2:00PM Water Cooler 12/28/2023 | bare capitalism

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.

Chook Music of the Day

Oriental Stork, Муравьевка (Muravyevka Park), Amur Oblast, Russia. A duet for percussion and winds.

Politics

“So most 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

“Colorado’s prime courtroom disqualified Trump – will the Supreme Court docket overrule?” [BBC]. “The Colorado courtroom stated it had discovered ‘ that President Trump engaged in riot’ on the time of the Capitol riot and disqualified him from operating for president, citing an modification [the Fourteenth] to the US Structure.” • Here’s what “clear and convincing proof” means:

“Clear and convincing proof” is a medium degree burden of proof which have to be met for sure convictions/judgments. This normal is a extra rigorous to fulfill than preponderance of the proof normal, however much less rigorous normal to fulfill than proving proof past an inexpensive doubt. The clear and convincing proof normal is employed in each civil and felony trials. In keeping with the Supreme Court docket in Colorado v. New Mexico, 467 U.S. 310 (1984), “clear and convincing” signifies that the proof is extremely and considerably extra more likely to be true than unfaithful. In different phrases, the very fact finder have to be satisfied that the competition is extremely possible.”

The Federal statute towards riot, 18 U.S. Code § 2383, is a felony statute, therefore “past an inexpensive doubt” would apply (though the “clear and convincing” burden additionally applies in some felony instances, the examples given don’t appear as weighty as riot). One may speculate that Jack Smith didn’t cost Trump below it as a result of he couldn’t meet the “past an inexpensive doubt” burden. A cynical observer may conclude that CREW did some jurisdiction searching for an all-Democrat courtroom that might reduce the burden of proof, and located one in Colorado.

“Colorado GOP asking US Supreme Court docket to overturn ruling disqualifying Trump from 2024 poll” [FOX]. “‘By excluding President Trump from the poll, the Colorado Supreme Court docket engaged in an unprecedented disregard for the First Modification proper of political events to pick out the candidates of their alternative and a usurpation of the rights of the folks to decide on their elected officers,” attorneys for the state Republican celebration wrote in a petition of the Dec. 19 ruling.”

“Gavin Newsom blasts effort to dam Trump from California poll: ‘We defeat candidates on the polls’” [FOX]. “Gov. Gavin Newsom critized fellow Democrats for contemplating blocking former president Donald Trump from California’s 2024 presidential main poll, saying that, ‘we defeat candidates on the polls.’” Properly, apart from RussiaGate and Pricey Hunter’s laptop computer. However actually in principle! Extra: “‘There isn’t any doubt that Donald Trump is a menace to our liberties and even to our democracy,’ Newsom stated in a press release. ‘However in California, we defeat candidates on the polls.’” • Good for Newsom, nonetheless.

“The Non-Originalist Choice That Might Save Trump” [Adrian Vermeule, The New Digest]. Prolonged, however enjoyable: ” The irony looming over the state of affairs is that our present Court docket, stocked with a supermajority of Justices who contemplate themselves ‘originalists,’ could properly find yourself ruling in Trump’s favor on the premise of a precedent that’s profoundly non-originalist in methodology. Certainly that precedent, Griffin’s Case, determined in 1869, underscores what I’ve referred to as ‘the paradox of originalism.’ Right now’s originalists look backwards to anchor the that means of legislation within the public understandings of earlier eras — both the founding period or, within the case of the Reconstruction Amendments, the post-Civil Warfare period. However the public authorized cultures, and public understandings of legislation, of these durations weren’t themselves originalist…. [Chief Justice Salmon P.] Chase held [in Griffin] that the disqualification embodied in Part 3 will not be ‘self-executing.’ … Chase argued, in essence, that the implications to the constitutional order from holding Part 3 to be self-executing can be insupportable, making a form of political-legal chaos and inflicting types of focused injustice inconsistent with the “basic spirit of the Structure.” Avoiding such penalties was itself a great authorized purpose to weight the scales of interpretation towards self-execution.” As I’ve been saying from the start; see the heading of this part [lambert blushes modestly]. Extra: “Decoding Part 3 as non-self-executing can be a much more affordable building, Chase argued, as a result of it could require Congress to create an orderly, common and truthful course of for figuring out who had or had not participated or engaged in ‘riot.’” Chase concluded: “To perform this ascertainment and guarantee efficient outcomes, proceedings, proof, selections, and enforcements of selections, roughly formal, are indispensable; and these can solely be supplied for by Congress.’” • Properly value a learn. Makes clear why the “self-executing” crowd kilos the desk so onerous on the subject of Griffen.

