By Lambert Strether of Corrente.
In Case You May Miss…
- What occurs if the Home fails to elect a brand new Speaker shortly?
- Justice Division is conflicted on Mangione prosecution.
- A “silent” Covid surge?
- Making your backyard secure for robins within the winter.
Politics
“So lots of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in reality a rational administration of symbolic capital.” –Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles
Trump Assassination Makes an attempt (Plural)
“Trial of man accused in Trump assassination try in Florida pushed again to September” [Associated Press]. “Ryan Routh’s trial will start Sept. 8 as an alternative of the beforehand scheduled Feb. 10, 2025 begin date, U.S. District Decide Aileen Cannon stated in an order launched on Monday…. Routh’s attorneys had requested the choose to delay the trial till no sooner than subsequent December, saying they wanted extra time to overview the proof towards him and determine whether or not to mount an madness protection. Routh owned 17 cellphones and quite a few different digital gadgets, and there are a whole lot of hours of police physique digital camera and surveillance movies which have been supplied to the protection, Routh’s attorneys argued throughout a listening to two weeks in the past in Fort Pierce, Florida. In her order, Cannon stated she wished to err on the aspect of offering extra time given the seriousness of the allegations, however that beginning the trial no sooner than December could be an extreme quantity. A September trial date didn’t quantity to an ‘unreasonable delay,’ she stated…. The choose stated that any madness protection or any request associated to Routh’s psychological competency have to be made by early February. Any go to to the scene of the assassination try have to be made by the top of February.”
Biden Administration
“A Reflective Biden Harbors Some Regrets as His Time period Winds Down” [New York Times]. “Regardless of being described by his allies as in a pensive, , temper as the top of his time period approaches, the president has not made himself accessible to reply many questions on his latest actions.” How typically is “typically”? Extra: “Apart from joking about his wealth, Mr. Biden has brazenly stewed over one in all Mr. Trump’s flashier — and apparently efficient — stunts as president. Throughout the identical speech at Brookings, Mr. Biden stated he had been “silly” to not signal his title to Covid stimulus checks that have been distributed to Individuals early in his time period. Mr. Trump emblazoned his signature on checks distributed after a aid invoice was handed within the spring of 2020. Mr. Biden and his advisers realized a little bit one thing from Mr. Trump’s tendency to scrawl his title on issues. By 2023, indicators touting infrastructure initiatives “funded by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Legislation” started popping up across the nation. However these had little political impression in contrast with a signed examine.” • Bush the Youthful signed his checks within the 2000s. Obama, in his miserably insufficient stimulus bundle, put up no indicators, which gave rise to remark. Trump signed his checks. And solely in 2023 does Biden’s title go up on indicators. Gradual learners, or what?
Trump Transition
“The Hitchhiker’s Information to Failing to Elect a Home Speaker Rapidly” [Chad Pergram, Thread Reader]. Unique. Feels like a fairly large deal: “That is the breakdown when the Congress begins: 219 Republicans to 214 Democrats…. The Speaker of the Home should win an outright majority of all Members casting ballots for somebody by title. In different phrases, the particular person with probably the most votes doesn’t win… So let’s crunch the mathematics for Mike Johnson. If there are 219 Republicans and 4 vote for somebody moreover him – and all Democrats solid ballots for Jeffries, the tally is 215-214. However there’s no Speaker. Nobody attained an outright majority of all Members casting ballots for somebody by title. 218 is the magic quantity if all 434 Members vote. By rule, this paralyzes the Home. The Home completely, unequivocally, can not do something till it elects a Speaker. Interval. The Home can’t swear-in Members. Technically, they’re nonetheless Representatives-elect. Solely after the Home chooses its Speaker does she or he in flip swear-in the membership. The Home definitely can’t cross laws. It could actually’t type committees. It’s frozen in a parliamentary paralysis till it elects a Speaker…. This additionally signifies that the Home can not certify the outcomes of the Electoral Faculty, making President-elect Trump the forty seventh President of the USA on January 6. The failure to elect a Speaker compels the Home to vote time and again….” Way more on attainable eventualities within the full thread. Chuck Grassley, Senate President Tempore, is fourth in line for the Presidency: “If the Home continues to be frittering away time, making an attempt to elect a Speaker on January 20, Grassley possible turns into ‘Performing President.’” • Might be entertaining! And right this moment’s Home has not had an excellent report choosing Audio system in a well timed and non-acrimonious mannner. Possibly the folks floating Elon Musk for Speaker had these eventualities gamed out?
