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Celerity
Celerity's Journal
Celerity's Journal
September 26, 2019
Boris didn't think running the country would be this hard!
Jonathan Pie - Boris the Criminal
Boris didn't think running the country would be this hard!
September 25, 2019
“Acqua,” a carved piece of Carrara marble by the artist Giorgio Butini, underwater near Talamone, Italy.
TALAMONE, Italy — As the Sirena brought its passengers back to port, Paolo Fanciulli paused from spreading his nets and sustainable fishing gospel to point at an empty spot of sea. “There, below the lighthouse,” said Mr. Fanciulli, clad in his rib-high yellow waders. “The sculptures are there.” About 25 feet below the rippling surface of this rocky promontory on the southern Tuscan coast, schools of fish visited a museum of four marble blocks, mined from Michelangelo’s preferred quarry and sculpted by acclaimed artists.
Farther north, another 20 Carrara marble sculptures had a different job — as submerged sentries against the illegal bottom trawling that has depleted Talamone’s marine life. And in a field down the road, where kite surfers skim the bay, 18 more sculpted marble blocks sat like ruins on the grass waiting for Mr. Fanciulli to find the money to lower them into the water. “Think, in 100, 200 years they’ll find all these sculptures,” said Mr. Fanciulli, called Paolo the Fisherman by everyone around here, including himself.
His “House of Fish” project is part environmental activism, part arts initiative, part marketing campaign, part bid for a lasting legacy. For his native town, he said, having “the biggest museum in the world to save the sea” would also bring scuba divers and tourists and put Talamone on the map. Currently, Talamone is not renowned for much. The year-round population is about 125 residents. “Maybe less,” said Elsa Ciocca, 82, the town’s baker and unofficial historian. “Because I think two or three just died.”
Local residents are proud that Giuseppe Garibaldi, whose statue presides over a sleepy square, stopped here to pick up ammunition during his historic 1860 expedition to unify Italy. They are less thrilled that arms dealers shipped explosives and land mines from Talamone to Apartheid-era South Africa, Iran-Contra-era Iran and Saddam-era Iraq. In the summers, the population swells with fashionable vacationers. Wealthy Romans keep their sailboats at the port and gossip in the cafes about which Russian oligarch bought which nearby villa. Tuscan teenagers and retired politicians come to drink aperitifs and dive into the water under the medieval Sienese fortress. Lately, busloads of Chinese tourists have lined up at the port to take sightseeing boats to nearby Elba.
Few are aware that under the water is an art installation designed to resuscitate Talamone’s aquatic life. Mr. Fanciulli, 58, has made it his life’s work to get the word out........
snip
NYT : An Underwater World of Marble to Amuse and Protect Tuscan Fish
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/24/world/europe/italy-tuscany-fishing-art.html“Acqua,” a carved piece of Carrara marble by the artist Giorgio Butini, underwater near Talamone, Italy.
TALAMONE, Italy — As the Sirena brought its passengers back to port, Paolo Fanciulli paused from spreading his nets and sustainable fishing gospel to point at an empty spot of sea. “There, below the lighthouse,” said Mr. Fanciulli, clad in his rib-high yellow waders. “The sculptures are there.” About 25 feet below the rippling surface of this rocky promontory on the southern Tuscan coast, schools of fish visited a museum of four marble blocks, mined from Michelangelo’s preferred quarry and sculpted by acclaimed artists.
Farther north, another 20 Carrara marble sculptures had a different job — as submerged sentries against the illegal bottom trawling that has depleted Talamone’s marine life. And in a field down the road, where kite surfers skim the bay, 18 more sculpted marble blocks sat like ruins on the grass waiting for Mr. Fanciulli to find the money to lower them into the water. “Think, in 100, 200 years they’ll find all these sculptures,” said Mr. Fanciulli, called Paolo the Fisherman by everyone around here, including himself.
His “House of Fish” project is part environmental activism, part arts initiative, part marketing campaign, part bid for a lasting legacy. For his native town, he said, having “the biggest museum in the world to save the sea” would also bring scuba divers and tourists and put Talamone on the map. Currently, Talamone is not renowned for much. The year-round population is about 125 residents. “Maybe less,” said Elsa Ciocca, 82, the town’s baker and unofficial historian. “Because I think two or three just died.”