“Some belated ideas on the Colorado Supreme Court docket’s historic ruling” [Roger Parloff, ThreadReader]. A protracted thread, properly value a learn. The creator is a Senior editor at Lawfare. so clearly an professional within the subject. From close to the top, Samour’s dissent, on due course of:

… Samour stated the “the Part Three problem introduced by the Electors was a sq. constitutional peg that would not be jammed into our Election Code’s spherical gap,” and that “what transpired on this litigation fell woefully in need of what due course of calls for.”. …
/26 pic.twitter.com/TzF68z8ziU

— Roger Parloff (@rparloff) December 22, 2023

2024

Lower than a 12 months to go!

* * *

“The mysterious whereabouts of Melania Trump” [The Telegraph]. “Her conspicuous absence from the marketing campaign path, and the courtroom, as her husband fights felony fees and works to win again the presidency, has come to the eye of Mr Trump’s rivals…. Addressing a crowd in Iowa, [Trump] stated: ‘You already know, our first girl hates it after I do. She says: ‘Darling, I like you a lot, however this isn’t presidential whenever you do the weightlifting, this isn’t presidential, or whenever you do the swimming factor … or whenever you dance off the stage’. ‘Technically, she’s most likely proper. However what the hell,’ he added.’” • That’s our The Donald!

* * *

“What Biden’s tough 2023 within the polls means — and doesn’t imply — for 2024” [NBC]. “Democratic strategist Simon Rosenberg stated, ‘Trump’s Olympian ranges of luggage and the struggles of MAGA in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023 are being wildly over-discounted proper now,’ referring to Trump’s ‘Make America Nice Once more’ political motion. What’s additionally being discounted proper now, Rosenberg stated, is the Democratic Occasion’s efficiency in elections after the Supreme Court docket overturned Roe v. Wade and the constitutional proper to an abortion. That election efficiency consists of the Democrats’ holding management of the Senate after the 2022 midterms, in addition to key electoral victories in Kentucky and Virginia in November.”

* * *

They write letters (right here in full):

🚨BREAKING🚨⁰@RepJamesComer & @Jim_Jordan are investigating whether or not President Biden sought to affect or impede his son’s cooperation with the Home’s impeachment inquiry.

Such conduct might represent an impeachable offense.⁰
Letter to White Home Counsel Edward Siskel… pic.twitter.com/dND1WkusFU

— Oversight Committee (@GOPoversight) December 27, 2023

The very best half:

On December 13, Mr. Biden didn’t seem for the deposition as required by the Committees’ subpoenas. As an alternative, Mr. Biden appeared on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol along with his legal professional and Consultant Eric Swalwell…. Mr. Biden indicated that he wouldn’t seem for the deposition as required by the subpoenas and that he would solely testify in a public discussion board, a requirement for particular remedy that the Committees had beforehand rejected…. In a while December 13, when requested whether or not President Biden had watched Mr. Biden’s assertion, . Ms. Jean-Pierre declined, nonetheless, to offer any additional particulars in regards to the President’s actions or whether or not the President authorised of his son defying congressional subpoenas. Nonetheless, .

Whoops. Couldn’t occur to a nicer Press Secretary.

