{"id":9171,"date":"2025-07-02T17:27:31","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T17:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uang69.id\/?p=9171"},"modified":"2025-07-03T20:28:21","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T20:28:21","slug":"200pm-water-cooler-10-9-2024-naked-capitalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uang69.id\/?p=9171","title":{"rendered":"2:00PM Water Cooler 10\/9\/2024 | naked capitalism"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/p>\n

\n

By Lambert Strether of Corrente.<\/p>\n

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

Back to the mimidae!<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Tropical Mockingbird (Mayan), Cerro de Hula, Francisco Moraz\u00e1n, Honduras. \u201cIn this recording, we can hear a perfect rendition of the call of the Clay-colored Thrush (Robin) at 3:06 and again at 5:39. There\u2019s also an imitation of American Kestrel at 4:15, and arguably Great-tailed Grackle calls throughout the recording. Northern Flicker is given at 6:32. (These times are approximate and may be slightly off.)\u201d 8:42 (!).<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

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

New Fun with maps: Helene and Milton could make Pennsylvania the key.
\nKamala has a beer with Stephen Colbert; on hurricanes.
\nBoeing talks break down as management walks away from the table.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Look for the Helpers<\/p>\n

Sometimes going viral can be good:<\/p>\n

This tweet went viral at the weekend. It was a fascinating experience and taught me some interesting things:
1) Sharing a story that is personal yet reminds people of\/prompts them to revisit their own experience has extraordinary power. <\/p>\n

\u2014 Ann Morgan (@A_B_Morgan) October 7, 2024<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

My email address is down by the plant; please send examples of there (\u201cHelpers\u201d in the subject line). In our increasingly desperate and fragile neoliberal society, everyday normal incidents and stories of \u201cthe communism of everyday life\u201d are what I am looking for (and not, say, the Red Cross in Hawaii, or even the UNWRA in Gaza).<\/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

* * *<\/p>\n

2024<\/p>\n

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

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

\"\"<\/p>\n

If you ignore the entire concept of margin of error, Trump gained a few inches of ground in the trench warfare (Of course, we on the outside might as well be examining the entrails of birds when we try to predict what will happen to a subset of voters (undecided; irregular) in a subset of states (swing), and the irregulars especially might as well be quantum foam, but presumably the campaign professionals have better data, and have the situation as under control as it can be MR SUBLIMINAL Fooled ya. Kidding!.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Fun with maps:<\/p>\n

1) The current \u201cconsensus\u201d state of play, per 270toWin:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

2) Leaners and likelies resolved to Red or Blue, leaving the 7 swing states:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

3) NV to Kamala, AZ to Trump, the Blue Wall (WI + MI) to Harris, then \u2014 because of the Biden Administration\u2019s response to Helene and Milton (see below) \u2014 NC and GA to Trump:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

QED: PA is the key (but if any only if the Republicans resolve WNC turnout issues IMNSHO).<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Kamala (D): What the heck was she thinking?<\/p>\n

