Thursday, December 31, 2020
The Undoing Of Our Public Lands and National Parks · National Parks Conservation Association
The Undoing Of Our Public Lands and National Parks · National Parks Conservation Association: President Trump and the officials he has appointed have systematically undermined, degraded and outright attacked the laws that protect our public lands, the agencies that manage them and the irreplaceable resources these places safeguard for the American people.
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
“All day, one room: me, and the cherubim . . .” by Ellen Bryant Voigt | Blackbird v17n2 | #pandemicpoetry
ELLEN BRYANT VOIGT | from Kyrie
All day, one room: me, and the cherubim
with their wet kisses. Without quarantines,
who knew what was happening at home—
was someone put to bed, had someone died?
The paper said how dangerous, they coughed
and snuffed in their double desks, facing me—
they sneezed and spit on books we passed around
and on the boots I tied, retied, barely
out of school myself, Price at the front—
they smeared their lunch, they had no handkerchiefs,
no fresh water to wash my hands—when the youngest
started to cry, flushed and scared,
I just couldn’t touch her, I let her cry.
Their teacher, and I let them cry.
“All day, one room: me, and the cherubim . . .” by Ellen Bryant Voigt | Blackbird v17n2 | #poetry: All day, one room: me, and the cherubim / with their wet kisses. Without quarantines, who knew . . .
All day, one room: me, and the cherubim
with their wet kisses. Without quarantines,
who knew what was happening at home—
was someone put to bed, had someone died?
The paper said how dangerous, they coughed
and snuffed in their double desks, facing me—
they sneezed and spit on books we passed around
and on the boots I tied, retied, barely
out of school myself, Price at the front—
they smeared their lunch, they had no handkerchiefs,
no fresh water to wash my hands—when the youngest
started to cry, flushed and scared,
I just couldn’t touch her, I let her cry.
Their teacher, and I let them cry.
“All day, one room: me, and the cherubim . . .” by Ellen Bryant Voigt | Blackbird v17n2 | #poetry: All day, one room: me, and the cherubim / with their wet kisses. Without quarantines, who knew . . .
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
Monday, December 28, 2020
Watch "Geometry of Circles," the Abstract Sesame Street Animation Scored by Philip Glass (1979) | Open Culture
Watch "Geometry of Circles," the Abstract Sesame Street Animation Scored by Philip Glass (1979) | Open Culture: Look into the childhood of any highly innovative American artist of the past couple generations, and you'll probably find at least a trace of Sesame Street.
Inequality Robs $2.5 Trillion From U.S. Workers Each Year
Inequality Robs $2.5 Trillion From U.S. Workers Each Year: If America’s level of income inequality had remained constant since 1970, the median U.S. worker would now make $100,000 a year, according to a new study from the RAND Corporation.
Saturday, December 26, 2020
Lessons from COVID-19 about policy decisions. - Indy100 Conversations
Lessons from COVID-19 about policy decisions. - Indy100 Conversations: All crises have gendered impacts – simply put, they affect women and men, girls and boys in different ways. COVID-19 is no different.
An earlier universe existed before the Big Bang, and can still be observed today, says Nobel winner
An earlier universe existed before the Big Bang, and can still be observed today, says Nobel winner: Sir Roger Penrose: 'The Big Bang was not the beginning. There was something before, and that something is what we will have in our future'
Friday, December 25, 2020
Thursday, December 24, 2020
This so called disaster
Already a big Sam Shepard fan, I found This So-Called Disaster particularly moving, given how focused he managed to become on the central theme of his father & the legacy of toxic masculinity & mental health/addiction.
Carbon Capture Is Not a Climate Savior | The New Republic
Carbon Capture Is Not a Climate Savior | The New Republic: The promise of negative emissions is baked into most “net zero” pledges. But putting that into practice is easier said than done.
"Carbon capture is necessary. But fossil fuel executives are the last people who should get to define...what it should look like, and who benefits."
"Carbon capture is necessary. But fossil fuel executives are the last people who should get to define...what it should look like, and who benefits."
Lorna Slater: Why 2021 must be a year of moving forward | The National
Lorna Slater: Why 2021 must be a year of moving forward | The National: THIS was never going to be a normal festive season, after a year which I think we can all agree was pretty horrible. It will be strange to miss out…
The Lilac Time ~ Christmas A Go Go!
The Lilac Time ~ Christmas A Go Go!: Very cosy alt rock song by British band The Lilac Time . A song about life, really, the ups and downs: And I'm so glad you came to me And ...
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
'I don't think he'd get the jokes': why is John Lithgow writing poetry about Donald Trump? | Politics books | The Guardian
'I don't think he'd get the jokes': why is John Lithgow writing poetry about Donald Trump? | Politics books | The Guardian: The actor is the latest to publish a book poking fun at the president. He reveals why he put pen to paper – plus a round up of the best of the rest
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
emergency relief bill, in summary
stimulus $600
israel $500 millionweapons $6 billion
candles $3,600
space force $2 billion
cost of a funeral: more than $600
In a single year, Trump deducted $75,000 in hair expenses.
Monday, December 21, 2020
Dr. Seth Norrholm: How to survive the physical, financial and emotional abuse of the Trump era | Salon.com
Dr. Seth Norrholm: How to survive the physical, financial and emotional abuse of the Trump era | Salon.com: Yes, he's made us crazy: PTSD expert says it's "the most dangerous time" in our "abusive relationship" with Trump
Sunday, December 20, 2020
Saturday, December 19, 2020
Friday, December 18, 2020
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
Child Emergency: Souls in ICE - The Bullet
Child Emergency: Souls in ICE - The Bullet: Reeling from the US election, I hope that the first order of business is reuniting families and restoring children in Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Nina Turner Launches Bid for Congress, Pledging “No Honeymoon” for Biden Administration | Democracy Now!
Nina Turner Launches Bid for Congress, Pledging “No Honeymoon” for Biden Administration | Democracy Now!: We speak with Nina Turner, one of Bernie Sanders’s top allies, the day after she announced she is running for Congress in Ohio to fill the seat of Congressmember Marcia Fudge, who Biden tapped to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Turner has promised to hold the Biden team accountable and pressure the incoming administration to enact a progressive agenda. “I’m running in service of the people,” says Turner. “We need more, not just bold voices, but people who will take action and will be fearless when it comes to standing up for what is just, for what is right and for what is good.” Turner is a former state senator from Ohio who served as president of Our Revolution, the progressive organization spun out of the 2016 Bernie Sanders campaign, and national co-chair of Bernie Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign. If elected, she will join the growing progressive wing of the Democratic Party in Congress.