* * *

“Nikki Haley declines to say slavery led to Civil Warfare throughout city corridor in Berlin” [WMUR]. WMUR is a New Hampshire radio station:

Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley averted utilizing the phrase slavery at a city corridor in Berlin Wednesday night time after an attendee requested her, ‘What was the reason for the USA Civil Warfare?’ Properly, don’t include a simple query or something. I imply, I feel the reason for the Civil Warfare was mainly how authorities was going to run the freedoms and what folks might and couldn’t do,’ the previous governor of South Carolina initially responded. She then requested the attendee what he thought induced the Civil Warfare. ‘I’m not operating for president,’ the person stated. ‘I needed to see your view on the reason for the Civil Warfare.’ Haley then added, ‘I feel it all the time comes right down to the function of presidency and what the rights of the persons are [like owning slaves], and I’ll all the time stand by the truth that I feel authorities was supposed to safe the rights and freedoms [to own slaves] of the folks [(as least those who don’t own slaves, supposing them to be people)]. That was by no means meant to be all issues to all folks.’”

Right here is the video, which is each bit as vile and silly as you’d anticipate it to be:

She will get some applause, too!

“”Haley declines to say slavery was reason for Civil Warfare”” [Election Law Blog]. “This might be a simple query to reply in mild of the management of the Republican Occasion in ending slavery, making certain voting rights, and constructing a multiracial democracy within the South.” • Oopsie. Attempting to place the toothpaste again within the tube–

“Nikki Haley in injury management says ‘after all the Civil Warfare was about slavery’ insisting it’s the ‘straightforward half’ and claiming a PLANT was despatched in to ask the query” [Daily Mail]. “Nikki Haley was on clean-up obligation Thursday morning in clarifying that her feedback in regards to the Civil Warfare didn’t point out slavery as a result of ‘that’s the simple half.’ Haley advised CNN that it’s ‘unquestioned’ that the Civil Warfare was about slavery, including: ‘But it surely was additionally greater than that.’” No, it actually wasn’t. Extra: “‘It was in regards to the freedoms of each particular person. It was in regards to the function of presidency,’ she insisted. She additionally stated in an interview with Pulse of New Hampshire radio present that she was answering the query by placing it into the context of what it means to Individuals within the current day.” • RIght, by erasing it!

“Haley blames a ‘Democratic plant’ for Civil Warfare query that tripped her up” [Politico]. “‘It was positively a Democrat plant,’ stated Haley. ‘That’s why I stated, what does it imply to you? And for those who discover, he didn’t reply something. The identical purpose he didn’t inform the reporters what his identify was.’” • Yeah, and he obtained you however good (and why not ask the identical query of each candidate? It’s a great litmus take a look at; I’d like to listen to some “reasonable” Democrats reply it). Jogs my memory of 1968, when George Romney shot himself within the foot by saying he’d been “brainwashed” by officialdom over Vietnam. Positive, however who needs a President who could be brainwashed? Ditto Haley. Who needs a President who will get entrapped by a plant?

One good purpose to imagine that the Civil Warfare was about slavery is that’s what the soon-to-be Confederates stated it was about — within the press, of their supposed Constitutions, and within the speeches of the “commissioners” who spoke earlier than legislatures to influence them to secede. Right here is one such:

The superb factor in regards to the Civil Warfare is that every Accomplice state drafted public paperwork laying their causes

no have to guess at authentic that means or intent

under: South Carolina Declaration of Secession, 1860https://t.co/bTZZqSmhwJ pic.twitter.com/f9a8wPAFu6

— Prasad Jallepalli, MD, PhD (@jallepap) December 28, 2023

Listed here are two glorious podcasts on this matter, every copiously documented right here with loads of quotes. Be happy to move these alongside to anyone with doubts on this matter.

“#24 “REBELLION THUS SUGAR-COATED” (podcast) [Rich and Tracy, The Civil War & Reconstruction]. “By which we proceed our dialogue by asking if the southern states had a proper to secede, or if secession was revolt. Then, we have a look at the message the secession commissioners unfold all through the South in late 1860/early 1861. Our guide suggestion for this episode is “Apostles of Disunion” by Charles B. Dew.” • The “apostles” are the commissioners.

