January 11, 2021
In News Uncategorized
December 18, 2020
A MODERNISM THAT IS NOT NOISE
The Library of Congress posted a 55-minute YouTube video of Aaron Diehl’s 2019 piano recital “Blues and the Spanish Tinge,” which featured pieces by Ignacio Cervantes, Robert Johnson, Louis Moreau Gottschalk, Jelly Roll Morton, W.C. Handy and, most notably, Diehl’s own 2018 composition “Blues People.”
WHERE HAVE ALL THE DOLPHIN LOVERS GONE
SciTechDaily:
“… The Marine Mammal Center has found that the increasing frequency and severity of storm systems drastically decrease the salinity of coastal waters, causing fatal skin disease in dolphins worldwide. … Due to the decreased water salinity brought upon by climate change, the dolphins develop patchy and raised skin lesions across their bodies — sometimes covering upwards of 70 percent of their skin.”
SciTechDaily, December 18, 2020, “Deadly Skin Disease – Affecting Dolphins Worldwide – Tied to Climate Change”
WHERE HAVE ALL THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE LOVERS GONE
Minority Rights Group International, Communications Officer Samrawit Gougsa:
FINDING 1: In *EVERY* protected area under review, WWF [World Wide Fund for Nature] knew about alleged human rights abuses by ecoguards, some of which include murder, rape and torture.
Samrawit Gougsa on Twitter, December 18, 2020
(Note: Panel investigated 10 protected areas in Cameroon, CAR, DRC, Republic of Congo, Nepal and India.)
FINDING 2: In *EVERY* protected area under review, WWF provided financial, technical and material support to park ecoguards DESPITE its knowledge of numerous allegations of human rights abuses committed by them.
FINDING 3: In 7 of the 10 protected areas, WWF failed to take adequate steps to prevent, respond to & remedy allegations of human rights abuses committed by ecoguards it supported. It also failed to uphold the rights of indigenous peoples & local communities.
Remember, these are findings of the Independent Panel that WWF itself commissioned to investigate the allegations. Minority Rights’s brief simply explains them because WWF’s presentation of them has been so dishonest.
WHERE HAVE ALL THE IRAQ WAR PROTESTERS GONE
The International Criminal Court’s disgraceful Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, in her own words (December 9*, 2020):
“… [T]here is a reasonable basis to believe that … UK armed forces in Iraq committed the war crime of wilful killing/murder … torture and inhuman/cruel treatment … rape and/or other forms of sexual violence … [and] the more than ten year long domestic [UK] process, involving the examination of thousands of allegations, has resulted in not one single case being submitted for prosecution: a result that has deprived the victims of justice … [but my] Office cannot conclude that … the [UK] proceedings … were or are being conducted in a manner which, in the circumstances, is inconsistent with an intent to bring the person concerned to justice. … [And therefore] the only appropriate decision is to close [my] examination ….”
SITUATION IN IRAQ/UK FINAL REPORT, 9 December 2020, The Office of the Prosecutor
*Old Dec 9 item in shorter form, added to this Dec 18 section.
MEMORY LANE
NOAA-ESRL/Scripps (“In-situ CO2 Data”):
December 18, 2020, CO2 414.04 ppm
December 18, 2019, CO2 411.83 ppm
December 18, 2018, CO2 409.07 ppm
December 18, 2017, CO2 406.28 ppm
December 18, 2016, CO2 404.24 ppm
December 18, 2015, CO2 402.09 ppm
December 18, 2014, CO2 399.10 ppm
December 18, 2013, CO2 – no data –
December 18, 2012, CO2 394.55 ppm
December 18, 2011, CO2 392.11 ppm
December 18, 2010, CO2 389.35 ppm
–
December 18, 1992, CO2 355.20 ppm (year of UNFCCC)
December 18, 1980, CO2 338.56 ppm
December 18, 1970, CO2 325.05 ppm
December 18, 1960, CO2 316.27 ppm
December 20, 2020
WHAT A SHOCKER! THE EDITOR OF THE NEW YORK TIMES IS AN ANTI-ASIAN RACIST. I’M SO NOT UNCOMFORTABLE.
Dean Baker:
“The NYT seriously misunderstands its [own] reporting on China’s coverup on the coronavirus. Since the pandemic had spread to Europe in December, coverups in January and February can’t be responsible.”
