Fowl Music of the Day
Brown Thrasher, Langford Creek Street, Tompkins, New York, United States.
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In Case You May Miss…
Trump on the highway in North Carolina and California.
Hegseth advances to ground vote.
Smile Nazis in motion.
Snow within the South.
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Search for the Helpers
“Observe Your Cursive as a Citizen Archivist and Protect Hundreds of Historic Paperwork” [Colossal]. “In 2010 [thanks, Obama!], the newly established Widespread Core State Requirements program, which outlines abilities and information college students ought to purchase between kindergarten and highschool, didn’t embody cursive in its English necessities. Because of this, many younger individuals can not learn or write in cursive. However for those who can—or are prepared to be taught—a wealth of historic paperwork await you within the U.S. Nationwide Archives. The federal group’s Citizen Archivist program is recruiting volunteers to assist transcribe hundreds of paperwork in its assortment. Information in want of evaluate are categorized into ‘missions,’ like paperwork referring to girls within the First World Warfare or submarine patrol stories throughout the Second World Warfare…. The Nationwide Archives additionally wants individuals to tag images and different supplies to assist determine individuals, occasions, or locations. By bettering searchability, the archives change into extra accessible to historians, genealogists, college students, and the general public. It’s simple to get began: simply register and choose a doc to start transcribing. There’s no software, and you may contribute as a lot or as little as you’d like. Nationwide Parks Service interpretation planner Joanne Blacoe says, ‘We needed one thing that was going to final past an anniversary, not simply in our personal archives however in a spot that everyone might entry.’”
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My electronic mail deal with is down by the plant; please ship examples of there (“Helpers” within the topic line). In our more and more determined and fragile neoliberal society, on a regular basis regular incidents and tales of “the communism of on a regular basis life” are what I’m searching for (and never, say, the Pink Cross in Hawaii, and even the UNWRA in Gaza).
Politics
“So most of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in truth a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
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Trump Administration
Trump on the highway:
“Dwell updates: Trump floats doable FEMA elimination throughout Western North Carolina go to” [News & Observer]. “Trump stated at a storm briefing in Fletcher that FEMA wants an ‘overhaul’ and to doubtlessly be eradicated. As an alternative, Trump stated he prefers emergency response delegated to states. ‘That’s what now we have states for … A governor can deal with one thing in a short time,’ he stated.” Aside from the printing cash half. And: “He repeatedly stated he needs Republican Nationwide Committee Chairman Michael Whatley to guide Helene restoration efforts and pledged further federal help to North Carolina. The president additionally repeated false claims about FEMA’s work in North Carolina.” Which had been: “Trump repeated false claims of FEMA giving assist to migrants as a substitute of North Carolina residents. FEMA does distribute funding to some migrant service applications, however these applications are funded by U.S. Customs and Border Safety, not FEMA’s catastrophe fund.”
“Trump’s two asks from California: voter ID legal guidelines and water move” [Reuters]. “U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday stated he needed to safe two issues from a go to to California later within the day: voter identification legal guidelines and modifications to water coverage within the wake of large wildfires. ‘I simply need voter ID to start out, and I need the water to be launched, they usually’re going to get quite a lot of assist from the U.S.,’ Trump stated throughout a go to to North Carolina.” • Effectively, that’s why now we have a Federal system, no?
“Information Evaluation: Stakes are excessive for Newsom and California when Trump visits L.A. wildfires” [Los Angeles Times]. ” California Gov. Gavin Newsom and President Trump shared a surprisingly symbiotic relationship throughout the Republican’s first time period within the White Home, with their public sparring and skill to work collectively in occasions of disaster elevating each politicians. Whether or not the 2 males can overcome an unpleasant 2024 election cycle and resume a respectful rapport for the advantage of Californians ought to change into clearer when Trump surveys wildfire injury in Los Angeles County….” These two calls for don’t appear “symbiotic” to me. Extra: “The Democratic governor might finish the day with a presidential instance of performing like a level-headed chief able to placing politics — and private emotions — apart to assist his state. Or, Newsom might stroll away extra susceptible to criticism that his political gamesmanship and thirst for the nationwide highlight compromised his potential to ship for Californians.” • I feel Trump senses weak spot. We’ll see.