“Congress has the ability to dam Trump from taking workplace, however lawmakers should act now” [The Hill]. • Nonetheless on Part Three.
“4D Chess: Democrats Admit Trump Truly Gained In 2020 And Is Now Unable To Serve Third Time period” [Babylon Bee]. “In a shrewd transfer, Democratic Social gathering leaders lastly disclosed that Trump had, in reality, gained the 2020 election towards Joe Biden and has been the rightful president this entire time, rendering him term-limited and unable to take workplace in January…. At publishing time, Nancy Pelosi introduced that she had retroactively filed articles of impeachment towards Trump for the second time period he ought to have been serving the final 4 years.” • You realize they’d.
2026
Oh noes. Already?
“Might 2024 Trump’s Victory Counter a 2026 ‘Midterm Curse’?” [RealClearPolitics]. “Donald Trump’s common vote victory has eroded among the demographic features Democrats have been engaged on for years, giving Republicans hope they’ll break the historic pattern of the president’s get together shedding seats within the first midterm election after successful the White Home. Two years from now some 14 Democratic Home members will likely be defending districts Trump gained, in comparison with simply three Republicans in districts carried by Vice President Kamala Harris. It’s a considerably higher outlook than the GOP confronted after Trump’s 2016 victory, which he eked out on the premise of an Electoral Faculty win in the important thing swing states.” And: “With a extra even taking part in discipline, the Democrats’ probabilities of profiting from the famed “midterm curse” in 2026 will rely largely on whether or not Trump’s reputation recedes over the subsequent two years, a variable unimaginable to foretell. Whereas the nationwide politics play out, Democrats and Republicans will proceed specializing in what they’ll management – persevering with their redistricting courtroom battles so far as they’ll take them.”
2024 Publish Mortem
“Will the U.S. Ever Be Prepared for a Feminine President?” [New York Times]. “For Democrats nonetheless scarred by Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald J. Trump in 2016, Vice President Kamala Harris’s defeat by the hands of the identical man in November has solely deepened anxieties over gender bias and prompted a recent spherical of debate over the electability of ladies to the nation’s highest workplace.” • Maybe these “scarred” Democrats might give consideration to the concept that — hear me out — the standard of the candidates has one thing to do with electoral outcomes? For instance–
The Teamsters. Who wants ’em?
“Democrats have to heal their fractures or discover a new candidate from Hope” [Mark Halperin, FOX]. “For many years, United States voters have shuttled backwards and forwards between the extant two main events, rewarding them alternatively with victories and punishing them with defeats, rigorously crafting a corrective stability of pragmatism, philosophy and concord that has seen the events sharing and exchanging energy…. For each the Democrats and Republicans, subsequently, sustaining long-term energy and clout has not been depending on sustaining a everlasting grip on energy, however on a disciplined self-examination after electoral failure…. Obama’s “shellacking,” George W. Bush’s 2006 midterm ‘thumping,’ Richard Nixon’s slim however decisive 1960 loss to JFK. These have been basic wake-up calls from the U.S. citizenry to chastened leaders.” However: “For the Democratic Social gathering in 2024, this elemental strategy of restoration gained’t be so easy. First off, many Democrats stay within the grips of Trump Derangement Syndrome, which makes introspection and lodging unimaginable…. Second, the Democratic Social gathering has spent years in denial [of Biden’s severe loss of acuity], which is a tough behavior to interrupt…. Moreover, refusing to acknowledge that Vice President Kamala Harris was not a powerful presidential candidate additionally has impeded the Democratic Social gathering’s restoration course of.” • It wasn’t simply “denial” about Biden; it was outright mendacity, high to backside, by individuals who met with him extensively and maintained he was “sharp as a tack.”
