Urgent: Bring the MORE Act to vote
5 December 2021
US citizens: phone your congresscritter at (202) 224-3121 and ask per to ask the House leaders to bring the MORE Act (H.R. 3617) to a vote.
This bill would end federal prohibition of marijuana.
Urgent: Reproach Disney for its DRM
5 December 2021
Everyone: reproach Disney for its DRM on December 10, the Day Against DRM.
Also, please spread the word.
Constitutional "Rights of Nature"
5 December 2021
*Ecuador's Highest Court Enforces Constitutional "Rights of Nature" to Safeguard Los Cedros Protected Forest.*
This demonstrates that countries can establish and defend broad protections for natural ecosystems, including broad prohibitions of actions that tend to damage them, without endorsing an appearance of animism by saying that forests, rivers, etc. are "persons".
The push for animism can be seen in that article, however, where it
claims tat monkeys, bears, frogs and birds won this legal battle.
Pollutants that affect the sex ratio of babies
A large statistical study found that some pollutants affect the
sex ratio of human babies.
It is inconceivable that that people who will have male babies would
tend to move to places with certain pollutants, while those who will
have female babies would tend to move to places with other pollutants.
The pollutants must be causing the change in sex ratio, somehow. Most
likely each of these pollutants is more likely to cause an abortion of
one sex than the other.
We don't have any evidence about how far into the pregnancy these
abortions tend to occur. If it is more than six weeks, some southern
US states may someday try women for "feticide" if they live in
places where such pollution is present.
The coup in Sudan
The coup in Sudan is not over: the military brought back
the civilian prime minister, but only as a front man.
Jet fuel in water supply
Military personnel at Pearl Harbor believe that jet fuel has leaked
from tanks into their water supply, because the water looks, tastes
and smells of oil.
They suspect that it is related to various symptoms that many have
developed.
The Navy has been warned about the danger from these tanks but didn't
pay attention until now.
Treaty to ban armed autonomous robots
The US rejected the idea of a treaty to ban autonomous robots with
lethal arms.
I can imagine US officials thinking about the current US advantage in
AI and concluding that unrestricted deployment of autonomous weapons
would give the US an advantage in this decade, so (they might conclude)
it is better to reject the treaty.
On the other hand, if 15 years from now China is in the lead in AI,
having this treaty in place already would benefit the US against China.
Those short-term considerations are the wrong way to look at this
question, because it is bigger than the narrow questions of short-term
advantage. In the long term, this treaty will prevent a danger to all
humans.
British military response to accusations of rape
The British military has eliminated command influence in the response to
accusations of rape.
This means that your commander won't be able to protect the accused.
Command influence is the poison in the military justice system, and
people have campaigned for decades to eliminate it from the US
military.
Support for workers fired for Vaccine refusal
Several states governed by the Covid Party now offer unemployment support
to workers that are fired for refusal to get vaccinated.
In effect, this amounts to paying people to undermine public health.
The Republican Party program is to keep Covid-19 circulating in the US
as much as possible. This causes instability and harms the economy,
both of which make Americans unhappy, and they perversely blame Biden
rather the the Republicans who are doing it.
Some Americans foolishly accused China of releasing Covid-19
in order to hurt the US. That accusation is implausible and there
is no evidence for it. But that's basically what the Republican
Party is doing now.
One Democrat in Congress accused them without mincing words.
Democrats' political weakness
The causes of Democrats' political weakness don't include fringe wokeness.
(satire) Tied-up Union organizers
(satire) *Starbucks Dangles Tied-Up Union Organizers Over Vat Of Steamed Milk.*
Helping poor people in eviction court
What a lawyer learned by volunteering to help poor people in eviction
court.
Interviews with old, surviving Nazis
Luke Holland interviewed old, surviving Nazis about their crimes under
Hitler. Some of the interviews are now a film.
I wonder what will happen when modern Nazis see this film. Will the horror
of Nazism break through their curtain of lies, or will they lie to themselves
about what they see?
(satire) DraftKings MLB hall of fame
(satire) *Rob Manfred Confirms Pete Rose Remains Ineligible From
DraftKings Official MLB Hall Of Fame At Cooperstown.*
China disinformation campaign
China ran an organized disinformation campaign to cover up the
imprisonment and brainwashing of a million Uyghurs. Twitter just closed it.
Deaths from air pollution
Air pollution kills over 170,000 people per year in Europe.
