A Storm in the West: The Liberal Intellectual Paradigm Is Broken Conference paper
Lessons From Singapore: If You Can’t Think Because You Can’t Chew, Try A Bannana 3 Quarks Daily
Cocaine Hippos, Monkey Copyrights, and a Horse Named Justice: The Debate Over Animal Personhood Reason
This routine is impressive 🤯
(via ashlynpinner/IG) pic.twitter.com/4fBb8iJMvx
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 4, 2025
COVID-19/Pandemics
The Evidence That A Million Americans Died Of COVID Astral Codex Ten
Aspergillus: All about the fungus that could spark a pandemic like in HBO’s ‘The Last of Us’ The Economic Times
Climate/Environment
Penguin poop may help preserve Antarctic climate Ars Technica
Climate change could drive flood of foreclosures, study finds CBS News
Cocoa, coffee and wheat: The EU food imports threatened by biodiversity and climate crises Euro News
China?
How China Captured Apple Foreign Policy
Asian economies are the collateral damage of the US-China trade war The Hill
BREAKING:
🇨🇳 New Chinese unmaned drone carrier aircraft is entering the military in June
An unmanned aircraft developed by China, known as the Jiutian SS-UAV, is preparing for its maiden flight in June.
With a range of 7,000 kilometers, the platform is designed to function as… pic.twitter.com/qoFf4y2NN4
— Megatron (@Megatron_ron) May 19, 2025
China, Thailand agree to enhance level of cooperation in joint military training Andolu Agency
The Fortress That China Built for Its Battle with America MSN
South of the Border
As Trump focuses on his trade war, Brazil and China forge closer ties The Guardian
Invading Mexico to fight the cartels would be a huge mistake The Hill
Opposition politicians stand up for press freedom in Argentina MercoPress
European Disunion
Confrontation ahead: EU Commission demands that Hungary withdraws draft transparency law Euro News
Ireland Clashes with EU Over Hate Speech Laws as MEP Michael McNamara Denounces Brussels’ Legal Threats Reclaim the Net
EU unemployment hits record low — except for young workers Courthouse News
German defense minister teases possible conscription in 2026 RT (Kevin W)
Complex factors dictate Eastern Europe’s closer ties to Israel than rest of EU The Arab Weekly
The Eurovision song contest has become a woke circus Ian Proud
Old Blighty
UK hands over Chagos Islands to Mauritius in landmark sovereignty deal The Times of India
Yachts easy way to bring in migrants – ex-smuggler BBC
UK government withholding details of Palantir contract Democracy for Sale
Israel v. The Resistance
Gaza is not starving. Gaza is being starved by Israel.
How do you justify starving kids to achieve your military goals?
What a shame. pic.twitter.com/HUJIbebZXl
— Mohamad Safa (@mhdksafa) May 20, 2025
"You don't ask the perpetrator of genocide."
In a searing interview with the BBC, paediatrician Dr Tanya Haj Hassan condemned the broadcaster for echoing Israeli government talking points as she recounted her harrowing experiences in Gaza.
