Damnit, I think blogger hosed me again. Sorry for the lost links.
"We might not know exactly what happened on this battlefield in Denmark, 2,000 years ago. But one thing is certain: It was violent… In a new study, archaeologists present their collective findings for one of the most spectacular archaeological excavations on Danish soil at Alken Enge wetland, and it makes for horrific reading." (Grokked from Warren Ellis)
"A Roscoe 9-year-old is still in critical condition after he was accidentally shot by someone trying to kill a rattlesnake in Fisher County Saturday… Covington was staying with a friend when the incident occurred. Family members say the adult responsible thought the gun was unloaded." Were they trying to use the gun as a hammer? How else could you kill a snake with an unloaded gun? Repeat after me, always treat a gun as if it were loaded. (Grokked from Cherie Priest)
"Tick paralysis is caused by female ticks on the verge of laying eggs. After the tick eats a blood meal and is engorged, it secretes a neurotoxin into the host, according to the American Lyme disease Foundation." It's tick season, folks.
"ECGs use electrodes to measure the electrical activity of the heart and can identify irregular rhythms. Despite years of recommendations against routine ECGs, data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics indicate the test is done as part of about 4 percent of routine exams. In 2015, the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey found that about 40 million ECGs were performed in doctors' offices." Everybody is different, some "abnormal" rhythms are in fact normal (they just don't conform to the median). Same thing with CT and X-Ray. We aren't perfect specimens (okay, you are but the rest of us aren't). Lots of things that "look bad" are actually perfectly normal (some are benign, some should require monitoring).
"The Andover man’s emergency call put the district’s new heart attack protocol to the test that day. Rather than stopping at UH Geneva for transfer to a Cleveland hospital — and risk traffic delays and massive cardiac damage — they were instead headed straight to University Hospitals Geauga Medical Center, which had gained special privilege to treat heart attack patients." Beams with pride.
"A long time ago, obesity was often used as a shorthand for wealth, but over the decades obesity has become more and more correlated with poverty, both in culture and science (while wealth is increasingly correlated with being slim)… The trend is accelerating." Cheap calories y'all. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
"Tipped workers in the city currently receive a base wage of just $3.33 an hour… Initiative 77 would raise those workers’ minimum wage gradually, so that it matches the city’s minimum wage by 2026… Bartenders and servers who spoke to ThinkProgress said they support the ballot measure because they want to have a more consistent income and feel less susceptible to putting up with harassment. But there’s a lot of misinformation out there." But they spoke only on the condition on anonymity because they feared retaliation. (Grokked from Lisa Morton)
"Despite any tariffs, Canada remains the second-biggest foreign market for U.S. dairy products — it bought $792 million in U.S. cheese, milk protein isolates, butter, whey and other milk derivatives last year, according to the U.S. Dairy Export Council… Canada exported much less — $149 million — to the U.S., according to the Canadian government… For those keeping score… that’s roughly a 5:1 trade imbalance in favor of the U.S." Damn facts getting in the way again.
"While waiting at a resort in Singapore for his historic meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, President Trump tweeted that Larry Kudlow, his chief economic adviser, has suffered a heart attack back in the U.S." Good thing he has government sponsored healthcare. Moral of the story, don't fuck with Trudeau. Yeah, sometimes I link to things just because I have a smartassed remark.
The movie Trump played for Kim.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Tuesday, June 12, 2018
Linkee-poo when the lion lays down with the lamb
"This is the livestream page of the Tribute to Ursula K. Le Guin event on June 13 at 7:30 p.m. PDT. The event will feature tributes from writers and friends who represent the wide-ranging influence Le Guin has had on international literature for more than 50 years, including Margaret Atwood (by video), Molly Gloss, Walidah Imarisha, Jonathan Lethem, Kelly Link, China Miéville, Daniel José Older, and others." (Grokked from Neil Gaiman)
"In Coimbra, a colony of Common pipistrelle bats makes their home behind the bookshelves of the university’s Joanina Library, emerging at nightfall to consume flies and gnats and other pests before swooping out the library windows and across the hilltop college town in search of water…" (Grokked from Vincent O'Connor)
"Researchers collected the surviving ancient dust from Earth’s upper atmosphere, where it was likely deposited from comets. As comets pass near the sun, they release dust that can reach Earth's orbit and settle through the atmosphere, where it can be collected and later studied with electron microscopes." JFC, hasn't anyone seen Andromeda Strain? Surely it's on Netflix by now.
"Agricultural data from 38,700 farms plus details of processing and retailing in 119 countries show wide differences in environmental impacts — from greenhouse gas emissions to water used — even between producers of the same product, says environmental scientist Joseph Poore of the University of Oxford. The amount of climate-warming gases released in the making of a pint of beer, for example, can more than double under high-impact production scenarios. For dairy and beef cattle combined, high-impact providers released about 12 times as many greenhouse gases as low-impact producers, Poore and colleague Thomas Nemecek report in the June 1 Science."
"But microwave light has also raised an intriguing mystery closer to home. In 1996 astronomers noticed an inexplicable excess of microwaves emanating from our own galaxy. For over 20 years, this so-called anomalous microwave emission has remained an enigma—until today. A new study published in Nature Astronomy suggests spinning nano-diamonds might be the culprit." The universe is stranger than you suspect.
Some perspective on the rich. "Here’s another way to look at the staggering amount of money Jeff Bezos has made so far in 2018. Amazon has an estimated total 566,000 employees worldwide. If the company CEO decided to pass along his $40 billion in increased net worth in 2018 to his workers, each of them would get about $70,000—which is more than twice the median Amazon employee’s salary." The median (note, median, not average) was $28,446. Now, much of that increase was stock valuation, but also remember that of his employees, Mr. Bezos benefitted the most from the tax cuts. (Grokked from Cherie Priest)
How's Brexit going? "Analysts and political pundits will be watching this week’s developments closely — as will Brussels, which has become increasingly frustrated at the infighting and indecision over what Brexit actually means and what it should look like. Just last week, there was a period of a few hours where it appeared as though the U.K.’s Brexit secretary, David Davis, was on the verge of resigning." About as well as expected.
"Cissna said his agency is hiring several dozen lawyers and immigration officers to review cases of suspected fraud. 'We finally have a process in place to get to the bottom of all these bad cases and start denaturalizing people who should not have been naturalized in the first place,' Cissna said. 'What we’re looking at, when you boil it all down, is potentially a few thousand cases.'" Tell me again about how this isn't racism, cause I keep forgetting. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"According to leaked emails obtained by reporter James LaPorta, veteran Erik Sailors is using his military experience to train his Texas chapter of the white nationalist Patriot Front group in military combat." This may sound alarming, but white nationalist groups have veterans sprinkled throughout. The difference would be to know what Sailors' actual Marine training is and if that's a cause for concern. Now if it had been Green Berets doing the training, that would be more worrisome. One of the main reasons most separatist causes are doomed to failure is their inability to standardize and perform as a group. But from this story this sounds about at the level if they all had purchased a "military" style aerobic exercise tape to work out to. However it does point to an increasing sophistication. (Grokked from Jim Wright)
"A senior White House aide is deliberately feeding inaccurate stories to White House staffers in an effort to weed out those who are speaking to reporters, according to a New York Times report on Sunday." Well, really, that's one method when the traditional triangulation of who knew what when doesn't pan out. Oh, and one reason triangulation doesn't work is when there are multiple leakers. (Grokked from Fred Clark)
"Domino’s Pizza… is filling in potholes in towns across the U.S. with a new 'Paving for Pizza' initiative. The American pizza chain announced on Monday that it will help 'smooth the ride home' for deliveries by making pothole repairs in towns nominated by their customers." As a former elected official tasked with finding the money to fix roads I both applaud this and am horrified and shrieking mad about it. I cheer it from the standpoint of "hey, I don't have to find the money". And horrified and mad because 1) cold patch and tar snakes are literally the cheapest thing to do (compared to repaving or worse, rebuilding a road it's extremely cheap), 2) sometimes cold patch and tar are not the repairs needed, 3) that no fucking way to prioritize vital infrastructure repair (again, money may be better spend elsewhere while waiting to repave the road instead) and 4) please don't make me thankful and in debt to Dominos. I know everybody thinks it's "just throw some asphalt down", but if the repair is done shoddily, it can damage a road even more than leaving the open hole. Also, vital information doesn't get back to the road supervisor (including state of underpayment and foundations, testing to see if the rest of the asphalt is about to go, run off issues…). (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
"Former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the U.S. economy could face serious problems in the next two years." Again, I'm not sure it's going to wait 2 years. But then there's also the phrase, "Economists have predicted the last 7 of 3 recessions." (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Joint defense agreements can also let people being investigated keep tabs on whether or not their allies have started cooperating with the government. For instance, Michael Flynn stopped sharing information with the president’s lawyers last November, as the New York Times reported––an early sign he had decided to start cooperating with the Special Counsel probe." Mueller is smarter than all these people put together. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
"So absolutely no BadUSB malware, because nobody would ever think to stoop so low as to snoop on journalists' laptops at a sensitive summit between two narcissistic divas…" (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
"Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it." "Ahead of the historic meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, Ivanka Trump tweeted a quote she attributed to a supposed Chinese proverb—but people in China are struggling to figure out where it came from." We can't even get the proverb correct. I think Ivanka was changing up Napoleon's "Never interfere with your enemy when he is making a mistake."
As the kids say, "Not the Onion." "President Trump said Tuesday he floated the prospect of beachfront hotels and other real estate developments in North Korea during his meeting with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un." (Grokked from Joy Reid)
"U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged on Tuesday to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula while Washington committed to provide security guarantees for its old enemy… The joint statement signed at the end of their historic summit in Singapore gave few details on how either goal would be achieved but Trump fleshed out some details at a news conference."
You know, I really do hope that the DPRK gets rid of its nuclear weapons and missile capability. I really hope we can transform the DMZ into a real demilitarized zone instead of one of the most heavily patrolled and mined areas of the planet. I really hope this agreement is the start of a normalization process. I'm just skeptical about a leader who kills people for not appearing enthusiastic enough for the Dear Leader or crying enough when the Dear Leader is sad, I'm skeptical about them keeping their word. And it appears at this point that's all we have.
So, we agreed to stop joint military exercises with South Korea (of which we hadn't discussed with South Korea, or told the military) for what? What word did the conservatives use last Fall for the Mueller Investigation? Oh right, "A nothing burger."
"In Coimbra, a colony of Common pipistrelle bats makes their home behind the bookshelves of the university’s Joanina Library, emerging at nightfall to consume flies and gnats and other pests before swooping out the library windows and across the hilltop college town in search of water…" (Grokked from Vincent O'Connor)
"Researchers collected the surviving ancient dust from Earth’s upper atmosphere, where it was likely deposited from comets. As comets pass near the sun, they release dust that can reach Earth's orbit and settle through the atmosphere, where it can be collected and later studied with electron microscopes." JFC, hasn't anyone seen Andromeda Strain? Surely it's on Netflix by now.
"Agricultural data from 38,700 farms plus details of processing and retailing in 119 countries show wide differences in environmental impacts — from greenhouse gas emissions to water used — even between producers of the same product, says environmental scientist Joseph Poore of the University of Oxford. The amount of climate-warming gases released in the making of a pint of beer, for example, can more than double under high-impact production scenarios. For dairy and beef cattle combined, high-impact providers released about 12 times as many greenhouse gases as low-impact producers, Poore and colleague Thomas Nemecek report in the June 1 Science."
"But microwave light has also raised an intriguing mystery closer to home. In 1996 astronomers noticed an inexplicable excess of microwaves emanating from our own galaxy. For over 20 years, this so-called anomalous microwave emission has remained an enigma—until today. A new study published in Nature Astronomy suggests spinning nano-diamonds might be the culprit." The universe is stranger than you suspect.
Some perspective on the rich. "Here’s another way to look at the staggering amount of money Jeff Bezos has made so far in 2018. Amazon has an estimated total 566,000 employees worldwide. If the company CEO decided to pass along his $40 billion in increased net worth in 2018 to his workers, each of them would get about $70,000—which is more than twice the median Amazon employee’s salary." The median (note, median, not average) was $28,446. Now, much of that increase was stock valuation, but also remember that of his employees, Mr. Bezos benefitted the most from the tax cuts. (Grokked from Cherie Priest)
How's Brexit going? "Analysts and political pundits will be watching this week’s developments closely — as will Brussels, which has become increasingly frustrated at the infighting and indecision over what Brexit actually means and what it should look like. Just last week, there was a period of a few hours where it appeared as though the U.K.’s Brexit secretary, David Davis, was on the verge of resigning." About as well as expected.
"Cissna said his agency is hiring several dozen lawyers and immigration officers to review cases of suspected fraud. 'We finally have a process in place to get to the bottom of all these bad cases and start denaturalizing people who should not have been naturalized in the first place,' Cissna said. 'What we’re looking at, when you boil it all down, is potentially a few thousand cases.'" Tell me again about how this isn't racism, cause I keep forgetting. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"According to leaked emails obtained by reporter James LaPorta, veteran Erik Sailors is using his military experience to train his Texas chapter of the white nationalist Patriot Front group in military combat." This may sound alarming, but white nationalist groups have veterans sprinkled throughout. The difference would be to know what Sailors' actual Marine training is and if that's a cause for concern. Now if it had been Green Berets doing the training, that would be more worrisome. One of the main reasons most separatist causes are doomed to failure is their inability to standardize and perform as a group. But from this story this sounds about at the level if they all had purchased a "military" style aerobic exercise tape to work out to. However it does point to an increasing sophistication. (Grokked from Jim Wright)
"A senior White House aide is deliberately feeding inaccurate stories to White House staffers in an effort to weed out those who are speaking to reporters, according to a New York Times report on Sunday." Well, really, that's one method when the traditional triangulation of who knew what when doesn't pan out. Oh, and one reason triangulation doesn't work is when there are multiple leakers. (Grokked from Fred Clark)
"Domino’s Pizza… is filling in potholes in towns across the U.S. with a new 'Paving for Pizza' initiative. The American pizza chain announced on Monday that it will help 'smooth the ride home' for deliveries by making pothole repairs in towns nominated by their customers." As a former elected official tasked with finding the money to fix roads I both applaud this and am horrified and shrieking mad about it. I cheer it from the standpoint of "hey, I don't have to find the money". And horrified and mad because 1) cold patch and tar snakes are literally the cheapest thing to do (compared to repaving or worse, rebuilding a road it's extremely cheap), 2) sometimes cold patch and tar are not the repairs needed, 3) that no fucking way to prioritize vital infrastructure repair (again, money may be better spend elsewhere while waiting to repave the road instead) and 4) please don't make me thankful and in debt to Dominos. I know everybody thinks it's "just throw some asphalt down", but if the repair is done shoddily, it can damage a road even more than leaving the open hole. Also, vital information doesn't get back to the road supervisor (including state of underpayment and foundations, testing to see if the rest of the asphalt is about to go, run off issues…). (Grokked from Robert J Bennett)
"Former Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the U.S. economy could face serious problems in the next two years." Again, I'm not sure it's going to wait 2 years. But then there's also the phrase, "Economists have predicted the last 7 of 3 recessions." (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Joint defense agreements can also let people being investigated keep tabs on whether or not their allies have started cooperating with the government. For instance, Michael Flynn stopped sharing information with the president’s lawyers last November, as the New York Times reported––an early sign he had decided to start cooperating with the Special Counsel probe." Mueller is smarter than all these people put together. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
"So absolutely no BadUSB malware, because nobody would ever think to stoop so low as to snoop on journalists' laptops at a sensitive summit between two narcissistic divas…" (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
"Those who say it can not be done, should not interrupt those doing it." "Ahead of the historic meeting between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un, Ivanka Trump tweeted a quote she attributed to a supposed Chinese proverb—but people in China are struggling to figure out where it came from." We can't even get the proverb correct. I think Ivanka was changing up Napoleon's "Never interfere with your enemy when he is making a mistake."
