Less than a year to go!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Trump (R): \u201cStormy Weather Ahead for Trump\u201d [Jonathan Alter, Washington Monthly]. Bragg (NY). \u201cAfter jury selection begins in April, we\u2019re looking at the first criminal trial of a U.S. president in American history\u2026. Last week, the trial was delayed\u2014probably for a few weeks\u2014pending a hearing about the mysterious release of thousands of pages of documents from federal prosecutors who had pursued the hush money case but declined to prosecute Trump.\u201d And:<\/p>\n
Judge Merchan ruled that Trump\u2019s lawyers will not be allowed to:<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a lot! Meanwhile: \u201cDistrict Attorney Bragg\u2019s whole case is admissible.\u201d Concluding: \u201cIt ain\u2019t overthrowing the government. It ain\u2019t stealing classified documents. But it\u2019ll do.\u201d \u2022 I doubt it. I mean, come on. \u201cSquillionaire pays off mistress. Film at 11.\u201d<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Trump (R): \u201cGOP primaries flash warning signs for Trump\u201d [The Hill]. \u201cIn primary elections in Ohio and other states, a sizable number of GOP voters still cast ballots for former rivals to the ex-president. That\u2019s potentially a big problem for Trump, because it suggests not all GOP primary voters are warming to him\u2026 A handful of states cast ballots Tuesday in the presidential primaries, including Ohio, Florida and Arizona. Trump won Ohio and Florida by roughly fourth-fifths of the vote, but former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley notched around 14 percent in each.\u201d <\/p>\n
Trump (R): \u201cTrump has an early lead on Biden. But problems are piling up around him\u201d [Politico]. \u201c\u2018The only person who can beat Donald Trump is Donald Trump,\u2019 said David Urban, a former senior Trump campaign adviser. \u2018I don\u2019t think we\u2019re there yet.\u2019 Despite it all, Trump remains in an enviable position, leading Biden in early polls as the incumbent president clocks in with historically bad approval ratings. But Trump\u2019s advantage is also less than 2 percentage points \u2014 hardly a commanding lead \u2014 and he is still sitting below 50 percent. In the earliest days of the general election campaign, Trump\u2019s often improvised remarks contrast with his opponent\u2019s more carefully scripted campaign outings \u2014 and that approach brings some downsides, as evidenced in recent days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump (R): \u201cThus Far, Trump Has Huge Coattails. The Best Coattails.\u201d [The American Conservative]. \u201cPresident Donald Trump\u2019s victories in last night\u2019s primaries in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, and Ohio were foregone conclusions. All of Trump\u2019s challengers have already exited the race and, for the third straight presidential cycle, Trump has secured the Republican nomination. This alone suggests Trump\u2019s takeover of the GOP is near total, but there\u2019s even more evidence down ballot. On Tuesday, Trump\u2019s chosen candidates beat expectations. Nowhere was that clearer than in Ohio\u2019s senate primary. The businessman Bernie Moreno bested state Sen. Matt Dolan by nearly twenty points. Moreno received more than 50 percent of the vote and carried every county in the Buckeye state\u2026.For now, however, Trump is still king and, for smaller realms all around the country, kingmaker. Trump has made 88 endorsements in the primaries thus far. Not a single candidate for federal office has lost their primary with Trump\u2019s backing. Only three Trump-endorsed state legislative candidates have lost. Across state and federal primaries, Trump is 58 for 61 thus far. When November rolls around, the 58 winners will have the added benefit of Trump on the top of the ticket once again.\u201d<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Biden (D): \u201cUS Vote Pitches Bidenomics Against Celebrity\u201d [Bloomberg]. \u201cPresident Joe Biden has centered his campaign on his flagship industrial policy, dubbed Bidenomics, which involves pumping billions of dollars into creating US manufacturing jobs in industries of the future like chipmaking and clean technology\u2026. But, as Akayla Gardner reports, it\u2019s a theme that has largely failed to resonate with voters so far \u2014 even in places like Bethlehem [Northampton County] whose geographical and political landscape has been shaped by heavy industry\u2026. The uncomfortable truth for Biden is that many voters are preoccupied with the rising cost of living and have yet to feel the upswing from his policies. Even where they do, they don\u2019t necessarily credit the president for the jobs that are on offer. With the US economy booming, there may yet be time for Bidenomics to cut through.\u201d<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Williamson (I):<\/p>\n