“11 – Slavery and State Rights, Economies and Methods of Life: What Induced the Civil Warfare?” [David Blight, The Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1845-1877]

* * *

RFK and Israel:

One other necessary staffer on the RFK Jr. marketing campaign – his senior veterans and protection coverage staffer, James R. Webb – has stop over Kennedy’s horrific “unconditional” help for Israel’s wanton slaughter and ethnic cleaning marketing campaign towards Palestinian civilians in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/P73wtg59sH

— Scott Horton (@scotthortonshow) December 28, 2023

I can’t discover unbiased affirmation, however Horton is dependable.

RFK and GBD:

RFK Jr: “I’ll signal a treaty…to get all nations to finish gain-of-function analysis…It’s given us all the things from Lyme Illness to COVID and plenty of, many different ailments. RSV, which is now one of many largest killers of kids, got here out of a vaccine lab.”pic.twitter.com/oN6rIYGKo5

— Chief Nerd (@TheChiefNerd) December 27, 2023

Completely happy (with the Home) to finish achieve of perform analysis, however “many, many different ailments”? Actually?

* * *

Democrats en Déshabillé

Affected person readers, plainly persons are really studying the back-dated put up! However I’ve not up to date it, and there are lots of updates. So I should do this. –lambert

I’ve moved my standing remarks on the Democrat Occasion (“the Democrat Occasion is a rotting corpse that may’t bury itself”) to a separate, back-dated put up, to which I’ll periodically add materials, summarizing the addition right here in a “stay” Water Cooler. (Hopefully, some Bourdieu.) It seems that defining the Democrat Occasion is, in reality, a tough downside. I do assume the paragraph that follows is on level all the way in which again to 2016, if not earlier than:

d>. (“PMC” modulo “class expatriates,” after all.) Second, all of the working elements of the Occasion reinforce one another. Go away apart characterizing the relationships between components of the Occasion (ka-ching, however not totally) these components comprise a community — a Flex Web? An iron octagon? — of funders, distributors, apparatchiks, electeds, NGOs, and miscellaneous mercenaries, with property within the press and the intelligence group.

Notice, after all, that the category energy of the PMC each expresses and is restricted by different lessons; oligarchs and American gentry (see ‘industrial mannequin’ of Ferguson, Jorgensen, and Jie) and the working class spring to thoughts. Suck up, kick down.

Properly, a lot for Ruy Tiexiera’s “coalition of the ascendant”:

“My Hero of 2023 Is the Commerce Union Motion” [Bernie Sanders, Daily Beast]. “Because the chairman of the Committee on Well being, Training, Labor, and Pensions, I shall be doing all that I can do to strengthen and increase the commerce union motion—the true heroes and heroines in America not simply in 2023, however in yearly.” • All that’s effective, however the time to consolidate the union motion right into a political power was 2020. And the place had been you when the railroad employees obtained screwed over by Biden?

#COVID19

“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

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 Common 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 tackle 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 reviews); 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 protected on the market!

Maskstravaganza

Huge Hospitals masking up (weeks too late, after all, since they’re pushed by lagging indicators):

Mass Common Brigham restores masking for suppliers caring for sufferers this upcoming Tuesday in accordance with Boston Enterprise Journal. https://t.co/a0yjQRQ7MM pic.twitter.com/osvVrgmxp1

— Yaneer Bar-Yam (@yaneerbaryam) December 27, 2023

MGH is among the drivers of HICPAC’s mission to downgrade PPE, together with masks, in hospitals and nursing properties. Suppose this’ll change their minds? Not in your Nellie!

Variants

“New COVID pressure rapidly turns into most dominant in U.S.” [Axios]. “JN.1’s surge suggests it’s both extra transmissible or higher at evading our immune techniques than different strains in circulation, per the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. But it surely’s too early to inform how a lot it would drive a rise in infections or hospitalizations this winter.” On hospitalizations, have a look at New York. I’m not so certain. Extra: “JN.1 estimates shot up from 21.3% to 44.2% over the 2 weeks ending Dec. 23, in accordance with the CDC, which famous the variant is displaying up in additional vacationers and wastewater surveillance.” All of which has been documented right here for a lot of weeks, good job Axios. Extra: “As a result of it doesn’t seem to pose further dangers, CDC stated it was not altering its suggestions, which embrace getting up to date vaccines and testing if respiratory signs come up.” • Do allow us to erase not solely masking and air flow, however asymptomatic transmission! That is so unhealthy I feel I’ve obtained to jot down them a sternly worded letter; contact web page right here.

