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By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
Variety readers, we at the moment are at 177 donors, or 44% of our purpose of 400 donors (25 greater than final yr). If you happen to take pleasure in beginning Water Cooler with a birdsong, and ending Water Cooler with a stunning {photograph} of a plant (or honorary plant (or reader challenge)), please assist Water Cooler. I hope you benefit from the birds and crops as a lot as I do. –lambert
Chicken Tune of the Day
Pygmy Nuthatch, Mt. Lemmon, Arizona, United States. “About eight.” Busy busy busy!
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In Case You Would possibly Miss…
(1) The multi-threaded epic debacle at Boeing.
(2) Spooks and gaming.
(3) What the TikTok invoice actually says.
(3) WHO downgrades SARS-CoV-2 to BSL2 (however there’s a catch).
Search for the Helpers
Lambert right here: I hope readers will ship in additional examples like this (“brighten the nook the place you’re“). The helper(s) don’t have to be heroic, not to mention dramatic, or ego-driven, and positively not institutional. To quote, of all individuals, the American Enterprise Institute, writing on Occupy, and citing to David Graeber:
Along with trucking, bartering, and knocking one another over the top, Graeber argues that human beings additionally interact in an entirely totally different type of financial exercise: We frequently share issues we’ve got with others. When Graeber says that we’re already communists, he’s referring to these fairly acquainted conditions during which we actually do function by the maxim “From every in response to his means, to every in response to his want.”
Folks of all cultures, together with our personal, invariably apply the communism of on a regular basis life when coping with their household and shut associates. A mom doesn’t count on her youngster to pay her for her baby-sitting companies. A brother doesn’t lease out his baseball glove to his brother on an hourly foundation. If a good friend is sick and wishes one thing from the shop, we choose it up for her and would by no means consider asking for fuel cash in return.
As Graeber factors out, this type of habits comes out most conspicuously throughout a disaster, similar to a pure catastrophe. At such occasions, individuals will voluntarily, even cheerfully, lengthen a serving to hand to those that are most in want of 1. Much less dramatically, the identical precept is at work each time we’re at a retailer that has a field on the counter that claims “Go away a penny, take a penny,” meant to assist out those that don’t have the precise change. In all these instances we’re witnessing the spontaneous utility of the communist maxim, “From every in response to his means, to every in response to his want.”
In our more and more determined, atomized, and fragile neoliberal society, regular incidents and tales of “the communism of on a regular basis life” are what I’m searching for (and never, say, the Purple Cross in Hawaii, and even the UNWRA in Gaza). For instance–
“NYC’s unlikely hero: A subway ‘ninja’ who shares vibes and canned items” [New York Post (NL)]. “Three days every week, Ray Tarvin, 35, fits up in all black — like an ‘Previous West’ ninja — and patrols the Fifth Avenue/53rd Avenue subway station, spreading optimistic vibes and handing out water and canned items to these in want. ‘I’d see individuals undergo trash cans searching for meals — there’s a number of them in New York Metropolis — and my coronary heart instructed me to stack up on, like, canned items and water and simply, you already know, cross it out.’ Tarvin, a slight and soft-spoken temp worker who works safety shifts in banks by day, begins his shift within the subway round 3 p.m. most Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. He grooves to oldies on an outdated flip cellphone and provides thumbs-ups and fist bumps to straphangers.” • Flip telephones are the very best!
My electronic mail deal with is down by the plant; please ship examples of “Helpers” there.
Politics
Lambert right here: Variety readers: I’ve been writing day by day on the American political scene since 2003 or so; I lower my tooth running a blog on the Bush WMD story. And “I’m not drained,” as Arlo Guthrie sings in Alice’s Restaurant. After so a few years, I don’t really feel I’ve something to show, and I’m not that keen on making “calls” (although readers will recall my Trump protection in 2016). What I’m keen on: Providing you with the instruments to interpret the information of politics, as it’s introduced to us. I attempt to be as concrete as doable, about personalities, localities (“all politics is native”), strategies, historical past, all so as which you can come to the absolute best political selections (voting, not voting, no matter). to me, politics by no means will get outdated! “However what’s authorities itself, however the best of all reflections on human nature?”, as Madison places it in Federalist 51. There may be all the time one thing dynamic, all the time one thing to study! If you happen to each take pleasure in Water Cooler’s political protection and discover it helpful, now and through the years, please hit the Tip Jar now, as a result of despite the fact that this protection is difficult work, I’d prefer to preserve doing it. Thanks!
