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Celerity's Journal
February 28, 2021
Only 6% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, but on Wednesday evening, the era of the second generation of vaccines arrived. Moderna announced Wednesday that it had shipped to the National Institutes of Health doses of a new version of its vaccine, this one designed to protect against the South African variant of the virus that causes Covid-19. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will run an early-stage clinical trial of the new vaccine once it receives approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Moderna also plans to run its own clinical trials in parallel with the NIAID trial. Moderna (ticker: MRNA) says that, while initial data shows that its Covid-19 original vaccine will be effective in protecting against the South African variant, it is developing alternatives “out of an abundance of caution.”
“I think of this as an insurance policy,” Moderna’s chief medical officer, Tal Zaks, told Barron’s on Wednesday. “We’re prepared, should we need it. But let’s remember, there is a very high efficacy for the [messenger RNA-based] vaccines, certainly against the ancestral strains, and we believe that the vaccines should also have efficacy against these variants.” Still, Zaks said that the company was not simply thinking of the new version of the vaccine simply as a proof of concept. “There is a possibility we will need it,” he said, particularly as immunity provided by the original vaccine wanes over time.
“One of the concerns we and public health officials have is whether, in older or otherwise vulnerable people, as immunity wanes, you may become preferentially susceptible to these variants of concern,” Zaks said. “If that’s the case… you want to be ready to boost people before you realize there’s a huge unmet need there because people are getting infected.” The company said it planned to test the new vaccine, which it is calling mRNA-1273.351, as a booster for people who have already received the original vaccine, and as part of a series with the original vaccine as a primary vaccination. It will also test a multivalent booster shot made up of both the original vaccine and mRNA-1273.351, and a third dose of its original vaccine as a booster.
snip
Pfizer (PFE), which with BioNTech (BNTX) has developed the other Covid-19 vaccine authorized by the FDA, has yet to announce an updated version of its vaccine that targets an emerging strain. Novavax (NVAX), which is running a Phase 3 trial in the U.S. of its Covid-19 vaccine, says it is working on its own update.
snip
Moderna Ships Updated Covid-19 Vaccine to NIH for Testing (South African variant)
https://www.barrons.com/articles/moderna-ships-updated-covid-19-vaccine-to-nih-for-testing-51614201130?mod=article_inlineOnly 6% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated against Covid-19, but on Wednesday evening, the era of the second generation of vaccines arrived. Moderna announced Wednesday that it had shipped to the National Institutes of Health doses of a new version of its vaccine, this one designed to protect against the South African variant of the virus that causes Covid-19. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will run an early-stage clinical trial of the new vaccine once it receives approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Moderna also plans to run its own clinical trials in parallel with the NIAID trial. Moderna (ticker: MRNA) says that, while initial data shows that its Covid-19 original vaccine will be effective in protecting against the South African variant, it is developing alternatives “out of an abundance of caution.”
“I think of this as an insurance policy,” Moderna’s chief medical officer, Tal Zaks, told Barron’s on Wednesday. “We’re prepared, should we need it. But let’s remember, there is a very high efficacy for the [messenger RNA-based] vaccines, certainly against the ancestral strains, and we believe that the vaccines should also have efficacy against these variants.” Still, Zaks said that the company was not simply thinking of the new version of the vaccine simply as a proof of concept. “There is a possibility we will need it,” he said, particularly as immunity provided by the original vaccine wanes over time.
“One of the concerns we and public health officials have is whether, in older or otherwise vulnerable people, as immunity wanes, you may become preferentially susceptible to these variants of concern,” Zaks said. “If that’s the case… you want to be ready to boost people before you realize there’s a huge unmet need there because people are getting infected.” The company said it planned to test the new vaccine, which it is calling mRNA-1273.351, as a booster for people who have already received the original vaccine, and as part of a series with the original vaccine as a primary vaccination. It will also test a multivalent booster shot made up of both the original vaccine and mRNA-1273.351, and a third dose of its original vaccine as a booster.
snip
Pfizer (PFE), which with BioNTech (BNTX) has developed the other Covid-19 vaccine authorized by the FDA, has yet to announce an updated version of its vaccine that targets an emerging strain. Novavax (NVAX), which is running a Phase 3 trial in the U.S. of its Covid-19 vaccine, says it is working on its own update.