Friday, December 11, 2020
"Broken Arrows" - The World's Lost Nuclear Weapons
"Broken Arrows" - The World's Lost Nuclear Weapons: The number of "broken arrows" - accidents involving nuclear bombs is truly staggering. The number of lost nuclear bombs is even more stunning.
Earlier springs could cause common bird species to become extinct by end of the century, scientists warn | The Independent
Earlier springs could cause common bird species to become extinct by end of the century, scientists warn | The Independent: ‘It could be that the apparent stability today is hiding a future collapse’
I, for one, enjoy great tits and think we should save great tits.
I, for one, enjoy great tits and think we should save great tits.
What makes a city feminist? - City Monitor
What makes a city feminist? - City Monitor: We live in places designed by and for men. In her new book, Feminist City: Claiming Space in the Man-made World, geographer Leslie Kern offers alternatives.
Thursday, December 10, 2020
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
In memory of Harold Budd – Anthony Wilson
In memory of Harold Budd – Anthony Wilson: Harold Budd, May 24, 1936 – December 8, 2020 I am reposting this piece today in memory of Harold Budd, who has died. I first published it on 25 September, 2018. – In The Year of Living Deeply…
Tuesday, December 8, 2020
Biden Picks Raytheon Board Member To Lead The US War Machine – Caitlin Johnstone
Biden Picks Raytheon Board Member To Lead The US War Machine – Caitlin Johnstone: The mass media are reporting that the Biden camp has selected former general Lloyd J. Austin III to be the next secretary of defense, assuaging fears among antiwar activists that the position would…
Monday, December 7, 2020
Why I Am a Socialist | America on the Brink | Issues | The Hedgehog Review
Why I Am a Socialist | America on the Brink | Issues | The Hedgehog Review: It is the irreducibly human dimensions of the radical life that are to be most cherished, and most feared.
Sunday, December 6, 2020
‘Emancipation Never Really Came to Agriculture’ — FAIR
‘Emancipation Never Really Came to Agriculture’ — FAIR: "We say, on the one hand, that they’re essential.... But we don’t pay these people in a way that reflects how essential they are."
Capital, the system and jobs chaos
Capital, the system and jobs chaos: Millions of people have been thrown onto the jobs scrapheap this year. Tomáš Tengely-Evans looks at how the capitalist system uses unemployment
Saturday, December 5, 2020
Thursday, December 3, 2020
Donald Trump’s Dangerous Last Days | Sierra Club
Donald Trump’s Dangerous Last Days | Sierra Club: Last week, the Trump administration began the formal process of selling leases to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge -- one of our last remaining truly wild places.
MR Online | Beyond Plague Urbanism
MR Online | Beyond Plague Urbanism: Over the centuries, humans have survived tragedy through the incredible stoicism of not moving, of standing one’s ground, of resisting…
Arundhati Roy: ‘The Pandemic Is a Portal’ - Online University of the Left
Arundhati Roy: ‘The Pandemic Is a Portal’ - Online University of the Left: Arundhati Roy: ‘The Pandemic Is a Portal’
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Detained and quarantined: 28 asylum-seeking children face deportation and COVID-19 | Prism
Detained and quarantined: 28 asylum-seeking children face deportation and COVID-19 | Prism: “Please help us get out of here. All of us detained here can’t stand it anymore,” said eight-year-old Antonio.
Removing Trump Is Not Enough. He Must Be Prosecuted. | The Nation
Removing Trump Is Not Enough. He Must Be Prosecuted. | The Nation: He has declared total war on American democracy, and for that, he must be brought to justice.
Toxic PFAS Chemicals Discovered in Hundreds of Products
Toxic PFAS Chemicals Discovered in Hundreds of Products: Climbing ropes, guitar strings, and hand sanitizer are among the newly reported uses for the toxic “forever” chemicals.
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Saturday, November 28, 2020
Friday, November 27, 2020
Thursday, November 26, 2020
As Hospitals Strain Under Influx Of COVID-19 Patients, Deaths Are Climbing : Shots - Health News : NPR
As Hospitals Strain Under Influx Of COVID-19 Patients, Deaths Are Climbing : Shots - Health News : NPR: Hospitals are getting so crowded with COVID-19 patients that they're having to resort to workarounds to treat them all. Experts warn this may hamper doctors' ability to save lives.
We are told we cannot afford universal health care or student debt cancellation but the Pentagon spends $2 billion every day. And we maintain 800 U.S. military bases in 70 countries around the world.
Wednesday, November 25, 2020
Monday, November 23, 2020
Sunday, November 22, 2020
After Diane di Prima
Revolutionary Letter #9
1. kill head of TransCanada
2. destroy pipeline
3. MAKE IT UNPROFITABLE FOR THEM to build again
Saturday, November 21, 2020
Friday, November 20, 2020
Natural gas = climate chaos (even EU confirms)
PressReader.com - Your favorite newspapers and magazines.: Connecting People through News. All-you-can-read digital newsstand with thousands of the world’s most popular newspapers and magazines. Vast selection of top stories in full-content format available for free.
Tear gas for BLM, red carpet for MAGA marchers
Tear gas for BLM, red carpet for MAGA marchers: We ask why police suddenly left all their tear gas and rubber bullets at the office while Trump supporters took to the streets for the Million MAGA March in Washington, DC.
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
A maxim
To paraphrase César Abraham Vallejo Mendoza, “There is no God, and no son of God, without full human development.”
Fundraiser by Solidarity With Farmworkers : Connect the Camps - Farmworkers
Fundraiser by Solidarity With Farmworkers : Connect the Camps - Farmworkers: Working in partnership with the Southeast Michigan Migrant Resource Counc… Solidarity With Farmworkers needs your support for Connect the Camps - Farmworkers
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Monday, November 16, 2020
Denmark Vesey - Wikipedia
Denmark Vesey - Wikipedia: Manuscript transcripts of testimony at the 1822 Court proceedings in Charleston, South Carolina, and its Report after the events constitute the chief source of documentation about Denmark Vesey's life. The Court judged Vesey guilty of conspiring to launch a slave rebellion and executed him by hanging.
The court reported that he was born into slavery about 1767 in St. Thomas, at the time a colony of Denmark. Captain Joseph Vesey renamed him Telemaque; historian Douglas Egerton suggests that Vesey could have been of Coromantee (an Akan-speaking people) origin.[4] Biographer David Robertson suggests that Telemaque may have been of Mande origin, but his evidence has not been accepted by historians.[5]
Telemaque was purchased around the age of 14 by Joseph Vesey, a Bermudian sea captain and slave merchant. After a time, Vesey sold the youth to a planter in French Saint-Domingue (present-day Haiti). When the youth was found to suffer epileptic fits, Captain Vesey took him back and returned his purchase price to the former master. Biographer Egerton found no evidence of Denmark Vesey having epilepsy later in life, and he suggests that Denmark may have faked the seizures in order to esca
Sunday, November 15, 2020
Masha Gessen: The Problem Is Not Russian Interference. It’s That We Let It In.
