| Time |
Event |
| 2:48a |
San Francisco public toilet
San Francisco decided to build another public toilet. The project will cost
1.7 million dollars and take 13 years to finish.
Building dedicated public toilets as separate facilities is a
surrender to business. The cheap way to address this need is to
require all restaurants, whenever open, to permit any orderly person
to enter and use the toilet. If a restaurant complains about the
cost of fulfilling this requirement, just invite it to move to a place
with less pedestrian traffic. |
| 2:48a |
Objective nonpartisan descriptions
In the 1980s, the British government had a department whose mission
was to write objective nonpartisan descriptions of government
practices and rules. Thatcher turned it into an advertising agency. |
| 2:48a |
|
| 2:48a |
Xi imposed total repression
Xi has imposed total repression, strict even by comparison to
the CCP of ten years ago. The only way one can criticize the
government is by writing in a public toilet.
The author left China in 2009, and says that the straitjacket of
repression in China today makes the country unrecognizable to her now.
*Xi Jinping's party purge prompts fears of greater Taiwan invasion
risk.* |
| 2:48a |
Emperor penguins face extinction
Emperor penguins face extinction as global heating eliminates
the sea ice they depend on. |
| 2:48a |
Letter calling for negotiations to end war in Ukraine
30 progressive Democrats privately signed a letter in July calling for
negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. It was published and sent to
Biden just now, and provoked much opposition.
If it were possible to work out a just peace with Putin, one that
avoided crowning his attack on Ukraine with success, I might be in
favor of that — but he's not having it.
Total agreement with me is too much to demand of the politicians I
support. I support Ayanna Pressley because of the many issues on
which she fights for the rights and well-being of non-rich Americans,
despite disagreeing with her on this issue. |
| 2:48a |
Prime Monster educated to be greedy
Prime Monster Sunak was educated in an elite school that teaches rich boys
to be greedy but not at all compassionate.
He keeps a lot of money in a secret account in the Cayman Islands so
that no one can tell what he invests in. This means he has continual
opportunities for insider trading. |
| 2:48a |
Journalist trying to find US military operations in Africa
One journalist's struggle to find out about US military operations in Africa.
AFRICOM won't admit where its bases are or what countries it is fighting in. |
| 2:48a |
Former Uber lobbyist wants lawmakers to take on big tech
*Former Uber lobbyist Mark MacGann … called on European
lawmakers to take on the "disproportionate" and "undemocratic"
power held by tech companies* such as Uber.
*He recalled the
"almost unlimited finance" executives had to lobby and silence drivers
with legal disputes.*
* MacGann said it would be unfair for drivers to be required to hire
expensive lawyers and go to labour courts to prove they were employees.*
I agree with what he said, but he surely did not mention the injustice
of requiring customers to run a nonfree app on a nonfree operating
system (iOS or Android), and identifying themselves to pay. This adds
up to tracking the public's movements — something that a free society
must ensure no one can do. |
| 2:48a |
New York City moving homeless out of subways
New York City responded to increased violent crime in the subways by
pushing out homeless people who were living there.
Does this make sense? I wonder what fraction of violent crimes in the
subway are committed by homeless people. My guess is that it is
minuscule, because the factors that could make you homeless have
little to do with the factors that could make you violent. My guess
is that this is simply a way to "arrest the usual suspects" and show
that you're "doing something about it."
If the city's night-mayor has any evidence to the contrary, I'd like
to see it.
I also guess that an increase in the number of cops patrolling in the
subway will change little, because criminals that commit crimes for
profit and can think about it will simply commit their crimes where no
cop is present. However, the patrols might result in catching more of
the criminals who are mentally incompetent to plan like that. |
| 2:48a |
Nevada Republican candidate for Secretary of State
The Nevada Republican candidate for Secretary of State (in charge of
elections) has extended his election lies to cover Rep. Pelosi other
members of Congress. |
| 2:48a |
Fossil fuel power plant used to mine Bitcoin
Bitcoin miners bought a mostly disused fossil fuel power plant in New
York State to use solely to power their mining computers. People in
the state launched a campaign that denied it an updated permit for
its intensified operations. |
| 2:48a |
Medical and food benefits could end Jan 11th, 2023
Millions of Americans get federal medical benefits (Medicaid) and food benefits
due to a federal medical emergency proclamation that could end on Jan 11
if Biden does not extend it. |
| 2:48a |
Armed people near ballot drop box
A group of people with guns were found hanging around near a ballot
drop box in Arizona, evidently to intimidate potential voters.
To increase the intimidating effect, they wore clothes suggestive
of soldiers. |