snip
February 26, 2021
RELEASE DATE 2021-02-26
LABEL Slightly Sizzled White
CATALOG SSW019
Lotrax resides in the cultural hub of Scotland, Glasgow. The cities rich underground dance scene has given Lotrax the perfect education in his pursuit of a career in music. From the moment Lotrax turned 18 his journey took a new direction, discovering the nightlife of Glasgow and frequenting dance music institution Sub Club. His obsession with production and attention to detail grew with him, developing a penchant for swinging grooves and funk packed full of energy. His direction in music saw him launch the Lotrax name in style with his edit of Stevie Wonder 'Superstition' with premier Tech House platform Blanc, to date it has amassed just short of 1 million plays. Since then Lotrax has gone on to release on labels including Cheeky Trax, IBZ Records, OVRDOSE Records and THUNDR Records. An incredible rst 12-months under the Lotrax name has truly earmarked him as a future star of the underground. This has garnered new levels of attention, playing B2B with the likes of Marco Strous and supporting big acts such as Basement Jaxx, Hannah Wants, Illyus & Barrientos and Marco Strous. Lotrax's rise shows no signs of slowing down, with 2020 jam packed with releases scheduled throughout the year on several labels in Minimal/Deep Tech, Deep House, and Tech house genres. One thing for certain on the Lotrax journey is there will be no turning back!
Lotrax - La Pandemia Feat. Frankie Elyse (Fear & Lowe Remix) [Slightly Sizzled White]
RELEASE DATE 2021-02-26
LABEL Slightly Sizzled White
CATALOG SSW019
Lotrax resides in the cultural hub of Scotland, Glasgow. The cities rich underground dance scene has given Lotrax the perfect education in his pursuit of a career in music. From the moment Lotrax turned 18 his journey took a new direction, discovering the nightlife of Glasgow and frequenting dance music institution Sub Club. His obsession with production and attention to detail grew with him, developing a penchant for swinging grooves and funk packed full of energy. His direction in music saw him launch the Lotrax name in style with his edit of Stevie Wonder 'Superstition' with premier Tech House platform Blanc, to date it has amassed just short of 1 million plays. Since then Lotrax has gone on to release on labels including Cheeky Trax, IBZ Records, OVRDOSE Records and THUNDR Records. An incredible rst 12-months under the Lotrax name has truly earmarked him as a future star of the underground. This has garnered new levels of attention, playing B2B with the likes of Marco Strous and supporting big acts such as Basement Jaxx, Hannah Wants, Illyus & Barrientos and Marco Strous. Lotrax's rise shows no signs of slowing down, with 2020 jam packed with releases scheduled throughout the year on several labels in Minimal/Deep Tech, Deep House, and Tech house genres. One thing for certain on the Lotrax journey is there will be no turning back!
February 26, 2021
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/cape-verdean-kale-soup-recipe
When 'Yemisi Awosan was in college, she was almost always spending her free time cooking up West African food in the dorm kitchen with friends. “People are always curious about what culture I’m from. When you say ‘Africa,’ where in Africa?,” Awosan explains. “A lot of people have not traveled there so for me, I made that connection [that] if I share my food, it in turn transports people to understand what my culture is about.” Food was something she held onto when seeking connection with others. After graduating, Awosan worked in fashion buying for 15 years. Throughout that journey, whether she was moving to new cities or meeting new acquaintances, she was opening up her home to share a meal. “I realized I spent a lot of my time either cooking for friends or meeting people through food,” Awosan says. It dawned on her that her food could form a business—especially because her college friends who remained in touch always begged her to ship some of her dishes to them across state lines.
In 2014, Awosan began her career as a personal chef and caterer, abandoning her corporate path in fashion. Although her clients loved her meals, they also questioned if there was a way to continue enjoying her cuisine without having to have her over every day. This is when the idea for Egunsi Foods, a mere seed that lived in the back of Awosan’s mind, began to sprout. The first pre packaged soup product Awosan made launched in July of 2017 at a Whole Foods in Harlem, and since then, Awosan has come out with a variety of soups and pepper sauces that can be shipped directly to one’s door. “For me, my product is an experience on West African flavor. I wanted to look at the food of that particular region,” Awosan says. “There is a lot of commonality but of course the way we prepare is different. I’m Nigerian, I’m Yoruba, and I was also raised in the Northern part of Nigeria. So I kind of cook from that perspective.” Egunsi is named after egusi, a protein-packed seed common in Nigerian cooking and the center of some of Awosan’s heritage. “Even though I was born and raised in the northern part of Nigeria, my parents are Ijesha,” Awosan explains. Ijesha people are a subethnic group of the Yoruba people and, according to Awosan, are well-known for their dish of egusi and pounded yam. “For me, that’s my favorite dish. Because my parents are Ijesha and I am Ijesha, I just love egusi and the versatility of it.”
