Thursday, January 31, 2019
The Polar Vortex
The Daily Beast: Polar Vortex Breaks Record-Low Temps, Snaps Steel, Empties Cities - A look across America where it can feel like -66 degrees in some places, leaving areas almost uninhabitable. by Victoria Albert
The bitter cold has shattered temperature records across the United States. Mason City, Iowa hit a record low of -28; nearby Albert Lea, Minnesota bottomed out at -29, with wind chills as low as the -50s. Rockford, Illinois broke its all-time cold record at -31, as did Moline (-33), Cedar Rapids, Iowa (-30), Mather, Wisconsin (-43), and Cotton, Minnesota (-56). Ponsford, Minnesota, reportedly suffered through a chilling perceived temperature of -66 degrees.
Antarctic
This is very harsh news.
Scientific American: Huge Hole Discovered beneath Fast-Melting Antarctic Glacier - Ice in the hole disappeared in the last three years, worrying scientists about future ice loss By Chelsea Harvey
Scientific American: Huge Hole Discovered beneath Fast-Melting Antarctic Glacier - Ice in the hole disappeared in the last three years, worrying scientists about future ice loss By Chelsea Harvey
Brown
As much as Brown's speaking voice is garrulous and raggedy, it would still be an improvement over Trump's.
Guardian UK: Sherrod Brown makes his pitch as Democrats' voice of the worker - The Ohio senator has launched a ‘Dignity of Work’ speaking tour of early voting states, fueling talk of a 2020 presidential run
Guardian UK: Sherrod Brown makes his pitch as Democrats' voice of the worker - The Ohio senator has launched a ‘Dignity of Work’ speaking tour of early voting states, fueling talk of a 2020 presidential run
How Indeed
Guardian UK: How the religious right gained unprecedented access to Trump
“This is part of a story about the emboldened religious right that has a partnership at the highest level of government with the Trump and Pence administration,” said Rachel Laser, CEO of Americans United for Separation of Church and State. “Together, they’re co-opting the term ‘religious freedom’ to advance their political agenda.”
Frozen
It is seriously cold here today.
NY Times: Polar Vortex Live Updates: Bitter Cold Spreads From Midwest to East Coast By Julie Bosman, Mitch Smith and Monica Davey
NY Times: Polar Vortex Live Updates: Bitter Cold Spreads From Midwest to East Coast By Julie Bosman, Mitch Smith and Monica Davey
The Market On Thrusday
Good morning. At 9:25 a.m. ET DOW futures are -112 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: GE pays $1.5 billion to finally resolve subprime loan allegations By Matt Egan
CNN: GE pays $1.5 billion to finally resolve subprime loan allegations By Matt Egan
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
Federal Brain Drain
Well certainly the politicians have a brain drain, the decent workers are now going too.
Guardian UK: Federal shutdown's legacy may be brain drain to private sector - Government employees – especially in science, research and technology – could find higher pay and more stability
Guardian UK: Federal shutdown's legacy may be brain drain to private sector - Government employees – especially in science, research and technology – could find higher pay and more stability
Homeless And Freezing
NY Times: ‘I’m Cold and I’m Afraid’: Across Midwest, Homeless Await Deep Freeze - A man sat at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive in Chicago on Tuesday as temperatures fell.
As temperatures in Midwestern cities plunged to levels colder than parts of Antarctica and officials warned people not to step outside even for a few minutes, Tony Neeley stood on a downtown Chicago street corner Tuesday, wearing wet sneakers and clutching a hand warmer packet in each of his bare hands. He had already been there for hours.
Comment
The question is why is it taking so long for Trump to be removed from office?
Some of my thoughts - Trump is very well protected by the GOP. They're taking extraordinary measures to protect Trump and prevent investigations and information about him from getting out. Trump, Stone and company are tricksters and they are in keeping with an American tradition of tricksters. It goes way back. There is a large segment of our population that loves the trickster AKA the liar, the con man, the wizard behind the curtain. These are the people who will say and do anything in order to stay in the limelight and to gain wealth and power. What they lose in the exchange is their humanity which is something they never wanted anyhow.