As the kids say, "Not the Onion." "President Trump said Tuesday he floated the prospect of beachfront hotels and other real estate developments in North Korea during his meeting with the country's leader, Kim Jong Un." (Grokked from Joy Reid)
"U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un pledged on Tuesday to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean peninsula while Washington committed to provide security guarantees for its old enemy… The joint statement signed at the end of their historic summit in Singapore gave few details on how either goal would be achieved but Trump fleshed out some details at a news conference."
You know, I really do hope that the DPRK gets rid of its nuclear weapons and missile capability. I really hope we can transform the DMZ into a real demilitarized zone instead of one of the most heavily patrolled and mined areas of the planet. I really hope this agreement is the start of a normalization process. I'm just skeptical about a leader who kills people for not appearing enthusiastic enough for the Dear Leader or crying enough when the Dear Leader is sad, I'm skeptical about them keeping their word. And it appears at this point that's all we have.
So, we agreed to stop joint military exercises with South Korea (of which we hadn't discussed with South Korea, or told the military) for what? What word did the conservatives use last Fall for the Mueller Investigation? Oh right, "A nothing burger."
Monday, June 11, 2018
Linkee-poo on a Monday
Ann Leckie on writing advice, specifically "kill your darlings." Styles change, reader expectations change, media changes. What "kill your darlings" means to me is that you have to be ruthless on removing things that aren't story or the part so different in style they throw the reader out of the story, even if it's the part you love the most. But here's the reverse, you can make the story about whatever you want. If the part you love is different, rewrite the rest to match. The phrase has come to mean something different (advice and interpretation also changes) though. When you're a starting writer (hell, when you're an accomplished and well established writer) you'll love some of your writing more than others. What you do with those parts is up to you, but the story has to be a complete and whole and stylistically similar (unless there are reasons not to be). That's a western tradition. Other cultures have other story telling traditions. Again, the final writing advice is whatever works for you works. Do those things that work for you.
"The Virginia Tech professor was cutting up a downed tree with an electric chainsaw. What he didn't realize was that his power cable had been dragging through poison ivy. So at the end of the day, as he coiled the cord around his palm and elbow, he inadvertently launched a career-bending science experiment." With a primer on how to identify poison ivy. Leaves of three, leave it be.
"But by sophomore year, the high expectations began to feel like a trap. Like many kids at her school – and at elite high schools across the country – she felt compelled to push herself to get good grades and get into a top college." While there is a bit of "my diamond shoes are too tight" going on here, this actually is an issue and it's not just a rich person's problem. And like the rest of our culture it seems to have polarized in society. There was always the expectation that kids should do better than their parents, but now we have these checklists and "early markers" of achievement. Kids are busying trying to figure out how to be human and we add all these extra pressures (AP course, early college classes, involvement in sports and clubs, and a social calendar that needs an actual calendar to keep track of). But oddly you don't hear about the poor kids that burn out quickly, because they may still do better than their parents, but not come close to the kids in the neighborhoods this article is about. It could also be because many of these families didn't have to deal with earlier stresses (food and shelter security, stable home lives, etc) that they aren't prepared for these other stresses. And this isn't new. Dead Poet Society anyone?
"Toddlers in America are eating too much added sugar, and the problem only gets worse as they get older, a new study conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control found." Thanks you, now can you tell us in which direction the Sun will rise tomorrow? Note that sugar, especially in the form of High-Fructose Corn Syrup, are cheap calories.
"The 10-year, $100 million study had faced mounting criticism and was recently halted over concerns about how large beverage makers, including AB InBev, came to provide such financial support. A series of media investigations suggested that lead researchers and NIH officials had inappropriately wooed drink makers, getting them to pour millions into the work, while strongly hinting that it would end in their favor—i.e., showing that a daily drink is safe and could lower the risk of common diseases." So if it proves out the study show that a daily drink may help health, AB InBev may just have had its cake and eaten it too. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
"IHOP — the International House of Pancakes — is changing its name to IHOb and will now feature burgers, the company said in a tweet that was not posted on April Fool's Day. It remains to be seen whether the change will be permanent or merely a flash in the pan (cake) to promote hamburgers."
"Chinese government hackers have compromised the computers of a Navy contractor, stealing massive amounts of highly sensitive data related to undersea warfare — including secret plans to develop a supersonic anti-ship missile for use on U.S. submarines by 2020, according to American officials."
"New reporting confirms what previous stories speculated: chief of staff John Kelly's phone was hacked, and now they know where. They still don't know by whom, or how, or why, or what the damage was… Citing 2 unnamed U.S. officials, Politico says White House officials have narrowed down the time and likely location of the hack: President Donald Trump’s Washington transition headquarters, in late 2016." Revealed in a disclosed email he sent to another official instructing them to not send emails about the DoH's work to limit leaks and FOIA requests. I'm not sure which is the bigger story here.
"The European Union and the United Nations refugee agency called for a swift end to a political standoff that has left 629 migrants on a rescue ship drifting at sea after Italy refused to let it dock."
"German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a new interview Sunday that the European Union (EU) would follow Canada's move and forge ahead with its plan to implement counter-measures to President Trump's tariffs." It's a Trade War.
"A federal judge in New York City has halted, for now, the deportation of a pizza delivery man at least until a hearing on July 20… The 35-year-old was detained on June 1 while delivering food to the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn."
"Ross has said that he believes the cost of this last-minute change to the 2020 census would not be significant and has been factored into updated cost estimates. Still, Abowd projected that it would raise the price tag for the national headcount by at least $27.5 million, which he described as a 'conservative estimate' given the possible need for more door-knocking and other follow-up efforts to get noncitizen households to take part in the census." As someone involved in the last Census' door-knocking campaign, yes this. You're already going to have the "we don't trust the guberment" types who won't answer and may threaten any census taker who comes to ask (I only convinced one household by telling the man at the door that by law we had to continue coming back until they answered the questions, this was the 4th trip by the census worker and one they asked me to come on), but add those people who intentionally are trying to avoid any interaction with the government. And it's all in service of a racist agenda.
"In a 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court gave Ohio a victory Monday in a fight over the state's method for removing people from the voter rolls, a practice that civil rights groups said discourages minority turnout." This is why voting in every election is important because 1) it keeps you on the roles (not that will actually happen, check your status NOW) and 2) to keep these idiots away from the controls of power. Also a note to those who say, "I'm not voting to send a message." The response back is "fuck you."
"Arron Banks, the millionaire businessman who bankrolled Nigel Farage’s campaign to quit the EU, had multiple meetings with Russian embassy officials in the run-up to the Brexit referendum, documents seen by the Observer suggest." Sure are a lot of Russians around here. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Oakeshott was keen to keep her treasure trove of Brexit/Russia revelations for her book launch, but she has not merely kept out of the debate about the legitimacy of the Brexit campaign. Describing herself as 'a long-standing Brexit supporter,' who is close to Farage and Banks, Oakeshott has become a regular TV pundit shooting down 'conspiracy theories' about the validity of the Brexit vote amid claims of Russian influence or reports about Cambridge Analytica’s disputed involvement." More dots being connected. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Lartey, who earned an annual salary of $65,969 as a records management analyst, was a career government official with close to 30 years under his belt. But he had never seen anything like this in any previous administration he had worked for. He had never had to tape the president’s papers back together again." (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
"Trump and Kim eager to declare success in Singapore 'no matter what happens'." This after Trump lowered the bar for the meeting so low that as long as they shake hands, they'll declare success.
"Any suggestion of a disabling conflict at this stage is contrary to ethics rules. Rosenstein’s involvement in the case has quite properly been cleared by Department of Justice career ethics officials—the same individuals who appropriately recommended that Attorney General Jeff Sessions recuse. The fact that Rosenstein may be a fact witness in a case that he supervises does not provide sufficient grounds for his recusal under any of the applicable standards." (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Several prominent Russians, some in President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle or high in the Russian Orthodox Church, now have been identified as having contact with National Rifle Association officials during the 2016 U.S. election campaign, according to photographs and an NRA source." And considering "The NRA reported spending $24.4 million to back Republican candidates for Congress in 2016" that's a whole lotta exposure risk for not a lotta bang. But then "Of the $30 million the NRA reported spending to support Trump, more than $21 million was spent by its lobbying arm, whose donors are not publicly reported." There it is. Again, for "no collusion" there sure are a lot of fucking Russians hanging around. (Grokked from Joy Reid)
"… De Niro decided to open with a message for President Donald Trump, who will soon meet with Kim Jon Un. 'I'm going to say this: f--k Trump,' he said. 'It's no longer just "Down With Trump" it's, "F--k Trump."'… De Niro received a standing ovation from many audience members."
"The Virginia Tech professor was cutting up a downed tree with an electric chainsaw. What he didn't realize was that his power cable had been dragging through poison ivy. So at the end of the day, as he coiled the cord around his palm and elbow, he inadvertently launched a career-bending science experiment." With a primer on how to identify poison ivy. Leaves of three, leave it be.
"But by sophomore year, the high expectations began to feel like a trap. Like many kids at her school – and at elite high schools across the country – she felt compelled to push herself to get good grades and get into a top college." While there is a bit of "my diamond shoes are too tight" going on here, this actually is an issue and it's not just a rich person's problem. And like the rest of our culture it seems to have polarized in society. There was always the expectation that kids should do better than their parents, but now we have these checklists and "early markers" of achievement. Kids are busying trying to figure out how to be human and we add all these extra pressures (AP course, early college classes, involvement in sports and clubs, and a social calendar that needs an actual calendar to keep track of). But oddly you don't hear about the poor kids that burn out quickly, because they may still do better than their parents, but not come close to the kids in the neighborhoods this article is about. It could also be because many of these families didn't have to deal with earlier stresses (food and shelter security, stable home lives, etc) that they aren't prepared for these other stresses. And this isn't new. Dead Poet Society anyone?
"Toddlers in America are eating too much added sugar, and the problem only gets worse as they get older, a new study conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control found." Thanks you, now can you tell us in which direction the Sun will rise tomorrow? Note that sugar, especially in the form of High-Fructose Corn Syrup, are cheap calories.
"The 10-year, $100 million study had faced mounting criticism and was recently halted over concerns about how large beverage makers, including AB InBev, came to provide such financial support. A series of media investigations suggested that lead researchers and NIH officials had inappropriately wooed drink makers, getting them to pour millions into the work, while strongly hinting that it would end in their favor—i.e., showing that a daily drink is safe and could lower the risk of common diseases." So if it proves out the study show that a daily drink may help health, AB InBev may just have had its cake and eaten it too. (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
"IHOP — the International House of Pancakes — is changing its name to IHOb and will now feature burgers, the company said in a tweet that was not posted on April Fool's Day. It remains to be seen whether the change will be permanent or merely a flash in the pan (cake) to promote hamburgers."
"Chinese government hackers have compromised the computers of a Navy contractor, stealing massive amounts of highly sensitive data related to undersea warfare — including secret plans to develop a supersonic anti-ship missile for use on U.S. submarines by 2020, according to American officials."
"New reporting confirms what previous stories speculated: chief of staff John Kelly's phone was hacked, and now they know where. They still don't know by whom, or how, or why, or what the damage was… Citing 2 unnamed U.S. officials, Politico says White House officials have narrowed down the time and likely location of the hack: President Donald Trump’s Washington transition headquarters, in late 2016." Revealed in a disclosed email he sent to another official instructing them to not send emails about the DoH's work to limit leaks and FOIA requests. I'm not sure which is the bigger story here.
"The European Union and the United Nations refugee agency called for a swift end to a political standoff that has left 629 migrants on a rescue ship drifting at sea after Italy refused to let it dock."
"German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a new interview Sunday that the European Union (EU) would follow Canada's move and forge ahead with its plan to implement counter-measures to President Trump's tariffs." It's a Trade War.
"A federal judge in New York City has halted, for now, the deportation of a pizza delivery man at least until a hearing on July 20… The 35-year-old was detained on June 1 while delivering food to the U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn."
"Ross has said that he believes the cost of this last-minute change to the 2020 census would not be significant and has been factored into updated cost estimates. Still, Abowd projected that it would raise the price tag for the national headcount by at least $27.5 million, which he described as a 'conservative estimate' given the possible need for more door-knocking and other follow-up efforts to get noncitizen households to take part in the census." As someone involved in the last Census' door-knocking campaign, yes this. You're already going to have the "we don't trust the guberment" types who won't answer and may threaten any census taker who comes to ask (I only convinced one household by telling the man at the door that by law we had to continue coming back until they answered the questions, this was the 4th trip by the census worker and one they asked me to come on), but add those people who intentionally are trying to avoid any interaction with the government. And it's all in service of a racist agenda.
"In a 5-4 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court gave Ohio a victory Monday in a fight over the state's method for removing people from the voter rolls, a practice that civil rights groups said discourages minority turnout." This is why voting in every election is important because 1) it keeps you on the roles (not that will actually happen, check your status NOW) and 2) to keep these idiots away from the controls of power. Also a note to those who say, "I'm not voting to send a message." The response back is "fuck you."
"Arron Banks, the millionaire businessman who bankrolled Nigel Farage’s campaign to quit the EU, had multiple meetings with Russian embassy officials in the run-up to the Brexit referendum, documents seen by the Observer suggest." Sure are a lot of Russians around here. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Oakeshott was keen to keep her treasure trove of Brexit/Russia revelations for her book launch, but she has not merely kept out of the debate about the legitimacy of the Brexit campaign. Describing herself as 'a long-standing Brexit supporter,' who is close to Farage and Banks, Oakeshott has become a regular TV pundit shooting down 'conspiracy theories' about the validity of the Brexit vote amid claims of Russian influence or reports about Cambridge Analytica’s disputed involvement." More dots being connected. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Lartey, who earned an annual salary of $65,969 as a records management analyst, was a career government official with close to 30 years under his belt. But he had never seen anything like this in any previous administration he had worked for. He had never had to tape the president’s papers back together again." (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
"Trump and Kim eager to declare success in Singapore 'no matter what happens'." This after Trump lowered the bar for the meeting so low that as long as they shake hands, they'll declare success.