Power within the govt:
“Trump strikes to revoke clearances of ex-intel officers who signed letter on Hunter Biden laptop computer” [PBS]. “President Donald Trump says his administration will transfer to revoke the safety clearances of the greater than 4 dozen former intelligence officers who signed a 2020 letter saying that the Hunter Biden laptop computer saga bore the hallmarks of a ‘Russian info operation.’ The motion is an early indication of the president’s willpower to actual retribution on perceived adversaries and is the most recent level of stress between Trump and an intelligence neighborhood of which he has been overtly disdainful.” Implementation: “The president has quite a lot of authority with regards to safety clearances. The issue the White Home will run into is, in the event that they depart from their present procedures, they might arrange a judicial attraction for these 51 individuals — and it’ll most likely be a class-action go well with since they’re all in alike or related circumstances,” stated Dan Meyer, a Washington lawyer who specializes within the safety clearance and background verify course of.”
“Now the reality comes out: Reporters admit Politico snuffed out Hunter Biden laptop computer story to guard Joe in 2020” [New York Post]. “‘Politico did that horrible, ill-fated headline: 51 intelligence brokers, or former intelligence brokers, say that the Hunter Biden laptop computer was disinformation,’ recalled [reporter Neil] Caputo. ‘Seems that story was nearer to disinformation, as a result of the Hunter Biden laptop computer seemed to be true.’” And: “Caputo informed his editor the outlet wanted to ‘write concerning the Hunter Biden laptop computer’ however was instructed, per orders from ‘on excessive’ at Politico, to not: ‘Don’t write concerning the laptop computer. Don’t discuss concerning the laptop computer. Don’t tweet concerning the laptop computer,’ he was informed. So ‘the one factor Politico wound up writing was that piece that referred to as it disinformation.’” Extra: “The 51 Spies Who Lied — ex-intel officers who signed an open letter that trashed The Put up’s laptop computer scoop as a ‘Russian info operation’ — gave the media cowl.” Extra seemingly they “briefed’ the editors and publishers. And: “If these intel veterans weren’t positive about Russia’s involvement, and weren’t making an attempt to mislead the general public, they might’ve checked with their sources on the FBI, which had already verified the laptop computer’s authenticity. Or simply saved their mouths shut. Brennan & Co. knew precisely what they had been doing.” • To the extent that the FBI can “confirm” something…
“Trump’s First Shot in His Warfare on the ‘Deep State’” [The Atlantic]. “In response, the 51 former officers signed a letter asserting that “the arrival on the US political scene of emails purportedly belonging to Vice President Biden’s son Hunter … has all of the traditional earmarks of a Russian info operation.” Thoughts you, the signatories supplied no proof of a hidden Russian hand in all of this. They provided no digital trails resulting in Russian spies, no confidential sources claiming a connection. They usually had been up-front about this: ‘We need to emphasize that we have no idea if the emails … are real or not and that we do not need proof of Russian involvement—simply that our expertise makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian authorities performed a big position on this case.’ That’s it. They had been suspicious. Perhaps with good motive. On the time, present officers, with entry to categorized info, believed that Russian intelligence operatives had been making an attempt to feed misinformation concerning the Bidens to Giuliani, as my colleagues at The Washington Put up and I reported on the time. The signatories argued that, based mostly on their lengthy expertise doing battle with Russia within the enviornment of worldwide espionage, individuals ought to take their suspicions critically. If this all appears like what op-ed writers or self-professed consultants on social media or speaking heads on TV routinely do, that’s as a result of it’s. Certainly, a number of of the signatories had been common “By no means Trump” commentators on cable discuss exhibits, political podcasts, and Twitter.” • IOW, it’s free speech.
