CdnCurmudgeon

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/science-environment-45741482
Sir David Attenborough: 'Population growth has to come to an end' Remember when Paul Ehrlich warned us about this in the late 1960s? I do...

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2024-03-27/scientists-cant-fully-explain-record-global-temperatures
That 2023 was Earth’s hottest year on record was in some ways no surprise. For decades, scientists have been sounding the alarm about rapidly rising temperatures driven by humanity’s relentless burning of fossil fuels.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

You know it's true...

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://rogerhallam.com/atlantic-ocean-circulation-collapse/
The Truth About Atlantic Ocean Circulation Collapse

The collapse of the Atlantic Ocean circulation (AMOC) will be the most devastating event in the last 10,000 years of human history.
It will happen overnight with sudden effects.
It will be irreversible and continue for 1000s of years.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://www.potatonewstoday.com/2024/04/03/unprecedented-weather-conditions-disrupt-potato-planting-in-ireland-and-across-europe-market-gap-looms/
Unprecedented weather conditions disrupt potato planting in Ireland and across Europe, market gap looms.
In a year marked by climatic irregularities, farmers in Ireland have encountered rainfall levels between 130% and 220% above average, creating conditions unfavorable for potato planting. The IFA report highlights that only minimal progress has been made in planting early varieties, with continuous rainfall causing a cessation of these activities.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://pressprogress.ca/intelligence-report-says-bots-and-fake-accounts-linked-to-indias-governing-party-are-harassing-canadians/
Intelligence Report Says Bots and Fake Accounts Linked to India’s Governing Party are Harassing Canadians
‘Pro-BJP’ accounts target Canadian activists, journalists and politicians, new documents tabled in foreign interference inquiry reveal.

Surpised?
Me, either.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyytCU9_T6Q
Donald Trump has had not one but three different judges rule against him in three different cases, April 15th is the first time in history a former president will be held accountable for cheating on his taxes and his wife on the same day...

br00t4c, 2 months ago to random

RFK Jr issues statement to "clarify his views" on the Capitol riot

#fundraising #rfk

https://nationalzero.com/2024/04/05/rfk-jr-issues-statement-to-clarify-his-views-on-the-capitol-riot/

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2024/05/royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-icon-of-seas/677838/
The ship makes no sense, vertically or horizontally. It makes no sense on sea, or on land, or in outer space. It looks like a hodgepodge of domes and minarets, tubes and canopies, like Istanbul had it been designed by idiots.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

Snowing here today. Hope it's the last blast of winter before real spring arrives.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/the-largest-fresh-egg-producer-in-the-us-has-found-bird-flu-in-chickens-at-a-texas-plant-1.6830863

The largest fresh egg producer in the US has found bird flu in chickens at a Texas plant

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

from Xitter:
Wonder why you’re broke?
Are you open to considering that it’s not Trudeau?

“Forbes added that there are now more billionaires than ever: 2,781 in all, 141 more than last year, and 26 more than the record set in 2021. They’re also richer than ever, worth $14.2 trillion in the aggregate, up by $2 trillion from 2023 and $1.1 trillion above the previous record, also set in 2021.”

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/watch-what-happens-when-not-enough-people-are-protected-from-measles/article_391bb3dc-e716-11ee-a91f-8b087d9777db.html
Watch what happens when not enough people are protected from measles
This animation shows how quickly measles can spread in an unprotected community and why it’s important to have high rates of immunity.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

The truth is, Conservatives hate the carbon tax because it is progressive and returns the revenue back to Canadians directly, not corporations. They dislike the fact that carbon taxes are not an upward wealth redistribution scheme, or a form of trickle down.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2024/03/24/anti-authority-narratives-intelligence-report-warns/
Anti-authority narratives could tear ‘fabric of society,’ intelligence report warns
Threats against politicians have become “increasingly normalized” due to extremist narratives prompted by personal grievances and fuelled by misinformation or deliberate lies.