Masha Gessen: The Problem Is Not Russian Interference. It’s That We Let It In.: In this bonus episode of The New Abnormal, New Yorker staff writer and author Masha Gessen shares an unpopular opinion about the last election’s Russian interference.
Saturday, November 14, 2020
Free State of Jones | Official Trailer
Better than I expected, & timely despite some off-spots (& on gender issues, it stinks) as America transitions out of a four-year autocracy. THAT catastrophe begs each American to ask now: Which Side Are You On? Long live the Second Coming of McConaughey!
(692) Free State of Jones | Official Trailer | Own It Now on Digital HD, Blu-ray, & DVD - YouTube: Written and directed by four-time Oscar nominee Gary Ross (THE HUNGER GAMES, SEABISCUIT, PLEASANTVILLE), and starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey. FREE ...
(692) Free State of Jones | Official Trailer | Own It Now on Digital HD, Blu-ray, & DVD - YouTube: Written and directed by four-time Oscar nominee Gary Ross (THE HUNGER GAMES, SEABISCUIT, PLEASANTVILLE), and starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey. FREE ...
The End of the World, As We Know It: Faith and Ecosocialism beyond Apocalypse by Religion and Socialism Podcast | Free Listening on SoundCloud
The End of the World, As We Know It: Faith and Ecosocialism beyond Apocalypse by Religion and Socialism Podcast | Free Listening on SoundCloud: Stream The End of the World, As We Know It: Faith and Ecosocialism beyond Apocalypse by Religion and Socialism Podcast from desktop or your mobile device
Friday, November 13, 2020
Thursday, November 12, 2020
The Social Composition of the Anti-Trump Vote | Left Voice
The Social Composition of the Anti-Trump Vote | Left Voice: It took days of counting votes, but the 2020 election finally ended. Biden won because workers, ethnic minorities, young people and city dwellers voted against Trump. Economist Michael Roberts investigates the data. The following article was originally posted on Michael Roberts’ blog, “The Next Recession.
Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Muzzling Dissent - Institute for Policy Studies
Muzzling Dissent - Institute for Policy Studies: How Corporate Influence over Politics Has Fueled Anti-Protest Laws
Join DSA. | Democratic Socialists of America
Join DSA. | Democratic Socialists of America: Democratic socialists have an historic opportunity and responsibility to play a central role in continuing the political revolution for the long term. As a democratic, grassroots organization, DSA is prepared to meet this challenge. Become a member today.
Abolish the Military
Abolish the Military: We should honor those killed and injured in past US wars by stopping future ones.
The Top 1 Percent Owns Nearly Everything in the US. We Need to Seize Their Wealth.
The Top 1 Percent Owns Nearly Everything in the US. We Need to Seize Their Wealth.: Capitalism systemically concentrates wealth at the top of society, as the latest US figures confirm yet again. The solution: massive wealth redistribution that attacks disparities across the board.
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Sunday, November 8, 2020
Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems | Books | The Guardian
Neoliberalism – the ideology at the root of all our problems | Books | The Guardian: Financial meltdown, environmental disaster and even the rise of Donald Trump – neoliberalism has played its part in them all. Why has the left failed to come up with an alternative?
Facing Extinction by Catherine Ingram (read by the author)
Facing Extinction by Catherine Ingram (read by the author)
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
Election Night 2020 Coverage with Democracy Now! | Democracy Now!
Election Night 2020 Coverage with Democracy Now! | Democracy Now!: On Tuesday, Nov. 3, Democracy Now! will air a 3-hour election night special from 9 p.m. to midnight ET.
Democracy Now! will cover results from the presidential election to congressional and state races, as well as ballot initiatives.
Democracy Now!'s election night special will feature interviews and perspectives that you won't hear anywhere else. We’ll include the voices of activists, analysts and grassroots leaders discussing how the movements on the ground will go forward following this historic election.
Where to watch
Stream our election night special LIVE here starting at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday, November 3
TV
Across the U.S.:
Free Speech TV (Dish Network Ch. 9415 & DirecTV Ch. 348)
Link TV (Dish Network 9410 & DirecTV Ch. 375)
Maui, HI: Akaku TV, Ch. 55
New York City, NY: Manhattan Neighborhood Network, Time Warner Cable Ch. 34 & 1993/1995 & Verizon FiOS 33
Oradell, NJ: OPTV, Ch. 77 Cablevision & Ch. 28 Verizon
Philadelphia, PA: PhillyCam, Comcast 66/966 & Verizon Fios 29/30
San Juan, PR: WIPR-TV, Ch. 6
San Mateo, CA: KPJK Northern California Public Media, Ch. 60.4
Syracuse, NY: WCNY Global Connect, Ch. 24.3; Ch. 1276 Spectrum & Ch. 467
Tyngsborough, MA: Tyngsborou
(470) Election Livestream - Lee Camp & Eleanor Goldfield - YouTube
(470) Election Livestream - Lee Camp & Eleanor Goldfield - YouTube: MOC #8 - The Four Layers Of Reality
Monday, November 2, 2020
(448) EUROVISION best jokes & funny moments - YouTube
(448) EUROVISION best jokes & funny moments - YouTube: Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
Reading the Classic Novel That Predicted Trump - The New York Times
Reading the Classic Novel That Predicted Trump - The New York Times: The protagonist of Sinclair Lewis’s 1935 novel “It Can’t Happen Here” sees something dark brewing in American politics.
Sunday, November 1, 2020
Trump admin didn't tell agency tasked with caring for kids that it had separated them from parents
Trump admin didn't tell agency tasked with caring for kids that it had separated them from parents: The House Judiciary Committee said following an exhaustive, 21-month-long investigation that the Trump administration started planning to separate families just weeks after impeached President Donald Trump took office, and that...
An adolescence, seized | Reveal
An adolescence, seized | Reveal: A 10-year-old Honduran girl came to the United States seeking asylum. Instead, she was detained – away from her family – for nearly seven years.
#closetheconcentrationcamps
How Can Socialists Help Stop Trump? | Portside
How Can Socialists Help Stop Trump? | Portside: Eric Blanc (EB): I would love to hear your take on the question of whether or not socialists should be voting and/or campaigning for Joe Biden.
Friday, October 30, 2020
RSN: A Short History of the Lesser Evil
RSN: A Short History of the Lesser Evil: Bronner writes: Trump: first against Hillary Clinton in 2016, and now against Joseph Biden - another bitter pill for the left to swallow. There are enough who throw up their hands in frustration.
