Have an excellent holiday weekend and Happy New Year! I will see you bright and early Tuesday morning.
Friday, December 29, 2023
Flats
"Lucius Mantonya Flats dating to 1887, designed by Curd Gottig and located in Chicago, IL. Photo By @wulfiewerks"
Extreme
Gift article available to everyone.
Washington Post: Extreme heat far outpaced cold in U.S. during record-warm 2023 - Warm weather records outnumbered cold ones by a factor of 3 Analysis By Ian Livingston
With an average temperature of 102.7 degrees during July, the highest on record by nearly 4 degrees, Phoenix became the first major city in the United States to average 100 degrees or higher for a month.
Aftermath
Come on Russia, stop already, leave Ukraine alone.
NPR: See the aftermath of Russia's aerial assault on several cities in Ukraine By Polina Lytvynova
Lessons
Mercola.com: Life Lessons From 100-Plus-Year-Olds
"Today's changes in lifestyle do in fact contribute to whether someone dies at the age of 85 or before age 75. But in order to reach the age of 100, you need a special genetic make-up. These people age differently. Slower. They end up dying of the same diseases that we do — but 30 years later and usually quicker, without languishing for long periods."
Haley
Gift article available to everyone.
Washington Post: Opinion - Nikki Haley goes on Civil War autopilot, runs over her own campaign By Jim Geraghty
Masks
Gift article available to everyone.
Washington Post: Opinion - Face it: A smart ban on ski masks can help fight crime and protect rights By the Editorial Board
War
Gift article available to everyone. This war has got to stop.
In Kyiv, the capital, huge plumes of black smoke were rising from several areas, cutting through the blue morning sky.
Remove
Gift article available to everyone.
..there are active lawsuits in 14 states...
Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming...
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 6:40 a.m. ET DOW futures are +23, S&P futures are +3.25, and NASDAQ futures are +22. The market is poised to open moderately higher
Thursday, December 28, 2023
Maine
“I am mindful that no secretary of state has ever deprived a presidential candidate of ballot access based on Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. I am also mindful, however, that no presidential candidate has ever before engaged in insurrection.,” Ms. Bellows, a Democrat, wrote.
Life
Washington Post: America has a life expectancy crisis. But it’s not a political priority. By Dan Diamond
“We’re no longer an America that talks about building a national highway system or sending a man to the moon, and yet it’s that kind of reach and ambition that we need to have to tackle the declining longevity problem,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)
Stress
Washington Post: Stress is weathering our bodies from the inside out By Akilah Johnson and Charlotte Gomez
A cardiologist, endocrinologist, obesity specialist, health economist and social epidemiologists all said versions of the same thing: Striving to get ahead in an unequal society contributes to people in the United States aging quicker, becoming sicker and dying younger.
2023
NY Times: The 2023 High School Yearbook of American Politics By Michelle Cottle
Worst Date Night: Lauren Boebert
Least Likely to Succeed: The Republican-led House
Dissent
Washington Post: Russia’s military wives emerge as wild card to Putin’s triumphal mood By Robyn Dixon and Natalia Abbakumova
In this highly charged atmosphere, the Kremlin is determined to stifle any dissent, but there is no easy answer to women furious that their sons and husbands are being forced to fight on until the end of the war.
Aye Yai Yai
Washington Post: Israel’s war in Gaza threatens to spill into Lebanon and beyond By Shira Rubin and Ruby Mellen
Hezbollah has lobbed scores of rockets and explosives-laden drones at Israel this week, including at a Greek Orthodox church, where two Israeli Christians were wounded.
Black Holes
Gift article available to everyone.
Instead, at least in the early universe, giant clouds of primordial gas may have collapsed directly into black holes, bypassing millions of years spent in stardom.
Migrants
If the migrants are coming to America to escape poverty and violence, then how can one simultaneously hate migrants and then hate the USA? This country is viewed as the place to be.
Thousands of migrants are arriving at the border every day, trekking from the farthest reaches of the globe, from Africa to Asia to South America, driven by relentless violence, desperation and poverty.
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 5:45 a.m. ET DOW futures are -41, S&P futures are +1.5, and NASDAQ futures are +40.75. The market is poised to open mixed.