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“Unique — CIA Director Ratcliffe: ‘Day-One Factor’ to Get to Backside of Chinese language ‘Origins of COVID,’ Wuhan Lab Leak” (interview) [John Ratcliffe, Breitbart]. I have a tendency to not cite to Breitbart, however right here we’re: “[RATCLIFFE:] You may have individuals who have been on the totally different intelligence businesses for therefore lengthy and targeted on the Russia menace — and, as you stated, legitimately as a result of [Vladimir] Putin is a foul man and a regime with an enormous nuclear stockpile that we have to speak about — however yeah, the Intelligence Neighborhood has been sluggish to regulate to the truth that China is the first geopolitical menace we face,” Ratcliffe stated. “It’s the second largest economic system, they usually compete with us throughout the board on a peer-to-peer foundation in a approach that Russia can’t, and I feel there are causes for that which can be sadly — there’s a monetary facet to that. From Washington, DC, to Wall Road to Silicon Valley to Hollywood, there was a want to maintain China from being labeled a foul man as a result of lots of people make some huge cash from China and in China, and China has quite a lot of affect in all of these locations. However our intelligence is obvious —I noticed that as DNI and now it’s inescapable for individuals to not see — on how sinister and nefarious the Individuals’s Republic of China and its numerous arms of the Chinese language Communist Celebration have been. So, we’ve been sluggish to regulate the main focus, and it’s one of many issues that the president wants and desires from us.”
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“Senate advances Pete Hegseth as Trump’s protection secretary, regardless of allegations” [Associated Press]. “Not often has a Cupboard alternative encountered such swirling allegations of wrongdoing. The result supplies a measure of Trump’s energy and a take a look at for the Senate because it considers the president’s different outsider Cupboard picks, together with Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., for Well being and Human Providers, Kash Patel on the FBI and Tulsi Gabbard for Director of the Workplace of Nationwide Intelligence. Republican senators, and a few Democrats, seem prepared to provide the president his group. Solely Matt Gaetz, the previous congressman who was Trump’s preliminary alternative for legal professional normal, was met with sufficient resistance that his nomination was withdrawn.” • Effectively, Gaetz was making an attempt to intervene with Congressional inventory buying and selling. So no marvel. Now to the Senate ground–
“‘Mitch McConnell Is In’: Fox Information Reviews On Ex-Host Pete Hegseth Clearing Key Vote Forward of Seemingly Affirmation” [Mediaite]. “In order that’s the 2 senators [Murkowski, Collins] which can be out. Mitch McConnell is in as is all as are all the opposite senators within the convention. Roger Wicker, the Armed Providers Committee chairman, had informed me proper earlier than this vote I’d requested him, do you assume you continue to have the 50? That was when Lisa Murkowski got here out as she was a no and he stated sure. So that they walked into the room right here feeling assured. That they had whipped the votes for fairly a while. They usually knew that they’d these votes and they might not want JD Vance to come back in.”
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“RFK Jr. applauds Trump’s order to declassify RFK, JFK assassination information” [The Hill]. “‘I feel it’s an awesome transfer as a result of they should have extra transparency in our authorities and he’s maintaining his promise to have the federal government inform the reality to the American individuals about every little thing,’ Kennedy, President Trump’s nominee for secretary of Well being and Human Providers, informed reporters. Kennedy has claimed that the CIA was concerned in his uncle’s dying. ‘There may be overwhelming proof that the CIA was concerned in his homicide,’ Kennedy stated in a 2023 interview with John Catsimatidis on New York Metropolis radio station WABC 770. ‘I feel it’s past an affordable doubt at this level.’ RFK Jr. stated his uncle was focused because of his refusal to commit U.S. forces to Vietnam.” • Little doubt there might be redactions galore and key paperwork could have gone mysteriously lacking. However, such an unlimited mass of fabric must be sufficient to make such judgments as historians make, if not the courts.
“RFK Jr.’s allies have a plan to upend childhood vaccination” [Politico]. “‘The individuals [RFK] actually trusts are those that clearly are attempting to execute a plan to completely take away vaccines,’ stated one of many individuals with information of the discussions. ‘The danger of overreach, I don’t assume is zero.’” And: “‘They’re lethal critical,’ stated one other particular person with information of the deliberations. ‘He’s going to maneuver on vaccines and I feel he feels he has a mandate.’” • As I’ve stated, I don’t assume it’s doable to have dialogue on vax coverage, as a result of RFK’s anti-vaxers are coming for MMR. With measles instances already going up.
