2:00PM Water Cooler 9/6/2022 | bare capitalism

By Lambert Strether of Corrente

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Readers, I hope your Labor Day weekend was fulfilling! I collected a ton of fabric over the three-day weekend, and I would like to include it now, or I’ll by no means get out from underneath. So please verify again. –lambert

Chook Music of the Day

Cozumel Thrasher, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Species advised by alert reader SV. Energetic little creature! (The chook, not SV.)

Politics

“However what’s authorities itself, however the biggest of all reflections on human nature?” –James Madison, Federalist 51

“Right here’s meals for thought, had Ahab time to suppose; however Ahab by no means thinks; he solely feels, feels, feels” –Herman Melville, Moby Dick

“You possibly can’t actually mud for vomit.” Nigel Tufnel, That is Spinal Faucet

Biden Administration

“White Home requests $47 billion in assist for Ukraine, virus fights and pure disasters” [Politico]. “Within the funding request, the White Home will search $11.7 billion in Ukraine safety and financial help, $2 billion to handle the consequences of Russia’s conflict on home vitality provide, $22.4 billion for the home combat in opposition to Covid-19 and $3.9 billion for home efforts to combat monkeypox — in addition to $600 million to fight the monkeypox unfold globally. The administration can be requesting $6.5 billion to help restoration for latest pure catastrophe occasions, reminiscent of main flooding in Kentucky and wildfires in California.” • Including:

Per @PunchbowlNews this am- “We’re listening to that Democratic congressional leaders are contemplating attaching a provision codifying identical intercourse marriage protections onto a must-pass spending invoice to maintain the federal authorities open previous Sept. 30.”

— Kellie Meyer (@KellieMeyerNews) September 6, 2022

Oh. So that they’re going to codify Obergefell however not Roe v. Wade? Actually?

“Biden picks White Home veteran to run revived local weather drive” [Associated Press]. “President Joe Biden on Friday introduced again John Podesta, a behind-the-scenes veteran at getting issues completed on local weather in previous Democratic administrations, to place into place an bold U.S. local weather program newly revived by $375 billion from Congress. Biden named Podesta as a senior adviser, charged with implementing the landmark clean-energy and local weather spending underneath the massive well being care and local weather invoice handed by Congress in August. Podesta may also lead the administration’s local weather process pressure. Additional reshaping the White Home’s local weather crew for a considerably extra hopeful section, Biden additionally introduced the departure of his present local weather adviser, Gina McCarthy. A former Environmental Safety Company chief, McCarthy had led Biden’s home local weather program throughout Democrats’ two years of wrestle — typically seeming all however doomed — to get the local weather financing by means of Congress. McCarthy was trusted on Capitol Hill and delayed her departure till Biden might signal the brand new local weather measures into legislation final month.” • Podesta is 73. I’m verging on gerontocrat standing myself, so I can’t get too upset about this — granted, I’m not being requested to run a $375 billion program — however holy [family blog], couldn’t the Democrats discover anyone moreover a CAP goon and the chair of Clinton’s 2016 marketing campaign?

2022

* * *

“Dems erase GOP’s Senate benefit” [Politico]. “The combat for management of the 50-50 Senate is a toss-up…. A variety of elements contributed to Democrats’ resurgence, however the declining nationwide headwinds dealing with the celebration are most accountable. Democratic voters are energized after the Supreme Court docket’s abortion determination, and Donald Trump’s fixed presence within the highlight is driving Democratic anger. Weaker Republican opponents in some states have additionally performed a job: In Arizona, GOP nominee Blake Masters’ struggles since successful the first final month have moved the state from “Toss Up” to “Lean Democratic” — a mirrored image of Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly’s rising lead over Masters. The Arizona shift leaves 4 “Toss-Up” Senate races — two presently managed by every celebration. If neither celebration wins one of many races the place the opposition has a bonus now, Republicans would want to win three of the 4 “Toss Up” races to wrest management of the bulk.” • In fact, the Democrats need to be enormously punished (however I’m glad I by no means jumped on the bandwagon that they’d be. I imply, Labor Day is simply simply previous, so the actual horse-race has simply begun.