COLBERT: “Would you like to have a beer with me?”<\/p>\n

HARRIS: “Cheers. The champagne of beers.” pic.twitter.com\/of4U9ebr58<\/p>\n

\u2014 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 9, 2024<\/p>\n

For one thing, Californians of Kamala\u2019s class are into wineries, not breweries (and if this is the campaign\u2019s idea of passing the \u201chave a beer with\u201d test, please, stop). So I think Kamala keeps the Miller High Life in the same closet as the Glock (and if I\u2019m wrong, show me one picture over her whole career). More importantly, oppo that Kamala has a drinking problem has been simmering on the right, but never boiled over. Does the campaign really think this is the way to turn down the heat?<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Kamala (D): \u201cThe latest union snub for Harris and Walz underscores a bigger problem for their campaign\u201d [Politico]. [T]he International Association of Fire Fighters last week declined to endorse either candidate in the presidential race \u2014 a snub of the Walz-Harris campaign that underscores a much larger problem for the ticket. The move completely blindsided the vice president\u2019s team. Harris and Walz, despite their longtime labor ties, are struggling to win over key rank-and-file union members \u2014 part of a major political realignment away from the Democratic Party\u2026. In Pennsylvania, a must-win state for Harris, the state firefighters\u2019 union has already decided not to issue its own presidential endorsement. Robert Brooks, who leads the group, said it has \u2018never made an endorsement in a Presidential race\u2019 and \u2018will continue with that practice and rely on the International Association of Firefighters to handle that.\u2019 Brooks also didn\u2019t think any locals in his state would make their own endorsement. In Michigan, another key swing state, the firefighters\u2019 union is still holding internal meetings to decide whether they want to issue their own endorsement.\u201d \u2022 Hmm. I remember in 2016 it was a very big deal when the Firefighters endorsed Obama (\u201cEverybody loves the firefighters\u201d).<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Trump (R): \u201cTrump thrusts hurricane response into center of 2024 campaign\u201d [Politico]. \u201cThe White House\u2019s decision to prioritize pushing back on misinformation around the hurricane was driven in part by requests from governors and local politicians for help combating the falsehoods, aides said, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre emphasizing on Monday that \u201celected officials at every level and on both sides of the aisle\u201d had called for an end to the conspiracy theories. In press conferences and television interviews, officials at both FEMA and the White House have devoted the last several days to correcting the falsehoods and criticizing those who have amplified them. With Milton looming, officials say they fear the social media conspiracies could spiral out of control, especially if they are again fanned by Trump and other prominent conservative figures, like Musk.\u201d \u2022 But if FEMA doesn\u2019t deliver people will, as usual, take Trump seriously but not literally.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Cataclysmic Post-Election Scenario No One\u2019s Bracing For\u201d [The Bulwark]. \u201cThere are multiple scenarios for what the government looks like after the election\u2026. \u201cKamala Harris being elected president with that GOP-led Senate but also a Republican-controlled House\u201d is the most interesting, because it is entirely plausible and perhaps the most constitutionally precarious scenario. In the event this happens, current House Speaker Mike Johnson would have some extremely difficult choices ahead of him if he wanted to maintain his speakership. But the key one is this: will he have to make promises around not certifying Harris\u2019s win in order to get the support of Trumpists in his caucus to retain his gavel? As former top Republican aide Brendan Buck put it on his podcast recently: \u201cJust a couple days after electing a new speaker, they need to certify the results of the election. What do you think Mike Johnson is, like, doing or saying at that point to try to keep his job? . . . Is he, like, just going to crazy lengths to get the votes to stay there? Or are Republicans just so angry that they throw out Johnson? You know, even if he runs again, not electing a speaker, all that does is, like, you can\u2019t certify an election if you don\u2019t have a House seated yet.\u201d Before the House can do anything\u2014before it can even form\u2014lawmakers have to elect a speaker and adopt a rules package (in that order). This typically occurs on January 3, the day the new Congress is sworn in, giving ample time before the counting of the Electoral College votes on January 6. But if the House is frozen like it was for several days at the start of the 118th Congress\u2014well, no one knows for sure what would happen.\u201d \u2022 Somebody\u2019s war gaming this out right now\u2026 <\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

MI: \u201cA big Seattle name is in the election battlegrounds \u2014 helping Trump\u201d [Seattle Times]. \u201cSeattle\u2019s star socialist is at it again. This time, she\u2019s making news with some uncomfortable truth-telling about her own aims that\u2019s bound to make many Seattleites squirm. Former Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant was out in Michigan over the weekend, stumping for the Green Party presidential campaign of Jill Stein. Democrats have long suspected that Stein is a form of political malware. She pops up every four years espousing desirable lefty positions. But her \u2018Green\u2019 campaign has no purpose other than to try to hand the election to Republicans, by siphoning off a handful of liberal votes Far-fetched? That\u2019s what I always thought. But Sawant, speaking at a Stein rally, admitted that it\u2019s true, \u2018We need to be clear about what our goals are,\u2019 Sawant said in a speech on Sunday in Dearborn, Michigan. \u2018We are not in a position to win the White House. But we do have a real opportunity to win something historic. We could deny Kamala Harris the state of Michigan. And the polls show that most likely Harris cannot win the election without Michigan.\u2019 So the goal is \u2018fighting to defeat Harris, not just symbolically but in reality,\u2019 Sawant said. \u2018This is ground zero to punish Kamala Harris and defeat her.’\u201d \u2022\u00a0Punish for what\u2026.<\/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

* * *<\/p>\n

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 (wastewater); 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, KidDoc, 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