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“Challenge 2025 parallels in Trump’s govt order avalanche” [Axios]. “A evaluate of Trump’s early govt orders exhibits clear parallels with Challenge 2025 on key proposals, corresponding to dismantling variety, fairness and inclusion initiatives; loosening environmental rules; and ending sure worldwide agreements. Trump additionally took steps Challenge 2025 didn’t explicitly point out, like declaring an power emergency and trying to finish birthright citizenship. There are scores of suggestions within the Heritage Basis plan, like outlawing pornography, that Trump hasn’t touched to this point.” • The query for me is whether or not Heritage is driving the Trump Administration, or whether or not its proposals had been already “within the air” in conservative circles, and so one would count on to see them in Trump govt orders whether or not Challenge 2025 existed or not. My sense is the latter (“within the air”). I might be persuaded of the previous by in depth verbal parallels, on the order of plagiarism, and overlap in communication by matter (i.e., it’s not sufficient to say this reactionary dude wrote this screed on Matter A for Heritage, after which bought a job with Trump; precise affect on Matter A in govt orders needs to be proven). Moar reporting, please!
DOGE
“Warren sends Musk 30 concepts for DOGE to chop authorities spending” [The Hill]. “Warren’s Thursday letter to Musk, President Trump’s shut ally and the fee’s chair, really useful that he think about quite a few progressive coverage proposals, together with permitting Medicare to barter decrease drug costs, renegotiating Division of Protection (DOD) contracts and curbing tax loopholes for big companies and the best earners. ‘With regard to coverage, I’m disturbed by the damaging proposals you might have mentioned and launched up to now: proposals from you and your allies to chop Medicare, Medicaid, Social Safety, veterans’ advantages, and different applications that tens of hundreds of thousands of Individuals rely on and depend on are unrealistic and merciless,’ Warren wrote in a 21-page letter. ‘It might be outrageous to chop these applications within the identify of presidency thriftiness whereas handing out trillions of {dollars} in tax cuts for billionaires and massive companies,’ she added, however she additionally stated the notion that the ‘federal authorities spends trillions of {dollars} on wasteful spending is right. And in case you are critical about working collectively in good religion to chop authorities spending — in a approach that doesn’t hurt the center class — I’ve proposals in your consideration.’ Warren’s prime proposal with regards to slashing spending is renegotiating DOD contracts, arguing contractors typically price-gouge the division.” • “Liberal Democrat writes fascist a strongly worded letter, movie at 11:00.”
2028
“Kamala Harris supplies a giant sign about her subsequent transfer” [Politico]. “Kamala Harris hasn’t made any public choices about what her political future goes to be — however she has already created the group that may assist gas it. The previous vice chairman established an LLC referred to as Pioneer49 final month in her house state of California, in response to her presidential marketing campaign’s remaining monetary disclosure that was filed final week and confirmed by an individual acquainted with the group’s plans. The disclosure type described the group as an ‘entity to help the previous vice chairman’ and is probably going to assist gas Harris’ subsequent political transfer. There are basically three choices for Harris: run for governor of California in 2026, run for president once more in 2028 or decline to run for workplace and be a pacesetter of the get together from the sidelines.” I suppose this entity is funding this timeline litter:
BREAKING: Kamala Harris is out and about killing it, interacting with regular individuals in a approach that Donald Trump might by no means. America tousled. pic.twitter.com/7JuE8s8Ti3
— Democratic Wins Media (@DemocraticWins) January 24, 2025
Democrats en déshabillé
“Everybody Who Was Presupposed to Defend You From This Failed Miserably” [Rolling Stone]. The deck: “Trump is president once more. It was a top-to-bottom collapse and failure by each main establishment that bought us right here.” I don’t see how that may be doable; everybody who was at “the highest” earlier than the election nonetheless is. Anyhow: “This Rolling Stone reporter tried to cowl the rally as greatest he might, however he saved involuntarily scribbling ‘that is hell, we dwell in hell, I’m in Hell‘ again and again.” • That is the very best line within the piece, which is pedestrian, if pedestrians could be stated to screech.
DNC race continues fantastic:
Effectively, the place had been you?