500,000 Kids, 30 Million Hours: Trump’s Vast Expansion of Child Detention | The Marshall Project
500,000 Kids, 30 Million Hours: Trump’s Vast Expansion of Child Detention | The Marshall Project: New data shows huge numbers of children detained at the border, peaking in 2019.
#CloseTheConcentrationCamps #VoteAntiFascist #MakeAmericaNotAnAutocracyAgain
(411) Jordan Klepper Hits One Last Trump Rally Before the Election | The Daily Social Distancing Show - YouTube
(411) Jordan Klepper Hits One Last Trump Rally Before the Election | The Daily Social Distancing Show - YouTube: Share your videos with friends, family, and the world
THE WHOLE WORLD IS WATCHING! #MakeAmericaThinkAgain #MakeAmericaNotAnAutocracyAgain
Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America | PBS
Driving While Black: Race, Space and Mobility in America | PBS: Discover how the advent of the car brought African Americans new freedom but also dangers.
Trump has rolled back 125 climate and environmental policies. It would take Biden years to restore them. - Washington Post
Trump has rolled back 125 climate and environmental policies. It would take Biden years to restore them. - Washington Post: President Trump has weakened or wiped out more than 125 rules and policies aimed at protecting the nation’s air, water and land since taking office, with nearly 40 more rollbacks underway, according to a Washington Post analysis.
Wednesday, October 28, 2020
MY PLEA
Newsrooms: Prepare For The Election To Go Off The Rails | by Jennifer Brandel | We Are Hearken | Oct, 2020 | Medium
Newsrooms: Prepare For The Election To Go Off The Rails | by Jennifer Brandel | We Are Hearken | Oct, 2020 | Medium: If you’re covering the US elections and you haven’t prepared for it to go utterly off the rails, then you’re not ready. Are we being alarmist? Why listen to me or Hearken on this? Because we’ve been…
The Black Hole of Depressions: Doing Nothing About Climate Emergency Could Cost More Than All the Wealth in the World | Common Dreams Views
The Black Hole of Depressions: Doing Nothing About Climate Emergency Could Cost More Than All the Wealth in the World | Common Dreams Views: A study in Nature Communications has found that if you add in variability to calculations of the impact of climate change, the upper range of the damage it could do to property is $563 trillion.* That is in the worst case scenario where the world does virtually nothing to stop carbon dioxide and methane emissions over the coming decades. | By Juan Cole
Paul Gilroy: ‘Whiteness Just Ain’t Worth What it Used to Be’ | The Nation
Paul Gilroy: ‘Whiteness Just Ain’t Worth What it Used to Be’ | The Nation: A conversation about racial tensions on both sides of the Atlantic, nationalism, and why inequality might be the key to understanding our current crisis.
Trump, Inc.: Episodes | WNYC Studios | Podcasts
Trump, Inc.: Episodes | WNYC Studios | Podcasts: Who's profiting from this administration and at what cost?
Trumpcast on Apple Podcasts
Trumpcast on Apple Podcasts: A quasi-daily podcast from Slate chronicling Donald Trump's rise to the presidency and his current administration. Journalists Virginia Heffernan and León Krauze talk to reporters, historians, psychiatrists, and other experts to help explain who this man is and why this is happening, right now, in t…
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Race for a COVID Vaccine Puts Sharks — and Ocean Ecosystems — in Peril • Children's Health Defense
Race for a COVID Vaccine Puts Sharks — and Ocean Ecosystems — in Peril • Children's Health Defense: At least five drugmakers are using squalene, a compound extracted from sharks, in clinical and pre-clinical evaluations for a COVID-19 vaccine.
Malaria parasites hide out in humans when it's not mosquito season
Malaria parasites hide out in humans when it's not mosquito season: Malaria parasites survive the mosquito-free dry season by waiting silently in humans for the return of the rainy season that brings back with it mosquitoes. New research, by an international team including Penn State scientists, helps explain how the Plasmodium falciparum parasite survives the disruption to its lifecycle, which requires development within the mosquito host for transmission between people. A paper describing the research appears Oct. 26 in the journal Nature Medicine.
Monday, October 26, 2020
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy - A Greg Palast film
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy - A Greg Palast film: Who is stealing 2016 election? Greg Palast investigates the billionaires and ballot bandits who are trying to steal your vote. Learn more and take action!
Sunday, October 25, 2020
Ruby Sales on African-American youth
And what that meant was that generations of young African-American children were pushed to achieve this mission [of integration]. And we sent them into places that were unsafe, where they were humiliated, and their egos were decimated in structures—as Toni Morrison said, “Out there, they don’t love our children.” And these generations of African-American children have felt abandoned, and there’s a chasm that has grown up between younger and older African Americans, based on this sense of younger people, of having felt that they were abandoned. And they don’t understand, why did we send them, young children, into places like that without any protection? – Ruby Sales
"White Privilege: A History of the Concept" by Jacob Bennett
"White Privilege: A History of the Concept" by Jacob Bennett: This thesis’ goal is to examine the way the term and concept of white privilege has been created in contemporary American society. The argument of the thesis will be that before and directly after discrimination was made illegal in the United States by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, scholars and activists implemented the term white privilege to describe structural and governmentally perpetuated privilege in the United States that had been consciously given to whites. This privilege allowed whites to obtain legal advantages over minorities across the nation. Years after the legislation was passed, however, discrimination was still an issue in the country. White privilege’s definition shifted in order to explain the reason for that reality; White privilege was not perpetuated by conscious and explicit efforts, but by white citizen’s subconscious. This thesis will show how that shift occurred, using scholarly and non-academic writer’s usage of the term white privilege.
Ronald Reagan called African UN delegates 'monkeys', recordings reveal | US news | The Guardian
Ronald Reagan called African UN delegates 'monkeys', recordings reveal | US news | The Guardian: In newly released audio, then California governor can be heard making racist remarks on phone call with Richard Nixon
Saturday, October 24, 2020
Oh, this? Well..
.... this is a terrifying chart. It shows that the Arctic is refreezing far more slowly than ever before this winter. It should motivate you to act (beginning, not ending, with voting).
Friday, October 23, 2020
'Act of radical defiance': Groups unite to again post millions of dollars in bond to free immigrants
'Act of radical defiance': Groups unite to again post millions of dollars in bond to free immigrants: For the second year in a row, organizations are uniting to free hundreds of people from dangerous and inhumane immigration detention conditions. Immigrant rights groups, in coordination with the National Bail Fund Network and Detention Watch...
