Month: February 2024

‘Judgement Day’ Is Coming!

College of Political Knowledge

2024 Election Series

No this is not some whacked out predict of the end of the world….but instead a promise from a ‘great American’ (in some eyes).

For months now Donald the Orange has been promising to seek retaliation on his opponents and he renewed the promise at the most recent CPAC speech.

Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump said Election Day in November this year will end up being a “judgement day” for his political opponents if he wins and vowed mass deportations on a scale never seen in the United States.

As part of a rambling and bizarre speech at the annual CPAC gathering of far-right activists and GOP operatives, Trump said, “For hardworking Americans, November 5 will be our new liberation day. But for the liars and cheaters and fraudsters and censors and imposters who have commandeered our government, it will be judgement day.”

Though he previously served as the President of the United States and remains de facto head of the Republican Party, Trump cast himself to the fascist audience members as a political “dissident” who would have his “ultimate and absolute revenge” on President Joe Biden and the Democrats who he claimed had turned the nation into a “living hell.”

Federal statistics show that crime rates have fallen since 2022, but that didn’t stop Trump from characterizing the nation as a crime-ridden dystopia on verge of annihiliation.

“Our country is being destroyed and the only thing standing between you and its obliteration is me,” Trump declared, harnessing his familiar demagoguery in which he characterizes himself as an authoritarian savior.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/donald-trump-cpac-judgement-day

Ever wonder Why is populism attracting so many psychopaths?

Maybe this will help with an answer….

Psychopathic traits are associated with the endorsement of populist attitudes, according to new research published in the journal Electoral Studies. The findings shed light on the psychological foundations of populism, focusing on how the Dark Triad of personality interacts with populist beliefs across various European nations.

Populism is a political approach that seeks to champion the common people against a perceived elite or establishment that is considered corrupt or out of touch with the general population’s needs. At its core, populism divides society into two antagonistic groups: the pure people and the corrupt elite. Populism can manifest across the political spectrum, from left to right, and has been a driving force behind various political movements and leaders around the world, including Donald Trump in the United States.

The Dark Triad, on the other hand, refers to a trio of negative personality traits: Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy. Machiavellianism is characterized by manipulativeness, a cynical disregard for morality, and a focus on self-interest. Narcissism involves grandiosity, entitlement, and a lack of empathy. Psychopathy is marked by impulsivity, a lack of remorse, and antisocial behavior.

Psychopathic tendencies linked to a psychological predisposition towards populism

Does not seem to be much interest in the coming election….is that because you have made up your mind or is it you just don’t f*cking care?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

An End Of An Era?

The big news yesterday was that the leader of the GOP Senate would be stepping down after years and years of game playing….

Mitch McConnell, the longest-serving Senate leader in history who maintained his power in the face of dramatic convulsions in the Republican Party for almost two decades, will step down from that position in November. The AP reports McConnell, who turned 82 last week, is set to announce his decision Wednesday. “One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” he said in prepared remarks obtained by the AP. “So I stand before you today … to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.” What you need to know:

  • “As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work,” McConnell said in his prepared remarks. “A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. It arrived today.”
  • McConnell said he plans to serve out his Senate term, which ends in January 2027, “albeit from a different seat in the chamber.”
  • Aides said McConnell’s announcement about the leadership post was unrelated to his health. The Kentucky senator had a concussion from a fall last year and two public episodes where his face briefly froze while he was speaking.
  • McConnell gave no specific reason for the timing of his decision, which he has been contemplating for months, but he cited the recent death of his wife’s youngest sister as a moment that prompted introspection. “The end of my contributions are closer than I’d prefer,” McConnell said.
  • But his remarks were also light at times. He noted that when he arrived in the Senate, “I was just happy if anybody remembered my name.” During his campaign in 1984, when Ronald Reagan was visiting Kentucky, the president called him “Mitch O’Donnell.”
  • “I love the Senate,” he said in his prepared remarks. “It has been my life. There may be more distinguished members of this body throughout our history, but I doubt there are any with more admiration for it.”
  • But, he added, “Father Time remains undefeated. I am no longer the young man sitting in the back, hoping colleagues would remember my name. It is time for the next generation of leadership.”
  • There will be a time to reminisce, he said, but not today. “I still have enough gas in the tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm which they have become accustomed.”

