January 14

Half past January and it is cold. I did brave the cold for the few seconds it took to take in the bird feeder and then to put the filled feeder back out. The birds haven't found it yet and are probably staying in warm nexts. I think my thermometer on the fence is frozen. It surely isn't 40F out there. We have sun right now. But the next few days are supposed to be in single and low double digits.

I found this JAMA article by way of Naked Capitalism on a surge in childhood illnesses, especially measles. On the whole I am not very surprised having seen articles for several years about such new infections. I am surprised that the article mentions that the latest clusters appear to be in middle to high income areas with parents who generally have college degrees. Those demographics have historically vaccinated their children. COVID vaccine skepticism didn't begin the anti-vaccine movement but it did accelerate it. I have wondered if part of our problem is that the vaccines against measles, mumps, chicken pox, rubella, and whooping cough were very successful. I read stories of outbreaks since 2000 where doctors didn't recognize the diseases when they saw them in their examining rooms. The diseases had become so rare that doctors had only read accounts in their medical texts. Naked Capitalism included a post from a reader that had an account of the death of Roald Dahl's 7 year old daughter. We forget that children died from these diseases. But most of us don't have remembered experience with them.

Ugo Bardi posted an interesting piece about science and our ability to use what we understand as science to explain our world. Several decades ago I remember a controversy which changed the way certain medical studies were conducted. The typical procedure was to test drugs or treatments using a "double blind" system where neither the participants nor the researchers knew who got which treatment, placebo or which dose of drug. Usually the test subjects were men because the researchers were striving for repeatability and the monthly hormonal changes in women complicated the study. The they simply applied the results to women without checking whether such a program was safe and effective. Often it wasn't. That is why in the COVID trials they tested on men, women, women who were pregnant, children of various ages, etc. I often said that medicine was trying to be a hard science like math or physics (although some disciplines in physics have been yielding strange results) but medicine can't be a hard science because the subjects of medicine are so variable. We are finding that the larger and more variable the components of any system (economy, ecology, climate, people) the less likely we are to be able to study it scientifically in controlled conditions.

Ian Welch wrote a gloomy post about the sun setting on the American Empire. I thought a couple of weeds ago, when the Houthis began lobbing missiles and drones against shipping in the Red Sea that the map shown on a couple of the news programs resembled maps I saw in Alfred McCoy's book TO GOVERN THE GLOBE. He showed the choke points European countries fought to control since the 15th century and most of them are under attack: the South China Sea, the Red Sea and Suez, the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Sea. The trade passing through those points is lucrative and, in our present, necessary to the smooth functioning of our economies. Twenty percent of trade passes through the Red Sea. Already the situation has forced major maritime transport companies to avoid the area and re-routing around the southern tip of Africa incurring two weeks travel time and all the extra costs in labor and fuel. That means we all pay more. As the Houthis targeted more ships that weren't Israeli, linked to Israel, planning a stop in and Israeli port but were European and headed to European ports I thought that the conflict has already expanded into an East vs West contest.

Stray thought: it isn't just the Old World choke points that are under pressure. The Panama Canal is severely restricted how many and how large the ships that traverse the Canal because the area is in a drought. Without the fresh water they can't effectively work the levels and locks. I just noticed that one of the quotes refers to this situation.

January 11, 12

Good afternoon. I had errands and an attack of laziness this morning so I am a bit later than usual. We have a bit of sun right now but that is supposed to change. The weather forecast for the next two or three days is absolutely miserable as winter Storm Gerri is supposed to roll through. If we had any plans we would have changed them but since we don't have anything that will take us out of the house we are set. 

GZero has a good article on why 2024 is a year we might not want to remember when it is done. I don't think we will get off so lucky because the consequences of the year's events will constantly remind us of it.

Jan 12*****************************************************************

The predicted storm has arrived. I am looking at heavy, wind-driven snow at the moment. When I woke the first time and came down stairs to finish the night in my recliner (the cats double teamed me to get me out of bed) the pavements were clear and most of the last snow had melted off the south-facing grass. Now everything is covered again. I just saw a snow plow go by. We plan to hibernate for at least the next week.

A stray thought come to mind as the news is still going on about the contest between The Former Guy and Judge Engoron over his attempt to make his own closing argument that comes out of a story in English jurisprudence. A man was in court because of some misconduct by his wife. The justices told him the law demands he "control" his wife. He replied that if the law demanded that of him "the law is an ass." The Former Guy's lawyers are in the same position when the Judge ordered him to "control your client." Yeah, like that will happen. No one controls The Former Guy--not even The Former Guy.

It has been a good day for needlework. Worked on the embroidery on a pillow case. I am almost half finished with the first of a pair. Also spent a couple of hours on a new stash buster blanket. I saw the stitch pattern on line and started it a couple of days ago. I have about seven or eight inches done. I wanted to pull out some aida cloth squares I have had around for ages so I could thread in some grid lines and mark center. They would make some nice cross stitched pieces to incorporate into larger work. I guess I am going to have to dig into my stash and find them but that is a task for another day.