Contact Hamilton County Voters with SURJ and Operation Change Cincy - Action Network
Contact Hamilton County Voters with SURJ and Operation Change Cincy - Action Network: Action Network
Please help us finally be rid of one of Ohio's racist sheriffs. Contact Hamilton County Voters with SURJ and Operation Change Cincy - Action Network https://actionnetwork.org/forms/contact-hamilton-county-voters-with-surj-and-operation-change-cincy #ohio #Cincinnati #alwaysantifascist
Please help us finally be rid of one of Ohio's racist sheriffs. Contact Hamilton County Voters with SURJ and Operation Change Cincy - Action Network https://actionnetwork.org/forms/contact-hamilton-county-voters-with-surj-and-operation-change-cincy #ohio #Cincinnati #alwaysantifascist
Dark Ironies: The Financial Times and Cambridge Analytica – Byline Times
Dark Ironies: The Financial Times and Cambridge Analytica – Byline Times: Dr Emma Briant reports on the contract between the famous media company and the now-defunct data operation set up by Steve Bannon and Robert Mercer
Wednesday, October 21, 2020
Toshinori Kondo “Blow The Earth” In Naraha, Fukushima, Japan.近藤等則 ”地球を吹くin Naraha” on Vimeo
Toshinori Kondo “Blow The Earth” In Naraha, Fukushima, Japan.近藤等則 ”地球を吹くin Naraha” on Vimeo: TOSHINORI KONDO "Blow The Earth" in Naraha-Town ,Fukushima,Japan. 11.Mar.2017. "Blow the Earth in Naraha-cho" by Toshinori Kondo was held…
Repression of Black Social Movements | Mobilizing Ideas
Repression of Black Social Movements | Mobilizing Ideas: By Crystal Nicole Eddins Even during times of ‘normalcy’, or non-protest cycles, African descendants’ structural realities are constrained and shaped by oppressive targeting due to pervasive, insti…
Family separation under the Trump administration – a timeline | Southern Poverty Law Center
Family separation under the Trump administration – a timeline | Southern Poverty Law Center: Long before the Trump administration implemented its “zero tolerance” immigration enforcement policy in 2018, it was already separating children from their parents as part of a “pilot program” conducted in the El Paso, Texas, area and along other parts of the border.
Polluted air killing half a million babies a year across globe | Environment | The Guardian
Polluted air killing half a million babies a year across globe | Environment | The Guardian: State of Global Air report says indoor air quality causing two-thirds of the deaths and affecting health in the womb
The World Health Organization: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)
Without real science, it seems our official policy is now “herd immunity”? Without a vaccine, this means an official policy of “mass murder.”
Monday, October 19, 2020
Inside the Trump Administration’s Decision to Leave the World Health Organization — ProPublica
Inside the Trump Administration’s Decision to Leave the World Health Organization — ProPublica: Despite Trump’s declared exit from the WHO, officials continued working toward reforms and to prevent withdrawal. This week, they were told they must justify any cooperation with the WHO on the grounds of national security and public health safety.
Monday, October 12, 2020
Ecosystems at risk of collapse in one in five countries, report says
Ecosystems at risk of collapse in one in five countries, report says: wiss Re has issued a stark warning that ecosystems in a fifth of countries are at risk of collapse, according to a Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Index launched by the insurer.
The report underlines the risk to economies, claiming that 55 per cent of global GDP is dependent on “high-functioning biodiversity and ecosystem services”. It goes on to say both richer and poorer economies are being affected. While countries such as South Africa and Australia are vulnerable in part due to their water scarcity issues, the relative size of the agricultural sectors in Kenya and Nigeria is also of concern.
Even in countries with a more intact ecosystem there are risks. Brazil, for example, currently has a high percentage of these “intact ecosystems” but is also experiencing a significant rise in deforestation under its current president, Jair Bolsonaro. From 2019 to 2020, the rate of deforestation has increased by more than 10 per cent, according to the country’s space research agency.
Swiss Re’s analysis found that countries with large agricultural sectors and dependence on natural resources were most at risk. It recommends that countries facing ecosystem collapse look at diversifying
The report underlines the risk to economies, claiming that 55 per cent of global GDP is dependent on “high-functioning biodiversity and ecosystem services”. It goes on to say both richer and poorer economies are being affected. While countries such as South Africa and Australia are vulnerable in part due to their water scarcity issues, the relative size of the agricultural sectors in Kenya and Nigeria is also of concern.
Even in countries with a more intact ecosystem there are risks. Brazil, for example, currently has a high percentage of these “intact ecosystems” but is also experiencing a significant rise in deforestation under its current president, Jair Bolsonaro. From 2019 to 2020, the rate of deforestation has increased by more than 10 per cent, according to the country’s space research agency.
Swiss Re’s analysis found that countries with large agricultural sectors and dependence on natural resources were most at risk. It recommends that countries facing ecosystem collapse look at diversifying
Friday, October 9, 2020
Louisiana priest arrested for alleged threesome on church altar: report | Fox News
Louisiana priest arrested for alleged threesome on church altar: report | Fox News: A Louisiana priest who was arrested for obscenity last week was allegedly having sex with two dominatrices on the altar of his church, court documents revealed, according to reports.
Trumping Democracy 2017 Documentary About Donald Trump - video dailymotion
Trumping Democracy 2017 Documentary About Donald Trump - video dailymotion: Trumping Democracy 2017 Documentary About Donald Trump Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States by winning three key states, a victory engineered by an ultra-conservative faction that quietly mapped its way to power using fake news, lies and psychometrics. This explosive documentary follows the money to the reclusive multi-billionaire Robert Mercer who bought Breitbart News and funded the effort, while inserting Steve Bannon into the presidential campaign as its manager. Using data of millions of Americans acquired from Facebook, Google, banks, credit companies, social security and more, another Mercer company, Cambridge Analytica, used tactics honed during the UK's Brexit campaign to identify voters deemed "most neurotic or worried," whom they believed could swing for Trump. In the days before the election, using a little-known Facebook feature, "dark posts", they deployed highly manipulative and personalized messages, that could be seen only by the user before disappearing. In the darkness of the web, democracy was trumped by data. This explosive documentary follows the money to the elusive multi-billionaire Robert Mercer who bought Breitbart News and funded t
What happened when another White Suprematist President Got the Flu in a Pandemic During the World War
Woodrow Wilson Got the Flu in a Pandemic During the World War I Peace Talks - HISTORY: Lingering effects of the 'Spanish flu' may have hindered Wilson's ability to effectively advocate for his '14 Points' at the Paris Peace Conference.
THE WHO - "A quick one while he's away" - 1969 - Live at the London Coli...