I'd guess it's a comparable amount in the US. It's population is around 3/4
of the EU's, but I think it treats poor people worse.
Minors jailed in inhumane conditions
Part of Australia regularly jails minors under inhumane conditions,
giving them only an hour per day outside the cell.
Even children are jailed.
Atmospheric river
The atmospheric river that flooded British Columbia killed over half a million
farm animals, as well as destroying buildings, roads and bridges.
All kinds of infrastructure were inadequate for such a flood, but
improving them will be a never-ending game of catch-up unless we stop
making the climate worse.
Factory manager lynched in Pakistan
A mob of religious fanatics in Pakistan lynched a foreign factory
manager who was accused of "blasphemy".
Republicans abandoning democracy
*The Republican party is abandoning democracy and embracing political
violence.*
Caste prejudice
There are so many Indian students in US universities that caste
prejudice has come with them. Some US universities are taking measures
to resist it.
We don't know how long the phenomenon of Dalits has existed in India.
Some say that in the period 600-1000, when Hindus took control in India
and crushed Buddhism, they oppressed the Buddhists and that oppression
made them Dalits.
How prosecutors convinced Alice Sebold
How prosecutors convinced
Alice Sebold that Anthony Broadwater was the man who raped her.
I've read that Sebold's memoir, Lucky, has been from withdrawn from sale.
The article did not say whose decision that was.
It would be wrong to continue selling it as it was written. However,
an idea occurs to me. Sebold could invite Anthony Broadwater to add
an epilogue to it, and publish that version with the income going to
Broadwater and/or pertinent organizations for justice.
Historical and cultural significance
If a place has "historical and cultural significance" to some group,
does that imply there must not be a lithium mine there?
I am not convinced.
Lithium is important for defending the climate. We must not block
lithium mining based on sentimentality alone.
There are things whose physical presence can justify blocking any sort
of mine. If a site holds historical or scientific _information_, or
important art that can't be moved, those call for protection.
However, it may be significant to keep the mine away from those
important things rather than outside the entire area.
Other scarce resources, such as water, and endangered species and
ecosystems, are also important to protect. Mines tend to leak
pollution, and mining companies often try to weasel out of their
responsibility for the pollution they cause. There should be no mine
unless reliable clean practices are enforced by a disciplinarian that
the mine cannot fire or disobey. Those precautions would make the
lithium more expensive, but the lithium may be worth that cost.
However, we need not forego lithium because of anyone's sentimentality.
In this regard, I do not discriminate between indigenous people and
anyone else.
I'd be in favor of moving part of Arlington National Cemetery to make
way for a lithium mine, if necessary. The cemeteries importance to
people is not due to its location, but to their sentiments about the
veterans buried there. We can respect those sentiments by moving the
graves to a different location to enable mining the lithium.
Under Attack at ALEC Meeting
*Fair Elections and
U.S. Constitution Come Under Attack at ALEC Meeting.*
Christian faith spreads Covid-19
In Papua New Guinea, as in the US,
Christian faith spreads Covid-19.
When people catch Covid-19 shortly after vaccination -- before the
vaccine has time to become effective -- the faithful make an illogical
leap and claim the vaccine killed them. They want to believe the
vaccine is harmful, so they find excuses to be fooled by. Often it is
fatal.
Don't let this happen to you -- get vaccinated!
Biden Invites Venezuelan Coup Leader Juan Guaidó
*Biden Invites Venezuelan Coup Leader
Juan Guaidó to US "Summit for
Democracy".*
President Maduro doesn't always respect democracy,
but he does so more than Guaidó.
And much more than US Republicans.
Accused them of infecting him with Covid-19
The bullshitter held an event at the White House with relatives of deceased
US soldiers, then accused them of
infecting him with Covid-19. He had had a positive test the day before.
In other words, he risked infecting them, then knowingly made a false
accusation. That gives a good overall picture of what he is.
(satire) NASA Delays Space Walk
(satire) *NASA Delays Space Walk After It Starts
Snowing In Outer Space.*
FERPA law
The FERPA law was passed to stop schools from handing out students' personal data to companies.
The US government changed and reinterpreted the law so as as to facilitate and even require such snooping.
Someone has accused the Yes Men of inventing disinformation.
Amazingly, someone has accused the
Yes Men of inventing disinformation
Process can reportedly reduce methane emissions A new process can reportedly reduce methane emissions from
cow dung while improving its nitrogen content as fertilizer.
