NONSENSE, THEY PUT PETE BUTTIGIEG ON THE PROBLEM: Dems fear supply-chain blame.
Archive for 2021
November 28, 2021
OPEN THREAD: Roll it up. I love the organ part, which is Byron Wong on a virtual synth emulating an old Prophet 5. I had that one — I forget if it was from Native Instruments or Propellerhead — and wasted hours trying to get that playing-through-a-bad-cable sound. I eventually got the attack and distortion, etc. just right and felt very accomplished.
CNN HAS A SAD: Matthew McConaughey will not run for Texas governor.
THIS IS CALLED “BACK CONTAMINATION” AND IT’S NOTHING NEW: Alien organisms could hitch a ride on our spacecraft and contaminate Earth, scientists warn. I was on the NASA Planetary Protection Subcommittee that deals with that over a decade ago, and we worried about it for the first Moon landings.
Related: Why I hope there’s no life on Mars.
HOW’S THAT SPACE PROGRAM COMING ALONG? Large asteroid stronger than nuke heading towards Earth late December. “The last time a large asteroid struck the planet was in 2013 in Russia, when a 17-meter asteroid exploded in the atmosphere. But the last impact from an asteroid this big was in 1908 above the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in Russia, in what has now become known as the Tunguska event.”
This one won’t hit us this pass, but it’s yet another wake-up call.
CYBER MONDAY DEAL: Fitbit Luxe Fitness and Wellness Tracker with Stress Management, Sleep Tracking and 24/7 Heart Rate. #CommissionEarned
MOVE YOUR MUSCLES: Humans Have Evolved to Stay Active Even in Old Age, New Hypothesis Claims.
RESISTANCE: Protests against Covid rules and lockdowns erupt across Europe.
Martinique COVID-19 lockdown protests intensify.
Thousands protest coronavirus restrictions in Czech capital.
‘1/4 of My Life in Lockdown’: Children Among Vaccine Mandate Protesters Marching in Melbourne.
Covid Curbs Spark Protests Worldwide.
You know where this isn’t an issue? Florida. You know who also doesn’t have a Covid problem? Florida.
Related: Florida Reports Lowest Daily COVID-19 Cases per Capita in US.
#RESIST: Justin Binik-Thomas sends this photo from a gas station in Liberty Township, Ohio.
I’m surprised people aren’t putting these on Grocery store shelf tags.
A year ago we had OPEC on the ropes.
Related: Joe Biden “I Did That!” Gas Pump Sticker. #CommissionEarned.
A METAPHOR FOR OUR CULTURE? Why a toaster from 1949 is still smarter than any sold today.
SOME PEOPLE DID SOME THINGS: Apparently CNN has appointed Ilhan Omar to Editor-in-Chief of CNN. Because “a car” just happened to do something. Just like those planes just happened to crash into the WTC on 9/11.
Shame on you, CNN.
PARSING THE “DANGEROUS, SYRUP-DRENCHED” WAPO FRONT PAGE.
MINNESOTA NASTY: Two Minneapolis Best Buys Robbed On Black Friday As ‘Flash Mob’ Thievery Spreads Beyond California.
Flashback: Minneapolis Mayor Comes to Striking Conclusion That Defunding the Police Increased Crime.
Or to flowchart the progression:
(Classical reference in headline.)
THE COUNTRY’S IN THE VERY BEST OF HANDS: Buttigieg responds to criticism over racist roads comment: ‘The point is not to make America feel guilty.’
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on Sunday responded to criticism over his recent comments about racist bridges and highways, saying “the point is not to make America feel guilty” but to fix what he believes are injustices in the country’s infrastructure.
During an appearance on MSNBC’s “The Sunday Show,” Buttigieg was asked to respond to critics who don’t believe his argument that some bridges and highways were built with racist intentions.
“What we’re doing is we are reconnecting people who may have been disconnected or divided by discriminatory decisions in the past,” the secretary responded. “That helps everybody. I don’t know why anybody would be against reconnecting people who have been divided by discriminatory decisions in the past.
“And again, the point is not to make America feel guilty,” he continued. “The point is to make America better and more equitable and more effective in moving people to where they need to go. The point of transportation is to connect, so if a transportation was ever used to divide, we have a responsibility, a moral one but also a very practical one, to fix it.”
Buttigieg might want to tackle getting supply chain issues sorted out in time for Christmas Saturnalia the upcoming Winter Solstitial Holiday before reworking the Interstate Highway System due to perceived 2021 inequity issues.
In the meantime though, take heart! ‘Christmas dinner in a can’ promises answer to supermarket shortages.
CYBER MONDAY DEAL: Weider Gym. #CommissionEarned
BRADLEY THOMPSON: The Fundamental Issue of Our Time.
TRUNALIMUNUMAPRZURE! President Biden caught on video flagrantly violating mask mandate. Again.
UPDATE: Biden clams up when Nantucket business owner challenges him to name his favorite chowder.
More: Jill Biden doesn’t seem too worried about the Omicron Variant, either:
(Updated and bumped.)
AMERICA’S NEWSPAPER OF RECORD: White Smoke Emanates From Wuhan Lab Chimney Signaling A New Variant Has Been Named.
WHAT MAKES THE OMICRON VARIANT SO DANGEROUS? IT HAS MILD SYMPTOMS! South African medical association says Omicron variant causes ‘mild disease.’ “It presents mild disease with symptoms being sore muscles and tiredness for a day or two not feeling well. So far, we have detected that those infected do not suffer loss of taste or smell. They might have a slight cough. There are no prominent symptoms. Of those infected some are currently being treated at home.”
Plus: “The official noted that hospitals have not been overburdened by Omicron patients and that the new strain is not been detected in vaccinated persons.”
PANIC!!!!
UPDATE: As people are noting in the comments this — less deadly, more infectious — is the normal trajectory for a virus as it evolves. And at this point, the symptoms of the vaccine seem to approximate those of the disease it’s supposed to prevent.
COMPETITION: Could Luxury Submarine Trips Thrive as an Alternative to Space Tourism? I suspect they’ll function more as a gateway.