"I wish I was sitting back there surrounded by various (alcoholic) brews. He has a little (beer) tap on the side of each drum"
Thursday, October 8, 2020
Saturday, October 3, 2020
Friday, October 2, 2020
Outbreak movie - USA Pandemic - Coronavirus in America - Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, Donald Sutherland - video dailymotion
Outbreak movie - USA Pandemic - Coronavirus in America - Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman, Donald Sutherland - video dailymotion: Check out the official trailer of Outbreak to get a better idea of how the current pandemic will affect the USA. Coronavirus in America - USA Pandemic - Outbreak movie trailer (1995) - Plot synopsis: Outbreak is a 1995 American medical disaster film directed by Wolfgang Petersen and based on Richard Preston's nonfiction book The Hot Zone. It stars Dustin Hoffman, Rene Russo, Morgan Freeman and Donald Sutherland, and co-stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Kevin Spacey and Patrick Dempsey.The film focuses on an outbreak of a fictional Ebola-like virus, Motaba, in Zaire and later in a small town in the United States. It is primarily set in the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the fictional town of Cedar Creek, California. Outbreak's plot speculates how far military and civilian agencies might go to contain the spread of a deadly, contagious disease.The film, released on March 10, 1995, was a box-office success and Spacey won two awards for his performance. A real-life outbreak of the Ebola virus was occurring in Zaire when the film was released.Director: Wolfgang PetersenWriters: Laurence Dworet, Robert Ro
Fake news hoax exposed: NY Times podcast star lied about joining ISIS | The Grayzone
Fake news hoax exposed: NY Times podcast star lied about joining ISIS | The Grayzone: The main source for New York Times podcast Caliphate, Abu Huzayfah, lied about joining ISIS. The newspaper has a long history of fake news
Border Patrol Snipers Were Authorized to Use Deadly Force at George Floyd’s Burial
Border Patrol Snipers Were Authorized to Use Deadly Force at George Floyd’s Burial: Records obtained by VICE News show police in Pearland, Texas, invited federal agents to surveil Floyd's burial and authorized them to open fire in the event of unrest.
The Church Must Be Antifascist | The Bias Magazine
The Church Must Be Antifascist | The Bias Magazine: Trump is not Hitler and America is not a fascist theocracy. But America has long nurtured its own fascistic ideas and movements and Trump is ripening conditions for its growth. The Christian Church now has a choice to make: be antifascist or acquiesce to fascism.
Thursday, October 1, 2020
"The Department of Homeland Security is now a white nationalist propaganda clearinghouse.”
Trump's Homeland Security: 'Sympathetic' Talking Points On Kyle Rittenhouse | Crooks and Liars: NBC News has obtained evidence that DHS is releasing, on purpose, talking points "sympathetic" to White nationalist vigilante (alleged!) Kyle Rittenhouse.
New Global Report Warns Nearly 40% of Plants at Risk of Extinction | Common Dreams News
New Global Report Warns Nearly 40% of Plants at Risk of Extinction | Common Dreams News: "At a time of rapid biodiversity loss, we are failing to access the treasure chest of incredible diversity on offer and missing a huge opportunity for our generation."
Yeesh, this should put things - all things - into perspective. :-(
Yeesh, this should put things - all things - into perspective. :-(
It’s been 12 years since debate moderators last asked a question about climate change | Salon.com
It’s been 12 years since debate moderators last asked a question about climate change | Salon.com: Donald Trump was forced to talk about climate at the first presidential debate
New Report: President Trump has 3,400 conflicts of interest - CREW
New Report: President Trump has 3,400 conflicts of interest - CREW: Averaging more than two conflicts of interest per day, President Trump continues to be the most corrupt president in history
Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Says Putin Is Behind His Poisoning - The New York Times
Russian Opposition Leader Navalny Says Putin Is Behind His Poisoning - The New York Times: In an interview with Der Spiegel, Aleksei Navalny said the use of a military-grade nerve agent was proof that Russia’s president was involved.
Donald Trump Personally to Blame for 37 Percent of the World’s COVID-19 Misinformation, Study Finds
Donald Trump Personally to Blame for 37 Percent of the World’s COVID-19 Misinformation, Study Finds: Researchers at Cornell analyzed 38 million articles about the pandemic before coming to their shocking conclusion.
Wednesday, September 30, 2020
White supremacists and militias have infiltrated police across US, report says | US policing | The Guardian
White supremacists and militias have infiltrated police across US, report says | US policing | The Guardian: A former FBI agent has documented links between serving officers and racist militant activities in more than a dozen states
The case for quarantining extremist ideas | The far right | The Guardian
The case for quarantining extremist ideas | The far right | The Guardian: When confronted with white supremacists, newspaper editors should consider ‘strategic silence’
Trump, the far right, and the return of vigilante repression - PM Press
Trump, the far right, and the return of vigilante repression - PM Press: By Matthew N. Lyons Originally posted on Three Way Fight September 1st, 2020 Trump’s relationship with the far right is just as important in 2020 as it was in 2016, but the character of the relationship has changed dramatically. I’ve been revisiting the articles I wrote about Trump during the 2016 presidential campaign, taking stock …
Proud Boys | Southern Poverty Law Center
Proud Boys | Southern Poverty Law Center: Established in the midst of the 2016 presidential election by VICE Media co-founder Gavin McInnes, the Proud Boys are self-described “western chauvinists” who adamantly deny any connection to the racist “alt-right,” insisting they are simply a fraternal group spreading an “anti-political correctness” and “anti-white guilt” agenda.
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Trumpism, Fascism, and the Lessons of History – Active History
Trumpism, Fascism, and the Lessons of History – Active History: By Geoff Read, Cheryl Koos, and Samuel Kalman Many articles have appeared in the past year debating whether or not Donald Trump is a fascist.[1] Although some of these pieces are mere exercises in …
Monday, September 28, 2020
(315) The Supreme Court: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - YouTube
(315) The Supreme Court: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO) - YouTube: Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
The US is stalling global progress on pandemic preparedness - Indy100 Conversations
The US is stalling global progress on pandemic preparedness - Indy100 Conversations: The failure of leadership at the highest level is stalling global progress on pandemic preparedness
Malignant Narcissism: Does the President Really Have It? | Psychology Today
Malignant Narcissism: Does the President Really Have It? | Psychology Today: Erich Fromm was a psychiatrist in the United States who immigrated from Hitler’s Germany in the 1930s. He was a world leader in many aspects of mental health and diagnosis. In his 1964 book, The Heart of Man: Its Genius for Good and Evil, Fromm used this term for the first time when he identified the pathology of narcissism as having two types, “benign narcissism” and “malignant narcissism.”2
Fromm said that benign narcissism focuses on pride in one’s work, one’s effort. In the process of achieving something, the person has to stay in touch with the reality around the task in order to accomplish it. "The energy which propels the work is, to a large extent, of a narcissistic nature, but the very fact that the work itself makes it necessary to be related to reality, constantly curbs the narcissism and keeps it within bounds. This mechanism may explain why we find so many narcissistic people who are at the same time highly creative.”3
On the other hand, there is a malignant narcissism. This is not about achievement, but rather something the person thinks they inherently have that’s special, “for instance, his body, his looks, his health, his wealth, etc. ... Malignant narcissism, th
Fromm said that benign narcissism focuses on pride in one’s work, one’s effort. In the process of achieving something, the person has to stay in touch with the reality around the task in order to accomplish it. "The energy which propels the work is, to a large extent, of a narcissistic nature, but the very fact that the work itself makes it necessary to be related to reality, constantly curbs the narcissism and keeps it within bounds. This mechanism may explain why we find so many narcissistic people who are at the same time highly creative.”3
On the other hand, there is a malignant narcissism. This is not about achievement, but rather something the person thinks they inherently have that’s special, “for instance, his body, his looks, his health, his wealth, etc. ... Malignant narcissism, th
The Stranglers: Vladimir and the Beast
The Stranglers' keyboard player Dave Greenfield has died at the age of 71 after testing positive for coronavirus.