Say good-bye to Reagan conservatism and say hello to the dystopian crap of the now GOP.

Not to worry this will replay in a few weeks and then again later in the year….the games are endlessly with these spineless d/bags.

And then there was the not so big news later yesterday….the ‘shutdown two-step’ has ended (as I knew it would before a shutdown)….

Congressional leaders announced Wednesday that they have reached a tentative agreement to prevent a government shutdown for now, days before an end-of-the-week deadline that risked shuttering some federal operations. Under the plan, Congress would temporarily fund one set of federal agencies through March 8 and another set through March 22. In the meantime, Congress would intend to pass packages of legislation to fund the government for the remainder of the budget year, the AP reports. There was no immediate plan to approve the $95 billion emergency national security funds for Ukraine, Israel, and other allies.

This would be the fourth short-term funding extension in about a five-month span. The House and Senate next will need to vote and approve the deal with its temporary funds ahead of the Friday deadline, when some federal monies run out. “We are in agreement that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner to fund our government,” said the joint statement from Speaker Mike Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, along with the Appropriation Committee leaders. Negotiators have been working furiously to finish up a federal spending plan while Ukraine and other American allies watched for Johnson’s next move on the aid.

Congressional leaders said they reached an agreement on six bills that will adhere to spending levels agreed to last year. Those bills involve Veterans Affairs and the departments of Agriculture, Transportation, Interior, and others and will be voted on and enacted before March 8, per the AP. The remaining six bills for the Pentagon, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, and the State Department still need to be finalized, voted on, and enacted before March 22. If the deal and the subsequent bills are approved, it would keep the federal government funded until the end of the budget year, on Sept. 30, and avoid more short-term measures.

Ukraine got its blood money but poor Israel left the table still hungry for US stuff.

What will Israel do?  Probably find an excuse to attack Lebanon.

And that was DC on a Wednesday.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Africa–“We Are Here To Help”

The Great War on Terror!

The ‘Dark Continent’…..after 9/11 the US started go around the world make others line up for a great War on Terrorism…..another of those waste of money like that multi-generational waste known as the War on Drugs.

Africa was no different the US started throwing money and manpower at the countries in Africa….

Throwing money?

Yes to the tune of a trillion dollars…..The State Department provides nearly $280 million of funding for Africa counterterrorism efforts each year. Additionally, the Department of Defense spends at least $500 million a year for counterterrorism efforts in the area.

What was the result of our money spent on this War on Terror?

I wrote about the situation in Africa a couple of months ago….

Is Africa A Failure?

But if you are too busy or lazy to check it out I will go on….

Deaths from terrorism in Africa have skyrocketed more than 100,000 percent during the U.S. war on terror according to a new study by Africa Center for Strategic Studies, a Pentagon research institution. These findings contradict claims by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) that it is thwarting terrorist threats on the continent and promoting security and stability.

Throughout all of Africa, the State Department counted a total of just nine terrorist attacks in 2002 and 2003, resulting in a combined 23 casualties. At that time, the U.S. was just beginning a decades-long effort to provide billions of dollars in security assistance, train many thousands of African military personnel, set up dozens of outposts, dispatch its own commandos on a wide range of missions, create proxy forces, launch drone strikes, and even engage in ground combat with militants in Africa.

Most Americans, including members of Congress, are unaware of the extent of these operations — or how little they have done to protect African lives.

Last year, fatalities from militant Islamist violence in Africa rose by 20 percent — from 19,412 in 2022 to 23,322 — reaching “a record level of lethal violence,” according to the Africa Center. This represents almost a doubling in deaths since 2021 and a 101,300 percent jump since 2002-2003.

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/africa-terrorism/

Someone tell me if that is money well spent?

Once again the US has made things worse trying to extend our hegemony over Africa….this is a reoccurring nightmare for most of the 3rd world…..’we are here to help’ seldom does anything near help.

Profits are killing Africans.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Shutdown Two-Step!

Here we go again!

The political dance.

Remember just a couple of months ago we were holding our breath waiting to see if the idiots in Congress would allow a shutdown or do the right thing and keep the government working.