Looks like a self-licking ice cream cone:

The continued pandemic, a maintained vicious circle 😷
Adjusted Diagram H/T @TRyanGregory pic.twitter.com/hkaHjxi7dC

— Harry Spoelstra (@HarrySpoelstra) December 28, 2023

Clearly, our elites are conducting an enormous experiment in serial passage on your complete inhabitants, with out knowledgeable consent (though with, one may say, disinformed consent). I ponder the way it will all work out….

“One thing Terrible”

Lambert right here: I’m getting the sensation that the “One thing Terrible” is perhaps a sawtooth sample — variant after variant — that averages out to a completely excessive plateau. A number of exceptionally nasty sequelae, more than likely deriving from immune dysregulation (says this layperson). To which we would add mind injury, together with character modifications therefrom.

* * *

Elite Maleficence

We haven’t even transitioned to “errors had been made”!

Flawed-o, Billy Boy. Nobody might have foreseen this. https://t.co/syGkibkMZ4 pic.twitter.com/S8jcBuA8D8

— T. Ryan Gregory (@TRyanGregory) December 27, 2023

Case Information

NOT UPDATED From BioBot wastewater information, December 23:

Lambert right here: Nonetheless going up. As a completely “intestine really feel” tapewatcher, I’d anticipate this peak to fulfill or exceed the 2 earlier Biden peaks; in any case, we haven’t actually begun the subsequent bout of vacation journey, or the subsequent rounds of celebrations. Plus college students haven’t come from from faculty, after which returned. So a better peak appears just about “baked in.” And that’s earlier than we get to new variants, like JN.1. The true factor to look at is the slope of the curve. If it begins to go vertical, and if it retains on doing so, then maintain onto your hats.

Regional information:

Regional cut up continues.

Variants

NOT UPDATED From CDC, December 23:

Lambert right here: JN.1 now dominates. That was quick.

From CDC, December 9:

Lambert right here: I certain hope the volunteers doing Pangolin, on which this chart relies upon, don’t all transfer on the inexperienced fields and pastures new (or have their entry to services reduce by directors of unwell intent).

CDC: “As of Might 11, genomic surveillance information shall be reported biweekly, based mostly on the provision of constructive take a look at specimens.” “Biweeekly: 1. occurring each two weeks. 2. occurring twice every week; semiweekly.” Seems like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they’re telling us variants are nothing to fret about. Time will inform.

Covid Emergency Room Visits

NOT UPDATED From CDC NCIRD Surveillance, December 23:

Lambert: Return to upward motion. Solely every week’s lag, so this can be our greatest present nationwide, present indicator.

NOTE “Charts and information supplied by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the previous 12 months, utilizing a rolling 52-week interval.” So not your complete pandemic, FFS (the implicit message right here being that Covid is “identical to the flu,” which is why the seasonal “rolling 52-week interval” is acceptable for each_{MR SUBLIMINAL I hate these folks a lot}. Discover additionally that this chart exhibits, not less than for its time interval, that Covid is not seasonal, regardless that CDC is attempting to get us to imagine that it’s, presumably to allow them to piggyback on the prevailing institutional equipment for injections. And naturally, we’re not even stepping into the standard of the wastewater websites that we’ve as a proxy for Covid an infection total.

Hospitalization

Bellwether New York Metropolis, information as of December 27:

Lambert right here: I don’t just like the slope of that curve one bit, and see we’re approaching earlier peak ranges (granted, not 2020 or 2022, however respectable).

NOT UPDATED Right here’s a special CDC visualization on hospitalization, nationwide, not by state, however with a date, not less than. December 16:

Transferring forward briskly!

Lambert right here: “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†”. So the place the heck is the replace, CDC?

Positivity

Lambert right here: Discover that for each Walgreens and the Cleveland Clinic, that though the proportion of positives is secure, absolutely the numbers have vastly elevated; Walgreen’s doubled. This speaks properly of individuals; they’re getting examined earlier than the vacations (and in face of a shit*tstorm barrage of propaganda and peer strain to attenuate, too).