Is anyone surprised that the U.S. and U.K. struck at Houthi military sites overnight? After some time warning them and only getting escalating drone strikes against shipping, it was only a matter of time considering how much of the world's shipping goes through the Red Sea.

Joshua Frank posted a good piece on Tomdispatch on the destruction of Gaza. My own thoughts: First, it is amazing how quickly the conversation has moved from the atrocities Hamas (and other Palestinians who also went through the fence) to an utter condemnation of Israel. No one has ever said how justice for those Israelis killed, kidnapped, or raped would be achieved. Second, I don't see any real path toward any justice for Palestinians who may not have been associated with Hamas. Third, somewhere early in Israel's war on Hamas it morphed into a war on Palestinians which shows just as much mercy for them as Hamas showed for Israelis. I don't know if the genocide charges will be proved legally but the situation can be considered genocide by any reasonable layman's definition.

This Goats and Soda article on NPR raises questions in my mind. First, who is the real recipient of food aid: the people in other countries who need food or American agribusiness (we don't have that many farmers any more). Second, can we really feel generous if pay tax money to our agribusiness for food which the recipients can't use, aren't really nutritious, or spoils before it reaches the people we are supposedly helping? Third, did anyone research what the potential recipients needed, perhaps by asking local people? If they didn't it seems the height of arrogance to assume what we chose to "give" was something they wanted or needed. I put the term in quotes because the "gift" was bought with our taxes. And, according to the story, our politicians are trying to double down on a dysfunctional system by forbidding any money or vouchers that local people can use to buy from local producers. It reminds me of my long deceased ex-mother-in-law who kept giving expensive gifts that were really not gifts but attempts to control us and our use of those gifts. We finally stopped accepting them.

January 9, 10

 Winter seems to have arrived--finally. The 2 to 5 inches of snow predicted looks like it has arrived. They say the winter weather watch will end about noon today. This snow will stay around for a while because the temps will stay at or below (sometimes far below) freezing for the next two weeks.

When the pundits write about our "kleptocracy" they usually refer to the upper echelons of our economy. However, this piece on Popular Information reminds us that the theft reaches deeper into the economy and many of those being fleeced are among the lowest paid.

Jan 10*****************************************************************

Most of the snow we got yesterday has been washed away in the rain and above freezing temps we got. It looks wet and the temperature is barely around freezing. 

That hearing in before the appeals court on The Former Guy's claims of immunity were spectacularly idiotic on the part of his lawyers. Their arguments, taken in isolation, made me wonder if they can think themselves out of a wet paper bag. First, they tried to turn the text of the Constitution on the impeachment process on its head. The text clearly notes that impeachment in the House and conviction in the Senate doesn't exempt a former President from criminal conviction once he is out of office. Those clowns who are parading as educated lawyers tried to convince the judges that impeachment and conviction was REQUIRED for a criminal indictment. Clearly, by the text, it isn't. Second, their faces should have been covered by a paper bag mask in embarrassment as they evidently hoped that no one would remember that one of them had argued during the impeachment a conviction in the political arena wasn't necessary because the criminal justice system was waiting and knew how to handle a criminal case. I think you can see the logical inconsistency between #1 and #2. Third, watching them paint themselves into a corner was painful (in a schadenfreude way. I was amazed at the judges self-control because I was wishing I could have hit them on their heads with a 2x4 before telling them in very uncompromising language what utter idiots they were. I was remembering George Orwell's 1984.

A BBC segment yesterday noted that 2023 is officially the hottest on record with the average global temperature was just shy of 1.5C over the pre-1900 average. We have almost hit the limit set by the Paris Accords in 2015. Some pundit said we COULD still keep from breaking that limit IF we stopped burning fossil fuels IMMEDIATELY. With the politicians in the southern hemisphere sarcastically replying "What you mean, White Man?" it ain't gonna happen.

I have seen stories about "lab grown meat" for some time now. A couple of companies are actually trying to market it now. I am skeptical enough that I am not buying. And I am skeptical about all the claims about sustainability and about how much better such systems would be for the environment. This article on Green Prophet takes apart the claims made by the proponent of cultured meat. As with so many high tech solutions to meeting our needs for anything including meat, the high tech is also more expensive in this initial stage when the production requires pharmaceutical grade growth media. At the moment, traditional field production of meat animals beats their costs and environmental footprint.

Random thought: one of the judges asked a question of The Former Guy's lawyers that echoes a scenario his acolytes have threatened if the court denies the immunity claim: a future where past presidents face politically motivated prosecution for any act while in office. Two points: first, the courts could deal with this if the judges start vigorously weeding out frivolous suits, and second, there is an equally frightening possible future if The Former Guy's claims to immunity are granted where NO president no matter what criminal behavior he/she engages in can be held accountable. Each of those futures (and possibly both) are probable given the divisive partisanship so rampant in the country now.