Dr Haj Hassan, who recently returned… pic.twitter.com/t9FlGNa6vb
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) May 25, 2025
Outrage, horror after Israeli attack kills nine children of Gaza doctor Al Jazeera (resilc)
A biblical hatred is engulfing both sides in the Gaza conflict – and blinding them to reason The Guardian
Palestine and the Conscience of China Dissident Voice
Cooking in Gaza is now a toxic affair Al Jazeera
Hamas condemns US lawmaker’s demand to nuke Gaza as genocide incitement Andolu Agency
Israeli use of human shields in Gaza was systematic, soldiers and former detainees tell the AP AP
New Not-So-Cold War
The Ukraine ceasefire fantasy is over. Britain knows it. Euromaidan Press
Hectic two weeks leaves Russia confident – and peace in Ukraine feeling no closer BBC
Why Vatican Mediation in the Ukraine Conflict Remains a Long Shot Euro News
Big Brother Is Watching You Watch
Irish privacy watchdog OKs Meta to train AI on EU folks’ posts The Register
Privacy and hunger groups sue over USDA attempt to collect personal data of SNAP recipients Baltimore Sun
Anthropic’s Claude 4 Sparks Innovation and Privacy Debate Web Pro News
Imperial Collapse Watch
‘A national scandal’: US excess deaths rose even after pandemic, far outpacing peer countries CIDRAP
Gavin Newsom’s 37 Billion Dollar homeless solution meets Gavin Newsom’s 128 Billion dollar high speed rail. pic.twitter.com/ZRX82q4Zfa
— Kevin Dalton (@TheKevinDalton) May 14, 2025
The U.S. constitutional system is driving our democratic decline The Boston Review
Trump 2.0
Ten Sneaky Sleeper Provisions in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill The American Prospect
Student Scapegoats Quillette
Trump Threatens Apple With 25 Percent Tariffs on iPhones Assembled in India Daring Fireball
Ivy League squeeze: How the Trump administration has hammered Harvard Axios
DOGE
Chief Justice Roberts temporarily halts discovery in DOGE case The Hill
Is Elon Musk really getting the hell out of DOGE? The Verge
Expert calls Musk’s ‘Doge’ involvement ‘one of the greatest brand destructions’ The Guardian
Democrat Death Watch
DNC vice chair is trolled after unveiling his bizarre candidate choice to lead the Democrats Daily Mail
Jon Stewart pitches 2028 slogan for Democrats: ‘Overcome the stink’ The Hill
Immigration
U.S. citizen with REAL ID handcuffed and held in immigration raid before being released NBC News
‘Unprecedented’: ICE Officers Operating Inside Bay Area Immigration Courts, Lawyers Say KQED
Mahmoud Khalil told a judge his deportation could be a death sentence. Here’s why PBS
Our No Longer Free Press
Pentagon bans reporters from certain areas of building without escort The Hill
Mr. Market Is Moody
Dollar Sinks as President Trump Threatens to Escalate Trade War Barchart.com
Rising bond yields give stock-market investors the yips. Watch these levels. MarketWatch
AI
Dance of the ocean waves
📹AI
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) April 4, 2025
Oracle has reportedly placed an order for $40 billion in Nvidia AI GPUs for a new OpenAI data center Tom’s Hardware
Gen Z turn to trade jobs, ditch white-collar careers amid AI uncertainty, poor corporate wages NY Post
The Bezzle
SafeMoon CEO Found Guilty in Massive Crypto Fraud Scheme Tron Weekly
US should take Boeing to trial in 737 MAX fraud case, lawyer says Reuters
Medicare Scams: Experts Share How to Protect Yourself From Fraud Woman’s World
Guillotine Watch
Unboxing a luxury $40,000 bottle of Hennessy 8, one of the most expensive cognacs in the world
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) April 12, 2025
Thread of 7 most expensive cats in the world:
1. Ashera Cat: $125,000
The Ashera cat is considered the most expensive cat breed in the world, with prices reaching up to $100,000 or more. This is due to its rarity and the fact that it is a hybrid breed, created by breeding an… pic.twitter.com/oPcJ2J87Oo
— Teejay Communication Hub (@teejanson) August 24, 2024
Class Warfare
At Amazon, Some Coders Say Their Jobs Have Begun to Resemble Warehouse Work New York Times (resilc)
Antidote du jour (via)
After the baby goat pic, some vocalization:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vll33KEoCcc
Alternate working link for ‘Why Vatican Mediation in the Ukraine Conflict Remains a Long Shot” article at-
https://au.news.yahoo.com/why-vatican-mediation-ukraine-conflict-130249986.html
The Russians don’t need Admiral Akbar to tell them that it is a trap. The Vatican has shown that they are on the side of Zelensky so the Russians don’t need to go to a suggested meeting where you will have Russia on one side and the Ukraine, the NATO powers and the US all on the other. Personally I would suggest Beijing because, unlike all the other countries that I have mentioned, they are not a party to this war. There or Pyongyang.
Putin would send the Metropolitan of Moscow to treat with Leo. Trump could send a US Cardinal.
Vatican should be keying on Gaza!
Not the US’ adventures in breaking up Russia.
I guess that offering mediation in conflicts that you are part of is what the Western “civilization” is all about, since the White House Pope is offering it too. No mediation offfer from London yet, for some reason.