AOC criticizing Biden: “it was solely on his approach out the place he was like this nation is managed by Oligarchs, bye !
We might have used that power years in the past”. pic.twitter.com/PtBQUr7ZTI
— Winters Politics 🖤 (@WintersPolitics) January 23, 2025
Watching with the sound down: AOC wants some teaching on methods to look critical (except she needs to simply keep as a represenative).
Republican Funhouse
Transparency in authorities:
The place might they’ve gotten this sense of impunity?
Realignment and Legitimacy
[Sigh]:
Each Democrat together with Bernie voted to substantiate Rubio as Secretary of State as a result of Rubio is a life-long adherent to GOP institution overseas coverage, which Dems agree with or tolerate.
What they hate are anti-establishment views, and that (Tulsi/RFK) is who they need to sink.
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 23, 2025
Syndemics
“I’m in earnest — I can’t equivocate — I can’t excuse — I can’t retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison
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Covid Assets, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; consists of many counties; Wastewater Scan, consists of 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 stories); 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 (wastewater); 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, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, sq. coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, thump, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).
Keep secure on the market!
Airborne Transmission
Malign neglect vs. ruthless elimination:
The White Home website has eliminated its pledge for the Clear Air In Buildings Problem. This initiative encourages firms to cut back the unfold of airborne sicknesses.
Nevertheless, Biden by no means promoted this and repurposed cash for ASHRAE 241 HVAC upgrades in colleges to provide to cops. pic.twitter.com/LohkB4tHYc
— paulypandemic (@we_are_ssd) January 23, 2025
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Air purifiers:
One other useful spreadsheet evaluating the specs of TONS of air purifiers throughout manufacturers:
— Clear Air Membership (@Clean_Air_Club_) January 23, 2025
Transmission: H5N1
Since we’re not getting Federal information:
Minnesota’s Division of Well being has issued an pressing well being advisory calling for hospitals and clinics to check hospitalized sufferers with respiratory sickness for chook flu A (H5N1)
Obligatory subtyping inside 24 hours of admission.
— Outbreak Updates (@outbreakupdates) January 24, 2025
Maskstravaganza
“Boyd Gaming Prohibits Staff from Sporting COVID Masks” [Casino.org]. “Boyd Gaming simply up to date its grooming coverage, and it now forbids staff from carrying face masks with out first establishing an ADA-recognized incapacity with the corporate’s human sources division…. The memo [to employees] provides that ‘in September 2024, the CDC took the place that masks usually are not often really useful in non-healthcare settings.’… As Boyd defined in an addendum to the memo, face coverings ‘impair our potential to supply a heat and welcoming ambiance for our friends and to supply experiences that exceed their expectations.’ In line with the addendum, the usage of face coverings ‘dampens sound, restricts readability of verbal communications, (and) precludes brightening a visitor’s day with (a) heat pleasant, and real [oh, totally] smile.’” • Ah, smile Nazis. However who wouldn’t smile once they had been playing with their life within the office?
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TABLE 1: Every day Covid Charts
Wastewater
This week[1] CDC January 10
Final week[2] CDC (till subsequent week):
Variants [3] CDC January 18
Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC January 11
Hospitalization
New York[5] New York State, information January 16:
Nationwide [6] CDC Janurary 16:
Positivity
Nationwide[7] Walgreens January 13:
Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic January 4:
Vacationers Knowledge
Positivity[9] CDC December 30:
Variants[10] CDC December 30
Deaths
Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11] CDC January 11:
Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12] CDC January 11:
LEGEND
1) ★ for charts new right now; all others usually are not 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] (CDC) Seeing extra purple and extra orange, however nothing new at main hubs.
[2] (CDC) Final week’s wastewater map.
[3] (CDC Variants) XEC takes over. That WHO label, “Ommicron,” has completed an awesome job normalizing successive waves of an infection.
[4] (ED) A little bit uptick.
[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Positively jumped.
[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Leveling out.
[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.
[8] (Cleveland) Continued upward development since, nicely, Thanksgiving.
[9] (Vacationers: Positivity) Leveling out.
[10] (Vacationers: Variants). Positivity is new, however variants haven’t but been launched.