“The Coin Is within the Air for the Senate” [Charlie Cook, Cook Political Report]. “One of many major causes the president’s celebration has suffered a web lack of Home seats in 36 of the 39 midterm elections because the begin of the Civil Struggle is that these within the opposition celebration are nearly at all times extra motivated to vote than these within the president’s celebration. This had been the case for a lot of this cycle, however the Dobbs Supreme Court docket determination, in addition to a few of the different developments beforehand talked about, appeared to place a bit extra starch in Democrats’ shorts, all however utterly closing the hole, As NBC Information Senior Political Editor Mark Murray wrote, “68% of Republicans specific a excessive degree of curiosity within the upcoming election—registering both a “9” or “10” on a 10-point scale—versus 66% for Democrats. That 2-point GOP benefit is down from 17 factors in March and eight factors in Might.” It is a key yardstick, although not the one one, that pollsters use to take a look at the probably degree of voter turnout inside every base.” • Cook dinner is a sober commentator; the entire piece is value a learn.

“Biden seeks to separate ‘mainstream’ Republicans from ‘Trumpies’ in Wisconsin speech” [Politico]. • As earlier in Pennsylvania, as I wrote.

2024

“Decide orders halt to DOJ evaluation of paperwork seized from Trump” [Politico]. “‘Plaintiff faces an unquantifiable potential hurt by means of improper disclosure of delicate info to the general public,’ U.S. District Court docket Decide Aileen Cannon wrote in a 24-page ruling issued on Labor Day. Cannon’s order included allowing a so-called particular grasp to evaluation the seized supplies for potential attorney-client and government privilege. Prosecutors expressed exasperation at Trump’s demand to evaluation for government privilege, noting that there isn’t any precedent for a former government to claim privilege to bar evaluation of supplies by a sitting government department — significantly when the federal government has decided the necessity is pressing.” • Looks as if an inexpensive final result, provided that the FBI investigation is being run by Trump’s political enemies, they usually’ve already seized attorney-client privileged paperwork. Commentary:

If the FBI seized something really damning from Trump it will have been leaked to CNN, WaPo, and the NY Instances 5 minutes after the raid.

— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) September 6, 2022

I hate to be cynical, however I’ve to agree.

“Barr suggests Trump ‘deceived’ the federal government over categorized data” [NBC]. If deceiving the federal government is against the law, there’s gonna be lots of people in jail, particularly from the Beltway. “It’s unclear what was within the categorized data taken by Trump or why he took them, and Barr stated he couldn’t work out what Trump’s motives have been.’ I can’t consider a legit purpose why’ the paperwork have been taken, Barr stated, swiping at Trump’s defenders who stated that he might declassify data en masse by mere verbal or psychological fiat. ‘I, frankly, am skeptical of this declare that ‘I declassified every little thing,’” Barr stated. ‘I feel it’s extremely inconceivable … if in actual fact he type of stood over scores of packing containers, probably not figuring out what was in them, and stated, ‘I hereby declassify every little thing in right here.’ That may be such an abuse, and — that exhibits such recklessness that it’s nearly worse than taking the paperwork.’” First, I feel standing over packing containers and saying “I declassify every little thing” will not be ipso facto reckless and we should always do way more of it (begin with JFK, transfer on to UFOs, after which, as a palate cleanser, regardless of the spooks have on Jeffrey Epstien). I understand my angle would trigger a explanation for collective verklempt in these rich Northern Virginia suburbs we hear a lot about, the place all people “works in authorities,” however come on. Everyone is aware of overclassification is a major problem. Additionally, is Barr a little bit youngster? Trump’s apparent motive is RussiaGate (August 29). And I’m not the one one who thinks so (September 1).

Realignment and Legitimacy

“Voting “Not Responsible”: A Toolkit on Jury Nullification” [Beyond Criminal Courts] (PDF). “Jury nullification is a time period used to explain a scenario when jurors resolve to acquit an individual of prison fees despite the fact that the particular person on trial might technically be convicted based mostly on the proof. Jury nullification is a concrete, sensible means that jurors can assert their values and cease individuals from going to jail or jail, and it’s one method that we will use, alongside many others, to disrupt the carceral state.”