Local residents are proud that Giuseppe Garibaldi, whose statue presides over a sleepy square, stopped here to pick up ammunition during his historic 1860 expedition to unify Italy. They are less thrilled that arms dealers shipped explosives and land mines from Talamone to Apartheid-era South Africa, Iran-Contra-era Iran and Saddam-era Iraq. In the summers, the population swells with fashionable vacationers. Wealthy Romans keep their sailboats at the port and gossip in the cafes about which Russian oligarch bought which nearby villa. Tuscan teenagers and retired politicians come to drink aperitifs and dive into the water under the medieval Sienese fortress. Lately, busloads of Chinese tourists have lined up at the port to take sightseeing boats to nearby Elba.
Few are aware that under the water is an art installation designed to resuscitate Talamone’s aquatic life. Mr. Fanciulli, 58, has made it his life’s work to get the word out........
snip
September 24, 2019
Jerrold Nadler appreciation thread
He has been a LION behind the scenes in this long, arduous slog toward impeaching the white nationalist madman in the White House!
Jerry Nadler Was Born to Battle Trump
The House Judiciary Committee chair has been preparing for this moment for decades.
https://newrepublic.com/article/153455/jerry-nadler-born-battle-trump
September 24, 2019
https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7x5wzq/greta-thunburg-is-scaring-the-hell-out-of-fox-news
You can tell Fox News is terrified of Greta Thunberg and her uncompromising, emotional climate protest movement, because they won't stop insulting her.
The 16-year-old Swedish activist made headlines this week for spearheading New York’s protest during the global climate strikes and for her powerful speech pressuring world leaders to act on climate change. Pundit Michael Knowles, appearing in a segment about “climate hysteria” on “The Story” on Monday, used the opportunity to throw an ugly attack at Thunberg.
https://twitter.com/JordanUhl/status/1176284552387538949
Another guest on the show, liberal radio host Christopher Hahn, jumped in and fired back at Knowles. “You’re a grown man and you’re attacking a child,” Hahn said. “Shame on you.”
snip
Greta Thunburg is Scaring the Hell Out of Fox News
The network's hosts and guests won't stop insulting the 16-year-old climate activist.https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7x5wzq/greta-thunburg-is-scaring-the-hell-out-of-fox-news
You can tell Fox News is terrified of Greta Thunberg and her uncompromising, emotional climate protest movement, because they won't stop insulting her.
The 16-year-old Swedish activist made headlines this week for spearheading New York’s protest during the global climate strikes and for her powerful speech pressuring world leaders to act on climate change. Pundit Michael Knowles, appearing in a segment about “climate hysteria” on “The Story” on Monday, used the opportunity to throw an ugly attack at Thunberg.
“The climate hysteria movement is not about science,” said Knowles, a podcast host on the Daily Wire. “If it were about science, it would be led by scientists rather than by politicians and a mentally ill Swedish child who is being exploited by her parents and by the international left.”
https://twitter.com/JordanUhl/status/1176284552387538949
Another guest on the show, liberal radio host Christopher Hahn, jumped in and fired back at Knowles. “You’re a grown man and you’re attacking a child,” Hahn said. “Shame on you.”
snip
September 23, 2019
https://twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1175512069787070465
Beto: What is Congress waiting for? This is crazy. Unless we take action now, we will see the end of
American democracy.https://twitter.com/BetoORourke/status/1175512069787070465
September 23, 2019
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/a-threat-to-virtually-everything-that-the-united-states-should-stand-for-scathing-nyt-op-ed-on-trump-goes-viral/
A damning piece by New York Times Opinion Columnist David Leonhardt is going viral. “Donald Trump vs. the United States of America” says it’s “Just the facts, in 40 sentences.”
That’s all it is.
40 sentences, 40 facts chronicling President Donald Trump’s lawlessness, self-dealing, un-American behavior, attempts to do real damage to vital institutions, and grotesque acts. Some are impeachable offenses. Some are just not worthy – or are disqualifying – of a president of the United States.
A few excerpts:
snip
'A threat to virtually everything that the United States should stand for': Scathing NYT op-ed
on Trump goes viralhttps://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/a-threat-to-virtually-everything-that-the-united-states-should-stand-for-scathing-nyt-op-ed-on-trump-goes-viral/
A damning piece by New York Times Opinion Columnist David Leonhardt is going viral. “Donald Trump vs. the United States of America” says it’s “Just the facts, in 40 sentences.”
That’s all it is.