Now, at the helm of her own brand, Awosan wants to celebrate the diversity of West Africa—the regions, the dialects, the ingredients, and the culture—through food. “I want to represent the culture in a way that makes other people want to try it,” she says. “My main mission is to really express the culture of my people and of what I grew up with through the food that I’m presenting to the world.” And with that mission, Awosan wants people to stop being intimidated by recipes they’re unfamiliar with. “We all use the same ingredients. Everyone uses tomatoes, everyone is familiar with kale and potatoes,” she says. “I’m trying to help people understand that the ingredients that you’re using are not strange. Food is fun!” Her Cape Verdean kale soup recipe gets back to her cooking roots from over a decade ago in the dorm room kitchen among friends. “My friends [are] a big part of what I’m doing now. We shared food, we shared different stories about our culture.” This Cape Verdean soup comes by way of Awosan’s friend, Yolanda (fondly known as Yoyo). “At the time, I didn’t even know Cape Verde was on the continent of Africa,” Awosan says, laughing. “But the fact that I’m doing West African food as my company, and it is a country in the region of West Africa, [means a lot]. It’s just a [dish] that brings a lot of memories of college for me.”
snip
snip
https://www.egunsifoods.com/recipes
So You Wanna Make Cape Verdean Kale Soup?
This West African comfort food is full of kale, Portuguese sausage, and warm memories.https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/cape-verdean-kale-soup-recipe
When 'Yemisi Awosan was in college, she was almost always spending her free time cooking up West African food in the dorm kitchen with friends. “People are always curious about what culture I’m from. When you say ‘Africa,’ where in Africa?,” Awosan explains. “A lot of people have not traveled there so for me, I made that connection [that] if I share my food, it in turn transports people to understand what my culture is about.” Food was something she held onto when seeking connection with others. After graduating, Awosan worked in fashion buying for 15 years. Throughout that journey, whether she was moving to new cities or meeting new acquaintances, she was opening up her home to share a meal. “I realized I spent a lot of my time either cooking for friends or meeting people through food,” Awosan says. It dawned on her that her food could form a business—especially because her college friends who remained in touch always begged her to ship some of her dishes to them across state lines.
In 2014, Awosan began her career as a personal chef and caterer, abandoning her corporate path in fashion. Although her clients loved her meals, they also questioned if there was a way to continue enjoying her cuisine without having to have her over every day. This is when the idea for Egunsi Foods, a mere seed that lived in the back of Awosan’s mind, began to sprout. The first pre packaged soup product Awosan made launched in July of 2017 at a Whole Foods in Harlem, and since then, Awosan has come out with a variety of soups and pepper sauces that can be shipped directly to one’s door. “For me, my product is an experience on West African flavor. I wanted to look at the food of that particular region,” Awosan says. “There is a lot of commonality but of course the way we prepare is different. I’m Nigerian, I’m Yoruba, and I was also raised in the Northern part of Nigeria. So I kind of cook from that perspective.” Egunsi is named after egusi, a protein-packed seed common in Nigerian cooking and the center of some of Awosan’s heritage. “Even though I was born and raised in the northern part of Nigeria, my parents are Ijesha,” Awosan explains. Ijesha people are a subethnic group of the Yoruba people and, according to Awosan, are well-known for their dish of egusi and pounded yam. “For me, that’s my favorite dish. Because my parents are Ijesha and I am Ijesha, I just love egusi and the versatility of it.”
Now, at the helm of her own brand, Awosan wants to celebrate the diversity of West Africa—the regions, the dialects, the ingredients, and the culture—through food. “I want to represent the culture in a way that makes other people want to try it,” she says. “My main mission is to really express the culture of my people and of what I grew up with through the food that I’m presenting to the world.” And with that mission, Awosan wants people to stop being intimidated by recipes they’re unfamiliar with. “We all use the same ingredients. Everyone uses tomatoes, everyone is familiar with kale and potatoes,” she says. “I’m trying to help people understand that the ingredients that you’re using are not strange. Food is fun!” Her Cape Verdean kale soup recipe gets back to her cooking roots from over a decade ago in the dorm room kitchen among friends. “My friends [are] a big part of what I’m doing now. We shared food, we shared different stories about our culture.” This Cape Verdean soup comes by way of Awosan’s friend, Yolanda (fondly known as Yoyo). “At the time, I didn’t even know Cape Verde was on the continent of Africa,” Awosan says, laughing. “But the fact that I’m doing West African food as my company, and it is a country in the region of West Africa, [means a lot]. It’s just a [dish] that brings a lot of memories of college for me.”
snip
snip
https://www.egunsifoods.com/recipes
February 26, 2021
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/feb/20/rugby-dan-carter-sporting-greatness-all-blacks
In any sport, debates about the greatest of all time are almost constant and, for that reason alone, impossibly tedious – the more so in this age of incontinent social media. Such posturing is pointless. Then there is a sport like rugby. Even more pointless. How can you compare winger with prop, lock with scrum-half? How can you compare a relatively brief professional era with the long century or so of amateurism that preceded it?
Finally, there is the dread of being asked to write a tribute to some retiring superstar. How to pay sufficient tribute without embarrassing subject and self with that “greatest of all time” chestnut? No such problems with this one. Dan Carter has announced his retirement and so the man hailed by many at the tender age of 23 as the greatest they had seen, and who kept on getting greater, has left the stage at the age of 38.
