2:00PM Water Cooler 9/15/2022 | bare capitalism

As regular on monopolies, Stoller nails it:

And:

“Home members roll out bipartisan election invoice geared toward stopping future coups” [The Hill]. “Each payments are geared toward stopping future coup makes an attempt by clarifying the restricted position of the vp in counting Electoral School votes, elevating the brink for members of Congress to object to states’ presidential electors, beefing up legal guidelines round certifying elections for the rightful winner and selling an orderly presidential transition.” • There’s one thing slightly odd about outlawing a coup…..

“Posse Comitatus, Made Respectable” [John Ganz]. “I’ve come to 2 robust, however I really feel unavoidable, conclusions in regards to the Claremont Institute, the California-based right-wing assume tank that provides Trumpism with its mental cadre: One, that they’re making an attempt the creation of a distinctly American type of fascism that studiously avoids references to European forebears, and two, they’ve develop into basically a seditious conspiracy in opposition to the American folks. I don’t use this rhetoric calmly; I notice it may sound a bit excessive, even fevered and crankish, however every little thing else reads like hedging or euphemism. Claremont has performed an instigating and integral half in all the most authoritarian and menacing parts of the Trump period: from the wild proposals to finish birthright citizenship and abrogate the 14th Modification, to the creation and dissemination of “Cease the Steal Propaganda,” to persistent outreach and legitimation of the extreme-right fringe, after which to offering the spurious authorized structure of the January 6 putsch try. However one of many Institute’s most regarding initiatives but is their “Sheriff’s Fellowship,” a direct effort to bind legislation enforcement to their ideological program. Based in 2021, the Sheriff’s Fellowship goal is described in fairly partisan however nonetheless principally benign-sounding language on the Institute’s web site as a high-minded course in political idea and historical past for the native police.” • What may go mistaken…

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#COVID19

• Maskstravaganza: Life’s little ironies:

That is humorous. However, readers, is it true?

• Maskstravaganza: “Invoice Hader Masks Up At Emmys And Followers Can’t Cowl Up Their Approval” [HuffPo]. The deck: “‘We stan a secure king resisting peer strain within the 12 months 2022!’ one particular person tweeted in regards to the “Barry” star.” • True, Hader is immuno-compromised. However I dare to hope some pushback from pro-maskers is having an impact.

• Maskstravaganza: “Experimental Evaluation of Carbon Dioxide Content material in Inhaled Air With or With out Face Masks in Wholesome Kids” [JAMA]. • RETRACTED (when you see anybody quoting it).

• A really attention-grabbing FOIA, albeit from Canada:

I consider now we have alert reader antidlc is engaged in an analogous effort; maybe this can assist.

“A Disturbing Preprint About Lengthy COVID” [Mike the Mad Biologist]. “Even when we assume that many of the noticed impact is both misreporting, ascertainment bias or background noise–and concerning the latter, do we actually assume fifteen % of 25-34 12 months outdated adults undergo from lengthy COVID like signs for another purpose?–it nonetheless would imply one to 2 % of individuals undergo from fatigue, issue concentrating, or shortness of breath.” • Hmm.

Should you missed it, right here’s a submit on my queasiness with CDC numbers, particularly case depend, which I (nonetheless) contemplate most necessary, regardless of what Walensky’s psychos at CDC who invented “group ranges” assume. However these are the numbers now we have.

Case Rely

Lambert right here: I assume when Johns Hopkins takes these numbers away, I’m going to need to rethink this part.

Case depend for america:

Circumstances are undercounted, one supply saying by an element of six, Gottlieb considering we solely choose up one in seven or eight.) Therefore, I take the nominal case depend and multiply it by six to approximate the true degree of instances, and draw the DNC-blue “Biden Line” at that time. The earlier depend was ~73,400. As we speak, it’s ~70,000 and 70,000 * 6 = a Biden line at 420,000. (Keep in mind these knowledge factors are weekly averages, so every day fluctuations are smoothed out.) The black “Fauci Line” is a counter to triumphalism, because it compares present ranges to previous crises. Should you 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 in the near past reached the (nominal) case degree of November 1, 2021, and we’re very removed from that of July 1, 2021. And the true degree is far worse.

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

Regional case depend for 4 weeks:

The South:

The South (minus Texas and Florida):

South Carolina appears to have halted processing till they’ll determine what’s happening.