Infection: H5N1<\/p>\n

\u201cAs bird flu outbreak expands in California, dairy farms report it\u2019s worse than they expected\u201d [CNN]. [F]armers and veterinarians in California are warning that the infection seems to be striking herds more severely than it has in other states, leading to higher percentages of sick and dead cows in affected herds. There are no signs of more serious illness in people. Like the first two human cases in California, this third case involves a farmworker who was in contact with sick dairy cattle. Investigators don\u2019t see any connections between the most recent case and either of the first two, suggesting that this is another instance of animal-to-human transmission, the California Department of Public Health said in a news release. In all three cases, symptoms were mild and involved red, bloodshot eyes, a sign of conjunctivitis.\u201d And: \u201cWhile public health officials are taking the infections in stride, outside experts say each new human infection is a sign that the outbreak is not under control and that the people who are working with cattle and other sick animals are not being adequately protected.\u201d \u2022 So-called \u201cpublic health\u201d officials are really good at taking things in stride, hence the million and counting Covid deaths in the United States.<\/p>\n

Yikes:<\/p>\n

I recorded this today outside of Mendonsa Dairy in Tulare County California. These cows were just on the side of the road. I drove back a few hours later and they were still there. Not very biosecure. I called the CDFA to express my concerns. pic.twitter.com\/gjDS538lni<\/p>\n

\u2014 Crystal Heath DVM (@drcrystalheath) October 8, 2024<\/p>\n

And:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

(The account is a California-based veterinarian, so this looks legit.)<\/p>\n

Morbidity and Mortality<\/p>\n

\u201cTurkish Airlines pilot dies mid-flight, prompting emergency JFK landing\u201d [Daily News]. \u2022 I wonder why. \u2018Tis a mystery!<\/p>\n

Elite Maleficence<\/p>\n

Not on my Bingo card: Dominic Cummings signal boosting the UK Covid Inquiry and having gotten ventilation right:<\/p>\n

The system is working as intended\u2026<\/p>\n

This thread explains a lot on the covid horrorshow but will be ignored because it doesn’t fit NPC narratives.<\/p>\n

In 2020 I said the official slogan should change to include VENTILATE. This never happened. <\/p>\n

One of the weirdest most interesting\u2026 <\/p>\n

\u2014 Dominic Cummings (@Dominic2306) October 8, 2024<\/p>\n

@_CatintheHat has essentially been live-blogging the Inquiry. I don\u2019t find \u201cThe system is working as intended\u201d particularly Delphic; I quoted Stafford Beers the other day: \u201c[T]he Purpose Of a System Is What It Does.\u201d I never found Cummings to be a particularly sympathetic figure, but as an eminence grise he was certainly in a different intellectual class from Steve Bannon (of blessed memory). Also:<\/p>\n

One last thing\u2026<\/p>\n

This is the Covid Policy at the Inquiry:<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udd39Symptomatic testing requested
\ud83d\udd39Ventilation delivering 8 air changes\/hour
\ud83d\udd394 HEPA filters
\ud83d\udd39CO\u2082 monitoring with action triggered whenever CO\u2082 reaches 1,000ppm<\/p>\n

Do they know it\u2019s airborne? \ud83e\udd14 pic.twitter.com\/njz8r8dZ7I<\/p>\n

\u2014 Cat in the Hat \ud83d\udc08\u200d\u2b1b \ud83c\udfa9 \ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 (@_CatintheHat) October 6, 2024<\/p>\n

The elites protect themselves. Just not you.<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

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

Lambert here: CDC\u2019s wastewater map should have been updated by Friday at 8:00pm. This is Tuesday. It hasn\u2019t been.<\/p>\n

Wastewater<\/p>\n

This week[1] CDC October 5<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Variants [3] CDC September 28<\/p>\n

Emergency Room Visits[4] CDC September 28<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hospitalization<\/p>\n

New York[5] New York State, data October 7:<\/p>\n

National [6] CDC September 14:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Positivity<\/p>\n

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

Ohio[8] Cleveland Clinic October 5:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Travelers Data<\/p>\n

Positivity[9] CDC September 16:
\nVariants[10] CDC September 16:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Deaths<\/p>\n

Weekly Deaths vs. % Positivity [11]CDC September 28:<\/p>\n

Weekly Deaths vs. ED Visits [12]CDC September 28:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/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] (CDC) Still some hot spots, but I can\u2019t draw circles around entire regions this week. Good news!<\/p>\n

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

[3] (CDC Variants) KP.* very popular. XEC has entered the chat.<\/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). <\/p>\n