#COVID19

Lambert right here: As readers know, I stan for nasal vaccines. The information move, not less than, is growing:

• ”Starpharma wins recognition for improvement of COVID-19 antiviral nasal spray” (press launch) [Biotech Dispatch]. “

Starpharma (ASX:SPL) has been introduced because the winner of the ‘Most Vital Business End result’ award following the completion of a Biomedical Translation Bridge (BTB) program backed by the federal authorities’s Medical Analysis Future Fund (MRFF) and MTPConnect. The award recognises the substantial and speedy influence of the corporate’s novel, broad-spectrum antiviral nasal spray within the world response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Starpharma developed and commercialised , inside 12 months. It was .” • Large if true; I feel we’re taking a look at mouse research. Right here is the location, with the mechanism. It’s apparently accessible over-the-counter within the UK. That stated, I’m all for low-cost, high-reward approaches. What have we received to lose? Can any Austrialian readers chime in?

• ”Mount Sinai spins out vaccine Fort, making ready to put siege to infectious illnesses” [Fierce Biotech]. Buried within the story: “Mount Sinai experiences that interim outcomes from a placebo-controlled, section 1/2 research of the know-how in Thailand discovered that the nasal vaccine induced greater neutralizing antibodies in opposition to the Wuhan pressure than the accessible COVID-19 pictures within the U.S. Interim outcomes of a booster research of the nasal spray carried out at Mount Sinai are anticipated within the fourth quarter, in accordance with CastleVax CEO Matt Stober. The vaccine know-how has been transferred to producers in Brazil, Mexico, Vietnam and Thailand, which collectively might produce greater than a billion doses a 12 months.” • A billion doses could be good. It has occurred to me that nasal vaccines take useless purpose at two ginormous monopolies: Large Pharma, particularly if the nasal vaccines are sterlizing, as early reporting advised they’d be; and likewise Large Hospitals, as a result of medical professionals are not wanted to inject the vaccines with needles. There’s additionally the decreased requirement for a chilly chain. Nasal vaccines upset a variety of rice bowls. Therefore….? —

• “Bharat Biotech’s nasal vaccine enters 2nd section of human trials in Kanpur right now” [KnockSense Hindi]. From 30 Aug, 2021. “The second section of human trials for the intra-nasal COVID vaccine, BBV 154, has began in Kanpur from right now onwards. As per experiences, this modern vaccine has been developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with Washington College Faculty of Drugs. Reportedly, the trial centre arrange at Prakhar Hospital acquired ICMR’s approval on Monday and now, the volunteers have been referred to as for this maiden drive…. As per experiences, Chief Information Dr. J.S. Kushwaha, knowledgeable that two drops of the nasal vaccine will likely be launched in every nostril of the volunteers they usually must lay down for five minutes. After this era, two extra drops will likely be given to them and they won’t be permitted to rise up for the subsequent half-hour. A second dose will likely be administered, on the identical traces, after 28 days. Additional, the physician apprised that the antibody assessments will likely be carried out in two other ways. Moreover the saliva samples, 5 mm blood samples may also be collected on the first, twenty eighth, 56th, ninetieth and one hundred and eightieth days. With the assistance of this, complete antibody experiences will likely be ready. As per experiences, this group consists of non-vaccinated people, with or and not using a historical past of COVID an infection… As per experiences, it’s anticipated that the third section trials will likely be carried out in Kanpur itself.” • Superior, besides I assumed, from Bharat’s press launch, that BBV154 had already handed its Stage III human trials. NOTE: All that element about volunteers mendacity down makes me suppose there are certainly issues about administration, a recognized difficulty with nasal vaccines. Right here is the brand new research in Scientific Trials:

(Bharat hasn’t launched its knowledge, both.)

• ”Barts Well being researchers present nasal spray can stop Covid-19″ (press launch) [NHS Barts Health]. “Newly revealed outcomes from a medical trial led by Barts Well being and Queen Mary College of London researchers present {that a} nasal spray (pHOXWELL) can cut back an infection with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) by 62%. The trial was carried out in India between April to July 2021, the height surge of the extremely infectious Delta variant. It concerned 556 contributors – 275 used pHOXWELL and 281 used a placebo (i.e. a pretend nasal spray) – 3 times a day. After 45 days, our researchers measured what number of antibodies in opposition to Covid-19 every particular person in each teams had. They discovered that pHOXWELL was secure and that after 45 days, 13.1% of these within the group that used it had antibodies in opposition to the Covid-19 virus, in comparison with 34.5% within the group who acquired the placebo. This exhibits that utilizing pHOXWELL dramatically reduces the probabilities of creating Covid-19. Researchers additionally discovered that individuals who used the nasal spray have been much less prone to expertise signs than these given the placebo. No critical uncomfortable side effects have been reported in both group and contributors famous that the nasal spray was simple to make use of.”

