm rereading the HISTORY OF MIDDLE-EARTH books about the writing of Lord of the Rings. They're fascinating (for certain values of fascinating); what I'm going to do this time try to extract writing advice (thread)." Tolkien was a panster, and he left notes.
"Scientists have found evidence that frozen methane deposits in the Arctic Ocean – known as the 'sleeping giants of the carbon cycle' – have started to be released over a large area of the continental slope off the East Siberian coast, the Guardian can reveal." We're boned.
"After your team wins the World Series, it's only natural to run onto the field to celebrate with your teammates… But when you've been diagnosed with COVID-19 — and gotten a warning from security to leave the field — that natural instinct can lead to a 'full investigation' by Major League Baseball." Don't be that guy.
What could the holidays bring this year? Funny you ask… "Experts say there are a variety of factors contributing to Canada's recent surge in record breaking COVID-19 cases including Thanksgiving celebrations, fewer restrictions and increased testing capacity."
"A member of Congress, who has led efforts to investigate alleged coronavirus scams, is calling for the federal government to crack down on an unproven treatment for COVID-19. Widespread sales of that purported treatment - a drug known as thymosin alpha-1 - were first identified by an NPR investigation earlier this month. More than 30 doctors in more than a dozen states around the country have marketed the drug as a treatment for the coronavirus, despite the fact that it has never been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for any condition and such claims are, in the words of the FDA, 'not supported by competent and reliable scientific evidence.'"
COVID brain… "People recovering from COVID-19 may suffer significant brain function impacts, with the worst cases of the infection linked to mental decline equivalent to the brain ageing by 10 years, researchers warned on Tuesday."
"In fact, a USA TODAY investigation last winter into Reagan National had found no evidence of students or faculty at the college at all, even though the institution was approved to operate by an accrediting agency sanctioned by U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos."
"After years of feuding and lawsuits, the utility Entergy Arkansas Inc. had agreed to shut down two coal plants over the next decade. Weeks later, the Arkansas Attorney General and a local coalition called the Arkansas Affordable Energy Coalition intervened, asking a judge to stop the settlement. They argued that other fuel sources would be more expensive and less reliable… But emails obtained through public records requests show the coalition represents more than just coal, gas and steel businesses in Arkansas. In fact, it was created by a nonprofit — the Energy Policy Network — whose largest financial contributor most years is the state of Wyoming, home to the coal mines that feed the two Arkansas plants slated for shut down." Your tax dollars at work.
"Sixty-three percent of workers who lost jobs because of the outbreak have changed their industry and 4% have changed their field or overall career path, according to a Harris Poll survey for USA TODAY." One of those. I haven't mentioned it here, but now seems a good time. Back in April I went part time at the graphic design job and full time at the hospital. And while this article is all "rah rah, aren't we better now?" Nope. Those computer programers, ask people who have been in the field a long time, your skills degrade fast in the marketplace. For medical, you wouldn't believe the amount of continuous training we have to do. Also this… "That downturn (2007-2009), triggered by a housing crash…" No it wasn't. It was triggered by over speculation in the housing market which created a corrupt system that churned mortgages for profit (the fees generated by the loans) by suckering in people desperate for housing and left everyone else holding the bag on bad loans while demolishing those people's credit.
And then… "It’s been more than seven months since the coronavirus pandemic hit, leading to sweeping shelter in place orders in March that put millions of Americans out of work. While some of those laid off due to shutdowns have been able to return to their jobs, permanent unemployment has increased."
"US immigration officers allegedly tortured Cameroonian asylum seekers to force them to sign their own deportation orders, in what lawyers and activists describe as a brutal scramble to fly African migrants out of the country in the run-up to the elections." Abolish ICE.
"On its surface, economic growth data out this week will look like one for the record books. But dig in, and the picture is not as bright… The Commerce Department is expected to report on Thursday record-setting growth in gross domestic product during the most recent quarter, reflecting pent-up demand as businesses reopened and consumers streamed back into the marketplace."
"A total of 70,032,485 early votes had been cast as of Tuesday, according to the United States Elections Project. When President Donald Trump won the election of 2016, the estimated total number of votes cast was 138,846,571. Early votes cast in the current election show Democrats with a substantial lead over Republicans in mail-in votes, while GOP voters have a modest edge in early in-person voting."
"'We couldn't stand it anymore': why disaffection with Devin Nunes is growing among his constituents."
"President Donald Trump has had more than $270 million in debt forgiven since 2010 after he failed to repay his lenders for a Chicago skyscraper development, The New York Times reported Tuesday… An analysis of his tax records by the Times shows that after the Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago encountered financial problems, big banks and hedge funds cut Trump considerable slack, granting him years of additional time to repay his debts, much of which was ultimately forgiven."
"Miles Taylor, the former chief of staff at the Department of Homeland Security, has revealed himself to be 'Anonymous,' the author of a New York Times op-ed and book critical of the Trump presidency."
"Now, lessons learned about the Russian attack on the 2016 presidential election have brought the most intense focus ever on the U.S. information environment, elections practices, voter databases and other parts of the infrastructure of democracy… With seven days to run until the end of voting in this year's election, here's what you need to know." Just a reminder that the most successful computer hacks don't involve a computer at all, but rely on psychological tricks played on humans. Waves to my Russian friends.
"While the Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett on Monday night, Justice Brett Kavanaugh handed down a startling opinion that laid out how the Supreme Court could steal the election for Donald Trump. Kavanaugh’s opinion was an assault on the integrity of America’s upcoming election; it was also extraordinarily sloppy, riddled with errors that would make even a traffic court judge blush. It’s worth highlighting these mistakes, not just to set the record straight but also to show how Kavanaugh uses falsehoods to twist the law against voting rights."A What happens when you appoint partisan hacks and people deemed "no qualified" to the bench.
Meet the new swamp, same as the old swamp. "Ballrooms, candles and luxury cottages: During Trump’s term, millions of government and GOP dollars have flowed to his properties." Drained right into the president's personal accounts.
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