\u201cAll that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
From the ashes a fire shall be woken,
A light from the shadows shall spring;
Renewed shall be blade that was broken,
The\u2026<\/p>\n
\u2014 Marianne Williamson (@marwilliamson) March 20, 2024<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
CA: \u201cCalifornia Primary Results Encouraging for Republicans\u201d [Sean Trende, RealClearPolitics]. \u201cThe GOP posted its biggest gains in heavily Hispanic districts, seeing its vote share improve in the 42nd (Rep. Robert Garcia), the 29th (Rep. Napolitano), and the 24th (Rep. Carbajal). This is consistent with poll data suggesting a swing toward Republicans among Hispanics.\u201d<\/p>\n
OH: \u201cBernie Moreno easily wins Ohio Senate Republican primary, will take on Sen. Sherrod Brown\u201d [Cincinnati Enquirer]. \u201cMoreno, a businessman from the Cleveland area, won with nearly 51% of the vote, according to unofficial results. He defeated state Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls, and Secretary of State Frank LaRose in a contest that pitted the GOP\u2019s old guard against allies of former President Donald Trump\u2026. Moreno previewed his general election pitch, saying Brown is beholden to President Joe Biden and wants to pretend otherwise. But the three-term senator remains confident about his prospects. During a campaign event Monday, Brown said the Republicans opposing him are on the wrong side of abortion, minimum wage and other issues\u2026. In the end, a flurry of visits to Ohio from Trump and his allies pushed Moreno over the finish line. And it wasn\u2019t the close outcome that polls predicted\u2026. Brown, who\u2019s seeking a fourth term in office, is one of two Democrats defending his seat in a state won by Trump. Republicans believe he\u2019s vulnerable and see an opportunity to flip Ohio as they try to regain control of the U.S. Senate.\u201d \u2022 Contrast that coverage to this\u2013<\/p>\n
OH: \u201cIn Key Ohio Senate Primary, Republicans Go with Trump Again\u201d [Center for Politics]. \u201d Both Donald Trump and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) got their man in the Ohio GOP Senate primary on Tuesday night, as businessman Bernie Moreno (R) blew open what polls, in aggregate, suggested was a close race. A major Democratic outside spending group connected to Schumer effectively spent on Moreno\u2019s behalf. continuing a common Democratic strategy of spending in the other party\u2019s primary.\u201d The Pied Piper strategy has taken on a life of its own\u2026. More: \u201cMoreno, backed by Donald Trump, follows the path taken two years ago by now-Sen. J.D. Vance (R), who, like Moreno, was a Trump-endorsed candidate without previous officeholding experience who beat out a field that included some more experienced pols to get the Ohio GOP Senate nomination.\u201d And: \u201cMoreno\u2019s best counties, not too surprisingly, were the pair of Mahoning and Trumbull. Both were double-digit Barack Obama counties that backed Trump in 2020\u2014when Brown was last up, in 2018, he carried the pair 59%-41%, so he will probably want to limit his slippage here in the general election.\u201d And: \u201cDemocrats are surely hoping that Moreno represents a continuation of the terrible Senate candidates Republicans produced in so many key races in 2022. And it is true that Moreno has never faced a test like this\u2014he ran in the 2022 contest but dropped out well before the election\u2014and could fall on his face, just like Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania, Herschel Walker in Georgia, Donald Bolduc in New Hampshire, and Blake Masters in Arizona. That said, it\u2019s not obvious that he will, and it may not be all that much of a lift to just get Trump voters to also back the Trump-endorsed Senate Republican candidate in a state that is likely to vote for Trump by high-single or maybe even double digits.\u201d \u2022 Worth reading in full.<\/p>\n
Republican Funhouse<\/p>\n
\u201cAs Medicare Advantage\u2019s shortcomings echo in the press, key legislators still push to privatize traditional Medicare\u201d [Trudy Lieberman, HEALTH CARE un-covered]. \u201c[Rolling Stone\u2019s Andrew] Perez points out that one item buried in the 887-page Heritage Foundation blueprint written to inform a potential new Trump administration has attracted little attention so far. It is a scheme to \u2018make Medicare Advantage the default enrollment option\u2019 for people who are newly eligible for Medicare, he wrote. David Lipschutz, associate director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, says the Heritage plan would hasten privatization. \u2018Upon becoming eligible for Medicare now everyone starts with traditional Medicare as the default but can opt out of that program and later choose an Advantage plan,\u2019 Lipschutz says. The Heritage proposal, however, would have people start with Medicare Advantage plans, apparently with the opportunity to opt-out. With this arrangement, you can see how easy it would be for Medicare, as we know it, to \u2018wither on the vine\u2019 since many people new to Medicare are not well versed in the difference between the two options and instead are swayed by the TV advertising beckoning them to Medicare Advantage plans.\u201d \u2022 Project 2025 taking a cue from nudge theory. Swell.<\/p>\n