Dean Baker on Twitter, December 20, 2020
ARTS & CULTURE
DJ Rob Coons/MRR Radio #1745, December 20, 2020, most of sets 1, 2, and 5:
Intro
‘Detach’ (Nov ’20) by Planet On A ChainSet 1 – Beach Impediment Records
‘Asphyxiation’ (Nov ’20) by Moment of Fear
‘Condemnation’ (Nov ’20) by Public Acid
‘Night of the Hunter’ (Jul ’20) by Long Knife
‘Swinging Back’ (Mar ’20) by Laffing Gas
‘Les Va A Tocar’ (Sep ’19) by Haircut
‘Mänsklighetens Mästare’ (Feb ’19) by Larma
‘Atrapados’ (Dec ’18) by VaaskaSet 2 – Special K
‘Cry Baby/Mother Fucker’ (Nov ’16) by Krimewatch
‘Vina’ (Sep ’19) by Kohti Tuhoa
‘Fear the Justice’ (2006) by Kriegshög
‘Sista Dagen’ (May ’17) by Katastrof
‘VVLGAR’ (Dec ’19) by Klonns[…]
Set 5 – Winter Time Jams
Malandro’ (Oct ’20) by Healer
‘Testigos Inocentes’ (Oct ’20) by Healer
‘Pesadelos’ (Oct ’20) by Healer
‘Pacto Suicida’ (Apr ’20) by Veneno
‘Obsession and Disorder’ (Mar ’20) by Devil’s Den
‘Flykten Från Verkligheten’ (Mar ’20) by Humant Blod
‘Pissing Contest’ (Mar ’17) by Cross ClassOutro
‘Bury Us’ (Feb ’20) by AssholeParade
‘Permanent Weapons’ (May ’17) by No Faith
MEMORY LANE
NOAA-ESRL/Scripps (“In-situ CO2 Data”):
December 20, 2020, CO2 414.68 ppm
December 20, 2019, CO2 411.69 ppm
December 20, 2018, CO2 409.66 ppm
December 20, 2017, CO2 406.59 ppm
December 20, 2016, CO2 404.37 ppm
December 20, 2015, CO2 402.92 ppm
December 20, 2014, CO2 399.47 ppm
December 20, 2013, CO2 397.69 ppm
December 20, 2012, CO2 395.28 ppm
December 20, 2011, CO2 392.13 ppm
December 20, 2010, CO2 390.27 ppm
December 20, 2000, CO2 369.71 ppm
December 20, 1992, CO2 355.22 ppm (year of UNFCCC)
December 20, 1990, CO2 354.74 ppm
December 22, 2020
MASCULINITY AND WAR
Current Anthropology (journal published by U of Chicago) / R. Brian Ferguson:
“Masculinity and War / … Why is war so closely associated with men? Is it an expression of male nature or a product of culture? This survey of masculinity and war considers the proposition that men are predisposed to kill male outsiders, which led to war throughout our species’ evolutionary history and selected for additional gender characteristics. Claimed support from study of chimpanzees, archaeology, and mobile foragers is challenged, supporting the conclusion that war is a relatively recent development in our species. … In the Southern Levant there is no good evidence for war in skeletal, settlement, or technological remains, from the Natufian ca. 13,100 BC up to the Early Bronze Age 3200 BC [99 centuries]. Then war signs suddenly appear in abundance. … the Southern Levant is also notable for an absence of evidence of patriarchal social relations. …”
Ferguson, B 2020. ‘Masculinity and War’. Current Anthropology. Advance online publication.
MEMORY LANE
NOAA-ESRL/Scripps (“In-situ CO2 Data”):
December 22, 2020, CO2 414.11 ppm
December 22, 2019, CO2 413.02 ppm
December 22, 2018, CO2 409.66 ppm
December 22, 2017, CO2 407.79 ppm
December 22, 2016, CO2 405.01 ppm
December 22, 2015, CO2 402.31 ppm
December 22, 2014, CO2 399.07 ppm
December 22, 2013, CO2 397.07 ppm
December 22, 2012, CO2 394.61 ppm
December 22, 2011, CO2 391.75 ppm
December 22, 2010, CO2 390.21 ppm
December 22, 2000, CO2 369.71 ppm
December 22, 1992, CO2 356.49 ppm (year of UNFCCC)
December 22, 1990, CO2 354.35 ppm
December 22, 1980, CO2 338.65 ppm
December 22, 1970, CO2 325.25 ppm
December 22, 1960, CO2 316.46 ppm
December 23, 2020
GOLDILOCKS – PART TWO
Daily Sabah/AKP (Turkey):
“The bears’ hibernation period is overdue, but they are still a common sight …. Climate change is the main culprit for breaking this routine in their lives, according to experts. As temperatures have become warmer than in past years in the region, bears tend to remain active instead of going into metabolic depression. This inevitably leads to more encounters with humans. … Professor Şağdan Başkaya, a wildlife ecology expert … said the bears can smell honey, cheese and butter left in the summer houses and called on locals not to leave any behind if they do not want their houses damaged. … ‘Unfortunately, we see more human-bear encounters, and since 2009, more than 20 people have been killed in those encounters and some 100 people were severely injured.'”