How does one measure greatness? Well, here are a few ways. Two World Cups and nine championships with the All Blacks, titles with every first-class club (five) he has played for, 112 caps, most points in international rugby (1,598 – the next best being Jonny Wilkinson, 352 points behind), most points in Super Rugby (1,708 – in that instance 259 points ahead of the next best), 355 first-class matches, 4,292 first-class points … It all starts to become meaningless after a while.
More than the numbers, there is the player. Greatness may be a subjective conceit but what we surely can say without fear of dissent is that Carter was the most complete rugby player of all – and that is a hell of a thing in such a multi-faceted sport. He might have struggled to play in the front row (mind you, give him a while to work on his neck muscles …) and may have required lifting against the tallest in the lineout, but otherwise there was not a skill a player could need of which he was not a master. Pace, power, kicking, passing, tackling, vision, nerve, consistency … even the dreaded ability to get over the ball at the breakdown is one he performed at will.
snip
Dan Carter hangs up his boots as a study in sporting greatness
Best of all time’ discussions are a futile pursuit but no player has greater claim to such a title than the All Blacks legendhttps://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/feb/20/rugby-dan-carter-sporting-greatness-all-blacks
In any sport, debates about the greatest of all time are almost constant and, for that reason alone, impossibly tedious – the more so in this age of incontinent social media. Such posturing is pointless. Then there is a sport like rugby. Even more pointless. How can you compare winger with prop, lock with scrum-half? How can you compare a relatively brief professional era with the long century or so of amateurism that preceded it?
Finally, there is the dread of being asked to write a tribute to some retiring superstar. How to pay sufficient tribute without embarrassing subject and self with that “greatest of all time” chestnut? No such problems with this one. Dan Carter has announced his retirement and so the man hailed by many at the tender age of 23 as the greatest they had seen, and who kept on getting greater, has left the stage at the age of 38.
How does one measure greatness? Well, here are a few ways. Two World Cups and nine championships with the All Blacks, titles with every first-class club (five) he has played for, 112 caps, most points in international rugby (1,598 – the next best being Jonny Wilkinson, 352 points behind), most points in Super Rugby (1,708 – in that instance 259 points ahead of the next best), 355 first-class matches, 4,292 first-class points … It all starts to become meaningless after a while.
More than the numbers, there is the player. Greatness may be a subjective conceit but what we surely can say without fear of dissent is that Carter was the most complete rugby player of all – and that is a hell of a thing in such a multi-faceted sport. He might have struggled to play in the front row (mind you, give him a while to work on his neck muscles …) and may have required lifting against the tallest in the lineout, but otherwise there was not a skill a player could need of which he was not a master. Pace, power, kicking, passing, tackling, vision, nerve, consistency … even the dreaded ability to get over the ball at the breakdown is one he performed at will.
snip
February 26, 2021
Hong Kong architecture studio Cheng Chung Design has created a restaurant and exhibition space within the cavernous interiors of a brick art installation in Mile City, China. The restaurant, named 50% Cloud Artists Lounge, occupies one of several distinctive structures in Dongfengyun Town that evoke a giant cluster of termite mounds. Cheng Chung Design's (CCD) interior is deliberately pared-back to retain focus on this unusual building, while also forming a backdrop to the artwork that is exhibited throughout it. "It was to be not only a restaurant but also an art space with an exhibition area," said CCD's founder, Joe Cheng. "It aims to serve as an exhibition hall for various cultures and arts, providing a space for the public to get close to and enjoy art," he told Dezeen. "You can see original art throughout the entire space."
The brick structure within which the restaurant is located was created by local artist Luo Xu and made without any steel reinforcements or nails. The interiors of the other buildings in the cluster, also designed by CCD, have been transformed into a multi-functional hall, an art gallery and a hotel. CCD marked the entrance to the restaurant by a trail of curving steps that lead to an arched door and a series of curving steel panels. This is modelled on the nearby Honghe Hani Rice Terraces – a system of historic terraces used to grow rice – and designed to add an "artistic touch" that is complementary to the colours and sinuous form of the building. Inside, the layout of the restaurant's bar, chairs and tables responds to the curves of the structure and the positions of round openings carved into its roof.
As the walls of the building could not be decorated, this is intended to draw visitors' attention to the light that filters in through the skylights and onto the bricks and creates patterns throughout the course of the day. "Light is an essential element in the space," said CCD. "Guests can experience the change of light in every minute.""All design elements are arranged based on light and under skylights. Natural light tells the passage of time throughout the day, and creates diversified spatial experiences," the studio added.
