{"id":8479,"date":"2025-07-06T21:04:18","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T21:04:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uang69.id\/?p=8479"},"modified":"2025-07-06T21:04:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T21:04:19","slug":"200pm-water-cooler-9-13-2024-naked-capitalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uang69.id\/?p=8479","title":{"rendered":"2:00PM Water Cooler 9\/13\/2024 | naked capitalism"},"content":{"rendered":"


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This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 921 donors have already invested in our efforts to combat corruption and predatory conduct, particularly in the financial realm. Please join us and participate via our\u00a0donation page, which shows how to give via check, credit card, debit card, PayPal, Clover, or Wise. Read about\u00a0why we\u2019re doing this fundraiser,\u00a0what we\u2019ve accomplished in the last year, and our current goal,\u00a0kar\u014dshi prevention.<\/p>\n

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Patient readers, happy Friday the Thirteenth! I got caught up in a little administrativia, so what follows is a bit light. Stay tuned. \u2013lambert<\/p>\n

Bird Song of the Day <\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Gray Catbird, Carman Valley, Sierra, California, United States. A symphony! And 28 minutes long! The whirring percussion in the background is especially nice.<\/p>\n

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In Case You Might Miss\u2026 <\/p>\n

New polling averages (it\u2019s a tie) and new Covid tables (some encouragement).
\nTaibbi on debate coverage.
\nBoeing strikes, could lead to ratings downgrade<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Politics<\/p>\n

\u201cSo many of the social reactions that strike us as psychological are in fact a rational management of symbolic capital.\u201d \u2013Pierre Bourdieu, Classification Struggles<\/p>\n

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2024<\/p>\n

Less than sixty days to go!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Friday\u2019s RCP Poll Averages:<\/p>\n

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A few polls post-debate, but as of this reading little change. To be fair, it might take some time for sentiment to settle; and the winning margins may at this point be so minute as to be undetectable. Still, the Democrats must be very puzzled to have virtual unanimity across the political spectrum that \u201cHarris is the one\u201d \u2014 it was a tidal wave, after the debate \u2014 and yet the election is a virtual tie. How can this be? Perhaps a few more Republicans, generals, or celebrities will turn the tide.<\/p>\n

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Our Famously Free Press<\/p>\n

\u201cDNC Talking Points Become Instant Post-Debate Headlines\u201d [Matt Taibbi, Racket News (Thanks to alert readers WZAPanga, tennesseewaltzer, and sporble)]. As Taibbi shows, the headline is nothing more nor less than the truth. The deck: \u201cIn the Trump-Harris debate, reality proved easy to manufacture. Was it always like this?\u201d I can answer that:<\/p>\n

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\u2018Twas ever thus. In the year of our Lord 2000, Bob Somerby (\u201cThe Daily Howler\u201d was perhaps America\u2019s first political blog) followed coverage of a Bush v. Gore debate, and showed how the press converted public perception of a Gore win to a Bush win in about two days, by focusing on Gore \u201csighing,\u201d as opposed to the content of the debate. (Back then, the metric for candidates was \u201cWould you want to have a beer with them?\u201d, and the press famously did not want to have a beer with Gore. Gore was the brain genius who gave Joe Lieberman his spot on the national stage as VP; Lieberman then went on to get the DHS set up after 9\/11, and did a lot of other damage, oh well.) Oh, and back then we in the blogosphere used to joke about the \u201cblast fax\u201d when suspiciously similar talking points spontaneously, yet simultaneously, appeared. And to Taibbi, who is in top form\u2013<\/p>\n

Last night, Vice President Harris commanded the stage,\u201d began the DNC\u2019s \u201cTalkers\u2019 Toplines\u201d mailing list entry this morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cKamala Harris commanded the debate,\u201d analyst John Heileman said on Morning Joe. \u201cKamala Harris commanded the first debate against Donald J. Trump,\u201d read the opening line of the New York Times top debate story. \u201cHarris commanded the room from the moment she walked on stage,\u201d California governor Gavin Newsom told the Los Angeles Times. The pattern continued:<\/p>\n

Americans saw that Harris \u201cwill turn the page once and for all on the darkness and division of Donald Trump,\u201d the DNC \u201cTalkers\u201d continued.<\/p>\n

