| Time |
Event |
| 4:47a |
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| 4:47a |
School closures harm to education
School closures, and "remote learning", did considerable harm to the education
of a generation of American children.
They were necessary, but they lasted longer in the US than in other
wealthy countries. That was partly because US plutocratists had
eliminated the incomplete social safety net that had existed in the
1970s ("Why waste our money on those poor people?"), and partly
because of politicized sabotage of other methods of reducing disease
transmission, and only school shutdowns were available to compensate.
The damage it did was more than most people recognize — it pushed most people
into use of unjust software
such as Zoom. |
| 4:47a |
Positive feedback in the climate system
A positive feedback in the climate system: hot weather encourages
right-wing hatred, and right-wing politics supports more global
heating. |
| 4:47a |
Body of British aid worker shows signs of torture
*Body of British aid worker captured by Russian proxies shows "signs
of torture".* |
| 4:47a |
Michigan's ban on abortions overturned
Michigan's ban on abortions has been overturned based on the state
constitution. |
| 4:47a |
Documents that discuss US spies in foreign countries
The wrecker brought documents to Mar-a-Lago that discuss US spies in
foreign countries.
There was little security there against foreign spies
who might have sought to identify them. |
| 4:47a |
Five major climate tipping points
Earth is approaching five major climate tipping points.
Research identified 11 more major climate tipping points that
are further in the future. If we don't get our act in gear,
we will fall over them too. |
| 4:47a |
Bloggers lambaste Putin forces
A number of right-wing Russian bloggers lambaste the Putin forces as a
failure.
Why, I wonder, does Putin let them continue to say these things? He
has to have a reason. I speculate that it is because they are
building support for Putin to declare war and start forcing lots of
Russians into fighting it. |
| 4:47a |
Admission that soldier shot Shireen Abu Aqleh
Israel admits that a soldier "probably" shot Shireen Abu Aqleh, but claims
it was a mistake.
I don't consider "mistake" an acceptable excuse for shooting an
unarmed person at a substantial distance away when no fighting is
going on. That is not a natural mistake, it is one you'd have
to go out of your way for — meaning, not really a mistake.
So why did it happen? Israel does not try to explain. |
| 4:47a |
Chilean thug convicted
A Chilean thug shot Fabiola Campillai in the face with a tear gas
cannister, and the resulting injuries caused brain damage: she can no
longer see, taste or smell. He has been convicted for this attack and
is now awaiting sentence.
Such attacks are not unusual in Chile (nor indeed in many other
places). Chilean thugs blinded 400 people during the 2019 wave of
protests. Thugs anywhere tend to have right-wing views, and may hate
leftist protesters to the point of killing or framing them. This thug
shot someone who was not even protesting.
Sra. Campillai did not let these injuries crush her. She ran for the
Chilean Senate, and I've been informed that she won. |
| 4:47a |
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| 4:47a |
External situations that make people depressed or anxious
Psychotherapy must consider the external situation that makes
people depressed or anxious.
Can some sort of change in your mind help you cope with the external
situation? I think it can, because different people respond
differently to the same external situation. Some can face up to the
bad situation and try to help deal with it, while as others succumb to
counterproductive rage, despair, or jealousy. |
| 4:47a |
Encouraging social conservative views
A study found that being a parent (or even imagining being one) tends
to encourage social conservative views.
Furthermore, when that effect is controlled, age does not correlate with social conservative views. |
| 4:47a |
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| 4:47a |
Indigenous voice to Parliament
After seeing the basic plan for Australia's proposed "indigenous voice
to Parliament", I think it is ok.
The reticence about stating any specifics made me wonder what it was
they did not want to talk about. I was concerned, specifically, that
the plan might incorporate racial distinctions into Australians'
political rights. Australia did just that for most of the 20th
century, to the detriment of the indigenous people, but two such
wrongs would not make a right.
I'm relieved that there is none of that in the proposal. So I'm in
favor of it. Indigenous Australians suffer from racism and its
effects, and this may help them encourage measures to improve the
situation. |
| 4:47a |
Holding rich countries liable for greenhouse emissions
Rich countries (and rich businesses) are responsible for most of the
greenhouse emissions that have destroyed nearly all of the food
growing in Pakistan, as well as a large fraction of its housing. They
ought to be held liable.
However, as experience with Covid-19 vaccines shows, rich businesses
don't hesitate to drive people to death for their profit, and rich
country governments mostly serve those rich businesses. Even when it
comes to saving the lives of their own future citizens from the
consequences of global heating, those governments are paralyzed. |
| 4:47a |
Biden using oil reserve
Biden has started using the US Petroleum Reserve to stabilize oil
prices, which ideally ought to regulate the rate of oil drilling and
maintain a strong incentive to conserve.
This plan will do some good, but I think it will not, by itself, bring
about fast enough decarbonization. And it certainly won't prevent
busting the carbon budget. We need to accompany it with a carbon tax
that will increase yearly on a predefined schedule. However, the
Republicans plus Sinema and Manchin block that, for now.
If the public has an incentive to conserve fossil fuels, that doesn't
make it practical for people to do so. That requires investment,
and most Americans have no money to invest, in this or in anything.
We need governments, at whatever level, to make this investment. |
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Stalkers using AirTags to track people
Stalkers are using AirTags to track people. Apple will warn you if someone is tracking you with an AirTag, but only if you allow Apple to
track you — all the time, for certain.
(Tracker Detect surely works by telling Apple where you are — and
what more data does it send?)
That does not fix the problem, it just replaces one tracking system
with another.
Making the AirTag give a sound is a step towards a real fix, but it
should also give off radio waves that allow you to find it using a
portable radio receiver nearby to get a fix on it.
A real solution would be to require AirTag-like products to emit
radio waves that one could detect with some non-computerized receiver. |
| 4:47a |
Putin eliminating independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta
Putin is formally eliminating the independent newspaper Novaya Gazeta,
which in practice has already been forced to shut down by jailing its
reporters. |
| 4:47a |
Urgent: Ban use of sewage sludge, contaminated with PFAS, as fertilizer
US citizens: call on your congresscritter to ban use of sewage
sludge, contaminated with PFAS, as fertilizer.
The Capitol Switchboard number is +1-202-224-3121.
If you call, please spread the word! |