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“So lots of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in reality a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
The Constitutional Order (Rebel)
“Democrats’ Meltdown Over Trump Immunity Case Proves SCOTUS Is Proper To Hear It” [The Federalist]. “Members of Congress and federal judges are immune from civil and felony prosecution for his or her official acts. At present, presidents are solely immune from civil prosecution for his or her official acts. That’s as a result of the Supreme Courtroom has by no means needed to determine whether or not that extends to felony prosecutions, as no president has ever confronted a felony prosecution till the Democrats’ 4 felony indictments in opposition to Trump…. Obama-nominated Choose Tanya Chutkan of the U.S. District Courtroom for the District of Columbia is operating the proceedings fairly speedily; certainly, the case was paused solely due to the immunity enchantment. It’s affordable to ask whether or not she would have adopted the identical schedule had Trump not been a candidate for the presidency, particularly after the Biden Justice Division waited 30 months to carry these novel expenses…. Tribe doesn’t need voters to have data; somewhat, he needs voters to have incomplete data. Tribe is aware of that, had been there a conviction, the appellate course of wouldn’t come near being completed by the point of the election.” • Desk-pounding, I believe — meltdowns show nothing however the truth of a meltdown — however not unhealthy table-pounding in any respect!
Biden Administration
. Any person learn the invoice:
If you happen to assume this isn’t a Computer virus and can solely apply to TikTok and foreign-adversary social media corporations, then ponder why somebody thought it was essential to get a really particular exclusion for his or her web based mostly enterprise written into the invoice: pic.twitter.com/LnHsmEgtt9
— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) March 12, 2024
Massey’s query within the second tweet is an efficient one (particularly on condition that evaluation websites are cesspits of Search engine optimization-driven enshittification). What I need to know: What does “operated not directly… (together with by way of an affiliate)” imply? Just about any web site the spooks assume is unhealthy? (To me, that parenthetical means “together with” however not restricted to.”
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“Highly effective White Home official — and Jill Biden’s ‘work husband’ — is a #MeToo nightmare with claims of bullying, sexual harassment” [New York Post]. ” A high Biden White Home official has bullied and verbally sexually harassed colleagues over greater than a decade, The Publish has discovered — however is taken into account ‘untouchable’ as a result of first woman Jill Biden regards him as her ‘work husband.’ Anthony Bernal, whose standing as the primary woman’s high aide grants him huge clout in each White Home operations and Democratic politics, has repeatedly speculated within the office concerning the penis dimension of colleagues, in response to three sources with firsthand data. Two sources stated Bernal, 50, shared with them a idea that the scale of an individual’s thumb corresponds to that of their genitalia — citing the speculation each on the White Home and in prior roles throughout President Biden’s marketing campaign and vice presidency beneath President Barack Obama. ‘It’s to make individuals uncomfortable and to have energy over them,’ stated one supply who instructed The Publish they heard Bernal make the crude remarks over a number of years whereas they labored collectively. ‘It’s Me Too — traditional Me Too,’ the supply added. A second supply recounted listening to Bernal speculate ‘typically’ contained in the White Home concerning the endowments of fellow political aides and even Secret Service brokers.” • First shot at “Physician” Biden, due to this fact attention-grabbing. As a result of how might she not discover it? Did no one complain to her? If not, why not?
2024
Lower than a yr to go!
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Trump (R): “Trump’s Georgia case hangs on key resolution of a comparatively new decide” [WaPo]. “Fulton County Superior Courtroom Choose Scott McAfee was randomly assigned to supervise the racketeering case in opposition to former president Donald Trump and a forged of shut advisers and allies who’re accused of plotting to overthrow a official election to maintain Trump in energy…. McAfee’s ruling is prone to be a career-defining second for the 34-year-old rookie decide…. Disqualifying Willis and her crew of prosecutors would nearly actually delay, if not outright finish the felony case in opposition to Trump, one among 4 he faces. Permitting Willis to remain on the case is certain to spark protection requests for enchantment — which McAfee must approve — and anger Trump’s supporters. Prosecutors have argued ‘mere look’ [of conflict of interest] shouldn’t be the usual for Willis’s removing, whereas protection attorneys have argued that’s greater than sufficient.” • An attention-grabbing, not-quite-puff piece. What strikes me is how, effectively, incestuous the Georgia political world is (and people relationships are, I might speculate, an enormous, although unseen, driver behind the case(s)).