40 sentences, 40 facts chronicling President Donald Trump’s lawlessness, self-dealing, un-American behavior, attempts to do real damage to vital institutions, and grotesque acts. Some are impeachable offenses. Some are just not worthy – or are disqualifying – of a president of the United States.
A few excerpts:
“He launched his political career by falsely claiming that the first black president was not really American.”
“He often declines to read briefing books or perform other basic functions of a president’s job.”
“He lied to the American people about his company’s business dealings in Russia.”
“He publicly undermined American intelligence agents while standing next to a hostile foreign autocrat.”
“He often declines to read briefing books or perform other basic functions of a president’s job.”
“He lied to the American people about his company’s business dealings in Russia.”
“He publicly undermined American intelligence agents while standing next to a hostile foreign autocrat.”
snip
September 23, 2019
Watch Social Europe Editor-in Chief Henning Meyer in discussion with Cas Mudde. They discuss the anatomy of the far right and far right populism and what progressive actors can do to counter the far right.
Cas Mudde is the Stanley Wade Shelton UGAF Professor of International Affairs at the University of Georgia, a columnist for The Guardian newspaper and a world-leading expert on populism and the far right.
If you like our podcast you might also find our regular articles, blogs and other written publications of interest. Just visit our website www.socialeurope.eu to read our latest output. If you want to stay up-to-date with all things Social Europe just sign up to our regular newsletter. You can do so on our website.
https://twitter.com/CasMudde/status/1176147287187177479
Cas Mudde (born 3 June 1967) is a Dutch political scientist who focuses on political extremism and populism in Europe and the United States. His research includes the areas of political parties, extremism, democracy, civil society and European politics.
How To Deal With The Far Right?
Watch Social Europe Editor-in Chief Henning Meyer in discussion with Cas Mudde. They discuss the anatomy of the far right and far right populism and what progressive actors can do to counter the far right.
Cas Mudde is the Stanley Wade Shelton UGAF Professor of International Affairs at the University of Georgia, a columnist for The Guardian newspaper and a world-leading expert on populism and the far right.
If you like our podcast you might also find our regular articles, blogs and other written publications of interest. Just visit our website www.socialeurope.eu to read our latest output. If you want to stay up-to-date with all things Social Europe just sign up to our regular newsletter. You can do so on our website.
https://twitter.com/CasMudde/status/1176147287187177479
Cas Mudde (born 3 June 1967) is a Dutch political scientist who focuses on political extremism and populism in Europe and the United States. His research includes the areas of political parties, extremism, democracy, civil society and European politics.
September 23, 2019
LIKE DENIM JACKETS, CBS SHELDONS, AND AIR, apples are everywhere this season. You can almost smell the "generic apple promotion" of National Apple Month in the increasingly chilly wind! It only makes sense to rank them -- all of them.
If only there weren't 7,500 varieties of apples in the world! Even though many of them have provocative names like Ashmead's Kernel, Westfield Seek-No-Further, Criterion, and the twin lovers of industry, Enterprise and Wealthy, I wasn't going to get to every apple out there. So I limited my taste test to a dozen from the US Apple Association's list of the popular varieties in America, which collectively account for 90 percent of domestic sales, plus four other regionally abundant apple varieties that would have been weird not to include. To conduct this ranking, I secured a conference room under the guise of a calendar event named "Important Meeting" and assessed piles of apples by taste, texture, and sheer apple-ness of each variety until I'd meal-replaced myself to pectin shivers. It is an honor and a privilege to present my perfect ranking of -- along with proposed slogans for -- 16 popular apples in North America:
16. Red Delicious
"A Fucking Atrocity"
Most apple varieties are the product of happenstance and inbreeding, but no cultivar has been quite as petulant as the Red Delicious. As the story goes, some idiot discovered a mutant tree in his orchard, chopped it down, did so again the following year when it sprouted again, and, when it grew back yet again, is quoted as having said, "If thee must grow, thee may," and in the process, revealed himself to be the hokiest pushover in all of history as well as the person responsible for the proliferation of the grossest apple of all time. If I could rank this apple even lower, I would. Fuck this apple.
15. Golden Delicious
"Neither Particularly Golden, Nor Delicious"
A clearly ill-informed naming convention!
snip
Apples, Ranked
https://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/best-apples-for-baking-eatingLIKE DENIM JACKETS, CBS SHELDONS, AND AIR, apples are everywhere this season. You can almost smell the "generic apple promotion" of National Apple Month in the increasingly chilly wind! It only makes sense to rank them -- all of them.