The report, says the Canadian violent extremist landscape has seen the proliferation of conspiracy theories, a growing lack of trust in the integrity of the state and more political polarization.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

Just arrived: A Grammar of Typography: Classical Book Design in the Digital Age. Large and beautiful, but definitely a tough book to read in bed. The only other book I can compare it to is Bringhurts's The Elements of Typographic Style (shown on the right). I'm swimming somewhat out of my depth here, but I really love reading this stuff.

image/jpeg

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2024/02/canada-carbon-rebate-amounts-for-2024-25.html
In provinces where the federal fuel charge applies, a family of four will receive up to $1,800 under the base Canada Carbon Rebate in 2024-25. In April 2024, residents of these provinces will receive their 1st of 4 quarterly Canada Carbon Rebate payments

oatmeal, 2 months ago to Israel

#TheSaison / The Arab Hunting Season [Amal Oraby, أمل عرابي]

Since the start of the war, every few days right-wing elements identify an Arab of the day, usually well-known figures in their fields, place them in the public spotlight due to a few carefully plucked words, and label them as enemies. The goal is clear: instilling fear and a reminder of whom the masters of this house are.

Since the beginning of the war, the name of an Arab citizen, often a prominent figure in fields such as culture, academia, or medicine, appreciated by the professional community and the Arab public, has been making headlines every week.

Their name does not come up in the context of an article about the beautiful, diverse, and egalitarian Israel, content aimed primarily at audiences abroad for propaganda and public relations purposes. Instead, they find themselves at the center of a media storm, earning them the new title of "terrorist in a suit," "supporter of terrorism," "denier of rape," "anti-Semite," or all of the above.

The circumstances of the events and statements for which these individuals are put on public trial teach us about a recurring and organized strategy of action, which, beyond silencing and persecuting that person, is also intended to send a clear message to Palestinian citizens in Israel.

The campaign of persecution begins in the offices of fascist right-wing organizations, which maintain a target bank that includes the names of Arab researchers, academics, politicians, artists, and opinion leaders. They employ a series of "investigators," "activists," and "coordinators," whose sole purpose is to monitor the target bank, aiming to capture a few seconds of recorded footage, a statement of a few words, or a like that can be latched onto to continue the production line.

At this stage, ordinary Jewish citizens are also involved, voluntarily taking on the task of monitoring every Arab in their vicinity, lying in wait for them with a camera or a finger ready on the screenshot button. Thanks to the public atmosphere, these citizens feel that they are contributing to the home front, strengthening the Jewish nation-state, and may even be entitled to light a torch.

As soon as they manage to find a "suspicious" statement or expression, fascist right-wing organizations, along with fictitious "public organizations" and a series of Knesset members, unleash a flood of inquiries and complaints to a range of official institutions, including employers, law enforcement authorities, official oversight bodies, labor unions, and any entity somehow related to that person. The stated purpose of these letters is to complain about that statement made by the man or woman, but the hidden goal is to intimidate those institutions and exploit the war to redraw the boundaries of who is allowed to speak and what they are allowed to say.

In the days of "together we will win," official and ostensibly state institutions fall into the trap laid for them. At that moment, all principles of proper administration, democratic values, and with them, the rights of that "accused," chief among them the right to defend oneself, evaporate. In an instant, those "prestigious" institutions that boast to the world about values of inclusion and diversity react hysterically like the last talkbaker and rush to dissociate themselves from that person, their words, and their deeds, nullifying their contribution and sending them far away from the public eye.

The Perfect Storm

With the release of the first response from an official body that fell into the trap, the decisive stage of the process begins: the public lynching. On ordinary days, such a lynching would start and end on the accounts of a few nationalist right-wing influencers on social media and an item on Channel 14. However, today, senior journalists and sane opinion leaders with a reputation seek to take part in the fray, and in an act of self-purification, participate in the lynching, fully adopting the fascist narrative and refraining from investigating the facts.

Thus, the perfect storm is created, in which an Arab citizen who turns out to be Palestinian, or simply a person unwilling to accept an ongoing campaign of revenge against everything living and inanimate in Gaza, or the tens of thousands of children starving for bread just beyond the fence, is brought forward. This victim is carefully chosen from among the finest sons and daughters of Arab society because, beyond punishment, this act is intended to deter all others and reward those who pass the Israeli patriotism test.