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Trump (R): “Trump’s Marketing campaign Is So Poor He Would possibly Not Be In a position to Maintain His Beloved Rallies, Says MSNBC Reporter” [Mediaite]. “After making observe of the de facto merger between the Republican Nationwide Committee with the Trump marketing campaign, [MSNBC’s Vaughn Hillyard] additionally fielded a query concerning the whether or not the Trump marketing campaign thinks they should elevate and spend some huge cash within the months earlier than November, or whether it is relying on earned media to assist mitigate its monetary drawback. ‘They completely imagine that earned media goes to supply them rather a lot. However right here’s additionally a actuality at play. It takes manpower,’ replied Hillyard. ‘Cash also can assist in the direction of — that is my my massive shtick right here — cash may also help in the direction of truly placing of us on the bottom in these states. Within the areas the place they’re going to depend on to drag off victories are in rural components of Georgia, rural components of Wisconsin, rural components of Michigan, rural components of Arizona. And to get of us that usually don’t vote, you bought to go and inform them, ‘We’d like you to return vote.”
‘And you’ll go and have a rally in these locations, however these rallies price $400,000,’ he continued. ‘I imply that is the place — don’t count on to see Donald Trump to be parading across the nation, as a result of these occasions price a whole bunch of 1000’s of {dollars} to placed on. They’re in a predicament now, whether or not they prefer to admit it or not.’” • I don’t know if Republicans really feel concerning the RNC the way in which that I really feel concerning the DNC (which is rather a lot like I really feel concerning the CDC); but when they do, then forcing Trump to intestine the RNC to economize is likely to be addition by subtraction.
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Biden (D): “Biden had repeated psychological lapses throughout particular counsel interview: transcript” [Axios]. “In his five-hour interview with particular counsel Robert Hur, President Biden repeatedly combined up dates, international locations and the timeline of serious occasions, together with the years his son Beau died and Donald Trump was elected, in response to a transcript of the interview reviewed by Axios. The transcript helps Hur’s account that Biden had a number of psychological lapses, regardless of latest pushback from the president and the White Home.” Hur testifies as we speak. Extra: “Over the course of the two-day interview, which happened within the fast aftermath of the Oct. 7 Hamas assault on Israel, Biden repeatedly requested for assist remembering sure essential dates — and his attorneys ceaselessly stepped in.”
Biden (D): “The Divided President” [The Nation]. The deck: “Who’s in cost within the Biden White Home?” Extra: “After the White Home introduced in April that Biden could be reneging on his promise and leaving Trump’s cap in place for at the least the yr forward, staffers together with chief of employees Ron Klain and Home Coverage Council director Susan Rice launched into a plan to softly nudge the president again to his unique place, an effort that concerned managing Biden’s mood. ‘It was completely clear that Biden would preserve elevating the topic himself, often in conferences concerning the border disaster, often with an fringe of aggression,’ [Franklin] Foer tells us [in his book, The Last Politician]. ‘He moaned, ‘Are you able to imagine that they need me to return to these excessive numbers?’ At a second like that Susan Rice would shoot a look throughout the room, which instructed aides, ‘Don’t take the bait.’” • Because of this Biden’s canine chew individuals.
Biden (D): “Democrats use clips of Trump to counter Biden reminiscence claims” [The Hill]. “Democrats on Tuesday sought to show the tables on Republicans who zeroed in on particular counsel Robert Hur’s commentary on President Biden’s reminiscence, turning repeatedly to video clips of former President Trump mangling phrases, mixing up people or forgetting particulars. Home Judiciary Committee rating member Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) opened the listening to with a video montage of previous Trump statements during which he appeared to confuse Biden with former President Obama, combined up former Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) with GOP rival Nikki Haley and mistakenly known as Hungarian chief Viktor Orbán the president of Turkey.” Extra: “And Rep. Mary Homosexual Scanlon (D-Pa.), searching for to rebut claims about Biden’s reminiscence, used video clips for instance Trump’s ‘lapse in reminiscence throughout a deposition.’ One clip featured Trump being requested what years he was married to Marla Maples, to which Trump stated he’d ‘must get the precise dates.’ Requested if it was appropriate he married his present spouse in January 2005, Trump stated he didn’t know ‘related to that day.” • On the final instance, the marriages, Trump may effectively say “that makes me sensible!” Plus: “Toby had by no means as soon as volunteered the reality, that data was cash to him; even when he counted it worthless, he by no means threw it away.” –John LeCarré, Smiley’s Folks. (Truly, I kinda just like the parallel between the “creep” Toby and Trump: “Shouldn’t this be numbered if it’s a Degas, Toby?” “‘Degas, that’s a really gray space, George.” Good factor Toby wasn’t in actual property!)