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

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

[9] (Travelers: Positivity) Up, though lagged.<\/p>\n

[10] (Travelers: Variants).<\/p>\n

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

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

Stats Watch<\/p>\n

Wholesale: \u201cUnited States Wholesale Inventories\u201d [Stats Watch]. \u201cUS wholesale inventories rose by 0.1% month-over-month to $904.8 billion in August 2024, slightly below the advance estimate of a 0.2% rise and following a revised 0.2% increase in the prior month. Stocks of durable goods increased slightly faster (0.3% vs 0.1% in July), mostly computer equipment (+2.3%), professional equipment (+1.3%), hardware (+0.8%) and machinery (+0.5%). Conversely, nondurable goods inventories saw a mild decrease (-0.1% vs 0.5%), namely miscellaneous non-durable goods (-2.7%), petroleum (-1.7%) and drugs (-0.2%).\u201d<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Associated Press]. \u201cBoeing has withdrawn a contract offer that would have given striking workers 30% raises over four years after talks broke down. The manufacturer said that it had boosted its offer for union workers for take-home pay and retirement benefits during two days of negotiations. \u2018Unfortunately, the union did not seriously consider our proposals. Instead, the union made non-negotiable demands far in excess of what can be accepted if we are to remain competitive as a business,\u2019 Boeing said in a prepared statement. \u2018Given that position, further negotiations do not make sense at this point and our offer has been withdrawn.\u2019 The union said that it surveyed its members after receiving Boeing\u2019s most recent offer, and it was rejected overwhelmingly\u2026. The strike is stretching on as Boeing deals with multiple other issues. It has shut down production of 737s, 777s and 767s. Work on 787s continues with nonunion workers in South Carolina. S&P Global Ratings put Boeing Co. on its \u2018CreditWatch Negative\u2019 list this week, citing increased financial risk because of the strike. \u2018We estimate the company will incur a cash outflow of approximately $10 billion in 2024, due in part to working capital buildup to support manufacturing process overhaul and costs associated with the strike,\u2019 S&P wrote.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTalks break down, Boeing withdraws latest contract offer from striking workers\u201d [KIRO]. \u201cDennis Tajer, a spokesperson for the union representing American Airlines pilots, put pressure on Boeing to approve striking machinists\u2019 demands, including higher pay and improved safety oversight roles for machinists in the union \u2014 the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM). \u2018I want this contract settled so that we know we have the proper safety margin to fly our passengers,\u2019 Tajer, a Boeing 737 captain, said. \u2018Whenever there\u2019s a change at Boeing, the IAM is not allowed in the process to discuss that with Boeing management. They\u2019re a team. It\u2019s a symphony of safety, just like at the airlines. Unions work with the management teams to ensure that our passengers are safe.’\u201d \u2022 A \u201cteam.\u201d Isn\u2019t it pretty to think so.<\/p>\n

Manufacturing: \u201cBoeing weighs options for raising cash as ratings downgrade looms, sources say\u201d [Reuters]. \u201cBoeing is examining options to raise billions of dollars through a sale of stock and equity-like securities, two sources familiar with the matter said, as the planemaker tries to avoid slipping in to junk territory on its credit ratings\u2026, These options include selling common stock as well as securities such as mandatory convertible bonds and preferred equity, according to the sources. One of the sources said they suggested to Boeing that it should raise around $10 billion.<\/p>\n

Such hybrid bonds can be treated as equity capital by rating agencies, which means issuing them would not add to debt to the same extent as selling bonds, while also being potentially more favorable for existing shareholders. Banks have also been building so-called shadow books, sounding out interest from investors for such securities in case Boeing decided to go ahead, the sources said. Some investors have reached out to banks to tell them they were interested in purchasing Boeing\u2019s preferred securities if they were issued, two of the sources said\u2026. It is not clear, however, whether any of the fundraising options that involve raising cash through instruments other than common stock would satisfy credit agencies.\u201d \u2022\u00a0Who needs real engineers when we have financial engineers?<\/p>\n

Supply Chain: <\/p>\n

Hospitals nationwide are now being encouraged to conserve IV supplies<\/p>\n

“regardless of whether they have experienced a disruption in their supply”<\/p>\n

In wake of @baxter_intl plant shuttered by Hurricane Helene in North Carolina pic.twitter.com\/UJVqr8TafB<\/p>\n

\u2014 Alexander Tin (@Alexander_Tin) October 9, 2024<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s Fear & Greed Index: 72 Greed (previous close: 70 Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 67 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Oct 8 at 1:57:20 PM ET.<\/p>\n