If only there weren't 7,500 varieties of apples in the world! Even though many of them have provocative names like Ashmead's Kernel, Westfield Seek-No-Further, Criterion, and the twin lovers of industry, Enterprise and Wealthy, I wasn't going to get to every apple out there. So I limited my taste test to a dozen from the US Apple Association's list of the popular varieties in America, which collectively account for 90 percent of domestic sales, plus four other regionally abundant apple varieties that would have been weird not to include. To conduct this ranking, I secured a conference room under the guise of a calendar event named "Important Meeting" and assessed piles of apples by taste, texture, and sheer apple-ness of each variety until I'd meal-replaced myself to pectin shivers. It is an honor and a privilege to present my perfect ranking of -- along with proposed slogans for -- 16 popular apples in North America:
16. Red Delicious
"A Fucking Atrocity"
Most apple varieties are the product of happenstance and inbreeding, but no cultivar has been quite as petulant as the Red Delicious. As the story goes, some idiot discovered a mutant tree in his orchard, chopped it down, did so again the following year when it sprouted again, and, when it grew back yet again, is quoted as having said, "If thee must grow, thee may," and in the process, revealed himself to be the hokiest pushover in all of history as well as the person responsible for the proliferation of the grossest apple of all time. If I could rank this apple even lower, I would. Fuck this apple.
15. Golden Delicious
"Neither Particularly Golden, Nor Delicious"
A clearly ill-informed naming convention!
snip
September 21, 2019
In a forthcoming article in the Harvard Environmental Law Review, I argue that climate change is one of the most pressing national security issues facing the United States and the world. Climate change is not simply an environmental issue. It also accelerates existing national security threats, acting as both a threat accelerant and catalyst for conflict. And the peer-reviewed science is now refined as to be essentially irrefutable. Human activity is causing climate change and recent advances in climate attribution science showcase the causal linkage between extreme weather events and climactic change. Climate change will increase the intensity and frequency of droughts, wildfires, and extreme weather, serving as the defining factor of our “climate-security century.” Denying these widespread advances in climate science undermines national security, and we shouldn’t be afraid to say so.
Just as climate change is destabilizing the physical environment, it is also beginning to destabilize the legal landscape while bringing together different areas of law in new and surprising ways. We need innovative legal and policy solutions to tackle the “super wicked” problems caused by climate change. In what follows, I highlight three interrelated climate-security questions that are in need of answers.
How does Climate Security Affect Climate Mitigation Efforts?
For starters, climate change is forcing us to look at the relationship between environmental law and national security law with fresh eyes. Historically, environmental law has had somewhat of an adversarial relationship with national security law. For example, numerous environmental laws include exemptions for military activities when the president determines that they are in the “national security interest.” This includes the Clean Air Act, the key statute that regulates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the United States.
But what if excessive GHG emissions are the cause of the underlying national security threat — a point made all-too clear by the most recent National Climate Assessment? In the climate-security context, what was once in conflict may well be aligned as we look to preserve our common future from all threats, however defined. Indeed, climate change demands greater environmental protections to reduce GHG emissions. And we already know that the U.S. military is an enormous emitter of carbon and other GHG emissions. In fact, Brown University’s Costs of War Project recently estimated that the U.S. Department of Defense emitted more greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere than many industrialized nations, such as Sweden and Denmark. As we think broadly about future climate mitigation strategies, we must take into account all GHG emissions, regardless of their source.
Is Climate Change a National Emergency?
snip
Climate Change Denialism Poses a National Security Threat
https://www.justsecurity.org/66239/climate-change-denialism-poses-a-national-security-threat/In a forthcoming article in the Harvard Environmental Law Review, I argue that climate change is one of the most pressing national security issues facing the United States and the world. Climate change is not simply an environmental issue. It also accelerates existing national security threats, acting as both a threat accelerant and catalyst for conflict. And the peer-reviewed science is now refined as to be essentially irrefutable. Human activity is causing climate change and recent advances in climate attribution science showcase the causal linkage between extreme weather events and climactic change. Climate change will increase the intensity and frequency of droughts, wildfires, and extreme weather, serving as the defining factor of our “climate-security century.” Denying these widespread advances in climate science undermines national security, and we shouldn’t be afraid to say so.