[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.
[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.
Stats Watch
Actual Property: “United States Present Dwelling Gross sales” [Trading Economics]. “Present house gross sales within the US rose by 2.2% from the earlier month to a seasonally adjusted annualized fee of 4.38 million models in December of 2024, probably the most since February 2024. ‘Dwelling gross sales within the remaining months of the yr confirmed stable restoration regardless of elevated mortgage charges,” stated NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun.’”
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Manufacturing: “Boeing got here near operating out of money in 4th quarter” [Leeham News]. “The Boeing Co. almost ran out of money within the fourth quarter, the corporate stated right now because it previewed earnings that might be introduced subsequent week. Boeing’s fourth-quarter money move was adverse at $3.5bn, partly because of a strike that overlapped the third and fourth quarters.” • However luckily, Wall Road got here to the rescue!
Manufacturing: “The ‘DEI Concept’ of Boeing’s Undoing” [Maureen Tkacik, The American Prospect]. “Like so many superficially inane right-wing concepts, the DEI idea of the collapse of American aviation contained a kernel of accuracy. Over the previous quarter-century, Boeing had devolved from a deeply meritocratic group into an explicitly anti-meritocratic group. Engineers and high quality officers are repeatedly chastised by their superiors for having an excessive amount of “information.” I not too long ago interviewed a former high quality supervisor who informed me she was mocked and ridiculed for having graduated from aviation college. She stated her bosses at Boeing in Charleston, South Carolina, made impolite and racist feedback about her Black inspectors at the same time as they explicitly inspired her to rent minorities over white males with aviation expertise. That’s as a result of Boeing views its staff as essentially disposable and has been for many years now at battle with staff who know sufficient about planes to withstand their fixed and unrelenting orders to maneuver quicker and reduce corners.” And naturally: “Everybody who is aware of something about Boeing understands that the “root trigger” of its institutional decline was its 1996-1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas, a failed airplane maker with a poisonous, diabolical tradition and a C-suite with an illustrious observe report of fomenting mistrust, plotting coups, insinuating itself into energy vacuums, and bankrupting airplane producers.” • Tkacik is at all times price a learn.
Tech: “As a Third-party, curious observer, I’ve a number of naive, unanswered questions concerning the Stargate mission” [Bill Gurley, ThreadReader]. “Clearly perceive that they haven’t any obligation to reveal. Right here is record with responses broad open. I might love to have the ability to mixture the very best solutions in some unspecified time in the future. 1. Company Construction The OpenA press launch says that Stargate is “a brand new firm.” Is Stargate established as an ordinary C-corp, LLC, a three way partnership, or one thing else completely? 2. CEO Management Will Stargate have an impartial CEO? Who will lead Stargate each day, and the way is that particular person chosen? Will they be as operationally intense because the XAI group that launched Memphis? 3. Buyer Exclusivity Is OpenAI the only real buyer, or will Stargate yearn to serve different companies? Does Microsoft’s cope with OpenAI impose any exclusivity constraints (the Microsoft launch suggests it could)?” • And so forth as much as 10; an excellent thread.
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Right this moment’s Concern & Greed Index: 50 Impartial (earlier shut: 46 Concern) [CNN]. One week in the past: 37 (Concern). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Jan 24 at 1:11:54 PM ET,
Civil Warfare Research
“A quick literary linguistic evaluation of the Gettysburg Deal with” [Language Log]. “The Gettysburg Deal with is notable for its use of highly effective rhetorical units like anaphora (repetition of phrases at first of sentences), alliteration (repetition of consonant sounds), antithesis (contrasting concepts), allusion (references to different texts), and parallelism (related sentence buildings), all contributing to its concise and impactful supply, emphasizing themes of sacrifice, democracy, and the best of equality…. The above will not be an exhaustive account of the rhetorical elements and literary virtues of the Gettysburg Deal with, however I belief that it’s ample to vouch for the verbal and psychological energy that’s concentrated on this concise textual content… The raison d’être for this submit is to reply the query I raised in “Machine translators vs. human translators” (1/7/25) about whether or not LLMs can ever do nuanced, delicate literary translation. Once I raised that query, I already felt that the reply was ‘no.’ Having accomplished this train, I’m all of the extra satisfied that that may by no means occur.