"Any suggestion of a disabling conflict at this stage is contrary to ethics rules. Rosenstein’s involvement in the case has quite properly been cleared by Department of Justice career ethics officials—the same individuals who appropriately recommended that Attorney General Jeff Sessions recuse. The fact that Rosenstein may be a fact witness in a case that he supervises does not provide sufficient grounds for his recusal under any of the applicable standards." (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"Several prominent Russians, some in President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle or high in the Russian Orthodox Church, now have been identified as having contact with National Rifle Association officials during the 2016 U.S. election campaign, according to photographs and an NRA source." And considering "The NRA reported spending $24.4 million to back Republican candidates for Congress in 2016" that's a whole lotta exposure risk for not a lotta bang. But then "Of the $30 million the NRA reported spending to support Trump, more than $21 million was spent by its lobbying arm, whose donors are not publicly reported." There it is. Again, for "no collusion" there sure are a lot of fucking Russians hanging around. (Grokked from Joy Reid)
"… De Niro decided to open with a message for President Donald Trump, who will soon meet with Kim Jon Un. 'I'm going to say this: f--k Trump,' he said. 'It's no longer just "Down With Trump" it's, "F--k Trump."'… De Niro received a standing ovation from many audience members."
Sunday, June 10, 2018
A Pre-Modern Fairy Tale
Gather round children and let me tell you a story of long ago and far away. There was a time that two kingdoms fought each other in a protracted and diffuse war, mostly through proxies and spies. Now each kingdom also had genies in bottles, but these genies didn't grant wishes. These genies were firestorms of destruction. And each kingdom tried to gather as many of these genie bottles as they could in case the other kingdom released their genies on the other kingdom.
Now in each kingdom they had their own fairy tale. And the fairy tale went something like this (in each kingdom): they would win this war they fought and when they did their own lives would be a glorious suburbia of sunshine, baseball, and family where diamonds would rain from the sky, food would always be delicious, and everyone would bask in that sunshine and know their place in the world was correct, good and undisturbed. The other kingdom would be a destroyed and crumbling ruin of a hell-scape, constantly overcast where the rain would scare the flesh of the scattered remains of their humans, who would eat not much more than grass and bark soup, die young and painfully. And there would be only one kingdom that survived, because that kingdom was right and just.
The kingdoms split the world between themselves and fought at the edges using other peoples' children. They sniped at each other and both feared and revered their own genies. Steely-eyed warriors on both side thumped their chests and told lies to their own troops about how superior they were.
Both sides believed so much in their own fairy tale, neither could foresee what would actually happen. That both kingdoms needed each other to survive. They would hate their genies and wonder how they needed so many, but not know how to get rid of them. That one kingdom would fake out the other and steal enough of their gold to cause that kingdom to call it quits. One kingdom would claim victory, only to watch it's own standard of living decrease for the average citizen. While the other kingdom, after a period of adjustment, would see their citizens have better lives than before.
Now, there was a jealous prince in that kingdom who played what few card he had been felt well and amassed power and fortune. Eventually he would become the king of the "losing" kingdom. And as he sat in the rebuilt castle he plotted and planned to turn the tables on the other kingdom. He would take what looked like defeat and make it a victory, or at least deny that victory to the other kingdom.
So he planned for the long run, gathered his allies and waited for the other kingdom to grow complacent. Because even though he had seen how the fairy tale was a lie, he believed in it with his whole heart. And he was determined to make the other kingdom the desolate and broken place he always believed it should be.
Of course this is only fairy tale, because no one would be stupid enough to believe there could only be one kingdom that could be prosperous, peaceful, and continue to increase their citizens' quality of life and everywhere else would be a blasted hell-scape.
Through all of this the genies slept in their bottles and dreamed of the world they would inherit.
Now in each kingdom they had their own fairy tale. And the fairy tale went something like this (in each kingdom): they would win this war they fought and when they did their own lives would be a glorious suburbia of sunshine, baseball, and family where diamonds would rain from the sky, food would always be delicious, and everyone would bask in that sunshine and know their place in the world was correct, good and undisturbed. The other kingdom would be a destroyed and crumbling ruin of a hell-scape, constantly overcast where the rain would scare the flesh of the scattered remains of their humans, who would eat not much more than grass and bark soup, die young and painfully. And there would be only one kingdom that survived, because that kingdom was right and just.
The kingdoms split the world between themselves and fought at the edges using other peoples' children. They sniped at each other and both feared and revered their own genies. Steely-eyed warriors on both side thumped their chests and told lies to their own troops about how superior they were.
Both sides believed so much in their own fairy tale, neither could foresee what would actually happen. That both kingdoms needed each other to survive. They would hate their genies and wonder how they needed so many, but not know how to get rid of them. That one kingdom would fake out the other and steal enough of their gold to cause that kingdom to call it quits. One kingdom would claim victory, only to watch it's own standard of living decrease for the average citizen. While the other kingdom, after a period of adjustment, would see their citizens have better lives than before.
Now, there was a jealous prince in that kingdom who played what few card he had been felt well and amassed power and fortune. Eventually he would become the king of the "losing" kingdom. And as he sat in the rebuilt castle he plotted and planned to turn the tables on the other kingdom. He would take what looked like defeat and make it a victory, or at least deny that victory to the other kingdom.
So he planned for the long run, gathered his allies and waited for the other kingdom to grow complacent. Because even though he had seen how the fairy tale was a lie, he believed in it with his whole heart. And he was determined to make the other kingdom the desolate and broken place he always believed it should be.
Of course this is only fairy tale, because no one would be stupid enough to believe there could only be one kingdom that could be prosperous, peaceful, and continue to increase their citizens' quality of life and everywhere else would be a blasted hell-scape.
Through all of this the genies slept in their bottles and dreamed of the world they would inherit.
Friday, June 8, 2018
Linkee-poo if you wanna see the forest you're gonna have to look past the trees
Anthony Bourdain, and so it goes. (link from Xeni Jardin) (most of the following links were tagged yesterday)
Janiece tells the truth about big-D.
"Suicide rates have increased in nearly every state over the last two decades, and half of the states have seen suicide rates go up more than 30 percent." A major public health issue that's being drown out by all the other major public health issues. Working in the ER I can tell you from first hand experience we've seen an explosion of "suicidal ideation" as it's called. I've even had conversations with co-workers because they don't understand how big-D depression is different from the "I'm a little sad because…" depression. "One resource is the website: www.BeThe1to.com. To reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)."
"A couple weeks ago, I traveled to Vinton County, Ohio. It's a place that's been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. And in recent months, that crisis has changed. It's metastasized into a major meth problem. But no matter the drug, the effects of parents struggling with addiction have been devastating for Vinton County's children." NPR is doing a series about how America's drug problem (not just opioids, they're only the latest fashion in addiction) and how it affects the people in part of my home state. You don't hear about these people when you see outlets like the NYT go into "Trump Country", but this actually is Trump Country. Dear people's there, the president you helped elect doesn't give a shit for the problems you're dealing with.
"'Our data suggests that suicide is more than a mental health issue,' Schuchat said. 'We think that a comprehensive approach to suicide is what's needed. If we only look at this as a mental health issue, we won't make the progress that we need.'" Imma fix that for you, "All these other economic and stress related causes we've identified also affect your mental health." We can do something about the economic stresses in society fairly easily, but not with the current GOP anywhere near the controls of power. If you didn't see that connection coming, you haven't been paying attention.
"NASA’s Curiosity rover has found new evidence preserved in rocks on Mars that suggests the planet could have supported ancient life, as well as new evidence in the Martian atmosphere that relates to the search for current life on the Red Planet. While not necessarily evidence of life itself, these findings are a good sign for future missions exploring the planet’s surface and subsurface." Is there life on Mars? Oh look, something else for people to have denialism over. (Grokked from Mary Robinette Kowal)
"NASA scientists reported that, after drifting for nearly 20 years, the largest iceberg ever to break away from Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf is about to disappear forever." (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
"NASA has officially announced that its $1 billion Juno mission is getting a critical life extension to study planet Jupiter."
"In the past 70 years, tropical cyclones around the world have slowed down 10 percent, and in some regions of the world, the change has been even more significant, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature." We're boned.
"The doctors would fertilize one of her eggs with her husband's sperm. Next, they would use her husband's sperm to fertilize an egg from another woman paid to donate eggs. And then the scientists would remove most of the DNA from the other woman's fertilized egg, and replace it with Tamara's and her husband's." Long time readers of my blog know my innate distrust of new genetic technologies, but I don't have on in this case. In fact, I think this technological use is fanfuckingtastic. Look, it will screw up genetic heritage testing (for some of them they specifically test your mitochondrial DNA in the same way the look at mens' 23rd Y chromosome). But mitochondria kinda keep to themselves, which have lead many to speculate that mitochondria are their own form of life that was engulfed by our (very, very, very) distant ancestors. It has evolved with us, and what we're seeing here is a subversion of natural selection, but, again, I'm okay with that in this case. Might this someday lead to "designer babies"? Yes (not this actual procedure, but the techniques used and the openess to this action). But the only question of that is "when" not "if we should."
"The share of people working in 'alternative' work arrangements, an important government measure of the prevalence of 'gig' work, is shrinking rather than rising, according to newly released BLS data. Alternative in this case means people who are not employed directly or regularly at the place they usually work, including independent contractors and temp workers." Maybe companies are realizing the headaches of the gig economy and that it costs them more than normal. Or maybe people are tired of busting their asses for extremely low pay and no benefits.
"Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday announced for the first time an unconditional ceasefire with the Taliban, coinciding with the end of the Muslim fasting month, but excluding other militant groups, such as Islamic State." Divide and conquer.
"'Sixteen thousand people, many of them in Texas, for whatever reason that is. People went out in their boats to watch the hurricane,' Trump said. 'That didn't work out too well.'… No one could explain the president’s comment." A round of applause for our "stable- genius" president, everybody. He thinks the Coast Guard had to do so many water rescues because people went out in boats to watch the hurricane. "When asked by the Houston Chronicle to confirm if Texans were out on boats gawking at the storm, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he had 'no information one way or another about that.'" Dear Gov. Abbot, the correct response was, "Of course not, what fucking moron thinks people go out on boats to watch a hurricane?" Also left out are the many citizens who mobilized to help rescue people. Here we will also note that we're in the next hurricane season and much of Puerto Rico still doesn't have reliable power or shelter and would not be able to withstand even a weak hurricane direct strike. The US Virgin Islands are only slightly better off (concentrated, smaller population with more resources).
"A new study shows that since 2008, more white people in the United States oppose welfare programs, in part because of increasing 'racial resentment.'… One of the reasons for this opposition, according to the report, is white Americans' perceptions that they might be losing their financial and social status while people of color make gains in those areas." This is my shocked face. The answer to the last question in the article is very telling in the current political climate. They used the term "racial resentment" instead of racism because of how racism is changing (apply this to the hordes of people who will state they are not "racist" when they exhibit traits that are obviously racism).
Then there's this. "Dan Moore, a 58-year-old steel mill worker, gives the president an 'A+' on everything from tax cuts to foreign policy, but he's not so sure about tariffs… 'We need tariffs, but when it starts to impact the company where you work ... you're thinking, well wait a minute, timeout!' he said." See, Trumps shitty actions weren't supposed to affect him in a negative way, just all those other people he doesn't care about. All those "other people" who were skating by on the good life while he was working his ass off, those were the ones who were supposed to be hurt. Just wait until they see what happens at their Walmart (note, Walmart no longer touts their "rolling back prices").
"Provisions inside the delayed House farm bill would roll back restrictions on the wealthy obtaining federal farm subsidies, as well as allow extended family members to receive lucrative payments… Up to 2 million SNAP recipients could lose or have their benefits slashed under the proposed rule changes, according to the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities." Well fuck, they got the country to swallow their tax bill, why wouldn't they do this as well? (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"President Trump signed legislation Wednesday paving the way for a major overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs and expanded access for veterans to VA-funded care in the private sector." Welcome to the private sector healthcare, veterans (actually, many already did have access, this is just allowing the government to pay for it instead of spousal benefits). You just left a system that would delay your care for months to enter a system where you can get a new doctor's appoint as early as, :: checks notes :: six months from now. Take advantage of it while you can until the providers find out how little they'll be reimbursed or Congress finds out just how much this will cost them (note, that was part of the reasoning behind the VA hospital system).
"In an unexpected move, the Justice Department filed a brief this evening urging a Texas court to invalidate the Affordable Care Act’s crucial insurance reforms—including the prohibition on refusing to cover people with preexisting conditions. Although the ACA is not in immediate peril, the brief represents a blow to the integrity of the Justice Department. It also displays enormous contempt for the rule of law." The battle is still going on. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
"The U.S. State Department has sent 'a number of individuals' from the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China back to the U.S. after screenings showed they may have been affected by mysterious health problems similar to what diplomats experienced in Cuba."
Not all evangelicals. "Mr. Claiborne and his group were far more audacious, but they also faced disappointment, resistance and fear. They were taking on Lynchburg, a company town where Liberty University is the biggest employer. Their 'Red Letter Revival' revealed the state of the evangelical church in 2018: The loudest voices and institutional power and money are with Mr. Trump; the dissenters are fired-up, underfunded and scattered; and the vast majority of pastors are silent for fear of dividing their congregations or risking their jobs." Also, so much for the tolerance of those who criticize the tolerance of the tolerant left. (Grokked from John)
"The Wisconsin Republican gingerly undercut a core Trump talking point during a news conference Wednesday, arguing that he had seen 'no evidence' to back Trump’s assertion that the FBI wrongfully planted a spy in his campaign. Ryan also panned Trump’s argument that he has the power to pardon himself… 'Obviously, the answer is he shouldn’t, and no one is above the law,' Ryan said." Glad you saved that for your last 6 months. Oh, and the answer was, "Obviously no one is above the law, so the President can't sit in judgement of himself therefore he can't pardon himself." And that the 2 Republicans inline to replace Ryan refuse to join even this weak statement shows how corrupt the GOP has become. They are actively subverting the law.
"A longtime US Senate staffer was arrested late Thursday on charges of lying to federal agents as part of an investigation related to the unauthorized disclosure of non-public information, according to a federal indictment."
"The White House said Trump would depart mid-morning on Saturday, skipping sessions on climate change and the environment. An aide will take his place, the White House said." Of course he'll miss those sessions. If he didn't, he wouldn't be able to continue lying about climate change, or to express surprise when the time comes when they can no longer deny reality. Also note this G7 meeting is coming at the same time Putin is in the EU talking about political ties.