\u201cTrump brought darkness; Harris brought light,\u201d wrote Charles Blow at the New York Times. \u201cTrump paints dark picture at debate,\u201d read this morning\u2019s Maggie Haberman, decrying a \u201cdark portrait of an America ravaged by crime.\u201d The Washington Post house editorial added, \u201cNo more wallowing in doubt and division.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDonald Trump was totally incoherent,\u201d the DNC wrote, adding that he was \u201cangry and rattled.\u201d The Guardian pronounced: \u201cRambling, incoherent.\u201d MSNBC declared: \u201cClashes, conspiracies, and a rattled Trump.\u201d The Sacramento Bee summed up: \u201cOld, angry, incoherent, and crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The \u201cTalkers\u2019 Toplines\u201d mailers feature a section called CONTENT TO AMPLIFY.<\/p>\n

And \u201cAMPLIFY\u201d they do! Taibbi writes:<\/p>\n

But the DNC or RNC just backing up to the commentariat, dumping loads of phrases, and seeing them instantly converted to conventional wisdom, that\u2019s new. Isn\u2019t it? I feel reduced to writing these things down in an effort to keep from going crazy.<\/p>\n

Yes, \u201cI feel like I\u2019m takin\u2019 crazy pills!\u201d Nevertheless, \u201c\u2018Twas ever thus!\u201d What is new, I think, is the rapidity and volume of the amplication has increased, as has the stupidity of the talking points, and the servility of the press (though to be fair, the press has been much damaged by the assault from Silicon Valley). Taibbi concludes:<\/p>\n

We just lived through a remarkable succession of memory-holed events, from lockdowns to Nord Stream to the stunning developments surrounding the end of the Biden campaign, in which reality was briefly allowed to surface before quickly being wallpapered over with a new face. Earlier manipulations already taxed the brain, but memory-holing a presidency?\u2026 They surrounded Trump with rigid consensus framing and watched him flail against it, which did make him look frustrated, old, and at times like a candidate for the political glue factory. But crazy? Not sure about that. If conventional wisdom says you\u2019re crazy, that doesn\u2019t make it true. What if it\u2019s the other way around?<\/p>\n

Lambert here: I may have more to say about this later today. But I think Taibbi\u2019s perception here is correct, and reinforces something I wrote yesterday: Trump may (in an act of political self-harm) focus too much on his grievances. But then Trump has a lot to be aggrieved about; almost getting whacked while the Biden Administration\u2019s Secret Service failed in their duty to protect him, for example. Or RussiaGate (remember the Steele Dossier). More importantly, so do his voters (and the anodyne polling questions about the \u201cdirection of the country\u201d are a proxy for grievance). The median income in Springfield, OH, for example, dropped 20% in ten years, and then there was Big Pharma\u2019s Oxycontin democide. According to PMC social norms, that\u2019s not a reason to show show anger. Or be aggrieved. Because that would be crazy. But memory-holing a pandemic? Genocide? Threatening nuclear war? Totally sane! <\/p>\n

Syndemics<\/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

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Covid 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, KF, 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

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Airborne Transmission<\/p>\n

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TABLE 1: Daily Covid Charts<\/p>\n

Lambert here: First time in a long time I\u2019ve seen national trends downward for both positivity and hospitalization. Even if wastewater still looks pretty ugly, that\u2019s very good news. I assume that what\u2019s going on is the end of the Summer Vacation cycle of infection, and there will be a short lull until the beginning of the Back to School cycle. If not, that will be a very good sign.<\/p>\n

Wastewater<\/p>\n

\u2605 This week[1] CDC September 9<\/p>\n

Last Week[2] CDC (until next week):<\/p>\n

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Variants\u2605 [3] CDC August 31<\/p>\n

Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC September 7<\/p>\n

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Hospitalization<\/p>\n

\u2605 New York[5] New York State, data September 12:<\/p>\n

\u2605 National [6] CDC August 24:<\/p>\n

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Positivity<\/p>\n

National[7] Walgreens September 9:<\/p>\n

\u2605 Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic September 7:<\/p>\n

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Travelers Data<\/p>\n

\u2605 Positivity[9] CDC August 26:
\n\u2605 Variants[10] CDC August 26:<\/p>\n

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Deaths<\/p>\n

\u2605 Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11]CDC September 7:<\/p>\n

\u2605 Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12]CDC September 9:<\/p>\n

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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] (CDC) This week\u2019s wastewater map, with hot spots annotated. Keeps spreading. NOTE The date seems to be wrong, but the number of sites has changed so this is new.<\/p>\n