It’s sort of like watching a football game and after half-time, you notice that the coach/trainer for one side that is losing badly has gone out onto the field after donning a referee’s uniform. Wait, what?
Rev Kev and ilsm: You are simplifying things too much.
First, there have been some articles here in Italy that explain the mechanism: According to the Lateran Treaty and other conventions, diplomats who are accredited by the State of the City of the Vatican (the legal entity) are allowed to pass through Italian ports / airports and, possibly, even stay in Italy. (If they can’t get a room at the Vatican Hilton, or whatever it is.)
The example given is that the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, Olga Lyubimova, attended the funeral of Pope Francesco as well as the installation of Leone XIV. No one tried to arrest her.
https://www.unionesarda.it/news/mondo/funerale-del-papa-putin-manda-una-ministra-israele-solo-il-suo-ambasciatore-in-vaticano-ny61psmw
There is a Russian ambassador to the Vatican, too, who has been quoted as saying that communication in general has been good and uninterrupted.
Also, to clarify: Pope Francesco often annoyed the Ukrainians. This plan wouldn’t have started floating around if the Russian government truly distrusted the Vatican as well as the Italian government. The Italians have been “doing” diplomacy a long time — they know not to screw up relations with Russia.
PS: The Vatican has been abundantly clear about the pope’s / popes / local patriarch’s impatience with the Israeli government and their sympathy for the Palestinians.
Once upon a time coding was fun. A colleague and I had to learn Fortran for our PhDs if we were to stand a chance of getting our new ways of estimating Randomised Controlled Trials tested via simulations done before we grew old.
Comparing how quickly when being compiled the program crashed and how many errors it found became a kind of game. Crucially we also learnt from each other in terms of specifying all the kind of constraints you must put into the program and which “lesser” languages might ignore and give an answer that looked about right but was garbage.
I really can’t imagine having to learn how to code today. It’s like lego minus the fun factor.
Anybody who can think clearly can create software today with an AI servant. AI can tirelessly generate software at your direction in a variety of languages. This is an epochal breakthrough in the development of information systems. It is a little known fact that the normal distribution of human computer programming skill does not alter with the amount of training provided. If you are a weak programmer, you will always be a weak programmer, irrespective of training and practice. By contrast, all instances of an AI software bot are equally (highly) skilled and productive. The effects of this revolution in software productivity will be enormously beneficial, particularly in the area of software quality assurance, a weak point of current commercial software development.
The only problem is that an AI might write code that has a buried ‘rm -r’ in it that nobody knows is there because who has the time to read all that code?
You forgot the sarcasm tag.
“The effects of this revolution in software productivity will be enormously beneficial”
Productivity measured by what, exactly?
An older article, but still relevant. AI code bots aren’t nearly as good as promoters like to promote
https://www.computerworld.com/article/2077802/just-how-good-is-ai-assisted-code-generation.html
Regarding Gen Z turn to trade jobs, ditch white-collar careers amid AI uncertainty, poor corporate wages: I also think that a trade job is often a better choice than a white collar one, provided it exhibits the following characteristics:
1) It deals with maintenance or reparation, not building new stuff. There is a considerable amount of legacy artefacts that must be kept running/standing, or transformed, or upgraded, while there are less opportunities and money to build entirely new ones (at least in our developed countries with an aging population).
2) It cannot be digitized. Counter-example: car mechanics once were distinguished by their ability to identify the problems (say in a motor) and solve (i.e. repair) them. Nowadays, diagnostic tools plugged into the car on-board management system perform the diagnostics, and a reparation is often just taking out an electronic component and replacing it with a new one. Same with plenty of apparatuses such as washing machines or ovens. In all those cases, the profession is getting deskilled — meaning less interesting, lower paid work.
Regarding At Amazon, Some Coders Say Their Jobs Have Begun to Resemble Warehouse Work: I strongly recommend that any person considering a career in software development takes care of the following:
3) Except in the case the person is a truly gifted developer, forget about becoming a programmer. Those jobs are either outsourced to India, or become an assembly-line work paced by AI tools. Make sure to have a full dual training — IT + biology, or IT + finance, or IT + mechanical engineering, or IT + medecine, etc. Those people become the interface between the end-users/customers and the developers (e.g. requirements specifications, project management, acceptance testing, etc), and this is something that cannot be readily outsourced to far-away places or replaced by AI.