Democrats en D\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/p>\n
\u201cWorking class Dems who campaign on economics beat Trumpists in elections\u201d [Pluralistic]. \u201cThe Democratic Party Pizzaburger Theory of Electioneering is: half the electorate wants a pizza, the other half wants a burger, so we\u2019ll give them all a pizzaburger and make them all equally dissatisfied, thus winning the election\u2026 But no one wants a pizzaburger. The Biden administration\u2019s approach of letting the Warren\/Sanders wing pick the antitrust enforcers while keeping judicial appointments in the Manchin-Synematic universe is a catastrophe in which progressive Dem regulators (who serve one term) are thwarted by corporatist Dem judges (who serve for life)\u2026 Jacobin teamed up with the Center for Working-Class Politics, Yougov and the Center for Work and Democracy at ASU and analyzed [the 2022 midterms]: Their conclusion: candidates from working-class backgrounds who campaigned on economic policies like high-quality jobs, higher minimum wages, a jobs guarantee, ending offshoring and outsourcing, building infrastructure and bringing manufacturing back to the US won with a 50% share of the vote in rural and working-class districts. Dems who didn\u2019t lost with a 35% share of the vote.\u201d \u2022 Well, now the liberals have another target for decapitation, just like the 50-state strategy, or the Sanders campaign(s)\u2026 <\/p>\n
Realignment and Legitimacy<\/p>\n
Population shifts:<\/p>\n
In general, it seems like people are moving toward heat, not away from it (with some exceptions, like Maine and the Mountain States). Odd. Readers?<\/p>\n
#COVID19<\/p>\n
\u201cI am in earnest \u2014 I will not equivocate \u2014 I will not excuse \u2014 I will not retreat a single inch \u2014 AND I WILL BE HEARD.\u201d \u2013William Lloyd Garrison<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Resources, United States (National): Transmission (CDC); Wastewater (CDC, Biobot; includes many counties; Wastewater Scan, includes drilldown by zip); Variants (CDC; Walgreens); \u201cIowa COVID-19 Tracker\u201d (in IA, but national data). \u201cInfection Control, Emergency Management, Safety, and General Thoughts\u201d (especially on hospitalization by city).<\/p>\n
Lambert here: Readers, thanks for the collective effort. To update any entry, do feel free to contact me at the address given with the plants. Please put \u201cCOVID\u201d in the subject line. Thank you!<\/p>\n
Resources, United States (Local): AK (dashboard); AL (dashboard); AR (dashboard); AZ (dashboard); CA (dashboard; Marin, dashboard; Stanford, wastewater; Oakland, wastewater); CO (dashboard; wastewater); CT (dashboard); DE (dashboard); FL (wastewater); GA (wastewater); HI (dashboard); IA (wastewater reports); ID (dashboard, Boise; dashboard, wastewater, Central Idaho; wastewater, Coeur d\u2019Alene; dashboard, Spokane County); IL (wastewater); IN (dashboard); KS (dashboard; wastewater, Lawrence); KY (dashboard, Louisville); LA (dashboard); MA (wastewater); MD (dashboard); ME (dashboard); MI (wastewater; wastewater); MN (dashboard); MO (wastewater); MS (dashboard); MT (dashboard); NC (dashboard); ND (dashboard; wastewater); NE (dashboard); NH (wastewater); NJ (dashboard); NM (dashboard); NV (dashboard; wastewater, Southern NV); NY (dashboard); OH (dashboard); OK (dashboard); OR (dashboard); PA (dashboard); RI (dashboard); SC (dashboard); SD (dashboard); TN (dashboard); TX (dashboard); UT (wastewater); VA (dashboard); VT (dashboard); WA (dashboard; dashboard); WI (wastewater); WV (wastewater); WY (wastewater).<\/p>\n
Resources, Canada (National): Wastewater (Government of Canada).<\/p>\n
Resources, Canada (Provincial): ON (wastewater); QC (les eaux us\u00e9es); BC (wastewater); BC, Vancouver (wastewater).<\/p>\n
Hat tips to helpful readers: Alexis, anon (2), Art_DogCT, B24S, CanCyn, ChiGal, Chuck L, Festoonic, FM, FreeMarketApologist (4), Gumbo, hop2it, JB, JEHR, JF, JL Joe, John, JM (10), JustAnotherVolunteer, JW, KatieBird, LL, Michael King, KF, LaRuse, mrsyk, MT, MT_Wild, otisyves, Petal (6), RK (2), RL, RM, Rod, square coats (11), tennesseewaltzer, Tom B., Utah, Bob White (3). <\/p>\n
Stay safe out there!<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Covid is Airborne<\/p>\n