The West:

Wastewater

SITE DOWN Wastewater knowledge (CDC), September 10:

For grins, September 9:

Lambert right here: If the location doens’t load in 5 minutes, it’s not good for something, is it?

Positivity

From the Walgreen’s check positivity tracker, September 9:

2.8%. Needs to be a number one indicator, if Walgreen’s clients are an enough nationwide proxy. Attention-grabbing who’s not (particularly the grain belt) and who’s not.

Transmission

NOTE: I shall most actually 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.)

NOT UPDATED Speedy Riser knowledge, by county (CDC), September 9:

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

Earlier Speedy Riser knowledge:

NOT UPDATED Hospitalization knowledge, by state (CDC), September 14:

Sea of inexperienced!

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 appeared for extra charts: California doesn’t to a BA.4/BA.5 breakdown. New York does but it surely, too, is on a molasses-like two-week cycle. Does no person 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].

Variant knowledge, nationwide (Walgreens), September 1:

Nonetheless no signal of BA.2.75 at Walgreens, regardless of its success in India and presence in Bay Space wastewater.

NOT UPDATED Variant knowledge, nationwide (CDC), August 20 (Nowcast off):

Nonetheless no signal of BA.2.75. I checked out all of the areas, too.

BA.2.75 in Ontario and Quebec, Canada:

Deaths

Dying fee (Our World in Knowledge):

Lambert right here: It’s attention-grabbing that the deaths per 100,000 curve — with its curious current flattening — has kind of the identical form because the case curve, suggesting {that a} “Biden Curve” would have kind of the identical form because the case depend curve, versus the straight line I’m drawing for the present degree.

Complete: 1,077,477 – 1,076,343 = 1134 (1134 * 365 = 413,910, which is right this moment’s LivingWith™* quantity (fairly a bit increased than the minimizers would really like, thought they’ll discuss themselves into something. Fluctuates fairly a bit, however even the low numbers are dangerous). I’ve added an anti-triumphalist black Fauci Line.

It’s good that for deaths I’ve a easy, every day chart that simply retains chugging alongside, in contrast to every little thing else CDC and the White Home are screwing up or letting go darkish, good job.

Stats Watch

Employment State of affairs: “United States Preliminary Jobless Claims” [Trading Economics]. “The variety of People submitting new claims for unemployment advantages decreased by 5 thousand to 213,000 within the week that ended September tenth, properly under market expectations of 226,000. It was the bottom variety of weekly jobless claims for the reason that remaining week of Might, highlighting a decent labor market and giving the Fed more room for aggressive rate of interest hikes.”

Manufacturing: “United States Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index” [Trading Economics]. “The Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index within the US fell to -9.9 in September of 2022 from 6.2 in August, lacking market expectations of two.8. The indicator for present exercise returned to damaging territory, the brand new orders index remained damaging, and the shipments index additionally declined however remained optimistic.”

Manufacturing: “United States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index” [Trading Economics]. “The New York Empire State Manufacturing Index climbed 30 factors to -1.5 in August 2022, beating market expectations of -13. New orders elevated, and shipments expanded considerably. Supply instances have been regular whereas inventories picked up. Labor market indicators pointed to a modest improve in employment and no change within the common workweek.”

Manufacturing: “United States Industrial Manufacturing” [Trading Economics]. “Industrial Manufacturing in america elevated 3.70 % year-on-year in August of 2022. It’s the smallest annual improve in seven months.”

The Bezzle:

Yeah, the place are the web3 bros? It’s gone quiet instantly.

The Bezzle: “‘Scary straightforward. Sketchy as hell.’: How startups are pushing Adderall on TikTok” [Vox]. • Ugh, however onerous to get enthusiastic about TikTok after what Huge Pharma and the varsity techniques have alread completed.

Tech: “Google’s ‘Relaxation and Vest’ Days for Senior Staff Are Over, Says the CEO. It’s a Sensible Thought” [Inc.]. “With looming recessions and inflationary pressures, there’s rising concern of slower development and fiercer competitors. On the convention, Pichai talked about TikTok and different entrants within the Chinese language market. Issues that they didn’t have to consider two years in the past are instantly turning into actual points for the massive weapons. There will likely be plenty of options put in place to search out efficiencies and climate this financial downtown. One of many approaches simply could also be a concerted effort in uncovering the resters-and-vesters and calling them out. Or eliminating them altogether.” • Should you assume Google sucks now, simply wait ’til the coders don’t get free lunches and massages any extra.

The Bezzle:

And one other:

My reply would have been: “Sufficient suckers.”