Just as climate change is destabilizing the physical environment, it is also beginning to destabilize the legal landscape while bringing together different areas of law in new and surprising ways. We need innovative legal and policy solutions to tackle the “super wicked” problems caused by climate change. In what follows, I highlight three interrelated climate-security questions that are in need of answers.
How does Climate Security Affect Climate Mitigation Efforts?
For starters, climate change is forcing us to look at the relationship between environmental law and national security law with fresh eyes. Historically, environmental law has had somewhat of an adversarial relationship with national security law. For example, numerous environmental laws include exemptions for military activities when the president determines that they are in the “national security interest.” This includes the Clean Air Act, the key statute that regulates greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions within the United States.
But what if excessive GHG emissions are the cause of the underlying national security threat — a point made all-too clear by the most recent National Climate Assessment? In the climate-security context, what was once in conflict may well be aligned as we look to preserve our common future from all threats, however defined. Indeed, climate change demands greater environmental protections to reduce GHG emissions. And we already know that the U.S. military is an enormous emitter of carbon and other GHG emissions. In fact, Brown University’s Costs of War Project recently estimated that the U.S. Department of Defense emitted more greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere than many industrialized nations, such as Sweden and Denmark. As we think broadly about future climate mitigation strategies, we must take into account all GHG emissions, regardless of their source.
Is Climate Change a National Emergency?
snip
September 20, 2019
Georgia senators on Friday began considering whether to restore the voting rights of many of the state’s 250,000 felons, especially those who were convicted of nonviolent crimes.
But it remained unclear which crimes would be minor enough for offenders to be able to vote, and senators reached no conclusions about whether felons should regain their rights before they’ve paid off fines and fees.Georgia is one of 22 states that denies felons the ability to vote even after they’ve been released from prison, requiring them to also complete parole, probation and pay fines and fees.
State Sen. Randy Robertson, the chairman of a committee studying the issue, said he hopes legislators can pass a bill next year that addresses felon voting.“I would hope I’m not wasting my time today on something that’s fruitless,” Robertson, a Republican from Cataula and a former sheriff’s deputy, said after the committee’s meeting at Columbus State University. “Victims are going to have their voices heard, too. … Just starting the conversation is a big step forward.”
Senators and criminal justice groups appeared to agree that those convicted of drug possession charges should be able to vote when they’re freed from prison. It’s unclear whether other offenses, such as drug distribution, shoplifting and burglary, would qualify.Most of Georgia’s felons, about 80%, are already living in their communities while finishing their probation or parole, said Maxwell Ruppersburg, the executive director of Reform Georgia, an organization focused on reducing incarceration.“They paid their dues to society. Their sentence has been completed. If that’s true, why are we here having this discussion?” asked Paulette Hunt, a retired veteran who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting. “Where is their justice? The punishment must fit the crime.”
snip
Nonviolent felons could regain voting rights in Georgia
https://www.ajc.com/news/state--regional-govt--politics/nonviolent-felons-could-regain-voting-rights-georgia/xZOpRkDHfml2GhtHjigvUK/Georgia senators on Friday began considering whether to restore the voting rights of many of the state’s 250,000 felons, especially those who were convicted of nonviolent crimes.
But it remained unclear which crimes would be minor enough for offenders to be able to vote, and senators reached no conclusions about whether felons should regain their rights before they’ve paid off fines and fees.Georgia is one of 22 states that denies felons the ability to vote even after they’ve been released from prison, requiring them to also complete parole, probation and pay fines and fees.
State Sen. Randy Robertson, the chairman of a committee studying the issue, said he hopes legislators can pass a bill next year that addresses felon voting.“I would hope I’m not wasting my time today on something that’s fruitless,” Robertson, a Republican from Cataula and a former sheriff’s deputy, said after the committee’s meeting at Columbus State University. “Victims are going to have their voices heard, too. … Just starting the conversation is a big step forward.”
Senators and criminal justice groups appeared to agree that those convicted of drug possession charges should be able to vote when they’re freed from prison. It’s unclear whether other offenses, such as drug distribution, shoplifting and burglary, would qualify.Most of Georgia’s felons, about 80%, are already living in their communities while finishing their probation or parole, said Maxwell Ruppersburg, the executive director of Reform Georgia, an organization focused on reducing incarceration.“They paid their dues to society. Their sentence has been completed. If that’s true, why are we here having this discussion?” asked Paulette Hunt, a retired veteran who spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting. “Where is their justice? The punishment must fit the crime.”
snip
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