tingilinde

"incandescently stupid"

A former DHS Homeland Security Chief describes Trump and his reading ability.

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"And so I had to write this incandescently stupid memo called something like, 'Afghanistan, How to Put America First and Win.' And then bullet by bullet, I summed up this highly classified memo into Trump's sort of bombastic language because it was the only way he was gonna understand," Taylor continued. "I mean, I literally said in there, 'You know, if we leave Afghanistan too fast, the terrorists will call us losers. But if we wanna be seen as winners, we need to make sure the Afghan forces have the strength to push back against these criminals.' I mean, it was that dumb and that's how you had to talk to him."

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a tip of the hat to Jim

 

 

 

very fit at 60

And working on getting better.

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“It does seem like the opposite of normal, but I’m not surprised I’m getting faster in my 60s,” said McDonald. “I spent a few years running marathons and triathlons. I was a high jumper in college. I did a lot of things, and I’m just doing different events than what I did in the past.”

McDonald and Coach Howell recently appeared on The Masters of Running Podcast with Niall Power. “Someone recently asked me: ‘when do people slow down.’ My answer was: I don’t know. I guess it happens when it happens,” said coach Howell.

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a tip of the hat to Jheri

 

 

years expected past 25

Having/not having a BA at 25 is a very loaded shorthand

 

working to heat-proof india

An enormous problem that requires novel work and low-cost solutions.

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In Lal Matti, an informal settlement of tin-roofed homes in this coastal city, summer can be unbearable. Before the monsoon rains arrive, temperatures can top 37°C, with humidity at a sweltering 95%. The hot, muggy afternoons are particularly oppressive, says Tamrunissa, a young woman who lives with her extended family in a large room above a shop, accessed by a ladder. Despite running three small ceiling fans all day—the family can’t afford an air conditioner—she often gets headaches from the heat, and her children fall sick. Her elderly father, who has diabetes and high blood pressure, retreats to an alcove below the apartment to nap. “He can’t handle the heat up here,” she says.

Sometimes, Mumbai’s heat becomes deadly. In April, on a day the temperature reached 36°C, 11 people sitting through an hourslong outdoor ceremony died from heat stroke. At least 20 others were hospitalized.

Indians are increasingly at risk from extreme heat and heat waves that are more frequent and last longer. The country saw a 55% rise in heat-related deaths between 2000–04 and 2017–21, according to research published last year in The Lancet. Global warming will continue to elevate the risks, particularly in India’s fast-growing urban areas, where heat-absorbing tar and concrete boost temperatures. By 2025, cities are expected to house more than half of India’s population, now at 1.7 billion.

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on mask shaming

Mask wearers are often shamed and a sociology professor friend is putting together a project with her grad students after a small trial run.  Early trial results suggest women are shamed and harassed more than men by a nearly five to one margin.  Males under five foot six and females under five foot three are take the majority of shaming.  They're looking at other things, but these stood out.  The surveys are being done in Michigan, Arizona and California.  So far it looks like you don't want to live in Arizona if you choose/need to wear a mask.

 

profitering?

The price of Covid vaccines.

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After Pfizer and Moderna hiked the prices of their Covid-19 vaccines this year, the federal government will now pay nearly three times more than it did previously for each dose. And it’s paying more than countries that did far less to support vaccine development.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra glossed over the dramatic increase in the amount the government is paying for vaccines in a public appearance last week, when he got vaccinated at a CVS pharmacy in D.C.

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the current covid vaccine rollout

There's a good chance you've been greeted with frustration if you've tried to get the current Covid vaccine.  Somehow the wheels have come off what was a well-oiled machine.  YLE notes there's a reason for that.

 

potential anti-trust and ai

Looking at issues from the compute infrastructure side (pdf)

 

why the swiss cheese approach is good

How many microbes to make you sick?

 

a relief

Antimatter, as expected, falls down. 

It would be interested if it fell up ..