Furniture is kept simple throughout, with cool colours and curved bodies that complement the form of the building. These are teamed with large woven lampshades that softly light the room, alongside art-deco style partitions that were used to loosely divide the space. The artwork throughout the restaurant ranges from bespoke furniture to larger sculptures designed by CCD and produced by an artist called Qi Songtao. This includes an abstract, cloud-like piece and a metallic, woven artwork that mimics a human head. Elsewhere in China, Studio Zhu-Pei also created a series of sweeping, red-brick structures to house the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum. Located in the city of Jingdezhen, the museum's cavernous buildings are all unique in size and are designed to recall the forms of traditional brick kilns.
snip
Cheng Chung Design creates restaurant within brick art installation in China
https://www.dezeen.com/2021/02/22/cheng-chung-design-50-cloud-artist-lounge-china/Hong Kong architecture studio Cheng Chung Design has created a restaurant and exhibition space within the cavernous interiors of a brick art installation in Mile City, China. The restaurant, named 50% Cloud Artists Lounge, occupies one of several distinctive structures in Dongfengyun Town that evoke a giant cluster of termite mounds. Cheng Chung Design's (CCD) interior is deliberately pared-back to retain focus on this unusual building, while also forming a backdrop to the artwork that is exhibited throughout it. "It was to be not only a restaurant but also an art space with an exhibition area," said CCD's founder, Joe Cheng. "It aims to serve as an exhibition hall for various cultures and arts, providing a space for the public to get close to and enjoy art," he told Dezeen. "You can see original art throughout the entire space."
The brick structure within which the restaurant is located was created by local artist Luo Xu and made without any steel reinforcements or nails. The interiors of the other buildings in the cluster, also designed by CCD, have been transformed into a multi-functional hall, an art gallery and a hotel. CCD marked the entrance to the restaurant by a trail of curving steps that lead to an arched door and a series of curving steel panels. This is modelled on the nearby Honghe Hani Rice Terraces – a system of historic terraces used to grow rice – and designed to add an "artistic touch" that is complementary to the colours and sinuous form of the building. Inside, the layout of the restaurant's bar, chairs and tables responds to the curves of the structure and the positions of round openings carved into its roof.
As the walls of the building could not be decorated, this is intended to draw visitors' attention to the light that filters in through the skylights and onto the bricks and creates patterns throughout the course of the day. "Light is an essential element in the space," said CCD. "Guests can experience the change of light in every minute.""All design elements are arranged based on light and under skylights. Natural light tells the passage of time throughout the day, and creates diversified spatial experiences," the studio added.
Furniture is kept simple throughout, with cool colours and curved bodies that complement the form of the building. These are teamed with large woven lampshades that softly light the room, alongside art-deco style partitions that were used to loosely divide the space. The artwork throughout the restaurant ranges from bespoke furniture to larger sculptures designed by CCD and produced by an artist called Qi Songtao. This includes an abstract, cloud-like piece and a metallic, woven artwork that mimics a human head. Elsewhere in China, Studio Zhu-Pei also created a series of sweeping, red-brick structures to house the Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum. Located in the city of Jingdezhen, the museum's cavernous buildings are all unique in size and are designed to recall the forms of traditional brick kilns.
snip
February 26, 2021
https://thebanter.substack.com/p/republicans-demand-creepy-genital
WASHINGTON, DC -- I should probably preface this article by noting that I don’t take sports all that seriously. It’s not that I hate or even dislike sports. As a kid, I played nearly every major sport and was occasionally good at baseball and soccer -- later, weight training and road cycling became obsessions of mine that I still pursue to this day, so I at least have a general understanding of the climate in and around youth athletics. Consequently, I know enough to observe that grownups take it way too seriously -- not just professional sports, but namely sports for kids. See also movies like Friday Night Lights to observe just how unnecessarily rabid we are about it. I’ve always bristled at the unreasonable amount of pressure we assign to kids who, in many cases, don’t even have a driver’s license yet but whose games are often broadcast on local radio, generating media scrutiny as if these athletes are first-round draft choices in the NFL. I won’t even get into the parental stress inflicted upon our kids as desperation and wistful memories manufacture insurmountable expectations on children who should probably be more focused on actual schoolwork, as well as merely being a kid. But this story has less to do with sports and more to do with perverse bigotry and glaring Red Hat contradictions that are turning youth athletics into yet another political hot potato.
The latest wedge issue to be created by Republicans from coast to coast is the suppression of transgender rights. A few years ago, trans equality was bastardized by GOP fuddy-duddies who invented a crisis around trans women using women’s public bathrooms. Republicans warned us that if trans women are allowed to continue using those bathrooms (by, presumably, the bathroom patrol?) there’d be a crime wave of men pretending to be trans in order to sexually assault women. The rate of sexual assault as a consequence of trans civil rights laws? Zero. The rate of sexual assaults by cis men dressed as women in public bathrooms? Also, zero. It just doesn’t happen. And when a predator actually does sexually assault someone, irrespective of the circumstances, it’s already against the law and punishable by commensurate prison sentences. Banning trans women from public bathrooms is like banning police officers from patrolling the streets because someone might dress up like a cop and commit a crime. It’s an issue invented to justify discriminatory policies. This was and always will be a matter of intolerance and oppression. And now, a law introduced in Georgia is taking this obscenity to new levels by sanctioning sexual assault against girls in youth sports -- and it’s almost exclusively trans girls they’re freaking out about.