Our Famously Free Press
“Conspiracy concept is the brand new regular: 2024 was the 12 months QAnon went mainstream” [Amanda Marcotte, Salon]. I hold forgetting Marcotte continues to be typing. “An alternative choice, nevertheless, is to hearken to what swing voters who backed Trump stated about their determination. That would appear the wisest selection, however to be honest to individuals who don’t wish to go there, listening to these folks out is a really depressing expertise. What shortly turns into evident concerning the median voters in an American focus group is how profoundly opposed they’re to even probably the most primary factual data. Quite the opposite, it’s a group with a pathological aversion to actuality, the place folks compulsively react to something truth-shaped with hostility, working as exhausting as they’ll towards disinformation. They’re hooked on BS. After all they voted for Trump, the nation’s most dependable seller of their favourite drug. This may increasingly sound ungenerous to those voters, however provided that you’ve been sparing your self the torture of participating their precise opinions. Should you maintain your nostril and dive in, it’s startling how a lot the standard swing voter is allergic to information. It’s not simply ignorance, however overt hostility to something that smacks of veracity.” • Like, ya know, saying out loud that Biden’s mind was turning to mush?
“Most Individuals are avoiding politics information: ballot” [Axios]. “About two-thirds of Individuals have just lately felt the necessity to restrict their political information consumption, in line with a latest ballot. The reluctance to eat political information is mirrored in TV scores. Individuals of all events, and Democrats particularly, are tuning out politics. Folks don’t really feel the identical have to keep away from information about abroad conflicts, the economic system or local weather change, per an AP-NORC survey carried out in early December. The ballot additionally discovered that Individuals need public figures to speak much less about politics. About 7 in 10 Democrats stated they’re stepping again from political information. About 6 in 10 Republicans and independents say the identical.” • TV and cable. However not, say, TikTok?
Democrats en déshabillé
“What Does It Imply When Your Social gathering Model Collapses?” [The Liberal Patriot]. “How precisely is a Democratic Social gathering cut up alongside these traces—centrists versus progressives with a heaping portion of disengaged and uninterested members—going to restore its model anytime quickly? With out some factional co-mingling beneath the robust management of a charismatic new get together determine that everybody accepts briefly (suppose Barack Obama), the one approach this will get resolved is that if one of many two sides wins majority management of the get together establishments and units it on a course extra consistent with their strategy. This appears unlikely since neither faction is especially curious about coherent and cohesive get together constructing exterior of their strongholds. Centrists are a diffuse bunch largely concentrated in districts and states which are extremely aggressive the place politicians should downplay their connections to the get together or run towards it to draw extra average to conservative voters. Progressives are concentrated in deep blue areas of the nation the place more and more left-wing financial and cultural views rule the day amongst get together trustworthy and the place swing-voters both don’t exist or aren’t determinative. Given the present geographical limitations of the Democratic coalition, for those who needed to decide one aspect of this intra-party debate over the opposite, you’ll favor the centrist mannequin purely for political expediency in making an attempt to win extra Home and Senate seats and Electoral Faculty votes in battleground states. The maths is brutal in any other case. As is often the case with Democrats, nevertheless, stasis is the extra possible winner of the upcoming battle which means nothing actually will change….” • Alrighty then. (The article goes on to advocate “fusionism” a la Reagan’s profitable rebranding of the Republican get together primarily based on “freedom, free markets, and conventional values.”)
* * * “Marianne Williamson launches bid for DNC chair” [The Hill]. “Former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson on Thursday launched a bid for chair of the Democratic Nationwide Committee (DNC), leaping right into a crowded discipline of candidates vying to rebuild the get together after its common election losses final month…. Among the many different declared contenders are New York state Sen. James Skoufis (D), Minnesota Democratic Social gathering Chair Ken Martin, Wisconsin Democratic Social gathering Chair Ben Wikler, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley and former Homeland Safety official Nate Snyder.” • Might Williamson be worse?
“New Hampshire lawmaker displays on retiring from Congress: ‘I’m making an attempt to set a greater instance’” [Boston Globe]. “[Representative Annie M. Kuster], 68, stated her determination to retire was primarily based on many elements, together with Donald Trump’s approaching return to the presidency, however she hopes it’ll additionally encourage Democrats to make room for youthful generations within the halls of energy. ‘I’m making an attempt to set a greater instance,’ Kuster instructed the Globe. ‘I believe there are colleagues — and a few of whom are nonetheless very profitable and really productive — however others who simply keep endlessly.’”