Some of my thoughts - Trump is very well protected by the GOP. They're taking extraordinary measures to protect Trump and prevent investigations and information about him from getting out. Trump, Stone and company are tricksters and they are in keeping with an American tradition of tricksters. It goes way back. There is a large segment of our population that loves the trickster AKA the liar, the con man, the wizard behind the curtain. These are the people who will say and do anything in order to stay in the limelight and to gain wealth and power. What they lose in the exchange is their humanity which is something they never wanted anyhow.
Rotten
NY Times: The ‘Rotten Equilibrium’ of Republican Politics - Charlatans rise. Government falls. By Thomas B. Edsall
The key result: the 20 most prosperous districts are now held by Democrats, while Republicans represent 16 of the 20 least prosperous, measured by share of G.D.P. The accompanying chart illustrates their analysis.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 9:25 a.m. ET DOW futures are +261 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Shareholder activism is on the rise, but companies are fighting back By Lydia DePillis
CNN: Shareholder activism is on the rise, but companies are fighting back By Lydia DePillis
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Jay
This is a clear and well articulated statement about the state of the present day GOP.
Journalist Jay Bookman writes - “The modern GOP has degenerated into a group of people who have agreed to tell each other and believe impossible but reassuring things, to the point that the willingness to eagerly believe all those impossible things has become the glue that holds a crumbling party together"
"When it comes to the issues like Mexico paying for the US border wall, the conspiracy theories about climate change and science and the GOP’s scam tax bill, Republicans have tried to win arguments with absolute nonsense."
“He (Trump) has zero interest in whether the product he’s selling can actually work; his sole concern is whether he can get you to buy it. So a perfect match of conman and mark the GOP has also created a formidable media machine to enforce that belief in the impossible, to ensure no doubt or skepticism can creep in. Hannity, Coulter, Limbaugh, etc., act as powerful thought police, much as political commissars in the old Soviet Union once did.”
The Florida Shooting
This shooting occurred a few days ago and I'm only learning about it now. Apparently the victims were shot as they lay face down on the ground, execution style. The shooter is clearly a very disturbed individual.
The Daily Beast: Gunman Accused of Killing 5 Women in Florida Bank Shooting ‘Wanted Everybody to Die’: Ex-Girlfriend - Zephen Xaver, 21, is being held without bond on five counts of premeditated murder. ‘All he talked about was killing people,’ his ex-girlfriend told The Daily Beast. by Pilar Melendez
The Daily Beast: Gunman Accused of Killing 5 Women in Florida Bank Shooting ‘Wanted Everybody to Die’: Ex-Girlfriend - Zephen Xaver, 21, is being held without bond on five counts of premeditated murder. ‘All he talked about was killing people,’ his ex-girlfriend told The Daily Beast. by Pilar Melendez
“He always loved guns. He loved owning guns, talking about guns, and shooting guns,” said Alex Gerlach, who dated the suspect off and on for three years. “Sadly, I am not surprised this has happened at all.”
Talk
Not the most savory topic, but it is thought that many of us have these critters.
Scientific American: We Need to Talk about Intestinal Worms - More than a half billion children were treated for these debilitating parasites in 2017—but even more are still suffering By Ellen Agler with Mojie Crigler
Scientific American: We Need to Talk about Intestinal Worms - More than a half billion children were treated for these debilitating parasites in 2017—but even more are still suffering By Ellen Agler with Mojie Crigler
A Bear Tale
Guardian UK: Three-year-old boy missing in woods for two days says friendly bear kept him safe - Casey Hathaway from North Carolina hailed ‘a survivor’ by police after becoming lost in sub-zero temperatures
A three-year-old boy who survived two nights alone in the woods in freezing conditions has told police and family he was helped out by a friendly bear that was with him the whole time.