Wednesday, December 27, 2023
Drop
Washington Post: Prosecutor urged to drop case against woman charged after miscarriage By Kim Bellware
She was in and out of the hospital over the next three days, including a lengthy wait for a hospital ethics panel to determine whether her preterm pregnancy, which was on the borderline of Ohio’s abortion limit, could be induced without legal liability for the doctors.
Claims
“The court should not permit the defendant to turn the courtroom into a forum in which he propagates irrelevant disinformation,” Ms. Gaston wrote, “and should reject his attempt to inject politics into this proceeding.”
Fake
“I can’t overemphasize how once I read the information in the J6 transcripts how upset I was that the legitimate process had not been followed,” he said in the interview. “I felt that I had been walked into a situation that I shouldn’t have ever been involved in.”
Transgressive
transgressive - adjective - Exceeding a limit or boundary, especially of social acceptability.
Laws
Francine Wheeler wanted to know what Sen. Heidi Heitkamp would do if it had been her 6-year-old child who was murdered.
“She would not look at me,” Wheeler recalled...
Sea Rise
Gift article available to everyone.
Washington Post: A sinking nation is offered an escape route. But there’s a catch. By Michael E. Miller
Flee their fragile sliver of sand or stay and fight the rising waters, one sea wall or stretch of reclaimed land at a time.
Mars
Gift article available to everyone.
NY Times: The Beautiful Desolation of Life on Mars — On Earth Text By Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith
Many experts suggest that Mars settlers will need to live inside heavily engineered habitats, protected from a world with high radiation, a thin atmosphere and toxic dust storms. They will probably spend much of their time in small, crowded structures with little privacy.
War
“The total destruction of Hamas? Does anybody think that’s possible? If it’s that, the war will last 10 years.”
The Market On Wednesday
Good morning. At 6:40 a.m. ET DOW futures are -2, S&P futures are -.75, and NASDAQ futures are +2.25. The market is poised to open mixed.
Tuesday, December 26, 2023
Poets
Washington Post: They lived in a van. Here’s their advice on small-space living. The key is to make every inch work overtime By Chris Moody and Cristina Moody
They drew a building plan and meticulously plotted where each furniture item would fit. They used painter’s tape to visualize where things would go and mocked up pieces with cardboard boxes.
Finally
Washington Post: Opinion - Finally, a good reason to travel to space By Bina Venkataraman
Engineer and space architect Ariel Ekblaw, founder of MIT’s Space Exploration Initiative, says that within a decade, a trip off the planet could become as accessible as a first-class airline ticket — and that, in 15 or 20 years, we can expect space hotels in near-Earth orbit.
Let Go
Psychology Today: How to Heal From Painful Memories - Research on memory offers a way to start to let go of the past. By Nick Morgan Ph.D.
It turns out that if you remember your memories from a third-person perspective, as if you were narrating a story about someone else, then they get weaker, less vivid, and less emotional.
'The Moon's Reflection In Water'
Very low key, slow, gentle ambient music, designed to be relaxing, or so I hope. The title is a favorite Buddhist term which indicates that there is brilliant wisdom and limitless compassion in every person we see including ourselves, though unfortunately we might not recognize it or experience it.
Quick Note
I hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season. This week between Christmas and New Year's Day is always distinctive, people slow down a little bit. I saw a few stores in town open on Christmas Day, the Chinese restaurant for one. One thing that occurred over the weekend is that this blog has now surpassed two millions views. The blog has seen a steady increase in viewers since the beginning, starting with a handful of views way back when and now with several thousand each day. I hope this is a result of the content of the blog, which is a sampling of the news from day to day with an emphasis on national politics, the environment, some global events especially war, a few things of interest including art and music, and occasionally some commentary. Yes, I do post some of my own art and music work too. I hope you will consider commenting as an exchange of our ideas is the best. Yes it is a progressive blog, and I'll leave that right there. Have a great holiday week.
Trials
Washington Post: The Trump Trials: Rocky Mountain High Court By Perry Stein and Devlin Barrett
The court schedules should start picking up in the new year, with oral arguments scheduled Jan. 9 in the D.C. Circuit federal appeals court to determine whether Trump’s federal election obstruction case should be dismissed because of presidential immunity.
Global Warming
Gift article available to everyone.
Between 1880 and 1969, the planet warmed slowly — at a rate of around 0.04 degrees Celsius (0.07 degrees Fahrenheit) per decade. But starting around the early 1970s, warming accelerated — reaching 0.19 degrees C (0.34 degrees F) per decade between 1970 and 2023.