“‘I In all probability Might Have Flipped Over a Few Extra Tables’” (interview) [Cori Bush, Politico]. “AIPAC spent at the very least $8 million to defeat you. Do you would like Democratic leaders had performed extra to maintain the group out of primaries this 12 months or lend you extra assist? [BUSH:] Completely. At this level, sure, and looking out ahead, Democratic management has to do one thing. Democratic management should make the choice that this company cash shouldn’t be in a position for use in Democratic primaries. As a result of that was the deciding issue on this race. Democrats need to ban company PAC donations, and particularly have to talk up and push to ban the tremendous PAC spending in our Democratic primaries. That’s the solely approach that this doesn’t occur once more, as a result of I wasn’t unseated as a result of I didn’t maintain my group. We introduced over $2 billion to our district in 4 years. We helped hundreds of constituents who reached out to our workplace to assist them navigate federal businesses, whether or not it was housing or PPP loans, no matter their want was. Let me additionally add the eviction moratorium. It saved folks in our district and across the nation. That work was for 11 million folks round this nation to remain housed in the course of the lethal world pandemic. And I nonetheless hear right this moment from folks across the nation who say, ‘You have been the explanation why I used to be capable of keep housed.’”
Republican Funhouse
So the private isn’t political?
Realignment and Legitimacy
That’s the stuff to provide the troops:
Re-reading Huey Lengthy’s “Share Our Wealth” speech from 1934 certain is one thing. pic.twitter.com/MmwWyMx1sF
— Elliot Haspel (@ehaspel) December 24, 2024
No marvel “they” shot him.
* * *
* * * “Luigi Mangione’s sweater sells out at Nordstrom at some point after courtroom look” [The Independent]. “Mangione was carrying a white-collared shirt beneath the sweater along with mild gray slacks and orange sneakers on the courthouse. Whereas followers first thought his sweater was a $1,000 Maison Margiela sweater, it was later decided that Mangione was carrying the “washable Merino crewneck sweater” from Nordstrom. The sweater was beforehand accessible for $89.50 in line with the Nordstrom web site, however it’s at present on sale for $62.65 with 30 p.c off. The sweater is available in six different colours other than the burgundy one, which is not accessible.” • The aghastitude of the press appears to be having little impact, on the market within the biomass. Give it time, I suppose. I’m wondering how lots of the burgundy sweaters have been Christmas items?
“Well being Insurance coverage Leaders Pressured DOJ To Cost Luigi Mangione” [Dan Boguslaw (!), Deeper State]. “In keeping with reporting by Joe Marino, Ben Kochman and Matt Troutman final week, medical health insurance leaders pressured the DOJ to make an instance of Luigi Mangione by bringing federal costs towards him in a shock announcement that caught his attorneys off guard. If tried in federal courtroom, Mangione might be sentenced to demise, silencing any additional criticism of the American healthcare system he decried in his manifesto. In keeping with the Publish’s[1] report, ‘federal costs got here amid strain from medical health insurance business leaders to make an instance out of Mangione.’ The Publish additionally writes that the choice to unveil federal costs ‘got here from the highest of the DOJ in Washington D.C.’ How and when healthcare business leaders tried to strong-arm the division of justice stays unclear. However the high three DOJ officers beneath Legal professional Normal Merrick Garland have all represented large healthcare firms throughout their respective stints in personal follow earlier than becoming a member of the DOJ…. At O’Melveny & Myers, [Lisa Monaco, the Deputy U.S. Attorney General] represented Humana–the fifth largest U.S. medical health insurance firm… Notably, O’Melveny & Myers additionally efficiently defended United Well being in a swimsuit introduced by United Well being group insured sufferers earlier this 12 months…. The quantity three at DOJ, Performing Affiliate AG Benjamin Mizer, additionally represented healthcare and pharmaceutical large Sanofi-Aventis, amongst others corporations…. The quantity three at DOJ, Performing Affiliate AG Benjamin Mizer, additionally represented healthcare and pharmaceutical large Sanofi-Aventis, amongst others corporations. Lastly, #4 at DOJ, Solicitor Normal Elizabeth Prolegar, reported Lumos Pharma, Syneos Well being, and Amgen, as former purchasers on her disclosure.” • Sigh. NOTE [1] The New York Publish. BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!
* * * Not so certain of the supply, and positively certain about among the responses, however doesn’t the signage speaks for itself?
🇮🇱🇺🇲 “Capitol Hill is Israeli occupied territory.”