Umberto Eco Makes a List of the 14 Common Features of Fascism | Open Culture
Umberto Eco Makes a List of the 14 Common Features of Fascism | Open Culture: One of the key questions today is can we use words like fascism with fidelity to the meaning of that word in world history?
Sunday, September 27, 2020
The Hatch Act: Misuse of Official Positions - CREW
The Hatch Act: Misuse of Official Positions - CREW: Several officials have been reprimanded for violating the Hatch Act, but the problematic political behavior continues with no signs of stopping.
Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance - The New York Times
Trump’s Taxes Show Chronic Losses and Years of Income Tax Avoidance - The New York Times: The Times obtained Donald Trump’s tax information extending over more than two decades, revealing struggling properties, vast write-offs, an audit battle and hundreds of millions in debt coming due.
Remembering the Battle of Holbeck Moor
Remembering the Battle of Holbeck Moor: On this day in 1936, Blackshirts led by Oswald Mosley organised a rally in Leeds to intimidate the city's Jewish population – and were driven back by 30,000 anti-fascists to the tune of The Red Flag.
The Stranglers - Just Like Nothing On Earth Live 1981
R.I.P. Dave Greenfield, sadly taken from us by the global pandemic on 3rd May 2020.
Friday, September 25, 2020
50 reasons the Trump administration is bad for workers: President Trump has said he would ‘protect’ and ‘fight for’ workers. Instead, his administration has systematically done the opposite. | Economic Policy Institute
50 reasons the Trump administration is bad for workers: President Trump has said he would ‘protect’ and ‘fight for’ workers. Instead, his administration has systematically done the opposite. | Economic Policy Institute: This report provides a review of the Trump administration’s 50 most egregious attacks on working people since Trump took office. The Trump administration’s mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic marks the administration’s most glaring failure of leadership. But long before that—since Trump’s first day in office—the administration was already systematically promoting the interests of corporate executives and shareholders over those of working people and failing to protect workers’ safety, wages, and rights.
Thursday, September 24, 2020
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Monday, September 21, 2020
(218) Trump's racism through the decades - YouTube
(218) Trump's racism through the decades - YouTube: Donald Trump has been openly racist for as long as he's been in the public eye. His reaction to the "Central Park Five" case in 1989 is now notorious, and wa...
It’s worth remembering that Daddy Trump made his fortune from the same social context that denied black veterans homes after WWII and then by ripping off a liberal government to the tune of millions and depriving taxpayers of the money they reserved for affordable housing. He was then busted for refusing to rent to blacks (vampire lizard Roy Cohn and mafia connections produced a settlement). He taught his son, Donald, the family neofascist belief that there are genetically supreme ‘winners’ (at least one of his sons, the youngest, is considered in this line) and the 99% of human beings are subhuman scum to be exploited and abused.
It’s worth remembering that Daddy Trump made his fortune from the same social context that denied black veterans homes after WWII and then by ripping off a liberal government to the tune of millions and depriving taxpayers of the money they reserved for affordable housing. He was then busted for refusing to rent to blacks (vampire lizard Roy Cohn and mafia connections produced a settlement). He taught his son, Donald, the family neofascist belief that there are genetically supreme ‘winners’ (at least one of his sons, the youngest, is considered in this line) and the 99% of human beings are subhuman scum to be exploited and abused.
Sunday, September 20, 2020
Opinion | Facebook Has Been a Disaster for the World - The New York Times
Opinion | Facebook Has Been a Disaster for the World - The New York Times: How much longer are we going to allow its platform to foment hatred and undermine democracy?
Friday, September 18, 2020
Badfinger -Hey Mr Manager
Warner Bros. Records sued Badfinger's business manager, Stan Polley, after an advance vanished and, after Polley disappeared, the band were left penniless. Believing his finances had been wiped out, Ham hanged himself in his garage three days before his 28th birthday. He left a note telling his pregnant girlfriend and her son that he loved them. It read, "I will not be allowed to love and trust everybody. This is better. Pete. PS Stan Polley is a soulless bastard. I will take him with me."
Wildlife in 'catastrophic decline' due to human destruction, scientists warn - BBC News
Wildlife in 'catastrophic decline' due to human destruction, scientists warn - BBC News: Conservation group WWF says global wildlife populations have shrunk by two-thirds since 1970.
Thursday, September 17, 2020
(157) Louisville Settles with Breonna Taylor’s Family & Celebs Nix Insta |The Daily Social Distancing Show - YouTube
(157) Louisville Settles with Breonna Taylor’s Family & Celebs Nix Insta |The Daily Social Distancing Show - YouTube: Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
Lee Camp anecdote on ecology and Ohio
I heard a right-wing radio show host two weeks ago talking about how the battle against environmentalists is winnable. He was saying the right wing had almost won the war. I heard this WHILE I was driving in Ohio on a main highway that was six inches above the flood waters. I can't imagine your average Ohio Republican voter is standing up to his waist in his flooded house thinking, “Goddamn straight! We've almost won the war against environmentalists! Time for a celebration!” talk about out fo touch with voters' concerns! You think they give a shit about whether there's a group oof people whoo think wind and solar power would help the world? No! Their number one concern is finding the front half of their house that rumor-has-it is a mile away on top of a Pizzeria Uno. Their main concern is not defending a billionaire's right to drill for oil in the last remaining polar bear's living room. Their main concern is finding something too weigh down their 2-year-old Corgi so he doesn't shoot off into the twister clouds like the last one did. - Lee Camp
Cultural Historical Note on Roy Cohn
On 1954, Cohn pressured Senator McCarthy to announce an investigation into prosecuting suspected communists in the U.S. Army, as a means for Cohn to receive special favours that included the waiving of draft orders for the rich hotel chain heir he had a very unhealthy crush on. This became one of the first reality TV events in U.S. history, broadcast to over 20 million viewers and including the nasty smears aimed at Cohn's suspected homosexuality and the total discrediting of his decency. This only fuelled the world-class bully's pathological shame. With his fingers on combined mafia and media networks, it was inevitable that both he and Roger Stone would encounter a crook like Donald Trump and his mobbed-up father. With regard to the future president of the United States, Cohn said that both men were attracted to each other's “crazy”.
