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

Wednesday, August 17, 2022

Linkee-poo Wednesday Aug 17

Sorry, lots of disruptions of the day trying to hustle. Until next Tuesday I'm working freelance in the mornings and at the hospital at night. So probably no new postings until next Tuesday.

The Apex Publications kickstarter campaign.

Also the Zombies Need Brains kickstarter.

And I believe I pointed to this one earlier, the Uncanny Magazine kickstarter.

"Author Jamil Jan Kochai searched for more than a decade for Susan Lung — the second-grade teacher who had changed his life over 20 years earlier. And on Saturday night, in one of those 'life is better than fiction' twists, the two were finally reunited at one of his book-reading events."

"States in the Colorado River Basin have failed to meet a federal deadline to conserve an unprecedented amount of water. The lack of consensus on how to wean off the river’s dwindling supply puts the water source for 40 million in the Southwest in jeopardy… In June, federal officials said the seven Western states that rely on the river needed to cut their water use by a tremendous amount — 2 to 4 million acre-feet — and they threatened to take action if the states couldn’t agree. Bureau of Reclamation commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton gave the states 60 days to commit to new conservation measures."

"Europe's hot, dry summer means that the water level on the Rhine, Western Europe's most important waterway, is at a record low, making it too shallow for many ships to pass — a problem for a country that depends on the river for 80% of its water freight. Millions of tons of commodities are moved through the Rhine and shipping disruptions are certain to further impact Germany's economy, already reeling from global supply chain disruptions and record high energy costs stemming from Russia's invasion of Ukraine."

So far, this ecology study has released around 108 pounds of the gas, which has about the same impact as burning more than a million pounds of coal… That may not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of global emissions, but government scientists working at federal parks and forests have objected to using this gas on public lands — especially since this major study is designed to go on for 30 years and alternative gasses are available… This kerfuffle has so far played out quietly within government agencies. But it comes at a time when all kinds of researchers are thinking about the climate effects of past practices, with some saying that scientists who understand the urgency of the climate crisis have a special obligation to set an example to the public by reducing the greenhouse gas emissions of their own work."

"The Americas were declared polio-free in 199… But now there's a new case that indicates community transmission in the United States for the first time since 1979: An unvaccinated young adult in Rockland County, N.Y., contracted the highly contagious virus and was paralyzed as a result."

"CDC Director Rochelle Walensky is reorganizing the agency, saying it didn’t react quickly enough during the Covid pandemic, according an internal review of the agency’s operations released on Wednesday."

"Medicare doesn't cover hearing aids; neither do most insurance policies. That's why advocates are welcoming a new federal rule allowing over-the-counter sales of the devices, hoping the move cuts prices and makes it easier for people with hearing loss to improve their lives…By mid-October, consumers could see over-the-counter devices in drug stores that are far more affordable than prescription aids that routinely cost thousands of dollars, thanks to the rule the Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday."

"Boston Children’s Hospital has become the target of a harassment campaign based on inaccurate information about its transgender surgery program. Hospital staff say the campaign includes aggressive calls, emails and death threats for some providers."

"Rising costs and falling confidence in the U.S. economy are fast becoming a toxic cocktail for the housing market. As a result, a growing number of buyers are backing out of deals they’ve made with homebuilders and sellers of existing homes." Hello bubble busting.

"This week’s podcast extra is about podcasts, but this story has its roots in the early days of rock 'n' roll. Alan Freed was a celebrity DJ on WINS in New York, famous for helping popularize the nascent genre through the 1950s. But, unbeknownst to his listeners, record promoters were secretly bribing Freed and other popular disc jockeys across the country for extra air time for their artists — in a rampant practice known as 'payola,' which eventually caught the eye of regulators… According to Bloomberg reporter Ashley Carman, a similar culture of pay-to-play is taking hold in the world of podcasting. Her latest piece is titled, 'Podcast Guests Are Paying Up to $50,000 to Appear on Popular Shows.'"