— Pat Buchanan pic.twitter.com/WG5SAgNmyr
— Keith Woods (@KeithWoodsYT) December 23, 2024
Syndemics
“I’m in earnest — I cannot equivocate — I cannot excuse — I cannot retreat a single inch — AND I WILL BE HEARD.” –William Lloyd Garrison
Covid Sources, United States (Nationwide): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; contains many counties; Wastewater Scan, contains drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); “Iowa COVID-19 Tracker” (in IA, however nationwide information). “An infection Management, Emergency Administration, Security, and Normal Ideas” (particularly on hospitalization by metropolis).
Lambert right here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To replace any entry, do be at liberty to contact me on the tackle given with the crops. Please put “COVID” within the topic line. Thanks!
Sources, United States (Native): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater stories); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d’Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (wastewater); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).
Sources, Canada (Nationwide): Wastewater (Authorities of Canada).
Sources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux usées); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).
Hat tricks to useful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, KF, KidDoc, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, sq. coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, thump, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3).
Keep secure on the market!
Transmission: Covid
“A ‘silent’ COVID surge might hit the US over the vacations, consultants warn — right here’s what meaning” [Today]. “They’re calling it ‘silent’ as a result of this winter wave follows a protracted interval of unusually low COVID exercise this fall, so many individuals are unaware that COVID ranges have risen sharply over the previous two weeks, the newest wastewater information from the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention present. Consequently, folks might not know their threat of an infection is growing and never take a look at if they’ve solely delicate signs, which may trigger the virus to unfold at vacation gatherings, throughout journey and extra. As of Dec. 14, wastewater viral exercise of SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19 — is ‘excessive’ or ‘very excessive’ in 21 states, in line with CDC information.” IMNSHO, states don’t matter practically a lot as cities, as a result of individuals are concentrated in cities. The CDC’s wastewater map reveals little or no purple (particularly in comparison with previous surges). Extra: ” ‘There’s an excellent likelihood that lots of people are going to get sick within the subsequent couple of weeks and be unaware of it. Most individuals aren’t monitoring CDC information, and so their solely approach of understanding whether or not we’re in a wave is that if they’ve gotten sick,’ Michael Hoerger, Ph.D., affiliate professor at Tulane College College of Medication and public well being skilled on monitoring COVID-19 tendencies, tells TODAY.com.” • For a critique of Hoerger’s mannequin, see right here. I believe the entire “silent surge” speaking level is misplaced. (1) The “surge” in absolute phrases will likely be low. I don’t need anyone to get Covid, however let’s preserve a way of realism. (2) I reject the complete paradigrm of adjusting habits to Hoerger’s projections, or anybody else’s (and this contains hospital an infection management packages). The info lags, within the case of CDC’s Inexperienced Map, by two weeks. Which means that within the case of a variant present process exponential progress, the surge might be large earlier than any alarm bells ring. Subsequently, IMNSHO, the one wise plan of action is to be constant in your protocol always, after which a “surge,” of no matter dimensions, won’t ever catch you abruptly.
Transmission: H5N1
“Biden’s USDA Let H5N1 Unfold. Now Chook Flu is a Loaded Gun in Trump’s Fingers” [The Gauntlet]. “H5N1 needn’t be circulating in dairy cows. It might and may have been eradicated months in the past. It nonetheless is perhaps with aggressive motion. Sadly, the Biden administration hasn’t made any critical try to halt the virus, nor does it look prone to take the form of daring motion wanted now. However that may hardly shock anybody who has paid consideration to the unprecedented sickness normalization and public well being vilification that has occurred since 2020…. H5N1 needn’t be circulating in dairy cows. It might and may have been eradicated months in the past. It nonetheless is perhaps with aggressive motion. Sadly, the Biden administration hasn’t made any critical try to halt the virus, nor does it look prone to take the form of daring motion wanted now. However that may hardly shock anybody who has paid consideration to the unprecedented sickness normalization and public well being vilification that has occurred since 2020.” • Yep. It’s not attainable to reverse engineer the probability of a pandemic from the institutional response to its chance, but it surely have been, buckle up.
Vaccines
It could be amusing if we couldn’t develop vaccines towards chicken flu… due to chicken flu:
Only a reminder, we’d like eggs for Flu vaccines. We’re nonetheless within the Section 1 Trial for the mRNA Vaccine for #H5N1. To make vaccines for the U.S. inhabitants, we are going to want 900,000 eggs every day from hens for 9 months. That is assuming that the chickens do not get contaminated with #BirdFlu https://t.co/bVDyv8l4yF
— Danielle Beckman (@DaniBeckman) December 23, 2024
Lambert right here: The State of New York and Walgreens nonetheless chugging alongside faithfully.