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Kennedy (I): “How RFK might smash the two-party system” [Unherd]. “[T]he frictionless progress of each candidates by way of their social gathering’s inner processes is concealing a hidden reality about this yr’s election. Many People don’t need Joe Biden or Donald Trump. They see the race as a horror-reality present that includes two geriatrics who appear doddery, unwell, and indignant at being instructed so. It’s more and more doable that they assist impartial candidates who might deprive each Trump and Biden of the votes wanted to win the presidency. America might find yourself with a hung presidential election. How would this come about? The Structure requires {that a} victorious president wins at the least 270 Electoral Faculty votes, which they have to collect from some mixture of the 50 states. It now appears doable that neither mainstream candidate will handle that…. If neither Biden nor Trump reaches the required 270 Electoral Faculty votes, the Structure dictates that the voting shifts right into a “contingent election”. Because of this the incoming Home of Representatives will determine the winner based mostly on whoever can type a coalition of purple and blue states and win 26 of them first. The Senate would choose the vp. Given that the majority Republican or Democrat politicians are hardly in a position to have a look at one another, not to mention agree any offers, it appears unlikely Biden or Trump might forge that coalition. However Kennedy or the as-yet-unnamed No Labels candidate, who actively domesticate the thought of returning to centrist bipartisan options, doubtlessly might, ought to the presidency slip into the arcana of America’s 18th-century constitutional schematics.” • This subject is admittedly one thing to observe, in the identical method that Part Three was a subject to observe. We appear to have a dynamic the place each edge case is being examined — by social gathering operatives searching for “an edge,” in addition to “the sting.”
Kennedy (I): “Large Tech’s Election Interference: Why Google and Meta Went Purchasing for Former US Intelligence Officers” [The Kennedy Beacon]. “The variety of former Intelligence Group employees employed by Google and Meta since 2018 is critical. Earlier than then, there have been only some, however now the numbers are a lot greater: CIA – 36, FBI – 68, NSA – 44, DHS/CISA – 68, State Division – 86, DOD – 121.” No cites for these numbers, although. Extra: “The presence of Jacqueline Lopour as Google’s Head of Belief & Security and Aaron Berman as Meta’s Head of Elections Content material/Misinformation Coverage, each with backgrounds within the CIA, highlights the numerous affect exerted by the company over on-line censorship.” • Ick. That stated, I’ve skimmed the earlier submit, and this Twitter thread, and I nonetheless don’t see cites to the numbers. A desk with hyperlinks and names could be good. Readers, can you see one?
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“Battle for the Home: 9 races that may decide the bulk” [The House]. CA-13: Republican Rep. John Duarte and Democrat Adam Grey are advancing to a rematch. CA-22CA-47: In Orange County, Democrat Rep. Katie Porter left her Home seat to lodge an unsuccessful bid for the state’s uncommon open Senate seat. Porter and fellow progressive Rep. Barbara Lee had been boxed out of the highest two in Tremendous Tuesday’s Senate main, with Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff [RussiaGate pays] and Republican Steve Garvey advancing for a partisan showdown. MI-7: Republican Tom Barrett, who misplaced to Slotkin by round 5 factors again in 2022, is operating once more for the seat, whereas the Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee (DCCC) has backed former Democratic state Sen. Curtis Hertel. The midterms race was the costliest Home contest within the nation, in response to reporting from The Detroit Information — and the 2024 race is ready to be one other aggressive battle as each events set their sights on the opening. NY-4: Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-N.Y.) is operating in one of the crucial unpredictable toss-up races within the nation this yr…. [Laura] Gillen is operating once more and could possibly be poised for a rematch with D’Esposito. With Biden prone to simply carry New York in November, D’Esposito should depend on a comparatively excessive quantity of split-ticket voters as he did two years in the past to win a second time period. NY-17: Rep. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.) received a serious shock victory in 2022 when he defeated Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, the then-chair of Home Democrats’ marketing campaign arm, by simply over half a proportion level. Lawler has sought to construct up a fame as a reasonable member of the GOP convention and led the cost to expel Santos for the false claims he made about himself and the felony expenses he faces. The win was symbolic and key to Republicans profitable the Home majority by only a few seats. He appears prone to face former Rep. Mondaire Jones (D-N.Y.), who beforehand represented the district however misplaced a main in a unique district after the maps had been redrawn. NY-22: Of all the possibly weak New York Home Republicans this fall, Rep. Brandon Williams (R-N.Y.) could have probably the most vital uphill battle. OH-9: Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-Ohio) has represented her state’s ninth Congressional District for 4 many years and had a dependable Democratic-leaning constituency all through a lot of her profession. However Ohio’s redistricting course of after 2020 made her district a battleground…. Kaptur will doubtless face an opponent with much less baggage this time, which might make it her most tough marketing campaign but.” OR-5: Additionally on the West Coast, Democrats need to take again a seat that flipped into Republican fingers for the primary time in many years when Republican Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer received Oregon’s fifth Congressional District within the midterms. Chavez-DeRemer received by 2 factors in opposition to Democrat Jamie McLeod-Skinner final cycle, changing into the primary Republican lady to signify Oregon in Congress. McLeod-Skinner is operating once more.” • The first course of just isn’t full, so some opponents aren’t recognized. CA and NY are nearly battleground states!