• “Immunogenicity and protectivity of intranasally delivered vector-based heterologous prime-boost COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V in mice and non-human primates” [Emerging Microbes and Infections]. “Right here, we reveal that the intranasally delivered Gam-COVID-Vac (Sputnik V) vaccine induced in mice. Excessive immunogenic properties of the vaccine have been verified in non-human primates (frequent marmosets) by marked IgG and neutralizing antibody (NtAb) manufacturing in blood serum, antigen-specific T-cell proliferation and cytokine launch of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) accompanied by formation of IgA antibodies within the nasal mucosa. We additionally reveal that Sputnik V vaccine can present in K18-hACE2 transgenic mice uncovered to experimental deadly SARS-CoV-2 an infection defending them in opposition to extreme lung immunopathology and mortality.” • Bear in mind, nevertheless, that “monkeys exaggerate, however mice lie.”

• ”New inhaled COVID-19 therapeutic blocks viral replication within the lungs” (press launch) [Berkeley News]. “Scientists on the College of California, Berkeley, have created a brand new COVID-19 therapeutic that might in the future make treating SARS-CoV-2 infections as simple as utilizing a nasal spray for allergy symptoms. In a brand new research revealed on-line within the journal Nature Communications, the crew exhibits that these quick snippets, referred to as antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), are extremely efficient at stopping the virus from replicating in human cells. When administered within the nostril, these ASOs are additionally efficient at stopping and treating COVID-19 an infection in mice and hamsters.” • Therapeutics past busts like Paxlovid are good. Getting away from needles is sweet. The secret’s the phrases “in the future.”

• ”Severe opposed occasions of particular curiosity following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in randomized trials in adults” [Vaccine]. Meta-study. From the Summary: “The surplus danger of significant opposed occasions present in our research factors to the necessity for formal harm-benefit analyses, significantly these which can be stratified in accordance with danger of significant COVID-19 outcomes. These analyses would require public launch of participant degree datasets.” Certainly they may. And from the physique: “Rational coverage formation ought to take into account potential harms alongside potential advantages. [29] For example this want within the current context, we carried out a easy harm-benefit comparability utilizing the trial knowledge evaluating extra danger of significant [adverse events of special interest (AESIs)] based mostly in opposition to reductions in COVID-19 hospitalization. We discovered extra danger of significant AESIs to exceed the discount in COVID-19 hospitalizations in each Pfizer and Moderna trials.” • Oopsie. One thing to contemplate….

• ”How covid-19 spreads: narratives, counter narratives, and social dramas” [BMJ]. Value studying in full. “The official droplet-but-not-airborne narrative materialised as artefacts (reminiscent of posters, disinfectant dispensers, and a pair of metre distancing markers) and social practices (actions accepted and anticipated specifically contexts). Droplet directed practices turned ubiquitous, as individuals washed fingers and forearms assiduously for 20 seconds, quarantined and disinfected their publish, and stayed a measured distance aside, and establishments put in and policed the varied artefacts and practices. These rituals of purification powerfully bolstered the official narrative. ‘Clear’ and ‘contaminated’ got here to be demarcated by way of how just lately and completely fingers had been sanitised and the way far a droplet was assumed to journey. The identical rituals served to downplay or obscure the narrative of aerosol transmission—which demarcated clear and contaminated by way of air purity, with practices oriented to controlling indoor crowding and time spent indoors, ventilating or filtering air, and optimising high quality and match of masks. These materials and enacted options of coverage discourse served to silence additional the narrative that SARS-CoV-2 is airborne.” • The tragic and pointless penalties:

You continue to see individuals cleansing surfaces in good religion, due to CDC and WHO’s droplet goons managed the “scientific” messaging.

• Maskstraganza:

Makes me want there’s a Hell.

If you happen to missed it, right here’s a publish on my queasiness with CDC numbers, particularly case rely, which I (nonetheless) take into account most necessary, regardless of what Walensky’s psychos at CDC who invented “neighborhood ranges” suppose. However these are the numbers now we have.