And as usual the game came down to the last minute before a deal was announced to keep the government up and running.

Well sports fans if you exhaled at the success then may had better take a deep breath….

Prepare to hear three words a lot this week in regard to DC news: “looming government shutdown.”

  • Two deadlines: Around 20% of government funding expires at midnight Friday unless the two sides strike a deal, with services including food stamps and housing assistance at risk, reports the Washington Post. A shutdown involving the remaining 80% could come the following week, with the deadline there on March 9.
  • Impasse: It’s “all about House Republicans,” particularly hardliners, who are pressuring Speaker Mike Johnson to “string out this fight as long as possible in order to trigger automatic spending cuts,” in the assessment of Punchbowl News, which digs deep into the nitty gritty of negotiations. House Republicans also are making policy demands on issues including abortion, immigration, and LGBTQ rights, per the Post.
  • Busy week: The Senate is back Monday and the House on Wednesday, and hoped-for deals expected over the weekend never materialized, reports the Hill. President Biden will meet with the top four congressional leaders—Johnson, House Minority Leader Hakim Jeffries, and Sens. Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell—at the White House on Tuesday, per the AP.
  • One big problem: Biden and Johnson “have virtually no relationship,” as an analysis at Politico explores. They rarely talk and barely know each other, and this chasm is contributing to the DC stalemates, according to the story.

By this time the threat means little of to us peasants….we are numb to these accusations and threats and manure slinging.

Even if it shutdown we will not remember it come September….out attention span is very short.

But if you want to know about these things…..this game that the idiots play (oh BTW Congress still gets paid during a shutdown)….will just be headline fodder and then be gone…but if you want to know then read on….

https://usafacts.org/articles/everything-you-need-to-know-about-a-government-shutdown/

Not to worry the Sun will still come up Tomorrow.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

SCOTUS And Social Media

Those political hacks that we call the Supreme Court are about to lay into the Constitution to settle a ‘First Amendment’ issue….

Supreme Court justices sounded hesitant Monday to dismiss First Amendment concerns about state laws that would restrict social media companies’ ability to moderate users’ posts. The court spent four hours hearing oral arguments about laws passed in Florida and Texas that are blocked for now, the New York Times reports. Both laws were approved by Republican-controlled legislatures, a response to complaints from the political right that the companies were censoring comments from its supporters while allowing posts expressing other viewpoints. The court’s decisions could have broad implications for the future of online debate.

A series of issues involved includes censorship and whether to treat social media like a phone company that transmits users’ content and can’t block any of it at will, or like a newspaper, which can decide what opinions it will run. The Florida law is the more sweeping, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor said it could keep the online marketplace Etsy from curating items being sold by its users, per CNN. “This is so, so broad, it’s covering almost everything” on the internet, Sotomayor said. President Biden’s administration agrees with the technology companies that say the platforms have the right to moderate content; Donald Trump’s lawyers filed a brief calling on the court to uphold Florida’s law.

In musing about censorship, Justices Samuel Alito and Brett Kavanaugh brought up George Orwell, per MSNBC. Alito expressed concern about “Orwellian” private conduct, while Kavanaugh said he thinks of government control of media, not private control, as being “Orwellian.” Alito expressed dislike of the term “content moderation,” per the AP. “Is it anything more than a euphemism for censorship?” Alito asked. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson brought up whether the platforms are a public square or a private company. A ruling should be issued by summer.

So are these sites public or private?

It will be interesting to see what the “Hacks” will do.

On a separate issue….is honking one’s horn protected under free speech?

If you’re tempted to honk your car horn in support of protesters, you might want to think twice in California. That’s because on Friday, a three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit upheld a lower court’s ruling against Susan Porter, deciding that honking one’s horn isn’t free speech. The case saw its origins in October 2017, when Porter repeatedly leaned on her car horn in solidarity with protesters she was driving past outside of GOP Rep. Darrell Issa’s office in Vista, who were demonstrating against Issa’s support of then-President Trump, per the Washington Post.