If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning, I'd hammer in the evening, all over this land. It'll be hilarious when he's brought up on charges of encouraging criminal activity (destruction of evidence). I think Hannity, who is also an advisor to Trump, might be a little worried he is 1) being watched and 2) what someone might have on their phone from him. We're almost at the point of the investigation where people start attempting to throw each other under the busses. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
"It’s unclear what Trump and Kim may agree to in Singapore, but so far Kim hasn’t offered much. Trump, meanwhile, has."
Get the Fox News supporters to the barricades. "The Justice Department's internal watchdog is set to release a hotly anticipated report next week that is expected to condemn department leaders and the FBI over the investigation during the 2016 presidential campaign into Hillary Clinton's private email server."
"President Trump called on the world’s leading economies on Friday to reinstate Russia to the Group of 7 nations four years after it was cast out for annexing Crimea, once again putting him at odds with America’s leading allies in Europe and Asia." Beginning to see the collusion?
Janiece tells the truth about big-D.
"Suicide rates have increased in nearly every state over the last two decades, and half of the states have seen suicide rates go up more than 30 percent." A major public health issue that's being drown out by all the other major public health issues. Working in the ER I can tell you from first hand experience we've seen an explosion of "suicidal ideation" as it's called. I've even had conversations with co-workers because they don't understand how big-D depression is different from the "I'm a little sad because…" depression. "One resource is the website: www.BeThe1to.com. To reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)."
"A couple weeks ago, I traveled to Vinton County, Ohio. It's a place that's been hit hard by the opioid epidemic. And in recent months, that crisis has changed. It's metastasized into a major meth problem. But no matter the drug, the effects of parents struggling with addiction have been devastating for Vinton County's children." NPR is doing a series about how America's drug problem (not just opioids, they're only the latest fashion in addiction) and how it affects the people in part of my home state. You don't hear about these people when you see outlets like the NYT go into "Trump Country", but this actually is Trump Country. Dear people's there, the president you helped elect doesn't give a shit for the problems you're dealing with.
"'Our data suggests that suicide is more than a mental health issue,' Schuchat said. 'We think that a comprehensive approach to suicide is what's needed. If we only look at this as a mental health issue, we won't make the progress that we need.'" Imma fix that for you, "All these other economic and stress related causes we've identified also affect your mental health." We can do something about the economic stresses in society fairly easily, but not with the current GOP anywhere near the controls of power. If you didn't see that connection coming, you haven't been paying attention.
"NASA’s Curiosity rover has found new evidence preserved in rocks on Mars that suggests the planet could have supported ancient life, as well as new evidence in the Martian atmosphere that relates to the search for current life on the Red Planet. While not necessarily evidence of life itself, these findings are a good sign for future missions exploring the planet’s surface and subsurface." Is there life on Mars? Oh look, something else for people to have denialism over. (Grokked from Mary Robinette Kowal)
"NASA scientists reported that, after drifting for nearly 20 years, the largest iceberg ever to break away from Antarctica's Ross Ice Shelf is about to disappear forever." (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
"NASA has officially announced that its $1 billion Juno mission is getting a critical life extension to study planet Jupiter."
"In the past 70 years, tropical cyclones around the world have slowed down 10 percent, and in some regions of the world, the change has been even more significant, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal Nature." We're boned.
"The doctors would fertilize one of her eggs with her husband's sperm. Next, they would use her husband's sperm to fertilize an egg from another woman paid to donate eggs. And then the scientists would remove most of the DNA from the other woman's fertilized egg, and replace it with Tamara's and her husband's." Long time readers of my blog know my innate distrust of new genetic technologies, but I don't have on in this case. In fact, I think this technological use is fanfuckingtastic. Look, it will screw up genetic heritage testing (for some of them they specifically test your mitochondrial DNA in the same way the look at mens' 23rd Y chromosome). But mitochondria kinda keep to themselves, which have lead many to speculate that mitochondria are their own form of life that was engulfed by our (very, very, very) distant ancestors. It has evolved with us, and what we're seeing here is a subversion of natural selection, but, again, I'm okay with that in this case. Might this someday lead to "designer babies"? Yes (not this actual procedure, but the techniques used and the openess to this action). But the only question of that is "when" not "if we should."
"The share of people working in 'alternative' work arrangements, an important government measure of the prevalence of 'gig' work, is shrinking rather than rising, according to newly released BLS data. Alternative in this case means people who are not employed directly or regularly at the place they usually work, including independent contractors and temp workers." Maybe companies are realizing the headaches of the gig economy and that it costs them more than normal. Or maybe people are tired of busting their asses for extremely low pay and no benefits.
"Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday announced for the first time an unconditional ceasefire with the Taliban, coinciding with the end of the Muslim fasting month, but excluding other militant groups, such as Islamic State." Divide and conquer.
"'Sixteen thousand people, many of them in Texas, for whatever reason that is. People went out in their boats to watch the hurricane,' Trump said. 'That didn't work out too well.'… No one could explain the president’s comment." A round of applause for our "stable- genius" president, everybody. He thinks the Coast Guard had to do so many water rescues because people went out in boats to watch the hurricane. "When asked by the Houston Chronicle to confirm if Texans were out on boats gawking at the storm, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he had 'no information one way or another about that.'" Dear Gov. Abbot, the correct response was, "Of course not, what fucking moron thinks people go out on boats to watch a hurricane?" Also left out are the many citizens who mobilized to help rescue people. Here we will also note that we're in the next hurricane season and much of Puerto Rico still doesn't have reliable power or shelter and would not be able to withstand even a weak hurricane direct strike. The US Virgin Islands are only slightly better off (concentrated, smaller population with more resources).
"A new study shows that since 2008, more white people in the United States oppose welfare programs, in part because of increasing 'racial resentment.'… One of the reasons for this opposition, according to the report, is white Americans' perceptions that they might be losing their financial and social status while people of color make gains in those areas." This is my shocked face. The answer to the last question in the article is very telling in the current political climate. They used the term "racial resentment" instead of racism because of how racism is changing (apply this to the hordes of people who will state they are not "racist" when they exhibit traits that are obviously racism).
Then there's this. "Dan Moore, a 58-year-old steel mill worker, gives the president an 'A+' on everything from tax cuts to foreign policy, but he's not so sure about tariffs… 'We need tariffs, but when it starts to impact the company where you work ... you're thinking, well wait a minute, timeout!' he said." See, Trumps shitty actions weren't supposed to affect him in a negative way, just all those other people he doesn't care about. All those "other people" who were skating by on the good life while he was working his ass off, those were the ones who were supposed to be hurt. Just wait until they see what happens at their Walmart (note, Walmart no longer touts their "rolling back prices").
"Provisions inside the delayed House farm bill would roll back restrictions on the wealthy obtaining federal farm subsidies, as well as allow extended family members to receive lucrative payments… Up to 2 million SNAP recipients could lose or have their benefits slashed under the proposed rule changes, according to the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities." Well fuck, they got the country to swallow their tax bill, why wouldn't they do this as well? (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"President Trump signed legislation Wednesday paving the way for a major overhaul of the Department of Veterans Affairs and expanded access for veterans to VA-funded care in the private sector." Welcome to the private sector healthcare, veterans (actually, many already did have access, this is just allowing the government to pay for it instead of spousal benefits). You just left a system that would delay your care for months to enter a system where you can get a new doctor's appoint as early as, :: checks notes :: six months from now. Take advantage of it while you can until the providers find out how little they'll be reimbursed or Congress finds out just how much this will cost them (note, that was part of the reasoning behind the VA hospital system).
"In an unexpected move, the Justice Department filed a brief this evening urging a Texas court to invalidate the Affordable Care Act’s crucial insurance reforms—including the prohibition on refusing to cover people with preexisting conditions. Although the ACA is not in immediate peril, the brief represents a blow to the integrity of the Justice Department. It also displays enormous contempt for the rule of law." The battle is still going on. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
"The U.S. State Department has sent 'a number of individuals' from the U.S. Consulate in Guangzhou, China back to the U.S. after screenings showed they may have been affected by mysterious health problems similar to what diplomats experienced in Cuba."
Not all evangelicals. "Mr. Claiborne and his group were far more audacious, but they also faced disappointment, resistance and fear. They were taking on Lynchburg, a company town where Liberty University is the biggest employer. Their 'Red Letter Revival' revealed the state of the evangelical church in 2018: The loudest voices and institutional power and money are with Mr. Trump; the dissenters are fired-up, underfunded and scattered; and the vast majority of pastors are silent for fear of dividing their congregations or risking their jobs." Also, so much for the tolerance of those who criticize the tolerance of the tolerant left. (Grokked from John)
"The Wisconsin Republican gingerly undercut a core Trump talking point during a news conference Wednesday, arguing that he had seen 'no evidence' to back Trump’s assertion that the FBI wrongfully planted a spy in his campaign. Ryan also panned Trump’s argument that he has the power to pardon himself… 'Obviously, the answer is he shouldn’t, and no one is above the law,' Ryan said." Glad you saved that for your last 6 months. Oh, and the answer was, "Obviously no one is above the law, so the President can't sit in judgement of himself therefore he can't pardon himself." And that the 2 Republicans inline to replace Ryan refuse to join even this weak statement shows how corrupt the GOP has become. They are actively subverting the law.
"A longtime US Senate staffer was arrested late Thursday on charges of lying to federal agents as part of an investigation related to the unauthorized disclosure of non-public information, according to a federal indictment."
"The White House said Trump would depart mid-morning on Saturday, skipping sessions on climate change and the environment. An aide will take his place, the White House said." Of course he'll miss those sessions. If he didn't, he wouldn't be able to continue lying about climate change, or to express surprise when the time comes when they can no longer deny reality. Also note this G7 meeting is coming at the same time Putin is in the EU talking about political ties.
If I had a hammer, I'd hammer in the morning, I'd hammer in the evening, all over this land. It'll be hilarious when he's brought up on charges of encouraging criminal activity (destruction of evidence). I think Hannity, who is also an advisor to Trump, might be a little worried he is 1) being watched and 2) what someone might have on their phone from him. We're almost at the point of the investigation where people start attempting to throw each other under the busses. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
"It’s unclear what Trump and Kim may agree to in Singapore, but so far Kim hasn’t offered much. Trump, meanwhile, has."
Get the Fox News supporters to the barricades. "The Justice Department's internal watchdog is set to release a hotly anticipated report next week that is expected to condemn department leaders and the FBI over the investigation during the 2016 presidential campaign into Hillary Clinton's private email server."
"President Trump called on the world’s leading economies on Friday to reinstate Russia to the Group of 7 nations four years after it was cast out for annexing Crimea, once again putting him at odds with America’s leading allies in Europe and Asia." Beginning to see the collusion?
Thursday, June 7, 2018
Linkee-poo woke up on the wrong side of rock bottom
"'After the HFPA finished its investigation, according to Fraser, the organization contacted him again and proposed issuing a joint statement, which said, "Although it was concluded that Mr. Berk inappropriately touched Mr. Fraser, the evidence supports that it was intended to be taken as a joke and not as a sexual advance." The organization also apologized to Fraser in the proposed statement and suggested a forward-looking resolution: "All parties consider this matter to be concluded."'" Not so much. (Grokked from Annalee Flower Horne)
"Representatives of the federal school safety commission formed by President Donald Trump after the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, faced criticism Wednesday for not focusing on the role that guns play in school violence… At the commission's first full-day public listening session, held at the Department of Education, several participants -- including some students -- criticized the agency for not turning its attention to guns after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said Tuesday that it was not within the commission's scope."
"In Bon Homme County, a sheriff's deputy lost his job just after winning the race for sheriff in Tuesday's primary election… Sheriff's Deputy Mark Maggs was sent a letter by election opponent and current Sheriff Lenny Gramkow saying he was terminated moments after the race was called." Yeah, that's kinda dick move there and probably done for the wrong reasons. I can, however, see some reasons why it is a necessary move (legal liability for instance, some election laws could be construed this way). (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
So, how go the trade wars? "President Donald Trump’s tariff on imported solar panels has led U.S. renewable energy companies to cancel or freeze investments of more than $2.5 billion in large installation projects, along with thousands of jobs, the developers told Reuters… That’s more than double the about $1 billion in new spending plans announced by firms building or expanding U.S. solar panel factories to take advantage of the tax on imports." Actually it's costing us 2.5 times the economic development it spurred (although, it's not certain that +$1b wouldn't have been added anyway). Checks notes. Yep, right on schedule. (Grokked from Vincent O'Connor)
Along the lines of what I said yesterday about the NFL and Trump. "It is a very easy and very lazy and fundamentally worthless way of valuing loyalty, and as such it is very useful to the people who tend to line up behind Trump and figures like him—the little authoritarians who see or want to see themselves as sitting naturally atop an important hierarchy, who very deeply believe themselves to be owed things that they don’t really feel like they owe anyone else, and who also do not appreciate being smarted-off to by their lessers." You can't appease narcissistic autocrat. (Grokked from Jer)
"For instance, CNN reports that during a 'testy' conversation about the recent steel and aluminum tariffs the United States imposed on Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau interrogated Donald Trump about how he could possibly consider his country, one of America’s most stalwart allies, a national security threat. Trump jokingly responded by asking, 'Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?' This was supposed to be a reference to the War of 1812, and would have been a pretty good retort—except that it was actually the British who torched Washington. Oh well."
"Hupp (who "resigned")… worked as the director of scheduling and advance, has been entangled in many of the scandals dogging EPA Administrator Pruitt. In March, she was one of two aides who received hefty salary bumps, even after the White House refused Pruitt’s request for raises. And as The Washington Post reported on Monday, she recently testified to the House Oversight Committee that she regularly spent her days doing personal tasks for Pruitt…" I think the wrong person resigned, but also glad to get a sycophant appointee out as well. I also love how "Official began drafting her resignation…" Yep, that's how most resignations are handled, someone else writes it for you. Finally, the right may be wondering why the rest of the world focuses on what Trump says at his stump speeches, here's an example. "'When reached by phone, Jahan Wilcox, an EPA spokesperson, would not comment. He said: "You have a great day, you’re a piece of trash."'" To a reporter, for asking about a story, as the spokesperson. Seriously, dude, you should have skid marks on your ass from when they threw you out the doors for that. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
"Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins delivered a powerful response to the defending Super Bowl champions' being disinvited to the White House without saying a word."