Case Depend

Case rely for america:

Circumstances are undercounted, one supply saying by an element of six, Gottlieb pondering we solely decide up one in seven or eight.) Therefore, I take the nominal case rely and multiply it by six to approximate the actual degree of instances, and draw the DNC-blue “Biden Line” at that time. The earlier rely was ~83,350. At this time, it’s ~65,850 and 65,850 * 6 = a Biden line at 395,100 per day. (Bear in mind these knowledge factors are weekly averages, so each day fluctuations are smoothed out.) The black “Fauci Line” is a counter to triumphalism, because it compares present ranges to previous crises. If you happen to have a look at the Fauci line, you will note that regardless of the bleating and yammering about Covid being “over,” now we have solely only recently reached the (nominal) case degree of November 1, 2021, and we’re very removed from that of July 1, 2021. And the actual degree is far worse.

Lambert right here: The autumn in case rely seems spectacular sufficient. What the Fauci Line exhibits, nevertheless, is that now we have eventually achieved the extent of the preliminary peak, when New York was storing the our bodies in fridge vehicles. So the endzone celebrations are, to my thoughts, untimely. Not that anybody will throw a flag. In fact, the actual story is within the charts for California and the South. See under.

Regional case rely for 4 weeks:

The South:

I assume Labor Day knowledge points, however once more, the remainder of the South doesn’t have the wild gyrations that Texas and Florida do.

The South (minus Texas and Florida):

Doing fairly properly!

The West:

Extra backward revisions. Labor Day weekend knowledge points?

Wastewater

Wastewater knowledge (CDC), August 30:

California isn’t reporting something, so now we have no cross-check on its latest fall in case rely. That is past absurd, even for the eugenicist buffoons who run CDC.

For grins, August 29:

• ”Wastewater surveillance turns into extra focused in seek for poliovirus, monkeypox and coronavirus” [CNN]. “Some illness detectives in america are narrowing their wastewater surveillance efforts to zero in on particular buildings and to establish sizzling spots for a rising checklist of illnesses. ‘Some wastewater surveillance is finished on the neighborhood degree, and a few is finished on the constructing degree, which is a little bit bit higher nuanced by way of making an attempt to focus on messaging,’ stated Lori Tremmel Freeman, chief government officer of the Nationwide Affiliation of County and Metropolis Well being Officers. ‘For instance, in a few of our jurisdictions, they’ll monitor a big resort or a jail setting,’ she stated. ‘If it pops up there, you’ll be able to goal messaging on to that constructing.’ A building-level method to wastewater surveillance is underway in any respect 11 hospitals throughout the NYC Well being + Hospitals built-in well being care system in New York Metropolis.” • An apparent resolution for school and college dorms, too.

Positivity

From the Walgreen’s check positivity tracker, September 6:

-2.7%. The downward pattern contained in the purple circle is definitely encouraging.

Transmission

NOTE: I shall most definitely not be utilizing the CDC’s new “Community Level” metric. Because CDC has combined a leading indicator (cases) with a lagging one (hospitalization) their new metric is a poor warning sign of a surge, and a poor way to assess personal risk. In addition, Covid is a disease you don’t want to get. Even if you are not hospitalized, you can suffer from Long Covid, vascular issues, and neurological issues. For these reasons, case counts — known to be underestimated, due to home test kits — deserve to stand alone as a number to be tracked, no matter how much the political operatives in CDC leadership would like to obfuscate it. That the “green map” (which Topol calls a “capitulation” and a “deception”) is still up and being taken seriously verges on the criminal. Use the community transmission immediately below.

Here is CDC’s interactive map by county set to community transmission. (This is the map CDC wants only hospitals to look at, not you.)

That is really nonetheless enhancing. Extra yellow within the Plains states and the Mountain states.

NOT UPDATED Speedy Riser knowledge, by county (CDC), August 30:

I suppose that if case counts are certainly degree, it’s probably there could be few speedy risers.

Earlier Speedy Riser knowledge:

NOT UPDATED Hospitalization knowledge, by state (CDC), August 30:

Plenty of inexperienced, which ought to make the hospital-centric goons on the Facilities for Illness comfortable. Then once more, Gentle Inexperienced is trending down, and Darkish Inexperienced is straight down. What I wish to see is a variety of Darkish Inexperienced. However I’m not.

NOTE: Speedy Riser and Hospitalization knowledge are up to date Wednesdays and Fridays.