House Bill 372 would redefine gender as “a person’s biological sex at birth” in state law, require state-funded schools and associations to ban participants they deem not “biologically” male or female from sports, and calls for a panel to examine information about the genitalia or chromosomes of any participant who petitions otherwise. The panel would be made up of three physicians tasked with examining the “reproductive organs” of girls -- children -- who object to the ban. In other words, if you’re trans or are believed to be trans, the only way to participate in sports is to expose yourself to a panel of strangers appointed by the state. And the Republicans say they’re against big government. Their wafer-thin concerns are twofold. Bigoted parental groups are nervous that their non-trans kids won’t be able to compete against trans girls who are genetically male, given the potential existence of testosterone and muscle development -- in some cases. Not all youth athletes are post-pubescent, and many trans athletes use exogenous hormones to counter the effect of testosterone so the hormone issue is, rationally speaking, a non-starter. The other concern is similar to the bathroom nonsense. Parents and lawmakers are concerned that trans girls will ogle the non-trans girls in locker rooms and so forth. If Georgia Republicans are so worried about non-trans girls being ogled in locker rooms, why are they insisting upon forming these panels of grownups who will, yes, ogle trans girls who choose to play high school sports?
The answer is simple: it’s an anti-trans Jim Crow law designed to discourage trans athletes from even trying to play, while encouraging non-trans students to single out and perhaps even bully trans classmates. As for the competitive angle, this is where Republicans and parents take these sports way too seriously. First of all, it’s confounding that Republicans believe trans girls are a major crisis but a panel of genital inspectors is fine and dandy. Likewise, who cares if there are trans girls who might be a little taller or stronger than the other girls? There are plenty of non-trans girls who are physically broader and taller than average, but they’re not banned. In fact, they’re often recruited to participate. Ultimately, we’ve already been through a similar issue and it was finally resolved by Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson. Prior to the desegregation of professional sports, the exclusively white bugaboo was that Black athletes had a biological advantage, creating lopsided competition -- almost exactly the same nonsense they’re using against trans athletes. And just as the anti-choice position on reproductive rights is about controlling women, these anti-trans laws are about marginalizing anyone who doesn’t fit the binary standards of archaic bigotry. Amateur sports are supposed to be about good-natured competition and fun. If there’s any context for the ideals of tolerance, outreach, and the unifying of differing cultures, races, lifestyles, and, yes, genders, it’s sports. As such, we’d do well to take youth sports and little less seriously and these aforementioned ideals a lot more seriously.
snip
Republicans Demand Creepy Genital Inspectors In Georgia
These anti-trans laws are about marginalizing anyone who doesn’t fit the binary standards of archaic bigotry.https://thebanter.substack.com/p/republicans-demand-creepy-genital
WASHINGTON, DC -- I should probably preface this article by noting that I don’t take sports all that seriously. It’s not that I hate or even dislike sports. As a kid, I played nearly every major sport and was occasionally good at baseball and soccer -- later, weight training and road cycling became obsessions of mine that I still pursue to this day, so I at least have a general understanding of the climate in and around youth athletics. Consequently, I know enough to observe that grownups take it way too seriously -- not just professional sports, but namely sports for kids. See also movies like Friday Night Lights to observe just how unnecessarily rabid we are about it. I’ve always bristled at the unreasonable amount of pressure we assign to kids who, in many cases, don’t even have a driver’s license yet but whose games are often broadcast on local radio, generating media scrutiny as if these athletes are first-round draft choices in the NFL. I won’t even get into the parental stress inflicted upon our kids as desperation and wistful memories manufacture insurmountable expectations on children who should probably be more focused on actual schoolwork, as well as merely being a kid. But this story has less to do with sports and more to do with perverse bigotry and glaring Red Hat contradictions that are turning youth athletics into yet another political hot potato.
The latest wedge issue to be created by Republicans from coast to coast is the suppression of transgender rights. A few years ago, trans equality was bastardized by GOP fuddy-duddies who invented a crisis around trans women using women’s public bathrooms. Republicans warned us that if trans women are allowed to continue using those bathrooms (by, presumably, the bathroom patrol?) there’d be a crime wave of men pretending to be trans in order to sexually assault women. The rate of sexual assault as a consequence of trans civil rights laws? Zero. The rate of sexual assaults by cis men dressed as women in public bathrooms? Also, zero. It just doesn’t happen. And when a predator actually does sexually assault someone, irrespective of the circumstances, it’s already against the law and punishable by commensurate prison sentences. Banning trans women from public bathrooms is like banning police officers from patrolling the streets because someone might dress up like a cop and commit a crime. It’s an issue invented to justify discriminatory policies. This was and always will be a matter of intolerance and oppression. And now, a law introduced in Georgia is taking this obscenity to new levels by sanctioning sexual assault against girls in youth sports -- and it’s almost exclusively trans girls they’re freaking out about.