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“Column: Biden says America is ‘coming again.’ Trump says we’re ‘in hell.’ Are they speaking about the identical nation?” [Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times]. “Political professionals say a profitable marketing campaign affords voters a compelling narrative, a narrative concerning the state of the nation: What’s gone unsuitable, what’s going proper, and what does the candidate suggest to do about it?… Not often have two main candidates introduced narratives so wildly at odds. They appear to be describing wholly totally different realities.” Maybe — hear me out — there are class variations between the bases, or desired bases, of every social gathering, and so they actually do expertise America otherwise, and never simply from partisan or ideological bias, however materials circumstances. Extra: “If Biden’s sounds over-optimistic, Trump’s sounds cartoonishly dystopian.”
Democrats en Déshabillé
“Biden’s State of the Union obtained one massive factor proper” [Zack Beauchamp, Vox]. “One among democracy’s core premises is that elections aren’t like armed battle, the place both you win otherwise you die. Since all events settle for the fundamental guidelines of the sport, like aggressive elections and free speech, the stakes of elections aren’t existential. Political opponents are much less enemies than rivals; disagreement isn’t catastrophe. Authoritarian populists like Donald Trump win by attacking this foundational democratic norm. They demonize their opponents, arguing repeatedly that their opponents aren’t rivals however somewhat monsters bent on the nation’s destruction.” • Holy Lord. From the social gathering of RussiaGate?! The social gathering that’s checking beneath your mattress, proper now, for Vladimir Putin? Why, that may make Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden authoritarian populists! Oh, wait… No however significantly, if fascism is a smorgasbord, each events appear to be loading up their plates.
#COVID19
Lambert right here: Variety readers: I’ve been writing posting each weekday on Covid because the pandemic started. I don’t assume I’ve to inform you how disturbing that’s, or how exhausting to analysis is (not simply to seek out the fabric, however to get it proper). If you happen to really feel that Water Cooler has been helpful to you in understanding the pandemic, or, better of all, has helped stop you or your loved ones associates, and group from getting sick with Covid, please hit the Tip Jar now!
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“I’m in earnest — I cannot equivocate — I cannot excuse — I cannot retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison
Assets, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; contains many counties; Wastewater Scan, contains drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide information). “An infection Management, Emergency Administration, Security, and Basic Ideas” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).
Lambert right here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To replace any entry, do be at liberty to contact me on the deal with given with the crops. Please put “COVID” within the topic line. Thanks!
Assets, United States (Native): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater studies); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).
Assets, Canada (Nationwide): Wastewater (Authorities of Canada).
Assets, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usées); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).
Hat tricks to useful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, sq. coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).
Keep secure on the market!
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Sequelae
Crafters and knitters, any feedback?
What I’m seeing in craft circles is lack of ability/unwillingness to study. Doesn’t look like a difficulty when individuals are going by no means thoughts, it’s silly anyway” once they can’t study to crochet, however what about when that impacts job security & high quality? (We’re positively seeing each)
— Fake There’s One thing Attention-grabbing Right here (@Sleepyweezul) March 11, 2024
Proxies for cognitive impairment at a inhabitants could be: Plane (manufacturing and piloting); driving; now knitting and crafts. One would count on to see markets regulate to the shortcoming to deal with complexity… Easier knitting patterns, for instance. How about video games?
Elite Maleficence
WHO downgrading SARS-CoV-2 to BSL2 on the exact same day WHO declared declared Covid19 to be a pandemic is a really good contact:
Not even 24 hours after you despatched this heartfelt submit into the world, @mvankerkhove, it got here to gentle that the WHO has made SARS-COV-2, BSL2.
BSL2. That which has reasonable threat to laboratorians AND the atmosphere.
PPE? 👇 IF wanted. https://t.co/c1yn7xgInN pic.twitter.com/nOyUUlyQ0B
— Lazarus Lengthy (@LazarusLong13) March 12, 2024
However not so quick:
Not even 24 hours after you despatched this heartfelt submit into the world, @mvankerkhove, it got here to gentle that the WHO has made SARS-COV-2, BSL2.