\u201cRisk factors for SARS-CoV-2 transmission during a movie theater outbreak in Incheon in the Republic of Korea, November 2021: a retrospective study\u201d [Osong Public Health and Research Perspectives]. The conclusion: \u201cSARS-CoV-2 transmission occurred within the theater, and extended into the community, via a moviegoer who attended the 3rd screening during the viral incubation period after contracting the virus from a family member. This study emphasizes the importance of adequate ventilation in theaters.\u201d And from the Descriptive Analysis: \u201cThe curve indicated a single exposure outbreak with a propagated pattern, suggesting that infections occurred continuously through person-to-person transmission following shared exposure to a common vehicle during the movie screening on November 3, 2021.\u201d And: \u201cA spot map was created to assess the spatial distribution of the outbreak. Audience members were seated in close proximity to each other without social distancing, predominantly in the rear seats. During the 3rd screening, most individuals identified as close contacts contracted the virus. In contrast, for the 4th screening, the outbreak was not confined to a particular area; rather, the confirmed cases were more uniformly dispersed throughout the venue.\u201d That is, the virus spreads like smoke. <\/p>\n
Maybe engineering has bad vibes?<\/p>\n
Did you know? It’s entirely possible to control airborne respiratory viruses. ASHRAE has a standard that spells out for HVAC engineers the requirements for controlling infectious aerosols.<\/p>\n
Anyone who is telling you mass sickness isn’t preventable is lying #LongCovidAwarenessDay pic.twitter.com\/o8XhL6Q7sD<\/p>\n
\u2014 Nick #AirborneCovidExhaustsTCells\ud83d\ude37 Anderegg (@NickAnderegg) March 15, 2024<\/p>\n
Infection<\/p>\n
About those personalk risk assessments:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/personal_risk-e1711043563481.png\")
<\/p>\n
Sequelae<\/p>\n
About brain damage:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nakedcapitalism.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/brain_damage-e1711043870905.png\")
<\/p>\n
Here is a link to \u201cthis thread.\u201d<\/p>\n
Morbidity and Mortality<\/p>\n
\u201cGlobal age-sex-specific mortality, life expectancy, and population estimates in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1950\u20132021, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021\u201d [The Lancet]. From the Abstract: \u201cGlobal adult mortality rates markedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021, reversing past decreasing trends, while child mortality rates continued to decline, albeit more slowly than in earlier years. Although COVID-19 had a substantial impact on many demographic indicators during the first 2 years of the pandemic, overall global health progress over the 72 years evaluated has been profound, with considerable improvements in mortality and life expectancy. Additionally, we observed a deceleration of global population growth since 2017, despite steady or increasing growth in lower-income countries, combined with a continued global shift of population age structures towards older ages. These demographic changes will likely present future challenges to health systems, economies, and societies.\u201d<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/p>\n
LEGEND<\/p>\n
1) \u2605 for charts new today; all others are not updated.<\/p>\n
2) For a full-size\/full-resolution image, Command-click (MacOS) or right-click (Windows) on the chart thumbnail and \u201copen image in new tab.\u201d<\/p>\n
NOTES<\/p>\n
[1] (Biobot) Our curve has now flattened out at the level of previous Trump peaks. Not a great victory. Note also the area \u201cunder the curve,\u201d besides looking at peaks. That area is larger under Biden than under Trump, and it seems to be rising steadily if unevenly.<\/p>\n
[2] (Biobot) Midwest ticks up.<\/p>\n
[3] (CDC Variants) As of May 11, genomic surveillance data will be reported biweekly, based on the availability of positive test specimens.\u201d \u201cBiweeekly: 1. occurring every two weeks. 2. occurring twice a week; semiweekly.\u201d Looks like CDC has chosen sense #1. In essence, they\u2019re telling us variants are nothing to worry about. Time will tell.<\/p>\n
[4] (ER) \u201cCharts and data provided by CDC, updates Wednesday by 8am. For the past year, using a rolling 52-week period.\u201d<\/p>\n
[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Looks like a very gradual leveling off to a non-zero baseline, to me.<\/p>\n
[6] (Hospitalization: CDC) Still down. \u201cMaps, charts, and data provided by CDC, updates weekly for the previous MMWR week (Sunday-Saturday) on Thursdays (Deaths, Emergency Department Visits, Test Positivity) and weekly the following Mondays (Hospitalizations) by 8 pm ET\u2020\u201d. <\/p>\n
[7] (Walgreens) Leveling out.<\/p>\n
[8] (Cleveland) Flattening.<\/p>\n
[9] (Travelers: Posivitity) Now up, albeit in the rear view mirror.<\/p>\n
[10] (Travelers: Variants) JN.1 dominates utterly.<\/p>\n
Stats Watch<\/p>\n
