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

Tuesday, April 13, 2021

Linkee-poo Tuesday April 13

"Some 100,000 years ago, an extended family of 36 Neanderthals walked along a beach, with the kids jumping and frolicking in the sand, scientists report after analyzing the beachgoers' fossilized footprints in what is now southern Spain."

"Japan has announced it will release more than 1m tonnes of contaminated water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, a decision that has angered neighbouring countries, including China, and local fishers." Don't tell me nuclear power plants have zero emissions.

"No classes will be held for the next two days at a school in Knoxville after a student was killed and a police officer injured during an encounter at the high school… The gunman died at the scene, according to Rausch. He was identified as a student at the school but his name has not been released." No, the student died at the scene. And you know what, the officers should have retreated instead of returning fire. The person was in a bathroom. Where were they going to go?

"The three vaccines authorized for use against COVID-19 in the United States appear to be at least 94% effective at preventing severe disease and death (starting about two weeks after a person is fully vaccinated), according to data reported so far, and about 80% effective at preventing infection. But that's not 100%, Omer notes, so a relatively small number of infections despite immunization with these very effective vaccines is to be expected." Which is why you want as many people inoculated as possible.

"People infected with the U.K. variant of the coronavirus didn't experience more severe symptoms and weren't more likely to die from this particular strain, according to a new study of hospitalized patients published Monday."

"The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday they are recommending a 'pause' in the use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine out of an 'abundance of caution' while an investigation is conducted into reports of apparently rare, potentially dangerous blood clots."

"As reported by Deadline, parent company Decurion has announced that none of the Arclight and Pacific (Theater) locations around the country will be reopening, with the company putting out a statement that says, in part, that it 'does not have a viable way forward.'"

"Prices for some of your favorite things are going up. The big question is how long the price hikes will last… Consumer prices rose 0.6% in March, according to the Labor Department — the sharpest increase in nearly nine years. Over the last 12 months, the department's consumer price index has risen 2.6%. Excluding volatile food and energy prices, inflation was 0.3% in March and 1.6% over the last year." Prices hardly ever go down (in real terms) on the consumer end. Sure individual pieces may go down, but it's very rare for overall costs to decline (so you may pay less for chicken this week, but something else you buy will offset that decrease).

"An Egyptian court allowed the ship that blocked the Suez Canal last month to be seized after a request from the waterway’s operator, which is demanding $900 million in compensation, according to local media… A court in the city of Ismailia granted the request regarding the Ever Given vessel at the behest of the Suez Canal Authority, state-run Ahram Gate reported on its website. The report did not say who the SCA wants compensation from." I'm not a lawyer, and I'm definitely no expert on "Rules of the Sea", but I think the fact that they had to have a pilot (employee of the Suez Canal Authority) on board to direct the ship may mitigate their liability.

"The feds were closing in. And Rep. Matt Gaetz’s friend, Joel Greenberg, was in a panic… The Florida county tax collector was five days away from a federal indictment for sex trafficking involving a 17-year-old — the same one Gaetz is now being investigated over — so Greenberg reached out to mutual friends on Aug. 14 last year and tried to enlist them in his defense, according to a WhatsApp chat shared with federal investigators and obtained by POLITICO." And I laughed out loud at this part… "'I know Joel and Matt paid some of their bills, rent, tuition, things like that,' the friend said. 'This is a thing that happens when you’re successful and you have these relationships: "Are we not supposed to help these women who mean something to us and that we care about?" Is that prostitution? Maybe if you’re a Puritan.'" I mean, they're successful people :: checks notes :: paying the bills for underaged women in exchange for sex. It's nothing bad like prostitution, I mean, none of these people were in bad parts of town walking or trolling the streets or anything like that. The denialism, exceptionalism, entitlement, and the "but we're good people" thinking wrapped up in that is just hilarious.And the absolute funniest part of this is I think all these people sincerely believe in that reasoning. I hope this falls on all of them like a tanker ship full of anvils.

"A growing number of working-class voters were drawn to Donald Trump's Republican Party, and now top Republicans are searching for ways to keep those voters in the fold without Trump on the ballot." A swing and a miss.

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