Musical Interlude
Isaac Hayes with a conductor’s baton:
Isaac Hayes within the studio crafting pure funk magic with the long-lasting ‘Shaft’
A legend at work… pic.twitter.com/AacHkuxs40
— Melodies & Masterpieces (@SVG__Collection) January 23, 2025
Picture E-book
Winter (1):
Elegant snow umbrella, St Peter road, New Orleans pic.twitter.com/bm5TMD9dCY
— Marco (@marcorasi1960) January 23, 2025
Winter (2):
In the meantime in Pensacola, Florida, snow coated orange timber. 🍊❄️🥶 pic.twitter.com/dO3j8q4f0I
— DK🇺🇸🦅🇺🇸 (@1Nicdar) January 22, 2025
Zeitgeist Watch
“At a Deluxe Eating Room on the a hundredth Flooring, a Chef Toils in Obscurity” [New York Times]. “The towers which have sprouted alongside Billionaires’ Row and elsewhere in New York are in competitors for patrons among the many high slice of the wealthiest 1 %. Every constructing tries to outdo the others with spas, chilly plunge swimming pools, infinity swimming pools, fleets of Pilates Reformer machines, steam rooms and different facilities tacked onto the price of flats that already are within the tens of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}…. In these buildings, providing a personal restaurant the place residents can choose from menus developed by Michelin-starred cooks is changing into de rigueur.” However: “Brokers who purchase and promote models within the luxurious buildings say these eating places are sometimes empty. That’s largely as a result of their rich residents are busy zipping between flats in different cities and nations. After they do breeze into New York, one of many nice restaurant cities of the world, who needs to eat at house?” • Personally, I feel fantastic meals needs to be a perk of being a citizen.
Class Warfare
“Automation in Retail Is Even Worse Than You Thought” [The Nation]. “[E]lectronic shelf labels or ESLs [are] digital shows [that] enable firms to alter costs robotically from a cellular app. [Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan] warned that this so-called ‘dynamic pricing’ permits retailers to regulate costs based mostly on their whims. … A number of individuals interviewed for this text confused that they weren’t towards all types of automation however that the improvements needs to be put in context. They pointed to the pandemic, when retailers blamed worth spikes on chaotic provide chains and better manufacturing prices. However research have uncovered a distinct offender: A 2021 report by the Federal Reserve Financial institution of Kansas Metropolis attributed 50 % of pandemic-era worth will increase to profiteering. And in 2024, the Federal Commerce Fee concluded that firms had ‘accelerated and distorted’ provide chain issues to reap a windfall throughout the disaster. Joe Mizrahi believes that retailer automation could also be one other racket. Value gouging ‘is completely in keeping with what now we have seen them do throughout the pandemic. They’re growing costs having nothing to do with inflation,’ he stated.” • Are readers seeing any of those “digital shelf labels (ESLs)? In case you’ve bought nothing to do throughout the day, are you able to stand round and watch the labels change?
Information of the Wired
Dad.
Simply went to the Oreo web site and hit “settle for all cookies” … and now we wait
— Cooper Lawrence (@CooperLawrence) January 23, 2025
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Contact info 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 verify in case you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me photographs of crops. Greens are high quality! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! In order for you your deal with to look as a credit score, please place it in the beginning of your mail in parentheses: (thus). In any other case, I’ll anonymize through the use of your initials. See the earlier Water Cooler (with plant) right here. From varnel:
Varnel writes: “Took a drive right now to Ashland, WI. Took this shot on the native artesian nicely. Doesn’t appear to be winter with out snow on the bottom. Black Willows on Chequamegon Bay, Lake Superior.”
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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not coated by the annual NC fundraiser. Materials right here is Lambert’s, and doesn’t categorical the views of the Bare Capitalism website. In case 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 constructive 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 3 or 4 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 that may seem, which I’ve helpfully annotated:
In case you hate PayPal, you may electronic mail me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I provides you with instructions on methods to ship a verify. Thanks!
This entry was posted in Water Cooler on January 24, 2025.
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