Reading

I Wish I Went Before Mary Shelley in This Storytelling Contest

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/i-wish-i-went-before-mary-shelley-in-this-s…
Created
Sat, 12/10/2024 - 04:00

“‘We will each write a ghost story,’ said Lord Byron; and his proposition was acceded to. There were four of us.” – Mary Shelley, in the introduction to Frankenstein.

- -

Wow, Mary! Wow. Dr. Frankenstein and his monster. I can’t imagine anything more chilling. In fact, it’s so chilling that I think we should probably call off the rest of the storytelling contest right now. I don’t even need to take my turn.

Oh, are you sure?

Still?

Because I kind of wish I had gone first. My thing isn’t even that scary. Or about humankind. It’s just, well, did everyone else do this overnight? Because I feel like Mary Shelley may have pre-written her idea. All I’m saying is it feels pretty fleshed out already. I’m not trying to accuse anyone of anything. It’s just, I thought we were telling stories we came up with in the last twenty-four hours and not workshopping full novel ideas.

Trump’s Plan B

https://digbysblog.net/2024/10/11/trumps-plan-b/
Created
Sat, 12/10/2024 - 03:30
In every losing campaign’s postmortem the analysts insist that the candidate should have gone where he or she did not. There were many complaints about Vice President Al Gore spending time in California late in the race when he should have been stumping in Florida and I’m sure everyone recalls that Hillary Clinton was excoriated for taking Wisconsin and Michigan for granted in 2016 by failing to hold events there in the closing days of the campaign. Certainly, it’s a general rule of thumb that in close elections, the candidates are supposed to live in the battleground states, especially in the final weeks to eke out every last vote in the electoral college. So why in the world is Donald Trump holding rallies in the blue enclaves of California, New York and Colorado in the month of October? As far as we can tell, the swing states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, North Carolina, Arizona and Nevada are all close and various combinations of those states will be required to get to 270 electoral votes. And yet Trump will be wasting time in these other states for reasons that are obscure.

Israel jails Grayzone’s Jeremy Loffredo, releases him pending investigation

https://thegrayzone.com/2024/10/11/israeli-jails-grayzones-jeremy-loffredo/
Created
Sat, 12/10/2024 - 02:07

The criminal case against the American reporter fell apart after an Israeli journalist testified that his own article containing Loffredo’s full video report had cleared military censorship. Yet Israel refuses to let Loffredo leave the country. On October 11, journalist Jeremy Loffredo was ordered released from Israeli jail. Israeli soldiers arrested the Jewish-American reporter and three other journalists at a checkpoint in the West Bank on October 8. According to one of the jailed reporters, @the_andrey_x, the soldiers blindfolded them […]

The post Israel jails Grayzone’s Jeremy Loffredo, releases him pending investigation first appeared on The Grayzone.

The post Israel jails Grayzone’s Jeremy Loffredo, releases him pending investigation appeared first on The Grayzone.

They Burn Witches, Don’t They?

https://digbysblog.net/2024/10/11/they-burn-witches-dont-they/
Created
Sat, 12/10/2024 - 01:30
It’s only a matter of time Charlie Warzel is feaking out over the “depravity and nihilism” of MAGA’s hurricane lies: Even in a decade marred by online grifters, shameless politicians, and an alternative right-wing-media complex pushing anti-science fringe theories, the events of the past few weeks stand out for their depravity and nihilism. As two catastrophic storms upended American cities, a patchwork network of influencers and fake-news peddlers have done their best to sow distrust, stoke resentment, and interfere with relief efforts. But this is more than just a misinformation crisis. To watch as real information is overwhelmed by crank theories and public servants battle death threats is to confront two alarming facts: first, that a durable ecosystem exists to ensconce citizens in an alternate reality, and second, that the people consuming and amplifying those lies are not helpless dupes but willing participants. This is nothing new. For the right, truth is no longer an American value. It hasn’t been for decades. MAGA types know spreading propaganda and lies is wrong and they don’t care.

270 Reasons: Because Kamala Harris Can Say the Word “Abortion”

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/because-kamala-harris-can-say-the-word-abor…
Created
Sat, 12/10/2024 - 01:00

Our friends at 270 Reasons are gathering a polyphonic orchestra of brilliant writers, teachers, doctors, filmmakers, artists, and citizens of all kinds to weigh in about their plans to vote this November. These opinion essays run the gamut from advocacy for basic human rights to acutely personal mini-manifestoes. Read the rest over at 270 Reasons.

The Italian Workers Occupying Against Climate Crisis

https://tribunemag.co.uk/2024/10/the-italian-workers-occupying-against-climate-…
Created
Sat, 12/10/2024 - 00:15

Last month at its annual Congress, the TUC debated four separate motions on the climate crisis. Of the efforts put to delegates by unions, all called for a ‘just transition’ to ensure that workers in the energy, transport and manufacturing industries are not simply thrown on the dole by the prospect of a decarbonised economy. […]

What The Hell, Indeed

https://digbysblog.net/2024/10/11/what-the-hell-indeed/
Created
Sat, 12/10/2024 - 00:00
Amplify what moves people You all know about The Lincoln Project. Unlike traditional Democratic messaging, these former Republicans go for the gut, not the head. They released an ad this morning voiced by actor Ed O’Neill that caught me by surprise. See what I mean. Like Barack Obama said last night (I’m paraphrasing), when did nonstop shitposting about America become a Republican campaign theme? When did lying to hungry, desperate hurricane victims become okay? I’ve also mentioned the messaging team behind Amplify ads, tested for being able to move voters and free for you to customize. On Thursday, they sent the ad below. Here’s their description: Hi Friends, Tuesday marked 4 weeks until Election Day! Forget PSL. It’s all about GOTV!  To mark that milestone and power together for the homestretch push…  Announcing our new 30 Day Content Countdown– join our Signal chat and check out the calendar here to make sure our message-tested content is visible to voters in this home stretch!  Invite your communities to join the Signal chat, let’s get LOUD!

Brutally Honest Instructions for Visiting a Pumpkin Patch

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/brutally-honest-instructions-for-visiting-a…
Created
Fri, 11/10/2024 - 23:00

1. Set your alarm for 6:00 a.m. the night before. You want to be first in line for the perfect pumpkin.

2. When your alarm goes off, ask yourself what the hell you were thinking. It’s not like they’re going to run out of pumpkins. Snooze until ten.

3. Put on your newly purchased cute fall outfit: a flannel shirt, light wash jeans, suede boots from Costco, and a wide-brimmed felt hat from Temu that feels like an itchy vice around your head.

4. Look up a video for how to French braid your hair. How hard can it be to look exactly like Taylor Swift on the Evermore album cover?

5. Fifteen sweaty minutes later, examine your handiwork while you shake out a cramp. Your hair should look like an abandoned opossum den.

6. Look at the time and panic. Time to hit the road. You don’t want to miss your perfect pumpkin, and you still have to stop for fall-themed coffee.

7. Pull into the Starbucks drive-thru. There should be fourteen cars ahead of you. Put your car in reverse to bail on this just as another car pulls in behind you. You are now stuck. Take a deep breath, and remember there are lots of pumpkins. You’ll be fine!