Employment Situation: \u201cUnited States Initial Jobless Claims\u201d [Trading Economics]. \u201cThe number of people claiming unemployment benefits in the US fell by 2,000 to 210,000 on the week ending March 16th, 2024, below market expectations of 215,000. At the same time, continuing unemployment claims were relatively unchanged at 1,807,000 for the earlier week. The data continued to show that the US labor market remains tight, aligned with the Federal Reserve\u2019s latest assessment and adding leeway for the central bank to delay the start of rate cuts.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index\u201d [Trading Economics]. \u201cThe Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index in the US decreased to 3.2 in March 2024 from 5.2 in February but came above market estimates of -2.3. It was the second consecutive expansionary reading since the index for shipments ticked up 1 point to 11.4, and the index for new orders turned positive for the first time since October.\u201d<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Antitrust: \u201cU.S. Sues Apple, Accusing It of Maintaining an iPhone Monopoly\u201d [New York Times]. \u201cThe Justice Department joined 16 states and the District of Columbia to file an antitrust lawsuit against Apple on Thursday, the federal government\u2019s most significant challenge to the reach and influence of the company that has put iPhones in the hands of more than a billion people. In an 88-page lawsuit, the government argued that Apple had violated antitrust laws with practices that were intended to keep customers reliant on their iPhones and less likely to switch to a competing device. The tech giant prevented other companies from offering applications that compete with Apple products like its digital wallet, which could diminish the value of the iPhone, the government said. Apple\u2019s policies hurt consumers and smaller companies that compete with some of Apple\u2019s services, in the form of \u201chigher prices and less innovation,\u201d the lawsuit said. \u2018Each step in Apple\u2019s course of conduct built and reinforced the moat around its smartphone monopoly,\u2019 the government said in the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.\u201d<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Manufacturing: \u201cAirline CEOs Seek Meeting With Boeing Directors to Address Production Problems\u201d [Wall Street Journal]. \u201cA group of airline chiefs recently requested a meeting with Boeing\u2019s board to express concern over the Alaska Airlines accident and production problems that have upended the industry\u2019s plans, people familiar with the matter said\u2026. The request to meet with Boeing\u2019s directors is an unusual sign of frustration with the manufacturer\u2019s problems and its leader, David Calhoun. The Boeing CEO isn\u2019t expected to attend the planned meetings.\u201d And this: \u201cBoeing was taking more measures to reduce so-called traveled work, where problems with parts or aircraft are moved along its production lines and addressed later. That effort will also slow production, which West said would increase later in the year.\u201d I don\u2019t think Edward Deming woudl approve of \u201ctravelled work\u201d at all. Who decided on that? And a straw in the wind: \u201cKayak allows users searching for flights to exclude specific aircraft. Usage of that option has increased recently. A spokeswoman said Kayak plans to introduce a new badge that will display the aircraft model in flight results in response to recent customer requests.\u201d <\/p>\n
Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing whistleblower\u2019s lawsuit against aerospace giant continues despite death\u201d [WCSC]. \u201cThe Charleston County Coroner reports Barnett died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, but has not formally ruled on a cause of death.\u201d Meanwhile, the suit continues, and Barnett\u2019s lawyers have released \u201ca redacted copy of the Amended Complaint (filed May 4, 2021) and the Court\u2019s May 31, 2022 decision denying Boeing\u2019s Partial Motion to Dismiss.\u201d And:<\/p>\n
These complaints in the suit include:<\/p>\n
Boeing maintained an \u201cillegal\u201d program not approved by the FAA \u201cthat allowed mechanics to inspect and approve their own work\u201d known as \u201cMulti-function Process Performer\u201d to meet deadlines; Barnett\u2019s performance rating later went from a 40 to 16.
\nManagers \u201cpushing Barnett to work outside of the proper procedures\u201d
\nParts were \u201cstolen\u201d from one airplane and installed in another without any documentation; all corrective action was \u201ccanceled\u201d without an investigation
\nIn August 2014, the company failed to clean up titanium slivers from fasteners used to hold down floorboards that littered wire bundles and electrical components despite potential electrical shorting. Barnett was later removed from the project after complaining.