BSL2. That which has reasonable threat to laboratorians AND the atmosphere.
PPE? 👇 IF wanted. https://t.co/c1yn7xgInN pic.twitter.com/nOyUUlyQ0B
— Lazarus Lengthy (@LazarusLong13) March 12, 2024
So, BSL2 for propadanda, BSL3 within the lab? Readers?
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“Wrestling with my husband’s worry of getting COVID once more” [NPR]. “So whereas the remainder of the world appears to have moved on from the pandemic, in our home, it’s nonetheless 2020. We put on masks after we go into public indoor areas. We don’t eat inside eating places. We don’t go to films. We’ve individuals take COVID exams earlier than they enter our home. All this leaves me feeling torn between two feelings. I need to preserve my husband secure and wholesome. However I additionally need our outdated life again.” • So, on the one hand, brunch. And on the opposite, my husband’s coronary heart and mind! It’s too unhealthy NPR didn’t write a narrative like this one:
Lately, I used to be having a dialog with an in depth good friend. I stated I might contemplate an unmasked go to in my effectively ventilated house with air purifiers, and he or she stated “completely not. My job is simply too public. I will not put you in danger.” Now THAT is an efficient good friend.
— Zoe Martell (@ZoeMartell1) March 12, 2024
However that NPR printed the story it did… Effectively, that tells us rather a lot concerning the totebag set, doesn’t it? No marvel the PMC’s Covid failure was so full and catastrophic (“The Collapse of the Public Well being Institution is the Collapse of the Skilled-Managerial Class“).
“Disabled individuals’s exclusion from indoor areas is a civil rights violation, not an annoyance” [The Guantlet]. “I’m going to attract the lens again and away from this specific lady who wrote this specific article. Her angle is much from uncommon and is the results of years of minimizing, pathologizing propaganda. The main focus right here ought to be about why this angle is so widespread, what this angle implies, and for what motive main media retailers select to platform individuals complaining about their disabled spouses somewhat than our ableist society…. NPR’s resolution to platform a chunk concerning the problem of navigating life with a partner who can’t dine indoors, as an alternative of a chunk concerning the problem of navigating a society that has made eating indoors unsafe for weak teams, is simply that- a call, and a political one. It’s a part of an ongoing effort to forged those that can’t play together with the ‘again to regular’ fantasy- those that are being harmed and killed by it- as bizarre, paranoid, loopy, annoying, and ‘the issue.;…. Lengthy COVID is the defective, load-bearing beam within the rickety pandemic denial superstructure. Have been the general public to know how widespread and the way extreme it’s, the whole post-pandemic facade would come crumbling down. Subsequently, as Lengthy COVID sufferers turn out to be louder, as their presence turns into extra plain, as their numbers develop, the COVID normalization challenge should pivot from making an attempt to vanish these victims to steadily stigmatizing them.” • Yep.
I additionally thought this thread was perceptive and wise:
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TABLE 1: Every day Covid Charts
LEGEND
1) ★ for charts new as we speak; all others aren’t up to date.
2) For a full-size/full-resolution picture, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Home windows) on the chart thumbnail and “open picture in new tab.”
NOTES
[1] (Biobot) Biobot drops, conformant to Walgreen positivity information (if that’s certainly not a knowledge artifact). Word, nevertheless, the world “beneath the curve,” in addition to taking a look at peaks. That space is bigger beneath Biden than beneath Trump, and it appears to be rising steadily if inconsistently.
[2] (Biobot) Regional separation re-emerges.
[3] (CDC Variants) As of Might 11, genomic surveillance information might be reported biweekly, based mostly on the supply of optimistic check specimens.” “Biweeekly: 1. occurring each two weeks. 2. occurring twice every week; semiweekly.” Appears to be like like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they’re telling us variants are nothing to fret about. Time will inform.
[4] (ER) Doesn’t assist Biobot information. “Charts and information supplied by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the previous yr, utilizing a rolling 52-week interval.”
[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Not flattening. (Date for information corrected; it was a glitch.)
[6] (Hospitalization: CDC) Nonetheless down. “Maps, charts, and information supplied by CDC, updates weekly for the earlier MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Division Visits, Take a look at Positivity) and weekly the next Mondays (Hospitalizations) by 8 pm ET†”.
[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.
[8] (Cleveland) Flattening, in line with Biobot information.
[9] (Vacationers: Posivitity) Now up, albeit within the rear view mirror.