As we speak’s Worry & Greed Index: 42 Worry (earlier shut: 41 Impartial) [CNN]. One week in the past: 41 (Worry). (0 is Excessive Worry; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Sep 15 at 1:37 PM EDT.

Bible Nook

“Archaeologists Uncover Pink Pens Gospel Writers Used To Write Phrases Of Christ” [Babylon Bee]. “‘Bible students have been looking for this for hundreds of years,’ stated head archaeologist Dr. Max Macon. ‘We knew that if the New Testomony file is reliable, then the purple pens the gospel writers used to put in writing the phrases of Christ needed to be round right here someplace. And now we as soon as once more have the Bible’s account confirmed to be 100% dependable.’”

The 420

“How Weed Grew to become the New OxyContin” [The Tablet]. “Within the period of legalized weed, the drug you consider as ‘hashish’ can hardly be known as marijuana in any respect. The sorts of hashish merchandise which might be offered on-line and at dispensaries include no precise plant matter. They’re made by placing pulverized marijuana right into a tube and operating butane, propane, ethanol, or carbon dioxide by means of it, which separates the THC from the remainder of the plant. The tip product is a wax that may be 70% to 80% THC. That wax can then be put in a vacuum oven and additional concentrated into oils which might be as a lot as 95% and even 99% THC. Often known as ‘dabs,’ that is what folks put of their vape pens, and in states like California and Colorado it’s completely authorized and simply accessible to kids. ‘There are not any caps on efficiency,’ stated Stack. Should you’re over 30 years outdated and also you used to smoke weed while you have been a young person, the strongest you have been smoking was in all probability 20% THC. As we speak, youngsters are ‘dabbing’ a product that’s three, 4, or 5 instances stronger, and are sometimes doing so a number of instances a day. At that degree of efficiency, the impression of the drug on a person’s mind belongs to a wholly totally different class of danger than smoking a joint or taking a bong rip of even an intensively bred marijuana flower. It’s extremely addictive, and over time, there’s a major probability it may drive you insane.” • I’m not seeing any hyperlinks in that final sentence, and the entire thing reads like “Reefer Insanity” over again:

That stated, it was predictable that corporatizing hashish — actually not the imaginative and prescient I had of “legalization,” again within the day — would deliver ailing results. OxyContin degree results? I’d have to see extra proof. Readers, has anybody… heard in regards to the results of the brand new “merchandise”?

Our Famously Free Press

Hmm:

The Gallery

The restrict case of a queue:

Class Warfare

“Financial reflections on the Fall of Constantinople” [globalinequality]. “The studying of Jap Mediterranean historical past is extraordinarily instructive for a method through which we should always consider commerce. A benevolent strategy, beginning with Ricardo, all the time regarded commerce as an exercise freely undertaken by two events with no extra-economic compulsion. No reader of historical past of the Jap Roman Empire can share that view. Commerce and army underpinning of it went hand-in-hand. That is at its most evident not in massive empires which anyway needed to have armies however in buying and selling city-states like Venice and Genoa. Should you consider that commerce is all about peace there could be no purpose why these city-states needed to keep massive naval fleets, battle battles, conquer islands, negotiate, below army risk, particular rights to tariff-free imports and exports. Commerce, debt and the military all the time moved collectively. No vacationer to any Greek island right this moment will fail to watch massive Venetian and Genoan fortresses that would not have been constructed with out cash and labor but in addition with no naval presence that allowed the management or conquest of the islands within the first place.”

Information of the Wired

“How you can nurture a private library” [Psyche]. “Many people develop our collections on a book-by-book foundation: a quantity catches our curiosity in a bookstore, we purchase and browse it, stick it on a shelf, and repeat. Considering like a librarian is about taking a step again to contemplate your assortment as a complete, together with what you add to it and why. A well-tended library is sort of a panorama, with its valley of crime novels, its peaks of reference texts, its shores of memoirs. Collectively, all these particular person titles develop into a part of one thing better, type one thing with emergent properties, one thing completely distinctive to you.”

Contact info for crops: Readers, be happy to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn the way to ship me a verify in case you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn the way to ship me photos of crops. Greens are wonderful! Fungi and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! If you would like 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 TH:

TH writes: “This doesn’t seem like fairly just like the Chook of Paradise I see throughout California, together with in my yard, however that’s the identify I’m going with. It’s within the greenhouse on the Sherman Library and Gardens in Newport Seashore, California.”