\nIn September 2014, Barnett learned he was issued a corrective action plan for documenting process violations in writing one month later against company rules to immediately notify employees claiming it was a \u201csurprise attack.\u201d
\nIn July 2016, Barnett was ordered to \u201clet it go\u201d after objecting to close out more than 400 nonconforming Shop Order Instance parts without investigation while discovering 200 that had been \u201cpencil whipped\u201d or fabricated.
\nIn August 2016, Barnett was criticized and removed from an investigation into emergency passenger oxygen tanks where it\u2019s estimated approximately 25% in 787s are not functional, after he pushed for leadership to investigate.
\nIn September 2016, Barnett was removed as a team leader after discovering that all previously delivered airplanes and missing\/incomplete\/incorrect serial number data after urging corrections and notifications to customers were needed
\nThat same month, Barnett\u2019s manager reportedly \u201ctook a defective part\u201d from the scrap bin and had it installed on another airplane without any documentation or rework against FAA requirements and the company\u2019s procedures. Barnett claimed he was blocked from a 737 Propulsion Quality Manager position after filing an HR complaint, which Boeing found was \u201cunsubstantiated\u201d<\/p>\n
WCSC is a local South Carolina TV station. Meanwhile, the only story on Boeing from the prize-winning Post and Courier is a reprinted transcript from The Street: \u201cBoeing expects major financial impact from recent incidents.\u201d Priorities! Meanwhile, from a second TV station\u2013<\/p>\n
Manufacturing: \u201cLawyers for Boeing whistleblower release full complaint against the company\u201d [WCBD]. A more detailed and prosy version of the complaint. On the \u201cMulti-function Process Performer\u201d: \u201cDuring this time, Barnett claims that Boeing upper management pushed for quality to deviate from the rules so that production would meet deadlines. One way, in particular, is through the Multi-function Process Performer (MFPP) program. The MFPP program allowed Boeing mechanics to inspect and approve their own work, Barnett claimed. This program was allegedly implemented without FAA approval and was in direct violation of Boeing\u2019s Production Certificate from the FAA pursuant. The Senior Quality Control Manager objected to the MFPP program and pushed for Boeing to follow the rules. Barnett claims that in response to the Senior Quality Control Manager\u2019s objections, he was threatened with termination by superiors. The complaint says that this Senior Quality Control Manager then reached out to contacts in Seattle and was transferred with a downgrade in 2012 back to the state of Washington. In 2012, Barnett also protested against the MFPP program, saying it was illegal; however, no investigation was conducted.\u201d \u2022 Once agaim, nothing from the Post and Courier. Really, somebody should contact management\u2026 And from another local TV station\u2013<\/p>\n
Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing whistleblower\u2019s retaliation complaint revealed after mysterious death in Charleston\u201d [ABC4]. \u201cThe next month, Barnett filed an ethics complaint against leadership for retaliation, a hostile work environment, and being blacklisted from acquiring other positions, according to the lawsuit documents. It also says he requested his complaint be investigated by someone outside of BSC. He was told it would be handled outside of BSC, but was instead turned over to local HR. The complaint says that same month, he sent an email to Boeing Corporate Ethics in Washington, D.C. and voiced his concerns about the handling of his complaint. After being assured Barnett\u2019s concerns would be properly investigated, it was once again turned over to local HR in South Carolina, according to the complaint.\u201d \u2022 Obvious pressure from the head office. And Is the head of HR in Charleston the Post and Courier\u2019s editor\u2019s brother-in-law, or what?<\/p>\n
Manufacturing: \u201cWhistleblower John Barnett claimed Boeing managers spied on him before his alleged suicide\u201d [New York Post]. \u201cBoeing whistleblower John Barnett claimed the company\u2019s management had been spying on him in the bombshell court case he was working on when he was mysteriously found dead\u2026. Another section of the lawsuit stated: \u2018In June 2014, Barnett submitted a complaint to Corporate Ethics against [redacted] for violating procedures, ignoring process violations, pushing Barnett to \u2018work in the grey areas,\u2019 and having another manager spy on Barnett\u2026. \u2018That\u2019s the way it\u2019s done there. There were always moles who would throw you under the bus to look good to the big bosses. They weren\u2019t about team unity; you never know who you could trust,\u2019 a Boeing mid-level manager, who asked to remain anonymous over fear of losing their job, told The Post Wednesday.\u201d And: \u201c\u2018It is a criminal felony offense to not properly document the build record of an aircraft. By pressuring Barnett to not follow processes \u2026 Boeing was ordering Barnett to commit a felony offense.’\u201d \u2022 Sounds like a hellhole. No wonder Qatar Airways refused to buy 787s made in Charleston (preferring Everett, WA).<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Manufacturing: \u201cAllegations of staggering criminality by Boeing spelled out in complaint by whistleblower John Barnett, released by lawyers after his death\u201d [WSWS]. \u201cPolice, so far, have also refused to release the security camera footage from the Holiday Inn where Barnett was staying. In the original police report, the cops acknowledged that the hotel had security cameras installed and facing the parking lot where Barnett\u2019s vehicle and body were located.\u201d \u2022 Haven\u2019t seen this on the cameras elsewhere, however.<\/p>\n