As further thoughts:
a) People have basically one chance to learn a profession — and then must rely upon it for the next 40-45 years. Very few people are able to, or have the possibility to change tracks and take 3 years to learn a completely different profession (trade or white-collar). This is something those economists talking about “professional reconversion” studiously ignore.
b) There was a time when parents taught their profession to their children/nephews/nieces. Nowadays? I have a hard time thinking about any of my relatives or friends who has done or could do that.
There is no such thing as “human capital”; there are only “human resources” that are used, consumed, and then quickly thrown away.
Those cat prices seem inflated! A Bengal kitten sells for £700-800 at best (height of pandemic price).
On the topic of Ireland, an equal important issue as re the EU as the free speech fight is the Irish legislation this week to abandon the Triple Lock, the previous law adopted that Irish troops can only be deployed abroad by the Irish executive where the Dáil, EU and UN Security Council all authorise force. The UN has been removed (and possibly the Dáil, one article I read said only the EU authorisation was required for the Irish executive to authorise deployment). Irish troops are UN peacekeepers in places like Lebanon.
The problem is that while the EU is joined at the hip to NATO, Ireland is not a member and pursues armed neutrality (although heavily Western aligned). This change is clearly aimed at Russia in the short term, to give the EU a free run to provide troops to conflicts which UNSC members oppose with a veto. And perhaps China in the future.
This change is a backdoor to deploy Irish troops on / in support of NATO missions but there is a lot of opposition to NATO and to EU militarism in Ireland but the government is pushing it through over the electorate….
“Kyiv suffers night of hell with explosions and apocalyptic fires as Putin unleashes ‘record number of Iskander-M missiles’ on Ukraine”
Well, yeah. They effed around and found out. The past coupla days the Ukrainians have been sending hundreds of drones towards Russia, including Moscow-
‘According to the Russian military, 776 drones and 12 missiles were intercepted above the country’s territory between Tuesday and Friday morning, while 12 drones hit their targets. On Saturday morning, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that another 104 UAVs had been intercepted inside Russia overnight.’
https://www.rt.com/russia/618105-western-backers-kiev-blame-lavrov/
So what did they think would happen. They found out and because of all these attacks both Putin and Lavrov these days sound more like hardliners.
US is in the V-1 (zero strategy terror in 1944-5 over Britain) phase of the conflict, trying terror…….
Seems to be the US’ go to operational plan.
I can only imagine that fine expensive bottle of Hennessy being made available to only the finest, most wise highly capable, and brightest of our day…like a visit to an infamous island resort where the late Epstein would have hosted exclusive galas or soiree events….
For myself I’ll stick to basic mixes like, by example a splash of some Crown with a diet coke.
that Hennessy did its job…
LMVH got more than $40,000 of free advertising.
Most luxury goods are like Hennessy (Vuitton bag)..,the big profits are not in $40,000 bottles (USD100,000 bags) sold once in a blue moon, they are in the $100 bottles (400 to 4,000 USD bags) affordable for the petite bourgoisie.
Jeff Bezos is not on his yacht drinking $40,000 bottles…..probably more like a Peroni and Diet Coke, lol
“Outrage, horror after Israeli attack kills nine children of Gaza doctor”
I don’t see why anybody should be surprised. This is what Israel is all about. They started off this war by waiting until Hamas personnel were home so not only could they kill them but their wives and children as well which is actually a war crime. And right from the start they have bombed every hospital and clinic that they could find which by the way is also a war crime. Hell, a coupla days ago they bombed the place where prosthetic limbs were issues and fitted. So murdering the families of medical doctors is just par for the course. There is now no depravity that they will not indulge in. It is their nature.
‘SportsCenter
@SportsCenter
This routine is impressive 🤯 ‘
They made a great team. Her being so small had a good power to weight ratio that let her put in a great effort while the big guy was a solid dynamic platform that let her make all those moves. Kudos to the both of them for a great effort.