NOT UPDATED From Walgreens, December 26:

-2.3%. Down. (It will be fascinating to survey this inhabitants typically; these are individuals who, regardless of a tsunami of official propaganda and massive peer strain, went and obtained examined anyhow.)

NOT UPDATED From Cleveland Clinic, December 23:

Lambert right here: Plateauing. I do know that is simply Ohio, however we’re starved for information, so….

NOT UPDATED From CDC, traveler’s information, December 4:

Turning down.

Down, albeit within the rear view mirror. And listed below are the variants for vacationers, December 4:

BA.2.86 turns down. This might be a terrific early warning system, if the warning had been in reality early, as a substitute of weeks late, good job, CDC.

Deaths

NOT UPDATED Right here is the New York Instances, based mostly on CDC information, December 16:

Stats Watch

Employment SItuation: “United States Preliminary Jobless Claims” [Trading Economics]. “The variety of Individuals submitting for unemployment advantages rose by 12,000 to 218,000 on the week ending December twenty third, above market expectations of 210,000, to recommend some softening within the US labor market earlier than the top of the 12 months. Within the meantime, persevering with claims rose by 14,000 to a one-month excessive of 1,875,000, as anticipated by markets.”

Retail: “Amazon will get FDA letter on probably dangerous energetic pharmaceutical components” [Seeking Alpha]. “An investigation by the FDA revealed that merchandise labeled as energy-enhancing dietary supplements or dietary dietary supplements on Amazon’s web site contained undisclosed and probably harmful energetic pharmaceutical components, together with sildenafil and tadalafil, as confirmed by laboratory analyses.”

Tech: “ChatGPT will lie, cheat and use insider buying and selling when below strain to earn cash, analysis exhibits” [Live Science] • Turing Take a look at, right here we come!

Right now’s Concern & Greed Index: 77 Excessive Greed (earlier shut: 77 Excessive Greed) [CNN]. One week in the past: 76 (Excessive Greed). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Dec 28 at 1:19:01 PM ET.

Zeitgeist Watch

“On Christianity” [Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Medium]. From 2022, nonetheless germane. “Satirically, modernists fall for what I’ve referred to as the opiate of the center lessons[i.e., the PMC], that’s social science and inventory market hypothesis. They refuse faith on rational grounds, then fall for financial forecasters, inventory market analysts, and psychologists. We all know that financial forecasts work no higher than astrology; inventory market analysts are extra pompous however a lot much less elegant than the bishop, and psychology papers don’t replicate that means their outcomes don’t maintain. My co-author Rupert Learn and I’ve argued (utilizing evolutionary arguments) that faith, by way of interdicts, permits the intergenerational transmission of survival heuristics and is efficient in nudging folks into some lessons of conduct[16]. By some irony, “nudging” principle developed by social scientists (which earned Richard Thaler a Nobel in financial sciences) has been lately proven to be nonreplicable, owing to a statistical artifact[17]. Nonreplicable is the well mannered scientific time period to imply that it’s no totally different from astrology. Hearken to the bishop — the recipient of generations of survival knowledge — not the psychologist.”

Information of the Wired

“The way to Construct a Small Photo voltaic Energy System” [Low Tech Magazine]. ” This information brings all the data collectively: what you want, tips on how to wire all the things, what your design decisions are, the place to place photo voltaic panels, tips on how to repair them in place (or not), tips on how to cut up energy and set up measuring devices. It offers with photo voltaic vitality techniques that cost batteries and less complicated configurations that present direct solar energy.” • I wager we’ve readers who’ve performed this. Readers, what do you assume?

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 examine in case you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me photos of crops. Greens are effective! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! If you’d like your deal with to seem as a credit score, please place it firstly 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 TH:

TH writes: “Name within the ladybugs, there’s aphids on these rosebuds!”

• Form readers, I’m operating very in need of crops. Extra fall harvest photographs can be good. Or snowy scenes. Even Christmas timber. Or no matter! Thanks a lot!

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