There are some plants that, when they detect a threat, will furl their leaves and attempt to look as small as possible. "Around this time, CNBC received a tip that Fotiadis had worked on several Trump projects in Eurasia. Curious about his professional relationship with Trump, CNBC reached out to Fotiadis on April 11 for comment about this work… Fotiadis did not respond to a call or an email. But eight hours later, he announced on Twitter that he was closing his firm, John Fotiadis Architect, or JFA, after 10 years in business. A few days later, Fotiadis closed the Twitter account he had used to announce he was closing down his firm… By the end of the week, all the content from Fotiadis' professional website, including his portfolio, had been removed, leaving only a note saying he planned to join a New Jersey-based engineering company." (Grokked from Vincent O'Connor)
"Representatives of the federal school safety commission formed by President Donald Trump after the deadly school shooting in Parkland, Florida, faced criticism Wednesday for not focusing on the role that guns play in school violence… At the commission's first full-day public listening session, held at the Department of Education, several participants -- including some students -- criticized the agency for not turning its attention to guns after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said Tuesday that it was not within the commission's scope."
"In Bon Homme County, a sheriff's deputy lost his job just after winning the race for sheriff in Tuesday's primary election… Sheriff's Deputy Mark Maggs was sent a letter by election opponent and current Sheriff Lenny Gramkow saying he was terminated moments after the race was called." Yeah, that's kinda dick move there and probably done for the wrong reasons. I can, however, see some reasons why it is a necessary move (legal liability for instance, some election laws could be construed this way). (Grokked from Matt Staggs)
So, how go the trade wars? "President Donald Trump’s tariff on imported solar panels has led U.S. renewable energy companies to cancel or freeze investments of more than $2.5 billion in large installation projects, along with thousands of jobs, the developers told Reuters… That’s more than double the about $1 billion in new spending plans announced by firms building or expanding U.S. solar panel factories to take advantage of the tax on imports." Actually it's costing us 2.5 times the economic development it spurred (although, it's not certain that +$1b wouldn't have been added anyway). Checks notes. Yep, right on schedule. (Grokked from Vincent O'Connor)
Along the lines of what I said yesterday about the NFL and Trump. "It is a very easy and very lazy and fundamentally worthless way of valuing loyalty, and as such it is very useful to the people who tend to line up behind Trump and figures like him—the little authoritarians who see or want to see themselves as sitting naturally atop an important hierarchy, who very deeply believe themselves to be owed things that they don’t really feel like they owe anyone else, and who also do not appreciate being smarted-off to by their lessers." You can't appease narcissistic autocrat. (Grokked from Jer)
"For instance, CNN reports that during a 'testy' conversation about the recent steel and aluminum tariffs the United States imposed on Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau interrogated Donald Trump about how he could possibly consider his country, one of America’s most stalwart allies, a national security threat. Trump jokingly responded by asking, 'Didn’t you guys burn down the White House?' This was supposed to be a reference to the War of 1812, and would have been a pretty good retort—except that it was actually the British who torched Washington. Oh well."
"Hupp (who "resigned")… worked as the director of scheduling and advance, has been entangled in many of the scandals dogging EPA Administrator Pruitt. In March, she was one of two aides who received hefty salary bumps, even after the White House refused Pruitt’s request for raises. And as The Washington Post reported on Monday, she recently testified to the House Oversight Committee that she regularly spent her days doing personal tasks for Pruitt…" I think the wrong person resigned, but also glad to get a sycophant appointee out as well. I also love how "Official began drafting her resignation…" Yep, that's how most resignations are handled, someone else writes it for you. Finally, the right may be wondering why the rest of the world focuses on what Trump says at his stump speeches, here's an example. "'When reached by phone, Jahan Wilcox, an EPA spokesperson, would not comment. He said: "You have a great day, you’re a piece of trash."'" To a reporter, for asking about a story, as the spokesperson. Seriously, dude, you should have skid marks on your ass from when they threw you out the doors for that. (Grokked from Tobias Buckell)
"Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins delivered a powerful response to the defending Super Bowl champions' being disinvited to the White House without saying a word."
There are some plants that, when they detect a threat, will furl their leaves and attempt to look as small as possible. "Around this time, CNBC received a tip that Fotiadis had worked on several Trump projects in Eurasia. Curious about his professional relationship with Trump, CNBC reached out to Fotiadis on April 11 for comment about this work… Fotiadis did not respond to a call or an email. But eight hours later, he announced on Twitter that he was closing his firm, John Fotiadis Architect, or JFA, after 10 years in business. A few days later, Fotiadis closed the Twitter account he had used to announce he was closing down his firm… By the end of the week, all the content from Fotiadis' professional website, including his portfolio, had been removed, leaving only a note saying he planned to join a New Jersey-based engineering company." (Grokked from Vincent O'Connor)
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
Linkee-poo comes from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs flow
"Star Wars actress Kelly Marie Tran, who has suffered months of racist and sexist abuse on social media, has deleted all her posts on Instagram." People use fandom just like religion, it justifies their actions. Fortunately mostly in a positive way, but like any crowd there are a certain minority of dicks. And those dicks feel like the franchise they're fans of owe them something more than entertainment. They are also mostly MRAs who can't stand that the world is changing and that what they are fans of is often leading the way of that change. So they do what abusive people have always done, picked the ones they feel are isolated and pour their venom in that direction hoping the rest of us to find out about it (or won't care). Fuck those guys (in the metaphorical sense). These are not "fanboys", they're just useless dicks.
"NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, which flew by Pluto in July of 2015, woke up today from hibernation mode in preparation for its next rendezvous with a space rock at the edge of the Solar System." Although Ultima Thule sounds like a boss monster in some video game.
"Despite its legality, auctioning off dinosaurs is part of a growing trend that threatens to take unstudied, prize specimens away from scientists who can't afford to buy them, said P. David Polly, the president of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and a professor of sedimentary geology at Indiana University."
"The seat can vibrate on the right or the left to call out dangers on either side of the car. In one scenario, we're creeping along, about to enter a road from the parking lot. Bushes are obscuring our view of the car that's about to be in our path. The seat vibrates, and there's this… (SOUNDBITE OF BEEPING)" Dear auto industry, I ask you to learn about "task saturation" and why Air Force pilots turn off many warning systems in the cockpit.
"Ohio's medical marijuana program is supposed to be 'fully operational' by Sept. 8, but state officials acknowledged in April that won't be the case. Twenty-five companies have been awarded cultivation licenses, but none have been given the OK to begin growing plants." So, two dispensaries in Lakewood, two in Lake Country, but none in Geauga, Ashtabula, or Portage Counties.
"On Tuesday, the union announced that members voted more than 90% in favor of going on strike, if a deal is not reached before the current labor contract expires on August 1… UPS employs 260,000 Teamsters, and has added 40,000 union members since its current contract was reached five years ago. The shipments UPS transports equal an estimated 6% of the nation's GDP, which means a labor dispute could disrupt the US economy." Goes and makes more popcorn.
"Ever since a Starbucks in the Philadelphia area came under national scrutiny for calling the police on two black men waiting for a business associate in one of the company’s coffee shops, new attention has been focused on the long list of mundane activities that black Americans can’t confidently engage in without being treated as suspicious or having the police called." Life in post-racial America with Trump (not that he started it, but the pace of it has seemed to accelerate since January 2017).
"A South Dakota state lawmaker argued in a Facebook comment that businesses should be allowed to turn down people based on the color of their skin… The comment from state Rep. Michael Clark (R) came shortly after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because of his religious beliefs." Oh hello, Slope. My but you are a slippery one. (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"The entire graduating class at a Pennsylvania middle school was gifted bulletproof backpack plates as they prepare to head to high school next year… 'I never thought I’d need this,' one student told Fox 29." You shouldn't need it. This is just more examples of how badly the adults in the country have failed you. "Unequal president Rob Vito argued handguns and shotguns are 'useless' against a product like the one the company gifted the students." Dear Rob, it's not a magic shield. It will only protect what the shield is over (and only at a 60° or less angle to the shot if IIRC). So, center mass shots to the book bag will probably be covered. That leaves most of the student unprotected (even if they are able to remove their backpack and use it as a shield in the direction of the shooter). Also, now taking bets on how many of these shields will return to school next fall with some "target practice" damage (note, shooting a "bullet proof" plate damages it's ability to protect against further shots). (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)
"'I cant help but think what if he had had a gun?' Stackhouse said. 'I’m still worried about my personal safety from any kind of retribution that might come back to me about this. It’s definitely a pretty upsetting experience and I feel like it’s going to take a long time to work through all of the feelings that it brought up.'" In a response to an unrelated tweet I talked about how sentencing guidelines really need to be revamped, and in this case where this "road rage" person is involved they will probably get less than a year in jail, if they see any time at all (beyond being detained during arrest). IMHO, they should get 10 years with a minimum of 5 years served in jail. (Grokked from Jim Wright)
"Billionaire conservative icon David Koch is stepping down from the Koch brothers’ network of business and political activities." Several thinky thought. It's still a little too early to sing, "The Witch Is Dead." And I really don't wish that kind of death on anyone (of "declining health"). Note, this argues against the concept of being so sour and vile in old age that the piss and vinegar helps preserve you for a long time. Also, he built his political machine to survive him. So Dave, thanks for warping the political fabric of our country so much as to lead to a despot sitting in the Oval Office (I know he wasn't your choice, but he is the end result of your politics even if you don't see it yet). Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
"The FCC has been unwilling or unable to produce any evidence an attack (during the comment period for reminding Net Neutrality) occurred—not to the reporters who’ve requested and even sued over it, and not to U.S. lawmakers who’ve demanded to see it. Instead, the agency conducted a quiet campaign to bolster its cyberattack story with the aid of friendly and easily duped reporters, chiefly by spreading word of an earlier cyberattack that its own security staff say never happened." (Grokked from Dan)
"A White House contractor wanted by police on an attempted first-degree murder charge was arrested as he came into work on Tuesday, law enforcement officials said… The contractor -- identified by the US Secret Service as Martese Edwards -- was working for the National Security Council, a person familiar with the matter said." Awkward day at the office.
"California Democrats overcame quirks in the state’s electoral system and managed to mount challenges to Republicans in most key Congressional races, as voters in eight U.S. states chose candidates for November’s midterm elections." It's not a "quirk" that the top 2 vote getter advance to the general election, that's the way it's supposed to work in California.
"A playbook known as Project Blitz, developed by a collection of Christian groups, has provided state politicians with a set of off-the-shelf pro-Christian 'model bills'." Based on the success of ALEC, this group is attempt to subvert the separation of Church and State. And this is why evangelicals love Trump, because they know he'll do nothing to stop them. "The bills are seemingly unrelated and range widely in content—from requiring public schools to display the national motto, 'In God We Trust' (IGWT); to legalizing discrimination against LGBTQ people; to religious exemptions regarding women’s reproductive health. The model bills, the legislative strategy and the talking points reflect the theocratic vision that’s animated a meaningful portion of the Christian Right for some time. In the context of Project Blitz’s 116-page playbook, however, they also reveal a sophisticated level of coordination and strategizing…" This is the side that has a real agenda (of which they've accused LGBTQ and feminists of for decades), and that agenda would take this country to a place abhorrent to anyone who understands the founding of the country. These people pose a clear and present danger. (Grokked from Sheila)
The NFL learns the lesson that once you're found to be "less pure" in your adulation of the despot, you can never appease them. The only time the authoritarian will forgive you is over your coffin, which they put you in. This is they only way they can ensure answering obedience. Before that happens he will force you to sacrifice everyone and everything. By making your act of genuflection by passing your "respect" policy, he will now demand your players, one by one. Then he'll take your property (possibly ending your cherished protected monopoly). It will never be enough to appease him until finally he takes you.
Also, as to the NFL policy, you tried to be clever with "show respect" in the policy statement, knowing that any prescribed actions could be worked around, but trust me there are still ways to comply and show solidarity with Black Lives Matter and demonstrate that the players believe they (their family, their fellows, other citizens, and in particular minorities) don't have the protections, rights, and opportunities that should comes as citizens. If you believe this is over, you are unprepared for what will happen this fall.
"The United States is pressing its European allies to get more NATO battalions, ships and planes ready for combat, officials say, in a fresh move to shore up NATO’s deterrence against any Russian attack." So that's an interesting gambit. However it feels like an opening move to express "US disappointment" in NATO's readiness plans. This would also require increased defense spending from our allies at a time where we are engaging in a new trade war with them and when they've just averted two major catastrophes for the Euro and are facing two more (Brexit and whateverthefuck is happening in Italy - waves to all my "Italian" friends - you all get up early to read me). And then there is this. "President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia arrived in Austria on Tuesday sensing an opportunity almost unimaginable just months ago: to overhaul frosty relations with a European Union infuriated by President Trump on a host of issues, from climate and Iran to, most recently, tariffs and trade." It's almost like these things have been timed to coordinate. And then you have the bizarre statement of our German Ambassador. "German politicians have criticised Donald Trump’s new ambassador to Germany after he said he wanted to 'empower' anti-establishment rightwing forces throughout Europe." You know, those same rightwing groups that want to break up the EU and have close ties with Putin.
Jesus, I feel like I'm right back in the 80s again.
"NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, which flew by Pluto in July of 2015, woke up today from hibernation mode in preparation for its next rendezvous with a space rock at the edge of the Solar System." Although Ultima Thule sounds like a boss monster in some video game.
"Despite its legality, auctioning off dinosaurs is part of a growing trend that threatens to take unstudied, prize specimens away from scientists who can't afford to buy them, said P. David Polly, the president of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology and a professor of sedimentary geology at Indiana University."
"The seat can vibrate on the right or the left to call out dangers on either side of the car. In one scenario, we're creeping along, about to enter a road from the parking lot. Bushes are obscuring our view of the car that's about to be in our path. The seat vibrates, and there's this… (SOUNDBITE OF BEEPING)" Dear auto industry, I ask you to learn about "task saturation" and why Air Force pilots turn off many warning systems in the cockpit.
"Ohio's medical marijuana program is supposed to be 'fully operational' by Sept. 8, but state officials acknowledged in April that won't be the case. Twenty-five companies have been awarded cultivation licenses, but none have been given the OK to begin growing plants." So, two dispensaries in Lakewood, two in Lake Country, but none in Geauga, Ashtabula, or Portage Counties.
"On Tuesday, the union announced that members voted more than 90% in favor of going on strike, if a deal is not reached before the current labor contract expires on August 1… UPS employs 260,000 Teamsters, and has added 40,000 union members since its current contract was reached five years ago. The shipments UPS transports equal an estimated 6% of the nation's GDP, which means a labor dispute could disrupt the US economy." Goes and makes more popcorn.
"Ever since a Starbucks in the Philadelphia area came under national scrutiny for calling the police on two black men waiting for a business associate in one of the company’s coffee shops, new attention has been focused on the long list of mundane activities that black Americans can’t confidently engage in without being treated as suspicious or having the police called." Life in post-racial America with Trump (not that he started it, but the pace of it has seemed to accelerate since January 2017).