[10] (Vacationers: Variants) Backward revisions take away NV.1 information. JN.1 dominates totally.
Stats Watch
Inflation: “United States Client Worth Index (CPI)” [Trading Economics]. “The buyer worth index in america rose by 3.2% year-over-year to 310.326 factors in February 2024, following a 3.1% improve in January and barely exceeding the market consensus of a 3.1% advance.”
Inflation: “United States Core Inflation Fee” [Trading Economics]. “The annual core shopper worth inflation charge in america, which excludes unstable gadgets similar to meals and power, eased to a close to three-year low of three.8% in February 2024, down barely from 3.9% in January however above market forecasts of three.7%.”
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Manufacturing: “Boeing whistleblower who warned of plane security flaws discovered lifeless” [NBC]. After the BBC, oddly. “The assertion from Barnett’s household stated he had suffered from post-traumatic stress dysfunction and anxiousness assaults and that the ‘hostile work atmosphere at Boeing’ led to his demise.” However: “His [lawsuit against Boeing] was up for trial this June, the household assertion stated, including: ‘He was trying ahead to having his day in courtroom and hoped that it will drive Boeing to vary its tradition.’” • So, if he was “trying ahead”… Commentary:
Upgrading Boeing to a purchase after they assassinated a whistleblower in the midst of his deposition
— The Fearless Fact Teller (@SeanMcCarthyCom) March 12, 2024
Manufacturing: “50 individuals injured after a ‘robust motion’ on Boeing flight to New Zealand” [NBC]. “It’s unclear precisely what precipitated the midflight accidents. The South American airline LATAM stated in an announcement that there was a ‘technical occasion in the course of the flight which precipitated a robust motion,’ with out elaborating additional.” • A technical occasion? Like somenbody attempting to re-attach a wheel?
Manufacturing: “737 Max anti-ice system repair is sluggish going” [The Air Current]. “Right now, Boeing has but to nail down a conclusive repair for the anti-ice system. A number of choices stay into account and its closing resolution could find yourself a mixture of design adjustments. The corporate has activated a multidisciplinary crew to focus completely on the issue. This so-called ‘Tiger Staff’ is getting elevated sources to design the modification for the Max 7 and 10. Neither plane may be licensed by the FAA with out this modification.” In the meantime: “Pilots utilizing customized reminders for all types of duties within the cockpit is extraordinarily widespread, however the post-it observe cue underscores the dearth of detailed alerting within the grasp warning system aboard all generations of the 737, counting on pilot reminiscence to change off the possibly hazardous anti-ice system. ‘Straightforward to get distracted with different duties and miss turning off,’ stated [Dennis Tajer, an American Airlines captain and spokesperson for the Allied Pilots Association], who has been sharply important of Boeing. “That’s why I take advantage of a decades-old approach.’” • “Straightforward to get distracted.” So, Tajer is assuming to common diminishment in govt perform resulting from Covid?
Manufacturing: “Boeing Response in Alaska Airways 737 MAX Probe Is Blasted by Feds” [Wall Street Journal]. “The corporate stated the door plug’s removing was undocumented, so there have been no paperwork to share.” • That’s astonishingly unhealthy.
Manufacturing: “Airplanes and engineering: The best way we had been” [Star-Tribune]. When it modified: “Working for Honeywell in Minneapolis, I used to be concerned in product developments for a number of Boeing plane: new platforms B-757, B-767, B-777 and B-787, and revisions on older designs, together with the B-737. Every of those developments concerned an intimate relationship between Boeing and Honeywell throughout a number of ranges of group. On the coronary heart of the work had been the purchasers’ necessities. Assembly these drove day by day selections within the challenge planning…. One afternoon, we began calling our contacts in Boeing Engineering. Engineering had prioritized the bidders and guaranteed us Honeywell was their first selection. Nevertheless, they might not verify that Boeing administration had signed off on the choice. We nonetheless believed we’d win this system. Previously, Boeing all the time chosen the best technical bidder then renegotiated the value as this system phased into quantity manufacturing. It was the very best course of to satisfy Boeing’s and the passengers’ high quality calls for… we had been notified we weren’t chosen for this system. By means of a number of discussions with the Boeing engineering managers, we later discovered that Boeing’s procurement course of had modified. Boeing provide administration downgraded the engineering evaluation from prioritized functionality to both assembly or not assembly the necessities. Then, procurement would choose the bottom bidder from this pool of suppliers assembly the necessities. Engineering was now not wanted to log out on the choice. (We heard that Boeing engineers wore a black armband for a month protesting the choice for this program.) The choice course of might now be finished in a spreadsheet with no account for the uncertainty that engineering typically anticipated and hoped to have some insurance coverage in opposition to. This is able to turn out to be a elementary change within the plane trade.” • Price studying in full. (The Boeing 777 was launched in 1990, so presumbly this modified occurred in 1985 or so. There’s a number of destroy in an plane manufacturing firm.”