Porter honked her horn a total of 14 times, in short bursts, as she cruised by the demonstrators—and was subsequently pulled over by a San Diego County sheriff’s deputy, who gave her a ticket and cited her for misusing her car horn. The citation came about because Porter was said to have violated a 1913 law that prohibits anyone from using the horn for anything other than warning other drivers, per Courthouse News. Although that citation was dismissed the following February when the deputy didn’t show in court, Porter brought a lawsuit, claiming her First Amendment and 14th Amendment rights had been violated.

Porter noted that honking wasn’t just for political speech, but also for celebrating good news, greeting people, or alerting someone that you’d arrived to pick them up. The lower court’s decision against her, however, was handed down in February 2021, which the appeals court upheld last week. “[For] the horn to serve its intended purpose as a warning device, it must not be used indiscriminately,” Judge Michelle Friedland wrote for the majority, per the Post. Friedland added that there were other ways to show support for protesters, including waves, giving a thumbs-up, and bumper stickers. Dissenting Judge Marsha Berzon disagreed, noting, per the Metropolitan News-Enterprise: “Honking at a political protest is a core form of expressive conduct that merits the most stringent constitutional protection.”

SCOTUS refuses to tackle this one….

The Supreme Court has declined to hear a case on whether honking a car horn is protected free speech, leaving in place a lower court’s ruling upholding a California law that bans excessive honking. Lawyers for Susan Porter, who was ticketed in 2017 after honking in support of anti-Donald Trump protesters outside the office of GOP Rep. Darrell Issa, said they were disappointed and they hope the issue will be revisited in future cases, the Hill reports. “We continue to believe that sounding the vehicle horn to support a protest or engage in personal expression is a core First Amendment right,” said David Loy, legal director for the First Amendment Coalition,” calling such honking a “longstanding tradition.”

And their term will continue….

I wait and watch.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Even Jews Have Had Enough

I hear justification of the destruction of Gaza everyday and I see news stories that push that line of thinking…..but the rest of the world wants the insanity to stop….yes even Jewish people are tired of the death and destruction….

This is a story that was not covered in the corporate media (I wonder why)…..

Thousands of Jewish-led protesters descended on the New York offices of the American Israel Public Affairs Council on Thursday, taking aim at both AIPAC and Democratic lawmakers who take millions of combined dollars from the lobby group while opposing a Gaza cease-fire.

Led by Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP), the demonstrators marched from Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza outside the United Nations—where earlier this week the U.S. for the third time vetoed a Security Council cease-fire resolution—to AIPAC’s nearby New York headquarters on Third Street.

During the march, protesters carried large letters spelling “DUMP AIPAC” and a banner reading “AIPAC Funds Genocide,” as well as signs listing the names of New York Democrats who take campaign cash from the group while opposing a Gaza cease-fire. Members of Congress named and shamed at the rally include House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries ($829,835 in lifetime AIPAC contributions), Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand ($348,818), and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ($101,570).

Other activists occupied the offices of Schumer and Gillibrand. JVP said 18 people were arrested for refusing to obey police orders to leave.

“If you want to know one reason why more electeds aren’t calling for a cease-fire—even though a cease-fire is the overwhelming demand from the people—look no further than AIPAC,” said JVP. “AIPAC uses money and racist bullying to ensure congressional complicity in the genocide of Gaza.”

“Last cycle, AIPAC endorsed over 100 lawmakers who voted to decertify the results of the 2020 election, allying themselves with the far-right,” the group added. “AIPAC is threatening our safety here in the U.S. in order to ensure unconditional U.S. support for Israeli violence.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/aipac-2667345553

I have been saying that AIPAC has too much influence over Congress and it is both parties….I am glad to see that someone else is pointing this out to the public.

Then on Monday night Biden goes on national TV and makes a bold statement….

President Biden said Monday that he hopes a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that would pause hostilities and allow for remaining hostages to be released can take effect by early next week. Asked when he thought a ceasefire could begin, Biden said: “I hope by the beginning of the weekend. The end of the weekend. My national security adviser tells me that we’re close. We’re close. We’re not done yet. My hope is by next Monday we’ll have a ceasefire.” Biden made the remarks in New York City after taping an appearance on NBC’s Late Night With Seth Meyers, the AP reports.

This would be great news if it comes about….but I also have this nagging thought….is Biden doing this to give Israel some cover from protests?