"A South Dakota state lawmaker argued in a Facebook comment that businesses should be allowed to turn down people based on the color of their skin… The comment from state Rep. Michael Clark (R) came shortly after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because of his religious beliefs." Oh hello, Slope. My but you are a slippery one. (Grokked from Laura J Mixon)
"The entire graduating class at a Pennsylvania middle school was gifted bulletproof backpack plates as they prepare to head to high school next year… 'I never thought I’d need this,' one student told Fox 29." You shouldn't need it. This is just more examples of how badly the adults in the country have failed you. "Unequal president Rob Vito argued handguns and shotguns are 'useless' against a product like the one the company gifted the students." Dear Rob, it's not a magic shield. It will only protect what the shield is over (and only at a 60° or less angle to the shot if IIRC). So, center mass shots to the book bag will probably be covered. That leaves most of the student unprotected (even if they are able to remove their backpack and use it as a shield in the direction of the shooter). Also, now taking bets on how many of these shields will return to school next fall with some "target practice" damage (note, shooting a "bullet proof" plate damages it's ability to protect against further shots). (Grokked from Kameron Hurley)
"'I cant help but think what if he had had a gun?' Stackhouse said. 'I’m still worried about my personal safety from any kind of retribution that might come back to me about this. It’s definitely a pretty upsetting experience and I feel like it’s going to take a long time to work through all of the feelings that it brought up.'" In a response to an unrelated tweet I talked about how sentencing guidelines really need to be revamped, and in this case where this "road rage" person is involved they will probably get less than a year in jail, if they see any time at all (beyond being detained during arrest). IMHO, they should get 10 years with a minimum of 5 years served in jail. (Grokked from Jim Wright)
"Billionaire conservative icon David Koch is stepping down from the Koch brothers’ network of business and political activities." Several thinky thought. It's still a little too early to sing, "The Witch Is Dead." And I really don't wish that kind of death on anyone (of "declining health"). Note, this argues against the concept of being so sour and vile in old age that the piss and vinegar helps preserve you for a long time. Also, he built his political machine to survive him. So Dave, thanks for warping the political fabric of our country so much as to lead to a despot sitting in the Oval Office (I know he wasn't your choice, but he is the end result of your politics even if you don't see it yet). Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.
"The FCC has been unwilling or unable to produce any evidence an attack (during the comment period for reminding Net Neutrality) occurred—not to the reporters who’ve requested and even sued over it, and not to U.S. lawmakers who’ve demanded to see it. Instead, the agency conducted a quiet campaign to bolster its cyberattack story with the aid of friendly and easily duped reporters, chiefly by spreading word of an earlier cyberattack that its own security staff say never happened." (Grokked from Dan)
"A White House contractor wanted by police on an attempted first-degree murder charge was arrested as he came into work on Tuesday, law enforcement officials said… The contractor -- identified by the US Secret Service as Martese Edwards -- was working for the National Security Council, a person familiar with the matter said." Awkward day at the office.
"California Democrats overcame quirks in the state’s electoral system and managed to mount challenges to Republicans in most key Congressional races, as voters in eight U.S. states chose candidates for November’s midterm elections." It's not a "quirk" that the top 2 vote getter advance to the general election, that's the way it's supposed to work in California.
"A playbook known as Project Blitz, developed by a collection of Christian groups, has provided state politicians with a set of off-the-shelf pro-Christian 'model bills'." Based on the success of ALEC, this group is attempt to subvert the separation of Church and State. And this is why evangelicals love Trump, because they know he'll do nothing to stop them. "The bills are seemingly unrelated and range widely in content—from requiring public schools to display the national motto, 'In God We Trust' (IGWT); to legalizing discrimination against LGBTQ people; to religious exemptions regarding women’s reproductive health. The model bills, the legislative strategy and the talking points reflect the theocratic vision that’s animated a meaningful portion of the Christian Right for some time. In the context of Project Blitz’s 116-page playbook, however, they also reveal a sophisticated level of coordination and strategizing…" This is the side that has a real agenda (of which they've accused LGBTQ and feminists of for decades), and that agenda would take this country to a place abhorrent to anyone who understands the founding of the country. These people pose a clear and present danger. (Grokked from Sheila)
The NFL learns the lesson that once you're found to be "less pure" in your adulation of the despot, you can never appease them. The only time the authoritarian will forgive you is over your coffin, which they put you in. This is they only way they can ensure answering obedience. Before that happens he will force you to sacrifice everyone and everything. By making your act of genuflection by passing your "respect" policy, he will now demand your players, one by one. Then he'll take your property (possibly ending your cherished protected monopoly). It will never be enough to appease him until finally he takes you.
Also, as to the NFL policy, you tried to be clever with "show respect" in the policy statement, knowing that any prescribed actions could be worked around, but trust me there are still ways to comply and show solidarity with Black Lives Matter and demonstrate that the players believe they (their family, their fellows, other citizens, and in particular minorities) don't have the protections, rights, and opportunities that should comes as citizens. If you believe this is over, you are unprepared for what will happen this fall.
"The United States is pressing its European allies to get more NATO battalions, ships and planes ready for combat, officials say, in a fresh move to shore up NATO’s deterrence against any Russian attack." So that's an interesting gambit. However it feels like an opening move to express "US disappointment" in NATO's readiness plans. This would also require increased defense spending from our allies at a time where we are engaging in a new trade war with them and when they've just averted two major catastrophes for the Euro and are facing two more (Brexit and whateverthefuck is happening in Italy - waves to all my "Italian" friends - you all get up early to read me). And then there is this. "President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia arrived in Austria on Tuesday sensing an opportunity almost unimaginable just months ago: to overhaul frosty relations with a European Union infuriated by President Trump on a host of issues, from climate and Iran to, most recently, tariffs and trade." It's almost like these things have been timed to coordinate. And then you have the bizarre statement of our German Ambassador. "German politicians have criticised Donald Trump’s new ambassador to Germany after he said he wanted to 'empower' anti-establishment rightwing forces throughout Europe." You know, those same rightwing groups that want to break up the EU and have close ties with Putin.
Jesus, I feel like I'm right back in the 80s again.
Tuesday, June 5, 2018
Linkee-poo on a Tuesday
"You take a photo of yourself. Or someone takes a photo of you. And this photo is meant to imitate a really bad, really weird, really awkward author photo. Some real authors have terrible, terrible photos on their book jackets, and your job is to outdo those at every turn. Funny is good. Weird is wonderful. Clever is excellent." There can be only one entry. Make it a good one.
"Search-and-rescue workers headed to villages hit by Guatemala's Volcano of Fire early Monday after it spewed lava, ash, rocks and deadly hot gas, killing at least 33 people."
"NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has apparently found something intriguing on Mars, and the space agency will unveil the discovery Thursday (June 7)." I'll bet it's a lost sock.
"Israel’s High Court of Justice convened on Sunday to hear two petitions against controversial legislation which allows the state to expropriate privately owned Palestinian lands and retroactively legalize unsanctioned West Bank settlement outposts."
"Om specializes in styling curly, natural hair — something that Puerto Rican women often go to great lengths to straighten with strong chemicals and hair dryers." Colonialism only works when the colonizing power actually supports the colony. Yes, it's very exploitive, but there is an interaction, which is what I think I'm trying to say. Once the colony feels their either being ignored or exploited (economically, physically, psychologically) they will rebel.
"The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake to celebrate the marriage of a same sex couple because of a religious objection… The ruling was 7-2." A couple of thoughts, I'm going to start a religion with some deeply held believes against Social Conservative positions. Also, the ruling was both very narrow (mostly based on hostility the baker faced at the appeal level), and written to only affect this one case. Finally, the ruling wasn't close. Even if Clinton had won (or Merrick Garland had been given even the courtesy of a hearing) the case mostly likely would have gone the same way.
"We trace the money back to a Republican strategist named Chris Jankowski who hatched a brilliant scheme to reshape national politics for a bargain. The strategy was called the Redistricting Majority Project, or 'REDMAP.'" The Planet Money podcast on how we got here.
"Mexico is putting tariffs on imports of U.S. steel and farm products — including pork, cheese, apples and potatoes — as it hits back at the U.S. for the Trump administration's tariffs on steel and aluminum products from Mexico, Canada and the European Union." I bet all those jobs come roaring back. Any second now. Soon, probably.
"Prosecutors are accusing former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort of witness tampering as he awaits trial on conspiracy and money laundering charges — and they asked a judge to end his house arrest and consider pre-trial detention." The best part is the people he was trying to coerce turned him in.
Kids these days. "'This is the part of my speech where I share some inspirational quotes I found on Google,” he told the packed auditorium. “Don’t just get involved. Fight for your seat at the table. Better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table" — Donald J. Trump.'… The crowd burst into applause. President Trump is quite popular in Pineville and the surrounding area, which is the heart of coal country and overwhelmingly supported the president in the 2016 election after he promised to bring coal jobs back to America… 'Just kidding,' he said. 'That was Barack Obama.'" The kids are all right.
"President Trump has disinvited the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles from their planned visit Tuesday to the White House. The invitation was canceled over what Trump says is a disagreement on standing during the national anthem. In response, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said Mr. Trump's decision 'only proves that our president is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac.'" This makes the second or third event that had to be cancelled because people just said, "I don't want to be a part of this White House" and refused to show up. Also, the president acts like a troll and moves the goal posts from "if you don't want to stand for the National Anthem stay in the locker room" to equating even staying in the locker room as unpatriotic. Or in other words, compelled speech and action. The players must conform the the dear leader's wishes.
How should politicians act? "'They came there — they thought — to tell Bobby what the situation was in American civil rights and what he ought to be doing,' (Larry Tye, author of Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon) says. 'Bobby saw the meeting instead as his explaining all the things he and his brother were trying to do. He thought he should get a pat on the back; people thought he should get a kick in the butt.'… The administration was moving way too slowly, the group told Kennedy. Seething, Kennedy wrapped up the meeting and fumed for the next couple of days. Then, says Larry Tye, Robert Kennedy did what he often did… 'He started out with a narrow view of the world, and he ended up, not long after, being able to put himself in the shoes of the people he was facing off against. And in the end, deciding not only that they were right, but that he was going to do something about that.'"
"Search-and-rescue workers headed to villages hit by Guatemala's Volcano of Fire early Monday after it spewed lava, ash, rocks and deadly hot gas, killing at least 33 people."
"NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has apparently found something intriguing on Mars, and the space agency will unveil the discovery Thursday (June 7)." I'll bet it's a lost sock.
"Israel’s High Court of Justice convened on Sunday to hear two petitions against controversial legislation which allows the state to expropriate privately owned Palestinian lands and retroactively legalize unsanctioned West Bank settlement outposts."
"Om specializes in styling curly, natural hair — something that Puerto Rican women often go to great lengths to straighten with strong chemicals and hair dryers." Colonialism only works when the colonizing power actually supports the colony. Yes, it's very exploitive, but there is an interaction, which is what I think I'm trying to say. Once the colony feels their either being ignored or exploited (economically, physically, psychologically) they will rebel.
"The Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Colorado baker who refused to bake a cake to celebrate the marriage of a same sex couple because of a religious objection… The ruling was 7-2." A couple of thoughts, I'm going to start a religion with some deeply held believes against Social Conservative positions. Also, the ruling was both very narrow (mostly based on hostility the baker faced at the appeal level), and written to only affect this one case. Finally, the ruling wasn't close. Even if Clinton had won (or Merrick Garland had been given even the courtesy of a hearing) the case mostly likely would have gone the same way.
"We trace the money back to a Republican strategist named Chris Jankowski who hatched a brilliant scheme to reshape national politics for a bargain. The strategy was called the Redistricting Majority Project, or 'REDMAP.'" The Planet Money podcast on how we got here.
"Mexico is putting tariffs on imports of U.S. steel and farm products — including pork, cheese, apples and potatoes — as it hits back at the U.S. for the Trump administration's tariffs on steel and aluminum products from Mexico, Canada and the European Union." I bet all those jobs come roaring back. Any second now. Soon, probably.
"Prosecutors are accusing former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort of witness tampering as he awaits trial on conspiracy and money laundering charges — and they asked a judge to end his house arrest and consider pre-trial detention." The best part is the people he was trying to coerce turned him in.
Kids these days. "'This is the part of my speech where I share some inspirational quotes I found on Google,” he told the packed auditorium. “Don’t just get involved. Fight for your seat at the table. Better yet, fight for a seat at the head of the table" — Donald J. Trump.'… The crowd burst into applause. President Trump is quite popular in Pineville and the surrounding area, which is the heart of coal country and overwhelmingly supported the president in the 2016 election after he promised to bring coal jobs back to America… 'Just kidding,' he said. 'That was Barack Obama.'" The kids are all right.
"President Trump has disinvited the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles from their planned visit Tuesday to the White House. The invitation was canceled over what Trump says is a disagreement on standing during the national anthem. In response, Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said Mr. Trump's decision 'only proves that our president is not a true patriot, but a fragile egomaniac.'" This makes the second or third event that had to be cancelled because people just said, "I don't want to be a part of this White House" and refused to show up. Also, the president acts like a troll and moves the goal posts from "if you don't want to stand for the National Anthem stay in the locker room" to equating even staying in the locker room as unpatriotic. Or in other words, compelled speech and action. The players must conform the the dear leader's wishes.
How should politicians act? "'They came there — they thought — to tell Bobby what the situation was in American civil rights and what he ought to be doing,' (Larry Tye, author of Bobby Kennedy: The Making of a Liberal Icon) says. 'Bobby saw the meeting instead as his explaining all the things he and his brother were trying to do. He thought he should get a pat on the back; people thought he should get a kick in the butt.'… The administration was moving way too slowly, the group told Kennedy. Seething, Kennedy wrapped up the meeting and fumed for the next couple of days. Then, says Larry Tye, Robert Kennedy did what he often did… 'He started out with a narrow view of the world, and he ended up, not long after, being able to put himself in the shoes of the people he was facing off against. And in the end, deciding not only that they were right, but that he was going to do something about that.'"
Monday, June 4, 2018
Linkee-poo walked up the pier from the coffin ships landing
"It only covers about 178 workers, but it's still a union foothold: Flight-readiness technicians and inspectors at Boeing's factory in North Charleston, S.C., voted to unionize on Thursday, more than a year after a broader union vote failed at the plant that makes Boeing 787 airliners." Boeing intentionally moved production to South Carolina, a "right to work" state, as a big middle-finger to unions (specifically in Washington and Illinois). How shitty of an employer do you have to be to lose like this… in South Carolina? It's a small foothold, but still. (Grokked in a round-about way from Laura J Nixon)
I tried to make a point about the whole Samantha Bee thing the other day. Rebecca Traister makes the point with nothing but net. (Grokked from Chang)
"But the panel recently softened its stance, recommending the PSA screening test for men 55 to 69, adding that taking the test is still the patient’s choice… 'Now the question is why not screen men younger than 55? The panel said they didn’t include that group because they didn’t have the data.'" Science can be a motherfucker sometimes.