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Right now’s Concern & Greed Index: 67 Greed (earlier shut: 74 Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 78 (Excessive Greed). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Mar 11 at 2:22:53 PM ET.
The Conservatory
“Smells Like Teen Spirit Cowl In Classical Latin (75 BC to third Century AD) Bardcore/Medieval fashion” (video) [YouTube].
Video games
“FBI, DHS Accomplice with Gaming Firms to Struggle ‘Extremist Players’” [Value Entertainment]. “The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) are coordinating with gaming corporations to root out “home extremist content material” amongst their participant bases, a brand new authorities report suggests. In keeping with the Authorities Accountability Workplace (GAO), a nonpartisan company that audits different authorities departments on behalf of Congress, the FBI and DHS ought to use the identical methods that permit them to police extremism on social media to manage the gaming trade. The GAO report, entitled Countering Violent Extremism: FBI and DHS Want Methods and Objectives for Sharing Menace Data with Social Media and Gaming Firms, was compiled between September 2022 and January 2024. It was first printed internally on January thirty first after which launched publicly on February twenty eighth….. Within the report, the GAO cites interviews with 5 entities throughout the gaming and social media industries: Roblox, a preferred multiplayer recreation creation platform, Discord, a social app common with players, Reddit, a web-based discussion board social community, and two gaming corporations that requested the GAO to maintain them nameless.” • Hmm.
Zeitgeist Watch
“Dangerous Cash – Historic Counterfeiters and Their Pretend Cash” [CoinWeek]. “There have been two fundamental methods of counterfeiting historical cash. The primary methodology utilized by historical counterfeiters was to cowl a base steel core with a skinny layer of valuable steel after which strike it between engraved dies. If the coating was seamless, the dies of excellent high quality, and the burden of the completed piece shut sufficient to the official commonplace, such cash may cross as real. They’re referred to as fourées, from a French phrase that means ‘stuffed.’ A second methodology utilized by historical counterfeiters was to make clay molds from an unique coin, after which pour molten steel into the molds, often leaded copper alloy. Ceramic molds could possibly be mass-produced cheaply, so low-value copper cash could possibly be counterfeited profitably. There was a persistent scarcity of small change in historical economies, so even poor high quality fakes had been accepted in markets for lack of something higher. Authorities tended to disregard such forgeries, even once they enforced savage penalties in opposition to counterfeiting valuable steel cash.” • Information you should use!
Information of the Wired
I’m not fairly certain what to file this beneath:
um…no they didn’t #Seventies @70s_party pic.twitter.com/TNF21J5PWJ
— 70s Vogue (@70s_fashion) January 4, 2024
Software program-defined radio:
Hearken to FM radio, freenet, street visitors data…. (That is Mastodon, so maybe the whole thread might be accessible and not using a login.)
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Contact data for crops: Readers, be at liberty to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn how to ship me a test in case you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me pictures of crops. Greens are fantastic! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! If you would like your deal with to seem as a credit score, please place it initially of your mail in parentheses: (thus). In any other case, I’ll anonymize by utilizing your initials. See the earlier Water Cooler (with plant) right here. From TH:
TH writes: “In entrance of the Frank Lloyd Wright Hollyhock Home in Hollywood, California, is that this landscaping of crops I can’t actually determine, however I all the time discover it curious when butterflies are interested in greenery somewhat than the standard blossoms.” In regards to the Hollyhock Home: “[A]n ode to California–its freedom and pure magnificence…. Hollyhock Home is a harbinger of California Modernism, inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage Checklist.” Neat!
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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not lined by the annual NC fundraiser. So in the event you see a hyperlink you particularly like, or an merchandise you wouldn’t see anyplace else, please don’t hesitate to specific your appreciation in tangible type. Bear in mind, a tip jar is for tipping! Common optimistic suggestions each makes me really feel good and lets me know I’m heading in the right direction with protection. Once I get no donations for 5 or ten days I get frightened. Extra tangibly, a continuing trickle of donations helps me with bills, and I think about that trickle when setting fundraising targets:
Right here is the display screen that may seem, which I’ve helpfully annotated:
If you happen to hate PayPal, you possibly can electronic mail me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will provide you with instructions on the right way to ship a test. Thanks!
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