TABLE 1: Day by day Covid Charts
| Wastewater | |
| This week[1] CDC December 16 | Final week[2] CDC (till subsequent week): |
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| Variants [3] CDC December 21 | Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC December 14 |
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| Hospitalization | |
| ★New York[5] New York State, information December 24: | Nationwide [6] CDC December 19: |
|
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| Positivity | |
| ★ Nationwide[7] Walgreens December 23: | Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic December 14: |
|
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| Vacationers Information | |
| Positivity[9] CDC December 2: | Variants[10] CDC December 2:: |
|
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| Deaths | |
| Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11] CDC November 20: | Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12] CDC November 20: |
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LEGEND
1) ★ for charts new right this moment; all others aren’t up to date.
2) For a full-size/full-resolution picture, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Home windows) on the chart thumbnail and “open picture in new tab.”
NOTES
[1] (CDC) Seeing extra purple and extra orange, however nothing new at main hubs.
[2] (CDC) Final week’s wastewater map.
[3] (CDC Variants) XEC takes over. That WHO label, “Ommicron,” has performed a terrific job normalizing successive waves of an infection.
[4] (ED) Slightly uptick.
[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Leveled out.
[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). Leveling out.
[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.
[8] (Cleveland) Continued upward pattern since, properly, Thanksgiving.
[9] (Vacationers: Positivity) Leveling out.
[10] (Vacationers: Variants). Positivity is new, however variants haven’t but been launched.
[11] Deaths low, positivity leveling out.
[12] Deaths low, ED leveling out.
Stats Watch
Employment State of affairs: “United States Preliminary Jobless Claims” [Trading Economics]. “Preliminary jobless claims within the US eased by 1,000 from the earlier week to 219,000 within the second week of December, contrasting with market expectations that they’d have risen to 224,000.”
Manufacturing: “Court docket ruling on Boeing sends Florida an essential message about variety efforts” [Tampa Bay Times]. “Just lately, a federal choose rejected a plea deal for Boeing geared toward resolving the corporate’s issues of safety which have led to lethal disasters and different incidents involving its plane…. Decide Reed O’Connor expressed issues that the courtroom wouldn’t have sufficient supervision of crucial modifications on the firm beneath the settlement. Nevertheless, he spent most of his 12-page ruling specializing in a provision within the firm’s plea cope with the Division of Justice that stated an impartial monitor could be employed ‘in step with the Division’s dedication to variety and inclusion.’ … ‘In a case of this magnitude, it’s within the utmost curiosity of justice that the general public is assured this monitor choice is made primarily based solely on competency. The events’ DEI efforts solely undermine this confidence within the Authorities and Boeing’s ethics and anti-fraud efforts. Accordingly, the diversity-and-inclusion provision renders the plea settlement towards the general public curiosity.’” • With some attention-grabbing feedback on Boeing’s tradition of “secrecy and intimidation.”
At the moment’s Concern & Greed Index: 37 Concern (earlier shut: 34 Concern) [CNN]. One week in the past: 21 (Excessive Concern). (0 is Excessive Concern; 100 is Excessive Greed). Final up to date Dec 26 at 1:22:08 PM ET.
Rapture Index: Closes unchanged [Rapture Ready]. Document Excessive, October 10, 2016: 189. Present: 181. (Keep in mind that bringing on the Rapture is nice.) • Arduous to consider the Rapture Index isn’t at an all-time excessive. Doesn’t the collapse of Syria deliver the Third Temple nearer? Do these folks know one thing we don’t?
“The Energy Of A Single Notice: The Poetic Creativeness Of Yunchan Lim” [3 Quarks Daily]. Lim: “‘[W]hen I press the G-sharp key, if it strikes my coronary heart, then I transfer on to the subsequent one. . .If my coronary heart doesn’t really feel it when transferring to the A-sharp key, I hold doing it. . . . if the A-sharp key strikes my coronary heart, then I follow connecting the primary and second notes, and if that connection strikes my coronary heart, then I transfer on to the third observe.” • Readers?