Stray thought: a number of bloggers I read are supporters of either Israel or the Palestinians. Each side play the game of my side did bad but theirs have done worse. Somehow the tens of thousands who have died in Gaza wipes out the thousand+ who were murdered and brutalized in Israel or the converse where the thousand+ justify the brutality of the Israeli attack on Gaza. The attempt to distinguish between Palestinians and Hamas is a doomed enterprise. Too many of the hostages who were returned noted that they were housed with Palestinian families. Hamas had to have a significant amount of support from "civilians." War is never simply a matter of one military confronting another. Each has an infrastructure of psychic and material support. Neither Hamas nor Israel can continue without such support. I don't support either side and I won't play the game of deciding who is bad and who is worse. 

January 7,8

Overcast with snow today. Finally it is beginning to feel like winter. In another two months, no doubt, I will be wishing spring would finally show up.

Jan 8******************************************************************

It looks like the deadwood in Congress got their act together to at least get an agreement on funding the 20% of the government spending due to run out on the 20th of this month. However, they don't yet have the legislation written or voted on. And they have to figure out what to do with the 80% that will run out on Feb 2.

I just started a new crochet throw. I saw a stitch pattern that looks like a perfect stash buster. I have been a bit at a loss after finishing my last lap blanket. I have four projects on the hoop and one on the little loom but having one on the hook gives me a relief from the others. I have the yarn on hand so might as well use it.

Only one comment on this story: OUCH!!!!

Double OUCH!!! I have thought for some time that the Sickcare Industry is likely to implode. The time will come when people simply cannot pay for either the insurance or the care. I read last week that in states that were kicking people off Medicaid after the COVID expansion measures expired were moving to the ACA. But for how long can governments pay for the escalating costs?

January 5

It looks like we will get a little sun before the clouds move in giving us snow over night. The weather forecasts expect an inch or less. We'll see. The dental appointment went well after a bit of confusion as they had to cancel my original appointment for 9am and the it took a couple of tries to get a confirmed 10am appointment. At least it was the original day. Usually, I make the next appointment right after but decided to wait. I don't know what the idiots in Washington will do. Right now the Republicans are in the "government by ultimatum" mode and enough of them appear to be ready to burn the place down shut down the government. If they follow through I will have to tighten my financial belt because we are a household of retirees who depend on our Social Security.

Robert Reich continued his series on American capitalism with "How America's oligarchy has paved the road to fascism."

I don't know how many might remember Neil Gaiman's SANDMAN graphic novels. I remember them very well and at one time had the whole series. The story, based on Greek myths, followed the doings of a dysfunctional family, The Endless. The siblings included Destiny, Death, Dream, Destruction, Desire, Despair, and Delirium. Recently I re-read the volume which concerned Delirium and Dream searching for their missing brother Destruction who disappeared sometime in the 17th century. Delirium misses her brother and insists Dream help her although he feels it won't work out well for him (and it doesn't--but that is a different volume) and he suspects Delirium won't be happy with the outcome (she isn't because she can't convince Destruction to return but her disappointment is eased because he leaves her with his dog.) They finally do find Destruction who confirms what Dream suspected about his brother's motive. Destruction believed he no longer had a purpose on this plane because humans had become capable of as much, maybe more, carnage and devastation has Destruction himself was. I thought of that graphic novel from the the late 1980s to the mid 1990s while reading this post from Tom Englehardt.

January 2, 3, 4

Sunny right now and most of the snow is still on the north facing roots but gone from the sidewalks and streets. The temperatures are cold but still higher than normal for early January.

We had a shopping errand today. We have depleted our frozen foods and meats over the last three months or so. It was time to replenish. Soon we will do the same for the pantry. We usually split the large shopping trips and spread them over two days.

Jan 3******************************************************************

We have another shopping trip planned today. I expect to be pretty wiped out after we get back and get the groceries put away. I haven's seen much on the news or blogs to comment on. Same old, same old.

Jan 4******************************************************************

Our last errand for the week, because we rescheduled our visit to the local dairy to Monday, is my appointment with the dentist. Hopefully, it will go well. I still hate dental work it is just that I want to keep my teeth more.

Aurelien had a good post yesterday. I didn't post on it because I wanted to re-read it. It is well worth a second look.

Bill Astore's post is interesting for how much has, especially "national boundaries, have changed in the last century plus AND for how much has not changed, like the propensity for powerful countries to meddle anywhere and everywhere. George W. Bush once told us that "they," meaning adversaries in the Middle East, hate for our democracy. No they hate us for imposing our attitudes and so-called values on them. Note what Aurelien says (linked above) about our dysfunctional government (and our allies) lecturing other countries about just about everything.

January 1, 2024

 Welcome to 2024. We greeted the new year when our neighbors woke us with their fireworks. We finally got snow late yesterday and overnight. Maybe 3 inches. I don't know how long it will stay--most of the daily high temps are supposed to be above freezing for the next week.

First stray thought of the day: one of the segments on the news/commentary show we watched made an interesting point. The Former Guy is the center of a movement and the only way to defeat a movement is to build a counter balancing movement. But he, the interviewee didn't see any such a movement in either the non-MAGA side of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party. The problem is that for most of us politics has become a "spectator sport." We have about as much connection to the politics and politicians as football fans. We show up on game day to view the contest. Some of us might spend a lot of time and money getting paraphernalia and decorations. How many of your politicians have you actually met? I haven't met any.