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Who Tallies the Resources?

https://steadystate.org/who-tallies-the-resources/
Created
Thu, 06/07/2023 - 23:54
by Daniel Wortel-London

The economy of the USA, like that of any other nation, depends on natural resources—minerals, timber, fossil fuels, land, and a host of other renewable and nonrenewable assets. It couldn’t function without these resources any more than you or I could survive without air. So you’d think that determining whether our country’s demand for natural resources exceeds the environment’s supply would be of the greatest importance to politicians.

The post Who Tallies the Resources? appeared first on Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy.

Caution: Children at Work

https://tomdispatch.com/caution-children-at-work/
Created
Thu, 06/07/2023 - 23:30

An aged Native-American chieftain was visiting New York City for the first time in 1906. He was curious about the city and the city was curious about him. A magazine reporter asked the chief what most surprised him in his travels around town. “Little children working,” the visitor replied.  Child labor might have shocked that outsider, but it was all too commonplace then across urban, industrial America (and on farms where it had been customary for centuries). In more recent times, however, it’s become a far rarer sight. Law and custom, most of us assume, drove it to near extinction. And our reaction to seeing it reappear might resemble that chief’s — shock, disbelief.  But we better get used to it, since child labor... Read more

Little victories

https://digbysblog.net/2023/07/06/little-victories-2/
Created
Thu, 06/07/2023 - 23:00
The right is relentless. The left needs to be. Several small stories this morning worth attention. Lin Wood retired to avoid being disbarred (NBC News): Lin Wood, a high-profile Georgia lawyer who embraced and promoted former President Donald Trump’s bogus 2020 election claims, told the state bar he was retiring amid disciplinary probes. “I understand that this request is unqualified, irreversible and permanent,” Wood, 70, said in a letter to the State Bar of Georgia seeking to be transferred to “Retired Status.” “I further understand and acknowledge that if granted Retired Status I am prohibited from practicing law in this state and in any other state or jurisdiction and that I may not reapply for admission,” he wrote in the letter, which he posted on his Telegram account.

Your OBGYN’s Pain Scale: An Interpretive Guide

https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/your-obgyns-pain-scale-an-interpretive-guide
Created
Thu, 06/07/2023 - 22:01

“You won’t feel anything.”
It won’t hurt per se, but it will feel like the nurse is dragging a bone-dry tampon out of your vagina over and over again.

“This might be a little warm.”
This will feel like the time you accidentally burned your hand on the stove, but only for a few seconds.

“This might be a little cold.”
This will feel like you’ve contracted instantaneous frostbite, but for more than a few seconds.

“There may be some discomfort.”
It’s going to hurt more than the worst period you’ve ever had.

“You might feel a slight pinch.”
You’ll think the nurse thrust a hot knife into your cervix, and then twisted it.

“You may experience some cramping.”
You are actually going through labor.

“Most women experience 2-3 out of a pain scale of 10.”
This procedure is a 10/10 on the pain scale. We’d say 11/10, but the scale doesn’t go that high.

‘I Don’t Know How I’ll Cope if They Disappear’: The Fight to Save Ticket Offices

https://tribunemag.co.uk/2023/07/i-dont-know-how-ill-cope-if-they-disappear-the…
Created
Thu, 06/07/2023 - 21:05

Over a year has passed since the RMT union began industrial action on the railways. In that time, we’ve had three prime ministers, four chancellors and three transport secretaries. One constant, however, has been the determination of the government to force through damaging cuts. The closure of 1000 ticket offices announced yesterday is the latest […]

Meta on the Fediverse: Thread or Opportunity

https://www.openrightsgroup.org/blog/meta-on-the-fediverse-thread-or-opportunit…
Created
Thu, 06/07/2023 - 20:08
Threads.net, Meta’s competitor to Twitter, is launched today, outside of the European Union. It is apparently, “soon” (within a few months) going to work with other Federated social media services such as Mastodon. This is raising fears and hopes for those of us who believe that federation is a huge opportunity.  We understand why EU […]

Twitter is FUBARed

https://digbysblog.net/2023/07/05/twitter-is-fubared/
Created
Thu, 06/07/2023 - 10:00
I don’t know how many of you care about this but it really seems to have reached critical mass over this past weekend and I suspect the end is nigh. You will notice that my twitter feed on the sidebar is gone and I don’t have an explanation for it except that twitter is now so fubared that it isn’t picking up the feed. I’m still there @digby56 but the writing is on the wall I’m afraid. I’m trying out all the new platforms, Mastadon, BlueSky, Post etc. I’ve kept my handle digby56 at all of them so you can probably find me (or possibly one of the imposters that have crept on some of them…) They all have their good and bad points but they just don’t have the scale. Supposedly Meta is rolling out its new twitter-like platform tomorrow (it’s somehow associated with Instagram) so we’ll see how it goes. I’ll let you know if I land in a particular spot. It’s a shame. I loved twitter and it was an important resource for my work. But Elon bought it as a toy and he’s smashed it to pieces as spoiled little bully boys tend to do.

Here they go again

https://digbysblog.net/2023/07/05/here-they-go-again/
Created
Thu, 06/07/2023 - 08:30
Is this about privatizing social security to further enrich Wall St? Or maybe they want Donald Trump to be president again? I can’t think of another reason why they wouldn’t just say, “raise taxes on rich people” and leave it at that. (That is the answer to this problem if, in fact, there is one.) After all, other countries are somehow able to provide universal health care and retirement benefits for their citizens. France is experiencing massive protest right now over a proposal to raise the full retirement age from 62 to 64. We should be so lucky. The usual suspects are talking about raising our retirement age to 72! Maybe they should have a chat with Professor Paul Krugman, their own columnist, who exposed the Deficit Scolds just last May (for the hundredth time) during the debt ceiling negotiations. It’s all nonsense.