Why do Americans think Israel can do no wrong?

Is it some religious thing?

Or is it the Little Man Syndrome?

Just what is it?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

When Hoover Met ‘The Man’

Not much happening in the news so what better time to ask a question and learn some history?

Did any president ever meet with Hitler?

Remember Herbert Hoover?

Do not hurt yourself….he was president when the Great Depression began and it lost him an election to FDR.

And yes he was pissed that he lost….so pissed that he ran off to Europe and met with Adolf Hitler (remember him?)….

Herbert Hoover remains one of the better-known presidents of the United States, though not for the reasons a head of state would wish. Fairly or unfairly, the voting public held him responsible for the Great Depression, a stigma that remains attached to his name — even after decades of historical research has put the economic downturn and his efforts to fight it into context. Those relief efforts were stymied, in part, by Hoover’s own ideological inflexibility and his poor political skills. His shortcomings as leader in an economic crisis were compounded by his bitterness in defeat. Incensed that Franklin Delano Roosevelt would not heed his advice on the Depression during the transition, Hoover called his successor a “madman” (via The Washington Post) and his New Deal policies “fascistic” (per the UVA Miller Center).

Hoover’s hostility to the Roosevelt administration made little difference during the election of 1936, and his unpopularity made even many Republicans keep him at a distance. But Hoover had other ways to pass his time in private life, ways that did not feed hard feelings over his reputation. Before becoming president, he had worked strenuously on post-World War I European relief, and many European nations honored him during the 1930s. Overseas travel filled his schedule in those years.

One such trip, in 1938, brought Hoover to Germany and put him face-to-face with Adolf Hitler. It was the only time in his life that Hitler met a U.S. president, sitting or retired. It was an enlightening visit for Hoover — and an occasion for sensational, overblown headlines back in America.

Read More: https://www.grunge.com/1517519/what-hitler-meeting-former-president-hoover-was-really-like/

That’s right a former American president joined other Americans like Lindbergh and Ford to saddle up to Hitler before the whole Poland thing.

Hoover remained in opposition to involvement in another European war….but that was before Pearl Harbor.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

Class dismissed!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Does Theocracy Approach?

There seems to be a more lively conversation especially from the fringe Right about this nation as being a ‘Christian nation’ founded by Christians for Christians.

I hate to break it you you people but it is absurd on the face of it.

Many Americans believe the United States was founded as a Christian nation, and the idea is energizing some conservative and Republican activists. But the concept means different things to different people, and historians say that while the issue is complex, the founding documents prioritize religious freedom and do not create a Christian nation.

According to the Constitution (remember that document?) was the US founded on Christianity?

Very simple answer….NO!

Alright you want more….what does the Constitution say about religion….

No religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.” (Article VI)

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” (First Amendment)

I bring this all up because of what I see as the rise of a dangerous movement here in the US….Christian Nationalism.  (And I am not alone)

The resurgence of Christian nationalism will come as no surprise to anyone who has watched Trump’s MAGA movement merge with a constellation of extremist preachers and apocalyptic prophets. Many of them, including prominent Mississippi Pastor Shane Vaughn, believe Trump was anointed by God to rule America. A growing number of evangelical voters now view the former president as the second coming of Jesus Christ and frame the 2024 election as a battle not just for America’s soul but for the salvation of all mankind.  

…

What’s truly shocking is tracking how the GOP’s embrace of Christian nationalist ideology has weedled its way into our government, most concerningly on the state Supreme Courts that will hear all manner of legal challenges to the 2024 election results. But the corrosive impact of Christian nationalism goes beyond just Trump, as Alabama’s Supreme Court again reminded us this week.

America is facing a threat of biblical proportion: The rise of Christian nationalism 

This brings us to this election, 2024 election, and Trump’s embracing of Christian Nationalism….

Donald Trump has frequently hinted or implied that he has been chosen by God as some type of prophet and messiah, a divine champion in the 2024 presidential election. The suggestion is that Trump is somehow infallible, above and outside the Constitution, the rule of law and other restraints placed on the behavior of mere mortals in modern society.