It is no coincidence that the ever-expanding target bank mostly includes Arabs active in the realms of academia, medicine, law, and the spirit. Because in these spheres, many Arabs manage to excel despite the obstacles in their way, and even surpass their Jewish counterparts who, while running on the paved road, their Arab peers leap over the partition wall to take part in shaping the space. These fields also have the power to shape consciousness, and on the way to establishing a regime of Jewish supremacy, a clear line must be drawn between superiors and inferiors, lest any Arab be confused and think that being a successful doctor, judge, or senior researcher guarantees them equality or protection.

This campaign of persecution has been enjoying dizzying success these days, managing to make significant strides toward purging the public sphere, drawing new ghetto boundaries, and shaping the image of state institutions. This is also due to the resounding public silence from those who, just a moment ago, vehemently opposed any infringement on democracy, individual freedom, and freedom of expression, alongside a growing stream in Israeli society that sees the hunting of Arabs as a national mission and a contribution to the public good.

The next time you hear an Arab's name under the title "supporter of terrorism" or "anti-Semite," try to listen to the hidden message behind the story and ask yourself, "Whose side am I on?" Because in the end, this campaign of persecution is destined to pollute your living environment as well.

#Sikha [Hebrew] https://www.mekomit.co.il/%D7%A2%D7%95%D7%A0%D7%AA-%D7%A6%D7%99%D7%93-%D7%94%D7%A2%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%99%D7%9D/

See also:

Right-Wing students protest Hebrew University's minimal disciplinary action against Prof. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian https://kolektiva.social/@oatmeal/112111360405362117

The Faculty of Oppression Studies: The Hebrew University is Silencing Palestinian Voices and Embracing the Israeli Right-Wing [Orly Noy] https://kolektiva.social/@oatmeal/112088808500432184

@israel
@palestine
#Israel #Aparheid #Ultranationalis

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/morning-file/pierre-poilievres-fantasy-vision-for-the-future-offers-common-sense-solutions-unhinged-from-the-real-world/
Pierre Poilievre’s fantasy vision for the future offers ‘common sense’ solutions unhinged from the real world

When Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre spoke in Halifax on Sunday, he too didn’t mention SaltWire, the workers, the loss to communities, or the importance of reporting to democracy. Instead, he attacked what’s left of the news media.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://blog.sciencenatures.com/2022/12/harrison-ford-stop-giving-power-to.html
From 2023: There's something about Harrison Ford that makes people sit up and listen: Stop giving power to people who don't believe in science. That includes Repugnicans and Canadian CONservatives.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

From Xitter:
Canada’s inflation rate is now 2.86%, which is lower than historic averages & lower than analysts projected. Why are we not hearing about this & lauding the PM for deftly managing worldwide inflation?
#CanadaIsNotBroken #NeverVoteConservative

In large part it's because most Canadian media are just Rebel-Media-wannabes shilling for the far right. Except NatPost, which has become a Der-Sturmer-wannabe shilling for the pro-fascist extremists.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/book-review-michiko-kakutanis-the-death-of-truth/1348239/
Book Review: Michiko Kakutani’s The Death of Truth
Written as field notes on falsehood in the Age of Trump for journalists everywhere working to report news, The Death of Truth is the most dazzling, frightening, and also intimate analysis of President Trump, tyranny and lies.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2024/03/donald-trump-mocks-joe-bidens-stutter/677708/
More than Trump’s ugly taunt, one thing stands out to me about these moments: the sound of Trump’s supporters laughing right along with him. This is a building block of Trumpism. The man at the top gives his followers permission to be the worst version of themselves.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

CONservatives have adopted full-scale the MAGA tactics: lie, deflect, refuse to answer, insult, accuse, lie again, don't take responsibility, blame others, lie again, point fingers, gaslight, offer no solutions or platforms, don't collaborate, lie again. Then repeat.

CdnCurmudgeon, 2 months ago to random

The oddities of English...