War
It has shattered the idea that Israel’s blockade of Gaza and occupation of the West Bank could continue indefinitely without significant fallout for Israelis.
Spending
Spending increased across many categories, with restaurants experiencing one of the largest jumps, 7.8 percent. Apparel increased 2.4 percent, and groceries also had gains.
The Market On Tuesday
Good morning. At 6:30 a.m. ET DOW futures are +40, S&P futures are +5.75, and NASDAQ futures are +28.25. The market is poised to open moderately higher.
Friday, December 22, 2023
Happy Holidays!
Have an excellent holiday weekend and I will see you bright and early Tuesday morning.
War
Washington Post: More than 20,000 dead in Gaza, a historic human toll By Adam Taylor
...the rate of death among the population was similar to that of 20th-century wars.
Repeat
...thalidomide was what she had taken.
The doctor recommended a “therapeutic” abortion...
...with abortion illegal in every state, there was no place in the country she could go.
War
“Russia is a very big country with a lot of resources. Ukraine is not so big, so in order to win we must redirect all our efforts to help our military. The rear must support the front.”
The Market On Friday
Good morning. At 6:55 a.m. ET DOW futures are -104, S&P futures are -2.75, and NASDAQ futures are -25. The market is poised to open significantly lower.
Thursday, December 21, 2023
The Disease Spreads
Images on social media showed students barricaded in classrooms, people running through the streets and emergency vehicles and armed police swarming a square...
War
After the invasion of Ukraine, the United States, along with Europe and Japan, used sanctions to freeze the assets, denying Russia access to its international reserves.
Record
After battling Social Security for years, hauling three suitcases stuffed with paperwork to prove her case, the then 80-year-old woman who was homeless until the week we met got one of the biggest I-told-you-so’s that a person can hope for.
The government admitted the mistake and deposited $99,999.00 in her Sun Trust bank account. She got a cute apartment.
Solstice
Gift article available to everyone.
NY Times: Give Thanks for the Winter Solstice. You Might Not Be Here Without It. By Shannon Hall
Pay
Washington Post: Judge says Rudy Giuliani must pay $148 million judgment immediately By Rachel Weiner
But she said he has failed to “contend, let alone demonstrate with documentary or other proof,” that he can’t pay at least some chunk of the hefty penalty.
Target
The analysis found that 76 percent of defendants whose race or ethnicity could be identified were Black or Hispanic, while White people constituted 24 percent of those prosecuted by the units.
War
Israel considers Mr. Sinwar central to the Oct. 7 attack, which killed roughly 1,200 people, with some 240 others taken back to Gaza as captives, Israeli officials say.
Rebuke
NY Times: The Colorado Ruling Is a Rebuke for the Ages By Jesse Wegman
“We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.”
The Market On Thursday
Good morning. At 6:10 a.m. ET DOW futures are +145, S&P futures are +20.5, and NASDAQ futures are +97.25. The market is poised to open significantly higher.
Wednesday, December 20, 2023
Refrain
Washington Post: A Trump refrain: Disqualification for thee but not for me - And it wasn’t just his ‘birther’ campaign Analysis By Aaron Blake
...he (Trump) has on myriad occasions pushed the idea that candidates should be disqualified irrespective of the voters’ will.
Self-Evident
“But he certainly supported an insurrection,” Mr. Biden said. “No question about it. None. Zero.”
Four
Washington Post: 4 takeaways from the Colorado Supreme Court’s disqualifying Trump Analysis By Aaron Blake Staff writer
3. A Trump traffic jam is converging on the U.S. Supreme Court
China
Now, however, waves of satellite images reveal that the military base has newly drilled boreholes — ideal for bottling up firestorms of deadly radiation from large nuclear blasts — as well as hundreds of other upgrades and expansions.
'Burst The Bubble'
A short playlist containing a few of my tracks and some tracks by artists I enjoy.
Aliens
Washington Post: What we actually know about aliens, according to science By Joel Achenbach
The project buys time on the towering Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope, which has a steerable dish 300 feet in diameter. If there are aliens transmitting radio signals anywhere near us in the galaxy, that big dish is all ear.
Rock
Washington Post: Giant space rock made Earth’s ocean boil but also helped early life By Joel Achenbach
The collision was so violent it boiled off the top layer of that ocean and, near the impact site, created a tsunami as high as a New York skyscraper.
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