Such claims are patently absurd, but that is almost not a liability. In his overtly cruel and mendacious behavior, Trump has shown himself to be anything but “godly” and “righteous,” by supposed Christian standards. He rarely attends church and displays open disdain for his evangelical followers, a group he views as a means to an end: They provide him with the narcissistic energy, campaign funds and fervent support — and, of course, the votes — he will need to become America’s first dictator

In all, the relationship between Trump, his MAGA movement and the Christian right is transactional on both sides. During his presidency and beyond, Trump has promised the Christian right — and largely delivered — the power to enforce their will on the American public with the goal of turning the country into a theocracy. The Christian right has made Trump into the leader of its “spiritual warfare” campaign despite, or even because of, his obvious criminality. (To them, Trump is a victim of persecution by evil and demonic forces, further proof of his prophetic status.) Public opinion polls and other research increasingly suggest that Republicans, and in particular MAGA voters, do in fact believe he has been chosen by God to lead the country.

https://www.salon.com/2024/02/22/apocalypse-now-donald-dons-the-armor-of-god/

I stand my assertion that this ‘movement’ or thinking if you will is dangerous….the sooner Americans realize this the better the country will be.

Believe what you will but do not force me into believing…..PERIOD!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

That Magnificent Burger!

First get the crap out of the way….Haley loses to Trump in South Carolina (go figure)….time for her to think about retiring.

Another Sunday and what better time to learn something….especially if it is something about America’s favorite food.

It is getting to be March and that magical time we call Spring….and all across the Deep South people dusting off and rolling out their grills and one of the first things we do is cook burgers.

I admit it I do enjoy a good burger….mine is with cheese with mayo and brown mustard….put the garden on the side….but as good as a burger is where did it all begin?  (Surprise!  A little history.)

Close your eyes and picture a hamburger. Whether the version in your imagination is bursting with lettuce and tomatoes and oozing ketchup or not, it’s a sure bet that the image in your mind’s eye includes a bun. Without a bun it’s not a hamburger, though—it’s just a hamburger patty, or what used to be known as a hamburger steak (or hamburg steak).

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering who invented the first hamburger, you’re not alone. Below, discover more fascinating details about the history of hamburgers, from their minced beef-with-suet recipe origins to White Castle’s legendary “sliders,” and more.

Exactly how a dish named for a German city evolved into one of America’s favorite foods is a riddle wrapped in a mystery on a sesame seed bun.

The earliest reference to the ancestor of the hamburger appears in an English cookbook from 1763. In Art of Cookery, Made Plain and Easy, Hannah Glasse explains how to make a Hamburgh sausage. The recipe calls for mixing minced beef with suet, spices, wine, and rum and stuffing it into a gut, which is then smoked and dried. Except for those final steps of converting it into a sausage, the minced meat and fat with spices could be considered a hamburg steak, which is defined as a dish of salted and smoked minced beef.

The first glimpse of hamburg steak occurred around the 1870s, when this dish began popping up in restaurants. In San Francisco, a menu from the Clipper Restaurant dated 1871 to 1884 lists Hamburg beefsteak for 10 cents, the same price as stewed mutton, tripe, or salmon. A tenderloin steak was 20 cents. 

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/56926/history-hamburger

Now you have learned everything you need to know about the amazing burger….I mean burgers are so popular there is even a pop song about them….

For full disclosure….while I truly enjoy a big thick burger today I will be grilling a couple of tenderloins with baked potato and a salad.

Enjoy your day and have a burger life will look so much more bright.

As always….Be Well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

IST Saturday News Dump–24Feb24

So begins yet another weekend…..the weather here is mild and looking to stay that way for about a week. So with that bit of useless information out of the way I press on….

Today is the Big Day….the South Carolina primary….

The country’s oldest gun maker is heading to greener pastures.

Remington began in the blue-collar village of Ilion two centuries ago, and generations have turned out rifles and shotguns at the massive firearms factory in the heart of New York’s Mohawk Valley. Now, residents are bracing for Remington’s exit, ending an era that began when Eliphalet Remington forged his first rifle barrel nearby in 1816. The US’ oldest gunmaker is closing the factory in its original home next month, citing the steep cost of running the plant. Remington’s recent history has been marked by a lawsuit after the Sandy Hook massacre and bankruptcy filings that led to new ownership of Ilion’s plant, where the workforce has dwindled from about 1,300 workers more than a decade ago to around 300.