"Now, the Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden signed Tuesday extends a tax credit for wind energy production through 2025. That's a welcome move for the wind energy industry because since the 1990s, extending that tax credit has only been temporary leading to major ramp-ups in production followed by abrupt halts. Industry leaders now feel like they can plan long-term."

"But what’s odd is that this district — the one about to make Pennsylvania history — is hardly in a deep red stronghold. In fact, it’s about an hour outside Philadelphia, in an area that’s relatively diverse… The Central Bucks School District is Pennsylvania’s third-largest — located in a bucolic swath of suburbia. It is certainly not the first place you’d look for an anti-LGBTQ backlash. And yet, that’s exactly where you’ll find it." That's because book banning is about white supremacy. and you can find that in abundance in suburbia. And white supremacy, and white grievance, is at the heart of the modern conservative movement.

"An old threat has returned to classrooms across the country — and it’s made of pages and ink. On this week’s On the Media, hear what it means to ban a book, and who has the right to choose what kids learn. Plus, meet the student who took his school board all the way to the Supreme Court in the 80s."

"'The trial court found, based on the non-adversarial presentation below, that appellant (the teen) had not established by clear and convincing evidence that she was sufficiently mature to decide whether to terminate her pregnancy,' said the ruling, fully shared by Judges Harvey Jay and Rachel Nordby and partially joined by Judge Scott Makar. 'Having reviewed the record, we affirm the trial court’s decision under the deferential standard of appellate review set out (in the consent law).'" Mature enough to become pregnant, and mature enough to raise a child, but not mature enough to make a decision to have an abortion. Adult people on an appeals court came to this conclusion.

"A Florida prosecutor is suing Gov. Ron DeSantis for removing him from office… The state attorney from Tampa, Andrew Warren, was ousted earlier this month by DeSantis. The Republican governor said he acted because of statements Warren had signed pledging not to prosecute people for violating abortion restrictions or a law prohibiting gender-affirming care for minors."

"In June of this year, seven weeks before the FBI raided former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in search of classified materials, former Defense Department appointee and outspoken Trump loyalist Kash Patel vowed to retrieve classified documents from the National Archives and publish them on his website… Trump had just issued a letter instructing the National Archives to grant Patel and conservative journalist John Solomon access to nonpublic administration records, according to reporting at the time." This is hilarious. Including this part… "'I know what's there' in the Archives, said Patel. 'I can't still talk about them, but the whole process is going to be: Identify the documents, whether it's Russiagate, Hunter Biden, impeachment, Jan 6th -- and put them out.'" If, as he claims, Trump declassified these documents, and that's their rational for "getting them out there", why the fuck can't he talk about them? He can't talk about them because they're not declassified, and he knows if he does, he will be prosecuted. This is about generating smoke where there is no fire.

"Even if Trump tells you, most of the time he's about as coherent as a rat trapped in a hot box and his story changes from minute to minute as his feverish brain scampers madly about trying one excuse after another until he fastens onto a narrative that works for his fanatical dogmatic supporters." Jim Wright on the Trump documents.

"Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., is calling for the Espionage Act to be repealed amid a federal investigation into the possible mishandling of government records and classified documents that were found at former President Donald Trump's Florida home… 'The espionage act was abused from the beginning to jail dissenters of WWI. It is long past time to repeal this egregious affront to the 1st Amendment,' Paul wrote." What a tool.

"Former president Donald Trump is trying to bury the January 6th committee’s findings, but his old allies aren’t helping. Meanwhile, we take a look at the governor of Florida’s polarizing press strategy, and why reporters think presidential hopefuls are no longer returning their calls."

"Rudy Giuliani, who was told by Atlanta prosecutors that he is a target in their probe of former President Donald Trump's 2020 election subversion schemes in Georgia, appeared behind closed doors for grand jury testimony in the investigation Wednesday."

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