House Bill 372 would redefine gender as “a person’s biological sex at birth” in state law, require state-funded schools and associations to ban participants they deem not “biologically” male or female from sports, and calls for a panel to examine information about the genitalia or chromosomes of any participant who petitions otherwise. The panel would be made up of three physicians tasked with examining the “reproductive organs” of girls -- children -- who object to the ban. In other words, if you’re trans or are believed to be trans, the only way to participate in sports is to expose yourself to a panel of strangers appointed by the state. And the Republicans say they’re against big government. Their wafer-thin concerns are twofold. Bigoted parental groups are nervous that their non-trans kids won’t be able to compete against trans girls who are genetically male, given the potential existence of testosterone and muscle development -- in some cases. Not all youth athletes are post-pubescent, and many trans athletes use exogenous hormones to counter the effect of testosterone so the hormone issue is, rationally speaking, a non-starter. The other concern is similar to the bathroom nonsense. Parents and lawmakers are concerned that trans girls will ogle the non-trans girls in locker rooms and so forth. If Georgia Republicans are so worried about non-trans girls being ogled in locker rooms, why are they insisting upon forming these panels of grownups who will, yes, ogle trans girls who choose to play high school sports?
The answer is simple: it’s an anti-trans Jim Crow law designed to discourage trans athletes from even trying to play, while encouraging non-trans students to single out and perhaps even bully trans classmates. As for the competitive angle, this is where Republicans and parents take these sports way too seriously. First of all, it’s confounding that Republicans believe trans girls are a major crisis but a panel of genital inspectors is fine and dandy. Likewise, who cares if there are trans girls who might be a little taller or stronger than the other girls? There are plenty of non-trans girls who are physically broader and taller than average, but they’re not banned. In fact, they’re often recruited to participate. Ultimately, we’ve already been through a similar issue and it was finally resolved by Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson. Prior to the desegregation of professional sports, the exclusively white bugaboo was that Black athletes had a biological advantage, creating lopsided competition -- almost exactly the same nonsense they’re using against trans athletes. And just as the anti-choice position on reproductive rights is about controlling women, these anti-trans laws are about marginalizing anyone who doesn’t fit the binary standards of archaic bigotry. Amateur sports are supposed to be about good-natured competition and fun. If there’s any context for the ideals of tolerance, outreach, and the unifying of differing cultures, races, lifestyles, and, yes, genders, it’s sports. As such, we’d do well to take youth sports and little less seriously and these aforementioned ideals a lot more seriously.
snip
February 26, 2021
https://www.thedailybeast.com/rep-marie-newman-slams-facebook-for-labelling-her-video-of-the-transgender-pride-flag-as-hate-speech
The same day the House is set to vote on the Equality Act, which promises to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, Facebook has labelled a video of Rep. Marie Newman (D-IL) hanging the transgender pride flag outside her office as hate speech. Rep. Newman, whose daughter is transgender, posted the video of herself placing the flag outside her office and opposite the office of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on her Facebook page Wednesday. Shortly after, Rep. Greene posted a video on Facebook where she can be seen hanging a sign outside her office saying, “There are TWO genders: Male & Female. Trust The Science!” Rep. Greene’s video is still up, while Rep. Newman’s has been removed.
“Facebook took down our video of me putting up the Transgender flag outside my office and labelled it as ‘hate speech.’ Meanwhile, they’re still allowing Marjorie Taylor Greene’s transphobic video to be posted,” the Illinois congresswoman tweeted. “Supporting transgender Americans is NOT hate speech.”
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=478195646892200
https://twitter.com/RepMarieNewman/status/1364963398727962638
Facebook Labels Lawmaker's Trans Pride Flag Video 'Hate Speech', but allows MTG's trans attack
ETA IT HAS BEEN RESTORED
https://www.thedailybeast.com/rep-marie-newman-slams-facebook-for-labelling-her-video-of-the-transgender-pride-flag-as-hate-speech
The same day the House is set to vote on the Equality Act, which promises to outlaw discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, Facebook has labelled a video of Rep. Marie Newman (D-IL) hanging the transgender pride flag outside her office as hate speech. Rep. Newman, whose daughter is transgender, posted the video of herself placing the flag outside her office and opposite the office of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) on her Facebook page Wednesday. Shortly after, Rep. Greene posted a video on Facebook where she can be seen hanging a sign outside her office saying, “There are TWO genders: Male & Female. Trust The Science!” Rep. Greene’s video is still up, while Rep. Newman’s has been removed.
“Facebook took down our video of me putting up the Transgender flag outside my office and labelled it as ‘hate speech.’ Meanwhile, they’re still allowing Marjorie Taylor Greene’s transphobic video to be posted,” the Illinois congresswoman tweeted. “Supporting transgender Americans is NOT hate speech.”