* * *<\/p>\n
Tech: AI enshittification (1):<\/p>\n
New: multiple published scientific papers include language that appears to have been generated by AI-tools like ChatGPT. Search for “as of my last knowledge update” on Google Scholar, you get 115 results. It’s a phrase used by OpenAI’s ChatGPT pic.twitter.com\/VdX1Vl3tUN<\/p>\n
\u2014 Joseph Cox (@josephfcox) March 18, 2024<\/p>\n
Tech: AI enshittification (2):<\/p>\n
Large language models are architecturally incapable of forming new abstractions.<\/p>\n
Which is one reason why their value as programming assistants is vanishingly small.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Grady Booch (@Grady_Booch) March 19, 2024<\/p>\n
Tech: AI enshittification (3):<\/p>\n
I think this is one of the best examples illustrating how LLM Al is a purely statistical model and is not doing any kind of actual “thinking” or “logic” and cannot be trusted for tasks that require even a modicum of reasoning, a short \ud83e\uddf5: <\/p>\n
\u2014 Chris Alvino (@ChrisAlvino) March 15, 2024<\/p>\n
Tech: AI enshittification (4):<\/p>\n
Large language models are architecturally incapable of forming new abstractions.<\/p>\n
Which is one reason why their value as programming assistants is vanishingly small.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Grady Booch (@Grady_Booch) March 19, 2024<\/p>\n
Tech: \u201cPluralistic: The Coprophagic AI crisis\u201d [Pluralistic]. \u201cThe question is, why the fuck would anyone write the web if the only \u201cperson\u201d who can find what they write is an AI\u2019s crawler, which ingests the writing for its own training, but has no interest in steering readers to see what you\u2019ve written? If AI search ever becomes a thing, the open web will become an AI CAFO and search crawlers will increasingly end up imbibing the contents of its manure lagoon\u2026. There\u2019s a certain intuitive case for this being a bad idea, akin to feeding cows a slurry made of the diseased brains of other cows\u2026. But \u201cThe Curse of Recursion: Training on Generated Data Makes Models Forget,\u201d a recent paper, goes beyond the ick factor of AI that is fed on botshit and delves into the mathematical consequences of AI coprophagia: Co-author Ross Anderson summarizes the finding neatly: \u2018using model-generated content in training causes irreversible defects.’\u201d \u2022 I\u2019ve been muttering about AI autocoprophagia for some time, and if it\u2019s finally propagated, I\u2019m a happy camper.<\/p>\n
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Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 76 Extreme Greed (previous close: 72 Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 72 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Mar 21 at 12:23:14 PM ET.<\/p>\n
Holier than Thou<\/p>\n
Cf. Matthew 23:1-7:<\/p>\n
March 19, 2024<\/p>\n
A. Liberty U. \u2013 Super King Air
B. Samaritan’s Purse \u2013 Boeing 757
C. Spirit of America Foundation (Dean Sikes) \u2013 Cessna 550
D. Word of Life Christian Center (Leroy Thompson) \u2013 Falcon 900
E. Jerry Savelle Ministries \u2013 Falcon 50 pic.twitter.com\/NRHgU6w6ek<\/p>\n
\u2014 pastorplanes (@pastorplanes) March 20, 2024<\/p>\n
\u201cThousands of Churches Will Likely Close Down. What Happens to All That Real Estate?\u201d [The Roys Report]. \u201cThat prediction of church closings is based on the unrelenting math of religion in America \u2014 there are ever more church pews with not enough people to fill them. Those who go to church prefer to be part of large congregations, flocking to packed-out megachurches while driving by a host of struggling congregations with 60 people or fewer. [Rev. Mark Elsdon], who is executive director of Pres House, a campus ministry in Madison, Wisconsin, said the 100,000 figure is an estimate based on trends in worship attendance. There is little data about how many churches close or what happens to houses of worship when they are no longer needed by a congregation\u2026. But even a half or a quarter of that number, Elsdon said, would be significant. \u2018The bottom line is that there are fewer and fewer people identifying as Christians and attending traditional church activities in church buildings,\u2019 Elsdon said\u2026 \u2018Therefore, there are far more church buildings today than will be viable or needed in the future. That\u2019s just the way it is.\u2019 The book\u2019s chapters, each by a different expert, outline some of the changes facing churches and some of the possible outcomes for former church buildings, from affordable housing to hubs for social entrepreneurship\u2026. Many church buildings could be gone for good \u2014 sold off to become apartments, breweries, wedding venues or other secular uses. Or they could be gone but still used for good causes, depending on what the congregations who used to own them decide to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zeitgeist Watch<\/p>\n