Variants

Lambert right here: It’s past irritating how gradual the variant knowledge is. I regarded for extra charts: California doesn’t to a BA.4/BA.5 breakdown. New York does nevertheless it, too, is on a molasses-like two-week cycle. Does no one within the public well being institution get a promotion for monitoring variants? Are there no grants? Is there a single lab that does this work, and all people will get the outcomes from them? Extra sources from readers welcome [grinds teeth, bangs head on desk].

Lambert right here: The final actual — i.e., not modeled — knowledge from CDC is August 6. That’s such a ginormous derelection I don’t even know what to say. Fundamental disrespect for sincere, hardworking People making an attempt to make their “private danger assessments.” How on earth are individuals supposed to do this with out variant knowledge? Do the morons at CDC suppose BA.5 goes to be the final?

NOT UPDATED Variant knowledge, nationwide (Walgreens), August 20:

Nonetheless no signal of BA2.75 at Walgreens, regardless of its success in India and presence in Bay Space wastewater.

NOT UPDATED Variant knowledge, nationwide (CDC), August 13 (Nowcast off):

Nonetheless no signal of BA2.75.

Stats Watch

Logistics: “United States LMI Logistics Managers Index Present” [Trading Economics]. “The Logistics Supervisor’s Index within the US fell for a fifth month to 59.7 in August of 2022, the bottom since Might of 2020, from 60.7 in July totally on falling demand. Though the index exhibits the general logistics business continues to develop, the speed of development is now 16.5 factors down from March after we noticed an all-time excessive studying of 76.2. That is the biggest slide now we have seen over a five-month interval within the historical past of the index.”

Companies: “United States ISM Non Manufacturing PMI” [Trading Economics]. “he ISM Companies PMI unexpectedly edged greater to 56.9 in August of 2022 from 56.7 in July, beating market forecasts of 55.1, and pointing to the strongest development in providers exercise in 4 months.”

The Bezzle: “Conspiracy Brokers: Understanding the Monetization of YouTube Conspiracy Theories” [Association for Computing Machinery]. From the Summary: “We accumulate 184,218 advert impressions from 6,347 distinctive advertisers discovered on conspiracy-focused channels and mainstream YouTube content material. We classify the adverts into enterprise classes and evaluate their prevalence between conspiracy and mainstream content material. We additionally establish frequent offsite monetization strategies. Compared with mainstream content material, conspiracy movies had comparable ranges of adverts from well-known manufacturers, however an nearly eleven occasions greater prevalence of probably predatory or misleading adverts. Moreover, we discovered that conspiracy channels have been greater than twice as probably as mainstream channels to make use of offsite monetization strategies, and 53% of the demonetized channels we noticed have been linking to third-party websites for various monetization alternatives. Our outcomes point out that conspiracy theorists on YouTube had many potential avenues to generate income, and that predatory adverts have been extra regularly served for conspiracy movies.” • YouTube, good job. Possibly give attention to the predatory promoting quite than content material. Only a thought.

Mr. Market: Dedicated to the bit:

NOTE: Zelensky will just about ring the bell. He’s not in New York trying out actual property.

At this time’s Concern & Greed Index: 41 Concern (earlier shut: 42 Impartial) [CNN]. One week in the past: 49 (Impartial). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Sep 6 at 1:42 PM EDT.

Rapture Index: Closes up one on Local weather. “It’s very uncommon for this class to be on the maxium ranking” [Rapture Ready]. Document Excessive, October 10, 2016: 189. Present: 188. (Do not forget that bringing on the Rapture is good.). Lastly, local weather. I like “maxium,” as a result of it menas a human is reallly doing this.

The Gallery

I’m wondering if anyone is photographing European LNG terminals and pipelines proper now:

The supply for kawaii?

Uncanny valley?

I haven’t seen any AI-generated artwork that isn’t creepy and dangerous (that goes for NFTs, too). McLuhan was proper — I paraphrase, maybe incorrectly — that media is amputating. Artwork AI will amputate our human capacity to make artwork for itself. AI must be killed with fireplace (particularly as a result of we don’t know the way it works and may’t keep it).

Successor ideology assaults the museum label:

These labels speak right down to the reader greater than any musty scholarship ever did.