Christie
Guardian UK: Let Me Finish review: Everybody hates Chris Christie – and he hates Jared Kushner
From the get-go Kushner is the bane of Christie’s political existence. In his opening pages, Christie recalls how Steve Bannon came to fire him as the head of the transition, and in the process Christie extracted a confession that Bannon was only doing Kushner’s bidding.
“The kid’s been taking an ax to your head with the boss ever since I got here,” said Bannon.
Nancy
NY Times: The conversation - It’ll Be a While Before Anyone Underestimates Nancy Pelosi Again - A long while. By Gail Collins and Bret Stephens
Gail: I’m almost finished writing a book on the history of older women in America, and it is really a treat to watch Nancy Pelosi wiping the floor with Donald Trump.
Kindness
NY Times: Kindness Is a Skill - Practical tips for fighting a culture of savagery. By David Brooks
Tough conversations are usually about tribal identity. Most disagreements are not about the subject purportedly at hand. They are over issues that make people feel their sense of self is disrespected and under threat. So when you’re debating some random topic, you are mostly either inflaming or pacifying the other person’s feeling of tribal identity.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 9:25 a.m. ET DOW futures are +39 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
CNN: Apple earnings; LVMH reports; Huawei charged By Ivana Kottasová
CNN: Apple earnings; LVMH reports; Huawei charged By Ivana Kottasová
Monday, January 28, 2019
MS
NPR: Researchers Find A Web Of Factors Behind Multiple Sclerosis
Even so, genes don't explain it all. MS occurs more frequently at higher latitudes, suggesting that vitamin D deficiency might play a role in disease risk (the vitamin's production in the body is dependent on sun exposure). Smoking also increases risk for the disease, as does obesity.
And while the tale of the Faroe Islands is disputed – large scale retroactive epidemiological studies are notoriously hard to pull off – it is for the most part accepted that microbes play some role in MS given that dozens of microbes, including the Epstein-Barr virus, have been tied to MS.
Communication Breakdown
Salon: Trump turns on Fox News, alleging cable network's journalists are worse than "Fake News CNN & NBC!" The president accused two Fox News personalities of being "less understanding" of his long-promised border "wall" by Shira Tarlo
"Never thought I'd say this but I think @johnrobertsFox and @GillianHTurner @FoxNews have been less understanding of the Wall negotiations than the folks at FAKE NEWS CNN & NBC!" Trump tweeted
Nationalism In Europe
Guardian UK: Europe 'coming apart before our eyes', say 30 top intellectuals - Group of historians and writers publish manifesto warning against rise of populism
Liberal values in Europe face a challenge “not seen since the 1930s”, leading intellectuals from 21 countries have said, as the UK lurches towards Brexit and nationalists look set to make sweeping gains in EU parliamentary elections.
Pay Attention To This
Possibly the worst news we could get. This.
Guardian UK: US nuclear weapons: first low-yield warheads roll off the production line - New type of weapon, ordered by Trump’s nuclear posture review, could make conflict more likely, say experts
Guardian UK: US nuclear weapons: first low-yield warheads roll off the production line - New type of weapon, ordered by Trump’s nuclear posture review, could make conflict more likely, say experts
The US has begun making a new, low-yield nuclear warhead for its Trident missiles that arms control advocates warn could lower the threshold for a nuclear conflict.
Mockery
NY Times: The Trump Administration Is Making a Mockery of the Supreme Court - It promised to create a ‘robust’ waiver process for visa applicants from countries affected by the travel ban. The process is a sham. By Betsy Fisher and Samantha Power
Two years ago this week, President Trump signed an executive order banning travelers from a number of Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States. The fallout has been dire.