\u201cThe joys of divorce\u201d (poem) [Michael Smith, Crying in the Wilderness]. \u201cNothing like money, makes you hate someone\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n
Class Warfare<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Keys to a Long Life Are Sleep and a Better Diet\u2014and Money\u201d [Wired]. \u201cThe top 10 percent in both the UK and the US live over a decade more than the bottom 10 percent. It\u2019s not even that they live more, they live more healthy lives. Why is that? Well the poor often don\u2019t have the chance to exercise, their diets are often poor, and they work multiple jobs and have problems with sleep. All these things we think we can do, they\u2019re harder if you\u2019re poor and have to juggle jobs, child care, et cetera. One worry I have is that if we discover sophisticated interventions\u2014like turning on stem cells and so on, or having to give transcription factors to people intravenously\u2014depending on the sophistication of the intervention only the rich might be able to afford them. That would make the disparity even worse. Not only are the rich living longer, they\u2019re going to live even longer and healthier.\u201d \u2022 Yep.<\/p>\n
\u201cRecord numbers of wealthy Americans are looking for ways to live overseas\u201d [Business Insider]. \u201c\u2018With political divisions and societal tensions at an all-time high, American investors, entrepreneurs, and wealthy families are increasingly hedging their bets and pursuing backup citizenship or residence abroad, signaling declining faith in the domestic outlook,\u2019 [Mehdi Kadiri, the head of North America at Henley & Partners] said in the report. \u2018We anticipate similar strong demand in 2024,\u2019 Kadiri added, \u2018as more high-net-worth individuals across the political spectrum seek to hedge uncertainty.’\u201d<\/p>\n
News of the Wired<\/p>\n
\u201cFlying Is Weird Right Now\u201d [The Atlantic]. The URL is more pointed: \u201cboeing-737-safety-air-travel.\u201d \u201cFlying has, in a historical sense at least, never been safer\u2026. So what\u2019s really going on? I suspect it\u2019s a confluence of two distinct factors. The first is that although air safety is getting markedly better over time, the experience of flying is arguably worse than ever\u2026. All of that is now coupled with an increase in passenger volume: In 2023, flight demand crept back up to near pre-pandemic levels, and staffing has not caught up. It is also an especially expensive time to fly. Pile on unruly passengers, system outages, baggage fees, carry-on restrictions, meager drink and snack offerings, and the trials and tribulations of merely coexisting with other travelers who insist on lining up at the gate 72 hours before their zone boards and you have a perfectly combustible situation.\u201d \u2022\u00a0And then there\u2019s all that damn coughing. Really kills the vibe.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrustrated visitors sue National Park Service over cashless policies\u201d [SFGate]. \u201cThree people sued the National Park Service earlier this month for its policy not to accept cash payments at a growing number of locations\u2026. The park service instituted cashless policies at approximately 29 locations, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiffs said cash payments were refused at sites in Arizona, New York and Georgia.\u201d \u2022\u00a0Good. More like this please. Is cash legal tender, or not?<\/p>\n
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Contact information for plants: Readers, feel free to contact me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, to (a) find out how to send me a check if you are allergic to PayPal and (b) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi, lichen, and coral are deemed to be honorary plants! If you want your handle to appear as a credit, please place it at the start of your mail in parentheses: (thus). Otherwise, I will anonymize by using your initials. See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) <\/p>\n
EM writes: \u201cTrees on The River Shannon (Ireland).\u201d<\/p>\n
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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. So if you see a link you especially like, or an item you wouldn\u2019t see anywhere else, please do not hesitate to express your appreciation in tangible form. Remember, a tip jar is for tipping! Regular positive feedback both makes me feel good and lets me know I\u2019m on the right track with coverage. When I get no donations for five or ten days I get worried. More tangibly, a constant trickle of donations helps me with expenses, and I factor in that trickle when setting fundraising goals:<\/p>\n
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