Gallery<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Surprising Backstory Behind Gustav Klimt\u2019s Obsession With Gold\u201d [ArtNet]. \u201d His father, Ernst Klimt, was a goldsmith and an engraver. Certainly, Klimt\u2019s dexterity with gold and his appreciation for the so-called decorative arts were fueled by his familial household. Much like Botticelli, who started his career in goldsmithing and continued to adorn his canvases with gold, Klimt embraced the material for its beauty and symbolism\u2026. When it came to his passion for gold, religious iconography of the Byzantine era came to the fore. In 1903, Klimt took pivotal trips to Venice and (twice) to Ravenna, Italy. The artist wrote to his romantic partner Emilie Fl\u00f6ge that he considered Ravenna\u2019s glittering mosaics \u201cincredibly stunning,\u201d including the famed depictions of Emperor and Empress Justinian and Theodora. Art historians have found compositional parallels between Klimt\u2019s regal portrait of Viennese socialite Adele Bloch-Bauer and the centuries-old rendering of the Byzantine Empress Theodora\u2026. In Byzantine mosaics and icons, gold signaled an eternal realm, existing beyond time and saturated by divine light. The flattened, discarnate figures in these artworks symbolized the out-of-body experience of religious transcendence. Klimt uses gold to create a similar sense of timeless infinity; the backgrounds of his Golden Period are dotted with glittering flecks of gold, but also silver and platinum, creating an almost cosmic-looking backdrop for his scenes\u2026. Looking closely at the man and woman\u2019s garments in The Kiss, one notices Klimt has used gold to create upright, rectilinear forms on the man\u2019s robe, which offer a masculine counterpoint to the swirling, ovoid forms on the woman\u2019s gown (Klimt was fascinated by microscopic biology, cells, and fertilization, which was being researched intensely by early 20th-century scientists).\u201d \u2022\u00a0Worth reading in full:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Health<\/p>\n

\u201cBrain\u2019s \u2018diary\u2019 discovered: Why today\u2019s stress matters two weeks from now\u201d [StudyFinds]. N = 1. \u201cResearchers from Aalto University and the University of Oulu in Finland successfully demonstrated the long-lasting impact of our daily habits on brain connectivity, offering new insights into neural plasticity. Scientists now believe our brain\u2019s internal communication patterns are not static but rather in a constant state of flux, responding to our experiences over extended periods.\u201d Dear Lord. Whoever would have thought anything different? More: \u201cPhysical activity also emerged as a significant factor in brain connectivity. Days with less physical activity were associated with reduced integration between the frontoparietal network \u2013 crucial for cognitive control and decision-making \u2013 and other brain regions. This implies that being more sedentary might make it harder for different parts of the brain to work together efficiently.\u201d \u2022 The author is also the test subject. The original study is at PLOS, if readers wish to dig deeper.<\/p>\n

News of the Wired<\/p>\n

\u201cGermans decry influence of English as \u2018idiot\u2019s apostrophe\u2019 gets official approval\u201d [The Guardian]. \u201cA relaxation of official rules around the correct use of apostrophes in German has not only irritated grammar sticklers but triggered existential fears around the pervasive influence of English. Establishments that feature their owners\u2019 names, with signs like \u2018Rosi\u2019s Bar\u2019 or \u2018Kati\u2019s Kiosk\u2019 are a common sight around German towns and cities, but strictly speaking they are wrong: unlike English, German does not traditionally use apostrophes to indicate the genitive case or possession. The correct spelling, therefore, would be \u2018Rosis Bar\u2019, \u2018Katis Kiosk\u2019, or, as in the title of a recent viral hit, Barbaras Rhabarberbar. However, guidelines issued by the body regulating the use of Standard High German orthography have clarified that the use of the punctuation mark colloquially known as the Deppenapostroph (\u2018idiot\u2019s apostrophe\u2019) has become so widespread that it is permissible \u2013 as long as it separates the genitive \u2018s\u2019 within a proper name.\u201d \u2022 Will no one consider the greengrocer\u2019s?<\/p>\n

* * *<\/p>\n

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

\"\"<\/p>\n

TH writes: \u201cI\u2019m not sure these are eligible after being picked and put on sale, but I hope you\u2019ll be amused. I had never noticed these before. They have a nice rich flavor but to my taste could be a little more acid.\u201d I must admit these are plants within the meaning of the act. But it would be nice to have some garden pictures, too.<\/p>\n

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Readers: Water Cooler is a standalone entity not covered by the annual NC fundraiser. Material here is Lambert\u2019s, and does not express the views of the Naked Capitalism site. 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 three or four 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

Here is the screen that will appear, which I have helpfully annotated:<\/p>\n

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If you hate PayPal, you can email me at lambert [UNDERSCORE] strether [DOT] corrente [AT] yahoo [DOT] com, and I will give you directions on how to send a check. Thank you!\n<\/p>\n

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