{"id":8582,"date":"2025-07-06T21:04:13","date_gmt":"2025-07-06T21:04:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uang69.id\/?p=8582"},"modified":"2025-07-06T21:04:14","modified_gmt":"2025-07-06T21:04:14","slug":"200pm-water-cooler-9-16-2024-naked-capitalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uang69.id\/?p=8582","title":{"rendered":"2:00PM Water Cooler 9\/16\/2024 | naked capitalism"},"content":{"rendered":"


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This is Naked Capitalism fundraising week. 1132 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 donation 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, more original reporting.<\/p>\n

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Patient readers, the post on the latest Trump assassination attempt, took much much longer than I expected, and so I had to cut my prep and writing time for Water Cooler. I\u2019ll make it up to you tomorrow, I swear! \u2013lambert<\/p>\n

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

I say stick with the catbirds!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Gray Catbird, Shadehill State Rec Area \u2013 Merrimans Grove, Perkins, South Dakota, United States.<\/p>\n

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

Boeing takes cash flow measures, butchers messaging.
\nNaming waypoints in the air!<\/p>\n

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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

[to come]<\/p>\n

Democrats en D\u00e9shabill\u00e9<\/p>\n

Welcome to the Third World:<\/p>\n

Hello FBI you may also want to look into why this fire chief was driving a lambo around Chelsea last week pic.twitter.com\/EWBbR5dZq7<\/p>\n

\u2014 Huge Ma (@turbovax) September 16, 2024<\/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

Transmission: H5N1<\/p>\n

\u201cH5 Influenza Vaccines\u2014Moving Forward Against Pandemic Threats\u201d [JAMA]. \u201cThe current extent of mammalian infection appears unprecedented, and a 2024 study suggested the virus may have acquired enhanced ability to bind mammalian airway receptors.2 The widespread presence of H5N1 among animals in proximity to humans, despite biocontainment efforts, increases risks for reassortment between human and animal viruses and selection of mutations that could enhance human transmission and threaten a pandemic.\u201d \u2022 Yep. Better plan a multi-layered defense. Oh wait, it\u2019s going to be vax-only again, isn\u2019t it?<\/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

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

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

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Variants [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 13:<\/p>\n

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

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Positivity<\/p>\n

\u2605 National[7] Walgreens September 16:<\/p>\n

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

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Travelers Data<\/p>\n

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

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Deaths<\/p>\n

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

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

Manufacturing: \u201cUnited States NY Empire State Manufacturing Index\u201d [Trading Economics]. \u201cThe NY Empire State Manufacturing Index unexpectedly jumped to 11.5 in September 2024, the highest since April 2022, compared to -4.7 in August and forecasts of -3.9. The reading showed business activity in New York state grew for the first time in nearly a year.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing strike: bosses bruised, blindsided and on brink of crisis\u201d [Reuters]. \u201cTwo days after Boeing announced its offer, as union member frustration seeped into the media, commercial planes chief Stephanie Pope wrote an open letter to workers, saying the company had held nothing back and this was the best deal they would get. CEO Kelly Ortberg followed up with an open letter the next day, telling workers that voting against the deal would send them down a path \u2018where no one wins\u2019. Rather than rallying the troops, the letters backfired, according to four workers who said many union members saw them as ultimatums. \u2018I thought they were unprofessional and threatening,\u2019 said Josh King, a quality control inspector at a Boeing Seattle factory. Boeing finance chief Brian West acknowledged the disconnect with staff. \u2018We had an unprecedented temporary agreement that was unanimously endorsed by union leadership. And over the last few days, it became very clear, loud and clear, with our union members that that offer didn\u2019t meet the mark,\u2019 he told a Morgan Stanley conference at the beachside Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point, California on Friday.\u201d \u2022 The workers were voting against the union leadership just as much as they were Boeing management. Unsurprisingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cBoeing freezes hiring in sweeping cost cuts as it grapples with factory worker strike\u201d [CNBC]. \u201cThe manufacturer will make \u2018significant reductions\u2019 to supplier spending and stop most purchase orders for its 737 Max, 767 and 777 jetliners, CFO Brian West said in a note to staff. It was the first clear sign of how the strike will affect the hundreds of suppliers that rely on Boeing work. \u2018We are working in good faith to reach a new contract agreement that reflects their feedback and enables operations to resume,\u2019 West said in his note. \u201cHowever, our business is in a difficult period. This strike jeopardizes our recovery in a significant way and we must take necessary actions to preserve cash and safeguard our shared future.\u2019 He added that Boeing is not making cuts to funding for safety, quality and direct customer support work.\u201d \u2022\u00a0Why West? Why not Ortberg? Anyhow, West\u2019s message:<\/p>\n

NEWS: Boeing CFO Brian West issues a companywide memo detailing the steps it is taking conserve cash during the IAM strike. Its austerity measures will reverberate across the aerospace industry and broader U.S. and global economy. pic.twitter.com\/bxLMSfKXY7<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jon Ostrower (@jonostrower) September 16, 2024<\/p>\n

Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing Strikers Have Leverage to Extract Meaningful Change\u201d [Bloomberg]. \u201cThe union now has the upper hand because Boeing desperately needs to ramp up production of planes to help heal its supply chain and stem its losses. The company offered a general wage increase of 25% over four years and a $3,000 bonus for approving a new contract. Workers wanted a 40% raise and annual performance bonuses. How does Boeing pay up without breaking its finances? Here\u2019s a quirky suggestion for both sides of the bargaining table: tie an extra bonus to any future share repurchases.\u201d \u2022 See the post for the logic, which seems too clever by half. Why not just give the workers what they want and deserve?<\/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

Yikes:<\/p>\n

Hello FBI you may also want to look into why this fire chief was driving a lambo around Chelsea last week pic.twitter.com\/EWBbR5dZq7<\/p>\n

\u2014 Huge Ma (@turbovax) September 16, 2024<\/p>\n

News of the Wired<\/p>\n

\u201cGreetings, Stranger\u201d [Use Nothing]. \u201cNothing\u2014a timer that tracks your intentional choice to do\u2026 nothing. No goals to chase, no notifications clamoring for your attention, no pressure to fill the silence with productivity. It simply exists, quietly counting each second you allow to pass. This is a space where inactivity is the point\u2014a digital oasis amidst the chaos of endless tasks and to-dos.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you stan for toponymics, this is for you:<\/p>\n

To streamline traffic, large airports have Standard Terminal ARrivals (STARs).<\/p>\n

Points on the route are named. They must be 5 characters & unique \u2013 can\u2019t match any other nav point out there<\/p>\n

They often have themes; it helps you know how to pronounce the points on the radio when\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/olwoDLCeEg<\/p>\n

\u2014 KC-10 Driver \u2708\ufe0f \ud83d\udc68\u200d\u2708\ufe0f B-737 Wrangler (@MCCCANM) September 16, 2024<\/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 TH:<\/p>\n

TH writes: \u201d Aeonium haworthii, also known as Haworth\u2019s aeonium or pinwheel\u2014 I don\u2019t blame you if you wish that bee were in focus\u2014 I liked the background and colors of this one. Disappointing harvest? He appears to be going away empty handed.\u201d I\u2019m a big fan of blur, as a technique. What do readers think?<\/p>\n

\"Print<\/div>\n<\/div>\n