Cohn taught Trump to attack, to lie, never apologize, and to create phoney issues and filler in order to change the debate, get off point, and avoid admitting one's own involvement. From his first case settling the Trump Organization's refusal to provide homes for blacks, Cohn taught Trump how to shift the blame and evade the police and justice department.
Cohn was a bridge between the legitimate and illegitimate worlds, someone who believed that if you make enough bullshit appear it will soon stick and become reality.
Cohn is also the likely source of Trump's creepy fake Fire Island tan. He cheated the American people out of more than 7 million dollars in taxes ans was eventually disbarred for stealing from his own clients. He was addicted to sex with young men, including sex workers, and valium. Like most neofacists gays, he adored Nancy Reagan. In 1980, Reagan won the election because Cohn arranged for John Anderson, who had challenged Reagan for the Republican nomination, to be the liberal party nominee. This created a three-way split in New York, allowing Reagan to win the electoral votes with 45 percent of the vote. In exchange for a New York Post endorsement for Reagan, Cohn gave Rupert Murdock a window into the campaign, preparing the way for the special relationship between the ruling echelons and Fox News. Nancy Reagan herself called Cohn to thank him for fixing the election.//
This Is How It Happens. A study of men in Hitler’s Germany… | by Colin Horgan | Aug, 2020 | Medium
This Is How It Happens. A study of men in Hitler’s Germany… | by Colin Horgan | Aug, 2020 | Medium: Shortly after the Second World War ended, American journalist Milton Mayer set out to investigate how Germany had become a totalitarian state. Mayer wanted to know why, as Adolf Hitler’s Nationalist…
Some College Administrators Ignored Campus Coronavirus Models | Time
Some College Administrators Ignored Campus Coronavirus Models | Time: Epidemiologists and disease modelers tried to predict what would happen when students moved back to campus. Although some universities listened to their advice, that didn’t stop outbreaks from happening.
Wednesday, September 16, 2020
What is biodiversity and why does it matter to us? | News | The Guardian
What is biodiversity and why does it matter to us? | News | The Guardian: For many people living in towns and cities, wildlife is often something you watch on television. But the reality is that the air you breathe, the water you drink and the food you eat all ultimately rely on biodiversity. Some examples are obvious: without plants there would be no oxygen and without bees to pollinate there would be no fruit or nuts.
Others are less obvious – coral reefs and mangrove swamps provide invaluable protection from cyclones and tsunamis for those living on coasts, while trees can absorb air pollution in urban areas.
Others appear bizarre – tropical tortoises and spider monkeys seemingly have little to do with maintaining a stable climate. But the dense, hardwood trees that are most effective in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere rely on their seeds being dispersed by these large fruit-eaters.
When scientists explore each ecosystem, they find countless such interactions, all honed by millions of years of evolution. If undamaged, this produces a finely balanced, healthy system which contributes to a healthy sustainable planet.
The sheer richness of biodiversity also has human benefits. Many new medicines are harvested from nature, such as a fungi
Others are less obvious – coral reefs and mangrove swamps provide invaluable protection from cyclones and tsunamis for those living on coasts, while trees can absorb air pollution in urban areas.
Others appear bizarre – tropical tortoises and spider monkeys seemingly have little to do with maintaining a stable climate. But the dense, hardwood trees that are most effective in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere rely on their seeds being dispersed by these large fruit-eaters.
When scientists explore each ecosystem, they find countless such interactions, all honed by millions of years of evolution. If undamaged, this produces a finely balanced, healthy system which contributes to a healthy sustainable planet.
The sheer richness of biodiversity also has human benefits. Many new medicines are harvested from nature, such as a fungi
Birds 'falling out of the sky' in mass die-off in south-western US | Birds | The Guardian
Birds 'falling out of the sky' in mass die-off in south-western US | Birds | The Guardian: Wildfires and climate crisis cited as possible causes for the deaths of thousands of migrating species heading south for the winter
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Larry Householder affidavit: Ohio energy law that bailed out FirstEnergy was fueled by bribery - Vox
Larry Householder affidavit: Ohio energy law that bailed out FirstEnergy was fueled by bribery - Vox: Electric utilities’ corruption problem is much bigger than FirstEnergy’s alleged bribery of Larry Householder.
Monday, September 14, 2020
Is Plastic Recycling A Lie? Oil Companies Touted Recycling To Sell More Plastic : NPR
Is Plastic Recycling A Lie? Oil Companies Touted Recycling To Sell More Plastic : NPR: An NPR and PBS Frontline investigation reveals how the oil and gas industry used the promise of recycling to sell more plastic, even when they knew it would never work on a large scale.
For decades, the oil and plastics industry sold the public on an idea it knew wouldn't work — that the majority of plastic could and would be recycled — in order to sell more. In reality, less than 10% of plastic has ever been recycled: https://npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-the-public-into-believing-plastic-would-be-recycled…
For decades, the oil and plastics industry sold the public on an idea it knew wouldn't work — that the majority of plastic could and would be recycled — in order to sell more. In reality, less than 10% of plastic has ever been recycled: https://npr.org/2020/09/11/897692090/how-big-oil-misled-the-public-into-believing-plastic-would-be-recycled…
Sunday, September 13, 2020
California Can’t Afford To Wait for Climate Action
California Can’t Afford To Wait for Climate Action: If the historic fires of 2020 in California, Oregon, and Washington State horrify you, consider what it will be like in thirty years when, as experts predict, two to four times as much land area will burn annually in the American West no matter what.
Eugene Mirman - Theremin Jokes - Eugene Mirman: An Evening of Comedy in a Fake Underground Laboratory (Video Clip) | Comedy Central
Eugene Mirman - Theremin Jokes - Eugene Mirman: An Evening of Comedy in a Fake Underground Laboratory (Video Clip) | Comedy Central: Eugene Mirman combines his two passions.
Saturday, September 12, 2020
Friday, August 28, 2020
Ten Better Uses for 10% of the Pentagon Budget
Ten Better Uses for 10% of the Pentagon Budget: A $74 billion cut is a strong step toward better spending priorities, and could make a tremendous difference in other programs ranging from health care and education to job creation at a time when it is desperately needed.
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