READING HA-JOON CHANG IN GHANA
Modern Ghana / Francisca Serwaa Boateng:
“The news was to the effect that, a rich American company had bought a young and burgeoning payments system fintech [financial technology] company set up, owned and operated by two youthful Nigerians. And the price tag was US$200 million. … US$200 million is a huge amount of money …. However, the question is, why are we so quick to sell … to so-called investors from outside the African continent? … There are many reasons why Africa should nurture and protect its fintech start-up companies. … Africa has a large population with a huge youthful segment and a wide mobile telephony coverage. While most continents have aging populations and atrophied population growth rates, African is set to lead in population growth for a long time to come. Africa’s middle class is also growing and so is their purchasing power. We do not have to continue to export our assets in raw form to so-called advanced countries and have them sold back to us at a price that is a thousand times higher. … The fact is, we have indigenous African companies that have grown into global entities. These include such stalwarts as Glo, Kasapreko, Dangote Cement, UBA, Zenith Bank, AGA, etc. … In his book, ‘Bad Samaritans: The Myth of Free Trade and the Secret History of Capitalism,’ … Ha-Joon Chang makes the point that contrary to popular belief, most neo-liberal capitalists governments have protected their private sector companies and supported them to grow into global giants. … We [on the other hand] have sold our assets as raw materials to others for centuries and we are still caught in a quagmire of poverty. We do not need to make the same mistake with our technological know-how too. …”
Francisca Serwaa Boateng, ‘The rise and fall of Fintech startup companies in Africa: Why Africa needs to protect her own,’ Modern Ghana, December 23, 2020
MEMORY LANE
NOAA-ESRL/Scripps (“In-situ CO2 Data”):
December 23, 2020, CO2 414.83 ppm
December 23, 2019, CO2 412.02 ppm
December 23, 2018, CO2 409.55 ppm
December 23, 2017, CO2 407.26 ppm
December 23, 2016, CO2 404.71 ppm
December 23, 2015, CO2 402.42 ppm
December 23, 2014, CO2 399.33 ppm
December 23, 2013, CO2 397.16 ppm
December 23, 2012, CO2 395.11 ppm
December 23, 2011, CO2 392.00 ppm
December 23, 2010, CO2 390.22 ppm
–
December 23, 2000, CO2 369.88 ppm
December 23, 1992, CO2 356.57 ppm (year of UNFCCC)
December 23, 1990, CO2 354.21 ppm
December 23, 1980, CO2 338.61 ppm
December 23, 1970, CO2 325.41 ppm
December 23, 1960, CO2 316.46 ppm
December 25, 2020
“EVERY POLL … AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY”
Former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Charles Freeman, interviewed by Aaron Maté:
“[E]very poll that’s been done in China, and there have been many that are quite reliable, shows a high level of satisfaction, if not active support for the Chinese Communist Party — quite a bit higher, by the way, than the support in the United States for our system of government …. You know, we have a system which more and more Americans are deeply disillusioned about. That is not the case in China….”
BILL AND MELINDA GATES
New York Times:
“International aid organizations, philanthropists and wealthy nations have … promise[d] to ensure that all countries gain the tools needed to fight the pandemic …. But they have failed to back their assurances with enough money. … The leading initiative, the Act-Accelerator Partnership — an undertaking of the World Health Organization and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, among others — has secured less than $5 billion of a targeted $38 billion. …”
MEMORY LANE
NOAA-ESRL/Scripps (“In-situ CO2 Data”):
December 25, 2020, CO2 414.57 ppm
December 25, 2019, CO2 411.05 ppm
December 25, 2018, CO2 409.35 ppm
December 25, 2017, CO2 406.87 ppm
December 25, 2016, CO2 404.66 ppm
December 25, 2015, CO2 401.90 ppm
December 25, 2014, CO2 399.18 ppm
December 25, 2013, CO2 397.75 ppm
December 25, 2012, CO2 394.30 ppm
December 25, 2011, CO2 391.90 ppm
December 25, 2010, CO2 390.01 ppm
December 25, 2000, CO2 369.16 ppm
December 25, 1992, CO2 355.49 ppm (year of UNFCCC)
December 25, 1990, CO2 354.82 ppm
December 25, 1980, CO2 338.48 ppm
December 25, 1970, CO2 326.15 ppm
December 25, 1960, CO2 316.15 ppm
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