"I was wildly impatient for everything to be normal again. I laugh at that now, think: fat chance. Friends already thought I was. It’s so great that you are back to normal, they’d say. But I couldn’t eat and was frightened of recurrence. I know, isn’t it fantastic! I would reply, which made me feel alone with my non-normal, wanting-to-be-back-to-normal self. When I told Dr Suleman, a UCLH Macmillan clinical psychologist, he said: yours is a common response. In other words, quite normal." Fuck cancer.
"Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) isn’t mincing words about his so-called 'right to try' bill, signed into law by President Trump on Wednesday. In a feisty letter to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Thursday, Johnson put things bluntly: 'this law intends to diminish the FDA’s power.'" We can trust the drug companies to do the right thing, can't we? And I'm sure all the doctors are up to date on all the new drugs out in trials, like where and how they can be use. I'm sure no one will abuse this power to skirt "off label" prescribing. And, man, these leprechauns flying out of my ass sure hurt, I'm assuming there's a drug for that too. (Grokked from John)
"Philip Alston, U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, has spent the past several months visiting impoverished communities across the United States. In one visit to Alabama, he met a family struggling to maintain their home on an income of $958 a month… On the day of his visit, he said, sewage was visible inches from the family's house — a reflection of their county's failing infrastructure — and mildew and mold were growing inside. Alston said he had never seen sewage problems like it in the developed world." Well, Trump never said which part would be "great".
"As Facebook sought to become the world’s dominant social media service, it struck agreements allowing phone and other device makers access to vast amounts of its users’ personal information." When at a poker game, if you can't tell who's the mark, you are. You are the product. (Grokked from Katheryn Cramer)
How biased is Fox News? Okay, here's their report on the Portland clash between antifa and the so-called "Patriot Prayer" group. And then here's a Newsweek article on the same event. Note in the Fox News there's no mention of the alt-right connections within the Patriot Prayer Group (also note the photo of supposed black members of the Patriot Prayer group on the Fox News site). Here's a SPLC report on one of their rallies from earlier this year. "Since then, there has been a steady drumbeat of white nationalists from such organizations as Traditionalist Workers Party, Identity Evropa, and True Cascadia showing up at Patriot Prayer events, and often playing leading roles in the ensuing violence at those rallies. At one point, following the events involving an alt-right protest in Charlottesville, VA, Gibson vocally denounced white supremacists from a stage in downtown Seattle." The friends you keep.
"In a draft memo to be circulated on Friday, the Department of Energy (DOE) argues in favor of using a wartime rule called the Defense Production Act to bail out failing coal and nuclear plants, according to Bloomberg, which obtained a copy of the memo." Your electrical bill is about to go up. I don't want to ever hear another conservative talk about the "free market."
"President Donald Trump moved markets and busted norms on Friday morning with a tweet about the May employment report more than an hour before the numbers came out… The post appeared to skirt strict rules on government employees not commenting on the highly sensitive economic data until an hour after its public release at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time." Why? Because Wall Street wasn't taking so kindly to the trade war. So here was a little way to goose the numbers.
"A federal study found signs that surveillance devices for intercepting cellphone calls and texts were operating near the White House and other sensitive locations in the Washington area last year." Quite probably domestic intelligence gathering, but just a reminder that the president is rumored to use an unsecured cell phone. (Grokked from Dan)
"A Texas children's shelter believed to be housing 'hundreds' of undocumented immigrant children separated from their families under a new Trump administration policy called police on a Democratic Senator for simply asking to be let into the facility." Nothing to see here, citizen. Move along. (Grokked from Katheryn Cramer)
"China has warned that all trade talks between Beijing and Washington will be void if the US sets up trade sanctions." Guess what's going to happen. Also, I wonder when news organizations are going to get hip to the fact that China has already signed soybean contracts with Brazil for the next year?
"A new Russian influence operation has surfaced that mirrors some of the activity of an internet firm that the FBI says was deeply involved in efforts to sway the 2016 U.S. elections, a cybersecurity firm says." "USA Really"? Really? "Oh no, comrade, we are only serious USA peoples here." If watching the twitter feed of Jim Wright is any metric, troll and bot accounts are on an upswing. This weekend I saw my first Russian Troll attempt to engage me on twitter from a post I did that wasn't in response to anyone, didn't tag anyone, and didn't use a hash tag. The account had been online for less than a month. Seriously, dudes, fail better. (Grokked from Katheryn Cramer)
I tried to make a point about the whole Samantha Bee thing the other day. Rebecca Traister makes the point with nothing but net. (Grokked from Chang)
"But the panel recently softened its stance, recommending the PSA screening test for men 55 to 69, adding that taking the test is still the patient’s choice… 'Now the question is why not screen men younger than 55? The panel said they didn’t include that group because they didn’t have the data.'" Science can be a motherfucker sometimes.
"I was wildly impatient for everything to be normal again. I laugh at that now, think: fat chance. Friends already thought I was. It’s so great that you are back to normal, they’d say. But I couldn’t eat and was frightened of recurrence. I know, isn’t it fantastic! I would reply, which made me feel alone with my non-normal, wanting-to-be-back-to-normal self. When I told Dr Suleman, a UCLH Macmillan clinical psychologist, he said: yours is a common response. In other words, quite normal." Fuck cancer.
"Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) isn’t mincing words about his so-called 'right to try' bill, signed into law by President Trump on Wednesday. In a feisty letter to Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb Thursday, Johnson put things bluntly: 'this law intends to diminish the FDA’s power.'" We can trust the drug companies to do the right thing, can't we? And I'm sure all the doctors are up to date on all the new drugs out in trials, like where and how they can be use. I'm sure no one will abuse this power to skirt "off label" prescribing. And, man, these leprechauns flying out of my ass sure hurt, I'm assuming there's a drug for that too. (Grokked from John)
"Philip Alston, U.N. special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, has spent the past several months visiting impoverished communities across the United States. In one visit to Alabama, he met a family struggling to maintain their home on an income of $958 a month… On the day of his visit, he said, sewage was visible inches from the family's house — a reflection of their county's failing infrastructure — and mildew and mold were growing inside. Alston said he had never seen sewage problems like it in the developed world." Well, Trump never said which part would be "great".
"As Facebook sought to become the world’s dominant social media service, it struck agreements allowing phone and other device makers access to vast amounts of its users’ personal information." When at a poker game, if you can't tell who's the mark, you are. You are the product. (Grokked from Katheryn Cramer)
How biased is Fox News? Okay, here's their report on the Portland clash between antifa and the so-called "Patriot Prayer" group. And then here's a Newsweek article on the same event. Note in the Fox News there's no mention of the alt-right connections within the Patriot Prayer Group (also note the photo of supposed black members of the Patriot Prayer group on the Fox News site). Here's a SPLC report on one of their rallies from earlier this year. "Since then, there has been a steady drumbeat of white nationalists from such organizations as Traditionalist Workers Party, Identity Evropa, and True Cascadia showing up at Patriot Prayer events, and often playing leading roles in the ensuing violence at those rallies. At one point, following the events involving an alt-right protest in Charlottesville, VA, Gibson vocally denounced white supremacists from a stage in downtown Seattle." The friends you keep.
"In a draft memo to be circulated on Friday, the Department of Energy (DOE) argues in favor of using a wartime rule called the Defense Production Act to bail out failing coal and nuclear plants, according to Bloomberg, which obtained a copy of the memo." Your electrical bill is about to go up. I don't want to ever hear another conservative talk about the "free market."
"President Donald Trump moved markets and busted norms on Friday morning with a tweet about the May employment report more than an hour before the numbers came out… The post appeared to skirt strict rules on government employees not commenting on the highly sensitive economic data until an hour after its public release at 8:30 a.m. Eastern time." Why? Because Wall Street wasn't taking so kindly to the trade war. So here was a little way to goose the numbers.
"A federal study found signs that surveillance devices for intercepting cellphone calls and texts were operating near the White House and other sensitive locations in the Washington area last year." Quite probably domestic intelligence gathering, but just a reminder that the president is rumored to use an unsecured cell phone. (Grokked from Dan)
"A Texas children's shelter believed to be housing 'hundreds' of undocumented immigrant children separated from their families under a new Trump administration policy called police on a Democratic Senator for simply asking to be let into the facility." Nothing to see here, citizen. Move along. (Grokked from Katheryn Cramer)
"China has warned that all trade talks between Beijing and Washington will be void if the US sets up trade sanctions." Guess what's going to happen. Also, I wonder when news organizations are going to get hip to the fact that China has already signed soybean contracts with Brazil for the next year?
"A new Russian influence operation has surfaced that mirrors some of the activity of an internet firm that the FBI says was deeply involved in efforts to sway the 2016 U.S. elections, a cybersecurity firm says." "USA Really"? Really? "Oh no, comrade, we are only serious USA peoples here." If watching the twitter feed of Jim Wright is any metric, troll and bot accounts are on an upswing. This weekend I saw my first Russian Troll attempt to engage me on twitter from a post I did that wasn't in response to anyone, didn't tag anyone, and didn't use a hash tag. The account had been online for less than a month. Seriously, dudes, fail better. (Grokked from Katheryn Cramer)
Friday, June 1, 2018
Linkee-poo, quick, everybody look busy
"Frozen Pluto has wind-blown dunes made of methane sand." (Grokked from John)
"Comedian Samantha Bee has apologized for a vulgar epithet she used to describe the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, saying she 'crossed a line' earlier this week on an episode of her TBS show." Please don't try and tell me you think calling the president's daughter a cunt while pointing out her public hypocrisy when it comes to her personal convictions and her either unwillingness or inability to confront her father for exhibiting the worst behaviors that are counter to those convictions is equal to Roseanne's racial attack on Valerie Jarrett. First I will counter on the difference between punching up and punching down. Should Samantha Bee have used "cunt"? No. But misogynistic vile swill is slightly less objectionable than racist and misogynistic vile swill, punching up (politically) is Samantha Bee's whole show where as Roseanne Barr's comment was in a personal context and unnecessary against someone who has little sway, and Disney is a very different company (and brand) than TBS. Also, as I pointed out on Twitter, Roseanne's second episode drew 25 million viewers, that was down to 15 million in the middle of May, and was just 10 million at the end of May. Ten million is decent numbers for the time slot on broadcast TV, but overall not for a new show (most of the competition was in reruns). And losing roughly 5 million viewers a week is not a good trajectory.
"Wushu has got to be the most dangerous team sport in the world." Uh, yeah. (Grokked from Dan)
Poor Michael Cohen, so much pressure for just being the president's lawyer. Yeah, that's complete bullshit. "For the first time, audio recordings of Cohen's legal threats, from a 2015 Daily Beast interview, are being published." Cohen is one of those people who finally did what they do to exactly the wrong person. Sure, Avenatti is playing it for all he can (while making his own star in the legal field) and could fumble it, but that won't help Cohen and his legal troubles. And no, I don't believe the spin that Cohen is only doing the pressure thing because Trump is making him. He's a smart guy. He could have left. He's doing it because he can and he's getting a lot (comparative term) of money to be that way. Well, don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Cohen (and most of Trump's circle as well as Trump himself) thought they could do this the old fashioned way, out of the spotlight. Well, Bucko, welcome to the big league. And about the loyalty question, dudes, seriously, there is no loyalty amongst thieves.
"Migrants who enter the U.S. illegally shouldn’t be surprised by recent reports of children being separated from their parents at the border — they should expect it, a top immigration official said Thursday." Jack-Booted thug is well-spoken and sounds reasonable, all while remaining a jack-booted thug. We have this picture in our head of authoritarians screaming at people which comes from our WWII propaganda and Hitler's speeches (well, and to all accounts Hitler had an explosive temper). Most authoritarians are calm and sound reasonable. They wear suits and dresses, have board room meetings, office lunches, drinks over dinner, tell acceptable (and unacceptable) jokes, and they'll calmly, and reasonably, discuss how they're horrible humans. Germans, Serbians, and Khmer Rouge picnicked while they exterminated people they felt were undesirable and less than humans (sometimes having picnics at the camps and places of extermination). Public lynchings in the South often were accompanied by pot-lucks, community events, speeches. Hell, some people sold refreshments to the crowds. And afterwards there were "auctions" for souvenirs. Abusive personalities are well behaved in public. This is what disarms most people (and why most abusive households look "normal" from the outside). Pedophiles buy their kids Christmas and birthday presents, because that's "normal." The evil overlord never thinks they're evil.
The pardons are just a "softening up" maneuver to get us used to another break with tradition while Trump prepares us for him pardoning the majority of people Mueller has indicted (which won't work with Cohen because those are state crimes, not federal crimes).
"Comedian Samantha Bee has apologized for a vulgar epithet she used to describe the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, saying she 'crossed a line' earlier this week on an episode of her TBS show." Please don't try and tell me you think calling the president's daughter a cunt while pointing out her public hypocrisy when it comes to her personal convictions and her either unwillingness or inability to confront her father for exhibiting the worst behaviors that are counter to those convictions is equal to Roseanne's racial attack on Valerie Jarrett. First I will counter on the difference between punching up and punching down. Should Samantha Bee have used "cunt"? No. But misogynistic vile swill is slightly less objectionable than racist and misogynistic vile swill, punching up (politically) is Samantha Bee's whole show where as Roseanne Barr's comment was in a personal context and unnecessary against someone who has little sway, and Disney is a very different company (and brand) than TBS. Also, as I pointed out on Twitter, Roseanne's second episode drew 25 million viewers, that was down to 15 million in the middle of May, and was just 10 million at the end of May. Ten million is decent numbers for the time slot on broadcast TV, but overall not for a new show (most of the competition was in reruns). And losing roughly 5 million viewers a week is not a good trajectory.
"Wushu has got to be the most dangerous team sport in the world." Uh, yeah. (Grokked from Dan)
Poor Michael Cohen, so much pressure for just being the president's lawyer. Yeah, that's complete bullshit. "For the first time, audio recordings of Cohen's legal threats, from a 2015 Daily Beast interview, are being published." Cohen is one of those people who finally did what they do to exactly the wrong person. Sure, Avenatti is playing it for all he can (while making his own star in the legal field) and could fumble it, but that won't help Cohen and his legal troubles. And no, I don't believe the spin that Cohen is only doing the pressure thing because Trump is making him. He's a smart guy. He could have left. He's doing it because he can and he's getting a lot (comparative term) of money to be that way. Well, don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Cohen (and most of Trump's circle as well as Trump himself) thought they could do this the old fashioned way, out of the spotlight. Well, Bucko, welcome to the big league. And about the loyalty question, dudes, seriously, there is no loyalty amongst thieves.
