Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Forty Percent of Biden IRA Manufacturing Projects Behind Schedule or Paused

A new study by the Financial Times on the early results from Biden Administration IRA spending raises as many questions as it answers.

The Myanmar Mess

For those of you, like me, who have grievous little understanding of Myanmar, this presentation provides a history, particularly of British misrule and the major ethnic groups, discusses the interests and actions of the major powers, and reviews the recent fighting and the prospects for Myanmar. The look of this video is a bit homespun, […]

Mask Bans Slowly Spread [cough, cough] in States and Localities

Mask bans passed in North Carolina and Nassau County, NY; mask bans considered in New York State, Chicago, IL, and Los Angeles, CA.

Links 8/11/2024

Between Optimism and Despair: The Messy Middle Paths Through Climate Breakdown

The mindset at the root of the ecological crisis will continue to drive destructive patterns, until we are forced to confront it.

The Problem with Pronatalism: Pushing Baby Booms to Boost Economic Growth Amounts to a Ponzi Scheme

Schemes to boost birth rates to bolster growth are generally ineffective and more important, miss the real problem.

Links 8/10/2024

‘Corporate Greed Is Out of Control’: Warren Slams Kroger’s AI Pricing Scheme

If you have shopped at Kroger, please consider boycotting them over them over their surge pricing grifting plans.

2:00PM Water Cooler 8/9/2024

~ Today’s Water Cooler: Politics, syndemics; Friday’s charts: Covid wastewater (still bad) and polling charts (bad for Trump); Lambert lashes himself to the mast; Walz swiftboating: Nice try, no cigar. Boeing’s Starliner debacle. Again. ~

US Deploys Pathetic Wizard of Oz Messaging Strategy to Pretend It Can Influence Iran Conflict Trajectory

The US is bizarrely pretending it has influence over the coming Iran and Axis of Resistance response to Israel escalation.

Links 8/9/2024

Why Did US Quietly Reverse Its Decision to Unilaterally Recognise Venezuela’s Opposition Candidate As President?

“Given the overwhelming evidence, it is clear to the United States… that Edmundo González Urrutia won the most votes in Venezuela’s July 28 presidential election.” But it was only clear for four days. 

The Irrationality of Markets

More evidence that the current level of advanced economy secondary market trading is bad for economic health.

Department of Pre-Crime, TSA Edition

The TSA is now harassing mere pretty mild political dissenters via intrusive bag checks and deploying heavy-duty surveillance teams

Eight Reasons Mask Bans Are Beyond Stupid

Eight talking points on mask bans.