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=478195646892200
https://twitter.com/RepMarieNewman/status/1364963398727962638
February 26, 2021
Will Parliamentarian MacDonough release a detailed explanation of why she tossed the wage increase?
I really would like to know how drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge was considered to be consistent with the Byrd Rule, while increasing the minimum wage is not, especially as the Dems showed billions of dollars in budgetary impact from the raise.
So unhappy that an unelected power centre, utterly obscure to most all of the 331 million people in the US, has put the old bovver boots to us, not to mention almost 30 million working poor.
February 25, 2021
https://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-waits-for-minimum-wage-ruling-from-parliamentarian-11614266273
WASHINGTON—Capitol Hill waited Thursday for the Senate parliamentarian to weigh in on whether the chamber’s rules would permit Democrats to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour as part of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. The decision by Elizabeth MacDonough, the chief Senate parliamentarian, will set the stage for an intense debate among Democrats about how to proceed on the contentious provision. Democrats, who can’t afford to lose a single vote among their own ranks to pass the bill in an evenly divided Senate, have split over the push to raise the federal minimum wage, which would boost it to $15 an hour over four years.
“We’re waiting, as we all are, to hear from the Senate parliamentarian as to what will happen with the minimum wage piece of the legislation,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) told reporters Thursday. “I feel that we have a very, very strong argument and we have a very big need in our country to pass the minimum wage.” The minimum-wage increase is the most divisive issue in the aid package, which Democrats broadly support. The package would also provide a $1,400 payment to many Americans; extend and enhance federal unemployment assistance; send $350 billion in aid to state and local governments; and pour new funding into vaccine distribution, food stamps and schools.
Democratic and Republican staff made their arguments before the parliamentarian Wednesday morning on the minimum-wage provision and have been waiting since then to hear her recommendation. “I know we’re all on pins and needles,” said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a member of Senate GOP leadership. “I believe that the correct ruling would be to say the budget process cannot be used to pass substantive legislation.”
Democrats are using a process called reconciliation to pass the aid package with a simple majority, rather than the 60 votes required for most legislation. But reconciliation also comes with Senate rules on what proposals can be approved under the special procedure, including that the provision be directly tied to the budget. The measure must be determined to have a meaningful fiscal impact that can’t be incidental to the policy proposal. If Ms. MacDonough rules that the minimum-wage increase is eligible to be included in the package, Democrats will have to reach a consensus among themselves over how to structure it.
snip
Senate Waits for Minimum-Wage Ruling From Parliamentarian
Finding will shape course of debate over President Biden’s Covid-19 aid packagehttps://www.wsj.com/articles/senate-waits-for-minimum-wage-ruling-from-parliamentarian-11614266273
WASHINGTON—Capitol Hill waited Thursday for the Senate parliamentarian to weigh in on whether the chamber’s rules would permit Democrats to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour as part of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. The decision by Elizabeth MacDonough, the chief Senate parliamentarian, will set the stage for an intense debate among Democrats about how to proceed on the contentious provision. Democrats, who can’t afford to lose a single vote among their own ranks to pass the bill in an evenly divided Senate, have split over the push to raise the federal minimum wage, which would boost it to $15 an hour over four years.
“We’re waiting, as we all are, to hear from the Senate parliamentarian as to what will happen with the minimum wage piece of the legislation,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) told reporters Thursday. “I feel that we have a very, very strong argument and we have a very big need in our country to pass the minimum wage.” The minimum-wage increase is the most divisive issue in the aid package, which Democrats broadly support. The package would also provide a $1,400 payment to many Americans; extend and enhance federal unemployment assistance; send $350 billion in aid to state and local governments; and pour new funding into vaccine distribution, food stamps and schools.
Democratic and Republican staff made their arguments before the parliamentarian Wednesday morning on the minimum-wage provision and have been waiting since then to hear her recommendation. “I know we’re all on pins and needles,” said Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a member of Senate GOP leadership. “I believe that the correct ruling would be to say the budget process cannot be used to pass substantive legislation.”
Democrats are using a process called reconciliation to pass the aid package with a simple majority, rather than the 60 votes required for most legislation. But reconciliation also comes with Senate rules on what proposals can be approved under the special procedure, including that the provision be directly tied to the budget. The measure must be determined to have a meaningful fiscal impact that can’t be incidental to the policy proposal. If Ms. MacDonough rules that the minimum-wage increase is eligible to be included in the package, Democrats will have to reach a consensus among themselves over how to structure it.
snip
February 25, 2021
Bernie live on MSNBC: no chance we get a wage raise (even 11) unless it is through reconciliation
He said that there is not a single Rethug atm who will vote for cloture on any wage raise (as they will filibuster any and all stand-alone bills on it)
ffs
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