"Migrants who enter the U.S. illegally shouldn’t be surprised by recent reports of children being separated from their parents at the border — they should expect it, a top immigration official said Thursday." Jack-Booted thug is well-spoken and sounds reasonable, all while remaining a jack-booted thug. We have this picture in our head of authoritarians screaming at people which comes from our WWII propaganda and Hitler's speeches (well, and to all accounts Hitler had an explosive temper). Most authoritarians are calm and sound reasonable. They wear suits and dresses, have board room meetings, office lunches, drinks over dinner, tell acceptable (and unacceptable) jokes, and they'll calmly, and reasonably, discuss how they're horrible humans. Germans, Serbians, and Khmer Rouge picnicked while they exterminated people they felt were undesirable and less than humans (sometimes having picnics at the camps and places of extermination). Public lynchings in the South often were accompanied by pot-lucks, community events, speeches. Hell, some people sold refreshments to the crowds. And afterwards there were "auctions" for souvenirs. Abusive personalities are well behaved in public. This is what disarms most people (and why most abusive households look "normal" from the outside). Pedophiles buy their kids Christmas and birthday presents, because that's "normal." The evil overlord never thinks they're evil.
The pardons are just a "softening up" maneuver to get us used to another break with tradition while Trump prepares us for him pardoning the majority of people Mueller has indicted (which won't work with Cohen because those are state crimes, not federal crimes).
Linkee-poo loves the smell of links in the morning
So, what's been happening while I was gone? :: looks at news feeds :: Oh gods. Whelp, better get these outa the way cause it looks like it's going to be a bumpy night.
"Actress Roseanne Barr says she was 'Ambien tweeting' at 2 in the morning when she posted a racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a former senior adviser in the Obama White House, that caused ABC to cancel her TV show." Oddly, being racist actually isn't a side-effect of Ambien. And once again we learn the real victimization culture in the US is dominated by conservatives.
"The board of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has voted to fire its longtime president, Paige Patterson, who was ousted from the top post last week amid controversy over past counsel he had given women concerning marital abuse and rape." Well, that only took a few decades (and "new" information).
"The poop is sealed inside a plastic bag and hauled off the next space trash day, Whitson said. When it's too full, astronauts must 'put a rubber glove on and pack it down.' That's what happens when the ISS toilet is working. When it malfunctions, astronauts will occasionally have to deal with floating poop." Wonder why we didn't see that in Starship Troopers (or really almost any Space Opera)?
"This ancient lizard was the direct ancestor of approximately 10,000 species alive today that have inhabited the planet for more than 240 million years."
"An alternative to storage involves turning the carbon that's captured into a useful product—something the XPrize has made one of its challenges. Doing so requires two things: overcoming the chemical stability of CO2 and making a product that sells at a profit. We recently stumbled across a bit of creative chemistry that turns carbon dioxide from the air into a product that should be profitable: high-quality carbon nanotubes." We're saved! No, not really. We're still boned, even if they figure out how to make it work well. (Grokked from John)
"One particularly intriguing line of research seeks to train computers to diagnose one of the deadliest of all malignancies, pancreatic cancer, when the disease is still readily treatable." Prostate cancer is one of the hardest to diagnose and it's often missed by radiologists until it's too late. Adding an AI to look over all abdomen CT scans for its signs is an excellent step forward. Also, it's good to see some thought being put into how to train learning programs.
"There’s no question that exercise is good for the body, and there is growing evidence that staying physically active can help slow the normal declines in brain function that come with age. Health groups recommend that adults try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-intense activity a week to keep their hearts healthy — but is that the same amount that’s needed to keep the brain sharp?"
"A Middletown woman who worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative testified in court Wednesday that as a New Jersey sales representative for Insys, an Arizona-based pharmaceutical company, she participated in a scheme in which doctors were paid kickbacks and bribes in exchange for prescribing Subsys, a powerful fentanyl-based opioid painkiller." And there's the smoking gun. Also this whole "speakers' fee" battle has been going on for decades. I'm surprised to see pharmaceutical companies still using it.
"In March 1968, a journalist from France's Le Monde newspaper claimed that the French were too bored to take part in the upheaval that had begun sweeping other countries that year. There was peace and prosperity in France. But there was also an entrenched, patriarchal society led by a deeply conservative president, Charles de Gaulle, who in 1968 had already been in power for 10 years. And there was a generation of young people yearning for greater freedom." How did that work out?
"If fresh elections are required, furious Italians could be expected to vote in even greater numbers for the same anti-establishment politicians who nominated the euroskeptic minister in the first place. Only this time, those leaders may make a fight with Brussels the centerpiece of their campaign, targeting the euro and European rules that tightly restrict how governments spend their money." Drunk and angry ain't no way to go through life.
"'Italy’s fate does not lie in the hands of financial markets,' European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said this week. The bond vigilantes might have something to say about that."
"The president and his top officials have been at odds with each other — and sometimes even themselves — when it comes to defining the U.S. negotiating position with Kim Jong Un." Policy? What policy? Also, we have a meeting, we don't have a meeting, Un cancelled before Trump did, it's all a shit show. Also, there's no way we're going to get a "complete, permanent" nuclear solution in N Korea.
"But when it comes to selling Trump’s Iran strategy and other foreign policy initiatives, the White House has been blasting out its talking points to an uncharacteristically inclusive list of foreign policy heavyweights — including former Obama administration officials, advisers to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and critics who have publicly accused Trump of being, across the board, 'bad at playing president.'"
"Actress Roseanne Barr says she was 'Ambien tweeting' at 2 in the morning when she posted a racist tweet about Valerie Jarrett, a former senior adviser in the Obama White House, that caused ABC to cancel her TV show." Oddly, being racist actually isn't a side-effect of Ambien. And once again we learn the real victimization culture in the US is dominated by conservatives.
"The board of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary has voted to fire its longtime president, Paige Patterson, who was ousted from the top post last week amid controversy over past counsel he had given women concerning marital abuse and rape." Well, that only took a few decades (and "new" information).
"The poop is sealed inside a plastic bag and hauled off the next space trash day, Whitson said. When it's too full, astronauts must 'put a rubber glove on and pack it down.' That's what happens when the ISS toilet is working. When it malfunctions, astronauts will occasionally have to deal with floating poop." Wonder why we didn't see that in Starship Troopers (or really almost any Space Opera)?
"This ancient lizard was the direct ancestor of approximately 10,000 species alive today that have inhabited the planet for more than 240 million years."
"An alternative to storage involves turning the carbon that's captured into a useful product—something the XPrize has made one of its challenges. Doing so requires two things: overcoming the chemical stability of CO2 and making a product that sells at a profit. We recently stumbled across a bit of creative chemistry that turns carbon dioxide from the air into a product that should be profitable: high-quality carbon nanotubes." We're saved! No, not really. We're still boned, even if they figure out how to make it work well. (Grokked from John)
"One particularly intriguing line of research seeks to train computers to diagnose one of the deadliest of all malignancies, pancreatic cancer, when the disease is still readily treatable." Prostate cancer is one of the hardest to diagnose and it's often missed by radiologists until it's too late. Adding an AI to look over all abdomen CT scans for its signs is an excellent step forward. Also, it's good to see some thought being put into how to train learning programs.
"There’s no question that exercise is good for the body, and there is growing evidence that staying physically active can help slow the normal declines in brain function that come with age. Health groups recommend that adults try to get at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-intense activity a week to keep their hearts healthy — but is that the same amount that’s needed to keep the brain sharp?"
"A Middletown woman who worked as a pharmaceutical sales representative testified in court Wednesday that as a New Jersey sales representative for Insys, an Arizona-based pharmaceutical company, she participated in a scheme in which doctors were paid kickbacks and bribes in exchange for prescribing Subsys, a powerful fentanyl-based opioid painkiller." And there's the smoking gun. Also this whole "speakers' fee" battle has been going on for decades. I'm surprised to see pharmaceutical companies still using it.
"In March 1968, a journalist from France's Le Monde newspaper claimed that the French were too bored to take part in the upheaval that had begun sweeping other countries that year. There was peace and prosperity in France. But there was also an entrenched, patriarchal society led by a deeply conservative president, Charles de Gaulle, who in 1968 had already been in power for 10 years. And there was a generation of young people yearning for greater freedom." How did that work out?
"If fresh elections are required, furious Italians could be expected to vote in even greater numbers for the same anti-establishment politicians who nominated the euroskeptic minister in the first place. Only this time, those leaders may make a fight with Brussels the centerpiece of their campaign, targeting the euro and European rules that tightly restrict how governments spend their money." Drunk and angry ain't no way to go through life.
"'Italy’s fate does not lie in the hands of financial markets,' European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said this week. The bond vigilantes might have something to say about that."
"The president and his top officials have been at odds with each other — and sometimes even themselves — when it comes to defining the U.S. negotiating position with Kim Jong Un." Policy? What policy? Also, we have a meeting, we don't have a meeting, Un cancelled before Trump did, it's all a shit show. Also, there's no way we're going to get a "complete, permanent" nuclear solution in N Korea.
"But when it comes to selling Trump’s Iran strategy and other foreign policy initiatives, the White House has been blasting out its talking points to an uncharacteristically inclusive list of foreign policy heavyweights — including former Obama administration officials, advisers to Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign, and critics who have publicly accused Trump of being, across the board, 'bad at playing president.'"
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
Linkee-poo for Wednesday
"Venus is an important destination for future space exploration endeavors. However, it presents a unique set of challenges. Though its internal geology is similar to Earth’s, its surface is hot enough to melt lead and is covered with craters, volcanoes, mountains, and lava plains." How to explore Venus (I think I've read a few stories like this). (Grokked from Dan)
"The state’s top school official is trying to downplay — and in some cases remove entirely — references to evolution in the science standards of what students are supposed to be taught in Arizona high schools." (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
"In the weeks since the Kilauea volcano began belching lava into Hawaii's residential areas, the fiery flow has destroyed dozens of structures and covered scores of acres on the Big Island. But authorities fear its destructive reach could ravage at least two more cornerstones of the state: its power supply and, a little less tangibly, its all-important tourism industry." Remember a few years ago when we were building a new telescope observatory that was going to disturb an area sacred to the goddesses of Hawaii and they hired some priestesses to offer balm to the goddesses? Yeah. Think we might have to do that again, and maybe this time spring for the good whiskey.
Remember that Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate story about his facebook page that I said you should take with a big grin of salt. Here's a Snoopes post on him (including that claim, which they say is "unproven", but has a whole bunch of other stuff). "A Tulsa-based businessman running for governor of Oklahoma was the center of controversy in May 2018, when posts appeared on his campaign’s Facebook page in which he appeared to call for disabled people in receipt of government benefits to be euthanized or left to 'starve and die.'" He and his husband seem to be serial litigators constantly calling others Nazis and "little Hitlers." And they seem like wonderful people, not. But finally, "Mangum (his "maiden" name) is unlikely to feature among the contenders in a ten-way race which — as of May — was led by Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb, former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, and businessman Kevin Stitt." Well thank the gods for that.
"A sinkhole has developed on the White House’s North Lawn, reporters observed Tuesday." Melania trying to dig her way out? Nascent hell-mouth? Even the Earth attempting to swallow the evil of Trump? It's where the minions will emerge? I could go on for days. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
"Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Tuesday that she was unaware of intelligence assessments concluding that Russia favored President Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election." To be fair, the government does generate lots of memos on any given day. It's impossible to read all of them. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"So the special counsel's office just wants to silence Stone, he said — but it's not doing a very good job… Stone is reaching out to reporters daily, appearing on news shows and promoting a new book, Stone's Rules, about his rules for life as mentioned in a Netflix documentary about him called Get Me Roger Stone… He is also raising money for his legal defense, hosting a show five days a week on the conspiracy-minded website InfoWars and writing a regular political column on his personal website." So two thoughts here. One, if I were cynical I would think this was just a publicity grab to sell books. Two, oh hell, Roger, you keep right on talking (as the prosecution takes notes).
"At this point, it’s looking as if Trump’s tough talk on China trade will turn out to be as empty as his tough talk on, say drug prices. Faced with the prospect of actually going toe to toe with powerful interests – as opposed to doing harm to desperate immigrants, poor people who need health care, etc. – Trump keeps backing down, ignominiously. But what happened to all that bluster about trade wars being 'good, and easy to win'?" (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"The state’s top school official is trying to downplay — and in some cases remove entirely — references to evolution in the science standards of what students are supposed to be taught in Arizona high schools." (Grokked from Chuck Wendig)
"In the weeks since the Kilauea volcano began belching lava into Hawaii's residential areas, the fiery flow has destroyed dozens of structures and covered scores of acres on the Big Island. But authorities fear its destructive reach could ravage at least two more cornerstones of the state: its power supply and, a little less tangibly, its all-important tourism industry." Remember a few years ago when we were building a new telescope observatory that was going to disturb an area sacred to the goddesses of Hawaii and they hired some priestesses to offer balm to the goddesses? Yeah. Think we might have to do that again, and maybe this time spring for the good whiskey.
Remember that Oklahoma gubernatorial candidate story about his facebook page that I said you should take with a big grin of salt. Here's a Snoopes post on him (including that claim, which they say is "unproven", but has a whole bunch of other stuff). "A Tulsa-based businessman running for governor of Oklahoma was the center of controversy in May 2018, when posts appeared on his campaign’s Facebook page in which he appeared to call for disabled people in receipt of government benefits to be euthanized or left to 'starve and die.'" He and his husband seem to be serial litigators constantly calling others Nazis and "little Hitlers." And they seem like wonderful people, not. But finally, "Mangum (his "maiden" name) is unlikely to feature among the contenders in a ten-way race which — as of May — was led by Lieutenant Governor Todd Lamb, former Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett, and businessman Kevin Stitt." Well thank the gods for that.
"A sinkhole has developed on the White House’s North Lawn, reporters observed Tuesday." Melania trying to dig her way out? Nascent hell-mouth? Even the Earth attempting to swallow the evil of Trump? It's where the minions will emerge? I could go on for days. (Grokked from Xeni Jardin)
"Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said Tuesday that she was unaware of intelligence assessments concluding that Russia favored President Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election." To be fair, the government does generate lots of memos on any given day. It's impossible to read all of them. (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
"So the special counsel's office just wants to silence Stone, he said — but it's not doing a very good job… Stone is reaching out to reporters daily, appearing on news shows and promoting a new book, Stone's Rules, about his rules for life as mentioned in a Netflix documentary about him called Get Me Roger Stone… He is also raising money for his legal defense, hosting a show five days a week on the conspiracy-minded website InfoWars and writing a regular political column on his personal website." So two thoughts here. One, if I were cynical I would think this was just a publicity grab to sell books. Two, oh hell, Roger, you keep right on talking (as the prosecution takes notes).
"At this point, it’s looking as if Trump’s tough talk on China trade will turn out to be as empty as his tough talk on, say drug prices. Faced with the prospect of actually going toe to toe with powerful interests – as opposed to doing harm to desperate immigrants, poor people who need health care, etc. – Trump keeps backing down, ignominiously. But what happened to all that bluster about trade wars being 'good, and easy to win'?" (Grokked from Kathryn Cramer)
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