Remington is consolidating operations in Georgia, a state friendlier to the firearms industry, per the AP. The current owners of Remington Firearms, RemArms said that Georgia offered an environment that better “supports and welcomes the firearms industry.” CEO Ken D’Arcy added that the industry was concerned about New York’s “legislative environment.” Remington isn’t the first: Smith & Wesson opened its new Tennessee headquarters in October after being based in Springfield, Massachusetts, since 1852.

But the move stings for the village of 7,600 people, who face dramatic revenue loss and a vacant, sprawling factory. “When Remington leaves, it’s … going to be like part of your family has moved off,” says Jim Conover, who started at Remington in 1964 packing guns and retired 40 years later. Ilion officials hope the Remington plant site can host a mix of manufacturing, retail, and residential units, but its fate remains unclear. It was listed for sale last month for $10 million. For some families, jobs there are practically a birthright. “My mom worked there. My dad worked there,” says furnace operator and technician Frank “Rusty” Brown. “My wife works there with me now.” So do his two daughters and son-in-law. “So it’s a double hit for me and my wife: two of us out of a job.” Much more here.

We have a new report on climate change consequences…..

Extreme wind and rain may lead to bigger and worse desert locust outbreaks, with climate change likely to intensify the weather patterns and cause higher outbreak risks, a new study has found. The desert locust—a short-horned species found in some dry areas of northern and eastern Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia—is a migratory insect that travels in swarms of millions over long distances and devastates crops, causing famine and food insecurity. A square-kilometer swarm of 80 million locusts can in one day consume crops enough to feed 35,000 people. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization describes it as “the most destructive migratory pest in the world.” The study, published in Science Advances, said these outbreaks will be “increasingly hard to prevent and control” in a warming climate, per the AP.

Scientists analyzed outbreaks in Africa and the Middle East from 1985 to 2020, examining the insects’ patterns to find out what may cause outbreaks to happen across long distances. They found 10 countries, including Kenya, Morocco, Niger, Yemen, and Pakistan, experienced the majority of locust outbreaks among 48 affected nations. The researchers found a strong link between the magnitude of desert locust outbreaks and weather and land conditions like air temperature, precipitation, soil moisture, and wind. Desert locusts are more likely to infest arid areas that receive sudden extreme rainfall, and the number of the insects in an outbreak is strongly impacted by weather conditions.

Major locust outbreaks can have huge financial impacts: It cost more than $450 million to respond to a locust outbreak in West Africa from 2003 to 2005, per the World Bank. The outbreak caused an estimated $2.5 billion in crop damage, it said. Countries affected by outbreaks are already grappling with climate-driven extremes like droughts, floods, and heat waves, and the potential escalation of locust risks in these regions could exacerbate existing challenges, said study co-author Xiaogang He. “Failure to address these risks could further strain food production systems and escalate the severity of global food insecurity,” he said. More here.

I have one question….are they edible?

That little blue pill that us old farts covet….looks like there are other benefits other than the erection of a lifetime.

It’s an intriguing study that provides “food for thought,” as its lead author puts it. Researchers found men who’d been prescribed Viagra and similar PDE5 inhibitor drugs were 18% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s over a five-year period than those who hadn’t been prescribed the drugs. The finding was even stronger—a 44% lower risk—among the group of men who’d received 21 to 50 prescriptions in total, putting them in the “most-prescribed” tier. But don’t call your doctor for a prescription just yet:

  • The asterisk: As the Guardian notes, it’s an observational study that found correlation, not causation. Essentially, it’s still unclear whether the pills offer some form of protection against Alzheimer’s or whether men who already had a lower risk of the disease (perhaps because they’re more physically active, for instance) are more likely to take Viagra.
  • The nuts and bolts of the study: Researchers looked at the medical records of roughly a quarter of a million men who had an erectile dysfunction diagnosis but no known memory issues; about half were taking drugs for their ED. The men were followed for five years (for a total of 1,309,205 person-years of follow-up), with any Alzheimer’s diagnoses over that time noted. Researchers logged 8.1 cases of Alzheimer’s per 10,000 person-years in the group prescribed the drugs, and 9.7 cases in the group not taking them, reports the BBC.
  • The next step: Lead author Dr. Ruth Brauer of University College London says a randomized controlled trial including both sexes would be a beneficial next step. (Fortune notes PDE5s aren’t currently approved for use by women in the US.) A researcher not associated with the study points out one quirk of doing a blind trial where the doctors and patients don’t know who received the drug and who got a placebo: Viagra’s effects are pretty apparent.