Gallery
Good quote:
Fairfield Porter’s portray was sketched early on the morning of 25 December 1961: ‘ I remembered what Bonnard stated Renoir instructed him ‘make all the things extra lovely. This partly signifies that a portray ought to include a thriller however not for thriller’s sake: a thriller that’s important… pic.twitter.com/ZfBj5FmtvB
— Richard Morris (@ahistoryinart) December 25, 2024
Good name by Yglesias:
https://t.co/3DldBz3PDK pic.twitter.com/3rOPt4bG3m
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) December 25, 2024
There was a tremendous dogpile over this girl’s thesis — granted, written in present tutorial jargon — and it seems (“sensory branding”) she acquired it proper, as did Yglesias (“even a blind pig finds a truffle on occasion”).
“Make your backyard a secure haven for robins this winter with these skilled ideas” [Euronews]. “Throughout a chilly winter, as much as half of backyard birds will be misplaced to chilly and starvation. Within the UK, the Crimson Record of endangered chicken species has greater than doubled within the final 25 years. Robins – the nation’s nationwide chicken – are notably susceptible as they keep loyal to their gardens regardless of the climate. A robin can use as much as 10 per cent of its physique weight to maintain heat on a single winter evening. Except it might probably replenish its reserves on daily basis, a chilly spell can show deadly. With hedgerows declining, there’s a lack of pure meals, and with out supplementary chicken feeding in gardens, many robins die of chilly and hunger.” For Robins: “In keeping with [Sean McMenemy], the perfect meals for robins are mealworms and calci worms, fatty meals like suet pellets, meaty kitchen scraps, delicate cheese, cake and biscuit crumbs, dried fruit and crushed peanuts. Robins choose to forage and feed off the bottom. Place a small tray near a shrub, tree or perch, and you might quickly discover them gaining sufficient confidence to feed out of your hand.” And normally: “Guaranteeing your backyard isn’t too pristine or tidy can even assist. Wild undergrowth encourages the proliferation of bugs and helps robins to search out meals. Lifeless leaves, log piles and twigs additionally assist bugs to thrive.” • I used to be taught way back that “Birds love a large number.” It’s true!
Contact data for crops: Readers, be at liberty to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) learn how to ship me a examine in case you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to learn how to ship me pictures of crops. Greens are effective! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary crops! If you’d like your deal with to look as a credit score, please place it initially 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 SC:
SC writes up his present autumn backyard venture:
Within the curiosity of smoothing out the seasonality of my crops beginning pastime, I’ve been making an attempt to start out sure perennials sooner than traditional (typical time for indoor begins for me has beforehand been mid-Winter, in early February) and harden them off outside in late Winter or early Spring when it’s nonetheless approach too chilly to maneuver annuals outside. This 12 months, I’m pushing the schedule even earlier, to see if it might probably work to start out cold-hardy perennials in late Summer season/early Autumn, develop them to a good dimension after which plant them earlier than the bottom freezes. The take a look at case is Purple Coneflower, which, in my previous expertise of rising it from seed on the standard “sow in February” schedule, doesn’t bloom vigorously till the 2nd 12 months. The hooked up picture is of a shelf of coneflowers began in mid-September, per week earlier than the Solstice. The seeds are about 2 years previous (bought early 2023 from Prairie Moon Nursery) however nonetheless extremely viable; 136 of 144 seeds produced robust seedlings. This picture was taken October 20, about 5 weeks after sowing. About half have since been moved exterior, and 36 of these are already distributed and planted by the recipient. It stays to be seen whether or not these will bloom properly in Spring 2025. In the event that they do, this schedule will lower practically in half the time from “seed to good-looking bloom show” (and, extra importantly from my perspective, will unencumber time and rack area in the course of the busy interval in mid-late Winter).
In followup to an inquiry to the commentariat I made some months in the past, re: deterring squirrel depredations, peppermint important oil appears to be extremely efficient. I exploit 1 mL of oil per half-Liter of water, with some liquid dish cleaning soap to assist emulsify the oil. At $10 per 120 mL oil, it prices a few cents per tray per utility. It in all probability must be reapplied after rain. Squirrels have been tearing up my trays and pots, evidently in search of meals (it has been dry all Summer season and there could also be a meals scarcity for them) however the trays handled with peppermint oil have been left alone.
Of attainable curiosity to fellow novice propagators, the pictured develop association is a House Depot HDX 18x48x72″ metal rack with “Monios-L” 48″ LED develop lights, 3 strips per shelf. This mixture is less expensive than the custom-built illuminated develop racks bought by on-line gardening provide retailers.
I actually am an novice propagator, although maybe to not vigorously now as previously.
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