Imperial Collapse Watch

Musical interlude:

Guillotine Watch

“The super-rich ‘preppers’ planning to save lots of themselves from the apocalypse” [Guardian]. Holy [family blog]:

They began out innocuously and predictably sufficient. Bitcoin or ethereum? Digital actuality or augmented actuality? Who will get quantum computing first, China or Google? Ultimately, they edged into their actual subject of concern: New Zealand or Alaska? Which area could be much less affected by the approaching local weather disaster? It solely received worse from there. Which was the larger menace: world warming or organic warfare? How lengthy ought to one plan to have the ability to survive with no exterior assist? Ought to a shelter have its personal air provide? What was the probability of groundwater contamination? Lastly, the CEO of a brokerage home defined that he had almost accomplished constructing his personal underground bunker system, and requested: “How do I keep authority over my safety pressure after the occasion?” The occasion. That was their euphemism for the environmental collapse, social unrest, nuclear explosion, photo voltaic storm, unstoppable virus, or malicious laptop hack that takes every little thing down.

This single query occupied us for the remainder of the hour. They knew armed guards could be required to guard their compounds from raiders in addition to indignant mobs. One had already secured a dozen Navy Seals to make their method to his compound if he gave them the precise cue. However how would he pay the guards as soon as even his crypto was nugatory? What would cease the guards from ultimately selecting their very own chief?

The billionaires thought of utilizing particular mixture locks on the meals provide that solely they knew. Or making guards put on disciplinary collars of some form in return for his or her survival. Or perhaps constructing robots to function guards and employees – if that know-how may very well be developed “in time”.

I attempted to purpose with them. I made pro-social arguments for partnership and solidarity as one of the best approaches to our collective, long-term challenges. The best way to get your guards to exhibit loyalty sooner or later was to deal with them like mates proper now, I defined. Don’t simply put money into ammo and electrical fences, put money into individuals and relationships. They rolled their eyes at what will need to have sounded to them like hippy philosophy.

This was most likely the wealthiest, strongest group I had ever encountered. But right here they have been, asking a Marxist media theorist for recommendation on the place and the way to configure their doomsday bunkers. That’s when it hit me: not less than so far as these gents have been involved, this was a speak about the way forward for know-how.

And little question these billionaires are arranging their portfolios — monetary and human — for optimum outcomes earlier than, throughout, and after “the occasion.” Little doubt the continuity of presidency individuals are pondering alongside comparable traces:

Class Warfare

“Lengthy Covid Is Conserving Tens of millions Of Folks Out Of Work” [William Haseltine, Forbes]. “The expertise of every one that is with Lengthy Covid is commonly distinctive. Some could have extra extreme and disabling signs that stop them from working completely, some could have milder signs or employer lodging that permit them to take care of their common employment, some may fit decreased hours or some could also be pressured by dire monetary circumstances to maintain working regardless of extreme sickness. A July 2021 research from the Affected person-Led Analysis Collaborative discovered solely about 27% of lengthy Covid sufferers labored as many hours as they did earlier than falling ailing, and roughly 23% weren’t working in any respect, as a direct results of lengthy Covid. With a purpose to accommodate these numerous experiences of their estimates, Brookings drew knowledge from the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Financial institution, United Kingdom’s Trades Union Congress, and a Lancet research concerning the extent of labor reductions. This knowledge resulted in estimates of two million, 3 million, and 4 million full-time equal employees out of the labor pressure as a result of Lengthy Covid. The midpoint of this vary (3 million full-time equal employees) is 1.8% of the complete U.S. civilian labor pressure.” • Nothing particular about Forbes, however this can be a good aggregation.

Information of the Wired

Justine Haupt’s rotary cellular phone:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV1C-41tq64

Actually superior. I like the thought of being out from underneath location monitoring, and I particularly like getting 4 bars within the boonies (which Haupt can accomplish as a result of she doesn’t should cram a tiny antenna right into a tiny case). This venture can’t have been simple!

Contact info for vegetation: 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 if you’re allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me photographs of vegetation. Greens are positive! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary vegetation! If you need your deal with to look as a credit score, please place it at first 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 Carla:

Carla writes: “The marshmallows are blooming at Shaker Nature Middle in NE Ohio. Marshmallow root was historically used to offer marshmallow candies their attribute sponginess. It’s used to deal with many sicknesses & circumstances world wide. August 2022.”