AS long as we are stuck on this penis thing…..

The essence of this research lies in the development of testis organoids — tiny, artificial organs that mimic the natural function of testicles, including sperm production and testosterone synthesis.

These organoids are cultivated from real mouse testicular cells, marking a significant step forward in the field of reproductive medicine and research.

Historically, the lack of in vitro systems capable of accurately modeling the testis has been a significant barrier in understanding disorders of sex development (DSD) and male infertility.

The creation of these artificial testicles by Dr. Gonen and her students — Aviya Stopel, Cheli Lev, and Stav Dahari — at the Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences and the Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, ushers in a new era of possibilities.

https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-testicles-created-in-a-lab-will-eventually-produce-sperm/

Society may only have another 16 years before the collapse (I love these dire predictions they are almost never on point)….

In a surprising revelation, MIT researchers have forecasted that the collapse may occur within the 21st century. Their findings, published by the Club of Rome, pinpoint the impending ‘limits to growth’ as a critical catalyst for the impending downfall. Specifically, they earmarked the year 2040 as a potential juncture when society could confront significant challenges.

Gaya Herrington, a Dutch researcher and adviser to the Club of Rome, revisited studies conducted in the 1970s that forewarned of societal collapse. Confirming alignment between past predictions and current circumstances, Herrington noted the prescience of earlier projections. These studies suggested that economic expansion might plateau by the end of the current decade, with a plausible collapse looming a decade later.

https://www.indiatimes.com/news/world/scientists-predict-societys-collapse-by-2040-627772.html

As always I try to find some report or such on food or the food supply….this time it is cheese….

In news that could upend cheese plates everywhere, some of the stinkiest offerings we love to indulge in are in danger from more than just getting in our bellies. Vox has the scoop on what it calls the “Camembert calamity,” and it all boils down to fungi. To get the uniform looks, smells, and tastes we expect when we purchase Camembert, brie, and blue cheeses, producers have relied on very specific strains of fungus. Cheese is made by mixing fresh milk with bacteria and fungi like yeasts and molds—the strains used produce different varieties. Brie and Camembert makers switched to an albino mold, Penicillium camembert, in 1898 and 1902, respectively, according to the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), and it soon became the industry standard.

While P. camembert‘s makeup is responsible for the white, creamy cheese we enjoy today, it’s an asexual fungus, so it’s reproduced through cloning. A century of cloning has weakened the single strain of fungus responsible for all Camembert currently made around the world, and more recent mutations have hampered its ability to produce spores. “We’ve been able to domesticate these invisible organisms just as we did with dogs or cabbage,” says CNRS evolutionary biologist Jeanne Ropars. “But what happened, as it does every time an organism large or small is subjected to overly drastic selection, is that their genetic diversity has been greatly reduced.”

Limiting genetic diversity has had a similar effect on crops, like bananas or wheat. Vox notes that different varieties of a crop can withstand challenges better than others, so bouts of bad weather or new pathogens may wipe out one type, while others manage just fine. “When you lose diversity within a species, you lose adaptability,” says CNRS’ Tatiana Giraud. Blue cheeses are undergoing a similar fate, but a new population of P. roqueforti recently identified by Giraud could be a game-changer. And while it’s not the kiss of death for Camembert, cheese lovers may need to adapt to new colors, smells, and tastes as producers use new strains. “Camembert is not going to disappear tomorrow,” Ropars says. “But it’s going to be more and more difficult to produce.”

Damn!  I eat a lot of cheese, different cheeses, hopefully nothing will change while I am still above ground.

WHEW!

That was a lot of useless info hopefully you found something of interest.

Saturday is a good day to enjoy your surroundings…..and as always….Be Well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”