Agree
NY Times: U.S. and Taliban Agree in Principle to Peace Framework, Envoy Says By Mujib Mashal
American and Taliban officials have agreed in principle to the framework of a deal in which the insurgents would guarantee to prevent Afghan territory from being used by terrorists, and that could lead to a full pullout of American troops in return for larger concessions from the Taliban, the chief United States negotiator said Monday.
The Market On Monday
Good morning. At 9:28 a.m. ET DOW futures are -248 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market will tank at the opening bell.
CNN: Caterpillar results hurt by weakness in China By Paul R. La Monica
CNN: Caterpillar results hurt by weakness in China By Paul R. La Monica
Sunday, January 27, 2019
Friday, January 25, 2019
Uganda's Parliament
The 'action' starts at 1:30. Now if the US Senate broke out in hand to hand combat like this, I think we might actually make progress.
Yes!
NY Times: Roger Stone, Adviser to Trump, Is Indicted in Mueller Investigation By Mark Mazzetti, Eileen Sullivan and Maggie Haberman
Roger J. Stone Jr., a longtime informal adviser to President Trump, was charged as part of the special counsel investigation over his communications with WikiLeaks, the organization behind the release of thousands of stolen Democratic emails during the 2016 campaign, in an indictment unsealed Friday.
It Is A Great Day In America!
I could not possibly post anything better than this. Stone arrested is perfect, perfect. Our day is made.
Chicago Tribune: Roger Stone arrested; the Trump confidant faces obstruction charge
Chicago Tribune: Roger Stone arrested; the Trump confidant faces obstruction charge
Thursday, January 24, 2019
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 9:20 a.m. ET DOW futures are -30 and the price of oil is down. The market is poised to open moderately lower.
CNN: Corporate America's earnings outlook darkens as slowdown fears rise By Matt Egan
CNN: Corporate America's earnings outlook darkens as slowdown fears rise By Matt Egan
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Unread
GetPocket: Umberto Eco’s Antilibrary: Why Unread Books Are More Valuable to Our Lives than Read Ones
You will accumulate more knowledge and more books as you grow older, and the growing number of unread books on the shelves will look at you menacingly. Indeed, the more you know, the larger the rows of unread books.
Hard Working And Poor In America
Guardian UK: Porn, opioids and a freezer full of cigarettes: what one cleaner saw in America’s homes by Sian Cain
She would shop for groceries at night, to avoid the gaze of fellow shoppers; one man, after seeing the food stamps in her hand, shouted: “You’re welcome,” as if he was personally paying for her to eat.
In one house she dubbed the Porn House, she tries to figure out the lives of its owners: the husband with his Hustler magazines and lube always out on display in his bedroom, the wife’s extensive collection of romance novels in hers.
Standoff
NY Times: At the One-Issue White House, the Standoff Over a Border Wall Displaces Other Priorities By Peter Baker
And yet, given the new era of divided government, he added, “I’m not sure how quickly any agenda would be moving even if the government were open. That’s a sad testament about where we are as a country.”
Calexico
NY Times: ‘It’s Not a Wall,’ but Steel Slats and Barbed Wire Roil a Border Town By Jose A. Del Real
Calexico has long celebrated its interdependent relationship with Mexicali, its sister city directly across the line; the two cities’ downtowns are bisected by pillars where the border lies. Shoppers from urban Mexicali, which has a population of about 1 million, are vital to Calexico’s small-town economy and cross to shop at large outlet stores on the American side. Americans head to the Mexican side on weekends for cheap health care, entertainment and concerts.
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 9:25 a.m. ET DOW futures are +186 and the price of oil per barrel is up. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
CNN: Japan jitters; Netflix milestone; Davos Day 2 By Rishi Iyengar
CNN: Japan jitters; Netflix milestone; Davos Day 2 By Rishi Iyengar
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
The Plans
Buzzfeed: Trump’s Lawyer Said There Were “No Plans” For Trump Tower Moscow. Here They Are. Rudy Giuliani claims the Moscow tower was barely more than a notion. “There were no drafts. Nothing in the file.” Documents obtained by BuzzFeed News tell a different story. by Azeen Ghorayshi
The plan was dazzling: a glass skyscraper that would stretch higher than any other building in Europe, offering ultra-luxury residences and hotel rooms and bearing a famous name. Trump Tower Moscow, conceived as a partnership between Donald Trump’s company and a Russian real estate developer, looked likely to yield profits in excess of $300 million.