[2] (CDC) Last week\u2019s wastewater map.<\/p>\n

[3] (CDC Variants) KP.* very popular. XDV.1 flat.<\/p>\n

[4] (ED) Down, but worth noting that Emergency Department use is now on a par with the first wave, in 2020.<\/p>\n

[5] (Hospitalization: NY) Definitely down.<\/p>\n

[6] (Hospitalization: CDC). The visualization suppresses what is, in percentage terms, a significant increase.<\/p>\n

[7] (Walgreens) Big drop continues!<\/p>\n

[8] (Cleveland) Dropping.<\/p>\n

[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Down. Those sh*theads at CDC have changed the chart so that it doesn\u2019t even run back to 1\/21\/23, as it used to, but now starts 1\/1\/24. There\u2019s also no way to adjust the time range. CDC really doesn\u2019t want you to be able to take a historical view of the pandemic, or compare one surge to another. In an any case, that\u2019s why the shape of the curve has changed.<\/p>\n

[10] (Travelers: Variants) What the heck is LB.1?<\/p>\n

[11] Deaths low, but positivity up.<\/p>\n

[12] Deaths low, ED up.<\/p>\n

Stats Watch<\/p>\n

There are no official statistics of interest today.<\/p>\n

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Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing workers overwhelmingly vote to strike, reject contract\u201d [Channel News Asia]. \u201cA strike will shutter two major plane assembly plants in the Puget Sound region and sideline some 33,000 workers. Thursday\u2019s vote marks a decisive rejection of a deal that line workers said was far less generous than depicted by Boeing executives, marking the latest show of defiance by unions following earlier strikes in the auto, entertainment and other industries\u2026. Workers had sought a 40 per cent wage hike and critics have said the 25 per cent figure is inflated because the new deal also eliminates an annual company bonus. Other points of contention include the deal\u2019s failure to restore a pension, as well as a Boeing pledge to build its next plane in the Seattle region, which critics view as a \u2018hollow\u2019 commitment because it offers no promises beyond the four-year contract. \u2018They\u2019re talking about a 25 per cent increase and it\u2019s not,\u201d said Paul Janousek, an electrician in Everett who voted to strike after concluding Boeing\u2019s spin was \u2018misleading.\u2019 Janousek, 55, who has worked at Boeing for 13 years, figures his raise is only about nine per cent after Boeing dropped the annual bonus. Some workers also expressed anger about Dennis Muilenburg and Dave Calhoun, two former CEOs who received multi-million dollar compensation even as the company faced turmoil upon their departure. \u2018Striking isn\u2019t ideal, but it\u2019s for the best for your long-term well-being,\u2019 said Joe Philbin, a structural mechanic who has been at Boeing for six months.’\u201d \u2022\u00a0Workers thinking beyond the quarterly results. Crazy pants!<\/p>\n

Manufacturing: \u201cRatings agencies warn of downgrade if Boeing strike prolongs\u201d [Reuters]. \u201cFitch and Moody\u2019s on Friday joined S&P Global Ratings in warning that a prolonged strike at Boeing\u2019s (BA.N), opens new tab factories in U.S. West Coast may lead to a ratings downgrade, a headache for the planemaker that is saddled with massive debt. \u2018If the current strike lasts a week or two, it is unlikely to pressure the rating. However, an extended strike could have a meaningful operational and financial impact, increasing the risk of a downgrade,\u2019 Fitch Ratings said.\u201d \u2022 So give the workers what they want.<\/p>\n

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Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 49 Neutral (previous close: 43 Fear) [CNN]. One week ago: 39 (Fear). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Sep 13 at 1:58:23 PM ET.<\/p>\n

Gallery<\/p>\n

Speaking of ducks:<\/p>\n

The Poultry Yard pic.twitter.com\/aP0FjeJEPD<\/p>\n

\u2014 Henri Rousseau (@artrousseau) September 13, 2024<\/p>\n

News of the Wired<\/p>\n

I am not yet wired today.<\/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) here. From AG:<\/p>\n

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AG writes: \u201cTo escape the heat here in Grass Valley, CA, we sometimes go \u2018up the hill\u2019. At 6,000 ft elevation on the way to Lake Tahoe, we find the amazingly fragrant Washington lilies.\u201d<\/p>\n

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