It remains to be seen how well this actually works in practice when scaled up
to higher quantities.
This method won't eliminate all the methane emissions from cows.
They also emit methane through farting.
New policy of deleting images posted
Twitter's new policy of deleting images posted without the consent of
the people shown in the image seem well-meant,
but could prohibit posting any street photography.
I've proposed the criterion that occasionally snapping people on the street
should be legal,
but systematically collecting photos of everyone should be illegal.
Exploration of whale breeding grounds
*Last-minute attempt to stop Shell’s
[seismic] exploration of whale breeding grounds [off South Africa].*
Seismic exploration can injure whales' (including dolphins') hearing, which may kill them.
Inculcating a conceptual framework
Large PR companies have worked for decades inculcating a
conceptual framework to guide people to reject climate defense action.
while trying to remain unidentified.
The culpable companies include Cerrell, Edelman, Glover Park, and Ogilvy.
Would rather work in renewable energy.
56% of workers in the gas and oil industry, world wide,
would rather work in renewable energy.
Those companies fired many workers last year, and some refuse to come
back. But there will be room for all of them in renewable energy
if we invest funds to make it grow.
Congress called on the Attorney General
Democrats in Congress called on the Attorney General to end
Chevron's use of a US court to persecute Steven Donziger.
Durbin has proposed to legislate
Senator Durbin has proposed to legislate to give each prisoner in
Guantanamo a real, civilian trial, or release him.
I support this, but there are a few details that need attention.
First, what about prisoners that were tortured into confessions?
I think those confessions will be inadmissible in real US trials,
which could mean that they can't be convicted of anything.
Charges against them ought to be dropped, but will the proposed
amendment do this?
Second, what will the US do about prisoners that face no charges but
have no country they can safely go to? That is not a justification to
keep them in prison.
I think it is ok to let them live in the US if they wish. A handful
of non-citizens in the US, even if they wish revenge, will not make
any significant difference to the security of Americans. They will be
insignificant compared with all the unidentified people who do or will
feel that way.
Third, what about those who find a home abroad and wish revenge?
There are so many people that wish for revenge against US
military violence that these would make no significant difference.
US price inflation
The cause of US price inflation is that corporations
which were making big profits saw an opportunity to make even more profits.
(satire) Embattled CEOs Announce We Just Gotta Do Better
(satire) *Nation’s Embattled CEOs
Announce We Just Gotta Do Better,
Simple As That.*
Amazon massively under reported Covid cases
*Labor group says
Amazon massively under reported Covid cases contracted at work.*
Embattled CEOs Announce We Just Gotta Do Better
(satire) *Nation’s Embattled CEOs
Announce We Just Gotta Do Better,
Simple As That.*
Amazon massively underreported Covid cases
*Labor group says
Amazon massively underreported Covid cases contracted at work.*
Fairs give children (and younger teenagers) an easy chance
Acton Business Fairs give children (and younger teenagers)
an easy chance to start a real business on a small scale.
Sometimes they make substantial money. I expect that most do not
succeed to that point, but they can learn a lot even so.
Mega-damage
Mega-activities that put some sort of waste into
the ocean will eventually cause mega-damage.
Put an end to transmission of HIV
It is feasible to put an end to
transmission of HIV, with money and attention.
put an end to transmission of HIV
It is feasible to put an end to
transmission of HIV, with money and attention.
Spotify Wrapped
Spotify flaunts how it tracks what each ueer listens to, and invites users
to boast about Spotify's knowledge of them.
This devious scheme is all the more vicious because it operates at an
emotional level which most the manipulated victims can't even recognize
as manipulation.
Out, out damned Spotify! If you can't stop yourself from using it yet,
at least stop yourself from promoting it.
If you have the strength to reject streaming, you can proudly say this
How about this slogan:
If someone chides you by saying that sharing is illegal,
you can respond with, "The music companies bought the law,
but they can't make sharing wrong."
What sharing slogans can you think of?
George Monbiot
George Monbiot: *Jailed for 51 weeks for protesting? Britain is
becoming a police state by stealth.*
Salafi Arabia and the UN
Salafi Arabia bribed and threatened other countries to get them to vote
to terminate the UN investigation of its war crimes in Yemen.
Honduras election result
Xiomara Castro has won the election in Honduras.
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Any song I listen to,
I can share a copy too.
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