Vipers
NY Times: Book by Former Staff Member Describes a White House ‘Out of Control’ By Maggie Haberman
The president often comes across as unfamiliar with Washington and stymied by aspects of the job. According to Mr. Sims, Mr. Trump was unsettled by the condition of the West Wing, which he found dilapidated. He delighted in giving tours of the Oval Office, down to the private bathroom and the small study he converted to a dining room with a television on the wall. He explained in detail to aides how important the chyrons on television are, because so many people consume programs muted.
Wealth, Power, And Poverty
Guardian UK: The new elite’s phoney crusade to save the world – without changing anything - Today’s titans of tech and finance want to solve the world’s problems, as long as the solutions never, ever threaten their own wealth and power. By Anand Giridharadas
That vast numbers of Americans and others in the west have scarcely benefited from the age is not because of a lack of innovation, but because of social arrangements that fail to turn new stuff into better lives. For example, American scientists make the most important discoveries in medicine and genetics and publish more biomedical research than those of any other country – but the average American’s health remains worse and slower-improving than that of peers in other rich countries, and in some years life expectancy actually declines.
The Year Of Women
NY Times: May the Best Woman Win - Sexism helped elect Trump. That’s no reason not to run a woman against him. By Michelle Goldberg
But if and when the best woman wins, she is going to face off against Trump in yet another battle royal over patriarchy. The Trump presidency has been a brutal, boot-on-the-neck insult to many women, a daily reminder of how far away gender equality remains.
The Shutdown And The Vulnerable
NY Times: Shutdown’s Pain Cuts Deep for the Homeless and Other Vulnerable Americans By Glenn Thrush
One month after the government shutdown began, its effects have begun to hurt some of the most vulnerable Americans: not just homeless people, but also those who are one crisis away from the streets.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 9:28 a.m. ET the DOW is -159 and the price of oil per barrel is down. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
CNN: Growth warning; Huawei hurting; Davos kickoff By Rishi Iyengar
CNN: Growth warning; Huawei hurting; Davos kickoff By Rishi Iyengar
Monday, January 21, 2019
Will Hurd
NY Times: Only One House Republican Represents the Borderland, and He Opposes a Wall By Emily Cochrane
He added, “A wall from sea to shining sea is the most expensive and least effective way to do border security.”
Martin
"The time is always right to do what is right."
"Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend."
"Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."
"We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."
Learning MLK
Salon: Coming around on Martin Luther King Jr.: My Grandma, the Black church and me - In my youth, my Grandma wanted me to be more like MLK, but I didn't think he had anything to offer a kid like me by D. Watkins
Our grandparents invested their all in church because it was a one-stop shop for everything African Americans needed to survive oppression — where you can get food if you are hungry, receive free marriage counseling, a small business loan, guidance, tutoring, prayer, praise, worship and basically help of all kinds.
Precious
"You have to embrace getting older. Life is precious, and when you've lost a lot of people, you realize each day is a gift." - Meryl Streep
"Life is precious and time is a key element. Let's make every moment count and help those who have a greater need than our own." - Harmon Killebrew
"Be Yourself. Life is precious as it is. All the elements for your happiness are already here. There is no need to run, strive, search, or struggle. Just Be." - Thích Nhất Hạnh
"Mistakes are a part of being human. Appreciate your mistakes for what they are: precious life lessons that can only be learned the hard way. Unless it's a fatal mistake, which, at least, others can learn from." - Al Franken
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)